‘Quod’ and ‘Seide’ in ‘Piers Plowman’

Abstract

SEIDE and quod are verb forms of very high frequency in all three versions of Piers Plowman . The Wittig Concordance to the poem records 438 instances of seide overall and as many as 709 of quod . 1 They function most often simply to mark the many passages of direct speech, either at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of utterances, as in these six examples from the B Version: Quod Conscience to þe kyng, ‘crist it me forbede!’ (3.120). I seide ‘grant mercy, madame’, and mekely hir grette (10.224). ‘Sire Dowel dwelleþ’, quod Wit, ‘noʒt a day hennes …’ (9.1). ‘He is sik’, seide Pees, ‘and so are manye oþere …’ (20.334). ‘Ye! leue Piers’, quod þise pilgrimes and profred hym huyre (5.556). ‘I am fayn of þat foreward’, seide þe freke þanne (4.13).