Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 3

Seld.--Arch. Selden, B. 14; Bodleian Library. No. 18.

Sl. _or_ Slo.--Sloane 1685: Brit. Mus.; see p. 645. No. 8.

-- 6. TABLE SHEWING THE VARIOUS WAYS OF NUMBERING THE LINES.

SIX-TEXT (as here) TYRWHITT. WRIGHT.

A--1-4422 1-4420[4] 1-4420[4]

B--1-1162 4421-5582 4421-5582 B--1163-2156 12903-13894[5] 14384-15374[6]

B--2157-3078[7] Prose; not counted[8]. Prose; not counted.

B--3079-3564 13895-14380 15375-15860 B--3565-3652 14685-14772 15861-15948 [xxii]

B--3653-3956 14381-14684 15949-16262 B--3957-4652 14773-15468 16253-16932[9]

_Spurious_; see p. 11929-11934 13410-13415 289, note.

C--1-968 11935-12902 13416-14383 D (2294 lines); E 5583-11928[10] 5583-11928 (2440); F(1624) G--1-1481 15469-16949 11929-13409 H--(362); I 1-74 16950-17385 16933-17368

Hence, to obtain the order of the lines in Tyrwhitt, see A-B 1162; D, E, F; p. 289, footnote; C; B 1163-2156, 3079-3564, 3653-3956, 3565-3652, 3957-4652; G, H, I.

Or (by pages), see pp. 1-164, 320-508, 289 (footnote), 290-319, 165-256 (which includes Melibeus), 259-268, 256-258, 269-289, 509-end.

To facilitate reference, the numbering of the lines in Tyrwhitt's text is marked at the top of every page, preceded by the letter 'T.'; lines which Tyrwhitt omits are marked '[T. _om._', as on p. 90; and his paragraphs (all numbered in this edition) are carefully preserved in Melibeus and the Parson's Tale, which are in prose. In the Prologue, after l. 250, his numbering is given within marks of parenthesis.

The lines in every piece are also numbered _separately_, within marks of parenthesis, as (10), (20), on p. 26. This numbering (borrowed from Dr.

Murray) agrees with the references given in the New English Dictionary. It also gives, in most cases, either exactly or approximately, the references to Dr. Morris's edition, who adopts a similar method, with a few variations of detail. The lines in Bell's edition are not numbered at all.

To obtain the order in Wright's edition, see pp. 1-164, 320-554, 289 (footnote), 290-319, 165-289, 555-end. The variations are fewer.

Some may find it more convenient to observe the names of the Tales.

[xxiii] Tyrwhitt's order of the Tales is as follows[11]:--Prologue, Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook--Man of Lawe--Wife, Friar, Somnour--Clerk, Merchant--Squire, Franklin--Doctor (Physician), Pardoner--s.h.i.+pman, Prioress, Sir Thopas, Melibeus, Monk[12], Nun's Priest--Second Nun, Canon's Yeoman--Manciple--Parson.

--7. THE FOUR LEADING TYPES OF THE MSS.

The four leading types of MSS. usually exhibit a variation in the order of the Tales, as well as many minor differences. I only note here the former (omitting Gamelyn, which is absent from MSS. of the A-type, and from some of the D-type).

A.--1. Prologue, Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook.

2. Man of Lawe.

3. Wife of Bath, Friar, Sompnour.

4. Clerk, Merchant.

5. Squire, Franklin.

6. Doctor, Pardoner.

7. s.h.i.+pman, Prioress, Sir Thopas, Melibeus, Monk, Nun's Priest.

8. Second Nun, Canon's Yeoman.

9. Manciple, (_slightly linked to_) Parson.

B.--Places 8 before 6. Order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 6, 7, 9.

C.--Not only places 8 before 6 (as B), but splits 5 into 5 a (Squire) and 5 b (Franklin), and places 5 a before 3. Order: 1, 2, 5 a, 3, 4, 5 b, 8, 6, 7, 9.

D.--As C, but further splits 4 into 4 a (Clerk), and 4 b (Merchant), and places 4 b after 5 a. Order: 1, 2, 5 a, 4 b, 3, 4 a, 5 b, 8, 6, 7, 9. (D. is really a mere variety of C., with an external difference.)

Observe the position of the Franklin. Thus: A. Squire, Franklin, Doctor. B.

Squire, Franklin, Second Nun. C. Merchant, Franklin, Second Nun. D. Clerk, Franklin, Second Nun.

For further remarks on this subject, see vol. v.

[xxiv] ERRATA

N.B. The following are all the Errata that I have observed. Those marked with an asterisk should be noticed. The rest are unimportant.

P. 14. A 467. Perhaps the full stop at the end of the line should be a colon.

P. 15. Footnote to A 503. For 'Hl. _alone_' _read_ 'Tyrwhitt.'

P. 85. A 3016. _For_ eye _read_ ye

*P. 110. A 3822. _For_ celle _read_ selle

*P. 131. B 59, 60. _For_ eek _and_ seek _read_ eke _and_ seke

P. 133. B 115. Insert marks of quotation at the beginning and end of the line.

P. 133. B 120, 121. Insert marks of quotation at the beginning of l.

120 and at the end of l. 121.

P. 134. In the headline; _for_ T. 4454 _read_ T. 4554.

P. 146. B 540, 541, 547. _For_ cristen _read_ Cristen

P. 146. B 544 _For_ cristianitee _read_ Cristianitee. So also at p.

525; G 535.

P. 194. B 2043. _Dele_; _after_ spicerye

P. 202. B 2222. _For_ yevynge _read_ yevinge

P. 205. B 2253. _For_ owe _read_ ow

P. 207. B 2303. _For_ se _read_ see

P. 219, footnotes. _For_ 2251 and 2252 _read_ 2551 and 2552

*P. 222. B 2624. _For_ Iurisdicctioun _read_ Iurisdiccioun

P. 232, ll. 9, 10. _Dele the quotation-mark after_ certeyne, _and insert it after_ another.

*P. 245. B 3230. _For_ my _read_ ny

*P. 253. B 3490. _For_ warre _read_ werre