INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
_Proem._
Now herkneth, every maner man
That English understonde can, 510
And listeth of my dreem to lere;
For now at erste shul ye here
So selly an avisioun,
That Isaye, ne Scipioun,
Ne king Nabugodonosor, 515
Pharo, Turnus, ne Elcanor,
Ne mette swich a dreem as this!
Now faire blisful, O Cipris, (10)
So be my favour at this tyme!
And ye, me to endyte and ryme 520
Helpeth, that on Parnaso dwelle
By Elicon the clere welle.
O Thought, that wroot al that I mette,
And in the tresorie hit shette
Of my brayn! now shal men see 525
If any vertu in thee be,
To tellen al my dreem aright;
Now kythe thyn engyn and might! (20)
_The Dream._
This egle, of which I have yow told,
That shoon with fethres as of gold, 530
Which that so hyë gan to sore,
I gan beholde more and more,
To see hir beautee and the wonder;
But never was ther dint of thonder,
Ne that thing that men calle foudre, 535
That smoot somtyme a tour to poudre,
And in his swifte coming brende,
That so swythe gan descende, (30)
As this foul, whan hit behelde
That I a-roume was in the felde; 540
And with his grimme pawes stronge,
Within his sharpe nayles longe,
Me, fleinge, at a swappe he hente,
And with his sours agayn up wente,
Me caryinge in his clawes starke 545
As lightly as I were a larke,
How high, I can not telle yow,
For I cam up, I niste how. (40)
For so, astonied and a-sweved
Was every vertu in my heved, 550
What with his sours and with my drede,
That al my feling gan to dede;
For-why hit was to greet affray.
Thus I longe in his clawes lay,
Til at the laste he to me spak 555
In mannes vois, and seyde, 'Awak!
And be not so a-gast, for shame!'
And called me tho by my name. (50)
And, for I sholde the bet abreyde--
Me mette--'Awak,' to me he seyde, 560
Right in the same vois and stevene
That useth oon I coude nevene;
And with that vois, soth for to sayn,
My minde cam to me agayn;
For hit was goodly seyd to me, 565
So nas hit never wont to be.
And herwithal I gan to stere,
And he me in his feet to bere, (60)
Til that he felte that I had hete,
And felte eek tho myn herte bete. 570
And tho gan he me to disporte,
And with wordes to comforte,
And sayde twyës, 'Seynte Marie!
Thou art noyous for to carie,
And nothing nedeth hit, parde! 575
For al-so wis god helpe me
As thou non harm shalt have of this;
And this cas, that betid thee is, (70)
Is for thy lore and for thy prow;--
Let see! darst thou yet loke now? 580
Be ful assured, boldely,
I am thy frend.' And therwith I
Gan for to wondren in my minde.
'O god,' thoughte I, 'that madest kinde,
Shal I non other weyes dye? 585
Wher Ioves wol me stellifye,
Or what thing may this signifye?
I neither am Enok, ne Elye, (80)
Ne Romulus, ne Ganymede
That was y-bore up, as men rede, 590
To hevene with dan Iupiter,
And maad the goddes boteler.'
Lo! this was tho my fantasye!
But he that bar me gan espye
That I so thoghte, and seyde this:-- 595
'Thou demest of thy-self amis;
For Ioves is not ther-aboute--
I dar wel putte thee out of doute-- (90)
To make of thee as yet a sterre.
But er I bere thee moche ferre, 600
I wol thee telle what I am,
And whider thou shalt, and why I cam
To done this, so that thou take
Good herte, and not for fere quake.'
'Gladly,' quod I. 'Now wel,' quod he:-- 605
'First I, that in my feet have thee,
Of which thou hast a feer and wonder,
Am dwelling with the god of thonder, (100)
Which that men callen Iupiter,
That dooth me flee ful ofte fer 610
To do al his comaundement.
And for this cause he hath me sent
To thee: now herke, by thy trouthe!
Certeyn, he hath of thee routhe,
That thou so longe trewely 615
Hast served so ententifly
His blinde nevew Cupido,
And fair Venus [goddesse] also, (110)
Withoute guerdoun ever yit,
And nevertheles hast set thy wit-- 620
Although that in thy hede ful lyte is--
To make bokes, songes, dytees,
In ryme, or elles in cadence,
As thou best canst, in reverence
Of Love, and of his servants eke, 625
That have his servise soght, and seke;
And peynest thee to preyse his art,
Althogh thou haddest never part; (120)
Wherfor, al-so god me blesse,
Ioves halt hit greet humblesse 630
And vertu eek, that thou wolt make
A-night ful ofte thyn heed to ake,
In thy studie so thou wrytest,
And ever-mo of love endytest,
In honour of him and preysinges, 635
And in his folkes furtheringes,
And in hir matere al devysest,
And noght him nor his folk despysest, (130)
Although thou mayst go in the daunce
Of hem that him list not avaunce. 640
'Wherfor, as I seyde, y-wis,
Iupiter considereth this,
And also, beau sir, other thinges;
That is, that thou hast no tydinges
Of Loves folk, if they be glade, 645
Ne of noght elles that god made;
And noght only fro fer contree
That ther no tyding comth to thee, (140)
But of thy verray neyghebores,
That dwellen almost at thy dores, 650
Thou herest neither that ne this;
For whan thy labour doon al is,
And hast y-maad thy rekeninges,
In stede of reste and newe thinges,
Thou gost hoom to thy hous anoon; 655
And, also domb as any stoon,
Thou sittest at another boke,
Til fully daswed is thy loke, (150)
And livest thus as an hermyte,
Although thyn abstinence is lyte. 660
'And therfor Ioves, through his grace,
Wol that I bere thee to a place,
Which that hight THE HOUS OF FAME,
To do thee som disport and game,
In som recompensacioun 665
Of labour and devocioun
That thou hast had, lo! causeles,
To Cupido, the reccheles! (160)
And thus this god, thorgh his meryte,
Wol with som maner thing thee quyte, 670
So that thou wolt be of good chere.
For truste wel, that thou shalt here,
When we be comen ther I seye,
Mo wonder thinges, dar I leye,
Of Loves folke mo tydinges, 675
Bothe soth-sawes and lesinges;
And mo loves newe begonne,
And longe y-served loves wonne, (170)
And mo loves casuelly
That been betid, no man wot why, 680
But as a blind man stert an hare;
And more Iolytee and fare,
Whyl that they finde love of stele,
As thinketh hem, and over-al wele;
Mo discords, and mo Ielousyes, 685
Mo murmurs, and mo novelryes,
And mo dissimulaciouns,
And feyned reparaciouns; (180)
And mo berdes in two houres
Withoute rasour or sisoures 690
Y-maad, then greynes be of sondes;
And eke mo holdinge in hondes,
And also mo renovelaunces
Of olde forleten aqueyntaunces;
Mo love-dayes and acordes 695
Then on instruments ben cordes;
And eke of loves mo eschaunges
Than ever cornes were in graunges; (190)
Unethe maistow trowen this?'--
Quod he. 'No, helpe me god so wis!'-- 700
Quod I. 'No? why?' quod he. 'For hit
Were impossible, to my wit,
Though that Fame hadde al the pyes
In al a realme, and al the spyes,
How that yet she shulde here al this, 705
Or they espye hit.' 'O yis, yis!'
Quod he to me, 'that can I preve
By resoun, worthy for to leve, (200)
So that thou yeve thyn advertence
To understonde my sentence. 710
'First shall thou heren wher she dwelleth,
And so thyn owne book hit telleth;
Hir paleys stant, as I shal seye,
Right even in middes of the weye
Betwixen hevene, erthe, and see; 715
That, what-so-ever in al these three
Is spoken, in privee or aperte,
The wey therto is so overte, (210)
And stant eek in so Iuste a place,
That every soun mot to hit pace, 720
Or what so comth fro any tonge,
Be hit rouned, red, or songe,
Or spoke in seurtee or drede,
Certein, hit moste thider nede.
'Now herkne wel; for-why I wille 735
Tellen thee a propre skile,
And worthy demonstracioun
In myn imagynacioun. (220)
'Geffrey, thou wost right wel this,
That every kindly thing that is, 730
Hath a kindly stede ther he
May best in hit conserved be;
Unto which place every thing,
Through his kindly enclyning,
Moveth for to come to, 735
Whan that hit is awey therfro;
As thus; lo, thou mayst al day see
That any thing that hevy be, (230)
As stoon or leed, or thing of wighte,
And ber hit never so hye on highte, 740
Lat go thyn hand, hit falleth doun.
'Right so seye I by fyre or soun,
Or smoke, or other thinges lighte,
Alwey they seke upward on highte;
Whyl ech of hem is at his large, 745
Light thing up, and dounward charge.
'And for this cause mayst thou see,
That every river to the see (240)
Enclyned is to go, by kinde.
And by these skilles, as I finde, 750
Hath fish dwellinge in floode and see,
And treës eek in erthe be.
Thus every thing, by this resoun,
Hath his propre mansioun,
To which hit seketh to repaire, 755
As ther hit shulde not apaire.
Lo, this sentence is knowen couthe
Of every philosophres mouthe, (250)
As Aristotle and dan Platon,
And other clerkes many oon; 760
And to confirme my resoun,
Thou wost wel this, that speche is soun,
Or elles no man mighte hit here;
Now herkne what I wol thee lere.
'Soun is noght but air y-broken, 765
And every speche that is spoken,
Loud or privee, foul or fair,
In his substaunce is but air; (260)
For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke,
Right so soun is air y-broke. 770
But this may be in many wyse,
Of which I wil thee two devyse,
As soun that comth of pype or harpe.
For whan a pype is blowen sharpe,
The air is twist with violence, 775
And rent; lo, this is my sentence;
Eek, whan men harpe-stringes smyte,
Whether hit be moche or lyte, (270)
Lo, with the strook the air to-breketh;
Right so hit breketh whan men speketh. 780
Thus wost thou wel what thing is speche.
'Now hennesforth I wol thee teche,
How every speche, or noise, or soun,
Through his multiplicacioun,
Thogh hit were pyped of a mouse, 785
Moot nede come to Fames House.
I preve hit thus--tak hede now--
By experience; for if that thou (280)
Throwe on water now a stoon,
Wel wost thou, hit wol make anoon 790
A litel roundel as a cercle,
Paraventure brood as a covercle;
And right anoon thou shalt see weel,
That wheel wol cause another wheel,
And that the thridde, and so forth, brother, 795
Every cercle causing other,
Wyder than himselve was;
And thus, fro roundel to compas, (290)
Ech aboute other goinge,
Caused of othres steringe, 800
And multiplying ever-mo,
Til that hit be so fer y-go
That hit at bothe brinkes be.
Al-thogh thou mowe hit not y-see
Above, hit goth yet alway under, 805
Although thou thenke hit a gret wonder.
And who-so seith of trouthe I varie,
Bid him proven the contrarie. (300)
And right thus every word, y-wis,
That loude or privee spoken is, 810
Moveth first an air aboute,
And of this moving, out of doute,
Another air anoon is meved,
As I have of the water preved,
That every cercle causeth other. 815
Right so of air, my leve brother;
Everich air in other stereth
More and more, and speche up bereth, (310)
Or vois, or noise, or word, or soun,
Ay through multiplicacioun, 820
Til hit be atte House of Fame;--
Tak hit in ernest or in game.
'Now have I told, if thou have minde,
How speche or soun, of pure kinde,
Enclyned is upward to meve; 825
This, mayst thou fele, wel I preve.
And that [the mansioun], y-wis,
That every thing enclyned to is, (320)
Hath his kindeliche stede:
That sheweth hit, withouten drede, 830
That kindely the mansioun
Of every speche, of every soun,
Be hit either foul or fair,
Hath his kinde place in air.
And sin that every thing, that is 835
Out of his kinde place, y-wis,
Moveth thider for to go
If hit a-weye be therfro, (330)
As I before have preved thee,
Hit seweth, every soun, pardee, 840
Moveth kindely to pace
Al up into his kindely place.
And this place of which I telle,
Ther as Fame list to dwelle,
Is set amiddes of these three, 845
Heven, erthe, and eek the see,
As most conservatif the soun.
Than is this the conclusioun, (340)
That every speche of every man,
As I thee telle first began, 850
Moveth up on high to pace
Kindely to Fames place.
'Telle me this feithfully,
Have I not preved thus simply,
Withouten any subtiltee 855
Of speche, or gret prolixitee
Of termes of philosophye,
Of figures of poetrye, (350)
Or colours of rethoryke?
Pardee, hit oghte thee to lyke; 860
For hard langage and hard matere
Is encombrous for to here
At ones; wost thou not wel this?'
And I answerde, and seyde, 'Yis.'
'A ha!' quod he, 'lo, so I can, 865
Lewedly to a lewed man
Speke, and shewe him swiche skiles,
That he may shake hem by the biles, (360)
So palpable they shulden be.
But tel me this, now pray I thee, 870
How thinkth thee my conclusioun?'
[Quod he]. 'A good persuasioun,'
Quod I, 'hit is; and lyk to be
Right so as thou hast preved me.'
'By god,' quod he, 'and as I leve, 875
Thou shall have yit, or hit be eve,
Of every word of this sentence
A preve, by experience; (370)
And with thyn eres heren wel
Top and tail, and everydel, 880
That every word that spoken is
Comth into Fames Hous, y-wis,
As I have seyd; what wilt thou more?'
And with this word upper to sore
He gan, and seyde, 'By Seynt Iame! 885
Now wil we speken al of game.'--
'How farest thou?' quod he to me.
'Wel,' quod I. 'Now see,' quod he, (380)
'By thy trouthe, yond adoun,
Wher that thou knowest any toun, 890
Or hous, or any other thing.
And whan thou hast of ought knowing,
Loke that thou warne me,
And I anoon shal telle thee
How fer that thou art now therfro.' 895
And I adoun gan loken tho,
And beheld feldes and plaines,
And now hilles, and now mountaines, (390)
Now valeys, and now forestes,
And now, unethes, grete bestes; 900
Now riveres, now citees,
Now tounes, and now grete trees,
Now shippes sailinge in the see.
But thus sone in a whyle he
Was flowen fro the grounde so hyë, 905
That al the world, as to myn yë,
No more semed than a prikke;
Or elles was the air so thikke (400)
That I ne mighte not discerne.
With that he spak to me as yerne, 910
And seyde: 'Seestow any [toun]
Or ought thou knowest yonder doun?'
I seyde, 'Nay.' 'No wonder nis,'
Quod he, 'for half so high as this
Nas Alexander Macedo; 915
Ne the king, dan Scipio,
That saw in dreme, at point devys,
Helle and erthe, and paradys; (410)
Ne eek the wrecche Dedalus,
Ne his child, nyce Icarus, 920
That fleigh so highe that the hete
His winges malt, and he fel wete
In-mid the see, and ther he dreynte,
For whom was maked moch compleynte.
'Now turn upward,' quod he, 'thy face, 925
And behold this large place,
This air; but loke thou ne be
Adrad of hem that thou shalt see; (420)
For in this regioun, certein,
Dwelleth many a citezein, 930
Of which that speketh dan Plato.
These ben the eyrish bestes, lo!'
And so saw I al that meynee
Bothe goon and also flee.
'Now,' quod he tho, 'cast up thyn yë; 935
See yonder, lo, the Galaxyë,
Which men clepeth the Milky Wey,
For hit is whyt: and somme, parfey, (430)
Callen hit Watlinge Strete:
That ones was y-brent with hete, 940
Whan the sonnes sone, the rede,
That highte Pheton, wolde lede
Algate his fader cart, and gye.
The cart-hors gonne wel espye
That he ne coude no governaunce 945
And gonne for to lepe and launce,
And beren him now up, now doun,
Til that he saw the Scorpioun, (440)
Which that in heven a signe is yit.
And he, for ferde, loste his wit, 950
Of that, and leet the reynes goon
Of his hors; and they anoon
Gonne up to mounte, and doun descende
Til bothe the eyr and erthe brende;
Til Iupiter, lo, atte laste, 955
Him slow, and fro the carte caste.
Lo, is it not a greet mischaunce,
To lete a fole han governaunce (450)
Of thing that he can not demeine?'
And with this word, soth for to seyne, 960
He gan alway upper to sore,
And gladded me ay more and more,
So feithfully to me spak he.
Tho gan I loken under me,
And beheld the eyrish bestes, 965
Cloudes, mistes, and tempestes,
Snowes, hailes, reines, windes,
And thengendring in hir kindes, (460)
And al the wey through whiche I cam;
'O god,' quod I, 'that made Adam, 970
Moche is thy might and thy noblesse!'
And tho thoughte I upon Boëce,
That writ, 'a thought may flee so hyë,
With fetheres of Philosophye,
To passen everich element; 975
And whan he hath so fer y-went,
Than may be seen, behind his bak,
Cloud, and al that I of spak.' (470)
Tho gan I wexen in a were,
And seyde, 'I woot wel I am here; 980
But wher in body or in gost
I noot, y-wis; but god, thou wost!'
For more cleer entendement
Nadde he me never yit y-sent.
And than thoughte I on Marcian, 985
And eek on Anteclaudian,
That sooth was hir descripcioun
Of al the hevenes regioun, (480)
As fer as that I saw the preve;
Therfor I can hem now beleve. 990
With that this egle gan to crye:
'Lat be,' quod he, 'thy fantasye;
Wilt thou lere of sterres aught?'
'Nay, certeinly,' quod I, 'right naught;
And why? for I am now to old.' 995
'Elles I wolde thee have told,'
Quod he, 'the sterres names, lo,
And al the hevenes signes to, (490)
And which they been.' 'No fors,' quod I.
'Yis, pardee,' quod he; 'wostow why? 1000
For whan thou redest poetrye,
How goddes gonne stellifye
Brid, fish, beste, or him or here,
As the Raven, or either Bere,
Or Ariones harpe fyn, 1005
Castor, Pollux, or Delphyn,
Or Atlantes doughtres sevene,
How alle these arn set in hevene; (500)
For though thou have hem ofte on honde,
Yet nostow not wher that they stonde.' 1010
'No fors,' quod I, 'hit is no nede;
I leve as wel, so god me spede,
Hem that wryte of this matere,
As though I knew hir places here;
And eek they shynen here so brighte, 1015
Hit shulde shenden al my sighte,
To loke on hem.' 'That may wel be,'
Quod he. And so forth bar he me (510)
A whyl, and than he gan to crye,
That never herde I thing so hye, 1020
'Now up the heed; for al is wel;
Seynt Iulyan, lo, bon hostel!
See here the House of Fame, lo!
Maistow not heren that I do?'
'What?' quod I. 'The grete soun,' 1025
Quod he, 'that rumbleth up and doun
In Fames Hous, ful of tydinges,
Bothe of fair speche and chydinges, (520)
And of fals and soth compouned.
Herkne wel; hit is not rouned. 1030
Herestow not the grete swogh?'
'Yis, pardee,' quod I, 'wel y-nogh.'
'And what soun is it lyk?' quod he.
'Peter! lyk beting of the see,'
Quod I, 'again the roches holowe, 1035
Whan tempest doth the shippes swalowe;
And lat a man stonde, out of doute,
A myle thens, and here hit route; (530)
Or elles lyk the last humblinge
After the clappe of a thundringe, 1040
When Ioves hath the air y-bete;
But hit doth me for fere swete.'
'Nay, dred thee not therof,' quod he,
'Hit is nothing wil byten thee;
Thou shalt non harm have, trewely.' 1045
And with this word bothe he and I
As nigh the place arryved were
As men may casten with a spere. (540)
I nistë how, but in a strete
He sette me faire on my fete, 1050
And seyde, 'Walke forth a pas,
And tak thyn aventure or cas,
That thou shalt finde in Fames place.'
'Now,' quod I, 'whyl we han space
To speke, or that I go fro thee, 1055
For the love of god, tel me,
In sooth, that wil I of thee lere,
If this noise that I here (550)
Be, as I have herd thee tellen,
Of folk that doun in erthe dwellen, 1060
And comth here in the same wyse
As I thee herde or this devyse;
And that ther lyves body nis
In al that hous that yonder is,
That maketh al this loude fare?' 1065
'No,' quod he, 'by Seynte Clare,
And also wis god rede me!
But o thinge I wil warne thee (560)
Of the which thou wolt have wonder.
Lo, to the House of Fame yonder 1070
Thou wost how cometh every speche,
Hit nedeth noght thee eft to teche.
But understond now right wel this;
Whan any speche y-comen is
Up to the paleys, anon-right 1075
Hit wexeth lyk the same wight,
Which that the word in erthe spak,
Be hit clothed reed or blak; (570)
And hath so verray his lyknesse
That spak the word, that thou wilt gesse 1080
That hit the same body be,
Man or woman, he or she.
And is not this a wonder thing?'
'Yis,' quod I tho, 'by hevene king!'
And with this worde, 'Farwel,' quod he, 1085
'And here I wol abyden thee;
And god of hevene sende thee grace,
Som good to lernen in this place.' (580)
And I of him took leve anoon,
And gan forth to the paleys goon. 1090
EXPLICIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
511. P. listeth; Th. lysteth; F. Cx. listeneth; B. lystneth. 513. _All_
sely; _read_ selly (Willert). 514. Cx. Th. Scipion; F. P. Cipion; B.
Cypyon. 516. Th. Alcanore. 533. Cx. Th. P. her; F. B. the. 535. F. B. kynge
(_by mistake for_ thing). 536. Cx. Th. P. smyte; F. B. smote. Cx. Th. P.
to; F. B. of. 537. Cx. Th. P. brende; F. beende; B. bende. 543. Cx. Th. P.
at; F. B. in. 545. F. cryinge (!). 548. Cx. P. cam; F. came. 552. P. Cx.
Th. That; F. B. And. F. felynge. 557. Cx. Th. P. agast so (_but read_ so
agast); F. B. _omit_ so. 558. Cx. Th. tho; _which_ F. B. P. _omit_. 566. B.
Th. nas; F. Cx. was. 570. F. that; _the rest_ tho. 573. _All_ seynt. 575.
F. B. _omit_ hit. 592. _All_ made. 603. _All_ do; _read_ done (_gerund_).
618. goddesse _is not in the_ MSS. _The line is obviously too short._ 621.
F. Th. lytel; Cx. lytyl; B. litell; P. litil (_all wrong_); _read_ lyte.
622. Cx. P. bookes songes or ditees; Th. bokes songes and ditees; F. B.
songes dytees bookys. 635. F. B. and in; _rest_ and. 647. F. frerre (_by
mistake_). 650. Cx. Th. dwellen; P. dwelleth; F. B. dwelle. 651. F. ner; B.
nor; Cx. Th. P. ne. 653. F. ymade; B. I-made; Cx. made alle thy; Th. made
al thy; P. I-made alle thy. 658. Cx. P. daswed; F. B. dasewyd; Th. dased.
673. Cx. Th. comen; F. come. 676. F. sothe sawes; Cx. Th. P. sothsawes.
680. Cx. Th. ben; P. been; F. B. _omit_. 682. fare] Cx. Th. P. welfare.
685. Cx. Th. and; _rest om._ 696. F. B. acordes (!). 705. Cx. she; _rest_
he. 711. P. heren; _rest_ here. 715. F. and erthe; _rest omit_ and. 717.
Cx. Th. P. in; F. B. either. 723. or] F. B. or in. 727. Cx. Th. a worthy;
P. a wurthy; F. worthe a; B. worth a; _omit_ a. 739, 740. _I add_ e _in_
wighte, highte. 746. Cx. Th. vp; F. B. P. vpwarde. Cx. Th. P. _transpose_
745, 746. 755. B. it; F. _om._; Cx. Th. P. he. 764. _All_ herke; _see_ l.
725. 766. Cx. Th. spoken; P. poken (!); F. B. yspoken. 773. Cx. Th. P. As;
F. B. Of (_copied from_ l. 772). 780. Cx. Th. P. And ryght so brekyth it;
F. B. _omit this line_. 789. F. Thorwe; B. P. Throw; Cx. Th. Threwe. 794.
F. Th. B. whele sercle (_for 1st_ wheel); Cx. P. _omit the line_. (Sercle
_is a gloss upon_ wheel). 798. F. B. this; _rest_ thus. F. B. _om._ to.
800. Cx. Th. P. Causeth. 803. F. Tyl; _rest_ That. 804. F. _om._ thogh.
805. F. B. _om._ alway. 810. F. B. yspoken. 817. F. B. _om._ in. _Read_
another (Willert). 821. Cx. Th. P. at the. 823. Cx. Th. P. thou haue; F. B.
ye haue in. 827. F. And that sum place stide; B. And that som styde; Th.
And that some stede; Cx. P. _omit_ ll. 827-864. _read_ And that the
mansioun (_see_ ll. 754, 831). 830. _For_ That _read_ Than? 838. MSS. a
wey, away. 839. F. Th. B. haue before; Cx. P. _omit the line_. 853. Th. B.
this; F. thus. 859. Th. of; F. B. or. 860. _All_ ought. 866. P. to a lewde;
Cx. Th. vnto a lewde; F. t_re_alwed (!); B. talwyd (!). 872. _All omit_
Quod he; cf. ll. 700, 701. 873. P. Cx. Th. I; F. B. he. F. B. me (_for_
be). 886. P. Cx. speken; _rest_ speke. 896. Cx. Th. gan to; _rest_ to (!).
899. F. B. P. _om._ and. 911. F. B. _omit this line; for_ Seestow, Cx. Th.
P. _have_ Seest thou. _For_ toun, _all have_ token; _see_ l. 890. 912.
_From_ P.; F. B. _omit this line_. Cx. Or ought that in the world is of
spoken; Th. Or aught that in this worlde is of spoken; _see_ l. 889. 913.
F. B. _om._ I seyde. 932. F. B. _om._ the. 951. Cx. P. lete (= leet); F. B.
lat. 955. F. Cx. Iubiter. 956. F. B. fer fro; P. Cx. Th. _om._ fer. 957.
Cx. P. grete; Th. great; F. mochil; B. mochill. 961. Cx. Th. P. alway
vpper; F. B. vpper alway for. Cf. l. 884. 964. F. Th. B. _ins._ to _bef._
loken. 969. P. Cx. And; _rest om._ 973. Cx. Th. wryteth; F. writ. F. B. of
(_for_ a). 978. _So_ P. Cx.; _rest ins._ and erthe _bef._ and. 984. F. B.
Nas (_om._ he me); Th. Nas me; Cx. P. Nadde he me. 998. to] F. B. ther-to.
999. F. B. _insert_ and _before_ No. 1003. F. B. Briddes; P. Brid; Cx.
Byrd; Th. Byrde. 1007. F. Cx. Th. B. Athalantes (-ys); P. athlauntres;
_see_ note. 1014. Cx. Th. P. As; F. Alle; B. Al. 1015. Cx. P. they shynen;
F. Th. B. thy seluen (!). 1029. F. _inserts_ that _before_ soth. 1030. Cx.
Herkne; P. Th. Herken; F. B. Herke. 1034. F. B. P. _om._ lyk. 1040. Cx. Th.
P. the; F. P. a. Cx. Th. P. a; F. B. oo. 1044. F. P. beten; Th. B. byten;
Cx. greue. 1056. Th. tel; P. tell; _rest_ telle. 1057. Cx. Th. P. I wyl; F.
B. wil I. 1063. F. B. _om._ And. 1071. F. B. _ins._ now _bef._ how. 1072.
Th. the efte; Cx. the more; F. B. eft the; P. the. 1079. Cx. Th. hath so
very; P. hath so verrey; F. B. so were (!). 1080. Cx. P. That; F. B. Th.
And (!). 1088. F. Cx. Th. lerne; _read_ lernen. COLOPHON.--_From_ Cx. Th.