Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/525

viii The whole history may be summed up in the words of Cynewulf:

The last two lines are especially appropriate:

The main principle I have adopted in printing is to make the text as far as possible a facsimile of the original MSS., without introducing any theoretical emendations. All alteration in the text of a MS., however plausible and clever, is nothing else but a sophistication of the evidence at its fountain-head: however imperfect the information conveyed by the old scribe may be, it is still the only information we have, and, as such, ought to be made generally accessible in a reliable form. In accordance with this principle I have in all cases enclosed contemporary additions above the line in brackets, the two forms, with and without the bracketed letter, being often extremely valuable, as showing fluctuations in the pronunciation.

All evidently late additions, which are very numerous, have been rejected entirely. It is, however, possible that some of the bracketed letters may be late, as I have never rejected anything without being quite certain of its spuriousness, - a certainty which can only be obtained by long and careful study of the palæography of the MS. This point is often entirely neglected by editors, who thus introduce disturbing elements into their texts. Even Junius has in some cases quoted these late additions and alterations as genuine readings. Those few cases in which I have employed brackets to indicate restored erasures are mentioned in the notes.

In the other text (Cotton I), whose original MS. is lost, I