Book I

. l. 80, he omits _u_ in _pryuely_, writing _pryely_; in l. 126, he omits _and_ before _hoom_; in l. 198, he omits _lewede_; in l. 275, he omits _gan_; &c. But the faults of 'anticipation' appear most clearly in such startling forms as _addermost_ for _aldermost_, I. 248, where the former _d_ is due to the one that is coming; _assent_ for _absent_, IV. 1642, for a like reason; _estal_ for _estat_, because the next word is _royal_, I. 432; _þyn_ for _þyng_, because the next word is _myn_, I. 683; _nat_ for _nas_, because the next word is _not_, I. 738; _seynt_ for _seyn_, because the next word is _that_, V. 369; _shad_ for _shal_, because the next word is _drede_, V. 385; _liten_ for _litel_, because _weten_ follows, IV. 198; _make_ for _may_, because the line ends with _wake_, III. 341; _fleld_ for _feld_, II. 195. Sometimes, however, the scribe's mind reverts to something already written, so that we find _Delphebus_ for _Delphicus_, because _Phebus_ precedes, I. 70; _bothen_ for _bothe_, because _deden_ precedes, I. 82; _falles_ for _fallen_, after _unhappes_, II. 456; _daunder_ for _daunger_, III. 1321; _tolle_ for _tolde_, III 802; &c. Downright blunders are not uncommon; as _incocent_ for _innocent_ (where again the former _c_ is due to the latter), II. 1723; _agarst_ for _agast_, III. 737; _right_ for _rit_, V. 60. We even find startling variations in the reading, as in III. 1408:--

'Reson wil not that I speke of _shep_, For it accordeth nough[t] to my matere.'

Certainly, _shep_ (sheep) is irrelevant enough; however, Chaucer refers to _sleep_. And again, the line in II. 1554, which should run--

As for to bidde a wood man for to renne

appears in the startling form--

As for to bydde a womman for to renne.

As all the variations of 'Cl.' from the correct text are given in the foot-notes, it is not necessary to say more about these peculiarities. I must add, however, that, as in Boethius, I have silently corrected _yn_ to _in_ in such words as _thing_; besides altering _ee_ and _oo_ to _e_ and _o_ in open syllables, writing _v_ for _u_, and the like. See above.

The Campsall MS., now in the possession of Mr. Bacon Frank, has been printed in full, as written, for the Chaucer Society; and I have relied upon the accuracy of this well-edited print.

2. MS. CP.--MS. No. 61 in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, described in Nasmith's Catalogue, p. 40, as 'a parchment book in folio neatly written, and ornamented with a frontispiece richly illuminated, containing Chaucer's Troilus, in four [_error for_ five] books.' It is a fine folio MS., 12 inches by 8½. This MS., noticed by Warton, has not as yet been printed, though the Chaucer Society have undertaken to print it, upon my recommendation. It contains many pages that are left wholly or partially blank, obviously meant to be supplied with illuminations; which shews that it was written for some wealthy person. On the left margin, near the 83rd stanza of