The MSS. are: Tn. (Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); Sh. (Shirley's MS., Harl. 78); Ff. (Ff. 1. 6, in Camb. Univ. Library); T., here used for Trin. (Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19); also Ha. (Harl. 7578). I follow F. mainly, noting all variations of importance.
Title; in B. 1. F. agoo. 2. F. hert. 3. F. worlde; woo. 5. F. purpose. 8. F. be; B. Sh. T. by. F. certeyne. 9. Sh. Ha. a tyme sought; rest sought a tyme (badly). 10. F. bespreynte. 11. F. prayen. Sh. Ha. wreke; rest awreke. 14. F. fonde; dede. 15. F. Adovne. Ha. alone supplies that. 16. F. Dede; stone; while. T. (and Longleat) a; rest om. 17. F. roose; coloure. 18. F. petously; B. pitously. B. yen; F. eyen; after which all but Sh. and Ha. insert I. 19. Sh. Ha. to; which the rest omit. 20. Sh. shoope; rest shope. F. prey; Sh. preye. 21. For nas, the MSS. wrongly have was; in both places. F. lorne; sey.
22. F. slayne; dede. 23. Tn. shulde; F. shuld. 24. F. hold; hede. 25. All but Sh. and Ha. ins. now bef. any. F. eny. 26. F. caste. Sh. Ha. sleen; F. slee. 27. F. folke redelesse. 30. F. dede. 31. F. mony. 32. F. B. omit she; the rest have it. Only Sh. and T. retain so. 33. F. besely. For ever, Ten Brink reads ay. 34. Only Sh. gives this line correctly; so Ha. (but with any for mannes). F. Sith I hadde firste witte or mynde. 35. F. dede. Sh. Ha. that; rest omit. 36. F. there; lustely. 38. F. Bounte. 39. F. beaute; iolyte. 40. F. honeste. 41. F. Wisdome. F. B. estaat; rest estate; Ten Brink rightly supplies and after Estat (sic). F. drede. 43. Ha. hadde; Sh. hade; rest had. F. honde. 44. Sh. Ha. For; rest omit. F. pittee. 45. F. when. F. fonde. 46. Sh. wolden; F. wolde. 47. F. helpe; helde. Sh. Ha. compleynt; T. cause; rest pleynte or pleynt.
48. F. folke. F. withoute; B. without; Ha. withouten. 49. F. pitee. Ha. may; Sh. ne may; rest ther may. 50. Sh. Ha. þanne leve I alle þees vertues sauf pitee; F.B. Then leve we al vertues save oonly pite; Tn. Ff. T. Then leueall vertues save onely pite. 51. F. Kepynge; herde. 52. F. Cofedered (sic). Sh. alle by bonde of (Ha. om. alle); F. Tn. B. Ff. by bonde and by; T. by bound and. 53. Sh. that; rest when. 54. F. complaynt. 55. F. Foes; Tn. foos. 57. F. highest. 59. F. youre rialle. 60. F. Youre; durst. 61. Sh. whiche he is Inne falle; rest in which he is falle: Thynne has yfal; read y-falle. 62. F. oonly. 64. The MSS. insert that after thus, except Sh. and Ha. Sh. contraire; rest contrary. 65. Sh. ageynst; F. ayenst. 66. F. beaute. 67. The MSS. omit ne. F. shulde. 68. F. bounte. 69. Sh. nowe; which the rest omit. 70. Sh. heghte (for highte); Ha. hight; Tn. is hye; F. B. T. is hygh. F. beaute apertenent. The MSS. (except Sh. and Ha.) insert your after to.
71. F. kyndely; youre. 72. Most MSS. be; Ha. been; read been (and in l. 75). 73. F. verrely; youre. 75. F. beaute. 76. Tn. Ff. Ha. wante; rest want; read wanten. F. these tweyn. 77. F. worlde. For nis, all have is. F. seyn. 78. F. Eke. 79. F. yow. 82. F. Wherfore. 86. F. fordoo. Sh. than; rest omit. 87. F. wete well; rest omit well; Tn. wyte. 88. F. Tn. B. Ff. T. insert euer after that, which Sh. rightly omits. Sh. Ha. shoulde be; rest is falle. 89. Sh. thanne; rest also. F. youre. 90. F. youre. 91. Sh. sechen to; B. sekyn to; Tn. Ff. T. seken; F. speken to (for seken to). 92. Tn. F. B. Ff. herenus; T. heremus; Sh. vertuouse (!). 93. F. yow; tendirly. 94. B. som; F. somme. F. streme. Sh. Ha. youre; which the rest omit. 95. Sh. ay; rest euer. Sh. Ha. om. the. 96. F. sothely. Sh. the hevy sore; Ha. the sore; rest so sore (which gives no sense).
97. F. kunnynge. 98. F. goddis. 100. F. lyke. 101. F. Sh. setteth; Ha. set; rest settith; see note. F. hert. 102. F. Eke. F. sydes; rest side, syde. F. where so; goo. 103. Sh. Ha. we; rest insert my before wo. 104. F. vnsoghte. 105. All omit ne; see note. 107. F. woo. 109. F. wote. Sh. al-þaughe; rest though, thogh. 110. F. B. where; rest whether. 111. All but Sh. and Ha. needlessly insert yet before my. 114. F. soo; rest foo, fo. 115. F. spirite. 116. F. youre; eny. 117. B. yet (sic) be ded; F. Tn. Ff. T. ye be yet ded (which will not scan); Sh. Ha. have a diferent line—Now pitee þat I haue sought so yoore agoo.
III. THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESSE.
The Proem.