Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 4161

DIMEV 4161

IMEV 2621.5

NIMEV Dunbar

Of every asking follows nought

William Dunbar, ‘Of discretioun in asking’ — nine 5-line stanzas with refrain, ‘In asking sowld discretioun be’

Note: Cf. 230, 4151, and 5058.

Author(s): William Dunbar

Title(s): ‘Of discretioun in asking’

Subjects: evils of the times

Versification: — five-line — aabab

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Ll.5.10, ff. 21-21v

First Lines:

Eftir everie asking followis nocht
reward bot gif sum caus be wrocht…

Last Lines:

…But hart rakles or toung abaseit
In asking sould discretioun be

2.Source: Cambridge UK, Magdalene College Pepys 2553, pp. 259-260

First Lines:

Eftir everie asking followis nocht
Rewarde bot gif sum caus be wrocht…

Last Lines:

…but hart rekles or toung abasit
In asking suld discretioun be

Note: Missing lines 16-20; no separation between this and 6002.

Editions:

Craigie, William Alexander. The Maitland Folio Manuscript, Containing Poems by Sir Richard Maitland, Dunbar, Douglas, Henryson, and others. 2 vols. Scottish Text Society n.s. 7 (1919), 20 (1927); Edinburgh and London: Blackwood, 1919, 1927: 1.289-90.

3.Source: Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Advocates’ 1.1.6 [Bannatyne MS], pp. 45-46

First Lines:

Off everye asking followis nocht
Reward but gif sum caus war wrocht…

Last Lines:

…To fecht with fortoun is no wyte wit
In asking suld discrecioun be

Attributed Title: endis discrecionis in asking (p. 46)

Facsimiles:

Fox, Denton, and William A. Ringler. The Bannatyne Manuscript: National Library of Scotland Advocates’ MS. 1.1.6 London: Scolar Press, in Association with The National Library of Scotland, 1980.

Editions:

Ritchie, W. Tod, ed. The Bannatyne Manuscript. 4 parts in 4 vols. Scottish Text Society 3rd ser. 5 (1928); n.s. 22 (1928); n.s. 23 (1930); n.s. 26 (1934) Edinburgh and London: Blackwood, 1928-34; ed. by Ritchie et al: 1.76-7; 2.150-2.

4.Source: Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Advocates’ 1.1.6 [Bannatyne MS], ff. 61-61v

First Lines:

Off every asking followis nocht
Rewaird bot gif sum caus war wrocht…

Last Lines:

…To fecht with fortoun Is no wit
In asking sowld descretioun be

Note: Second occurrence in MS.

Attributed Title: ffinis of asking (f. 61v)

Facsimiles:

Fox, Denton, and William A. Ringler. The Bannatyne Manuscript: National Library of Scotland Advocates’ MS. 1.1.6 London: Scolar Press, in Association with The National Library of Scotland, 1980.

Editions:

Ramsay, Allan, ed. The Ever Green. 2 vols. Edinburgh, 1724; repr. Ramsay and Early Scottish Poets, London, n.d.: 2.82-4.

Mackay, Charles. The Poetical Works of Allan Ramsay. 2 vols. London: Virture, 1866-68; repr. of Alan Ramsay , The Evergreen; alt. title: Ramsay and the Earlier Scots Poets : 274.

Dalrymple, Sir David, Lord Hailes. Ancient Scottish Poems. Edinburgh, 1770; repr. London, 1815: 56-8.

Sibbald, John. Chronicle of Scottish Poetry…. 4 vols. Edinburgh and London, 1802: 2.7 (extracts).

Morison, Robert, ed. Select Poems of Wil Dunbar, Part First from the MS of George Bannatyne. Perth: Morison, 1788: 52-4.

Laing, David. The Poems of William Dunbar. 2 vols. Edinburgh: Laing and Forbes, 1834; Supplement, 1865: 1.165-6.

Paterson, James. The Works of William Dunbar. Edinburgh: Stillie, 1863: 238-40.

Small, John, Ae. James George Mackay, George Powell McNeill, and Walter Gregor, eds. The Poems of William Dunbar. 5 pts. Scottish Text Society 2, 4, 16, 21, 29. Edinburgh, 1884-93: 2.84-6.

Eyre-Todd, George. Early Scottish Poetry. Glasgow: W. Hodge, 1891: 206-7.

Schipper, Jakob. The Poems of William Dunbar. Vienna: Kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1894: 248-9.

Schipper, Jakob, ed. The Poems of William Dunbar. 4 vols. Denkschriften der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophische-Historische Klasse 40/2; 40/4; 41/4; 42/4. Vienna, 1892-93: 49-51.

Baildon, Henry Bellyse. The Poems of William Dunbar. Cambridge: University Press, 1907: 121-2.

Murdoch, James Barclay. The Bannatyne Manuscript. 4 vols. in 11 parts, paged continuously. Hunterian Club 16, 32, 40, 46, 50, 55-56, 64-67 Glasgow: Anderson, 1873-1896: 2.165-7.

MacKenzie, William Mackay. The Poems of William Dunbar. Edinburgh, 1932: 31-4.