The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 5: London, British Library, MS Additional 35287 (M) – PrologueWilliam LanglandEdited by Eric Eliason, Hoyt N. Duggan, and Thorlac Turville-PetreAssociate Editors: Patricia Riles Bart and Gail DugganTechnical Editor: Daniel Pitti Graduate Research Assistants Michael 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.Assit principio Sanctafilius Mariae meoM.P.0: The heading is written in a similar ink to that of the text but in a much less formal style, and is probably later than the main scribe. Though rubbed, it appears originally to have read Assit principio Sancta Maria meo with Sancta then deleted by way of underlining and replaced by filius, and Maria altered to Mariae. Christopher de Hamel notes that "invocations such as 'assit principio meo ihesus maria'" were typical pen-trials "written in tiny script along the very upper margin of the first page" (Medieval Craftsmen: Scribes and Illuminators [London, 1992] p. 37).PrologueIN a somer seson  whanne softe was the s.onneI sho..op me intoM.P.2: M's original reading without to agreed with GYOC2CLH. shroudes  as I a sheep wereIn habite as an hermite  vnholy of werkesWente wyde in þis worlde  won.....dres — to hereAcM.P.5: Kane and Donaldson note that Ac is erased. But the word is simply worn—as are many places on this first leaf. on a may mornynge  on maluerne hullesMe byfel a ferly  of fair.y me thouȝteI was wery for-wandred  and wente me to resteVndur a brode banke  by a ..bournes sydeAnd as I laiy and lened  and loked on þe wateresI slombrede in a slepinge  it swey..ed so merye . Thanne gan I to meten  a meru......eilous sweueneThat I was in a wildernesse  wyste IM.P.12: M's original reading without I agreed with Cr. neuere where...?...And as I bihelde in-toM.P.13: It may be that the original reading was As I bihelde into, but the corrector miscalculated the space and so had to put in above the line. þe est  an heiȝgh to þe suonneI sa..y a tour on a tofte .rielycheM.P.14: The erasure of what is probably a <t> is evidence of discomfort with the rare word trielyche. The same erasure is found in C, while H reads ryaly and HmCr12 read rychely. y-makedeA de..ep dale bynethe  a doungeoun þere-...InneWith depe diches & derke  and dredeful of sighteA faire fielde ful of folke  fonde I there bitw...eneOf alle manere of men  þe mene and þe rycheWorchinge and wandrynge  as þe world askeþ . Summe put hem to þe plow  pleied ful seldeIn settynge and sowynge  swonken ful hardeAnd wonnen that wastours  with glotonye destruyeth . And summe putten hem to pruyde  apparailled hem ..þer-aft..rraft..erM.P.23: The scribe usually wrote aftur, and the corrector occasionally alters to after, e.g. at M.1.70. Here he miscorrects. . In continaunce of clothynge  comen disgisede . In praiers and in penaunce  putten hem manyeAl for loue of oure lorde  lyueden ful streyteIn hope ...for to haue  heuenriche blisse . As ancres and herm.ytes  that holden hem in here selles . And coue....iten nouȝte in contre  to kairen a-boutenFor no likerous l.....iflode  her lykame to pleseAnd somme chosen chaffare  thei cheued the bettr.eAs it semeþ to oure siȝt  þat suche men thryuethAnd somme murthes to make  as mynstrales connethAnd geten gold with here glee  syn.....nelees I leueM.P.34: A wormhole has damaged half the <u>.AsM.P.35: The <s> on As has an extra blot of ink, but it is the same hand and ink as the rest of the word, pace Kane and Donaldson. iapers and iangelers  Iudas chyldrenÞatM.P.36: The addition of Þat brings M into agreement with YOC2. Faynen hem fantasies  and fooles hem makethAnd han h.....ir wyt at wille  to worchen ȝif þei sholde . That poule precheþ of hem  I nel no...ght preue it heere . Qui loquitur turpiloquium & cetera. est seruus diaboliM.P.39: The abbreviated reading has been expanded by two different fifteenth-century hands. No other manuscript (in any version) lacks the supplied loquitur. The second half-line is lacking also in LCr1C; other manuscripts have is luciferes hyne or variants upon it, of which the added est seruus diaboli in M is a translation. No direct source for the line has been found (see John Alford, Piers Plowman: A Guide to the Quotations [Binghamton, 1992] p. 33), so that the additions presumably derive from another text of the poem.Bidders and beggers  faste aboute yedenWyþ here bely and here bagge  of breed ful ycrammed . Faiteden for here fode  fouȝten atte ale In glotonye god it wot  goon ..thei to beddeAnd rysen with rybaudie  þo Roberdes knaues . Sleep and sory sleuthe  suweth hem euere . PilgriymesPilgri[r]ymesM.P.46: Pilgymes was formed inadvertently when the corrector combined the <r>and the <i> to form a <y>. and palmers  pliȝted hem to-g.idreTo seke seint Iames  and saintuys in Rome . Thei wenten forth in here way  with many wyse talesAnd hadden leue for to lie  al hire l..yf a...fter .I seigh somme that saiden  þei had ysouȝte seint.esTo eche a tale that þei toolde  here ...tongeM.P.51: The intent was to alter the <u> of tunge to <o>, but the result looks more like <a>. was tempred to lieMore ....than to saie soth  it semed by here speche . Hermytes on a heep  with hokud stauesWenten to walsingham  and here wenches aftur . Grete lobyes and longe  þat loþe weren to swynkeCloþ.eden hem in Copus  to be knowen from othereAnd shoopen hem heremytes  here ese to haue . I fo..ond there frer.es  offM.P.58: The addition of off brings M into agreement with H. alle the foure ordrescontra Glosers euaungeliPrecheden þe p.eple  for profit of hem-seluenGlosud þe gospell  as hem good likedFor couetise of copus  construede it as þei woldeMany of þise maystur freres  mowe clothen hem at likyngeFor here money and marchaundise  marchen to-g.idre . For sith charitee haþ be chapman  and chief to shryue lordusMany ferlis han fallen  in a fewe ȝyeeres . But holy churche and hijM.P.66: And hij has been crossed through. Kane and Donaldson erroneously read hir, combining the top of the punctus elevatus with the <j>. amend itM.P.66: This addition, along with the following and, is in a different hand and ink than the surrounding text. The alteration does not agree with any other B manuscripts.and holde bettur to-g.idresproverb.The mooste meschief on molde  is mountynge wel faste. vpwardis FastM.P.67: The alteration is not supported by any other B manuscript. The same scribe is probably responsible for drawing the hand in the left margin and for the underlining, and perhaps also the alteration in M.P.66 above.Þere prechud a pardoner  a preest as he were . Brouȝte forth a bulle  with bisshopus sealesAnd saide þat hym-selue myȝte  assoillen hem alle . Of falshed of fastynge  of vowes y-brokun . contra pardonersLewede men leued hym wel  and lykede his wordus . Comen vp knelynge  to kiss..en his bulles a jHe bonched blessidM.P.74: The substitution of blessid for bonched is much later than the main hand. The altered reading blessid agrees with FH. hem with his breuet  and blered hire e....yesAnd rauȝte with his raggeman  rynges and broches Þus þei g.iuen hire gold  glotones to kepeAnd leneth itM.P.77: M's original reading without it agreed with OC2CLH. such loselus  þat lecherie hauntenWere þe bisshop y-blessud.  or worth boþe his eresHis seel shulde not be sent  to desceyue þe p.eple . Ac it is nouȝt by þe bysshop  þat þe boy precheth . For þe parissh preest and þe pardoner  parten þe syluer . +That the pore .....poraileM.P.82: The original word was shorter than poraile. F has men but most A manuscripts have peple, which may well be M's original reading. of þe parissh  shul.de haue if þei ...?...ne were .¶ Persones and parisch preestus  playned hem to þe bisshopÞat here parisshes were pore  sith þe pestilence tyme . contra Episcopos & CuratosTo haue a licence and leue . at london to dwelleAnd syngen þereM.P.86: M's original reading without þere was shared by H. for symonye  for siluer is swete . Bisshoppus and bachelers  boþe maistrus and doctoursÞat han cure vndur Crist  and crounedeM.P.88: M's reading is not shared by other B manuscripts, which vary, though most read crownynge. in tokeneAnd signe þat þei shulden  shryuen here paroschiensPrechen and prayen for hem  and þe pore fede Liggen in london  in lenten and ellesSuomme seruen þe kynge  and his syluer tellenIn chekker and in Chauncerye  chalengen his dettesOf wardes and wardemotes  weyues and streyuesAnd somme seruen as seruauntz  lordus and ladysAnd in stede of stywardus  sitten and demenHere messesM.P.97: M shares the form messes with Cr. Other B manuscripts have messe. and hire matynes  and many of here houresArn don vndeuoutlich  drede is atte þe laste . Lest Crist in Consistorie  acorse ful manyeI parceiuede of þe power  þat Petur had to kepe . To bynde and to vnbynde  as þe book telleþ . How he lefte .itM.P.102: The revised reading lefte it is shared with CrFH; OC2 have it self; other B manuscripts have it lefte. with loue  as oure lord highteAmonges foure vertues  þe beste of alle vertuesÞat Cardinales ben called  and closynge ȝyatesÞere Crist is in kyngedome  to close and to shutte . mistice loquiturAnd to open it to hem  and heuene blisse sheweAc of þe Cardinales atte Courte  þat cauȝt of þat nameAnd power presumed in hem  a Pope to makeTo han þat power þat Petur hadde  inpugnen I nelleFor in loue and lettrure  þe eleccioun bilongeth . For-þi I can and can nouȝte  of courte speke more . a ijM.P.111: A mark resembling a large, drypoint <a> is found on the bottom of this leaf.Þanne come þere a kyng  knyȝthode hym laddeMiȝte of þe comunes  made hym to regneAnd þanne come kynde w..it & M.P.114: It looks likely that the earlier reading was witte followed by and inserted above. The corrector makes the usual alteration to wit and that leaves space for &. No other manuscript omits and. clerkus he made . For to conseille þe kyng.  and þe comune saue . The kynge and þe knyȝthodeM.P.116: M shares the reading þe kniȝthode with Hm. Most other B manuscripts omit þe.  and the .clergieM.P.116: Above the rewritten clergie is an erasure, apparently of the same word written as a guide to the corrector. All other B manuscripts read clergie. boþeKesten þat þe comune  shulde hem-selue fynde . Þe comune contreued  of kynde wit.. craftus . And for profit of þe p.eple  plowmen ordeine.deTo til.enM.P.120: In place of the revised form tilen all other B manuscripts read tilie. and to trauaille  as trewe lif askethÞe kynge and þe comune  and kynde wit.. þe þridde . Shoop lawe and leaute  eche man to knowe his owne . Thanne lokud vp a lunatyk  a lene þinge with-alleAnd knelynge to þe kynge  clergealy he saide . Crist kepe. þe sire kynge  and þ.iM.P.125: All B manuscripts share M's revision þi, except for G which reads the. kynngrycheAnd lene þe to lede þi lond ....so  þatM.P.126: M's inclusion of þat is not shared by other B manuscripts. le.ute þe louye . And for þi riȝtful rewlyng  be rewardud in heueneAnd sithen in þe e..ir an heiȝgh  an angel of heueneLowed to speke in latyn  for lewede men ne couþe . Iangle ne iuge  þat iusticeM.P.130: M shares the reading iustice with C2. Other B manuscripts read Iustifie. hem shulde . But suffren and seruen  for-þ..i saide þe angel . vox angeliSum rex . sum princeps  neutrum fortasse deinceps .M.P.132: In addition to the underlining, these Latin verses are bracketed with a curly bracket in the left margin. The same marginal hand, which is much later than the main text (perhaps 16th-17th century), has written vox angeli in the left margin.O qui iura regis . .CristiM.P.133: The first graph of this abbreviation is written over an erasure. specialia regis .Hoc quod agas melius  iustus es esto piusNudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate Qualia vis metere  talia grana sereSi ius nudatur . nudo de iure metatur .Si seritur pietas  de pietate metas .Thanne greuede hym a Goliardeys  a glotoun of wordus . A..nd to þe angel an heiȝh  answere.dM.P.140: In place of M's revised form answered LR have the present tense. Hm also corrects. aftur . Dum rex a regere . dicatur nomen habereM.P.141: Kane and Donaldson record this line as being written in the margin. This line, however, is written in the main text area, although the following three are added in the margin.Nomen habet sine re nisi studet iura tenereM.P.142: Underlining, in red ink, from the main text to the margin indicates the intended location of the inserted lines.Thanne biganM.P.143: M's reading of bigan is not shared by other B manuscripts, which, except for F, read gan. al þe comune crie . in vers of latinM.P.143: The end of the word is lost in the binding.To þe kyng & hisM.P.144: M's reading of kyng & his is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read kynges. conseill  construe whoso woldePreciptaPrec[e]pta Regis sunt nobis vincula legis .The route off RatonsWith þat ran þere a route  of ratones at ones And smale mys wyth hem  mo þan.. — a þousande . And comen to a conseil.  for here comune profiteFor a ...Cat of a ..contre  cam whanne hym lik..eed . And ouerle..ep hem liȝtly  and lauȝte hem atte his wille . And pleyde with hem perillou...sly  and possed hem aboute . For doute of diuerse dredus  we dar nouȝt wel looke . And ȝif we grucchen . of his gamen  he wil.. greuen vs alle . Cracche vs and clawesM.P.154: M's original reading clawes is shared by no other B manuscripts, most of which read clawe vs, though in the b-verse Cr has clawes instead of clochus. vs  and in his clochus holdeÞat vs lotheth þe lif  oer he lete vs passeMiȝte we wiþ any witte  his wille with-stondeWe myȝten be lordus a-lofte  and l.yuen at oure ese . A Ratoun of renoun mooste renable of ..tonge . Seide for a souerain  help to hym-selue . I haue y-se.yn segges quod he  in þe Cite of LondounBeren biȝes ful briȝt  abouten here nekk.es . And summe Colers of crafty werk  vncouplede þei wendtenM.P.162: M's original reading agreed with YOC2CLR. The alteration brings M into agreement with WHmCrG.Boþe in wareine and in waste  where hem leue like.dM.P.163: M shares its revised form liked with WCr1GH. Other manuscripts have the present tense.And oþerwyle þai arne ellus-where  as I here telle . Were þere a belle on ...hireM.P.165: The original reading may have been his, as in G. beiȝe  by Ihesu as me th..ynkeþ . ...?...M.P.166: Something no longer legible is erased in the right margin. Likely it was a guide for alteration to renne.Men myȝten witen wher þei wente  and away .....renneAnd riȝt so quod þat Ratoun  resoun me sheweþTo bugge a belle of bras  or of briȝte siluerAnd knytten itM.P.169: M's original reading without it was shared by Cr23GOC2CL. The alteration brings M into agreement with all other B manuscripts. on a Coler  for oure comune profite . And hangen it vpon þe Cattus hals  þanne heere we mowen . Where he rit.. or reste  or renneth to playeAnd ȝif hym lust for to layke  þanne loke we mowen . And peren in his presence  þere whyle hym plaie likeþ . And ȝif him wrattheth be war  and his weye shonye . Al þis route of ratouns  to þis resoun assent..eedAc þo þe belle was y-bouȝte  and on þe beiȝe hanged . Þere nas ratoun in þe route  for al.. þe reume of FraunceÞat durste haue bonden þe bieȝM.P.178: M shares bie with Hm. Other B manuscripts have belle.  a-boute þe cattus nekke . Ne hangen itM.P.179: M's original reading without it agreed with GL. aboute þe cattus hals  al Englon...d — to wynne . And helden hem vn-hardy  and here conseille febleAnd leten here labour lo...st  and here longe studye . A mous þat moche goode  couthe as me thouȝteStro..ok forþ sternly  and stoode byforn hem alle . And to þe route of Ratons  reherced þes wordus . Thouȝgh we cullede þe cat  ȝyet shulde þere come a-noþur . To craccheM.P.186: M's original reading cracche agreed with OYCLR. vs and alle oure kynde  þouȝ we croupe vndur benches . Forthi .I conseille .. alle þe comune  to late þe catte worþe . a iij..And be we neuere so bolde  þe belle hym to shewe . For I herde my sire sain  is seuen ȝyere y-passed . Þere þe catte is a kytoun  þe court. is ful elenge . #Þat w..ytnesseþ holy writte  whoso wol it rede . Ve terre vbi puer rex est & cetera .For may non renc þere reste haue  for ratones by nyȝteÞe while he caccheþ conynges  he coueiteþ nouȝt oure caroine . But fet hym wiþ venesoun  defame we hym neuereFor bettur is a litul losse  .....than a longe sorwe . Þe mase amonge vs alle  þouȝ we mysse a shreweFor many mann.es malt  we mys wolde destru.yeAnd also ȝye route of ratouns  rende menn.es clothesNere þe cat.. of þat courte þat can ȝyow ouer-lepe . For hadde ȝye rattes ȝyoure wille  ȝye couthe not reule ȝyoure-selue.I say for me quod þe mous  I see so mukel aftur . Shal neuere þe catt / ne þe kytoun  by my conseill be greued . Ne carpinge of þis coler  þat costud me neuere . And þouȝ it had costed me . catel  byknowen it I nolde . But suffre as hym-self wolde  to do as hym likeþ . Couplede and vncouplede  to cacche what þei mowe . For-þi eche a wyse wiȝte I warne  wite wel his owne . What þis meteles bemeneth  ȝye men þat ben merieDyuyne ȝye for I ne dar  by dere god in heuene . ȜYet houed þere an hundred  in ho....vues of silkeSergeauntes it semed  þat serued atte þe barre# Momming off Men off law For MonePleteden for penies  and poundes þe laweAnd nouȝt for loue of oure lord  vnlose here lippus onys . Þow miȝteste bettur mete þe myste  on maluerne hulles.....Than gete a momme of here mouthe but monoye were shewedBarouns and burgeis  and bonde-men als . I sa.y in þis assemble  as ȝye shul here afturBaxters and brewsters  and bochers manyeWollenwebsters  and weuers . of lynnenTaillours and tynkers  and tollers in marketesMasouns and mynours  and many moM.P.222: M's reading of mo is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read oþer. craftesOf alkyn libbyng laborers  lopun forþ summeAs dikers & deluers  þat doth here dedes illeAnd dryuen forþ þe ...longeM.P.225: M shares its revised adjective longe with the majority of B manuscripts, but L has dere and F fayre. day  with dieu vous saue dame Emme . Ius passusCokus and hire knaues  crieden hote pies hoteGode grys and gees  gowego we dyne gowego we . Tauerners vn-til hem  toolde þe sameWhite wyn of Oseye  and rede wyn of GascoigneOf þe ryne and of þe rochell  þe roste to defieAl þis seiȝ I slepinge  and seuen sythes more .