fol. 15v (cont.)I

Passus quartus de visione vt supra

C
CEsseth seith þe kynge . I suffre ȝyow no lengere
ȜYe shal sauȝtene for sothe . and serue me bothe
Kisse hire quod þe kynge . Conscience I hote .
M.4.4KD.4.4
Nay bi Criste quod Conscience . congeie me for euere
But resoun rede me þerto  rather wol I deie .
# Rex mandauit Conscientiam adquirere Racionem
And I comaunde þe quod þe kynge . to conscience þanne
Rape þe to ride . and resoun þow fecche .
M.4.8KD.4.8
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 crist helpe
How þou lern....est þe p.eple . þe lered and þe lewede
M.4.12KD.4.13
I am fayne of þat forward . saide þe freke þanne .
And rit riȝte to resoun . and rowneth in his ere
And saide as þe kynge — badde — . and sithen to..ok his leue
I shal arraie me to ride . quod resoun reste þe a while
M.4.16KD.4.17
And called Catoun his knaue . curteis of speche
#M.4.17: The text from here to the end of the page is marked with a bracket in the left margin.
And also tomme trewe tonge  telle me no tales
Ne lesynge to lawȝe of  for I loued hem neuere /
SetteM.4.19: All other B manuscripts except F begin the line with And. M's omission of the word agrees with the A text. my sadel vpon suffre . tyl I se my tyme
M.4.20KD.4.21
And lete warrok it wel  with witty wordes gerthes
And hange on hym þe heuy bridul . to holde his hed lowe
For he wol make wehe . twye er he be þere .
fol. 16rI
iiijus passus
Thanne Conscience vpon his . caple . kaireth forth faste
M.4.24KD.4.25
And resoun with hym ritte  rownynge to-g.idres
Whiche maistries Mede . makeþ on þis erthe .
Oon waryn wisdom  and witt.y his fere
Folwed hem faste  for heM.4.27: M's reading of he is not shared by other B manuscripts, most of which read þei. h....eadde to doone
M.4.28KD.4.29
In þe chekkere and chauncerie  to be deschargede of þinges .
And riden faste for resoun shulde  rede hem þe beste
For to saue hem for siluer  from shame and from harmes
And Conscience knewe hem wel  þei louede coueitise
M.4.32KD.4.33
And bad resoun ride faste . and recche of here neyþere
Þere arne wiles in h...ire wordes  and with Mede þei dwelleth
Þere as wratthe and wrangelynge is  þere wynne þei syluer .
Ac þere is loue and lewte  þei wol not come þere .
M.4.36KD.4.36α
Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum & cetera
Þei ne g.yuen nouȝte of god  on gose wynge .
Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum
For wot god þei wolde do more  for a dosein of Chikenes
M.4.40KD.4.38.1
Or as many Capouns  or for a seem of Otes
Þanne — for loue of oure lorde  or alle his leue seint..es
For-þi resoun l..eat hem ride  þo Riche by hem-seluene
For Conscience knoweth hem nouȝte . ne Crist as I trowe
M.4.44KD.4.42
And þanne resoun ....rood faste  þe riȝte heiȝe weyeM.4.44: M's reading of weye is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read gate.
As Conscience hym kenn..ed . til þei come to þe kynge
# Rex obuiauit cum racione
Curteisly þe kynge þanne . come aȝein resoun
And bitwene hym-self and his sone . sette .. — hym on benche
M.4.48KD.4.46
And wordeden wel wysely . a gret while tog.idres
# conquestus est pax contra Iniuriam
And þanne come pees in-to parlement . and put forth a bille
How wro...eong aȝeins his will  had his wif taken
And h.how heM.4.51: The original reading may have omitted how, as F. rauysshede Rose . Re..ignaldes loue
M.4.52KD.4.50
And mMargreteM.4.52: It was evidently important to someone reviewing the text that the proper name begin with a capital letter. of hire maydonhoedeM.4.52: The form maydonhode has been altered to maydonhede, the reading of WCrF. . mawgre hire chek..es
Boþe my gees and my grys / his gadlinges .feccheth
I dar nouȝte for feere of hym . fiȝte ne Chide 
# the borowing off bayerd
He .......borwede of me bayard . he brouȝte h.ym home neue..re
M.4.56KD.4.54
..Ne no ........ferthyng þerefore  for nouȝte I coude plede
He mainteigneth his men . to morthere my...?...ne hewenM.4.57: For rewritten hewen RF have hennes.
cor
fol. 16vI
Forstalleth my feires . and fiȝteth in my chepinge
And breketh vp myn berne dore . and bereth awey my whete
M.4.60KD.4.58
And taketh me but a taille . for ten quartereM.4.60: M shares the reading quarter with Cr. Kane and Donaldson record the erased letter as <s>, which would agree with the form in all other B manuscripts, but the letter seems clearly to be an <e>. Ot.es
And ȝyet he beteth me þerto  and liiyth by my mayde .
I hnamM.4.62: M's revised reading, motivated by the otiose initial <h>, is shared with CL. nouȝt hardy for hym . vnnethe to loke
Þe kynge knewe he saide sothe . for conscience hym tolde .
M.4.64KD.4.62
Þat wronge was a wikked li..ftM.4.64: This use of lift puzzles the scribes, who write lust GBR, luske Cr, as well as wilder variants. and wrouȝte moche sorwe
Wronge was a-fer..ed þanne . and wisdome he souȝte
...To — make pees with his pens . heM.4.66: M's he agrees with F; other B manuscripts have and. proferede hym manye
And saide hadde IM.4.67: M's original reading without I agreed with F. loue of my lorde þe kynge  litul wolde I recche
M.4.68KD.4.66
Theiȝe pees and his powere  playnede hym euere
# wyt & warin wisdom
Þo w....enteM.4.69: The altered word brings M into line with most B manuscripts, though LR read wan, and CBoCot read whan. w..isdome . and sire warin þe witty
For þat wronge had y-wrouȝte . so wikkede a dede
And warned wronge þo . with suche a w..ys tale .
M.4.72KD.4.70
Whoso worcheþ by my wille . wratthe makeþ ofte
I seie it by ..myM.4.73: M's altered reading my agrees with most B manuscripts. YOC2LRF read thy.-self . þou shalt it wel fynde .
But ȝif Mede it make  þi meschief is vppe
For bothe þi lif and þi lond  lith in his grace .
M.4.76KD.4.74
Þanne wowede wronge . wisdome ful ȝyerne
#
To make hisM.4.77: M's original reading without his agreed with WH. pees with his pens  handi-dandi payede
Wisdom and witte  þanne wenten to-g.idres
And tooken m..yede myd hem  mercy to wynne .
M.4.80KD.4.78
Pees put forth his hede  and his panne blody
With-outen gilte god it wot . gat I þis skaþe
Conscience and þe comune . knowen þe sothe
Ac wysdom and wittyM.4.83: M's reading witty is not attested in other B manuscripts, which read wit. . weren abouten faste
M.4.84KD.4.82
To ouercome þe kynge . with catel ȝif þei miȝte
Þe kynge swo..or by crist . and by his crowne boþe
Þat wronge for his werkes . shulde wo þolie
And comaunded a Conestable  to caste hym in yrens
M.4.88KD.4.86
And lete hym nouȝt  þis seuen ȝyere seen his fe..et ones .
God wot quod wysdom  þat were nouȝt þe beste
And he ...?...amendes mowe make . lat meymprise hym haue .
cor
And be borwe for his bale
cor
ijus
fol. 17rI
iiijus passus
And be borwe for his bale . and biggen hym bote
M.4.92KD.4.90
And so amende þat is mysdo . and euer-more þe bett..re
# notaM.4.93: This paragraph is marked with lines in the right margin.
Wit. accord.ed hereM.4.93: M's reading here is unattested among other B manuscripts, which read þer.-wiþ . and saide þe same
Bett..re is þat b...ote . bale a-doun bringe
Þan bale be y-bet.ee . and bote neuer þe bett..re
M.4.96KD.4.94
And þanne gan mMede to mongenM.4.96: M's reading of mongen is not shared by other B manuscripts. The majority reading is mengen. here . and mercy she bisouȝte M.4.96: This paragraph is marked with a bracket.
nota
And profred pees a present . al of pure golde .
Haue þis man of me quod she  to amende þi skaþe .
For I wol wage for wronge  he wol do so namore
M.4.100KD.4.98
Pitousely pees þanne . praide to þe kynge
To haue mercy on þat man . þat mysd...?...ide hym ofteM.4.101: It is likely that the original reading was him so ofte as in most B manuscripts. Only G shares M's omission of so, though it is the reading of A manuscripts. Here there are apparently two correctors at work. The first is responsible for ide hi, while a second has altered the second <i> to <y> and added <m> for hym. .
For heM.4.102: M alone among B manuscripts lacks haþ at this point. waged me wel . as wisdome hym tauȝte
And I for....giue him þat gilte . with a gode wille
M.4.104KD.4.102
So þat þe kynge assente  I can seie no bett..re
For mMede haþ made me amendes . I canM.4.105: M's reading of can is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read may. no more axen .
nota
Nay quod þe kynge þo . so me crist helpe
Wronge wendeth not so away . arst wil I wite more
# Bene Iudicatus est Rex
M.4.108KD.4.106
For loupe he so liȝtly . lawghen he wolde
And efte þe balder be . to beten myn hynen
But resoun haue reuthe on him . he shal reste in my stokkus .
And þat as longe as he liueþ . but lowenesse hym borwe
M.4.112KD.4.110
Summe men redde Resoun  toM.4.112: The reading to is shared with H. Other B manuscripts have þo to. ruweM.4.112: M's reading of ruwe is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read have ruþe. on þat shrewe
And for to concseille þe kynge . and connscience aft.er
Þat Mede moste be mainpernour . resoun þei bisouȝte
Rede me nouȝte quod resoun . no reuthe to haue
# optime dicit Racio
M.4.116KD.4.114
Til lord.es and ladies . louen alle truthe .
And haten al harlotrie . to heren itM.4.117: M's revised reading agrees with WHmCrG. Other B manuscripts have heren it. or to mouthe it
#
M.4.118-125: These lines are marked with a bracket in the right margin.
Til pernels purfil . be put in here hucche .
And Children cherisshinge  be chastinge with ȝyerd.es .
M.4.120KD.4.118
And harlotes holinesse . be holden for an hyne .
Til clerken coueitise be  to clothe poreM.4.121: The reading pore is shared with Hm. Other B manuscripts have þe pore. and fede .
And religious rom.eres . Recordare in hire cloistres .
As seint Bernard hem bad . BeneteM.4.123: All other B manuscripts have the names Bernard and Benet in the other order. and Fraunceis
M.4.124KD.4.122
And til prechours prechinge  be preuede on hem-seluen
Til þe kynges concseille . be þe comune profit .
fol. 17vI
Til bisshopes baiardes . be beggers chambres
Hire haukes and hire houndes . helpe to pore Religious
M.4.128KD.4.126
And til seint Iames be souȝte . þere I shal assigne
Þat no man go to Galis . but ȝif he go for euere
And alle Rome renneres  for robbers of biȝende
Bere no siluere ouere see  þat signe of kynge sheweþ
M.4.132KD.4.130
Neithur graue ne vngraue  gold neith.er siluer.
Vpon forfeture of þat fee  whoso fynt him at Douere
But it be marchaunt or his man  or messagere with lettres
Prouisour or preest  or penaunt for his synn..es
M.4.136KD.4.134
And ȝyet quod Resoun by þe Rode  I shal no reuthe haue
Whil Mede haþ þe maistrie . in þis mote halle
Ac I may shewe emsamples  as I se othere-while
I saie it by my-self quod he  and it so were
M.4.140KD.4.138
That I were kynge with crowne  to kepen a reume .
Shulde neuere wronge in þis worlde . þat I .wyte miȝte
Ben vnpunisshede in my powere . for peril of my soule
Ne gete my grace for gift.es . so me god saue .
M.4.144KD.4.142
Ne for no mede haue mercy  but mekenesse it make .
nota
For nullum malum þe man . mette with inpunitum
And bad nullum bonum . be irremuneratum .
Lat ȝyoure confessour sire kynge . construe þis vnglos.ed
# quod lex laborabit & lede a-Feld dong
M.4.148KD.4.146
And ȝif ȝye werken it in werke . I wedde myn eres .
Þat lawe shal ben a laborer . and lede a-fielde donge
And loue shal lede þi londe  as þe lief likeþ .
Clerkes þat were confessours . coupled hem to-gedres .
M.4.152KD.4.150
Alle to construe þis clause . for þe kynges Profit
Ac nouȝte for conforte of þe comune  ne for þe kynges soule
For I seiȝe Mede in þe moothalle . on men of lawe wynken
And þay lawghynge lope to hire . and lafte resoun manye
M.4.156KD.4.154
Waryn wisdome . wynkede vpon mede .
And saide ma-dame I am .youre man . what so my mouthe iangeleth
I ...?...failleM.4.158: M's altered reading faille agrees with Cr. Hm also alters the word to fayle. Most B manuscripts read falle in, and an erased in is likely here. Flor.ynes quod þat freyke . and faille speche ofte .
fol. 18rI
iiijus passus
¶ Alle riȝtful recorded . þat resoun truthe tolde
M.4.160KD.4.158
And witte accord.ed here-withM.4.160: M's reading of her-with is not shared by other B manuscripts, which read þerwith. . and comend.ed his word.es
And þe mooste p.eple in þe halle . and manye of þe grete
And leten mekenesse a maister . and Mede a mansud shrewe
nota
Loue le..et of hire liȝte . and lewte ȝyet lasse
M.4.164KD.4.162
And saide it so heiȝe . þat alle þe halle it herde
Whoso wilneþ hire to wif  for welthe of hire god.es
But he be knowe for a cokewolde  kutte of my nose .
Mede mournede þo  and made heuy chere .
# þat mede is Callyd a hore
M.4.168KD.4.166
For þe mooste comune of þe courte callud hire an hore
Ac a sisoure and a sompnorur  suwed hire faste
And a shireues clerke  bishrewed al þe route .
For ofte haue I quod sheM.4.171: M's original he agrees with FH. Hm also alters he to she.  holpe .yow at the ba...rre
M.4.172KD.4.170
And ȝyet ȝyeue ȝye me neuere  þe worth of a russhe
The kynge called conscience . and aft.erwardes resoun
And recorded þat resoun  had riȝtfulliche shewed.e .
And modiliche vpon mede  with miȝte þe kynge loked
M.4.176KD.4.174
And gan waxe wroth with lawe . for mede . hadde almoosteM.4.176: All other B manuscripts except Y reverse the order of hadde almoost. shent it .
And saide þorwgh ȝyoure lawe as I leue . I lese many chetes
Mede ouermaistreth lawe . and mochul truþe letteþ
Ac resoun shal rekene with ȝyow  ȝif I regne any while .
M.4.180KD.4.178
And deme ȝyow by þis day . as ȝye han deseruede
Mede shal nouȝt mainprise ȝyow . by þe marie of heuene
I wil haue lewte in lawe . and lette al ȝyowre iangelinge
And as mos..ost folk wittnesseth wel . wronge shal be demed
M.4.184KD.4.182
Quod conscence to þe kynge . but þe comune wil assente
It is ful harde by myn hede  herto to bringe it .
Alle ȝyoure lige leodes . to lede þus euene
By hym þat rauȝte on þe Rode  quod resoun to þe kynge
M.4.188KD.4.186
But ȝif I rule þus ȝyowre rewme  rende out my gutt.es
....If ye bidden buxomn....sse buxomn....[e]sse ben of myn assent
And I assente .....seithM.4.190: B manuscripts vary considerably at this point between quod and various forms of seith. þe kynge  by seinte marie my lady
Be my conseill .ycomen  of clerk.es and of erles .
fol. 18vI
M.4.192KD.4.190
Ac redily resoun  þow shalt nouȝt ride from me
x
For as longe as I l.yue . lete þe I nille
I am aredy quod resoun . to reste with ȝyow euere
So connscience be of ȝyowreM.4.195: M and C2 agree in reading yowre, corrected from ȝowre in M; all other B manuscripts have oure, except for H which has my. The majority of A manuscripts have ȝour. conseille . I kepe no bett.rere
M.4.196KD.4.194
And I graunte quod þe kynge . god forbede it falile
As longe as ȝowreM.4.197: All B manuscripts read oure. lif lasteth . lyue we to g.idres
MED