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 maydenes and mylde men · mercy desiren;
                                
                                  Riȝt as þe cow-calf · coueyteth swete mylke, [as] so O. swete mylke] melk swete W.] 
                                
                                  So don riȝtful men · mercy & treuthe.
                                
                                  [And by þe hande-fedde foules · his folk vnderstonde,
                                
                                  Þat loth ben to louye · with-outen lernynge of en|saumples. [louye] written like louþe.] 
                                  Line 465 
                                
                                  Riȝt as capones in a court · cometh to mennes whist|lynge,
                                
                                  In menynge after mete · folweth men þat whistlen,
                                
                                  Riȝt so rude men · þat litel reson cunneth,
                                  Line 468 
                                
                                  Louen and by-leuen · by lettred mennes doynges,
                                
                                  And by here wordes and werkes · wenen and trowen.
                                
                                  And, as tho foules to fynde · fode after whistlynge,
                                
                                  So hope þei to haue · heuene þoruȝ her whistlynge.
                                  Line 472 
                                
                                  And by þe man þat made þe feste · þe mageste bymeneth;
                                
                                  Þat is, god of his grace · gyueth al men blisse;
                                
                                  With wederes and with wondres · he warneth vs with a whistlere,
                                
                                  Where þat his wille is · to worschipen vs alle,
                                  Line 476 
                                
                                  And feden vs and festen vs · for euere-more at ones.] [464—477. In R only. A very curious passage. Cf. l. 456 above.] 
                                
                                  ¶ Ac who beth þat excuseth hem · þat aren persounes and prestes, [Ac] And C. beth] ben C. þat (2)] R om. aren] so in RC; arn OB; ben W.] 
                                
                                  Þat heuedes of holycherche ben · þat han her wille here, [heuedes] hedes CB. cherche] cherches R.] 
                                
                                  With-oute trauaille, þe tithe del · þat trewemen biswynkyn,
                                  Line 480 
                                
                                  Þei wil be wroth for I write þus · ac to witnesse I take [wil] wol W; wole R; wolen O; wiln B. ac to] ac OB; and C.] 
                                
                                  Bothe Mathew and Marke · and Memento-domine|dauid;[Ecce audiuimus eam in effrata, &c.] [[Ecce—&c.] in R only; eam is miswritten eum; see Pass. X. 68.] 
                                
                                  What Pope or prelate now · perfourneth þat cryst hiȝte,

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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 280
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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