fol. 85r (cont.)I
passus
xvus
Passus xvjusxv[ij]usquintus
decimus[septimus] decimus de
visione vt supra . —
—
R.17.0: An early user
has attempted to correct the scribal passus number (which is now undercounted by two) by
adding a single red <j> after the <v> of the heading.
To reule alle reumes þere-withR.17.3:
In place of alpha's þer(e)-with, the beta copies read with; Cx, however, agrees with alpha. I bere þe
writ here .
R.17.4KD.17.4
R.17.4:
There is no cc in the margin because there would have been no space for a
paraph marker anyway (the passus initial extends down beyond this line in the left
margin). Is it aseled I seyde may men se þi lettres .
Here there is another erased note, in the right margin, written horizontally in a sprawling
style that spreads, at its top, over into the ruled area of the page; the note extends for
some four lines and appears to be in the same fifteenth-century hand as that found on fol.
94r.
And whan it is aseled so sathanas power schal last no lenger . Here alpha must have merged two lines from Bx into one. However, as the lines survive in the extant copies, they differ
considerably not only between alpha and beta witnesses but between R and F as well. Beta
manuscripts read:
And whan it is asseled so I wote wel þe sothe
Þat Lucyferes lordeship laste shal no lenger.
RF and beta essentially agree on the initial a-verse of this pair, but then R supplies a unique b-verse followed by a hypometrical line: And þus my lettre meneth. By contrast, F reads these two lines as follows:
& whan it ys / a-selyd soo / sathenas haþ lost his power
& þus myn lettre meneþ / men mowe knowe yt.
W. W. Skeat, The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, EETS, OS 38 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1869): 416, proposed that RF's exemplar must have read:
And when it is aseled so Sathanas power
Schal last no lenger and þus my lettre meneth.
And whan it is asseled so I wote wel þe sothe
Þat Lucyferes lordeship laste shal no lenger.
RF and beta essentially agree on the initial a-verse of this pair, but then R supplies a unique b-verse followed by a hypometrical line: And þus my lettre meneth. By contrast, F reads these two lines as follows:
& whan it ys / a-selyd soo / sathenas haþ lost his power
& þus myn lettre meneþ / men mowe knowe yt.
W. W. Skeat, The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, EETS, OS 38 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1869): 416, proposed that RF's exemplar must have read:
And when it is aseled so Sathanas power
Schal last no lenger and þus my lettre meneth.
R.17.8KD.17.9
And þus my lettre meneth R.17.8: Beta omits this line, and R has truncated it. Cf. F, whose b-verse reads men mowe knowe yt alle.R.17.8: Although the line following this one is marked
in the margin with cc as a separate paragraph, the scribe does not follow
his usual practice of skipping a line between strophes. It is impossible to know why he
departed from his custom here, but he may have been troubled by his exemplar's wasteful
attitude toward parchment in this part of the poem, where strophes tend to be very short,
indicating only a change of speakers in a rapidly shifting dialogue.
Where-on wasR.17.11:
L joins alpha in reading a singular; the other beta copies have were(n).
Cx agrees with LRF on this point. writen to wordes on
þis wise Iglosed .
Þis was þe tixte treweli I toke ful gode gomeR.17.13:
For R's gome, beta shows ȝeme while F reads keepe. Although both of the latter forms appear in C
manuscripts, it seems clear that Cx agrees with R's gome. .
Þe glose was gloriousliche I-writeR.17.14:
Cf. F's wrete and beta's writen. Though some C manuscripts show write, it appears that Cx agrees with beta's writen. with a
gulte penne .
In hijs duobus
pendet tota lex & prophetia .R.17.15: F reads this citation as
In hijs duobus mandatis tota lex pendet & prophete. Most
beta copies agree. However, Cx basically agrees with R's form of the
citation, though the X family reads (pe)pendit.
R.17.16KD.17.17
¶ Is here alle þi lordes lawes quod I ȝe lef meR.17.16:
After me beta adds wel. However, Cx agrees with alpha in omitting this word. he seyde .
And who-so wercheth after my witR.17.17:
R's my wit is unique; F, beta, and Cx agree on þis writte. I wole vndertaken .
Lo here in my lappe þat leued ofR.17.22:
R's of is unique; the other B manuscripts read on. þat charme .
R.17.24KD.17.25
AndR.17.24:
Beta copies begin this line with the phrase Ȝe and. sexti
thousand by-side forth þat be nauȝt senyne here .
fol. 85vI
And hath saued þat bileuethR.17.30:
Here F reads byleve, so alpha presumably had a present-tense form (but the
Introduction III.2.2.10 on the pervasively
problematic <-th> tense marking of the alpha tradition); beta, on the other hand, reads
bileued. Although six C manuscripts (five from the P family) agree with
R's reading, Cx supports beta. so and sori for
here synnes .
R.17.32KD.17.33
What neded it þanne a newe lawe to bringeR.17.32:
In place of alpha's bringe, beta reads bigynne. Cx's reading agrees with alpha. .
And sitth riȝt as my-selue
so louye alle poeple .R.17.37: Following this line, both R and F omit eleven
lines of text present in the beta manuscripts:
Þe gome þat goth with o staf he semeth in gretter hele
Þan he þat goth with two staues to syȝte of vs alle
And riȝte so by þe Rode resoun me sheweth
It is lyȝter to lewed men a lessoun to knowe
Þan for to techen hem two and to harde to lerne þe leest
It is ful harde for any man on abraham byleue
And welawey worse ȝit for to loue a shrewe
It is liȝtor to leue in þre louely persones
Þan for to louye and lene as wel lorelles as lele
Go þi gate quod I to spes so me god helpe
Þo þat lerneth þi lawe wil litel while vsen it.
Þe gome þat goth with o staf he semeth in gretter hele
Þan he þat goth with two staues to syȝte of vs alle
And riȝte so by þe Rode resoun me sheweth
It is lyȝter to lewed men a lessoun to knowe
Þan for to techen hem two and to harde to lerne þe leest
It is ful harde for any man on abraham byleue
And welawey worse ȝit for to loue a shrewe
It is liȝtor to leue in þre louely persones
Þan for to louye and lene as wel lorelles as lele
Go þi gate quod I to spes so me god helpe
Þo þat lerneth þi lawe wil litel while vsen it.
R.17.40KD.17.52
RydenR.17.40:
Cf. F's Rydende and beta's Rydynge. Cx shows the same form as beta. ful rapely þe riȝt weye we
ȝeden
ComyndeR.17.41:
R's Comynde is a unique present-participle form here; most B copies, including F, read Comynge. Cx agrees
with the predominant B form. fram a contre þat men
called iherico .
Bothe þe heraud and hope and he mette at ones . id est
christus .R.17.43: This Latin phrase is in the scribal hand and
appears to have been mistaken by R for part of the poem's text although it is clearly an
early gloss. Presumably, it derives from Bx since the Laud scribe also
reproduces the same gloss and reacts to it with confusion, placing it very close to his ruled
text and only halfway as far to the right as the position usually allocated in his copy for
marginal notes. The same gloss and ambiguous placement occurs in M.
And as naked as a nedle and noen helpe aboute .R.17.47: Alpha's helpe aboute(n) is supported by the best X family
copies of the C version, but a majority of C
manuscripts agrees with beta's helpe aboute hym.
He liȝtte a-doun
of liard and ladde hym in his handesR.17.55:
Beta has hande. Cx's reading, like alpha's, is
plural. .
R.17.56KD.17.68
And with þatR.17.56:
R's with þat is unique; the other B copies all show
to þe. Cx reads to this.
weye he wente his woundes to beholde .
fol. 86rI
And parceyued inR.17.57:
R's in is unique; the other B copies read bi. Cx agrees with the B
majority. his pous he was in peril to deye .
And but ȝif he hadde recourereR.17.58: L agrees
exactly with R's recourere, but cf. F's recure and the
common beta form, recouerer. The majority of C
manuscripts agrees with beta. þe rathere þat rise
schulde he neuere .
And breyde to his boteles and bothe he atamede .R.17.59: This line is omitted by beta. F's variants for this line include He breyded for R's And breyde and hem
tamede for R's atamede. Cx revises the a-verse
but agrees with R for the b-verse.
R.17.72KD.17.84
And spes
sparklicheR.17.72:
Beta reads spaklich. Both the beta and alpha forms are presumably
misreadings of Bx's sprakliche, in which the r was inscribed as a superscripted loop. hym spedde spede
ȝif he miȝte .
And sewed þeR.17.75:
For alpha's þe beta has þat; Cx
agrees with alpha. samaritan þat was so ful of pite .
May no medecyn vnderR.17.82:
In place of alpha's vnder beta reads on; Cx agrees with alpha. molde þe man to hele brynge .
And beR.17.85:
Beta manuscripts all add he; LWHm = be he while the
others read he be. bathed in þat blode baptized as it were
.
And þanne plastered with penaunce and þeR.17.86:
Beta copies omit þe. The metrics of the beta version, which thus avoids
two strong dips in the b-verse, is liklier to be authorial. passion of þat baby .
fol. 86vI
R.17.92KD.17.104
And þi-selue nowe and
suche þatR.17.92: F and nearly all beta manuscripts here read as.
sewen oure werkes .
¶ For outlawe is inR.17.93: For alpha's outlawe is in, beta reads outlawes in. þe wode and vnder banke lotyeth .
R.17.96KD.17.108
For he halt hym hardier an horse þan he þat is a-fote .R.17.96: Only L agrees with R's a-fote; most other B witnesses, including F, attest on foote .
For he seithR.17.97:
R's seith is an alpha reading (although a few beta copies concur); beta's
reading is seigh . me þat am samaritan sewen faith and his
felawe .
He was vn harlotR.17.99:
R's vn harlot is obviously defective; cf. F's reading, but
an harlot, with the beta reading that almost certainly reflects Bx: vnhardy þat harlot. & hud hym in inferno .
O mors ero mors tua . &cetera .R.17.103: This line appears only in alpha, and F alone continues the
quotation with morsus tuus ero inferne. Alford, Piers
Plowman: A Guide to the Quotations, notes that this O antiphon is "sung during Holy
Week (e.g. Brev. 1:dcclxxxii, dccci), based on Osee 13:14 (Cf. 1
Cor. 15:55)" (107). Hereafter, alpha omits a dozen lines attested in beta witnesses between
R17.103 and 104:
And þanne shal feith be forester here and in þis fritth walke
And kennen out comune men þat knoweth nouȝte þe contre
Which is þe weye þat ich went and wherforth to iherusalem
And hope þe hostelleres man shal be þere þe man lith an helynge
And alle þat fieble and faynt be þat faith may nouȝt teche
Hope shal lede hem forth with loue as his lettre telleth
And hostel hem and hele þorw holicherche bileue
Tyl I haue salue for alle syke and þanne shal I retourne
And come aȝein bi þis contree and confort alle syke
Þat craueth it or coueiteth it and cryeth þereafter
For þe barne was born in bethleem þat with his blode shal saue
Alle þat lyueth in faith and folweth his felawes techynge.
And þanne shal feith be forester here and in þis fritth walke
And kennen out comune men þat knoweth nouȝte þe contre
Which is þe weye þat ich went and wherforth to iherusalem
And hope þe hostelleres man shal be þere þe man lith an helynge
And alle þat fieble and faynt be þat faith may nouȝt teche
Hope shal lede hem forth with loue as his lettre telleth
And hostel hem and hele þorw holicherche bileue
Tyl I haue salue for alle syke and þanne shal I retourne
And come aȝein bi þis contree and confort alle syke
Þat craueth it or coueiteth it and cryeth þereafter
For þe barne was born in bethleem þat with his blode shal saue
Alle þat lyueth in faith and folweth his felawes techynge.
¶ Þe fader was furst as a fust with o fynger folden .R.17.118: In place of RF's folden, beta reads foldynge .
Til hym leuedR.17.119: Cf. F's lyþed and beta's loued. Cx reads likede. and luste to vnlosen
his fynger .
R.17.120KD.17.143
And proferedR.17.120: Beta has the infinitive profre. Though several C manuscripts support beta's reading, Cx agrees with
alpha. it forth as with a paume to what place it schulde .
fol. 87rI
AndR.17.127:
And (and the rest of this defective line) is almost certainly from alpha;
beta more plausibly has Þat toched and tasted atte techynge of þe paume.
In attempting to salvage the a-verse, F completely rewrites it as &
þorghȝ towchyng & tastyng. Cx reads the entire line as
beta does, except for the initial That, which is omitted. touched
and tasted and techynge of þe paume .
R.17.128KD.17.151
Seinte marie a maydenR.17.128: The other B copies read mayde.
Although a majority of the C manuscripts also read mayde, the best X family witnesses agree with R on mayden.
and man-kende lauȝte . —
Þe fader is þanne as fusteR.17.130: The other B manuscripts all read as a fust. with fynger to thoucheR.17.130: Kane-Donaldson transcribe R's thouche as chouche, but there is no warrant for this transcription—nonsensical in context,
as opposed to an idiolectal spelling of the expected word—since the R scribe on this
same page frequently executes his t with a negligible ascender indistinct
from his c. .
Þus ar þei alle but one as it a fustR.17.133: For alpha's a fust, beta reads an
hande. Cx agrees with beta. were .
And aren surleps bi hem-sulue
a-sondry were neuere .R.17.146: L agrees with RF's reading; in the other beta witnesses, the
final b-verse phrase reads were þei neuere.
Namore þan may an handR.17.147: For alpha's may an hand, beta reads myn
hande may. meue with-outen fyngres .
Other-wise þan þe writenR.17.157: Y
originally shared R's erroneous writen but was corrected. Several C copies also share R's reading. F's wrytynge is
probably an attempt to make sense of the alpha error reflected in R. Cf. beta's wrythen, which must have been the reading of Bx. Cx agrees with beta's reading. fuste or werkman-schepe of fyngres .
fol. 87vI
For þe paume hath powere to pultR.17.158: R's pult is a rare verb (= ModE thrust
) but is likelier to be the Bx form than is beta's put or F's pittyn. Most C manuscripts agree
with the B majority on putte, but the most reliable X
family manuscripts agree with R. oute þe ioyntesR.17.158: Where alpha reads þe ioyntes, beta has alle
þe ioyntes. Among the C witnesses, only manuscript N (which shows
massive evidence throughout of having been proofed—and contaminated—by a beta
manuscript) agrees with beta on this phrasing. .
And to vnfolde þe fust for hym it bilongeth .R.17.159:
Cx agrees exactly with R's version of this b-verse, but F renders it as
for it to hym longeþ. Beta omits this b-verse (KD17.179b) as well as the
next line (KD17.180) and a following half-line (KD17.181a), probably because of eyeskip on
fust.
R.17.160KD.17.180
And receyue þat þe fyngres recheth and refuse bothe .R.17.160: This line, omitted by beta, is rendered with slight differences
in F: & to receyve þat þe fyngris reche & to refuse boþe. Cx's version of this line exactly agrees with R until the end of the
b-verse, where bothe is replaced by yf hym
liketh.
Þan is þe sire
orR.17.163: Cf. beta's and. Though some C
manuscripts agree with with beta, it is clear that Cx agrees with
alpha's or. þe sone and in þe same miȝte .
Al is itR.17.166: Beta omits it. Some C manuscripts agree with beta's omission, but the majority, including the best X
family copies, agree with alpha in including it. but an hande how so I turne it .R.17.166: Following this line, for no apparent reason, the R scribe fails to insert
his customary blank line between verse strophes.
R.17.172KD.17.192
¶ Were þe myddel of myn hand ymaymed other
ypersed .R.17.172: R's other ypersed is unique. F omits the entire line. The
other B manuscripts agree in reading or for R's other, but they offer a variety of verb forms: yperissed
(WC), peris(s/c)hed (MCrHm), and ypersshed
(L).
By this kile[s]kile
he seydeR.17.178: For alpha's he seyde, beta reads me
þynkeþ, which fails in alliteration. Cx revises skile to simile but agrees with alpha on the following
words: he saide. I se an euydence
Qui peccat in spiritu
sancto numquam &cetera . .R.17.181: F omits this citation, and the beta copies
omit numquam. The C manuscripts here agree
with beta.
¶ For to a torche or to a tapereR.17.187: Alpha's a-verse reads For to a . . . or to a . .
., while beta has And to a . . . or a . . .. Cx
agrees with alpha. þe trinite is likned
And as wex and wyke and warmeR.17.190: R's warme is shared with F alone; cf. the
non-alliterating beta variant, hote. Cx agrees with
alpha. fere to-gyderes .
fostren forth amonges folkR.17.192: These boxed
catchwords are heavily cropped.
fol. 88rI
Þat alkynne cristene clensedeR.17.194: Both F and the beta copies read clenseth. Cx agrees with them. of synnes .
R.17.200KD.17.220
Lel loue other lif þat oure lorde schupte .R.17.200: R's schupte is a unique preterite form among the B manuscripts, whose
typical form is shapte; but schupte is uniformly
attested in C copies.
After this line, R and F omit twenty-seven lines found in the beta manuscripts:
And as glowande gledes gladieth nouȝte þis werkmen
Þat worchen & waken in wyntres niȝtes
As doth a kex or a candel þat cauȝte hath fyre & blaseth
Namore doth sire ne sone ne seynt spirit togyderes
Graunteth no grace ne forȝifnesse of synnes
Til þe holi goste gynne to glowe and to blase
So þat þe holygoste gloweth but as a glede
Tyl þat lele loue ligge on hym & blowe
And þanne flaumbeth he as fyre on fader & on filius
And melteth her myȝte into mercy as men may se in wyntre
Ysekeles in eueses (or euesynges) þorw hete of þe sonne
Melteth in a mynutwhile to myst & to watre
So grace of þe holygoste þe grete myȝte of þe trinite
Melteth into mercy to mercyable & to non other
And as wex withouten more on a warme glede
Wil brennen & blasen be þei togyderes
And solacen hem þat may se þat sitten in derkenesse
So wole þe fader forȝif folke of mylde hertes
Þat reufulliche repenten & restitucioun make
In as moche as þei mowen amenden & payen
And if it suffice nouȝte for assetz þat in suche a wille deyeth
Mercy for his mekenesse wil make good þe remenaunte
And as þe weyke and fyre wil make a warme flaumbe
For to myrthe men with þat in merke sitten
So wil cryst of his curteisye and men crye hym mercy
Bothe forȝiue & forȝete & ȝet bidde for vs
To þe fader of heuene forȝyuenesse to haue.
After this line, R and F omit twenty-seven lines found in the beta manuscripts:
And as glowande gledes gladieth nouȝte þis werkmen
Þat worchen & waken in wyntres niȝtes
As doth a kex or a candel þat cauȝte hath fyre & blaseth
Namore doth sire ne sone ne seynt spirit togyderes
Graunteth no grace ne forȝifnesse of synnes
Til þe holi goste gynne to glowe and to blase
So þat þe holygoste gloweth but as a glede
Tyl þat lele loue ligge on hym & blowe
And þanne flaumbeth he as fyre on fader & on filius
And melteth her myȝte into mercy as men may se in wyntre
Ysekeles in eueses (or euesynges) þorw hete of þe sonne
Melteth in a mynutwhile to myst & to watre
So grace of þe holygoste þe grete myȝte of þe trinite
Melteth into mercy to mercyable & to non other
And as wex withouten more on a warme glede
Wil brennen & blasen be þei togyderes
And solacen hem þat may se þat sitten in derkenesse
So wole þe fader forȝif folke of mylde hertes
Þat reufulliche repenten & restitucioun make
In as moche as þei mowen amenden & payen
And if it suffice nouȝte for assetz þat in suche a wille deyeth
Mercy for his mekenesse wil make good þe remenaunte
And as þe weyke and fyre wil make a warme flaumbe
For to myrthe men with þat in merke sitten
So wil cryst of his curteisye and men crye hym mercy
Bothe forȝiue & forȝete & ȝet bidde for vs
To þe fader of heuene forȝyuenesse to haue.
¶ Ac hewe fuyr andR.17.201: For R's and, F reads on a and beta has
at a. The P family of C manuscripts reads of a at this point, but the X family agrees with beta.
flint foure hundreth wynter .
But þow haue taccheR.17.202: Beta has towe in place of alpha's tacche. Cx agrees with alpha. to take it with
tunder or broches .
And indulgences Inowe and be ingratR.17.211: R's ingrat is an alpha variant shared with F; cf. beta's
ingratus. At the end of this line, kynne is
likewise an alpha variant; beta reads kynde. On the first of these
variants, the C manuscripts split, with many P family copies supporting
alpha while the X family mainly supports beta. On the latter variant, Cx
clearly agrees with beta. to þi kynne .
For vnkendenesse qwenche hemR.17.213: The other manuscripts all read quencheth hym. The C manuscripts agree with the B majority.
þat he can nauȝt schine .
R.17.224KD.17.269
Of his mete and moneR.17.224: R's and mone is shared
only with Y (and monoie). F has a rewritten a-verse. LMC agree with the
best X family copies of C in reading & his moneye
while CrWHmG agree with the C majority in attesting and of
his moneie. to men þat it nedede .
fol. 88vI
Þe grace of þe holy goste godes owene kendeR.17.230: Cf. R's
kende (shared with F) to the beta form kynde. Cx shows the same form as beta. .
SynegenR.17.242: R's synegen is listed by
OED2, s. v.
sin (v.) as a variant of the infinitive form of sin for
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Cf. R.17.254:
below, where the past participle, syneged, is used, and R.18.223:, where synege occurs. MED,
s. v.
sinnen, offers a number of citations for synegen and
its inflected forms, but virtually all are from various Piers Plowman
manuscripts of all three versions (e.g., Laud 581, Hm 137, and Vernon). aȝeyne þe
seint spiriȝt assente to destruye .
R.17.244KD.17.289
How miȝte he aske mercy or any mercy hym helpe
.R.17.244:
This line is clearly attested by both R and F and probably descended unaltered from Bx. However, evidence for its attestation in beta is mixed: although it is
present in LMCr, it is not found in any other copies of the beta tradition.
And nouȝtR.17.255: This mistake is shared with F. The substitution, in alpha, of nowht for beta's (and Cx's) now probably
reflects confusion about a nowth spelling for now. am sori þatR.17.255: Here R and L alone omit I in the a-verse. L
leaves the line completely without a pronoun reference while R transposes the syntax by
moving the pronoun to the final phrase of the b-verse, uniquely reading I
agulte where the other copies all show agulte. Nevertheless, the
other B manuscripts also attest uncertainty about the pronoun's
placement, and about whether there is one I in the a-verse, or two. The
likeliest version of the line (which agrees with Cx) is W's: And now am I sory þat I so . þe Seint Spirit agulte. It seems probable, from
the massive confusion over I's placement, and its complete omission from
L, that it was a marginal addition in Bx. so þe seint
spiriȝt I agulte .
¶ Ȝus seyde þe samaritan so þow miȝtestR.17.258: R's þow miȝtest is an alpha variant; cf. beta's wel þow myȝte. repente .
Þat riȝtwisenesse toR.17.259: This is an alpha variant; cf. beta's þorw. Cx agrees with beta. repentance to reuthe miȝte turne
.
fol. 89rI
Eny creature
beR.17.261: R's be is an alpha reading; cf. beta's þat
is. Cx agrees with alpha.
coupblecoup[a]ble by-for a kynges iustice .
Be raunsouned for hisR.17.262: After his, R completely lacks the second stave of the
a-verse, probably because alpha was already corrupt. Beta reads repentaunce; F's gilt is unique. It is characteristic of F to have
attempted to make sense of a defective exemplar. Cx's reading here
agrees with beta. þere al resoun hym dampneth .
For þere þat partie pursueth þe peelR.17.263: L supports the RF reading here; most beta copies have peple; Cx supports the LRF lection, reading apeel. is so huge .
Drede of desperacioun dryueth a-weye þanne grace . These lines are attested only in alpha. F's version of these lines
differs from R's as follows: (1) for R's Drede, F reads & drede; (2) for R's dryueth a weye þanne, F reads þanne dryveþ a-wey. The P family of C agrees with R on
the first of these variants and with F on the second. The X family offers several unique
variants, including the opening phrase, Som drede and the omission of away later in the line.
Misericordia dominiR.17.275: R's domini is attested only by RF; the beta
copies have eius. Cx agrees with
beta. super omnia opera eius .
R.17.276KD.17.319
Ac ar his riȝtwisnesse to reuthe turne
sum restitucion by-houeth .R.17.276: Hereafter alpha omitted
a single line from Bx attested by beta manuscripts:
His sorwe is satisfaccioun for hym þat may nouȝte paye. The C version attests a revised version of this line.
His sorwe is satisfaccioun for hym þat may nouȝte paye. The C version attests a revised version of this line.
¶ Thre thynges there ben þat dothR.17.277: L agrees
with alpha's doth; the form in the other beta manuscripts is doon. The grammar of this line is substantially revised in C, but
Cx reads doth. a man be strengthe .
R.17.280KD.17.324
Hire fere fleth hireR.17.280: Cf. beta's fleeth fro hyr. The P family of C manuscripts agrees with beta, but the X family mostly supports alpha's
reading. for fere of hire tonge .
For smoke and smolder smertethR.17.285: In place of alpha's smerteth, beta reads smyteth. Cx supports the alpha verb form. his eyȝes
.
Til heR.17.286:
Bx reads he be blereighed; R shares the omission of
be solely with Bm, whose corrector supplies the missing verb.
blereneyed or blinde and cowȝhe in þe throteR.17.286: R's and cowȝhe in þe throte suggests that alpha had
lost an alliterating stave. F has & a bold cowhe after. Beta witnesses
make sense but lose the alliterative pattern, reading and hors in þe
throte . In place of cowȝhe or hoors, Cx has borre, which probably was the authorial B version of this stave. .
HeR.17.287: F completely revises the a-verse (þan kenely he
curseþ) while beta omits the pronoun reference and begins this line with the verb, Cougheth; only G shares R's He, and the pronoun is added
in that copy in the margin. Cx reads as beta. kouȝeth and
corseth þat crist ȝeue hym sorwe .
¶ Þise thre þat I telle of þus benR.17.289: Alpha's þus ben is transposed in beta to ben þus. Cx agrees with alpha. vnderstonde .
Þe wif is oure wikked flesche wilR.17.290: At the head of this b-verse, R omits þat, which is found
in all other B copies. However, Cx agrees with R in
this omission. nauȝt be chasted .
n ijus
fol. 89vI
R.17.296KD.17.340
Ben siknesses and otherR.17.296: R's other is, among the extant B
copies, a unique addition to this line. However, the appearance of this same word at this
point in Cx indicates that other was probably
authorial in B also. sorwes þat we suffren ouȝteR.17.296: For alpha's obviously correct ouȝte, beta supplies
the easier oft. Many C manuscripts agree with beta's
reading, but the most reliable ones of both major families support the alpha reading.
.
Þat þei han resounR.17.301: For alpha's resoun (deficient in alliteration), beta
correctly reads cause. Cx agrees with beta. to
contrarie by kynde of here sikenesse .