Cr1.3.52KD.3.51 Wyst I that quod the woman , I wold not spare
C.3.51KD.3.51 ¶ Wist I that quod þat womman I wolde nought spare
G.4.51KD.3.51 wyst I that quod that wommanG.4.51: The final stroke on the <n> of womman appears to be a flourish rather than a final -<e>. I wold not spare
R.3.51KD.3.51
¶¶ Wist I þat quatz mede þere nys wyndow no wowȝ .R.3.51: Beta's version of the b-verse reads I wolde nouȝt
spare. It seems likely that the long passage of damaged or missing text in alpha after
this point (cf. R3.52) may actually begin with this b-verse.
R.3.52KD.3.51.1 Þat I ne wolde make and amende it with of myne . These two lines are offered by alpha instead of eleven lines preserved in
beta (= KD3.52-62); it appears that the beta passage is archetypal but was somehow overlooked
or unavailable to alpha and that the two lines in their stead were introduced to patch the
resulting incoherence, adapted from two cognate lines in A (= Kane
3.50-51). Beta's cognate lines are as follows:
Wist I that quod þat womman I wolde nouȝt spare
For to be ȝowre
frende frere and faille ȝow neure
Whil ȝe loue lordes þat lechery haunteþ
And lakkeþ nouȝt ladis þat loueþ wel þe same
It is a frelete of flesche
ȝe fynde it in bokes
And a course of kynde wher-of
we komen alle
Who may scape þe sklaundre þe skaþe is sone amended
It is synne of
seuene sonnest relessed
Haue mercy quod Mede of men þat it haunte
And I shal
keure ȝowre kirke ȝowre cloystre do maken
Wowes do whitten and wyndowes
glasen.
F.4.52KD.3.51¶ Ȝee wiste y þat quod Meede / þer is[n]is wyndowe ne awhter.F.4.52: This line and the following one correspond roughly to A 3.50-51. Alpha omits eleven lines attested by beta witnesses. Possibly the addition of this line and the next reflects
alpha's attempts to restore material missing in his exemplar from his memory of A. Beta reads as follows:
Wiste I þat quod þat womman I wolde noȝt spare
For to be youre frend frere and faile yow neuere
While ye loue lordes þat lecherie haunten
And lakkeþ noȝt ladies þat louen wel þe same
It is a freletee of flessh ye fynden it in bokes
And a cours of kynde wherof we comen alle
Who may scape þe sclaundre þe scaþe is soone amended
It is synne of þe seuene sonnest relessed
Haue mercy quod Mede of men þat it haunteþ
And I shal couere youre kirk youre cloistre do maken
Wowes do whiten and wyndowes glazen.