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. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. | PASSUS VIII. (INCIPIT DO-WEL.) Passus octauus de visione [Petri Plowman. Incipit Dowel, Dobet, & Dobest.] |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
 | The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman |  |
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PASSUS VIII. (INCIPIT DO-WEL.) Passus octauus de visione [Petri Plowman. Incipit Dowel, Dobet, & Dobest.]
Thus yrobed in russet I romed aboute
Al a somer sesoun for to seke dowel,
And frayned ful oft of folke þat I mette,
If ani wiȝte wiste where dowel was at Inne,
And what man he miȝte be of many man I axed.
Al a somer sesoun for to seke dowel,
And frayned ful oft of folke þat I mette,
If ani wiȝte wiste where dowel was at Inne,
And what man he miȝte be of many man I axed.
Was neuere wiȝte, as I went þat me wisse couthe
Where þis lede lenged lasse ne more;
Where þis lede lenged lasse ne more;
Tyl it bifel on a fryday two freres I mette,
Maistres of þe Menoures men of grete witte.
I hailsed hem hendely as I hadde lerned,
And preyed hem par charitee ar þei passed forther,
If þei knewe any contre or costes, as þei went,
Where þat dowel dwelleth doth me to wytene.
Maistres of þe Menoures men of grete witte.
I hailsed hem hendely as I hadde lerned,
And preyed hem par charitee ar þei passed forther,
If þei knewe any contre or costes, as þei went,
Where þat dowel dwelleth doth me to wytene.
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For þei ben men on þis molde þat moste wyde walken,
And knowen contrees, and courtes and many kynnes places,
Bothe prynces paleyses and pore mennes cotes,
And do-wel and do-yuel where þei dwelle bothe.
And knowen contrees, and courtes and many kynnes places,
Bothe prynces paleyses and pore mennes cotes,
And do-wel and do-yuel where þei dwelle bothe.
“Amonges vs,” quod þe Menours “þat man is dwellynge,
And euere hath, as I hope and euere shal here-after.”
And euere hath, as I hope and euere shal here-after.”
“Contra,” quod I as a clerke and comsed to disputen,
And seide [hem] sothli, “ sepcies in die cadit iustus;
Seuene sythes, seith þe boke synneth þe riȝtful.
And who-so synneth,” I seyde “doth yuel, as me þinketh,
And dowel and do-yuel mow nouȝt dwelle togideres.
Ergo, he nys nauȝt alway amonge ȝow freres;
He is otherwhile ellis where to wisse þe peple.”
And seide [hem] sothli, “ sepcies in die cadit iustus;
Seuene sythes, seith þe boke synneth þe riȝtful.
And who-so synneth,” I seyde “doth yuel, as me þinketh,
And dowel and do-yuel mow nouȝt dwelle togideres.
Ergo, he nys nauȝt alway amonge ȝow freres;
He is otherwhile ellis where to wisse þe peple.”
“I shal sey þe, my sone” seide þe frere þanne,
“How seuene sithes þe sadman on þe day synneth;
By a forbisene,” quod þe frere “I shal þe faire shewe.
“How seuene sithes þe sadman on þe day synneth;
By a forbisene,” quod þe frere “I shal þe faire shewe.
Lat brynge a man in a bote amydde a brode water,
Þe wynde and þe water and þe bote waggynge
Maketh þe man many a tyme to falle and to stonde;
For stonde he neuere so styf he stombleth ȝif he moeue;
Ac ȝit is he sauf and sounde and so hym bihoueth,
For ȝif he ne arise þe rather and rauȝte to þe stiere;
Þe wynde wolde, wyth þe water þe bote ouerthrowe;
And þanne were his lyf loste þourgh lacchesse of hym-self.
Þe wynde and þe water and þe bote waggynge
Maketh þe man many a tyme to falle and to stonde;
For stonde he neuere so styf he stombleth ȝif he moeue;
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For ȝif he ne arise þe rather and rauȝte to þe stiere;
Þe wynde wolde, wyth þe water þe bote ouerthrowe;
And þanne were his lyf loste þourgh lacchesse of hym-self.
And þus it falleth,” quod þe frere “bi folke here on erthe;
Þe water is likned to þe worlde þat wanyeth and wexeth,
Þe godis of þis grounde aren like to þe grete wawes,
Þat as wyndes and wederes walweth aboute.
Þe bote is likned to owre body þat brutel is of kynde,
Þat þorugh þe fende and [þe] flesshe and þe frele worlde
Synneth þe sadman a day, seuene sythes.
Þe water is likned to þe worlde þat wanyeth and wexeth,
Þe godis of þis grounde aren like to þe grete wawes,
Þat as wyndes and wederes walweth aboute.
Þe bote is likned to owre body þat brutel is of kynde,
Þat þorugh þe fende and [þe] flesshe and þe frele worlde
Synneth þe sadman a day, seuene sythes.
Ac dedly synne doth he nouȝt for dowel hym kepith,
And þat is charite þe champioun chief help aȝein synne;
For he strengtheth man to stonde and stereth mannes soule,
And þowgh þi body bow as bote doth in þe water,
Ay is þi soule sauf but [if] þi-self wole
Do a dedly synne and drenche so þi soule;
God wole suffre wel þi sleuthe ȝif þi-self lyketh.
For he ȝaf þe to ȝeresȝyue to ȝeme wel þi-selue,
And þat is witte a[nd] fre wille to euery wyȝte a porcioun,
To fleghyng foules to fissches & to bestes.
Ac man hath moste þerof and moste is to blame,
But if he worche wel þer-with as dowel hym techeth.”
And þat is charite þe champioun chief help aȝein synne;
For he strengtheth man to stonde and stereth mannes soule,
And þowgh þi body bow as bote doth in þe water,
Ay is þi soule sauf but [if] þi-self wole
Do a dedly synne and drenche so þi soule;
God wole suffre wel þi sleuthe ȝif þi-self lyketh.
For he ȝaf þe to ȝeresȝyue to ȝeme wel þi-selue,
And þat is witte a[nd] fre wille to euery wyȝte a porcioun,
To fleghyng foules to fissches & to bestes.
Ac man hath moste þerof and moste is to blame,
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“I haue no kynde knowyng,” quod I “to conceyue alle ȝowre wordes,
Ac if I may lyue and loke I shal go lerne bettere.”
“I bikenne þe cryst, [quod he] þat on þe crosse deyde.”
And I seyde, “þe same saue ȝow fro myschaunce,
And ȝiue ȝow grace on þis grounde good men to worthe.”
Ac if I may lyue and loke I shal go lerne bettere.”
“I bikenne þe cryst, [quod he] þat on þe crosse deyde.”
And I seyde, “þe same saue ȝow fro myschaunce,
And ȝiue ȝow grace on þis grounde good men to worthe.”
And þus I went wide-where walkyng myne one,
By a wilde wildernesse and bi a wode-syde.
Blisse of þo briddes [abyde me made,]
And vnder a lynde vppon a launde lened I a stounde,
To lythe þe layes þe louely foules made.
Murthe of her mouthes made me þere to slepe;
Þe merueillousest meteles mette me þanne
Þat euer dremed wyȝte in worlde, as I wene.
By a wilde wildernesse and bi a wode-syde.
Blisse of þo briddes [abyde me made,]
And vnder a lynde vppon a launde lened I a stounde,
To lythe þe layes þe louely foules made.
Murthe of her mouthes made me þere to slepe;
Þe merueillousest meteles mette me þanne
Þat euer dremed wyȝte in worlde, as I wene.
A moche man, as me þouȝte and lyke to my-selue
Come and called me by my kynde name.
“What artow,” quod I þo “þat þow my name knowest?”
“Þat þow wost wel,” quod he “and no wyȝte bettere.”
Come and called me by my kynde name.
“What artow,” quod I þo “þat þow my name knowest?”
“Þat þow wost wel,” quod he “and no wyȝte bettere.”
“Wote I what þow art?” “þought,” seyde he þanne,
“I haue suwed þe þis seuene ȝere sey þow me no rather?”
“I haue suwed þe þis seuene ȝere sey þow me no rather?”
“Art þow thought?” quod I þo “þow couthest me wisse
Where þat dowel dwelleth and do me þat to knowe?”
“Dowel and dobet and dobest þe thridde,” quod he,
129
“Aren three faire vertues and beth nauȝte fer to fynde.
Who-so is trewe of his tonge and of his two handes,
And þorugh his laboure or þorugh his londe his lyflode wynneth,
And is trusti of his tailende taketh but his owne,
And is nouȝt dronkenlew ne dedeignous dowel hym folweth.
Dobet doth ryȝt þus ac he doth moche more;
He is as low as a lombe and loueliche of speche,
And helpeth alle men after þat hem nedeth;
Þe bagges and þe bigurdeles he hath to-broken hem alle,
Þat þe Erl auarous helde, and his heires;
And þus with Mammonaes [moneie] he hath made hym frendes,
And is ronne in-to Religioun and hath rendred þe bible,
And precheth to þe poeple seynt Poules wordes,
Libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes,
‘And suffreth þe vnwise with ȝow for to libbe,And with gladde wille doth hem gode for so god ȝow hoteth.’
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Dobest is aboue bothe and bereth a bisschopes crosse,
Is hoked on þat one ende to halie men fro helle.
A pyke is on þat potente to pulte adown þe wikked,
Þat wayten any wikkednesse dowel to tene.
And dowel and dobet amonges hem ordeigned
To croune one to be kynge to reule hem bothe;
Þat ȝif dowel or dobet did aȝein dobest,
Þanne shal þe kynge come and casten hem in yrens,
And but if dobest bede for hem þei to be þere for euere.
Is hoked on þat one ende to halie men fro helle.
A pyke is on þat potente to pulte adown þe wikked,
Þat wayten any wikkednesse dowel to tene.
And dowel and dobet amonges hem ordeigned
To croune one to be kynge to reule hem bothe;
Þat ȝif dowel or dobet did aȝein dobest,
Þanne shal þe kynge come and casten hem in yrens,
And but if dobest bede for hem þei to be þere for euere.
Thus dowel and dobet and dobest þe thridde,
Crouned one to be kynge to kepen hem alle,
And to reule þe Reume bi her thre wittes,
And none other-wise but as þei thre assented.’
Crouned one to be kynge to kepen hem alle,
And to reule þe Reume bi her thre wittes,
And none other-wise but as þei thre assented.’
I thonked thouȝt þo þat he me þus tauȝte;
“Ac ȝete sauoureth me nouȝt þi seggyng I coueite to lerne
How dowel, dobet, and dobest don amonges þe peple.”
“Ac ȝete sauoureth me nouȝt þi seggyng I coueite to lerne
How dowel, dobet, and dobest don amonges þe peple.”
“But witte conne wisse þe,” quod þouȝt “where þo thre dwelle;
Ellis wote I none þat can þat now is alyue.”
Ellis wote I none þat can þat now is alyue.”
Þouȝte and I thus thre days we ȝeden,
Disputyng vppon dowel day after other,
And ar we were ywar with witte gan we mete.
He was longe and lene liche to none other,
Was no pruyde on his apparaille ne pouerte noyther,
Sadde of his semblaunt and of soft chiere.
I dorste meue no matere to make hym to iangle,
But as I bad þouȝt þo be mene bitwene,
And put forth somme purpos to prouen his wittes,
What was dowel fro dobet and dobest fram hem bothe.
Disputyng vppon dowel day after other,
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He was longe and lene liche to none other,
Was no pruyde on his apparaille ne pouerte noyther,
Sadde of his semblaunt and of soft chiere.
I dorste meue no matere to make hym to iangle,
But as I bad þouȝt þo be mene bitwene,
And put forth somme purpos to prouen his wittes,
What was dowel fro dobet and dobest fram hem bothe.
Þanne þouȝt in þat tyme seide þise wordes,
“Where dowel, dobet and dobest ben in londe,
Here is wille wolde ywyte yif witte couthe teche hym,
And whether he be man or [no] man þis man fayne wolde aspye,
And worchen as þei thre wolde þis is his entente.”
“Where dowel, dobet and dobest ben in londe,
Here is wille wolde ywyte yif witte couthe teche hym,
And whether he be man or [no] man þis man fayne wolde aspye,
And worchen as þei thre wolde þis is his entente.”
| The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman | |