The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 3: Oxford, Oriel College, MS 79 (O) version of 30 December 2003 – Passus 9William 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 nonusO.9.000: The heading is divided after Passus, so that it appears as two lines.SIre dowel dwelliþ quod witt  not a day hennys O.9.1: A small cross, in an unidentifiable hand, appears in the near left margin of this line. In a castel þat kynde made  of foure kyns þingysOf erþe & eyr it is maad  medelid to-gyderesWiþ wynde & wiþ water  wittiliO.9.4: OC2 alone have wittili in place of witterly. enioynedKynde haþ closid þer-Inne  craftili wiþ-alleA lemman þat he loueþ  lyke to hym-selueAnima sche hatte  ac envye hir hatiþA proude priker of fraunce  princeps huius mundiAnd wolde wynne hir awey  wiþ wyles and he myȝteAc kynde knowiþ þis wel  & kepiþ hir þe betterAnd haþ doon hir wiþ sire do-wel  duke of þis marchesDo-bette is hir damysel  sire do-welis douȝterTo serue þis lady lelly  boþe late & raþeDo-best is aboue boþe  a bisschopps pereÞat he bit mote be doon  he ruliþ hem alleAnima þat lady  is lad bi his leryngAc þe cunstable of þat castel  þat kepiþ al þe waccheIs a wise knyȝt wiþ-al  sire Inwitt he hatteAnd haþ fyue fayre sones  bi his first wijfSire . se wel . & seye wel  & here wel þe hendeSire . wirche wel . wiþ þin hand  a wiȝt man of strenkþeAnd . sire godfrey . go wel  grete lordis for-soþeÞeise fyue been set  to saue þis lady animaTil kynde come or sende  to sauen hir for euereWhat þing is kynde quod I  canst þou me telleKynde quod witt is a creature  of alkyns þingysFadir & formour of al  þat euere was makedAnd þat is þe greet god  þat gynnyng hadde neuereLord of lijf & of liȝt  of lisse & of peyneAungelis & al þing  arn at his willeAc man is hym moost lijke  of mark & of schaftFor þoruȝ þe woord þat he spake  wexen forþ beestisDixit & facta sunt & ceteraO.9.33: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after Dixit, and a red parasign precedes the second line of text.And made man likkest  to hym-selue ooneAnd eue of his ribbe-boon  wiþ-outen any meneFor he was synguler hym-self  & seyde faciamusAs who seyþ . more mut þertoO.9.37: GOC2 alone have þer-to in place of herto.  þan my word ooneMy myȝt mut helpe now  wiþ my specheRiȝt as a lord schulde make lettres  & hym lakkede parchemynÞouȝ he kouþe write neuere so wel  if he hadde no penneÞe lettresO.9.41: OCr23C2 alone have the plural form. for al þe lordschip  I leue were neuere ymakedAnd so it semeþ bi hym  as þe book telleþÞere he seyþ . dixit & facta suntHe muste wirche wiþ his word  & his witt scheweAnd in þis manere was man maad  þoruȝ myȝt of god almyȝtiWiþ his word & werkmanschip  & wiþ lijf to lasteAnd þus god gaf hym a goost  of þe godheed of heueneAnd of his greet grace  grauntede hym blysseAnd þat is lijf þat ay schal laste  to alle lynages afterAnd þat is þe castel þat kynde made  caro it hatteAnd þatO.9.51: OC2 alone include þat. is as myche to mene  as man wiþ a souleAnd þat he wrouȝte wiþ werk  & wiþ word boþeÞoruȝ myȝt of þe mageste  man was ymakedInwitt & alle wittis  closed been þer-InneAnimaFor loue of þe lady anima  þat lijf is ynempned Ouer-al in mannys body  he walkiþ & wandriþAc in þe herte is hir home  & hir moost restAc inwitt is in þe hed  & to þe herte he lokiþWhat anima is leef &O.9.59: OC2 alone have & in place of or. looþ  he latte hir at his willeFor after þe grace of god  þe grettest is inwittMich woo worþ þat man  þat mysruliþ his inwittAnd þat been glotouns glubbers  her god is her wombeQuorum deus venter estO.9.63: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after deus, so that it appears as two lines.For þei seruen sathan  her soulis schal he haueÞat lyuen synful lijf heer  her soule is like þe deuelisO.9.65: OC2 alone have the possessive form.And alle þat lyuen good lijf  arn like to god almyȝtiQui manet in caritate in deo manet & ceteraO.9.67: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after caritate, so that it appears as two lines.Allas þat drynk schal fordo  þat god dere abouȝteAnd dooþ god forsaken hem  þat he schope to his liknesseAmen dico vobis . nescio vos / & alibi / & dimisi eos secundum desideria eorum & ceteraFoulesfoolesO.9.71: A caret beside marginal fooles indicates that it was intended as a substitute for Foules. þat fauten Inwitt  I fynde þat holi chirche  Schulde fynde hem þat hem fauteþ  & fadirles childrenAnd wydwes þat han not wher-wiþ  to wynne hem hem her fodeMadde men & maydenes  þat helples werenAlle þeise lakken Inwitt  & lore bihoueþOf þisO.9.76: A solidus/punctus appears over the <s> in þis, for no apparent reason. matere I myȝte  make a longe taleAnd fynde fele witnesse  amongys þe foure doctourisAnd þat I lye not of þat I lere þee  luke bereþ witnesseGodfadir & godmodir  þat seen her god-children At mysese & meschef  & mowen hem amendeSchul haue penaunce in purgatorie  but if þei hem helpeFor more bilongeþ to þe litil barn  er he þe lawe knoweÞan nempnyng of a name  & he neuere þe wyser. . . nota .. .O.9.84: The word nota is accompanied by flourishes at right, left, and bottom.Schulde no cristen creature  crye at þe ȝate Ne fayle payn ne potage & prelatis  diden as þei schuldenA Iu wolde not seen a Iu  go iangelyng for defauteFor alle þe mebles on þis moold  & he amende it myȝteAllas þat a cristen creature  schal be so vnkynde to an-oþerSiþen Iues þat we Iuggen  Iudas felawisEyþer of hem helpeþ oþer  of þat þat hym nediþWhy nylenO.9.91: O alone has nylen; variants include ne woll (HmBR), nel (WGYC2CLM), wyl not (Cr23), and wil (Cr1F). we cristen of cristis  good . be as kyndeAs Iues þat been oure lorismen  schame to vs alleÞe comune for her vnkyndenesse  I drede me schul abyeBisschopis schul be blamed  for beggers sakeHe is wers þan Iudas  þat ȝyueþ iapers syluerAnd biddiþ þe begger goo  for hise broken cloþesProditor est prelatus cum Iuda  qui patrimonium christi minus distribuit / Et alibi / Perniciosus dispensatorO.9.97: OC2 alone lack est before qui.  qui res pauperum invtiliterconsumitHe dooþ not wel þat dooþ þus  ne drat not god almyȝtiNe loueþ not salomons sawes  þat sapience tauȝteInicium sapiencie timor domini & þou doost betteO.9.100: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after sapiencie and domini, and red parasigns precede the last two lines of text.Drede god for loue & þou doost wel  but not for veniaunceÞou doost best if þou wiþdrawe  bi day & bi nyȝt To spille any speche  or any space of tymeQui offendit in vno  est in omnibus reusLeesyng of tyme  truþe woot þe soþeIs moost hatid vp-on erþe  of hem þat been in heueneAnd siþþe to spille speche  þat spire is of graceAnd goddis gleman  & a game of heueneWolde neuere þe feiþful fadir  his fiþele were vntempredNe his gleman a gedelyng  a goer to tauernesTo alle trewe tydymen  þat trauayle desirenOure lord loueþO.9.112: OC2 alone lack hem before &. & lent  loude eiþer stille Grace to goo to hem  & a-goon her lijflodeInquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bonoO.9.114: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after non, and a red parasign precedes the second line of text.Trewe weddid libbynge folk  in þis werld is do-welFor þei mustenO.9.116: OC2 alone have musten; most B manuscripts have mote. wirche & wynne  & þe werld susteyneFor of her kynde þei camencame  þat confessouris been nempnedKyngys & knyȝtis  kayseris & cherlisMaydenes & martiris  out of a man comeÞe wijf was maad þe weye  for to helpe worcheAnd þus was wedlok ywrouȝt  wiþ a mene persooneFirst bi þe faderis wille  & þe frendis counceylAnd siþþe bi assent of hem-selue  as þei two myȝten a-cordeAnd þus was wedlok ywrouȝt  & god hymself it madeIn erþe þe heuene is  hym-self was þe witnesseAc false folk feiþles  þeues & lyerisWastouris & wrecches  out of wedlok I trowe Conceyued been in yuele tyme  as caym was of eueOf swiche synful schrewes  þe sauter makiþ myndeConcepit in dolore & peperit iniquitatem & ceteraO.9.130: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after dolore, so that it appears as two lines.And alle þat come of þat caym  come to yuele eendeFor god sente to sem  & seyde bi an aungelÞin issu in þin issu  I wole þat þei be ioynedO.9.133: Cr23OC2 alone have ioyned in place of wedded.And not þi kynde wiþ caymes  ycouplid ne spousidȜit summe aȝensO.9.135: The <e> in aȝens seems to have been written over an <o>. þe soonde  of oure saueour of heueneKaymes kynde & his kynde  ycoupledeO.9.136: OC2 alone have ycouplede; all other beta witnesses have coupled. to-gyderisTil god wraþþede wiþ her werkis  & swich a word seydeÞat I makede man  now me it aþinkiþPenitet me fecisse hominemO.9.139: This line is written in the right margin.And come to noe anoon  & bade hym not letteSwiþe go schape a schip  of schidis & of boordisÞi-self & þi þre sones  & siþþen ȝoure wyuesBuske ȝow to þat boot  & bideþ ȝe þer-InneTil fourty dayes be fulfillid  þat flood haue ywasschen Clene awey þe cursid blood  þat caym haþ ymakedBeestis þat now been  schul banne þe tymeÞat euere þat cursid caym  come on þis erþeAlle schul dye for hise dedis  bi dales & bi hillesAnd þe foules þat flyen  forþ wiþ oþere beestisExcept onelich of ich  a kynde & a coupleO.9.150: YOC2 weaken the sense of this line by adding a before kynde, and OC2 destroy it by adding & before couple.Þat in þi schyngled schip  schul been ysauedHeer bouȝte þe barn  þe bele-sires gyltesAnd al for her forfadris  þei ferden þe wersÞe gospel is her-aȝeyn  in o degre I fyndeFilius non portabit iniquitatem patris & pater non portabit & ceteraO.9.155: OC2 alone have portabit & cetera; variants include & cetera (GYCB), portabit iniquitatem filij (RCrF), portabit iniquitatem filij & cetera (WHmL), and portabit iniquitatem & cetera (M).O.9.155: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after patris, so that it appears as two lines.Ac I fynde if þe fadir  be fals & a schreweÞat sumdel þe sone  schal haue þe sires tacchesImpe on an ellerne . & if  þin appil be sweteMiche merueyle me þinkiþ  & more of a schreweÞat bryngeþ forþ any barn  but if he be þe sameAnd haue a sauour after þe sire  selden seest þou oþerNumquam colligimus de spinis vuas nec de tribulis ficusO.9.162: This line is written in the right margin. It is divided after vuas, and a red parasign precedes the second line.And þus þoruȝ cursid caym  cam care vp-on erþeAnd al for þei wrouȝten wedlok  aȝens goddis willenota . Of wedlokO.9.165: The word nota is surrounded by red and black flourishes at top right and left and beneath.For-þi . haue þei maugre  þat so marien her children For summe as I see now  soþe for to telleFor coueytise of catel  vnkyndelich been weddidAc careful concepcioun  comeþ of swiche mariagesAs bifel of þe folk  þat I bifore of . toldeFor goode schulden wedde good  þouȝ þei no good haddeI am via & veritasO.9.171: OC2 alone lack the phrase seiþ crist or seid crist before the second occurrence of I. I may auaunce alleIt is an vncomeli couple  bi crist as me þinkiþTo ȝyue a ȝonge wenche  to an olde febleOr wedden any wydowe  for welþe of hir goodisÞat neuere schal barn bere  but if it be in armesMany a peyre siþ þe pestilence  han pliȝt hem to-gyderisÞe fruyt þat þei bryngen forþ  arn foule wordisIn ielousye ioyles  & ianglyng on beddeHaue þei no children but chest  & choppyng hem bitweneAnd þouȝ þei do hem to donmowe  but if þe deuel helpeTo folewen after þe flicche  fecche þei it neuereAnd but þei boþe be forsworen  þat bacoun þei tynenO.9.182: OC2 alone have tynen in place of tyne.For-þi I counceyle alle cristen  coueyte not be weddidFor coueytise of catel  ne of kynred richeAc maydenes & maydenes  macche ȝow to-gyderisWidowes & widowers  wircheþ þe sameFor no londes but for loue  loke ȝe be weddidAnd þanne getenO.9.188: O alone has geten in place of gete. ȝe þe grace of god  & good ynow to lyue wiþAnd euery manere seculer  þat may not conteneWiseli go wedde  & war hym fro synneFor leccherie in lokyng  is lyme-ȝerd of helleWhiles þou art ȝong  & þi wepen keneWerkeO.9.193: OC2 alone have Werke in place of Wreke. þee wiþ wyuyng  if þou wilt been excusidCum sis vir fortis  ne des tua robora scortisScribitur in portis  meretrix est ianua mortis .Whanne ȝe han wyued . beþ war  & wircheþ in tymeNot as adam & eue  whanne caym was engendridFor in vntyme truli  bitwene man & wommanNe schulde no bourde on bedde be  but if þei boþe werenO.9.199: O alone has weren in place of were. cleneBoþe of lijf & of soule  & in parfiȝt chariteÞat ilke derne dede do  no man ne schuldeAcO.9.201: YO alone have Ac; most B manuscripts have And. if þei leden þus her lijf  it likeþ god almyȝtiFor he made wedlok first  & hym-self it seydeBonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat propter fornicacionemAnd þei þat oþer-gates been geten  for gedelynges been holdenAs fals folk fondelynges  faytouris & lyerisVngracious to gete good  or loue of þe pepleWandren & wasten  what þei cacche mowenAȝens do-wel þei doon yuele  & þe deuel seruenAnd after her deþ-day  schul dwelle wiþ þe sameBut god gyue hem grace heer  hem-self to amendeDo-wel my freend . is to do  as þe lawe techiþTo loue þi freend & þi foo  leue me . þat is do-betteTo ȝyuen & to ȝemen  boþe ȝonge & oldeTo helen & to helpen  is . do-best . of alleAnd . do-wel . is to drede god  & . do-bette . is to suffreAnd so comeþ . do-best . of boþe  & bryngeþ adoun þe modyAnd þat is wickid wille  þat many werk schendiþAnd dryueþ awey . do-wel  þoruȝ dedly synne