Piers Plowman: Passus XV Summary & Analysis

In his waking life, Will thinks so much about his dreams that he feels crazy. Other people think he’s crazy too, as his wild raving makes him seem like a fool. Reason takes pity on Will and helps him fall back asleep. He slips into another dream, this time coming face-to-face with a man named Anima, who goes by several other names as well, including Animus, Mens, Memoria, Ratio, Sensus, Conscientia, Amor, and Spiritus. Will jokes that Anima is like a bishop, since bishops are also referred to by many names. From this comment, Anima realizes that Will “would like to learn everything that lies behind their names, / And behind mine.”

Will adds that he would also like to “naturally, natively in my heart” have an understanding of all of the sciences and arts. Anima tells Will that wanting to know so much makes Will “one of Pride’s knights,” since the same desire for knowledge is what caused Lucifer’s downfall. Anima explains that craving such endless knowledge goes against Kind. He points out that friars are often guilty of the same thing, “…showing off high learning / More for pomp than for pure charity; the people know the truth.”

Anima explains that society is like a tree. Some branches are barren, while others have healthy growth, and this disparity means that the tree’s roots are sick. Anima explains, “Just so parsons and priests and preachers… / Are the root of the right faith to rule the people.” When the roots of the tree are rotten, the tree can never thrive and flower like it’s supposed to. Anima explains to Will that John Chrysostom teaches the same thing—when a tree looks sickly, the roots are to blame, and when society seems “undisciplined and irreligious, without doubt the priesthood is not healthy.”

Will asks Anima about charity, explaining that he’s never seen charity play out in his life: “I have lived in land…my name is Long Will, / And I have never found full charity.” He explains that he’s only seen people act charitably when they know they will be repaid. Anima teaches Will that that’s not Charity. Instead, Charity is “…glad with all who’re glad, and good to all wicked / And loves and lends help to all that our Lord made.” Anima explains that Charity is a “sweeter sustenance” than bread.

Will wishes he could meet Charity, but Anima says that without Piers Plowman’s help, Will has no hope of meeting Charity. Piers Plowman knows Charity better than anyone because Piers is empathetic to other people and is attuned to God’s will. Anima says other people aren’t as pure—many beggars “…look like lambs and seem life-holy” but are just putting on an act to receive more alms. Anima calls Piers Plowman “Petrus id est Christus,” and affirms that he is not a fraud like many hermits are.

Continuing his teaching about Charity, Anima tells Will that whether Charity is clothed in expensive furs or simple cloth, “…he’d hand it over happily to any one who needed it.” However, Charity is elusive. Although Charity frequents the king’s court, he refuses to attend if Covetousness is serving on the council. Charity also rarely goes among the common people “Because of brawling and backbiting and bearing false witness.” He also rarely is seen among the bishop’s representatives, since “…their lawsuits last overlong unless they get silver.”

Anima declares that people will do well to remember that even though humans suffer greatly, “…God suffered for us more.” Likewise, the holy saints lived lives of suffering, marked by penance and poverty. Anima explains that even Jesus’ early followers lived humble lives, as “…Paul practiced basket-making, / And earned with his hands what his stomach had need of,” and “Peter fished for his food.” Anima teaches that these days, it seems that the rich only help the rich, which isn’t much different from someone who uses a bucket full of fresh river water “to wet down the Thames.”

Anima tells the story of a Christian man named Mohammed who trained a dove by putting corn in his ear so the dove would fly to him. Mohammed traveled the world giving sermons and used his trained dove to pretend that he was God’s messenger. Anima explains that Mohammed’s trick “…brought into misbelief men and women, / So that learned there and unlearned still believe in his laws.” Likewise, friars and hermits are like Mohammed, and their dove is greed. 

Anima says that even though “…Christ’s Cross that overcame death and deadly sin” should be revered, “Both rich and religious” people only worship the cross that is stamped in their gold coins.