The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 1: Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MS 201 (F) – Passus 3William LanglandEdited by Robert Adams, Hoyt N. Duggan, Eric Eliason, Ralph Hanna, John Price-Wilkin, and Thorlac Turville-Petre Associate Editors: M. Gail Duggan and Catherine A. Farley Graduate Research Assistants William O. Albertini, Patricia Bart, Michael Blum, Cristina Maria Cervone, John H. Chaffin, Nancy L. Renwick Clendenon, Christopher J. Copeland, David Cox, Stephen C. Martin, Stephen J. Ramsay, and Dominique Woodall. Computer Consultants and Programmers Oludotun Akinola, Robert W. Bingler, David Cosca, Karen Dietz, Susan Gants, Nigel Kerr, Susan Munson, Daniel Pitti, David Seaman, Thornton Staples, John Unsworth, and Peter Yadlowsky.Medieval Academy of America Cambridge, MA ISBN: 0-472-002???

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copyright 2002, by SEENET

2002

SEENET A.1

Oxford, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, MS 201

 late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Oxford, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, MS 201

Attribute Values brown ink anglicana bastarda italic Lombard Cap ornamented capital, N lines high rubricated touched in red textura underlined underlined in red green ink blue ink

LatinFrenchGermanpoetry masculine 199901 cataloger Jackie Shieh New header created This folio marker does not represent a leaf boundary at this point, but it is included to make it possible to display the facsimile image from this passus file. Incipit Passus Tercius.IF.3.1: The seven-line ornamental capital is red and green with flourishes in red to the top of the page. Covrbet ȝyt on my knees / & gradde hire of grace.& seyde mercy Madame / for Marie love of heuene.Þat bar þat blisful barn / þat bowhte vs on roode.F.3.3: A pointing hand appears in the right margin, added by a later hand.& kenne me by sum craft / to knowe þe false. Loke on þy lyft half quod she  & se where he standis.Boþe Fals / & Favel / & here ferys manye. I lookede on my lyft half / as þe lady tawhte.& was war of a womman / was worcheply clothyd.& purfylyd with pelure / þe purest on erthe.& crowned she was with a crowne / þe kyng haþ no bettre.F.3.10: F omits the following line from Bx: "Fetisliche hire fyngres were fretted with gold wyr."& set abowhte with rubyes / as rede as ony gleede.& with dyamaundes þe derrest / & doble dyuerse sapherys.Oryentalis & ewagis / enemyes to distroye. Hire Robe was ful ryche / of reed skarlet greyned.With Rubanes of reed gold / & ful of ryche stones.Hire a-ray / me rauyschede / swich rycchesse seyȝ y neuere.I hadde wondir what she was / & whoos wif she were. What womman ys þis / quod y  so worthyly y-tyred.She is Meede þe Mayde / quod she  haþ noyed me ful ofte. & often lakkyd my lemman / þat lewhte is y-hote.& she is lowly to Lordis / þat lawys have to kepe.& in þe popis paleyȝs she is / as priuy as my-selue. But Sothnesse wolde nono[t] so / for she bore bastard.F.3.23: Bx reads "for she is a Bastard." F's revision creates a T-type b-verse.For fals was hire fadir / þat haþ a fykyl tunge.& neuere soþ seyde / sytthe he com on erthe.& Meede ys manered after hym / ryght as kynde askyþ.Qualis pater . talis filius . Iterum . Bonus arbor bonus fructus habet . Malus arborF.3.27: The red ink has flaked or rubbed so that the <a> of the second arbor is illegible, only the top lobe remaining. malus fructus profert .F.3.27: F alone expands the Latin tag. Bx ends after habet. I awhte ben herrere þan she / y am of a bettre roote.My Fadir grete god ys / grownde of alle gracis.He is god with-owtyn gynnynge / & y am his goode dowhter.& he gaf me mercy / to maryen with my-selue.& what man be mercyful / & leelly me honowre.Shal be my lord / & y his leef / in þe heyȝe hevene. & what man takþ meede / mynn heed dar y legge.Þat he shal leese . for hire love / his lappe ful of charyte.See  how dauid meneþ / of men / þat Meede taken.& of men on þis Molde / þat Meyȝntene trowthe.& how ȝee shal save ȝoure-selue / þe sawter ȝow techeþ.Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo . & cetera./ [¶] & now shal Meede be Maried / to a manshid shrewe.To on fals & fykil of tunge / a foul feendis be-ȝeete.Favel þoruh his false speche / þis folk ys enchauntyd.F.3.42: Bx reads ". . . haþ þis folk enchaunted." Cf. 16.376b for the same formula.& alle hise eyȝres eggynge / þat she shal be y-weddid.& to-morwe worthȝ þe mariage / & þe Maydes brydale.& þere may þou wete / if þou wilt / wheche þei ben alle.Þat longen to þat Lordchepe / þe lasse & þe more.Knowe hem þere / if þou canst / & keep wel þyn tunge.& lakke hem nowht but lete hem worþe / tyl Lewte be Iustise.& have powher to punshe hem / & þan pyt furþ þy resoun. Now y be-kenne þe crist quod she / & his clene Moodir.& þat no concyense a-cumbre þe / for coueytyse of meede./ [¶] Þus lefte me þat Lady / lyggynge on slepe.& how Meede was Maryed / in Meetelys me þowhte.Þat al þe alle þeal þe ryche retenew / þat regnede with sire false.Weryn bodyn to his bydaleb[r]ydale / faire on boþe sydys.Of alle manere of men / þe mene & þe ryche. To Marie þat mayde / wheryn men ensemblyd þere.Of knyghtys & of Clerkys / & oþire comoun peple.Of sysoures of sumnowres / & shereuys & here Clerkis.Of Bedelis & Baylees / & brokores of Chaffare. Forgowleres Forgoweres & vytaleris / & vocatis of þe archis.& manye oþir myster men / mo þan ben in myȝnde.F.3.62: This line appears only in F.I can not redily rekne þe rowhte / þat ran a-bowhte Meede/ [¶] But symony & Cyvile / & sysoures of courtys.Where most priue with meede / of ony men þere owte. But Favel was þe firste / þat fette hire out of chambre.& as a brokour he browhte hire / to be with false en-Ioyned.& whanne Symony & Cyuyle / seyen here boþe wille.&F.3.69: Alpha is responsible for &. Beta manuscripts have Thei. assentide for syluer / to seyn / as boþe wolde./ [¶] Þan leep Lyȝere forþ / & seyde loo  here a chartre.Þat Gyle with hise grete oþis / gaf hem to-gydre.& prayede Cyvyle it to seen / & Symony yt redde. Þanne Symony & Cyvile / stoden forþ bothe.F.3.73: F omits the following line from Bx: "And vnfoldeþ þe feffement that Fals hath ymaked."& þus by-gunne þo goomes / to gredyn ful hyȝe.F.3.74: "IIIus" is written with red flourishes in the top right margin to mark the passus number.Sciant presentes et Futuri . & cetera. Weteþ wel & wytnessyþ / þat whonen vpon erthe.Þat Meede ys Maryed / more for hyre goodys.Þan for ony vertue / or fairnesse / or ony fre keende.Falsnesse is fayn of hire / for he whot hire ryche.& Favel with his fikyl speche / feffyþ hem by þys chartre.To been Princes of pride / & pouerte dyspyse.To Bakbyte & boste wel / & toF.3.82: An otiose curl appears over the <t>. beryn fals witnesse.To skoorne & to skoolde / & sklawndres to make.& to be bold & vn-buxumF.3.84: Alpha is responsible for the word order "bold & vn-buxum." Beta witnesses read "vnbuxome and bolde." / to breke þe ten hestys.To have þe Erldom of Envye / & wratthe to-gydres.With þe Chastelet of Ieestys / & þe Iangelynge of synne.F.3.86: F's b-verse is unique. Beta manuscripts have "and chaterynge out of reson." R has "and chaterynge out of tyme."& al þe Cuntres of Coueytise / with alle þe coostys abowhte.Þat is vserye & Avaryce / alle y hem grawnte.In bargaynes & brokages / with þe bolde borghȝ of þefte.& al þe Lordchepe of Leccherye / in Lengþe & in brede.In werkynge in wordis / in waytynge with yȝen.In wenyngis / In wischyngis / & in wast þowhtys.Þere as wille wolde werke / ne were woo & drede.F.3.93: F's reading is unique. Bx reads "There as wil wolde and werkmanshipe fayleþ."He ȝaf hem Glotonye eek / & grete oþis to-gydre.& al day to drynke / ala[t] fele dyuerse tauernys.& þere to Iangle & to Iape / & Iuggyn here euyn-cristene.& in fastyngeF.3.97: A kind of reversed virgule appearing here is probably a slip of the pen. dayes to frete / er ful tyme weere.& softe syttyn & sowpe / tyl sleepF.3.98: An otiose mark appears above the final <p>. gyn hym a-sayle.& broode hym as aF.3.99: The a is owed to alpha. borghȝ swyn / & bedde hym on a bolstre.Tyl slewthe / & softe sleep / slyken hise sydes.& þanne wanhope a-wake hym so / with no wil to a-mende hym.For he be-leviþ to be loost / þat ys þe laste ende./ [¶] And þey to haven & to holden / & alle here eyȝres after.A derk dwellynge with þe deuyl / & be dampned for euere.With alle pertynauncis of purgatorye / in-to þe pyne of helle.For þis þyng ȝeldynge / at on ȝeerys ende.Here sowlys to sathan / to suffre with hym peynes.& with hym / to whone in woo / whilis god ys in hevene. In witnesse of þisF.3.109: The reading þis is owed to alpha. Beta reads which. þyng / wrong was þe firste.& Pers þe Pardoner / of Pawlynes doctryne.& Bette þe bedele / of Bokyngham-schyre.& Reygnold þe Reve / of RokelondeF.3.112: The reading Rokelonde is owed to alpha. Beta reads Rutland. sokene.& Munde þe Mellere / & manye mo oþere.In þe date of þe deuel / þis dede y a-seele.By syght of sire Symony / & Cyvylys leve. Thanne was teenyd / theologye / whan he þis tale herde.& seyde / to sire Cyvile / now sorwe mote þou have.Swiche weddyngges to wirche / to wratthe with trewþe.& he þis weddynge haþ wrought / woo  hym by-tyȝde.For Meede ys Moylere / of a-Mendys ongendred[e]ngendred.& god grauntid to gyve / Meede to trewthe.& þou hast gyve hire to a gylour / now god gyve þe sorwe.Þe tyxt tellyþ not so / trewþe whot þe soþe.For dignus est operariuusoperarius / his heere to have.& þou hast fest hire with fals / fy  on þyn lawe.For al be lesyngys / þou lyvyst  & leccherouse werkys./ [¶] Þan Symonye & Cyvyle / chydden holy chyrche.& seide þe notarijs & ȝee / foule noyȝhen þe peple.Ȝee shulle a-begge it / boþe / by god þat me made.Wel ȝee wetyn wernardys / þat[but if] ȝoure wit fayleþ.Þat fals ys faythles / & fykil in hise werkys.& asF.3.132: The reading as is owed to alpha. Beta reads was. a bastard y-bore / of Belzabubis kynne.& Meede ys Moylere / & a Mayde of goode.& myghte kyssen þe kyng / for kosyn & heF.3.134: Alpha preserves the he form for the third person singular feminine pronoun here. wolde.For-þy  wyrcheþ be wisdom / & be wit bothe.& lediþ hire to Londoun / þere lawhe ys y-shewyd.If ony lawhe wille looke / þat þey lyggyn to-gydres.& þey Iustyses Iuggyn hire / to be Ioyned with fasefa[l]se.Ȝyt be war of þeF.3.139: The reading þe is owed to alpha, though it is shared by GH. Beta omits it. weddyngge / for wytty is trewthe.& consience his conseylour / he knoweth ȝow ecchone.& if he fyȝnde ȝow in defawhte / & with sire false holde.He wil be-slotereF.3.142: MED s.v. bislotered, cites only one other instance of this verb, which appears as a variant in Chaucer, CT Prol. (CmbGg) A.76. ȝoure sowlys / ful soure at þe laste.F.3.143: A cropped red <x> appears in the left margin, a corrector's mark noting the error. Herto asentyd Cyvyle / but Cyvyle[Symonye] ne wolde.Tyl he hadde sum syluer / & alle hise notarijs.F.3.145: A cropped red <x> appears in the left margin, possibly noting the failed alliteration in the preceding line. / [¶] Þanne fette Favel forþ / floreynys y-nowe.& bad Gyle goo gyve / gold al abowhte.& namely to þe Notarijs / þat þey noon fayle.& feffe Fals / be witnesse / with floreynys y-nowe.Þat heF.3.149: The reading he is owed to alpha, though shared by L. Beta reads þei. may Meede a-Maystrye / & makyn at myn wille. Whan þis gold was y-gyve / gret was þe þonkyng.To fals / & to Favel / for here faire gyftys.& kestyn a-wey care / & conforte sire false.F.3.152: The line is unique to F. Bx reads "And comen to conforten from care þe false."& seyden sire for-soþe / seece shulle we neuere.Tyl Meede be þy weddyd wif / þoru wyt of vs alle.For we have Meede a-Maystried / þorghF.3.155: The reading þorgh is owed to alpha, though shared by H. Beta reads wiþ. oure merye speche.Þat she graunteþ for to goo / with a good wille.To lundenn to looken / if þat þe Lawe wille. Iuggen it Iustelyche / in Ioye for euere.F.3.158: The following partially legible words were written in a secretary hand in the top margin: "he . . . / must no[t] in Redyng be to lyght." The top of the notation has been trimmed away./ [¶] Þanne Fals was fayȝn / & Favel ful blythe.& leet somoune alle men / in shyres a-bowte.& bad hem alle been boun / beggeres & oþere.To wenden with hym to westmenstre / to witnesse þeF.3.162: The reading þe is owed to alpha. Beta reads þis. dede. But þan cared þey for Caplis / to kayre hem to lundenn& Favel fette furþ a-noon / fele folys sone.& sette Meede on a Shereve / y-shood al newe.& Fals sat on a Sysour / þat softly trottide.& Favel on a Flatere / ful fetyȝsly a-tyred./ [¶] Þan Notarijs hadde noone / & a-noyed þey wheryn.Þat Symonye & Cyvile / sholde on foote rennyn. But þanne swoor Symonye / & Cyvile bothe.Þat Somnowres sholde be sadlid / & serue hem ecchone.& propirly aparayle provysoures / in palfreyes wyse.& sire Symonye hym-selue / shal syttyn on here bakkys.& deenes & southdenes / let drawe to-gydre.Archedeknys & officialis / & alle ȝoure registrys.& stoppe hem with syluer / oure synnes to suffre.As devoos & devoutrye / & deerne vserye.To bere Bisshopis a-bowte / a-brood to vysyte./ [¶] & Pawlynes peple / and pleyntis in þe constorye.Shulle seruyn myn-selue / þat Cyvile is y-named.& Cartesadle þe Commyssarye / oure carte shal he leede.To fecche vs vytaylis / at fornicatores. & Lyere shal be long carte / to leden alle þe oþire.As Fobberys / & Faytoures / þat on here feet renne. & þus fals & favel / faren forþ to-gydre.& Meede in þe Myddys / & alle þe oþire after.I have no tome to telle / þe tail þat hem folweth.Of many a manere man / þat on þe moolde lybbeþ.But Gyle was forgoere / & gyede hem alle./ [¶] Þan Sothnesse seyȝ hem wel / & seyde but a lyte.But prikede his palfray / & passede hem alle.& cam to þe kyngys court / & consyence it tolde.& Consyence to þe kyng / carped it after. Nou be crist quod þe kyng / & y cacche myghte.Fals eyþirF.3.195: The reading eyþir is owed to alpha. Beta has synonymous or. Favel / or feerys of hise felachepe.I wolde be wrooke of þo wrecchis / þat werche so Ille.& don hem hongyn be þe hals / & alle þat hem meyghtenmey[n]ten[e].Sholde neuere man on moolde / menprise þe leeste.But ryght as þe Lawe wille / lete falle on hem alle./ [¶] Anon he comoundidcom[a]undid a constable / to comen at þe fyrste.F.3.201: The scribe in his rubricating mode wrote what appears to be an <l> surrounded with marks rather like modern commas in the top margin immediately above the ampersand.& gooF.3.201: The reading goo may be unique in F. The margin of R is badly cropped and the beginning of the line lost, but oo appears. Beta reads To. tache þo tyrawntys / for ony thyng y hote.& fetre faste False / For ony faire gyftys.& loke þou gerde of Gyles heed / & let hym go no furthere.& if þou lacche Lyȝere / lete hym nowht a-skape.Er he be pyt on Pillory / for ony prayere y hoote.& loke þou brynge Meede to me / Mawgre hem alle. Þan stood drede at þe dore / & al þe dome herde.& how þe kyng comaundide / constablis & sergauntys.Þat False / & his felachepe / to fetere & to byȝnde. Þanne Dreede wente wyȝhtly / & warnede False.& bad hym flee for ferd / & hise feerys alle. & a-non Fals for feere / fleyȝ streyt to þe Frerys.& with hym Gyle gan goo / for gast he sholde dyȝe.But Marchawntys mette with hym / & made hym abyȝde.& settyn hym in here shoppis / to shewen here ware.& paraylid hym lyȝk a prentyȝs / þe peple to serue. Ful lyghtly Lyere / leep a-wey þenne.Lurkende þorghȝ lanes / to-luggyd of manye.He was no-wher wolkome / for hise manye talys.But oueral hyȝe howted / & y-hoote to trusse.& Pardoneris hadden pyte / & pullyd hym to howse.& wasshed hym / & wyped hym / & wounnde hym in cloþis.& sentyn hym with seelys / on sundayes to chirchis.& gaf pardoun for pens / pownd-meel a-bowte. Þanne Lowrede Lechis / & Lettrys þey sentyn.Þat he wolde wone with hem / watrys to looke. Fele spyceris spoke toF.3.227: The reading to is owed to alpha. Beta reads with. hym / to a-spyȝe here ware.For he cowhde onF.3.228: The reading on is owed to alpha, though appearing also in Hm and Hm2. Beta reads of. here craft / & knew fele gummes. Þanne Menstralis & Messagerys / mettyn with hym o weye.& heelde hym half aF.3.230: The reading half a is owed to alpha, though shared by CrH. Beta reads an half. ȝeer / & elevene dayes. But Freris with Fair speche / fecchid hym þenne.& for komynge knowerys / þey copid hym as a Frere.But haþ leve / to leepen owt / as oftyn as hym lykeþ.& ys wolkome . whan he wille / with-owtyn ony daunnger.F.3.234: The b-verse is unique to F. Bx reads "and woneþ with hem ofte." & alle þe oþire fledde for feer / & faste flown to hyrnes.Save Meede þe Mayde / no moo durste a-byde.But trewþe to telle / she tremblede for feere.F.3.237: The reading feere is owed to alpha. Beta reads drede.& alsoF.3.238: The reading also is owed to alpha. Beta reads ek. wepte & weylede / for she was a-tachid. Explicit Passus Tercius.