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.)

                                
                                  For to conseille þe kyng · and þe comune saue.
                                
                                  ¶ The kyng and knyȝthode · and clergye bothe
                                  Line 116 
                                
                                  Casten þat þe comune · shulde hem-self fynde.
                                
                                  ¶ Þe comune contreued · of kynde witte craftes, [contreued] controued (pro|bably miswritten) C.] 
                                
                                  And for profit of alle þe poeple · plowmen ordeygned,
                                
                                  To tilie and trauaile · as trewe lyf askeþ. [folio 2b]  [and trauaile] and to trauaille W.] 
                                  Line 120 
                                
                                  Þe kynge and þe comune · and kynde witte þe thridde [and kynde] kynde C.] 
                                
                                  Shope lawe & lewte · eche man to knowe his owne. [lewte] leaute WC; leute O.] 
                                
                                  ¶ Þanne loked vp a lunatik · a lene þing with-alle,
                                
                                  And knelyng to þe kyng · clergealy he seyde;
                                  Line 124 
                                
                                  "Crist kepe þe, sire kyng · and þi kyngriche, [Here commences the fragment of MS. R which is now found in MS. Lansdowne 398; see the Preface.] 
                                
                                  And leue þe lede þi londe · so leute þe louye, [leue] leue or lene WCO. lede] to lede OC2.] 
                                
                                  And for þi riȝtful rewlyng · be rewarded in heuene!"
                                
                                  ¶ And sithen in þe eyre an hiegh · An angel of heuene
                                
                                  Lowed to speke in latyn— · for lewed men ne coude
                                
                                  Iangle ne iugge · þat iustifie hem shulde,
                                  Line 130 
                                
                                  But suffren & seruen— · for-thi seyde þe angel,
                                
                                  "Sum Rex, sum Princeps · neutrum fortasse deinceps;—
                                
                                  O qui iura regis · Christi specialia regis,
                                  Line 133 
                                
                                  Hoc quod agas melius · iustus es, esto pius!
                                
                                  Nudum ius a te · vestiri vult pietate; [ius] vis R.] 
                                
                                  Qualia vis metere · talia grana sere.
                                  Line 136 
                                
                                  Si ius nudatur · nudo de iure metatur. [ius] vis R.] 
                                
                                  Si seritur pietas · de pietate metas!"
                                
                                  ¶ Thanne greued hym a Goliardeys · a glotoun of wordes,
                                
                                  And to þe angel an heiȝ · [answered] after, [[answered C] answerde W; answerede O; answeres LR.] 
                                  Line 140 
                                
                                  "Dum rex a regere · dicatur nomen habere, [Dum] so in LWR; Cum CO.] 
                                
                                  Nomen habet sine re · nisi studet iura tenere."

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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 6
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 24, 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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