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Home  »  The English Poets  »  Extracts from The Vision of Piers the Plowman

Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne

William Langland (1332?–1400?)

Extracts from The Vision of Piers the Plowman

PASSUS XXI. (Latest Version.)

WO-WEARY and wetshod · went I forth after,

As a reckless renk · that recketh not of sorrow,

And yede forth like a lorel · all my life-time,

Till I wex weary of this world · and wilned eft to sleep,

And leaned me till Lent · and long time I slept.

Of girls and of gloria laus · greatly I dreamed,

And how hosanna by organ · old folk sung.

One, was semblable to the Samaritan · and some-deal to Piers Plowman,

Barefoot on an ass-back · bootless came pricking,

Without spurs or spear · and sprackly he looked,

As is the kind of a knight · that cometh to be dubbed,

To get his gold spurs · and galoches y-couped.

Then was Faith in a fenestre · and cried, ‘Ah! fili David!’

As doth an herald of arms · when auntres come to jousts.

Old Jews of Jerusalem · for joy they sung,

Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini.

Then I frayned at Faith · what all that fare meant,

And who should joust in Jerusalem · ‘Jesus,’ he said,

‘And fetch that the fiend claimeth · Piers fruit the Plowman.’

‘Is Piers in this place?’ quoth I · and he preynte upon me,

‘Liberum Dei arbitrium,’ quoth he · ‘for love hath undertaken

That this Jesus, of his gentrise · shall joust in Piers’ arms,

In his helm and in his habergeon · humanâ naturâ.

That Christ be not known · for consummatus Deus,

In Piers’ plates the Plowman · this pricker shall ride;

For no dint shall him dere · as in Deitate patris.’

‘Who shall joust with Jesus?’ quoth I · ‘Jews, or the scribes?’

‘Nay,’ quoth Faith, ‘but the fiend · and false-doom-to-die.

Death saith he will for-do · and adown bring

All that liveth or looketh · on land and in water.

Life saith that he lieth · and hath laid his life to wed,

That, for all that Death can do · within three days,

To walk, and fetch from the fiend · Piers fruit the Plowman,

And lay it where him liketh · and Lucifer bind,

And for-beat and bring adown · bale and death for ever!

O mors, ero mors tua!

Then came Pilate with much people · sedens pro tribunali,

To see how doughtily Death should do · and deem their beyer right.

The Jews and the justices · against Jesus they were,

And all the court cried · crucifige! loud.

Then put him forth a pilour · before Pilate, and said,

‘This Jesus of our Jews’ temple · japed and despised,

To for-do it on a day · and in three days after

Edify it eft new · here He stands that said it,

And yet make it as much · in all manner [of] points

Both as long and as large · aloft and aground,

And as wide as it ever was · this we witness all!’

‘Crucifige!’ quoth a catch-poll · he can of witchcraft.

‘Tolle! tolle!’ quoth another · and took of keen thorns,

And began of a green thorn · a garland to make,

And set it sore on His head · and sith said in envy,

‘Ave! Rabbi!’ quoth that ribald · and reeds shot at His eyes:

And nailed Him with three nails · naked on the rood,

And, with a pole, poison · [they] put to his lips,

And bade Him drink, His death to let · and His days lengthen;

And said, ‘if He soothfast be · He will Himself help;

And now, if Thou be Christ · God’s son of heaven,

Come adown off this rood · and then will we ’lieve

That life Thee loveth · and will not let Thee die.’

‘Consummatum est!’ quoth Christ · and comsed for to swoon

Piteously and pale · as prisoner that dieth.

The Lord of life and of light · then laid His eyes together,

The day for dread thereof withdrew · and dark became the sun,

The wall of the temple to-clave · even in two pieces;

The hard rock all to-rove · and right dark night it seemed.

The earth quook and quashed · as [if] it quick were,

And dead men for that din · came out of deep graves,

And told why that tempest · so long time dured;

‘For a bitter battle’ · the dead body said;

‘Life and Death in this darkness · the one for-doth the other,

But shall no wight wit witterly · who shall have the mastery

Ere Sunday, about sun-rising’ · and sank with that to earth.

*****

Lo! how the sun gan lock · her light in her-self,

When she saw Him suffer death · who sun and sea made!

Lo! the earth, for heaviness · that He would death suffer,

Quaked as [a] quick thing · and al to-quashed the rocks!

Lo! hell might not hold · but opened, when God tholed,

And let out Simon’s sons · to see Him hang on rood.

Now shall Lucifer ’lieve it · though him loath think;

For Jesus, as a giant · with a gin cometh yond,

To break and to beat adown · all that be against Him,

And to have out all · of them that Him liketh.

‘Suffer we,’ said Truth · ‘I hear and see both

A Spirit speak to hell · and bids unspar the gates;

Attollite portas, principes, vestras; &c.’

A voice loud in that light · to Lucifer cried,

‘Princes of this palace · prest undo the gates,

For here cometh with crown · the king of all glory.’

Then sighed Satan · and said to hell,

‘Such a light, against our leave · Lazarus it fetched;

Cold care and cumbrance · is come to us all.

If this king come in · mankind will he fetch,

And lead it where Lazar is · and lightly me bind.

Patriarchs and prophets · have parled hereof long,

That such a lord and a light · shall lead them all hence.

But rise up, Ragamuffin! · and reach me the bars

That Belial thy bel-sire · beat, with thy dam,

And I shall let this lord · and His light stop.

Ere we through brightness be blent · bar we the gates!

Check we, and chain we · and each chine stop,

That no light leap in · at louvre nor at loop.

And thou, Ashtaroth, hoot out · and have out our knaves,

Colting, and all his kin · our cattle to save.

Brimstone boiling · burning out-cast it

All hot on their heads · that enter nigh the walls.

Set bows of brake · and brazen guns,

And shoot out shot enough · His sheltrums to blend.

Set Mahound at the mangonel · and mill-stones throw,

With crooks and with calthrops · a-cloy we them each one!’

‘Listen!’ quoth Lucifer · ‘for I this lord know,

Both this lord and this light · is long ago I knew him.

May no death this Lord dere · nor devil’s queintise;

And, where He will, is His way · but warn Him of the perils.

If He reave me of my right · He robbeth me by mastery.

For, by right and by reason · the renks that be here

Body and soul be mine · both good and ill.

For He Himself it said · that Sire is of hell,

That Adam and Eve · and all their issue

Should die with dool · and here dwell ever,

If that they touched a tree · or took thereof an apple.

Thus this lord of light · such a law made;

And, since He is so leal a Lord · I ’lieve that He will not

Reave us of our right · since reason them damnèd.

And, since we have been seised · seven thousand winters,

And [He] never was there-against · and now will begin,

He were unwrast of His word · that witness is of truth!’

‘That is sooth,’ said Satan · ‘but I me sore doubt,

For thou got them with guile · and His garden broke,

Against His love and His leave · on His land yedest,

Not in form of a fiend · but in form of an adder;

And enticedest Eve · to eat by herself,

And behightest her and him · after to know,

As two gods, with God · both good and ill;

Thus with treason and with treachery · thou troiledest them both,

And diddest them break their buxomness · through false byhest;

Thus haddest thou them out · and hither at the last.

It is not graithly gotten · where guile is at the root.

Forthy I dread me,’ quoth the devil · ‘lest Truth will them fetch;

And, as thou beguiledest God’s image · in going of an adder,

So hath God beguiled us all · in going of a wy.’

*****

‘What lord art Thou?’ quoth Lucifer · a voice aloud said,

‘The lord of might and of main · that made all things.

Duke of this dim place · anon undo the gates,

That Christ may come in · the king’s son of heaven.’

And with that breath hell brake · with all Belial’s bars;

For any wy or ward · wide opened the gates.

Patriarchs and prophets · populus in tenebris

Sang with saint John · ecce agnus Dei!

Lucifer might not look · so light him ablent;

And those that our Lord loved · with that light forth flew.

*****

Ashtoreth and all others · hid them in hernes,

They durst not look on our Lord · the least of them all,

But let Him lead forth which Him list · and leave which Him liked.

Many hundreds of angels · harped then and sang,

Culpat caro, purgat caro, Regnat Deus Dei caro.

Then piped Peace · of poetry a note,

Clarior est solito post maxima nebula Phebus,

Post inimicitias clarior est et amor.

‘After sharpest showers,’ quoth Peace · ‘most sheen is the sun,

Is no weather warmer · than after watery clouds,

Nor love liefer · nor liefer friends,

Than after war and wrack · when Love and Peace be masters.

Was never war in this world · nor wickeder envy,

But Love, if him list · to laughing it brought,

And Peace, through patience · all perils stopped.’

*****

Truth trumped them, and sang · Te Deum laudamus;

And then luted Love · in a loud note,

Ecce quam bonum et quam iocundum est habitare fratres in unum!

Till the day dawned · these damsels danced,

That men rung to the resurrection · and with that I awaked,

And called Kitte my wife · and Calote my daughter,

‘Arise! and go reverence · God’s resurrection,

And creep on knees to the cross · and kiss it for a jewel,

And rightfullest relic · none richer on earth!

For God’s blessed body · it bare, for our boot,

And it a-feareth the fiend; · for such is the might,

May no grisly ghost · glide where it shadoweth.