From the PREFACE........A former edition of the present poem was printed for the Maitland Club, in 1839, and edited by Joseph Stevenson, Esq. It has saved me all trouble of transcription, but by no means, I am sorry to say, that of correction. Those ... Read more

From the PREFACE........A former edition of the present poem was printed for the Maitland Club, in 1839, and edited by Joseph Stevenson, Esq. It has saved me all trouble of transcription, but by no means, I am sorry to say, that of correction. Those who possess the older edition will readily perceive that it differs from the present one very frequently indeed, and that the variations are often such as considerably to affect the sense. Many of the errors in it (such as casualtyee for casualytee, grone, for gone, reprent for repent) are clearly typographical, but there are others which would incline me to believe that the transcription was too hastily executed; several passages being quite meaningless. Near the conclusion of Mr Stevenson’s preface we read: “The pieces which have been selected for the present volume1 are printed with such errors of transcription as have crept into them by the carelessness of the scribe;” a statement which certainly implies that there was no intention on his part of departing from the original. Yet that he sometimes unconsciously did so to such an extent as considerably to alter (or destroy) the sense, the reader may readily judge from a few examples:— LINE. EDITION OF 1839. TRUE READING OF THE MS. 26. fatil (fatal), fatit (fated). 285. unarmyt (unarmed), enarmyt (fully armed). 682. can here, cam nere. 700. rendit (rent), vondit (wounded). 764. refuse (refusal?), reprefe (defeat). 861. felith (feeleth), ſetith (setteth). 1054. vyt, rycht. 1084. speiris, spuris. 1455. cumyng (coming), cunyng (skill). 1621. he war, be war (beware). 1641. promyß, punyß (punish). 2010. ane desyne, medysyne. 2092. born, lorn (lost). 2114. havin, harm. 2142. Hymene (!), hyme (him). 2219. such, furth (forth). 2245. al so y-vroght, al foly vroght. 2279. chichingis (!), thithingis (tidings). 2446. love, lore (teaching). Etc. Less