fol. 98v (cont.)I
passus xxus et primus de dobeste
Passus xxusvicesimusM.20.0: The guide to the rubricator in the left margin has been erased, though passus xxus et primus de dobeste is still legible under ultra-violet.
t
That þow took to þi bylyliueM.20.7: The reading of a number of manuscripts, including Cr, is bileue, yet it seems clear that it is a <y> and not an <e> that has been erased here. . to cloþes and to sustenaunce
And he cauȝte in þat cas . and come þerto by sleightesM.20.14: M's sleightes agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts except have the singular.
M.20.16KD.20.16
And þouȝ he camM.20.16: M shares the reading cam with Cr; other B manuscripts have come or comeþ. so to a cloþe . and kan..ne no bettre cheuysaunce .
That he dronke at .eche aM.10.19: M's altered reading agrees with YC2. As at M.19.399, the added a is written over the erased <-e>. diche er he for th......urste deye..de
With-outen conseille of conscience . ...orM.20.21: M's original reading, concealed by the revision or, is likely to have been and, shared with G. cardynale vertues
fol. 99rI
passus xxus
Ac nede is nexte hym . for a-non he meketh hymM.20.35: M's addition of hym brings it into agreement with Cr.
Boþe fox and fo....wl . may flee . andM.20.43: M's syntax agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts supply and before crepe rather than before to. to hole crepe
Whanne nede hadde vndurnome meM.20.50: M's original reading without me agreed with OR. þus . a-noon I fell on slepe
And mette ful merueillousliche . þat in mann.es ..kkenesseformeM.20.51: M's original reading must have been likkenesse (for the spelling cf. 19.202, 205), a reading not shared by any B or C manuscripts.
In .eche a countre þere he cam . he kutte a-way treuþeM.20.55: The text of a-way treuþe is damaged as a result of staining and/or erasure.
Freres folwed þat fende . ...?...?...for he gaf hem copesM.20.57: Presumably the erasure is the anticipated b-verse of M.20.58. There are no variants at this point.
fol. 99vI
With a lord þat lyueth after . þeM.20.70: M's þe agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts omit the word. likynge of his body
That largeliche a legion . loren hire lif aftersooneM.20.86: M's original reading after was not attested in other B manuscripts.
M.20.92KD.20.93
And þanne mette þise men . hireorM.20.92: M's original reading hire, as in the next line, is paralleled by Cr's their. Other B manuscripts have er. This is a rare example of M moving away from a Cr reading, but the revising hand is crude and late. See also the note to
M.20.101. mynstrales myȝte pipe
And hireorM.20.93: M's original reading hire is shared with Cot (also corrected) and paralleled by Cr's their. See note to previous line. Other B manuscripts have er. heraudes of armes . had descryued lord.es .
fol. 100rI
passus xxus
M.20.100KD.20.101
Kynges and kaysers . knyghtesM.20.100: M's kaysers knyghtes agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts reverse the order. . and popes
Lered ne lewede . he ne —M.20.101: In erasing ne M again departs from a Cr reading. Cf. notes to M.20.92-93. leet no man stonde
That he hit euene . þat euere stoodM.20.102: M's stood agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have stired. aftur
M.20.104KD.20.105
Swoneden and sweltenM.20.104: M's swelten agrees with Cr1; other B manuscripts have the past tense. . for sorwe of deþes dyntes
And preched to þe p.eple . and prelates þei madenM.20.126: All B manuscripts except MCr read hem maden.
cor
fol. 100vI
M.20.134: The decoration to the left of the first letter resembles a paraph, but is presumably not intended as one.And ouertilte al his .......treuthe . with take þis vp amendement
# the mantell off Mynever
Allas quod conscience þoM.20.139: M's þo agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have and cryde þo. . wolde crist of his grace
And kulle alle erþely creaturesM.20.150: M's original reading creature agreed with YLR. All other B manuscripts attest the plural. . saue conscience oone .
Lyf l...eep a-side . and cauȝteM.20.151: M shares the reading cauȝte with Cr1; other B manuscripts have lauȝte. hym a lemman .
And tor forȝete deþM.20.154: M shares the reading deþ only with Cr1. Other B manuscripts read sorwe. . and ...yeue nouȝt of synne
Slewþe wexe ...?...wounn—durM.20.158: The correction was orginally written woundur and has been corrected a second time. ȝyerne . and soone was of age
# Tom twotonge
Oon thomme twotonge . atteinte ofM.20.161: M shares the reading of with Cr1; other B manuscripts have at; F reads in. .eche a queste .
mordonM.20.163: See Introduction, I.11 "Provenance."
fol. 101rI
passus xxus
# contra phisicos
A phisicien with a furred hood . þat he fel in þeM.20.175: M's original reading was shared by O. M's addition of þe brings it into agreement with CrYC2CB. Others have a. pallesye
X
So Elde and she soþly . hadden it forbeten .. —M.20.197: M's original reading was probably close to that of Cr, which has had beaten it. The alteration brings M into agreement with most B manuscripts.
fol. 101vI
M.20.208KD.20.209
How shal .I. come to catel so . to cloþe me and to —M.20.208: The erasure of to brings M into agreement with HmGF. fede .
# the prest off Irlond
bene vales consciencia
fol. 102rI
passus xxus
And for þei arn pouere parauenture . for patrimoigne hem failledM.20.233: M alone among B manuscripts attests the past tense of the verb. Other B manuscripts attest the present.
#
TheiM.20.234: M's Thei agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have They wol. flatere to fare wel . folk þat ben riche
#
And sith Freres forsooke . þe felicitee of þeM.20.239: M's original reading þe was also attested in CrG. erþe .
With þat ȝye leue logyke . and l.erneþ toM.20.249: M's to agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have for to. lo...uye
For loue lafteM.20.250: It is possible that lafte has been altered from loste, the reading of CrBmCot. þei lordshipe . boþe lond and scole
Han officers vnder hem . and .ech of hem aM.20.258: M's original reading without a was shared by CrGYC2CLR. certeyn
M.20.260KD.20.260
WolOr þei wilM.20.260: M's revised reading Or þei wil is shared only with Cr. Most B manuscripts have Wol, which was M's original reading, but F has Ellys will and B has And þerfore wollen. no tresour hem paye . trauaille þei neuere so soore
M.20.264KD.20.265
Hire ordre and hire rule woldeM.20.264: M's wolde agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have wole or wel. . to han a certein nombre
fol. 102vI
M.20.272KD.20.273
Enuye herde þis and badM.20.272: The addition of bad brings M into agreement with Cr. Most other B manuscripts read heet. . Freres go to scole
For god made menM.20.277: M's men agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have to men. / a lawe / . and Moyses it tauȝte
#
# syr leff to live in lecherye
There is a surgien in þis .....segge .M.20.313: In place of M's altered reading segge ("man"), all other B manuscripts except Hm have sege ("place"). Confusion was perhaps prompted by M.20.310 above. þat softe kan handle
And more of phisik he canM.20.314: M's he can agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have be fer. F has he can be feer. . & fairer he plastereþ
nota
.id est. papa
M.20.328KD.20.328
In countrees þere he come iiynneM.20.328: The first two minims have been corrected by converting them to a <y>. See Introduction III.1. . confessiouns to here
Carpe I wolde with contricioun . and þerfore I come .I.M.20.333: M's original word order agreed with C2Cr. hider
fol. 103vI
He is seek saide pees . and so is many a-noþerM.20.334: M's is many a-noþer agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have are manye oþer.
What h......ightest /M.20.339: M's altered reading hightest is shared only with Cr. Other B manuscripts have hattest. þow I pray þe . hele nouȝt þiny name
From lentounenn to lentounennM.20.361: In both instances, the second vowel lentoun has been altered from <o> to <e>. . he let his plastres biten .
fol. 104rI
passus xxus
And make ȝyow my lady . in massesM.20.366: M's masses agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have the singular. and in matyns
And wake for hise werkesM.20.370: M's werkes agrees with Cr; other B manuscripts have wikked werkes. . as he was wont to doone
Explicit hic dialogus petri plowman M.20.386: This form of explicit occurs also in B manuscripts CC2GLOWY.
Penna precor siste quoniam liber explicit iste M.20.386: The Colophons de manuscrits occidentaux des origines au XVIe siècle (Fribourg, 1965-) lists four other manuscripts, two in Britain, two on the continent, that include this explicit.
Explicit iste liber . qui obsecro transeat liberM.20.386: The third explicit, in a different hand, is also found as the first line of the explicit to Gower's Confessio Amantis, as was pointed out to us by George Shuffleton. See Siân Echard, "Last Words: Latin at the End of the Confessio Amantis"
in Interstices: Studies in Middle English and Anglo-Latin Texts in Honour of A. G. Rigg, ed. Richard Firth Green and Linne R. Mooney (Toronto, 2004) pp. 99-121. This includes an appendix listing the witnesses
to the explicit. It is likely that the scribe of this third explicit in M took the line from a Gower manuscript, and therefore
that he had London connections.