folk. And I see that gode men beth overthrowen [for drede]
of my peril; and every luxurious tourmentour dar doon alle
225
felonye unpunisshed and ben excited therto by yiftes; and
innocents ne ben not only despoiled of sikernesse but of defence;
and therfore me list to cryen to god in this wyse:—
Pr. IV. 1. C. Felistow; A. Felest thou. 2. A. Art thou. // C. wepistow; A. wepest thou. 3. A. spillest thou. 9. C. sen; A. seen. 11. A. sege (for sete). 12. So A.; C. deuynyte. // C. om. 2nd touchinge. 13. C. om. it is. 14. C. om. quasi ... non. 17. After this, C. has nonne; A. has ironice. // C. gerdouns; A. gerdoun (Lat. praemia). 18. C. conformedest (Lat. sanxisti); see note. 19. C. Mowht; A. mouthe. 20. A. comunabletes. 22. A. studieden in grete wisdomes. 25. C. whise; A. wyse. 26. A. of comune citees (Lat. urbium). 27. C. citesenes; A. citizenis. 29. A. folowynge. // C. autorite; A. auctoritee. 30. C. excussioun(!); A. execusioun. 32. C. whise; A. wise. 33. A. knowen; C. has the gloss concij (= conscii). 34. C. dignete; A. dignite. // C. om. the. 36. So A.; C. descordes. // Above preyeres, C. has i. est inexorabiles. 37. A. om. 2nd the. 38. C. sauacioun; A. saluacioun. 40. C. recisted. // C. hyhte; A. hyȝt. 41. C. Ed. prospere; A. propre. 42. A. poure. // C. fookk; A. folke. 45. C. deffended; A. defended. // C. autorite; A. auctorite. 47. C. vnpunyssed; A. -nysched. 49. C. ne drowh; A. drowe. 50. A. rychesse. // C. om. 2nd the. 51. A. eyther (for outher). // C. pryuey; A. priue. // C. Raueynes; A. rauynes. 54. C. yer; A. yere. 55. C. A. solde. 58. C. sowre; A. soure (Lat. acerbae famis tempore). 59. A. establissed; C. estabelissed. // C. vnplitable; A. inplitable (Lat. inexplicabilis). 61. Ed. Campayne; C. A. Compaygne. 64. The gloss (Coempcioun ... part) is misplaced in both MSS., so as to precede Whan it was (58). 65. C. estabelissed. // A. om. the. 66. C. imposiscioun. // C. bossel; A. busshel. 68. So A.; C. consoler (!). // A. rychesse. 69. C. palysse; A. palays. 70. C. drowh; A. drowe. 71. sc. faucibus from A. 73. C. punisse; A. punischen. // C. conseyler. 75. A. yseyne. 77. A. asseured. 78. After no-thing, C. adds i. affinite. 79. C. om. 2nd the. 81. A. om. 2nd the. 82, 85. C. whilom; A. somtyme. 84. C. caudencius (wrongly). 88. C. sentuarye; A. seyntuaries. 89. C. om. was. 90. C. assingned; A. assigned. 91. C. me (= men); A. men. // C. marke; A. merken. 92. A. om. the. // C. om. thee. 93. C. crwelte. 94. C. resseyued. 98. C. asshamyd; A. asshamed. 99. C. whas. 101. A. axest thou. 102. C. desires. 104. C. destorbed; A. distourbed. 106. C. maysteresse; A. meistresse. A. demest thou. 109. C. om. that. 109. C. I am; A. Ed. om. I. 110. C. destorbed. 111. A. a felonie than. 114. C. and (for or). 119. C. A. put. 120. C. whise. 122. C. shellen; A. schollen (better shullen). 123. A. om. 2nd in. C. thowchinge. 125. C. om. Of whiche lettres. 129. C. om. what. // C. hoepen. 133. C. om. Canius. 136. C. sorw. 137. C. felonies; A. folies (Lat. scelerata). // A. vertues (wrongly). 138. C. han; A. had (better hadde). 139. C. om. to. 148. C. gon and; A. Ed. om. and. 151. C. willene; A. wilne. 153. C. rwledest. 154. C. om. 1st the. 155. C. transpor(!). C. vp; A. vp on. 157. C. deffendede. 158. A. om. 2nd ne. 159. C. resseyueth; A. resceiueth. 162. C. resseyue; A. receiue. 163. A. in (for for). // Both gerdoun; Ed. gwerdone. 164. C. crwelte. 171. C. punyssed; A. punysched. 172. A. conuict; C. conuict. // So A.; C. remwed. 173. C. paas. 176. C. merite; A. mercye; (gloss in C. ironice; O meritos). 179. C. dirken. 180. C. an; A. on. 181. C. sacrilege; glossed sorcerie. 183. C. alle; A. al. 185. C. om. 2nd in. 187. in margin of C.; Homo debet seruire deo et non diis. // C. om. was. // A. no couenaunt (Lat. Nec conueniebat). 188. A. spirites; C. spirite (Lat. spirituum). 189. C. and; A. or. 190. C. chaumbyr; A. chaumbre. 191. C. compaygnye; A. compaignie. 193. C. deffenden. // C. from; A. of. 195. C. the philosophre; A. the philosophie (Lat. te). 196. A. enchauntementz. 198. C. thechinges. 207. A. Glosa. 208. C. who; A. who so. 217. C. desserued. 218. C. of (1); A. from. 223. C. beth; A. ben. 225. C. vnpunnysshed; A. vnpunissed. 227. C. wise; A. manere; Ed. maner.
Metre V.
O stelliferi conditor orbis.
O thou maker of the [whele] that bereth the sterres, which that