The Confession of Gluttony  ****   Piers Plowman B Passus 5 ****  Translated E.T. Donaldson

Text Box: And after all his excess he had • such a head He slept Saturday and Sunday • till the sun went to rest. Then waked he of his winking • and wiped his eyes; The first word that he said • was: `Where is the bowl?' His wife began to reproach him • for how wickedly he lived, And Repentance right so • rebuked him that time: `As thou with words and works • hast wrought evil in thy life, Shrive thee and be shamed therefore • and show it with thy mouth.' `I, Glutton,' quoth the wretch • 'confess me guilty, That I have trespassed with my tongue • I can not tell how oft: Sworn "by God's soul and • "so help me, God and his saints," Where there was no need • over nine hundred times. And surfeited me at supper • and sometimes at noon, That I, Glutton, threw it up • ere I'd gone a mile And spilt what might be spared • and spent on some hungry one. Over-delicately on fasting-days • drunken and eaten, And sometimes sat so long I • slept and ate together. For love of tales dined I • in taverns to drink more, And hurried to meat ere noon • when fasting-days were.' `This shewing of shrift,' quoth Repentance • 'shall merit to thee.' Began Glutton to cry • and great dole to make For his evil life • that he had so lived; And vowed to fast • `for hunger as for thirst Shall never fish on Friday • digest in my womb, Till Abstinence mine aunt • hath given me leave; And yet have I hated her • all my life long.
Text Box: They could not in their conscience • agree on a value, Till Robin the roper • arose for the truth And named himself umpire • to avoid a debate And to settle this business • betwixt them three. Hickey the hostler • he had the cloak, In covenant that Clement • should the cup fill And have Hick hostler's hood • and hold himself served; And whoso sooner repented • should arise after And give to Sir Glutton • a gallon of ale. There was laughing and lowering • and `Let go the cup!' They sat so till evensong • singing now and then, Till Glutton had gulped down • a gallon and a gill. His guts 'gan to grumble • like two greedy sows; He pissed a pot-full • in a paternoster-while; And blew with the bugle • at his backbone's end, That all hearing that horn • held their nose after And wished it were stopped up • with a wisp of furze. He could neither step nor stand • before he had his staff; Then began he to go • like a gleeman's bitch, Sometimes aside • sometimes astern As whoso layeth lines • for to snare fowl. And when he drew to the door • then dimmed his eyes; He stumbled on threshold • and fell to the earth. Clement the cobbler • caught him by the middle For to lift him aloft • and laid him on his knees; Glutton was a great lout • and lumpish to lift And coughed up a caudle • in Clement's lap: No hound is so hungry • in Hertfordshire Dare lap up those leavings • so unlovely they smelt. With all the woe of this world • his wife and his wench Bare him home to his bed and • brought him therein.
 


Now beginneth Glutton · for to go to shrift
And carries him to kirk-ward · his fault there to show.
But Betty the brewster · bade him good-morrow
And asked of him with that · whitherward he would.

`To holy church,' quoth he · `for to hear mass,
And after will be shriven · and then sin no more.'

`Gossip, I've good ale,' quoth she · 'Glutton, wilt thou try it?'

`Hast thou aught in thy bag? · Any hot spices?'

`I have pepper and peony · and a pound too of garlic,
And a farthing's worth of fennel-seed · for fasting days.'

Then goeth Glutton in · and great oaths come after.
Cis the shoe-seller · sat on the bench,
Wat the game-keeper · and his wife too,
Tim the tinker · and two of his prentices,
Hick the horsedealer · and Hugh the needle-seller,
Clarice of Cock lane · and the clerk of the church,
Davy the ditcher · and a dozen other;
Sir Piers the priest · and Pernel of Flanders,
A fiddler, a rat-catcher · the street sweeper of Chepe,
A roper, a riding-man · and Rose the dish-seller,
Godfrey of Garlickithe · and Griffith the Welshman,
And old-clothesmen a heap · early in the morning
Give Glutton with glad cheer · good ale for himself.

Clement the cobbler · cast off his cloak
And named it for sale · at the `new fair' game.
Hick the horse dealer · heaved his hood after
And bade Bart the butcher · be on his side.
There were chapmen chosen · the goods to appraise;
Whoso hath the hood · should have amends for the cloak.
Two rose up quickly · and whispered together
And priced these pennyworths · apart by themselves.




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