A brief summary of the manuscripts follows:
A. Paris, Bib. nat. fr. 835, fol. 87 a; B. London, Brit. Mus. Harl. 4431; C. Brussels, Bib. royale, 9561; D. Paris, Bib. nat. fr. 604, fol. 112 a; E. Paris, Bib. nat. fr. 12779, fol. 26 a; F. Paris, Bib. nat. fr. 1563, fol. 178 a (for IV); fol. 185 b. (for XI); fol. 190 vo. b (for XIII).
It has been impossible to determine accurately the date of these manuscripts. They almost certainly belong to the fifteenth century, very probably (with the possible exception of F.) to the first part of that century. They have already been described,[29] with the exception of C (9561 Brussels) and F (1563 Bib. nat.)
The filiation of the manuscripts cannot probably be determined with mathematical exactness. From internal evidence in the letters, however, I am able to suggest a genealogical tree which would seem to determine correctly the majority of variants.
In letter XIII, AB form a group as distinguished from F: l. 22 a cause de AB, puis (?) F; l. 83 a ceste question ... response A, aincois que question je ... response B, a cet demande que tu me disse F; l. 144 tu erres AB, tu ti tiens F; l. 183 que la chose peust AB, de la chose quelle peust F; l. 185 et plus AB, ou pour plus F; l. 193 mie wanting F; l. 289 tel AB, ce F; l. 328 deffendi B, deffend A, descendy F; l. 345 comme AB, quant F; l. 360 faire wanting F; l. 400 parles a voulenté AB, parles et de voulanté F; l. 447 que wanting F; l. 466 dame Eloquence, qui parles de Fol Amoureux dont Meun parle wanting F; l. 533 en voye de perillez A, en voye de periller B, en peril de perillier F; l. 546 les wanting F; l. 651 Salomon wanting F; l. 858 plus inserted F; l. 878 maniere followed by ains dit plainement et aluchie toutes pour tos et tos pour toutes F; l. 933 gloses AB, choses F; l. 996 cellui que elle aimeroit par amours AB, maistre Pierre Abalart F; in subscription, l. 1116 Christine AB, Christine de Pizan F; etc.
In letters IV.-IX. there seem to be two groupings, AB (confirming our investigation of the previous paragraph) and CDE. CDE again break up into two smaller groups, C and DE. For letter IV. F is available (though differing greatly from any other manuscript), making four groups, AB, C, DE, and F. As evidence, let us notice: IX., l. 54 lequel dit clerc meu de raison ACDE, lequel meu de raison B; l. 58 enuoya a la dicte Christine ycelle A, enuoya a la dicte Christine ycellui B, enuoya a elle icelle CDE; l. 59 Item comme Christine veu et consideré AB, Item comme la dicte veu et consideré CDE; IV., l. 12 de voz ditz fait en reprenant ACF + B (with reprouuant for reprenant), de vos diz faiz si comme il me semble en reprenant D + E (omits si); l. 80 reboutee AB, deboutee CDE; l. 104 car trop est pire le vice de propre malice que cellui de simple ignorance wanting CDEF; l. 112 et querez wanting CDE; l. 115 tant ouir de laidures ABF, oir tant de laidures CDE; l. 200 ou tollent elles pas A + BF (tolent B, ilz F), ne tollent mie CD, ou tollent mie E, ne wanting ABF; l. 206 estat ne pot AB, estat n’en pot CDE, wanting F; l. 227 valables AB, vaillans CDEF; l. 262 honte et raison ABF, raison et honte CDE; VI., l. 27 ie ne mette en peine d’escripre AB, je me mette a escrire CDE; VII., l. 24 l’aucteur AB, l’acteur CDE; l. 32 bien soit de toy AB, soit bien de toy CDE; etc.
The following diagram, therefore, exhibits the relationship of the manuscripts as nearly as it is possible to determine it with the material which we have:
For the orthography, A, apparently the most reliable manuscript, has been followed, when available; i.e., for letters IV-IX and XIII. F is the only one containing letters XI and XIV. The text has been determined by a comparison of all the manuscripts according to the diagram above, i.e. of FAB with CDE. Where there was a deadlock of α and β, what seemed the better according to the context has been selected. When in the last case there was no preference, the reading of α has been arbitrarily chosen. Variant readings will be given as footnotes, as also occasional interesting differences in orthography. I have also modernized the punctuation and paragraphing.
NOTE