fol. 78v (cont.)I
PassusR.1.0: The <P> of
Passus in the heading is partially visible, but its specific identity is
clear only from context. primus de visione petri plowman —
ÞatR.1.17:
The cropping of R here makes any reading speculative, but it is obvious from the surviving
<t> that R's reading was unique; we conjecture Þat, but no other
manuscript, including those of the A version (which attests the same
line), shows this reading. þerefore he hiȝtteR.1.17: Or hiȝcte? In either case the form is unique in
the manuscript, and the scribe does not steadily distinguish these graphies. þe erthe
to helpe ȝow echone .
fol. 79rI
Þat on hisR.1.23: Compare this erasure to a
similar instance at RP.89, where her was changed to er. vesture fram chele þe to saue .
Ne lyflode to þi licam þat leef is
þiR.1.39:
R's reading here is unique among the B copies; the others attest is to þi. Ax agrees with the B
majority (only Bodley 851 agrees with R) , but Cx is uncertain. Though a
majority of C witnesses also supports the predominant reading, a
significant minority of X family manuscripts (XICotBmBoUc) agrees with R in omitting to. soule .
This and that suethR.1.43:
Cf. F's sewe and beta's seeþ. Although three C witnesses (P2UcDc) support the alpha verb, it seems
clear that Cx had the same reading as beta. þi soule and
seith it in þin herte .
Ac þe monee of þis molde þat men so fast kepeth .R.1.46: For alpha's kepeth or kepe (= F), beta
reads holdeth. Beta agrees here with the A version
while alpha agrees with the C version.
TellethR.1.47:
R's verb inflection, Telleth, is unique among the B
copies (F and beta agree on Tel(le)). However, both Ax and Cx agree with R's form. me ma-dame to whomR.1.47: F omits madame from the
a-verse phrase, while beta transposes the phrase and reads to whom Madame.
F's reading agrees with that found in the other two versions of the poem. þat tresour
appendeth .
fol. 79vI
For housbondrye and heoR.1.59:
Heo, "she."R.1.59: Beta reads hij for alpha's he(o). However, both Ax and Cx support F's
version of alpha's lection (= he). halden to-gyderes . An old ownership stamp, in black ink, runs
vertically downwards in the right margin opposite these lines; the label says MVSEVM BRITTANICVM.
R.1.60KD.1.58
¶ Þanne I frayned hireR.1.60:
R uniquely omits faire at the end of the a-verse. for hym
þat hire made .
¶ Þat is a castelR.1.63: Both F and beta read þe castel. This is also the reading of both Ax and Cx. Among the B
manuscripts, only H agrees with R on this lection. of care who-so cometh þere-Inne .
d d d e
R.1.72KD.1.70
Þat tristeth on his tresor bytrayed arenR.1.72: Beta copies
show considerable variation in this phrase, but beta itself probably read bitrayeþ he. This is a simple reversal of the archetypal C
reading, which is he bytrayeth. By contrast, alpha's reading here is
identical to that of Ax. sonneste .
¶ Þanne haued I wonder in my witt what
womman scheR.1.73:
For alpha's sche, beta reads it. Beta's lection agrees
exactly with Ax, but the alpha reading is semantically the same as that
of C, which is he. were .
¶ And haskedR.1.75: Cf. F's halsede and beta's
asked. Though both variants are available in the A
tradition, Ax almost certainly agreed with F's reading. The same is true
for Cx, though a third variant, hanslede, is
generated in some copies—apparently by metathesis—from a variant spelling of the
original (= halsnede) still found in manuscripts EcQSc. The evidence in
the B tradition seems easiest to explain on the supposition that R's
verb form, hasked, was that of Bx and that beta
merely normalized its spelling while F corrected the reading itself through his habitual use
of an A manuscript for proofing. hyre on þe hiȝe name
er heo þennes ȝode .
R.1.80KD.1.78
And to loue lely meR.1.80:
Beta transposes alpha's lely me as me lelly. Beta's
word order is also that of the A version. þe while þi
lif dureth .
fol. 80rI
And preyed hire pytously to preyeR.1.82: For alpha's to preye, beta reads simply prey. Alpha's reading is supported by
that of Ax. for my synnes .
And also kenne me kendely on cryst to byleue .R.1.83: Alpha omits
the following line found in beta:
That I miȝte worchen his wille þat wrouȝte me to man. The line is not present in the C version but is attested in the A version.
That I miȝte worchen his wille þat wrouȝte me to man. The line is not present in the C version but is attested in the A version.
R.1.88KD.1.87
Þat itR.1.88:
For alpha's Þat it, , beta and the other two versional archetypes read It. is as derworthe a drewery as dere god hym-selue .
¶¶
HeR.1.89:
R's He is unique; F reads He þat while beta reads Whoso. The A-version reading agrees with beta's. The C-version has a revised b-verse, but for this variant the manuscripts
divide into the two large families usually seen, with the P family supporting R (For he) while the X family is closer to beta (For
who). is trewe of his tonge and telleth non other .R.1.89:
Ordinarily, throughout this manuscript, the scribe indicated where rubricated paraph markers
should be inserted—alternately blue and red—by leaving a small cc in the margin. Many of these survive in the latter part of the manuscript, where
very few rubricated paraphs were ever completed, but some have been erased, as is the case on
fol. 80, where only the blank line between strophes attests scribal intentions.
And þat is þe professioun apertelyche
þat appendeth forR.1.99: Most B copies, including F, read to knyȝtes. The latter reading is also that of the
A and C version. kniȝtes
NeR.1.102:
Ne is an alpha variant; beta reads And. Beta's reading
here is also that of Ax and Cx. neuere leue
hem for loue ne for lacchynge of seluer
R.1.104KD.1.99
And dede hem swere on here swerdesR.1.104:
The plural form is unique to R; the other B witnesses show swerde. Although three copies from the A tradition and one from
C agree with R's plural, it is clear that the archetype in both of the
other versions agreed with the B majority. to serue
trewth euere
¶ But crist kyngene kyngR.1.106: A partially erased <h> is visible,
occupying the space between the <g> of king and the punctus
elevatus. The <h> in question may connect with a partially erased ampersand above kyngene earlier in the line and indicate the occurrence of a fairly extensive
erasure / correction in this passage. kniȝtede ten .
TauȝteR.1.110: The <e> of Tauȝte has been partially rubbed out but is still legible. hem by þe
trinite trewthe to knowe .
AndR.1.111:
For alpha's And, beta reads To, which is also the
reading of the A version. be buxum at his biddynge
he badde hem nauȝt elles
fol. 80vI
Const fol. 80.
Ponam pedem in aquilone &ceteraR.1.119: R uniquely omits the end of this tag, as represented by the other B witnesses, as well as by C: et
similis ero altissimo. .
Somme in erthe somme in
eyreR.1.125:
Most beta copies (M being a notable exception) transpose the order of alpha's elements to Somme in eyre somme in erthe. This
is also the order of Ax. However, Cx agrees with
alpha's phrasing. and somme in helle deepe .
For pruyde þat he peltR.1.127:
R's pelt is unique in spelling but substantively the same as the reading
of Cr and L (= pult). F has pitte. Beta reads putte, which is also the reading of A. ouȝt
his peyne hath none ende .
After here deth-day .
toR.1.129:
For alpha's to, beta reads and, which is also the
reading of the A and C versions. dwelle with
þat schrewe
Þere trewthe is in trinite for to
saueR.1.133:
In place of alpha's relatively vague saue(n), beta shows the properly
alliterating troneth. The entire b-verse in beta (and
troneth hem alle) is identical to that found in the A version .
Although the C version is revised at this point, the appearance of trone in the P sub-archetype of its cognate line (X = tour) also suggests
beta's superiority here. R's for to preceding the verb in question is
unique; F has þat shal while beta reads and. hem
alle .
¶ For-þi I seye as I
seyde ere by þis tixtes .R.1.134: Evidently, alpha had dropped the third stave of this line, producing a short
b-verse; beta, which agrees exactly with Ax here, reads bi
siȝte of þise textis.
Whan alle tresores benR.1.135: Beta reads arn(e), which is also the probable reading of Ax. The C version is revised at this point. Itried trewthe is
þeR.1.135: The scribe has allocated a long space (approx. 1.8 cm.) between þe and beste to accommodate the original tear in the parchment
described at R1.105. beste .
R.1.136KD.1.136
¶ LerethR.1.136: Beta adds it after Lereth. This is also the reading of the A and C archetypes.
this lewed men for lettrede men it knoweth .
¶ I haueR.1.138:
For alpha's I haue, beta reads Ȝet haue I, which
is also the reading of Ax. However, the reading of alpha agrees with
that of Cx. no kende knowyng quatz I ȝette mote
I
lerneR.1.138:
Once more, R's (and alpha's) third stave was defective in alliteration; cf. beta's b-verse,
which offers ȝet mote ȝe kenne me to R's ȝette mote I lerne. Beta's reading agrees with that of the other two
versions. bettre .
R.1.140KD.1.140
¶ Þow dotede daffe quatz sche dulle arn þi
wittes .R.1.140: Hereafter, R's text is lost for KD1.141 through KD2.40.