fol. 43v (cont.)I
passus xjus
Passus xjusundecimus
t
ThanneL.11.1: The lombard capital <T> is five lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide letter <t> appears in the left margin. scripture scorned me · and a skile tolde
And lakked me in latyne · and liȝte by me she sette
And seyde multi multa sciunt & seipsos nesciunt
fol. 44rI
L.11.4KD.11.4
Þo wepte I for wo · and wratth of her speche
And in a wynkyng wratth · wex I aslepe
A merueillouse meteles · mette me þanne
fortune
Þat I was rauisshed riȝt þere · and fortune me fetteL.11.7: The word fortune is written in the right margin in a sixteenth-century hand.
L.11.8KD.11.8
And in-to þe londe of longynge · allone she me brouȝte
And in a myroure þat hiȝt mydlerd · she mad me to biholde
Sitthen she sayde to me · here myȝtowL.11.10: An otiose tilde appears over this word. se wondres
And knowe þat þow coueytest · and come þer-to par-aunter
L.11.12KD.11.12
Þanne hadde fortune folwyng hir two faire damoyseles
Concupiscencia carnis · men called þe elder mayde
And coueytise of eyes · ycalled was þat oþer
Pryde of parfyte lyuynge · pursued hem bothe
L.11.16KD.11.16
And badde me for my contenaunce · acounte clergye liȝte
Concupiscencia carnis · colled me aboute þe nekke
And seyde þow art ȝonge and ȝepe · and hast ȝeres ynowe
For to lyue longe · and ladyes to louye
L.11.20KD.11.20
And in þis myroure þow myȝte se · myrthes ful manye
Þat leden þe wil to lykynge · al þi lyf-tyme
Þe secounde seide þe same · I shal suwe þi wille
Til þow be a lorde and haue londe · leten þe I nelle
L.11.24KD.11.24
Þat I ne shal folwe þi felawship · if fortune it lyke
He shal fynde me his frende · quod fortune þer-after
Þe freke þat folwed my wille · failled neuere blisse
Thanne was þere one þat hiȝte elde þat heuy was of chere
L.11.28KD.11.28
Man quod he if I mete with þe · bi Marie of heuene
Þow shalt fynde fortune þe faille · at þi moste nede
And concupiscencia carnis · clene þe forsake
Bitterliche shaltow banne þanne · bothe dayes and niȝtes
L.11.32KD.11.32
Coueytise of eyghe · þat euere þow hir knewe
And pryde of parfyt lyuynge · to moche peril þe brynge
Ȝee recche þe neuere quod recchelesnes · stode forth in ragged clothes
Folwe forth þat fortune wole · þow hast wel · fer til elde
L.11.36KD.11.36
A man may stoupe tymesL.11.36: LHmMR have tymes; most other B manuscripts read tyme. ynow · whan he shal tyne þe croune
Homo proponit quod a poete · and plato he hyght
And deus disponit quod he · lat god done his wille
If trewthe wil witnesse it be wel do · fortune to folwe
L.11.40KD.11.40
Concupiscencia carnis · ne coueityse of eyes
Ne shal nouȝt greue þe gretly · ne bigyle þe but þow wolt
L.11.42: An unrubricated paraph marker appears in the left margin. Since the scribe failed to skip a line, the rubricating scribe may have failed to notice it. ¶ Ȝee farewel phippe quod fauntelte and forth gan me drawe
fol. 44vI
Til concupiscencia carnis · acorded alle my werkes
L.11.44KD.11.44
Allas eye quod elde · and holynesse bothe
Þat witte shal torne to wrecchednesse · for wille to haue his lykyng
Coueityse of eyghes · conforted me anon after
And folwed me fourty wynter · and a fyfte more
L.11.48KD.11.48
Þat of dowel ne dobet · no deyntee me neL.11.48: LM alone read ne; most other B witnesses omit it. þouȝte
I had no lykynge leue me if þeL.11.49: LMW alone have þe, though Hm has thu and Cr1 ye. leste · of hem auȝte to knowe
Coueytyse of eyes · cam ofter in mynde
Þan dowel or dobet amonge my dedes alle
L.11.52KD.11.52
Coueytise of eyes conforted me ofte
And seyde haue no conscience how þow come to gode
+
Go confesseL.11.54: The <+> indicates that the corrector noted L's omission of þe after confesse. F also omits the pronoun. to sum frere · and shewe hym þi synnes
For whiles fortune is þi frende · Freres wil þe louye
L.11.56KD.11.56
And fecche þe to her fraternite · and for þe biseke
To her priour prouyncial · a pardoun forto haue
And preyen for þe pol bi pol · ȝif þow be peccuniosus
Set pena pecuniareapecuniar[i]a non sufficit pro spiritualibus delictis
L.11.60KD.11.59
By wissynge of þis wenche I wrouȝte · here wordes were so swete
X
L.11.61-64: A dry point <X> appears in the left margin.Tyl I forȝat ȝouthe · and ȝarn in-to elde
And þanne was fortune my foo · for al hir faire biheste
And pouerte pursued me · and put me lowe
L.11.64KD.11.63
And þo fonde I þe Frere aferde · and flyttynge bothe
Aȝeines owre firste forward · for I seyde I nolde
Be buryed at her hous · but at my parissh cherche
For I herde onys · how conscience it tolde
L.11.68KD.11.67
Þat þere a man were crystened · by kynde he shulde be buryed
Or where he were parisshene · riȝt þere he shulde be grauen
And for I seyde þus to freres · a fool þei me helden
And loued me þe lasse for my lele speche
L.11.72KD.11.70
Ac ȝet I cryed on my confessoure þat helde hym-self so kunnyng
By my feith frere quod I · ȝe faren lyke þise woweres
Þat wedde none wydwes · but forto welde here godis
Riȝte so by þe Rode · rouȝte ȝe neuere
L.11.76KD.11.74
Where my body were buryed · bi so ȝe hadde my siluer
Ich haue moche merueille of ȝow · and so hath many an other
Why ȝowre couent coueyteth · to confesse and to burye
Rather þan to baptise barnes · þat ben catekumelynges
L.11.80KD.11.78
Baptizyng and burying · bothe ben ful nedeful
Ac moche more merytorie · me þynkeL.11.81: L alone reads þynke; all other B manuscripts have þynkeþ. it is to baptize
For a baptized man · may as maistres telleth
Þorugh contricioun come · to þe heigh heuene
L.11.84KD.11.81α
Sola contricio &c ·L.11.84: LMWR read &c · Most B manuscripts end the Latin quotation delet peccatum. The scribe wrote this line to the right of the previous line, probably because he was at the end of the page and did not want the line separated from the rest of the line group.
fol. 45rI
nota
Ac a barne with-oute bapteme · may nouȝt so be saued
Nisi quis renatus fuerit loke ȝe lettred men · whether I lye or do nouȝte
And lewte loked on me · and I loured after
L.11.88KD.11.85
Wherfore lourestow quod lewte · and loked on me harde
Ȝif I durste quod I amonges men · þis meteles auowe
Ȝe bi peter and bi poule quod he · and takeL.11.90: LGMR have the present tense take. All other B witnesses have the preterite took. hem bothe to witnesse
Non oderis fratres secrete in corde tuo · set publice argue illos
L.11.92KD.11.89
Þei wol alleggen also quod I · and by þe gospel preuen
Nolite iudicare quemquam ·
And wher-of serueth lawe quod lewte · if no lyf vndertoke it
Falsenesse ne faytrye · for sumwhat þe apostle seyde
L.11.96KD.11.93-94
Non oderis fratrem · and in þe sauter also seithe dauid þe propheteL.11.96-98: The markup and display does not adequately represent the manuscript here. See the image.
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis &c
It is licitum for lewed men · to segge þe sothe
If hem lyketh and leste · eche a lawe it graunteth
L.11.100KD.11.98
Excepte parsones and prestes · and prelates of holycherche
It falleth nouȝte for þat folke · no tales to telle
Þough þe tale were trewe · and it touched synne
Þinge þat al þe worlde wote · wherfore shuldestow spare
L.11.104KD.11.102
And reden it in Retoryke · to arate dedly synne
Ac be neuere-more þe fyrste · þe defaute to blame
Þouȝe þow se yuel sey it nouȝte fyrste · be sorye it nere amended
No þinge þat is pryue · publice þow it neuere
L.11.108KD.11.106
Neyther for loue laude it nouȝt · ne lakke it for enuye
+
Parum lauda vitupera paraciusL.11.109: A rubricated penstroke across the descender of <p> and a red dot beneath the <a> serve to correct pacius to parcius. The rubricator's <+> in the margin reveals the rubricating scribe serving as corrector here.
He seith sothe quod scripture þo · and skipte an heigh & preched
Ac þe matere þat she meued · if lewed men it knewe
L.11.112KD.11.109
Þe lasse as I leue · louyen it þei wolde
This was her teme and her tyxte · I toke ful gode hede
Multi to a maungerye · and to þe mete were sompned
And whan þe peple was plenere comen · þe porter vnpynned þe ȝate
L.11.116KD.11.114
And plukked in pauci priueliche · and lete þe remenaunt go rowme
Al for tene of her tyxte · trembled myn herte
And in a were gan I waxe · and with my-self to dispute
Whether I were chosen or nouȝt chosen · on holicherche I þouȝte
L.11.120KD.11.118
Þat vnderfonge me atte fonte · for one of goddis chosne
For cryste cleped vs alle · come if we wolde
Sarasenes and scismatikes · and so he dyd þe iewes
O vos omnes scicientes[si]cientes venite &c
fol. 45vI
L.11.124KD.11.121
And badde hem souke for synne · saufly at his breste
And drynke bote for bale · brouke it who-so myȝte
Þanne may alle crystene come quod I · and cleyme þere entre
By þe blode þat he bouȝte vs with · and þorugh baptesme after
L.11.128KD.11.124α
Qui crediderit & baptizatus fuerit &c
For þough a crystene man coueyted · his crystenedome to reneye
Riȝtfulliche to renye · no resoun it wolde
For may no cherle chartre make · ne his catel selle
L.11.132KD.11.128
With-outen leue of his lorde · no lawe wil it graunte
Ac he may renne in arrerage · and .....rowme so fro home
+
And as a reneyed caityf recchele...sly gonL.11.134: The last three letters of recchelesly appear to have been written over an erasure, and gon was added after initial copying. A <+> appears in the left margin, presumably prompting one or both of these changes. A number of B manuscripts have this line as it stands without the addition, though some have rennen where the corrector here has supplied gon. aboute
Ac Resoun shal rekne with hym · and casten hym in arrerage
L.11.136KD.11.133
And puttenL.11.136: LCMY lack hym after putten, attested in most B manuscripts. after in a prisone · in purgatorie to brenne
For his arrerages rewarden hym þere  to þe daye of dome
+
But if contricioun welL.11.138: LR alone have wel (instead of wol) which may explain the corrector's marginal <+>. come · and crye bi his lyue
Mercy for his mysdedes · with mouth or with herte
L.11.140KD.11.137
Þat is soth seyde scripture may no synne lette
Mercy alle to amende · and mekenesse hir folwe
For þey beth as owre bokes telleth · aboue goddes werkes
Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius
L.11.144KD.11.140
Ȝee baw for bokes quod one · was broken oute of helle
trogianusL.11.145: The word trogianus is written in the left margin. The reading is unclear, but the scribe appears to have written first trooianus and then corrected the second <o> to <g>.
Hiȝte troianus had ben a trewe knyȝte · toke witnesse at a pope
How he was ded and dampned · to dwellen in pyne
For an vncristene creature clerkis wyten þe sothe
L.11.148KD.11.144
Þat al þe clergye vnder cryste · miȝte me cracche fro helle
But onliche loue and leaute · and my lawful domes
Gregorie wist þis wel · and wilned to my soule
Sauacioun for sothenesse · þat he seigh in my werkes
L.11.152KD.11.148
And after þat he wepte · and wilned me were graunted
Grace wyth-outen any bede-byddynge · his bone was vnderfongeL.11.153: The remains of an erased red box can be seen around the last word.
And I saued as ȝe may se · with-oute syngyng of masses
By loue and by lernyng of my lyuyng in treuthe
L.11.156KD.11.153
Brouȝte me fro bitter peyne · þere no biddyng myȝte
Lo ȝe lordes what leute did · by an Emperoure of Rome
Þat was an ...?...vncrystene creature · as clerkes fyndeth in bokes
Nouȝt þorw preyere of a pope · but for his pure treuthe
L.11.160KD.11.157
Was þat sarasene saued · as seynt Gregorie bereth witnesse
Wel ouȝte ȝe lordes þat lawes kepe · þis lessoun to haue in mynde
And on troianus treuth to thenke · and do treuthe to þe peple
fol. 46rI
Lawe with-outen loue quod troianus leye þere a bene
L.11.164KD.11.172
Or any science vnder sonne · þe seuene artz and alle
X
But ifL.11.165: The corrector's if does not appear in any other B manuscript. The dry point <X> in the left margin perhaps points to this lection. þei ben lerned for owre lordes loue · loste is alle þe tyme
For no cause to cacche siluer þere-by · ne to be called a mayster
But al for loue of owre lorde · and þe bet to loue þe peple
L.11.168KD.11.176
For seynte Iohan seyde it · and soth aren his wordes
Qui non diligit manet in morte
Who-so loueth nouȝte leue me · he lyueth in deth-deyinge
And þat alle manere men · enemys and frendes
L.11.172KD.11.179
Louen her eyther other · and lene hem as her-selue
Who-so leneth nouȝte · he loueth nouȝte · god wote þe sothe
And comaundeth eche creature · to confourme hym to louye
And souereynelyche pore poeple · and here ennemys after
L.11.176KD.11.183
For hem þat hateth vs · is owre meryte to louye
And pore peple to plese · here prayeres may vs helpe
For owre ioye and owre hele · Ihesu cryst of heuene
In a pore mannes apparaille · pursueth vs euere
L.11.180KD.11.187
And loketh on vs in her liknesse · and þat withL.11.180:The abbreviation includes a punctus under the <t>; both the <t> and punctus may have been added after initial copying by a different hand. louely chere
To knowen vs by owre kynde herte · and castyng of owre eyen
WherþerWheþer we loue þe lordes here · byfor owre lorde of blisse
And exciteth vs bi þe euangelye · þat when we maken festes
L.11.184KD.11.191
We shulde nouȝte clepe owre kynne þer-to · ne none kynnes riche
Cum facitis conuiuia nolite inuitare amicos
Ac calleth þe careful þer-to þe croked and þe pore
For ȝowre frendes wil feden ȝow · and fonde ȝow to quite
L.11.188KD.11.194
Ȝowre festynge and ȝowre faire ȝifte · vche frende quyteth so other
Ac for þe pore I shal paye · and pure wel quyte her trauaille
Þat ȝiueth hem mete or moneye · and loueth hem for my sake
For þe best ben somme riche · and somme beggers and pore
L.11.192KD.11.199
For alle are we crystes creatures · and of his coffres riche
And bretheren as of o blode · as wel beggares as erles ·
+
For ofonL.11.194: The word of has been subpuncted and lined through and on supplied supralinearly in keeping with all other beta witnesses. A corrector's <+> in the left margin flagged the error. caluarye of crystes blode · crystenedome gan sprynge
And blody bretheren we bycome þere · of o body ywonne
L.11.196KD.11.203
As quasi modo geniti · and gentil men vche one
No beggere ne boye amonges vs · but if it synne made
Qui facit peccatum seruus est peccati &c
In þe olde lawe · as holy lettre telleth
L.11.200KD.11.205
Mennes sones · men called vs vchone
Of adames issue and Eue · ay til god-man deyde
And after his resurreccioun · Redemptor was his name
And we his bretheren þourgh hym ybouȝt · bothe riche and pore
fol. 46vI
L.11.204KD.11.209
For-þi loue we as leue bretheren shal · and vche man laughe vpL.11.204: LMR read vp and, although BCY have vpon, a majority of B witnesses record of. other
And of þat eche man may forbere · amende þere it nedeth
And euery man helpe other · for hennes shal we alle
Alter alterius onera portate
L.11.208KD.11.212
And be we nouȝte vnkynde of owre catel · ne of owre kunnynge neyther
For noet no man how neighe it is · to be ynome fro bothe
For-þi lakke no lyf other · þough he more latyne knowe
Ne vnder-nym nouȝte foule · for is none with-oute faute
L.11.212KD.11.216
For what-euere clerkis carpe of crystenedome or elles
Cryst to a comune woman seyde · in comune at a feste
Þat fides sua shulde sauen hir and saluen hir of alleL.11.214: LCrHmR alone read alle. Most other B manuscripts omit the word entirely or else provide hyr as their reading. synnes
Þanne is byleue a lele helpe aboue logyke or lawe
L.11.216KD.11.220
Of logyke ne of lawe in legenda sanctorum
Is litel allowaunce made · but if bileue hem helpe
For it is ouerlonge ar logyke · any lessoun assoille
And lawe is loth to louye · but if he lacche syluer
L.11.220KD.11.224
Bothe logyke and lawe · þat loueth nouȝte to lye
I conseille alle crystene · cleue nouȝte þer-on to sore
For sum wordes I fynde ywryten · were of faithes techyng
Þat saued synful men · as seynt Iohan bereth wytnesse
L.11.224KD.11.228
Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remecietur vobis
For-þi lerne we þe lawe of loue · as owre lorde tauȝte
And as seynte Gregory seide · for mannes soule helthe
Melius est scrutari scelera nostra · quam naturas rerum
L.11.228KD.11.232
Why I moue þis matere  is moste for þe pore
For in her lyknesse owre lorde · ofte hath ben yknowe
Witnesse in þe Paske-wyke · whan he ȝede to Emaus
Cleophas ne knewe hym nauȝte · þat he cryste were
L.11.232KD.11.236
For his pore parailleL.11.232: LR have the aphetic form paraille. All other B manuscripts read apparaill. · and pylgrymes wedes
Tyl he blessed and brak · þe bred þat þei eten
So bi his werkes þei wisten · þat he was Ihesus
Ac by clothyng þei knewe hym nouȝte · ne bi carpynge of tonge
L.11.236KD.11.240
And al was in ensample · to vs synful here
Þat we shulde be low · and loueliche of speche
And apparaille vs nouȝte ouer-proudly · for pylgrymes ar we alle
And in þe apparaille of a pore man · and pilgrymes lyknesse
L.11.240KD.11.244
Many tyme god hath ben mette · amonge nedy peple
Þere neuere segge hym seigh · in secte of þe riche
Seynt Iohan and other seyntes · were seyne in pore clothynge
And as pore pilgrymes · preyed mennes godis
fol. 47rI
L.11.244KD.11.248
Ihesu cryste on a iewes douȝter alyȝte · gentil woman þough she were
Was a pure pore mayde · and to a pore man wedded
Martha &
Maudelen
Martha on Marye magdeleyne · an huge pleynte she madeL.11.246: The words Martha &
Maudelen
are written in the right margin.
And to owre saueour self · seyde þise wordes
L.11.248KD.11.252
Domine non est tibi cure quod soror mea reliquit me solaL.11.248: LMF alone read sola; all other B witnesses have solam. ministrare &cL.11.248: LHmM have &c · after ministrare.
And hastiliche god answered · and eytheres wille folwed
Bothe Marthaes and Maries · as Mathew bereth witnesse
Ac pouerte god put bifore · and preysed it þe bettre
L.11.252KD.11.255α
Maria optimam partem elegit · que non &cL.11.252: LCrMW alone end the line with non &c.; most other B manuscripts continue auferetur ab ea.
parfite povertie
L.11.253: A bracket drawn in the right margin extends from this line to the bottom of the page with the annotation parfite povertie. And alle þe wyse þat euere were · by auȝte I can aspye
Preysen pouerte for best lyf · if pacience it folwe
And bothe bettere and blisseder · by many folde þan ricchesse
+
L.11.256KD.11.259
AlthoughL.11.256: LMRF read Although; most other B manuscripts read and þouȝ. it be soure to suffre · þere cometh swete afterL.11.256: The last word was written after initial copying, perhaps in response to the corrector's marginal <+>.
As on a walnot with-oute is a bitter barke
And after þat bitter barke · be þe shelle aweye
Is a kirnelle of conforte · kynde to restore
L.11.260KD.11.263
So is after pouerte or penaunce · pacientlyche ytake
For it maketh a man to haue mynde in gode · and a grete wille
To wepe and to wel bydde · wher-of wexeth mercy
Of which cryst is a kirnelle · to conforte þe soule
L.11.264KD.11.267
And wel sykerer he slepyth · þe man þat is pore
And lasse he dredeth deth · and in derke to be robbed
Þan he þat is riȝte ryche · resoun bereth wytnesse
Pauper ego ludo dum tu diues meditaris
L.11.268KD.11.270
Alþough salamon seide · as folke seeth in þe bibleL.11.268: Illegible marks appear in the right margin.
Diuicias nec paupertates &c
Wyser þan salamon was · bereth witnesse and tauȝte
Þat parfyte pouert was · no possessioun to haue
L.11.272KD.11.274
And lyf moste lykynge to god · as luke bereth witnesse
Si vis perfectus esse · vade & vende &c
And is to mene to men · þat on þis molde lyuen
Who-so wil be pure parfyt · mote possessioun forsake
L.11.276KD.11.277
Or selle it as seith þe boke · and þe syluer dele
To beggeres þat gone and begge · and bidden good for goddes loue
For failled neuere man mete · þat myȝtful god serued
As dauid seith in þe sauter · to suche þat ben in wille
L.11.280KD.11.281
To serue god godeliche · ne greueth hym no penaunce
Nichil inpossibile volenti
Ne lakketh neuere lyflode · lynnen ne wollen
Inquirentes autem dominum · non minuentur omni bono
fol. 47vI
L.11.284KD.11.283
L.11.284-324: A bracket added by a sixteenth-century hand extends the length of the page in the left margin. If prestes weren parfyt · þei wolde no syluer take
For masses ne for matynes · nouȝte her mete of vsureres
Ne neither kirtel ne cote · þeigh þey for colde shulde deye
And þei her deuor dede · as dauid seith in þe sauter
L.11.288KD.11.286α
Iudica me deus & discerne causam meam
Spera in deo speketh of prestes · þat haue no spendyng syluer
Þat ȝif þei trauaille trewlich · and trusten in god almiȝti
Hem shulde lakke no lyflode · noyther wollen ne lynnen
L.11.292KD.11.290
And þe title þat þei take ordres by · telleth ȝe ben auaunced
Þanne nedeth nouȝte ȝow to take syluer · for masses þat ȝe syngen
For he þat toke ȝow ȝowre tytle · shulde take ȝow ȝowre wages
Or þe bisshop þat blesseth ȝow · if þat ȝe ben worthy
X
L.11.296KD.11.294
For made neuere no kyngeL.11.296: LHm alone add no before kynge. This addition may explain the large <X> in the left margin, four lines high, the top even with this line. no knyȝte · but he hadde catel to spende
As bifel for a kniȝte · or fonde hym for his strengthe
It is a careful knyȝte · and of a caytyue kynges makynge
Þat hath no londe ne lynage riche · ne good loos of his handes
L.11.300KD.11.298
Þe same I segge for sothe · by alle suche prestes
Þat han noyther kunnynge ne kynne · but a croune one
And a tytle a tale of nouȝte · to his lyflode at myschief
He hath more bileue as I leue · to lacche þorw his croune
L.11.304KD.11.302
Cure · þan for konnyng · or knowen for clene of berynge
I haue wonder & why · and wher-fore þe bisshop
Maketh suche prestes · þat lewed men bytrayen
The title of
Prestes &cL.11.284-324: A sixteenth-century annotator has written The title of
Prestes &c
to the left of this line group, bracketing all the text on the page.
A chartre is chalengeable · byfor a chief iustice
+
L.11.308KD.11.304
If false latyne be in þaL.11.308: The corrector's marginal <+> notes the scribe's use of þa for þat, also marked by the corrector at L.3.308 (where it is corrected) and L.15.19 (where it is not). lettre · þe lawe it inpugneth
Or peynted parenterlinarie · parceles ouer-skipped
Þe gome þat gloseth so chartres · for a goky is holden
So is it a goky by god · þat in his gospel failleth
L.11.312KD.11.308
Or in masse or in matynes · maketh any defaute
Qui offendit in vno in omnibus est reus &c
And also in þe sauter · seyth dauyd to ouerskippers
Psallite deo nostro psallite quoniam rex terre deus israel psallite sapienter
L.11.316KD.11.312
Þe bisshop shal be blamed · bifor god as I leue
Þat crouneth suche goddes kniȝtes · þat conneth nouȝt sapienter
Synge ne psalmes rede · ne segge a messe of þe day
Ac neuer neyther is blamelees · þe bisshop ne þe chapleyne
L.11.320KD.11.316
For her eyther is endited · and þat of ignorancia
Non excusat episcopos · nec idiotes prestes
Þis lokynge on lewed prestes · haþ don me lepe fram pouerte
Þe whiche I preyse þere pacyence is · more parfyt þan ricchesse
notaL.11.324: An unrubricated paraph marker appears in the left margin. Since the scribe failed to skip a line, the rubricating scribe may have failed to notice it.
L.11.324KD.11.320
¶ Ac moche more in metynge þus · with me gan one dispute
fol. 48rI
And slepynge I seigh al þis · and sithen cam kynde
And nempned me by my name · and bad me nymen hede
And þorw þe wondres of þis worlde · wytte for to take
L.11.328KD.11.324
And on a mountaigne þat mydelerd hyȝte · as me þo þouȝte
I was fette forth · by ensaumples to knowe
Þorugh eche a creature and kynde · my creatoure to louye
I seigh þe sonne and þe see · and þe sonde after
L.11.332KD.11.328
And where þat bryddes and bestes · by here make þei ȝeden
Wylde wormes in wodes · and wonderful foules
With flekked fetheres · and of fele coloures
Man and his make · I myȝte bothe byholde
L.11.336KD.11.332
Pouerte and plente · bothe pees and werre
Blisse and bale · bothe I seigh at ones
And how men token Mede · and mercy refused
Resoune I seighe sothly suen alle bestes
L.11.340KD.11.336
In etyng in drynk....ynge · and in engendrynge of kynde
And after course of concepcioun · none toke kepe of other
As whan þei hadde ryde in rotey-tyme · anon riȝte þer-after
Males drowen hem to males · a-mornynges bi hem-self
+
L.11.344KD.11.340
And in euenynges also · ȝe[þ]eL.11.344: L's erroneous ȝe instead of þe is noted by the corrector's <+> in the margin. males fro femeles
Þere ne was cow ne cowkynde · þat conceyued hadde
Þat wolde belwe after boles · ne bore after sowe
Bothe horse and houndes · and alle other bestes
L.11.348KD.11.344
Medled nouȝte wyth here makes · þat with fole were
Briddes I bihelde · þat in buskes made nestes
Hadde neuere wye witte · to worche þe leest
I hadde wonder at whom · and where þe pye lerned
L.11.352KD.11.348
To legge þe stykkes · in whiche she leythe and bredeth
Þere nys wriȝte as I wene · shulde worche hir neste to paye
If any masoun made a molde þer-to · moche wonder it were
And ȝet me merueilled more · how many other briddes
L.11.356KD.11.352
Hudden and hileden · her egges ful derne
In mareys and mores · for men sholde hem nouȝt fynde
And hudden here egges · whan þei þere-fro wente
For fere of other foules · and for wylde bestis
L.11.360KD.11.356
And some troden her makes · and on trees bredden
And brouȝten forth her bryddes so · al aboue þe grounde
And some bryddes at þe bille · þorwgh brethynge conceyued
And some kauked I toke kepe · how pekokes bredden
L.11.364KD.11.360
Moche merueilled me · what maister þei hadde
And who tauȝte hem on trees · to tymbre so heigh
fol. 48vI
Þere noither buirn ne beste · may her briddes rechen
And sythen I loked vponL.11.367: LHmWMR read vpon; most other B witnesses have on. þe see · and so forth vponL.11.367: LCrWMR have vpon. Most B witnesses read on. þe sterres
L.11.368KD.11.364
Many selcouthes I seygh · ben nought to seye nouthe
I seigh floures in þe fritthe · and her faire coloures
And how amonge þe grene grasse · grewe so many hewes
+
L.11.371: Presumably referring to the omitted to in the following line, a <+> in the left margin has been erased.And somme soure and some swete · selcouthe me þouȝte
L.11.372KD.11.368
Of her kynde and her coloure · to carpe it were to longe
Ac þat moste moeued me · and my mode chaunged
Þat resoun rewarded · and reuled alle bestes
Saue man and his make · many tyme and ofte
L.11.376KD.11.372
No resoun hem folwed · and þanne I rebuked
Resoun · and riȝte til hym-seluen I seyde
I haue wonder of þe quod I · þat witty art holden
Why þow ne suwest man and his make · þat no mysfait hem folwe
L.11.380KD.11.376
And resoun arated me · and seyde recche þe neuere
Whi I suffre or nouȝt suffre · þi-self hast nouȝt to done
Amende þow itL.11.382: LCrWR alone read þow it, although a correction in Hm places it before þow and F simply has it. The most common B reading is þow alone. if þow myȝte · for my tyme is to abyde
Suffraunce is a souereygne vertue · and a swyfte veniaunce
L.11.384KD.11.380
Who suffreth more þan god quod he · no gome as I leue
L.11.385: A marginal gloss appears to have been erased in the left margin, but nothing is legible. He miȝte amende in a Minute-while · al þat mys-standeth
Ac he suffreth for somme mannes good · and so is owre bettre
Þe wyse and þe witty · wrote þus in þe bible
L.11.388KD.11.395
de re que te non molestat noly certare
For be a man faire or foule · it falleth nouȝte forto lakke
Þe shappe ne þe shafte · þat god shope hym-selue
For al þeL.11.391: The a-verse originally read For al þe did was wel ydo. The corrector who supplied þat he presumably intended it to replace þe, although þe was not deleted. þat he did was wel ydo · as holywrit witnesseth
L.11.392KD.11.398α
Et vidit deus cunta que fecerat et erant valde bona
And badde euery creature · in his kynde encrees
Al to murthe with man · þat most woo tholye
In fondynge of þe flesshe · and of þe fende bothe
L.11.396KD.11.402
For man was made of suche a matere · he may nouȝt wel astert
Þat ne some-tymesL.11.397: LR alone read tymes; all other B manuscripts have tyme. Among C-texts, PEcVcAcScZKcGc also have tymes. hym bitit · to folwen his kynde
Catoun acordeth þere-with · nemo sine crimine viuit
Tho cauȝte I coloure anon · and comsed to ben aschamed
L.11.400KD.11.406
And awaked þer-with · wo was me þanne
Þat I in meteles ne myȝte · more haue yknowen
And þanne seyde I to my-self · and chidde þat tyme
Now I wote what dowel is quod I · by dere god as me þinketh
And as I cast vp myn eyen
fol. 49rI
L.11.404KD.11.410
And as I caste vp myn eyghen · one loked on me and axed
Of me what þinge it were · ywisse sire I seide
To se moche and suffre more · certes quod I is dowel
Haddestow suffred he seyde · slepyng þo þow were
L.11.408KD.11.414
Þow sholdest haue knowen þat clergye can · and conceiued more þorugh resoun
For resoun wolde haue reherced þe · riȝte as clergye saide
Ac for þine entermetyng · here artow forsake
Philosophus esses si tacuisses
L.11.412KD.11.417
Adam whhilesw[h]iles he spak nouȝt · had paradys at wille
Ac whan he mameled aboute mete · and entermeted to knowe
Þe wisdom and þe witte of god · he was put fram blisse
And riȝt so ferde resoun bi the · þow with rude speche
L.11.416KD.11.421
Lakkedest and losedest þinge · þat longed nouȝt to be done
Þo hadde he no lykynge · forto lere þe more
Pruide now and presumpcioun · par-auenture wole þe appele
That clergye þi compaignye · ne kepeth nouȝt to sue
L.11.420KD.11.425
Shal neuere chalangynge ne chydynge · chaste a man so sone
As shal shame and shenden hym · and shape hym to amende
For lat a dronken daffe · in a dyke falle
Late hym ligge loke nouȝte on hym · til hym lest to ryse
L.11.424KD.11.429, 431
For þough resoun rebuked hym þanne · it were but pure synne
Ac whan nede nymeth hym vp · for doute lest he sterue
And shame shrapeth his clothes · & his shynes wassheth
Þanne wote þe dronken daffe · wherfore he is to blame
L.11.428KD.11.435
Ȝe seggen soth quod I · ich haue yseyne it ofte
Þere smitte no þinge so smerte · ne smelleth so soure
+
As shame þere he sheweth hinmL.11.430: The corrector's <+> in the left margin probably refers to original hin, to which a minim has been added to correct to him. · for euery manL.11.430: Two apparently meaningless points appear above man. hym shonyeth
Why ȝe wisse me þus quod I · was for I rebuked resoun
L.11.432KD.11.439
Certes quod he þat is soth · and shope hym forto walken
And I aros vp riȝt with þat · and folwed hym after
And preyed hym of his curteisye · to telle me his name
MED