The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 2William 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 secundus de visione vt supra.Passus secundus de visione vt supra ȜetL.2.1: The six-line ornamental Lombard capital is written in blue with red flourishings and two marginal leaf sprays. I courbed on my knees · and cryed hir of grace And seide mercy Madame · for Marie loue of heuene That bar þat blisful barne · þat bouȝte vs on þe Rode Kenne me bi somme crafte · to knowe þe fals Loke vppon þi left half · and lo where he standeth Bothe fals and fauel · and here feres manye I loked on my left half · as þe lady me taughte And was war of a womman · wortheli yclothed Purfiled with pelure · þe fynest vpon erthe Ycrounede with a corone · þe kyng hath non better Fetislich hir fyngres · were fretted with golde wyre And þere-on red rubyes · as red as any glede And diamantz of derrest pris · and double manere safferes Orientales and ewages · enuenymes to destroye Hire robe was ful riche · of red scarlet engreyned With ribanes of red golde · and of riche stones Hire arraye me rauysshed · suche ricchesse saw I neuere I had wondre what she was · and whas wyf she were What is þis womman · quod I so worthily atired That is Mede þe Mayde quod she · hath noyed me ful oft And ylakked my lemman · þat lewte is hoten And bilowen hire to lordes · þat lawes han to kepe In þe popis paleys · she is pryue as my-self But sothenesse wolde nouȝt so · for she is a bastarde For fals was hire fader · þat hath a fykel tonge And neuere sothe seide · sithen he come to erthe And Mede is manered after hym · riȝte as kynde axeth Qualis pater talis filius · bonusL.2.28: WLM alone read bonus, although F has Iterum bonus. The remaining B witnesses read bona. arbor · bonum fructum facit I auȝte ben herre þan she · I cam of a better Mi fader þe grete god is · and grounde of alle graces O god with-oute gynnynge · & I his gode douȝter And hath ȝoue me mercy · to marye with my-self And what man be merciful · and lelly me loue Shal be my lorde and I his leef · in þe heiȝe heuene And what man taketh Mede · myne hed dar I legge That he shal lese for hir loue · a lappe of caritatis how construeth dauid þe kynge · of men þat taketh Mede And men of þis molde · þat meynteneth treuthe+ And how ȝe shal saue ȝow-self · þeL.2.39: The original scribe inserted the <e> of þe after initial copying, no doubt in response to the corrector's <+> in the right margin, which has since been partially erased. Sauter bereth witnesseL.2.39: A blurred red line under the final <e> of witnesse and a blue dot at the end of the line are offset from the initial on the facing leaf. Domine quis habitabit in tabernaclotabernac[u]lo tuo &c And now worth þis Mede ymaried · al to a mansed schrewe To one fals fikel tonge · a fendes biȝete Fauel þorw his faire speche · hath þis folke enchaunted And al is lyeres ledyng · þat she is þus ywedded To-morwe worth ymade · þe maydenes bruydale And þere miȝte þow wite · if þow wolt · which þei ben alle That longeth to þat lordeship · þe lasse and þe more Knowe hem þere if þow canst · and kepe þiL.2.48: LCR alone have þi. Most other B manuscripts have þow þi or wel þi. tonge And lakke hem nouȝt · but lat hem worth · til lewte be iustice And haue powere to punyschen hem · þanne put forth þi resoun Now I bikenne þe criste quod she · and his clene moder And lat no conscience acombre þe · for coueitise of Mede Thus left me þat lady · liggyng aslepe And how Mede was ymaried · in meteles me þouȝte Þat alle þe riche retenauns · þat regneth with þe false Were boden to þe bridale · on bothe two sydes Of alle maner of men · þe mene and þe riche To marie þis maydene · was many man assembled As of kniȝtes and of clerkis · and other comune poeple As sysours and sompnours · Shireues and here clerkes Bedelles and Bailliues · and brokoures of chaffre Forgoeres and vitaillers · and vokates of þe arches I can nouȝt rekene þe route · þat ran aboute mede Ac symonye and cyuile · and sisoures of courtes Were moste pryue with Mede · of any men me þouȝte Ac fauel was þe first · þat fette hire out of boure And as a brokour brouȝte hir to be with fals enioigned Whan symonye and cyuile · seiȝ here beireL.2.68: LC alone have beire, the genitive form of bo, "both"; most other B manuscripts have synonymous boþer. wille+ L.2.69: The corrector has marked this line with a <+> in the left margin. Thei assented for siluer · to seiL.2.69: L's cancellation of <i> is odd. Nearly all other B manuscripts have seye. as bothe woldeSimoni and siuilyeL.2.70: A s. xvi hand has inserted in the left margin Simoni and siuilye. Thanne lepe lyer forth · and seide lo here a chartre That gyle with his gret othes · gaf hem togidere And preide cyuile to se · and symonye to rede it Thanne symonye and cyuile · stonden forth bothe And vnfoldeth þe feffement · þat fals hath ymaked And þus bigynneth þes gomes · to greden ful heiȝ Sciant presentes & futuri &c · Witeth and witnesseth · þat wonieth vpon þis ertheL.2.77: Each of the first three lines of the group is clearly marked with a punctus in brown ink in the left margin. Below and extending through L.2.94 in the left margin is a bracket in very light black ink. Þat Mede is ymaried · more for here goodis Þan for ani vertue or fairenesse · or any free kyndeL.2.79-92: A non-continuous bracket in pale ink runs from L.2.79-92. Falsenesse is faine of hire · for he wote hire riche And fauel with his fikel speche · feffeth bi þis chartre To be prynces in pryde · and pouerte to dispise To bakbite · and to bosten · and bere fals witnesse To scorne and to scolde · and sclaundere to make Vnboxome and bolde · to breke þe ten hestes And þe Erldome of enuye · and wratthe togideres With þe chastelet of chest · and chateryng oute of resoun Þe counte of coueitise · and alle þe costes aboute That is vsure and auarice · alle I hem graunte In bargaines and in brokages · with al þe borgtheborg[h]e of theft And al þe lordeship of lecherye · in lenthe and in brede As in werkes and in wordes · and waitynges with eies And in wedes and in wisshynges · and with ydel thouȝtes+ There as wille ne wolde · and wermanshipwer[k]manship faillethL.2.94: The word ne was inserted after original copying by the text scribe; only LCY among B witnesses have the negative. The word and has been subpuncted at the beginning of the b-verse. A small <+> in the left margin may mark either of these for correction, or may refer to the scribe's wermanship for werkmanship. Glotonye he gaf hem eke · and grete othes togydere And alday to drynke · at dyuerse tauernes And there to iangle and to iape · and iugge here euene-cristene And in fastyngdayes to frete · ar ful tyme werenota And þanne to sitten and soupen · til slepe hem assaille And bredun as burgh-swyn · and bedden hem esily Tyl sleuth and slepe · slyken his sides And þanne wanhope to awake hym so · with no wille to amende For he leueth be lost · þis is here last ende And þei to haue and to holde · and here ieyres after A dwellyng with þe deuel · and dampned be for eure Wiþ al þe purtenauncesL.2.106: LRF alone read purtenaunces. Other B witnesses vary between appurtinaunces and purtynaunce. of purgatorie · in-to þe pyne of helle Ȝeldyng for þis þinge · at one ȝeres ende Here soules to sathan · to suffre with hym peynes And with him to wonye with wo · whil god is in heuene In witnesse of which þing · wronge was þe first And Pieres þe pardonereL.2.111: The <a> and the <o> have been overwritten in a later ink. · of paulynes doctrine Bette þe bedel · of Bokyngham-shire Rainalde þe Reue · of Rotland sokene Munde þe Mellere · and many moo other In þe date of þe deuel þis dede I assele Bi siȝte of sire symonye · and cyuyles leueTheologie to medecivile Þenne tened hym theologye · whan he þis tale herdeL.2.117: A marginal hand, not represented elsewhere in the manuscript, wrote in the right margin Theologie to mede, then lined through mede and added civile. Three heavy black points, arranged vertically, also appear in the right margin. And seide to cyuile · now sorwe mot þow haue+ Such wendyngeswe[d]dyngesL.2.119: A <+> in the left margin marks the text for correction. The scribe, however, failed to correct wendynges to weddynges, the reading of most B witnesses. LC alone have such wendynges. to worche to wratthe with treuthe And ar þis weddyng be wrouȝte · wo þe bityde For Mede is moylere · of amendes engendrethL.2.121: LCYR alone have the form engendreth; all other B manuscripts have the past participle. The form spelled engendrit in some A manuscripts perhaps accounts for the error. And god graunteth to gyf · Mede to treuthe And þow hast gyuen hire to a gyloure · now god gyf þe sorwe Thi tixt telleth þe nouȝt so · treuthe wote þe sothe For dignus est operarius · his hyre to haue And þow hast fest hire to fals · fy on þi lawe For al by lesynges þow lyuest · and lecherouse werkes Symonye and þi-self · schenden holicherche Þe notaries and ȝee · noyeth þe peple Ȝe shul abiggen it bothe · bi god þat me made Wel ȝe witen wernardes · but if ȝowre witte faille That fals is faithlees · and fikel in his werkes And was a bastarde ybore · of belsabubbes kynne And Mede is moylere · a mayden of gode And myȝte kisse þe kynge · for cosyn an she wolde For-þi worcheth bi wisdome · and bi witt also And ledeth hire to londoun · þere lawe is yshewed If any lawe wil loke · þei ligge togederes And þouȝ Iustices iugge hir · to be ioigned with fals Ȝet beth war of weddyng · for witty is truthe ·L.2.140: This line is supplied in an early fifteenth-century hand in the blank space above the top line. And conscience is of his conseille · and knoweth ȝow vchone And if he fynde ȝow in defaute · and with þe fals holde It shal bisitte ȝowre soules · ful soure atte laste Here-to assenteth cyuile · ac symonye nie wolde Tyl he had siluer for his seruise · and also þe notaries Thanne fette fauel forth · floreynes ynowe And bad gyle to gyue · golde al aboute And namelich to þe notaries · þat hem none ne faille And feffe falsewitnesfalse witnes · with floreines ynowe For heL.2.150: Most B manuscripts have a form of þei. may mede amaistrye · and maken at my wille Tho þis golde was gyue · grete was þe þonkynge To fals and to fauel · for her faire ȝiftes And comen to conforte fram care þe fals And seiden certis sire · cesse shal we neuere Til Mede be þi wedded wyf · þorw wittis of vs alle For we haue Mede amaistried · with owre mery speche That she graunteth to gon with a gode wille To Londoun to loke · ȝif þat þe lawe wolde Iugge ȝow ioyntly · in ioye for euere Thanne was falsenesse fayne · and fauel as blithe And leten sompne alle segges · in schires aboute And bad hem alle be bown · beggeres and othere To wenden wyth hem to westmynstre · to witnesse þis dede Ac þanne cared þei for caplus · to kairenL.2.164: LMR alone read kairen; most other B manuscripts have carien. hem þider And fauel fette forth þanne · folus ynowe And sette Mede vpon a schyreue · shodde al newe And fals sat on a sisoure · þat softlich trotted And fauel on a flatereL.2.168: Only LF have flatere, from OF flateor, flatour. Other B manuscripts read flaterere. · fetislich atired Tho haued notaries none · annoyed þei were For symonye and cyuile · shulde on hire fete gange Ac þanne swore symonye · and cyuile bothe That sompnoures shulde be sadled and serue hem vchone And lat apparaille þis prouisoures · in palfreis wyse Sire symonye hym-seluen · shal sitte vpon here bakkesnota Denes and suddenes · drawe ȝow togideresL.2.175: A scribe has put the symbol for a musical note to indicate nota both next to this line and again in the bottom left margin. Erchdekenes and officiales · and alle ȝowre Regystreres Lat sadel hem with siluer · owre synne to suffreAs auoutrie and deuoses · As auoutrie and deuoses · and derne vsurye To bere bischopes aboute · abrode in visytynge Paulynes pryues · for pleyntes in þe consistorie Shul serue my-self · þat cyuile is nempned And cartesadel þe comissarie · owre carte shal he lede And fecchen vs vytailles · at fornicatores And maketh of lyer a longe carte · to lede alle þese othere As Freres and faitours · þat on here fete rennen And thus fals and fauel · fareth forth togideres And Mede in þe myddes · and alle þise men after I haue no tome to telle þe taille þat hem folweth Of many maner man · þat on þis molde libbeth Ac gyle was forgoer · and gyed hem alle Sothenesse seiȝ hym wel · and seide but a litel And priked his palfrey · and passed hem alle And come to þe kynges courte · and conscience it tolde And conscience to þe kynge · carped it after Now by cryst quod þe kynge · and I cacche myȝte Fals or fauel · or any of his feres I wolde be wroke of þo wrecches · þat worcheth so ille And don hem hange by þe hals · and alle þat hem meynteneth Shal neure man of molde · meynprise þe leste But riȝte as þe lawe wil loke · late falle on hem alle And comanded a constable · þat come atte furst To attache þo tyrauntz · for eny thynge I hote And fettereth fast falsenesse · for enykynnes ȝiftes And gurdeth of gyles hed · and lat hym go no furthere And ȝif ȝe lacche lyer · late hym nouȝt ascapen Er he be put on þe pilorye · for eny preyere · I hote And bryngeth Mede to me · maugre hem alle Drede atte dore stode · and þe dome herde And how þe kynge comaunded · constables and seriantz Falsenesse and his felawschip · to fettren an to bynden Þanne drede went wiȝtliche · and warned þe fals And bad hym flee for fere · and his felawes allenotaL.2.213: The symbol for a musical note to represent nota appears in the left margin. Another is written at the far right margin.nota Falsenesse for fere þanne · fleiȝ to þe freres And gyle doþ hym to go · agast for to dye Ac marchantz mette with hym · and made hym abide And bishetten hym in here shope · to shewen here ware And apparailled hym as a prentice · þe poeple to serue Liȝtlich lyer · lepe awey þanne Lorkynge thorw lanes · to-lugged of manye He was nawhere welcome · for his manye tales Ouer al yhowted · and yhote trusse Tyl pardoneres haued pite · and pulled hym in-to house They wesshen hym and wyped hym · and wonden hym in cloutes And sente hym with seles · on sondayes to cherches And gaf pardoun for pens · poundmel aboute Thanne loured leches · and lettres þei sent Þat he sholde wonye with hem · wateres to loke Spiceres spoke with hym · to spien here ware For he couth of here craft · and knewe many gommes+ Ac mynstallesmynst[r]allesL.2.230: A <+> appears in the left margin, although no correction was made to erroneous mynstalles. The same error occurs at L.3.134, where it was also marked for correction and the correction not made. and messageres · mette with hym ones And helden hym an halfȝere · and elleuene dayes Freres with faire speche · fetten hym þennes And for knowyng of comeres · coped hym as a frere Ac he hath leue to lepe out · as oft as hym liketh And is welcome whan he wil · and woneth wyth hem oft Alle fledden for fere · and flowen in-to hernes Saue Mede þe Mayde · na mo durst abide Ac trewli to telle · she trembled for drede And ek wept and wronge · whan she was attached