William Langland
(1330?-1400?)
I. Pilgrimage in Search of Do-Well
This opening satire constitutes the whole of the Eighth Passus of Piers Plowman’s Vision and the First of Do-Wel. The “Dreamer” here sets off on a new pilgrimage in search of a person who has not appeared in the poem before—Do-Well. The following is the argument of the Passus.—“All Piers Plowman’s inquiries after Do-Well are fruitless. Even the friars to whom he addresses himself give but a confused account; and weary with wandering about, the dreamer is again overtaken by slumber. Thought now appears to him, and recommends him to Wit, who describes to him the residence of Do-Well, Do-Bet, Do-Best, and enumerates their companions and attendants.”
Thus y-robed in russet · romed I aboute
Al in a somer seson · for to seke Do-wel;
And frayned23 full ofte · of folk that I mette
If any wight wiste · wher Do-wel was at inne;
And what man he myghte be · of many man I asked.
Was nevere wight, as I wente · that me wisse kouthe24
Where this leode lenged,25 · lasse ne moore.26
Til it bifel on a Friday · two freres I mette
Maisters of the Menours27 · men of grete witte.
I hailsed them hendely,28 · as I hadde y-lerned.
And preède them par charité, · er thei passed ferther,
If thei knew any contree · or costes as thei wente,
“Where that Do-wel dwelleth · dooth me to witene”.
For thei be men of this moolde · that moost wide walken,
And knowen contrees and courtes, · and many kynnes places,
Bothe princes paleises · and povere mennes cotes,29
And Do-wel and Do-yvele · where thei dwelle bothe.
“Amonges us” quod the Menours, · “that man is dwellynge,
And evere hath as I hope, · and evere shal herafter.”
“Contra”, quod I as a clerc, · and comsed to disputen,
And seide hem soothly, · “Septies in die cadit justus”.
“Sevene sithes,30 seeth the book · synneth the rightfulle;
And who so synneth,” I seide, · “dooth yvele, as me thynketh;
And Do-wel and Do-yvele · mowe noght dwelle togideres.
Ergo he nis noght alway · among you freres:
He is outher while ellis where · to wisse the peple.”
“I shal seye thee, my sone” · seide the frere thanne,
“How seven sithes the sadde man, · on a day synneth;
By a forbisne”31 quod the frere, · “I shal thee faire showe.
Lat brynge a man in a boot, · amydde the brode watre;
The wynd and the water · and the boot waggyng,
Maketh the man many a tyme · to falle and to stonde;
For stonde he never so stif, · he stumbleth if he meve,
Ac yet is he saaf and sound, · and so hym bihoveth;
For if he ne arise the rather, · and raughte to the steere,
The wynd wolde with the water · the boot over throwe;
And thanne were his lif lost, · thorough lackesse of hymselve32.
And thus it falleth,” quod the frere, · “by folk here on erthe;
The water is likned to the world · that wanyeth and wexeth;
The goodes of this grounde arn like · to the grete wawes,
That as wyndes and wedres · walketh aboute;
The boot is likned to oure body · that brotel33 is of kynde,
That thorough the fend and the flesshe · and the frele worlde
Synneth the sadde man · a day seven sithes.
Ac34 dedly synne doth he noght, · for Do-wel hym kepeth;
And that is Charité the champion, · chief help ayein Synne;
For he strengtheth men to stonde, · and steereth mannes soule,
And though the body bowe · as boot dooth in the watre,
Ay is thi soul saaf, · but if thou wole thiselve
Do a deedly synne, · and drenche so thi soule,
God wole suffre wel thi sleuthe35 · if thiself liketh.
For he yaf thee a yeres-gyve,36 · to yeme37 wel thiselve,
And that is wit and free-wil, · to every wight a porcion,
To fleynge foweles, · to fisshes and to beastes:
Ac man hath moost thereof, · and moost is to blame,
But if he werch wel therwith, · as Do-wel hym techeth.”
“I have no kynde knowyng,”38 quod I, · “to conceyven alle your wordes:
Ac if I may lyve and loke, · I shall go lerne bettre.”
“I bikenne thee Christ,”39 quod he, · “that on cros deyde!”
And I seide “the same · save you fro myschaunce,
And gyve you grace on this grounde · goode men to worthe!”40
And thus I wente wide wher · walkyng myn one,41
By a wilderness, · and by a wodes side:
Blisse of the briddes.42 · Broughte me a-slepe,
And under a lynde upon a launde43 · lened I a stounde44,
To lythe the layes · the lovely foweles made,
Murthe of hire mowthes · made me ther to slepe;
The merveillouseste metels45 · mette me46 thanne
That ever dremed wight · in worlde, as I wene.
A muche man, as me thoughte · and like to myselve,
Cam and called me · by my kynde name.
“What artow,” quod I tho, · “that thow my name knowest.”
“That woost wel,” quod he, · “and no wight bettre.”
“Woot I what thou art?” · “Thought,” seide he thanne;
“I have sued47 thee this seven yeer, · seye48 thou me no rather.”49
“Artow Thought,” quod I thoo, · “thow koudest me wisse,
Where that Do-wel dwelleth, · and do me that to knowe.”
“Do-wel and Do-bet, · and Do-best the thridde,” quod he,
“Arn thre fair vertues, · and ben noght fer to fynde.
Who so is trewe of his tunge, · and of his two handes,
And thorugh his labour or thorugh his land, · his liflode wynneth,50
And is trusty of his tailende, · taketh but his owene,
And is noght dronklewe51 ne dedeynous,52 · Do-wel hym folweth.
Do-bet dooth ryght thus; · ac he dooth much more;
He is as lowe as a lomb, · and lovelich of speche,
And helpeth alle men · after that hem nedeth.
The bagges and the bigirdles, · he hath to-broke hem alle
That the Erl Avarous · heeld and hise heires.
And thus with Mammonaes moneie · he hath maad hym frendes,
And is ronne to religion, · and hath rendred the Bible,
And precheth to the peple · Seint Poules wordes:
Libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes:
‘And suffreth the unwise’ · with you for to libbe
And with glad will dooth hem good · and so God you hoteth.
Do-best is above bothe, · and bereth a bisshopes crosse,
Is hoked on that oon ende · to halie men fro helle;
A pik is on that potente,53 · to putte a-down the wikked
That waiten any wikkednesse · Do-wel to tene.54
And Do-wel and Do-bet · amonges hem han ordeyned,
To crowne oon to be kyng · to rulen hem bothe;
That if Do-wel or Do-bet · dide ayein Do-best,
Thanne shal the kyng come · and casten hem in irens,
And but if Do-best bede55 for hem, · thei to be there for evere.
Thus Do-wel and Do-bet, · and Do-best the thridde,
Crouned oon to the kyng · to kepen hem alle,
And to rule the reme · by hire thre wittes,
And noon oother wise, · but as thei thre assented.”
I thonked Thoght tho, · that he me thus taughte.
“Ac yet savoreth me noght thi seying. · I coveit to lerne
How Do-wel, Do-bet, and Do-best · doon among the peple.”
“But Wit konne wisse thee,” quod Thoght, · “Where tho thre dwelle,
Ellis woot I noon that kan · that now is alyve.”
Thoght and I thus · thre daies we yeden,56
Disputyng upon Do-wel · day after oother;
And er we were war, · with Wit gonne we mete.57
He was long and lene, · lik to noon other;
Was no pride on his apparaille · ne poverte neither;
Sad of his semblaunt, · and of softe chere,
I dorste meve no matere · to maken hym to jangle,
But as I bad Thoght thoo · be mene bitwene,
And pute forth som purpos · to preven his wittes,
What was Do-wel fro Do-bet, · and Do-best from hem bothe.
Thanne Thoght in that tyme · seide these wordes:
“Where Do-wel, Do-bet, · and Do-best ben in londe,
Here is Wil wolde wite, · if Wit koude teche him;
And whether he be man or woman · this man fayn wolde aspie,
And werchen58 as thei thre wolde, · thus is his entente”
Notes
23 questioned.
24 could tell me.
25 Where this man dwelt.
26 mean or gentle.
27 of the Minorite order.
28 I saluted them courteously.
29 and poor men’s cots.
30 times.
31 example.
32 through his own negligence.
33 weak, unstable.
34 But.
35 sloth.
36 a year’s-gift.
37 to rule, guide, govern.
38 mother-wit.
39 I commit thee to Christ.
40 to become.
41 by myself.
42 The charm of the birds.
43 under a linden-tree on a plain.
44 a short time.
45 a most wonderful dream.
46 I dreamed.
47 followed.
48 sawest.
49 sooner.
50 gains his livelihood.
51 drunken.
52 disdainful.
53 club staff.
54 to injure.
55 pray.
56 journeyed.
57 we met Wit.
58 work.