The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 3: Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79 (O) version of 30 December 2003 – Passus 1William LanglandEdited by Katherine Heinrichs Graduate Research Assistants Patricia Bart, Michael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Peter Eubanks, Paul Fyfe, Paul Gaffney, Janice McCoy, Chloe Smith, Timothy L. Stinson, Jordan Taylor, and Keicy Tolbert. Computer Consultants and Programmers Shayne Brandon, Kirk V. Hastings, Richard A. Peterson, Daniel Pitti, Jonathan Rodney, 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: 1843840251

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2004

SEENET A.5

Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79

late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79

brown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink

LatinFrenchGermanMay, 2001catalogerPatricia BartNew header createdPrimus passusO.1.000: The heading is divided after Primus, so that it appears as two lines.wWHat þis mountayn bemeneþ  & þe merk daleAnd þe feeld ful of folk  I schal ȝow fayre scheweA louely lady of lere  in lynnen I-cloþedCome doun from a castel  & callede me fayreAnd seyde sone slepist þou  seest þou þis pepleHow bisy þei been  aboute þe maseÞe moost partie of þis peple  þat passen on þis erþeHaue þei worschip in þis world  þei wilnen no betterOf oþer heuene þan here  holden þei no taleI was a-feerd of hir face  þouȝ sche fayr wereAnd seyde mercy ma-dame  what is þis to meneÞe tour vp þe toft quod sche  truþe is þer-inneAnd wolde þat ȝe wrouten  as his word techiþFor heO.1.14: O alone lacks is before fadir. fadir of feiþ  formede ȝow alleBoþe wiþ felle & wiþ face  & ȝaf ȝow fyve wittisFor to worschipe hym þer-wiþ  þe whyle ȝe been hereAnd þer-fore . he hyȝte þe erþe  to helpe ȝow ichoneOf wollen . of lynnen  of lyflode at nedeIn mesurable maner  to make ȝow at eseAnd comaundede of his curteisie  in comune . þre þingysArn noon nedeful but þoo O.1.21: OC2 alone lack and before nempne. nempne hem I þinkeAnd reckene hem bi resoun  reherce ȝe hem afterÞat oon . is vesture  from chele þee to saueAnd mete at meele  for myseise of þi-selueAnd drynk whanne þou dryest  ac do not out of resounÞat þou worþe þe werse  whanne þou worche schuldestFor loth in his lijf-dayes  for likyng of drynkDide bi hise douȝtres  þat þe deuel likedeDelitede hym in drink  as þe deuel woldeAnd leccherie hym lauȝte  & lay bi hem boþeO.1.30: OC2 here lack the following line attested by all other B manuscripts: "And al he witte it wyn þat wikked dede."Inebriemus eum vino . dormiamusque cum eo vt seruare possimus de patre nostro semen .Þoruȝ wiyn & þoruȝ wommen  þere was loth acombredAnd þere he gate in glotenye  gyrles þat weren cherlesFor-þi drede delitable drynk  & þou schalt do þe betterMesure is medicyne  þouȝ þou myche ȝerneIt is not al good for þe goost  þat þe gutte askeþNe lijflode to þi likham  þat leef is to þiO.1.37: Of the manuscripts which include the line in this form, OC2RF alone have þi in place of þe. souleLeeue þou notO.1.38: OC2 alone have þou not in place of nauȝt. þi likham  for a lyer hym techeþÞat is aO.1.39: OC2 alone have a in place of þe. wrecchid world  wolde þee bitrayeFor þe feend & þi flesch  folewen þee to-gydereÞis & þat seeþ þi soule  & seiþO.1.41: OC2 alone lack it before in. in þin herteAnd for þou schuldest been I-war  I wisse þee þe bettreO.1.42: OC2 alone have bettre in place of beste.Ma-dame mercy quod I  me likeþ wel ȝoure wordesAc þe money of þis moold  þat men so fast holdenTelle me to whom ma-dame  þat tresore appendeþGo to þe gospel quod sche  þat god seyde hym-seluenpepleO.1.47: A solidus/punctus above temple and another above the marginal addition indicate that it is intended as a substitution, although such a reading is unattested elsewhere and to adopt it would destroy the sense of the line.ToO.1.47: OC2 alone have To; most B manuscripts have Tho. þe peple þatO.1.47: OC2 alone include þat. hym apposede  wiþ a peny in þe templeWheþer þei schulden þer-wiþ  worschipe þe kyng CesarAnd god askede of hem  of whom spake þe lettreAnd þe ymage Ilike  þat þer-inneO.1.50: An otiose tilde appears above the <i> in inne. stondiþCesaris . þei seyden  we seen hym wel ichoneReddite cesari . quod god  þat cesari bifalleþEt que sunt dei . deo  or ellis ȝe doon yueleO.1.53: OC2 alone have yuele in place of ille.For riȝtful resoun  schulde rule ȝow alleAnd kynde witt be wardeyn  ȝoure welþe to kepeAnd tutour of ȝoure tresore  & take it ȝow at nedeAndO.1.57: OC2 alone have And in place of For. housbondrie & þeiO.1.57: GOC2 alone have þei in place of a correctly alliterating pronoun beginning with <h> (he, heo, hij, hy).  holden to-gydereÞanne I fraynede hir faire  for hym þat hir madeÞat dongeoun in þe dale  þat dredeful is of syȝtWhat may it be to mene  ma-dame . I ȝow bisecheÞat is þe castel of care  who-so comeþ þer-inneO.1.61: An otiose tilde appears above the <i> in inne.May banne . þat he born was  to body &O.1.62: GOC2H alone have & in place of or. to souleÞer-inne wonyeþ a wyȝt  þat . wrong . is I-hoteFadir of falshed  and foundede it hym-selueAdam and Eue  he eggede to illeCounceylede Caym  to killen his broþerIudas he iapede  wiþ Iuwen syluerAnd siþen on an eller  hangede hymselue afterHe is letter of loue  & lyeþ hem alleÞat tristen on his tresore  bitrayeþ he sunnestÞanne hadde IÞanne hadde I wonder in my witt  what womman it wereÞat swyche wyse wordis  of holi writ schewedeAnd askede hir inO.1.73: HmOC2C alone have in; most B manuscripts have on. þe hye name  er sche þennys ȝedeWhat sche were wittirli  þat wissede me so faireHoli chircheHoli chirche I am quod sche  þou ouȝtest me to knowe I vnderfonge þee first  & þeeO.1.76: O alone has the form þee; most B manuscripts have þe. feiþ tauȝteAnd þouO.1.77: HmOC2 alone have And þou in place of And or Thou alone. brouȝtest me borwes  my biddyng to fulfilleAnd to loue me leelli  þe while þi lijf dureþÞanne I courbede on my knees  & cryede hir of graceAnd preyede hir pitousli  preye for my synnesAnd also . kenne me kyndeli  on crist to beleeueÞat I myȝte worche his wille  þat wrouȝte me to manTeche me to no tresore  but telle me þis ilkeHow I may saue my soule  þat seynt art yholdenWhanne alle tresores been I-tryedO.1.85: OC2 alone have I-tryed; most B manuscripts have tried quod she.  truþe is þe bestI do it on deus caritas  to deme þe soþeIt is as derworþe a drurye  as dere god hym-seluenWho-so is trewe of his tunge  & telliþ noon oþerAndO.1.89: OC2 alone lack some variant of doþ before þe werkis, obscuring the sense of the line. þe werkis þer-wiþ  & wilneþ no man illeHe is a god bi þe gospel  on ground & on loftAnd Ilike to oure lord  bi seynt lukes wordisÞe clerkis þat knowen þis  schulden kenne it abouteFor cristen & vncristen  cleymen it ichoounKyngys & knyȝtis  schulden kepen it bi resounRiden & rappen adoun  in rewmes abouteKnyȝthodeAnd take transgressouris  & tyen hem fast Til truþe hadde I-termyned  her trespasse to þe eendeAnd þat is þeO.1.98: A small round hole in the vellum, present at the time of copying, appears between is and þe. professioun apertli  þat appendiþ to knyȝtisAnd not to fasten a fryday  in fyue score wynterBut holden wiþ hym & wiþ hir  þat wolden al truþeAnd neuere leue hem for loue  ne for lacchyng of syluerFor dauid in his dayes  dubbede knyȝtisAnd dide hem swere on her swerd  to serue truþe euereAnd who-so passede þeO.1.104: OC2 alone have þe in place of þat. poynt  isO.1.104: YOC2M alone have the present-tense form.apostata in þe ordreBut crist kyngen kyng  knyȝtede tenCherubyn & Seraphyn  swyche seuene & an-oþerAnd ȝaf hem myȝt in his mageste  þe myrier hem þouȝteAnd ouer hise mene meyne  made hem archaungelisTauȝte hem bi þe trinite  truþe to knowea 1To be buxum at his biddyng  he bade hem nouȝt ellis Lucifer wiþ legiounes  lernede it in heueneBut for he brake buxumnesse  his blis gan he tyneAnd fel fro þat felawschipe  in a feendis liknesseIn-to a depe derk helle  to dwelle þere for euereAnd moo þouȝsandis wiþ hym  þan man couþe noumbreLoopen out wiþ lucifer  in loþeliche formeFor þei leeueden vp-on hym  þat lyede in þis manerePonam pedem meumO.1.118: GOC2 alone include meum with pedem, although H has the reading sedem meam. in aquilone & similis ero altissimoAnd alle þat hopeden it myȝte be so  noon heuene myȝte hem holdeBut fellen out in feendis liknesse  nyne dayes to-gydereTil god of his goodnesse  gan stable & stynteAnd garte þe heuene to stekye  & stonden in quieteWhanne þeise wickide wenten out  wonderwyse þei fellenSumme in þe erþeO.1.124: OC2MF alone have þe erþe in this position in the line. Variants include Eyr (HmCrGL), þe eyr (WCH), and erthe (YR). . summe in þe eyre  & summe in helle depeAc lucifer lowest  liyþ of hem alleFor pride þat he puttedeO.1.127: OC2 alone have the form puttede; most B manuscripts have putte. out  his peyne haþ noon eendeAnd alle þat worchen wiþ wrong  wenden þei schulleAfter her deþ-dayO.1.128: A double solidus over each word indicates transposition of original day deþ.  & dwelle wiþ þat schreweAc þoo þat worchen wel  as holi writ telleþAnd eenden as I erstO.1.130: OC2 alone have erst; most B manuscripts have er. seyde  in truþe þat is bestMowen be siker þat her soule  schal wende to heueneÞere truþe is in trinite  & troneþ hem alleFor-þi . I seye as I seyde eer  bi siȝt of þeise textisO.1.133: OC2 alone lack the following line attested by all other B manuscripts: "Whan alle tresors arn tried truþe is þe best."Lereþ it þeiseO.1.134: WYOC2 alone have þeise; variants include this (HmCrCLR), thys ye (GF), and ye (M). lewede men  for lettred men it knowenÞat truþe is tresore  þe triest on erþeȜit haue I no kynde knowyng quod I  ȝit mote ȝe kenne me betterBi what craft in my coors  it comseþ & whereO.1.137: A small round hole in the vellum, present at the time of copying, appears in the right margin.Þou doted daffe quod sche  dulle arn þi wittisTo litel lateyn þou lernedest  leode in þi ȝouþeHeu michi quia sterilem  duxi vitam IuuenilemIt is a kynde knowyng quod scheheO.1.141: A solidus/punctus above sche and the marginal addition indicate that it is intended as a substitution. As he is not the feminine singular pronoun used by the main scribe, the correction may represent either an error or an attempt to bring the text into conformity with the corrector's own dialect.  þat kenneþ in þin herteFor to louye þi lord  leuere þan þi-seluenNo dedli synne to do  deye þouȝ þou schuldestÞis I trowe be truþe  who can teche þee betteO.1.144: O alone has bette in place of bettre.Loke þou suffre hym to seye  & siþen lere it afterFor þus witnessiþ his word  worche þou þer-afterFor truþe telleþ þat loue  is triacle inO.1.147: YOC2 alone have in; most B manuscripts have of. heueneMay no synne be on hym sene  þat vseþ þat spiceAnd alle hise werkis he wrouȝte  wiþ loue as hym listeAnd lernede it Moyses forO.1.150: OC2F alone lack þe before leuest. leuest þing  & moost likeO.1.150: A solidus/punctus above like, accompanied by a marginal caret/punctus, mark like for deletion. inO.1.150: OC2 alone have in in place of to. heueneAnd also þe plente of pees  moost precious of vertuesFor heuene myȝte not holde it  it was so heuy of hym-selueTil it hadde of þe erþe  eten his filleAnd whanne it hadde of þe folde  flesch & blodeO.1.153: OC2 alone lack take(n) at the end of this line.Was neuere leef vp-on lynde  liȝter þer-afterAnd portatyf & persaunt  as þe poynt of a nedel Þat myȝte noon armure it lette  ne noon hye wallisFor-þi . is loue leder  of þe lordis folk of heueneAnd a mene as þe meyr is  bitwixe þe kyng & þe comounsRiȝt so is loue a leder  & þe lawe schapiþVp-on man for hise mysdedis  þe mercyment he taxiþAnd for to knowe it kyndeli  it comseþ bi myȝtAnd in þe herte . þer is þe hed  & þe hye welleFor in kynde knowyng in herte  þere a myȝt bigynneþAnd þat falliþ to þe fadir  þat formede vs alleLokede on vs wiþ loue  & leete his sone deyeMekeli for oure mysdedis  to amende vs alleAnd ȝit wolde he hem no woo  þat wrouȝten hym þat peyneBut mekelich biO.1.169: OC2 alone have bi in place of wiþ. mouþe  mercy he bisouȝteTo haue pite on þat peple  þat peynede hym to deþHere myȝtist þou se ensaumples  in hym-seluenO.1.171: OC2 alone have hym-seluen in place of hymself. oneÞat he was myȝtful & meke  & mercy gan graunteTo hem þat hongen hym on hyȝ  & his herte þirledFor-þi I rede ȝow riche  haue reuþe of þe poreÞouȝ ȝe been myȝtful to mote  beþ meke in ȝoure werkisFor þe same mesures þat ȝe meten  amys oþer ellisȜe schul be weyen þerwiþ  whanne ȝe wenden hennysEadem mensura qua mensi fueritis  remecietur vobisFor þouȝ ȝe be trewe of ȝoure tunge  & trulich wynnenAnd as chaast as a chiyld  þat in chirche wepiþBut if ȝe loue lellich  & lene þe poreSwich good as god ȝow sente  goodelich parteþ Ȝe ne han no more meryte  in masse ne in ouresÞan malkyn of hir maydenhood  þat no man desireþFor Iames þe gentil  iuggede in hise bokisÞat feiþ wiþ-outen þe feite  is riȝt no-þing worþiAnd as deed as a dore-tre  but if þe dedis folewenO.1.187: OC2 alone have the form folewen; all other beta witnesses have folwe.Fides sine operibus  mortua est .a 2For-þi . chastite wiþ-outen charite  worþ cheyned in helleIt is as lewed as a laumpe  þat no liȝt is InneMany chapeleyns arn chaast  ac charite is a-weyeArn no men auerouser þan þei  whanne þei been auauncedVnkynde to her kyn  & to alle cristenChewen her charite  & chiden after moreSwich chastite wiþ-outen charite  worþ cheyned in helleMany curatouris kepen hem  clene of her bodiesÞei been acombred wiþ coueytise  þei cun not do it from hemSo harde haþ auarice  yhasped hem to-gyderisAnd þat is inO.1.199: OC2 alone have in, which has been added above the line. All other beta witnesses have no. truþe of þe trinite  but treccherie of helleAnd lernyng to lewede men  þe latter for to deeleFor-þi . þeise wordis  ben writen in þe gospelDate & dabitur vobis  for I deele ȝow alleAnd þat is þe lokke of loue  & lateþ out my graceTo counforte þe careful  acombrid wiþ synneLoue is leche of liyf  & next oure lord seluenO.1.205: OC2 alone have seluen in place of selue.And also þe greiþ gate  þat goþ in-to heueneFor-þi I seye as I seyde erstO.1.207: OC2 alone have erst; most B manuscripts have er..  bi þe treweO.1.207: OC2 alone include trewe, which is marked for deletion by a solidus/punctus above and a caret/punctus in the right margin. textisWhanne alle tresores been ytried  truþe is þe bestNow haue I told þee what truþe is  þat no tresore is betterI may no lenger lenge þee wiþ  now loke þee oure lord