The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 7William 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 vijus de visione vt supraPassus vijusseptimust TreutheL.7.1: The ornamental capital is five lines high in blue ink on red with two sprays. A small guide letter <t> appears in the left margin. herde telle her-of · and to peres he sent To taken his teme and tulyen þe erthe And purchaced hym a pardoun · a pena & a culpa For hym and for his heires · for euermore after And bad hym holde hym at home · and eryen his leyes And alle þat halpe hym to erie · to sette or to sowe Or any other myster · þat myȝte pieres auaille · Pardoun with pieres plowman · treuthe hath ygraunted L.7.9: The rubricating scribe may have overlooked the paragraph indicator in the left margin because the original scribe failed to skip a line. ¶ Kynges and knyȝtes · þat kepen holycherche And ryȝtfullych in reumes · reulen þe peple Han pardoun thourgh purgatorie · to passe ful lyȝtly With patriarkes and prophetes · in paradise to be felawes Bisshopes yblessed · ȝif þei ben as þei shulden Legistres of bothe þe lawes · þe lewed þere-with to preche And in as moche as þei mowe · amende alle synful L.7.16: There is perhaps the remainder of a scraped gloss in the left margin. Aren peres with þe apostles · þusL.7.16: LMRF read þus; most other beta witnesses have þis. pardoun Piers sheweth And at þe day of dome · atte heigh deyse to sytte Marchauntz in þe margyne · hadden many ȝeres Ac none a pena & a culpa · þe Pope nolde hem graunte For þei holde nouȝt her halidayes · as holicherche techeth And for þei swere by her soule · and so god moste hem helpe Aȝein clene conscience · her catel to selle L.7.23-27: A bracket in the left margin extends five lines and is scored twice horizontally. Ac vnder his secret seel · treuthe sent hem a lettre That þey shulde bugge boldely · þat hem best liked And sithenes selle it aȝein · and saue þe wynnygewynny[n]ge And amende mesondieux þere-myde · and myseyse folke helpe And wikked wayes · wiȝtlich hem amende And do bote to brugges þat to-broke were Marien maydenes · or maken hem nonnes Pore peple and prisounes · fynden hem here fode And sette scoleres to scole · or to somme other craftes Releue Religioun · and renten hem bettere And I shal sende ȝow my-selue · seynt Michel myn archangel Þat no deuel shal ȝow dere · ne fere ȝow in ȝowre deying And witen ȝow fro wanhope · if ȝe wil þus worche And sende ȝowre sowles in safte · to my seyntes in ioye Þanne were Marchauntz mery · many wepten for ioye And preyseden Pieres þe plowman · þat purchaced þis bulle L.7.39: Though the scribe left a blank line, usually indicative of a strophe division, there is no parasign. Men of lawe lest pardoun hadde þat pleteden for Mede For þe sauter saueth hem nouȝte · such as taketh ȝiftes And namelich of innocentz þat none yuel ne kunneth Super innocentem munera non accipies Pledoures shulde peynen hem · to plede for such an helpe Prynces and prelates · shulde paye for her trauaille A regibus & pryncipibus erit merces eorum Ac many a iustice an iuroure · wolde for Iohan do more Þan pro dei pietate · leue þow none other Ac he þat spendeth his speche and spekeþ for þe pore Þat is Innocent and nedy · and no man appeireth Conforteth hym in þat cas · with-oute coueytise of ȝiftes And scheweth lawe for owre lordes loue · as he it hath lerned Shal no deuel at his ded-dayL.7.52: LCGR alone read ded-; most other B manuscripts have deeþ. The same variants appear in L.7.127. · deren hym a myte Þat he ne worth sauf and his sowle · þe sauter bereth witnesse Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo &c · Ac to bugge water ne wynde · ne witte ne fyre þe fierthe Þise foure þe fader of heuene · made to þis folde in comune Þise ben treuthes tresores · trewe folke to helpe Þat neuere shal wax ne wanye · with-oute god hym-selue Whan þei drawen on to deyeL.7.59: LW alone read to deye; most other B manuscripts have to þe deþ. The confusion of <þ> and <y> in both L and W is probably coincidental, since both were copied well outside the regions in which the graphs are confused. See Michael Benskin, "The letters <þ> and <y> in later Middle English, and some related matters," Journal of the Society of Archivists 7 (1982-1985): 13-30. · and Indulgences wolde haue Her pardoun is ful petit · at her partyng hennes Þat any Mede of mene men for her motyng taketh Ȝe legistres and lawyeres · holdeth þis for treuthe Þat ȝif þat I lye · Mathew is to blame For he bad me make ȝow þis · and þis prou....erbe me tolde Quodcumque vultis vt faciant vobis homines · facite eis Alle lybbyng laboreres · þat lyuen with her hondes Þat trewlich taken · and trewlich wynnen And lyuen in loue and in lawe · for her lowe hertis Haueth þe same absolucioun · þat sent was to peres Beggeres ne bidderes · ne beth nouȝte in þe bulle But if þe suggestioun be soth · þat shapeth hem to begge For he þat beggeth or bit · but if he haue nede He is fals with þe fende · and defraudeth þe nedy And also he bigileth þe gyuer ageines his wil For if he wist he were nouȝte nedy · he wolde ȝiue þat an other Þat were more nedy þan he · so þe nediest shuld be hulpe Catoun kenneth men þus · and þe clerke of þeL.7.77: LMRF alone have þe before stories; all other B manuscripts omit it. stories Cui des videto · is catounes techyng And in þe stories he techeth · to bistowe þyn almesX Sit elemosinaL.7.80: An added <X> in the left margin is partially scraped. The omitted tua after elemosina was never added; note that it is absent from alpha and M as well. in manu tua donec studes cui des Ac Gregori was a gode man · and bad vs gyuen alle Þat asketh for his loue · þat vs alle leneth Non eligas cui miserearis · ne forte pretereas illum qui meretur accipere Quia incertum est pro quo deum magis placeas For wite ȝe neuere who is worthi · ac god wote who hath nede In hym þat taketh is þe treccherye · if any tresoun walkeL.7.86: Skeat and Kane-Donaldson read wawe, which is possible, but the upright character of the <l> suggests that walke is the intended reading. For he þat ȝiueth ȝeldeth · and ȝarketh hym to reste And he þat biddeth borweth · and bryngeth hym-self in dette For beggeres borwen euermo · and her borgh is god almyȝti To ȝelden hem þat ȝiueth hem · and ȝet vsure moreX Quare non dedisti peccuniam meam ad mensam vt ego veniens cum vsuris exigerem ·L.7.91: LCr alone read exigerem; most B manuscripts have exigissem. This may be the reason for an unusually large <X> in the left margin here. For-þi biddeth nouȝt ȝe beggeres · but if ȝe haue gret nede For who-so hath to buggen hym bred · þe boke bereth witnesse He hath ynough þat hath bred ynough · þough he haue nouȝt elles Satis diues est qui non indiget pane Late vsage be ȝowreL.7.96: The characters <be ȝo> are obscured by a large drop mark left on the leaf. solace · of seyntes lyues redyng Þe boke banneth beggarie · and blameth hem in þis manere Iunior fui etenim senui · et non vidi iustum derelictum nec semen eius &c For ȝe lyue in no loue · ne no lawe holde Many of ȝow ne wedde nouȝt · þe wommen þat ȝe with delen But as wilde bestis with wehe · worthen vppe and worchen And bryngeth ...?...forth barnes · þat bastardes men calleth Or þe bakke or some bone · he breketh in his ȝouthe+ AL.7.104: L alone reads A for "And." The corrector noted this with a <+> in the left margin both here and at L.8.53. sitthe gon faiten with ȝoure fauntes · for euermore after Þere is moo mysshape peple · amonge þise beggeres Þan of alle maner men · þat on þis molde walketh And þei þat lyue þus here lyf · mowe lothe þe tyme Þat euere he was man wrouȝt · whan he shal hennes fare Ac olde men & hore · þat helplees ben of strengthe L.7.110-126: A bracket in the left margin links the lines from here to the bottom of the leaf in gray ink. And women with childe · þat worche ne mowe Blynde and bedered · and broken her membres Þat taketh þis myschiefL.7.112: LMR alone have the singular þis myschief; most other B manuscripts read þise myschiefs. mekelych · as meseles and othere Han as pleyne pardoun as þe plowman hym-self For loue of her lowe hertis · owre lorde hath hem graunted Here penaunce and here purgatorie · here on þis erthe Pieres quod a prest þo · þi pardoun most I rede For I wil construe eche clause · and kenne it þe on englich And pieres at his preyere · þe pardoun vnfoldeth And I bihynde hem bothe · bihelde al þe bulle Al in two lynes it lay · and nouȝt a leef more And was writen riȝt þus · in witnesse of treutheIndulgencia petri Et qui bona egerunt ibunt in vitam eternam Qui vero mala in ignem eternum · Peter quod þe prest þo · I can no pardoun fynde But dowel and haue wel · and god shal haue þi sowle And do yuel and haue yuel · hope þow non otherX ÞatL.7.127: LMRF alone read Þat; most other B manuscripts have But. A drypoint <X> appears in the left margin. after þi ded-dayL.7.127: LCGY alone read ded-; most other B manuscripts have deeþ-. The same variants appear in L.7.52. · þe deuel shal haue þi sowle And pieres for pure tene · pulled it atweyne And seyde si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis · non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es I shal cessen of my sowyng quod pieres · and swynk nouȝt so harde Ne about my bely-ioye · so bisi be namore Of preyersL.7.132: The second <r> of preyers was inserted after initial copying, probably by a later hand. and of penaunce · my plow shal ben her-after And wepen whan I shulde slepe · þough whete bred me failleX Þe prophete his payn ete · in penaunce and in sorweL.7.134: A large <X> appears in the left margin; the reason is not apparent. By þat þe sauter seith · so dede other manye Þat loueth god lelly · his lyflode is ful esy Fuerunt michi lacrime mee · panes die ac nocte And but if Luke lye · he lereth vs bi foules We shulde nouȝt be to bisy · aboute þe worldes blisse Ne solliciti sitis · he seyth in þe gospel And sheweth vs bi ensamples · vs-selue to wisse Þe foules onL.7.142: LM alone read on; most other B manuscripts have in. þe felde · who fynt hem mete at wynter Haue þei no gernere · to go to  but god fynt hem alle What quod þe prest to perkyn · peter as me þinketh Þow art lettred a litel · who lerned þe on boke Abstinence þe abbesse quod pieres · myne abc · me tauȝte And conscience come afterward · and kenned me moche more Were þow a prest pieres quod he · þow miȝte preche where þow sholdest As deuynour in deuynyte · with dixit insipiens to þi teme Lewed lorel quod Pieres · litel lokestow on þe bible On salomones sawes · selden þow biholdest Ecce derisores et iurgia cum eis ne crescant &c Þe prest and perkyn · apposeden eyther other And I þorw here wordes awoke · and waited aboute And seighe þe sonne in þe south sitte þat tyme Metelees and monelees · on Maluerne hulles Musyng on þis meteles · and my waye ich ȝede Many tyme þis meteles · hath maked me to studye Of þat I seigh slepyng · if it so be myȝte And also for peres þe plowman · ful pensyf in herte And which a pardoun peres hadde · alle þe peple to conforte And how þe prest impugned it with two propre wordes Ac I haue no sauoure in songewarie · for I se it ofte faille Catoun and canonistres · conseilleth vs to leue To sette sadnesse in songewarie · for sompnia ne cures Ac for þe boke bible  bereth witnesse How danyel deuyned · þe dremes of a kynge Þat was nabugodonosor · nempned of clerkis Daniel seyde sire Kynge · þi dremeles bitokneth Þat vnkouth knyȝtes shul come · þi kyngdom to cleueL.7.170-171: A corrector's dry point cross appears in the left margin and perhaps reflects his exemplar's reading cleyme in place of LC2GMO's cleue. Amonges lowere lordes · þi londe shal be departed And as danyel deuyned in dede it felle after Þe kynge lese his lordship · and lower men it hadde And ioseph mette merueillously · how þe mone and þe sonne And þe elleuene sterres · hailsed hym alle Þanne Iacob iugged · iosephes sweuene Beau filtz quod his fader · for defaute we shullen I my-self and my sones · seche þe for nede It bifel as his fader seyde · in pharaoes tyme Þat ioseph was iustice · egipte to loken It bifel as his fader tolde · his frendes þere hym souȝte And al þis maketh me · on þis meteles to þynke And how þe prest preued · no pardoun to dowel And demed þat dowel · indulgences passedDowell passith the pardon of petres churche Biennales and triennales · and bisschopes lettres And how dowel at þe day of dome · is dignelich vnderfongen And passeth al þe pardoun · of seynt petres cherche Now hath þe pope powere · pardoun to graunte þe peple With-outen eny penaunce · to passen in-to heuene Þis is owre bileue · as lettered men vs techeth Quodcumque ligaueris super terram · erit ligatum et in celis &c · And so I leue lelly · lordes forbode ellis Þat pardoun and penaunce · and preyeres don saue Soules þat haue synned · seuene sithes dedly Ac to trust to þise triennales · trewly me þinketh Is nouȝt so syker for þe soule · certis as is dowelX L.7.197: A dry point <X> appears in the left margin. For-þi I rede ȝow renkes · þat riche ben on þis erthe Vppon trust of ȝowre tresoure · triennales to haue Be ȝe neuere þe balder · to breke þe xten hestes And namelich ȝe maistres · mayres and iugges Þat han þe welthe of þis worlde · and for wyse men ben holdenTo purchace ȝow pardoun To purchace ȝow pardoun · and þe popis bulles At þe dredeful dome · whan ded shullen rise And comen alle bifor cryst · acountis to ȝelde How þow laddest þi lyf here · and his lawes keptesta poke full of pardon And how þow dedest day bi day · þe dome wil reherceL.7.206: The same hand as that in the margins of L.7.185 has written in the right margin: a poke full of pardon. A poke ful of pardoun þere · ne prouinciales lettres Theigh ȝe be founde in þe fraternete · of alle þe foure ordres And haue indulgences double-folde · but if dowel ȝow help I sette ȝowre patentes and ȝowre pardounzL.7.210: LCr alone read pardounz; other B manuscripts have pardon. at one pies hele For-þi I conseille alle cristene · to crye god mercy And Marie his moder · be owre mene bitwene Þat god gyue vs grace here · ar we gone hennes Suche werkes to werche · while we ben here Þat after owre deth-day · dowel reherce At þe day of dome · we dede as he hiȝte