In the third vision of Piers Plowman (B.8–12), the dreamer debates salvation theology with personifications of learning: Thought, Wit, Study, Clergie, Scripture, Reason, and Imaginatif. With each interlocutor, the dreamer tries to gauge the likelihood of his own salvation, and whether the plan of salvation is inclusive or exclusive, fair or unfair, proof of God’s mercy or his justice. By connecting emotionally and intellectually with “old livers” – antique rulers, philosophers, and poets – the dreamer gains a purchase on his future while reaching back in time to those whose salvation is uncertain at best.