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William Langland Quotes

1330–1386 England

William Langland (c. 1332 – c. 1386) was an English poet, known only for having written Piers Plowman, an allegorical poem written in unrhymed alliterative verse which deals with moral and social themes. The dialect of Langland's poem shows him to have been a Midland man.

England
Poets

Also known as: Langland, William, Piers Plowman

Random William Langland quote

10 quotes

For if hevene be on this erthe, and ese to any soule,
It is in cloistre or in scole.

Help thi kynne, Crist bit (biddeth), for ther bygynneth charitie.

For whoso spareth the spring [switch] spilleth his children.

In preieres and penaunce putten hem manye,
Al for the love of Oure Lord lyveden ful streyte
In hope to have heveneriche blisse

And governeth alle goode virtues.

A fair feeld ful of folk fond I ther bitwene –
Of alle manere of men, the meene and the riche,
Werchynge and wandrynge as the world asketh.

Brewesters and baksters, bochiers and cokes –
For thise are men on this molde that moost harm wercheth
To the povere peple

I kan noght parfitly my Paternoster as the preest it syngeth,
But I kan rymes of Robyn Hood and Randolf Erl of Chestre.

Whan Costantyn of curteisie Holy Kirke dowed
With londes and ledes, lordshipes and rentes,
An aungel men herden an heigh at Rome crye,
"Dos ecclesie this day hath ydronke venym,
And tho that han Petres power arn apoisoned alle!"

In a somer seson, whan softe was the sonne,
I shoop me into shroudes as I a sheep were,
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.

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: William Langland (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.