The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 4: Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 581 (S. C. 987) (L) – Passus 4William LanglandEdited by Hoyt N. Duggan and Ralph HannaAssociate Editors: Patricia R. Bart, M. Gail Duggan and Catherine A. FarleyTechnical Editors: Daniel V. Pitti and Jonathan Rodney Graduate Research Assistants Heather Blatt, Michael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, Nancy Renwick Clendenon, Carri Cregar, Paul Fyfe, Paul Gaffney, Matthew Gibson, Bethany Mabee, Stephen C. Martin, Chloe Smith, Timothy L. Stinson, and Keicy Tolbert. Computer Consultants and ProgrammersShayne Brandon, Nathaniel Garson, Matthew S. Gibson, Kirk V. Hastings, Janice McCoy, Susan Munson, David Seaman, and John Unsworth.Published for the Medieval Academy of America and The Society for Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET) by Boydell and Brewer Ltd. Cambridge ISBN: 184384026X

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2004

SEENET A.6

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud misc. 581 (S. C. 987)

late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud misc. 581 (S. C. 987)

Attribute Valuesbrown inkanglicana bastardaitalicLombard Capornamented capital, N lines highrubricatedtouched in redtexturaunderlinedunderlined in redgreen inkblue ink

LatinFrenchGerman2003 Editor Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and structure reorganized. passus iiijus de visione vt supraPassus iiijusQuartus CessethL.4.1: The ornamental capital is five lines high, written in blue with red flourishes with two sprays. seith þe kynge · I suffre ȝow no lengere Ȝe shal sauȝtne for-sothe · and serue me bothe kisse hir quod þe kynge · conscience I hote Nay bi criste quod conscience · congeye me for euere But resoun rede me þer-to · rather wil I deye And I comaunde þe quod þe Kynge · to conscience þanne Rape þe to ride · and resoun þow fecche Comaunde hym þat he come · my conseille to here For he shal reule my rewme · and rede me þe beste And acounte with þe conscience · so me cryst helpe How þow lernest þe peple · þe lered and þe lewede I am fayne of þat forwarde · seyde þe freke þanne And ritte riȝte to resoun · and rowneth in his ere And seide as þe kynge badde · and sithen toke his leue I shal arraye me to ride quod resoun reste þe a while And called cat..oun his knaue · curteise of speche And also tomme trewe tonge · telle me no tales Ne lesyng to lawȝe of · for I loued hem neuere And sette my sadel vppon suffre · til I se my tyme And lete warrok it wel · with witty wordes gerthes And hange on hym þe heuy brydel · to holde his hed lowe For he wil make wehe · tweyeL.4.22: LMR alone read tweye; most other B manuscripts have twies. er he be there Thanne conscience vppon his caple · kaireth forth faste And resoun with hym ritte · rownynge togideres Whiche maistries Mede · maketh on þis erthe One waryn wisdom · and witty his fere+ Folwed hem faste · hauedL.4.27: The corrector's <+> in the left margin notes the omission of for þei from the beginning of the b-verse. R also lacks these words. to done In þe cheker and atL.4.28: LCr2,3R have at, whereas most other B manuscripts read in. þe chauncerie · to be discharged of þinges And riden fast for resoun shulde rede hem þe beste For to saue hem for siluer · fro shame and fram harmes And conscience knewe hem wel · þei loued coueitise And bad resoun ride faste · and recche of her noither Þere aren wiles in here wordes · and with Mede þei dwelleth There as wratthe and wranglyngL.4.34: An otiose curl appears above the first <g>. is · þere wynne þei siluer Ac þere is loue and lewte · þei wil nouȝte come þere Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum &c Þei ne gyueth nouȝte of god · one go.se wynge Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum For wot god þei wolde do more · for a dozeine chickenes Or as many capones · or for a seem of otes Þan for loue of owre lorde · or alle hise leue seyntes For-þi resoun lete hem ride · þo riche bi hem-seluen For conscience knoweth hem nouȝte · ne cryst as I trowe And þanne resoun rode faste  þe riȝte heiȝe gate As conscience hym kenned · til þei come to þe Kynge Curteisliche þe kynge þanne · come aȝein resoun And bitwene hym-self and his sone · sette hym on benche And wordeden wel wyseli · a gret while togideres And þanne come pees in-to parlement · and put forth a bille How wronge aȝeines his wille · had his wyf taken And how he rauisshed Rose · Reginoldes loue And Margarete of hir maydenhode · maugre here chekis Bothe my gees & my grys · his gadelynges feccheth I dar nouȝte for fere of hym · fyȝte ne chyde He borwed of me bayard · he brouȝte hym home neure+ Ne no ferthyngeL.4.56: The <r> in ferthynge was added after initial copying, perhaps in response to the corrector's marginal <+>. þer-fore · for nauȝteL.4.56: L is joined by MRF in reading nauȝte; other B manuscripts have ouȝt. I couthe plede He meyneteneth his men · to morther myne hewen Forstalleth my feyres · and fiȝteth in my chepynge And breketh vp my bernesL.4.59: LHmWR read bernes, the reading of most C manuscripts. All other B manuscripts have berne. dore · and bereth aweye my whete And taketh me but a taile · for ten quarteres of otes And ȝet he bet me þer-to · and lyth bi my Mayde I namL.4.62: LCM alone have nam. The other B witnesses read am. nouȝte hardy for hym · vneth to loke · The kynge knewe he seide sothe · for conscience hym tolde Þat wronge was a wikked luft · and wrouȝte moche sorwe Wronge was afered þanne · and wisdome he souȝte To make pees with his pens · and profered hym manye And seide had I loue of my lorde þe kynge · litel wolde I recche Theiȝe pees and his powere · pleyned hym eure+ Þo wanL.4.69: The corrector's marginal <+> may mark wan, a reading shared by R; most other B manuscripts have a form of wente. Not infrequently the evidence suggests that the corrector worked from a manuscript more corrupt than L's exemplar. wisdome · and sire waryn þe witty For þat wronge had ywrouȝte · so wikked a dede And warned wronge þo · with suche a wyse tale Who-so worcheth bi wille · wratthe maketh ofte I seye it bi þi-self · þow shalt it wel fynde But if Mede it make · þi myschief is vppe For bothe þi lyf and þi londe · lyth in his grace Thanne wowed wronge · wisdome ful ȝerne To make his pees with his pens · handi-dandi payed Wisdome and witte þanne wenten togideres And toke Mede myd hem mercy to winne Pees put forþ his hed · and his panne blody Wyth-outen gilte god it wote · gat I þis skaþe Conscience and þe comune · knowen þe sothe Ac wisdom and witte · were about faste To ouercome þe kynge · with catel ȝif þei myȝte Þe kynge swore bi crist · and bi his crowne bothe Þat wronge for his werkis · sholde wo þolye And comaunded a constable · to casten hym in yrens And late hym nouȝte þis seuene ȝere · seen his feet ones God wot quod wysdom · þat were nauȝte þe beste And he amendes mowe make · late meynprise hym haue And be borwgh for his bale · and biggen hym bote And so amende þat is mysdo · and euermore þe bettere Witt acorded þer-with · and seide þe same Bettere is þat bote · bale adoun brynge Þan bale be ybette · & bote neuere þe bettere And þanne gan Mede to mengen here · and mercy she bisought And profred pees a present · al of pure golde Haue þis man of me quod she · to amende þi skaþe For I wil wage for wronge · he wil do so namore Pitously pees þanne · prayed to þe kynge To haue mercy on þat man · þat mys-did hym so ofte For he hath waged me wel · as wisdome hym tauȝte And I forgyue hym þat gilte · with a goode wille So þat þe kynge assent · I can seye no bettere For Mede hath made me amendes · I may namore axe Nay quod þe Kynge þo · so me cryst helpe Wronge wendeth nouȝte so awaye · arst wil I wite more For loupe he so liȝtly · laughen he wolde And efte þe balder be · to bete myne hewen But resoun haue reuthe on hym · he shal rest in my stokkes And þat as longe as he lyueth · but lowenesse hym borwe Somme men redde Resoun þo · to haue reuthe on þat schrewe And for to conseille þe Kynge · and conscience after That Mede moste be meynpernour · resoun þei bisouȝte Rede me nouȝte quod resoun · no reuthe to haue Til lordes and ladies · louien alle treuthe And haten ..al harlotrye · to heren it · or to mouthen it Tyl pernelles purfil · be put in here hucche And childryn cherissyng · be chastyng with ȝerdes And harlotes holynesse · be holden for an hyneX Til clerken coueitise be · to clothe þe pore and to fedeL.4.121: The marginal <X> is larger than typical and occupies the space of this line and the line below. The reason for it is not clear, unless it is intended to suggest that recordare should be boxed in red. And religious romares · recordare in here cloistres · As seynt Benet hem bad · Bernarde and Fraunceys · And til prechoures prechyng · be preued on hem-seluen Tyl þe kynges conseille · be þe comune profyte Tyl bisschopes baiardes · ben beggeres chambres · Here haukes and her houndes · helpe to pore Religious · And til seynt Iames be souȝte · þere I shal assigne That no man go to Galis · but if he go for euere And alle Rome-renneres · for robberes of byȝende Bere no siluer ouer see · þat signe of kynge sheweþ · Noyther graue ne vngraue · golde noither siluer Vppon forfeture of þat fee · who-so fynt hym at Douere But if it be marchaunt or his man · or messagere with lettres Prouysoure or prest · or penaunt for his synnes · And ȝet quod resoun bi þe Rode · I shal no reuthe haue While Mede hath þe maistrye  in þis moot halle+ Ac I may shewe ensaumples · asL.4.138: The <s> in as was added in interword space later in response to the marginal <+>. The same error was marked and corrected in L.1.182. I se other-while I sey it bi my-self quod he · and it so were That I were kynge with crowne · to kepen a Rewme Shulde neuere wronge in þis worlde · þat I wite myȝte Ben vnpunisshed in my powere · for peril of my soule Ne gete my grace for giftes · so me god saue Ne for no Mede haue mercy · but mekenesse it make L.4.145: A pointing hand is sketched in the left margin in slightly darker ink and with a finer pen point, probably a later addition. The hand is placed lower than the line group with the finger pointing upward to the paraph. For nullum malum þe man · mette with inpunitum And badde nullum bonum · be irremuneratum · Late ȝowre confessoure sire Kynge · construe þis vnglosed · And ȝif ȝe worken it in werke · I wedde myne eres ·+ That lawe shal ben a laborere · and lede a-felde dongeL.4.149: A corrector's <+> appears in the left margin, but no error is apparent. And loue shal lede þi londe · as þe lief lyketh Clerkes þat were confessoures · coupled hem togideres Alle to construe þis clause · and for þe kynges profit Ac nouȝte for conforte of þe comune · ne for þe kynges soule+ For I seiȝe n...medeL.4.154: The third minim of <m> and the <de> in mede are overwritten in darker ink, probably in response to the marginal <+>. The original word is not recoverable. in þe moot halle · on men of lawe wynke And þei lawghyng lope to hire · and lafte resoun manye Waryn wisdome · wynked vppon Mede And seide Madame I am ȝowre man · what-so my mouth iangleth I falle in floreines quod þat freke · an faile speche ofte Alle riȝtful recorded · þat resoun treuthe tolde And witt acorded þer-with · and comended his wordes And þe moste peple in þe halle · and manye of þe grete And leten mekenesse a maistre · and Mede a mansed schrewe Loue lete of hir liȝte · and lewte ȝit lasse And seide it so heiȝe þat al þe halle it herde Who-so wilneth hir to wyf · for welth of her godis But he be knowe for a kokewolde · kut of my nose Mede mourned þo · and made heuy chere For þe moste comune of þat courte called hire an hore Ac a sysoure and aL.4.169: The words and a have been badly rubbed, particularly the <d> and the article. The same rubbing affected the penultimate letters of comone in the preceding line. sompnoure · sued hir faste And a schireues clerke · byschrewed al þe route For ofte haue I quod he · holpe ȝow atte barre And ȝit ȝeue ȝe me neuere · þe worthe of a russhe The kynge called conscience · and afterwardes resoun And recorded þat resoun had riȝtfullich schewed And mowdilich vppon Mede · with myȝte þe Kynge loked And gan wax wrothe with lawe · for Mede almoste had shent it And seide þorw ȝowre lawe as I leue · I lese many chetes Mede ouer-maistrieth lawe · and moche treuthe letteth Ac resoun shal rekene with ȝow · ȝif I regne any while And deme ȝow bi þis day · as ȝe han deserued Mede shal nouȝte meynprise ȝow · bi þe Marie of heuene I wil haue leute in lawe · and lete be al ȝowre ianglyng And as moste folke witnesseth wel · wronge shal be demed Quod conscience to þe kynge · but þe comune wil assent It is ful hard bi myn hed · here-to to brynge it Alle ȝowre lige leodes · to lede þus euene By hym þat rauȝte on þe rode · quod resoun to þe kynge But if I reule þus ȝowre rewme · rende out my guttes Ȝif ȝe bidden boxomnesse Ȝif ȝe bidden buxomnes · be of myne assente And I assent seith þe kynge · by seynte Marie my lady Be my conseille comen of clerkis · and of erlis Ac redili resoun þow shalt nouȝte ride fro me For as longe as I lyue · lete þe I nelle I am aredy quod resoun · to reste with ȝow euere So conscience be of owre conseille · I kepe no bettere And I graunt quod the kynge · goddesforbodegoddes forbode it faile Als longe as owre lyf lasteth · lyue we togideres