The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 9: The B-Version Archetype of <hi rend="it">Piers Plowman</hi>

The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 9: The B-Version Archetype of <hi rend="it">Piers Plowman</hi> – Passus 2William LanglandEdited by John Burrow and Thorlac Turville-PetreTechnical Editors: Daniel V. Pitti and Cindy Girard Graduate Research Assistants John Ivor Carlson, Erin Kelly, Britta Rowe, Christine Schott, and Timothy L. Stinson. Computer Consultants and Programmers Shayne Brandon, Cynthia GirardPublished for the Medieval Academy of America and The Society for Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET) by Boydell and Brewer Ltd. Cambridge ISBN (individual use) 1 84384 ????? (institutional use) 1 84384 ????

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2011

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LatinFrenchGerman Editor Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and structure reorganized. Passus secundus de visione vt supra Ȝet I courbed on my knees · and cryed hir of grace And seide mercy Madame · for Marie loue of heuene That bar þat blisful barne · þat bouȝte vs on þe Rode Kenne me bi somme crafte · to knowe þe fals ¶ Loke vpponBx.2.5: vppon: Beta shares the C reading. F's on is the A reading. þi left half · and lo where heBx.2.5: he: O anticipates the appearance of Mede in l. 8; hence sche, so that her in l. 6 is perhaps feminine in O, whereas it is plural in other mss. A mss. vary, with masc., fem. and pl. standeth Bothe fals and fauel · and hereBx.2.6: here: "their"; clearly Bx. Ax has hise, referring to fals. Cx rewrites the b-verse, but has here in its following line. feres manye ¶ I loked on my left half · as þe lady me taughte And was war of a womman · wortheliBx.2.8: wortheli: G's wonderslyche is from A or C. yclothed Purfiled with pelure · þe [purest on]Bx.2.9: purest on: F shares this reading with Ax, whereas Cx revises to non puyrere on. The non-alliterating beta reading fynest vpon may of course be a Bx error. erthe YcrounedeBx.2.10: Ycrounede: Beta has support from Ax; F's addition of And is supported by Cx and may represent alpha. with a corone · þe kyng hath non better Fetislich hir fyngres · were fretted with golde wyreBx.2.11: golde wyre: G's rynges is from A. Cx rewrites. F omits the line. And þere-on red rubyes · as red as any glede And diamantz of derrest pris · and double manere safferes Orientales and ewages · enuenymes to destroye ¶ Hire robe was ful riche · of red scarlet engreyned With ribanes of red golde · and of riche stones Hire arraye me rauysshed · suche ricchesse saw I neuere I had wondre what she was · and whas wyf she were ¶ What is þis womman · quod I so worthily atired ¶ That is Mede þe Mayde quod she · hath noyed me ful oft And ylakked my lemman · þat lewte is hoten And bilowen hireBx.2.22: bilowen hire: "made herself pleasing to" (MED biloven); cf. Bx.6.233 where LMR have the -w- form. Both KD and Schmidt emend to bilowen h[ym], "slandered him" (MED bilien v.(2)). A has And lakkide my lore to lordis aboute (K.2.17); Cx has And lakked hym to lordes þat lawes han to kepe (RK.2.21, who emend), with ylow on my lemman in the previous line. to lordes · þat lawes han to kepe In þe popis paleys · she is pryue as my-self But sothenesse wolde nouȝt so · for she is a bastarde ¶ For fals was hire fader · þat hath a fykel tonge And neuere sothe seide · sithen he come to erthe ¶Bx.2.27: ¶: Only LM indicate a new paragraph here. WHmCF have a paraph in the line above. And Mede is manered after hym · riȝte as kynde axeth Qualis pater talis filius · bonusBx.2.28: bonus: LMWF treat arbor as masc.; the others alter to the more usual feminine. At RK.10.244b the X family of C similarly have bonus. F's expansion of the Latin is not supported. arbor · bonum fructum facit I auȝte ben herre þan she · I cam of a better ¶Bx.2.30: ¶: L's paraph is supported by a new line-group in M. Mi fader þe grete god is · and grounde of alle graces O god with-oute gynnynge · & IBx.2.31: & I: F has & y am, as does Cx but in the a-verse. his gode douȝter And hath ȝoue me mercy · to marye with my-self And what man be merciful · and lelly me loue Shal be my lorde and I his leef · in þe heiȝe heuene ¶ And what man taketh Mede · myne hedBx.2.35: hed: MO read lif. Presumably this is coincident error in a common phrase. Nevertheless, Cx reads my lif y dar (or dar y) wedde. Cf. Bx.18.162, I dar my lyf legge. dar I legge That he shal lese for hir loue · a lappeBx.2.36: lappe: This must be the Bx reading, with Cr taking lippe from a C text. The P group of C have lappe, the X group lippe. MED cites lippe n.(2), "a little bit", only from Langland. Probably lappe is a scribal substitution of an easier word, as again at RK.11.224 where two mss. read lappe in the same context. It is likely enough that the word developed the sense "small piece"; see MED lap(pe, 3. of caritatis How construeth dauid þe kynge · of men þat taketh MedeBx.2.37: F has revised the line to improve the alliteration, though the reversal in the b-verse might represent alpha. The line has no parallel in AC. And men of þis molde · þat meynteneth treuthe And how ȝe shal saue ȝow-self · þe Sauter bereth witnesse Domine quis habitabit in tabernac[u]lo tuo &c ¶ And now worth þis Mede ymaried · toBx.2.41: to: F's reading probably represents alpha, and is supported by Cx. Beta must be al to since it has the support of LMCO, though al is subsequently erased in M. Beta2 reads vnto. a mansed schrewe Bx.2.42: Here R resumes. To one fals fikel tongeBx.2.42: tonge: The beta reading has support from RK.2.6 over alpha's of tonge. · a fendes biȝete Fauel þorw his faire speche · hath þis folke enchaunted And al is lyeres ledyng · þat she is þus ywedded ¶ To-morwe worth ymade · þe maydenes bruydale And þere miȝte þow wite if þow wolt · which þei ben alle That longeth to þat lordeship · þe lasse and þe more Knowe hem þere if þow canst · and kepe þiBx.2.48: þi: So LCR, and probably M before correction. It seems likely that other scribes filled out a short line with þou þi or wel þi. AC read kepe the fro hem alle. tonge And lakke hem nouȝt but lat hem worth · til lewte be iustice And haue powere to punyschen hem · þanne put forth þi resoun ¶ Now I bikenne þe criste quod she · and his clene moder And latBx.2.52: lat: Probably R's at represents alpha, interpreted by F as that. C mss. have Acombre neuere thy Conscience or And acombre thow .... no conscience acombre þe · for coueitise of Mede ¶ Thus left me þat lady · liggyng aslepe And how Mede was ymaried · in meteles me þouȝte Þat alle þe riche retenauns · þat regneth with þe false Were boden to þeBx.2.56: þe: Beta is supported by Ax and the X family of C, while R's þis (F has his) is supported by the P family. bridale · on bothe two sydes Of alle maner of men · þe mene and þe riche To marie þis maydeneBx.2.58: maydene: The form varies with mayde throughout; there is no equivalent line in AC. Although MED has separate entries, they are different forms of the same word and are listed together by Wittig (2001). · was many man assembled As of kniȝtes and of clerkis · and other comune poeple As sysours and sompnours · Shireues and here clerkes Bedelles and Bailliues · and brokoures of chaffre Forgoeres and vitaillers · and vokates of þe archesBx.2.62: After this F adds a line that is obviously scribal. I can nouȝt rekene þe route · þat ran aboute mede ¶ Ac symonye and cyuile · and sisoures of courtes Were moste pryue with Mede · of any men me þouȝte Bx.2.66: Alpha has a paraph here.Ac fauel was þe first · þat fette hire out of boure And as a brokour brouȝte hir [·] to be with fals enioigned Bx.2.68: Beta2 has a paraph (a paragraph in Cr), as does R.Whan symonye and cyuile · seiȝ here beireBx.2.68: beire: Genitive of bo, synonymous with boþere in MWO and bethere in R. wille TheiBx.2.69: Thei: Alpha has And, continuing the subordinate clause, but contradicting this syntax with a paraph before the following line. Cx has Thei. assented for siluer · to se[i]Bx.2.69: sei: Falsely corrected to se in L. as bothe wolde Bx.2.70: Here and at l. 73 WHm and alpha have a paraph.Thanne lepe lyer forth · and seide lo here a chartre That gyle with his gret othes · gaf hem togidere And preide cyuile to se · and symonye to rede it Thanne symonye and cyuile · stondenBx.2.73: stonden: The past tense as in MF is also a minority form in AC. forth bothe And vnfoldeth þe feffement · þat fals hath ymakedBx.2.74: F omits the line. And þus bigynneth þes gomes · to greden ful heiȝ Sciant presentes & futuri &c · ¶ Witeth and witnesseth · þat wonieth vpon þis erthe Þat Mede is ymaried · more for here goodis Þan for ani vertue orBx.2.79: or (1): HmCGO read of. The line is not paralleled in AC, though C alters to a line with the same structure, Then for holynesse oþer hendenesse oþer for hey kynde (RK.2.84). fairenesse · orBx.2.79: or (2): LCrWCG and alpha. The parallel line in Cx would give some support to MO or for. any free kynde Falsenesse is faine of hire · for he wote hire riche And fauel with his fikel speche · feffeth bi þis chartre To be prynces in pryde · and pouerte to dispise To bakbite and to bosten · and bere fals witnesse To scorne and to scolde · and sclaundere to make Vnboxome and boldeBx.2.85: Vnboxome and bolde: Beta's order is supported by Cx against alpha's reversal. · to breke þe ten hestes ¶ And þe Erldome of enuye · and wratthe togideres With þe chastelet of chestBx.2.87: chest: i.e. "strife". Supported by Cx against alpha's non-alliterating gestes. · and chateryng oute of resounBx.2.87: resoun: Again supported by Cx. Alpha's reading is probably R's tyme. F rewrites the b-verse to alliterate on /j/ in a-verse. Þe counte of coueitise · and alle þe costes aboute That is vsure and auarice · alle I hem graunte In bargaines and inBx.2.90: in (2): The key witnesses LMR are supported by CrWCO. It is omitted by most C mss. brokages · with al þe borg[h]eBx.2.90: borghe: L writes borgthe. of theft ¶ And al þe lordeship of lecherye · in lenthe and in brede As in werkes and in wordes · andBx.2.92: and (2): So LMCGOR. Yet CrWHm have and in as the X family of C; F has in as the P family. waitynges with eies And in wedesBx.2.93: wedes: The reading of beta; C mss. divide between wedes and woldes. R's wedynges is probably alpha's misreading influenced by the general context, although F offers the attractive and appropriate variant wenyngis, glossed "hopes" by Schmidt (1995). and in wisshynges · and with ydel thouȝtes There as wille woldeBx.2.94: and: The line is marked for correction in L. Original wolde and has been revised by the addition of ne before wolde and the subpunction of and, giving the reading of C. A couple of C mss. have the same reading. Possibly the supervisor intended the correction of wermanship instead, though it is not an uncommon spelling and is repeated at this point in the C text by X. · [and] wermanship failleth ¶ Glotonye he gaf hem eke · and grete othes togydere And alday to drynke · at dyuerse tauernes And there to iangle and toBx.2.97: to (2): Supported by Cx against omission in WHmG. iape · and iugge here euene-cristene And in fastyngdayes to frete · ar ful tyme were And þanne to sitten and soupen · til slepe hem assaille Bx.2.100-03: There is disagreement about number in this passage. Alpha switches to the sg. in l. 100 with a burgh swyne and hym. In l. 101 alpha is joined by LWCGO in his, against hyr in CrHm and corrected M. In 102 alpha + LMCO have hym against pl. hem in CrWHmG. In the a-verse of 103 all mss. except CrHm have sg. he, while in the b-verse beta has pl. here while R has his and F þe. Meanwhile, in the parallel but rewritten passage in Cx, there is also a switch in number, with pl. pronouns throughout except in RK.2.108 (=Bx.2.103), For a leueth be lost when he his lyf leteth. It looks as though scribes made rather ineffective attempts to rationalise number. We follow copy-text, partly on the grounds that it is the least consistent. And bredun as burgh-swyn · and bedden hem esily Tyl sleuth and slepe · slyken his sides And þanne wanhope to awake hym so · with no wille to amende For he leueth be lost · þis is here last ende ¶ And þei to haue and to holde · and here eyres after A dwellyng with þe deuel · and dampned be for eure Wiþ al þe purtenauncesBx.2.106: purtenaunces: L and alpha have the aphetic form (initial a- is deleted in R). Other beta mss. vary, as do C mss. of purgatorie · in-to þe pyne of helle Ȝeldyng for þis þinge · at one ȝeres ende Here soules to sathan · to suffre with hym peynes And with him to wonye withBx.2.109: with (2): Alpha has in; beta probably has with, though MCO read in. Probably this is reversion to the commoner phrase, as in Bx.19.203, though of course this parallel could also be cited in support of in. Ax has "Þere to wone wiþ wrong" (K.2.71). wo · whil god is in heuene ¶ In witnesse of whichþisBx.2.110: which / þis: Beta is supported by Ax and by the alliteration, but alpha's non-alliterating þis is undoubtedly also the Cx reading. þing · wronge was þe first And Pieres þe pardonere · of paulynes doctrine Bette þe bedel · of Bokyngham-shire Rainalde þe Reue · of RotlandBx.2.113: Rotland: Rutland, according to beta. Alpha's Rokeland, also a variant in a few A mss., is Rockland in Norfolk. sokene Munde þe Mellere · and many moo other In þe date of þe deuel [·] þis dede I asseleBx.2.115: I assele: This must be Bx, though HmC ys aseled is the AC reading. Bi siȝte of sire symonye · and cyuyles leue ¶ Þenne tened hym theologye · whan he þis tale herde And seide to cyuile · now sorwe mot þow haue Such we[d]dyngesBx.2.119: weddynges: LC have wendynges, but the line is marked for correction in L. to worche [·] to wratthe with treuthe And ar þis weddyng be wrouȝte · wo þe bityde ¶ For Mede is moylere · of amendes engendrethBx.2.121: engendreth: Agreement of LR (together with C) indicates that this is an error in Bx, with the obvious correction made by other scribes. A spelling such as engendrit as in some A mss. could have caused the error in Bx. And god grauntethBx.2.122: graunteth: COF have past tense. There is the same variation in A. to gyf · Mede to treuthe And þow hast gyuen hire to a gyloure · now god gyf þe sorwe Th[e]Bx.2.124: The: Alpha is supported by Ax against beta's Thi. tixt telleth þe nouȝt so · treuthe wote þe sothe For dignus est operarius · his hyre to haue And þow hast fest hire to fals · fy on þi lawe For al by lesynges þow lyuest · and lecherouse werkes Bx.2.128: Alpha has a paraph.Symonye and þi-self · schenden holicherche Þe notaries and ȝee · noyeth þe peple Ȝe shul abiggen it bothe · bi god þat me made Wel ȝe witen wernardes · but if ȝowre witte faille That fals is faithlees · and fikel in his werkes And [as]Bx.2.133: as: Alpha is supported by AC against beta's was. a bastarde ybore · of belsabubbes kynne And Mede is moylere · a mayden of gode And myȝte kisse þe kynge · for cosyn an she wolde ¶ For-þi worcheth bi wisdome · and bi witt also And ledeth hire to londoun · þere lawe is yshewed If any lawe wil loke · þei ligge togederes And þouȝ Iustices iugge hir · to be ioigned withBx.2.139: with: Supported by Ax against CrWHmG to. Cx rewrites. fals Ȝet beth war of [þe]Bx.2.140: þe: Alpha's article is supported by AC. The line in L is an addition by another scribe. weddyng · for witty is truthe And conscience is of his conseille · and knoweth ȝow vchone And if he fynde ȝow in defaute · and with þe fals holde It shal bisitte ȝowre soules · ful soure atte laste ¶ Here-to assenteth cyuile · ac symonye ne wolde Tyl he had siluer for his seruise · and also þe notaries ¶ Thanne fette fauel forth · floreynes ynowe And bad gyle toBx.2.147: to: So LMCrWCR, hence Bx. HmGOF have go, the reading of Ax and the P group of C, presumably by coincident variation or contamination. Crowley "improves" with go in Cr3. gyue · golde al aboute And namelich to þe notaries · þat hem none neBx.2.148: ne: Supported by LWCR, but dropped in others. It is not in most AC mss. faille And feffe false witnes · with floreines ynowe For heBx.2.150: he: Established for Bx by LRF and probably original M, as well as AC. The referent is unambiguously plural in MW (witnesses), sg. in L (contrast witnesses Bx.9.77), and ambiguous in other mss. may mede amaistrye · and maken at my wille ¶ Tho þis golde was gyue · grete was þe þonkynge To fals and to fauel · for her faire ȝiftes And comen to conforte [·] fram care þe fals And seiden certis sire · cesse shal we neuere Til Mede be þi wedded wyf · þorw wittis of vs alle For we haue Mede amaistried · withþorwBx.2.156: with / þorw: The beta reading is supported by most A mss.; alpha's thorȝ, though it may have been picked up from the previous line, is also the reading of Cx. owre mery speche That she graunteth to gon [·] with a gode wille To Londoun to loke · ȝif þat þeBx.2.158: ȝif þat þe: So LMCOF. Beta2 and G drop þat, R drops þe. A mss. vary similarly; Cx has if. lawe wolde Iugge ȝow ioyntly · in ioye for euere ¶ Thanne was falsenesse fayne · and fauel as blithe And leten sompne alle segges · in schires aboute And bad hem alle be bown · beggeres and othere To wenden wyth hemBx.2.163: hem: Referring to Fals and Favel. Beta's reading is shared with Ax and the P family of C. Alpha and the X family have hym. Beta seems more appropriate. to westmynstre · to witnesse þisBx.2.163: þis: A mss. similarly split between þis and þe. The line is not in C. dede ¶ Ac þanne cared þei for caplus · to kairenBx.1.165: kairen: So LM + alpha; other scribes substitute the easier carien, as also at Bx.P.29, 4.23, 5.310. Note, however, that Ax also has carien. hem þider And fauel fette forth þanne · folus ynowe And sette Mede vponBx.2.166: vpon: GF read on, as does Ax; R has vppe. a schyreue · shodde al newe And fals sat on a sisoure · þat softlich trotted And fauel on a flatereBx.2.168: flatere: So LF. MED distinguishes between flatour (OF flatour) and flaterer (from the verb). · fetislich atired ¶ Tho haued notaries none · annoyed þei were For symonye and cyuile · shulde on hire fete gange ¶ Ac þanne swore symonye · and cyuile bothe That sompnoures shulde be sadled [·] and serue hem vchone And lat apparaille þisBx.2.173: þis: FG omit, and R reads þe. A mss. also vary, but most support beta. prouisoures · in palfreis wyse Sire symonye hym-seluen · shal sitte vpon here bakkes ¶ Denes and suddenes · drawe ȝow togideres Erchdekenes and officiales · and alle ȝowre Regystreres Lat sadel hem with siluer · owre synne to suffre As [de]uoutrieBx.2.178: deuoutrie: The alliterating alpha synonym for beta's easier auoutrie. There is no parallel line in AC, although Cx has deuoutours at RK.2.187. R again has deuoutrie at Bx.12.86. MED does not record either de- form otherwise, but note OED devoterer, with an instance from 1550. and deuoses · and derne vsurye To bere bischopes aboute · abrode in visytynge ¶ Paulynes pryuesBx.2.180: pryues: "parties to suits" (Alford (1988), 120-1). GF's peple is an A reading. · for pleyntes in þe consistorie Shul serue my-self · þat cyuile is nempned And cartesadel þe comissarie · owre carte shal he lede And fecchen vs vytailles · at fornicatores ¶ And maketh of lyer a l[a]nge carteBx.2.184: lange carte: Wittig (2001) lists the spelling lange once in each of the three versions, for this line only. WR always elsewhere have longe, and presumably the archetypal scribes recognised this as a technical expression for the longa caretta, a "four-wheeled military cart" (Galloway (2006), 278). · to lede alle þese othere As [fobberes]Bx.2.185: fobberes: "cheats". Alpha's reading has support from Cx fobbes (related to fobben vb.). Beta's Freres is much easier; most A mss. have folis. and faitours · þat on here fete rennen Bx.2.186: W and alpha have a paraph here.And thus fals and fauel · fareth forth togideres And Mede in þe myddes · and alle þise menBx.2.187: men: LCrWHmR supported by Cx. G has the Ax reading meyny. Oddly, the disparate group MCOF have oþere. after ¶ I haue no tome to telle [·] þe taille þat hem folweth Of many maner man · þat on þis molde libbethBx.2.189: The line is lost in beta2 and G. Ac gyle was forgoer · and gyed hem alle ¶Bx.2.191: ¶: The paraph is in beta and F. The line is at the bottom of the page in R. Sothenesse seiȝ h[e]mBx.2.191: hem: The beta reading is probably hym, though CrWG and alpha have the plural, supported by AC. wel · and seide but a litelBx.2.191: a litel: Apparently Bx, though omission of a in MCrWG is shared with Cx and most A mss. And priked his palfrey · and passed hem alle And come to þe kynges courte · and conscience it tolde And conscience to þe kynge · carped it after ¶ Now by cryst quod þe kynge · and I cacche myȝte Fals orBx.2.196: or (1): Alpha reads other / eyþir, with R alone reading other for the second or. AC mss. vary in both instances. fauel · or any of his feres I wolde be wroke of þo wrecches · þat worcheth so ille And don hem hange by þe hals · and alle þat hem meynteneth Shal neure man ofBx.2.199: of: Secure for Bx, in L, original M, C and R. The variants of þis (corrected M, CrW), on (OF), on thys (G) and vpon (Hm) may be prompted by the oddity of the phrase man of molde, as well as by l. 189 above. A mss. vary, but Cx has on þys. molde · meynprise þe leste But riȝte as þe lawe wil loke · late falle on hem alle ¶ And comanded a constable · þat come atte furst ToGooBx.2.202: To / Goo: Beta shares To with Ax; alpha's Goo is also Cx. Cf. the variants in Bx.2.147 above. The direct speech of "Goo atache ... I hote" is attractive; perhaps it suggested itself as an authorial or scribal improvement. attache þo tyrauntz · for eny thyngeBx.2.202: thynge: Presumably an error, but undoubtedly Bx. AC have tresour. I hote And fettereth fast falsenesse · for enykynnes ȝiftes And gurdeth of gyles hed · and lat hym go no furthere And ȝif ȝe lacche lyer · late hym nouȝt ascapen Er he be put on þe pilorye · for eny preyere I hote And bryngeth Mede to me · maugre hem alle ¶ Drede atte dore stode · and þe dome herde And how þe kynge comaunded · constables and seriantz Falsenesse and his felawschip · to fettren an to bynden Þanne drede went wiȝtliche · and warned þe fals And bad hym flee for fere · and his felawesBx.2.212: felawes: F's feerys is probably from A. It is also the reading of Cx which however avoids the pun on fere by altering the a-verse to And bad falsenesse to fle (RK.2.222). alle ¶ Falsenesse for fere þanne · fleiȝ to þe freres And gyle doþ hym to go · agast for to dye Ac marchantz mette with hym · and made hym abide And bishetten hym in here shopeBx.2.216: shope: The distributive sg. is supported by LMCOR. Ax has the plural; C mss. vary. · to shewen here ware AndBx.2.217: And: Ax is without it, as are CrWHmG; it is the reading of Cx. apparailled hym as a prentice · þe poeple to serue ¶ Liȝtlich lyer · lepe awey þanneBx.2.218: þanne: i.e. "from there". Both beta and alpha forms represent MED thenne adv.; cf. LALME 4.262. Lorkynge thorw lanes · to-lugged of manye He was nawhere welcome · for his manye tales Ouer al yhowtedBx.2.221: yhowted: "shouted at". Beta2 has yhonted, an easy error, though supported by AC. On Crowley's revisions here, see Hailey (2007), 152-4. · and yhote trusse Tyl pardoneres haued pite · and pulled hym in-toBx.2.222: in-to: This must be Bx, supported by the X family of C, despite MHmF support for the Ax reading to. house They wesshen hym and wyped hym · and wonden hym in cloutesBx.2.223: cloutes: Hm and alpha have clothes. A mss. vary; Cx has cloutes, though five C mss. read clothes. And sente hym with seles · on sondayes to cherches And gaf pardoun for pens · poundmel aboute ¶ Thanne loured leches · and lettres þei sent Þat he sholde wonye with hem · wateres to loke Bx.2.228: W and alpha have a paraph.Spiceres spokeBx.2.228: spoke: The form speken in CrWGR is also past plural; cf. Bx.15.285 for a clear instance, where L also has speken. [to]Bx.2.228: to (1): The alpha reading is also that of Cx; A mss. divide. The beta reading with is likely to have been influenced by the line above. hym · to spien here ware For he couth o[n]Bx.2.229: on: Both Ax and Cx agree with alpha here against beta's of. here craft · and knewe many gommes ¶ Ac mynst[r]alles and messageres · mette with hym ones And helden hym an halfȝereBx.2.231: an half: Beta is challenged by alpha half a. Cx has no article; A mss. vary between all three possibilities. · and elleuene dayes ¶ Freres with faire speche · fetten hym þennes And for knowyng of comeres · coped hym as a frere Ac he hath leue to lepe out · as oft as hym liketh And is welcome whan he wil · and woneth wyth hem oft ¶ Alle fledden for fere · and flowen in-to hernes Saue Mede þe Mayde · na moBx.2.237: mo: R has man, as do four A mss. durst abide Ac trewli to telle · she trembled for [fere]Bx.2.238: fere: Beta's reading drede is also that of four A mss., but the others have fere, as do alpha and Cx. And ekBx.2.239: ek: The beta reading is supported by Ax against alpha's also. Cx has bothe. wept and wronge · whan she was attached