(Robert), an old English poet of the 14th century, and one of the first disciples of Wickliffe the reformer. He is said to have been born in Shropshire, but we have no account of his family. He wrote The visions of Pierce Plowman; a piece which abounds with imagination and humour, though drested to great disadvantage in very uncouth versification and obsolete language. It is written without rhyme, an ornament which the poet has endeavoured to supply by making every verse begin with the same letter. Dr Hickes observes, that this kind of alliterative versification was adopted by Langeland from the practice of the Saxon poets, and that these visions abound with Saxonisms: he styles him celeberrimus ille satirographus, morum vindex acerrimus, &c. Chaucer and Spencer have attempted imitations of his visions, and the learned Selden mentions him with honour.

an island of Denmark in the Baltic sea, in the straight called the great belt, and between Zealand, Saland, and Ryona. It produces plenty of corn, and the principal town is Rutceping. E. Long. 11. 10. N. Lat. 55. 0.