he falleth he may aryse agayn by penitence. And thogh he never so longe have leyn in sinne, the mercy of Crist is alwey redy to receiven him to mercy. Agayns the wanhope, that he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere in goodnesse, he shal thinke, that the feblesse of the devel may no-thing doon (1000) but-if men wol suffren him; / and eek he shal han strengthe of the help of god, and of al holy chirche, and of the pro1075 teccioun of aungels, if him list. / § 103. Thanne shal men understonde what is the fruit of penaunce; and, after the word of Jesu Crist, it is the endelees blisse of hevene, / ther joye hath no contrarioustee of wo ne grevaunce, ther alle harmes been passed of this present lyf; ther-as is the sikernesse fro the peyne of helle; ther-as is the blisful companye that rejoysen hem everemo, everich of otheres joye;/ ther-as the body of man, that whylom was foul and derk, is more cleer than the sonne; ther-as the body, that whylom was syk, freele, and feble, and mortal, is inmortal, and so strong and so hool that ther may no-thing apeyren it;/ther-as ne is neither hunger, thurst, ne cold, but every soule replenissed with the sighte of the parfit knowinge of god. This blisful regne may men purchace by poverte espirituel, and the glorie by lowenesse; the plentee of joye by hunger and thurst, and the reste by travaille; and the lyf by deeth and 1080 mortificacion of sinne./ Here taketh the makere of this book his leve. § 104. Now preye I to hem alle that herkne this litel tretis or rede, that if ther be any thing in it that lyketh hem, that ther-of they thanken oure lord Jesu Crist, of whom procedeth al wit and al goodnesse. And if ther be any thing that displese hem, I preye hem also that they arrette it to the defaute of myn unoonninge, and nat to my wil, that wolde ful fayn have seyd bettre if I hadde had conninge. / For oure boke seith, ‘al that is writen is writen for oure doctrine'; and that is myn entente. / Wherfore I biseke yow mekely for the mercy of god, that ye preye for me, that Crist have mercy on me and foryeve me my giltes: / (1010) -and namely, of my translacions and endytinges of worldly vanitees, the whiche I revoke in my retracciouns: / as is the 1085 book of Troilus; The book also of Fame; The book of the nynetene Ladies; The book of the Duchesse; The book of seint Valentynes day of the Parlement of Briddes; The tales of Caunterbury, thilke that sounen in-to sinne; / The book of the Leoun; and many another book, if they were in my remembrance; and many a song and many a lecherous lay; that Crist for his grete mercy foryeve me the sinne. But of the translacion of Boece de Consolacione, and othere bokes of Legendes of seintes, and omelies, and moralitee, and devocioun, / that thanke I oure lord Jesu Crist and his blisful moder, and alle the seintes of hevene; / bisekinge hem that they from hennesforth, un-to my lyves ende, sende me grace to biwayle my giltes, and to studie to the salvacioun of my soule-and graunte me grace of verray penitence, confessioun and satisfaccioun to doon in this present lyf;/ thurgh the benigne 1090 grace of him that is king of kinges and preest over alle preestes, that boghte us with the precious blood of his herte; / so that I may been oon of hem at the day of dome that shulle be saved: Qui cum patre, &c. Here is ended the book of the Tales of Caunterbury, compiled by Geffrey Chaucer, of whos soule Jesu Crist have mercy. Amen. 1092 APPENDIX. VARIATIONS AND EMENDATIONS. THE text of Chaucer is, in some places, corrupt, and in others can be much improved by some emendation, usually of a slight character. The text of the best authorities, as improved by collation with other good authorities, is here given. Variations from these are denoted by an obelus (†) in the text, which may be considered as marking a reading as to which there is some doubt. These are most numerous in the Romaunt of the Rose, the Book of the Duchesse, and the House of Fame. There are very few doubtful readings in the Canterbury Tales, for which there are better authorities than in other cases. In the following Appendix all the doubtful readings and editorial emendations are accounted for. I do not, however, notice words which are placed between square brackets, such as the word 'a' on p. 1, 1. 12. It will be understood, once for all, that all such words are supplied, and are missing in the originals, though often necessary for the sense or the metre, or for both. ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE. The authorities are G. (the Glasgow MS.); and Th. (Thynne's edition of 1532). Also, from the nature of the case, F. (the original French text, here quoted from the edition by Méon, Paris, 1813). No other authorities exist. Many lines are wholly missing in G.; and when it is not cited, this must be understood. Thus, it has lost lines 1-44. Page 1. 3. Th. sweuen; but the plural is required. 4. Th. that false ne bene. 25. Th. slepte; (sleep is more usual). 38. Th. hatte; read hote (be called). Page 2. 66. G. Th. had; read hath. 102. G. Th. buskes (not Chaucer's form). 110. G. Th. gan I. 138. G. Th. Enclosed was; see l. 1652; F. Tant clos. mynoresse (!); F. moverresse. Page 3. 196. G. Th. myscoueiting (!); F. mesconter. Cant. Tales, A 290). 248. Both peynted. 149. G. Th. 220. G. Th. courtpy (see Page 4. 255. Both Upon any worthy man falle. 277. Both and so breketh, 324. Both rent. Page 5. 382. Both may neuer. 444. Both grace (!), for face; F. lor vis. 442. Both ay (giving no sense); read shal. Page 6. 485. G. laddris; Th. ladders; see 1. 523. 492. G. yeer; Th. yere; read yerd; see 1. 656. 501. Both wolde (for nolde; by confusion). 505. Both god kepe it fro care, a false rime; clearly substituted for god it kepe and were. Were is the E. spelling of the verb in the French text, which has que Diex garisse. 520. Both For; read Ful; (wo is here an adjective = sad). 536. G. ony; Th. any; read a. Page 7. 564. Some lines lost here; 3 lines of F. left untranslated. 586. Both may; read mayden. 602. Both lande of Alexandryne; but Alexandryn is an adjective. 603. G. hidre be; Th. hyther be. Page 8. 660. Both places. 668. Both That; read These. 720. Th. reuelrye; G. reuerye; F. reverdie. Page 9. 761. Both made; read make. 791. Both bode (no sense); read Bede; Ne bede I = I would not offer. Page 10. 859. G. seye; Th. sey. 860. G. pleye (!); Th. pley (!). 865. Both I wot not what of hir nose I shal descryve (eleven syllables). 866. Two lines lost here. 879. Both Love and as hym likith it be. 923. Both Turke bowes two ful wel deuysed had he (too long). Page 11. 959. Both shoten; see 1. 989. 984. Both on; read of. 1007. Both And an; read As was an F. Ainsinc cum. 1017. Both wyntred; but see 1. 1020. 1026. Both thought; read thinketh. 1031. Both Sore (!); F. Sade. 1034. Both And hight (!). Page 12. 1037. Both in werk (!). 1058. Th. prill; G. prile; (error for prikke, written so as to look like prilke). 1080. Th. amyled; G. enameled. 1089. Both durst (!); error for thurfte, more commonly thurte. 1117. Both ragounces; F. jagonces. Page 13. 1188. G. sarlynysh; Th. Sarlynysshe; F. Sarrazinesche. 1201. Both gousfaucoun (!); F. gonfanon. 1210. Both He caste. 1233. Th. hempe; G. hempe ne (= hempene). 1236. Both a; read oo (one). Page 14. 1244. Both Bitokeneth. 1282. Both And she (!); read Youthe; F. Jonesce; see 1. 1302. 1303. Both that; read thus; see l. 1310. 1313. G. loreyes (error for loreres); Th. Laurelles. 1315. Th. ended; G. eended (=y-ended). 1324. Both durst (as in 1. 1089). 1332. Both she (for second he). 1334. Both hadde (for bad); and bent (for bende); both omit it. 1335. Both an (for on). Page 15. 1341. G. hadde me shette; Th. had me shete (but shete is not a pp.). 1343. Both had me greued. 1348. Both hadde in all the gardyn be. 1366. Both gardin (for yerd). 1369. Both Parys (!); for paradys. 1397-8. Th. knytte, sytte. Page 16. 1440. Th. dilectable. 1447. Th. garden; read yerde in; cf. 1348, 1366. 1448. Th. efters (!); F. tout l'estre. 1453. Th. shoten; read shete. Th. goodnesse (for good mes); cf. 3462. 1498. G. velaynesly; Th. vilaynously. 1527. Both musede so. Page 17. 1591. Both entrees; F. Tout l'estre. 1593. Both ye (for he). 1594. Both Ye (for He). 1608. Both laughyng (!); read loving. Page 18. 1641. Both sighed. 1644. Both strengthes. 1648. G. bitrisshed; Th. bytresshed. 1663. Both me; read be; F. fusse. 1666. G. wole; Th. wol. 1674. Th. ware; G. waxe; both have Rone. 1698. Both hath; omit wel? 1700. Both roses. 1713. Both For; read Ful. Page 19. 1721. G. botheum; Th. bothum. 1766. Both certis euenly; read certeinly. 1771. Both his; read a read felte. 1732. Both Sithen. 1758. Both two (!). 1814. Both lefte (!); Page 20. 1848. Both mighte it. 1851. Both sene I hadde. 1853-4. Both thore, more; see l. 1857. 1860. G. Castith; Th. Casteth. 1913, 1914. Transposed in G., Th. 1924. Both softyng; see 1925. 1925. Both prikkith. 1965. Both loue; 2002. Both of; read to. Page 21. read louers. Page 22. 2038. Both queynt. 2044. Both taken; read tan; cf. 2068. 2046. Both disteyned; F. Deceus. 2067. Both susprised. 2068. Both taken; read tan ; cf. 2044. 2076. G. disese; Th. desese; F. dessaisir. 2116. Both degree. Page 23. 2154. Both bigynneth to amende. vnto; for to. 2195. Both in; read a. 2176. G. say; Th. saye. 2185. Both Page 24. 2264. Both on; read upon. 2271. Th. aumere; G. awmere; see 2087. 2279. Both costneth; F. couste. 2285. Both Farce. 2294. G. Th. knowith (!); F. rit. 2302. Both pleyneth; read pleyeth. 2327. Both menen. Page 25. 2336. Both londes; read loues. F. si riche don. 2365. Both and; read in. 2432. Th. gone and visyten. Page 26, 2466. Better omit of. yitt; Th. yet; read yif. 2341. Both this swifte; read swich yift; 2427. Th. sene; read sende; F. envoier. 2473. Both Thought; read That swete? 2499. G. Page 27. 2564. Th. forwerede; G. forweriede; see 3251. 2369. Both se; read seme. 2617. Both I wote not; read I noot. 2619. Both better. 2621. Both on hir I caste. 2622. Both That, 2628. Both liggen; read ly. Page 28, 2650. Both whider (!). 2675. Th. whan; G. whanne; read wham or whom; F. De qui tu ne pues avoir aise. 2676. Corrupt. F. Au departir la porte baise (i. e. the lover is to kiss the door). 2709, 2710. Both more, fore. 2712. Both to gon; omit to. Page 29. 2774. Both aftirward. 2796. G. Then kyng; Th. Thynkyng; cf. 2804. 2824. Both not ben; F. tu seroies. 2833. Both me; read hem; cf. 2845. Page 30. 2917. Both thou (for they). 2935. Both declared thee. Page 31. 2992. Both warrans; F. Ge vous i puis bien garantir. Page 32. 3052. Both Venus hath flemed, 3115. Both arise. 3125. Both And late (or lette) it growe (too long). 3136. Th. His eyes reed sparclyng as the fyre-glowe (too long); sparclyng is a gloss on reed. Page 33. 3150. G. it; Th. he; read I; F. ge. 3207. Both For Nature; I omit For. 3209. Both but if the. Page 34. 3264. Both seyne; feyne seems better. 3274. Both he be a; I omit a. 3301. After gete, Th. inserts the, and G. thee. 3319. Both thought; read taughte. 3331. Both Who that; I omit that. 3337. Both cherisaunce; F. chevisance, Page 35. 3399. Th. forbode; G. forbede; read forbad. 3433. Th. suche; G. sichen; F. puis qu'il me siet. Page 36. 3447. Both where that the; I omit that. 3491. G. Thanne; Th. Than; read That; F. Qu'Amors. F. Que il. 3525. Both it is. 3490. Both That he had. 3522. Both ye (for he); Page 37. 3548. This (=This is); F. C'est. 3554. Both Vpon (for On). 3604. Read thar; Th. dare. 3626. Th. eftres. 3643. Th. the god of blesse; F. Diex la beneie, Page 38. 3660. Th. That so; omit so. 3690. Th. grapes be ripe. 3694. Both Though. 3697. Both rennyng (!). 3698. Both come (absurdly) ; see 1. 2700; read to me. 3710. G. herte is; Th. hert is; read hertis (=hertes). 3718. Both neithir (for nor). 3745. Both pleyne or playne. 3751. Both ye; read to. Page 39. 3755. Th. with his hete. 3756. Both insert me after bad. wille; Th. at wyl. 3851. Both verge; see 3234. 3774. G. it Page 40. 3880. Both lye. 3895. Both trechours. 3902. Both herte I crye. 3942. Both 3907. Both lowe; read loude. 3928. Both must; read mot; supply take. |