SELIM David Arbesú, Selim 11 (2001-2002): 51—96 GEOFFREY CHAUCER’S PARLEMENT OF FOULES: A NEW CODICOLOGICAL STEMMA OF THE HAMMOND MANUSCRIPTS The purpose of this article is to carry out a revision of the stemma for the manuscripts (MSS) of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules (PF), established by John Koch in 1881 and revised by Eleanor P. Hammond in 1902. Not only is Koch-Hammond’s stemma the only one that has been proposed for more than a century but, in addition, it has only been subject to one revision (Koch’s 1928 edition of the poem, Geoffrey Chaucers kleinere Dichtungen) which, nevertheless, did not alter the substance of the subgroup of MSS which later on became known as the “Hammond group.” Stemmas have been proposed for all of Chaucer’s works which derive from various authoritative sources, but the task of elaborating or revising a stemma for the witnesses of a particular text is so arduous and complicated that most of the stemmas proposed for the works of Chaucer derive from the studies of one single authority, have been flatly contradicted by another, are incomplete, or have not been revised since their date of publication. For PF, the fifteen manuscript (MS) authorities are, in the order proposed by Hammond (1902), the following:1 A GROUP: MS Cambridge University Library Gg. IV.27 (Gg), ff. 481r - 490v. MS Cambridge University Library Ff. I.6 (Ff), ff. 29r - 42v. 1 Thanks are due to S. G. Fernández-Corugedo (U. of Oviedo) for his guidance, suggestions, and careful examination of the results reached in this analysis. I am also extremely indebted to Vincent J. DiMarco, editor of The Parliament of Fowls for The Riverside Chaucer (Benson 1987), for taking so much of his time to revise my analysis and conclusions. David Arbesú 52 William Caxton’s edition2 of 1477-78 (Cx), ff. 1r - 16v. MS Harley 7333, British Library (H), ff. 129v - 132r. MS Trinity College, Cambridge R.III.19 (R), ff. 17 r - 24v. MS Arch. Selden B.24, Bodleian (S), ff. 142r - 152r. MS Cambridge University Library Hh.IV.12 (Hh), ff. 94r - 99v. MS Pepys 2006, Magdalene College, Cambridge (P), ff. 127r -142r MS St. John’s College LVII, Oxford (J), ff. 225r - 237v. MS Laud Misc. 416, Bodleian (L), ff. 288r - 289v. B GROUP: MS Fairfax 16, Bodleian (F), ff. 120r-129v. MS Bodley 638, Bodleian (B), ff. 96r - 110 r. MS Tanner 346, Bodleian (T), ff. 120r - 131r. MS Longleat 258, Longleat House, Warminster (Lt), ff. 85r -101r. MS Digby 181, Bodleian (D), ff. 44r - 52r. Hammond’s 1902 article is taken as the base text for the revision of the stemma carried out in this article, since it is her stemma the one that each and every modern editor of Chaucer adopts for PF.3 Her revision, as ours, 2 Even though Caxton’s early print is not a manuscript witness, its text is still considered authorial due to the fact that it is based on a MS now considered lost. 3 Although the stemma is universally adopted by editors, this does not mean that it is accepted by them. As an example, notice DiMarco’s comments on Hammond: “Group A appears almost certainly to be imaginary, for the ten authorities so classified agree in what appear to be correct readings rather than in readings that are clearly wrong . . . The traditional sub-groupings of FB and of TLtD, comprising Hammond’s group B, are borne out. As with the readings unique to H R S Hh Cx P J L, those readings unique to F B T Lt D are seldom, if ever, correct” (Benson 1987: 1147). Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 53 begins by recalling what had been the canonical stemma until then, the one printed in the Globe edition of Chaucer’s works (1898) and edited by A. W. Pollard and M. H. Liddell. About this stemma, Hammond states that “in his brief introduction to the poem Mr. Heath prints the genealogical tree of most of the manuscripts as it was indicated by Koch in Anglia, IV, Anz., p. 97, remarking that he agrees with Koch in its construction” (p. 3), and reproduces it as follows:4 Hammond continues by stating that a full analysis of the text of PF would basically indicate that Koch’s genealogy would have to be modified in detail, that some of the readings elected by Heath for his edition are unjustified, and that if the evidence she has obtained is correct, the question of Chaucerian metre must be reopened. The examples she gives to argue for or against the variant readings elected by Heath are not analysed here, nor do we cope with the genealogy of the MSS of group A, since they refer to aspects of the stemma which are not pertinent to this article. The separation of the MSS into groups A (comprising ten authorities) and B (comprising five) seems, however, to be supported with enough evidence—Hammond (1902: 8-9) gives fifty readings—to allow for the study of one group independently from the other.5 Regarding the grouping of MSS F, B, T, Lt 4 Note that the group of MSS that I refer to—with modern editors—as “B” is referred to as “C” by Hammond so as to not be confused with the “B” representing “MS Bodley 638”. 5 It is important to note that Hammond has studied all fifteen authorities of the Parlement from the Chaucer Society reprints, while we get our data from the full transcription and collation of MS facsimiles. These were obtained from the Bodleian Library for all MSS except Longleat, which is in the posession of the X A C A1 A2 F B Gg Ff H R Jo Ld T Lt D David Arbesú 54 and D into one subgroup (labelled C or B), this is accounted for with enough data in Hammond 1902, supported first by Koch’s analysis in 1881, then in his revision of Hammond in 1928, and also contested by Root in 1903. Although Koch’s revision of 1928 dealt exclusively with group A, he did not argue against the affiliation of the MSS of group B, plainly rearranging the MSS inside the first group. Root, on his part, dealt solely with group B, but his arguments claiming that this group was closer to Chaucer’s original— perhaps corrected by Chaucer himself—were soon discarded by the scientific community. More importantly to our purposes, he did not tamper with the classification of F, B, T, Lt and D into one independent group. Before we proceed to the exclusive analysis of group B we must mention one aspect about the MSS of group A, for Hammond has noted that the text of the A archetype is probably nearer to the ultimate original verbally, due to “the marked decease in group divergences after line 250 [and to] the fact that in several cases the difference of group C [B] from group A is due to an omission by the former archetype” (1902: 9). With these conclusions we do not agree for two reasons: First, Hammond never explains what exactly constitutes a variant reading for her,6 arguing that there are forty-one variants between groups A and B before line 250, and only six until the end of the poem. A quick comparison between any two MSS of groups A and B, however, shows that there are obviously more than forty-seven variants and, certainly, they do occur in great frequency after line 250. Regarding Hammond’s statement that “the text of the A archetype was probably nearer to the ultimate original verbally,” she contradicts herself by favouring group Marquis of Bath. A microfilm of the MS was finally obtained from Microform Imaging Ltd (Wakefield, England). Although in this article we do not deal with the MSS of group A, whenever a reading from this group is needed (i.e. as to argue for its influence on a MS of group B) I have quoted exclusively the readings of MS Gg.4.27 (facsimile in Parkes 1979-80). 6 Variants that are not considered valid evidence for the postulation of the stemma are those that are the result of the physical deterioration of the MS, the different spelling practices of scribes or the different dialects of English. On the other hand, we consider valid evidences those readings which result from additions, repetitions, dittographies, omissions, homeoteleutons, homeoarchies, haplographies, alterations in order, substitutions and trivialisations (lectio facilior). Notice that these variant readings are all product of the scribe’s action, be it intentional or not. Variants (lines) marked with an asterisk in the article (following Hammond) are those considered of special interest for the postulation of the stemma. Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 55 B at the end of the article when she claims that she does not find herself “in full agreement with the valuation of A as the better group. When the tendency of C [B] to omit has been allowed for . . . it will be recognized that the C [B] group offers a set of readings certainly equal in value to those of A” (1902: 24). When dealing with group B itself, Hammond begins by differentiating the pair formed by F and B (FB) vs. TLtD. However, it remains to be seen why she puts so much emphasis on differentiating FB from TLtD, while giving so little importance to the much stronger bond of FBT vs. LtD. According to Hammond, the distinction FB can be made on the evidence obtained from seventeen lines [twenty-three for this article],7 from the “explicit” in both MSS, and from the presence of the quotation Qui bien ayme a tarde oublie, in the place of the roundel present in some of the other MSS. Our evidence agrees with that presented by Hammond, except perhaps for line 303, for which T has the reading of FB of superimposed, and thus may not be considered an omission (as D and Lt omit). Although Hammond’s strong postulation of FB/ TLtD seems to be correct, the division of LtD/ FBT is, as we have argued, supported with far more evidences than the other. Hammond herself provides thirty variant readings, while our transcriptions show there are, at least, forty-seven examples.8 7 Hammond gives lines 56, 106, 108*, 126, 154, 208, 214, 224, 236, 278, 295, 303, 383*, 512*, 612, 623 and 669. Our evidences are lines 3, 5, 28, 56, 59, 96, 106, 108*, 126, 139, 154, 165, 204, 208, 214, 224, 236, 278, 295, 303, 383*, 512*, 569, 612, 623 and 669. Lines that show a variant, but are not considered as valid evidence for FB/ TLtD, are 3, 5 and 165 (for which the text in B is missing) and 569, for which Lt also omits. Although I only render the line in which a certain variant reading occurs—and not the variant reading itself—the curious reader will find the full transcription of the fifteen authorities of PF in Tanaka 1981. The evidences resulting from our transcription and collation of the MSS are given next to Hammond’s in square brackets throughout the whole article. 8 Lines 8, 66, 75, 91, 98, 100, 104, 114, 119, 127, 142*, 152, 156, 158, 161, 167, 190, 191, 192, 209, 233, 277, 282, 296, 297, 306, 312, 322, 346, 375, 387, 417, 440, 457, 468, 472*, 507, 520, 523, 527, 529, 534, 537, 577, 584, 585, 587, 590, 594, 596*, 619, 642, 644, 650 and 677. The alteration in line 75 is in the reading To/ The, but FBD reads comune against LtT comon, and not as Hammond points out “FBT and A: To comon profit, DLt: The comon, etc.” (1902: 11). We agree, however, with all the data presented by Hammond, resulting in 30 [47] evidences for the union of LtD. We are not counting as evidence (although Hammond does for some) lines 8, 158, 161, 167, 190, 191, 192, 196 for not having textual evidence for B, although the reading of B is not as important to postulate the union of LtD/ David Arbesú 56 The variant readings exclusive to one MS are also important evidence to consider. They do not help to postulate groupings of MSS horizontally, but they are crucial to build the stemma vertically, that is, to establish whether one MS is the source of another or not. Hammond gives the following evidence for the independence of F from B, namely lines 27, 63, 140, 206, 313—omissions by B alone—and the misreadings and slight insertions of B not appearing in F: lines 37, 72, 231, 263, 335, 364, 394, 395, 504, 556, 585, 637 an 688. The complete list of variant readings exclusive to B that we have obtained is of twenty-six variant readings.9 For the opposite, the independence of B from F, I agree with Hammond in that the evidence is scanty. Of the fifteen [twenty-three] evidences she provides, only five should be taken into account,10 although a certain reading not exclusive to F could very well serve as evidence of B’s independence from F. Such a coincidence, however, would be, at least, suspicious. There is one question regarding F and B that deserves special consideration. Hammond places both MSS at the same level based on the evidence given by lines 201*, 476* and 358, since the rest of the examples render no evidence for or against the FBT than for FB/ TLtD. Line 594 is not taken into account because T also omits, and we do not agree with Hammond’s evidence for line 306 (for which she claims an opposition LtD was/ FBT nas, where FBT really read uas, or for line 520 (for which only Lt reads loudenesse, as opposed to lewdenesse. Hammond also claims that the variant reading which is produced in line 650 belongs to line 652, but this is not so. 9 Lines 23, 27, 50, 63, 72, 140, 152, 206, 263, 313, 335, 364, 370, 394, 395, 406, 420, 452, 498, 504, 530, 549, 551, 587, 637 and 644. Hammond gives a total of 18 evidences, of which we only accept 13 as valid. Apart from missing lines 23, 50, 152, 370, 406, 420, 452, 498, 530, 549, 551, 587, 644 of the total of 26 variant readings exclusive to B that we provide, her analysis of lines 37, 231, 556, 585, 688 is dubious. Line 37 reads the same for all five MSS, in line 231 it is F who gives the incorrect reading temple of glas for temple of bras, line 556 is also an example of F erring, line 585 can not be considered an insertion by B since it agrees with LtD, and in line 688 the error lies in Lt. 10 Hammond gives lines 152, 201*, 216, 253, 263, 358, 359, 381, 420, 436, 476*, 551, 590, 637, and 652, whereas our transcription gives 3, 5, 35, 89, 165, 169, 198, 201*, 231, 284, 311, 319, 358, 381, 387, 407, 409, 436, 476*, 524, 556, 584, 587. Of these, we do not consider valid evidence lines 3, 5, 165, 169 and 198 due to B missing the text (thus what we consider a variant reading exclusive to F could be evidence of FB), leaving the total number of variants in 18. Of the 15 examples quoted by Hammond, we only consider valid examples those five in lines 201, 358, 381, 436, and 476. For the rest, lines 152, 263, 420, 551 and 637 are errors in B and not in F; lines 590 and 652 are examples of FT; lines 253 and 359 are examples of different spellings of names; and line 216 only shows an error of Lt. Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma derivation of B from F.11 Although we agree with Hammond that the omissions of F in these lines point to independent transcription of both MSS from a common original, we must also mention that her treatment of the evidence is contradictory. On the one hand, the seventeen [twenty-three] common readings of FB that she presents serve as very strong evidence to support their union, while the thirty [forty-four] examples she gives for LtD do not. We do respect, however, Hammond’s assumption that F (ca. 1450) is not the source of B (ca. 1450-1500), although the evidence of three lines in a poem of approximately seven hundred is, indeed, very scarce. It would be necessary to transcribe and collate the contents of both MSS as a whole to see if F is indeed the source of B. According to Seymour (1995: 85-9), all the poems that appear in B can be found in the larger MS F, except for the final Order of Fools by Lydgate, so that F could very well be the model from which B was copying. As regards the text of PF, we do not find evidence for or against B’s derivation from F, but what is clear is the strong textual affiliation—either due to common ancestry or because F is indeed the ancestor of B—of both MSS. Regarding the three remaining MSS—T, Lt and D—Hammond notes that neither of them can be the source of the other two. This is proved by both her evidences and ours, since she provides thirty-eight [seventy-two] examples of variant readings exclusive to D,12 twenty-seven [forty-two] examples exclusive to T,13 and seventy-eight [one-hundred and nine] 11 Hammond (1902: 10) indicates that Furnivall postulates F as the source of B. 12 Hammond’s evidences are lines 7*, 27, 28, 53, 54, 109, 119, 144, 148, 166, 178*, 202*, 220*, 238*, 244, 245*, 255, 296*, 354*, 375, 377, 389, 391, 426, 438*, 460, 462, 467*, 493, 530, 540, 562, 573, 582*, 587, 644, 659and 666, of which we do not accept l. 27 (error in B) and l. 109 (for which all MSS read the same). Our exclusive readings of D are lines 7*, 9, 28, 42, 53, 54, 62, 66, 74, 83, 89, 94, 104, 108, 119, 127, 129, 134, 144, 148, 166, 167, 178*, 197, 201, 202*, 217, 220*, 228, 238*, 244, 245*, 255, 269, 296*, 346, 349, 350, 354*, 375, 377, 386, 389, 391, 399, 417, 421, 424, 426, 438*, 460, 462, 467*, 493, 505, 523, 524, 530, 540, 545, 553, 562, 573, 582*, 587, 594, 603, 616, 644, 654, 659 and 666. 13 Hammond renders lines 80*, 93, 112, 125*, 169, 170, 177, 187, 189, 274*, 310, 400*, 404, 411, 415, 438, 439*, 448, 454, 461, 511*, 516, 562, 594*, 665*, 672*, 692*, of which we do not consider valid lines 93 (all five MSS read the same), 169 (T has no error and B is missing the text), 439* (evidence for TD because Digby also omits the same word), 562 (it is evidence for D, not for T), and 692* (all 5 MSS read the same). Our full list of variant readings are lines 7, 10, 47, 54, 80*, 99, 101, 112, 125*, 170, 17, 187, 189, 274*, 310, 318, 335, 400*, 404, 411, 415, 57 David Arbesú 58 variants only found in Lt.14 Of these examples (see note), one deserves to be analysed in detail, for it illustrates Hammond’s treatment of her data. The different readings remedys and remedye in line 140, which Hammond counts as variant readings, can not be accepted as valid evidence for different readings among the MSS since this reading was motivated by the alteration in the order of words in line 139 of MS Lt (which, indeed, is a variant reading), provoking the change of the final “-e” to a final “-s” in line 140 to suit the preceding line: There as this fisshe in prison al drye is There as this fysshe in prison is all drie The shouyng is oonly the remedys The shewyng is only the remedie (MS Longleat 258, ll. 139-40). (MS Digby 181 (and rest), ll. 139-40). The analysis of the variant readings in the MSS being complete, it only remains to deduce the position of T in the tree. However, we must first look at another issue on which Hammond casts light, and which could be important for the accuracy of the final stemma. On the light of the evidences she presents in her article, there seems to be a supposed influence of one or more MSS from group A on MS Digby 181. According to Hammond, “Digby’s omissions are some twelve in number [sixteen], its insertions two [six], and of its some nineteen scribal errors [forty-eight] only one or two can be considered deliberate” (1902: 11). The evidences we have obtained, 424, 438, 448, 454, 461, 471, 494, 511*, 516, 523, 524, 571, 573, 579, 587, 594*, 665*, 672*, 675, 691 and 693. 14 Hammond gives lines 1, 5, 17, 25*, 27, 29, 40*, 42, 79, 81, 82, 117, 136, 139*, 140, 156, 158, 175, 183, 203, 225, 228*, 234*, 256, 262*, 286*, 294, 307*, 312, 329, 332, 335*, 336, 348, 351, 352*, 366, 372, 379*, 384, 385, 390, 414*, 417, 422, 428, 431, 436, 449, 462*, 493*, 494*, 504*, 514, 519*, 525*, 533*, 537*, 539, 557-558, 560*, 570, 592, 601, 605, 606, 616, 634, 635, 640, 658*, 669, 670, 676*, 677, 679, 689 and 691, of which we do not accept as valid lines 27 (spelling, dilite vs. delite), 592 (illegible in Lt), 634 (spelling, tarsellet vs. tercelet), 689 (all five MSS read the same), 691 (error in T) and 140 (discussed in text). Our list of variant readings consists of lines 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 17, 25*, 29, 40*, 42*, 47, 57, 71, 79, 81, 82, 105, 117, 123, 130, 133, 136, 137, 139*, 145, 152, 156, 158, 172, 175, 183, 190, 192, 195, 199, 203, 204, 205, 216, 225, 228*, 234*, 256, 262*, 263, 286*, 287, 290, 294, 307*, 312, 329, 332, 335*, 336, 341, 348, 351, 352*, 362, 366, 372, 379*, 384, 385, 390, 404, 414*, 417, 422, 426, 428, 431, 436, 449, 462*, 493*, 494*, 497, 504*, 514, 519*, 520, 524, 525*, 527, 533*, 537*, 539*, 555, 557, 560*, 570, 601, 605, 606, 608, 616, 635, 637, 640, 658*, 669, 670, 676*, 677, 679, 679, 688 and 693. Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 59 however, show that there are many more variant readings in D than what Hammond has stated. Nevertheless, she points out that there are a series of A group readings present in D which have apparently been blurred by omission in the rest of the B group MSS, namely lines 7*, 53, 62, 244 and 467*, and also points of agreement between D and the A group in lines 28 and 148. This was also Koch’s opinion when he postulated his stemma in 1881, stating that this is proved in lines 7, 62, 148, 387, 417, and 460. Of all these examples, we can only consider A readings present in D lines 7*, 244 and 467*, the rest having no A reading present in D but rather—if any—on the rest of the MSS of group B. I agree with Hammond when she states that Koch’s evidence to support the influence of A on D is not strong, but when she says that “if these readings prove anything, they prove the possibility of independent but coincident change by various manuscripts . . . I can not find in these examples adequate proof of A influence on D” (1902: 12), I must remark, again, that her treatment of evidence is arbitrary. If we do not admit a direct influence of A on D, then it is impossible to explain how the scribe of D obtained the readings of lines 7* (flete or synke), 467* (eek nature hir silf) and, less importantly, 244 (and eke with out) when the rest of the MSS of group B and, therefore, D’s ancestor, omitted them or read otherwise. Nevertheless, since three examples are not enough evidence to support the influence of A on D, and since every affiliation between MSS always has a number of evidences which may point towards a different stemma, we will accept that D has not been influenced by A, and that the common readings are, as Hammond argues, coincidental. Regarding her conclusion that Lt and T are affiliated with a MS of the FB group for the first seventy-five lines of the poem, however, we can not agree. What she argues is “an alliance DLtT versus FB [which] is now sufficiently probable after line 75; anterior to that point the affiliation of TLt is partly also with FB; cf. ll. 7, 53, 62. From about line 75 on, Lt adheres to D, while T perhaps had access to an FB codex; cf. ll. 387-90 and colophon” (1902: 14). On the one hand, there is not enough evidence to prove this affiliation and, on the other, Hammond does not seem to be aware that she has postulated Lt and T as coming from different ancestors, which would make this sudden change in the affiliation of both MSS a coincidence too elaborate to be accepted. As Root observes, “unless the scribes of Tanner and Longleat were working from a common David Arbesú 60 original, which according to the author’s [Hammond] genealogy is not the case, it would be hard to explain why each scribe should have abandoned one exemplar, and taken up another, precisely at line seventy-five” (Root 1903: 190). The positioning of T in the tree is, by far, the most problematic one. We have already seen that this MS seems to stand in an intermediate position between the two sub-groups of FB and LtD. Hammond’s evidence for placing T in a specific position in the stemma concerns the order in which the three Chaucerian poems Legend of Good Women (LGW), PF, and the Book of the Duchess (BD) are copied in MSS F, B and T (1902: 12), although she later places T with Lt and D. We shall not examine these evidences now, which, although important, are less relevant than the variant readings in the MSS. If the readings in the MSS prove a certain position of T in the tree, the order in which the poems are copied can not prove otherwise. The evidence presented by Hammond in order to deduce the position of T, namely lines 3*, 8, 56, 59, 78, 119, 149, 154, 437, 466, 512* and 569 is often contradictory and points towards a different positioning of the MS. Lines 3*, 56, 59, 154, 512* and 569 indicate TLtD kinship, Hammond argues. However, B is wanting in line 3* and in line 569 Lt goes with FB. Of the rest, lines 78, 149, 437 and 466 are proof of LtT; and lines 8 and 119 are examples of LtD, T going here with FB. Her evidence of T’s variant readings is, then, scarce, and it does not point towards a positioning of T anywhere in the tree. Her conclusion, which we shall examine below, leaves her final stemma for the MSS of group B—the “Hammond group”—as follows (1902: 14): C C2 C1 C3 lines 1-75 F B T Lt D Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 61 After a thorough analysis of this stemma, which—we should remember—has been undisputed for over one-hundred years, we notice that there are a number of questions that need to be taken under consideration, and that the stemma Hammond has postulated often lacks the necessary evidence to justify its conclusions. On the one hand, the number of evidences presented to support the stemma is very inferior to the actual variant readings that can be found. One could argue that Hammond pays attention only to those variants she considers “important,” the rest being of no value to support a specific position of a MS in the tree. However, Hammond never specifies the criteria on which a certain variant is considered significant and another one is not, and often includes examples of “variant spellings” as valuable data (contrary to our evidence) and disregards variants which are due to scribal miscopy, insertion or omission. This indicates two things: that the deduction of her stemma is not the result of a personal transcription and examination of the MSS, and also that the criteria on which a specific reading is considered a variant is not clear. Comparing her evidences with the examples we have obtained from the transcription of the five MSS of group B, the following table can be postulated: Hammond 1902 Arbesú 2003 Difference FB 17 (0 dubious) = 17 27 (4 dubious) = 23 + 6 LtD 30 (7 dubious) = 23 56 (12 dubious) = 44 + 21 F 15 (10 dubious) = 5 23 (5 dubious) = 18 + 13 B 18 (5 dubious) = 13 26 (0 dubious) = 26 + 13 Lt 78 (5 dubious) = 73 109 (0 dubious) = 109 + 36 D 38 (2 dubious) = 36 72 (0 dubious) = 72 + 36 T 27 (5 dubious) = 22 42 (0 dubious) = 42 + 20 Tota l 223 (34 dubious) = 189 355 (21 dubious) = 334 + 145 The only aspect we need to discuss now is the problematic position of T in the tree. We have already altered the substance of Koch-Hammond’s stemma considerably by eliminating the affiliation of T and Lt with a MS of the FB group for the first 75 lines of the poem and by concluding, with Hammond, that D has not been influenced by A. Regarding the affiliation of F with B, I find that the important question is their close textual affinity, and David Arbesú 62 not whether F is the ancestor or the brother of B, so that, as long as their strong bond is accounted for, the palaeographic stemma will be correct. The main problem that we find to postulate a stemma for the MSS of PF comes with the position of T. As we have seen, this MS seems to stand in an intermediate position between the two subgroups of FB and LtD, and this is always the case of T no matter the kind of evidence we examine. If we look at the data obtained from the collation of the MSS, we see that T agrees with FB (FBT/ LtD) in forty-four readings and with LtD (LtDT/ FB) in twenty- three. This evidence is not enough to postulate the position of T in any of the two main branches of the stemma. Nevertheless, if one takes a look at other kinds of evidence, such as the general spelling of the MSS (gates/ gatys; birdes/ briddis), spelling of proper names (Cupide/ Cipride; Semiramus/ Semyramus; Achilles/ Hachilles), etc., the result is the same: T agrees with one group for approximately half of the cases, and with the other for the remaining examples. The uncertainty about T’s affiliation comes, however, as no surprise, for it is echoed in every study on PF’s authorities, or even in Hammond’s sudden positioning of T with LtD in the tree. Editorial conventions go a step further, for modern Chaucer editions reproduce what they claim to be Hammond’s stemma in a way that makes T’s positioning on the tree even more obscure, i.e. “B: G:FB; H:TLtD” (Benson 1987: 1147). However, the affiliation of the MSS given by Seymour is the best example to show how the treatment of T in relation to the rest of the MSS of group B is contradictory. According to Seymour, Fairfax 16 is closely affiliated to Bodley 638 and vice-versa, but he also mentions that “Tanner 346 is affiliated to Fairfax 16 and Bodley 638; Digby 181 is closely affiliated to Longleat 258; and Longleat 258 is affiliated to Digby 181 and Tanner 346” (1995: 29-32). What is one to infer from this classification? The two subgroups of FB and LtD are, again, well differentiated, but the actual relationship of T with the rest of the MSS is impossible to see. On the one hand, T is affiliated with FB, and on the other, with Lt which, in turn, is affiliated with D (D not being directly affiliated with T). Why does Hammond, then, postulate T in the branch of LtD, and above these two MSS? As we have argued, the evidence in her article for T’s positioning is contradictory and can not prove any affiliation whatsoever. Furthermore, she Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 63 often disregards her own evidences which, in the absence of opposing data, point to a positioning of T with FB. Her explanation for T’s affiliation with LtD is given in these lines: It is to be noted that elsewhere in the T codex the Anelida and Lydgate’s Black Knight are copied in close conjunction; that Krausser, in his edition of the latter poem (Anglia, XIX), finds D and T connected in a group opposed to F and B, and that the Koch-Heath genealogy of the Anelida text places T on the same stem with DLt, above them and opposed with them to FB. Assuming these conclusions to be well grounded, we have the possibility that in the Parlement of Foules T (and Lt) worked partly with FB in the first few stanzas as in the poem preceding, but then for some reason deviated to use the copy which they had followed in transcribing the Black Knight. Further it might be remarked that the undetailed genealogy which so far lies before the student for the Legend of Good Women does not preclude the possibility that the difference of T from B may there be one of difference in stem, as here indicated. The freedom of T from FB errors in the former poem, alluded to by Mr. Pollard, may be because of a difference in stem. (1902: 14) Basically, the reasons for the postulation of T with LtD are four: Koch’s initial placement of T in that branch, the textual relationships of Chaucerian poems other than PF, Hammond’s conclusion that “these conclusions [are] well grounded,” and probably, her insistence on the strong—and, it seems, exclusive—bond between F and B. What seems to be the case, however, is that there are many more evidences that point towards a positioning of T with FB than for the opposite, and that neither Koch nor Hammond have taken them into account. Only to be fair, and before we discuss our positioning of T in the tree, we must shed light on a very interesting fact which renders a bi-fold conclusion: That Hammond’s positioning of T in the tree in 1902 was not supported with actual evidences, and that critical editions of Chaucer in the twentieth century have reproduced, for over a hundred years, a stemma that is incorrect and was later modified by David Arbesú Hammond herself, although the scientific community has yet to make room for it.15 In 1908, six years after establishing the stemma of the MSS for PF, Hammond published a book, Chaucer: A Bibliographical Manual, which is still today unsurpassed by any other manual on Geoffrey Chaucer, and refereed in almost every scholar publication about the author. The interesting fact is that, while the book reproduces the MS affiliations for all Chaucerian works, only one of Chaucer’s poems deserves the privilege of a stemma. This, of course, could be no other than PF, but on a closer examination of the stemma (which is virtually impossible to find on the pages of the book), one notices that this is not the same Hammond has reproduced in 1902. Hammond only deals—between the years 1902 and 1908—with the MSS of PF in thee brief articles, namely “Omissions from the Editions of Chaucer” (1904), “MS Longleat 258—A Chaucerian Codex” (1905) and finally, “On the Editing of Chaucer’s Minor Poems” (1908). None of these propose a new stemma for PF or explain a change in the previous one, nor do we find any explanation in the book about Tanner’s sudden change of branch. Regarding Koch, and leaving aside his 1881 article and his edition of the poem in 1928 already mentioned, he has dealt with the matter again in “Das Handschriftenverhältnis in Chaucers Parlement of Foules” (1903 and 1904), and in Versuch einer kritischen Textausgabe von Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules (1904), but his analyses do not alter the substance of our stemma. As it has been argued, Chaucerian criticism has never noticed the change made by Hammond, for her article in 1902 is taken—for, indeed, it is—as the last piece of scholarship that discusses, proves and renders a valid stemma for the witnesses of Chaucer’s poem. To anticipate our conclusion, Hammond’s 1908 stemma positions T with us, although she gives no explanation of the change whatsoever or proves it with any evidence at all. In our case, and in 15 As an example of critical editions of PF in the twentieth century we could cite Skeat 1900*, Capone 1900, Lounsbury 1900, Koch 1904*, Rogers 1904*, Skeat 1910*, Emerson 1911, Tatlock & MacKaye 1912, MacCracken 1913, Drennan 1914*, Koch 1928*, Robinson 1957 [1933]*, Donaldson 1958*, Brewer 1972 [1960]*, Baugh 1963, Fisher 1977, Ruggiers 1979, Stone 1983 and Benson 1987*. Editions marked with an asterisk are those of special importance for the establishment of PF’s text, those that have edited the poem on its own, or the ones that have been considered canonical. Non-academic editions, as that of Penguin, for example, are not listed. 64 Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 65 order to deduce the position of T in the tree, we have considered seven different aspects: -That there are forty-four examples in which T agrees in readings with FB, and only twenty-three in which it does so with LtD. -That the heading of the poem, in which T coincides with Lt (The assemble of Foules) is not important evidence, since neither FB nor LtD— being so strongly affiliated with each other—agree in this aspect. -That the treatment of the final roundel in PF,16 in which T coincides with Lt, can also be disregarded as valid evidence, since D (which is affiliated with Lt) includes a version of the roundel, and the inclusion of its title in MSS F and B, and not in T, could be an insertion of their immediate ancestor. -That only in the final colophon do the MSS agree consistently, being it equal for Lt and D (Here endith the parlement of fowlis) and for FB and T (Explicit tractatus de congregacione Volucru(m) die Sancti Valentini). -That for the text of LGW, and contrary to what Hammond claims, T uniquely omits lines 249 and 1378b-9a, and lacks lines 249, 487, 846, 960, 961, 1490, 1643, 1998, 2150b-3a, 2193, 2338 and 2475, also missing in F and B. -That if we examine the Chaucerian contents of the MSS, T stands again in an intermediate position between FB and LtD but, without a doubt, it seems to be closer to FB:17 Fairfax and Bodley (Anelida and Arcite (AA)/ LGW/ PF/ BD/ House of Fame (HF)/ ABC/ Fortune); Digby and Longleat (AA/ PF); Tanner (LGW/ AA/ BD/ PF). 16 There are three variants for the roundel in the MSS. Either they include a version of it (MSS J, D and Gg (inserted by a later hand)), they leave a blank space in which the roundel should be inserted (MS H), they do not include it but refer to it with its supposed title, Qui bien ayme a tarde oublie (MSS R, F, B and Cx) or they make no reference to it at all (MSS Ff, S, T and Lt). There are three MSS—Hh, P and L—for which the final part of the text of PF is lost. 17 The major poems by Chaucer, in the order in which they were copied in the MSS, have been taken from Seymour 1995: 31-32, 83-88. David Arbesú 66 -That if we take into account the A readings present in the MSS of group B we will see that, whenever an A reading is present in T, it is usually also present in FB.18 For all these reasons, we must first agree with Hammond and place T in an intermediate position between the two strong subgroups of FB and LtD. However, we must disagree with her when she postulates the position of T closer to LtD than to FB. Therefore, we must position T in the tree in a way that it is not bonded inside neither of the two subgroups and, at the same time, show that it has characteristics of both FB and LtD, but with a much closer bond with the first subgroup.19 The new stemma for the B group MSS of PF would be, then, as follows: As colophon to this article, we believe it has been proven with enough evidence that the conclusions of both Koch and Hammond about the textual relations of PF’s authorities were reached after an incomplete analysis of the 18 For FBTA (vs. LtD) there are thirty-five examples, lines 42, 66, 75, 91, 98, 100, 104, 114, 119, 127, 152, 209, 233, 277, 282, 297, 312, 322, 346, 387, 417, 440, 457, 468, 472, 507, 527, 534, 537, 577, 596, 619, 642, 650 and 677, although we could also consider lines 8, 158, 161, 167, 190, 191 and 192 for which B is missing the text. In the case of TLtDA (vs. FB) there are only ten examples, lines 106, 108, 126, 208, 236, 278, 295, 383, 612 and 623. 19 Of course, one can find some lines that do not fit well into this stemma, namely 56, 59, 139, 154, 214, 224 and 512, which show an A reading present in FB not present in T or LtD. However, there is also evidence against the opposite position, T above LtD, which would be A readings present in LtD not present in T or FB, cf. ll. 71, 156, 158, 196, 296, 375, 523. Notice that all these evidences have to do with the transmission of a reading from group A down the MSS of group B. Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 67 variant readings present in the MSS.20 The mere existence of Hammond’s 1908 stemma is, however, enough evidence to invalidate the first, which has been the canonical one for more than one hundred years and is, still today, considered the correct genealogical tree for PF. It has now been argued that, sometime between 1902 and 1908, Hammond must have realized the erroneous affiliation of T and inserted a revised version of the stemma in Chaucer: A Bibliographical Manual which, nevertheless, passed unnoticed to the virtual totality of Chaucerian criticism. A more important conclusion to this article is, however, that we believe it has proven the necessity to carry out a systematic revision of Chaucerian codicology. We hope that our modest analysis of the “Hammond subgroup” will serve as basis to the study of PF’s complete stemma, and open the way to the reconsideration of all codicological stemmas of Chaucer’s works. David Arbesú University of Massachussets, Amherst APPENDIX: VARIANT READINGS Line Bodley 638 Fairfax 16 Tanner 346 Longleat 258 Digby 181 1 .......... The lyf so short, the crafte so longe to lerne The lif so short the craft so long to lerne The lif so short the craft so long to lere The life so short, the crafte so longe to lerne 3 .......... The slyder Ioy, that alwey slyd so yerne The blysful ioy a wey that fleth so yerne The blisful Ioy that alwey fleeth so yerne The blisfull ioy awey that fleth so yerne 5 .......... Astonyeth soo, with a dredeful worchyng Astonyeth so with his dredfull Astonyeth so with Ø dredefull Astonyth so with his dredfull worchyng 20 Although our conclusions were drawn from the transcription of facsimile prints, the transcriptions of the Chaucer Society (Furnivall 1868-1880) from which Hammond draws her data present a very realiable text of the poem, so that the fault lies in the analysis rather than in the source itself. It could be argued that technological improvements have played a part in the modification of the stemma, but the texts of MSS F, B, T, Lt and D analysed here were manually transcribed and collated. David Arbesú 68 worchyng worchyng 7 .......... Nat wote I wel wher that I wake or wynke That wote I wele wher Ø I wake or wynke Ne wote I wele whether Ø I wake or wynke Not wote I well wher þat I flete or synke 8 .......... For al be that, I knowe not love in dede For all be that I knowe not loue in dede Ø by al that I knowe not loue in dede For by all that I knowe not loue in dede 9 .......... Ne wote how he, quyteth folke her hire Ne wote how he quyteth folke hire hire Ne wote howe he quyteth folke thaire hire Ne wote howe she quyteth folke here hyre 10 .......... Yet hapeth me in bookes, ofte to rede Yit happeth me in bokis oft Ø rede Yet happith me oft in bokis for to rede Yit happeth me in bokes ofte to rede 17 .......... But why that I speke, al this not yore But why þat I speke all þis not yoore But why that I speke of this not yore but why þat I speke all þis,· not yore 23 Cometh al the new corne fro yere to yere Cometh al this new corne, fro yere to yere Comyth al this new corn fro yere to yere Cometh al this newe corne from yere to yere Comyth all this new corn fro yere to yere 25 Comyth all this new scyence that men lere Cometh al thys new science, that men lere Comyth al þis new science þat men lere Cometh al this newe sentence that me lere Comyth all þis newe stiens that men lere 27 To rede forth Ø gan me so delyte To rede forth hit gan me so delyte To rede forth it gan me so delite To rede forth it gane me so dilite To rede forth it ganne me so delite 28 that all the day thought me but a lyte That al the day, thought me but a lyte That al day thought me but a lyte That al day thought me but a lite That all day it thought me but a lite 29 This booke of which I make mensyon This booke of which, I make mension This boke of which I make mencion This boke whereas I make mencion This book of which I make mencion 35 Of his sentence I wull you tell the grete Of his sentence, I nul yow tel the grete Of his sentence I wol you tell the grete Of his sentence I wol you telle the grete Of his sentens I woll you tell the grete 40 That was bitwext hem til That was betwixt hem, til the day gan mysse That was betwixt hem tyl the day That was bitwix them till the day Þat was bitwix hem, till the day gan Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 69 the day gan mysse gan mysse Ø mysse mysse 42 Gan on his slepe that nyght to him appere Gan on his slepe that nyght to hym appere Gan on his slepe that nyght to hym appere Gan in his slepe that might Ø appere Gan on his slepe · that nyght till hym appere · 47 That louyth comune profyte well I thewyd · That loveth comvne profyt, wel y thewede Þat louyth comon profit well I thewed That loueth come proffit well I thewde That louyth comune profite well I thewyde 50 Tha anskyd he if the folke that here be ded Than asked he, yf the folke that here be dede Than askid he yif the folke þat here be dede Than asked he if the folke that here be dede Than asked he if þe folke þat here be dede 53 and oure present worldis lyues space · And oure present worldes, lyves space And oure present worldis lyuys space And our present worlds lyues space And howe oure present worldis lifis space 54 Meneth but a maner deth what wey we trace Meneth but a maner dethe, what wey we trace Menith but a man deth what wey we trace Meneth but a manere dethe what wey we trace Mernyth but a maner deth what wey we trace 56 To heuen and shewid him the Galoxye To hevene and shewed hym, the Galoxye To heuyn and shewed hem the Galoye To heuen and shewed him the galeye To heuen and shewed hem the Galoye 57 Then shewid he him the litell erth that here is Than shewede he hym, the lytel erthe that here is Than shewed he hym the litel erth þat here is Than shewed he him a litest erthe that here is Than shewed he hym the litle erthe þat here is 59 And aftir shewid he him the nyne sperys And aftir shewed he hym, the nyne speris And after shewid he hy the ix speris And after shewed he him the ix speres And after shewed he hym the ix· speres 62 That welle ys of musyke and melodye That welle ys of musyke, and melodye That wel is of musyk and melodye That well is of musik and melodye That wellis been of musik and melodie 63 In this worlde Ø and cause of Armonye · In this worlde here, and cause of Armonye In þis world here and cause of Armony In this worlde here and cause of armonye In this wordle here, and cause of Armonye 66 That he ne shulde him in the world delyte That he ne shuld hym, in the worlde delyte That he ne sholde hy in the worlde delite That he ne shuld him in this worlde delite That he ne sholde hym in þis wordle delite David Arbesú 70 71 Than pried he Scipion tell him all Than prayed he Scipion, tel hym alle Þan prayed he Scipion tell hym alle Than praied he Cipion to telle him all Than praid he Cipion tell hym all 72 They wey to come to heuen blysse The wey to come, to hevene blysse The wey to come to heuen blysse The wey to come to heuen blisse The wey to come to heuen blisse 74 and loke ay besilye thou werke and wysse And loke ay besely, thou werke and wysse And loke ay bisily thou werk and wisse And loke ay besily thou werke and wisse And loke ay bisily thowe werke and wisse 75 To comvne profyte and thou shalt neuyr mysse To comvne profite, and thou shalt never mysse To comon profit and thu shalt neuer mysse The comon proffit and thou shal neuer mysse The comune profite, and þou shalt neuer mysse 78 But brekers of the lawe soth for to seyn But brekers of the lawe, soth for to seyne But brekers of the lawe Ø for to seyn But brekers of the lawe Ø for to sayne But brekers of the lawe sothe Ø to sayn 79 And lecherous folke aftir that thei ben ded And lecherous folke, after that they be dede And leccherous folke after þat they be dede And lecherous folk after Ø they be dede And lecherous folk, after þat they been deed 80 Shul alwey whirle a boute therth in peyn Shul alwey whirle aboute, therthe in peyne Shul alwey Ø a boute the erth in peyne Shull alwey whirle aboute the erthe in payne Shull alwey whirle about the erth in payn 81 Lines 81-82 in order Lines 81-82 in order Lines 81-82 in order Lines 81-82 reversed Lines 81-82 in order 82 And then foryeuyn hem all her wikkyd dede · And than for yeven hem, al hir wikked dede And þan foryeve hem al here wicked dede And than for yeuen them Ø thair wikked dede And then for yeue hem all here wicked dede 83 Then shull thei come vn to that blisfull place Than shul they come, vnto that blysful place Than shul they come vn to that blisful place Than shal they come vnto that blisful place Than shall þei come into that blisfull place 89 Fulfilled of thought and besy heuynesse Fulfilled of thought, and Ø hevenesse Fulfilled of thought and besy heuynesse Fulfilled of thought and besy heuynesse Fulfilled of thought and of besy heuynesse 91 And eke I ne had thinge that And eke I ne had thynge, that I wolde And ek I ne had thing that I wolde And Ø I ne hade thing that I wolde And Ø I ne hadde thynge ·that I wolde· Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 71 I wolde · 94 Tooke reste that made me to slepe faste Tooke reste, that made me to slepe faste Toke rest, that made me to slepe fast Toke rest that made me to slepe fast To rest that made me to slepe fast 96 How Anfrikan right in that self aray How Anfrikan, ryght in that selfe Aray How Affrican right in that seluen Aray Howe Anfrican right in that seluen array Howe Anfrican right in þat seluen aray 98 Was comen and stode right at my beddis syde Was comen and stoode ryght, at my beddys side Was comen and stode right at my beddes side Was comen and stode right at the beddes side Was comyn and stood right at þe beddis side 99 The wery hunter slepinge in his bed · The wery hunter, slepynge in hys bed The verry hunter sleping in his bedde The wery hunter sleping in his bedde The wery hunter slepyng in his bedde 100 to woode a yein his mynde goth anon To wode ayeine, hys mynde gooth anoon To wode ayen his mynde goth a non To the wode ayein his mynde gooth anoon To the wode a yen, his mynde goth anoon 101 The Iuge dremyth how his pleis ben sped · The Iuge dremeth, how hys plees ben sped The Iuge demeth hou his plees ben spede The Iugge dremyth howe is plees ben spede The Iuge dremyth howe his plees been spedde 104 the seke metith he drinketh of the tonne The seke meteth, he drynketh of the tonne The seke meteth he drynketh of the tonne The seke dremeth he drinketh of the tonne The seke dremyth howe he drynketh of þe ton 105 The louer metith he hath his ladi wonne The lover meteth, he hath hys lady wonne The louer metith he hath his lady wonne The trewe louer metyth he hath his lady wonne The lover metith he hath his lady won 106 Can not I seyn if that the cause were · Can not I seyne, yf that the cause were Can I not seyn yif that the cause were Can I not saien if that the cause were Can I not sayn if that the cause were 108 That me to mete that he stode there That me to mete, that he stood there That made me to mete þat he stood there That made me to mete that he stode there That made me to mete Ø he stode there 112 That somdell of thi laboure wolde I the That somedel of thy labour, wolde I the quyte That somdele of thy laboure wolde I Ø quyte That sumdell of thy labour wol I the quyte Þat somdele of thy labour wold I the quyte David Arbesú 72 quyte 114 That with thi firye bronde dauntest whom the leste That with thy firy bronde, dauntest who the lest Þat with þy firy bronde dantest who the liste That with thy fire brande dauntest who þou list Þat with thy firebrond dauntist whom þou list 117 As wislye as I saw the north north weste · As wisly as I sawe the, northe northe west As wisely as I saw the north north west And wissely as I sawe thee north north west As wisly as I sawe the North NorthWest 119 So yeue me myght to ryme and to endyte · So yeve me myght, to ryme and to endyte So yeue me myght to ryme and to endyte So yeue me myght to ryme and Ø endite so yeue me myght to write it and Ø endite 123 And ouyr the gate with lettris large I wrought And ouer the gate, with letres large y wroght And ouer the gate with letters large I wrought And ouer the gate with leres large I wrought And ouer the gate with letters large I wrought 125 On eythir halfe of full grete difference · On eyther halfe, of ful grete difference On either half of ful grete reuerence On either half of ful gret difference On eyther half, of full grete differens 126 Of which I shall you sey the pleyn sentence · Of which I shal yow sey, the pleyn sentence Of which I shal now sey the pleyn sentence Of whiche I shal nowe say þe plain sentence Of which I shall nowe say the playn sentens 127 Thorogh me men gon in to that blisfull place · Thorgh me men goon, in to that blysful place Thorogh me men gon in to that blisfull place Thorough me men come into that blisful place Through me men come into þat blisfull place 129 Thorgh me men gon vn to the welle of grace Thorgh me men goon, vnto the welle of grace Thorogh me men gon vn to the wel of grace Thorough me men goon vnto the well of grace Through me men goon vnto þe well of grace 130 there grene and lusty may shall euyr endure There grene and lusty May, shal euer endure There grene and lusty may shal euer endure The grene and lusty may shal euer endure Ther grene and lusty may · shall euer endure 133 all opyn am I passe in and hye the faste · Al open am I passe in, and hye the faste Al open am I · passe in and hye the faste Alle open am I passed in and high the fast All open am I passe in and hie the fast Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 73 134 Thorgh me men gon then spake þat othir syde · Thorgh me men goon, than spake that other side Thorogh me men gon than spake þat oþer side Thorough me men goon þan spake þat oþer side Through me men goon þan spake þat oþir side 136 Of which disdayne and daunger ys the gyde · Of which disdayne, and daunger is the gyde Of which dysdayne and daunger is the gide Of whiche disdayne Ø daungier is the gide Of which disdayn and daungere is the gide 137 There tre shall neuyr frute ne leuys bere · there tree shal neuer frute, ne leves bere Þere tre shal neuer frewte ne leues bere The tree shal neuer frute ne leuys bere There tree shall neuer frute ne leves bere 139 There as the fyssh in pryson ys all drye There as the fyssh in prison, is al drye Þere as this fissh in prison is all drye There as this fisshe in prison al drye is There as this fysshe in prison is all drie 140 the schewynge ys Ø the remedye · The savynge ys only, the remedye The shewing is only the remedye The shouyng is oonly the remedys The shewyng is only the remedie 142 Of which I gan a stounde to biholde · Of which I gan a stounde, to be holde Of which I gan a stounde to be holde Of whiche I gan Ø stonde to beholde Of which I gan Ø stonde to beholde 144 And with that othir gan myne herte to bolde · And with that other, gan myn hert to bolde And with þat other gan my hert to bolde And with that other gan myn hert to bolde And with þat othir gan myn hert Ø bolde 145 That oon me hette that othir did me colde · That oon me hette, that other did me colde That on me hette that other did me colde That oon me hette that other and me colde That oon me hette, þat othir did me colde 148 Ryght as betwix Adamaunts twoo Ryght as betwix Adamauntes twoo Right as be twix addemandis two Right as bitwix Ademauntes twoo For right as bitwix adamauntis two · 149 Of euyn myght a pese of Iron I sette · Of evene myght, a pece of Iren y sette Of evyn myght apece of Iryn is sett Of euen might a pece of Iron is sette Of evyn myght a pece of yron I sette 152 So ferd I that I ne wiste wher that me was bette · Ferde I that I ne wiste, wher that me was bette Ferd I that I ne wist wher þat me was bette Thus fored I that I ne wist where Ø me was bette Thus ferde I þat I ne wiste, whedir Ø me was bette David Arbesú 74 154 Me hente and shofe Ø in at the gatys wyde · Me hente and shoofe Ø in, at the gates wyde Me hente and shoof me in at the gate wide Me hent and shoif me in at the gate wide Me hent · and shoof me in at þe gate wide 156 Thin erroure though thou tell it not me · Thyn errour, though thou tel hyt not me Thy erroure though thu tel it not me Thyn errour though to telle it not to me Thyn errour though þou tell it not to me 158 .......... For this writynge, ys no thing ment be the For this wrytyng is no thing ment be the For this writte is noo thing ment by the For this writyng is no thyng ment by the 161 .......... As seke man hath of swete, and bitternesse As seek man hath of swete and bitternesse As a seke man hath of swete and bitternesse As a seke man · hath of swete and bittirnesse 165 .......... Yet lyketh hym, at the wrastelynge to be It liketh hym at the wrastlyng to be It liketh him at the wresteling to bee It likith hym att the wrastlyng to bee 166 .......... And demeth yit, whethir he do bet or he And demyth yit wheþer he do bet or he And demyth yet whether he doo bet or he And demyth it, whethir he do bette or hee 167 .......... And yf thou haddest kunnynge, for to endite And yif þou haddest kunnyng for to endite And if thou haddest cunyng Ø to endite And if þou haddist comyng Ø to endite 169 .......... And with that my honde in hys, he toke anon With that myn honde in his he took a non With that my hande in his he toke anoon With that myn honde in his he toke anon 170 .......... Of which I comfort kaught, and went in faste Of which I comfort taught and went in fast Of whiche I comfort caught and went in fast Of whiche I comforte caught and went in fast 172 .......... For ouer al where, I myn eyn caste For ouer all where I myn eyen cast But ouer al where I myn yen cast For ouer all, where I myn eyen cast 175 .......... As Emerawde, that Ioy was to sene As Emeawde þat ioy was to sene As any Emeraude that Ioy was to sene As Emeraude that ioye was to seyn 177 .......... The peler elme, the cofre vn to careyne The pelere elm the coffre vn to the tareyn The piler Elme the cofre vnto carayne The peler Elme, the cofre vnto careyn Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 75 178 .......... The box pipe tre, holme to whipes lasshe The box pype tre holme to whippes lassh The box pipe tree holme to whippis lasshe The box pipe, the holme to whippes lasshe 183 .......... A gardyn sawh I, ful of blossomed bowis A gardyn saw I ful of blossomed bowis A garden sawe I ful Ø blosumed bowes A gardyn sawe I full of blossomyd bowes 187 .......... And colde well stremes, no thinge dede A colde wel stremes nothing dede And colde well stremes noo thing dede And colde well stremys no thyng dede 189 .......... With fynnes rede, and stales syluer bryght With fynys rede and stalis of syluer bryght With fynnes rede and stales syluer bright With fynnes rede · and stales siluer bright 190 .......... On euery bowgh, the briddes herde I synge On euery bough the briddes herde I singe In euery bowe the birdes harde I singe In euery bough the briddes herde I synge 191 .......... With voys of aungel, in her armony With vois of aungel in here armonye With vois of Angelles in thair armonye With vois of Aungelis · in here Armonye 192 .......... That besyed hem, her briddes forthe to brynge Þat besied hym her briddes forth to bryng That be side them thair birdes forth to bringe That beside hem hir briddis forth to brynge 195 .......... The dredful Roo, the buk the hert and hynde The dredful Roo the buk the hert and hinde The dredeful roo the buk the hert the hinde The dredfull Roo the buk the hert and hynde 196 .......... Squerel and bestis smale, of gentil kynde Squerele and bestes smale of gentyl kynde Squerells and bestes small of gentil kinde Squerellis and bestis smale, of gentill kynde 197 .......... On instrumentes of strynge, in a corde On instruments of stringe in a corde On Instruments of strenge in accorde On instrumentis of strength in A corde 198 .......... Herde I Ø pley, and ravysshinge swetnesse Herde I so pley and rauysshinge swetnesse Harde I so playe and rauisshing swetnesse Herde I so pleie, and raueshyng swetnesse 199 .......... That god that maker ys of al, and lorde That god þat makere is of al and lorde That god that the maker is of al and lorde That god þat maker is of all, and lorde David Arbesú 76 201 Therwith a wynde vnneth it myght be lesse · There with a wynde, vnnethe hyt myght Ø lesse There with a wynde vnneth it myght be lesse There with awynde vnneth it might be lesse Þere with A wyndes vneth it myght be lesse 202 Made in the leuys grene a noyse softe · Made in the leves grene, a noyse softe Made in þe leuys grene a noyse softe Made in the leuys grene a noise soft Made in the leues grene a noise full softe· 203 Acordant to the foulys songe on lofte · Accordant to the foulys, songe on lofte Acordant to the foules songe on lofte According to the foules songe on loft Accordaunt to the fowlis songe on lofte 204 The ayre of that place so attempre was The aire of that place, so attempre was The eire of þat place so atempre was The eyre of that place so attempered was The eire of þat place so attempre was · 205 That neuyr was grevance there of hote ne colde · That neuer was grevance therof, hoot ne colde That neuer was greuance þere of hote ne colde That neuer was greunce thereof of hote ne colde Þat neuer was greuance there, of hote ne colde 206 There growyn Ø euery holsom spice and gras Ther growen eke, euery holsome spice and gras Ther growen ek euery holsom spice and gras There growen eke euery holsom spice and gras There growen eke, euery holsome spice and gras 208 Yet was there more ioy a thousande folde Yet was there more Ioy, a thousande folde Yit was ther Ioy more a thousand fold Yet was there Ioye more a thousand folde Yhit was þere ioy more a thousand fold 209 No man kan tell neuyr wolde it nyght No man kan telle, neuer wolde hyt nyght No man can tell neuer wold it nyght Noo man can telle neuer wold it be night No man can tell, neuer wold it be nyght 214 And wylle his doughtre temperyd al the while And wille hys doghtre, tempred al the while And while his doughter tempred all þe while And while his doughter tempered al the while And while his doughter temprid all þe while 216 She towchid hem aftir as thei shuld serue She tovched hem, after as they shul serve She touched hem after as they shull serue She couched them after as they shulde serue She touched hem · aftir as þei shold serue 217 Som to fle and som to wounde and kerue Some to flee, and some to wounde and kerve Som to fle and som to wounde and kerue Sume to flee and sume to wounde and karue Some to slee and some to wounde and kerue Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 77 220 And of the crafte that kan and hath þe myght And of the crafte that kan, and hath the myght And of the craft þat can and hath the myght And of the craft that can and hath the might And of þe crafte þat came and hath þe myght 224 Saugh I Delyte that stode with gentillesse Sawgh I delyte, that stoode with gentilesse Saugh I delite that stood with gentilnesse Sawe I dilite that stode with gentilnesse Saugh I delite that stood with gentilnesse 225 I saugh beaute without eny atyre I sawgh beaute, withoute any atire I sawgh bewtee with oute any atire I sawe beaute withoute any tyre I saugh beaute without any atire 228 Massagery mede and othir thre · Messagery mede, and other thre Messagery mede and other thre Massagerye mede and other tree Messanger mede and other thre 231 I saugh a temple of bras foundid stronge I sawgh a temple of glas founded stronge I saugh a temple of brasse fonded stronge I sawe a Temple of bras founded strong I saugh a temple of bras foundid stronge 233 Women I nowe of which som were · Women y now, of which some were Women I nowe of which some were Women ynough of whiche sume were Wymen I nowgh of which some were 234 Faire of hem self and som of hem gay Faire of hem self, and some of hem gay Faire of hem self and som of hem gay Faire of them self and sume Ø gaye Faire of hem silf, and some of hem gay · 236 That was hir offyce · alwey fro yere to yere · That was hir office alwey, fro yere to yere Þat was here office alwey yere by yere That was thair office alwey yere by yere That was here office alwey yere by yere 238 Of dowuys white many a hundryd peyre Of dowves white, many a hundred paire Of dowues white meny an hundrid peire Of doues white many a hundred paire Of dowfes Ø many an hundred paire 244 And aldirnext within and withoute · And alder next within, and with oute And alther next with in and with oute And alther next within and withoute And alder next within and eke with out 245 Beheste and Arte and of hir folke a Route Behest and arte, and of her folke a rowte By hest and art and of here folke a route Behest and Arte and of thair folke a route Bihest and art and Ø here folke about David Arbesú 78 255 In suche Aray as when the Asse him shente· In suche array, as whan the asse hym shente In swich array as whan þe asse hym shente In suche array as whan the asse him shend In suche array· as when the asse hym hent 256 With crye be nyght and with his ceptre in honde · With crie be nyght, and with his ceptre in honde With cry by nyght and with his cepter in honde With crye by night and Ø his ceptre in honde With crie be nyght, and with his septer in honde 262 That was full noble and hawteyn of hir porte · That was ful noble, and hawteyn of hir porte That was ful noble and hauteyn of hir port That was ful Ø and haulteyne of hir port Þat was full noble, and haunten of here porte 263 Derk was that place and aftirward lyghtnesse · Derke was that place, but afterward lyghtnesse Derk was that place but afterward lightnesse Derke was the place but afterward lightnesse Derke was þat place, but aftirward lightnesse 269 And nakid fro the breste vnto the hed And naked fro the brest, vn to the hede And naked fro the brest vn to the hede And naked fro the brest vnto the hede And naked from the breste Ø to the hede 274 The place yafe a thousande sauowrys swote · The place yafe a thousande, sauours swoote The place Ø a thousand sauores swoote The place yaue a thousande sauours sote The place yaf a thowsand savours sote 277 and as I seide amyddes lay Cipride and as I seide, amyddes lay Cipride And as I seide amyddes lay Cipride And as I saide amyddis lay Cupide And as I said amyddes lay Cupide 278 To whom on kneis the yonge folkis cryde to whom on knes, the yonge folkes criede To whom on knees two yonge folkes cryde To whom on knees two yonge folke cryde To whom on knees two yong folke cride · 282 Full many a bowe I broke henge on the wall Ful many a bowe y broke, henge on the walle Ful many a bowe I broke henge on the wall Ful many a bowe broke hynge on the walle Ful many a bowe broke, hynge on the wall 284 In hir seruyse and peynted ouyr all In hir seruise, and peyted ouer alle In hir seruice and peynted ouer all In hir seruice and paynted ouer alle In here seruise, and paynted ouer all Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 79 286 A fewe · as of Calixte and Athalante · A fewe, as of Calixte, and Athalante A fewe as of Calixte and Athalant A felde as of Calixte and Athelante A fewe, as of Calixte, and Athalante 287 And many a maide of which the name I wante And many a Mayde, of which the name I wante And many a mayde of which þe name I want And of many a mayden of whiche þe name I wante And many a maide of which the name I wante 290 Trystam Isoude Parys and Achylles Tristram, Isoude, Paris, and Achilles Tristram Isoude Parys and Achilles Tristram I founde Parys and hachilles Tristram Isaud Paris and Achilles 294 And all her loue and in what plyte · they dyde And al her loue, and in what plite they dide And al hire loue and in what plyte they dide Ø alle there loue and in what plight þey dide And all here love, and in what plite they dide 295 When I was come a yen in to that place · Whan I was comen ayen, in to that place Whan I was comen ayein in to the place Whan I was come ayein into the place When I was comen a yen in to the place 296 That I of spake that was so swote and grene · That I of spake, that was so swoote and grene That I of spak þat was so swote and grene That I of spake that was so sote and grene That I of spake, that Ø so soot and grene 297 Forth welke I tho my selfe to solace · Forth welke I thoo, my selven to solace Forth welke I tho my siluen to solace Forth walked I thoo my seluen to solace Forth walkid I thoo my seluen to solace 303 Was sette this noble goddesse of Nature · Was sette this noble goddesse, of nature Was sette þis noble goddes (of) nature Was sette this noble goddes Ø nature Was sette this noble goddes Ø nature 306 Ne ther uas foule þat comyth of engendure Ne ther uas foule, that cometh of engendrure Ne there uas foule that comeþ of engendure Ne there was foule that comyth of engendure Ne ther was fowle that comyth of engendrure 307 That ther ne were preste in hir presence · That there ne were prest, in hir presence That there ne were preest in hir presence That there ne were Ø in hir presence That there ne were preste in here presence 310 When euery foule comyth there to chese Whan euery foule cometh there, to chese his make Whan euery vfoule comth þere to chese hir make Whan euery foule comyth there to chese his make When euery fowle comyth þere to chese his make David Arbesú 80 his make 311 Of euery kynde that men thynke maye On euery kynde, that men thynke may Of euery kynde that men thynke may Of euery kynde that men thinke may Of euery kynde that men thynke may · 312 And that so huge a noyse gan thei make · And that so huge anoyse, gan they make And þat so huge a noyse gan they make And that so huge Ø voice gan they make And þat so huge Ø noise gan þei make · 313 That erth Ø se and tre and euery lake · That erthe and see and tree, and euery lake That erth and se and tre and euery lake That erthe and see and tree and euery lake That erthe and see, and tree and euery lake 318 In such araye men myght hir there fynde · In suche array, men myght hir there fynde In swich array men myght hire there y finde In suche array men might hir there finde In suche aray men myght hir ther fynde 319 This noble Emperesse full of grace This noble emperesse, ful of gace This noble Empiresse ful of grace This noble emperesse ful of grace This noble Empresse, full of grace 322 Seynt Valentynes day to stondyn there · Seynt Valentynes day, to stonden there Seint Valentynes day to stonden there On Seint Valentyne is day to standen there On Seynt Valentynes day to stond there 329 And that so fele that wondir was to sene And that so fele, that wonder was to sene And that so fele that wonder was to sene And that so felle that wondre it was to seen And that so fele, that wonder was to sene 332 And othir Eglys of a loware kynde · And other Egles, of a lower kynde And other Egles of a lower kynde And other egles of Ø lower kynde And othir Egles of a lower kynde 335 And grene · I mene the goshauke that doth pyne · And grey, I mene the goshauke that doth pyne And greyne · I mene the goshauke þat doth pyne The gray goshauke that doth gret pyne And gray, I mene the Gooshauke þat doth pyne 336 To briddes · for his outrageouse Ravyne To briddes, for his outrageouse ravyne To briddes for his outrageus rauyne To the birds for his outeragious rauyne To briddis · for his owtragis ravyne Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 81 341 There was the Dowue with hir yen meke · There was the dowve, with hir eyen meke There was the dowue with here eyghen meke The was the dove with his yen meke Ther was the dowfe with here eyen meek 346 the scornynge ·Iay· the Eglys foo herowne· The scornynge Iay, the Egles foo heroune The scornyng Iay the Egles foo heroun The scornyng Iay the egles foo the heroune The Scornyng Iay the Egles foo the hairon 348 The stare that the counsell can bewrye · The stare, that the counseylle kan bewrye The staare that þe conseil kan by wrye The stare Ø the counseille can bewreye The stare that the Councell can biwrie 349 The tame Ruddock and the cowarde kyte The tame Ruddok, and the cowarde kyte The tame Ruddok and the coward kyte The Tame ruddok and the coward kite The tame Puttok and the coward kite 350 The coke that orlogge is of thropes lyte · The cok, that Orlogge ys, of thropes lyte The cok that Orlogge is of thropes lyte The Cok that orllage is of Thropys lite The Cok that orloger is of thropis lite 351 The Sparow Venus sone the Nyghtyngale · The sparow, Venus sone, the nyghtyngale The sparwe venus sone the nyghtyngale The Sparehauke Venus soon the nightingale The Sparowe venus son the Nyghtyngale 352 That clepith forth the fressh leuys newe · That clepeth forth, the fressh leves newe That clepeth forth the fressh leues newe That clepith Ø the fresshe leuys newe That clepith forth the fressh leues newe 354 That makyn hony of flowrys fressh of hewe · That maken hony of floures, fressh of hewe That maken hony of floures fressh of hewe That maken hony of floures fresshe of hewe That makyn Ø of the floures fresshe and newe 358 The waker gos the Cukkow euyr vnkynde The waker goos, Ø cukkow euer vnkynde The waker goos the cokkow euer vnkynde The waker goos the Cokkowe euer vnkynde The wakir Goos the Cokkowe euer vnkynde 362 The hote cormeraunte of glotonye The hoote Cormeraunte, of glotonye The hote Carmerant of glotonye The hote Cormeraunt ful of glotenye The hote Cormeraunt of Glotonye 364 The throstill olde and the frosty Feldfare · The throstel olde, the frosty felde fare The throstel oolde the frosty felde fare The Thristell olde the frosty felde fare The Thrustyll olde the frosty feldfare David Arbesú 82 366 That in this world han fethris and stature · That in this worlde, han fetheres and stature That in this worlde han fetheres and stature That is in this worlde han federes or stature That in this wordle haue fethris and stature 370 Benyglye to chese or for to take · Benyngly to chese, or for to take Benignely to chese or for to take Benyngly to chese or for to take Benyngly to chese, or for to take · 372 But to the poynte Natur hild on hir honde But to the poynte nature helde on hir honde But to the point nature held on hir honde But to the point Nature helde vp hir hande But to the poynt Nature helde on hir honde 375 The moste benigne and goodlyeste · The moste benigne, and goodlyeste The moost benigne and goodlieste The moost benigne and the goodliest The most benyngne, and the most goodliest 377 So ferforth that Nature hir self had blisse · So ferforthe, that nature hir selfe had blysse So ferforth þat nature hire self hadde blysse So ferforth that nature hir self had blisse So ferforth þat nature here silf had lisse 379 Nature the vikyr of thalmyghty lorde · Nature the vyker, of thalmyghty lorde Nature the vikere of the almyghty lorde Nature the viker of Ø almighty god Nature the viker of the all myghty lorde 381 Hath knytee bi euyn novmbre of acorde · halfe knyt be evene novmbre, of accorde Hath knyt by euyne nombre of a corde [ ] knyt by euen nombre of accorde Hath knytte by euene nombre of A coord 383 Foules take Ø of my sentence I prey · Foules, take Ø of my sentence I prey Fowles take hede of my sentence I prey Foules take hede of my sentence I praye Fowlis take heede of my sentens I praie 384 And for youre ease in furtherynge of youre nede · And for youre ease, in furtherynge of youre nede And for youre ese in fortheryng of youre nede And for your ease in furthering of your mede And for youre ease in forthryng of youre nede 385 As faste as I may speke I wull me spede · As faste as I may speke, I wol me spede As fast as I may speke I wole me spede As fast as I may speke I wol you spede As fast as I may speke I woll me spede Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 83 386 Ye know wel how that Seynt Valentyns day Ye knowe wel, how that Seynt Valentynes day Ye know well how þat Seint Valentynes day Ye knowe well howe that Seint Valentyne is day Ye knowen Ø how that on Seynt Valentynes day 387 Bi my statute and thorgh my gouernaunce Be my statute, and thorgh my gouernaunce By my statut and thorow my gouernance By my statute and thorough myn ordenaunce By my statute and through myn ordenance 389 With youre makis as I prike you with plesaunce · With youre makes, as I prik yow with plesaunce Wiþ youre makes as I pryke you with plesance With your makes as I prike you with plesaunce With youre makis as I pryk Ø with plesaunce 390 But natheles my rightfull gouernaunce · But natheles, my ryght ful gouernaunce But nathelees my rightful gouernance But natheles by my rightful gouernaunce But natheles my rightfull gouernance 391 May I not lette for al this world to wynne · May I not let, for al this worlde to wynne May I naught lete for All this worlde to wyn May I not lete for al this worlde to wynne May Ø not let, for all þis wordle to wynne 394 The foule Roial a boue you all in degre · The foule Royal, aboven yow in degree The foule royal a bouen you in degree The foule roial abouen you in degree The fowle riall · aboven you in degre · 395 The wise and worthi the secre trew as stele· The wyse and worthy, secre trewe as stele The wise and worthy secree trew as steel The wise and worthy secree trewe as stele The wise and worthy secre true as stele · 399 He shal firste chese and speke in his gyse · He shal first chese, and speken in his gyse He shal first chese and speken in his gise He shal first chese and speken in his gise He shall first chese and speken on his gise· 400 And aftir him bi ordre shul ye chese · And aftir hym by order, shul ye chese And after hym Ø ordre shul ye chese And after him by ordre shul ye chese And aftir hym by ordre shull ye chese 404 God sende him hir that soryste for hym siketh God sende hym hyr, that sorest for hym syketh God sende hym hir that sorest of hym siketh God sende him hir that sorest for him sigheth God sende hym hire þat sorest for hy siketh 406 And seid my sone the choys is to the I falle · And seyde my sone, the choys is to the falle And seid my sone the choys is to the fall And saide my sone the choice is to the falle And said my son, the choice is to the fall David Arbesú 84 407 But natheles in this condycion But natheles, in thys condicon But nathelees in this condicion But natheles in this condicion But nathelees in this condicion 409 That she agre to his eleccyon That she agree, to hys eleccon That she agree to his Eleccion That she aggre to his eleccion That she agree to his eleccion 411 This is oure vsage alwey fro yer to yere · This is oure vsage alwey, fro yere to yere That is oure vsage alwey fro yere to yere This is our vsage alwey fro yere to yere This is oure vsage alwey fro yere to yere · 414 With hed enclyned and with full humble chere · With hed enclyned, and with ful humble chere With heed enclyned and with ful humble cheere With hede enclyned and with Ø humble chere With heed enclyned and with full humble chere · 415 This roial tarcell spake and taried nought this real tercel spake, and taried noght Thus roiall tercel spak and taried nought This roial Tarsell spake and taryed nought This Royall Tarcell spake, and taried nought 417 I chese and chesse with wille and hert and thought I chese and chesse, with wille and hert and thought I chese and chees with wyl and hert and thought I chese and chese with hert Ø will and thought I chees and chese, with will Ø hert and thought 420 Do what hir luste to do me leue or sterue · Doo what hir lyste, to doo me lyve or sterve Do what hir lust to do me lyue or sterue Doo what hir list to doo me lyue or sterue Do what here liste to do me lyve or sterve · 421 Besechinge hir of mercy and of grace · Besechynge hir of mercy, and of grace Bisechyng hir of mercy and of grace Beseching hir of mercy and of grace Besechyng hir · of mercy and Ø grace 422 As she that is my ladi souereigne · As she that ys my lady, souereyne As she that is my lady souereyne As she that is my lady and souueraine As she that is my lady soueraign 424 For certis longe may I not leue in peyne · For certes longe may I not, lyve in peyne For cartes long may I nat lyue in peyne For certis long may I not lyue in payne For certes longe may I not loue in payn 426 Hauynge rewarde oonly to my trowth Hauynge rewarde oonly, to my trouthe Hauynge rewarde oonly to my trouth Hauyng regarde oonly to my trouthe Hauyng only reward to my trouthe · Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 85 428 And if I be founde to hir vntrew And yf I be founde, to hir vntrewe And if I be founde to hir vn trewe And if it be founde to hir vntrewe And if I be founde to her vntrewe 431 I prey to you this be my Iugement I pray to yow, thys be my Iugement I pray to you this be my Iuggement I pray Ø you this be my Iuggement I prey to you, this be my Iuggement 436 Although she neuyr of loue me behete · as thogh she neuer of loue, me be hette All thow she neuer of loue me bi hette And though of loue she me neuer behette All though she neuer of loue me bihete 437 Then ought she be myn thorgh hir mercy Than oght she be myn, thourgh hir mercy Than ought she Ø myn thorugh hir mercy Than aught she Ø myn thorough hir mercy Than ought she be myn through her mercy 438 For othir bonde kan I non on hir knette For other bonde kan I noon, on hir knette Of other bond kan I noon on hire knette For other bounde can I noon on hir knytte For othir bonde can I noon Ø knette 439 For neuyr for no woo ne shall I lette For neuer for no woo, ne shal I lette For neuer for Ø woo ne shall I lette For neuer for noo woo ne shal I lette For neuer for Ø woo ne shall I lette · 440 To serue hir how ferre so that she wende · To serven hir, how ferre so that she wende To seruen hir how fer so that she wende To seruen hir howe ferre Ø that she wende To seruen here, howe ferre Ø þat she wende 448 Seid doughtre drede you nought I you assure · Seyde doghter, drede yow noght I yow assure Seide doughter drede not nought I you assure Saide doughter drede you nought I you assure Seid doughter drede you not, I you assure · 449 An othir tercel Egle spake anon Another tercel egle, spake anoon A nother tercel Egle spak anon And another Tersell egle spake anoon An other Tarcell Egle spake anoon 452 Or at Ø leste I loue hir as well as ye · Or atte lest, I love hyr as wel as ye Or at the leste I loue hir as wel as ye Or at the lest I loue hir as well as ye Or at the laste I loue here as well as ye 454 And if she shuld haue louyd for longe louynge And yf she shulde have loued, for long lovyng And yif ye sholde haue loued for long louynge And if she shulde haue loued for long louyng And if she shold haue loued for long louyng David Arbesú 86 457 Vnkinde Iangler or rebell any wyse · Vnkynde Iangler, or rebel any wyse Vnkynde Ianlore or rebel any wise Vnkind iangeler or rebell in any wise Vnkynde Iangeloure or rebell in any wise 460 As well as my witte kan me suffyse as wel as my wytte, kan me suffise as wel as my wyt kan me suffise As well as my witte can me suffice As well as any witt can me suffise · 461 Fro poynte to poynte hir honoure for to saue· Fro poynt to poynt, hir honour for to save Fro point in point hire honore for to saue Fro point to point hir honnour for to saue Fro poynt to poynt, hir honours for to saue 462 Take she my life and all the good I haue · Take she my lyfe, and al the good I have Take she my lif and al the good I haue Take she my lif and Ø the good I haue Take eke my lif, and all the good I haue 466 Forth with his make or with his ladi dere Forth with hys make, or with hys lady dere For with his make or with his lady dere For with his make or with his lady dere Forth with his make · or with his lady dere 467 And eke hir self ne wull nought here · And eke hir selfe, ne wol nought here And ek hir self ne wol nought here And eke hir self ne wolde nought here And eek nature hir silf ne woll not here 468 For taryenge here nought half that I wold sey For taryinge here noght half, that I wolde sey For tarying here nought half þat I wolde say For tareing here nought half Ø I wold saye For tareyng here not half Ø I woll seie 471 But as possible is me to dye to day But as possible ys me, to dye to day But as possible is me to dey to day But as possible is me to dye to day But as possible is me to die to day 472 For woo as he þat hath be languysshynge For woo, as he that hath ben langwysshynge For wo as he that hath ben languyssing For woo as they that Ø ben languisshing For woo as they that Ø been languysshyng 476 Then som man doth that hath seruid full yore Than some man dooth, that hath serued Ø yore Than som man dooth that hath serued ful yoore Than sume man doith that hath serued ful yore Than som man doth þat hath seruid full yore 493 That wel wende I the wode had alto shyueryd That wel wende I, the woode had al to shyuered That wel wende I the wode hadde al to shyuered That wel wende I the wode had Ø to sheuerede That well wende I the wordle had all to shevered Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 87 494 Come of thei cride allas ye woll vs shende · Come of they cride, allas ye wol vs shende Com of the cryed allas ye wolde vs shende Come of they cried alas ye wol be shende Come of they cride allas ye woll vs shende 497 For ye or nay without any prevue · For yee or nay, with outen any preve For ye or nay with outen any preeue For ye and nay withoute any preue For ye or nay with outen any preve · 498 The goos the Duke Ø the cukkow also The gos the duk, and the cukkowe also The goos the doke and the cokkow also The goos the duk and the cokkowe also The goos the doke · and the cokkowe also 504 For watyr foule who so be glad or blith For watir foule, who so be wrothe or blythe For water foule who so be wroth or blith For water foule who so be lothe or blithe For water fowle who so be wroth or blith 505 And I for wormfoule seyd the fole kuckow · And I for wormefoule, seyde the foole cukkowe And I for wormfowle seid the fool kokkow And I for worme foule saide the fool cokkow And Ø for wormefowle said the fole cokkowe · 507 For comvne spede take on me the charge now · For comvne spede, take on me the charge nowe For comune speed take on me the charge now For comen spede take on me the charge nowe For comen spede take on me the charge nowe 508 For to deliueryn vs is grete charite · Fore for to delyueren vs, ys grete charite For to delyueren vs is grete charite For to deliueren vs is gret charite For for to delyuer vs, is grete charite 511 A wight may speke him were as good be styll A wyght may speke, hym were as good be stille A Wyght may speke hym were as Ø be still A wight may speke him were as good be stille Awight may speke, hy were as good be still 512 I am a sed foule oon the vnworthiest · I am A sede foule, oon the vnworthieste I am a seedfowle oon of the worthiest I am a sede foule oon the worthyest I am a seed foule oon of the worthiest 514 But bettre is that a wightes tonge reste · But better ys, that a wightys tonge reste But better is that a wightes tonge rest But better is that al wightes tong rest But bettir is that a wighte tunge rest 516 Of which he neithir rede kan nor synge · Of which he neyther rede kan, nor synge Of swich he neither rede kan nor synge Of whiche he neither rede can nor syng Of which he, neider rede can ne synge David Arbesú 88 519 Nature which that alway had an ere Nature which that alway, had an ere Nature which þat alwey hadde an ere Ø whiche that alwey had an ere Nature which that allwey had an ere · 520 To murmoure of the lewdenesse behinde · To murmour of the lewdenesse behynde To [ ]rme of the lewednesse by hynde To the murmour of the loudenesse byhinde To mormor of the lewdenesse behynd 523 Yow for to deliveryn and from this noise vnbynde · Yow for to delyueren and from this noyse vnbynde Yow for to delyueren Ø from þis noyse vnbynde You Ø to deliueren and from this noise vnbynde Yowe Ø to delyueren, and fro the noise vnbynde 524 I iugge of euery folke men shall oon calle · I iugge of euery folle, men shal one calle I iugge of euery flok men shall oon calle I Iugge of euery foule me shal oon calle A Iuge of euery folke men sholde oon call 525 To seyn the vordit for you foulis alle To seyne the veirdit for yow foules alle To seyn the voirdyt for you fowles alle To say the verdit for you Ø alle To seyen the verdite for you fowlis all 527 The briddis al and the foulis of Rauyn The briddes alle, and the foules of ravyne Þe briddes al and the foules of rauyne That birdis al and Ø foules of rauyne That briddis all and þe fowlis of Raveyne · 529 The tercelet of the faukon to dyffyne · The tercelet of the faucon, to dyffyne The tercelet of the faucon to defyne The tarselet of the faucon to deuyne The tarcelet of the faucon to dyuyne 530 All her sentence and as him lust to termyne · Al her sentence, and as hym lyst to termyne All hir sentence and as hym list to termyne Alle hir sentence and as him list to termyne All here sentens Ø as hym liste to termyne 533 The tercelet seid then yn this manere The tercelet seyde thanne, in this manere The tercelet seid than in this manere The tarselet saide Ø in this manere The tarcellet said than in this manere 534 Ful harde were it to preue it bi reson Ful harde were hyt, to preven hyt by reson Full harde were it to preuen it by reson For harde it were to preuen it by raison Ful harde it were to preven it by reason 537 That bi skilles may non be brought a doun That by skylles may non, be broght a don That by skeles may noon be brught a down That Ø skyllys Ø noon be brought a doon That Ø skilles may noon be brought a doon Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 89 539 Then semyth it ther moste be bataile · Than semeth hit, ther moste be bataylle Then semeth it there moste be bataille Than semeth it were most by bataille Than semyth it there most be bataile · 540 Al redi quoth this Eglis tercellis tho Al redy quod these Egles, tercels thoo All redy quod thise Egeles tercels tho Alle redy quod these egles tarsellys thoo All redy quod thise Egles tarcelles two· 545 Owrys is the vois that han the charge in honde· Oures is the voys, that han the charge in honde Oures is the voys þat han the charge in hande Oures is the voix that haue the charge in honde Oures is the voice, that haue þe charge on honde 549 Of knyghthode Ø lengist had vsid hitte · Of kynghthode, and lengest had vsed hitte Of knyghthode and lengest had vsed it Of knighthode and longest hade vsed it Of knyghthode, and longest had vsed itte 551 Were sittynge to hir if that hir lest Were syttynge for hir, yf that hir leste Were sittyng for hir if that hir lest Were sitting for hir if that hir list Were sityng for here, if that here liste · 553 Which that he be for it is light to know Which that he be, for hyt is lyght to knowe Which þat he be for it is lyght to knowe Whiche that he be for it is light to knowe Which that he be, for that is light to knowe · 555 To gedir and of shorte avisement to gedir, and of shorte avysement To gider and of short auysement To gedre and of a short auisement To gedir, and of shorte avisement 556 When euerich had his large golee seyde · Whan euerych had hys large, goler seyde Whan euerych had his large golee seide Whan eueriche hade his large gole saide When euerych hadde his large golee said 557 Lines 557-558 in order Lines 557-558 in order Lines 557-558 in order Lines 557-558 reversed Lines 557-558 in order 560 Shal tell oure tale and preid to god hir spede· Shal telle oure tale, and preyde to god hir spede Shal tell oure tale and preide to god hire spede Shal oure tale telle and pray to god hir spede Shall tell oure tale and preid to god here spede · 562 The goos to speke and in hir cakelynge · The goos to speke, and in hir cakelynge The goos to speke and in hir caklyng The goos to speke and in hir cakeling The goos to speke · and in Ø kakelyng 569 Quoth the Sperhauke neuyr mote she the · Quod the Sperhauke, neuer mote she thee Quod tho the Sperhauke neuer mote she thee Quod the spearehauke neuer mutte she thee Quod tho the Sperhauke neuer mote she the David Arbesú 90 570 Lo such it is to haue a tonge loos Loo suche hyt ys, to haue a tonge loos Loo swich it is to haue a tonge loos Loo suche Ø is to haue a tonge lose Loo suche it is to haue A tunge loos 571 Now parde fole yet were it bet for the · Now parde foole, yet were hit bet for the Now pardee fool yit were it best for the Now parde fole yet were it bet for the Nowe parde fooll · yit were it bett for the 573 hit lith not in his witte nor in his wylle · Hyt lyth not in hys wytte, nor in hys wille It lithe naught in his wit nor in his wyll It lieth not in his witte ner in his wille It lieth nought in thy witte not in thy will 577 The turtyll trew and gan hir to hem calle · the turtel trewe, and gan hir to hem calle Þe turtyl trew and gan hire to hem call The turtyll trewe and gan Ø to him calle The turtill true and ganne Ø to hem call 579 Of this matere and askid what she rad · Of thys matere, and asked what she radde On this matere and asked what she radde Of this matere and asked what she radde Of this mater and asked what she radde 582 Nay god forbede a louer shuld chaunge · Nay god forbede, a lover shulde chaunge Nay god forbede a louer shold chaunge Nay god forbede a louer shulde chaunge Nay god forbede A louer Ø chaunge · 584 Theigh that his ladi euyrmore be straunge · thought that hys lady, euer more be straunge Theigh that his lady euermore be straunge Though that his lady euermore be straunge Though þat his lady · euermore be straunge · 585 Yet lete him serue hir euermore till he be ded· Yet let hym serve hir, euer Ø tyl he be dede Yet lat hym serue hir euer Ø tyl he be dede Yet lete him serue hir euermore till he be dede Yit lete hym serue hir euermore, till he be dede 587 For theigh she deid I wolde non othir make For thoygh she deyed, I wolde noon other make For they she deide I wolde noon oother make For though she died I wold noon othir make For þough she died I wold noon othir take 590 That men shuldin louen alwey causeles That men shulden alwey, louen causeles That men sholde alwey louen causeles That men shulde loue alwey causeless That men shold loue alwey causeles 592 Dauncyth he mery that is merthles Daunceth he murye, that ys murtheles Daunceth he murye þat is murthelees Daunceth he [ ] Dauncith he mery that is myrthlees 594 Ye quek quoth the duk ful wel and faire · Ye quek quod the duk, ful wel and faire Ye quek Ø the dok ful wel and faire Ye quake said the duk ful wel and faire Ye queke queke said þe doke, full wele and faire Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 91 596 Now fye cherle quoth the gentill tercelette Now fye cherle, quod the gentil tercelet Now fy cherl quod the gentyl turcelete Nowe fye churle quod the Ø tarselet Nowe fye chorle quod the Ø Tarcellet 601 Thi kynde is of so lowe a wrechidnesse · Thy kynde ys of so lowe, a wrechednesse Thi kinde is of so lowe a wrecchednesse The kinde is of so lowe a wrechednesse Thy kynde is of so lowe A wrecchidnesse 603 Tho gan the cukkow put him forth in pres Thoo gan the cukkow, put hym forth in pres Tho gan the cokkow put hym forth in prees Tho ganne the cokkowe put him forth in prees Thoo gan the Cokkowe put hym forth in pees 605 So I quoth he may haue my make in pes So I quod he, may haue my make in pes So I quod he may haue my make in pees So I may haue quod he my make in pees So I quod he may haue, my make in pees 606 I rech not how longe that ye stryue · I reche not how longe, that ye stryve I recch naught how longe þat ye stryue I recche not howe longe Ø ye stryue I recche not howe longe that ye stryve · 608 This is my rede syn thei may not acorde This ys my rede, syn they may not acorde This is my rede syn they may nat acorde This is my rede sith they may not accorde This is my rede, syn þei may not accord 612 Thou mordrere of Ø hay soge on the braunche Thou mordrere of Ø haysogge, on the braunche Þu mortherer of þe heysugge on the braunch Thou murtherer of the haisuke on the braunche Thowe mortherer of the heisugge, on the braunche 616 Goo lewde be thow while the worlde may dure Goo lewde be thou, while the worlde may dure Go lewde be þou while the worlde may dure Goo lewde be thou while the world may endure Go lewde be þou, while þe wordle may dure 619 And in effecte yet be we neuyr the nere · And in effecte yet, be we neuer the nere And in effect yet be we neuer the nere For in effect yet be we neuer the nere For in effect yit be we neuer the nere 623 hym that she cheest he shall han hir as swith Hym that she cheest, he shal han hir as swithe Hym þat she cheest he shal hire han as swith Him that she chesith he shal hir haue as swythe Hy þat she chest, he shall here han as swith 635 As for the gentillest and moste worthye · As for the gentilest, and moste worthy As for the gentylest and moost worthie And for the gentillest and moost worthy As for the gentilest and most worthy · David Arbesú 92 637 That it ought to be to you a suffisaunce · That to yow hyt ought, to ben a suffisaunce That to you it ought to ben a suffisaunce That to you it might to ben a suffisance That to you it ought to ben a suffisaunce · 640 Soth is that I am euyr vndir youre yerde · Sooth ys that I am euer, vnder youre yerde Sooth is þat I am euer vnder youre yerde Sith it is that I am euer vndre your yerde Soth is þat I am euer, vnder youre yerde 642 And moste be yourys while my life may dure · And moste be youres, while my lyf may dure And moste be youres while my lif may dure And must be youres while my lif may endure And must be yor while my lif may endure 644 And myn entente I shall you seyn right sone · And myn entent, yow wol I sey ryght soone And myn entent þou wol y sey right soone And myn entent I will you say right sone And myn intent I woll you shewe right sone 650 This all and som that I wolde speke and sey Thys al and some, that I wolde speke and seye This al and som þat I wolde speke and seye This is al and sume that I wold speke and saye This is all and some, þat I wold speke and saie 652 I wull not serue Venus ne Cupide · I wolle noght serven Venus ne Cipride I wol nought seruen venus ne Cipride I wol not serue Venus nor Cupide I woll not seruen Venus nor Cupide 654 Now syn it may non othir weyes betyde · Now syn hyt may, noon other weyes betide Now syn it may noon othere weies betyde Nowe syn it may noon other weye betide Nowe syn it may noon othir wise be tyde 658 And seide hem thus as ye shull aftir here · And seyde hem thus, as ye shal after here And seide hem thus as ye shal after here And saied them thus as ye shal Ø here And said hem thus as ye shall aftir here · 659 To you speke I ye terceletys quoth Nature · To yow speke I, yee terceletys quod nature To you spek I ye terceletts quod nature To you speke I ye tarcelletts quod nature To you speke I the Tarcellettis quod nature 664 Fro you this yere what aftir so bifall Fro yow thys yere, what after so be falle For you this yhere what after so by fall Fro you this yere what after so be falle For you þis yere, what aftir so befall 665 This entremesse is dressid fro you all This entremesse ys dressed fro yow alle This entremees Ø dressed fro you all This entremesse is dressed fro you alle This entir mese is dressid fro you all Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules: A New Stemma 93 666 And when this werke al wrought was to an ende · And whan thys werke, al wroght was to an ende And whan þis werke al wrought was to an ende And whan this woorke alwrought was to an ende And when Ø werk all wrought was to an ende · 669 A lorde the blisse and ioye that thei make · A lorde the blysse and Ioy, that they make And lord the blysse and ioy that they make And lord the blisse and Ioy that they made And lorde the blisse and ioye, that they make 670 For ech of hem gan othir in wynges take · For eche of hem gan other, in wynges take For ych of hem gan oother in wynges take for eche of them goon other in his wynges take For eche of hem gan othir in whyngis take 672 Thonkynge alwey the noble goddesse of kynde · Thonkyng alwey, the noble goddesse of kynde Touching alwey the noble goddes of kynde Thanking alwey the noble goddesse of kynde Thankyng allwey the nouble goddes of kynde · 675 To synge a Roundel at her departynge · To synge a Roundel, at her departynge To singe a rounde at hir departynge To singe a roundell at hir departing To synge a roundell at hir departynge 676 To do Nature honoure and plesaunce · To do nature honour, and plesaunce To do nature honoure and plesance To danne nature honour and pleasaunce To do nature honoure and plesaunce 677 The note I trow makyd was yn Fraunce The note I trowe, maked was in Fraunce The note I trowe makid was in france The note I trowe was made in Fraunce The note I trowe, made was in Fraunce · 679 The nexte vers as I now haue in mynde · The nexte vers, as I now haue in mynde The next vers as I now haue in mynde The next vers as ye haue nowe in mynde The next vers · as I nowe haue in mynde · 688 That foulis made at her flight a way That foules made, at her flyght a way That foules made at her flight a way The foules made at thair flight awey That fowlis made, at here flight awey · 691 I hope I wis to rede so som day I hope ywyse, to rede so somday I hope I wis to rede Ø som day I hope ywisse to rede so sume day I hope I wis to rede so some day 693 The bet and thus to rede I wull not spare · The bet and thus to rede, I wol not spare The bette and thus to rede I nyl not spare The bette and this to rede I wol not spare The bettir and thus to rede I woll not spare · WORKS CITED David Arbesú 94 Baugh, A.C. ed. 1963: Chaucer’s Major Poetry. 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