fol. 77v (cont.)I
PassusB 17
YG.18.1: For the interpretation of the first letter of this line as a <Y>, see note to G.7.260. am spes quod he a spye & spure after a knyght
þat toke me a mandement vp-on þe monvtmo[n]t off synay
to reuvle all realmes wyth y beyre þe wrytt here
G.18.4KD.17.4
ytts ysttG.18.4: Cr C2 Cot share G's original reading ytt ys. Remaining manuscripts share G's corrected reading ys ytt. ensayled he sayde may men se þe letters
nay he sayethe y seeke hym þat hathe þe seale to kepe
& þat ys cros & crystendome & cryst þeron to hange
& when ytt ys ensaeled so / I wote well þe sothe
G.18.8KD.17.8
þat lucyfers lordshyppe shall last no lengre
lett vs se þe letters quod I we myght þe lawe knowe
fol. 78rI
then pluvcked he forthe a patent a pece off an harde roche
wheron were wryten two wordes on thys wyse glosed
G.18.12KD.17.13
dilige deum et proximum tuum et cetera
thys was þe texte trewly I tooke full goode ȝeme
the glose was gloryouvsly wryten wyth a gylt penne
In hijs duobus mandatis tota lex pendet et prophete ://
G.18.16KD.17.17
beene þer all thye lordes lawes quod y / ye leuve meG.18.16: Most C manuscripts share the G Cr R F reading me (for majority B me wel), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. he sayede
who-so worchethe after þis wrytt I wyll vndretake
shall neuer deuvell hym deere ne dethe yn souvle greuve
for thoghe y say ytt my-seluve y haue sauved wyth þis charme
G.18.20KD.17.21
off men & off women many score thowsandes
he sayethe sothe sayde þe harauvde I haue fouvnden ytt ofte
loo here yn my lappe þat leuved on þat charme
Iosuve & Iuvdethe & Iuvdas machabeuvs
G.18.24KD.17.25
ye & andand syxtye thowsand bysyde forthe þat beene noght seene here
your wordes beene wondrefull quod y / wyche off you ys trewest
& leelest to leeuve on for lyuve & For souvle
habraham sayethe þat he see holye the trynyte
G.18.28KD.17.29
thre persones yn percelles depertable from other
& all thre but on god thus abraham me taght
& hathe sauved þat byleeuve so / & sorye for þer synnes
he can not segge þe some & some are yn hys lappe
G.18.32KD.17.33
what nedethe ytt þen / a new lawe to begynne
sythe þe furste suffysethe to saluvatyon & to blysse
& now comethe spes & speykethe þat aspyed þe lawe
& tellethe noght off þe trynyte þat toke hym þes lettres
G.18.36KD.17.37
to byleuve & louve yn on lord allmyghtye
& sythe ryght as þi-seluve so louve all poeple
the goome þat goethe wyth a staffe he semethe yn greater heale
then he þat goethe wyth two stauves to syght off vs all
G.18.40KD.17.41
and ryght so by þe roode reason me shewethe
ytt ys lyghter to lewde men a lessone to knowe
then for to teychen þem two & harde to lere þe lest
ytt ys full harde for any man on abraham to byleuveG.18.43: The cross in the bottom of the right hand margin is in modern pencil.
fol. 78vI
G.18.44KD.17.45
& wellaway worsce yet for to louve a shrewe
ytt ys lyghlyerG.18.45: For the spelling of "lightlier" without a <t>, see note to G.1.150. to leeuve / yn thre louvelye persones
then for to louve & leenve aswellas well lorelles as leales
go thy gate quod I spes so me god helpe
G.18.48KD.17.49
tho þat lernen þi lawe lytle wyle wsen ytt
& as we went þus by þ.e way we wordyng togeddres
then seghe we a samarytan syttyng on a muvle
rydyng full rapely þe ryght way we yedene
G.18.52KD.17.53
comyng fro a contrey þat men called Ierico
to a Iuvstyce yn Ierusalem he chased a-way faste
bothe þe herauvde & hope & he mette at oonesce
where a man was wouvnded & wyth theuves y-take
G.18.56KD.17.57
he myght nether steppe ne stand ne styrre foote ne handes
ne helpe hym-seluve sothely / for semyvyf / he semed
& as naked as a nedle & noon helpe abowte hym
feythe had furst seght off hym but he flygh on syde
G.18.60KD.17.61
& wold not nyghe hym by nyen landes lenghte
hoope came hyppyng after / & had so y-boosted
howe he wyth moyses mandement had many man yholpe
but when he had syght off þat segge asyde he gan drawe
G.18.64KD.17.65
dredfully by þis day as ducke doethe fro þe fawkon
but so sone so þe samarytane had syght off þis leede
he lyght downe off lyarde & lad hym yn hys hand
& to the way he went hys wouvndes to beholde
G.18.68KD.17.69
& perceyuved by hys pouce / he was yn perell to dye
& but he had recouereG.18.69: The G Cr23 C2 reading recouere may well result from a failure to notice an abbreviation, but, in any case, as far as G and Crowley are concerned, it is worth noting that, according to the OED, the use of "recoverer"="remedy" dies out during the fifteenth century (see OED recoverer, n.1). the rather ryse shold he neuer
wyth wyne & wyth oyle hys wouvndes he wasshed
enbalmed hym & bond hys heyde & yn hys lappe hym leyde
G.18.72KD.17.74
& lad hym so forthe to lyarde to lex cristi a grauvnge
well syx myle or seyuven fro þe new markett
harbored hym at an hostrye & to þe hosteler called
& seyde haue kepe þis man tyll I come fro þe Iuvstece
G.18.76KD.17.78
& . loo here syluer he sayde for saluve to hys wouvndes
& he toke hym too pence to lyuvelode as ytt were
fol. 79rI
& sayde what he spendethe more I make þe goode hereafter
for y may not lett quod þat leede and l..yarde he bestroode
G.18.80KD.17.82
& raped hym to Ierusalem-warde þe ryght way to ryde
faythe folowed after fast and fouvnded to mete hym
and spes spaklyche hym spedde / spede yff he myght
to ouer-take hym & talke to hym er þei to towne came
G.18.84KD.17.86
& when I seye þis / I soiouvrned nat / but shoope me to renne
and suved þat samarytan / þat was so full off pyte
& grauvnted hym to be hys goomeG.18.86: Bm also originally shared the G R F reading goome, but in Bm this has been corrected to grome, as all other manuscripts. / grauvnt mercy he sayede
but thy frende & felowe thowe fyndest me att nede
G.18.88KD.17.90
& y thanked hym tho & sythen he me tolde
howe þat feythe flede a-way and spes hys felowe bothe
for syght off þe sorowfull man / þat robbed was wyth theuves
haue theym excuvsed quod he / theyr helpe may lytle auvayle
G.18.92KD.17.94
may no medycyne on molde / þe man to heale bryng
nether faythe ne fyne hoope / so festered beene hys wouvndes
wyth-oute þe bloode off a barne borne off a meyde
& he be bathed yn þat bloode baptysed as ytt were
G.18.96KD.17.98
& þen plastered wyth pennance wyth G.18.96: A downward stroke, possibly that of the <p> of passyon but also possibly the downward stroke of a thorn (see the F reading with þe passioun), has been written and deleted after deleted wyth. & passyon off þat body
he sholde stande & steppe but stallworthe worthe he neuer
tyll he haue eyten all þe berne & hys bloode y-dronke
for went neuer wyȝe In þis word world thrugh þat wyldernes
G.18.100KD.17.102
that he ne was robbed or ryfelde / rode he þer or yede
sauve faythe & hys felow spes & y my-seluve
and thy-seluve nowe & suoyche as suvene our workes
for owtlawes yn þe woodde & vndre bancke lowtethe
G.18.104KD.17.106
& mowe eche man see & good marke take
who ys behynd & who ys before & who beene on horse
for he þat holdethe hym herdyer on hors þen he þat ys on foote
for he seythe me a samarytan sewe faythe & hys felowe
G.18.108KD.17.110
on my caple þat hette caro off mankynd I tooke ytt
he was vnhardye þat harlott & hydde hym in inferno :
but are thys day thre dayes I dare vndretake
þat he worthe fettered þat fellone fast wyth cheynes
G.18.112KD.17.114
& neuer efte greuve goome þat goethe by thys gate
& then shall faythe be forster here & yn þis frythe walke
fol. 79vI
and kenne comune men þat knowe not þe contrey
wyche ys þe way þat I went & wherforthe to Ierusalem
G.18.116KD.17.118
& hoope þe hostelers mane shalbeshal be / þer þe man lyethe to heale
& all þat fyeble & faynte beene / þe faythe may not teyche
hoope shall leyde theym forthe wyth louve / as hys letter tellethe
& hostyle þem & heale them / & þen shall I retorneG.18.119: G's b-verse is taken from the following line (KD.17.122b).
G.18.120KD.17.122
tyll y haue
saluve for
al syk & þen
I shall G.18.120: The G scribe has the correct word order (shall I rather than I shall) in his erroneous use of this b-verse in the previous line (G.18.119). re-
torne
G.18.120: A line extending from the box indicates the place where this material should be inserted.
& come agayne by þis contrey & conforte all sycke
that crauven ytt or couveyten ytt & cryen therafter
for þe barne was borne yn bethelemG.18.123:The remainder of this line in the majority of manuscripts reads þat with his blode shal saue, material which does not appear in G until the following line. G's reading of the b-verse is shared, with some minor differences, with C C2 Y and B. The result of added material both here and later means that these manuscripts have three lines instead of two. on a cleane meyde
G.18.124KD.17.125-126
G.18.124: For G's a-verse (the b-verse of KD.17.125), see note to previous line (G.18.123).that shall wyth hys bloode sauve all þat lyuven yn faytheG.18.124: G's b-verse here is the a-verse of KD.17.126. G's reading of this line is shared with C C2 Y B. See note to G.18.123.
& folowen þe teychyng off hoope that ys hys feloweG.18.125: The G C C2 B reading expands on most manuscripts his felawes techynge in order to turn what was originally only a half line (the b-verse of KD.17.126) into a full line; the a-verse found in most manuscripts has already been used in G.18.124. See also note G.18.123. Y also shares the G C C2 B reading, except that Y has holpe for G C C2 B hoope.
a swete syr seyde y tho where shall y byleuve
and faythe & hys felow enfouvrmethe me bothe
G.18.128KD.17.129
In thre persones depertables / þat perpetuvell were euver
& all thre but on god thuvs abraham me taght
& hoope afterwarde bad me to louve
on god wyth all my good / & all my goomes after
G.18.132KD.17.133
louve theym lyke my-seluve but our lorde abowe all
after abraham quod he þat harauvde off armes
sett faste thye faythe & fyrme byleuve
& as hoope hyght þe I hoote þat þou louve
G.18.136KD.17.137
thyne euvyncrysten euer-more euven forthe wyth thy-seluve
& yff conscyence carpe cherysshym / or kynd wytt other
or herytykes wyth arguvmentes thyn hand þou hym showe
for god ys after an hand y-here nowe & knowe ytt
G.18.140KD.17.141
the fadre f was furst a fyst wyth on fynger foldyng
tyll hym louved & lyst to vnlosen hys fynger
& profer forthe as wyth a pavme to what place yt sholde
the pavme ys puverly þe hand & proferethe forthe þe fynger
G.18.144KD.17.145
to mynysteer & to make þat myght off hand knowethe
& betokenethe treuvly tell who-so lykethe
the holy gost off heyuven he ys as þe pavme
the fyngers þat fre beene to folde & to seruve
G.18.148KD.17.149
bytokenethe sothely þe sonne þat sent was to þe yerthe
þat towched & tasted all þe teychyng off þe pavmbe
seynt mary a meyde & mankynd kaght
fol. 80rI
qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto natus et cetera//
G.18.152KD.17.152
the fadre ys then as a fyst wyth fyngre to touvche
quia omnia traham ad meipsum et cetera//
all þat þe pavme perceyuvethe profytable to feele
thuvs are they all but on as ytt an hand were
G.18.156KD.17.155
& thre sondrye syghtes yn on shewyng
the pavme for he puttethe forthe fyngers & þe fyst bothe
ryght so redylye reason me shewethe
how he þat ys holy gost syre & sonne prouvethe
G.18.160KD.17.159
& as þe hand holdeth hard & all thyng fast
thrugh four fyngers & a thombe forthe wyth the pavme
ryght so þe father & þe sonne & seynt spyryte þe thyrde
holdethe all þe wyde worlde wythe-ynne þem thre
G.18.164KD.17.163
bothe þe welkyn & þe wynd water & yerthe
heyuven & hell & all þat þerynne ys
thysG.18.166: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. ytt nedethe no man trow non other
that thre thynges beylongen In our lorde off heyuven
G.18.168KD.17.167
and ere sereplessere[l]e[p]esG.18.168: The G scribe's erroneous spelling sereples is shared by Hm C C2 Y B (Hm by correction). Cr23 have Serples. Only L and M have the correct spelling. by theym-seluve sondreye were they neuer
no more þen myne hand may move wyth-ovte my fyngers
and as my fyst ys full hand folden to-gedders
so ys þe fadre a full god fouvrmore & shaper
G.18.172KD.17.170α
tu fabricator omnium & cetera//
all þe myght wyth hym ys yn makyng off all thynges
the fyngers fouvrmen a full hand to pouvrtrey or paynte
keruvyng & compassyng as crafte off þe fyngers
G.18.176KD.17.174
ryght so ys þe sonne þe scyence off the fadre
& full god as ys þe fadre no febelre ne no better
the pavme ys purelyche þe hand hathe power by hym-seluve
otherwyse þen þe whrythen fyst or workmanshyppe off fyngers
G.18.180KD.17.178
for þe pavme hathe power to putt ovte all þe Ioyntes
& to vnfoslden þe folden fyst as þe fyngers wyll
so ys þe holy gost god nether greater ne lasse
then ys þe syre & þe sonne & yn þe same myght
G.18.184KD.17.184
& all they are but on god as myne hand & my fyngers
fol. 80vI
vnfolden or folden my fyst & my pavme
all ys but on hand euvene In the myddest myddesG.18.186: The b-verse of KD.17.186 and the a-verse of KD.17.187 ("how-so I torne it Ac who is herte in þe hande") are omitted by G W Hm C C2 Y B (as a result of eyeskip on hand). This omission was originally also present in M but has been corrected. KD.17.188 ("He may receyue riȝt nouȝte · resoun it sheweth") is omitted by G C C2 Y B.
for þe fyngers þat folde sholde & the fyst make
G.18.188KD.17.190
for payne off the pavme power them faylethe
to cluvche or to clawe to clyppe or to holde
were þe myddell off myn hande ymaymed or perysshydde
y shold receyuve ryght noght off þat I G.18.191: A virgule has been added to separate I from reyche. reyche myght
G.18.192KD.17.194
but thogh my thombe & my fyngers bothe were to-shuvllene
& þe mydle off myne hand wythe-oute male-easse
In many kynnes maner I myght my-seluve helpe
bothe moeue & amend / thogh all my fyngars oke
G.18.196KD.17.198
by thys skyll me thynkethe y see an euvydence
that wo-so synnethe yn / sente spyryte / assoyled worthe he neuere
nether here ne elles-where as y herd tell
qui peccat in spiritu sancto et cetera//
G.18.200KD.17.201
for he pryckethe god ynG.18.200: C originally read as in, as most manuscripts. However, as has been cancelled, bringing C's reading into line with that of G C2 F. The line in C is, however, so different from that of other B manuscripts, including G, that it seems unlikely that this change indicates a relationship. þe pavme þat peccat in spiritu sancto://
for god þe fadre ys as þe fyste þe sonne as a fynger
the holye goste off heyuven ys / as ytt were þe pauvme
& wo synneth yn seynt spyryte ytt semethe þat he greuvethe
G.18.204KD.17.205
god þat he grypethe wyth and wold hys grace quvenche
and to a torche or a taper þe trynyte he lykened
as waxe & a weyke were twyned to-geddres
& then a fyre flamyng forthe oute off bothe
G.18.208KD.17.209
and as waxe & weyke & wooteG.18.208: G's spelling of "hot" here (i.e. woote) results from the extension (from the fifteenth century onwards) of wh- spellings to words with initial h- followed by an o sound, a spelling retained in words such as whole. See note to G.14.426, and OED under wh. For the use of <w> for wh, see Dobson, English Pronunciation, section 414 (Dobson sees it as a dialect development), and note also G's use of <wo> for "who" at, e.g., G.2.146. fyre to-geddres
fostreenG.18.209:The deletion of the original e of fostren is not intentional; the original <e> has been blotted and the addition has been made to clarify the reading. forthe a flauvmbe and a fayre lyght
so done þe syre & þe sonne & also spiritus sanctus:
fostren forthe as leele amonges folke louve & leele byleuve
G.18.212KD.17.214
that alkynnes crysten clenseth off synnes
& as þou seest some-tyme sodenlyche a torche
the blasse þeroff blowen owte yet brynnethe þe weyke
wyth-oute leye or lyght that þe smacche swelethe
G.18.216KD.17.218
so ys þe holy gost god and grace wyth-oute mercye
to all vnkynd creatuvres þat couveten to dystroye
leele louve other lyffe þat our lord gave
fol. 81rI
& as a glowyng gleede ne gladen þes workmen
G.18.220KD.17.222
that worchen & walken In wynters nyghtes
as doethe a kex or a candell þat cauvghtG.18.221: The alteration of <u> to <v> in "caught" is in a different colour ink from the usual hand1.1 corrections, but the form is exactly the same. hathe fyre & blasethe
no more dothe syre ne sonne ne seynt spyryte to-geddres
grauvnt no grace ne forgyvenes off synnes
G.18.224KD.17.226
tyll þe holy gost gynne to glowe & to blasse
so þat þe holy gost glowede but as a glede
tyll þat leele louve lygge on hym & blowe
& then flamethe he as fyre on pater & on filius
G.18.228KD.17.230
& meltethe theyr myght to mercy as men may see yn wynter
yse-ykeles yn euveysynges thrugh heate off þe sonne
meltethe yn a mynuvte whyle to myste & to water
so grace off þe holye goste / þe greate myght off þe trynyte
G.18.232KD.17.234
meltethe to mercye to marcyable & to non other
and as waxe wyth-oute more / on a warme gleede
wyll brenne & blasse be they to-geddres
& solacen þem þat may se þat sytten yn derknes
G.18.236KD.17.238
so wyll þe fadre forgyve / folke off mylde hertes
þat rufullyche repenten & resytutyon make
In as moche as þei mowen / amenden & payen
for yff ytt suffyce noght for a seght / þat yn suoyche wyll dyethe
G.18.240KD.17.242
mercy for hys mekenes wyll make good þe remnant
& as þe weyke & fyre wyll make a warme flammbe
for to myrthe men wyth þat yn marke sytten
so wyll cryste off hys couvrtysye yff men crye hym mercye
G.18.244KD.17.246
bothe forgyuve / & forgett / & yett byd for vs
to þe fadre off heyuven forgyvenes to haue
but hewe fyre att a flynt fouvre hondrethe wynters
but þou haue towe to take ytt wyth / tyndre or broches
G.18.248KD.17.250
all þi labouvr ys lost & all þi long trauvayle
for may no fyre flauvmbe make / fayle yt hys kynd
so ys þe holy gost god / & grace wyth-owte mercye
to all vnkynd creatures / cryste hym-seluve wyttnessythe
fol. 81vI
G.18.252KD.17.253α
amen dico vobis / G.18.251: This may be a deleted letter rather than a virgule. nescio vos & cetera //
be vnkynd to y thyne euven-crystyen & all þat þou canst bydde
deylen or do pennance day & nyght euver
& puvrchace all þe perdone off pampylyon & rome
G.18.256KD.17.257
and Indulgences y-nowe / & be ingratus to thy kynde
the holy gost herethe the noght / ne helpe may þe by reason
for vnkyndnes quvenchethe hym / þat he ne cane shyne
ne brenne ne blasse clere / for blowyng off vnkyndnes
G.18.260KD.17.261
paule þe apostle prouvethe where y lye
si linguis hominum loquar & cetera
forthy beethe warre ye wyse men þat wyth þe worlde dealen
þat ryche beene & reason knowen / reuvlethe well your soule
G.18.264KD.17.264
beethe noght vnkynd I couvnseale you to your euvencrystyen
for many off you ryche men / by my souvle men tellen
ye brenne but ye blase noght / that ys a blynd beyken
non omnis qui dicit domine domine & cetera//
G.18.268KD.17.268
diues dyed dampned for hys vnkyndnes
off hys meyte & off hys money to men þat ytt neded
eche ryche I reddeG.18.270: The G form redde (for remaining manuscripts rede) does not necessarily imply a substantive variant. The G scribe was clearly aware of the possibility of using single and double consonants to indicate preceding long and short vowels, but his own practice in this respect was by no means consistent (see Introduction III.2). / rewarde att hym take
& gyuvethe your good to þat god / þat grace off arysethe
G.18.272KD.17.272
for þei þat beene vnkynd to hys / hoope I non other
but þei shall dwell þer diues ys dayes wyth-owten ende
thus ys vnkyndnes þe conrtrarye / þat quvenchethe as .ytt were
the grace off þe holye gost goddes owne kynde
G.18.276KD.17.276
for þat kynd doethe vnkynd fordoethe / as thes cuvrsed theuves
vnkynd crysten men for couvetyse off&G.18.277: G's original reading off is also found in C2. G's corrected reading & is that of the rest of the B manuscripts. enuvye
sleyethe a man for hys moebles / wyth mouvthe & wyth handes
for þat þe holy gost hathe to kepe / the harlottes destroyen
G.18.280KD.17.280
the wyche ys lyffe & louve / þe lyght off mannes bodye
for euery maner good man / may be lykened to a torche
or elles to a taper / to reuverence þe trynyte
& wo-so morderethe a good man / me thynkethe by my wytte
G.18.284KD.17.284
he fordoethe þe leuvest lyght / þat our lorde louvethe
for yet yn many mo maners men offend þe holy goste
but þis ys þe worst wayes þat any wyght myght
synnen ageyne seynt spyryte / assenten to destroye
fol. 82rI
G.18.288KD.17.288
for couvetyse off any thyng off / that cryste dere boghtG.18.288: G W Hm C C2 Y B omit a line at this point ("How myȝte he axe mercy · or any mercy hym helpe").
that wyllfullyche & wyckedlyche / wold mercy anyentyce
Innocence ys next god / and nyght & day ytt cryethe
Wengeance Wengeance / forgyve be ytt neuver
G.18.292KD.17.293
that shent vs & shedde our bloode forshapte vs as ytt were
G.18.293: The first stroke of the <v> of vindica has been written in grey-black ink and then cancelled and rewritten in red. vindica sanguinem Iustorum & cetera ///
thuvs wengeance wengeance verray charyte askethe
& sythe holy cherche & charyte / chargethe thys so sore
G.18.296KD.17.296-297
leuve y neuer þat our lorde wyll louve / þat charyte askethe lakkethe
ne haue pyte for any preyer / there þat he pleynethe
I pose I had synned so / & shold not dye
& now am sory þat y so / þe seynt spyryte agylte
G.18.300KD.17.301
confesse me & crye hys grace / god þat all made
& mydldelyche hys mercye aske / myght y not be sauved
thus sayde þe samarytan so well / þou myght repente
that ryghtyouvsnes thrughe repentance to reuvthe myght torne
G.18.304KD.17.305
but ytt ys but seldome seene / þer sothenes beyrethe wyttenes
any creature þat ys cuvlpable afore a kynges Iuvstece
be rauvnsomed for hys repentance / þer all reason hym dampnethe
for þer þat partye puvrsuvethe þe poeple ys so huvge
G.18.308KD.17.309
that þe kyng may do no mercy to bothe men acorde
& ether haue equvyte as holy wrytte tellethe
nunquam dimittitur peccatum et cetera / /
thuvs ytt farethe by suoche folke / þat falsly all þeir lyuves
G.18.312KD.17.312
yuvell lyuven & leete noght tyll lyfe theym forsake
goode hoope & þat G.18.313: The scribe clearly noticed the omission of þat when he was in the process of transcribing the rubricated material at G.18.317, and he has corrected in red ink. helpe sholde / to whanhoope touvrnethe
noght off þe non-power off god / þat he ne ys myghtfull
to amend all þat amys ys / and hys mercy greater
G.18.316KD.17.318
then all our wycked werkes / as holy wrytte tellethe
misericordia eius super omnia opera eius & cetera / /
but er þis ryghtfulnes to reuvthe torne some restytuvtyon behouvethe
hys sorowe ys satysfacyton for hym þat may noght pay
G.18.320KD.17.321
thre thynges there beene / þat done a man by strenght
fleen hys owne houvse / as holye wrytte shewethe
fol. 82vI
that on ys a wycked wyffe þat wyll not be chastysed
hyr feere flyethe from hyr / for fere off hyr tong
G.18.324KD.17.325
& yff hys houvse be vnhylled & reyne on hyrsG.18.324: The original alteration (replacement of long <r> of hyr by supralinear sigma <s>) is in the main scribe's usual grey ink. However, the crossed-out <r> has later been erased and replaced with an inline sigma <s> in brown ink which partly encroaches on the supralinear <s>. bedde
he sekethe all abovte tyll he lygge drye
& when smoke or smodre / smytethe yn hys syght
ytt doethe hym wors þen hys wyffe / or wete to slepe
G.18.328KD.17.329
for smoke & smoldre smytetheG.18.328: M originally shared the G L C reading smytethe, but supralinear in has been added after the verb, bringing M's reading into line with that of remaining B manuscripts. hys eyne
tyll he be bleyre-eyed or blynd / & hoos G.18.329: Kane and Donaldson too read G hoos but there is a mark above this word, possibly a later addition, which may be intended as an abbreviation for -er-. While β4 manuscripts read hoos; other manuscripts read hors. yn þe throte
he coghethe & cursethe / þat cryst gyue hym sorowe
þat shold bryng yn better wode / or blowe tyll ytt brent
G.18.332KD.17.333
thes thre þat y tell off beene þisG.18.332: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. to vndrestande
the wyffe ys our wyked flesshe / þat wyll not be chastysed
for kynd cleuvethe on hym euer / to contrarye þe souvle
& thogh ytt fall ytt fyndethe skylles / þat freylte ys made
G.18.336KD.17.337
& þat ys lyghtlyche forgyuven & forgeten bothe
to a man þat mercy askethe / and amend thynkethe
the reyne þat reynethe þer we rest sholde
been sycknes & sorowes þat we sufferen offte
G.18.340KD.17.341
as paule þe apostell to þe poeple taght
virtus in infirmitate perficitur et cetera //
& thogh þat men make moche dole yn theyre angre
and ympacyentz yn þer pennance pure reason knowethe
G.18.344KD.17.344
that they haue cauvse to þe contrarye by kynd off þer syknes
& lyghtlyche our lorde att our lyuves ende
hathe mercy on suoyche men þat so yuvell may suffer
but þe smoke & þe smoldre þat smyte yn oure eyne
G.18.348KD.17.348
ys couvetyse & vnkyndnes þat quvenchethe goddes mercy
for vnkyndnes ys þe contrarye / off alkynnes reason
for þer y nys sycke ne sory ne non so moche wreche
þat he ne may louve & hym lyke / and lenve off hys herte
G.18.352KD.17.352
good wyll & good worde bothe wysshen & wyllen
all maner men mercy & forgyvenes
and louvethe them lyke hym-seluve / & hys lyve amend
I may no lenger lett quod he & harde prycked
G.18.356KD.17.356
& went a-way as þe wynd & therwyth I waked
fol. 83rI
explicit tercius passus de doobetter G.18.356: There is a small <e> in the right hand margin. There appears to be no codicological reason for this, but note the small <c> in the same position at the beginning of G14 (f.55r).
MED