DIMEV 5663
IMEV 3582
NIMEV see 4072
This book thus to have ended had I thought
Prologue to Hoccleve’s
Tale of Jonathas (see
6529) — twelve stanzas rhyme
royal
Author(s): Thomas Hoccleve
Title(s):
Tale of Jonathas
Subjects: prologues
Versification: —
seven-line —
ababbcc
Manuscript Witnesses:
1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Selden Supra 53 (SC 3441), ff. 134
v-136
First Lines:This book to han endid had I thouȝt
But my frende made me
chaunge my cast…
Last Lines:…The copie on þe morede sente he me
And þus I wroot
as ȝe may here see
Attributed Title: Here bigynneþ þe prologe of the tale of Ionatas (f.
134v ), Here endith the Prolog and bygynneth the tale (at the
end)
2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 221 (SC 27627), ff. 44-45
First Lines:This booke to haue endid had y thoght
But my frende made me chaunge
my caste…
Last Lines:…The copy on the morowe sent he me
And thus I wrote as þe
may here see
Attributed Title: Here begynnyth þe prolog of of Jonathan (f. 44); Here endith þe
prolog and begynnyth þe tale (at the end)
3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Eng. poet. d.4 (SC 30126), ff. 21-22
First Lines:That thing ys dere and euere dere bouht
That the soule sleeth and
the body distroieth…
Last Lines:…The copye on the morwe sent he me
And thus I wrote as ye may
hope se
Note: 10 stanzas, first two stanzas missing (probably have never been
copied).
4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 735 (SC 1504), ff. 42
v-43
v
First Lines:This book to have endid had I thoght
But my frende made me chaunge
my cast…
Last Lines:…The copye on þe morow sent he me
And þus I wrote As
ȝe may here see
Attributed Title: Here begynnyth þe prologg of þe tale of Ionathas (f.
42)
5.Source: Coventry, Coventry Archives Acc. 325/1, ff. 64
vb-65
rb
First Lines:THis boke to han eendid had I thouht
But my freende made me chaunge
my cast…
Last Lines:…The copie on þe morowe sent he me
And thus I wrote as ye
man here se
Note: Twelve stanzas rhyme royal in this MS.
Attributed Title: Here beginnith þe prolog of þe tale of Jonathas (f.
64vb); Here endith þe prologe and biginneth þe tale (f.
65rb)
6.Source: Durham, Durham University Library Cosin V.iii.9, ff. 77-79
First Lines:This book thus to han endid had y thoght
But my freend made me
change my cast…
Last Lines:…The copie on the morke sente he me
And thus y wroot as yee may
heere see
Note: Scribe Thomas Hoccleve.
Attributed Title: Hic additur alia fabula ad instanciam amici mei predilecti assiduam
(f. 77); Explicit prologus & incipit fabula de quadam muliere mala
(f. 79)
Facsimiles: Burrow, John, and A. I. Doyle, eds.
Thomas Hoccleve: A Facsimile of the Autograph Verse
Manuscripts.
EETS
s.s. 19 (2002).
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
Hoccleve’s Works: The Minor Poems. vol. 1.
EETS
e.s. 61 (1892); repr. with
Gollancz (1925)
XGollancz, Israel.
Hoccleve’s Works: The Minor Poems. vol. 2. EETS
e.s. 73 (1925); repr. with 61, 1970
73; rev. J.
Mitchell and A. Ian Doyle, 1970: 215-18.