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 satte summe · as siphre doth in awgrym,
                                
                                  Þat noteth a place · and no þing availith;
                                
                                  And some had ysoupid · with Symond ouere euen,
                                
                                  And schewed ffor þe shire · and here schew lost;
                                  Line 56 
                                
                                  And somme were tituleris · and to þe kyng wente,
                                
                                  And fformed him of foos · þat good ffrendis weren,
                                
                                  Þat bablid ffor þe best · and no blame serued
                                
                                  Of kynge ne conceyll · ne of þe comunes noþer,
                                  Line 60 
                                
                                  Ho so toke good kepe · to þe culorum. [For culorum, see C. 4. 436.] 
                                
                                  And somme slombrid and slepte · and said but a lite;
                                
                                  And somme mafflid with þe mouþ · and nyst what þey mente;
                                
                                  And somme had hire · and helde þer-with euere,
                                  Line 64 
                                
                                  And wolde no fforther affoot · ffor ffer of her maistris; [Cf. That I ne myȝte ferther a-foot; B. 5. 6.] 
                                
                                  And some were so soleyne · and sad of her wittis,
                                
                                  Þat er they come to þe clos · acombrid þey were,
                                
                                  Þat þei þe conclucioun þan · constrewe ne couþe,
                                  Line 68 
                                
                                  No burne of þe benche · of borowe noþer ellis,
                                
                                  So blynde and so ballid · and bare was þe reson. [Cf. And brynge forth ballede resones; C. 12. 38.] 
                                
                                  And somme were so ffers · at þe ffrist come,
                                
                                  Þat they bente on a bonet · and bare a topte saile [bonet; bouet in Mr Wright's edition. It is the name of a small sail. See l. 81, below.] 
                                  Line 72 
                                
                                  Affor þe wynde ffresshely · to make a good ffare.
                                
                                  Þan lay þe lordis a-lee · with laste and with charge,
                                
                                  And bare aboute þe barge · and blamed þe maister, [aboute; MS. abouȝte.] 
                                
                                  Þat knewe not þe kynde cours · þat to þe crafte longid,
                                  Line 76 
                                
                                  And warned him wisely · of þe wedir-side.
                                
                                  Thanne þe maste in þe myddis · at þe monþe ende,
                                
                                  Bowid ffor brestynge · and brouȝte hem to lond;
                                
                                  ffor ne had þei striked a strake · and sterid hem þe better,
                                  Line 80 
                                
                                  And abated a bonet · or þe blast come,

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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 502
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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