The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 3: Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79 (O) version of 30 December 2003 – Passus 4William LanglandEdited by Katherine Heinrichs Graduate Research Assistants Patricia Bart, Michael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Peter Eubanks, Paul Fyfe, Paul Gaffney, Janice McCoy, Chloe Smith, Timothy L. Stinson, Jordan Taylor, and Keicy Tolbert. Computer Consultants and Programmers Shayne Brandon, Kirk V. Hastings, Richard A. Peterson, Daniel Pitti, Jonathan Rodney, 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: 1843840251

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2004

SEENET A.5

Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79

late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79

brown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink

LatinFrenchGermanMay, 2001catalogerPatricia BartNew header createdpassus 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 iiijuscCEceþ seiþ þe kyng  I suffre ȝow no lenger Ȝe schul sauȝtle for-soþe  & serue me boþe Kisse hir quod þe kyng  concience I hote Nay bi crist quod concience  cungeye me raþer But resoun rede me þerto  raþer wole I dyeb 2O.4.5 This quire signature is almost entirely illegible, having been cropped off except for the top of the <b>.And I comaunde þee quod þe kyng  to concience þanneRape þee to ride  & Resoun þou feccheComaunde hym þat he come  my counceyl to hereFor he schal reule my rewme  & rede me þe besteOf Mede & of moo oþere  & what man schal hir weddeAnd acounte wiþ þee concience  so me crist helpeHow þou lernest þe peple  þe lered & þe lewidI am fayn of þat forward  seyde þe freke þanneAnd rit ryȝt to resoun  & rowneþ in his ereAnd seyde as þe kyng bade  & siþen toke his leueI schal araye me to ride . quod Resoun  reste þee a whyleAnd callede catoun his knaue  curteys of specheAnd also tomme trewe tunge  telle me no talesNe 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 neuereAnd sette my sadel vp-on suffre  til I see my tymeAnd lete werroke it wel  wiþ witty wordis gerþesAnd hange on hym þe heuy bridel  to holde his hed loweFor he ................wole make we-he  twyes or he be þere Þanne concience vp-on his caple  cayreþ forþ fasteAnd resoun wiþ hym rit  rownynge to-gyderesWhiche maystries Mede  makiþ on þis erþeOon waryn wisdam  & witti his fereFolewedenO.4.28: O alone has the form Foleweden; most B manuscripts have Folwed. hem faste  for þei hadden to doneIn þe checker & in þe chauncerie  to be discharged of þingysAnd riden fast for resoun  schulde redeO.4.30: OC2 alone lack hem before þe. þe besteFor to saue hem for syluer  from schame & from harmesAnd concience knewe hem wel  þei loueden coueytiseAnd bade Resoun ride fast  & recche of her neiþerÞei arn wyliO.4.34: YOC2 alone have Þei arn wyli; most B manuscripts have Ther are wiles. in her wordis  & wiþ Mede þei dwellenÞer as wraþþe & wranglyng is  þere wynnenO.4.35: OC2 alone have the form wynnen; most B manuscripts have wynne. þei syluerAc þer is loue & lewte  þei wolenO.4.36: O alone has the form wolen; most B manuscripts have wol. not come þereContricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum & ceteraÞei ne gyuen not of god  oon goos weengeNon est tymor domini ante oculos eorum & ceteraFor woot god . þei woldenO.4.40: O alone has the form wolden; most B manuscripts have wolde. do more  for a doseyn chykenesOr as many capouns  or for a seem of otisÞan for loue of oure lord  or alle hise leue seyntisFor-þi Resoun . latte hem ride  þoo riche bi hem-seluenFor concience knowiþ hem not  ne crist as I troweAnd þanne Resoun rode faste  þe riȝt hye gateAs 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 kyngCurteyslich þe kyng þanne  come aȝeyn resounAnd bitwene hym-self & his sone  sette hym on bencheAnd wordeden wel wiseli  a greet whyle to-gyderesAnd þanne come pees in-to parlement  & puttedeO.4.50: O alone has puttede; most B manuscripts have putte. forþ a billeHow wrong aȝens his wille  hadde his wijf takenAnd how he rauyschede rose  reynoldis loueAnd margarete of hir maydenhood  maugrey hir chekisBoþe my gees & my grijs  hise gadelynges fecchenI dar not for feer of hym  fiȝte ne chideHe borwede of me bayard  he brouȝte hym hoom neuereNe 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 pledeHe maynteneþ hise men  to murþere myne huenForstalleþ my feyres  & fiȝtiþ in my chepyngAnd brekiþ vp my berne dores  & bereþ awey my wheteAnd takeþ me but o tayle  for ten quarters of otisAnd ȝit he bet me þerto  & lijþ bi my maydeI am not hardy for hym  vnneþe to lokeÞe kyng knewe . he seyde soþ  for concience hym toldeÞat wrong was a wickid lift  & wrouȝte myche sorweWrong was a-feerd þanne  & wisdam he souȝteTo make pees wiþ hise pens  & proferede hym manyeAnd seyde hadde I loue of my lord þe kyng  litil wolde I reccheÞouȝ pees & his power  pleynede hym euereÞoo wente wisdam & sire  waryn þe wittyFor þat wrong hadde I-wrouȝt  so wickede a dedeAnd warnede wrong þoo  wiþ swich a wise taleWho-so worcheþ bi myO.4.73: OC2M alone have bi my; most B manuscripts have by alone. wille  wraþþe makiþ ofteI seye it bi þi-self  þou schalt it wel fyndeBut if Mede it make  þi mescheef is vppeFor boþe þi lijf & þi loond  lijþ in his graceÞanne wowede wrong  wisdam ful ȝerneTo make his pees wiþ hise pens  handi-dandi payedWisdam & witt þanne  wenten to-gyderesAnd toke Mede myd hem  mercy to wynnePees put forþ his hed  & his panne blodyWiþ-outen gylt . god it woot  gate I þis skaþeConcience & þe comune  knowen þe soþeb 3This quire signature is almost entirely illegible, having been cropped off except for the top of the <b>.Ac wisdam & witt  weren aboute fasteTo ouercome þe kyng  wiþ catel if þei myȝtenÞe kynge swore bi crist  & bi his crowne boþeÞat wrong for hise werkis  schulde woo þolieAnd comaundede a cunstable  to caste hym in IrnesAnd latte hym not þis seuene ȝer  seen hise feet onesGod woot quod wisdam  þat were not þe besteAnd he amendis mowe make  latte maynprise hym haueAnd be boruȝ for his bale  & biggen hym boteAnd so amende þat is mys-doon  & euere-more þe betterWitt acordede þer-wiþ  & seynde þe sameBetter is þat bote  bale adoun bryngeÞan bale be Ibete  & bote neuere þe betterAnd þanne gan Mede to mengen hir  & mercy sche besouȝteAnd proferede pees a present  al of pure goldHaue þis man of me quod sche  to amende þi scaþeFor I wole wage for wrong  he wole do so no morePitousli pees þanne  preyede to þe kyngTo haue mercy ofO.4.102: OG alone have of in place of on. þat man  þat mysdide hym so ofteFor he haþ waged me wel  as wisdam hym tauȝteAnd I forgyue hym þat gylt  wiþ a good willeSo þat þe kyng assente  I kan seye no betterFor mede haþ maad me amendis  I may no more askeNay quod þe kyng þoo  so me crist helpeWrong wendiþ not so awey  erst wole I wite moreFor lope he soO.4.109: The scribe has added the same word in the left margin as well. liȝtli  lauȝwhen he woldeAnd efte þe balder be  to bete myne huenBut Resoun haue ruþe on hym  he schal reste in my stokkisAnd þat as longe as he lyueþ  but lownesse hym borweSumme men radden Resoun þoo  to haue ruþe on þat schreweAnd for to counceyle þe kyng  & concience afterÞat Mede muste be maynpernour  Resoun þei besouȝtenO.4.115: OC2 alone have the form besouȝten in place of bisouȝte.Rede me not quod Resoun  no ruþe to haueTil lordis & ladyes  louen alle truþeAnd haten al harlotrie  to here it or to mouþen itTil pernelis purfyle  be put in hir huccheAnd children cherischyng  be chastysyng wiþ ȝerdisAnd 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 fedeAnd religious romers  recordare in her cloystresAs seynt benet hem bade  bernard & fraunceysAnd til prechouris prechyng  be preued on hem-seluenTil þe kyngys counceyl  be þe comune profiȝtTil bischoppis bayardes  be beggers chaumbresHer haukis & her houndes  helpe to pore religiousPylgrimageAnd til seynt Iames be souȝt  þere I schal a-sygne Þat no man goo to galis  but if he go for euereAnd alle rome renners  for robbers of biȝondeBere no syluer ouer sehe  þat signe of kyng schewiþNeiþer grauen ne vngrauen  gold neiþer siluerVp-on forfeture of þat fee  who-so fynt hym at DouereBut if he be marchaund or his man  or messager wiþ letterisProuysour or preest  or penaunt for hise synnesAnd ȝit quod resoun bi þe rode  I schal no ruþe haueWhyle Mede haþ þe maystrie  in þis moot-halleAc I may schewe ensaumples  as I see oþer-whyleI seye it bi my-self quod he  & it so wereÞat I were kyng were wiþ corown  to kepen a rewmeSchulde 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 souleNe gete my grace for gyftis  so me god saueNe for no Mede haue meurcy  but mekenesse it makeFor nullum malum þe man  mette wiþ impunitumAnd bade nullum bonum . be irremuneratumLatte ȝoure confessour sir kyng  construe þis vnglosidAnd if ȝe worken it in werk  I wedde boþeO.4.149: OC2H alone include boþe. myne erisÞat lawe schal been a laborer  & lede a-feeld dungeAnd loue schal lede þi lond  as þee leef likiþClerkis þat weren confessouris  coupleden hem to-gyderesAlle to construe þis clause  for þe kyngys profiȝtAc not for counfort of þe comune  ne for þe kyngys souleFor I syȝ Mede in þe moot-halle  on men of lawe wynkenAnd þei lawȝhynge lopen to hir  & lafte resoun . manyeWaryn wisdam  wynkede vp-on MedeAnd seyde . ma-dame . I am ȝoure man  what so my mouþ iangleþI falle in floreyns quod þat freke  & fayle speche ofteAlle riȝtful recordedenO.4.160: O alone has the form recordeden; most B manuscripts have recordede.  þat resoun truþe toldeAnd witt acordede þer-wiþ  & commendede hise wordisb 4And þe moost peple in þe halle  & many of þe greteO.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. schreweLoue lete of hir liȝt  & lewte ȝit lasseAnd seyde it so hye  þat al þe halle it herdeWho-so wilneþ hir to wijf  for welþe of hir goodisBut he be knowen for a cokwold  cutte of my noseMede mornede þoo  & made heuy chereFor þe moost comune of þat court  callede hir an horeAc a sisour & a sumpnour  sueden hir fasteAnd a schirreues clerk  beschrewede al þe routeFor ofte haue I quod he  holpen ȝow at þe barreAnd ȝit ȝyueO.4.173: O alone has the form ȝyue; most B manuscripts have yeue. ȝe me neuere  þe worþe of a rischeÞe kyng callede concience  & afterward resounAnd recordede þat Resoun  hadde riȝtfullich schewedAnd modilich vp-on Mede  wiþ myȝt þe kyng lokedeAnd gan waxe wroþ wiþ lawe  for Mede almost hadde schent itAnd seyde . þoruȝ ȝoure lawe as I leue  I lese many chetisMede ouer-maystrieþ lawe  & myche truþe letteþAc Resoun schal reckene wiþ ȝow  if I regne any whyleAnd 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 deseruedMede schal not meynprise ȝow  bi þe marie of heueneI wole haue lewte in lawe  & lete be ȝoure IanglyngAnd as moostO.4.184: OC2 alone lack the subject of this clause; all other beta witnesses have folk. witnessen wel  wrong schal be demedQuod concience to þe kyng  but þe comune wole assenteIt is ful hard bi myn hed  her-to . to brynge itAlle ȝoure lege lordis  to lede þus eueneBi hym þat rauȝte on þe rode  quod Resoun to þe kyngBut if I rule þus ȝoure rewme  rende out my guttisIf ȝe bidden buxumnesse  be of myn assentAnd I assente quod þe kyng  bi seynt marie my ladyBe my counceyl comen  of clerkis & of erlesAc redili Resoun  þow schalt not ride fro meFor as longe as I lyue  lete þee I nylleI am a-redy quod Resoun  to reste wiþ ȝow euereSo concience be of oure counceyl  I kepe no bettereAnd I graunte quod þe kyng  goddis forbod it fayleAs longe as oure lijf lasteþ  lyue we to-gyderes