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

Witeth and witnesseth,
  That wonieth upon this erthe,
  That Mede is y-maried
  Moore for hire goodes
  Than for any vertue or fairnesse,
  Or any free kynde.
  Falsnesse is fayn of hire,
  For he woot hire riche;
  And Favel with his fikel speche
  {33}
  Feffeth by this chartre,                                1040
  To be princes in pride
  And poverte to despise,
  To bakbite and to bosten,
  And bere fals witnesse,
  To scorne and to scolde,
  And sclaundre to make,
  Unbuxome and bolde
  To breke the ten hestes.

    And the erldom of Envye
  And Wrathe togideres,                                   1050
  With the chastilet of Cheste,
  And Chaterynge out of reson.

    The countee of Coveitise,
  And alle the costes aboute,
  That is Usure and Avarice,
  Al I hem graunte,
  In bargaynes and in brocages,
  With al the burghe of Thefte,

    And al the lordshipe of Leccherie
  In lengthe and in brede,                                1060
  As in werkes and in wordes,
  And in waitynges with eighes,
  And in wedes and in wisshynges,
  And with ydel thoughtes,
  There as wil wolde
  And werkmanshipe fayleth.

    Glotonye he gaf hem ek,
  And grete othes togidere,
  And al day to drynken
  At diverse tavernes,                                    1070
  And there to jangle and jape,
  And jugge hir even cristen;
  And in fastynge dayes to frete
  {34}
  Er ful tyme were,
  And thanne to sitten and soupen
  Til sleep hem assaille;
  And breden as burghe swyn,
  And bedden hem esily,
  Til sleuthe and sleep
  Sliken hise sydes,                                      1080
  And thanne wanhope to awaken hem so
  With no wil to amende,
  For he leveth be lost,
  This is hir laste ende.

    And thei to have and to holde,
  And hire heires after,
  A dwellynge with the devel,
  And dampned be for evere,
  With alle the appurtinaunces of purgatorie                 =
  Into the pyne of helle.                                 1091

    Yeldynge for this thyng,
  At one dayes tyme,
  Hire soules to Sathan,
  To suffre with hym peynes,
  And with hym to wonye with wo
  While God is in hevene.

    In witnesse of which thyng,
  Wrong was the firste,
  And Piers the pardoner                                  1100
  Of Paulynes doctrine,
  Bette the bedel
  Of Bokyngham shire,
  Reynald the reve
  Of Rutland sokene,
  Maude the millere,
  And many mo othere.
  {35}

    In the date of the devel
  This dede I ensele,
  By sighte of Sire Symonie                               1110
  And Cyvyles leeve.

    Thanne tened hym Theologie,
  Whan he this tale herde;
  And seide unto Cyvyle,
  "Now sorwe mote thow have,
  Swiche weddynges to werche,
  To wrathe with truthe;
  And er this weddynge be wroght,
  Wo thee bitide!

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

The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 1

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