DIMEV 3090
IMEV 1913
NIMEV 1913
Listen and listeneth and harkeneth aright
The Cook’s Tale of Gamelyn — 902 lines in
couplets
Title(s):
Gamelyn
Subjects: romances
Versification: —
two-line —
aa
Manuscript Witnesses:
1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Ashmole 45, Part III (SC 6928), ff. 2
v-18
First Lines:Lithen & lestneth and herkeneth a right
And ye shul heren of a
doughti knight
Sir Iohn of Boundis was his right name
He coude of
norture & mochel of game…
Last Lines:…And soe shal we alle mai ther no man fle
God bringe vs to the
Ioie that euere shal be
Note: Seventeenth century; transcribed by Ashmole. Recto fols. 3 and 5-8 have
a running title — ‘The Coke’, f. 4 — ‘The Cokes
Tale’, fols. 9-18 ‘Gamelyn’.
Attributed Title: Here begynneth ye Cokes tale Gamelyn (f. 2v)
2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Barlow 20 (SC 6420), ff. 51-62
v
First Lines:Lithen and listneth and herkenyth ariȝt
And ȝe shul here
of a doughti kniȝt…
Last Lines:…And so shal we alle may þer no man fle
God bryng vs to
þe Ioy þat euer more shal be amen
Attributed Title: The Coke…Gamelyn (RT); Here endith þe Cokes tale and here
bygynnyth þe prolog of þe man of law (f. 62v)
3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Hatton Donati 1 (SC 4138), ff. 65-75
v
First Lines:Sit and lysthen & herkeneth a right
And ye shal her of a doughti
knight…
Last Lines:…And so shall we all may þer no man fle
God god bring vs
to þe ioy that ever shal be Amen
Attributed Title: The Cokes tale (RT); Here endeth þe Cokes tale of þe prentise of
londoun… (f. 75v)
4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 600 (SC 1476), ff. 62
v-75
v
First Lines:LIthen and listneþ and herkeneþ a right
And ye shul heren
of a doughti knight…
Last Lines:…And so shal we alle mai þer noman fle
God bringe vs to
þe Ioie þat euere shal be
Attributed Title: þe coke (RT); Gamelyne (RT)
5.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 739 (SC 1234), ff. 67
v-81
First Lines:[L]ythen and lightenyth & herkenygh a ryȝt
And ȝe
shull here of a doughty knyght…
Last Lines:…And so shall we all may ther no man fle
God bryng vs to
þe Ioy that euer shall be
6.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 149 (SC 14641), ff. 53-58
First Lines:…Two gentilmen gouerned the place
Come to gamelyn god yeve hem
good grace…
Last Lines:…And so shal we al ther may no man fle
God bryng vs to the ioy
that euer shal be
Note: Begins line 267.
Attributed Title: The Coke (RT); Here endith the cokes tale… (f. 58)
7.Source: Oxford, Christ Church 152, ff. 58
v-71
v
First Lines:Lithen & lystenyth & herkenyth a right
And ye shul heren of
a doughty knyght…
Last Lines:…And so shall we alle may there noman flee
God brynge vs to the
Ioye that euer shall be
Note: A blank space of ca. eleven lines follows the end of
Gamelyn on f. 71v.
Attributed Title: Here be gynnytht the Cokys tale & cetera (f.
58v)
8.Source: Oxford, Corpus Christi College 198, ff. 62-73
v
First Lines:LIthen & lesteneþ and herkeneþ aright
And ȝe
schulle heeren of a doughty knight…
Last Lines:…And so schal we all may þer noman flee
God bring vs to
þe Ioye þat euer schal be
Note: Follows the Cook’s Tale with ‘Incipit
ffabula’ in right margin and large illuminated initial ‘L’
opening the text.
Attributed Title: Incipit ffabula (f. 62, margin)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
A Six-Text Print of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
1st ser. 8-10, 13. London: Trübner, 1868-77: App. to Frag. A.
9.Source: Oxford, Trinity College 49 60
v-73
First Lines:
Now lithe and lystenyth so god geue you goode fyne
and ye
schulle here gode game of yonge Gamelyne
xxiij
an
youngemen that helde hem ful bolde
[These lines crossed out and
‘vacat’ written in the margin, followed by:]
Lith and lestenyth
and herkenyth a right
and ye shullen here of a doughty
knyght…
Last Lines:…and so schulle we alle may ther no man fle
god bring vs to his
ioie that euere schall be amen
Attributed Title: Incipit ffabula de Gamelyn (f. 60v); Coke (RT);
Explicit fabula de Gamelyn… (f. 73)
10.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Ii.3.26, ff. 52-62
v
First Lines:Sytte and listen and herken a right
And ye schull here of a dughti
knyght…
Last Lines:…And so schull we all may there no man flee
God bryng vs to the
Ioye that euer shall be Amen & cetera
Attributed Title: here endeth the prologue of the Coke And here begynneth his tale (f. 52);
Coke (RT)
11.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Mm.2.5, ff. 48
v-58
v
First Lines:Lithen and listenyth and herkenyth a Riȝht
And ȝe schul
here of a doghty knyȝht…
Last Lines:…And so schall we alle ne may þer no man flee
God brynge
us to þe Ioye þat euer schall be Amen
Attributed Title: The tale of ȝonge Gamelyn (rubric heading, f. 48v); The
cokes tale (RT)
12.Source: Cambridge UK, Fitzwilliam Museum McClean 181 [olim Ashburnham 127], ff. 65-77
First Lines:[L]Ithen and lysten and herken aryght
And ye schull here of a
doughty knyght…
Last Lines:…And so schull we all þer may no man flee
God brynge us to
þe Ioy þat euer schall be Amen
Attributed Title: The Cokes Tale (f. 65); The C[trimmed] (RT)
13.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2726 [olim Haistwell] 56-63
First Lines:Lithen & letheneth and harkeneth a right
And ye shal hearen of a
Doughti Knight…
Last Lines:…And so shul we alle mai ther no Man flee
God bring us to ye
joie that ever shalle be
Note: Eighteenth-century copy: eight inserted leaves between ff.
55-56.
Attributed Title: The Cokes | Tale as it | is in MS. | Laud K50 [i.e., Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 600 (SC 1476)].
14.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2863 [olim Norton, post Compton Hall], ff. 37-49
First Lines:Lithen and lesteneth & herkeneth a right
And ȝe shul here
of a doughti knight…
Last Lines:…And so schal we alle may þer no man flee
God bringe vs to
þe ioye þat euer schal be
Attributed Title: …Here bigynneth þe tale of Gamelyn (f. 37); The Coke (RT); Here
endith þe Cokes tale of Gamelyn (f. 49)
15.Source: London, British Library Harley 1758, ff. 46-55
First Lines:…All the londe that he hadde it was purchas
ffayn he wolde it
were dressid among hem alle…
Last Lines:…Than seide Adam that lokkes had hore
Cristes curs mote he haue
that hym bond so sore…
Note: Begins and ends imperfectly.
Attributed Title: The Cokes Tale (RT)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
A Six-Text Print of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
1st ser. 8-10, 13. London: Trübner, 1868-77.
16.Source: London, British Library Harley 7334, ff. 59-70
v
First Lines:Litheþ and lestneþ and herkneþ aright
And ȝe
schul heere a talkyng of a doughty knight…
Last Lines:…And so schal we alle may þer no man fle
God bryng vs to
þe Ioye þat euer schal be AMEN
Note: Followed by eleven blank lines.
Attributed Title: Icy comencera le | fable de Gamelyn (f. 58v); The Gamelyn (RT);
The kookes Tale (RT)
Editions:
Wright, Thomas,
ed.
‘The Cook’s Tale of Gamelyn.’ Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales.
Percy Society
24. London: Richards, 1847: 176-201.
Bell, Robert,
ed.
Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.
8 vols.
Annotated Edition of the English Poets.
London: Parker, 1854.
Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Harleian MS 7334 of Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury
Tales’.
Chaucer Society
73. London: Trübner, 1885.
French, Walter Hoyt, and Charles Brockway Hale.
Middle English Metrical Romances.
New York: Prentice-Hall, 1930: 209.
Knight, Stephen, and Thomas Ohlgren.
Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales.
Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan University for TEAMS, 1997.
17.Source: London, British Library Lansdowne 851, ff. 54
v-65
First Lines:And þerfore listenþ and herkeneþ þis tale
ariht
And ȝe schullen here of a douhte knyht…
Last Lines:…And so schal we al maie þere none fle
God bringe vs to
þat Ioye þa euer schal be AmeN
Attributed Title: þe Coke (RT); Explicit fabula Coci… (f. 65)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
A Six-Text Print of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
1st ser. 8-10, 13. London: Trübner, 1868-77.
18.Source: London, British Library Royal 17 D.XV, ff. 66
v-79
v
First Lines:Lythen & listeneþe & harkeneþe Arighte
And ye
schulne here of A doughty knyghte…
Last Lines:…And so schall we all maye þer no man fflee
God brynge vs
to the Ioye þat euer schall be
Attributed Title: …& her folowyth a nother / tale of the same cooke (f.
66v); Here endith the tale of the Coke… (f.
79v)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
A Six-Text Print of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
1st ser. 8-10, 13. London: Trübner, 1868-77.
19.Source: London, British Library Royal 18 C.II, ff. 57-67
v
First Lines:Lithen & listenyth & herkenyth a right
And ȝe shul here
of a doughti knyght…
Last Lines:…And so shal we alle may þer no man fle
God bring vs to
þe Ioye þat euer shal be
Attributed Title: THe tale of ȝong Gamelyn (f. 57); The Cook (RT)
20.Source: London, British Library Sloane 1685, ff. 51
v-62
v
First Lines:Lithen & listeneth & herkenyth a right
And shul
here of a doughty knyght…
Last Lines:…Lete none scape atte þe dore take ȝongemen
ȝeme
ffor I wil be Iustice þis day domes to
deme…
Note: Ends imperfectly.
Attributed Title: The tale of ȝong Gamelyn (f. 51v); The Cook (RT)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
A Six-Text Print of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
1st ser. 8-10, 13. London: Trübner, 1868-77.
21.Source: London, British Library Sloane 1686, ff. 71-86
v
First Lines:LIthe and listeneth & herkeneth aright
And ye shall here of a
doughty knyght…
Last Lines:And so shalle we alle there may no man flee
God bryng vs to the ioye
that euyr shall be Amen
Attributed Title: The tale of Gamelyn tolde be the Cooke (f. 71); [g]Amelyn (RT); Here endith
the Cookes tale of Gamelyn… (f. 86v)
22.Source: Glasgow, Glasgow University Library Hunterian 197 (U.1.1), ff. 24
ra-25
ra
First Lines:Lythe and listeneth and herkenyth a right
And ye shal here of a
douty knyght…
Last Lines:…And so shal we alle may þere no man flee
God bryng vs to
þe ioye þat euere shall be
Note: Missing lines 145-862 (Skeat’s edition) due to missing bifolia at
center of quire.
Attributed Title: The Tale of yong Gamelyn tolde by / the Coke of london (f.
24ra); The Coke (RT); Here endeth the Tale of the Coke… (f.
25ra).
23.Source: Lichfield, Lichfield Cathedral Library 29, ff. 57
v-69
First Lines:Sitheth and lesteneth and herkeneth aright
And ȝe shul here of
a doughty knyght…
Last Lines:…And so was his wyf and shull we
God binge vs to þe ioye
þat euere shal be
Attributed Title: The Tale of ȝonge Gamelyn (f. 57v); The Cook (RT); Thus
endeth þe Cokes Tale…(f. 69)
24.Source: Petworth House, Lord Leconfield MS 7, ff. 62-74
v
First Lines:Liþes & listneþ and harkeneþ ariȝt
And
ȝe shul here of a doughty knyȝt…
Last Lines:…And so shul we alle may þer no man fle
God bring vs to
þat Ioye þat euer shal be
Attributed Title: But here of I wil pas as nowe
And of yonge Gamelyn I wil tell ȝow
(f. 62r); þe tale of yonge Gamelyne (margin f. 62r);
The Cokes Tale (RT)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
A Six-Text Print of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
1st ser. 8-10, 13. London: Trübner, 1868-77.
25.Source: New York, Pierpont Morgan Library M249 [olim Ashburnham 124, post Compton Hall], ff. 62-74
First Lines:Sitheth and lesteneth and herkeneth aright
And ye shul here of a
doughty knyght…
Last Lines:…And so was his wyf and shul we
God brynge vs to the ioye that
ever shal be
Note: Follows Cook’s Tale fragment, with added couplet,
‘But here of I wol passe as now / And of yonge Gamelyn I wol telle
yow’ (f. 62)
Attributed Title: Here endeth the Cookes tale (f. 74)