The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 7: <list><item>London, British Library, MS Lansdowne 398 </item><item>Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson Poetry 38</item></list>
– Passus 9William LanglandEdited by Robert AdamsAssociate Editors: Patricia R. Bart, M. Gail Duggan and Catherine A.
FarleyTechnical Editor: Daniel PittiGraduate Research AssistantMichael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Carrie Lindley, Janice McCoy, Ashley Opps, Timothy L.
Stinson, and Jordan Taylor.Computer Consultants and ProgrammersRobert Bingler, Shayne Brandon, Cynthia Girard, Chris Jessee, Daniel Pitti, David Seaman,
and John Unsworth.The Medieval Academy of America and SEENET by Boydell and
Brewer, LTDWoodbridge, SuffolkISBN: (Individual) 9781843840947 (Institutional): 9781843840930
Commercially available:
copyright 2011, by SEENET
2006 Combined facsimile & documentary edition.Identification of handsIRA = Robert Adams1 computer optical disk : col. ; 4 3/4 in.The Medieval Academy of America and SEENET, by Boydell and
Brewer, LTD.Woodbridge, SuffolkSource copy consulted: London, British Library, MS Lansdowne 398 and
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson Poetry 38
SEENET, A.9
Attribute Valuesbrown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink
LatinFrenchGermanNovember 2005 revise header, update DTD and ent files Hoyt N. Duggan New header created susus de &
cetera .Passus nonus de visione vt supra
. ——R.9.0: At the extreme
left margin of the same line as the passus heading, there is the cropped fragment of a small
brown guide, illegible except for the ends of three lines: susus de & cetera.Sire dowellethdwellisR.9.1: Manuscript C also reads dwelles, but the A and C versions attest the
same present-tense verb form as F and most beta copies: dwelleth. R's
original reading, before editorial correction to dwellis, was a grotesque
error involving the accidental merger of two words (dowelleth), but the
form of that error makes clear that R's copytext attested the same verb form as that now
found in F and most other manuscripts. quod witt nauȝt a
day hennes . In a castel þat kende made of foure manerkynnesR.9.2:
Beta reads kynnes, which agrees with both Ax and Cx. þinges . Of erthe and heyer is it made medeled to-gyderes . With wynde and with water
witterly enioyned . Kende hath closed þere-inne
craftily with-alle . A lemman þat he louyeth y-lichelike to hym-selue .Anima sche hatteth ac enu.ye hire hateth . A proude prikere of fraunce princeps
huius mundi . And wold wynne hire awey with wiles and he miȝte . And kende knoweth þis wel and kepeth hire þe bettere . And hath I-dodoR.9.11:
F and some beta copies (e.g., CrWHm) here read dooþ; LMGO, by contrast,
read hath do(on). R's hath I-do is almost identical to the reading of L. The predominant readings among both
A and C witnesses are small variations of the
RLMOG phrase, but six manuscripts from the P family of C attest the same
reading as FCrWHm. hire withR.9.11: Beta reads with sire
dowel. This reading is also found in Ax and Cx.dowelsire dowel is duk of þeþisR.9.11:
Cf. F's þat and beta's þis. Beta's reading is also that
of Ax and Cx. marches . Do-bet is hire damoisel sire
doweles douȝter . To serue þis lady lely both late and rathe
. Dobest is abouteabo[u]eaboue(n) bothe a bischopes pere . Þat he bit motebemote be do he
reuleth hem alle .Anima þat lady is lad by hys lernynglerynge . ¶ Ac þe constable of þat castel þat kepeth alle þe wacche
. Is a wise kniȝt with-alle
sire inwitt he hatte . And hath fyue faire sones by his furst wyue . Sire sewel and saywel and sirenilR.9.20:
Beta omits alpha's sire from this b-verse. Ax agrees
with beta in this omission, but a majority of C manuscripts, including
the best X family witnesses and most of the P family, agree with alpha here. here-wel þe hende . Sire werche wel with þin hand a wiȝt man of strengthe
. And sire godefrey go-wel a grete lordgret lordesR.9.22:
In place of alpha's singular (a grete lord), beta opts for the plural: gret lordes. Beta's choice agrees with the reading of both Ax and Cx. for-sothe Þise fyue ben sette to saue þisþis ladyR.9.23:
Beta reads the phrase as þis ladyanima.anima . Til kende come or sende to saue hire for euere . ¶ What kynne thynge is kende quod I kanst þow
me telle . ¶ Kende quod witt is aR.9.26: Although M agrees with R in the omission of the determiner (in both copies by
what appears to be an editorial erasure of the word a originally written),
most beta copies and F agree in reading is a
creatour. However, the overwhelming majority of A and C manuscripts agrees with the "corrected" (i.e. the erased) version of
RM. creatour of alkynne þinges . Fader and formeor of alle þat euer was maked .R.9.27: There
is a cross in the left margin here, but it is much heavier and thicker than the similar
crosses used by the scribe to mark Latin tags for later boxing. This cross is presumably a
correction mark; there is no mistake in 9.27, but the mark may refer to 9.28's gete, which was never corrected.AndAnd þat isR.9.28:
R uniquely omits a phrase immediately after And. In beta, the phrase is
þat is; F omits And, beginning the line with He is. Ax confirms the authenticity of beta's
phrase. þe geteg[r]etegret god þat gynnyng had neuere . Lord of lif and of liȝt of blisselysseR.9.29: The group of witnesses joining R in attesting blisse (a non-alliterating synonym of authorial lisse)
includes F, as expected, and five typical beta manuscripts: Cr1, G, and B
(Bm, Bo, and Cot). Cr1 and G are late, and exposed to extensive lateral
transmission, so that their agreement in this reading is not problematic. Likewise, the B
group is so textually inferior in its common source as to be an unsurprising ally. However,
what is mildly surprising is that M also has been "corrected" into agreement with this alpha
error. This fact suggests that blisse was already present in Cr1's exemplar (beta2), because Cr1's exemplar was almost certainly the copy
that had been used long before to "correct" M into agreement with the WHmCr
sub-family. and of payne . Angeles and alle þing aren at his wille . Ac man is most hymhym mosteR.9.31:
This phrase occurs in beta in transposed order as hym moste. The cognate
line in Ax is identical to beta's version, and Cx,
in a revised line, repeats the word order of beta's phrase. like of marke and
of schafte . For þoruȝ þe worde þat he spake wexen forth bestes
.Dixit et facta sunt ¶ And made manI-likestlikkest to hym-self one . And eue of his ribbe-bon
with-outen any mene . For he was singulere hym-selue seydeand seydeR.9.36:
R uniquely omits and before seyde; F reads he in place of and.Faciamus . ¶ As ho sey more mote hereto þanne my worde one .fiiijus My miȝt mote helpe now with my speche . Riȝt as a lord schulsholdeR.9.39:
R's form here, schul, is unique and may represent either a present or past
tense inflection; F and beta both attest a past-tense form, sholde.
make lettres and hym lakked parchmyn . Þouȝ he coude write neuer so wel ȝif he had no
penne . Þe lettere for alle þe lordschippe
I leue were neuer I-maked . ¶ And so it semed(bi)semethR.9.42:
R's apparently past-tense inflection is unique; Bx has semeth. Cf. the discussion of R's problematic tense marking in the Introduction III.2.2.10, where this example is
categorized. by hym as þe bible telleth . Þeere he seyde dixit et facta sunt . He moste werche with his worde and his witt schewe . And in þis maner was man made þoruȝ miȝt of god
almiȝty . With his word and werkmanschippe and with lif
to laste . And þus god gaf hym a goste of þe goddedR.9.47:Godded, "godhead." of heuene . And of his grete grace graunted hym blisse And þat is lif þat ay schal laste to alle hisnilR.9.49:
R's his is an alpha variant; although W agrees with alpha in attesting the
presence of this possessive adjective, the other beta manuscripts omit it. Nevertheless, Ax supports the RFW reading here. lynage after . And þisþatR.9.50:
R's þis is unique; the other B witnesses read þat. Ax agrees with beta here. is þe catelca[s]telcastel þat kende made caro it hatte . And is as muche to mene as man with a soule . And þat he wrouȝt with werke and with hisnilwordeswordeR.9.52:
R's plural is unique among the B manuscripts; the others read worde. Moreover, beta omits his. Ax
agrees with beta on the omission of his, but the A
witnesses are divided on whether the following noun is singular (as in F and beta) or plural
(as in R). bothe . Þoruȝ miȝt of þe mageste man was I-maked . ¶ Inwitt and alle wittes I-clothed(i)closedR.9.54:
R's I-clothed is unique; the other B copies read closed. Both Ax and
Cx support the majority B reading. ben
þere-inne . For loue of þe lady anima þat
lif is Inempned . Oueralle in mannes body he walketh and wandreth . Ac in þe herte is hire home and hire moste reste . Ac inwitt is in þe hed and to þe herteR.9.58: Only Cr and R omit he before loketh. loketh . What anima is lef or loth he
lat hire at hirehisR.9.59:
R's hire is unique; both beta and F read his.
wille . For after þe grace of god þe grettest is Inwitt . ¶ Muche wo worth þat wiȝtmanR.9.61:
Beta reads man, and Cx revises to hym. þat mys-rewleth his Inwitt . And þat beth glotones globares here god is
here wombe .Quorum deus venter est
. For þei seruen sathan here souleR.9.64: Most beta
copies and F agree in rendering this variant as a plural (soules), but the
support of LM for R's singular suggests that the reading of alpha, and of Bx, was soule. schal he haue . Þat lyuen synful lyf here here soule is liche
þe deuel . And alle þat lyuen gode lif aren likeR.9.66: Only L and R omit a
preposition before god. F's version of the b-verse is lyk
after goddis techyng, while the other beta manuscripts read lik to god almiȝti. god almiȝty .Qui manet in caritate in deo manet
&cetera . ¶ Allas þat drink schal fordo þat god dere bouȝte And doth god forsaken hem þat schope hemhe shopeR.9.69:
In place of alpha's schope hem, beta reads he
shope. to his liknesse .Amen dico vobis nescio vosvos & alibi et dimisi eos secundum desideria eorum .R.9.70: F omits the entire Latin tag; beta's version of the tag continues beyond R's
end, reading: vos & alibi et dimisi eos secundum desideria
eorum. ¶ Foles þat fauten Inwitt I fynde þat holy cherche . Schulde fynden hem þat fautethR.9.72: Beta reads hem þat hem fauteth / fauted. F's rendering of this a-verse, Ne knowe no(n) defawhte, is too different to make comparison relevant.
and faderles childeren . And wydewes þat haue nauȝt where-with . to wynnen hem here fode . Madde men and maydenes þat helples were . Alle þise lakken Inwit and lore byhoueth . ¶ Of þis matire I miȝte make a longe tale . And fynde fele witnese amonges þe foure doctoures . And þat I lye nauȝtnouȝt of þatR.9.78:
Alpha here omitted a syntactically important phrase present in the beta manuscripts: of þat. In a second stage of corruption, F characteristically sacrifices from
the mangled a-verse of alpha (as attested in R) an alliterating phrase that now makes little
sense (I lere the) and adds weight to the b-verse with seynt luc. I lerethelere the
luk bereth witnesse . ¶ Godfader and godmoder þat sen here god-children .Þat isAtR.9.80:
In place of R's Þat is, F reads In while beta reads At. mys-heise and at mischief
and mowe hem amende . Schal haue penaunce in purgatorieR.9.81: This
word is partially erased, and the erasure is very old though presumably not contemporary.
Despite the attempted erasure, the word remains entirely readable. but
ȝif þei hem helpe . For more by-longeth to þe litel barne
ar he þe lawe knowe . Þan nempnyng of a name and he neuere þe
wisere. ¶ Schulde no cristene creature crien atte ȝate .AndNeR.9.85:
Beta reads Ne. faile payn andne potage and prelates dide as þei schulde . A Iew wolde nouȝt se a Iew go Iangelynge for defaute
. For alle þe nobelesR.9.87: R's alliteration fails here; cf. beta's moebles, which clearly reflects Bx. F's effort to repair
the alliterative pattern with the easy and obvious mone suggests that R's
error was derived from alpha. of þis molde and he amende it miȝte ¶ Allas þat a cristene creature schal be vnkende til
annother . Sitthen Iewes þat we Iugen Iudas felawes .ÞatnilaytherAyther of hem helpeth other of hemþat þat hym nedeth .R.9.90: A series of small variations differentiates beta from alpha in
this line, making it most efficient simply to show the beta line in its entirety: Ayther of hem helpeth other of þat þat hym nedeth. F renders the line thus:
þat ech helpiþ oþir of hem / of good þat hem neediþ. ¶ Why ne wil we cristene of cristes goed be as kende . As Iewes þat ben oure lores-men
tonilR.9.92:
Beta omits R's to; F reads It is. schame to vs
alle . Þe comune for here vnkendenesse I drede me schul abye . ¶ Bischopes schul be blamed for beggeres sake . He is wors þan Iudas þat ȝiueth a iapere
siluer . And bitR.9.96: F reads byddis; beta has biddeth. þe begere go for his broke clothes .Proditor est prelatus
cum iuda qui patrimoniumchristi minus distribuit .Et alibi . Perniciosus dispensator est
qui res pauperumchristi invtiliter consumit
. He doth nauȝt wel þat doth þus ne drad nauȝt god
almiȝty Ne loueth nauȝt salomones sawes þat sapience
tauȝte .Inicium sapiencie timor domini — . ¶ Þat draddredeth god he doth wel þat draddredethR.9.102:
In both instances in this line where R reads drad, Bx
has dredeth. hym for loue .And drad hymAnd nauȝt for louedrede of vengeance to dodoth þer-fore þe bettere .R.9.103: Beta's line reads And nouȝt for drede of
veniaunce doth þerfore þe bettere. R's And drad hym is unique; F has
he dredyþ. He doth best þat with-draweth hym
by day and by nyȝte . To spille any speche or any space of tyme .Qui offendit in verboR.9.106: R's verbo is almost certainly authorial, albeit not an accurate Vulgate citation; L
is the only other B witness that completely agrees with R, but M
probably did originally (by erasure and correction M now reads vno). F tries to split the difference between alpha's verbo and the common beta reading, vno, by
adopting a reading of vno verbo. in
omnibus est reus . ¶ Lesynge of tyme trewth wote þe sothe Is most I-hated vp erthe of
hem þat ben in heuene . And sechesittheR.9.109:
F reads all swiche, which looks as though it is somehow related to R's seche but is equally devoid of sense. The likeliest explanation for these
variants is that alpha's <c> and <t> were indistinct and that alpha had intended
sethe. Beta's correct reading is sitthe. to
spille speche þat spire is of grace . And godes gleman and a game of heuene . Wold neuere þe faithful fader his fithel
werevntymbredvntempred .R.9.111: For R's unique form, vntymbred, Bx
reads vntempred. There is no semantic difference in R's form, merely a
changed spelling produced by the voicing of an unvoiced consonant in the middle of a voiced
consonant cluster. Ne his gleman a gedelynge a goere to tauernes . ¶ To alle trewe tydy men þat trauail desiren . Oure lord loueth hem and lent loude other
stille . Grace to go to hem tillehemR.9.115:
R's hem tille is a unique reading. Beta simply reads hem. However, F offers a different unique reading at this point, hem
to, suggesting that both R and F are mirroring an alpha variant. and
agoon here liflode .Inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur
omni bono . ¶ Trewe wedded libbyng folke in þis world is dowel . For þei mote werche and wynne and þe world susteyne . For of here kende heþeiR.9.119:he, "they." Beta and Cx read þei. come þat confessoures ben nempned . Kynges and kniȝtes kaiseres and cherles . Maydenes and martires oute of o man come . Þe wif was mad þe weyR.9.122:Weye, "husband, man." for to helpe werche . And þus was wedlok I-wrouȝt and god hym-self it madeR.9.123: Alpha
omits the following lines from Bx through eye-skip on identical
a-verses: . . . with a mene persone First bi þe faderes wille and þe frendes
conseille And sytthenes bi assent of hemself as þei two myȝte acorde And thus
was wedloke ywrouȝte . . . . In erth þereþeR.9.124:
For R's þere, beta reads þe; F reads here heuen is hym-self was þe witnesse
. ¶ Ac fals folk andnilR.9.125:
Beta omits and. faithles theues and lieres . Wastoures and wreches oute of wedlok I trowe . Conseyued ben Iuelin yuelR.9.127:
R uniquely omits in before Iuel. tyme
as caym was on eue . Of suche synful schrewes þe sauter maketh mende .Concepit doloremin doloreR.9.129: R's dolorem is the alpha variant—to
which Hm has been "corrected" by a second hand (the other beta manuscripts read in dolore). This variation ultimately reflects a discrepancy in the
textual tradition of the Vulgate itself, but the predominant reading among A copies of Piers Plowman is the same as alpha's, while the
overwhelming preference among C manuscripts is for the beta
reading. et peperit iniquitateminiquitatem &c . And alle þat come of þat caym come to euel ende . For god sent to sem and seyde by an
aungel Þin Issu in þin Issu I wil þat þei ben wedded . And nauȝt þi kende with caymcaymesR.9.133:
Beta reads caymes. I-coupled ne I-spoused . ¶ Ȝet somme aȝeyne þe sonde of
oure saueoure of heuene . Caymes kende and his kynde coupled to-gyderes . Til god wrathed for here werkes and such a worde seyde
. Þat I maked man now it me þinkethathynketh/forthynketh .R.9.137: All other B manuscripts here read either athynketh or forthynketh. F shows the latter reading, as does Ax. For the sense of R's reading, see MED, s.
v.thinken (v.[2], 10 [a]).Penitet me fecisse hominem
. ¶ And come to noe a-none
and bad hym nauȝt lette . Swithe go schape a schippe of schides and
of bordes . Þi-self and þi sones thre
and sitthen ȝoure wiues . Buske ȝow to þat bote and bydeth ȝe þere-Inne . Til fourty dayes ben fulfilled þat floed haue Iwastedywasshen .R.9.143: For alpha's Iwasted, beta reads ywasshen. Both Ax and Cx confirm the
correctness of the beta reading. Clene away þe cursed bloed þat caym hath I-maked . ¶ Bestes þat now ben schal banne þe tyme . Þat euer þat cursed caym come on þis erthe
. Alle schal deye for his dedes by dales and hilles . And þe foules þat fleth forth with other bestes . Excepte onlyche of onecheR.9.149:
Beta reads eche; Cr and F have euery. Cx's vch supports beta's variant. kende a couple . Þat in þisþiR.9.150:
Beta reads þi . . . shippe; F omits the entire line. Ax reads þe . . . ship, but Cx agrees with
beta. schingeled schippe schal ben I-saued . Here a-bouȝte þe barne
þe belesires giltes . And alle for here forfaderes þei ferden þe
worse . Þe gospel is here-a-geyne in on degre I fyndeFilius non portabit
iniquitatem patris nec pater& pater non portabitR.9.154: Instead of alpha's nec pater, beta reads
& pater non portabit . iniquitatemfilijfilij &c. . ¶ Ac I fynde if þe fader be fals and a schrewe . Þat somdel þe sone schal haue þe sireR.9.156: Though C joins R in
attesting the uninflected form, F and the other beta copies read sires. tacches . ¶ Impe vp-ononR.9.157:
Beta reads on. an ellerne and if þin appel be swete . Muchel merueile me thenketh and more of a schrewe . Þat bringeth forth any barne but if he be þe same . And haue a sauour after þe sire selde seste
þow other .Numquam colligitur de spinis
vuas nec de tribulis ficus . ¶ And þus þorȝ cursed caym come care
vppe-on erthe . And alle for þei wrouȝten wedlokes aȝeyne goddes
wille . For-þi haue þei maugre forR.9.164: Although
most beta copies read of, LM agree with R in reading for. here mariages as menþat marien nowso her childeren .R.9.164: Beta's b-verse reads þat marye so her
childeren. F has for maryagys vnkende. For somme as I se now soth forto telle
. For coueytise of catel vnkendeliche ben wedded . As careful concepcioun
cometh to þatof suche mariages .R.9.167: R's b-verse is obviously corrupt, and may include two mistakes at separate
stages of transmission; in any case, the R scribe shows his characteristic timidity toward
emending patent error. The beta manuscripts here read of suche mariages.
Alpha probably generated at least one component of the error shown in R; F appears to adapt
to the error in alpha with typical adroitness: of þat
Maryage. As bifel of þatþe folkeR.9.168: Beta reads of þe folke. In a parallel
but not identical line, Ax reads this phrase in agreement with
beta. þat I before of tolde .R.9.168: Two lines present in beta manuscripts (and in
the C version) immediately after this one are omitted by alpha: For goode shulde wedde goode þough hij no good hadde I am via & veritas seith cryst I may auaunce alle.R.9.168: A
text line appears to have been erased immediately below this one. ¶ It is an vncomely couple by IhesuscrystR.9.169:
Beta reads cryst, which maintains the line's alliterative pattern. Ax agrees with beta. as me thenketh . To ȝeue a ȝonge wenche to an olde feble . Or wedden any wydewe for welth of hire godes . Þat neuer schal barne bere but if it be in
armes . Many apairea
paire sitthen þe pestelence haue pliȝt hem to-gyderes . Þe fruit þat þei bringen forth aren foule wordes .R.9.174: Alpha
omits the following line attested by beta witnesses (and by both the other versions):In ialousye ioyeles and ianglyng on bedde. Kane-Donaldson and Schmidt
re-arrange the lines, placing this line after R9.172. Haue þei non children but iangelyngechesteR.9.175:
Here alpha's alliteration fails; beta properly reads cheste, a reading
confirmed by both Ax and Cx. &
gayingchoppyngR.9.175:
R's gaying makes no sense. Beta probably read choppyng.
The entire line in F is garbled, presumably by loss of the end of the a-verse. As a result, F
reads the line thus: þey have no children / but Ianglyng hem be-twene.
hem bitewene . And forto go to dunmowe to fecche hom here
bakon . R and F here depart extensively from the text witnessed by beta, but R
and F differ between themselves at many points regarding the underlying alpha text. Beta for
these three lines reads as follows: 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
tyne. F 's version of these lines reads as follows: Þey sholde gon to Dunmowe & fecche þere bakoun But for þe caryage is
karkful þey dore non fecche . But lyven þus in Ianglyng þoru þe develys loore
. And whan þei haue brouȝt it hom to whom is best to
selle it . And þus þei lyuen in coueytise þe deuel and þei to-gyderes . ¶ For-þi I conseille
alle cristene coueite nauȝt toR.9.179: Though Cr and M agree
with R in reading to here, most B manuscripts, including F, omit it.
Nevertheless, nine A-version witnesses attest the presence of to at this point. By contrast, only two C copies agree
with R on this issue. be wedded . For coueitise of catel ne of kenrede riche . Ac maydenes and maydenes makemaccheR.9.181:
R's reading is unique. Beta reads macche, while F has marye; Cx agrees with F. ȝow to-gyderesWydeweres and wydewesWidwes and widwersR.9.182:
Beta reads Widwes and widwers, reversing alpha's phrasal order; Ax agrees with alpha, but the C manuscripts are
divided here by family, with the P family supporting alpha's order while the X family agrees
with beta. wercheth þe same . For no londes but for loue loke þatnilR.9.183:
R's þat is unique. The b-verse of most other B
manuscripts reads loke ȝe be wedded. ȝe be wedded . And þanne gete ȝeȝe þe graceR.9.184: In place of alpha's grace, beta reads þe
grace. of god and god Inow to lyue with .R.9.184: Hereafter alpha omits
seven lines found in beta (and in slightly revised form in the C version):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 wil ben excusedDum 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. ¶ AndForR.9.185:
R's And is unique; the other B manuscripts read For. in vntyme trewely bi-twene man and womman . Ne schulde no berde a-beddebourde on beddeR.9.186:Bx itself may be marginally corrupt here: F has lyggyn In
bedde, while beta reads bourde on bedde. Both Kane-Donaldson and
Schmidt emend this beta phrase to the reading of Cx, which is bedbourde. However, a key component of the larger textual conundrum is the
meaning of R's berde. It seems completely implausible as a spelling of
beta's bourde. Far likelier is a bland meaning such as "a youth." Cf.
MED, s. v.bird(e) (n. 1[3]): "A man of noble birth; scion, lord . . . also, any
young person." The omission and garbling here in R and F suggest an intention, on alpha's
part, to bowdlerize the entire passage, as at R3.52, by omitting most of the offensive sexual
material (here the lines are KD9.182-88, with their hypothetical reference to the reader's
youthful, "keen weapon" and the untimely engendering of Cain) and patching together what
remains. be but if þei bothe were clene .OfBothe ofR.9.187:
Beta has Bothe of while F reads Boþe in. lif
and of soule and in parfite charite . Þat ilke derne dede do noman schuldene sholdeR.9.188:
R uniquely omits ne before schulde. F cannot be
compared since it completely rephrases the b-verse. In slightly different version of this
line, Cx reads the phrase in question precisely as R: do
no man sholde. Moreover six A witnesses (UDChVKWa) also agree with
R's version. . And if þei ledden þus here lif it
likedR.9.189:
F reads wolde lyke; most beta copies show likeþ, but L
agrees exactly with R. god almiȝti . For he made wedlok furst and hym-self it seyde .Bonum est vt vnusquisque
vxorem suam habeatpropter fornicacionem .R.9.191: The beta copies are fuller, ending the citation with propter fornicacionem, which is also the reading of the C
version. And þei þat othergates ben geten for gede-lynges ben holden .AndAsR.9.193:
Beta reads As. Cx agrees here with alpha. fals
folke fondelynges faitoures & lyeres . Vngracious to gete gode or loue of þe poeple . Wandren and wasten whatte þei cacche mowe . Aȝein deweld[o]weldowelR.9.196:
R's dewel is a unique error presumably induced by anticipation of deuel later in this line. þei don euele and þe deuel
serue . And after her deth-day
schullen dwelle with þe deuelsame .R.9.197: In place of R's þe deuel, F reads here
Mayster and beta reads þe same. The Ax version
of this phrase agrees with beta. But god ȝif hem grace here hem-self to amende .R.9.198: Hereafter alpha omits the following lines
attested by beta family manuscripts (and in slightly different form by the C version): 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 alle. ¶ And þus is doweldowel isR.9.199:
Beta reads And dowel is. F's reading is identical to R's, except for the
omission of the initial conjunction. Cx agrees here with R. to
drede god and dobet to suffre . And so comes dobest of both and bringeth a-don þe mody . And þat is wikked wille þat many werkes(a)werkeR.9.201:
Beta has the singular werke, which is also the reading of Ax. schendeth . And driueth awey dowel þoruȝ dedliche synnes .