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Abbreviations: B: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 294; CA: Gower, Confessio Amantis, ed. Peck; F: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Fairfax 3; G: Glasgow, University of Glasgow Library, MS Hunter (T.2.17); Mac: Macaulay, ed., The Complete Works of John Gower; MO : Gower, Mirour de l’Omme, trans. Wilson; S: Oxford, All Souls College, MS 98; T: London, British Library, MS Additional 59495 (Trentham).

A note on capitalization: in these translations capitalization generally adheres to Macaulay’s practice, which replicates forms in the manuscripts. Wherever capitalization may help the modern reader better comprehend Gower’s intention — as for example, in the case of theological concepts (e.g., “Creator,” Traitié I.1; “Providence,” Traitié II.8) or allegorical figures (e.g., “Love,” Traitié II.1; “Holy Church,” Traitié III.7; “Danger,” Cinkante Balades XXIII.10) — capitalization is added here.

Heading Puisqu’il . . . salvement tenir. Found in those manuscripts, like F, when the Traitié follows CA (“ci devant en Englois”). Heading in F (with collation of B) reads:

Puisqu’il ad dit ci devant en Englois par voie d’essample la sotie de cellui qui par amours aime par especial, dirra ore apres en François a tout le monde en general un traitié selonc les auctours pour essampler les amantz marietz, au fin q’ils la foi de lour seintes espousailes pourront par fine loialté guarder, et al honour de dieu salvement tenir. [“Because the preceding poem in English was by way of example of the foolishness of those in particular who love in a courtly manner, now the subsequent treatise will be in French, for all the world generally, following the authorities, as an example for married lovers, in order that they might be able to protect the promise of their sacred spousal through perfect loyalty, and truly hold fast to the honor of God.”]

Alternate heading: Found in those manuscripts when the Traitié follows other poems, most frequently the Vox Clamantis, as in G. Heading in G (with collation of S and T) reads:

Cest vn traitie quel Johan Gower ad fait selonc les auctours touchant lestat de matrimoine dont les amantz marietz se pourront essampler a tenir la foi de lour seintes espousailes. [“This is a treatise which John Gower made, following the authorities, concerning the matrimonial state, whereof married lovers might be able to take example for themselves and hold fast to the promise of their holy spousals.”]

les auctours. Macaulay (Mac, 1:lxxxiv) translates “authors.” Our difference is perhaps marginal: Gower’s concern is to “authorize” the positions he takes regarding marriage.
la foi. Lit. “faith” — and so Macaulay (Mac, 1:lxxxiv) who intends, I think, to emphasize the sanctity of the ceremony (“seintes espousailes”). In fourteenth-century England, however, a couple’s shared promise sufficed alone to constitute legitimate marriage: no additional ceremony was neces­sary; see Gratian, Decretum 2.30.5.9, and Kelly, Love and Marriage, p. 165.

I LE CREATOUR DE TOUTE CREATURE

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter creator omnium rerum deus hominem duplicis nature, ex anima racionali et humana carne, in principo nobilem creauit; et qualiter anima ex sue crear cionis priuilegio supercorpus dominium possidebit. [“How God the creator of all things in the beginning made man noble, with a double nature, rational from the soul and carnal from the body; and how the soul by virtue of its privileged creation with reason will have dominion over the body.”]

3–4 Par quoi le corps . . . governage. On the propriety of reason’s rule over the body, see Aquinas, Summa Theologica Q.75.a.6.; see also Cinkante Balades L.

8–12 En dieu amer . . . frele char. On the just capacity of the soul to protect the body through its firm love of God, see Aquinas, Summa Theologica Q.9.a.6.

19 chose. Lit. “thing, being.”

20 Qe l’un a l’autre soient entendable. I.e., within their respective realms each holds authority.

II DE L’ESPIRIT L’AMOUR QUIERT CONTINENCE

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter spiritus, vt celum impleatur, castitatem affectat, et corpus, vt genus humanum in terra multiplicetur, coniugii copulam carnaliter concupiscit. [“How the spirit, by heaven made full, honors chastity, and the body, in order that humankind be multiplied on earth, carnally desires the bond of marriage.”]

5 l’un fait le ciel preignant. Gower alludes here to the notion that humankind will replenish with bones almes (“good souls”) the absence in heaven caused by the fall of Lucifer and his cohorts. This idea is prominent in CA; see especially 8.30–36. The one (l’un) refers to the male.

7 Si l’un est bon, l’autre est assetz meilour. Following strictly the sequence in this stanza of “l’espirit” and “li corps” / “l’un” and “l’autre” the refrain would suggest that the soul’s goodness is bettered by that of the body; but see I, above, and note 17–18, below.

17–18 Le corps . . . obeissant. While the hierarchy is clear, and orthodox — soul over body — the ambiguity of the refrain smacks of the intentional, as a bridge to the subsequent balade (III).

III AU PLUS PARFIT DIEUS NE NOUS OBLIGEA

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter virginalis castitas in gradu suo matrimonio prefertur: ambo tamen sub sacre conversacionis disciplina deo creatori placabilia consistunt. [“How, by the virginal, chastity is preferred in place of marriage: nevertheless, both, under the sacred discipline of regular intercourse created by God, become acceptable.”]

10 ove. Lit. “with.”

19 Loiale amie avoec loials amis. Lit. “Loyal lover (female) with loyal lover (male)”: no equivalent exists in Modern English for Gower’s inflected forms.

20 retenue. Lit. “retinue, following,” invoking the feudal vow of loyal service, vassalage. Macaulay (Mac, 1:463, note VIII.17) glosses as “engagement”; see Cinkante Balades VIII.17, XV.14. Note the considerable play here on “loiale/loials/loi” and in IV following.

IV OVESQUE AMOUR QANT LOIALTÉ S’AQUEINTE

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter honestas coniugii non ex libidinis aut auaricie causa, set tantummodo quod sub lege generacio ad cultum dei fiat, primordia sua suscepit. [“How the virtue of marriage takes her origin not of lust or avarice, but only under the law of generation, as the reverence of God decrees.”]

6 C’est ensi come de stouppes une corde. [“It is thus like a rope of tow.”] On the worthlessness of straw (tow), see CA 5.5623 and 5.5626; cited in Whiting (Chaucer's Use of Proverbs, p. 297) as a proverbial phrase.

10 d’avarice enceinte. I.e., marriages contracted for gain.

V GRANT MERVAILE EST ET TROP CONTRE RESON

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter matrimonii sacramentum, quod ex duorum mutuo consensu sub fidei iuramento firmius astringitur, propter diuine vindicte offensam euitandam nullatenus dissolui debet. [“How the sacrament of marriage, which is more firmly bound together by a mutual consent of two people under an oath of faith, ought under no circumstances whatsoever be loosened, a deadly offense worthy of divine retribution.”]

10–11 Soubtz cell habit . . . Sire. I.e., the wedding of Mary and Joseph preceded the Incarnation, and was a true marriage; see Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Q.29.a.1–2.

15–16 De l’espousailes . . . enspire. That the marriage of man and woman was a sacra­mental mirroring of Christ’s spiritual union with the Church originates in Paul (Ephesians 5:22–32: “Sacramentum hoc magnum est, ego autem dico in Christo et in Ecclesia,” at 32), was defended by Augustine (De bono coniugii, 24; De nuptiis et concupiscentia I.10) and dogmatized by Innocent IV in 1208; later biblical literalists, including Lollards (and Wyclif specifically, see, e.g., Of Wedded Men and Wives), denied the necessity of clerical participation — which may underlie Gower’s admonitory tone here.
15 l’espousailes. Macaulay (Mac, 1:470, note V.8) observes “this use of ‘li’ as fem. plur. is rather irregular.”

20 moleste. Perhaps merely “trouble, vexation,” but compare “propter divine vindicte” in the associated marginal gloss.

VI NECTANABUS, QUI VINT EN MACEDOINE

1 Nectanabus. Gower’s major source is Thomas of Kent’s Roman de toute chevalerie, supplemented by the Historia Alexandri de preliis; see Macaulay’s note (Mac, 3:519); see also CA 6.1789–2366.

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Nota hic contra illos qui nuper sponsalia sua violantes in penam grauis vindicte dilapsi sunt. Et primo narrat qualiter Nectanabus rex Egipti ex Olimpiade vxore Philippi regis Macedonie magnum Alexandrum in adulterio genuit, qui postea patrem suum fortuito casu interfecit. [“Note this, against those who, lately violating their espousal, by retribution perish in grave punishment. And first it is told how Nectanabus, king of Egypt, begot in adultery upon Olympias, wife of Philip, king of Macedonia, the great Alexander, who later through an act of fortune killed his father.”]

6 envoisure. Lit. “joy, disport, enjoyment”; Macaulay (Mac, 1:471, note VI.6) translates “trickery, deceit”; but see XVI.3, below.

10 sanz nulle autre essoine. Following Macaulay, “cause” (Mac, 1:471, note VI.10); but lit. “hindrance, difficulty.”

15ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Vluxes Penolope sponsus in insula Cilli Circen ibidem reginam adulterando Thelogonum genuit, qui postea propriis manibus patrem suum mortaliter iaculo transfodit. [“How Ulysses the husband of Penelope on the island of Sicily adulterously begot upon Circe the queen Thelogonus, who later with his own hands mortally transfixed his own father with a spear.”]
15 Rois Uluxes. See CA 6.1391–1781; MO lines 16673–92.
caroigne. Lit. “carrion, corpse.”

17 mesme la busoigne. Compare “la besoigne d’amors”=sexual intercourse; i.e., Ulysses and Nectanabus commit the same sin, with the same results.

VII EL GRANT DESERT D’YNDE SUPERIOUR

1 El grant desert d’Ynde superiour. “Greater India” for Gower meant essentially the subcontinent, including Afghanistan; see Pliny, Natural History, V.iv. On the desert, Gower’s source undoubtedly was the Epistola Alexandri ad Aristotelem.

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Hercules, qui Deianiram regis Calidonie filiam desponsauit, ipsam postea propter amorem Eolen Euricie Imperatoris filiam a se penitus amouit. Vnde ipse cautelis Achelontis ex incendio postea periit. [“How Hercules, who married Deianira, daughter of the king of Caledonia, later banished her utterly from himself on account of loving Eolen, daughter of the emperor of Eurice. For that, by a trick of Achelons, he later perished in flames.”] cautelis Achelonis. I.e., the shirt poisoned with the centaur Nessus’ blood (Ovid, Heroides IX), not by agency of Achelons.
2 Cil qui d’arein les deux pilers fichoit. See Chaucer’s Sir Thopas, Canterbury Tales VII[B2]2117–18.

3–6 Hercules . . . Deianire. See Cinkante Balades XLIII; CA 2.2145–2307, especially 2259 ff.; Ovid, Heroides IX.

5 Achelons. See CA 4.2068.

11 D’Eurice. Macaulay (Mac, 1:471, note VII.11) states: “‘Euricie’ in the Latin margin; compare ‘The kinges dowhter of Eurice,’ CA 2.2267. It is taken as the name of a country, but no doubt this results from a misunderstanding of some such ex­pression as Ovid’s ‘Eurytiodosque Ioles,’ ‘of Iole the daughter of Eurytus,’ taken to mean ‘Eurytian Iole.’”

17 l’auctour. I.e., Ovid.

VIII LI PRUS JASON, Q’EN L’ISLE DE COLCHOS 1–2 Jason . . . Medée. See MO lines 3725–30; CA 5.3247–4237; Cinkante Balades XLIII; Ovid, Heroides XII.

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Iason vxorem suam Medeam relinquens Creusam Creontis regis filiam sibi carnaliter copulauit; vnde ipse cum duobus filiis suis postea infortunatus decessit. [“How Jason, giving up his wife Medea, carnally coupled with Creusa, daughter of king Creon; for that he later perished, miserable, along with two of his sons.”]

20 Ceo q’en fuist fait pecché le fortuna. “Such is the fortune of him who committed sin”; or perhaps “He who commits sin risks this.”

IX CIL AVOLTIERS QUI FAIT CONTINUANCE

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Egistus, Climestram regis Agamenontis vxorem adulterando, ipsum regem in lecto noctanter dormientem proditorie interfecit, cuius mortem Orestes filius eius crudelissime vindicauit. [“How Egistus, having committed adultery with Climestra, wife of king Agamenon, at night treacherously killed that king, sleeping in bed; whose death his son Orestes avenged most cruelly.”] in lecto noctanter dormientem. A detail not found in Benoît de Ste.-More, Roman de Troie, but in Guido della Colonna’s Historia destructionis Troiana: see Macaulay’s note, (Mac, 2:499).

8–12 Agamenon . . . Climestre . . . Egistus. See CA 3.1885–2195; Gower’s primary source is Benoît, Roman de Troie, lines 27925–90, 28155–28283, and 28339–28402.

X LA TRESPLUS BELLE Q’UNQES FUIST HUMEINE

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter ex adulterio Helene vxoris Menelai regis Troia magna in cineres conuersa pro perpetuo desolata permansit. [“How through the adultery of Helen, the wife of king Menelaus, great Troy, turned to ashes, remained forever forsaken.”]
2–4 Menelai . . . Heleine . . . Paris. See Cinkante Balades XIIII, XL.

8ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter ob hoc quod Lucrecia Rome Collatini sponsa vi oppressa pre dolore interiit, Tarquinus ibidem rex vna cum Arronte filio suo, qui sceleris auctores extiterant, pro perpe tuo exheredati exilium subierunt. [“How, because of the fact that Lucrecia, wife of Collatin, oppressed by force in Rome, died in anguish, King Tarquin, together with Arrontes his son, originators of the crime, were ruined, were cast down, permanently disinherited.”]
8–9 Tarquins . . . Lucrece. See CA 7.4754–5123. Gower’s source is Ovid, Fasti II.687–720.

15–17 Mundus . . . Pauline. See CA 1.761–1059. Macaulay (Mac, 2:470) suggests Vincent of Beauvais’ Speculum Historiale VII.iv as Gower’s source.

16 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Mundus Romane milicie princeps nobilem Paulinam in templo Isis decepit; vnde ipse cum duobus presbiteris sibi confederatis iudicialiter perierunt. [“How the Roman general and prince Mundus deceived the noble Paulina in the temple of Ysis; for that he justly perished, along with the two priests, his confederates.”]

18 enbastiront tout le plai. Macaulay (Mac, 3:471, note X.18) observes: “The word ‘plait’ or ‘plee’ means properly a process at law, hence a process or design of any kind: ‘bastir un plait’ is the same thing as ‘faire un plait,’ used of designing or proposing a thing.”

XI ALBINS, Q’ESTOIT UN PRINCE BATAILLOUS

1–13 Albins . . . Rosemonde . . . Elmeges. See CA 1.2459–2646. Gower’s source seems to have been Godfrey of Viterbo’s Pantheon XVII; see Macaulay’s note (Mac, 2:476–77).

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Helmeges miles Rosemundam regis Gurmondi filiam Albinique primi regis Longobardorum vxorem adulterauit: vnde ipso rege mortaliter intoxicato dictam vxorem cum suo adultero dux Rauenne conuictos pene mortis adiudicauit. [“How the knight Helmeges committed adultery with Rosemunda, daughter of King Gurmond and wife of Albinus, distinguished king of the Lombards: for that the duke of Ravenna doomed him and his adulterous partner, the wife at whose order he mortally poisoned the king, together to the penalty of death.”]
3 com cil qui fuist victorious. Lit. “in the manner of one who was victorious.”

17–18 sa dame lecherous . . . Estoient arsz. In CA no hint is given of Rosemund’s lechery; her motive is simply vengeance and her means political. Their death is brought about by poison, as in the Latin marginalia 3 ff., rather than by burning as the French text says here.

XII LE NOBLE ROI D’ATHENES PANDEON

1–4 Pandeon . . . Progne . . . Philomene . . . Tereüs. See CA 5.5551–6047. Gower’s source is Ovid, Metamorphoses VI.424–674.

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Tereus rex Tracie Prognem filiam Pandeon regis Athenarum in vxorem duxit, et postea Philomenam dicte vxoris sue sororem virginem vi oppressit. Vnde dicte sorores in peccati vindictam filium suum infantem ex Progne genitum variis decocionibus in cibos transformatum comedere fecerunt. [“How Tereus, king of Thrace, took Progne, daughter of Pandeon, king of Athens, to wife, and afterward forcibly oppressed the virginity of her sister, Philomena. For that the two sisters, in revenge for the sin, made [him] eat his infant son by Progne, trans­formed by diverse boilings into food.”]

9 treson. Lit. “treason, treachery.”

19 hupe. See CA 5.6041, where Tereus is transformed into “a lappewincke mad.” Both the hoopoe (Upupa epops) and the lapwing (Vanellus vanellus — probably, since it is more common) have distinctive but similar crests and could be confused. Interestingly, in the context of infanticide, is Physiologus’ description of the hoopoe: “There is a bird called the hoopoe; if the young see their parents grow old and their eyes dim, they preen the parents’ feathers and lick their eyes and warm their parents beneath their wings and nourish them as a reciprocation just as they nourished their chicks, and they become new parents of their own parents” (trans. Curley, pp. 14–15); see also “Epopus” in Bestiary (trans. White, pp. 131–32); but compare with “Upupa” (Bestiary, trans. White, p. 150); also “the Hoopoe,” which “lines its nest with human dung. The filthy creature feeds on stinking excrement. He lives on this in graves. . . . If anybody smears himself with the blood of this bird on his way to bed, he will have nightmares about suffocating devils” (Bestiary, trans. White, p. 150). See also MO line 8869.

XIII SEINT ABRAHAM, CHIEF DE LA VIELE LOI

1–5 Abraham . . . Sarrai . . . Pharao. See Genesis 12:10–20.

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter pro eo quod Pharao rex Egipti Sarrai vxorem Abrahe ob carnis concupiscenciam impudice tractauit, pestilencia per vniuersum Egiptum peccatum vindcauit. [“How, because Pharaoh, king of Egypt, on account of desire of the flesh, treated Sarai the wife of Abraham shamelessly, pestilence avenged the sin throughout all Egypt.”]

16 la morine. “the murrain,” i.e., a plague especially affecting animals.

XIV TROP EST HUMAINE CHAR FRELE ET VILEINE

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter ob peccatum regis Dauid, de eo quod ipse Bersabee sponsam Vrie ex adulterio impregnauit, summus Iudex infantem natum patre penitente sepulcro defunctum tradidit. [“How because of sin of the king David, who himself adulterously impregnated Bethsabee, wife of Urias, the greatest Judge consigned the child born to the penitent father dead to the grave.”] summus Iudex infantem . . . tradidit. See 2 Kings 12:14–23.

4–5 David . . . Urie . . . Bersabée. See 2 Kings 11:1–27 and 12:1–13.

XV Comunes sont la cronique et l’istoire

Macaulay (Mac, 1:472, note XV.1–10) notices “losses at the beginnings of these lines in the Fairfax MS are as follows: Comun / De lan / Enqore ma / Pour essamp / Cil q’est gu / Droitz est / Car be / To / U que / Deu.”

2 Lancelot . . . Tristrans. See CA 8.2500–01; Cinkante Balades XLIII.

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter ob hoc quod Lanceolotus Miles probatissimus Gunnoram regis Arthuri vxorem fatue permauit, eciam et quia Tristram simili modo Isoldam regis Marci auunculi sui vxorem violare non timuit, Amantes ambo predicti magno infortunii dolore dies suos extremos clauserunt. [“How because the most honored knight Lancelot by fate inordinately loved Gunnora, the wife of King Arthur and also because Tristram feared not to violate in a similar way Isold the wife of his uncle King Mark, it was foretold that both lovers ended their days in extreme misery.”]

7 Car beal oisel par autre se chastie. Macaulay (Mac, 1:472, note 7) compares MO line 7969.

10–13 Deux tonealx . . . se modefie. See Boethius, Consulation of Philosophy, II.pr.2; Roman de la Rose, lines 6783–96 and 10597–10603. The origin is Homer, Iliad XXIV.527 ff. See also CA 6.330–90.

15 As uns est blanche, as uns fortune est noire. [“Toward one white, toward another Fortune is black.”] Fortuna was frequently portrayed as having a divided face, half black and half white.

XVI OM TRUIST PLUSOURS ES VIELES ESCRIPTURES

3 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Qualiter Princeps qui sue carnis concupiscenciam exuperat pre ceteris laudabilior existit. Narrat enim quod cum probus Valentinianus Imperator octogenarius in armis floruit, et suorum preliorum gesta coram eo publice decantabantur, asseruit se de victoria sue carnis, cuius ipse motus illecebros extinxerat, magis letari, quam si ipse vniuersas mundi partes in gladio belliger subiugasset. [“How the Prince who overcame his fleshly desire lived the more praised among [all] others. It tells also how the wise octogenarian Emperor Valentinian flourished in arms, and, his deeds of battle having been sung openly by the public, he claimed for himself victory of his flesh, whose illicit urgings he himself abolished — a greater thing to be killed, than if he subjugated every part of the world waging war with a sword.”]

5 Valentinians. See CA 5.6395–6416; MO line 17089. Macaulay (Mac, 3:507) suggests the Epistola Valerii ad Rufinum as Gower’s source. Valentinian I (A.D. 364–75) seems the most likely of the three emperors by that name to have been the origin of this apocryphal story.

XVII AMOUR EST DIT SANZ PARTIR D’UN ET UNE

2 Ceo voet la foi plevie au destre main [“The brave and valiant, who have renown of arms”]. I.e., in the acknowledged gesture of an oath; see Cinkante Balades XXIII, stanza 1.

4 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Nota hic quod secundum iura ecclesie, vt sint duo in carne vna tantum ad sacri coniugii perfeccionem et non aliter expediens est. [“Take note here the fact that according to the laws of the church, two may be one in the flesh only through the perfection of holy matrimony, and not otherwise is it permitted.”]
4 barguain. “Business transaction” is a bit flat, given the intensity of Gower’s feeling on this point. Perhaps “arbitrage” would be a better equivalent as the Old French word has been adopted by corporate America to define the “simultaneous purchase and sale of the same equivalent security in order to profit from price discrepancies,” which gets well at the manipulation of marriage in a bull market for gain that Gower finds so perverse.

9 ert. Both future and conditional forms express imperative, apparently as needed for the meter; see MO line 17689.

12 Gawain. Macaulay (Mac, 1:472, note XVII.13) remarks, “This is the traditional character of Gawain ‘the Courteous.’” See Thompson and Busby, Gawain, pp. 52–62, on Gawain’s amorousness and promiscuity in numerous French and English romances.

XVIII EN PROPRETEÉ CIL QUI DEL OR HABONDE

1 En propreteé. Lit. “particularity, the particular, property.” The intent seems to be to create a contrast between stealing gold — i.e., the realm of property — and stealing a wife, the latter the more sinful since it involves violating a vow.

2 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Nota hic secundum auctores quod sponsi fideles ex sui regiminis discreta bonitate vxores sibi fidissimas conseruant. Vnde ipsi ad inuicem congaudentes felicius in domino conualescunt. [“Take note here according to the authors that faithful husbands, because of the moral goodness of their governance, had maintained wives most faithful to them. Whence they themselves, mutually rejoicing the more together, gained strength in God.”]

3 deinz sa bonde. I.e., joined in matrimony; compare “marriage bond.”

8 Des trois estatz. The three estates of human life: virginity, chaste marriage, and chaste widowhood.

17 en. The antecedent is “la conscience.”

18 celui qui. I.e., God the Judge.

22 ff. Latin marginalia in F: Hic in fine Gower, qui Anglicus est, sua verba Gallica, si que incongrua fuerint, excusat. [“Here in conclusion Gower, who is English, excuses (apologizes for) his French words, those that may have been discordant.”]

Abbreviations: B: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 294; F: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Fairfax 3; G: Glasgow, University of Glasgow Library, MS Hunter (T.2.17); Mac: Macaulay, ed., The Complete Works of John Gower; S: Oxford, All Souls College, MS 98; T: London, British Library, MS Additional 59495 (Trentham).

Macaulay notes: “The text is that of F with collation of S, G, and T. A full collation of B is given for the heading and it is occasionally cited afterwards” (Mac, 1:379).

Macaulay notes: “S T are imperfect at the beginning” (Mac, 1:379).

Heading Pusiqu’il. F: Pvsquil.
ci. B: cy.
Englois. B: englois.
cellui. B: celluy.
François. B: franceis.
un. F: une.
selonc les. B: solonc les.
pour essampler. B: pur ensampler.
foi. B: foy.
seintes. B: seints.
pourront. B: purront.
1 ff. (Latin marginalia) possidebit. B: possidebat.

I LE CREATOUR DE TOUTE CREATURE

7 raison ert conestable. G: Raison ert Conestable.

12 De. G: Du.

14, 21 raison ert conestable. G: Raison ert Conestable.

15 raison. G: reson.

II DE L’ESPIRIT L’AMOUR QUIERT CONTINENCE

9 Mac: “The text of T begins here.”

13 tout. T: toute.

III AU PLUS PARFIT DIEUS NE NOUS OBLIGEA

4 Mac: “The text of S begins here.”

5 quiert. So S, T, G. F: quier.

7 seinte. S, T: seint.

14 seinte. S: seint.
eglise. F, G: esglise.

21 eglise. F: esglise.

IV OVESQUE AMOUR QANT LOIALTÉ S’AQUEINTE

1 ff. (Latin marginalia) libidinis. S: libidine.

3 li. G, B: lui.
guilers. S, T, G: guiliers.

6 come. S, T: com.

20 s’accorde. S, T: saacorde.

V GRANT MERVAILE EST ET TROP CONTRE RESON

1 mervaile. S: merveile.

3 puis. T: puiss.

13 tresseintisme. T: tressentisme.

15 l’espousailes. T: lespousails.
beneiçoun. S: beneiceon. G: beneicon.

16 eglise. S: esglise.

17 dissolucioun. S: dissolucion.

20 vengeance. T: vengance.

VI NECTANABUS, QUI VINT EN MACEDOINE

7, 14, 21 demoustre. T: demonstre.

8 esloigne. S, G: eloigne.

9 destinée. S: destine.

10 sanz. S omits.

VII EL GRANT DESERT D’YNDE SUPERIOUR

2 d’arein. T: darrein.

4 de. S omits.

6 bataille. T: bataile.

8 cell. T: celle.

10 file. T: fille.

16 vengé. S, G: vengee.

19 tant. S omits.
qu’il. S, G: qil.

20 contretaille. S, G, T: contretaile.

VIII LI PRUS JASON, Q’EN L’ISLE DE COLCHOS

3 los. T: loos.

10 lui. T: luy.

11 quel. S, G: quell. T: quelle.

15 clos. T: cloos.

17 quex. T: queux.

18 come. S, T: com.

IX CIL AVOLTIERS QUI FAIT CONTINUANCE

1 ff. (Latin marginalia) Climestram. S, T, G: Clemestram.

4 Cronique. S: croniqe.

6 ceo. F: se.
qu’il. S, T, G: qil.

17 repentance. S: repentace.

18 Horestes. T: Orestes.

X LA TRESPLUS BELLE Q’UNQES FUIST HUMEINE

3 C’estoit. S: Estoit.

4 qui. T: quoi.
se. S omits.

5 wai. T: way.

7 haut. T: halt.

8 Tarquins. T: Tarquinus.
pensé. S, T, G: pensee.

10 null. T: nul.

12 cotell. So F, T, G. S: coutell.

14 haut. T: halt.

15 ff. (Latin marginalia) Paulinam. So T, (by correction) G. F, S: Paulinum.

18 enbastiront. T: embastiront.

19 jugement. S, T, G: juggement.

20 prestres. S, T, G: prestre.

21 haut. T: halt.

XI ALBINS, Q’ESTOIT UN PRINCE BATAILLOUS

1 ff. (Latin marginalia) Helmeges. S: Elmeges.
Gurmondi. S, G: Gurumundi.
Albinique. F: Abbinique.

5 file. T: fille.

8 Tiel. T: Ciel.

9 seintifie. T: seintefie.

12 ailours. S: aillours.

18 Estoient. S, T, G: estoiont.
arsz. S: ars.

19 q’ot. T: quot.

20 jugement. S, T, G: juggement.

XII LE NOBLE ROI D’ATHENES PANDEON

1 ff. (Latin marginalia) transformatum. S, T, B: transmutatum.

3 avoiont. T: avoient.

6 lui. T: li.

16 né. T: nee.

18 devorée. T: devouree.

19 transformée. T: transforme.

20 qu’il fuist. T: qui fuist.

XIII SEINT ABRAHAM, CHIEF DE LA VIELE LOI

7 halt. F: haut.

8 molt . . . roi. T: moult . . . Roy.

10 coi. T: coy.

11 falsine. F: falsisine.

17 effroi. T: esfroi.

19 celle. T: cel.

XIV TROP EST HUMAINE CHAR FRELE ET VILEINE

1 ff. (Latin marginalia) Bersabee. S: Bersabe.
sepulcro. So F, B. S, T, G: sepulture.
1 humaine. T: lumaine.

3 le bible. S: la Bible. T, G: la bible.
enseine. S: enseigne.

8 q’il. S, G: quil.

9 Qu’il. S: Qil.

12 un autre. F: lautre.

XV COMUNES SONT LA CRONIQUE ET L’ISTOIRE

Macaulay notes: “Owing to a slight damage to the leaf the beginnings of the first ten lines and a few syllables of the marginal summary are wanting in F” (1:389). See headnote to the explanatory notes for XV, p. 41 above.

1 ff. (Latin marginalia) extremos. S, G: exremos.
1 l’istoire. S, G: lestoire.

4 du. S, G: de.

6 sa. T: la.

8 truist . . . foire. T: trust . . . ffoire.

14 oisel. T: oiseal.

XVI OM TRUIST PLUSOURS ES VIELES ESCRIPTURES

1 es. So S, G, B. T: et. F: de.

6 Romeins. T: Romeines.

10 poet. S: poeit.

12 Agardetz. G: Agardes.
comparisoun. S, G: comparison.

19 perfeccioun. S, G: perfeccion.

20 celle. S: cell.

XVII AMOUR EST DIT SANZ PARTIR D’UN ET UNE

1 ff. (Latin marginalia) duo. F: due.

6 troeve. T: troue.

16 primer. F: primere.
moustre. T: monstre(?).

XVIII EN PROPRETEÉ CIL QUI DEL OR HABONDE

2 s’il. S: cil.

4 ailours. T: aillours.

12 Pource. S, T, G: Pourceo.
pourvoie. S, G: purvoie.

13 q’il. S, G: quil.
n’ait. G: naid.

14 soun. So F. S, T, G: son.

19 come. T: com.

23 Johan. S, G: Iehan.

25 forsvoie. G: forvoie.