1994 Prospectus: British Library Additional 35287 (MS M) Documentary Edition Sample

Passus tercius

	Now is [*] Mede þe mayde . and namo of hem alle

	With  bedellus and Baillifs . brou3t bifore þe kynge

	Þe kyng called a Clerk . can I nou3t his name.

 4	To take mede þe mayde . and make hire at ese

	I shal assaien hire my self ; and sotheliche appose.

	What man of þis molde ; þat hire were leueste

	And if she worche by my wit ; and my wille folwe

 8	I wyl forgyf hire þis gilt ; so me god helpe.



	Curteselich þe Clerk þanne ; as þe kyng hyghte

	Tok mede by þe mydul ; and broghte hire into [*] chambre

	And þere was murthe and mynstralcie ; mede to plese

12	Þei þat woneth at westmynstre ; worschepeth hire alle.

	Gentliche &with; ioye ; þe Iustices summe

	Buskede hem to þe boure . þere þe burde dwelled

	To conforte hire kyndlich . by clergise leue.

16	And saiden mourne þow nou3t mede ; ne make þou no sorwe

	ffor we wol wisse þe kyng ; and þi wey shape.

	To be wedded at [*] þi wille . and where þe leef liketh

	ffor al conscience cast[*] ; or craft [*] as I trowe.



20	Mildeliche mede þanne ; merciede hem alle.

	Of hire grete goodnesse ; gaf hem e [*] chone

	Coupes of clene gold . and Cuppus of siluer

	Rynges with rubies . and richesses manye

24	Þe leste man of hire mayne ; a motoun of golde

	Þanne lau3te þei leue ; þise lordes at Mede.



	With þat comen clerkes . to conforten hire þe same

	And beden hire be blithe . for we ben þine [*] owne

28	ffor to worche thi wille . while þou mi3t [*] laste.



	Hendeliche heo þanne ; bihi3te hem þe same

	To loue hem lelly . and lordes to make.

	And in þe consistorie atte courte : do calle yowre names

32	Shal no lewdenesse lette ; þe lede þat I louye

	That he ne worth furst auaunced ; for I am biknowen.

	Þere connynge clerkus : shul clokke byhynde.



	[*] Þanne com þere a Confessour : copud as a ffrere [*]

36	To mede þe mayden . he melled þes wordes.

	And saide ful softely . in shryfte as it were.

	Thei3 lewde men and lered men: had layne by þe boþe.

	And falsnesses had folwede þe ; all thise fifty wynter [*]

40	I shal assoille þe my selue ; for a seme of whete

	And also be þi bedman . and bere wel þi message

	Amonges kny3tes . and clerkes ; conscience to tourne



	Thanne mede for here mesdedes ; to þat man knelede

44	And shroof hire of hire shrewdenesse . shameles I trowe

	Tolde hym a tale; and toke hym a noble.

	ffor to ben here bedman . and hire brokour als



	Þanne he assoillede hire sone : and sithen he saide

48	We han a wyndowe aworchinge : wol sitten vs ful hei3e

	Woldest þow glase þat gable . and graue þereinne þi name.

	Siker shulde þi soule be . heuen to haue.



	Wiste I þat quod þe womman . I wolde nou3t spare

52	ffor to be y [*] oure freend [*] ffrere . and faille [*] yow neuere

	Whil ye loue lordes . þat leccherie haunteth

	And lakkeþ nou3t ladies . þat loueþ wel þe same.

	It is a frelte of fflessh ; ye fynde it in bokes.

56	And a cours of kynde . whereof we comen alle

	Who may skape þe sclaundre; þe skaþe is sone amended

	It is the [*] synne of seuene : sunneste relessed



	Haue mercy quod Mede : on men þat it haunte

60	And I shal keuere yowre kirke : yowre cloistre do maken

	Wowes do whyten : and wyndowes glasen

	Do paynten and purtreien ; and paie for þe makynge

	Þat euerey segge shal sayn . I am sustre of yowre house



64	Ac god to alle gode folk : such grauynge deffendeth

	To wryten in wyndowes . of hire wel dedus.

	On auenture pruyde be painted þere ; and pompe of þe worlde.

	ffor crist knoweth þi conscience ; and þi kynde wille

68	And þi cost and þi couetise . and who þe catel ou3te.



	ffor*þi I lere yow lordes ; leue suche werkes.

	To writen in wyndowes ; of youre wel dedes.

	Or to greden aftur godes men . whanne ye delen doles

72	An auenture 3e haue 3oure hire here ; and 3oure heuen als

	Nesciat sinistra  ;{?} quid faciat dextera

	Lat nou3t þi lefte half ; late ne rathe

	Wyte what þou worchest ; with þi ri3t syde.

76	ffor þus biddeth þe gospell : gode men do here almes.



	Meires and macers ; þat menes be bitwene

	Þe kyng and þe comoune ; to kepen þe lawes

	To punnisshen on pilories . and pynynge stoles

80	Brewsters and baksteres . bochers and cokus

Notes

10 Check ms for erasure. Back

18 Erasure. Back

19 Erased letter "e"? Back

19 Erased letter "e"? Back

21 Letter "e" written over erasure?Back

27 Erasure. Back

28 Erasure. Back

35 Check the manuscript for a ¶ph;.Back

35 Marginal notation (resp="hand2"): "the ffrere & Mede in shryft."Back

39 The b-verse is retraced by a later hand.Back

52 Written over erasure.Back

52 Erasure Back

52 Written over erasure.Back

58 Inserted above line with caret, different ink.Back