The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 1: Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MS 201 (F) – Passus 13William LanglandEdited by Robert Adams, Hoyt N. Duggan, Eric Eliason, Ralph Hanna, John Price-Wilkin, and Thorlac Turville-Petre Associate Editors: M. Gail Duggan and Catherine A. Farley Graduate Research Assistants William O. Albertini, Patricia Bart, Michael Blum, Cristina Maria Cervone, John H. Chaffin, Nancy L. Renwick Clendenon, Christopher J. Copeland, David Cox, Stephen C. Martin, Stephen J. Ramsay, and Dominique Woodall. Computer Consultants and Programmers Oludotun Akinola, Robert W. Bingler, David Cosca, Karen Dietz, Susan Gants, Nigel Kerr, Susan Munson, Daniel Pitti, David Seaman, Thornton Staples, John Unsworth, and Peter Yadlowsky.Medieval Academy of America Cambridge, MA ISBN: 0-472-002???

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copyright 2002, by SEENET

2002

SEENET A.1

Oxford, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, MS 201

 late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Oxford, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, MS 201

Attribute Values brown ink anglicana bastarda italic Lombard Cap ornamented capital, N lines high rubricated touched in red textura underlined underlined in red green ink blue ink

LatinFrenchGermanpoetry masculine 199901 cataloger Jackie Shieh New header created Incipit Passus .xiijus. ANdF.13.1: The initial is blue, flourished with green and red and with red flourishes extending halfway up the left margin. whan y hadde longe leyn / y lawhte to me herte.& after Pers plowhman / y pryȝede & starede.Estwarde & westward / y waytid hym ful faste.& ȝeede as an ydeoot / in cuntrees to a-spye.After peers plowman / fele places y sowhte.& þanne mette y with a man / on mydlentene sundayAs hoor as an hawe-þorn / Abraham he hyghte.I freyned hym first / from whens þat he come.& of whens he were / & whidir þat he þowhte. I am feythȝ quod þat freeke / it falleþ meF.13.10: Alpha and most C manuscripts have me, though R and C have it after nowht. Beta lacks it. nowht to lyȝe.& of Abraham-is hows / an heroud of Armes.I seeke after a segge / y sey hym but oones.A ful boold Bacheleer / y knew hym by his blasen. What beryþ þat burne . quod y þo / so blysse þe by-tyde. Thre Leedys in oon lyȝþ / non lengere þan oþir.Of oon mychele & of oon myght / in lengthe & mesure.& þat .o. dooþ / alle doon / & ech doþ by hym-selue.Þe firste haþ myght in mageste / makere of alle þyngys.Pater is his propre name / on persone by hym-selue.F.13.19: The syntactic confusion apparent here is caused by F's omission through eye-skip of three lines after line 19. Bx reads as follows: The secounde of þat sire is Sothfastnesse filius Wardeyn of þat wit haþ was euere wiþout gynnyng The þridde highte þe holi goost a persone by hymselue.Þat al þe lyght & þe lyf / on londe & on watre.F.13.20: The syntactic confusion here began in alpha. Beta witnesses read "The light of al þat lif haþ a londe and a watre." R also omits the verb, reading "Þat alle þe liȝt of þe lif ...."He is confortour of creaturis / of hym comeþ alle blysse.So þre bylongen for Lord[a] Lord / þat lordchepe cleymeþ.Myght & eek a meyneF.13.23: The scribe first wrote meene and overwrote the second <e> with <y>. / to his myght owiþ.F.13.23: Bx reads "to knowe his owene myȝte," spoiling the alliterative pattern. F's attempt to repair the damage changes the sense.Of hym-selue & his seruaunt / & sumwhat suffreþ hem boþe. So god þat gynnynge hadde neuere / but þo hym good þowhte.He sente forþ his sone / as for his seruaunt þat tyme.To ocupien hym heere / tyty[l] issue where y-sprunge.Þat is childur of charite / & holy chirche þe Moodir.F.13.28: The scribe initially wrote a lower case <m> and added a flourish to capitalize it.& patriarchis & prophetis / & a-poostlys were þo barnes.F.13.29: An alpha lection. Beta manuscripts read children.& cristys cristendom / & alleF.13.30: Alpha has alle, which is absent in beta. The same variants appear in C manuscripts. cristene holy chirche.In menynge þat a man muste / inF.13.31: Alpha and Cr have in. Beta manuscripts have on. oo god be-leve.& þere hym lykede & lovede / in þre persones . he hym schewede.& þat it may be so & soþ / manhod it scheweþ.As wedloke / & whedewehod / & virgynete first nempned.In toknyng of þe trinyte / was take out . of mankynde.Adam was oure forme fader / & Eve was of hym-selue.& þe issew þat þey hadde / yt was of hem boþe.& eyþir is / oþeris Ioye / in þre sundry persones.& in hevene . & heere / oo synguler name.ÞatF.13.40: F's reading is unique. Alpha is responsible for Þat. Beta manuscripts have And þus is. R reads And þat is. mankynde / or manhod / of manhodF.13.40: F's error for matrimoyne is consistent with either a semi-conscious scribal change or the F redactor's conscious meddling. y-sprunge.& it be-tookneþ þe trinyte / þat trewe is to oure beleue. Myght is . in Matrimonye / þat multyplyeþ on erthe.& it be-tookneþ trewly / telle ȝow . if y durste.Hym þat first alle formede / þe fadir of hevene.& þe sone if y durste it say / ensample to wydewe.Deus meus . deus meus . vt quid dereliquisti me. Þat hisisF.13.47: In view of the evidence for loss of word-initial aspirate /h/ in the scribe's dialect, his may represent an inverse spelling for is rather than scribal error or sophistication. creator was creature / to knowe what was boþe.As wydewe withoutyn wedloke / was neuere ȝitF.13.48: An otiose curl appears over <t>. y-seyȝne.No moore myghte god be man / but if he moodir hadde.Ne widewe with-outyn wedloke / may not wel stande.Ne matrimonye with-outyn moylere / ys not myche to preyse.Maledictus homo qui non reliquidreliqui[t] semen in israhel. Þus been þre persones oon / parfyȝtly þorghȝ manhode.F.13.53: F's reading is unique, and Bx is corrupt. Beta manuscripts read: "Thus in þre persones is parfitliche manhede." R has "Þus in thre persons is perfitliche puir manhode."Þat is man & his make / & moyllere hereF.13.54: Alpha and L have here, lacking in beta manuscripts. childryn.& is not but gendre for generacioun / by-fore Iesu in heuene.Ryght so is þe fadir with þe sone / & fre wille of boþe.Spiritus procedens a patre & filio.Wiche is þe holy goost alle[of] alle / & al is god oone./ [¶] Þus in a somer y hym seyȝ / as y sat in myn porche.I roos vp / & reuerrencid hym / & ryght faire grette.Þre men to myn syghte / y made weel a teeseat eese.& weschȝ here feet & wipid hem / & afterwarde þey eetyn.Calues fleschȝ & kake bred / þey knewen what y þowhte.Ful trewe toknes be-twene vs ys / to tellyn whan me lykeþ. First he fondid me / yf y lovede bettre.Hym or ysaak myn eyȝr / þe wiche he hyght me kylle.He wiste my wille by hym / he wil me it a-lowhe.I am ful sekir my sowle is þere / & myn sones boþe.F.13.68: F has significantly revised this line. Bx reads as follows: "I am ful siker in soule þerof and my sone boþe."I circumsysed my soone / sytthen for his sake.My-selue & myn meyghne / & alle þat malis weren.Bleddyn blood for þat lordis love / in hope blysse to wynne.F.13.71: F's b-verse is unique. Bx reads "and hope to blisse þe tyme."Myn affiaunce & myn feyþ / is ferme in myn beleve.For hym-seluyn be-hyȝte me / & to myn yssew boþe.Be þe lond / & lordchepe / & lyf with-outyn ende.& to me & to myn ysseue / ȝitF.13.75: The <ȝ> is larger than usual and perhaps should have been rendered as <Ȝ>. moore he me grauntyd.Mercy for oure mysdede / as many tyme as we aske.Quam olim habrahe promisisti / & semini eius.& sytthen he sente me to seyȝe / y sholde don sacrifise.& doon hym worchepe with breed / & with wyȝn boþe.& he callid me foot of his feyþ / his folk for to save.& defendid hem fram þe feend / þe folk on me beleveþ.Þus haue y been his herawd / heere & eek in helleF.13.82: F omits two lines, creating syntactic confusion. The missing verses in Bx read: And conforted many a careful þat after his comynge waiten And þus I seke hym he seide for I herde seyn late.Of a burne þat baptised hym / Iohan babtist was his name.Þat to patriarkis & prophetis / & to oþir peple in derknesse.Seyden as y seide eer / þat he schal have hem alle.F.13.85: F's reading is unique. Beta reads "Seide þat he seiȝ here þat sholde saue vs alle." Alpha is responsible for substituting seide for seiȝ and hem for vs.Ecce agnus dei . ecce qui tollit peccata mundi.F.13.86: F and Hm alone complete the Latin quotation. Bx ends at dei &c. Þan hadde y wondir of hise woordis / & of hise wyde cloþis.&F.13.88: Alpha is responsible for &. Beta manuscripts and C have For. in his bosum he bar a þyng / &F.13.88: Alpha, along with most C manuscripts, has &. Beta lacks it. þat he blesside euere.& y lokede in his lappe / a lazar lay þan þere-Inne.A-mongis patriarkis & prophetis / pleyende to-gydres. What a-waytist þou quod he  & what woldist þou have. I wolde wete quod y þo  what is in ȝoure lappe. Loo  quod he  & leet me see / þan Lord mercy y seide.Is þis a present of mychil priȝs / what prince shal it have. It is a precious present quod he  but þe powke haþ it tachid.& me þerwith quod þat wyȝe / may no wed vs qwyten.Ne no barn be oure borghȝ / ne bryng vs fram his danger.F.13.97: Alpha omitted the following line attested by beta manuscripts: "Out of þe poukes pondfold no maynprise may vs fecche."Tyl he come / þat y carped of / cryst ys his name.Þat shal delyuere vs sumday / owt of þe deuelys power.& a bettre wed for vs legge / þan we ben alle worthy.Þat is lyf / for lyf / er lyggen shulle we þus evere.& þus shal y[he] lolle in my lappe / tyl swich a lord vs fecche. Allas þowhte y þoo / þat is / a long a-bydynge These three lines are from alpha. They are properly judged by Kane and Donaldson as well as by Schmidt to be spurious, probably motivated by censorship of material deemed to be theologically dangerous. Beta manuscripts read: Allas I seide þat synne so longe shal lette The myght of goddes mercy þat myȝte vs alle amende I wepte for hise wordes wiþ þat sauȝ I anoþer Rapeliche renne forþ þe riȝte wey he wente. The last line was omitted by alpha. The reading of alpha is not entirely clear, since F differs significantly from R which reads as follows: Allas thouȝte I þo þat is a longe a-bydynge. And sued hym for he softe ȝede. Þat he toek vs as tit ac trewly to telle. & oon on foote sewede hym / for he softely wente.& he be-took hym þe targe as tyȝt / trewly to me it telle. Þan y freyned hym first / from whens þat he come.What he hyȝte / & whidir he wolde / & whyȝtly he tolde.I am Spes a spie quod he  & spere after þat knyght kowþe.Me was taken a mawndement / vpon þe mount of synay.To rewle alle rewmes þerwith / y bere þe rolle heere. Is it a-selyd seyde y / may men seen þe lettre. Nay he seide y seke hym / þat haþ þe seel to keepe.& þat is þe cros & cristendom / & cryst þer-on to hange.& whan it ys / a-selyd soo / sathenas haþ lost his power. These lines differ greatly between alpha and beta witnesses as well as within alpha. Beta manuscripts read: And whan it is enseled so I woot wel þe soþe That Luciferis lordshipe laste shal no lenger. R supplies the b-verse "sathanas power schal last no lenger" for the first line, but has a hypometrical following line: "And þus my lettre meneth." W. W. Skeat, The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, in Three Parallel Texts (Oxford: Clarendon, 1886): 2.416, proposed that FR's exemplar must have read: And when it is aseled so Sathanas power Schal last no lenger and þus my letter meneth. & þus myn lettre meneþ / men mowe knowe ytF.13.115: The scribe wrote an otiose mark above the <y>. alle. Let see þat lettreF.13.116: Alpha is responsible for "þat lettre." Beta and C manuscripts have "þi lettres." quod y  we myghte þe lawes knowe. & he plukkede forþ a patente / a pece of an hard rooche.Were-oon was wryten two wordis / on þis wyse vnglosid[y]glosid.Dilige deum / et proximum tuum. Þis was þe tixt trewly / y took þer-to good keepe.F.13.120: F's b-verse is unique. Beta manuscripts have "I took ful good yeme." R reads "gome" for beta's "yeme."& þe glose was gloriously wrete / with a gylt penneIn hijs duobus mandatis . tota lex pendet & prophete. Is heere al þyn lordis lawe quod y  ȝee  leve me he seyde.& who þat wirchiþ after þys wryt / y wille vndir-taken.Shal neuere doF.13.125: The scribe (though it is possibly some later revisor) may perhaps here be seen revising the exemplar. The characters <uyl> are erased after initial <de>. The <e> was converted to <o> by scraping. Other B witnesses read "Shal neuere deuel hym dere ne deeþ in soule greue." hym dere / ne deuel his soule greve.For þeyȝ y sey it myn-selue / I have saved with þis charme.Of men & of wommen / manye skore þowsendis.He seyþ soþ seyde þe heroud / y have fownde it ofte.Loo heere in my lappe / þat belevedyn on þat charmeBoþe Iosue & Iudith / & Iudas Machabeus.& sixty þowsande by-syde / þat been not seyn heere. Ȝoure wordis are wondirful quod y  wich of ȝow is trewest.& leelest to be-leve on / to þe lyf / or to sowle.Abraham seyþ þat he seyȝ / holly þe trynnyte.Þre persones in parselys / departable fram oþer.& alle þre but oon / þus Abraham me tawhte.& þey been savid þat byleve soo / & sory for here synnys.He cancan [not] seyȝ þe summe / & summe been in his lappe.What neediþ it þanne / a newe lawe to brynge.Sytthe þat þe firste ys sufficiaunt / to save vs to blysse. & þan comeþ spees & spekiþ / þat haþ a-spied þe lawe.& tellyþ nowht of þe trinnyte / þat took hym his lettris.To be-leven & lovyen / in oon godF.13.143: F's reading is unique. Bx reads lord. almyghty.& sytthe ryght as my-selue / so to loven al þe peple.F.13.144: Alpha omits eleven lines. Beta witnesses read: The gome þat gooþ wiþ o staf he semeþ in gretter heele Than he þat gooþ wiþ two staues to sighte of vs alle And riȝt so bi þe roode Reson me sheweþ It is lighter to lewed men o lesson to knowe Than for to techen hem two and to hard to lerne þe leeste It is ful hard for any man on Abraham bileue And wel awey worse ȝit for to loue a sherewe It is lighter to leeue in þre louely persones Than for to louye and lene as wel lorels as lele Go þi gate quod I to Spes so me god helpe Tho þat lernen þi lawe wol litel while vsen it. & as we wentyn in þe weyȝe / þus wordynge to-gydre.Þan sey we a samaritan / syttende on a Mule.& Rydende ful rapely / þe ryght weyȝ we ȝeedyn.Comynge fram a cuntre / þat men callyn Ierycho.To a Iustis in Ierusalem / he chased awey faste.Boþe þe heroud / & spesF.13.150: F alone translates the correctly alliterating hope into Latin. / & me / he mette a toonesat oonesWhere þat a man was wowndid / & with þevis takyn.He myghte neyþir steppen ne stonden / ne stere foot ne hondeNe helpen hym-selue soþly / for semyvif he semede.& as nakyd as þe nedle / & noon helpe a-bowten.F.13.154: Alpha is responsible for the omission of hym following abouten. F's form with final <n> is unique, providing a final unstressed syllable for the b-verse. Feyȝþ hadde first syghte onF.13.155: Alpha is responsible for on. Beta manuscripts have of. hym / but he fleyȝ a-syȝde.& wolde not neyȝhe hym neer / be nyghne londis lengþe. Hope cam hippynge after / þat hadde so y-boosted.How he with Moyses maundement / hadde men y-holpe /But whan he hadde syght of þat segge / on syde he gan hym drawe.Dredfully by þis day / as a doke doþ fram þeF.13.160: The scribe initially wrote pe and corrected the <p> to <þ>. fawcoun. But so sone as þe samaritan / hadde syght of þat leede.He lyghte doun of Lyard / & ladde hym in his handis.F.13.162: Alpha is responsible for plural handis. Beta manuscripts have the singular, and the same variations appear in C.& to þe weyȝ he wente / hise wounndis to be-holde.& he parceyvede be his powse / he was in pereyl to dyȝe.& but he hadde þe rathere recure / ryse scholde he neuere.He breyded to hise botelisF.13.166: The scribe first wrote botetis and then overwrote the <t> with an <l>. / & boþe he hem tamede.F.13.166: This line is attested in alpha only.With wyȝn & with oyle / hise wowndis he waschede.& Enbawmed hym / & bond his heed / & in his lappe hym leyde.& ladde hym so forþ on liard / to lex CristiF.13.169: Cristi is written over an erasure. a grawnge.Weel sixe myle or sevene / by-syden NeweF.13.170: F uniquely omits þe before Newe. merket.& herberwid hym at an hosterie / &F.13.171: Alpha lacks beta's to after &. þe osteler callede.& seyde / have kepe þou þis man / tyl y come fram Iustis.& loo heere is syluer he seyde / for salue / to hise wowndis.& he took hym two pens / forF.13.174: An otiose curl is written above the <r>. liflode as it wore.F.13.174: H. R. L. Beadle, "The Medieval Drama of East Anglia: Studies in Dialect, Documentary Records and Stagecraft," unpub. D. Phil. thesis, University of York, 1977, p. 69, lists wore for "were" as a feature of Norfolk dialects. See also E. Björkmann, Scandinavian Loan Words in Middle English, Studien zur englischen Philologie, 7, 11 (1900-1902), p. 85; and G. Försstrom, The Verb "To Be" in Middle English: A Survey of the Forms, Lund Studies in English, 15 (Lund: C.W.K. Glerrup, 1948), pp. 119-20.& seyde what he spendid more / y make þe good here-after.I may no lengere lettyn quod þat leede / & lyard he be-stridiþ.& rapeþ hym to Ierusalem-ward / þe ryght weyȝ to ryde. Þan fayth folwed hym faste / & fondid hym to meete.& Spes sparklyF.13.179: This unusual form appears also in R, probably reflecting sprakliche in alpha. Compare 14.12 for similar variants. Beta witnesses read spakliche. hym spedde / speden if he myghte.To ouer-take hym / & talke to hym / er he to towne come& whan y sey þis y soiorned not / but schoop me to renne& sewede þe samaritan / þat was so ful of pyte.& he grauntyd me / y to be his goome / graunt mercy y seide.F.13.183: F, perhaps not recognizing "promised" as the sense of grauntyd, has revised the line substantially. Bx reads "And graunted hym to ben his gome [(alpha) or groom (beta)] graunt mercy he seide."& þyn frend & þy felowe quod he / þou fyȝndist me at neede.& þanne y þankyd hym þo / & sytthyn þus y hym toolde. How þat feyþ fley a-wey / & spes his felawe boþe.For syghte of þe sorwful man / þat robbed was with þevis. Have hem excused quod he / here helpe may lytil a-vayle.Þere may no medycyn vndir moolde / þat man to helthe brynge.Neyþir feythȝ ne fyȝn hope / so feestrid ben hise wowndis.With-owtyn þe blood of a barn / þat shal be born of a mayde.& beenF.13.192: Alpha omits beta's he. bathed in his blood / baptyzed as he were.& make a plastre with penaunce / with þeF.13.193: F's with þe is unique. Bx reads and. Alpha is responsible for adding unmetrical þe. passioun of þat babe.& þan shal he stonde & steppen / but stalworthe worþ he neuere.Tyl he haþ etyn al þe barn / & his blood y-drunke.For wente neuere weyȝ in þis world / þorghȝ þat wyȝldernesse.Þat he was[ne] was robbed & ryfled / rood he eyþir or ȝeede.Save feyþ & his felawe / Spes & myn-selue.& þy-selue nowthe / & swiche as sewe oure werkys. For an owtlawe isF.13.200: Alpha is responsible for "owtlawe is." Most beta manuscripts have the plural. R lacks "an" before "owtlawe," but curiously Cr2,3 share that reading with F. in þe wode / & vndir balkis lotyeþ.& he may euery man se / & goode marke takeþ.F.13.201: Alpha is responsible for the finite form takeþ. All beta witnesses have the infinitive take.Who is by-hyȝnde / & by-fore / & who is on horse.For he halt hym hardiere on horse / þan he þat is on foote.For he seyþ me samaritan / þat feyþ & his felawe sewen.F.13.204: F's reading is unique. Bx reads "For he seigh me þat am Samaritan suwen Feiþ & his felawe."Oon  my capel þat hette caro / of mankyȝnde y it tooke.He was but an harlotF.13.206: F's a-verse is unique, and error in R suggests that alpha's reading had been botched. R reads "he was vn-harlot." Beta manuscripts have "He was vnhardy þat harlot." / & hedde hym In inferno.But er þisþis [day] þre dayes / y dar vndyr-takeÞat he worthȝ fetrid þat feloun / faste with stronge cheynes.& neuere eft greve goome / þat goþ þis ilke gate.O mors ero mors tua morsus tuus eie[ro] i[nferne]F.13.210: The scribe appears to have mistaken the abbreviation e. i. for the pronoun.F.13.210: The line appears only in alpha, and F alone continues the quotation with "morsus tuus ero inferne." Alford, Piers Plowman: A Guide to the Quotations, notes that this O antiphon is "sung during Holy Week (e.g. Brev. 1:dcclxxxii, dccci), based on Osee 13:14 (Cf. 1 Cor. 15:55)" (107). Alpha omitted a dozen lines attested in beta witnesses between F13.210 and 211. Beta family manuscripts read: And þanne shal Feiþ be forster here and in þis Fryth walke And kennen outcomen men þat knowen noȝt þe contree Which is þe wey þat I wente and wher forþ to Ierusalem And Hope þe Hostilers man shal be þer þe man lith anhelyng And alle þat feble and feynte be þat Feiþ may noȝt teche Hope shal lede hem forþ with loue as his lettre telleþ And hostele hem and heele þoruȝ holy chirche bileue Til I haue salue for alle sike and þanne shal I returne And come ayein bi þis contree and conforte alle sike That craueþ it or coueiteþ it and crieþ þerafter For þe barn was born in Bethleem þat with his blood shal saue Alle þat lyuen in Feiþ and folwen his felawes techynge. A sweete sire seyde y þo / wheyþir of ȝow shal y leve.For feythȝ & his felawe / enformed me boþe.Of þre persones departable / & perpetuel ben euere.& alle þre but .oo. god / & alle goomes after.F.13.214: F omits a b-verse, a full line, and an a-verse. Bx reads as follows: . . . þus Abraham me tauȝte And Hope afterward he bad me to louye O god wiþ al my good . . . .Love hem lyȝk my-selue / but oure lord a-bove alle. After Abraham seideF.13.216: Seide is supplied above the line by the original scribe as a correction. However, the "correction" makes little sense in context. The scribe nowhere else shows dissatisfaction with quod. Cf. F14.167, where he substitutes quod in place of correctly alliterating seide. quod he / þat heraude of armes.He setttesette faste þy fayþ / & feerme þy be-leve.& as hope by-hyȝteF.13.218: Alpha reads by-hyȝte for beta's highte. þe / y hote þe . þat þou lovie.Þynn euyncristene euere-more / even-forþ with þy-selue.& if conscience carpe þere a-geyn / er kynde wit eyþir.Or eretykis with argumentis / þyn hand þou hem schewe.For god is after an hand / þou here it now / & knowe it.Þe fadir was first . as a fyst / with oo fynger folden.Tyl he lyþedF.13.224: F alone reads he lyþed, "relaxed, relented." Beta manuscripts read hym louede, except for Hm, which agrees with Cx in reading lykede. R reads leued. & luste / to vnloose his fynger.& profered it forþ with þe pawme / to what place it sholde.Þe Pawme is ofF.13.226: F uniquely reads of. Bx reads purely. þe hand / & profereþ forþ þe fyngris.To mynistre & to make / þat myght of man knoweth.It be-tokneþ trewly / to tellen who-so lykeþ.Þe holy goost of heuene / he is lykned þe pawme.& þe fyngris þat free been / to folde & to serue.By-tokneþ soþly þe sone / þat sent was to erthe.& þorghȝ towchyng & tastyng / &F.13.232: Alpha is responsible for &. Beta and C manuscripts have at. F's a-verse reading is unique, almost certainly reflecting F-Redactor's attempt to make sense of the <&> he found in his exemplar. He changes the verbs of Bx into gerunds. techynge of þe pawme.Seynte Marie þat mayde / mankende sche lawhte.Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto Þe fadir ys / as a fist / with fynger to towche.Quia omnia traham ad meipsumme ipsum.&F.13.237: F uniquely reads &, confusing the sense and syntax. Other B manuscripts omit it. al þat pawme parceyueþ / profitable to feele.& þus are þey alle but oon / as it a fystF.13.238: The substitution of a fyst for an hand occurred in alpha. were.& þre sundry syghtys / in oon shewynge.Þe pawme for it pit forþ / fyngris & fyst boþe. Ryght so redely / good resoun it schewiþ.How heF.13.242: The scribe perhaps intended to place a punctus between he and þat. þat is holy goost / sire / & sone . y-preve& as þe hand halt harde / alle þyngis & faste.Þorghȝ foure fyngris & a þumbe / forþ with þe pawme. Ryght so þe fadir & sone / & seynt spiryȝt þe þrydde.Holden al þe wyȝde world / withF.13.246: Alpha reads with for beta's wiþInne. hem þre to-gydres.Boþe þe walkene & þe wyȝnd / þe water & þe ertheHevene & helleF.13.248: An otiose curl appears over the <h>. / & alF.13.248: An otiose curl appears after the <l>. þat þere ys Inne.F.13.248: Alpha and L read "þere ys Inne." Beta manuscripts have "is þerInne" or "therin is."Þus it neediþ euery man / to trowen on non oþir.F.13.249: Alpha has confused the sense. Beta witnesses read "Thus it is nedeþ no man trowe noon ooþer." Þat þre þynges longen to / in[ / in] oure lord of heuene.& are sunderlepis by hem-selue / & a-sundre werenF.13.251: Alpha and L omit beta's þei before neuere. neuere.No moore þan may an handF.13.252: Beta's a-verse reads "Na moore þan myn hand may." / meve / with-owtyn fryngrisfyngris.& as my fyst is ful hond / & y-folde to-gydres.So is þe fadir a ful god / foormere & scheppere.Tu fabricator omnium.& alle þe myght myd hym ys / in makynge of þyngys. Þe fyngris foormen a ful hond / to portreye or to peynte.To keruynge orF.13.258: Alpha reads or. Beta manuscripts have and. cumpassynge / þat is craft of þe fyngris.Ryght so is þe sone / þe science of þe fadir.& he ful god as is þe fadir / no feblere ne no bettre.Þe pawme is pur-lych þe hand / but he[haþ] power by hym-selue.Oþir-wise þat wrytyngeþa[n þe] wry[þyn] fust / or werkmanchippe of þe fyngris.For þe pawme haþ powher / to pittyn owt þe Ioyntys.& to vnfelde þe fust / for it . to hym longeþ Beta omitted a b-verse, a full line, and an a-verse because of eye-skip on fust.& to receyve þat þe fyngris reche / & to refuse boþe.Whan he felyþ þe fust / &F.13.266: Alpha reads & for beta's at. þe fyngris wille.So is þe holy goost god / neyþir grettere ne lasse.Þan is þe syre . or þe sone / & of þe same strengþe.& alle þey are but oon god / as is hond & fyngris.Vn-folden or folden / my fust er my pawme /Al ys it / but an hand / how so y turne it.But who is hurt in þe hond / evene in þe myddis.He may receyve ryght nowht / of þat he reche myghte.F.13.273: F omits by eye-skip on receyve ryght nowht the following lines from Bx: ... reson it sheweþ For þe fyngres þat folde sholde and þe fust make For peyne of þe pawme power hem failleþ To clucche or to clawe to clippe or to holde Were þe myddel of myn hand ymaymed or yperissed I sholde receyue riȝt noȝt .... As a result of the eyeskip, F changed Bx's I to he in the b-verse.But þey myn þumbe . & myn fyngris boþe weren to-swolle.& þe myddis of myn hond / were / with-owtyn male-eese.Ȝit in manye-skens manerys / y myghte my-selue helpe.Boþe meeve / me in manere / þey alle myn fyngris oken.By þis skyle he seyde / þouF.13.278: F's þou is unique. Other B manuscripts have I. see an evydense.Þat who-so synneþ in þe holy spiryȝt / asoyled worþ he neuere.Neyþir heere / ne ellis-where / as y have herd telleF.13.280: F omits the following line from Bx: "Qui peccat in spiritu sancto &c."For he prikkiþ god in þe pawme / þat peccat in spiritu sancto.For god þe fader is a fust / þe sone is a fynger.Þe holy goost of hevene / is as he were þe pawme.So who þat synneþ a-geynF.13.284: Alpha's a-geyn agrees with the majority of C manuscripts. Beta has in. þe holyF.13.284: F uniquely reads holy. Other B manuscripts have Seint. spirit / it semeseme[þ] þat he greuyþ.His hond þat he grypeþ with / & his owene grace he qwenchiþ.F.13.285: F's line is uniquely. Bx reads as follows: "God þat he grypeþ wiþ and wolde his grace quenche." For to a to ato a toorche / or to a taper þe trinnyte ys lykned.& þat is but weex & weke / wroght boþe to-gydre.& a fayr fyȝr flawmeþ / forthȝ of hem boþe.& as weex & weke / & warm feer is to-gydres.F.13.289: Alpha preserves original warm against the beta family's hoot. The interlinear insertion of is represents a scribal attempt to smooth the syntax, for it appears in no other manuscripts.Fostren forþ a flawme / & a fayȝr leyȝe.So dooþ þe sire & þe sone / & sancti sanct[us] spiritus also.Fostren foorþ a-mong folk / boþe love / & byleve.Þat al cristene kynde / it clenseþ of synnes.& as þou seest sum-tyme / sodeynly a torche.Þe blase þerof y-blowe owt / & ȝit brenneþ þe weke.Withowtyn leyȝe or lyght /. euere þe macche brenneþ.So is þe holy goost god / & grace / with greet mercyF.13.297: F has misunderstood the line, revising it from Bx's "So is þe holy goost god and grace wiþoute mercy." He does the same again in 13.304. See also a similar revision at 15.78.To alle vnkende creaturis / þat coueyte to distroye.Leel love to þe lyf / þat oure lord schapede.F.13.299: Alpha omits the following twenty-seven lines attested by beta witnesses: And as glowynge gledes gladeþ noȝt þise werkmen That werchen and waken in wyntres nyȝtes As dooþ a kex or a candle þat caught haþ fir and blaseþ Na moore dooþ sire ne sone ne seint spirit togidres Graunte no grace ne forgifnesse of synnes Til þe holy goost gynne to glowe and to blase So þat þe holy goost gloweþ but as a glede Til þat lele loue ligge on hym and blowe And þanne flawmeþ he as fir on fader and on filius And melteþ hire myȝt into mercy as men may se in wyntre Ysekeles in euesynges (or eueses) þoruȝ hete of þe sonne Melteth in a Mynut while to myst and to watre So grace of þe holy goost þe grete myȝt of þe Trinite Melteþ to mercy to merciable and to noon oþere And as wex wiþouten moore on a warm glede Wol brennen and blasen be þei togideres And solacen hem þat mowe se þat sitten in derknesse So wol þe fader forȝyue folk of mylde hertes That rufully repenten and restitucion make In as muche as þei mowen amenden and paien And if it suffise noȝt for assetz þat in swich a wille deyeþ Mercy for his mekenesse wol make good þe remenaunt And as þe weke and fir wol make a warm flaumbe For to murþe men wiþ þat in merke sitten So wole crist of his curteisie and men crye hym mercy Boþe forȝyue and foryete and ȝit bidde for vs To þe fader of heuene forȝifnesse to haue. But hewe þou feyȝr on a flynt / foure hundred wynter.But þou have taccheF.13.301: Alpha and C read tacche. Beta manuscripts have tow. to take it / with tndirt[i]ndir or brochis.Al þyn labour is loost / & al þyn longe trauayle.For maymay [no] feyr flawme make / fayle it his kynde.So is þe holy goost god / & grace with gret mercy.F.13.304: F has again misunderstood the sense as he did in 13.297. Bx reads "So is þe holi goost god and grace wiþouten mercy."To alle vnkyȝnde creatures / crist hym-selue witnessiþ.Amen dico vobis nescio vos . Vigilate itaque quia nescitis diem neque horam.F.13.306: The text of Bx ends with vos &c. Be vnkyȝnde to þyn euyncristene / & al þat þou canst biddenEr deele / or do penance / day or nyght euere.Er purchase al þe pardoun / of þe pope of rome.& IndulgesIndulge[nc]es y-nowe / & be Ingrate to þyn kynne.F.13.310: Alpha is responsible for the b-verse. Beta and some C manucripts have "and be ingratus to þi kynde."Þe holy goost heeriþ þe nowht / ne helpe may þe be resoun.For vnkyndenesse qwenchiþ hym / þat he may not schyne.Ne brenne ne blasen cleere / for blowynge of vnkynde Seynt Powl þe apostle / preveþ þat y not lyȝe.Si linguis hominum loquar & angelorum caritatem non habuero nichil michi prodest.F.13.315: The text of Bx ends with loquar &c. For-þy be war ȝee wise men / þat with þe world deelen.Þat ryche been & resoun knowe / rewle wel ȝoure-selue.Beþ not vnkende i conseyle ȝow / to ȝoure euyncristene.For manye of ȝow ryche men / be my sowle men telle.Ȝee brenne / but ȝee blase nowht / & þat is a blynd beekne.Non omnis qui dicit michiF.13.321: F alone has michi. domine . domine  intrabit in regnum celorum sed qui facit voluntatem.F.13.321: The quotation from Matthew 7:21 ends in Bx with intrabit./ [¶] For diues dyȝede & dampned / for his vnkyndenesse.He ȝaf no mete ne moneF.13.323: An otiose stroke, apparently intentional, appears above the <o>. / to men þat it needede.Euery ryche man y rede / rewarde at hym ȝee take.& gyveþ ȝoure good to þat god / þere grace of a-ryseþ.For þo þat been vnkynde to hise / hoope þou non oþir.Þat þey shulle dwelle þere dyves ys / dayes with-outyn ende. Þus vn kyndenesse is his contrarie / for it qwenchiþ hys grace.F.13.328: The scribe (or some later revisor) has mindlessly revised his exemplar by erasing <vn> from vnkyndenesse, changing the sense of this and the following line. Bx reads as follows: Thus is vnkyndenesse þe contrarie þat quencheþ as it were The grace of þe holy goost goddes owene kynde.Þe grace of þe holy goost / is goddys owen kende.For þat kendenessekendenesse [dooþ] / vnkendenesse for-dooþ / as ben þese cursede þeuisF.13.330: Note that the interlinear correction is not archetypal. The line has been revised extensively, though the omission of dooþ in the a-verse is probably unintentional. Bx reads "For þat kynde dooþ vnkynde fordooþ as þise corsede þeues."Vnkyȝnde cristene men / for coueytyse / & Envyȝe.Sleeþ a man for hise meblis / with mowht or with handis.For þat þe holy goost haþ to kepe / þo harlotys distroye.Þe whiche is lyf & love / & leeyȝe of mannys body.For euery good man may heere / by lykned to a torche.Or ellys to a taper / to reuerence þe trynnyte.& who-so Morderythȝ a good man / me þynkyþ be good resoun.He for-doþ þe levest lyght / þat oure lord lovyeþ./ [¶] But ȝit in manye moo maneres / men þe holy goost offende.But þis is þeF.13.340: An otiose curl appears slightly to the left and above the <þ>. werste wyȝse / þat ony wyȝt myghte.SengenF.13.341: Sengen, "sin" (infinitive). a-geyn þe seynt spiryt / assenten / to distroye.For coveytise of ony þyng /. þat crist so deere bowhte.How maymay [he] aske mercy / or ony mercy hym helpe.Þat wykkidly / & wylfully / woole mercy amittea[nien]te.For innocense is neest god / & nyght & day it criȝeþ.Vengawnce . Vengaunce / for-ȝeve be it neuere.Þat schenteF.13.347: Alpha omits beta's vs after schente. & schadde oure blood / & for-schop vus as it semeþ.F.13.347: Alpha and C manuscripts have a form of semen. Beta manuscripts have were.Vindica sanguinem iustorum. Þus vengaunce vengaunce / verry charite askeþ.& sytthe holy chirche & charite / chargiþ þis soore./ [¶] I be-leeve neuere þat oure loord / wille love / þat charite lakkiþ.Ne have pite for ony prayere / þere þat he pleyneþ. I poose y hadde syngedF.13.353: synged, "sinned." soo / & scholde now dyȝen.& nowhtF.13.354: The erroneous substitution of nowht for now occurred in alpha, probably reflecting confusion about a nowth spelling for now. am sory þat y soo / þe seynt spyryȝt a-gultede.But confesse me & criȝe his grace / god þat al made.& myȝldely his mercy aske / myghte y nowht be savid. Ȝis seyde þe samaritan / so þou myghtyst repente.F.13.357: Beta manuscripts have "so wel þow myght repente."Þat ryghtwyȝsnesse toF.13.358: Alpha is responsible for to in place of beta's and most C manuscript's þoruȝ. repentaunce / & to rewþe myghte turne.But it is but seelde y-seyn / þere soþnesse beriþ witnesse.Ony creature be cowpable / by-fore a kyngis Iustise.Be ramsomed for his giltF.13.361: F's gilt is unique. Bx reads repentaunce. R has no alliterating stave at all, suggesting that alpha was already corrupt. It is characteristic of F to have attempted to make sense of a defective exemplar. / þere al resoun hym dampneþ.For þere þat þe partyȝe purseweþ / þe peel is so hewge.Þat þe kyng may do no mercy / tyl boþe men a-coorden.& eythir haþ oþir y-qwit / as holy writ telleþ.Numquam dimittitur peccatum  nisi restiauaturrestituatur F.13.365: It is possible that the rubricator attempted to correct the first <a> to make a <t> of it, but since it still looks more like an <a>, we have treated it as an uncorrected error. ablatum.F.13.365: F alone completes the quotation after peccatum as it had appeared above in 5.279. As Alford notes [Piers Plowman: A Guide to the Quotations, Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies 77 (Binghamton: MRTS, 1992), p. 46], the line is a maxim of canon law derived from Augustine./ [¶] Þus it fareþ by swiche folk / þat falsly al here lyve.F.13.366: Alpha reads singular "lyve" for beta's plural.Evele lyven . & leetyn nowht / tyl hem lyf for-sake.& drede ofF.13.368: An otiose curl was written over the <o>. desperacioun / þanne dryveþ a-wey grace. These lines are attested only in alpha.Þat mercy in heere myȝnde / may not þanne falle.& good hoope þat helpe scholde / to wanhope it turneþ.Nowht of þe nounpereF.13.371: Alpha is responsible for the probably erroneous spelling with -per(e). Beta manuscripts have nounpower, "absence of power, impotence." of god / þat he is euere myghtful.To a-mende al þat mys ys / & his mercy is grettere.Þan alle oure wikkide werkis / as holy writ telleþ.Misericordia dominiF.13.374: Alpha is responsible for domini. Beta manuscripts have eius.  super omnia opera eius.But er his ryghtwysnesse / to rewþe turne / sum restitucioun be-hoviþ.F.13.375: Alpha omitted the following line attested by beta manuscripts: "His sorwe is satisfaccion for hym þat may noȝt paie." Thre þyngis þere been / þat dooþ a man / be strengthe.For to fleen hys owene hows / as holy writ schewiþ.Þat oon is / a wykkid wif / þat wil not be chastised.Þere hire feere fleeþF.13.379: Alpha is responsible for omitting fro after fleeþ. hire / for feer of hire tunge.& if his hows be vnhelyd / & it reygne on his beddeSokoure he seekeþ þanne / tylF.13.381: An otiose curl appears over the <t>. he mowe sleepe dryȝe.F.13.381: F's reading is unique. Bx reads "He sekeþ and sekeþ til he slepe drye."& whan smook & smoldir / smyten in hise eyȝen.It dooþ hym worse þan his wif / er þe watur eyþir.F.13.383: F's b-verse is unique. Bx reads "or wete to slepe."For smook & smolder / so smerteþ hise eyȝes.Tyl he be blere-eyȝed or blynd / & a bold cowhe after.F.13.385: F's b-verse is unique. R's "and cowȝhe (="cough") in þe throte" suggests that alpha had lost an alliterating stave. Beta witnesses make sense but lose the alliterative pattern, reading "and hoors in þe þrote."Þan kenely he curseþ / þat crist ȝeve hym sorwe.Þat sholde brynge in bettre woode / & blowe it tyl it brende./ [¶] Þese þre þat y telle of / þus ben to vndirstonde.Þe wyf is oure wikkid fleschȝ / þat wil not ben chastysed.For keende cleymeth on hym euere / to contrarie þe sowle.& þey it falle it fynt skylis / þat freelte it made.& þat is lyghtly fo-ȝyvefo[r]-ȝyve / & for-ȝeete boþe.To man þat mercy askeþ / & to mende hym he þynkeþ./ [¶] Þe reyn þat reygneþ / þere we restyn scholden.Been seeknesses & sorwis / þat we suffren awhten.F.13.395: Alpha is responsible for awhten. Beta and most C manuscripts have ofte.As seynt powl þe a-postle / to þe peple tawhte.Virtus in infirmitateininfirmitate perficitur.& þey þat men maken myche deel in here angris.& ben pacientF.13.399: F's reading is unique. Bx reads inpacient. in here penaunce / pure resoun knoweth.Þat þey have resounF.13.400: The substitution of resoun for original cause occurred in alpha. to contrarie / by kyȝnde of here syknesse.& lyghtly oure lord god / at here lyvis ende.He haþ mercy on swiche men / þat so evele may suffre. But þe smook & þe smolder / þat smyt in oure eyȝes.Þat is coueytyse & vnkendenesse / þey qwenche goddis mercy.For vnkyndenevnkyndene[sse] is þe contrarie / to alle skens resoun.For þere nys syȝk ne sory / ne non so mychel a wrecche.Þat he may[ne] may love & hym lyke / & leene of his herte.Good wille . good woord / boþe wischen & wylnen.& to alle manere of men / boþe mercy / & for-ȝevenesse.& love hem lych hym-selue / & his lyf a-mende.I may no lengere lettyn quod he  & lyard he prikede.& wente a-wey as þe wynd / & þerwith y waknede. Explicit Passus .xiijus.