fol. 29v (cont.)I
ANdF.6.1: The ornamental capital is red with green flourishes which extend over half way up the page in the left margin. wanne y awakid was / y wondred were y were. These lines appear only in F.
fol. 30rI
If ony whyght wiste / where Dowel wereF.6.5: Alpha is responsible for were; beta witnesses (and A,C) read was. ostagid.F.6.5: ostagid, "lodged, dwelled, resided." This form is rare in Middle English. MED lists only one other occurrence.F.6.5: A rubricated "VI:" appears in the top right margin with red flourishes to indicate the passus number.
Where þat Dowel dwellyþ / y praye ȝow ȝee me wisse.F.6.13: Alpha lacks the following lines present in beta witnesses:
For þei be men of þis moolde þat moost wide walken
And knowen contrees and courtes and many kynnes places
Boþe princes paleises and pouere mennes cotes
And dowel and do yuele where þei dwelle boþe.
For þei be men of þis moolde þat moost wide walken
And knowen contrees and courtes and many kynnes places
Boþe princes paleises and pouere mennes cotes
And dowel and do yuele where þei dwelle boþe.
F.6.16KD.8.20
Contra quod y / as a Clerk / & comsed to disputyn.F.6.16: F omits the following line from Bx: "And seide hem sooþly Sepcies in die cadit Iustus."
For but he ryse þe rathere / & rawhte to hym þe sterne.F.6.30: Alpha has sterne, a reading shared by HmC2. Other beta witnesses read steere. The same pattern of variation appears in A manuscripts.
fol. 30vI
If þou folwe þy fowle fleshȝ / & þe feend þere-after.F.6.45: F alone among B manuscripts has this line, otherwise attested only by A manuscripts.
¶ But god wille þou save þi sowleF.6.47: F's a-verse is unique, and the agreement of FHmR in reading sowle in place of the other beta manuscripts' reading sleuþe makes it difficult to determine the archetypal reading. It is likely to have read "God wole suffre wel þi sowle (or sleuþe)." / þyf[ȝ]ifF.6.47: Though Norman Davis notes that isolated cases of scribal confusion of <þ> and <ȝ> occur occasionally elsewhere, the examples
he cites are mainly from East Anglian texts. "A Scribal Problem in the Paston Letters," English and Germanic Studies 4 (1951-1952): 39. It is perhaps equally possible that this form represents the scribe's effort at the Worcester form yef or yif. þi-selue lyke.F.6.47: F revises this line radically. Bx reads "God wole suffre wel þi sleuþe if þiself likeþ." Alpha must have had soule in place of sleuþe, and later F revised "suffre wel" to "þou save" in an attempt to salvage some sense.
F.6.60KD.8.64
Þanne blysse of þe bryddis / a-byȝde me made.F.6.60: Beta attests a different b-verse for this line: "brouȝte me aslepe." Alpha's reading corresponds to Cx.
To lystne þe layȝes / þe Nytyngalis madenF.6.62: Bx reads for the b-verse: "þe louely foweles made," though R also omits the alliterating stave louely. That suggests that alpha had lost the alliterating word and that F had revised his defective exemplar. Cf. F's substitution
of larkys for foweles at 5.358.
& meeke in his herte / & myȝlde of his speche.F.6.77: This line uniquely appears in F in the B tradition. It appears in A, though it has correctly alliterating mouþ in place of herte. The line is omitted in C.
F.6.84KD.8.88
Þe baggys bownde with brygerdlisF.6.84: F's use of the form brygirdel (See MED s.v. brech-girdel) to mean bi-girdel, "money-belt," had already taken place in the manuscripts of the A text of Piers Plowman, but it does not occur in other B witnesses. / he haþ broke hem alle
fol. 31rI
Þat wayten with wrong / sire dowel to teene.F.6.95: F lacks KD8.100-101 and re-orders several other lines. Alpha had already omitted KD8.106. The missing lines read:
And dowel and dobet amonges hem ordeyned
To crowne oon to be kyng to rulen hem boþe (=KD8.101).
But dobest bede for hem þei to be þer for euere (=KD8.106).
And dowel and dobet amonges hem ordeyned
To crowne oon to be kyng to rulen hem boþe (=KD8.101).
But dobest bede for hem þei to be þer for euere (=KD8.106).
Haue crownecrowne[d] oon to be kyng / & be here conseyl wircheF.6.97: F's b-verse reading is unique. Bx reads "to kepen hem alle."
& to rewle al þe rewhme / be reed of hem alle.F.6.98: F's b-verse reading is unique. Bx reads "by hire þre wittes."
& weryn vn-buxum to don his byddyngge / & bown to do Ille.F.6.101: F alone among B manuscripts attests this line, which is found in A, but not in C.
& pitte hem þere in penawnce / with-oute pite or grace.F.6.103: This line from the A version appears only in F among B manuscripts. Alpha omits the following line found in beta: "But dobest bede for hem þei to be þer for euere."
Where dwellyþF.6.121: F uniquely has dwellyþ, which then requires the omission of Bx's ben from the b-verse after dobest. Curiously, R also omits ben. dowel & dobet / & dobest in londe.F.6.121: F revises the next three lines, converting Thought's third person discourse into first person. Bx reads as follows:
Here is wil wolde wite if wit koude teche hym
And wheiþer he be man or no man þis man wolde aspie
And werchen as þei þre wolde this is his entente.
Here is wil wolde wite if wit koude teche hym
And wheiþer he be man or no man þis man wolde aspie
And werchen as þei þre wolde this is his entente.
Fayn wolde y wete witt / If þou cowdist me telle.F.6.122: Bx reads here: "Here is wil wolde wite if wit koude teche hym."
His lemmanF.6.130: The <a> in lemman is written, for no apparent reason, much larger than usual. þat he loveþ wel / she is lych hym-selue.
fol. 31vI
F.6.144KD.9.20
sire Seewel & seywel / & sireF.6.144: Alpha's sire is matched by the C reading. Beta is like A in omitting it. herewel þe heende.
F.6.156KD.9.32
For þorghȝ þe word þat he spak / wentyn forþ beestys.F.6.156: The next three lines are unique to F, replacing the Latin tag "Dixit et facta sunt." Kane and Donaldson reject the first two as spurious and accept the substance of the third, though they emend it. Schmidt,
Parallel-Text Edition, rejects all three.
Þere god seyde þis sawe / faciamus hominem ad ymaginem &c.F.6.169: The Latin tag is attested only in F at this point. Bx reads "dixit et facta sunt." F's reading mirrors Ax.
fol. 32rI
F.6.172KD.9.46
With his word he wroghte man / & ȝaf hym lyf after.F.6.172: F has extensively revised this line. Bx reads "Wiþ his word and werkmanshipe and wiþ lif to laste."
F.6.176KD.9.50
& þat Castel þat Kynde maade Caro itF.6.176: The rubricating scribe, whom we take to be the main text scribe, noticed that the <i> was not dotted and supplied it in red
ink. hatte.
& þat he wroughte it as[with] werk / & with hisF.6.178: Alpha is responsible for his, which is not in beta. word boþe.
For love of þat Lady anima / þat lyf is sprenklydF.6.181: Bx reads ynempned. F's reading is not easily accounted for by recourse to unconscious scribal substitution and perhaps reflects a conscious
intention, but we find no appropriate sense for sprenklyd in this context.
But in þe herte . ys here hoom / & hereF.6.183: F rarely writes here for singular "her." However, since he probably did not recognize he in the preceding b-verse as "she," he probably took here in both cases to be plural "their," referring to "Inwit & alle wittys." moost reste.
Seynt Iohan seyþF.6.193: F uniquely attributes the Latin quotation to Saint John. qui manet in caritate in deo manet & deus in eo.
& doþ god for-saken hem / þat shoop hem after his lyknesse.F.6.195: F omits the following line from Bx: "Amen dico vobis nescio vos Et alibi Et dimisi eos secundum desideria eorum."
fol. 32vI
Þat ech helpiþ oþir of hemF.6.215: Alpha's a-verse differs from beta's "Eyþer of hem helpeþ ooþer." F's ech is substituted for Bx's Eyþer. / of good þat hem neediþ.
As Iewis þat ben for-lore menF.6.217: F's reading is unique, whether it is interpreted as "for lore-men," meaning "standing in place of teachers," or as we punctuated
it here as "for-lore men," meaning "lost (or damned) men." Bx must have read "As Iewes þat ben oure loresmen shame to vs alle." / It is shame to vs alle.
Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda qui patrimoniiumpatrimonium cristi minus distribuit.F.6.222: F omits the second clause attested by Bx: "Et alibi, Perniciosus dispensator est qui res pauperum christi inutiliter consumit."
For he þat drediþ god doþ wel / he drediþ god his makere.F.6.226: At least partly because of error in alpha, F confuses the sense of this line and the following. Bx reads as follows:
That dredeþ god he dooþ wel þat dredeþ hym for loue
And drad hym noȝt for drede of vengeaunce dooþ þerfore þe bettre."
That dredeþ god he dooþ wel þat dredeþ hym for loue
And drad hym noȝt for drede of vengeaunce dooþ þerfore þe bettre."
& alle swiche þat spillyn speche / here spiryȝt haþ no grace.F.6.233: Bx reads "And siþþe to spille speche þat spire is of grace." Alpha has swiche in place of siþþe.
For of here kyȝnde heF.6.243: Beta witnesses read þei for alpha's relict form he. com þat confessoures be nempnyd.
& þus was wedloke wroght / & god hym-selue it made.F.6.247: Alpha omits the following lines from Bx through eye-skip on identical a-verses:
... wiþ a mene persone
First by þe fadres wille and þe frendes conseille
And siþenes by assent of hemself as þei two myȝte acorde
And þus was wedlock ywroȝt . . . .
... wiþ a mene persone
First by þe fadres wille and þe frendes conseille
And siþenes by assent of hemself as þei two myȝte acorde
And þus was wedlock ywroȝt . . . .
F.6.248KD.9.120
In erthe hereF.6.248: Alpha has here, "their," where most beta witnesses have þe. hevene ys / hym-selue beryþ wytnesse.
fol. 33rI
For god hym to seyn / & þus seyde þe angel.F.6.255: Bx is corrupt, and F produced only nonsense. Bx reads "For god sente to Sem and seide by an Aungel." There Sem is an error for Seth, confusing the names of Adam's and Noah's sons.
Tyl fourty dayes ben fulfild / & þe flood haþ y-wastyd.F.6.267: y-wastyd is alpha's reading. Beta witnesses read ywasshen.
Þat euere þat cursed Cayn / com vpon þis erthe.F.6.270: F omits one line from Bx: "Alle shul deye for his dedes by dales and hulles."
F.6.272KD.9.144
Except oonly / of euery keyȝnde a couple.F.6.272: F omits one line from Bx: "That in þi shyngled ship shul ben ysaued."
F.6.276KD.9.149
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris . nec paterF.6.276: Alpha is responsible for abbreviating the Latin text. Beta manuscripts have "et pater non portabit" for alpha's "nec pater." iniquitatem filij.
fol. 33vI
F.6.292KD.9.165
¶ It isF.6.292: This is a poor piece of vellum, occasionally almost translucent. Abrasion and cockling on the recto and either mildew damage
or abrasion on this side make is very difficult to see. an komely[vn]komely cowple / by IesusF.6.292: Alpha is responsible for Iesus. Bx has correctly alliterating crist. as me semeþ.
To ȝeve ȝong[a] ȝong Mayde / to an old baslard.F.6.293: Though it is possible that F's baslard reflects a slang usage unrecorded elsewhere, he probably meant to write bosard, "buzzard, old fool." See F7.285. Bx reads "an olde feble." What we have interpreted as <s> could equally well be an <f>.
Er a ȝong man an old wydeweF.6.294: F's a-verse is unique. Bx reads "Or wedden any wodewe." / for welþe of hire goodis.
Þe frut / þat þey brynge forþ / are but foule wordis.F.6.297: Alpha omits the following line attested by beta witnesses: "In Ielousie ioyelees and ianglynge on bedde." Note that Kane-Donaldson
and Schmidt re-arrange the lines, placing this line after 6.295.
Þey have no children / but Ianglyng hem be-twene.F.6.298: Alpha's reading was apparently defective, and R and F found different unsatisfactory solutions. Bx must have read "Haue þei no children but cheste and choppyng hem bitwene."
Þey sholde gon to Dunmowe / & fecche þere bakoun. Alpha's lections here contrast with beta family manuscripts which read:
And þouȝ þei do hem to Dunmowe but if þe deuel helpe
To folwen after þe flicche fecche þei it neuere
And but þei boþe be forswore þat bacon þei tyne.
F differs considerably from R for these lines as well. R reads as follows:
And for to go to dunmowe to feche hom here bakon
And whan þei haue brouȝt it hom to whom is best to selle it
And þus þei lyuen in coueytise þe deuel and þei togydres.
And þouȝ þei do hem to Dunmowe but if þe deuel helpe
To folwen after þe flicche fecche þei it neuere
And but þei boþe be forswore þat bacon þei tyne.
F differs considerably from R for these lines as well. R reads as follows:
And for to go to dunmowe to feche hom here bakon
And whan þei haue brouȝt it hom to whom is best to selle it
And þus þei lyuen in coueytise þe deuel and þei togydres.
& þanne gete ȝee grace of god / & good y-nou to welde.F.6.307: Alpha omits nine lines present in beta witnesses:
And euery maner seculer þat may noȝt continue
Wisely go wedde and ware hym fro synne
For lecherie in likynge is lymeyerd of helle
Whiles þow art yong and þi wepene kene
Wreke þee wiþ wyuyng if þow wolt ben excused
Dum sis vir fortis ne des tua robora scortis
Scribitur in portis meretrix est ianua mortis
Whan ye han wyued beþ war and wercheþ in tyme
Noȝt as Adam and Eue whan Caym was engendred
And euery maner seculer þat may noȝt continue
Wisely go wedde and ware hym fro synne
For lecherie in likynge is lymeyerd of helle
Whiles þow art yong and þi wepene kene
Wreke þee wiþ wyuyng if þow wolt ben excused
Dum sis vir fortis ne des tua robora scortis
Scribitur in portis meretrix est ianua mortis
Whan ye han wyued beþ war and wercheþ in tyme
Noȝt as Adam and Eue whan Caym was engendred
F.6.308KD.9.189
¶ For sum-tyȝme[in vn]-tyȝme trewly / be-twene man & womman.F.6.308: F has made syntactic chaos of this sentence. Bx reads as follows:
For in vntyme trewely bitwene man and womman
Ne sholde no bourde on bedde be but if þei boþe were clene
Of lif and of soule and in parfit charite.
For in vntyme trewely bitwene man and womman
Ne sholde no bourde on bedde be but if þei boþe were clene
Of lif and of soule and in parfit charite.
Ne sholde not lyggyn In bedde / but þeiF.6.309: The <i> has an extra stroke and looks to some degree like an <r>. boþe were clene.
Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat.F.6.314: Alpha lacks the end of this Latin tag, which in beta manuscripts reads "propter fornicacionem."
But god gyve hem grace here / hem-selue soone amende.F.6.321: Alpha omits the following lines attested by beta family manuscripts:
Dowel my frend is to doon as the lawe techeþ
To loue þi frend and þi foo leue me þat is dobet
To ȝyuen and to yemen boþe yonge and olde
To helen and to helpen is dobest of alle.
Dowel my frend is to doon as the lawe techeþ
To loue þi frend and þi foo leue me þat is dobet
To ȝyuen and to yemen boþe yonge and olde
To helen and to helpen is dobest of alle.
F.6.324KD.9.209
& þat ys wikkid wille / þat manye werkysF.6.324: Alpha has the plural form werkys for beta's werk. shendiþ.
Explicit Passus Sextus