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Textual Notes

Title

E includes a title for the text written over three lines linked by a bracket: This boke ys / callyd the vij / sages of Rome. The title is written in the outer margin, has an initial rubricated capital T, and is enclosed within an inked frame drawn with cross-hatching and rubricaton.

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1Herkenythe. The initial H is an enlarged capital in red ink, six lines high. The scribe of E indented the text of lines 1–6 to allow space for the enlarged letter to be inserted and included a guide letter (although incorrectly used a t rather than an h).back to note source
31Bancillas. The initial B is an enlarged capital in red ink, two lines high. The scribe indented the text of lines 31–32 to allow space for the enlarged letter to be inserted and included a guide letter b. Enlarged two-line rubricated initial capitals appear throughout the Seven Sages in E; in our text at E39, E51, E61, E73, E89, E99, E2870, E3236, E3284, E3464, E3486, E3514, E3526, E3534, and E3548. In every case, the scribe of E has allowed space in the text and a guide letter. All of the initials and rubrication are in the same style and ink and by a single hand, added as a batch. These initials are well-proportioned and drawn with skill, although they do not include additional decorative or artistic features, such as calligraphic extensions, flourishes, or penwork.back to note source
52swanne. E: swannne.back to note source
53cryspe. The s is altered from another letter.back to note source
61red man. E: redman.back to note source
92man. E: ma.back to note source
120This is where the poem begins in the Auchinleck Manuscript, whose text of the Middle English Seven Sages is damaged.back to note source
125

Ich. A: Iich.

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127

Dioclician. The initial D is an enlarged capital in blue ink, with red-ink decoration, two lines high. The scribe of A indented the text at lines 127–28 to allow space for this enlarged letter to be added subsequently. Further penwork initials of this kind appears throughout the Seven Sages in A, at lines 209, 255, 287, 341, 457, 511, 551, 623, 645, 675, 701, 787, 843, 933, 967, 1003, 1103, 1169, 1219, 1275, 1329, 1351, 1401, 1511, 1549, 1645, 1663, 1933, 1955, 2015, 2057, 2155, 2189, 2265, 2311, 2329, 2417, 2467, 2519, 2553, and 2741. The scribe of A allowed indented spaces in the text of two or three lines high (switching from 2- to 3-lines deep from folio. 98v onwards) and included guide letters for the artist (as is visible beneath the decoration of the initial at line 843). All of these penwork initials are by the same hand, added as a single batch. The penwork is finely drawn by an accomplished artist using linear and foliate designs (there are no zoomorphic or anthropomorphic elements and no gilding). Blue ink is used for each letter, with red ink reserved for the decorative penwork surrounds and infills. The penwork includes lines, loops, lobes, dots, spirals, cross-hatch, quatrefoils, hooked and serifed finials, extended calligraphic tendrils, and tapering hairline strokes reaching into the margins (up to 17 lines in each vertical direction, above and below).

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132

gentil. A: genal.

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138

And. A: An.

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159

founden. A: fomden.

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171

metrike. A: mutike.

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181

yer. A: ȝe.

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199

wexen. A: weren.

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215

might. A: mit.

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220

the barons had. Erasure between the and had in A, which may have been the word þemperour but is now illegible. Emended from E: barons. B: conselle.

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247

and. A: an.

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250

falsenesse to torne. A: falsenesse torne.

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261

sikerli. A: sikeli.

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266

fram me hedde. A: fram hedde.

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272

ending. A: eding.

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286

thousend. A: þounsed.

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288–92

There is a mark or smudge that extends across lines 288–92 and partially obscures the words to, toforn, and with his.

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331

Themperour. A: Þenperour.

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356

The. A: Þ.

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379

wald with wit. A: wald wit.

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383

hit. A: hi.

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402

destrers. A: destres.

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426

And in hire1. A: And hire.

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446

maidenhod. A: maindenhod.

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474

hadde. A: dhadde.

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475

had. A: ad.

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478

is. A: his.

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541

appel tres and of. A: appel-tres and and of.

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550

solas. Erasure of one letter in A after this word.

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557

light. A: liȝ.

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567

Seste. Erasure of one or two letters in A after this word.

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590

iket. A: ikest.

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604

Hit is so. A: Hit so.

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625

Ich. A: Iich.

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628

ferste. r added above in A.

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647

deciple. A: deciphe.

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655

There is an in initial paraph mark in blue ink.

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679

hale. Erasure of one letter or space between a and l in this word in A.

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714

soukeying. A: souke ȝing.

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718

and. A: an.

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720

Ther. A: Þ.

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735

wal. Deletion or damage after wal.

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751

strong. g added above in A.

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775

greihound. A: greihoun.

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796

Right. t added above in A.

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803

forth goth. A: goþ forþ.

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804

and. d added above in A.

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817

And1. A: & and.

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853

sweting. g added above in A.

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871

There is a mark on the a of was.

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878

Ech dai he. A: Ech he.

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880

and. A: an.

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903–07

And nyste what . . . wombe fulle withalle. Not in A. These lines are supplied from E (folio 16r).

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909

Tho. A: Þ.

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923

herd. A: bor.

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939

strengthe. A: strengye.

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941

night. t added above in A.

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945

unlek. A: unkek.

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967

Than. A: Þþan.

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983

him sle bi. A: him bi.

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985

Ypocras. A: Þpocras. The initial letter Þ, sometimes with a dot above, appears several times and is transcribed here as Y.

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992

schal. A: scha.

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1006

lere. A: l altered from another letter.

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1019

thing. A: ȝing.

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1054

schal. A: scha.

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1066

Ich. A: Iich.

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1096

and2. A: a.

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1102

To is written in the separated initial column.

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1110

nas. A: was.

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1130

There is fading or smudging on hi of his.

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was. A: wa.

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1151

Ich. A: Iich.

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1153

Ich. A: Iich.

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1219

An. A: A.

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1228

he. A: ȝhe.

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1249

Forth. A: For.

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1272

the. A: þe þe.

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1277

bi store. A: bistore.

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1294

ischent. t added above in A.

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1310

louerdes. A: loruedes.

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1311

an. A: and.

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1316

his fet faste. A: his fet fet faste.

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1327

and. A: an.

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1344

might. A: miȝ.

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1356

And. d added above in A.

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1363

sikerlik. A: sikerklik.

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1373

Damage or smudge in A over Lentilioun.

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1403

neyhebours. A: neþhebours.

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1416

husbounde. A: bounde.

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1422

folk. A: fokk.

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1435

and3. A: an.

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1442

Ich. A: Iich.

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1472

give thee kare. A: ȝiue kare.

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1476

Ich. A: Iich.

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1481

an. A: and.

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1492

him in ar. A: him ar.

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1493

answered. A: answere.

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1480–94

There is no rubrication of the initial separated letter of these lines, as is found throughout this text. These are the final 15 lines of folio 92v, column a, in A and the rubrication recommences at the start of the next column.

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1553

Wimmen he loved swithe. A: Wimmen he louede he louede swiþe.

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1554

sodomighte. A: so do miȝte.

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1573

with hire plai. A: with plai.

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1579

Bihot. A: Bi hot.

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1580

me. A: þe.

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1585

whiderward. A: whideward.

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1601

again. Second a corrected from o in A. A: agoin.

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1610

uprape. A: vrape.

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1631

winning. A: winnng.

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1654

whil. A: til.

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1700

of. Altered from oþ in A.

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1717

old and wis. A: old wis.

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1727

And bad him. A: And him.

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1732

and2. d added above in A.

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1749

hath. A: had.

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1764

ympe. A: þmpe.

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1767

ympe. A: þmpe.

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1789

louerd. A: louer.

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1799

afterward. A: afterwar.

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1807

knif and smot. A: knif and here smot.

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1850

Of. A: O.

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1864

understonde. r added above in A.

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1866

misdedes. A: misddedes.

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1875

And. A: An.

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1881

veyn. A: vreyn.

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1903

nou red me red. A: nou red me red me red.

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1943

wroth. A: wroȝt.

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1949

and. A: an.

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1965

on a donjoun. A: on o donioun.

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1980

ymage. A: þmage. The initial letter Þ, sometimes appears several times and is transcribed here as y.

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1981

The. A: Þ.

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2013

biwraid. A: bi wraid.

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2039

And. A: An.

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2051

elder. A: elderer.

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2072

gave. A: haue.

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2075

and. d added above in A.

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2212

The. A: Þ.

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2236

Thai. A: Þa.

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2267

Staining in A over night.

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2275

hir wete and his. There is a word missing in A, with a space of around four letters hire . . . and his; wete is supplied from E.

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2301

thee sschal despise. A: þe spise.

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2353

fourten. A: r added above.

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2430

thing. A: king.

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2442

Sir is written in the separated initial column.

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2456

wel have. A: wel wel haue.

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2467

themperour. A: þempour.

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2521

Fro. A: For.

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2525

and. A: an.

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2539

That. A: Þa.

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2546

Ich. A: Iich.

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2555

And had a yong. A: And ȝong.

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2556

lovede hire has. A: louede has.

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2566

his. A: hir.

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2568

He. A: Ȝhe.

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2570

he. A: sche.

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2573

hir2. A: him.

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2574

and. A: an.

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2591

confort. A: confor.

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2595

hire. A: him.

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2647

He thought that. A: He þat.

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2699

he. A: ȝhe.

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2768

Blot or stain in A over the u of thousand.

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2770This is where the poem ends in the Auchinleck Manuscript, whose text of the Middle English Seven Sages is damaged.back to note source
2820shulle. E: shullt.back to note source
2841knave. E: knawe.back to note source
2843noldyste. E: woldyste.back to note source
2994hys. E: hyr.back to note source
3002went yare. E: went yar yare.back to note source
3072a robe of. E: a bo robe of.back to note source
3096evyr hadde he. E: euyr he hadde he.back to note source
3121good. E: goo.back to note source
3170This verse line is written across two manuscript lines (the second line starting Hit is . . . ).back to note source
3219Ye. E: She.back to note source
3396grete ravyn. E: grete female rauyn.back to note source
3474And. E: A.back to note source
3502I be. E: I be be.back to note source
3521he. E: she.back to note source
3552fadyr dede was. E: fadyr was dede was.back to note source
3580Amen. Underlined in red ink.back to note source
Explicit

The explicit is marked with a rubricated paraph mark.

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