Apart from its fantastic structure, 'Piers Plowman' was not only a sign of the times, but did great service in its day. His voice rings like that of Israel's minor prophets--like Nahum or Hosea--in a dark and corrupt age. He proclaims liberal and independent sentiments, he attacks slavery and superstition, and he predicts the doom of the Papacy as with a thunder-knell. Chaucer must have felt roused to his share of the reformatory work by the success of 'Piers Plowman;' Spenser is suspected to have read and borrowed from him; and even Milton, in his description of a lazar-house in 'Paradise Lost,' had him probably in his eye. (See our last extract from 'Piers.') On account of the great merit and peculiarity of this work we proceed to make rather copious extracts. HUMAN LIFE. Then 'gan I to meten[1] a marvellous sweven,[2] That I was in wilderness, I wist never where: As I beheld into the east, on high to the sun, I saw a tower on a loft, richly ymaked, A deep dale beneath, a dungeon therein, With deep ditches and dark, and dreadful of sight: A fair field full of folk found I there between, Of all manner men, the mean and the rich, Working and wand'ring, as the world asketh; Some put them to the plough, playeden full seld, In setting and sowing swonken[3] full hard: And some put them to pride, &c. [1] 'Meten:' dream. [2] 'Sweven:' dream. [3] 'Swonken:' toiled. ALLEGORICAL PICTURES. Thus robed in russet, I roamed about All a summer season, for to seek Dowell And freyned[1] full oft, of folk that I met If any wight wist where Dowell was at inn, And what man he might be, of many man I asked; Was never wight as I went, that me wysh[2] could Where this lad lenged,[3] lesse or more, Till it befell on a Friday, two friars I met Masters of the Minors,[4] men of greate wit. I halsed them hendely,[5] as I had learned, And prayed them for charity, ere they passed further, If they knew any court or country as they went Where that Dowell dwelleth, do me to wit,[6] For they be men on this mould, that most wide walk And know countries and courts, and many kinnes[7] places, Both princes' palaces, and poor menne's cotes, And Dowell, and Doevil, where they dwell both. 'Amongst us,' quoth the Minors, 'that man is dwelling And ever hath as I hope, and ever shall hereafter.' Contra, quod I, as a clerk, and cumsed to disputen, And said them soothly, _Septies in die cadit justus_, Seven sythes,[8] sayeth the book, sinneth the rightful, And whoso sinneth, I say, doth evil as methinketh, And Dowell and Doevil may not dwell together, Ergo he is not alway among you friars; He is other while elsewhere, to wyshen[9] the people. 'I shall say thee, my son,' said the friar then, 'How seven sithes the sadde[10] man on a day sinneth, By a forvisne'[11] quod the friar, 'I shall thee fair shew; Let bring a man in a boat, amid the broad water,