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WILLIAM LANGLAND

PIERS THE PLOUGHMAN

PASSUS VI


[29v]

Incipit Passus Sextus.

♫ Nd wanne y awakid was / y wondred were y were.
Tyl þat y be-þowhte me / what þyng y dremede.
& y Robert in russet / gan rome a-bowhte.
& freynede ful ofte / folk þat y mette.
If ony whyght wiste / where Dowel were ostagid.                      [30r]
& what man he myghte be / of many a man y askede.
But þere waswas [neuere] wyght as y went / þat me wysshe cowthe.
Where þat leede lengede / neyþir lesse ne more.
Tyl it fel on a Fryday / with tweye Freris y mette.
& weryn Maystrys of þe Menourys / & men weel y-lernede.
I prayede hem pur charite / er y passede furthere.
If þey knewe in ony cowrt / or in coostys þere þey wentyn.
Where þat Dowel dwellyþ / y praye ȝow ȝee me wisse.
Marye quod þo Menoures / a-mongys vs he dwellyþ.
& euere haþ as y hope / & euere shal here-after.
Contra quod y / as a Clerk / & comsed to disputyn.
For sevene tymes / as seyþ þe book / slyȝdiþ þe ryghtful.
& who þat synneþ in doynge / he doþ evele me þynkiþ.
& dowel & doevele / mowe not dwelle to-gydre.
Ergo he is nowht alwey / at hoom a-mong ȝoure freres.
But he is ellis-wher / for to wisse þe peple.
I shal seyȝe þe my sone / seyȝde þe toþe frere þanne.
How sevene sythis þe sad man / synneþ on þe day-tyȝde.
Be a propre resoun / y shal þe redyly shewe.
Lete brynge a man in a boot / a-myddis þe brode watur.
Þe wynd / & þe watur / & the boot waggynge.
Makþ þe man many a tyme / to meve / & to stakere.
For stonde he neuere so stef / he stumbleþ & falleþ.
& ȝit is he saf & sownd / & so hym by-hoveþ.
For but he ryse þe rathere / & rawhte to hym þe sterne.
Þe wynd wolde / on þe watur / þe boot ouer-terve.
& þanne were his lyf loost / þorhȝ lacchesse of hym-selue.
Ryght þus fareþ it quod þe Frere / by folk on þis grownde
Þe watur y lykne to þis world / þat wanyeþ & wexiþ.
& þe goodis on þis grownde / be lykned þe grete wawis.
& as þe wynd & þe wedir / walkyn a-bowte.
Þe boot y lykne to oure bodijs / þat brotyl is of kyȝnde.
Þat þorgh þe feend . & oure flesh / & þe false world also.
Synneþ þe sade man / ech day sevene syȝþys.
But dedly synne doþ he non / for Dowel hym helpiþ.
& þat is Charite þe Champioun / cheef a-geyn synne.
For he strengþ man / to stonde / & steriþ mannys wille.
Þat þeyhȝ þy body bowe / as þe boot in þe watir.
Euere ys þy sowle saf / but if þy-selue wille.
If þou folwe þy fowle fleshȝ / & þe feend þere-after.                   [30v]
& doost dedly synne / þou drenchist þanne þy sowle.
But god wille þou save þi sowle / þyf[ȝ]if þi-selue lyke.
He ȝaf þe / two ȝeresȝevis / to ȝeeme wel þy-selue.
& þo ben wit / & frewil / to euery wyght a porcioun
To man & to foulis / to fyschis & to beestis
But man haþ moost þereof / & moost he is to blame.
But he wyrche wel þer-with / as dowel hym techiþ.
Ȝee y have no kyȝnde knowynge quod y  to conseyve þy wordis.
But if y may lyve & looke / y shal goo leerne bettre.
¶  I be-kenne þe Cryst quod he / þat on þe croys dyȝede.
& y seyde / þe same lord / save þe fram myschaunce.
& graunte þe grace on þis grownde / good ende to make.
& wente y wyȝde-where / walkynge by myn oone.
In a whilde wyȝldirnesse / by a wode-syȝde.
Þanne blysse of þe bryddis / a-byȝde me made.
& vndir a lyȝnde on a lawnde / lay y a stounde.
To lystne þe layȝes / þe Nytyngalis maden
& þe merthe of here mowthis / made me on sleepe.
& þe mervylokest metelis / mette y þat stownde.
Þat euere wyȝght / in þis world / as y wene dremede.
Me þowhte oon com / & callyd me / be my ryght name
A mychil man he was / mychil lyȝk my-selue.
¶  What art þou quod y þo / þat þowhȝ my name knowist
Thow wost wel quod he þo / & no whyȝt bettre.
I not neuere . who art þou thowht y am he seyde.
& have sewid þe þis sevene ȝeer / ne seyȝe þou me no rathere.
Art þou þowht / quod y tho / canst þou me telle.
Where þat dowel dwellyþ / þou do me hym to knowe.
Dowel quod he . & dobet / & dobest þe thrydde
Are þre faire felowis / & dwelle not feer o twynne.
For who is trewe of his tunge / & of hise two hondis.
& meeke in his herte / & myȝlde of his speche.
& trewe of his tayl-ende / & takþ but his owne.
& þorghȝ þe labour of his hand / his lyfloode wynneþ.
& nowht drunkelewhȝ ne deygnous / dowel hym folweþ.
And dobet doþ ryght / but he doþ michil moore.
He is as lowhȝ as a lomb / & lowhly of speche.
& helpiþ alle men / & eseþ hem at neede.
Þe baggys bownde with brygerdlis / he haþ broke hem alle
Þat þe Erl / sire Averouse / held for hise eyȝres.
& with Mammones mone / he haþ maad freenschepis.
& ys runne in-to religious / to rendre þe byble.
& precheþ þe peple / seynt Powlys woordis.
Libenter suffertis incipientes . cum ipsi scitis sapientes.
He seyþ ȝee sholde gladly suffre þe vnwyse / with ȝow to lybbe.        [31r]
& with glad wil don hem good / for god so ȝow hoteþ.
But dobest beriþ a bisshopis croos / & is a-bove hem boþe.
It is hoked at þe ende / to halye men fram helle.
& in þat potente ys a pyȝk / to pytten doun þe wykkede.
Þat wayten with wrong / sire dowel to teene.
And þus dowel . & dobet . & dobest þe thrydde.
Haue crownecrowne[d] oon to be kyng / & be here conseyl wirche
& to rewle al þe rewhme / be reed of hem alle.
& be non oþir-wyse / but as þey þre wille assente.
For if þat dowel or dobet / dyden a-geyn dobest.
& weryn vn-buxum to don his byddyngge / & bown to do Ille.
Þanne sholde þe kyng come / & comawnde hem to presoun.
& pitte hem þere in penawnce / with-oute pite or grace.
Þanne þankede y thowht þo / þat he so faire me tawhte.
& seyde / me savoureþ not ȝyt wel / so me crist helpe.
For more kyȝnde knowynge / y coveyte of ȝow to leerne.
Where þat dowel & dobet & dobest / doon on þis molde.
Trewly but . witt kan wisshe þe quod thowt / where þat þey dwelle.
Ellis knowe y non þat can / þat now ys on lyve.
Þo þowht & y / thre dayes we wentyn.
Disputynge on dowel / day after oþir.
& er þat we weryn war / with witt gunne we meetyn
He was long & leene / & lyȝk to non oþir.
Was no priȝde in his a-parayle / ne pouerte neythir.
But sad of his semblaund / & softe he was of chere.
I durste meve no matere / for to make hym Iangle.
But as y bad þowht þo / be meene be-twene.
To pytte furþ sum purpos / to prevyn hise wittis.
What was dowel fram dobet / & dobest fram hem bothe.
Þanne þowht in þat tyme / seyde þese woordys.
Where dwellyþ dowel & dobet / & dobest in londe.
Fayn wolde y wete witt / If þou cowdist me telle.
Wheyþir he be man / or noon / y wolde fayn a-spyȝe.
& worchen as ȝee[þ]e[y] þre wolde / þis were myn entente.
Sire dowel dwelliþ quod witt / nowht a day henne.
In a Castel þat Keende made / of foure manere of þyngis.
Of Erthe & eyȝr it ys maad / & medlyd to-gydres.
With wynd & with watur / wyttyrly en-Ioyned.
Syre Keende haþ closed þer-in / craftly withalle.
His lemman þat he loveþ wel / she is lych hym-selue.
Anima she hatte / but Envie hyre hateþ.                                                   [31v]
He is a prowd prikere of Fraunce / princeps huius mundi.
He wolde wynne hire a-weyȝ / with wyȝles if he myȝhte.
& þat knoweth Kynde wel / & kepeþ hire þe bettre.
& doþ hire dwelle with dowel / Dewk of þat marches.
& dobet ys hire Damysele / sire dowellis dowhtir.
She serueþ þat Lady leelly / boþe late & rathe.
& dobest ys above hem boþe / a Bisshopis peere.
& þat he byddis mote be doon / for he rewhliþ hem alle.
And Anima þat lady / ys lad by his leernynge.
But þe Cunstable of þe Castel / þat kepeþ alle þe wacche.
Is a wyȝs knyght with-alle / sire Inwitt he hatte.
& haþ fyve faire sones / by his firste Lady.
sire Seewel & seywel / & sire herewel þe heende.
& sire wyrche wel with þyn hond / a whyht man of strengþe.
& sire Goweel on grounde / a gret Lord for-sothe.
Þese sixe ben set / to save sown þys Anima.
Tyl Kynde come or sende / to kepen hire hym-selue.
What kenne þyng ys Kynde quod y  canst þou me telle.
Quod wit  Kynde is a creatour / of alle kenne þyngys.
Fader & formere / of alle þynge on erthe.
He is grete god / þat by-gynnynge hadde neuere.
& lord of lyf & of lyth / of blysse & of peyȝne.
Angelys & alle þynge / ben at his wille.
But man ys moost hym lyȝk / of makynge & of chafte.
For þorghȝ þe word þat he spak / wentyn forþ beestys.
& grene gres grew sone / on grownde al a-bowhte.
& trees weryn frawht with frut / fayre vpon erthe.
& al was maad þorgh his word / as his wille wolde.
But he made Adam a man / lykkest hym-selue.
& Eve was maad of Adam-is ryb / with-outyn ony meene.
& for he was nowht synguler / he seyȝde faciamus.
As who seyȝþ more mote here-to / þan my word oone.
For my myght mote helpe / forþ with my speche.
Ryght as a lord shold make a lettre / & only lakkede parchemyn
Or þeyȝ he cowhde wryte neuere so wel / & he lakkede a penne
Þe Lettre for al his lordshepe / y leve sholde not be makyd
Ryght so it semeþ be god / as þe byble telleþ
Þere god seyde þis sawe / faciamus hominem ad ymaginem &c.
He wroghte þus with his word / & with his wit gan shewe
& in þis manere man was maad / þorhȝ þre persones oone.
With his word he wroghte man / & ȝaf hym lyf after.                                          [32r]
& god gaf hym a goost / of þe godhed of hevene.
& of his grete grace / he grawntyd hym blysse.
Þere is lyf þat euere shal laste / to alle his lynage after.
& þat Castel þat Kynde maade Caro it hatte.
& is as mychel to mene / as man with a sowle.
& þat he wroughte it as[with] werk / & with his word boþe.
Þorgh myght of þe Mageste / þus was man y-maked.
Inwit & alle wittys / y-closed ben þere-Inne.
For love of þat Lady anima / þat lyf is sprenklyd
Ouer al in mannys body / he walweþ & wandreþ.
But in þe herte . ys here hoom / & here moost reste.
& Inwit ys in þe hevid / & to þe herte he lookeþ.
What anima is leef or looþ / he ledeþ hire at his wylle.
For after þe grace of grete god / Inwit neest folwiþ.
Mychil wo worþ þat wyght / þat Inwit may not rewle.
& þo been glotones & gloseris / þat god is in here wombe.
Qvorum deus venter est.
For swiche seruyn Sathan / & here sowlis he shal welde.
For þey levyn synful lyf / here sowle ys lyȝk þe powke.
& þo þat lyvyn good lyf / lyk after goddis techyng
Seynt Iohan seyþ qui manet in caritate in deo manet & deus in eo.
Allas  þat drynk shal for-doon / þat god dere bowhte.
& doþ god for-saken hem / þat shoop hem after his lyknesse.
I fyȝnde þat holy chirche / sholde neuere faylyn foolys.
Ne knowe non defawhte / of faderles chyldryn.
Ne wedewys þat have nout wherwith / to wynnyn here foode.
And madde men & maydenys / þat helpeles weryn.
For alle þese lakkyn Inwit / & loore hem by-hoveþ.
But of þis matere y myghte / maken a long tale.
& fyȝnde fele wytnesse / of þe foure doctoures.
& þat y lyȝe nowht / seynt Luk beryþ witnesse.
Þat boþe godfadir . & godmodire / þat seen here god-childryn.
In myssese & myscheef / & may hem wel a-mende.
Þey shulle haue penaunce in purgatorye / but if þey hem helpe.
For more longiþ a lytyl barn / er he þe lawe knowe.
Þan nempne first his name / & he be neuere þe wysere.
For þere sholde no cristene creature / cryȝen at þyn ȝate
& faylen payn & potage / & prelatys dyden here devir.
A Iew wolde not seen a Iew / goo Ianglynge for defawhte.                                                [32v]
For alle þe mone on þe moolde / & he a-mende it myghte.
Allas þanne þat a cristene man / sholde so ben vn-kyȝnde.
Sytthyn þe Iewis þat we for-Iuggen / to ben Iudas felawe.
Þat ech helpiþ oþir of hem / of good þat hem neediþ.
Why wille[ny]lle we cristene of cristis good / ben also kyȝnde.
As Iewis þat ben for-lore men / It is shame to vs alle.
Þe ryche for here vnkyȝndnesse / shulle yt ful sore a-byȝe.
Bisshopis shulle be blamed / for beggerys sake.
HeHe [is] werse þanne Iudas / þat ȝeviþ a Iapere syluer.
& byddis þe beggere gon a-wey / for hise broke cloþis.
Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda qui patrimoniiumpatrimonium cristi minus distribuit.
He doþ not wel þat doþ þus / he drediþ not god almyghty.
He lokyþ not Salomonys sawis / þat sapyence is named.
He seyþ Inicium sapiencesapienc[i]e timor domini.
For he þat drediþ god doþ wel / he drediþ god his makere.
He dredyþ nowht for love of vengaunce / for to don þe bettre.
But he doþ best þat withdraweth hym / by day / & by nyghte.
To spillyn ony speche / or ony space of tyme.
Qui offendit in vno verbo in omnibus reus est.
Lesyngys & ydilnesse / trewþe whot þe soþe.
Is moost hatyd huttyrly / of hem heyȝe in hevene.
& alle swiche þat spillyn speche / here spiryȝt haþ no grace.
For þey semen goddis glemen / to gamen hem in heuene.
Wolde neuere þe feyþful fader / his fythele were vn-tempryd.
Ne his gleeman a galyngga[de]lyng / a goere to tauerne.
For to alle trewe tydy men / þat travayle dysyre.
Oure lord loveþ hem & lent lowhde oyþer stylle.
Grace to goon hem to to getyn here lyf-loode.
Inquirentes autem dominum non inuenientur [m]inuentur omni bono.
Trewe weddid lyvyngge folk / in þis world is dowel.
For þey motyn wirche to wynne / & þe world sosteyne.
For of here kyȝnde he com þat confessoures be nempnyd.
& bothe kynggys & knyghtys / & kayseres & Clerkys.
& Maydenys & Martyres / out of man kemen.
& womman was maad a weyȝ / for to helpe wirche.
& þus was wedloke wroght / & god hym-selue it made.
In erthe here hevene ys / hym-selue beryþ wytnesse.
But false folk & feyþles / boþe þevys & lyeris.
& wastoures & wrecchis / out of wedloke y trowe.
Are conceyvid in evil tyme / as Cayn was of Eve.                                                                         [33r]
Of swiche synful shrewis / þe sawhter seyþ þis sawe.
Concepit dolorem & peperit iniquitatem.
& alle þat kemen of Cayn / kemen to evil ende.
For god hym to seyn / & þus seyde þe angel.
Þyn Issew with þyn Issew / y wille þat þey be weddid.
& nowht þyn kyȝnde with Cayn / neyþir cowpled ne spoused.
But summe ȝit / a-geyn þe sonde / of oure saviouris heeste.
Cayn-is keen & his kynde / weryn cowpled to-gydre
Tyl god þey wratthid with here werk / & þis word he seyde.
Þat y on moolde maked man / now it me for-þynkyþ.
Penitet me hominem fecisse.
& þanne god cam to Noe / & bad hym nowht lettyn.
He seide goo shape þe a ship / of shyȝdys & of boordys.
Þy-selue & þyn sones þre / & sytthen ȝoure wyvys.
Buske ȝow / into þat boot / & a-byȝdeþ þere-Inne.
Tyl fourty dayes ben fulfild / & þe flood haþ y-wastyd.
Al cleene þe cursed blood / þat Cayn haþ y-maked.
Beestis þat now been / shulle banne þe tyme.
Þat euere þat cursed Cayn / com vpon þis erthe.
& þe foulis þat fleen / shulle forþ . with þo beestys.
Except oonly / of euery keyȝnde a couple.
Þan dere a-bowhte þe barn / his beel-sires gyltes.
Þat after for here fore-fadres / þey ferdyn þe werse.
But þe gospel ys þere-ageyn / in þis degre y fyȝnde.
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris . nec pater iniquitatem filij.
But y fyȝnde if þe fadir / be fals / or a shrewe.
Þat sumdel þe sone shal have / of his syres tacchys.
For ympe vpon an Ellerne / & if þyn appyl be soote.
Myche merveyle me þynkþ / & ȝit moore of a shrewe.
Þat bryngþ forþ ony barn / but he be þe same.
& savoure after þe syre / seelde seest þou oþir.
Numquam coligunt de spinis vuas . nec de tribulis ficus.
& þus þorghȝ cursede Cayn / Com care first on erthe.
& al for þey wroghtyn wedlokys / a-geyn goddis wille.
For-þy þey haddyn mawgrees / for maryagys vnkende.
& on þe same maner now / men maryen here chyldryn.
For summe men as y see / soþ for to telle.                                                                    [33v]
For coveytyse of Catel / vn-kendely ben weddyd.
Þan a kareful concepcioun / komeþ of þat Maryage.
As yt be-fel / of þat folk / þat y befor-hond tolde.
It is an komely[vn]komely cowple / by Iesus as me semeþ.
To ȝeve ȝong[a] ȝong Mayde / to an old baslard.
Er a ȝong man an old wydewe / for welþe of hire goodis.
Þat neuere shal barn bere / but in two armys.
Many a peyre syþe þe pestelence / have plyȝt hem to-gydres.
Þe frut / þat þey brynge forþ / are but foule wordis.
Þey have no children / but Ianglyng hem be-twene.
Þey sholde gon to Dunmowe / & fecche þere bakoun.
But for þe caryage is karkful / þey dore non fecche.
But lyven þus in Ianglyng / þoru þe develys loore.
For-þy y conseile alle men / ȝee coveyte not be weddyd.
For coueytyse of Catel / ne of kenrede ryche.
But Maydenys with Maydenys / marye ȝow to-gydre
& wydewerys with wydwis / werche ȝee / þe same.
For no lond / but for love / loke ȝee ne wedde.
& þanne gete ȝee grace of god / & good y-nou to welde.
¶  For sum-tyȝme[in vn]-tyȝme trewly / be-twene man & womman.
Ne sholde not lyggyn In bedde / but þei boþe were clene.
Boþe in lyf & in sowle / & also in parfyȝt charyte.
Þat ilke derne dede / sholde non man don ellis.
& nou  if men ledde þus here lyf / It wolde lyke almyȝty.
For he made wedloke first / & þus hym-selue seyde.
Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat.
And þey þat oþir-gatis be getyn / for gadelyngis be holde.
& false folk & foundelyngis / & faytoures / & lyerys.
& vn-gracious to getyn good / or love / of þe peple.
But þey wandren / & wastyn / what þey wynne mowe.
A-geyn Dowel þey do evele / & þe deuyl serve.
& after here deþ-day / þei shul dwelle with here Mayster.
But god gyve hem grace here / hem-selue soone amende.
Þus ys Dowel to drede god / & Dobet to suffre hym.
& þan comeþ Dobest of boþe / & bryngþ a-doun þe Mody.
& þat ys wikkid wille / þat manye werkys shendiþ.
& dryveþ a-wey dowel / oonly þoru dedly synne.

Explicit Passus Sextus


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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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