1334
This was my sweven; now hit is doon.
Explicit the Boke of the Duchesse.
The MSS. are: F. (Fairfax 16); Tn. (Tanner 346); B. (Bodley 638); the fourth authority is Th. (Thynne's edition of 1532). I follow F. mainly, and note all but very trifling variations from it. B. usually agrees with F.
Title: in F. 1. Tn. gret; F. grete. Th. by; F. Tn. be. 5. Tn. Th. defaute; F. defaulte. 6. All take no kepe. 8. Tn. Th. lefe (read leef); F. leve. 9. Tn. Th. good; F. goode. 10. Tn. Ioye; F. Ioy. 11, 12. F. no thynge, thynge. 14. All sorwful (badly); read sory. 15. F. hooly. 16. F. woote; Th. B. wote; Tn. wotte; read wite. 19. For To perhaps read Unto. F. ertherly (miswritten). 21. All be. 22. Th. Tn. B. ne (2nd time); F. no.
23. All this. 24. All drede. 25. Th. Tn. Defaute; F. Defaulte. 26. Th. slayne; Tn. slain; F. omits. 27. F. loste. Tn. omits ll. 31-96; F. has them in a later hand (the spelling of which I amend). 32. F. nathles whoe 33. F. trewly. 34. F. tell. 35. Th. sothe; F. southe (!) F. trewly. 36. F. hold it; Th. holde it; read hold-ë hit. F. sicknes. 38. F. boote. 39. Th. F. For ther. (phisicien = fízishén). F. one. 40. F. heale; done. 41. F. vntill efte. 42. F. mote. Th. nede; F. nedes. F. lefte. 43. F. mater. 44. Th. So whan; F. Soe when. F. sawe. 45. Th. Tyl nowe late: F. Til now late; but probably corrupt. 46. F. sate. 47. F. bade one. F. booke. 48. F. it; Th. he it. F. toke. 50. F. thought; beter. 51. F. play; Ten Brink reads playen. 52. F. written.
53. F. had. 56. F. While. Th. of; F. in (copied from line above). 57. F. boke. Th. spake; F. speake (read spak). 58. F. kings. 59. Th. smale: F. smalle. 60. Th. al; F. all. F. fonde. 61. F. thought. 62. F. There. 63. F. hight. Th. Seys; F. Seyes. F. had. F. wife. 64. Th. beste; F. best. F. might beare lyfe. 65. F. hight. 66. F. Soe it befill thereafter. 67. F. woll; Th. wol. 70. Perhaps read gan aryse. 71. F. brake. (hir=their). F. maste; fal. 72. Th. her; F. ther (see line above). F. dreint; all. 73. Th. F. founde (error for founden). 74. F. Borde. 75. Th. Seys; F. Seyes. F. life. 76. Th. F. Now for to speke of Alcyone his wyfe; read: Now for to speken of his wyf. F. wife. 79. Th. F. Home; it. 80. Th. Anon; F. Anone. Th. F. began (error for gan). Th. F. yerne (error for erme); see note.
81. F. thought. 82. F. It; wele; thought soe. Both her thought so, caught from l. 81; read he dwelte (delayed). 83. F. soe. 84. F. it. 85. F. tell. Th. hertely; F. hartely. F. life. 86. Th. F. she had; I omit she, and supply alas from l. 87. 87. Th. and F. insert alas after him. 88. F. Anone; sent. 91. F. where. 92. Th. nyl; F. will. F. eate breede. 94. Th. lorde; F. Lord. 95. F. toke. 96. F. trewly; booke. 97. The older hand recommences in F. F. had; Tn. I Had. F. suche (twice). F. pittee. 100. F. And aftir; but Th. Tn. B. omit And. 101. All this lady (for she; badly). 102. F. myght; lorde. 103. F. ofte; sayed. 104. F. woode. 105. F. rede. 106. F. doune; sate. 107. All wepte (read weep). F. pittee. 109. Th. to; which F. Tn. omit. 110. F. Helpe; B. Help.
112. F. Soone. Tn. B. wite; F. Th. wete. 114. F. yowe. 116. Th. Tn. B. good wyl; F. good wille (wil is here a monosyllable). 117. F. wilte. 118. Tn. Send; Th. F. Sende. 119. Th. som; F. somme. 120. Th. through; F. thorgh. F. knowe. 121. F. lorde; quyke; ded. 122. F. worde; henge; hed. 123. Th. Tn. fel; F. felle (see l. 128). F. A swowne, Tn. a swowe (for a-swowen = a-swown); Th. in a swowne. F. colde; Tn. cold. 124. F. kaught; anoon. 127. Tn. dede; F. ded. All slepe. 128. F. tooke. All kepe. 129. Th. Through; F. Throgh. F. herde. 130. I supply for. 131. Th. Tn. prayde; F. prayede; after which all insert right (but see next line). 134. F. come. 137, 138. All slepe, kepe. F. vnderstonde; take.
141. Tn. B. alle; F. al. 142. Th. He; F. Tn. That he. F. kynge. 144. Tn. B. Bid; F. Bud. 145. Th. Alcyone; F. Tn. Alchione. 146. Th. alone; F. allone. 149. After speke all insert right (see next line). 150. All woned. 151. Tn. on; F. a. 152. F. hye the. 153. F. toke; went. 154. Th. he (for ne). F. stent. 155. Tn. com; F. come. F. valey. 156. Th. bytwene; F. betwex; Tn. betwix. F. twey. 157. F. corne. 158, 159. All noght (for nothing). F. oughte. 162. F. dedely; Th. deedly; Tn. dedli. 166. F. There these; lay. 167. Th. F. B. Eclympasteyre (as in text); Tn. Etlympasteyre (with t for c). 168. Tn. heire; F. eyre. 169, 170. F. werke, derke.