DIMEV 4315
Our Host saw well that the bright sun
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
Manuscript Witnesses:
1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Arch. Selden B. 14 (SC 3360), ff. 141-142
v
First Lines:OVre Oste saw wel that the bright sonne
the arke of his artificial
day had ronne…
Last Lines:…and with that worde he with a sobre chere
bigan his tale as ye
shal after here
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)
2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Barlow 20 (SC 6420), ff. 63-64
First Lines:Owre ost saw wel þat þe bright sonne
The arke of his
artificial day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat word he with a sobes chere
Bygan his tale as
ȝe shal aftir here
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)
3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 414 (SC 27880), ff. 51
v-52
v
First Lines:[O]ure host saugh wel þat þe briȝt sunne
The arche of
his artificial day haþ runne…
Last Lines:…And with that wurd he with a sobir chere
Began his tale as ye
shulle aftir here
Note: II.57-96 omitted.
4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 686 (SC 2527), ff. 56-57
First Lines:Oure host saugh wel þat þe bryght sonne
þe ark of his
artificial day hath y ronne…
Last Lines:…I speke in prose and let hym rymes make
And with þat word
he with a sory chere
Bygan his tale as ye may after here
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)
5.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Hatton Donati 1 (SC 4138), ff. 50
v-51
v
First Lines:Oure host sawe wel þat þe briȝt son
The ark of his
artificiall day hath y ron…
Last Lines:…And with þat worde with a sobre chere
Bigan his tale as
ye shall aftre here
Attributed Title: …And next biginneth þe prolog of þe man of lawes tale (f.
50v); The prolog of þe man of lawe (RT)
6.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 600 (SC 1476), ff. 125
v-127
First Lines:Oure host saugh wel þat þe bright sonne
The ark of his
artificial dai haþ ronne…
Last Lines:…And wiþ þat worde he with a sobre
chere
Begynneþ his tale as ye shul aftir here
Attributed Title: …Here begynneþ þe prolog of þe man of lawe (f.
125v); þe man of lawe (RT)
7.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 739 (SC 1234), ff. 81-83
v
First Lines:[O]Wre oste saugh wele þat the bryghte sonne
The ark of his
artificiale day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that worde he with a sobre chere
Bigan his tale as
ȝe shall here
Note: The exemplar apparently had two sheets disarranged, as the MS has II.91
followed by 173-254 (fols. 82
v-83
v, 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.
8.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 141 (SC 14635), ff. 29-30
v
First Lines:Ovre ost say wel that the bright sonne
The ark of his artificiall
day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a nobull chere
Bigan his tale as ye
shall after here
Note: II.3-4 reversed.
Attributed Title: Here bigynneth the prolog of the seriauntes tale (f. 29); The seriaunt
(RT)
9.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 149 (SC 14641), ff. 23-24
v
First Lines:Oure hoste sawe well þat the bright sonne
The arke of his
artificiall day haþ y ronne…
Last Lines:…and with that worde with a sobre chere
Bigan his tale as ye
shall after here
Attributed Title: Here begynnith the man of lawes prolog and his tale seweth of Constance (f.
23); the Man of lawe (RT)
10.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 223 (SC 14714), ff. 61
v-63
First Lines:Oure oost sauȝ wel þat the brigt sonne
The Ark of his
artificiall day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobir chiere
Began his tale as ye
shall aftir here
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)
11.Source: Oxford, Christ Church 152, ff. 190-191
First Lines:Ovre ooste saugh wele that the brighte sonne
The Arke of his
Artifical day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre chere
Bygan his tale as ye
shall aftir here
Attributed Title: The proheme of the tale of the man of / lawe of Custance (f. 190)
12.Source: Oxford, Corpus Christi College 198, ff. 73
v-75
First Lines:Owre oost saugh wel þat by þe brighte sonne
The ark of his
artificial day hadde ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat word he with a sobre chere
Bigan his tale as
ȝe schal after heere
Attributed Title: cmvm (f. 73v, margin)
13.Source: Oxford, New College 314, ff. 52
v-54
First Lines:Oure oste saw þat by þe briȝt sonne
The Ark of his
artificial day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat word he wit a sobir chere
Began
his tale as ye shul here
Note: II.42 omitted.
Attributed Title: …and / Begynneth þe man of lawis prolog (f.
52v)
14.Source: Oxford, Trinity College 49, ff. 182
v-184
First Lines:oure hoste sawe welle that the bright sonne
the cooke of his
artificial day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…and with that worde he with a sobre chere
began his tale as ye
shul aftir here
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)
15.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Dd.4.24, ff. 54-55
First Lines:Oure host saw wel þat the bright sonne
The ark of his
artificiale day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sober chere
Bygan his tale as
ȝe shuln after here
Attributed Title: …& Incipit prologus Legis periti (f. 54); Hic finitur
prologus legis periti… (f. 55)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Cambridge MS. Dd.4.24 of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,
Completed by the Egerton MS. 2726 (The Haistwell MS).
The Chaucer Society
1st Series, no. 95 (Part 1, issue for 1901) and 96 (Part 2, issue for
1902).
16.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Gg.4.27 (Part 1a), ff. 194-194
v
First Lines:…And þerfore by þe schadewe he tok hese wit
That
phebus which þat schon so cler & bryȝt…
Last Lines:…Of swiche cursede storyis I seye fy
Or ellis of Thiro
appolonyus…
Note: II.1-9, 82-98 lost.
Facsimiles: Parkes, Malcolm B., and Richard Beadle.
“Introduction.”
Poetical Works. Geoffrey Chaucer. A Facsimile of Cambridge University
Library MS Gg.4.27. 3 vols Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1979 (vol. 1); 1980 (vols. 2-3).
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James.
The Cambridge MS (University Library, Gg.4.27) of Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 4, 10, 17, 28, 33, 40, 52, 66. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
17.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Ii.3.26, ff. 62
v-63
v
First Lines:Oure hoste sawe wele that the bright sonne
The serkle of his
artificell day hadde ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that worde he with a sobere chere
Began his tale as
ye shall after here
Attributed Title: Prologus Iuris parti (f. 62v); The man of lawe
(RT)
18.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Mm.2.5, ff. 77-78
First Lines:Our oste sawh wele þat þe briȝt sone
The arke of his
articiall day hadde ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat worde he with a sobre chere
Be gan his tale
as ȝe schall after here
Attributed Title: …Incipit prohemium fabule legisperiti (f. 77); Capitulum
5m (f. 77, margin); The man of lawe (RT)
19.Source: Cambridge UK, Fitzwilliam Museum McClean 181 [olim Ashburnham 127], ff. 77
v-78
First Lines:[O]ure oste sawh well that þe bryght sonne
The Arke of his
artyficyall day had y ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat word with a sober cher
Bygan his tale as ye
schull here
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)
20.Source: Cambridge UK, Trinity College R.3.3 (582), ff. 26
ra-26
vb
First Lines:Oure oost sauȝ well that the briȝt sonne
The Ark of his
artificall day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre chier
Began his tale as ye
shal aftir hiere
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)
21.Source: Cambridge UK, Trinity College R.3.15 (595), ff. 73
v-76
First Lines:Ovre hoste sawe that by the bright sonne
The Ark of his artificial
day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that worde he with a sobir chere
Began his tale as ye
shalle aftir here
Attributed Title: …and / begynneth the man of lawes prologe (f.
73v)
22.Source: London, British Library Addit. 5140, ff. 67-68
v
First Lines:Owr hoost saw wel that the bryht sonne
The ark of his artificiall
day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he wyth a sobre chere
Began his tale as ye
shal aftir here
Attributed Title: …& incipit prologus Iurisperiti (f. 67); prologus
(RT); Explicit prologus Iurisperiti… (f. 68v)
23.Source: London, British Library Addit. 25718, ff. 31-32
First Lines:…What she hath host hit in hir want[torn]
Let vs nought moule
thus in idelnesse…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre chere
Bygan his tale as ye
shuln after here
Note: II.1-30 lost.
Attributed Title: Prologus (RT)
24.Source: London, British Library Addit. 35286 [olim Ashburnham 125], ff. 43-43
v
First Lines:Ovre hoost saugh wel that the bryght sonne
The ark of his artificial
day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…The plente of Dyane and of Hermyone
Of Adryane and
Isiphilee…
Note: II.68-98 lost.
Attributed Title: …Here bygynneth the prolog of th Sergeantes tale (f. 43); The
Sergeaunt (RT)
Editions: Horobin, Simon.
“A Transcription and Study of British Library MS Additional 35286 of
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.”
Diss. Univ. of Sheffield, 1997.
25.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2726 [olim Haistwell], ff. 64-65
v
First Lines:Oure hoost sawe wele that the bright sonne
The Arke of his
artificiall day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sober chere
Began his tale as ye
shull after here
Attributed Title: …And here folowen þe / wordes bitwene the hoost and the man of
lawe (f. 64); Hic finitur prologus legis periti… (f.
65v)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Cambridge MS. Dd.4.24 of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,
Completed by the Egerton MS. 2726 (The Haistwell MS).
The Chaucer Society
1st Series, no. 95 (Part 1, issue for 1901) and 96 (Part 2, issue for
1902).
26.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2863 [olim Norton, post Compton Hall], ff. 49-49
v
First Lines:Oure Ost saugh wel þat þe bright sonne
The Ark of his
artificial day hadde ronne…
Last Lines:…Of Brixseide and of the ladomya
The cruelte of quene
Medea…
Note: II.73-98 lost.
Attributed Title: …And here byginneth þe prologe of þe man of lawe (f. 49);
The Man of lawe (RT)
27.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2864 [olim Ingilby, post Compton Hall], ff. 64
v-66
First Lines:[O]Wr hoost saw wel that the bryht sonne
The ark of his artificial
day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with asobre cheere
Bigan his tale as ye
shal aftir heere
Attributed Title: …Heer bigynneth the prolog of þe sergeantes tale of lawe (f.
64v); The prolog of þe Sergeant[trimmed] / tale (RT)
28.Source: London, British Library Harley 1758, ff. 55
v-56
v
First Lines:[O]ure Oste saugh well that the bright sonne
The arke of his
artaficiall day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that worde he with a sobre chere
Began his tale as ye
schull after here
Attributed Title: Here begynneth the Prolog of the man of lawe (f. 55v); The Man
Of lawe (RT); Here endith the Prolog… (f. 56v)
29.Source: London, British Library Harley 7333, ff. 60
ra-60
va
First Lines:Owre hooste saughe weele þanne by þe bryght sonne
þe
arke of þe artificiall day haþe þoo eronne…
Last Lines:…Ryght with þat worde I with a sobre cheere
By ganne my
tale as ye shull aftir heer
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)
30.Source: London, British Library Harley 7334, ff. 71-72
First Lines:Owre Hoste sawh þat þe brighte sonne
The arke of his
artifical day haþ I ronne…
Last Lines:…And wiþ þat word he wiþ a sobre cheere
Bygan
his tale as ȝe schal after heer
Attributed Title: The man a lawe (RT); Explicit prologus… (f. 72)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Harleian MS 7334 of Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury
Tales’.
Chaucer Society
73. London: Trübner, 1885.
31.Source: London, British Library Harley 7335, ff. 43-44
First Lines:[O]Vre host saugh wel that the bright sonne
The ark of his
Artificial day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre chere
Bygan his tale and
said as ye shal after here
Attributed Title: Prologus legisperiti (f. 43, margin)
32.Source: London, British Library Lansdowne 851, ff. 65-66
First Lines:OWre Oste sauhe wele þat þe briht sonne
The arke of his
artificial daie had ronne…
Last Lines:…And wiþ þat worde he wiþ a sobre chere
Began
his tale as ȝe schal after here
Attributed Title: …Incipit prologus Legis periti (f. 65); prologus
legisperiti (RT)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Lansdowne Manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 7, 13, 20, 36, 43, 55, 69. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
33.Source: London, British Library Royal 17 D.XV, ff. 79
v-81
First Lines:Ower oste saughe well the brighte sonne
The Arke of his Artificiall
daye haþe yronne…
Last Lines:…And with that worde he with A sobre chere
Bigan his tale as ye
schullen after here
Attributed Title: …And / begynnythe the prologe of the Man of Lawe (f. 79v);
Here endith the prolog of þe man of lawe… (f. 81)
34.Source: London, British Library Royal 18 C.II, ff. 67
v-70
First Lines:OWre ost saugh wel þat þe brighte sonne
The ark of his
artificial day hadde ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat word he with a sobre cheere
Bigan his tale
as ye shal after here
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, 70
v, top of
f. 71, bottom of f. 71
v, top of f. 72, foot of f. 72
v, 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)
35.Source: London, British Library Sloane 1685, f. 63
First Lines:…The barayne ysle stondynge in þe see
They dreynt leandre
for his Erro…
Last Lines:…And with þat worde he with a sobre chere
Bygan his tale
as ye shul after here
Note: II.1-67 lost.
Attributed Title: The Man of lawe (RT); Here endithe þe proloog… (f. 63)
36.Source: London, British Library Sloane 1686, ff. 86
v-88
v
First Lines:OWre Oost saugh wele þat the bryght sonne
The Ark of his
artificiall day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that woord he with a sobre chere
Began his tale as ye
shalle after here
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)
37.Source: Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales Peniarth 392 D [‘Hengwrt’], ff. 112-113
First Lines:Ovre hoost saw wel that the brighte sonne
The ark of his artificial
day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre cheere
Bigan his tale as ye
shal after heere
Attributed Title: The proheme of the Mannes tale of Lawe (f. 112); The Man of lawe
(RT)
Facsimiles:
Ruggiers, Paul G.,
ed.
The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer. A Facsimile of the Hengwrt
Manuscript, with Variants from the Ellesmere Manuscript.
Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma, and Folkestone: Wm. Dawson,
1979.
Stubbs, Estelle,
ed.
The Hengwrt Chaucer Digital Facsimile (CD-ROM).
Leicester, England: Scholarly Digital Editions, 2000.
Editions:
Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Hengwrt Manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 3, 9, 27, 39, 51, 71. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
Blake, Norman F.,
ed.
The Canterbury Tales. Edited from the Hengwrt Manuscript.
York Medieval Texts, second series.
London: Edward Arnold, 1980.
Stubbs, Estelle,
ed.
The Hengwrt Chaucer Digital Facsimile (CD-ROM).
Leicester, England: Scholarly Digital Editions, 2000.
38.Source: Glasgow, Glasgow University Library Hunterian 197 (U.1.1), ff. 34
ra-34
vb
First Lines:Oure oste saugh weel þat þe bright sonne
The arke of hise
artificiall day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat worde he with a a sobre chier
Byganne hise
tale as ye shal after here
Attributed Title: …and now begynneth the prologe of the man of lawe (f.
34ra); The Man of lawe (RT)
39.Source: Lichfield, Lichfield Cathedral Library 29, ff. 69-70
v
First Lines:OWre hoost saugh wel þat þe bright sonne
The ark of his
artificial day hadde y ronne…
Last Lines:…And with þat word he with a sobre chere
Bigan his tale as
ȝe shal after here
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)
40.Source: Lincoln, Lincoln Cathedral Library 110, ff. 53-54
First Lines:OWre oost saw well that the sonne
The ark of his artificiall hath
ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with sobre chere
Began his tale as
ȝe shall here
Note: II.32 omitted; spurious line follows 33.
Attributed Title: The prolog of the Man of lawe (RT)
41.Source: London, Royal College of Physicians 388 (13), ff. 78-79
v
First Lines:Owre host saw wele that the high sonne
The Ark of the artificial day
had I ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre chiere
Bigan his tale as ye
shal after here
Note: II.61-2 reversed.
Attributed Title: …The prophemye of the manne of lawes tale (f. 78); Explicit
prologus… (f. 79v)
42.Source: Manchester, John Rylands Library Eng. 113 [olim Hodson 39], ff. 46
v-47
v
First Lines:Oure oost sawe wel þat þe bright son
The arc of his
artificiall day had ron…
Last Lines:…And with þat worde he with a sobre chere
Be gan his tale
as ye schal after here
Attributed Title: …Incipit prologus fabula legisperiti (f. 46v);
prologus legisperiti &cetera (f. 46v,
margin)
43.Source: Petworth House, Lord Leconfield MS 7, ff. 84
v-86
First Lines:Oure hoost segh wel þat þe briȝt sonne
þe arke
of þis artificial day hadde ronne…
Last Lines:…And wiþ þat word he wiþ a sobre chere
Began his
tale as ȝe shal after here
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)
Editions:
Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Petworth MS of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 6, 12, 19, 35, 42, 54, 68. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
Autotype Specimens of the Chief Chaucer MSS, Part II.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, no. 56. London: Trübner, 1876.
46.Source: New York, Pierpont Morgan Library M249 [olim Ashburnham 124, post Compton Hall], ff. 74-75
First Lines:Owre hoost saugh wel that the brighte
sonne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre chere
Bigan his tale as ye
shal after here
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)
47.Source: Philadelphia, Rosenbach Museum and Library 1084/1 [olim Rosenbach 157; prior Phillipps 8137], f. 52
First Lines:…That loued hir oune brother synfully
Of such cursed storyes y
sey fy…
Last Lines:…And with that worde he with a sobre chere
Bygan hys tale as ye
schl after here
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)
49.Source: Princeton, Princeton University Library 100 [olim Helmingham Hall], ff. 34
v-36
First Lines:Our Hoost sawe wele be þe bright son
The ark of his artifical
day had I ron…
Last Lines:…And with þes wordis he with asobir chere
Began his tale
as yee shul aftir here
Attributed Title: …And here begynnyth the man of lawe his Prolog (f. 34v);
Prolog (RT); Here endith the prologg (f. 36)
50.Source: San Marino, CA, Henry Huntington Library EL 26.C.9 [‘Ellesmere’], ff. 49-50
First Lines:Ovre hoost saugh wel that the brighte sonne
The ark of his
artificial day hath ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobre cheere
Bigan his tale as ye
shal after heere
Attributed Title: The wordes of the Hoost to the comaignye (f. 49); Man of lawe
(RT)
Facsimiles:
The Ellesmere Chaucer Reproduced in Facsimile.
2 vols. Preface by Alix Egerton. Manchester: Manchester University
Press, 1911.
Hanna, Ralph,
ed.
The Ellesmere Chaucer Reproduced in Facsimile.
2 vols. Manchester: Manchester UP, 1911. Preface by
Alix
Egerton
repr. as The Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales: A Working Facsimile. Intro. Hanna; Cambridge: D. S.
Brewer, 1989.
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 2, 8, 16, 26, 32, 38, 50, 70. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
51.Source: Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale angl. 39, ff. 24
va-25
ra
First Lines:Oure host saugh that þe bright sonne
the ark of his artificial
had ronne…
Last Lines:…and with that wurd he with a sobre chere
began his tale as yee
shul aftir heere
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)
Print Witnesses:
1.Source: STC 5082.
Chaucer, Geoffrey,
Canterbury Tales, [Westminster, William Caxton, 1476] , ff. 77-79
First Lines:[O]Vre hoost saw that by the bright sonne
The ark of his artificial
day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that word he with a sobir chere
Began his tale as ye
shul after here
Attributed Title: …And / begynneth the man of lawis prolog (f. 77)
Facsimiles: Bordalejo, Barbara,
ed.
Caxton’s Canterbury Tales: The British Library Copies.
Leicester: Scholarly Digital Editions, 2003.
2.Source: STC 5083.
Chaucer, Geoffrey,
Canterbury Tales, [Westminster], W. Caxton, [1483] , sigs. i.6-i.7
First Lines:[O]Vre host saw wel that by þe bryght sonne
The ark of hys
artificial day had ronne…
Last Lines:…And wyth that word he wyth a sobyr chere
Began hys tale as ye
shul aftyr here
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)
Facsimiles:
The Canterbury Tales (a facsimile of the Pepys copy of Caxton’s Second
Edition).
London: Cornmarket Reprints in association with Magdalene College,
Cambridge, 1972.
Bordalejo, Barbara,
ed.
Caxton’s Canterbury Tales: The British Library Copies.
Leicester: Scholarly Digital Editions, 2003.
3.Source: STC 5084.
Chaucer, Geoffrey,
Canterbury Tales, R. Pynson, [1492] , sigs. h.3
v-h.5
First Lines:[O]Vre hoost sawe wele by the bright sonne
The arke of his
artificialle day is ronne…
Last Lines:…And with that worde he with a sobre chere
Began his tale as ye
shalle after here
Attributed Title: …and begynneth the man of lawes prologus (sig. h.3v); Here
endith the man of lawes prologe (sig. h.5)
4.Source: STC 5085.
Chaucer, Geoffrey,
Canterbury Tales, Westminster, W. de Worde, 1498 , sigs. f.1
ra-f.1
vb
First Lines:[O]vr host sawe well by þe bryght sonne
The ark of his
artifyciall day had ronne…
Last Lines:…and with that worde he wyth a sobre chere
Began his tale as ye
shull after here
Attributed Title: …and be / ginneth the man of lawes prologe (sig. f.1); Here endyth
the man of lawe prologue… (sig. f.1v)