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WILLIAM LANGLAND

PIERS THE PLOUGHMAN

PASSUS VIII

fol. 40r

Incipit Passus Octauus

♫ Nd as y lay & lookede / vpon þe launde grene.
I þouhte on þe Metelis / hou merveylous þei were.
Tyl sodynly hevynesse / on slepe brouht me þanne.
A-non a merveylous metelys / me tydde to dreme.
For y was ravisshid / & Fortune me fette.
& in-to þe lond of longynge / a-loone she me brouhte.                  [40v]
& in a Myrrour þat is Midlerd / she made me in beholde.
& afterwarde she seide to me / here may þou se wondres.
& knowen þat þou coveytist / & come þerto paraunter.
Þere folwede Fortune / foure faire damyselys.
Concupiscencia carnis / was kallyd þe eldere mayde.
& þe seconde was Rycchesse Ful deyntily a-rayed.
Þanne priȝde of parfyȝt lyvynge / pursuede hem boþe.
& bad me for ony contynanse / a-counte clergye lyte.
Concupiscencia carnis / collid me a-bowte þe nekke.
& seyde / þou art ȝit ȝong & ȝeep / & hast ȝeere y-nowe.
For to lyven longe on londe / & loven ladyes manye.
& in þis Mirrour þou may see / merthis y-nowe.
Þat wille leenge þe in lykynge / al þy lyf-tyme.
Þanne Ricchesse seyde þe same / y wil sewe þyn wille.
Tyl þou be a Lord of Londe / leve þe y nylle.
Þat y shal folwe þy felashepe / if Fortune it lyke.
He shal fyȝnde me euere frend / tel Fortune þis tale.
Þe Freke þat folweþ my wille / failed neuere blysse.
Þan was þere oon Elde . / þat hevy was of chere.
Man quod he if y meete with þe / be Myȝlde Marie of hevene.
Þou shalt fyȝnde Fortune fayle / at þy mooste neede.
& Concupiscencia carnis / loke clene þou for-sake.
Ful bytterly shalt þou banne ellis / boþe dayes & nyghtis.
Þat euere in þis rewme / rycchesse þou knewe.
& priȝde of parfyt lyvynge / In pereyl wille þe brynge.
Ȝee recche þe neuere / quod reccheles / was clad in raggid cloþis.
Folwe forþ Fortunes wil / þou hast ful feer to Elde.
A man may stoupe tyme y-nou / whan he shal tyne his crowne.
Homo proponit quod a poete þo / Mayster Plato he hyghte
Et deus disponit quod he  lete god doon his wille
If trewþe wille þat it be do / Fortune to folwe.
Concupiscencia carnis / ne Ricchesse of þis rewme.
Þey shulle not greve þe grayþly / ne gyle þe but þou knowe.
Ȝee fare-wel fyppe / quod Fauntele / & forþ gan me drawe.
Tyl concupiscencia carnis / a-cordid with myn werkis.
Allas . Ricchesse quod Elde / & holynesse boþe.
Þat wit shal turne þis wrecche / for wil / to haue lykynge.
Þan Coueytise & Ricchesse / þei confortid me ofte.
& seyde have þou no conscience / hou þou good shal holde.
Goo confesse to a Frere / & shewe hym þy synnes.
For while Fortune is þy frend / Freres wil þe worchepe.                     [41r]
& sette[f]ette þe in here fraternyte / & faste for þe praye.
To here providpr[iour] provincial / pardoun for þe to have.
& praye for þe . pol . be . pol . if þou be pecunyous holde.
Pena pecuniaria non sufficit pro spirituali delicto.
Þanne wrowhte y after þat wenche / here wordis weryn so swete.
& tyȝhtly fram ȝowthe / y ȝeede streyght to heelde.
& þan fel Fortune my foo / fro hire faire be-heeste.
& pouerte pursuede me / & pytte me ful lowe.
& þo fond y þe frere a-feerd / & flytyng to me boþe.
A-geyn oure firste forward / for y seide y nolde.
Be beryȝed at here hows / but at my parshȝ chirche.
For y herde onys / how conscience / it tolde.
Þat þere a man were cristnyd / þere sholde he be beryed.
Where he a parshene or noon / ȝit sholde he þere be grauyd.
& for i tolde þus þe Freris / a fool þei me helde.
& lovede me lasse / for my leele speche.
But y criȝede on my confessour / þat Conyngge hyghte hym-selue.
By my feiþ Frere quod y ȝee fare lyȝk þese wowerys.
Þat weddyn olde wedewys / for to welden here goodys.
So it fareþ nou be ȝow / for ȝee ne rowhte neuere.
Where my body were beryed / so ȝee hadde my syluer.
I have myche merveyle of ȝow / & so haþ many a-noþir.
Why ȝoure couent coveytyn / to confesse & to beryȝe.
Rathere þan to baptyse / barnes þat ben cathecumys.
Baptysynge & beryenge / boþe ben ful nedful.
But mychil more merytorie / me þynkiþ it ys to cristne.
For a baptisyd man may / as grete Maistris tellyn
Þorghȝ gret contricioun / come in-to heuenly blysse.
Sola contricio
But a barn with-outyn bapteme / may not so sone be savid.
Nisi quis renatus fuerit / þis resoun y radde sone.
And Lewte þo lokede on me / for y gan so lowre.
Wherfore lowrest þou quod lewte / & lookede on me harde.
Marye . yf y durste quod y  a-mong men / þis Metelys to a-vowe.
Ȝee be peter & poul quod he  & took hem boþe to wytnesse.
Non oderis fratres secreto in corde tuo  sed publice argue illos.
Þey wille a-geyna-[legge]n quod y & be þe gospele þus preve.                            [41v]
How Iustly Iesu seyde / nolite Iudicare quemquam.
Wherof serviþ lawe quod lewte / if no man it with-take.
For falsnesse & fayterye / for sumwhat þe apostle it seide.
Non oderis fratrem
& in þe Sawter also / seyþ dauid þe prophete.
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis . arguam te & statuam.
It is Licitum for lewede men / to seggyn þe sothe.
If hem lykeþ & lyste / euery lawe euere lawe[euery lawe] it graunteþ.
Except Parsones & prestis / & men of holy chirche.
It falliþ not for þat folk / none talis to telle.
Þowh þe tale were trewe / & it towche to synne.
A þyng þat al þe world whot / wherfore sholdist þou spare.
& redyn yt in retoryk / to a-ratyn dedly synne.
Bot be þou neuere-more þe firste / þe fawty to blame.
& þeyhȝ þou see evil / telle it not / but be sory it were[n]ere mendid.
& ony þyng þat ys prive / publysshe þou it neuere.
Neyþir for leef / ne for loþ / ne lakke for no Envye.
Parum lauda  Vitupera parciuus parcius
He seyþ soþ quod scripture / & stey on heeyȝ & prechede.
But þe matere þat he mevede / lewede men not knowe yt.
& if þey knewe latyȝn / leerne oþire þey wolde.
But þei be-leven on þe lord / þat lettrid men hem techeþ.
Þus gan he his teeme / y took þerto good heede.
Þat Multi to a Mangerye / & to a mete weryn sompned.
& whan þe peple was plenere come / þe porter vn-pynnyd þe ȝate.
& plukkyd in Pauci privily / & leet þe remnaunt goo rome.
& þanne for teene of þis tyxt / trembreldetremb[le]de myn herte.
& in a weer þan y wex / & with my-selue disputid.
Wheyþir y was chose / or not chose / on holy chirche y þouhte.
Þat vndirfong me at þe funt / for oonoon [of] goddis chosene.
For crist clepiþ vs alle / come if we wolde.
Boþe sarsyȝnes & sismatikis / & so he dide þe Iewis.
O vos omnes scicientes venite
& bad hem sowke for synne / save at his brest-bon
& drynke boote for bale / drynke[brou]ke yt who þat wolde.
Þan may alle cristene come yn quod y & cleyme to entre þere.
Þoru þe blood he bowte vs with / & þoru þe bapteme after.
Qui crediderit & baptizatus fuerit saluus erit.
For þeyhȝ a man coveytede / his cristendom to receyve.                         [42r]
& vn-ryghtfully he receyve it / no resoun shal save hym.
For may no cherkcher[l] a chartre make / his catel to selle
With-outyn leve of his lord / no level[aw]e wille it graunte.
But he may renne in reragis / & rayke fram home.
& þey he renne reccheslyrecche[le]sly / or romeþ a-bowte.
Ȝit resoun shal rykne with hym / & rebewke hym at þe laste.
& Conscience shal a-counte with hym / & kaste hym in rerage.
& pyttyn hym in strong prisoun / in purgatorie to brenne.
& hise reragys rewarde hym þere / til oo day komynge.
But if contricioun kome hym to / & mercy criȝe by his lyve.
& be sory for hise mys-dedys / with mowþ & with herte.
That is soþ seyde scripture / may þere no synne be lettyd.
For mercy may al a-mende / if Meeknesse hym folwe.
For þey been as bokis telle / a-bove alle goddis werkis.
Misericordia domini  super omnia opera eius.
Ȝee baw waw for bookis quod oon / was broke out of helle.
He was Troianus þe knyght / he took witnesse of þe pope.
How he was ded & dampned / to dwellyn in derk peyne.
For he was an vn-cristene creature / clerkis knowe þe soþe.
Þat al þe Clergye vndir crist / myghte hym cracche fram helle.
But oonly love & lewte / of hise lawe-ful doomes.
Seynt Gregory wiste þis wel / what was his cause.
& wilnede to his soule / saluacioun & helthe.
For þe soþfastnesse / he seyȝ of hise werkis.
& after þat he wepte / & wisshed hym were grauntyd.
Grace with-outyn more byddynge / his boone was vndirfongid.
& was savid as ȝee may se / with-outyn song of messis.
Þoru love / & be-leve / & þoru lyvynge in trewþe.
It brouhte hym fram bitter peyne / þere no bede ne myghte.
Loo ȝee lordis / what lewte doþ / by þat Emperour of Rome.
Þat was an vn-cristene creature / as clerkis knowe in bookis.
Nowht þoru prayere of þe pope / but for his pure trewþe.
So was þat sarsyȝn savid / seynt Gregory bereth witnesse.
Wel awtyn þe lawe-keperis / þis lessoun have in mynde.
& on Troianus to þynke / & do trewþe to þe peple.
Þis matere is merk for manye / save men of holy chirche.
Þe legende sanctorum / lerneþ ȝow more largere þan y ȝou telle.            [42v]
& þus leel love / & leel lyvynge in trewthe
Pytten owt of peyȝne / a payȝnym of Rome.
I-blessid be trowþe / þat brak so helle ȝaatys.
& savede þat sarsyȝn / fram sathenases powher.
Þere no Clergie ne cowhde / ne conynge of lawis.
Þan is love & lewte / ryght a leel science.
God wrouht it / & wroot it / with his owne fynger.
& took it Moyses on þe Mount / alle men / it to leere.
Ȝee lawe withwith[-outen] love quod troianus / leyȝ þere a beene.
Or ony science vndir sunne / of alle þe sevene artis.
But þei ben leerned for goddis love / lost is here tyme.
& for no cause siluer to kacche / ne to be cald a Mayster.
But al for love of oure lord / & þe bettre to love þe peple.
For seynt Iohan seyþ þus / & sothe been hise wordys.
Qui non me diligit manet in morte
Who loveþ not to lovel[e]ve me / he lyveþ in deþis drede.
& þat alle manere of men / boþe enemyȝs & frendis.
Shulle loven eyþir oþir / as loveþ man hym-selue.
For who þat be-leveþ[len]eþ nouht / he loviþ not / god whot þe soþe.
He comandide ech creature / to conforme hym to love god.
& his neyȝhebore as hym-selue / & hise enemyȝe after.
For / fore hem / þat haten vs / ys most meryȝt to lovyȝe.
And to plese þe poore peple / here prayeris may vs helpe.
For oure Ioyȝe & oure helthe / ys Iesu crist of hevene.
& in a poore a-parayle / he pursueþ vs euere.
& lookeþ on vs in here lyknesse / & þat with lovely chere.
To knowe vs be oure kynde herte / & castynge of oure eyȝen.
Wheyþir we love þe loord here / be-fore þe lord of blysse.
He warneþ vs be þe ewangelie / whan we make feestis.
We sholde not calle oure ken þerto / ne non knowe men ryche.
But kalliþ þe kareful þerto / þe crokede & þe blyȝnde.
Cum facitis conuiuia nolite invitare amicos.
For ȝoure freendis wille fede ȝou / & with foode a-geyn it quyte.
Boþe festis / & faire ȝiftys / ech frend ȝeldeth so oþire.
& þe poore shal praye for ȝow / & a-quyte so ȝoure trauaile.
Þat ȝeveþ hem mete or mone / or a-mendiþ hem for my sake.
God myghte ryche a maad / alle men if he wolde.
But for þe beste / summe be ryche / & summe men be poore.
But alle are we hise creaturys / & of hyse coffres ryche.                   [43r]
& bretheryn ben of blood / boþe beggere & Erlys.
For at Caluerye of cristis blood / cristene blood gan springe.
& bodily bretheryn we be-come / of cristis body y-wonne.
As qualiqua[s]i modo geniti / & Ientil men ecchone.
No beggere is a-mogysa-mo[n]gys vs / but if synne it make.
Qui facit peccatum  seruus est peccati.
In þe olde lawe it seiþ / as þe lettre tellyþ.
Þat / þe sone of man / we be callyd echone.
Þe issew is of Adam & Eve / til god & man dyȝede.
& after his ressurrexioun Redemptor was he callyd.
& we hise bretheryn / þoru hym bowht / boþe ryche & poore.
Þerfore love we as leve childryn / & ech man lawhe on oþir.
& of þat / ech man may for-bere / a-mende hym þat is nedy.
& ech man helpe oþir heere / for hens shulle we alle.
Alter alterius  onera portate.
& be we not vn-kyȝnde of Catel / ne of konynge neyþir.
For no man whot / hou neyȝ he is / to be y-nome fram boþe.
Þerfore lakke no leef oþir / þeyhȝ he more latyn knowe.
Ne nyme no man oþir foule / for non is with-outyn defawte.
For what euere Clerkys carpe / of Crystendom or ellis.
Cryst to a comoun woman seyde / in comoun at þe feste.
Þat fides sua sholde save hire / & saluen hire synnes.
ÞatÞa[nne] is beleve a leele helpe / a-bove logyȝk or lawe.
Neyþir logyȝk ne lawe / ne legende of sanctorum .
Been but lytil a-lowed / but beleve hem helpe.
For it is ouer-longe ofo[r] logyk / ony lessoun a-soyle.
& lawe is looþ to lovye / but he lacche syluer.
Boþe Logyk & lawe / love wel boþe to lyȝen.
I conseyle alle cristene men / ȝee cleve not þeron to sore.
For summe wordis fyȝnde y wrete / wher-of feiþ is rote.
Þat saveþ synful men / as seyn Iohan beriþ witnesse.
Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis . remecietur uobis.
For-þy leerne we þe lawe of love / as oure lord techeþ.
& so seyþ seynt Gregory / for synful mannys helthe.
Why y meve þis matere / þat most is to helpe þe poore.
For in pore lyȝknesse crist / ofte haþ been y-knowe.
Witnesse of þe Gospel / whan he to Emaus wente.
Cleophas ne knew hym nout / þat he cryst were.
For his poore a-parayle / & pilgrymes wedys.
Tyl he blessede & brak / þe breed þat þey eetyn.                                    [43v]
& so by hise wyrkys / þey wisten þe soþe.
But þey knew hym not be cloþynge / ne be carpynge of tunge.
& al þat was ensample / to vs synful heere.
Þat we shulde ben lowe / & lovely of speche.
& a-parayle vs not proudly / for pilgrimys we ben alle.
Ofte crist haþ been y-met / a-mongys nedy peple.
Þere neuere segge hym seyȝ / with syghte / lyk þe ryche.
Seynt Iohan & oþire seyntis / were seyn in pore cloþynge.
And as pore pylgrimes / prayede men of here goodis.
Martha on goddis modir / made an huge tale.
Vnto Iesu oure saviour / she seyde þese wordis.
Domine non est tibi cure quod soror mea reliquid me sola ministrare.
& crist faire answerede / & eyþeris wil fulfylde.
Boþe Marthis & Maries / as Mattheuh beriþ witnesse.
But pouerte he pitte to-fore / & preysede þe bettre.
Maria optimam partem elegit que non auferetur ab ea.
& alle þe wise men / þat euere were / as y can a-spyȝe.
Preyse pouerte for best lyf / if pacyence it welde.
& more blessedere be skyle / & bettre þan rycchesse.
Al-þowhȝ it be sour to suffre / þere komeþ swete after.
Ryght as is a walshe-note / withoute / ful bytter ys þe ryȝnde.
& after þat bitter bark / &[be] þe shelle a-weyȝe.
Is a kernel of confort / kyȝndely to restore.
So is after pouerte or penaunce / pacyently y-take.
Makþ a man have meende on god / & a gret wille.
To wepe & to wel bydde / wher-of wexiþ mercy.
Of wiche crist is kernel / to conforte þe soule.
& wel sekerere he slepiþ / þe segge þat ys poore.
& lasse drediþ þe deþ / ne dowhteþ to be robbyd.
Þan he þat ys ryche / Resoun beriþ witnesse.
Pauper ego ludo / dum tu diues meditaris.
& þeyhȝ Salomon seyde þus / as men seen in þe byble.
Diuicias nec paupertates
¶ A-noþir Poete seyþ / in his pure speche.
Þat propre pouerte ys / no possessioun to holde.
But lyve moost in lykynge of god / as Luk bereth witnesse.
Si vis perfectus esse vade & vende omnia que habes . &c.
Þis ys to meene to men / þat on þis moolde dwelle.
Who þat wil be pure parfyȝt / mot possessioun for-sake.
Or selle it / as seyþ þe book / & þe siluer delyn þe nedy.
To beggerys þat beggyn / & byddyn for goddis sake.                                [44r]
For faylede neuere man mete / þat myghtful god serueþ.
& Dauid seiþ in þe sawter / & hise sawis ben soþe.
to swiche as been in wille / to suffre wo / for welthe.
To serue god goodly / ne greviþ hem no peyȝne.
Nichil difficile volenti
If prestis weryn alle wise men / þey sholde no siluer take.
For Messis ne Matins / but here mete only.
Neyþir kertyl ne cote / þeyhȝ þey for cold sholde pershe.
But seyn þus for here dygner / as dauid seiþ in þe sawter.
Iudica me deus / & discerne causam meam
Þey sholde speke of spera in deo whan spendynge wantiþ.
& travayle trewly / & triste on god of hevene.
Þan sholde þey lakke no liflode / neyþir wollene ne lynenn.
For ȝoure tytle of ȝour ordres / telle ȝee ben a-vauncyd.
Þan nediþ ȝou take no mone / for Messe þat ȝee synge.
For he þat took ȝou þat tytle / sholde take þat ȝe nede.
Or þe Bisshop / þat blessiþ ȝow / if þat ȝee ben worthy.
For makyd neuere kyng no knyght / but catel he hadde.
As fallyþ for his astat / or fynde hym for his strengþe.
It is a kareful knyght / & a Caytifis kyngys makyng.
Þat haþ neyþir lond ne lyflode / ne good loos of his hondis.
Þe same y sette to sey þe soþe / by alle swiche prestis.
Þat have neyþir konynge / ne kyn / but here crowne oone.
& here tytle a tale of nouht / to take to / in myschef
He is moore be-levid as y trowe / to lacche þoru his crowne.
A cure  þan for konynge / or knowe for klene berynge.
I have wondir / & why  & wherfore þe Bisshop.
MakenMake[þ] swiche prestis / þat poore men be-trayen.
A Chartre is chalengable / be-fore a cheef Iustyse.
If fals latyn be in þat lettre / þe lawe it repugneþ.
Or peyntid þe lynyaryes[parentrelynarie] / or parcelles ouer-skyppid.
Þe Goome þat it gloseþ / for a goky ys he holde.
Ryght so is he a goky by god / þat in his gospel fayleþ.
Or in þe Messe or Matins / makeþ ony defawhte.
Qvi offendit in vno delitto reus est in omnibus.
Dauid seyþ in þe sawter / to swiche ouer-skipperes.
Spallite deo nostro spallite spallite sapienter.
Þe Bisshop shal be blamed / be-fore god / y leve.
Þat krowneþ swiche goddis knyghtis / þat kunne lytil latyn.
Neyþir synge ne spalmes rede / ne syngyn of a feeste.                           [44v]
For neuere neyþir is blameles / þe Bisshop ne þe chapeleyn.
For boþe been endytyd / & þat ys be ynorancey[g]norance.
Non excusat episcopos nec ydiote crownide chapeleynys.
Þe lookenge of lewede prestis / haþ do me lope fram pouerte.
Þe wiche y preyse þere pacyence is / more parfyȝt þan is rycchesse.
& þus y fel in þowhtis feele / flappynge in myn herte.
Þat alle myn spiritys weryn sore stoned / & þerwith y waknede.
& as manye & feele þowhtis / felle flappynge in myn herte.
Alle myn spirytis weryn stoned / & þerwith y a-wakede.
& ful sore syȝhede / þe syghte was so mervylous.
& streyhte me / & turnede me / & to my-selue y seide.
Þis ys a mychil merveyle / what menynge it meneþ.
& in þis þowht stille y lay / a long tyme after.

Explicit Passus Octauus.


GO TO PASSUS IX


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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