Langland, from Piers Plowman

In a somer seson, whan softe was the sonne,
I shoop° me into shroudes as I a sheep° were,	dressed — shepherd
In habite° as an heremite° unholy of werkes,	clothes — hermit
Wente wide in this world wondres to here.°	hear
Ac° on a May morwenynge° on Malverne° hilles [5]	But — morning — Malvern
Me° bifel° a ferly,° of Fairye me thoghte.°	to me — happened — marvel — it seemed to me
I was wery° forwandred° and wente me to reste	weary — tired of aimless wandering
Under a brood° bank by a bourne° syde;	broad — brook
And as I lay and lenede and loked on the watres,
I slombred into a slepyng, it sweyed° so murye.° [10]	sounded — merry

Thanne gan° [me] to meten° a merveillous swevene° —	began — to dream — dream
That I was in a wildernesse, wiste° I nevere where.	knew
As I biheeld into the eest an heigh to the sonne,
I seigh° a tour° on a toft° trieliche ymaked,°	saw — tower — hill — splendidly made
A deep dale° bynethe, a dongeon therinne, [15]	valley
With depe diches and derke and dredfulle of sighte.
A fair feeld ful of folk fond° I ther bitwene —	found
Of alle manere° of men, the meene° and the riche,	all kinds — poor
Werchynge and wandrynge as the world asketh.

Somme putten hem° to the plough, pleiden ful selde,° [20]	them[selves] — seldom
In settynge° and sowynge swonken° ful harde,	planting — worked
And wonnen that thise wastours° with glotonye destruyeth	won what these wasters
And somme putten hem° to pride, apparailed hem therafter,	them[selves]
In contenaunce° of clothynge comen disgised —	display
In preieres° and penaunce putten hem manye, [25]	prayers
Al for the love of Oure Lord lyveden ful streyte°	strictly
In hope to have heveneriche blisse° —	the happiness of the kingdom of heaven
As ancres° and heremites that holden hem° in hire selles,°	anchorite friars — them[selves] — their cells
Coveiten° noght in contree to cairen aboute	travel
For no likerous° liflode° hire° likame° to plese. [30]	lecherous ‐ livelihood — their — body
And somme chosen chaffare;° they cheveden° the bettre —	business — achieved
As it semeth to oure sight that swiche° men thryveth;	such
And somme murthes° to make as mynstralles konne,°	pleasures — know how
And geten gold with hire° glee — ynnelees,° I leeve° —	their — guiltless — believe
Ac° japeres and jangeleres,° Judas children, [35]	but — jesters
Feynen° hem fantasies, and fooles hem maketh —	feign
And han wit at wille to werken if they wolde.
That Poul° precheth of hem° I wol nat preve° it here:	St. Paul — them — prove
Qui loquitur turpiloquium° is Luciferes hyne.°	“He who speaks foully” — lackey

Bidderes and beggeres° faste aboute yede° [40]	mendicants — went
[Til] hire° bely and hire bagge [were] bredful ycrammed,°	their — full of bread
Faiteden° for hire° foode, foughten at the ale.	deceived — their
In glotonye, God woot,° go thei to bedde,	knows
And risen with ribaudie,° tho° Roberdes knaves;	ribaldry — those
Sleep and sory sleuthe° seweth° hem evere. [45]	sloth — follows them

Pilgrymes and palmeres plighten° hem togidere°	vow — formed an alliance
For to seken Seint Jame and seintes at Rome;
Wenten forth in hire wey with many wise tales,
And hadden leve° to lyen° al hire lif° after.	permission — lie — all their life
I seigh° somme that seiden thei hadde ysought seintes: [50]	saw
To ech a tale that thei tolde hire tonge was tempred° to lye	disposed
Moore than to seye sooth,° it semed bi hire° speche.	truth — their
Heremytes on an heep° with hoked° staves,	in a crowd — hooked
Wenten to Walsyngham — and hire wenches after:
Grete lobies° and longe that lothe were to swynke° [55]	lazy people — work
Clothed hem in copes° to ben° knowen from othere,°	cloaks — be — [each] other
And shopen hem° heremytes hire ese° to have.	shaped themselves as — their ease

I fond there freres,° alle the foure ordres,	friars
Prechynge the peple for profit of [the] womb[e]:°	belly
Glosed° the gospel as hem good liked; [60]	explained
For coveitise° of copes construwed it as thei wolde.	greed
Manye of thise maistres mowe clothen hem° at likyng	may clothe themselves
For hire moneie and hire marchaundise marchen togideres.
Sith charite hath ben chapman° and chief to shryve lordes	merchant
Manye ferlies han° fallen in a fewe yeres. [65]	wonders have
But Holy Chirche and hii° holde bettre togidres	they
The mooste meschief on molde° is mountynge up faste.	earth

Ther preched a pardoner as he a preest were:
Broughte forth a bulle° with bisshopes seles,°	papal proclamation — seals
And seide that hymself myghte assoillen° hem alle [70]	absolve
Of falshede° of fastynge, of avowes ybroken. —	falsehood
Lewed° men leved° hym wel and liked hise wordes,	unlearned — believed
Comen up knelynge to kissen his bulle.
He bonched° hem with his brevet° and blered hire eighen,°	struck — paper letter — conned their eyes
And raughte° with his rageman° rynges and broches. [75]	laid his hands on — fake document
— Thus ye gyven youre gold glotons to helpe,
And leneth° it losels° that leccherie haunten“	lend — good-for-nothings
Were the bisshop yblessed and worth bothe his eris,°	ears
His seel° sholde noght be sent to deceyve the peple.	seal (on a leter)
Ac° it is noght by the bisshop that the boy precheth — [80]	But
For the parisshe preest and the pardoner parten° the silver	divide
That the povere° [peple] of the parissche sholde have if they ne were.°	poor — were not

Persons and parisshe preestes pleyned° hem to the bisshop	complained
That hire parisshes weren povere sith the pestilence tyme,°	poor since the plague
To have a licence and leve° at London to dwelle, [85]	permission
And syngen ther for symonie, for silver is swete.
Bisshopes and bachelers, bothe maistres and doctours —
That han cure° under Crist, and crownynge° in tokene	have spiritual responsibility — tonsure (shaved top of the head)
And signe that thei sholden shryven° hire parisshens,	hear confession
Prechen and praye for hem, and the povere fede — [90]
Liggen° at Londoun in Lenten and ellis.°	lie — at other times
Somme serven the King and his silver tellen,°	count
In Cheker° and in Chauncelrie° chalangen his dettes	the court of the Exchequer — chancery court
Of wardes and of wardemotes,° weyves° and streyves.°	gathering of citizens in a ward — waifs — strays
And somme serven as servaunts lordes and ladies, [95]
And in stede of stywardes sitten and demen.°	judge
Hire messe° and hire matyns° and many of hire houres	their mass — their morning services
Arn doone undevoutliche; drede is at the laste
Lest Crist in Consistorie° acorse ful manye!	episcopal court

I parceyved of the power that Peter hadde to kepe — [100]
To bynden and unbynden, as the Book telleth —
How he it lefte with love as Oure Lord highte°	ordered
Amonges foure vertues, most vertuous of alle vertues,
That cardinals ben called and closynge yates°	gates
There Crist is in kyngdom, to close and to shette,° [105]	shut
And to opene it to hem and hevene blisse shewe.
Ac° of the Cardinals at court that kaughte of that name	but
And power presumed in hem a Pope to make
To han the power that Peter hadde, impugnen I nelle° —	I will not impugn
For in love and in lettrure° the eleccion bilongeth; [110]	scripture
Forthi° I kan and kan naught of court speke moore.	therefore

Thanne kam ther a Kyng: Knyghthod hym ladde;°	led
Might of the communes° made hym to regne.	common people
And thanne cam Kynde Wit° and clerkes he made,	Natural Intelligence
For to counseillen the Kyng and the Commune save. [115]
The Kyng and Knyghthod and Clergie bothe
Casten° that the Commune sholde hem [communes] fynde.	brought about
The Commune contreved° of Kynde Wit craftes,	devised
And for profit of al the peple plowmen ordeyned
To tilie and to travaille as trewe lif asketh. [120]
The Kyng and the Commune and Kynde Wit the thridde°	third
Shopen° lawe and leaute° — ech° lif to knowe his owene.	shaped — loyalty — each
Thanne loked° up a lunatik, a leene thyng withalle,	looked
And knelynge to the Kyng clergially° he seide,	in the manner of a scholar
“Crist kepe thee, sire Kyng, and thi kyngryche,° [125]	kingdom
And lene° thee lede thi lond so leaute thee lovye,	grant
And for thi rightful rulyng be rewarded in hevene”
And sithen° in the eyr on heigh an aungel of hevene	since
Lowed° to speke in Latyn — for lewed° men ne koude°	approved of — unlearned — could not
Jangle° ne jugge° that justifie hem sholde, [130]	complain — judge
But suffren and serven — forthi° seide the aungel:	therefore
“Sum Rex, sum Princeps,” — neutrum fortasse deinceps”
O qui iura regis Christi specialia regis,
Hoc qiiod agas nielius — iustus es, esto pius”
Nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate. [135]
Qualia vis nietere, talia grana sere:
Si ius nudatur, nudo de iure metatur;
Si seritur pietas, de pietate metas.
Thanne greved hym a goliardeis, a gloton of wordes,	“one lacking in respect, flippant scoffer” — glutton
And to the aungel an heigh answerde after: [140]
“Dum ‘rex’ a ‘regere’ dicatur nomen habere,
Nomen habet sine re nisi studet iura tenere.”
Thanne gan° al the commune crye in vers of Latyn	began
To the Kynges counseil — construe° whoso wolde —	translate
“Precepta Regis sunt nobis vincula legis.”°	“The King’s precepts are binding laws to us”
With that ran ther a route° of ratons° at ones	throng — rats
And smale mees° myd° hem: mo° than a thousand [145]	mice &mash; amid — more
Comen to a counseil for the commune profit;
For a cat of a court cam whan hym liked
And overleep hem lightliche° and laughte hem at his wille, [150]	outrun them easily
And pleide with hem perillousli and possed° aboute.	pushed
“For doute of diverse° dredes we dar° noght wel loke”	various — dare
And if we grucche° of his gamen° he wol greven° us alle —	complain — games &mash; injure
Cracchen° us or clawen us and in hise clouches° holde.	scratch — clutch’s
That us lotheth the lif er he late us passe.° [155]	that we would loathe life before he let us die
Mighte we with any wit° his wille withstonde,	intelligence
We myghte be lordes olofte° and lyven at oure ese.”	above
A raton° of renoun,° moost renable° of tonge,	rat — reputation — fluent
Seide for a sovereyn [salve] to hem alle,
“I have yseyen segges,”° quod° he, “in the Cite of Londoun [160]	men — said [quoth]
Beren° beighes° ful brighte abouten hire nekkes,	bear — collars
And somme colers of crafty work;° uncoupled they wenden°	intricate workmanship — go
Bothe in wareyne° and in waast° where hem leve liketh,	warren — waste — wherever they like
And outher while thei arn elliswhere, as I here telle.
Were ther a belle on hire beighe,° by Jesus, as me thynketh, [165]	collar
Men myghte witen° wher thei wente and awey renne.°	know — run
And right so,” quod° that raton,° “reson me sheweth	said — rat
To bugge° a belle of bras or of bright silver	buy
And knytten it on a coler for oure commune profit
And hangen it upon the cattes hals° — thanne here we mowen° [170]	neck — we may hear
Wher he ryt° or rest or rometh to pleye;	rides
And if hym list° for to laike,° thanne loke we mowen°	likes — play — may
And peeren° in his presence the while hym pleye liketh,	appear
And if hym wratheth,° be war and his wey shonye.°”	is hostile — shun his way
Al the route° of ratons° to this reson assented; [175]	group &mash; rats
Ac° tho the belle was ybrought and on the beighe° hanged	although — neck
Ther ne was raton° in al the route,° for al the reaume° of France,	rat &mdsh; group — realm
That dorste° have bounden the belle aboute the cattes nekke,	dared
Ne hangen it aboute his hals° al Engelond to wynne,	neck
[Ac]° helden hem unhardy° and hir counseil feble, [180]	but — cowardly
And leten hire laboure lost and al hire longe studie.
A mous that muche good kouthe,° as me tho thoughte,°	knew — as it then seemed to me
Strook° forth sternely and stood bifore hem alle,	went
And to the route° of ratons° reherced° thise wordes:	throng — spoke
“Though° we hadde ykilled the cat, yet sholde ther come another [185]	even if
To cracchen us and al oure kynde, though we cropen° under benches.	even if we crept
Forthi° I counseill°e al the commune to late the cat worthe,°	therefore — advise — let the cat be
And be we nevere so bolde the belle hym to shewe.
The while he caccheth conynges° he coveiteth noght oure caroyne,°	rabbits — flesh
But fedeth hym al with venyson; defame we hym nevere. [190]
For bettre is a litel los than a long sorwe:
The maze° among us alle, theigh° we mysse a sherewe!°	confusion — though — villain
For I herde my sire seyn, is seven yeer ypassed,
“‘Ther the cat is a kitoun, the court is ful elenge.’”°	wretched
That witnesseth Holy Writ, whoso wole it rede — [195]
Ve terre ubi puer rex est,° &c.	“Woe to the last where a child is king!”
For may no renk° ther reste have for ratons by nyghte.	man
For many mennes malt we mees° wolde destruye,	mice
And also ye route of ratons rende° mennes clothes,	tear
Nere° the cat of the court that kan you overlepe; [200]	were it not for
For hadde ye rattes youre [raik]° ye kouthe° noght rule yowselve.	way — could
“I seye for me,“ quod the mous, “I se so muchel° after,	much
Shal nevere the cat ne° the kiton by my counseil be greved,	nor
Ne carpynge° of this coler that costed me nevere.	foolish talk
And though it costned me catel,° biknowen it I nolde,° [205]	chattel (property) — would not
But suffren as hymself wolde [s]o doon as hym liketh —
Coupled and uncoupled to cacche what thei mowe.°	may
Forthi° ech a wis wight° I warne — wite wel his owene!”	therefore — man
(What this metels° bymeneth,° ye men that ben murye,	dream — means
Devyne ye — for I ne dar, by deere God in hevene)! [210]
Yet hoved° ther an hundred in howves° of selk° —	waited — hoods — silk
Sergeants, it semed, that serveden at the Barre,
Pleteden° for penyes° and pounded the lawe,	pleaded — pennies
And noght for love of Oure Lord unlose hire lippes ones.
Thow myghtest bettre meete° myst on Malverne Hilles [215]	measure
Than get a “mom’ of hire mouth til moneie be shewed!
Barins° and burgeises° and bondemen als	barons — burgesses
I seigh° in this assemblee, as ye shul here after;	saw
Baksteres° and brewesteres° and bochiers° manye,	bakers — brewers — butchers
Wollen webbesters and weveres° of lynnen, [220]	weavers
Taillours and tynkers and tollers° in markettes,	toll-collectors
Masons and mynours and many othere craftes:
Of alle kynne° lybbynge° laborers lopen° forth somme —	kinds — living — leapt
As dykeres° and delveres° that doon hire dedes ille	ditch-diggers — laborers
And dryveth forth the longe day with “Dieu save Dame Emme!”° [225]	“God save Dame Emme!”
Cokes and hire knaves° cryden, “Hote pies, hote!	their servants
Goode gees and grys!° Go we dyne, go we!”	piglets
Taverners until hem tolden the same:
“Whit wyn of Oseye° and wyn of Gascoigne,	Alsace
Of the Ryn° and of the Rochel,° the roost to defie!” [230]	Rhine — La Rochelle
— Al this I seigh° slepyng, and sevene sythes° more.	saw — times

Piers Plowman (Selection)

By William Langland

Edited by Jack Lynch

Notes