William Langland

“ Thus Makometh hire enchauntede;
And dide folk thanne falle on knees,
For he swoor in his prechyng
That the colvere that com so,
Com from God of hevene,
As messager to Makometh,
Men for to teche. ”

“ How rightwise men lyvede,
How thei defouled hir flessh,
Forsoke hir owene wille, 10610
Fer fro kyth and fro kyn
Yvele y-clothed yeden,
Baddely y-bedded,
No book but conscience,
Ne no richesse but the roode
To rejoisse hem inne. ”

“ Al that men seyn, he leet it sooth,
And in solace taketh,
And alle manere meschiefs
In myldenesse he suffreth. 9970
Coveiteth he noon erthely good,
But hevene riche blisse,
Hath he anye rentes or richesse,
Or anye riche frendes.
⁠"Of rentes nor of richesse
Ne rekketh he nevere;
For a frend that fyndeth hym,
Failed hym nevere at neede. ”

“ Ac God sente hem foode by foweles,
And by no fierse beestes,
In menynge that meke thyng
Mylde thyng sholde fede.
⁠"Ac who seith religiouses
Rightfulle men sholde fede,
And lawefulle men to lif-holy men
Liflode sholde brynge ”

“ Of swiche manere bowes.
⁠"Rightso bi persons and preestes,
And prechours of holi chirche,
That aren roote of the right feith
To rule the peple.
And ther the roote is roten,
Reson woot the sothe,
Shal nevere flour ne fruyt 9810
Ne fair leef be greene. ”

“ And seyen he was a nygard
That no good myghte aspare
To frend ne to fremmed, 9900
The fend have his soule!
For a wrecchede hous held he
Al his lif tyme;
And that he spared and bisperede,
Dispende we in murthe ”

“ Hethen is to mene after heeth
And untiled erthe,
As in wilde wildernesse
Wexeth wilde beestes,
Rude and unresonable,
Rennynge withouten cropiers.
⁠"Ye mynnen wel how Mathew seith,
How a man made a feste ”

“ Lelly to ben paied.
Ac charité that Poul preiseth best,
And moost plesaunt to oure Lord,
Is Non inflatur, non est ambitiosa, non
⁠quærit quæ sua sunt, etc.
⁠"I seigh nevere swich a man,
So me God helpe! ”

“ Bosteth ne preiseth,
Lakketh ne loseth, 10120
Ne loketh up sterne,
Craveth ne coveiteth,
Ne crieth after moore.
In pace in idipsum dormiam, etc.
⁠"The mooste liflode that he lyveth by,
Is love in Goddes passion ”

“ Cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus,
⁠non despicies." 10010
⁠"By Crist! I wolde that I knewe hym," quod I,
"No creature levere!"
⁠"Withouten help of Piers Plowman," quod he,
"His persone sestow nevere." ”

“ In alle manere angres.
⁠"Antony and Egidie,
And othere holy fadres, 10160
Woneden in wildernesse
Among wilde beestes;
Monkes and mendinauntz,
Men by hemselve,
In spekes and in spelonkes,
Selde speken togideres. ”

“ And seith, Sicut qui mel comedit
⁠multum, non est ei bonum; sic
⁠qui scrutator est majestatis, 9710
⁠opprimitur a gloria.
⁠"To Englisshe men this is to mene,
That mowen speke and here,
The man that muche hony eteth,
His mawe it engleymeth ”