DIMEV 5364
IMEV 3405.8
NIMEV TM 1547
The knowledge of God passeth comparison
William Cornish, A Treatise bytweene Enformacione and Musyke (A.D. 1504)
— Prologue of four stanzas rhyme royal and text of twelve stanzas rhyme
royal
Author(s): William Cornish
Title(s): A Treatise bytweene Enformacione and Musyke
Subjects: debates
Versification: —
seven-line —
ababbcc
Manuscript Witnesses:
1.Source: London, British Library Harley 43, ff. 88-91
v
First Lines:The knowlege of god passythe comparysone
the devyle knowthe all
evyle thyng consentyd or done…
Last Lines:…for yif he dyd then change sholde the thys song
pyte for
pacyens & concyens for wrong
Note: Imperfect; added to back flyleaves; damage to f. 88 means that third
stanza virtually lost; ends bottom of page on 91 recto; this version has
4-stanza prologue followed by sixteen stanzas rhyme royal.
Attributed Title: A tretyse by twene enformacione and musyke (f. 88v after
prologue)
2.Source: London, British Library Royal 18 D.II, ff. 163
ra-164
ra
First Lines:The knowledge of god passith comparyson
The devill knowith all il thinge consented or done…
Last Lines:…ffor if he didde then change shulde this in songe
pitie for pacience and conscience for wronge
Attributed Author: In the fleete maade be me William Cornysshe otherwyse called Nysshewhete Chapelman with the moost famost and noble kyng Henry the viith his raigne the xixth yere, the moneth of Iuly, a Treatise bitwene Trowth and enformacion (f. 163); Ne nysswhete parabolam (f. 164ra, in rubric)
Attributed Title: A. B. of E. how C. for T. was P. in P (f. 163, in rubric)
Editions:
Flügel, Ewald.
“Kleinere Mitteilungen aus handschriften: Cornyshe’s Treatise
bitwene Trowth and Enformacion (Royal ms. 18.D.II).”
Anglia
14 (1892): 466-71: 467.
Hollander, John.
The Untuning of the Sky.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1961; repr. 1983; Norton, 1970: 433-6.