Bx.8 – PPEA

Bx.8.4KD.8.4 Bx.8.8KD.8.8 Bx.8.12KD.8.12 Bx.8.16KD.8.16 Bx.8.20KD.8.20 Bx.8.24KD.8.23 Bx.8.28KD.8.27 Bx.8.32KD.8.31 Bx.8.36KD.8.35 Bx.8.40KD.8.39 Bx.8.44KD.8.43 Bx.8.48KD.8.47 Bx.8.52KD.8.52 Bx.8.56KD.8.56 Bx.8.60KD.8.60 Bx.8.64KD.8.64 Bx.8.68KD.8.68 Bx.8.72KD.8.72 Bx.8.76KD.8.76 Bx.8.80KD.8.80-81 Bx.8.84KD.8.85 Bx.8.88KD.8.89 Bx.8.92KD.8.93 Bx.8.96KD.8.97 Bx.8.100KD.8.101 Bx.8.104KD.8.107 Bx.8.108KD.8.111 Bx.8.112KD.8.116 Bx.8.116KD.8.120 Bx.8.120KD.8.124 Bx.8.124KD.8.128

Passus octauus de visione & hic explicit & incipit inquisicio prima de dowel

Thus yrobed in russet · I rowmed aboute

T Al a somer sesoun · for to seke dowel

And frayned ful oft · of folke þat I mette

If ani wiȝte wiste · where dowel wasT at Inne

And what man he miȝte be · of many man I axed

¶ WasT neuere wiȝte as I wentT · þat me wisse couthe

Where þis lede lenged · lasse ne more

¶T Tyl it bifel on a fryday · two freres I mette

MaistresT of þe Menoures · men of grete witte

I hailsed hem hendely [·] as I hadde lerned

And preyed hem parT charitee · ar þei passed forther

If þei knewe any contreT · or costes asT þei went

Where þat dowel dwelleth · doth me to wytene

T ¶T For þei ben men onT þis molde · þat moste wyde walken

And knowen contrees and courtes · and many kynnes places

Bothe prynces paleyses · and pore mennes cotes

And dowel and doyuel · where þei dwelle bothe

¶ Amonges vsT quod þe Menours · þat man is dwellyng

And euere hath as I hope · and euere shal here-after

¶ Contra quod I as a clerke · and comsed to disputen

And seide sothliT sepcies · in die cadit iustus

Seuene sythes seith þe boke · synneth þe riȝtful

And who-so synneth I seyde · doth yuel as me þinketh

And dowel and do yuel · mow nouȝt dwelle togideres

Ergo he nysT nauȝt alwayT · amonge ȝow freres

He is otherwhile ellis-where · to wisse þe peple

¶ I shal sey þe my sone · seide þe frere þanne

How seuene sithes þe sad man · on þeT day synneth

By a forbisene quod þe frere · I shal þe faire shewe

¶ Lat brynge a man in a bote · amydde aT brode water

Þe wynde and þe water · and þe bote waggynge

Maketh þe man many aT tyme · to falle and to stonde

For stonde he neuere so styf · he stombleth ȝif he moeue

Ac ȝit is he sauf and sounde · and so hym bihoueth

For ȝif he ne arise þe rather · and rauȝte to þe stiereT

Þe wynde wolde wythT þe water · þe bote ouerthrowe

And þanne were his lyf loste · þourgh lacchesse of hym-self

¶ AndT þus it fallethT quod þe frere · bi folke here on erthe

Þe water is likned to þe worlde · þat wanyeth and wexeth

Þe godis of þis grounde aren like ·T to þe grete wawes

Þat as wyndes and wederes · walwethT aboute

Þe bote is likned to owre body · þat brutel is of kynde

Þat þorugh þe fende and þiT flessh · and þe freleT worlde

Synneth þe sadman · a day seuene sythes

¶ Ac dedly synne doth he nouȝt · for dowel hym kepithT

And þat is charite þe champioun · chief help aȝein synne

For he strengtheth man to stonde · and stereth mannes soule

[Þat]T þowgh þiT body bow · as bote doth in þe water

Ay is þi soule sauf · butT þi-selfT woleT

Do a dedly synne · and drenche so þi souleT

God wole suffre wel þi sleutheT · ȝif þi-self lyketh

For he ȝaf þe to ȝeresȝyue · to ȝeme wel þi-selue

And þat is witte aT fre wille · to euery wyȝte a porcioun

To fleghyng foules · to fissches & to bestes

Ac man hath moste þerof · and moste is to blame

But if he worche wel þer-with · as dowel hym techeth

¶ I haue no kynde knowyng quod I · to conceyue alle [þi]T wordes

Ac if I may lyue and loke · I shal go lerne bettere

TI bikenne þe cryst / cryst quod heT · þat on þe crosse deyde

And I seyde þe same · saue ȝow fro myschaunce

And ȝiue ȝow grace on þis grounde · good men to worthe

¶ And þus I went wide-where [·] walkyng myne one

By a wilde wildernesse · and bi a wode-syde

Blisse of þ[e]T briddes · [abide] me [made]T

And vnder a lynde vppon a launde · lened I a stounde

To lythe þe layes · þ[e]T louelyT foules made

Murthe of her mouthes · made me þere to slepe

Þe merueillousest meteles · mette me þanne

Þat euer dremed wyȝte · in worlde as I wene

¶ A moche man as me þouȝteT · and lyke to my-selue

Come and called me · by my kynde name

TWhat artow quod I þoT · þat þow my name knowest

TÞat þow wost wel quod he · and no wyȝte bettere

¶ Wote I what þow art  T ·T þought seyde he þanne

I haue suwed þe þis seuene ȝere · sey þow me no rather

¶ Art þow thought quod I þo · þow couthest me wisseT

Where þat dowel dwelleth · and do me þatT to knowe

¶ Dowel and dobet · and dobest þe thridde quod heT

Aren three faire vertues · and beth nauȝte fer to fyndeT

Who-so is trewe of his tonge · and of his two handes

And þorugh his laboure or þorughT his londe · his lyflode wynneth

And is trusti of his tailende · taketh but his owne

And is nouȝt dronkenlew ne dedeignousT · dowel hym folweth

¶ Dobet doth ryȝt þus · ac he doth moche more

He is as low as a lombe · and loueliche of speche

And helpeth alle men · after þat hem nedeth

Þe bagges and þe bigurdeles · he hath to-brokenT hem alle

Þat þe Erl auarous · helde and his heires

AndT with Mammonaes mone · he hath made hym frendes

And is ronne in-toT Religioun · and hath rendred þe bible

And prechethT to þe poeple · seynt Poules wordes

Libenter suffertis insipientesT · cum sitis ipsiT sapientes

And suffreth þe vnwise · with ȝow forto libbe

And with gladde wille doth hem gode · for so god ȝow hoteth

¶ Dobest is aboue bothe · and bereth a bisschopes cro[c]eT

Is hoked on þat one ende · to halie men fro helle

A pyke is on þat potente · to pulteT adown þe wikked

Þat wayten any wikkednesse · dowel to tene

TAnd dowel and dobet [·] amonges hem ordeigned

T T To croune one to be kynge [·] to reule hem bothe

Þat ȝif dowel or dobet [·] did aȝein dobest

Þanne shal þe kynge come · and casten hem in yrensT

And but if dobest bede for hem · þei to be þere for euere

¶ Thus dowel and dobet · and dobest þe thridde

Crouned one to be kynge · to kepin hem alle

And to reule þe Reume · bi her thre wittesT

And none other wise · but as þei thre assented

¶ I thonked thouȝt þo · þat he me þus tauȝte

Ac ȝeteT sauoureth me nouȝt þi seggyng · I coueite to lerneT

How dowel dobet and dobest · don amonges þe peple

¶ But witte conne wisse þe quod þouȝt · where þo thre dwelle

Ellis wote I none þat can · þat now is alyue

¶ Þouȝte and I thus · thre days we ȝeden

Disputyng vppon dowel · day after other

And ar we were ywarT · with witte gan we mete

He was longe and lene · liche to none other

Was no pruyde on his apparaille · ne pouerte noyther

Sadde of his semblaunt · and of soft chiere

I dorste meue no matere · to make hym to iangle

But as I bad þouȝt þo · be mene bitwene

AndT put forth sommeT purpos · to prouen his wittes

What was dowel fro dobet · and dobest fram hem bothe

¶ Þanne þouȝt in þat tyme [·] seide þise wordes

WhereT dowelT dobet [·] and dobest benT in londe

Here isT wille wolde ywyte · ȝif witte couthe teche hym

And whether he be man or [no] manT · þis man fayneT wolde aspye

And worchen as þei thre wolde · þis is his entente

Bx.8.2: F omits the line.↩

Bx.8.4: was: alpha's subjunctive were is not supported by AC.↩

Bx.8.6: Was: LMWHm begin a paragraph here. Alpha instead begins And was (R) or But þere was (F), but beta is supported by AC.↩

Bx.8.6: as I went: R's in þis worlde is also the reading of Cx, and so could possibly represent a revision, but F has the beta reading. Schmidt (1995) conjectures that R's reading is contaminated from Cx or is "a coincidental substitution of a familiar phrase" (377). The latter seems likely.↩

Bx.8.8: ¶: The paraph is in LR (M has a line-space).↩

Bx.8.9: Maistres: Alpha begins And maistres, without support from AC.↩

Bx.8.11: par: LMWG; HmOF have pur (though in fact abbreviated in all except WHm). MED treats various forms as the same word (s.v. par prep.), and all scribes in all versions vary freely. CrCR have for, but this is not supported by AC. Cf. Bx.6.260, 13.30.↩

Bx.8.12: contre: Alpha's courte is a misreading; beta is supported by AC. For the reverse error see Bx.P.149.↩

Bx.8.12: as: Perhaps a little more pointed in its reference to friars than alpha's þer. AC have instead costes aboute.↩

Bx.8.14-17: These four lines omitted in alpha are not paralleled in Ax but are in Cx. Here the omission can be accounted for as a result of homeoarchy (dowel and dwelle 8.13, 17) and skipping a paraph.↩

Bx.8.14: ¶: In the absence of alpha, the paraph is only in LC, with a line-space in M.↩

Bx.8.14: on: The LM reading (supported by G) generally secures beta and hence Bx (in the absence of alpha). However, of in beta2 and CO is also the reading of Cx. We retain copy-text.↩

Bx.8.18: Amonges vs: F has the Ax reading Marye, and its b-verse is also from A. For other lines in this passus which suggest F's contamination from an A text, see notes to ll. 25, 28, 38, 43, 45, 49, 74, 76, 78, 79, 87, 100-05, 106, 109, 121, 124.↩

Bx.8.21: seide sothli: The reading of LM is supported by Cx. The other beta mss. add a pronoun object. R has no pronoun and loses the alliteration by omitting sothli. F drops the line. Since both LM place the punctuation after sepcies (R is without punctuation here), that is probably beta or archetypal error.↩

Bx.8.25: nys: LMW against is in other mss. AC mss. vary similarly. We retain copy-text.↩

Bx.8.25: alway: F's alwey at hoom is the AC reading.↩

Bx.8.28: on þe: LM and alpha, against on a in beta1. F's word-order is that of AC.↩

Bx.8.30: a (3): LR supported by AC, against þe in other mss.↩

Bx.8.32: many a: CrOR have many, as do AC.↩

Bx.8.35: stiere: The beta reading, vs. alpha (and Hm) sterne. Both words mean "rudder", and are used to translate "clavus" in Prov.23.34 from which the friar's example comes. Neither is used elsewhere in the poem. See MED ster(e n.(2) and stern(e n.(2). A mss. also vary.↩

Bx.8.36: wyth: R's and is probably alpha, altered for sense to on by F. Beta is supported by Ax.↩

Bx.8.38: And: F's Ryght is from Ax.↩

Bx.8.38: falleth: GF's fareþ is the AC reading.↩

Bx.8.40: Scribes vary in their placement of the punctus before or after aren like, responding to the awkwardness of the line. The hesitation is visibly expressed in M, with a punctus elevatus erased before the phrase and inserted after it.↩

Bx.8.41: walweth: The LM reading, which is therefore likely to represent beta. It is supported by Ax and the better C mss. against walketh in alpha and four mss. of C. KD, 154 and n. 73, argue that in context walweth is "an easier reading"; nevertheless it is a rarer word. The primary sense of walken is "roll about" (MED walken v.(1), 1) rather than "go on foot" (3a). For the same variation see Bx.9.56.↩

Bx.8.43: þi: LR, and so presumptively Bx. But choice is difficult. F has oure, perhaps from the previous line but also the reading of Cx, while the other beta mss. have þe, the reading of Ax. We follow copy-text.↩

Bx.8.43: þe frele: The beta reading. F has þe false, which is the Ax reading. R has þis frele, the reading also of Cx. Possibly R's reading is a revision. We follow copy-text.↩

Bx.8.45: kepith: F has the AC reading helpiþ.↩

Bx.8.48: Þat: The alpha reading is also that of Ax. Lines 46-56 are rewritten in Cx.↩

Bx.8.48: þi: LMCO and alpha, supported by Ax, against þe in WHmG.↩

Bx.8.49: but: LMR are supported by Ax against but if in the others.↩

Bx.8.49: þi-self: M reads þou þi-seluen as does Ax; WCr alter the word-order to þow wole þi-selue to the detriment of the alliteration.↩

Bx.8.49: Following this line, F introduces a line from A (K.9.45).↩

Bx.8.50: soule: R alone has selue, perhaps from the previous line, though it is the reading of all but three A mss.↩

Bx.8.51: sleuthe: Alpha and Hm read soule, perhaps picked up from 49-50. F revises to make sense of this. The line is revised from Ax.↩

Bx.8.53: a (1): "and" (LM). See note to Bx.P.227. KD, pp. 193-4, take Bx And þat is to be an interpolation, and their emendation makes much clearer sense of to ȝeresȝyue "(wit and free will) as a gift". Hence the variants two ȝeresȝevis in CrF and a yeresȝyue in WG in l. 52. In M, wit is a correction, possibly of with a fre wille.↩

Bx.8.57: þi: Alpha agrees with Ax against beta ȝowre. Cx has this speche.↩

Bx.8.59: W and alpha here supply a paraph, and also (see next note) have quod he, recognising that the speaker has changed. It may be, therefore, that the paraph was added to Bx to make this clear.↩

Bx.8.59: cryst / cryst quod he: Alpha and WHm are supported by quod he in Cx, making clear that the friar is the speaker rather than Will. However, most beta mss. are supported by Ax. R's plural pronoun is presumably an error, though indeed there are two friars.↩

Bx.8.64: þe: Though this is the reading of most mss., LHmR give strong support to þo. However the birds have not been previously mentioned, and þe is supported by AC (but see next note).↩

Bx.8.64: abide me made: Alpha's reading is obviously correct, since beta's brouȝte me aslepe sends the dreamer to sleep too early. Alpha is supported by Ax (made me abide) and Cx (RK.10.63). Beta's reading, anticipating l. 67, is puzzling, since the line is identical to K.9.58. The passage in A reads: Blisse of þe briddes made me abide
And vndir a lynde vpon a launde lenide I me a stounde
To lerne þe laies þat [var. þat þe] louely briddes [var. foulis] maden
Blisse of þe [var. þise] briddis brouȝte me a slepe (K.9.55-8). ↩

Bx.8.66: þe (2): The reading of alpha. The beta reading is uncertain, since LCrWGO have þo against þe in MHmC. The latter has some support from A mss. (see previous note); Cx is revised.↩

Bx.8.66: louely: Lost in alpha, but supported by AC and necessary for the alliteration.↩

Bx.8.70: me þouȝte: R drops me, anticipating the identification as Thought. F replaces the phrase with he was. Beta is supported by AC.↩

Bx.8.72: WHmC and alpha have a paraph to mark Will's question. Cf. ll. 59, 73.↩

Bx.8.72: þo: Omitted only by R, though Cx and many A mss. also omit, so it is perhaps added by beta and F.↩

Bx.8.73: W and alpha have a paraph to mark Thought's answer.↩

Bx.8.74: what þow art: F's who art þou is the AC reading.↩

Bx.8.74: The punctus elevatus after art in LMOR and F (rather than his usual virgule) must be archetypal, perhaps to indicate the question. LMO also have a punctus following þought. On Hoccleve's use of the punctus elevatus to mark this sort of question, see Burrow (2002), 184-5.↩

Bx.8.76: wisse: F's telle is the reading of Ax.↩

Bx.8.77: þat (2): The beta reading, where alpha has hym. AC have neither pronoun. We follow copy-text.↩

Bx.8.78: quod he: F's placement of this after Dowel is that of Ax.↩

Bx.8.79: The line that follows in F only is from A (K.9.71).↩

Bx.8.81: þorugh (2): Clear support for Bx from LMWHmR. It is not in Ax. Cx rewrites.↩

Bx.8.83: dedeignous: CF have the aphetic form deygnous, and R subpuncts initial de-. The best X family mss. of C have dedeynus, but the P family and Ax have deynous.↩

Bx.8.87: to-broken: WCO have to-broke which improves the metre of the b-verse. There is the same variation in C mss. HmGF have broke(n), as do A mss.↩

Bx.8.89: And: Beta's And þus is not supported by AC.↩

Bx.8.90: in-to: The reading of LM and alpha, with support from some A mss. and the best C mss. of both families.↩

Bx.8.91: precheth: Beta4 and R have the past tense, but AC support the present.↩

Bx.8.92: insipientes: Several C mss. share with alpha the spelling incipientes (as if from incipio).↩

Bx.8.92: sitis ipsi: Reversed in alpha. Ax quotes only the first two words of the verse; many C mss. omit the second clause.↩

Bx.8.95: croce: "crosier", the reading of MO and alpha (OFr croce), to be distinguished from cross (OE and ON from Irish) in other mss. The description is clearly that of a crosier rather than a cross. In Bx.15.598, however, the bishop's crosse is presumably a pectoral cross, unless a pun is intended on crosse in 15.608.↩

Bx.8.97: pulte: The reading in LOR (MED pilten), the source of putte or pul in other mss. There is the same variation in C mss. (RK.10.95).↩

Bx.8.99: R has a paraph (F drops the line).↩

Bx.8.100: to reule hem bothe: The b-verse (beta only) is defective in alliteration and metre, and is presumably corrupted from K.9.98-9, Corounid on to be kyng & be here counseil werche / And rewele þe reaum. Bx has reversed the positions of the parallel lines 100 and 105 (= K98 and 91). The reversal is retained in Cx, which however repairs the alliteration by completing this line to kull withoute synne (RK.10.101).↩

Bx.8.100-05: Alpha as represented by R is here deficient, omitting through eyeskip from kynge to kynge five lines present in beta, so omitting 100b-105a. The lines in beta are a revised version of Ax, K.9.91-8, omitting 9.93 and 95, and replacing 9.98 with 91. F repairs the gap from his A text, thus: F.6.96 And þus dowel . & dobet . & dobest þe thrydde. (K.9.97)
F.6.97 Haue crowne oon to be kyng / & be here conseyl wirche (K.9.98)
F.6.98 & to rewle al þe rewhme / be reed of hem alle. (K.9.99)
F.6.99 & be non oþir-wyse / but as þey þre wille assente. (K.9.100)
F.6.100 For if þat dowel or dobet / dyden a-geyn dobest. (K.9.92)
F.6.101 & weryn vn-buxum to don his byddyngge / & bown to do Ille. (K.9.93)
F.6.102 Þanne sholde þe kyng come / & comawnde hem to presoun. (K.9.94)
F.6.103 & pitte hem þere in penawnce / with-oute pite or grace. (K.9.95)
The lines are rewritten in Cx. ↩

Bx.8.102: yrens: Ax has presoun, which is also F's reading. See note to ll. 100-05.↩

Bx.8.106: bi her thre wittes: F again follows Ax (K.9.99). Cx follows Bx, despite the defective alliteration.↩

Bx.8.109: ȝete: Lost in R, but supported by AC.↩

Bx.8.109: I coueite to lerne: Bx has evidently conflated two lines in A, which F restores (K.9.102-3).↩

Bx.8.115: were ywar: R 's order war were may be right, since it is that of Ax as well as the X family of C. Beta and F are in line with the P family. We follow copy-text.↩

Bx.8.121: And: Also the reading of Cx. F's To follows Ax.↩

Bx.8.121: somme: Supported by AC against R's his.↩

Bx.8.124: Where: R interprets this as Whether, which, in this case, it is not.↩

Bx.8.124: dowel: F's dowel & may be from Ax, but it is also the Cx reading.↩

Bx.8.124: ben: Lost in alpha, with F recasting to make sense. It is added above the line in M, suggesting the possibility that the omission was a Bx error, with beta scribes making the obvious correction.↩

Bx.8.125: is: R (= alpha?) loses this, and F rewrites.↩

Bx.8.126: no man: L's man is obviously an error, though it may represent confusion in beta or Bx, with other scribes repairing. Alpha and C have no man; most beta mss. have womman. The line is not in AC.↩

Bx.8.126: fayne: Dropped in Hm and beta4, and erased in M.↩