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.)

                                
                                  Þan ffelle it afforse · to ffille hem aȝeyne,
                                
                                  And ffeyned sum ffolie · þat ffailid hem neuer,
                                
                                  And cast it be colis · with her conceill at euene,
                                  Line 24 
                                
                                  To haue preuy parlement · for profit of hem-self, [profit. The spelling in the MS. is indeed odd, being pproffitt.] 
                                
                                  And lete write writtis · all in wex closid,
                                
                                  ffor peeris and prelatis · þat þei apere shuld,
                                
                                  And sente side sondis · to schreuys aboute, [aboute; MS. abouȝte.] 
                                  Line 28 
                                
                                  To chese swiche cheualleris · as þe charge wold,
                                
                                  To schewe ffor þe schire · in company with þe grete.
                                
                                  And whanne it drowe to þe day · of þe dede-doynge,
                                
                                  Þat souereynes were semblid · and þe schire-knyȝtis,
                                
                                  Than, as her fforme is, ffrist · þey begynne to declare
                                
                                  Þe cause of her comynge · and þan þe kyngis will.
                                
                                  Comliche a clerk þan · comsid þe wordis, [Cf. Corteysliche þe knyȝt þen · comsede þese wordes; C. 9. 32.] 
                                
                                  And pronouncid þe poyntis · aparte to hem alle,
                                  Line 36 
                                
                                  And meved ffor mony · more than ffor out ellis,
                                
                                  In glosinge of grette · lest greyues arise.
                                
                                  And whanne þe tale was tolde · anon to þe ende,
                                
                                  A-morwe thei must, affore mete · mete to-gedir,
                                  Line 40 
                                
                                  Þe knyȝtis of þe comunete · and carpe of þe maters,
                                
                                  With Citiseyns of shiris · y-sent ffor þe same,
                                
                                  To reherse þe articlis · and graunte all her askynge.
                                
                                  But ȝit ffor þe manere · to make men blynde,
                                  Line 44 
                                
                                  Somme argued aȝein rith · þen a good while,
                                
                                  And said, "we beth seruantis · and sallery ffongen, [MS. sallere, altered to sallery, with the gloss wages. The word meant is salarye, for which see C. 8. 39. ffongen; glossed by taken.] 
                                
                                  And y-sent ffro þe shiris · to shewe what hem greueth,
                                
                                  And to parle ffor her prophete · and passe no fferthere, [folio 119]  [parle; glossed by speake.] 
                                  Line 48 
                                
                                  And to graunte of her gold · to þe grett wattis
                                
                                  By no manere wronge way · but if werre were;
                                
                                  And if we ben ffals · to þo us here ffyndyth,
                                
                                  Euyll be we worthy · to welden oure hire."

                                  Line 52

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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 501
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 13, 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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