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
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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.