WILLIAM LANGLAND.
Reading edition
(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 frayned[23] 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 kouthe[24] Where this leode lenged,[25] · lasse ne moore.[26] Til it bifel on a Friday · two freres I mette Maisters of the Menours[27] · 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 hymselve[32]. 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 brotel[33] is of kynde, That thorough the fend and the flesshe · and the frele worlde Synneth the sadde man · a day seven sithes. Ac[34] 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 sleuthe[35] · if thiself liketh. For he yaf thee a yeres-gyve,[36] · to yeme[37] 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 launde[43] · lened I a stounde[44], To lythe the layes · the lovely foweles made, Murthe of hire mowthes · made me ther to slepe; The merveillouseste metels[45] · mette me[46] 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 sued[47] thee this seven yeer, · seye[48] 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 dronklewe[51] 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 bede[55] 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 werchen[58] as thei thre wolde, · thus is his entente"