The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 3: Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79 (O) version of 30 December 2003 – Passus 8William 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 createdPassus octauusO.8.000: The heading is divided after Passus, so that it appears as two lines. Flourishes consisting of two rays with a central tick, arranged vertically, appear at the left and right of the heading.Þvs yrobed in russet  I romede aboute Al a somer sesoun  for to seke do-wel And fraynede ful oft  of folk þat I mette If any wiȝt wiste where  do-wel . was at InneAnd what man he myȝte be  of many man I axedeWas neuere wiȝt as I wente  þat me wisse kouþeO.8.6: OC2 alone lack the following line attested by all other B manuscripts: "Where þis leode lenged lasse ne moore."Til it be-fel on a fryday  two freris I metteMaystris of þe menouris  men of greet witteI haylesede hem heendeli  as I hadde lernedAnd preyede hem pur charite  er þei passeden ferþerIf þei knewen any cuntre  or coostes as þei wentenO.8.11: OC2 alone have as þei wenten; all other beta witnesses have as þei wente.Where þat . do-wel . dwelliþ  doþ me to witenFor þei been men of þis moold  þat moost wijlde walkenAnd knowen cuntrees & courtis  & many kyns placesBoþe princes paleycis  & pore mennys cotesAnd do-wel & do-yuele  where þei dwellen boþeAmongys vs quod þe menouris  þat man is dwellyngeAnd euere haþ as I hope  & euere schal her-after ContraContra quod I as a clerk  & comsede to disputeSepcies in die cadit iustiO.8.20: The rubric is divided after sepcies, die, and cadit, so that it appears as four vertical lines in the right margin opposite ll. 8.20-8.23.And seyde hem soþeli  sepcies in die cadit iustusSeuene siþes seiþ þe book  synneþ þe riȝtfulAnd who-so synneþ he seydeO.8.22: OC2C alone have he seyde; variants include I say (Cr), I seide (WGYLMR), as y seyde (Hm), seide he (B), and in doynge he (F).  doþ yuele as me þinkeþO.8.22: OC2 alone lack the following line attested by all other B manuscripts: "[That] dowel and do yuele mowe noȝt dwelle togideres."Ergo he is not alwey  amongys ȝow frerisHe is oþer-whyle ellis-where  to wisse þe pepleI schal seye þee my sone  seyde þe frere þanneHow seuene siþes þe sadman  on a day synneþBi aforbisena forbisen quod þe frere  I schal þe fayre scheweLatte brynge a man in a boot  a-myd þe brode waterÞe wijnd & þe water  & þe boot waggyngeMakeþ a man many tyme  to falle & to stumbleO.8.30: OC2 alone have stumble; all other beta witnesses have stonde.For stonde he neuere so stiffe  he stumbleþ if he meueþAc ȝit is he saaf & sound  & so hym bihoueþFor if he ne arise þe raþer  & rauȝte to þe stereÞe wijnd wolde wiþ þe water  þe boot ouerþroweAnd þanne were his lijf lost  þoruȝ laccheyse of hym-seluenAnd þus it falliþ quod þe frere  bi folk heer on erþeÞe water is likned to þe werld  þat wanyeþ & waxeþÞe goodes of þis ground arn lijk  to þe grete wawesÞat as wyndes & wederes  walken abouteÞe boot is likned to oure body  þat brotel is of kyndeÞat þoruȝ þe feend & þe flesch  & þe frele werldSynneþ þe sadman  a day seuene siþesAc dedli synne doþ he not  for do-wel hym kepeþAnd þat is charite þe champioun  cheef help aȝens synneFor he strengþedeO.8.45: OYCr1 alone have the preterite form. man to stonde  & steriþ mannys souleAnd þouȝ þi body bowe  as boot doþ in þe waterAy is þi soule saaf  but if þi-self wole Do a dedli synne  & drenche þi souleGod wole suffre wel þi slouþe  if þi-self likeþFor he ȝaf þee to ȝersȝyue  to ȝeme wel þiselueAnd þat is witt & fre wille  to euery wiȝt a porciounTo fleynge foules to fischis  & also to beestisAc man haþ moost þerof  & moost is to blameBut if he wirche wel þerwiþ  as do-wel hym techeþI haue no kynde knowyng quod I  to conceyue alle ȝoure wordisAc if I may lyue & loke  I schal go lerne betterI bikenne þee crist  þat on þe crosse dyedeAnd I seyde . þe same  saue ȝow fro meschaunceAnd gyue ȝow grace on þis ground  goode men to worþeAnd þus I wente wyde-where  walkynge myn ooneBi a wylde wildernesse  & bi a wode-sydeBlis of þe bryddis  brouȝte me a-slepeAnd vndir a lynde vp-on a launde  lenede I a stoundeTo lyþe þe layes  þoo loueli foules madenMirþe of her mouþes  made me þere to slepeÞe meruelousest meteles  mette IO.8.66: YOC2 alone include I. me þanneÞat euere dremede wiȝt  in werld as I weneA myche man as me þouȝte  & lijk to me-selueCome & callede me  bi my kynde nameWhat art þou quod I þoo  þat þou my name knowistÞat þou wost wel quod he  & no manO.8.71: OC2 alone have man in place of correctly alliterating wiȝt. betterWoot I what þou art  þouȝt . seyde he þanneI haue sued þee þis seuene ȝer  seyȝ þou me no raþerArt þou þouȝt . quod I þoo  þou koudest me wisseWhere þat do-wel dwelliþ  & do me þat to knoweDo-wel & do-bette & do-best O.8.76: OC2 alone lack þe before þridde. þridde quod heArn þre fayre vertues  & been not feer to fyndeWho-so is trewe of his tunge  & of hise two handisAnd þoruȝ his labour or hise londes  his lijflode wynneþAnd is tristi ofO.8.80: GOC2 alone lack his before taylyng. taylyng  takiþ but his owneAnd is not drunklew ne dedeynous  do-wel hym folewiþDo-bette doþ riȝt þus  & he doþ mych moreHe is as lowe as a lombe  & louelich of specheAnd helpiþ alle men  after þat hem nediþÞe baggys & þe bigyrdeles  he haþ to-broke hem alleÞat þe erle auarous  helde . & hise eyrisAnd þus wiþ mammonaes money  he haþ maad hym freendisAnd is runne to religioun  & haþ rendrid þe bibleAnd prechede to þe peple seynt poulis wordisLibenter suffertis insipientes cum sitis ipsi sapientesAnd suffrenO.7.91: OC2 alone have the form suffren; most other B manuscripts have suffreþ. þe vnwyse  wiþ ȝow for to libbeAnd wiþ glad wille doon hem good  for so god ȝow hotiþDo-bestDo-best is aboue hemO.8.93: OC2F alone include hem. boþe  & bereþ a bischoppis croos Is hoked on þat oon eende  to hale men fro helleA pyke is on þe potent  to pilteO.8.95: OC2 alone have pilte. Variants include pulte (L), pelte (R), pul (Cr), pulle (Y), pytten (F), putte (WHmBM), pute (C), and put (G); Kane and Donaldson emend to punge. The form pilte is defined by the MED as "to thrust, push, strike"; pulte and pelte are listed as variants. The form pungen is listed as a variant of pingen, "to push (a door), batter; shove," "to pierce or stab." Skeat (Vol. II, 419) notes that the word's literal meaning is "goad." adoun þe wikkideÞat wayten any wikkidnesse  do-wel to teneAnd do-wel & do-bette  amongys hem ordeynedenO.8.97: O alone has ordeyneden; variants include han ordeyned (WHmCr), ordeyned (YGC2CLMR), and ordeyneþ (B).To crowne oon to be kyng  to rulen hem boþeÞat if do-wel or do-bette  doþO.8.99: A solidus/punctus above the word and a caret/punctus in the left margin indicate deletion of doþ, but no substitute is supplied. OC2 alone have doþ; most B manuscripts have the preterite. aȝens do-bestÞanne schal þe kyng come  & casten hem in IrnesAnd but if do-best bidde for hem  þei be þere for euereÞus do-wel & do-bette  & do-best þe þriddeCrownedenO.8.103: O alone has the form crowneden; all other beta witnesses have crouned. oon to be kyng  to kepen hem alleAnd to rule þiO.8.104: OC2 alone have þi in place of (al) þe. rewme  bi her þre wittisAnd noon oþer-wyse but as þei þre assentedenO.8.105: O alone has assenteden; most B manuscripts have assented.I þankede þouȝt þoo  þat he me þus tauȝteAc ȝit saueriþ me not þi seggyng  I coueyte to lerneHow do-wel . do-bette & do-best  doon amongys þe pepleBut witt kun wisse þee quod þouȝt  where þoo þre dwellenEllis woot I noon þat can  þat now is a-lyueÞouȝt & I þus  þre dayes ȝedenDisputynge vp-on do-wel  day after oþerAnd er we weren ywarO.8.113: O alone has weren ywar; most B manuscripts have were war.  wiþ witt gonne IO.8.113: OC2 alone have I in place of we. meteHe was longe & lene  liche to noon oþerWas no pride on his apparayle  ne pouerte neyþerSad of his semblaunt  & of softe chereI durste meue no matere  to make hym to iangleBut as I bade þouȝt þoo  be mene bitweneAnd putte forþ sum purpos  to prouen hise wittisWhat was do-wel fro do-bette  & do-best fram hem boþeÞanne þouȝt in þat tyme  seyde þeise wordis Where do-wel . do-bette . & do-best  been in londe Heer is wille wolde wite  if witt kouþe teche hym And wheþer he be man or womman  þis man wolde asspye And worche as þei þre woldenO.8.125: OC2 alone have the form wolden in place of wolde.  þis is his entent