English Satires

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.

[002] 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].

[003] 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]

[004] 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

[005] 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]

[006] 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"

[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.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

(1340?-1400.)

PORTRAITS FROM THE CANTERBURY TALES.