The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 7: <list><item>London, British Library, MS Lansdowne 398 </item><item>Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson Poetry 38</item></list>
– Passus 2William LanglandEdited by Robert AdamsAssociate Editors: Patricia R. Bart, M. Gail Duggan and Catherine A.
FarleyTechnical Editor: Daniel PittiGraduate Research AssistantMichael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Carrie Lindley, Janice McCoy, Ashley Opps, Timothy L.
Stinson, and Jordan Taylor.Computer Consultants and ProgrammersRobert Bingler, Shayne Brandon, Cynthia Girard, Chris Jessee, Daniel Pitti, David Seaman,
and John Unsworth.The Medieval Academy of America and SEENET by Boydell and
Brewer, LTDWoodbridge, SuffolkISBN: (Individual) 9781843840947 (Institutional): 9781843840930
Commercially available:
copyright 2011, by SEENET
2006 Combined facsimile & documentary edition.Identification of handsIRA = Robert Adams1 computer optical disk : col. ; 4 3/4 in.The Medieval Academy of America and SEENET, by Boydell and
Brewer, LTD.Woodbridge, SuffolkSource copy consulted: London, British Library, MS Lansdowne 398 and
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson Poetry 38
SEENET, A.9
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LatinFrenchGermanNovember 2005 revise header, update DTD and ent files Hoyt N. Duggan New header created Passus secundus de visione Petri Plowman . vt
supraR.2.0:
Here the lacuna in the manuscript (running from KD1.141-2.40) ends and text resumes. To on fals fikel ofnilR.2.1:
Beta omits of. tonge a fendes byȝete . Fauel þoruȝ his faire speche hath þis folke enchaunted
. And alle is lyeres ledynge þat sche is þus ywedded ¶ To-morwe worth ymad. þe maydenes bruydale . And þere miȝt þow wite if þow wilt whiche þei ben alle
. Þat longeth to þat lordschippe þe lasse and þe more . Knowe hem þere if þow canst and kepen þi tonge .R.2.7: F and some
beta copies read keep wel þyn tunge. Other beta
witnesses show kepe þow þi tonge. Manuscripts CL
agree with R's phrasing. None of the B witnesses agrees with Ax or Cx, which both attest kepe the
fro(m) hem alle. And lak hem nauȝt but late hem worth til lewte be
iustice And haue poer to puneschen hem þanne putt forth thy
reson¶ Now I bekenne þe crist quod hesheR.2.10:He, "she." R's he, repeatedly deployed for the feminine
3rd person sing. pronoun, is relatively uncommon among the B manuscripts
in this role. and his clene moder . And atlatR.2.11:At, "that." no consience acombre þe for coueytise of mede
.¶ Þus left me þat lady lyggynge a-slepe . And how mede was ymaried in meteles me thouȝthe . Þat alle þe riche retenawans þat regneth with þe false . Weren bedeR.2.15: Though identical in meaning to the majority reading, R's
form here is unique among the B copies; most of the others, including F,
attest boden. Ax agrees with the B majority (although manuscripts VRa agree with R) , but Cx's
verb form is uncertain. Though a majority of C witnesses also supports
the predominant reading, most P family manuscripts (PVcAcQScFcGc ~ ibede
McNc) agree with R. to þisþeR.2.15:
F reads his; beta shows þe. Two A
witnesses agree with R (manuscripts LaK), but Ax agrees with beta. Cx is uncertain: the X family reading is identical to that of beta, but the
P family reading is þat. bridale on bothe to sydes . In
the right margin, in black ink, there is an early ownership stamp for the Bodleian
Library. Of alle maner of men þe mene and þe riche . To marie þis mayde was many man ensembledassembledR.2.17:
For alpha's ensembled (F has ensemblyd þere), beta
reads assembled. . As of kniȝtes and of clerkes and other
comoune poeple .¶ As sysoures and sompnoures scheryues and .here clerkes Bedeles and bayliues and brokoures of chafare . Forgoeres and vitayleres and vocates of þe arches
I can nouȝt rekene þe route þat ran a-boute mede .¶ Ac symonye and cyuile and sysoures of courtes . Were moste priue with mede of any men þouȝteme þouȝte .R.2.24: R's reading here, men þouȝte, is unique error. R is
probably reproducing an omission that had already occurred in alpha. As is often the case, F
's homologous reading, þere owte, has more the appearance of an attempted
repair than a faithful reproduction of the sub-archetype. The Cx reading
here is identical to beta's; however, manuscript X, the single best witness of this version,
agrees with R in omitting me but then reinserts it in another hand! X's
corrected error may attest to an early documentary parent of both B and
C traditions in which the word occurred only as an interlinear
correction.¶ Ac fauel was þe furste þat fette hire oute of boure . And as a brokoure brouȝt hire to be with
fals enioyned .¶ Whanne symonye and cyuile seiȝ here betherebeireR.2.27: The variant genitive forms bether, boþer and beire all appear in the
manuscripts. wille .AndTheiR.2.28:
For alpha's And, beta reads Thei. Although the line is
revised in the C version, its opening is identical to beta's
phrase. assented for seluer to seggenseyeR.2.28:
R's verb form here is unique; F has seyn while beta reads seye. as bothe wolde .¶ Þanne leup lyere forth and seyde lo here a chartre .Þat gyle with his grete othes gaf hem to-gyderes .And preyede cyuile to se and symony to rede it
.¶ Þanne symony and cyuile stondethR.2.32: Although
R's meaning here is identical to that found in beta (presumably reading stonden), R's verb form is unique at this point in the B
tradition; F agrees with YM in reading a preterite, stoden castel.
Nevertheless, R's form is probably also the reading of Ax and is
certainly the form attested in the X family of C. Among the P
manuscripts, the preferred reading is that of FcYcMc (which can also be found among some A witnesses). forth bothe .And vnfoldeth þe feffement þat fals hath y-maked .And þus bygyneth þis gomes attoR.2.34:
R's at (cf. R2.11 above) = standard þat and is a unique
reading here. The other witnesses attest to. greden ful hiȝe
.Sciant
presentesR.2.35: R uniquely omits the end of this citation: & futuri
&c. The C version of this citation agrees with that
found in F/beta.&cetera& futuri .¶ Wyteth and witnesseth þat wonyeth vppon þis
eerthe .Þat mede is I-maried
more for hire godes .Þan for any vertu or fairenesse or any fre
kende .Falsenesse is fayne of hire for he wote hire
riche .And fauel with his fikel speche feffeth by þis
chartre .To be princes in pruyde and pouerte to despise
.To bagbiten and to bosten and bere fals
witnesse .To scorne and to scolde and s.clander to make .Bold and vnbuxumVnboxome and boldeR.2.44:
In beta, the phrasal order of this a-verse is reversed: Vnbuxome and
bolde. The beta rendering is, however, the presumptive original since it matches the
order found in C. to breke þe ten hestes .¶ And þe eerldam of enuye and wrathe to-gyderes .With þe chastelett of gesteschestR.2.46:
Cf. F's Ieestys and beta's chest. The C reading agrees with that of beta. and chaterynge out of tymeresoun .R.2.46: F's b-verse is unique (& þe Iangelynge of synne). For
R's tyme, beta reads resoun. The C
reading agrees with that of beta.Þe contee of coueytise and alle þe costes
aboute .Þat is vsure and auarice alle I hem graunte
.In bargeynes and in brokages with alle þe
borghe of thefte .¶ And alle þe lordeschippe of lecherie
in lenthe and in brede .As in werkes and in wordes and waytynges with
eiȝes .InwedyngeswedesR.2.52:
Cf. F's wenyngis, which is probably the reading of Bx
as well as that of alpha; beta reads wedes. The Cx
reading is uncertain; the P family agrees with beta, but the X group rejects all the B variants, revising to woldes. and in wischynges
and with ydel þouȝtes .Þere as wille wolde and werkmanschipe fayleth
.¶ Glotonye he gaf hem eeke and grete othes
to-gydere .And alle day to drynke at dyuerse tauernes
.And þere to iangle and to iape and iuge
here euencristene .And withinR.2.57:
R's with is unique; Bx reads in. fastyng-dawes to frete ar ful tyme
were .And þan to sitten and soupen til slepe hem
assaile .And bredun as aasR.2.59:
Beta does not attest a. burgh swyne and bedden hymhem esely .Til slewth and slepe slyken his sydes .Robart Bente you shalbe with vs
atBudworthe and there to Testyfyyoure knowlegh in a materR.2.61: At the top of fol. 2r, a
secretary hand has written in black, Robart Bente you shalbe
with vs at Budworthe and there to Testyfy youre knowlegh in a
mater. This note may explain the cropped margins of the first few pages of the
manuscript: someone appears to have been using them for occasional short notes. Budworth probably refers to one of two ancient parishes in Cheshire, Great Budworth
and Little Budworth. And þanne wanhope to a-wake hym so
with no wille to amende For he leueth be ylostelost þis is hishereR.2.62:
R's his is unique (but preferable to the F and beta alternatives, which
are rejected in its favor by Kane-Donaldson and Schmidt); F reads þe while
beta reads here. laste ende .¶ And þei to haue and to holde and here heyres after . A dwellynge with þe deuel and dampned be foforR.2.64:
Neither MED nor OED2, s. v.for, cites an example of fo as viable for the
preposition signified here, but it occurs in R in four widely separated contexts (cf. R14.60,
R15.379, and R20.224) and probably represents an instance of idiolect apocope. euere
. With alle þe .purtenauncespurtenaunce of purgatorie in-to þe pyne of helle Ȝelding for þis thinge at one ȝeres ende . Here soules to sathan andtoR.2.67:
R's and is unique; Bx reads to. suffre with hym peynes . And with hym to wonyen in wo while god is in heuene .¶ In wytnesse of þiswhichR.2.69:
For alpha's non-alliterating þis, beta properly reads which. Unfortunately, the problem appears to be, at some level, authorial rather than
merely scribal. That is, although Ax clearly agrees with beta in
alliterating this line on /w/ (using the exact same variants), Cx agrees
with alpha just as emphatically in ignoring the normal alliterative pattern. Russell-Kane
emend their C text back to the norm, but that seems pointlessly
meliorative. At the very least, the aforementioned variant array (which is fairly typical)
suggests a cavalier attitude toward such small metrical issues on the part of the C author. þing wronge was þe furste . And peres þe pardonere of paulynes doctrine . Bette þe bedel of bokyngham-schire . Reynald þe reue of rokelondRotland sokene . Munde þe mellere and many mo othere . In date of þe deuel þis dede I asele . By siȝt of sire symonye atandR.2.75:
This is a unique reading in R; Bx reads and. Cx agrees with the B majority. cyueyles leue
.¶ Þenne tenethtenedR.2.76:
Only R deploys a seemingly present-tense form of this verb (but the difference may be
illusory; see the Introduction III.2.2.10. Beta
reads tened while F has was teenyd. Both Ax and Cx agree here with beta. hym teologye
whan he þis tale yherdeherde . And seyde to cyuile now sorwe mote þow haue . Swiche weddynges to wurche to wrathe with trewthe And ar þis weddyng be y-wroȝtwrouȝte wo the be-tyde .¶ For mede is moylere of amendes engendreth .R.2.80: R shares an apparently
nonsensical verb inflection (engendreth for engendred)
with beta witnesses LCY. Nevertheless, any RL shared form, however odd, is intrinsically
likely to be archetypal, albeit perhaps non-authorial—because of their extraordinary
accuracy as well as their definitive stemmatic positions. If this lection is not merely a
blatant archetypal error (one "corrected" by most later copyists to the expected form), it
may be that the R and L scribes (or the Bx scribe) understood the -eth
suffix in this word as allomorphic with the past participle suffix -ed /
-et attested in other B copies. The final phone of engendreth would then probably have been construed by L and R as /t/ (not the
/θ/ which the spelling would suggest to us). Cf. the 1408 London will of John Plot.
Twice in this brief document, Plot uses a phonologically identical verbal suffix <-yth>
to denote the past participle form usually spelled as <-ed>. In the first instance,
Plot requests that "thyr be Spendyth among my Nyebourus in Mete & in drynke" a certain
amount of money; in the second, he requests that some of his assets be used for road repairs,
or, as he phrases it, "be yspendyth betwene London and ware, of fowle weys, . . . there most
nede ys" (The Fifty Earliest English Wills, ed. Frederick J. Furnivall
(London: Trübner, 1882), 14-15. A few pieces of evidence scattered throughout manuscripts L
and R may support such a conclusion. One wonders, for example, whether the strong preference
in manuscripts L and R for the ON-derived spelling of the cardinal number 100 (= hundreth) over the OE-derived form (= hundred) indicates
that these scribes, or their models, would have pronounced that word with /θ/ as the
final phone, rather than /t/. Such a conclusion seems doubtful. Rather, this spelling
preference for the number 100 probably attests the same trivial orthographic anomaly
hypothesized above concerning engendreth. For fuller discussion see
Introduction III.2.2.10. And god granteth to gyue mede to trewthe . And þow hast gyue hire to a gyloure now god gyue þe
sorweÞeThitixittixttixt telleth þe nouȝt so trewthe wote þe sothe . For dignus est operarius hys
huyre to haue . And þow hast fast hire to fals fy on þi lawe . For alle by lesynges þow lyuest and lechoreslecherouse werkes ¶ Symonye and þi-selue schenden
holy cherche . Þe notaries and ȝee nuyȝetR.2.88: Some beta copies and F
agree in reading noyen but beta itself probably read as LMHm, noyeth. Only R shows what appears to be a preterite form of the verb (but see
the Introduction III.2.2.10 regarding the
possibility of morphological ambiguity in R's verb-tense marking). In a similar version of
this line, Ax agrees with beta and F in using a present-tense
form. þe poeple . Ȝe schulle a-byggen it bothe
by god þat me made . Wel ȝe wyten wernardes but if
ȝoure witt fayle . Þat fals is faithles and falsfikelR.2.91:
R's fals is unique; Bx reads fikel. in his werkes . And aswasR.2.92:
Beta reads was. Both Ax and Cx
agree here with alpha. a bastarde ybore of belsabubbes kynne . And mede is moylere a mayden of goode . And miȝte kysse þe kyng for cosyn and hesheR.2.94:He, "she." On this variant of the feminine, 3rd person sing. pronoun, see
the note at R.2.10:. wolde .¶ For-thi wercheth by
wysdom and by witt al-so . And ledeth hire to londoun þere lawe is
yschewed . If any lawe wil loke þei ligge to-gyderes .¶ And þouȝ iustices iuge hire to be ioyned
with fals .Ȝut beth war of þenilR.2.99:
R's þe is owed to alpha, though it is shared by GH. Beta omits it. Many
A witnesses, as well as Cx, agree with alpha on
the presence of this determiner. weddynge for witty is trewthe . And consience is of his conseyle and knoweth ȝow
echeone . And if he fynde ȝow in defaute and with þe fals holde
.It schal be-sitte
ȝoure soules ful soure atte laste .¶ Hereto assenteth cyuile ac symonye ne wolde
.Til he hadde siluer for thishisR.2.104:
R's this is unique; beta reads his while F rephrases
the entire line (which appears to be corrupt at the archetypal level when compared to the
rendering in A and C).
seruise and al-so þe notaries .¶ Þanne fette fauel forth floreyns ynowe .And bad gyle to gyue gold al aboute .And nameliche to þe notaries þat hem non ne
fayle .And feffe fals witnesse with floreyns ynowe
.For heþeiR.2.109:
Only L, among beta copies, agrees with alpha's reading here; the other beta witnesses attest
þei. However, the LRF reading is almost certainly authorial, matching the
reading found in Ax and Cx. may mede a-maystrie and maken at my wille .¶ Þo þis gold was Igyue grete was þe
thonkynge .To fals and to fauel for here faire ȝiftes
.And comen to conforte fram care þe fals .And seyden certes sire sese
schul we neuere .Til mede be þi wedded wyf þorȝ wittes of
vs alle .For we haue mede amaysterud thorȝwithR.2.115:
Beta reads with here, agreeing with the apparent reading of Ax (two A copies, manuscripts LaE, agree with alpha);
the C manuscripts support alpha almost unanimously. oure merie
speche .Þat heo graunteth gooto gonR.2.116:
For R's goo, F reads for to goo while beta has to gon. Both Ax and Cx agree with
beta's phrasing. with a good wille .To londoun to loke if þatþat þeR.2.117:
R's if þat lawe is unique; F and some beta copies read
ȝif þat þe Lawe; other beta witnesses have if þe lawe. The
reading of Ax is uncertain (because of a wide variety of variants here)
but may have agreed with R's. The reading of Cx is if
lawe. lawe walde iuge .R.2.117: R uniquely divides this line after iuge; all other B witnesses divide the line before this
word.Ȝow ioyntly in ioye for euere .¶ Þanne was falsenesse fayne and fauel as
blythe .And leten sompne alle þeR.2.120: R is joined by G in
attesting þe (and Ax agrees with the R variant), but
the word is not found in F (alle men) or beta (alle segges). The P family of C agrees with beta's
rendering of this phrase, but the X family has alle his
segges. segges in schires aboute .And bad hem alle be bown beggeres and otheresothere .R.2.121: R is the only witness for the plural form; all other B
copies (except Hm, which shows ellis) attest the singular othere. Both Ax and Cx agree with the F/beta
phrasing.M M ButteN
NNellXXXCXGod from SamR.2.122: At the top of fol.
3r are the remains of various sixteenth-century pen trials, scribbled in jagged fashion
horizontally, from left to right. To wenden with hymhemR.2.122:
Though RF opt for the apparently singular form (a reading endorsed by Schmidt), beta agrees
with Ax in reading hem, which seems more appropriate
to the plural referents named in previous lines; the P family of C also
attests this reading, but the X family agrees with alpha. However, MED, s.v
"hem," documents hym as an available but rare spelling, especially in the
fifteenth century, for the objective case of the third-person plural pronoun. So the
difference noted above may be only a clutter of scribal / authorial accidentals. to
westmenstre to witnesse þeþisR.2.122:
For alpha's þe, beta reads þis. A majority of A witnesses supports beta, but a sizeable minority agrees with
alpha. dede .¶ Ac þanne cared þei for caplus to cayren hem þidur . And fauel fette forth þenne folus Inowe . And sette mede vppevponR.2.125:
For R's vppe, F has on while beta reads vpon. The same line occurs in the A version, where the reading
agrees with F's. a schyriue I-schoudshodde alle newe . The terminal punctus for each of these lines has been rubbed
or partially erased long ago, but they are both sufficiently visible for detection in normal
light. And fals satt on a sysoure þat softlyche trotted . And fauel on a flaterere fetysliche atyred .¶ Þo hauedR.2.128: Only manuscript L agrees with R's unusual verb form haued (common in the thirteenth century but nowhere cited in
MED, s. v.haven, later than about 1330, except for Piers Plowman).
Both F and the majority of beta copies read had(de). The same line appears
in A, but Kane was not concerned to record such morphemic variations,
regarding them all as accidentals. notaries none anuyed þei were . For symonye and cyuile schulden on here feet gange .¶ Ac þanne swore symonie and cyuile bothe . Þat sompnoures schulde be sadeled and serue
hem vchone . And lat apparayle þeþisR.2.132:
FGH omit any determiner, while beta reads þis. The same array of variants
is present at this point in the A witnesses , with no strong evidence
for originality. prouisoures in palfreyes wyse . Syre symonie hym-selue
schal sitten vppon here bakkesTomth Between these two lines is what seems to
be a pen trial of uncertain age: T omth.¶ Denes and southdenes drawe ȝow to-gyderes . Erchedeknes and deknesnilR.2.135:
R's deknes is a unique addition unattested in any other B manuscript. officiales and alle ȝoure
regestreres Lat sadle hem with siluer oure synne to suffre . As deuoutrieauoutrieR.2.137:
This is the alpha variant. Beta offers a more common synonym, but one that fails to
alliterate: auoutrie. F reverses the noun phrasal order of the
a-verse. and deuoses and derne vsure . To bere byschoppes aboute a-brode in visitynge .¶ Paulines priues for pleyntes in þe consistorye Schule serue my-selue þat
cyuile is nempned . And carte-sadele þe comyssary
oure carte schal he lede And fecche vs vitailes at fornicatores .¶ And makeþ of lyare a lange karte to leden alle þes othere As fobberesFreresR.2.144:
Beta has Freres. A majority of A witnesses attests
folis at this point (though three, manuscripts LaWaN, agree with beta).
Cx has fobbes. That support, as well as the word's
relative rarity, suggests alpha's variant is likely to be authorial in B. Schmidt accepts fobberes at face value. MED, s. v.fobben, hypothesizes that fobberes was derived from
"fobben," v., but cites merely two Piers Plowman manuscripts for the form's
existence. Conversely, Kane-Donaldson view alpha's variant as scribal and emend to the C form. and faytoures þat on here feet rennen .¶ And þus fals and fauel fareth forth to-gyderes . And mede in þe myddes and alle þese men after .¶ I haue no tome to telle þe taile þat hem folweth . Of many maner man þat on þis molde libbeth .John naylleR.2.149: A sixteenth-century signature written
vertically upwards appears in the lower left margin of fol. 3r: John
naylle. Ac gyle was forgoere and gyede hem alle
. Sothnesse seiȝ hem wel and seyde bute a litel . And prikede his palefrey and passed hem alle . And com to þe kynges courte and consience it tolde . And consience to þe kynge carpud it after .¶ Now by crist quod þe
kynge and I cacche miȝte . Fals otheror fauel otherorR.2.155:
Beta reads this set of correlative conjunctions as or . . . or. F agrees
with R for the first (eyþir) but reverts to the beta variant for
the second. A majority of A witnesses agrees with beta (but Kane
chooses the alpha set, exemplified in manuscript T, as a "harder reading"). Cx's reading is also somewhat ambiguous, with a majority of witnesses (mostly of the P
family) attesting oþur in the first case and a minority (again mainly P
family manuscripts) offering the same variant in the second instance. any of his feres
. I wolde be wroke of þoo wrecches þat wurcheth so ille
. And do hem hange by þe hals and alle þat hem maynteneth
. Schal neuere man of molde meyntprise þe
leste . But riȝt as þe lawe wil loke lat falle on hem alle
.¶ And comanded a constable þat com atte þe
furste .GooR.2.161: Beta reads To, which is
also the reading of Ax. Four C witnesses (IP2FcNc) agree with beta, but Cx clearly agrees with
alpha's Goo. atache þo tirantes for eny thyng I hote
.And fetreth fast falsnesse for eny kynnes
ȝiftes .And gerdeth of gyles heued and lete hym goo no
furthere .And ȝif ȝe lacchethlacche(n)R.2.164:
R's form is unique; F and most beta copies read lacche(n). Both Ax and Cx appear to agree with the F/beta
reading. lyere lat hym nouȝt asckapen .Ar he be put on þe pillerie for eny preyere I
hote .And brengeth mede to me maugre hem alle .¶ Drede atte dore stode and þe dome herde .And how þe kynge demedecomaundedR.2.168:
R uniquely fails in alliteration here; F and beta read comaunded.
constables and seriantz .Falsnesse and his felaschipe to fetturen and to
bynden .Þanne drede wente wiȝtlyche and warnede þe
fals .And bad hym flee for fere and his felawes alle
.¶ Falsenesse for fere þanne fleiȝtfleiȝR.2.172:
R's form is unique; F and many beta copies read fleiȝ. Other beta
witnesses have fledde. Both Ax and Cx appear to agree with the F/beta reading. to þe freres .And gyle doth hym to go agast for to deye .Ac marchantz mette with hym and made hym abyde
.And by-schetten hym in
here schoppe to schewen here ware .And apparayled hym as a prentise þe poeple to
serue .¶ Liȝtliche lyere leep awey þenne Lurkynge þorȝ lanes to-lugged of many .He was nawere welcome . for his many
tales .Ouer al I-howted
and I-hote trusse . Til pardoneres haued pite and pulled hym into house . Þei weschen hym and wyped hym and wonden hym in
clothescloutesR.2.182:
Although Hm agrees with alpha, beta itself must have read cloutes. It is
unclear what the reading of Ax was since the alpha / beta disjunction is
mirrored by nearly equal numbers of A witnesses. Cx, however, agrees with beta on this form. And sent hym with seales on sonedayes to cherches . And gaf pardon fore pans pound-mel aboute .¶ Þanne lowrede leches and lettres þei sente . Þat he schulde wonye with hem watres to loke .¶ Spiceres speken towithR.2.187:
Beta has with. Although both readings are available in the A tradition, a large majority of A witnesses agrees with beta. On
the contrary, Cx clearly agrees with alpha's to. hym to spien here ware . For he couthe onofR.2.188:
Although Hm supports alpha, beta itself must have read of. Both Ax and Cx agree with alpha's reading. here
craft and knew many gummes .¶ Ac minestrales and mesageres metten with hym ones . And helden hym half aan halfR.2.190:
For alpha's half a, beta reads an half. Cx probably read simply half, a variant also found in the A tradition (manuscripts TRaUNMa). However, a plurality of A witnesses agrees with alpha's phrasing (though two agree with beta).
ȝere and elleuene dayes .¶ Freres with fayre speche Fetten hym þennes . And for knowyng of comeres coped hym as a frere . Ac he hath leue to lepe out as ofte as hym liketh . And is welcome whan he wille and wonyeth with hem
ofte¶ Alle fledden for fere and flowen into hyrnes . Saue mede þe mayde no manna moR.2.196:
R's no man is unique in the B tradition (four A copies share the reading); F and beta read na mo,
which is the reading of Cx and of a majority of the A manuscripts. durste abyde . Ac trewly to telle heo tremeled for feredrede . And al-soekR.2.198:
Beta reads ek, which is also the reading of Ax (Cx has bothe). wepte and wrongwronge whan heoshe wasR.2.198: Where R has heo was, F reads for she
was while beta reads whan she was. Beta's rendering is that attested
by the other two versions for this passage. a-thachud
.