252 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



the power to pardon, Langland introduces the idea that pardon may 

 come to the humblest without the mediation of any human instru- 

 mentality; and also that the humblest may serve as an acceptable 

 minister of Truth to others, if his own life be true. Finally the 

 lesson of this passus, which is the focal point of the entire poem, is 

 summed up in this; that while the pope has the power of pardon, 

 and penance and masses avail to save souls, better than all and surer 

 than all is Dowel, a humble and godly life; and he who lives such a 

 life has not only pardon for himself, but may secure it for others. 

 Thus by implication. Piers Plowman becomes a minister of Christ, 

 and another step is taken in the development of the character. 



But a new conception of Piers entered the mind of the author as 

 he proceeded to expand in Text B his first answer to the question. 

 What is Dowel? After expressing this conception, he discovered 

 that he had not made it consistent with that already given, and made 

 an effort to reconcile the two in the latest revision of the poem, 

 but without entire success. The next reference to Piers Plowman 

 occurs at the dinner where Will, the author, in his search for 

 Dowel, comes to table with Reason, Clergy, Conscience, and Pa- 

 tience (C, XVI.; B, XII I). The author is thinking of Piers as. 

 Christ, but seems to confuse in him no fewer than three different 

 characters. He says of him that he " sette alle sciences at a 

 soppe saue loue one " (B, XIII., 124), a remark that was made by 

 Study (B, X., 206), though of course based on the teaching of 

 Christ. In the same passage (B, XIII., 123), Clergy says "one 

 Pieres the Plowman hath impugned us alle;" but (B, X., 442) it 

 was Will, the author, that impugned Clergy, though his words were 

 again taken from the teachings of Christ, and were in this case 

 directly ascribed to Him. Lastly Piers and Christ are mentioned in 

 successive sentences, as though they were intended to be separate 

 characters (B, XIII., 132-133). Here then are confounded in a few 

 lines, Christ, Piers Plowman, Study, and Will himself, though the 

 author's general meaning is clear. But in view of these facts it can 

 hardly be said that the identification of Piers Plowman with Christ is, 

 as yet, by an}' means direct or complete.* 



Langland next speaks of Piers Plowman as possessing the power to 

 read men's hearts, and help them to be charitable or to love one 

 another (B, XV., 190); yet here, while he is undoubtedly thinking of 

 Christ as Piers Plowman, he carelessly keeps the two characters 

 apart by referring to Christ by name in the preceding line (189). 

 Finally he settles for us the question as to what his meaning really is, 



* In B, XIII., 237. the priest bids the people pray for Piers Plowman: and in C. XVI., lit.T 

 Haukyu is Piers Plowman's prentice. These references balance; the Hr^st seems ta> 

 contemplate the human side of the character, the second the divine. 



