The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 9: The B-Version Archetype of <hi rend="it">Piers Plowman</hi>

The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 9: The B-Version Archetype of <hi rend="it">Piers Plowman</hi> – Passus 16William LanglandEdited by John Burrow and Thorlac Turville-PetreTechnical Editors: Daniel V. Pitti and Cindy Girard Graduate Research Assistants John Ivor Carlson, Erin Kelly, Britta Rowe, Christine Schott, and Timothy L. Stinson. Computer Consultants and Programmers Shayne Brandon, Cynthia GirardPublished for the Medieval Academy of America and The Society for Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET) by Boydell and Brewer Ltd. Cambridge ISBN (individual use) 1 84384 ????? (institutional use) 1 84384 ????

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2011

SEENET A.11?

LatinFrenchGerman Editor Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and structure reorganized. Passus sextus decimus & primus de dobet Now faire falle ȝow quod I þo · for ȝowre faire shewyngeBx.16.1: F prefaces the passus with two lines in which the dreamer falls asleep again. Lines 1-27 are quite different in C. For haukynnes loue þe actyf man [·] euere I shal ȝow louye Ac ȝet I am in a were · what charite is to mene ¶ It is a ful trye tree quod he · trewlyBx.16.4: trewly: Alpha has treuthe. There is no close parallel elsewhere for either. to telle Mercy is þe more þer-of · þe myddel stokke is reuthe Þe leues ben lele wordes · þe lawe of holycherche Þe blosmes beth boxome speche · and benygne lokynge Pacience hatte þe pure tre · and poreBx.16.8: pore: Beta1 repeats pure. symple of herte And so þorw god and þorwBx.16.9: þorw (2): So LMW, and presumably therefore beta (note Hm misreads as pure), but other beta texts and alpha are without it, perhaps rightly. good men · groweth þe frute charite ¶ I wolde trauaille quod I þis tree to se · twenty hundreth myle And fortoBx.16.11: forto: Alpha and beta4 have to, which could equally be right. haue my fylle of þat frute · forsake al other sauleeBx.16.11: saulee: "food". L first wrote soule, as R, then added the gloss "id est edulium". Lorde quod I if any wiȝte wyte · whider oute itBx.16.12: it: R has þat it. groweth ¶ It groweth in [a]Bx.16.13: a: Omitted by L. gardyne quod he · þat god made hym-seluen Amyddes mannes body · þe more is of þat stokke Herte hatte þe erber · þat it in groweth And liberum arbitrium · hath þe londe to ferme VnderBx.16.17: Vnder: Alpha begins And vnder, perhaps as Bx. Piers þe plowman · to pyken it and toBx.16.17: to (2): Omitted by beta4 and F. weden it Piers þe plowman quod I þo · and al for pure ioye Þat I herde nempne his name · anone I swouned after And laye longe in a loue-dreme · and atte laste me þouȝte Þat Pieres þe plowman · al þe place me shewed And bad me totenBx.16.22: toten: Beta2 and C have to toten. on þe tree · on toppe and on rote With þre pyles was it vnder-piȝte · I perceyued it sone Pieres quod I · IBx.16.24: I (2): Dropped by MR. The punctuation separating the repeated pronoun is established as Bx by LWHmOF, with a comma in Cr. preye þe · whi stonde þise piles here ¶ For wyndes wiltow wyte quod he · to witenBx.16.25: witen: "guard", punning on wyte. Alpha substitutes non-alliterating kepen. it fram fallyng Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur · quia dominus supponit manum suam And in blowyng tyme abite þe floures · but if þis piles helpe Þe worlde is a wykked wyndeBx.16.28: wynde: Alpha skips to wynde in the next line, dropping l. 28b and l. 29a. The lines are both in Cx in a revised form. · to hem þat woldenBx.16.28: wolden: All beta mss. except L have willen, but Cx has wolde (RK.18.31). treuthe Coueityse cometh of þat wynde · and crepeth amonge þe leues And forfret neigh þe frute · þorw many faire siȝtes ÞanneBx.16.31: Þanne: So beta. R has And while F rewrites the line. Cx also begins this line And, but begins the next line Thenne. Since this section of the passus is so heavily revised in C, it must be used with caution as evidence for Bx. with þe firste pyleBx.16.31: pyle: In this long line LR have double punctuation, after pyle and down (Cr has commas). F abbreviates radically. I palleBx.16.31: palle: "strike". Hm and beta4 have pulle, and F has call in its rewritten line. hym down · þat is potencia dei patris Bx.16.32: WHmC and alpha here have a paraph marking the transition from World to Flesh.Þe flesshe is a fel wynde · and in flourynge tyme Þorw lykyng and lustes · so loude he gynneth blowe Þat it norissheth nice siȝtes · and some-tyme wordes And wikked werkes þer-of · wormes of synne And forbiteth þe blosmes · riȝt to þe bare leues ¶ Þanne sette I to þe secounde pile · sapiencia dei patris Þat is þe passioun and þe power · of owre prynce Ihesu ÞorwBx.16.39: Þorw (1): Alpha has With. preyeres and þorwBx.16.39: þorw (2): Omitted by beta4 and F. penauncesBx.16.39: penaunces: For variation with and without -s, see note to Bx.14.211. · and goddes passioun in mynde I saue it til I se it rypen · & somdel yfruited And þanne fondeth þe fende · my fruit to destruye With alle þe wyles þat he can · and waggeth þe rote And casteth vp to þe croppe · vnkynde neighbores Bakbiteres breke-chesteBx.16.44: breke-cheste: "fomenters of quarrel". Beta2 misunderstands and writes breke þe cheste. R may represent alpha with the more transparent (though equally unique) compound brewe-cheste. F smooths to & boosteris. For the sense of the verb, cf. Bx.18.374, þe bitternesse þat þow hast browe. Cx drops the compound altogether. · brawleres and chideres And leith a laddre þere-to · of lesynges aren þe rongesBx.16.45: After this F adds a rather good line about false executors. And feccheth away my floures sumtyme · aforBx.16.46: afor: So beta. The reading byfore in CG and alpha is also that of Cx which always has byfore in place of afore (e.g. Bx.17.311, 20.130). See note to Bx.5.12 for support of beta's reading. bothe myn eyhen Ac liberum arbitrium · letteth hymBx.16.47: hym: HmR have hem, but the antecedent is þe fende. some-tyme Þat is lieutenant to loken it wel · by leue of my-selue Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum numquam remittetur &c Hoc est idem qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat · Ac whanBx.16.51: whan: Alpha's what is a misunderstanding of the syntax. þe fende and þe flesshe · forth with þe worlde Manasen byhynde me · my fruit for to fecche Þanne liberum arbitrium [·] laccheth þe thriddeBx.16.53: thridde: So L and alpha. All beta mss. except L read firste, though thridde is obviously correct (cf. ll. 31, 37) and supported by Cx (RK.18.50). This provides a clear example of agreement of M with beta1 in this part of the poem. plan[k]eBx.16.53: planke: So alpha. Beta reads plante, prompted, so KD (p. 146) suggest, by the flowers and fruit of ll. 46 and 52. Cx has the synonym shoriere. And palleth adown þe pouke · purelichBx.16.54: purelich: "entirely". Alpha has priueliche. þorw grace And helpe of þe holy goste · and þus haue I þe maystrie ¶ Now faire falle ȝow Pieres quod I · so faire ȝe discryuen Þe powere of þis postes · and her propre myȝteBx.16.57: myȝte: WHmF have the plural. Ac I haue þouȝtes a threveBx.16.58: threve: "multitude". Only here in the poem. HmF corrupt to þrowe. · of þis þre piles In what wode þei woxen · and where þat þei growed For alle ar þei aliche longe · none lasse þan other And to my mynde as me þinketh · on o More þei growed And of o gretnesse ·Bx.16.62: Only O places the punctus after grene where it would be expected. and grene of greyne þei semen ¶ Þat is soth seideBx.16.63: seide: All beta mss. apart from L alter to non-alliterating quod. Pieres [·] so itBx.16.63: it: GR omit. may bifalle I shal telle þe as tite · what þis tree hatte Þe grounde þere it groweth · goodnesse it hiȝte And I haue tolde þe what hiȝte þe tree · þe trinite it meneth And egrelich he loked on me · & þer-fore I spared To asken hym any more ther-of · and badde hym ful fayre To discreue þe fruit · þat so faire hangeth ¶ Here now bineth quod he þo · if I nede hadde Matrymonye I may nyme · a moiste fruit with-alle Þanne contenence is nerreBx.16.72: nerre: The forms neer and nere in other mss. may also be comparative; so Kane (2005), s.v. neer, ner prep. þe croppe · as calwey bastarde Þanne bereth þe croppe kynde fruite · and clenneste of alle Maydenhode angeles peres · and rathest wole be ripe And swete with-oute swellyng · soure worth it neuere ¶ I prayed pieres to pulle adown · an apple and he wolde And suffre me to assaye · what sauoure it hadde ¶Bx.16.78: ¶: The paraph is in beta only. And pieres caste to þe croppe · and þanne comsed it to crye [A]Bx.16.79: A: "He". Beta and F have And, but R is supported by Cx (RK.18.108) where the antecedent is Elde rather than Piers. wagged wydwehode · and it wepte after And whan [he]Bx.16.80: he: Alpha is supported against beta's it by Cx, which again begins the line A, "He". See previous note. meued Matrimoigne · it made a foule noyse ÞatBx.16.81: Þat: Support from LMOGR. Cr omits, WHm have And, and F has Þan. The line is omitted in C. I had reuth whan Piers roggedBx.16.81: rogged: "tugged, shook". R (= alpha?) oddly has rused, "drove", which F alters to the equally inappropriate rusched. · it gradde so reufulliche For euere as þei dropped adown · þe deuel was redy And gadred hem alle togideres · bothe grete and smale Adam & abraham · and ysay þe prophete Sampson and samuel · and seynt Iohan þe baptiste Bar hem forth boldely · no-body hymBx.16.86: hym: GOR and original M have hem, repeated from the a-verse. The sg. is supported by Cx (RK.18.114). letted And made of holy men his horde · in lymbo inferni There is derkenesse and drede · and þe deuel Maister ¶Bx.16.89: ¶: The paraph is in beta and F. And Pieres for pure tene · þat o pileBx.16.89: o pile: Beta2 evidently had a pil as in W, misunderstood by CrHm as "apple". he lauȝte AndBx.16.90: And: LMGO and alpha, supported by Cx. Beta2 begins He. hitte after hym · happe how it myȝte Filius bi þe fader wille · and frenesse of spiritus sancti To go robbe þat raggeman · and reue þe fruit fro hym ¶ And þanne spakke spiritus sanctus · in Gabrieles mouthe To a mayde þat hiȝte Marye · a meke þinge with-alle Þat one Ihesus a iustice sone · moste iouke in her chambre Tyl plenitudo temporis · [tyme]Bx.16.96: tyme: So alpha and Cx. Beta alters to non-alliterating fully. comen were Þat Pieres fruit floured · and fel to be ripe And þanne shulde Ihesus iuste þere-fore · [&]Bx.16.98: &: With R's reading, supported by Cx, iuste þere-fore applies to both clauses: "Then Jesus would joust for it, and by judgement of arms [joust for] whether the devil or he himself should taste the fruit." Beta and F drop & which is simpler. bi iuggement of armes Whether shulde fondeBx.16.99: fonde: "test", i.e. "taste" (MED fonden 3). Established for Bx by L, original M and CR. Scribes were puzzled and altered (as M does visibly) to fonge. Cx has fecche. þe fruit · þe fende or hym-selue ¶ Þe mayde myldeliche þo · þe messager graunted And seyde hendelich to hym · lo me his hande-mayden For to worchen his wille · with-outen any synne Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi &cBx.16.103: &c: HmGF complete the quotation from Luke. Cx has just the first three words. And in þe wombe of þat wenche · was he fourty wokes Tyl he wex a faunt þorw her flessh · and of fiȝtyng couthe To haue yfouȝte with þe fende · ar ful tyme come And Pieres þe plowman · parceyued plenereBx.16.107: parceyued plenere: So beta. R (and alpha?) has parseyued þe plener; F has y parseuede in þat plener. Lines 107-17 are not in C. tyme And lered hym lechecrafte · his lyf for to saue Þat þowgh he were wounded with his enemye · to warisshe hym-self And did hym assaye his surgerye · on hem þat syke were Til he was parfit practisoure · [i]fBx.16.111: if: L's of is an obvious mistake. any peril fulleBx.16.111: fulle: The western spelling of "fell" in LHmR, and so probably in Bx. And souȝte oute þe syke · and synfulBx.16.112: synful: MOF have þe synful. bothe And salued syke and synful · bothe blynde & crokede And comune wommen conuerted · and to good torned Non est sanis opus medicusBx.16.115: medicus: The word must have been abbreviated in Bx, hence the variety of endings, including G's medicine. See next note for further uncertainties. set [male habentibus]Bx.16.115: male habentibus: Alpha's quotation is from Matt. 9.12 (see Alford (1992), 103). Beta was probably damaged, with the quotation ending in three minims (representing the first letter of male?) which LWHmCG transcribe as in. O reasonably guesses that in is for infirmis, while MCr solve the problem by dropping in. Bothe meseles & mute · and in þe menysoun blody Ofte he heled suche · he ne helde [it]Bx.16.117: it: The alpha reading. The omission in LMC suggests it was lost in beta but supplied by beta2 and GO. for no maistrye Saue þo he leched lazar [·] þat hadde yleye in graue Quatriduanus quelt · quykke did hym walke Ac as he made þ[at]Bx.16.120: þat: Alpha is supported by Cx þat miracle (RK.18.145) against beta's þe. maistrye · mestus cepit esse And wepte water with his eyghen · þere seyen it manye Some þat þe siȝte seyne · saide þat tyme Þat he was leche of lyf · and lorde of heigh heuene Iewes iangeled þere-aȝeyne · [þat]Bx.16.124: þat: R (F has þo þat) makes much better sense than beta's and. Lines 123-58 are thoroughly revised in C. iugged lawes And seide he wrouȝte þorw wicchecrafte · & with þe deueles miȝte Demonium habes &c ¶ Þanne ar ȝe cherles quod [ihesus]Bx.16.127: ihesus: Beta's obviously erroneous ich is likely to derive from the abbreviation ihc, as in R. F reads crist. · and ȝowre children bothe And sathan ȝowre saueoure · ȝow-selue now ȝe witnessen For I haue saued ȝow-selfBx.16.129: self: Beta follows this with seith cryst in order to clarify the speaker after the error in l. 127. · and ȝowre sones after Ȝowre bodyes ȝowre bestes · and blynde men holpen And fedde ȝow with fisshesBx.16.131: fisshes: Recalling Matt. 14, beta2 and F read two fisshes, and M is altered to that reading. · and with fyue loues And left baskettes ful of broke mete · bere awey who-so wolde And mysseide þe iewes manliche [·] and manaced hem to bete And knokked on hem with a corde · and caste adown her stalles Þat in cherche chaffareden · or chaungeden any moneye And seyde it in siȝte of hem alle · so þat alle herden I shal ouertourne þis temple · and adown throwe And in thre dayes after · edifye it newe And make it as moche other more · in alle manere poyntes As euere it was and as wyde · wher-fore I hote ȝow Of preyeres and of parfitnesse · þis place þat ȝe callen Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur Enuye and yuel wille · [aren]Bx.16.143: aren: The reading of the B-text seems to have been alliterating arne, "ran", south-western past tense of rennen, as in Cx (RK.18.163). R's aren, "are", reproduces the corrupt Bx, altered to was by both beta and F, realising that a past tense is called for. See KD, p. 186. in þe iewes Thei casten & contreueden · to kulle hym whan þei miȝte Vche daye after other · þeire tyme þei awaited Til it bifel on a fryday · a litel bifor Paske Þe þorsday byfore [·] þere he made his [cene]Bx.16.147: cene: So alpha, where beta has maundee. Either could be a substitution of the other, but it is more likely that to increase the alliteration of an ax/ax line beta substituted the fairly common phrase made his maundee, "celebrated the Last Supper" (MED maunde n. (2) (b)). Langland uses neither word elsewhere. Sittyng atteBx.16.148: atte: "at the"; see note to Bx.P.107. sopere · he seide þise wordes I am solde þorw [sum]Bx.16.149: sum: "a certain one"; cf. Mark 14.18: "unus ex vobis me tradet". Beta alters to the unambiguous one, losing the alliteration. of ȝow · he shal þe tyme rewe Þat euere he his saueoure solde · for syluer or elles ¶ Iudas iangeled þere-aȝein · ac Ihesus hym tolde It was hym[-self]Bx.16.152: hym-self: Perhaps the beta reading was hym as in L and original M, with other scribes making the obvious correction. sothely · and seide tu dicis Þanne went forth þat wikked man · and with þe iewes mette And tolde hem a tokne [·] how to knowe with ihesus [Þe]Bx.16.155: Þe: Beta's And is repeated from the previous line. which tokne to þis day · to moche is yvsed Þat is kissyng and faire contenaunce · & vnkynde wille And so was with iudas þo · þat Ihesus bytrayed Aue raby quod þat ribaude · and riȝt to hym he ȝede And kiste hym to be cauȝt þere-by · and kulled ofBx.16.159: of: Beta has some support from Cx which has cauȝt of (RK.18.169). Alpha reads þoruȝ. þe iewes ¶ Þanne Ihesus to Iudas · and to þe iewes seyde Falsenesse I fynde · in þi faire speche And gyle in þi gladde chere · and galle is in þi lawghyng Þow shalt be myroure to manye [·] menBx.16.163: manye · men: Only in R does the punctuation separate the adj. from the noun, though this must be right. L's omission of punctuation may indicate uncertainty. In other beta mss. it follows myroure; in F it follows merour after. to deceyue Ac þe wors and þiBx.16.164: þi: So LCrWCG. Repetition of þe as in alpha and other beta mss. is the easier error and makes rather poorer sense. In a revised line Cx has thy wyles (RK.18.174). wikkednesse · shal worth vpon þi-selue Necesse est vt veniant scandala · ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit Þow I bi tresoun be ytake · atBx.16.166: at: This, the beta reading, may refer back to ytake, "captured at your wish", or forward "freely allow my apostles". Perhaps there is elision alliteration on at ȝowre. R has and instead; F has and þorgh. Cx has and to ȝoure will, which can only refer back. ȝowre owne wille Suffreth my postlesBx.16.167: my postles: Though other mss. have myn apostles, LR are supported by the X family of C. in pays · & in peesBx.16.167: in pays & in pees: These may be variant spellings of "peace" but with different senses, as Schmidt (2008), 437, suggests. Kane (2005) derives pays from OFr pais, "country", though MED does not record it. C mss. show similar confusion. gange OnBx.16.168: On: Alpha has In. a thoresday in thesternesse · þus was he taken Þorw iudas and iewes · ihesus was his nameBx.16.169: his name: The reading of all mss. except F, which has þan taken. KD, p. 185, conjecture an original (and archetypal) reading ynome, misread as a "pointless homoeograph", but Schmidt (2008), 437, argues for "the importance of the name of Jesus", and sees F's reading as induced by taken in the previous line. C is revised in this passage. Þat on þe fryday folwynge · for mankynde sake Iusted in ierusalem · a ioye to vs alle On crosse vpon caluarye · cryst toke þe bataille Aȝeines deth and þe deuel · destruyed her botheres myȝtes Deyde and deth fordid · and daye of nyȝte made ¶ And I awaked þere-with · & wyped myne eyghenBx.16.175: Following this line F invents two lines to end its Passus 12 and another to begin Passus 13. And after piers þe plowman · pryed and stared Estwarde and westwarde · I [w]aytedBx.16.177: wayted: L alone has awayted. There is variation in the parallel line in Cx (RK.18.180). after faste And ȝede forth as an ydiote · in contre to aspye After Pieres þe plowman · many a place I souȝte And þanne mette I with a man · a mydlenten sondaye As hore as an hawethorne · and Abraham he hiȝte I frayned hym first · fram whennes he come And of whennes he were · and whider þat he þouȝte ¶ I am feith quod þat freke · it falleth nouȝte [me]Bx.16.184: me: Omitted by beta. R's order is supported by Cx. to lye And of Abrahames hous · an heraud of armes I seke after a segge · þat I seigh ones A ful bolde bacheler · I knewe hym by his blasen [¶]Bx.16.188: ¶: At this and the next line a paraph is marked by WHm and alpha to begin two speeches. L has a paraph at l. 189 only. What bereth þat buirn quod I þo · so blisse þe bityde ¶ Þre leodes in o lith · non lenger þan other Of one mochel & myȝte · in mesure and in lengthe Þat one doth alle doth · & eche doth by his one Þe firste hath miȝte and maiestee · maker of alle þinges Pater is his propre name · a persone by hym-selue Bx.16.194-6: These three lines are omitted in F by eyeskip from hym-selue to hym-selue. Þe secounde of þat sire is · sothfastnesse filius Wardeyne of þat witte hath · was euere with-oute gynnyng Þe þridde hatte þe holygoost · a persone by hym-selue Þe liȝte of alle þat lyf hathBx.16.197: hath: Alpha loses the verb and muddles the a-verse. · a londe & a watre Confortoure of creatures · of hym cometh al blisse So þre bilongeth for a lorde · þat lordeship claymeth Myȝte and aBx.16.200: a: Omitted by WHmCO, but supported by Cx (RK.18.201). mene · to knoweBx.16.200: knowe: Omitted by alpha. Cx has se. his owne myȝte Of hym[-selue]Bx.16.201: hym-selue: The alpha reading carries alliteration and is supported by Cx against beta's hym. & of his seruaunt · and what suffre[th hem]Bx.16.201: suffreth hem: Whatever the b-verse means in alpha, it is supported by Cx against þei suffre in beta. See Schmidt (2008), 437. bothe So god þat gynnyng hadde neure · but þo hym good þouȝte Sent forth his sone [·] as for seruaunt þat tyme To occupien hym here · til issue were spronge Þat is children of charite · & holicherche þe moder Patriarkes & prophetes · and aposteles were þe chyldrenBx.16.206: chyldren: Alpha's barnes is an attractive reading, and it is easy to suppose that beta is repeating children in the previous line. But Cx also reads childrene. And cryst and crystenedome · and [alle]Bx.16.207: alle: Easily lost in beta. Alpha is supported by the X family of C, though the P family supports beta. crystene holycherche In menynge þat man moste · onBx.16.208: on: Cr and Alpha read in. Lines 208-27 are not in C. o god bileue And þere hym lyked & loued · in þre persones hym shewed And þat it may be so & soth · manhode it sheweth Wedloke and widwehode · with virgynyte ynempned In toknynge of þe Trinite · was taken oute of oBx.16.212: o: "one". In LHmCOR, but dropped by MCrWG and F (which reads mankynde). CrW reverse the word-order of the b-verse. man Adam owre allerBx.16.213: aller: "of us all", of which alþer in O is another form. The variants are interesting: Hm's aldre is ambiguous, though aldre-fader suggests "ancestor" (see MED eldre and eldre-fader). This is modernised by Cr as olde father. F reads forme fader. fader · Eue was of hym-selue And þe issue þat þei hadde · it was of hem bothe And either is otheres ioye · in thre sondry persones And in heuene & here · one syngulere name And þ[u]sBx.16.217: þus: The reading of all beta mss. except L þis. But possibly L preserves the beta reading since alpha has þat. is mankynde or manhede · of matrimoigne yspronge And bitokneth þe Trinite · and trewe bileueBx.16.218: Beta4 omits the line. ¶ Miȝte is [in]Bx.16.219: in: Beta's omission leads CrW to alter the noun Miȝte to the adjective Mighty. matrimoigne · þat multiplieth þe erthe And bitokneth trewly · telle if I dorste HeBx.16.221: He: Altered to the more "correct" form in beta2 and F. þat firste fourmed al · þe fader of heuene Þe sone if I itBx.16.222: it: As in LW and alpha, but unsurprisingly lost in the others. For if I it, CGO read is if I, and alter the b-verse accordingly. durst seye · resembleth wel þe wydwe Deus meus deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me Þat is creatour wex creature · to knowe what was bothe As widwe with-oute wedloke · was neure ȝete yseye Na-more myȝte god be man · but if he moder hadde So wydwe with-oute wedloke · may nouȝte wel stande Ne matrimoigne withoute moillerye · is nouȝt moche to preyse Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel &c Þus in þre persones · is perfitliche [pure]Bx.16.230: pure: So R (=alpha?); F rewrites as þorghȝ. R has support from Cx (is puyrlich bote o mankynde, RK.18.233), and improves the alliteration. Having dropped the third stave, beta misplaces the punctus, although since alpha does so as well it is probable that the misplacement was in Bx, thus encouraging the omission of pure in beta. manhede Þat is man & his make · & moillere herBx.16.231: her: Support from Cx shows as usual that agreement of L and alpha is sufficient to establish Bx. children And is nouȝt but gendre of oBx.16.232: o: Supported by LWCR as well as sense, although lost by MCrHmGOF. generacioun · bifor Ihesu crystBx.16.232: cryst: To shorten a long line, GF drop cryst and Cr drops in heuene. in heuene So is þe fader forth with þe sone · and fre wille of bothe Spiritus procedens a patre & filio Which is þe holygoste of alle · and alle is but o god Þus in a somer I hym seigh · as I satte in my porche I ros vp and reuerenced hym · & riȝt faire hym grette Thre men to my syȝte · I made wel at ese Wesche her feet & wyped hem · and afterward þei eten Calues flesshe & cakebrede · and knewe what I thouȝte Ful trewe tokenes bitwene vs is · to telle whan me lyketh Firste he fonded me · if I loued bettere Hym or ysaak myn ayre · þe which he hiȝte me kulle He wiste my wille by hym · he wil me it allowe I am ful syker in soule þer-of · and my sone bothe I circumcised my sone · sitthen for his sake My-self and my meyne · and alle þat male were Bledden blode for þat lordes loue · and hope to blisse þe tyme Myn affiaunce & my faith · is ferme in þis bilieue For hym-self bihiȝte to me · and to myne issue bothe Londe and lordship · and lyf with-outen ende To me and to myn issue · more ȝete he me graunted Mercy for owre mysdedes · as many tyme as we asken Quam olim abrahe promisisti & semini eius And sith he sent me to seye · I sholde do sacrifise And done hym worshipe with bred · and with wyn bothe And called me þeBx.16.257: þe: Dropped by all except L, beta2 and R. fote of his faith · his folke forto saue And defende hem fro þe fende · folke þat on me lenedenBx.16.258: leneden: "leaned". Cr unambiguously has leueden, and F has beleveþ (G is altered to leved). These three scribes regularly read "leave" for lenen in the sense "grant". The others may be read as <-u-> or <-n->, but "leaned" is fitting where Abraham is þe fote. See Schmidt (1995), 400. Þus haue I ben his heraude · here and in helleBx.16.259: F omits the next two lines. And conforted many a careful · þat after his comynge wayten And þus I seke hym he seide · for I [herde]Bx.16.261: herde: L omits; the corrector notes the omission. seyne late Of a b[ui]rnBx.16.262: buirn: So alpha for beta's inappropriate barne. þat baptised hym · Iohan Baptiste was his name Þat to patriarkes and toBx.16.263: to (2): Lost in beta4 and F. prophetes · and toBx.16.263: to (3): Lost in beta4. other peple in derknesse Seyde þat he seighBx.16.264: seigh: Beta is supported by Cx (and sense) against alpha's seyde. here · þat sholde saue vsBx.16.264: sholde saue vs: Beta is supported by Cx against alpha's schal sauen hem. alle Ecce agnus dei &c · ¶ I hadde wonder of his wordes · and of his wyde clothes ForBx.16.267: For: Beta is supported by Cx (RK.18.270) against alpha's And. in his bosome he bar a thyng · [and]Bx.16.267: and: Alpha is supported by Cx against beta's omission. þat he blissed euere And I loked onBx.16.268: on: Support from LMCGOR confirms this as the Bx reading, even though beta2 and F have in, as in Cx. his lappe · a lazar lay þere-Inne Amonges patriarkes and profetes · pleyandeBx.16.269: pleyande: The present participle ending varies suggestively. Alpha, and perhaps Bx, may have had -ende, as in F, miscopied by R as -ede. LALME records this in Gloucs as well as East Anglia. HmG have -eng(e), which is scattered but mainly south eastern. L's -ande, though often regarded as northern, is also found in London. See LALME, dot maps 345-8, and vol. 4, 105-7. togyderes [¶]Bx.16.270: ¶: The paraph marking direct speech is supported by WHmC and alpha. What awaytestow quod he · and what woldestow haue [¶]Bx.16.271: ¶: The paraph marking the change of speaker is supported by WC and alpha. I wolde wyte quod I þo [·] what is in ȝowre lappe ¶ Loo quod he and lete me se · lorde mercy I seide Þis is [a]Bx.16.273: a: Omitted in L. present of moche prys · what Prynce shal it haue [¶]Bx.16.274: ¶: The paraph marking the change of speaker is supported by WHmC and alpha. It is a preciouse present quod he · ac þe pouke it hath attached And me þere-[with]Bx.16.275: with: So alpha and Cx, and needed for the alliteration. Beta presumably had myde, altered as elsewhere to the commoner wyþ in HmCG (see Bx.6.69 and 15.324). quod þat [wy]Bx.16.275: wy: So alpha and Cx, and needed for the alliteration. Beta alters to man. · may no wedde vs quite Ne no buyrn be owre borwgh · ne bryng vs fram his daungere Bx.16.277: The line is omitted by alpha. It is in Cx. Oute of þe poukes pondfoldeBx.16.277: pondfolde: The form as in LWC is influenced by MED pound(e n. (2). · no meynprise may vs fecche Tyl he come þat I carpe of · cryst is his name Þat shal delyure vs some daye · out of þe deueles powere And bettere wedde for vs legge · þan we ben alle worthy Þat is lyf for lyf · or ligge þus euere Lollynge in my lappe · tyl such a lorde vs fecche Bx.16.283-6: These four lines are only in beta; alpha has three quite different lines, though beginning Allas, suggesting eyeskip following the word. Beta is supported throughout by Cx. KD explain it as "homoeoarchy" (Allas I ... I) with the spurious lines added to bridge the gap in sense (p. 68). ¶ Allas I seyde þat synne · so longe shal lette Þe myȝte of goddes mercy · þat myȝt vs alle amende I wepte for his wordes · with þat sawe I an other Rapelich renne forth · þe riȝte waye he went I affraynedBx.16.287: affrayned: The form is supported for Bx by LWCR. hym fyrste · fram whennes he come [W]hatBx.16.288: What: Beta begins the line And what. Alpha is supported by Cx, though notice that there the previous line begins And. he hiȝte & whider he wolde · and wightlich he tolde