Chaucer's Works (ed. Skeat) Vol. I/I

The MSS. used to form this text are: C. = MS. Ff. 5. 30 in the Camb. Univ. Library; Jo. = MS. G. 21, in St. John's College, Cambridge; Gl. = Glasgow MS. Q. 2. 25; L. = MS. Laud 740, in the Bodleian Library; Gg. = MS. Gg. 4. 27 in the Camb. Univ. Library; F. = MS. Fairfax 16, in the Bodleian Library; B = MS. Bodley 638; Sion = Sion Coll. MS. The text closely follows the first of these; and all variations from it are recorded (except sometimes i for y, and y for i).

1. C. Almihty; queene. 3. L. B. sorwe; F. Jo. sorowe; the rest insert of before sorwe. 4. C. Gloriowse. 6. C. releeue; mihti. 8. Jo. Venquist; Gg. Venquyst. Read m'hath. C. cruelle.

10. C. bee. 11. F. B. werne. 12. C. helpe. 14. C. Hauene; refute. 15. C. Loo; theeves sevene; mee. 16. C. briht. 17. C. ladi deere. 18. C. loo. 19. C. ouhten; thi; appeere. 20. C. greevous. 21. C. riht. 22. C. riht þei mihten; susteene. 23. C. wurthi. 24. C. queene. 25. C. Dowte. 26. C. merci heere. 27. C. Gl. Gg. saf; Jo. saff; L. F. saufe; B. sauf. C. thoruh; L. F. þurgh. Gl. F. B. tacorde; C. L. to accorde. 28. C. crystes; mooder deere.

29. C. maneere. 31. C. rihtful; heere. 32. C. thoruh; Jo. L. F. B. thurgh. 33. C. Euere. C. refuit; Gl. refuyt; Gg. refut; rest refute. 35. C. resceyued. 36. C. merci ladi. 37. C. shule. 39. wel is supplied from the Sion MS.; nearly all the copies give this line corruptly; see note. 40. C. riht; wole. 41. C. Fleeinge; thi. 42. C. tempeste; dreede. 43. C. Biseeching yow. 44. C. Thouh; neede.

45. C. ben. Jo. wille; C. wil. 46. C. thi. 47. C. Thin; ladi; heede. 49. C. Gloriows; mooder; neuere. 50. C. eerthe. 51. C. euere. 54. C. eerthe. 55. C. bee. 56. C. wole. 57. C. saaf; F. B. sauf; L. saufe; Jo. saffe; Gl. Gg. saf. 58. C. Bicomen; oure. 59. C. wrot. 61. C. criaunce; Gg. cryaunce; rest creaunce. 62. C. ladi briht. 63. C. Thanne.

64, 65: C. oure. 66: C. bowntee. 69: C. Thanne. 73: C. Kalendeeres enlumyned. 74: C. thi. 75: C. yow; rihte. 77: C. sithe. 78: C. seeche. 79: C. vntame; Sion, vntaame (wrongly); rest entame.] 80: C. resyne; Gl. B. resigne. 81: C. kan. 82: C. greevous. 84: C. oure.

85. C. hise lystes. 86. C. bouht. 87. C. oure. 88. C. thi; cleere. 89. C. sauh; F. B. saugh. C. flawmes. 93. C. holigost. 94. C. a fyir. 95. C. fyir; Gl. fyr. C. deufende (sic). 96. C. eternalli. 97. C. neuere; peere. 98. C. bee. 99. C. mooder deere. 100. C. noon ooþer. 101. C. oure. 102. C. wole. 103. C. yee.

107. C. tresoreere. 108. F. chees; C. ches. C. mooder. 109. C. the. 110. C. eerthe; oure; beede. 111. C. euere; thi. 112. C. neuere; neede. 113. Gg. F. B. tenquere; C. to enquere. 114. C. whi; holi; souhte. 115. C. Sion, vn-to; rest to. 116. C. wunder wrouhte. 117. C. bouhte. 118. C. Thanne needeth; wepene. 119. C. oonly. Jo. F. B. did; C. diden. C. ouhte. 120. C. Doo; merci. 123. C. wurthi.

125. C. thi; bee. 126. C. thi-. 128. C. miht. 129. C. mooder. 130. F. Fadres; B. fadrys; C. faderes; Jo. fader. 131. C. nouht. 132. Gg. F. B. is his; rest it is. C. rihful (sic). 133. C. Mooder; merci. 135. C. euere. 136. C. eche; wole; biseeche. 137. C. granteth; F. graunteth. 140. C. vicair; Gg. F. vicaire; Gl. B. Sion, vicayre.

141. C. gouernowresse; Gl. Gg. gouerneresse. 143. C. thi wil. 144. L. crowned; Gg. crounnyd; C. Jo. F. corowned. C. rial. 146. C. misbileeued. Jo. L. pryued; rest depriued. 148. C. Resceyve; ferþere. 149. C. venymous. 150. C. eerthe. 151. C. (alone) om. so. 156. C. thi (twice). 157. Gg. Al; B. C. All. C. ben. 158. C. Ladi. 159. Sion MS. fresshe; Gg. frosche (sic); the rest wrongly omit the final e. 160. C. merci; euere.

161. C. X p c (= Gk. ). 163. ''All the MSS. insert suffred after eek, caught from the line above; see'' note. 167. C. wole. 171. C. rouhte. 172. C. Riht soo thi. C. lust; rest list, liste. 173. C. ladi; merci; yow. 174. C. Sithe; merci. 177. C. yow; opene. 179. C. ouht. 180. C. thi.

181. C. ladi. Gg. bry&#x21D;t; which the rest omit. C. Gg. sithe; F. B. sith. Harl. 2251 supplies bothe after thou. 183. Sion MS. alone supplies So; Jo. supplies And. MS. Harl. 2251 has un-to; rest to. 184. Gl. penytentz; C. penitentes; Jo. Penitence (for penitents). C. merci.