fol. 4r (cont.)I
Primus
passusO.1.000: The heading is divided after Primus, so that it appears as two lines.
w
WHat þis mountayn bemeneþ  & þe merk dale
And þe feeld ful of folk  I schal ȝow fayre schewe
A louely lady of lere  in lynnen I-cloþed
O.1.4KD.1.4
Come doun from a castel  & callede me fayre
And seyde sone slepist þou  seest þou þis peple
How bisy þei been  aboute þe mase
Þe moost partie of þis peple  þat passen on þis erþe
O.1.8KD.1.8
Haue þei worschip in þis world  þei wilnen no better
Of oþer heuene þan here  holden þei no tale
I was a-feerd of hir face  þouȝ sche fayr were
And seyde mercy ma-dame  what is þis to mene
O.1.12KD.1.12
Þe tour vp þe toft quod sche  truþe is þer-inne
And wolde þat ȝe wrouten  as his word techiþ
For heO.1.14: O alone lacks is before fadir. fadir of feiþ  formede ȝow alle
Boþe wiþ felle & wiþ face  & ȝaf ȝow fyve wittis
O.1.16KD.1.16
For to worschipe hym þer-wiþ  þe whyle ȝe been here
And þer-fore . he hyȝte þe erþe  to helpe ȝow ichone
Of wollen . of lynnen  of lyflode at nede
In mesurable maner  to make ȝow at ese
O.1.20KD.1.20
And comaundede of his curteisie  in comune . þre þingys
Arn noon nedeful but þoo O.1.21: OC2 alone lack and before nempne. nempne hem I þinke
And reckene hem bi resoun  reherce ȝe hem after
Þat oon . is vesture  from chele þee to saue
O.1.24KD.1.24
And mete at meele  for myseise of þi-selue
And drynk whanne þou dryest  ac do not out of resoun
Þat þou worþe þe werse  whanne þou worche schuldest
For loth in his lijf-dayes  for likyng of drynk
O.1.28KD.1.28
Dide bi hise douȝtres  þat þe deuel likede
Delitede hym in drink  as þe deuel wolde
And leccherie hym lauȝte  & lay bi hem boþeO.1.30: OC2 here lack the following line attested by all other B manuscripts: "And al he witte it wyn þat wikked dede."
Inebriemus eum vino . dormiamusque cum eo vt seruare possimus de patre nostro semen .
fol. 4vI
O.1.32KD.1.32
Þoruȝ wiyn & þoruȝ wommen  þere was loth acombred
And þere he gate in glotenye  gyrles þat weren cherles
For-þi drede delitable drynk  & þou schalt do þe better
Mesure is medicyne  þouȝ þou myche ȝerne
O.1.36KD.1.36
It is not al good for þe goost  þat þe gutte askeþ
Ne lijflode to þi likham  þat leef is to þiO.1.37: Of the manuscripts which include the line in this form, OC2RF alone have þi in place of þe. soule
Leeue þou notO.1.38: OC2 alone have þou not in place of nauȝt. þi likham  for a lyer hym techeþ
Þat is aO.1.39: OC2 alone have a in place of þe. wrecchid world  wolde þee bitraye
O.1.40KD.1.40
For þe feend & þi flesch  folewen þee to-gydere
Þis & þat seeþ þi soule  & seiþO.1.41: OC2 alone lack it before in. in þin herte
And for þou schuldest been I-war  I wisse þee þe bettreO.1.42: OC2 alone have bettre in place of beste.
Ma-dame mercy quod I  me likeþ wel ȝoure wordes
O.1.44KD.1.44
Ac þe money of þis moold  þat men so fast holden
Telle me to whom ma-dame  þat tresore appendeþ
Go to þe gospel quod sche  þat god seyde hym-seluen
pepleO.1.47: A solidus/punctus above temple and another above the marginal addition indicate that it is intended as a substitution, although such a reading is unattested elsewhere and to adopt it would destroy the sense of the line.
ToO.1.47: OC2 alone have To; most B manuscripts have Tho. þe peple þatO.1.47: OC2 alone include þat. hym apposede  wiþ a peny in þe temple
O.1.48KD.1.48
Wheþer þei schulden þer-wiþ  worschipe þe kyng Cesar
And god askede of hem  of whom spake þe lettre
And þe ymage Ilike  þat þer-inneO.1.50: An otiose tilde appears above the <i> in inne. stondiþ
Cesaris . þei seyden  we seen hym wel ichone
O.1.52KD.1.52
Reddite cesari . quod god  þat cesari bifalleþ
Et que sunt dei . deo  or ellis ȝe doon   yueleO.1.53: OC2 alone have yuele in place of ille.
For riȝtful resoun  schulde rule ȝow alle
And kynde witt be wardeyn  ȝoure welþe to kepe
O.1.56KD.1.56
And tutour of ȝoure tresore  & take it ȝow at nede
AndO.1.57: OC2 alone have And in place of For. housbondrie & þeiO.1.57: GOC2 alone have þei in place of a correctly alliterating pronoun beginning with <h> (he, heo, hij, hy).  holden to-gydere
Þanne I fraynede hir faire  for hym þat hir made
Þat dongeoun in þe dale  þat dredeful is of syȝt
O.1.60KD.1.60
What may it be to mene  ma-dame . I ȝow biseche
Þat is þe castel of care  who-so comeþ þer-inneO.1.61: An otiose tilde appears above the <i> in inne.
May banne . þat he born was  to body &O.1.62: GOC2H alone have & in place of or. to soule
Þer-inne wonyeþ a wyȝt  þat . wrong . is I-hote
O.1.64KD.1.64
Fadir of falshed  and foundede it hym-selue
Adam and Eue  he eggede to ille
Counceylede Caym  to killen his broþer
Iudas he iapede  wiþ Iuwen syluer
O.1.68KD.1.68
And siþen on an eller  hangede hymselue after
He is letter of loue  & lyeþ hem alle
Þat tristen on his tresore  bitrayeþ he sunnest
Þanne hadde I
fol. 5rI
Þanne hadde I wonder in my witt  what womman it were
O.1.72KD.1.72
Þat swyche wyse wordis  of holi writ schewede
And askede hir inO.1.73: HmOC2C alone have in; most B manuscripts have on. þe hye name  er sche þennys ȝede
What sche were wittirli  þat wissede me so faire
Holi chirche
Holi chirche I am quod sche  þou ouȝtest me to knowe
O.1.76KD.1.76
I vnderfonge þee first  & þeeO.1.76: O alone has the form þee; most B manuscripts have þe. feiþ tauȝte
And þouO.1.77: HmOC2 alone have And þou in place of And or Thou alone. brouȝtest me borwes  my biddyng to fulfille
And to loue me leelli  þe while þi lijf dureþ
Þanne I courbede on my knees  & cryede hir of grace
O.1.80KD.1.80
And preyede hir pitousli  preye for my synnes
And also . kenne me kyndeli  on crist to beleeue
Þat I myȝte worche his wille  þat wrouȝte me to man
Teche me to no tresore  but telle me þis ilke
O.1.84KD.1.84
How I may saue my soule  þat seynt art yholden
Whanne alle tresores been I-tryedO.1.85: OC2 alone have I-tryed; most B manuscripts have tried quod she.  truþe is þe best
I do it on deus caritas  to deme þe soþe
It is as derworþe a drurye  as dere god hym-seluen
O.1.88KD.1.88
Who-so is trewe of his tunge  & telliþ noon oþer
AndO.1.89: OC2 alone lack some variant of doþ before þe werkis, obscuring the sense of the line. þe werkis þer-wiþ  & wilneþ no man ille
He is a god bi þe gospel  on ground & on loft
And Ilike to oure lord  bi seynt lukes wordis
O.1.92KD.1.92
Þe clerkis þat knowen þis  schulden kenne it aboute
For cristen & vncristen  cleymen it ichooun
Kyngys & knyȝtis  schulden kepen it bi resoun
Riden & rappen adoun  in rewmes aboute
Knyȝthode
O.1.96KD.1.96
And take transgressouris  & tyen hem fast
Til truþe hadde I-termyned  her trespasse to þe eende
And þat is þeO.1.98: A small round hole in the vellum, present at the time of copying, appears between is and þe. professioun apertli  þat appendiþ to knyȝtis
And not to fasten a fryday  in fyue score wynter
O.1.100KD.1.102
But holden wiþ hym & wiþ hir  þat wolden al truþe
And neuere leue hem for loue  ne for lacchyng of syluer
For dauid in his dayes  dubbede knyȝtis
And dide hem swere on her swerd  to serue truþe euere
O.1.104KD.1.104
And who-so passede þeO.1.104: OC2 alone have þe in place of þat. poynt  isO.1.104: YOC2M alone have the present-tense form.apostata in þe ordre
But crist kyngen kyng  knyȝtede ten
Cherubyn & Seraphyn  swyche seuene & an-oþer
And ȝaf hem myȝt in his mageste  þe myrier hem þouȝte
O.1.108KD.1.108
And ouer hise mene meyne  made hem archaungelis
Tauȝte hem bi þe trinite  truþe to knowe
a 1
fol. 5vI
To be buxum at his biddyng  he bade hem nouȝt ellis
Lucifer wiþ legiounes  lernede it in heuene
O.1.112KD.1.113
But for he brake buxumnesse  his blis gan he tyne
And fel fro þat felawschipe  in a feendis liknesse
In-to a depe derk helle  to dwelle þere for euere
And moo þouȝsandis wiþ hym  þan man couþe noumbre
O.1.116KD.1.117
Loopen out wiþ lucifer  in loþeliche forme
For þei leeueden vp-on hym  þat lyede in þis manere
Ponam pedem meumO.1.118: GOC2 alone include meum with pedem, although H has the reading sedem meam. in aquilone & similis ero altissimo
And alle þat hopeden it myȝte be so  noon heuene myȝte hem holde
O.1.120KD.1.121
But fellen out in feendis liknesse  nyne dayes to-gydere
Til god of his goodnesse  gan stable & stynte
And garte þe heuene to stekye  & stonden in quiete
Whanne þeise wickide wenten out  wonderwyse þei fellen
O.1.124KD.1.125
Summe in þe erþeO.1.124: OC2MF alone have þe erþe in this position in the line. Variants include Eyr (HmCrGL), þe eyr (WCH), and erthe (YR). . summe in þe eyre  & summe in helle depe
Ac lucifer lowest  liyþ of hem alle
For pride þat he puttedeO.1.127: OC2 alone have the form puttede; most B manuscripts have putte. out  his peyne haþ noon eende
And alle þat worchen wiþ wrong  wenden þei schulle
O.1.128KD.1.129
After her deþ-dayO.1.128: A double solidus over each word indicates transposition of original day deþ.  & dwelle wiþ þat schrewe
Ac þoo þat worchen wel  as holi writ telleþ
And eenden as I erstO.1.130: OC2 alone have erst; most B manuscripts have er. seyde  in truþe þat is best
Mowen be siker þat her soule  schal wende to heuene
O.1.132KD.1.133
Þere truþe is in trinite  & troneþ hem alle
For-þi . I seye as I seyde eer  bi siȝt of þeise textisO.1.133: OC2 alone lack the following line attested by all other B manuscripts: "Whan alle tresors arn tried truþe is þe best."
Lereþ it þeiseO.1.134: WYOC2 alone have þeise; variants include this (HmCrCLR), thys ye (GF), and ye (M). lewede men  for lettred men it knowen
Þat truþe is tresore  þe triest on erþe
O.1.136KD.1.138
Ȝit haue I no kynde knowyng quod I  ȝit mote ȝe kenne me better
Bi what craft in my coors  it comseþ & whereO.1.137: A small round hole in the vellum, present at the time of copying, appears in the right margin.
Þou doted daffe quod sche  dulle arn þi wittis
To litel lateyn þou lernedest  leode in þi ȝouþe
O.1.140KD.1.141α
Heu michi quia sterilem  duxi vitam Iuuenilem
It is a kynde knowyng quod scheheO.1.141: A solidus/punctus above sche and the marginal addition indicate that it is intended as a substitution. As he is not the feminine singular pronoun used by the main scribe, the correction may represent either an error or an attempt to bring the text into conformity with the corrector's own dialect.  þat kenneþ in þin herte
For to louye þi lord  leuere þan þi-seluen
No dedli synne to do  deye þouȝ þou schuldest
O.1.144KD.1.145
Þis I trowe be truþe  who can teche þee betteO.1.144: O alone has bette in place of bettre.
Loke þou suffre hym to seye  & siþen lere it after
For þus witnessiþ his word  worche þou þer-after
For truþe telleþ þat loue  is triacle inO.1.147: YOC2 alone have in; most B manuscripts have of. heuene
O.1.148KD.1.149
May no synne be on hym sene  þat vseþ þat spice
fol. 6rI
And alle hise werkis he wrouȝte  wiþ loue as hym liste
And lernede it Moyses forO.1.150: OC2F alone lack þe before leuest. leuest þing  & moost likeO.1.150: A solidus/punctus above like, accompanied by a marginal caret/punctus, mark like for deletion. inO.1.150: OC2 alone have in in place of to. heuene
And also þe plente of pees  moost precious of vertues
O.1.152KD.1.153
For heuene myȝte not holde it  it was so heuy of hym-selue
Til it hadde of þe erþe  eten his fille
And whanne it hadde of þe folde  flesch & blodeO.1.153: OC2 alone lack take(n) at the end of this line.
Was neuere leef vp-on lynde  liȝter þer-after
O.1.156KD.1.157
And portatyf & persaunt  as þe poynt of a nedel
Þat myȝte noon armure it lette  ne noon hye wallis
For-þi . is loue leder  of þe lordis folk of heuene
And a mene as þe meyr is  bitwixe þe kyng & þe comouns
O.1.160KD.1.161
Riȝt so is loue a leder  & þe lawe schapiþ
Vp-on man for hise mysdedis  þe mercyment he taxiþ
And for to knowe it kyndeli  it comseþ bi myȝt
And in þe herte . þer is þe hed  & þe hye welle
O.1.164KD.1.165
For in kynde knowyng in herte  þere a myȝt bigynneþ
And þat falliþ to þe fadir  þat formede vs alle
Lokede on vs wiþ loue  & leete his sone deye
Mekeli for oure mysdedis  to amende vs alle
O.1.168KD.1.169
And ȝit wolde he hem no woo  þat wrouȝten hym þat peyne
But mekelich biO.1.169: OC2 alone have bi in place of wiþ. mouþe  mercy he bisouȝte
To haue pite on þat peple  þat peynede hym to deþ
Here myȝtist þou se ensaumples  in hym-seluenO.1.171: OC2 alone have hym-seluen in place of hymself. one
O.1.172KD.1.173
Þat he was myȝtful & meke  & mercy gan graunte
To hem þat hongen hym on hyȝ  & his herte þirled
For-þi I rede ȝow riche  haue reuþe of þe pore
Þouȝ ȝe been myȝtful to mote  beþ meke in ȝoure werkis
O.1.176KD.1.177
For þe same mesures þat ȝe meten  amys oþer ellis
Ȝe schul be weyen þerwiþ  whanne ȝe wenden hennys
Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis  remecietur vobis
For þouȝ ȝe be trewe of ȝoure tunge  & trulich wynnen
O.1.180KD.1.180
And as chaast as a chiyld  þat in chirche wepiþ
But if ȝe loue lellich  & lene þe pore
Swich good as god ȝow sente  goodelich parteþ 
Ȝe ne han no more meryte  in masse ne in oures
O.1.184KD.1.184
Þan malkyn of hir maydenhood  þat no man desireþ
For Iames þe gentil  iuggede in hise bokis
Þat feiþ wiþ-outen þe feite  is riȝt no-þing worþi
And as deed as a dore-tre  but if þe dedis folewenO.1.187: OC2 alone have the form folewen; all other beta witnesses have folwe.
O.1.188KD.1.187α
     Fides sine operibus  mortua est .
a 2
fol. 6vI
For-þi . chastite wiþ-outen charite  worþ cheyned in helle
It is as lewed as a laumpe  þat no liȝt is Inne
Many chapeleyns arn chaast  ac charite is a-weye
O.1.192KD.1.191
Arn no men auerouser þan þei  whanne þei been auaunced
Vnkynde to her kyn  & to alle cristen
Chewen her charite  & chiden after more
Swich chastite wiþ-outen charite  worþ cheyned in helle
O.1.196KD.1.195
Many curatouris kepen hem  clene of her bodies
Þei been acombred wiþ coueytise  þei cun not do it from hem
So harde haþ auarice  yhasped hem to-gyderis
And þat is inO.1.199: OC2 alone have in, which has been added above the line. All other beta witnesses have no. truþe of þe trinite  but treccherie of helle
O.1.200KD.1.199
And lernyng to lewede men  þe latter for to deele
For-þi . þeise wordis  ben writen in þe gospel
Date & dabitur vobis  for I deele ȝow alle
And þat is þe lokke of loue  & lateþ out my grace
O.1.204KD.1.203
To counforte þe careful  acombrid wiþ synne
Loue is leche of liyf  & next oure lord seluenO.1.205: OC2 alone have seluen in place of selue.
And also þe greiþ gate  þat goþ in-to heuene
For-þi I seye as I seyde erstO.1.207: OC2 alone have erst; most B manuscripts have er..  bi þe treweO.1.207: OC2 alone include trewe, which is marked for deletion by a solidus/punctus above and a caret/punctus in the right margin. textis
O.1.208KD.1.207
Whanne alle tresores been ytried  truþe is þe best
Now haue I told þee what truþe is  þat no tresore is better
I may no lenger lenge þee wiþ  now loke þee oure lord
MED