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

That seyn that they liveden                               50
  Hollich on the grete God,
  And holden al his hestes.
  But by a fraynyng for than
  Faileth ther manye.
  For first I frayned the freres,
  And they me fulle tolden,
  That al the fruyt of the fayth
  Was in her foure orders;
  {453}
  And the cofres of Christendom,
  And the keie bothen,                                      60
  And the lock of byleve,
  Lieth loken in her hondes,

    Then wennede I to wytten,
  And with a whight I mette,
  A Minoure in a morwe-tide;
  And to this man I saide,
  "Sire, for greate Godes love!
  The graith thou me tell,
  Of what myddel-erde man
  Myght I best lerne                                        70
  My Crede? For I can it nought,
  My kare is the more.
  And therfore, for Christes love!
  Thy counseyl I preie.
  A Carm me hath y-covenant,
  The nede me to teche;
  But for thou knowest Carmes wel,
  Thy counsail I aske."

    This Minour loked on me,
  And laughyng he sayde,                                    80
  "Leve christen man,
  I leve that thou [art] madde:
  Whough shulde thei techen the god,
  That con non hemselve?
  They ben but jugulers,
  And japers of kynde;
  Lorels and lechures,
  And lemans holden,
  Neyther in order ne out,
  But unneth lybbeth,                                       90
  And by-japeth the folk
  With gestes of Rome.
  {454}
  It is but a faynt folke,
  Y-founded upon japes.
  They maketh hem Maries men,
  And so thei men tellen;
  And leieth on oure Lady
  Many a long tale.
  And that wicked folk
  Wymmen betraieth,                                        100
  And begileth hem her good
  With glaverynge wordes,
  And therwith holden her hous
  In harlotes warkes.
  And, so save me God!
  I hold it greate synne
  To gyven hem any good,
  Swiche glotones to fynde,
  To mayntaynen swiche maner men
  That michel good destruieth.                             110
  Yet seyn they in her sutiltie
  To sottes in townes,
  Thei comen out of Carmeli
  Christ for to folwen,
  And feyneth hem with holynesse,
  That yvele hem bisemeth.
  Thei lyven more in lecherie,
  And lyeth in her tales,
  Than suen any good liif;
  But lurken in her selles,                                120
  And wynnen werdliche good,
  And wasten it in synne.
  And ghif thei couthen her Crede,
  Other on Christ leveden,
  Thei weren nought so hardy
  Swyche harlotri usen.
  {455}
  Sikerli I can nought fynden
  Who hem first founded;
  But the foles foundeden hemselfe
  Freres of the Pye,                                       130
  And maken hem mendynans,
  And marre the puple.
  But what glut of tho gomes
  May any good kachen,
  He wyl kepen it hemself,
  And cofrene it faste;
  And thoigh his felawes fayle good,
  For hym he may sterven.
  Her monei mai byquest,
  And testament maken,                                     140
  And none obedience bere,
  But don as hym luste.
  And ryght as Robartes men
  Raken aboute

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

Opening the text

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

General

The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 2

Langland, William

Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Poetry

That seyn that they liveden                               50
  Hollich on the grete God,
  And holden al his hestes.
  But by a fraynyng for than
  Faileth ther manye.
  For first I frayned the freres,
  And they me fulle tolden,
  That al the fruyt of the fayth
  Was in her foure orders;
  {453}
  And the cofres of Christendom,
  And the keie bothen,                                      60
  And the lock of byleve,
  Lieth loken in her hondes,

    Then wennede I to wytten,
  And with a whight I mette,
  A Minoure in a morwe-tide;
  And to this man I saide,
  "Sire, for greate Godes love!
  The graith thou me tell,
  Of what myddel-erde man
  Myght I best lerne                                        70
  My Crede? For I can it nought,
  My kare is the more.
  And therfore, for Christes love!
  Thy counseyl I preie.
  A Carm me hath y-covenant,
  The nede me to teche;
  But for thou knowest Carmes wel,
  Thy counsail I aske."

    This Minour loked on me,
  And laughyng he sayde,                                    80
  "Leve christen man,
  I leve that thou [art] madde:
  Whough shulde thei techen the god,
  That con non hemselve?
  They ben but jugulers,
  And japers of kynde;
  Lorels and lechures,
  And lemans holden,
  Neyther in order ne out,
  But unneth lybbeth,                                       90
  And by-japeth the folk
  With gestes of Rome.
  {454}
  It is but a faynt folke,
  Y-founded upon japes.
  They maketh hem Maries men,
  And so thei men tellen;
  And leieth on oure Lady
  Many a long tale.
  And that wicked folk
  Wymmen betraieth,                                        100
  And begileth hem her good
  With glaverynge wordes,
  And therwith holden her hous
  In harlotes warkes.
  And, so save me God!
  I hold it greate synne
  To gyven hem any good,
  Swiche glotones to fynde,
  To mayntaynen swiche maner men
  That michel good destruieth.                             110
  Yet seyn they in her sutiltie
  To sottes in townes,
  Thei comen out of Carmeli
  Christ for to folwen,
  And feyneth hem with holynesse,
  That yvele hem bisemeth.
  Thei lyven more in lecherie,
  And lyeth in her tales,
  Than suen any good liif;
  But lurken in her selles,                                120
  And wynnen werdliche good,
  And wasten it in synne.
  And ghif thei couthen her Crede,
  Other on Christ leveden,
  Thei weren nought so hardy
  Swyche harlotri usen.
  {455}
  Sikerli I can nought fynden
  Who hem first founded;
  But the foles foundeden hemselfe
  Freres of the Pye,                                       130
  And maken hem mendynans,
  And marre the puple.
  But what glut of tho gomes
  May any good kachen,
  He wyl kepen it hemself,
  And cofrene it faste;
  And thoigh his felawes fayle good,
  For hym he may sterven.
  Her monei mai byquest,
  And testament maken,                                     140
  And none obedience bere,
  But don as hym luste.
  And ryght as Robartes men
  Raken aboute

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

The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 2

The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 2

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