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 6William 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
Attribute Valuesbrown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink
LatinFrenchGermanNovember 2005 revise header, update DTD and ent files Hoyt N. Duggan New header created Passus Sextus de visione vt supra . ——tThis were a wikked way but ho-so hadde a gyde . Þat wolde folewe vs ech a fote þus þis folke
hem mened .R.6.3:
There is no paraph marker here because there was no space for one (the passus initial extends
down slightly beyond this line in the left margin).Quatȝ perkyn þe plowman by
seint peter of rome . I haue an half acre to erie by þe heyȝ weye . Hadde I hered þis half acre and I-sowensowe(n) it after . I wilR.6.6: Among the other B copies, only LCY share R's
wil (the rest read wolde). That the latter form of the
verb was original in the A version seems obvious (though three of its
manuscripts—Ra, U, and La—support a future meaning in place of the
conditional); but the reading of Cx is more problematic. Most C copies agree with the AB majorities on wolde, but three of the most authoritative X-family witnesses, XYcI, support the RLCY
reading. wenden with ȝow and þe weye teche .¶ Þis were a longe lettyng quod a lady in a sclayre
. What schuld we wommen werche þereþeR.6.8:
Most beta manuscripts of all other sub-groups read þe, but the LM pair
agrees with alpha. whiles .¶ Summe schal sowe þe sak quod peres
for scheding of þe whete . And ȝe loueliche ladyes with ȝoure
longe fyngeres . Þat ȝe haue selke and sendel to sowe whan tyme is . Chesibles for chapeleynes cherches to honoure .wyues and wydewes .¶ Wyues and wydewes wolle and flex spynneth . Maketh cloth I conseile ȝow ada[n]dand kenneth so ȝoure douȝtres . Þe nedy and þe naked nemeth hede how aþeiR.6.15:a, "they." lyggeth . And casteth hymhemhym, "them." For <a> and hym as spellings of
"they" and "them," see MED, s.v.he pron.(3) and hempron.pl. clothes for so comaundeth treuthe . For I schal lene hem lyflode but if þe londe fayle . Flesche and brede bothe to riche antd to pouere . As longe as I lyue for þe lordes loue of heuene .¶ And alle manere of men þat thorȝ mete and
drynke libbeth . Helpeth hym to werche wyȝtliche þat wynneth
ȝoure fode .¶ By crist quod a kniȝt þo he kenneth vs þe
beste . Ac on þe teem treuly tauȝt was I neuere . Ac kenne me quod þe kniȝt and by crist I
wil assay .¶ By seint poule quod perkyn ȝe
profre ȝow so faire . Þat I schal swynke and swete and sowe for vs bothe . And other laborereslaboures do for þi loue al my lif-tyme . InR.6.28: There is a mark above the <I> of In. It
appears to be a backwards <c> in brown, touched with red.
couenaunt þat þow kepe holy cherche and my-selue . Fro wastoures and fro wikked men þat þis world strueth .¶ And go hunte hardiliche to hares and to foxes . To bores and to bukkesbrockesR.6.31:
Cf. beta's brockes; F rewrites the a-verse. Both Ax
and Cx agree with R's lection. þat breketh a-doun myn hegges . And go afayte þi faukones wilde foules to kulle . For swyche cometh to my crofte and croppeth my whete .¶ Curteiseliche þe kniȝt þanne comsed þes wordes . By my power peres quod he I pliȝt þe my
treuthe . To fulfille þiþisR.6.36:
R's þi is unique; Bx reads þis,
which is also the reading of a plurality of A witnesses in a very
similar rendering of this line. forwarde þouȝ I fiȝte schulde . As longe as I lyue I schal þe meyntene .¶ Ȝe and ȝet a poynt quod peres I preye
ȝow of more . Loke ȝe tene no tenaunt but treuthe wil assente . And þouȝ ȝe mowe amercy menhemR.6.40:
Beta reads hem. In a slightly revised line, the C
tradition agrees here with alpha, reading men. lat mercy
be taxoure . And mekenesse ȝoureþiR.6.41:
Both F and beta attest þi. The same is true of Cx. maystere maugre medemedesR.6.41:
R's uninflected form is unique among the B manuscripts; the others have
medes. However, a majority of C witnesses, including
the best X-family copies, agree with R's form. chekes .R.6.41: Here the scribe again
omits his usual insertion of a blank line to mark a new paragraph, presumably because the
next line is the last of the side.¶ And þouȝ pore men profre ȝow presentes
and ȝiftes .e j Nyme it nauȝt an aunter þowȝeR.6.43:
R's aunter þow is an alpha reading; beta has auenture
ȝe; however, though five A witnesses support auenture, it seems clear that the entire phrase, in both Ax and
Cx was rendered as in alpha. mowe it nauȝt deserue For þow schalt ȝelde it aȝen at on ȝeres ende
. In a ful periliouse place purgatorie it hatteth .¶ And mysbede nauȝt þi bonde-manbondemen þe bettere may þow spede . Þouȝ he be þin vnderlyng here wel may happe in heuene
. Þat he worth worthier sett and with more blisse .Amice ascende superius . For in anilchanelcharnelR.6.50:chanel, "charnel house." For the spelling, see MED, s.v.charnel n.(1). at cherche clerkescherlesR.6.50:
Beta reads cherles, which clearly reflects Bx (and
agrees with C). Alpha's variant (F = a clerk) is
deficient in alliteration as well as less suitable to the context (levelling of social
classes beyond death). ben euel to knowe . Or a kniȝt fram a knaue þere knowe þis in þin herte
. And þat þow be trewe of tongeþi tongeR.6.52:
Beta reads of þi tonge. Most A
witnesses agree on this reading with beta, as does the X family of C
manuscripts. However, four A copies (TDH2V) agree
with alpha's omission of any determiner. Most of the P family in the C
tradition attest the presence of hys at this point. and
tales þat þow hatie . But if þei ben of wisdom or of witt þi werkmen to chastie
. Holde nauȝtnilR.6.54:
No beta manuscript attests nauȝt. Two A copies
agree with alpha at this point, but most support beta. By contrast almost all C witnesses support alpha's use of the double negative in this a-verse, although the
Russell-Kane edition emends this evidence away. with non herlotes ne here
nauȝt here tales . And nameliche at þe mete swyche men eschewe . For it beth þe deueles disoures I do þe to vnderstonde .¶¶ I assente by seint Iame seyde þe
kniȝt þanne . For to werch by thy wordes þe while my lyf dureth .¶ And I schal apparaille me quod perkyn in
pilgrimes wise . And wende with ȝow I wil til we fynde treuthe .¶¶ And caste on meR.6.61: Only L agrees with R in
attesting me my. F and the other beta copies simply show my. Ax and Cx agree against B in reading this phrase as third-person description: He caste on (his = A) / (hym his = C) cloþis. It is interesting to note that the one
difference between the A and C phrases parallels
the grammatical difference between LR and the other B witnesses.
my clothes I-clouted and I-holehole . My cokeres and my cuffes for colde of my nayles . And hange myn hoper at myn hals in stede of a
scrippe . A buschel of brede-corne
bryng me þere-Inne . For I wil sowen it my-selue
and sytthen wil I wende . To pilgrimage as palmeres doun pardon for to
haue .¶ Ac ho-so helpeth me to erye or
sowen here ere I wende . Schal haue leue be oure lord to lese here in herueste . And maken hymhemR.6.69:
Beta reads hem here, but both Ax and Cx agree with alpha's hym. merie þeremyde
maugre ho-so itnil be-grucche .R.6.69: Beta transposes the final phrase as bigruccheth it. This word order parallels that found in the X family of C (the P family omits it completely, as do several of
the less authoritative copies in the B tradition). However, the A witnesses strongly support alpha's phrasing at this point.¶¶And alle kynne crafty men þat conne lyuen in
treuthe . I schal fynde hem fode þat feithfullyche libbeth .R.6.71: Here
the scribe again omits his usual insertion of a blank line to mark a new paragraph,
presumably because the next line is the last of the side.¶Saue Iakke þe iogelour and Ihonete of þe stiuesstues . And daniel þe dys pleyere and denote þe bawde . And frere þe faitoure and folke of hys ordre . And robyn þe ribauder for his rousty wordes . Treuthe tolde me ones and badde me tellen it afterDeleantur de libro viuencium
I schulde nauȝt dele with hem . For holy cherche is hote of hem no tythe to asketake .R.6.78: R's aske is unique; both beta and F read take. However, both Ax and Cx agree with R's
reading.Quia cum iustis non scribantur
. Þei ben aschaped good auntour nownilR.6.80:
Beta reads auenture in place of alpha's auntour, but
Ax and Cx agree with alpha's form. Also, most beta
copies omit alpha's now, but its occurrence in LM clearly attests its
authenticity, both in beta and Bx. Almost all C
witnesses—and a majority of A copies—attest the presence
of this adverb. god hem amende .¶ Dame worche whan tyme is peres wif hyȝte . His douȝtedouȝte[r] hiȝt do
riȝt so or þi dame schal þe bete . His sone hiȝt suffre þi souereynes haueto haue(n)R.6.83:
Beta reads to hauen. A majority of the A witnesses supports beta (none supports alpha), but Cx clearly agrees with alpha in omitting to. here wille
. Deme hem nauȝt for if þow dost þow schalt it
dere a-bugge . Lat god I-worth with al for
so his worde techeth .¶¶ For now I am holde and hore and
haue of myn owene . To penaunce and to pilgrimage I wil passe with þis
othere . For-thy I wil ar I wende do
write my questebiqueste .R.6.88: R's queste is unique in form but identical in sense to
beta's reading (See MED, s. v.quiste [n.]); cf. F's enqweste and beta's biqueste. Both Ax and Cx agree with beta's
form.In dei nomine amen
I make it my-selue he schal
haue my soule .R.6.89: Here alpha differs from beta by merging the opening phrase from the
archetype's next line (= He shal haue my soule ) with this one, and then
truncating the third line by deleting its final phrase (= for so I
bileue), so that the three lines in Langland's presumptive original are reduced to two
non-alliterating ones. Þat best hath I-serued it
and fro þe fende I-keped itit defendeR.6.90:
R's I-keped is unique; F rephrases this
verse, with his own unique verb phrase (weyvid fram yt); the cognate beta
reading is it defende. Both Ax and Cx substantially agree with beta's phrasing in this entire passage, where alpha was
clearly corrupt (cf. note at R6.89). . Til I come tiltoR.6.91:
R's til before his acountes is unique among the B witnesses. Ax, like beta and F, shows to here, but Cx agrees with R. his acountes as my
crede tellethme tellethR.6.91:
Beta adds me before telleth. A majority of A manuscripts agrees with beta on this addition, but a minority
(ChHaLaEWaMa) supports alpha's omission of the pronoun. Moreover, Cx
clearly supports alpha in omitting me. . To haue a reles and a remissioun on þat
rental I leue .¶ Þe kyrke schal haue my carayne and kepe myn bones . For of my corne and catel he crauede titheþe tythe .R.6.94: R uniquely omits a determiner before tithe. Most B witnesses agree with Ax in attesting þe before the noun; however, Cr agrees with Cx in reading my at this point. I payede it hym prestly for peryl of my soule . For-thi is he holden I hope
to haue me in his messe . And mengen in his memorie amonge alle cristene ¶¶ My wif schal haue of þat I wan with
treuthe and namore . And dele amonge my douȝteres and my derechildreschildrenR.6.99:
R's form is unique; all other witnesses in the B tradition have children. Two C manuscripts (XI) agree with R, but most
agree with the B majority. . For þouȝ I deyededeyeR.6.100:
Beta's form agrees with the reading of both Ax and Cx. to-day my dettedettesis Iquitedar quitte .R.6.100: R's singular is unique; F shows a plural, dettys ben alle
qwitte, and beta attests a slightly different plural phrasing, dettes ar
quitte. The A tradition clearly supports the F/beta plural format
here, but the C tradition is divided, much of the P family concurring
with F/beta while the X family (and a few P copies) support R's singular. I bare hom þat I borwede ar I to bedde ȝede .¶And with þe residue and þe remenaunt be þe rode of
lukes .I wil worschipe þerewith treuthe by my lyue .e ij And ben his pilgrime at þe plow for pore menne sake . My plow-poteplow(es)foteR.6.105:
Beta reads plow-fote, but Ax clearly agrees with the alpha reading. schal be my pyk-staf and picchen atatwoR.6.105:
Cf. F's a-wey and beta's atwo. Most of the A witnesses agree with R. þe rotes . And helpe my culter to kerue and cleneseclense þe forewes .¶ Now is perkyn and þesehisR.6.107:
Beta reads his; F has þe. Most A
copies support F's reading. Among the C manuscripts, the P family also
agrees with F, but the X family reading, þis, concurs with R's þese. pilgrimes to þe plow faren . To herye þis haf hacre holpen hym manye . Dikeres and delueres digged vp þe balkes . Þerewith was perkyn apayd
and preised hem faste . Other werkmen þere were þat woruten ful
ȝerne . Vch man in his manere made hym-self to done . And somme to plese perkyn piked vp þe wedes
.¶¶ At heȝ prime peres lete þe
plow stande .And ȝeednilR.6.115:
R's And ȝeed to is unique; otherwise R reads the line as beta does
(which begins the line simply with To . F completely rephrases the line,
but the fact that F's rewritten line begins & wente indicates that R's
unique opening probably derives from alpha. Both the A and C versions begin this line by omitting R's opening (the former reading the
phrase exactly as beta does). to ouer-sen hem
hym-self and ho-so best wrouȝte . He schuld be huyred þere-after whan heruest-tyme come .¶ And þanne sete somme and songen at þe ale . And honilR.6.118:ho, "they." See MED, s. v.he pron.(3). helpen to eryeR.6.118: Only G agrees with R's assignment of present
tense to this verb; only F agrees with R's inclusion of to after the verb.
Beta reads hulpen (cf. F's hulpen). R's ho is unique error. his half acre with how trolly lolly .¶¶ Now be þe perille of my soule
quod peres alle in puer tene . But ȝe arise þe rathere and rape
ȝow to werche . Schal no greyn þat groweth glade ȝow at nede . And þouȝ ȝe deyededeye(n)R.6.122:
R's deyede is unique. All other B manuscripts show a
present-tense form here, as do the A and C
versions. for deul þe deuel haue þat recchereccheth .¶ Þo were faitoures aferde and feyned hem blynde . Somme leyde here legges a-lyry as swiche loseles conneth . And made here mone to peres and preyed hym of grace . For we haue no lymes to labore with lord graced be ȝe
.¶¶ Ac we preye for ȝow peres and
for ȝoure plow bothe . Þat god of his grace ȝoure greyne multiplye . And ȝelde ȝow of ȝoure almesse
þat ȝe ȝiuen vs here . For we may nouȝt swynk ne swete suche seknesse vs
ayleth .¶ If it be soth quod peres þat ȝe seyne
I schal it sone aspie .ÞoȜeR.6.132:
R's reading is unique and clearly defective; beta has Ȝe and F reads
Þat ȝee. Both the A and C
versions confirm the correctness of beta's reading. ben wastoures I wot wel
treutheand treutheR.6.132:
R's omission of and at the beginning of the b-verse is unique. The A version confirms the presence and location of this conjunction, as found
in beta and F. wot welnilR.6.132:
R's redundancy (reiterated wel in the b-verse) is unique. þe sothe
. And I am his olde hyne and hiȝte hym to warne . Whiche þei weren in þis world his werkemen apayrethappeyred(en) .R.6.134: Beta reads appeyred. F has a-peyre.
¶¶ Ȝe wasten þat men wynnen with
trauayle and with tene . Ac treuthe schal teche ȝow his teme to driue . Or ȝe schal ete barly brede and of þe broke drynke
. But if he blyndebe blyndeR.6.138:
R's omission of the verb here is unique; cf. F's he þat is blynd and
beta's he be blynde. or brokelegged or bolted with yrenes
. . He schal ete whete brede and drinke with me-selue . Til god of his goednesse amendement hym sende .¶¶ Ac ȝe miȝt trauaile as treuthe
wolde & take mete & huyre . To kepe ken in þe felde þe corne fro þe bestes . Diken or deluen or dyngen vppon scheues . Or helpe make morter or bere muk a-felde .¶¶ In lecherie and in losyngrie lyue[ȝe] lyueȝe lyue(n) and in sleuthe .R.6.145: There is an ink blot, probably the result of offset, that has
the appearance of a second punctus far to the right of the intended line terminal punctus and
just inside the ruling margin. And al is thorȝ suffraunce þat
vengance ȝow ne taketh .¶¶ Ac ancres and heremites þat eten
but at nones . And namore ar morewe myn almesse schul þei haue . And of mynil catel to cope hem with þat haue cloystres in kerkesand cherche(s)R.6.149:
R's in kerkes is unique; the other B witnesses read
and cherche(s). . Ac robert renneaboute schal nauȝt haue of myne . Ne postles but þei preche conne
and ȝutnilR.6.151:
R's ȝut is a unique addition to the text of Bx. haue pouer of þe bisshoppe . Þei schal haue payn and potage and make hem-self at ese . For it is an vnresonable religion þat hath riȝt
nauȝt of certeyne .¶¶ And þanne gan a wastour to wra.the hym
& wold haue I-fouȝte . And to peres þe plowman he profered his gloue .¶¶ A bretonere a braggere
abosteda bostedR.6.156:A, "he." peres alse . And bad hym go pissen onwithR.6.157:
Beta reads with. Both Ax and Cx
agree with beta. his plow forpyned schrewe . Wil þow or nelle þow we wil haue oure wille
.Andnil ofR.6.159: R's And of is an alpha phrase (F omits of). The X family of C also begins the line with And. Though two A manuscripts (KMa) also begin the line exactly
as R does, Ax, like beta, omits And. þi
floure and of þi flesche fecche whanne vs liketh . And make vs merie þere-myde maugre þi chekes .¶¶ Þanne peres þe plowman pleyned hym
to þe kniȝte . eiij To kepe hym as couenant was fram cursed schrewes . And fram þes wastoures wolues-kynnes
þat maketh þisR.6.163: Although G agrees with R, beta reads þe; F
omits the entire line. Cx supports the RG reading. world
dere . For þo waste and wynnen nauȝt and þat ilke while
. Worth neuer plente amonge poepleþe poepleR.6.165:
R uniquely omits þe before poeple. þe
while my plow liggeth .¶ Corteyseliche þe kniȝt þanne as his kende wolde . Warned wastour and wissede hym bettere . Or þow schalt abugge withbyR.6.168:
R's with is unique. The other B manuscripts read by. þe lawe by þe ordre þat I bere .¶¶ I was nouȝt wonewontR.6.169:
R's form here is unique; Bx reads wont. to
werche quod wastour & now wil I nouȝt bygynne . And leet liȝtlyliȝte of þe lawe and lasse of þe knyȝt . There is a brown
paraph sign entered at the end of this line, presumably to mark the presence of bygynne, which is carried over from the end of the previous line and written after the
paraph. And sette peres at a pese and his plow bothe . And manseyd peres and his men if þei mette efte-sone .¶R.6.173: Beta
begins this line with Now by. The same phrase as beta's occurs in Ax and opens a revised version of the line in Cx Be þe perel of my soule quod peres I schal apeyre
ȝow alle . And houped after honger þat herde hym at þe furste . Awreke me of þis wastoures quod he þat þis
world schenden .R.6.175: Though manuscripts O and G agree with R's terminal inflection for this verb,
( a feature also mirrored by several A witnesses), beta itself, as with
Ax, presumably read schendeth. F has shende.¶¶ Honger in haste þo hente
wastoure by þe mawe . And wronge hym so by þe wombe þat al watred his eyȝesbothe his eyen wattered(en) .R.6.177: R's b-verse is unique; F and beta agree in reading þat bothe
his eyen wattered. However, R's b-verse agrees exactly with the same phrase in both Ax and Cx; it is, therefore, presumably the original
reading in B. He boffettebuffeted þe bretoner aboute þe chekes . Þat he loked like a lanterne al his lif after . He bette hem so bothe he braste nere her guttes . Ne hadde peres with a pese lofe preyed honger seseto cesse .R.6.181: Cf. beta's hunger to cesse. Both Ax and Cx agree on a different phrase, with a less
obvious verb, for this line's ending: hym byleue. Þei hadde be dolue bothe ne deme þow non other . Suffre hem lyue he seyde and late hem ete with hogges
. Or elles benes and bren I-bake to-gyderes . Or elles melke and meyne ale þus preyed peres for hem
.¶ Faytoures for fere hereof flowen inintoR.6.186:
All other B witnesses read into; both Ax and Cx agree with them against R. bernes . And flapten on with flailes fram morwen til euen . Þat hunger was nouȝt hardyso hardyR.6.188:
Although G agrees here with alpha, beta itself reads so hardy, a reading
also attested by half of the A manuscripts (RaUHaJEWaMaH). On the other
hand, Cx clearly agrees with alpha's reading (i.e., the omission of so). on hem for to loke . For a potful of peses þat peres hadde I-maked .¶¶ An hepe of heremites hent hem spades . And ketten here copes and curtebies hem made . And wenten as werkmen with spades and with schoueles . And doluen and dikeden to driue awey honger .¶ Blynde and bedredene were botened a thousend . Þat seten to begge seluer sone were þei heled . For þat was bake for bayarde was bote tofor manyR.6.196: Beta reads for many, the same phrase as in Cx. F substitutes þe for the phrases found here in R and
beta. hungri . And many a beggere for benes faynebuxomeR.6.197:
R's fayne is unique; cf. F's ful bown and beta's buxome. was to swynke . And ech a pore man wel apayde to haue pesen for his
huyre . And what peres preyed hem for totoR.6.199:
R's for is not attested by any other B manuscript. do as
prest as a sparhauke .ye be so wanton so pro.e so And þere-of was peres proude
and putte hem to werke . And ȝaf hem mete as he miȝt a-forth and mesurable huyre .¶¶ Þanne hadde peres pyte and preyed
honger to wende . Home in-to his owene
erde and holden hym þere . For I am wel awreke now of wastoures þorȝ þi
miȝte . Ac I preye þe ar þow passe quod peres þonilR.6.205:
Beta omits þo. to honger . Of beggeres and of bydderes what best isbe to doneR.6.206: R's is in this b-verse is shared only with F and Y; the
entire phrase shows considerable minor variation among the B witnesses,
but the original reading of beta is probably that of the majority of beta copies, what best be to done. This agrees with the reading of Cx. By contrast, R's b-verse agrees exactly with Kane's reconstruction of the phrase in
Ax (though a majority of A manuscripts reverse the
key phrase to is best). . For I wote wel be þow wente þei wil werche ful ille . For meschef it maketh þei beth so meke nouthe . And for defaute of here fode þis folk is at my wille .ItÞeyR.6.210:
R's It is unique among the B manuscripts; most,
including F, read Þey. However, R's reading agrees with that found in Ax and Cx, both of which begin the line And (h)it.aren arenarenare my blody bretheren quod peres &forR.6.210:
Both F and beta have for where R reads &. Ax and Cx agree with F/beta here. god
bouȝte vs alle . The parchment here was torn long ago and repaired by
stitching. The tear extended the length of these nine lines and is approximately 6 cm. long
from its beginning at the page edge, running diagonally inwards and downwards. At its bottom
it is approximately 2.5 cm. in from the page margin. Treuthe tauȝte me ones to louye hem vch one . And to helpen hem of alle thynge ay as hem nedeth . And now wolde I witen of þe what were þe beste . And how I miȝt amaystrien hem & maken hem to
werche .¶Inil here nowR.6.215: R's I here now is unique; cf. F's Now here
wel me and beta's Here now. The beta variant is identical with that
found in Ax. quod hunger and holde it for
a wisdome . Bolde beggeres and bigge þat mowen here brede by-swynken . With houndes bred and hors-bred
holde vppe here hertes . Abate hem with benes for bollyng of here ..wombe . And if þe gomes grucche bydde hem go andnilR.6.219:
Beta here omits and, a feature also found in half of the A manuscripts and in a majority of the P family of the C
version. swynke .R.6.219: Alpha omitted the following line attested by beta manuscripts
(and by both of the other versions of the poem):And he shal soupe swettere whan he it hath deseruid.¶¶AcAndR.6.220:
Both F and beta have And, which is also the reading of seven A and of seven C copies; R's Ac is
probably archetypal in the C version but may not be original in A. if þow fynde any freke þat falshedfortuneR.6.220:
R's falshed is unique; cf. F's False and beta's fortune. The Ax reading is fortune,
but the Cx variant, in a slightly revised line, is fals
men. hath apayred . Or eny maner fals men fond þow suche to knowe . Conforte hem with þi catel for cristes loue of heuene
. Loue hem and lene hem so lawe of god techeth .e iiijAlter alterius honera portate And alle manere men þat þow miȝt
aspie Þat nedy ben and nauȝti helpe hem with þi godes . Loue hem and lak hem nauȝt late god take þe veniaunce
. Þeyȝ þei don euel lat þowR.6.228: Only L supports R's
attestation of þow here; all other B copies omit
it. god a-worthe .Michi vindictam et ego retribuam . And if þow bewil(t) beR.6.230:
R uniquely omits the modal wilt before be.
gracious to god do as þe gospel techeth . And by-loweR.6.231: Most beta manuscripts
read biloue, but LM support the alpha reading, which is clearly the
subtler, harder word. þe amonges lowe men so schaltow lacche
grace .Facite vobis amicos de mamona iniquitatis
.R.6.232: Here the R scribe fails to insert his customary blank line
between verse strophes; no reason for this omission is apparent.¶ I wald nauȝt greue god quod peres for alle
þe good on grounde . Miȝte I synneles do as þow seyste seyde peres þanne
.¶¶ Ȝe I be-hote godþeR.6.235:
Beta reads þe. Both Ax and Cx
agree with beta's reading. quod hunger or elles þe bible lyeth
. Go to genesis þe geaunt þe engendrour of vs alle .In sudore and in swynke þow schalt þi mete tilye . And labore for thi lyflode and so oure lord hiȝte
.¶ And sapience seith þe same I seyȝseigh itR.6.239:
R uniquely omits a word in this phrase; beta reads seigh it in. Ax agrees with beta. in þe bible .PigePige[r]Piger pro frigore non feld woldenolde tylie . And þere-for he schal begge and
bydde . & noman bete his hunger .¶¶ Matheu with mannes face
mouthethmouthedR.6.242:
Beta reads a past-tense form of the same verb: mouthed. Though A manuscripts offer a striking variety of possibilities at this point ,
Kane chose the alpha form as likeliest to represent Langland's original. But the alpha form
may not, in fact, signify any real difference from beta anyway (i.e., the alpha scribe may
not be intending a present-tense inflection with his "-eth" suffix. See the Introduction
III.2.2.10 for a complete discussion.
þis wordes . Þat seruus
nequam had a man(m)namR.6.243:
Although MED, s. v.mnam, lists man as a possible form taken by mnam, it seems clear that this spelling is merely a scribal error (Langland
is the only source cited by the dictionary for the word itself) evoked by an unfamiliar
foreign term. Alpha passed this error to R and F, which share it with BoCot (and with AH of
the A tradition). & for he wolde nouȝt
chaffare . He hadde maugre of his meystre for euermore after . And by-nam hym his napm This
word is foreign in origin and quite rare, and spellings of it vary considerably on that
account. OED2 and MED identify the headword as mnam. OED2 lists nam as the only recognized variant
and Langland as the only citation. However, among the A copies, Vernon
shows another presumably valid spelling variation, rendering the word at 7.225 (Kane) as npnam. MED also cites Piers Plowman as the only
source but lists a wider variety of forms, including mnamme, namp, mam, and man. In light of the fact that
Langland is the only source cited, however, it seems probable that several of these "variant
forms" are merely scribal errors. for he ne wold werche . And ȝaf þat nam til hym þat ten napmes hadde . And with þat he seyde þat holy cherche it herde . He þat hath schal haue and helpe þere it
nedeth . And he þat nauȝt hath schal nauȝt haue & no
man hym helpe . And þat he weneth forwel toR.6.250: Beta reads wel to, which is also the reading of both Ax and the X family of C (most of the P family simply
omit the phrase). haue I wil it hym bi-reue
.¶ Kende witt wolde þat vche a wiȝt wrouȝte . Or in dichyngdykynge or in deluynge or trauaylyng in preyeres . Contemplatif lyf or actif lyf crist wolde men wrouȝte
. Þe sauter seith in aþe psalme of beati omnes . Þe freke þat fedeth hym-selue
with his faythful laboure . He is blissed by þe book in body and in soule .Labores manuum tuarum
&cetera .¶ Ȝet I prey ȝow quod peres par charite and ȝe kunne . Eny lef of leche-craft lere
it me my dere . For somme of my seruantes
and my-self bothe Of alle a wokeR.6.261:Woke, "week." werche nauȝt so oure wombe aketh .¶¶ I wot wel quod hunger
what seknesse ȝow eyleth . Ȝe haue manged ouer-muche
and þat maketh ȝow grone . Ac I hote þe quod hunger as þow þin hele
wilneste .Þat þow drynke no day ar þow dyne sumwhat .Ete nouȝt I hotehote þeR.6.266: Among B copies, R uniquely omits þee
in the phrase, hote þe er. Though four A manuscripts (JLaAMa) share this omission, it seems clear that Ax read as beta does, including þee. However, Cx omits the pronoun and renders this phrase exactly as R does.er hunger þe take .And sende þe of his sauce to sauoure with þi lippes
.And kepe summe to soper tyme and sitte nauȝt to
longe .Arise vppe ar apetit haue I-eteete(n) his fille .Late nauȝt sire surfet sitten at þi borde .Leue hym nauȝt for he is lecherous and likerous of tonge
.And after many maner metus his mawe is affyngred
.¶And if þow diete þe þus I dar legge myn eresÞat fisik schal his furred hodes for his fode selle .And his cloke of calabre with alle knappesþe knappesR.6.275: F reads with knoppis, while beta has alle
þe knappes. Ax appears to read this b-verse as & þe knoppis of gold. of golde .And be fayne by my faith his fisik to lete .And lerne to labori with londe for liflode is swete .Þer aren mo morareres þanFor morthereres aren monyR.6.278:
R's morareres is a nonce word, apparently meaning "killers, murderers."
The presence of moraynerys in F suggests that some version of the reading
was in alpha. Most beta witnesses have For morthereres aren mony leches as
their a-verse. The defective alliteration of both sub-archetypes suggests that Bx itself was corrupt here. The likeliest authorial reading for B is that of A: Þere arn mo liȝeris
þan lechis. leches lord hem amende . Þei don men deye þorȝ here drinkes ar
destine it wolde . ¶¶ By seint poule quod peres
þis aren profitable wordes . Wend now hunger whan þow wilt þat wel þow bebe þow euere .R.6.281: Cf. F's þe betyȝde and beta's be þow euere. In his parallel-text edition of Piers, A. V. C.
Schmidt errs by listing R's reading here as a dittography, yow yow.
Apparently, this error stems not from R itself, which is quite clear, but from Schmidt's
reliance on the apparatus of Kane-Donaldson, which here displays a rare mistake. In any
event, the correct reading is probably that of beta since it matches the reading of Ax and of a majority of C witnesses for this phrase.
However, key X family witnesses (XIUcDc) reverse the crucial phrase, reading thow be and thus agreeing with the B-version's manuscript R
against beta. For þis is a louely lesson lord it þe forȝelde .¶ By-hote god quod hunger
hennes ne wil I wende . Til I haue dyned by þis day and I-dronke bothe .¶¶ I haue no peny quod peres
polettes forto bugge . Ne noyther gees ne gris but to grene cheses . A fewe cruddes and creme and an hauer-cake . And to loues of benes and bren I-bake for my fauntes . And ȝet I sey by my soule I haue no salt bakun . Ne no cokenay by crist coloppes for to make . Ac I haue percyle and porett and many queynte herbeskole plantes .R.6.291:R's queynte herbes is unique. Cf. F's propre
herbys and beta's kole plantes. Most A
witnesses agree with beta's reading (albeit non-alliterating), but Kane has changed his mind
since 1960 and in the revised Athlone edition of A opines that the
metrically appropriate reading of manuscripts AMaH (plante colis) is
likelier to be original (461).¶¶ And eke a kow and a kalf and a
carte mare . To drawe a-felde my donge
þe while þe drouȝthe lasteth . And by þis lyflode we mote lyue til lammasse tyme . And by þat I hope to haue heruest in my crofte . And þanne may I diȝte þi diner as me dere liketh
.¶ Alle þe pore poeple þo pesecoddes fetten . Benes and baken apples þei brouȝten in here lappelappes .R.6.298: R's singular is unique among the B copies; the others
read lappes. However, R's reading is supported by Cx
and by three important A witnesses (TDCh). The other A manuscripts agree with the B majority. Chibolles and chiruilles and ripe chiries manye . And profered peres þis present to plese
with hunger .¶¶ Alle hunger ete in haste and asked
after more . Þanne pore folke for fere fedde hunger ȝerne . With grene poret and pesesR.6.303: R's plural is the same alpha form attested in
F (pesis); the beta plural, also found in a majority of A copies, reads pesen. to poyson hunger þei
thouȝte .¶ By þat it neyed nere heruest newe corn come to
chepyng . Þanne was folke fayne and fedden hunger with þe beste
. With good ale as glotoun tauȝte and
gerte hunger go slepe .¶¶ And þo ne wolde no wastourwolde wastour nouȝtR.6.307:
R's ne is a unique addition to this phrase. F has þan wolde
no while beta reads þo wolde wastour noȝt. Beta's phrase is
identical to the wording of Cx and probably to that of Ax (some A copies attest nolde for wolde). werche but wandren aboute . Ne no beggere ete brede þat benes inne were
. But of coket or ofnilR.6.309:
R's of is a unique addition to this line. clerematyn or
elles of clene whete . Ne non halpeni ale in nonewysenone
wyse drinke . But of þe best and of þe brounest þat in
borewe is to selle .¶ Laboreres þat haue no londe to lyue on but here
handes .DeynedDeyned nouȝtR.6.313:
Beta reads Deyned nouȝt to dyne. F completely
rewrites the line. Though Ax clearly agrees with beta, most C manuscripts omit noȝt in this phrase, but three
(IP2Ac) include it and X has it added by another hand. to dyne
o-day niȝte-olde
wortes .R.6.313: There is an apparently random ink blot (having the appearance of a second
punctus) approximately 1.3 cm. to the right of the intended punctus. May no peny-ale hem paye ne
no pece of bakun . But if it be fresche flesche other fische
for chillyng of hishere mawe .R.6.315: R and F run this line of archetypal B together with the
next by splicing this a-verse, But . . . other fische (= KD6.310) to the
b-verse of the next line (= KD6.311), for chillyng of here mawe. In fact,
R is the only B witness (despite its conflation of two lines) to read
for chillyng of his mawe—the reading of the X
family of C and of four A manuscripts (including
Kane's copytext, T). Most of the other B witnesses attest hir(e), the predominant reading in the A-version copies and in
the P family of C. And but if he be hylyche huyred elles wil he chide . And þat he was werkeman wrouȝte waile þe tyme . Aȝeynes catones conseile comseth he to iangle .Paupertatis onus pacienter ferre memento
. ¶ He greueth hym aȝeynes god and gruccheth
aȝeynes reson .¶ÞanneAnd þanneR.6.321:
F begins this line with & þus; beta begins it And
þanne. Both Ax and Cx agree with beta.
curseth he þe kyng and alle his conseylle after . Suche lawes to loke laboreres to greue . Ac whiles hunger was here maistre þere
wolde non of hem chyde . Ne struestr[i]uestryue(n) aȝeynes his statute so sterneliche he lokede . ¶ Ac I warne ȝow werkemen wynneth while ȝe mowe
. For hunger hiderward hasteth hym fulnilR.6.326:
No beta manuscript attests ful. Both Ax and Cx also omit it. faste . He schal a-wake with watwaterR.6.327:
R's reading here (wat) makes no sense, but as usual is closer to the
presumptive original reflected in beta (water) than is F's reading (what), which, typically, looks like a smoothed rationalization of irreparable
error. Apparently alpha left off the final loop from water. wastoures to chaste . Ar fyue ȝere be fulfilled swich famyn schal arise
. Thorȝ flodflodesR.6.329:
R uniquely reads a singular form here. All other B manuscripts show a
plural, e.g., flodes. F actually reverses the entire phrase, reading þorhȝ fowle wederys & floodis. Cx agrees with
the B majority in attesting a plural, flodes, but a
clear majority of A witnesses agrees with R on the singular form.
and foule wederes fruytes schullen fayle . And so seyde saturne and sent ȝow to warne .Whanne ȝe se þe sonne amys and to monkes hedes .And a mayde haue þe maystrie and multipliedmultiplieR.6.332: Both L and M confirm this alpha reading (M with an <ed> added in a
different ink over an erasure), but all other beta manuscripts read multiplie. be eyghteÞanne schal deth withdrawe and derth be iustice .And dauwe þe dikere deye for hunger .AndButR.6.335: The erasure of the line initial is very old though clearly not
original.R.6.335: R's [A]nd is unique; all other manuscripts read But, which agrees with the reading of the C version.
if god of his goodnesse graunte vs a trewe .