The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 9William 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 i . . de visione . . . . . . sr ......L.9.000: The guide for the rubricator is extemely faded and difficult to read, even with ultra-violet light.Passus nonus SireL.9.1: The ornamental capital of seven lines height is done in blue ink with red flourishes. dowel dwelleth quod witte · nouȝt a day hennes In a castel þat kynde made · of foure kynnes þinges Of erthe and eyre is it made · medled togideres With wynde and with water · witterly enioyned Kynde hath closed þere-Inne · craftily with-alle A lemman þat he loueth · like to hym-selue Anima she hatte · ac enuye hir hateth A proude pryker of Fraunce · prynceps huius mundi And wolde winne hir awey · with wyles and he myȝte Ac kynde knoweth þis wel · and kepeth hir þe bettere And hath do hir with sire dowel · is duke of þis marches Dobet is hir damoisele · sire doweles douȝter To serue þis lady lelly · bothe late and rathe Dobest is aboue bothe · a bisschopes pere Þat he bit mote be do · he reuleth hem alle Anima þat lady · is ladde bi his lerynge Ac þe constable of þat castel · þat kepeth al þe wacche Is a wys kniȝte with-al · sire Inwitte he hatte And hath fyue feyre sones · bi his first wyf Sire sewel and saywel · and herewel þe hende Sire worche wel wyth þine hande · a wiȝte man of strengthe And sire godfrey gowel · gret lordes for-sothe Þise fyue ben sette · to saue þis lady anima Tyl kynde come or sende to saue hir for euere What kynnes thyng is kynde quod I · canstow me telle Kynde quod witte is a creatour · of alle kynnes þinges Fader and fourmour · of al þat euere was maked And þat is þe gret god þat gynnynge had neuere Lorde of lyf and of lyȝte · of lysse and of peyne Angeles and al þing aren at his wille Ac man is hym moste lyke · of marke and of schafte For þorugh þe worde þat he spake · wexen forth bestes Dixit & facta suntid est adam And made manL.9.34: The gloss id est adam appears above the line, inserted by a contemporary hand. The same gloss appears in M. likkest · to hym-self one And Eue of his ribbe-bon · with-outen eny mene For he was synguler hym-self · and seyde faciamus As who seith more mote here-to · þan my worde one My myȝte mote helpe · now with my speche Riȝte as a lorde sholde make lettres · and hym lakked parchemyn Þough he couth write neuere so wel · ȝif he had no penne Þe lettre for al þe lordship · I leue were neuere ymaked And so it semeth · bi hym  as þe bible telleth Þere he seyde dixit · & facta sunt He moste worche with his worde · and his witte shewe And in þis manere was man made · þorugh myȝte of god almiȝti With his worde and werkemanschip · and with lyf to laste And þus god gaf hym a goost · of þe godhed of heuene And of his grete grace graunted hym blisse And þat is lyf þat ay shal last · to al lynage after And þat is þe castel þat kynde made · caro it hatte And is as moche to mene · as man with a soule And þat he wrouȝt with werke · and with worde bothe Þorugh myȝte of þe maieste · man was ymaked Inwit and alle wittes closed ben þer-inne For loue of þe lady anima · þat lyf is ynempned Ouer-al in mannes body · heL.9.56: he, "she." walketh and wandreth Ac in þe herte is hir home · and hir moste reste Ac Inwitte is in þe hed · and to the herte he loketh What anima is lief or loth · he lat hir at his wille For after þe grace of god · þe grettest is Inwitte Moche wo worth þat man · þat mys-reuleth his Inwitte And þat be glotouns globbares · her god is her wombe Quorum deus venter est For þei seruen sathan · her souleL.9.64: LMR alone read soule; other B manuscripts have soules. shal he haue Þat liueth synful lyf here · her soule is liche þe deuel And alle þat lyuen good lyf · aren like godL.9.66: LR alone omit to before god. almiȝti Qui manet in caritate in deo manet &c Allas þat drynke shal for-do · þat god dere bouȝte And doth god forsaken hem · þat he shope to his liknesse Amen dico vobis nescio vos · & alibi et dimisi eos secundum desideria eorumXhow bishops shoulen besten their gudes L.9.71-75: This line group is bracketed in the left margin with the following gloss written in a s. xvi hand: how bishops shoulen besten their gudes. A large <X> also appears to the left of the line group. Foles þat fauten Inwitte · I fynde þat holichercheX Shulde fynden hem þat hem fauted · and faderelees childrenL.9.72: An <X> marking two lines appears in the right margin. And wydwes þat han nouȝte wher-with · to wynnen hem her fode Madde men and maydenes · þat helplees were Alle þise lakken Inwitte · and lore bihoueth Of þis matere I myȝte · make a longe tale And fynde fele witnesses · amonges þe foure doctours And þat I lye nouȝt of þat I lere þe · luke bereth witnesse Godfader and godmoder · þat sen her godchildren At myseise and at mischief · and mowe hem amende Shal haue penaunce in purgatorie · but ȝif þei hem helpe For more bilongeth to þe litel barne · ar he þe lawe knowe Þan nempnyng of a name · and he neuere þe wiser Shulde no crystene creature · crien atte ȝate Ne faille payn ne potage · and prelates did as þei shulden A Iuwe wolde nouȝte se a Iuwe · go iangelyng for defaute For alle þe moebles on þis molde · and he amende it miȝte Allas þat a crestene creature · shal be vnkynde til an other Sitthen Iuwes þat we iugge · Iudas felawes Ayther of hem helpeth other · of þat þat hym nedeth Whi nel we cristene · of cristes good be as kynde As Iuwes þat ben owre lores-men · shame to vs alle Þe comune for her vnkyndenesse · I drede me shul abye Bisschopes shul be blamed · for beggeres sake He is worse þan Iudas · þat ȝiueth a iaper siluer And biddeth þe begger go · for his broke clothes Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda · qui patrimonium cristi minus distribuit // & alibi Perniciosus dispensator est · qui res pauperum cristi inutiliter consumit He doth nouȝt wel þat doth þus · ne drat nouȝt god almiȝty Ne loueth nouȝt salamones sawes · þat sapience tauȝte Inicium sapiencie timor domini · Þat dredeth god he doth wel · þat dredeth hym for loue And nouȝt for drede of veniaunce · doth þer-fore þe bettere He doth best þat with-draweth hym · by day and bi nyȝte To spille any speche or any space of tyme+ Qui offendit in verboL.9.106: LR alone have verbo, which explains the corrector's marginal <+>. Most other B manuscripts have vno, and F has vno verbo. in omnibus est reus Lesyng of tyme · treuthe wote þe sothe Is moste yhated vpL.9.108: LCMR alone have vp. Most other B manuscripts have vpon, though on is a later addition in M. erthe · of hem þat beth in heuene And sitthe to spille speche · þat spyre is of grace And goddes gleman · and a game of heuene Wolde neuere þe faithful fader · his fithel were vntempred Ne his gleman a gedelyng · a goer to tauernes To alle trew tidy men · þat trauaille desyren Owre lorde loueth hem and lent · loude other stille Grace to go to hem · and agon her lyflode Inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono Trewe wedded libbing folk · in þis worlde is dowel For þei mote worche & wynne · and þe worlde susteyne For of her kynde þei come · þat confessoures ben nempned Kynges and kniȝtes · kayseres and cherles Maydenes and martires · out of o man come Þe wyf was made þe weye · for to help worche And þus was wedloke ywrouȝt · with a mene persone First bi þe faderes wille · and þe frendes conseille And sytthenes bi assent of hem-self · as þei two myȝte acorde And thus was wedloke ywrouȝte · and god hym-self it made In erthe þe heuene is · hym-self was þe witnesse Ac fals folke faithlees · theues and lieres Wastoures and wrecches · out of wedloke I trowe Conceyued ben in yuel tyme · as caym was on Eue Of such synful shrewes · þe sauter maketh mynde Concepit in dolore et peperit iniquitatem &c And alle þat come of þat caym come to yuel endeL.9.133: The last two words may possibly have been added by a later hand. For god sent to seem · and seyde bi an angel Þyne issue in þyne issue · I wil þat þei be wedded And nouȝt þi kynde with caymes · ycoupled ne yspoused Ȝet some aȝein þe sonde of owre saueoure of heuene Caymes kynde & his kynde · coupled togideres Tyl god wratthed for her werkis · and suche a worde seyde Þat I maked man · now it me athynketh Penitet me fecisse hominem And come to Noe anon · and bad hym nouȝt lette Swithe go shape a shippe · of shides and of bordes Þiself and þi sones three · and sithen ȝowre wyues Buske ȝow to þat bote · and bideth ȝe þer-inne Tyl fourty dayes be fulfilde · þat flode haue ywasshen Clene awey þe cursed blode · þat caym hath ymaked Bestes þat now ben · shulle banne þe tyme Þat euere þat cursed caym · come on þis erthe Alle shal deye for his dedes · bi dales and bi hulles And þe foules þat fleeghen · forfor[th]L.9.151: A corrector's <+> in the left margin notes L's omission of <þ> in forþ. with other bestes Excepte oneliche of eche kynde a couple Þat in þi shyngled shippe · shul ben ysaued Here abouȝt þe barne · þe belsyres gultes And alle for her forfadres · þei ferden þe worse Þe gospel is here-ageine · in o degre I fynde Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris & pater non portabit iniquitatem filij &c ·L.9.157: LHmW alone have &c after filij. Ac I fynde if þe fader be false and a shrewe Þat somdel þe sone · shal haue þe sires tacches Impe on an ellerne · and if þine apple be swete Mochel merueile me þynketh · & more of a schrewe Þat bryngeth forth any barne · but if he be þe same And haue a sauoure after þe sire · selde seestow other Numquam colligitur de spinis vuas · nec de tribulis fycus And þus þourw cursed caym · cam care vppon erthe And al for þei wrouȝt wedlokes · aȝein goddis wille For-þi haue þei maugre forL.9.167: LMR alone have for. Other B manuscripts have of. here mariages · þat marye so her childerenL.9.167-203: A bracket in the right margin extends the length of the page. For some as I se now · soth forto telle For coueitise of catel vnkyndeliche ben wedded As careful concepcioun cometh of suche mariages As bifel of þe folke · þat I bifore of toldeid est boniid est bonas For goodeL.9.172: An interlinear gloss appears above goode in a hand like that of the gloss on L.9.34: id est boni. shulde wedde goodeL.9.172: An interlinear gloss appears above goode in a hand like that of the previous gloss: id est bonas. · þough hij no good hadde I am via & veritas seith cryst · I may auaunce alle+ It is an oncomelyL.9.174: The prefix on was added supralinearly after initial copying, perhaps in response to the corrector's <+> in the left margin. F also omitted the prefix. L uniquely has the spelling on; most other B manuscripts have vn. Kane-Donaldson take the interlinear addition to be in the main text hand, but we think the correction is added by a later hand. couple · bi cryst as me þinketh To ȝyuen a ȝonge wenche · to an olde feble Or wedden any widwe · for welth of hir goodis Þat neuere shal barne bere · but if it be in armes Many a peire sithen þe pestilence · han pliȝt homL.9.178: L alone reads hom, and this is the only instance of this form in the manuscript; all other B manuscripts have hem. togideres Þe fruit þat þei brynge forth · aren foule wordes In ialousye ioyeles · and ianglyng on bedde+ Haue þei no children but cheste · anL.9.181: The corrector has noted the scribe's an for and with a <+> in the left margin. choppyng hem bitwenenota And þough þei don hem to donmowe · but if þe deuel help To folwen after þe flicche · fecche þei it neuere And but þei bothe be forsworne · þat bacoun þei tynenota For-þi I conseille alle crystene · coueite nouȝt be wedded For coueitise of catel · ne of kynrede riche Ac maydenes and maydenes · macche ȝow togideres Widwes and widwers · worcheth þe same For no londes but for loue · loke ȝe be wedded And þanne gete ȝe þe grace of god · and good ynogh to lyue withnota And euery maner seculer þat may nouȝt continue Wysly go wedde · and war hym fro synne For leccherye in likyng · is lymeȝerde of helle Whiles þow art ȝonge · and þi wepne kene Wreke þe with wyuynge · ȝif þow wilL.9.195: L alone has wil; all other B witnesses read wolt. ben excused Dum sis vir fortis · ne des tua robora scortis Scribitur in portis · meretrix est ianua mortis Whan ȝe haue wyued bewar · and worcheth in tyme Nouȝt as Adam & Eue · whan caym was engendred For in vntyme trewli · bitwene man & womman Ne shulde no bourde on bedde be · but if þei bothe were clene Bothe of lyf & and of soule · and in parfyte charitee Þat ilke derne dede do · noman ne sholde And if þei leden þus her lyf · it likedL.9.204: LR alone have liked. Most other B manuscripts have likeþ. god almiȝti For he made wedloke firste · and him-self it seide Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat propter fornicacionem And þei þat oþergatis ben geten · for gedelynges ben holden As false folke fondelynges · faitoures and lyars Vngracious to gete goode · or loue of þe poeple Wandren and wasten · what þei cacche mowe Aȝeines dowel þei don yuel · and þe deuel serue And after her deth-day · shulle dwelle with þe same But god gyue hem grace here · hem-self to amende Dowel my frende is · to don as lawe techeth To loue þi frende and þi foo · leue me þat is dobet To ȝiuen and to ȝemen · bothe ȝonge and olde To helen and to helpen · is dobest of allenota And dowel is to drede god · and dobet to suffre And so cometh dobest of bothe · and bryngeth adoun þe mody And þat is wikked wille · þat many werke shendeth And dryueth away dowel · þorugh dedliche synnes