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Piers Plowman
PIERS PLOWMAN
William Langland
William Langland
◦Born around 1332 and died
circa 1386.
◦ Believed to be born in West
Midlands of England.
◦a Middle English allegorical poem
from the late fourteenth century.
◦Three distinct versions exist from
the lifetime of the author: the
shortest and earliest A Text (1360),
the much longer B Text (1370), and
the final, probably incomplete
revision called the C Text (1380).
Piers Plowman
◦The poem takes the form of series
of dream visions.
◦Divided in passus (Latin for steps).
◦ Has 8 visions and 20 passus.
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Summary
Vision 1
“As on a May morning on Malvern Hills But
Me befell a ferly, of Fairy me thought. wonder
I was weary of wandering and went me to rest
Under a broad bank by a bourne side. river
And as I lay and leaned and looked on the waters,
I slumbered into a sleeping, it sweyed so merry”
-From Vision 1 lines 5-10
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Passus 1
“Holy Church I am,” quoth she, “thou oughtest me to know.
I underfeng thee first and the faith taught. received
Thou broughtest me borghs my bidding to fulfil, pledges
And to love me leally the while thy life endureth.”
-From Passus 1 lines 75-78
“Love is leech of life and next (to) Our Lord’s self, healer
And also the graith gate that goeth into heaven. direct
Forth I say, as I said ere, by sight of these texts: before
When all treasures be tried, Truth is the best.
“Now have I told thee what truth is —that no treasure is
better—
I may no longer linger thee with; now look thee Our Lord!”
-From Passus 1 lines 204-209
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Passus 2
“And now worth this Meed y-married to a mansed shrew,
To one False Fickle-tongue, a fiend’s beget
-From Passus 2 lines 40-41
That Meed is y-married more for her goods
Than for any virtue or fairness or any free kind. nobility
Falseness is fain of her for he wot her rich;
-From Passus 2 lines 76-77
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Passus 3
“Mourn not, Meed, nor make thou no sorrow,
For we will wiss the King, and thy way shape guide
To be wedded at thy will and where thy lief liketh
For all Conscience’s cast or craft, as I trow.”
-From Passus 3 lines 16-19
Quoth Conscience to the King, “Christ it me forbid!
Ere I wed such a wife, woe me betide! Before
For she is frail of her faith and fickle of her speech,
And maketh men mis-do many score times. do ill
In trust of their treasure she teeneth full many:
-From Passus 3 lines 120-124
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Passus 4
And then Reason rode fast the right high gate,
As Conscience him kenned, till they came to the King
-From Passus 4 lines 42-43
The King called Conscience, and afterward Reason,
And recorded that Reason had rightfully shewed;
And moodily upon Meed with might the King looked,
And gan wax wroth with Law, for Meed almost had shent it,
-From Passus 4 lines 171-174
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Vision 2, Passus 5
And then saw I much more than I before told:
For I saw the field full of folk that I before of said,
And how Reason gan array him all the realm to preach,
And with a cross afore the King comsed thus to teach.
-From Passus 5 lines 9-13
“Yes!” quoth Piers the Plowman, and poked them all to good,
“Mercy is a maiden there, hath might over them all;
And she is sib to all sinful, and her son also,
And through the help of them two —hope thou none
other—
Thou might get grace there — so thou go betimes.”
-From Passus 5 lines 634-637
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Passus 6
At high prime Piers let the plough stand,
To oversee them himself; whoso best wrought,
He should be hired thereafter, when harvest time come.
And then sat some and sang at ale,
And helped erie this half acre with “How trolly lolly!”
-From Passus 6 lines 112-116
Passus 7
Truth heard tell hereof, and to Piers sent
To take his team and till the earth,
And purchased him a pardon a poena et a culpa
-From Passus 7 lines 1-3
*A plenary indulgence,.
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Vision 3, Passus 8
Thus y-robed in russet I roamed about
All a summer season for to seek Do-well,
-From Passus 8 lines 1-2
Passus 9
“Do-well, my friend, is to do as law teacheth.
To love thy friend and thy foe — lieve me, that is Do-better.
To give and to yemen both young and old, care for
To heal and to help, is Do-best of all.
-From Passus 9 lines 200-203
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Passus 10
hen had Wit a wife, was hote Dame Study,
That lean was of leer and of lich both.
She was wonderly wrath that Wit me thus taught,
And all staring Dame Study sternly said.
-From Passus 10 lines 1-4
Passus 11
Then Scripture scorned me and a skill told,
And lacked me in Latin and light by me she set,
And said, “Multi multa sciunt et se ipsos nesciunt.”
-From Passus 11 lines 1-3
*Many know much, but do not know themselves.
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Passus 12
I am Imaginative,” quoth he, “idle was I never,
Though I sit by myself, in sickness nor in health.
I have followed thee, in faith, these five and forty winter
And many times have moved thee to think on thine end,
-From Passus 12 lines 1-4
Vision 4, Passus 13
“Welcome, wight, go and wash; thou shalt sit soon.”
This master was made (to) sit as for the most worthy,
And then Clergy, and Conscience, and Patience came after.
-From Passus 13 lines 32-34
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Passus 14 Passus 16
“And I shall ken thee,” quoth Conscience, “of Contrition to That Piers the Plowman all the place me shewed,
make And bade me tote on the tree, on top and on root.
That shall claw thy coat of all kinds filth — With three piles was it under-pight — I perceived it soon.
-From Passus 14 lines 16-17 -From Passus 16 lines 22-24

Vision 5, Passus 15 Passus 17

What are ye called?” quoth I, “in that court among Christ’s
people?”
“The while I quicken the corpse,” quoth he, “called am I
Anima;
-From Passus 15 lines 22-23
I am Spes, a spy,” quoth he, “and speer after a knight
That took me a mandment upon the mount of Sinai To rule
all realms therewith — I bear the writ here.”
-From Passus 17 lines 1-4

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Vision 6, Passus 18 Vision 8, Passus 20

“Is Piers in this place?” quoth I, and he preynte on me. “This
Jesus of his gentrice will joust in Piers’ arms,
In his helm and in his hauberk — humana natura.
-From Passus 18 lines 21-23
*human nature
Then as I went by the way, when I was thus awaked,
Heavy cheered I yede, and elenge in heart; went;
For I ne wist where to eat, nor at what place,
And it nighed nigh the noon, and with Need I met.
-From Passus 20 lines 1-4

Vision 7, Passus 19
Thus I awaked and wrote what I had y-dreamed,
And dight me dearly, and did me to church,
To hear wholly the mass and to be housled after.
In midst of the mass, when men went to offering
-From Passus 19 lines 1-4