The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 1

Name: The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 1
Author: Langland, William

Langland, William

Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Poetry

"For-thi is love ledere
  Of the Lordes folk of hevene,
  And a meene, as the mair is
  Bitwene the kyng and the commune;
  Right so is love a ledere,
  And the law shapeth,                                     780
  Upon man for hise mysdedes
  The mercyment he taxeth.
  And for to knowen it kyndely
  It comseth by myght,
  And in the herte there is the heed
  And the heighe welle;
  For in kynde knowynge in herte,
  Ther a myght bigynneth;
  And that falleth to the fader
  {25}
  That formed us alle,                                     790
  Loked on us with love,
  And leet his sone dye
  Mekely for oure mysdedes,
  To amenden us alle.
  And yet wolde he hem no wo
  That wroughte hym that peyne,
  But mekely with mouthe
  Mercy bisoughte,
  To have pité of that peple
  That peyned hym to dethe.                                800

    "There myghtow sen ensample
  In hymself oone,
  That he was myghtful and meke,
  And mercy gan graunte
  To hem that hengen hym on heigh
  And his herte thirled.

    "For-thi I rede yow, riche,
  Haveth ruthe of the povere;
  Though ye be myghtful to mote,
  Beeth meke in youre werkes,                              810
  For the same mesures that ye mete,
  Amys outher ellis,
  Ye shulle ben weyen therwith
  Whan ye wenden hennes.
  _Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis._      =

    "For though ye be trewe of youre tonge
  And treweliche wynne,
  And as chaste as a child
  That in chirche wepeth,                                  820
  But if ye loven leelly
  And lene the povere,
  Swich good as God yow sent
  {26}
  Goodliche parteth,
  Ye ne have namoore merite
  In masse nor in houres,
  Than Malkyn of hire maydenhede
  That no man desireth.

    "For James the gentile
  Jugged in hise bokes,                                    830
  That feith withouten the feet
  Is right no thyng worthi,
  And as deed as a dore-tree,
  But if the dedes folwe.
  _Fides sine operibus mortua est, etc._

    "For-thi chastité withouten charité
  Worth cheyned in helle;
  It is as lewed as a lampe
  That no light is inne.
  Manye chapeleyns arn chaste,                             840
  Ac charité is aweye;
  Are no men avarouser than hii
  Whan thei ben avaunced,
  Unkynde to hire kyn,
  And to alle cristene
  Chewen hire charité,
  And chiden after moore;
  Swiche chastité withouten charité
  Worth cheyned in helle.

    "Manye curatours kepen hem                             850
  Clene of hire bodies;
  Thei ben acombred with coveitise,
  Thei konne noght doon it from hem,
  So harde hath avarice
  Y-hasped hem togideres;
  And that is no truthe of the Trinité,
  But tricherie of helle,
  {27}
  And lernynge to lewed men
  The latter for to deele.
  For-thi thise wordes                                     860
  Ben writen in the gospel,
  _Date, et dabitur vobis_,
  For I deele yow alle,
  And that is the lok of love,
  And leteth out my grace,
  To conforten the carefulle
  A-combred with synne.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 1

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