W.—Wadham Coll. Oxf. 13, Confessio Amantis and Traitié, the latter imperfect at the end.
K.—In the library of J. H. Gurney, Esq., Keswick Hall, Norwich, with the same contents as F.
A.—Lord Middleton’s MS., at Wollaton Hall.
The Traitié has been twice printed: first by the Roxburghe Club from the Trentham MS.[L], and then by Dr. Stengel, in both cases with the Cinkante Balades. The German editor unfortunately took as the basis of his text the copy in B, which is much inferior in correctness to those of several other MSS. which were within his reach[M]. He has also in many cases failed to give a correct representation of the MS. which he follows, and his collation of other copies is incomplete.
The text of the present edition is based upon that of F, which is at least as good as any of the three other copies which I have called contemporary, and has the advantage over two of them that it is perfect, whereas they have each lost a leaf. These four are so nearly on the same level of correctness that it matters little on other grounds which of them we follow. A full collation is here given of T, S and G, and the readings of B are occasionally mentioned. H and K are probably dependent on F. Tr. is a moderately good copy, closely connected with B, but in view of the excellence of the other materials it is not worth collating; A is a manuscript of the same class, but rather less correct. Finally the text of W, which is late and full of blunders, may be set down as worthless.
MIROUR DE L’OMME
OR
SPECULUM HOMINIS
Cy apres comence le livre François q’est apellé Mirour de l’omme, le quel se divide en x parties, c’est assavoir:
¶ la primere partie est coment de la malice du diable pecché fuit conceu, et de la maldite progenie des vices, qe puis de lui nasquirent, dont le frele homme a grant peril de noet et jour par forte guerre toutdys est assailli.
¶ la seconde partie est coment resoun fuit conjoint al alme, dont les vertus morals por l’omme defendre sont deinz la conscience par la divine grace inspirez et fraunchement engendrez.
¶ la tierce partie est por considerer parentre d’eux l’estat des hommes sur terre, especialment de les haltz prelatz, ovesque lour archediaknes, officials, deans et autres, q’ont la governaunce de l’espiritiele cure, et sount lumere et essample de bien et d’onest vie.