Passus sextus decimus & primus de dobet
Now faire falle ȝow quod I þo · for ȝowre faire shewyngeBx.16.1: F prefaces the passus with two lines in which the dreamer falls asleep again. Lines 1-27 are quite different in C.
Bx.16.4KD.16.4
¶ It is a ful trye tree quod he · trewlyBx.16.4: trewly: Alpha has treuthe. There is no close parallel elsewhere for either. to telle
Bx.16.8KD.16.8
Pacience hatte þe pure tre · and poreBx.16.8: pore: Beta1 repeats pure. symple of herte
And so þorw god and þorwBx.16.9: þorw (2): So LMW, and presumably therefore beta (note Hm misreads as pure), but other beta texts and alpha are without it, perhaps rightly. good men · groweth þe frute charite
Bx.16.24KD.16.24
Pieres quod I · IBx.16.24: I (2): Dropped by MR. The punctuation separating the repeated pronoun is established as Bx by LWHmOF, with a comma in Cr. preye þe · whi stonde þise piles here
¶ For wyndes wiltow wyte quod he · to witenBx.16.25: witen: "guard", punning on wyte. Alpha substitutes non-alliterating kepen. it fram fallyng
ÞanneBx.16.31: Þanne: So beta. R has And while F rewrites the line. Cx also begins this line And, but begins the next line Thenne. Since this section of the passus is so heavily revised in C, it must be used with caution as evidence for Bx. with þe firste pyleBx.16.31: pyle: In this long line LR have double punctuation, after pyle and down (Cr has commas). F abbreviates radically. I palleBx.16.31: palle: "strike". Hm and beta4 have pulle, and F has call in its rewritten line. hym down · þat is potencia dei patris
Bx.16.32KD.16.31
Bx.16.32: WHmC and alpha here have a paraph marking the transition from World to Flesh.Þe flesshe is a fel wynde · and in flourynge tyme
Bx.16.44KD.16.43
Bakbiteres breke-chesteBx.16.44: breke-cheste: "fomenters of quarrel". Beta2 misunderstands and writes breke þe cheste. R may represent alpha with the more transparent (though equally unique) compound brewe-cheste. F smooths to & boosteris. For the sense of the verb, cf. Bx.18.374, þe bitternesse þat þow hast browe. Cx drops the compound altogether. · brawleres and chideres
And leith a laddre þere-to · of lesynges aren þe rongesBx.16.45: After this F adds a rather good line about false executors.
Ac liberum arbitrium · letteth hymBx.16.47: hym: HmR have hem, but the antecedent is þe fende. some-tyme
Ac whanBx.16.51: whan: Alpha's what is a misunderstanding of the syntax. þe fende and þe flesshe · forth with þe worlde
Þanne liberum arbitrium [·] laccheth þe thriddeBx.16.53: thridde: So L and alpha. All beta mss. except L read firste, though thridde is obviously correct (cf. ll. 31, 37) and supported by Cx (RK.18.50). This provides a clear example of agreement of M with beta1 in this part of the poem. plan[k]eBx.16.53: planke: So alpha. Beta reads plante, prompted, so KD (p. 146) suggest, by the flowers and fruit of ll. 46 and 52. Cx has the synonym shoriere.
And palleth adown þe pouke · purelichBx.16.54: purelich: "entirely". Alpha has priueliche. þorw grace
Ac I haue þouȝtes a threveBx.16.58: threve: "multitude". Only here in the poem. HmF corrupt to þrowe. · of þis þre piles
And of o gretnesse ·Bx.16.62: Only O places the punctus after grene where it would be expected. and grene of greyne þei semen
Bx.16.72KD.16.69
Þanne contenence is nerreBx.16.72: nerre: The forms neer and nere in other mss. may also be comparative; so Kane (2005), s.v. neer, ner prep. þe croppe · as calwey bastarde
¶Bx.16.78: ¶: The paraph is in beta only. And pieres caste to þe croppe · and þanne comsed it to crye
[A]Bx.16.79: A: "He". Beta and F have And, but R is supported by Cx (RK.18.108) where the antecedent is Elde rather than Piers. wagged wydwehode · and it wepte after
Bx.16.80KD.16.77
And whan [he]Bx.16.80: he: Alpha is supported against beta's it by Cx, which again begins the line A, "He". See previous note. meued Matrimoigne · it made a foule noyse
Bar hem forth boldely · no-body hymBx.16.86: hym: GOR and original M have hem, repeated from the a-verse. The sg. is supported by Cx (RK.18.114). letted
AndBx.16.90: And: LMGO and alpha, supported by Cx. Beta2 begins He. hitte after hym · happe how it myȝte
Bx.16.96KD.16.93
Tyl plenitudo temporis · [tyme]Bx.16.96: tyme: So alpha and Cx. Beta alters to non-alliterating fully. comen were
And þanne shulde Ihesus iuste þere-fore · [&]Bx.16.98: &: With R's reading, supported by Cx, iuste þere-fore applies to both clauses: "Then Jesus would joust for it, and by judgement of arms [joust for] whether the devil or he himself
should taste the fruit." Beta and F drop & which is simpler. bi iuggement of armes
Whether shulde fondeBx.16.99: fonde: "test", i.e. "taste" (MED fonden 3). Established for Bx by L, original M and CR. Scribes were puzzled and altered (as M does visibly) to fonge. Cx has fecche. þe fruit · þe fende or hym-selue
Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi &cBx.16.103: &c: HmGF complete the quotation from Luke. Cx has just the first three words.
And Pieres þe plowman · parceyued plenereBx.16.107: parceyued plenere: So beta. R (and alpha?) has parseyued þe plener; F has y parseuede in þat plener. Lines 107-17 are not in C. tyme
Til he was parfit practisoure · [i]fBx.16.111: if: L's of is an obvious mistake. any peril fulleBx.16.111: fulle: The western spelling of "fell" in LHmR, and so probably in Bx.
Bx.16.112KD.16.108, 110
And souȝte oute þe syke · and synfulBx.16.112: synful: MOF have þe synful. bothe
Non est sanis opus medicusBx.16.115: medicus: The word must have been abbreviated in Bx, hence the variety of endings, including G's medicine. See next note for further uncertainties. set [male habentibus]Bx.16.115: male habentibus: Alpha's quotation is from Matt. 9.12 (see Alford (1992), 103). Beta was probably damaged, with the quotation ending in three
minims (representing the first letter of male?) which LWHmCG transcribe as in. O reasonably guesses that in is for infirmis, while MCr solve the problem by dropping in.
Ofte he heled suche · he ne helde [it]Bx.16.117: it: The alpha reading. The omission in LMC suggests it was lost in beta but supplied by beta2 and GO. for no maistrye
Bx.16.120KD.16.115
Ac as he made þ[at]Bx.16.120: þat: Alpha is supported by Cx þat miracle (RK.18.145) against beta's þe. maistrye · mestus cepit esse
Bx.16.124KD.16.119
Iewes iangeled þere-aȝeyne · [þat]Bx.16.124: þat: R (F has þo þat) makes much better sense than beta's and. Lines 123-58 are thoroughly revised in C. iugged lawes
¶ Þanne ar ȝe cherles quod [ihesus]Bx.16.127: ihesus: Beta's obviously erroneous ich is likely to derive from the abbreviation ihc, as in R. F reads crist. · and ȝowre children bothe
For I haue saued ȝow-selfBx.16.129: self: Beta follows this with seith cryst in order to clarify the speaker after the error in l. 127. · and ȝowre sones after
And fedde ȝow with fisshesBx.16.131: fisshes: Recalling Matt. 14, beta2 and F read two fisshes, and M is altered to that reading. · and with fyue loues
Enuye and yuel wille · [aren]Bx.16.143: aren: The reading of the B-text seems to have been alliterating arne, "ran", south-western past tense of rennen, as in Cx (RK.18.163). R's aren, "are", reproduces the corrupt Bx, altered to was by both beta and F, realising that a past tense is called for. See KD, p. 186. in þe iewes
Þe þorsday byfore [·] þere he made his [cene]Bx.16.147: cene: So alpha, where beta has maundee. Either could be a substitution of the other, but it is more likely that to increase the alliteration of an ax/ax line beta
substituted the fairly common phrase made his maundee, "celebrated the Last Supper" (MED maunde n. (2) (b)). Langland uses neither word elsewhere.
Bx.16.148KD.16.141
Sittyng atteBx.16.148: atte: "at the"; see note to Bx.P.107. sopere · he seide þise wordes
I am solde þorw [sum]Bx.16.149: sum: "a certain one"; cf. Mark 14.18: "unus ex vobis me tradet". Beta alters to the unambiguous one, losing the alliteration. of ȝow · he shal þe tyme rewe
Bx.16.152KD.16.145
It was hym[-self]Bx.16.152: hym-self: Perhaps the beta reading was hym as in L and original M, with other scribes making the obvious correction. sothely · and seide tu dicis
[Þe]Bx.16.155: Þe: Beta's And is repeated from the previous line. which tokne to þis day · to moche is yvsed
And kiste hym to be cauȝt þere-by · and kulled ofBx.16.159: of: Beta has some support from Cx which has cauȝt of (RK.18.169). Alpha reads þoruȝ. þe iewes
Þow shalt be myroure to manye [·] menBx.16.163: manye · men: Only in R does the punctuation separate the adj. from the noun, though this must be right. L's omission of punctuation may
indicate uncertainty. In other beta mss. it follows myroure; in F it follows merour after. to deceyue
Bx.16.164KD.16.157
Ac þe wors and þiBx.16.164: þi: So LCrWCG. Repetition of þe as in alpha and other beta mss. is the easier error and makes rather poorer sense. In a revised line Cx has thy wyles (RK.18.174). wikkednesse · shal worth vpon þi-selue
Þow I bi tresoun be ytake · atBx.16.166: at: This, the beta reading, may refer back to ytake, "captured at your wish", or forward "freely allow my apostles". Perhaps there is elision alliteration on at ȝowre. R has and instead; F has and þorgh. Cx has and to ȝoure will, which can only refer back. ȝowre owne wille
Suffreth my postlesBx.16.167: my postles: Though other mss. have myn apostles, LR are supported by the X family of C. in pays · & in peesBx.16.167: in pays & in pees: These may be variant spellings of "peace" but with different senses, as Schmidt (2008), 437, suggests. Kane (2005) derives
pays from OFr pais, "country", though MED does not record it. C mss. show similar confusion. gange
Þorw iudas and iewes · ihesus was his nameBx.16.169: his name: The reading of all mss. except F, which has þan taken. KD, p. 185, conjecture an original (and archetypal) reading ynome, misread as a "pointless homoeograph", but Schmidt (2008), 437, argues for "the importance of the name of Jesus", and sees F's reading as induced by taken in the previous line. C is revised in this passage.
¶ And I awaked þere-with · & wyped myne eyghenBx.16.175: Following this line F invents two lines to end its Passus 12 and another to begin Passus 13.
Estwarde and westwarde · I [w]aytedBx.16.177: wayted: L alone has awayted. There is variation in the parallel line in Cx (RK.18.180). after faste
Bx.16.184KD.16.176
¶ I am feith quod þat freke · it falleth nouȝte [me]Bx.16.184: me: Omitted by beta. R's order is supported by Cx. to lye
Bx.16.188KD.16.180
[¶]Bx.16.188: ¶: At this and the next line a paraph is marked by WHm and alpha to begin two speeches. L has a paraph at l. 189 only. What bereth þat buirn quod I þo · so blisse þe bityde
Bx.16.194-6: These three lines are omitted in F by eyeskip from hym-selue to hym-selue. Þe secounde of þat sire is · sothfastnesse filius
Þe liȝte of alle þat lyf hathBx.16.197: hath: Alpha loses the verb and muddles the a-verse. · a londe & a watre
Bx.16.200KD.16.192
Myȝte and aBx.16.200: a: Omitted by WHmCO, but supported by Cx (RK.18.201). mene · to knoweBx.16.200: knowe: Omitted by alpha. Cx has se. his owne myȝte
Of hym[-selue]Bx.16.201: hym-selue: The alpha reading carries alliteration and is supported by Cx against beta's hym. & of his seruaunt · and what suffre[th hem]Bx.16.201: suffreth hem: Whatever the b-verse means in alpha, it is supported by Cx against þei suffre in beta. See Schmidt (2008), 437. bothe
Patriarkes & prophetes · and aposteles were þe chyldrenBx.16.206: chyldren: Alpha's barnes is an attractive reading, and it is easy to suppose that beta is repeating children in the previous line. But Cx also reads childrene.
And cryst and crystenedome · and [alle]Bx.16.207: alle: Easily lost in beta. Alpha is supported by the X family of C, though the P family supports beta. crystene holycherche
Bx.16.208KD.16.200
In menynge þat man moste · onBx.16.208: on: Cr and Alpha read in. Lines 208-27 are not in C. o god bileue
Bx.16.212KD.16.204
In toknynge of þe Trinite · was taken oute of oBx.16.212: o: "one". In LHmCOR, but dropped by MCrWG and F (which reads mankynde). CrW reverse the word-order of the b-verse. man
Adam owre allerBx.16.213: aller: "of us all", of which alþer in O is another form. The variants are interesting: Hm's aldre is ambiguous, though aldre-fader suggests "ancestor" (see MED eldre and eldre-fader). This is modernised by Cr as olde father. F reads forme fader. fader · Eue was of hym-selue
And þ[u]sBx.16.217: þus: The reading of all beta mss. except L þis. But possibly L preserves the beta reading since alpha has þat. is mankynde or manhede · of matrimoigne yspronge
¶ Miȝte is [in]Bx.16.219: in: Beta's omission leads CrW to alter the noun Miȝte to the adjective Mighty. matrimoigne · þat multiplieth þe erthe
HeBx.16.221: He: Altered to the more "correct" form in beta2 and F. þat firste fourmed al · þe fader of heuene
Þe sone if I itBx.16.222: it: As in LW and alpha, but unsurprisingly lost in the others. For if I it, CGO read is if I, and alter the b-verse accordingly. durst seye · resembleth wel þe wydwe
Þus in þre persones · is perfitliche [pure]Bx.16.230: pure: So R (=alpha?); F rewrites as þorghȝ. R has support from Cx (is puyrlich bote o mankynde, RK.18.233), and improves the alliteration. Having dropped the third stave, beta misplaces the punctus, although since alpha
does so as well it is probable that the misplacement was in Bx, thus encouraging the omission of pure in beta. manhede
Þat is man & his make · & moillere herBx.16.231: her: Support from Cx shows as usual that agreement of L and alpha is sufficient to establish Bx. children
Bx.16.232KD.16.222
And is nouȝt but gendre of oBx.16.232: o: Supported by LWCR as well as sense, although lost by MCrHmGOF. generacioun · bifor Ihesu crystBx.16.232: cryst: To shorten a long line, GF drop cryst and Cr drops in heuene. in heuene
And called me þeBx.16.257: þe: Dropped by all except L, beta2 and R. fote of his faith · his folke forto saue
And defende hem fro þe fende · folke þat on me lenedenBx.16.258: leneden: "leaned". Cr unambiguously has leueden, and F has beleveþ (G is altered to leved). These three scribes regularly read "leave" for lenen in the sense "grant". The others may be read as <-u-> or <-n->, but "leaned" is fitting where Abraham is þe fote. See Schmidt (1995), 400.
And þus I seke hym he seide · for I [herde]Bx.16.261: herde: L omits; the corrector notes the omission. seyne late
Of a b[ui]rnBx.16.262: buirn: So alpha for beta's inappropriate barne. þat baptised hym · Iohan Baptiste was his name
Þat to patriarkes and toBx.16.263: to (2): Lost in beta4 and F. prophetes · and toBx.16.263: to (3): Lost in beta4. other peple in derknesse
Bx.16.264KD.16.252
Seyde þat he seighBx.16.264: seigh: Beta is supported by Cx (and sense) against alpha's seyde. here · þat sholde saue vsBx.16.264: sholde saue vs: Beta is supported by Cx against alpha's schal sauen hem. alle
ForBx.16.267: For: Beta is supported by Cx (RK.18.270) against alpha's And. in his bosome he bar a thyng · [and]Bx.16.267: and: Alpha is supported by Cx against beta's omission. þat he blissed euere
Bx.16.268KD.16.255
And I loked onBx.16.268: on: Support from LMCGOR confirms this as the Bx reading, even though beta2 and F have in, as in Cx. his lappe · a lazar lay þere-Inne
Amonges patriarkes and profetes · pleyandeBx.16.269: pleyande: The present participle ending varies suggestively. Alpha, and perhaps Bx, may have had -ende, as in F, miscopied by R as -ede. LALME records this in Gloucs as well as East Anglia. HmG have -eng(e), which is scattered but mainly south eastern. L's -ande, though often regarded as northern, is also found in London. See LALME, dot maps 345-8, and vol. 4, 105-7. togyderes
[¶]Bx.16.270: ¶: The paraph marking direct speech is supported by WHmC and alpha. What awaytestow quod he · and what woldestow haue
[¶]Bx.16.271: ¶: The paraph marking the change of speaker is supported by WC and alpha. I wolde wyte quod I þo [·] what is in ȝowre lappe
[¶]Bx.16.274: ¶: The paraph marking the change of speaker is supported by WHmC and alpha. It is a preciouse present quod he · ac þe pouke it hath attached
And me þere-[with]Bx.16.275: with: So alpha and Cx, and needed for the alliteration. Beta presumably had myde, altered as elsewhere to the commoner wyþ in HmCG (see Bx.6.69 and 15.324). quod þat [wy]Bx.16.275: wy: So alpha and Cx, and needed for the alliteration. Beta alters to man. · may no wedde vs quite
Bx.16.277: The line is omitted by alpha. It is in Cx. Oute of þe poukes pondfoldeBx.16.277: pondfolde: The form as in LWC is influenced by MED pound(e n. (2). · no meynprise may vs fecche
Bx.16.283-6: These four lines are only in beta; alpha has three quite different lines, though beginning Allas, suggesting eyeskip following the word. Beta is supported throughout by Cx. KD explain it as "homoeoarchy" (Allas I ... I) with the spurious lines added to bridge the gap in sense (p. 68). ¶ Allas I seyde þat synne · so longe shal lette
I affraynedBx.16.287: affrayned: The form is supported for Bx by LWCR. hym fyrste · fram whennes he come
Bx.16.288KD.16.275
[W]hatBx.16.288: What: Beta begins the line And what. Alpha is supported by Cx, though notice that there the previous line begins And. he hiȝte & whider he wolde · and wightlich he tolde