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References to the Law in Piers the Plowman
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
Extract
It is well known that whoever wrote Piers the Plowman felt bitterly against the administration of the law in his day and never tired of railing against lawyers, but what has not been pointed out is that the references to the law which occur in the three texts of this poem reveal a significant increase in legal knowledge from the A-text to the later texts. Throughout the three texts William scorns the attendants of the courts as a class and arraigns the legal system for its cruelty, its injustice, and its gross favoritism towards the rich. Meed and False use as horses for their trip to Westminster a sheriff and a juryman; jurors, sumners, sheriffs, pleaders of the court of arches, over which the archbishop of Canterbury presided, all run about Meed when she arrives at Westminster; and William warns judges and others to consider what they do, for the Day of Doom will find them out. But William is perhaps most severe when he declares of the sergeants of the law:
- pow mihtest beter meten pe myst Ŀ on Maluerne hulles,
- pen geten a Mom of heore moup Ŀ til moneye weore schewed.
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- Research Article
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- Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1933
References
1 All references to Piers the Plowman are to the texts of the poem edited by the Rev W. W. Skeat for the Early English Text Society and published by the Society as numbers xxviii, xxxvin, iiv, lxvii, and lxxxi of its original series.
2 A, viii, 171–181; B, vii, 184–194; C, x, 335–345.
3 A, Prol., 88–89; B, Prol., 214–215; C, i, 163–164.
4 B, xx, 271–272; C, xxiii, 273–274.
5 E.E.T.S., lxvii, xxx.
6 See Skeat's Notes. E.E.T.S., lxvii, 67.
7 Holdsworth, W. S., A History of English Law, 3d ed. (London, 1922), i, 619.
8 Below is a list of these words with references to their occurrence in all three texts. Neither in this note nor in those which follow have I attempted to give more than one instance from each text of the occurrence of a word. The thirteen words are: canonistres A, viii, 135; B, vii, 149; C, x, 303; consistory A, iii, 32; B, iii, 31; C, iv, 34; fief A, ii, 39; B, xv, 319; C, xviii, 56; forestall A, iv, 43; B, iv, 56; C, v, 59; huckstering A, v, 141; B, v, 227; C, vii, 233; loveday A, iii, 154; B, iii, 157; C, iv, 196; meynpernour A, iv, 99; B, iv, 112; C, v, 107; meynprise A, iv, 75; B, iv, 88; C, v, 84; provisor A, ii, 148; B, II, 170; C, iii, 186; regratory A, iii, 74; B, iii, 83; C, iv, 82; sisors A, ii, 46; B, ii, 58; C, iii, 59; sumners A, ii, 46; B, ii, 58; C, iii, 59; year's-gift A, xi, 34; B, x, 47.
9 A, vii, 300–303; B, vi, 317–319; C, ix, 340–341.
10 A, iii, 67–72; B, iii, 76–81; C, iv, 77 ff.
11 A, iv, 114; B, iv, 131; C, v, 128.
12 The other three laws alluded to which I have noted are: men were forbidden to send money out of England, A, iv, 111–116; B, iv, 128–133; C, v, 125–130; liars were punished on the pillory, A, ii, 180–181; B, ii, 202–203; C, iii, 215–216; statutes were enacted against Robert's men, A, Prol., 44; B, Prol., 44; C, i, 45.
13 A, iii, 129 ff; B, iii, 133 ff; C, iv, 171 ff.
14 A, Prol., 84–89; B, Prol., 210–215; C, i, 159–164; and A, iii, 276–277; B, iii, 293–296; C, iv, 451–454.
15 Manly, J. M., Some New Light on Chaucer (New York, 1926), chapter v.
16 The following is a list of the words which appear in “B” and not in “A”: amercement B, i, 160; C, ii, 159; amortised B, xv, 315; C, xviii, 54; appeal B, xvii, 302; C, xx, 284; arerage B, xiv, 107; C, xvi, 288; bedelles B, ii, 59; C, iii, 60; brokerages B, ii, 87; C, iii, 92; brokours B, ii, 59; C, iii, 60; chalenge B, Prol., 93; C, i, 91; chancery B, Prol., 93; C, i, 91; chapter B, iii, 318; C, iv, 476; cheuysaunce B, xx, 16; C, xxiii, 16; commissary B, xv, 234; C, xvii, 361; common court B, iii, 318; C, iv, 476; decretals B, v, 428; escheat B, iv, 175; C, v, 169; exchange B, v, 249; exchequer B, Prol., 93; C, i, 91; executors B, xv, 128; C, xvii, 277; Foluyes laws B, xix, 241; C, xxii, 247; forgoers B, ii, 60; C, iii, 61; king's court B, iii, 318; C, iv, 476; letters patent B, xvii, 10; C, xx, 12; panel (a jury) B, iii, 315; C, iv, 473; procuratour B, xix, 253; C, xxii, 258; purveyer B, xix, 255; C, xxii, 260; strays B, Prol., 94; C, ii, 92; teilen B, Prol., 92; C, i, 90; usury B, V, 240; C, vii, 239; vocales of the arches B, ii, 60; C, iii, 61; waifs B, Prol., 94; C, i, 92; wardmotes B, Prol., 94; C, i, 92; wards B, Prol., 94; C, i, 92.
17 B, v, 428.
18 Tomlins, Sir Thomas Edlyne, The Law-Dictionary, First American from the fourth English edition (Phila., 1836), i, 284.
19 Mack, William, Cyclopedia of Law and Procedure (New York, 1911), 37 Cyc. 597.
20 B, iii, 303–306; C, iv, 461–464.
21 B, xi, 122–123; C, xiii, 61–62.
22 xi, 296–299; C, xiv, 117–120.
23 Three other laws are mentioned in“B” which I have not discovered in“ A”: a man who was once a thief was ever more in danger B, xii, 206–207; C, xv, 146–147; a felon could not be hanged more than once if he did not die the first time B, xviii, 377–378; C, xxi, 424–425; men could not be paid in the army unless they were on the register B, xx, 256–259; C, xxin, 257–261.
24 The following words appear in “C” but not in “A” and “B”: decretistre C, xvi, 85; sokne C, iii, 111; supersedeas C, iii, 187; tallying C, iv, 372; tollen C, xiv, 51.
25 The laws referred to in“C” which I did not notice in “A” and“B” are the following: measures of quantity were sealed by law C, iv, 88–89; mayors of cities or towns could make men free C, iv, 108; goods of a felon who was hanged were at the disposal of the king C, xi, 239–241; merchants had to pay toll C, xiv, 50–51. There seem to have been laws permitting messengers to travel across country instead of having to go around C, xiv, 40–44; and laws putting wasters and idlers in the stocks and for beating them C, ix, 163.
26 B, xii, 186–191; C, xv, 127–131.
27 Holdsworth, op. cit., iii, 294 ff.
28 B, iii, 318; C, iv, 476.
29 B, Prol., 92–94; C, i, 90–92.
30 C, iii, 186.
31 B, xv, 313–315; C, xviii, 52–54.
32 Tomlins, op. Cit., i, 75.
33 B, Prol., 146–209; C, i, 165–217.
34 B, xx, 125–165; C, xxiii, 126–166.