The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 12William LanglandEdited by Hoyt N. Duggan and Ralph HannaAssociate Editors: Patricia R. Bart, M. Gail Duggan and Catherine A. FarleyTechnical Editors: Daniel V. Pitti and Jonathan Rodney Graduate Research Assistants Heather Blatt, Michael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Nancy Renwick Clendenon, Carri Cregar, Paul Fyfe, Paul Gaffney, Matthew Gibson, Bethany Mabee, Stephen C. Martin, Chloe Smith, Timothy L. Stinson, and Keicy Tolbert. Computer Consultants and ProgrammersShayne Brandon, Nathaniel Garson, Matthew S. Gibson, Kirk V. Hastings, Janice McCoy, Susan Munson, David Seaman, and John Unsworth.Published for the Medieval Academy of America and The Society for Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET) by Boydell and Brewer Ltd. Cambridge ISBN: 184384026X

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SEENET A.6

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud misc. 581 (S. C. 987)

late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud misc. 581 (S. C. 987)

Attribute Valuesbrown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink

LatinFrenchGerman2003 Editor Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and structure reorganized. passus xijusPassus xijusDuodecimusi IL.12.1: The lombard capital <I> is ten lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide letter <i> appears in the left margin. am ymagynatyf quod he · Idel was I neuere Þouȝe I sitte bi my-self · in sikenesse neL.12.2: LMR alone read ne; most other B manuscripts have and. in helthe I haue folwed þe in feithe · þis fyue and fourty wyntre And many tymes haue moeued þe · to þinke on þine ende And how fele fernȝeres are faren · and so fewe to come And of þi wylde wantounesse · þo þow ȝonge were To amende it in þi myddel age · lest miȝte þe faylled In þyne olde elde · þat yuel can suffre Pouerte or penaunce · or preyeres bidde Si non in prima vigilia · nec in secunda &c Amende þe while þow myȝte · þow hast ben warned ofte With poustees of pestilences with pouerte and with angres And with þise bitter baleyses · god beteth his dere childeren Quem diligo castigo And dauid in þe sauter seith · of suche þat loueth Ihesus Virga tua & baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt &c Al-þough þow stryke me with þi staffe · with stikke or with ȝerde It is but murth as for me to amende my soule And þow medlest þe with makynges · and myȝtest go sey þi sauter And bidde for hem þat ȝiueth þe bred · for þere ar bokes ynowe To telle men what dowel is · dobet and dobest bothe And prechoures to preue what it is · of many a peyre freres I seigh wel he sayde me soth · and somwhat me to excuse Seid catoun conforted his sone · þat clerke þough he were To solacen hym sum-tyme · as I do whan I make Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis · &c · And of holy men I herde quod I · how þei otherwhile Pleyden þe parfiter · to be in many places Ac if þere were any wight · þat wolde me telle What were / dowel / and / dobet / · and dobest / atte lasteL.12.30: The scribe has inserted rubricated virgules to complement the underlining. Wolde I neuere do werke · but wende to holicherche And þere bydde my bedes · but whan ich eet or slepe Poule in his pistle quod he · preueth what is dowel Fides spes caritas & maior horum &c Feith hope and charitee · and alle ben good And sauen men sundry tymes · ac none so sone as charite For he doth wel with-oute doute · þat doth as lewte techeth Þat is if þow be man maried · þi make þow louye And lyue forth as lawe wole · while ȝe lyuen bothe Riȝt so if þow be Religious · renne þow neuere ferther To Rome ne to Rochemadore · but as þi reule techeth And holde þe vnder obedyence · þat heigh wey is to heuene And if þow be mayden to marye · and miȝte wel contynue Seke þow neuere seynt forther · for no soule helthe For what made Lucyfer · to lese þe heigh heuene Or salamon his sapience · or sampson his strengthe Iob þe Iewe his ioye · dere he it abouȝte Arestotle and other mo · ypocras & virgyle Alisaundre þat al wan · elengelich ended Catel and kynde witte · was combraunce to hem alle Felyce hir fayrnesse · fel hir al to sklaundre And Rosamounde riȝt so reufully bysette Þe bewte of hir body · in badnesse she dispended Of many suche I may rede · of men and of wommen Þat wyse wordes wolde shewe · and worche þe contraye Sunt homines nequam bene de virtute loquentes And riche renkes riȝt so · gaderen and sparen And þo men þat þei moste haten · mynistren it atte laste And for þei suffren & se · so many nedy folkes And loue hem nouȝt as owre lorde bytte · lesen her soules Date & dabitur vobis &c · And ricchesse riȝt so · but if þe Rote be trewe Ac grace is a grasse þer-of · þo greuaunces to abate Ac grace ne groweth nouȝte · but amonges lowe Pacience and pouerte · þe place is þere it groweth+ And in lele lyuynge men · and .in lyf-holyL.12.66: A partially erased <+> appears in the right margin. And þorugh þe gyfte of þe holygoste · as þe gospel telleth Spiritus vbi vult spirat &c Clergye and kynde witte · comth of siȝte and techynge As þe boke bereth witnesse · to buirnes þat can rede Quod scimus loquimur quod vidimus testamur Of quod scimus cometh clergye · and connynge of heuene+ And of quod vidimus cometh kynde witte of siȝte of dyuesedyue[r]seL.12.73: The corrector's <+> in the margin notes the scribe's erroneous dyuese for dyuerse. peple Ac grace is a gyfte of god · and of gret loue spryngeth Knewe neuere clerke how it cometh forth · ne kynde witte þe weyes Nescit aliquis vnde venit · aut quo vadit &c Ac ȝit is clergye to comende · and kyndewittekynde witte bothe And namely clergye for crystes loue · þat of clergye is rote For Moyses witnesseth þat god wrote · for to wisse þe peple In þe olde lawe as þe lettre telleth · þat was þe lawe of iewes+ Þat what woman were inL.12.81: The in was added in the left margin after initial copying, probably in response to the corrector's marginal <+>. auoutrie taken · were sheL.12.81: LHmMW and alpha have the feminine pronoun (he in R alone) which is omitted by the other beta witnesses. riche or pore With stones men shulde hir stryke · and stone hir to deth A womman as we fynden · was gulty of þat dede Ac cryste of his curteisye · þorw clergye hir saued For þorw carectus þat cryst wrot · þe iewes knewe hem-seluen Gultier as afor god · and gretter in synne Þan þe woman þat þere was · and wenten awey for schame Þe clergye þat þere was · conforted þe womman Holykirke knoweth þis · þat crystes writyng saued So clergye is conforte · to creatures þat repenten And to mansed men · myschief at her ende For goddes body myȝte nouȝte be of bred · with-outen clergye Þe which body is bothe · bote to þe riȝtful And deth and dampnacioun · to hem þat dyeth yuel As crystes carecte conforted and bothe coupable shewed Þe womman þat þe iewes brouȝte · þat Ihesus þouȝteL.12.96: An otiose tilde appears over þouȝte. to saue Nolite iudicare et non iudicabimini &c Riȝt so goddes body bretheren · but it be worthily taken Dampneth vs atte daye of dome · as þe carectes dede þe iewes For-þi I conseille þe for cristes sake · clergye þat þow louye For kynde witte is of his kyn · and neighe cosynes bothe To owre lorde leue me · for-þi loue hem I rede For bothe ben as miroures · to amenden owre defautes And lederes for lewed men · and for lettred bothe For-þi lakke þow neuere logyke · lawe ne his custumes Ne countreplede clerkes · I conseille þe for eure For as a man may nouȝt se · þat mysseth his eyghen Namore can no klerke · but if he cauȝt it first þorugh bokes Al-þough men made bokes · god was þe maistre And seynt spirit þe saumplarye · and seide what men sholde write And riȝt as syȝteL.12.111: An otiose tilde appears over syȝte. serueth a man · to se þe heighe strete Riȝt so ledeth letterure · lewed men to resoun And as a blynde man in bataille · bereth wepne to fiȝte And hath none happ with his axe · his enemye to hitte Namore kan a kynde-witted man · but clerkes hym teche Come for al his kynde witte · to crystendome and be saued Whiche is þe coffre of crystes tresore · and clerkes kepe þe keyes To vnlouken it at her lykynge · and to þe lewed peple L.12.119: There is evidence in the left margin of a scraped gloss and possibly of a bracket extending from here through the next line group. Ȝyue mercy for her mysdedes · if men it wole aske Buxomelich & benygneliche · and bidden it of grace Archa dei in þe olde lawe · leuites it kepten Hadde neuere lewed man leue · to leggen honde on þat chest+ L.12.123: The corrector's <+> appears in the left margin. There is no error in the text at this point; however, since the alpha witnesses at this point have ten lines not attested in any beta manuscript, the corrector's mark here is tantalizing but opaque. The ten lines are KD.12.116-125α. For a similar instance, see the note to L.20.66. But he were preste or prestes sone · patriarke or prophete For clergye is kepere vnder cryst of heuene Was þere neuere no knyȝte · but clergye hym made Ac kynde witte cometh of alkynnes siȝtes Of bryddes and of bestes · of tastes of treuthe and of deceytes Lyueres to-forn vs · vseden to marke Þe selkouthes þat þei seighen · her sones for to teche And helden it an heighe science · her wittes to knowe Ac þorugh her science sothely · was neuere no soule ysaued Ne brouȝte by her bokes · to blisse ne to ioye For alle her kynde knowynges · come but of dyuerse sightes Patriarkes and prophetes · repreued her science And seiden her wordes ne her wisdomes · nas but a folye As to þe clergye of cryst · counted it but a trufle Sapiencia huius mundi · stulticia apud deum For þe heihe holigoste · heuene shal to-cleue And loue shal lepe out after · in-to þis lowe erthe And clennesse shal cacchen it · and clerkes shullen it fynde Pastores loquebantur ad inuicem He speketh þere of riche men riȝt nouȝt · ne of riȝt witty Ne of lordes þat were lewed men · but of þe hexte lettred oute Ibant magi ab oriente &c If any frere were founde þere · Ich ȝif þe fyue shillynges Ne in none beggares cote · was þat barne borne But in a burgeys place · of bethlem þe best Set non erat locus in diuersorio / & pauper non habet diuersorium To pastours and to poetes appiered þatL.12.149: LM alone have þat; most other beta manuscripts have þe. aungel And bad hem go to bethlem · goddis burth · to honoure And songe a songe of solas · gloria in excelsis deo Clerkes knewe it wel · and comen with here presentz And deden her homage honourablely · to hym þat was almyȝty Why I haue tolde al þis · I toke ful gode hede How þow contraryedest clergye · with crabbed wordes How þat lewed men liȝtloker · þan lettred were saued Þan clerkes or kynde-witted men · of crystene peple And þow seidest soth of somme · ac se in what manere Take two stronge men · and in themese caste hem And bothe naked as a nedle · her none sykerL.12.160: LMR read syker, although M has a second <er> added in a different ink to match the common B reading of sikerer. þan other Þat one hath connynge and can swymmen and dyuen Þat other is lewed of þat laboure · lerned neuere swymme Which trowestow of þo two · in themese is in moste drede He þat neuere ne dyued · ne nouȝt can of swymmynge Or þe swymmere þat is sauf · bi so hym-self lyke Þere his felaw flet forth · as þe flode lyketh And is in drede to drenche · þat neuere dede swymme Þat swymme can nouȝt I seide · it semeth to my wittes Riȝt so quod þe Renke resoun it sheweth Þat he þat knoweth clergye can sonner aryse Out of synne and be sauf · þough he synne ofte If hym lyketh and lest · þan any lewed lelly For if þe clerke be konnynge · he knoweth what is synne And how contricioun with-oute confessioun · conforteth þe soule As þow seest in þe sauter · in psalmeL.12.175: LRF alone have singular psalme; other B manuscripts have Salmes. one or tweyne How contricioun is commended · for it caccheth awey synne Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates & quorum tecta sunt &c · And þis conforteth vch a clerke · and keuereth hym fram wanhope In which flode þe fende · fondeth a man hardest Þere þe lewed lith stille · and lokethL.12.180: A red dot appears over loketh which may or may not be intentional. after lente And hath no contricioun ar he come to shryfte · & þanne can he litel telle And as his lores-man leres hym · bileueth & troweth And þat is after person or parisch prest · and parauenture Vnconnynge to lere lewed men · as luk bereth witnesse Dum cecus ducit cecum &c · Wo was hym marked · þat wade mote with þe lewed Wel may þe barne blisse · þat hym to boke sette Þat lyuynge after letterure saued hym lyf and soule Dominus pars hereditatis mee is a meri verset Þat has take fro tybourne · twenti stronge þeues Þere lewed theues ben lolled vp · loke how þei be saued Þe thef þat had grace of god · on gode fryday as þow speke Was for he ȝelte hym creaunt to cryst on þe crosse · & knewleched hym gulty And grace axed of god · and he is euer redy Þat boxomeliche biddeth it · and ben in wille to amenden hem Ac þough þat þef had heuene · he hadde none heigh blissein domo meo multe sunt mansiones As seynt Iohan and other seyntes · þat asseruedL.12.197: LR alone read asserued; other B manuscripts have deserued. hadde bettere Riȝt as sum man ȝeue me mete · and sette me amydde þe flore Ich haue mete more þan ynough · ac nouȝt so moche worship As þo þat seten atte syde table · or with þe souereignes of þe halle But sitte as aL.12.201: A curved, apparently meaningless, mark in darker brown ink than the text appears above <a>. begger bordelees · bi my-self on þe grounde So it fareth bi þat feloun · þat a gode fryday was saued He sitte neither with Seynt Iohan · Symonde ne Iude Ne wyth maydenes ne with martires confessoures ne wydwes But by hym-self as a soleyne · and serued on þe erthe For he þat is ones a thef · is euermore in daungere And as lawe lyketh · to lyue or to deye De peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu And forto seruen a seynt · and such a thef togyderes It were noyther resoun ne riȝt · to rewarde hem bothe aliche And riȝt as troianus þe trewe knyȝt · tilde nouȝt depe in helle Þat owre lorde ne had hym liȝtlich oute · so leue I þe thef be in heuene For he is in þe lowest of heuene · if owre bileue be trewe And wel loselyche he lolleth þere · by þe lawe of holycherche Quia reddit vnicuique iuxta opera sua &c And why þat one thef on þe crosse · creaunt hym ȝelt Rather þan þat other thef · þough þow wolde appose Alle þe clerkes vnder cryst · ne couthe þe skil assoille Quare placuit quia voluit And so I sey by þe · þat sekest after þe whyes And aresonedest resoun · a rebukyng as it were And of þe floures in þe fryth · and of her feire ...hewes Where-of þei cacche her coloures · so clere and so briȝte And willest of briddes and of bestesL.12.224: L originally omitted of before bestes. It was supplied in a superlinear addition by a later hand. · and of hire bredyng to knowe Why somme be alowe and somme alofte · þi lykyng it were And of þe stones and of þe sterres · þow studyest as I leue How euere beste or brydde · hath so breme wittes Clergye ne kynde witte ne knewe neuere þe cause Ac kynde knoweth þe cause hym-selue · no creature elles He is þe pyes patroun · and putteth it in hire ere Þat þere þe þorne is thikkest · to buylden and brede And kynde kenned þe pecok · to cauken in swich a kynde And kenned Adam · to knowe his pryue membres And tauȝte hym and Eue · to hylien hem with leues Lewed men many tymes · maistres þei apposen Why Adam neL.12.236: LCrMWR read ne; all other B witnesses omit it. hiled nouȝt firste · his mouth þat eet þe apple Rather þan his lykam alow · lewed axen þus clerkes Kynde knoweth whi he dede so · ac no clerke elles Ac of briddes and of bestes · men by olde tyme+ Ensamples token and terme.sL.12.240: The <s> of termes is written over an erasure, and a scraped <+> is just visible in the left margin, suggesting that the scribe made the correction in response to the mark and then attempted to erase the mark. · as telleth þis poetes And þat þe fairest foule · foulest engendreth And feblest foule of flyght is · þat fleegheth or swymmeth And þat is þe pekok & þe pohenne proude · riche men þei bitokneth For þe pekok and men pursue hym · may nouȝte fleighe heighe For þe traillyng of his taille · ouertaken is he sone And his flesshe is foule flesshe · and his feet bothe And vnlouelich of ledene · and laith for to here Riȝt so þe riche if he his ricchesse kepe And deleth it nouȝt tyl his deth-day · þe taille of al sorwe Riȝt as þe pennes of þe pecok · payned hym in his fliȝte So is possessioun payne · of pens · and of nobles To alle hem þat it holdeth · til her taille be plukked And þough þe riche repente þanne · and birewe þe tyme Þat euere he gadered so grete · and gaf þere-of so litel Þough he crye to cryst þanne · with kene wille I leue+ His ledne be in owre lordes ere · lyke a pyesL.12.256: LBCC2GOYR all fail to complete this line with chiteryng or chatrynge. The corrector's <+> in the right margin may indicate his awareness of the reading. And whan his caroigne shal come · in caue to be buryed I leue it flaumbe ful foule · þe folde al aboute And alle þe other þer it lyth · enuenymedL.12.259: LCrR alone read enuenymed; other B manuscripts have enuenymeþ. þorgh his attere By þe p..rofeet[po feet]L.12.260: The fact that <ro> is written over an erasure suggests that the scribe may have originally written the correct po feet and then, not understanding this to mean "peacock's feet," hypercorrected the text to profeet. is vnderstonde · as I haue lerned in auynedt Excecutoures[Ex]ecutoures · fals frendes · þat fulfille nouȝt his wille Þat was writen and þei witnesse · to worche riȝt as it wolde Þus þe poete preues · þat þe pecok for his fetheres is reuerenced Riȝt so is þe riche · bi resoun of his godis Þe larke þat is a lasse foule · is more louelich of ledne And wel awey of wenge swifter þan þe pecok And of flesch by fele-folde · fatter and swetter To lowe-lybbyng men · þe larke is resembled · L.12.269: 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.Arestotle þe grete clerke suche tales he telleth Thus he lykneth in his logyk · þe leste foule oute And where he be sauf or nouȝt sauf · þe sothe wote no clergye Ne of sortes ne of salamon · no scripture can telle Ac god is so good I hope · þat sitth he gaf hem wittis To wissen vs weyes þere-with · þat wissen vs to be saued And þe better for her bokes · to bidden we ben holden Þat god for his grace gyue her soules reste For lettred men were lewed men ȝut · ne were lore of her bokes Alle þise clerkes quod I þo · þat on cryst leuen Seggen in her sarmones · þat noyther sarasenes ne iewes Ne no creature of cristes lyknesse · with-outen crystendome worth saued Contra quod ymagynatyfL.12.281: The second <y> may, perhaps, have been written over an erasure, or the vellum is simply flawed and uneven. In any case, it is not possible to see what may have lain under the <y>. þo · and comsed for to loure And seyde saluabitur vix iustus in die iudicij Ergo saluabitur quod he · and seyde namore latyne Troianus was a trewe knyȝte · and toke neuere cristendome+ And he isL.12.285: The correction is in response to the corrector's <+> in the left margin. sauf so seith þe boke · and his soule in heuene For þere is fullyng of fonte · and fullyng in blode shedyng And þorugh fuire is fullyng · and þat is ferme bileue Aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminans &c · Ac trewth þat trespassed neuere · ne transuersedL.12.289: LCrR alone read transuersed; most other B manuscripts have trauersed. aȝeines his lawe But lyueth as his lawe techeth · and leueth þere be no bettere And if þere were he wolde amende · and in suche wille deyeth Ne wolde neuere trewe god · but treuth were allowed And where it worth or worth nouȝt · þe bileue is grete of treuth And an hope hangyng þer-inne · to haue a Mede for his treuth For deus dicitur quasi dans vitam eternam · suis hoc est fidelibus et alibi si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis Þe glose graunteth vpon þat vers · a gret mede to treuthe And witt and wisdome quod þat wye · was somme-tyme tresore To kepe with a comune · no katel was holde bettere And moche murth and manhod · and riȝt with þat he vanesched