William’s Vision of Piers Plowman by William Langland Edited by Ben Byram-Wigfield © 2006 Edited text and page design by Ben Byram-Wigfield This book is made available as an electronic document to be read and printed by end users. Further distribution of the electronic document, or of printed material taken therefrom, is prohibited without permission. If you are using this as an resource within a formal academic course, say for instance at the Department for Continuing Education of a leading and venerable university, do drop me a line to let me know and say thanks. William’s Vision of Piers Plowman Contents Preface 1 Prologue 5 Passus 1 12 Passus 2 19 Passus 3 27 Passus 4 38 Passus 5 44 Passus 6 64 Passus 7 74 Passus 8 81 Passus 9 85 Passus 10 92 Passus 11 109 Passus 12 123 Passus 13 133 Passus 14 148 Passus 15 160 Passus 16 181 Passus 17 190 Passus 18 201 Passus 19 215 Passus 20 231 Glossary 243 William’s Vision of Piers Plowman Preface ILLIAM’S Vision of Piers Plowman is one of the great master- pieces of Middle English, alongside Chaucer’s Canter bury WTa l e s . However, one of the reasons it has remained in the shadow of Chaucer’s works is that little else can be said about it without any certainty. The generally accepted facts are as follows, though you can usually find academic argument to dispute them. It is a lengthy, allegorical poem, written around 1379. It tells the story of a man who, falling asleep on the Malvern Hills, dreams a series of dreams. The first shows a tower, a dungeon and a “fair field full of folk” inbetween, representing heaven, hell and the physical world. The dreams also describe a parliament of rats, confessions of the Seven Deadly Sins, the search for the allegorical characters “Do-Well, Do-Better and Do- Best”, and the hopes and fears of Piers Plowman, an everyman. It is generally thought to have been written by William Langland, mostly from internal references and puns on his name in the text. Langland was born c. 1330, in Ledbury, near the Malvern Hills; though Cleobury Mortimer also has a claim. He died c. 1386. The text itself exists in a number of different forms and versions, none of which can be assembled into any progressive series of evolution. The text conforms to three major types, named A, B and C by the scholar Walter Skeat. A is relatively short, B is the most common version, and C appears to be a revision of B, though B versions exist with some of the C material throughout them. It is generally accepted that B is the most useful and enjoyable version of the poem, and it was this version that formed the first printed edition, produced by Robert Crowley in 1550. The text has been thought to be subversive and rebellious, possibly encouraging the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381. The C text is considered to be a revision after this date, toning down some of the more dangerous sentiment. However, it is equally possible to argue that Langland’s text calls for the maintenance of the established order. The work has also been seen by some as a precursor of the Reformation, as it satirises and condemns the practises of the religious classes, and espouses the virtue of honest labour. 2 Piers Plowman The B version of the text was the first one to be printed, by Robert Crowley in 1550. This is significantly later than the publication of the other major Middle English poem, The Canterbury Tales, which was printed by William Caxton in 1476. In his preface, Crowley writes: “Langland wrote altogether in metre, but not after the manner of our rhymers that write nowadays (for his verses end not alike), but the nature of his metre is to have three words, at the least, in every verse which begin with some one letter. This thing being noted, the metre shall be very pleasant to read. The English is according to the time it was written in, and the sense somewhat dark, but not so hard but that it may be understood of such as will not stick to break the shell of the nut for the kernel’s sake.” Editorial Treatment The purpose of this editorial treatment is to allow a modern reader, having little experience of Middle English, to come as close to the original text as possible. No doubt that some scholars will complain that the treatment has gone too far: however, those who can use it have the original text at their disposal. There may similarly be those for whom the treatment is not enough: but those who cannot read the original will at least have been given some help. Starting with the B-version of the text, the method for editing has followed these simple rules: 1. Word order is maintained, and amendments and additions to the text are kept to a minimum. 2. All spelling has been modernised, where a modern English word exists with the same meaning. 3. All words, phrases and verb endings familiar to readers of Shakespeare or the King James’ Bible have been retained, e.g. thee, thou, ye, -eth, -est, -edst, God wot, if ye list, etc. 4. All other archaic pronouns, and archaic forms of existing modern English verbs, have been modernised. 5. Archaic words, with no apparent modern English equivalent, have been retained with a definition. Definitions are also supplied for words that have different meanings from their modern English counterpart. Preface 3 Where a more common spelling of an archaic word exists, it has been substituted. Definitions appear in italics, to the right of the text. 6. Prefixes to verbs, such asmis-, be- a- for- and y-, have been retained, though the verb itself may have been altered to a modern day spelling. Thus: For may no renk ther reste have for ratons by nyghte. For many mennes malt we mees wolde destruye, becomes For may no renk his rest have for rats by night. man For many men’s malt we mice would destroy, A major feature of this poem is the alliteration, which has been entirely preserved. Latin quotations Assuming that those unfamiliar with Middle English are also less likely to be familiar with the vagaries of mediaeval Latin, the Latin quotations have all been respelt in classical Latin. Thus: Michi becomes mihi sapiencie becomes sapientiae celum becomes caelum sompnia becomes somnia etc. Wherever possible, the Latin quotations have been checked against their source text, such as the Vulgate. Previous editions of the B-text use a line-numbering scheme that does not count some of the Latin quotations. This edition follows that scheme for the purposes of comparison. The Latin has been translated in footnotes and, wherever possible, the source of the quotation cited. Biblical quotations are translated using the King James Bible, with the exception of Psalms, which are taken from the Great Bible translation used in the Book of Common Prayer. It should be noted that the numbering scheme of the Psalms differs from the Latin Vulgate. 4 Piers Plowman Guide to Mediaeval English This edition is meant to be a bridge, allowing those with little or no experience with Middle English to gain some access to the style and language, but the text may still pose some awkwardness. Most confusing will be those words common now whose meaning has changed over the years: As means But; But means Except. Except means Unless. For means Because or to avoid. Forth means Therefore. Other means Or. That often means that which. Many words have meanings that are broader in scale than their modern counterparts, which have become more precise. For instance, Loyalty (leaute) suggests not only faithfulness but also steadfastness to one’s word, and possibly even justice and equity. Similarly,Kind Wit encompasses natural intelligence; perhaps common sense. A full glossary is to be found towards the end of the book. The word order of the original has, for the most part, been retained, and readers more familiar with the positional syntax of Modern English may find verb objects in unusual, if not ambiguous, places. Original sources There are a number of B-text versions available free on the Internet; there are also several published editions, which may have more complete annotations. Students, whose interest has been aroused, may well find this edition, in conjunction with an original text, to be of great use. William’s Vision of Piers Plowman Prologue n a summer season, when soft was the sun, I shaped me into shrouds as I a sheep were, I In habit as an hermit, unholy of works, Went wide in this world wonders to hear. 5 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, 10 I slumbered into a sleeping, it sweyed so merry. sounded Then gan I to mete a marvellous swevene: began; to dream; dream That I was in a wilderness, wist I never where. knew As I beheld into the East and high to the sun, I saw a tower on a tuft, tryly y-made; excellently 15 A deep dale beneath, a dungeon therein, valley With deep ditches and dark and dreadful of sight. A fair field full of folk found I there between; Of all manner of men, the mean and the rich, poor Working and wandering as the world asketh.