fol. 35v (cont.)I
sus
us de
& cetera .
us de
& cetera .
Passus nonus de visione vt supra
. —
—
R.9.0: At the extreme
left margin of the same line as the passus heading, there is the cropped fragment of a small
brown guide, illegible except for the ends of three lines: sus
us de
& cetera .
us de
& cetera .
Sire dowelleth
dwellisR.9.1: Manuscript C also reads dwelles, but the A and C versions attest the
same present-tense verb form as F and most beta copies: dwelleth. R's
original reading, before editorial correction to dwellis, was a grotesque
error involving the accidental merger of two words (dowelleth), but the
form of that error makes clear that R's copytext attested the same verb form as that now
found in F and most other manuscripts. quod witt nauȝt a
day hennes .
In a castel þat kende made of foure manerR.9.2:
Beta reads kynnes, which agrees with both Ax and Cx. þinges .
fol. 36rI
And hath I-doR.9.11:
F and some beta copies (e.g., CrWHm) here read dooþ; LMGO, by contrast,
read hath do(on). R's hath I-do is almost identical to the reading of L. The predominant readings among both
A and C witnesses are small variations of the
RLMOG phrase, but six manuscripts from the P family of C attest the same
reading as FCrWHm. hire withR.9.11: Beta reads with sire
dowel. This reading is also found in Ax and Cx.
dowel is duk of þeR.9.11:
Cf. F's þat and beta's þis. Beta's reading is also that
of Ax and Cx. marches .
R.9.20KD.9.20
Sire sewel and saywel and sireR.9.20:
Beta omits alpha's sire from this b-verse. Ax agrees
with beta in this omission, but a majority of C manuscripts, including
the best X family witnesses and most of the P family, agree with alpha here. here-wel þe hende .
And sire godefrey go-wel a grete lordR.9.22:
In place of alpha's singular (a grete lord), beta opts for the plural: gret lordes. Beta's choice agrees with the reading of both Ax and Cx. for-sothe
¶ Kende quod witt is aR.9.26: Although M agrees with R in the omission of the determiner (in both copies by
what appears to be an editorial erasure of the word a originally written),
most beta copies and F agree in reading is a
creatour. However, the overwhelming majority of A and C manuscripts agrees with the "corrected" (i.e. the erased) version of
RM. creatour of alkynne þinges .
Fader and formeor of alle þat euer was maked .R.9.27: There
is a cross in the left margin here, but it is much heavier and thicker than the similar
crosses used by the scribe to mark Latin tags for later boxing. This cross is presumably a
correction mark; there is no mistake in 9.27, but the mark may refer to 9.28's gete, which was never corrected.
R.9.28KD.9.28
AndR.9.28:
R uniquely omits a phrase immediately after And. In beta, the phrase is
þat is; F omits And, beginning the line with He is. Ax confirms the authenticity of beta's
phrase. þe geteg[r]ete god þat gynnyng had neuere .
Lord of lif and of liȝt of blisseR.9.29: The group of witnesses joining R in attesting blisse (a non-alliterating synonym of authorial lisse)
includes F, as expected, and five typical beta manuscripts: Cr1, G, and B
(Bm, Bo, and Cot). Cr1 and G are late, and exposed to extensive lateral
transmission, so that their agreement in this reading is not problematic. Likewise, the B
group is so textually inferior in its common source as to be an unsurprising ally. However,
what is mildly surprising is that M also has been "corrected" into agreement with this alpha
error. This fact suggests that blisse was already present in Cr1's exemplar (beta2), because Cr1's exemplar was almost certainly the copy
that had been used long before to "correct" M into agreement with the WHmCr
sub-family. and of payne .
Ac man is most hymR.9.31:
This phrase occurs in beta in transposed order as hym moste. The cognate
line in Ax is identical to beta's version, and Cx,
in a revised line, repeats the word order of beta's phrase. like of marke and
of schafte .
R.9.36KD.9.36
For he was singulere hym-selue seydeR.9.36:
R uniquely omits and before seyde; F reads he in place of and.
Faciamus .
fiiijus
fol. 36vI
Riȝt as a lord schulR.9.39:
R's form here, schul, is unique and may represent either a present or past
tense inflection; F and beta both attest a past-tense form, sholde.
make lettres and hym lakked parchmyn .
¶ And so it semedR.9.42:
R's apparently past-tense inflection is unique; Bx has semeth. Cf. the discussion of R's problematic tense marking in the Introduction III.2.2.10, where this example is
categorized. by hym as þe bible telleth .
And þat is lif þat ay schal laste to alle hisR.9.49:
R's his is an alpha variant; although W agrees with alpha in attesting the
presence of this possessive adjective, the other beta manuscripts omit it. Nevertheless, Ax supports the RFW reading here. lynage after .
And þisR.9.50:
R's þis is unique; the other B witnesses read þat. Ax agrees with beta here. is þe catelca[s]tel þat kende made caro it hatte .
R.9.52KD.9.52
And þat he wrouȝt with werke and with his
wordesR.9.52:
R's plural is unique among the B manuscripts; the others read worde. Moreover, beta omits his. Ax
agrees with beta on the omission of his, but the A
witnesses are divided on whether the following noun is singular (as in F and beta) or plural
(as in R). bothe .
¶ Inwitt and alle wittes I-clothedR.9.54:
R's I-clothed is unique; the other B copies read closed. Both Ax and
Cx support the majority B reading. ben
þere-inne .
What anima is lef or loth he
lat hire at hireR.9.59:
R's hire is unique; both beta and F read his.
wille .
¶ Muche wo worth þat wiȝtR.9.61:
Beta reads man, and Cx revises to hym. þat mys-rewleth his Inwitt .
R.9.64KD.9.63
For þei seruen sathan here souleR.9.64: Most beta
copies and F agree in rendering this variant as a plural (soules), but the
support of LM for R's singular suggests that the reading of alpha, and of Bx, was soule. schal he haue .
And alle þat lyuen gode lif aren likeR.9.66: Only L and R omit a
preposition before god. F's version of the b-verse is lyk
after goddis techyng, while the other beta manuscripts read lik to god almiȝti. god almiȝty .
And doth god forsaken hem þat schope hemR.9.69:
In place of alpha's schope hem, beta reads he
shope. to his liknesse .
fol. 37rI
Amen dico vobis nescio vos .R.9.70: F omits the entire Latin tag; beta's version of the tag continues beyond R's
end, reading: vos & alibi et dimisi eos secundum desideria
eorum.
R.9.72KD.9.70
Schulde fynden hem þat fautethR.9.72: Beta reads hem þat hem fauteth / fauted. F's rendering of this a-verse, Ne knowe no(n) defawhte, is too different to make comparison relevant.
and faderles childeren .
And þat I lye nauȝtR.9.78:
Alpha here omitted a syntactically important phrase present in the beta manuscripts: of þat. In a second stage of corruption, F characteristically sacrifices from
the mangled a-verse of alpha (as attested in R) an alliterating phrase that now makes little
sense (I lere the) and adds weight to the b-verse with seynt luc. I lerethelere the
luk bereth witnesse .
R.9.80KD.9.78
Þat isR.9.80:
In place of R's Þat is, F reads In while beta reads At. mys-heise and at mischief
and mowe hem amende .
Schal haue penaunce in purgatorieR.9.81: This
word is partially erased, and the erasure is very old though presumably not contemporary.
Despite the attempted erasure, the word remains entirely readable. but
ȝif þei hem helpe .
For alle þe nobelesR.9.87: R's alliteration fails here; cf. beta's moebles, which clearly reflects Bx. F's effort to repair
the alliterative pattern with the easy and obvious mone suggests that R's
error was derived from alpha. of þis molde and he amende it miȝte
Þat
ayther helpeth other of hem þat hym nedeth .R.9.90: A series of small variations differentiates beta from alpha in
this line, making it most efficient simply to show the beta line in its entirety: Ayther of hem helpeth other of þat þat hym nedeth. F renders the line thus:
þat ech helpiþ oþir of hem / of good þat hem neediþ.
R.9.96KD.9.94
And bitR.9.96: F reads byddis; beta has biddeth. þe begere go for his broke clothes .
fol. 37vI
¶ Þat drad god he doth wel þat dradR.9.102:
In both instances in this line where R reads drad, Bx
has dredeth. hym for loue .
And drad hym nauȝt for loue of vengeance to do þe bettere .R.9.103: Beta's line reads And nouȝt for drede of
veniaunce doth þerfore þe bettere. R's And drad hym is unique; F has
he dredyþ.
Qui offendit in verboR.9.106: R's verbo is almost certainly authorial, albeit not an accurate Vulgate citation; L
is the only other B witness that completely agrees with R, but M
probably did originally (by erasure and correction M now reads vno). F tries to split the difference between alpha's verbo and the common beta reading, vno, by
adopting a reading of vno verbo. in
omnibus est reus .
And secheR.9.109:
F reads all swiche, which looks as though it is somehow related to R's seche but is equally devoid of sense. The likeliest explanation for these
variants is that alpha's <c> and <t> were indistinct and that alpha had intended
sethe. Beta's correct reading is sitthe. to
spille speche þat spire is of grace .
Wold neuere þe faithful fader his fithel
were
vntymbred .R.9.111: For R's unique form, vntymbred, Bx
reads vntempred. There is no semantic difference in R's form, merely a
changed spelling produced by the voicing of an unvoiced consonant in the middle of a voiced
consonant cluster.
Grace to go to hem tilleR.9.115:
R's hem tille is a unique reading. Beta simply reads hem. However, F offers a different unique reading at this point, hem
to, suggesting that both R and F are mirroring an alpha variant. and
agoon here liflode .
For of here kende heR.9.119:
he, "they." Beta and Cx read þei. come þat confessoures ben nempned .
And þus was wedlok I-wrouȝt and god hym-self it madeR.9.123: Alpha
omits the following lines from Bx through eye-skip on identical
a-verses:
. . . with a mene persone
First bi þe faderes wille and þe frendes conseille
And sytthenes bi assent of hemself as þei two myȝte acorde
And thus was wedloke ywrouȝte . . . .
. . . with a mene persone
First bi þe faderes wille and þe frendes conseille
And sytthenes bi assent of hemself as þei two myȝte acorde
And thus was wedloke ywrouȝte . . . .
R.9.124KD.9.120
In erth þereR.9.124:
For R's þere, beta reads þe; F reads here heuen is hym-self was þe witnesse
.
Concepit doloremR.9.129: R's dolorem is the alpha variant—to
which Hm has been "corrected" by a second hand (the other beta manuscripts read in dolore). This variation ultimately reflects a discrepancy in the
textual tradition of the Vulgate itself, but the predominant reading among A copies of Piers Plowman is the same as alpha's, while the
overwhelming preference among C manuscripts is for the beta
reading. et peperit iniquitatem .
fol. 38rI
Þat I maked man now it me þinketh .R.9.137: All other B manuscripts here read either athynketh or forthynketh. F shows the latter reading, as does Ax. For the sense of R's reading, see MED, s.
v.
thinken (v.[2], 10 [a]).
Til fourty dayes ben fulfilled þat floed haue Iwasted .R.9.143: For alpha's Iwasted, beta reads ywasshen. Both Ax and Cx confirm the
correctness of the beta reading.
Excepte onlyche of onR.9.149:
Beta reads eche; Cr and F have euery. Cx's vch supports beta's variant. kende a couple .
Þat in þisR.9.150:
Beta reads þi . . . shippe; F omits the entire line. Ax reads þe . . . ship, but Cx agrees with
beta. schingeled schippe schal ben I-saued .
Filius non portabit
iniquitatem patris nec paterR.9.154: Instead of alpha's nec pater, beta reads
& pater non portabit . iniquitatem
filij .
R.9.156KD.9.151
Þat somdel þe sone schal haue þe sireR.9.156: Though C joins R in
attesting the uninflected form, F and the other beta copies read sires. tacches .
fol. 38vI
As careful concepcioun
cometh to þat mariages .R.9.167: R's b-verse is obviously corrupt, and may include two mistakes at separate
stages of transmission; in any case, the R scribe shows his characteristic timidity toward
emending patent error. The beta manuscripts here read of suche mariages.
Alpha probably generated at least one component of the error shown in R; F appears to adapt
to the error in alpha with typical adroitness: of þat
Maryage.
R.9.168KD.9.162
As bifel of þat folkeR.9.168: Beta reads of þe folke. In a parallel
but not identical line, Ax reads this phrase in agreement with
beta. þat I before of tolde .R.9.168: Two lines present in beta manuscripts (and in
the C version) immediately after this one are omitted by alpha:
For goode shulde wedde goode þough hij no good hadde
I am via & veritas seith cryst I may auaunce alle.R.9.168: A text line appears to have been erased immediately below this one.
For goode shulde wedde goode þough hij no good hadde
I am via & veritas seith cryst I may auaunce alle.R.9.168: A text line appears to have been erased immediately below this one.
¶ It is an vncomely couple by IhesusR.9.169:
Beta reads cryst, which maintains the line's alliterative pattern. Ax agrees with beta. as me thenketh .
Þe fruit þat þei bringen forth aren foule wordes .R.9.174: Alpha
omits the following line attested by beta witnesses (and by both the other versions):
In ialousye ioyeles and ianglyng on bedde.
Kane-Donaldson and Schmidt re-arrange the lines, placing this line after R9.172.
In ialousye ioyeles and ianglyng on bedde.
Kane-Donaldson and Schmidt re-arrange the lines, placing this line after R9.172.
Haue þei non children but iangelyngeR.9.175:
Here alpha's alliteration fails; beta properly reads cheste, a reading
confirmed by both Ax and Cx. &
gayingR.9.175:
R's gaying makes no sense. Beta probably read choppyng.
The entire line in F is garbled, presumably by loss of the end of the a-verse. As a result, F
reads the line thus: þey have no children / but Ianglyng hem be-twene.
hem bitewene .
R.9.176KD.9.173
And forto go to dunmowe to fecche hom here
bakon . R and F here depart extensively from the text witnessed by beta, but R
and F differ between themselves at many points regarding the underlying alpha text. Beta for
these three lines reads as follows:
And þough þei don hem to donmowe but if þe deuel help
To folwen after þe flicche fecche þei it neuere
And but þei bothe be forsworne þat bacoun þei tyne.
F 's version of these lines reads as follows:
Þey sholde gon to Dunmowe & fecche þere bakoun
But for þe caryage is karkful þey dore non fecche .
But lyven þus in Ianglyng þoru þe develys loore .
And þough þei don hem to donmowe but if þe deuel help
To folwen after þe flicche fecche þei it neuere
And but þei bothe be forsworne þat bacoun þei tyne.
F 's version of these lines reads as follows:
Þey sholde gon to Dunmowe & fecche þere bakoun
But for þe caryage is karkful þey dore non fecche .
But lyven þus in Ianglyng þoru þe develys loore .
¶ For-þi I conseille
alle cristene coueite nauȝt toR.9.179: Though Cr and M agree
with R in reading to here, most B manuscripts, including F, omit it.
Nevertheless, nine A-version witnesses attest the presence of to at this point. By contrast, only two C copies agree
with R on this issue. be wedded .
Ac maydenes and maydenes makeR.9.181:
R's reading is unique. Beta reads macche, while F has marye; Cx agrees with F. ȝow to-gyderes
Wydeweres and wydewesR.9.182:
Beta reads Widwes and widwers, reversing alpha's phrasal order; Ax agrees with alpha, but the C manuscripts are
divided here by family, with the P family supporting alpha's order while the X family agrees
with beta. wercheth þe same .
For no londes but for loue loke þatR.9.183:
R's þat is unique. The b-verse of most other B
manuscripts reads loke ȝe be wedded. ȝe be wedded .
R.9.184KD.9.181
And þanne gete ȝe graceR.9.184: In place of alpha's grace, beta reads þe
grace. of god and god Inow to lyue with .R.9.184: Hereafter alpha omits
seven lines found in beta (and in slightly revised form in the C version):
And euery maner seculer þat may nouȝt continue
Wysly go wedde and war hym fro synne
For leccherye in likyng is lymeȝerde of helle
Whiles þow art ȝonge and þi wepne kene
Wreke þe with wyuynge ȝif þow wil ben excused
Dum sis vir fortis ne des tua robora scortis
Scribitur in portis meretrix est ianua mortis
Whan ȝe haue wyued bewar and worcheth in tyme
Nouȝt as Adam & Eue whan caym was engendred.
And euery maner seculer þat may nouȝt continue
Wysly go wedde and war hym fro synne
For leccherye in likyng is lymeȝerde of helle
Whiles þow art ȝonge and þi wepne kene
Wreke þe with wyuynge ȝif þow wil ben excused
Dum sis vir fortis ne des tua robora scortis
Scribitur in portis meretrix est ianua mortis
Whan ȝe haue wyued bewar and worcheth in tyme
Nouȝt as Adam & Eue whan caym was engendred.
¶ AndR.9.185:
R's And is unique; the other B manuscripts read For. in vntyme trewely bi-twene man and womman .
Ne schulde no berde a-beddeR.9.186:
Bx itself may be marginally corrupt here: F has lyggyn In
bedde, while beta reads bourde on bedde. Both Kane-Donaldson and
Schmidt emend this beta phrase to the reading of Cx, which is bedbourde. However, a key component of the larger textual conundrum is the
meaning of R's berde. It seems completely implausible as a spelling of
beta's bourde. Far likelier is a bland meaning such as "a youth." Cf.
MED, s. v.
bird(e) (n. 1[3]): "A man of noble birth; scion, lord . . . also, any
young person." The omission and garbling here in R and F suggest an intention, on alpha's
part, to bowdlerize the entire passage, as at R3.52, by omitting most of the offensive sexual
material (here the lines are KD9.182-88, with their hypothetical reference to the reader's
youthful, "keen weapon" and the untimely engendering of Cain) and patching together what
remains. be but if þei bothe were clene .
R.9.188KD.9.192
Þat ilke derne dede do noman schuldeR.9.188:
R uniquely omits ne before schulde. F cannot be
compared since it completely rephrases the b-verse. In slightly different version of this
line, Cx reads the phrase in question precisely as R: do
no man sholde. Moreover six A witnesses (UDChVKWa) also agree with
R's version. .
And if þei ledden þus here lif it
likedR.9.189:
F reads wolde lyke; most beta copies show likeþ, but L
agrees exactly with R. god almiȝti .
Bonum est vt vnusquisque
vxorem suam habeat .R.9.191: The beta copies are fuller, ending the citation with propter fornicacionem, which is also the reading of the C
version.
fol. 39rI
R.9.196KD.9.199
Aȝein deweld[o]welR.9.196:
R's dewel is a unique error presumably induced by anticipation of deuel later in this line. þei don euele and þe deuel
serue .
And after her deth-day
schullen dwelle with þe deuel .R.9.197: In place of R's þe deuel, F reads here
Mayster and beta reads þe same. The Ax version
of this phrase agrees with beta.
But god ȝif hem grace here hem-self to amende .R.9.198: Hereafter alpha omits the following lines
attested by beta family manuscripts (and in slightly different form by the C version):
Dowel my frende is to don as lawe techeth
To loue þi frende and þi foo leue me þat is dobet
To ȝiuen and to ȝemen bothe ȝonge and olde
To helen and to helpen is dobest of alle.
Dowel my frende is to don as lawe techeth
To loue þi frende and þi foo leue me þat is dobet
To ȝiuen and to ȝemen bothe ȝonge and olde
To helen and to helpen is dobest of alle.
¶ And þus is dowelR.9.199:
Beta reads And dowel is. F's reading is identical to R's, except for the
omission of the initial conjunction. Cx agrees here with R. to
drede god and dobet to suffre .
And þat is wikked wille þat many werkesR.9.201:
Beta has the singular werke, which is also the reading of Ax. schendeth .