Geoffrey Chaucer, the Introduction to the Man of Law’s Tale of the Canterbury Tales — 98 lines in couplets.

Author(s): Geoffrey Chaucer

Title(s): Introduction to the Man of Law’s Tale; Canterbury Tales

Subjects: pilgrims/pilgrimage; links; context; tales; Chaucer

Versification: — couplets — aa

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Attributed Title: …And nexte / bigynneth the man of lawe his prolog & cetera (f. 141); the man of lawes prolog (RT); Here endith the man of lawe his prolog… (f. 142v)

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Attributed Title: …and here bygynnyth / þe Prologe of þe man of law (f. 62v); The man of law (RT); here endith þe prologe of þe man of law… (f. 64)

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Note: II.57-96 omitted.

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Attributed Title: Here folowen the wordes of the hoost / vnto the man of lawe (f. 56); Hoost (RT); Here enden the words of the hoost / vnto the man of lawe… (f. 57)

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Attributed Title: …And next biginneth þe prolog of þe man of lawes tale (f. 50v); The prolog of þe man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …Here begynneþ þe prolog of þe man of lawe (f. 125v); þe man of lawe (RT)

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Note: The exemplar apparently had two sheets disarranged, as the MS has II.91 followed by 173-254 (fols. 82v-83v, with a later corrector’s marks indicating the proper sequence), followed in turn by 93-172, 337-418, 255-336, 419, etc. London, British Library Royal 18 C.II (no. 34 below) has the same sequence of misarranged lines due to transposed folios and thus may be the exemplar for this portion of the Laud MS.

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Note: II.3-4 reversed.

Attributed Title: Here bigynneth the prolog of the seriauntes tale (f. 29); The seriaunt (RT)

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Attributed Title: Here begynnith the man of lawes prolog and his tale seweth of Constance (f. 23); the Man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …And here beginneth the lawiers prolog with his tale folwing (f. 61v); The lawier tale (RT); Here endith the Prolog of the Man of Lawe… (f. 63)

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Attributed Title: The proheme of the tale of the man of / lawe of Custance (f. 190)

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Attributed Title: cmvm (f. 73v, margin)

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Note: II.42 omitted.

Attributed Title: …and / Begynneth þe man of lawis prolog (f. 52v)

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Note: II.36 omitted. There is a small ‘h’ guide letter where an ‘o’ might be expected, for which a lombard ‘T’ was executed, but the first word of text is ‘oure’.

Attributed Title: …Prologus legis periti (f. 182v); Man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …& Incipit prologus Legis periti (f. 54); Hic finitur prologus legis periti… (f. 55)

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Note: II.1-9, 82-98 lost.

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Attributed Title: Prologus Iuris parti (f. 62v); The man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …Incipit prohemium fabule legisperiti (f. 77); Capitulum 5m (f. 77, margin); The man of lawe (RT)

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Note: II.3-9, 12-15, 17-4, 31-2, 41-4, 77-80, 85-8, 93-6 omitted.

Attributed Title: The prolog of þe man of lawe (f. 77v)

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Note: II.32 inserted in margin.

Attributed Title: A Prolog of the man of Lawe (f. 26ra); Hiere thende is of the prolog of the man of lawe… (f. 26vb)

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Attributed Title: …and / begynneth the man of lawes prologe (f. 73v)

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Attributed Title: …& incipit prologus Iurisperiti (f. 67); prologus (RT); Explicit prologus Iurisperiti… (f. 68v)

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Note: II.1-30 lost.

Attributed Title: Prologus (RT)

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Note: II.68-98 lost.

Attributed Title: …Here bygynneth the prolog of th Sergeantes tale (f. 43); The Sergeaunt (RT)

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Attributed Title: …And here folowen þe / wordes bitwene the hoost and the man of lawe (f. 64); Hic finitur prologus legis periti… (f. 65v)

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Note: II.73-98 lost.

Attributed Title: …And here byginneth þe prologe of þe man of lawe (f. 49); The Man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …Heer bigynneth the prolog of þe sergeantes tale of lawe (f. 64v); The prolog of þe Sergeant[trimmed] / tale (RT)

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Attributed Title: Here begynneth the Prolog of the man of lawe (f. 55v); The Man Of lawe (RT); Here endith the Prolog… (f. 56v)

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Note: II.36-9 omitted.

Attributed Title: …and nexste / ffolowyng begynneþe þe prologe of þe man of / lawes tale (f. 60ra); Þe prologe of þe man of lawes tale (RT); Þus Eondithe þe prologe of þe man of lawes tale… (f. 60va)

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Attributed Title: The man a lawe (RT); Explicit prologus… (f. 72)

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Attributed Title: Prologus legisperiti (f. 43, margin)

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Attributed Title: …Incipit prologus Legis periti (f. 65); prologus legisperiti (RT)

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Attributed Title: …And / begynnythe the prologe of the Man of Lawe (f. 79v); Here endith the prolog of þe man of lawe… (f. 81)

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Note: Two bifolia are transposed (ff. 69+72 and 70+71), producing the sequence II.91 followed by 173-254, 337-418, 255-336, 419, etc. Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 739 (SC 1234) (no. 7 above) has the same sequence of misarranged lines. The scribe indicates the correct ordering in a series of notations at the foot of ff. 69, 70v, top of f. 71, bottom of f. 71v, top of f. 72, foot of f. 72v, and top of f. 73.

Attributed Title: The prolog of the man of lawe (f. 67v); The man of lawe (RT); Here endyth the prolog… (f. 70)

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Note: II.1-67 lost.

Attributed Title: The Man of lawe (RT); Here endithe þe proloog… (f. 63)

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Note: II.42 inserted at foot.

Attributed Title: …And here begynneth the Prolog of the man of lawe (f. 86v); [T]He Prolog of the lawer (RT); Here endith the Prolog of the man of law… (f. 88v)

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Attributed Title: The proheme of the Mannes tale of Lawe (f. 112); The Man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …and now begynneth the prologe of the man of lawe (f. 34ra); The Man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …and folwen þe wordes / of þe auctour and of þe hoost Prologus (f. 69); The prologe Of þe man of lawe (RT); Thus endeth þe prologe… (f. 70v)

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Note: II.32 omitted; spurious line follows 33.

Attributed Title: The prolog of the Man of lawe (RT)

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Note: II.61-2 reversed.

Attributed Title: …The prophemye of the manne of lawes tale (f. 78); Explicit prologus… (f. 79v)

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Attributed Title: …Incipit prologus fabula legisperiti (f. 46v); prologus legisperiti &cetera (f. 46v, margin)

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Attributed Title: …And here by / gynnes þe prologe of þe man of lawe (rubric, f. 84v); Prologus / viri legis (rubric, f. 84v, margin); þe Prologe (RT); Thus endeþ þe prologe (rubruc, f. 86)

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Attributed Title: Incipit prologus legis periti (f. 51); Prologus legis / periti (f. 51, margin); Man of lawe (RT); Hic finitur prologus legis periti (f. 52)

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Note: II.3-4 reversed.

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Attributed Title: …And after foloweth / the prologe of the man of lawe (f. 74); The prologe of the man of lawe (RT); Thus endeth the prologe… (f. 75)

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Note: II.1-78 lost. The MS is misbound, with [13].8 following [12].7 (becoming f. 43) and Q [14] misbound to follow Q [12] (with [14] foliated 44-51, and [13] foliated 52-57). Quires [1-4] and [6-7] are inferred to be lost, with the foliation not taking account of them. Thus V.9-91 follow II.558-1190 and are in turn followed by II.79-557; a blank leaf follows, and then V.92, etc. V.656-72 lost; 134-40 omitted.

Attributed Title: Here endeth the prologe… (f. 43v)

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Note: All but II.95-98 lost.

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Attributed Title: …And here begynnyth the man of lawe his Prolog (f. 34v); Prolog (RT); Here endith the prologg (f. 36)

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Attributed Title: The wordes of the Hoost to the comaignye (f. 49); Man of lawe (RT)

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Attributed Title: …& subsequen / ter sequntur verba Galfridi Chauncers / compilatoris libri (f. 24va); Verba Hospitis ad totam comitinam (f. 24va); Verba hospitis ad seruientem legis (f. 24vb); Responsio ad hospitem (f. 24vb)

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Attributed Title: …And hiere beginneth / the Prolog of the man of lawe (rubric, f. 54)

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Attributed Title: Prologge Man of Lawe (f. 63ra)

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Attributed Title: …And / begynneth the man of lawis prolog (f. 77)

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Note: Verse ends on sig. G2.

Attributed Title: …And begynneth / the man of lawys prologe (sig. i.6); The man of Lawys Prologe (RT); Here endeth the prologue… (sig. i.7)

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Attributed Title: …and begynneth the man of lawes prologus (sig. h.3v); Here endith the man of lawes prologe (sig. h.5)

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Attributed Title: …and be / ginneth the man of lawes prologe (sig. f.1); Here endyth the man of lawe prologue… (sig. f.1v)