fol. 14r (cont.)I
passus iiijusO.4.000: The passus heading was never entered, though the marginal instructions to do it appear in the right margin well within the preceding passus.
passus iiijus
c
CEceþ seiþ þe kyng  I suffre ȝow no lenger
Ȝe schul sauȝtle for-soþe  & serue me boþe
Kisse hir quod þe kyng  concience I hote
O.4.4KD.4.4
Nay bi crist quod concience  cungeye me raþer
But resoun rede me þerto  raþer wole I dye
b 2

O.4.5 This quire signature is almost entirely illegible, having been cropped off except for the top of the <b>.

fol. 14vI
And I comaunde þee quod þe kyng  to concience þanne
Rape þee to ride  & Resoun þou fecche
O.4.8KD.4.8
Comaunde hym þat he come  my counceyl to here
For he schal reule my rewme  & rede me þe beste
Of Mede & of moo oþere  & what man schal hir wedde
And acounte wiþ þee concience  so me crist helpe
O.4.12KD.4.12
How þou lernest þe peple  þe lered & þe lewid
I am fayn of þat forward  seyde þe freke þanne
And rit ryȝt to resoun  & rowneþ in his ere
And seyde as þe kyng bade  & siþen toke his leue
O.4.16KD.4.16
I schal araye me to ride . quod Resoun  reste þee a whyle
And callede catoun his knaue  curteys of speche
And also tomme trewe tunge  telle me no tales
Ne lesyngysO.4.19: OGC2F alone have the plural form. to lauȝhe atO.4.19: OC2H alone have at in place of of.  for I louede hem neuere
O.4.20KD.4.20
And sette my sadel vp-on suffre  til I see my tyme
And lete werroke it wel  wiþ witty wordis gerþes
And hange on hym þe heuy bridel  to holde his hed lowe
For he ................wole make we-he  twyes or he be þere
O.4.24KD.4.24
Þanne concience vp-on his caple  cayreþ forþ faste
And resoun wiþ hym rit  rownynge to-gyderes
Whiche maystries Mede  makiþ on þis erþe
Oon waryn wisdam  & witti his fere
O.4.28KD.4.28
FolewedenO.4.28: O alone has the form Foleweden; most B manuscripts have Folwed. hem faste  for þei hadden to done
In þe checker & in þe chauncerie  to be discharged of þingys
And riden fast for resoun  schulde redeO.4.30: OC2 alone lack hem before þe. þe beste
For to saue hem for syluer  from schame & from harmes
O.4.32KD.4.32
And concience knewe hem wel  þei loueden coueytise
And bade Resoun ride fast  & recche of her neiþer
Þei arn wyliO.4.34: YOC2 alone have Þei arn wyli; most B manuscripts have Ther are wiles. in her wordis  & wiþ Mede þei dwellen
Þer as wraþþe & wranglyng is  þere wynnenO.4.35: OC2 alone have the form wynnen; most B manuscripts have wynne. þei syluer
O.4.36KD.4.36
Ac þer is loue & lewte  þei wolenO.4.36: O alone has the form wolen; most B manuscripts have wol. not come þere
Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum & cetera
Þei ne gyuen not of god  oon goos weenge
Non est tymor domini ante oculos eorum & cetera
O.4.40KD.4.38
For woot god . þei woldenO.4.40: O alone has the form wolden; most B manuscripts have wolde. do more  for a doseyn chykenes
Or as many capouns  or for a seem of otis
Þan for loue of oure lord  or alle hise leue seyntis
For-þi Resoun . latte hem ride  þoo riche bi hem-seluen
O.4.44KD.4.41
For concience knowiþ hem not  ne crist as I trowe
fol. 15rI
And þanne Resoun rode faste  þe riȝt hye gate
As concience hym kennede  til heO.4.46: GOC2 alone have he in place of þei. He is not the form of the plural normally used by the O-scribe, and the context suggests the singular may have been intended. come to þe kyng
Curteyslich þe kyng þanne  come aȝeyn resoun
O.4.48KD.4.45
And bitwene hym-self & his sone  sette hym on benche
And wordeden wel wiseli  a greet whyle to-gyderes
And þanne come pees in-to parlement  & puttedeO.4.50: O alone has puttede; most B manuscripts have putte. forþ a bille
How wrong aȝens his wille  hadde his wijf taken
O.4.52KD.4.49
And how he rauyschede rose  reynoldis loue
And margarete of hir maydenhood  maugrey hir chekis
Boþe my gees & my grijs  hise gadelynges fecchen
I dar not for feer of hym  fiȝte ne chide
O.4.56KD.4.53
He borwede of me bayard  he brouȝte hym hoom neuere
Ne no ferþing for hymO.4.57: YOC2 alone have for hym in place of þerfore.  for ouȝt þatO.4.57: GOC2 alone include þat. I coude plede
He maynteneþ hise men  to murþere myne huen
Forstalleþ my feyres  & fiȝtiþ in my chepyng
O.4.60KD.4.57
And brekiþ vp my berne dores  & bereþ awey my whete
And takeþ me but o tayle  for ten quarters of otis
And ȝit he bet me þerto  & lijþ bi my mayde
I am not hardy for hym  vnneþe to loke
O.4.64KD.4.61
Þe kyng knewe . he seyde soþ  for concience hym tolde
Þat wrong was a wickid lift  & wrouȝte myche sorwe
Wrong was a-feerd þanne  & wisdam he souȝte
To make pees wiþ hise pens  & proferede hym manye
O.4.68KD.4.65
And seyde hadde I loue of my lord þe kyng  litil wolde I recche
Þouȝ pees & his power  pleynede hym euere
Þoo wente wisdam & sire  waryn þe witty
For þat wrong hadde I-wrouȝt  so wickede a dede
O.4.72KD.4.69
And warnede wrong þoo  wiþ swich a wise tale
Who-so worcheþ bi myO.4.73: OC2M alone have bi my; most B manuscripts have by alone. wille  wraþþe makiþ ofte
I seye it bi þi-self  þou schalt it wel fynde
But if Mede it make  þi mescheef is vppe
O.4.76KD.4.73
For boþe þi lijf & þi loond  lijþ in his grace
Þanne wowede wrong  wisdam ful ȝerne
To make his pees wiþ hise pens  handi-dandi payed
Wisdam & witt þanne  wenten to-gyderes
O.4.80KD.4.77
And toke Mede myd hem  mercy to wynne
Pees put forþ his hed  & his panne blody
Wiþ-outen gylt . god it woot  gate I þis skaþe
Concience & þe comune  knowen þe soþe
b 3This quire signature is almost entirely illegible, having been cropped off except for the top of the <b>.
fol. 15vI
O.4.84KD.4.81
Ac wisdam & witt  weren aboute faste
To ouercome þe kyng  wiþ catel if þei myȝten
Þe kynge swore bi crist  & bi his crowne boþe
Þat wrong for hise werkis  schulde woo þolie
O.4.88KD.4.85
And comaundede a cunstable  to caste hym in Irnes
And latte hym not þis seuene ȝer  seen hise feet ones
God woot quod wisdam  þat were not þe beste
And he amendis mowe make  latte maynprise hym haue
O.4.92KD.4.89
And be boruȝ for his bale  & biggen hym bote
And so amende þat is mys-doon  & euere-more þe better
Witt acordede þer-wiþ  & seynde þe same
Better is þat bote  bale adoun brynge
O.4.96KD.4.93
Þan bale be Ibete  & bote neuere þe better
And þanne gan Mede to mengen hir  & mercy sche besouȝte
And proferede pees a present  al of pure gold
Haue þis man of me quod sche  to amende þi scaþe
O.4.100KD.4.97
For I wole wage for wrong  he wole do so no more
Pitousli pees þanne  preyede to þe kyng
To haue mercy ofO.4.102: OG alone have of in place of on. þat man  þat mysdide hym so ofte
For he haþ waged me wel  as wisdam hym tauȝte
O.4.104KD.4.101
And I forgyue hym    þat gylt  wiþ a good wille
So þat þe kyng assente  I kan seye no better
For mede haþ maad me amendis  I may no more aske
Nay quod þe kyng þoo  so me crist helpe
O.4.108KD.4.105
Wrong wendiþ not so awey  erst wole I wite more
For lope he soO.4.109: The scribe has added the same word in the left margin as well. liȝtli  lauȝwhen he wolde
And efte þe balder be  to bete myne huen
But Resoun haue ruþe on hym  he schal reste in my stokkis
O.4.112KD.4.109
And þat as longe as he lyueþ  but lownesse hym borwe
Summe men radden Resoun þoo  to haue ruþe on þat schrewe
And for to counceyle þe kyng  & concience after
Þat Mede muste be maynpernour  Resoun þei besouȝtenO.4.115: OC2 alone have the form besouȝten in place of bisouȝte.
O.4.116KD.4.113
Rede me not quod Resoun  no ruþe to haue
Til lordis & ladyes  louen alle truþe
And haten al harlotrie  to here it or to mouþen it
Til pernelis purfyle  be put in hir hucche
O.4.120KD.4.117
And children cherischyng  be chastysyng wiþ ȝerdis
And harlottes holynesse  be holden for vnheendeO.4.121: YO alone have vnheende; most B manuscripts have an hyne. Kane and Donaldson emend to an [heþyng].
Til clerken coueytise be  to cloþe þe pore & to fede
fol. 16rI
And religious romers  recordare in her cloystres
O.4.124KD.4.121
As seynt benet hem bade  bernard & fraunceys
And til prechouris prechyng  be preued on hem-seluen
Til þe kyngys counceyl  be þe comune profiȝt
Til bischoppis bayardes  be beggers chaumbres
O.4.128KD.4.125
Her haukis & her houndes  helpe to pore religious
Pylgrimage
And til seynt Iames be souȝt  þere I schal a-sygne
Þat no man goo to galis  but if he go for euere
And alle rome renners  for robbers of biȝonde
O.4.132KD.4.129
Bere no syluer ouer sehe  þat signe of kyng schewiþ
Neiþer grauen ne vngrauen  gold neiþer siluer
Vp-on forfeture of þat fee  who-so fynt hym at Douere
But if he be marchaund or his man  or messager wiþ letteris
O.4.136KD.4.133
Prouysour or preest  or penaunt for hise synnes
And ȝit quod resoun bi þe rode  I schal no ruþe haue
Whyle Mede haþ þe maystrie  in þis moot-halle
Ac I may schewe ensaumples  as I see oþer-whyle
O.4.140KD.4.137
I seye it bi my-self quod he  & it so were
Þat I were kyng were wiþ corown  to kepen a rewme
Schulde neuere wrong in þis world  þat I wite myȝteO.4.142: A line of dashes extends from the end of this line across the right margin.
Be vnpunyschid in my power  for perel of my soule
O.4.144KD.4.141
Ne gete my grace for gyftis  so me god saue
Ne for no Mede haue meurcy  but mekenesse it make
For nullum malum þe man  mette wiþ impunitum
And bade nullum bonum . be irremuneratum
O.4.148KD.4.145
Latte ȝoure confessour sir kyng  construe þis vnglosid
And if ȝe worken it in werk  I wedde boþeO.4.149: OC2H alone include boþe. myne eris
Þat lawe schal been a laborer  & lede a-feeld dunge
And loue schal lede þi lond  as þee leef likiþ
O.4.152KD.4.149
Clerkis þat weren confessouris  coupleden hem to-gyderes
Alle to construe þis clause  for þe kyngys profiȝt
Ac not for counfort of þe comune  ne for þe kyngys soule
For I syȝ Mede in þe moot-halle  on men of lawe wynken
O.4.156KD.4.153
And þei lawȝhynge lopen to hir  & lafte resoun . manye
Waryn wisdam  wynkede vp-on Mede
And seyde . ma-dame . I am ȝoure man  what so my mouþ iangleþ
I falle in floreyns quod þat freke  & fayle speche ofte
O.4.160KD.4.157
Alle riȝtful recordedenO.4.160: O alone has the form recordeden; most B manuscripts have recordede.  þat resoun truþe tolde
And witt acordede þer-wiþ  & commendede hise wordis
b 4
fol. 16vI
And þe moost peple in þe halle  & many of þe grete
O.4.163: YOC2H alone lack an introductory conjunction or pronoun; most B manuscripts have And.Leten mekenesse a mayster  & Mede a mansedO.4.163: The scribe wrote in the right margin the gloss cursid for mansed. schrewe
O.4.164KD.4.161
Loue lete of hir liȝt  & lewte ȝit lasse
And seyde it so hye  þat al þe halle it herde
Who-so wilneþ hir to wijf  for welþe of hir goodis
But he be knowen for a cokwold  cutte of my nose
O.4.168KD.4.165
Mede mornede þoo  & made heuy chere
For þe moost comune of þat court  callede hir an hore
Ac a sisour & a sumpnour  sueden hir faste
And a schirreues clerk  beschrewede al þe route
O.4.172KD.4.169
For ofte haue I quod he  holpen ȝow at þe barre
And ȝit ȝyueO.4.173: O alone has the form ȝyue; most B manuscripts have yeue. ȝe me neuere  þe worþe of a rische
Þe kyng callede concience  & afterward resoun
And recordede þat Resoun  hadde riȝtfullich schewed
O.4.176KD.4.173
And modilich vp-on Mede  wiþ myȝt þe kyng lokede
And gan waxe wroþ wiþ lawe  for Mede almost hadde schent it
And seyde . þoruȝ ȝoure lawe as I leue  I lese many chetis
Mede ouer-maystrieþ lawe  & myche truþe letteþ
O.4.180KD.4.177
Ac Resoun schal reckene wiþ ȝow  if I regne any whyle
And deme ȝow on abi þisO.4.181: A solidus/punctus above on a and above the marginal addition indicate that it is intended as a substitution. The uncorrected reading is shared by C2 alone. day  as ȝe han deserued
Mede schal not meynprise ȝow  bi þe marie of heuene
I wole haue lewte in lawe  & lete be ȝoure Ianglyng
O.4.184KD.4.181
And as moostO.4.184: OC2 alone lack the subject of this clause; all other beta witnesses have folk. witnessen wel  wrong schal be demed
Quod concience to þe kyng  but þe comune wole assente
It is ful hard bi myn hed  her-to . to brynge it
Alle ȝoure lege lordis  to lede þus euene
O.4.188KD.4.185
Bi hym þat rauȝte on þe rode  quod Resoun to þe kyng
But if I rule þus ȝoure rewme  rende out my guttis
If ȝe bidden buxumnesse  be of myn assent
And I assente quod þe kyng  bi seynt marie my lady
O.4.192KD.4.189
Be my counceyl comen  of clerkis & of erles
Ac redili Resoun  þow schalt not ride fro me
For as longe as I lyue  lete þee I nylle
I am a-redy quod Resoun  to reste wiþ ȝow euere
O.4.196KD.4.193
So concience be of oure counceyl  I kepe no bettere
And I graunte quod þe kyng  goddis forbod it fayle
As longe as oure lijf lasteþ  lyue we to-gyderes
MED