Piers Plowman1

from Passus 5, The Confession of the Sins

[Reason preaches a sermon to the king and all the realm, urging the whole community to reform. The seven deadly sins come forward to confess, with the narrator, “Will” in the throng.]

60 … Then Repentance went and publicized his theme, And made Will weep water with his eyes.

Pernel Proud-Heart prostrated herself to the ground And lay a while before she looked up and cried, “Mercy, Lord!” And vowed to Him who made us all 2 65 That she would untie her shift and set a hairshirt there To mortify her body that was so bold to sin. “No high heart will ever capture me; but I will hold myself low And let myself be scorned, as I never did before. This time I’ll abase myself and beg for mercy 70 For all that I have despised in my heart.”

Then Lecher said, “Alas,” and implored Our Lady To obtain God’s mercy on his soul for all his misdeeds, So long as he, every Saturday, for the next seven years, Drink only with the duck,3 and eat just one meal a day.

75 Envy, with heavy heart, endeavored to do penance And sorrowfully, “through my fault,” he began to curse.4 He was as pale as mucous;5 he seemed almost stricken, And dressed in some crazy get-up—I can’t describe it: In a short tunic and jacket, and a knife by his side; 80 The top part of his sleeves came from a friar’s gown. And like a leek that had been lying for a long time in the sun,

1 Piers Plowman Translated by Emily Steiner for The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. 2 untie her shift … there In imitation of the early Christian ascetics, medieval penitents would mortify their flesh and demonstrate their contempt for earthly vanity by setting a garment of rough goat hair next to their skin. 3 Drink only with the duck I.e., drink only water. 4 Envy … to curse For medieval Christians, the sacrament of penance constituted a sacred mystery and, through the instrument of the priest, conferred divine grace upon the penitent. If the penitent is properly “shriven,” that is, if he or she offers a sincere and complete confession, demonstrates true contrition, acknowledging his or her culpability, and makes satisfaction for her sins (penance)—then he or she may be absolved by the priest and rejoin the community of the faithful. Envy, and Wrath after him, offer detailed confessions, but as personifications of the Sins, they have difficulty feeling contrite. 5 mucous The word “pellet” (in the original Middle English) might mean a stone, but it is possible that it refers here to a mucous membrane (pellicula), for example, of a chicken. 2 William Langland

So he looked with [his] lean cheeks, glowering meanly. His body was so swollen with wrath that he bit his lips And clenched his fist, intending to avenge himself 85 With words or with works when the time was right. Every word he spoke was from a snake’s tongue, His chief sustenance consisted of chiding and reproach, Backbiting and slander and bearing false witness: This was his conduct wherever he went.

90 “I would like to be shriven,” said this rogue, “I ought to for shame. I would be gladder, by God, if Gib had bad luck Than if this week I had won a pound of Essex cheese. I have a neighbor nearby; I have often disturbed him, And lied about him to lords to make him lose his money, 95 And turned his friends into foes through my false tongue. His blessings and good fortune aggrieve me deeply. I stir up strife between one household and another, So that both life and limb is lost through my speech. And when in the market I meet him whom I most hate, 100 I greet him civilly, as if I were his friend, For he is stronger than I—I dare not do otherwise. But if I had the power and strength, God knows what I would do!

“And when I go to church and should kneel in front of the cross And pray for the people, as the priest enjoins us— 105 For pilgrims and for palmers, for all other people— Then I pray on my knees that Christ give them sorrow, Who carried off my bowl and my torn sheet. I then turn my eyes away from the altar And notice that Elaine1 has a new coat: 110 I wish then it were mine, and the whole cloth too! And I laugh at his losses—[they] gladden my heart— But when it comes to his winnings, I weep and wail. And I judge that some men do badly, although I do much worse: Whoever corrects me, I despise him forever. 115 I wish that every person could be my servant, Because [the fact that] anyone has more than me makes me very angry.

“And thus I live without love like a miserable dog, So that my whole body swells with the bitterness of my gall.2

1 Elaine Some manuscripts of the poem read “Harvey” rather than “Elaine”; hence the third-person masculine singular in the lines following. 2 whole body swells … gall Following the writings of the second-century Greek physician, Galen, medieval practitioners believed the body was governed by four fluids or humors corresponding to four organs: blood (liver or head), yellow bile (gall bladder), black bile (spleen), and phlegm (lungs). Certain conditions and diseases were Piers Plowman, Passus 5 3

I haven’t been able to eat, for many years, as a man ought to do, 120 Because envy and bad feeling are hard to digest. No sugar or sweet thing can assuage my swelling, Nor can any sweetened lozenge drive it from my heart, Neither penance nor shame, lest someone scrape my stomach.”

“Yes, come on!” said Repentance and advised him to do what’s right: 125 “Sorrow for sins is the salvation of souls.”

“I am always ‘sorry,’” said Envy, “I am seldom anything else, And that’s what makes me so thin, because I can’t avenge myself.1 I have been among burgesses, living in London, And hired Backbiter as an agent to find flaws in people’s goods. 130 When he sold [something] and I didn’t, then I was ready To lie, and condemn my neighbor, and criticize his trade. I will amend this if I can, through the power of God Almighty.”

Now Wrath wakes up, with two white eyes, And a dripping from the nose and a hanging neck. 135 “I am Wrath,” said he, “I was once a friar, And the convent’s gardener who grafts seedling plants. On limiters and lectors I grafted lies, Till they bore leaves of fawning speech, in order to please lords.2 And from there they bloomed in bedrooms to hear confession 140 And now a fruit has fallen: folks greatly prefer To make confession to them than to their parish priests. And now that priests realize the friars are taking half, These priests preach and vilify the friars; And friars criticize [priests], as people bear witness, 145 So that when they preach to the people in many different places, I, Wrath, walk with them, and teach them from my books. Thus they speak about “spirituality,” who each despise the other, Until either they both become beggars and on “spirituality” live,

thought to stem from an imbalance of the humors; personal characteristics, too, were thought to correspond to the disproportion of humors within an individual. Thus, someone with too much gall (bile), like Envy, was necessarily bad-tempered or irritable. Here, Envy’s inability to “cure” his soul through penance is compared to his inability to cure his body of the imbalance of humors. 1 I am always … avenge myself Envy, capitalizing on the imprecision of the Middle English word “sorwe,” continually distorts the language of contrition by expressing sorrow entirely the wrong way. He wishes, grieves, and cries, but his regret is reserved not for his sins (contritio) but for the good fortune of others (tristitia). Sorrow is what defines Envy, not as a sinner but as a Sin. 2 On limiters … please lords Limiters were mendicant friars whose activities were restricted to one area of a monastery’s territory. Lectors were clerics in minor orders, whose job it was to read the sacred books in church. Wrath boasts that he grafts lies on to these people, referring to the horticultural practice of attaching a twig of one plant, selected for its fruit or flowers, to another plant selected for its root, in order to propagate certain characteristics of both. See Chaucer’s friar in The Canterbury Tales. 4 William Langland

Or else all become rich and ride about. I, Wrath, never rest 150 But follow these wicked folk, for such is my lot.

“I have an aunt who is both nun and abbess; She would rather swoon or die than suffer any pain. I have been a cook in her kitchen and served the convent For many months, both for them and for monks. 1 155 I was the stew-maker to the Prioress and other poor ladies, And made them stews of gossiping: that Dame Joan was a bastard, And Dame Clarice a knight’s daughter (but her father was a cuckold), And Dame Pernel a priest’s whore (she’ll never make Prioress, Because she had a child in cherry-time, the whole Chapter knows it!). 160 I, Wrath, made her vegetables out of wicked words, Until ‘You lie!’ and ‘You lie!’ leapt out at once, And each slapped the other across the cheek; If they had knives, by Christ, each of them would have killed the other. Saint Gregory was a good pope, and he had the foresight 165 To provide that no prioress ever become a priest: They would have been disgraced from day one, they keep secrets so badly.

“I sometimes appear among monks, but I usually try to shun them, For there are many clever men among them who might detect my crimes— Both the Prior, and Sub-Prior, and our Father Abbot.2 170 And if I tell any tales, they band together, And force me on Fridays to fast on bread and water, And further, I am charged in the Chapterhouse, as if I were a child, And beaten on the bare ass (and no pants in-between). Therefore I have no desire to live among these people, 175 Where I eat puny fish and drink weak ale. But sometimes when there is wine, and when I drink well in the evening, I have diarrhea of the mouth for at least five days: Any crime I know was committed by any of our brothers, I spew it out it in the cloister, so the whole convent knows it.”

180 “Now, repent!” said Repentance, “and never repeat A secret that you know, by observation or by speech; And don’t drink too indulgently or too deeply either, So that your will doesn’t consequently turn to wrath. Be sober!” he said, and absolved me afterwards,

1 poor ladies Referring to the thirteenth-century Franciscan conventual order for women, the Poor Clares, a title used ironically here to condemn the worldliness of Wrath’s nuns. 2 Both the Prior … Father Abbot The abbot/abbess was the head of a monastery/nunnery (“convent” refers to either), the Prior/Prioress was second-in-command and supervised the internal life of the convent, and the Sub- Prior/Prioress an officer who assisted the Prior/Prioress. Piers Plowman, Passus 5 5

1 185 And wished me the will to weep to amend my wickedness.

[Covetousness confesses, followed by Gluttony]

… Now Gluttony begins to go to confession And makes his way to church to confess his sin. But Betty the Brewer wished him good morning 300 And asked which way he was going. “To holy church,” he said, “in order to hear mass, And then I’ll be confessed and sin no more.” “I have good ale, fellow,” said she, “Glutton, want to try some?” “Have you,” he said, “any hot spices?” 2 305 “I have pepper and peony,” she said, “and a pound of garlic, A farthing’s worth of fennel seed3 for fasting days.”

So Glutton went in, and great oaths after him. Cesse the Shoemaker sat on the bench, Wat the Warren-keeper, and his wife as well, 310 Tim the Tinker and his two hired hands, Hick the Horse-hirer, and Hugh the Needle-seller, Clarice of Cock’s Lane and the clerk of the church, Sir Piers of Pridie and Pernel of Flanders, Daw the Ditch-digger, and a dozen others— 315 A fiddler, a rat-catcher, a forager of Cheapside, A rope-maker, a manservant, and Rose the Dish-seller, Godfrey of Garlickhithe and Griffin the Welshman, And a pack of used clothes-sellers, early in the morning,4 Cheerfully gave Glutton a gift of good ale.

320 Clement the Cobbler cast off his cloak, And put it up for sale at the “New Fair.”5 Hick the Horse-hirer then threw down his hood, And asked Bette the Butcher to be on his side. There were peddlers there chosen to appraise the deal: 325 Whoever had the hood would be compensated for the cloak. They rose up quickly and whispered together,

1 And wished me … wickedness The “me” here is probably the narrator, inspired to do penance by the confessions of the Sins. 2 peony Peonies were used medicinally for a range of illnesses, from warding off evil spirits to aiding childbirth. 3 fennel seed Used to curb the appetite and aid digestion. 4 So Glutton went … the morning This motley group of low-class tavern-goers is clearly located in London: Cock’s Lane may have been a red light district, Cheapside was the site of a large food market, and Garlickhithe was a wharf on the Thames where garlic may have one time been sold. 5 New Fair A drinking game in which two players exchanged objects of comparable worth. Whoever was given the object judged to be of less worth received compensation from the other player (in this case, a refill on his drink). 6 William Langland

And appraised the merchandise in a corner by themselves. There was a heap of oaths, because one was bound to lose. They couldn’t conscientiously come to a decision, 330 So they asked Robin the Rope-maker to get up, And appointed an umpire, so there would be no dispute. Hick the Ostler1 got the cloak, And in exchange, Clement should fill up his cup, And have Hick the Ostler’s hood, and be satisfied with that. 335 And whoever objected to the deal had to get up the quickest And greet Sir Glutton with a gallon of ale.

There was laughing and grumbling and “let’s pour another round!” Deals and drinking popped up everywhere, And they sat this way ’til evensong2 and sang from time to time, 340 Until Glutton had chugged a gallon and a quarter of a pint. His guts began to grunt like two greedy sows; He pissed a half-gallon in the time it takes to say “Our Father,” And blew his round trumpet at his backbone’s end, And all who heard that horn held their nose afterwards 3 345 And wished it had been waxed with a bunch of ferse. He couldn’t stand or take a step without his staff, And then he started to walk like a minstrel’s dog, Sometimes sideways, and sometimes backwards, Like someone who lays traps to catch birds. 350 And when he drew close to the door, his vision blurred; He stumbled on the threshold and fell to the ground. Clement the Cobbler caught him by the middle To hoist him up, and rest him on his knees. But Glutton was a hefty guy and awful to lift, 355 And puked up a pudding into Clement’s lap. There is no hungry hound in Hertfordshire That would dare taste that leftover, it smelled so revolting! With all the woe of this world, his wife and his maid Carried him to his bed and tucked him in. 360 And after all this excess, he had an attack of sloth, So he slept Saturday and Sunday, until the sun went down.

Then he woke from his slumber and rubbed his eyes; The first word he spoke was, “Where is the bowl?” His wife and Wit scolded him for living so wickedly 365 And Repentance likewise rebuked him that time:

1 Hick the Ostler I.e., Hick the Horse-hirer. 2 evensong I.e., the liturgical hour of Vespers, around sunset or 6:00 p.m.. 3 ferse I.e., gorse, a prickly shrub used as fuel. Piers Plowman, Passus 5 7

“Just as you have done evil in your life, with words and works, Confess and be ashamed, and show it with your mouth.”

“I, Glutton,” said the man, “acknowledge myself guilty Of that which I have transgressed with my tongue—I can’t say how often— 370 Swore ‘God’s soul and his sides!’ and ‘So help me God and sacred relics,’ Where there was no need to do so, nine hundred times. And I overdid it at my supper and sometimes at nones,1 So that, I, Glutton, threw it up, before I had gone a mile, And spilt what should be saved and distributed to the hungry; 375 [I have] both eaten and drunk excessively on feasting days, And sometimes sat so long that I slept and ate at the same time! And for love of tavern tales, I would eat so I could drink more, And I bolted to the food, before noon, on days we’re supposed to fast.”

“This revealing confession,” said Repentance, “will be to your credit.” 380 And then Glutton began to cry, and show great sorrow For the hateful life that he had lived, And vowed firmly, “Neither for hunger nor for thirst Will ever fish on Friday dissolve in my stomach, Unless Abstinence, my aunt, has given me leave— 385 And yet I have hated her my whole entire life!”

[Sloth confesses and repents; Repentance prays to God to pardon all sinners.]

… And then Repentance had pity and instructed them to kneel “For I shall beseech our Savior for grace for all sinners, 480 To make up for our misdeeds and give mercy to all. Now God,” he said, “who, of Your goodness, set out to make the world, And of nothing made everything, and man most like Yourself, And then allowed him to sin, a sickness on us all— And all for the best, as I believe, whatever the Book says, ‘O happy guilt! O necessary sin of Adam!’2 485 Because of that sin Your son was sent to this earth And became man through a virgin to save mankind:

1 nones I.e., at the liturgical hour of Nones, around 3:00 PM. 2 For I shall … sin of Adam Repentance argues that God owes mercy to human sinners because of their shared humanity. First, he imagines a God who benevolently allows events to unfold, turning Adam’s original sin into a “happy guilt” and “necessary sin” through the Incarnation. But when divine imitation is stressed over divine omnipotence, the relationship between humanity and God starts to look quite different. According to this line of reasoning, God first made man in his own image during the Creation and then remade himself in man’s image during the Incarnation, thus stressing the reciprocity of the relationship between human and divine. Repentance takes this reasoning one crucial step further, arguing that this divine act of imitation created an indissoluble bond of kinship with humanity which exceeded the moment of the Redemption. Repentance then takes this argument to its logical extreme, namely that, in assuming humanity, God borrowed man’s flesh (“suit,” “armes”), and man is consequently entitled to some form of repayment. 8 William Langland

‘Let us make man in our image and in our likeness,’ and elsewhere, ‘Who remains in charity, remains in God, and God in him.’1 And then through your own son you died in our suit, On Good Friday, for man’s sake, at the height of the sun. 490 You and Your son felt no sorrow there in death, Rather, sorrow was in our species, and Your son led it away: ‘He lead captivity captive.’2

“The sun, in sorrow, lost its sight for a while, When there is the most light, ’round midday, and the mealtime of saints. You then fed with Your fresh blood our ancestors in darkness: ‘The people who walked in the shadows have seen a great light.’3 495 And the light that sprang out from You blinded Lucifer, And blew all your blessed folk from [Hell] to the bliss of Paradise! “The third day after you went forth in our suit, A sinful Mary saw you before your mother, Saint Mary, did, And you allowed this to happen to comfort all sinners: ‘I come not to call the just but the sinners to penance.’4

500 “And everything that Mark wrote, Matthew, Luke, and John About your brave deeds was done in our arms:5 ‘The word was made flesh and dwelled among us.’6 And so it seems that we should be even more empowered To ask and pray, if it be Your will, Who are our father and our brother, to be merciful to us, 505 And have pity on these rascals who feel so sorry That they ever angered You in this world, in word, thought or deed.” …

Passus 7

ruth heard the message and instructed Piers TTo take his team and till the earth, And procured a pardon from pain and guilt7

1 Let us make … in him See Genesis 1.26 and John 4.16. 2 He lead captivity captive See Ephesians 4.18. 3 The people … a great light See Isaiah 9.2. 4 I come not … to penance See Luke 5.32. 5 And your brave … our arms A pun that includes both the fleshly appendages of humanity and the weapons or insignia of a warrior. 6 The word … among us See John 1.14. 7 from pain and guilt Issued by an ecclesiastical or papal authority, medieval pardons or indulgences, typically offered remission for the punishment for sin that a medieval Christian would expect to suffer in Purgatory. Those who distributed pardon, professional pardoners, technically offered forgiveness from purgatorial punishment only to those people who had already been absolved by their priests (see the Confession of the Sins in Passus 5) in return Piers Plowman, Passus 7 9

For him and his heirs forever after, 5 And told him to stay home and plow his strips, And to all those who helped him plow, plant, or sow, Or any other kind of job that might aid Piers, Truth has granted pardon, along with Piers the Plowman.

Kings and knights who maintain Holy Church 10 And justly rule the people in their realms Have pardon to pass swiftly through Purgatory, To be fellows in Paradise with the patriarchs and prophets. Bishops will be blessed, if they’re what they ought to be: Experts in both laws, so they can inform the unlearned,1 15 And insofar as they are able to correct all sinful, They will be peers with the apostles—according to Piers’s pardon— And sit at the high dais2 on Judgment Day.

Merchants in the margin had many years off But the pope would grant them no pardon from pain and guilt, 20 Because they don’t observe their holy days, as Holy Church teaches, And because they swear “by their soul,” and “may God help them,” Against clean conscience, to sell their goods.3 But Truth sent them a letter under his secret seal Telling them to buy freely, just as it pleased them, 25 And then resell what they buy and keep the profits, And use them to fund hospitals and help the sick, And promptly to repair hazardous roads And to fix bridges that are broken down, And find dowries to marry maidens or make them nuns, 30 Provide food for poor folk and prisoners too,

for a charitable or strenuously penitential act, such as giving money to the restoration of a church, going on crusade, or making pilgrimage to Rome. It was a rare, and usually fraudulent, pardon that claimed to offer remission for guilt as well as sin, and Truth’s divine pardon clearly goes beyond the purview of human authority. 1 Bishops will be … the unlearned Practically speaking, a bishop, who presided over an ecclesiastical court and dealt with matters such as marriages and testaments, needed to be proficient in both civil and canon law. Theoretically, it was also incumbent upon any medieval Christian legislator to be able to interpret and instruct people in Christian law. 2 high dais I.e., the raised platform for a high table, or for seats of honor, a throne, or the like. 3 Merchants … sell their goods Merchants are excluded from Truth’s pardon, not precisely because they are socially marginal, in the modern sense, but because their situation requires further elaboration: a correction needs to be made or an exception noted. According to Truth’s letter, sent under his personal seal, the ostensible problem with merchants is that they swear and work on religious holidays in order to further their trade. The real problem is that their occupation dictates that they make a profit—that is, like lawyers and beggars (described below), they seem to receive compensation in excess of the services or goods they provide. 10 William Langland

Send students to school or to train as apprentices,1 And support religious orders and endow them better. And I personally shall send you my angel, Saint Michael, So no devil will harm or frighten you as you lay dying, 35 And to protect you from despair, if you do your part, And send your souls in safety to my saints in joy. Then the merchants were merry—many wept for joy. And praised Piers the Plowman, who purchased this bull.

Men of law had least pardon, those who pleaded for money, 2 40 For the Psalter doesn’t save those who take gifts, And especially gifts from simple folk, who are easily taken in: “Do not accept bribes against the innocent.”3 Lawyers should take pains to plead for these people; Princes and prelates should pay for their services: “Their payment shall come from kings and princes.”4 But many a justice and juror would do more for John 45 Than for Love of God—you can’t deny it! But he who donates his speech and speaks for the poor man, Who is simple and needy and has never hurt anyone, He who helps him out in this case, doesn’t covet his gifts, And for our Lord’s love applies the law on his behalf 50 No devil on his death day shall bother him a bit, Threaten his safety or his soul’s, as the Psalter bears witness, “Lord, who will dwell in your tabernacle?”5

But as for buying water, wind, reason, or fire, These four the Father of Heaven granted to all. These are Truth’s treasures to help true folk, 55 Who may neither prosper nor fail without God himself.

When [lawyers] are on their deathbed, and want indulgences, [God’s] pardon is minuscule at the hour of death, For those who, for their advocacy, take bribes from poor men [You] legal scholars and lawyers, Matthew knows if I lie:

1 But truth … as apprentices The instructions to merchants in these lines reveal the nature of civic charity in a religious society lacking a state-sponsored system of public welfare. The maintenance of roads and bridges depended upon the generosity of local patrons; prisoners, usually incarcerated in a central location, required their friends and families to provide food and other creature comforts; as in the case of secular women, and with the exception of only the poorest girls, needed dowries in order to join a convent; students at every level of education paid fees, with the support of family and patrons. 2 Psalter I.e., the Book of Psalms. 3 Do not … the innocent See Psalms 14.5. 4 Their payment … princes The source for this quotation may be a medieval commentary on Ecclesiastes 38.2. 5 Lord … your tabernacle See Psalms 14.1. Piers Plowman, Passus 7 11

“Whatever you would want others to do to you, you should do to them.”1

60 All living laborers, who live by their hands, Who truly gain and truly win, And live charitably and lawfully with humble heart, Shall have the same absolution that was sent to Piers.

Beggars and bidders are not in this bull, 2 65 Unless they can produce a good reason for begging, Because he who begs or bids, unless he has real need, He is in cahoots with the devil and cheats the needy. Furthermore, he tricks the unsuspecting giver, For, if the giver knew that he wasn’t needy, he would give to another 70 Who was needier than the first; in this way, the neediest would be helped. Cato teaches us the same, as does the Clerk of the Stories. “Look to whom you give” is Cato’s teaching; And in the Stories [the Clerk] teaches you to give your alms: “Let your money remains in your hands until you have figured out to whom you should give.” Yet Gregory was a good man, and he charged us to give to all 75 Who ask for the love of Him who gives to us all: “Do not choose to whom you will give mercy, for it may be that you’ll pass over someone who deserves to receive; for it is not certain for which (thing) you may please God more.” 3 You can’t tell who is worthy, but God knows who has need. The treachery lies within the taker, if any treason exists. For he who gives, pays, and prepares himself for rest, And he who begs, borrows, and brings himself into debt, 80 For beggars continually borrow; their pledge is God Almighty, To repay them who give to them, with interest on top: “He who gives renders payment and gets relief for himself.” Therefore, don’t beg, you beggars, unless you have great need! For he who has to buy bread—the Book bears witness— Has enough who has bread enough, even if he has nothing else: “He who doesn’t lack bread is sufficiently rich.”

1 Whatever you would … to them See Matthew 7.12. 2 Beggars and bidders … for begging In later medieval England, lawmakers and landowners become increasingly uncomfortable with unemployed poor people including beggars, idle laborers, and mendicants (members of religious orders who supported themselves through alms). In the wake of the 1349–50 plague and its subsequent outbreaks, employers experienced a labor crisis and agricultural laborers in particular were suddenly in a position to demand greater compensation from their employers. The statutes issued in this period respond to the labor crisis by attempting to force all healthy people to work and by criminalizing hardy beggars of the kind that the poet describes here. 3 Cato teaches us … may please God more The poet contrasts the practical advice of the classical poet, Cato, and the “Clerk of the Stories,” the medieval encyclopediast Peter Comestor (d. 1178)—both of whom advocate discriminatory charity—with the advice of Pope Gregory the Great (d. 604), who counseled Christians to give indiscriminately. 12 William Langland

1 85 Take comfort in the practice of reading saints’ lives. The Book bans begging and blames [beggars] in this manner: “I was young and now I am old: and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.”2

For they live without love, and follow no law, And wed no women with whom they mate, 90 But like wild beasts they mount with “woo hoo” and get it going, And bring forth children whom men call bastards. They break the back or a bone of the child, And they go and deceive people with their children for the rest of their lives. There is more deformity among these beggars 95 Than among everyone else in the world combined. Those who live life this way will rue the hour That ever he was born, when he departs this life. But old and hoary men, who are totally infirm, And pregnant women, who are unable to work, 100 The blind and bedridden, with broken appendages, Those who accept their misfortune meekly, like lepers and others, Have as much pardon as the Plowman himself. For love of their low hearts, our Lord has granted them Their penance and Purgatory here on this earth.

105 “Piers,” said a priest then, “I must read your pardon, Because I will interpret each clause and explain it to you in English.”

Piers, at his request, unfolded the pardon, And I behind them both could see the whole bull. It was composed of two lines and not a letter more, 110 And it was written as follows, in witness of Truth: “Those who have done well shall go into eternal life; Those (who have done) evil (shall go) into eternal fire.”

“Peter!” said the priest then, “I can find no pardon Except, ‘Do well and have well, and God shall have your soul,’ And ‘Do evil and have evil, and hope for nothing else Than that the devil shall have your soul after your death.’”3

1 You can’t tell … saint’s lives The question explored in these lines is the following: when a giver gives alms to a beggar who doesn’t need alms, which of the two is culpable? According to one school of thought, the fault lies with the giver, who has denied alms to the truly needy. According to another, the giver always fulfills their duty by giving; the fault lies only with the receiver. 2 I was young … seeking bread See Psalms 36.25. 3 I can find … your death Ironically, the priest believes he is handling a typical ecclesiastical indulgence, when, in fact, he reading a divine pardon, which records a larger spiritual contract between God and humanity. The Atonement—the sacrifice of Christ on the cross on behalf of a sinful humanity—made it possible for human beings to earn heaven by doing well on earth. These are the conditions of pardon set forth in the “long version” of Truth’s Pardon. But if divine pardon is absolute with respect to the Atonement, it is conditional with respect to the Last Piers Plowman, Passus 7 13

115 Then Piers in sheer anger tore it in two And said, “‘Though I walk in the middle of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.’1 I will cease my sowing,” said Piers, “and stop working so hard, And concern myself no longer with my belly joy. 120 From now on my plow shall be made of prayers and penance, And I will weep when I should sleep, though I lack wheat bread. The prophet ate his bread in penance and sorrow, Following the Psalter, as did many others. For the one who loves God loyally, finding food is easy: ‘My tears have been my bread day and night.’2 125 And unless Luke lies, he teaches us to be fools. We should not be too concerned with the pleasures of the world: ‘You should not be solicitous,’3 he says in the Gospels, And shows us with examples how to conduct ourselves. The birds in the field, who finds them food in winter? 130 They have no storehouse to go to; so God feeds them all.”

“What?!” said the priest to Perkyn, “Peter, it seems to me, You are educated somewhat—who taught you how to read?” “Abstinence, the Abbess,” said Piers, “taught me my ABCs, “And then Conscience came afterwards, and taught me much more.” 135 “If you were a priest, Piers,” he said, “you could preach wherever you wished, Like an expert in theology, with ‘The fool says’4 as your theme.” “Stupid moron,” said Piers, “you don’t read the Bible much. You have seldom studied the sayings of Solomon— ‘Cast out the detractor, and contention will go with him, and quarrels and reproaches shall cease.”’5

The priest and Perkyn wrangled with each other. 140 Their words woke me up, and I looked around me, And saw the sun sitting in the south at that time. Hungry and penniless, in the Malvern Hills, I traveled a mile pondering my dreams.

Judgment: only those who fulfill the injunction to do well will actually be saved. 1 Then Piers … with me See Psalms 22.4. Piers’s mysterious tearing of Truth’s Pardon has been interpreted by modern readers in a number of ways—as an imitation of Moses’s breaking of the Ten Commandments; as a critique of indulgences, at least of the kind that the priest expects to find; or as a gesture indicating Piers’s frustration with his inability to live up to the stringent demands of divine justice. Whatever the meaning of the tearing, Piers subsequent action is clear. He vows to embark upon a life of what the poet calls in other places “recklessness,” a life characterized by total disregard for worldly concerns. 2 My tears … and night See Psalms 41.4. 3 You should not be solicitous See Luke 12.22. 4 The fool says See Psalms 13.1. 5 Cast out … shall cease See Proverbs 22.10. 14 William Langland

Many times this dream has made me think back on 145 That which I saw sleeping—if it might be so: About Piers the Plowman, so pensive in spirit, And the nature of Piers’s pardon, to help out the people, And how the priest challenged it with two fitting words.

But I don’t like dream interpretation, because I often see it fail.1 150 Cato and the canonists advise us to refrain From taking seriously the interpretation of dreams—for “Take no account of dreams!”2 Yet, on the other hand, the Bible bears witness That Daniel expounded the dreams of a king, Who was given by clerks the name Nebuchadnezzar. 155 Daniel said, “Sir King, your dreams are a sign That unknown knights will come to claim your kingdom; Your land will be distributed among lesser lords.” And, that which Daniel predicted, actually transpired: The king lost his lordship, and lesser men acquired it.

160 And Joseph dreamt marvelously how the sun and the moon And the eleven stars hailed him reverently. Then Jacob analyzed Joseph’s dream: “Fair son,” said his father, “for lack [of food] we— My sons and I—will call on you in our time of need.” 165 It came to pass as his father said, in Pharaoh’s time, That Joseph was made a justice to govern Egypt. It happened as his father said—his family sought him there.

All of this makes me reflect on my dreams: How the priest discovered no pardon but Dowel, 170 And I judged that Dowel surpassed all indulgences, Biennial and triennial masses, and bishops’ letters, And that Dowel is honorably received at Judgment Day, And exceeds all the pardon of St. Peter’s church.3

Now, the Pope has the power to grant people pardon, 175 To pass on to [heaven] without doing penance. This is our belief, as learned men teach us:

1 But I don’t … it fail The debate about the prophetic or evidentiary power of dreams is a convention of medieval dream-visions. 2 Take no account of dreams See Distiches of Cato 2.31. 3 All of this … St. Peter’s church The dreamer interprets the “do well” of Truth’s Pardon as keeping the Ten Commandments, as opposed to performing institutional “works,” such as paying for masses to be performed on your behalf, or purchasing indulgences. Although the dreamer concedes that these institutional works confer some benefit, he cautions rich men and rulers not to depend upon them for their salvation. Piers Plowman, Passus 7 15

“And whatever you shall bind on earth, it will also be bound in heaven.” And so I believe loyally (Lord forbid else!) That pardon and penance and prayers do save Souls, which have many times committed deadly sin. 180 But to trust these triennials, truly, it seems to me, Is clearly not as reliable for the soul as Dowel. Therefore I advise you men who are rich on earth, You who rely upon your treasure to buy triennials, Don’t be so quick to break the Ten Commandments; 185 And namely, you rulers, mayors and judges, Who possess the wealth of this world, and are considered wise men, To purchase for yourself pardon and papal bulls. At the dreadful judgment, when the dead shall rise And all come to Christ to give their accounts, 190 How you led your life here and kept His laws, And how you aquit yourself each day—the judgment will reveal. Neither a bagful of pardons nor provincial’s letters [will help you]— Even if you belong to the fraternities of all five orders, And have twice as many indulgences—unless Dowel helps you, 195 I assess your patents and your pardons at the value of one pie’s crust!

Therefore I counsel all Christians to pray to God for mercy, And to Mary his mother to be our go-between, That God give us grace here, before we go hence, To perform such works, while we are still here, 200 So that when we die, Dowel will declare, At Judgment Day, that we did as he commanded. —c. 1377-79

1 And whatever … in heaven See Matthew 16.19. 2 fraternities of all five orders Both monastic orders and the orders of friars established lay fraternities.