Part 16 (1/2)

”Working and wondering as the world asketh, Some put them to the plough and played them full seldom, In eareing and sowing laboured full hard.”

But some are gluttons and others think only of fine clothes.

Some pray and others jest. There are rogues and knaves here, friars and priests, barons and burgesses, bakers and butchers, tailors and tanners, masons and miners, and folk of many other crafts. Indeed, the field is the world. It lies between a tower and a dungeon. The tower is G.o.d, the dungeon is the dwelling of the Evil One.

Then, as Langland looked on all this, he saw

”A lady lovely in face, in linnen i-clothed, Come adown from the cliff and spake me fair, And said, 'Son, sleepest thou? Seest thou this people All how busy they be about the maze?'”

Langland was ”afeard of her face though she was fair.” But the lovely lady, who is Holy Church, speaks gently to the dreamer.

She tells him that the tower is the dwelling of Truth, who is the lord of all and who gives to each as he hath need. The dungeon is the castle of Care.

”Therein liveth a wight that Wrong is called, The Father of Falseness.”

Love alone, said the lady, leads to Heaven,

”Therefore I warn ye, the rich, have ruth on the poor.

Though ye be mighty in councils, be meek in your works, For the same measure ye meet, amiss or otherwise, Ye shall be weighed therewith when ye wend hence.”

”Truth is best in all things,” she said at length. ”I have told thee now what Truth is, and may no longer linger.” And so she made ready to go. But the dreamer kneeled on his knees and prayed her stay yet a while to teach him to know Falsehood also, as well as Truth.

And the lady answered:--

”'Look on thy left hand and see where he standeth, Both False and Flattery and all his train.'

I looked on the left hand as the Lady me taught.

Then was I ware of a woman wondrously clothed, Purfled with fur, the richest on earth.

Crowned with a crown. The King hath no better.

All her five fingers were fretted with rings Of the most precious stones that a prince ever wore; In red scarlet she rode, beribboned with gold, There is no queen alive that is more adorned.”

This was Lady Meed or Bribery. ”To-morrow,” said Holy Church, ”she shall wed with False.” And so the lovely Lady departed.

Left alone the dreamer watched the preparations for the wedding.

The Earldom of Envy, the Kingdom of Covetousness, the Isle of Usury were granted as marriage gifts to the pair. But Theology was angry. He would not permit the wedding to take place. ”Ere this wedding be wrought, woe betide thee,” he cried. ”Meed is wealthy; I know it. G.o.d grant us to give her unto whom Truth wills. But thou hast bound her fast to Falseness. Meed is gently born. Lead her therefore to London, and there see if the law allows this wedding.”

So, listening to the advice of Theology, all the company rode off to London, Guile leading the way.

But Soothness p.r.i.c.ked on his palfrey and pa.s.sed them all and came to the King's court, where he told Conscience all about the matter, and Conscience told the King.

Then quoth the King, ”If I might catch False and Flattery or any of their masters, I would avenge me on the wretches that work so ill, and would hang them by the neck and all that them abet.”

So he told the Constable to seize False and to cut off Guile's head, ”and let not Liar escape.” But Dread was at the door and heard the doom. He warned the others, so that they all fled away save Meed the maiden.

”Save Meed the maiden no man durst abide, And truly to tell she trembled for fear, And she wept and wrung her hands when she was taken.”

But the King called a Clerk and told him to comfort Meed. So Justice soon hurried to her bower to comfort her kindly, and many others followed him. Meed thanked them all and ”gave them cups of clean gold and pieces of silver, rings with rubies and riches enough.” And pretending to be sorry for all that she had done amiss, Meed confessed her sins and was forgiven.

The King then, believing that she was really sorry, wished to marry her to Conscience. But Conscience would not have her, for he knew that she was wicked. He tells of all the evil things she does, by which Langland means to show what wicked things men will do if tempted by bribery and the hope of gain.

”Then mourned Meed and plained her to the King.” If men did great and n.o.ble deeds, she said, they deserved praise and thanks and rewards.