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

The chief authorities are: Harl. (Harl. 7333); F. (Fairfax 16); Tn. (Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181); Cx.(Caxton's edition); B. (Bodley 638); Lt. (Longleat MS.). Th. = Thynne's ed. 1532. I follow F. mainly, correcting the spelling; and give selected variations. Title from F.; B. has boke for compleynt.

1. Tn. ferse; F. fers. 3. Harl. D. Cx. temple; rest temples. 6. F. songe. F. contynew; D. contynue. F. guye; Tn. gye. 7. F. I to the; Harl. Tn. D. to the I. 9. Cx. for tendyte; Harl. for to endite; rest to endyte. 11. F. Analida; Cx. Anelida; Tn. D. Annelida. 12. Harl. that; Cx. that (for which); rest om. 15. F. eke. Harl. Polymea; rest Polymya, Polymia; Th. Polymnia. 16. Harl. Cx. with; rest hath (!). Harl. Cx. sustren. 17. F. B. Cx. Cirrea; D. Cirea; Tn. Circa (wrongly).

20. Tn. ship; F. shippe. After l. 21, 3 Latin lines are quoted from Statius (see note). 23. F. folke. Cx. Cithye. 24. Harl. D. Cx. Lt. With; F. The (caught from l. 23). D. crowned; F. corovned. 25. All Home. Tn. ycome; F. he come. 27. Cx. cryeden; but rest cryden, criden. Harl. unto; rest to. Tn. wente; F. went. 28. Tn. entente; F. entent. 29. F. Harl. Beforne; Cx. Biforn; Tn. D. B. Lt. Before. Harl. duk; F. duke. Harl. inserts hie (= hy); Addit. 16165 has his; the rest wrongly omit; accent o in victórie. 31. Cx. tokening. Harl. and tokenyng of his glorie. 32. F. sene; Harl. seen. 33. Tn. many; F. mony (5 times). 35. on] Harl. Cx. and. 36. Tn. Ypolita. F. wife. 37. Harl. D. Cithea. D. hadde; Lt. hade; rest had. 39. F. chare. D. ladde; Lt. lade; rest lad. 40. Harl. ground; F. grounde. D. spradde; rest sprad. 41. Harl. Cx. the; rest omit. 42. F. Fulfilled; al.

43. D. Cx. Lt. crowned; rest corouned. 44. F. yevyng; Tn. gifeynge. 45. F. B. Let; rest Lete. 46. F. ryding; Tn. ridinge. 47. F. bring; Tn. brynge. 48. D. slye (rightly); Tn. sly; F. sley. 50. F. thro. Harl. Tn. D. furious; F. furiouse. 51. Harl. Tn. wrath; F. wrethe. 52. F. hertis. 53. F. B. Tn. insert and after Grece; which D. Lt. Harl. Cx. omit. Harl. yche othir for to kylle (a good reading). Cf. l. 56. F. eueriche. 55. D. among; F. amonge. D. bothe; F. both (but wrothe in l. 56). 56. F. eueriche. 58. Harl. Parthonopee; Cx. Parthonope; D. Partonope; Tn. Partinope; F. B. Prothonolope(!). 59. Harl. Tn. dede; F. ded. I supply was, which sense and metre require; Cx. supplies and. F. proude. 60. So F. Tn. B. Lt.; Harl. D. Cx. put wrechid (wrecchid) for wrecches. 61. Cx. hom; rest home. 62. F. stode. 66. F. helde. 70. F. folke.

72. Tn. dwellynge; F. duellyng. 73. F. sunne; Harl. Tn. D. Cx. sonne. 74. D. Through; F. Thorogh. Tn. sprynge; F. spring. 75. Tn. likynge; F. likyng. 77. Harl. Tn. D. Cx. the; F. thes. 78. twenty is written xxti in the MSS. D. olde; Cx. olde; Lt. of olde; Harl. eld; rest of elde. 79. Tn. mydelle; F. mydil. F. suche. 80. F. Ioy. 81. D. stedfastnesse; F. stidfastnesse. 82. F. B. both; rest hath. Harl. Th. penelope; F. and others penolope. 84. Harl. ne; rest om. Tn. myghte; F. myght. 85. I supply Arcite; line too short. F. seyne. 86. Harl. yong; F. yonge. Harl. there with alle (so D. Cx. Lt.); rest therto with al. 87. F. pleyne. 88. Harl. any; F. eny. 89. D. Lt. Cx. wan; F. whan (!). 90. F. ferforthe. F. can; rest gan. 91. Th. Tn. Harl. trusteth; rest trusted; read trust. D. any; F. eny. 93. F. eny throw. 94. F. thoght; hert. 95. F. bare. 96. F. hert.

101. Harl. Tn. D.B. swore (for swoor); Cx. sware; F. sworne. 105. Tn. thenketh; F. thinketh. 106. F. fonde; suche. 107. F. B. wrongly insert both before moche; rest omit. F. B. and; rest or. 109. Harl. Cx. that; rest omit. 110. F. wiche; myght. 111. Tn. yeuen; F. yevin. 112. F. dyd her hert an ese; Harl. Cx. omit hert an; others vary. 114, 118. D. any; F. eny. 116. Tn. D. B. fulle; rest ful. 119. (See 126.) Harl. Cx. heste; rest herte, hert. 120. F. eke. Tn. Ielous; F. Ielouse. D. Cx. here (for the rime); F. her. 121. Harl. any; F. eny. F. seyde. 123. F. worde. Harl. Tn. apayde; F. apaied; D. B. apaid. 124. F. wend. Cx. brayd; Tn. breyde; F. breyed. 125. Harl. Cx. this nas; rest was. D. sleight; Cx. sleyght; F. sleght. 126. Harl. Withouten; F. With out; (and so in 119).

127. F. toke. F. B. as; rest so. 128. Harl. Tn. wille; F. wil. F. thoght. Koch proposes to omit hit. 129. All ins. she after lenger; it is not wanted. 131. F. ringe. 132. Harl. Cx. So; rest For so. Harl. Tn. entente; F. entent. 133. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 135. F. toke; kepe. 136. Harl. Cx. that; rest omit. Harl. D. Cx. reste; F. rest. 137. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. Harl. Tn. Cx. alwey; F. ay. F. slepe. 138. F. wepe. 139. Cx. fayr; F. feire. 141. D. newfangilnesse; Tn. newfangulnes; F. new fanglesse 143. F. Toke. D. sted-; F. stid-. 144. F. proude. 145. Harl. D. cladde; F. clad. 146. F. whethir. 148. F. lesse grete. 149. Harl. Cx. omit the, which F. and others insert after is. 152. Harl. Tn. firste; F. first. 154. F. founde.

156. Harl. Tn. D. couer; Cx. couere; F. coueren. 157. F. Tn. pleyn. 159, 161. All swore. 160. Harl. Tn. mente; F. ment. 161. D. Cx. theef; F. thefe. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 162. Tn. herte; F. hert. Cx. enduren; rest endure. 167. F. feir. 169. Cx. swowneth; D. sownyth; F. swoneth. 170. Harl. Tn. D. grounde; F. ground. F. dede; ston. 171. Harl. Al; rest om. Cx. Crampissheth; Lt. Crampuissheth; Tn. Crampicheth; F. cravmpysshe. 172. F. agon. 174. Harl. Noon; Cx. None; the rest insert Ne before Noon. For she speketh, all the MSS. have speketh she. 175. F. mercie; hert. 178. F. B. for; rest forth. 179. Tn. D. nothir; F. nouther. 180. F. wher; rest where. 182. Harl. nought; Cx. not (for never). Harl. D. Cx. whether; but wher is short for whether. Cf. Compt. unto Pite, 110; see note.

183. All but Harl. Cx. Th. insert up before so; see next line. 184. F. bridil. 185. F. worde. B. D. Lt. dredith; F. Tn. dred hit; Harl. Cx. drad; read dradde hit. 187. Tn. Cx. liste; Harl. lyste; F. lust. 190. Harl. Cx. vnnethe; F. vnneth. F. list. 191. All un-to; read to. 192. Cx. proud; F. proude. Harl. Cx. held; F. helde. 193. Harl. withouten; F. with out. Harl. Cx. mete; rest fee. F. B. Lt. shippe; D. shipe; Cx. sype; Harl. shepe (!); Tn. shep (!). 195. D. yaf; F. yafe. 196. Harl. owne; F. ovne. 197. Harl Tn. D. thrifty; F. thrifte. 198. B. here; F. her (i. e. here); Tn. D. here of; Cx. Lt. hede of. 199. Tn. Cx. liste (pt. t.); F. list. Harl. Cx. dere herte; F. her der hert. 200. All meke. 201. All kynde (kinde). F. hert. 203. Harl. Cx. he (twice); F. and others wrongly have they the 2nd time. 205. F. Tn. be; rest by. 206. F. sawe. 208. Harl. Tn. caste; F. cast. 209. Harl. owne; F. ovne. 210. Th. sente; D. Cx. sende; rest sent. F. B. omit hit; rest retain.

211. Harl. thirllethe; Cx. thirleth; F. B. thirled (!). 212. B. swerd; F. suerde. F. y-whet; B. I-whet; rest whet. 213. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl. Tn. D. blak; F. blake. 214. Harl. Cx. in. rest to; see 215. 215. Tn. B. Lt. surete; F. suerte. F. B. in to; rest in. D. Cx. a whaped; Harl. a whaaped; F. a waped. 216. Harl. for; rest om. 217. Harl. trewest; F. truest. Harl. hir; Cx. her; F. and others him (but see l. 218). 218. F. dothe. 220. Harl. any; F. eny. 221. F. hert. 223. F. B. cleped; rest called. F. hertis life. 227. Harl. D. Cx. B. plight; F. I-plyght. 229. So Tn. Harl. Cx. D; F. B. Alas now hath he left me causeles. 232. Tn. herte, pees; F. hert, pes. 233. B. caught; F. caght. Tn. D. Cx. lees; F. les.

234. F. B. me (!); rest him. 235. F. hert. 238. F. pleyn. Harl. Tn. harde; F. hard. 239. F. yafe; hert. 240. F. harme. 241. F. certis. All be founde; but be is copied in from the line above; see l. 47. 242. F. helpe. 243. Tn. desteny; F. destany. F. B. om. ful. 246. F. seide (twice.) 252. F. souereigne. 253. I supply and from Cx.; Harl. has And is there nowe neyther. 254. Lt. vouchesauf; Cx. vouchen sauf; F. vouchesafe. 256. F. certis. 257. F. B. causer (for caus-e); rest cause. 258. F. dedely. 259. F. oght. 260. Harl. Lt. slee; Tn. D. Cx. sle; F. slene. F. frende. 263. Harl. wot; F. wote.

264, 265. Harl. Cx. But for I was so pleyne, Arcyte, In alle my werkes, much and lyte; and omit was in l. 266. 267. F. honor. Tn. saue; F. D. safe; Harl. Cx. sauf. 268. F. put. 269. Harl. Tn. recche; F. rek. 270. F. B. om. that. F. suerde. 271. Tn. herte; F. hert. F. thro. 272. F. suete. 274. Harl. Tn. vntrewe; F. vntrew. 275. Harl. putte; F. put. 278. Tn. D. Ff. Lt. turne; rest come. 279. Tn. Harl. Cx. D. Lt. And then shall this that now is mis ben (be); F. B. And turne al this that hath be mys to. 280. F. foryeve; Tn. foryife; Harl. 372, foryiue (rightly). 281. F. hert. Harl. seyne (gerund); F. seyn. 282. F. wheder; prey; pleyn. 284, 5, 8. F. cheyn, tweyn, peyn. 287. D. Cx. on; Harl. of; F. Tn. B. vpon. 288. D. verily; F. verrely.

290. Harl. Cx. omit this stanza. F. dethe (wrongly); rest deth. All soght, sought; read y-soght. 291. D. B. mordre; F. mourdre. 292. F. vnkyndnesse. 293. Tn. D. faste; F. fast. 296. F. avaunt. Tn. B. Lt. bet; F. beter. 298. Tn. Lt. With oute; F. With out. 299. Some of the final rimes in this stanza are forced ones. F. B. shal; rest sholde (shulde). F. prey. 300. F. dethe; Harl. Cx. dye. F. foule. 301. F. mercie. Tn. gilteles; F. giltles. 302. Harl. pleyne; F. pleyn. F. lyfe. Harl. Cx. ins. that; F. and others omit. 304. Tn. D. unto; F. to. 305. F. skorne. 306. F. B. om. hit. 307. F. and others insert to before have; Tn. D. Lt. Cx. omit. 308. D. hadde; F. had. 309. F. Apprile; Harl. Aueryll. 310. F. B. yow be; rest om. be. F. stidfast. 311. F. souereigne. 312. F. slayn. 313. Tn. D. Lt. She; Harl. Sheo; rest Who. F. B. insert she before shal. 314. F. ''om. 1st'' a. 315. Is] F. this (!) 316. Harl. fleen; Cx. fle (for renne). F. lest.

317. Harl. Cx. But; rest Now. F. mercie. F. myssey (omitting e in-eye throughout, wrongly); Harl. myssaye, &c. 318. So F. B.; rest Have I ought seyd out of the weye. F. seyde. 319. Harl. Cx. half (for al). 320. F. dothe; songe. F. chaunt plure; Harl. Chaunte pleure. 321. F. pleyn. 323. F. borne. 325. Harl. Cx. nys; F. B. D. ther is no; Tn. ther nis no (too many syllables). 328. F. furlonge. F. B. other (for or); rest or. 329. F. thenketh; Tn. thynketh. 330. Tn. stant; F. stont. 331. Harl. Cx. To profren efte; D. Tn. Lt. Efte to profre; F. B. To suere yet. Tn. D. Cx. Lt. assure; F. asure. 332. F. trew; mercie. Harl. and love me til I dye; Cx. and love me til he deye. 334. F. B. this; D. Tn. suche; Harl. Cx. thilke. 335. F. reche; Tn. D. recche; and so with feche, &c. 339. F. destany; Tn. destyne (for the rime). 341. F. weyke. 343. Harl. D. Cx. yeve; F. yf; Tn. gife.

344. F. efte. Tn. Cx. putten; F. put. 347. Tn. deth; F. dethe. Tn. D. Lt. Ff. insert in; rest om. 348. Harl. Tn. destenye; D. destynye; F. destany. 349. F. Analida. F. B. to; rest so. 351. This stanza only occurs in Tn. D. Lt. Ff. Th.; I follow Tn. mainly. Tn. Annelida; wofull. 352. Tn. Lt. Ff. of; D. with. 353. D. Th. deed; rest dede. D. betwixe; Th. betwyxe; Ff. bitwixte; Tn. Lt. betwix. 354. Tn. felle; Th. fel. Ff. a swowe; Tn. a swow. 355. Lt. Th. avoweth; D. avowith; Tn. avoyth. 356. Tn. With-Inne; rest With-in. Tn. sorofulle. 357. Tn. shapyn; aftyr. shal after] Lt. Th. may plainly.