The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – PrologueWilliam 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

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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. Incipit liber de Petro Plowman InL.P.1: The twelve-line ornamental capital is written in blue on an elaborately flourished red ground with oak leaves. The flourishes run all the way down the left side of the page forming a demivinet. a somer seson  whan soft was the sonne

L.P.1: The old Laudian shelf mark E.64 is written in the right margin.

This front leaf is badly rubbed, and we have had in some instances to corroborate our guesses about the reading with Skeat's transcription. For instance, at the top of the leaf, on the very edge of the cropped leaf, Skeat found the following words in red ink: Incipit liber de Petro Plowman. Skeat records that the rubrication was readable in strong sunlight when he worked with the manuscript. However, it is no longer legible, even under ultra-violet light. We can make out Pe... Plow.an. Beneath that is written in a late sixteenth-century hand .... Robart Langeland borne by malbovrne (or perhaps malbourne?) . . lles.

The first ten lines are boxed with a fine red line.

 I shope me in shroudes  as i a shepe were In habite as an heremite  vnholy of workes Went wyde in þis world wondres to hereL.P.3-4: Some penmarks in a brown ink are written over these lines. The <v> of vnholy is partially obscured, and there appears to be no punctus elevatus on line 4. Ac on a May mornyng  on Maluerne hulles Me byfel a ferly  of fairy me thouȝte I was wery forwandred · and went me to reste Vnder a brode banke  bi a bornes side And as I lay and lened  and loked in þe wateres I slombred in a slepyng  it sweyued so merye Thanne gan I to meten  a merueilouse sweuene That I was in a wildernesse  wist I neuer where As I bihelde in-to þe est  an hiegh to þe sonne I seigh a toure on a toft  trielich ymaked A depe dale binethe  a dongeon þere-Inne With depe dyches & derke  and dredful of sight A faire felde ful of folke  fonde I there bytwene Of alle maner of men  þe mene and þe riche Worchyng and wandryng  as þe worlde asketh Some put hem to þe plow  pleyed ful selde In settyng and in sowyng  swonken ful harde And wonnen that wastours  with glotonye destruyeth And some putten hem to pruyde  apparailed hem þere-after In contenaunce of clothyng comen disgised In prayers and in penance  putten hem manye Al for loue of owre lorde · lyueden ful streyte In hope forto haue · heueneriche blisse As ancres and heremites · that holden hem in here sellesL.P.28: An illegible erasure appears in the right margin. And coueiten nought in contre to kairen aboute For no likerous liflode · her lykam to plese And somme chosen chaffare · they cheuen the bettere As it semeth to owre syȝt · that suche men thryueth And somme murthes to make · as mynstralles conneth And geten gold with here glee · synneles I leue Ac iapers & iangelers · Iudas chylderen Feynen hem fantasies · and foles hem maketh And han here witte at wille · to worche ȝif þei sholde That Poule precheth of hem · I nel nought preue it here Qui turpiloquium loquitur · &cL.P.39: LCCr1HM omit the b-verse, which reads is luciferes hyne. Bidders and beggeres · fast aboute ȝedeL.P.40: The Laud librarian has added in the bottom margin the following inscription: Liber Guilielmi Laud Archiepiscopi Cantuarij : et Cancellarij Vniuersitatis Oxoniensis 1633. With her bely and her bagge · of bred ful ycrammed Fayteden for here fode · fouȝten atte ale In glotonye god it wote · gon hij to bedde And risen with ribaudye · tho roberdes knaues Slepe and sori sleuthe · seweth hem eure Pilgrymes and palmers · pliȝted hem togidere To seke seynt Iames · and seyntes in rome Thei went forth in here wey · with many wise tales And hadden leue to lye · al here lyf after I seigh somme that seiden · þei had ysouȝt seyntes To eche a tale þat þei tolde · here tonge was tempred to lye More þan to sey soth · it semed bi here speche Heremites on an heep · with hoked staues Wenten to walsyngham · and here wenches after Grete lobyes and longe · that loth were to swynke Clotheden hem in copis · to ben knowen fram othere And shopen hem heremites · here ese to haue I fonde þere Freris alle þe foure ordres Preched þe peple · for profit of hem-seluen Glosed þe gospel · as hem good lyked For coueitise of copis · construed it as þei wolde Many of þis maistres Freris mowe clothen hem at lykyng For here money and marchandise · marchen togideres For sith charite haþ be chapman · and chief to shryue lordes Many ferlis han fallen · in a fewe ȝeris But holychirche and hij · holde better togideres+ The moste mychiefmy[s]chiefL.P.67: A <+> appears in the left margin at the head of this line, marking erroneous mychief. The correction was not made. The scribe also wrote mychief at L.3.178, but he corrected it there. on molde · is mountyng wel faste Þere preched a Pardonere · as he a prest were Brouȝte forth a bulle · with bishopes seles And seide þat hym-self myȝte · assoilen hem alle Of falshed of fastyng · of vowes ybroken Lewed men leued hym wel · and lyked his wordes Comen vp knelyng · to kissen his bulles He bonched hem with his breuet · & blered here eyes And rauȝte with his ragman · rynges and broches Thus þey geuen here golde · glotones to kepe And lenethL.P.77: The reading could as well be leueth. such loseles · þat lecherye haunten Were þe bischop yblissed · and worth bothe his eres His seel shulde nouȝt be sent · to deceyue þe peple Ac it is nauȝt by þe bischop · þat þe boy precheth For the parisch prest and þe pardonere · parten þe siluer That þe poraille of þe parisch · sholde haue ȝif þei nere Persones and parisch prestes · pleyned hem to þe bischop · Þat here parisshes were pore · sith þe pestilence tyme To haue a lycence and a leue · at London to dwelle And syngen þere for symonye · for siluer is swete Bischopes and bachelers · bothe maistres and doctours Þat han cure vnder criste · and crounyng in tokne And signe þat þei sholden · shryuen here paroschienes Prechen and prey for hem · and þe pore fede Liggen in London · in lenten an elles Somme seruen þe kyng · and his siluer tellen In cheker and in chancerye · chalengen his dettes Of wardes and wardmotes · weyues and streyues And some seruen as seruantz · lordes and ladyes And in stede of stuwardes · sytten and demen Here messe and here matynes · and many of here oures Arn don vndeuoutlych · drede is at þe laste Lest crist in constorie · acorse ful manye I parceyued of þe power · þat Peter had to kepe To bynde and to vnbynde · as þe boke telleth How he it left wiþ loue · as owre lorde hight Amonges foure vertues · þe best of alle vertues Þat cardinales ben called · & closyng ȝatis Þere crist is in kyngdome · to close and to shutte And to opne it to hem · and heuene blisse shewe Ac of þe cardinales atte Courte · þat cauȝt of þat name And power presumed in hem · a Pope to make To han þat power þat peter hadde · inpugnen I nelle For in loue and letterure · þe eleccioun bilongeth For-þi I can and can nauȝte · of courte speke more Þanne come þere a kyng · knyȝthod hym ladde Miȝt of þe comunes · made hym to regne And þanne cam kynde wytte · and clerkes he made For to conseille þe kyng · and þe comune saue The kyng and knyȝthode · and clergye bothe Casten þat þe comune shulde hem-self fynde Þe comune contreued · of kynde witte craftes And for profit of alle þe poeple · plowmen ordeygned To tilie and trauaile · as trewe lyf askeþ Þe kynge and þe comune · and kynde witte þe thridde Shope lawe & lewte · eche man to knowe his owne Þanne loked vp a lunatik · a lene þing with-alle And knelyng to þe kyng · clergealy he seyde Crist kepe þe sire kyng · and þi kyngriche And lene þe lede þi londe · so leute þe louye And for þi riȝtful rewlyng · be rewarded in heuene And sithen in þe eyre an hiegh · an angel of heuene Lowed to speke in latyn · for lewed men ne coude . Iangle ne iugge · þat iustifie hem shulde But suffren & seruen · for-thi seyde þe angel Sum Rex sum Princeps · neutrum fortasse deinceps O qui iura regis · cristi specialia regis Hoc quod agas melius · iustus es esto pius Nudum ius a te · vestiri vult pietate Qualia vis metere · talia grana sere Si ius nudatur · nudo de iure metatur · Si seritur pietas · de pietate metas · X L.P.139: A very light <X> appears in the left margin. Thanne greued hym a Goliardeys · a glotoun of wordes And to þe angel an heiȝ · answeresL.P.140: LR alone read answeres; all other B manuscripts have a preterite form here. after Dum rex a regere · dicatur nomen habere Nomen habet sine re · nisi studet iura tenere · And þanne gan alle þe comune · crye in vers of latin To þe kynges conseille · construe ho-so wolde Precepta Regis · sunt nobis vincula legis ·Nota Wiþ þat ran þere a route of ratones at ones And smale mys with hem mo þen a þousande And comen to a conseille · for here comune profit For a cat of a courte · cam whan hym lyked And ouerlepe hem lyȝtlich · and lauȝte hem at his wille And pleyde wiþ hem perilouslych · and possed aboute For doute of dyuerse dredes · we dar nouȝte wel loke And ȝif we grucche of his gamen · he wil greue vs alle Cracche vs or clowe vs · and in his cloches holde That vs lotheth þe lyf · or he lete vs passe Myȝte we wiþ any witte · his wille withstonde We myȝte be lordes aloft · and lyuen at owre ese A raton of renon most renable of tonge Seide for a souereygne · help to hym-selue I haue ysein segges quod he · in þe cite of london Beren biȝes ful briȝte · abouten here nekkes And someL.P.162: The correction here--the supralinear addition of some--is probably entered by the original scribe. colers of crafty werk vncoupled þei wenden+ L.P.163: The corrector's <+> appears in the left margin, probably intended to note the error in the preceding line. Boþe in wareine & in waste · where hem leue lyketh And otherwhile þei aren elles-where · as I here telle Were þere a belle on here beiȝ · bi Ihesu as me thynketh Men myȝte wite where þei went · and awei renne L.P.167: An illegible mark appears in the left margin. And riȝt so quod þat ratoun · reson me sheweth To bugge a belle of brasse · or of briȝte syluer And knitten on a colere · for owre comune profit And hangen it vp-on þe cattes hals · þanne here we mowen Where he ritt or rest · or renneth to playe And ȝif him list for to laike · þenne loke we mowen And peren in his presence · þer-while hym plaie liketh And ȝif him wrattheth be ywar · and his weye shonye Alle þis route of ratones · to þis reson þei assented Ac þo þe belle was ybouȝt · and on þe beiȝe hanged Þere ne was ratoun in alle þe route · for alle þe rewme of Fraunce Þat dorst haue ybounden þe belle · aboute þe cattis nekke Ne hangen aboute þe cattes hals · al Engelonde to wynne And helden hem vnhardy · and here conseille feble And leten here laboure lost · & alle here longe studye A mous þat moche good · couthe as me thouȝte Stroke forth sternly · and stode biforn hem alle And to þe route of ratones · reherced þese wordes Thouȝ we culled þe catte · ȝut sholde þer come an-other To cracchy vs and al owre kynde · þouȝ we croupeL.P.186: LMR alone read cro(u)pe; most other B manuscripts have cropen or crepe. vnder benches For-þi I conseille alle þe comune · to lat þe catte worthe And be we neuer so bolde · þe belle hym to shewe For I herde my sire seyn · is seuene ȝere ypassed Þere þe catte is a kitoun · þe courte is ful elyng Þat witnisseth holiwrite · who-so wil it rede Ve terre vbi puer rex est &cL.P.192: A scribe has written a pointing hand in the left margin and drawn a line over and under the Latin text. For may no renke þere rest haue · for ratones bi nyȝte Þe while he caccheþ conynges · he coueiteth nouȝt owre caroyne But fet hym al with venesoun · defame we hym neuere For better is a litel losse · þan a longe sorwe Þe mase amonge vs alle · þouȝ we mysse a schrewe For many mannusL.P.198: This abbreviation occurs only once in the manuscript as a marker for the genitive singular. See III.3.2.2 in the Linguistic Description above. malt · we mys wolde destruye And also ȝe route of ratones · rende mennes clothes Nere þat cat of þat courte · þat can ȝow ouerlepe For had ȝe rattes ȝowre wille · ȝe couthe nouȝt reule ȝowre-selue I sey for me quod þe mous · I se so mykel after Shal neuer þe cat ne þe kitoun · bi my conseille be greued Ne carpyng of þis coler · þat costed me neure And þouȝ it had coste me catel · biknowen it I nolde But suffre as hym-self wolde · to do as hym liketh Coupled & vncoupled · to cacche what thei mowe For-þi vche a wise wiȝte I warne · wite wel his owne What þis meteles biemeneth · ȝe men þat be merye Deuine ȝe for I ne dar · bi dere god in heuene Ȝit houed þere an hondreth · in houues of selke Seriauntz it semed · þat serueden atte barre Plededen for penyes · and poundes þe lawe And nouȝt for loue of owre lorde · vnleseL.P.214: LR alone read vnlese; most other B manuscripts have vnlose. here lippes onis Þow myȝtest better mete þe myste · on maluerne hulles Þan gete a momme of here mouthe · but monoy were shewed Barones an burgeis · and bonde-men als I seiȝ in þis assemble · as ȝe shul here after Baxsteres & brewesteres · and bocheres manye WollewebsteresL.P.220: L alone reads wollewebsteres as one word, though alpha has wolle websteres. All other B manuscripts have wollen webbesters. · and weueres of lynnen Taillours and tynkeres · & tolleres in marketes Masons and mynours · and many other craftes Of alkin libbyng laboreres · lopen forth somme As dykers & delueres · þat doth here dedes ille And dryuen forth þe dereL.P.225: L alone among B witnesses reads dere. Most other manuscripts read longe. day · with dieu vous saue dame Emme · Cokes and here knaues · crieden hote pies hote Gode gris aL.P.227: a, "and." L alone reads a. All other manuscripts of B have and. gees · gowego we dyne gowego we Tauerners vn-til hem · tolde þe same White wyn of Oseye · and red wyn of Gascoigne Of þe Ryne and of þe Rochel · þe roste to defye Al þis seiȝ I slepyng · and seuene sythes more