fol. 49r (cont.)I
passus xijus
Passus xijusDuodecimus
i
IL.12.1: The lombard capital <I> is ten lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide letter <i> appears in the left margin. am ymagynatyf quod he · Idel was I neuere
Þouȝe I sitte bi my-self · in sikenesse neL.12.2: LMR alone read ne; most other B manuscripts have and. in helthe
I haue folwed þe in feithe · þis fyue and fourty wyntre
L.12.4KD.12.4
And many tymes haue moeued þe · to þinke on þine ende
And how fele fernȝeres are faren · and so fewe to come
And of þi wylde wantounesse · þo þow ȝonge were
To amende it in þi myddel age · lest miȝte þe faylled
L.12.8KD.12.8
In þyne olde elde · þat yuel can suffre
Pouerte or penaunce · or preyeres bidde
fol. 49vI
Si non in prima vigilia · nec in secunda &c
Amende þe while þow myȝte · þow hast ben warned ofte
L.12.12KD.12.11
With poustees of pestilences with pouerte and with angres
And with þise bitter baleyses · god beteth his dere childeren
Quem diligo castigo
And dauid in þe sauter seith · of suche þat loueth Ihesus
L.12.16KD.12.13α
Virga tua & baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt &c
Al-þough þow stryke me with þi staffe · with stikke or with ȝerde
It is but murth as for me to amende my soule
And þow medlest þe with makynges · and myȝtest go sey þi sauter
L.12.20KD.12.17
And bidde for hem þat ȝiueth þe bred · for þere ar bokes ynowe
To telle men what dowel is · dobet and dobest bothe
And prechoures to preue what it is · of many a peyre freres
I seigh wel he sayde me soth · and somwhat me to excuse
L.12.24KD.12.21
Seid catoun conforted his sone · þat clerke þough he were
To solacen hym sum-tyme · as I do whan I make
Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis · &c ·
And of holy men I herde quod I · how þei otherwhile
L.12.28KD.12.24
Pleyden þe parfiter · to be in many places
Ac if þere were any wight · þat wolde me telle
What were / dowel / and / dobet / · and dobest / atte lasteL.12.30: The scribe has inserted rubricated virgules to complement the underlining.
Wolde I neuere do werke · but wende to holicherche
L.12.32KD.12.28
And þere bydde my bedes · but whan ich eet or slepe
Poule in his pistle quod he · preueth what is dowel
Fides spes caritas & maior horum &c
Feith hope and charitee · and alle ben good
L.12.36KD.12.31
And sauen men sundry tymes · ac none so sone as charite
For he doth wel with-oute doute · þat doth as lewte techeth
Þat is if þow be man maried · þi make þow louye
And lyue forth as lawe wole · while ȝe lyuen bothe
L.12.40KD.12.35
Riȝt so if þow be Religious · renne þow neuere ferther
To Rome ne to Rochemadore · but as þi reule techeth
And holde þe vnder obedyence · þat heigh wey is to heuene
And if þow be mayden to marye · and miȝte wel contynue
L.12.44KD.12.39
Seke þow neuere seynt forther · for no soule helthe
For what made Lucyfer · to lese þe heigh heuene
Or salamon his sapience · or sampson his strengthe
Iob þe Iewe his ioye · dere he it abouȝte
L.12.48KD.12.43
Arestotle and other mo · ypocras & virgyle
Alisaundre þat al wan · elengelich ended
Catel and kynde witte · was combraunce to hem alle
Felyce hir fayrnesse · fel hir al to sklaundre
fol. 50rI
L.12.52KD.12.47
And Rosamounde riȝt so reufully bysette
Þe bewte of hir body · in badnesse she dispended
Of many suche I may rede · of men and of wommen
Þat wyse wordes wolde shewe · and worche þe contraye
L.12.56KD.12.50α
Sunt homines nequam bene de virtute loquentes
And riche renkes riȝt so · gaderen and sparen
And þo men þat þei moste haten · mynistren it atte laste
And for þei suffren & se · so many nedy folkes
L.12.60KD.12.54
And loue hem nouȝt as owre lorde bytte · lesen her soules
Date & dabitur vobis &c ·
And ricchesse riȝt so · but if þe Rote be trewe
Ac grace is a grasse þer-of · þo greuaunces to abate
L.12.64KD.12.60
Ac grace ne groweth nouȝte · but amonges lowe
Pacience and pouerte · þe place is þere it groweth
+
And in lele lyuynge men · and .in lyf-holyL.12.66: A partially erased <+> appears in the right margin.
And þorugh þe gyfte of þe holygoste · as þe gospel telleth
L.12.68KD.12.63α
Spiritus vbi vult spirat &c
Clergye and kynde witte · comth of siȝte and techynge
As þe boke bereth witnesse · to buirnes þat can rede
Quod scimus loquimur quod vidimus testamur
L.12.72KD.12.66
Of quod scimus cometh clergye · and connynge of heuene
+
And of quod vidimus cometh kynde witte of siȝte of dyuesedyue[r]seL.12.73: The corrector's <+> in the margin notes the scribe's erroneous dyuese for dyuerse. peple
Ac grace is a gyfte of god · and of gret loue spryngeth
Knewe neuere clerke how it cometh forth · ne kynde witte þe weyes
L.12.76KD.12.69α
Nescit aliquis vnde venit · aut quo vadit &c
Ac ȝit is clergye to comende · and kyndewittekynde witte bothe
And namely clergye for crystes loue · þat of clergye is rote
For Moyses witnesseth þat god wrote · for to wisse þe peple
L.12.80KD.12.73
In þe olde lawe as þe lettre telleth · þat was þe lawe of iewes
+
Þat what woman were inL.12.81: The in was added in the left margin after initial copying, probably in response to the corrector's marginal <+>. auoutrie taken · were sheL.12.81: LHmMW and alpha have the feminine pronoun (he in R alone) which is omitted by the other beta witnesses. riche or pore
With stones men shulde hir stryke · and stone hir to deth
A womman as we fynden · was gulty of þat dede
L.12.84KD.12.77
Ac cryste of his curteisye · þorw clergye hir saued
For þorw carectus þat cryst wrot · þe iewes knewe hem-seluen
Gultier as afor god · and gretter in synne
Þan þe woman þat þere was · and wenten awey for schame
L.12.88KD.12.81
Þe clergye þat þere was · conforted þe womman
Holykirke knoweth þis · þat crystes writyng saued
So clergye is conforte · to creatures þat repenten
And to mansed men · myschief at her ende
L.12.92KD.12.85
For goddes body myȝte nouȝte be of bred · with-outen clergye
Þe which body is bothe · bote to þe riȝtful
And deth and dampnacioun · to hem þat dyeth yuel
As crystes carecte conforted and bothe coupable shewed
L.12.96KD.12.89
Þe womman þat þe iewes brouȝte · þat Ihesus þouȝteL.12.96: An otiose tilde appears over þouȝte. to saue
fol. 50vI
Nolite iudicare et non iudicabimini &c
Riȝt so goddes body bretheren · but it be worthily taken
Dampneth vs atte daye of dome · as þe carectes dede þe iewes
L.12.100KD.12.92
For-þi I conseille þe for cristes sake · clergye þat þow louye
For kynde witte is of his kyn · and neighe cosynes bothe
To owre lorde leue me · for-þi loue hem I rede
For bothe ben as miroures · to amenden owre defautes
L.12.104KD.12.96
And lederes for lewed men · and for lettred bothe
For-þi lakke þow neuere logyke · lawe ne his custumes
Ne countreplede clerkes · I conseille þe for eure
For as a man may nouȝt se · þat mysseth his eyghen
L.12.108KD.12.100
Namore can no klerke · but if he cauȝt it first þorugh bokes
Al-þough men made bokes · god was þe maistre
And seynt spirit þe saumplarye · and seide what men sholde write
And riȝt as syȝteL.12.111: An otiose tilde appears over syȝte. serueth a man · to se þe heighe strete
L.12.112KD.12.104
Riȝt so ledeth letterure · lewed men to resoun
And as a blynde man in bataille · bereth wepne to fiȝte
And hath none happ with his axe · his enemye to hitte
Namore kan a kynde-witted man · but clerkes hym teche
L.12.116KD.12.108
Come for al his kynde witte · to crystendome and be saued
Whiche is þe coffre of crystes tresore · and clerkes kepe þe keyes
To vnlouken it at her lykynge · and to þe lewed peple
L.12.119: There is evidence in the left margin of a scraped gloss and possibly of a bracket extending from here through the next line group. Ȝyue mercy for her mysdedes · if men it wole aske
L.12.120KD.12.112
Buxomelich & benygneliche · and bidden it of grace
Archa dei in þe olde lawe · leuites it kepten
Hadde neuere lewed man leue · to leggen honde on þat chest
+
L.12.123: The corrector's <+> appears in the left margin. There is no error in the text at this point; however, since the alpha witnesses at this point have ten lines not attested in any beta manuscript, the corrector's mark here is tantalizing but opaque. The ten lines are KD.12.116-125α. For a similar instance, see the note to L.20.66. But he were preste or prestes sone · patriarke or prophete
L.12.124KD.12.126
For clergye is kepere vnder cryst of heuene
Was þere neuere no knyȝte · but clergye hym made
Ac kynde witte cometh of alkynnes siȝtes
Of bryddes and of bestes · of tastes of treuthe and of deceytes
L.12.128KD.12.130
Lyueres to-forn vs · vseden to marke
Þe selkouthes þat þei seighen · her sones for to teche
And helden it an heighe science · her wittes to knowe
Ac þorugh her science sothely · was neuere no soule ysaued
L.12.132KD.12.134
Ne brouȝte by her bokes · to blisse ne to ioye
For alle her kynde knowynges · come but of dyuerse sightes
Patriarkes and prophetes · repreued her science
And seiden her wordes ne her wisdomes · nas but a folye
L.12.136KD.12.138
As to þe clergye of cryst · counted it but a trufle
Sapiencia huius mundi · stulticia apud deum
For þe heihe holigoste · heuene shal to-cleue
And loue shal lepe out after · in-to þis lowe erthe
fol. 51rI
L.12.140KD.12.141
And clennesse shal cacchen it · and clerkes shullen it fynde
Pastores loquebantur ad inuicem
He speketh þere of riche men riȝt nouȝt · ne of riȝt witty
Ne of lordes þat were lewed men · but of þe hexte lettred oute
L.12.144KD.12.144α
Ibant magi ab oriente &c
If any frere were founde þere · Ich ȝif þe fyue shillynges
Ne in none beggares cote · was þat barne borne
But in a burgeys place · of bethlem þe best
L.12.148KD.12.147α
Set non erat locus in diuersorio / & pauper non habet diuersorium
To pastours and to poetes appiered þatL.12.149: LM alone have þat; most other beta manuscripts have þe. aungel
And bad hem go to bethlem · goddis burth · to honoure
And songe a songe of solas · gloria in excelsis deo
L.12.152KD.12.153
Clerkes knewe it wel · and comen with here presentz
And deden her homage honourablely · to hym þat was almyȝty
Why I haue tolde al þis · I toke ful gode hede
How þow contraryedest clergye · with crabbed wordes
L.12.156KD.12.157
How þat lewed men liȝtloker · þan lettred were saued
Þan clerkes or kynde-witted men · of crystene peple
And þow seidest soth of somme · ac se in what manere
Take two stronge men · and in themese caste hem
L.12.160KD.12.161
And bothe naked as a nedle · her none sykerL.12.160: LMR read syker, although M has a second <er> added in a different ink to match the common B reading of sikerer. þan other
Þat one hath connynge and can swymmen and dyuen
Þat other is lewed of þat laboure · lerned neuere swymme
Which trowestow of þo two · in themese is in moste drede
L.12.164KD.12.165
He þat neuere ne dyued · ne nouȝt can of swymmynge
Or þe swymmere þat is sauf · bi so hym-self lyke
Þere his felaw flet forth · as þe flode lyketh
And is in drede to drenche · þat neuere dede swymme
L.12.168KD.12.169
Þat swymme can nouȝt I seide · it semeth to my wittes
Riȝt so quod þe Renke resoun it sheweth
Þat he þat knoweth clergye can sonner aryse
Out of synne and be sauf · þough he synne ofte
L.12.172KD.12.173
If hym lyketh and lest · þan any lewed lelly
For if þe clerke be konnynge · he knoweth what is synne
And how contricioun with-oute confessioun · conforteth þe soule
As þow seest in þe sauter · in psalmeL.12.175: LRF alone have singular psalme; other B manuscripts have Salmes. one or tweyne
L.12.176KD.12.177
How contricioun is commended · for it caccheth awey synne
Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates & quorum tecta sunt &c ·
And þis conforteth vch a clerke · and keuereth hym fram wanhope
In which flode þe fende · fondeth a man hardest
L.12.180KD.12.180
Þere þe lewed lith stille · and lokethL.12.180: A red dot appears over loketh which may or may not be intentional. after lente
fol. 51vI
And hath no contricioun ar he come to shryfte · & þanne can he litel telle
And as his lores-man leres hym · bileueth & troweth
And þat is after person or parisch prest · and parauenture
L.12.184KD.12.184
Vnconnynge to lere lewed men · as luk bereth witnesse
Dum cecus ducit cecum &c ·
Wo was hym marked · þat wade mote with þe lewed
Wel may þe barne blisse · þat hym to boke sette
L.12.188KD.12.188
Þat lyuynge after letterure saued hym lyf and soule
Dominus pars hereditatis mee is a meri verset
Þat has take fro tybourne · twenti stronge þeues
Þere lewed theues ben lolled vp · loke how þei be saued
L.12.192KD.12.192
Þe thef þat had grace of god · on gode fryday as þow speke
Was for he ȝelte hym creaunt to cryst on þe crosse · & knewleched hym gulty
And grace axed of god · and he is euer redy
Þat boxomeliche biddeth it · and ben in wille to amenden hem
L.12.196KD.12.196
Ac þough þat þef had heuene · he hadde none heigh blisse
in domo meo multe
sunt mansiones
As seynt Iohan and other seyntes · þat asseruedL.12.197: LR alone read asserued; other B manuscripts have deserued. hadde bettere
Riȝt as sum man ȝeue me mete · and sette me amydde þe flore
Ich haue mete more þan ynough · ac nouȝt so moche worship
L.12.200KD.12.200
As þo þat seten atte syde table · or with þe souereignes of þe halle
But sitte as aL.12.201: A curved, apparently meaningless, mark in darker brown ink than the text appears above <a>. begger bordelees · bi my-self on þe grounde
So it fareth bi þat feloun · þat a gode fryday was saued
He sitte neither with Seynt Iohan · Symonde ne Iude
L.12.204KD.12.204
Ne wyth maydenes ne with martires confessoures ne wydwes
But by hym-self as a soleyne · and serued on þe erthe
For he þat is ones a thef · is euermore in daungere
And as lawe lyketh · to lyue or to deye
L.12.208KD.12.207α
De peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu
And forto seruen a seynt · and such a thef togyderes
It were noyther resoun ne riȝt · to rewarde hem bothe aliche
And riȝt as troianus þe trewe knyȝt · tilde nouȝt depe in helle
L.12.212KD.12.211
Þat owre lorde ne had hym liȝtlich oute · so leue I þe thef be in heuene
For he is in þe lowest of heuene · if owre bileue be trewe
And wel loselyche he lolleth þere · by þe lawe of holycherche
Quia reddit vnicuique iuxta opera sua &c
L.12.216KD.12.214
And why þat one thef on þe crosse · creaunt hym ȝelt
Rather þan þat other thef · þough þow wolde appose
Alle þe clerkes vnder cryst · ne couthe þe skil assoille
Quare placuit quia voluit
L.12.220KD.12.217
And so I sey by þe · þat sekest after þe whyes
And aresonedest resoun · a rebukyng as it were
And of þe floures in þe fryth · and of her feire ...hewes
Where-of þei cacche her coloures · so clere and so briȝte
L.12.224KD.12.219
And willest of briddes and of bestesL.12.224: L originally omitted of before bestes. It was supplied in a superlinear addition by a later hand. · and of hire bredyng to knowe
Why somme be alowe and somme alofte · þi lykyng it were
fol. 52rI
And of þe stones and of þe sterres · þow studyest as I leue
How euere beste or brydde · hath so breme wittes
L.12.228KD.12.225
Clergye ne kynde witte ne knewe neuere þe cause
Ac kynde knoweth þe cause hym-selue · no creature elles
He is þe pyes patroun · and putteth it in hire ere
Þat þere þe þorne is thikkest · to buylden and brede
L.12.232KD.12.229
And kynde kenned þe pecok · to cauken in swich a kynde
And kenned Adam · to knowe his pryue membres
And tauȝte hym and Eue · to hylien hem with leues
Lewed men many tymes · maistres þei apposen
L.12.236KD.12.233
Why Adam neL.12.236: LCrMWR read ne; all other B witnesses omit it. hiled nouȝt firste · his mouth þat eet þe apple
Rather þan his lykam alow · lewed axen þus clerkes
Kynde knoweth whi he dede so · ac no clerke elles
Ac of briddes and of bestes · men by olde tyme
+
L.12.240KD.12.237
Ensamples token and terme.sL.12.240: The <s> of termes is written over an erasure, and a scraped <+> is just visible in the left margin, suggesting that the scribe made the correction in response to the mark and then attempted to erase the mark. · as telleth þis poetes
And þat þe fairest foule · foulest engendreth
And feblest foule of flyght is · þat fleegheth or swymmeth
And þat is þe pekok & þe pohenne proude · riche men þei bitokneth
L.12.244KD.12.242-243
For þe pekok and men pursue hym · may nouȝte fleighe heighe
For þe traillyng of his taille · ouertaken is he sone
And his flesshe is foule flesshe · and his feet bothe
And vnlouelich of ledene · and laith for to here
L.12.248KD.12.247
Riȝt so þe riche if he his ricchesse kepe
And deleth it nouȝt tyl his deth-day · þe taille of al sorwe
Riȝt as þe pennes of þe pecok · payned hym in his fliȝte
So is possessioun payne · of pens · and of nobles
L.12.252KD.12.251
To alle hem þat it holdeth · til her taille be plukked
And þough þe riche repente þanne · and birewe þe tyme
Þat euere he gadered so grete · and gaf þere-of so litel
Þough he crye to cryst þanne · with kene wille I leue
+
L.12.256KD.12.255
His ledne be in owre lordes ere · lyke a pyesL.12.256: LBCC2GOYR all fail to complete this line with chiteryng or chatrynge. The corrector's <+> in the right margin may indicate his awareness of the reading.
And whan his caroigne shal come · in caue to be buryed
I leue it flaumbe ful foule · þe folde al aboute
And alle þe other þer it lyth · enuenymedL.12.259: LCrR alone read enuenymed; other B manuscripts have enuenymeþ. þorgh his attere
L.12.260KD.12.259
By þe p..rofeet[po feet]L.12.260: The fact that <ro> is written over an erasure suggests that the scribe may have originally written the correct po feet and then, not understanding this to mean "peacock's feet," hypercorrected the text to profeet. is vnderstonde · as I haue lerned in auynedt
Excecutoures[Ex]ecutoures · fals frendes · þat fulfille nouȝt his wille
Þat was writen and þei witnesse · to worche riȝt as it wolde
Þus þe poete preues · þat þe pecok for his fetheres is reuerenced
L.12.264KD.12.263
Riȝt so is þe riche · bi resoun of his godis
Þe larke þat is a lasse foule · is more louelich of ledne
And wel awey of wenge swifter þan þe pecok
And of flesch by fele-folde · fatter and swetter
L.12.268KD.12.267
To lowe-lybbyng men · þe larke is resembled ·
L.12.269: An unrubricated paraph marker appears in the left margin. Since the scribe failed to skip a line, the rubricating scribe may have failed to notice it.Arestotle þe grete clerke suche tales he telleth
fol. 52vI
Thus he lykneth in his logyk · þe leste foule oute
And where he be sauf or nouȝt sauf · þe sothe wote no clergye
L.12.272KD.12.271
Ne of sortes ne of salamon · no scripture can telle
Ac god is so good I hope · þat sitth he gaf hem wittis
To wissen vs weyes þere-with · þat wissen vs to be saued
And þe better for her bokes · to bidden we ben holden
L.12.276KD.12.275
Þat god for his grace gyue her soules reste
For lettred men were lewed men ȝut · ne were lore of her bokes
Alle þise clerkes quod I þo · þat on cryst leuen
Seggen in her sarmones · þat noyther sarasenes ne iewes
L.12.280KD.12.279
Ne no creature of cristes lyknesse · with-outen crystendome worth saued
Contra quod ymagynatyfL.12.281: The second <y> may, perhaps, have been written over an erasure, or the vellum is simply flawed and uneven. In any case, it is not possible to see what may have lain under the <y>. þo · and comsed for to loure
And seyde saluabitur vix iustus in die iudicij
Ergo saluabitur quod he · and seyde namore latyne
L.12.284KD.12.283
Troianus was a trewe knyȝte · and toke neuere cristendome
+
And he isL.12.285: The correction is in response to the corrector's <+> in the left margin. sauf so seith þe boke · and his soule in heuene
For þere is fullyng of fonte · and fullyng in blode shedyng
And þorugh fuire is fullyng · and þat is ferme bileue
L.12.288KD.12.286α
Aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminans &c ·
Ac trewth þat trespassed neuere · ne transuersedL.12.289: LCrR alone read transuersed; most other B manuscripts have trauersed. aȝeines his lawe
But lyueth as his lawe techeth · and leueth þere be no bettere
And if þere were he wolde amende · and in suche wille deyeth
L.12.292KD.12.290
Ne wolde neuere trewe god · but treuth were allowed
And where it worth or worth nouȝt · þe bileue is grete of treuth
And an hope hangyng þer-inne · to haue a Mede for his treuth
For deus dicitur quasi dans vitam eternam · suis hoc est fidelibus
L.12.296KD.12.293α
et alibi si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis
Þe glose graunteth vpon þat vers · a gret mede to treuthe
And witt and wisdome quod þat wye · was somme-tyme tresore
To kepe with a comune · no katel was holde bettere
L.12.300KD.12.297
And moche murth and manhod · and riȝt with þat he vanesched
MED