L.1 – PPEA

L.1.4KD.1.4 L.1.8KD.1.8 L.1.12KD.1.12 L.1.16KD.1.16 L.1.20KD.1.20 L.1.24KD.1.24 L.1.28KD.1.28 L.1.32KD.1.31α L.1.36KD.1.34 L.1.40KD.1.39 L.1.44KD.1.43 L.1.48KD.1.47 L.1.52KD.1.51 L.1.56KD.1.55 L.1.60KD.1.59 L.1.64KD.1.63 L.1.68KD.1.67 L.1.72KD.1.71 L.1.76KD.1.75 L.1.80KD.1.79 L.1.84KD.1.83 L.1.88KD.1.87 L.1.92KD.1.91 L.1.96KD.1.95 L.1.100KD.1.101 L.1.104KD.1.99 L.1.108KD.1.107 L.1.112KD.1.111 L.1.116KD.1.116 L.1.120KD.1.120 L.1.124KD.1.124 L.1.128KD.1.128 L.1.132KD.1.132 L.1.136KD.1.136 L.1.140KD.1.140 L.1.144KD.1.143 L.1.148KD.1.147 L.1.152KD.1.151 L.1.156KD.1.155 L.1.160KD.1.159 L.1.164KD.1.163 L.1.168KD.1.167 L.1.172KD.1.171 L.1.176KD.1.175 L.1.180KD.1.178α L.1.184KD.1.182 L.1.188KD.1.186 L.1.192KD.1.189 L.1.196KD.1.193 L.1.200KD.1.197 L.1.204KD.1.201 L.1.208KD.1.205 L.1.212KD.1.209

fol. 3v (cont.)

{...?...?...}Passus primus de visioneC

hatC this montaigne bymeneth · and þe merke dale

And þe felde ful of folke · I shal ȝow faire schewe

A loueli ladi of lere · in lynnen yclothed

Come down fram a castel · andT called me faire

And seide sone slepestow · sestow þis poeple

How bisi þei ben · abouten þe mase

Þe moste partie of þis poeple · þat passeth on þis erthe

Haue þei worschip in þis worlde · þei wilne no better

fol. 4r

Of other heuene þan here · holde þei no tale

¶ I was aferd of her face · þeiȝ she faire were

And seide mercy Madame · what is þis to mene

Þe toure vp þe toft quod she · treuthe is þere-Inne

And wolde þat ȝe wrouȝte · as his worde techeth

For he is fader of feith · fourmed ȝow alle

Bothe with fel and with face · and ȝaf ȝow fyue wittis

Forto worschip hym þer-with · þe while þat ȝe ben here

And þerfore he hyȝte þe erthe · to help ȝow vchone

Of wollen of lynnen · of lyflode at nede

In mesurable manere · to make ȝow at ese

¶ And comaunded of his curteisye in comune þree þinges

Arne none nedful but þo · and nempne hem I thinke

And rekne hem bi resoun · reherce þow hem after

That one is vesture · from chele þe to saue

And mete atteT mele · for myseise of þi-selue

And drynke whan þow dryest · ac do nouȝt out of resoun

That þow worth þe werse · whan þow worche shuldest

¶ For loth in his lifdayes · for likyng of drynke

Dede bi his douȝtres · þat þe deuel lyked

Delited hym in drynke · as þe deuel wolde

And lecherye hym lauȝt · and lay bi hem boþe

And al he witt it wyn · þat wikked dede

Inebriamus eum vino · dormiamus-que cum eo

Vt seruare possimus de patre nostro semen ·

Thorw wyn and þorw · women · þere was loth acombredC

And þere gat in glotonye · gerlis þat were cherlis

For-þi drede delitable drynke · and þow shalt do þe bettere

Mesure is medcyne · þouȝ þow moche ȝerneC

It is nauȝt al gode to þe goste · þat þe gutte axeþ

Ne liflode to þi likam · for a lyer him techethT

That is þe wrecched worlde · wolde þe bitraye

For þe fende and þi flesch · folweth þe to-gidere

This and þat seest þi soule · and seith it in þin herte

And for þow sholdest ben ywar · I wisse þe þe beste

¶ Madame mercy quod I · me liketh wel ȝowre wordes

Ac þe moneye of þis molde · þat men so faste holdeth

Telle me to whom Madame · þat tresore appendeth

¶ Go to þe gospel quod she · þat god seide hym-seluen

Tho þe poeple hym apposed · wiþ a peny in þe temple

fol. 4v

Whether þei shulde þer-with · worschip þe kyng Sesar

And god axed of hem · of whome spake þe lettre

And þe ymage ilyke þat þere-inne stondeth

Cesaris þei seide we sen hym wel vchone

¶ Reddite cesari quod god · þat ces{.}ari bifalleth

Et que sunt dei deo · or elles ȝe done ille

For riȝtful reson · shulde rewle ȝow alle

And kynde witte be wardeyne · ȝowre welthe to kepe

And tutour of ȝoure tresore · and take it ȝow at nede

For housbonderye & hij · holden togideres

Þanne I frained hir faire · for hym þat hir made

That dongeoun in þe dale þat dredful is of siȝte

What may it be to mene · ma-dame I ȝow biseche

C¶ Þat is þe castel of care · who-so cometh þerinne

May banne þat he borne was · to body or to soule

Þerinne wonieth a wiȝte · þat wronge is yhote

Fader of falshed · and founded it hym-selue

Adam and Eue · he egged to ille

Conseilled caym · to kullen his brother

Iudas he iaped · with iuwen siluerC

And sithen on an eller honged hym after

He is letter of loue · and lyeth hem alle

That trusten on his tresor · bitrayeth he sonnest

¶ Thanne had I wonder in my witt · what womman it were

Þat such wise wordes · of holywrit shewed

And asked hir on þe hieȝe name · ar heoT þennes ȝeode

What she were witterli · þat wissed me so faire

¶ Holicherche I am quod she · þow ouȝtest me to knowe

I vnderfonge þe firste · and þe feyth tauȝte

And brouȝtest me borwes · my biddyng to fulfille

And to loue me lelly · þe while þi lyf dureth

¶ Thanne I courbed on my knees · and cryed hir of grace

And preyed hir pitousely · prey for my synnes

And also kende / ken[n]eT me kyndeli · on criste to bileue

That I miȝte worchen his wille · þat wrouȝte me to man

Teche me to no tresore · but telle me þis ilke

How I may saue my soule · þat seynt art yholden

¶ Whan alle tresores aren tried quod she · trewthe is þe best

I do it on deus caritas · to deme þe soþe

fol. 5r

It is as derworth a drewery · as dere god hym-seluen

¶ Who-so is trewe of his tonge · & telleth none other

And doth þe werkis þer-with · and wilneth no man ille

He is a god bi þe gospel · agrounde and aloft

And ylike to owre lorde · bi seynte lukes wordes

Þe clerkes þat knoweþ þis · shulde kenne it aboute

For cristene and vncristne · clameþ it vchone

¶ Kynges & kniȝtes · shulde kepe it bi resoun

Riden and rappe down · in reumes aboute

And taken trangressores / tran[s]gressores · and tyen hem faste

Til treuthe had ytermyned · her trespas to þe ende

And þat is þe professioun appertly · þat appendeth forT knyȝtes

And nouȝt to fasten a fryday · in fyue score wynter

But holden wiþ him & with hir · þat wolden al treuthe

And neuer leue hem for loue · ne for lacchyng of syluer

¶ For dauid in his dayes · dubbed kniȝtes

And did hem swere on here swerde · to serue trewthe euere

And who-so passed þat poynte · was apostata in þe ordreC

¶ But criste kingene kynge · kniȝted ten

Cherubyn and seraphin · suche seuene and an othre

And ȝaf hem myȝte in his maieste · þe murger hem þouȝte

And ouer his mene meyne · made hem archangeles

Tauȝte hem bi þe Trinitee · treuthe to knowe

To be buxome at his biddyng · he bad hem nouȝte ellesC

¶ Lucifer wiþ legiounes · lerned it in heuene

But for he brake buxumnesse · his blisse gan he tyne

And fel fro þat felawship · in a fendes liknes

In-to a depe derke helle · to dwelle þere for eure

And mo þowsandes wiþ him · þan man couthe noumbre

Lopen out wiþ Lucifer · in lothelich forme

For þei leueden vpon hym · þat lyed in þis manere

Ponam pedem in aquilone · et similis ero altissimo ·

¶ And alle þat hoped it miȝte be so · none heuene miȝte hem holde

But fellen out in fendes liknesse · nyne dayes togideres

Til god of his goodnesse · gan stable and stynte

And garte þe heuene to stekye · and stonden in quiete

¶ Whan thise wikked went out · wonderwise þei fellen

Somme in eyre somme in erthe · & somme in helle depe

fol. 5v

Ac lucifer lowest lith of hem alle ·

For pryde þat he pultT out · his peyne hath none ende

And alle þat worche with wronge · wenden hij shulle

After her deth-day · and dwelle wiþ þat shrewe

Ac þo þat worche wel · as holiwritt telleth

And enden as I ere seide · in treuthe þat is þe bestP

Mowe be siker þat her soule · shal wende to heuene

Þer treuthe is in Trinitee · and troneth hem alle

For-þi I sey as I seide ere · bi siȝte of þise textis

Whan alle tresores arne ytried · treuthe is þe beste

Lereth it þis lewde men · for lettred men it knowen

Þat treuthe is tresore · þe triest on erþe

¶ Ȝet haue I no kynde knowing quod I · ȝet mote ȝe kenne me better

By what craft in my corps · it comseth and where

¶ Þow doted daffe quod she · dulle arne þi wittes

To litel latyn þow lernedest · lede in þi ȝouthe

Heu michi quia sterilem duxi vitam iuuenilem

¶ It is a kynde knowyng quod heT · þat kenneth in þine herteC

For to louye þi lorde · leuer þan þi-selue

No dedly synne to do · dey þouȝ þow sholdest

This I trowe be treuthe · who can teche þe better

¶ Loke þow suffre hym to sey · and sithen lere it after

For thus witnesseth his worde · worchethT þow þere-after

For trewthe telleþ þat loue · is triacle of heuene

May no synne be on him sene · þat vseth þat spise

And alle his werkes he wrouȝte · with loue as him liste

And lered it Moises for þe leuest þing and moste like to heuene

And also þe plente of pees · moste precious of vertues

¶ For heuene myȝte nouȝte holden it · it was so heuy of hym-self

Tyl it hadde of þe erthe · yetenT his fylle

¶ And whan it haued of þis folde flessh & blode taken

Was neuere leef vpon lynde · liȝter þer-after

And portatyf and persant · as þe poynt of a nedle

That myȝte non armure it lette · ne none heiȝ walles

¶ For-þi is loue leder of þe lordes folke of heuene

And a mene as þe Maire is · bitwene þe kyng and þe comune

Riȝt so is loue a ledere · and þe lawe shapeth

Vpon man for his mysdedes · þe merciment he taxeth

fol. 6r

And for to knowe it kyndely · it comseth bi myght

And in þe herte þere is þe heuede · and þe heiȝ welle

¶ For in kynde knowynge in herte · þere a myȝte bigynneth

And þat falleth to þe fader · þat formed vs alle

Loked on vs with loue · and lete his sone deye

Mekely for owre mysdedes · to amende vs alle

And ȝet wolde he hem no woo · þat wrouȝte hym þat peyne

But mekelich with mouthe · mercy he bisouȝte

To haue pite of þat poeple · þat peyned hym to deth

¶ Here myȝtow see ensamples · in hym-selue one

That he was miȝtful & meke · and mercy gan graunte

To hem þat h{e}ongen him an heiȝ · and his herte þirled

¶ For-thi I rede ȝow riche · haueth reuthe of þe pouere

Thouȝ ȝe be myȝtful to mote · beth meke in ȝowre werkes

¶ For þe same mesures þat ȝe mete · amys other ellesC

Ȝe shullen ben weyen þer-wyth · whan ȝe wende hennes

Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis · remecietur vobis ·

¶ For þouȝ ȝe be trewe of ȝowre tonge · and trewliche wynne

And asT chaste as a childe · þat in cherche wepeth

But if ȝe louen lelliche · and lene þe poure

Such goed as god ȝow sent godelich parteth

Ȝe ne haue na more meryte · in masse ne in houres

Þan Malkyn of hire maydenhode · þat no man desireth

¶ For Iames þe gentil · iugged in his bokesC

That faith with-oute þe faite · is riȝte no-þinge worthi

And as ded as a dore-tre · but ȝif þe dedes folwe

Fides sine operibus mortua est &c

¶ For-thi chastite with-oute charite · worth cheyned in helleC

It is as lewed as a laumpe · þat no liȝte is Inne

¶ Many chapeleynes arne chaste · ac charite is awey

Aren no men auarousere þan hij · whan þei ben auaunced

Vnkynde to her kyn · and to alle cristene

Chewen here charite · and chiden after more

Such chastite wiþ-outen charite · worth cheyned in helle

¶ Many curatoures kepen hem · clene of here bodies

Thei ben acombred wiþ coueitise · þei konne nouȝt don it fram hem

fol. 6v

So harde hath auarice · yhasped hem togideres

And þat is no treuthe of þe trinite · but treccherye of helle

And lernyng to lewde men · þe latter for to dele

¶ For-þi þis wordes ben · wryten in þe gospel

Date & dabitur vobis · for I dele ȝow alle

And þat is þe lokke of loue · and lateth oute my grace

To conforte þe careful · acombred wiþ synne

¶ Loue is leche of lyf · and nexte owre lorde selue

And also þe graith gate · þat goth in-to heuene

For-þi I sey as I seide · ere by þe textis

Whan alle tresores ben ytryed · treuthe is þe beste

Now haue I tolde þe what treuthe is · þat no tresore is bettere

I may no lenger lenge þe with · now loke þe owre lorde

◂

the meninge of the
Dongeon

diliges dominum
super omnia

▸

Passus Primus de Visione

the iij þinges requisite

wyne and wemen

mesure ys medicyne

tempted

apostata

obedient

christ iesus

in qua mensura metioritis

Iacobus

nihill prodest castitas
sine charitate.

L.P.000: The passus heading is written over an erasure.↩

L.1.1: The five-line ornamental capital is in blue on red fill.↩

L.1.4: The corrector marked an for correction with a <+> in the right margin. It has been partially erased.↩

L.1.24: LCMR alone read atte or at þe. Other B manuscripts omit þe.↩

L.1.34: A hand of s. xvi med. has written in the right margin wyne and wemen.↩

L.1.37: A hand of s. xvi med. has written in the right margin mesure ys medicyne.↩

L.1.39: LCHmW alone divide the line as here; most other B manuscripts read as follows:
Ne liflode to þi likame þat leef is to þi soule
Lef nauȝt þi likame for a liere hym techeþ.↩

L.1.62: A hand of the s. xvi med. has written the meninge of the
Dongeon in the left margin.↩

L.1.68: A hand of the s. xvi med. has written in the right margin tempted as a gloss on iaped. The same hand is responsible for the underlining.↩

L.1.74: LMR alone retain original heo, meaning "she"; all other manuscripts have a form of she.↩

L.1.82: A corrector marked the line with a <+> in the left margin, but the correction of kende to ken[n]e was not made.↩

L.1.99: LCR alone read for; all other B manuscripts have to.↩

L.1.105: A later hand (s. xvi) has written apostata in the right margin.↩

L.1.111: A s. xvi hand has underlined buxome and glossed it in the right margin as obedient.↩

L.1.127: The west midlands form pult appears only in Cr and L, but R has the same word spelled pelt. MED, s.v. pilten v.3.(b) glosses the phrase pult out as "exhibit (pride), display." Note that LR read pulte/pelte against most other B witnesses in L.8.97 and L.15.67. In the latter, pulte out means "thrust out, expelled."↩

L.1.131: The <e> of best is possibly altered from <i> in response to the corrector's marginal <+>.↩

L.1.143: LCCrM (M before alteration) read he, meaning "she"; all other B manuscripts have a form of she.↩

L.1.143: A s. xvi scribe has written diliges dominum
super omnia in the left margin.↩

L.1.148: L uniquely has the -eth inflection for the imperative plural here.↩

L.1.155: LG alone read yeten. Other manuscripts have variously eten (C2HmMOWY), yoten (Cr), yheten al (F), and heten (C).↩

L.1.178: A s. xvi hand has written in qua mensura metioritis in the right margin over a bracket written by the earlier scribe we have called "hand16b."↩

L.1.182: A partially erased <+> appears in the left margin, reflecting the scribe's correction of a to as. The same error was marked and corrected in L.4.138.↩

L.1.187: A s. xvi hand has written Iacobus in the right margin.↩

L.1.191: A s. xvi hand has written in the right margin nihill prodest castitas
sine charitate.↩