The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, Secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (About 1362-1380 A.D.): Edited from numerous manuscripts, with prefaces, notes, and a glossary, by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat ... In four parts |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
GULA. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
 | The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman |  |
GULA.
Now bigynneth glotoun for to go to schrifte,
And kaires hym to-kirke-ward his coupe to schewe.
And kaires hym to-kirke-ward his coupe to schewe.
Ac Beton þe brewestere bad hym good morwe,
And axed of hym with þat whiderward he wolde.
And axed of hym with þat whiderward he wolde.
“To holi cherche,” quod he “forto here masse,
And sithen I wil be shryuen and synne namore.”
74
“I haue gode ale, gossib,” quod she “glotown, wiltow assaye?”
“Hastow auȝte in þi purs any hote spices?”
“Hastow auȝte in þi purs any hote spices?”
“I haue peper and piones,” quod [s]he “and a pounde of garlike,
A ferthyngworth of fenel-seed for fastyngdayes.”
A ferthyngworth of fenel-seed for fastyngdayes.”
Þanne goth glotoun in and grete othes after;
Cesse þe souteresse sat on þe benche,
Watte þe warner and his wyf bothe,
Tymme þe tynkere and tweyne of his prentis,
Hikke þe hakeneyman and hughe þe nedeler,
Clarice of cokkeslane and þe clerke of þe cherche,
Dawe þe dykere and a dozeine other;
Sire Piers of Pridie and Peronelle of Flaundres,
A ribibour, a ratonere a rakyer of chepe,
A ropere, a redyngkyng and Rose þe dissheres,
Godfrey of garlekehithe and gryfin þe walshe,
And vpholderes an hepe erly bi þe morwe
Geuen glotoun with glad chere good ale to hansel.
Cesse þe souteresse sat on þe benche,
Watte þe warner and his wyf bothe,
Tymme þe tynkere and tweyne of his prentis,
Hikke þe hakeneyman and hughe þe nedeler,
Clarice of cokkeslane and þe clerke of þe cherche,
Dawe þe dykere and a dozeine other;
Sire Piers of Pridie and Peronelle of Flaundres,
A ribibour, a ratonere a rakyer of chepe,
A ropere, a redyngkyng and Rose þe dissheres,
Godfrey of garlekehithe and gryfin þe walshe,
And vpholderes an hepe erly bi þe morwe
Geuen glotoun with glad chere good ale to hansel.
Clement þe cobelere cast of his cloke,
And atte new faire he nempned it to selle;
Hikke þe hakeneyman hitte his hood after,
And badde bette þe bochere ben on his side.
Þere were chapmen y-chose þis chaffare to preise;
Who-so haueth þe hood shuld haue amendes of þe cloke.
And atte new faire he nempned it to selle;
Hikke þe hakeneyman hitte his hood after,
And badde bette þe bochere ben on his side.
Þere were chapmen y-chose þis chaffare to preise;
75
Two risen vp in rape and rouned togideres,
And preised þese penyworthes apart bi hem-selue;
Þei couth nouȝte bi her conscience acorden in treuthe,
Tyl Robyn þe ropere arose bi þe southe,
And nempned hym for a noumpere þat no debate nere,
[For to trye þis chaffare bitwixen hem þre.]
And preised þese penyworthes apart bi hem-selue;
Þei couth nouȝte bi her conscience acorden in treuthe,
Tyl Robyn þe ropere arose bi þe southe,
And nempned hym for a noumpere þat no debate nere,
[For to trye þis chaffare bitwixen hem þre.]
Hikke þe hostellere hadde þe cloke,
In couenaunte þat Clement shulde þe cuppe fille,
And haue Hikkes hode hostellere and holde hym yserued;
And who-so repented rathest shulde arise after,
And grete sire glotoun with a galoun ale.
In couenaunte þat Clement shulde þe cuppe fille,
And haue Hikkes hode hostellere and holde hym yserued;
And who-so repented rathest shulde arise after,
And grete sire glotoun with a galoun ale.
Þere was laughyng and louryng and “let go þe cuppe,”
And seten so til euensonge and songen vmwhile,
Tyl glotoun had y-globbed a galoun an a Iille.
His guttis gunne to [gothely] as two gredy sowes;
He pissed a potel in a pater-noster while,
And blew his rounde ruwet at his rigge-bon ende,
That alle þat herde þat horne held her nose after,
And wissheden it had be wexed with a wispe of firses.
And seten so til euensonge and songen vmwhile,
Tyl glotoun had y-globbed a galoun an a Iille.
His guttis gunne to [gothely] as two gredy sowes;
He pissed a potel in a pater-noster while,
And blew his rounde ruwet at his rigge-bon ende,
That alle þat herde þat horne held her nose after,
And wissheden it had be wexed with a wispe of firses.
76
He myȝte neither steppe ne stonde er he his staffe hadde;
And þanne gan he go liche a glewmannes bicche,
Somme tyme aside and somme tyme arrere,
As who-so leyth lynes forto lacche foules.
And þanne gan he go liche a glewmannes bicche,
Somme tyme aside and somme tyme arrere,
As who-so leyth lynes forto lacche foules.
And whan he drowgh to þe dore þanne dymmed his eighen,
He [stumbled] on þe thresshewolde an threwe to þe erthe.
Clement þe cobelere cauȝte hym bi þe myddel,
For to lifte hym alofte and leyde him on his knowes;
Ac glotoun was a gret cherle and a grym in þe liftynge,
And coughed vp a caudel in clementis lappe;
Is non so hungri hounde in Hertford schire
Durst lape of þe leuynges so vnlouely þei smauȝte.
He [stumbled] on þe thresshewolde an threwe to þe erthe.
Clement þe cobelere cauȝte hym bi þe myddel,
For to lifte hym alofte and leyde him on his knowes;
Ac glotoun was a gret cherle and a grym in þe liftynge,
And coughed vp a caudel in clementis lappe;
Is non so hungri hounde in Hertford schire
Durst lape of þe leuynges so vnlouely þei smauȝte.
With al þe wo of þis worlde his wyf and his wenche
Baren hym home to his bedde and brouȝte hym þerinne.
And after al þis excesse he had an accidie,
Þat he slepe saterday and sonday til sonne ȝede to reste.
Þanne waked he of his wynkyng and wiped his eyghen;
Þe fyrste worde þat he warpe was, “where is þe bolle?”
His [wif] gan edwite hym þo how wikkedlich he lyued,
And repentance riȝte so rebuked hym þat tyme:
Baren hym home to his bedde and brouȝte hym þerinne.
And after al þis excesse he had an accidie,
Þat he slepe saterday and sonday til sonne ȝede to reste.
Þanne waked he of his wynkyng and wiped his eyghen;
Þe fyrste worde þat he warpe was, “where is þe bolle?”
77
And repentance riȝte so rebuked hym þat tyme:
“As þow with wordes and werkes hast wrouȝte yuel in þi lyue,
Shryue þe and be shamed þer-of and shewe it with þi mouth.”
Shryue þe and be shamed þer-of and shewe it with þi mouth.”
“I, glotoun,” quod þe gome “gylti me ȝelde,
Þat I haue trespassed with my tonge I can nouȝte telle how ofte,
Sworen ‘goddes soule’ and ‘so god me help and halidom,’
Þere no nede ne was nyne hundreth tymes;
Þat I haue trespassed with my tonge I can nouȝte telle how ofte,
Sworen ‘goddes soule’ and ‘so god me help and halidom,’
Þere no nede ne was nyne hundreth tymes;
And ouer-seye me at my sopere and some tyme at nones,
Þat I glotoun girt it vp er I hadde gone a myle,
And y-spilte þat myȝte be spared and spended on somme hungrie;
Ouerdelicatly on fastyng dayes drunken and eten bothe,
And sat some tyme so longe þere þat I slepe and ete at ones.
For loue of tales in tauernes to drynke þe more, I dyned,
And hyed to þe mete er none whan fastyng dayes were.”
Þat I glotoun girt it vp er I hadde gone a myle,
And y-spilte þat myȝte be spared and spended on somme hungrie;
Ouerdelicatly on fastyng dayes drunken and eten bothe,
And sat some tyme so longe þere þat I slepe and ete at ones.
For loue of tales in tauernes to drynke þe more, I dyned,
And hyed to þe mete er none whan fastyng dayes were.”
78
“This shewyng shrifte,” quod repentance “shal be meryte to þe.”
And þanne gan glotoun grete and gret doel to make
For his lither lyf þat he lyued hadde,
And avowed [to] fast— “for hunger or for thurst
Shal neuere fisshe on þe fryday defien in my wombe,
Tyl abstinence myn aunte haue ȝiue me leue;
And ȝit haue I hated hir al my lyf tyme.”
For his lither lyf þat he lyued hadde,
And avowed [to] fast— “for hunger or for thurst
Shal neuere fisshe on þe fryday defien in my wombe,
Tyl abstinence myn aunte haue ȝiue me leue;
And ȝit haue I hated hir al my lyf tyme.”
| The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman | |