Chastyse the révers, and of wysdom do this,
Withdraw your hering from al that deme amis.
From Th. (Thynne's edition, 1532); collated with Ff. (MS. Ff. 1. 6, Camb. Univ. Library). Another copy in H. (Harl. 2251). 1. H. with; Ff. wiht; Th. om. 2. Ff. H. estat; Th. estate. Th. om. that. 3. Th. stronge. 4. Ff. avisee; H. avice; Th. besy. 5. Th. Ff. dome; H. doome. Th. sothe. H. mayst; Th. Ff. may. Th. Ff. flye; H. flee. 6. H. that; rest om. Ff. H. do; Th. doste. Th. om. right. 7. H. Ff. deme; Th. say. 8. Ff. port; Th. porte. Th. thyne. 9. All cladde. Ff. H. or; Th. and. Ff. beseyn; Th. be sayne. 10. Ff. Anon; Th. Anone (and so in other places I correct the spelling by the MSS.). 12. All made. 13. Th. H. om. right. 14. Ff. H. deme; Th. say. 15. Ff. H. wylt; Th. wolde. Ff. H. equipolent; Th. equiuolent. 16. Ff. H. grete; Th. great. 17. Ff. to-torn; Th. H. torn. 19. Ff. H. Thou; Th. That thou. 20. Th. H. om. right. 21. Ff. H. deme; Th. say.
22-35. So in H.; Th. Ff. transpose ll. 21-28 and 29-35. Th. fayre and; Ff. H. om. and. H. excellyng; Ff. Th. excellent. 23. Ff. H. Than; Th. Yet. All amerous. 24. All foule. 26. Ff. H. peple of; Th. peoples. 27. So Ff.; Th. H. Suffre al their speche and truste (H. deme) wel this. 28. Ff. H. deme; Th. say. 29. Ff. And yif hit falle; Th. If it befal. 30. Insert Than; see l. 23. 31. Ff. Thou art euer lykkely to lyue in stryve. 32. Ff. alleggement. 33. Ff. H. be maistres; Th. hem maystren. 34. So Ff.; Th. suffren their speche; om. right. 35. Ff. H. deme; Th. say. 36. H. And if; Ff. And yif; Th. If. H. it; Th. Ff. om. Th. that thou; Ff. H. om. thou. 37. Ff. H. Thou hast; Th. Haue. 39. Ff. H. Say; Th. That. Th. tengendre; Ff. to gendre. 40. Ff. Th. chaste. Ff. dyslave (better deslavee); Th. delauie. 41. Th. H. om. right. 42. Ff. H. deme; Th. say. 43. Th. om. And. 44. Th. H. om. that. 45. Th. H. deuourer; Ff. devowrer (better devourour). 46. Ff. H. lene or megre; Th. megre or leane. 47. Ff. H. her; Th. H. their. 48. Th. H. om. right. 49. Ff. H. deme; Th. say.
50. All the. Th. laude; Ff. H. lawde. 52. Ff. Th. say; H. sayne. H. that; Th. Ff. om. 53. Ff. Outher; Th. H. Or. 55. Th. What; Ff. H. Yit. Ff. Th. say. Th. H. om. right. 56. Ff. H. deme; Th. say. 57. All sadde. 58. Ff. tresone; Th. H. treason. 59. I supply that. 60. Ff. it is; Th. H. om. is. 61. Th. Callyng; Ff. H. And calle. Th. om. thy. 62. Th. H. om. right. 63. Ff. H. deme; Th. say. 64. Ff. H. Who; Th. And who. 65. Th. him an; Ff. H. om. an. 66. Th. who that; Ff. H. om. that. 69. Ff. speke; Th. say. Th. H. om. right. 70. Ff. H. deme; Th. say. 71-77. In H. only. 71. H. in; read is. 72. H. vastour. 73. I insert mene; see note. 75. H. wastith; I insert that. 76. H. coclude(!); H. om. right.
78. Ff. H. men calle him; Th. is holden. 79. Th. And who; Ff. H. Who that. Th. H. say that; Ff. om. that. 80. Th. who that; Ff. H. om. that. 81. Th. men yet; Ff. folke. Ff. H. edwyte; Th. wyte. 82. Ff. H. vp; Th. nowe. 83. H. who; Ff. ho (= who); Th. who that. Ff. H. cause; Th. trouth. 84. So H. Ff.; Th. It is a wicked tonge that alway saythe amys. 85. Ff. also; Th. H. as. 86. Th. om. his. 87. H. wisdom; Th. wisedome; Ff. wysdome. 88. Ff. to; Th. H. with. 91. So Ff. H.; Th. Some wycked tonge of hym wol say amys. 92. Ff. om. a. All had. Ff. H. om. high. 94. Ff. H. kyndenes; Th. kyndnesse. 96. Th. Wyth al; Ff. H. om. al. 98. So Ff.; Th. Some wycked tonge of hym wol say amys. 99. Ff. H. And; Th. Or. 101. H. Senek; Ff. Senec; Th. Seneca. Th. great; Ff. H. om. 102. Ff. or prudence; Th. H. and prouidence. 103. Th. The conquest; Ff. om. The. Ff. Arthurs; Th. H. Arturs. 105. See note to 96.
106-112. Not in Thynne; from Ff. H. 106. H. of; Ff. to. 108. Ff. grecildes; H. Gresieldis; I supply the. 110. H. Polycenes; Ff. Penilops. 113. H. wyfly; Th. wyfely; Ff. wylfulle (!). Th. H. trouth; Ff. trowth; read trouthe. 114. Th. had; Ff. H. hadde. Th. her; Ff. thaire; H. theyr. 115. H. Eleynes; Ff. Eleyons; Th. Holynesse (for Heleynes). Th. kyndenesse; Ff. kyndnes. 116. Ff. H. loue; Th. lyfe (!). Th. Mertia; Ff. H. Marcia. Th. Caton; Ff. H. and catoun. 117. Ff. H. Alcestys (om. the). 119. So Ff.; Th. A wycked tonge wol say of her amys. 120. Ff. suyth; H. sith; Th. sythen. H. it is; Ff. it; Th. it is so (om. that). 121. Ff. wyll (= wol); H. wil; Th. om. 122. Ff. H. om. for. 123. H. hir; Ff. ar; Th. theyr. Ff. so them hem delyte; Th. him for to aquyte. 124. Ff. Tho (for To) hindre sclaunder, and also to bacbyte; Th. Wo to the tonges that hem so delyte. 125. Ff. For thayre study fynaly it ys; Th. To hynder or sclaunder, and set theyr study in this (cf. l. 124). 126. Th. And theyr pleasaunces to do and say amis; H. And theyr plesaunce alwey to deme amys; Ff. has (as usual) A wicked tonge wol alway deme amis. 127. Ff. princesse; Th. princes. 129. Th. and most; Ff. H. om. and. Ff. plesing; Th. pleasyng.
132. H. revers; Th. reuerse; Ff. reuerce. H. wisdom; Th. Ff. wysdome. 133. H. Voydeth (for Withdraw). Ff. deme; Th. saine.