[Footnote 18:  Cf.  Saintsbury’s Life of Dryden.]

[Footnote 19:  Cf.  Gosse, Eighteenth Century Literature.]

[Footnote 20:  Thackeray’s English Humorists.]

[Footnote 21:  The Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin—­Carisbrooke Library, 1890.]

[Footnote 22:  The Baeviad and the Maeviad, by W. Gifford, Esq., 1800.]

ENGLISH SATIRES.

WILLIAM LANGLAND.

(1330?-1400?)

I. PILGRIMAGE IN SEARCH OF DO-WELL.

This opening satire constitutes the whole of the Eighth Passus of Piers Plowman’s Vision and the First of Do-Wel.  The “Dreamer” here sets off on a new pilgrimage in search of a person who has not appeared in the poem before—­Do-Well.  The following is the argument of the Passus.—­“All Piers Plowman’s inquiries after Do-Well are fruitless.  Even the friars to whom he addresses himself give but a confused account; and weary with wandering about, the dreamer is again overtaken by slumber.  Thought now appears to him, and recommends him to Wit, who describes to him the residence of Do-Well, Do-Bet, Do-Best, and enumerates their companions and attendants.”

  Thus y-robed in russet . romed I aboute
  Al in a somer seson . for to seke Do-wel;
  And frayned[23] full ofte . of folk that I mette
  If any wight wiste . wher Do-wel was at inne;
  And what man he myghte be . of many man I asked. 
  Was nevere wight, as I wente . that me wisse kouthe[24]
  Where this leode lenged,[25] . lasse ne moore.[26]
  Til it bifel on a Friday . two freres I mette
  Maisters of the Menours[27] . men of grete witte. 
  I hailsed them hendely,[28] . as I hadde y-lerned. 
  And preede them par charite, . er thei passed ferther,
  If thei knew any contree . or costes as thei wente,
  “Where that Do-wel dwelleth . dooth me to witene”. 
  For thei be men of this moolde . that moost wide walken,
  And knowen contrees and courtes, . and many kynnes places,
  Bothe princes paleises . and povere mennes cotes,[29]
  And Do-wel and Do-yvele . where thei dwelle bothe. 
  “Amonges us” quod the Menours, . “that man is dwellynge,
  And evere hath as I hope, . and evere shal herafter.”
  “Contra”, quod I as a clerc, . and comsed to disputen,
  And seide hem soothly, . “Septies in die cadit justus”. 
  “Sevene sithes,[30] seeth the book . synneth the rightfulle;
  And who so synneth,” I seide, . “dooth yvele, as me thynketh;
  And Do-wel and Do-yvele . mowe noght dwelle togideres. 
  Ergo he nis noght alway . among you freres: 
  He is outher while ellis where . to wisse the peple.” 
  “I shal seye thee, my sone” . seide the frere thanne,
  “How seven sithes the sadde man, . on a day synneth;
  By a forbisne"[31] quod the frere, .