University of Virginia Library

Printer's Copy for Stow's Chaucer
by
Bradford Y. Fletcher

Almost two centuries ago Thomas Tyrwhitt said, "It would be a waste of time to sift accurately the heap of rubbish, which was added, by John Stowe, to the Edit. of 1561. Though we might perhaps be able to pick out two or three genuine fragments of Chaucer, we should probably find them so soiled and mangled, that he would not thank us for asserting his claim to them."[1] In the course of editing MS R.3.19 in Trinity College, Cambridge, I have had an opportunity to examine Stow's work at length and can now identify most of his printer's copy and testify to the remarkable accuracy with which he reproduced it.

The 1561 Chaucer (STC 5075, 5076) is largely a bookseller's reprint of the edition of c. 1550 (STC 5071-5074).[2] At some time in the process of composition,

however, John Stow assumed "editorial" duties and added to the previous edition some twenty-four poems, many, but not all, of which he attributed to Chaucer.[3] That the project was not Stow's from the beginning may be inferred from the circumstance of his being credited only at the start of the bulk of his additions and from the confusion in foliation and running titles starting at sig. 3P2 which suggests a late change of plan. Stow's contribution may well have consisted in nothing more than putting manuscripts in his possession at the disposal of the printer, Kingston. However, from the high degree of accuracy which the edition maintains (in those cases where it can be checked) it seems more likely that the "painful antiquary" maintained a close supervision of the work.

In fact, only three of Stow's additions are now generally accepted as Chaucer's: "Gentilnesse," "A Complaint to His Lady," and "Chaucer's Wordes unto Adam, His Owne Scriveyn"; one, "Newefangelnesse," is classed by Robinson as "almost certainly Chaucer," and one, "Proverbs," as "very doubtful indeed."[4]

These twenty-four poems were (with obvious exceptions, such as The Siege of Thebes, which Stow expressly attributes to Lydgate) associated with Chaucer's name for over two hundred years until their ringing (and of course generally correct) denunciation by Tyrwhitt. The long connection of this body of verse with that of Chaucer gives it an interest beyond that generated by the intrinsic merit of the poems themselves. For instance, this is the Chaucer which Spenser knew and to which Alice S. Miskimin has recently devoted a great deal of attention in her The Renaissance Chaucer.[5] The ill repute of many of these poems is in any event surely the result of their having been unjustly maligned in an effort to dissociate them from the canon of Chaucer's (and even Lydgate's) works.[6]

That Stow relied mainly on what is now Trinity College, Cambridge, MS R.3.19 (James 599; hereafter cited as t) is an assertion which has often been made, apparently on no more evidence than Stow's ownership of that volume and the large number of duplicated items.[7] More recently Greg demonstrated that many of the manuscript attributions to Chaucer and others in t derive generally from Stow, rather than vice-versa, and Gavin Bone noted in passing that the text of The Court of Love in t has been cast off for Stow's edition and the pages smudged with compositors' thumbmarks.[8]

I have collated texts which Stow shares with t (as well as most of those which he shares with other manuscripts), and am thus in a position to supply further evidence. On the basis of this study it is clear that Stow did indeed print those added poems which he shares with t directly from that manuscript, without an intermediary transcription. Thus we may add one more instance to the small but growing number of manuscripts verified as sixteenth-century printer's copy. Further, as we know a manuscript source to only one other blackletter Chaucer,[9] Stow's editorial methods have particular interest. Finally, an examination of the editorial liberties of the 1561 Chaucer enables us to make at least some judgment of the textual authority of poems printed by Stow from now lost manuscripts such as the "Norfolk MS."[10]

There follows a poem-by-poem discussion numbered in the order the poems appear in s. The titles are Stow's, although I have not reproduced his italics.

1. "A saying of dan Jhon." sig. 3O2b

[and]

2. "Yet of the same."
14 : 2 x RR BR 3523, 3521; Utley 387[11]
Also found in: T.C.C. R.3.20 (James 600), pp. 8-9 (A Shirley MS, 1447-56, containing Stow's annotations).[12]
B.M. Addit. 29729, f. 132a (1558, belonged to Stow and in this part copied by him personally "out of the boke of John Sherley.")

Stow could not have printed from 29729 as that manuscript lacks the fifth line of the first poem; there are, on the other hand, no substantive differences between his print and R.3.20 (unless line 2, oultrage [R.3.20]; outrage [s] be one), Shirley's peculiar spelling having only been modernized: e.g., 1. beoþe] bethe s, be 29729; 4,9. aage] age s 29729; 8. beon] bene s, bien 29729; 9. vnweldy] vnwildy s, vnwyldy 29729; 10. an] and s 29729; 12. phylosofres saage] Philosophers sage s, philosefers sage 29729. There are no clear signs of the printer to be found near these poems in R.3.20; thus the case for direct

dependence can be no more than presumptive. As the print, however, reflects no significant spellings of 29729 and some of those in R.3.20 (though not particularly striking ones), the probability is high.

3. "Balade de bon consail." sig. 3O2b

7 : 1 x RR BR 1419

Also found in: T.C.C. R.3.20, p. 48 (See above).
B.M. Addit. 29729, f. 132b (Following 1 and 2 after a five-line Latin proverb and a four-line Latin and English one, MacCracken, E.E.T.S. 192, p. 708).

Stow's manuscript copy reads (wrongly) "In remembraunce" (line 7) where R.3.20 and s both read "The remembraunce." There are again no substantive differences between R.3.20 and s, and s does have many of the same spellings (although Shirley's ony [2] has become any and his soufraunce has become suffraunce), so the presumption is again strong. Shirley's manuscript is almost certainly the only authority for these three poems.

4. "A balade in the Praise and sig. 3P1b
commendacion of master Geffray Chauser for
his golden eloquence."

7: 1 x RR BR 2128

Also found in: T.C.C. R.3.19 (James 599), f. 25a (=t, 1478-83, owned by Stow who has both annotated it and transcribed several of Lydgate's "Fables" into it).
B.M. Harley 7333, f. 132b (Post c. 1450-60; derived in part from a Shirley manuscript; firmly localized in Leicestershire from roughly date of writing until Harley's purchase).[13]

The two manuscripts differ markedly (as reference to the Chaucer Society prints listed in BR will show) and need not be fully collated here. In t Stow has written "Chausers" next to this stanza, which in both copies follows the "Parlament of Foules." Stow's print differs from t only in the following substantives:

All of these are obvious corrections by Stow.

The bulk of Stow's additions begins at the end of the volume at 3P2a under the heading: "¶ Here foloweth certaine woorkes of Geffray Chauser, whiche hath not here tofore been printed, and are gathered and added to this booke by Jhon Stowe." It is only an assumption, although a reasonable one, that Stow also added the four fillers discussed above.

5. "A balade made by Chaucer, teching what is gentilnes, or whom is worthy to be caled gentil." sig. 3P2a

21 : 3 x RR (Ballade) BR 3348

Most of the eleven authorities are quickly eliminated by cursory collation except:

Brusendorff suggests in one place that Stow's text agrees with Cleo., in another that it is from a manuscript similar to the "Bradshaw Group" (the above plus B.M. Addit. 22139).[14] Pace says Stow prints from Cleo. "or a comparable lost MS."[15] Stow's print differs from both Harley and Cleo. by adding a title and by reading dreis for dresse (line 3), not for nought (13, spelling only), weare for were (14, spelling only), and is for hem (20, s in error); in the five places where Stow differs from Harley he agrees with Cleo.: where Harley reads strooke, they read stoke (s) or stocke (Cleo.) (line 1, Harley in error), where Harley reads Most they read Must (line 3, Harley in error), where Harley reads Vices, they read Vicesse (15, spelling), they read vertues where Harley reads vertouse (17), and they both retain the Explicit lacking in Harley. On the other hand, s and Harley agree against Cleo. only in maintaining the proper order of words in the refrain to the first stanza, something for which the other two stanzas of Cleo. could serve as witness were s copied from Cleo. On balance then, it seems very likely that s was copied from Cleo., and for textual purposes there is no profit to be gained from the hypothesis of a "comparable lost MS," but see the discussion of Poem 7, below.

6. "A Prouerbe agaynst couitise and negligence." sig. 3P2a

8 : 2 x 4abab BR 3914

The only similar copies are in:

George Pace has recently discussed the textual relations and has assigned independent value to s.[16] However, he bases his case on what seems to me inadequate evidence. Apart from titles, there are only two substantive variants among these three texts: 6. s myne] my FH; 7. H Who] Whoo so Fs. Pace errs in reading cher (8) in s; s reads, with all the others, ther, the t being poorly inked.[17] The turned n in distreine (rime word in line 8) seems to me of no significance. H's reading in line 7 eliminates it as a likely source of s. There is no such evidence to eliminate F as s's source. It is certainly worth pointing out, however, that the two poems which follow in s are also in F, and that s clearly does not depend on F for them.

7. "A balade whiche Chaucer made agaynst women vnconstaunt" sig. 3P2a

[Newefangelnesse]

21 : 3 x RR (Ballade) BR 2029; Utley 175

Found also in: Fairfax 16, ff. 194b-195a (see above)
Harley 7578, f. 17b
Cotton Cleopatra, D.vii, 189b

None of these three is a likely source for s. Harley omits youre (line 2), a (12), and where s and Cleo. read ye to liue haue space, Harley has I have lyue & space, and Fairfax has ye have lyves space (4). Fairfax varies independently in reading that throgh for for (1), omitting ye (2), reading thing for thinges and ay so for euer (6), and ye may well for thus may ye (7), to use the first stanza as an example. For its part, Cleo. omits al (14, 21), your (15), and reads Tandace for Candace (16). Stow varies from all the manuscripts by omitting that (11), so in eure so kene (6), and the second ye in line 19. It seems safe to say from this sampling that while s is related to Cleo. D.vii, it is certainly not copied from it and must thus be accorded independent status. This conclusion casts some doubt on the discussion of Poem 5, above.

8. "Here foloweth a balade whiche Chaucer made in þe praise or sig. 3P2a-b rather dispraise, of women for ther doublenes."

104 : 13 x MkT BR 3656; Utley 307

Since Ashmole 59 (Shirley, 1447-56) lacks stanzas eight and ten and is wildly variant (being probably a memorial reconstruction made in extreme age), B.M. Addit. 16165 (Shirley, bef. Ashmole) omits stanza eight, and Harley 7578 omits line seven, none could have been Stow's source.[18] The only remaining manuscript is Fairfax 16, ff. 199a-199*b

The following table collates those readings where s varies from Fairfax. Fairfax's reading is taken as lemma.

• 9. these] that s (probable error)
• 18. is shene] ishene s (error)
• 21. who so] who s
• 28. no] non s
• 29. So] That s (and the rest)
• 30. abytte] abieth s
• 34. Foloweth] floweth s (error)
• 38. alle her stablenesse] here al stabelnes s (and Addit.)
• 48. no tachche] now teche s (error)
• 51. slepur eele] slipper elle s
• 53. a nayle] auaile s (error)
• 56. her] their s (and frequently)
• 62. nelde] nedle s (and Harley)
• 65. Wherfore] Therfore s (and rest)
• 67. rovne] rowme s
• 72. hem hem] them s
• 78. ambes as] lombes as s
• 82. weren ful trew founde] were ful trew ifound s
• 84. hede] heere s (and others)
• 96. muste] most s
• 100. to tendure] to endure s
• 103. tassure] to assure s

Thus, while Stow's text of this poem shows clear affinities with Fairfax (and also with Harley, which but for its missing line is similar) the readings of lines 29, 38, 65, and 84 demonstrate that it derives from a now lost exemplar and should be accorded independent value in its text of "Doubleness."

9. "This werke folowinge was compiled by Chaucer and is caled sig. 3P3a-b the craft of louers."

161 : 23 x RR BR 3761

The copies in Harley 2251 and Additional 34360 (both by the same scribe; Temp. Edw. IV) have three extra stanzas at the end, and in addition join in substantive variation from t and s about ninety times, aligning with s against t only in a few clear corrections (e.g., 99, 144); see also Harley 2251 in line 107. The only other manuscript is: t, ff. 154b-156a (see above, Poem 4).

That s was set up directly from t is indicated by the notation "q 4" at the head of the poem and by smudges of printer's ink at the bottoms of ff. 154b and 155a in addition to the close agreement of their texts. Stow has written "The Craft of lovers chaucers" at the head of f. 154b, and next to the date 1448 in the last stanza has noted "Chaucer died. 1400." Instead of thinking that the date invalidated his firm attribution, he did the reverse and changed the date in the print to 1348. Although all three manuscripts contain his hand, he does not seem to have used any but t. A. S. G. Edwards and J. Hedley argue (SB, 28 [1975], 267) that Stow may have adopted "a few readings from either the Additional or Harley manuscripts." Although it is an attractive idea and is barely possible that Stow did look to one of these manuscripts when in doubt, in the five places where he joins them against t (vv. 3, 46, 99, 107, & 144; I take v. 55 to be merely spelling, and their reading of v. 61 is in error), the substitutions are so easily explained as to be very likely coincidental. The readings of vv. 99 and 144 are obvious corrections of obvious errors; and such readings as ben for be or to for unto hardly seem the sort for which one would bother to go to another manuscript. There is more sense in asserting that Stow went to another manuscript to explain "dedeyn / To haue pyte on me." This form, which means deign, is chiefly northern and relatively rare. (See MED, s.v., disdein, n.4; OED, s.v. dedeign.) The meter seems to indicate that dedeyn is both original and correct, and it is at least as likely that Stow picked up the much easier reading from A or H as that he arrived at it independently.

It is most probable that A and H, which are in the same careless hand, and t were all copied from a lost exemplar. That the two scribes worked together is seen by the presence of both hands together T.C.C. R.3.21. A list of Stow's variations from t follows, t providing the lemma, with errors indicated by an asterisk.

• 3. be] ben s
• 8. these] this* s
• 9. excellent] encellente s
• 16. intemerate] intenuate* s iunype] Jenipre s
• 30. worldly] wordly s

---

191




• 32. Carbuncle] Carboucle s
• 36. syr] sir your s
• 38. Hyt ys] It it* s
• 39. worldly] worldy s
• 45. thorough] ben throw* s (corrected in press).
• 46. ye wold dedeyn] ye wold not disdein s (with AH; substitution of common form for rare one; sense retained)
• 51. hys] this s (thus this A)
• 61. Edwards and Hedley err in saying t reads drops; it says drope with the others.
• 67. Erbe] eke* s
• 74. conuerte] couerte s (corrected in press).
• 88. carnall] cardnal s
• 94. byn] be s
• 95. lacken] lacke s
• 99. gay] gay of s (with rest; corrects error)
• 107. vnto] to s (with rest; mends meter)
• 124. mannes] mennes s
• 125. wemen] women s
• 143. hygh] hight s
• 144. creature] creatures s (with rest; corrects obvious error)
• 150. yow] your* s
• 151. hert] her* s
• 159. CCCC] CCC s (emends 1448 to 1348)
• 160. pperotent (sic)] portent s (error compounded)

10. "A Balade." [Of their nature] sig. 3P3b-4a

28 : 4 x RR BR 2661; Utley 239

Unique to t, f. 156b (following Poem 9 directly)

In the left margin at the head of the poem is again the notation "q 4." s diverges from t four times:

• 8. householdys] houshold s
• 12. wex theyr housholdes maisters] vex . . . s (spelling only?)
• 14. a] om. s
• 20. that the] þe þe s (corrected in press).

Though the first stanza of this poem also appears in one authority for "The Pain and Sorrow of Evil Marriage" (BR 919) it shows no similarity with s.

11. "The .x. Commaundementes of Loue." sig. 3P4a-b

98 : 14 x RR BR 590

t, ff. 109a-110a

Fairfax 16, ff. 184a-185b (Added to blank leaves in a late hand).

t has an inexplicable "T" in the left margin at the poem's head and a slash against the tenth stanza, in the middle of which the verso of 3P4 begins in s. Collation establishes clearly that s is a copy of t, and Fairfax, which was used as copytext by Robbins in Secular Lyrics of the XIVth and XVth Centuries (2d. ed., 1955), is a copy of s. t provides the lemma in the following collation.

• 14. oure] your sF
• 14+ s reproduces single word stanza headings; F follows, adding in addition "1. com" &c.
• 18. adulacion] adlaucion sF
• 27. theym] om. sF
• 33. ye] you sF
• 35. metyng] methyng sF
• 37. your] thy F
• 40. opteynyd] obteined sF
• 49. a] om. F
• 55. To slake] Ty slacke sF (error)
• 59. ye] you s (F returns to ye; attraction from v.58?)
• 64. womanhode] womandhod s (F corrects obvious error)
• 65. peynes] loues F
• 75. langyng] langage sF mesure . . . wysdom] transposed F
• 76. well] om. F (error)
• 82. brace] lace sF (pace Robbins)
• 84. mannys] common sF
• 89. amyble] vniable s (error); amable F (correction)
• 95. erthly] yearthly sF (spelling only)

12. "The .ix. Ladies worthie." sig. 3P4b-5a

63 : 9 x RR BR 2767; Utley 247

Unique to t, ff. 110b-111a (following Poem 11 directly)

In the left margin at the head of the poem is written "q 6." s follows t closely except in the following readings:

• 1. Prefulgent] Profulgent s
• 6. renownyd] renoumed s
• 27. beauteuous] om. s (corrects meter?)
• 29. trogeans] Logeans s (error)
• 41. and take no thurst] þat blood had thursted (emends rime?) s
• 57. that lady] the ladie s

13. "Alone walkyng . . ." [no title] sig. 3P5a

40 : 5 x 8aaabaaab ("virelay") BR 267

Unique to t, f. 160a

There is a faint mark in the manuscript over line twenty-five, which starts the second column of the page in s. Stow's print is faithful to t in all substantives and follows the spelling somewhat more closely than usual (e.g., Infortunate, 9; allegeaunce, 34).

14. "A Ballade." ["In the season of Feuerere"] sig. 3P5a-b

49 : 7 x RR BR 1562

Unique to t, f. 160a (following Poem 13 directly)

There is no printer's notation by this poem in t, however the margin has been cropped (almost certainly since Stow's time[19]) eliminating the ends of a few words and all the outside margin. In what remains, Stow differs from t four times:

• 12. whyche] om. s (error)
• 15. on] in s
• 35. hit were to me gret <. . .>] it were to me pleasaunce s
• 47. oo drope] a drop s

15. "A Ballade." ("O Mercifull and o merciable . . .") sig. 3P5b-6a

91 : 13 x RR BR 2510

Unique to t, f. 161a-b (following Poem 14 after BR 1838)

The ninth stanza (not the tenth, pace Skeat, Canon, p. 123 and BR) is omitted in s and marked in t with a crude "X," presumably by Stow; there is a large thumb print in printer's ink at the bottom of the page (offset onto f. 160b). Stow's print differs from the text in t in only six particulars (aside from the presumably intentionally missing stanza).

• 3. myght mercy] might and mercie s (corrects error)
• 27. noon] neuer s
• 36. sy] se s (spelling only?)
• 66. Haue pyte on] Pitie s (corrects meter?)
• 67. þat] & s (error)
• 68. &] þat s (error)

16. "Here foloweth how Mercurie with Pallas, Venus, and sig. 3P6a

Minarua, appered to Paris of Troie, he slepyng by a fountain."

28 : 4 x RR BR 3197

t, f. 161b (following Poem 15 directly)

Leyden, Vossius Germ. Gal. Q. 9, f. 111b (Last half XV Cent.; see J. A. van Dorsten, "The Leyden Lydgate Manuscript," Scriptorium, XV [1960], 315-325).

A late hand, almost certainly Stow's, has added thow with a caret after yeue in line seven of t. Other than that there are no clear signs of the printer in t, although Stow's print follows t quite closely as the following collation demonstrates.

• Title] none in t; V reads <. . .> Disgising Pallas Venus Mynerva (leaf damaged)
• 3. brought] ibrought V
• 7. yeue hit] giue thou it s; yeve it her V (see above)
• 7+ loquitur Primo] om. V.
• 8. yeve hit vnto me] om. vnto V
• 14+ Parisum] Paris V
• 15. yow yeve] yw yove V
• 20. I yow auyse] in your avise V
• 22. Ge Ge] Ye Ye sV (meaningless and thus not significant)
• 26. of] om. s (error?)

17. "A balade pleasaunte." ("I haue a ladie") sig. 3P6a-b

49 : 7 x RR BR 1300; Utley 95

t, f. 205a-b

Leyden, Vossius, Germ. Gal. Q. 9, ff. 110b-111a (immediately preceding Poem 16).

Aside from smudges of printer's ink at the top of f. 205a and an ambiguous slash at the beginning of the poem, there is no evidence of the printer in t. However, s varies substantively from t only in the correction of clear errors (with two possible exceptions, lines 26 and 35) and Vossius retains several curious spellings in addition to differing half a dozen times.

• Title] none in t; Balada V; A balade pleasaunte. s
• 4. wrought] i wrought V
• 11. yelow] yyleve V sonny tresse] sounitresse s [V reads is in this line where van Dorsten prints as.]
• 15. hys] her sV (t in clear error)
• 16. ys] om. V (error)
• 26. Then] That V 2d that] om. s
• 31. ay all good] <ay> al good ay V
• 35. Than] That sV (t in clear error) prudent] prudence s
• 38. werke] Warkys V
• 42. ar] om. V
• 49. I dyd] did I V

18. "An other Balade." ("O Mossie Quince . . .") sig. 3P6b

29 : 3 x RR + 1 x MkT BR 2524; Utley 226

Unique to t, ff. 205b-206a (directly following Poem 17).

There is a crude cross in the margin at the head of the poem. s leaves out stanza two (another version of Poems 1 and 2, above), but there is no certain indication in the manuscript that this is to be done. s varies from t in five places:

• 10. enbonyd (enbouyd?)] enbolned s
• 14. at] at the s
• 18. hit] is s (corrects clear error)
• 20. be] been s kylne] kill s (spelling only?)

19. "A balade warnyng men to beware of deceitptfnll sig. 3P6b

women." [sic]

42 : 6 x RR BR 1944; Utley 166

The copies in Trinity College, Cambridge, O. 9. 38 (James 1450) and Rome, English College 1306 are not possible sources for Stow.[20] There remain two manuscripts, both of which were in Stow's hands:

t, f. 207a-b (following Poem 18 after BR 2625, a well known Lydgate poem).

Harley 2251, ff. 149b-150a (See Poem 9, above).

There is an ink smudge at the foot of f. 207b in t. Other than that, there are no marks in either manuscript which could be the result of the printer. s and t are, however, quite different from H:

• 3. thyng] thynges s (modernizes)
• 6. Men deme] Myndemyth H
• 8. of wemen] in w. H (ts errs)
• 9. but geason] b. a g. H
• 12. For they feyne frendlynes & worchen treson] F. t. can f. friendles & w. by t. H
• 14. a] om. s Stanzas 3 and 4 are transposed in H.
• 15. trustyth] that t. H
• 16. last] lust H (error)
• 17. nerer then rasours or sherys] more nere t. rasour or sheere H
• 20. full] but s to] for to H
• 22. the] this H
• 24. woll] may H (would s)
• 25. do when they lak dowbylnesse] doubtful t. l. no d. H
• 26. lawgh and loue nat] om. nat H (error)
• 27. on] in H
• 29. haue] hath s
• 31. spynne] spyen H
• 32. haue] om. s (error)
• 33. asceyte] a sleite s; but a sleight H (t, if not simply in error, is considerably the harder reading; Robbins, Sec. Lyr., p. 225, errs in reading "as teyte").
• 36. thowgh all the erthe so wanne] the e. so broode and w. H
• 38. callyd ys the occianne] clepid y. occiane H
• 39. tornyd in to] tourned to H then] t. is H
• 40. Euery] Eche H yche man] echema H (error)
• 41. Nat cowde then wryte] N. c. thei w. s; om. then H (t and H err separately)
• 42. eteth] ete H

The partial concurrence of s with H in line thirty-three does not seem, under the circumstances, weighty enough evidence on which to hypothesize a lost manuscript as Stow's source. Stow was almost certainly set up from t.

20. "These verses next folowing were compiled by Geffray sig. 3Q1a-b

Chauser and in the writen copies foloweth at the ende of the complainte of petee."

177: various stanza forms misunderstood in all copies.

BR 3414

B.M. Addit. 34360, ff. 51a-53a (see Poem 9, above).

B.M. Harley 78, ff. 82a-83b (these leaves in Shirley's hand).

Harley 78 is a composite volume put together by Stow;[21] Addit. 34360 was also once in his hands. Skeat and later Brusendorff suggest that s cannot be derived from H because of readings in lines 12 (where s agrees with A) and 94 (where s varies alone in a manner Brusendorff thinks characteristic of Shirley) and the position of lines 88-89 at the end of a stanza (as in A) when they should begin one were s following H.[22] Brusendorff hypothesizes a lost Shirleian codex on this evidence together with that supplied by the unique Shirleian texts preserved in Stow's partially holograph Addit. 29729. With reference to this poem, such an hypothesis is unlikely on its face. True, Stow's print retains Shirleian spellings (as do both manuscripts),[23] but it varies from H only twenty-some times in 117 lines, and the majority of these are trivial or obvious errors, and Shirley is famous as a copyist whose versions of individual poems differ from each other markedly.[24] Thirteen of Stow's variations are obvious trivial errors or are not clearly substantive (lines 1, 11, 31, 32, 40, 50, 54, 55, 91, 96, 99, and 102 in the collation below), and the rest can all be read as emendations which modernize H, make it more explicit, improve its rime, and even reflect inability to read Shirley's hand (lines 12, 56, 67, 82, 94, 107, 109, and 110).

It therefore seems most likely that s and A were both copied from H, the copy in A being made before that fragment lost the leaf containing the final stanza, as A is the sole authority for it. To suppose otherwise would require the unlikely coincidence that both H and the lost Shirley thought to be Stow's source each contained the final stanza on a separate leaf and each lost that leaf.

The argument that the assignment of lines 88-89 to the end of a stanza in sA and to the beginning of one in H requires the hypothesis of a lost manuscript is invalidated by the presence in H of early corrections (not noted in the Chaucer Society transcriptions) which bring H's stanza form into accord with sA. It is not unreasonable to suppose that these corrections antedate both A and s.

There remain to be considered only three readings in which s and A agree against H. In line 12, where H reads "wight þat wil me woe byreve," sA both read ". . . my wo . . . ." "My" seems the temptingly easier reading, as the MED cites only H as evidence for a double object in this sense, s.v., bireven, 3.c. In line 82 sA join in reading "loueth" where H has "leueþe," but inspection of H makes clear that Shirley's "e" and his "o" are much alike and in the particular instance a misreading of "o" for "e" is easy; A

makes the same error again in line 112. Finally in line 117 both s and A normalize to a dominant form which even occurs elsewhere in the same line.

Thus, although there has been no casting off for the printer in H that I can see now on film, it is reasonable to suggest that s was in fact set up from it, particularly in the light of such misreadings as that in line 82. Except for the final stanza, where we must rely on the generally poor work of the scribe of A,[25] H is our sole authority for the poem. In the collation which follows, H provides the lemma.

• 1. creature] reature s (trivial)
• 2. as] om. A
• 11. and] an s leve] love A
• 12. me woo] my wo sA (see text)
• 21. I see] om. A (error)
• 22. no wyse] in no w. A
• 23. wol] wil A
• 27. is] ie A (sic)
• 31. Bette] Better A an] a s
• 32. woldes] worldes s; worldis A (spelling only?)
• 36. fury] firy A
• 40. truwe] trwe s; trewe A (spelling only)
• 43. þat] om. A
• 50. is] si s (sic)
• 54. Myn] Mynt s
• 55. truwly] ruly s (sic) as] and A feele] fel s; fele A
• 56. Me] My s
• 62. whylest] while A
• 67. leest worthy] best w. s
• 70. best] om. A
• 76. living þane [me]] t.l. A; l.t. s
• 79. doon you] y. d. A
• 81. beseche you] besechen 'you' A
• 82. leueþe] loueth sA be] beth A
• 86. may] wil A
• 91. shoule] should s; shul A
• 94. For I am sette on yowe in suche manere] F. I am s. so hy vpon your whele s
• 96. als] as s
• 99. loven] loue s
• 102. gentilesse] gentelnes s; gentilnesse A
• 107. ye] om. A (error) a] om. s
• 109. þis] thus s
• 110. That þer euer (corrected from What þat?] That euer s
• 112. Leueþe] Loveth A sleeþe] sle A
• 113. I] om. A
• 114. [so] verrayly] om. so s
• 117. Als] As sA truwe to be] triewe triewly A
• 117+. A adds a ten-line stanza.

21. "A balade declaring that wemens chastite Doeth moche sig. 3Q1b-3Q2a

excel all treasure worldly"

63 : 9 x RR BR 1592 Utley 142

Unique to t, ff. 2b-3a (with a tenth stanza not in s)

In t this poem occurs with a few small ink smudges (e.g., in the right margin next to stanza nine) and an "X" in the left margin next to stanza ten. There is also an arrow at line fourteen which begins column two in s. These seem sufficient evidence that s was copied from t. The two spell much alike as well (e.g., regioune, regionne, 31; remorce, 45). t provides the lemma in the following collation of the two.

• 4. freelte] fraelte s (spelling)
• 5. wysely] wifely s (correction)
• 9. Or] For s (error)
• 11. Reame] realme s
• 22. hys] thys s (corrected in press)
• 29. A] I s
• 40. ys] nis s (s more archaic) ne] me s (corrected in press)

• 41. ne] me s (corrected in press)
• 46. when] which s
• 48. Emeraude] emerand s (corrected in press to emeraud).
• 58. tyranny] tyranyes s Stanza 10] om. s [26]

22. "The Court of Loue." sig. 3Q2a-3R3a

1422 : 206 x RR BR 4205

Unique to t, ff. 217a-234b

As noted above, Bone discovered that t was cast off as copy fors.[27] There is no need to rehearse his evidence here in detail. There are two series of pencil marks, one correcting the other so that the poem ends evenly at the foot of a page. Bone also mentions markings "for an edition with exactly forty-nine lines (seven stanzas) to a page—an edition which I have been unable to trace. . . . [These markings] look late and I should not like to base any conclusion on them. They may even be preliminary calculation for the edition of 1561." Bone's last guess is undoubtedly correct. s has precisely seven stanzas to the column, where the arrangement is not upset by a large initial or title. The "k" which Bone notes on f. 229b against stanza 139 is a poorly made "R" and indicates where the 3R gathering would have begun had fourteen lines been used for the title and three large initials in the preceding text. In fact, twenty-one lines were so used, so 3R starts with stanza 138. We need look no longer for an edition in seven-stanza pages.

While Stow reproduces many clear manuscript errors, his print is remarkable for the very small number of new errors introduced. In the following collation, readings which are clear errors in either copy are designated by an asterisk;[28] generally the list is confined to clearly substantive variation. Stow's reading follows that of t, and the line numbering of the Oxford Chaucer is used where there is any ambiguity.

• 8. blosmes] blosomes s
• 36. myne] my s
• 37. to] to to* s
• 57. be] by s
• 63. thaim] than* s
• 77. stone] stones s
• 97. discrive] descrie* s
• 130. seen] sen s
• 143. weneth*] wõneth* s
• 150. B in*] But in s
• 177. ioylof] ialous* s
• 188. se] the sea s
• 189. that*] Then s
• 194. on many an] an m. on* s
• 211. the] that s
• 224. gan] can s
• 235. inpenytyng*] inpeinting s
• 239. stonyed] astonied s
• 285. Of] Or* s with] is* s
• 294. Though] Thought* s
• 299. her] their s
• 308. (1st) and] om. s
• 317. same*] the same s

---

198




• 329. by] there by s
• 334. bod*] bed s
• 337. VIte] VI s
• 353. attendaunce] enttendaunce s
• 356. surmountyng] surmouning s fire*] faire s
• 365. discerne*] to d. s
• 366. By twene thy] Betwne the s
• 376. yf] giue s
• 377. yo*] is s
• 381. kowigh] couche s shou] showe s (Skeat reads shon and emends knowe to con for rime).
• 389. thou] then s
• 392. be no] not be s
• 396. think*] thing s
• 414. so] se* s
• 426. (2d) and] om. s
• 434. appetide felawe] appetite folowe s
• 441. come] came s
• 464. thy] thyne s
• 472. forto] to s
• 480. alway] waie* s
• 483. the*] thei s
• 490. savioure] soueraine s
• 495-6. s transposes to correct order.
• 495. revowe] renewe s
• 506. Clepes*] Cleped s
• 508. cherely] clerely s
• 516. forto] to s
• 519. loves*] leaues s
• 546. the] their s
• 548. Or] Of s
• 552. Or] For s
• 555. sike*] seke s
• 593. loves] louers s
• 595. (2d) woman*] man s
• 611. celcitude] celicitude s
• 614. Compersion] Comparison s
• 632. Lucorne] Licour* s
• 634. vse*] vre s
• 637. into] in s
• 640-41. s transposes to correct order.
• 643. to me*] me aie s
• 663. by] be s
• 684. in*] I s
• 695. fore*] force s
• 710. Asshke* (pace Skeat)] Asken* s
• 714. womanhode] womanhedde s
• 732. spede] speke s
• 733. mir and ioye*] mirrour ioye* s
• 747. think*] thanke s
• 749. the*] thei* s
• 758. With] Where s
• 762. A] I* s
• 770. you*] yeue s
• 779. was] as* s
• 782. loveliessh] liuelishe s
• 829. of] of all s
• 843. I*] ye s
• 860. LOVE] loues s
• 862. (1st) and] om. s vre] houre* s blisse] bilsses
• 875. This] Thus s
• 880. most] muste s
• 884. refuce] refute s
• 893. well] well to s
• 901-3. s orders properly.
• 907. disposicion] dispocion s
• 909. nete*] ne wote s
• 910. hete*] hote s
• 914. For*] Fro s
• 928. growen*] greuen s
• 950. serchynne] serchen s
• 956. lawly] lowly s
• 968. rightwose] rightwise s
• 1012. quod I*] (quod I) s
• 1038. dysseyue<d>[ne] (paceSkeat)] disseiue ne s
• 1039. Throwest] Trowest s
• 1078. stynte] sint* s
• 1146. om. t (no gap) s supplies But now we dare not shew' nor self in place (corrected in press to Shew our).
• 1155. Than noy] That nye s
• 1173. in] om. *s
• 1186. forth] for s
• 1222. ded] did s
• 1231. myne] om. s
• 1233. the*] this s
• 1246. That*] Than s
• 1253. soiorne*] soioure s
• 1299. yerne*] so y. s
• 1324. shyne*] shrine s
• 1325. eke*] eare s
• 1327. blak*] brake s
• 1330. thus] this s
• 1335. taken*] thanken s
• 1362. come] came s
• 1369. thus*] this s
• 1370. Domine este] Domini est s
• 1386. lustes] lust s
• 1432. bleme] blome s
• 1440. many fold] m. a f. s

Manifest errors introduced by Stow are not many more than the silent emendations of Skeat.

23. "Chaucers woordes vnto his owne Scriuener." sig. 3R3b

7 : 1 x RR BR 120

As the copy in C.U.L. Gg.4.27 is modern, there is but one MS authority:

T.C.C. R.3.20 (James 600), p. 367 (See Poems 1 and 2 above).

There are no certain printer's marks in the manuscript; therefore we can no more than presume, as in numbers one and two, on the basis of verbal closeness and historical possibility that Stow copies from it. In the following collation Stow's readings follow those of R.3.20.

• Title. Chauciers wordes a Geffrey vnto Adame his owen scryveyne] (for s see above)
• 1. scryveyne] Scriuener s
• 2. wryten] write s
• 3. most] must s
• 4. makyng] mockynge s (corrected in press)

24. "Here beginneth the Prologue, of the storie of Thebees." sig. 3R4a-3U8b

4716 : 2358 x Coup. BR 3928

Erdmann and Ekwall knew of twenty-four authorities for Thebes, including de Worde's ca. 1495 print (STC 17031) and Christchurch 152 (see E.E.T.S., e.s., 125, Appendix). In their final opinion s is an independent authority, which, however, shows conflation, particularly in the first four hundred lines, from de Worde. [29] I have not had the opportunity to collate all of the seven manuscripts which have come to light since 1929. St. John's 256 can be ruled out as it was copy for de Worde and is followed relatively closely by him.[30] Boston Public Library 94 is not similar to s, a cursory collation shows. This leaves Morgan 4,[31] Durham Cosin V. ii.14, University of Texas, Austin (olim Brudenell, olim Cardigan),[32] Coventry Corp. Record Office,[33] and olim Campbell. Should one of these manuscripts reveal itself as the primary source for s, we shall be in the very interesting position of being able to chronicle the process of conflation for all but those parts of the poem missing in de Worde through loss of three leaves in the unique copy.

General Comments

Throughout Stow's print, spelling is modernized and to some slight extent regularized. For instance, he regularly prints "i" for vocalic "y," regularizes somewhat the use of "u" and "v," adds or deletes final "e" (with no discernible system), doubles single consonants (and vice versa), regards "o" and "ou," "e" and "ea," and "ai" and "ey" as equivalent. All these changes are very much as might be expected and are, of course, very unlikely to represent Stow's personal influence.

Less expected is the generally high substantive accuracy of his print. In the 2170 lines of verse which Stow took from t, he varies substantively less than 200 times. In three or fourscore cases he corrects clear errors in t, and in a slightly smaller number of cases he introduces errors of his own which distort the text. We are therefore justified in placing considerable reliance on the texts in Stow which are independent, and may assume that his print of the Norfolk manuscript is faithful. This high degree of accuracy coupled with the vague nature of the directions to the printer in t suggests that Stow was in very close contact with the printer's shop, perhaps even present during the actual composition. There are very few places where emendations have been supplied in t in a hand even remotely resembling Stow's (e.g., Poem 16, line 7). The hypothesis of such close contact fits well with the way in which the poems seem to have been added. After having introduced the first four poems (28 lines in all) as fillers, he adds four poems from (probably) various manuscripts. He then takes up t to print two poems which occur together amongst the eighteen in the first fascicle, two poems from the three in the seventh fascicle (omitting La Belle Dame sans Mercy, already in Thynne), and four poems which occur sequentially in the first fascicle (omitting BR 1838 which borrows heavily from the Craft of Lovers, already printed). He then jumps to the tenth fascicle and prints three of its nine poems (omitting Lydgate's Horns, which comes between the second and the third). Then, after adding "A Complaint to his Lady" (Poem 20) from the leaves which are now bound in Harley 78, he notes a space to be filled before the beginning of the Court of Love, which on account of its size was surely set up separately, and fills it with another poem from the first fascicle of roughly correct size. There remained only one more filler from R.3.20 and the Siege (which was also surely set up separately).

Stow demonstrates some sophistication by returning to T.C.C. R.3.20 rather than using his own copy of that manuscript in the case of poems one through three. I can find no evidence that his textual sophistication extended to collation as a basis for stop press corrections however. Such corrections as my selective check of STC 5076 reveals appear to be the result of no more than a haphazard reading for sense. It would be unreasonable to expect more of Stow than the enlightened fidelity which he already gives his manuscript sources.

Similarly, there is no convincing evidence that Stow went to secondary manuscripts (except possibly in the case of Thebes according to Erdmann and Ekwall) to supply readings which his own invention could give him. In the case of Poems 9 and 20, for instance, he does not pick up extra stanzas at the ends of the copies in manuscripts he is known to have been acquainted with.

Of the poems in t Stow has generally chosen the more courtly and secular to include as Chaucer's. He seems to have had some notion forty years before the publication of his Lydgate canon in Speght's Chaucer of what sort of verse was Lydgate's, as he carefully avoids almost a dozen of Lydgate's poems in t. But whether he actually believed that all the poems he attributes to

Chaucer in his blanket heading were his is a question which remains unanswered. On subjective grounds I am inclined to believe that we may understand that the careful historian had in mind the notion "school of Chaucer."

To sum up the state of our knowledge with regard to Stow's additions, we may say with confidence that fourteen of them were taken directly from t (4, 9-19, and 21-22), with reasonable certainty that four were taken from T.C.C. R.3.20 (1-3, and 23), and with less certainty that one each was taken from Cotton Cleopatra D.vii (5), Fairfax 16 (6), and Harley 78 (20). Finally, in two cases (7, 8) Stow's print is certainly itself an authority and one (24) awaits a further investigation.

Notes