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
5	Ac° on a May morwenynge° on Malverne° hilles	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,
10	I slombred into a slepyng, it sweyed° so murye.°	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
15	A deep dale° bynethe, a dongeon therinne,	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.

20	Somme putten hem° to the plough, pleiden ful selde,°	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
25	In preieres° and penaunce putten hem manye,	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
30	For no likerous° liflode° hire° likame° to plese.	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
35	Ac° japeres and jangeleres,° Judas children,	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

40	Bidderes and beggeres° faste aboute yede°	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
45	Sleep and sory sleuthe° seweth° hem evere.	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
50	I seigh° somme that seiden thei hadde ysought seintes:	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:
55	Grete lobies° and longe that lothe were to swynke°	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
60	Glosed° the gospel as hem good liked;	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
65	Manye ferlies han° fallen in a fewe yeres.	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
70	And seide that hymself myghte assoillen° hem alle	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
75	And raughte° with his rageman° rynges and broches.	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)
80	Ac° it is noght by the bisshop that the boy precheth —	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
85	To have a licence and leve° at London to dwelle,	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
90	Prechen and praye for hem, and the povere fede —
	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
95	And somme serven as servaunts lordes and ladies,
	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

100	I parceyved of the power that Peter hadde to kepe —
	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
105	There Crist is in kyngdom, to close and to shette,°	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
110	For in love and in lettrure° the eleccion bilongeth;	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
115	For to counseillen the Kyng and the Commune save.
	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
120	To tilie and to travaille as trewe lif asketh.
	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
125	“Crist kepe thee, sire Kyng, and thi kyngryche,°	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
130	Jangle° ne jugge° that justifie hem sholde,	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”
135	Nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate.
	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
140	And to the aungel an heigh answerde after:
	“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
145	And smale mees° myd° hem: mo° than a thousand	mice &mash; amid — more
	Comen to a counseil for the commune profit;
	For a cat of a court cam whan hym liked
150	And overleep hem lightliche° and laughte hem at his wille,	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
155	That us lotheth the lif er he late us passe.°	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,
160	“I have yseyen segges,”° quod° he, “in the Cite of Londoun	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.
165	Were ther a belle on hire beighe,° by Jesus, as me thynketh,	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
170	And hangen it upon the cattes hals° — thanne here we mowen°	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
175	Al the route° of ratons° to this reson assented;	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,	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
185	“Though° we hadde ykilled the cat, yet sholde ther come another	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
190	But fedeth hym al with venyson; defame we hym nevere.
	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
195	That witnesseth Holy Writ, whoso wole it rede —
	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
200	Nere° the cat of the court that kan you overlepe;	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
205	And though it costned me catel,° biknowen it I nolde,°	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
210	Devyne ye — for I ne dar, by deere God in hevene)!
	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.
215	Thow myghtest bettre meete° myst on Malverne Hilles	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
220	Wollen webbesters and weveres° of lynnen,	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
225	And dryveth forth the longe day with “Dieu save Dame Emme!”°	“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
230	Of the Ryn° and of the Rochel,° the roost to defie!”	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