fol. 89r (cont.)I
PassusB 19
Thuvs I awaked and wroote what I had dereamed
& dyght me deerly / & dyd me to cherche
to here hooly þe masse / G.20.3: At this point β4 manuscripts omit the second half of KD.19.3 and the first half of KD.19.4 (i.e. "& to be houseled after In myddes of þe masse").tho men yede to offerryngG.20.3: β4 manuscripts omit the following line ("I fel eftsones a-slepe · & sodeynly me mette").
G.20.4KD.19.6
that pyers þe plowman / was peynted all bloody
& came ynne wyth a cros / byfore þe commuvne poeple
fol. 89vI
and ryght lyke yn all lymmes / to our lorde Iesu
then called y conscyence / to kenne me þe sothe
G.20.8KD.19.10
ys þis Iesus the Iuvster quod y / þat Iewes dyd to deathe
or ys ytt pyers þe plowman / wo peynted hym so redde
quod conscyence & kneled tho / thes are pyers armes
hys colouvrs & hys cote armore / but he þat comethe so blodye
G.20.12KD.19.14
ys cryst wyth hys cros / conquverouvr off crystene
why call ye hym cryste quod I / sythe Iewes called hym Iesus
patryarkes & prophetes profycyed byfore
that alkynnes creatuvres / shold knelen & bowen
G.20.16KD.19.18
anon as men nyuynvednyuy[n]ed / þe name off god Iesu
ergo there ys no name / to þe name off Iesus
ne noone so nedefull to neuenveneue[n]e / by nyght ne by day
for all derke deuvelles / ere dradde to here ytt
G.20.20KD.19.22
& synfull are solaced & sauved by þat name
& ye callen hym cryste / for what cauvse tellethe me
ys cryste more off myght / & more worthye name
then Iesu or Iesus / þat all our Ioye came off
G.20.24KD.19.26
thow knoest well quod conscyence / & þou knowest reason
that knyght kyng conquverour / may be on persone
to be called a knyght ys fayre / for men shall knele to hym
to be called a kyng ys feyrer / for he may knyghtes make
G.20.28KD.19.30
& to be conquverour called / þat comethe off speycyall graaceG.20.28: For the G scribe's treatment of superscript <a>, see note to G.3.157.
& off herdynes off herte / & off hendenesse
to make lordes & lydyesl[a]dyes off land that he wyonnethe
& fre men foule thralles / that folowe hys lawes
G.20.32KD.19.34
the Iewes þat were gentylmen / Iesu they dyspysed
bothe hys loore & hys lawe / nowe are þei lowe cherles
as wyde as þis worlde ys / wonnethe þer noon
but vndre trybute & tallyage / as tykes & cherles
G.20.36KD.19.38
& tho that bycome crystyene / by couvnseyle off þe baptysme
are frankeleyns fre men / thrughe fully þat they tooke
and gentylmen wyth Iesu for Iesus was y-fulled
& vp-on caluverye on cros / crowned kyng off Iewes
G.20.40KD.19.42
ytt bycomethe to a kyng / to kepe & to defend
& conquverouvrG.20.41: There is a blot over the <n> and the <q> of "conqueror." off conquvest / hys lawes & hys large
fol. 90rI
& so dyd Iesus þe Iewes / he Iuvstyfyed & taght theym
the lawe off lyfe þat last shall euver
G.20.44KD.19.46
and fend ytt fro fouvle yuvelles / feuvers & flyxes
& from feendes that yn theym were / and falsse byleuve
tho was he Iesus off Iewes called gentyll prophete
& kyng off theyre kyngdome / & crowne beyre off thornes
G.20.48KD.19.50
& tho conquvered he on cros / as conquverouvr noble
myght no deathe hym fordoo / ne adowne bryng
that he ne rose & regned / and rauvesshed hell
& tho was he conquverouvr called / off quvycke & off deyde
G.20.52KD.19.54
for he gauve adame & euve & other mo blysse
that long had lyene byfore / at lycyfers cherles
& sythe he gauve largely / all hys leele lyeges
places In paradysse / att theyr partyng hence
G.20.56KD.19.62
he may be called conquverouvr / & þat ys cryste to meane
but þe cauvse þat he comethe thuvs / wyth cros off passyon
ys to wyssen vs ther-wyth / þat when þat we be tempted
therwyth to fyght & fenden vs / fro fallyng yn-to synne
G.20.60KD.19.66
& se by hys sorow þat wo louvethe Ioy
to pennance & to pouerte he muvst putt hym-seluve
& moche wo yn þis worlde / wyllen & sufferen
but to carpe more off cryste / & howe he cam to þat name
G.20.64KD.19.70
feythfully for to speyke / hys furste name was Iesus
tho he was borne yn bethelem as the boke tellethe
& came to make mankynd kynges & angelles
reuverenced hym fayre wyth ryches off yerthe
G.20.68KD.19.74
angelles owte off heyuven came / knelyng & sange
gloria in excelsis deo & cetera //
kynges came after / kneled & offerred
myrre w and moche golde / wythe-owte mercye askyng
G.20.72KD.19.77
or any kynnes catell / but knoleched hym souvereygne
bothe off sond sonne & see / & sythen þei went
In-to theyr kyngdomesG.20.74: Bx kyngene kyth gives rise to a large number of variants in addition to G kyngdomes: see Cr kingdome kyth, C kyngenelich, O kyngnelith, Y kyngenlith, C2 kyngelich, B kyngriche. / by couvnseyle off angelles
& þer was þat word fulfylled / þe wyche þou off spake
G.20.76KD.19.80α
omnia celestia terrestria flectantur In hoc nomine Iesu : // G.20.76: The cross in the bottom right hand margin is in modern pencil.
fol. 90vI
for all þe angeles off heuven / att hys byrthe kneled
& all þe wytt off thys worlde was yn tho thre kynges
reason & ryghttyouvsnes / and G.20.79: The mark which follows and could be either a deleted letter or an ink blot. reuvthe they offered
G.20.80KD.19.84
wherfore & whye wyse men þat tyme
masters & lettered men magi theym called
that on kyng came wyth reason offerryd vndre sense
the second kyng eke sothely offered
G.20.84KD.19.88
ryghtyouvsnes vndre redde golde / reasons felowe
gold ys lykened to loyalte / þat last shall euver
& reason to ryche golde / to ryght & to trewe
the thyrde kyng tho / canca[m] knelyng to Iesu
G.20.88KD.19.92
& presented hym wyth pyte / apperyng by myrre
for myrre ys mercye to meane / & myld speche off tong
thre ylyche honest thynges / were offered vp att oonesce
thrugh iijthre kynne kynges / knelyng to Ihesu
G.20.92KD.19.96
but for all þes precyouvse / presentes /G.20.92: The two virgules may possibly be intended as a highlighting device. See note to G.6.597. our lord prynce Iesus
was nether kyng ne conquverour / tyll he gan to waxe
In þe maner off a man / & þat by moche sleyght
as ytt bycomethe a conquverouvr / to konne many sleyghtes
G.20.96KD.19.100
and many whyles & wytt / þat wole been a leyder
and so dyd Iesu In hys dayes / wo had tyme to tell ytt
some-tyme he suofferred and some-tyme he hyd hym
& some-tyme faght fast / & fleyghe other whyle
G.20.100KD.19.104
& some-tyme he gauve goode / & graunted heale bothe
lyuve & lymme / as hym lyst / he wroght
as kynd ys off a conquverouvre / & so compsed Iesu
tyll he had all þem / for whome þat he bledde
G.20.104KD.19.108
In hys Innocence thys Iesus / att Iewene feaste
water In-to wyne he torned / as holy wrytt tellethe
and þer bygan god off hys grace dowell
for wyne ys lykened to lawe / & lyfe off holynes
G.20.108KD.19.112
& lawe lacked tho / for men louved not theyr enmyes
and cryste couvnseylythe vs / & commandethe bothe
bothe to lered & to lewde / to louve our enmyes
so att þe feast furst / as I byfore tolde
G.20.112KD.19.116
bygan god off hys grace / & goodnes to do well
fol. 91rI
& tho was he cleped & called / not holy cryst but Iesus
a fauvnt fyn full off wytt filius marie : //
for byfore hys modre mary / made he that wondre
G.20.116KD.19.120
that she furst & formest / ferme shold byleuve
that he thrughe grace was gette / & no goome elles
he wroght þat by no wytt / but thrugh worde alone
after þe kynd þat he came off / ther comsed he dowell
G.20.120KD.19.124
& when he was waxen more / In hys moders absence
he made lame to leype / & gaffe syght to blynde
& fedde wyth two fysshes / & wyth fyuve loouves
sore aofuhnongered G.20.123: A brown horizontal line has been added to the bottom of the initial <a> of original G afungered. The loop on the third letter and the tail are in brown ink, turning it into an <h>. The colour of the ink of the tail makes it clear that this letter was not originally a <y>. The original <n> has been altered to <o> and an abbreviation bar added above it.G.20.123: The OED and MED record afingered and ofhungered as separate lexical items but it seems likely that they are in fact simply spelling variants (both from OE ofhingrod). folke / mo then fyuve thowsandes
G.20.124KD.19.128
thuvs he confouvrted carefull / & cauvght a gretter name
the wyche was dobetter / where þat he went
for deaffe thrugh hys doynges / to here / & dombe speke he made
& all he healed & halpe / þat hym off grace asked
G.20.128KD.19.132
& tho was he called yn contre / off þe commuvne poeple
for tho dedes that he dyd Iesu fili dauid //
for dauid was doghtyest / for dedes yn hys tyme
the byrdes þat songe saul interfecit mille & dauid decem millia .//
G.20.132KD.19.136
forthy þe contrey ther Iesu came / called hym fili dauid //
& nyuenvednyue[n]ed hym off nazarethe / & no man so worthye
to be cesare or kyng / off þe kyngdome off Iuda
ne ouer Iewes Iuvstyce / as Iesus was theym thoght
G.20.136KD.19.140
wheroff cayphas had enuvye / & other off the Iewes
& for to doone hym to deathe / day & nyght they cast
kyllede hym on crosse wyse / att caluvarye on fryday
and sythe buryed hys bodye / and badde þat men sholde
G.20.140KD.19.144
kepen ytt fro nyght-comers / wyth knyghtes y-armed
for no frendes shold hym fecche / for prophetes þem tolde
that þat blyssed bodye / fro byryales shold ryse
and goone In-to galylye / to gladen hys appostelles
G.20.144KD.19.148
& hys modre marye þus men byfore demed
the knyghtes þat kept hym / byknewe ytt theym-seluve
that angelles & arkangelles ere þe day sprange
came knelyng to þe corps / & songe cristus resurgens
G.20.148KD.19.153
verray man byfore þem all / & forthe wyth theym he yede
the Iewes preyed theym peasce / & bysouvght the knyghtes
fol. 91vI
tell þe commuvne þat þer came / a company off hys apostelles
and bywycched þem as they wooke / & away stolen ytt
G.20.152KD.19.157
but marye magdelyne mett hym / by the way
goyng toward galylye / yn godhed & manhoode
and alyuve & lokyng / & she alowde cryed
yn eche company ther sh.e came cristus resurgens
G.20.156KD.19.161
thysG.20.156: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. came ytt owte / þat cryste ouercame / recouvered & lyuved
sic oportet Christum pati et intrare & cetera //
for þatG.20.158: Kane and Donaldson adopt the G L Cr reading þat, a reading also found in a number of C manuscripts. Remaining B manuscripts read þat þat. women wootethe /G.20.158: The virgule here replaces one overwritten by the added <the> of wootethe. may not well be couvnseale
petur perceyuved all þis / & puvrsued after
G.20.160KD.19.164
bothe Iames & Iohn / Iesu for to seke
thadde & ten moo / wyth thomas off Indye
&G.20.162: C2 originally shared the G B reading &, but the word as has been added above the line, bringing its reading into line with that of most remaining B manuscripts (i.e. And as). all thes wyse wyghtes / / weren to-geddres
In an houvse & bysett / and þer dore y-sparred
G.20.164KD.19.168
cryst cam ynne all closed / bothe dorres & gates
to petur & to hys appostelles / & sayde / pax vobis
& toke thomas by þe hand / & taght hym to grope
& fele wyth hys fyngers / hys flessly / herteG.20.167: G omits a line at this point ("Thomas touched it · & with his tonge seyde").
G.20.168KD.19.172α
deus meus & dominus meus et cetera //
þou arte my lorde I byleuve / god lord Iesu
þou dyedest & deathe tholest / & dome shall vs all
& now arte lyuvyng & lokyng & last shalt euver
G.20.172KD.19.176
cryst carped þen / & couvrtyeslyche sayede
thomas for þou trowest thuvsG.20.173: For the G scribe's use of "this" for most manuscripts "thus" and the corresponding back spelling "thus" for "this," see notes to G.6.653 and G.4.76. / & trewlyche beleuvest ytt
blessed mote þou be / & be shalt euver
& blessed mote þei beG.20.175: All C manuscripts share the G C2 F reading be. Remaining B manuscripts read alle be. In bodye & yn soule
G.20.176KD.19.180
þat neuer shall see me yn syght / as þou doest noweG.20.176: For the G scribe's use of "now" (as also Cr C C2 B) for most manuscripts "nowthe," see note to G.4.295.
and leallyche byleeuve all þis / I louve þem & blysse theym
beati qui non viderunt & crediderunt & cetera //
& when þis dede was done dobest he taght
G.20.180KD.19.183
& gauve pyers power / & perdone he grauntted
to all maner men / mercye & forgyuvenes
hys myght may men assoyle off all maner off synnes
In counaunt þei come & knolege to pay
G.20.184KD.19.187
to pers perdone þ.G.20.184: There has been an attempt to overwrite the original word (þ?), but this has been abandoned. þe plowman / redde quod debes:
thysG.20.185: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. hathe pyers power / bee hys perdone payde
to bynd & vnbynd / bothe here & elles-where
fol. 92rI
G.20.187: The writing which is visible at the top of the page and which has been cropped was probably the original folio number. & assoyled men off all synnes / sauve off dett alonne
G.20.188KD.19.191
anoone after on heygh / vp to þe heyuven
he went & wonnethe there / & wole come at þe last
and wyll reward hym ryght well / þat reddit quod debet
& payeth perfyttly / as puvre trewthe wolde
G.20.192KD.19.195
& what persone payethe ytt noght to puvnnysshe he thynkethe
& domen theym on domesday bothe quvyck & deade
the good to þe godhed / & to greate Ioy
and wyked to wonye / yn wo wythowten end
G.20.196KD.19.199
thuvs conscyence off cryste / & off þe cros carped
& couvnsealed me to knele there / & then came me thoght
on spiritus paraclitus to pyers & to hys felowes
In lykenes off a lyghnynge / he lyght on þem all
G.20.200KD.19.203
& made þem konne & knowe / all maner langages
I wondred what þat was / & wagged conscyence
& was a-ferde off þat lyght / for yn fyres lykenes
spiritus paraclitus ouver-sp.redde theym all
G.20.204KD.19.207
quod conscyence & kneled þis ys crystes meyssenger
& comethe fro þe greate god / & grace ys hys name
knele nowe quod conscyens / & yff þou can syng
welcome hym & worshyp hym wyth veni creator spiritus:/
G.20.208KD.19.211
þen song I þat song / & so dyd many hondrethe
& cryden wyth conscyence / helpe vs / god off grace
& tho bygan grace to god / wyth pyers plowman
& couvnseylyd hym & conscyence / þe commnvneG.20.211: The original form of commvne had either too many minims or too few, depending on whether the word was spelled with double or single <m>. to somond
G.20.212KD.19.215
for I wyll deale to-day / & deuvyde grace
to alkynnes creatuvres / þat haue theyr fyuve wyttes
treasore to lyuve by / to theyre lyuves end
G.20.215: β4 manuscripts omit the second half of KD.19.218 and the first half of KD.19.226, together with the lines in between.and weypen to fyght wyth / when antecryste you asseylethe
G.20.216KD.19.227
& gaffe eche man a grace / to go wyth hym-seluve
that Iduvlnes encombre hym noght / enuvye ne pryde
diuisiones gratiarum sunt & cetera //
some he gafe wytte / wyth wordes to shewe
G.20.220KD.19.230
wyth to wynne þeir lyuvelode wyth / as þe worlde askethe
as preychouvrs & preestes / & preynteces off the lawe
they leally to lyuve / by labouvr off theyr tong
fol. 92vI
& by wytt to wyssen other / as grace þem wold teache
G.20.224KD.19.234
& some heG.20.224: The word he is followed by either a deleted letter or a blot. kenned crafte / and konnyng off syght
wyth sellyng & byggyng / theyr beyleuve to wynne
G.20.226: All β manuscripts omit the second half of KD.19.236 and the first half of KD.19.237 ("on londe & on watre & lyve by þat labour"). & some he lered labour / a lele lyuve & trewe
& some he taght to tyllye / to dyche & to hegge
G.20.228KD.19.239
to wynne wyth theyre lyuveloode / by loore off hys teachyng
& some to dyuvyne & dyuvyde / nombres to kenne
& some to compasce craftylye / & colouvrs to make
and some to se & some to sey / what shold byfalle
G.20.232KD.19.243
bothe off well & off wo / telle ytt ere ytt fell
as astryomyens thrugh astronomye / & phylosophers wyse
& some to ryde & some to recouer / þat vnryghtfully was wonne
he wyssed þem wynne ytt ageyn / thrugh ryghtyouvsnes off handes
G.20.236KD.19.247
& fecchen ytt fro falsce men / wyth fovlwylesG.20.236: G folwyles may simply be a spelling variant of Bx foluyles, but the change of <o> to <v>> suggests that the scribe may not have recognised the word. lawes
and some he lerned to lyuve / yn longyng to be hence
In pouerte & yn pennance / to pray for all crystyen
and all he lered to be lele / & eche crafte louve other
G.20.240KD.19.251
& forbedde þem all debate / that non were among theym
thogh some be cleynner þen some / ye se well quod grace
þeat he þat vsethe þe fayrest crafte / to þe fowlest I couvld hauve put hym
looke þat non lacke other / but louve to-geddre as bretheren
G.20.244KD.19.255
& wo þat most mastryes can / be myldest off beyryng
& crowne conscyence kyng / & maketh crafte your stuverde
& after craftes couvnseyle / clothe you & fede
for I make pyers plowman / my procuvratouvr & my reuve
G.20.248KD.19.259
& regester to receyuve redde quod debes :/
my purwyouvr & my plowman / pyers shalbe shal be on yerthe
and for to tylye trewthe / a tyme shall he hauve
grace gauve pyers a teame / four greate oxen
G.20.252KD.19.263
the on was / luke /G.20.252: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. a large beast & a lowe chered
& marke & mathewe þe thyrde / myghty beastes bothe
& Ioyned to theym on Ihon / most gentell off all
þe prysce of þe neyte off pyers plowe / passyng all other
G.20.256KD.19.267
& grace gauve pyers / off hys goodnes fouvre stottes
that all hys oxen eryed / þei harrowed after
on hyght augustyne / & ambrose an-nother
fol. 93rI
gregory þe greate clerke / and Ierome þe goode
G.20.260KD.19.271
thyesse fouvre þe faythe to teyche / folowen pyers teame
and harowed yn an handwyle / all holy scrypture
wyth two harrowes þat þei had an old & a newe
vetus testamentum et novum .///
G.20.264KD.19.274
& grace gaffe greanes / þe cardynales wertuves
and sewe yn ytt mannes soule / & sythen told þer names
spiritus prudentie the furst seyde hyght
and wo-so eyte þat / ymagyne he sholde
G.20.268KD.19.278
er he dyd any dede / avyse well the ende
& lered men a ladell bygge wyth a longe steale
that cast for to kepe a crocke / to sauve þe fatt abouve
the second he seyed hyght spiritus temperantie
G.20.272KD.19.282
he þat eyte off þat sede / hadde suoche a kynde
shold neuer meyte / ne moche drynk / make hym to swelle
ne shold no skorner ne skolde / hym ovte off skyll bryng G.20.274: β4 manuscripts omit a line at this point ("Ne wynnynge ne welthe · of wordeliche ricchesse").
wast word off Idulnesce / ne no wycked speche move
G.20.276KD.19.287
shold no cuvryous clothe / comen on hys rygge
ne no meyte yn hys motvtheG.20.277: The original scribe uses <v> here for the purpose of correction, possibly because it is clearer than <u>. but mestre Iohan spyced
the thyrd sede þat pyers sewe / ys spiritus fortitudinis : /
& wo-so eyte off that sede / hardye was euver
G.20.280KD.19.291
to suffer all that god sent / sycknes & angers
myght no leysynges ne lyer / ne losse off worldlye catellG.20.281: The word catell was probably erased because it had been smudged. cattell
make hym for any mournyng / but euer merye yn soule
and bold & abydyng / busynesce to suffer
G.20.284KD.19.295
and pleayethe all wyth pacyensce / and perce michi domine ://
& couver hym vndre couvnseale / off caton þe wyse
esto forti animo cum sis dampnatus inique : //
þe forthe sede þat pyers sewe was spiritus Iusticie :
G.20.288KD.19.298
& he þat eyte þ of þat sede shold be euver trewe
wyth god & noght agaaste / but off gyle alone
for gyle goethe so pryuvylye / þat good feythe other wyle
may noght been espyed / for spiritus Iusticie
G.20.292KD.19.302
/ spiritus Iusticie sparethe noght to spylle
theym þat been gyltye / and for to correcte
fol. 93vI
the kyng / yff þat he fall yn gylt or yn any tresspasce
for couvntethe he no kynges wrathe / when he yn couvrt syttethe
G.20.296KD.19.305
to demen as a domes-man / dradde was he neuver
nether off duvke ne off deathe / that he ne dyd lawe
for preysent or for preyare / or any pryncys letters
he dyd equvyte to all / euvene-forthe to hys power
G.20.300KD.19.309
thes four seedes pers sewe / & sythe he dyd theym harrowe
wyth old lawe & new lawe / þat louve myght waxe
among þe fouvre wertuves / and vyces destroye
for comuvnelyche yn contreys / cammokes & wedes
G.20.304KD.19.313
fouvlethe the fruvte yn þe felde / þer þei growe to-geddres
so done vyces / wertuves worthye
quod pyers harowethe all þat can kyndlye wytt / by couvnseyle off doctours
and tylyethe after hys teychyng / þe cardynall wertuves
G.20.308KD.19.317
ageynst þi greynes quod grace to pyers / bygynnethe to rype
ordeyne þe an houvse / to herbouvre yn thy corne
by god / grace quod pyers / ye muvst gyuve tymbre
and ordeyne þat houvse or ye hence wende
G.20.312KD.19.321
and grace gaffe hym þe cros / wyth þe crowne off thornes
that cryst vp-on caluverye / for mankynd on pyned
and off hys baptysme & bloode / þat he bledde on roode
he made a manere morter / and mercye yt hyght
G.20.316KD.19.325
and þerwyth grace bygan to make a good fouvndement
and watteled ytt & walled ytt / wyth hys peynes & hys passyon
and off all holy wrytte / he made a rooffe after
& called þat houvsse vnyte / holy churche en englysshe
G.20.320KD.19.329
& when þis dede was done / grace anon deuvysed
a carte hyght crystendome / to carye pyers sheauves
& gaffe hym caples to hys carte / contrycyon & confessyon
and made preesthoode heyward / whyle hym-seluve went
G.20.324KD.19.333
as wyde as þe worlde ys / wyth pyers / to tylye trewthe
nowe ys pyers to þe plowght / & pryde ytt aspyed
and gedered hym a greate host / to greuve hym he thynkethe G.20.326: β4 manuscripts omit a line at this point ("Conscience and al crystene · and cardinale vertues").
blew theym downe & breke þem / & byte atwo þe mores
G.20.328KD.19.339
and sent forthe / surquidous /G.20.328: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. hys sergeant off armes
& hys spye spyll-louve / oon speyke yuvell byheyndG.20.239: It is difficult to be certain whether byhend has been changed to byhynd or vice versa. However, the tail of the <y> suggests a form used for correction, not for continuous writing.
thes two came to conscyence / & to crystyen poeple
fol. 94rI
& told theym tythynges / þat tyne they sholde the seedes
G.20.332KD.19.343
that pyers ther had y-sowen / the carydynall wertuves
& pyers byerne worthe broke & þei þat werebeen yn vnyte
shall come owte & conscyence / & your two caples
confessyon & contrycyon / and your carte the beleuve
G.20.336KD.19.347
shalbeshal be coloured so quvyentlye / & couered vndre our sophestrye
that conscyence shalt not / knowe by contrycyon
ne by confessyon who ys crystyen or heythen
ne no maner marchant þat wyth money dealethe
G.20.340KD.19.350
where he wynne wyth ryght / wyth wrong / or wyth vsurye
wyth suoche colouvrs & quventyse / comethe pryde yarmed G.20.341:A brown ink virgule has been added after the initial <y> of yarmed, presumably to make it clear that the <y> is not simply an initial consonant (i.e. that it should not be pronounced /j/).
wyth the lorde þat lyuvethe / after lust off hys bodye
to wasten on wellfare / & wycked kepyng
G.20.344KD.19.354
all the world yn a whyle / thrugh our wytt off pryde
quod conscyence to all crysten tho / my couvnseale ys to wende
hastylyche yn-to vnyte / & hold vs well þer
& preye we þat a peasce were / yn pyers byerne þe plowman
G.20.348KD.19.358
for wytterly I woote well / we be not off strenght
to goone ageynst pryde / but grace were wyth vs
then came kynd wytt / conscyence to teache
and cryed & commanded / all crystyen poeple
G.20.352KD.19.362
for to deluven a dyche depe / a-bowte vnyte
that holye churche stoode yn vnyte / as ytt a pyle were
coscyenceco[n]scyence commanded tho / all crystyen to deluve
& make a moche mootte / þat myght be off g strenght
G.20.356KD.19.366
to helpe holy churche / & theym / þat ytt kepen
that alkynne crystyen / sauve comuvne women
repenteden & refuvsed synne / sauve þei alone
and falsce men flaterers / vsurers & theuves
G.20.360KD.19.369
lyers & quvestmongers / þat were forswore offte
wyttyngly & wyllfully / wyth the falsce helden
and for syluver were / forswore / sothely they wyst ytt
there nas no crystyen creatuvre / þat kynd wytt had
G.20.364KD.19.373
sauve shrewes & suoche / as I spake off
that he ne halpe a quantyte / holynes to waxe
some thrughe beades byddyng / & some thrughe pylgrymage
& other pryuvye pennaunce / & some thrugh pennaunce dealyng /
fol. 94vI
G.20.368KD.19.377
& then welled water / for wycked workes
egrelyche rennyng / owte off mennes eyne
clennesce off þe commuvne / & clerkes cleane lyuvyng
made vnite holy cherche / In holynesce to stonde
G.20.372KD.19.381
I care not quod conscyence / thogh pryde come noweG.20.372: For G's use of "now" (as also Cr) for remaining manuscripts "nowthe," see note to G.4.295.
the lorde off luvst / shalbeshal be letted / all þis lent I hoope
comethe quod conscyence / ye crystyen & dynethe
that hauve labored loyally / all thys lent tyme
G.20.376KD.19.385
here ys bred blessed / and goddes bodye therevndre
grace thrugh goddes worde / gaffe pyers power
myghtes to maken ytt / and mete to eyte ytt after
In helpe off theyre heale / oonesce yn a monythe
G.20.380KD.19.389
or as ofte as they had nede / they þat had y-payed
to pyers perdone the plowman redde quod debes
how quod all þe commuvne / þou couvnseylest vs to yelde
all þat we owen any wyght / ere we goon to howsell
G.20.384KD.19.393
that ys my couvnseyle quod conscyence / & cardynall wertuves
that eche man forgyve other / that wole þe pater noster
et dimitte nobis debita nostra & cetera //
and so to been assoyled & sythen to be howseled
G.20.388KD.19.396
ye howG.20.388: Y reads bow for G C2 B how, and this, according to Kane and Donaldson, was the original reading of C, then altered to how. The direction of the alteration in C is, however, unclear. The majority B reading is bawe. quod a brewer / I wyll not be rewled
by Iesu for all your Iangylyng / wyth spiritus Iusticie
ne after conscyence by cryst / whyle I can sell
bothe dregges & draffe / & drawe ytt att on hoole
G.20.392KD.19.400
thycke ale & thynne ale / for þat ys my kynd
& not hakke after holynes / hold thye tonge conscyence
off spiritus Iusticie þou spekest moche yn Idle
caytyfe quod conscyence / cuvrsed wrecche
G.20.396KD.19.404
vnblyssed arte thowe brewer / but yff þe god helpe
but thow lyuve by loore / off spiritus Iusticie
þe cheffe seede þat pyers sewe / ysauved worthestowe neuver
but conscyence þe comecome[n] seede / and cardynall wertuves
G.20.400KD.19.408
leeuve ytt well they be lost / bothe byG.20.400: It is possible that the scribe originally started to write body instead of lyfe (as in the C manuscripts T H2 Ch Sc) and that he attempted to correct this and then abandoned the attempt. lyfe & souvle
then ys many a man lost / quod a lewde wykorye
I am a cuvratour off holy kyrke / & cam neuer In my tyme
man to me þat couvlde tell / off cardynall wertuves
G.20.404KD.19.412
or þat couvnted conscyen.ce / att a cockes fether or a hennes
I knewe neuer cardynall / þat he ne came fro the pope
fol. 95rI
& we clerkes when þei came / for theyr commyns payen
for theyre pelluvre & theyre palfreyes meyte / & pyllouvrs þat theym folowen
G.20.408KD.19.416
the commuvne clamant cotidie eche man to other
the contrey ys the cr cursyder / that cardynalles come ynne
& there they lygge & lenge / most leychyrye ther reygnethe
forthy quod thys wycorye / by verray god I wolde
G.20.412KD.19.420
that no cardynall come amonge þe commuvne poeple
but yn theyr holynes / healden theym stylle
att auyon among þe I. Iewes cum sancto sanctus eris & cetera //
or yn rome as þeir reuvle wyll / relequves to kepe
G.20.416KD.19.424
& thow conscyence yn kynges couvrte / & sholdest neuer come thence
& grace þat þou gredest so off / guvyoudorG.20.417: The G Cr variant reading "guider" is probably the result of date: according to the OED, "guyour" (as most manuscripts) died out at the end of the fourteenth century. off vs all clerkes
& pyers wyth hys newe plowe / & eke wyth hys olde
emperouvre off all þe worlde / that all men were crysten
G.20.420KD.19.428
ymperfytt ys þat pope / þat all þe poeple sholde helpe
and sendethe theym þat sleyethe / suoyche as he shold sauve
& well worthe pyers plowman that puvrsuethe god yn doyng
qui pluit super Iustos & Iniustos / att oones
G.20.424KD.19.432
& sent þe sonne to sauve a cuvrsed mannes tylthe
as bryght as to the best man / & to þe best woman
ryght so pyers the plowman / peynethe hym to tylye
al asG.20.427: Kane and Donaldson record G as having as twice but the first word is clearly either al or als and has been lined through. well asto a wastouvre / and wenches off the stewes
G.20.428KD.19.436
as for hym-seluve or hys seruvantes / sauve he ys furst seruved
& trauvylethe & tylyethe / for a treatouvr also soore
as for a trewe tydye man / all tymes ylyke
& worshypphed be he þat all wroght / bothe good & yll
G.20.432KD.19.441
& suffer þat synfull be / tyll some-tyme they repente
& god amend þe pope / that pyllethe holye cherche
& cleamythe byfore þe kyng / to be keper ouver crystyen
& couvntethe noght / thogh crystyen be kylled or robbed
G.20.436KD.19.445
& fyndethe folke to fyght / & crystyen bloode to spylle
ageynst þe old lawe & newe lawe / as luk þeroff wyttnessythe
non occides & cetera. michi vindictam et cetera //
ytt semethe by so by heG.20.439: Kane and Donaldson see the correction from so by to by so as being by the main scribe and the subsequent alteration to so he as being by another hand. It seems likely, however, that the original scribe was responsible for all these alterations. As far as the <h> of he is concerned, compare, for instance, that in semethe at the beginning of the line. hym-seluve / hadde heG.20.439: Note that the lining through of added he is done in red ink and therefore clearly at the time of rubrication and most probably by the original scribe. hys wyll
G.20.440KD.19.448
that he ne recchethe noght / off all the remnaunte
& cryste off hys couvrtysye / þe cardynalles sauve
& torne theyre willfullG.20.442: Added willfull appears to have been lined through but it may just have been smudged. wytt to wysdome / & to weale off souvle
fol. 95vI
for þe commuvne quod þis cuvratouvr / couvnten full lytull
G.20.444KD.19.452
the couvnseale off conscyence / or cardynall wertuves
but yff they se as by syght / some-what to wynnyng
off gyle ne off gabbyng / gyve they no tale
for spiritus prudencie among þe poeple ys gyle
G.20.448KD.19.456
and all the fayovre wertuves as wyces they semed
eche man subtylethe a sleyght / synne for to hyde
& colouvrethe ytt wyth konnyng / & a cleane lyuvyng
then loghe there a lorde / & by thys lyght sayede
G.20.452KD.19.460
I hold ytt ryght & reason / off my reeuve to take
all þat myne audytour / or elles my stuverde
couvnseylythe me / by theyr acompte / & my clerkes wrytyng
wyth spiritus .G.20.455: The unclear material may well have been the first two minims of intellectus, abandoned because the ink ran too freely. intellectus to seeke þe reeuves rolles
G.20.456KD.19.464
and wyth spiritus fortitudinis fecche ytt I wyll
& then came þer a kyng / & by hys crowne seyede
a profecy
I am a kyng wyth crowne the commuvne to reuvle
G.20.459: An X-like sign has been added in the margin. This corresponds to a similar sign in the table of contents. See f.103r and for the possibility that these marks were made by WH, see Introduction I.10 and I.12.
and holy churche & claregye / fro cursed men to defend
G.20.460KD.19.468
& yff me lackethe to lyuve by / by þe lawe wole I take ytt
there I may hastylyche hauve ytt / for I am heyde off laweG.20.461: The line wraps around and the words off lawe appear below, boxed in grey.
for þei beene but membres / & I aboven all
& sythe I am your aller heyde / I am your aller heale
G.20.464KD.19.472
& holy cherche cheffe helpe / & chefteyne off þe commuvne
& what I take off you two / I take ytt at þe teachyng
off spiritus Iusticie for I Iuvgge you all
so I may bowldlye be howseled / for I borowed neuer
G.20.468KD.19.476
ne craue off my commuvne / but as my kynd askethe
In condycyon quod conscyence / þat þou konne defend
& reuvle þi realme yn reason / ryght well / & yn trewth
take þou maest In reason / as thy lawe askethe
G.20.472KD.19.479α
omnia tua sunt ad defendendum set non ad opprimendum
the vyckerr hadde farre home / & fayre toke hys leauve
& I awaked þerwyth / and wrote as me mette
explicit quintus & vltimus passus de dobetterG.20.474: The word dobetter has been wrapped around to the end of previous line and is boxed in red. The explicit is indented so the usual centering was probably intended but the line in this case proved to be too long.
MED