Part 107

24*-92*. For this variation see the Introduction. The text of B, which is here followed, is as good as any other, but none of the copies which give the passage are thoroughly good in spelling, and the text has in this respect been slightly normalized. A and E are here defective, and J, which is the best available MS., has eccentricities of spelling (‘Richardus,’ ‘wyche,’ ‘hyt,’ ‘hys,’ ‘aftur,’ ‘resonabul,’ ‘ȝef,’ ‘be heste,’ ‘be ginne,’ &c.), which make it rather unsuitable as a basis for the text. It will be found however that J and B mutually correct each other to a great extent, and we have also MGRCL as additional witnesses of a respectable character. Thus in regard to some of the variations in spelling from B we have as follows:--

24* bok J

25 belongeþ MC

27* euere JML

31* Preiende G Preiend MCL

36* betyde (betide) GCL

40* be JML

43* f. nyh: syh (sih) JL

47* f. seid: leyd J

49* besinesse J

51* boke JM

52* myhte loke J

53* f. wrytinge: comandinge J

55* herte JMGCL

59* wiþoute GC

62* non JGC

65* handleþ JMGL

66* preye (preie) JMGCL heuene JMG

69* befalle J

75* bit JMCL

80 longe JML

82* bok J

87* begynneþ (beginneþ) ML

89* f. bok: tok J

92* begynne MCL.

34* ff. A very loosely constructed sentence. It means apparently, ‘I consider how it befell, as a thing destined then to come to pass, namely that as on Thames I came rowing by boat &c., I chanced to meet my liege lord.’ The disorder in which the clauses are thrown together is a feature which we shall notice elsewhere in our author’s style. ‘The toun of newe Troye’ is of course London, supposed to have been founded by Brut of Troy, whence was derived ‘Britain,’ the ‘insula Bruti’ of the opening lines.

52*. loke, ‘examine’: cp. ii. 733, vi. 1959.

65*. There is here a corruption which affects all the existing copies. The various readings are given in the critical notes, and evidently ‘outkrong’ is that which has most support. I conjecture that the author wrote ‘onwrong,’ i.e. ‘awrong,’ which being an unusual word suffered corruption at the hand of the first transcriber, the ‘w’ being mistaken, as it easily might be, for ‘tk’: cp. Chaucer, H. of Fame, ii. 403, where ‘tokne’ is apparently a corruption of ‘towne.’