The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. ?: San Marino, Huntington Library, MS Hm 128 (Hm2)
author: William Langland
edition published: 2008
language: lat; fre; ger
availability: Commercially available: copyright 2008, by SEENET

than drede went wyȝtly  and warned fals[^a1][^1]
and badde hym fle for fere  and his felawes alle
whan fals[^a2] for fere[^a3] fleyȝe  to the freres
and gyle dothe hym to goo  a-gast for to deyȝe
ac marchauntz metten wyth hym  and maden hym abyde
and by-schutte[^a4] hym in her schoppys  to schewen her ware
apparaylden[^a5] hym as a prentys  the peple to serue
fuƚƚ lyȝtly[^a6] lyere tho[^a7]  lepe a-wey thanne
lurkyng thurowh lanes  lugged[^a8] of many
he was nowhare welcome  for his many tales
oueral y-hunted  and y-hote trusse
tyl pardeners hadde pyte  and pulleden hym to[^a9] house
thei wuschen hym and wypeden hym  and wonden hym in cloutys
and senten hym wyth sealys  on sundayes to cherches
and ȝaf[^a10] pardoun for pans  pound-mele aboute
thanne loureden leches  and lettres thei sente
thanne[^a11][^2] he schulde wonye wytħ hem  watres to loke
spycers spoken wyth hym  to aspyȝen[^a12][^3] her ware
for he coude on[^a13] her crafte  and knewe many gommes
ac menstrals and messagers  metten wyth hym ones
and helden hym an half ȝere  and enleuene dayes
freres wyth fayr speche  fecchid[^a14] hym thennys
[^4] and for knowynge of comers  copeden[^a15] hym as a frere
Ac he hath leue to lepen out  as ofte as hym lyketh
And ys welcome whan he wole  and woneth with hem ofte
alle fƚedden for fere  and flowen in to hernes
Saue mede the maiden  nomo dursten[^a16][^5] abide
Ac trewely to telle  sche trembled for drede
And[^a17] wepte and wronge  whan sche was a-tached

[^a1: fals (Hm2 Hm F) | þe fals (All other mss)]

[^a2: whan fals (Hm2) | Falsenesse (Most other mss)]

[^a3: fere (Hm2 Hm G F) | fere þanne (All other mss)]

[^a4: by-schutte (Hm2) | bishetten (Most other B mss)]

[^a5: apparaylden (Hm2 Hm) | And apparailled (Bx M)]

[^a6: fuƚƚ lyȝtly (Hm2 Hm F) | Liȝtlich (Most other mss)]

[^a7: lyere tho (Hm2 Hm) | lyer (All other mss)]

[^a8: lugged (Hm2 Hm) | to-lugged (Most other mss)]

[^a9: to (Hm2 M Hm H F) | in-to (Bx Cr W G O C2 Y)]

[^a10: ȝaf (Hm2 Hm) | gaf (Most other mss)]

[^a11: thanne (Hm2) | Þat (All other mss)]

[^a12: aspyȝen (Hm2 Hm C) | spien (Most other mss)]

[^a13: on (Hm2 Hm R F) | of (All other beta mss)]

[^a14: fecchid (Hm2 F) | fetten (Most other manuscripts)]

[^a15: copeden (Hm2 Hm) | coped (All other mss)]

[^a16: dursten (Hm2 Hm O) | durst (All other mss)]

[^a17: And (Hm2 Hm H) | And ek (All other mss)]

[^1: Hm2.2.1: A modern hand has written "A fragment of Piers Ploughman. See the 9th leaf." For fuller discussion see the Introduction I.11.]

[^2: Hm2.2.17: The scribe copied thanne from the preceding line. It is possible that he recognized his mistake and attempted a correction by converting the first minim of <n> to <t>, though that seems unlikely. Kane and Donaldson read "thatine (?)."]

[^3: Hm2.2.18: Hm2HmC2 alone have the unmetrical form. Most other witnesses have the apheretic form spien.]

[^4: Hm2.2.23: With this erasure the stint of copying by hand4 begins and continues to the end of the fragment.]

[^5: Hm2.2.27: The dissyllabic form is unmetrical.]

Passus tercius de visione

N ow is mede the mayde  and nomo of hem alle
With Bedelles and Baillifs  brought bifore the kynge
The kyng kalled a clerk  ne can[^a18] y nought hys name
To take mede the maide  and make hire at ese
I schal a-saye hire my-silf  and sothely appose
What man vpon[^a19] molde  that here were leuest
And yf sche wersche[^a20] werche be wytt  and my wyl folwe
I wele for-ȝyue[^a21] hire this gilt  so me god helpe
Curtesly the clerk thanne  as the kyng highte
Tok mede by the Middel  and broughte hire in-to chambre
and ther was Mirthe and Minstralcie  mede to plese
They that wonen in westmynsere[^a22] westmyns[t]ere  worschepeden hem[^a23] alle
Ientileche with ioye  the Iustices some[^a24]
Buskeden hem to the boure  ther the buyrde dwelled
To conforten hire kyndely  by clergyes leue
and seiden morne thou nought[^a25]  ne make thou no sorwe
for we wil wisse the kyng  and thy wey schape
To be wedded at thy wille  and where the lef likethe[^6]
For al concyence cast  or craft as y trowe
Mildeliche mede thanne  mercie[^a26][^7] hem kryde[^a27]
Of here gret goodnesse  and ȝaf[^a28] hem echone
Coupes of clene gold  and cuppes of seluer
Rynges with rubies  and rychesses manye
The leste man of here meigne  a Motoun of gold
Thanne laughte thei leue  thes lordes at Mete[^a29]
With that comen clerkes  and conforteden[^a30] hire the same
And beden hire be blithe  for we ben thyn owne
For to werche thy wille  the while thy lyf[^a31] lasteth
Hendely sche thanne  bihighte hem the same
To louen hem lely  and lordes to make
and in the constorie at court  do callen hire names
Schal no lewednesse lette  the lede that y louye[^8]
That he ne worth ferst auauntsed  for y am be-knowen
Ther kunynge clerkes  schulle clokke be-hynde
Thanne come ther a confessour  coped as a frere
To Mede the Maiden  he mened[^a32][^9] thise wordes
and seide ful softely  in schryfte as yt were
Though lewed men and lered  hadde leyen by the b othe
and fals[^a33][^10] hadde Fouled[^a34] the  al thys fyfty wynter
I schal assoile the my-sylf  for a seem of whete
and be[^a35] thi bedeman  and bere wel thy message
among knyghtes and klerkes  concyence to serue[^a36]
Than Mede for hire mysdedes  to that man kneled
and schref hire of hire schrewednesse  schamelesse y trowe
Tolde hym a tale  and tok hym a noble
for to ben hire Bedeman  and hire brocours[^a37] als
Thanne he soiled[^a38] hire sone  and sethen he seiden seide[^a39]
we han a windowe in worchynge  wil sytte ...?...
Woldest thow glase that gable  and grauen ...?...[^11]
Ful siker[^a40] schulde thy soule be  heuene to haue
wiste i that quod that womman  y wolde nought spare
for to be ȝoure frend frere  and faile ȝow neuere
while ȝe louen lordes  that lecherye haunten
And lacken nought ladies  that louen wel the same
It is a frealte of fleisch  ȝe fyndeth it in bokes
A comyn[^a41] cours of kynde  wherof we comyn alle
who may skapen that[^a42] sclaundre  the skathe is sone amendid
It is a[^a43] synne of that[^a44] seuene  sonest relessed
God haue[^a45] mercy quod mede  on[^a46] men that yt haunten
And i schal kouere ȝoure cherche[^a47]  and ȝoure cloistre make
And ȝoure wowes[^a48] whiten[^a49]  and wyndowes glasen
Do peynte and portraie  and paie for the makynge
That euery siegge schal seie  y am suster off ȝoure hous
And[^a50] god to alle goode folk  such grauyng defendeth
To writen in wyndowes  of here wel dedis
Inaduenture In aduenture[^a51] pride be peynted there  and pompe of the world
For crist knoweth thi concyense  and thi kynde wille
And thi cost and thi couettise  and wo the catel aughte
For-thi i lere ȝow lordes  leueth such werkes
To writen in wyndowes  of ȝoure wel dedes
Or to greden after goddes men  whan ȝe delen doles
Inaduenture In aduenture[^a52] ȝe hauen ȝoure hire here  and ȝoure heuene als
¶ Nesciat sinistra manus[^a53]  quid faciat dextra

[^a18: ne can (Hm2 Hm) | can (All other mss)]

[^a19: vpon (Hm2 Hm G) | of þis (Most other mss)]

[^a20: wersche (Hm2) | worche (All other mss)]

[^a21: for-ȝyue (Hm2 Hm B) | forgyue (Most other mss)]

[^a22: westmynsere (Hm2) | westmynstre (All other mss)]

[^a23: hem (Hm2) | hir (Most other mss)]

[^a24: some (Hm2 Cr1 C) | somme (Most other mss)]

[^a25: nought (Hm2 Hm) | nought Mede (All other mss)]

[^a26: mercie (Hm2) | mercyed (Most other mss)]

[^a27: kryde (Hm2) | alle (All other mss)]

[^a28: ȝaf (Hm2 H) | gaf (All other mss)]

[^a29: Mete (Hm2) | Mede (All other mss)]

[^a30: and conforteden (Hm2 Hm F) | to conforte(n) (All other mss)]

[^a31: thy lyf (Hm2 Hm) | þow myȝte (Most other mss)]

[^a32: mened (Hm2 W Hm) | mellud (Bx M)]

[^a33: fals (Hm2 Hm F) | falsenesse (Most beta mss)]

[^a34: Fouled (Hm2 Hm F) | yfolwed (Bx M)]

[^a35: be (Hm2 Hm) | also be (Most other mss)]

[^a36: serue (Hm2) | torne (Most other mss)]

[^a37: brocours (Hm2) | brokour (All other mss)]

[^a38: soiled (Hm2 Hm) | assoilled (All other mss)]

[^a39: seiden seide (Hm2) | seyde (All other mss)]

[^a40: Ful siker (Hm2 Hm B) | Siker (Most other mss)]

[^a41: A comyn (Hm2 Hm) | And a (All other mss)]

[^a42: that (Hm2 Hm) | þe (Most other mss)]

[^a43: is a (Hm2 Hm) | is (Most other mss)]

[^a44: that (Hm2) | þe (Most other mss)]

[^a45: God haue (Hm2 Hm) | Haue (All other mss)]

[^a46: on (Hm2 M Hm) | of (All other mss)]

[^a47: cherche (Hm2 Hm) | kirke (All other mss)]

[^a48: And ȝoure wowes (Hm2 Hm) | Wowes (Most other mss)]

[^a49: whiten (Hm2 Hm) | do whitten (All other mss)]

[^a50: And (Hm2 Cr C C2) | Ac (Bx M)]

[^a51: Inaduenture In aduenture (Hm2 Hm B H) | On auenture (Most other mss)]

[^a52: Inaduenture In aduenture (Hm2 Hm G B) | On auenture (All other mss)]

[^a53: sinistra manus (Hm2 Hm B) | sinistra (Most other mss)]

[^6: Hm2.3.18: The last graph is ill-formed and might have equally well been transcribed as a <t>.]

[^7: Hm2.3.20: This reading occurs only in Hm2, but note that Hm has the correct reading after an erasure.]

[^8: Hm2.3.32: An otiose curl appears above the last two characters.]

[^9: Hm2.3.36: The reading may well be meued. This ambiguous reading is shared only by Hm and W. Most of the better beta manuscripts and alpha have he mellud.]

[^10: Hm2.3.39: Hm2HmF alone have fals. Most beta witnesses read falsnesse, and R has falshede.]

[^11: Hm2.3.48-49: The ends of both lines have been thoroughly erased and are illegible.]