fol. 39r (cont.)I
passus xus
Passus decimus de visione vt supra .

Þ
ÞanneR.10.1: The initial is flourished with red, as usual, and a man's face has been drawn in the loop of the thorn. had wit a wif  was calledR.10.1: Cf. F's klepid. Beta's reading is hote, which agrees with Ax and Cx. dame studie
Þat lene was of lere  and of lichee bothe .
Sche was wonderliche wroth  þat wit me þus tauȝte .
R.10.4KD.10.4
And alle starynge dame studie  sterneliche seyde .
Wel art þow wis quod sche to witt  any wisdomes to telle .
To flatereres or to foles  þat frentik ben of wittes .
And blamed hym and banned hym  and bad him be stille .
R.10.8KD.10.8
With swiche wise wordes  to wissen any sottes .
And seyde noli mittere man  mageriema[r]gerie perles .
Amonges hogges þat han  hawes at wille .
Þei doth but dreuele þer-on  draf were hem leuere .
R.10.12KD.10.12
Þan alle þe preciouse perre  þat in paradis wexeth .
I seye it be schucheR.10.13: This form is unique to R. MED, s. v. swich, indicates that the South English Legendary (ca. 1300) has the only comparable form of this word, which it labels as a SW Midlands form for swich. Cx reads suche. quod sche  þat scheweth be here werkes .
Þat hem were leuere lond  and lordschipe here .R.10.14: For alpha's here, beta reads on erthe, which agrees with Ax.
Other ricchesse otherR.10.15: R's Other ... other is unique. F omits this line, but beta reads Or ... or, which agrees with Ax. rentes  and rest at here wille .
R.10.16KD.10.16
Þanne alle þe soth sawes  þat salomon seyde euere .
¶ Wisdom and witt now  is nauȝt worth a carse .
But if it be carded with couetise  as clotheres kemben wolle
Ho-so kan contreue deseites  and conspire wronges .
R.10.20KD.10.20
And leden forth a loueday  and letten þe trewthe .R.10.20: Beta reads this b-verse as to latte with treuthe. F has & lettyn euere trewthe. Ax appears to have read to lette þe truþe.
He þat suche craftes can  to conseil is cleped .
fol. 39vI
Þei lede lordes with lesynges  and belyeth treuthe .
¶ Iob þe gentil  in his gestes witnesseth .
R.10.24KD.10.24
Þat wicked men þei welden  þe welth of þis worlde .
And þat þei ben lordes inR.10.25: Though Hm agrees with R's in, beta has of (F rewrites the line). vch a londe  þat oute of lawe libbeth .
Quare impij viuunt bene est omnibus qui preuaricantur & inique agunt .
¶ Þe sauter seith þe same  by such þat don ille .
R.10.28KD.10.26α
Ecce ipsi peccatores habundantes in seculo optinuerunt .R.10.28: Alpha omits the last word of this citation as found in beta: diuicias.
Lo seith holy lettrure  whiche lordes beth þis schrewes
Þilk þat god most greuethR.10.30: For alpha's greueth, beta reads, more probably, gyueth (though manuscript C agrees with alpha). The C version tries to resolve this difference between greueth and gyueþ by rewriting the line so as to include both words (a timid choice paralleled elsewhere in C), and in the process makes a line that is inferior to both earlier versions. Evidently, by the time he was laboring on the C revision, Langland had forgotten which of these two variants he had composed and which one was scribal. Or, having perhaps written both himself at different times, he had forgotten which one was supposed to supersede the other.  lest gode þei deleth .
And most vnkende to þe comune  þat most catel weldeth .
R.10.32KD.10.29α
Que perfecisti destruxerunt  iustus autem &cetera .
Harlotes for here harlotrie  may haue of her godes .
And iaperes and iogoloures  and iangeleres of gestes .
¶ Ac he þat hath holy writ  ay in his mouthe .
R.10.36KD.10.33
And can telle of tobye  and of þe twelue apostles .
Or prechen of þe penaunce  þat pilat wrouȝte .
To Ihesu þe gentil  þat iewes to-drowe .
Litel is he loued  þat such a lesson scheweth .
R.10.40KD.10.38
Or daunted or drawe forth  I do it on god hym-selue .
¶ But þo þat feynen hem foles  and with faytynge libbeth .
Aȝeyne þe lawe of oure lorde  and lyen on hem-selue .
Spitten and spewen  and speken foule wordes .
R.10.44KD.10.42
Drynken and dreuelen  and do men for to gape .
Likkene men and lyen on hem  þat leneth hem no ȝiftes
Þei conne namore minstracie  ne musike men to glade
Þanne munde þe mulenere  of multa fecit deus .
R.10.48KD.10.46
Ne were here vile harlotrie  haue god my trouthe .
Schuld neuere kynge ne knyȝte  ne canoun of seynt poules .
Ȝyue hem to here ȝeresȝyue  þe worthR.10.50: R's worth is an alpha variant. The most reliable beta witnesses, including L and M, read ȝifte. Ax reads value. of a grote .
¶ Ac murth and mynstracie  amonges men is nouthe .
R.10.52KD.10.50
Lecherie and losengerie  and loseles tales .
fol. 40rI
Glotonye and grete othes  þis murthR.10.53: Beta has murthe þei louieth (though manuscript Y agrees with R in omitting þey. F completely revises the b-verse. The b-verse of Ax is somewhat different from both alpha and beta, but the stave word, games alliterates appropriately with the unrevised a-verse. Both Kane-Donaldson and Schmidt emend to the A reading. louyeth .
Ac ȝif ȝei[þ]ei carpen of crist  þis clerkes and þes lewede .
At þe mete in here murthes  whan mynstrales ben stille .
R.10.56KD.10.54
Þanne tellen þei of þe trinyte  a tale other tweyne .
And bryngeth forth a balled resoun  and taken bernard to witnesse .
And putten forth a presumpcioun  to preue þe sothe .
Þus þei driuele at here dayes  þe deyte to knowe .
R.10.60KD.10.58
And gnawen god with þe gorge  whan here gutte is fulle .
¶ Ac þe careful may crie  and carpen at þe ȝate .
Bothe afyngred and a-þurst  and for chele quake .
Is non to nymen hym nere  his nuyeR.10.63: The other B witnesses read his noye to amende. However, Ax agrees with R in omitting to . amende .
R.10.64KD.10.62
But hoen onR.10.64: Hoen, "shout at, raise an outcry against." hym as an hownde  and hoten hym go þennes .
Litel loueth he þat lorde  þat lent hym alle þat blisse .
Þat þus parteth with þe pore  a parcel whan hym nedeth .
Ne were mercye in mene men  more þan in riche .
R.10.68KD.10.66
Mendynantes meteles  myȝt go to bedde .
God is muche in þe gorgesR.10.69: Beta reads gorge. Ax agrees with beta.  of þes grete maystres .
Ac amonges mene men  his mercye and his werkes .
And so seith þe sauter  Ich haue I-seye it oft .
R.10.72KD.10.69α
Ecce audiuimus eum in effrata  inuenimus eumR.10.72: In both cases where alpha has eum, beta reads eam. Both Ax and Cx agree with beta, and most C manuscripts go further, glossing eam as caritatem. in campis silue .
Clerkes and other menR.10.73: R's other men is the alpha reading; beta reads other kynnes men.  carpen of god faste .
And haue hym muche in þe mouthe  ac mene men in herte .
¶ Freres and faytoures haue founde suche questions .
R.10.76KD.10.73
To plese with proude men  sitthen þe pestilence .R.10.76: Beta reads pestilence tyme. The Ax version of this phrase agrees with beta, but a majority of C manuscripts supports a reading similar to alpha's: pestelences.
And prechen at seynt poules  for pure enuye of clerkes .
Þat folke is nouȝt fermed in þe feith  ne free of here godes .
Ne sori for here synnes  so pruyde isR.10.79: Beta transposes this phrase as is pryde. Cx agrees with beta on the word order. woxen .
R.10.80KD.10.77
In religioun and in alle þe rewme  amonges riche and pore .
Þat preyeres haue no powereþis pestilencesR.10.81: R's þis is a plural determiner, as with F's þese. Beta shows a singular for this phrase: þe pestilence. Cx reads þis pestilences, agreeing with alpha. to lette .
For god is def now-a-dayes  and deyneth his heres to opne Beta omits these lines. The b-verse of KD10.79 in F reads & deyȝneþ not vs to here. Cx agrees with F.
Þat gerles for here gyltes  he for-gryntR.10.83: MED has no listing for this compound, but the inflected form from the base is clearly the 3rd singular indicative of "grinden, v. 1" = "to break into small particles; reduce . . . to powder by crushing." For togrinden, v., a citation is offered from the cognate line of the C-version of Piers: And good men for oure gultes he al to-grynt to deþe. hem alle .
R.10.84KD.10.81
And ȝet þe wrecches of þis worlde  is non yware by other
Ne for drede of þe deth  with-drawe nauȝt here pruyde .
Ne beth plentyuous to þe pore  as pure charite wolde .
fol. 40vI
¶ But in gaynesse and in glotonye  for-glotten here goed hem-selue .
R.10.88KD.10.85
And breketh nauȝt to þe beggere  as þe boek techeth .
Frange esurienti panem tuum & cetera .
And þe more he wynneth and welt  welthes and richesses .
Euere as heR.10.91: In place of alpha's Euere as he, beta reads And. Cx revises the line, but the opening phrase agrees with beta. lordeth in londes  þe lasse goed he deleth .
R.10.92KD.10.88
¶ Tobie techethR.10.92: Beta reads telleth. Cx either agrees completely with alpha (X family) or deploys a preterite of techen (P family). ȝow nauȝt so  taketh hede ȝe riche .
How þe boek bible  of hym bereth witnesse .
Si tibi sit copia  habundanter tribue  R.10.94: In the left margin, a hand points at this line and the next.
Si autem exiguum illud inpertireR.10.95: Though several beta manuscripts agree with alpha's verb form here, beta itself probably read impertiri, as reflected in LCrWO. The readings of the C manuscripts—for the entire Latin phrase—are quite mixed, but a majority, including XYcP2, agree with alpha. libenter studeR.10.95: Beta transposes this phrase as stude libenter; Cx attests the same word order here as alpha. .
R.10.96KD.10.90
Who-so hath muche  spene manlyche  so meneth tobie .
And ho-so litel weldeth  rewle hym þere-after .
For we haue no lettre of oure lif  how longe it sal dure .
Suche lessones lordes schulde  loue to here .
R.10.100KD.10.94
And how he miȝt most meyne  manliche fynde .
Nouȝt to fare as a fithelere  or asR.10.101: R's as is a unique addition to the text attested by beta (F completely alters the b-verse). a frere to seke festes .
Homliche at other mennus howses  and hatyen here owne .
Elynge is þe halle  vche daye in þe weke .
R.10.104KD.10.98
Þere þe lorde ne þe lady  liketh nauȝt to sitte
Now hath vch riche a reule  to eten by hym-selue .
In a priuy parlour  for pore mennes sake .
Or in a chaumber byR.10.107: R's by is unique; Bx reads with. a chymene  and leue þe chief halle .
R.10.108KD.10.102
Þat was made for meles  men to eten Inne .
And alle to spare to spille  þat speneR.10.109: R's spene is a unique reading here (the other B manuscripts read spende(n)); however, spene is a verb that developed from spende(n), is synonymous with it, and occurs in free variation with it throughout R. From its sometimes parallel occurrence in L (as at KD10.90), the form seems likely to be an authorial relict. schal an-other .
¶ I haue herd hye men  etynge at þe table .
Carpen as þei clerkes were  of crist and of his miȝtes .
R.10.112KD.10.106
And leyden fautes vpon þe fader  þat formed vs alle .
And carpen aȝeine clerkes  crabbed wordes .
Whi wold oure saueor suffre  such a worm in his blisse
Þat bygiled þe womman  and þe man after .
R.10.116KD.10.110
Þorȝ which wiles and wordes  þei wenten to helle
And alle here seed for here synne  þe same deth suffrede .
¶ Here lieth ȝoure lore  þis lordes guynneth dispute .
Of þat ye clerkes vs kenneth  of crist by þe gospel .
filius non portabit
fol. 41rI
R.10.120KD.10.114
Filius non portabit iniquitatemR.10.120: R uniquely omits patris after iniquitatem. &cetera .
Whi schulde we þat now ben  for þe werkes of adam .
Roten and to-reueR.10.122: It is uncertain how to transcribe this word; it may be rendered as to-reue or as to-rene. If the latter of these options is adopted, it is merely a transcriptional error on the scribe's part for Bx's torende. However one construes it, the form is unquestionably intended as a compound participial adjective and constitutes a unique reading in R (F agreeing here with the beta majority). MED cites toriuen as a compound s. v. riven (v. 2), (with toriue and toreuen as possible participle forms). Meaning 3a would seem closest to the context of R10.122 = "To split, splinter, shatter, or break apart as the result of a blow, collision, or other force; also, fig. be emotionally shattered; (b) fig. of the heart: to break on account of emotion." Two examples from fifteenth-century sources of toreue are cited under this heading. If this is the form intended by R's scribe, it represents an unconscious substitution of a synonym (in its sense of "torn" or "shattered") for original to-rende. The third possibility is that the form may be a compound participle of "reuen, v. 1a" = "to regret, to be embarrassed or shamed," a context that would fit well (albeit textually aberrant) with the meaning of roten, "destroyed, ruined."  reson walde it neuere .
Vnusquisque honus suum portabitR.10.123: Beta transposes this phrase as portabit onus suum. .
R.10.124KD.10.117
Suche motifs þei meue  þis maystres in here glorie
And maketh men in mysbyleue  þat muse muche on here wordes .
¶ Ymaginatif here-afterwarde  schal answerie to ȝoure porpos .
¶ Austyn to suche argueres  he telleth hem þis teme .
R.10.128KD.10.121
Non plus sapere quam oportet &cetera
Wilneth neuere to wite  whi þat god wolde .
Suffre sathan his seed to begile .
Ac byleue lelly  in þe lore of holy cherche .
R.10.132KD.10.125
And preye hym of pardoun  and penance in þi lyue .
And for his muche mercy  to amende ȝow here .
¶ For alle þat wilneth to wite  þe weyes of god almiȝty .
I wold his eye were in his ers  and his fynger after .
R.10.136KD.10.129
Þat euere wilneth to wite  whi þat god wolde .
Suffre sathan his seed to bygile .
Or Iudas þe IewR.10.138: For alpha's þe Iew, beta has to þe iuwes. Ax agrees with alpha.  ihesu betraie .
¶ Alle was as he woldeR.10.139: Beta reads þow. Ax agrees with alpha.  lorde yworschiped be þow .
R.10.140KD.10.133
And alle worth as þow wolt  what-so we despute .
¶ And þo þat vseth þis hauelons  to blende mennes wittes .
What is dowel fro dobet  now def mote he worthe .
Sitth he wilneth to wite  which þei ben alle .R.10.143: For alpha's alle, beta reads bothe. Ax agrees with alpha.
R.10.144KD.10.137
But if he lyue in þe lyueR.10.144: Cf. F's lyȝue (transcribed by Kane-Donaldson as lyȝne); beta reads lyf. þat longeth to dowel .
For I dare ben his boruȝhR.10.145: Beta reads bolde borgh here. Ax agrees with beta.  þat dobet wil be nere .
Þow dobest drawe on hym  day after other .
¶ And whanne þat wit was IwarehowR.10.147: Beta reads what. Ax agrees with alpha. dame studie tolde
R.10.148KD.10.141
He bycom so confus  he couthe nauȝt loke 
And as doumbe as deth  and drowe hym arere .
fol. 41vI
¶ And for no carpynge I couth after  ne knelinge to þe grounde .
I miȝt gete no greyne  of his grete wittes .
R.10.152KD.10.145
But alle lauȝynge he louted  and loked vpon stude .
In sygne þat I schulde  be-seche hire of grace .
¶ And whan I was ware of his wille  to his wif gan I loute .
And seyde mercy ma-dame  ȝoure man schal I worthe .
R.10.156KD.10.149
As longe as I lyue  bothe late and rathe .
AndR.10.157: Alpha's And is omitted by beta. Ax agrees with beta's wording, but Cx agrees with alpha. forto werche ȝoure wille  þe while my lyf dureth .
With þat ȝe kendely[kenne me] kendelyR.10.158: The omission of verb and object here is unique to R. Cx's wording agrees with the F/beta reading.  to knowe what is dowel .
¶ For þi mekenesse man quod sche  and for þi milde speche .
R.10.160KD.10.153
I schal kenne þe to my cosyn  þat clergiseR.10.160: R's clergise is a unique variant; Bx has clergye, and the archetypes of the other two versions show the same reading. is hoten .
He hath wedded a wif  withInne þis six monethus .
Is sib to þe seuen ars  scripture is hire name .
Þei to as I hope  after my techinge .
R.10.164KD.10.157
Schullen wise þe to dowel  I dar welR.10.164: R's wel is a unique variant; the other B copies all have it. However, Ax agrees with R. vndertaken .
¶ Þanne was I as fayne  as foule of faire morwe .
And gladder þanne þe gleman  þat golde hath to ȝifte .
And hasked hire þe heye wey  where þat clergie dwelte .
R.10.168KD.10.161
And telle me somme tokne quod I  for tyme Is þat weR.10.168: R's we is unique; Bx has I. The other two versional archetypes agree with Bx's reading. wende .
¶ Aske þe heye wey quod sche  hennes to suffre .
Both wel and wo  ȝif þat þow wilt lerne .
And ride forth bi richesse  ac rest þow nauȝt þere-Inne .
R.10.172KD.10.165
For ȝif þow couplest þe þere-with  to chercheR.10.172: The correct reading is beta's clergye (as confirmed by an identical b-verse in the other two versions). R's cherche, which makes only superficial sense, may derive from alpha or may be an attempt to emend hopeless corruption; cf. F's reading, crist. comest þow neuere .
¶ And also þe likerouse launde  þat lecherie is hoteR.10.173: Beta reads hatte in place of alpha's is hote; Ax confirms beta's reading. .
Leue hym on þin left half  a large mile or more .
Til þow come to a court  kepe wel þi tonge .R.10.175: Though the next line is marked for a new strophe by the usual cc in the left margin, the scribe forgot to insert his customary blank line to mark this verse paragraph.
R.10.176KD.10.169
¶ Fro lesynges and lither speche  and likerouse drinkes .
Þane schaltow se sobrete  and symplete of berynge .R.10.177: In place of alpha's berynge, beta reads speche. Ax confirms beta's reading.
Þat vch wyȝth ben in wille  his wit þe to schewe .
And þus schalt þow come to clergie  þat can many þinges .
R.10.180KD.10.173
Sey hym þis signe  I sette hym to scole .
fol. 42rI
And þat I grette wel his wif  for I wrote hire many bookes .
And sette hire to sapience  and to þe sauter glose .
Logike I lernede hire  and many other lawes .
R.10.184KD.10.177
And alle þe muysones in musikeR.10.184: R uniquely omits I before made. made hire to knowe .
¶ Plato þe poete I putte hym furst to booke .
Aristotele and otherR.10.186: Beta reads other moo. Ax agrees with beta, but Cx agrees with alpha.  to argue I tauȝte .
Gramer for girles  I gart furst write .
R.10.188KD.10.181
And bet hym with a baleys  but if þei wolde lerne .
Of alle kynnes craftes  I contreuede toles .
Of carpentrie of kerueres  and compasede masones .
And lerned hem leuele and lyne  þouȝ I loke dymme .
R.10.192KD.10.185
Ac theologye hath tened me  ten score tymes .
Þe more I muse þere-inne  þe mystier it semeth .
And þe deppere I dyuyne  þe derkere me it þinketh .
It is no sciens for-sothe  for to sauȝteleR.10.195: sauȝtele, "settle." inne .
R.10.196KD.10.189
A ful lethi þinge it were  ȝif þat lof nere .
Ac for it leet best by loue  I loue it þe bettere .
For þat þereR.10.198: R's phrase represents a unique transposition of the Bx form, þere þat. The Bx phrase is rendered identically in Ax. loue is ledere  ne lakkede neuere grace .
LoueR.10.199: Beta reads Loke. The A version has Leue. þow loue lelly  if þow thenkeR.10.199: For R's þow thenke, beta reads þe lyketh. This lapse in alliteration descended to R from alpha (cf. F's þow þynke to) but is paralleled in the A-version. It may have resulted from scribal discomfort with the impersonal construction and inverted word order of Bx: dative pronoun + verb (i.e., þe lyketh ). do wel .
R.10.200KD.10.193
For dobet and dobest  ben of loues kynne .
¶ In other science it seyth  I seye it in catoun .
Qui similatR.10.202: Alpha's verb form is supported by L, Cr2-3, and Cot, but most beta manuscripts read simulat. The A version manuscripts are equally divided between these two forms. verbis vel inR.10.202: In place of R's vel in, beta reads nec, which is also the reading of Ax. corde est fidus amicus .
Tu quoque fac simile  sic ars diluditur arte .
R.10.204KD.10.197
Ho-so gloseth as giloures doun go me to þe same .
And so schalstow fals folke  and faythles bygyle .
Þis is catones kennyng  to clerkes þat he lereth .
Ac theologie techeth nauȝt so  ho-so taketh gome .R.10.207: This unique R reading is a synonym for beta's ȝeme. MED lists it, s. v. gome (n. 4), "Attention, heed, notice;" cf. F's heede.
R.10.208KD.10.201
He kenneth vs þe contrarie  aȝeyne catones wordes .
For he bit vs be as bretheren  and bidde for oure enemys .
And louen hem þat liȝenR.10.210: R uniquely omits on before vs. Ax confirms the reading of the B majority. vs  and lene hem whan hem nedeth .
And do goed aȝeynes euel  god hym-self it hoteth .
R.10.212KD.10.204α
Dum tempus estR.10.212: For alpha's est, beta reads habemus. operemur bonumR.10.212: After bonum, R uniquely omits ad omnes. maxime autem ad domesticos fidei .
¶ Poule preched þe poeple  þat parfitnesse louede .
gij
fol. 42vI
To do goed for godeslouegodes loue  and gyue men þat asketh .
And namelich to suche  þat schewethR.10.215: Beta reads sueth. oure byleue .
R.10.216KD.10.208
¶ And alle þat lakkethR.10.216: Beta has vs immediately after lakketh. or lyeth vs  oure lorde techeth vs to louye .
And nauȝt to greuen hem þat greueth vs  god hym-self for-bad it .
Michi vindictam et ego retribuam 
For-þi loke þow louie  as longe as þow dureste .
R.10.220KD.10.211
For is no science vnder sonne  so souereyne for þe soule .
¶ Ac astronomye is hardR.10.221: Beta has an harde, but Ax supports alpha's omission of an. þinge  and euel for to knowe .
Geometrie and geomesye  is gynful of speche .
Ho-so þenketh werch with þo to  þriueth ful late :
R.10.224KD.10.215
For sorcerye is þe souereyne boke  þat to þo scienceR.10.224: R's combination of a plural determiner (þo) with a singular noun (science) is unique; some B witnesses read þe science (which is the Ax reading), while others, including WHmF, read þo sciences. It may be that R's þo science represents an unmarked plural rather than the casual error it appears (on a number of occasions, R offers unique, s-less genitive forms for his nouns). longeth .
¶ Ȝeet ar þere fibiches in forceres  of fele mennes makynge .
Experimens of alconomie  þe poeple to deseyue .
If þow þenke to dowel  dele þere-with neuere .
R.10.228KD.10.220
Alle þis sciences I my-selue  soteyled and ordeyned .
And by-fondR.10.229: Cf. F's fond and beta's founded. Ax agrees with beta. hem formest  folke to deseyue .
¶ Telle clergie þise toknes  and toR.10.230: Beta omits alpha's to. scripture after .
To conseile þe kendely  for to knowe dowel .R.10.231: Beta reads this b-verse as to knowe what is dowel.
R.10.232KD.10.224
¶ I seyde graunt mercy madame  and mekelich hire grette .
And went miȝteliche my weyR.10.233: Beta reads wiȝtlich awey ; F omits the entire line. The Ax version seems a mixture of alpha and beta: wiȝtly my wey.  with-oute more lettynge .
AndR.10.234: R uniquely omits til before I. I come to clergie  I couthe neuere stynte .
I grette þe gode man  as þe gode wifR.10.235: R's rendering of this line is unique among the B manuscripts but is identical to the phrasing in Ax. For R's I, F and beta have And; for R's phrase, þe gode wif, beta has Studie) while F reads þe Ientil lady. Neither F nor beta alliterates properly. me tauȝte .
R.10.236KD.10.228
And after-wardes þe wif  and worchiped hem bothe .
And tolde hem þeR.10.237: It appears that the tail of <e> in þe was written over an erasure, perhaps of an intrusive descender from the <þ> of þe in the line above. tokenes  þat me tauȝte were .
Was neuer gome vpoun þis grounde  synnesR.10.238: R's synnes is unique (cf. R20.295 = synnes ȝe desiren) but semantically equivalent to the majority B reading, sith; MED, s. v. sinnes, cites this form from R as a rare contracted example of the conjunction sitthenes. god made þe worlde .
Fairer vnderfonge  ne frendloker at ese .
R.10.240KD.10.232
Þanne me-self sothliche  sone so he wiste .
Þat I was of wittes hows  and with his wif dame studie .
I seyde to hem sothly  þat sent I wasR.10.242: Cf. F's y was sent and beta's sent was I. þider .
Dowel and dobet  and dobest to lerne .
R.10.244KD.10.238
¶ It is a comune lif quod clergie  on holy cherche to byleue .
fol. 43rI
With alle þe articles of þe feith  þat falleth to be knowe .
And þat is to byleue lelly  bothe lered and lewede .
On þe grete god  þat gynnynge hadde neuere .
R.10.248KD.10.242
And on þe sothfast sone  þat saued man-kende .
Fro þe dedly deth  and þe deueles power .
Þoruȝ þe helpe of þe holy goste  þe which goste is of bothe .
Thre propreR.10.251: R's propre is unique, having been omitted by both beta and F. Nevertheless, it is clear that the alliterative pattern of the line requires it. In all likelihood, it was found in alpha and Bx. The apparently odd coincidence of the word's having been separately omitted by beta and F is probably explainable in terms of how it would have been abbreviated. It would have occurred in a phrase which, at a glance, looked like this: þre ppre psones. If the required loop from the descender of the initial <p> was missing or unobtrusive, a copyist might easily mistake the word for an errant attempt (uncancelled) at writing the following word (especially if the final <re> was rendered merely as a superscript loop). Or ppre might have been misconstrued as an unerased dittography of the preceding word, þre. persones  and nauȝt in plurele noumbre .
R.10.252KD.10.246
For alle is but on god  and eche is god hym-selue .
Deus pater deus filius  deus spiritus sanctus .
God þe fader god þe sone  god holy gost of bothe .
Makere of mankende  and of bestes bothe .
R.10.256KD.10.249
¶ Austyne þe olde  here-of heR.10.256: Though the other beta copies omit he, L joins RF in attesting this variant. At first glance, it appears that the C reading for this phrase, which agrees with the beta majority, might undercut the authenticity of the LRF reading here; however, in fact C has expanded this whole passage and reproduces verbatim the LRF b-verse, with he, some six lines below its original position. made bokes .
And hym-self ordeyned  to sadde vs in bileue .
HoR.10.258: Ho, "who." was his autour  alle þe foure euaungelistes .
And crist cleped hym-self so  þe euaungeliezR.10.259: Beta's reading is ewangeliste(s); F has wangelye. bereth witnesse .
R.10.260KD.10.252α
Ego in patre et pater in meR.10.260: After me, beta adds est. The X family of C manuscripts agrees with beta in this addition, but the P family agrees with alpha.  et qui me vidit . patrem Mevm vidit &cetera .R.10.260: R's two uses of vidit are unique in the B tradition; F and beta read videt. However, a majority of C manuscripts (including copies from both major families) agrees with R's verb form. With regard to alpha's version of the end of this citation, beta's rendering involves phrasal transposition: & qui videt me videt et patrem meum.R.10.260: The &c . has been rubbed or obscured by a stain, so that the final punctus is now barely detectable.
¶ Alle þe clerkes vnder criste  ne coude þis assoile .
But þus it longeth to bileue  to lewede þat willen dowel .
For hadde neuere freke fyne wit  þe feyth to despute .
R.10.264KD.10.256
Ne man hadde no mercyR.10.264: Beta reads merite in place of alpha's mercy. The Latin citation following this line confirms the correctness of beta's variant, as does its agreement with the reading of Cx.  myȝtte it be proued .
Fides non habet meritum  vbi humana racio . &cetera .R.10.265: Among the B witnesses, R uniquely omits the final words of this citation: prebet experimentum. The evidence for Cx is mixed, but a majority of C manuscripts, primarily those from the X family, agrees with R's omission of these words.
¶ Þanne is do-bet to suffre  for þi souleR.10.266: Though CB support alpha's uninflected possessive, beta reads soules. helthe .
Alle þat þe boke bitt  by holy cherche techynge .
R.10.268KD.10.259
And þat is man bi þi myȝt  for mercyes sake .
Loke þow werche it in werke  þat þisR.10.269: Beta reads þi; F has þe. worde scheweth .
Suche as þow semest in siȝte  be in assay I-founde .
Appare quod es autR.10.271: Beta has vel. esto quod appares .
R.10.272KD.10.262
And late no-body be  by þi berynge beR.10.272: This redundancy is owed to alpha (cf. F's berynge here be); correcting it would have required only common sense and minimal attention from R's scribe; it is shared by Hm through convergence. bygiled .
But be suche in þi sole  as þow semest withouten .
¶ Þanne is dobest to be bolde  to blame þe gulty .
Sethenes þow sest þi-selue  as in soule clene .
R.10.276KD.10.266
Ac blame þow neuer body  and þow be blame-worthi .
Si culpare velis  culpabilis esse cauebis .
giij
fol. 43vI
Dogma tuum sordet cum te tua culpa remordet
God in þe gospel  griml.yche repreueth .
R.10.280KD.10.268
Alle þat lakketh eny lif  and lakkes han hem-selue .
Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui trabem in oculo tuo non vides .R.10.281: Beta omits non vides.
Whi meues þow þi mode for a mote  in þi brotherR.10.282: Beta reads brotheres. eyȝe .
Siþþe a bem in þin owen  a-blendeth þi-selue .
R.10.284KD.10.270α
Eice primo trabem de oculo tuo . &cetera .
WittR.10.285: This reading is unique to R; beta reads Whiche while F has Þe wiche letteth þe to loke  lasse other more .
¶ I rede ech ablyndea blynde bosard  do bote to hym-selue .
For abbotes and for prioures  and for alle maner prelates .
R.10.288KD.10.273
As persones and parisch prestes  þat preche schulleR.10.288: Both beta and F read shulde. and teche .
Alle maner men  to amende be hire miȝte .
Þis tixt was I-told ȝow  to ben war ar ȝe tauȝte .
Þat ȝe were suche as ȝe seyde  to salue with othere .
R.10.292KD.10.277
For godes worde wolde nouȝte be boste[l]oste  for þat worcheth euere .
If it auailed nauȝt þe comune  it miȝt auaile ȝoure-seluen .
¶ Ac it semeth noR.10.294: This obvious error (no for now) stems from alpha (cf. F's not). R's failure to correct it probably attests to misplaced reverence for his exemplar. sothliche  toR.10.294: Though Cr agrees with R's omission here, the beta sub-archetype and F show þe before worldes. worldes siȝte .
Þat goddes wordesR.10.295: Beta has worde, while F garbles the entire half-line and omits any reading at this point. worcheth nauȝth  on lered ne on lewed .
R.10.296KD.10.281
But in swich a maner as mark  meneth in þe gospelle .
Dum secus[c]ecus ducit secum[c]ecumR.10.297: This slip (secus for cecus / caecus) cannot be owed to the scribe's own pronunciation of Latin (in which the voiceless velar plosive /k/ of classical phonology would have been rendered, as was conventional in ecclesiastical Latin, as the voiceless palato-alveolar affricate /č/). Instead, this mental lapse reveals momentary confusion with English phonology, where initial <c> often represented the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/. No other B copyist makes this mistake.  ambo in fouiam cadunt .
¶ Lewed men may likne ȝow þus  þat þe bem lyth in ȝoure eyȝes .
And þe festu is fallen  for ȝoure defaute .
R.10.300KD.10.284
In alle maner men  þoruȝ mansede prestes .
Þe bible bereth witnesse  þat alle þe folke of israel .
Byttere abouȝte þe gultes  of to badde prestes .
Offyn and fynes  for here coueytise .
R.10.304KD.10.288
Archa dei meskapudR.10.304: This is either a mistake or an extremely rare form. MED, s. v. miskepen, lists no occurrences for the inflected form nor for the base. OED2, s. v. miscape, lists R's use of the term as the only known occurrence of meskapud. It is classified as a past tense form of miscape, an intransitive verb meaning "To have a mishap, come to grief." A citation from 1477 in a treatise on alchemy is the only other known use of the verb as an intransitive. One transitive use from 1535 is cited.  and ely brak his ne..kke .
heare I beganne
¶ For-þi ȝe corectoures claweth here-on  and corecteth furst ȝow-seluen .
And þanne mow ȝe manlicheR.10.306: Beta reads saufly while F has soþly, but neither word alliterates properly; R's manliche appears to be authorial. segge  as dauid made þe sauter .
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis  arguam te & statuam contra faciem tuam .
R.10.308KD.10.292
¶ And þanne schullen burel clerkes  be abasched to blame ȝow .R.10.308: At the end of this line, beta adds or to greue.
And carpen nauȝt as þei carpen now  and calle ȝow dowmbe houndes .
fol. 44rI
Canes non valentes latrare 
And drede to wrathe ȝow in eny worde  ȝoure werkmanschipe to lette .
R.10.312KD.10.295
And be presteore at ȝoure preyeresR.10.312: R's plural is unique; Bx witnesses the singular prayere.  þan for a pounde of nobles .
And alle for ȝoure holynesse  haue ȝe þis in herte .
¶ Amonges riȝtful religiouse  þis reule schulde be holde . These lines are not attested in beta. F's version is sufficiently different from R's to require full reproduction here (cf. Appendix 1, R10.314-26, for details and any cross-references to the C version):
A-mongis ryghtful relygous / þis rewle sholde be holde.
[¶] Seynt Gregory þe grete clerk / & þe goode pope.
Of Relygyonys rewle / he reersiþ in hise bookis.
& seyþ in exsomple / þat þeyhȝ sholde do þere-after.
¶ Whan fysshis faile þe flood / & þe fressh water.
Þey dyȝen for drowhte / whan þei dreyȝe lyȝe.
Ryght so quod Gregory / religioun trollyþ.
It steruyþ & stynkþ / & stelyþ lordis almesse
Þat owt of Couent & cloistre / coueytyn to lybbe.
For if hevene be in erthe / & ese to þe soule.
It ys in cloystre / or in skole / be fele skylys y fyȝnde.
For in Cloistre comeþ no man / to fyȝhte / ne to chyȝde.
But al is buxumnesse & bookis / to rede & to leerne
.
Gregorie þe grete clerke  and þe goed pope .
R.10.316KD.10.299
Of religioun þe reule  reherseth in his morales .
And seyth it in ensaumple  for þei schulde do þere-after .
Whenne fissches failen þe flode  or þe fresche water .
Þei deyen for drouthe  whanne þei drie ligge .
R.10.320KD.10.303
Riȝt so quod Grigori  religioun rolleth .
Sterueth and stynketh  and steleth lordes almesses .
Þat oute of couent and cloystre  coueyten to libbe .
For if heuene be on þis erthe  and ese to any soule .
R.10.324KD.10.306
It is in cloistere or in scole  be many skilles I fynde
For in cloistre cometh mancometh [no] man  to chide ne to fiȝte .
But alle is buxumnesse þere and bokes  to rede and to lerne .
¶ In scole þere is skile  and scorne but ȝif he lerne .R.10.327: Alpha and beta apparently diverged considerably here (the latter omitting skile and from mid-verse and expanding he to a clerke wil); R presumably reflects alpha's reading, while F somewhat distorts it. Kane-Donaldson choose to print the beta version of the line (In scole þere is scorne but if a clerke wil lerne), while Schmidt endorses R's reading, which has the merit of alliterating properly.
R.10.328KD.10.310
And grete loue and likynge  for vch of hem loueth other .
Ac now is religioun a ridere  a romere by stretes .
A ledere of louedays  andR.10.330: The omission of the indefinite article is unique to R. Cf. the Bx phrase, a londebugger. The same phrase occurs in Ax, where it also includes the indefinite article. londe buggere .
A prikere on a palfray  fram maner to maner .
R.10.332KD.10.314
An hepe of houndes at his ers  as he a lorde were .
And but if his knaue knele  þat schal his cuppe bringe .
He loureth on hym and axeth hym  ho tauȝte hym curteisie
Litel hadden lordes to done  to ȝiue lond fram here heires .
R.10.336KD.10.318
To religiouse þat han no reuthe  þouȝ it reyne on here auterres .
¶ In many places þere hij persones ben  be hem-self at ese .
Of þe pouere haue þei no pite  & þat is hire pureR.10.338: Beta breaks the alliterative pattern by omitting pure. Cx confirms alpha's variant here. charite .
Ac þei leten hem as lordes  here londe lith so brode .
R.10.340KD.10.322
¶ Ac þere schal come a kynge  & confesse ȝow religiousses .
And bete ȝow as þe bible telleth  for brekyng of ȝoure reule .
giiijus
fol. 44vI
And amende moniales  monkes and chanouns .
And putten hem to here penaunce  ad pristinum statum ire .
R.10.344KD.10.326
And barones with erles  bitenR.10.344: R's form is unique; Bx has beten. hem  þoruȝ beatus virres techinge .
Þat here barnes claymen  and blame ȝow foule .
Hij in curribus et hij in equisR.10.346: A stain has partly obscured the <equ> of equis.  ipsi obligati sunt &cetera .
¶ And þanne freres in here freyture  schal fynden a keye .
R.10.348KD.10.329
Of costantynes cofferes  in which is þe catel .
Þat gregories godeR.10.349: Most B manuscripts read godchildren instead of the erroneous good(e) children of FHmG. R's gode childerne almost certainly intends the former, not the latter (cf. MED, s. v. god, [n. 1]). childerne  han euel despended .
¶ And þanne schal þe abbot of abyndoun . R's line division here, splitting the two halves of a single archetypal verse, is unique.
And alle his vssue for euere .
R.10.352KD.10.332
Haue a knok of a kynge  and incurable þe wounde .
¶ Þat þis worth soth seke ȝee  þat ofte ouer-seen þe bible .
Quomodo cessauit exactor quieuit tributum .
Contriuit dominus baculum impiorum & virgam dominancium .
R.10.356KD.10.333α
Cedencium plaga insabiliinsa[na]bili .
¶ Ac ar þat kynge come  caym schal awake .
Ac dowel schal dyngen hym adoun  & destruyen his miȝte .
Þanne is dowel and dobet quod I  dominus and kniȝt-hode .
R.10.360KD.10.337
¶ I nel nauȝt scorne quod scripture  but if scriueynes lye .
Kynghod ne kniȝthode  by nauȝt I can awayte .
Helpeth nauȝte to heuene-warde  on heres ende .
Ne richesse riȝt nauȝt  ne realte of lordes .
R.10.364KD.10.341
¶ Poule preueth it inpossible  riche men haue heuene .
Salomon seyth al-so  þat siluer is worste to louie .
Nichil iniquius quam amare pecuniam .
And catoun kenneth vs to coueyten it  noȝt but at pure nede .R.10.367: R's wording is unique. Beta manuscripts show various versions of this line's last phrase, but beta itself probably read as nede techeth. F has in gret nede.
R.10.368KD.10.343α
Dilige denarium  sed parce dilige formam .
And patriarches and prophetes  and poetes bothe .
Writen to wissen vs  to wilne no richesse .
And preyseden pouerte with pacience  þe apostles bereth witnesse .
R.10.372KD.10.347
Þat þei han heritage in heuene  & bi trewe riȝte .
fol. 45rI
Þere riche manR.10.373: Beta reads men. no riȝte may clayme  but of riȝt reuth and grace .
Contra quod I be crist  þat can I repreue .
And preuen it by peter  and by poule bothe .
R.10.376KD.10.351
Þat is baptized beth sauf  be heR.10.376: A brown stain has rendered he almost illegible. It is the same stain responsible for discoloration on fol. 44v at R10.346. riche or pore .
¶ Þat is in extremis quod scripture  amonges sarasines & Iewes .
Þei mowen be saued so  and þat is oure byleue .
Þat onR.10.379: F has a while beta reads an. vncristene in þat cas  may cristene an hethen .
R.10.380KD.10.355
And for his lele byleue  whan he þe lif tyneth .
Haue þe heritage of heuene  as any man cristene .
¶ Ac cristen men with-outen more  may nouȝte come to heuene .
For þat crist for cristene men deyede  & confermed þe lawe .
R.10.384KD.10.359
Þat ho-so walde and wilneth  with crist to arise .
Si cum christo surrexistis &cetera .
He schulde louye and lene  and þe lawe fulfille .
Þat is loue god þi lorde  leuest aboue alle .R.10.387: F omits this line completely; beta reads Þat is loue þi lorde god leuest aboue alle.
R.10.388KD.10.362
And after alle cristene creatures  in comun vch man other
And þus bilongeth to louie  þat leueth to be saued .
And but we do þus in dede  ar þe day of dome .
It schal be-sitten vs ful soure  þe siluer þat we kepen .
R.10.392KD.10.366
And oure backes þat mote-etenR.10.392: The correct reading is moth-eten. R's apparently nonsensical phrase (cf. F = mote be betyn) attests to the spelling practice of alpha, who frequently renders /θ/ as <t>, especially in syllable-final position. MED, s. v. motthe, lists no examples of mote as a variant spelling of motthe, and OED2, s. v. moth, notes none earlier than 1520. However, among recorded late-medieval forms, the closest is moȝte, which makes alpha's form easy to account for. ben  & seen beggeres go naked .
Or deliȝt in wyn & inR.10.393: R's in here is a unique addition to the text of Bx. wildefoule  & wote any in defaute .
¶ For euery cristene creature  schuld be kende til other .
And sitthen hethen to helpe  in hope of amendement
R.10.396KD.10.370
God hoteth both heye and lowe  þat no man hurt other
And seith sle nauȝt þat semblable is  to myn owne liknesse
But if I sende þe sume tokene  & seith non mecaberis .
Is sle nauȝt but suffre  and alle for þe beste .
R.10.400KD.10.374
For Michi vindictam & ego retribuam .R.10.400: Beta omits this biblical citation completely. Nevertheless, its genuineness is warranted by its presence at the same point in Ax.
For I schal punischenR.10.401: R's punischen is the alpha reading; beta reads punysshen hem. Ax agrees with alpha. in purgatorie  or in þe put of helle .
Vch man for his misdedes  but mercy it lette .
¶ Þis is a longe lessoun quod I  and litel am I þe wiser .
R.10.404KD.10.378
Where dowel is or do-bet  derkliche ȝe schewen .
fol. 45vI
Many tales ȝe tellen  þat teologie lerneth .
And þat I man made was  and my name I-entrede .
In þe legentde of lif  longe er I were .
R.10.408KD.10.382
Or elles vn-writen for sum wikkednesse . as holy writ tellethR.10.408: In place of alpha's telleth, beta's variant is wytnesseth. Cx has sheweth, while the b-verse in the A cognate of this line has a different word order but uses the same verb as beta. .
Nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui de celo descendit .
And IR.10.410: Beta omits And; F substitutes For. However, Ax affirms the presence of R's And at the head of the line (the two C families disagree on this issue, the P group agreeing with the beta omission while the X set supports R). leue it welR.10.410: After wel beta adds quod I, but Ax and Cx both support RF on the omission of quod I. be oure lorde  & on no letterure bettere .
For salomon þe sage  þat sapience tauȝte .
R.10.412KD.10.385
God gaf hym grace of witt  and alle godesR.10.412: In place of R's alle godes, beta's variant is alle his godes. F reads of alle goodis. Cx has of goed. after .
To reule þe reume and riche to make R.10.413: Beta omits this line completely. F reads the line thus: To rewle his rewme wel / & hym ryche make.
He demed wel and wiselich  as holy writt telleth .
Aristotel and he  who wissed men bettere .
R.10.416KD.10.389
Maistres þat of goddes mercy  techen men and prechen .
Of here wordes þei wissen vs  for wisest inR.10.417: Beta reads as before in. Cx agrees with alpha in omitting as. here tyme .
And alle holy cherche  holdeth hem bothe ydampned .
¶ And if I schulde werke by here werkes  to wynnen me heuene .
R.10.420KD.10.393
Þat for here werkes and hereR.10.420: Beta omits here. Cx agrees with beta in this omission. In a line whose first half parallels this B / C passage (but whose b-verse differs), the A witnesses are divided on the presence of here (2) — a majority agreeing with alpha and a minority agreeing with beta. witt  now wonyeth in pyne .
Þanne wrouȝt I vnwisly  what-so-euere ȝe preche .
¶ Ac of fele witty in fayth  litel ferly I haue .
Þow here goste be vngracious  god for to plese .
R.10.424KD.10.397
For many man on þis molde  more sett here herte .R.10.424: Beta renders plurals in this line: men instead of alpha's man and hertis instead of herte. Cx agrees with beta on men but with alpha on herte.
In goed þan In god  for-þi hem grace faileth .
At here most meschief  whan þei schul lyf lete .
As salomon and other dedeR.10.427: Instead of alpha's non-alliterating and other dede, beta more plausibly reads dede and such other.  þat schewed grete wittes .
R.10.428KD.10.402
Ac here werkes as holy writtwritt [seith]R.10.428: Here R uniquely omits an essential verb.  was euere þe contrarie .
For-þi wise witted men  neR.10.429: R's ne is unique; Bx has and. wel I-lettred clerkes .
As þei seyn hem-selue  selden doun þere-after .
Super cathedram moysi . &cetera .R.10.431: Here the scribe again overlooks his usual insertion of a blank line to mark a new paragraph.
R.10.432KD.10.405
¶ Ac I wene II[t] worth of many  as was in noes tyme .
Þo he schope þat schippe  of schides and of bordesR.10.433: Though the CrW branch of beta agrees with alpha on the final b-verse phrase (and of bordes), it seems likely that beta itself read as LMOHmG (and bordes). This difference extends into C, where the predominant X-family reading agrees with LMOHmG (i.e., beta) while the majority P-family reading supports RFCrW (i.e., alpha).
Was neuere wriȝt saued þat wrouȝt þere-on  ne oþere werkman elles
But brides and bestes  and þe blessed noe .
R.10.436KD.10.409
And his wif with his sones  and also here wyues .
Of wriȝtes þat it wouȝtew[r]ouȝte  was noen of hem saued .
fol. 46rI
¶ God lene it fare nouȝt so by folke  þat þe feith techen .
Of holy cherche þat herborw is  and goddes hous to saue
R.10.440KD.10.413
And schilde vs fram schame þere-inne  as noes schipe dede bestes .
And men þat maden it  a-mydde þe floed a-dreynten .
¶ Þe culorum of þis clause  in curatouresR.10.442: R's in is a unique addition to the presumptive archetypal text. F adds of. Beta agrees with Cx in omitting both of these prepositions. is to mene .
Þat ben carpenteres  holy cherche to make . for cristes oune bestes .
R.10.444KD.10.416α
Homines et iumenta saluabis domine . &cetera
At domes-day þe deluye worth  of deth and feer at ones . These three lines are not found in beta. In F, they read as follows:
At domes-day / þe flood worþ / of watur & feer at onys .
¶ For-þy y conseyle ȝou klerkis / of holy chirche wryghtis.
Werke ȝee / as ȝee seen wrete / o lest ȝe worþ y-drenklid
.
For-þi I conseil ȝow clerkes  of holy cherche þe wriȝtes .
Wercheth ȝe werkes as ȝe seen I-write  lest ȝe worth nauȝt þerinne
R.10.448KD.10.420
For aR.10.448: R's For a is unique; F has For on while beta simply begins the line On; R's a is, however, semantically identical to the F/beta preposition, on. Moreover, both Ax and Cx agree with R on this form, opening the line with the phrase, A Good Friday. goed friday I fynde  a feloun was I-saued .
Þat hadde I-lyued alle his lif  with lesynges and with þefte .
And for he beknewe on þe crosse  and to crist schrof hym .
He was sonnere I-saued  þan seint Iohan þe baptist .
R.10.452KD.10.424
And ar adam or Isaye  or eny of þe prophetes .
Þat hadde I-lyen with lucifer  many longe ȝeres .
¶ A robbere was I-rawnsoned  rather þen þei alle .
With-outen eny penance of purgatorie  to perpetuel blisse .
R.10.456KD.10.428
¶ Þanne marie maudeleyne  what womman dedde worse
Or ho worse dedeR.10.457: Beta omits dede (while F omits ho worse) , but Ax confirms R's inclusion of dede. þan dauid  þat vries deth conspired .
Or poule þe apostle  þat no pite hadde .R.10.458: Alpha omits the following line found in beta (and in slightly different form in the A version):
Moche crystene kynde to kylle to deth.
AndR.10.459: L joins R in omitting now before ben, but F and most beta manuscripts attest its presence. ben this as souereynes  with seyntes in heuene .
R.10.460KD.10.433
Þo þat wrouȝt wikkedlokest  in werlde þo þei were .
¶ And þo þat wisly wordedden  and writen many bokes .
Of witt and of wisdome  with dampned soules wonye .
Þat salomon seith I trowe be soth  and certeyn of vs alle .
R.10.464KD.10.436α
Sunt iusti atque sapientes  & opera eorum in manu dei sunt .
Þere aren witty and wel libbinge  ac here werkes ben y-hudde .
In þe hondes of almiȝti god  and he wote þe sothe
Where for loue a man worth alowed þere  and his lele werkes
R.10.468KD.10.440
Or elles for his euel wille  and enuye of herte .
And be alowed forR.10.469: Beta reads as. F completely rephrases the half-line. he lyued so  for by lyther . men knoweth þe gode .
fol. 46vI
¶ And where-by woteR.10.470: There is considerable variation on this reading among beta manuscripts, but beta itself seems to have read either wiste (the lection of CrW) or wote (the reading of LR, and probably of M before it was changed by erasure and overwriting to conform to CrW). men  which is whit  if alle þinge blak were .
OrR.10.471: Beta reads And; F has For. who were a goed man  but if þere were sum schrewe .
R.10.472KD.10.444
For-þi lyue we forth with lither men  I leue fewe ben gode .
For quantz oportet vyn en place  il ny ad qeR.10.473: Qe is an Anglo-Norman form. pati .
And he þat may alle amende  haue mercy on vs alle .
For sothest worde þat euer god seyde  was þo he seyde nemo bonus .
R.10.476KD.10.449
¶ Clergie þo of cristes mouthe  comended was it litel .
For he seyde to seynt petere  and to swich as he louede .
Dum steteritis ante reges & presides . &cetera .
Þouȝ ȝe come by-for kynges  and clerkes of þe lawe .
R.10.480KD.10.452
Beth nauȝt abasched for I schal  be in ȝoure mouthes .
And ȝiue ȝow wit atR.10.481: Most beta copies read and, but L agrees with alpha's at. willeR.10.481: R uniquely omits and before cunnynge. However, neither reading allows the b-verse to alliterate. cunnynge to concluden .
Hem alle þat aȝeynes ȝow  R.10.482: R uniquely omits of before cristendom. F also omits of, but does so in the context of a uniquely phrased b-verse with no reference to cristendom. cristendom desputen .
¶ Dauid maketh mencion  he spak amonges kynges .
R.10.484KD.10.455
AlR.10.484: Beta reads And; F has Þere. Cx agrees with beta. miȝte no kynge ouer-com hym  as by cunnynge of speche .
But wit ne wisdom  wan neuere þe maystrie .
Whan man was at mischief  with-oute þe more grace .
¶ Þe douȝtiorokestR.10.487: A unique form in R; it is impossible to know whether this represents unintentional morphological error or simply deliberate idiolect, a compounding, for emphasis, of the comparative with the superlative inflection. doctoure  and dyuinour of þe trinite . In the left margin opposite these lines, there is the residue of a series of brown inkstains—offset from the marginal comment in the right margin of fol. 47r.
R.10.488KD.10.459
Was austyn þe olde  and heyest of hemR.10.488: R's hem is unique; both Ax and Bx have þe at this point. foure .
Seyde þus in a sarmon  I seiȝ it writen ones .
EcciEcc[e] ipsi Idioti rapiunt celum .
Vbi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur .
R.10.492KD.10.462
And is to mene to englisch men  more noR.10.492: Only Hm agrees with R; both beta and F read ne. Ax confirms the correctness of the majority reading. lesse .
Aren none rather I-rauesched  fro þe riȝt byleue .
Þan aren þis cunnynge clerkes  þat knoweR.10.494: R's knowe is the alpha variant; both Ax and beta have conne. many bokes .
Ne none sonner I-saued  ne saddere of bileue .
R.10.496KD.10.466
Þanne plowmen and pastours  and pouer comune laborers .
Souteres and schepherdes  suche lewed iottes .
Persen with a pater noster  þe paleys of heuene .
And passen purgatorie penaunceles  at here hennes partynge .
R.10.500KD.10.470
In-to þe blisse of paradis  for here puyre bileue .
Þat inparfitly  kneweR.10.501: Here R uniquely omits here before knewe; F rewrites the line, but here appears in its a-verse. andR.10.501: Beta adds eke before lyued. lyuede .
¶ Ȝe men knowe clerkesR.10.502: Before cursen, R uniquely omits þat. The omission of this relative pronoun at the head of the b-verse makes the entire statement ambiguous. Beta reads the b-verse thus: þat han cursed þe tyme. F has þat þey haue cursed þe tyme. cursen þe tyme .
fol. 47rI
Þat euere þei coude or knewe more  þan credo in deum patrem .
R.10.504KD.10.474
And principali þeR.10.504: Beta reads her. paternoster  many a persone hath I-wisched .
¶ I se ensaumples my-self  and so may many an-other .
Þat seruauntes þat seruen lordes  selde falle in rerageR.10.506: R's rerage is a unique form; F reads reragys. Beta has arrerage, which is supported by Cx in a revised version of the same line. .
But þo þat kepen lordesR.10.507: Beta has þe before lordes. catel  clerkes and reues .
R.10.508KD.10.478
Riȝt so lewed men  and of litel kunnynge .
Selden falleth so foule  and so ferre in synne .
As clerkes of holy cherche  þat kepen cristes tresor .R.10.510: From this point in the right margin, extending down to R11.10 (Sitthen sche seide to me) on this same page, there is an erased note, horizontally written, approximately seven lines long.
Þe which is mannes soule to saue  as god seith in þe gospel .
david
R.10.512KD.10.481α
Ite vos in vineam meam . &cetera .
MED