Shall be combined with a single judge sitting,
The trustworthy True-tongue, who never betrayed me.
There shall be no more battles, no arms shall be borne:
320 Should a man make a sword, with the sword he’ll be slain,
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation.12
“Before this is attained there’ll be terrible times:
Six suns and a ship, and a half-sheaf of arrows,
Shall be seen in the sky with a moon at full circle;
Then the Jews and the Saracens shall sing out the Sanctus.13
325 And Mahomet and Money shall howl and moan,
For A good name is better than great riches.”14
Miss Money grew wild as the whirling wind.
“I know no Latin, I leave that to the learned,
But see,” she said, “what Solomon says,
That victory is gained by the giving of gifts,
330 Which honors the giver; as Holy Writ has it:
He that maketh presents shall purchase victory and honor.”15
“I accept what you say from Scripture,” Conscience said,
“But you’re like a lady who once read a lesson,
And was pleased by the passage, ‘Prove all things.’
But the phrase is found at the foot of a page;
335 If she’d taken the trouble to turn the page
She’d have found the following more frightening words:
‘Hold fast,’ God affirms, to ‘that which is good.’16
That is what happened, for the half of it was hidden.
When sitting in your study you consulted Proverbs
340 And saw the passage that supports those in power,
But you lacked the learning to turn the leaf!
If you glance at it again you’ll be greeted with this,
A terrifying text for takers of bribes:
But he carrieth away the souls of the receivers.17
That’s the tag at the tail of the text that you saw:
345 Though victory and honor may outwardly be ours,
The soul is imprisoned by the sums it receives.”
1Matthew vi 3. Two lines are then omitted to avoid repetition.
2Not Solomon but Job xv 34.
3Edward III reigned when the poem was begun, so that this refers to the behavior of Edward II, who was accused of sodomy and was murdered. The Despensers, Langland’s likely patrons, nevertheless supported the royal party at the time. See “The Identity of the Author.”
4These battles were fought in France by Edward III. See also Note 3 above.
5Psalm xiv 1 (KJV Psalm xv 1).
6Psalm xiv 2 (KJV Psalm xv 2).
7Psalm xiv 5 (KJV Psalm xv 5).
8Psalm xxv 10 (KJV Psalm xxvi 10).
9Matthew vi 5.
101 Kings (KJV 1 Samuel) xv.
11Isaiah ii 4.
12Isaiah ii 4.
13The term “Saracens” was applied not only to the forces opposing Christian Crusaders in the Holy Land but by extension to all Muslims.
14Proverbs xxii 1.
15Proverbs xxii 9. KJV omits this line.
161 Thessalonians v 21.
17Proverbs xxii 9. KJV omits this line.
Step IV
In which the King tells Conscience to summon Reason to resolve the disagreement. When Wrong is accused by Peace of rape, murder and theft and asks his friends Witwell and Wily to buy his freedom, the court splits. Reason pleads for justice, but the lawyers abandon Reason for Miss Money, and the King asks Conscience and Reason to be his counselors for ever.
“Stop,” the King said, “I shall suffer this no longer.
You shall both obey me and bury your dissent,
And I order you, Conscience, to kiss her kindly.”
“Not me,” said Conscience, “dismiss me if you must,
5 But I’d rather die unless Reason says it’s right!”
“Then Conscience, I command you,” the King declared,
“To ride without rest to Reason and tell him
To come here at once to weigh up my words.
He shall rule in this realm and advise me rightly
10 In matters such as Money and what man she shall marry,1
And consult you, Conscience, and decide on some scheme
To enlighten my people, both unlettered and learned.”
Conscience agreed. “I shall go and gladly,”
And he rode to Reason and rapidly whispered
15 What the King had ordered, and was anxious to be off.
“Take a rest,” said Reason, “till I’m ready to ride,”
And he called to Cato, his courtly servant,
And also Tom True-tongue-tell-me-no-tales-
No-fatuous-laughter-that’s-far-from-funny.
20 “Pray set my saddle on Suffer-till-it’s-time,
And strap on safely a girth of good sense,
And hold down his head with a bridle that’s heavy,
Or he’ll whinny too wildly along the way.”
On his courser, Conscience then cantered away
25 With Reason beside him, considering softly
The ways in which Money had mastered the world.
But Warren Witwell and his friend known as Wily
Pursued them swiftly to settle some complaint
In Exchequer and Chancery with which they were charged.
30 They reckoned that Reason was the right man to help:
For a fee he might save them much shame and concern.
But Conscience, who knew they were covetous creatures,
Told Reason to shun them and spur on swiftly.
“They are seldom sincere; they consort with Money,
35 And rake in their profit from wrangling and wrath,
Disdaining fidelity and indifferent to love:
Destruction and misery in their ways.
And they give not a goose wing for God and his truth:
There is no fear of God before their eyes.2
They will drudge all day for a dozen capons
But will labor far less for our Lord and his saints.
40 So we’ll let those rich men ride on alone
For they are not acquainted with Conscience or Christ.”
Then hurriedly Reason rode straight ahead
As Conscience told him till they came to the court,
Where the King accorded him a courteous welcome
45 And seated him between himself and his son
For a lengthy meeting on matters of moment.
Then Peace came to Parliament, carrying a plea,
Saying Wrong had robbed him of his rightful wife
And had ravished young Rose, who was Reggie’s beloved,
50 And had snatched Maggie’s maidenhood, scorning resistance.
“His gangsters have grabbed my geese and my pigs,
�
�And I’m far too frightened to fight or protest.
He hasn’t brought back the bay that he borrowed,
And has paid not a penny despite my complaint.
55 He stirs up his men to murder mine,
He fixes the market and fights at fairs,
He breaks down my barn door and bears off my wheat,
He tosses me a tally-stick for ten sacks of oats,
And he beds my servant-girl and beats me so badly
60 That I haven’t the courage to counter or cross him.”
These claims were correct, for the King knew from Conscience
That Wrong was a scoundrel who spread much sorrow.
But Wrong was unruffled and ran to Witwell
To make his peace by proffering money.
65 “Provided the cash makes the King my friend,
Who cares whether Peace and his people complain!”
When Warren Witwell and Wily, his friend,
Both heard that Wrong had heinously behaved,
They wisely warned him to watch what he did:
70 “You wake folk’s wrath when you want your own way.
We can see you upset them, and so should you,
And unless you can mend these matters with money,
You could find you lose your life or your land.”
At that Wrong was worried, and he worked on Witwell
75 To pay the right bribes to purchase his peace,
And Witwell and Wily went off together
With Money and her purse to plead for his pardon.
But Peace put his hand to his injured head:
“As God knows, I got this wound without guilt.”
80 Both the commons and Conscience confirmed his claim,
So Witwell and Wily went about winning
The King to their cause if they could with cash.
But the King swore both by Christ and his crown
That Wrong should rue the mischief he’d wreaked,
85 And he called to a constable to cast him in irons:
“For seven years set him with his feet in the stocks.”
“Good heavens,” said Witwell, “wouldn’t it be wiser
To release him on license and let him repent
By pledging a sum to pay compensation,
90 Thus making amends for his mischief for good?”
And Wily conspired to say much the same:
“It is surely right to recompense wrongs
Rather than punish without payment of a penny.”
Then meekly Miss Money recommended mercy,
95 And proffered pure gold as a present to Peace.
“Accept this sum in settlement,” she said,
“For I guarantee Wrong will give no more grief.”
And soft-hearted Peace himself then besought
The King to have mercy on the miserable man.
100 “He has paid me plenty, as Witwell proposed,
And I gladly forgive him his guilty forays;
If my sovereign assents I can say no better,
For Money has made me generous amends.”
“No,” said the King, “by Christ, I cannot!
105 For first I must hear his offense more fully,
Since he’ll laugh if released too lightly and be likely
To beat my servants. So he’ll sit in my stocks
For the rest of his life unless Reason relents
Or Humility presents some surety of substance.”
110 Some people then pestered Reason to have pity,
And to counsel the King and Conscience as well
To accept the amount submitted by Miss Money.
“Don’t plead,” said Reason, “for pardon or pity
Till lords and their ladies have learnt to love Truth
115 And are loath to utter or listen to lewdness;
Till pride-filled Pru has put off her furs;
Till cheeky children are chastised, not spoilt;
Till the holiness of harlots is held to be false;
Till priests take pride in caring for the poor;
120 Till mendicant clergy keep to their cloisters
As bidden by Benedict and Bernard and Francis,3
And preachers preach what they practice themselves;
Till the King’s state council serves the commons;
Till bishops sell their horses and hawks and hounds
125 To buy help for the homeless and hungry clerics;
Till pilgrims head only for a place I appoint,
Not going to Spain unless going for good4;
Till no travelers run to the robbers of Rome
With bullion, gold bars or strips of silver,
130 Or coins that bear the badge of the King,
And till funds that are found at Dover are forfeit,5
Save on merchants and their men, or messengers with letters,
Or penitents or priests holding papal appointments.
“By the cross, no pardon or pity shall be proffered
135 While Money still masters this meeting of council.
I can show you examples I have seen,” Reason said.
“And as for me, if some miracle made me
A king with a crown and a country to rule,
If I’d power to prosecute, on peril of my soul,
140 I could never consciously excuse a crime
And nor, by God, would gifts buy forgiveness!
Only meekness, not Money, would win my mercy!
The man of innocence would meet with no mischief
But the man of guilt would meet what he merits.6
145 Now sire, if the same is said by your confessors
And you put it into practice, I’ll pledge my ears
That Law will then labor spreading muck on the land
And Love will rule in your realm, as is right!”
The King’s confessors conferred on this advice,
150 Construing it to suit the sovereign’s advantage
But ignoring his subjects and the safety of his soul,
While languidly Miss Money looked with longing at the lawyers,
Who ran from Reason and rallied to her laughing.
I witnessed Witwell wink at her and whisper:
155 “Good Madam, I’m your man, no matter what I say,
And I lose my voice if I’m fed a few florins.”
But the right-thinking reckoned that Reason was right.
Native Wit said so, and seconded his stance,
And most of those present and many of the mighty
160 Said Humility was good and Money was immoral.
Love deemed her a hussy, and Fidelity said a harlot.
He spoke so audibly that the who
le hall heard:
“If anyone unwise enough to wed her for her wealth
Isn’t cuckolded quickly, you can cut off my nose!”
165 Miss Money looked beaten, embarrassed and bitter
When the commoners in court thus called her a whore.
But a summoner and a juryman stood by her side
With a sheriff’s clerk, and they cursed the commons.
“I’ve been kind to you in court,” said the clerk, “many times,
170 But I’ve never been paid a paltry penny piece.”
The King called for counsel from Conscience and Reason,
And ruled that Reason had argued aright.
He eyed Miss Money with haughty anger
And reprimanded Law for allowing corruption.
175 “The law, I believe, has lost me a fortune;
It’s distorted by Money, which twists the truth.
But while I am monarch you’ll meet what you merit:
A rightful reckoning with Reason’s wrath;
And Money won’t help you, by Mary in heaven!
180 In law I’ll have honesty, however you hate it;
Most people will be pleased that Wrong is punished.”
But Conscience told the King, “If the commons don’t agree,
I’ll bet it will be hard to bring this about,
To prevail on folk to follow your lead.”
185 “By Christ on the cross,” Reason cried to the King,
“Cut out my guts if I can’t rule your kingdom!
If you long for just law, then lend me your power!”
“I consent,” the King said, “by our sacred Lady.
When my council of clerics and earls has come,
190 Reason shall stay and shall not be spurned,
And never shall leave me as long as I live.”
Piers Plowman Page 8
