The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 5: London, British Library, MS Additional 35287 (M) – Passus 8William LanglandEdited by Eric Eliason, Hoyt N. Duggan, and Thorlac Turville-PetreAssociate Editors: Patricia Riles Bart and Gail DugganTechnical Editor: Daniel PittiGraduate Research AssistantsMichael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Carrie Lindley, Janice McCoy, and Timothy L. Stinson.Computer Consultants and Programmers Shayne Brandon, Cynthia Girard, Kirk Hastings, Sue Munson, David Seaman, and John Unsworth.Society for Early English and Norse Texts
ISBN (individual use) 1 84384 051 0 (institutional use) 1 84384 052 9
copyright 2005, by SEENET
2005 London, British Library, MS Additional 35287
early 15th century Source copy consulted: London, British Library, MS Additional 35287
SEENET, A.7
Attribute Valuesbrown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink
LatinFrenchGerman14 Dec 2004 editor
Hoyt N. Duggan New header created, and SGML converted to XML. Minor revisions in TOC, mainly alphabatization of names....?...M.8.0: Something, no longer legible, is erased in the right margin.Passus octauus de visione . et incipit inquisicio prima de dowellM.8.0: The <ll> is touched up in a brown ink which differs from the surrounding text.tThus I-robede in Russet . ....I romede abouteAl a somer sesoun for to seke dowellAnd frainede ful ofte of folk þat I metteIf any wiȝt wuyste w...here Dowel was at innneeAnd what man he miȝte be of many folkM.8.5: M's folk is not attested in other B manuscripts, which read man or men. I ax...ede# the questioun askyn of Freris of dowellWas neuere wiȝte as I wente þat me wisse coutheWhere þis leede leongudM.8.7: M's revised reading longud is found in many C manuscripts, but B manuscripts have lenged. . lasse ne moreTil it felleM.8.8: For fell, all other B manuscripts except F read bifel. vponM.8.8: M's reading of vpon is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read on. a Fryday two Frerus I metteMaistres of þe Menours men of grete witteI hailsud hem hendly as I hadde lernedeAnd praied hem par charitee ar þei passud furtherȜifIf þei knewe any Cuntre or coostus as þei wenteWhere þat Dowell dwelleþ doþ me to wytenFor þei benmen on þis moolde þat moost wyde walkunAnd knowen Con.—tres and Courtes and many kynne placesBothe Princes Paleisus and pore mennus cotusAnd dowell and do .yuel where þei dwelle botheAmongus vs quod þe menours þat man is dwellingeAnd euere hath as I hope and euere shal here-afturContra quod I as a Clerke and coms...ede to disputen #...?...M.8.21: Something, no longer legible, is erased in the right margin.And saide soþly sepcies in die cadit iustusSeuen sithe saith þe book synn.eth þe riȝtfulAnd whoso sinneth I saide doþ .yuel as me th.inkeþAnd dowell and do..iuel may nouȝt dwelle to-gidreErgo he nys nauȝt alway amongesȝyow FrerusHe is otherwhile elles where to wisse þe p.epleI shal seie þe my sone . saide þe Frere þanneHow seuen sithes þe sad man on þe day synnethBy a forbisene quod þe Frere I shal þe faire shewenLat bringe a man in a bote amidde þe brodurM.8.30: M's brodur is not attested in other B manuscripts, most of which read brode. waturÞe wynde and þe watur and þe boot waggyngeMakeþ þe man many a tyme to falle and to stondeFor stonde he neuere so st.yf . he stumbleth ȝ.fif he moueAc ..yet is he sau.f and sounde and so him bihouethFor ȝif he ne arise þe rather and rauȝte to þe steereÞe wynd wolde with þe watur þe boot ouerethroweAnd þanne were his lif lo..st þourgh lachesse of him-seluenAnd þus it falleþ quod þe Frere bi folk here on ertheÞe watur is likknede to þe world þat wa..nyeth and wexeþÞe goodus arne —M.8.40: M's original reading arne was unattested in other B manuscripts. of þis grounde arn like to þe grete wawesÞat as wyndus and wedres walweþM.8.41: M's reading walweþ is shared with L and with some A and C manuscripts. Other B manuscripts read walkeþ. Compare a similar variant at M.9.56. aboute . Þe boot is likkened to oure body þat brutel is of kyndeÞat þourȝ þe flessh and þe feendeM.8.43: M's reading of flessh and þe feend is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read feend and þe flessh. and þe frele worldetymes sithesM.8.44: The deleted text is legible under ultraviolet light.Synneth þe sad man a day seuen timessithesM.8.44: M's original reading times placed it in agreement with HmCrG. In M, sithes is written over the erased times, although for some reason both tymes and sithes are erased in the margin.kepethAc dedly synne doþ he nouȝte for dowel him h.lp...keputhM.8.45: The erased reading appears to be helpeth which is the reading of F and of versions A and C. . # quod Caritas maxime adiuuat contra peccatumAnd þat is charitee þe champioun chief helpe aȝein synneFor he strengtheþ man to stonde and stereth mann..es souleAnd þouȝ—gh þi body bowe . as aM.8.48: M's inserted a is unattested in other B manuscripts. boote doth in þe waturAy is þe soule sauf but þou þi-seluen woleDo a dedly synne and drenche so þ..y soulesuffreGod w...?...ole suffre wel þ..y sleuthe ȝif þ..y-seluen likeþFor ...?...he yaf þee to yeresyeue to .yeme wel þ..y-seluenAnd þat is wi..t aM.8.53: As in L, a is to be understood as "and," the reading of other B manuscripts.frewillefre wille to euery wiȝte a porciounTo fleinge foules to fisshes and to beestusAc man haþ mooste þer.-of and moost is to blameBut ȝif he worche well þerwith as dowell him techeþI haue no kynde knowynge quod I to conce..iue alle ȝyowre wordusAc ȝif I may lyue and loke I shal go l.erne bett..reI bykenne þe crist þat on crosse deideAnd I saide þe same saue ȝyow from mischaunceAnd ȝyeue ȝyow grace on þis grounde gode men to worthenAnd þus I wente wyde-where walkynge biM.8.62: The addition of bi brings M into agreement with BF. myn one . passus viijusBy a wilde wildurnesse and be a wode syde . Blisse of þe briddus brouȝte me a-slepeAnd vndur a linde vpon a launde lened I a stoundeTo lithe þe laies þe louely foules maden . Murthe of here mouthes made me a-slepeM.8.67: M's reading a-slepe is shared with F; other B manuscripts read þer to slepe.Þe merueillouseste me....tels mette me þanneÞat euere dremed wiȝth in world as I wene# quomodo thought primo apparuit in sompnoA ... — muche man asM.8.70: M's original reading without as is not found in other B manuscripts but is shared with A and some C manuscripts. me þouȝte and lik. vn-to my-seluen . Come and callud me by my riȝte nameWhat artow quod I þo þatM.8.72: M alone among B manuscripts omits þou at this point, but it is the reading of A and most C manuscripts. Most B manuscripts read þat þou; Cr reads thou þat. myn name knowestÞat þow woost well quod he and no w..yght bett..reWot I what þou arte þowght . saide he þanneI haue suwede þe þis seuen ȝyeer say þow me no rathurArt þou þoȝwght . quod I þo þow coutheste me wisseWhere þat Dowel dwelleþ and do me that to knowe...?...# prima discripcio de dowellDowell and do-bet and dobeste þe þridde quod quod heAren þre faire vertues and beth nouȝte fer to feccheM.8.79: M's reading of fecche is not shared by other B manuscripts, most of which read fynde.Whoso is trwe of his t..tonge and of his two handesAnd þourgh his labour or þourgh his londe his liflode wynneþAnd is trusty of his tail..—ende takeþ but his owneAnd is nouȝt ...dronkenlewe . ne dedeigno..us Dowell him folwethDo-bette doþ riȝt þus ac he doþ muche moreHe is as lowe as a lombe and loueliche of specheAnd helpuþ alle men aftur þat hem nedethÞe baggus and þe bigurdeles he haþ to-broken hem alleÞat þe erl ...?...?...Auarous heeld and his heiresAnd þus with mamon...?...aes moneie he makeþM.8.89: M alone among B manuscripts has the present tense. Other B manuscripts attest the present perfect or past perfect. him freendusAnd is ruonnen in-to Religioun and haþ rendrede þe bibleAnd precheþ to þe p.eple seinte Poules wordusLibenter suffertis insipientes . cum sitis ipsi sapientesAnd suffreþ . þe vnwise with ȝyow for to libbeAnd with glade wille doþ hem goode for so god ȝyow hoteþ . # discripcio de do-best ad episcopos pertinetDo-beste . is a-boue bothe and bereth a bisshopus croosIs hokud on þat on ende to halen men from helleA pike is on þat potente to putte a-doun þe wikk..ed . corÞat waiten any wikk.ednesse dowel to teneAnd dowell and dobet amonges hem ordeinede# On to be kyng & Rule allbotheTo croune on . to be kynge to reulen hem .....botheÞat ȝif dowell or do-bet do aȝeins dobesteÞanne shal þe kynge comen and caste hem in irensAnd but ȝif dobest bidde for hem þei to ben þere for euereThus dowell and dobet and dobeste þe þriddeCrouned on to be kynge to kep..en hem alleAnd to reulen þe Reume by hire þre wittusAnd in .....non other wise but as þei þree assentudeI thonkede þouȝth þo þat he me þus tauȝte . Ac .yet sauoreth me nouȝte þi segginge I coueite to lurneHow dowel dobet . and dobest don amonges þe poepleBut . wit.. . conne wisse þe quod þouȝte where þo þree dwellenElles wote I none þat can þat now is a-liue . # quomodo will & thought primo obuiauerunt cum wittÞouȝt. and I þus þre daies we ȝyedenDisputinge vppon Dowell day aftur othurAnd ar we were war wyth . witte gan we meteHe was longe and lene and liche to non othurWas no pruyde on his apparaille ne pouerte nowtherSadde of his semblaunt and of ..cheresofte chiere .I durste .....moeue non matiere to maken him to iangleBut as I bad þou..ȝt þo be mene bytweneAnd putte forth somme — purpos to prouen his wittusWhat was Dowell . from dobet and dobest fram hem boþe . Þanne þouȝt. in þat tyme saide þise wordusWhere Dowell dobete and dobestebenM.8.124: M's original reading without ben agreed with RF. in londewill...?...M.8.125: This erasure is illegible even under an ultraviolet lamp.Here is . will . wolde y-wyte ȝif wit.. couthe teche hym . And wh.....eiþer he be man . or womman þis man fayne——M.8.126: M's original reading agreed with WCrLRF. M's erasure of fayne brings it into agreement with HmGYOC2CB. wolde aspieAnd worchen as þ..ei thre wolde þis is his entente .