fol. 113rI
[Prologue]
IN a someres seysoun · whan setHm.P.1: CrHm read set. Other B manuscripts have soft. Skeat argued that since set was written over an erasure in Hm, the error was introduced after the publication of Cr. See Skeat, xxii and n.1; and xxxiii, n. 1. However, George Kane, The Evidence for Authorship (London: Athlone Press, 1965), p. 41, n. 3, correctly points out that the first twelve lines were erased and written over by an early fifteenth-century scribe and thus could owe nothing to the Crowley editions. We cannot agree with Kane's further contention that the hand is different from that of the original scribe: the revision is probably by the original scribe. However, Kane is correct that "it is therefore indeterminable whether the agreement of HmCr in reading set resulted from vertical or lateral transmission. But that Hm acquired this reading very early is not in doubt." The fullest explanation of the causes of the erasure is by Captain R. B. Haselden, who detected no change of hand on this leaf. was the sunne
y schoop me in-to shrowdes · as y a sheep were
in abyte of an heremyte · vnholy of werkes
Hm.P.4KD.P.4
wente wyde in þis world · wondres to here
ac on a maij mornynge · on maluerne hilles
me bifel a ferly · of fayrye me thougthe
y was wery for-wandred · and wente me to reste
Hm.P.8KD.P.8
vnder a brode banke · by a bornys syde
and as y lay and lenede · and loked on the watres
y slombred in-to a slepyng · it swyȝed so merye ·
Thanne gan y meetyn · a merueylows sweuene
Hm.P.12KD.P.12
that y was in a wyldernesse · wyste y neuere where
as y be-helde into the Eest · an hye vnto the sunne
y sawe a tour on a tofte · rychely y-maked
a deep dale byneþe · a dongeoun there-ynne
Hm.P.16KD.P.16
wyth deep dyches and derke · and dredfull of syȝte
a fayre feelde full of folke · fonde y there bytwene
of alle manere of men · the mene and the ryche
wurchynge and wandrynge · as the world asketh
Hm.P.20KD.P.20
Summe putten hem to the plough · pleyȝeden full selde
in settynge and in sowynge · swonken full hardeHm.P.21: Hm omits the following line, here in the spelling of L: And wonnen that wastours with glotonye destruyeth. In view of Hm's occasional agreement with F, it is perhaps worth noting that the same line is dislocated in F, where it appears after KD.P.24.
and summe putten hem to pryde · apparayleden hem there-after
in contynaunce of clothynge · comen dysgysed
Hm.P.24KD.P.25
in prayers and penaunces · putten hem manye
all for the loue of our lord · leueden full streyte
in hope to haue aftyr · heuene-ryche blysse
as ancres and heremytes · that holden hem in here selles ·
Hm.P.28KD.P.29
that coueytyn nouȝt in contree · to kary..en a-bo.wte
for no lykerouse lyflode · here lykham to plese
and summe chesoun chaffare · thei cheueden the bettre
as it semyth by our syȝt · that suche men .......schulde
Hm.P.32KD.P.33
and summe merthes to make · asa[s] menstralles kunneth
and geten golde wyth her gle · synne...?...?...les y leeue
ac iapers and iangalers iudas chyldren
feyne.den hem fantasyes · and folys hem ma.de ·
Hm.P.36KD.P.37
and han her wytt at wylle · to werke yf they schulde
that poule precheth of hem · y nel nouȝt preue it here
Qui loquitur turpeloquium · ys lucyfer his hyne
bydders and beggers · faste abo..wte ȝede
Hm.P.40KD.P.41
wyth here belyes and here bagges · of brede full crammed
Faytede..... for her food · fouȝten at the nale ·
fol. 113vI
In glotanye god it woot · goo they to bedde
and rysen wyth rybawdye · þoo roberdes knaues
Hm.P.44KD.P.45
slepe and sory slewthe · sueth hem euere
pylgrymes and palmers · plyȝten hem to-gydre
for to seke seynt Iame · and seyntes ate Rome
they wenten forþe in here way · wyth many wyse tales
Hm.P.48KD.P.49
and hadden leue to lyȝen · allHm.P.48: All and the <en> of lyȝen have been restroked in the same darker ink as the corrections in line Hm.P.49, just below, possibly compensating for the erasures in that line having damaged these characters. here lyfe after
y say summe that seyden · they....... hadden souȝt seyntes
to eche tale that they tolde · her tonge was tempryd to lyȝe
more than to seye sothe · it semeth by here speche
Hm.P.52KD.P.53
heremytes on an hepe · wyth hokede staues
wenten to walsyngham · and here wenches after
grete lobyes an.d longe · that loþe were to swynke
cloþeden hem in copes · to be knowe from othere
Hm.P.56KD.P.57
and schopen hem heremytes · to hauen her ese
I fond there freres · alle the foure ordres
prech...yng the peple · for profit of hem-selfe
glosede the gospel · as hem good lykede
Hm.P.60KD.P.61
for couetyse of copes · construyd it as they.... wolde
many of these mayster freres · mowen cloþe hem at lykyng
for here money and here marchandyse · macchen to-gydres
for syþþe charyte haþ be chapman · and cheef to schryue lordes
Hm.P.64KD.P.65
many ferlyes han fallen · in a fewe ȝeres
but holy chyrche and they · holden bettre to-gydre ·
þe most myscheef on molde · ys mountynge wel faste
there prechede a pardener · as he a preest were
Hm.P.68KD.P.69
brouȝte forthe a bulle · wyth many buschopes seales
and seyde that hym-self myȝte assoylen hem alle
of falshede of fastyng · and of a-vowes broken
lewed men lykede hym wel · and leueden ..........his wordes
Hm.P.72KD.P.73
komen vp knelynge · to kussen hys bulles
and rauȝt wyþ hys ragaman · rynges and brochesHm.P.73-74: In relation to other B manuscripts, these lines are transposed uniquely in Hm.
he bunchede hem wyþ his breuet · and blessede her yȝenblessede
thus thei gyven here golde · glotones to kepe
Hm.P.76KD.P.77
and leneþ it suche loselles · that lechery haunten
were þe buschop blessed · and wurþ boþe his .....herenHm.P.77: Heren, "ears," is written over an erasure, and what appears to be an otiose tilde is actually part of the material erased. Hm and F have the <-en> plural in place of the eris of most manuscripts.
his seal schulde nouȝt by sent · to disceyue þe peple
ac it ys nouȝt by the buschop · that the boye precheþ
Hm.P.80KD.P.81
for the paryscheprestparysche prest and the pardener · parten the seluer
that the porayle of the parysch · schulde haue if þei ne were
fol. 114rI
parsones and parysch prestes · pleynede hem to the buschop
that here paryschenes were pouere · sytthe the pestilence tyme
Hm.P.84KD.P.85
to haue a lycence and leue · at londoun to dwelle
and syngen there for symony · for syluer ys swete
buschopes and bachilers · bothe maystres and doctorys
that han cure vndyr cryst · and crownyng in tokene
Hm.P.88KD.P.89
and sygne that they schulden · schryuen here pareschenes
prechen and prayȝen for hem · and the pouere feede
and nowe they lyȝen at londoun · in lenten and Elles
sumtyme serue the kyng · and his money tellen
Hm.P.92KD.P.93
in cheker and in chauncelrye · chalengen his dettes
of wardes of wardemotys · of weyves of streyves
and summe seruen. of seruauntz · lordes and ladyes
and in stede of stewardes · sytten and demen
Hm.P.96KD.P.97
here masse and here matynes · and many of her oures
arn doon . · vndyuoutlyche · drede ys at the laste
leste cryst in consistorye · accuse full manye
y parceyuede of the powere · that petur hadde to kepe
Hm.P.100KD.P.101
to bynden and vnbynden · as the book telleth
howe he it lefte wyth loue · as our lord hyȝte
amonges foure vertues · the beste of alle vertues
that cardynals ben callede · and closynge ȝates
Hm.P.104KD.P.105
there cryst in his kyngdome · to close and to schutte
and to opene it to hem · and heuene blysse schewe
ac of the cardynalys ate the courte · that kauȝten of the name
and power presumede in hem · a pope to make
Hm.P.108KD.P.109
to han that power that petur · hadde inpungnen y nelle
for in loue and lettrure · the eleccyon bylongethHm.P.109: Hm uniquely omits the following line, here given in the spelling of L: For-þi I can and can nauȝte of courte speke more.
than came ther a kyng · knyȝthode hym ladde
myȝt of the comenes · made hym to regne
Hm.P.112KD.P.114
and þanne came kyn..de wytt · and clerkes he made
forto conseyle the kyng · and the comune saue
þe kyng and the knyȝthode · and clergye bothe
kasten that the comune · schulde hem-selfe fynde
Hm.P.116KD.P.118
the comune tho contreued · of kynde wytt craftes
and for profit of the peple · ploughmen ordeynede
to tyllye and to trauayle · as trewe lyfe as.keþ
the kyng.. and the comune · and kyn..de wytt the þrydde
Hm.P.120KD.P.122
schopen lawe and leaute · eche man to knowe his owne
thanne lokede vp a lunatyk · a lene thyng wythalle
fol. 114vI
and knelynge to þe kyng · clergeally he seydeHm.P.122-133: Captain Haselden notes that lines Hm.P.122-133 "are written over an erasure, occupying the space of eleven lines of the text as it was first written. With the aid of the ultra-violet lamp the erased writing (barely visible in the facsimile) can be read in certain places, and indicates that the line omitted by the original scribe was line 5." The first six lines to the word lowed have been supplied by the original scribe (Hand1) and the remainder of the passage is the work of Hand3. See the Introduction, § II.1.3.2.
Cryst kepe þe syre kyng · and thi kyngryche
Hm.P.124KD.P.126
and leene the lede þy lond · so leaute þe louye
and for þy ryȝtfull rewlynge · be rewarded yn heuene
and syþen yn þe ayer an hiȝe · an aungel of heuene
lowed to speke in latyn · for lewyd men ne cowde ·
Hm.P.128KD.P.130
iangle ne iugge þat iustefye hem schulde
but suffren and seruyn · for-thi seyde the aungel ·
Sum rex sum princeps · neutrum fortasse deinceps ·
O · qui iura regis christi specialia regis ·
Hm.P.132KD.P.134
Hoc vt agas melius iustus es esto pius ·
Nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate ·
Qualia vis metere · talia grana sere
Si ius nudatur · nudo de iure metatur
Hm.P.136KD.P.138
Si p?serit.ur pietas · de pietate metas
thanne greuede him a golyard.... .Hm.P.137: It is difficult to determine what Hm's reading might have been before the erasure following the final <d> of golyard. All other B manuscripts have Goliardeys. a glotoun of wurdes
and .to the angel an hyȝe · answer..ed after
Dum rex a regere · dicatur nomen habere
Hm.P.140KD.P.142
Nomen habet sine re · ............studeat nisi iura tenere
thanne gan alle the comune · crye in verse of latyn
to the kynges conseyl · construe who-so wolde
Precepta regis · sunt nobis vincula legis
Hm.P.144KD.P.146
Wyth that ran ther a route · of ratones at ones
and smale Mees wyth hem · mo than a þousand
and comen to conseyl · for the comen profit
for a kat of a contree · came whan hym lykyde
Hm.P.148KD.P.150
and ouer lepe hem lyȝtly · and lauȝt hem at his wylle
and pleyȝ..ed wyth hem perelously · and possede aboute
for doute of diuerse dredes · we dare nouȝt wel loke
and if we grucche of his gamen · he wolde greue vs alle
Hm.P.152KD.P.154
cracche vs and clawe vs · and in his cloches holde
that vs lotheth the lyfe · ere he lete vs passe
myȝt we wyth eny wytt · his wylle to wythstonde
we myȝte be lordes on lofte · and lyuen at our ese
Hm.P.156KD.P.158
a ratoun of renoun · moste resonable of tonge
seyde for a souereyn · helpe ...?...?...to hym-sylue
y haue seyn segges quod he · in the sytee of londoun
beren beyȝes full bryȝt · a-boute her nekkys
Hm.P.160KD.P.162
and summe colers of crafty werk · vncoupled they wente
bothe in wareyne and in waast · where hym-self lyketh
and other while they arn elles-whare · as y here telle
fol. 115rI
Hm.P.163-173: Hand 1 initially wrote ten lines which he erased and replaced with these eleven lines in a lighter ink. were þer a belle on her beye · by ihesu as me thynkeþ
Hm.P.164KD.P.166
men mygth wete where þey wente · and awey renne
and rygth so quod that ratoun · resoun me scheweþ
to bygge a belle of bras · or of brygth syluer
and knyttyn it on his coler · for owr comyn profytHm.P.167: Cr1WHmG omit the following line present in all other B manuscripts: And hangen it vp-on þe cattes hals þanne here we mowen, here given in the spelling of L.
Hm.P.168KD.P.171
where he rytt or resteþ · or renneth to pleye
and ȝif hym lyke forto layke · thanne loke we mowe
...?...and apperen yn his presence · therwhile hym pleye lykeþ
and ȝif hym wraþþeþ be-war · and his weye schonye
Hm.P.172KD.P.175
All þis rowte of ratouns · to this resoun assented ·
ac tho þe belle was ybrougth · and on the beye hanged ·
ther nas no ratoun in all that route Hm.P.174:For reasons unclear to us, the scribe begins to mark the caesura with a punctus elevatus. See the Introduction I.8 for all the Reme of fraunce
that durste aHm.P.175: HmF's unique reading a is an unstressed form of haue, the reading of the other B manuscripts. bounden the beyȝe  a-boute the kattys nekke
Hm.P.176KD.P.179
ne haue take the kat by the hals  all Engelond to wynne
and holden hem vnhardy  and her conseyl feeble
and leetoun her labour loste  and all her longe studye ·
a mous that moche good cowde  as men thouȝten
Hm.P.180KD.P.183
stroke forthe sternely  and stood by-fore hem alle
and to the route of ratouns  rehercede thes wurdes
though we kullen the katt  ȝet schall ther come a-nother
to cacche vs and all our kynde  though we crepe vndur benches ·
Hm.P.184KD.P.187
for-thi y conseile all the comune  to late the kat wurche
and be we neuer so bolde  the belle to schewe ·
for y herde my syre seyn  it is seuene ȝeer passed ·
ther the catt ys a ketoun  the court ys full ...elengeyn.
Hm.P.188KD.P.195
that wytnesseþ holy .....wryt · who-so wole it rede
Ve terre vbi puer est rex
For ther may no thyng reste haue  for ratouns by nyȝte
ther while the kat kaccheth konynges  he coueyteth nought our careyne
Hm.P.192KD.P.190
but fedeth him wyth venysoun  dyffame we hym neuere
but betur ys a lytyll lo.s · than a long sorowe
the mase amonge vs alle  though we mysse a scherewe
for many mennys malt  we mees wolden destruye
Hm.P.196KD.P.199
and alle-so the route of ratouns  rende mennys clothes
nere the kat of the courte  that kan ȝowe ouer-lepe
for hadde ȝe rattes ȝour wylle  ȝe kowthe nat rewle ȝowe-sylueHm.P.198: There is a one space erasure between yow and sylue, probably an <e>. Part of the <w> is restroked over this erasure by hand1. ·
y sey for me quod the mous  y se so muche after
Hm.P.200KD.P.203
schall neuer kat ne ketoun  by my conseyl be greuyd
ne no carpyng of his coler  that coste me neuere
and thouȝ it hadde costed me katel  byknowe it y nolde
but suffre as hym-sylf wolde  to do as hym lyketh
fol. 115vI
Hm.P.204KD.P.207
coupled and vncowpled  to kacche what thei mowe
forþy eche a wyse wyȝt y warne  wyte wel his owne
What thes metels bymeneth  ȝe men that ben merye
dyuyne ȝe for y ne dar  by dere god in heuene
Hm.P.208KD.P.211
ȝit houed there an hundryd  in huresHm.P.208: Hures, "head coverings, caps" (OF). of selk
sergeauntes it bysemyd  that serueden at the barre
pleteden for penyes  and poundes the lawe
and nauȝt for loue of our lord · vnlose her lyppes ones
Hm.P.212KD.P.215
þu myghtyst better meete the myst  on maluerne hulles
than gete a Mum of here mouthe  tyl money be schewede
barouns and burgeis  and bonde-men als
y say in this assemble  as ȝe schull here after
Hm.P.216KD.P.219
bakesters and brewesters  and bochers manye
wollen websters  and weuers of lynnen
taylours and tynkers  and tollere in markatys
masouns and mynourys  and many othere kraftes
Hm.P.220KD.P.223
of alkyn lybbyng laborers  lopen forthe summe
and dykers and deluers  that done here dedes ylle
and dryven forthe the longe day  wyth dieu vous saueHm.P.222: The word saue is perhaps written over an erasure, though it may be explicable as roughness in the vellum. dame Emme
kookes and her knaues  cryeden hote pyes hote
Hm.P.224KD.P.227
goode gees and grys  go we dyne go we
tauerners vntyl hem  tolden the same
wyth wyn of oseye  and reed wyn of gascoyne
Of the ryneHm.P.227: Oddly, the final <e> appears to have been written over an erased <e>, perhaps reflecting scribal self correction? and of the rochel  the roste to dyfye
Hm.P.228KD.P.231
all this say y slepyng  and seuene sythes more ·
MED