44. Tyrwhitt says that, after this verse, some MSS. (as Camb. Dd. 4. 24,
Ii. 3. 26, and Egerton 2726) have the six lines following:--
'Of whiche I have pyked out the beste
Both of here nether purs and of here cheste.
Diverse scoles maken parfyt clerkes,
And diverse practyk in many sondry werkes
Maken the werkman parfyt sekirly;
Of five husbondes scoleryng am I.'
He adds--'if these lines are not Chaucer's, they are certainly more in his
manner than the generality of the imitations of him. Perhaps he wrote them,
and afterwards blotted them out. They come in but [293] awkwardly here, and
he has used the principal idea in another place:--
For sondry scoles maken sotil clerkes;
Womman of many scoles half a clerk is'; E. 1427.
I beg leave to endorse Tyrwhitt's opinion; the six lines are certainly
genuine, and I therefore repeat them, in a better spelling and form.
Of whiche I have y-piked out the beste,
Bothe of hir nether purs and of hir cheste.
Diverse scoles maken parfit clerkes;
Divers praktyk in many sondry werkes
Maketh the werkman parfit sekirly;
Of fyve housbondes scolering am I.