The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 8: Cambridge, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.4.31 (G)

The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 8: Cambridge, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.4.31 (G) William Langland Edited by Judith Jefferson Technical Editor: Patricia Bart and Daniel Pitti Graduate Research Assistants Michael Blum, John Ivor Carlson, and Nancy Renwick Clendennon. Computer Consultants and Programmers Susan Gants, Worthy Martin, Daniel Pitti, Thornton Staples, and John Unsworth. The Medieval Academy of America Cambridge, MA ISBN: 0-472-00

Commercially available:

???? Cambridge, Cambridge University Library, MS Gg.4.31

late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: Cambridge, Cambridge University Library, MS Gg.4.31

Attribute Values br brown ink ab anglicana bastarda it italic lc Lombard Cap o[number] ornamented capital, N lines high rb rubricated tr touched in red tx textura ul underlined ur underlined in red gr green ink bl blue ink

Latin French German 30 Nov 2007 Gen. Ed. Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and corrections to file. hic incipit Petrus P ...... lowman de visione liber primus G.1.0: The two lines of the heading are bracketed together on the right. The script is more formal than that used in the body of the text and the heading may have been added by WH. See Introduction I.12. Compare finit ur visione m in the left hand margin on f.32 v

G.8.217.m.1. In G.1.1: The is in a different ink from that of the original transcription, and appears to have been added at the same time as the heading, and therefore probably by WH. See note to head. a someres somer seyson when soft was the sonne I shoope me In srowdes as I a shepe were In habyte as a heremyte vnholy off werk es went wyde yn thys world wonders to here & on a may mornyng on maluverne hyll es me befell a ferly off fayry In me thoght I was wery for -wandred & went me to rest vndre a brood bank by G.1.8: A virgule has been added to separate the words by and a, which were originally written without an intervening space. The ink used is very similar to that used for the to <v> changes and it therefore seems probable that this and other virgules may have been added by the original scribe (i.e. by hand1.1) as part of his later programme of corrections (see Introduction II.1.1 and II.1.1.3). a borne bornes syde and as I lay & leyned & loked vpon in on the waters I slomered In -to in a slepyng In G.1.10: The scribe altered In to Itt but then crossed through and rewrote as yt. yt sweyd so merye then gan I to meten a meruvelouvs sweuvene that I was In wyldernes wyst I neu ere where as I beheld In -to þe est on heygh to the sonne I seyghe a touvr on a toft tryelyche y -maked a depe dale byneth a dongeon thereynne wyth depe dychys & derke & dredefuvll off syght a fayre feld full off folke fond I þer -betwene off all man er off men þe meyne & þe ryche worchyng & wanderyng as þe world asketh some puvtten theym to to þe plogh / pleden pleyed G.1.20: The G Cr 1 reading pleden could be a form of "played" (the reading of remaining B manuscripts) with northern loss of the dipthong, but it could also be read as the present tense of the verb "to plead" (="wrangle"?). full selde In settyng & In sowyng swonken full harde And wynnen wonnen that wasters In with glotonye dystroyen some And some puvtten theym to pryde & appareled apparailed G.1.23: Though not recorded as a G variant by Kane and Donaldson, the ampersand is definitely present, bringing G's reading into line with that of F and H. See George Kane and E. Talbot Donaldson, eds, Piers Plowman. The B Version: Will's Visions of Piers Plowman, Do-Well, Do-Better and Do-Best. An Edition in the Form of Trinity College Cambridge MS B.15.17, Corrected and Restored from the Known Evidence, with Variant Readings , rev. ed. (London: Athlone Press; Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1988). No other B manuscripts read & appareled (all lack "and"). theym theraft er In covntenance off clothyng comen dysgysed In preyers & pennance puvtten þeim manye for þe Al for louve off ouvr lord lyuveden full streyte In hope to hauve aft er haue þ erafter haue to hyre haue heuven -rych blysse & As ankers & heremyt es þ at held holden þeim In þer sell es & couveten G.1.29: In addition to the alteration of to <v> in coueten, the loop of the first <e> has been re-outlined in brown ink. noght In contrey to cayren abowte G.1.29: Consideration of the scribe's usual practice suggests that the curl attached to the <t> of abowte is a residual <e> rather than an abbreviation mark. For no lycorouvs lyuvelod theyr G.1.30: The <r> of theyr is in slightly darker ink and may be a later addition. Note that it takes up most of the space between words and that the preceding <y> lacks the rising hairline stroke which normally precedes a following letter (compare the same word at G.1.34). lygham to please some And so mme chosen chaffere þei cheuvene þe better as ytt semyth to ouvr syght þ at suvch men thryuven and some myrthys to make as mynstrell es donne conneth & getten gold w yt h theyr glee / synnles I trowe leue G.1.34: The G H reading trowe (for remaining manuscripts leue) corresponds to that of Ax. butt As Ac Iapers & Ianguvlers Iuvdas chyldesren Feynen þem fantysyes & Fol es the m G.1.36: The minims here are ill-defined; it is possible that the scribe wrote theim rather than them, but the latter would be a more usual form for the G scribe. maken & hauve þer wytt att wyll to worche yff þei shuvld þ at paule preychyth off them I wyll nel prouve nought preue ytt here qui loquitur turpeloquiu m ys lucyfers hyne A bydders & beggers fast abovte yeyd Wyth þer belyes bely & þer bagg es obff bred G.1.41: The alteration from ob to off appears to have been made after the following word, bred, had already been written, since it uses up most of the space between the two words. fuvll cruv mmed ycrammed fast fayten Fayteden for þer fode fouvghten atte ale In glotonye god woot goo þei to bedde & rysen wyth rybawdye as tho roberd es knauves slepand slep and sorye slowthe shewyth seweth G.1.45:The G reading shewyth, shared with Cr 12 C, may be a genuine variant but note that, since the spellings <sh> and <s> are to some extent interchangeable in G, especially in the earlier sections of the text (see Introduction III.4.1), the G spelling here may represent seweth, as in most remaining B manuscripts. theym euver pylgri mmes & palmers plyghten þem to -gedder for to seke seynt Iame s and seynt es att rome þei went forth In þer way wyth many wyse tal es & had leuve for to lye all þer lyuvys lyf after I seygh some þ at seydon þ at they þei had soght ysouȝt seynt es to yche a tale þei þat þei told ther tong was temp ered to lye more þen to say soth / ytt semed by þer speche heremytes on a hepe wyth hoked stauvys wenten to walsyngam & þer wenchys after greyte lobyes & long þ at loth were to swynke clothed þem In copys to be knowen from other and shoopen theym heremytes theyre easse for to to hauve I G.1.58:This is one of the capitals which indicate the beginnings of chapters. See the corresponding summary in the Table of Contents at f.101 v

(the account of the second chapter of the first passus) and see also C. David Benson and Lynne S. Blanchfield, The Manuscripts of <title TEIform="title">Piers Plowman: the B-version (Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1997), 133. The large capital is presumably intended to replace the inline smaller capital. For large and decorated capitals at the beginnings of other chapters see Judith A. Jefferson, "Divisions, Collaborations and other topics: the table of contents in Cambridge University Library, MS Gg.4.31" in John A. Burrow and Hoyt N. Duggan, eds, Medieval Alliterative Poetry: Essays in Honour of Thorlac Turville-Petre (Dublin:Four Courts Press, 2010), 140-152, esp.141-44, and for evidence suggesting that the majority of such capitals may have been added by WH, see Jefferson, "Divisions", 148-50. This particular example, however, appears to have been added by the original scribe at the time of writing; presumably he recognised his error in failing to leave a space for a larger capital. I fond there freres all þe fouvre orders þ at preychend Preched þe pepole for profytt off theym -seluven & glosen & gloseden Glosed þe gospell as þem gode lykythe lyked For couvetes off copes co nstruved as it as þem lyked þei wolde many off thes masters mowe Freris mowe clothe theym att lykyng for þer money & m archandyce marchen to -gedders for sythe charyte was haþ be chapma n & chefe to s hryuve G.1.64: The first of these alterations (whereby sryue becomes shryue) appears to have been made by the original scribe and later re-outlined in brown ink. The faint mark of the original correction is still visible at the bottom of the tail of the <h>. Compare the similar - and also very faint - addition by the original scribe at G.1.89. lord es many farlyes hauve fallen In a fewe yer es but yff But holye chuvrche & they hold not holde better to -gedders þe most myscheyfe on mold ys mouvnyttyng vp vp wel wel G.1.67: G's reading vp for most manuscripts wel was originally shared by O. However, O adds wel to give vp wel, a reading shared with C 2. fast þer prechyd a p erdoner as he a prest were brouvght forth a bull wyth many with bysshop es seyll es & sayd þ at hym -selffe myght assoylen theym all off falsnes falshed & and of of fastyng & off a -wowes broken ybroken lewed men leuved hym hym wel & lyked hys word es comen vp knelyng to kyssen hys bull es he buvnched þem wyth hys breyuvett & bleyred theyre eyne & rauvght hym with hys ragma n ryng es & broches þus they gyuve n theym here gold glottuo ns to kepe & lenven louen beleven leneth G.1.77: In the case of G, the G Cr 12 reading leven results from the mistaken identification by the to <v> corrector (hand1.1) of the letter <n> as a (Most manuscripts read leneth). It seems possible that the reading in Cr 12 was taken from G or from a G-related manuscript; see Introduction II.2.1.2. ytt suvch losel es þ at leychyrye hawnten were þe bysshop ye blessed yblissed G.1.78: G misreads the y- past participle prefix as ye (cf. most manuscripts yblissed). For G's treatment of this prefix, see Introduction III.1. or and worth both hys yer es hys seyle shuvld not be sent to deceyue the poeple but Ac ytt ys noght butt by þe bysshope þ at þei þe both boy preychythe for þe peryche prest & þe p erdoner perten þe syluver that þe p erycyoners poraille of þe parisch pore porayle of þe parisch shuvld hauve yff they y ne were person es & p eryche prestes pleyned theym to the bysshop that theyr p erychys were pore syth the pestelence tyme to hauve a lycence & leuve att london to dwell & syngen there for symonye syluver for siluer ys so is swete bysshop es & bachelers both masters & doctor es that hauve cuvre vnder cryst and crownyng In tokne & sygne that they shuvlden s hryuve G.1.89: The ink of the <h> added to sryue to give shryue is paler than that of the rest of the word, but exactly the same colour as the <as> of masters two lines above, and the form corresponds to that used elsewhere by the original scribe. It therefore seems likely that the correction was made by the original scribe. See also G.1.64. theyr p erychynor es paroschienes preychen & preyen for theym & for and þe pore fede lyggen at london In lenten & ell es some seruven the kyng & hys syluver tellen In checker & In chau ncerye chalangen hys dett es off ward es & wardemot es weyuvys and streyuvys some And some s eruven as s eruvant es lord es & ladyes & yn þe in styd off stuverd es sytten & demen theyr messe & theyr matyns & many off þeir houvrs are done vndeuotelyche drede ys att þe last lest cryst In constorye constry Consistorie a -cuvrse full many I perceyuved off þe poyer þ at petuvr had to kepe to bynden & vnbynden as the boke tellyth how ~~þ at~~ he ytt laft wyth louve as ouvr lord hyght amongest fowre wertews best þe best off all wertuves that cardynal es bene called & ~~and~~ closyng gat es there cryst ys In kyngdome to close & to shette & to open ytt to them & heyuven blysse shewe but Ac off þe cardynal es att couvrte þ at kaught off that name & power presuvmed In theym a pope for to to make to hauve þ at power þ at petur had Impuvngen I nyll for In louve & letteruvre the electyon belongyth for -thy I can & can noght off þ at of þe of G.1.111: The brownish ink of added þ at appears to be the same as that used for the change from to <v> in the following word. couvrt speke more Then cam þer a ~~knyght~~ G.1.112: The original word replaced by kyng is unclear but the final <t> is visible. kyng knyg thode hym ledde myght off the comuvnes made hym to reynge ~~and~~then And þanne G.1.114: Kane and Donaldson do not record G then for most manuscripts And þanne as a variant. came kynd wytt & clerk es he made for to covncell þe kyng and the comuvne sauve the kyng & knyghthode and clargye bothe casten þ at the co munmv n e G.1.117: As far as it is possible to tell, the original G reading was co mune (as at G.1.115). However, the way the <v> has been written over the minims has obscured the <n>, making it necessary for the corrector to provide an abbreviation mark. shuvld theym -selfen hem-self fynd þ is Þe G.1.118: Kane and Donaldson do not record this as a variant, and, since the superscript letters are rather unclear, it is possible that the G scribe did in fact intend to write þe. co mmunv n e contryuved off kynd wytt craftes & for þe for profett off þe alle þe people plomen ordened to tyll & to trauvell as trew e G.1.120: Added <e> on trewe appears to be in the same ink as the alterations of to <v>. lyve askethe the kyng & þe comuvne & kynd wytt þe thyrd shop G.1.122: The loop of the <h> in shop has been enlarged in brown ink. law & loyalte ych man to know hys owen e G.1.122: The majority of B manuscripts have final <e>, but hand1's preferred form elsewhere is without -e. See G.5.157, G.6.595, G.7.86 etc., though note the forms with final <e> at G.17.190 and G.17.199. Note also the similar deletion at G.1.207, where it seems possible that the deleted letter may have been an <s>. This deletion is in black ink. then loked vp a luvnatyke a lelene G.1.123: As far as the deleted letters before lene are concerned, it is possible that the scribe originally wrote <ke>-, but it seems more likely that the first letter was an <l> but that the second letter, i.e. the <e>, may have been ill-formed, that an attempt has been made to correct it, and that this has been abandoned. thyng wyth -all & knelyng to þe kyng clargeally he sayde cryst kepe the syr kyng & the þi G.1.125: O originally had þe þi for G the, most manuscripts þi, but in O þe has been cancelled. M's reading þi results from correction. kyngryche and lene the leyde thy land So loyalte þe louve and for þi ryghtfull reuvllyng be rewarded In heyuvu n and sythen In þe eyre an heyht hiegh a angell off heyuven lowed todyd Lowed to G.1.129: In G's original reading ( lowed to, which is also the reading of most B manuscripts) lowed is a verb (="descended"). The alteration to lowed dyd results from misinterpretation of lowed as an adverb, something which also occurs in F, where the a-verse reads & lowhde spak in Latyn. speke In latyn for lewde men ne koude Iangle ne Iuvgge þ at Iuvstyfye theym shuold butt sufferen & s eruven forthy seyd the angell sum rex sum princeps neutrum fortasse deinceps O qui Iura regis cristi specialia regis hoc vt quod G.1.134: The G Hm reading vt (for most manuscripts quod) is also present in the C version. In Hm this reading appears as part of a long passage written over an erasure (this particular section is written by Hm's Hand3, who is also the Hm rubricator). See note to this line in Michael Calabrese, Hoyt N. Duggan and Thorlac Turville-Petre, eds, The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol.6: San Marino, Huntington Library MS HM 128 (Hm, Hm2) (Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer for SEENET and the Medieval Academy of America, 2008), and for further discussion of the relationship between Hm and G, see G's Introduction II.2.1.2. agas melius Iustus es esto pius nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate qualia vis metere talia grana sere si Ius nudatur nudo de Iure metatur si seritur pietas de pietate metas then greuved hym a golyerdes a gloton off word es & to the angell on heyhe answered after du m rex a regere dicatur nomen habere nomen habet sine re studeat nisi nisi studet G.1.142: In Hm the reading studeat nisi, which is shared with G (most manuscripts read nisi studet) appears over an erasure. Iura tenere then gan all þe co mmuvne crye In vers off latyn to the kyng es covncell constrewe wo -so wold precepta regis sunt nobis vincula legis wyth that ran there a rouvte off rattons att ons þe profycy & small myse w yt h theym mow then a thowsand off þe catt & comen to a covncell for the comuv n profytt For a catt off a covntrey courte come when hym lyked S G.1.150: The letter <S> is formed from a series of linked dots. This and similar marks enable the reader to find sections referred to in the table of contents. See f.101 v.

As Benson and Blanchfield point out ( Manuscripts, 132), the mark is referred to in this table, so it has clearly been added as part of the original preparation of the manuscript. The form of the letter, however, suggests the possibility that such marks were the work of WH rather than the original scribe; see the form of the capitals used by WH on ff.69 v,

72 v

and 103 r,

and see further Jefferson, "Divisions," esp. 148-50. & ouverlepe theym lyghlyche G.1.150: Spellings of "lightly" without <t> are recorded by the MED. & laghte theym att hys wyll & pleyde w yt h theym p erylouvslyche & possed a -bovte for dovte off dyuers drede dredes G.1.152: Kane and Donaldson observe that the error in G's reading drede (for most manuscripts dredes) is "noted" but it is difficult to see what they mean unless they are referring to the following added virgule, something which would raise questions about other similar additions. / G.1.152: Once again, the colour of the added virgule is the same as that of the to <v> changes and it therefore seems likely that it was made by the original scribe at a later date (see further Introduction II.1.1 and II.1.1.3). Virgules are frequently omitted in the earlier stages of the original transcription but become more frequent as the text progresses. we dare not well loke but And yff we gruge att of hys gamme he wyll greuve vs all crache vs or clawe vs and In hys clochys hold that vs lothes owre þe lyfe or he lett vs passe myght we wyth any wytt hys wyll wythstand we myght be lord es a -loft & lyuven att oure easse A raton off reynowne most reynable off tonge seyd for a souvereyne help to hym -seluve n G.1.159: A brown-ink flourish, apparently an abbreviation for <n>, has been added to the final <e> of original selue. This is in the same ink as the earlier alteration of to <v>. The addition brings G's reading into line with that of O C 2. Kane and Donaldson do not record this G reading, though they do record the readings of O and C 2. I hauve senve se[n]e ysein G.1.160: The form of the alteration from sene to seve is unusual and it is possible that the corrector realised his mistake and tried to remedy it. seggys quodh he In the cyte off london beyren ~~bees~~ beȝes full bryght a -bovte theyre neckes & some colers w yt h of crafty werke vncovpeled they wenten wenden G.1.162: M originally had wenden, as most manuscripts; the M reading wenten (shared with G Cr W Hm) results from correction. both In warren & In wast where theym - seluve leue lyked lyketh G.1.163: In M the <d> of "liked" (a reading which M shares with G Cr 1 W H) is written over an erasure. Most manuscripts read lyketh. and other wyle they are elles -were as I here tell were ther a bell on hys here beygh by Iohn Ihesu as me thynkyth men myght wytt were they went & a -wey renne & ryght so q uod the þat raton G.1.167: The minims at the end of raton are poorly defined. Kane and Donaldson read rato. reyson me sheweth to bygen a bell off bras or off bryght syluver and .. knytten on a coler for ouvr comen profytt G.1.169: G Cr 1 W Hm omit a line at this point: "And hangen it vp-on þe cattes hals · þanne here we mowen." where G.1.170: The <w> of where is slightly odd and it seems possible that the scribe originally started to write an initial <h>. he ryt or rest or rennyth to playe and yff hym lyst for to layke / then loke they we mowen and peren In hys presence wyle þer-while hym pl play lykyth and yff he wrath hym he wrath he be wroth him wrattheth beware and hys wasy shonye and Alle thys rouvte off ratons to thys reyson assented butt Ac thogh þe bell was broght ybrouȝt ybouȝt G.1.175: W's reading ybrouȝt, which is also the reading of a number of C manuscripts, is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson and Schmidt. Most B manuscripts have some form of "bought." & on the beygh hanged there nas ne was roten r[a]ton ratou n In in alle the rouvte for all the realme off france that duvrst hauve bouvnden þe bell a -bovte þe catt es neck ne hangen hang it abovte þe catt es hal es all england to wynne and helden theym vnhardy and theyre covncell feble and letten theyre labouvr lost & all theyre long studye a movsce þ at moch good covld as me tho me thoght stroke forth sternely & stode before theym all and to þe rouvte off ratons rehersed thes word es thogh we kyllen G.1.184: Cr W Hm Y H also use the present tense of the verb "to kill." Remaining B manuscripts have either the preterite or the pluperfect. þe catt yet shall sholde theyre G.1.184: Very residual <e> on theyre. come a -nother to kachen vs & all our kynd / thogh we crepe vndre benchys forthy I covncell all the co mmuvne to lett the catt pas worthe & be we neu er so bold the bell hym to shewe for I herde my syre seyne seyn is seyuven yers ȝere passed ypassed there the catt ys a kyten ys þe courte is full elenge that wyttnessyth woly wrytt wo -so wyll ytt rede ve terre vbi rex puer puer rex est & c etera. For may no renvke re[n]ke renke there rest hauve for ratons by nyght the wyle he caccheth conynges G.1.193: For the dropping of the g of unaccented -yng in original conynges, see H. C. Wyld, A History of Modern Colloquial English, 3rd ed. (Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1953), 289-90, E. J. Dobson, English Pronunciation 1500-1700, 2 vols (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1957), 950-1, Richard Jordan, Handbook of Middle English Grammar: Phonology, translated and revised by Eugene Joseph Crook (The Hauge: Mouton, 1974), § 175. Jordan suggests that the change occurred in the fourteenth century in the North and North Midlands, but in the fifteenth century in the South. he couvytyth not our cayren car[y]en caroyne butt fedyth hym all wyth weneson defame we hym neu er butt For better ys a lytull losse then a long sorowe they Þe mase amonge vs all thoght we mysse a s hrewe G.1.196: The alteration from srewe to shrewe has been made in brown ink and is therefore clearly a later change. The form of the alteration, however, corresponds to that of similar changes made by the original scribe, see, e.g., that at G.1.89. for many menn es malt we mysse wold dystroy & also the rovte off ratons rend menn es clothys noer e the catt off the couvrte þ at canne you G.1.199: The minims at the end of you are residual; basically just a horizontal line. ou er ~~..pe~~ lerype for had ye ratons rattes your wyll ye covld not reuvle you -selue ȝowre-selue G.1.200: Once again, G's minims are poorly defined. Kane and Donaldson read yo for G you. I say for me q uod the movsce I se so mykyll after shall neu er catt þe cat ne kyton þe kitou n by my covncell be greuved ne carpyng off thys color es coler G.1.203: The alteration which results in color es brings G into line with the C version manuscripts. Remaining B manuscripts read coler. that costed me neu er & thogh ytt it had cost me me catel beknow I it I nold but suffer as hym -selfe wyll wolde to do as hym lykyth couvplede & vncouvplede to cache watt they mowe forthy ech a wyse wyght I warne wytt well hys owen e G.1.207: Compare with the apparent deletion of final <e> on owene at G.1.122. However, the presence of a hairline riser may suggest that the original final letter here was a sigma <s>. / watt thys metall meteles bemeneth ye menne that be merye deuvyne G.1.209: The alteration of to <v> which results in devyne is in a different ink from the main body of such corrections and the form of the letter is more elaborate. ye for I ne dare by dere god In heyuven G.1.209: The alteration of to <v> in original heyuen has become just a residual brown smudge. yet houved there a huv ndreth in howuves off sylke sargeant es theym þey it semed þ at seruven serueden att the barre pleyden Pleten Plededen for peynes pen[y]es penyes and powndes the lawe and noght for þe for louve off our lord vnlose theyre lypp es onsce thow myghtest better mete myst e G.1.214: Final <e> on myste has been added half above and half below the cross of the <t> so that this now also forms the cross of the <e>. on maluveren hyll es then gett a muo mme off hys here ~~moth .~~ mowthe tyll but money be shewed barons & buvrgesys burgeis & bondemen also als I sagh In þis assemble as ye shall here hereafter after baxters Baxsteres & brewsters and bochers many wollen websters & weyuvers off ly nnen taylyouvr es tynkers and tynkeres G.1.220: Kane and Donaldson adopt G's reading "tinkers" (for remaining B manuscripts and tynkeres). The majority of A manuscripts also lack "and" at this point in the line, but their reading is otherwise different. & tollers In markett es mason es & mynvor es my[n]ores myno urs & many other craftys off alkynnes alkin laborers libbyng laboreres loppen forth some as dykers & deluvers that done þeir ded es all ille & dryuve forth þe long day wyth / dieu soit vo us saue dame emmnvye Emme G.1.224: The third and fourth minims of original emme have been changed to a <v> and a tail has been added to the fifth and sixth. cok es & theyr knauv es cryen crieden wott pyes wott good gees & gryses gris gowe go we dyne gowe go we tau erners v ntyll theym told the same wyte wyne & of ossey & red wyne off gascoygne off þe ryne & the of þe rochell the rost to defyen all thys I sagh seiȝ I slepyng & seyuven sythes more explicit primus passus de visione What thys mownteyne meneth bymeneth G.2.1: The G F reading meneth (for remaining B manuscripts bymeneth) is shared by several A manuscripts. & the marke dale & the feld full off folke I shall you fayre shew mat er e ccl esia a louvely lady I off lere In lynnen clothed yclothed came downe from a castell & called me fayre & sayd so n ne G.2.5: The spelling which results from the addition of the macron (which is in the same brown ink as the u to v alterations) results in a spelling ( so nne ) corresponding to that normally used by the original scribe (see Introduction III.2). slepest þ ou / seest thow thys poeple how besy they bynne all ben G.2.6: The shared G M Cr W Hm reading bynne all results from correction in M (the addition of alle by hand2). Remaining B manuscripts read ben. a -bovte the mase the most p arte partie G.2.7: The G Cr H reading p arte need not necessarily be considered a substantive variant. It may simply be a spelling of "party" (the reading of remaining B manuscripts) following the pattern of words such as pite (="pity") or words with -te suffixes such as "loyalty" and "plenty." For similar variants, see G.16.17. It seems unlikely, however, that the form p arte can have originated with the G scribe, since he uses final -e for rather different purposes (see Introduction III.2), while the OED suggests that forms of "party" in -e died out during the fifteenth century. For a reading suggesting that the G scribe found -e = -y confusing ( saffett for "safety"), see G.8.36. The scribe does also use spellings in <y>; see, e.g., p artye at G.18.307. toff þe þis poeple that passeth on thys yerth haue they worshyp In þis world they kepe wilne no better off other heyuven then here / they tell holde þei no tale I was a -ferde off hyr face thogh she fayre were & sayd m ercy madame what ys thys to meyne the touvr on vp þe toft q uod she truvght ys thereynne & wold þ at ye wroght as hys worde teychyth for he ys fadre off fayth that feith formed you all both wyth fell & wyth face & gauve you fyve wytt es for to to wurshyp hym wyth þer-with G.2.16: There is a small mark here in black ink, possibly an added punctuation mark. wyle ye byne here & therefore he heght / G.2.17: Only the bottom of this virgule is visible and it is not clear that the mark is intentional. þe yerthe to helpe you echone off wollen & of lynnen off lyuvelode att nede In meysurable man er to make you att easse & co mmanded on of hys couvrtesye In co mmen thre thyng es ere non nedefull but thys þo G.2.21: For a possible source for the G reading thys (for most manuscripts þo), note the C reading thyo with cancelled <y>. & neuenve neue[n]e nempne G.2.21: G regularly has forms in neuen- for nempn-. Since the former is of Scandinavian origin and is a predominantly northern word, its use may reflect earlier northern influence, but the G scribe himself clearly does not recognise the word neuen- since, when he makes his later corrections, he regularly alters to neuev-. See further Introduction III.4.1. theym I thynke & reken theym by reyson & resou n reherce reherse ye G.2.22: Manuscript M originally shared the G Y reading reherce, but ye has been added later. Most manuscripts read reherse ye. theym after that on ys vesture from chele the to sauve and meyte att mele for mysease off thy -seluven and drynke when thow dryest but ac do ytt do G.2.25: The majority of A manuscripts share the G F H reading do ytt, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read do. not oft out of resou n that thow worth the worse worche when thow whan þow worche shuvldest lott for lott G.2.27: Two dots (like a colon) follow the word lott, one above and one below the cross bar of the <t>. The presence of marginal lott suggests that they may be there for emphasis. Since they are in brown ink, they have probably been added by the scribe when he was engaged in his later spelling corrections (hand1.1). In hys lyuve days for lykyng off drynke dyd by hys dowghters that the deuvell lyked delyted hym In drynk as the deuvell wold and leychery hym laght & lay by theym bothe and all he wyted ytt it þe wyne that wyked dede Inebriamus enim eu m vino dormiamus dormiam us-q ue cum eo vt seruare possumus poss[i]mus possim us G.2.33: Given the G scribe's general carelessness with minims, it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions from the shared G F reading possumus. Remaining manuscripts read possim us . de patre nostro semen thruvgh wyne & and þorw women ther was loth Incomebred acombred G.2.34: The G Hm form Incomebred (beside remaining B manuscripts acombred) is shared by a number of C manuscripts, but the variation, in the case of G at least, may be a matter of date: according to the OED, accumber does not appear after 1600. & th ater gatt yn glotonye gerles that were cherlesye cherlis forthy drede deylye ctable delitable G.2.36: The change from deylytable to deylectable, apparently made by the original scribe as part of his programme of spelling corrections (i.e. by hand1.1), may reflect the date of the copy, since the OED does not record any instances of "delitable" after 1520. dryn gke & þ ou shalt do þe better meysuvre ys medycyne thogh þouȝ þow moche yerne ytt ys not nauȝt al good to the gost that the guvtt askethe no lyuvelode to the þi lygham that leuve ys to þe þi G.2.39: L W Hm C have no witness for Bx þi, G M Y þe, since they lack the b-verse of KD.1.37 and the a-verse of KD.1.38. souvle G.2.39: G and F omit a line at this point ("Leue not þi likam . for a liere hym tec[heþ]"). In M, the line appears in the margin in a later hand. For readings in L W Hm C, see previous note. thys That ys þe wrecched world that wold wolde the betrey for þe fend & thye flesshe folowen folweth þe to -geydder es take thys In This and þat seest thy solwle & sett seith ytt yn thy herte & for þ ou shuldest beware / I vyse wisse the the best madame m ercy q uod I me lykyth well thy ȝowre word es butt Ac þe money In on of thys mold that men so fast holden tell to me to whom madame that treysuvre appendyth go to the gospell q uod she that god seyd hym -seluven when Tho the people hym apposed w yt h a penne In the temple wheyther they shuvld woreshyp therw yt h cesar the kyng þer-with worschip þe kyng Sesar & god ~~asketh~~ asked off theym off whom spake þe lettuvre & the Image lyke ilyke þ at / that þat thereynne standyth cesar Cesaris G.2.52: Most B manuscripts read Cesaris, but the G C H reading cesar is also the reading of most A manuscripts. For G's relationship with A, see Introduction II.2.2. þei seyden we see well hym wel G.2.52: Most A manuscripts share the G H reading well, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read hym wel. echon reddite cesari q uod god that cesari belongeth longyth bifalleth & que sunt dei deo or ell es do ye ȝe done yll for ryghtfull reyson shuvld ruvle you all & kyndwytt be warden youvr welth for to to kepe and tuvtor off youvr treysuvre & take you it ȝow att nede for f huvsbandrye & they holden to -gedders then I freyned hyr fayre for hym that me made + that dongeon In the dale þ at dredfull ys off syght watt may ytt bemeyne be to mene G.2.61: The G Cr 3 C 2 F H reading bemeyne, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, is also found in the majority of C manuscripts and in a number of A manuscripts (J Ra Ha K Ma). Remaining B manuscripts read be to mene. madame I you beseche that ys the castell off care wo -so coe mythe therynne may banne that he borne was to bodye & or G.2.63: Most C manuscripts share the G O C 2 H reading &. Remaining B manuscripts read or. to souvle therynne wonnyth a wyght that wrong ys I -hote father off falshed & fouvnded ytt hym -seluve adam & eve he egged to ylle covnceled keym to kyll hys brother Iuvdas he Iaped wyth the with Iuves syluver & sythen on a eller hanged hym after he ys a is G.2.70: Kane and Donaldson state that added <a> is in the same ink as that used for the original transcription, but in fact it is browner. lettuerer off louve and lyethe to lyeth G.2.70: Despite what Kane and Donaldson say, added to is in browner ink. theym all þ at truvsten on hys treysuvre byt rayed ere bitrayeth he G.2.71: The G R F reading bytrayed ere, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, agrees with that of most A manuscripts. Most B manuscripts read bitrayeth he. sonest þen had I wondre In my wytt whatt woma n ytt were that suoche wysse word es off holye wrytt shewyd and asked hyr on þe heye name or she thence yede watt she was were wytterly thatt wysshed me so fayre ec cl esia holychuvrce I am q uod she thow ovghtest me to knowe I vndrefonged þe fuvrst & þe thye þe fayth tavght thow and thu And G.2.78:The G Cr F H reading thow, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, is also the reading of A and C. Remaining B manuscripts read And or and thu. broghtest me borowes my byddyng to fullfyll & to louve me loyally / wyle þe while thye lyffe duvred dureth / Than I ~~couvrbed~~crouched courbed G.2.80: Added crouched has a instead of a <v> which might suggest a scribe other than main corrector. The alteration, in any case, clearly post-dates the to <v> changes, since the word which this addition replaces ( covrbed) has already been subject to this type of correction. Note also that the form of the <c> differs from that normally employed by the main scribe but resembles that used in the reference on 106 v, which in turn seems likely to have been written by "WH," who initials marginalia on ff.69 v,

72 v

and in the margin of the Table of Contents on f.103.

See also the signature on f.20 r,

although the latter is more formal. on my knes & cryed hyr off grace & prayd hyr pytuouvsly to pitousely G.2.81: The G Hm R F H reading "piteously to" (for remaining manuscripts "piteously"), is also the reading of the majority of A manuscripts, and is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. pray for my synnes and also ~~kene~~ kenne me kyndly on cryste to beleuve that I myght worchen hys wyll þ at wroght me to ma n teche me to no treysouvr butt telle me thys ylke how I may sauve my sovle that seynte are art holden yholden when all G.2.86: The addition of all brings G's reading into line with that of the remaining B manuscripts. treysuors are tryed Itryed tried q uod she G.2.86: The G C reading tryed (for most B manuscripts tried q uod she ), which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, is also that of the majority of A and C manuscripts. It should be noted, however, that it is not unusual for G to lose "quod" clauses (see readings at G.6.240, G.6.261, G.6.490 etc.). truvght ys the best I do ytt on deus caritas to deme you deme the sothe ytt ys as derworthe a druvry as dere god hym -seluven th..ty The word trew is underlined in the text (see G.2.89), suggesting that the marginal annotation may refer to this word. wo -so ys trew off hys tonge & telleth non other & do doth þe werk es therewyth & wyll wilneth no man yll he ys a god by the gospell o -grouvnd & o -loft G.2.91: The colour of the ink makes it clear that these hyphens are later additions. & lyke ylike to ouvr lord by seynt by luvke lukes word es the clerk es that ~~.....~~knowe thys / shuvld kenne ytt abovte for crystyen & vncrystyen cleymen ytt echon kyng es & knyght es shold kepe ytt by reason and ryden Riden G.2.96: The G F reading and ryden (for all other B manuscripts Riden) corresponds to that of Ax. & rappe a -downe down In realm es a -bovte and take trespacers transgressores & tyen theym fast tyll truvght had t ermyned ytermyned hys her tresspas to þe end and that ys is þe professyon ap ertely þ at appendyth to knyght es and not to fast a fryday In fyue G.2.100: The <f> of fyue appears to have been altered from something else, possibly the first stroke of a <w>. score wynters wynter G.2.100: According to the OED, the plural form of "winter" without inflexion (i.e. the form found in all manuscripts apart from G) died out during the sixteenth century. butt hold wyth hym or er & wyth hyr that asketh þe wolden al truvght & neu er leyuve theym for louve ne ne for lacchyng off syluver For dauid In hys days dovbbed ~~thy~~the dubbed knyght es G.2.103: A letter <h> has been written in the bottom right hand margin. This cannot be a quire signature, but it may reflect numbering of the pages (this is the eighth page of the text). There is no evidence for such letters elsewhere, but some may possibly have been lost as the result of cropping. & dyd theym sweyre on hys here swerd to s eruve trught euver & wo -so passed that poynt was a -postyta In the ordre but crist kyng off kyng es kingene kynge knyghted tenne cherubin & seraphin suche seyuven & ~~other~~ on other G.2.107: The alteration of other to on other results in a reading which corresponds to that of L M Cr 23 C O C 2 Y. Remaining manuscripts read "other." & gaue theym myght In hys mageste the meyryer they m thoght & ou er hys his mene meyny made theym G.2.109: The minims here are not well-defined; the <m> looks very like an <n>. arkangel es & G.2.110: The added ampersand is in brown ink, and therefore at first sight seems likely to have been added by the original scribe as part of his programme of corrections. The form, however, is unusual; see material at the top of f.106 v,

which in turn seems likely to have been written by "WH," who initials marginalia on ff.69 v

and 72 v,

and in the margin of the Table of Contents on f.103.

taw .ght Tauȝte þem by the trynyte the truvght treuthe for to to to knowe to be buvxuom att hys byddyng he bad theym noght ell es lucifer luvcyfer G.2.112: The word lvcifer has been partly boxed in brown ink, presumably not as part of the original transcription but at the time of the to <v> corrections. w yt h leygyons lerned ytt In heyuven but for he brake ~~b vk~~ buvxo mmenes hys blysse can gan he tyne and fell from that felowshyp In a fend es lykenes In -to a depe darke hell to dwell there for euver & mo thowsand es w yt h hym þen men man covld novmbre lopen ovte wyth luvcyfer In lothlyche forme for they lyuveden leueden vpon hym that lyed In þis man er ponam pedem meu m sedem meam pedem In aquilone et ~~s ..~~ G.2.119: The original here may have been sul or sil, i.e. the abbreviation for m in similis may not have been noticed. The deletion of s.. has been made both in red and in the usual grey ink. similis ero altissimo and all that hoped ytt myght be so / no heyuven myght þem hold butt fell ovte In fend es lykenes neyne days to -geddre tyll god off hys goodnes gan stable & stynt & garred the heyuven to steyke & stonden In quvyete when þes wyked went ovte wondrefullyche wonderwise they fellen some In eyre þe Eyr erthe þerthe some In yerthe some & so mme In hell depe butt And Ac lucifer loest lyeth off theym all For pryde that he puvtt ovte / hys peyne hath no end & all that worchen wyth wrong wend they shall aft er theyr deth day & dwell wyth that shrewe butt Ac tho þ at worchen well as holye wrytt tellyth & enden as I here ere G.1.131: M originally shared G's reading here, but this was a spurious agreement since in M's case the form was simply a spelling variant for most manuscripts ere, later corrected by the M reviser. G's spelling practice suggests that his variant is substantive. See Eric Eliason, Thorlac Turville-Petre and Hoyt N. Duggan, eds, Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, vol.5: London, British Library MS Additional 35287 (M) (Woodbridge: D. S. Brewer for SEENET and the Medieval Academy of America, 2005), note to this line. sayd In truvght that ys the best may be syker that theyre souvl es shall wend to heyuven G.2.132: The alteration of the of original heyuen to <v> is now just a residual brown smudge. theyre truvght ys In trynyte coroned full fayre and troneth hem alle forthy I seyd sey as I seyd seide ere by syght off thees textes when all treasuvr es are tryed truvght ys the best lerne Lereth thys ye it ye it þis G.2.136: In the case of M's reading it ye (corresponding to G F thys ye, most manuscripts it þis), the word ye has been added in a later hand over an erasure. ~~ley~~ G.2.136: The scribe appears to have tried to change <y> of original ley- to <w> and then decided to rewrite the whole word as lewde. lewde men for lettered men h ytt knowen that truvght ys treasouvr tresore þe G.2.137: Most A manuscripts (though not Ra U E) share the G M reading treasour. Most B manuscripts read tresore þe. tryedst triest In on yerth yet hauve I no kynd knowyng knowing q uod I yet must ye kenne me bettre by watt craft In my corp es ytt comseyth & where thow doted dafte daffe q uod she duvll are thy wyttys lytuvll To litel laten thow lernedest lede In thy yovght heu mihi quia sterylem duxi vitam iuuenilem ytt ys a kynd knowyng q uod she that comeyth kenneth In thye herte for to louve thy lord leyuver then thy -selffe no deydly synne to do / dye thoght thow shuvldest thys I trow be truvght wo canne teyche the better loke thow suffer hym to say / & sythen lere ytt after G.2.147: G Cr W Hm H omit a line at this point ("For thus witnesseth his worde · worcheth þow þere-after"). For truvght tellythe that louve ys treacle off heyuven may no synne be on hym seene þ at vseth that spyce and And alle hys workes he wroght wyth louve as hym lyst moises and lered ytt moyses for þe leuvest þing & most lyke to heyuven and also the plente off pease most precyouvs off vertues for heyuven myght not holden ytt / ytt was so heyuvy off ~~...~~hymselfe tyll ytt hadde off the yerthe ȝeten hys fyll & whan ytt had off thys fold flesshe & blode taken was neu er leyffe vpon lynde lyghter there -after and portatyuve & p ercyant as the poynt off a nedle that myght no armuvre G.2.158: The second letter of armure has been altered from a 2-shaped <r> to a long <r> by the original scribe at the time of writing. ytt lett / ne non heye wallys forthy ys louve leyder off þe lordys folke off heyuven and a meyn as þe meyre Maire is bytwene þe kyng & þe co mmuv ne ryght so louve ys is loue a leydre & the law shapyth vpon ma n for hys mysdeed es þe marcem ent he taxethe for And for to know louve it kyndly ytt comsethe by myght and In the hert ys þere is they þe heuved and they þe G.2.164: G they for remaining manuscripts þe may be a back formation resulting from the occasional appearance in G of þe as a weak form of they. See Introduction III.1. heye well for In kynd knowyng off in herte begynnyth a myght þere a myȝte bigynneth and that falleth to the father that fouvrmed vs all loked on vs wyth louve and leet hys so n ne dye mekely for owre myssded es to amend vs all yet And ȝet wold he theym no wo / that wroght hym þ at payne but meke -lyche wyth mowthe marcy he besoght to hauve pytye on the þat poeple that payned hym to dethe here myghtest thow myȝtow se ensample ensamples example In hym -selfe onne that he was myghty miȝtful & meke & m ercy gan grauv a nt G.2.173: For use of otiose superscript <a> by the original scribe, see note to G.3.157. The similar practice by the brown ink corrector suggests that he and the original scribe were the same person. See Introduction IV.1.1. to theym þ at hanged theym him an heye & hys herte thyrleden forthy I reede you ryche hauve reuvgh on the poere thogh ye be myghty myȝtful G.2.176: All A manuscripts except Ha and all C manuscripts except Dc Mc share the G Cr reading myghty, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read miȝtful. to mote bees / meke off in G.2.176: Kane and Donaldson read the result of the correction of original off as of, i.e. they take the view that only one <f> has been deleted. This is possible but it would be unusual: forms of "of" with - ff are common in G and do not normally attract the attention of the corrector. youvr seluven werkes for the same meysuvrs ye þ at ȝe G.2.177: Most A manuscripts share the G H reading ye (for remaining B manuscripts þ at ȝe ). meyten amys or other ell es ye shalbe shal be weyuen therwyth when ye wend he nnce eadem me nsura qua mensi fueritis aliis remecietur remeciet ur vobis for thoght you ȝe G.2.180.: G sometimes has the form you for the nominative where, as here, other manuscripts read ȝe. See G.5.148, G.6.580, G.7.10, G.7.132 etc. and Introduction III.1. be trew off youvr tounge & trewlych wynne & as chast as a chyld that In chuvrche lernyth wepeth but yff ye louve loyally & lene the poere suych good as god sendyth you ȝow sent / godlyche deperten parteth ye hauve ne haue no more meyrytt In a messe z masse G.2.184: Added <ȝ> on messez is in slightly browner ink than the original. As the original scribe does not normally use yogh for the plural, it seems unlikely that he is responsible for this change. For material by hand2, i.e. "WH," see marginalia on ff.69 v,

70,

and 72 v,

as well as in the Table of Contents (f.103).

It also seems likely that the note on f.106 v

was by the same commentator. ne In houvrs than malkyn off hyr meydenheyd that no man desyryth for Iam es the gentyle Iuvgged In hys bokes that fayth w yt h -ovt dede þe faite ys no -thynkg riȝte no-þinge worthy fides & And as deyd as a dorre nayle tre G.2.188: All A and C manuscripts share the G H reading nayle, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read tre. wyth -ouvte but ȝif þe dede dedes folow fides sine operibus mortua est et c etera castitas for For-thi chastyte wythowten charyte worth sheuved cheyned In hell caritas ytt ys as lewde as a lampe that no lyght ys ynne many chapleyn es are chast but ac charyte ys away are non no men G.2.193: All A manuscripts except Ra D V J K Wa N and all C manuscripts except Q share the G F reading non, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read no men. herder auarouser e then they when þei ben avauvnced vnkynd to theyr kynne and to all crystyen they chewen Chewen theyr charyte & chyden after more suoche chastyte wyth -ovt charyte worth sh sheuved cheyned In hell many cuvrators kepen theym cleyne off theyre bodyes they are acombered wyth couvytous coueitise & þei ca n not crye ovte out crepe crepe out don it fram hem auaricia so hard hath auvaryce . G.2.199: Kane and Donaldson read the deleted letter as the prefix of the following past participle ( hasped) but, whatever it was originally, it has clearly been crossed out. hasped theym to -geydder es & that ys no trewth off the trynyte / but trechery off hell & lernyng to lewd men the latter to for to delen forthy thes word es be wryten In þe gospell date et dabitur vobis for I deyle you all and & and And that ys the lock off louve / þ at and lettyth owt my grace to comfort þe carefull acombered w yt h synne louve ys lech off lyfe & next our lord hym -seluven selue and also þe grayth gate that goyth In -to heyuven forthy I say as I seyd er by syght off by G.2.208: The G H reading by syght off is shared by most A and C manuscripts, and is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read by. thes þe G.2.208: The A manuscripts Ra U Ch H 2 J E K and all C manuscripts except for Dc P Sc share the G Hm reading thes (for remaining B manuscripts þe). textes when all treysouvrs are truyed G.2.209: A tail has been added to the of original trued to form tryed. trught ys þe best now I hauve haue I told the watt treuvght ys & þat no treysouvr better is bettere I may no lenger lenge lenge þe with but now looke þe owre lord explicit secundus passus de visione Iet couvrbed I I courbed on my knes & cryed hyr off grace and sayd marcy madame for mercy Marie louve off heyuven that bare that blysfull barne that boght vs on on þe rode kenne me by some craft for to to kenne knowe the false loke vpon thy left haluve lo and lo where he stondyth both false & fauinell fauel G.3.6: The number of minims in the middle of "favel" varies considerably in G and it is not always clear what was intended. See G.3.43, G.3.66, G.3.81, G.3.146, G.3.152, G.3.160, G.3.165, G.3.168, G.3.186, and G.3.195. Possibly the word was unfamiliar to the scribe (according to the OED, it died out in the sixteenth century). and theyr fers many I loked on my left haluve as the ladye me tavght and was warre off a voman wonderslyche wortheli clothed yclothed puvrfelyd wyth pelouvre the fynest vpon yerthe G.3.9: The cross in the bottom right hand margin is in modern pencil. coroned Ycrounede wyth a crovne the kyng hath no better Feytlyche Feyt[is]lyche Fetislich hyr fyngers were fretted wyth ryng es golde wyre & ther -on red ruvbyes as red as any glede and dyamont es off derrest pryce & dowble man er saphyres oryental es and ewages enue .nymes to dystroye hyr robe was full ryche off red skarlett Ingreyned wyth ryband es off red gold & off rych stonys hyr arrey me rauvyshed suvch ryches saght G.3.17: The form saght is recorded by LALME as the main form of "saw" in LP497 (i.e. in the West Riding of Yorkshire) and as a minor form in other Northern locations. It therefore seems likely that this was one of a number of Northern forms present in the G scribe's exemplar (see Introduction III.4.1). I neu er I had wondre watt she was & woos wyfe she were watt ys thys woman q uod I so worthyly attyred that ys mede the mayden Mayde hath q uod she hath noyed me fuvll offt and lakked ylakked my lemman that loyalte ys hoten and bealyed bilowen hyr tow yt h to lord es that lawys have to kepe In the pop es ~~....~~ palys she ys pryuve as my -seluve butt sothnes wold not so / for she ys a bastard for false e G.3.25: The original <e> at the end of false is small and the added <e> may simply be an attempt to clarify. was hyr father that hath a fykle touvnge and neu er soth sayd sythen he cam to yerthe and mede ys manerryd after hym ryght as kynd asketh qualis pater talis filius bona G.3.28: There appears originally to have been some sort of tail on the <a>, partly erased. arbor bonu m fructu m facit I owght ben hyer then she I cam off the a better my father the greyte god ys & grouvndre grounde off all graces on god wyth -ovt begynnyng gynnynge & I hys owne gode doghter and hath gyuven m ercy me mercy G.3.32: Though M's initial reading is the same as that of G (i.e. "mercy" rather than "me mercy," which is the reading of the remaining B manuscripts), the missing word me is later supplied by the M corrector (hand2). to mary wyth my -seluven and watt man be marsyfull and leally me louve shalbe shal be my lord and I hys leefe In the ~~hey~~ he heyuven & watt man taketh mede my heyd dare I ley that he shall lese for hyr louve a lomp lappe off leall of charyte caritatis how construved construeth dauid the kyng off men that take mede & men off thys mold that mey nteyne truvght & how ye shuold shal sauve youvr -selffe þe sauvter beyryth wyttnes domine quis habitabit In tabernaculo tuo & c etera and now worth thys mede maryed ymaried to vnto al to G.3.41: All C manuscripts share the G M F H reading to, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read vnto or al to. a a mansed s hrewe to on fals fykell touvnge a feend es feere biȝete Fauvuell G.3.43: For "favel," see note to G.3.6 above. The number of minims used in this particular example is (unusually) correct. thruvgh hys fayre spech hath þis folke Inchanted and all ys lyers ledyng that she ys thuvs wedded ywedded to -morow worth I -made the meyden maydenes brydall ther And þere G.3.46: All A manuscripts share the G H reading ther, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read And þere. myghtest þ ou miȝte þow wytt yff þ ou wylt wyche þei bynne all that longen to that lordshyp the lasse & the more know theym ther yff þ ou kannest & kepe thow thy tonhge & lack theym noght but lett theym worth tyll loyalte be Iuvstece and hauve poyer to puvnnyche theym þ at þanne put forth thy reason now I bekenne the cryst q uod she & hys cleyne modre & lett no co nscyence combre acombre þe for couvetyse off mede Thuvs leyft me þ at ladye lyggyng on slepe and how mede was maryed ymaried In meytayl es me thoght that all the rych reyte n ~~n v~~ naunce G.3.55: The corrector appears to have mistaken the first <n> of original reytenaunce for a and therefore overwritten it with a <v>, realised his error, attempted to correct his correction and then finally added a bar to indicate the <n>. þ at reynyth w yt h the fals were byden boden G.3.56: The G form of the past participle (i.e. byden) is unique; most manuscripts have forms in medial <o>. However, there is no change in meaning, and, given the confusion surrounding the verbs which descended from OE beodan and biddan, it would be reasonable to argue that this is not a substantive variant. to the brydeale on both G.3.56: The loops of the s of both brydeale and both have been enlarged in brown ink. to sydys off all man er off men þe meyne & the ryche to marye thys meyden was many ma n assembled as off knygt es and off clerkes & other co men poeple as sysouvrs & somonors shreyuvys & theyr clarkys bydyl es & belyffs and brodIors off chaffeyre Forgoers & vyteklers vitaillers and / aduvocat es vokates off þe arches I can not rekne þe rouvte that ranne a -bovte mede but Ac symonye and cyuvyll & sysouvrs off ~~corn~~ couvrtes G.3.64:The original G reading here ( corn- or possibly coru-) corresponds neither to B "courts" nor to C "countries" and seems likely to be simply an error. were most pryuvye wyth mede off any men me thoght butt Ac fauvuell fauel G.3.66: For "favel," see note to G.3.6 above. was þe fuvrst þ at sett fette hyr ovte off bowre and as a brodger broght hyr / to be wyth G.3.67: The scribe originally wrote superscript <t> above the <w> (for w yt h ) but then decided that this was not clear enough and added <yth>. The superscript letter <t> has not been deleted. fals enIoyned when symonye & scyuvyll G.3.68: For the alteration of the <s> of original syuyll to a <c>, see also G.3.144. ~~sey~~seyd to seiȝ G.3.68: The alteration resulting in seyd to does not appear to be in the hand of the original scribe. There is a backward <s> and the script is altogether more angular. For hand2, see marginalia on ff.69 v,

70,

71,

72 v

and 103,

as well as the note on f.106 v.

According to the OED, forms of "saw" with weak ending date from the eighteenth century onwards, but the corrector may, of course, have intended "said." It seems possible that an attempt was made to alter the original word before the correction was written above. thhere G.3.68: The erasure here has resulted in a hole in the paper. both t~~youvr~~h..r e boþ er G.3.68: The original G reading was both your. The corrector has made the usual change of to <v> but the word your has then been altered again. The added initial <t> is clear and the <y> has been altered to an <h> but it is difficult to be certain what exactly the second corrector intended after that. The <o> does not appear to have been altered, but may have been intended to be read as an <e>. Kane and Donaldson read the corrected form as theire. wyll es wille they assented for syluver to say as both wold then lepe lyer forth & sayd low here a charter that gyle wyth hys greyte othys gave them to -gedder & preyd symonye cyuile to se & cyuvyll symonye to reede ytt then symonye & cyuvyll standen forth both & vnfoldyth the feoffam ent that fals had hath G.3.74: A few A manuscripts as well as Cp share the G Hm H reading had (for remaining B manuscripts hath). made maked ymaked & thuvs begynnen thes gomes to greden greden G.3.75: It is not really possible to be certain who carried out the alteration from greden to reden, but the ink colour suggests hand1.1. full hye Siant S[c]iant Sciant presentes et futuri et c etera wytteth & wyttnessyth that wonien vpon vpon þis yerth that mede ys maryed more for hyr good es then for any vertuve off fayrnes or any fre kynd falsnes ys feyne off hyr for he woott hyr ryche & fauvinell fauel G.3.81: For "favel," see note to G.3.6. w yt h hys Fylke Fy[k]le fikel speche Feyffyth by hys þis charter to be pryncys In pryde and pouverte to dyspysse to backbytouvrs bakbite & to bosten & beyre fals wyttnes to scorne & to skold and sclandre to make vnbuxome & bold to breke the tenne hestys and the erldome off enuvye & wrath to -gedders w yt h þe chastylett off chest & chateryng ovt off reason the couv n nte G.3.88: The original word was counte, though the minims of the <n> in particular were somewhat indistinct. Presumably this is why the corrector felt the need to add a macron. off couvetous coueitise & all the costes a -bovte that ys vsure & auvaryce all I theym grauvnte In bargayn es & and in G.3.90: Approximately half the C manuscripts share the G Cr 23 Hm F H reading &, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read and in. brokag es w yt h all þe burgh off theyft & all the lordshyp off leychery In lenght & In breyde as In work es and In word es & weytyng waitynges G.3.92: All C manuscripts except X P Dc Ec share the G Hm F reading weytyng, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts have the plural. off with G.3.92: All C manuscripts share the G Hm reading off, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read with. eyene and In wed es & In wysshyng es & w yt h Idle th oghtys ther as wyll wold & workmanshyp faylyth glotonye he gaffe them yke & greyte othes to -geddre and all day to drynke att dyu ers tau erens and ther to Iangell & and to Iape & Iuvge theyr euven -crystyen and on in fastyng G.3.98:There appears to have been an otiose abbreviation mark over the <n> of fastyng which has been smeared out. days to freet er full tyme were and then to sytten & sowpen tyll slepe theym assayle and breden as buvrgh swyne & bedden theym eassely tyll sloghte and slepe sleken hys syd es and then wanhope to awake theym hym w yt h so with no wyll to amend for he leuveth to be be lost þis ys theyre last end and And þei to hauve & to hol ~~...~~d G.3.104: Something strange has happened to the last letter of hold, which has clearly been re-outlined. This may have been because the paper at this point is very thin (because of the erasure at G.3.68). & theyr heyrs after a dwellyng w yt h þe deuvell and damned for be for eu er w yt h Wiþ al þe appuvrtenanc es purteinaunce off puvrgatory to in-to the payn pyne off hell yeldyng for thys thyng G.3.107: Kane and Donaldson read thyg but the word should probably be read as thyng. There is plenty of space for an <n>, it just that, as is often the case in this manuscript, the minims are poorly defined. att on yers end theyre soul es vn -to to sathan to suffer w yt h hym peyn es or& w yt h hym to wonne w yt h in wo / wyle god ys yn heyuven In wyttnes off w ych thyng wrong was the fuvrst & pers þe p erdoner off pauvlyns doctryne bett þe byddell off b B uvkyngam -shyre G.3.112: The first letter of what seems to be Bvkyngam-shyre is such a mess that it is difficult to be certain about ink colour or hand. It would be unusual, however, for the original scribe or the to <v> corrector (who are probably one and the same) to use a capital in this position. reynold the reuve off ruvttland sokne muv nd þe mylner & G.3.114: It is possible that the deleted ampersand was originally written as or and then partly corrected. Note the problem with the ampersand five lines above at the beginning of the line. & many mo other In þe date off þe deuvell thys dede I Inseale assele by syght off s yr simonye & cyuvyles leyuve then tened hym theologie when he þis tale herd and sayd to cyuvyle now sorow mote you þow G.3.118:Kane and Donaldson interpret G's reading here as þou but for that the scribe would normally have written thorn plus superscript . The use of inline <ou> makes it clear that the scribe intended "you." For the scribe's usual practice as far as the written forms of these two words are concerned, see G.1.199, G.2.2, G.2.14, G.2.15, G.2.17, G.2.19 etc. (for "you"), and G.2.5, G.2.36, G.2.43, G.3.46, G.3.48 etc. (for "thou"). The rule, in the case of these as well as other words (such as "the" and "ye") is that <þ> is always followed by superscript letters, and <y> by inline letters. That the scribe did sometimes confuse <y> and <þ> when they appeared in his exemplar is clear, for example, from the reading at G.3.204 where he writes <the> for <ye>. At G.4.351 the scribe himself corrects an error of this type, crossing out superscript <e> and replacing it with inline <e> (the correct reading is ye). hauve suoyche weddyng weddinges G.3.119: All A manuscripts except E N Ma share the G C 2 reading weddyng, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts have the plural. C too has the singular but preceded by the indefinite article. to worche to wrath w yt h truvght and er thys weddyng be wroght wo the betyde For mede not a ys a is mulyer & off of amendes engendred and god grauvntyth to gyue mede vn -to to trught and thow hast gyuven hyr to a gylouvr gyloure now lord god gyuve þe sorowe the Thi texte tellyth þe natt so truvght wott þe sothe for dignus est operarius hys hyre for to to hauve & thow hast fast hyr wyth to G.3.126: All C manuscripts except Nc and all A manuscripts except for K Wa Ma share the G F reading wyth (for remaining B manuscripts to), and this is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. In C, however, the half-line differs in other ways. false fye on thy lawe for all by leysyng es þ ou lyuvest & leycherouvs workes simony & thy -seluven shenden holye churche thees Þe notaryes & ye noyen offt noyeth the poeple ye shall byggen abiggen yt both by god þ at me made well ye wytten wernerdes butt yff your wytt fayle þ at fals ys Faythles & fykell In hys workes and was a bastard borne ybore off belsabuvb es kynne and mede ys a is muvlyer a meyden off good and myght kysse þe kyng for cosyn & she shuvld wolde forthy worchyth by wyssdome & ~~wytt~~ by wytt also and leyde hyr to london there ys ytt lawe is it is y -shoyde yff any law wyll loke they lyggen to -gedder and yff þouȝ Iuvstyces Iuvggen hyr to be Ioyned to with Fals yet be ware off the of weddyng for wytty ys trught and coscyence co[n]scyence conscience ys a of his couvncell & knowyth you echonne and yff he Fynd you In defauvte & wyth þe Fals hold ytt shalbe sytt shal besytt your souvl es full sore soure G.3.143: The C manuscripts X I P 2 Uc Dc Rc Nc and all A manuscripts except J La K Wa N Ma share the G Cr reading sore (for remaining B manuscripts soure). atthe at the last hyr -to assentyth scyuvyle G.3.144: See the similar alteration of syuyll to cyuyll at G.3.68. butt ac simonye ne wold tyll he had syluver for hys servyce & also þe notaryes then fett Fauivvnell fauel G.3.145: For "favel," see note to G.3.6 above. forth floreyns es floreynes ynowe & bad gyle go gyuve gold all a -bovte & namelych to þes þe notaryes þ at theym no n fayle and feoffe fals wyttnes w yt h florens es florence floreines Inowe for þei may G.3.150: This addition ( may, in black ink) could conceivably have been made by the original scribe, but note the clear definition of the minims. Resemblences to the italic hand on, e.g. f.96 v,

and in particular the hairline tail on the <y>, suggest hand3. G.3.150: The addition of may brings G into line with Bx. mede master amaistrye & maken att my wyll tho thys gold was geuve greyte was þe thankyng to fals & to Fauuvvnell fauel G.3.152: For "favel," see note to G.3.6 above. For þer fayre gyftes & came to comforten from care the Fals and seyden certes s yr ceasse shall we neu er tyll mede be thy weddyd wyffe thrught wytt wittis G.3.155: All A manuscripts except Wa (which lacks this b-verse) share the G F H reading ("wit" in the singular), which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts have the plural. off vs all for we hauve mede G.3.156: Once again, this alteration (the addition of mede) seems likely to have been made by the italic hand (hand3). See note to G.3.150 above. G.3.156: Added mede brings G into line with Bx. mastred amaistried wyth ouvr mery speche that she gra aunt .yth G.3.157: The G scribe often provides an otiose superscript <a> in addition to the letters <ra>, perhaps because of confusion as to the significance of the former. See further Introduction IV.1.1. to goon w yt h a good wyll to london to k loke yff ȝif þat the lawe wold Iugge you Ioyntly In Ioy for eu er then was falsnes Fayne & Fauuvvnell fauel G.3.160: For "favel," see note to G.3.6. as blythe to And lett somone all the alle G.3.161: Most A manuscripts share the G R reading all the (for remaining B manuscripts alle). seggys In þe shyre schires abovte and bad theym all to be be bowne beggers & other to wend w yt h theym to westmy n ster G.3.163: The MED records spellings of "Westminster" without <n> so G's original spelling may not actually be an error. The original G spelling also appears in Hm and Cr 1. to wyttnes þis dede but Ac then cared they for caples to caryen theym thydder and Fauivvnell fauel G.3.165: For "favel," see note to G.3.6. fatt forth forth þanne fool es Inowe and sett me de on vpon G.3.166: All A manuscripts share the G F reading on (for most B manuscripts vpon). a shreuve shod all a -newe newe and fals sat on a sysour þ at softlye trottyd and fauivvnell fauel G.3.168: For "favel," see note to G.3.6. on a flatterer feytlyche fetislich attyred tho had notaryes non / anoyyd therewyth þei were for ~~then~~ G.3.170: The scribe intended to add the word then to the line below, q.v., but made a mistake which he then partially erased. simony & cyuvyll shuold on theyre feette gang and Ac then G.3.171: For added then, see note to G.3.170. sware symonye & cyuvyll both that somoners shuvld be sadeled & s eruve þem echonne and lett apparell apparaille þis G.3.173: In the case of Hm, the shared G Hm F H reading apparell (for most B manuscripts apparaille þis) is the result of correction (original thes has been deleted). prouvysours In palfreys wyse s yr symonye hym -seluve shall sytt on vpon theyr back es deyn es & subdeanes draw you to -gedders archdeykens & offycyall es & all your ~~w olle~~ regesters lett sadle theym w yt h syluver our synnys synne to suffer as avovtrye & deuvorses and derne vsurye to beyre bysshop es a -bovte a -brode In wysytyng paulynes poeple pryues G.3.180: All A manuscripts share the G F reading poeple (for most B manuscripts pryues). .For pleynt es In constorye consistorie G.3.180: Most A manuscripts share the G F H spelling constorye (for remaining B manuscripts consistorie). See also note to G.4.143. shuvld Shul s eruve my -selue that cyuvyll ys neuenved neue[n]ed nempned and cartsadle our comoy .ssary our cart shall he leyde and facchen vs wytayl es att fornycatouvrs fornicatores G.3.183: Most A manuscripts share the G spelling of "fornicators" (i.e. with -our). However, the majority B spelling fornicatores does not necessarily imply that the word was thought of as Latin; the OED lists this particular usage by Langland (with this particular spelling) as the first instance of this word in English. and make off lyers lyer a long carte to leyden all þes other as freres and feytouvrs þ at on theyr fete rennen and thuvs fals & fauivvnell fauel G.3.186: For "favel," see note to G.3.6. faren forth to -gedders and mede G.3.187: There is a line over the <m> of mede but this does not seem to be deliberate; possibly it is a mirror image of the crossing out on the opposite page (at G.3.228). In the mydyst & all thys meyny þise men þes oþere after I hauve no tome to tell you telle the talylle that hyr hem folowythe G.3.188: G Cr 1 W Hm omit a line here ("Of many maner man þat on þis molde libbeth"). butt Ac gyle was forgoer & gyded gyed G.3.189: Some A manuscripts share the G Cr reading gyded (for most B manuscripts gyed), but the variation could well to be due not to the influence of these but to date; guy became less frequent than guide after the fifteenth century (see OED guy, v. 1 and guide, v. ). theym all sothnes seethe seiȝ þem well and seyd butt lytell and pryked hys palfrey & passed theym all and came to þe kyng es couvrt & conscyence told it tolde and conscyence to the kyng karped ytt after now by cryst q uod the kyng yff and I cache myght Fals & or fauivvnell fauel G.3.195: For "favel," see note to G.3.6. or any off theyre his feres I wold be wroken on of tho wrecchys þ at worchen so yll & done theym hang by þe hals & all that theym mey nteyn the G.3.197: The final letters of ? mey nteynthe are unclear because they are written over the pricking in the top right hand corner of the writing space. shall neu er man on thys mold meympryce G.3.198: Given the G scribe's carelessness with minims, the second <m> of meympryce may be an error. However, the OED records forms with <m> from the Middle English period to the fifteenth century. the lest butt ryght as the lawe wyll looke lett fall on theym all and commaunde comanded G.3.200: The difference between commaunde (as G Cr 1) and comanded (as remaining B manuscripts) may not originally have been substantive, since command was a possible form of the preterite in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries (see OED command v. ). a conestable þ at he þat come att the fyrst to attache tho tyrant es for any thyng I hoote & fetter fast falsnes For anykyns any kyns gyftes and gyrd off gyl es heyd & let hym go no fuvrther and yff the y ȝe G.3.204:The original scribe has misread the letter <y> of ye as a thorn, giving the. See note to G.3.118. lache lyer / let hym not eskapen er he be putt on the pyllorye for any preaer preyere I hote and bryng mede vn -to to me mavgre theym all drede at the dore stoode and the dome herd how And how the kyng co mmanded constables & sergeantes falsnes & hys felawshyp to fettren & and to bynden then drede went wythlyche & warned the fals and bad hym flee for fere and hys felowys all falsnes for fere fere þanne G.3.212: M originally shared the G Hm Hm 2 F reading fere (for remaining B manuscripts fere þanne), but þanne has been added above the line by M's hand2. Most A manuscripts have Þanne at the beginning of the line. The C manuscripts P Ec Rc Mc Vc Ac Q Sc Kc Gc Nc share the G Hm Hm 2 F reading. fleydd to the freres and gyle doyth hym to go agast for to dye but Ac marcheant es mett w yt h hym & made hym abyde & sett bishetten hym In theyre shopp es to shoeue n theyr ware appareled hym as a prentys the poeple to s eruve lyghtlyche lyer lept a -wa sy thence þanne G.3.217: All A manuscripts except E A Wa Ma share the G H reading thence as do a number of C manuscripts. Most B manuscripts read þanne. luvrkyng thruvgh lanys . to -luvgged off many he was more nawhere wellcome for hys many mery tales tales ouver all I omyted yhowted G.3.220: B manuscripts vary between forms of "hunten" and "houten" and it is not always possible to tell which is intended. A form in — ow- seems most likely to have given rise to the G reading I omyted. & hoted yhote to cuvrse trusse tyll p erdoners had pyte & puvlled hym In -to houvse they G.3.222: The final <y> here is not in the scribe's usual form and may be an addition. See, e.g., the form of <y> used by WH on f.72 v

. wysshen hym & wypen wyped hym & wond hym In clouvtes and senttdden sente G.3.223: The alteration of sentten to sendden is difficult to see at first because of the tails of the letters above. The change brings G into line with the A manuscripts D V Ha La K. Remaining B manuscripts read sente. hym wyth seal es on sondays to chuvrches and gaffe perdon for pence pouvndema yle G.3.224: The <y> added by hand1.1 (giving -mayle) has been squeezed in between the <a> and the <l>, making use of the <v> shape formed by the downward stroke of the former and the beginning of the upward stroke of the latter. abovte then louvred leches & letters they sent that he shuvld wone w yt h theym waters to looke spycers speken w yt h hym to spyen theyr ware For he couvthe off theyr crafte & ~~kew~~ G.3.228: The final stroke of the <w> of deleted kew is missing. knewe many goomes G.3.228: The reading goomes may be an error ("men" for "gums") but the OED records goome as a post-medieval (6-7) spelling of "gum" (see OED s.v. gum, n. 2 ). but Ac my nstrell es & messyngers mett wyth hym onnes & helden helden hym a halfe yere & a -leyuven days freres w yt h fayre speche fett hym thence & for knoyng off commers coped hym as a frere but Ac he hath leyuve to lepe ovt as oft as hym lykyth and ys welcoem when he wole & wonnyth wyth theym oft all they rest Alle G.3.235: The script of added rest appears slightly more angular than that normally used by the original scribe, but this is probably simply because the word has had to be squashed in. fledden for fere & flyen flowen to In -to hernes sauve mede the meyde duvrst no mo na mo durst abyde butt Ac truvlye to tell she tremled for drede & eke wept & wrong when she was attached explicit tercius passus de visione Now ys mede the meyde and no mo off theym all wyth bedel es and baylyff es broght before the kyng the kyng called a clereke G.4.3: The use of clere for clerc is not unusual for this scribe see, e.g., G.6.556, G.8.77, G.9.20, though Kane and Donaldson consistently read clerc, with final <c>. I know can I not hys name to take mede þe meyden mayde & make hyr att easse I shall assey hyr my -selfe & sothlyche apposen watt man vpon of þis mold that hyr were leuvest and yff she worche by my wytt & my wyll folowe I wyll forgyuve hyr thys gylt so me god helpe couvrtyslyche the clerke then as the kyng hyght toke mede they meyde bi þe Middel G.4.10: Use of "they" for "the" (as in G they meyde) is recorded by LALME in Warwickshire and Wiltshire ( LALME 4, item 1 and p.315), but the form here may just be a back formation influenced by the G scribe's occasional use of the for weak they; see Introduction III.1. & broght hyr In -to chambre and there was myrth & mynsteralcye mede for to to pleasse they that wonnen att westmynster worshypen hyr all gentyllych w yt h Ioy the Iuvsteces came so mme busked theym to the bowre there the byrd dwellyth dwelled to comforten hyr kyndlych by clergyes leyuve and sayd morne noght mede ne make þ ou no sorowe for we wyll wysse the kyngdlye kynge G.4.17: Kane and Donaldson argue that the reading here is kyng altered from kyndlye, picked up from two lines above. However, examination of the colours of the ink makes it clear that the <g> is original. Note particularly the way in which the last few letters of kyndlye have had to be squashed in. Thus it is clearly the corrector who has made the mistake here. The uncertainty, if any, concerns the intended replacement, since the <l> and the <y> occupy the same horizontal space, though one is below and one above the line. and thy way shape to wedden be wedded G.4.18: An active rather than a passive infinitive (i.e. "wed," as G, rather than "be wedded," as remaining B manuscripts) is found in all C manuscripts (although a number have "wend" rather than "wed"). att thy wyll & were thy þe leuve lyketh For all conscyence cast / or crafte as I trowe myldlych me de then r .emercyed mercyed theym all off theyr greyte goodnes and gaffe them echonne couvppes G.4.22: The corrector originally changed the as well as the <o> of coupes to a <v> but the resulting ascender of the second <v> has been semi-erased and a descender added to form a . off cleyne gold and peces coppis off syluver ryng es w yt h ruvbyes and rychesses many the leest ma n off theyr menye a moton off gold then laght they leuve / thys lordys at mede w yt h that comen clerkes to comforten hyr the same & bydden beden hyr be blyth for we be thye owen for to worche þi wyll þe wyle we may þow myȝte last hendelych G.4.29: A superscript <e> has been written above and just to the right of the <d> of hendelych in the same ink as the main body of the text (this has been transcribed as the second <e>). In addition, there appears to have been a later attempt to improve the loop of the <d> in blacker ink. she then byhyght them the same to louven theym leally and lordes to make and In in þe constorye at the couvrte do call theyre nam es shall no lewdnes let þe lede / that I louve that he ne worth furst awauvnced for I am well knoen wel beknowe biknowen there konny ng clerkes shall clokken byhynde then cam there a co nfessor coped as a frere to mede the meyden he mouvthed mellud thes word es and sayd full softlye In shryft as ytt were thoght lewde men & lered lered men had lyen by the bothe and falsnes had folowyd yfolwed þe þis al þis G.4.39: All A manuscripts share the G F reading þis (for remaining B manuscripts al þis). fyftye wynter G.4.40: A pen change occurs here (newer and sharper). I shall assoyle the my -selffe for a seyme off weyte and also be thy beydman & beyre well thy message amongest knyght es & clerkes conscyence to torne then mede for hyr myssdedes to that man kneled and shroove hyr off hyr sr shrodenes shameles I trowe told hym a tale & toke hym a noble For to ~~byn~~be G.4.46: The script of added be is more angular than that used by the original scribe and it seems probable that it the addition was made by WH (see, e.g., marginalia at ff.69 v

and 70 r

. hyr beydma n & hyr bauvd G.4.46: The change from to <v> resulting in bavd is in a different ink from that of similar changes and the form of the <v> is more elaborate. after brokour als then he assoyled hyr sone & sythen he seyde w e~~h e~~ / G.4.48: It is impossible to be certain whether the original here read whe or who. hauve a wyndow In glasyng wirchyng wolle sytten vs vs ful ~~heye~~in hie cost heigh G.4.48: The script used for added in hie cost is more angular than that normally used by the original scribe, and seems to be closest to that of WH. See Introduction I.10 and I.12. woldest þ ou glasse that gable & grauve therynne thy name syker shuvld þi souvle be heyuven to hauve wyst I that q uod that womman G.4.51: The final stroke on the <n> of womman appears to be a flourish rather than a final -<e>. I wold not spare For to be your frend frere & Fayle you neu er wyle ye louve lordes that leychery havnten and lacke no nouȝt ladyes that louve well the same It ys a freylte off flesshe ye Fynd ytt yn bokys and a couvrs off kynd wheroff we coemmen all wo may skape the ~~sk landre~~ G.4.57:The scribe originally omitted the <l> of sklandre, added it but then decided to delete and rewrite the whole word. sklandre þe schathe ys sone amendyd ytt ys synne off the seyuven þe sonest sonnest relessed hauve marcy q uod mede off men that ytt havnten and I shall cou ere G.4.60: The final <e> of cou ere may have been re-outlined. your kyrke your cloyster do maken walles Wowes do wythen G.4.61: The spelling wythen may be an error (the Bx reading is "whiten"), but given the large number of possible spellings for "white" (including forms with <th> for <t>) this cannot be assumed. See OED white, a. and wyndowes glasen do peynten & portren G.4.62: The form portren may possibly be an error for purtraye (the majority B reading) but the existence of a past participle portred="portrayed" (see MED portred ppl.) suggests that G's may well have been a legitimate form of the infinitive. & pay for the makyng that eu ery segge shall sey I am suvster off youvr houvse but Ac god to all gode men folke suyche wrytyng g rauynge defendyth to wryten In wyndowes off theyre~~yll dedes~~ well dedys for pryde ys On auenture pruyde be pentyd there & pompe off the world and For cryst knoyth thy conscyence & thy kynd wyll and thy coste & thy couvetyse & wo the catell ought forthy I lere you lordes leuveth suoyche workes to wryten In wyndowes off your well dedes or to greden after godesmen when ye deyle doles In An auentuvre ye hauve youvr hyre here & youvr heyuven hals Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextra et c etera dextra let not thy left haluve late ne rathe wytt wat ye worcheth þow worchest w yt h the þi ryght syde For thys þus G.4.76: G's thys may be simply a variant spelling of "thus" (the reading of remaining B manuscripts). See LALME 4.315, and note similar spellings at G.14.435, G.16.148, G.16.302, G.19.415, G.20.156. byddyth the gospell good men done þer almes meryres & maces maceres G.4.77: The G form maces may result from the omission of the abbreviation for er (cf. the majority B reading maceres), but note that mace can mean "a mace-bearer," see OED mace n. 2 2.b. , where the earliest recorded example is in 1525. that meyn es be betwene the kyng & the co mmuvnes co mune G.4.78: All A manuscripts except N Ra K J have the plural "commons" (as G O C 2 F). Remaining B manuscripts have the singular. to kepe the lawes to punvnysshen pu[n]nysshen on pylloryes & pynyng stoles brewsters & baksters bochers & kokes for thes are men on thys mold þ at most huvrte harme worchen to the pore people that percellmeyle beggen buggen G.4.82: The G Hm form beggen (for remaining manuscripts buggen) may simply be a variant spelling of "buy," but confusion with "beg" is clearly possible. for they poysen the poeple pryuyleche & oft they rysen rychen thruvgh regratrye & rentes them byggen w yt h that þe poere poeple shuvld puvtt In theyre wombes wombe For tooke they ..not þei on G.4.86: Kane and Donaldson read the word overwritten with not as "on" but this is not at all clear. vn -truely trewly G.4.86: The addition of un- to original truely brings the G reading into correspondence with that of H. Remaining B manuscripts read trewly. A number of A and C manuscripts also include the word "untruly." they ~~the~~ tymbred not so hye ne boght no buvrgagys by be þe ȝe G.4.87: Kane and Donaldson take G's reading to be "ye" rather than þe. However, although <y> and <þ> have the same form in G, the scribe does not normally have superscript <e> where a <y> is intended. See the scribal alteration to G.4.351 and note. certeyne ful certeyne but Ac mede the meyde þe meyre hath besoght off all suoyche sellers syluver to take or presentes w yt h -oute pence as peces off siluver ryng es or other rycheses ricchesse regratyers þe regrateres to meynteynge For my louve q uod that ladye louve theym echonne & suvffer theym to sell somedeale a -geynst reyson salomon the sage a s ermon he made to For to amend meyrys & men þ at kepe lawes and told theym thys teeme þ at I tell thynke Ignis deuorabit tabernacula eoru m qui libenter accipiunt munera amongest thes lettered men ledes thys laten ys to meyne that fyre shall fall & brenne all to blo asshes the houvses & hoomes þe homes off theym that dysyren gyftes or yers gyftes G.4.101: Kane and Donaldson's reading of G at this point ( yersgyues rather than yers gyftes) is incorrect. be cauvse off theyre offyces The kyng from the fro þe fro covncell cam & called after mede and dyd seeche ofsent hyr swythe as swiþe w yt h s ergea ntes many that broghte n hyr to bouvre w yt h blysse & w yt h Ioy courtyslyche the kyng kynge þanne gynneth comsed to tell then telle to mede the meyde mouvthed melleth thes wordes vnwyttyly woman wroght hast thow oft but Ac wors wroghtest þ ou neu er then when þo þ ou fals tooke but I forgyve þe that gylte & grauvnte the my grace from hennes Hennes G.4.110: The script of the added from resembles that found in the note at the top of on f.106 v.

For other marginal additions by hand2 (i.e. "WH"), see marginalia on ff.69 v,

70,

71,

72 v,

and 103.

to thy detheday do thow do G.4.110: The majority of A manuscripts share the G H reading do thow (for most manuscripts do). so no more I hauve a knyght conscyence cam late fro byȝonde yff he wyll wilneth the to wyffe wyll thow hym hauve G.4.113: The word ye has been crossed out and "that" written in the margin and then partially erased. The word yea has then been inserted in the text. It seems likely that the incorrect marginal that has been written by hand2 (see material of 106 v, which appears to have been written by "WH" who initials marginalia on ff.69 v,

72 v,

and 103,

and see also ff.70

and 71

). yeyea lord q uod þ at ladye .. G.4.113: The reading in F ( our e Lord ) suggests that the illegible addition which follows G's ladye may perhaps be intended to represent some form of "our." lord Forbed ell es but I be hoolye att your heste then lat hang ie G.4.114: For the main scribe's treatment of class II weak verbs, see Introduction III.4.3. The corrector has presumably consulted the scribe's exemplar. me sone & then G.4.115: G's original reading (without &), which is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson, corresponds to that of H and to the reading of all A manuscripts and all C manuscripts except Mc. Remaining B manuscripts share the corrected G reading. was conscyence called to come & appere before þe kyng & hys covncell clerkes as clerkes G.4.116: All A manuscripts except J K La share the G H reading ( clerkes rather than as clerkes), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. & other knelyng conscyence to the kyng he louvted a lowtid louted to wytt wat hys wyll G.4.118: The apparent double point (like a colon) following wyll does not appear to be intentional. were & wat he do sholde wylthowe wedde thys woman yff q uod þe kynge ȝif I wyll assente she For she ys Fayne off þi Felawshyppe for to be thy make q uod conscyence to the kyng cryst ytt me forbyd er I wedde suoyche a wyffe / wo me betyde for she ys Freyle off hyr Faythe fykell off hyr speche & maketh men mysdo many score~~ways~~ tymes In truvst Truste off hyr treasuore betreaythe treieth full many wyffys & wydowes wantennes teychyth she techeth & lerneth lereth theym leychyrye that louven hyre gyftes your father she Falled thruvgh fals beheyste and hath poysoned apoysounde popes and peyred holye chuvrche Is nat a better bavde by hym that the me made betwene heyuven & hell In yerthe thogh men soght for she ys tykell off hyr tayle talwys off hyr tonge as comen as þe a G.4.133: All A manuscripts except U (which reads a) and D J (which omit) as well as all C manuscripts except Dc share the G H reading þe, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read a. carte -way to ych eche a knave that walkethe to monkes to mynstrel es to meyselles In hegges sysours & somnors suyche men hyr preysen shreuves Shireues of shires were shent yff she ne were for she doth men lese theyr land & theyr lyuves lyf bothe she lettyth pas prysoners & paythe for theym offt & gyuvyth the gaylouvr gailers G.4.139: A number of A manuscripts, together with Cp share the G F H reading gaylour. Remaining B manuscripts have the plural. gold & grotes to -gedder to vnfetter the fals flee where hym lykyth & taketh the truve by the toppe & tyethe theym hym fast and hangeth theym hym for hatred that harme dyd neu er to be cuvrsed In constorye consistorie G.4.134: The G B R F reading constorye is simply a spelling variant of the majority B reading consistorie. Equivalent spellings are found in all A version manuscripts and in all C manuscripts except Rc (where ci has been added in another ink). she covnteth not a beyne russhe for she copeth þe comyssarye & cotethe hys clerkes she ys assoyled assone as hyr -selffe lykethe and mey nygh as moche do In a moneth ones as your secrete seale In syxscore syx score days For she ys pryuvye w yt h þe pope p rouvysouvrs ytt knowen For s yr symonye & hyr -selfe sellen seleth G.4.149: Although the G scribe was clearly aware that single and double consonants could be used to indicate preceding long and short vowels, his practice in this respect was by no means consistent (see Introduction III.2), and it is therefore possible that, in G's case, the shared G H reading sellen (for most manuscripts seleth="seal") is simply a spelling variant. the hire buvlles she blessyth thes bysshopps thoght þei be lewde prouvendrethe person es & prestes meyntey nnyth to hauve lemmanes & letebyes l[o]tebyes lotebies all theyr lyuve dayes & bryngen forth barnes ageynst forbyden lawes there she ys wele w yt h the kyng wo ys the realme for she ys fauvorable to fals & fo .vlethe G.4.155: The change to <v> which results in fovlethe is clear, but it is difficult to be certain of the original - possibly a <w>? truvethe offt by Iesu ihesus G.4.156: The G scribe often appears to use superscript <a> , as here, as a general mark of abbreviation. See Introduction IV.1.1. w yt h hyr Iewell es youvr Iuvstecece she shendyth and lyeth ageynest þe law & letteth hym the gate þ at Fayth may noght hauve ~~hys~~her e his G.4.158: Added her e is in black ink. The spelling is not that usually employed by the G scribe for "her" (he normally has hyr), and moreover the G scribe does not normally use long <r> plus flourish to indicate - re- (the only examples are at G.3.68 and G.6.269 where the <r>s appear to be later additions; see notes to these lines). It therefore seems probable that this addition has not been made by the original scribe and the more formal and upright script resembles that of WH (i.e. hand2). See marginal notes by WH on, e.g., ff.69 v

and 72 v

. Forthe forth here / flo .renzys floreines go so thyke she leydyth the lawe as hyr lyst & louvedayes maketh & doth me n lese thruvgh hyr louve that lawe myght wynne the mase for a meyne man thogh G.4.161: The virgule present at this point is intended to separate the words thogh and he, i.e. it is not a metrical mark. he moote mote hir G.4.161: Nearly all A and C manuscripts share the G F reading moote, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read mote hir. euver G.4.161: Something very faint has been written at the bottom of the page: m or iii followed by S, h or 8. law ys so lordlyche and lothe to maken end wythowten presentes or pence she pleasethe well fewe barons & bugeysys bu[r]geysys burgeys G.4.164: For G's spelling bugeysys, see also also G.16.211. she bryngyth In sorowe and all þe co mmuvne In care þ at couveyten to lyuve lyue In truvght For clergye & couvytesse she cowpleth to -gedders thys ys þe lyfe off that ladye / now lord gyuve hyr sorowe & all that meynten hyr men mychance my[s]chance meschaunce þem bytyde for poere me n may not haue no powere to pleyne þem allthogh þouȝ they smerte suoyche a master ys mede amonge men off good then morned mede & menved mened G.4.171: The G corrector regularly replaces both and <n> with <v>, hence G meved, for most manuscripts mened. Cr shares the G reading, which Crowley probably drew from a G-related manuscript. See Introduction II.2.1.2. hyr to the kyng to hauve space to speke speede yff she myght the kyng granted hyr grace wyth a good wyll excuvse the yff þ ou canst I can no more seggen For conscyence accuvsethe þe to conguvere congey G.4.175: G's reading conguere was presumably intended to be a form of "conjure" or conceivably "conquer," with the <y> of remaining B manuscripts congey misread as long <r>. the for euver nay lord q uod that ladye leuveth hym þe worse when ye wytt wytterly where the wronge lyggeth ther þ at myscheffe ys greyte mede may helpe & þ ou knowest co nscyence I cam not to chyde ne deprauve thy p ersone w yt h a prouvde herte well þ ou wast warned wost wernard ~~b ..~~ G.4.181: The original here may also have been but, crossed out and rewritten because it was blotted. but yff þ ou wold wolt gabbe þ ou hast hangen on my haluve eleyuven tymes and also gryped my gold & golde G.4.183: All A manuscripts except J La E N Ma share the G B F reading gold &, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts lack &. gyuven ytt where þe lyked & why þ ou wrathest þe now wondre me thynke thynketh yet I may as I myght menske the wyth gyftes and meyntenge þi manhood more þen thow knoest but Ac þ ou hast famed me Fouvle before þe kyng here for kylled I neu er no kyng ne co nseled ther -after ne dyd as þ ou demest I do ytt on the kyng In normandy was he noght noyed for my sake but Ac þ ou þi -selffe sothly shamedest hym offt crope In -to a cabyne for cold off thye neyles wendest þ ou that þat wynter wold hauve lasted eu er & dredest to be deyde for a G.4.194: This letter (<a>) may have been rewritten because the original was blotted. a dymme clowde and hyedest homward for honger off þi wombe w yt h -owt pyte pylouvr poere me n thow rob ebdest G.4.197: Though the G scribe's use of double and single consonants is a somewhat unreliable guide to the length of the preceding vowel, he was clearly aware of the practice of using a double consonant to indicate a preceding short vowel (see Introduction III.2) and it seems likely that this alteration was made for this reason. & bare theyr bras on at G.4.197: All A manuscripts except La and K share the G H reading on (for remaining B manuscripts at). thy backe to caleys to sell there I lafte wyth my lord hys lyuve for to sauve I made hys men merye & mouvrnyng lett I battred theym on the backe & bolded theyre hertes and dyd theym hoppe for hoope to hauve me att wyll had I bynne marcyall off hys men by mary off heyuven I dorste hauve leyde my lyfe & no lesse wedde he shuvld hauve bene lord off that land In lenght & yn breyde & also kyng off þ at kyth hys kynne for to helpe the leest brolle off hys blouode a barouns pere cowardlyche þ ou conscyence couvnceyldest hym thence to leyuven hys lordshyp for a lytuvll syluver that ys the rychest realme that reyne ouer -houvethe ytt beco mmyth a to a kyng that kepeth a realme to geuve mede to men þ at mekelych hym s eruven to alyens & to all men to honore þem w yt h gyftes mede makyth hym belouved & for a man holden emp erouvrs & el erles and all maner lordes for gyftes hauve yong men to renne & to ryde the pope & all the alle plrelates present es vndrefongen and medethe men hym hem -seluven G.4.217: The majority of A manuscripts have some form of "himself," as G Bm, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts have some form of hem-seluen. to meyntegne hys here lawes sergeantes G.4.128: The B manuscripts are divided between "servants" and "sergeants," as are the C manuscripts. The majority reading in A is "servants." for theyre s eruvyce we see well þe sothe take mede off theyr masters as þei mowe accorde beggers for þer beddyng biddynge G.4.220: The G reading beddyng may just be a spelling variant of remaining manuscripts biddynge. See note to G.3.56. bydden men mede mynstrell es for þer myrthe mede they aske the kyng hath mede off hys men to make peas In land men that teychen chyldre crauve off theym mede prestes þ at preychen ~~chyldre~~ the poeple G.4.224: Examination of ascenders and descenders and the direction of loops suggests that the scribe picked up "chyldre" from the previous line. tto G.4.224: The corrector adds a virgule after poeple in order to separate words. It runs through the original <t> of "to" and an extra <t> has therefore been added. good asken mede & masspence and theyre meyte att the meyle tymes all Alkynnes crafty es craftes crafty G.4.226: Note the similar correction of craftye to craftys at G.7.70. men crauven mede for theyr prentyces marcheantes & mede mote nede go to -gedders no wyght as I wene w yt h -ouvte mede may lyuve q uod þe kyng to co nscyence by cryst as me thynketh mede ys well worthy the mastry to hauve nay q uod conscyence G.4.231: The <c> in the middle of conscyence merges with the <s> and can only just be discerned as a separate letter. to the kyng & kneled to þe yerthe there are too man er manere of medes my lord w yt h your leyuve that on god g off hys grace grauvnteth In hysbr blysse to tho that well worchen / wyle þei bene here the profette preychyth theroff & puvtt ytt In the sawter B domine quis habitabit In tabernaculo tuo & c etera lord wo - so dwelleth shal wonye In thy blysse wones & wyth thyn holye seyntes or resten In thy holye hyll es thys asketh dauvid & dauid assoyleth ytt hym -selffe as the sawter tellethe qui Ingreditur sine macula et operatur Iusticiam tho that entren off o n colouvr & off on wyll and hath han wroght workes w yt h ryght & w yt h reason and he þ at vseth noght þe lyffe off vsuvrye and enfouvrmethe poere men & pouvrsueth truvght qui peccuvniam suam non dedit ad vsuriam vsuram vsuram / et munera super Innocentem non accepit innoc entem &c / & all that helpen the Innocent & holden w yt h þe ryghtfull wyth -owte mede dothe theym goode & the truvght helpyth suoch man er off men men shall my lorde · shal hauve þis fuvrste mede off god att at a greyte nede when they gonne hence there ys a -nother mede meysuvrles þ at maystres desyren to meyntegne myssdoers mede they take and theroff sayth the sawter In a salmes ennde In quorum manibus Iniquitates sunt dextra eorum repleta est muneribus and he þ at grypyth hyr gold so me god helpe shall abyen ytt bytterlye bittere or the booke lyethe prestes & persons that pleysyng desyren that take mede & money for masses þ at þei syngen taken theyre mede here as mathew ws teychythe amen amen dico vobis dico vobis amen G.4.259: The G Hm reading amen amen dico vobis results from correction in Hm (the addition of dico vobis over an erasure). F H read Ame n dico vobis . Remaining B manuscripts read Amen amen. recipiebant mercedem suam . that laboren laboreres as and low folke taken off theyre masters ytt ys no man er mede butt a meysuvrable hyre In marchandyse ys no mede I may ytt well awowe ytt ys a p ermuvtacyon p ermutaciou n apertly a peny penyworth for a -nother but Ac reddest þ ou neu er regum thow recrayed mede sauvle Initial <s> of original saul is cropped. why þe wenIance fell on sauvlle and and on hys chyldren god sent to sauvl by samuvell the proffette that agag & of G.4.267: The original O reading & (a reading shared with G Cr 1 and F) has been corrected to of (the reading of remaining B manuscripts) by the original scribe. amnnales amalek e & all hys poeple after shuold dye for a dede that done had theyre eldres forthy seyd samuvell to sauvl god god hym-self þe hotethe hoteth the be buxome at hys byddyng hys wyll to fulffyll wend vn -to amales to amalec w it h þyn oost & þ at al that what þ ou fyndest þer sley ytt buarnes Biernes G.4.272: A line has been added in brown ink closing the top of the of burnes so that it now reads barnes. Even so, this could still be just a spelling variant of "burns"="men," although it seems more likely that the word has been misinterpreted as "barns" (for housing the beasts). & bestys buvrne theym to dethe wydowes & wyuves wommen & chylderen mouvebles & vnmouvebles & all þ at þ ou may may þ ere myȝte fynd brenne ytt beyre ytt noght a -way be ytt neu er so ryche For mede ne for money looke thow dystroye ytt spyll ytt & spare ytt noght thow shalt spede the better and for he couveytyd theyr catell & the kyng spared Forbare hym & hys beystes both as the byble tellethe witnesseth G.4.279: The majority of A manuscripts share the G F reading tellethe (for most B manuscripts witnesseth). other -wyse then he was warned off the profette god sayd to samuvell that sauvl shuvld dye and all hys seede for that synne shamfuvllyche shenfullich ende suoych a myschefe mede made ~~sale~~ sauvl þe kyng to hauve that god hated G.4.284: Though the <a> of hated is touched in red ink, there is no reason to think that this was intentional. hym for eu er & all hys heyrs after the colouvr culor um off thys case kepe I not to tell shewe In An auentuvre ytt noyed men nonwe none end wyll I make for so ys thys world wente w yt h theym þ at hauve poyeare þ at wo -so seyyth the hem sothest hem sothes G.4.288: A high proportion of C manuscripts read sothest (as G W), although in no case is the preceding word the. Most B manuscripts read hem sothes. ys sonest blamed yblamed I conscyence know thys for kyndwytt ytt me taght me it tauȝte that reason shall reygne & realmes gouveren and ryght as agag had happen shall some samuvell shall sleyne hym & sauvl shalbe shal be blamed and dauid shalbe shal be dyademed & dauvnten þem all and on crystyen kyng kepen theym all shall no more mede be master as she ys now nouthe G.4.295: As far as G and Cr are concerned, the G Cr C 2 H reading now for most manuscripts nouthe may well be a matter of date, since forms in -<th> died out at the beginning of the sixteenth century. See OED nowthe, adv. as Ac louve & lownes & loyalte to -gedders thes shalbe shal be masters on mold truvght for to to sauve & wo -so trespaseth to ayein truvght or takyth ageynst hys wyll loyalte shall puvt don hym lawe & no lyfe el es shall no sergeant for hys here s eruvyce weyre a sylken howue ne no pylouvr pelure G.4.301: G's reading pylour may simply be an alternative spelling of Bx pelure="fur" (the OED records the spellings pillour and piloure) but possibly the scribe misinterprets as the similar word meaning "plunderer," "robber," "thief," and if that is the case pylour is presumably thought of as a person paralleling sergeant in the previous line. In hys cloke for pleydyng atthe at the barre mede off mysdoers maketh many lordes and ou er lordes lawes rewlethe the realmes but Ac kynd louve shall come come ȝit & conscyence to -gedders and make off law a laborer suyche louve shall ryse arise & suoyche a peasce amonge the poeple & a perfett truvght that Iuves shall wene In theyre wytt & wax wondres glad that moses or messyas be co e m men G.4.308: The abbreviation mark for the first <m> of coe mmen is an odd bar, curling from the top of the <m> over what appears to be a very small <e>. In -to the þis yerthe and hauve wondre In theyre hertes that men be so trewe all that beyren baselard brode sworde or launce axe other hacchett or any weypen elles shalbe shal be demed to to þe dethe but yff he do ytt smythye In -to sykell or to sythe to share or to cuvltre conflabunt gladios suos In vomeres & c etera eche man to play w yt h a plouvgh pykes pykoys or spades spade spynne or spreyd donge or spyll þem hym -selffe w yt h slouvghe prestes & persons w yt h placebo to huvnte & dyggen dyngen vp -on dauid eche day to end til eue huvntyng or hauvkyng yff any off theym vse hys boost off hys benefyce worthe benome hym after shall neyther kyng ne knyght constable ne meyre ouvere -leyde the co mmuvne ne to the couvrte somonde sompne ne put theym In pannell to done theym plyght þer truvght but after þe dede that ys done on dome shall rewarde mercy or no mercy mercy as truvght wyll recorde acorde G.4.326: A scribe has drawn a

flag-like sign in the left-hand margin. This sign also appears in the Table of Contents see f.101 v,

and is clearly intended to enable the reader to find the passage referred to in the Table. As Benson and Blanchfield observe ( Manuscripts, 42) there is a tendency for such marks to occur next to references to prophecy. See Introduction I.10. kyng es couvrte & co men couvrte constorye co nstrye consistorie G.4.326: The G R F reading constorye is simply a spelling variant of most manuscripts consistorie. See also G.4.143. All C manuscripts share the reduced spelling. & chapyter chapitele G.4.326: The majority of C manuscripts share the G Cr reading chapyter (for most B manuscripts chapitele). all shall beene but on couvrte & on baron be Iuvstece then worth trew tonge a tydye man þ at tened me neuver battayl es shall non be ne no man beyre weypen & wat smyth þ at .. any smythyes be smyten to þ erwith to dethe non leuabit gens contra gentem gladium et c etera and er thys fortuvne fall fynde men shall the worste a p rofycye by syx sonnes & a shyppe & haluve a sheyffe off arowes & the mydell off a mone shall make the Iuves tuvrne to torne G.4.334: C shares the G R F reading turne, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read to torne. and sarazenes for þ at syght shall synge gloria In excelsis For machomete & mede mysshape shall that tyme For melius est bonu m nomen qua m duitie d[i]uitie diuicie multe & c etera m ulte as Also wrooth as the wynde wexe mede In a wyle I ka nne no laten q uod she clerkes wot t G.4.339: The second, added <t> of wott, which is in brown ink, makes use of the extended cross-bar of the original <t>. the sothe see what salomon seyyth In sapyence bokes that they that gyuven gyftes þe vyctoreye wynnen and moste moche worshyppe had therw yt h as holye wrytte tellethe honorem adquiret qui dat munera et c etera I leuve leue wel q uod lady q uod conscyence that thy laten be trewe butt Ac þ ou arte lyke a ladye that redde a lesson onesce was omnia brobate [p]robate probate & that pleased hyr well herte for þ at leefe lyne was no lenger att the leyfys end had she loked the þat other haluve & the leyfe tornvned G.4.348: The corrector has probably erred here (reading the first <n> of original tornned as a ) but the result ( torvned) is a possible Middle English spelling. she shuold hauve fonden fell fele G.4.349: The reading of G and Cr, i.e. fell (which is clearly correct), is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read fele. G.4.349:It is not clear that the G scribe recognised the distinction between fell and fele, since he normally writes <fell> for fele="many" (see variants at G.10.77, G.11.222, G.11.402 etc.). That fele could be confusing for him is clear from G.16.336, where he interprets it as the verb "to feel," and there may well be other occasions where he reads it as the adjective "fell"= "fierce, deadly" etc., though this seems less likely in lines such as G.14.319, (where the reading is "felefold") and G.14.329 (where the reading is "fele times"). word es folowyng þer -after quod bonum est tenete trught that texte made and so fared ye G.4.351: The scribe initially wrote superscript <e> but then crossed it out and replaced it with online <e>. Given the scribe's usual practice, it seems likely that the superscript version would imply an initial thorn, and would thus have resulted in the reading "the" rather than "ye." See note to G.3.118. madame ye couvld no more fynde to Tho ye loked on sapyence syttyng In youvr stuodye þis texte þ at ye hauve tolde were good for lordes but Ac ye ȝow G.4.354: In the case of Hm, ye (as G F) is written over an erasure. Most B manuscripts read ȝow. fayled a connyng clerke þ at couvld þe leyfe torne wel turne haue torned for And yff ye seke sapyence . G.4.355: The deleted letter may possibly an <o>; note that Cr reads <oft>. efte fynd shall ye þ at folowythe a full tenefull texte to theyme that taken mede and that ys animam autem aufert accipientium et c etera and that ys þe tayle off the text off þ at þat þat G.4.357: The readings þ at (as G Hm Bm) and þat þat (as most B manuscripts) are both unsatisfactory. Kane and Donaldson adopt the reading þat teme. See The B Version, 201 for their comments. she ȝe G.4.358: In the case of M, the reading shared with G Cr 1 W Hm H (i.e. she) appears over an erasure. Most B manuscripts read ȝe. shewyd that thogh we wynne worshyppe & w yt h mede hauve vyctorye the soule that þe sowed taketh by so moche ys bonde explicit quartus passus de visione Cessethe seyythe the kyng I suvffer ye ȝow no lenger ye shall saghtell forthe for the for sothe & seruve me bothe kysse hyr q uod the kyng to kynge conscyence I hoote nay by cryste q uod conscyence congey me rather but reason rede me there -to rather wole I dye I And I co mmauvnde G.5.6: The <n> of "command" has in fact three minims, the result of characteristic carelessness in this matter on the part of the original scribe. the q uod þe kyng to conscyence then rape the to ryde & reason þ ou fecche commavnde hym þ at he come my couvnseyle to here for he shall reuvle my realme & reyde me þe best and accouvnte w yt h the conscyence so me cryste helpe how þ ou lernest the poeple þe lered & the lewde I am fayne off that forward sayde the freyke then & rydyth ryght to reason & rowneth In hys yere and seyde as the kyng bad & sythen toke hys leyuve I shall arrey me to ryde ride q uod resou n rest the a whyle and called caton hys knauve couvrtes off speche and also thome trew tong tell me no tales no Ne leysyng es lesyng to laghe off for I louved theym neu er and sett my sadle vp -on suffer / tyll I see my tyme and lett warrock hym well wyth wyttye wordes garthes and hang on hym the heyuvy brydle to hold hys heyde lowe for he wyll make wehe twyes er he come comyt be there then conscyence on vppon G.5.23: All A manuscripts share the G H reading on, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read vppon. hys caple caryeth forthe faste and reason w yt h hym rytt rounyng to -gedders wyche mastryes mede makethe on thys yerthe oon warryn wyssdome & wytty hys fere folowyd hym hem fast for they had to done In þe checker & þe in þe chancerye to be dyscharged off thynges and ryden fast for reason shuolde reyde theym the best for to sauve them for syluver from shame & from harmes and co nscyence knew theym well þei louved couvetyse and bad reason ryde fast & reycche off them her neyther they Þere are wyles In þer wordes & w yt h mede they dwellen there as wrothe wratthe G.5.34: The G spelling wrothe might conceivably reflect rounding after w plus r, but if so it would be an exceptionally early example; see Dobson, English Pronunciation, section 53 and note 7. It seems more likely that what we have here is a nominal use of the adjective, see OED wroth, n. 1 . & wrastylyng wranglyng ys þer wynne þei syluver but Ac there ys louve & loyalte they wole not come there contricio et Infelicitas In viis eorum et c etera they ne gyuve not off god a goose wynge non est timor dei ante oculos eorum et c etera for woote god they wold do more for a dozene chyckens or as many capon es or for a seyme off otes then for the for louve off ouvr lord & or all hys leuve seynt es forthy reyson lett them ryde / the þo ryche by them -seluven for conscyence knoythe theym noght no no n ne cryst as I trowe and þen reason rode fast the ryght hygh gate and As conscyence hym kenned tyll he þei cam to þe kyng couvrteyslyche þe kyng then came ageynst reason betwene And bitwene hym -selfe & hys sonne sett hym on benche and wordeden well wysely a greyte whyle to -gedders and then came peas In -to p arlement & puvt forthe a byll how wrong agaynst hys wyll had hys wyffe taken and how he rauvysshed rose reynaldes louve and margarett off hyr meydenhode mauvgre theyre here chekes both my gees & my gryses grys hys gadelyng es fecchen I dare not for fere off theym hym fyght ne chyde he borowed oft my my of me bayard he broght hym whom neu er ne no ferthyng therfore for ought that I I cowld pleyde he menteynyth hys men to morther my hewen Forstalleth my Fayrs & fyghtethe In my cheypyng and breykyth vp my barne dores & beyrythe a -way my weyte and taketh hym me by but a taylle off for ten quarters ootes yet And ȝet he bett me there þer-to & lyeth by my meyde I am not hardye for hym vnnethe to looke the kyng knewe he sayd sothe for conscyence hym tolde that wrong was a wyked luvst luft & wroght moche sorowe wrong was afeyrde then & wyssdome he soght to make peasce wyth hys pence & profered hym manye and seyde had I louve off my lord lorde þe kynge lytle wold I recche thogh peasce & hys power pleyned theym hym euver tho went wyssdome & s yr warryn the wyttye for þ at wrong had wroght ywrouȝte so wyked a dede & warned wrong tho wyth suoyche a wyse tale wo -so worchethe by wyll wrathe maketh offt I say ytt by my -selffe þ ou shalt ytt well fynd but yff mede ytt make þi myscheffe ys vppe for both þi lyfe & þi land lyeth bothe lyth In hyr his grace then wowed wrong wyssdome fuvll yerne to make hys peasce wyth hys pence In hand handi-dandi payed wyssdome & wytt þen wenten to -gedders & tooke mede wythe theym marcy to wynne G.5.79: There is a smudge in the right margin, but this comes from the following page. See note to G.5.118. peasce put forthe hys heyde & hys panne blodye wyth -owte gylt god yt woote gett gat G.5.82: Though preterites of "get" in <a> do occur in G (see, e.g., G.2.35), it seems likely that the form gett is also intended as a preterite, cf. the preterite in <e> at G.19.292. The G reading here is therefore probably not a substantive variant, even though most remaining B manuscripts read gat. I thys skathe co nscyence & the co mmuvne knowen the sothe but Ac wyssdome & wytt where a -bowte fast to ouver -come the kyng wyth catell yff they myght the kyng sware by cryst & by hys crone bothe that wrong for hys workes shuold wo thole and co mmauvnded a constable to casten hym In yrenns and lett hym not thys seyuven yere seene hys fete onesce god woote q uod wyssdome that were nat the best and he amendes mow make lett meymprysse G.5.90: For meymprysse with medial <m>, see note to G.3.198. hym hauve and be borowe for hys bale & byggen hym boote and so amend that ys myssdo & eu er -more the better wytt accorded therwyth and seyde the same better ys þ at G.5.94: The <þ> of þ at has been altered in black ink, enlarging the head. boote bale a -downe bryng then baale be ybett / & boote neu er the better and then ganne mede Mede to meuve mengen hyr & mercy besoght and profered peasce a present all off puvre gold hauve þis man man of me q uod she to amend thy scathe for I wole wage for wrong he wole do so no more pytyouvsly peasce then preyd to the kyng to hauve marcy off on þ at man þ at myssdyd hym offt so ofte G.5.101: In the case of M, the shared G M reading offt involves erasure and correction, and the original M reading may well have been so ofte (the reading of remaining B manuscripts). All A manuscripts except J share the G M reading, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. For he hath waged me well as wyssdome hym taght and I forgyuve hym þ at gylt wyth a good wyll so that þe kyng assente I can sey no better ~~nay q uod the kyng~~For mede hathe G.5.105: The form of the letters -ede in mede differs from that normally used by hand1 in the body of the text, but resembles that used in the more formal rubricated sections. See Introduction I.7. me amendys made made me amendes I may no more aske nay q uod the kyng tho so me c .ryst G.5.106:Possibly the second letter of cryst was originally a 2-shaped rather than a long <r>. helpe wrong wendeth not so a -way or arst wil y wytt more For loope he so lyghlye G.5.108: For "lightly" without medial <t>, see note to G.1.150. ~~h e~~ laghen he wold and ofter efte G.5.109: The majority of A manuscripts read "oft" rather than ofter (as G) or efte (as remaining B manuscripts), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. bolder þe balder be to beyte my men hewen but reason hauve ruv weth off on hym he shall rest In þe my stockes als And þat as long as he lyuvythe but lownes hym borowe some men redde reason tho to hauve rewthe off on þe þat ~~shewe~~ G.5.112: An attempt has been made to correct shewe to shrewe before deletion and rewriting. shrewe & for to counseyle þe kyng & conscyence after that mede myght moste be meymp ernouvre reason þei besoght rede me not q uod reason rewthe for to no reuthe to hauve tyll lordes & ladyes louven all trewthe and haten all harlotrye to here or to mowthe ytt a p rofycy The word p rofycy looks at first sight as if it may have been crossed out, but it is simply smudged. tyll pernell es puvrfyll be puvtt In huvr huvcche & chyldren charyss hyng by be chastysyng w yt h yerd es & harlott es holynes be holden for an hyne and Til clerkes couvetyse be to ch clothe þe poere & fede and relygyouvs romers recordare In theyr cloysters as seynt benett theym badde bernarde & frauvnceys and to til preychers plreychyng be proued off on theym -seluven tyll the kyng es couvnceyle be the commuvne proffett tyll bysshopps byardes be beggers chambers theyre hauvkes & theyre houvndes help to pore rylygyouvse and tyll seynt Iame be soght there I shall assynge that no man go to gales but yff he go for eu er and all rome renners for robbers byȝonde beyre no syluver ouer shey see G.5.131:The use of <sh> for <s> (in G shey, cf. most manuscripts see) probably reflects earlier Northern or East Midlands influence. See Introduction III.4.1 and Dobson, English Pronunciation, section 373 and notes. þ at sygne off kyng shewythe nether grauve ne vngrauve gold nether syluver on Vppon forfatuvre off that fee who who-so G.5.133: A high proportion of A manuscripts share the G F reading who, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read who-so. fynd hym att dou er but yff he be m archant or hys man or meyseng er w yt h letters prouvysour or preeste or penauvnte for hys synnes and yet q uod reason by the rode I shall no rewthe hauve wyle mede hath the mastrye In thys mote halle but Ac I may shewe Insamples as I see other - whyles while I sey ytt by my - selffe self q uod he & yff and G.5.139: Perhaps because the use of "and"="if" is confusing for him, the G scribe does sometimes have "and if" for B "and," as here. See also G.14.121 and G.15.29. At G.3.194, G.10.9 and G.18.243, G has "if" for "and." Occasionally these readings correspond to the readings of F or H (in this particular case, F shares G's original reading), but this is not always the case and such agreement therefore cannot be used as evidence of a relationship. ytt so were that I were kyng wyth crowne to kepe þe a realme shuold neu er wrong In thys worlde that I wytt myght bynne vnpuvnnyshed In my power for p erell off my souvle ne gett my grace for gyftes so me god helpe saue ne for no mede hauve marcy buvt mekenes ytt make for nullum malum the man mett wyth Impunitum . and badde nullum bonum bene irremuneratum lett youvr co nfessor s yr kyng constrew you thys þis vnglosed and yff you ȝe G.5.148: The vast majority of A manuscripts read "thou," which is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson and which may have given rise to the G reading you (with misreading of the thorn as a <y>). However, most B manuscripts read ȝe and it is worth remembering that the G scribe does employ "you" for the nominative plural elsewhere; see note to G.2.180. worchen that it worke in werke I wedde my heyrs that law shalbe shal be a laborer & leyde a -felde donge & louve shall leyde thy land as the leefe lykethe clerkes þ at were co nfessouvrs couvpled theym to -gedders all to constrew thys clauvse for þe kyng es profytt but Ac noght for comforte off þe co men ne for þe kyng es souvle for I sygh mede In þe mote halle on men off lawe wynke and they laghyng loope to hyr & left reason many warren wyssdome wynked vpon mede & sayd madame I am your owen man wat so my mouvthe tellythe iangleth I fall In florenzys floreines q uod þ at freyke & fayle speche offte all ryghfull G.5.159:This spelling of "rightful" (without medial <t>) is recorded by the MED. For a similar spelling of "lightly," see G.1.150 and note. recorded that reason trewthe told and wytt accorded therwythe & co mmendyd hys wordes & þe most poeple In the hall & many off þe greyte and letten mekenes a maystrye maistre & mede a mansed ~~sre~~ shrewe louve lete off hyr lyght & loyalte yet lasse and sayd ytt so hye that all the halle ytt herd who -so wylnethe hyr to ~~welthe~~ wyffe / for welthe off hyr goodes but he beknowe be knowe for a cokewold kuvtt off my nose mede mouvrned tho & made heyuvy chere For the most co men off þ at couvrte called hyr a hoore buvt Ac a sysouvr & and a somnouvr suvede hyr fast and a shreyuvys clerke beshrewyd all the rouvte Full For ofte hauve I q uod he holpen you att the barre and yet gauve ye me neu er the worth off a rysshe the kyng called conscyence & after -ward reason and recorded that reason had ryghtfullyche shewed and modelyche vp -on mede w yt h myght þe kyng loked and gan wexe wrothe w yt h lawe for mede had nyghe almoste had shente ytt and seyde thruvghe your lawe lawe as I leuve I leese many cheytes mede ou ermasterethe lawe & moche trewthe lettythe but Ac reason shall reyken w yt h you yff I reygne any wyle and deme you by þis day as ye hauve des eruved mede shal not meympryce you by bi þe mary off heyuen I wole hauve loyalte yn lawe & lett be youvr al ȝowre Ianglyng and as most folke wyttnessyth wrong wel wronge shalbe shal be demed q uod conscyence to þe kyng but þe co mmen assente wil assent ytt ys full herd by my heyd here -to / to bryng ytt all youvr leyge leedes to leyde thuvs euver euene by hym that raght on the rode q uod reason to þe kyng but yff I reuvle thys þus G.5.188: For the G scribe's use of "this" for most manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. youvr realme rende ovte my guvttes yff ye byden boexomenes be off myne assente and I assente q uod þe kyng by seynt marye my ladye by Be my couvnseyle comen off clerkes & off erles butt Ac reydylye reason þ ou shalt not ryde me fro fro me For as long as I lyuve leyuve lete þe I nyll I am all reydy q uod reason to rest w yt h you euver so conscyence be off of owre couvnseyle I kepe no better and I grauvnt q uod the kyng god goddes G.5.196: Bm originally shared the majority B reading goddes but the inflexion was later erased, bringing Bm's reading into line with the G M Cr 23 F H reading god. forbyd ytt fayle as long as our lyffe lastethe lyuve we to -gedders explicit quintus passus de visione G.5.197: The cross at the bottom right hand corner of the page is in modern pencil. The kyng & hys knyghtes to the kyrke went to here matyns off the day & the masse after then waked I off of my wynkyng & wo was wyth -all that I ne hadde slept sadder & seene yseiȝen more & Ac or I had faren a forlonge a fourlonge feyntnes feyntise me hente that I myght no myth nouth ne myȝte fuorther ferther a foot for defauvte off slepyng and satt softlye a -downe & seyde my beleuve and so I babbeled on my beydes they brouvght me a -slepe and þen saghe I moche more then I before told I For I seghe the felde fuvll of for folke / that I ere bifore off sayde how And how reason gan arreyne hym all the realme to preache an and w yt h a cros a -fore the kyng comsed þus to teychen he prouved þ at theyre þise pestylences were for puvre synne and þe southewesteren wynd on sayterday att euvene was p ertelyche for puvre pryde & for no poynte elles pyreys & plomtrees / were pvffed G.6.16: The <v> of pvffed may possibly be a correction; the scribe appears to have started to write a two-shaped <r> and then altered it. to the yerthe In ensample ye segges ye sholde do the better beeches & brode ookes were blowen to the grouvnde tuorned vpward theyre tayles In tokenyng off drede that dedely dedly synne ~~att~~ ar domesday / shall fordone theym all off thys matter I myght mamele full long but Ac I shall say as I saghe so me god helpe how pertly afore the poeple reason beganne gan to preyche he bad waster go worche watt he best couvlde and wynnen hys wastyng w yt h some man er crafte he And preyyd pernell hyr puvrfell to lete and kepe ytt In hyr cofre for catell att nede hire nede G.6.27: The G F H reading nede (for remaining B manuscripts hire nede) is also the reading of Ax, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. thome stowue he taght to take two stauves and fecche Felyce hoome fro the wyuen pyne he warned watt hys wyffe þ at wyf G.6.30: It seems possible that added þ at is in the wrong place and that the G corrector meant to place it before hys, which would give a reading corresponding to that of B (the majority B reading is his). was to blame hyr Þat hir e heyd was worth halffe a mare marke / hys hoode not a worth a grote and bad bette kuvtte a bowe other tweyne & bett kytone betou n therwyth but yff she wold worche & then he charged chapmen to chasten chastisen theyre chyldre lett no wynnyng theym wanye forweny wyle they be yonge ne for no post pouste G.6.36: G and Cr 23 are alike in that they lack the final syllable (the e) of most manuscripts pouste (presumably the transcriber thought of the <e> as representing schwa rather than [i:]). off pestylence pleasse they m ovte nouȝte out off reason my syre seyd so to me & so dyd my dame that the leuvere chylde the more lore behouvethe and salamon seyde the same that sapyence made qui percit parcit virge odit filium et c etera filiu m the englysshe off thys laten ys wo -so wyll ytt knowe wo -so sparethe the spryng spylleth hys chydlldren & sythen he preyyde pl G.6.43: Presumably the deleted <pl> is the result of failure to notice the abbreviation for re in prelates. Part of the <a> following the <l> also appears to be present. See following note. prelates & prestes G.6.43: The <r> of prestes is odd and may have started life as an <s>, once again, presumably, because of failure to notice the abbreviation mark. to -gydders that ~~they~~ ye preychen to the poeple prouve on it on yourseluven and dothe ytt In dede ytt shall drawe you to g ood G.6.45: The G scribe normally distinguishes between god="god" and good="good." See Introduction III.2. yff e ye wole ȝe lyuven as ye leyren vs we wyll shal leuve you þe bett er and sythen he radde relygyone theyr rewle to holde lest þe kyng & hys G.6.48: The <y> of hys is partly obscured by a brown ink stain caused by the alteration of brought to brovght on the previous page (at G.6.8). couvnceyle the co mmuvne ȝowre co munes apeyre and be stuerdes off your steedes to til ye be rewled better and sythen he counseylyd the kyng the co mmuvne to louve ytt ys thy tresouvr yff treyson ne were and tryakell att þi nede and sythen he prayyd the pope to hauve haue pyte off the of on holye churche and are he gyffe any grace gou eren fuvrst hym -seluve and ye þ at haue lawes to kepe lett trewthe be your couvytyse more then gold other gyftes yff ye wold wil god pleasse For wo -so co ntraryethe trewthe he telleth In the gospell that god knoweth hym noght ne no seynte In of heyuven amen dico vobis quia nescio nescio vos. & ye that seke seynt Iames & seynt es at of rome seketh seynt trewth for he may sauve you all qui cum patre et filio that fayre theym befall that shewen G.6.62: Remaining B manuscripts read suweth for G shewen. For the use of <sh> for <s> in G, see Introduction III.4.1. my s ermon & thuvs sayd reyson then ranne repentance & rehersed hys teeme and gerte wyll to wepe water wyth hys eyene sup erbia Peronelle G.6.65: Note the combination of barred <l> and final <e> in Peronelle. prouvde herte platte hyr to the yerthe and leye long or she loked & G.6.66: The top half of the ampersand is not visible and has to be inferred. lord mercy cryed and byhyght to hym that vs all made she shuolde vnsowen hyr serke and sett there a G.6.68: There seems to be no particular reason for the deletion of <a>; the letter is not blotted. an heyre to affayten hyr flesshe that freyle fierce was to synne shall neu er heghe herte me hente but holde me lowe and suoffer to be myssayde and so dyd I neu er but now wyll I meke me & mercy byseche for all thys I hauve hated In my herte luxuria then lychouvre seyd alas & on our ladye cryed he cryed G.6.74: Kane and Donaldson adopt the G Hm O C 2 H reading cryed (for remaining B manuscripts he cryed). No A or C version manuscripts have he. to make m ercy for hys myssdedes betwene god & hys souvle wyth þ at he sholde þe saterday seyuven yere þer -after drynke but myd the doke & dyne but onesce Inuidia enuvye wyth heyuvy herte asked after shryffte and carefullyche mea culpa he comsed to shewe he was was as pale as a pelet In þe palsye hym he semed & clothed In a kauvrymauvrye I couvld ytt not dyscryuve In kyrtell & couvrtyby and a knyffe by hys syde off a freres frocke were þe forsleues and as a leeke . hadde ~~i lye l~~ G.6.84: The scribe first decided to emend to i-lye by supralinear addition, but then crossed the whole thing out and re-wrote. I -lye long yn þe sonne so loked he wyth leyne chekes lowryng fouvle hys ladye body was bolle to-bolle for wrathe that he boote hys lyppes wryngyng And wryngynge he went ȝede w yt h þe Fyst wreyke to wreke hym -selfe he thoght wyth workes & or wordes with wordes when he seghe hys tyme eche Eche a word þ at he werpe d warped warpe was off a neddres tong off chydy ng & off chalengyng was hys cheffe lyuvelode w yt h bakbytyng & bysmer & beyryng fals of fals wyttnes thys was was al hys couvrtysye where þ at þat euere he shewed hym I wold be shryuve q uod thys shrewe & I for shame dorste I wold be gladder by god þ at gybbe had myschance then I þouȝe I had thys weeke wonne ywonne a weye off essex chesse I hauve a neyghbouvr nye me I hauve anoyede hym oft & lyen on hym to lordes to done hym leese hys syluver and made hys frendys hys ben his foone / thrugh my fals tong hys grace & hys good happes greuved greueth me full sore betwene many & many I make debate oft that both lyffe and lymme ys lost thruvgh my speche and when I mete hym In m erkett þ at I moste hate I haylsed halsyd hailse hym hendelyche as I hys frende were for he ys dooghtyer then I I dare do non other but Ac had I maystrye & myght god wott my wyll and when I come to the kyrke & shold knele to þe rode and prey for þe pepole as the prest teychyth for pylgrymes & and for palmers & for all the poeple after then I crye on my knees that cryst gyuve hym hem G.6.109: G Cr hym, rather than the majority B reading hem, is clearly correct. There is confusion in the A manuscripts too, but a high proportion read "him," and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. sorowe that bare a -wey my bolle & my broken shete away from þe awter then torne I myn eyne & behold how hellen hath a new cote I wysshe þ at þanne ytt were myne & all the webbe after off And of men es lesyng I lagh that lyketh my herte & for theyr wynnyng I wepe & weyle the tyme and deme that þei done yll / where þere I do well worse wo -so vndremoiynethe me me her e-of I hate hym deydly after I wold that eche a wyght were my knave for wo -so hath more then I þ at angreyth me sore & thys þus G.6.120: For the G scribe's use of "this" for "thus," see note to G.4.76. I lyuve louveles lyke a lyther dogge that all my bodye bolneth For bytter off my gall I myght not eyte many yers as a man oghte For enuvye & euvell wyll ys euvell to defye n mey no suvker ne swete thyng swage asswage my swellyng ne no dyapenidyon dryuve ytt from my herte ne neyther shryffte ne shame but wo -so sharpe schrape my mawe yes reydyly q uod repentance & d radde hym to the best sorow off synnes ys saluvatyon off sowles I am sorye q uod þ at segge I am am but seld other that And þat maketh me thys þus G.6.130: For the G scribe's use of "this" for "thus," see note to G.4.76. meygre for I I ne may me not wenge venge a -mong buvrgeysys hauve I bynne dwellyng att london and made gert backbytyng be a broker to blame menn es ware when he sold & y noght then was I reydy to lye on and to loure on my neghbouvr & to lacke hys chaffeyre I wyll amend thys yff I mey thruvgh þe þorw myght off god allmyghtye Now awaketh wrathe wyth too wyte eyne Ira & sneuvelyng nyuelynge wyth þe nose & the his necke hangyng I am wrathe q uod he I was some -tyme a frere and the couventes gardener for gryften for to graffe G.6.139: Forms of "graft" with <t> (as G gryften beside remaining manuscripts graffe) are first recorded by the OED at the end of the fifteenth century (see OED graft, v. 1 ). yp ympes G.6.139: There is a superscript over the <y> of ympes. on lymytouvrs G.6.140: The alteration of lymytours to lymytovrs is in the original grey-black ink rather than the brown ink of most to <v> changes, and it therefore appears to have been made by the original scribe at the time of writing and not as part of his later corrections. Note that the original is not well formed - there is only one minim - so this may be the reason behind the change. & lysters leysyng es I ymped tyll they bare leyuvys off low speche lordes to pleasse and sythen they blossomed a -broode In bower to here shryftes and now ys fall there þer-of a frrvyte þ at folke hand han G.6.143: A loop and tail have been added to the <n> of original han in brown ink, probably by hand1.1 (giving had). Compare the resultant <d> with the <d> written by the scribe as part of his original transcription at the end of the first line on f.17 v

and with the <d> added by hand1.1 (i.e. the same scribe, making later corrections) at G.6.89. well leyuvere showe theyr shryftes to them then þan shryue to theyre persouns & now p ersones hauve p erceyuvyd that freres G.6.145: It is unusual for the G scribe to write <fr> (as in freres) without a long <r>, but the use of a 2-shaped <r> at this point is probably due to the fact that the addition lacks space. parte wyth theyme thees possessyoners preyche & deprauve the freres freres & freres fynden theym In fauvte defaute as folke beyre wyttnes that when they preyche the poeple In manye places abouvte I wrath walke w yt h theym & wysse them off my bokes thuvs the G.6.150: The form the is the unstressed form of the pronoun "they." See also note to G.2.164 and the readings at G.6.195, G.12.235 etc. speken off my sp iritualte þ at eyther dysspyseth other tyll þei be both beggers & by my sp iritualte ~~ly wbben~~ G.6.151: The scribe clearly did not immediately recognise lybben, which is a predominantly western form, and he appears to have written some other letter, possibly <w> for double . He then abandons this and writes what is presumably his own form lyven. lyven or el es all ryche & . ryden a -bowte I wrath rest neu er þ at I ne mvste folowe thys wyked folke for suoyche ys my grace I haue an auwnte to nonne & an abbesse bothe hyr had were leyu er swone swowe G.6.156: G's reading could conceivably be swoue, which would correspond to the reading of most B manuscripts. However, G uses "swoon" elsewhere, where his reading cannot be in doubt (see G.15.339 and G.19.59). The verb "swow" is unusual and is not recorded by the OED after Langland (see OED swow, v. 1 ). or swelte þen suffer any peyne I hauve bynne koke In þe hir kechyne and the couvent seruved manye monvthes monthes w yt h theym & wyth monkes bothe I was þe pryoresse portager potager potager e & other poere ladyes and made þem Iowet es off Ianglyng þ at dame Iohan was a bastard and dame claryce a kyng es knyȝtes doghter a And a kockwold was hyr syre & dame p eronell a prestes fyle pryoresse worthes worth she neuver For she had chyld In cheryetyme all our chapter ytt wyst off wykked wordes I wrathe theyre wortes made tyll þ ou lyest & þ ou lyest lopen ovte att onesce & eyther hytt other vndre -neythe vnder the cheeke had they had knyuves knyues bi cryst eyther had kylled other seynt gregory was a goode pope & had a good forwytt that no pryoresse were preest for that he ordened þei had ben euvell losed þanne ben infamis for þe firste day þei can can so heyle no yuel hele couvnseyle among monkes I mot miȝte be but ac many tymes tyme I shony for þer be many fell freyk es my feres to aspye both pryouvr & subpryouvr & ouvr pater abbas & yff I tell any tales they taken theym to -gedders and do me fast frydays to breyde & to water & And am chalenged In in þe chapterhouvse as I a chylde were & baleced on þe bare arsce & no breche betwene Forthy I hauve haue I no lykyng w yt h tho leedes to wonne I eyte þer vnthend fysshe and feble ale drynke but Ac other whyle when wyne comythe when and þanne I dry nke wyne it at euve I hauve a fluvx or of G.6.181: The Bm reading "or" (as also G) is over an erasure. Most B manuscripts read of. a fouvle mouvthe well .v. fyue days after all þe wykkednes þ at I woott by any off your owre brethren I cowthe couth it yn your owre cloyster þ at all your the owre couvent woote ytt now repent q uod þe quod repentance & reherce thow neu er couvnseyle þ at þ ou knowest by couvnteynance ne by nyght riȝte & drynk not ou er dylycately ne to de epe nother that thy wyll be cauvse thereoff to wrathe myghe G.6.187: The spelling myghe is not necessarily an error; the OED records migh as a sixteenth century form of the past indicative and subjunctive of the verb "may" ( OED may v. 1 , Spellings.4). torne esto sobrius he seyde and assoyled me after & bad me welne to wepe my wykednes to amend And then cam couvetyse can I hym noght dyscryuve auaricia so hongerly & holowe syr henry heruy hym loked he was bettell -browed & blabber baber -lypped G.6.192: According to the OED, the combination "blabber-lipped" occurs first in 1483 ( OED blabber, a. ). also w yt h too bleyred eyne as a blynd hagge and as a leythren puvrsce lolled hys chekes well sydder þen hys chyn the G.6.195: The form the is a weak form of the pronoun "they;" see also G.6.150, G.12.235. cheuveled for elde as And as a boundman off hys bacon hys berd was bedrauveled w yt h a hoode on hys heyde a losye hatt abouve and In a tawny tabberd off tweluve wynter age all to -torne & bawdye & full off lyes crepyng but yff if þat a lowse couvlde hauve lopen the better she shold noght hauve walked theron G.6.201: The Bx reading for G theron is "on þat welche" ("welche"= "Welsh flannel"), but this causes trouble for the scribes and is found only in L and R. M, Cr 1 and W have "welthe" for "welche;" Cr 23 has "welte;" and most of the remaining manuscripts have either "there" or, as in G, "thereon." so was ytt threde -bare I hauve byn couvetyng coueytouse q uod thys keytyffe I beknowe ytt here for some -tyme I seruved symme att h the style and was hys prentys plyght ypliȝte hys profytt to weyte Fuvrste I lerned to lye a leeffe other tweyne wyckedlyche to wey was my fuvrste lessone to wye & to wynchester I went to the feyre w yt h many man er merchandyse as my master me hyght ne had þe grace off gyle go nne among my chaffer ytt had byn vnsolde þis seyuven yere / so me god helpe then drew I to me amonges drapers my donett to lerne to drawe þe lyst lyser G.6.212: A high proportion of A manuscripts share the G F reading lyst, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read lyser. a -long the lenger ytt semed among þe ryche reyes I rendered a lesson to broche theym w yt h a packnelde & plett playte þem to -geddres and puvt theym In a presse & pynned theym therynne tyll .xen. ten yerdes or .xijffe. twelffe had told owte thyrtene my wyffe was a webbster webbe & wollen clothe made she spake to spynsters to spynnen ytt owte but Ac the pownd that she payyde by paysed a quvartren more then myne owne auvncer / wo -so weyyd trewthe I boght hyr berly malte she brewed brewe G.6.221: According to the OED, the strong forms of the past tense of "brew" did not survive into the sixteenth century, hence G Cr brewed for remaining manuscripts brewe. to it to sell pennye ale & puvddyng ale she pouvred to -gedders For laborers & for low lowe folke þ at ley by them -seluve þe best ale lye G.6.224: The OED records lye as a possible fifteenth century form of the preterite of the verb "to lie." Remaining manuscripts have lay. See also G.14.21, G.17.266. In my bouvre or yn my bed -chambre and wo -so buvmmed theroff boght ytt there -after a galon for a grote god wote no lesse and yet ytt cam yn cvpmele þis craft my wyfe vsed rose þe regrater was hyr ryght name she hathe holden huv~~cce~~ k kerye all hyr lyuve tyme but Ac I shrewe swere now so þe yk / þ at synne vo wole I lete and neu er wykedlyche ~~way~~ wey ne falsce wicked chaff ere vse and But wenden to walsyngam & my wyfe als and byd the rode off bromholem bryng me ovte off dett repentest thow euver q uod repentance or restytuvcyon made onesce ȝus ones I was herbored q uod hee G.6.235: F shares G's original reading ( herbored for most manuscripts herberwed quod he). wythe a heype off chapmen I ros when they were att rest arest & ryfeled theyr males that was no restytuvtyon q uod he repentance buvt a robbers thefte thow haddest bynne better worthy ben hanged therfore then for all þ at þ ou at þ ou G.6.239: Cr 23 Hm C C 2 Y B share G's original reading ( þ at þ ou ). Most remaining manuscripts share G's corrected reading ( þ at þ at þ ou ). hast here shewed afore / shewed I wend ryfuvllyng had byn were restytuvtyon I quod he I lerned neu er on boke and can I can no frenche butt in feith but off þe farrest end off norfolke vsedest thowe eu er vsuvrye q uod he repentau nce In all thye lyuve tyme nay sothely he seyde sauve In my youvthe I lerned among lomberdes & Iwes a lessone to wey pence w yt h a peyse and pare the heyuvyest & leyne ytt for louve off the crosse to lygge a wed & lesse G.6.246: The form lesse is probably just a spelling variant (remaining B manuscripts read lese="lose"). The G scribe does often use <ss> to represent /z/. See Introduction III.2. ytt suoyche dedes I dyd wryte yff he hys day breyke I hauve no mo man ers thruvgh reragys þen thruvgh / miseretur et comodat I hauve lent lordes & ladyes my chaffer and ben þer broger after & boght ytt my -selfe eschanges & cheuvysances w yt h suche chaffer I deyle and leyne folke that leese wole a lyppe att eu ery noble and w yt h lomberdes letters I ledde gold to rome and toke ytt by teyle here here and tolde hem þ ere lasse Lentestow eu ere lordes for louve off hyr meyntenance yet hauve I Ȝe I haue lent lordes louved me neu er after and hauve made many a knyght knyȝte bothe m ercer & draper G.6.256: G omits a line at this point ("Þat payed neuere for his prentishode · nouȝte a peire gloues"). hastowe pyte on pore men that most mote nedes borowe I hauve as moche pyte on powre me n as pedder hath on of cattes that wold kyll theym yff he myght for couvetyse off þer skynnes art thow manlyche among þi neghbouvrs off meyte & drynke I am holden as hende as heende quod he also hende q uod he quod he as hende as homyde ho[un]de hounde In is in the kechynne kychyne among my neghbouvrs namely suoyche a name I hauve god Now god lenve lene neu ere q uod repentance but þ ou repent the rather the grace off on thys grouvnd thy good welle to besette ne thy heyrs after þe hauve Ioy off þ at þ ou wynnest and Ne thyne execuvtors G.6.266: There may be hyphen after the <ex> of execvtors but it is difficult to be certain that this is not just the result of continuous writing. Hyphens are unusual in G. wyll wel besett þi þe sylu er þ at þ ou þow hem leyuvest and þ at was wonne w yt h wrong w yt h wycked men men be dyspende ytt despended for were I frere off that houvse þer goode faythe & charyte ys I nold cope vs w yt h thyer e þi G.6.269: It is possible that the <r> plus flourish which completes the word thyer e in G may be a later addition: it appears to have been squashed in, leaving no room between words. catell ne ouvr kyrke amend ne hauve a pennye to my pyttance so god of þyne bi my souvle helpe hele For þe best boke yn ouvr houvse thoghe gold brent golde were the leyuvys and And I wyst wytterly þ ou were swyche as thowe tellest seruus es alterius cum sercula [f]ercula pinqua pinguia queris pane tuo pocius vescere liber eris thow art art an vnkynd creatuvre & I kan the noght assoyle tyll þ ou make restytuvtyon & rekne w yt h theym all and sythen þ at reason rolle ytt In þe regestre off heyuven tyll For til That þ ou hast made eche man goode I may þe noght assoyle non dimittitur peccatum donec restitueatur ablatum for all that hauve off thy goode hauve god my troghe be holden att the heye dome to helpe þe to restytuvte restitue and wo -so leuveth not thys be sothe loke In the sawter boke glose In miserere mei deus where I meane trewthe ecce enim veritatem dilexisti et c etera. shall neu er workeman werkman in þis worlde thryuve wyth þ at thowe wynnest cum sancto santus san[c]tus s anc tus eris co nstrewe me þ at yn on englysshe then waxt þ at ~~sre~~ shrew In wanhope & wold hang haue hanged hym -selfe ne had repentance rather þe rather comforted reconforted hym In thys man ere hauve m ercy In þi mynd & w yt h thy mouvthe beseche ytt for goddes m ercye ys more þen all hys other werkes and all the wykkednes In þis world þ at man myght myȝte worche or thenche ys Ne is no more to þe m ercy off god then In þe see a gleede onnis o[m]nis Om nis Iniquitas quantu m ad mi sericordiam G.6.293: For the G scribe's use of superscript <a> (which appears as the abbreviation mark in mi sericordiam ), see note to G.4.156 and Introduction IV.1.1. dei. est quasi sintilla In medio maris forthy hauve m ercy In þi mynd & m archandyse louve leue ytt for thow hast no good grownde go to geyte þe w yt h a wasteyle but yff ytt were w yt h thy tonge or el es w yt h thy þi two handes for þe good þ at þ ou hast goten began all w yt h falshed and as long as þ ou lyuvest thow þer-with þow yeldest noght but borowest and yff thow wytt ~~not~~ neu er to w hich ne whom to restytuvte restitue beyre ytt to þe bysshope & byd hym off hys grace bysett ytt hym -selfe as best ys for thye souvle For he shall answere for þe att þei þe G.6.303: The form þei for "the" is recorded by LALME in Warwickshire ( LALME 4, item 1), so this may simply be a spelling variant. However, it seems more likely that it is a back spelling resulting from the frequent use in G of "the" for "they" (see note to G.6.150). heye dome For the & for many mo þ at man shall gyuve a reykeny ng G.6.304: Part of the <g> of reykeny ng is missing because of cropping. watt he lerned you In lent leuve þ ou non other and And what he lent you off ouvr lordes goode to lett you fro synne C G.6.306: The letter <C> has also been written in the bottom right hand corner in modern pencil. Nowe bygynnyth gloton for to go to shryft gula and kayryth hym to the to kyrke -ward hys synnes coupe to shewe but Ac beton the brewster bad hym good morowe and asked off hym hym with þat wydderward he wolde to holye churche q uod he for to here masse and sythen I wylbe wyl be srhryuven & synne no more I hauve good ale gossep gossib q uod she glottone wylt þ ou assey hast þ ou oght In thy puvrsce anye hoote spyces I hauve peppuvr and pyones q uod he a and a pouvnd off garlycke a farthyng -worthe off feynell seede for fastyng -dayes then goyth glotone Inne & greyte othes after Cysse þe souvrseresse souteresse sat on þe benche watt þe werner & hys wyffe bothe thome Tymme & Tomme þe tynker & tweyne off hys prenteces prentis hycke þe hakneyma n and huvgh the nedeler claryce off cokeslane & þe clerek off þe chuvrche daw þe dyker & a dozy nne other s yr pyers off pryde Pridie and puvelle Peronelle off flanders a rybybouvr a ratoner a raker off þe of cheype a roper a redyngkyng & rose þe dysshers dissheres dyschere dissheres douȝter godfrey off garlykhethe / & gryffen þe welche and vpholdres a heype / yerly by þe morowe gyuven gloton w yt h glad chere good ale to hansell clement þe cobler cast off hys cloke & att þe newfayre new fayre he neuenved neue[n]ed nempned ytt to sell hycke þe hackneyman cast hitt e hys hood after & bad bett þe bocher bene on hys syde þer were chapmen chose þis chaffre to pryce preise wo -so hauveth þe hoode shall shuld hauve a -mendes off þe cloke too rysen vp In þis in rape & romed rouned to -gedders and preysed þes penyworthes a -p arte by theym -selffe þei couvld G.6.338: The <l> of "could" is blotted. not by þer co nscyence acorden In trewthe tyll robyn þe roper aroose by the souvthe and nyuenved nyue[n]ed nempned hym for an nouvmpere þ at no debate were nere hycke þe hosteler had þe cloke In couvenauv a nt G.6.342: An otiose superscript <a> has been added above the second <n> of "covenant" in brown ink. For treatment and use of superscript <a> in G, see Introduction IV.1.1. þ at clement shall shulde þe co ovppe G.6.342: The colour of the ink suggests that this particular correction of coope to covpe has been made by hand1 as part of his original transcription. fyll & hauve hyckes h ..oode hosteler & holden hym s eruved & wo who þ at who-so repented rathest shuvld aryse after and grett s yr .. G.6.345: As far as the deletion after s yr is concerned, it seems possible that the scribe began to write <pyers> as at G.6.324. gloton wyth a galon off ale ale there was laghyng & lowryng & lett go þe cuppe & sytten seten G.6.347:The G Cr R form sytten has been recorded as a variant reading (most B manuscripts read seten) because it may be in the present tense. However, preterites with medial i/ y are possible. See MED sitten (v.). Though Cr 23 share the G R spelling, their reading differs in other ways (they read so sytten they, cf. C Y so setyn þey). See also G.6.538. so tyll euvensong & songen some -wyle vmwhile tyll gloton had I -globbed a galon & a gyll hys guvttes began to gowle gothlen as toogredye too gredye sowes he pyssed a potell In a pater noster whyle & blew hys rownd rowett att þe his ryggbon es end that all þ at herd þ at horne held theyre noses nose G.6.352:In the case of M, the -es inflexion on "noses" (which brings M's reading into line with that of G W Hm Cot) has been written over an erasure. Remaining B manuscripts read nose. after and wysshend ~~had~~ ytt had be wexed w yt h a wysspe off fryses f[yr]ses firses he myght nether steppe ne stand tyll er G.6.354: The shared G Bm reading tyll is by correction in Bm. Remaining manuscripts read er. he yhys staffe had then And þanne gan he to go lyke . G.6.355: As far as the deletion after lyke is concerned, Kane and Donaldson read this as <a> without deletion, but the original letter appears to have had a long tail. glewman es byche and some So mme tyme a -syde & some -tyme arere as wo -so leyethe lynes for to kacche lacche fowles & when he drew to þe dore þen dymned dym[m]ed dymmed hys eyne he stomeled on þe thressfold & threwe to þe yerthe clement þe cobler kaght hym by þe mydle for to lyft hym a -loft & leyde hym -selfe him on hys knees but Ac gloton was a greyte karle cherle G.6.362:Since "karl" is of Scandinavian origin, its use may well be linked to the fact that one of G's ancestors clearly had Northern connections. See Introduction III.4.1. & grym In þe lyfftyng & coghed vp a kaudell In clement es lappe ys non so hongrye houvnde In herdfordshyre dorste lape off þe þat leyuvyng es so vnlouvely they were smauȝte G.6.365: The past tense of "smatch" (see most manuscripts smauȝte for G were) is not recorded by the OED after the fifteenth century, although the present tense continues in use for some time. w yt h all þe wo off thys worlde hys wyffe & hys wence bare hym hoome to hys bed & broght hym therynne and after all þis exses he had a acxces accidie that he slepte G.6.369: The majority of B manuscripts have the strong form of the preterite, i.e. slepe. The weak form (as G slepte) is, however, found in a high proportion of A manuscripts and note also Bm shleppet. sat erday & sonday tyll so nne went to ȝede to rest then waked he off hys wynkyng & wyped hys eyne þe fuvrst worde þ at he warped warpe / was where ys þe bolle hys wytt gan edwyte hym tho how wyckedlyche G.6.372: The middle of wyckedlyche is difficult to read and there may have been some alteration, probably by the original scribe. he lyuved & repentance ryght tho þoo so so rebuvked hym þ at tyme as þ ou In with wordes & werkes hast wroght euvell In þi lyffe shryuve þe & be shamed & þer-of and shew ytt w yt h þi mouvthe I glotone q uod he þe grome gome gyltye me yelde that I hauve tresspassed wyth my tong I can not tel how off t sware sworen G.6.378: The use of medial <a> in G sware probably reflects the influence of bare, the preterite of bear. See OED swear v . godes souvle & so god me helpe & halydome there no nede was neyne huvndrethe tymes & ouversaye me at my soper & some -tyme att ones nones G.6.380: There is a brown smudge over G ones and it may have been altered to once as part of the scribe's later programme of spelling corrections. The ascender of the original sigma <s> is not very clear and may have been partially erased. that I gloton gyrte ytt vp er I had gone a myle and I -spylt þ at myght bespared be spared & spendyd on þe so mme hongrye ou er -dylycately on fastyng -dayes dronken & eyten bothe & satte some -tyme so long there þ at I slept & ete att onesce For louve off tales In tau erens to drynke þe more I dyned and hyed to þe meyte or none when fastyng -days were thys shewyng fuvrst shrifte q uod repentance shalbe shal be merytt to þe and And þanne gan glotone grete & greyte dole maked to make For hys lyther lyuve þ at he lyuved had and awowed fast to fast G.6.390: Manuscript M originally shared the G L R reading fast, but to has been added above the line, bringing M's reading into agreement with that of the remaining B manuscripts (i.e. "to fast"). for hongre or for thruvste Shall neu er Fyche on frydayes Friday dyfyne In my wombe tyll abstynence myne auvnyte G.6.392: Examination of the minims suggests that the original (altered by hand1.1. to the correct reading avnte) may well have been amyte, i.e. the original scribe misread the four minims of his exemplar as an <m> and an . hauve gyuven me leyuve and yet hauve I hyr hated hated hir all my lyuve tyme accidia Than came slewthe albe al be -slau ered al bislabered w yt h two slymye eyne I muvst sytt sayd þ at þe segge or elles muvst shulde I nappe I mey not stond ne stowpe ne w yt h -owte stoole a stole G.6.396: Most C manuscripts share the G Hm R F reading stoole, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read a stole. knele were I broghte a -bedde buvt yff my talent taille-ende made ytt it made shuold no ryngyng do me ryse er I were rype to dyne he began benedicite w yt h a bolke & hys brest knocked and roxed & rored & ruvtte d at the last awake renvke re[n]ke renke q uod repentance & rape þe to shryfte yff I shuold dye by þis day me lyst not to loke I can not p erfytlye my pater noster as þe prest yt syngethe but I can rymes off robyn hood & randolfe erle of chester but Ac neþer off our lorde ne our ladye þing þe leste þ at eu er was made I hauve made wowes fouvrtye & forgett þem on þe morowe I performed neu er pennance þ at as þe preste me hyghte ne ryght sorye for my synnes yet was I neuver and yff I byd my any beydes but yff ytt be In wrathe þ at I tell w yt h my tonge ys two myle from my herte I am ocuvpyed eche day halyday & other w yt h ydle tales att þe ale & other -whyle yn chuvrche cherches godes peyne & hys passyon passiou n ful selde thynke I þeronne I wysyted neu er feble men ne fettered men folke G.6.414: The majority of C manuscripts read man for G M Hm men; remaining B manuscripts read folke. Kane and Donaldson adopt the G M Hm reading. In pytt es I hauve lyuver here here an harlotrye or a somer game off sowters or leysyng es to laghe att or and belye my neghbouvrs then all þ at eu er marye Marke made mathew luvke Ioh an or & Iohn lucas and vygyll es & fastyngdayes all thes lett I passe and lygge yn bedde abedde In lentuon my an my lemman In my armes tyll matyns & masse be done & then go to þe freres come I to Ite missa est I am well holde me wel holde me I -s eruved I am not shryuve n some -tyme but syknes ytt make noght twyes In too yeres ȝere & then vpon vp gesse I ~~sryu~~ shryuve me I hauve bene preste & person xxxti thritti wynters passyng passynge thretti wynter yet can I nother solfe ne syng ne seyntes lyuve lyues l reede yet kan I But I can fynd In a felde or a in a forlong a hare better then yn beatus vir or yn beati omnes constrew on clauvse well & kenne ytt to my p erochenys I kan hold louvedayes & here a re wyuevs rewy[ve]s Reues G.6.429: Presumably the aim was to alter the of original reyues to <v> but the scribe has misplaced his correction. G.6.429: According to the OED, the form reyue (i.e. G's original form) is Southwest Midlands. rekenyng but Ac In canon ne yn þe in decretall es I ca n not rede a lyne yff I begge bigge G.6.431: G Cr 1 R begge could be a variant spelling of "buy" (most manuscripts read bigge), but it may have been intended as "beg." See also G.4.82. or and borow owght but yff yt be tayled I forgett ytt as euvene ȝerne yff and ȝif men me ytt aske syxe sythes or seyuven I forsake ytt w yt h othes and thuvs tene I trew men ten huvndreth tymes and my s erua ntys some -tyme þer salarye ys beynde reuvthe ys to here the rekenyng when we rede shal rede accomptes so w yt h wycked wyll & wrathe my workeme n I pay yff any man do me me a byenfayte & or helpe me at my at nede I am vnkynd ageynst hys couvrtysye & can not vndrestand yt for I hauve & hauve had somedeale hauvkes man ers I am noght leyred lured w yt h louve but oght lygge vndre þe thombe þe kyndnes that myne euven -crystyen kydde me fernȝere syxtye sythes I slothe haue forgett ytt sythen In speche & and in sparyng off speche I -spylte many a tyme both flesshe & fysshe & many other wytayles both bred & ale buvtter mylke & chesse Forslouvthed In my s eruvyce tyll ytt wold myȝte s eruve no man I ran a -bouvte In youvgh & gauve me noght to lerne and eu er syth I hauve be begger for my fowle slouvghe heu mihi quia sterilem duxi vitam Iuuenilem // repentest þ ou not q uod ~~.......~~repentance & & riȝte w yt h þ at he sowned tyll G.6.452: There may have been an erasure here; there is a long gap and a smudge between tyll and vigillate. Possibly the scribe originally failed to change the colour of his ink. vigillate þe weyle fette water at hys eyne and fell flatt flatte it G.6.453: According to the OED, the use of the word "flat" (from OF flatir/ flater) to mean "to cast suddenly" or "to dash" had died out by the end of the fourteenth century (see OED flat, v. 1 ), hence G fell flatt for most manuscripts flatte it. on hys face & fast on hym cryed & sayd war the fro wanhope wold the betrey I am sory for my synnes say to thy -selfe & beyte þi -selfe on þe brest & byd hym off grace for ys no gylt here so greyte but but þ at þat hys goodnes ys more then satt slouvthe vp & seyned hym swythe and made a wowe before to-fore god for all for hys fouvle slouvthe shall no sonday be þis seyuven yere but syknes ytt lett that I ne shall do me ar day to þe dere chuvrche G.6.461: The second half of "church" has been written over a smudge and possibly over an erasure. However, it is difficult to see what the original could have been. and here masse & mat tynsce matines and masse G.6.462: The additional <t> in "matins" is added by placing a downstroke over the line joining the original <t> and the <y>. as I a monke were shall non ale after meyte holde me thence tyll I hauve euvensong herd I hoote hote now behote to þe rode and yet wyll I yelde a -geyne yff I so moche hauve all that I wykkedly wanne sythen I wytt had and thouvgh m iny lyuvelode G.6.467: The ink here is very faint and part of the <d> and the whole of the <e> of - lode have been re-outlined, probably by the original scribe. lakken lakke leten I nyll that eche man shall hauve hys ar I heythen hennes wende and w yt h the þe residue and þe remnaunt by þe rode off chester I shall seke trewthe erst ar I see rome robert þe robber on reddite loked For And for ther was noght wheroff he wept swythe sore but Ac yet þe synfull shrew seyde to hym -seluve cryst þ at on caluverye vp -on þe cros dyed tho dismas my brother by -soght you off grace and haddest m ercy on þ at man for memento sake so rewe on þis robber e G.6.477: The final <e> of robbere has been written over the ascender of the long <r>. G.6.477:As far as the addition of final <e> to "robber" is concerned, it seems possible that the scribe may have been influenced by the original omission and later addition of the <e> on reddere later in the line, i.e. the scribe appears to have treated the word "robber" as if it too were a Latin infinitive. that redder e G.6.477: The final <e> of reddere has been added over the ascender of the long <r>. See previous notes. ne hauve ne neu er wene for to to wynne wythe crafte þ at I s heewe owe but for þi moche mykel m ercy mytygatyon I beseche ne damme me not on at domesday for my dedes þat I did so ylle what befell on of þis fell one I can not fayre shewe well I wotte he wept fast water wythe hys boþe his eyne and knolegyd hys gylt to cryste cryst ȝete eft -sones that penetencia hys pyke he sholde pullysshe newe and leype w yt h hym ouvere land all hys lyuve tyme for he had leynve leyne by latro luvcyferes auvnte then And þanne had repentance reuvthe & redde þem all knele to knele For I shall beseche ~~all~~ for all synfull our sauvyouvre off grace to amend vs off ouvr myssdedes & .do m ercy to vs all now god god quod he þ at off þi goodnes gan all the þe worlde make and off noght madest oght & man most lyke liche to thy -seluve and sythen soferdest to for to synne a syknes to vs all all And al for þe best ~~þe boke~~ as I beleuve watt G.6.492:Added watt is in paler ink than the words immediately adjoining it, but seems to be in the script of the original scribe. so euere the boke tellethe O felex fel[i]x felix culpa o nescessarium ade peccatum peccatu m ade // G.6.494: All B manuscripts apart from G Cr 23 R and F end this line with & c etera . for thruvgh that synne þi sonne sey nt sent G.6.495: Probably G sey nt is just a spelling variant for remaining manuscripts sent (see Introduction III.2). was to þe þis yerthe and became man off a meyde mankynde to sauve and madest þi -selfe wyth þi sonne & vs synffull I -lyche faciamus hominem ad Imaginem et similitudinem n ostram G.6.498: There is an otiose minim at the end of the word n ostram . : et alibi . qui manet In charitate In deo manet & deus In eo: and sythen w yt h thye seluve sone In ouvr suvyte dyedest On goodfryday good fryday for ma nnes sake at full tyme off þe day there thyselfe & ne thy sone no sorowe In dethe feldest but In our secte was þe sorowe & þi sone ytt ladde captiuam duxit captiuitatem // the sonne for ~~for~~ sorowe þeroff lost syght att þ at for a tyme att Aboute mydday when most lyght ys & meyle tyme off seyntes Feddest w yt h thye flesshe & fresche blouvde our forfaders In derknes populus qui ambulabat In tenebris vidit Lucem magnam // & thruvgh þe lyght that cam lepe off oute of the luvcyfer was blente & Blew all thy blyssed In -to þe blysse off paradyse the thyrd day after þ ou wendest ȝedest In ouvr suvyte a synnfull marye G.6.512: The deletion of final <e> oon marye, both here and later in the line, is in black ink. Compare uncorrected <marye> at G.6.515. þe seghe or seynte marye þi mother dame & all to solas synfull þ ou suffere dest ytt so wele were non veni vocare Iustos sed peccatores ad penetentiam . & all þ at marye Marke hathe made ymade mathewe luvke Ioh an & Ioh an lucas G.6.515: The <a> in G Ioh an is superscript and has been treated as an abbreviation mark. For use and treatment of superscript <a> in G, see Introduction IV.1.1. off þi doghtye dedes were done In ouvr armes verbum caro factum est et habitauit In nobis & by bi so moche me semethe þe syker erwe sykerer we G.6.518: The addition of the second <er> of sykerer has left no space between words. G.6.518: Cr 1 Y F share G's original reading syker. Most B manuscripts share the corrected reading sykerer. mowe byd & byseche yff ytt be thy wyll þ at arte our father & our brother be m ersyfull m erciable to vs and hauve rewthe off on þes rybauvdes þ at repent repente hem sore here sore G.6.521: Kane and Donaldson adopt the G Cot R F reading sore, which is also the reading of almost all C manuscripts ( CQ reads soree). Most B manuscripts read here sore. þ at eu er they wrathed the In in þis worlde in word thoght or dede þen hente hope a horne G.6.523: The heads of the <h>s of hente, hope and horne are similar to those of rubricated letters in this manuscript (see Introduction I.7). off deus tu conuersus vivificabis nos viuificabis and blew ytt wyth beati quoru m remisse sunt Iniquitates then Þat all þe alle seyntes In heyuven songen att onesce homines et Iumenta saluabis quemadmodum G.6.526 The scribe has added an supralinear minim in ordinary grey ink to correct original quenadmodum to quemadmodum. // multiplicasti miserecordiam tuam deus et c etera a thowsand off men tho thruvnged to -gedders cryed vpward to cryst to and to hys cleyne mother to hauve grace to go w yt h theym th G.6.530: An attempt appears to have been made to alter the <h> of original <th> to a long <r> but this has been abandoned and the letters have been crossed out. trewthe to seke and Ac þer was wyght non so wyse þe way thydder couvlde G.6.531:The added <v> of covlde has faded. but bluvsteren blustreden forthe as bestes ou ere bankes & hyllys tyll late was & long þ at they a lede mett appareled as a peynym In pylgrymes wyse he bare a bouvrden I -bouvnde w yt h a brode lyst In a wythywyndes wyse I -wyonvnden a -bowte a bolle & a bagge he bare by hys sydes syde an huvndrethe off appuvll es ampulles G.6.538: Kane and Donaldson record G's reading here as arpull es , but compare the same word in G.6.623. on hys hatt syten seten G.6.358: The G form syten has been recorded as a variant reading of remaining B manuscripts seten because it could be a present tense form. It may, however, be a variant spelling of the preterite. See note to G.6.347. sygnes off syney / and shelles of galyce and many a crouvche on hys cloke & keyes off rome & G.6.541: Benson and Blanchfield (p.132) see the ampersand here as a "reader's mark; possibly 'n ota,'" but comparison with the scribe's usual form of the ampersand and with the reading of other B manuscripts makes it clear that the letter is <&>. The G scribe makes other, similar additions at, e.g., G.4.115, G.6.5. the wernakell before for men shold knowe and se by hys sygnes whome he soght had thys folke freynyd hym fuvrst from whence he cam fro syney he sayde & from our lordes sepuvlker In bethelem and In babyloyne I hauve bene In bothe In Iermonye ermonye yn alysandre In many other places ye mey se by my sygnes that sytten on my hatt that I hauve walked wyde ful wyde In wete & In drye & souvght good seyntes for my souvle helthe knowesthowe oght a corseynt þ at men call trewthe couvldesthowe wysshen wissen G.6.551: In the case of G at least, the shared G Cr F reading wysshen (for remaining manuscripts wissen) need not necessarily be considered to be a substantive variant. For the use of <sh> for <s> in G, see Introduction III.4.1. vs the wey bwhere G.6.551: For the deletion of and its replacement with <w> in where, compare the confusion over <bb> in lybben at G.6.151. þ at he dwellythe nay so me god helpe seyde þe gome then I seghe neu er palmere w yt h pyke n ne w yt h skryppe axen after hym er tyll now In þis place petre q uod plouman a plowman & puvtt forthe hys heyd I know hym as kyndly as clere cler[k]e clerke dothe hys bokes co nscyence and kyndwytt kynd wytt kennede me to hys place and dyd me suvren hym sykerly to s eruven hym for eu er bothe to sowe & to sett whyle þe while G.6.559: All C manuscripts except P 2 share the majority B reading þe while but Ax agrees with G M F whyle and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. I swynke myght I hauve bene hys folower all thys fyftye wynters wyntre G.6.560: The G scribe replaces remainng manuscripts wyntre with an inflected plural. See note to G.2.100. bothe sowen hys seede & suven sued hys bestes w yt h -ynne & w yt h -ouvte weytyd hys profytt I dyke & deluve I delue & do I do þ at trewthe hotethe some -tyme I sowe & some -tyme I thresshe In teylyers crafte & tynkers what crafte what trewthe can deuvyse I weue & I wynde & do watt trewth hootethe For thogh I sey ytt my -selfe I s eruve hym to pay I hauve myne hyre well and other -whyles more he ys þe preystest payer þ at poere men fynden knoweth he w yt hholdythe G.6.570: The M corrector alters to the form of the present tense used by G (i.e. M's corrected reading is withholdeþ). Remaining manuscripts have with-halt. non hyne hewe G.6.570: The Hm reading hyne (shared with G Bo Cot) is a correction over an erasure. The majority manuscript reading is hewe. hys hyre but þ at he he ne hath yt at euve n G.6.570: The scribe originally wrote euen but, because of the pricking in the manuscript at the corner of the writing space, it was not easy to write legibly and therefore a bar has been used in addition to make it clear that final <n> is intended. he ys as lowe as a lambe & louvelyche off speche and yff ye wylnen to wytt where that he dwellythe I shall wysshe you wytterly þe wey to hys place Leuve Ȝe leue pyers q uod thes pylgrymes & profered hym hyre For to wend w yt h theym to trewthes dwellyng place nay by my sowles helthe q uod pyers & gan for to swere I nold fang a farthyng for seynte thomas shryne trewthe wold louve me lasse þe lasse a long wyle tyme after but Ac yff ye wylneth to wende well / þis ys þe way thydder you Ȝe G.6.580: For the G scribe's use of you instead of Ȝe for the nominative form of the pronoun, see note to G.2.180. mote go thruvgh mekenes both men & wyues tyll ye coevm G.6.581: Forms of "come" with medial <oe> occur twice in the early part of the G text, at G.3.234 ( welcoem) and at G.4.56 ( coemmen). Such forms were clearly not the preferred form of the original scribe, who presumably found the <ov> spelling useful for correction, although his usual form is com-. to co nscyence þ at cryst wytt þe sothe that ye louven our lord god leuvest off all thynges and þen youvr neghbouvrs next In non wysse apeyre other -wyse then þ ou woldest be he wroght to thy -seluve and And so bowethe forthe by a broke / be boxome off speche tyll ye fynden a ~~forthe~~ G.6.586: Spellings of "ford" with <th> rather than <d> are found in L O R F and originally in M where the corrector alters to <d>. As far as the G scribe was concerned, the <the> spellings were probably outdated (they are not recorded by the OED after the fifteenth century). forde your fadres honerythe honora patrem et matrem G.6.587: A virgule has been added at this point to separate matrem and et. It does not appear to have been intended as a punctuation or metrical mark. et c etera // wadeth In that water & wasshe ye ȝow G.6.588: G's use of ye here may simply be an example of the extension of "ye" from the nominative to the objective (the opposite of what happens with "you" at, for example, G.6.580). Remaining manuscripts read ȝow. However, a nominative would be possible in this construction, as at G.6.592 (where the majority of manuscripts read come þow for β4 come). The meaning of the b-verse would then be "and wash well there" rather than "and wash yourselves well there." well there and ye shall leype the lyghtlyer liȝtloker all your lyuve tyme so And so shall thowe se sweyre noght but but if G.6.590: The majority of A and C manuscripts share the G B F reading but (for remaining B manuscripts but if), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. ytt be for nede and namelyche In an Idle þe name off god almyghtye then shalthowe come by a crofte but come not therynne þe That G.6.593: The majority of A and C manuscripts share the G R F reading þe, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read That. crofte hett couvett noght menn es catell ne theyr wyuves ne non off theyr s eruvantes þ at noyen theym myght loke ye breke no bowys there but yff þei it be your owen two stockes there stonden but ac stynt ye not there they hett / steyle not / & ne sley not / G.6.597: The G scribe often appears to use brackets or virgules as highlighting marks. This is especially the case with names (as here: / steyle not / etc). See also the similar highlighting of thought in the Table of Contents (at the top of f.102 v)

. stryke forthe by bothe and leyuve theym on þe þi left haluve & loke not therafter and hold well thyne halyday hyghe tyll euvene then shalthowe blenche att a brygge bergh / beyre no fals wyttnes / G.6.600: For the use of virgules and brackets for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. he hys frytthed In w yt h floreyns & other fees manye loke þ ou pluvcke no plant þer for p erell off þi souvle then shall þ ou ȝe se / say sothe / G.6.603: For the use of use of virgules or brackets for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. so ytt be to done done ~~well~~ In no man er elles noght for no mannes byddyng then shalthowe come to a couvrte as clere as þe sonne the mootte ys off m ercy the man er all a -bowte aboute and all þe walles byn off wytt / to holden wyll owte and kyrnelled wyth crystendome mankynd to sauve e G.6.609.m.1:There seems to be no codicological reason for added <e> here. botrased w yt h byleuve / so or þ ou best not sauved and all þe houvses byn hylled halles & chambres wyth no leyde but / w yt h louve / G.6.611: Once again, the virgules here are probably being used as a means of highlighting rather than punctuation. See note to G.6.597. & low speche as brethrene the brygge was is off / byd well / G.6.612: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. þe better mey þ ou spede eche a Eche pyllore ys off / pe n nnvance pen[n]ance penaunce / G.6.613: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. off preyers off to seyntes off / almes dedes / G.6.614: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. are þe hookes þ at þe gate hangyth gates hangen on grace hett þe gateward / a good man for sothe hys man hett / a -mend you / G.6.616: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. for many men þem him knowen tellyth hym þis tokn n e G.6.617: Possibly the corrector reads original tokne as tokue and emends to tokune. þ at trewthe wyte þe sothe I perfouvrmed þe pe n nnvance pen[n]ance penaunce þe preste me InIoyned I And am full sorye for my synnes & so shall I shal euver when I thynke þeron thogh I were a pope byddyth amend you meke hym to hys master onesce to weyue vp þe wykett that þe woman shuvtte tho adam & euve eyten appuvll es vnrosted per euam cuntis cun[c]tis G.6.624:Forms of cunctis without medial - c- also occur in L W O C 2 and F. clausa est: et p er maria m virgine m patef acta est. for he hath þe kay off and the clykett thogh þe kyng slepe & yff grace grauvnt þe to go In aft er in G.6.626:Added aft er does not appear to be in the hand of the original scribe. Note the double-sectioned <a>, and compare the note on f.106 v

and the marginalia on ff.69 v,

70,

71,

72 v

and 103.

thys wyse thow shalt se In þi -selfe / trewtht In sitte in thy hert In a cheyne off charyte as þ ou a chyld were to suvffer hym & to and sey noght ageyn þi syres wyll be Ac be ware þen off wrath þe wratthe that ys a wycked shrewe he hath enuvy to hym þ at In thy herte syttethe and prykketh pokeþ forthe pryde to preyse thy -seluven þe boldnes off þi byenfayt es make þe blynd then þen And þanne beest þ ou worstow dryuven out as dewe & the dore closed keyyd & klyketed to kepe þe w yt h -owten happyly a huvndrethe wynters wyntre G.6.636: For the G scribe's treatment of the uninflected plural wyntre (as all other manuscripts), see note to G.2.100. er þ ou eft enter þus myghtesthowe lesen hys louve to lete well by þi -seluve & neu er happylyche eft entre but þ ou but grace hauve þow haue but Ac þer are seyuven systrens þ at s eruven trewthe euver and are porters off the posternes þ at to þe place longethe the Þat on hett / abstynece / & huvmylyte / G.6.641: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. a -nother /charyte & / chastyte / G.6.642: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. bene hys cheffe meydens /pacyence / & peasce / G.6.643: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. moche poeple they helpen /largenes / G.6.644: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. þ at þe ladye she lettyth In fuvll many e G.6.644: The added <e> on manye is forward-facing and is not the form normally used by the main scribe, even in the rubricated sections. The letter is also in very black ink, and seems likely to have been added by the annotator responsible for the marginal comments on 42 v, 44 v and 72 v. she hathe holpen a thowsand out off þe deuvell es pynfold and wo -so ys sybbe to thes seyuven so me god helpe he ys wonderlyche welcome & fayre vnderfongen but And but yff ye be sybbe to some off þes seyuven ytt ys full hard by my heyd for q uod Peres for any off you all to gett Ingong att any gate ther but grace be þe more now by cryst q uod quod a cuvttpuvrs / I haue no kynne there nor I q uod an apeward / by oght þ at I knowe wold A wolde Wite god q uod a waferer wafrestre wyst I þus þis G.6.653: G þus for remaining manuscripts þis is probably a back spelling, cf. frequent G "this" for "thus" and see note to G.4.76. for sothe shuvld I neu er forther a foote for no freres preychyng yes q uod pyers the plouvman & prycked pikked pokud þem hem alle G.6.655: A version manuscripts read hym for B hem alle, G F þem. Kane and Donaldson adopt the A reading. to good m ercy ys a meyden there hath myght ou er all and she ys sybbe to all synfull & hyr so n ne also & thruvgh þe helpe off theym two ~~helpe~~ hope hope þow non other thow myght gett grace there so þ ou go betyme by seynt powle q uod a p erdon er I trowe p arauent ure I be not knowe þer I wyll go fecche my my box with my breyuvett es & a buvll w yt h letters bisshopes l ettres by cryst q uod a co men woman thy company wyll I folowe þ ou ~~mast~~ meyst shalt say I am þi suvster I not ne wot where they become explicit sextus passus de visione Thys were a wycked way ~~bote~~ G.7.1: The first stroke of the <w> of "whoso" is written here and crossed out. but wo -so had a gyde that wold folowen vs eche eche a G.7.2: The majority of A and C manuscripts share the G Cot reading eche, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read eche a. foote þus þis folke he he m menved mened q uod perkyn þe plouvman by seynt petre off rome I hauve an haluve acre to erye by the hygh way had I eryede thys halfe acre and sowen ytt after I wold wend w yt h you & you and the way teyche thys were a long lettyng q uod a ladye In a sklayere when What shold we wymmen ~~.....~~worche to þe whyles some shold shal sowe þe sacke q uod he Piers / for shedyng off þe weyte & you ȝe G.7.10: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. louvely ladyes wythe your b longe fyngers that ye hauve sylke & sendell s to sowe when tyme ys chesybleys for chapleyn es cherchers to honouvre wyuves & wydowes wolele G.7.13: The scribe has added an extra <l> to indicate that the vowel in wolle="wool," is short; see Dobson, English Pronunciation, p.509, note 2. The correction leaves little space before the following ampersand and the overwriting of original <e> results in a second <l> which resembles a . For the G scribe's spelling practices, see Introduction III.2. & flax spynnethe makethe clothe I couvnsell you & kyennyth so youvr doghters the nedye & þe naked take takes nymmeth heede howe they lyggen & castethe theym clothes for so co mmauvnded comaundeth trewthe for I shall leynven lene þemn hem G.7.17: The final minim of the superscript <m> of original G þem has been crossed out in brown ink (the same ink as that used for the alterations from to <v>). lyuveloode / but yff þe land fayle Flesshe & breed bothe to ryche and to poere as long as I lyuve for the lordes louve off heyuven and all man er men of men that thruvgh meyte & drynke lyuven helpe theym hym to worke wyghtlyche þ at wynnen wynneth your foode by cryst q uod a knyght tho he kennyth vs the best but Ac on þe teme trewly tawght was I neuver ~~but Ac kenne me q uod the knyght &~~ but kenne me q uod the knyght & I wyll assay G.7.24: It is impossible to be certain of the reading of the second half of the line but the tails of two consectutive long <s>s appear to be present. by seynt powle q uod perkyn ye p rofre you so fayre that I shall sweyte swynke & swynke swete & sowe for vs bothe and other laborosur do for þi louve all my lyfe tyme In couvenau nt G.7.28: For the use of superscript <a> as an abbreviation mark in G, see Introduction IV.1.1. þ at þ ou kepe holychurche & my -seluve from wasters & from wykked men þ at þis world stroyen and go hyvnte hardelyche att to hares & att to foxes to borres & to brockes þ at breken downe adown menn es men myne heggys and go assey þe affaite þi fawken es wyld fouvle foules to kyll for suoyche comen to my crofte & coroppen my weyte couvrtyslyche þe knyght þen comsed thes wordes by my power pyers q uod he I plyght þe my troght to fuv ssllfyll thys forward thogh I fyght shuolde as longe as I lyuve I shall the menteygne he Ȝe & yet a poynte q uod pyers I prey you off more loke ye tene no tenant but tr ewthe G.7.39: The first vowel of what is transcribed here as trewthe may perhaps be an <o>, but see yeld at G.7.44. wyll assente & thogh ye mowe a -m ercy them lett m ercy be taxouvre and mekenes þi master maugre medes chekes and thogh pore pore men profre you p resent es & gyftes nym ytt noght In auentuvre ye may ytt not des eruve for you ye þow G.7.44: It is impossible to tell whether the G reading you results from misreading of "thou" as "you" (most B manuscripts read þow) or from the extension of "you" from the accusative to the nominative (Cr Hm read ye). See note to G.2.180. shall shalt yeld ytt a -gayne att on yeres end In a full perylyche p erillous G.7.45: Neither the OED nor the MED records the G form perylyche. Remaining manuscripts read p erillous . place puvrgatorye ytt hett and myssbyd noght þi bouvndmen þe bett er mey þ ou spede thogh he be þi vndrelyng well here wel mey happe yn heyuven that he worthyer sytt sett e & w yt h more blysse amice assende superius & c etera sup erius for In chernels charnel at chuvrches chirche cherles been yll yuel to knowe or a knyght from a knauve knowe þis In þi herte & be trew off thy tong & tales thowe þat þow hate but But if þei be wyssdome of wisdome or wytt thy workeme n to chaste hold w yt h non herlott es ne here not theyre tales & namelyche at atte G.7.55: Most A manuscripts share the G O C 2 Y reading ( at rather than atte= "at the"), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. meyte suoche men eschewe for þei it þe ben þe deuvell es dysouvrs I do þe to vndre -stond I assent by seynt Iame q uod seyde the knyght then for to worchen by þi wordes whyle þe while my lyuve duvrethe and I shall apparell me q uod perkyn In pylgrymes wyse and wende w yt h you I wyll tyll we fynd trewthe & cast on my clothes clouvted yclouted & hole my cokkers & my cuvffes for cold off my nayles and hang my hopper at my halsce In styd off a scryppe a buvsshell busshel of breeyd corne bryng me therynne For I wyll sowe ytt my -seluve & sythe wole I wende to pylgrymes pylgrymage & as palmers done p erdone to forto G.7.66: The G O C 2 F reading to is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read forto. hauve but Ac wo -so helpeth to me to erye or sowen er I wende shall hauve leyuve by our lorde to lese theryn here in heruvest & make þem merye ther -myd / maugre wo -so gruvggethe and askffenor alkyn G.7.70: G originally read asken, presumably altered by the corrector to as ffor because it does not make sense. craftyes crafty G.7.70: Note the similar correction from crafty to craftyes at G.4.226. men / that can lyuve In trewthe I shall fynd them foode þ at faythfullyche lyuven saue Iacke þe Ioygoler & Iohenett off the stewes and danyell þe dyss epleyer & dyote denote þe bawde and frere þe faytouvr & folke off hys ordre and robyn þe rybauvder for hys rouvstye wordes trewthe told me onesce & bad me tell ytt after deleantur de libro viuentium I shuvld not deale w yt h þem For holy churche ys hoote off theym no tythes tythe to take quia cum Iustis non scribantur // they been eskaped good auventuvre / god þem amend dame worche when tyme ys pyers wyffe hyght hys doghter hyght do ryght so or þi dame shall þe beyte hys sonne hett / suffer þi suffereyns to hauve theyr wyll deme þem not for yff þ ou do þ ou shalte ytt deere bygge abugge lett god worche yworth w yt h all for so hys worde teychythe for now am I I am olde and hoor & hauve myne of myn owen to pennvance pen[n]ance penaunce & pylgrymage I wyll pas w yt h with þise other Forthy I wyll or I wende wryte do wryte my bequvest In die d[e]i dei nomine amen I make ytt my -seluven he shall hauve my souvle þ at best hathe I -seruved ytt and fro þe fend ytt defend for so I beleuve tyll I come to hys acomptes as as my credo me tellythe to hauve a relees & and a G.7.93: Most A and C manuscripts share the G O C 2 Cot reading &, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read and a. remyssyon on þ at rentall I le y . uve G.7.93: The <y> of original leyue has been written over the pinhole in the corner of the writing space and both it and its replacement are therefore difficult to read. The erased tail, however, is still clearly visible. For the spelling with <y> see, e.g., G.7.278. the kyrke shall hauve my caryon & kepe my bo nnys for off my corne & catell he crauved the tythe I payd ytt hym p restlye for peryll off my souvle forthy he ys For-thy is he holden I hope to hauve me In hys masse and mengen In hys memorye among all crystyen my wyffe shall hauve off þ at I wanne w yt h trewthe & no more and deale among my doghters & my deer chyldren For thogh I dye to -day my dett es are quvyte I bare whom þ at I borowed er I to bed yede & w yt h the resydewe & þe remnauvnte by þe rode off luvkes I wole worshype ther -w yt h trewthe by my lyuve & been hys pylgrym att plouvgh for p oere men es G.7.105: C Y R share G's original reading men. Remaining B manuscripts share G's corrected reading men es . sake my plowe -foote shalbe shal be my pykestaffe & pyche atwo þe G.7.106: Parts of atwo and þe (both originally very faint) have been re-outlined in blacker ink. rotes and helpe my cuvltur to keruve & clence þe forowes now ys p erkyn & hys pylgymes pylg[r]ymes pilgrymes to þe plouvgh faren to erye hys þis halffe acre holpen hym many dykers & deluvers dygged vp the balkes therw yt h was p erkyn apayde & preysed hym hem G.7.111: The minims of G hym lack definition. Kane and Donaldson read hyn. fast other workeme n þer were þ at wroghten full yerne eche man In hys man er made hym -seluve to done & some to pleasse p erkyn pyked vp the wedes att hygh pryme / pyers lett the plowe stand to ou erseen þem hym -selffe & wo -so best wroghte he shuold be hyred þerafter when heruvest heruest tyme cam and þen seten some & songen atte nale and helpen hulpen erye hys halfe acre / w yt h howe troly loly by Now bi þe p eryll off my souvle q uod pyers all In puvre tene but ye aryse the rather & rape you to worche shall no greyne þ at growethe glade you att nede and yff þough ye dye for doole þe deuvell ytt haue þat recchethe tho were faytouvrs afered & feyned theym blynd some leyde þer legg es a -lyrye / as swyche losell es canne & made þer mone to pers & preyed hym off grace we For we hauve no lymmes to labouvre wyth lord graced ygraced be ye & Ac we pray for you pyers & for youvr plowe bothe that god off hys grace your greyne muvltyplye & yelde you for of your almesse þ at ye gyuve vs here for we may not swynke ne sweyte suoche syknes vs eylythe yff ytt be sothe soth q uod Piers þ at you ȝe G.7.132: For the G scribe's use of you for most manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. seyne I shall ytt sone espye ye been wastors I wott well & trewthe wottethe wote þe sothe and I am hys old hyne & hyght hym to warne wyche þei were In þis worlde hys workmen ympeyren apayreth appeyred G.7.135: It is not entirely clear whether G's form ympeyren should be considered the same lexical item as that used by R and F (i.e. apayreth). See OED appair, apair, v. and impair, v. . Most B manuscripts have the preterite. ye wasten þ at men wynnen w yt h trauvell & w yt h tene but Ac trewthe shall teyche you G.7.137: The minims of you lack definition; they are basically just a straight line. hys teme to dryue G.7.137: A horizontal line runs from the end of the <e> of dryue into the margin. or ye shall eyte barlye bred & off þe brooke drynke but yff he be blynd or broken -legged or bolted w yt h yrens he shall eyte wheyte bred & drynke w yt h my -seluve tyll god off hys goodnes amendem ent hym send but Ac ye myght trauvell as trewthe wold & take meyte & hyre to kepe kyen In the felde the corne from þe bestes dyken or deluven &or dyngen vp the vppon sheyuvys or helpe make morter or beyre muvcke G.7.145: An additional minim has been added to the beginning of mucke, in the same ink as the original. Without it, there would only be four minims. a -feld ese In lecherye & losyngerye ye lyuven & In slothe and all ys thruvgh suvfferance þ at wengeance you ne takethe but Ac ankers & herymytes that eyten nat but but at onsce nones and no more er morowe myne almes shall they hauve & off catell to kepe cope þem w yt h þ at hanv e cloyesters & chuvrches but Ac / robert renabowte / G.7.151: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. shall not hauve off myne ne postel es but þei preyche kan & hauve power off þe bysshoppe they shall hauve payne & potage to & make theym at easse ytt For it ys an vnreasonable relygyon þ at hathe noght riȝte nouȝte off certeyne and then gan a wastouvr to wrathe hym & wold hauve foghte & to pyers the plowman he profered hys glouve a brettoner G.7.157: There is a brown ink stain over the <tt> of brettoner. / a bragger / G.7.157: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. he bosted abostede G.7.157: G's he bosted is not necessarily a variant reading; the reading found in most manuscripts (i.e. abostede) represents the only instance of the verb aboast recorded by the OED and the a- may well be just a form of "he." pyers alsce & bad hym go pysse hym w yt h with hys plowe forpyned shrewe wylt þ ou or nylt þ ou we wyll hauve our wyll off thye flower & off thye flesshe fecche when vs lykethe & maken vs merye therw yt h mauvgre thy chekes then pyers þe plouvman pleynyd hym to the knyght to kepe hym as couvenau nt was from cuvrsed shrewys & fro þe þis wastouvrs off woluves wolues kynd kynnes þ at make þis þe worlde deere for þei þo wasten & wynne noght & that ylke whyle worthe neu er plente amonge þe poeple whyle þe while my plow lyggethe G.7.166: A virgule has been placed between plow and lyggethe (apparently by the main scribe) in order to separate the words. couvrteyslye þe knyght then as hys kynd wold G.7.167: The ink has been growing gradually fainter and the first three letters of wold have been overwritten in blacker ink. warned wastouvr & wyssed hym better or þ ou shalt abye by þe lawe by þe ordre that I beyre I wroght neu er was nouȝt wont to worche q uod wastouvre & nowe I nyll begynne & lett lyght off the lawe & lasse off the knyght & sett pyers att a peyse & hys plowe bothe and maneced peres & hys men yff they mete mette G.7.173: Though 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 not consistent and the use of a single <t> in mete does not therefore necessarily indicate a present rather than a preterite. For the G scribe's spelling practices, see Introduction III.2. eft - sones sone by Now by þe p eryll off my souvle q uod pyers I shall apayre you all and called houped affter honger þ at herd hym at þe Fuvrste awreke me off thes wastouvrs that q uod he þat þis worlde shenden hongre In hast tho hente wastouvre by þe mawe & wrong hym so by þe wombe þ at hys bothe his eyne watered he buvffeted the bretoner a -bowte bothe aboute G.7.179: Added bothe is in black ink. It is not impossible that it was written by the original scribe (for the form of the <h>, see, e.g., the second <h> of trughthes ( G.8.57 f.30 v,

l.7)). However, the form of this letter also resembles that used by WH (see, e.g., Byschoppes in the note in the right hand margin on f.103 r)

and since the script used for the addition is altogether more angular than that normally used by hand1, it seems probable that it was in fact made by WH. See also G.7.183. the chekes that he loked lyke a lanterne all hys lyuve after he bett þem so bothe he brast nye nere theyre guvttes ne had pyers w yt h a peyse loofe preyed hongre to ceasse they had be doluven depe bothe ne G.7.183: The ink colour of added depe here is the same as that of the addition at G.7.179. Once again, it seems likely that it may have been made by WH: though the script is not dissimilar to that used by the original scribe, it is more angular and more upright. deme þ ou non other suffer theym lyue he seyde & lett theym eyte w yt h hogges or elles beaens be[a]ns G.7.185: The first <e> of original beens has been altered to an <a> by the addition of a downward stroke on the right hand side of the letter. Presumably the wrong vowel has been altered. See beanes at G.7.198. & bra nne baken ybaken to -gedders or elles mylke & meane ale thus preyed pyers for theym Faytouvrs for feere there her-of therof ~~fledde~~ flowen In -to bernes & flapten on w yt h fleyles from morowe tyll euven that hongre was not G.7.189: Added not appears to be in the hand of the original scribe. Compare, however, the additions at G.7.183 and G.7.179. hardye so hardy G.7.189: Almost all C manuscripts and a high proportion of A manuscripts share the G R F reading hardye, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read so hardy. on theym for to loke For a pott fuvll off peyses þ at poyers had made ymaked an heype off herymytes hente theym spades and kuvtten þer copes & couvrtypyes theym made and went as workeme n w yt h spades & w yt h shouvell es and doluven & dyggen dykeden to dryuve a -way hongre blynd & bedreden were botened a thowsande that sytten seten G.7.196: For G Cr C 2 sytten (remaining manuscripts seten), see note to G.6.347. to begge syluver sone were they heyled for þ at was bake for bayarde was bote for manye ho ngrye and many a begger for beanes boxome was to swynke and eche eche a poere ma n ~~haue~~well G.7.199: The ink of well is blacker than might be expected but this is probably due to the fact that erasure has damaged the surface of the paper. payed to hauve peyse for hys hyre & watt pyers p reyed þem do to do as prest as a sparrhauvke & theroff was pyers prowde & puvtt theym to worche gauve And ȝaf þem meyte as he myght a -forthe a and meysuvrable hyre then had pyers pyte & preyed hongre to wende home to in-to hys owen yerthe & holden hym there for I am well I -wrooke awroke off wastouvrs thruvgh thye myght but Ac I prey þe or thowe pas q uod pyers vn -to to hongre off beggers & off bydders wat best be to done for I wote wele be þ ou weynte þei wole worche yll ful ille G.7.208: Manuscript M originally shared the majority B reading ful ille but M ful has been erased, thus bringing M's reading into line with that of G (i.e. yll). The G M reading is also that of a high proportion of A manuscripts, and is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. for myscheffe ytt makethe they be so meke nowe nouthe G.7.209: For the G Cr C C 2 reading nowe for remaining manuscripts nouthe, see note to G.4.295. & for defauvte off þeir foode / þis folke ys att my wyll they are my my blody brethren q uod pyers pieres for g ~~uod~~od G.7.211:The scribe appears to have begun by misreading the initial <g> of "god" as a <q> (and has thus initially misread the whole word as q uod ). boght vs all treuvght taght me onsce to louven theym echone and And to G.7.213: All A manuscripts and most C manuscripts share the G Cr reading and, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B mansucripts read And to. helpen off hem of all thyng ay as theym nedethe and nowe wold I wytten witen of þe where what were the best & how I myght mastre amaistrien theym & make þem to worche here nowe q uod hongre & hold ytt for a wyssdome bold beggers & bygge þ at mow þer brede byswynke wyth hoondes bred & hors brede hold vp theyr hartes abate Abate hem w yt h beanes for bollyng off theyr wombe and yff þe gomes gruvge byd theym go swynke & he shall souvpe swetter when he hathe des eruved ytt it hath deseruid and yff þ ou fynd any freyke þ at fortuvne hath apayred or any man er falsce men fond þ ou suoyche to knowe comfort theym w yt h thye catell for crystes louve off heyuven louve theym & leyne theym so þe lawe off god teychethe alter alterius onera portate et c etera portate // and all man er off men that thow myght aspye that nedye been & noght noȝt han nauȝty / G.7.228: This virgule is at an unusual angle and may simply be present to separate words. helpe theym w yt h thye goodes louve þem & lacke theym noght lett god take the wengeance thogh they done euvell lett god worche yworþe michi vindictam et ego retribuam et c etera retribuam // & yff þ ou wylt be gracyouvs to god do as the gospell teychythe belouve And biloue þe amongest lewde low men so shalt þ ou lacche grace facite vobis am icos de ma mmona Iniquitatis et c etera iniquitatis // I nolde wolde nouȝt greuve god / pers seyde q uod piers / for all þe good on grouvnde myght I synles do as þ ou seyest seyd pers then I Ȝe I þe hoote bihote þe G.7.237: Kane and Donaldson read ye for G's þe, but in G superscript <e> normally only occurs after a thorn. See note to G.3.118. q uod hongre or elles the byble lyethe go to genesis þe geant þe engenderouvr off vs all In swete sudore & In swynke þ ou shalt thye mete tylye & labouvr for thy lyuvelode & so our lord hyght and sapyence sayethe the same G.7.241: There is a smudge on the final <e> of same and the letter may have been re-outlined. I sawe ytt In þe byble G.7.241: The cross in the bottom right hand corner of the page is in modern pencil. piger pro frigore no felde nold tylye & þerfore he shall begge & bygge bidde & no man bete hys hongre mathewe wyth mannes face mouvthed thes wordes that seruus nequam had a beysant Mnam G.7.245: Mnam, the majority B reading, is glossed besaunt in L M W Hm, and this may well be the source of the G Cr 12 reading beysant. & for he wold not chaffare he had maugre off hys master euver -more after & bynam hym hys beysant Mnam for he nold ne wolde G.7.247: Almost all A manuscripts share the G M Cot reading nold, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read ne wolde. worche & gaffe þ at besant Mnam to hym þ at ten besant es Mnames hadde & wyth þ at he seyde þ at holy chuvrche ytt harde he þ at had hath shall hauve & helpe þer ytt nedythe & he þ at hathe noght nouȝt hath noght shall shal nouȝt hauve & no man hym helpe & þ at he weneth well to hauve I wyll ytt hym bereyuve kynd wytt wolde þ at eche a wyght wroght G.7.253: The ink used for wroght was very faint and the word has been re-outlined in black ink. other Or In dykyng or In deluvyng or trauvell trauaillynge In preyers co ntemplatyuve lyffe or actyuve lyffe cryste wold þei wroght the sauvter seyethe In þe sauvlme off vbeati omnes // the freyke þ at fedeth hym -selffe wyth with his feythfull labouvr he ys blessyd by the boke in bodye & yn souvle labores manuum tuarum et c etera // Yet G.7.260: The form of the decorated capital <Y> is unusual, but since the word "yet" is elsewhere consistently spelled with initial <y> it seems likely that this, rather than, say, a capital must be the letter here. I prey you q uod py res G.7.260: The <r> of pyres appears to have been added in the wrong place. See, however, G.14.240. p ar charyte yff and you þou ȝe G.7.260: G's reading you could conceivably be a misreading of þou, as F, but it may also be an alternative form of the nominative plural, ie. equivalent to ȝe, which is the reading of the remaining B manuscripts. See note to G.2.180. can any leyffe off lechecrafte lere ytt me my dere For some off my seruvant es & my -seluve bothe off all a weeke worche not so our wombe akethe I wote well q uod hongre watt syknes you ayelethe ye hauve yeyten maunged ouver moche & þ at makethe your grone but Ac I hoote þe q uod hongre ~~þ at~~ as þ ou ~~........~~ thyn heale wylnest that þ ou drynke no day or þ ou dyne somwatt eyte nat I hoote þe / er honger the take and send the off hys sauvce to sauvore w yt h thye lyppes & kepe some tyll suoppertyme & sytt not to long & ryse vp er appetyte hathe haue eyten hys fyll lett noght syr suvrfett sytten att thy borde leuve hym . not nouȝt for he ys leycherouvs & lykorouvs off tong & after manye man er meyt es hys mawe ys a -hongred & yff þ ou dyote þe þus I dare legge my eyres þ at fysyke shall hys fuvrred hoodes /for hys foode sell & hys cloke off calabre w yt h all hys þe knap es off gold & be fayne by my faythe fysyke his phisik to leyuve lete & lerne to labouvr wyth lond for lyuvelode ys swete for mortherers are many leches our lord lorde þem amend they do men to dye deye thruvgh þer drynkes er destynye wold by seynt powle q uod pyers thes are profytable wordes wende now hongre when þ ou wylt well þat wel be þ ou euver for þis ys a louvely lesson lord ytt þe foryelde I hoote By-hote G.7.285: Kane and Donaldson adopt the reading I bihote (found in BB and in all C and most A manuscripts) for G F I hoote, most manuscripts By-hote. god q uod hongre hennsce ne wold wil I wende G.7.285: The word wende was originally very faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. tyll I hauve dyned by þis day and y drynke ydronke G.7.286: G's reading y drynke (for most manuscripts ydronke) is probably at least partly influenced by confusion about the y- past participle prefix, see Introduction III.1.4. bothe I hauve no pennye q uod pyers puvllett es to bygge ne neyther gees ne gryses grys but two grene cheses a fewe cruvddes & creyme & a hauver kake and two louves off beanes & branne bake ybake for my fauvntes & yet I sey by my souvle I hauve no salte bakon ne no kokeney by cryst colopes for to make but Ac I hauve p ercyle & porrett es & manye cole plantes and And eke a cowe & a calffe & a carte mare to drawe a -feld my dong whyle þe while G.7.295: The majority of A manuscripts share the G B F reading whyle, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most B manuscripts read þe while. þe drouvght lastethe and by þis lyuvelode we movste mot G.7.296: Though Cr and F share the G form of the verb ("must" rather than remaining manuscripts "mot"), they both, unlike G, have a singular subject. lyuve tyll lammas tyme & by þ at I hope hauve to haue heruvest In my crofte & then may I dyght þi dynner as my me dere lykethe all the pouvere poeple then þo peyscoddes fecchen feccheden fetten beyn es & baken appuvll es þei broght yn theyr lappes chybolles & ~~rype~~ cheruell es & rype cheryes manye & profered pyers þis present to please w yt h hongre all hongre ete In hast & asked after more then pouvere folke for fere fed hongre ȝerne w yt h grene porrett & peasone to poysone ~~þem ..~~hym þei thoght G.7.305: The added words hym þei have had to be squashed in. Note the virgule inserted after þei in order to separate it from thoght. by þ at hytt neghyd ney nere heruvest newe corne cam to cheypyng þen was folke feyne & fed hongre w yt h þe best w yt h good ale as gloton taght & garte hongre to go G.7.308: The majority of A manuscripts share the G Cr 3 Hm C 2 reading to, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read go. slepe tho And þo wold wastouvr not worche but wandre a -bowte ne no begger eyte bred þ at beanes yn were but off cokett & or cleremeyne clerematyn or elles off cleyne wheyte ne non halpenye ale In no wyse drynke but But of þe best & the of þe brounest þ at yn bruvghe ys to sell laborers þ at hauve no land to lyuve on but þer handys deyned noght to dyne a day / nyht olde wortes may no penny ale theym pay no ne no pece off bakon but yff ytt be fresshe flesshe or other fysshe fryed or other bake and that clauvde c[h]aude chaude & pluvs chauved for chyllyng off þer mawe and but yff he be hyghlyche hyred elles wole h e G.7.319: The letter <h> of he may have been altered, though it is difficult to tell what the original might have been. Certainly the <e> of he appears to be a later addition: the form is that normally used by the scribe in rubricated Latin passages and it uses up the space between words. chyde and þ at he was workeman wroght waylle þe tyme ageynst catons couvnseyle comsethe he to Iangell paupertatis onus pacienter ferre memento // he greuvethe hym ageynst god & gruvggethe ageynst reason and And þanne cauvsethe curseth he þe kyng all and al hys couvnseyle after suoyche r lawes to loke laborers to greuve but Ac whyle hongre was here master / non off þem wold not one of he m wold þere wolde none of hem chyde ne stryuve ageynst þeis his G.7.327: The <s> of corrected G þis appears over the <e> of original þe, the in front of it. G.7.327: Bo Cot and F share G's original reading þe, and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. The majority B reading is his. statuvte so sternleche he loked but Ac I warne you workemen wynne wyle ye meyowe for hongre hydderward hastethe hym fast he shall awake w yt h watre wastouvrs to chaste er fyue be fullfylled suoyche fanyne fa[m]yne famyn shall aryse thruvgh fluvddes & fouvle wedders fruvytes shall fayle a profecy and so seyde satuorne þ at and seynt you to warne G.7.334: A scribe has added a

decorated cross in the margin. This corresponds to a similar cross in the table of contents (on f.102)

and is one of a number of signs clearly intended to help the reader find particular items in the text. See Introduction I.10. when ye se þe sonne a -mys & two monkes heydes and ya G.7.335: Note the use of what is, for this scribe, an unusual double-lobed <a> for overwriting. The ink is the same as the original. meyde hauve þe mastrye & muvltyplye by heyght þen shall dethe w yt h -drawe & derthe be Iuvstece & daw þe dyker dye for hongre but yff god off hys goodnes grau nt vs a trewe explicit septimus passus de visione // Trewthe herd tell here -off & to pyers sente he sent to maken taken hys teeme & tylye hys þe yerthe he And puvrchased hym a pardone a G.8.3: The mark before the first rubricated letter is probably a mistake; a failure to recognise the need for a change of ink. pena et a culpa // for hym & hys for his heyres for euver -more after & bad hym hold hym att whome & eryen hys leyes and all þ at helpen halpe them G.8.6: Kane and Donaldson read theym for G them but there is no visible <y>. hym to erye to sett or to sowe or any other master myster þ at myght pyers auveyle pardone w yt h pyers plouvma n trewthe hath grauvnted kyng es & knyghtes that kepen holye chuvrche & ryghtfuvllyche In realmes ruvelen þe poeple hauve pardone thruvgh puvrgatorye to passen fuvll lyghtlye w yt h patryarkes & profett es In p aradyse to be fellowes felow bysshops y -blessed yff G.8.13: The top half of the double <f> of yff has been partly lost because of a hole in the paper. þei beene as they shuvlde legysters off bothe the lawes þe lewde men lewed þer -wyth to preyche & in G.8.14: A virgule has been added to separate the words in and als. It appears to have no metrical significance. als moche as þei mowe amenden all synfull ere pyers w yt h þe postell es apostles thys p .ardone pyers shewythe & att the day off dome att þe hye deyse to sytt marcheantes In þe m ergen / had many yers but Ac non a pena et a culpa . the pope wolde nolde grau nte hem g raunte for þei hold not theyr halydays as holye chuvrche teychethe & for they sware swere G.8.21: G's sware could be a preterite, but it is also a possible present tense form. See OED swear, v . Dobson suggests ( English Pronunciation, 733, Note 1) that infinitive forms such as sware and tar for "swear" and "tear" may well be due to the analogical influence of the past tense, and that such forms were more likely in the North and the East. For Northernisms in G, see Introduction III.4.1. by þer souvle & by so god hym -seluve moste hem helpe ageyn cleyne conscyence theyre catell to sell but Ac vndre hys seycrete seale trewthe send them a letter that þei sholde bygge G.8.24: The word bygge has been re-outlined in darker ink, apparently by the original scribe at the time of writing. boldlye that them best lykyd and sythen sell ytt ageyne & sauve þe wynnyng amend And amende mys endwayes mesondieux ther - wyth myde & mesylye myseyse folke helpe and wycked weyes wyghtlyche amend and do boote bote to brydges that to -broken were maryen meydens & or maken theym nonnes pouvre poeple & prysoners fynd theym theyr foode and sett scolers to scole or to some other craftes releuve relygyon & rent theym better and I shall send you my -selfe seynt mychaell þe myn arkeangell that no deuvell shall you dere ne fere you In your dyeyng & wyten you from wanhope yff you ȝe G.8.35: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. wyll þus worche and sende your souvles In safett safett[e] safte G.8.36: G's erroneous form safett presumably arises because of confusion over the significance of -e for [i:]. See note to G.2.7. to my seyntes In Ioy then were m archantes merye manye wepte for Ioy & preysed / pyers plouman þe plowman / G.8.38: For the use of virgules as a means of highlighting, see note to G.6.597, and for an alternative method, see the boxing in C. þ at p .vrchased G.8.38: The scribe may originally have misread an abbreviation for ur as one for re and therefore have written <pr> instead of <pur> at the beginning of "purchased." thys bull men off þe of lawe s leyste p erdon ghadde hadde þat pleteden for mede for þe sauvter sauvethe theym noght suoyche as take gyftes and namelych off ynnocent es þ at noon euvell ne kan G.8.41: Most manuscripts have some form of konneþ for G kan. However, according to the OED, "can" was the usual plural form of this verb in the sixteenth century. super innocentem munenera munera mun era non accipies pleydouvrs shuolde peynen theym to pleyde plede for suoyche to and helpe pry nces & preelates shuold pay for theyre trauvell a regibus et principibus erit merces eorum // but Ac many a Iuvstes & a and Iuvrouvr wold for Ihon do more then pro dei pietate leuve you þow non other but Ac he þ at spendythe hys speche & speykethe for þe powere þ at ys Innocent & nedye & no man appayrythe comforte hym In þ at cas w yt h -owte couvetyse off gyftes and show lawe for our lordes louve as he hytt hathe G.8.51: The word hathe was originally very faint and appears to have been re-outlined in black ink. lerned shall no deuvell att hys deyde G.8.52: Forms of "death" in -d(e ( dede, ded etc.) are common in the North in ME, though they are not confined to it, and the spelling deyde may therefore reflect earlier Northern influence in G. See Introduction III.4.1. day deren hym a myte that he ne worthe saffe sauf and his sowle G.8.53: The word saffe was initially faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. þe sawter weyttnessythe bereth witnesse G.8.53: The word witnesse was initially faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. domine quis habitabit In tabernaculo tuo & c etera // but Ac to bygge water ne wynde ne wytt yne fyre þe ferthe thy ese fowre þe father In of heyuven made to þis folke folde In co men thyese beene truvghthes tresores trewe folke to helpe that neu er shall wexe ne wane w yt h -owte G.8.58: The word owte was originally faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. god hym -selfe when þei drawen to vnto one to in to on to dye þe deþ deth G.8.59: The confusion between dye (the reading of G L M Cr W) and deth or þe deþ in remaining manuscripts presumably arose from the misreading of thorn as <y>. Note the L W spelling deye. / & Induvlgences wold hauve theyre perdon es are pardou n is full peytyte / att þer p artyng G.8.60: The word p artyng was originally faint and has been re-outlined in black ink. hence that any mede off meane men for theyre motyng taken ye legysters & laweeyers G.8.62: The word laweeyers was originally faint and the first three letters have been re-outlined in black ink. holden thys for trewthe that yff þ at I lye mathewe ys to blame for he bad me make you thys & thys p rouverbe me tolde quodcumq ue vultis vt faciant vobis homines facite eis // all lyuvyng laborers þ at lyuven w yt h theyre handes that trewlyche taken & trewlyche wynnen and lyuven In louve & in lawe for theyre lowe hertes hauve þe same absoluvcyon þ at seynt was to pyers beggers ne bydders ne beythe noght In the byll bulle but yff þe suggestyon be good soth þ at ~~.....~~shapeth G.8.71: The form of the first <h> of shapeth is that normally found in the rubricated sections, which were also written by the scribe who copied the main body of the text (see Introduction I.7). The addition has been written in a space which is too small for it, hence the virgule before þem which is simply present to separate words. þem go to begge For he that beggethe or byt but yff he hauve nede he ys falsce w yt h the fende & defrauvdethe þe nedye and And also he begyleth þe gyu ere ageynst hys wyll for yff he wyst he were not nedye he wold gyuve yt ȝiue þat it gif giue þ at to another that were more nedye þen he so the nedyest shold be holpe caton kennythe me thus & the clere cler[k]e clerke off storyes cui us des videto ys caton catou nes teychyng and In þe storyes he teychethe how to to bestowe þin almes sit elimosina tua In manu manu tua donec studeas studes G.8.80: C 2 originally read studes, which is the majority B reading, but an <a> has been added above the line, giving studeas, as G. cui des // but Ac gregorye was a good man & bad vs gyuven all that asken for hys louve that vs all lenethe ne Non eligas cui mis erearis ne forte preterias p ret ereas illum qui m eretur accip ere quia Incertum est pro quo deo magis placeas // wote For wite you ȝe G.8.84: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. neu er wo ys worthye but ac god wote wo hathe nede In hym þ at takethe ys þe trechyrye yff any treason walke for he that gyuvythe yeldethe & yarkythe hym to rest and he þ at d byddethe borowethe & bryngethe hym -selfe In dett for beggers borowe eu ermore þer and her bruvgh ys god allmyghtye to yelden þeim that gyuven theym & yet vsuvrye more quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam vt ego veniens cum vsuris exigere exegissem et c etera forthy byddeth not ye beggers but yff ye hauve nede for wo -so hathe to byggen hym bred þe boke beyryth wyttnes he hath Inoghe hathe þat hath bred I -no ghe thoghe he hauve no þing nouȝt elles satis diues est qui non Indiget pane // lett vsage be your solas off seynt es lyuves redyng the boke bannethe beggerye & blamethe In thys man er Iunior fui etenim senui et non vidi Iustum delrelictum nec semen eius eius querens panem et c etera // for ye lyuve In no louve ne no lawe holde manye off you ȝow ne wed noght þe wemen ye w yt h deale but as wylde bestes / w yt h we -he / G.8.101: The virgules here could simply be punctuation marks but they may possibly be intended as a means of highlighting. See note to G.6.597. worthen vp & worchen and bryng forthe barnes þ at basterd es men callen other Or þe bake or some bo nne he brekythe yn þe his youvght and sythen go fayten w yt h your fauntes eu er for euer -more after there ys mo mysshape poeple among thees beggers then off all man er off men men þ at on þis mold walkethe & they that lyuve thuvs theyre lyuve / may lothe theyre þe tyme that eu er he was man wroght when he shall hence fare but Ac olde men & hoore þ at helples been off strenght & women w yt h chylde þ at worche ne mowe blynd & bedred & broken theyre membres that taken meschefes þise myschiefs mekely as meysel es & other hauve as pleyne perdone as the plowman hym -selfe for louve off theyre lowe hertes our lord hathe þem grau nted theyr pennvance pen[n]ance penaunce & þeir puvrgatorye here on thys yerthe Pyers q uod a preeste þen þo thy perdone movste I rede I For I wole G.8.117: A virgule has been added at this point to separate the words wole and constrewe. constrewe eche clauvse & kenne þe it þe G.8.117: Definitely þe, despite Kane and Donaldson's reading þi. The <e> is forward facing, resembling that used by the original scribe in the rubricated sections. In on enghlysshe & pyers att hys preyer the perdone vnfoldethe & I beynde theym bothe / G.8.119: The addition of this virgule is accompanied, not by a pointed caret mark, but by two diagonal parallel lines. It is in any case unusual for the insertion of a virgule to be indicated by any sort of mark. This particular virgule has in fact the shape of a closing bracket, but, though the reference to the dreamer could conceivably be thought of as the sort of aside suitable for enclosure in brackets, there is no evidence of any corresponding opening bracket. byheld all the buvll In Al in two lynes ytt ley and noght a leyfe more & was wryten ryght thuvs In wyttnes off trewthe et qui bona egerunt Ibunt In vitam eternam qui vero mala In ingnem i[gn]em ignem eternum G.8.123: These two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. petre q uod the preest tho I can no perdone fynd but do well & hauve well & god shall hauve þi souvle & do yuvell & hauve yuvell hope þ ou non other but after þi deyde day þe deuvell shall hauve þi souvle and pyers for puvre tene puvlled ytt In tweyne atweyne and seyde si ambulauero In vmbrae medio medio vmbre G.8.129: Kane and Donaldson record G's reading here as vmbra medio. However, though in fact the scribe originally wrote a single-lobed <a>, he has erased the tail of this and added a loop on top of it to form a backwards facing <e>. mortis . non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es // I shall ceasse off my sowyng & q uod pieres and swynke not so harde ne abouvte my balye Ioy so bysye be no more off preyers & pennvance pen[n]ance penaunce my plowe shalbe shal be here -after & wepe when I sholde slepe thogh wheyte bred me faylle the prophete hys payne eyte / In pennvau nce pen[n]aunce penaunce & yn sorowe by that þe sauvter seyethe so dyd other manye that louveth god loyally hys lyuvelode ys fuvll eysye G.8.137: The script in which this added line is written corresponds to that of the rubricated sections rather than that of the main body of the text. This is particularly true of the <l>s. Since the evidence suggests, however, that the rubricated sections were also written by the main scribe (see Introduction I.7), this does not imply a change of hand. Probably the scribe chose to use these particular letter forms in order to make certain that the lengthy section of overwriting was clear. The traces of the original line which remain suggest that it may have been equivalent to G.8.139. This correction was clearly made before the brown ink corrections. G.8.137: There appear to be traces in the margin of a mark indicating the position in which the addition should appear. fuerunt michi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte but And but yff luvke G.8.139: The alteration of luke to lvke has been made in a different ink from that normally used for these corrections, i.e. black rather than brown, and the form of the <v> is also different. lye he leyrethe vs by fouvles we shold not be to besye abouvte þe wor dldes blysse ne soliciti sitis he sayethe In the gospell & shewythe vs by ensamples vs -seluve es to wysse the fouwles In þe felde wo fyndethe þem meyte & at watre wynter they hauve Haue þei no graner gerner G.8.144: Although the OED records the G and the Bx forms graner and gerner as separate words, it is not entirely clear that they should be so regarded, since OF grenier is cited as a possible source for both. to go too butt god fyndeth þem all watt q uod þe preest to p erkyn / petuvr as me thynkethe þ ou arte lettered a lytull wo lerned þe on boke abstynence þe abbesse q uod pyers my . a . b . c . me taght & conscyence cam after -warde & teychyd kenned me better moche more were thow a prest q uod pieres q uod he þ ou myghtest preche where þ ou shuldest G.8.149: The first few words of the supplied section can to some extent be verified by considering the position of the descenders still visible at the top of the page. This does not, however, apply to the last three words. G.8.149:The place where this material should be inserted is indicated by a line in the margin. The ink appears to be the same as that used for the to <v> corrections and this insertion was therefore presumably made at the same time. as diuvinouvr off in dyuvynyte wyth dixit Insipiens to þi teyme lewde lorell q uod pyers lytle G.8.151: The second <l> of lytle has a smudge which makes it look a little like an <h> but this was probably not deliberate. lokedest þ ou lokestow on the byble on salamon es sawes seld selden þ ou beholdest G.8.152: The last two words of this line have been re-outlined in darker ink. ecce derisores et iurgia cum eis ne crescant crescant & c etera .// the preeste & perkyn apposed eyther other and I thruvgh theyre G.8.155: The word theyre has been re-outlined in darker ink. wordes arose awoke & loked waited abouvte and segh þe sonne In þe souvthe sytt that tyme meteles & moneles G.8.157: The word moneles could equally well be interpreted as moueles, which is the reading of Cr 1. on maluverne hylles muvsyng on thes meteles my and my way I yede many a tyme tyme thees G.8.159: The letter <s> of thees has been re-outlined in browner ink. There is a hole in the paper at this point which may have affected the original. metaylles haue made me to stodye off þ at I seghe sleplyng yff ytt be so so be myght and for also for pers þe plouvman pensyfe ful pensyf In herte and wyche a perdon pers had þe alle þe G.8.162: The G F reading þe (for remaining manuscripts alle þe), gives a more metrical b-verse (though see Hoyt N, Duggan, "Notes on the Metre of Piers Plowman: Twenty Years On," in Approaches to the Metres of Alliterative Verse, ed. Judith Jefferson and Ad Putter, Leeds Texts and Monographs, New Series 17 (2009), 159-186, and especially 168-70). The GF reading is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. poeple to comfort and how þe preest ympu ngned ytt w yt h two propre wordes but Ac I hauve no sauvore In songwarye I for I see ytt oft fayle caton & canonysters couvnseyllen vs to leyuve & To sett sadnes In songwarye for somnia ne cures but Ac for þe boke þe of the byble beyrythe wyttnes how danyell dyuvyned the dremes off a kyng that was nabigodonasor nyuynved nyuy[n]ed nempned off clerkes danyell seyde to þe sire kyng thy dremels betokne that vnkowde knyghtes shall come þi kyngdome to cleuve cleime among lower lordes thye land shalbe shal be deperted and as danyell dyuvyned In deed ytt fell after the kyng lost hys lordshyp & lower men ytt had & Iosepfhe met m eruvyouslye howe þe mone & þe sonne and þe elleyuven starres haylsed hym all then Iacob Iugged Iosephes swene beau fytz q uod hys father for defauvte we shu o llen G.8.178: It is difficult to be certain whether the alteration made to the of shullen was intended to result in an <o> or an <a>. I my -selfe & my sonnes seche þe for nede ytt befell as hys father seyde yn pharoos tyme that Iosephe was Iuvstece egypte to loken ytt befell as hys father told hys freendes þer hym soght and all þis makethe me on thys meytaylles to thynke & how þe preest prouved no p erdone to dowell & demed þ at dowell Induvlgences passed byennvales byen[n]ales Biennales & tryennvales tryen[n]ales triennales and bysshops letters & how dow -well at þe day off dome ys dy nglyche r dignelich vndrefongen and passed passeth all the p erdone off seynt petuvrs chuvrche now hathe þe pope ~~perdone~~ power p erdone to grau nt to þe þe poeple w yt h -ouvte any pennvance pen[n]ance penaunce to passen In -to heyuven thys ys ouvr byleuve as lettered men vs teychen quodcu mq ue ligaueris super terram erit ligatum et in celis & c etera & so I leuve loyally ouvr lord oure lordis lordes G.8.193: Most B manuscripts have "lords" for G Hm Cot F "our lord." Hm and Cot also originally had the plural but the inflexion has been erased. The reading of Ax and of most C manuscripts is "lord," and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. forbyd forbode elles then Þat perdone & pennvau nce pen[n]au nce penaunce & preyers done sauve souvles þ at hauve synned seyuven sythes deydly but Ac to truvste on to G.8.196: Most A manuscripts share the G F reading on (remaining manuscripts have to), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. thes tryennttales trenttales trentals triennales G.8.196: For similar treatment of "triennals" (i.e. correction to "trentals"), see G.8.199 below. According to the OED the use of "triennal" meaning "a dispensation or indulgence for three years" did not survive the fourteenth century (see OED triennal, n. ). trewly me thynkethe ys noght so syker for þe souvles soule certes as ys dowelle forthy I red you renvkes re[n]kes renkes þ at ryche be on þis yerthe vp -on truvste on of youvr treysuvre tryennttales triennales G.8.199: For the G scribe's treatment of the word "triennals," see G.8.196. to hauve be ye neu er þe boldre to breke þe ten hestes & namelyche ye Masters meyrs & Iuvgges that hauve þe welth off thys world & wyse me n G.8.202: Kane and Donaldson record G's reading here as me rather than me n , but the abbreviation for final <n> takes the form of of a high backward curve over the <e>. be holden to puvrchace you p erdon & þe popes buvlles att þe dredefuvll dome when deade shall ~~...~~arysse G.8.204: It is impossible to be absolutely certain of the original reading which has been corrected to arysse, but the scribe perhaps began to copy bulles from the previous line. and comen all a -fore bifor cryste accomptes to yelde how þ ou laddest þi lyfe lyf here & here his lawes keptest & how þ ou dydest day by day þi þe dome wole reherce a poke full off perdon there & ne prouvyncyall es letters thogh ye be be founde yn þe fraternyte off all þe fouvre ordres & hauve Induvlgence indulgences douvble -folde but but if G.8.210: The G R F reading but (for remaining manuscripts but if) is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. This reading provides a more metrical b-verse (though see Duggan, "Notes on the Metre," especially 168-70), and is the reading of all A and C manuscripts. do -well you he klpe I sett your patent es & your p erdone att a pyes heele and For-þi I conseyle all crystyen to crye god m ercye & marye hys mother be our meane betwene that god gyuve vs grace here or we go hence suoyche workes to worke whyle we beene here that after our deyd day do -well reherce finit ur visione m Note that this script is very similar to that used for the title on f.1 r.

This could be a more formal version of the script of the main scribe but it bears a somewhat closer resemblance to the marginalia initialled by WH (ff.69 v,

70 r

and 103 r).

See Introduction I.10 and I.12. no ta Marginal no ta is in brown ink. Compare with the marginalia by WH on ff.69 v

and 70 r.

The explicit has been underlined in the same brown ink. att þe day off dome we dyd as he hyght explicit octauus passus de visione G.8.217:The brown underlining has been added by the scribe who provides the marginal comments finit ur visione m and no ta . See previous note. hic incipit primus passus de dowell Thuvs I robbed yrobed G.9.1: The majority B reading is yrobed. Whether G Bm I robbed is actually a substantive variant is unclear. Although the G scribe was clearly aware of the practice of using a double consonant to indicate a preceding short vowel, his practice in this respect was by no means consistent (see Introduction III.2). On the other hand, G's general problems with the y- past participle prefix (see Introduction III.1.4) suggest that he may well have misread this as a pronoun. In ruvssett I romed abowte all a somer seyson to for to seeke dowell and freyned full ofte off folke þ at I met te G.9.3: The second (added) <t> of mette is formed by a brown ink line crossing the horizontal line linking the first <t> and the <e>. G.9.3: Cr 1 shares G's original reading mete. The correction brings G's reading into line with that of remaining B manuscripts. yff any wyght knewe wiste whare dowell was att ynne & what man he myght be off many man I axed was neu er wyght as I went þ at me wvysse couvlde where þis lede lenged lasse ne more tyll ytt befell on a fryday twoo G.9.8: A virgule has been added at this point to separate twoo and freres. freres I mette masters off þe mynouvrs men off greyte wytt I heylsed þem hendly as I had lerned & preyed theym p ar charyte or they passed forther yff they knewe In any any contrey c or costes as they went where þ at / doowell / G.9.13: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. dwellythe doythe me to wytten for they be men on of thys molde þ at most wyde walken & knowen contreys & couvrtes & manye kynnes places bothe pryncys paleys paleyses & pouvere men es cootes and do well & do euvell & where where þei dwell bothe amongest vs q uod þe mynouvrs / þ at man ys dwellyng & eu er hathe as I hoope & eu er shall here -after contra q uod I as a clere cler[k]e clerke & comsed to dyspuvten and seyd þem sothely sepcies In die cadit Iustus seyuven sythes seyethe þe boke synnethe the ryghtfull and wo -so synnethe I seyde dothe euvell as me thynkethe & dowell & doeuvell may noght dwell to -gedders ergo he ys noght alway among you freres he ys other -wyle elles -where to wvysse the poeple I shall sey þe my so n ne sayde þe frere then similitudo howe seuven sythes þe sad man on a day synnethe by a forbyzyne q uod þe frere I shall þe fayre shewe lett bryng a man In a boot te G.9.30: The downward stroke of the second (added) <t> of bootte has been written across the line joining the first <t> to the <e> in browner ink. amydest þe brod water the wynd & þe water & þe boot te G.9.31: For the alteration of added boote to bootte, see note to previous line. waggyng makethe a man many a tyme to fall & to stande for stand he neu er so styffe he stomelythe yff he mouvethe and yet ys he sauve & sonv n de so and so hym behouvethe for yff he ne arysse the rather & raght to þe stere the wynd wolde w yt h þe water þe boot te G.9.36: For the alteration of boote to bootte, see note to G.9.30. ou erthrowe then And þanne were hys lyffe lost thruvgh lacches off hym -seluve & þus ytt farethe falleth G.9.38: The G F reading farethe, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, is also that of the A version. Remaining B manuscripts read falleth. q uod þe frere by folke h ere on thys on yerthe the water ys lykened to þe worlde þ at wanyethe & waxethe the goodes off þis grou nde are lyke to þe greyte wawes þ at as wyndys & wedders walkethe a -bowte þe boot te G.9.42: For the alteration of boote to bootte, see note to G.9.30. ys lykened to our bodye þ at brytyll ys off kynde that thruvgh þe fende þe and þe Flesshe & the freyle worlde synnethe þe sad man on a day a day seyuven tymes sythes but Ac deydly synne dothe he nat for dowell hym kepethe and þ at ys charyte þe chapman þe champiou n cheffe helper help ageynst synne for he strenghythe man to stond & sterethe mannes souvle thogh And þowgh þe þi bodye bowe as boot te G.9.48: For the alteration of boote to bootte, see note to G.9.30. dothe In þe water ay ys þe þi souvle sauvfe but yff þi -selffe wole do a deydly synne & drenche þe þi souvle god wyll suffer well þi slought yff þi -seluve lykethe for he gauve þe a to yeresgyfte to seme ȝeme well þi -seluve & þ at ys wytt & frewyll to eu ery wyght a portyon to flyeng fowles to fysshes & also to beystes and Ac man hathe most theroff & most ys to blame but yff he worche well þerw yt h as dowell hym teychythe I hauve no kynd knoyng q uod I to conceyuve all your wordes but Ac yff I mey lyuve & loke I shall go lerne better I bekenne þe cryste þ at on on þe crosse dyed & I seyd þe same sauve you from myschance & gyuve you grace on thys grouvnde goode men to worthe & þus I wente wyde -whare walkyng myne oone by a wylde wyldrenes & by a woddys syde blysse off þe bryddes broght me a -slepe and vndre a lynde on vppon a lauvnde leynyde G.9.65: The first <e> of leynyde appears to be a correction. It seems likely that the scribe began to write <ly>- but realised his mistake before he had written the descender of the <y>. I a stouvnde to lythe þe leyes tho louvelyche fouvle foules made myrthe off theyre mouvthes made me þer to slepe the m eruvyolouvseste meytell es mett me then that eu er dreymyd wyght In worlde as I wenve we[n]e wene a moche man as me thoght & lyke to my -seluve came & called me by my ryght kynde name watt arte þ ou q uod I tho / þ at þ ou my name knowest that þ ou wootest well q uod he & no wyght better woot I whatt þ ou arte thoght seyde he then I hauve suvede þe þis seyuven yere syegh þ ou me no rather Art þ ou thoght q uod I tho þ ou coudest me wisse where þ at dowell dwellythe do and do me that to knowe dowell dowell & dobettre & dobest þe thyrde q uod he arne there fayre wertuves & be not farre to fynde wo -so ys trewe off hys tong & off hys too handes & thruvghe þe his labouvre off Cr23 C O C2 & or þorugh hys handys londe hand hys lyuvelode wynnethe and ys truvsty off of his taylleende & takethe taketh buvt hys owen and ys not dro nnkelewe ne dysdeynouvs dowell hym folowethe dobettre As Benson and Blanchfield point out (pp.42 and 132.1) the form of the letters here suggests that the scribe and rubricator are the same using different scripts. See also Introduction I.7. dobet dothe ryght þus & he doythe ryght moche moche more he ys as lowe as a lambe & louvelyche off speche and helpethe all men after þ at þeim nedethe the bagges & þe bygerdell es he hathe broke n to-broken þem all that þe ~~yel~~ erle auvarouvs helde & hys heyres & þus w yt h ma mmones money he hathe made hym frendes & ys ronne to relygyon & hathe rendered þe byble & preyched to þe poeple seynte powles wordes libenter suffertis insipientes cu m sitis ipsi sapientes and suvffer þe vnwysse wythe you to forto G.9.93: A high proportion of A manuscripts share the G F reading to (for remaining B manuscripts forto),and this is the reading which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. lyuve & w yt h gladde wyll do þem goode for so god you hoot hethe dobest dobest ys abouve bothe & beyrythe a bysshop es crosse ys hoked on þe þat on hende to hal ye men from hell ~~that weyten any wyckednes dowell to tene~~ G.9.96: This deleted line has been written in the wrong place and appears as G.9.98 below. a pyke ys on þe potente to puvt a -downe þe wycked that wayten any wyckednesse dowell to teene & dowell & dobett er amonge G.9.99: Kane and Donaldson apparently interpret the final backward curve on the <g> of "among" as an abbreviation for <es> (unless they do not consider the form amonge to be a variant). However, G would normally have a loop for such an abbreviation, and it seems more likely that the final letter should be read as a residual <e>. Compare the form of "among" at G.12.51. þem ordeynyd to crowne on to be kyng to reuvlen þem bothe that yff dowell or dobet do did doþ ageynst dobest then shall þe kyng come & cast theym In Irens & but yff dobest byd for theym þei be to be þer for euver thuvs dowell & dobett er & do -best þe thyrde crowned on to be kyng to kepen theym all & to reuvle þe realme by theyre thre wyttes & noon other wyse buvt as they ther thre assentyd I thanked thoght tho / þ at he me thuvs taght but Ac ytt ȝete sauverythe me noght thy seggyng &I couveyte to lerne how dowell dobett er & dobest G.9.110: Kane and Donaldson record that G shares Cr's variant reading dobetter (for remaining B manuscripts dobest). However, the penultimate letter in G is a long <s>, giving dobest. doon amogest amo[n]gest amonges þe poeple wytt But witte can wysse þe q uod thoght / where tho thre dwell elles woote I non þ at kanne þ at now ys a -lyuve thoght / & . y / thuvs thre dayes yedene dyspuvtyng vpon dowell day after other & er we were I -warre war w yt h wytt gan we mete he was long & leyne & lyche liche to non other was no pryde In on hys apparell ne pouv erte nother sadde off hys semblant & off softe chere I dorste moue no matt er to make hym to Iangell but as I bad thoght tho be meane betwene & putt forthe some purpose to prouven hys wyttes what was dowell fro dobet t er & dobest from þem bothe then thoght In þ at tyme seyde thes wordes where dowell do -better & dobest be In lande there Here ys wyll wold wytt / yff wytt couvde hym teyche teche hym G.9.125: G's reading, hym teyche, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, provides a metrically more satisfactory b-verse than the majority B reading teche hym (though see Duggan, "Notes on the Metre"). & wether he be man or woman þis man wold aspye and worchen as þei þer thre wold þis ys hys Intent explicit primus passus de dowell SIr dowell dwellythe q uod wytt noght a day hence In a castell þ at kynde made off fouvr kynnes thyng es off yerthe & eyre ys ytt made meydeled to -gedders w yt h wynd & w yt h watre wytterlye enIoygnede kynd hathe closed þerynne craftylye w yt h -all a lemman þ at he louvethe lyke to hym -seluve anima she hatte but ac enuvye hyr hatethe a prouvde prycker off france princeps hui us mundi // & wold wynne hyr a -way wyth wyles yff and he myght but Ac kynd knowethe hyr þis well & kepethe hyr þe bettre & hathe done hyr w yt h s yr dowell duvke is duke off thes m erches dobet t er ys hys hir damosell s yr dowell es doghter to s eruve hyr þis ladye leally bothe late & rathe dobest ys a -bouve bothe a bysshop es pere that he byddethe movste be done he reuvlethe þem all anima þ at ladye ys ladde by hys lernyng lerynge but Ac þe constable off that castell þ at kepethe all þe wacche ys a wysse knyght w yt h -all s yr In -wytt he hatte & hathe fyuve fayre sones by hys fyrste wyffe s yr se well & sey well & here well the hende s yr worche well w yt h thye hande a wyght man off strenght & s yr godfray go well / greyte lordys for -sothe thes fyuve be sett to sauve þis ladye a G.10.23: The deletion of <a> results from a failure to recognise the need for a change of ink. anima tyll kynd come or send to sauven hyr for eu er what thyng ys kynd q uod I canste þ ou me tell kynd q uod wytt ys a cratouvr cr[e]atour creatour ~~all~~off all kynnes thynges fader & formouvr off all / þ at eu er were was maked and that ys þe greyte god / þ at gynnyng had neu er lord off lyfe & off lyght / off blysse & off payne angell es & all thynges þing G.10.30: G uses thynges rather than the old uninflected plural þing (found in all other manuscripts). See Introduction III.1.1. are att hys wyll but Ac man ys hym most lyke off marke & off shapepe schafte G.10.31: The G Cr C C 2 reading "shape" (for most B manuscripts schafte) is also the reading of all A manuscripts except Ma, H and A, and is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. C 2 originally shared the majority reading, but this has been corrected to schape in a different ink. for thruvgh þe worde þ at he spake wexen forthe bestes dixit et facta sunt //et c etera // and made man lykest to hym -seluve one and euve off hys rybbe boone wythe -owten any meane for he was synguvler hym -seluve & seyde faciamus G.10.36: The bar is missing from the <f> of faciamus. as wo sey seith more moste þerto here-to then my worde oone my myght myght mote helpe now w yt h my speche ryght as as a lord shuolde make letters & hym lacked p erchem ent thogh he couvld wryte neu er so well yff he had no penne þe letter for all þe lordshyppe I leuve / were neu er maked ymaked so And so ytt semethe by hym as þe boke tellethe there he seyethe dixit et facta sunt et c etera sunt G.10.43: M originally shared the majority reading sunt, but & c etera has been added in a different hand and in a different ink, bringing the M reading into line with that of G and Y. // he most worche wyth hys worde & hys wytt shewe & In þis man er was man made trhruvgh myght off god almyghtye w yt h hys worde & workemanshyppe & w yt h lyffe to laste & þus god gaffe hym a goste off þe godheyde off heyuven & off hys greate grace grauvnted hym blysse & þ at ys lyffe þ at eu er ay shall laste to all lynages after & þ at b ys the castell þ at kynde made caro ytt hyghte and a ys as moche to meane as man wythe a souvle & þ at he wroght w yt h werke & w yt h worde bothe thruvgh myght off þe magestee man was maked ymaked Inwytt & all wyttes closed be therynne for louve off þe ladye anima þ at lyffe ys y -neuenved y -neue[n]ed ynempned ou er all In mannes bodye he walkethe & wanderethe but And Ac In þe herte ys hyr home / & hyr most rest but Ac Inwytt ys yn þe heyde / & to þe herte he lokethe whatt anima ys leuve or lothe he lett hyr at hys wylle for after þe grace off god þe greatest ys Inwytte moche wo worthe þ at man þ at mysruvlethe hys Inwytt and þ at be glotons globbers theyr god ys theyre wombe quorum deus venter est et c etera est // for þei s eruven sathan theyre souvles shall he hauve that lyuven synfull lyffe here theyre souvle ys lyke þe deuvelle and all þ at lyuven good lyffe are lyke to god almyghty qui manet In caritate In deo manet et c etera // alas þ at drynke shall forde ford[o] for-do þ at god dere a -bouoghte and doythe god forsaken theym þ at he shope to hys lykenes amen dico vobis nescio vos et alibi et dimisi eos secundum disederia & c etera G.10.70: The two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. Foles þ at fauvten Inwytt I fynd þ at holy chuvrche sholde fynden theym þ at theym fauvtethe & faderles chyldren & wydowes þ at hauve noght wheron wher-with to wynnen þeir hem her foode madde men & meydens þ at helples were all þes lacken In -wytt & loore by -houven bihoueth G.10.75: The -en ending of G byhouen means that G's verb must be plural, whereas the verb as it appears in the majority of B manuscripts ( bihoueth) could be either singular or plural. See the Kane and Donaldson reading [ hem] bihoueþ, which interprets the verb as singular and impersonal. Off þis mattyer I myghte make a longe tale & fynd fell fele G.10.77: For G's treatment of fele (the reading of the remaining B manuscripts), here appearing as G fell, see note to G.4.349. wyttnes amonge þe fouvre doctors & þ at I lye not (off þ at I leere þe) luvke beyryth wyttnes godfadre & godmodre þ at sene theyr god -chyldrene & At myssease & mysscheffe & mowe þem amende shall hauve pennvance pen[n]ance penaunce In puvrgatorye but þei þem helpe For more longer bilongeth to þe lytull barne er he þe lawe knowe þen neuenvyng neue[n]yng nempnyng off a name & he neu er þe wyser shuolde no crystyen creatuvre cryen att þe gate ne fayle payne & ne potage / & p relates dyd as þei shuolde a Iewe wold noght seen a Iewe go Iangle iangelyng for defauvte for all þe movebleys moebles In on þis worlde molde & he amend ytt myght alas þ at a crystyen creatouvre shalbe shal be vnkynd to an -other sythen Iewes þ at we Iuvggen Iuvdas felowes eyther off theym helpethe other off þ at þ at theym hym nedythe wye nyll we crystyen off crystes goode be as kynde as Iewes þ at beene our loores men shame to vs all they come Þe comune G.10.93: G's reading, they come, for the majority reading Þe comune, probably results in part from the scribe's use of the as a weak form of "they" (see, e.g., G.6.150, G.6.195, G.12.235). ~~thrugh~~ for þeir vnkyndnes I drede me shall abye bysshop es shalbe shal be blamed for beggers saake he ys wors þen Iuvdas that gyuvethe Iapers ~~beggers~~ syluver & byd þe beggers begger go for hys brooke clothes proditor est prelatus cum Iuda qui patrimoni um cristi minus distribuit: et alibi : perniciosus dispensator est qui res pauperum Invtiliter consummit G.10.97: The rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. he doythe not well þ at doyethe þus & ne ne dredethe not god almyghty ne louvethe nat salomones sawes that sapyence taght Inicium sapientie timor domini // G.10.101: G shares the reading of this line with remaining β4 manuscripts (except that all these apart from G read & þ ou doste wel for G doest well). The remaining B manuscripts have a two-line version. drede god for louve doest well / but not for venIange & þ ou doest bett er thow doest best yff þ ou w yt hdrawe by day & by nyght to spyll any speche or any space off tyme qui offendit In vno In omnibus est reus : // lesyng off tyme trewthe wootethe þe sothe ys most hated on apon yerthe off theym þ at be In heyuven & sythe to spyll speche þ at spyre ys off grace and godes gleeman & a game off heyuven wold neu er þe faythfull fadre / hys fythyll were vntemp ered now ys Ne his gleeman a geydelyng & a a goer to tau ernes to all trewe tydymen that trauvell desyren our lorde louvethe theym & lent louvde other styll grace to go to theym / & agon theyr l eyuvelode Inquirentes autem deum d omin um non minientur min[u]entur minuent ur omni bono .// trew wedded lyuvyng folke In thys worlde ys dowell for þei mote worche & wynne & þe worlde suvsteyne for off theyr kynde they cam / þ at co nfessouvr confessoures be neuenved neue[n]ed nempned kyng es & knyghtes kaysers & chuvrles meydens & martoers owte off a man came D þe wyffe was made þe way for to helpe to worche worche & þus was wedlocke wroght ywrouȝt wythe a meane p ersone Fyrst by þe faders wyll & þe freendes counseyle & sythe by assente off theym -selfe as þei two myght acorde & þus was wedlocke wroght ywrouȝte god and god hym -selffe ytt made In yerthe þe heyuven ys hym -seluve was þe wyttnes G.10.125: The corrector appears to have altered the last letter of wyttnes to <ce> and then changed his mind and altered it back again. but Ac falsce folke faytheles theuves & lyers wasters & wrecches owte off wedlocke I trowe conceyuved be In euvell tyme as cha yme was on euve off suoyche synfull shrewes þe sauvter makethe mynde concepit In dolore et peperit Iniquitatem iniquitatem & c etera :// & all þ at came off þ at kayme cam to euell ende for god send to seem & seyd by an angell thyn yssuve In thyn yssuve I wyll þ at þei be wedded & nat þi kynd w yt h kaym es couvpled ycoupled ne spouvsed yet some ageyne þe sond off ouvr sauvyouvr off heyuven kaymes kynd & hys kynd couvpled to -gedders tyll god wratthed w yt h þeir workes & suoyche a worde sayde that I maked man nowe me ytt forthynkethe penetet me fecisse hominem & c etera ho mi nem .// & cam to noye a -non & badde hym noght lett swythe go shape a shyp off shydes & off boordes thye -selfe & þi thre sones & sythen youvr wyuves boske you to that boot te G.10.143: For the alteration of boote to bootte, see note to G.9.30. & bydythe y ee G.10.143: As far as "ye" is concerned, the G scribe's usual practice means that superscript <e> implies a preceding thorn whereas an inline <e> implies a preceding <y>. The correction here therefore brings G's reading into line with that of the majority of B manuscripts (i.e. ȝe). See also note to G.3.118. therynne tyll fortye G.10.144: The <y> of fortye has been re-outlined in black ink. dayes be fuvllfylled þ at floode hauve y -wasshen cleane a -way þe couvrsed bloode þ at kame hath maked ymaked beystes þ at now be shall banne the tyme þ at eu er cuvrsed þat cursed G.10.147: The majority of A version manuscripts share the G Hm reading "cursed," which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read þat cursed. kayem cam on thys yerthe all shall dye for hys dedes by dales & by hylles & þe fowles þ at flyen forthe w yt h other beestes excepte onlyche off yche kynd a couvple þ at In þi syngled G.10.150: Given the occasional use of forms with <s> for <sh> in G (see Introduction III.4.1), it seems unlikely that syngled (for remaining manuscripts shyngled) is a lexical variant . shyppe shall beene y -sauved ther Here boght abouȝt þe barne þe bel syre syres gyltes & all for þeir fornefadres forfadres þei farden the worsce þe gospell ys þer here -agayne In on degre I fynde filius non portabit Iniquitatem patris et pater non no n portabit iniq uitate m f ilij & c etera. // but Ac I fynd yff þe fadre be falsce & a shrewe þ at somedeale þe sone shall hauve the syres tacches ympe off on a eller & yff thyne appuvll be swete moche meruveyle me thynkethe & more off a shrewe that bryngethe forthe any barne but but if he be the same and hauve a sauvouvr after þe syre seylde seest þ ou other nunq uam colligimus de spinis vuas nec de tribul is ficus .// & þus thruvgh cuvrsed kayem cam care vp -on yerthe & all for they wroght wedlocke ageynst goddes wyll forthy hauve þei mauvgre G.10.165: At this point, β4 manuscripts lack "of/for their marriages." & þat so maryen theyre chylder for some as I see nowe sothe for to tell for couvetyse off catell vnkyndly be weddyd a As carefull co nceptyon n G.10.168: G's original spelling of the suffix of "conception" was presumably -youn. comythe off suoyche maryeges as befell to of þe folke as þat I before off tolde for good shulde wed goode thogh they no goode had I am via et veritas seyeth cryste I may auvaunce all ytt ys an vncomely couvple by cryste as me thynkethe to gyuven a yonge wenche to an old feble or wedden any wydowe for welthe G.10.174: The <h> and the <e> of welthe have been rewritten, apparently because the originals were very faint (they are only just visible). There does not appear to be any alteration here and the hand appears to be that of the original scribe. off hyr goodes that neu er shall barne beyre but but if ytt be In armes many a pa iryre sythe þe pestylence hauve plyght þem to -geddres þe fruvte þ at they bryng forthe are fouvle wordes In Ielosye Ioyesles Ioyeles ioyeles Iangelyng and ianglyng In on bedde hauve þei no chyldren but chest & choppyng theym betwene & thogh they do theym to donmowe but but if þe deuvell helpe to folowen after þe flycche / fecche they ytt neu er & but þei bothe be forsworne that bakon they tyne forthy I couvnseyle all crystyen couveyte not be wedded for couvetyse off catell ne off kyndred ryche but Ac meydens & meydens mache you to -geddres wydowes & wydoers worchethe the same for no land es but for louve G.10.187: The form of the <l> of "love" at first sight suggests a capital, but in fact it simply corresponds to the lower case form of this letter as used in the rubricated sections. See, e.g., the second letter of alterius at G.6.273 (f.20 r).

The G scribe does sometimes use the more formal script in the non-rubricated passages, for no evident purpose. See, e.g., the first letter of beyte at the top of f.22 v

( G.6.456). loke ye be wedded and þen gett ye þe grace off god & good ynoghe to lyuve w yt h and eu ery man er seculer that may not co ntynewe wysely go wedde & warre þe hym fro synne for leychery In lokyng ys a is lymeyarde off hell wyle þ ou art yong & thye weypen kene wreke þe w yt h wyvyng yff þ ou wylt beene excuvsed cum sis vir fortis ne des tua robera scortis scribitur in portis meretrix est Ianua mortis G.10.195: The two rubricated lines are bracketed in red on the right. when ye hauve wyved beware & worche In tyme noght as adam & euve when kayem was Ingendred for In vntyme trewly betwene man & woman ne shuold no bouvrde In on bed be but yff þei bothe were cleane bothe off lyfe & off souvle & In p erfytt charyte þ at ylke derne dede do no man ne sholde but And Ac yff þei leyden þis þus G.10.202: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. theyre lyfe yt lykethe god almyghty for he made wedlocke fuvrste & hym -seluve ytt seyde bonum est vt vnuus vnus vnus quisq ue G.10.204: Kane and Donaldson record 8 minims between the <v> and the <s> of vnuus; in fact there are only 6. vxorem sua m habeat p ropter fornicatione m & þei that other -gates be getten for gedelyng es beene holden as falsce folke / fondlyng es faytouvrs & lyers vngracyouvse to gett good or louve off the poeple wandren & wast what þei cacche mowe ageynst dowell þei do ~~elu~~ euvell & þe deuvell s eruve & after þer deyd day shall dwell w yt h the same but god gyuve þem grace here theym -seluve to amend dowell my frend ys to done as the lawe teychethe to louve þi frende & thy foo leuve me þ at ys do -bett er to gyuven & to ȝemen bothe yong & olde to healen & to helpen ys dobest off all dowell And dowel ys to drede god & doo bett er ys to suvffer G.10.216: The initial s of "suffer" could perhaps be interpreted as a double letter (i.e. a capital), but such usage would be unusual for the G scribe. & so semeythe cometh doo -best off bothe & bryngethe downe adou n þe modye & þ at ys wycked wyll that manye worke shendythe & dryuvethe a -way dowell thruvgh deydly synne explicit secundus passus de dowell Then had wytt a wyfe w~~ych~~as G.11.1: Kane and Donaldson read G was altered to wych, but in fact the <a> and the sigma <s> with a long riser have clearly been written over the <y>and the <ch> respectively. hoote dame studye that leyne was off leyer & off lyche bothe she was wonderly wroghe G.11.3: Spellings of the adjective "wroth" with <gh> for <th> (as G wroghe) are recorded by the OED for the fourteenth century. LALME records "earth" with the spelling <ergh> in the East Riding of Yorkshire and "north" with the spelling <norgh> in North Yorkshire ( LALME 4, items 107 and 194), but since neither item is recorded for the South, it is difficult to be certain of the distribution of these spellings. Brunner suggests that the use of yogh for thorn resulted from errors by Anglo-Norman scribes; see Karl Brunner, An Outline of Middle English Grammar, trans. Grahame Johnston (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1963), 38, note 5. þ at wytt me þus taght & And al staryng dame studye sternelyche she sayde seyde well art thow wyse q uod she ~~any~~ to wytt G.11.5: A virgule has been added at this point to separate wytt and any. any wyssdome wysdomes G.11.5:The second half of wyssdome has been written in small letters, presumably because the error earlier in the line has resulted in a lack of space. to tell to flaterers or to foles that frantyke beene off wyttes & blamed hym & banned hym & bad hym be stylle wyth suoyche wyse wordes to wysse any sottes & seyd noli mittere man magerye ma[r]gerye margerye pearles amongest hogges þ at hawes hauve han hawes Inowe at wille they doone but dryuvell theron / draffe were þem leu er then all þe preycyouvse pyrrye þ at In p aradyse wexethe I sey ytt by suoyche q uod she þ at showen by theyre workes that them were leuver londe & lordshype on yerthe or ryches or rentes & rest att theyre wyll then all þe sothe sawes that salamo n seyde euver wyssdome & wytt nowe ys not worthe a kerse but But if G.11.18: Most A manuscripts and all C manuscripts share the G M F reading but (for remaining B manuscripts But if), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. ytt be carded w yt h couvetyse as clothyers kemben wole wo -so can contryuve deceytes / ande conspyre wronges and leyde forthe a louve -day to lett w yt h trewthe he þ at suoyche craftes can to couvnceyle ys cleped they leyde lordes w yt h leysyng es & belyethe trewthe Iob Iob þe gentyle In hys gest gestes greatly wyttnessythe that wycked men welden þe welthe off þis worlde and And þat þei be lordes off eche lande þ at ow ~~ght~~t off lawe lyuven quare impij viunt vi[v]unt viuunt bene est ho minibus qui p reuerica ntur & Iniq ue agu nt // the sauvter seyethe the same by suoyche þ at done yll ecce e ipsi peccatores habundantes In s ec ulo obtinueru nt diuitia s G.11.28: Most of the final <s> of diuitias has been lost as a result of cropping but the very bottom of the letter is still visible. lo sayeth holye letteruvre suoyche whiche lordes are thees shrewes thylke þ at god most gyuvethe geueth moste moost good gyueth most greueth leyst good they deleny n e dele[n] deleth & most vnkynd to þe commuvne þ at most catell welden que perfecisti destruxeru nt Iustus autem & c etera // herlott es for theyre herlotrye may hauve off theyre goodes and Iapers & Iogelers & Iangelers off gestes but Ac he þ at hathe wholye wrytte aye In hys mouvthe and can tell off thobye & off the tweluve apostelles or preychen off pennance þ at pylate wroght to Iessu þe gentyll that Iewes to -drewen Lytuyll ys he louved þ at suoyche a lessone shewethe or dauvnted to or drawe forthe I do ytt on god hym -seluve but tho þ at faynen theym fooles & w yt h faytyng lyuven ageyne þe lawe off our lorde & lyen on theym -seluve spytten & spewen & speyke fouvle wordes drynken & dryuvylen & do men to for to gape kykne [l]ykne Lickne men and lyen on theym þ at leynethe þem no gyftes they can no more mynstrallcye ne muvsyke men to gladde then G.11.47: Originally the final letter of then appears to have had three minims, the last of which has been crossed out by the original scribe. muv nde þe mylner off / multa fecit deus. // ne were theyre vyle harlotrye haue god my trewght shuvld neu er kyng ne knyght ne chanon off seynt pouvl es gyuve theym to theyr rewarde ȝeresȝiue þe walew ȝifte G.11.50: All A manuscripts except K Wa J share the G O C 2 Y reading "value" (for most B manuscripts ȝifte), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. off a groote but Ac myrthe & mynstrallcye ys among men amonges men is nowe nouthe G.11.51: For the G scribe's replacement of most manuscripts nouthe with nowe, see note to G.4.295. leychery & losengerye & loselles tales glotony & greyte othes thys myrthe they louven but Ac yff þei carpyn off cryst clerkes þis clerkis & lewede þis lewed at meyte In myrthes when mynstrelles byn stylle then tell they off þe trynyte a tale other twey & bryng forthe a bald reason & taken bernard to wyttnes & putten forthe a p resuvmpsyon to prouve the sothe thuvs þei dryuvell att þer dynn ere deyse þe deyyte to knowe & gnawen god w yt h the gorge when þer guvttes er fylled fulle G.11.60: Most B manuscripts have readings with the verb "to be" followed by the adjective "full" (or, in the case of G, the past participle fylled). The readings of A and C, however, suggest an original with "full" as an active verb (as W guttes fullen="bellies grow full"). butt Ac þe carefull may crye & carpen att þe gate bothe a -hongred & a -thuvrste & for chele quvake ys noone to nymen them hym neere hys noye to amend but heon G.11.64: For heon, see MED heuen (v.3),"to shout" or "to halloo." on hym as an houvnde & hoten þem hym go thence lytull louveth he þ at lorde þ at lent hym all þ at blysse that thus p ertethe w yt h the pouvre a p ercell when þem hym nedythe ne were m ercy In meane men more then In ryche me ndymantes meytles myght go to bedde god ys moche In þe gorge off the þise greyte master maystres butt Ac amo ngest G.11.70: The bar over the <o> of amo ngest is only faintly visible. meane men hys m ercy & hys workes G.11.70: The last letter of workes is odd, a cross between an <e> and an <s>. It is possible that it was added after the manuscript had been bound, which would explain the awkwardness of the writing (i.e. it is in the gutter). & þus so sayethe the sawter I haue sene ytt offte ecce audiuimus eam In effrata : Inuenim us eam In ca mpis silue // clerkes & other othere kynnes men carpen off god fast & haue hym moche yn þer þe mowthe but ac meane men In herte freres & faytouvrs haue fonde suoyche quvestyons to pleasse w yt h prouvde men syth þe pestylence tyme and preychen att at seint poules for puvre enuvye off clerkes that folke ys not fyrmed In þe faythe ne fre off þer goodes ne sory for theyre synnes so ys pryde wexen In relygyon & and in all the realme bothe amonges ryche & pouvre that preyers haue no power þe pest eylence to lett & yet þes þe wrecches off thys worlde ys non y -warre by other ne for drede off of þe dethe wythdrawe noght theyre G.11.83: The <r> in theyre appears to have been re-outlined. The small hook at the end of the word has been interpreted as a residual <e>, but it could be an abbreviation mark. pryde ne be plenteouvse to þe pore as puvre charyte wolde but In gaynes & glotonye forglotte theyre goodes theyr -seluve goode hem-selue & breykyth not to the begger as þe boke teychythe frange esurienti panem tuum et c etera // & þe more he wynnethe & welte welthes & ryches and lordethe In landes the lasse goode he dealethe thobye tellethe you not so take hede the ȝe ryche how þe boke off þe byble off hym beyryth wyttnes G.11.92: G.11.92 and G.11.93 are bracketed together in red on the right. si tibi copia sit habundanter tribue si autem exiguum i mp ertire imp ertiri stude libe nter // wo -so hathe moche spende moche meanethe so seiþ meþ semeþ seyþ so meneth thobye & wo -so lytle weldythe reuvle hym therafter for we haue no letter off our lyfe how long yt shall duvre suoyche lessons lordes shuolde louve to here & how how he myght moste meanne meyn meyne manlyche fynde & nat Nouȝt to fare as a fydeler or a frere to forto G.11.99: Kane and Donaldson adopt the G Cr Hm R reading to. Remaining B manuscripts read forto. seke feastes homelyche att other mens houvses & haten theyre owne elenge ys þe halle eche day In the weeke there þe lord & the ladye lykethe not to sytte now hathe eche ryche a reuvle to eyte by hym -seluve In a pryuvye p arlouvr for power G.11.104: G power is recorded by the OED as a possible spelling of "poor" (which is the reading of Bx) and this is therefore probably not a substantive variant. menes saake or In a chambre w yt h a chymney & leyuve þe cheffe halle that was made for meales men to eyten ynne & all to spare to spyll þ at spend shall a -nother I hauve herd hygh men eytyng att the table carpen as þei clerkes were off cryst & off hys myghtes & leyden fauvtes on þe fadre that fouvrmed vs all & carpen a .geyne G.11.111:The <g> of ageyne has been written over a deleted letter - possibly the scribe began to write "carpen as," as in G.11.109. clerkes crabbed wordes why wolde our sauvyouvr suffre soche a worme In hys blysse that begyled þe woman & þe man after thruvgh wyche wyles & wordes they wente to hell & all theyr seede for theyre synne þe same dethe suvffered here lyethe your loore thees lordys gan gynneth dyspuvte off þ at þe clerkes vn v[s] vs kenne off cryste by þe gospell filius non portabit Iniquitatem patris & c etera // why shuold we þ at now beene for þe werkes off adam roten & rende reason wold ytt neu er vnusquisq ue portabit onus suum et c etera // suoyche motyuves þei move þes masters In theyre glorye & make men In myssbeleuve þ at muvse moche on þer wordes ymagynatyve here -afterwarde shall answere to your puvrposce auguvstyne Austen to suoyche arguveers tellethe thys teeme non plus sapere q uam oportet et c etera // wylneth neu er to wytt why that god wolde suoffer sathan hys seede to begyle but Ac beleuveth loyally yn þe loore off holychurche and prey theym hym off perdone & pennau nce In þi lyuve & for hys moche marcy to amende you here for all þ at wylnethe to wytt þe / whyes weyes / G.11.132: For the virgules here, see note to G.6.597. off god almyghty I wold hys eye were In hys arsce & hys fynger after that eu er wylnethe to wytt why þ at god wolde suvffer sathan hys seede to begyle or Iuvdas to the Iewes Iesu bytra aye G.11.136: The G scribe writes the <ra> of "betray" out in full but he also provides an otiose superscript <a>. See note to G.3.157. all was was as þ ou woldest lorde worshyped be thowe and all worthe as þ ou wolt what -so -eu er what-so what-eu ere we dyspuvte and tho þ at vsen vseth þis hauvylounvs havylou[n]s hanylowes hauelounes to blynde mennes wyttes what ys do -well fro do -bett er G.11.140: The abbreviation for <er> (giving bett er ) is present though not recorded by Kane and Donaldson. now deefe may mote he worche worthe sythe he wylneth to wytt wyche þei beene bothe but yff he lyuve In þe lyfe þ at longethe to dowell For I dare be hys bolde borowe þ at dobett er wyll he neu ere thogh dobest drawe on hym day after other & when þ at wytt was warre ywar watt þ at what dame stuodye tolde he became so confuvse he cowthe not looke and as doumbe & as deaffe deth & drewe hym arere & for no carpyng I couvlde after ne knelyng to þe grouvnde I myght gett no greyne off hys greate wyttes but all laghynge he lowted & looked vp -on stuodye In sygne þ at I shuolde beseche hyr off grace & when I was warre off hys wyll to hys wyffe gan I lowte & seyd m ercy madame your man shall I worthe as long as I lyuve bothe late & rathe for to worche your wyll þe whyle my lyffe duvrethe w yt h þ at ye kenne me kyndlye to knowe whatt ys dowell For thy mekenes mekenesse man q uod she & for þi mylde speche I shall kenne þe to my cosyn þ at claregy ys y -hooten hoten he hathe wedded a wyffe w yt h -yn þis syx monethes ys sybbe to þe seyuven artes scryptuvre ys hyr name they two as I hoope after my teychyng shall wysshen þe to do -well I adare ytt vndertake then was I as also fayne as fowle off fayre morowe and gladder þen the gleeman þ at gold hathe to gyfte & axked hyr þe hye way where where þat G.11.165: All A manuscripts except A and K share the G F reading where, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read where þat. clargye dwelte & tell me some tokne q uod I for tyme ys þ at I wende axe þe hye way q uod stuodye hence to suvffer bothe well & wo & yff ȝif þ ou þat þow wylt lerne & ryde forthe by rychesce & ac rest not therynne for yff þ ou couvple couplest þe þerwyth to claregye comesthowe G.11.170: A virgule has been added at this point to separate comesthowe and neu ere . neu ere & also þe lycorouvs lauvnde þ at lechyrye hatte leyuve ytt on þi lefte halfe a large myle & more tyll þ ou come to a couvrte kepe well þi tonge from leasyng es & lyther speche & lycorouvs drynkes þen shalthowe see / sobryete / G.11.175: For the virgules here, see note to G.6.597. & symplenes symplete off speche that eche wyght be In wyll hys wytt þe to shewe þus And þus shalthowe come to clargye þ at kanne manye thynges sey hym þis sygne I sett hym to scole & þ at I grete well hys wyffe I for I wroote hyr many bokes & sett hyr to sapyence & to the sauvter & glosse G.11.180: The letter which precedes glosse is not entirely clear and, in any case, it appears to have been crossed out. Kane and Donaldson read ?iglosse. logyke I lerned hyr & manye other lawes and all þe muvsons In musyke I made hyr to knowe plato þe poet I puvtt hym fuvrste to booke arestotell & other mo to arguve I taght gramere for gerles I garte furste wryte & bett þem w yt h a baleyes but but if þei wolde lerne off alkynnes craftes I contryuved tooles off carpenters carpentrie G.11.188: All A version manuscripts share the G Cr 3 F reading carpenters, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Most C manuscripts share the majority B reading carpentrie. & of keuruvers and compassede masons & lerned þem leyuvell & lyne thogh I looke dymme theologie hathe tened me ten score tymes þe more I muvse therynne þe mystyer ytt semethe & þe depper I dyuvyne þe derker me ytt thynkethe N ota G.11.193: The reading N ota is that suggested by Benson and Blanchfield. The mark is, as they point out (132.IV.C), different from that on f.23 v

G.6.541, but see note to that line. ytt ys no syence forsothe / for to sotyle ynne a full leythy thyng ytt were / yff þ at louve nere and for yt let best by louve I louve ytt the better for ther þ at louve ys / leydre / G.11.196: For the virgules here, see note to G.6.597. ther ne lackethe no grace looke þ ou louve loyally yff þe lykethe dowell for dobett er & dobest be off louves kynne In other sapyence science ytt seyethe I segh ytt In caton qui simulat verbis nec corde est fidus amicus tu quoq ue fac simile sic ars deluditur arte G.11.200: The two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. wo -so glosen gloseth G.11.201: The G scribe, or more probably an ancestor (see Introduction III.1.4), has mistakenly read B "gloseth" as a plural verb and has replaced it with glosen. as gylouvrs doone do theym þe same & so shalthowe falsce foolke & faythles begyle thys ys catons kennyng to clerkes þ at he lerned lerneth lerne lereth theo lolgye Ac theologye teycheth noght so / wo -so taketh ȝeyme & kennythe vs þe contrarye ageynst catons wordes for he byd vs beene as brethren & bydde for our en myes & louven þem þ at lyen on vs & leyne þem when þem nedethe & do goode agaynst aȝeines euvell god hym -seluve yt hootethe dum tempus habemus operemur bonum ad omnes maxime aivtem G.11.209: At first sight the change resulting in avtem appears to be one of the usual changes of to <v>, but in fact this particular alteration seems to have been prompted by a shortage of minims, i.e. it is instead a change of to <v>. ad domesticos fidei G.11.209: The two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. pauvle preyched the poeple þ at p erfettnes louved to do G.11.211: The loop on the <d> of do appears to have been added later in brown ink. good for godes Louve & gyuve men þ at askene & namlyche to suvyche as þat showen scheweth sueth our byleuve and all þ at lakken vs or leynd lyeth vs god teycheth vs to louve and not nouȝt to greuve theym þ at greuve vs god þ at forbyddethe michi vindictam et ego retribuam & c etera // forthy loke þ ou louve as long as þ ou duvrest for ys no ~~co n~~scyence G.11.217: G's original reading co nscyence as well as the correction to the majority B reading "science" are also present in Bm. The original, uncorrected reading remains in C O C 2 Y. vndre sone so sou ereygne for þi þe souvle but Ac astronamye ys a harde thyng & euvyll for to knowe geomytrye & geomysye ys gylefull ginful off speche wo -so thynkethe worche w yt h tho two / thryuvethe full late For sorcerye ys þe sou ereyge sou ereyg[n]e souereyne boke þ at to that þo þe G.11.221: Most A manuscripts share the G B reading that, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read þe or þo. scyence longethe yet are ther fybyches yn forcers off felle fele G.11.222: For G's treatment of fele (the majority B reading, here appearing as G M Cr C felle), see note to G.4.349. In M, the reading fell results from correction. men es makyng exp eryment es off alkanamye the poeple to deceyuve yff þ ou thynke to do well deale therw yt h ~~ner~~ neu ere all þes scyences I my -seluve subtyled & ordyned & fouvnded þem formost folke to dysceyuve tell clargye thes tokens & scrypture after I couvnseale þe kyndlye to knowe what ys dowell I sayd grauvnt m ercy ma -dame & mekelyche hyr grette and went wyghtlye a -way w yt h -oute more lettyng and tyll I cam to clargye I couvlde neu ere stynt and grette þe goodman well as stodye me taght and after -warde þe wyffe & worshyphyde þem bothe and tolde þem þe toknes þ at me taght were was neu er goome vp -on grouvnde þis grounde sythe god made þe worlde fayrer vnderfongen ne frendlyker att easse then my -seluve sothlye soone so he wyste þ at I was off wyttes houvsse & w yt h hys wyffe dame stodye I seyde to hym sothely þ at sent was I thydder dowell & dobett er & dobest to lerne ytt ys is a co me nlye comune q uod lyf q uod G.11.241: Although both G and F read q uod rather than lyf q uod (as remaining B manuscripts), the preceding -lye ending on G co me nlye (most manuscripts comune) suggests that some form of "life" was in fact present in G's exemplar. clargye on holy chuvrche to beleuve w yt h all þe artycles off þe faythe þ at fallethe to be knowe & þ at ys to beleuve loyally bothe lered & lewde on þe greate god þ at gynnyng had neuver G.11.244: The alteration of to <v> in "never" has become a residual brown smudge. and on þe sothfast sonne þ at sauved mankynde from Fro þe deydly dethe & þe deuvell es power thruvgh helpe þe helpe off þe holye gooste wych þe whiche go oste ys off bothe thre p ersones but ac noght In þe in pluvrell nombre For all ys but on god & eche ys god hym -seluve deus pater deus filius deus spiritus sanctus .// god þe fadre god þe sonne god þe holy holi gost off bothe maker off mankynd & off bestes bothe auguvstyne Austyn þe olde hereoff made bookes and hym -seluve ordened to sadde vs In beleuve wao s G.11.255: The scribe began to write was then realised his error and altered it to wo. was hys auwter all þe fouvre euangelystes & cryste cleped hym -seluve as so þe euangelyst beyrythe wyttnes G.11.256: There may be a vowel between the second <t> of wyttnes and the <n>. ego in p atre et pater in me est & qui videt me videt & p atrem meu m et c etera meu m // all þe clerkes vndre cryste ne couvlde þis assoyle but þis þus þus it G.11.259: For G's use of "this" for "thus," see note to G.4.76. longethe bilongeth to byleuve to men þ at wole dowell For had neu er freyke fyne wytt þe feythe to dyspuvte ne man had no meyrett myght ytt beene y -prouved fides non habet meritum v G.11.262: This letter <v> has been smudged and therefore re-written. vbi hu mana racio p rebet exp erime ntum .// then ys dobett to suffer for thye souvles sake & Al þ at þe boke byddethe by holycherche teychyng & þ at ys man by þi myght for m ercyes saake loke þ ou worche ytt yn worke þ at þi worde shewethe suoyche as þ ou semest In syght be In assay fouv nde yfounde appare quod es vel esto quod appares ..// & lett no bodye be by thy beyryng begyled but suoyche In þi souvle as þ ou semest wyth -owte then ys dobest to be bolde to blame the gyltye sythe þ ou seeste thy -selffe as In souvle cleane but Ac blame þ ou neu er bodye & þ ou be blame -worthye G.11.274: G.11.274 and G.11.275 are bracketed together in red on the right. si culpare velis culbabilis cul[p]abilis culpabilis esse cauebis dogma tuum sordet cu m te tua culpa remordet god yn þe gospell grymly reprouvethe all þ at lakken any lyffe & lakkes haue þem -seluve quid co nsideras festucam In oculo fratris tui trabem & c etera // why mouveste þ ou þi mode for a moete ys yn in þi brothers eye sythen a beame yn thyne owne ablyndethe þi -seluve eice primo trabem de oculo tuo et c etera // wych lettethe þe to looke lesse other more I rede eche eche a blynd bosarde do boote to hym -seluve for abbott es & pryouvrs & all man er prelates as p ersones & p erysshe prestes þ at preche sholde & teyche all man er men to amend by theyre myght the This text was tolde you to bewarre er you ȝe G.11.287: For G's use of "you" for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. taghte that ye were suoyche as ye seyde to saluve w yt h other for goddes worde wolde not be lost for þ at worchethe eu er yff ytt auveyled not þe co men / ytt myght auveyle your -seluve but Ac ytt semethe sothely now sothly to þe worldes syght that goddes worde worchethe not on lerede ne ne on lewde but In suoyche man er as marke menvethe meviþ meneth yn þe gospell dum cecus ducit cecum ambo In foueam cadunt // lewde men mowe lykne you / þe þat þe G.11.295: M's original reading was þat þe (as most B manuscripts), but the word þat has been deleted, bringing M into line with G F reading þe. beame lyethe yn your eyne and þe festuve ys fallen for your defauvte In all man er off men men thrugh mansed preestes the byble beyrethe wyttnes that all the folke off ysraell bytterly Ful bitterli Byttere boght þe gyltes off two bad preestes offyne & fynees for theyre couvetyse archa dei mysshaped G.11.301: Most B manuscripts read myshapped, but use of a single in G mysshaped does not necessarily imply a substantive variant: the G scribe was clearly aware of the possibility of using single and double consonants to indicate preceding long and short vowels, but his practice in this respect was by no means consistent. See further Introduction III.2. & hely brake hys necke forthy correctouvrs clowethe þer her on correcteth and corecteth fuvrste your -seluve & þen may you ȝe G.11.303: For G's use of "you" for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. sauvely say as dauyd made the sauvter G.11.304: G.11.304 and G.11.305 are bracketed together in red on the right. existimasti iniq ue q uod ero tui similis arguam te et statuam contra faciem tuam þen sholde shal borell clerkes be asshamed abasched to blame you or or to greuve & carpen noght as þei do nowe & call youdome you dome houvndes canes non valentes latrare : // & drede to wrathe you In any worde your workmanshyp to lett & be prestyer att your preyer þen for a pouvnde off nobles & all for your holynes haue you ȝe G.11.311: For G's use of "you" for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. þis In herte In scole there ys a scorne / but yff a clerke wyll learne & greate louve & lykyng for eche off þem louvethe other & now ys relygyon a rydre a romer by stretes G.11.315: Lines G.11.315 and G.11.316 appear in reverse order in the manuscript. Line G.11.316 has a square bracket placed round it in the left hand margin, i.e. it is marked for reversal in the original ink. The numbering of these lines and the order in which they appear in this edition reflects the intention thus indicated. a leyder off . louvedayes & a land buygger G.11.315: In addition to the alteration from bugger to bygger, there appears to have been some attempt to alter the medial <gg> but the intention here is unclear; possibly the corrector wished to write byer. G.11.315: See note to G.11.315. a prycker on a palfray from man er to man ere G.11.315: The cross in the bottom right hand corner is in modern pencil. A trewe G.11.317: The addition A trewe also appears in the top left hand corner, partially erased. It appears to be a comment on the marginal addition below. See G.11.318.m.1. an heype off houvndes att hys arsce as he a lorde were p rofycy off & but yff hys knauve knele þ at shall hym hym þe his covppe brynge relygyon he louvrethe on hym & askethe wo taght hym couvrtysye I G.11.320: This capital corresponds to a similar mark in the table of contents, see f.102 v,

and is intended to help the reader find particular material in the text. lytell had lordes to done to gyuve land fro þer heyres to relygyouvse þ at haue no reuvthe thogh yt reygne on þer auvters In many places þer þer hij p ersones be / by theym -seluve att easse off þe pouver haue þei no pyte & þ at ys theyre charyte & þei letten them as lordes þer lond lyethe so broode nota bene but Ac þer shall come a kyng & co nfesse you relygyouvse G.11.325: It seems likely that, as Benson and Blanchfield suggest (p.132.IV.B), the underlining of this line and of the following lines was carried out by the scribe who added the marginalia (i.e. by hand3). The colour of the ink, however, is not quite the same. & beyte you as þe byble tellethe for breykyng off your ruvelle & amend monales monkes & chanons & put þem to theyr pennance ~~ad pr~~ ad prestinum pr[i]stinum pristinum statu m statum ire // & lBarons G.11.329: The use of the capital on "Barons" is unusual and it appears that the scribe has written an <l> and then altered it and that the capital is used for the sake of clarity. & ~~elr~~ erles Erles beten hem thurugh . beatus vir . teychyng that theyr ~~bar ons~~ barns G.11.330: Note the Cr 1 reading baro ns for G and remaining manuscripts barns. It seems possible that "barons" was the original G reading, either because the scribe was copying from an exemplar with this reading or because his eye was caught by "barons" in the line above (the Cr 1 reading may perhaps suggest the former). There seems to have been some attempt to alter original barons by overwriting, which is why the middle letters are particularly unclear. cleymen / & blamen ~~fowle~~ you fowle hij in curribus & hij in equis ip si obligati sunt sunt & c etera .// & then freres yn þeir fratour shall fynden a key ~~þ at gregoryes good chyldren~~ off co nstantynes coffer coffres In G.11.333: The ink has spread in this first half line; the surface of the paper may have been damaged by the erasure process. wyche ys the catell þ at gregoryes good god G.11.334: Though the use of double and single vowels in G is not altogether consistent, the distinction between "god" with a single <o> and "good" with <oo> is normally maintained. See Introduction III.2. Hm F R share G's reading good, but remaining manuscripts read god. chyldren haue euvell dyspendyde habbott of then And þanne shall þe abbott off abyndon & hys al his yssuve for eu ere abyngdou n haue a knocke w yt h of a kyng & vncuvrable incurable þe wouvnde that þis worthe sothe seke ye þ at offte ouver -se þe byble quomodo cessauit exactor / quieuit tributu m co ntriuit d ominus. baculu m impioru m & virgam d ominanciu m credenciu m plaga Insanabili . but Ac er þ at kyng come kayem shall awake and dowell shall dyng hym downe adoune & dystroye hys myght then ys dowell & dobett dobet q uod I dominus & knygthoode I nyll not scorne q uod scryptuvre but yff scryuvynors scryueynes G.11.342: G's use of "scrivener" may well be due to date. According to the OED, this form replaced "scrivein" in the first half of the fifteenth century. lye kynghoode & knygthoode by noght I can awayte helpethe not to heyuven -ward not a one heyres end ne ryches ryght nat ne ryallte off lordes paule preuvethe ytt vnpossyble inpossible ryche men haue heyuven salomon sayethe also þ at syluver ys worste to louve nichil impius iniquius q uam amare peccuniam . // & caton kennethe vs to couveyten noght but vs nedithe as nede techeth as it nedes dilige denarios denariu m sed perce dilige formam .// & patryarkes & profett es & poett es bothe wryten to wyssen vs to wylne no ryches & preysed pou erte w yt h pacyence þe appostell es wyttnessen bereth witnesse that þei haue heyrytage In heyuven & by trewe ryght there ryche men no ryght mey cleame but off ruvthe off and grace contra q uod I by cryste that kan I reprouve & prouve ytt by petur & by pouvle bothe that beene baptysed ben sauved be þei ryche or pouvre that ys In extremis q uod scryptuvre among amonges saresens & Iewes they mow be sauved so & þ at ys our byleuve then Þat a vncrystyen yn þ at case mey crysten a heythen & for hys loall beleue when he þe lyuve tynethe haue þe herytage off heyuven as any man crystene but Ac crystyen men w yt h -owte more mey not come to heyuven for þ at cryst for crystyen men dyeede & co nfyrmed þe lawe that wo -so wold or and wylnethe w yt h cryste to aryse si cum cristo surrexistis & c etera // he sholde louve & leynde lene & the lawe fullfyll that ys louve þi lorde god leuvest abouve all thyng & after all crystyen creatuvres In co men eche man other & thuvs belongethe to louve þ at leuvethe to be sauved and butt we do þis þus G.11.372: For G's use of "this" for "thus," see note to G.4.76. Cr 1 shares the G reading. In dede or þe day off dome ytt shall besytten vs full sore soure þe syluver þ at we kepen and our ~~backes~~Bagg es bakkes G.11.374: Compare the form of the <g>s in Bagg es with the <g> found in the marginalia on the previous page. G.11.374: In C 2 as in G, the reading baggis (for most manuscripts bakkes) results from a later correction. þ at moghteyten beene & se beggers go naked or delyte vs In wyne or and wyllfouvle G.11.375: For a similar spelling of "wildfowl," see the sixteenth century wyelfoyle recorded by the OED s.v. wild-fowl. & wott any In defauvte for eu ery crysten creatuvre shuolde be kynd to an til -other & sythen heypen hey[þ]en hethen to helpen In hoope off amendem ent god hootethe bothe hyghe & lowe þ at no man huvrte other & seyde seith sley not þ at semblyable ys is to myne owne lyknes but yff I send þe some tokne / & seyth non mnechaberis mechaberis necabis G.11.380: In both G and L, original mechaberis (as most B manuscripts) has been altered to nechaberis by the delition of the first minim. Cr 23 Y share this reading. : // ys sley not but suffer and all for the best for I shall puv nnysshe þem In puvrgatorye or In þe pytt off hell eche m an for hys myssdedes but m ercy ytt lett thys ys a long lesson q uod I & lytle am I the wyser where dowell ys or dobetter derklyche ye shewen many tales ye tell that theologye lernethe & þ at I man made was & myne name entred yentred In þe legend off lyffe long ere I were or Or elles wryten vnwriten for wyckednes as holy wrytt wyttnessythe nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui de celo descendit. // I leuve yt well by our lord q uod he I & no on no letteruvre better for salomo n þe sage that sapyence taght god gauve hym grace off wytt & all hys goodes after he demed well & wysely as holye wrytt tellethe arestotell & he wo wyssed men bettre masters þ at off goddes m ercyes mercy preychen techen men & techen p rechen off theyr wordes they wyssen vs for wysest yn as in þeir tyme & all holye churche hold þem bothe y -damned & yff I shuolde worche by hys here workes to wynne me heyuven þ at for þer workes & wytt now wonnethe yn payne pyne þen wroght I vnwysely what -so -eu er you ȝe G.11.401: For G's use of "you" for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. preyche and off fell fele G.11.402: For G's treatment of fele (the reading of all other manuscripts, here appearing as G fell), see note to G.4.349. wytty In faythe lytle farlye I haue thogh theyr gost be vnhappy vng raciouse god for to pleasse for many beene men on þis molde more sett theyr hertes In good then In god sythe for-þi þem grace faylethe but At Ac þe most myscheffe when they shall lyuve leete as salomon dyd & suoyche other þ at shewed greate wyttes but Ac hys her workes as holye wrytte seyethe was eu er þe co ntrarye forthy wyse wytted men & well lettered ylettred clerkes as þei seyen theym -seluve seelde do there -after super cathedra m moysi et c etera .// but Ac I wene yt worthe off many as was In noyes tyme tho he shoope þ at shyppe off shydes & boordes was neu er wryght sauved that wroght þeron ne other workma n elles G.11.414: The line overruns the space available and elles is boxed in below the line proper. but bryddes & beastes & they þe G.11.415: For G's use of "they" for "the," see note to G.6.303. blyssed noy & hys wyfe w yt h hys sonnes & also theyre wyuves G.11.416: A line is omitted by β4 manuscripts at this point ("Of wriȝtes þat it wrouȝte was none of hem ysaued"). god lenve lene ytt fare noght so by folke þ at þe faythe teychen off holy cherche þ at harborowe ys / & goddes houvse to sauve & shyld vs fro shame þerynne / as noyes shyppe dyd bestes & men þ at made ytt / amyd þe floode dreynten adreynten the colouvr culor um off þis clauvse curatouvrs ys to meane that be carpynters holycherche to make for cryst crystes owne bestes homines et iumenta saluabis domine d omine & c etera : // on good fryday & I fynd a fellon was sauved ysaued that had lyuved all hys lyffe w yt h leasyng es & w yt h thefte & for he beknewe on þe crosse & to cryste shrouve hym he was sonner sauved then seynt Ihon the baptyst and er adam or ysay or any / G.11.428: This virgule is smudged and may have been partially erased. off thes þe profett es that had leyne yleine leyȝen lowe w yt h lucyfer manye long yeres a robber was rauvncs a ~~eun~~eonyde G.11.430: The second half of this word (corresponding to modern English "ransomed") has been so comprehensively fiddled about with that it is hard to tell what is going on. Note that the original has an apparently otiose superscript <a> with a long bar over it, presumably present in the scribe's exemplar as an abbreviation, but reproduced here apparently without understanding. See note to G.3.157. rather þen they all w yt h -oute pennance off puvrgatory to p erpetuvall blysse & mary magdelyne watt woman dyd worsce G.11.432: Note the spelling of "worse" in the following line. & Or wo wors þen dauyd þ at vryes dethe co nspyred or poule the apostell that no pyte hadde moche crysten kynd to kyll to the to dethe & nowe be ben þise as sou eregnes & seyntes In heyuven tho þ at wroght wyckedest In worlde tho they were and tho þ at wysely wordeden & wryten many bookes off wytt & off wyssdome w yt h dampned souvles wonne that salomon sayeth I trowe be sothe & certen off vs all siue Iusti atq ue sapientes & op era eoru m In manu dei sunt . // ther er wytty & well lyuvyng & there workes byn hydde yn þe handys off allmyghty god & he woote þe sothe wherfore wher fore louve a G.11.444: The <a> here ends with a dot and it appears that a second letter may have been anticipated, but none has been written. man / worthe a -lowed þer / & hys leele workes or elles for hys euvell wyll & enuvye off herte & be alowed as he lyuvede lyued so / forby lyther men knowe þe good & were -by wytty wist G.11.447: B manuscripts have a wide variety of readings for G wytty, some the result of correction. Most, however, have some form of "witen." men wyche ys wyte yff all thyng blake were & wo were a good man but yff I þere were some shrewe forthy lyuve we forthe w yt h lyther men & I leuve fewe be good for quvant oportet comethe In place il nad qui q ue pati & he þ at moey G.11.451: An additional loop has been placed on top of original <o> to form a backward facing <e> in mey. all ame nde haue m ercy on vs all þe For For þe sothest worde þ at eu er god seyde was tho he sayde nemo bonus .// clergye tho off crystes mouvthe commendyd was lytle for he sayde to seynt petur & to suoyche as he louved dum steteritis ante reges et presides p resides & c etera . // thogh c ye come before kynges & clerkes off þe lawe beythe not abasshed for I shalbe shal be In your mouvthes & gyuve you wytt & wyll & co nnyng to concluvde them all þ at ageynst you off crydendome cry[st]endome crystenedome dyspuvten dauid makethe mencyon he spake amongest kyng es & myght no kyng ou ercome hym by as bi kennyng kunnyng off speche but wytt ne wysdome ne wanne wan neu er the mastrye when man was att mysscheffe w yt howte þe more grace þe doghtyest doctor & dyuvynouvr off the trynyte was auguvstyne Austen þe olde & þe and hyest off þe fouvre sayd þ ou þus In a s ermon I segh ytt wrytten onesce ecce Ipsi idiote rapiunt celum vbi nos sapientes in Inferno mergimur . // G.11.467: The two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. & to is to meane In to on engly she to more & to lasse ere non rather rauvesshed frfomr fro þe ryght byleuve G.11.469: G omits two lines at this point ("Þan ar þis cunnynge clerkes · þat conne many bokes | Ne none sonner saued · ne sadder of bileue"). then plowmen & pastouvrs & other co men laborers not a sowters & shepperdes & suoche lewde Ideott es iottes percen w yt h a pater noster G.11.473: What looks as if it may be a punctus after noster is in fact simply the point at which the scribe has lifted his pen from the paper. þe paleyes off heyuven & passen puvrgatorye pennanceles att þer hence p artyng In -to þe blysse off p aradysse for þeir puvre byleuve that imp erfetly here knewe & eke lyuved ye men knowe clerkes / þ at hauve cuvrsed þe tyme þ at eu er ye þei þe couvlde on þe boke more þen credo in deum & pryncypallye theyr pater noster many many a p erson hath wysshed I see ensample ensamples myselfe & so may many other þ at s eruvant es þ at s eruven lordes seylde fall yn arerage but tho þ at kepen þe lordes katell clerkes & rent es reues ryght so lewde men & off lytle knowyng seld fall þei so fo .wle & so farre In synne as clark es off holychurche þ at kepe crystes treasore þe wych ys man es sowle to sauve as god seyeth yn þe gospell Ite vos In vineam meam et c etera // explicit tercius passus de dowell Then scryptuvre scorned me & a skylle tolde & lakked me In latyn & lyght G.12.2: The loop on the <l> of lyght has been added in brown ink. by me sett and sayde multi multa sciunt & se ip sos nesciunt : // tho wept I for whoo & wrathe off hyr speche & In a vyndyng wrathe wexe I a -slepe a m eruel iouvse sweuvene mett me then that I was rauvysshed ryght there & fortuvne me fette & In -to þe londe off longyng alone she me broght & In a myrrouvr þ at hyght mydleyerthe she made me beholde sythen she sayde to me here meysthowe þ ou meysthowe myȝtow see wondres & knowe þ at þ ou couveytyst & come þ erto p erauventuvre then had fortuvne folowyng too hir two fayre doghters damoyseles concupiscencia carnis men called the elder meyde & couvetyse off heygh tes eyes G.12.14: The form resulting from this alteration (i.e. heyghtes for earlier heyghes) is the form regularly employed by the original scribe when "eyes" occurs in this particular phrase ("covetise of eyes" translating "concupiscentia oculorum;" 1.John 2:16). See G.12.32, G.12.40 etc. However, the G scribe's usual form for "eyes" is ey(e)ne and it seems likely that the spelling found here and elsewhere in this passus results from a misunderstanding. The form found in the scribe's exemplar was probably heyghes (or possibly, given the spelling at G.12.32 and the correction at G.12.52, heghes). Elsewhere in the text the scribe has, presumably, recognised this as a form of "eyes" and replaced it with his own usual spelling. There is, after all, no possibility of confusion at, for instance, G.1.74 where heyghes appearing after "bleared their" could scarcely mean anything else. However, the expression "covetise of eyes," though common in medieval pastoralia, may not have been so familiar by the sixteenth century, and there would then be nothing in the words "covetise of" to suggest that "eyes" must follow. The scribe, both in his original transcription and here as the brown ink corrector, appears to have interpreted the phrase as meaning something like "covetousness of rank or position"(see OED height, n., 7 ). called was the þat other pryde off perfytt lyuvyng puvrsued theym bothe & bad me for my couvntena nce acou mpte clergy lyght conpuciscentia con[c]u[p]iscentia Concupiscencia carnis colled me abowte þe necke & seyde þ ou arte yong ȝonge and ȝepe & hast yeres I -nowe for to lyuve long & ladyes to louve deus & yn þe þis myrrouvr þ ou myghtest se myrthes fuvlmany fuvl many that leyde þe woyle G.12.21: The alteration of wole to wyle is in slightly blacker ink than the surrounding letters but no blacker than that of other sections of the original on the same page. The scribe has also re-outlined the original <l>. to lykyng all þi lyffe -tyme þe second sayde þe same ~~leue~~I shall shew suwe G.12.22: Given the frequent appearance in G of <s> for <sh> and vice versa G's reading shew for remaining B manuscripts suwe="follow" is not necessarily a substantive variation. See Introduction III.4.1. þi wyll tyll þ ou be a ~~borde~~lorde & hauve lande lett þe I nyll but Þat I shall ne shal folowe þi felowshyppe yff ~~fortu ene~~ fortuvne ytt lyke he shall fynd me hys frende q uod fortuvne here þer -after the freyke þ at folowed my wyll fayled neu er blysse then was þer on one þat heghte elde / þ at heuvy was off chere man q uod he Iff y mete w yt h þe by mary off heyuven & þ ou shalt fynd fortuvne þe fayle att thye most nede and concupiscentia carnis cleyne þe forsake beytterly shalthowe blame banne þanne bothe dayes & nyghtes couvetyse off heght eyghe G.12.32: For G heght for most manuscripts eyghe, see note to G.12.14. þ at eu er þ ou ytt knewe & pryde off p erfytt lyuvyng to moche peryll þe bryng ye recche þe neu er q uod recchles recchelesnes & stoode stode forth & stode forth In ragged clothes folowe forthe þ at fortuvne wyll þ ou hast hast wel farre to elde a man may stowpe tyme ynoghe when he shall lose tyne hys þe crowne homo proponit q uod a poett and plato he hyght & deus disponit q uod he lett god done hys wyll yff trewthe wyll wyttnes ytt be well do fortuvne to folowe concupiscencia carnis ne couvetyse off heghtes eyes G.12.40: For G heghtes for most manuscripts eyes, see note to G.12.14. shall Ne shal not greuve þe greatly ne begyle þe w yt h -owte but þ ou wolte ye fare well phyppe q uod fauvntelte & forthe gan me drawe tyll concupiscencia carnis acorded all my workes allas heyghe q uod elde & holynes bothe that wytt shall torne to wrecchednes for wyll to haue hys lyky nge couvetyse off heyghtes eyghes G.12.46: For G heyghtes for remaining manuscripts eyghes, see note to G.12.14. conforted me sone after & fowlowed me fortye wy nters wynter or fyftye or and a fyfte or fifty and more þ at off dowell ne do -bett er no deynte me thoght I had no likyng ne no lust off þem ought to knowe couvetyse off heyghtes eyes G.12.50: For G heyghtes for most manuscripts eyes, see note to G.12.14. came offter In my in mynde then dowell or dobett er amonge my dedes all couvetyse off heyghtes eyes G.12.52: For G heyghtes for most manuscripts eyes, see note to G.12.14. G.12.52: Immediately after the first <e> of heyghtes, the scribe began to write <g> and then changed it to <y>. Compare the spelling at G.12.32. comforted me offte and seyde hauve no co nscyence how þ ou come to goode go co nfesse þe to some frere & shewe hym þi synnes for wyles fortuvne ys þi frende / freres wyll þe louve and fecche fecche þe to þer fraternyte & for þe byseke to theyre pryouvr p rouvyncyall a pardon to forto hauve & prey for the pole by pole yff þ ou be . peccuniosus .// sed pecia pena peccuniaria non sufficit pro spiritualibus delictis.// by wysshyng off þis wenche I wroght theyr wordes were sweete so swete tyll I forgate yought & then ȝarn In -to elde & then was fortuvne my foo for all hyr hir faire bybheste & pou erte puvrsuved me and puvtt me lowe and I fouvnde þo fonde I þe frere a -fearde & flytyng bothe agayn our fyrste forwarde for I seyde I nolde be buvryed att theyre houvse but att my p eryche churche for I herde onesce how conscyence ytt tolde þ at þer a man was were crystened by kynd he shold G.12.68: The word shold has been re-outlined in black ink. be buvryed or where he were p erysshen þer riȝt þere he shuvld G.12.69: The <d> of "should" has been re-outlined by hand1.1. be grauven and for I seyde þus to freres / a fole þei me helden & louved me þe lesse for my loyall speche & yet I cryed on my co nfessour þ at he þat held hym -seluve so con nyng G.12.72: The scribe has run out of space and writes the last word ( con nyng ) above the line, partly boxed in grey ink. by my faythe frere q uod I / ye fare lyke thes wowers that wedde no wydowes but to forto welde theyr goodes ryght so by þe roode roght ye neu er where my body were buvryed so bi so G.12.76: The G M F reading so (for most manuscripts bi so), results in a b-verse without an alliterating syllable. ye hadde þe syluver I hauve moche m erueyle off you & so hathe manye other wye your couvent couvetythe ~~not~~ to co nfesse & to buvrye rather þen to baptyze barnes / that beene katykuvmynes babptyzyng G.12.80: The colour of the ink here suggests that the spelling of the word "baptizing" has been corrected by the original scribe. Note the spelling at G.12.82. & buvryeng bothe bene full nedefull but Ac moche more merytoryouvse merytorie me thynkethe to it is to baptyze for a baptyzed man may as masters tellen thruvgh contrycyon come to to þe hyghe heyuven sola contricio delet peccatum & c etera p ecc atum . // but Ac a barne w yt h -oute baptyme may not be sauved nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua & c etera . // loke ye lettered men wether I lye or noght and lealte loked on me & I louvred after wherfore louvresthowe q uod lealte & loked on me herde yff I dorste durste q uod I a -monge men þes metteles a -wowe ye by petur & by poule q uod he & take toke bothe to wyttnes non oderis fratres secrete in corde tuo s ed publice argue illos . // they wyll alegge also q uod I & by þe gosspell prouve nolite Iudicare que mquam & c etera quemq uam // & wheroff s eruvethe lawe q uod lealte yff no lyfe vndertooke ytt falsheyde Falsenesse & ne faytouvrye for somewhatt þe apostell seyde non oderis fratrem & yn þe sauvter saut er also seyde seithe dauyd þe prophete existimasti iniq ue q uod ero tui similis et c etera // ytt ys locutum l[i]c[i]tum licitum to for lewde me me[n] men to segge the sothe yff þem lykethe & lyst eche eche a lawe ytt guvntethe g[ra]untethe graunteth G.12.100: G's erroneous form of Bx graunteth is probably yet another indication of the G scribe's failure fully to understand the significance of superscript <a>. See notes to G.3.157 and G.4.156 and Introduction IV.1.1. except p erson es and prestes & p relates off holyechurche ytt fallyth not to þis for þat folke tales no tales to tell thogh the tale were trew / & ytt towchyd synne thyng þ at all þis þe worlde woote ~~arate deydly synne~~ wherfore shuvldesth owe spare and redyn ytt G.12.105: C 2 shares G's original omission of ytt. The addition brings G's reading into line with that of remaining B manuscripts. In retoryke to arate deydly synne but Ac be neu er -more þe fuvrste þe defauvte to blame thoghe þ ou se euvell sey sey it noght nouȝte fyrste be sorye / ytt e ~~....~~nere amend G.12.107: G alone uses the contracted form of the past participle ( amend). a thyng No þinge And thyng þ at ys pryuvye puvblyce ytt þow it neu er nether for louve looue laude ytt not no ne lakke yt not it for enuvye parum lauda vitupera parcius & c etera parcius // he sayethe seith sothe q uod scryptuvre tho & starte skipte an heygh & preyched but Ac þe matter þ at he meuved yff lewde men ytt knewe the lesse as I leuve louve ytt þei wolde thys was theyre her teyme & theyre her texte I toke full good hede multi to a mangerye / & to þe meyte were sompnede and when þe poeple was come plener e comen þe porter vpynned v[n]pynned vnpynned G.12.116: No abbreviation mark is visible over the initial <v> of G vpynned. þe gate and puvlled plukked ynne pauci p riuvyleche & leete þe remnant rome go rowme all for tene off þ at her texte trembled myne herte and yn a weyrye were gan I wexe & w yt h my -selfe dyspuvte whether þei I were chosen or noght on holy churche I thoghte that vndrefonge me attthe att the fouvnte for on off goddes chosen For cryste cleped vs all come yff we wolde sarazenes & sysmatykes & so he dyd þe Iewes O vos omnes scientes sicientes scicientes venite ad aquas et c etera & c etera // G.12.124: The phrase ad aquas, found in G and Hm, is absent from most B manuscripts but present in all C manuscripts. However, the correspondence beween the C and G Hm readings may well, like the shared readings at G.19.268, simply be due to shared recollection of the biblical passage (Isaiah 55:1). and bad theym sowke for synne sauvely att hys brest and drynke drynke bote for bale brouvke ytt wo -so myght then may all crystyen men come q uod I cleame and cleyme þer entre by þe bloode he þat he boght vs w yt h / & thruvgh baptyme after qui credederit et baptisatus fuerit et c etera// for thogh a crysten man couveyte coueyted hys crystedome to renye ryghfullyche to renye n G.12.131: This letter <n> has been abandoned because it was blotted. no reason ytt wolde for may no chuvrle chartare make / ne hys catell sell w yt h -owte leyuve off hys lord / n .o G.12.133: A single letter appears to have been erased here and replaced by no. It is impossible to tell what the original letter was, but a tail is faintly visible. The virgule was probably added at the time of the correction and it acts as a word separator, but its position in the line suggests that it may also have metrical significance. lawe wyll ytt grauvnte but Ac he may renne In areragys arrerage reragis & rome fro so fro G.12.134: The G R F reading fro (for remaining manuscripts so fro) is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, and is also shared by almost all C manuscripts. hys owne home and as a renyed kayteffe recheleslye a -bowte but Ac reason shall rekne w yt h hym & cast hym yn arerage and put theym him after In pryson In puvrgatorye to brenne for hys arerage rewarde hym there to þe day off dome but But if co ntrycyon wyll come & crye by hys lyuve m ercy for hys myssdedes w yt h mouvthe or w yt h herte that ys is soth q uod scryptuvre may no synne lette m ercy all to amend and mekenes mekenesse hir folowe for they beene as as owr e bookes bokes telleth abouve goddes workes misericordia ~~do mi ni~~ eius super omnia opera eius // G.12.144: The first example of eius is smudged and may possibly have been lined through. ye bawe for bookes on q uod one was broken owte off hell hyght troianus was a had ben a trew knyght toke wyttnes at the pope how he was deyde & dampned to dwellen In payne for on vncrystyen creatouvre clerkes woote þe sothe that all the claregye vndre cryste myght hym me cracche fro hell but only louve & loyalte & hys my lauvfull domes gregorye wyst thys well & wylnethe to my souvle saluvatyon for sothe~~les~~nes þ at he syeghe yn my workes and after þ at he wepte & wylned me were grauvnted grace w yt h -owte beyde any bede G.12.154: Kane and Donaldson adopt the G reading beyde. Most B manuscripts read any bede. byddyng hys bone was vndrefonge & y sauved as ye may se w yt h -owte syngyng off masses by louve & by lernyng & by of lyuvyng my lyuyng In trewthe broght me fro bytter payne þer no byddyng myght low ye lordys watt loyalte dyd by an emperouvr off rome þ at was a vncrysten creatuvre as clerkes fynd In bokes noght thrugh preyer off þe a pope but for hys puvre trewthe was that sarzene sauved as gregory seynt Gregorie beyrythe wyttnes well ought lordes ȝe lordes þ at lawes kepe thys lesson haue In mynde and on troianus trewthe to thynke & to and do th G.12.163: Kane and Donaldson record cancelled <th> as the, later cancelled, but the word seems to have been abandoned before any <e> could be written. trew treuthe to þe poeple lawe w yt h -owte louve q uod troianus ley ther a beane or any scyence vndre sonne þe seyuven artes & all but þei be lerned for our lordes louve lost ys all the tyme for no cauvse to cacche syluver ne þ er-by ne to be called a master but all for louve off our lorde & and þe better to louve the poeple for seynt Ihon sayde ytt & sothe are hys wordes qui non diligit manet In morte et c etera morte . // wo -so louvethe noght leuve me he lyuvethe In dede dyenge and þ at all man er off men men enmyes & frendes leuven Louen there ether other and leynd lene hym hem att hys nede as her-selue wo -so leynethe noght he louveth noght god woote þe sothe & co mmauvndethe eche creatuvre to confyrme confourme hym to louve and sou ereygnlyche poere poeple & theyre enmyes after for theym that haten vs / ys our merytt to louve & poere poeple to pleasse þeir preyers may vs helpe for our Ioy & our heale Iesu cryst off heyuven In a pouvere man es apparell puvrsuede p ursueth vs euver & lokethe v on vs ~~w yt h~~ yn G.12.181: A virgule has been added between vs and yn to separate these words after the correction. theyr kyknes [l]yknes liknesse & þ at w yt h louvely chere to knowe vs by our kynde herte & castyng off of owre eyghe wedre we louve þe lordes here before þe lorde off heyuven blisse G.12.183: The to <v> alteration made to the word heyuen has faded until it just looks like a faint brown smudge. & excytethe by vs bi the euvangylye when þat when we make feastes we sholde not clepe our kynne þ erto ne no kynne kynnes ryche cum facitis conuiuia nolite inuitare amicos .// but Ac call þe carefull therto the croked & the o poere for your frendes wyll feden you & fond you to quvyte your feastyng & your fayre gyftes ech frend quvytethe other so other G.12.189: In the case of M, the reading other (as G, cf. remaining manuscripts so other) results from the erasure of original so. but Ac for þe pore I shall pay & puvre well quvyte theyr trauvell that gyuvethe þem meyte or money & louvethe þem for my sake for þe best been some ryche & some beggers & pouere for all we er alle are we crystes creatuvres & off hys cofers ryche & bretheren as off bloode as well beggers as erles for on caluvere off crystes blode crystendome gan sprynge and blodye bretheren we bycome G.12.196: The second and third letters of bycome are partly obscured by a blot, but there is no doubt about the reading. off þere of on bodye wonne ywonne as quasi modo geneiti . & gentyll men echoone no begger ne boy amonge vs but yff synne ytt it synne made qui facit peccatum seruus est peccati & c etera In þe old lawe as holy letter tellethe mennes sonnes men called vs echone off adam es G.12.202: It is possible that something (a minim?) has been deleted between the second <a> and the <m> of adam es . yssue & euve ay to til god -man dyede & after hys resurreccyon / redemptor / was hys name & we hys brethren thruvgh hym boght bothe ryche & poere forthy louve we as as leue bretheren shall & eche man laghe on of er G.12.205: The scribe originally wrote ou er . After the deletion of the abbreviation for -er the two minims function as the <n> of on. other & yff eche þat eche man mey forbeyre amende þer ytt nedythe & eu ery man helpe other for hence shall we all alter alterius onera portate & c etera // & be we noght vnkynd off our catell ne ne of our co nny ng nether for woote no man how ytt ys to be ynome fro bothe forthy lak no lyfe other thoghe he more laten knowe ne vndremyne noght fouvle for ~~ytt~~ G.12.212: The deletion of ytt is made with a thin line in black ink. ys not n w yt h -ouvte fauvte For what -eu er clerkes carpe off crystendome or elles cryste to a comen woman seyd In come co mune at þe feaste that fides sua shuvlde sauven hyr & saluven G.12.215: The letters of original saluen have been re-outlined in black ink. of hyr synnes then ys byleuve a leall helpe abouve logyke & or lawe off logyk ne off lawe yn legenda sanctoru m .// ys lytle alowance made but but if byleuve them helpe for ytt ys ou erlong er logyk G.12.219:There is possibly a second very tiny <o> here (giving loogyk). any leyssone assoyle and lawe ys lothe to louve but yff he lacche syluver bothe logyk & lawe that louvethe noght to lye I couvnseyle all crysten men cleuve noght þ eron to sore for some wordes I fynd wryten þ at were off faythes teychyng þ at sauved synfull men as seynt Ihon beyrythe wyttnes eadem mensura qua me nsi fueretis remecietur vobis . // forthy lere lerne we þe lawe off louve as our lorde taght and as seynt gregory sayethe seide for man es souvle helpe helthe melius est scrutari scelera n ostra quam naturas rerum . // why I meeue thys matter ys most for the pouvere for In hys lycknes our lorde offt hathe beene knowe yknowe wyttnes In þe pasq ue weeke when he yede to emaus cleophas knewe hym noght þ at he cryste were for hys pouvre aparell as and pylgrymes wedes tyll he blysshed & brake þe breyd þ at they eyten so by thes his wordes werkes the þei G.12.235: For the G scribe's use of the for remaining manuscripts þei, see also note to G.2.164 and readings at G.6.150, G.6.195. wyst he þ at he was ~~I .~~ Iesus . but Ac by clothyng they knewe hym nothe G.12.236: The spelling <nothe> for "not" probably results from the use of superscript <t> to represent both t and th, see, e.g., abbreviations for "with." by ne by carpyng off tong & all was In ensample to vs synfull here that we sholde be lowe & louvelyche off speche & apperell vs noght prowdly for pylgrymes are we all and In in þe apperell off a poere man & pylgrymes lycknes many t ayme god hathe beene mett among nedy poeple they Þer neu er segh segge hym segge seigh In þe in secte off the ryche seynte Ihon & other sey ntes were seene In pouvere clothyng & as poere pylgrymes preyed menes goodes Iesus Ihesu In cryste on a Iewes doghter a -lyght gentyll woma n thogh she were was a puvre pouvere meyde & to a poere man wedded martha on mary magdelyne G.12.247: The <a> of magdelyne is written above the line. an huvge pleynte she made and to our sauvyouvr hym -seluve self sayd thes wordes d omine non est tibi cure q uod soror mea reliquit me solam G.12.249: The reading solam basically corresponds to that of β4 manuscripts, though the remainder add & c etera . The majority B reading is solam ministrare. . // and hastylyche god answered & ethers wyll folowed bothe in matha ma[r]tha Marthaes & In marye Maries as mathew beyrethe wyttnes but Ac pou erte god puvtt before & preysed ytt þe bettre maria optimam p artem elegit que non auferetur ab ea // & G.12.254: The line initial ampersand, which overlaps the margin, may be an addition by the original scribe. All other B manuscripts have some form of "And." all þe wyse þ at eu er were by ought I can aspye preysen pou erte for best lyffe yff pacyence pacience it folowe E & bothe bett er & blysseder by manyfolde þen ryches & thogh ytt be souvre to suffer there co mmethe swete after as an on a walnote w yt houte ys a bytter barke and after þ at bytter barke be þe shell a -way ys a kernell off conforte kynd to restore so ys after pou erte or pennance pacyentlyche taken ytake for ytt makethe man to haue mynd In god a and a greate whyle wille to wepe ~~& to~~ G.12.263:Possibly the ampersand was originally something else ( or?) and the scribe has attempted to alter it, then given up and deleted. and to well bydde wheroff wexethe m ercye off wyche cryste ys a kernell to conforte þe souvle & well sykerer he slepethe þe man þ at ys poere & lesse he dredethe dethe and yn derke to be robbed then he þ at ys ryght ryche reason beyrethe wyttnes pauper ego ludo dum tu diues meditaris .// all -thogh salomon sayde as folke seyne seeth In þe byble diuitias nec paupertates & c etera // wyser þen salomon was beyren wyttnes & taght that p erfytt pou erte was no possessyon to haue & lyffe most lykyng to god as ly luvke beyrethe wyttnes si vis perfectus esse vade et vende & c etera // and ys to meane to men þ at on thys mold lyuven wo -so wyll be puvre parfett moote possessyon forsake or sell ytt as seyethe þe boke and the syluver deale to beggers þ at goone & begge & bydde for godes louve for fayled neu er man meyte þ at myghtfull god s eruved as dauyd sayethe In þe sauvter to suoyche as þ at been In wyll to s eruve god godelyche ne greuvethe hym no pennance nichil impossibile volenti et c etera volenti ne lakkethe neu er lyuvelode lynnen ne wollen Inquirentes autem d ominum non minuentur G.12.284: There is an otiose bar over the first letter of minuentur. omni bono .// yff prestes were p erfytt they wold no syleuer take for masses ne for matyns noght þe her mete off vsuvrers ne neyther kyrtell ne cote thoghe þei for colde shold dye and þei þ er deuvoyer dyd as dauyd sayeth yn þe sauvter Iudica me deus et discerne causam mea m & c etera sp era in deo et c etera G.12.289:The et c etera is in the gutter and may not be visible in the image. spekethe off prestes þ at haue no spendyng syluver that yff þei trauveyle treuvlyche & truvst In god almyghtye them shall shulde lacke no lyuvelode neyther wollen ne lynnen & þe tytle þei take ordre by tellethe ye been auvau ncede then nedethe not you take syluver for masses þ at ye syng for he þ at toke you your tytle shall shulde take you your wages off þe bysshope þ at blysshethe you yff that ye be worthye for made neu er kyng no knyght but he had cattell to spend as byfell for a knyght or fond hym for hys strenght ytt ys a carefull knyght & off kaytyffe kynges makyng þ at hathe no land ne lynage ryche ne good loos off hys handes the same I sey forsothe by all suoyche prestes that haue nether co nnyng ne kynne but a crowne onne and a tytle a tale off noght to hys lyuvelode at mysscheffe he hathe more byleue as I leuve to lacche thruvgh hys crouvne cuvre þen for co nnyng or knowyng or for or for cleane off beyryng I haue wondre þ at & whye & wherfore þe bysshope makethe suoyche prestes þ at lewde men betreyen a chartre ys chalengeable afore byfor a cheffe Iuvstece yff falsce G.12.309: The alteration of fals to falce uses up the space between this word and latyn. latyn be In þ at lettre þe lawe ytt ympuvgnethe or peynted p arentrelynarye p ercelles ou er -skypped the gome þ at glosethe so charters for a gokye hys holden so ys ytt a goky by god / þ at In þe his gospell faylethe or In masse or matyns makethe any defauvte qui offendit In vno In omnibus est reus . et c etera . // and also In þe sawter sayethe dauyd to ou erskyppers psallite deo n ostro psallite q uoniam rex terre deus israel psallite sapienter the bysshoppe shalbe shal be blamed a -fore bifor god as I leuve that crou ned crouneth suoyche goddes knyghtes G.12.318: The word knyghtes has been re-outlined in much blacker ink, but there does not appear to be any alteration. that kannethe nat wysely sapient er syng ne psalmes rede ne segge a mas off þe day but Ac neu er nether ys blameles þe bysshoppe nethe ne the chapeleyne for eu ere her euer her eyther ys Indyted & þ at off /ignorantia .// non episcopos excusat excusat ep iscopos nec ydyotes prestes thys lokyng off on lewde prestes hathe done me leype fro pou erte wyche I preysse theyre pacyence ys more p erfytt þen ryches & but Ac And G.12.325: Despite the addition of but, there appears to have been no attempt to cross out the ampersand at the beginning of the line. Most manuscripts read Ac. moche more In metyng þus w yt h me gan on dysspuvte & slepyng I seghe all þis & sythen came kynde and neuenved neue[n]ed nempned me by name & bad me nymen heede and thruvghe þe wouvnders off thys worlde wytt for to take & on a montagne þ at mydleyerthe hyghe hyȝte as me tho thoght I was fet forthe by ensamples to knowe thruvghe eche a creatuvre & kynde my creatouvr to louvye I sehe þe sonne & þe see and þe sond after & where þ at bryddes & bestes by þ er makes make yedene þei ȝeden wylde wormes in woddes wodes and wonderfowle fowles w yt h flecked fethers and off fell fele G.12.335: For G's treatment of B fele (here appearing as G Cr fell), see note to G.4.349. colouvrs man & hys make I myght bothe beholde pou erte & plente bothe peasse & warre blysse & bale bothe I seghe att onesce and how men toke mede & m ercy refuvsed reason I seghe sothely sewen all bestes In eytyng & drynkyng In and in engenderyng off kynd and after couvrsce off co nceptyon non toke kepe off other and when þei had rydyen In rotye -tyme anon ryght þ er -after males drewen þem to males oIn mouvrnes a-mornynges by þem -seluve and In euvenynges also / þe males fro females þ er was kow þ ne kow -kynd þ at conceyuved had þ at wold belwe after buvlles ne boore after sowe bothe hors & houvndes & all other bestes medeled not w yt h þ er makes þ at w yt h foole were bryddes I behelde þ at In buvskes made nestes had neu er wye wytt to worche the leaste I had wondre att whome & where þe pye lerned to legge þe stykkes In wyche he lyethe leythe & bredethe þ er nys wryght as I wene sholde worche hyr nest to paye yff any mason made a mold þ erto moche wo ndre ytt were & yet me m erveled more off how many other bryddes hydden & hylleden theyr egges full derne In marres & moores þ at for men shold þem not fynde & hydden þ er egges when þei þ er -fro wente for fere off other fowles & for wylde beestes & some tradden þ er makes & on trees breden bredden G.12.361: In the case of G, the spelling shared with Cr 23 F (i.e. breden rather than the majority B reading bredden) does not necessarily indicate a substantive variant. 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 was by no means consistent (see Introduction III.2).

~~& broght~~

& broght forthe þ er bryddes so all abouve þe grouvnde & some bryddes at the byll thruvghe breythyng conceyuved & some kakeled I toke kepe howe peykok es breden bredden G.12.364: For the use by G in particular of the form breden (as also Cr R) for most manuscripts bredden, see note to G.12.361. moche m erueled me what mastre they had & wo taght þem on trees to tymbre so heyghe þ at Þer nether barne ne beast myght may þ er bryddes reyche and sythen I loked on þe see & so on þe sterres many selkouvthes I segh be noght to seye nowe nouthe G.12.369: For G Cr C nowe for remaining manuscripts nouthe, see note to G.4.295. I segh flouwers G.12.370: It is probably too early for the change of flouers to flowers to indicate a spelling distinction between the homophones "flour" and "flower," since this only appears to have taken place in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; see Manfred Görlach, Introduction to Early Modern English (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 56. The alteration is in black ink rather than the brown normally used by hand1.1, and appears to have been made at the time of writing rather than as part of the scribe's later programme of spelling corrections. In þe frytthe & þ er fayre colouvrs & how among þe grene gresse grewe so manye hewes & some souvre & some swete selcouvthe me thoght off hyr kynd & hyr colouvre to carpe yt were to long but Ac that most meved me & my mode changed þ at reason rewarded & reuvled all beastes sauve man & hys make many tyme & offte no reason them folowed & þ at þanne I rebuvked reason & ryght to til hym -seluve seyde I haue wondre off þe q uod I þ at wytty arte holden whye þ ou ne sueste man & hys make þ at þem þat no myssfayte folowe he m folwe & reason arated me & seyde reche þ ou þe neu ere why I suffer or noght suffer þi -seluve hast noght a to doone amend þ ou yff þ ou myght my for my tyme ys to abyde sufferance ys souvereygne wertuve & a swyffte wengeance wo sufferythe more þen god q uod he no goome as I leuve he myght amend In a mynuvte wyle all þ at mysstandethe but Ac he sufferythe for some mannes good & so ys our better the wyse & þe wyttye wroote þis þus G.12.388: For the G scribe's use of "this" for most manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. In the byble de re que te non molestat noli certare & c etera certare // for be a man fayre or fouvle ytt fallethe not to forto G.12.390: The majority B reading (i.e. forto rather than to) results in a very long b-verse dip and Kane and Donaldson adopt the G O C 2 reading to. See, however, Duggan, "Notes on the Metre." lacke the shappe ne þe shafte þ at god shoope hym -seluve for all þ at he dyd was weldoo wel doo ydo as holy wrytt weyttnessythe et vidit deus cunta cun[c]ta cuncta que fecerat & erant valde bona : // & bad eu ery creatuvre In hys kynd Increasse all to muvrthe wythe man that most woo tholye In fouvndyng off þe flesshe & the of þe feende bothe for man was made off suoyche amatter a matter he mey not well astarte that ne some -tyme hym betyd to folowen hys kynde caton acordethe þ erwyth nemo sine crimine viuit.// tho caght I colouvr a -non & compsed to be shamed aschamed and awaked þ er -w yt h woo was me thene that I yn meytelles ne myght more haue y -knowen then seyd I to my -selffe and chydde þ at tyme now I watt what dowell ys by q uod I by dere god as me thynkethe & as I cast vp myne eyne oone loked on me & asked off me what thyng yt were Iwys s yr I seyde to se moche & suffer more certes q uod he I t q uod I G.12.407: Kane and Donaldson state that original I is altered to he It by the main hand. Given that the original scribe and the later brown ink corrector appear to have been the same person, this may well be the case but it is clear that any such alteration must have been carried out in two stages, since the <t> of It is in pale grey ink whereas he has been added in brown ink. ys dowell haddesthowe suffered suffred he seyde slepyng tho thowe were þ ou sholdest haue knowe n G.12.409: The added bar over the final <e> of knowe is in brown ink. þ at clargye can & conceyuved more by þorugh reason for reason wold haue rehersed þe ryght as clargye seyde and for th eryne þine entremetyng there here / arthowe forsake philosophus esses si tacuisses et c etera tacuisses . // adam wyles he spake not he had had paradysse att wyll but Ac when he mameled aboute meyte & e ntremete hy m to knowe the wyssdome off þe wytt off god he was put fro blysse and ryght so fared reason by the þ ou w yt h rewde speche lackedest & losest losedest thyng that longethe noght to be done tho had he no lykyng for to lere the more pryde nowe & presuvmpsyon p eraventuvre wyll þe appeyle þ at clarge thye companye ne kepethe not to sawe sue shall neu er chalyngyng ne chydyng chastye ma n a man so sone as shall shame & shenden hym & shape hym to amend for lett a dronken daffe In a dyche fall lett hym lygge looke not on hym tyll hym lyst ryse to ryse for thogh reason rebuked hym þen ytt were but puvre synne & when nede ny mmethe vp hym vp for douvte lest he steruve and shame ~~sha~~ G.12.427: The scribe has tried to emend <sha> to <shra> by overwriting and then abandoned the attempt. shrapethe hys clothes & hys shynnes wasshethe þen woote þe drouvnken daffe werefore he ys to blame ye seggen sothe q uod I yche haue sene yseyne ytt offte þ er smytt no thyng so smerte ne swellethe smelleth so sore soure as shame þ er he shoythe hym for eu ery man hym shendethe shonyeth whye ye wysse me þus q uod I was for I rebuvked reason certes q uod he þ at ys sothe & shope hym for to walke & I aroos vpryght w yt h þ at & folowed after hym after & preyed hym off hys couvrtesye to tell me hys name explicit quartus passus de dowell· // I am ymagynatyve q uod he Idle was I neu er thogh I sytt by my -seluve In syknes & yn helthe I haue folowed þe In feythe þis fyuve & fortye wynters wyntre G.13.3: For the G scribe's replacement of remaining manuscripts wyntre (an uninflected plural) with the inflected plural wynters, see note to G.2.100. & many tymes haue mouved the to thynke on thye end & howe fell fele G.13.5: For G's treatment of B fele (here appearing as G C fell), see note to G.4.349. fenve nyeres fe[r]n[e]yeres fernȝeres ere faren & so fewe to come & off thy wylde wantonnesse tho þ ou yong were to amend þe it In þi mydle age lest myght þe fayle In þin old elde þ at yuvell can suffer pouverte or pennance or preyers bydde s G.13.10: This letter <s> has simply been abandoned. The scribe appears to have had rather too much ink on his pen. si non In prima vigilia nec In secunda s ec unda & c etera :// ame nd þe whyle þ ou myghteste þ ou hast be warned offte w yt h poostes off pestelences w yt h pouverte & w yt h angres & w yt h thes bytter baleyzes god beytethe hys dere chyldren quem diligo castigo ·// for And dauyd In the sauvter sayethe off suoyche as þat louve Iesus. virga tua et baculus tuus ip sa me consolata sunt .// allthoghe þ ou stryke me w yt h þi staffe . w yt h stycke or w yt h yarde ytt ys but muvrthe as for me to amend my souvle and þ ou medelest þe w yt h mastryes & myght go say G.13.19: A virgule has been added at this point to separate say from the. the þi sauvter & byd for þem þ at gyuvethe þe bred for there are bokes Inowe to tell men whatt dowell ys dobett er & dobest bothe & preychars to prouve whatt yt ys / off manye many a peyre freres I syghe well he sayde me sothe & somewhatt me to excuvse sayd caton comforted hys sonne sone þ at clerke thoghe he were to solace hym some -tyme as I doo when I make Interpone tuis Interdum gaudia curis ·// & off holy men I herde howe q uod I how þei other -whyle pleyden þe p erfytter to beene In manye places butt Ac yff þ er were any wyght þ at wold me tell what were dowell and dobett er and dobest at þe last wold I neu er do worke but wende to holy churche and there bydde G.13.32: Both <d>s in bydde have been re-outlined in black ink. The word is very faint. my beades but when I eyte or slepe pauvle In hys epystle pistle q uod he prouvethe watt ys dowell spes fides Fides spes charitas & maior horum & c etera // faythe hope & charyte and all beene goode & sauve men sondrye tymes but ac non so sone as charyte for he dothe well w yt h -oute douvte þ at doethe as leallte teychethe that ys yff þ ou be man maryed þi make þ ou louve & lyuve forthe as lawe wyll whyle ye lyuven here ryght so & if þ ou be relygyouvse renne þ ou neu er forther to rome ne to rochemadoure but as þi ruvle teychethe & hold þe vndre obedyence that hyghe way ys to heyuven G.13.43: Each of the following three added lines (G.13.43, G.13.44 and G.13.45) is immediately followed by a horizontal line across the margin, indicating that the line in question is complete. & yf ye þow be mey den to marye & myghtest co ntynewe seke ye þow neu er seynt further for no soule he ylthe G.13.44: The line break after he- (the first two letters of "health") means that the rest of this word starts at the very edge of the page. There may possibly have been another letter before the <y> (an <l>?), but cropping makes it impossible to be certain. for wat made luvcyfer to lese the hye heyuve n or salomon hys sapyence or sampson hys strenght Iob þe Iewe hys Ioy dere ytt dere it he dere he it a -bouvghte arystotell & other mo ypocras & wyrgyll alysandre þ at all wanne elenglyche endede catell & kynde wytte was combrace combra[n]ce combraunce to theym all Felyce hyr feyrnes fell hyr all to sklandre & rosamou nd ryght so rewfully besette the beauvte off hyr bodye In badnes she dyspendyd off manye suoyche I myght rede bothe off of men & off wymen that wyse wordes can say & worche þe contrarye sunt homines neq uam de virtute bene loquentes . // & ryche re n nvkes G.13.57: The brown ink corrector has altered the <n> of renkes to <v> and hand3 has then crossed this out and added a macron above the <e>. This macron is nothing like that normally used by the original scribe or WH. Compare the similar abbreviation which appears as part of the marginalia on f.96 v.

ryght so gardyden gaderen & sparden sparen & tho men þ at þei most haten mynystren att þe it atte lest laste G.13.58: G C lest and remaining manuscripts laste are probably the same word, the variation in vowel simply resulting from the date of shortening (see Brunner, Outline, section 9, note). & for þei sufferen & se so manye nedye folkes & louven þem noght as god bytd bytte lesen theyre souvles date et dabitur vobis et c etera ·// & ryches ryght so but yff þe roote be trewe but Ac grace ys a gresse þ eroff þe greuvance to abate but Ac grace ne growethe noght but amongest lowe pacyence & pou erte þe place ys where þ ere G.13.65: The G reading where for remaining manuscripts þ ere probably results from the date of the G copy. According to the OED, the use of "there" meaning "where" died out during the sixteenth century; see OED there, adv. ( a., n.) II.9 . ytt growethe & In leall lyuvyng men & In lyfe holye & thrughe þe gyffte off þe holyegoste holye goste as þe gosspell tellethe spiritus vbi vult spirat et c etera claregye & kynd wytt comethe off syght & teychyng as þe boke beyrethe wyttnes to buvrnes þ at can rede quod scimus G.13.71: The second letter of scimus is odd and could conceivably be a minim but since there is a dot over the it would be impossible to read the word as sumus. loquimur quod videmus vidim us testamur. // off quod scimus comethe connyng & clargye clergye and connynge off heyuven & off quod videimus G.13.73: G's original reading, with the present tense ( videmus) instead of the perfect ( vidimus, as remaining B manuscripts), parallels that found at G.13.71. commethe kynd wytt & of syght of dyu ers poeple & grace ys a gyffte off god & off greate louve spry ngethe knewe neu er clerke howe ytt comethe forthe ne kynd wytt þe wayes G.13.75: The line wraps around and the last two words are boxed in grey at the end of the following rubricated line. nescit aliquis vnde venit aud G.13.76: Probably not "and" (as Kane and Donaldson) but aud, i.e. a form of "aut," (note that the word is rubricated). For this spelling, see, e.g., Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch, ed. Otto Prinz, with the assistance of Johannes Schneider (Munich: C. H. Beck, 1967), s.v. aut. quo vadit & c etera // & Ac yett ys clargye to co mmend & kynd wytt bothe & namely clargeye for crystes louve þ at off clargye ys roote for moyses w ytnessethe þ at god wrote for to wysse the poeple In þe olde lawe as þe lettre tellethe was þat was þe lawe off þe of Iuves þ at what woman were In awowtre taken ryche other pouvre w yt h stones men shuold hyr stryke & stono n hyr to dethe a woma n as we fynden was gyltyffe off þ at dede but Ac cryste off hyrs G.13.84: The scribe anticipated more about the actions of the woman mentioned in the previous line and so began to write "her" but then altered this to the correct reading "his." couvrtesy thrughe clargye hyr sauved For thrugh carectes þ at cryste wroght wrot þe Iewes knewe þem -seluve more gyltye Gultier as before afor god & gretter In synne þen þe woman þ at þ er was & went a -way for shame þe clargye þ at there was comforted the woman holye kyrke knowethe þis þ at crystes wrytyng sauved so claregye ys comforte to creatuvres þ at repenten & to mansed men myscheffe att theyre ende for goddes bodye myght noght be off bred w yt h -ouvte clargye the wyche bodye ys bothe boote to the ryghtffull & dethe & dampnatyon to theym þ at dye yuvell as crystes carectes conforted & bothe cuvlpable shewed the woman þ at þe Iewes broght þ at Iesus thoght to sauve nolite Iudicare et non Iudicabimini · & c etera.// ryght so goddes bodye body bretheren but ytt be worthylye taken dampnethe vs att þe day off dome as þe carectes dyd þe Iewes forthy I couvnseyle þe for crystes sake clargey to louve for kynd wytt ys off hys kynne & nyghe cosuvns bothe to our lorde leuve me / louve þem forthy for-þi loue hem I redde for bothe be as myrrouvrs to amend our defauvtes & leyders for lewde men & for lettered bothe forthy lack þ ou neu er logyk law ne thes his costomes ne contrepleyde clerkes I couvnseyle þe for euver for as a man may noght see þ at myssethe hys eyne no more can a no clarke but but if he caght ytt it first thrugh bokes all -thogh men made bokes god was þe master & seynt spyryte hys samplarye & sayde whatt me n shuolde wryte & ryght as syght seruvethe a man to see þe hye streete ryght so leydethe lettuvre letterure lewde men to reason & as a blynd man In batell beyrethe weypen to fyght & hathe no happe w yt h hys axe hys enmye to hytte no more can a kynd wytted man but clerkes hym teyche come for all hys kynd wytte to creystendome & be sauved whyche ys þe coffre off crystes treasouvr & clerkes kepe þe kayes to vnlocken ytt atot G.13.118: Note the double-lobed <a>, in att, a letter form not normally used by the original scribe but occasionally employed for corrections (presumably because it was clearer). tlhey r ~~poeple~~lykynge G.13.118: The final backward curving flourish on the <g> of lykynge has been interpreted as a residual <e>. The original reading of the first half line appears to have been to vnlocken ytt to ley poeple. & to þe lewde poeple gyffe m ercye for þer myssdedes yff men ytt wole aske boxomeleche & beny nglyche and bydden ytt off grace archa dei / In þe old lawe leuvytes ytt kepten had neu er lewde man leuve to ley hand on þe cheyste but he were preste or prestes sonne / p atriarke /or p rophete for claregy ys keper vndre cryste off heyuven was þ er neu er no knyght but claregye hym made butt Ac kynd wytt comethe off alkynnes syghtes off bryddes & off bestes off tastes off trewthe & of deceytes lyuvyers before to-forn vs vseden the to marke the selcouvthes þ at þei see þ er sonnes to for to G.13.129: L originally shared the G reading to for remaining manuscripts forto, but for has been added above the line. teyche and helde an it an hyghe scyence theyr wyttes to knowe as Ac thrugh theyr scyence sothely was neu er so lewle sauved ne broght by þ er bokes to blysse ne to Ioy for all theyre kynd knowyng comethe come G.13.133: As far as the majority of manuscripts are concerned, the verb ( come) is presumably in the preterite, though for some (L M Cr W Hm) where come follows a plural subject the present tense plural is possible. The G scribe, who uses -e or -en or zero for the plural, clearly intends a present tense singular. but off dyu ers syghtes patryarkes & p rophetes rep rouved theyre scyence & seyden þ er wordes ne þ er wyssdomes were not nas but a folye & as And As to þe clargy off cryste ys couvnted but a tryfuvll sapientia hui us mu ndi stulticia est apud deum et c etera deum // for þe hyghe holygoste holy goste heyuven shall to -cleuve and louve shall leype oute after In -to þis lowe yerthe and cleynnesses shall cacchen ytt & clerkes shall yt fynd pastores loquebantur ad Inuicem et c etera // he speykethe þer off ryche men noght ne off ryght wyttye ne off lordes þ at were lewdemen lewde men but but of þe hyeste lettered oute Ibant magi ab oriente et c etera // yff any frere were fond there I gyuve þe fyuve fyngers shillynges ne In no beggers cote was þ at barne borne but I n a burgeys place off bethelem the best set no n erat locus In diuersorio & paup er no n h abet diu ersoriu m. // to pastouvrs & to poeet es appered the angell & bad theym go to bethelem goddes byrthe to honouvre & song a song off solasce / gloria in excelsis deo .// clerkes knewen ytt well & came w yt h theyr p resentes & dyd theyr homage honerably to hym þ at was almyghtye G.13.154: This line, found only in β4 manuscripts, is treated by Kane and Donaldson and Schmidt as spurious. & goddys sonne þ at syttethe yn heyuven & shall sauve vs all whye I haue tolde þe all þis I toke full good hede howe þ ou contraryest clarelgy w yt h crabbed wordes how þ at lewde men lyghlyer liȝtloker G.13.157: For the G spelling lyghlyer (without medial <t>), see note to G.1.150. þen lettered were sauved then clerkes or kynd wytted men off crysten poeple & þ ou seydest sothe off some but ac se ytt se se ȝit yn whatt man er ere manere maner e G.13.159: G's original manere has been re-outlined in black ink. The new version adds an unnecessary abbreviation and the mark for this is more elaborate than is usual. See note to G.13.57. take two strong men & In temse cast them bothe And bothe naked as a nelde no n her none sykerer then other þe Þat on hathe co nnyng & can smwymmyn & dyuven þe Þat other ys lewde off þ at labour & lerned lerned neu er to swy mme wyche trowesthowe off þes þo two In temse ys yn most drede he þ at neu er dyuved ne noght can off swymmynge or þe swy mmere þ at ys sauve so bi so hym -seluve lyke the rys Þere G.13.167: Kane and Donaldson record G's reading here as an alteration of thes to ther. However, the <s> does not appear to have been deleted and the addition above the line is clearly ry (note the dot above the <y> and the tail curling round to the right). It seems likely that this is an erroneous correction and that the resultant ys duplicates following hys (cf. M There is felawe beside the L reading Þere his felaw). The scribe may have become confused because of the form of the pronoun. Forms without h- in G are clearly not his own although they do occur occasionally (as at G.13.257) and were presumably found in his exemplar. hys felow fletethe forthe as þe flouvde lykethe & ys In drede to drenche þ at neu er dyd swy mme þ at swy mme can noght ytt I seide it semethe to my wyttes ryght so q uod þe renvke re[n]ke Renk e reason ytt showethe that he þ at knowethe claregy can soner aryse oute off synne & be sauve thoghe he synne offte yff hym lykethe & lyst þen any lewde leally for yff a þe clerke be co nnyng he knowethe what ys synne and how co ntrycyon w yt h -owte co nfessyon co nfortethe þe souvle þ ou As þow and þu seest yn þe sauvter In psalmes on or twey how contrycyon ys co mmendyd ytt for it cacchethe away synne beati quoru m remisse sunt Iniquitates et quorum quor um tecta et c etera // & þis co nfortethe eche vch a clerke & cou erethe hym fro whanhope In wyche floode þe fende fondethe a man hardest there þe lewde lyen lith styll & loken loketh after lenten lente & hathe no co ntrycyon er he go come to shryfte þen & þanne can he lytle tell & as hys loores man lernethe leres hym beleuvethe & trowethe & þ at ys after p ersone or p erysshe preeste & perauventure vnco nnyng to leere lewde men as luke beyrethe wyttnes dum cecus ducit cecum et c etera ·// wo was hym marked þ at wade motvste w yt h the lewde well may þe berne blysse þ at hym to boke sette þ at lyuvyng G.13.189: There is a vertical mark in the text between "living" and "after," possibly the first stroke of a letter which was then abandoned. after letterure sauved hym lyuve & souvle dominus pars hereditatis mee & c etera ys a myry versett that hathe taken fro tyburne xxti twenti strong theuves ther lewde theuves ben ~~saued~~ lolled vp loke how þei be sauved the theffe þ at had grace off god on good fryday as þ ou spake was for he yolde hym creante to cryste on þe cros & knew hy m gylty & grace axed off god & he ys euver redye þ at boxomely byddethe ytt & and ben In wyll to amend hym hem and thogh þ at theffe had heyuven he had no hygh blysse as seynt Ihon & other seyntes þ at des eruved ytt hadde better ryght as some men gyuve me meyte & sytt sette me amydde þe floore Iche haue meyte more þen Inoghe but ac not so moche worshyppe as tho þ at sytten at þe table w yt h or with sou eregnes yn of the hall but sytt as beggers bredles bordelees by my -seluve on the grownde so ytt farethe by þ at felon þ at on goodfryday good fryday was sauved he syttethe not neither by seynt Ihon nether symon Symonde ne Symond ne Iuvde ne w yt h meydens ne martyres co nfessouvrs ne wydowes by But by hym -selfe as a soleyn and s eruved on the yerthe for he þ at ys onesce a theffe ys eu er -more In dauvngere and as lawe lykethe to lyuve or to dye de peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu & c etera metu // and for to s eruve a seynte & suoyche a theffe to -gedders ytt were nether reason ne ryght to reward þem bothe ylyche and as riȝt as troianus þe trewe knyght tylde not depe In hell but Þat our lorde had ne had hym lyghtlyche oute so leuve I þe theffe thef be yn heyuven G.13.213: The line is too long and wraps around. The last two words are written underneath the rest of the line and are boxed in grey ink. for he ys In þe lowest heyuven yff our byleuve be trewe & well lowselyche he lollethe þ er by by þe law off holye churche omnia Quia Qui reddit vnicuiq ue Iuxta op er a G.13.216: It seems probable that the need for the line through the tail of the of op era was recognised by the scribe as he wrote the following line i.e. when he had already returned to his ordinary ink. sua & c etera // & why þ at on theffe on the cros creau nt G.13.217: For the G scribe's treatment and use of superscript <a> (the abbreviation mark here), see note to G.4.156. hym yelded rather then þe þat other theffe thogh þ ou wold apposse all þe clarkes vndre cryste ne couvld þe skylle assoyle quare placuit quia voluit et c etera voluit // and so I say by þe þ at sekest after þe whyes and reasonedest aresonedest reason a rebukyng as ytt were & off þe flouvres yn þe frythe & off þ i er G.13.223: The spelling of þi er is unusual for the G scribe ("their" usually has - ei- rather than -ie-) and the position of the immediately before the supralinear abbreviation for <er> suggests that it is an afterthought and that the scribe originally read the word as þer="there." feyre hewes whereoff þei cacche theyr colouvrs so fayre clere & so bryght & wyllest of bryddes & bestes & off þeir bredyng knowe whye some be a -lowe & some be a -lofte alofte þi lykyng yt were & off þe stones & and of þe sterres / thow studyest as I wene leue how eu ery euere beaste or byrde hathe so breeme wyttes clargye ne kynd wytt witte ne knewe neu er the cauvse but Ac kynd knowethe ytt þe cause hym -seluve & no creature elles he ys þe pyes patrone & puttethe In hys hire yere that þ er þe thorne ys thyckest to bylden & breede & kynd kennethe þe peycocke to kauken In suoyche a kynde & kenned adam to knowe hys pryuvye membres and taght hym & euve to hyllen þem w yt h leyuves lewde men manye tymes masters apposen why adam hylled not furste hys mouvthe or þ at þat hete G.13.237: The G scribe's reading or þ at (for most manuscripts þat) followed by deleted <h> suggests that he anticipates a line with the meaning "Why Adam didn't cover his mouth before he ate the apple" instead of Bx's "Why Adam didn't cover his mouth that ate the apple." The scribe writes or þ at for "before" and is about to write he but realises this is not in his exemplar and changes it to ete. þe apple rather then hys lykhame a -lowe / lewde axen thuvs clerkes kynd knowethe whye he dyd so & no clerke elles but Ac off bryddes & off beastes men off by olde tyme ensamples token & termes as tellen thees poett es ~~& that the fayrest sothell off flyght ys þ at flyethe or swy mmethe~~ & that the fayrest sothel y foule G.13.241: The <y> of G sothely, which has had to be squashed in and which is therefore very small, is clearly a later addition. It is, however, in the same ink as the original and presumably results from the scribe's attempt to make sense of sothel, a misreading of fowel. þe fowlest Ingenderethe & febelest fowle off flyght ys þ at flyethe or swy mmethe that And þat ys the peycock & þe powen prouvde ryche men þei betokene for For þe peycock yff and men pursewe hym may noght flye hyghe for For þe trauvylyng traillyng off hys teyle ouver -taken ys he sone & hys flesshe ys fowle flesshe & hys feete bothe & vnlouvelyche off leden / & laythe for to here ryght so the ryche yff he hys ryches kepe & deale deleth ytt noght tyll hys dethe day hys þe tayle off all sorowe ryght as þe pennes off þe peycock peined paineth hym In hys flyght so ys possessyon peyne off pey nnes or and off nobles to all þem þ at þat it holden to til þeir taylles taille be pluvcked & thogh þe ryche repent þen & rewe birewe the tyme þ at eu er he gadered so greate & gauve þ eroff so lytle thogh he crye to cryste cryst þanne w yt h kene wyll I leeuve ys leden ys In our lordys yere G.13.257: The deletion of initial <y> of yere is in black ink. It seems unlikely to be have been carried out by the original scribe since he regularly uses <yere> for "ear" (and note his addition of <y> to eyre ("ear") at G.21.131). Since hand3 uses black ink, he may have been responsible for this alteration. lyke a peyse pyes G.13.257: G's muddle over B pyes (="magpie's"), which he transcribes as peyse, probably results at least in part from the loss of the following word ("chittering" or "chattering") from a high proportion of B manuscripts (L C G O C 2 Y B R). At G.13.231 G shares the majority reading pyes. & when hys caryon G.13.258: The double-lobed <a> in caryon is unusual and may result from a correction (from <o>?). shall come In cauve to be buryed I leuve yt flauvmbe full fowle foule þe folde all abowte & all other þe other þ er he it lyethe e nuvenymethe thrugh hys acter a[t]ter attere by þe poo feete ys vndrestand as I lerned In auynette execuvtors false frendes þ at fullfylnot fullfyl not hys wyll that was wryten & þ er þei wyttnes to worche as yt wolde þis Þus G.13.264: For the G scribe's use of "this" for most manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. þe poett p rouvethe þ at þe peycock for hys feythers ys reuverensed G.13.264: The cross at the bottom right hand corner of the page is in modern pencil. ryght so ys þe ryche by þe bi reason G.13.265: The word reason has been re-outlined in blacker ink. off hys goodes the larke þ at ys a lasse fowle ys more louvelyche off leden & well away off weynge G.13.267: The <y> of wynge has been touched up by the brown ink corrector who has partly filled in the loop left by the original <e>. swyfter þen the peycocke and off flesshe by fell fele G.13.268: For G's treatment of B fele (here G Cr fell), see note to G.4.349. folde fatter & swetter to lowe lyuvyng men þe larke ys resembeled alyzandre Arestotle þe greate clere cler[k]e clerke suoyche tales tellethe thuvs he lykenethe hyn hys logyk þe leeste soghell foule G.13.271: The G scribe, or an ancestor of this scribe, presumably interpreted Bx foule as a form of "soul," hence soghell. ouvte & whedre he be sauve or noght þe sothe whoote þe no clargye ne off sortes ne salomon no scrypture can tell but Ac god ys so good I hope þ at sythen he gauve þem wyttes to wyssen vs wayes w yt h þ ere-with þ at wysen vs to be sauved & þe better for theyr bokes to bydde we be holden that god for hys grace gyuve theyr souvles rest for lettered men were lewde yet ner e G.13.278: The type of abbreviation used for final <e> on ner e (a bar over the <r>) is unusual for this scribe. loore off þeir bokes all þes clarkes q uod I tho that on cryste G.13.279: The second, fourth and fifth letters of cryste have all been re-outlined in black ink. leeuven syggen yn þ er sermon es þ at no sarezenes ne Iewes ne no creature of crystes lyknes w yt houte crystendome worthe sauved contra q uod Imagynatyuve & þo and comsed to for to louvre and seyde saluabitur vir vix Iustus in die Iudicij ergo saluabitur q uod he & sayd no more laten troianus was a trew knyght & toke neu er crystendome & he ys sauve so sayethe the booke & hys souvle In heyuven for þ er ys fullyng off fonte and fullyng In bloodshedyng blood shedyng & thrugh fuyre G.13.288: The two dots over the <y> of fyre are unusual but are presumably present to make it absolutely clear what letter the corrector intended. ys fullyng and þ at ys ferme byleuve aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens set illuminans & c etera // but Ac trewthe þ at tresspassed neu er ne trauversed agey nst hys lawe and But lyuvethe as hys lawe teychethe & leuvet .h þ er be no n bettre and yff þ er were he wolde amend & In suoche wyll dyethe ne wolde neu er trewe god but trewthe were alowed and were ytt worthe or noght worth nouȝt þe byleuve ys greate of trewthe and an hope hangyng þ er -yn to hauve mede for hys trewthe quia deus dicit dicit ur quasi quasi dans vitam eterna m suis hoc est fidelib us et alibi si ambulauero In medio vmbre mortis et c etera // the glosse grauvntethe vs on vpon þ at vers a greate mede G.13.298: The <d> of mede has been re-outlined in grey ink. to trewthe & wytt & wyssdome q uod þ at vyȝe wye G.13.299: G's vyȝe may simply be a back spelling; note the frequent use of <w> for <v> (see Introduction III.4.2). was some -tyme treysorye tresore to kepe wythe a co me n no catell katel was holden better & moche muvrthe & manhoode & ryght w yt h þ at he wanesshed explicit quintus passus de dowell . // G.14.1: A mark is present in the upper right hand corner, possibly a <c>. There seems to be no codicological reason for its presence. And I awaked ther -w yt h wyttles nerhande and as a freyke þ at free were forthe G.14.2: The <r> and <t> of forthe have been re-outlined in black ink. gan I walke In man er off a mendynant many yeres ȝere after & off thys metyng many tymes tyme moche thoght I hadde furst how fortuvne me faylled at my most nede & how þ at elde manesed me we myght neuver mete & how þ at freres folowden folke þ at were was ryche & folke þ at was pouvre att lytle pryce they sett & no corps In theyre kyrkyarde ne In theyr kyrke was buryed but quvycke he byquvethe ought hem auȝte or or shulde helpe quvyte þ er dett es & how couvetyse ou ercame clerkes & preestes & how þ at lewde men be ladde but our lorde þem helpe thrughe vnco nnyng cuvratours to vncuvrable paynes & how þ at ymagynatyve In dremles me tolde off kynd & off co nnyng & how couvrteys he ys to beestes & how louvyng he ys to bestes on land & on water leynvethe Leneth he no lyffe lasse ne more þe creatures þ at crepen off kynd beene engendered and sythe how Imagynatyve sayde vix G.14.19: The left hand side of the <x> of vix is faint and may have been subject to erasure (leaving vir, as in G.13.283). Iustus saluabitur . // & when he had seyde so how sodenlyche he passed I lye G.14.21: The form lye is a possible preterite of the verb "to lie." See G.17.266 and note to G.6.224. downe long yn þis thoght & at þe last I slepte & as cryste wold wolde þere coame G.14.22: The top loop of the double-lobed <a> in the alteration of come to came together with the descender have been added in black ink. The alteration is very neat and it seems probable that it was carried out by the scribe who added the marginalia in an italic hand on ff.42 v

etc. (i.e. hand3). conscyence to co nforte me þ at tyme & bad me come to hys couvrte w yt h clargye shuvlde I dyne & for co nscyence off claregy spake / I come G.14.24: It appears from Kane and Donaldson's edition that G omits "come" but that is not the case. wyll wel þe rather & þ er I sygh a mastre what man he was I nyste that low lowted & louvelyche to scrypture co nscyence knewe hym well & welcomede hym fayre they wasshede n & wypeden & wenten to dynner but Ac pacyence In þe paleyesce stoode In pylgrymes clothes and preyed meyte p ar for pur por charyte for a pouvre heremyte co nscyence called hym yn & couvrtesslyche sayed welcome wysse wye go & whasshe you þow G.14.32: The correct reading is clearly þow (as remaining B manuscripts), but the use of inline <ou> instead of superscript makes it clear that the G scribe has misread this word as "you." For scribal practice in this matter, see note to G.3.118. shallt sytt sone thys master was made sytte & for þe most worthye the n G.14.34: G's original reading the (i.e. the reading without added macron) is unique. clargy & co nscyence & pacyence cam affter pacyence & I were put to be macches & sytten seten by our -seluve att a syde boorde co nscyence called after meyte & þen came scrypture and s eruved þem þus soone w yt h of sondrye meytes manye off austyne & of ambros & ambrose off all þe foure euvangelytstes edentes et bibentes que apud eos sunt & Ac thys master ne hys man no maner flesshe eyten but Ac þei eyte meyte off more coste mortrases mortrewes G.14.42: G uses the plural mortrases (i.e. "stews" as opposed to "stew"), while the reading of the remaining manuscripts (i.e. mortrewes) is a singular (see OED mortress, n. ). & potages off þ at men mysswonne þei made them well att easse & Ac theyr sauvce was eu er souvre and vnsauvourly grouvnde In a morter post mortem off manye byttre paynes peyne but yff they syng for tho souvles & wepe salte teyres vos qui peccata hominu m comeditis nisi p ro eis lacrimas & or ac iones effuderitis G.14.47: The M and Hm correctors both delete the letter <n> from original effunderitis, thus bringing their reading into line with that of G and other β4 manuscripts. Remaining manuscripts have the form with <n>. ea que In dilicijs comoedetis in torme n tis euometis :// conscyence couvrtesly tho co mmanded scrypture before pacyence bredde to bryng & me that was hys make he sett a souvre loofe afore to-for vs & sayde agite penetentiam // & sythe he drew vs drynke diu dia G.14.51: In both M and Bm, the reading diu (shared with G O C 2) results from correction, in the case of M from the majority B reading dia. The G M O C 2 B reading is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. perseuerans // as long q uod I as y lyuve & lygham may dure G.14.52: There is a line running from the top of the page to the place where this line should be inserted. here ys propre s eruvyce q uod pacyence þ er fareth no knyght prynce bettre & then he broght forthe other meyte off niserere [m]iserere Mis erere mei deus : and G.14.55: β4 manuscripts lack "he brought vs" after "and." beati of Beati quoru m off beatus vir ~~In a dysshe~~ makyng et quoru m tecta sunt peccata In a dysshe off derne shryfte dixi and confitebor tibi bryng pacyence some pytance pryuvylye q uod co ncyence and then came to pacyence a pytance y -broghte off p ro hoc orabit ad te o mnis sanctus in temp ore oportuno// and co nscyence co nforted vs & carped vs mery tales cor contritum et humiliatum deus non dispicies:// pacyence was prouvde off that p ropre s eruvyce & made hym myrthe w yt h hys meyte but ac I moned morned G.14.64: Kane and Donaldson interpret G's reading as moued rather than moned, but compare G's reading mowne at G.14.194. eu er for thys doctor on þe hygh dayes dronke wyne so faste ve vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum et c etera vinu m // he eyte manye sondrye meytes mortreses mortrewes G.14.67: For G mortreses (for remaining B manuscripts mortrewes), see note to G.14.42. & puddyng es wombe clouvtes and wylde brauvne & egges fryed w yt h greyce þen sayd I to my -selfe so pacyence ytt herde ytt ys not fouvr dayes þ at þis freyke before þe deane of pouvles preyched off pennances þ at paule þe apostle suffered In fame & fryigore G.14.72: With the exception of the very first stroke, the whole of the <y> of original frygore has been crossed out and a dot added to the resulting . The G scribe does not normally use spellings in <y> for Latin. & shflap pes G.14.72: The initial <s> has been provided with a cross bar, the bottom of the <h> has been deleted and an additional line through the loop of the has created a double letter (all in black ink) (result: flappes). off scouvrges ter cesus sum & a Iudeis qui nquies quadragenas et c etera // but Ac on worde þei ou erhyppen at eche tyme þ at G.14.73: F shares G's original reading (i.e. tyme rather than tyme þ at ). G's corrected reading corresponds to that of remaining B manuscripts. þei preychen that poule In hys pystle to all G.14.75: O C 2 F share G's original reading (i.e. to). The correction (to to all) brings G's reading into line with that of remaining B manuscripts. þe poeple tolde periculum est in falsis fratribus ·// holy wrytt byddethe men beware I wole not wryte ytt here oIn englysshe Inf in an yn en G.14.78: The ink used for added in suggests a correction by the original scribe, but the use of a lower case suggests otherwise. However, the choice of letter may simply result from lack of room for a capital. auventure ytt were sholde be rehersed offte to ofte & greuve therw yt h þ at goode beene but ac gramaryens shuolde shul rede vnusquisq ue a f ratre suo se suo se G.14.80: The word suo has been crossed out in the usual greyish ink and a caret mark inserted, but the word stet has been written above the deleted word, also in grey ink. This practice presumably comes from printing and is a very early usage; the earliest instance cited by the OED is in the mid-eighteenth century (though the quotation in question clearly refers to a practice already established). custodiat quia vt dicitur p ericulu m e st in falsis fratribus I Ac I sagh wist neuver freyke þ at as a frere yede en englysshe byfore men bifor men on englissh take ytt for hys teme & tell ytt w yt h -oute glosyng they preychen þ at pennance ys p rofetable to the soule and what mysscheffe & malyce malese G.14.84: Given the G scribe's spelling practices (see Introduction III.2), it is difficult to be certain that the the G reading malyce is actually a different lexical item from that of Bx malese. cryste for man tholed but Ac þus þis G.14.85: G's use of "thus" for remaining manuscripts "this," is probably a back formation, resulting from frequent G use of "this" for "thus." See note to G.4.76. goddes glotton q uod I w yt h hys greate chekes hathe no pyte on vs pouvre men he p erfouvrmethe yuvell that he preychethe he p rouvethe noght to pacyence I tolde and wyssed wisshed G.14.88: As far as G at least is concerned, the shared G C reading wyssed (for most manuscripts wishhed) is not necessarily a substantive variant, since at some stage in the G tradition <s> was clearly often used for <sh> (see Introduction III.4.1). wytterly wythe wyll full egre that dysshes & dublers before thys ylke doctor were molten leade In hys mawe & mawhouvnde yn þe mydest amyddes I shall Iangell to þis Iordane w yt h hys Iuvste wombe to tell me whatt pennance ys off wyche he preyched rather pacyence p erceyuved watt I thoght & wynked on me to be stylle & sayd þ ou shalte see þis þus G.14.94: For the G scribe's use of "this" for most B manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. soone when he may no more he shall haue a pennance In hys pauvnche & puffe at eche worde & þen shall hys guvttes grothell gothele godele & he shall galpen after for now he hathe dronke so deepe he wyll denye dynye deuyne G.14.97: The Bm Bo reading dynye may be equivalent to G denye, though it is not recorded as a spelling variant of "deny" by either the OED or the MED. Most B manuscripts read deuyne. soone and prouve ytt by theyre apocuvlyppes pocalips apocalipsis & passyon off seynte auveryze Auereys G.14.98: In G Cr 23, aueryze presumably means "avarice" (as far as G is concerned, note the spelling at G.15.250), but whether this should be considered a variant reading depends on the interpretation of the majority B reading Auereys. See Schmidt's note to this line. that nether bakon ne brawne blankmangere ne morteresse ys nether fysshe ne flesshe but foode for a penauvnte & then shall he testyfye off a trynyte & take hys felowes to wyttnes what he fouvnde In a freyle after freres leyuvyng lyuyng G.14.102: The G C 2 R reading leyuyng (for most B manuscripts lyuyng) is not necessarily a substantive variant since forms of "live" in <e>/<ey> are possible. See OED live, v. 1 and LALME 1, Dot Map 467. but And but yff þe furste leyeffe lyne lyue lif G.14.103:The G O C 2 Cot reading leyeffe, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson, is also the reading of Cx. Remaining B manuscripts read lyne, lyue or lif. be lesyng leuve me neu er after & then ys tyme to take & to appose thys doctor off dowell & dobett er & yff dobest G.14.105: The end of the word dobest has been re-outlined in black. be be any pennance & I sett st .yll as pacyence seyde & and þus soone þus þis G.14.106: The G scribe's use of "thus" for most manuscripts "this" is probably a back formation reflecting frequent G use of "this" for "thus." See note to G.4.76. doctouvr as ruvddy as a roos ruvbbed hys chekes coghed & carped & co nscyence hym herde & tolde hym off a trynyte & towarde vs he loked what ys dowell s yr doctoivr q uod I ys dowell any pennace penna[n]ce penaunce dowell q uod thys doctouvr & toke þe covppe G.14.111: The ink colour used for the change from coppe to cvppe is not quite the same as that normally used for corrections by hand1.1, but the form and type of correction are typical of this corrector. See, e.g., the similar change at G.11.318. & dranke do non yuvell to þi euven -crystyen t noght to by thye power by þis day s yr doctouvr q uod I then be ye noght In dowell for ye han harmed vs two In that ye yete þe puddyng mortres & other meyte & we no mo rssell hade & yff you ȝe G.14.116: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. fare so In your fermyerye farlye me thynkethe but chest chest be theyre charyte shuolde be & chyldre dorste playne I wold p ermuvte my pennance w yt h yours ȝowre I for I am In poynt to dowell then conscyence couvrteslyche a couvntenance made and preynte vp -on pacyence to prey me be styll and seyde hym -selffe s yr doctour & yff and ytt be your wyll whatt ys dowell dobett er and dobet ye deuvynours knowen dowell q uod thys doctour do as clerkes teychen & dobett er ys he þ at teychethe & trauveylethe to teyche other & do -best hym -seluve doth hym-self so as he sayethe & teychethe precheth N ota G.14.126: The symbol expanded here as "Nota" corresponds to that found at G.11.193, which Benson and Blanchfield interpret as "Nota." See note to that line. qui facit et docuerit magnus vocabitur in regno celoru m. // now þ ou clargy q uod co nscyence carpethe carpe vs carpest watt ys dowell I haue seyuven sonnes he sayed s eruven att a castell ther þe lorde off lyffe wonnethe to lerne þem watt ys dowell tyll I see thos þo seyuven & my -seluve accorden I am vnhardye q uod he to any wyght to p reuve ~~nte~~ G.14.131: The letters <nte> appear to have been crossed out more than once, both horizontally in black ink and vertically with thin lines in brown ink. Presumably the scribe originally read "preven it" as "prevent it." Note also that the form of the plus bar is that normally used as the abbreviation for pro (see, e.g., p rouysours at G.4.148), but the scribe must originally have intended the abbreviation here to represent <pre> (i.e. p revente rather than p rovente) . ytt for on pyers þe plowman hathe ympuv n gned vs all and sett all scyenses att a soppe sauve louve alone one & no text ne takethe to meynteygne hys cauvse but dilige deum and domine quis habitabit et c etera// & sayethe þ at dowell & dobett er are two Ins ermytyes In[fyn]ytyes infinites G.14.136: Kane and Donaldson read G Infinytyes but the scribe has clearly written a long <s> with a slanting bar to indicate an abbreviation of er. Compare, e.g., the similar abbreviations at G.1.95 and contrast with <fy>- in fynden at G.14.137. Where the language is English, the G scribe normally uses <y> rather than after <f>. Note also the apparent correction to the word Infynytes in the following line. wyche Inf .ynytes G.14.137: For the G scribe's problems with the word "infinities," see previous line. w yt h a faythe fynden oute dobeste wych shall haue saue mannes souvle þus sayethe pyers plowman I can not heyren her-on q uod co nscyence but ac I knowe pyers plowman pieres he wyll nott ageynst holy wrytte speke I dare dar wel vndretake þen passe we ou er tyll pyers come & p reuve we þus þis In dede pacyence hathe bynne In manye places & p erauve nture knowethe þ at no clere cler[k]e clerke ne can as cryste beyrethe wyttnes pacientes vincunt et c etera att your p reyere q uod pacyence þen þo so no man dyspleasse hym disce q uod he doce & dilege dil[i]ge dilige inimicos disce & dowell doce & dobett er dilige & dobest thus taght me onesce a leymman þ at I louved louve was hyr name w yt h wordes & werkes q uod she & louve wille off thyne herte thow louve leally thye soule all thy lyffe tyme and so þ ou lere þe to louve for þe lordes louve off heyuven thyne enmye In all wyse euvene -forthe w yt h thy -seluven cast coles on hys heyde & all kynd speches speche both w yt h worke & worde fonde hys louve to wynne & ley on hym þus w yt h louve tyll he laghe on the & but he bowe for þis beytyng blynd mote he worthe but Ac to for to fare þus w yt h thye frende folye ytt were for he þ at louvethe þe leally lytle off thyne couvetethe kynd louve couvetethe naght no catell but speche wyth halfe a loumvnge laumpe G.14.161: Kane and Donaldson see the <g> and the <e> of G lovnge as resulting from an alteration by the main scribe. However, though the alteration of <um> to <vng> has been carried out in the brown ink used by hand1.1 (i.e. the original scribe making later spelling corrections), the final <e>, though dark, is written in the usual grey-black ink, and thus appears to be original. lyne In laten ex vi transi cionis // I bere therynne a beauvte aboute a beaut fast y -bouvnde doowell In a sygne off aþe saterday þ at sett furst þe kalendre & all þe wytt off þe wensday off þe next weke after the mydle off þe moone ys þe myght off bothe & ther here w yt h am I welcome ther I haue ytt w yt h me vndoo ytt lett þis doctour deme yff dowell be theryn for by hym þ at me made myght neu er pouverte myssease ne myscheffe ne man w yt h hys tonge colde ne care ne companye off theuves ne neyther he ate ne haelle ne non hell pouvke ne nother fyre ne floode ne feere off thyne enmye teene þe att any eny tyme & þ ou take ytt w yt h the charitas nichil timet et c etera timet // ytt ys but a dido q uod thys doctour a dysouvrs tale all þe wytt off þis worlde & wyght men es strenght can not co nfyrme confourmen a peasce betwene þe pope & hys enmyes ne betwene two crysten kynges can no wyght peasce make p rofytable to eyther poeple & put þe table fro hym & toke claregy & conscyence to couvnseale as ytt were that pacyence þo movste passe for pylgrymes can kunne wel lye but Ac co nscyence carped louvde & couvrteslyche sayde Freendes farethe well & fayre spake to claregye for I wyll goo w yt h thys goome yff god wyll gyve me grace & be pylgryme w yt h pacyence tyll I haue p rouved more what q uod clargye to coscyence co[n]scyence conscience are you ȝe G.14.186: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. couvetouvs nowe nouthe G.14.186: For G Cr nowe for remaining manuscripts nouthe, see note to G.4.295. after yersgyfftes ȝeresȝyues yeresegyft and gyfftes or yerne to rede rydylles I shall bryng you a byble a boke off þe old lawe & lerne lere you yff you lyke þe best poynt to knowe that pacyence þe pylgryme p erfyttly knewe neu er nay by cryst q uod co nscyence to claregye god þe foryelde For all þ at pacyence me p roferethe prouvde am I but lytle but Ac þe wyll off þe wyȝe & þe wyll off folke here hathe mouved my moode to mowne mourne G.14.194: For G "moan" (for Bx "mourn"), compare the reading at G.14.64. for my synnes þe good wyll off a wyght was neu er boght to þe full for þ er ys no treasouvr ther -to to a trewe wyll had not mary nouȝt magdelyne more for a box off saluve then sacheuvs for he seyde dimidiu m bonoru m meoru m do paup erib us and þe pouvere wydowe for a payere off mytes þen all þo þ at offered yn -to gazaphilacium.// thuvs couvrteslyche co nscyence conge ryde the fyrst þe frere and syth sothelyche softliche sotlyche he seyde In clargyes yere me were lyu er by our lorde and I lyuve sholde haue pacyence p erfyttly þen halffe þi packe off bokes clergye off co nscyence no congye wolde take but seyd full sobrelyche þ ou shalte see þe tyme when þ ou arte wery for -walked wylne me to couvnseyle thys Þat ys sothe q uod co nscyence so me god helpe yff pacyence be our p artyng felowe & pryuvye w yt h vs bothe there ys no wo In þis worlde þ at we ne shuolde amende and co nfyrmen confourmen kyng es to peasce & all kynnes landes sarazenes & surrye & so forthe all the Iewes torne In -to þe trew faythe & In - to til oone byleuve that ys sothe q uod clargye I se what þ ou meynest I shall do well dwelle as I doo my deuvoyer to showe & co nfouvrme n confermen fantykynnes & other folke lered ylered tyll pacyence haue p rouved þe & p erfytt þe maked conscyence þo w yt h pacyence passed pylgrymes as þei it were then had pacyence as pylgrymes hauve In hys pooke wytayles sobreete & symple speche & sothefast byleuve to co nforte hym & co nscyence yff they come In place þ er vnkyndnes & couvetyse þes are is hongre couvntreyes bothe & as þei went by þe way off dowell þei carped they mett w yt h a mynstrell as me tho thoght pacyence apposed hym furste & preyede he shold th yem tell to co nscyence watt craft he couvde & and to what couvntrey he wolde I am a mynstrell q uod þ at man my name ys / actiua vita : / all Idle y hate for off actyuve ys my name a wafrere wole þe ȝe G.14.229: The grammatical construction makes it clear that the correct reading is "will ye" (as all manuscripts except G), but the G scribe appears to have misread this as wole þe (i.e he reads the second element as either "thee" or "the"). The G scribe's practice is to use superscript letters after <þ> and inline letters after <y>. See note to G.3.118. wytt & s eruve many lordes and fewe robes I fonge or furred gownes couvlde I lye to do men laghe then lacchen I sholde other mantell or money amongest lordes mynstrell es but Ac for þ at I am I can nother taber ne trompe ne tell no gestes farten ne fythelen att feastes ne harpen Iape ne Iogle ne gentylyche pype ne neyther salye ne sawte ne syng w yt h þe gyttren I haue no goode gyfftes off thees greate lordes for no bred þ at I bryng forthe sauve a benyson on þe sonday when þe preste preyeth the poeple þe theyr her pater noster to bydde for pyres þe plowman and þ at hym p rofytt weyten and þ at I am actyuve & þat Idlenes hate for all trewe trauvylours & tyllouvrs off yerthe for Fro mychylmas to mychylmas I fynd them w yt h waffres beggers & bydders off my bred crauven Faytouvrs & freres and folke w yt h broode c rouvnes I fynd payne for þe pope & p rouvendre for hys palferey and I had neu er off hym haue god my tre wght nother prebend prouendre p rebendre ne p ersonage yet off of the popes gyfte sauve a p erdone w yt h a pece off leade and two polles In þe myddes amydde hatde eche a clere cler[k]e clerke þ at couvde wryte I wold cast hym a byll that he send sent G.14.251: The G B reading send (for most manuscripts sent) is ambiguous: the verb could be in the preterite or in the present tense. Note, however, that send does appear as a preterite in G in less ambiguous contexts (see G.8.23 and G.10.132). me vndre hys seale a saluve for þe pestylence and þ at hys blyssyng & hys bulles bocches myght destroye In nomine meo demonia eicient & sup er egros manus imponent et bene habebunt et c etera h abebunt G.14.253: The two rubricated lines are bracketed in red on the right. and then wold I be preste to þe poeple past for to make and buxome & bysye a -bouvte breyd & drynke for hym & for all hys / fond I that hys p erdone myght lechen a man as I beleuve ytt sholde for sythe he hathe þe power þ at petur hym -seluve hadde he hathe þe pott w yt h þe saluve sothely as me thynkethe argentu m et auru m non est michi quod autem habeo tibi do In nomine domini surge et ambula G.14.260: The two rubricated lines are bracketed in red on the right. but Ac yff myght off myracle fayle hym faille yt ys for me n be not worthy to haue þe grace off god and no gylt off the pope For may no blyssyng done vs bote but yff we wyll amend ne mannes masse make peasce amo ng crystene poeple tyll pryde be puvrelyche fordoo and þ at thrughe payne defauvte for er I haue bredde or of meyle erst most mote I sweyte and er þei come þe co mune haue corne Inowe many colde mornyng es mornyng so er my waffres be wroght moche wo I tholye all london I leeuve lykethe well my wafres and louvren when þei lacken ytt hem ytt ys not long passed there was a carefull come n when no carte cam to towne w yt h bredde fro strettforde then þo ganne beggers wepe & werkmen were agast a lytle þis wylbe wyl be thoght long In þe date off our drythe In a drye aprell a thowsand & thre huvndrethe twysse twenty & tenne my waffres were geyson when chechester was meyre I tooke goode kepe by cryste & conscyence bothe off haukyn þe actyuve man and how þ at he he was clothed he had a cyte cote off crystendome as holye churche byleuvethe but Ac ytt was moled In many places w yt h many sondry plaottes G.14.280: This and the two examples of "plots" in the following line have all been altered in the same way. Compare plottes at G.14.317 and note the different position of the line linking the vowel to the following <t>. off pryde here a plaotte & þ er a plaott off vnboxome speche off scornyng & off scoffyng & off vnscyllfull beyryng as yn apparell and In porte prouvde amo nge þe poeple other wayes wyse then he hathe w yt h herte or eyghe shewyng hym wyllyng þ at all men wend he were þ at he ys noght forthy For-why he bostethe & braggethe w yt h many greate bolde othes and Inobeydyent to to ben vndreno mme off any lyfe lyuvyng and so synguvler by hym -seluve ne non so pope holye habytyd Yhabited as an herymyte an ordre by hym -seluve relygyon sa a nsce G.14.290: The superscript <a> added by the brown ink corrector may be intended as an abbreviation mark (with resultant saun ce). For the treatment of superscript <a> in G, see notes to G.3.157, G.4.156, and Introduction IV.1.1. ruvle and reysonable obeydyence lakkyng lettered men & lewde men bothe In lykyng off leall lyfe and a lyere In souvle w yt h yn -wytt & w yt h oute -wytt ymageny ng ymagenen & stuodye as best for hys bodye be to haue a badde name & ent ermetten hym ou er all þ er he hathe nothyng nouȝt a doone to done wylnyng þ at men wend hys wytt were þe beste and yff he gyuvethe ought to þe to the pouvre gomes tell whatt he deylethe pouvre yn of possessyon yn pursce & In cofers bothe and as a lyon on to looke and lordlyche off speche boldest off beggers a booster þ at noght hathe In townes towne & In tau erens tales to tell and segge thyng es þinge G.14.302: Probably G interprets "thing" as an uninflected plural and therefore adds -es; see, e.g., G thynges for remaining manuscripts þyng at G.10.30. þ at he sygh neu er neuere seigh & for sothe sweyre ytt off dedys þ at he neu er dyd demen & bosten and off workes þ at he well dyd seggen witnesse & wyttnessen seggen loo yff þ ou leeuve me noght or þ at I lye wenest wene wenen G.14.305: The form of the verb used by G here (i.e. wenest) is consistent with the subject "thou." Most manuscripts read "ye" but all β4 manuscripts read "thou," though the form of the verb in witnesses other than G is either wene or, less acceptably, wenen. aske att hym or at hym and he you can tell what y suffered & seghe & some -tymes hadde & what I couvld & knewe & whatt kynne I cam off G.14.308: A line from the boxed section indicates where this material is to be inserted. all he wold þ at men wyst off werkes & off wordes wyche myght pleasse þe poeple & preysen hym -seluve G.14.310: The words hym -selue appear to have been re-outlined in black ink, before the corrector altered to <v>. si hominibus placerem Cristi seruus non essem et alibi: nemo potest duobus dominis s eruire G.14.312: The two rubricated lines are bracketed in red on the right. be cryst q uod conscyence þo thy best cote haukyn hathe many mooles & spottes ytt wold moste beene y -wasshen ye wo -so tooke kepe hede q uod haukyn byhynd & byfore whatt on backe & on what on bodye and by þe two sydes men sholde fynd many frouvnces & many foule plottes & he torned hym as tyte and then toke I hede yt was fowler by fell fele G.14.319: For G's treatment of B fele (here appearing as G Cr R fell), see note to G.4.349. folde that þan ytt fust fu[r]st firste semed G.14.319: A line leading from the boxed section indicates where this material should be inserted. ytt was by -dropped w yt h wrathe and wycked wyll w yt h enuvye & yuvell wyll speche entysyng to fyght lyeyng & laghyng and a and G.14.322: Kane and Donaldson state that G's added <a> is "above line main ink" but in fact the ink is brown. leeuve tong to chyde all þ at he wyst wycked by any wyght tell ytt and blame men byende þ er ~~l..~~ backes bakke & byd þem myschance and þ at he wyste by wyll / tellen ytt watt and þ at watt wyste / wyll wyste ytt after and made off frendes foos thrugh a falsce tonge or w yt h myght or of or w it h mowthe or w yt h þorugh mannes strenght auvenge me fell fele tymes or other freyte my -seluve w yt hyn as a shepster shepsteres shere I shrewed men & cuvrsed cui us malidictione os plenu m est et amaritudo amaritudi ne sub lingua eius & c etera et alibi : filij ho mi num dentes eoru m arma & sagitte I sagitte & G.14.332: Kane and Donaldson appear to read G's deleted as an ampersand, but although some form of et is the majority reading, the mark in the text is nothing like the G scribe's usual form for <&>. lingua eorum gladius acutus there ys no lyfe þ at I louve lastyng any whyle for tales þ at I tell no man truvstethe to me & when I may noght haue þe mastrye w yt h malyncoly I take that I cacche þe crampe þe cardyacle some -tyme or an aguve yn suoche a angre & some -tyme a feuver and Þat takethe me all a twelmonthe tyll þ at I dyspyse lechecrafte off our lorde & take me leue to on a wycche and segge þ at no clerke can ne can ne cryste as I leeuve to þe sowter off sothwarke off or of shordyche dame emme and segge þ at no goddes worde gauve me neu er boote but thrugh a charme had y chau nce & my cheffe heale I wayted more buvsyly wisloker bisiloker & þen was ytt soyled w yt h lykyng off leycherye and lokyng by lokyng off hys eyghe for eche vche a meyde þ at he mette he made hyr a sygne semyng to synwarde & some -tyme he gan taste abowte þe mowthe or bynethe begy nnethe to groope tyll ether wyll waxe waxeth kene & to þe werke yeden as well In fastyngdayes fastyng dayes as frydayes & other and forbydden nyghtes as And as well In lent as owte off lente all tymes ylyche suoche werkes w yt h them were neu er owte off season tyll þei myght no more & then hadde mery tales and how þ at lecherouvs louven laghen & Iapen & off þ er harlotrye & woredome yn theyr elde tellethe then pacyence p erceyuved off poyntes off hys cote was colomy thrugh couvetyse and vnkynd desyre desyrynge more to good þen to god þe gome hys louve cast and ymagened how he ytt myght haue w yt h falsce measuvrs and mett & w yt h falsce wyttnes leyned for louve off þe wedde & lothe to do trewthe & awayted thrugh wyche way to begyle and menged hys m archadyzes m archa[n]dyzes marchaundyse & made a good muvstre þe worste w yt hyn was a greate wyte I leete ytt and my neghbour had any hynde hyne or any beaste elles more p rofytable then myne many shley gthes I made how I myght haue ytt all my wytt I caste and but I hadde by other way att þe last I stale ytt or pryuvylyche hys pursce shooke G.14.369: The words "purse" and "shook" look as if they have been written as one, but that is just because the alteration adds a letter. vnpyked hys lockes or by nyght or by day a -bouvte was I euver thrugh gyle to geddre þe goode þ at y haue yff I yede to þe plouvghet I pynched so narowe that a foote land or a forowe facchen I wolde off my next neghbour nymen off hys yerthe and yff I reype ouverreyche & or gauve G.14.375: The alteration of gaue to gave has been made in black ink, and therefore does not appear to be part of the G scribe's later programme of spelling corrections. It may simply result from the correction by the original scribe of a poorly formed letter. þem rede þ at ropen & seyse to me w yt h my sycle þ at I sewe neuver & wo who-so borowethe off me abouvte aboughte þe tyme w yt h presentes pryuvylyche or payed so mme certayne so wold he or he nold wynne I wolde & bothe to kyth & to kynne vnkynd off þ at I hadde & wo -so cheypythe cheped my chaffayre chyden I wolde but he p rofered me to pay a pennye or tweyne more þen ytt was worthe & yet wolde I sweyre that ytt coste me moche more sware manye othes In halydayes yn at holychurche holy churche when I herd mas I had Hadde I neu er wyll woote god / wytterly to byseche m ercy for my myssdedes þ at I ne mouvrned more For losse off good leuve me then for my lyghames gylte giltes and As yff I had deydly synne done I drede noth G.14.389: For the spelling <<noth>, see note to G.12.236. þ at so soore & As when I leyned I and leeuved ytt lost / or long or yt were payed so yff I kydde any kyndnes myne euven -crysten to helpe vpon a cruvell couvetyse my herte gan hange & yff y sent ou er þe sey see my s eruvant es to brydgys or yn -to spruvce land Pruslonde sprws my prentyse my p rofytt to awayte wayten to m archandye marchaunden G.14.395: Forms of "marchandie" in -y( e are not recorded as verbs by either the MED or the OED but it seems likely that G's reading reflects the extension of such forms from the noun. Most B manuscripts read marchaunden. w yt h money & make þ er her eschanges myght neu er man me me co nforte In þe meane tyme neyther masse ne matyns ne no nother manere syghtes ne neu er pennance p erformed ne pater n oster sayed þ at my mynd ne was more ~~In a dowte~~ on my good In in a dowte then yn þe grace off god & In and or in hys greate helpes vbi thesaurus tuus ibi et cor tuum et c etera tuu m tuum est // wych beene þe branches þ at bryng a man to sloghte hys woma n Is qwa n man Is wha nne a man He þ at þ at mouvrnethe noght for hys myssded es makethe ne maketh no sorowe but And Ac pennance þ at þe preste enIoygnethe p erfouvrnethe yuvell doyth / non almese dede ~~dede~~ G.14.405: Deletion and subsequent addition of dede suggest that the scribe thought that he should have written drede and then realised he had been right in the first place. drede hym off no synne lyuvethe ageynst þe byleuve & no lawe holdethe eche day is an is halyday w yt h hym or a hygh feyrye and yff he oght wyll here ytt ys an harlot es tong when men carpen off cryst or cleynnes off soule he waxeth wrothe & wyll not here but wordes off myrthe pennance and pouvre men & þe passyon off seyntes F he hatethe to here þ eroff and all þ at ytt tellythe thes be þe branches bewarre þ at bryng aman a man to whanope the Ȝe lordes & ladyes & legates off holycherche holy cherche that fedethe (fooles sages) G.14.415: For the G scribe's use of brackets for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. flaterers and lyers & haue lykyng to to leyen lythen to hem to do you ȝow to laghe ve vobis qui reidetis & c etera // & gyuvethe meyte hem mete & mede & pouvre men refuvse I I[n] In your dethe dyenge I dreede me full sore lest þe thre man er men to moche sorowe you bryng consencientes et agentes pari pena punientur :// p atryarkes & p rophetes & preychers off goddes wordes sauve thrugh þer s ermone mannes souvle from hell ryght so flaterers & fooles & the fendes dyscyples to entyse men thrugh þer tales to synne & to and G.14.425: M originally read and, as most manuscripts. The word "to" has been added above the line by hand2, bringing M's reading into line with that of G and W ( & to). harlottrye but Ac clerkes þ at knowe woly G.14.426: For forms in <who>- for earlier <ho>- (of which G's reading woly is presumably a development), see Wyld, Modern Colloquial English, 307, and see also note to G.18.208. wrytte sholde kenne lordes what dauyd sayethe off suoche men as þe sauvter tellethe non habitabit in medio domus mee qui facit sup erbiam et qui loquitur ~~mendatia~~ iniqua G.14.428: The two rubricated lines are bracketed in red on the right. sholde non harlott haue auvdyence In hall ne yn chambre ther wyse men were wyttnessen goddes wordes ne no myssprouvde man among lordes beene alowed but Ac flaterers & fooles thruvgh theyre fowle wordes leyden þem þo þ at louven theym to ly lucyfers feaste wyth turpiloquio a lay off sorowe & lyvcyfers fydle thys Thus G.14.435: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. haukyn þe actyuve man had soyled ysoiled hys cote tyll co nscyence couvped acouped hym theroff In a couvrteyse man er why he ne hadde whasshen ytt or wyped ytt w yt h a bruvsshe explicit passus sextus de dowell Y G.15.1: For the interpretation of the first letter in the line as a <Y>, see note to G.7.260. haue but on hoole hater q uod haukyn I am þe lasse to blame thogh ytt be soyled and fowle I slepe þ erynne on nyghtes also And also I haue a wyffe hewene & chyldren vxorem duxi & ideo non possum venire et c etera // that wold be mouvlled bymolen it G.15.5: Kane and Donaldson record G's reading as bemoulled but there is a clear break after be. many tymes tyme mauvgre my chekes ytt hathe ben lauved In lent and oute off lent bothe w yt h þe soope off sycknes that sekethe wondre depe & w yt h þe losse off catell lothe for to aguvlte god or any good man by ought þ at I wyste & was shryuven off þe preste he þat gauve me for my synnes to pennace penna[n]ce penaunce pacyence & pouvre men to feede & Al for couvetyse off my crystendome yn cleynnes to kepe ytt & couvld I neu er by cryste kepe kepen it cleane an houvre that I ne soyled ytt w yt h syght or some ydle speche or thrugh worke off or worde or wyll off myne herte but y ne slobered flober slober flobered ytt fowle fro morowe to tyl euve & I shall kenne þe k q uod co nscyence off co ntrycyon to make that shall clawe þi cote off alkynnes fylthe cordis contricio & c etera // dowell whasshe ytt and wryng ytt thrugh a wyse co nfessor oris confessio & c etera // dobett er shall beyten ytt & bouvke ytt as bryght as any skarlett & engreynnen ytt w yt h good wyll & goddes grace to ame nde the & And sithen send þe satysfactyon for to sowen ytt after satisfactio et c etera // dobest shall neu er myst bymouvllen ne it ne mooght after byten ytt ne fende ne falsce man defowlen ytt yn þi lyuve shall no harrouavde ne harper hauve a fayrer garment then haukyn þe actyuve man & yff and þ ou do by my teychyng ne no mynstrell be more worthe amonge pore & ryche then haukyns wyffe waff rere þe wafrer e wyth hys / actiua vita:// and I shall puvrwye þe paste q uod pacyence þo no plowgh errye and flower to feede folke w yt h as best be for þi souvle thogh neu er greyne growed ne grape vpon vyne all þ at lyuvethe & lackethe loketh lyuveloode wolde I fynde and þ at ynoghe shall non Fayle thyng of þinge þ at theym nedethe we shold not be to buvsye abouvte our lyuveloode ne soliciti scitis sitis sitis & c etera volecres vol[u]cres volucres celi deus pascit & c etera pacientes vincu nt vincunt & c etera then laghed haukyn a lytle & lyghtlye gan sweyre wo -so leuvethe you by our lorde & I leuve not he be blyssed no q uod pacyence pacyently & oute off hys pooke hente wytayles off greate vertuves for all man er beastes & seyde low here lyuveloode ynoghe yff our byleuve be trewe for lent neu er was lyffe but lyuvelood were shape wheroff or wherfore or wherbye to lyuve furst G.15.46: An otiose superscript <2>appears above the <r> of furst. In the scribe's exemplar this may well have been an abbreviation for <ur>, but, though he copies it, the scribe does not appear to grasp its significance (for similar treatment of superscript <a>, see note to G.3.157 and Introduction IV.1.1). Alternatively, it is possible that the scribe originally omitted the <r> and squashed it in later - the letters appear to be crammed together - and, if this is the case, the superscript 2 might simply be present to make sure that the reading is unambiguous. þe wylde worme vndre wheete yetrthe Fysshe to lyuve In þe floode and In þe fyre þe krykett þe cuvrlew by kynd off þe eyre most cleane clennest flesshe off byrdes & beastes by gras & granyne G.15.49: The first four letters of grayne were originally gran but the scribe then added a tail to the minims of the <n> to form the letter <y>. & by greene rootes In meanyng þ at all men myght do the same lyue thrughe leall byleuve & louve as god wyttnessythe quodcumq ue pecieritis a p atre in nomine meo & c etera et alibi: no n in solo pane vivit homo set in o mni verbo quod p rocedit & c etera de ore dei but I loked whatt lyuveloode ytt was þ at pacyence so preysed and then was ytt a pece off the pater nost er: fiat voluntas tua haue haukyn q uod pacyence & eyte þis when the hongerethe or when þ ou clomsest for colde or clyngest for drye shall neu er gyves þe greuve ne greate lordes wrathe pryson ne payne for : pacientes vicunt vi[n]cunt vincunt :// so Bi so þ at þ ou be sobre off syght & off tonge yn eytyng & yn handylyng & all thye f oyuve wyttes there the Darstow neu er care for corne ne lynnen clothe ne wollen ne for drynke dreede no dethe ne deth drede deþ drede but dye as god lykethe or thrughe hongre or thrughe heyte G.15.63: The loop of the <h> of heyte has been re-outlined in brown ink. att hys wyll be ytt For yff thow lyuve after hys loore þe shorter lyffe þe better si quis amat Cristum mundum G.15.65: There were originally too many minims in the first part of the word mundum; the first two have been blocked in by the original scribe to form one. non diligit istum for For þorw hys breythe beastes wexen and abroode yeden dixit et facta sunt : et c etera // ergo thrugh hys breythe may men & beastes lyuven as holy wrytt wyttnessythe G.15.69: A virgule has been added at this point to separate wyttnessythe and yt. yt when whan men sayen þ er graces aperis tu manu m tuam & imples o mne animal bened ict io ne: ytt ys fouvnden þ at fouvrty wynters wynter folke lyuved w yt h -oute tyllyng and oute off þe flynt sprang þe floode þ at folke & beastes dronke and In elyes tyme heuven was I -closed that no reyne ne reyne rone reynyd G.15.74: Kane and Donaldson read G reynd rather than reyne, but the second <e> is exactly the same as those elsewhere in the line. G.15.74: According to the OED, forms such as rone (preterite of rine and the reading found most B manuscripts) were not used after the end of the fourteenth century, hence the G reading (see OED rine v. 2 ). þus rede men In bokes that manye wynters men lyuvyden & no meyte mete ne tyllyden seyuven slept as sayeth e G.15.76: The final <e> on sayethe appears to have been an afterthought and is not continuous with the <h>. Compare hundrethe later in the line. The addition of the <e> has filled the space between words and the following thorn has therefore been deleted and rewritten. þ þe boke sey vyne huvndrethe wy nters wynter & lyuvyden w yt h -oute lyvelode & att þe last they woken and yff men lyuved as measure wolde shold neu er be defauvte amongest crysten creatures yff crystes wordes be trewe but Ac G.15.80: Though G and F share the reading but (for most manuscripts Ac), in all other respects F has a completely different a-verse. vnkyndnes caristia makethe amoges amo[n]ges amonges crysten poeple & ou er pleynte makethe pryde among poere & ryche but Ac measure ys so moche worthe ytt may notgh be to dere For þe myscheffe & þe myschance amonges me n off sodome was Wex thrugh plentye off foode payn & off pure slothe osiositas et abundantia panis peccatu m turpissinu m turpissi[m]u m t urpissimu m nutriuit G.15.85: The two rubricated lines are bracketed together on the right in red. for þei measured noght þem -seluve off þ at þei eyte & drynke dronke dyden deydly synne þ at the deuvell lyked so wengeance fell vpon theym for þeir fowle vyle synnes they sonken In -to hell the cytees echonne forthy measure vs we vs well & make our feaythe our shyltren & thrugh faythe co mmythe contrycyon conscyence woote well wyche dryuvethe a -way dedlye synne & doethe ytt to be weynyall and thogh a man myght not speke contrycyon myght hym sauve and bryng hys soule to blysse so þ at faythe beyre w ytnes that whyles he lyuved lyuede he bileued be-levede þe loore off holy cherche he beleuved cherche chirche he leevede ergo contrycyon fay hte & coscyence co[n]scyence conscience be is kyndlyche dowell and surgyens for deydly synnes when shryfte off mouvthe faylethe but Ac shryfte off mouvthe more worthye ys yff man be verylyche iliche ynliche contryte for shryfte off mouvthe sleyethe synne be ytt neu er so dedlye per passionem confessionem to a preeste peccata occiduntur there contrycyon dothe but dryuve dryueth ytt it dou n to in-to a ~~deadly~~venyall synne and dauyd sayethe yn þe sauvter . et quorum tecta sunt peccata :// but Ac satysfactyon sekethe oute þe roote & bothe sleyethe & woydethe and as ytt neu er had y -be to noght bryngethe deydly synne that ytt ys neu er efte seene ne soore but semethe a wouvnd heyled where wonnethe charyte q uod haukyn I wyst neu er In my lyuve man þ at w yt h hym spake as wyde as I haue passed there p erfytte trewthe & pore herte ys & pacyence off tonge ther ys charyte þe cheffe chambre for god hym -seluve whether pacyence pacyence or pacience and paciente pou erte q uod haukyn be more plesant to our lorde driȝte G.15.110: In the case of G, the G R variant lorde (for most manuscripts driȝte) may reflect the manuscript's late date: according to the OED, the word dright( en was no longer used after the end of the fifteenth century. then ~~rygh~~ ryches ryghtfullyche wonne & resonable resonablelich G.15.111: The -le ending on G resonable could be a form of -ly, in which case G too would have the adverb (cf. remaining manuscripts resonablelich and see LALME 4, item 278). spente ye quis est ille q uod pacyence quyk et laudabimus laudabim us eum : thogh men rede off ryches ryght to þe worldes ende I wyst neu er renvke re[n]ke renke that ryche was þ at when he rekne sholde when he drewe to hys deyd day þ at he ne drad hym sore and att þe þat atte rekenyng yn a -rerage fell rather þen ovte off dette there þe pore dare pleade & p rouve by puvre reason to haue alowance off hys lorde by by þe lawe he ytt claymethe Ioy þ at neu er Ioy had off ryghtfull Iuvge he askethe & sayethe low bryddes & beastes þ at no blysse ne couvthe and wylde wormes yn woddes thrugh wynters þ ou þem greuvest G.15.121: G omits a line at this point ("And makest hem welnyegh meke · and mylde for defaute"). and after þ ou sendest them somer that ys theyr souveregne Ioy and blysse to all þ at be bothe wylde & tame then may beggers & beastes after heate bote weyten that all þeir lyffe haue lyuved In languvor & and in G.15.125: All C manuscripts except Dc and Nc share the G B reading &, and this reading is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B mansucripts read and in. defauvte but god send sent wold sende G.15.126: G's send (for most B manuscripts sent) could be read as a present subjunctive (cf. F's periphrastic reading wold sende), but G does in fact have forms of "send" in -d for the preterite (see note to G.14.251). The majority of C manuscripts have forms with <d>. them some -tyme some maner Ioy G.15.126: G omits a line at this point ("Other here or elles-where · kynde wolde it neuere"). for to ou er moche wo wrotherhele was he wroght þ at neu er was Ioy shapen angell es þ at In hell nowe beene had Ioy some -tyme and diues yn dentyes lyuved & yn (dovce vie) ryght so reason ~~sh e~~ shoythe þ at þo men þ at were ryche and theyr makes also lyuved In moche her lyf in myrthe but Ac god ys off a wondre but wille by þ at kynd wytt shewythe to gyve many man men hys m ercymoney or he ytt haue des eruved ryght so farethe god by suoyche some ryche reuvthe me yt thynkethe for þei haue theyre hyre here and heyuven as ytt were and ys greate lykyng to lyuve w yt h -oute lyabour off bodye and when he dyethe be dyssalowed as dauid sayeth y n þe sauvtre dormierunt et nichil inuenerunt and In a -nother stydde also velut sompnum surgentiu m d omine:// In ciuitate tua et ad nichilum rediges:// alas þ at ryches shall reuve & robbe mannes soule fro þe louve off our lorde att hys last end hewen þei þat haue theyr hyre before afore / oere eu ermore nedy selden And selden dyeth ~~þei~~he ovte off dett þ at dynenth or ~~þei~~he des eruve ytt & tyll he haue done hys & deuvoyre & hys dayes Iouvrney & For when a werkman hathe wroght þen may men se þe sothe what he were worthy for hys worke & what he hathe des eruved and not to fong before for drede off dyssalowyng so I say by you ryche ytt semethe noght þ at ye shall haue heyuven here yn your beyryng G.15.150: Scribes had difficulty with this a-verse and there are various versions. The Kane and Donaldson a-verse reads as follows: "Haue heuene in your e her[berw]yng." G's reading of the a-verse is also found in Hm. & heyuve n ther her also þ er after ryght as a s eruvant takethe hys salarye before / & sythen wold cleym more G.15.151: The line wraps round and the last two words are written below it and boxed in grey. as he þ at had none hadde & hathe hyre att the last ytt may noght be ye ryche men or mathew on god lyethe de delicijs ad dilicias difficile est transire :// and yff þe ye ryche haue ruvthe & rewarde well þe pore and lyuvethe as lawe teychethe doone laoyalte to þem all cryste off hys couvrtysye shall co nforte you att atte laste and rewarde all douvble ryches þ at reuvfull hertes haue and as an hyne þ at had hys hyre or he to worche beganne bygonne bygonne to wurche h is werk bygy nne & when he hathe done hys deuvoyre well me n done þem hym other bouvnte gyuvethe hym a cote aboue hys cou nau nt ryght so cryst gyuvethe heyuve n bothe to ryche & to noght ryche þ at reuvfullyche lyuven & all þ at done þeir deuvoyr well haue douvble hyre for þeir trauveylle forgyvnes Here forȝyuenesse off hys her G.15.164: Kane and Donaldson do not record G hys as a variant, but the last letter is definitely a sigma <s>. synnes and heyuven blysse after but Ac ytt ys but selde seene as by holysayntes holy sayntes bokes that god rewarded douvble rest to any ryche wyght wye for moche muvrthe ys amonges þe ryche riche as as in meyte & clothyng & moche myrthe yn may ys amongest wylde beastes and so forthe whyle somer lastedthe þeir solace endurethe dureth but Ac beggers aboute mydsomer bredles they souvpe & yett ys wynter for them worsce for wettshodde þei gange a -thurste soore & a -hongered & fouvlyche rebuked & arated off ryche men þ at reuvthe ytt ys is to here now lorde send them somer and some man er Ioy heyuven after theyre hence goyng þ at here haue suoyche defauvte for all myghtest þ ou haue made non meaner then other and y -lyche wyttye & wyse yff thy wyll had lyked and haue reuvthe off thes ryche men þ at rewarde not thye prysoners off thy þe good þ at þ ou theym gyuvest ingrati beene manye but Ac god off þi goodnes gyuve þem grace to amend For may no derthe be them dere drought ne wete nether Ne noyther heate ne heyle haue they theyre heale off that þei wylne & wolde þem wantethe wanteth hem noght here but Ac But þe pouvre poeple & þi in prysoners lorde yn þe pytt off myscheffe comforte þo creatures þ at moche woo care sufferen thrughe derthe & druvght all theyr dayes here wo In wynter tymes for wantyng off clothes & In somer tyme selde souvpe to the full comfort thye carefull chryste In thy ryche for For how þ ou co mfortest all creatures clerkes beyren wyttnes conuertimini ad me et salui eritis ..// thuvs In genere off gentryse Iesu cryste sayed to robbers & to reyuvers to ryche & to poere thow taghtest þem yn þe trynyte to take baptesme and be cleane thrugh þ at crystyny ng off alkynnes ~~thyng es~~ synnes and fell vs fel thrughe folye to fall In synne after co nfessyon & knolegyng & crauvyng thy marcye shold amend vs as many sythes as man wold desyre but And Ac yff þe pope wolde pleyde there here -ageyn & pu nnysshe vs In co nscyence he shuold take þe quvyttance acquitance as quvyke / & to þe quvede shewed schewe ytt pateat & c etera per passionem domini et c etera // and puvtten of þe pouvke & pynnen p reuen vs vndre borowe but Ac þe perchemyn off thys patent off pouverte be movste and off pure pacyence & p erfytt byleuve off pompe & off pryde þe p erchemyn decowrethe & prynsypallyche off all poeple but they be pouvre In of herte elles ys all In an Idle all þ at euver we wryten pater noster and pennance & pylgrymages pilgrimage to rome but our spenses & spendyng spryng off a trew wyell elles ys all. ~~yn Idle~~ our labouvr lost loo howe men wryten In fenestres att atte freres yff falsce be þe fouvndment for þe For-þi crystyen shuolde be en comen ryche / no n couveyte for hy m -seluve for seyuven synnes þ er be þ at þat þere ben ther be assaylen man vs euver the fende folowethe theyme all & fouvndethe þem to helpe but Ac w yt h ryches þ at rybalde l rathest theym men begylethe for þ er þ at ryches reygnethe reuverence folowethe & þ at ys pleasant to pryde In pouvre & yn ryche & þe ryche ys reu erensed by þe by reason off hys ryches there þe poere ys putt byynde & p erauventure can more off wytt & off wyssdome þ at farre a -wa sy G.15.220: There is evidence of improvement of the left side of the head of the <y> in a different ink. ys better then ryches or ryalte ~~þ at~~ and rather herde In heyuven for þe ryche haue hath G.15.222: As far as G haue for remaining manuscripts hath is concerned, it is often the case that G has an -e( n verb ending for other manuscripts -eth where this is simply a matter of accidentals, i.e. where both verbs are plural. However, the expected plural form for "have" in L etc. would be habbeth or han and it seems to be the case here that, while G treats the subject ryche as a plural, the remaining manuscripts treat it as singular. moche to rekne off rekene and ryght softe walken walketh the ryght heigh way to heyuven -warde ofte ryches lettethe Ita possibile diuiti et c etera // there the pore pressythe before þe ryche w yt h a packe at hys rygge opera enim illorum sequntur eos illos // bantalyche bata[n]tlyche Batauntliche as beggers doone & baldelyche he ~~g .~~crauvethe G.15.227: Probably the original G reading was grauethe and the corrector altered the <g> to <c> and then simply re-outlined the <r>. G.15.227:The alteration brings G's reading into line with the remaining B manuscripts. for hys pouverte & pacyence a p erpetuall blysse beati paup eres sp iritu paup eres quoniam ip sor um est regnu m celorum :// & pryde yn ryches reygnethe rather þen In pouverte arste In þe master then In þe man some ma nsyon he hathe but Ac yn pou erte þ er pacyence ys pryde hathe no myght ne non off þe seyuven synnes sytt mow ne mowe þ er long ne haue power In pou erte yff pacyence ytt folowe For þe pore ys ay prest to pleasse þe ryche & buxome att hys byddyng for hys broken louves and buxomnesse & booste are eu er -more att warre and e ither hatethe other In all man er workes yff wrathe wrestelethe wrastel w yt h þe pouvre he hathe þe worsce end for yff þei bothe pleyne the pouvre ys but feble & yff he chyde or chattre hym cheuvethe þe w oarsce G.15.241: This and the following line (where erroneous and lined-through "worse" also has <o> altered to <a>) are the only places where G has a form of "worse" with this spelling. As this is also one of only two places where the B manuscript C has "worse" with medial <a>, it seems possible that there may be some connection. & yff couvetyse cacche þe pouvre ~~he hathe þe woars end~~ þei may noght come togeddr es & by ne þe neck namlye non her none may hent other for men knowe well þ at couvetyse ys off a kene wyll and hathe handes & armes off a long lenghte and pouverte ys but a petyt thyng / ytt perethe appereth not to hys nauvell and louvely layke was neu er betwene þe long and and þe shorte and thogh auvaryse wold angre þe pouvre he hath but lytle myght for pouverte hathe but pookes to putten yn hys goodes ther auvaryze hathe almbyryes and yren bond coffres & whether be lyghter to breyke lasse bost ytt makethe a beggers bagge þen an yren bouvnde n coffer leycherye louvethe hym not he for he gyuvethe but lytle syluver ne doni t he G.15.254: The of doithe is formed by dotting the first minim of the original <n> of done. The <t> is added above the line with a caret mark and the <h> is written over the remainder of the <n>. hym noght dyne dylycately ne drynke wyne offte a strawe for þe stewes ytt stoode noght I trowe had þei noght no þing but off pouvre men / theyre houvses stoode vntyled thogh And þough slouvght sewe pou erte & seruve not god to pay mescheyffe ys hys master & makethe hym to thynke that god ys hys greatest helpe & no gome elles and hys seruvant as he sayethe and off h .ys seute s sute bothe and wheydre he be or noght be be nouȝte / he beyrethe þe sygne off pou erte and In that secte our sauvyouvre sauved all man -kynd forthy all pou erte þ at pacyent ys may cleymen & asken after theyr endyng here heyuven -ryche blysse moche hardyer may he asken þ at here myght haue hys wyll In lond & In lordshyppe and lykyng off bodye & for goddes louve leyuvethe all & lyuvethe as a begger and as a meyde for mannes louve hyr modre forsakethe hyr fadre & all hyr freendes & folowethe hyr G.15.269: The third example of the word hyr has been re-outlined in black ink. make moche ys a suche a meyde to louve off hym þ at suoche on takethe more þen a meyden ys þ at ys maryed thrugh brogage and by assent off sondrye p artyes & syluver to boote more for couvetyse off good þen kynd louve off bothe so ytt farethe by a eche a p ersone þ at possessyon forsakethe & puvttethe hym to be pacyent & pou erte weddethe the wyche ys sybbe to god hym -seluve & so to hys seyntes haue god my trought q uod haukyn ye p reyse fast pou erte whatt ys pou erte w yt h pacyence q uod he properlye to meane paup ertas q uod pacience est odibile bonu m : remocio curaru m : possessio sine calumpnia : donum dei: sanitatis mater :absq ue solicitudine semita : sap iencie te mp eratrix : negotiu m sine dampno incta inc[er]ta Incerta : fortuna absq ue solicitudi ne felicitas : G.15.279: The final word appears on the right hand side of the page beneath solicitudin e and is boxed in red to separate it from G.15.280. These rubricated lines are bracketed in red on the right. I can not constrewe þis q uod haukyn ye moste say G.15.280: B manuscripts have a wide variety of readings for G say: kenne þis (L M Cr), kenne me þis (W R), telle þis (Hm), seye it (O C 2 B), kenne it (F), and say (G C Y). en englysshe In englysshe q uod pacyence ytt ys well harde to wel to expouvnd but Ac somedeale I shall say ytt so by so þ ou vndrestande pou erte ys þe furst poynt þ at pryde most hatethe then ys ytt G.15.284: C shares G's original reading ( ys for most manuscripts is it). good by good skyll all þ at agastethe pryde ryght as contrycyon ys co mfortable confortable þinge co nscyence woote well and a sorowe to of hym -seluve / and solas to þe souvle so pou erte properlyche pennance & Ioy ys to the bodye pure spyrytuall healthe ergo paupertas est odibile bonu m & contrycyon conforte and cura animaru m þe second selde syttethe pouerte þe sothe to declare or as Iuvstece to Iuvgge men enIoyned ys no pou erre poure pore G.15.292: There is an otiose abbreviation mark over the of poure; presumably the scribe anticipated pou erte . See G.15.298 and G.16.158 and compare with other B manuscripts. ne to be meyre aboue men ne mynystre vndre kynges seld ys any pore put to pu nnysshe the any poeple remocio curarum : ergo pouverte & pouvre men p erfourme n þe co mmandement es comaundement nolite Iudicare quemq uam : the thyrde seld ys any pou erte pore G.15.298: For the G reading pou erte for remaining manuscripts pore, see also G.15.292 and G.16.158. ryche off any but of ryghtfull herytage wynnethe he noght w yt h falsce weyghtes weghtes fals weight false ne vnsealed measuvres ne borowethe off hys neghbouvrs but þ at he may well pay possessio sine calumpnia the forthe ys a fortuvne þ at flouvresshethe þe souvle w yt h sobreyete from all synne & also yet more ytt affaytethe þe flesshe from folyes full manye a colaterall co nforte crstes cr[y]stes crystes owen gyfte donu m dei : the fyfte ys mother off helthe a frende In all fondyng es & for þe lewde eu er a leche a lemman off of al cleannes sanita ti s mater : þe syxt ys a pathe off peasce þe ȝe G.15.310: The use of superscript rather than inline <e> indicates that the scribe has misread ye as þe, as at G.14.229. For the G scribe's treatment of thorn and <y> and the letters which follow, see note to G.3.118. thrughe paasse þe pas to of aulton pou erte myght pas w yt h -oute p erylle off robbyng for þ er þ at pouverte passethe peas folowethe after and eu er þe lasse þ at he beyrethe þe harder hardyer G.15.313: C 2 originally shared the G Cr 1 C reading harder but in C 2 this has been corrected to the majority reading hardyer. he ys off herte forthy seyethe / seneca paup ert eas G.15.314: In order to make his correction to paup ertas clear, the scribe has used a double lobed <a>. est absq ue solicitudine semita : & an hardye man off herte amonge an heape off theuves cantabit paup ertas coram latrone viator : þe seyuve nthe ys well off wyssdome & fewe wordes shewethe For lordes alowen hym lytle or lystenethe to hys reason he temp erythe þe tong to trewthwarde & no treasure couvetythe sapientie temperatrix the eghte a is a leele laboure and loothe to take more then she he may well des eruve In somer or In wynter and yff he chaffere he chargethe / no losse mey he charite wynne negotium sine dampno: þe y neynthe ys swete to þe souvle & no no suger swetter for pacyence ys payn for pou erte hym -seluve and sobryete sweete drynke and good leche In sycknes thys Þus G.15.328: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. lered me a lettered man for our lordys louve seynt augustyne had austyn austyn ledde ~~had~~ a blyssed lyuve w yt h -oute buvsynes for body & soule / absq ue sollicitudine felicitas :// now god þ at all good gyuvethe grauvnt hys souvle rest that þus furst wroote to wysse men what pou erte was to meane alas q uod haukyn þe actyuve man þen þo / þ at after my crystendome I ne had be dede & doluven for dowell doweles de wel sake so hard ytt ys q uod haukyn to lyuve & to doo ~~synne~~ well synne sy nne sewethe vs euver q uod he and sory gan wexe & wepte water w yt h hys eyene & wayled the tyme that eu er he dyd dede þ at he þat deere god dyspleased swowned & sobbedde & sykedde full offte that eu er he had land or lordshyppe lasse or other more or mastrye ou er any man mo þen off hym -seluve I were not worthye goq uod haukyn to weyre anye clothes ne neyther shurte ne shoone sauve for shame oon to cou er my carryon q uod he & cryed fast m ercye & wepte & wayled & therew yt h I waked awaked explicit septimus et vltimus passus de dowell Incipit primus passus de dobett er But Ac after my wakyng ytt was wondre long er I couvlde kyndly knowe whatt was dowell and so my wytt vexe & vanyed tyll I a foole were and some lacked my louyve & alowed allowed ytt fewe and leten for a lorell ~~to s erue lordes & ladyes~~ & lothe to reu erensen lordes or ladyes or any lyffe elles as psou ns p[er]sou ns persones In pelouvr wythe pendantz off syluver to s ergeantes ne to suoyche seyde noght oonesce god looke you lordes & ne louvted fayre that folke helde me a foole & In that folye I rauved tyll reason had reuvthe on me and rocked me a -slepe tyll I seyghe G.16.12: There is a faint otiose bar over seyghe. as ytt sorcerye were a subtyle thyng w yt h -all oon w yt houte tong & teethe tolde me whydre I sholde & wheroff I came & what kynd I coniuIvred hym at þe last yff he were crystes creature for crystes louve me to tell I am crystes creature q uod he & crysten In many many a places place In crystes couvrte I -knowe well & off hys kynne ap arte a p arte a partye G.16.17: For G parte for "party," see note to G.2.7. ys nether petur þe porter ne poule w yt h hys fawchoune that wole defend me þe doore dyng I neu er so late att mydnyght att mydday my voyce voice so ys well is I -knowe that eche eche a creature off hys couvrte welcomethe me fayre what are ye called In þ at couvrte q uod I amogest amo[n]gest amonges crystes poeple wyle Þe whiles I quycke was In þe corps q uod he called am I anima and when I wylne & wold animus I hatte for And for þ at I can & knowe called am I mens & when I make moone to god memoria ys my name & when I deme domes & doo as trewthe teychethe then ys ratio my ryght name and name reason In an englysshe & when I feele þ at folke tellethe me my my name firste name ys :sensus: & þ at ys wytt & wyssdome þe well off all craftes and when I chalenge or chaleng noght cheape or refuvse then am I co nscyence called goddes clerke & hys notarye and when I louve leally our lord & all other then ys leall louve my name and In latyn amor & when I flee fro þe Flesshe and forsake þe caroygne then am I spyryte specheles /spiritus/ þen I hatte augustyne Austyn & Isodorus & eyther ayther off theym bothe neuenved neue[n]ed Nempned me þus to name now thowe may myȝte chosse how þ ou couvetyst to call me nowe knowesthowe my alle my names anima pro diu ersis accionibus diu ersa nomina sortitur /: dum vivi ficat corpus anima est : dum vult animus est : dum scit mens est: dum recolit memoria memoria est : dum Iudicat ra tio est: dum sentit sensus est: dum amat amor est: du m negat vel conscentit conscie ntia est: du m spirat sp iritus est: ye been as G.16.41: Bo Cot share G's original omission of as. a bysshoppe q uod I all bouvrdyng that tyme for bysshops y -blessedd beyre many names G.16.43: A scribe has added

an arabic <5> with a line through it, followed by ten medieval forms of this number as pen trials. See Benson and Blanchfield p.43. presul and pontifex and metropolitanus and other names an heape as hepe episcopus and pastor that ys sothe seyde he nowe I see þi wyll thow woldest knowe & konne ~~theyre names~~ þe cauvse off all þeir names & off myne yff þ ou myghtest me thynke þinketh by thye sp eeche ye syr he I sayde so by so þ at no no man were greuved all þe scyences vndre sonne & all þe subtyle craftes I wold knowe I knewe & konne couth p erfytelyche kyndely In my herte then arte thow vnp erfytt q uod he & on off prydes knyghtes for suoche a luvst & lykyng ~~bucy~~ G.16.52: There appears to have been an attempt to add an upright stroke altering the of bucy to an <l> but this attempt has been abandoned. lycyfer fell from heyuven ponam pedem meu m in aquilone et similis ero altissimo : ytt were agey nst kynd q uod he & alkynnes reason that any creature shuolde konne all except cryste a -lone one ageynst suoche salamon speykethe & dyspysethe theyre wyttes and seyethe / sicut qui mel comedit multu m no n est ei bonu m : sic qui scrutator est magestatis opprimitur a gloria G.16.58: The two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. to englysshe men thys ys to meane þ at may speake & here the man þ at moche hony eytethe hys mawe ytt englaymethe and þe more þ at a man off good matter heyrethe but he do therafter ytt dothe hym douvble skathe beatus vir est sayethe seny nte G.16.63: The first three letters of seynte were originally sen- but the scribe has added a tail to the <n> and a bar above. bernarde qui scripturas legit et verba vertit in opera fullyche to hys power couvetyse to konne & to knowe scyence put oute off paradyse adam & euve scientie appetitus ho minem i mmortalitatis gl oriam spoliauit but And ryght as hony e ys yuvell to defye & e ngleymethe þe mawe ryght so þ at thrughe reason wolde þe roote knowe off god & off hys myghtes hys grace ytt lettethe for yn þe lykyng lyethe a pryde & In a lykehames couvetyse ageynst crystes couvnseyle & all clerkes teychyng that ys non plus sapire sap[e]re sap ere q uam oportet sapere : freres & and fele other masters that to þe lewed men preychen mouven matters vnmeysurables inmesurables to tellen off þe trynyte that offte tymes þe lewde poeple off þeir byleuve dowten bettre to leyuve were many doctouvrs suoyche teychyng & tell men þe of þe tenne co mmandementz & touvche þe seyuve n synnes G.16.78: G, C and B omit a line at this point ("And of þe braunches þat burgeou neth of hem · and bryngeth men to helle"). & how þ at folk In folyes myspenden theyr fyuve wyttes G.16.79: The cross in the bottom right hand margin is in modern pencil. as well freres as other folke folysshlyche folilich folich folish spenden In howsyng yn hatteryng yn into and in-to and hygh claregye shewyng more for pomp e G.16.82: The final <e> of pompe, though in the original ink and in the hand of the original scribe, has been squashed in as an afterthought; a virgule has then been added to separate pompe from the following word. ther n for pure charyte þe poeple woote þe sothe that I lye noght loo / for lordes G.16.83: The word lordes has been re-outlined, apparently in the original ink and by the original scribe. ye pleysen and reuverensen þe ryche the rather for theyr syluver confundantur omnes qui adorant sculptilia & c etera et alibi: vt quid diligis dilig[it]is diligitis vanitatem & queritis mendatiu m G.16.86: The two rubricated lines have been bracketed together in red on the right. go ye Go to the glose off the werse ye greate clerkes & G.16.88: The ampersand is clearly in the hand of the original scribe, but it may be an addition as it appears in the margin. yff If I lye on you to my lewde wytt leydethe me to brynny ng for as ytt semethe ye forsake no mannes almes off vserers off hoores off auvarouse chapmen & louvten to thes lordes þ at may lenve lene you nobles ageyne your ruvle & relygyon I take recorde off Iesus that seyde to hys descyples ne sitis personaru m acceptores: off thys mattyer I myght make a long byble but Ac off curatouvrs off crystyen poeple as clerkes beyren w ytnes I shall tell ytt for trewthe truthes sake take hede wo -so lokethe lyketh as holynes and honeste owte off holy churche spreydethe thrugh leall lyuvyng men / that goddes lawe teychen ryght so owte off holy churcehe all euvell yueles G.16.99: In Bm, the shared G Y B reading "evil" (for remaining manuscripts yueles) may result from a correction, since the word is followed by an erasure. spreydethe there ymp erfytt preesthoode ys preychouvrs & teychouvrs and se ytt by ensample In somer tyme on trees there some bowes beene leyuved and some beyre non there ys a myscheffe In the more off suoyche man er bowes ryght so p ersones & prestes and preychouvrs off holycherche holy cherche that are rootes rote off the the riȝte faythe to ~~reule~~ reuvle þe poeple but Ac there þe roote ys roten reason woote þe sothe shall neu er flower ne fruvyte ne fayre leyffe be grene for -thy wold ye lettered leyuve / þe leccherye off clothyng and be kynd as fell bifel for clarkes & couvrteyse of crystes goodd es trewe off your tonges tonge & off your tales taille bothe & hate to here harlottrye & not to vndrefong ~~the~~ tythes off trewe vntrewe thyng tylyed ytilied & or chaffered loothe were lewde men but they your ruvle lore folowed and amende þem þ at myssdoone more thrugh for your ensamples then for to p reyche & p rouve ytt noght ypocrasy ytt semethe for ypocrysy yn latyn / ys lykened to a duvnghyll that were bysnowed w yt h snowe & snakes w yt hynne G.16.117: G Hm C B omit a line at this point ("Or to a wal þat were whitlymed · and were foule wyth-inne"). ryght so many preestes preychers & p reelates ere enblauvnchede w yt h ( beale p aroles ) G.16.119: For the G scribe's use of brackets for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. & w yt h clothes also but Ac your werkes & wordes thervndre be vnlyche ful vnlouelich G.16.120: Most manuscripts read ful vnlouelich for G vnlyche. Y Bo Cot share G's omission of ful but no manuscripts apart from G read vnlyche. Iohannes crisostomus off clerkes speykethe & p reestes sicut de templo omne bonu m egreditur / sic de templo omne malu m p rocedit si sacerdotiu m integru m fuerit tota floret ecclesia : si autem corruptu m fuerit omni s o mnium G.16.122: Kane and Donaldson do not record G "omnis" (for remaining manuscripts o mnium ) as a variant. fides martida est : si sacerdotiu m fuerit In peccatis tot us populus cou ertitur co[n]u ertitur conuertitur ad pecca ndu m : si Sicut cu m videris arbore m martidam et pallidam intelligis q uod viciu m ha bet I n radice: Ita cu m videris populum indisciplinatu m & irreligiosum sine dubio sacerdotiu m eius no n est sanum:// yff lewde men wyst what þis laten meanethe and wo was myne auvtore moche wondre me thyn gkethe but yff manye a preeste beyre for hys baselard here baselardes & hys here brooches a payre beydes In hys her hand & a boke vndre hys her arme s yr Ihon & s yr geffrey hauve a gyrdell off syluver a baselarde & a ballock knyffe wyth botons ou er -gylte but Ac a portuvos sholde þat shulde be hys plowe placebo to sygge had he neu er s eruvyce to sauve syluver þ erto / seyethe ytt w yt h ydle wyll alas ye lewde men moche leese they ȝe on preestes but Ac þing þ at wyckedlyche ys wonne & w yt h falsce sleyghtes wold neu er off wytty god þe wyt / but wyked men ytt hadde wyche Þe which are preestes ymp erfytt and preychouvrs after syluver sectouvrs & souvth deanes somonouvrs & theyre lemman es thys that w yt h gyle was gotten vngracyouvslye ys spended so harlotes and hoores ere helpen w yt h suoyche gooddes & goddes folke for defauvte theroff forfaren and spyllen cuvratouvrs off holychurche holy churche as clerkes þ at beene auvarous lyghtlyche þ at they leyuven loselles ytt hauvethe or dyethe Intestate & þen the bysshoppe enterethe and makethe myrthe therwythe & hys men bothe and say he was a nygarde that no goode myght spare to frend ne to frembde the fende haue hys souvle for a wrecched hoouvse he helde all hys lyffe tyme and þ at he spared & byspared spend we yn myrthe by lered & by by lewde þ at lothe are is ben to spende thys Þus G.16.148: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. goon theyre gooddes / by be e the goost faren but Ac for goode me n god woote greate d oole ~~..y~~men G.16.149: The word replaced by men is barely visible, but it seems possible that a small mark beneath the <n> may represent the remains of a <y>, in which case it may have been "they." maken & by -meannen good meyte -gyuvers & In mynd hauven ye In prears & and in pennance and yn p erfytt charyte whatt ys charyte q uod I tho / a chyldysshe thyng he sayde nisi efficiamini sicut p aruuli non intrabitis in regnov m celoru m wythoute fauvntelte or folye a fre lyberall wyll where sholde men men fynde suoche a frende w yt h so fre an harte I haue lyuved In londe q uod I my name ys long wyll and fouvnde I neu er full charyte byfore ne beynde men beene m ercyable to mendynantz & to pou erre poure bothe pore G.16.158: There is an otiose expansion mark over the of poure as if the scribe anticipated "pou erte." See note to G.15.292 and the reading at G.15.298. & wyll leane there þei leuve leally to be payde but Ac But not for charyte þ at paule preysethe best & most pleasethe our sauvyour non As non Is non G.16.161: C shares the G C B reading non, which is adopted by Kane and Donaldson. Remaining B manuscripts read As non or Is non. inflatur no n est ambiciosa non querit que sua sunt I seygh neu er suoche a man so me god helpe that he ne wolde aske after hys & other -whyle couveyte thyng þ at nedythe hym noght & nyme yt yff he myght clerkes kenne me that cryste ys In all places but Ac I seghe G.16.166: The words I seghe have been re-outlined in darker ink. hym neu er sothely but as my -selfe yn a myrrouvr Ita in enigmate tu nc facie ad faciem: & so I trowe trewly by þ at men tell off charyte ytt ys no nouȝt G.16.169: Hm's reading no, shared with G F, is over an erasure. Remaining manuscripts read nouȝt. champyons fyght / ne chaffayre as I trowe charyte q uod he ne chafferethe noght ne chalegethe chale[n]gethe chalengeth ne crauvethe as prouvde off a peny as off a pouv nd off golde & ys as glade off a gowne off a grey ruvssett as off a tuvnycle off tarce or off tryed trye skarlett he ys gladde to with all gladde & goode to til all wycked & lenvythe beleviþ leneth & louvethe all þ at our lorde made cuvrsethe he no creature ne he can beyre no wrathe ne no lykyng hathe to lye ne lauvghe men to scorne & all Al þ at men seyne he letethe let it sothe & yn solace takethe & all man er myscheff es In myldenes he sufferethe couvetethe he non yerly erthly erly G.16.180: Since in G an initial letter <y> is often added to words beginning with <e> (see Introduction III.4.4), it seems likely that G's reading yerly (for most manuscripts erthly) is effectively the same as the reading in F (i.e. erly). goode but heyuve n -ryche blysse hathe he any rentes or ryches or any any riche frendes off rentes ne off ryches recchethe he neuver for a frende þ at fyndethe hym fayled hym neu er at nede fiat voluntas tua : fynt hym euver -more & yff he souvpe he eytethe but a soppe off spera in deo he can pourtrye well þe pater -noster & paynte yt w yt h auvees & other -wyle he wont he is woned is his wone he is wonne to wend wend on pylgyrymages there pore men & prysoners lyggen ther perdone to haue thogh he beyre theyme n o G.16.189: The G reading here could possibly be ne rather than no. bred he beyrethe bereth hem swetter lyuveloode louvethe as hem as our lorde byddythe & lokethe how they fare & when he ys wery off that worke þen wole he some -tyme laboren yn lauvendrye well þe lenght off a myle and yerne In -to trouvght þout ȝouthe & ȝepelyche speke pryde w yt h all þ er þe appuvrtenancys & packen þem to -gydders & bouvken theym att hys brest & bowken beten theym cleyne & lyggen leggen on long w yt h laboraui in gemitu meo : & w yt h warme water att hys eyen wasshen theym after & þen he syngethe when he doethe so & some -tyme sayethe wepyng cor contritu m et humiliatu m deus non dispicies : but By cryst I wolde I þat I knewe hym no creature leuvere w yt h -oute helpe off pyers plowman q uod he hys person seeste þ ou neu er where clerkes knowe hym q uod I þ at kepen holy cherche clerkes haue no knowyng q uod he but by workes & wordes but Ac pyers þe plowman p erceyuvethe more depper where ys þe wyll & wherfore þ at many a many G.16.205: C 2 originally shared the majority B reading many, but a superlinear a has been added, bringing C 2's reading into line with that of G O (i.e. many a). wyght sufferythe et vidit deus cogitationes eorum :// for þ er are full prouvde herted men pacyent off tong and buxome as off beyryng to burgesys & to lordes & to pouvre poeple haue peppur In þe nose and as a lyon he lokethe ther me n lakken hys workes for þ er are bugeysys bu[r]geysys beggeres G.16.211: For the G spelling bugeysys, see also G.4.164. & bydders beydemen as ytt were loken as lambren & semyn lyffe -holy but Ac ytt ys more to haue þ er meyte In suoyche man er esy manere then for pennance or p erfyttnes the pouv erte þ at suoche takethe therfore by colouvr ne by clargy knowe shalt þ ou hym neu er nether thrugh wordes ne workes but thrugh wyll alone one & þ at knoethe no clerke ne creature yn yerthe but pyers þe plowman : :petrus id est cristus : for he ys noght yn lollers ne yn lewde lande lepers hermytes ne at ankers there a box hangethe all suoyche þei fayten Fye vp -on on Faytouvrs and on in fautores suos for charyte to is goddes champyo n & as a goode chylde hende & þe meryest off mouvthe att meyte wher he syttethe the louve þ at leyethe yn hys herte makethe hym ~~hym~~ lyght of speche & ys compaygnable & co nfortyve confortatyf as cryst bytt hym -seluve nolite fieri sicut ipocrite tristes :// for I haue seene hym in sylke & some -tyme I n G.16.227: Capital plus abbreviation mark is unusual as a spelling of "in" in this manuscript, and it seems likely that the scribe anticipated a clause with I as subject. ruvssett bothe yn grey & yn grys and yn gylte harnes and as gladlyche he ytt gaffe to goomes þ at ytt neded edmuv nd & edward ether were kynges and seyntes y -sett tyll charyte theym folowed I haue seene charyte also syngen & reden bydden Ryden & rennen yn ragged weedes for Ac byddyng as beggers doone beggeres byheld I hym neu er but Ac In ryche roobes rathest he walkethe y -called & crymaylled ycrimiled & hys crowne shauve & clenlyche y -clothed In cypres & In tartaryne and In a freres frocke he was fouvnde oonesce but Ac ytt ys fare a -goo In seynte franceyes tyme and In þ at secte ~~sylde~~ sythe to selde hathe he be knowen ryche men he reco mmendythe & and of theyre robes takethe that wythowten wyles leyden theyre lyuves beatus est diues qui et c etera// yn þe In kynges couvrte he comethe oft þ er þe counseyll ys trewe but Ac yff couvetyse be off of þe couvnseyle wehe wyll not co mme þ erynne In couvrt amo ng Iapers he comethe but not but G.16.246: Kane and Donaldson emend to the G L M R reading but, which is also the reading of Cx, though the latter has a different a-verse. Most B manuscripts read not but. selde For brauvlyng & backbytyng & beyry ng off falsce wyttnes In In þe co nsystorye before þe co mmyssorye he comethe not full ofte for þ er lawe duvrethe ou er long but yff þei lacche syluver & matrymoygne for ~~off~~ money maken & vnmaken and þ at coscyence co[n]scyence conscience & cryste hathe knytt yknitte faste they vndone yt vnworthylye þes þo doctouvrs off lawe but Ac I ne lack no lyffe but lord amend vs all & gyve yvs grace good god charyte to folowe for wo who-so myght mete w yt h hym suoche man ers hym aylethe nether he bannethe ne blamethe ne bostethe bosteth ne preysethe G.16.257: This and the following line appear in reverse order in Bx. All β4 manuscripts share G's order. crauvethe ne couvetythe ne cryethe after more lackethe ne losethe ne lookethe vp sterne In pace inidip sum in idip sum dormiam et requiescam & c etera & requiescam & c etera :// þe most loyuveloode he lyuvethe by ys louve yn goddes passyon nether he byddethe ne beggethe ne borowethe to yelde myssdoethe he no man ne w yt h hys mouvthe greuvethe amongest crystyen men thys mylednes shuolde laste In all man er angres haue þis In at herte that thogh þei suffered all thys god G.16.265: The form of the <d> in god resembles that used in the rubricated sections of the text. fsuffered G.16.265: Possibly the initial letter of suffered was originally <ff>. In any case, this letter has been blocked in so that the cross-bar is no longer visible. for vs more In ensample we shuolde do soo and take no wengeance off our foos þ at doone vs falssnes that .ys our fadres wyll for well may eu ery man wytte yff god god hadde wolde hym -seluve shulde neu er Iudas ne Iewe haue Iesu doone on roode ne haue martered petur ne poule In ne in G.16.270: M originally shared G's reading In, but supralinear ne has been added by M's hand2, giving ne in, which corresponds to the reading of remaining B manuscripts. pryson holden but Ac he suffered yn ensample þ at we we shulde suffre also and seyde to suoyche þ at suffer wolde þ at pacientes vincu nt : verbi gracia q uod he & verrey ensamples manye In ligenda sanctorm sanctor[u]m sanc tor um the lyffe off holy sey ntes what pennance & pouverte & passyon the þei G.16.275:The G scribe regualarly uses the weak form of the pronoun, "the," for remaining B manuscripts "they." See note to G.6.195. suffered yn hongre & yn heate yn all man er angres antony & egydy & other holy fadres woneden In wyldernes amongest wylde beastes monkes & mondynantz m[e]ndynantz mendynauntz men by theym -seluve In spekes & speklonvkes spelo[n]kes spelonkes G.16.280:The original shared G C Y B misreading ( speklonkes for spelonkes) has been corrected in Cot. seelde speke to -gyddres but Ac neu er noyther antonye ne egydy ne herymytes heremite þ at tyme off lyons ne ne of leopardes no lyuveloode ne tooke but off fouvles þ at flyghen þus fynd men In bookes except þ at egyde after an hynde cryed and thrughe þe mylke off þ at mylde beaste þe man was susteyned and day by day had he hyr noght hys hongre for to slake but selde selden & sondrye tymes as sayethe þe boke & teychethe antonye a dayes abouvte noone tyme had a bryd þ at broght hym breyd þ at he by lyuved & thoghe þe goome had a gest : god fond theym bothe poul primus heremita had parrokked hym -seluve that no man myght hym see for mosse & for leyuves Fouvhles hym fedde fell fele G.16.293: For G's treatment of B fele (appearing here as G Cr fell), see note to G.4.349. wynters wythe all tyll he fownded freres off auvguvstynes austines ordre poule after hys preychyng panȝers he made and wanne w yt h hyns G.16.296: A curved stroke has been added to the bottom of the <n> of original hyn, forming a loop, and this then continues upwards to form the riser of a sigma <s>. handys þ at hys wombe nedethe neded petur fysshed for hys foode & hys felowe andrewe some þei solde & some they soothe / & so they lyuved bothe & also marye magdalyne by moores lyuved & dewes but Ac most thrughe deuvotyon and mynd off god almyghtye I shold not thys seyuven dayes seggen theym all that lyuvyden thys þus G.16.302: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. for oure lordys louve many long yeres but Ac there ne was lyon ne leop arde that on landes laundes londe G.16.303: The G Cr B reading landes may simply be a variant spelling of the majority reading laundes. See OED laund. wenten nether Noyther bere ne borre ne other beaste wylde that ne fell to theyre feete and fauvned w yt h þer þe tayles and yff þei couvlde haue carped ycarped by cryste as I trowe they wold haue feedde y-fed þ at folke byfore wylde fowles but Ac god send þem foode by foughles & by no wylde fierse beastes In meanyng þ at meke thyng / mylde thyng sholde feede as wo seyethe relygyouvse ryghtfull men sholde fynde and lawfull men to lyffholy men lyuveloode bryng & þen wolde lordes & ladyes be lothe to agylte & to take off theyre tenant es more then trowgh wolde Fond þei þ at freres wold forsake theyre almes & bydden them beyre ytt þ er ytt was y -borowed for we be goddes fowheles & abyden al lway tyll bryddes bryng vs meate þ at we shuolde lyuve by For had ye potage & payne & ynough and penny ale y -noghe to drynke and a meyse þ er -mydde off any maner kynd ye had ryght ynowghe ye rylygoyouvse so and so your reuvle me tolde nu mq uam dicit Iob rugit onager cu m herbam h abuerit : aut : mugiet bos cu m ante se ante plenu m presepe steterit: brutoru m animaliu m natura te condemnat: quia cu m eis pabulu m co mune sufficiat ex adipe prodijt iniquitas tua:// G.16.322: The following nine lines have been bracketed by WH, who has added a note in the margin. See G.16.325. yff lewde men knewe thys laten: þei wolde loocke to whom þei gyuve and auyse þem a -fore bifore fyuve a fyue dayes ~~off~~ or syxe er they amortysed to monkes & or chanons þ er rent es WH no ta hic alas lordes & ladyes lewde couvnceyle haue ye de Religio ne to gyuve fro your heyres þ at your ayeles had ȝow lefte and gyuvethe to bydde for you to suoche þ at beene ryche and beene fouvnded & feasted feffed eke to bydde for other who p erfouvrnethe þis p rofecye off þe poeple þ at nowe lyuvethe dispersit dedit pauperibus:// no ta de fr atrib us This marginal comment is in the same hand as the addition by WH at the bottom of the previous page. A vertical line in the same ink runs from G.16.333 to G.16.347. yff any poeple p erfome p erfo[r]me p erfourme þis texte ytt are þe pore freres For þ at þei beggen aboute In beeldyng they spende spene spe nd it it spende G.16.332: Kane and Donaldson emend to the G C 2 B R reading "spend." Remaining B manuscripts read spene, spe nd it or it spende. on And on theyre hem -seluve some & on and suoche as beene þeir laborouvrs & off of hem þ at haue þei taken and gyve theym þ at ne hauvethe but Ac clerkes & knyght es & comuvners þ at beene ryche feele how Fele of G.16.336: For G's treatment of B fele (appearing here as feele), see note to G.4.349. you faren / & as yff I a forest hadde that were full off fayre trees & y fouvnded & caste G.16.337: Parts of the last two words of this line appear to have been re-outlined in black ink. how I myght moo therynne amonges þem sett ryght so ryche ȝe riche ye robbe þem þ at þat be ryche & helpen þem þ at helpen you & gyuvethe there no nede ys as wo -so fyllede a tonne off a fresshe ryuver & went forthe w yt h þ at water / to awoke woke w yt h tensmsse ryght so ye ryche robbethe G.16.343: The majority of manuscripts share G's reading "robbeth," but the correct reading is clearly "robeth," i.e. "clothe." The G scribe himself was clearly aware of the possibility of indicating long and short vowels by means of single and double consonants, but his practice in this respect was by no means consistent and it is therefore unclear which word he intended (see Introduction III.2). & fedethe them þ at haue as ye haue ye hem ȝe make att ease butt Ac relygyouvse þ at ryche beene shuolde rather feaste beggers then burgesys þ at ryche beene as þe booke teychethe quia sacralegiu m est res pauperu m non paup eribus dare: Item peccatoribus ~~est~~ dare est demonibus immolare : Item: monache si indiges & accipis pocius das q uam accipis: si autem non eges et accipis rapis : porro non indiget: monacus si habeat quod nature sufficit :// G.16.347: The rubricated section is bracketed in red on the right. Although some of the line breaks coincide with the end of a quotation, this is not true of all and the arrangement therefore does not seem to be deliberate. forthye I couvnseyle all crystyen to confouvrme them to charyte For charyte w yt houte chalyngyng vnchargethe þe souvle & many a prysoner prisone prisoners fro puvrgatorye thrugh hys preyers delyu erythe but Ac þ er ys a defauvte yn þe folke þ at the lawe faith kepe wherfore folke ys the febylyer & not fyrme off byleuve and In luvsburwes a is a lyther a -lay / a and yete lokethe he lyke a sterlyng the m erke off þ at money ys good / but ac þe meytell ys feble & so ytt farethe by some folke nowe þei haue a fayre speche crowne & crystendome the kynges m erke off heyuven but Ac þe mettell þ at ys mannes souvle w yt h synne ys fowle alayed G.16.358: G C B F omit a line at this point ("Bothe lettred and lewede · beth allayed now with synne"). that no lyfe ne lyf louvethe other ne our lorde as ytt semethe for thrugh warre & wycked workes & wedders vnreasonable wyther Weder wysse shyppmen & wytty clerkes also haue no byleuve to þe . lyst lifte / ne to þe loore off phylossophers astronomyens all day In theyre artes arte fayllen that wyllhome warned byfore what shuolde fall after shypmen & sheppardes that w yt h shypp & shepe wenten wysten by þe welkne what sholde betyde as off wedders wyndes and wyndes they warned men ofte tylyers þ at tylyed þe yerthe toolden theyre masters by þe seede þ at þei shewe sewe G.16.368: Given the variation beween <s> and <sh> spellings in G (see Introduction III.4.1), G shewe for remaining manuscripts sewe may be a spelling variant rather than a separate lexical item. / what they sell myght & what to leyuve & what to lyuve by þe lande was so trewe now faylethe þe folke off the floode & off the land bothe shepperdes & shypmen & so do thes tylyers nether Noither þei konne ne knowen G.16.372: The last two words of this half line are in a slightly more formal script: the riser of the <k> in particular resembles those of letters used in the rubricated sections. oon couvrse a -fore bi-for a -nother astromonyens also are att theyr wyttes ende off þ at was calclede off þe elyment es þe contrary þei fynde gramere þe grou nde off all bygylethe now chyldren For ys non off þes newe clerkes who -so ny mmethe hede that canne versyfye fayre or ne fouvrmelyche endyte ne not on amonge an huvndrethe an þ at an auvtour can constrewe ne rede a l .etter In any langage but latyn & enghlysshe go now to any degre but and but yff gyle be mastre & flatterer hys felowe vndre hym to fouvrme moche wondre me thynkethe among vs all doctouvrs off decrees / & off dy uynyte masters that sholde konne & knowe alkynnes clargye and answere to arguvme nt es and also to a q uodlibet I dare not segge ytt for shame yf suoche were apposed they sholde fayle yn of þeir phylosophy & yn þeir in physyck bothe wherfore I am a -ferde off folke off holy churche lest þei ou erhyppen as other done yn offyce & yn houvrs but Ac yff þei ou erhyppe as I hope noght our byleuve suffysethe as clerkes yn corpus cristi feaste syngen & reden that sola fides sufficit to sauve suoche with lewde poeple and so may sarazenes be sauved scrybes & Iewes alas þen but our loorsmen lyuven as þei teyche leren vs þ at And for þeir lyuvyng lyuynge þat lewdmen lewd men be be þe lother god to agylte agulten For sarazenes haue somewhat semy ng to our byleuve For þei louve & byleuve In on p erson almyghty and we lered & lewde In on god byleuve and on (macomethe) G.16.399: For the G scribe's use of brackets, see note to G.6.597. a man yn myssbyleuve broght sarazenes off surre and see In whatt man er theys macomethe was crystyen & for he myght moste not be p .ape G.16.401: The scribe uses an unusual double-lobed <a> for the alteration to pape. In -to surre he soght & thrugh hys subtyle wyttes he davn .ted Daunted a dove and day & nyght hyr fedde the corne þ at she cropped / he cast ytt yn heys eyre and yff he among þe poeple preyched / or yn place came then wolde þe cuvluver come In -to to the clerkes eyre menyng as after meyte (þus macomethe) hyr enchanted and dyd folke folke þanne G.16.408: Manuscript O originally shared the G Cr Y F reading folke (for remaining manuscripts folke þanne), but supralinear þanne has been added in O. fall on knees / for he sware In hys preychyng that þe cuvluver þ at came so came from god off heyuven as meseng er to macomethe men for to teyche & þus thrugh wyles off hys wytt and a whyte dowe macchomett yn myssbyleuve men & wemen broght þ at lered & lewde yett leeuen on hys lawes & sythe our sauvyour suffered þe sarazenes so begyled thrugh a cuvrsed crystene clerke acuvrsed In hys soule no ta ben e Marginal no ta ben e has clearly been written by WH. For an initialled marginal addition in this hand, see G.16.325.m.1. & for drede off dethe þe deth I dare nott tell þe trewthe treuthe how englysshe clerkes a coluver feden þ at couvetouvse coueityse hatte & bynne man ered after macomethe þ at no man vsethe trewthe ancres & heremytes moonkes and monkes & freres peren to appostels thrugh þeir p erfytt lyuvyng wold neu er þe feythfull father þ at hys mynysters sholde off tyrant es þ at teene trew men taken any almesse but doone as antony dyd domynycke & fraunceys benett & bernard wyche þe which theym furst taght to lyuve by ly .ttulle G.16.425: The first <t> of "little" apparently started out as another letter; the upright stroke rises above the usual level and the top has been lined through in brown ink. & yn lowe howses / by leelle men es almesse grace shold growe & be greene thrugh þeir good lyuvyng & folkes sholde fynde þ at been In greate dyuerse sycknes the better for theyr byddyng byddynges In bodyes body & yn souvles soule theyr p reyers & theyre pennances to peasce sholde brynge all þ at bynne att debate and redemen been bedemen were trewe petite et accipietis & c etera// salt sauvethe catell seggen thes wyuves vos esteis sal terre et c etera the beydes heuedes off holy churche and þei holye were cryste callethe þem salt for crysten soules et si sal euanerit in quo salietur : but Ac fresshe flessehe other fysshe when ytt salt faylethe ytt ys vnsau ery for -sothe y -soothe or bake ybake so ys mannes soule sothely þ at seethe no good ensample off theym off holycherche þ at þe hyghe way sholde teyche and be gyde & go before as a goode baner & hardye þem þ at be beynde bihynde ben / & gyuve þem goode euvydence elleuene holye men all þe worlde tuvrned In -to leele byleuve þe lyghtlyer liȝtloker me thynkethe shold all man er men / we haue so many masters prestes & preychouvrs & a pope above that goddes salte sholdbe shold be / to sauve ma nnes soule all was hethenes some -tyme england & wales tyll gregory made gerte clerkes to go & to preyche auguvstyne Austyn att cantuvrbury crystyned þe kyng & thrugh myracles as men mowe rede all þ at marche touvrned he torned to cryste & to crystendome þe and cros to honore and fulled folke fast and þe faythe taghte more thrugh myracles þen thrugh moche p reychyng as well thrughe hys werkes as w yt h hys woly wordes & seyde þem what fullyng & faythe was to meane clothe þ at co mmethe fro wetyng þe weuyng ys not co melye to weyre G.16.457: What may appear to be an extra character at the end of the line is red ink transferred from the opposite page. tyll ytt be fulled vndre foote or yn fullyng stockes whassen well w yt h water & w yt h taseles cracched y -touvked & y -teynted & vndre teylyouvrs hande & soo ytt farethe by a barne þ at borne ys off wombe tyll yt be crystyned In crystes name & co ns ermed co n[f] ermed of of þe bysshope ytt ys heythen as to heyuve nwarde & helples to þe soule heythen ys to meane after hethe & vntyled yerthe as In wylde wyldernes wexen wylde beastes ryvde & vnreysonable rennyng w yt h -owte crepres keperes cropiers cropers ye ny mmethe take menen mennen my nnen well what how mathew sayethe how a man made a feaste he fedde þem w yt h no weneson ne pheysandes y -bake but w yt h fouheles þ at from hym nolde but folowed hys wystylyng ecce altilia mea et omnia parata sunt et c etera : & wythe caluves flesshe he fedde þe folke þ at he louved the calffe betokenethe cleynnes In theym þ at kepe þe kepeth lawes for as þe kowe thrughe ..kynd mylke þe calffe norysshethe to til an oxe so louve & lealte lewde lele men susteyane and meydens & mylde men marcy desyren ryght as þe kowe kalffe coueytythe sweete mylke so doone ryghfull men m ercy & trewthe G.16.477: Fourteen lines which appear at this point in Kane and Donaldson's edition (KD.15.472-85) are found only in R. but Ac who beene þ at excuvsen þem / þ at are p ersones & p reestes that hedes off holye churche beene / þ at haue þeir wyll here w yt houte trauvell þe tythe dole del / þ at trewe men byswynken they wylbe wyl be wrothe þ at I wroote for I write þis þus G.16.481: Once again, in the case of G at least, it is possible that "this" (for remaining manuscripts "thus") is simply a spelling variant. See note to G.4.76. / but ac to wyttnes I take bothe mathewe & marke & memento domine dauid:// what pope or p relate nowe p erfouvrmethe þ at cryste hyght Ite in vniu ersu m mu ndum et predicate et c etera :// alas þ at men so longe on machomethe sh oolde byleuve so many p reelat es to preche as þe pope makethe off nazarethe off nynyuve off neptalyn off and damaske that þei ne went as cryst wyssethe sythe þei wyll hauve name to be pastouvrs & p reyche þe passyon off :Iesus : & as hym -selffe sayde to so to lyuve & dye bonus pastor anima m suam ponit & c etera // and seyde ytt yn saluvatyon off sarazenes & Iewes other for crystene & vncrystene cryst sayde to p reychers Ite vos in vineam meam et c etera & sythe þ at þes sarazenes scrybes and Iewes haue a lyppe off our byleuve / þe lyghtlyer me thynkethe þei sholde torne wo who-so trauveyle wolde to teyche þem off þe trynyte querite et inuenietis et c etera // G ytt ys reuvthe to rede howe ryght - wysmen wys men lyuvyden how þei defouvlled þeir flesshe forsooke theyr owen wyll farre fro kythe & from kynne yuvell clothed yclothed yeden badly clade ybedded no booke but conscyence ne no ryches but þe roode to reiIoyce theym ynne absit nobis gloriari nisi in cruce domini nostri et c etera // and þo was pleynte & peasce among pouvre & ryche and now ys reuvthe to rede how þe redde noble ys reu erensed are þe roode receyued for þe worthyer then crystes cros þ at ou ercame dethe & deadly synnes synne WH p rophycie WH also adds the bracket around the following six lines. & nowe ys warre & wo & who -so whye askethe For couvetyse after cros þe crowne stand In golde bothe ryche & relygyouvse that roode they honoren that yn þe grote grotes ys I -grau ae G.16.512: For the G scribe's treatment of superscript <a>, see note to G.3.157. / & yn þe in gold nobles For couvetyse off þ at cros men off holye kyrke shall torne as templers dyd þe tyme approchethe fast wote ye nat ye wysse wyse men howe þo men honored more treasure þen trewthe I dare not tell þe sothe reason & ryghtfull dome þo relygyouvse demed ryght so ye clerkes for your couvetyse er long shall þei deemen / dos eccl esie / & your pryde depo osse G.15.519: The original <o> of deposse is blotted so the supralinear <o> may simply be there to replace it. There is no caret mark. deposuit potentes de sede & c etera // yff kynghthoode k[ny]ghthoode knyȝthod & kynd wytt & comuvne conscyence to -geddres louve leely leuvethe ytt well ye bysshop es the lordshyppe off lande londes for euver ye shall lese and lyuven as leuvytes leuitici as our lorde you teychethe per primitias et ~~diuitias~~ decemas G.16.525: G's original reading diuitias is also the reading of C Y B. Remaining B manuscripts share G's corrected reading decemas. & c etera when constantyne off couvrtesye holy cherche dowed w yt h land es & leedes lordshyppes & rent es an angell men herd an hyghe att rome crye dos eccl esie thys day hathe dronke ydronke wenome and þo þ at haue peturs power are empoysoned apoysoned all not a bene a medycyne movste þ erto þ at may ame nd p reelates p ro episcopis that shold pray for þe peas possessyon þem lettethe take theyre landes ye lordes & lett þem lyuve by þeir dymes dymes yff possessyon be poysone & ymp erfytt þem make good were to dyschare dyschar[g]e dischargen þem for holy cherches sake & puvrgen þem off poyson er more peryll fall yff preesthoode were p erfytt þe poeple wold shulde amend that contraryen crystes lawe & crystendome despyse for all paynem es preyen & p erfyttlye byleuven In þe holy greate god and hys grace þei asken & make þeir moone to macomethe þeir message to shewe thus In a faythe ~~lyue~~ leeuve þ at folke / & yn a falsce meane & þ at ys reuvthe for ryghtfull men þ at yn þe realme wonynen G.16.543:The tail of the <y> of original wonyen (altered to wonnen) is faintly visible. For other class II weak verbs in G, see Introduction III.4.3. & yn in a a p erell for to þe pope & p reelates þ at he makethe that beyre bysshopp es nam es off bethelem & off babylon that hyppe a -bowte en englande to halowe mennes awtres & crepe amonge curatouvrs co nfessyon confessen / g ageynst þe lawe nolite mittere falcem in messem alienam :// many man for crystes louve was martered yn romaygne er any creystendome was knowe þ . er / or any cros honouvred eu ery bysshoppe þ at beyrythe cros by that he ys holden thrugh hys p rouvynce to passe & to hys poeple shewe hym tellen þem & teychen þem on þe trynyte to byleuve & feden þem w yt h gostlye foode & gyuve there ytt nedethe In domo mea non est panis neq ue vestimentu m et ideo nolite co nstituere me in regem G.16.556: These two rubricated lines have been bracketed together in red on the right. ozias sayethe þ at for for suoyche as þat seeke bene & feble Inferte omnes decimas in orreum meu m vt cibus in domo & c etera// but Ac we crysten creatures þ at on þe cros byleuven are fyrme en as in þe feythe god goddes G.16.560: M originally shared the majority B reading goddes, but the genitive inflexion -us has been deleted, giving god, as also G Cr 23 Hm. forbyde forbode elles & haue clerkes to kepe vs therynne / & þem þ at þat shal comethe come after and Iewes leyuven G.16.562: For original G leuen, compare C 2 leue n , F beleven. Most B manuscripts have lyuen. See also note to G.14.102. In leele lawe / our lorde wrote hym -seluve In stonne for ytt stydfaste ys & stand shall sholde for eu er eure dilige deum et proximu m : ys p erfytt Iewes lawe he And he Ac he And G.16.565: Kane and Donaldson do not record G's variant he; presumably they read it as <&>. In fact it is a careless <h> followed by a backwards facing <e>. Contrast with the two ampersands immediately below. toke ytt moyses to teyche men tyll messye came & on þ at lawe þei leeuven yett & letten ytt þe best & yett knowe þei cryste þ at crystendome taghte for a p erfytt prophete þ at moche poeple sauved off selcouvthe soores þei seyen ytt offte bothe Bothe of myracles & m erwel es & howe he men feasted w yt h two fysshes & fyuve looves fyuve thowsand poeple & by þ at mangerye men myght see wel se þ at messye he semed & when he lyffte vp lazar that leyde was yn grauve and vndre stonne deyde & stanke w yt h styffe woyce & hym called lazare veni foras : dyde hym ryse & roomvne rov[m]e rowme G.16.576: The corrector has written <v> over the second <o> of original roome and the first minim of the <m>, but the intention was probably to end up with rovme. ryght before þe Iewes but Ac þei seyden & sware w yt h sorcyrye he wroght and stuvdyeden hym to stroye to stroyen hym and stroiden þemseluve and thrugh pacyence his pacyence þeir powere to puvre noght he broght pacientes vincunt : danyell off þeir vndoyng dyuvyned & seyde cu m sanctus sanctoru m veniat cessabit vnccio vestra : & yett wenen þo wrecches þ at he were pheudo p[s]eudo pseudo -p ropheta : and þ at ys loore be leysyng es & lakken ytt all & hoope þ at he be to come þ at shall þem releuve mosyes efte or messye theyr masters þei dyuvyne n ȝet deuyneth but Ac sarazenes pharaseyes sarazens and pharasees pharesewes and sarsenes scrybes & greek es ere folke off on faythe þe fadre god they honouvren & sythe þ at þe sarazenes & also þe Iewes cane þe furste clauvse off our byleuve credo In deu m p atrem patrem o mnipotentem p relates and of crysten p rouvyncez sholde prouve yff þe i myght lere þem by hem lytle litlum & lytle lytlum et in Iesu m cristu m filiu m eius & c etera: tyll þei couvlde speeke & spell et in spiritu m sanctum & c etera & d reden reden it & recorden ytt w yt h remissionem peccatoru m carnis resurrexione m et vitam eternam amen explicit primus passus de doobett er Nowe fayre fall you q uod y þo / for your fayre shewy ng for haukyns louve þe actyuve man eu er I shall you louve but Ac yett I am In a were / whate charyte ys to meane ytt ys a full tryed trye tree q uod he trewly to tell m ercy ys þe more þ eroffe þe mydle stokke ys reuvthe þe leyuves beene leele wor kdes G.17.6: The correction of work- to word- has affected the <s> of speche in the line below. / þe lawe off holy cherche þe blossomes beene buxome speche & beny ng lokyng pacyence hatt þe puvre tree & puvre symple off herte & so thrugh god & good men growethe þe fruvte charyte I wold trauvell q uod I þis tree to se xxti twenti honderethe myles myle & to haue my wyll fylle off þ at fruvyte forsake all other sauvlees saulee lorde q uod I yff any wyght wytte whydre owte ytt growethe ytt growethe yn a garden q uod he þ at god made hym -seluve amyddes mannes bodye the more off is of þ at stocke herte hatte þ at herbouvre / þ at yn ytt it in growethe and liberu m arbitrium: hathe þe lande to ferme vndre pyers þe plowman to pyken ytt & weden ytt pyers þe plowman q uod I þo & all for puvre Ioy that I harde nyuynve nyuy[n]e nempne hys name anon I swoned after & lay long yn a louve dreame & at þe last me thoght that pyers þe plowma n all þe place me shewede & bad me toten on þe tree on top & on roote w yt h ~~theyr~~ iij thre G.17.23: It looks as if some attempt may have been made to overwrite (i.e. to alter theyr to thre) but this has been abandoned and iij has been added above the line. pyles was ytt pyght vndre vnder-piȝte I p erceyuvyd ytt soone pyers q uod I I pray þe whoy stand thes pykes piles here for wy ndys wyllthowe w ~~it h~~ ytte q uod he to wytten ytt from fallyng cu m ceciderit Iustus non collidetur quia d omin us supponit manu m sua m and yn bloowyng tyme abyte the es flowers but yf þes pyles helpe the worlde ys a wycked wynde to þem þ at wyllen trewthe couvetyse comethe off þ at wynde & crepethe amonge þe leyuves and forfreytethe neghe þe fruvyte thrugh many fayre syghtes then w yt h þe fuvrste pyle I pull hym downe pote ntia þ at is potencia dei p atris: the flesshe ys a fell wynd & yn floweryng tyme thrugh lykyng & luvstes so lowde he gynnethe blawe þ at norysshyng it norissheth nyce syght es & some -tyme wordes & wycked werkes theroff wormes off synne and forbytethe þe blossomes ryghte so the bare leyuves then sett y to þe second pyle sapie ntia dei ~~p atris~~ : filijj p atris that ys þe passyon & þe power off our prynce Iesu thrugh prears & pennances & goddes passyon yn my nd I sauve ytt tyll I se ytt rype & somedeale y -fruvyted & þen fondethe þe fende my fruvyte to dystroye w yt h all þe wyles þ at he can & wacchethe waggeth the roote & castethe vp yn -to to þe croppe vnkynd neghbouvrs bakbyters breyke -c rheste brauvlers & chydres & leyethe a ladder therto off leysyng es are þe longes ronges and facchethe a -way my flowers floures sumtyme before afor bothe myne eyne but Ac liberum arbitrium lettethe hym some -tyme that ys leuvetenau nt G.17.48: For the G scribe's treatment of superscript <a> (here used as an abbreviation for <n>), see note to G.4.156. to loke ytt well by leyuve off my -seluve videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctu m nu mq uam remittetur et c etera hoc est idem qui peccat p er lib orum arbitriu m non re npugn at repugn at repug nat : G.17.49: The rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. but Ac when þe fende & þe flesshe & forth forth w yt h þe worlde manasethe G.17.51: The <s> of manasethe is heavily filled in in black ink and there may be some overwriting here. byhynde me my fruvyte for to fecche then liberum arbitrium lacchethe þe fuvrste plante and pall othe downe adown þe pouke puvrelyche thruvghe grace and helpe off þe holye gooste and þus hauve I the mastrye now fayre fall you pyers q uod y so fayre you ȝe G.17.55: For the G scribe's use of you for remaining manuscripts ȝe, see note to G.2.180. dyscryuve the power off þes postes & theyre propre myght and y haue thoghtes a ~~the~~Feve threve off thes thre pyles In what woode þe þei G.17.58: For the G scribe's use of the weak form of the third person plural pronoun (i.e. "the" for remaining manuscripts "they"), see note to G.6.150. wexen woxen waxen G.17.58: The verb as it appears in G M Y (i.e. wexen, for most manuscripts woxen) could be in either the preterite (as Bx) or the present tense. & where þ at they growed for all alle ar þei ylyche longe non lasse then other & to my mynde as me thynkethe on oone more þei growe growed grewe & of oon gre ytnes & grene of greyne they semen that ys sothe q uod pyers so so it myght may byfalle I shall tell þe as tyte whatt þis tree hatte the grownde þ er ytt growethe goodnes ytt hyght I And I haue tolde þe whatt ytt hyght hiȝte þe tree þe trynyte ytt meaneth & egrelyche he loked on me & þ erfore y spared to aske hym any more þ eroff & bad hym full fayre to descryuve þe fruvte þ at so fayre hangethe here Here now byneythe q uod y he þo / yff y nede hadde & matrymoygne Matrymonye I may y ny mme a moyst fruvyte w yt hall þ at Þanne co nscyence contenence ys nere þe croppe as kalawey basterde then beyrythe þe croppe kynde fruvyte & cleynnes clenneste off all mayden -heyde angeles pyeres & rathest wylbe wyl be rype & swete w yt h -oute swellyng sore soure worthe ytt neuver I preyed pyers to pull downe adown an appuvll & he wolde & suffer me to assay what sauvoyre ytt hadde & pyeres cast to þe croppe / & þen comsed ytt to crye & wagged wydowhoode & ytt wepte after & when ytt mouved matrymoygne ytt made a fowle noyse that y hadde ruvethe when pyers rogged yt gre ade G.17.80: For the G scribe's treatment of superscript <a>, see note to G.3.157. so rewfullyche for eu er as þei dropped downe adown þe deuvell was redye & gadered theyme all to -gedders bothe greate & smale adam & euve abraham & ysaye þe ~~p rofete~~prophete sampson & samuvell & seynte Ihon the baptyst bare theym forthe boldly no bodye theym hym letted & made off holye men myne his hoorde in limbo inferni : there ys derknes & derede & the deuvell master & pyers for puvre teene þ at oone pyle he lauvghte & hent hitte after hym h~~ent~~appe howe ytt myght filius by the fadre wyll & frenesse off spirit us sanct us sanc ti G.17.90: It is difficult to be certain what is intended here. Both "spiritus" and "sanctus(?)" end with the same abbreviation (a backward curve rising from the bar of the <t>). : to go robbe þ at ragman & reyuve þe fruvyte from hym & then spake spirit us sanct us : In gabryell es mowthe to a mayde þ at hyght marye a meke thyng w yt h -all that oon Iesu a Iuvstyce sonne most Ioyuvke yn hyr chambre tyll plenitudo temporis fully come were that pyers fruvyte flouvred & fell to be rype and then sholde Iesu Iuvst therfore by Iuvgme nt off armes whether sholde fong þe fruvyte the fende or hym -seluve the mayden mayde ~~mydl~~ myldelyche þo / þe messangre grau nted G.17.99: For the G scribe's treatment of superscript <a> (here treated as an abbreveiation for <n>), see note to G.4.156. & seyde hendlyche to hym lowe me hys hand meyden for to worchen hys wyll w yt h -owte any synne ecce ancilla d omini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum : & yn þe wombe off þ at wenche was he fouvrty wekes tyll he wexe a fauvnte thruvgh hys her flesshe & off fyghtyng ~~koug~~couvt he to haue foght w yt h þe fende ere full tyme came & pyers the plowman p erceyuved plenere tyme & lered hym lechecrafte hys lyve for to sauve þ at thogh he were wouvnded w yt h hys enmye to warrysshe hym -seluve & dyd hym assay hys suvrgerye on þem þ at syke were tyll he were was p erfytt practysouvr yff any p erell fell & soght owte þe syke & synnfull bothe & sauved salued sycke & synnfull bothe blynde & croked & co mmen women conu erted & to good touvrned non est sanis opus medicine medic us set in & c etera: bothe mesels & dombe mute & yn þe menycen blodye oft he heyled suoyche he ne held ytt no for no mastrye sauve tho þ at he had þo he leched lazar þ at had lye yleye yn grauve quatriduanus quvelt quvyk dyd hym walke but Ac as he made þe mastrye mestus cepit esse & wepte water w yt h hys eyene / þ er syhen ytt many some þ at þe syght seen / seyd that tyme that he was leche off lyfe & lorde off hygh heyuven Iewes Iangeled þ erageynst and Iuvgged lawes & sayed he wroght G.17.124: The word wroght has been re-outlined, apparently in the original ink. See also G.17.126. w yt h wychcrafte & w yt h the deuvel es myght demonium habes habes & c etera : then are ye cherles q uod y & your chyldre G.17.126: The word chyldre appears to have been re-outlined in black ink. bothe & sathan your sauvyoure / your -seluve nowe ye wyttnes for y haue sauved your -selfe seyethe cryste & youvr sonnes after your bodyes your beastes & blynd men holpen & fedde you w yt h fysshes & w yt h fyuve louves & lafte baskett es full off brooke bredde beyre a -way wo -so wolde & myssayede þe Iewes manlyche & manaced þem to beyte & knocked on theym w yt h a corde & cast downe adown theyre stalles that yn cherche chaffereden or chalenged chaungeden any money & sayed yn it in syght off theym all so þ at all harden I shall ou er -torne thys temple & adowne throwe & yn thre dayes after edyfyed ytt newe & make as it as moche or other more yn all man er poyntes as eu er ytt was & as wyde wherfore I hoote you off preyers & and of perfyttnes thys place þ at ye call domus mea domus orationis vocabitur:// enuvy & yuvell wyll was yn þe Iewes þei cast & co ntryuvyden to kyll hym when þei myght eche day after other theyre tyme they wayted awaited tyll ytt byfell on a fryday a lyt le byfore þe pasq ue Paske the thursday byfore there he made heys mauvnde syttyng att hys atte supper he sayde thes wordes I am sold thrugh on off you he shall shal þe tyme rewe that eu er he hys sauvyour solde for syluver or elles Iudas Iangled þ er -ageynst but ac Iesu hym tolde hytt was hym -seluve sothely & sayed tu dicis then went forthe þ at wykked ma n and w yt h þe Iewes mette & tolde t .hem a token to how to G.17.153: G's reading "to" is clearly preferable to most manuscripts "how to," and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. k .nowe wyth Iesu & wyche token to thys day ys to moche to moche is vsed that ys kyssyng & fayre couvntenance & vnkynd wyll & so was w yt h Iuvdas tho he Iesu betrayede ave raby: q uod þ at rybavde & ryght to hym he yede & kyst hym to be cauvght þ erby / & kylled off þe Iewes then Iesu to Iuvdas & to the Iewes seyde falssnesce I fynde yn thye falsyre G.17.160: F shares G's original reading false. G's corrected reading fayre corresponds to the reading of remaining B manuscripts. speche & gyle yn thye gladde chere / & gall yn is in þi laghyng thow shalt be myrrouvr to manye men the poeple to to deceyuve but Ac þe worsce for and thy wyckednes shall worthe on vpon thy -seluve necesse est vt veniant scandula scand[a]la scandala ve homini illi & c etera p er quem scandalu m ve nit // thogh I by treason be take att your owne wyll sufferethe myne appostel es yn peasce pays and yn peasce gang on a thrusday yn thesternesse / thuvs was he taken thrugh Iudas & ~~I i~~ Iewes Iesu was hys name that on þe fryday folowyng for mankynd sake Iuvsted yn Ieruvsalem a Ioy for to vs all on cros vp -on caluarye cryste toke þe battayle ageynst dethe & þe deuvell to dystroye destruyed bothe theyr her botheres myghtes deyde & dethe fordyd & day & of nyght made & I awaked therw yt h & wyped myne eyene & after pers plowman pryed & stared estwarde & westwarde I wayted after faste & yede forthe as an Ideotte yn contrey to aspye after pyers þe plowman many a place hey G.17.178: The loop of the <h> of deleted he has been erased and the <e> may also have been subject to erasure (though as it was already very faint erasure may have been thought unnecessary). It seems likely, in fact, that the original reading was y and that this has been partially altered to he and then changed back again. The <e> seems to have been squashed in between the <y> and soght, while he is written in the margin, apparently by the original scribe (for the form of the <h>, see he at G.17.180), in order to indicate the required correction. soght A scribe has drawn a

scroll-like pattern in the right-hand margin extending downwards for approximately 7 lines. & þen mette I w yt h a man on mydlenten sonday as hoore as an hawthorne & habraham he hyght y frayned hym furste from whennces he came & off whennces he were & wedre he þat he thoght I am faythe q uod þis freyke ytt fallethe not to lye & off abrahams house an harauvde off armes I seke after a segge þ at y ~~seghones~~ seghe oonesce a fulde bolde bacheler I knowe knewe hym by hys blasen what beyrethe þ at barne q uod y tho so blysse þe betyde thre leedes on oone lyethe non lengre then other off oone mochell & myght G.17.189: The word myght looks at first sight as if it may have been altered but in fact it appears more likely that the paper has not taken the ink well (because the surface was greasy?) and that some re-outlining has been necessary. & maIeste yn in measuvre & and in lenght that oon doethe all doone & eche doethe by hym his owene the fy rst hathe myght & mageste maker off all thynge es G.17.191: β4 manuscripts and R share G's original reading "thing." Remaining B manuscripts share the form with plural inflexion which results from G's correction. For the G scribe's treatment of uninflected plurals, see Introduction III.1.1. pater ys hys name oone p ersone by hym -seluve the second ys off that syre sothefastenes filius wardeyn off þ at wytte witte hath was eu er wythe -owte gynnyng þe thyrde hatte þe holye gost a p erson by hym -seluve þe lyght off all þ at lyuve haue hath on land & on watre confouvrtor off creatuvres off hym cometh all blysse so thre bylongen for a lorde þ at lordshyppe cleamethe myght and a meane to knowe hys owene myght off hym & off hys s eruvant & what þei suffer bothe so god þ at gynnyng had neu er but tho hym goode thoght sent forthe hys sonne as for s eruvante þ at tyme to ocupyen hym here tyll ysseuve were spronge that ys chyldren off charyte & holye cherche þe modre p atryarkes and p rophetes & appostel es were þe chyldrene & cryste & crystendome and crysten holy cherche yn meanyng þ at man moste on oon god byleuve & there hym lyked & louved yn thre p ersones hym shewed & þ at ~~þ at~~ G.17.209: Kane and Donaldson record that G has the word þ at twice, but the second of these is very definitely lined through. ytt may be so & sothe manhoode ytt shewethe wedlocke & wydowed w yt h virgynyte I -neuenved I -neue[n]ed ynempned In tokenyng off þe trynyte was taken owte off of o G.17.211: Though G M Cr W and F all read of for most manuscripts of o, Cr and W have a different word order from that found in G, and F has ma nkynde for G man. G's closest relationship here is therefore with M. man adam our aller father euve was off hym -seluve & þe yssuve þ at he had ytt was off theym bothe & ether ys other otheres Ioy yn thre sondrye p ersones and yn heyuven & here on synguvler name & þus ys mankyd manky[n]d mankynde or manhoode off matromoygne y -sprong G.17.216: β4 manuscripts omit a line at this point ("And bitokneth þe Trinite · and trewe bileue"). myght ys matromoygne þ at muvltyplyethe þe yerthe and bytokenethe treuvly tell ytt yff y dorste he þ at furste fouvrmed all þe father off heyuven þe sonne ys yff I dorste say resembelant to þe wydowe deus meus deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me : that ys creatouvr was wex creatuvre to knowe what was bothe a As wydow w yt h -owte wedlock was neu er yete y -say no more myght god be man but yff he modre hade so wydowe w yt h -oute wedlocke may noght well stande ne matromoygne w yt h -oute muvlyere ys not moche to preyse malidictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israell : thuvs yn thre p ersones ys p erfyttlyche manhoode that ys a is man & hys make & muvlyere chyldren ytt And ys not but gendred gendre off generatyon byfore Iesu In cryst in heyuven so ys þe fadre forthwythe þe sonne & frewyll fre wyll off bothe spiritus procedens a patre et filio et c etera // wyche ys þe holye gost off all & all ys but on god thuvs yn in a somer y hym syghe as y satte yn my porche y rose vp & reu erensed hym & ryght fayre hym grette thre men to my syght I made well att easse wysshe þeir feete & wyped theym & afterwarde þei eyten caluves flesshe & kakebred & knewe what y thoght full trewe tokens betwene vs are be n is to tell when me lykethe furste he fonded me yff y louved better hym or ysacke myne heyre þe wyche he bad hiȝte me kyll he wyst my wyll by hym he wyll ytt me it alowe I am full syker yn souvle þ eroffe & my souvle sone bothe I cyrcu msysed my sonne sythe for hys sake my -seluve & my menye & all þ at males male were bleden Bledden G.17.246: 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 (see Introduction III.2), and it is therefore difficult to be certain whether the G scribe considered bleden to be in the present tense or (like remaining manuscripts Bledden) in the preterite. bloode for þ at lordes louve & hope to blysse þe tyme my affyance & my faythe ys fyrme yn þis byleuve for hym -seluve byhyght to me & to myne ysseu bothe lond & lordshyppe & lyffe w yt howten ende to me & to myne yssue more yett he me grauvnted m ercy for our myssdedes as many tymes tyme as we askene quam olim abrahe promisti prom[is]isti promisisti & semini eius :// and sythe he send me to saye I sholde do sacrafyce & done hym worshyppe w yt h bredde & w yt h wyne bothe & called me stott fote off hys faythe hys poeple folke for to sauve & defendyd defende þem from þe fende folke þ at on me leuved thuvs haue y beene hyrs harauvde here & yn hell & co nforted many carefull þ at after hys co mmyng wayten & þus y seeke hym he seyde for y harde seyne late off a barne þ at baptysed hym Iohn babptyst was hys name that Þat to p atryarkes & prophetes & other poeple yn derknes sayde þ at he seghe hym here þ at sholde sauve vs all ecce agnus dei et c etera I had wondre off hys wordes & off hys wyde c ..lothes for yn hys bosome he bare a thyng þ at he blessed euver and y loked on hys lappe a lazare lye G.17.266: The verb lye may be a preterite. See G.14.21 and note to G.6.224. Remaining manuscripts read lay. therynne among p atryarkes & p rophetes pleyeng there pleying to -gedders what weytesthowe awaytestow q uod he & wote what woldesthowe hauve I wold wytt q uod y tho what ys yn your lappe loo q uod he & lett me see lorde m ercye y seyde thys ys a p resent off moche pryce what pryce Prynce shall ytt haue ytt ys a p recyouvse p resent q uod he but ac þe pouvke ytt hathe atta tched ~~tyll he come þ at y carpe off cryste ys hys name~~ G.17.273: The deleted line appears below. See G.17.276. & me þ er - w yt h myde q uod þ at man may no wedde vs quvyte ne no barne be our borowe ne bryng vs fro hys danger oute off þe pouvkes pynfolde ne no meynpryce may vs facche tyll he come þ at y carpe off cryste ys hys name that shall dyleu er vs some day owte off þe deuvel es power and bett er wedde for vs lygge legge þen we be all worthye that ys lyuve for lyuve or lygge þus eu er lollyng yn my lappe tyll suoche a lorde vs facche alas y seyde þ at synne so long sholde shal lett the myght off goddes m ercy þ at myght vs all amend I wept w yt h thes for his wordes w yt h þ at y saghe sawe I an -other rapelyche renne forthe þe ryght way he went and y I frayned hym furste from whence he came & whatt he hyght & whedre he wolde & wyttelyche wightlich he tolde explicit secundus passus de dobett er Y G.18.1: For the interpretation of the first letter of this line as a <Y>, see note to G.7.260. am spes q uod he a spye & spure after a knyght þ at toke me a mandem ent vp -on þe monvt mo[n]t mounte off synay to reuvle all realmes w yt h y beyre þe wrytt here ytts ystt G.18.4: Cr C 2 Cot share G's original reading ytt ys. Remaining manuscripts share G's corrected reading ys ytt. ensayled he I sayde may men se þe letters nay he sayethe sayde y seeke hym þ at hathe þe seale to kepe & þ at ys cros & crystendome & cryst þ eron to hange & when ytt ys ensaeled asseled so / I wote well þe sothe þ at lucyfers lordshyppe shall last laste shal no lengre lett vs Late se þe þi letters q uod I we myght þe lawe knowe then pluvcked he forthe a patent a pece off an harde roche wheron were wryten two wordes on thys wyse glosed yglosed dilige deum et proximu m tuu m et c etera thys was þe texte trewly I tooke full goode ȝeme the glose was gloryouvsly wryten w yt h a gylt penne In hijs duobus mandatis tota lex pendet et prophete :// beene þ er here all thye lordes lawes q uod y / ye leuve me me wel G.18.16: Most C manuscripts share the G Cr R F reading me (for majority B me wel), and this is the reading adopted by Kane and Donaldson. he sayede who -so worchethe after þis wrytt I wyll vndretake shall neu er deuvell hym deere ne dethe yn souvle greuve for thoghe y say ytt my -seluve y haue sauved w yt h þis charme off men & off women many score thowsand es he sayethe sothe sayde þe harauvde I haue fouvnden ytt ofte loo here yn my lappe þ at leuved on þ at charme Iosuve & Iuvdethe & Iuvdas machabeuvs ye & and and and syxtye thowsand bysyde forthe þ at beene noght seene here your wordes beene wondrefull q uod y / wyche off you ys trewest & leelest to leeuve on for lyuve & For souvle habraham sayethe þ at he see holye the trynyte thre p ersones yn p ercell es dep ertable from other & all thre but on god thus abraham me taght & hathe sauved þ at byleeuve bileued so / & sorye for þ er synnes he ca n not segge þe some & some are yn hys lappe what nedethe ytt þen / a new lawe to begynne sythe þe furste suffysethe to saluvatyon & to blysse & now comethe spes & speykethe þ at aspyed hath aspied þe lawe & tellethe noght off þe trynyte þ at toke hym þes his l ettres to byleuve & louve yn on lord allmyghtye & sythe ryght as þi my -seluve so louve all poeple the goome þ at goethe w yt h a staffe he semethe yn great er heale then he þ at goethe w yt h two stauves to syght off vs all and ryght so by þe roode reason me shewethe ytt ys lyghter to lewde men a lessone to knowe then for to teychen þem two & harde to harde to lere þe lest ytt ys full harde for any man on abraham to abraham byleuve G.18.43: The cross in the bottom of the right hand margin is in modern pencil. & wellaway worsce yet for to louve a shrewe ytt ys lyghlyer liȝtor G.18.45: For the spelling of "lightlier" without a <t>, see note to G.1.150. to leeuve / yn thre louvelye p ersones then for to louve & leenve lene aswell as well lorell es as leales go thy gate q uod I spes so me god helpe tho þ at lernen þi lawe lawe wel lytle wyle wsen ytt & as we went þus by in þ .e way we wordyng togeddres then seghe we a samarytan syttyng on a muvle rydyng full rapely þe ryght way we yedene comyng fro a contrey þ at men called Ierico to a Iuvstyce iustes yn Ier usal em he chased a -way faste bothe þe herauvde & hope & he mette at oonesce where a man was wouvnded & w yt h theuves y -take taken he myght nether steppe ne stand ne styrre foote ne handes ne helpe hym -seluve sothely / for semyvyf / he semed & as naked as a nedle & noon helpe abowte hym feythe had furst seght off hym but ac he flygh on syde & wold nolde not nyghe hym by nyen land es lenghte hoope came hyppyng after / & þat had so y -boosted howe he w yt h moyses mandem ent had many man men yholpe but Ac when he had syght off þ at segge asyde he gan gan hy m drawe dredfully by þis day as ducke doethe fro þe fawkon but Ac so sone so þe samarytane had syght off þis leede he lyght downe adown off lyarde & lad hym yn hys hand & to the way wye he went hys wouvndes to beholde & p erceyuved by hys pouce / he was yn p erell to dye & but he had recou ere recou erer G.18.69: The G Cr 23 C 2 reading recou ere may well result from a failure to notice an abbreviation, but, in any case, as far as G and Crowley are concerned, it is worth noting that, according to the OED, the use of "recoverer"="remedy" dies out during the fifteenth century (see OED recoverer, n. 1 ). the rather ryse þat rise shold he neu er w yt h wyne & w yt h oyle hys wouvndes he wasshed enbalmed hym & bond hys heyde & yn hys lappe hy m leyde & lad hym so forthe to on lyarde to lex cristi a grauvnge well syx myle or seyuven fro biside þe new markett harbored hym at an hostrye & to þe hosteler called & seyde haue kepe þis man tyll I come fro þe Iuvstece iustes & . loo here sylu er he sayde for saluve to hys wouvndes & he toke hym too pence to lyuvelode as ytt were & sayde what he spendethe more I make þe goode hereafter for y may not lett q uod þ at leede and l ..yarde he bestroode & raped hym to Ier usal em -warde þe ryght way to ryde faythe folowed after fast and fouvnded to mete hym and spes spaklyche hym spedde / spede yff he myght to ou er -take hym & talke to hym er þei to towne came & when I seye þis / I soiouvrned nat / but shoope me to renne and suved þ at samarytan / þ at was so full off pyte & grauvnted hym to be hys goome grome G.18.86: Bm also originally shared the G R F reading goome, but in Bm this has been corrected to grome, as all other manuscripts. / grauvnt m ercy he sayede but Ac thy frende & and þi felowe thowe fyndest me att nede & y thanked hym tho & sythen he me I hym tolde howe þ at feythe flede a -way and spes hys felowe bothe for syght off þe sorowfull man / þ at robbed was w yt h theuves haue theym excuvsed q uod he / theyr helpe may lytle auvayle may no medycyne on molde / þe man to heale bryng nether faythe ne fyne hoope / so festered beene hys wouvndes w yt h -oute þe bloode off a barne borne off a meyde & he be bathed yn þ at bloode baptysed as ytt were & þen plastered w yt h penna nce ~~w yt h~~ G.18.96: A downward stroke, possibly that of the of passyon but also possibly the downward stroke of a thorn (see the F reading w it h þe passiou n ), has been written and deleted after deleted w yt h . & passyon off þ at body babi he sholde stande & steppe but ac stallworthe worthe he neu er tyll he haue eyten all þe berne & hys bloode y -dronke for went neu er wyȝe In þis ~~word~~ world thrugh þ at wyldernes that he ne was robbed or ryfelde / rode he þ er or yede sauve faythe & hys felow spes & y my my -seluve and thy -seluve nowe & suoyche as suvene our workes for owtlawes yn þe woodde & vndre bancke lowtethe lotyeth lowten & mowe eche man see & good marke take who ys behynd & who ys who before & who beene on horse for he þ at he holdethe hym herdyer on hors þen he þ at ys on foote for he seythe seeth seigh me a þat am samarytan sewe faythe & hys felowe on my caple þ at hette caro off mankynd I tooke ytt he was vnhardye þ at harlott & hydde hym in inferno : but Ac are thys day thre dayes I dare vndretake þ at he worthe fettered þ at fellone fast w yt h cheynes & neu er efte greuve goome þ at goethe by thys þis ilke gate & then shall faythe be forster here & yn þis frythe walke and kenne comu ne out co mune men þ at knowe not þe contrey wyche ys þe way þ at I went & wherforthe to Ier usal em & hoope þe hostelers mane shalbe shal be / þ er þe man lyethe to an heale helynge & all þ at fyeble & faynte beene / þe þat faythe may not teyche hoope shall leyde theym forthe w yt h louve / as hys lett er tellethe & hostyle þem & heale them hele hym hele / & þen shall I retorne þorw holicherche bileue G.18.119: G's b-verse is taken from the following line (KD.17.122b). tyll y haue saluve for al syk & þen I shall shal I G.18.120: The G scribe has the correct word order ( shall I rather than I shall) in his erroneous use of this b-verse in the previous line ( G.18.119). re - torne G.18.120: A line extending from the box indicates the place where this material should be inserted. & come agayne by þis contrey & co nforte all sycke that crauven ytt or couveyten ytt & cryen therafter for þe barne was borne yn bethelem G.18.123:The remainder of this line in the majority of manuscripts reads þat with his blode shal saue, material which does not appear in G until the following line. G's reading of the b-verse is shared, with some minor differences, with C C 2 Y and B. The result of added material both here and later means that these manuscripts have three lines instead of two. on of a cleane meyde G.18.124: For G's a-verse (the b-verse of KD.17.125), see note to previous line ( G.18.123). that shall w yt h hys bloode sauve all þ at lyuven yn faythe G.18.124: G's b-verse here is the a-verse of KD.17.126. G's reading of this line is shared with C C 2 Y B. See note to G.18.123. & folowen þe teychyng off hoope that ys hys felowe his felawes techynge G.18.125: The G C C 2 B reading expands on most manuscripts his felawes techynge in order to turn what was originally only a half line (the b-verse of KD.17.126) into a full line; the a-verse found in most manuscripts has already been used in G.18.124. See also note G.18.123. Y also shares the G C C 2 B reading, except that Y has holpe for G C C 2 B hoope. a swete s yr seyde y I seyde tho where shall y byleuve and As faythe & hys felow enfouvrmethe me bothe In thre p ersones dep ertables departable / þ at p erpetuvell were euver & all thre but on god thuvs abraham me taght & hoope afterwarde bad he bad me to louve on god w yt h all my good / & all my alle goomes after louve th eym lyke my -seluve but ac our lorde abowe all after abraham q uod he þ at harauvde off armes sett faste thye faythe & fyrme byleuve & as hoope hyght þe I hoote þ at þ ou louve thyne euvyncrysten eu er -more euven forthe w yt h thy -seluve & yff conscyence carpe cherysshym þ ere-aȝein / or kynd wytt other or herytykes w yt h arguvment es thyn hand þ ou hym showe for god ys after an hand y -here nowe & knowe ytt the fadre f was furst a fyst w yt h o n fynger foldyng tyll hym louved & lyst to vnlosen hys fynger & p rofer forthe it forth as w yt h a pavme to what place yt sholde the pavme ys puverly þe hand & p roferethe forthe þe fyng er fyngres to mynyste er & to make þ at mygh t off hand knowethe & betokenethe treuvly tell who -so lykethe the holy gost off heyuven he ys as þe pavme the fyngers þ at fre beene to folde & to s eruve bytokenethe sothely þe sonne þ at sent was to þe til yerthe þ at towched & tasted all þe at teychyng off þe pavmbe seynt mary a meyde & mankynd kaght lauȝte qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto natus et c etera et c etera // the fadre ys then as a fyst w yt h fyngre to touvche quia omnia traham ad meipsum et c etera// all þ at þe pavme p erceyuvethe profytable to feele thuvs are they all but on as ytt an hand were & thre sondrye syghtes yn on shewyng the pavme for he puttethe forthe fyngers & þe fyst bothe ryght so redylye reason me it shewethe how he þ at ys holy gost syre & sonne prouvethe & as þe hand holdeth hard & all thyng fast thrugh four fyngers & a thombe forthe w yt h the pavme ryght so þe father & þe sonne & seynt spyryte þe thyrde holdethe all þe wyde worlde wythe -ynne þem thre bothe þe Bothe welkyn & þe wynd water & yerthe heyuven & hell & all þ at þ erynne ys thys Þus G.18.166: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. ytt nedethe no man trow non other that thre thyng es beylongen In our lorde off heyuven and ere sereples sere[l]e[p]es G.18.168: The G scribe's erroneous spelling sereples is shared by Hm C C 2 Y B (Hm by correction). Cr 23 have Serples. Only L and M have the correct spelling. by theym -seluve sondreye asondry were they neu er no more þen myne hand may move w yt h -ovte my fyngers and as my fyst ys full hand folden yfolde to -gedders so ys þe fadre a full god fouvrmore & shaper tu fabricator omnium & c etera// all þe myght w yt h myd hym ys yn makyng off all thyng es the fyngers fouvrmen a full hand to pouvrtrey or paynte keruvyng & co mpassyng as crafte off þe fyngers ryght so ys þe sonne þe scyence off the fadre & full god as ys þe fadre no febelre ne no better the pavme ys purelyche þe hand hathe power by hym -seluve otherwyse þen þe whrythen fyst or workma nshyppe off fyngers for þe pavme hathe power to putt ovte all þe Ioyntes & to vnfo slden þe folden fyst as atte þe fyngers wyll so ys þe holy gost god nether greater ne lasse then ys þe syre & þe sonne & yn þe same myght & all they are ar þei but on god as as is myne hand & my fyngers vnfolden or folden my fyst & my pavme all ys but on hand euvene In the ~~mydde st~~ myddes G.18.186: The b-verse of KD.17.186 and the a-verse of KD.17.187 ("how-so I torne it Ac who is herte in þe hande") are omitted by G W Hm C C 2 Y B (as a result of eyeskip on hand). This omission was originally also present in M but has been corrected. KD.17.188 ("He may receyue riȝt nouȝte · resou n it sheweth") is omitted by G C C 2 Y B. for þe fyngers þ at folde sholde & the fyst make for payne off the pavme power them faylethe to cluvche or to clawe to clyppe or to holde were þe myddell off myn hande ymaymed or perysshydde y shold receyuve ryght noght off þ at I G.18.191: A virgule has been added to separate I from reyche. reyche myght but Ac thogh my thombe & my fyngers bothe were to -shuvllene & þe mydle off myne hand wythe -oute male -easse In many kynnes man er maneres I myght my -seluve helpe bothe moeue & amend / thogh all my fyngars oke by thys skyll me thynkethe y see an euvydence that wo -so synnethe yn / sente spyryte / assoyled worthe he neu ere nether here ne elles -where as y herd tell qui peccat in spiritu sancto et c etera// for he pryckethe god yn as in G.18.200: C originally read as in, as most manuscripts. However, as has been cancelled, bringing C's reading into line with that of G C 2 F. The line in C is, however, so different from that of other B manuscripts, including G, that it seems unlikely that this change indicates a relationship. þe pavme þ at peccat in sp iritu s anc to:// for god þe fadre ys as þe a fyste þe sonne as is as a fynger the holye goste off heyuven ys / as ytt were þe pauvme & So wo who-so synneth yn seynt spyryte ytt semethe þ at he greuvethe god þ at he grypethe w yt h and wold hys grace quvenche and to a torche or a taper þe trynyte he is lykened as waxe & a weyke were twyned to -geddres & then a fyre flamyng forthe oute off bothe and as waxe & weyke & woote G.18.208: G's spelling of "hot" here (i.e. woote) results from the extension (from the fifteenth century onwards) of wh- spellings to words with initial h- followed by an o sound, a spelling retained in words such as whole. See note to G.14.426, and OED under wh. For the use of <w> for wh, see Dobson, English Pronunciation, section 414 (Dobson sees it as a dialect development), and note also G's use of <wo> for "who" at, e.g., G.2.146. fyre to-geddres fostreen G.18.209:The deletion of the original e of fostren is not intentional; the original <e> has been blotted and the addition has been made to clarify the reading. forthe a flauvmbe and a fayre lyght leye so done þe syre & þe sonne & also spiritus sanctus: fostren forthe ~~as leele~~ amonges folke louve & leele byleuve bileue that alkynnes crysten clenseth off synnes & as þ ou seest some -tyme sodenlyche a torche the blasse þ eroff blowen yblowe owte yet brynnethe þe weyke w yt h -oute leye or lyght that þe smacche macche swelethe brenneth so ys þe holy gost god and grace w yt h -oute m ercye to all vnkynd creatuvres þ at couveten to dystroye leele louve other lyffe þ at our lord gave shapte & as a glowyng gleede ne gladen gladieth nouȝte þes workmen that worchen & walken waken In wy nters nyghtes as doethe a kex or a candell þ at cauvght G.18.221: The alteration of to <v> in "caught" is in a different colour ink from the usual hand1.1 corrections, but the form is exactly the same. hathe fyre & blasethe no more dothe syre ne sonne ne seynt spyryte to -geddres grauvnt no grace ne forgyvenes off synnes tyll þe holy gost gynne to glowe & to blasse so þ at þe holy gost glowede gloweth but as a glede tyll þ at leele louve lygge on hym & blowe & then flamethe he as fyre on pater fader & on filius & meltethe theyr myght to in-to m ercy as men may see yn wynter yse -ykeles yn euveysyng es thrugh heate off þe sonne meltethe yn a mynuvte whyle to myste & to water so grace off þe holye goste / þe greate myght off þe trynyte meltethe to m ercye to marcyable & to non other and as waxe w yt h -oute more / on a warme gleede wyll brenne & blasse be they to -geddres & solacen þem þ at may se þ at sytten yn derknes so wyll þe fadre forgyve / folke off mylde hertes þ at rufullyche repenten & resytutyon make In as moche as þei mowen / amenden & payen for And yff ytt suffyce noght for a seght assetz / þ at yn suoyche wyll dyethe m ercy for hys mekenes wyll make good þe remnant & as þe weyke & fyre wyll make a warme fla mmbe for to myrthe men w yt h þ at yn marke sytten so wyll cryste off hys couvrtysye yff and men crye hym m ercye bothe forgyuve / & forgett / & yett byd for vs to þe fadre off heyuven forgyvenes to haue but Ac hewe fyre att a flynt fouvre hondrethe wynters wyntre but þ ou haue towe to take ytt w yt h / tyndre or broches all þi labouvr ys lost & all þi long trauvayle for may no fyre flauvmbe make / fayle yt hys kynd so ys þe holy gost god / & grace w yt h -owte m ercye to all vnkynd creatures / cryste hym -seluve wyttnessythe amen dico vobis / G.18.251: This may be a deleted letter rather than a virgule. nescio vos & c etera // be vnkynd to y thyne euven -crystyen & all þ at þ ou canst bydde deylen or do pennance day & nyght euver & puvrchace all þe perdone off pampylyon & rome and Indulgences y -nowe / & be ingratus to thy kynde the holy gost herethe the noght / ne helpe may þe by reason for vnkyndnes quvenchethe hym / þ at he ne cane can nouȝte shyne ne bre n ne ne blasse clere / for blowyng off vnkyndnes paule þe apostle prouvethe where y lye si linguis hominum loquar & c etera forthy beethe warre ye wyse men þ at w yt h þe worlde dealen þ at ryche beene & reason knowen / reuvlethe well your soule beethe noght vnkynd I couvnseale you to your euvencrystyen for many off you ryche men / by my souvle men tellen ye bre nne but ye blase noght / that ys a blynd beyken non omnis qui dicit domine domine & c etera// diues dyed dampned for hys vnkyndnes off hys meyte & off hys money to men þ at ytt neded eche Vch a ryche I redde rede G.18.270: The G form redde (for remaining manuscripts rede) does not necessarily imply a substantive variant. The G scribe was clearly aware of the possibility of using single and double consonants to indicate preceding long and short vowels, but his own practice in this respect was by no means consistent (see Introduction III.2). / rewarde att hym take & gyuvethe your good to þ at god / þ at grace off arysethe for þei þ at beene vnkynd to hys / hoope I non other but þei shall þei dwell þ er diues ys dayes w yt h -owten ende thus ys vnkyndnes þe conrtrarye / þ at quvenchethe as .ytt were the grace off þe holye gost goddes owne kynde for þ at kynd doethe vnkynd fordoethe / as thes cuvrsed theuves vnkynd crysten men for couvetyse ~~off~~& G.18.277: G's original reading off is also found in C 2. G's corrected reading & is that of the rest of the B manuscripts. enuvye sleyethe a man for hys moebles / w yt h mouvthe & or w yt h handes for þ at þe holy gost hathe to kepe / the þo harlott es destroyen the wyche ys lyffe & louve / þe lyght leye off mannes bodye for eu ery man er good man / may be lykened to a torche or elles to a taper / to reuverence þe trynyte & wo -so morderethe a good man / me thynkethe by my wytte Inwyt he fordoethe þe leuvest lyght / þ at our lorde louvethe for Ac yet yn many mo man ers men offend þe holy goste but Ac þis ys þe worst wayes wyse þ at any wyght myght synnen ageyne seynt spyryte / assenten to destroye for couvetyse off any thyng off þyng / that cryste dere boght G.18.288: G W Hm C C 2 Y B omit a line at this point ("How myȝte he axe mercy · or any mercy hym helpe"). that wyllfullyche wykkedlich & wyckedlyche willefullich / wold m ercy anyentyce Innocence ys next god / and nyght & day ytt cryethe Wengeance Wengeance / forgyve be ytt neuver that shent vs & shedde our bloode forshapte vs as ytt were G.18.293: The first stroke of the <v> of vindica has been written in grey-black ink and then cancelled and rewritten in red. vindica sanguinem Iustorum & c etera iustor um /// thuvs wengeance wengeance verray charyte askethe & sythe holy cherche & charyte / chargethe thys so sore leuve y neu er þ at our lorde wyll louve / þ at charyte ~~askethe~~ lakkethe ne haue pyte for any preyer / there þ at he pleynethe I pose I had synned so / & shold ~~not~~ dye & now am sory þ at y so / þe seynt spyryte agylte confesse me & crye hys grace / god þ at all made & mydldelyche hys m ercye aske / myght y not be sauved thus Ȝus sayde þe samarytan so well / þ ou myght repente that ryghtyouvsnes thrughe repentance to reuvthe myght torne but but ȝet Ac ytt ys but seldome seene / þ er sothenes beyrethe wyttenes any creature þ at ys cuvlpable afore a kyng es Iuvstece be rauvnsomed for hys repentance / þ er all reason hym dampnethe for þ er þ at p artye puvrsuvethe þe poeple ys so huvge that þe kyng may do no m ercy to til bothe men acorde & ether haue equvyte as holy wrytte tellethe nunq uam dimittitur peccatum et c etera / / thuvs ytt farethe by suoche folke / þ at falsly all þeir lyuves yuvell lyuven & leete noght tyll lyfe theym forsake goode hoope & þ at G.18.313: The scribe clearly noticed the omission of þ at when he was in the process of transcribing the rubricated material at G.18.317, and he has corrected in red ink. helpe sholde / to whanhoope touvrnethe noght off þe non -power off god / þ at he ne ys myghtfull to amend all þ at amys ys / and hys m ercy greater then all our wycked werkes / as holy wrytte tellethe misericordia eius sup er omnia opera eius & c etera / / but Ac er þis his ryghtfulnes to reuvthe torne some restytuvtyon behouvethe hys sorowe ys satysfacyton for hym þ at may noght pay thre thyng es there beene / þ at done a man by strenght fleen Forto fleen hys owne houvse / as holye wrytte shewethe that on ys a wycked wyffe þ at wyll not be chastysed hyr feere flyethe from hyr / for fere off hyr tong & yff hys houvse be vnhylled & reyne on hyrs G.18.324: The original alteration (replacement of long <r> of hyr by supralinear sigma <s>) is in the main scribe's usual grey ink. However, the crossed-out <r> has later been erased and replaced with an inline sigma <s> in brown ink which partly encroaches on the supralinear <s>. bedde he sekethe all abovte tyll he lygge liggith slepe drye & when smoke or smodre smolder / smytethe yn hys syght ytt doethe hym wors þen hys wyffe / or wete to slepe for smoke & smoldre smytethe smyteth in G.18.328: M originally shared the G L C reading smytethe, but supralinear in has been added after the verb, bringing M's reading into line with that of remaining B manuscripts. hys eyne tyll he be bleyre -eyed or blynd / & hoos G.18.329: Kane and Donaldson too read G hoos but there is a mark above this word, possibly a later addition, which may be intended as an abbreviation for -er-. While β4 manuscripts read hoos; other manuscripts read hors. yn þe throte he coghethe Than Coughethe he þan kenely he Cougheth & cursethe / þ at cryst gyue hym sorowe þ at shold bryng yn better wode / or blowe blowe it tyll ytt brent thes thre þ at y tell off beene þis þus G.18.332: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. to vndrestande the wyffe ys our wyked flesshe / þ at wyll not be chastysed for kynd cleuvethe on hym eu er / to contrarye þe souvle & thogh ytt fall ytt fyndethe skylles / þ at freylte ys it made & þ at ys lyghtlyche forgyuven & forgeten bothe to a To man þ at m ercy askethe / and amend thynkethe the reyne þ at reynethe þ er we rest sholde been sycknes & sorowes þ at we sufferen offte as paule þe apostell to þe poeple taght virtus in infirmitate perficitur et c etera // & thogh þ at men make moche dole yn theyre angre and ympacyentz inpacient yn þ er pennance pure reason knowethe that they haue cauvse to þe to contrarye by kynd off þ er syknes & lyghtlyche our lorde att our her lyuves ende hathe m ercy on suoyche men þ at so yuvell may suffer but Ac þe smoke & þe smoldre þ at smyte yn oure eyne ys couvetyse & vnkyndnes þ at quvenchethe goddes m ercy for vnkyndnes ys þe contrarye / off alkynnes reason for þ er y nys sycke ne sory ne non so moche wreche þ at he ne may louve & hym lyke / and lenve lene off hys herte good wyll & good worde bothe wysshen & wyllen all man er men m ercy & forgyvenes and louvethe louye them lyke hym -seluve / & hys lyve amend I may no leng er lett q uod he & harde prycked & went a -way as þe as wynd & therw yt h I waked awaked explicit tercius passus de doobett er G.18.356: There is a small <e> in the right hand margin. There appears to be no codicological reason for this, but note the small <c> in the same position at the beginning of G14 (f.55 r).

Wollward and whettshode went y forthe after & as a reccheles renvke re[n]ke renke / þ at off no wo recched roughte reccheth & yede forthe lyke a lorell all my lyfe tyme tyll y were wex wery off þe worlde / and wylned efte to slepe & leyned me to to a lenten & long tyme y slepte & off crystes passyon & pennance þe poeple þ er þat off taght rest me þ er and ruvtt fast tyll ramis palmaru m off gerles & off gloria laus greatly me dreymed and how ozanna by orgonye old ~~song~~folke G.19.9: An attempt has been made to alter the word song instead of crossing it out, but this has been abandoned. songen on sembleable to þe samarytan / & somedeale pyers to Piers plowman barefoote on an asse backe booteles gan prycke w yt h -oute spuvrres other speyre / spakelyche he loked as ys þe kynd off a knyght þ at comethe to be dowbbed to gett hym gylt spurres / and galoches y -coweped then was feythe a in in a fenystre / & cryed cryde a fili dauid as doethe an harauvde off armes / when auvnterers aunt uros comethe to Iuvst es old Iewes off / Ier usal em / G.19.17: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. for Ioy they songe benedictus qui venit in nomine domini & c etera // þen I frayned att faythe / what all þ at fare ment be-mente & who sholde Iuvst In Ier usal em Iesus he sayde & fecche þ at þe fende cleymethe / pyers fruvyte þe plowma n ys pyers In thys place q uod I . and he preynte on me thys Iesu In of hys gentryes / wole Iuvst In pyers armes In hys helme & & in hys habergynne / humana natura that cryste be noght y -knowe here for consumat us est In pyers paltock þe plowman þis prycker shall ryde for no dynt shall hym dere as yn deitate patris wo shall Iuvst w yt h Iesus Iewes q uod I iuwes or scrybes nay q uod he þe fouvle feende / & also fals doome & deathe deethe seethe seith he shall fordoo / & downe adown bryng argum entt all þ at lyuvethe or lokethe yn land or yn watre off lyf & lyfe sayethe þ at he lyethe & leyethe hys lyffe to wedde dethe that for all þ at dethe can doo w yt hynne thredayes thre dayes / / to walke & to and fecche fro þe fende pyers fruvyte þe plowma n to And legge hym it þ er hym lykethe / & lucyfer bynd & for to beyte & dow ne bryng bale & bale deathe for eu er o mors ero mors tua & c etera // then came pilat us w yt h poeple sedens pro tribunali // to se how doghtely dethe shuld doo / & deme þ er brothers botheres ryght the Iewes & the Iuvstece ageynst Iesu were þei were & all þe couvrte on hym cryed crucyfige sharpe tho put hym forthe a pylouvr pylate bifor pilat & sayede thys Iesus off oure Iewes temple Iaped & despysed to fordoone ytt yn on on day & yn thre dayes after edyfye ytt efte newe / here he standethe þ at seyde ytt & yet maken maken it as moche / yn all man er off man ere poyntes bothe as long & as large / by lofte & by grouvnde crucifige q uod a cacche -polle / I warrant hym a wycche tolle tolle q uod an -other / and tooke / of kene thornes & byganne off kene thorne / a garland to make & sett ytt sore on hys heyde / and seyde yn enuvye ave raby / q uod þ at rybauvde & threwe reedes att hym nayled hym w yt h thre nayles / naked on the roode and poyson on a polle þei putt vp to hys lyppes & bad hym drynke hys deathe yuvell / hys dayes were doone G.19.55: The line is too long and doone appears underneath were, boxed in grey to distinguish it from G.19.56. & yff þ at þ ou subtyle be / help now þi -seluven / yff þ ou be cryst & kynges sonne / come downe off þe roode then shall we leuve þ at lyffe þe louvethe / & wole not lett toþe dye consummatu m est q uod cryste & comsed for to swowne pytyouvslyche & pale as a pryson er prisou n þ at dyethe þe lorde off lyffe & off lyght / þer þo leyde hys eyne to -geddres þe day for drede w yt hdrewe / & darke bycame þe sonne þe wall wagged & clauve & all þe worlde quvauved deade men for þ at dy m me dyne / came owte off of depe grauves & told why þ at tempest so long tyme duvred for a bytter battayle þe deade bodye seyed lyve & dethe yn thys derknes on her one fordooethe a -noþ er her other shall no wyght wytt wytterly who shall haue þe mastrye er sonday abowte sonne rysyng / and sanke w yt h that toyll G.19.69: Cr C 2 share G's original reading to. G's corrected reading tyll corresponds to that of most B manuscripts. yerthe some sayde þ at he was goddes sonne þ at so fayre dyed vere filius dei erat iste & c etera & some sayde he was a wycche / good ys þ at we assey where he be deyd or noght deyde downe or he be take two theuves also tholyed deathe that tyme vpon a cros bysyde cryste / so was þe co mmuvne lawe a cacche -polle cam forthe & cracked bothe theyre legges & þ er armes after off ether off tho theuves but Ac was no body boy so bold goddes body to toche for he was knyght & kynges sonne / kynd forgave þ at tyme that no n herlott were so hardye to ley hand vpon hym but Ac there came forthe a knyght w yt h a kene speare y -grouvnde hyght longeus as þe letter tellethe / & long had loore hys syght before pylate & other poeple yn þe place he houved maugre hys his many teethe he was made þ at tyme to take þe speyre In hys hand & Iuvsten w yt h Iesu ihesus for all þei weren vnhardy / þ at houved on hors & stoode to touvchen hym or tasten hym / or take hym downe off roode but þis blynd bacheler then / bare hym thruvgh þe herte the bloode sprange downe by þe speyre / & vnsperred hys eyne then fell þe knyght vp -on knees / & cryed hym m ercye ageyne my wyll ytt was lorde / to wouvnd you so sore he seghed & seyde / sore ytt me athynkethe for þe dede þ at I haue doone I do me yn your grace haue on me reuvthe ryghtfull Iesus ihesu / & ryght w yt h þ at he wepte then gan feyethe G.19.95: The deletion affecting feyethe is a little careless and it is difficult to be certain exactly which letters are supposed to have been crossed out. felly /& felly the falsce Iewes despyce called þem caytyffes y -cuvrsed acursed for eu ere for þis fouvle wyllany wengeance to you fall to do þe blynd beate hym y -bouvnde ytt was a boyes couvnseale cuvrsed cayteffe knyghthoode was ytt neuver to myssdoo a deade bodye by day or by nyght the gree yet hathe he goten / for all hys greate wouvnde G.19.101: The reading here is clear in spite of the damage to the manuscript. Note that the spilled ink appears to be the same colour as that used for the various spelling changes. for your champyon chyuvalouvr cheffe knyght off you all H yelt hym recreant rynnyng ryght as at Iesus wylle for be thys derknes I -doo hys deathe worthe auvenged and þe ȝe G.19.105: Kane and Donaldson apparently interpret G's reading as ye rather than þe but superscript <e> is normally only used after a thorn. See note to G.3.118. luvrdeanes haue y -lost / for lyffe shall haue þe mastrye & your francheys þ at free was / fallen ys yn thraldome & ye ch ev rles G.19.107: C Y B read clerkes for Bx cherles but G's original reading appears to have been cheles. The corrector appears to have added a very small <e> to replace that deleted by the addition of <r> before replacing this in turn with a <v>. & your chydrene chy[l]drene children cheuve shall ye neuver ne haue lordshyppe yn land ne no land tylye but all barreyne be & vsurye to vsen vsen wych ys lyfe þ at our lorde yn all lawes acovrsethe now your goode dayes are done / as danyell p rophesyed when cryste came þi er kyngdome / & crowne sholde ceasse cum veniat sa nct us s anc tor um cessabit vnccio vestra :// what for feere off thys ferlye / and off þe falsce Iewes I drewe me yn that derknes to discendit ad inferna & þ er I saghe sothely secundum scripturas :// oute off þe west coste / a wenche as me thoght come walkyng by in the way / to hellward she loked m ercy hyght þ at meyde / a meke thyng w yt h -all a full benyng buyrde / and buxome off speche hyr suster as ytt semed came softlye walkyng euven owte off þe est / and westwarde G.19.123: The <s>, <t> and part of the second <w> of westwarde have been re-outlined in darker ink. she loked a full comely creature / treuvthe she hyght for þe wertue þ at hyr folowed / afered was she neu er when þes meydens mett m ercy & tre wthe eyther asked other off thys greate wondre off þe dynne & þe derknes & how þe day rowed & wyche a lyght & a leyme / leye lay G.19.128: The form lee is not recorded as a preterite of "lie" by either the OED or the MED but it is difficult to imagine what else the corrector intended. before hell I haue farlye off þis fare y faythe sayed trewthe & am wendyng to wytt whatt þis wondre meanethe haue no m ervayle q uod m ercy / myrthe ytt betokenethe a meyde mayden þ at hett marye / and modre w yt h -oute felyng off any kynnes creature / co nceyuved thrugh speche & grace off þe holy gost wexe d G.19.134: All other manuscripts share G's original strong preterite wexe. greate w yt h chylde w yt houte we mme yn in-to thys worlde she broght hym & þ at my tale be trewe / I take god to wyttnes sythe þis barne was borne / been xxxti" thritti wynters wynter passed wyche dyed & deathe tholed / þis day abovte mydday and þ at ys cauvse off thys clypse / þ at closethe now þe sonne In meanyng þ at man shall / froo m erkenes be drawe the whyle thys lyght & þis leame shall lucyfer ablynd for patryarkes & p rophetes haue preyched þ er her off often that man shall man sauve / thrugh a meydens helpe and þ at was tynt thrugh tree / tree shall ytt wynne & þ at dethe downe broght deathe shall releuve þ at þ ou tellest q uod trewthe / ys but a tale off waltrotte for adam and euve & abrahame & with other patryarkes & p rophetes þ at yn payne lyggen leeuve þ ou neu er þ at yonnde r ȝone G.19.149: Note the alteration of "yonde" to "yonder" at G.19.193. lyght / a -lofte shall bryng ne haue þem ovte off hell holde þi tong m ercye ytt ys a is but a G.19.151: For G ys a, most manuscripts is but a, Kane and Donaldson adopt the reading is (found in the majority of C manuscripts). tryfull þ at þ ou tellest / I troghet woot te G.19.151: A brown ink descender has been added, crossing the line joining the <t> and the <e> of original woote and thus forming a second <t>. þe sothe for þ at ys onesce yn hell owte comethe ytt neuvere Iob þe p rophete patryarke reprouvethe thy sawes quia in inferno nulla est redemcio:// then m ercy full myldlye mouvthed thes wordes thrughe experyence q uod she / I hoope þei shalbe shal be sauved for wenyome fordoethe wenyome & þ at I p rouve by reason For off all venyomes fouvlest ys þe scorpyon may no medecyne helpe þe place there he styngethe tyll be he be deyde & done therto / þe yuvell he destroyethe the furste wen omythe venymouste thrughe wenyome off hymseluve so shall þis dethe fordoo I dare my lyffe lygge legge all þ at dethe dyd furste thrughe þe deuvel es entysyng and ryght as thrughe gyle / man was begyled so shall grace þ at byganne make a good end sleighte ars vt artem falleret & c etera falleret // nowe suffer me we sayde trewthe / I se as me thynkethe owte off þe nyppe off þe northe G.19.168: There may possibly be a virgule after northe, obscured by the red ink stain. not farre from ful fer hence ryghtyouvsnes come revnnyng / rest we þe wyle for he woote more þen we / he was er we bothe that ys sothe q uod seyde m ercy & y se here by souvthe where peasse comethe pleyng / yn pacyenc he y -clothed G.19.173: A line of verse, possibly in blacker ink than the main body of the text, has been written and erased at the top of the page i.e. outside the normal writing space. louve hathe couveytyd hyr long / leuve I noon other but he sent hyr some lettre / what þis lyght bymeanethe that ouvere -houvethe hell thuvs / she shall vs vs shal tell when peasse yn pacyence clothed app roochethde G.19.176: The alteration from "approacheth" to "approached," which appears to have been made by hand1.1, brings G's reading into line with that of Bx. negh þem tweyne ryghtyouvsnes hyr reuverensed for hyr ryche clothyng and preyed peasse to tell hyr / to p w hat place she G.19.178: R and F share G's original reading he. G's corrected reading she corresponds to that of the remaining B manuscripts. For G's treatment of the feminine pronoun, see Introduction III.1.3. wolde and yn hyre gay garment es / whom she grete thoght my wyll ys to wend q uod she & welcome þem all þ at many a many day myght y noght see / for m erkenes off synne adam & euve & other mo yn hell moses & many mo mercye shall hauve I shall dauvnce therto / do do þow so suster G.19.184: G and C 2 omit a line at this point ("For ihesus iusted wel · ioye bygynneth dawe"). ad vesperu m demorabitur fletus & ad matutinu m leticia// louve þ at ys my lemman suoyche l ettres me sent that m ercy my suyster & I mankynd sholde sauve & þ at god hathe forgyuven & grau nted me peasce & m ercy to be mannes meynp ernouvr / for eu er -more after lo here þe patent q uod peasce In pace in idipsum and þ at þes þis dedes dede shall dure dormiam et requiescam what rauvestowe q uod repentance riȝtwisnesse or þ ou arte halfe riȝt dronke leuvestowe Leuestow þat yonde r ȝonde G.19.193: Note the similar, isolative alteration to "yonder" at G.19.149. lyght vnloucke myght hell and sauve mannes souvle / suyster wene ytt neuver att þe gynnyng bygynnynge god gave þe dome hym -seluve þ at adam & euve & all þ at þem suvede sholde dye downe -ryght / & dwell yn pyne after yff If þat þei touvched a tree / & þe fruvyte eyte adam afterwarde age nste hys defence freyte off þ at fruvyte & forsooke as ytt were the louve off your owre lorde / & hys loore bothe & folowed þ at þe fende tauvght / & hys felowes wyll agenst reason & ryghtwyssnesce recorde þis þus G.19.203: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. w yt h trewthe þ at þ er payne be p erpetuall / & no preaer þem helpe forthye lett þem chewe as þei chase / & chyde we nat sustre for ytt ys bootles bale / þe bytt that þei eyten & I shall prouve q uod peasce / þeir payne movste hauve end & wo yn -to weale may wende att þe last for had þei wyst off no wo well had þei not knowen for no wyght woot te G.19.210: For the correction to wootte, see note to G.19.151, and compare woote without alteration at G.19.221. what weale ys / þ at neu er wo suffered ne what ys woot te G.19.211: For the correction to wootte, see note to previous line. G.19.211: For the spelling of what appears in other manuscripts as hoot/ hot( e (= "hot" or "is called") with initial <w>, see note to G.18.208. In this particular instance, there may also be some influence from the verb in the previous line. G's spelling may have influenced that found in Cr (i.e. whote); see Introduction II.2.1.2. hongre þ at neuver had had neuere defauvte yff no nyght ne were no man as I ~~wene~~ leeuve sholde wytt wytterly / what day ys to meane shold neu er ryght ryche man þ at lyuvethe In rest & ease wytte where what wo ys / ne were þe deathe off kynd so god þ at bygan all off hys good wylle bycame man off a meyde / mankynd to sauve & suffered to be solde / to se þe rsorow G.19.218: The initial letter of sorrow was originally a 2-shaped <r>. off dyenge the wyche vnknyttethe all care / and comsyng ys off rest for tyll modicum / mett w yt h vs I may ytt well awowe woote no wyght as I wene what ys y -noghe to name mene forthy god off hys goodnes þe furste goome adam sett hym yn solace & yn sou ereygne muvrthe & sythe he suffered hym synne / sorowes sorwe to fele & To wytt what weyle was / & kyndlyche kyndelich knowe to knowe ytt & after god grauvnted hym -seluve & tooke adams kynd to wytt what he hathe suffe .red / yn þe þre sondrye places bothe yn heyuven & yn yerthe / & now tyll hell he thynkethe to wytte what all woo ys / þ at woote what of all Ioy ys ioye so ytt shall fare by þis folke / theyre folye & theyre synne shall leeren þem what languvore ys / and blysse lisse w yt howten end whatt Wote G.19.232: Given G's spelling practice and dialect, the G reading whatt (for remaining manuscripts Wote) may not actually be a substantive variant. For "woot" with medial <a> see G.12.404, and for the use of <wh> for <w>, see the forms of "wash" at G.14.32 and G.15.20. no wyght what warre ys þ er þ at peasce reygnethe ne what ys wytterly weale / tyll wellaway hym teyche then was þ er a wyght w yt h two broode eyne booke hyght þ at beauvpere / a bolde man off speche by goddes body q uod þis booke I wyll beyre wyttnesce that þo þis barne was borne ybore / there blased a sterre that all þe wyse off þis worlde / yn oone wytt acorden that suoyche a barne was borne / yn beythelem cete that mannes G.19.240: The <s> of mannes is in browner ink. It seems possible that the corrector erased original <s> with the intention of replacing it with <ce> but that he realised his error and reinstated it. Compare pry ncece (for "princes") at G.19.270. soule shold sauve / & synne destroye & all þe element es q uod þe booke hereoff beyren wyttnesce tha .t he was god þ at all wroght / þe welkene furste shewed tho þ at were yn heyuven / tooken stella cometa com[a]ta comata and tenteden hyr as a torche / to reuverence hyr his buvrthe the lyght folowed þe lorde yn -to þe lowe yerthe that þe Þat The water wyttnessythe þ at he was god þ at for he went on on it peter þe apostell p erceyuved hys gate & as he went on þe water well knewe he hym hym knewe & seyde Iube me venire ad te super aquas:// and lo howe þe lyght sonne gan louvke / þe her lyght yn hym her -seluve when he seyghe hym suffer / þ at sonne & see made the yerthe for heyuvynes þ at he wold suffer quvaked as quvycke thyng / & all byquvassethe biquasht þe roche lo hell myght not hold but opened þ er þo god tholed and lete owte symondes sonnes / to seene hym hang on roode & now shall lucyfer leyuve ~~leaue~~ ytt / thogh hyn hy[m] hym lothe thynke for gygas þe gyauvnte wythe a gynne engyned to breake & to beate downe a -doun that beene ageynst Iesus and I booke wylbe wyl be brent but Iesus ryse to lyuve In all myghtes off man / and hys modre gladye and co nforte all hys kynne & owte off care bryng and all þe Iewes Ioy vnloken vnioignen and vnbynden vnlouken and but þe þei G.19.263: For the G scribe's use of the weak form of the pronoun ("the") for remaining manuscripts "they," see note to G.6.150. reu erence hys roode & hys resurextyon and leuven on a new lawe beene lost lyffe & souvle G.19.265: This line is only present in β4 manuscripts. all þis I boke wyttnesce & yett moche more sufferre we sayed trewthe / I here & se bothe how a spyryte speykethe to hell / & byd vnsparre þe gates attollite portas principes vestras portas et c etera G.19.268: A number of C manuscripts share the G Hm reading portas principes vestras (most B manuscripts just read portas), but once again, as with the correspondence at G.12.124, these shared readings may simply result from shared recollection of biblical material (in this case, Psalm 23:9). // a woyce lowde yn þ at lyght to lucyfer cryed cryeth pry n cesce Prynces G.19.270: The spelling change from pry nces to pry ncece is probably an error on the part of hand1.1, since plurals in <s> are not normally altered to <ce>. See the apparent correction of a similar alteration at G.19.240. off þis place v npynnethe & vnlockethe for he here comethe w yt h crowne þ at kyng ys off glorye then syked sathan & seyde to theym all suoche a lyght ageynst our leyuve lazare yt fett care & combrance ys come to vs all yff thys kyng come ynne mankynd wyll he fecche & leyde ytt þ er hym lykethe / & lyghtlyche vs me bynde p atryarkes & p rophetes haue p arled þ er her off long þ at suoyche a lorde & a lyght sholde leyde þem all hence lystynethe q uod lucyfer for I þis lorde knowe bothe þis lorde & þis lyght / ys longe a -goo I knewe hym may no dethe hym deere ne no deuvell es quveyntya n ce queyntise & where he wyll ys hys way but ac warre hym off the p erelles yff he reyuve me my ryght / he robbethe me w yt h by mastrye by For by ryght & by reason / tho renvkes re[n]kes renkes þ at been here bodye & souvle been myne / bothe good & yll G.19.285: β4 manuscripts omit a line at this point ("For hym-self seyde þat sire is of heuene"). yff adam eyte þe apple all shold dye and dwell w yt h vs deuvell es / thys thereytyng he made and he þ at sothenes ys / sayed thes wordes and sythen ys I y was ysayde seised / seyuven hondrethe wynters wyntre I leeuve þ at þ at þat lawe wole nil nat / letten hym þe leaste þ at ys sothe sayd sathan / but I me sore drede for þ ou gett þem w yt h gyle / & hys garden brakest breke and yn semblant semblaunce off a serpent / sattest sat on þe apple tree and eggest eggedest þem to eyte / and euve Eue by hyr -seluve and toldest hyr a tale / off treason were þe wordes & so þ ou haddest þem owte & hyddre att atte last ytt ys not great helye gotten / þ er gyle ys þe rote For god wyll not be bygyled q uod gobolyn ne by -Iaped we haue no trewe tytle to theym / thrugh for þorwgh t .reason were þei dampned certesce I drede me q uod þis þe deuvell / lest truvgh wyll þem fecche G.19.301: This line is only present in Cr 23 and β4 manuscripts. owte off our pouvste / & leyden þem hensce G.19.301: The ink colour suggests that the alteration from hens to hence was probably made by the original scribe. Forms of "hence" in -s were probably present in his examplar and occur occasionally in the early part of the text (thus hennes at G.4.110 and henns altered to hence by hand1.1 at G.7.285) but by this stage the spelling is regularly hence. According to the OED, forms in -s died out in the sixteenth century. thys thurty wynter as I wene / hathe he goone & preached I haue assayled hym w yt h synne / & some -tyme asked yasked where he were god or goddes sonne / he gaue me short answere & thuvs hathe hath he trolled forthe þis xxxijti thritti-two wynters wyntre & when I seghe ytt was soo / slepyng I went to warne pylates wyffe / what doonmes dones done man was Ihesus for þe For Iewes hateden hym / & haue done hym to deathe I wold haue leng thed hys lyfe / for I leuved yff he dyed that hys soule wold suffer no synne yn hys syght for þe bodye wyle ytt on bones yede / aboute was euver to sauve men from synne yff þem -seluve wolde & nowe I se where a soule comethe hydderwarde seyllyng w yt h glorye & w yt h greate lyght / god ytt ys I woote well I red we fl e q uod he fast a -way alle hence for vs were better not be / then byden hys syght for thy leasyng es lucyfer / lost ys all our preaye ~~fust~~ furste thrugh þe we fellen fro heyuven so heghe for þ at For we leuved þi leasyng es / yloore we hauve adam and all our lordshyppe I leuve /a lond & on watre nu nc primceps pri[n]ceps princeps hui us mundi eicietur foras : efte þe lyght bad vnloucke / & lucyfer answeyred what lorde art þ ou q uod lucyfer quis est iste rex glorie / the lyght sone sayede & lord off myght & off mayne / & all man er wertues dominus virtutum & c etera virtutu m // duvkes off þis dy mme place / anon vndo þes gates þ at cryste may come ynne / þe kyng es sonne off heyuven & w yt h þ at breythe hell brake / w yt h belyall barres for any wysse wye or warde / wyde open þe gates p atryarkes & p rofetes / populus in tenebris songen seynt Iohans songe ecce agnus dei // lucyfer loke ne myght / so lyght hym ablente & tho þ at our lord louved / yn -to hys lyght he laght & sayd to sathan / lo here my soule to amend amendes for all synfull souvles / to sauve tho þ at be worthye myne þei been & off me I may þe better þem cleame all -thoghe reason recorde / & ryght off my -seluve that yff þei eyte þe apple all sholde dye I byhyght þem not here / hell for euver for þe dede þ at þei dyd þi deceate ytt made w yt h gyle þ ou þem gatteste gete / agenst all reason for yn my place paleys p aradyse / In lyknesce persone off an naddre falsly þ ou fattest þ er / thyng þ at I louved thuvs lyke ylyke a lysard w yt h a ladyes lady vysage theuvelyche þ ou me robbedest: þe old lawe grau ntethe that gylouvrs be begyled / & þ at ys good reason dentem pro dente et oculum pro occulo :// ergo soule shall soule quvyte & synne to synne wende & all þ at man hathe myssdo / I man wyll amend membre for membre / by þe old law was amendes & lyffe for lyffe also / & by þ at lawe I cleame ytt adam & all hys ysseuve att my wyll here -after & þ at deathe yn theym fordyd / my deathe shall releeuve & bothe quvyk & quvyte / þ at quveynte was thrugh synne and þ at grace gyle destroye / good faythe ytt askethe so leeuve þ ou I G.19.357: In G, the letter now read as the initial thorn of þ ou must originally have been intended as a <y> (for "I," as most B manuscripts). G.19.357: M originally shared the majority reading I, but this has been crossed out and thow added above the line in a different ink, bringing M's reading into line with G's own corrected reading. not lucyfer ageynst þe lawe y facche theyme but by ryght & reason / ranv n some my here my G.19.358: M originally shared the G C 2 reading my, but here has been added above the line to give here my, as remaining B manuscripts. lyeges non veni soluere legem set amdimplere G.19.359: The change to "adimplere" results in an otiose minim before the . :// thowe fettest myne yn my place agenst aȝeines all reason falslyche & felonysslyche felounelich / good faythe me ytt taght to recou er þem thrughe ~~þem~~ / rauvnsome & by no reason ellesce so þ at thrughe gyle þ ou gett / thrughe grace ys it is wonne þ ou lucyfer yn lyknes off a lyther nadder gettedest Getest Gettistdest Gete by gyle / tho that god louved and yn lyknes off a leede / þ at lorde am In of heyuven gracyouvslyche thy gyle haue quvytte / go gyle ageyn gyle & as adam & all / thrugh a tre dyeden adam & all thrugh a tre / shall torne agayne to lyuve & gyle ys begyled & In hys gyle fallen et cecidit in foueam quam fecit et c etera fecit // now begynnethe thy gyle / ageyne / G.19.372: It is difficult to be sure of the reason for the two virgules on either side of ageyne. Possibly they were intended to indicate the necessity for a change in word order, but if so they have not been written in quite the right place (immediately following this, G has to the for remaining manuscripts þe to). to the þe to torne & my grace to growe growe ay / greater & wydder the bytternes þ at þ ou brewe / brouvke ytt thy -seluve that art doctouvr off deathe / drynk þ at þ ou madest for y þ at am lord off lyffe / louve ys my drynke & for þ at drynk to -day / I dyed vpon yerthe I fouvght so me thruvsted þrestes / for ȝet for mannes soule sake may no drynk me moyste / ne my thruvst slake tyll þe vendage falle / yn þe wale off Iosaphath that I drynk ryght rype muvste / resurreccio mortuor um then And þanne shall I come as a kyng crowned w yt h angell es & haue owte off hell / all mennes soules fendes & fendkynnes / byfore me shall stand & beene att my byddyng es biddynge where -so -eu er me lykethe & to be m ercyable to man / then my kynd ytt askethe for we beene brethren off bloode / but not yn baptysme all but Ac all þ at beene my .hole brethren yn bloode & yn baptysme shall not be dampned to þe deathe / þ at ys w yt howten hend tibi soli peccaui et c etera// ytt ys not vsed yn yerthe to hongen a fellon ofter þen oonesce G.19.392: The alteration from oones to oonce has not been made very effectively, and the original is more clearly visible than is usually the case. / thogh he were a treytour and yff þe kyng off þ at kyngdome come yn þ at tyme there þe felon tholed thole sholde / dethe or other I .ouv n esse wyse Iuwise G.19.394: According to the OED, the word "juise" (= "judicial punishment") was uncommon after the fifteenth century (the only instances recorded after that are in Cockeram's English Dictionary), and the scribe clearly does not know what to make of it. law wold he gauve ȝeue hym lyffe / yff he loked vpon on hym & y þ at am kyng off kyng es / shall come soche a tyme where doome to þe dethe dampnethe all wykked & yff lawe wole I loke on þem / ytt lyethe yn my grace wether þei dye or dye not / for þ at þei dyden ayll be ytt any thyng þyng abouȝte þe boldnes off þ er synnes I do m ercy thrugh ryghtyouvsnes / & all my wordes trewe & thoghe woly wrytte wole I þat I be wroke / off þem þ at dyd yll nullum malum i mpunitum & c etera // they shalbe shal be wasshen clensed clerelyche / & clensed wasshen off þ er synnes In my pryson purgatory / tyll p arcye parce parce ytt hote & my m ercy shalbe shal be showyd to many off my brethren for blood may suffer bloode bothe hongre hungry & colde akale but Ac blood may not se blood / blede but hym rewe audiui archana verba que non licent licet homini loqui & c etera loqui // but Ac my ryghtyouvsnes & ryght shall ruvle all hell and m ercye all mankynd before me yn heyuven for I were an vnkynd kyng but I my kynd holpe & namelyche at suoche a nede / þ er nedes helpe behouvethe non intres in iudiciu m cum seruo tuo & c etera thys Þus G.19.415: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. by lawe q uod our lorde / leyde I wyll hence fro hennes tho þ at me louved & leuved yn my connmyng G.19.416: Y shares G's original reading connyng. G's corrected reading comyng corresponds to that of all remaining B manuscripts. & for þi leysyng lucyfer / þ at þ ou leygh to til euve þ ou shalt abye ytt bytterly bittre / & bouvnd hym fast hym w yt h chenes astarothe & all þi þe rouvte / hydden þem yn hernes þei dorste not loke on our lorde / þe boldest off þem all but lett hym leyde forthe what hym lyked & lete G.19.421:The last three words of this line appear below on the right hand side of the page, boxed in grey to distinguish them from G.19.422. what hym lyst many .c. ethe. hundrethe off angell es harpeden & songen culpat caro purgat caro regnat deus dei caro then pyped peasce / off a of poyse a note clarior est solito post maxima nebula ph e bus G.19.425: The emendation to phebus is in ordinary grey ink. post inimicitias clarior est et amor : G.19.426: The two rubricated lines are bracketed together in red on the right. after sharpe showres q uod peasce clere clene moste shene ys þe sonne ys no weddre warmer / þen after watyrye clowdes ne no louve leuver / ne leuvere frendes then after warre & wo when louve & peasce be masters was neu er warre yn þis worlde ne wyckednes so kene that ne louve & hym lyst / to laghyng ne broght & peasce thrugh pacyence all perell es stopped trewesce q uod trewght thow tellest vs sothe by Iesus clyppe we yn co nuenau nt couenau nt couenaunt / & eche off vs kysse other & lett no poeple q uod peasce p erceyuve þ at we chyde for ympossyble ys nothyng to hym þ at ys almyghty þ ou seyest sothe q uod ryghtyousnes / & reu erentlyche hyr kyste peasce & peasce there here per o mnia per secula seculor um/ mi sericordia & veritas obuiaueru nt sibi : Iusticia et pax osculate su nt & c etera// trewght tromped tho & song te deum laudamus & c etera laudam us // & then luted louve / In a lowde note ecce q uam bonu m et q uam Iocundu m et c etera // tyll þe day dawed þes damosel es dawnced þ at men rong to þe resurreccyon / & ryght w yt h þ at I waked & called kytt my wyfe / & calott my doghter aryse & reuverence goddes resurreccyon & crepe to þe crosce on knees / & kysse ytt for a Iuvell for goddes blessed body / ytt bare for our boote & ytt afferethe þe fende / for suoche ys þe myght may no grysslye goste glyde þ er ytt shadowethe ex trailer: The deletion of ex- may have been necessary because the ink had run. explicit quartus passus de dobett er Thuvs I awaked and wroote what I had dereamed & dyght me deerly / & dyd me to cherche to here hooly þe masse / G.20.3: At this point β4 manuscripts omit the second half of KD.19.3 and the first half of KD.19.4 (i.e. "& to be houseled after In myddes of þe masse"). tho men yede to offerryng G.20.3: β4 manuscripts omit the following line ("I fel eftsones a-slepe · & sodeynly me mette"). that pyers þe plowma n / was peynted all bloody & came ynne w yt h a cros / byfore þe co mmuvne poeple and ryght lyke yn all lymmes / to our lorde Iesu then called y conscyence / to kenne me þe sothe ys þis Iesus the Iuvster q uod y / þ at Iewes dyd to deathe or ys ytt it is pyers þe plowman / wo peynted hym so redde q uod conscyence & kneled tho / thes are pyers armes hys colouvrs & hys cote armore / but ac he þ at comethe so blodye ys cryst w yt h hys cros / conquverouvr off crystene why call ye hym cryste q uod I / sythe Iewes called hym Iesus p atryarkes & p rophetes p rofycyed byfore that alkynnes creatuvres / shold knelen & bowen anon as men nyuynved nyuy[n]ed nempned / þe name off god Iesu ergo there ys is no name / to þe name off Iesus ne noone so nedefull to neuenve neue[n]e nempne / by nyght ne by day for all derke deuvell es / ere dradde adradde to here ytt & synfull are solaced & sauved by þ at name & ye callen hym cryste / for what cauvse tellethe me ys cryste more off myght / & more worthye name then Iesu or Iesus / þ at all our Ioye came off thow knoest well q uod co nscyence / & þ ou knowest konne reason that knyght kyng conquverour / may be on persone to be called a knyght ys fayre / for men shall knele to hym to be called a kyng ys feyrer / for he may knyght es make & to be conquverour called / þ at comethe off speycyall gra ace G.20.28: For the G scribe's treatment of superscript <a>, see note to G.3.157. & off herdynes off herte / & off hendenesse to make lordes & of lydyes l[a]dyes laddes off land that he wyonnethe wynneth & fre men foule thrall es / that folowe hys nouȝt his lawes the Iewes þ at were gentylme n / Iesu they dyspysed bothe hys loore & hys lawe / nowe are þei lowe cherles as wyde as þis þe worlde ys / wonnethe þ er noon but vndre trybute & tallyage / as tykes & cherles & tho that bycome crystyene / by couvnseyle off þe baptysme are frankeleyns fre men / thrughe fully fullyng þ at they tooke and gentylmen w yt h Iesu for Iesus was y -fulled & vp -on caluverye on cros / crowned & korouned ycrouned kyng off Iewes ytt bycomethe to a kyng / to kepe & to defend & conquverouvr G.20.41: There is a blot over the <n> and the <q> of "conqueror." off co nquvest / hys lawes & hys large & so dyd Iesus þe Iewes / he Iuvstyfyed & taght theym the lawe off lyfe þ at last shall euver and fend ytt fended fro fouvle yuvell es / feuvers & flyxes & from feendes that yn theym were / and falsse byleuve tho was he Iesus off Iewes called gentyll p rophete & kyng off theyre kyngdome / & crowne beyre off thornes & tho conquvered he on cros / as conquverouvr noble myght no deathe hym fordoo / ne adowne bryng that he ne rose naroos & regned / and rauvesshed hell & tho was he conquverouvr called / off quvycke & off deyde for he gauve adame & euve & other mo blysse that long had lyene byfore / at as lycyfers cherles & sythe he gauve largely / all hys leele lyeges places In p aradysse / att theyr p artyng hence he may be wel be called conquverouvr / & þ at ys cryste to meane but Ac þe cauvse þ at he comethe thuvs / w yt h cros off passyon ys to wyssen vs ther -w yt h / þ at when þ at we be tempted therw yt h to fyght & fenden vs / fro fallyng yn -to synne & se by hys sorow þ at wo louvethe Ioy to pennance & to pou erte he muvst putt hym -seluve & moche wo yn þis worlde / wyllen & sufferen but Ac to carpe more off cryste / & howe he cam to þ at name feyth fully feyfuly Faithly for to speyke / hys furste name was Iesus tho he was borne yn bethelem as the boke tellethe & came to make take mankynd kyng es & angell es reuverenced hym fayre w yt h ryches off yerthe angell es owte off heyuven came / knelyng & sange gloria in excelsis deo & c etera // kyng es came after / kneled & offerred myrre w and moche golde / wythe -owte m ercye askyng or any kynnes catell / but knoleched knowlechyng hym souvereygne bothe off sond sonne & see / & sythen þei went In -to theyr kyngdomes kyngene kyth G.20.74: Bx kyngene kyth gives rise to a large number of variants in addition to G kyngdomes: see Cr kingdome kyth, C kyngenelich, O kyngnelith, Y kyngenlith, C 2 kyngelich, B kyngriche. / by couvnseyle off angell es & þ er was þ at word fulfylled / þe wyche þ ou off spake o mnia celestia terrestria flectantur In hoc nomine Iesu : // G.20.76: The cross in the bottom right hand margin is in modern pencil. for all þe angel es off heuven / att hys byrthe kneled & all þe wytt off thys þe worlde was yn tho thre kyng es reason & ryghttyouvsnes / and G.20.79: The mark which follows and could be either a deleted letter or an ink blot. reuvthe they offered wherfore & whye wyse men þ at tyme masters & lettered men magi theym called that on kyng came w yt h reason offerryd keuered vndre sense the second kyng eke sitthe ech sothely offered ryghtyouvsnes vndre redde golde / reasons felowe gold ys lykened to loyalte / þ at last shall euver & reason to ryche golde / to ryght & to trewe treuthe the thyrde kyng tho / can ca[m] cam knelyng to Iesu & p resented hym w yt h pyte / apperyng by myrre for myrre ys m ercye to meane / & myld speche off tong thre ylyche honest thyng es / were offered vp þus att oonesce thrugh iij thre kynne kynges / knelyng to Ihesu but Ac for all þes precyouvse / p resent es / G.20.92: The two virgules may possibly be intended as a highlighting device. See note to G.6.597. our lord prynce Iesus was nether kyng ne co nquverour / tyll he gan to waxe In þe man er off a man / & þ at by moche sleyght as ytt bycomethe a conquverouvr / to konne many sleyght es and many w hyles & wytt / þ at wole been a leyder and so dyd Iesu In hys dayes / wo who-so had tyme to tell ytt some -tyme he suofferred and some -tyme he hyd hym & some -tyme faght he fauȝte fast / & fleyghe other whyle & some -tyme he gauve good e / & grau nted heale bothe lyuve & ly mme / as hym lyst / he wroght as kynd ys off a conquverouvre / & so so compsed Iesu tyll he had all þem / for whome þ at he þat he fore bledde In hys Innocence iuuente thys Iesus / att Iewene feaste water In -to wyne he torned tourned / as holy wrytt tellethe and þ er bygan god off hys grace dowell for wyne ys lykened to lawe / & lyfe off holynes & lawe lacked tho / for men louved not theyr enmyes and cryste couvnseylythe vs / & co mmandethe bothe bothe to lered & to lewde / to louve our enmyes so att þe feast furst / as I byfore tolde bygan god off hys grace / & goodnes to do well & tho was he cleped & called / not holy cryst but Iesus Ihesu a fauvnt fyn full off wytt filius marie : // for byfore hys modre mary / made he that wondre that she furst & formest / ferme shold byleuve that he thrughe grace was gette / & no goome elles he wroght þ at by no wytt / but thrugh worde alone one after þe kynd þ at he came off / ther comsed he dowell & when he was waxen more / In hys moders moder absence he made lame to leype / & gaffe syght liȝte to blynde & fedde w yt h two fysshes / & w yt h fyuve loouves sore aof uhno n gered G.20.123: A brown horizontal line has been added to the bottom of the initial <a> of original G afungered. The loop on the third letter and the tail are in brown ink, turning it into an <h>. The colour of the ink of the tail makes it clear that this letter was not originally a <y>. The original <n> has been altered to <o> and an abbreviation bar added above it. G.20.123: The OED and MED record afingered and ofhungered as separate lexical items but it seems likely that they are in fact simply spelling variants (both from OE ofhingrod). folke / mo then fyuve thowsandes thousande thuvs he co nfouvrted carefull / & cauvght a gretter name the wyche was dobett er / where þ at he went for deaffe thrugh hys doyng es / to here / & dombe speke he made & all he healed & halpe / þ at hym off grace asked & tho was he called yn contre / off þe co mmuvne poeple for tho þe dedes that he dyd Iesu fili dauid // for dauid was doghtyest / for of dedes yn hys tyme the byrdes þ at songe saul interfecit mille & dauid dece m millia .// forthy þe contrey ther Iesu came / called hym fili dauid // & nyuenved nyue[n]ed nempned hym off nazarethe / & no man so worthye to be cesare kaisere or kyng / off þe kyngdome off Iuda ne ou er Iewes Iuvstyce / as Iesus was theym thoght wheroff cayphas had enuvye / & other off the Iewes & for to doone hym to deathe / day & nyght they cast kyllede hym on crosse wyse / att caluvarye on fryday and sythe buryed hys bodye / and badde þ at men sholde kepen ytt fro nyght -comers / w yt h knyghtes y -armed for no frendes shold hym fecche / for p rophetes þem tolde that þ at blyssed bodye / fro of byryales shold ryse and goone In -to galylye / to and gladen hys appostell es & hys modre marye þus men byfore demed the knyght es þ at kept hym / byknewe ytt theym -seluve that angell es & arkangell es ere þe day sp range came knelyng to þe corps / & songe cristus resurgens verray man byfore þem all / & forthe w yt h theym he yede the Iewes preyed theym peasce / & bysouvght the knyghtes tell þe co mmuv ne þ at þ er came / a company off hys apostell es and bywycched þem as they wooke / & away stolen ytt but Ac marye magdelyne mett hym / by the way goyng toward galylye / yn godhed & manhoode and alyuve lyues & lokyng / & she alowde cryed yn eche eche a company ther sh .e came cristus resurgens thys Þus G.20.156: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. came ytt owte / þ at cryste ou ercame / recouvered & lyuved sic oportet Christum pati et intrare & c etera // for þ at þat þat G.20.158: Kane and Donaldson adopt the G L Cr reading þ at , a reading also found in a number of C manuscripts. Remaining B manuscripts read þat þat. women woote the / G.20.158: The virgule here replaces one overwritten by the added <the> of wootethe. may not well be couvnseale petur p erceyuved all þis / & puvrsued after bothe Iames & Iohn / Iesu for to seke thadde & ten moo / w yt h thomas off Indye & And as G.20.162: C 2 originally shared the G B reading &, but the word as has been added above the line, bringing its reading into line with that of most remaining B manuscripts (i.e. And as). all thes wyse wyghtes wyes / / weren to -geddres In an houvse & al bysett bishet / and þ er dore y -sparred cryst cam ynne all closed / bothe dorres dore & gates to petur & to hys appostell es / & sayde / pax vobis & toke thomas by þe hand / & taght hym to grope & fele w yt h hys fyngers / hys flessly / herte G.20.167: G omits a line at this point ("Thomas touched it · & with his tonge seyde"). deus meus & dominus meus et c etera meus // þ ou arte my lorde I byleuve / god lord Iesu þ ou dyedest & deathe tholest þoledest / & dome deme shall vs all & now arte lyuvyng & lokyng & last shalt euver cryst carped þen / & couvrtyeslyche sayede thomas for þ ou trowest thuvs þis G.20.173: For the G scribe's use of "this" for most manuscripts "thus" and the corresponding back spelling "thus" for "this," see notes to G.6.653 and G.4.76. / & trewlyche beleuvest ytt blessed mote þ ou be / & be shalt euver for euere & blessed mote þei be alle be G.20.175: All C manuscripts share the G C 2 F reading be. Remaining B manuscripts read alle be. In bodye & yn soule þ at neu er shall see me yn syght / as þ ou doest nowe nouthe G.20.176: For the G scribe's use of "now" (as also Cr C C 2 B) for most manuscripts "nowthe," see note to G.4.295. and leallyche byleeuve all þis / I louve þem & blysse theym beati qui non videru nt & crediderunt & c etera // & when þis dede was done dobest he taght & gauve pyers power / & p erdone he grau ntted to all man er men / m ercye & forgyuvenes hys Hym myght may myȝte men assoyle to assoille off all man er off synnes synnes In cou nau nt þei þat þei come & knolege to pay to pers p erdone ~~þ .~~ G.20.184: There has been an attempt to overwrite the original word ( þ?), but this has been abandoned. þe plowman / redde quod debes: thys Thus G.20.185: For the G scribe's use of "this" for remaining manuscripts "thus," see note to G.4.76. hathe pyers power / bee hys p erdone payde to bynd & vnbynd / bothe here & elles -where G.20.187: The writing which is visible at the top of the page and which has been cropped was probably the original folio number. & assoyled soilled assoille men off all synnes / sauve off dett alo nne one anoone after on heygh / vp to þe in-to heyuven he went & wonnethe there / & wole come at þe last and wyll And reward hym ryght well / þ at reddit quod debet & payeth Payeth p erfyttly / as puvre trewthe wolde & what p ersone payethe ytt noght to puv nnysshe punysshen he thynkethe & domen demen theym on at domesday bothe quvyck & deade the good to þe godhed / & to greate Ioy and wyked to wonye / yn wo w yt howten end thuvs co nscyence off cryste / & off þe cros carped & couvnsealed me to knele there þer-to / & then came me thoght on sp iritus p araclitus to pyers & to hys felowes In lykenes off a lyghnynge / he lyght on þem all & made þem konne & knowe / all man er kyn langages I wondred what þ at was / & wagged co nscyence & was a -ferde off þ at lyght / for yn fyres lykenes sp iritus p araclitus ouver -sp .redde theym all q uod co nscyence & kneled þis ys crystes meyssenger & comethe fro þe greate god / & grace ys hys name knele nowe q uod co nscyens / & yff þ ou can syng welcome hym & worshyp hym w yt h veni creator sp iritus:/ þen song I þ at song / & so dyd many hondrethe & cryden w yt h co nscyence / helpe vs / god off grace & tho þanne bygan grace to god go / w yt h pyers plowman & couvnseylyd hym & conscyence / þe commnv n e G.20.211: The original form of commv ne had either too many minims or too few, depending on whether the word was spelled with double or single <m>. to somond for I wyll deale to -day / & deuvyde grace to alkynnes creatuvres / þ at haue theyr fyuve wyttes treasore to lyuve by / to theyre lyuves end G.20.215: β4 manuscripts omit the second half of KD.19.218 and the first half of KD.19.226, together with the lines in between. and weypen to fyght w yt h / when antecryste you asseylethe & gaffe eche man a grace / to go w yt h hym -seluve that Iduvlnes encombre hym noght / enuvye ne pryde diuisiones gratiar um sunt & c etera // some he gafe wytte / w yt h wordes to shewe w yt h Witte to wynne þeir lyuvelode w yt h / as þe worlde askethe as preychouvrs & preestes / & preynteces off the of lawe they leally to lyuve / by labouvr off theyr of tong & by wytt to wyssen other / as grace þem wold teache & some he G.20.224: The word he is followed by either a deleted letter or a blot. kenned crafte / and konnyng off syght w yt h sellyng & byggyng / theyr beyleuve to wynne G.20.226: All β manuscripts omit the second half of KD.19.236 and the first half of KD.19.237 ("on londe & on watre & lyve by þat labour"). & some he lered labour to laboure / a lele lyuve & trewe & some he taght to tyllye / to dyche & to hegge to wynne w yt h theyre lyuveloode / by loore off hys teachyng & some to dyuvyne & dyuvyde / nombres to kenne & some to compasce craftylye / & colouvrs to make and some to se & some to sey / what shold byfalle bothe off well & off wo / telle ytt ere ytt fell as astryomyens thrugh astronomye / & phylosophers wyse & some to ryde & some to recou er / þ at vnryghtfully was wonne he wyssed þem wynne ytt ageyn / thrugh ryghtyouvsnes rithwyssnese wightnesse off handes & fecchen ytt fro falsce men / w yt h fovlwyles foluyles G.20.236: G folwyles may simply be a spelling variant of Bx foluyles, but the change of <o> to <v>> suggests that the scribe may not have recognised the word. lawes and some he lerned lered to lyuve / yn longyng to be hence In pou erte & yn pennance / to pray for all crystyen and all he lered to be lele / & eche eche a crafte louve other & forbedde þem all debate / that non were among theym thogh some be cleynner þen some / ye se well q uod grace þe at he þ at vsethe þe fayrest crafte / to þe fowlest I couvld hauve put hym looke þ at non lacke other / but louve to -geddre alle as bretheren & wo þ at most mastryes can / be myldest off beyryng & crowne co nscyence kyng / & maketh crafte your stuverde & after craftes couvnseyle / clothe you & fede for I make pyers Pieres þe plowman / my p rocuvratouvr & my reuve & regester to receyuve redde quod debes :/ my purwyouvr & my plowman / pyers shalbe shal be on yerthe and for to tylye trewthe / a tyme teme shall he hauve grace gauve pyers a teame / four greate oxen the Þat on was / luke / G.20.252: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. a large beast & a lowe chered & marke & mathewe þe thyrde / myghty beastes bothe & Ioyned to theym on Ihon / most gentell off all þe prysce of þe prys neyte off pyers plowe / passyng all other & grace gauve pyers / off hys goodnes fouvre stottes that all Al þat hys oxen eryed / þei harrowed to harwe after on hyght augustyne Austyne / & ambrose an -nother gregory þe greate clerke / and Ierome þe goode thyesse fouvre þe faythe to teyche / folowen pyers teame and harowed yn an handwyle / all holy scrypture w yt h two harrowes þ at þei had an old & a newe vetus testame ntum et novum ./// & grace gaffe greanes / þe cardynales wertuves and sewe yn ytt it in mannes soule / & sythen told þ er names sp iritus prudentie the furst seyde hyght and wo -so eyte þ at / ymagyne he sholde er he dyd any dede / avyse deuyse well the ende & lered lerned men a ladell bygge w yt h a longe steale that cast for to kepe a crocke / to sauve þe fatt abouve the second he seyed heed þat he sew seed hyght sp iritus temperantie he þ at eyte off þ at sede / hadde suoche a kynde shold neu er meyte / ne moche drynk / make hym to swelle ne shold no skorner ne skolde / hym scolde ovte off skyll bryng hym brynge G.20.274: β4 manuscripts omit a line at this point ("Ne wynnynge ne welthe · of wordeliche ricchesse"). wast word off Idulnesce / ne no ne wycked speche move shold no cuvryous clothe / comen on hys rygge ne no meyte yn hys mo tvthe G.20.277: The original scribe uses <v> here for the purpose of correction, possibly because it is clearer than . but þat mestre Ioh an spyced the thyrd sede þ at pyers sewe / ys was sp iritus fortitudinis : / & wo -so eyte off that sede / hardye was euver to suffer all that god sent / sycknes & angers myght no leysyng es ne lyer / ne losse off worldlye ~~catell~~ G.20.281: The word catell was probably erased because it had been smudged. cattell make hym for any mournyng / but euer þat he nas merye yn soule and bold & abydyng / busynesce bismeres to suffer and pleayethe all w yt h pacyensce / and perce michi domine :// & couver hym vndre couvnseale / off caton þe wyse esto forti animo cum sis dampnatus iniq ue : // þe forthe sede þ at pyers sewe was sp iritus Iusticie : & he þ at eyte þ of þ at sede shold be euver trewe w yt h god & noght agaaste / but off gyle alone one for gyle goethe so pryuvylye / þ at good feythe other wyle may noght been espyed / for sp iritus Iusticie / sp iritus Iusticie sparethe noght to spylle theym þ at been gyltye / and for to correcte the kyng / yff þ at he he fall yn gylt or yn any in tresspasce for couvntethe he no kyng es wrathe / when he yn couvrt syttethe to demen as a domes -man / dradde adradde was he neuver nether off duvke ne off deathe / that he ne dyd lawe for preysent or for preyare / or any pry ncys letters he dyd equvyte to all / euvene -forthe to hys his power thes four seedes pers sewe / & sythe he dyd theym harrowe w yt h old lawe & new lawe / þ at louve myght waxe among þe fouvre wertuves / and vyces destroye for comuvnelyche yn contreys / cammokes & wedes fouvlethe the fruvte yn þe felde / þ er þei growe to -geddres so And so done vyces / wertuves worthye q uod pyers harowethe all þ at can kyndlye wytt / by couv nseyle off doctours þis doctours and tylyethe after hys her teychyng / þe cardynall wertuves ageynst þi greynes q uod grace to pyers / bygynnethe bigynneth to Peris þat þi greyneþ to for to rype ordeyne þe an houvse / to herbouvre yn thy corne cornes by god / grace q uod pyers / ye muvst moten gyuve tymbre and ordeyne þ at houvse or ye hence wende and grace gaffe hym þe cros / w yt h þe crowne off thornes that cryst vp -on caluverye / for mankynd on pyned and off hys baptysme & bloode / þ at he bledde on roode he made a man ere morter / and mercye yt hyght and þ erw yt h grace bygan to make a good fouvndement and watteled ytt & walled ytt / w yt h hys peyn es & hys passyon and off all holy wrytte / he made a rooffe after & called þ at houvsse vnyte / holy churche en englysshe & when þis dede was done / grace anon grace deuvysed a carte hyght crystendome / to carye pyers sheauves & gaffe hym caples to hys carte / contrycyon & co nfessyon and made preesthoode heyward / whyle þe while hym -seluve went as wyde as þe worlde ys / w yt h pyers / to tylye trewthe nowe ys pyers to þe plowght / & pryde ytt aspyed and gedered hym a greate host / to greuve hym he he thynkethe G.20.326: β4 manuscripts omit a line at this point ("Conscience and al crystene · and cardinale vertues"). blew Blowe theym downe & breke þem / & byte atwo þe mores and sent forthe / surquidous / G.20.328: For the G scribe's use of virgules for highlighting, see note to G.6.597. hys sergeant off armes & hys spye spyll -louve / oon speyke yuvell byheynd G.20.239: It is difficult to be certain whether byhend has been changed to byhynd or vice versa. However, the tail of the <y> suggests a form used for correction, not for continuous writing. thes two came to conscyence / & to crystyen poeple & told theym tythyng es / þ at tyne they sholde the seedes that pyers ther had y -sowen / the carydynall wertuves & pyers byerne worthe broke & þei þ at ~~were~~been yn vnyte shall come owte & conscyence / & your two caples co nfessyon & contrycyon / and your carte the beleuve shalbe shal be coloured so quvyentlye / & cou ered vndre our sophestrye that conscyence shalt not / knowe by contrycyon ne by confessyon who ys crystyen or heythen ne no man er m archant þ at wyth money dealethe where he wynne w yt h ryght / w yt h wrong / or w yt h vsurye w yt h suoche colouvrs & quventyse / comethe pryde yarmed G.20.341:A brown ink virgule has been added after the initial <y> of yarmed, presumably to make it clear that the <y> is not simply an initial consonant (i.e. that it should not be pronounced /j/). w yt h the lorde þ at lyuvethe / after lust þe luste off hys bodye to wasten on wellfare / & and on wycked kepyng all the world yn a whyle / thrugh our wytt off q uod pryde q uod co nscyence to all crysten tho / my couvnseale ys to wende hastylyche yn -to vnyte / & hold vs well we vs þ er & preye we þ at a peasce were / yn pyers byerne þe plowman for wytterly I woote well / we be not off strenght to goone ageynst pryde / but grace were w yt h vs then came kynd wytt / conscyence to teache and cryed & co mmanded / all crystyen poeple for to deluven a dyche depe / a -b owte vnyte that holye churche stoode yn vnyte / as ytt a pyle were coscyence co[n]scyence Conscience co mmanded tho / all crystyen to deluve & make a moche moot te / þ at myght be off a g strenght to helpe holy churche / & theym / þ at ytt kepen that Thanne alkynne crystyen / sauve comuvne women repenteden & refuvsed synne / sauve þei alone one and falsce men flaterers / vsurers & theuves lyers & quvestmongers / þ at were forswore offte wyttyngly Wytynge & wyllfully / w yt h the falsce helden and for syluver were / forswore / sothely they wyst ytt there nas no crystyen creatuvre / þ at kynd wytt had sauve shrewes & one suoche / as I spake off that he ne halpe a quantyte / holynes to waxe some thrughe beades byddyng / & some thrughe pylgrymage & other pryuvye pennau nce / & some thrugh pennau nce penyes dealyng / & then welled water / for wycked workes egrelyche rennyng / owte off mennes eyne clennesce off þe co mmuvne / & clerkes cleane lyuvyng made vnite holy cherche / In holynesce to stonde I care not q uod conscyence / thogh pryde come nowe nouthe G.20.372: For G's use of "now" (as also Cr) for remaining manuscripts "nowthe," see note to G.4.295. the lorde off luvst / shalbe shal be letted / all þis lent I hoope comethe q uod conscyence / ye crystyen & dynethe that hauve labored loyally / all thys lent tyme here ys bred blessed yblessed / and goddes bodye therevndre grace thrugh goddes worde / gaffe pyers power myghtes to maken ytt / and mete men to eyte ytt after In helpe off theyre heale / oonesce yn a monythe or as ofte as they had nede / they þo þ at had y -payed to pyers p erdone the plowman redde quod debes how q uod all þe co mmuvne / þ ou couvnseylest vs to yelde all þ at we owen any wyght / ere we goon to howsell that ys my couvnseyle q uod co nscyence / & cardynall wertuves that eche man forgyve other / that and þat wole þe pater noster et dimitte nobis debita nostra & c etera // and so to been assoyled & sythen to be howseled ye how bawe G.20.388: Y reads bow for G C 2 B how, and this, according to Kane and Donaldson, was the original reading of C, then altered to how. The direction of the alteration in C is, however, unclear. The majority B reading is bawe. q uod a brewer / I wyll not be rewled by Iesu for all your Iangylyng / wyth sp iritus Iusticie ne after co nscyence by cryst / whyle I can sell bothe dregges & draffe / & drawe ytt att on hoole thycke ale & thynne ale / for þ at ys my kynd & not hakke after holynes / hold thye tonge co nscyence off sp iritus Iusticie þ ou spekest moche yn an Idle caytyfe q uod co nscyence / cuvrsed wrecche vnblyssed arte thowe brewer / but yff þe god helpe but thow lyuve by loore / off sp iritus Iusticie þe cheffe seede þ at pyers sewe / ysauved worthestowe neuver but co nscyence þe come come[n] co mune seede fede / and cardynall wertuves leeuve ytt well they be lost / bothe by G.20.400: It is possible that the scribe originally started to write body instead of lyfe (as in the C manuscripts T H 2 Ch Sc) and that he attempted to correct this and then abandoned the attempt. lyfe & souvle then ys many a man lost / q uod a lewde wykorye I am a cuvratour off holy kyrke / & cam neu er In my tyme man to me þ at couvlde me couth tell / off cardynall wertuves or þ at couvnted co nscyen .ce / att a cockes fether or a hennes I knewe neu er cardynall / þ at he ne came fro the pope & we clerkes when þei came come / for theyr co mmyns payen for theyre pelluvre & theyre palfreyes meyte / & pyllouvrs þ at theym folowen the co mmuvne clama nt clamat cotidie eche eche a man to other the contrey ys the cr cursyder / that cardynall es come ynne & there they lygge & lenge / most leychyrye ther reygnethe forthy q uod thys wycorye / by verray god I wolde that no cardynall come amonge þe co mmuvne poeple but yn theyr holynes / healden theym stylle att auyon among þe ~~I .~~ Iewes cu m s anc to s anc tus eris & c etera // or yn rome as þeir reuvle wyll / relequves þe reliques to kepe & thow co nscyence yn kyng es couvrte / & sholdest neu er come thence & grace þ at þ ou gredest so off / guvyoudor gyour G.20.417: The G Cr variant reading "guider" is probably the result of date: according to the OED, "guyour" (as most manuscripts) died out at the end of the fourteenth century. off vs of all clerkes & pyers w yt h hys newe plowe / & eke w yt h hys olde emp erouvre off all þe worlde / that all men were crysten ymp erfytt ys þ at pope / þ at all þe poeple sholde helpe and sendethe theym þ at sleyethe / suoyche as he shold sauve & well worthe pyers piers þe plowman that puvrsuethe god yn doyng qui pluit sup er Iustos & Iniustos / att oones & sent þe sonne to sauve a cuvrsed mannes tylthe as bryght as to the best man / & to þe best woman ryght so pyers the plowman / peynethe hym to tylye al as G.20.427: Kane and Donaldson record G as having as twice but the first word is clearly either al or als and has been lined through. well asto for a wastouvre / and wenches off the stewes as for hym -seluve or & hys seruvant es / sauve he ys furst seruved & trauvylethe & tylyethe / for a treatouvr also soore as for a trewe tydye man / all tymes ylyke & worshypphed be he þ at all wroght wrouȝte al / bothe good & yll wykke & suffer suffreth þ at synfull be / tyll some -tyme they þ at þei repente & god amend þe pope / that pyllethe holye cherche & cleamythe byfore þe kyng / to be keper ouver crystyen & couvntethe noght / thogh crystyen be kylled or & robbed & fyndethe folke to fyght / & crystyen bloode to spylle ageynst þe old lawe & newe lawe / as luk þ eroff wyttnessythe non occides & c etera. michi michi vindictam et c etera // ytt semethe by so by he by so G.20.439: Kane and Donaldson see the correction from so by to by so as being by the main scribe and the subsequent alteration to so he as being by another hand. It seems likely, however, that the original scribe was responsible for all these alterations. As far as the <h> of he is concerned, compare, for instance, that in semethe at the beginning of the line. hym -seluve / hadde he G.20.439: Note that the lining through of added he is done in red ink and therefore clearly at the time of rubrication and most probably by the original scribe. hys wyll that he ne recchethe noght riȝte nouȝte / off all the remnau nte & cryste off hys couvrtysye / þe cardynall es sauve & torne theyre ~~willfull~~ G.20.442: Added willfull appears to have been lined through but it may just have been smudged. wytt to wysdome / & to weale off souvle for þe co mmuvne q uod þis cuvratouvr / couvnten full lytull the couvnseale off conscyence / or cardynall wertuves but yff they se seie as by syght / some -what to wynnyng off gyle ne off gabbyng / gyve they no neuere tale for spiritus prudencie among þe poeple ys gyle and all the fayovre faire wertuves as wyces they semed eche man subtylethe a sleyght / synne for to hyde & colouvrethe ytt w yt h konnyng a kunnynge / & a cleane lyuvyng then loghe there a lorde / & by thys lyght sayede I hold ytt ryght & reason / off my reeuve to take all þ at myne audytour / or elles my stuverde couvnseylythe me / by theyr acompte / & my clerkes wrytyng w yt h sp iritus . G.20.455: The unclear material may well have been the first two minims of intellectus, abandoned because the ink ran too freely. intellectus to seeke þe reeuves rolles and w yt h sp iritus fortitudinis fecche ytt I wyll & then came þ er a kyng / & by hys crowne seyede a p rofecy I am a am kyng w yt h crowne the co mmuvne to reuvle G.20.459: An

X-like sign has been added in the margin. This corresponds to a similar sign in the table of contents. See f.103 r

and for the possibility that these marks were made by WH, see Introduction I.10 and I.12. and holy churche & claregye / fro cu rsed men to defend & yff me lackethe to lyuve by / by by þe lawe wole I take ytt there I may hastylyche hastlokest hauve ytt it haue / for I am heyde off lawe G.20.461: The line wraps around and the words off lawe appear below, boxed in grey. for þei ȝe beene but me mbres / & I aboven all & sythe I am your aller heyde / I am your aller heale & holy cherche cheffe helpe / & chefteyne off þe co mmuvne & what I take off you two / I take ytt at þe teachyng off sp iritus Iusticie for I Iuvgge you all so I may bowldlye be howseled / for I borowed borwe neu er ne craue off my co mmuvne / but as my kynd askethe In condycyon q uod co nscyence / þ at þ ou konne defend & reuvle þi realme yn reason / ryght well / & yn trewth take þ ou maest In reason / as thy lawe askethe omnia tua sunt ad defendendu m set no n ad opp rime ndu m depredandum deprehendendum the vycker r hadde farre home / & fayre toke hys leauve & I awaked þ erw yt h / and wrote as me mette explicit quintus & vltimus passus de dobett er G.20.474: The word dobett er has been wrapped around to the end of previous line and is boxed in red. The explicit is indented so the usual centering was probably intended but the line in this case proved to be too long. Incipit primus passus de dobest // Then as I went by þe way / when I was thuvs awaked heyuvy chered I yede / and eleng e yn herte I ne wyst where to eyte / ne yn at what place & yt nyghed nere þe none / & wythe nede I mette that afrouvnted / me fouvle / and saytouvr [f]aytour faitour me called kansthowe not excuvse þe / as dyd þe kyng & other that þ ou tooke to thye byleeuve / to clothes & to sustenance & by teachyng & tellyng / off sp iritus temp erancie// and þ ou nome no more / then nede the taght and nede ne hathe no lawe / & ne neu er shall fall yn dett for thre thynges he takethe / hys lyffe for to sauve that ys meyte when men yt hym warnethe / & he no money weldethe ne no Ne wyght wyght none wylbe wyl be hys borowe / ne wedde hathe non to lygge legge & he be he kaght yn þ at ca asce / & come therto by sleyght he synnethe not sothelyche / þ at so wynnethe hys foode & thoghe he come to so to a cloothe / & cane no better cheuvysance nede anon ryght / ny mmethe 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 so nede att greate nede / may ny mmen as for hys owne w yt howte couvnseale off co nscyence / and or cardynall wertuves so þ at he sewe & sauve sp iritus temp erantie sp iritus for ys no wertuve by farre to sp iritus temp erantie nether sp iritus fortitudinis iusticie ne sp iritus Iustitie fortitudinis for sp iritus forti tudinis sufferethe forfaiteth full ofte he shall do no more G.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 a tyme tyme & ofte & beyte men ou er bytterly / & some off theym to lytle and greeuve men greater / then good faythe wolde and sp iritus iustitie shall Iuvgge wyll or he or he nyll he after þe kyng es couvnseale / & þe comuvne lyke and sp iritus prudentie In manye a poynte shall fayle off þ at he wenethe wolde fayle falle / yff hys wytt ne were wenyng ys no wyssdome / ne wyse ymagynatyon I homo p roponit & deus disponit & gou ernethe all good wertuves & Ac nede ys nexte hym for a -nonne G.21.35: The second <n> of nonne has been re-outlined in brown ink. he mekethe & as low as a lambe / for lacke lakkyng off þ at hym nedethe wysse men forsoke wealthe wele for they wold be nedye & woneden In wyldernes / & wold not be ryche & god all thes his greate Ioyes ioye / goostlye he lafte & came & toke mankynd / and bycame nedye so ne dy 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 fle and go fleighe to hole & creepe & þe fysshe hathe fynne / to flete w yt h & to G.21.44: Kane and Donaldson read & to, but the & is clearly lined through. rest there nede hathe ynome me / þ at I mot nede abyde and suffer sorowes full sore sowre / þ at shall to Ioy torne forthy be not abasshed / to bydde G.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 sythe he þ at wroght all the worlde / ys was wylfullyche nedy ne neu er non so nedye / ne so ne poere pouerer e G.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 pouerer e ) result from correction in Hm. dyed when nede had vndrenome me thuvs / anon I fell on slepe & mette mette ful m eruyouvslyche meruy[ll]ouslyche merueillously / þ at yn mannes fouvrme ipsa papa G.21.52:The gloss ipsa papa has been added in black ink above the word antecryst. 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 Torned it vp so downe / & ou er -tylde the roote ipsa papa G.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 sprang sprynge G.21.54: The preterites in this line result from the loss in β manuscripts of RF made (compare F & made fals sp ringe etc.). All C manuscripts have "made". & spredde sprede / & spedde spede mennys nedys yn eche eche a contrey þ er he came & he cut a -way trewthe & gerte gyle growe there / as he a god were Not a howe freres folowed þ at fende / for he gave þem coopes fallshedd & relygyouvse reu erenced hym / & rong þ er belles fyrst krept & all the couvent forthe came / to welcome þ at tyrant In by the pope & all thes hise as well as thes hym / sauve onelyche fooles and his flock wyche fooles were were wel leuvere / to dye then to lyuve lenger sythe lenten / was so sore so sor e rebuked & a falsce frend fende antecryste ou er all folke reagned & that were mylde men & holye G.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. / þ at no myscheffe dreden defyed all falsnesce / & folke þ at ytt vsed & what kyng þ at þem conforted / knowyng þem any whyle they cuvrsed all and theyr couvnseale / were yt clerk or lewde antecryste had þus sone / huvndrethes att hys banere & pryde ytt bare / boldlye a -bovte w yt h a lorde þ at lyuvethe after lykyng off hys of b .odye þ at came ageynst conscyence þ at keper was & guvydour gyour e G.21.71: For G Cr "gydour" for remaining manuscripts "gyour," see note to G.20.417. ouer kynd crysten / & cardynall wertuves I couvnseale q uod co nscyence ye þo come w yt h me you ȝe G.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 / þ at he come to & defend vs fooles fro þe þis feendes lym es / for pyers louve þe plowma n & crye we to all þe co mmunes co mune / þ at theye come to vnyte and there abyde & byker / agey nst baylyalles chyldren kynd co nscyence tho harde / & came owte off þe planett es & send forthe hys forruv nners foreioures / feuvers & fluyxes coghes & cardyacles crampes & tothehaches rewmes & radegouvndes / & ruvynose G.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 feuvers Frenesyes & fouvle yuvelles / forgoers forageres off kynd had yprycked & preyed / polles off the poeple that largely a legyon / losten þeir lyuve sone ther was harrowe & helpe / here comethe kynde w yt h deathe þ at ys dredfull / to vndone vs all the lord þ at lyuved after luvst / tho alowde cryed after conforte a knyght / to come & beyre hys banere alar um alar um q uod þ at lorde / eche man lyf kepe hys owne & þen mett þes men / er mynstrell es myght pype & er harrouavdes off armes / had descryuved lordes G.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 / w yt h m eany G.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 sores as pockes & pestylence pestilences / & moche poeple shente so kynd thrugh corruvptyons / kylled full many deathe came dryuvyng after / & all to duvst passhed kynges & knyght es / kaysers & popes lered ne lewde / he lett no man stande that he hytt euven euene þat / styrryd ~~nere~~ neuver after G.21.100: The mark in the bottom right hand margin is just a smudge. many a louvely ladye / & lemmans off knygtes swoned & swelted for / sorowe off deathes dyntes conscyence off hys couvrtysye / to kynd he besoght 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 þ at were alyuve & byhyght theym long / lyuve / & lechery he sent amonges all man er / men wedded & vnwedded and geydered a greate host / all agaynst co nscyence thuvs This G.21.111: For G "thus" for remaining manuscripts "this," see note to G.6.653. leychery leyde on / w yt h a laghyng chere as And w yt h pryuvye speche / & paynted wordes & armed hym yn Iduvlnes / & yn hyghe beyryng he bare a bowe In hys hande / & many blodye arrowes fethered Weren fethered w yt h fayre speche biheste / & many a falsce treuvthe w yt h hys vntydye tales / he tened me full ful ofte co nscyence & hys co mpany / off holy cherche þe teachers then came couvetyse & cast howe he myght ou ercome co nscyence / & cardynall wertuves & armed hym yn auvaryse / and hongerlyche lyuved hys weypen was all wyles / to wynnen & & to hyden w yt h glosyng es & gabbyng es / he gyled the poeple symony hym sent / to assayle conscyence & preached to þe poeple / & p relates þei þem made to holden w yt h antecryste / theyr temp eralytyes to sauve & came to þe kyng es couvnseale / as a kene baron & kneled to co nscyence In couvrte byfore þem all & gert good faythe flee / and falsce to abyde & boldlyche bare a -downe / w yt h many a bryght noble moche off þe wytt & wysdome / off westmy n stre halle he Iuvgged tyll a Iustyce / & Iusted yn hys yeyre G.21.131:A virgule has been added to separate the words hys and yeyre after the addition of the <y>. & ou ertylt all al his treuvthe / w yt h take þis to vp amendement & to þe arches yn hast / he yede a -non after & tourned cyuvyle to in-to symonye / & sethe toke he took þe offycyall for a mantell off mynyuvere / he made leele matrymoynge dep erten ere deathe came / and dyuorse shapen shupte alas q uod co nscyence & cryed / tho wold god criste off hys grace that couvetyse were crysten / þ at ys so kene kene a fyghter and bold & byddyng bidyng G.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 & 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 conscyence & couvnseale / he couvnted ytt folye thuvs reyled relyed lyfe / for a lytle fortuvne & prycked forthe w yt h pryde / preysed preyseth he no wertuve he carethe not how kynd slowe / & shall come at þe laste & kyll all yerthely creatouvrs / sauve conscyence alone one lyfe leepe a -syde / & laght hym a leymman heale & I q uod he / & hyghnes off herte shall do þe noght drede / nether deathe ne elde & to forgett sorowe / & gyve noght off synne thuvs This G.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 & gat ten G.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 þ at moche wo wroght / slewghe was hys name sleugh G.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 / & so one was off age and wedded on whanhoope / a wenche off the stewes hyr syre was a sysor / that neu er sware trewthe oon thom two tonged tonge / atteynte att eche a quvest thys sleuovg the wexe d G.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 & eld hent good hoope / & hastylyche he shyffte hym & wayued a -way wanhoope / & w yt h lyfe he fyghted & lyffe fleethe flieth fleigh for feere / to physyke after helpe & bysoght hym off socouvr / & off hys saluve hadde & gave hym golde good wone / þ at gladed hys herte & they gyuven hym ageyne / a glasen howue lyfe leeuved þ at lechecrafte / lett shold elde & dryuven a -way deathe w yt h diapenidion dyas and dragges G.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, <title TEIform="title">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). and eld auvntred hym on lyfe / & att þe last he hytt a physysyon w yt h a fuvrred hoode / þ at he fyll yn a palsey and ther dyed þe þat doctouvr / ere thre dayes after now I see sayed lyffe / þ at suvrgyens ne physycke may not a myte awvayle G.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 a ryche place & a myrrye that was þe The companye G.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 cleped it some -tyme & elde anon after me / & ouver myne heyde yede and made me balde byfore / & bare on the crowne so herde he yede ou er myne heyde / yt wole be seene euver syr yuvell taght ytauȝte elde q uod I / vnhende go w yt h the sythe when was thy þe way / ouver mennes heyddes haddesthow been hend q uod I / þ ou woldest haue asked leauve ye leauve lordayne q uod he / & layed on me w yt h age & hytt me vndre þe eyere / vnnethe may I here he buffeted me aboute þe mouvthe / & bett me on þe tethe & guvyded gyued me yn gowtes / I may not goone att large & off þe wo þ at I was ynne / my wyfe had reuvthe and wysshed full wytterly / þ at I were yn heyuven for þe lymme þ at she louved me for / & leefe was to feele off On nyghtes namely / when we naked were I ne myght In no man er / make ytt att hyr wyll so elde & she sothely / hadden ytt for~~byden~~beyten & 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 biseye wreke Awreke me yff thye ȝowr e wylbe wyl be / for I wold beene hence yff þ ou wylte been y -wroke / wende In -to vnyte & hold þe there euver / tyll I send for the & looke þ ou konne some crafte / or þ ou come thence couvnseale me kynd q uod y what crafte ys best to lere lerne lerne to lyouve q uod kynd / & leeuve off all other how shall I come to catell so / to clothe me & and to 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 þ ov louve leally q uod he / lacke shall þe neuver meate ne worldly wede / whyle thy lyfe lastethe & there by couvnseale off kynd / I comsed to roomnne rowme G.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 tyl I came to vnyte & þer was conscyence constable / crysten to sauve & byseged sothely / w yt h seyuven / greate gyantes that w yt h antecryste helden / herde ageyne conscyence sleuovthe w yt h hys slyng / an hard assauvte made prouvde preestes came w yt h hym / mo then a thowsand In paltockes & pyked shewes / and gypsers pisseres long knyuves comen ageynst conscyence / w yt h couvetyse they helden by marye q uod a mansed preest / off þe marche off yreland I couvnt hitt counte G.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.103 r

). no more co nscyence / so bi so I cacche syluver then I do to drynke / a draught off good ale and so sayde syxtye / off the seyd same contrey and shoten ageyn w yt h shotte / w yt h ma ny sheaffe off othes & brod hoked arues / w yt h arwes goddes herte & hys nayles & hadden almost vnite / and holynes vndone adowne co nscyence cryed helpe claregy / or elles I fall thrugh e G.21.226: The loop of the second <h> of thrughe has been re-outlined in brown ink. ym -p erfett preestes / & preelates off holy cherche freres herden hym crye / & comen hym to helpe & 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 p erauventuvre / for patrymones patrimoigne þem faylethe 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 / þ at been ryche & seyen þei chosen chylle / & chaytyffe pouverte they Lat þem chewe as þei hauve chosen chese chosen / & charge þem w yt h no cuvre for lomngere lomer G.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 / þ at lyuvelood mot bygge begge then he þ at laborethe for lyuveloode / & lenethe ytt beggers and sythe freres forsooke / fylycyte þe felicite off the of G.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 / & or lyuve by angel es foode co nscyence off thys couvnseale tho comsed to for to laghe and couvrtyslyche co nforted þem / & called yn all freres & sayed syrs sothelyche / welcome be ye all to vnyte & holy cherche / but ac on thyng y you praye holdethe you yn vnyte / & hauvethe non enuvye to lered ne to lewde / but lyuvethe after your ruvle & I wylbe wyl be your brogh / ye shall hauve bred & clothes & other necessaryes ynowe / you shall no thyng fayle w yt h þ at ye leauve logyck / & lernethe for to louve for louve þei lafte laft þei lordshyppe / bothe land & scole frere franceys & domynyk / for louve to been holye & yff ye couveteythe cuvre / kynd wytt kynde wyll you teache that yn measure god made / all maner thynges and sett ytt yn at a certeyne / & yn at syker a syker nombre and neuenved neue[n]ed nempned names newe / & nombered þe preestes p restes sterr ez sterres qui numerat multi tudine m stellaru m & o mnibus eis & c etera kyng es & knyghtes / that kepen & defenden haue offycers vnder theym / & eche off þem certeyne and yff þei wage men warre to werre / þei wryte þem yn nombre wole no treysorer þem pay / trauveyle þei neu er so long sore all other yn batell es bataille G.21.259: G's reading batell es is not recorded as a variant by Kane and Donaldson but the abbreviation for es is definitely present. / been yholden brybouvrs pylouvrs & pyke -hernes / In eche eche a place acorsed monkes & monyales / & all men off relygyon G.21.262: The mark in the left hand margin is just a smudge. theyr ordre & þ er ruvle wyll / to haue a certeyne no mbre off lewde & off lered / þe lawe wole & askethe a certayne for a c aerteyne / sauve onlyche off freres forthy q uod co nscyence by cryste / kynd wytt me tellethe ytt ys wycked to wage you / you ȝe G.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 w yt h -owte nombre forthy I wold wytterly / þ at ye were yn þe regestre & your no mbre vndre notarye notaries sygne / nother & noyther mo ne lasse enuvy herd þis / & hyght freres goo to scole & lerned lerne logyck & lawe / & eke co ntemplatyon and preyche men off plato & prouve ytt by seneca that all thyng es vndre heyuven / oght to be G.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.71 v

and f.103 r.

en comuvne & yet he lyethe as I leeuve / þ at to þe lewde so preachethe for god made to men a lawe & moses ytt taght non co ncupisces rem proximi tui & c etera // & yuvell ys þis to hold yholde / yn p erysshys en of england for p ersones & p erysshe preestes / þ at sholde þe poeple shryuve beene cuvratouvrs called / to knowe & to heale all þ at been þeir p erysshens / pennance to enIoynge & shold be shamed ashamed yn þ er sh ryfte / but ac shame makethe þem wende & fleen to the freres / as falsce folke to westmynster that borowen & beyre thydre / & then bydden freendes yeres Ȝerne off forgyuvenes / or lengere yeres loone but Ac whyle he ys yn westmy n ster / he wylbe wyl be byfore and maken themr hym merye / w yt h other mennes gooddes and so so it farethe w yt h moche folke / þ at to þe freres shryuven as syrovrs sy[s]ovrs sysours & execuvtours / they wyll gyuve the freres a p ercell to prey for þem / and make þem -seluve merye w yt h þe resydewe & the remnant / þ at other men byswonke & suffer þe dead yn dett / byfore to the day off dome enuvy ther her fore / hated conscyence & freres to phylosophye / he fouvnde þem to scole the whyles couvetyse & vnkyndnes / conscyence assayled In vnyte holye cherche / conscyence held hym & made peasce porter / to vnpynne pynne the gates off all tale tellers / and tycyrers to tyterers in Idle ypocrysy & he / hard an hard assauvte they made ypocrysy att þe gate / hard gan fyght & wouvnded full wel wyckedly / many wysse teachers that w yt h conscyence acorded / and cardynall wertuves conscyence called a leche / þ at well couvlde shryve go saluve þ ou þo þ at syk beene / thrugh synne y -wouvnded shryft shoope sharpe saluve / & made men do pennance for theyre myssdedes / þ at þei wroght hadde & that pyers were payed redde quod debes some lyked not thys leche / & letters they sent yff any surgeon were þe segge / þ at fofter [s]ofter softer couvlde plaster s yr leyuve to lyuve yn leycherye / lye G.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 for fastyng off a fryday he fared as he wolde dye there ys a surgyon yn thys / ..sege G.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. /þ at fsofte G.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 and more off physyk by farre / & fayrer he plasterethe on frere flaterer / ys physycyon & surgyen q uod contrycyon to co nfessyon conscience / do hym come to vnyte for here ys many many a man / hurte / thrugh ypocrysye we haue no nede q uod co nscyence / I woote no better leche then p ersone or p erysshe preeste / penytanser or bysshope sauve pyers þe plouman / þ at hathe power ouver all hem alle G.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 I may well suffer sayed co nscyence / sythen ye desyren that frere flaterer be fette / & physyke you seke the frere ther her off herd / & hyed faste to a lorde for a lettere / leauve to hauve cuvres curen and as a cuvratour he were / & came w yt h hys letters boldely to the bysshope / & hys breuves brief hadde In contreys þ er he came ynne / confessyons to here & came þ er conscyence was & knocked att þe gate peasce vnpynned ytt / þ at was was porter off vnyte & yn hast asked / what hys wyll were In faythe q uod þis frere / for p rofytte & for healthe carpe I wyll wolde w yt h contrycyon / & þ erfore came I hydder he ys seeke sayde peasce / & so are many other ypocrysye hathe hath herte hym hem / full herd ys yff þei couver I am a surgyen sayde þe segge / & saluves can make co nscyence knowethe me well / & what I can do bothe I praye þe q uod peasce þo / are thow pas forther er ferther what h~~a ...~~ettest G.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). þ ou I pray þe / heale not thye name s G.21.338: Kane and Donaldson read the initial letter here as s ir , 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 seyde his felowe / syr penetrans domos ye go þi gate q uod peasce / by god for all thye physyke but þ ou konne some crafte / þ ou comest not hereynne I knewe suoyche on oonesce G.21.341: The letters <o> and <n> of "once" have been re-outlined in brown ink. / not eyght wynters wynter hence passed came ynne þus y -coped / att a couvrte þ er I dwelte & was my ladyes leeche / & my lordes bothe & at þe last thys lymytoure / tho my lorde was owte he saluved so our women / tyll some were w yt h chylde hende speche heete peasce / open G.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 he may se & here / so ytt may befall þ at lyffe thrughe hys loore / shall leauve couvetyse & be adradde off deathe / & w yt hdrawe hym from pryde & acorde w yt h conscyence / & kysse kisse her ether other thuvs thrughe hend speche / entered the frere & came yn to conscyence / & couvrteyslyche hym grette þ ou arte welcome q uod conscyence / cansthowe heale þe sycke here ys contrycyon q uod conscyence / my cosuvne y -wouvnded co nforte hym q uod co nscyence / & take kepe off to hys soores the plasters off þe p ersoune / & poudres byten soore to sore G.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 that ys ou er -long q uod þis lymytour / I leeuve I shall amend ytt & goethe & gropethe contrycyon / & gyuvethe gaf hym a plastere off a pryuvye payment / & I shall prey for you & for all þ at ye been hold to / all my lyve tyme and make you my ladye / yn masse & yn matensce as freres off our fraternyte / for a lytle syluver thuvs he goethe & gedderethe / & glosethe þ er he shryuvethe tyll contrycyon had forgetten clene forȝeten / to crye & to wepe & wake for hys wycked workes / as he was wouvnte to done for comforte off hys co nfessoure / contrycyon he leffte that ys þe souveregnest saluve / for al kynnes kyn synnes sleowthe seethe seithe seigh þ at / & so dyd pryde & came w yt h a kene wyll / conscyence to assayle co nscyence cryed efte / & bad claregye helpe & also contrycyon / for to kepe the gate he lyethe & dreamethe sayde peasce / & so do many other the frere w yt h hys physyke / folke þis folke hathe enchauvnted & plastered þem so easely / they drede no synne by cryst q uod co nscyence tho / I wyll bycome a pylgrymme & walken as wyde / as all þe worlde lastethe to seeke pyers þe plowman / þ at pryde may destroye & þ at freres had a fyndyng / that for nede flateren & convterpleydethe co[n]terpleydethe contrepleteth me co nscyence / nowe kynd me awenge & send me happe & heale / tyll I hauve pyers þe plowman & sythe he gradde after grace / tyll I gan awake explicit hic diolagus petri plowman