The Problem of Poverty and Literacy: Piers Plowman and the Wycliffites
Yoshiko Asaka
This paper examines Langland's idea of poverty and literacy in its religious and social context, relating it to Lollard and Protestant ideas. An addition on poverty in C text, stressing that salvation is made through patient poverty, through doing well is the result of Langland's close working with the Gospels. Another addition in C, differentiating the worthy from the undeserving poor, shows Lollard's inclinations, since the industrious poor are praised in the Wycliffite writings. An idea of 'redde quod debes', derived from the Gospels, which leads to a recolutionary conception of a redistribution of wealth according to need, advocated by a zixteenth century Protestant, R. Crowley. A lesson of Need that man can take from others in extreme need, hinted in Matthew, was a view of medieval theology.
Closely related with the idea of poverty, is that of literacy. Lngland's idea that 'lewed men' can be saved through sacraments, is the basis of the Catholic church. A poor, wretched ploughman was a conventional figure in the contemporary poems of social complaint, but Lollard's ploughman is literate, since literacy is central to the Lollards, and vital thing for salvation for the Protestants as is shown in the Pilgrim's Progress. Langland isi close to Lollard, in showing that his ploughman has knowledge of the Bible. The right of the poor to receive alms from the rich look to a 16 th century theory of distributive property ownership. Langland's doctrine on poverty and literacy, thus, shows some moves towards the ideology of the Lollards and Protestants. It should be noted that Langalnd does not say anything 'heretical' or 'revolutionary', particularly in C. The 'heretical' elements are in the Bible itself, where Christ and St. Paul show opposing views. The Lollards desire to return to St. Paul, and so does Langland on some occasions.
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