The vision of Piers the Plowman Author:William Langland Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PASSUS I. THE VISION OF HOLY-CHURCH. WHAT the mountain may mean, and the murky dale, And the fair field full of folk, I shall fairly show. A lady, lovely o... more »f look, and in linen clothed, Came down from the castle, and called me by name, And said, " Son, sleepest thou ? seest thou this people, 5 How busy they be, all about this maze ? The chief part of this people, that pass o'er the earth, Want worship in this world, and wish for no more, They hold no account of a heaven, save here ! " I had fear of her face, though her aspect was fair, i o And said—" Mercy! my lady! what mean you by this ? " " That tower on the hill-top is Truth's own abode, And I would that ye wrought as His word teacheth. He is Father of your faith, and formed you all, Both figure and face, and He gave you five wits i 5 To worship Him with, all the while ye are here. He hath ordered the earth, for your help, to supply Both woollen and linen, and livelihood's needs In measurable manner, to make you at ease ; 19 And commanded, of His courtesy, in common three things; None others are needful, now list to their names, I reckon then by reason ! rehearse thou them after. The first one is clothing, to keep thee from cold ; Next, meat at thy meals, best medicine for ill; Last, drink when thou'rt dry, but desist from excess, 25 Lest thy work be the worse, when worktime has come. . . . Dread drink that delights thee, thy deeds shall be better, Moderation is medicine, though much thou desire. 35 All suits not the soul, that the appetite seeketh, Nor booteth the body, that's best for the soul. Ne'er trust to thy body, a traitor misleads it, This world with its wiles lies in wait to betray. For the fiend and thy flesh ever follow together, 40 Pursuin...« less