Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales

§7. The four Leading Types of the MSS.

The four leading types of MSS. usually exhibit a variation in the order of the Tales, as well as many minor differences. I only note here the former (omitting Gamelyn, which is absent from MSS. of the A-type, and from some of the D-type).

A.—1. Prologue, Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook.

2. Man of Lawe.

3. Wife of Bath, Friar, Sompnour.

4. Clerk, Merchant.

5. Squire, Franklin.

6. Doctor, Pardoner.

7. Shipman, Prioress, Sir Thopas, Melibeus, Monk, Nun's Priest.

8. Second Nun, Canon's Yeoman.

9. Manciple, ( slightly linked to ) Parson.

B.—Places 8 before 6. Order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 6, 7, 9.

C.—Not only places 8 before 6 (as B), but splits 5 into 5 a

(Squire) and 5 b (Franklin), and places 5 a before 3. Order: 1,

2, 5 a , 3, 4, 5 b , 8, 6, 7, 9.

D.—As C, but further splits 4 into 4 a (Clerk), and 4 b

(Merchant), and places 4 b after 5 a . Order: 1, 2, 5 a , 4 b , 3, 4 a ,

5 b , 8, 6, 7, 9. (D. is really a mere variety of C., with an external

difference.)

Observe the position of the Franklin. Thus: A. Squire, Franklin, Doctor. B. Squire, Franklin, Second Nun. C. Merchant, Franklin, Second Nun. D. Clerk, Franklin, Second Nun.

For further remarks on this subject, see vol. v.

N.B. The following are all the Errata that I have observed. Those marked with an asterisk should be noticed. The rest are unimportant.

P. 14. A 467. Perhaps the full stop at the end of the line should be a colon.

P. 15. Footnote to A 503. For 'Hl. alone' read 'Tyrwhitt.'

P. 85. A 3016. For eye read yë

*P. 110. A 3822. For celle read selle

*P. 131. B 59, 60. For eek and seek read eke and seke

P. 133. B 115. Insert marks of quotation at the beginning and end of the line.

P. 133. B 120, 121. Insert marks of quotation at the beginning of l. 120 and at the end of l. 121.

P. 134. In the headline; for T. 4454 read T. 4554.

P. 146. B 540, 541, 547. For cristen read Cristen

P. 146. B 544 For cristianitee read Cristianitee. So also at p. 525; G 535.

P. 194. B 2043. Dele; after spicerye

P. 202. B 2222. For yevynge read yevinge

P. 205. B 2253. For owe read ow

P. 207. B 2303. For se read see

P. 219, footnotes. For 2251 and 2252 read 2551 and 2552

*P. 222. B 2624. For Iurisdicctioun read Iurisdiccioun

P. 232, ll. 9, 10. Dele the quotation-mark after certeyne, and insert it after another.

*P. 245. B 3230. For my read ny

*P. 253. B 3490. For warre read werre

P. 271. B 4011. For stope a better reading is stape

P. 285. B 4510. For charitee perhaps read Charitee

P. 285. B 4541. For chide read chyde

P. 299. C 291. Either read advocas, or note that the t in advocats is silent.

*P. 309. C 601. For opinoun read opinioun

P. 318. C 955. For Thay read They

P. 338. In the headline; for 6225 read 6235.

P. 339. In the headline; for 6226 read 6236.

P. 344. D 846. For But if read But-if

P. 345. D 859. For All read Al

P. 354. Footnotes; last line. For 1205 read 1204

P. 355. D 1219, 1227. For Chese and chese read Chees and chees.

P. 363. D 1436. For But if read But-if

P. 387. D 2242. Perhaps insert a comma after himself

P. 419. E 994. For gouernance read governance

P. 428. E 1304, 1306. Insert quotation-mark at the end of l. 1304, instead of the end of l. 1306.

P. 438. E 1635. For Saue read Save

P. 444. E 1866. Insert Auctor opposite this line.

P. 449. E 2058. For scorpion read scorpioun; as the last syllable is accented.

P. 459. E 2418. For bless read blesse

P. 461. F 20. After all, the right reading probably is that given by E. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl., but with the form pietous for pitous as in Troilus, iii. 1444, and v. 451. Read—And piëtous and Iust, alwey y-liche.

P. 468. F 266. For Cambynskan read Cambinskan. So also at p. 480, first line.

P. 474. F 462. For sle read slee

P. 505, footnotes. For 1527 read 1526

P. 527. G 558, footnote. The real reading of E is—

And vndernethe he wered a surplys

P. 543. G 1107. For shall read shal

*P. 545. G 1171. For torned read terved. [The reading in E is really terued=terved, i.e. stripped, flayed. The reading torned is a poor substitution.]

*P. 548. G 1274. For torne, read terve,

*P. 560. H 144. For hept read kept

P. 626. Footnotes; last line. For E. Seld. Ln. beauteis; read E. Seld. Ln. beautees;

P. 634. I 955. For Daniel, read David. [N.B. MSS. E. Cm. Danyel; the rest, Dauid. Probably Chaucer wrote 'Daniel' at first, and afterwards corrected it (by the original) to 'David.' Nevertheless, 'Daniel' is a good reading.]

TO

[Further researches have brought to light some more of Chaucer's Minor Poems. I first met with the excellent Balade on 'Womanly Noblesse' in MS. Phillipps 9030 (now MS. Addit. 34360) on June 1, 1894; and on the following day I noticed in MS. Harl. 7578 (partly described in vol. i. p. 58) two Complaints that may perhaps be attributed to our author. As, from the nature of the case, they could not be included in Vol. i, they are inserted here.]

Balade that Chaucier made.

So hath my herte caught in rémembraunce

Your beautè hool, and stedfast governaunce,

Your vertues allè, and your hy noblesse,

That you to serve is set al my plesaunce;

5

So wel me lykth your womanly contenaunce,

Your fresshe fetures and your comlinesse,

That, whyl I live, my herte to his maistresse,

You hath ful chose, in trew perséveraunce,

Never to chaunge, for no maner distresse.

From MS. Addit. 34360, fol. 21, back (with ascription by Shirley); hitherto unprinted. Rejected readings of the MS. are here given.

1. hert. 2. Yowre ( throughout ); hoole; stidefast. 3. al; hie. 4. yow; sette. 5. likith; for womanly perhaps read wyfly. 6: comlynesse. 7: whiles; myn hert; maystresse. 8: triev.

10

And sith I [you] shal do this observaunce

Al my lyf, withouten displesaunce,

You for to serve with al my besinesse,

[Taketh me, lady, in your obeisaunce,]

And have me somwhat in your souvenaunce.

15

My woful herte suffreth greet duresse;

And [loke] how humbl[el]y, with al simplesse,

My wil I cónforme to your ordenaunce,

As you best list, my peynes to redresse.

10: I insert you. 11: ( Accent on Al); live. 12: besynesse. 13. Dr. Furnivall supplies this lost line ; cf. Complaint to Pity, l. 84. 15. hert suffrith grete. 16: I supply loke; humbly. 17: ordynaunce. 18: for to ( I omit for).

Considring eek how I hange in balaunce

20

In your servysè; swich, lo! is my chaunce,

Abyding grace, whan that your gentilnesse

Of my gret wo list doon allegeaunce,

And with your pitè me som wyse avaunce,

In ful rebating of my hevinesse;

25

And thinkth, by reson, wommanly noblesse

Shuld nat desyre for to doon outrance

Ther-as she findeth noon unbuxumnesse.

19: eke. 20: service suche loo. 21: ( Perhaps omit that). 22: grete woo; do. 23: wise. 24: rebatyng; myn hevynesse. 25: And thynkith be raison that ( too long ). 26: desire; for til do the ( I omit the). 27: fyndith non vn-.

Lenvoye.

Auctour of norture, lady of plesaunce,

Soveraine of beautè, flour of wommanhede,

30

Take ye non hede unto myn ignoraunce,