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WILLIAM LANGLAND

PIERS PLOWMAN

PASSUS III


[6r]

Incipit Passus Tercius.

♫  Covrbet ȝyt on my knees / & gradde hire of grace.
& seyde mercy Madame / for Marie love of heuene.
Þat bar þat blisful barn / þat bowhte vs on roode.
& kenne me by sum craft / to knowe þe false.
Loke on þy lyft half quod she & se where he standis.
Boþe Fals / & Favel / & here ferys manye.
I lookede on my lyft half / as þe lady tawhte.
& was war of a womman / was worcheply clothyd.
& purfylyd with pelure / þe purest on erthe.
& crowned she was with a crowne / þe kyng haþ no bettre.
& set abowhte with rubyes / as rede as ony gleede.
& with dyamaundes þe derrest / & doble dyuerse sapherys.
Oryentalis & ewagis / enemyes to distroye.
Hire Robe was ful ryche / of reed skarlet greyned.
With Rubanes of reed gold / & ful of ryche stones.
Hire a-ray / me rauyschede / swich rycchesse seyȝ y neuere.
I hadde wondir what she was / & whoos wif she were.
What womman ys þis / quod y so worthyly y-tyred.
She is Meede þe Mayde / quod she haþ noyed me ful ofte.
& often lakkyd my lemman / þat lewhte is y-hote.
& she is lowly to Lordis / þat lawys have to kepe.
& in þe popis paleyȝs she is / as priuy as my-selue.
But Sothnesse wolde nono[t] so / for she bore bastard.
For fals was hire fadir / þat haþ a fykyl tunge.
& neuere soþ seyde / sytthe he com on erthe.
& Meede ys manered after hym / ryght as kynde askyþ.
Qualis pater . talis filius . Iterum . Bonus arbor bonus
fructus habet . Malus arbor malus fructus profert .
I awhte ben herrere þan she / y am of a bettre roote.
My Fadir grete god ys / grownde of alle gracis.
He is god with-owtyn gynnynge / & y am his goode dowhter.        [6v]
& he gaf me mercy / to maryen with my-selue.
& what man be mercyful / & leelly me honowre.
Shal be my lord / & y his leef / in þe heyȝe hevene.
& what man takþ meede / mynn heed dar y legge.
Þat he shal leese . for hire love / his lappe ful of charyte.
See how dauid meneþ / of men / þat Meede taken.
& of men on þis Molde / þat Meyȝntene trowthe.
& how ȝee shal save ȝoure-selue / þe sawter ȝow techeþ.
Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo . & cetera.
& now shal Meede be Maried / to a manshid shrewe.
To on fals & fykil of tunge / a foul feendis be-ȝeete.
Favel þoruh his false speche / þis folk ys enchauntyd.
& alle hise eyȝres eggynge / þat she shal be y-weddid.
& to-morwe worthȝ þe mariage / & þe Maydes brydale.
& þere may þou wete / if þou wilt / wheche þei ben alle.
Þat longen to þat Lordchepe / þe lasse & þe more.
Knowe hem þere / if þou canst / & keep wel þyn tunge.
& lakke hem nowht but lete hem worþe / tyl Lewte be Iustise.
& have powher to punshe hem / & þan pyt furþ þy resoun.
Now y be-kenne þe crist quod she / & his clene Moodir.
& þat no concyense a-cumbre þe / for coueytyse of meede.
Þus lefte me þat Lady / lyggynge on slepe.
& how Meede was Maryed / in Meetelys me þowhte.
Þat al þe alle þeal þe ryche retenew / þat regnede with sire false.
Weryn bodyn to his bydaleb[r]ydale / faire on boþe sydys.
Of alle manere of men / þe mene & þe ryche.
To Marie þat mayde / wheryn men ensemblyd þere.
Of knyghtys & of Clerkys / & oþire comoun peple.
Of sysoures of sumnowres / & shereuys & here Clerkis.
Of Bedelis & Baylees / & brokores of Chaffare.
Forgowleres Forgoweres & vytaleris / & vocatis of þe archis.
& manye oþir myster men / mo þan ben in myȝnde.
I can not redily rekne þe rowhte / þat ran a-bowhte Meede
But symony & Cyvile / & sysoures of courtys.
Where most priue with meede / of ony men þere owte.
But Favel was þe firste / þat fette hire out of chambre.
& as a brokour he browhte hire / to be with false en-Ioyned.
& whanne Symony & Cyuyle / seyen here boþe wille.
& assentide for syluer / to seyn / as boþe wolde.
Þan leep Lyȝere forþ / & seyde loo here a chartre.
Þat Gyle with hise grete oþis / gaf hem to-gydre.
& prayede Cyvyle it to seen / & Symony yt redde.
Þanne Symony & Cyvile / stoden forþ bothe.
& þus by-gunne þo goomes / to gredyn ful hyȝe.                        [7r]
Sciant presentes et Futuri . & cetera.
Weteþ wel & wytnessyþ / þat whonen vpon erthe.
Þat Meede ys Maryed / more for hyre goodys.
Þan for ony vertue / or fairnesse / or ony fre keende.
Falsnesse is fayn of hire / for he whot hire ryche.
& Favel with his fikyl speche / feffyþ hem by þys chartre.
To been Princes of pride / & pouerte dyspyse.
To Bakbyte & boste wel / & to beryn fals witnesse.
To skoorne & to skoolde / & sklawndres to make.
& to be bold & vn-buxum / to breke þe ten hestys.
To have þe Erldom of Envye / & wratthe to-gydres.
With þe Chastelet of Ieestys / & þe Iangelynge of synne.
& al þe Cuntres of Coueytise / with alle þe coostys abowhte.
Þat is vserye & Avaryce / alle y hem grawnte.
In bargaynes & brokages / with þe bolde borghȝ of þefte.
& al þe Lordchepe of Leccherye / in Lengþe & in brede.
In werkynge in wordis / in waytynge with yȝen.
In wenyngis / In wischyngis / & in wast þowhtys.
Þere as wille wolde werke / ne were woo & drede.
He ȝaf hem Glotonye eek / & grete oþis to-gydre.
& al day to drynke / ala[t] fele dyuerse tauernys.
& þere to Iangle & to Iape / & Iuggyn here euyn-cristene.
& in fastynge dayes to frete / er ful tyme weere.
& softe syttyn & sowpe / tyl sleep gyn hym a-sayle.
& broode hym as a borghȝ swyn / & bedde hym on a bolstre.
Tyl slewthe / & softe sleep / slyken hise sydes.
& þanne wanhope a-wake hym so / with no wil to a-mende hym.
For he be-leviþ to be loost / þat ys þe laste ende.
And þey to haven & to holden / & alle here eyȝres after.
A derk dwellynge with þe deuyl / & be dampned for euere.
With alle pertynauncis of purgatorye / in-to þe pyne of helle.
For þis þyng ȝeldynge / at on ȝeerys ende.
Here sowlys to sathan / to suffre with hym peynes.
& with hym / to whone in woo / whilis god ys in hevene.
In witnesse of þis þyng / wrong was þe firste.
& Pers þe Pardoner / of Pawlynes doctryne.
& Bette þe bedele / of Bokyngham-schyre.
& Reygnold þe Reve / of Rokelonde sokene.
& Munde þe Mellere / & manye mo oþere.
In þe date of þe deuel / þis dede y a-seele.
By syght of sire Symony / & Cyvylys leve.
Thanne was teenyd / theologye / whan he þis tale herde.        [7v]
& seyde / to sire Cyvile / now sorwe mote þou have.
Swiche weddyngges to wirche / to wratthe with trewþe.
& he þis weddynge haþ wrought / woo  hym by-tyȝde.
For Meede ys Moylere / of a-Mendys ongendred[e]ngendred.
& god grauntid to gyve / Meede to trewthe.
& þou hast gyve hire to a gylour / now god gyve þe sorwe.
Þe tyxt tellyþ not so / trewþe whot þe soþe.
For dignus est operariuusoperarius / his heere to have.
& þou hast fest hire with fals / fy  on þyn lawe.
For al be lesyngys / þou lyvyst  & leccherouse werkys.
Þan Symonye & Cyvyle / chydden holy chyrche.
& seide þe notarijs & ȝee / foule noyȝhen þe peple.
Ȝee shulle a-begge it / boþe / by god þat me made.
Wel ȝee wetyn wernardys / þat[but if] ȝoure wit fayleþ.
Þat fals ys faythles / & fykil in hise werkys.
& as a bastard y-bore / of Belzabubis kynne.
& Meede ys Moylere / & a Mayde of goode.
& myghte kyssen þe kyng / for kosyn & he wolde.
For-þy  wyrcheþ be wisdom / & be wit bothe.
& lediþ hire to Londoun / þere lawhe ys y-shewyd.
If ony lawhe wille looke / þat þey lyggyn to-gydres.
& þey Iustyses Iuggyn hire / to be Ioyned with fasefa[l]se.
Ȝyt be war of þe weddyngge / for wytty is trewthe.
& consience his conseylour / he knoweth ȝow ecchone.
& if he fyȝnde ȝow in defawhte / & with sire false holde.
He wil be-slotere ȝoure sowlys / ful soure at þe laste.
Herto asentyd Cyvyle / but Cyvyle[Symonye] ne wolde.
Tyl he hadde sum syluer / & alle hise notarijs.
Þanne fette Favel forþ / floreynys y-nowe.
& bad Gyle goo gyve / gold al abowhte.
& namely to þe Notarijs / þat þey noon fayle.
& feffe Fals / be witnesse / with floreynys y-nowe.
Þat he may Meede a-Maystrye / & makyn at myn wille.
Whan þis gold was y-gyve / gret was þe þonkyng.
To fals / & to Favel / for here faire gyftys.
& kestyn a-wey care / & conforte sire false.
& seyden sire for-soþe / seece shulle we neuere.
Tyl Meede be þy weddyd wif / þoru wyt of vs alle.
For we have Meede a-Maystried / þorgh oure merye speche.
Þat she graunteþ for to goo / with a good wille.
To lundenn to looken / if þat þe Lawe wille.
Iuggen it Iustelyche / in Ioye for euere.                                       [8r]
Þanne Fals was fayȝn / & Favel ful blythe.
& leet somoune alle men / in shyres a-bowte.
& bad hem alle been boun / beggeres & oþere.
To wenden with hym to westmenstre / to witnesse þe dede.
But þan cared þey for Caplis / to kayre hem to lundenn
& Favel fette furþ a-noon / fele folys sone.
& sette Meede on a Shereve / y-shood al newe.
& Fals sat on a Sysour / þat softly trottide.
& Favel on a Flatere / ful fetyȝsly a-tyred.
Þan Notarijs hadde noone / & a-noyed þey wheryn.
Þat Symonye & Cyvile / sholde on foote rennyn.
But þanne swoor Symonye / & Cyvile bothe.
Þat Somnowres sholde be sadlid / & serue hem ecchone.
& propirly aparayle provysoures / in palfreyes wyse.
& sire Symonye hym-selue / shal syttyn on here bakkys.
& deenes & southdenes / let drawe to-gydre.
Archedeknys & officialis / & alle ȝoure registrys.
& stoppe hem with syluer / oure synnes to suffre.
As devoos & devoutrye / & deerne vserye.
To bere Bisshopis a-bowte / a-brood to vysyte.
& Pawlynes peple / and pleyntis in þe constorye.
Shulle seruyn myn-selue / þat Cyvile is y-named.
& Cartesadle þe Commyssarye / oure carte shal he leede.
To fecche vs vytaylis / at fornicatores.
& Lyere shal be long carte / to leden alle þe oþire.
As Fobberys / & Faytoures / þat on here feet renne.
& þus fals & favel / faren forþ to-gydre.
& Meede in þe Myddys / & alle þe oþire after.
I have no tome to telle / þe tail þat hem folweth.
Of many a manere man / þat on þe moolde lybbeþ.
But Gyle was forgoere / & gyede hem alle.
Þan Sothnesse seyȝ hem wel / & seyde but a lyte.
But prikede his palfray / & passede hem alle.
& cam to þe kyngys court / & consyence it tolde.
& Consyence to þe kyng / carped it after.
Nou be crist quod þe kyng / & y cacche myghte.
Fals eyþir Favel / or feerys of hise felachepe.
I wolde be wrooke of þo wrecchis / þat werche so Ille.
& don hem hongyn be þe hals / & alle þat hem meyghtenmey[n]ten[e].
Sholde neuere man on moolde / menprise þe leeste.
But ryght as þe Lawe wille / lete falle on hem alle.
Anon he comoundidcom[a]undid a constable / to comen at þe fyrste.
& goo tache þo tyrawntys / for ony thyng y hote.                                   [8v]
& fetre faste False / For ony faire gyftys.
& loke þou gerde of Gyles heed / & let hym go no furthere.
& if þou lacche Lyȝere / lete hym nowht a-skape.
Er he be pyt on Pillory / for ony prayere y hoote.
& loke þou brynge Meede to me / Mawgre hem alle.
Þan stood drede at þe dore / & al þe dome herde.
& how þe kyng comaundide / constablis & sergauntys.
Þat False / & his felachepe / to fetere & to byȝnde.
Þanne Dreede wente wyȝhtly / & warnede False.
& bad hym flee for ferd / & hise feerys alle.
& a-non Fals for feere / fleyȝ streyt to þe Frerys.
& with hym Gyle gan goo / for gast he sholde dyȝe.
But Marchawntys mette with hym / & made hym abyȝde.
& settyn hym in here shoppis / to shewen here ware.
& paraylid hym lyȝk a prentyȝs / þe peple to serue.
¶ Ful lyghtly Lyere / leep a-wey þenne.
Lurkende þorghȝ lanes / to-luggyd of manye.
He was no-wher wolkome / for hise manye talys.
But oueral hyȝe howted / & y-hoote to trusse.
& Pardoneris hadden pyte / & pullyd hym to howse.
& wasshed hym / & wyped hym / & wounnde hym in cloþis.
& sentyn hym with seelys / on sundayes to chirchis.
& gaf pardoun for pens / pownd-meel a-bowte.
Þanne Lowrede Lechis / & Lettrys þey sentyn.
Þat he wolde wone with hem / watrys to looke.
Fele spyceris spoke to hym / to a-spyȝe here ware.
For he cowhde on here craft / & knew fele gummes.
Þanne Menstralis & Messagerys / mettyn with hym o weye.
& heelde hym half a ȝeer / & elevene dayes.
But Freris with Fair speche / fecchid hym þenne.
& for komynge knowerys / þey copid hym as a Frere.
But haþ leve / to leepen owt / as oftyn as hym lykeþ.
& ys wolkome . whan he wille / with-owtyn ony daunnger.
& alle þe oþire fledde for feer / & faste flown to hyrnes.
Save Meede þe Mayde / no moo durste a-byde.
But trewþe to telle / she tremblede for feere.
& also wepte & weylede / for she was a-tachid.

Explicit Passus Tercius.

GO TO PASSUS IV

Much of this research is based on my 1974 Berkeley doctoral dissertation, which went into three editions as a published book, The Pilgrim and the Book: A Study of Dante, Langland and Chaucer, https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/0820420905, Bern:Peter Lang, 1992; its Dante sections also published in an Italian edition in De strata francigena XX/1, 2012.

 

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