fol. 88r (cont.)I
BPassus 20
Incipit Passus .xvius.
ANdF.16.1: The ornamental capital is blue, red, and green with red flourishes in the bottom quarter of the left margin. The guide <a> is still visible toward the top of the ornamental capital. wan y was wakned / y wente forþ aloone.F.16.1: F's line is unique. Beta witnesses have "Thanne as I wente by þe wey whan I was thus awaked." R is absent at this point.
Syȝghenge & evy cheryd / & elenge in herte.
For y ne wiste where to ete / ne at what place.
F.16.4KD.20.4
& it neyhed neer noon / & þan with neede y mette.
& he afruntid me fowle / & faytour me callidde.
& seyde coudist þou nout excuse þe / as þe kyng & oþire.
Þat þou tooke to lyve by / but cloþis & sustynaunce.
F.16.8KD.20.8
& þat was by techyng & tellyng / of F.16.8: The line is unfinished, the rubricator having failed to write spiritus temperancie, attested in beta manuscripts.
& þat þou nome no moore / þan y neede þe tawhte.
fol. 88vI
For neede haþ no lawe / ne neuere shal falle in dette.
For þre þyngys / þat he takþ / his lyf for to save.
F.16.12KD.20.12
Þat is meet whan men hym wernethȝ / & he no moone weldiþ.
Ne whyȝht þat wille ben his borghȝ / ne no wed haþ to legge.
& if he casteF.16.14: Cx reads cacche, while beta family witnesses have cauȝte. R is absent here. in þat caas / & come þerto be sleyghte.
He synneþ nowht soþly / þat so wynneþ his foode.
F.16.16KD.20.16
& þey he come so / to a clooþ / & can no bettre chewsaunce.
Neede a-non nymeþ hym / vndir meene-pryse.
& if he lyste for to lapen / þe lawe of kende wolde.
Þat he drunke at euery dyȝch / er he for þrust dyȝede.
F.16.20KD.20.20
So neede at gret neede / may nyme as for his owne.
With-owtyn of[conseil] of Conscience / er of Cardynale vertues.
So þat he saweF.16.22: F's spelling sawe for souen, "to sew," is unique among B manuscripts. If not simple error, it perhaps reflects the northern East Anglian provenance of F-Redactor. Beta witnesses have sewe. & save / Spiritus temperancie.
For þer is no vertewe by-fore / Spiritus temperancie.
F.16.24KD.20.24
Neyþir IusticieF.16.24: F alone omits Spiritus before Iusticie. / ne Spiritus fortitudinis.
But Spiritus Fortitudinis / forfeetythȝ ful often.
For he dooþ more þan mesure / manye tymes & ofte.
& beetyþ men ouer bitterly / & summe bodijs to lytel.
F.16.28KD.20.28
& he greveþ men ofte grettere / þan good feyþ it wolde.
And Spiritus Iusticie / schal Iugge hym / wille he  nylle he 
After þe kyngis conseyl / þe comoun & he a-sente.
And Spiritus prudencie . / in manye poyntis shal fayle.
F.16.32KD.20.32
Of þat he weneþ wolde falle / if his wit ne were.
For wenyng is no wisdom / ne non wise ymagynacioun.
Homo proponit  & deus disponit . and gouerneþ alle. Alpha's and beta's line division differ here. Beta reads as follows:
Homo proponit & deus disponit and gouerneþ alle goode vertues
Ac nede is next hym for anoon he mekeþ.
To goode vertues neede is next hym / for a-non he mekeþ.
F.16.36KD.20.36
& as lowh as a loomb / for lakkynge þat hym needyþ.
/ [¶] For neede makþ fele[nede] fele / for needys lowhȝ of herte.F.16.37: This line is attested only in alpha.
PhilosophresF.16.38: Alpha and C have Philosophres. Beta witnesses have Wise men, reflecting a different sense of the alliterative pattern. for-soke welthe / for þey wolde ben nedy.
& wonedyn wol elengely / & wolde neuere ben ryche.
F.16.40KD.20.40
& god / alle his greete Ioye / of gostly he lefte.
& cam & took mankynde / & by-cam heere al needy.
He was so needy as seyþ þe book / in many sundry places.
Þat he seyde in his sorwe / on þe selue roode.
F.16.44KD.20.44
Boþe foox & fowl / may flee to hoole & creepe.
& þe fychȝ haþ fyn / to fleete with orF.16.45: Alpha is responsible for or, which is lacking in beta and C. to reeste.
Þere neede haþ y-nome meF.16.46: The scribe mistakenly started a virgule and then used that stroke as the first in <m>. / þat y mote neede a-byȝde.
& suffre sorwis ful sowre / þat shulle to Ioyȝe turne.
F.16.48KD.20.48
For-þy be þou nowht abascht / to bowe & to be needy.
fol. 89rI
SyttheF.16.49: An otiose curl appears above the <S>. he þat wroghte al þe world / was wilfully needy.
Ne neuere noon so needy / ne noon porereF.16.50: A pale punctus, perhaps scraped, appears after porere, suggesting that the scribe prematurely ended the line and changed his mind. dyȝede.
Whan neede hadde nome me þus / a-noon y fel on slepe.
F.16.52KD.20.52
& mette ful mervilously / þat in a mannys forme.
Antecrist cam þanne / & alle þe croppis of trewthe.
Anon he turnede vp-so-doun / & vp-tild þe roote.
& made fals springe & sprede / & schendeF.16.55: F's schende is unique. Bx has spede. mennys nedysF.16.55: The curl following <d> is ambiguous, and we have resolved to Bx's plural form, but the scribe may have intended singular nede.
F.16.56KD.20.56
In euery cuntre þere he cam / he kytte awey trewþe.
& gart gyle growe þere / as he a god were.
Freeris folwide þat fend / for he fond hem coopis.
& fele relygious reuerensed hym / & runge ageyn hym belles.
F.16.60KD.20.60
& al þe Couent cam holly / to wolkome þat tyraunt.
& alle hise . as wel as hym / save oonly foolys.
Whiche were gladdere to dyȝe / þan to gon on lyve.F.16.62: F's reading is unique. Beta has "Whiche foolis were wel leuere to deye." F alone omits foolis. Alpha and C have gladdere for beta's leuere. Alpha and G omit beta's and C's wel.
& langoured so with lewte / & weren sore rebewkyd.
F.16.64KD.20.64
Of a fals feend antecrist / þat ouer alle folk reyghnede.
& þat weeF.16.65: Alpha is responsible for wee. Beta witnesses have were. myȝlde holy men / þat no myschef dredde.
Defyden alle falsnesse / & þe folk þat it vsede.
& what kyng þat hym confortyde / knowynge hymF.16.67: F's hym is unique. Bx has hem. gyle.
F.16.68KD.20.68
Þey cursede hem & here conseyl / where he clerk or oþir.
Antecrist hadde sone / hundredes at his baner.
& Pride bar yt bareF.16.70: F's "bar yt bare" is unique. Bx and C have "it bar." / booldely a-bowte.
With a loord þat lyveþ / with lykynge of body.
F.16.72KD.20.72
Þan cam conscience / þat kepere was & gyour.
Ouer kende cristene / & Cardynale vertues
I conseyle quod Conscience þo / comeþ with me ȝe folis.
In-to vnyte of holy chirche / & holde we vs þere.
F.16.76KD.20.76
& criȝe we to keene kyngF.16.76: F's keene kyng is unique. Bx has kynde. / he come & defende vs.
Foolys / fram þe feendis lemes / for Peersis love
& criȝe we on alle þe comoune / þat þey comen to vnyte.
& þere a-byden & abykere a-geyn / belyalles children.
F.16.80KD.20.80
Kende consciense herde þo / & cam owt of þe planetis.
& sente a-fore hise foreoures / boþe feveris & fluxes.
& kowhes & Cardiaclis / crampis & toth-achis.
Rewhmes / & radegundes / & reynowse skalles.
F.16.84KD.20.84
& beelis & bocchis / & brennynge hagews.F.16.84: A reverse spelling for agues.
fol. 89vI
& frenesis & fowle evelis / alle weren ForaynerisF.16.85: F's Forayneris is unique. Beta has forageres. of kende.
Þey hadde pyked & prayed / pollis of þe peple.
Largely / a legioun / losten here lyȝf soone.
F.16.88KD.20.88
Þere was harow / & help / how þere cam keende.
With deeþ þat is dredful / to vndoon hem alle.
Þe lord þat lyvede after lust / þo lowde he cryȝede.
AfterF.16.91: Alpha is responsible for the omission of Confort. a komelyF.16.91: F's komely is unique. knyght / to comen & bere his baner.
F.16.92KD.20.92
A-larme . a-larme / quod þat loord / ech man keep his owne.
Þanne menttynmettyn þese men / er menstralis myghte pipe.
& er herawdes of armes / hadde discriued lordys.
Þan Elde þe horelF.16.95: The substitution of horel, "fornicator," for hoore occurred in alpha. / he hild þe vawnwarde.
F.16.96KD.20.96
& bar þe bar þebar þe baner by-fore deeþ / by ryght he it cleymede.
& keende cam after hym / with manye kenne soores.
As Pokkis & pestilencis / & myche peple he schente.
So keende with corupcionis kyllyde ful manye.
F.16.100KD.20.100
Þan cam deeþ dryvende / & alle to dust he daschede hem.F.16.100: F's "he daschede hem" is unique. Beta and C witnesses have "passhed."
Boþe kyngis . & knyghtis / & cayseris & popis.
Neyþir lewede ne lerede / he lefte non stande.
Þo þat he hitte evene / þat euere he sterede after.
F.16.104KD.20.104
Þan many a lovely Lady / for hire levis sake.F.16.104: F's reading is unique. Other B manuscripts have "and hir lemmans knyȝtes."
Swounede & sweltride / for sorwe of dentisde[th]is dyntis.
Þanne Conscience of his curtesie / to kende he be-sowhte.
To sese & suffre / & seen wheyþir þey wolde.
F.16.108KD.20.108
Leven pryȝde priuyly / & parfyȝtly lyve as cristene.
& keende sesede soneF.16.109: F's sone is unique. Other B and C witnesses have þo. / to seen þe peple a-mende.
& þanne gan Fortune flatre / þo fewe þat weren on lyve.
& by-hyghte hem long lyf / & leccheryȝe hem sente.
F.16.112KD.20.112
A-mong alle manere of men / weddid & vn-weddid.
& gadred a gret hoost / a-non a-geyn consciense.
Þis Leccheryȝe leyde oon / with lawhynge cheere.
& with prive speche / & propre peyntyd woordis.
F.16.116KD.20.116
& armed hym in ydelnesse / & in heyȝ berynge.
He bar a bowe in his hond / & manye broode arwes.
Þat were fedred with fair speche / & fele fals be-hestis.
& with vntyȝdyF.16.119: Red ink marks are blots from the rubrication on the opposite page. talis / he teenede / ful ofte.
F.16.120KD.20.120
Consciense & his cumpany / of holy kyrkeF.16.120: Alpha is responsible for correctly alliterating kyrke, and is joined by Cr in that reading. The remaining beta and all C witnesses have chirche. techeris.
Þanne cam Coueytyȝse / & caste how he myghte.
fol. 90rI
Ouer-come Consciense / & Cardinale vertues.
& he armed hym in Auerise / & vngryly he lyvede.
F.16.124KD.20.124
& his wepnes were whyȝlisF.16.124: A reverse spelling for wiles. / to wynne & to holde.
With glosyngis & with gabbyngis / he gylede þe peple.
& Symonye he sente / to a-soyleF.16.126: FY alone read a-soyle. Bx and Cx have assaille. conscience.
& prechede to þe peple / & prelatis þey hem made.
F.16.128KD.20.128
To holde with antecrist / here temporaltes to save.
& come to þe kyngis conseyl / as a keene baroun.
& knelide to conscience / in court by-fore hem alle.
& maden good feythȝ to flee / & fals to a-byȝde.
F.16.132KD.20.132
& boldely bar doun / with manye a reedF.16.132: Alpha is responsible for reed. Beta witnesses and C have bright. noble.
Myche of þe wit & wyȝsdom / of west-menstre halle.
He Iusted a-geyn Iustises / & Iangled in his eere.F.16.134: F's reading is unique. Bx has "He Iugged til a Iustice and Iusted in his eere."
& ouer-tylte al trewþe / with tak þis vp a-mendement
F.16.136KD.20.136
& þanne in-toF.16.136: F's þanne is unique. Alpha and Hm, as well as a number of C manuscripts, have into where most beta and some C witnesses have to. þe Archis / in haste he wente after.
& turnede Cyvile to Symonye / & sytthe he took þe officiale.
& for a menyver mantyl / he made leele matrimonye.
To departyn er deeþ cam / & a devoos he schapede.
F.16.140KD.20.140
Allas quod Conscience & criȝede / wolde crist of his grace.
Þat Coueytyse were cristene / þat is so keene to fyghte.
& bold / & a-byȝdynge / þe whyle his baggis lasten.
& þanne lowhȝ lyf lyghtly / & leet daggen hise cloþis.
F.16.144KD.20.144
& armed hym in haste / in harlotrie woordis.
& he heeld holynesse a Iape / & hendenesse a wastour.
He leet lewte a cherl / & lyȝere a freeman.
& boþe conscience & conseyl / he cowntid it but folye.
F.16.148KD.20.148
Þus relevede lyf / with a lytyl fortune.
& prikede forþ / with pride / & preysyng of no vertues
Ne he careþ nowht þat kende fleyȝ[slowhȝ] / & shal come at þe laste.
& calleF.16.151: Alpha is responsible for calle. Beta and C witnesses have kille. alle erlyF.16.151: erly, "earthly." The scribe elsewhere writes erthely (4.201, 15.96), and his usual nominal form is erthe. The spelling erly appears also at 7.413 and 11.190. creatures / save conscience oone.
F.16.152KD.20.152
Lyf seyde occideF.16.152: Alpha is responsible for "seyde occide." Beta and C witnesses have "lepte aside." / & lawhte hym a lemman.
Heele & y quod he / & hyȝnesse of herte.
Shal do þe nowht dreede / neyþir deeþ ne elde.
But to for-ȝeete sorwe / & ȝeve nowht of synne.
F.16.156KD.20.156
Þis lessoun lykede lyf / &F.16.156: An otiose curl appears over the <&>. his lemman Fortune.
& geetyn in here glorie / a gadelyng at þe laste.
On þat mys-wroghteF.16.158: Beta manuscripts read "Oon þat muche wo wroȝte." Wo had been omitted in alpha, and mys-wroghte is F's attempt to wrest sense from what remained. / slewhte was his name.
Slewþe wex wondir ȝeerne / & was soone of age.
fol. 90vI
F.16.160KD.20.160
& weddide oon wanhope / a wenche of þe styves.
Hire syre was a sysour / þat neuere swoor trewþe.
On Thomme þe[two] tonge / a-teynt in euery qwestis.
Slewþe was waarF.16.163: The scribe originally wrote waas but corrected himself. of þis werre / and a slynge he made.
F.16.164KD.20.164
& þrew drede in dispayr / a doseynF.16.164: The scribe originally wrote deseyn but corrected the error himself. myle a-bowte.
For care Conscience þo / cryȝede vpon Elde.
& bad fonde to fyghte / & a-feere whanhope.
& Elde hente good hope / & hastely he hyȝedF.16.167: F's hyȝed is unique. Most B witnesses have shifte. hym.
F.16.168KD.20.168
& weyvid a-wey whanhope / & with lyf he fyghteþ.
& lyȝf fleyȝ for feere / to fysyȝk after helpe.
& by-sowhte hym of sokour / & of his salve he hadde.
& gaf hym gold goodF.16.171: An otiose curl appears over the <g>. Compare the flourish over initial <g> in glasene in the following line. whone / þat gladid his herte.
F.16.172KD.20.172
& he gaf hym a-geyn / a glaseneF.16.172: An otiose curl appears over the <g>. The scribe has written his characteristic final flourished <g> rather than his customary word-initial one. howe.
Lyf be-leevede þat lechecraft / lettyn sholde elde.
& to dryveF.16.174: Alpha is responsible for to dryve. Beta witnesses have dryuen. a-wey deþ / with dayesF.16.174: The lection dayes occurred in alpha for dyas. þo[&] dragges.F.16.174: dragges, "drugs."
& Elde awntrid hym on lyf / & at þe laste hym hytte.
F.16.176KD.20.176
On a Fisisian with a furrid hood / þat he fel in a pallasy.
& þere dyȝede þat doctour / er thre dayes after.
NowF.16.178: The scribe has almost certainly erased I, the reading of all other B witnesses. His reasons for doing so are not obvious. see seyde lyf / þat surgeryȝe ne fysyȝk
May not a-vayle a myte / to medle a-geyn Elde.
F.16.180KD.20.180
& in hope of his heele / good herte he hente.
& rood so to revele ryght / a ryche myryȝe place.
Þe cumpanye of confort / men clepid it sum-tyȝme.
& Elde a-noon after hym / ouer myn heed wente.
F.16.184KD.20.184
& made me ballyd by-fore / & bare . on þe crowne.
So harde he ȝeede ouer myn heed / it wille be sene euere.
Sire evele y-tawht Elde quod y  vn-heende goo with þe.
Sytthe whanne was þe wyde way / ouer mennys heedis.
F.16.188KD.20.188
Haddist þou been hende quod y  þou woldist have askid leve.
Ȝee  leeue lurdeyn quod he  & leyde on me with age.
& hytte me vndir þe eere / þat vnneþe may y heere.
& beet me a-bowte þe mowþ / & buscht out myn wang-teeþ.
F.16.192KD.20.192
& he be-gylede me with þe gowte / y may not goo at large.
& of þe woo þat y was Inne / myF.16.193: An otiose curl appears over the <m>. wif hadde rewthe
& wischede often witterly / y hadde ben in hevene.
For þe lyme she lovid me fore / þat leef she wasF.16.195: F's revision of Bx's "and leef was to feele" is probably intentional. The omission of to before the infinitive is possibly simple error. feele.
F.16.196KD.20.196
On nyghtis namely / wan we nakyd weren.
I ne myghte in no manere / make it at hire wille
So eelde & þe gowte & sheF.16.198: F's a-verse is unique. Beta manuscripts read "So Elde and she sooþly." R's reading is supported by C manuscripts: "So elde and hee," where hee is a relic meaning "she." / hadde yt for-beete.
Þus was y set with sorwe / y seeyȝ myn stat passede.
F.16.200KD.20.200
& deeþ drowh neer me / for drede y gan qwaken.
fol. 91rI
& y criede to kende / owt of care me brynge.
& seyde loo  Elde þe hoore / haþ myn lyfF.16.202: Alpha is responsible for "myn lyf." Beta and C witnesses have "me." be-seyȝe.
A-wreke me if ȝoure wille be / for wendyn hens y wolde.
F.16.204KD.20.204
If þou wilt ben y-wroke quod he / wende vn-to vnyte.
& holde þe þere euere / tyl y seende for the.
& looke þou kunne sum craft / er þou come þennis.
Conseyle me quod y þo / what craft y myȝhte leerne.
F.16.208KD.20.208
Leerne to love quod keende / & leve alle oþire craftys.
How shal y come to catel so / to cloþe me & feede.
& þou love leelly / lakke shalt þou neuere.
WedeF.16.211: An otiose curl is written over the first <e>. ne worldly meete / whilis þy lyf lasteþ.
F.16.212KD.20.212
& þere be conseile of kende / heF.16.212: Bx has I in place of he. R lacks a subject both here and in line 214, suggesting an error in alpha. F's he may represent an unintelligent revision by either the redactor or the scribe. comsede to roome.
Þorghȝ contricioun & confessioun / tyl y cam to vnyte.
& þere he was mad a cunstable / cristene to saven.F.16.214: Omission of Conscience had occurred in alpha. F characteristically revises to make sense of what lay before him. Beta witnesses read "And þere was Conscience Conestable cristene to saue."
He was by-seged soþly / with sevene grete Geauntis.
F.16.216KD.20.216
Þat with antecrist heelden / harde a-geyn conscience.
Þan slewthe with his slynge / an hard sawht he made.
Prowde preestis keme with hym / passynge an hundred.
In paltokes & pikede schoos / & pisserys ful longe.F.16.219: F's b-verse is unique. Both Bx/Cx read "and pisseris longe knyues." As Derek Pearsall notes, pissere is attested for "man," and this passage tends to support his further speculation that "it might be a cant term for a long knife" (Piers Plowman: the C-Text, 370 n. 219).
F.16.220KD.20.220
Þey kemen a-geyn Conscience / & with coueytise þey helden.
Be Marye quod a manschid prest / was of þe march of Irelond.
I a-cownte no more Conscience / be so y cacche syluer.
Þan y doo / to drynke a drawht / of good staleF.16.223: F alone adds stale, having failed to recognize the caesura. ale.
F.16.224KD.20.224
& with hym swooren syxty moo / of þe same cuntre.
& gunne forfor [to] scheete faste / þykke scheef oþis.F.16.225: Bx reads here: "And shotten ayein wiþ shot many a sheef of oþes."
& broode hokede arwes / with goddis herte . & nayles.
& hadden al-moost vnyte / & holynesse a-downe.
F.16.228KD.20.228
Conscience criede help to Clergie / or ellis y now falle.
Þorghȝ inparfyȝt prestys / & prelatis of holy chirche.
Freris herden criȝen / & kemen hym to helpe.
But for þey cowde not wel here craft / conscience for-sook hem.
F.16.232KD.20.232
Þanne neede neyȝhede hem neer / & conscience he tolde.
Þat þey keme for no coueytyseF.16.233: Erroneous no appeared in alpha. C manuscripts support beta witnesses here in omitting it. / to have cure of sowlys.
& for þeyþey [are] poore / & patrymonye hem fayleþ.
Þey wille flatere to fare weel / of folk þat been ryche.
F.16.236KD.20.236
& sytthe þey chosen chele / & chastite & pouertF.16.236: F's b-verse is unique. There is a good bit of variety among beta and C witnesses. LRW have "cheitiftee pouerte."
Let hem cheveF.16.237: cheve, "chew." Cf. 14.203. as þey chose / & charge hem with no cure.F.16.237: Alpha had omitted the following two lines:
For lomere he lyeþ þat liflode moot begge
Than he þat laboureþ for liflode and leneþ it beggeris.
ForF.16.238: Alpha is responsible for For. Beta and C witnesses have And. sytthen Freris for-soke / felyciteF.16.238: Alpha is responsible for the omission of þe before felycite, though the reading is shared by G. of erthe.
Let hem been as beggerys / or lyve by angelis foode.
F.16.240KD.20.242
Þan Conscience for þis conseil / comsedF.16.240: Alpha is responsible for the omission of þo before comsed. for to lawhe.
& curteysly he comfortyd hem / & callid in alle freris.
fol. 91vI
& seyde syres soþly / wolkome be ȝee alle.
To vnyte & to holy chirche / but .o. þyng y ȝow praye.
F.16.244KD.20.246
Holdiþ ȝow with vnyte / haþ non envyȝe.
To lewede ne to lerede / but lyveþ after ȝoure rewle.
& y wille be ȝoure borghȝ / ȝee shulle have breed & cloþis.
& oþire necessaries y-nowe / for ȝee shal no þyng lakke.
F.16.248KD.20.250
So þat ȝee leve logyȝk / & leerneþ for to lovye.
& þan leefte for love / lond . lordchepe & skole.F.16.249: Bx reads "For loue lafte þei lordshipe boþe lond and scole."
Boþe fraunceys & domnyk / for love to ben holy.
& if ȝee coueyte kures / kende wille ȝow tellyn.
F.16.252KD.20.254
Þat in mesure god made / alle maner of þyngys.
& sette hem in a serteyn / & in a sykir numbre.
& nempned hem names / & newe numbredF.16.254: Alpha is responsible for this word order. Beta witnesses have "names newe and noumbrede." þe sterris.
Qvi numerat multitudinem stellarum  & omniaF.16.255: F's omnia is unique. Bx has omnibus. eis.F.16.255: Alpha is responsible for the omission of nomina vocat after eis.
F.16.256KD.20.257
Kyngis & knyghtis . þat kepen men to defende hem /
Have officeris vndir hem / of ech of hem a serteyn.
& if þey wage men to werre / þey wryten hem in numbre
Ellys wille no tresorer take hem wages / trauayle þey ner so sore
F.16.260KD.20.262
Alle oþire in batayle ben y-holde / but brybouris by-syȝde.
As Piloures & pyȝkharneys / in euery parsch a-cursyd.
Boþe munkes & Monyalis / & alle men of relygioun
Þer is in here rewle welF.16.263: Alpha is responsible for a botched a-verse, which F attempted to revise. R reads "heraude here reule wol." Beta and C witnesses have "Hir ordre and hir reule wole." / to have a serteynn numbre.
F.16.264KD.20.266
Of lerede & of lewede / þe lawe wil it aske.
A serteyn for serteyn / save oonly þe frerys.
For-þy  quod Consciense be crist / kende wit me tellyþ.
It is wikke to wage ȝow / ȝee wexen ouer onyF.16.267: F's "ouer ony" is unique. Beta and C manuscripts have "out of." numbre.
F.16.268KD.20.270
Hevene haþ evene numbre / & helle is owt of serteyn.F.16.268: F's serteyn is unique. Bx has noumbre.
For-þy y wolde wyttyrly / ȝee weren in þat registre.
& ȝowre numbre vndir notarie signe / neyþir mo ne lesse.
Þanne Envie herde þis / & heet freris goon to scole.
F.16.272KD.20.274
& leerne logyk & lawe / & leeve Contemplacioun.
& preche men of plato / & preven it be Seneca.
Þat alle þyngis vndir heuene / awhte been in comoun.
He lyeþ as y leve / þat to þe lewede so prechen.
F.16.276KD.20.278
For god made to men a lawe / & Moyses hem tawhte.
Non concupisces rem proximi tui.
& evele is þis y-holde / in InnesF.16.278: F's Innes is unique. Alliteration is defective in both Bx and C manuscripts which read parisshes. of Ingelond.
For parsones & parsche prestis / þat sholde þe peple shryve
F.16.280KD.20.282
Ben curatoures callide / to knowe & heele.
fol. 92rI
& alle þat been here parschenes / penances to en-Ioynen.
& been a-schamed / to telle here schryfte / & þerfore þey wende.
& fleen to þe frerys / as fals folk doon to westmenstre.
F.16.284KD.20.286
& borweth & beryþ it þidir / & þanne he byddis frendys.
FulF.16.285: The scribe began to write an <a> and overwrote the beginning of its upper lobe with <u>. ȝeerne forȝevenesse / or lengere þey bleve þere.F.16.285: Bx reads "Yerne of forȝifnesse or lenger yeres loone," though the agreement of LR in reading leue (or lene) complicates the matter. It is not clear what F intended by bleve. For bleve, see MED, s. v. bilēven (v.1) 3., "remain, tarry."
BuBu[t] whille he is in westmenstre / he wille ben by-fore.
& makeþ hym meryȝe / with oþere mennys goodis.
F.16.288KD.20.290
& so it falliþ with myche folk / þat to Freres hemF.16.288: FOW alone have hem. The same variation appears in C manuscripts. schryuethȝ
As sysoures & executoures / þey shulle ȝeve þe freris.
A parcele to praye for hem / & with þe remnaunt make meryȝe.F.16.290: F's b-verse is unique. Bx and Cx fail in alliteration, reading "and make hemself murye."
Of þe residue of þe goodF.16.291: F's a-verse is unique. Bx reads "Wiþ þe residue and þe remenaunt." / þat oþere men by-swonken.
F.16.292KD.20.293
& suffre þe dede in helle lyȝnF.16.292: F alone reads "in helle lyȝn." Bx has "in dette." / tyl þe day of dome.
Þanne Envie herfore / hatede consciense.
& Frerys to philosophie / he fond hem to skole.
Whilis Coueytyse & vnkendenesse / Conscience a-saylede.
F.16.296KD.20.297
In vnyte holy chirche / & holy chirche withheld hym.F.16.296: Bx's b-verse reads "Conscience held hym."
& made Pees porter / to pynne wel þe ȝatys.
Of alle tale tellerys / & totelerys of ydelte.F.16.298: F omits the following line from Bx: "Ypocrisie and he an hard saut þei made."
Þan ypocrisie at þe ȝate / harde gan fyghte.
F.16.300KD.20.302
& woundid wol wikkidly / many a wyȝs techere.
Þat with conscience a-cordid / & cardinale vertues.
Þan Conscience callid a leche / þat cowde wel skryve.
To salue þo / þat syke weren / & þorghȝ synne y-woundid.
F.16.304KD.20.306
Schryfte shoop scharp salue / & made men don penaunce.
For here mysdedis / þat þey wroght hadden.
& þat peers were payed / Redde quod debes.
Summe lykede nowht þis leche / & lettris þey sente.
F.16.308KD.20.310
If ony surgien were in þe sege / þat softere cowde plastre.
Sire lyfF.16.309: Alpha and CrHm have lyf, as do the majority of C manuscripts. Most beta witnesses have leef. to lyve in leccheryȝe / lay þere & gronede.
For fastynge of a fryday / he feerde asas [he] wolde dyȝe.
Þere is a surgyen in þis seege / þat softe can handle.
F.16.312KD.20.314
& moore of fysyȝk he can be feer / & fayrere he plastreþ.
On frere flatere ys boþe fysisen & surgyen.
Quod Contricioun to conscience / do hym come to vnyte.
For heereheere [is] many a man hert / þorghȝ ypocrisyȝe.
F.16.316KD.20.318
We have no neede quod conscience / I not noF.16.316: An otiose curl appears above <n>. bettre leche.
Þan Parsoun or parsche prest / pentawncer or bischop.
Save Pers þe plowman / þat power haþF.16.318: F's "power haþ" is unique. Bx and Cx have unmetrical "haþ power." ouer al.
& Indulgence may doo / but if dette it lette.
fol. 92vI
F.16.320KD.20.322
/ [¶] I may wel suffre quod conscience / sytthe ȝee disyre.
Þat Frere flaterere be feet / & fysyȝk ȝow seeke.
Þe Frere here-of heerde / & hyȝede ful faste.
To a loord for a lettre / leeve to have to curen.
F.16.324KD.20.326
And as a curatour he were / he cam with his lettre.F.16.324: Alpha has singular lettre. Beta witnesses have the plural form. The same variants appear in C manuscripts.
Boldely to þe byschop / & hys breef he hadde.
In cuntrees þere he cam / confessionys to heere.
& he cam þere Consciense was / & knokkyde at þe ȝate.
F.16.328KD.20.330
/ [¶] & pees vn-pynned it / þat was porter of vnyte.
& in haste he askede / what þat his wille were.
In feyþ quod þis Frere / for profyȝt & for helthe.
Carpen y wolde with Contricioun / & þis is my cawse.F.16.331: F's b-verse is unique. Bx has "and þerfore cam I hider."
F.16.332KD.20.334
/ [¶] He is seek / seyde pees / & so are manye oþere.
Ypocrisye haþ hurt hym / hard is if he kyuere.
I am a surgyen seyde þe Frere / salues can y make.
Conscience knoweth me wel / & what y can do boþe.
F.16.336KD.20.338
/ [¶] I praye þe quod pees þoo / er þou passe furthere.
What hattist þou hyghtlyF.16.337: Bx/Cx are metrically less regular than F here, but make superior sense, reading "What hattestow I praye þee." / & hele nowht þy name
Þe Frere seyde properlyF.16.338: F's a-verse is unique. Bx reads "Certes seide his felawe." / syre penetrans domos.F.16.338: The name is written in the text hand in the same brown ink as the text, but it is given emphasis by the characters being slightly larger than the adjacent text.
/ [¶] Ȝee goo þy gate quod pees / by god for al þy fysyȝk.
F.16.340KD.20.342
But þou kunne more craft / þou komest nowht heere-Inne.
I knew swich oon ones / nowht ooF.16.341: F's oo is unique. Bx has eighte. ȝeer y-passid.
Cam þus In y-cooped / at a court þere y wiste.
& was my lordis leche / & my ladies boþe.
F.16.344KD.20.346
& at þe laste þat lymytour / þo myn lord was owte.
He saluede so oure wommen / tyl sixe or seuene were grete.F.16.345: F's b-verse is unique. Bx reads "til some were wiþ childe."
Hende speche badF.16.346: F's bad is unique. Bx has heet. Pees þoo / to openeF.16.346: An otiose curl appears over <o>. þe ȝatis.
& lete in þe frere & his felawe / & mak hem fair chere.
F.16.348KD.20.350
He may seen his syknesse / er so may be-falle.F.16.348: F's reading is unique. As the testimony of C manuscripts suggests, Bx probably had "He may se and here here so may bifalle." Beta manuscripts have "He may se and here so it may bifalle."
Þat lyf þorghȝ his loore / shal leven Coveytyse.
& ben a-dred of deeþ / & with-drawe hym fram pride.
& a-corde with conscience / & kissen eyþir oþir.
F.16.352KD.20.354
/ [¶] Þus þorghȝ heende speche / in entrid þo frerys.
& kemen in to Conscience / & curteysly hym grette.
Þou art wolkome quod Conscience / canstow heele syke.
Here is Contricioun quod Conscience / myn cosyn y-woundyd.
F.16.356KD.20.358
Conforte hym with conseylF.16.356: F's "with conseyl" is unique. Bx reads "quod Conscience." / take keep to hise soores.
Þe plastris of þe parsoun / & þe powdres byte so soore.
He leet hem lyggyn ouer-longe / & looþ is to change hem.
fol. 93rI
Fram lentene tyl lentene / he leet hise plastrisF.16.359: An otiose curl appears above the <p>. byȝte.
F.16.360KD.20.362
Þat is ouer-longe quod þis lymytour / y leeve y shal a-mende it.
& he gooþ & gropeþ contricioun / & gaf hym a plastre.
Of a prive pynement / y shal preyȝe for ȝow.
& for alle þat been holde too / al my lyf-tyme.
F.16.364KD.20.366
& make of ȝow memoryF.16.364: F's "of ȝow memory" is unique. Bx reads "yow my lady." / in messe & in matynys.
Alle þe Freris of oure fraternete / for a lytyl syluer.
/ [¶] Þus he gooþ & gadreþ gold / & glosenF.16.366: The scribe initially wrote gloseþ and then wrongly "corrected" it to glosen. The ink on the overwritten <n> is darker than that on the thorn. An otiose curl appears over <g>. þere he schryveþ.
Tyl contricioun haue cleene for-ȝeete / for criȝeng & for wepynge.F.16.367: F's b-verse is unique. Bx has "to crye and to wepe."
F.16.368KD.20.370
& for wakyng for hise wikkide werkis / þat he was whont to doone.
For confort of his confessoure / contricioun he leefte.
Þat is þe souereynest salue / for alle kenne synnes.
Þat seeyȝ slewthe wel / & ryght so dyde priȝde.
F.16.372KD.20.374
& keme with a keene willeF.16.372: F omitted the virgule to mark the caesura but left a larger than usual space between words. conscience to asayle.
& Conscience criede eft / & bad Clergie helpe hym.
& also contricioun / for to keepe þe ȝaate.
/ [¶] He lyȝþ & dreemeþ seyȝde pees / & so dooþ many a-noþir.
F.16.376KD.20.378
Þe frere with his fysyȝk / þis folk haþ soF.16.376: Alpha's so is absent from all other B manuscripts. enchawntyd.
& plastred hem so esely / þey dreedyn no syȝknesse.F.16.377: F's syȝknesse is unique. Bx has synne.
By crist quod Conscience þo / y wille be-come a pilgrym.
& walken as wyde / as þe world askeþ.F.16.379: F's askeþ is unique. Bx has lasteþ.
F.16.380KD.20.382
To seke peers Plowhman / þat pryȝde he myȝhte stroyȝe.F.16.380: F's b-verse is unique. Bx read "þat pryde myȝte destruye." A drypoint "X" appears in the right margin, probably to call attention to F's omission of the following line from Bx: "And þat freres hadde a fyndyng þat for nede flateren."
For he countrepletyþ me conscience / now kende me avenge.
& sende me hap & heele / tyl y have pers plowhman.
So sore he gradde after grace / þat be-gan[y] be-ganF.16.383: Having erased erroneous he after þat, the scribe failed to supply the necessary first person pronoun. a-wake.
Explicit
One of the later hands supplied a second Explicit. A line drawing of a bird fills the remainder of this page. See Kathleen L. Scott, "The Illustrations of Piers Plowman in Bodleian Library MS. Douce 104," YLS 4 (1990): 2n, who describes this as "a tinted drawing of a stork holding a blank phylactery, possibly meant as an ownership mark." A.V. C. Schmidt in a review of Derek Pearsall's facsimile edition of Bodleian Library, MS Douce 104 in Medium Aevum 63.1 (1994): 130, rightly notes that the drawing is of a pelican, "the emblem of Corpus Christi College," and "has nothing whatever to do with Langland (though doubtless testifying to the loyalties of the one-time owner, a Fellow of the College)" (130). Ms. Christine Butler, Archivist of Corpus Christi College, agrees that the pelican is likely to have been supplied for William Fulman, who gave the manuscript to the college.
MED