fol. 95v (cont.)I
PassusB 20
Incipit primus passus de dobest //
fol. 96rI
Then as I went by þe way / when I was thuvs awaked
heyuvy chered I yede / and elenge yn herte
I ne wyst where to eyte / ne yn what place
G.21.4KD.20.4
& yt nyghed nere þe none / & wythe nede I mette
that afrouvnted / me fouvle / and saytouvr[f]aytour me called
kansthowe not excuvse þe / as dyd þe kyng & other
that þou tooke to thye byleeuve / to clothes & to sustenance
G.21.8KD.20.8
& by teachyng & tellyng / off spiritus temperancie//
and þou nome no more / then nede the taght
and nede ne hathe no lawe / & neuer shall fall yn dett
for thre thynges he takethe / hys lyffe for to sauve
G.21.12KD.20.12
that ys meyte when men yt warnethe / & he no money weldethe
ne no wyght wylbewyl be hys borowe / ne wedde hathe non to lygge
& he be kaght yn þat caasce / & come therto by sleyght
he synnethe not sothelyche / þat so wynnethe hys foode
G.21.16KD.20.16
& thoghe he come to a cloothe / & cane no better cheuvysance
nede anon ryght / nymmethe hym vndre maynprysse
& yff hym lyst to lappe G.21.18: The apparent virgule here is in red ink and may not be deliberate. the lawe off kynd wolde
that he dranke att eche dyche / or he for thruvst dyed
G.21.20KD.20.20
so nede att greate nede / may nymmen as for hys owne
wythowte couvnseale off conscyence / and cardynall wertuves
so þat he sewe & sauve spiritus temperantie
spiritus
for ys no wertuve by farre to spiritus temperantie
G.21.24KD.20.24
nether spiritus fortitudinis ne spiritus Iustitie
for spiritus fortitudinis sufferethe full ofte
he shall do no moreG.21.26: G's original reading no more is shared with B, but Bm and Cot, as well as G, cancel no. G's corrected reading is shared with remaining B manuscripts. then measure / many tymes & ofte
& beyte men ouer bytterly / & some off theym to lytle
G.21.28KD.20.28
and greeuve men greater / then good faythe wolde
and spiritus iustitie shall Iuvgge wyll or nyll he
after þe kynges couvnseale / & þe comuvne lyke
and spiritus prudentie In manye a poynte shall fayle
G.21.32KD.20.32
off þat he wenethe wolde fayle / yff hys wytt ne were
wenyng ys no wyssdome / ne wyse ymagynatyon
I
fol. 96vI
homo proponit & deus disponit & gouernethe all good wertuves
& nede ys nexte hym for a-nonneG.21.35: The second <n> of nonne has been re-outlined in brown ink. he mekethe
G.21.36KD.20.36
& as low as a lambe / for lacke off þat hym nedethe
wysse men forsoke wealthe for they wold be nedye
& woneden In wyldernes / & wold not be ryche
& god all thes greate Ioyes / goostlye he lafte
G.21.40KD.20.41
& came & toke mankynd / and bycame nedye
so nedy he was as seyethe the booke / yn manye sondreye places
that he seyede yn hys sorowe / on þe seluve roode .
bothe fox & fowle / may fle / & go to hole & creepe
G.21.44KD.20.45
& þe fysshe hathe fynne / to flete wyth & toG.21.44: Kane and Donaldson read & to, but the & is clearly lined through. rest
there nede hathe ynome me / þat I mot nede abyde
and suffer sorowes full sore / þat shall to Ioy torne
forthy be not abasshed / to byddeG.21.47: Though the G scribe was clearly aware of the possibility of using single and double consonants to indicate preceding long and short vowels, his own practice in this respect was by no means consistent and it is therefore unclear whether G bydde should be interpreted as "bid" or "bide." The remaining β4 manuscripts read "bid" (which may well be the G scribe's intention); most other manuscripts read "bide." & to be nedye
G.21.48KD.20.49
sythe he þat wroght all the worlde / ys wylfullyche nedy
ne neuer non so nedye / ne so poereG.21.49: Both agreements between G and Hm in this line (ne so for most manuscripts ne, and poere (as also Cr C) for remaining manuscripts pouerere) result from correction in Hm. dyed
when nede had vndrenome me thuvs / anon I fell on slepe
& mette meruyouvslychemeruy[ll]ouslyche / þat yn mannes fouvrme
ipsa papaG.21.52:The gloss ipsa papa has been added in black ink above the word antecryst.
G.21.52KD.20.53
G.21.52: A line in black ink, clearly written by hand3, is present in the left hand margin, and extends from this point downwards for seven lines (or possibly originally further). antecryst came then / & all the croppe off trewthe
torned vp so downe / & ouer-tylde the roote
ipsa papaG.21.52:The gloss ipsa papa has been added in black ink above the word "false." The addition is smudged and may have been added in the wrong place and then partially deleted. See G.21.52 above.
& falsce sprangG.21.54: The preterites in this line result from the loss in β manuscripts of RF made (compare F & made fals springe etc.). All C manuscripts have "made". & spredde / & spedde mennys nedys
yn eche contrey þer he came & cut a-way trewthe
G.21.56KD.20.57
& gerte gyle growe there / as he a god were
Nota howe
freres folowed þat fende / for he gave þem coopes
fallshedd
& relygyouvse reuerenced hym / & rong þer belles
fyrst krept
& all the couvent forthe came / to welcome þat tyrant
In by the pope
G.21.60KD.20.61
& all thes as well as thes / sauve onelyche fooles
and his flock
wyche fooles were leuvere / to dye then to lyuve
lenger sythe lenten / was so sore rebuked
& a falsce frend antecryste ouer all folke reagned
G.21.64KD.20.65
& that were mylde men & holyeG.21.64: The deletion of the final <e> of holye is in black ink. It seems likely that it was carried out by the original scribe since, though at the beginning of the text he regularly writes "holy" with final <e> forms without the <e> gradually begin to dominate. / þat no myscheffe dreden
defyed all falsnesce / & folke þat ytt vsed
& what kyng þat þem conforted / knowyng þem any whyle
they cuvrsed all theyr couvnseale / were yt clerk or lewde
fol. 97rI
G.21.68KD.20.69
antecryste had þus sone / huvndrethes att hys banere
& pryde ytt bare / boldlye a-bovte
wyth a lorde þat lyuvethe after lykyng off hys b.odye
þat came ageynst conscyence þat keper was & guvydourG.21.71: For G Cr "gydour" for remaining manuscripts "gyour," see note to G.20.417.
G.21.72KD.20.73
ouer kynd crysten / & cardynall wertuves
I couvnseale quod conscyence ye come wyth me youG.21.73: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. fooles
In-to vnyte holy churche / and hold we vs there
& crye we to kynd / þat he come to defend vs
G.21.76KD.20.77
fooles fro þe feendes lymes / for pyers louve þe plowman
& crye we to all þe communes / þat theye come to vnyte
and there abyde & byker / ageynst baylyalles chyldren
kynd conscyence tho harde / & came owte off þe planettes
G.21.80KD.20.81
& send forthe hys forruvnners / feuvers & fluyxes
coghes & cardyacles crampes & tothehaches
rewmes & radegouvndes / & ruvynoseG.21.82: The spelling change which results in rvynose is of the usual type but the ink is black instead of brown and the shape of the letter <v>is more formal than usual. scalles
byles & bocches / and brennyng aguves
G.21.84KD.20.85
feuvers & fouvle yuvelles / forgoers off kynd
had yprycked & preyed / polles off the poeple
that largely a legyon / losten þeir lyuve sone
ther was harrowe & helpe / here comethe kynde
G.21.88KD.20.89
wyth deathe þat ys dredfull / to vndone vs all
the lord þat lyuved after luvst / tho alowde cryed
after conforte a knyght / to come & beyre hys banere
alarum alarum quod þat lorde / eche man kepe hys owne
G.21.92KD.20.93
& þen mett þes men / er mynstrelles myght pype
& er harrouavdes off armes / had descryuved lordesG.21.93: β4 manuscripts omit two lines at this point ("Elde þe hore · he was in þe vauntwarde And bare þe banere bifor deth · by riȝte he it claymed").
kynd came after / wyth meanyG.21.94: The ink beneath the <n> of many has been transferred from added sore at G.21.62, i.e. from the previous page. keene sorowes
as pockes & pestylence / & moche poeple shente
G.21.96KD.20.99
so kynd thrugh corruvptyons / kylled full many
deathe came dryuvyng after / & all to duvst passhed
kynges & knyghtes / kaysers & popes
lered ne lewde / he lett no man stande
G.21.100KD.20.103
that he hytt euven / styrryd nere neuver after G.21.100: The mark in the bottom right hand margin is just a smudge.
fol. 97vI
many a louvely ladye / & lemmans off knygtes
swoned & swelted for / sorowe off deathes dyntes
conscyence off hys couvrtysye / to kynd he besoght
G.21.104KD.20.107
to cesse & suffer / & se where they wolde
leauve pryde pryuvylye & be perfytt crystyen
& kynd ceassed tho / to see the poeple amend
fortuvne gan flateren / then / tho fewe þat were alyuve
G.21.108KD.20.111
& byhyght theym long / lyuve / & lechery he sent
amonges all maner / men wedded & vnwedded
and geydered a greate host / all agaynst conscyence
thuvsG.21.111: For G "thus" for remaining manuscripts "this," see note to G.6.653. leychery leyde on / wyth a laghyng chere
G.21.112KD.20.115
as wyth pryuvye speche / & paynted wordes
& armed hym yn Iduvlnes / & yn hyghe beyryng
he bare a bowe In hys hande / & many blodye arrowes
fethered wyth fayre speche / & many a falsce treuvthe
G.21.116KD.20.119
wyth hys vntydye tales / he tened me full ofte
conscyence & hys company / off holy cherche þe teachers
then came couvetyse & cast howe he myght
ouercome conscyence / & cardynall wertuves
G.21.120KD.20.123
& armed hym yn auvaryse / and hongerlyche lyuved
hys weypen was all wyles / to wynnen & hyden
wyth glosynges & gabbynges / he gyled the poeple
symony hym sent / to assayle conscyence
G.21.124KD.20.127
& preached to þe poeple / & prelates þei þem made
to holden wyth antecryste / theyr temperalytyes to sauve
& came to þe kynges couvnseale / as a kene baron
& kneled to conscyence In couvrte byfore þem all
G.21.128KD.20.131
& gert good faythe flee / and falsce to abyde
& boldlyche bare a-downe / wyth many a bryght noble
moche off þe wytt & wysdome / off westmynstre halle
he Iuvgged tyll a Iustyce / & Iusted yn hys yeyreG.21.131:A virgule has been added to separate the words hys and yeyre after the addition of the <y>.
G.21.132KD.20.135
& ouertylt all treuvthe / wyth take þis to amendement
& to þe arches yn hast / he yede a-non after
& tourned cyuvyle to symonye / & sethe toke þe offycyall
fol. 98rI
for a mantell off mynyuvere / he made leele matrymoynge
G.21.136KD.20.139
deperten ere deathe came / and dyuorse shapen
alas quod conscyence & cryed / tho wold god off hys grace
that couvetyse were crysten / þat ys so kene fyghter
and bold & byddyngG.21.139: Although the G scribe was clearly aware of the possibility of using single and double consonants to indicate preceding long and short vowels, his practice in this respect is by no means consistent and G byddyng may therefore simply be spelling variant of most manuscripts bidyng. See Introduction III.2. / whyle hys bagge lastethe
G.21.140KD.20.143
& then loghe lyfe / & lett dagge hys clothes
and armed hym In hast / hyn herlottes wordes
& held holynes a Iape / & hendenes a wastouvre
& lett loyalte a cherle / & lyer a fre man
G.21.144KD.20.147
conscyence & couvnseale / he couvnted ytt folye
thuvs reyled lyfe / for a lytle fortuvne
& prycked forthe wyth pryde / preysed he no wertuve
he carethe not how kynd slowe / & shall come at þe laste
G.21.148KD.20.151
& kyll all yerthely creatouvrs / sauve conscyence alone
lyfe leepe a-syde / & laght hym a leymman
heale & I quod he / & hyghnes off herte
shall do þe noght drede / nether deathe ne elde
G.21.152KD.20.155
& to forgett sorowe / & gyve noght off synne
thuvsG.21.153: For the G scribe's use of "thus" for remaining manuscripts "this," see note to G.6.653. lyked lyffe / & hys leymman fortuvne
& gattenG.21.154: The brown-ink <t> added to original gaten is formed by a downstroke crossing the line joining the original <t> and the <e>. yn theyre glorye / a gadelyng at þe last
on þat moche wo wroght / slewghe was hys name
G.21.156KD.20.159
sleughG.21.156: There is a black ink mark on the <e> of sleugh which may possibly have been intended to alter this letter to an <o>. wexe wondre yerne / & soone was off age
and wedded on whanhoope / a wenche off the stewes
hyr syre was a sysor / that neuer sware trewthe
oon thom two tonged / atteynte att eche a quvest
G.21.160KD.20.163
thys sleuovgthe wexedG.21.160: Only G has the weak form of the preterite (wexed). Remaining B manuscripts have either wex (β4 manuscripts) or was. werre off warre / & a slyng made
& threw drede off dyspayre / a dowsen myle abowte
for care conscyence tho / cryed vp-on elde
and bad hym fonde to fyght / & afere whanhoope
G.21.164KD.20.167
& eld hent good hoope / & hastylyche he shyffte hym
& wayued a-way wanhoope / & wyth lyfe he fyghted
& lyffe fleethe for feere / to physyke after helpe
& bysoght hym off socouvr / & off hys saluve hadde
fol. 98vI
G.21.168KD.20.171
& gave hym golde good wone / þat gladed hys herte
& they gyuven hym ageyne / a glasen howue
lyfe leeuved þat lechecrafte / lett shold elde
& dryuven a-way deathe wyth diapenidionG.21.171: The G scribe clearly did not understand the majority B reading dyas and dragges and he makes use of another technical medical term which he has already encountered, i.e. diapenidion, defined by Kane as a "medical confection of sugar candy." See G.6.125, and George Kane, Piers Plowman Glossary: Will's Visions of Piers Plowman, Do-Well, Do-Better and Do-Best, A Glossary of the English Vocabulary of the A, B, and C Versions as Presented in the Athlone Editions (London and New York: Continuum, 2005).
G.21.172KD.20.175
and eld auvntred hym on lyfe / & att þe last he hytt
a physysyon wyth a fuvrred hoode / þat he fyll yn a palsey
and ther dyed þe doctouvr / ere thre dayes after
now I see sayed lyffe / þat suvrgyens ne physycke
G.21.176KD.20.179
may not a myte awvayleG.21.176: The first part of the <w> of original awayle has been blocked in. / to medle ageynst elde
and yn hoope off hys heale / good herte he hent
& rode so to reuvell to a ryche place & a myrrye
that was þe companyeG.21.179: The centre of the <o> of companye is inked in, but there is no evidence of any letter change. off couvrte / men cleped some-tyme
G.21.180KD.20.183
& elde anon after me / & ouver myne heyde yede
and made me balde byfore / & bare on the crowne
so herde he yede ouer myne heyde / yt wole be seene euver
syr yuvell taght elde quod I / vnhende go wyth the
G.21.184KD.20.187
sythe when was thy way / ouver mennes heyddes
haddesthow been hend quod I / þou woldest haue asked leauve
ye leauve lordayne quod he / & layed on me wyth age
& hytt me vndre þe eyere / vnnethe may I here
G.21.188KD.20.191
he buffeted me aboute þe mouvthe / & bett me on þe tethe
& guvyded me yn gowtes / I may not goone att large
& off þe wo þat I was ynne / my wyfe had reuvthe
and wysshed full wytterly / þat I were yn heyuven
G.21.192KD.20.195
for þe lymme þat she louved me for / & leefe was to feele
off nyghtes namely / when we naked were
I ne myght In no maner / make ytt att hyr wyll
so elde & she sothely / hadden ytt forbydenbeyten
G.21.196KD.20.199
& as I satt yn þis sorowe / I sawe how kynd passed
& deathe drewe nyghe me / for dreede gan y quvake
& cryed to kynd owte off / care /G.21.198: Possibly the two virgules are present to highlight the word care. See note to G.6.597. me bryng
lo h elde þe hoore / hathe me byseged
G.21.200KD.20.203
wreke me yff thye wylbewyl be / for I wold beene hence
yff þou wylte been y-wroke / wende In-to vnyte
& hold þe there euver / tyll I send for the
& looke þou konne some crafte / or þou come thence
fol. 99rI
G.21.204KD.20.207
couvnseale me kynd quod y what crafte ys best to lere
lerne to lyouve quod kynd / & leeuve off all other
how shall I come to catell so / to clothe me &G.21.206: M originally shared the majority B reading and to, but erasure of to has brought M's reading into line with that of G Hm F. fede
and þov louve leally quod he / lacke shall þe neuver
G.21.208KD.20.211
meate ne worldly wede / whyle thy lyfe lastethe
& there by couvnseale off kynd / I comsed to roomnneG.21.209: Since the change from roome to roonne simply involves the addition of a minim, it is difficult to be certain who made it, but the ink colour suggests hand1.
thrugh contrycyon and confessyon / to I came to vnyte
& þer was conscyence constable / crysten to sauve
G.21.212KD.20.215
& byseged sothely / wyth seyuven / greate gyantes
that wyth antecryste helden / herde ageyne conscyence
sleuovthe wyth hys slyng / an hard assauvte made
prouvde preestes came wyth hym / mo then a thowsand
G.21.216KD.20.219
In paltockes & pyked shewes / and gypsers long knyuves
comen ageynst conscyence / wyth couvetyse they helden
by marye quod a mansed preest / off þe marche off yreland
I couvnt hittG.21.219: Added hitt is in black ink. It is possible that it may be by the original scribe, but note that the form of the <h> in particular resembles that used by WH (see, e.g., the marginalia in the right-hand margin of f.103r). no more conscyence / so I cacche syluver
G.21.220KD.20.223
then I do to drynke / a draught off good ale
and so sayde syxtye / off the seyd contrey
and shoten ageyn wyth shotte / wyth many sheaffe off othes
& brod hoked arues / wyth goddes herte & hys nayles
G.21.224KD.20.227
& hadden almost vnite / and holynes vndone
conscyence cryed helpe claregy / or elles I fall
thrugheG.21.226: The loop of the second <h> of thrughe has been re-outlined in brown ink. ym-perfett preestes / & preelates off holy cherche
freres herden hym crye / & comen hym to helpe
G.21.228KD.20.231
& for þei couvld not well theyre crafte / conscyence forsooke theym
nede nyghed þo nere / & conscyence he tolde
that they came for couvetyse to hauve cuvre off souvles
& for þei are pouvre perauventuvre / for patrymones þem faylethe
G.21.232KD.20.235
they wyll flatter to fare well /G.21.232: This virgule may have been added to separate words, but it could equally represent a correction of the punctation provided by the original scribe (virgule after folke). folke / þat been ryche
& seyen þei chosen chylle / & chaytyffe pouverte
they þem chewe as þei hauve chosen / & charge þem wyth no cuvre
for lomngereG.21.235: The alteration from lomere to longere does not appear to have been made by the original scribe. Hand3 seems the most likely candidate. he lyethe / þat lyuvelood mot bygge
G.21.236KD.20.239
then he þat laborethe for lyuveloode / & lenethe ytt beggers
and sythe freres forsooke / fylycyte off theG.21.237: Though M originally shared the G Cr reading off the, the corrector has erased þe, thus bringing M's reading into line with that of all remaining B manuscripts (i.e. of). yerthe
lett them be as beggars / & lyuve by angeles foode
conscyence off thys couvnseale tho comsed to laghe
fol. 99vI
G.21.240KD.20.243
and couvrtyslyche conforted þem / & called yn all freres
& sayed syrs sothelyche / welcome be ye all
to vnyte & holy cherche / but on thyng y you praye
holdethe you yn vnyte / & hauvethe non enuvye
G.21.244KD.20.247
to lered ne to lewde / but lyuvethe after your ruvle
& I wylbewyl be your brogh / ye shall hauve bred & clothes
& other necessaryes ynowe / you shall no thyng fayle
wyth þat ye leauve logyck / & lernethe for to louve
G.21.248KD.20.251
for louve þei lafte lordshyppe / bothe land & scole
frere franceys & domynyk / for louve to been holye
& yff ye couveteythe cuvre / kynd wytt wyll you teache
that yn measure god made / all maner thynges
G.21.252KD.20.255
and sett ytt yn a certeyne / & yn syker nombre
and neuenvedneue[n]ed names newe / & nombered þe preestes
qui numerat multitudinem stellarum & omnibus eis & cetera
kynges & knyghtes / that kepen & defenden
G.21.256KD.20.258
haue offycers vnder theym / & eche off þem certeyne
and yff þei wage men warre / þei wryte þem yn nombre
wole no treysorer þem pay / trauveyle þei neuer so long
all other yn batellesG.21.259: G's reading batelles is not recorded as a variant by Kane and Donaldson but the abbreviation for es is definitely present. / been yholden brybouvrs
G.21.260KD.20.263
pylouvrs & pyke-hernes / In eche place acorsed
monkes & monyales / & all men off relygyon
G.21.262: The mark in the left hand margin is just a smudge. theyr ordre & þer ruvle wyll / to haue a certeyne nombre
off lewde & off lered / þe lawe wole & askethe
G.21.264KD.20.267
a certayne for a caerteyne / sauve onlyche off freres
forthy quod conscyence by cryste / kynd wytt me tellethe
ytt ys wycked to wage you / youG.21.266: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. wax oute off nombre
heyuven hathe euven nombre / & hell ys wyth-owte nombre
G.21.268KD.20.271
forthy I wold wytterly / þat ye were yn þe regestre
& your nombre vndre notarye sygne / nother mo ne lasse
enuvy herd þis / & hyght freres goo to scole
& lerned logyck & lawe / & eke contemplatyon
G.21.272KD.20.275
and preyche men off plato & prouve ytt by seneca
that all thynges vndre heyuven / oght to beG.21.273: Added be is in ink darker than that normally used by the original scribe and the script is more formal and upright. The addition appears to have been made by WH. See marginalia on f.71v and f.103r. en comuvne
& yet he lyethe as I leeuve / þat to þe lewde so preachethe
fol. 100rI
for god made to men a lawe & moses ytt taght
G.21.276KD.20.279
non concupisces rem proximi tui & cetera //
& yuvell ys þis to hold / yn perysshys en england
for persones & perysshe preestes / þat sholde þe poeple shryuve
beene cuvratouvrs called / to knowe & to heale
G.21.280KD.20.283
all þat been þeir perysshens / pennance to enIoynge
& shold be shamed yn þer shryfte / but shame makethe þem wende
& fleen to the freres / as falsce folke to westmynster
that borowen & beyre thydre / & then bydden freendes
G.21.284KD.20.287
yeres off forgyuvenes / or lengere yeres loone
but whyle he ys yn westmynster / he wylbewyl be byfore
and maken themr merye / wyth other mennes gooddes
and so farethe wyth moche folke / þat to þe freres shryuven
G.21.288KD.20.291
as syrovrssy[s]ovrs & execuvtours / they wyll gyuve the freres
a percell to prey for þem / and make þem-seluve merye
wyth þe resydewe & the remnant / þat other men byswonke
& suffer þe dead yn dett / byfore the day off dome
G.21.292KD.20.294
enuvy therfore / hated conscyence
& freres to phylosophye / he fouvnde þem to scole
the whyles couvetyse & vnkyndnes / conscyence assayled
In vnyte holye cherche / conscyence held hym
G.21.296KD.20.298
& made peasce porter / to vnpynne the gates
off all tale tellers / and tycyrers to Idle
ypocrysy & he / hard assauvte they made
ypocrysy att þe gate / hard gan fyght
G.21.300KD.20.302
& wouvnded full wyckedly / many wysse teachers
that wyth conscyence acorded / and cardynall wertuves
conscyence called a leche / þat well couvlde shryve
go saluve þou þat syk beene / thrugh synne y-wouvnded
G.21.304KD.20.306
shryft shoope sharpe saluve / & made men do pennance
for theyre myssdedes / þat þei wroght hadde
& that pyers were payed redde quod debes
some lyked not thys leche / & letters they sent
G.21.308KD.20.310
yff any surgeon were þe segge / þat fofter[s]ofter couvlde plaster
syr leyuve to lyuve yn leycherye / lyeG.21.309: The form lye is a possible preterite. See G.14.21, G.17.266 and note to G.6.224. Remaining manuscripts read lay. there & groned
fol. 100vI
for fastyng off a fryday he fared as he wolde dye
there ys a surgyon yn thys / ..segeG.21.311: The initial letter of sege was possibly originally an <f>, but it has been overwritten in black ink (probably by the main scribe, though the ink is darker). See the similar alteration by the main scribe later in this line. /þat fsofteG.21.311: The downstroke of the original <f> has been thickened, thus hiding the bar and providing the first letter of softe. Compare the similar mistranscription at G.21.308, and the similar alteration earlier in this line. can handle
G.21.312KD.20.314
and more off physyk by farre / & fayrer he plasterethe
on frere flaterer / ys physycyon & surgyen
quod contrycyon to confessyon / do hym come to vnyte
for here ys many man / hurte / thrugh ypocrysye
G.21.316KD.20.318
we haue no nede quod conscyence / I woote no better leche
then persone or perysshe preeste / penytanser or bysshope
sauve pyers þe plouman / þat hathe power ouver allG.21.318: The majority of C manuscripts share the G R F reading "all," which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read hem alle.
& ynduvlgence may do but yff dette lett ytt
G.21.320KD.20.322
I may well suffer sayed conscyence / sythen ye desyren
that frere flaterer be fette / & physyke you seke
the frere theroff herd / & hyed faste
to a lorde for a lettere / leauve to hauve cuvres
G.21.324KD.20.326
and as a cuvratour he were / & came wyth hys letters
boldely to the bysshope / & hys breuves hadde
In contreys þer he came ynne / confessyons to here
& came þer conscyence was & knocked att þe gate
G.21.328KD.20.330
peasce vnpynned ytt / þat was porter off vnyte
& yn hast asked / what hys wyll were
In faythe quod þis frere / for profytte & for healthe
carpe I wyll wyth contrycyon / & þerfore came I hydder
G.21.332KD.20.334
he ys seeke sayde peasce / & so are many other
ypocrysye hathe hym / full herd ys yff þei couver
I am a surgyen sayde þe segge / & saluves can make
conscyence knowethe me well / & what I can do bothe
G.21.336KD.20.338
I praye þe quod peasce þo / are thow pas fortherer
what ha...ettestG.21.337: The letters <ette> of hettest appear to have been written over a partial erasure, but the <s> and the <t> seem to be written over a space (the result is that the ink looks slightly different). It does not seem likely that the word was originally "hightest" (as M and possibly originally Hm), since the second letter seems most likely to have been an <a>. The third letter had a tail which is still visible and it seems probable that the original reading was hast (see the C manuscript Ch, though the readings are probably coincidental). þou I pray þe / heale not thye name
sG.21.338: Kane and Donaldson read the initial letter here as sir, but it is definitely deleted. The scribe may have decided to write "sir" (as does BB) but if so he changed his mind. It is also possible that this is just a spelling change and that the scribe began to write the word "certes" with initial <s> and then decided to spell with a <c> as is his usual practice. certes he sayde felowe / syr penetrans domos
ye go þi gate quod peasce / by god for all thye physyke
G.21.340KD.20.342
but þou konne some crafte / þou comest not hereynne
I knewe suoyche on oonesceG.21.341: The letters <o> and <n> of "once" have been re-outlined in brown ink. / not eyght wynters hence
came ynne þus y-coped / att a couvrte þer I dwelte
& was my ladyes leeche / & my lordes bothe
G.21.344KD.20.346
& at þe last thys lymytoure / tho my lorde was owte
he saluved so our women / tyll some were wyth chylde
hende speche heete peasce / openG.21.346: A virgule has been added at this point to separate open from þe. þe gates
lett yn þe frere & hys felowe / & make þem fayre chere
fol. 101rI
G.21.348KD.20.350
he may se & here / so ytt may befall
þat lyffe thrughe hys loore / shall leauve couvetyse
& be adradde off deathe / & wythdrawe hym from pryde
& acorde wyth conscyence / & kysse ether other
G.21.352KD.20.354
thuvs thrughe hend speche / entered the frere
& came yn to conscyence / & couvrteyslyche hym grette
þou arte welcome quod conscyence / cansthowe heale þe sycke
here ys contrycyon quod conscyence / my cosuvne y-wouvnded
G.21.356KD.20.358
conforte hym quod conscyence / & take kepe off hys soores
the plasters off þe persoune / & poudres byten sooreG.21.357: W originally shared the G Hm reading soore, but supralinear to has been added, bringing W's reading into line with that of most B manuscripts (to sore).
he lett þem lygge ouver-long / & lothe ys to change theyme
fro lenten to lenten / he lett hys plasters byte
G.21.360KD.20.362
that ys ouer-long quod þis lymytour / I leeuve I shall amend ytt
& goethe & gropethe contrycyon / & gyuvethe hym a plastere
off a pryuvye payment / & I shall prey for you
& for all þat ye been hold to / all my lyve tyme
G.21.364KD.20.366
and make you my ladye / yn masse & yn matensce
as freres off our fraternyte / for a lytle syluver
thuvs he goethe & gedderethe / & glosethe þer he shryuvethe
tyll contrycyon had forgetten / to crye & to wepe
G.21.368KD.20.370
& wake for hys wycked workes / as he was wouvnte to done
for comforte off hys confessoure / contrycyon he leffte
that ys þe souveregnest saluve / for alkynnes synnes
sleowthe seethe þat / & so dyd pryde
G.21.372KD.20.374
& came wyth a kene wyll / conscyence to assayle
conscyence cryed efte / & bad claregye helpe
& also contrycyon / for to kepe the gate
he lyethe & dreamethe sayde peasce / & so do many other
G.21.376KD.20.378
the frere wyth hys physyke / folke hathe enchauvnted
& plastered þem so easely / they drede no synne
by cryst quod conscyence tho / I wyll bycome a pylgrymme
& walken as wyde / as all þe worlde lastethe
G.21.380KD.20.382
to seeke pyers þe plowman / þat pryde may destroye
& þat freres had a fyndyng / that for nede flateren
& convterpleydetheco[n]terpleydethe me conscyence / nowe kynd me awenge
& send me happe & heale / tyll I hauve pyers þe plowman
G.21.384KD.20.386
& sythe he gradde after grace / tyll I gan awake
explicit hic diolagus petri plowman
MED