XI. The Legend of Good Women. [Of the first cast of the Prologue to this Poem, only one copy is known, that in MS. Gg. 4. 27, Cambridge University Library. To show the differences between the two casts of the Prologue, the two are here printed opposite to one another-as they were in my Odd Texts, Part I-with double line-numbers, so as to show which lines in one cast correspond to the same, or the like lines, in the other. cast. Those lines which differ slightly' from their mates in the other cast are markt †; those which differ more are markt §; those which are only in one cast, *. The differences between the two casts are spoken of in my Trial-Forewords, at the end.] 1 A few differences I've thought too slight to need a mark, 192 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB. THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. [Cambr. Univ. MS. Gg. 4. 27, leaf 445. No gaps in MS.] A [THE PROLOGUE. First Cast.] Fr. lines. Gg. li. +Thousent sythis haue I herd men telle 1† But natheles this wit I1 wel also 3+ 3 4† wit I corrected] +That there ne is non that dwellyth 2 In this cuntre 5† [21 corr.] That eythir hath in helle or heuene I-be 6 Ne may of it non othere weyis wytyn 7 But as he hath herd seyd / or founde it wrytyn 8 ffor by asay/there may no man it preue 8 9 +But goddis forbode / but men schulde leue 10+ Wel more thyng / than men han seyn with eye 11 12 12 138 148 15 Sffor that he say it nat of 30re a-go Thow euery wyght ne may it nat I-se 19 3euyn credence In euery "skylful wyse [I, 6 sky, corr.] 20 § And trowyn on these olde aprouede storyis Of holynesse / of regnys of victoryis 218 22 Of loue / of hate / of othere sundery thyngis 23 Of whiche I may nat make rehersyngys And If that olde bokis weryn aweye I-loryn were of remembrance the keye LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. FAIRFAX MS. 16. 193 THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. [Fairfax MS. 16, leaf 83.] [ñ is printed for n. t for t with a curl = te generally. There are no gaps in the MS.] ¶ The prologe of .ix. goode Wymmen./ [2nd Cast.] 2+ 3t. thousande tymes / I haue herd telle Fx. lines. + ther ys Toy in heuene / and peyne in helle † and I acord wel / that it ys so 4+But netheles yet / wot I wel also 5†that ther is nooñ duellyng / in this contree 6 That eythir hatħ in heuene / or in helle y-be 7 Ne may of hit / noon other weyes witen + 4 8 but as he hath herd seyde / or founde it writen 9 for by assay/ther may no mañ it preve 8 10+But god forbede / but meñ shulde leve 11 Wel more thing / then meñ han seen with eye 12 Men shal not wenen / euery thing a lye 13§But yf him-selfe yt seeth / or elles dooth 148 For god wot/ thing is neuer the lasse sooth 15 Thogh euery wight / ne may it nat y-see 16 Bernarde the monke / ne saugħ nat all pardee Bernardus 17 Than mote we / to bokes that we fynde Monachus non vidit omnia. 18 Thurgh which / that olde thinges ben in mynde 194 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB. Fx. li. 278 Gg. li. 288 28 298 30 § Wel ouzte vs thanne on olde bokys leue That from myne bokys make me to gon §But it be oper vp-on the haly day §or ellis in the Ioly tyme of may §Whan that I here the smale foulys synge 32 338 358 corrected] 39$ [if 445, bk] And that the flouris 2 gynne for to sprynge 3 [3 louris, 3 prynge, Sffarwel myn stodye as lastynge pat sesoun §Now haue I therto this condycyoun 40§ 40 That of alle the flouris in the mede [at corr.] 41 Thanne loue I most these flourys white & rede 42 Swyche as men calle dayesyis in oure toun To hem haue I so gret affeccioun As I seyde erst whan comyn is the may That in myn bed there dawith me no day That I ne am vp & walkynge in the mede +To sen these flouris a-gen the sunne to sprede §Whan it vp ryseth be the morwe schene *The longe day thus walkynge in the grene §And whan the sunne be-gynnys for to weste Gg. lines. LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. FAIRFAX MS. 16. 195 27§ Wel ought vs thanne / honouren and beleve 36§save certeynly / whañ that the monethe of May Fx. lines. § 28 § 32 § 36 [lf 83, bk] 42 Thanne love I most / thise floures white and rede 45 As I seyde erst / whanne comeñ is the May *That blisful sight / softneth al my sorwe 57 and euere ilyke faire / and fressh of hewe 58§and I love it / and euer ylike newe *And euere shal / til that myñ hert dye *al swere I nat / of this I wol nat lye *Ther loved no wight / hotter in his lyve *And whañ that hit ys eve / I renne blyve 51§As sone as evere the sonne / gynneth weste 52§To seen this flour / how it wol go to reste § 40 |