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I
There are three manuscripts and two black letter editions of the Craft of Lovers extant:[2]
- C: Trinity College, Cambridge MS R.3.19, ff. 155r-156v.
- A: British Museum Additional MS 34360, ff. 73v-77r
- H: British Museum MS Harley 2251, ff. 52r-54v
- S1: Stowe's edition (1561)
- S2: Speght's edition (1598)
CCCCxl & viii yere folowyng
Ffoure hundred fifty and ix yere folwyng
- 1. C theyr: AH these
- 18. C to sores langorous: A to my infirmatys langouris: H and myn infirmynat langoures
- 26. C So gloryously glad langage ye contrive: AH So curiously your eloquence ye contryve
- 34. C your lovely: AH in
- 51. C hys curious supplicacion: A thus this curyous supplication: H this curious glosed supplicacion
- 57. C and countenaunce: AH in substaunce
- 68. C Remembre man what chaunge ys perlylouse: AH To helth [H help] of man a chaunce most perilous
- 73. C jhesu syttyng: AH whiche sittith
- 83. C should be to: A plese shuld: H please
- 91. C I must be chyef callyd to remebraunce: AH Wherfore I must be registred in your remembraunce
- 98. C for drede: AH in lesse
- 112. C or drede syr ye be shent: AH and ye shal nat be shent
- 120. C notable: AH benyngne
- 126. C am aferde or: AH stonde in feere lesse that
- 140. C maydenhode shuld be: AH my virgynite were
- 147. C And graciously take me to: AH And finally registre and take me in
- 157. C profer: AH dispute
Stowe had access to all three manuscripts, conceivably at the time when he was preparing his edition.[4] But a collation of S1 against the manuscripts reveals that in all the instances noted above (and extensively elsewhere) S1 follows C against AH.
But there are slight indications that Stowe adopted readings from either A or H which he found superior to C. The following is a complete list of readings in S1 which occur in A and/or H and not in C:
- 3. C be: AHS1 ben
- 46. C wold: AHS1 add not
- 55. C bondes: AHS1 boundes
- 61. C drops: AHS1 drope
- 99. C gay: AHS1 add of
- 107. CA vnto: HS1 to
- 144. C creature: AHS1 creatures
There remain however a number of unique readings in S1. The full list is:
- 8. C these: S1 this
- 16. C intemerate: S1 intenuate
- 36. C syr: S1 adds your
- 39. C worldly: S1 worldy
- 67. C erbe: S1 eke
- 88. C carnall: S1 cardnal
- 95. C lacken: S1 lacke
- 143. C hygh: S1 hight
- 150. C yow: S1 your
- 151. C hert: S1 her
- 159. C CCCC . . . : S1 CCC . . .
- 160. C prepotent: S1 portent
In sum then it seems clear that Stowe based his edition of the Craft of Lovers on Trinity R.3.19. There is some indication that he did adopt a few readings from either the Additional or Harley manuscripts. It also seems that in one case he employed his editorial role to suppress evidence that conflicted with his wish to attribute the poem to Chaucer. There is no logical necessity for assuming he had access to any additional manuscripts.
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