Bx.P – PPEA

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Incipit liber de Petro Plowman

In a somer seson · whan soft was the sonne

I shope me in[to]T shroudes · as i a shepe were

In habite as an heremite · vnholy of workes

Went wyde in þis world [·] wondres to here

Ac on a May mornyng · on Maluerne hulles

Me byfel a ferly · of fairy me thouȝte

I was wery forwandred · and went me to reste

Vnder a brode banke · bi a bornes side

And as I lay and lened · and loked [o]nT þe wateres

I slombred in aT slepyng · it sweyuedT so merye

[¶]T Thanne gan I to meten · a merueilouse sweuene

That I was in a wildernesse · wist I neuer where

As I bihelde in-to þe est · an hiegh to þe sonne

I seigh a toure on a toft · trielichT ymaked

A depe dale binethe · a dongeon þere-Inne

With depe dyches & derke · and dredful of sight

A faire felde ful of folke · fonde I there bytwene

Of alle maner of men · þe mene and þe riche

Worchyng and wandryng · as þeT worlde asketh

Some put hem to þeT plow · pleyed ful selde

In settyng and inT sowyng · swonken ful harde

And wonnen that [þese]T wastours · with glotonye destruyeth

[¶] And some putten hem to pruyde · apparailed hem þere-after

In contenaunce of clothyng [·] comen disgised

[¶] In prayers and inT penanceT · putten hem manye

Al for loueT of owre lorde · lyueden ful streyte

In hope forto haueT · heueneriche blisse

As ancres and heremites · that holden hem in here selles

And coueiten nought in contre [·] to kairenT aboute

For no likerous liflode · her lykam to plese

[¶] And somme chosen chaffare · they cheuenT the bettere

As it semeth to owre syȝt · that suche men thryueth

And somme murthes to make · as mynstralles conneth

And geten gold with here glee · synneles I leue

AcT iapers & iangelers · Iudas chylderen

Feynen hem fantasies · and foles hem maketh

And han here witte at wille · to worche ȝif þei sholde

That Poule precheth of hem · I nel nought preue it here

Qui turpiloquium loquitur · &cT

[¶] Bidders and beggeres · fast aboute ȝede

With her bely and her baggeT · of bred fulT ycrammed

Fayteden for here fode · fouȝten atte ale

In glotonye god itT wote · gon hij to bedde

And risenT with ribaudye · tho roberdes knaues

Slepe and sori sleuthe · seweth hem eure

¶ Pilgrymes and palmers · pliȝte[n]T hem togidere

To seke seynt Iames · and seyntes in rome

Thei went forth in here wey · with many wise tales

And hadden leue toT lye · al here lyf after

T I seigh somme that seiden · þei had ysouȝt seyntes

To eche a tale þat þei tolde · here tonge was tempred to lye

More þan to sey soth · it semed bi here speche

¶ Heremites on an heep · with hoked staues

Wenten to walsyngham · and here wenches after

Grete lobyes and longe · that loth were to swynke

Clotheden hem in copis · to ben knowen fram othere

And shopen hem heremites · here ese to haue

¶ I fonde þere Freris [·] alle þe foure ordres

PrechedT þe peple · for profit of hem-seluen

Glosed þe gospel · as hem good lyked

For coueitise of copis · construed it as þei wolde

Many of þis maistresT [·] mowe clothen hem at lykyng

For here money andT marchandise · marchen togideres

For sith charite haþ be chapman · and chief to shryue lordes

Many ferlis han fallen · in a fewe ȝeris

But holychirche and hijT · holde better togideres

The moste my[s]chiefT on molde · is mountyngT faste

¶ Þere preched a Pardonere · as he a prest were

Brouȝte forth a bulle · with bishopes seles

And seide þat hym-self myȝte · assoilen hem alle

Of falshed ofT fastyng · of vowesT ybroken

¶ Lewed men leued hym wel · and lyked his wordes

Comen vp knelyng · to kissen his bulles

He bonched hem with his breuet · & blered here eyes

And rauȝte with his ragman · rynges and brochesT

Thus þey geuen here golde · glotones to kepe

And leneth [it]T such loseles · þat lecherye haunten

Were þe bischop yblissed · and worth bothe his eres

His seel shulde nouȝt be sent · to deceyue þe peple

Ac it is nauȝt by þe bischop · þat þe boy prechethT

For the parisch prest and þe pardonere · parten þe siluer

That þe porailleT of þe parisch · sholde haue ȝif þei nere

¶ Persones and parisch prestes · pleyned hem to þe bischop

Þat here parisshes were pore · sith þe pestilence tyme

To haue a lycence and leueT · at London to dwelle

And syngen þere for symonye · for siluer is swete

¶ Bischopes and bachelers · bothe maistres and doctours

Þat han cure vnder criste · and crounyng in tokne

And signe þat þei sholden · shryuen here paroschienes

Prechen and prey for hem · and þe pore fede

Liggen inT London · in lenten anT elles

Somme seruen þe kyng · and his siluer tellen

In cheker and in chancerye · chalengen his dettes

Of wardes andT wardmotes · weyues and streyuesT

¶ And some seruen as seruantz · lordes and ladyes

And in stede of stuwardes · sytten and demen

Here messe and here matynes · and many of here oures

Arn don vndeuoutlych · drede is at þe lasteT

Lest crist in constorie · acorse ful manye

I parceyued of þe power · þat Peter had to kepe

To bynde and to vnbynde · as þe boke telleth

How he it leftT wiþ loue · as owre lorde hight

Amonges foure vertues · þe best of alle vertuesT

Þat cardinales ben called · & closyngT ȝatis

Þere crist is inT kyngdome · to close and to shutte

And to opne it to hem · and heuene blisse shewe

Ac of þe cardinales atteT Courte · þat cauȝt of þat name

And power presumedT in hem · a Pope to make

To han þ[e]T power þat peter hadde · inpugnen I nelle

For in loue andT letterure · þe eleccioun bilongeth

For-þi I can and can nauȝte · of courte speke more

¶ Þanne come þere a kyng · knyȝthod hym ladde

Miȝt of þe comunes · made hym to regne

And þanne cam kynde wytte · and clerkes he made

For to conseille þe kyng · and þe comune saue

¶ The kyng and knyȝthode · and clergye bothe

Casten þat þe comune [·] shulde hem-self fynde

¶ Þe comune contreued · of kynde witte craftes

And for profit of alleT þe poeple · plowmen ordeygned

To tilie and [to] trauaileT · as trewe lyf askeþ

Þe kynge and þe comune · and kynde witte þe thridde

Shope lawe & lewte · eche [lyf]T to knowe his owne

¶ Þanne loked vp a lunatik · a lene þing with-alle

And knelyng to þe kyng · clergealy he seyde

T Crist kepe þe sire kyng · and þi kyngriche

And lene þe lede þi londe · so leute þe louye

And for þi riȝtful rewlyng · be rewarded in heuene

¶ And sithen in þe eyre an hiegh · an angel of heuene

Lowed to speke in latyn · for lewed men ne coude

Iangle ne iugge · þat iustifie hem shulde

But suffren & seruen · for-thi seyde þe angel

Sum Rex sum Princeps · neutrum fortasse deinceps

O qui iura regis · cristi specialia regis

Hoc quod agas melius · iustus es esto pius

Nudum iusT a te · vestiriT vult pietate

Qualia vis metere · talia grana sere

Si iusT nudatur · nudo de iure metatur ·

Si seritur pietas · de pietate metas ·

¶ Thanne greued hym a Goliardeys · a glotoun of wordes

And to þe angel an heiȝ · answeresT after

Dum rex a regere · dicatur nomen habere

Nomen habet sine re · nisi studet iura tenere ·

¶ AndT þanne gan alle þe comune · crye in [a]T vers of latin

T To þe kynges conseille · construe ho-so wolde

Precepta Regis · sunt nobis vincula legis ·

¶ Wiþ þat ran þere a route [·] of ratones at ones

And smale mys withT hem [·] mo þen a þousande

And comen to a conseille · for hereT comune profit

For a cat of a courteT · cam whan hym lyked

And ouerlepe hem lyȝtlich · and lauȝte hem at hisT wille

And pleyde wiþ hem perilouslych · and possed [hem]T aboute

For doute of dyuerse dredes · we dar nouȝte wel loke

And ȝif we grucche ofT his gamen · he wil greue vs alle

Cracche vs or clowe vs · and in his cloches holde

That vs lotheth þe lyf · or he lete vs passe

Myȝte we wiþ any witte · his wille withstonde

We myȝte be lordes aloft · and lyuen at owre ese

¶T A raton of renon [·] most renable of tonge

T Seide for a souereygne · help to hym-selueT

I haue ysein segges quod he · in þe cite of london

Beren biȝes ful briȝte · abouten here nekkes

And some colers of crafty werk [·] vncoupled þei wenden

Boþe in wareine & in waste · where hem leue lykethT

And otherwhile þei aren elles-where · as I here telle

Were þere a belle on here beiȝ · bi Ihesu as me thynketh

Men myȝte wite where þei went · and awei renne

And riȝt so quod þat ratoun · reson me sheweth

To bugge a belle of brasse · or of briȝte syluer

And knitten [it]T on a colere · for owre comune profit

T And hangen it vp-on þe cattes hals · þanne here we mowen

T Where he ritt or rest · or rennethT to playe

And ȝif him list for to laike · þenne loke we mowen

And peren in his presence · þer-while hym plaie liketh

And ȝif him wrattheth be ywar · and his weye shonye

¶ Alle þisT route of ratones · to þis reson þei assented

Ac þo þe belle was ybouȝtT · and on þe beiȝe hanged

Þere ne was ratoun in alle þe route · for alle þe rewme of Fraunce

Þat dorst haue ybounden þe belle · aboute þe cattis nekke

Ne hangen [it]T aboute [his]T hals · al Engelonde to wynne

And helden hem vnhardy · and here conseille feble

And leten here laboure lost · & alle here longe studye

¶ A mous þat moche good · couthe as me thouȝte

Stroke forth sternly · and stode biforn hem alle

And to þe route of ratones · reherced þese wordes

Thouȝ we [had] culledT þe catte · ȝut sholde þer come an-other

To cracchyT vs and al owre kynde · þouȝ we croupeT vnder benches

For-þi I conseille alle þe comune · to lat þe catte worthe

And be we neuer so bolde · þe belle hym to shewe

For I herde my sire seyn · is seuene ȝere ypassed

Þere þe catte is a kitoun · þe courte is ful elyng

Þat witnisseth holiwrite · who-so wil it rede

Ve terre vbi puer [est rex]T &c

For may no renke þere rest haue · for ratones bi nyȝte

Þe while he caccheþ conynges · he coueiteth nouȝt owre caroyne

But fet hym al with venesoun · defame we hym neuere

For better is a litel losse · þan a longe sorwe

Þe mase amonge vs alle · þouȝ we mysse a schrewe

For many mannusT malt · we mys wolde destruye

And also ȝeT route of ratones · rende mennes clothes

Nere þ[e] cat of þ[e]T courte · þat can ȝow ouerlepe

For had ȝe rat[ones]T ȝowre wille · ȝe couthe nouȝt reule ȝowre-selue

I sey [it]T for me quod þe mous · I se so mykel after

Shal neuer þe cat ne þe kitoun · bi my conseille be greued

Ne carpyng of þis coler · þat costed me neure

And þouȝ it costeT me catel · biknowen it I nolde

But suffre as hym-self wolde · to do asT hym liketh

Coupled & vncoupled · to cacche what thei mowe

For-þiT vche a wise wiȝte I warne · wite wel his owne

¶ What þis meteles bemeneth · ȝe men þat be merye

Deuine ȝe for I ne dar · bi dere god in heuene

¶ Ȝit houed þere an hondreth · in houues of selke

Seriauntz it semed · þat serueden atte barre

Plededen for penyes · and poundes þe lawe

And nouȝt for loue of owre lorde · vnleseT here lippes onis

Þow myȝtest better mete mysteT · on maluerne hulles

Þan gete a momme of here mouthe · [er]T monoy [be]T shewed

¶ Barones an burgeis · and bonde-men als

I seiȝ in þis assemble · as ȝe shul here after

Baxsteres & brewesteres · and bocheres manye

Wollewebsteres · and weueres of lynnen

Taillours and tynkeres · & tolleres in marketes

Masons and mynours · and many other craftes

Of alkinT libbyng laboreres · lopen forth somme

As dykers & delueres · þat doth here dedes ille

And dryuen forth þe dereT day · with dieu vousT saue dame Emme ·

[¶]T Cokes and here knaues · crieden hote pies hote

Gode gris aT geesT · go we dyne go we

¶ Tauerners vn-til hem · tolde þe same

White wyn of Oseye · and wynT of Gascoigne

Of þe Ryne and ofT þe Rochel · þe roste to defye

T Al þis seiȝ I slepyng · and seuene sythes more

Bx.P.2: into: In the absence of R in Bx.P.1-124 and 1.142-2.41, we are obliged to rely on F for alpha readings. This is problematic, partly because of F's eccentricity, and more importantly because its text is evidently contaminated from A. (See Introduction III.10.) We have therefore been very cautious in adopting readings from F, but have accepted F in agreement with A when it offers a superior text, and also taken the agreement of F with AC against beta as evidence in favour of the F reading. In this line, although L has in, the agreement of CrWHm (and M revised) with F insecurely establishes into, which is confirmed by Ax (into a shroud) and Cx.↩

Bx.P.9: on: As with into in l. 2, the reading of MCrWHm and F is supported by Ax. LCO have in, G vpon. Cx rewrites.↩

Bx.P.10: in a: The reading of LMCO is challenged by CrWHmG in-to a and F into. A mss. read variously on a, in a, a, into a, into. There is no equivalent in Cx.↩

Bx.P.10: sweyued: This is probably the beta reading, supported by LCO, and probably original M, where swei... (three or four letters erased) has been altered to sweyed, in line with beta2 and GF. See MED sweiven, "whirl, sweep", a rare verb cited elsewhere only from Patience and Cleanness. But the noun sweuene in the next line might have given rise to the reading. The variant sweyed is MED sweien v.(1), "sound", or the commoner v.(2), "move along (of water)." There is the same variation in Ax.↩

Bx.P.11-40: ¶: L has no paraphs on fol. 1r because of the decoration running down the left margin, but it has blank spaces before ll. 11, 23, 25, 31 and 40.↩

Bx.P.14: trielich: So LWG and original M. A scribes also have trouble with the adverb (from adj. trie), and Cx rewrites.↩

Bx.P.19: þe: So beta, supported by the P family of C, but F's this is supported by the X family.↩

Bx.P.20: þe: Dropped in GF. There is the same variation between to þe and to in AC.↩

Bx.P.21: in (2): So LHmCG; dropped in others. There is the same variation in AC.↩

Bx.P.22: þese: F has support from AC. All other manuscripts omit it.↩

Bx.P.25: in (2): Agreement of LMCOF is good support for Bx, but it is not in Ax or Cx.↩

Bx.P.25: penance: The plural of WHmF is probably prompted by prayers; C mss. are similarly split, but Ax has sg. For variation with and without <-s>, see note to Bx.14.211.↩

Bx.P.26: loue: Beta2 (CrWHm) and GF have the loue. AC mss. are split.↩

Bx.P.27: forto haue: Beta2 (CrWHm) and G read to haue after. This is also the reading of two A mss. Cx is revised.↩

Bx.P.29: kairen: So LMGOF, supported by Ax and Cx; CrWHm regularly alter to carien; e.g. Bx.4.23, 5.310.↩

Bx.P.31: cheuen: In all three versions the present tense varies with the past. LMGOF support the present for Bx.↩

Bx.P.35: Ac: So LWHm, with GF's regular substitution of But. MCrCO have As. A mss. split between Ac and But. Cx has no equivalent line.↩

Bx.P.39: &c: The absence of the b-verse in L, original M, Cr1C (F misses the line) suggests that the English completion was added to the Latin phrase from other versions. WHmG is luciferes hyne is Ax; O's is lucifers knaue (which is added in Cr23) is Cx. A later hand has added est seruus diaboli in M.↩

Bx.P.41: bely ... bagge: The distributive sg. as in LM is supported by Cx; A mss. vary. F misses the line.↩

Bx.P.41: of bred ful: Presumably an error in beta or Bx for AC bretful.↩

Bx.P.43: it: Supported by LMHmCO though omitted by CrWG and Ax (Cx rewrites). F's reversed a-verse also omits it. For a parallel, see Bx.4.81.↩

Bx.P.44: risen: Cx has ryseþ. F's rysen vp is Ax.↩

Bx.P.46: pliȝten: The form could represent the past tense or the present. LMO with pliȝted take it as past, in line with the verbs in ll. 48-61, but the form receives no support from Ax or Cx.↩

Bx.P.49: to: MGOF's for to has limited support from A mss. and none from Cx.↩

Bx.P.50-54: These five lines are omitted in F by eyeskip from after to after.↩

Bx.P.59: Preched: AC have the pres. part., as W, and Hm by correction. Schmidt (1995), 363 explains the source of what is presumably an error in Bx as "the unexpectedness of a participle in a sequence of preterites".↩

Bx.P.62: maistres: The reading also of Ax, meaning "learned professional theologian" (Kane, 2005), cf. Bx.13.25. The retention of the pl. form maistres in L suggests that Freris was an interlinear gloss in beta, but not present in alpha. Cx's explanatory revision "Mony of þise maistres of mendenant freres" (RK.P.60) might imply that the gloss was in his exemplar.↩

Bx.P.63: and: Beta2 (CrWHm) has and her. AC show the same variation.↩

Bx.P.66: hij: The form in L, original M, and WC is necessary for alliteration. See Introduction IV.1.↩

Bx.P.67: myschief: In L the line is marked for correction.↩

Bx.P.67: mountyng: F has mountynge. The beta reading is mountyng wel, though GO share the reading vp with AC. We suppose, with Schmidt (1995), 364, that Bx dropped vp, and beta supplied the adverb for the metre. F's final -e compensates for the omission of the adverb, avoiding the x / x / x b-verse rhythm, but there is no reason to suppose it represents Bx. See note to l. 104.↩

Bx.P.71: of (2): LMWHmCO in agreement with Cx; CrGF have and or and of. A mss. vary in the same way.↩

Bx.P.71: vowes: LMCrCO in agreement with Cx; others have auowes. A mss. vary in the same way.↩

Bx.P.75: F follows this with two lines not supported by AC.↩

Bx.P.77: it: Supported by AC as well as by sense. Omitted by LC and original M, presumably taking the verb as leueth, "believe": see F's be-leven on.↩

Bx.P.80: F follows this with a line not supported by AC.↩

Bx.P.82: poraille: Not elsewhere in the poem. O expands to pore porayle to explain the word; M perhaps originally read pore peple, which is the reading of Ax and Cx. F's pore men seems a typical avoidance of a difficult word, as is Cr's pouerty. However, the reading of Bx lacks alliteration in the b-verse.↩

Bx.P.85: leue: LC have a leue, induced by a lycence. A few AC mss. have the same error.↩

Bx.P.91: in (1): Supported by Cx. Beta2 and G have at, perhaps influenced by the same phrase six lines above. Lines 87-210 are not in A.↩

Bx.P.91: an: "and". See Introduction V.3.1. The form has been corrected in L in the line above.↩

Bx.P.94: and (1): LMCrCG, and so likely to be beta. WF have and of, which is probably the Cx reading. HmO have of.↩

Bx.P.94: F's additional line is from A (KProl.95).↩

Bx.P.98: An entirely different line referring to Sarum Use replaces this and the next line in F.↩

Bx.P.102: it left: This word-order is supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.103: þe best of alle vertues: Beta alliterates aa/xa with /f/ + /v/ alliteration. F's reading, most vertuous of hevene, might represent alpha. See KD, p. 180, for discussion. It could be that the Cx b-verse, most vertuous of vertues (RK.P.131), was also Bx, with alpha and beta taking different action to avoid the repetition.↩

Bx.P.104: closyng: We have retained L's spelling, though final -e as in MWHm would improve the metre; see Duggan (1988), 143 and n. 58, and for the disyllabic ending in Hoccleve, see Burrow (1999), liii. F characteristically rewrites to avoid the short b-verse. Among C mss., X has and closyng ȝates thare, P has and closynde yates.↩

Bx.P.105: in: WHmF have in his, not supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.107: atte: "at the", as usual in L. The reading of LMHmCF establishes this as Bx, even though at in CrWGO is the Cx reading.↩

Bx.P.108: presumed: Beta has pa.t. (or ppl.) following from cauȝt in l. 107. F's present tense appears to have support from Cx, but in Cx this follows from cauȝt han.↩

Bx.P.109: þe: Beta has þat, but F is supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.110: and: WF have and in, not supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.119: of alle: LCrWCO, and probably beta, but MHmGF drop alle. There is no help from the revised line in Cx. We retain copy-text.↩

Bx.P.120: to trauaile: All mss. have this second to except LCO. For the same pattern with initial "to", cf. Bx.2.83-4, 5.134, etc. This passage is dropped in C.↩

Bx.P.122: lyf: So F. Although the reading could derive from two lines above, it is probable that non-alliterating man is a substitution in beta.↩

Bx.P.125: R begins with this line.↩

Bx.P.135: ius: Alpha picks up vis (in the sense "force") from the line below (where it means "you wish", from volo), and it is an easy minim error. Beta is supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.135: vestiri: Alpha has vestire, but beta is supported by most C mss.↩

Bx.P.137: ius: Alpha again has vis. See note to l. 135.↩

Bx.P.140: answeres: All mss. except LR have the past tense following greued, though both MHm probably shared the present before correction. Lines 139-45 are not paralleled in Cx.↩

Bx.P.143: And: LRC only; others omit. Although this is strong evidence for Bx, it could of course be coincidental error.↩

Bx.P.143: a: "one". R probably represents alpha, obscured by F's rewriting. Beta's omission loses the sense, "one line", referring to Bx.P.145.↩

Bx.P.144: The line is omitted by alpha. The passage differs in Cx.↩

Bx.P.147: with: W has mid, an interesting case of scribal improvement to the alliteration. Cx also has with. Cf. Bx.1.117 and note.↩

Bx.P.148: here: LMCOR supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.149: courte: The reading of LCO and alpha is obviously right and supported by Cx. Beta2 (CrWHm), joined by G, read contree, either a simple misreading or avoidance of a politically sensitive reference. M's contre is a correction, but apparently just a respelling.↩

Bx.P.150: his: omitted in F and also Cx.↩

Bx.P.151: hem (2): Supported by alpha (though F switches to first-person pronoun in both instances in the line), as well as by MCO. Cx includes hem in a revised b-verse.↩

Bx.P.153: grucche of: "complain about". Alpha drops of, but beta is supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.158: ¶: The paraph is in beta and F. The line is at the top of the page in R.↩

Bx.P.159: L has an otiose paraph. The line is at the top of the page.↩

Bx.P.159: hym-selue: Skeat (1886) translates: "`Said for a sovereign remedy for himself'; i.e. as far as himself was concerned". Alpha's hem alle is suspiciously easier, and credits the rat with a community spirit which he probably does not deserve. The line is not in Cx.↩

Bx.P.163: leue lyketh: So LCOR. F altersleue to the superlative, best; beta2 and G corrupt to the common phrase. CrWG switch to the past tense both here and in the previous line; the M corrector alters both verbs from present to past. ↩

Bx.P.169: it: LCGO omit, and M adds. Probably lost by beta and supplied by individual scribes. Cx also reads hit.↩

Bx.P.170: The line is lost in beta2 (CrWHm) and G.↩

Bx.P.171-72: Alpha omits two lines as a result of eyeskip.↩

Bx.P.171: renneth: Y has the C reading rometh, by contamination or coincidence.↩

Bx.P.175: þis (1): Beta is supported by the X family of C, alpha's þe by the P family.↩

Bx.P.176: ybouȝt: Beta2 and G read (y)brouȝt. The P family of C have the former, most of the X family the latter.↩

Bx.P.179: it: Omitted by LG and added in M, but supported by Cx. As in l. 169 it was probably lost by beta and supplied by individual scribes.↩

Bx.P.179: his: Beta has þe cattes, but the alpha reading is supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.185: had culled: Beta2 (CrWHm) and G have the present tense, other beta mss. the past, and alpha the pluperfect, as does Cx.↩

Bx.P.186: cracchy: As in Cx. M alters to cacche, the reading of beta2, G and F.↩

Bx.P.186: croupe: The various spellings of the verb may all be understood as past tense, "crept".↩

Bx.P.192: est rex: The order in HmOR and Cx; reversed in others. Scribes tend to copy quotations in the form with which they are familiar.↩

Bx.P.198: mannus: The gen. sg. of LMCR is supported by Cx against the plural of others.↩

Bx.P.199: ȝe: LMW + alpha; among C mss. the P family has ȝe and the X family þe.↩

Bx.P.200: þe ... þe: So HmGF and Cx; MCrW have þe ... þat, reversed in R; LO have þat ... þat. No certainty is possible.↩

Bx.P.201: ratones: The form in alpha and G, supported by Cx against rattes in others.↩

Bx.P.202: sey it: R is supported by Cx. F has sey þis, and beta drops it.↩

Bx.P.205: coste: Beta's had coste is not supported by Cx.↩

Bx.P.206: do as: F's slen what shows his propensity to correct alliteration. The line is rewritten in Cx. See Schmidt (1995), 364-5.↩

Bx.P.208: For-þi: The beta reading. R has For, F has &. The line is not in AC.↩

Bx.P.214: vnlese: LR, so good evidence for Bx. Formally a different verb from vnlose (MED vnlesen v.(2) and unlosen). A mss. also vary, but Cx (RK.P.164) has the latter. At Bx.17.142 the reading is vnlosen.↩

Bx.P.215: myste: So alpha + WG and the X family of C. Other mss. supply þe, as the scribe of O does. A mss. are split.↩

Bx.P.216: er: LMCO support for but suggests this is the reading of beta, though comparison of AC versions suggests that the choice lies between alpha er and til in beta2 and G. The X family of C has the former, but most A mss. read til, as does the P family of C. We suppose til arises by contamination or coincidence.↩

Bx.P.216: be: So beta2, GOF (R has hem by), against were in LMC. Ax seems to have be (K.P.89); the P family of C also have be, though the X family probably read wer (RK.P.166).↩

Bx.P.223: alkin: The beta reading has force in a list of labourers, but it is challenged by alpha's alle, shared by Z (Bodley 851). AC versions do not have the line.↩

Bx.P.225: dere: The choice is not obvious. The fact that L has dere and that M's longe is a correction (apparently of a shorter word) suggests the possibility that beta1 derives longe by contamination with A or by coincidental error. Alpha is uncertain: F's fayre day has no support, but R's here dayes here is supported by Cx her days. See Donaldson (1955), 197. We retain copy-text by default.↩

Bx.P.225: vous: So Bx, though omitted by CrWG, Ax and the P family of C.↩

Bx.P.226: Alpha and W here start a paragraph (the line is at the top of the page in M).↩

Bx.P.227: a: "and", as also at Bx.7.104, 8.53, 13.88 etc. See MED a conj.↩

Bx.P.227: gris ... gees: this order has the support of LMC + alpha, but is challenged by AC.↩

Bx.P.229: wyn (2): Beta reads red wyn, making explicit the contrast with White wyn in the a-verse. Alpha omits the adjective (R's b-verse, though defective, is also that of the P family of C), as do the AC versions.↩

Bx.P.230: of (2): Beta is supported by AC.↩

Bx.P.231: The line is omitted in WF. It is in AC.↩