The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L)

The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 16William 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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2004

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 Valuesbrbrown inkabanglicana bastardaititaliclcLombard Capo[number]ornamented capital, N lines highrbrubricatedtrtouched in redtxtexturaulunderlinedurunderlined in redgrgreen inkblblue ink

LatinFrenchGerman2003 Editor Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and structure reorganized. passus xvjus & primus de dobetPassus xvjusSextus Decimus & primus de dobetn NowL.16.1: The ornamental capital <N> is six lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide-letter <n> appears in the left margin. faire falle ȝow quod I þo · for ȝowre faire shewynge For haukynnes loue þe actyf man euere I shal ȝow louye Ac ȝet I am in a were · what charite is to mene ¶ It is a ful trye tree quod he · trewly to telle · Mercy is þe more þer-of · þe myddel stokke is reuthecharitas Þe leues ben lele wordes · þe lawe of holychercheL.16.6: A later scribe has written charitas in the right margin. Þe blosmes beth boxome speche · and benygne lokynge Pacience hatte þe pure tre · and poreL.16.8: LRF read pore against the majority of B manuscripts that have pure. symple of herte And so þorw god and þorwL.16.9: LMW have this þorw; most B witnesses omit it. good men · groweth þe frute charite ¶ I wolde trauaille quod I þis tree to se · twenty hundreth myleid est edulium And forto haue my fylle of þat frute · forsake al other soauleeL.16.11: The <a> is converted from <o> and the final <e> added. Cot and R both have soule here, L's original reading. Lorde quod I if any wiȝte wyte · whider oute it groweth ¶ It groweth in gardyneL.16.13: L alone omits a before gardyne. quod he · þat god made hym-seluen Amyddes mannes body · þe more is of þat stokke Herte hatte þe erber · þat it in groweth And liberum arbitrium · hath þe londe to ferme Vnder Piers þe plowman · to pyken it · and to weden it Piers þe plowman quod I þo · and al for pure ioye Þat I herde nempne his name · anone I swouned after And laye longe in a loue-dreme · and atte laste me þouȝte Þat Pieres þe plowman · al þe place me shewed And bad me toten on þe tree · on toppe and on rote With þre pyles was it vnder-piȝte · I perceyued it sone Pieres quod I · I preye þe · whi stonde þise piles here ¶ For wyndes wiltow wyte quod he · to witen it fram fallyng Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur · quia dominus supponit manum suamL.16.26-27: These two lines are bracketed in the left margin. And in blowyng tyme abite þe floures · but if þis piles helpe Þe worlde is a wykked wynde · to hem þat woldenL.16.28: L alone reads wolden; most other B manuscripts have willen. treuthe Coueityse cometh of þat wynde · and crepeth amonge þe leues And forfret neigh þe frute · þorw many faire siȝtes Þanne with þe firste pyle · I palle hym down · þat is potencia dei patris Þe flesshe is a fel wynde · and in flourynge tyme Þorw lykyng and lustes · so loude he gynneth blowe Þat it norissheth nice siȝtes · and some-tyme wordes And wikked werkes þer-of · wormes of synne And forbiteth þe blosmes · riȝt to þe bare leues ¶ Þanne sette I to þe secounde pile · sapiencia dei patris Þat is þe passioun and þe power · of owre prynce Ihesu Þorw preyeres and þorw penaunces · and goddes passioun in mynde I saue it til I se it rypen · & somdel yfruited And þanne fondeth þe fende · my fruit to destruye With alle þe wyles þat he can · and waggeth þe rote And casteth vp to þe croppe · vnkynde neighbores L.16.44-46: These three lines are written in the space for two by the original scribe over an erasure; nothing shows under ultraviolet light. ~~...?...?...~~Bakbiteres breke-cheste · brawleres and chideres ~~...?...?...~~And leith a laddre þere-to · of lesynges aren þe ronges ~~...?...?...~~And feccheth away my floures sumtyme · afor bothe myn eyhen Ac liberum arbitrium · letteth hym some-tyme Þat is lieutenant to loken it wel · by leue of my-selue Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum numquam remittetur &c Hoc est idem qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat · Ac whan þe fende and þe flesshe · forth with þe worlde Manasen byhynde me · my fruit for to fecche Þanne liberum arbitrium laccheth þe thriddeL.16.53: LRF (and most C manuscripts) read thridde; all other B witnesses have firste instead. plante And palleth adown þe pouke · purelich þorw grace And helpe of þe holy goste · and þus haue I þe maystrie ¶ Now faire falle ȝow Pieres quod I · so faire ȝe discryuen Þe powere of þis postes · and her propre myȝte Ac I haue þouȝtes a threve · of þis þre piles In what wode þei woxen · and where þat þei growed For alle ar þei aliche longe · none lasse þan other And to my mynde as me þinketh · on o More þei growed And of o gretnesse · and grene of greyne þei semen ¶ Þat is soth seideL.16.63: LRF alone read seide; other B manuscripts have quod. Pieres so it may bifalle I shal telle þe as tite · what þis tree hatte Þe grounde þere it groweth · goodnesse it hiȝte And I haue tolde þe what hiȝte þe tree · þe trinite it meneth And egrelich he loked on me · & þer-fore I spared To asken hym any more ther-of · and badde hym ful fayre To discreue þe fruit  þat so faire hangeth ¶ Here now bineth quod he þo · if I nede hadde Matrymonye I may nyme · a moiste fruit with-alle Þanne contenence is nerreL.16.72: L alone has the comparative form here. All other manuscripts have neer. þe croppe · as calwey bastarde Þanne bereth þe croppe kynde fruite · and clenneste of alle Maydenhode angeles peres · and rathest wole be ripe And swete with-oute swellyng · soure worth it neuere ¶ I prayed pieres to pulle adown · an apple and he wolde And suffre me to assaye · what sauoure it hadde ¶ And pieres caste to þe croppe · and þanne comsed it to crye And wagged wydwehode · and it wepte after And whan it meued Matrimoigne · it made a foule noyse Þat I had reuth whan Piers rogged · it gradde so reufulliche For euere as þei dropped adown · þe deuel was redy And gadred hem alle togideres · bothe grete and smale Adam & abraham · and ysay þe prophete Sampson and samuel · and seynt Iohan þe baptiste Bar hem forth boldely · no-body hym letted And made of holy men his horde · in lymbo inferni There is derkenesse and drede · and þe deuel Maister ¶ And Pieres for pure tene · þat o pile he lauȝte And hitte after hym · happe how .itL.16.90: One character has been erased before it, possibly an <l> or <b>. myȝte Filius bi þe fader wille · and frenesse of spiritus sancti To go robbe þat raggeman · and reue þe fruit fro hym ¶ And þanne spakke spiritus sanctus · in Gabrieles mouthe To a mayde þat hiȝte Marye · a meke þinge with-alle Þat one Ihesus a iustice sone · moste iouke in her chambre Tyl plenitudo temporis · fully comen were Þat Pieres fruit floured · and fel to be ripe And þanne shulde Ihesus iuste þere-fore · bi iuggement of armes Whether shulde fonde þe fruit · þe fende or hym-selue ¶ Þe mayde myldeliche þo · þe messager graunted And seyde hendelich to hym · lo me his hande-mayden For to worchen his wille · with-outen any synne Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi &c And in þe wombe of þat wenche · was he fourty wokes Tyl he wex a faunt þorw her flessh · and of fiȝtyng couthe To haue yfouȝte with þe fende · ar ful tyme come And Pieres þe plowman · parceyued plenere tyme And lered hym lechecrafte · his lyf for to saue Þat þowgh he were wounded · with his enemye L.16.109: The punctus elevatus is perhaps added after the initial writing. to warisshe hym-self And did hym assaye his surgerye · on hem þat syke were Til he was parfit practisoure · ofL.16.111: L alone reads of; all other B manuscripts have if. any peril fulle And souȝte oute þe syke · and synful bothe And salued syke and synful · bothe blynde & crokede And comune wommen conuerted · and to good torned Non est sanis opus medicus set in &c Bothe meseles & mute · and in þe menysoun blody Ofte he heled suche · he ne helde for no maistrye Saue þo he leched laza.r þat hadde yleye in graue Quatriduanus quelt · quykke did hym walke Ac as he made þe maistrye · mestus cepit esse And wepte water with his eyghen · þere seyen it manye Some þat þe siȝte seyne · saide þat tyme Þat he was leche of lyf · and lorde of heigh heuene Iewes iangeled þere-aȝeyne · and iugged lawes And seide he wrouȝte þorw wicchecrafte · & with þe deueles miȝte Demonium habes &c ¶ Þanne ar ȝe cherles quod ich · and ȝowre children bothe And sathan ȝowre saueoure · ȝow-selue now ȝe witnessen For I haue saued ȝow-self seith cryst · and ȝowre sones after Ȝowre bodyes ȝowre bestes · and blynde men holpen And fedde ȝow with fisshes · and with fyue loues And left baskettes ful of broke mete · bere awey who-so wolde And mysseide þe iewes manliche and manaced hem to bete And knokked on hem with a corde · and caste adown her stalles Þat in cherche chaffareden · or chaungeden any moneye And seyde it in siȝte of hem alle · so þat alle herden I shal ouertourne þis temple · and adown throwe And in thre dayes after · edifye it newe And make it as moche other more · in alle manere poyntes As euere it was and as wyde · wher-fore I hote ȝow Of preyeres and of parfitnesse · þis place þat ȝe callen Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur Enuye and yuel wille · was in þe iewes Thei casten & contreueden · to kulle hym whan þei miȝte Vche daye after other · þeire tyme þei awaited Til it bifel on a fryday · alitela litel bifor Paske Þe þorsday byfore þere he made his maundee Sittyng atte sopere · he seide þise wordes I am solde þorw one of ȝow · he shal þe tyme rewe Þat euere he his saueoure solde · for syluer or elles ¶ Iudas iangeled þere-aȝein · ac Ihesus hym tolde It was hymhym[self]L.16.152: L alone omits alliterating self after hym, but it is added above the line in M. sothely · and seide tu dicis Þanne went forth þat wikked man · and with þe iewes mette And tolde hem a tokne how to knowe with ihesus And which tokne to þis day · to moche is yvsed Þat is kissyng and faire contenaunce · & vnkynde wille And so was with iudas þo · þat Ihesus bytrayed Aue raby quod þat ribaude · and riȝt to hym he ȝede And kiste hym to be cauȝt þere-by · and kulled of þe iewes ¶ Þanne Ihesus to Iudas · and to þe iewes seyde Falsenesse I fynde · in þi faire speche And gyle in þi gladde chere · and galle is in þi lawghyng Þow shalt be myroure to manye men to deceyue Ac þe wors and þi wikkednesse · shal worth vpon þi-selue Necesse est vt veniant scandala · ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit Þow I bi tresoun be ytake · at ȝowre owne wille Suffreth my postlesL.16.167: LR alone read postles; other B manuscripts have Apostles. in pays · & in pees gange On a thoresday in thesternesse · þus was he taken Þorw iudas and iewes · ihesus was his name Þat on þe fryday folwynge · for mankynde sake Iusted in ierusalem · a ioye to vs alle On crosse vpon caluarye · cryst toke þe bataille Aȝeines deth and þe deuel · destruyed her botheres myȝtes Deyde and deth fordid · and daye of nyȝte made ¶ And I awaked þere-with · & wyped myne eyghen And after piers þe plowman · pryed and stared Estwarde and westwarde · I awaytedL.16.177: L alone reads awayted; all other B manuscripts have waited. after faste And ȝede forth as an ydiote · in contre to aspye After Pieres þe plowman · many a place I souȝte And þanne mette I with a man · a mydlenten sondaye As hore as an hawethorne · and Abraham he hiȝte I frayned hym first · fram whennes he come And of whennes he were · and whider þat he þouȝte ¶ I am feith quod þat freke · it falleth nouȝte to lye And of Abrahames hous · an heraud of armes I seke after a segge · þat I seigh ones A ful bolde bacheler · I knewe hym by his blasen What bereth þat buirn quod I þo · so blisse þe bityde ¶ Þre leodesL.16.189: Someone writing in a much lighter ink erroneously subpuncted the first <e> and perhaps <o> and inserted what may have been intended to be an <r>, making lordes. in o lith · non lenger þan other Of one mochel & myȝte · in mesure and in lengthe Þat one dot.h alle doth · & eche doth by his one Þe firste hath miȝte and maiestee · maker of alle þinges Pater is his propre name · a persone by hym-selue Þe secounde of þat sire is · sothfastnesse filius Wardeyne of þat witte hath · was euere with-oute gynnyng Þe þridde hatte þe holygoost · a persone by hym-selue Þe liȝte of alle þat lyf hath · a londe & a watre Confortoure of creatures · of hym cometh al blisse So þre bilongeth for a lorde · þat lordeship claymeth Myȝte and a mene · to knowe his owne myȝte Of hym & of his seruaunt · and what þei suffre bothe So god þat gynnyng hadde neure · but þo hym good þouȝte Sent forth his sone as for seruaunt þat tyme To occupien hym here · til issue were spronge Þat is children of charite · & holicherche þe moder Patriarkes & prophetes · and aposteles were þe chyldren And cryst and crystenedome · and crystene holycherche In menynge þat man moste · on o god bileue And þere hym lyked & loued · in þre persones hym shewed And þat it may be so & soth · manhode it sheweth Wedloke and widwehode · with virgynyte ynempned In toknynge of þe Trinite · was taken oute of o man Adam owre aller fader · Eue was of hym-selue And þe issue þat þei hadde · it was of hem bothe And either is otheres ioye · in thre sondry persones And in heuene & here · one syngulere name+ And þisL.16.217: L alone reads þis; most other B manuscripts (and all other beta manuscripts) have þus, which may explain the corrector's <+> in the left margin. is mankynde or manhede · of matrimoigne yspronge And bitokneth þe Trinite · and trewe bileue ¶ Miȝte is matrimoigne · þat multiplieth þe erthe And bitokneth trewly · telle if I dorste He þat firste fourmed al · þe fader of heuene Þe sone if I itL.16.222: LWR alone read it; other B manuscripts omit it. durst seye · resembleth wel þe wydwe Deus meus deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me Þat is creatour wex creature · to knowe what was botheX As widwe with-oute wedloke · was neure ȝete yseye Na-more myȝte god be man · but if he moder hadde So wydwe with-oute wedloke · may nouȝte wel stande Ne matrimoigne withoute moillerye · is nouȝt moche to preyse Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel &c Þus in þre persones · is perfitliche manhede Þat is man & his make · & moillere herL.16.231: LRF alone read her; other B manuscripts omit it. children And is nouȝt but gendre of o generacioun · bifor Ihesu cryst in heuene So is þe fader forth with þe sone · and fre wille of bothe Spiritus procedens a patre & filio Which is þe holygoste of alle · and alle is but o god Þus in a somer I hym seigh · as I satte in my porche I ros vp and reuerenced hym · & riȝt faire hym grette Thre men to my syȝte · I made wel at ese Wesche her feet & wyped hem · and afterward þei eten Calues flesshe & cakebrede · and knewe what I thouȝte Ful trewe tokenes bitwene vs is · to telle whan me lyketh Firste he fonded me · if I loued bettere Hym or ysaak myn ayre · þe which he hiȝte me kulle He wiste my wille by hym · he wil me it allowe I am ful syker in soule þer-of · and my sone bothe I circumcised my sone · sitthen for his sake My-self and my meyne · and alle þat male were Bledden blode for þat lordes loue · and hope to blisse þe tymeL.16.248: The left margin has been scraped, but it is not possible to tell what, if anything, has been erased. Myn affiaunce & my faith · is ferme in þis bilieue For hym-self bihiȝte to me · and to myne issue bothe Londe and lordship · and lyf with-outen ende To me and to myn issue · more ȝete he me graunted . Mercy for owre mysdedes · as many tyme as we asken Quam olim abrahe promisisti & semini eius And sith he sent me to seye · I sholde do sacrifise And done hym worshipe with bred · and with wyn bothe And called me þe fote of his faith · his folke forto saue And defende hem fro þe fende · folke þat on me lenedenL.16.258: We have resolved the word as leneden, but neither paleography nor context provides secure evidence that would exclude leueden. Þus haue I ben his heraude · here and in helle And conforted many a careful · þat after his comynge wayten+ And þus I seke hym he seide · for I seyne[herde] seyneL.16.261: The corrector's marginal <+> notes L's omission of herde before seyne. late Of a barne þat baptised hym · Iohan Baptiste was his name Þat to patriarkes and to prophetes · and to other peple in derknesse Seyde þat he seigh here · þat sholde saue vs alle Ecce agnus dei &c · ¶ I hadde wonder of his wordes · and of his wyde clothes For in his bosome he bar a thyng · þat he blissed euere And I loked on his lappe · a lazar lay þere-Inne Amonges patriarkes and profetes · pleyandeL.16.269: L alone has the -ande form of the participle here, though F reads pleyende; most B witnesses have pleyinge. R's pleyede quite possibly reflects a lost tilde rather than a preterite form. togyderes What awaytestow quod he · and what woldestow haue I wolde wyte quod I þo what is in ȝowre lappe ¶ Loo quod he and lete me se · lorde mercy I seide Þis is presentL.16.273: L alone omits a before present. of moche prys · what Prynce shal it haue It is a preciouse present quod he · ac þe pouke it hath attached And me þere-myde quod þat man · may no wedde vs quite Ne no buyrn be owre borwgh · ne bryng vs fram his daungere Oute of þe poukes pondfolde · no meynprise may vs fecche Tyl he come þat I carpe of · cryst is his name Þat shal delyure vs some daye · out of þe deueles powere And bettere wedde for vs legge · þan we ben alle worthy Þat is lyf for lyf · or ligge þus euere Lollynge in my lappe · tyl such a lorde vs fecche ¶ Allas I seyde þat synne · so longe shal lette Þe myȝte of goddes mercy · þat myȝt vs alle amende I wepte for his wordes · with þat sawe I an other Rapelich renne forth · þe riȝte waye ..he went I affrayned hym fyrste · fram whennes he come And what he hiȝte & whider he wolde · and wightlich he tolde