fol. 29v (cont.)I
PassusB 7
Trewthe herd tell here-off & to pyers sente
to maken hys teeme & tylye hys yerthe
he puvrchased hym a pardone aG.8.3: The mark before the first rubricated letter is probably a mistake; a failure to recognise the need for a change of ink. pena et a culpa //
G.8.4KD.7.4
for hym & hys heyres for euver-more after
& bad hym hold hym att whome & eryen hys leyes
and all þat helpen themG.8.6: Kane and Donaldson read theym for G them but there is no visible <y>. to erye to sett or to sowe
or any other master þat myght pyers auveyle
G.8.8KD.7.8
pardone wyth pyers plouvman trewthe hath grauvnted
kynges & knyghtes that kepen holye chuvrche
& ryghtfuvllyche In realmes ruvelen þe poeple
hauve pardone thruvgh puvrgatorye to passen fuvll lyghtlye
G.8.12KD.7.12
wyth patryarkes & profettes In paradyse to be fellowes
bysshops y-blessed yff G.8.13: The top half of the double <f> of yff has been partly lost because of a hole in the paper. þei beene as they shuvlde
legysters off bothe the lawes þe lewde men þer-wyth to preyche
fol. 30rI
& in G.8.14: A virgule has been added to separate the words in and als. It appears to have no metrical significance. als moche as þei mowe amenden all synfull
G.8.16KD.7.16
ere pyers wyth þe postelles thys p.ardone pyers shewythe
& att the day off dome att þe hye deyse to sytt
marcheantes In þe mergen / had many yers
but non a pena et a culpa . the pope wolde graunte
G.8.20KD.7.20
for þei hold not theyr halydays as holye chuvrche teychethe
& for they swareG.8.21: G's sware could be a preterite, but it is also a possible present tense form. See OED swear, v. Dobson suggests (English Pronunciation, 733, Note 1) that infinitive forms such as sware and tar for "swear" and "tear" may well be due to the analogical influence of the past tense, and that such forms were more likely in the North and the East. For Northernisms in G, see Introduction III.4.1. by þer souvle & by god hym-seluve
ageyn cleyne conscyence theyre catell to sell
but vndre hys seycrete seale trewthe send them a letter
G.8.24KD.7.24
that þei sholde byggeG.8.24: The word bygge has been re-outlined in darker ink, apparently by the original scribe at the time of writing. boldlye that them best lykyd
and sythen sell ytt ageyne & sauve þe wynnyng
amend mys endwayes ther-wyth & mesylye folke helpe
and wycked weyes wyghtlyche amend
G.8.28KD.7.28
and do boote brydges that to-broken were
maryen meydens & or maken theym nonnes
pouvre poeple & prysoners fynd theym theyr foode
and sett scolers to scole or to some other craftes
G.8.32KD.7.33
releuve relygyon & rent theym better
and I shall send you my-selfe seynt mychaell þe arkeangell
that no deuvell shall you dere ne fere you In your dyeyng
& wyten you from wanhope yff youG.8.35: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. wyll þus worche
G.8.36KD.7.37
and sende your souvles In safettsafett[e]G.8.36: G's erroneous form safett presumably arises because of confusion over the significance of -e for [i:]. See note to G.2.7. to my seyntes In Ioy
then were marchantes merye manye wepte for Ioy
& preysed / pyers plouman /G.8.38: For the use of virgules as a means of highlighting, see note to G.6.597, and for an alternative method, see the boxing in C. þat p.vrchasedG.8.38: The scribe may originally have misread an abbreviation for ur as one for re and therefore have written <pr> instead of <pur> at the beginning of "purchased." thys bull
men off þe lawe s leyste perdon ghadde pleteden for mede
G.8.40KD.7.41
for þe sauvter sauvethe theym noght suoyche as take gyftes
and namelych off ynnocentes þat noon euvell ne kanG.8.41: Most manuscripts have some form of konneþ for G kan. However, according to the OED, "can" was the usual plural form of this verb in the sixteenth century.
super innocentem muneneramunera non accipies
pleydouvrs shuolde peynen theym to pleyde suoyche to helpe
G.8.44KD.7.44
prynces & preelates shuold pay for theyre trauvell
a regibus et principibus erit merces eorum //
but many a Iuvstes & a Iuvrouvr wold for Ihon do more
then pro dei pietate leuve you non other
G.8.48KD.7.47
but he þat spendythe hys speche & speykethe for þe powere
þat ys Innocent & nedye & no man appayrythe
comforte hym In þat cas wyth-owte couvetyse off gyftes
fol. 30vI
and show lawe for our lordes louve as he hytt hatheG.8.51: The word hathe was originally very faint and appears to have been re-outlined in black ink. lerned
G.8.52KD.7.51
shall no deuvell att hys deydeG.8.52: Forms of "death" in -d(e (dede, ded etc.) are common in the North in ME, though they are not confined to it, and the spelling deyde may therefore reflect earlier Northern influence in G. See Introduction III.4.1. day deren hym a myte
that he ne worthe saffeG.8.53: The word saffe was initially faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. þe sawter weyttnessytheG.8.53: The word witnesse was initially faint and has been re-outlined in black ink.
domine quis habitabit In tabernaculo tuo & cetera //
but to bygge water ne wynde ne wytt yne fyre þe ferthe
G.8.56KD.7.54
thyese fowre þe father In heyuven made to þis folke In comen
thyese beene truvghthes tresores trewe folke to helpe
that neuer shall wexe ne wane wyth-owteG.8.58: The word owte was originally faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. god hym-selfe
when þei drawen to dyeG.8.59: The confusion between dye (the reading of G L M Cr W) and deth or þe deþ in remaining manuscripts presumably arose from the misreading of thorn as <y>. Note the L W spelling deye. / & Induvlgences wold hauve
G.8.60KD.7.58
theyre perdones are full peytyte / att þer partyngG.8.60: The word partyng was originally faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. hence
that any mede off meane men for theyre motyng taken
ye legysters & laweeyersG.8.62: The word laweeyers was originally faint and the first three letters have been re-outlined in black ink. holden thys for trewthe
that yff þat I lye mathewe ys to blame
G.8.64KD.7.60.1
for he bad me make you thys & thys prouverbe me tolde
quodcumque vultis vt faciant vobis homines facite eis //
all lyuvyng laborers þat lyuven wyth theyre handes
that trewlyche taken & trewlyche wynnen
G.8.68KD.7.63
and lyuven In louve & in lawe for theyre lowe hertes
hauve þe same absoluvcyon þat seynt was to pyers
beggers ne bydders ne beythe noght In the byll
but yff þe suggestyon be good þat .....shapethG.8.71: The form of the first <h> of shapeth is that normally found in the rubricated sections, which were also written by the scribe who copied the main body of the text (see Introduction I.7). The addition has been written in a space which is too small for it, hence the virgule before þem which is simply present to separate words. þem go begge
G.8.72KD.7.67
For he that beggethe or byt but yff he hauve nede
he ys falsce wyth the fende & defrauvdethe þe nedye
and begyleth þe gyuere ageynst hys wyll
for yff he wyst he were not nedye he wold gyuve yt another
G.8.76KD.7.71
that were more nedye þen he so the nedyest shold be holpe
caton kennythe me thus & the clerecler[k]e off storyes
cuius des videto ys caton teychyng
and In þe storyes he teychethe how to bestowe þin almes
G.8.80KD.7.75
sit elimosina tua In manu donec studeasG.8.80: C2 originally read studes, which is the majority B reading, but an <a> has been added above the line, giving studeas, as G. cui des //
but gregorye was a good man & bad vs gyuven all
that asken for hys louve that vs all lenethe
ne eligas cui miserearis ne forte preterias illum qui
meretur accipere quia Incertum est pro quo deo magis
placeas
//
G.8.84KD.7.78
wote youG.8.84: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. neuer wo ys worthye but god wote wo hathe nede
fol. 31rI
In hym þat takethe ys þe trechyrye yff any treason walke
for he that gyuvythe yeldethe & yarkythe hym to rest
and he þat d byddethe borowethe & bryngethe hym-selfe In dett
G.8.88KD.7.82
for beggers borowe euermore þer bruvgh ys god allmyghtye
to yelden þeim that gyuven theym & yet vsuvrye more
quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam
vt ego veniens cum vsuris exigere et cetera
G.8.92KD.7.84
forthy byddeth not ye beggers but yff ye hauve nede
for wo-so hathe to byggen hym bred þe boke beyryth wyttnes
he hath Inoghe hathe bred I-noghe thoghe he hauve no þing elles
satis diues est qui non Indiget pane //
G.8.96KD.7.87
lett vsage be your solas off seyntes lyuves redyng
the boke bannethe beggerye & blamethe In thys maner
Iunior fui etenim senui et non vidi Iustum
delrelictum nec semen eius et cetera //
for ye lyuve In no louve ne no lawe holde
G.8.100KD.7.91
manye off you wed noght þe wemen ye wyth deale
but as wylde bestes / wyth we-he /G.8.101: The virgules here could simply be punctuation marks but they may possibly be intended as a means of highlighting. See note to G.6.597. worthen vp & worchen
and bryng forthe barnes þat basterdes men callen
other þe bake or some bonne he brekythe yn þe youvght
G.8.104KD.7.95
and sythen go fayten wyth your fauntes euer-more after
there ys mo mysshape poeple among thees beggers
then off all maner off men þat on þis mold walkethe
& they that lyuve thuvs theyre lyuve / may lothe theyre tyme
G.8.108KD.7.99
that euer he was man wroght when he shall hence fare
but olde men & hoore þat helples been off strenght
& women wyth chylde þat worche ne mowe
blynd & bedred & broken theyre membres
G.8.112KD.7.103
that taken meschefes mekely as meyseles & other
hauve as pleyne perdone as the plowman hym-selfe
for louve off theyre lowe hertes our lord hathe þem graunted
theyr pennvancepen[n]ance & þeir puvrgatorye here on thys yerthe
G.8.116KD.7.107
Pyers quod a preeste þen thy perdone movste I rede
I woleG.8.117: A virgule has been added at this point to separate the words wole and constrewe. constrewe eche clauvse & kenne þeG.8.117: Definitely þe, despite Kane and Donaldson's reading þi. The <e> is forward facing, resembling that used by the original scribe in the rubricated sections. In enghlysshe
& pyers att hys preyer the perdone vnfoldethe
& I beynde theym bothe /G.8.119: The addition of this virgule is accompanied, not by a pointed caret mark, but by two diagonal parallel lines. It is in any case unusual for the insertion of a virgule to be indicated by any sort of mark. This particular virgule has in fact the shape of a closing bracket, but, though the reference to the dreamer could conceivably be thought of as the sort of aside suitable for enclosure in brackets, there is no evidence of any corresponding opening bracket. byheld all the buvll
fol. 31vI
G.8.120KD.7.111
In two lynes ytt ley and noght a leyfe more
& was wryten ryght thuvs In wyttnes off trewthe
et qui bona egerunt Ibunt In vitam eternam
qui vero mala In ingnemi[gn]em eternumG.8.123: These two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right.
G.8.124KD.7.115
petre quod the preest tho I can no perdone fynd
but do well & hauve well & god shall hauve þi souvle
& do yuvell & hauve yuvell hope þou non other
but after þi deyde day þe deuvell shall hauve þi souvle
G.8.128KD.7.119
and pyers for puvre tene puvlled ytt In tweyne
and seyde si ambulauero In vmbrae medioG.8.129: Kane and Donaldson record G's reading here as vmbra medio. However, though in fact the scribe originally wrote a single-lobed <a>, he has erased the tail of this and added a loop on top of it to form a backwards facing <e>. mortis .
non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es //
I shall ceasse off my sowyng & swynke not so harde
G.8.132KD.7.123
ne abouvte my balye Ioy so bysye be no more
off preyers & pennvancepen[n]ance my plowe shalbeshal be here-after
& wepe when I sholde slepe thogh wheyte bred me faylle
the prophete hys payne eyte / In pennvauncepen[n]aunce & yn sorowe
G.8.136KD.7.127
by that þe sauvter seyethe so dyd other manye
that louveth god loyally hys lyuvelode ys fuvll eysyeG.8.137: The script in which this added line is written corresponds to that of the rubricated sections rather than that of the main body of the text. This is particularly true of the <l>s. Since the evidence suggests, however, that the rubricated sections were also written by the main scribe (see Introduction I.7), this does not imply a change of hand. Probably the scribe chose to use these particular letter forms in order to make certain that the lengthy section of overwriting was clear. The traces of the original line which remain suggest that it may have been equivalent to G.8.139. This correction was clearly made before the brown ink corrections.G.8.137: There appear to be traces in the margin of a mark indicating the position in which the addition should appear.
fuerunt michi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte
but yff luvkeG.8.139: The alteration of luke to lvke has been made in a different ink from that normally used for these corrections, i.e. black rather than brown, and the form of the <v> is also different. lye he leyrethe vs by fouvles
G.8.140KD.7.130
we shold not be to besye abouvte þe wordldes blysse
ne soliciti sitis he sayethe In the gospell
& shewythe vs by ensamples vs-seluvees to wysse
the fouwles In þe felde wo fyndethe þem meyte & watre
G.8.144KD.7.135
they hauve no granerG.8.144: Although the OED records the G and the Bx forms graner and gerner as separate words, it is not entirely clear that they should be so regarded, since OF grenier is cited as a possible source for both. to go too butt god fyndeth þem all
watt quod þe preest to perkyn / petuvr as me thynkethe
þou arte lettered a lytull wo lerned þe on boke
abstynence þe abbesse quod pyers my . a . b . c . me taght
G.8.148KD.7.139
& conscyence cam after-warde & teychyd me better
were thow a prest quod he þou myghtest preche where þou shuldestG.8.149: The first few words of the supplied section can to some extent be verified by considering the position of the descenders still visible at the top of the page. This does not, however, apply to the last three words. G.8.149:The place where this material should be inserted is indicated by a line in the margin. The ink appears to be the same as that used for the <u> to <v> corrections and this insertion was therefore presumably made at the same time.
as diuvinouvr off dyuvynyte wyth dixit Insipiens to þi teyme
lewde lorell quod pyers lytleG.8.151: The second <l> of lytle has a smudge which makes it look a little like an <h> but this was probably not deliberate. lokedest þou on the byble
G.8.152KD.7.143
on salamones sawes seld þou beholdestG.8.152: The last two words of this line have been re-outlined in darker ink.
ecce derisores et iurgia cum eis ne crescant .//
the preeste & perkyn apposed eyther other
and I thruvgh theyreG.8.155: The word theyre has been re-outlined in darker ink. wordes arose & loked abouvte
G.8.156KD.7.146
and segh þe sonne In þe souvthe sytt that tyme
fol. 32rI
meteles & monelesG.8.157: The word moneles could equally well be interpreted as moueles, which is the reading of Cr1. on maluverne hylles
muvsyng on thes meteles my way I yede
many a tyme theesG.8.159: The letter <s> of thees has been re-outlined in browner ink. There is a hole in the paper at this point which may have affected the original. metaylles haue made me to stodye
G.8.160KD.7.150
off þat I seghe sleplyng yff ytt be so myght
and for pers þe plouvman pensyfe In herte
and wyche a perdon pers had þeG.8.162: The G F reading þe (for remaining manuscripts alle þe), gives a more metrical b-verse (though see Hoyt N, Duggan, "Notes on the Metre of Piers Plowman: Twenty Years On," in Approaches to the Metres of Alliterative Verse, ed. Judith Jefferson and Ad Putter, Leeds Texts and Monographs, New Series 17 (2009), 159-186, and especially 168-70). The GF reading is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. poeple to comfort
and how þe preest ympungned ytt wyth two propre wordes
G.8.164KD.7.154
but I hauve no sauvore In songwarye I see ytt oft fayle
caton & canonysters couvnseyllen vs to leyuve
& sett sadnes In songwarye for somnia ne cures
but for þe boke þe byble beyrythe wyttnes
G.8.168KD.7.158
how danyell dyuvyned the dremes off a kyng
that was nabigodonasor nyuynvednyuy[n]ed off clerkes
danyell seyde to þe kyng thy dremels betokne
that vnkowde knyghtes shall come þi kyngdome to cleuve
G.8.172KD.7.162
among lower lordes thye land shalbeshal be deperted
and as danyell dyuvyned In deed ytt fell after
the kyng lost hys lordshyp & lower men ytt had
& Iosepfhe met meruvyouslye howe þe mone & þe sonne
G.8.176KD.7.166
and þe elleyuven starres haylsed hym all
then Iacob Iugged Iosephes swene
beau fytz quod hys father for defauvte we shuollenG.8.178: It is difficult to be certain whether the alteration made to the <u> of shullen was intended to result in an <o> or an <a>.
I my-selfe & my sonnes seche þe for nede
G.8.180KD.7.170
ytt befell as hys father seyde yn pharoos tyme
that Iosephe was Iuvstece egypte to loken
ytt befell as hys father told hys freendes þer hym soght
and all þis makethe me on thys meytaylles to thynke
G.8.184KD.7.174
& how þe preest prouved no perdone to dowell
& demed þat dowell Induvlgences passed
byennvalesbyen[n]ales & tryennvalestryen[n]ales and bysshops letters
& how dow-well at þe day off dome ys dynglycher vndrefongen
G.8.188KD.7.178
and passed all the perdone off seynt petuvrs chuvrche
now hathe þe pope perdone power perdone to graunt to þe poeple
wyth-ouvte any pennvancepen[n]ance to passen In-to heyuven
thys ys ouvr byleuve as lettered men vs teychen
G.8.192KD.7.181α
quodcumque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum et in celis & cetera
& so I leuve loyally ouvr lordG.8.193: Most B manuscripts have "lords" for G Hm Cot F "our lord." Hm and Cot also originally had the plural but the inflexion has been erased. The reading of Ax and of most C manuscripts is "lord," and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. forbyd elles
fol. 32vI
then perdone & pennvauncepen[n]aunce & preyers done sauve
souvles þat hauve synned seyuven sythes deydly
G.8.196KD.7.185
but to truvste onG.8.196: Most A manuscripts share the G F reading on (remaining manuscripts have to), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. thes tryennttalestrenttalesG.8.196: For similar treatment of "triennals" (i.e. correction to "trentals"), see G.8.199 below. According to the OED the use of "triennal" meaning "a dispensation or indulgence for three years" did not survive the fourteenth century (see OED triennal, n.). trewly me thynkethe
ys noght so syker for þe souvles certes as ys dowelle
forthy I red you renvkesre[n]kes þat ryche be on þis yerthe
vp-on truvste on youvr treysuvre tryennttales G.8.199: For the G scribe's treatment of the word "triennals," see G.8.196. to hauve
G.8.200KD.7.189
be ye neuer þe boldre to breke þe ten hestes
& namelyche ye Masters meyrs & Iuvgges
that hauve þe welth off thys world & wyse menG.8.202: Kane and Donaldson record G's reading here as me rather than men, but the abbreviation for final <n> takes the form of of a high backward curve over the <e>. be holden
to puvrchace you perdon & þe popes buvlles
G.8.204KD.7.193
att þe dredefuvll dome when deade shall ...arysseG.8.204: It is impossible to be absolutely certain of the original reading which has been corrected to arysse, but the scribe perhaps began to copy bulles from the previous line.
and comen all a-fore cryste accomptes to yelde
how þou laddest þi lyfe & here lawes keptest
& how þou dydest day by day þi dome wole reherce
G.8.208KD.7.197
a poke full off perdon there & prouvyncyalles letters
thogh ye be yn þe fraternyte off all þe fouvre ordres
& hauve Induvlgence douvble-folde butG.8.210: The G R F reading but (for remaining manuscripts but if) is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. This reading provides a more metrical b-verse (though see Duggan, "Notes on the Metre," especially 168-70), and is the reading of all A and C manuscripts. do-well you heklpe
I sett your patentes & your perdone att a pyes heele
G.8.212KD.7.201
and I conseyle all crystyen to crye god mercye
& marye hys mother be our meane betwene
that god gyuve vs grace here or we go hence
suoyche workes to worke whyle we beene here
G.8.216KD.7.205
that after our deyd day do-well reherce
finitur visionem Note that this script is very similar to that used for the title on f.1r. This could be a more formal version of the script of the main scribe but it bears a somewhat closer resemblance to the marginalia initialled by WH (ff.69v, 70r and 103r). See Introduction I.10 and I.12.
nota Marginal nota is in brown ink. Compare with the marginalia by WH on ff.69v and 70r. The explicit has been underlined in the same brown ink.
att þe day off dome we dyd as he hyght
explicit octauus passus de visioneG.8.217:The brown underlining has been added by the scribe who provides the marginal comments finitur visionem and nota. See previous note.
MED