The Pub in Literature: England's Altered State

'Betty's Alehouse' - section from William Langland's Piers the Plowman, Part 5, lines 297-385.

Text taken from the Labyrinth site

5.297: Now bigynneth Gloton for togoto shrifte,

5.298: And kaireth hym to kirkewarde his coupe to shewe.

5.299: Ac Beton the Brewestere bad hym good morwe

5.300:And asked of hym with that, whiderward he wolde.

5.301: "To holy chirche,' quod he, "for to here masse,

5.302: And sithen I wole be shryven, and synne na moore.'

5.303: " I have good ale, gossib,' quod she, " Gloton, woltow assaye?'

5.304: " Hastow,' quod he, "any hote spices?'

5.305: "I have pepir and pione,' quod she, "and a pound of garleek,

5.306: A ferthyngworth of fenel seed for fastynge dayes.

5.307: Thanne goth Gloton in, and grete othes after.

5.308: Cesse the Souteresse sat on the benche,

5.309: Watte the Warner and his wif bothe,

5.310: Tymme the Tynkere and tweyne of his [knav]es,

5.311: Hikke the Hakeneyman and Hugh the Nedlere,

5.312: Clarice of Cokkeslane and the Clerk of the chirche,

5.313: Sire Piers of Pridie and Pernele of Flaundres,

5.314: Dawe the Dykere, and a dozeyne othere --

5.315: A Ribibour, a Ratoner, a Rakiere of Chepe,

5.316: A Ropere, a Redyngkyng, and Rose the Dysshere,

5.317: Godefray of Garlekhithe and Griffyn the Walshe,

5.318: And [of] upholderes an heep, erly by the morwe,

5.319: Geve Gloton with glad chere good ale to hanselle.

5.320: Clement the Cobelere caste of his cloke,

5.321: And at the newe feire nempned it to selle.

5.322: Hikke the Hakeneyman hitte his hood after,

5.323: And bad Bette the Bocher ben on his syde.

5.324: Ther were chapmen ychose this chaffare to preise:

5.325: Whoso hadde the hood sholde han amcndes of the cloke.

5.326: Tho risen up in rape and rouned togideres,

5.327: And preised the penyworthes apart by hemselve.

5.328: [There were othes an heep, for oon sholde have the werse];

5.329: Thei kouthe noght by hir conscience acorden in truthe,

5.330: Til Robyn the Ropere arise the[i by]sou[ght]e,

5.331: And nempned hym for a nounpere, that no debat nere.

5.332: Hikke the Hostiler hadde the cloke

5.333: In covenaunt that Clement sholde the cuppe fille

5.334: And have Hikkes hood the Hostiler, and holden hym yserved;

5.335: And whoso repented rathest shoulde aryse after

5.336: And greten Sire Gloton with a galon ale.

5.337: There was laughynge and lourynge and " Lat go the cuppe!'

5.338: [Bargaynes and beverages bigonne to arise;]

5.339: And seten so til evensong, and songen umwhile,

5.340: Til Gloton hadde yglubbed a galon and a gille.

5.341: His guttes bigonne to gothelen as two gredy sowes;

5.342: He pissed a potel in a Paternoster-while,

5.343: And blew his rounde ruwet at his ruggebones ende,

5.344: That alle that herde that horn helde hir nose after

5.345: And wisshed it hadde ben wexed with a wispe of firses!

5.346: He myghte neither steppe ne stonde er he his staf hadde,

5.347: And thanne gan he to go like a glemannes bicche

5.348: Som tyme aside and som tyme arere,

5.349: As whoso leith lynes for to lacche foweles.

5.350: And whan he drough to the dore, thanne dymmed hise eighen;

5.351: He [thr]umbled on the thresshfold and threw to the erthe.

5.352: Clement the Cobelere kaughte hym by the myddel

5.353: For to liften hym olofte, and leyde hym on his knowes.

5.354: Ac Gloton was a gret cherl and a grym in the liftyng,

5.355: And koughed up a cawdel in Clementes lappe.

5.356: Is noon so hungry hound in Hertfordshire

5.357: Dorste lape of that levynge, so unlovely it smaughte!

5.358: With al the wo of this world, his wif and his wenche

5.359: Baren hym to his bed and broughte hym therinne;

5.360: And after al this excesse he had an accidie.

5.361: That he sleep Saterday and Sonday, till sonne yede to reste.

5.362: Thanne waked he of his wynkyng and wiped hise eighen;

5.363: The first word that he spak was -- 'Where is the bolle?'

5.364: His wif [and his wit] edwyte[d] hym tho how wikkedly he lyvede.

5.365: And Repentaunce right so rebuked hym that tyme:

5.366: "As thow with wordes and werkes hast wroght yvele in thi lyve,

5.367: Shryve thee and be shamed therof, and shewe it with thi mouthe.'

5.368: 'I, Gloton,' quod the gome, 'gilty me yelde --

5.369: That I have trespased with my tonge, I kan noght telle how ofte

5.370: Sworen ""Goddes soule and his sydes!' and "So helpe me God and halidome!'

5.371: Ther no nede was nyne hyndred tymes;

5.372: And overseyen me at my soper and som tyme at Nones,

5.373: That I, Gloton, girte it up er I hadde gon a myle,

5.374: And yspilt that myghte be spared and spended on som hungry;

5.375: Over delicatly on f[ee]styng dayes dronken and eten bothe,

5.376: And sat som tyme so long there that I sleep and eet at ones.

5.377: For love of tales in tavernes [in]to drynke the moore I dy[v]ed;

5.378: And hyed to the mete er noon [on] fastyng dayes.'

5.379: " This shewynge shrift,' quod Repentaunce, " shal be meryt to the.'

5.380: And thanne gan Gloton greete, and gret dcel to make

5.381: For his Iuther Iif that he lyved hadde,

5.382: And avowed to faste -- "For hunger or for thurste,

5.383: Shal never fyssh on Fryday defyen in my wombe-

5.384: Til Abstinence myn aunte have yyve me leeve --

5.385: And yet have I hated hire al my lif tyme!-