Part i

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I have now only to record my indebtedness to others, especially to Dr. Furnivall for his invaluable prints in the Parallel-Texts; to the excellent essay by M. Bech, in vol. v. of Anglia[45]; to Mr. Jephson for his notes in 'Bell's' edition; and to the notes in the edition by Professor Corson. Also to Professor Ten Brink, the second part of whose second volume of the Geschichte der englischen Litteratur has just appeared (1893).

NOTE.--If the reader finds the _two_ forms of the Prologue troublesome, he has only to confine his attention to the 'B-text,' in the _lower_ part of pp. 65-105. The text agrees with that usually given, and contains 579 lines. The first line of 'Cleopatra' is l. 580, the numbering being continuous. Besides this, the lines of each Legend are given _separately_, within marks of parenthesis. Thus l. 589 is the 10th line of 'Cleopatra'; and so in other cases.

I here subjoin an Additional Note to lines 1896-8.

At p. xxxix. above (footnote no. 2), I give Bech's reference to Godfrey of Viterbo. The passage runs thus:--

'_De Ioue primo rege Atheniensi._

A Ioue nostrorum uenit generatio regum, A Ioue principium recipit descriptio regum, A Ioue _philosophi_ dogmata prima legunt. Rex erat ex rege quondam patre natus Athenis, Indeque quadriuii triuiique scientia uenit; Legis et artis ibi rex ydioma dedit.'

INTRODUCTION TO A TREATISE ON THE ASTROLABE.

§ 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE MSS. The existing MSS. of the 'Astrolabe' are still numerous. I have been successful in finding no less than twenty-two, which I here describe. It is remarkable that, although many printed editions of the treatise have appeared, no first-class MS. has ever hitherto come under the notice of any one of the various editors. This point will appear more clearly hereafter.

§ 2. A.--MS. Dd. 3. 53 (