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.)

                                
                                  And houeth þe eyren · þat þe hue laide,
                                
                                  And with hir corps keuereth hem · till þat þey kenne,
                                
                                  And ffostrith and ffodith · till ffedris schewe,
                                  Line 52 
                                
                                  And cotis of kynde · hem keuere all aboute. [aboute; MS. abouȝte.] 
                                
                                  But as sone as þey styffe · and þat þey steppe kunne,
                                
                                  Þan cometh and crieth · her owen kynde dame,
                                
                                  And þey ffolwith þe vois · at þe ffrist note,
                                  Line 56 
                                
                                  And leueth þe lurker · þat hem er ladde,
                                
                                  ffor þe schrewe schrapid · to selde ffor her wombis,
                                
                                  Þat her lendys were lene · and leued with hunger. [leued; altered to lyued.] 
                                
                                  But þan þe dewe dame · dineth hem swythe,
                                  Line 60 
                                
                                  And ffostrith hem fforthe · till þey ffle kunne.
                                
                                  "What is þis to mene, man?" · maiste þou axe, [Cf. what is þis to mene; B. 1. 11.] 
                                
                                  "ffor it is derklich endited · ffor a dull panne;
                                
                                  Wherffore I wilne · ȝif it þi will were,
                                  Line 64 
                                
                                  Þe partriche propurtes · by whom þat þou menest?"
                                
                                  A! hicke heuyheed! · hard is þi nolle
                                
                                  To cacche ony kunnynge · but cautell bigynne!
                                
                                  Herdist þou not with eeris · how þat I er tellde,
                                  Line 68 
                                
                                  How þe egle in þe est · entrid his owene, [folio 114] 
                                
                                  And cried and clepid · after his owen kynde briddis,
                                
                                  Þat weren anoyed in his nest · and norished ffull ille,
                                
                                  And well ny yworewid · with a wronge leder?
                                  Line 72 
                                
                                  But þe nedy nestlingis · whan þey þe note herde
                                
                                  Of þe hende Egle · þe heyer of hem all, [hende; MS. ende, altered to hende.] 
                                
                                  Þei busked ffro þe busches · and breris þat hem noyed,
                                
                                  And burnisched her beekis · and bent to-him-wardis,
                                
                                  And ffolowid him ffersly · to ffighte ffor þe wrongis;
                                
                                  Þey bablid with her billis · how þei bete were, [Cf. And so I babeled on my bedes; B. 5. 8.] 
                                  Line 78 
                                
                                  And tenyd with twiggis · two and twenty ȝeris.
                                
                                  Thus lafte þey þe leder · þat hem wrong ladde,
                                
                                  And tymed no twynte · but tolled her cornes,

                                  Line 81

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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 488
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 17, 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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