Page:The New Testament in the original Greek - Introduction and Appendix (1882).pdf/268

230 Pauline Epistles A, C, (P2,) ( 17; though they contain a few readings which may perhaps be genuine. Their pedigree is usually, we believe, perhaps almost always, Alexandrian. The character is here, as elsewhere, ascertained independently of the origin: but it is instructive to see how completely the results of the comparison of binary groups containing and Β respectively are explained by the presence of large Western and Alexandrian elements in . The character of what remains of the text of  after their subtraction must be largely excellent, as the character of B shews; an estimate of the degree of excellence cannot however be formed till we have taken another step.

E.&emsp;308—325.&emsp;Singular and subsingular readings of B

308. The readings of Β and of respectively have now to be compared in those variations in which they stand unsustained by any other Greek uncial MS. Such readings are of two kinds, 'singular readings', as they are usually called, which have no other direct attestation whatever, and what may be called 'subsingular readings', which have only secondary support, namely, that of inferior Greek MSS, of Versions, or of Fathers, or of combinations of documentary authorities of these kinds. Subsingular readings of B, which are in fact the readings of a particular class of groups containing B, will require consideration presently. What we have to say on the singular readings of Β may be made clearer by a few remarks on singular readings generally.

309. The attention prima facie due to singular readings of any one document is evidently variable, ac-