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Order of stanzas
The transmission of the poem is characterised by a remarkable, and at first sight chaotic, degree of variation in the sequence of stanzas. Taking as our point of reference the line-order of BLh19 and VAd43, which is probably that of the lost B-version ancestor, we find the following variants.
- BLh17: 1-24, 24.1-24.8, 29-32, 25-28, 57-60, 33-36, 45-48, 41-44, 49-56, 65-72, 61-64, 73-76
- Od8/I: 1-16, 29-32, 17-24, 24.1-24.8 [marg.], 57-60, 49-56, 73-76, 61-64
- Od8/2 (the "Additions"): 33-36, 36.1-36.4, 25-28, 28.1-28.32, 81-92, 92.1-92.4, 65-72, 41-44, 37-40, 40.1-40.4
- OSe15-marg: 28.13-28.16.
A version:
- BLh19: 1-92
- Np42: 1-7, 12, 9-20, 25-28, 21-24, 29-92 [line 12 appears twice]
- Of15: 1-56, 61-92
- OSe15: 1-36, 41-72, 28.13-28.16 [marginal in second hand], 73-92[8]
- Pt2: 1-32, 37-92
- V90: 1-32, 37-40, 33-36, 41-48, 53-56, 49-52, 57-92 [both pairs of inverted stanzas reordered by marginal numbers]
- VAd43: 1-92
- 03: 1-32, 37-40, 33-36, 41-92
B version:
253
It should be remembered that the sources listed are the survivors of many times that number. The fact that the term "signior" became accepted as a euphemism for dildo indicates that knowledge of the 1673 version was much more widespread than the one remaining pre-1690 transcript would suggest.[9] Of course, this may have happened through hearing the piece sung rather than reading it.
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