fol. 52v (cont.)I
passus xiijus
Passus terciodecimus
a
AndL.13.1: The ornamental capital <A> is eight lines high in blue ink with red flourishes. A small guide-letter <a> is obscured by the flourishes. I awaked þere-with · witles nerehande
And as a freke þat fre were · forth gan I walke
In manere of a mendynaunt · many a ȝere after
L.13.4KD.13.4
And of þis metyng many tyme · moche þouȝt I hadde
First how fortune me failled · at my moste nede
And how þat elde manaced me · myȝt we euere meten
And how þat freris folwed · folke þat was riche
L.13.8KD.13.8
And folke þat was pore · at litel prys þei sette
And no corps in her kirkeȝerde · ne in her kyrke was buryed
fol. 53rI
But quikke he biquethe hem auȝte · or shulde helpe quyte her dettes
And how þis coueitise ouercome · clerkes and prestes
L.13.12KD.13.12
And how þat lewed men ben ladde · but owre lorde hem helpe
Þorugh vnkonnyng curatoures · to incurable peynes
And how þat ymagynatyf · in dremeles me tolde
Of kynde and of his connyng · and how curteise he is to bestes
L.13.16KD.13.16
And how louynge he is to bestes · on londe and on water
Leneth he no lyf · lasse ne more
Þe creatures þat crepen · of kynde ben engendred
And sitthen how ymagynatif seyde vix iustus saluabitur
L.13.20KD.13.20
And whan he had seyde so · how sodeynelich he passed
I lay down longe in þis þouȝte · and atte laste I slepte
And as cryste wolde þere come conscience · to conforte me þat tyme
And bad me come to his courte · with clergye sholde I dyne
L.13.24KD.13.24
And for conscience of clergye spake · I come wel þe rather
And þere I say a maistre · what man he was I neste
Þat lowe louted · and loueliche to scripture
Conscience knewe hym wel · and welcomed hym faire
L.13.28KD.13.28
Þei wesshen and wypeden · and wenten to þe dyner
Ac pacience in þe paleis stode in pilgrymes clothes
And preyde mete for charite · for a pore heremyte
Conscience called hym in · and curteisliche seide
L.13.32KD.13.32
Welcome wy..el ȝewyeL.13.32: The last two letters of wyel have been written over an erasure and ȝe after it supralinearly in the same hand. This is a mistake for correct, and probably original wye. go and wasshe · þow shalt sitte sone
Þis maister was made sitte · as for þe moste worthy
And þanne clergye and conscience · and pacience cam after
Pacience and I were put to be macches
L.13.36KD.13.36
And seten by owre-selue at a syde borde
Conscience called after mete · and þanne cam scripture
And serued hem þus sone · of sondry metes manye
Of austyn of ambrose · of alle þe foure euangelistes
L.13.40KD.13.39α
Edentes & bibentes · que apud eos sunt
Ac þis maister ne his man · no manere flessh eten
Ac þei ete mete of more coste · mortrewes and potages
Of þat men mys-wonne · þei made hem wel at ese
L.13.44KD.13.43
Ac her sauce was ouer soure · & vnsauourely grounde
In a morter post mortem · of many bitter peyne
But if þei synge for þo soules · and wepe salt teres
contra sacerdotes
Vos qui peccata hominum comeditis nisi pro eis lacrimas & oraciones
effunderitis · ea que in delicijs comeditis · in tormentis euometisL.13.47: The words contra sacerdotes appear in the right margin as well as a cross under con-.
+
L.13.48KD.13.46
Conscience forfulL.13.48: L alone reads for in place of the marginally supplied ful; other B manuscripts either omit it or have ful. The corrector had marked the line with his usual <+> and underlined for. He or another hand supplied ful in the left margin in a lighter ink than the text. Kane and Donaldson suggest tentatively that the word for may have been written over an erasure, but we see no evidence to support that suggestion. curteisly þo · comaunded scripture
fol. 53vI
Bifor pacience bred to brynge · and me þat was his macche
He sette a soure lof to-for vs · and seyde agite penitenciam
And sith he drough vs drynke · dia perseuerans
L.13.52KD.13.51
As longe quod I as I lyue · and lycame may dure
Here is propre seruice quod pacience · þer fareth no prynce bettere
And þanne he brouȝt vsL.13.54: LMWR alone read vs; all other B witnesses omit it. forth a mees of other mete  of MiserrereMise[r]ere mei deus
And he brouȝte vs of Beati quorum of beatus virres makyng
L.13.56KD.13.54α-55
Et quorum tecta sunt peccata in a dissh
Of derne shrifte dixi and confitebor tibi
Brynge pacience some pitaunce · pryueliche quod conscience
And þanne had pacience a pitaunce pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus in tempore oportuno
L.13.60KD.13.58
And conscience conforted vs · and carped vs mery tales
Cor contritum & humiliatum deus non despicies

Pacience was proude of þat propre seruice
And made hym muirth with his mete · ac I morned euere
L.13.64KD.13.61
For þis doctoure on þe heigh dese · dranke wyn so faste
Ve vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum
He eet many sondry metes · mortrewes and puddynges
Wombe cloutes and wylde braune · & egges y-fryed with grece
L.13.68KD.13.64
Þanne seide I to my-self so · pacience it herde
It is nouȝt foure dayes · þat þis freke · bifor þe den of poules
Preched of penaunces · þat poule þe apostle suffred
In fame & frigore · and flappes of scourges
L.13.72KD.13.67α
Ter cesus sum & a iudeis quinquies quadragenas &c ·
Ac o worde þei ouerhuppen · at ech aL.13.73: LMWR read a; all other B manuscripts omit it. tyme þat þei preche
Þat poule in his pistel · to al þe peple tolde
Periculum est in falsis fratribus
L.13.76KD.13.71
holywrit bit men be war · I wil nouȝt write it here
On englisch an auenture · it sholde be reherced to ofte
And greue þere-with þat good men benL.13.78: LRF alone read þat good men ben; other B manuscripts read either þat goode beene or just goode men. · ac gramarienes shul rede
...?...?...Vnusquisque a fratre se custodiat quia vt diciturL.13.79: The first half of the line has been erased and written over in black ink by a later hand, dating to s. xvii at the earliest. The addition accords with the readings of other B witnesses. periculum est in falsis fratribus
L.13.80KD.13.74
Ac I wist neuere freke þat as a frere ȝede · bifor men on englissh
Taken it for her teme · and telle it with-outen glosynge
L.13.82: This line and the next are marked in the left margin with two distinct dots one under the other like a colon in text brown ink. A nota (or perhaps the corrector's <+>?) near them may have been scraped. Þei prechen þat penu(?)aunce is · profitable to þe soule
And what myschief and malese · cryst for man tholed
L.13.84KD.13.78
Ac þis goddes gloton quod I · with his gret chekes
Hath no pyte on vs pore · he perforneth yuel
Þat he precheth he preueth nouȝt · to pacience I tolde
+
And wisshed witterly · with wille forL.13.87: Although incorrect for before egre was not erased, the corrector who added ful in the right margin and scraped the corrector's <+> presumably intended replacement in keeping with other B witnesses. ful egre
L.13.88KD.13.82
Þat disshes aL.13.88: L alone has written a, "and," in place of the full form and found in all other B witnesses. dobleres · bifor þis ilke doctour
Were moltoun led in his maw · and Mahoun amyddes
I shal iangle to þis Iurdan · with his iust wombe
fol. 54rI
To telle me what penaunce is · of which he preched rather
L.13.92KD.13.86
Pacience parceyued what I thouȝt · and wynked on me to be stille
And seyde þow shaltL.13.93: A contemporary hand, perhaps the original scribe's though with a thinner nib than usual, has written the correction in the right margin. The ink is much more pale than the text. se þus sone · whan he may no more
He shal haue a penaunce in his paunche · and puffe at ech a worde
And þanne shullen his guttis godeleL.13.95: LR alone contain the spelling godele; the majority of other B manuscripts have goþele. Cf. L.5.351 above. · and he shal galpen after
L.13.96KD.13.90
For now he hath dronken so depe · he wil deuyne sone
And preuen it by her pocalips · and passioun of seynt Auereys
Þat neither bacoun ne braune · blanmangere ne mortrewes
Is noither fisshe noL.13.99: L alone reads no; most other B witnesses have ne. flesshe · but fode for a penaunte
L.13.100KD.13.94
And þanne shal he testifye of a trinitee · and take his felawe to witnesse
What he fonde in a freyel · after a freres lyuyng
And but if þe fyrst lyne be lesyng · leue me neuere after
And þanne is tyme to take · and to appose þis doctoure
L.13.104KD.13.98
Of dowel and of dobet · and if dobetst be any penaunce
And I sete stille as pacience seyde · and þus sone þis doctour
As rody as a rose · rubbed his chekes
Coughed and carped · and conscience hym herde
L.13.108KD.13.102
And tolde hym of a trinite · and toward vs he loked
What is dowel sire doctour quod I · is dowel any penaunce
Dowel quod þis doctour · and toke þe cuppe and dranke
Do non yuel to þine euenecrystene · nouȝt by þi powere
L.13.112KD.13.106
By þis day sire doctour quod I þanne be ȝe nouȝt in dowel
For ȝe han harmed vs two · in þat ȝe eten þe puddyng
Mortrewes and other mete · and we no mussel hade
And if ȝe fare so in ȝowre fermorie · ferly me þinketh
L.13.116KD.13.110
But chest be þere charite shulde be · & ȝonge childern dorste pleyne
I wolde permute my penaunce with ȝowre · for I am in poynte to dowel
Þanne conscience curteisliche · a contenaunce he made
And preynte vpon pacience · to preie me to be stille
L.13.120KD.13.114
And seyde hym-self sire doctour · and it be ȝowre wille
What is dowel and dobet · ȝe deuynours knoweth
Dowel quod þis doctour · do as clerkes techeth
doe well
doe better
doe best
And dobet is he þat techeth · and trauailleth to teche otherL.13.123: A sixteenth-century secretary hand has written in the right margin the words doe well
doe better
doe best. They are written over an erasure of a fifteenth-century gloss, now mainly illegible; the word beste is all that can be seen through the erasure and overwriting. A bracket appears to have been erased as well.
L.13.124KD.13.118
And dobest doth hym-self so · as he seith & precheth
Qui facit et docuerit magnus vocabitur in regno celorum
Now þow clergye quod conscience carpest what is dowel
I haue seueneL.13.127: Like the original L scribe, R omits seuene. sones he seyde · seruen in a castel
L.13.128KD.13.121
Þere þe lorde of lyf wonyeth · to leren hymL.13.128: LMR have hym; Other B witnesses either have hem or omit the word altogether. what is dowel
Til I se þo seuene · and my-self acorden
I am vnhardy quod he · to any wyȝt to preue it
fol. 54vI
For one pieres þe ploughman hath inpugned vs alle
L.13.132KD.13.125
And sette alle sciences at a soppe · saue loue one
And no tixte ne taketh to meyntene his cause
But dilige deum · and domine quis habitabit &c
And seith þat dowel and dobet aren two infinites
L.13.136KD.13.129
Whiche infinites with a feith fynden oute dobest
Which shal saue mannes soule · þus seith piers þe ploughman
I can nouȝt her-on quod conscience · ac I knowe wel pieres
He wil nouȝt aȝein holy writ speken · I dar wel vndertake
L.13.140KD.13.133
Þanne passe we ouer til piers come · and preue þis in dede
Pacience hath be in many place · and par-auntre cnoweth
Þat no clerke ne can · as cryst bereth witnesse
Pacientes vincunt &c
L.13.144KD.13.136
Ac ȝowre preyere quod pacyence þo · so no man displese hym
disce / doce / et
dilige
Disce quod he doce · dilige inimicos
Disce and dowel · / doce / & dobet
Dilige / and dobest · þus tauȝte me ones
L.13.148KD.13.139
A lemman þat I loued · loue was hir name
With wordes and with werkes quod she · and wille of þyne herte
Þow loue lelly þi soule al þi lyf-tyme
And so þow lere þe to louye · for þe lordes loue of heuene
L.13.152KD.13.143
Þine enemye in al wyse · euene-forth with þi-selue
Cast coles on his hed · and al kynde speche
Bothe with werkes and with wordes fonde his loue to wynne
And lay on hym þus with loue · til he laghe on þe
L.13.156KD.13.147
And but he bowe for þis betyng blynde mote he worthe
Ac for to fare þus with þi frende · foly it were
For he þat loueth þe lelly · lyteL.13.158: LR alone read lyte; other B manuscripts have litel. of þyne coueiteth
Kynde loue coueiteth nouȝte · no catel but speche
L.13.160KD.13.151
With half a laumpe lyne in latyne · ex vi transicionis
I bere þere-inne aboute · fast ybounde dowelL.13.161-165: A box-style bracket in rubricator's red refers this whole line group to the gloss solucio.
In a signe of þe saterday · þat sette firste þe kalendare
solucio
And al þe witte of þe wednesday · of þe nexte wyke after
L.13.164KD.13.155
Þe myddel of þe mone is þe miȝte of bothe
And here-with am I welcome · þere I haue it with me
Vndo it late þis doctour sendeme · if dowel be þer-inne/
For bi hym þat me made · miȝte neuere pouerte
L.13.168KD.13.159
Miseise ne myschief ne man with his tonge
Colde ne care ne compaignye of theues
Ne noither hete ne haille · ne non helle pouke
Ne noither fuire ne flode · ne fere of þine enemy
L.13.172KD.13.163
Tene þe eny tyme · and þow take it with þe
Caritas nichil timet
L.13.174: An unrubricated paraph marker appears in the left margin. Since the scribe failed to skip a line, the rubricating scribe may have failed to notice it. ¶ It is but a dido quod þis doctour · a dysoures tale
fol. 55rI
Al þe witt of þis worlde · and wiȝte mennes strengthe
L.13.176KD.13.174
Can nouȝt confourmen a pees · bytwene þe pope and his enemys
Ne bitwene two cristene kynges · can no wiȝte pees make
Profitable to ayther peple · and put þe table fro hym
And toke clergye and conscience · to conseille as it were
L.13.180KD.13.178
Þat pacience þo moste passe · for pilgrimes kunne wel lye
Ac conscience carped loude and curteislich seide
Frendes fareth wel · and faire spake to clergye
For I wil go with þis gome · if god wil ȝiue me grace
L.13.184KD.13.182
And be pilgryme with pacience · til I haue proued more
What quod clergye to conscience · ar ȝe coueitouse nouthe
After ȝeresȝyues or ȝiftes · or ȝernen to rede redeles
I shal brynge ȝow a bible · a boke of þe olde lawe
L.13.188KD.13.186
And lere ȝow if ȝow lyke · þe leest poynte to knowe
Þat pacience þe pilgryme · parfitly knewe neuere
Nay bi cryste quod conscience to clergye god þe forȝelde
For al þat pacience me profreth · proude am I litel
L.13.192KD.13.190
Ac þe wille of þe wye · and þe wille folke hereL.13.192: This b-verse caused scribes some trouble. LBCR omit of, and it is added above the line in M.
Hath moeued my mode · to mourne for my synnes
Þe good wille of a wiȝte · was neure bouȝte to þe fulle
For þere nysL.13.195: LWR alone read nys; all other B manuscripts have is. no tresore þerto · to a trewe wille
L.13.196KD.13.194
Haued nouȝt Magdeleigne more · for a boxe of salue
Þan zacheus for he seide · dimidium bonorum meorum do pauperibus
And þe pore widwe for a peire of mytes
Þan alle þo that offreden · in-to gazafilacium
L.13.200KD.13.198
Þus curteislich conscience · congeyde fyrst þe Frere
And sithen softliche he seyde · in clergyes ere
Me were leuer by owre lorde · and I lyue shulde
Haue pacience parfitlich · þan half þi pakke of bokes
L.13.204KD.13.202
Clergye to conscience · no congeye wolde take
But seide ful sobreliche · þow shalt se þe tyme
Whan þow art wery for-walked · wilne me to consaille
Þat is soth seyde conscience · so me god helpe
L.13.208KD.13.206
If pacience be owre partyng felawe · and pryue with vs bothe
There nys wo in þis worlde · þat we ne shulde amende
And confourmen Kynges to pees · and al-kynnes londes ·
Sarasenes and surre · and so forth alle þe iewes ·
L.13.212KD.13.210
Turne in-to þe trewe feith · and in-til one byleue
Þat is soth quod clergye · I se what þow menest
I shal dwelle as I do · my deuore to shewen
fol. 55vI
And confermen fauntekynes · and other folke ylered
L.13.216KD.13.214
Tyl pacience haue preued þe · and parfite þe maked
Conscience þo with pacience passed · pilgrymes as it were
Þanne had pacience as pylgrymes han · in his poke vittailles
Sobrete and symple speche · and sothfaste byleue
L.13.220KD.13.218
To conforte hym and conscience · if þey come in place
Þere vnkyndenesse and coueytise is · hungrye contrees bothe
And as þei went by þe weye · of dowel þei carped
Þei mette with a mynstral · as me þo þouȝte
L.13.224KD.13.222
Pacience apposed hym fyrste · and preyed hymL.13.224: LMRF alone read hym; other B manuscripts omit it. he sholde hem telle
To conscience what crafte he couthe · an to what contree he wolde
I am a mynstral quod þat man · my name is actiua vita
Alle ydel ich hatye · for of actyf is my name
L.13.228KD.13.226
A wafrere wil ȝe wite · and serue many lordes
And fewe robes I fonge · or furred gounes
Couthe I lye to do men laughe · þanne lacchen I shulde
Other mantel or money amonges lordes mynstralles
L.13.232KD.13.230
Ac for I can noither tabre ne trompe · ne telle none gestes
Farten ne fythelen at festes ne harpen
Iape ne iogly · ne gentlych pype
Ne noyther sailly ne saute · ne synge with þe gyterne
L.13.236KD.13.234
I haue none gode gyftes · of þise grete lordes ·
For no bred þat I brynge forth · saue a beneson on þe sonday
Whan þe prest preyeth þe peple · her pater noster to bidde
For peres þe plowman · and þat hym profite wayten
L.13.240KD.13.238
And þat am I actyf · þat ydelnesse hatye
For alle trewe trauaillours · and tilieres of þe erthe
Fro mychelmesse to mychelmesse · I fynde hem with wafres
Beggeres and bidderes · of my bred crauen
L.13.244KD.13.242
Faitoures and freres · and folke with brode crounes
I fynde payne for þe pope · and prouendre for his palfrey
And I hadde neuere of hym · haue god my treuthe
Noither prouendre ne parsonage · ȝut of the popis ȝifte
L.13.248KD.13.246
Saue a pardoun with a peys of led · and two pollis amydde
Hadde iche a clerke þat couthe write · I wolde caste hym a bille
Þat he sent me vnder his seel · a salue for þe pestilence
And þat his blessyng & his bulles · bocches miȝte destroye
L.13.252KD.13.249α
In nomine meo demonia eiciunt & super egros manus imponent & bene habebunt
And þanne wolde I be prest to peple · paste for to make
And buxome and busy aboute bred and drynke
For hym and for alle his · fonde I þat his pardoun
L.13.256KD.13.253
Miȝte lechen a man · as I bileue it shulde
For sith he hath þe powere · þat peter hym-self hadde
He hath þe potte with þe salue · sothly as me þinketh
fol. 56rI
Argentum & aurum non est michi quod autem habeo tibi do in nomine domini surge & ambula
L.13.260KD.13.255
Ac if miȝte of miracle hym faille · it is for men ben nouȝt worthy
To haue þe grace of god · & no gylte of þe pope
For may no blyssyng done vs bote · but if we wil amende
Ne mannes masse make pees · amonges cristene peple
L.13.264KD.13.259
Tyl pruyde be purelich fordo · and þat þourgh payn defaute
For ar I haue bred of mele · ofte mote I swete
And ar þe comune haue corne ynough · many a colde mornyng
So ar my wafres ben ywrouȝt · moche wo I tholye
L.13.268KD.13.263
Alle Londoun I leue · liketh wel my wafres
And lowren whan þei lakken it · it is nouȝt longe ypassed
Þere was a carful comune · whan no carte come to toune
With bred fro stretforth · þo gan beggeres wepe
L.13.272KD.13.267
And werkmen were agaste a litel · þis wil be þouȝte longe
In þe date of owre dryȝte · in a drye apprile
A þousande and thre hondreth · tweis threttyL.13.274: LR alone read thretty; other B manuscripts have twenty. & ten
nota
My wafres þere were gesen · whan chichestre was Maire
L.13.276KD.13.271
I toke gode kepe by cryst · and conscience bothe
Of haukyn þe actyf man · and how he was yclothed
He hadde a cote of crystendome · as holykirke bileueth
Ac it was moled in many places · with many sondri plottes
L.13.280KD.13.275
Of pruyde here a plotte · and þere a plotte of vnboxome speche
Of scornyng and of scoffyng · and of vnskilful berynge
As in aparaille and in porte · proude amonges þe peple
Otherwyse þan he hath · with herte or syȝte shewynge
L.13.284KD.13.279
Hym willynge þat alle men wende · he were þat he is nouȝte
For-why he bosteth and braggeth · with many bolde othes
And in-obedient to ben vndernome · of any lyf lyuyng
And so syngulere by hym-self · as to syȝte of þe poepleL.13.287-88: L and alpha alone have two lines here. Other beta witnesses have variants of And noon so singuler by hym-self · ne so pope-holy.
L.13.288KD.13.283
Was none suche as hym-self · ne none so pompe-holyL.13.288: LHmW alone read pompe holy; other B manuscripts have pope holy.
Yhabited as an hermyte · an ordre by hym-selue
Religioun sanz reule · and resonable obedience
Lakkyng lettred men · and lewed men bothe
L.13.292KD.13.287
In lykyng of lele lyf · and a lyer in soule
With Inwit and with outwitt · ymagenen and studye
As best for his body be · to haue ......a baddeL.13.294: All beta manuscripts read badde; alpha has bolde. This is of some interest in light of the fact that badde is written over an erasure here. The original is not legible. Manipulation of the image in Photoshop 6.0 shows the final letter was an <e>. name
And entermeten hym ouer al · þer he hath nouȝt to done
L.13.296KD.13.291
Wilnyng þat men wende · his witte were þe best
+
And if he gyueth ouȝte pore gomesL.13.297: LR omit to, attested in most B manuscripts, before pore gomes. The corrector's larger than usual <+> in the right margin was perhaps intended to call attention to both this line and the next. · telle what he deleth
Pore of possessioun in purse · and in coffreL.13.298: LR alone omit boþe after coffre(s). The corrector has marked the omission with a marginal <+>. This is perhaps another instance in which the corrector and original scribe worked from different exemplars.
And as a lyon on to loke · and lordeliche of speche
L.13.300KD.13.302
Baldest of beggeres a bostour þat nouȝt hath
In towne and in tauernes · tales to telle
fol. 56vI
And segge þinge þat he neuere seigh · and for soth sweren it
Of dedes þat he he neuere dyd · demen and bosten
L.13.304KD.13.306
And of werkes þat he wel dyd · witnesse and seggen
Lo if ȝe leue me nouȝt · or þat I lye wenen
Axeth at hym or at hym · and he ȝow can telle
What I suffred and seighe · and some-tymes hadde
L.13.308KD.13.310
And what I couth and knewe · and what kynne I come of
Al he wolde þat men wiste of werkes and of wordes
Which myȝte plese þe peple · and praysen hym-seluen
Si hominibus placerem cristi seruus non essem
L.13.312KD.13.312α
Et alibi nemo potest duobus dominis seruire
Bi criste quod conscience þo · þi best cote haukyn
Hath many moles and spottes · it moste ben ywassh
Ȝe who-so toke hede quod haukyn · byhynde and bifore
L.13.316KD.13.316
What on bakke and what on bodyhalf · & by þe two sydes
Men sholde fynde many frounces · and many foule plottes
L.13.318: An unrubricated paraph marker appears in the left margin. Since the scribe failed to skip a line, the rubricating scribe may have failed to notice it. ¶ And he torned hym as tyte · and þanne toke I hede
It was fouler by felefolde · þan it firste semed
L.13.320KD.13.320
It was bidropped with wratthe · and wikked wille
With enuye and yuel speche entysyng to fyȝte
Lyinge and laughynge · and leue tonge to chyde
Al þat he wist wykked · by any wiȝte tellen it
L.13.324KD.13.324
And blame men bihynde her bakke · and bydden hem meschaunce
And þat he wist bi wille · tellen it watte
And þat watte wiste · wille wiste it after
And made of frendes foes · þorugh a false tonge
L.13.328KD.13.328
Or with myȝte of mouthe or þorugh mannes strengthe
Auenge me fele tymes · other frete my-selue
Wyth-inne as a shepster shere · I-shrewed men & cursed
Cuius maledictione os plenum est & amaritudine sub lingua eius labor & dolor
L.13.332KD.13.330α
& alibi filij hominum dentes eorum arma & sagitte & lingua eorum gladius acutus
Þere is no lyf þat I louye · lastyng any while
For tales þat I telle · no man trusteth to me
And whan I may nouȝt haue þe maistrye · with malencolye I takeL.13.335: The spelling is ambiguous. Kane and Donaldson interpret the form as a past participle, and Schmidt takes it to be a finite verb.
L.13.336KD.13.334
Þat I cacche þe crompe · þe cardiacle some-tyme
Or an ague in suche an angre · and some-tyme a feure
Þat taketh me al a twelf-moneth · tyl þat I dispyse
+
Lechecrafte orL.13.339: LR alone read or, prompting the corrector's marginal <+>. Most other B manuscripts have of. owre lorde · and leue on a wicche
L.13.340KD.13.338
And segge þat no clerke ne can · ne cryste as I leue
To þe souter of southwerke · or of shordyche dame emme
And segge þat no goddes worde · gaf me neuere bote
But þorw a charme had I chaunce · & my chief hele
L.13.344KD.13.342
I wayted wisloker · and þanne was it soiled
With lykyng of lecherye · as by lokyng of his eye
for eche a mayde þat he mette
fol. 57rI
For vche a mayde þat he mette · he made hir a signe
Semynge to synne-ward · and some-tyme he gan taste
L.13.348KD.13.346
Aboute þe mouth or bynethe · bygynneth to grope
Tyl eytheres wille waxeth kene · and to þe werke ȝeden
As wel in fastyng-days & frydayes · and forboden nyȝtes
And as wel in lente as oute of lente · alle tymes ylyche
L.13.352KD.13.350
Suche werkes with hem · wasL.13.352: L alone reads was; most other B manuscripts have were. neuere oute of sesoun
Tyl þei myȝte namore · and þanne had merye tales
And how þat lechoures louyen · lauȝen an iapen
And of her harlotrye and horedome · in her elde tellen
L.13.356KD.13.354
Thanne pacience parceyued of poyntes hisL.13.356: LR alone read his; other B manuscripts have off hys or of þis. cote
+
Was colmy þorw coueityse · and vkyndev[n]kyndeL.13.357: The corrector's marginal <+> indicates that he caught the omission of the first <n> from vnkynde, which was nevertheless not corrected by the scribe. desyrynge
More to good þan to god · þe gome his loue caste
And ymagyned how · he it myȝte haue
L.13.360KD.13.358
With false mesures and mette · and with false witnesse
Lened for loue of þe wedde · and loth to do treuthe
And awaited þorwgh which wey to bigile
And menged his marchaundyse · and made a gode moustre
L.13.364KD.13.362
Þe worste with-in was · a gret witte I lete hit
And if my neighbore had any hyne · or any beste elles
More profitable þan myne · many sleightes I made
How I myȝte haue it · al my witte I caste
L.13.368KD.13.366
And but I it hadL.13.368: LMW (and C manuscripts XYcJcUcDcVcAcScFcKc) read it had, while HmY (and C manuscripts P2PEcRcMcNc) have hadde it and F has yt. Most B manuscripts only record hadde. by other waye · atte laste I stale it
Or pryuiliche his purse shoke · vnpiked his lokkes
Or by nyȝt or by day · aboute was ich euere
Þorwgh gyle to gadren þe good þat ich haue
L.13.372KD.13.370
Ȝif I ȝede to þe plow · I pynched so narwe
Þat a fote londe or a forwe · fecchen I wolde
Of my nexte neighbore · nymen of his erthe
+
And ifif [I]L.13.375: A marginal corrector's <+> notes L's omission of I after if. rope ouer-reche · or ȝaf hem red þat ropen
L.13.376KD.13.374
To seise to me with her sykel · þat I ne sewe neure
And who-so borweth of me · abouteL.13.377: LCr3GR read aboute; most other B manuscripts have the more appropriate reading abouȝte. þe tyme
With presentes priueliche · or payed somme certeyne
So walde he or nouȝt wolde heL.13.379: LCr1HmM have nouȝt wolde he; most B witnesses have either noȝt wolde or he nolde. · wynnen I wolde
L.13.380KD.13.378
And bothe to kyth and to kyn · vnkynde of þat ich hadde
And who-so cheped my chaffare · chiden I wolde
But he profred to paye · a peny or tweyne
More þan it was worth · and ȝet wolde I swere
L.13.384KD.13.382
Þat it coste me moche more · swore manye othes
In halydayes at holicherche · whan ich herde masse
+
HaddeL.13.386: LR alone omit I after Hadde. The omission prompted the corrector's marginal <+>. neuere wille wot god · witterly to biseche
Mercye for my mysdedes · þat I ne morned more
L.13.388KD.13.386
For losse of gode leue me · þan for my lykames giltes
fol. 57vI
As if I had dedly synne done · I dred nouȝt þat so sore
As when I lened and leued it lost · or longe ar it were payed
So if I kydde any kyndenesse · myn euen-cristene to helpe
L.13.392KD.13.390
Vpon a cruel coueityse · myn herte gan hange
And if I sent ouer-see · my seruauntz to Bruges
Or in-to Pruslonde my prentys · my profit to wayten
To marchaunden with monoye · and maken her eschaunges
L.13.396KD.13.394
Miȝte neuere me conforte · in þe mene-tyme
Noither messe ne matynes · ne none manere siȝtes
Ne neuere penaunce perfourned · ne pater noster seyde
Þat my mynde ne was more · on my gode in a doute
L.13.400KD.13.398
Þan in þe grace of god · and his grete helpes
Vbi thesaurus tuus · ibi & cor tuum
Which ben þe braunches · þat bryngeth a man to sleuth
His woman morneth nouȝte for his mysdedes · ne maketh no sorwe
L.13.404KD.13.411
Ac penaunce þat þe prest enioigneth · perfourneth yuel
Doth none almes-dede · dret hym of no synne
Lyueth aȝein þe bileue · and no lawe holdeth
Vch day is haliday with hym · or an heigh ferye
L.13.408KD.13.415
And if he auȝte wole here · it is an harlotes tonge
Whan men carpeth of cryst · or of clennesse of soule
He wexeth wroth & wil nouȝte here · but wordes of myrthe
Penaunce and pore men · and þe passioun of seyntes
L.13.412KD.13.419
He hateth to here þere-of · and alle þat it telleth
Þise ben þe braunches beth war · þat bryngeth a man to wanhope
Ȝe lordes and ladyes · and legates of holicherche
Þat fedeth foles sages · flatereres and lyeres
L.13.416KD.13.423
And han likynge to lythen hem · to do ȝow to lawghe
Ve vobis qui ridetis &c
And ȝiueth hem mete and Mede · and pore men refuse
In ȝowre deth-deyinge · I drede me ful sore
L.13.420KD.13.426
Lest þo thre maner men · to moche sorwe ȝow brynge
Consencientes & agentes pari pena punientur
Patriarkes & prophetes · and prechoures of goddes wordes
Sauen þorw her sarmoun · mannes soule fram helle
+
L.13.424KD.13.429
Riȝt so flateresL.13.424: A corrector's <+> appears in the left margin, perhaps objecting to the spelling flateres (from OF flateor, flatour), although he does not mark this spelling where it occurs elsewhere, as it does again on this page eight lines below. F also at this point reads flaterys, but most other B witnesses, including R, have flatereres. and foles · aren þe fendes disciples
To entice men þorw her tales to synne and harlotrye
Ac clerkes þat knowen holywryt · shulde kenne lordes
What dauid seith of suche men · as þe sauter telleth
L.13.428KD.13.432α
Non habitabit in medio domus mee · qui facit superbiam & qui loquitur iniqua
Shulde none harlote haue audience · in halle ne in chambres
Þere wise men were · witnesseth goddes wordes
Ne no mysproude man · amonges lordes ben allowed
L.13.432KD.13.454
Ac flateres and foles þorw her foule wordes
Leden þo þat louen hem · to luciferes feste
With turpiloquio a lay of sorwe · and luciferes fithele
fol. 58rI
Thus haukyn þe actyf man · hadde ysoiled his cote
L.13.436KD.13.458
Til conscience acouped hym þere-of · in a curteise manere
Whi he ne hadde wasshen it · or wyped it with a brusshe
MED