fol. 69r (cont.)I
passus xvjus & primus de dobet
Passus xvjusSextus Decimus & primus de dobet
n
NowL.16.1: The ornamental capital <N> is six lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide-letter <n> appears in the left margin. faire falle ȝow quod I þo · for ȝowre faire shewynge
For haukynnes loue þe actyf man euere I shal ȝow louye
Ac ȝet I am in a were · what charite is to mene
L.16.4KD.16.4
It is a ful trye tree quod he · trewly to telle ·
Mercy is þe more þer-of · þe myddel stokke is reuthe
charitas
Þe leues ben lele wordes · þe lawe of holychercheL.16.6: A later scribe has written charitas in the right margin.
Þe blosmes beth boxome speche · and benygne lokynge
L.16.8KD.16.8
Pacience hatte þe pure tre · and poreL.16.8: LRF read pore against the majority of B manuscripts that have pure. symple of herte
And so þorw god and þorwL.16.9: LMW have this þorw; most B witnesses omit it. good men · groweth þe frute charite
I wolde trauaille quod I þis tree to se · twenty hundreth myle
id est edulium
And forto haue my fylle of þat frute · forsake al other soauleeL.16.11: The <a> is converted from <o> and the final <e> added. Cot and R both have soule here, L's original reading.
L.16.12KD.16.12
Lorde quod I if any wiȝte wyte · whider oute it groweth
It groweth in gardyneL.16.13: L alone omits a before gardyne. quod he · þat god made hym-seluen
Amyddes mannes body · þe more is of þat stokke
Herte hatte þe erber · þat it in groweth
L.16.16KD.16.16
And liberum arbitrium · hath þe londe to ferme
Vnder Piers þe plowman · to pyken it · and to weden it
Piers þe plowman quod I þo · and al for pure ioye
Þat I herde nempne his name · anone I swouned after
L.16.20KD.16.20
And laye longe in a loue-dreme · and atte laste me þouȝte
Þat Pieres þe plowman · al þe place me shewed
fol. 69vI
And bad me toten on þe tree · on toppe and on rote
With þre pyles was it vnder-piȝte · I perceyued it sone
L.16.24KD.16.24
Pieres quod I · I preye þe · whi stonde þise piles here
For wyndes wiltow wyte quod he · to witen it fram fallyng
Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur · quia dominus supponit manum suamL.16.26-27: These two lines are bracketed in the left margin.
And in blowyng tyme abite þe floures · but if þis piles helpe
L.16.28KD.16.27
Þe worlde is a wykked wynde · to hem þat woldenL.16.28: L alone reads wolden; most other B manuscripts have willen. treuthe
Coueityse cometh of þat wynde · and crepeth amonge þe leues
And forfret neigh þe frute · þorw many faire siȝtes
Þanne with þe firste pyle · I palle hym down · þat is potencia dei patris
L.16.32KD.16.31
Þe flesshe is a fel wynde · and in flourynge tyme
Þorw lykyng and lustes · so loude he gynneth blowe
Þat it norissheth nice siȝtes · and some-tyme wordes
And wikked werkes þer-of · wormes of synne
L.16.36KD.16.35
And forbiteth þe blosmes · riȝt to þe bare leues
Þanne sette I to þe secounde pile · sapiencia dei patris
Þat is þe passioun and þe power · of owre prynce Ihesu
Þorw preyeres and þorw penaunces · and goddes passioun in mynde
L.16.40KD.16.39
I saue it til I se it rypen · & somdel yfruited
And þanne fondeth þe fende · my fruit to destruye
With alle þe wyles þat he can · and waggeth þe rote
And casteth vp to þe croppe · vnkynde neighbores
L.16.44KD.16.43
L.16.44-46: These three lines are written in the space for two by the original scribe over an erasure; nothing shows under ultraviolet light. ...?...?...Bakbiteres breke-cheste · brawleres and chideres
...?...?...And leith a laddre þere-to · of lesynges aren þe ronges
...?...?...And feccheth away my floures sumtyme · afor bothe myn eyhen
Ac liberum arbitrium · letteth hym some-tyme
L.16.48KD.16.47
Þat is lieutenant to loken it wel · by leue of my-selue
Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum numquam remittetur &c
Hoc est idem qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat ·
Ac whan þe fende and þe flesshe · forth with þe worlde
L.16.52KD.16.49
Manasen byhynde me · my fruit for to fecche
Þanne liberum arbitrium laccheth þe thriddeL.16.53: LRF (and most C manuscripts) read thridde; all other B witnesses have firste instead. plante
And palleth adown þe pouke · purelich þorw grace
And helpe of þe holy goste · and þus haue I þe maystrie
L.16.56KD.16.53
Now faire falle ȝow Pieres quod I · so faire ȝe discryuen
Þe powere of þis postes · and her propre myȝte
Ac I haue þouȝtes a threve · of þis þre piles
In what wode þei woxen · and where þat þei growed
L.16.60KD.16.57
For alle ar þei aliche longe · none lasse þan other
And to my mynde as me þinketh · on o More þei growed
And of o gretnesse · and grene of greyne þei semen
Þat is soth seideL.16.63: LRF alone read seide; other B manuscripts have quod. Pieres so it may bifalle
L.16.64KD.16.61
I shal telle þe as tite · what þis tree hatte
Þe grounde þere it groweth · goodnesse it hiȝte
And I haue tolde þe what hiȝte þe tree · þe trinite it meneth
And egrelich he loked on me · & þer-fore I spared
fol. 70rI
L.16.68KD.16.65
To asken hym any more ther-of · and badde hym ful fayre
To discreue þe fruit  þat so faire hangeth
Here now bineth quod he þo · if I nede hadde
Matrymonye I may nyme · a moiste fruit with-alle
L.16.72KD.16.69
Þanne contenence is nerreL.16.72: L alone has the comparative form here. All other manuscripts have neer. þe croppe · as calwey bastarde
Þanne bereth þe croppe kynde fruite · and clenneste of alle
Maydenhode angeles peres · and rathest wole be ripe
And swete with-oute swellyng · soure worth it neuere
L.16.76KD.16.73
I prayed pieres to pulle adown · an apple and he wolde
And suffre me to assaye · what sauoure it hadde
And pieres caste to þe croppe · and þanne comsed it to crye
And wagged wydwehode · and it wepte after
L.16.80KD.16.77
And whan it meued Matrimoigne · it made a foule noyse
Þat I had reuth whan Piers rogged · it gradde so reufulliche
For euere as þei dropped adown · þe deuel was redy
And gadred hem alle togideres · bothe grete and smale
L.16.84KD.16.81
Adam & abraham · and ysay þe prophete
Sampson and samuel · and seynt Iohan þe baptiste
Bar hem forth boldely · no-body hym letted
And made of holy men his horde · in lymbo inferni
L.16.88KD.16.85
There is derkenesse and drede · and þe deuel Maister
And Pieres for pure tene · þat o pile he lauȝte
And hitte after hym · happe how .itL.16.90: One character has been erased before it, possibly an <l> or <b>. myȝte
Filius bi þe fader wille · and frenesse of spiritus sancti
L.16.92KD.16.89
To go robbe þat raggeman · and reue þe fruit fro hym
And þanne spakke spiritus sanctus · in Gabrieles mouthe
To a mayde þat hiȝte Marye · a meke þinge with-alle
Þat one Ihesus a iustice sone · moste iouke in her chambre
L.16.96KD.16.93
Tyl plenitudo temporis · fully comen were
Þat Pieres fruit floured · and fel to be ripe
And þanne shulde Ihesus iuste þere-fore · bi iuggement of armes
Whether shulde fonde þe fruit · þe fende or hym-selue
L.16.100KD.16.97
Þe mayde myldeliche þo · þe messager graunted
And seyde hendelich to hym · lo me his hande-mayden
For to worchen his wille · with-outen any synne
Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi &c
L.16.104KD.16.100
And in þe wombe of þat wenche · was he fourty wokes
Tyl he wex a faunt þorw her flessh · and of fiȝtyng couthe
To haue yfouȝte with þe fende · ar ful tyme come
And Pieres þe plowman · parceyued plenere tyme
L.16.108KD.16.104
And lered hym lechecrafte · his lyf for to saue
Þat þowgh he were wounded · with his enemye L.16.109: The punctus elevatus is perhaps added after the initial writing. to warisshe hym-self
And did hym assaye his surgerye · on hem þat syke were
fol. 70vI
Til he was parfit practisoure · ofL.16.111: L alone reads of; all other B manuscripts have if. any peril fulle
L.16.112KD.16.108, 110
And souȝte oute þe syke · and synful bothe
And salued syke and synful · bothe blynde & crokede
And comune wommen conuerted · and to good torned
Non est sanis opus medicus set in &c
L.16.116KD.16.111
Bothe meseles & mute · and in þe menysoun blody
Ofte he heled suche · he ne helde for no maistrye
Saue þo he leched laza.r þat hadde yleye in graue
Quatriduanus quelt · quykke did hym walke
L.16.120KD.16.115
Ac as he made þe maistrye · mestus cepit esse
And wepte water with his eyghen · þere seyen it manye
Some þat þe siȝte seyne · saide þat tyme
Þat he was leche of lyf · and lorde of heigh heuene
L.16.124KD.16.119
Iewes iangeled þere-aȝeyne · and iugged lawes
And seide he wrouȝte þorw wicchecrafte · & with þe deueles miȝte
Demonium habes &c
Þanne ar ȝe cherles quod ich · and ȝowre children bothe
L.16.128KD.16.122
And sathan ȝowre saueoure · ȝow-selue now ȝe witnessen
For I haue saued ȝow-self seith cryst · and ȝowre sones after
Ȝowre bodyes ȝowre bestes · and blynde men holpen
And fedde ȝow with fisshes · and with fyue loues
L.16.132KD.16.126
And left baskettes ful of broke mete · bere awey who-so wolde
And mysseide þe iewes manliche and manaced hem to bete
And knokked on hem with a corde · and caste adown her stalles
Þat in cherche chaffareden · or chaungeden any moneye
L.16.136KD.16.130
And seyde it in siȝte of hem alle · so þat alle herden
I shal ouertourne þis temple · and adown throwe
And in thre dayes after · edifye it newe
And make it as moche other more · in alle manere poyntes
L.16.140KD.16.134
As euere it was and as wyde · wher-fore I hote ȝow
Of preyeres and of parfitnesse · þis place þat ȝe callen
Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur
Enuye and yuel wille · was in þe iewes
L.16.144KD.16.137
Thei casten & contreueden · to kulle hym whan þei miȝte
Vche daye after other · þeire tyme þei awaited
Til it bifel on a fryday · alitela litel bifor Paske
Þe þorsday byfore þere he made his maundee
L.16.148KD.16.141
Sittyng atte sopere · he seide þise wordes
I am solde þorw one of ȝow · he shal þe tyme rewe
Þat euere he his saueoure solde · for syluer or elles
Iudas iangeled þere-aȝein · ac Ihesus hym tolde
L.16.152KD.16.145
It was hymhym[self]L.16.152: L alone omits alliterating self after hym, but it is added above the line in M. sothely · and seide tu dicis
Þanne went forth þat wikked man · and with þe iewes mette
And tolde hem a tokne how to knowe with ihesus
And which tokne to þis day · to moche is yvsed
L.16.156KD.16.149
Þat is kissyng and faire contenaunce · & vnkynde wille
And so was with iudas þo · þat Ihesus bytrayed
fol. 71rI
Aue raby quod þat ribaude · and riȝt to hym he ȝede
And kiste hym to be cauȝt þere-by · and kulled of þe iewes
L.16.160KD.16.153
Þanne Ihesus to Iudas · and to þe iewes seyde
Falsenesse I fynde · in þi faire speche
And gyle in þi gladde chere · and galle is in þi lawghyng
Þow shalt be myroure to manye men to deceyue
L.16.164KD.16.157
Ac þe wors and þi wikkednesse · shal worth vpon þi-selue
Necesse est vt veniant scandala · ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit
Þow I bi tresoun be ytake · at ȝowre owne wille
Suffreth my postlesL.16.167: LR alone read postles; other B manuscripts have Apostles. in pays · & in pees gange
L.16.168KD.16.160
On a thoresday in thesternesse · þus was he taken
Þorw iudas and iewes · ihesus was his name
Þat on þe fryday folwynge · for mankynde sake
Iusted in ierusalem · a ioye to vs alle
L.16.172KD.16.164
On crosse vpon caluarye · cryst toke þe bataille
Aȝeines deth and þe deuel · destruyed her botheres myȝtes
Deyde and deth fordid · and daye of nyȝte made
And I awaked þere-with · & wyped myne eyghen
L.16.176KD.16.168
And after piers þe plowman · pryed and stared
Estwarde and westwarde · I awaytedL.16.177: L alone reads awayted; all other B manuscripts have waited. after faste
And ȝede forth as an ydiote · in contre to aspye
After Pieres þe plowman · many a place I souȝte
L.16.180KD.16.172
And þanne mette I with a man · a mydlenten sondaye
As hore as an hawethorne · and Abraham he hiȝte
I frayned hym first · fram whennes he come
And of whennes he were · and whider þat he þouȝte
L.16.184KD.16.176
I am feith quod þat freke · it falleth nouȝte to lye
And of Abrahames hous · an heraud of armes
I seke after a segge · þat I seigh ones
A ful bolde bacheler · I knewe hym by his blasen
L.16.188KD.16.180
What bereth þat buirn quod I þo · so blisse þe bityde
Þre leodesL.16.189: Someone writing in a much lighter ink erroneously subpuncted the first <e> and perhaps <o> and inserted what may have been intended to be an <r>, making lordes. in o lith · non lenger þan other
Of one mochel & myȝte · in mesure and in lengthe
Þat one dot.h alle doth · & eche doth by his one
L.16.192KD.16.184
Þe firste hath miȝte and maiestee · maker of alle þinges
Pater is his propre name · a persone by hym-selue
Þe secounde of þat sire is · sothfastnesse filius
Wardeyne of þat witte hath · was euere with-oute gynnyng
L.16.196KD.16.188
Þe þridde hatte þe holygoost · a persone by hym-selue
Þe liȝte of alle þat lyf hath · a londe & a watre
Confortoure of creatures · of hym cometh al blisse
So þre bilongeth for a lorde · þat lordeship claymeth
L.16.200KD.16.192
Myȝte and a mene · to knowe his owne myȝte
Of hym & of his seruaunt · and what þei suffre bothe
So god þat gynnyng hadde neure · but þo hym good þouȝte
fol. 71vI
Sent forth his sone as for seruaunt þat tyme
L.16.204KD.16.196
To occupien hym here · til issue were spronge
Þat is children of charite · & holicherche þe moder
Patriarkes & prophetes · and aposteles were þe chyldren
And cryst and crystenedome · and crystene holycherche
L.16.208KD.16.200
In menynge þat man moste · on o god bileue
And þere hym lyked & loued · in þre persones hym shewed
And þat it may be so & soth · manhode it sheweth
Wedloke and widwehode · with virgynyte ynempned
L.16.212KD.16.204
In toknynge of þe Trinite · was taken oute of o man
Adam owre aller fader · Eue was of hym-selue
And þe issue þat þei hadde · it was of hem bothe
And either is otheres ioye · in thre sondry persones
L.16.216KD.16.208
And in heuene & here · one syngulere name
+
And þisL.16.217: L alone reads þis; most other B manuscripts (and all other beta manuscripts) have þus, which may explain the corrector's <+> in the left margin. is mankynde or manhede · of matrimoigne yspronge
And bitokneth þe Trinite · and trewe bileue
Miȝte is matrimoigne · þat multiplieth þe erthe
L.16.220KD.16.212
And bitokneth trewly · telle if I dorste
He þat firste fourmed al · þe fader of heuene
Þe sone if I itL.16.222: LWR alone read it; other B manuscripts omit it. durst seye · resembleth wel þe wydwe
Deus meus deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me
L.16.224KD.16.215
Þat is creatour wex creature · to knowe what was bothe
X
As widwe with-oute wedloke · was neure ȝete yseye
Na-more myȝte god be man · but if he moder hadde
So wydwe with-oute wedloke · may nouȝte wel stande
L.16.228KD.16.219
Ne matrimoigne withoute moillerye · is nouȝt moche to preyse
Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel &c
Þus in þre persones · is perfitliche manhede
Þat is man & his make · & moillere herL.16.231: LRF alone read her; other B manuscripts omit it. children
L.16.232KD.16.222
And is nouȝt but gendre of o generacioun · bifor Ihesu cryst in heuene
So is þe fader forth with þe sone · and fre wille of bothe
Spiritus procedens a patre & filio
Which is þe holygoste of alle · and alle is but o god
L.16.236KD.16.225
Þus in a somer I hym seigh · as I satte in my porche
I ros vp and reuerenced hym · & riȝt faire hym grette
Thre men to my syȝte · I made wel at ese
Wesche her feet & wyped hem · and afterward þei eten
L.16.240KD.16.229
Calues flesshe & cakebrede · and knewe what I thouȝte
Ful trewe tokenes bitwene vs is · to telle whan me lyketh
Firste he fonded me · if I loued bettere
Hym or ysaak myn ayre · þe which he hiȝte me kulle
L.16.244KD.16.233
He wiste my wille by hym · he wil me it allowe
I am ful syker in soule þer-of · and my sone bothe
I circumcised my sone · sitthen for his sake
My-self and my meyne · and alle þat male were
L.16.248KD.16.237
Bledden blode for þat lordes loue · and hope to blisse þe tymeL.16.248: The left margin has been scraped, but it is not possible to tell what, if anything, has been erased.
Myn affiaunce & my faith · is ferme in þis bilieue
For hym-self bihiȝte to me · and to myne issue bothe
fol. 72rI
Londe and lordship · and lyf with-outen ende
L.16.252KD.16.241
To me and to myn issue · more ȝete he me graunted .
Mercy for owre mysdedes · as many tyme as we asken
Quam olim abrahe promisisti & semini eius
And sith he sent me to seye · I sholde do sacrifise
L.16.256KD.16.244
And done hym worshipe with bred · and with wyn bothe
And called me þe fote of his faith · his folke forto saue
And defende hem fro þe fende · folke þat on me lenedenL.16.258: We have resolved the word as leneden, but neither paleography nor context provides secure evidence that would exclude leueden.
Þus haue I ben his heraude · here and in helle
L.16.260KD.16.248
And conforted many a careful · þat after his comynge wayten
+
And þus I seke hym he seide · for I seyne[herde] seyneL.16.261: The corrector's marginal <+> notes L's omission of herde before seyne. late
Of a barne þat baptised hym · Iohan Baptiste was his name
Þat to patriarkes and to prophetes · and to other peple in derknesse
L.16.264KD.16.252
Seyde þat he seigh here · þat sholde saue vs alle
Ecce agnus dei &c ·
I hadde wonder of his wordes · and of his wyde clothes
For in his bosome he bar a thyng · þat he blissed euere
L.16.268KD.16.255
And I loked on his lappe · a lazar lay þere-Inne
Amonges patriarkes and profetes · pleyandeL.16.269: L alone has the -ande form of the participle here, though F reads pleyende; most B witnesses have pleyinge. R's pleyede quite possibly reflects a lost tilde rather than a preterite form. togyderes
What awaytestow quod he · and what woldestow haue
I wolde wyte quod I þo what is in ȝowre lappe
L.16.272KD.16.259
Loo quod he and lete me se · lorde mercy I seide
Þis is presentL.16.273: L alone omits a before present. of moche prys · what Prynce shal it haue
It is a preciouse present quod he · ac þe pouke it hath attached
And me þere-myde quod þat man · may no wedde vs quite
L.16.276KD.16.263
Ne no buyrn be owre borwgh · ne bryng vs fram his daungere
Oute of þe poukes pondfolde · no meynprise may vs fecche
Tyl he come þat I carpe of · cryst is his name
Þat shal delyure vs some daye · out of þe deueles powere
L.16.280KD.16.267
And bettere wedde for vs legge · þan we ben alle worthy
Þat is lyf for lyf · or ligge þus euere
Lollynge in my lappe · tyl such a lorde vs fecche
Allas I seyde þat synne · so longe shal lette
L.16.284KD.16.271
Þe myȝte of goddes mercy · þat myȝt vs alle amende
I wepte for his wordes · with þat sawe I an other
Rapelich renne forth · þe riȝte waye ..he went
I affrayned hym fyrste · fram whennes he come
L.16.288KD.16.275
And what he hiȝte & whider he wolde · and wightlich he tolde
MED