The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 11William LanglandEdited by Hoyt N. Duggan and Ralph HannaAssociate Editors: Patricia R. Bart, M. Gail Duggan and Catherine A. FarleyTechnical Editors: Daniel V. Pitti and Jonathan Rodney Graduate Research Assistants Heather Blatt, Michael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Nancy Renwick Clendenon, Carri Cregar, Paul Fyfe, Paul Gaffney, Matthew Gibson, Bethany Mabee, Stephen C. Martin, Chloe Smith, Timothy L. Stinson, and Keicy Tolbert. Computer Consultants and ProgrammersShayne Brandon, Nathaniel Garson, Matthew S. Gibson, Kirk V. Hastings, Janice McCoy, Susan Munson, David Seaman, and John Unsworth.Published for the Medieval Academy of America and The Society for Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET) by Boydell and Brewer Ltd. Cambridge ISBN: 184384026X

Commercially available:

copyright 2004, by SEENET

Published in the United Kingdom by Boydell and Brewer for The Medieval Academy of America and SEENET

Manufactured in the United Kingdom

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

2004

SEENET A.6

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud misc. 581 (S. C. 987)

late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud misc. 581 (S. C. 987)

Attribute Valuesbrown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink

LatinFrenchGerman2003 Editor Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and structure reorganized. passus xjusPassus xjusundecimust ThanneL.11.1: The lombard capital <T> is five lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide letter <t> appears in the left margin. scripture scorned me · and a skile tolde And lakked me in latyne · and liȝte by me she sette And seyde multi multa sciunt & seipsos nesciunt Þo wepte I for wo · and wratth of her speche And in a wynkyng wratth · wex I aslepe A merueillouse meteles · mette me þannefortune Þat I was rauisshed riȝt þere · and fortune me fetteL.11.7: The word fortune is written in the right margin in a sixteenth-century hand. And in-to þe londe of longynge · allone she me brouȝte And in a myroure þat hiȝt mydlerd · she mad me to biholde Sitthen she sayde to me · here myȝtowL.11.10: An otiose tilde appears over this word. se wondres And knowe þat þow coueytest · and come þer-to par-aunter Þanne hadde fortune folwyng hir two faire damoyseles Concupiscencia carnis · men called þe elder mayde And coueytise of eyes · ycalled was þat oþer Pryde of parfyte lyuynge · pursued hem bothe And badde me for my contenaunce · acounte clergye liȝte Concupiscencia carnis · colled me aboute þe nekke And seyde þow art ȝonge and ȝepe · and hast ȝeres ynowe For to lyue longe · and ladyes to louye And in þis myroure þow myȝte se · myrthes ful manye Þat leden þe wil to lykynge · al þi lyf-tyme Þe secounde seide þe same · I shal suwe þi wille Til þow be a lorde and haue londe · leten þe I nelle Þat I ne shal folwe þi felawship · if fortune it lyke He shal fynde me his frende · quod fortune þer-after Þe freke þat folwed my wille · failled neuere blisse Thanne was þere one þat hiȝte elde þat heuy was of chere Man quod he if I mete with þe · bi Marie of heuene Þow shalt fynde fortune þe faille · at þi moste nede And concupiscencia carnis · clene þe forsake Bitterliche shaltow banne þanne · bothe dayes and niȝtes Coueytise of eyghe · þat euere þow hir knewe And pryde of parfyt lyuynge · to moche peril þe brynge Ȝee recche þe neuere quod recchelesnes · stode forth in ragged clothes Folwe forth þat fortune wole · þow hast wel · fer til elde A man may stoupe tymesL.11.36: LHmMR have tymes; most other B manuscripts read tyme. ynow · whan he shal tyne þe croune Homo proponit quod a poete · and plato he hyght And deus disponit quod he · lat god done his wille If trewthe wil witnesse it be wel do · fortune to folwe Concupiscencia carnis · ne coueityse of eyes Ne shal nouȝt greue þe gretly · ne bigyle þe but þow wolt L.11.42: An unrubricated paraph marker appears in the left margin. Since the scribe failed to skip a line, the rubricating scribe may have failed to notice it. ¶ Ȝee farewel phippe quod fauntelte and forth gan me drawe Til concupiscencia carnis · acorded alle my werkes Allas eye quod elde · and holynesse bothe Þat witte shal torne to wrecchednesse · for wille to haue his lykyng Coueityse of eyghes · conforted me anon after And folwed me fourty wynter · and a fyfte more Þat of dowel ne dobet · no deyntee me neL.11.48: LM alone read ne; most other B witnesses omit it. þouȝte I had no lykynge leue me if þeL.11.49: LMW alone have þe, though Hm has thu and Cr1 ye. leste · of hem auȝte to knowe Coueytyse of eyes · cam ofter in mynde Þan dowel or dobet amonge my dedes alle Coueytise of eyes conforted me ofte And seyde haue no conscience how þow come to gode+ Go confesseL.11.54: The <+> indicates that the corrector noted L's omission of þe after confesse. F also omits the pronoun. to sum frere · and shewe hym þi synnes For whiles fortune is þi frende · Freres wil þe louye And fecche þe to her fraternite · and for þe biseke To her priour prouyncial · a pardoun forto haue And preyen for þe pol bi pol · ȝif þow be peccuniosus Set pena pecuniareapecuniar[i]a non sufficit pro spiritualibus delictis By wissynge of þis wenche I wrouȝte · here wordes were so sweteX L.11.61-64: A dry point <X> appears in the left margin.Tyl I forȝat ȝouthe · and ȝarn in-to elde And þanne was fortune my foo · for al hir faire biheste And pouerte pursued me · and put me lowe And þo fonde I þe Frere aferde · and flyttynge bothe Aȝeines owre firste forward · for I seyde I nolde Be buryed at her hous · but at my parissh cherche For I herde onys · how conscience it tolde Þat þere a man were crystened · by kynde he shulde be buryed Or where he were parisshene · riȝt þere he shulde be grauen And for I seyde þus to freres · a fool þei me helden And loued me þe lasse for my lele speche Ac ȝet I cryed on my confessoure þat helde hym-self so kunnyng By my feith frere quod I · ȝe faren lyke þise woweres Þat wedde none wydwes · but forto welde here godis Riȝte so by þe Rode · rouȝte ȝe neuere Where my body were buryed · bi so ȝe hadde my siluer Ich haue moche merueille of ȝow · and so hath many an other Why ȝowre couent coueyteth · to confesse and to burye Rather þan to baptise barnes · þat ben catekumelynges Baptizyng and burying · bothe ben ful nedeful Ac moche more merytorie · me þynkeL.11.81: L alone reads þynke; all other B manuscripts have þynkeþ. it is to baptize For a baptized man · may as maistres telleth Þorugh contricioun come · to þe heigh heuene Sola contricio &c ·L.11.84: LMWR read &c · Most B manuscripts end the Latin quotation delet peccatum. The scribe wrote this line to the right of the previous line, probably because he was at the end of the page and did not want the line separated from the rest of the line group.nota Ac a barne with-oute bapteme · may nouȝt so be saued Nisi quis renatus fuerit loke ȝe lettred men · whether I lye or do nouȝte And lewte loked on me · and I loured after Wherfore lourestow quod lewte · and loked on me harde Ȝif I durste quod I amonges men · þis meteles auowe Ȝe bi peter and bi poule quod he · and takeL.11.90: LGMR have the present tense take. All other B witnesses have the preterite took. hem bothe to witnesse Non oderis fratres secrete in corde tuo · set publice argue illos Þei wol alleggen also quod I · and by þe gospel preuen Nolite iudicare quemquam · And wher-of serueth lawe quod lewte · if no lyf vndertoke it Falsenesse ne faytrye · for sumwhat þe apostle seyde Non oderis fratrem · and in þe sauter also seithe dauid þe propheteL.11.96-98: The markup and display does not adequately represent the manuscript here. See the image. Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis &c It is licitum for lewed men · to segge þe sothe If hem lyketh and leste · eche a lawe it graunteth Excepte parsones and prestes · and prelates of holycherche It falleth nouȝte for þat folke · no tales to telle Þough þe tale were trewe · and it touched synne Þinge þat al þe worlde wote · wherfore shuldestow spare And reden it in Retoryke · to arate dedly synne Ac be neuere-more þe fyrste · þe defaute to blame Þouȝe þow se yuel sey it nouȝte fyrste · be sorye it nere amended No þinge þat is pryue · publice þow it neuere Neyther for loue laude it nouȝt · ne lakke it for enuye+ Parum lauda vitupera paraciusL.11.109: A rubricated penstroke across the descender of <p> and a red dot beneath the <a> serve to correct pacius to parcius. The rubricator's <+> in the margin reveals the rubricating scribe serving as corrector here. He seith sothe quod scripture þo · and skipte an heigh & preched Ac þe matere þat she meued · if lewed men it knewe Þe lasse as I leue · louyen it þei wolde This was her teme and her tyxte · I toke ful gode hede Multi to a maungerye · and to þe mete were sompned And whan þe peple was plenere comen · þe porter vnpynned þe ȝate And plukked in pauci priueliche · and lete þe remenaunt go rowme Al for tene of her tyxte · trembled myn herte And in a were gan I waxe · and with my-self to dispute Whether I were chosen or nouȝt chosen · on holicherche I þouȝte Þat vnderfonge me atte fonte · for one of goddis chosne For cryste cleped vs alle · come if we wolde Sarasenes and scismatikes · and so he dyd þe iewes O vos omnes scicientes[si]cientes venite &c And badde hem souke for synne · saufly at his breste And drynke bote for bale · brouke it who-so myȝte Þanne may alle crystene come quod I · and cleyme þere entre By þe blode þat he bouȝte vs with · and þorugh baptesme after Qui crediderit & baptizatus fuerit &c For þough a crystene man coueyted · his crystenedome to reneye Riȝtfulliche to renye · no resoun it wolde For may no cherle chartre make · ne his catel selle With-outen leue of his lorde · no lawe wil it graunte Ac he may renne in arrerage · and .....rowme so fro home+ And as a reneyed caityf recchele...sly gonL.11.134: The last three letters of recchelesly appear to have been written over an erasure, and gon was added after initial copying. A <+> appears in the left margin, presumably prompting one or both of these changes. A number of B manuscripts have this line as it stands without the addition, though some have rennen where the corrector here has supplied gon. aboute Ac Resoun shal rekne with hym · and casten hym in arrerage And puttenL.11.136: LCMY lack hym after putten, attested in most B manuscripts. after in a prisone · in purgatorie to brenne For his arrerages rewarden hym þere  to þe daye of dome+ But if contricioun welL.11.138: LR alone have wel (instead of wol) which may explain the corrector's marginal <+>. come · and crye bi his lyue Mercy for his mysdedes · with mouth or with herte Þat is soth seyde scripture may no synne lette Mercy alle to amende · and mekenesse hir folwe For þey beth as owre bokes telleth · aboue goddes werkes Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius Ȝee baw for bokes quod one · was broken oute of helletrogianusL.11.145: The word trogianus is written in the left margin. The reading is unclear, but the scribe appears to have written first trooianus and then corrected the second <o> to <g>. Hiȝte troianus had ben a trewe knyȝte · toke witnesse at a pope How he was ded and dampned · to dwellen in pyne For an vncristene creature clerkis wyten þe sothe Þat al þe clergye vnder cryste · miȝte me cracche fro helle But onliche loue and leaute · and my lawful domes Gregorie wist þis wel · and wilned to my soule Sauacioun for sothenesse · þat he seigh in my werkes And after þat he wepte · and wilned me were graunted Grace wyth-outen any bede-byddynge · his bone was vnderfongeL.11.153: The remains of an erased red box can be seen around the last word. And I saued as ȝe may se · with-oute syngyng of masses By loue and by lernyng of my lyuyng in treuthe Brouȝte me fro bitter peyne · þere no biddyng myȝte Lo ȝe lordes what leute did · by an Emperoure of Rome Þat was an ...?...vncrystene creature · as clerkes fyndeth in bokes Nouȝt þorw preyere of a pope · but for his pure treuthe Was þat sarasene saued · as seynt Gregorie bereth witnesse Wel ouȝte ȝe lordes þat lawes kepe · þis lessoun to haue in mynde And on troianus treuth to thenke · and do treuthe to þe peple Lawe with-outen loue quod troianus leye þere a bene Or any science vnder sonne · þe seuene artz and alleX But ifL.11.165: The corrector's if does not appear in any other B manuscript. The dry point <X> in the left margin perhaps points to this lection. þei ben lerned for owre lordes loue · loste is alle þe tyme For no cause to cacche siluer þere-by · ne to be called a mayster But al for loue of owre lorde · and þe bet to loue þe peple For seynte Iohan seyde it · and soth aren his wordes Qui non diligit manet in morte Who-so loueth nouȝte leue me · he lyueth in deth-deyinge And þat alle manere men · enemys and frendes Louen her eyther other · and lene hem as her-selue Who-so leneth nouȝte · he loueth nouȝte · god wote þe sothe And comaundeth eche creature · to confourme hym to louye And souereynelyche pore poeple · and here ennemys after For hem þat hateth vs · is owre meryte to louye And pore peple to plese · here prayeres may vs helpe For owre ioye and owre hele · Ihesu cryst of heuene In a pore mannes apparaille · pursueth vs euere And loketh on vs in her liknesse · and þat withL.11.180:The abbreviation includes a punctus under the <t>; both the <t> and punctus may have been added after initial copying by a different hand. louely chere To knowen vs by owre kynde herte · and castyng of owre eyen WherþerWheþer we loue þe lordes here · byfor owre lorde of blisse And exciteth vs bi þe euangelye · þat when we maken festes We shulde nouȝte clepe owre kynne þer-to · ne none kynnes riche Cum facitis conuiuia nolite inuitare amicos Ac calleth þe careful þer-to þe croked and þe pore For ȝowre frendes wil feden ȝow · and fonde ȝow to quite Ȝowre festynge and ȝowre faire ȝifte · vche frende quyteth so other Ac for þe pore I shal paye · and pure wel quyte her trauaille Þat ȝiueth hem mete or moneye · and loueth hem for my sake For þe best ben somme riche · and somme beggers and pore For alle are we crystes creatures · and of his coffres riche And bretheren as of o blode · as wel beggares as erles ·+ For ofonL.11.194: The word of has been subpuncted and lined through and on supplied supralinearly in keeping with all other beta witnesses. A corrector's <+> in the left margin flagged the error. caluarye of crystes blode · crystenedome gan sprynge And blody bretheren we bycome þere · of o body ywonne As quasi modo geniti · and gentil men vche one No beggere ne boye amonges vs · but if it synne made Qui facit peccatum seruus est peccati &c In þe olde lawe · as holy lettre telleth Mennes sones · men called vs vchone Of adames issue and Eue · ay til god-man deyde And after his resurreccioun · Redemptor was his name And we his bretheren þourgh hym ybouȝt · bothe riche and pore For-þi loue we as leue bretheren shal · and vche man laughe vpL.11.204: LMR read vp and, although BCY have vpon, a majority of B witnesses record of. other And of þat eche man may forbere · amende þere it nedeth And euery man helpe other · for hennes shal we alle Alter alterius onera portate And be we nouȝte vnkynde of owre catel · ne of owre kunnynge neyther For noet no man how neighe it is · to be ynome fro bothe For-þi lakke no lyf other · þough he more latyne knowe Ne vnder-nym nouȝte foule · for is none with-oute faute For what-euere clerkis carpe of crystenedome or elles Cryst to a comune woman seyde · in comune at a feste Þat fides sua shulde sauen hir and saluen hir of alleL.11.214: LCrHmR alone read alle. Most other B manuscripts omit the word entirely or else provide hyr as their reading. synnes Þanne is byleue a lele helpe aboue logyke or lawe Of logyke ne of lawe in legenda sanctorum Is litel allowaunce made · but if bileue hem helpe For it is ouerlonge ar logyke · any lessoun assoille And lawe is loth to louye · but if he lacche syluer Bothe logyke and lawe · þat loueth nouȝte to lye I conseille alle crystene · cleue nouȝte þer-on to sore For sum wordes I fynde ywryten · were of faithes techyng Þat saued synful men · as seynt Iohan bereth wytnesse Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remecietur vobis For-þi lerne we þe lawe of loue · as owre lorde tauȝte And as seynte Gregory seide · for mannes soule helthe Melius est scrutari scelera nostra · quam naturas rerum Why I moue þis matere  is moste for þe pore For in her lyknesse owre lorde · ofte hath ben yknowe Witnesse in þe Paske-wyke · whan he ȝede to Emaus Cleophas ne knewe hym nauȝte · þat he cryste were For his pore parailleL.11.232: LR have the aphetic form paraille. All other B manuscripts read apparaill. · and pylgrymes wedes Tyl he blessed and brak · þe bred þat þei eten So bi his werkes þei wisten · þat he was Ihesus Ac by clothyng þei knewe hym nouȝte · ne bi carpynge of tonge And al was in ensample · to vs synful here Þat we shulde be low · and loueliche of speche And apparaille vs nouȝte ouer-proudly · for pylgrymes ar we alle And in þe apparaille of a pore man · and pilgrymes lyknesse Many tyme god hath ben mette · amonge nedy peple Þere neuere segge hym seigh · in secte of þe riche Seynt Iohan and other seyntes · were seyne in pore clothynge And as pore pilgrymes · preyed mennes godis Ihesu cryste on a iewes douȝter alyȝte · gentil woman þough she were Was a pure pore mayde · and to a pore man weddedMartha & Maudelen Martha on Marye magdeleyne · an huge pleynte she madeL.11.246: The words Martha & Maudelen are written in the right margin. And to owre saueour self · seyde þise wordes Domine non est tibi cure quod soror mea reliquit me solaL.11.248: LMF alone read sola; all other B witnesses have solam. ministrare &cL.11.248: LHmM have &c · after ministrare. And hastiliche god answered · and eytheres wille folwed Bothe Marthaes and Maries · as Mathew bereth witnesse Ac pouerte god put bifore · and preysed it þe bettre Maria optimam partem elegit · que non &cL.11.252: LCrMW alone end the line with non &c.; most other B manuscripts continue auferetur ab ea.parfite povertie L.11.253: A bracket drawn in the right margin extends from this line to the bottom of the page with the annotation parfite povertie. And alle þe wyse þat euere were · by auȝte I can aspye Preysen pouerte for best lyf · if pacience it folwe And bothe bettere and blisseder · by many folde þan ricchesse+ AlthoughL.11.256: LMRF read Although; most other B manuscripts read and þouȝ. it be soure to suffre · þere cometh swete afterL.11.256: The last word was written after initial copying, perhaps in response to the corrector's marginal <+>. As on a walnot with-oute is a bitter barke And after þat bitter barke · be þe shelle aweye Is a kirnelle of conforte · kynde to restore So is after pouerte or penaunce · pacientlyche ytake For it maketh a man to haue mynde in gode · and a grete wille To wepe and to wel bydde · wher-of wexeth mercy Of which cryst is a kirnelle · to conforte þe soule And wel sykerer he slepyth · þe man þat is pore And lasse he dredeth deth · and in derke to be robbed Þan he þat is riȝte ryche · resoun bereth wytnesse Pauper ego ludo dum tu diues meditaris Alþough salamon seide · as folke seeth in þe bibleL.11.268: Illegible marks appear in the right margin. Diuicias nec paupertates &c Wyser þan salamon was · bereth witnesse and tauȝte Þat parfyte pouert was · no possessioun to haue And lyf moste lykynge to god · as luke bereth witnesse Si vis perfectus esse · vade & vende &c And is to mene to men · þat on þis molde lyuen Who-so wil be pure parfyt · mote possessioun forsake Or selle it as seith þe boke · and þe syluer dele To beggeres þat gone and begge · and bidden good for goddes loue For failled neuere man mete · þat myȝtful god serued As dauid seith in þe sauter · to suche þat ben in wille To serue god godeliche · ne greueth hym no penaunce Nichil inpossibile volenti Ne lakketh neuere lyflode · lynnen ne wollen Inquirentes autem dominum · non minuentur omni bono L.11.284-324: A bracket added by a sixteenth-century hand extends the length of the page in the left margin. If prestes weren parfyt · þei wolde no syluer take For masses ne for matynes · nouȝte her mete of vsureres Ne neither kirtel ne cote · þeigh þey for colde shulde deye And þei her deuor dede · as dauid seith in þe sauter Iudica me deus & discerne causam meam Spera in deo speketh of prestes · þat haue no spendyng syluer Þat ȝif þei trauaille trewlich · and trusten in god almiȝti Hem shulde lakke no lyflode · noyther wollen ne lynnen And þe title þat þei take ordres by · telleth ȝe ben auaunced Þanne nedeth nouȝte ȝow to take syluer · for masses þat ȝe syngen For he þat toke ȝow ȝowre tytle · shulde take ȝow ȝowre wages Or þe bisshop þat blesseth ȝow · if þat ȝe ben worthyX For made neuere no kyngeL.11.296: LHm alone add no before kynge. This addition may explain the large <X> in the left margin, four lines high, the top even with this line. no knyȝte · but he hadde catel to spende As bifel for a kniȝte · or fonde hym for his strengthe It is a careful knyȝte · and of a caytyue kynges makynge Þat hath no londe ne lynage riche · ne good loos of his handes Þe same I segge for sothe · by alle suche prestes Þat han noyther kunnynge ne kynne · but a croune one And a tytle a tale of nouȝte · to his lyflode at myschief He hath more bileue as I leue · to lacche þorw his croune Cure · þan for konnyng · or knowen for clene of berynge I haue wonder & why · and wher-fore þe bisshop Maketh suche prestes · þat lewed men bytrayenThe title of Prestes &cL.11.284-324: A sixteenth-century annotator has written The title of Prestes &c to the left of this line group, bracketing all the text on the page. A chartre is chalengeable · byfor a chief iustice+ If false latyne be in þaL.11.308: The corrector's marginal <+> notes the scribe's use of þa for þat, also marked by the corrector at L.3.308 (where it is corrected) and L.15.19 (where it is not). lettre · þe lawe it inpugneth Or peynted parenterlinarie · parceles ouer-skipped Þe gome þat gloseth so chartres · for a goky is holden So is it a goky by god · þat in his gospel failleth Or in masse or in matynes · maketh any defaute Qui offendit in vno in omnibus est reus &c And also in þe sauter · seyth dauyd to ouerskippers Psallite deo nostro psallite quoniam rex terre deus israel psallite sapienter Þe bisshop shal be blamed · bifor god as I leue Þat crouneth suche goddes kniȝtes · þat conneth nouȝt sapienter Synge ne psalmes rede · ne segge a messe of þe day Ac neuer neyther is blamelees · þe bisshop ne þe chapleyne For her eyther is endited · and þat of ignorancia Non excusat episcopos · nec idiotes prestes Þis lokynge on lewed prestes · haþ don me lepe fram pouerte Þe whiche I preyse þere pacyence is · more parfyt þan ricchessenotaL.11.324: An unrubricated paraph marker appears in the left margin. Since the scribe failed to skip a line, the rubricating scribe may have failed to notice it. ¶ Ac moche more in metynge þus · with me gan one dispute And slepynge I seigh al þis · and sithen cam kynde And nempned me by my name · and bad me nymen hede And þorw þe wondres of þis worlde · wytte for to take And on a mountaigne þat mydelerd hyȝte · as me þo þouȝte I was fette forth · by ensaumples to knowe Þorugh eche a creature and kynde · my creatoure to louye I seigh þe sonne and þe see · and þe sonde after And where þat bryddes and bestes · by here make þei ȝeden Wylde wormes in wodes · and wonderful foules With flekked fetheres · and of fele coloures Man and his make · I myȝte bothe byholde Pouerte and plente · bothe pees and werre Blisse and bale · bothe I seigh at ones And how men token Mede · and mercy refused Resoune I seighe sothly suen alle bestes In etyng in drynk....ynge · and in engendrynge of kynde And after course of concepcioun · none toke kepe of other As whan þei hadde ryde in rotey-tyme · anon riȝte þer-after Males drowen hem to males · a-mornynges bi hem-self+ And in euenynges also · ȝe[þ]eL.11.344: L's erroneous ȝe instead of þe is noted by the corrector's <+> in the margin. males fro femeles Þere ne was cow ne cowkynde · þat conceyued hadde Þat wolde belwe after boles · ne bore after sowe Bothe horse and houndes · and alle other bestes Medled nouȝte wyth here makes · þat with fole were Briddes I bihelde · þat in buskes made nestes Hadde neuere wye witte · to worche þe leest I hadde wonder at whom · and where þe pye lerned To legge þe stykkes · in whiche she leythe and bredeth Þere nys wriȝte as I wene · shulde worche hir neste to paye If any masoun made a molde þer-to · moche wonder it were And ȝet me merueilled more · how many other briddes Hudden and hileden · her egges ful derne In mareys and mores · for men sholde hem nouȝt fynde And hudden here egges · whan þei þere-fro wente For fere of other foules · and for wylde bestis And some troden her makes · and on trees bredden And brouȝten forth her bryddes so · al aboue þe grounde And some bryddes at þe bille · þorwgh brethynge conceyued And some kauked I toke kepe · how pekokes bredden Moche merueilled me · what maister þei hadde And who tauȝte hem on trees · to tymbre so heigh Þere noither buirn ne beste · may her briddes rechen And sythen I loked vponL.11.367: LHmWMR read vpon; most other B witnesses have on. þe see · and so forth vponL.11.367: LCrWMR have vpon. Most B witnesses read on. þe sterres Many selcouthes I seygh · ben nought to seye nouthe I seigh floures in þe fritthe · and her faire coloures And how amonge þe grene grasse · grewe so many hewes+ L.11.371: Presumably referring to the omitted to in the following line, a <+> in the left margin has been erased.And somme soure and some swete · selcouthe me þouȝte Of her kynde and her coloure · to carpe it were to longe Ac þat moste moeued me · and my mode chaunged Þat resoun rewarded · and reuled alle bestes Saue man and his make · many tyme and ofte No resoun hem folwed · and þanne I rebuked Resoun · and riȝte til hym-seluen I seyde I haue wonder of þe quod I · þat witty art holden Why þow ne suwest man and his make · þat no mysfait hem folwe And resoun arated me · and seyde recche þe neuere Whi I suffre or nouȝt suffre · þi-self hast nouȝt to done Amende þow itL.11.382: LCrWR alone read þow it, although a correction in Hm places it before þow and F simply has it. The most common B reading is þow alone. if þow myȝte · for my tyme is to abyde Suffraunce is a souereygne vertue · and a swyfte veniaunce Who suffreth more þan god quod he · no gome as I leue L.11.385: A marginal gloss appears to have been erased in the left margin, but nothing is legible. He miȝte amende in a Minute-while · al þat mys-standeth Ac he suffreth for somme mannes good · and so is owre bettre Þe wyse and þe witty · wrote þus in þe bible de re que te non molestat noly certare For be a man faire or foule · it falleth nouȝte forto lakke Þe shappe ne þe shafte · þat god shope hym-selue For al þeL.11.391: The a-verse originally read For al þe did was wel ydo. The corrector who supplied þat he presumably intended it to replace þe, although þe was not deleted. þat he did was wel ydo · as holywrit witnesseth Et vidit deus cunta que fecerat et erant valde bona And badde euery creature · in his kynde encrees Al to murthe with man · þat most woo tholye In fondynge of þe flesshe · and of þe fende bothe For man was made of suche a matere · he may nouȝt wel astert Þat ne some-tymesL.11.397: LR alone read tymes; all other B manuscripts have tyme. Among C-texts, PEcVcAcScZKcGc also have tymes. hym bitit · to folwen his kynde Catoun acordeth þere-with · nemo sine crimine viuit Tho cauȝte I coloure anon · and comsed to ben aschamed And awaked þer-with · wo was me þanne Þat I in meteles ne myȝte · more haue yknowen And þanne seyde I to my-self · and chidde þat tyme Now I wote what dowel is quod I · by dere god as me þinkethAnd as I cast vp myn eyen And as I caste vp myn eyghen · one loked on me and axed Of me what þinge it were · ywisse sire I seide To se moche and suffre more · certes quod I is dowel Haddestow suffred he seyde · slepyng þo þow were Þow sholdest haue knowen þat clergye can · and conceiued more þorugh resoun For resoun wolde haue reherced þe · riȝte as clergye saide Ac for þine entermetyng · here artow forsake Philosophus esses si tacuisses Adam whhilesw[h]iles he spak nouȝt · had paradys at wille Ac whan he mameled aboute mete · and entermeted to knowe Þe wisdom and þe witte of god · he was put fram blisse And riȝt so ferde resoun bi the · þow with rude speche Lakkedest and losedest þinge · þat longed nouȝt to be done Þo hadde he no lykynge · forto lere þe more Pruide now and presumpcioun · par-auenture wole þe appele That clergye þi compaignye · ne kepeth nouȝt to sue Shal neuere chalangynge ne chydynge · chaste a man so sone As shal shame and shenden hym · and shape hym to amende For lat a dronken daffe · in a dyke falle Late hym ligge loke nouȝte on hym · til hym lest to ryse For þough resoun rebuked hym þanne · it were but pure synne Ac whan nede nymeth hym vp · for doute lest he sterue And shame shrapeth his clothes · & his shynes wassheth Þanne wote þe dronken daffe · wherfore he is to blame Ȝe seggen soth quod I · ich haue yseyne it ofte Þere smitte no þinge so smerte · ne smelleth so soure+ As shame þere he sheweth hinmL.11.430: The corrector's <+> in the left margin probably refers to original hin, to which a minim has been added to correct to him. · for euery manL.11.430: Two apparently meaningless points appear above man. hym shonyeth Why ȝe wisse me þus quod I · was for I rebuked resoun Certes quod he þat is soth · and shope hym forto walken And I aros vp riȝt with þat · and folwed hym after And preyed hym of his curteisye · to telle me his name