fol. 77vI
passus xvjussextus decimus
N
Now faire falle ȝyow quod I tho . for ȝyoure faire ...?...shewyng
For .....haukyns loue þe actifmanactif man . euere I shal þeM.16.2: M's þe is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read yow. louye
Ac ȝyet I am in a wheereer . what charitee is to mene
# declaracionem caritatis
M.16.4KD.16.4
It is a ful trie tree quod he . truly to telle .
Mercy is þe more þereof . þe mydelstokmydel stok is ruthe
The leues ben bele wordus . þe lawe of holy churche
The blosomes ben buxuom speche . and benyngne lokynge
M.16.8KD.16.8
Pacience hatte þe pure tree . and pouere symple of herte
And so þoruȝ god and þoruȝ good men . groweth þe fruyt charite .
I wolde trauaille quod I þis tree to see . twenty hund...red myle .
And for to haue my fulle of þat fruyt . forsake al other saulee
M.16.12KD.16.12
Lord quod I ȝif any wiȝte wite . whider out it groweth
nota bene
It groweth in a gardyn quod he . þat god made hym-seluen
Amyddes mann.es body . þe more is of þat stokke
Herte hatte the herber . that it inne groweth
M.16.16KD.16.16
And liberum arbitrium . hath þe lond to ferme
Vnder piers þe plouwman . to pike it and to wede it
Piers þe plowman quod I tho . and al for pure ioye
That I herde nempne his name . anoon I swowned after
M.16.20KD.16.20
And lay longe in a loue-dreme .. . and atte þe laste me thouȝte
That piers þe plowman . al þe place me shewede
And bad me toten on þe tree . on top and on rote
# thre pylis off Charite
With thre piles was it vndur-pi..ȝte . I parceyued it soone .
M.16.24KD.16.24
Piers quod I prayM.16.24: M's reading quod I pray is shared with R; other B manuscripts read quod I I preie. þe . why stonden þise piles here .
For wyndes wilt þow wyte quod he . to wyten it fram fallynge .
Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur . quia dominus supponit manum suam .
And in blowynge tyme abite þe flours . but if þise piles helpe
M.16.28KD.16.27
The world is a wikked wynde . to hem þat willen truthe .
Coueitise cometh of þat wynde . & krepeth amonge þe leeues
And forfret neigh þe fruyt . þoruȝ many faire siȝtes
Than with þe furste pile I palle hym doun . þat is potencia dei patris
M.16.32KD.16.31
The flessh is a felle wynde and in flourynge tyme
Thoruȝ likynge and lustes . so loude he gynneth blowe
Þat it norissheth nyce sightes . and somm-tyme wordes
And wykked werkes þere-of . wormes of synne .
M.16.36KD.16.35
And forbiteth þe blos.....mes . riȝt to þe bare leeues .
fol. 78rI
liber xvjus
Thanne sette I to þe secounde pile Sapiencia dei patris
That is þe passioun and þe power . of oure prince Ihesu
Thorugh preiers and þoruȝ penaunce . and goddes passion in mynde
M.16.40KD.16.39
I saue it til I see it ripen . and somdel yfruyted
And þanne fondeþ þe feende . my fruyt to destruye
With alle þe w.yles þat he kan . and waggeth þe Roote
And casteth vp to þe crop . vnkynde neiȝbores .
M.16.44KD.16.43
Bakbiters .....brokkeM.16.44: M's altered reading brokke is unique among B manuscripts. Many other B manuscripts read breke, and R has brewe. cheste . brawlers and chiders .
And l.....eyeth a laddre þere-to . of lesynges arn þe ronges .
And feccheth a-way my floures sumtyme . afore bothe myn eiȝen .
Ac liberum arbitrium letteth hym somm-tyme
M.16.48KD.16.47
Þat is lieutenaunt to loken it wel . by leue of my-seluen .
Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum . nunquam remittetur & cetera
Hoc est idem qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat .
Ac whan þe feend and þe flessh . forth with þe world
M.16.52KD.16.49
Manacen byh.ynde me . my fruyt for to fecche
Þanne liberum arbitrium . laccheth þe furste plaunte
And palleth a-doun þe pouke . pureliche þoruȝ grace .
And helpe of þe holy goost . and þus haue I þe maistrie
M.16.56KD.16.53
Now faire falle ȝyow piers quod I . so faire ȝeye descryuen
The poer of þise postes . and hire propre miȝte .
Ac I haue þouȝtes a threve . of þise thre piles .
In what wode þei wexen . and where þat þei groweþM.16.59: M alone among B manuscripts attests the word in the present tense. Other B manuscripts attest the past.
M.16.60KD.16.57
For alle ar þei a-liche longe . noon lasse þan other
And to my mynde as me thinketh . on o moore þai growede
And of on grettnesse . and grene of greyn þei semen .
That is soth quod piers . so it ..mai bifallen .
M.16.64KD.16.61
I shal telle þe as tite . what þis tree hatte .
The grounde þere it . groweth . godnesse it hiȝte
And I haue tol..d — þe what hiȝte þe tree . þe trinite it meneth
And egreliche he loked on me . and þerefore I spared .
M.16.68KD.16.65
To asken hym any moore . þere-of . and bad hym ful faire .
To discryue þe fruyt . þat so faire hangeth
Here now binethe quod he þo . If I nede hadde
Matrymoigne I may nyme . a moiste fruyt with-alle
M.16.72KD.16.69
....AndM.16.72: M's revised reading And is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read Thanne or Þat. Continence is neer þe crop . as kayleway bastard
Þanne bereth þe crop kynde fruyt . and clenneste of alle
Maydenhede angeles pieres . and rathest wol be ripe .
And swete withouten . swellynge . soure worth it neuere
fol. 78vI
M.16.76KD.16.73
I praide piers to pulle a-doun . an appul and he wolde
And suffre me to assaie . what sauour it hadde
And pieres caste to þe crop . and þanne comsed it to crye
And wagged wydowhode . and it wepte after .
M.16.80KD.16.77
And whan it moued Matrimoigne . it made a foule noise
Þat I hadde reuthe whanne piers rogged . it gradde so rufullyche
For euere as þei dropped adoun . þe deuel was redy .
And gadred hem alle to-geders . bothe grete and smale
M.16.84KD.16.81
Adam and Abraham . and Ysaie þe prophete
Nota notabile
Sampson and Samuel and seint Iohan þe Baptiste
Bar hem forth boldly . no-body heimM.16.86: M's original reading of hem placed M in agreement with YGOC2R. lettud
And made of holy men his hoord . in limbo inferni
M.16.88KD.16.85
There is derkenesse and drede . and þe deuel Maister
And piers for pure tene . þat oon pile he laug...hte
And hytte after hym . ...happeM.16.90: In place of M's revised reading happe, WCr have hitte. how it miȝte
Filius by þe fader wille . and frenesse of Spiritus sancti .
M.16.92KD.16.89
To go robbe þat raggeman . and reue þe fruyt fram hym .
And þanne spak Spiritus sanctus . in gabrieles mouthe
To a mayden þat hiȝte Marie a meke þinge with-alle
That oon Ihesus a Iustice sone . moste iouke in hire chambre
M.16.96KD.16.93
Til Plenitudo temporis fully comen were
That Piers fruyt floured . and felle to be ripe .
And þanne shulde Ihesus . iuste þerfore . by iuggement of armes
Whether shuld fondgeM.16.99: M's original reading of fonde agreed with CYBLR. þe fruyt . þe fend or hym-seluen
M.16.100KD.16.97
The mayden myldeliche þo . þe messager graunted
And saide hiendeliche to hym . lo me his hand-mayden
For to wuyrchen is wille . with-outen any synne
Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi & cetera
M.16.104KD.16.100
And in þe wombe of þat wenche . was he fourty wokes
Til he wex a faunt þoruȝ hire flessh . and of fiȝtynge kouthe .
To haue y-fouȝte with þe feend . er ful tyme come .
And piers þe plowman . parceiued plenere tyme .
M.16.108KD.16.104
And lered hym lechecrafte . his lif for to saue
That þouȝ he were wound.ed with his enemy . to warisshe him-seluen
And deide hemM.16.110: M's hem is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read hym. assaie his surgerye on hem þat seke were .
Til he was parfit practisour . if any perille fille
M.16.112KD.16.108, 110
And souȝte oute þe seke . and þe syn..—ful bothe
fol. 79rI
liber xvjus
And salued seke and syn.—full . bothe blynde and crokede
And comune wymmen conuerted . and to goode turned .
Non est sanis opus medico set & ceteraM.16.115: The quotation breaks off at different points in other B manuscripts. M shares set & cetera with Cr12.
M.16.116KD.16.111
Bothe mesels and mute . and in þe menesoun blody
Ofte he heled suche . he hel.d for no maistrie
Saue þo he leched lazar . þat hadde I-leye in graue
# Resurreccionem lazaris
Quatriduanus quelt . quik d.id hym walke
M.16.120KD.16.115
Ac as he made þe maistrye . mestus cepit esse .
And wepte water with his eiȝen . þere seiȝen it manye
Somme þat þe seighte seiȝen . saide þat tyme
That he was leche of lif . and lord of heiȝe heuene
M.16.124KD.16.119
Iuwes iangled þere-aȝein . and iugged lawes
And saiden he wrouȝte . þoruȝ wychecrafte . and with þe deueles miȝte
Demonium habes & cetera .
Thanne aren ȝye cherles quod ich . and .yowre children bothe
M.16.128KD.16.122
And Sathan .youre saueour ȝyow-self now .. —M.16.128: The erasure of a word here, which in most B manuscripts is ye, brings M into agreement with OC2F. However, these manuscripts read your-self for yow-self which therefore makes sense. M shares yow-self with YLR which retain ye. wittnessen
For I haue saued ȝyow-self saith Crist . and ȝyoure sones after
ȜYoure bodyes ȝyoure beestes . and blynde men holpen
And fedde ȝyow with ijtwoM.16.131: M's original reading without this number agreed with GYOC2CBLR. fisshes . and with fyue loues
M.16.132KD.16.126
And lefte basketes ful of broke mete . bere away who-so wolde
And mysseide þe Iuwes manliche . and man..aced hem to bete
# Fugacionem Iudeorum de Templo
And knokked on hem with acordea corde . and caste a-doun hire stalles
That in churche chaffareden . or chaungeden eny moneye
M.16.136KD.16.130
And saide it in sighte of hem alle . so þat alle herden
I shal ouertourne þeM.16.137: M's þe is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read þis. temple . and a-doun throwe
And in thre dayes aftur . edifiedM.16.138: M uniquely has a preterite form here. Most other manuscripts have edifie it. At M.18.45 a similar elision has been corrected. newe .
And make it as muche or more . in alle maner poyn...tes
M.16.140KD.16.134
As euere it was and as wyde . wherfore I hote ȝyow .
Of praiereM.16.141: M alone among B manuscripts has praiere in the singular. and of parfitnesse this place þat ȝye callen .
Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur
Enuye and .yuel wille . was in þe Iewes
M.16.144KD.16.137
Thei kesten and contreueden . to kulle hym whan þei miȝte
Eche day after other . .hire tyme þei awayted
Til it felM.16.146: M's fel is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read bifel. on a Friday . a litel byfore paske
The thorusday þereM.16.147: M's þere is not shared by other B manuscripts. bifore . ther he makedede his maundee
M.16.148KD.16.141
Sittynge at þe soper . he saide þise wordes .
I am solde þoruȝ oon of ȝyow . he shal þe tyme rewe
That euere he his saueour solde . for siluer orellesor elles
fol. 79vI
Iudas iangeled þere-aȝyein . ac Ihesus hym tolde
M.16.152KD.16.145
It was hym-selfM.16.152: M's original reading without self agreed with L. sothely . and saide tu dicis
Thanne wente forth þat wikked man . and with þe Iewes mette
And tolde hem a tokene . how to knowe Ihesus
And w...ehich tok..ne to þis day . to muche is y-vsed
M.16.156KD.16.149
That is kyssynge and faire contenaunce . and vnkynde wille
And so was with Iudas þo . þat Ihesus bytraiede
Aue raby quod þat ribaude . and riȝt to hym he ȝyede
# quomodo Iudas tradidit Cristum
And k....issed hym to byM.16.159: The reading by, shared with F, is not recorded by Kane and Donaldson. Other B manuscripts have be. cauȝte þere-by . and kulled of þe Iewes .
M.16.160KD.16.153
Thanne Ihesus to Iudas . and to þe Iewes saide
Falsenesse I fynde . in þi faire speche
And gile in þi glad chere . and galle is in þi laughynge
Thou shalt ben a Mirrour . to many men to desceyue
M.16.164KD.16.157
Ac þe worse and þe wikkednesse . shal worthe vpon þi-selfue
Necesse est vt veniant scandala . Ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit .
Þouȝ I by treson be y-take . at ȝyoure owne wille
Suffreth myn appostles in pais . and in pees gange
M.16.168KD.16.160
On a thorsday in thesternesse . thus was he taken .
Thoruȝ Iudas and Iewes . Ihesus was ....hisM.16.169: The alteration brings M into agreement with all other B manuscripts except F, which for his name reads þan taken. name
That on þe Fryday folwynge . for mankynde sake
Iusted in Ierusalem . a ioye to vs alle
M.16.172KD.16.164
On cros vpon Caluarie . crist took þe bataille
Aȝyeins deth and þe deuel . destruyed bothe hire miȝtes
Deiede and deth fordede . and day of niȝt made .
IM.16.175: M alone among B manuscripts begins this line with I. Most B manuscripts begin And I; F begins Þan I. awaked þere-with . and wip.ed myne eiȝen
M.16.176KD.16.168
And after piers þe plowman priede and stared .
Estward and westward . I wayted after faste
And ȝyede forth as an idiote . in con...etre to aspye
After piers þe plowman . many a place I souȝte
M.16.180KD.16.172
And þanne mette I with a man . .onM.16.180: M's revised reading on agrees with Cr23GYOC2F. Other B manuscripts have a. mydlentoun suonday
As hoor as an hawthorne . and Abraham he hiȝte
I frayned hym furste . from whennes he come .
And of whenn..es he were . and whyderwardeM.16.183: M's whyderward is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read whider or whider þat. he thouȝte
M.16.184KD.16.176
I am faithe . quod þat Fre.ke . it falleth not to lye .
# de Fide
And of Abrahames hous . an heraud of armes .
I seke after a segge . þat I seigh oones
A ful bold bacheler . I knewe hym by his blasen
M.16.188KD.16.180
What bereth þat burne quod I tho . so blisse þe bityde
fol. 80rI
passus xvjus
de fide de trinitate
Thre leodes in o ...lythM.16.189: For M's revised lyth B reads liche. non lenger þan a-notherM.16.189: M alone reads a-nother; all other B manuscripts read ooþer.
Of oon muchel and miȝt . in mesure and in leng....the
That on doth alle don . and ichonM.16.191: M's ichon is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read ech. doth ......by his oone
M.16.192KD.16.184
The furste hath miȝte and maieste . maker of alle þinges
Pater is his propre name . a persone by hym-seluen .
The secounde of þat sire is . sothfastnesse filius
Wardeyn of .. þat wit haþ . was euere with-outen gynnyng
M.16.196KD.16.188
The thridde hatte þe holigoost . a persone by hym-seluen .
The liȝt of al þat lif hath . a londe and on .M.16.197: M's on is followed by an erased supralinear correction. Other B manuscripts read a for on. watre
Confortour of creatures . of hym cometh alle blisse
So thre bilongeth for a lord . þat lordshipe claymeth
M.16.200KD.16.192
Mighte and a mene to knowe his            M.16.200-201: In this line and the next, the scribe has written around a 3cm hole, at one time sewn. No text was lost. owne miȝte
Of hym and of his seruaunt .           and what þei suffre bothe
So god þat gynnynge hadde neuere . but tho hym good þouȝte
Sente forth his sone . as for seruaunt þat tyme .
M.16.204KD.16.196
To ocupie hym here . til issue were y-sprongen .
That is children of charite . and holy churche þe modur
Patriarkes and prophetes . and appostoles weren þe child...ren
And Crist and cristendome . and cristen holy churche
M.16.208KD.16.200
In menynge þat man moste . on o god bileue .
And þere hym likede . and louede . in thre persones hym shewede
And þat it may be so and soth . manhode it sheweth
Wedloke and w.......ydwehode . with virginite y-nempned
M.16.212KD.16.204
In tokenynge of þe trynite . was taken out of man .
Adam oure aller-fader . Eue was of hym-selue
And þe issue þat þei hadde . it was of hem bothe
And .either is otheres ioye . in thre sondry persones .
M.16.216KD.16.208
And in heuene and heere . oon singuler name
And þus is mankynde . or manhode . of matrimoigne y-spronge
And bitokeneth þe trinite . and truwe bileue .
Miȝte is matrimoigne . þat multiplieth þe erthe
Nota
M.16.220KD.16.212
And bitokeneth truly . telle ȝif I durste
He þat furste fourmed al . þe fader of heuene
The sone if I durste seye . resembleth wel þe widowe .
Deus meus . deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me
M.16.224KD.16.215
That is creatour wexe creature . to knowe what was bothe
As widowe with-oute wedloke . was neuere .yet I-seiȝe .
fol. 80vI
Namore miȝte god be man . but if he aM.16.226: The addition of he a brings M into agreement with Hm. Other B manuscripts read he. modur hadde
So widewe with-oute w.edlok . may nouȝt wel stande .
M.16.228KD.16.219
Ne matrimoigne with-outen moillerye . is nouȝt muche to preise
Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel & cetera
Thus in thre persones is parfitliche manhode
That is man and his make . and moyllere children
M.16.232KD.16.222
And is nouȝt but gendre of generacioun . bifore Ihesu crist in heuene
So is þe fader forth with þe sone . and fre wille of hemM.16.233: M's reading of hem is shared with Cr; other B manuscripts read of. bothe .
Spiritus procedens a patre & filio . & cetera .
Abraham
W.....hich is þe holigoost of alle . and alle is but o god
M.16.236KD.16.225
Thus in a somer I hym seiȝ . as I sate in my porche
I roos vsp and reuerenced hym . and riȝt faire him grette .
Thre men to my sighte          M.16.238-239: The scribe has written around a 3cm hole, at one time sewn. No text was lost. I made wel at ese
Wesshe hire feet and wypped         hyemM.16.239: M's original reading hym was not attested in other B manuscripts. . and afturM.16.239: Only Cr1 shares M's omission of ward after aftur. þei eten .
M.16.240KD.16.229
Calues flessh and cakebreed . and knewe what I thouȝte
Ful trewe tokenes betwene vs is . to telle whan me liketh
Furste he fonded me . whethereM.16.242: M's reading whether is shared with Cr; other B manuscripts read if. I loued bettre .
Hym or Ysaak myn heir . þe w....hich he hiȝte me kulle .
M.16.244KD.16.233
He wiste my wille by hym . he wil me it allowe
I ham ful siker in soule þerof . and my sone bothe
I circuncydedcircu[m]cydedM.16.246: See MED s.v. circumciden (Lat. circumcidere) and circumcisen (from the Lat. ppl.). MBmBo have the former verb; the other manuscripts have the latter. my sone . sythen for his sake .
My-self and my meigne . and alle þat male were
M.16.248KD.16.237
Bledde blood for þat lordes loue . and hope to blesse þe tyme .
Myn affiaunce and my feith . is ferme in þis bileue
For hym-self bihiȝte to me . and to myn issue bothe
Lond and lordshippe . and lif with-outen ende
M.16.252KD.16.241
To me and to myn issue . moore ȝyet he me graunted .
Mercy for oure mysdedes . as many tymes as we asken .
Quam olim abrahe promisisti . & semini eius .
And sith he sente me to saye . I shulde do sacrifice
M.16.256KD.16.244
And doon hym worshep with breed . and with wyn bothe
And called me foot of his feithe . his folk for to saue
And defenden hem from þe feend . folk þat on me leueden .
Thus haue I ben his heraud . here and in helle
M.16.260KD.16.248
And conforted many a careful . þat after his comynge wayten
And þus I seke hym he saide . for I herde sai.. late
Of a barn þat baptised hym . Iohan baptiste was his name
That to patriarkes and to prophetes . and to oþere peple in derkenesse
M.16.264KD.16.252
Saide þat he seiȝe here . þat shulde saue vs alle .
Ecce agnus dei & cetera .
¶ I hadde wondur of his wordus
cor
cor
xus
fol. 81rI
liber xvijus
I hadde woundur of hise wordes . and of his wyde clothes
For in his bosome he bar a thing . þat he blessud euere
M.16.268KD.16.255
And I loked on his lappe a lazar lay þere-inne .
Amonges patriarkes and prophetes . pleyinge to-gideres
What awaitest þow quod he . and what woldest þou haue
I wolde wyte quod I tho . what is in ȝyoure lappe
M.16.272KD.16.259
Loo quod he and leet me see . lord mercy I seide
This is a present of muche pris . what prince shal it haue
It is a preciou..s present quod he . ac þe pouke hath it atached
And me þere-myd..e quod þat man . may no wed vs quite
M.16.276KD.16.263
Ne no burn be oure borwgh . ne bringe vs fram his daunger
Out of þe Poukes pyndfold . no mainprise may vs fecche
Til he come þat I carpe of . / Crist .M.16.278: The punctus has been lined through. is his name
That shal deliueren vs somday . out of þe deueles power
M.16.280KD.16.267
And bettre wed for vs legge . þan we ben alle worthy
That is lif for lif . or ligge þus euere
Lollinge in my lappe . til suche a lord vs fecche
All..as I saide þat synne . so longe shal lette
M.16.284KD.16.271
The miȝte of godus mercy þat miȝte vs alle amende
I wepte for his wordus . with þat I saugh another
Rapeliche .....renne forth . þe riȝte wey he wente
I frained hym furste . from whennes he come
M.16.288KD.16.275
And what he hiȝte . and whider he wolde . and wightliche he tolde .
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