The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 2

Name: The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 2
Author: Langland, William

Langland, William

Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Poetry

Two theves also
  Tholed deeth that tyme,
  Upon a croos besides Crist,
  So was the comune lawe.
  A cachepol cam forth                                   12220
  And craked bothe hire legges,
  And the armes after
  Of either of tho theves.
  Ac was no body so boold
  Goddes body to touche;
  For he was knyght and kynges sone,
  {374}
  Kynde for-yaf that tyme,
  That noon harlot were so hardy
  To leyen hond upon hym.

    Ac ther cam forth a knyght,                          12230
  With a kene spere y-grounde,
  Highte Longeus, as the lettre telleth,
  And longe hadde lore his sighte.
  Bifore Pilat and oother peple
  In the place he hoved;
  Maugree his manye teeth,
  He was maad that tyme
  To take the spere in his hond,
  And justen with Jhesus.
  For alle thei were unhardy,                            12240
  That hoved on horse or stode,
  To touchen hym or to tasten hym,
  Or taken doun of roode.
  But this blynde bacheler
  Baar hym thorugh the herte;
  The blood sprong doun by the spere,
  And unspered the knyghtes eighen.

    Thanne fil the knyght upon knees,
  And cryde hym mercy;
  "Ayein my wille it was, Lord,                          12250
  To wownde yow so soore."
  He sighed and seide,
  "Soore it me a-thynketh,
  For the dede that I have doon
  I do me in youre grace.
  Have on me ruthe! rightful Jhesu!"
  And right with that he wepte.

    Thanne gan Feith felly
  The false Jewes despise,
  {375}
  Callede hem caytyves                                   12260
  Acorsed for evere;
  "For this foule vileynye
  Vengeaunce to yow falle!
  To do the blynde bete hym y-bounde,
  It was a boyes counseille.
  Cursede caytif!
  Knyghthood was it nevere
  To mys-do a deed body
  By daye or by nyghte.
  The gree yit hath he geten,                            12270
  For al his grete wounde.

    "For youre champion chivaler,
  Chief knyght of yow alle,
  Yilt hym recreaunt rennyng
  Right at Jhesus wille.
  For be this derknesse y-do,
  His deeth worth avenged;
  And ye, lurdaynes, han y-lost,
  For lif shal have the maistrye;
  And youre fraunchise, that fre was,                    12280
  Fallen is in thraldom,
  And ye, cherles, and youre children
  Cheve shulle nevere
  To have lordshipe in londe,
  Ne no lond tilye,
  But al barayne be,
  And usurie usen,
  Which is lif that oure Lord
  In alle lawes acurseth.
  Now youre goode dayes arn doon,                        12290
  As Daniel prophecied,
  Whan Crist cam, of hir kyngdom
  The crowne sholde cesse."
  {376}
  _Cum veniat sanctus sanctorum, cessabit
      unctio vestra._

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

The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 2

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