The vision and the creed of Piers Ploughman, Volume 1

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Page 2 - And as I biheeld into the eest An heigh to the sonne, I seigh a tour on a toft Trieliche y-maked, A deep dale bynethe, A dongeon therinne, With depe diches and derke And dredfulle of sighte.
Page 109 - He bar by his syde, And hundred of ampulles On his hat seten, Signes of Synay, And shelles of Galice, And many a crouche on his cloke, And keyes of Rome, And the vernycle bi-fore, For men sholde knowe And se bi hise signes Whom he sought hadde.
Page xxxiii - The poem of Piers Ploughman is peculiarly a national work. It is the most remarkable monument of the public spirit of our forefathers in the middle, or, as they are often termed, dark ages. It is a pure specimen of the English language at a period when it had sustained few of the corruptions which have disfigured it since we have had writers of "Grammars...
Page xlii - Thanne kam ther a Kyng: Knyghthod hym ladde; Might of the communes made hym to regne. And thanne cam Kynde Wit and clerkes he made, For to counseillen the Kyng and the Commune save. The Kyng and Knyghthod and Clergie bothe Casten that the Commune sholde hem [communes] fynde.
Page 118 - But kenne me," quod the knyght, " And by Crist I wole assaye!" " By Seint Poul !" quod Perkyn, " Ye profre yow so faire, That I shal swynke and swete, And sowe for us bothe, And othere labours do for thi love Al my lif tyme, In covenaunt that thow kepe Holy kirke and myselve Fro wastours and fro wikked men That this world destruyeth.
Page xli - And merueylously me mette • as ich may jow telle ; Al the welthe of this worlde • and the woo bothe, Wynkyng as it were • wyterly ich saw hyt, Of tryuthe and of tricherye • of tresoun and of gyle, 12 AI ich saw slepynge • as ich shal jow telle.
Page xliv - The vision of Pierce Plowman, nowe the seconde time imprinted by Roberte Crowley dwellynge in Elye rentes in Holburne. Whereunto are added certayne notes and cotations in the mergyne, geuynge light to the Reader.
Page 10 - For doute of diverse dredes we dar noght wel loke" And if we grucche of his gamen he wol greven us alle — Cracchen us or clawen us and in hise clouches holde. That us lotheth the lif er he late us passe. Mighte we with any wit his wille withstonde, We myghte be lordes olofte and lyven at oure ese'.
Page 1 - I a sheep weere, In habite as an heremite Unholy of werkes, Wente wide in this world Wondres to here ; Ac on a May morwenynge On Malverne hilles Me bifel a ferly, Of fairye me thoghte. I was wery for-wandred, And wente me to reste Under a brood bank By a bournes syde ; And as I lay and lenede, And loked on the watres, I slombred into a slepyng, It sweyed so murye.
Page 211 - ... helle But oonliche love and leautee and my laweful domes. "Gregorie wiste this wel, and wilned to my soule Savacion for soothnesse that he seigh in my werkes. And after that he wepte and wilned me were graunted grace, Withouten any bede biddyng his boone was underfongen, And I saved, as ye may see, withouten syngynge of masses, By love and by lernyng of my lyvynge in truthe, Broughte me fro bitter peyne ther no biddyng myghte

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