The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 13William 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 xiijusPassus terciodecimusa AndL.13.1: The ornamental capital <A> is eight lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide-letter <a> is obscured by the flourishes. I awaked þere-with · witles nerehande And as a freke þat fre were · forth gan I walke In manere of a mendynaunt · many a ȝere after And of þis metyng many tyme · moche þouȝt I hadde First how fortune me failled · at my moste nede And how þat elde manaced me · myȝt we euere meten And how þat freris folwed · folke þat was riche And folke þat was pore · at litel prys þei sette And no corps in her kirkeȝerde · ne in her kyrke was buryed But quikke he biquethe hem auȝte · or shulde helpe quyte her dettes And how þis coueitise ouercome · clerkes and prestes And how þat lewed men ben ladde · but owre lorde hem helpe Þorugh vnkonnyng curatoures · to incurable peynes And how þat ymagynatyf · in dremeles me tolde Of kynde and of his connyng · and how curteise he is to bestes And how louynge he is to bestes · on londe and on water Leneth he no lyf · lasse ne more Þe creatures þat crepen · of kynde ben engendred And sitthen how ymagynatif seyde vix iustus saluabitur And whan he had seyde so · how sodeynelich he passed I lay down longe in þis þouȝte · and atte laste I slepte And as cryste wolde þere come conscience · to conforte me þat tyme And bad me come to his courte · with clergye sholde I dyne And for conscience of clergye spake · I come wel þe rather And þere I say a maistre · what man he was I neste Þat lowe louted · and loueliche to scripture Conscience knewe hym wel · and welcomed hym faire Þei wesshen and wypeden · and wenten to þe dyner Ac pacience in þe paleis stode in pilgrymes clothes And preyde mete for charite · for a pore heremyte Conscience called hym in · and curteisliche seide Welcome wy..el ȝewyeL.13.32: The last two letters of wyel have been written over an erasure and ȝe after it supralinearly in the same hand. This is a mistake for correct, and probably original wye. go and wasshe · þow shalt sitte sone Þis maister was made sitte · as for þe moste worthy And þanne clergye and conscience · and pacience cam after Pacience and I were put to be macches And seten by owre-selue at a syde borde Conscience called after mete · and þanne cam scripture And serued hem þus sone · of sondry metes manye Of austyn of ambrose · of alle þe foure euangelistes Edentes & bibentes · que apud eos sunt Ac þis maister ne his man · no manere flessh eten Ac þei ete mete of more coste · mortrewes and potages Of þat men mys-wonne · þei made hem wel at ese Ac her sauce was ouer soure · & vnsauourely grounde In a morter post mortem · of many bitter peyne But if þei synge for þo soules · and wepe salt terescontra sacerdotes Vos qui peccata hominum comeditis nisi pro eis lacrimas & oraciones effunderitis · ea que in delicijs comeditis · in tormentis euometisL.13.47: The words contra sacerdotes appear in the right margin as well as a cross under con-.+ Conscience forfulL.13.48: L alone reads for in place of the marginally supplied ful; other B manuscripts either omit it or have ful. The corrector had marked the line with his usual <+> and underlined for. He or another hand supplied ful in the left margin in a lighter ink than the text. Kane and Donaldson suggest tentatively that the word for may have been written over an erasure, but we see no evidence to support that suggestion. curteisly þo · comaunded scripture Bifor pacience bred to brynge · and me þat was his macche He sette a soure lof to-for vs · and seyde agite penitenciam And sith he drough vs drynke · dia perseuerans As longe quod I as I lyue · and lycame may dure Here is propre seruice quod pacience · þer fareth no prynce bettere And þanne he brouȝt vsL.13.54: LMWR alone read vs; all other B witnesses omit it. forth a mees of other mete  of MiserrereMise[r]ere mei deus And he brouȝte vs of Beati quorum of beatus virres makyng Et quorum tecta sunt peccata in a dissh Of derne shrifte dixi and confitebor tibi Brynge pacience some pitaunce · pryueliche quod conscience And þanne had pacience a pitaunce pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus in tempore oportuno And conscience conforted vs · and carped vs mery tales Cor contritum & humiliatum deus non despicies Pacience was proude of þat propre seruice And made hym muirth with his mete · ac I morned euere For þis doctoure on þe heigh dese · dranke wyn so faste Ve vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum He eet many sondry metes · mortrewes and puddynges Wombe cloutes and wylde braune · & egges y-fryed with grece Þanne seide I to my-self so · pacience it herde It is nouȝt foure dayes · þat þis freke · bifor þe den of poules Preched of penaunces · þat poule þe apostle suffred In fame & frigore · and flappes of scourges Ter cesus sum & a iudeis quinquies quadragenas &c · Ac o worde þei ouerhuppen · at ech aL.13.73: LMWR read a; all other B manuscripts omit it. tyme þat þei preche Þat poule in his pistel · to al þe peple tolde Periculum est in falsis fratribus holywrit bit men be war · I wil nouȝt write it here On englisch an auenture · it sholde be reherced to ofte And greue þere-with þat good men benL.13.78: LRF alone read þat good men ben; other B manuscripts read either þat goode beene or just goode men. · ac gramarienes shul rede ...?...?...Vnusquisque a fratre se custodiat quia vt diciturL.13.79: The first half of the line has been erased and written over in black ink by a later hand, dating to s. xvii at the earliest. The addition accords with the readings of other B witnesses. periculum est in falsis fratribus Ac I wist neuere freke þat as a frere ȝede · bifor men on englissh Taken it for her teme · and telle it with-outen glosynge L.13.82: This line and the next are marked in the left margin with two distinct dots one under the other like a colon in text brown ink. A nota (or perhaps the corrector's <+>?) near them may have been scraped. Þei prechen þat penu(?)aunce is · profitable to þe soule And what myschief and malese · cryst for man tholed Ac þis goddes gloton quod I · with his gret chekes Hath no pyte on vs pore · he perforneth yuel Þat he precheth he preueth nouȝt · to pacience I tolde+ And wisshed witterly · with wille forL.13.87: Although incorrect for before egre was not erased, the corrector who added ful in the right margin and scraped the corrector's <+> presumably intended replacement in keeping with other B witnesses. ful egre Þat disshes aL.13.88: L alone has written a, "and," in place of the full form and found in all other B witnesses. dobleres · bifor þis ilke doctour Were moltoun led in his maw · and Mahoun amyddes I shal iangle to þis Iurdan · with his iust wombe To telle me what penaunce is · of which he preched rather Pacience parceyued what I thouȝt · and wynked on me to be stille And seyde þow shaltL.13.93: A contemporary hand, perhaps the original scribe's though with a thinner nib than usual, has written the correction in the right margin. The ink is much more pale than the text. se þus sone · whan he may no more He shal haue a penaunce in his paunche · and puffe at ech a worde And þanne shullen his guttis godeleL.13.95: LR alone contain the spelling godele; the majority of other B manuscripts have goþele. Cf. L.5.351 above. · and he shal galpen after For now he hath dronken so depe · he wil deuyne sone And preuen it by her pocalips · and passioun of seynt Auereys Þat neither bacoun ne braune · blanmangere ne mortrewes Is noither fisshe noL.13.99: L alone reads no; most other B witnesses have ne. flesshe · but fode for a penaunte And þanne shal he testifye of a trinitee · and take his felawe to witnesse What he fonde in a freyel · after a freres lyuyng And but if þe fyrst lyne be lesyng · leue me neuere after And þanne is tyme to take · and to appose þis doctoure Of dowel and of dobet · and if dobetst be any penaunce And I sete stille as pacience seyde · and þus sone þis doctour As rody as a rose · rubbed his chekes Coughed and carped · and conscience hym herde And tolde hym of a trinite · and toward vs he loked What is dowel sire doctour quod I · is dowel any penaunce Dowel quod þis doctour · and toke þe cuppe and dranke Do non yuel to þine euenecrystene · nouȝt by þi powere By þis day sire doctour quod I þanne be ȝe nouȝt in dowel For ȝe han harmed vs two · in þat ȝe eten þe puddyng Mortrewes and other mete · and we no mussel hade And if ȝe fare so in ȝowre fermorie · ferly me þinketh But chest be þere charite shulde be · & ȝonge childern dorste pleyne I wolde permute my penaunce with ȝowre · for I am in poynte to dowel Þanne conscience curteisliche · a contenaunce he made And preynte vpon pacience · to preie me to be stille And seyde hym-self sire doctour · and it be ȝowre wille What is dowel and dobet · ȝe deuynours knoweth Dowel quod þis doctour · do as clerkes techethdoe well doe better doe best And dobet is he þat techeth · and trauailleth to teche otherL.13.123: A sixteenth-century secretary hand has written in the right margin the words doe well doe better doe best. They are written over an erasure of a fifteenth-century gloss, now mainly illegible; the word beste is all that can be seen through the erasure and overwriting. A bracket appears to have been erased as well. And dobest doth hym-self so · as he seith & precheth Qui facit et docuerit magnus vocabitur in regno celorum Now þow clergye quod conscience carpest what is dowel I haue seueneL.13.127: Like the original L scribe, R omits seuene. sones he seyde · seruen in a castel Þere þe lorde of lyf wonyeth · to leren hymL.13.128: LMR have hym; Other B witnesses either have hem or omit the word altogether. what is dowel Til I se þo seuene · and my-self acorden I am vnhardy quod he · to any wyȝt to preue it For one pieres þe ploughman hath inpugned vs alle And sette alle sciences at a soppe · saue loue one And no tixte ne taketh to meyntene his cause But dilige deum · and domine quis habitabit &c And seith þat dowel and dobet aren two infinites Whiche infinites with a feith fynden oute dobest Which shal saue mannes soule · þus seith piers þe ploughman I can nouȝt her-on quod conscience · ac I knowe wel pieres He wil nouȝt aȝein holy writ speken · I dar wel vndertake Þanne passe we ouer til piers come · and preue þis in dede Pacience hath be in many place · and par-auntre cnoweth Þat no clerke ne can · as cryst bereth witnesse Pacientes vincunt &c Ac ȝowre preyere quod pacyence þo · so no man displese hymdisce / doce / et dilige Disce quod he doce · dilige inimicos Disce and dowel · / doce / & dobet Dilige / and dobest · þus tauȝte me ones A lemman þat I loued · loue was hir name With wordes and with werkes quod she · and wille of þyne herte Þow loue lelly þi soule al þi lyf-tyme And so þow lere þe to louye · for þe lordes loue of heuene Þine enemye in al wyse · euene-forth with þi-selue Cast coles on his hed · and al kynde speche Bothe with werkes and with wordes fonde his loue to wynne And lay on hym þus with loue · til he laghe on þe And but he bowe for þis betyng blynde mote he worthe Ac for to fare þus with þi frende · foly it were For he þat loueth þe lelly · lyteL.13.158: LR alone read lyte; other B manuscripts have litel. of þyne coueiteth Kynde loue coueiteth nouȝte · no catel but speche With half a laumpe lyne in latyne · ex vi transicionis I bere þere-inne aboute · fast ybounde dowelL.13.161-165: A box-style bracket in rubricator's red refers this whole line group to the gloss solucio. In a signe of þe saterday · þat sette firste þe kalendaresolucio And al þe witte of þe wednesday · of þe nexte wyke after Þe myddel of þe mone is þe miȝte of bothe And here-with am I welcome · þere I haue it with me Vndo it late þis doctour sendeme · if dowel be þer-inne/ For bi hym þat me made · miȝte neuere pouerte Miseise ne myschief ne man with his tonge Colde ne care ne compaignye of theues Ne noither hete ne haille · ne non helle pouke Ne noither fuire ne flode · ne fere of þine enemy Tene þe eny tyme · and þow take it with þe Caritas nichil timet L.13.174: 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. ¶ It is but a dido quod þis doctour · a dysoures tale Al þe witt of þis worlde · and wiȝte mennes strengthe Can nouȝt confourmen a pees · bytwene þe pope and his enemys Ne bitwene two cristene kynges · can no wiȝte pees make Profitable to ayther peple · and put þe table fro hym And toke clergye and conscience · to conseille as it were Þat pacience þo moste passe · for pilgrimes kunne wel lye Ac conscience carped loude and curteislich seide Frendes fareth wel · and faire spake to clergye For I wil go with þis gome · if god wil ȝiue me grace And be pilgryme with pacience · til I haue proued more What quod clergye to conscience · ar ȝe coueitouse nouthe After ȝeresȝyues or ȝiftes · or ȝernen to rede redeles I shal brynge ȝow a bible · a boke of þe olde lawe And lere ȝow if ȝow lyke · þe leest poynte to knowe Þat pacience þe pilgryme · parfitly knewe neuere Nay bi cryste quod conscience to clergye god þe forȝelde For al þat pacience me profreth · proude am I litel Ac þe wille of þe wye · and þe wille folke hereL.13.192: This b-verse caused scribes some trouble. LBCR omit of, and it is added above the line in M. Hath moeued my mode · to mourne for my synnes Þe good wille of a wiȝte · was neure bouȝte to þe fulle For þere nysL.13.195: LWR alone read nys; all other B manuscripts have is. no tresore þerto · to a trewe wille Haued nouȝt Magdeleigne more · for a boxe of salue Þan zacheus for he seide · dimidium bonorum meorum do pauperibus And þe pore widwe for a peire of mytes Þan alle þo that offreden · in-to gazafilacium Þus curteislich conscience · congeyde fyrst þe Frere And sithen softliche he seyde · in clergyes ere Me were leuer by owre lorde · and I lyue shulde Haue pacience parfitlich · þan half þi pakke of bokes Clergye to conscience · no congeye wolde take But seide ful sobreliche · þow shalt se þe tyme Whan þow art wery for-walked · wilne me to consaille Þat is soth seyde conscience · so me god helpe If pacience be owre partyng felawe · and pryue with vs bothe There nys wo in þis worlde · þat we ne shulde amende And confourmen Kynges to pees · and al-kynnes londes · Sarasenes and surre · and so forth alle þe iewes · Turne in-to þe trewe feith · and in-til one byleue Þat is soth quod clergye · I se what þow menest I shal dwelle as I do · my deuore to shewen And confermen fauntekynes · and other folke ylered Tyl pacience haue preued þe · and parfite þe maked Conscience þo with pacience passed · pilgrymes as it were Þanne had pacience as pylgrymes han · in his poke vittailles Sobrete and symple speche · and sothfaste byleue To conforte hym and conscience · if þey come in place Þere vnkyndenesse and coueytise is · hungrye contrees bothe And as þei went by þe weye · of dowel þei carped Þei mette with a mynstral · as me þo þouȝte Pacience apposed hym fyrste · and preyed hymL.13.224: LMRF alone read hym; other B manuscripts omit it. he sholde hem telle To conscience what crafte he couthe · an to what contree he wolde I am a mynstral quod þat man · my name is actiua vita Alle ydel ich hatye · for of actyf is my name A wafrere wil ȝe wite · and serue many lordes And fewe robes I fonge · or furred gounes Couthe I lye to do men laughe · þanne lacchen I shulde Other mantel or money amonges lordes mynstralles Ac for I can noither tabre ne trompe · ne telle none gestes Farten ne fythelen at festes ne harpen Iape ne iogly · ne gentlych pype Ne noyther sailly ne saute · ne synge with þe gyterne I haue none gode gyftes · of þise grete lordes · For no bred þat I brynge forth · saue a beneson on þe sonday Whan þe prest preyeth þe peple · her pater noster to bidde For peres þe plowman · and þat hym profite wayten And þat am I actyf · þat ydelnesse hatye For alle trewe trauaillours · and tilieres of þe erthe Fro mychelmesse to mychelmesse · I fynde hem with wafres Beggeres and bidderes · of my bred crauen Faitoures and freres · and folke with brode crounes I fynde payne for þe pope · and prouendre for his palfrey And I hadde neuere of hym · haue god my treuthe Noither prouendre ne parsonage · ȝut of the popis ȝifte Saue a pardoun with a peys of led · and two pollis amydde Hadde iche a clerke þat couthe write · I wolde caste hym a bille Þat he sent me vnder his seel · a salue for þe pestilence And þat his blessyng & his bulles · bocches miȝte destroye In nomine meo demonia eiciunteicient & super egros manus imponent & bene habebunt And þanne wolde I be prest to peple · paste for to make And buxome and busy aboute bred and drynke For hym and for alle his · fonde I þat his pardoun Miȝte lechen a man · as I bileue it shulde For sith he hath þe powere · þat peter hym-self hadde He hath þe potte with þe salue · sothly as me þinketh Argentum & aurum non est michi quod autem habeo tibi do in nomine domini surge & ambula Ac if miȝte of miracle hym faille · it is for men ben nouȝt worthy To haue þe grace of god · & no gylte of þe pope For may no blyssyng done vs bote · but if we wil amende Ne mannes masse make pees · amonges cristene peple Tyl pruyde be purelich fordo · and þat þourgh payn defaute For ar I haue bred of mele · ofte mote I swete And ar þe comune haue corne ynough · many a colde mornyng So ar my wafres ben ywrouȝt · moche wo I tholye Alle Londoun I leue · liketh wel my wafres And lowren whan þei lakken it · it is nouȝt longe ypassed Þere was a carful comune · whan no carte come to toune With bred fro stretforth · þo gan beggeres wepe And werkmen were agaste a litel · þis wil be þouȝte longe In þe date of owre dryȝte · in a drye apprile A þousande and thre hondreth · tweis threttyL.13.274: LR alone read thretty; other B manuscripts have twenty. & tennota My wafres þere were gesen · whan chichestre was Maire I toke gode kepe by cryst · and conscience bothe Of haukyn þe actyf man · and how he was yclothed He hadde a cote of crystendome · as holykirke bileueth Ac it was moled in many places · with many sondri plottes Of pruyde here a plotte · and þere a plotte of vnboxome speche Of scornyng and of scoffyng · and of vnskilful berynge As in aparaille and in porte · proude amonges þe peple Otherwyse þan he hath · with herte or syȝte shewynge Hym willynge þat alle men wende · he were þat he is nouȝte For-why he bosteth and braggeth · with many bolde othes And in-obedient to ben vndernome · of any lyf lyuyng And so syngulere by hym-self · as to syȝte of þe poepleL.13.287-88: L and alpha alone have two lines here. Other beta witnesses have variants of And noon so singuler by hym-self · ne so pope-holy. Was none suche as hym-self · ne none so pompe-holyL.13.288: LHmW alone read pompe holy; other B manuscripts have pope holy. Yhabited as an hermyte · an ordre by hym-selue Religioun sanz reule · and resonable obedience Lakkyng lettred men · and lewed men bothe In lykyng of lele lyf · and a lyer in soule With Inwit and with outwitt · ymagenen and studye As best for his body be · to haue ......a baddeL.13.294: All beta manuscripts read badde; alpha has bolde. This is of some interest in light of the fact that badde is written over an erasure here. The original is not legible. Manipulation of the image in Photoshop 6.0 shows the final letter was an <e>. name And entermeten hym ouer al · þer he hath nouȝt to done Wilnyng þat men wende · his witte were þe best+ And if he gyueth ouȝte pore gomesL.13.297: LR omit to, attested in most B manuscripts, before pore gomes. The corrector's larger than usual <+> in the right margin was perhaps intended to call attention to both this line and the next. · telle what he deleth Pore of possessioun in purse · and in coffreL.13.298: LR alone omit boþe after coffre(s). The corrector has marked the omission with a marginal <+>. This is perhaps another instance in which the corrector and original scribe worked from different exemplars. And as a lyon on to loke · and lordeliche of speche Baldest of beggeres a bostour þat nouȝt hath In towne and in tauernes · tales to telle And segge þinge þat he neuere seigh · and for soth sweren it Of dedes þat he he neuere dyd · demen and bosten And of werkes þat he wel dyd · witnesse and seggen Lo if ȝe leue me nouȝt · or þat I lye wenen Axeth at hym or at hym · and he ȝow can telle What I suffred and seighe · and some-tymes hadde And what I couth and knewe · and what kynne I come of Al he wolde þat men wiste of werkes and of wordes Which myȝte plese þe peple · and praysen hym-seluen Si hominibus placerem cristi seruus non essem Et alibi nemo potest duobus dominis seruire Bi criste quod conscience þo · þi best cote haukyn Hath many moles and spottes · it moste ben ywassh Ȝe who-so toke hede quod haukyn · byhynde and bifore What on bakke and what on bodyhalf · & by þe two sydes Men sholde fynde many frounces · and many foule plottes L.13.318: 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. ¶ And he torned hym as tyte · and þanne toke I hede It was fouler by felefolde · þan it firste semed It was bidropped with wratthe · and wikked wille With enuye and yuel speche entysyng to fyȝte Lyinge and laughynge · and leue tonge to chyde Al þat he wist wykked · by any wiȝte tellen it And blame men bihynde her bakke · and bydden hem meschaunce And þat he wist bi wille · tellen it watte And þat watte wiste · wille wiste it after And made of frendes foes · þorugh a false tonge Or with myȝte of mouthe or þorugh mannes strengthe Auenge me fele tymes · other frete my-selue Wyth-inne as a shepster shere · I-shrewed men & cursed Cuius maledictione os plenum est & amaritudine sub lingua eius labor & dolor & alibi filij hominum dentes eorum arma & sagitte & lingua eorum gladius acutus Þere is no lyf þat I louye · lastyng any while For tales þat I telle · no man trusteth to me And whan I may nouȝt haue þe maistrye · with malencolye I takeL.13.335: The spelling is ambiguous. Kane and Donaldson interpret the form as a past participle, and Schmidt takes it to be a finite verb. Þat I cacche þe crompe · þe cardiacle some-tyme Or an ague in suche an angre · and some-tyme a feure Þat taketh me al a twelf-moneth · tyl þat I dispyse+ Lechecrafte orL.13.339: LR alone read or, prompting the corrector's marginal <+>. Most other B manuscripts have of. owre lorde · and leue on a wicche And segge þat no clerke ne can · ne cryste as I leue To þe souter of southwerke · or of shordyche dame emme And segge þat no goddes worde · gaf me neuere bote But þorw a charme had I chaunce · & my chief hele I wayted wisloker · and þanne was it soiled With lykyng of lecherye · as by lokyng of his eyefor eche a mayde þat he mette For vche a mayde þat he mette · he made hir a signe Semynge to synne-ward · and some-tyme he gan taste Aboute þe mouth or bynethe · bygynneth to grope Tyl eytheres wille waxeth kene · and to þe werke ȝeden As wel in fastyng-days & frydayes · and forboden nyȝtes And as wel in lente as oute of lente · alle tymes ylyche Suche werkes with hem · wasL.13.352: L alone reads was; most other B manuscripts have were. neuere oute of sesoun Tyl þei myȝte namore · and þanne had merye tales And how þat lechoures louyen · lauȝen an iapen And of her harlotrye and horedome · in her elde tellen Thanne pacience parceyued of poyntes hisL.13.356: LR alone read his; other B manuscripts have off hys or of þis. cote+ Was colmy þorw coueityse · and vkyndev[n]kyndeL.13.357: The corrector's marginal <+> indicates that he caught the omission of the first <n> from vnkynde, which was nevertheless not corrected by the scribe. desyrynge More to good þan to god · þe gome his loue caste And ymagyned how · he it myȝte haue With false mesures and mette · and with false witnesse Lened for loue of þe wedde · and loth to do treuthe And awaited þorwgh which wey to bigile And menged his marchaundyse · and made a gode moustre Þe worste with-in was · a gret witte I lete hit And if my neighbore had any hyne · or any beste elles More profitable þan myne · many sleightes I made How I myȝte haue it · al my witte I caste And but I it hadL.13.368: LMW (and C manuscripts XYcJcUcDcVcAcScFcKc) read it had, while HmY (and C manuscripts P2PEcRcMcNc) have hadde it and F has yt. Most B manuscripts only record hadde. by other waye · atte laste I stale it Or pryuiliche his purse shoke · vnpiked his lokkes Or by nyȝt or by day · aboute was ich euere Þorwgh gyle to gadren þe good þat ich haue Ȝif I ȝede to þe plow · I pynched so narwe Þat a fote londe or a forwe · fecchen I wolde Of my nexte neighbore · nymen of his erthe+ And ifif [I]L.13.375: A marginal corrector's <+> notes L's omission of I after if. rope ouer-reche · or ȝaf hem red þat ropen To seise to me with her sykel · þat I ne sewe neure And who-so borweth of me · abouteL.13.377: LCr3GR read aboute; most other B manuscripts have the more appropriate reading abouȝte. þe tyme With presentes priueliche · or payed somme certeyne So walde he or nouȝt wolde heL.13.379: LCr1HmM have nouȝt wolde he; most B witnesses have either noȝt wolde or he nolde. · wynnen I wolde And bothe to kyth and to kyn · vnkynde of þat ich hadde And who-so cheped my chaffare · chiden I wolde But he profred to paye · a peny or tweyne More þan it was worth · and ȝet wolde I swere Þat it coste me moche more · swore manye othes In halydayes at holicherche · whan ich herde masse+ HaddeL.13.386: LR alone omit I after Hadde. The omission prompted the corrector's marginal <+>. neuere wille wot god · witterly to biseche Mercye for my mysdedes · þat I ne morned more For losse of gode leue me · þan for my lykames giltes As if I had dedly synne done · I dred nouȝt þat so sore As when I lened and leued it lost · or longe ar it were payed So if I kydde any kyndenesse · myn euen-cristene to helpe Vpon a cruel coueityse · myn herte gan hange And if I sent ouer-see · my seruauntz to Bruges Or in-to Pruslonde my prentys · my profit to wayten To marchaunden with monoye · and maken her eschaunges Miȝte neuere me conforte · in þe mene-tyme Noither messe ne matynes · ne none manere siȝtes Ne neuere penaunce perfourned · ne pater noster seyde Þat my mynde ne was more · on my gode in a doute Þan in þe grace of god · and his grete helpes Vbi thesaurus tuus · ibi & cor tuum Which ben þe braunches · þat bryngeth a man to sleuth His woman morneth nouȝte for his mysdedes · ne maketh no sorwe Ac penaunce þat þe prest enioigneth · perfourneth yuel Doth none almes-dede · dret hym of no synne Lyueth aȝein þe bileue · and no lawe holdeth Vch day is haliday with hym · or an heigh ferye And if he auȝte wole here · it is an harlotes tonge Whan men carpeth of cryst · or of clennesse of soule He wexeth wroth & wil nouȝte here · but wordes of myrthe Penaunce and pore men · and þe passioun of seyntes He hateth to here þere-of · and alle þat it telleth Þise ben þe braunches beth war · þat bryngeth a man to wanhope Ȝe lordes and ladyes · and legates of holicherche Þat fedeth foles sages · flatereres and lyeres And han likynge to lythen hem · to do ȝow to lawghe Ve vobis qui ridetis &c And ȝiueth hem mete and Mede · and pore men refuse In ȝowre deth-deyinge · I drede me ful sore Lest þo thre maner men · to moche sorwe ȝow brynge Consencientes & agentes pari pena punientur Patriarkes & prophetes · and prechoures of goddes wordes Sauen þorw her sarmoun · mannes soule fram helle+ Riȝt so flateresL.13.424: A corrector's <+> appears in the left margin, perhaps objecting to the spelling flateres (from OF flateor, flatour), although he does not mark this spelling where it occurs elsewhere, as it does again on this page eight lines below. F also at this point reads flaterys, but most other B witnesses, including R, have flatereres. and foles · aren þe fendes disciples To entice men þorw her tales to synne and harlotrye Ac clerkes þat knowen holywryt · shulde kenne lordes What dauid seith of suche men · as þe sauter telleth Non habitabit in medio domus mee · qui facit superbiam & qui loquitur iniqua Shulde none harlote haue audience · in halle ne in chambres Þere wise men were · witnesseth goddes wordes Ne no mysproude man · amonges lordes ben allowed Ac flateres and foles þorw her foule wordes Leden þo þat louen hem · to luciferes feste With turpiloquio a lay of sorwe · and luciferes fithele Thus haukyn þe actyf man · hadde ysoiled his cote Til conscience acouped hym þere-of · in a curteise manere Whi he ne hadde wasshen it · or wyped it with a brusshe