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.)

                                
                                  A faire felde ful of folke · fonde I there bytwene, [A page 2] 
                                
                                  Of alle maner of men · þe mene and þe riche,
                                
                                  Worchyng and wandryng · as þe worlde asketh.
                                
                                  Some [putten] hem to þe plow · pleyed ful selde, [[putten W] putte C2; put LC. See l. 23. hem] him C. pleyed] plei|den W; pleyede O; plaiden C; pleyed LC2. selde] seelde O; seeld C2; sel|den C.] 
                                  Line 20 
                                
                                  In settyng and in sowyng · swonken ful harde, [in sowyng] WOC2 omit in. swonken] swynken C.] 
                                
                                  And wonnen that wastours · with glotonye destruyeth. [with] in OC2. destruyeth] dis|troys C.] 
                                
                                  ¶ And some putten hem to pruyde · apparailed hem þere-after, [apparailed] apparayleden OC2; apparailed LWC.] 
                                
                                  In contenaunce of clothyng · comen disgised. [disgised] degised W.] 
                                  Line 24 
                                
                                  ¶ In prayers and in penance · putten hem manye, [prayers] preyere O. in pe|nance] penaunces W.] 
                                
                                  Al for loue of owre lorde · lyueden ful streyte, [loue] þe loue W.] 
                                
                                  In hope forto haue · heueneriche blisse; [forto haue] to haue after W.] 
                                
                                  As ancres and heremites · that holden hem in here selles,
                                  Line 28 
                                
                                  And coueiten nought in contre · to kairen aboute, [kairen] cayren O; carien WC2; walken C.] 
                                
                                  For no likerous liflode · her lykam to plese.
                                
                                  ¶ And somme chosen chaffare · they cheuen the bettere, [chosen] chesen C. cheuen] cheueden W.] 
                                
                                  As it semeth to owre syȝt · that suche men thryueth; [suche] swilke C. men] OC2 om.] 
                                
                                  And somme murthes to make · as mynstralles conneth, [conneth] konne W; knaueth C.] 
                                
                                  And geten gold with here glee · synneles, I leue. [synneles] Mr Wright prints giltles (cf. Text A); but we find syn|neles in LWC; not synles in OC2.] 
                                  Line 34 
                                
                                  Ac iapers & iangelers · Iudas chylderen, [Ac] As COC2.] 
                                
                                  Feynen hem fantasies · and foles hem maketh, [Feynen] þat feynen OC2.] 
                                
                                  And han here witte at wille · to worche ȝif þei sholde. [at wille] at her wille OC2. sholde] wolde W.] 
                                
                                  That Poule precheth of hem · I nel nought preue it here; [A page 3]  [nel] wol W. In the margin of O is written, Qui non laborat non manducet.] 
                                  Line 38

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Title: 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.)
Author: Langland, William, 1330?-1400?
Canvas: Page 2
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by N. Trübner & co.,; 1867-85.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajt8124.0001.001
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Full citation: "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.)." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajt8124.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 15, 2025.

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.)

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