The vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (about 1362-1393 A. D.)

PASSUS VII.

[TITLE. So in LWCRB; Passus 7 us O.] Passus vij ^us. de visione, vt supra.

Treuthe herde telle her-of · and to peres he sent, [A page 92] [her-of] her-of (printed her) W. he] O om. sent] wente B.] To taken his teme · and tulyen þe erthe, [taken] maken W. tulyen] so in LR; tilien WCB; tilie O.] And purchaced hym a pardoun · a pena & a culpa For hym, and for his heires · for euermore after. Line 4 And bad hym holde hym at home · and eryen his leyes, And alle þat halpe hym to erie · to sette or to sowe, [halpe] holpen WOB; holpe R.] Or any other myster · þat myȝte pieres auaille, [myster] mestier W; mester R; mynysterye B.] Pardoun with pieres plowman · treuthe hath ygraunted. [pieres] peres þe R; pieris þe B.] ¶ Kynges and knyȝtes · þat kepen holycherche, [cherche] cherches R.] Line 9 And ryȝtfullych in reumes · reulen þe peple, [reumes] reames C; Remes W.] Han pardoun thourgh purgatorie · to passe ful lyȝtly, [folio 30b] [Han] And (!) R. lyȝtly] lighte COB.] With patriarkes and prophetes · in paradise to be felawes. [felawes] felawe WCOB.] Line 12 ¶ Bisshopes yblessed · ȝif þei ben as þei shulden, [shulden] mowe amende B.] Legistres of bothe þe lawes · þe lewed þere-with to preche, [þe (1)] WRB om.] And in as moche as þei mowe · amende alle synful, [A page 93] [And] O om.]

Aren peres with þe apostles · [þis] pardoun Piers sheweth, [[þis WCOB] þus LR.] And at þe day of dome · atte heigh deyse to sytte. [deyse] deys WCOB; dayes R. to] W om.] Line 17 ¶ Marchauntz in þe margyne · hadden many ȝeres, Ac none a pena & a culpa · þe Pope nolde hem graunte, [Ac] And C. none—pena] no pena R. a (2)] O om. Pope] pape C. nolde hem] wald hem nauȝt R; wolde hem B.] For þei holde nouȝt her halidayes · as holicherche techeth, [holde] held C. halidayes] halyday R. techeth] telleth R.] And for þei swere by her soule · and 'so god moste hem helpe,' [by—soule] ofte R. and] R om. moste] mote B; R om.] Line 21 Aȝein clene conscience · her catel to selle. [catel] chaffare B.] ¶ Ac vnder his secret seel · treuthe sent hem a lettre, [Ac] And CB. his] her O. seel] sehel O.] That þey shulde bugge boldely · þat hem best liked, [þat] what B. best liked] likede best O; best liketh R.] Line 24 And sithenes selle it aȝein · and saue þe wynny[n]ge, [it] it vs R. wynnynge] wyn|nynges R; miswritten wynnyge L.] And amende mesondieux þere-myde · and myseyse folke helpe, [þere-myde] þer-with CRB.] And wikked wayes · wiȝtlich hem amende; [CB om. hem] W om.] And do bote to brugges · þat to-broke were, [brugges] brugges (altered to brygges) C; briegges B.] Line 28 Marien maydenes · or maken hem nonnes; [maken] to make B.] Pore peple and prisounes · fynden hem here fode, [A page 94] [and] or R. prisounes] prisones RCO; prisons W; prisoneris B. fode] liflode CB; lijflode O.] And sette scoleres to scole · or to somme other craftes; [somme] R om.] Releue Religioun · and renten hem bettere;— Line 32 "And I shal sende ȝow my-selue · seynt Michel myn archangel, Þat no deuel shal ȝow dere · ne fere ȝow in ȝowre deyinge, [deyinge] deynge R; doynge (sic) COB, and Crowley.] And witen ȝow fro wanhope · if ȝe wil þus worche,

And sende ȝowre sowles in safte · to my seyntes in ioye." [sende] sente C. in (1)] in-to O.] Line 36 ¶ Þanne were Marchauntz mery · many wepten for ioye, [Marchauntz—wepten] manye marchauntz · þat wopen R. many] & O.] And preyseden pieres þe plowman · þat purchaced þis bulle. ¶ Men of lawe lest pardoun hadde · þat pleteden for Mede, [Two lines in R; the first ends at hadde; the second is eked out by adding for þat craft is schrewed.] Line 39 For þe sauter saueth hem nouȝte · such as taketh ȝiftes, And namelich of innocentz · þat none yuel ne kunneth;

Super innocentem munera non accipies.

[ne kunneth] konnes C; kunnen OB. R omits the Latin.] Pledoures shulde peynen hem · to plede for such, an helpe, [peynen] pyne CO; pynen B. an] and WCROB.] Prynces and prelates · shulde paye for her trauaille;

A regibus & pryncipibus erit merces eorum.

¶ Ac many a iustice an iuroure · wolde for Iohan do more, [Ac] And C. a iustice] Iustices COB. iuroure] Iurour CO; Iur|rouris B. Iohan] ion O.] Line 44 Þan pro dei pietate · leue þow none other! [A page 95] Ac he þat spendeth his speche · and spekeþ for þe pore [Ac] And C. spendeth] speneth R.] Þat is Innocent and nedy · and no man appeireth, Conforteth hym in þat cas · with-oute coueytise of ȝiftes, [folio 31] [Conforteth] And conforteth R.] Line 48 And scheweth lawe for owre lordes loue · as he it hath lerned, [lerned] I-lerned R; y-lerned W.] Shal no deuel at his ded-day · deren hym a myȝte, [ded-day] dede-day C; deeþ-day WB.] Þat he ne worth sauf and his sowle · þe sauter bereth witnesse;

Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo, &c.

¶ Ac to bugge water, ne wynde · ne witte, ne fyre þe fierthe, [Ac] And C. ne (1)] no R. fierthe] ferþe WCROB.] Line 52 Þise foure þe fader of heuene · made to þis folde in comune; [þis] his COB.] Þise ben treuthes tresores · trewe folke to helpe, [treuthes] trewest C.] Þat neuere shal wax ne wanye · with-oute god hym|selue. [with-oute] wiþ (!) O.] ¶ Whan þei drawen on to deye · and Indulgences wolde haue, [on—deye] vn-to þe day C; vnto þe deþ OB; in-to deth R.] Line 56 Her pardoun is ful petit · at her partyng hennes, [Her] His CRB. her] his R.] Þat any Mede of mene men · for her motyng taketh. [any] R om. her] his COB.] Ȝe legistres and lawyeres · holdeth þis for treuthe, [ȝe] the C; þe RB. and] and þe R. holdeth] holdes C.] Þat, ȝif þat I lye · Mathew is to blame, [þat (2)] B om. is to] y B.] Line 60 For he bad me make ȝow þis · and þis prouerbe me tolde,

Quodcumque vultis vt faciant vobis homines, facite eis.

[make] take O.] ¶ Alle lybbyng laboreres · þat lyuen with her hondes, Þat trewlich taken · and trewlich wynnen, And lyuen in loue and in lawe · for her lowe hertis, [hertis] herte R.] Line 64 Haueth þe same absolucioun · þat sent was to peres. [Haueth] Han O; Has C; Haþ B.] ¶ Beggeres ne bidderes · ne beth nouȝte in þe bulle, But if þe suggestioun be soth · þat shapeth hem to begge. For he þat beggeth or bit · but if he haue nede, [A page 96] [bit] bid C.] Line 68 He is fals with þe fende · and defraudeth þe nedy, And also he bigileth þe gyuere · ageines his wil. [bigileth] gyleth R.] For if he wist he were nouȝte nedy · he wolde ȝiue þat an other, [ȝiue þat] it gif COB.]

Þat were more nedy þan he · so þe nediest shuld be hulpe. [more—he] more nedyer and nauȝtier R.] Line 72 Catoun kenneth men þus · and þe clerke of þe stories, [men] me WO. of þe] of WCOB.] Cui des, videto · is catounes techynge, And in þe stories he techeth · to bistowe þyn almes;

Sit elemosina [tua] in manu tua, donec studes cui des.

[[tua WCOB] LR om.] ¶ Ac Gregori was a gode man · and bad vs gyuen alle [Ac] And C. was] is R.] Þat asketh, for his loue · þat vs alle leneth:—

Non eligas cui miserearis, ne forte pretereas illum qui meretur accipere. Quia incertum est pro quo [Deo] magis placeas.

[leneth] leues C. [Deo W] deum LCROB; deo in Crowley.] Line 77 ¶ For wite ȝe neuere who is worthi · ac god wote who hath nede, [wite ȝe] ye woot COB. ac] and C.] In hym þat taketh is þe treccherye · if any tresoun wawe; [In] Alle in R. þe] R. om. any] C om. wawe] walke WCROB.] For he þat ȝiueth, ȝeldeth · and ȝarketh hym to reste, [þat ȝiueth] ȝift R.] And he þat biddeth, borweth · and bryngeth hym-self in dette. [biddeth] bit R.] Line 81 For beggeres borwen euermo · and her borghe is god almyȝti, [folio 31b] [For] For-thi R. borghe] bo|rugh C; boruȝ O; borȝ R.] To ȝelden hem þat ȝiueth hem · and ȝet vsure more:

Quare non dedisti peccuniam meam ad mensam, vt ego veniens cum vsuris [exegissem illam?]

[more] amore R. veniens] veniam W. [exegissem] exigissem, &c. CB; & exigissem R; exigerem L; exigere WO. [illam] omitted in the MSS.; added from the Vulgate.] ¶ For-þi biddeth nouȝt, ȝe beggeres · but if ȝe haue gret nede; [gret] COB om.] Line 84 For who-so hath to buggen hym bred · þe boke bereth witnesse, [hath—buggen] may by C; may bigge OB.]

He hath ynough þat hath bred ynough · þough he haue nouȝt elles:

Satis diues est, qui non indiget pane.

[ynough] I-nowe R (in both places); B omits the second. þough] if C. non] R om. (!)] ¶ Late vsage be ȝowre solace · of seyntes lyues redynge, Þe boke banneth beggarie · and blameth hem in þis manere:

Iunior fui, etenim senui; et non vidi iustum derelictum, nec semen eius [querens panem.]

[hem] COB om. etenim] etenim (printed et jam) W. [querens panem OCB] LWR omit.] Line 88 ¶ For ȝe lyue in no loue · ne no lawe holde; [lyue] lyue nouȝt CB.] Many of ȝow ne wedde nouȝt · þe wommen þat ȝe with delen, [wommen] womman C. þat] CO om.] But as wilde bestis with wehe · worthen vppe and worchen, [bestis] hors B. worthen vppe] & worþ vp O.] Line 91 And bryngeth forth barnes · þat bastardes men calleth. [calleth] callid B.] Or þe bakke or some bone · he breketh in his ȝouthe, [some] þe R. he breketh] he breke C; þei breken R; ȝe brekiþ B. his] here R.] A[nd] sitthe gon faiten with ȝoure fauntes · for euer|more after. [And] L has A; but the line is marked for correction; And WCROB. ȝoure] here R; her O.] Þere is moo mysshape peple · amonge þise beggeres, [mysshape] myshap C; mys|happy B; myschappid O.] Þan of alle maner men · þat on þis molde walketh; Line 96 And þei þat lyue þus here lyf · mowe lothe þe tyme, [And þei] þo R.] Þat euere he was man wrouȝt · whan he shal hennes fare. [þat] þan C. he—man] þei were men W. he shal] þei shal W. fare] C om.] ¶ Ac olde men & hore · þat helplees ben of strengthe, [Ac] And C.] And women with childe · þat worche ne mowe, Line 100 Blynde and bedered · and broken here membres, [bedered] bedreden W; bed|rede OB; bedred C; bederede R.]

Þat taketh þis myschief mekelych · as meseles and othere, [þis myschief] þise myschiefs WCB; þeise mescheues O.] Han as pleyne pardoun · as þe plowman hym-self; [as (1)] a O; also B.] For loue of her lowe hertis · owre lorde hath hem graunted [A page 97] Line 104 Here penaunce and her purgatorie · here on þis erthe. [on] vpon R.] ¶ "Pieres," quod a prest þo · "þi pardoun most I rede, For I wil construe eche clause · and kenne it þe on engliche." [wil] schal R. eche] ich a O. on] an R.] ¶ And pieres at his preyere · þe pardoun vnfoldeth, [vnfoldeth] he vnfoldeth R.] And I bihynde hem bothe · bihelde al þe bulle. [bihelde] biholde C. bulle] bille C.] Line 109 Al in two lynes it lay · and nouȝt a leef more, [Al] And W; Alle R.] And was writen riȝt þus · in witnesse of treuthe:

Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam eternam; Qui vero mala, in ignem eternum.

[in witnesse] watinesse (!) B. eternum] eternam B.] ¶ "Peter!" quod þe prest þo · "I can no pardoun fynde, Line 112 But 'dowel, and haue wel · and god shal haue þi sowle, And do yuel, and haue yuel · hope þow non other [But] after þi ded-day · þe deuel shal haue þi sowle!' " [folio 32] [[But WCOB] þat LR; Crow|ley has But. ded-day] dede-day C; deeþ-day WB; deth-day RO.] ¶ And pieres for pure tene · pulled it atweyne, And seyde,

"si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis, non timebo mala; quoniam tu mecum es.

[mala] O om.] Line 116 ¶ I shal cessen of my sowyng," quod pieres · "and swynk nouȝt so harde, Ne about my bely ioye · so bisi be namore! [Ne] Ne be COB. bisi] bisily COB. be] COB om.] Of preyers and of penaunce · my plow shal ben her|after, [of (2)] COB om. penaunce] penaunces R.]

And wepen whan I shulde slepe · þough whete bred me faille. [A page 98] Line 120 ¶ Þe prophete his payn ete · in penaunce and in sorwe, [ete] eet WR.] By þat þe sauter seith · so dede other manye; [other manye] many other COB.] Þat loueth god lelly · his lyflode is ful esy:

Fuerunt michi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte.

¶ And, but if Luke lye · he lereth vs bi foules, [he—foules] or lereth vs be foles R.] Line 124 We shulde nouȝt be to bisy · aboute þe worldes blisse; Ne solliciti sitis · he seyth in þe gospel, And sheweth vs bi ensamples · vs selue to wisse. [bi] B om. vs selue] ouresilue B; oure seluen O.] Line 127 Þe foules on þe felde · who fynt hem mete at wynter? [on] in WCOB; of R. fynt] fyndes C. at] in B.] Haue þei no gernere to go to · but god fynt hem alle." [fynt] fyndes C.] ¶ "What!" quod þe prest to perkyn · "peter! as me þinketh, Þow art lettred a litel · who lerned þe on boke?" ¶ "Abstinence þe abbesse," quod pieres · "myne a.b.c. me tauȝte, [þe abbesse] R om.] Line 132 And conscience come afterward · and kenned me moche more." [come] cam W.] ¶ "Were þow a prest, pieres," quod he · "þow miȝte preche where þow sholdest, [pieres] WO om. miȝte] myȝt|est WROB. sholdest] woldest R.] As deuynour in deuynyte · with dixit insipiens to þi teme." [A page 99] [As] As a B. in] of R.] ¶ "Lewed lorel!" quod Pieres · "litel lokestow on þe bible, [Lewed] Lew C. Pieres] Pieris þo B. litel—on] ful litil lokist þou vp-on B. þe] þi R.] Line 136 On salomones sawes · selden þow biholdest,

[Eice] derisores et iurgia cum eis, ne crescant, &c."

[On] Or on O; Vppon B; And R. selden] ful selde B. [Eice O] Ecce LWRCB. (Eice is the old spell|ing of the word now spelt Ejice.) et—crescant] R om.]

¶ Þe prest and perkyn · apposeden eyther other, And I þorw here wordes a-woke · and waited aboute, And seighe þe sonne in þe south · sitte þat tyme, [sitte] satte C; sate O; at B.] Line 140 Metelees and monelees · on Maluerne hulles, [monelees] moneles R; monei|lees WCOB.] Musyng on þis meteles; · and my waye ich ȝede. [þis meteles] þeise metelis O. and] a R. One would think that the reading should be on; (a = on.)] ¶ Many tyme þis meteles · hath maked me to studye [The paragraph-mark is omit|ted in L; but in W, we have here a large illuminated letter.] [þis meteles] þeise metelis O. hath] han OB. to] O om.] Of þat I seigh slepyng · if it so be myȝte, Line 144 And also for peres þe plowman · ful pensyf in herte, And which a pardoun peres hadde · alle þe peple to conforte, And how þe prest impugned it · with two propre wordes. Line 147 Ac I haue no sauoure in songewarie · for I se it ofte faille; [folio 32b] [Ac] And C. songewarie] sompnewarie O.] Catoun and canonistres · conseilleth vs to leue To sette sadnesse in songewarie · for, sompnia ne cures. [songewarie] sompnewarie O.] ¶ Ac for þe boke bible · bereth witnesse, [Ac] And C. bible] of the bibile C; of þe bible B.] How danyel deuyned · þe dremes of a kynge, [A page 100] [dremes] dreme R; dreem W.] Line 152 Þat was nabugodonosor · nempned of clerkis. [nempned] Inempned R.] Daniel seyde, "sire Kynge · þi dremeles bitokneth, [dremeles bitokneth] dremels bitokneþ W; dremelis bitoknen O; dremees bitoknes C; dremes bitokeneþ B.] Þat vnkouth knyȝtes shul come · þi kyngdom to cleue; [cleue] cleyme WB; clayme C; reue R.] Amonges lowere lordes · þi londe shal be departed." And as danyel deuyned · in dede it felle after, Line 157 Þe kynge lese his lordship · and lower men it hadde. [lese] lees WO; les R; lees aftir B.] ¶ And ioseph mette merueillously · how þe mone and þe sonne, [and þe] & O.] And þe elleuene sterres · hailsed hym alle. [hym] hem CO.] Line 160

Line 160 Þanne Iacob iugged · iosephes sweuene: "Beau filtz," quod his fader · "for defaute we shullen, [Beau] Bew O. filtz] so also in R; fitz WOC; fiz B.] I my-self and my sones · seche þe for nede." ¶ It bifel as his fader seyde · in pharaoes tyme, Line 164 Þat ioseph was iustice · egipte to loken, [egipte] al Egipte B.] It bifel as his fader tolde · his frendes þere hym souȝte. [þere hym] hym þere R.] And al þis maketh me · on þis meteles to þynke; [þis meteles] þeise meteles O; þis metels WCRB.] ¶ And how þe prest preued · no pardoun to dowel, Line 168 And demed þat dowel · indulgences passed, [demed] nempned R. indul|gences] indulgence RCB.] Biennales and triennales · and bisschopes lettres, And how dowel at þe day of dome · is dignelich vnder|fongen, [A page 101] And passeth al þe pardoun · of seynt petres cherche. [passeth] passid B. al þe] alle R. petres] Peter C; Petir B.] ¶ Now hath þe pope powere · pardoun to graunte þe peple Line 173 With-outen eny penaunce · to passen in-to heuene; [eny] C om.] Þis is owre bileue · as lettered men vs techeth,

Quodcumque ligaueris super terram, erit ligatum et in celis, &c.

[is] R om. &c.] R om.] And so I leue lelly · (lordes forbode ellis!) [lordes] oure lordis B.] Line 176 Þat pardoun and penaunce · and preyeres don saue [saue] þe same CB.] Soules þat haue synned · seuene sithes dedly. Ac to trust to þise triennales · trewly me þinketh, [Ac] And C. trust] trist RB.] Is nouȝt so syker for þe soule · certis, as is dowel. [173—180. O omits; but in the margin is the note—now haþ þe p.] [Is] It is R. soule] saules C; soulis B.] Line 180 ¶ For-þi I rede ȝow, renkes · þat riche ben on þis erthe, [renkes] thenke R; to þynk B.] Vppon trust of ȝowre tresoure · triennales to haue, Be ȝe neuere þe balder · to breke þe [ten] hestes; [balder] bolder WCRB. [ten CROB] x LW.] And namelich, ȝe maistres · mayres and iugges, Line 184

Line 184 Þat han þe welthe of þis worlde · and for wyse men ben holden, [for] COBR om.] To purchace ȝow pardoun · and þe popis bulles. [folio 33] [and] at O.] At þe dredeful dome · whan ded[e] shullen rise, [dede] so in WCR; þe dede B; ded L. rise] arise CB.] And comen alle bifor cryst · acountis to ȝelde, [bifor] to-fore W. acountis] and acountes R.] Line 188 How þow laddest þi lyf here · and his lawes keptest, And how þow dedest day bi day · þe dome wil reherce; [A page 102] [dedest] dost R.] A poke ful of pardoun þere · ne prouinciales lettres, [poke] pook C; pouhȝ R.] Theigh ȝe be founde in þe fraternete · of alle þe foure ordres, [foure] fyue R.] Line 192 And haue indulgences double-folde · but if dowel ȝow help, [indulgences] indulgence CB. if dowel] dowel wil R.] I sette ȝowre patentes and ȝowre pardounz · at one pies hele! [pardounz] pardon WCROB. one] on RB; a O. pies hele] pese hule C; peese hole B.] ¶ For-þi I conseille alle cristene · to crye god mercy, And Marie his moder · be owre mene bitwene, [be] þat she be B.] Line 196 Þat god gyue vs grace here · ar we gone hennes, Suche werkes to werche · while we ben here, [while] þe while R.] Þat after owre deth-day · dowel reherce, [deth-day] dede-day C.] At þe day of dome · we dede as he hiȝte. Line 200

[Explicit visio willelmi de petro plowman. Et sequitur vita de dowell, Dobett, et Do-beste, secundum wytt & reson.] [From MS. Camb. Univ. Lib. Ll. 4. 14, in a later hand; cf. Text A.]