Page:Gospel of Saint Matthew in West-Saxon.djvu/13

 THE TEXT

text of edition of the Gospels in West-Saxon of which this volume is a part represents the copy of the Version that is preserved in MS. CXL of the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; the rubrics have been carried into the text from MS. A. The variant readings of all the other surviving copies of the Version (MSS. A and B; MS. C is imperfect and lacks the entire Gospel of St. Matthew) are subjoined to the text. These variant readings are complete except for the following unimportant details: excluded are the variations in the orthography of hī, hwī, and sī, (hi, hy, hig, hyg; hwi, hwy, hwig, hwyg; si, sy, sig, syg), and the mere interchange of i and y in the orthography of radical syllables (y being characteristically frequent in MS. A). The scribe's usual 'contractions' have been expanded, and his occasional 'accents' have been disregarded. Altogether modern, and therefore independent of the original, are the punctuation of the text and the use of capitals; and the quantity of the vowels has been indicated in conformity to historic grammar. The accepted divisions of chapter and verse have also been introduced. When in respect of any other detail the text does not agree with the copy (MS. Corp.), italics and brackets have been used: a word in italics either corrects the spelling or the grammar of the copy, or it marks the reception of a word that differs from that of the copy; omissions by the scribe of the copy have been supplied in italics and bracketed. A dagger prefixed to a word marks the place of a textual omission from the copy. In connection with these typographical devices, the variant readings give the complete report required to show in what manner at any point the text has been emended.