Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 5303

DIMEV 5303

IMEV 3362

NIMEV 3362

The good wife shows forth best she can

‘The Thewis off Gudwomen’ — 306 lines in couplets

Title(s): ‘The Thewis off Gudwomen’

Subjects: women, advice to; women, good qualities of

Versification: — two-line — aa

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Kk.1.5, Part VI, ff. 49-53

First Lines:

[T]he gud wyf schawis fore best scho canne
quhilkes ar thewis of gud women…

Last Lines:

…And fore al cristynne man and me
Amen amen fore cherytee

Attributed Title: The thewis off gudwomen (f. 49); Explicit liber moralis secundum dicta antiquorum patrum etc etc etc (f. 53)

Editions:

Stevenson, Joseph. The Scottish Metrical Romance of Lancelot du Lak. Maitland Club 48. Edinburgh, 1839: 173-85.

Lumby, Joseph Rawson, ed. Ratis Raving, and other Moral and Religious Pieces in prose and verse. EETS o.s. 43 (1870); repr. 1973: 103-12.

Girvan, Ritchie, ed. Ratis raving, and other early Scots poems on morals. Scottish Text Society 3rd ser. 11. Edinburgh and London: Blackwood, 1939: 80-100.

Mustanoja, Tauno F. How the Good Wife Taught her Daughter, etc. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Scuran, 1948: 176-96.

2.Source: Cambridge UK, St John’s College G.23 (191), ff. 164-167v

First Lines:

Þe gud wiff schawis þe best scho can
Quhilk ar the thewis of a gud voman…

Last Lines:

…And puttis þame out of goddis grace
Thus bath ar tynt throu vikkidnase

Attributed Title: Incipiunt documenta matris ad filiam (f. 164); Explicit documentum matris ad filiam per manum I de R capellam (f. 167v)

Editions:

Skeat, Walter William, ed. The Bruce by John Barbour. EETS e.s. 11 (1870); 21 (1874); 29 (1877); 55 (1889); repr. in 2 vols, 1968: 4.525-36.

Skeat, Walter William, ed. The Bruce, etc. 2 vols. Scottish Text Society 31-33. Edinburgh, London: Blackwood, 1894: 203-14.

Girvan, Ritchie, ed. Ratis raving, and other early Scots poems on morals. Scottish Text Society 3rd ser. 11. Edinburgh and London: Blackwood, 1939: 80-100.

Mustanoja, Tauno F. How the Good Wife Taught her Daughter, etc. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Scuran, 1948: 176-96.

priven: verb To deprive (sb.) of (sth.), deny (sb. sth.); ppl. prived, bereaved, bereft of, deprived of; without; (b) ~ of (from), to deprive (sb. of sth.), deny (sth. to sb.), exclude (sb. from sth.); prived of (from), deprived of (sth.), bereft of; lacking, without; ben of god priving, be a robber of goods; (c) to depose (sb.), dismiss; ~ of (from), deprive (sb.) of (power, kingdom, etc.), remove or dismiss (sb.) from (office or position); (d) to take (sth.) away; prevent (sth.), deny, oppose; weaken (the body); -- also without obj. MED