REMARKS ON THE VARIANTS1 Title. Ad Deum vadit (Joannis XIIImo). MS. A gives the reading Joannis primo. I adopt the reading of MSS. B, C and D, Joannis XIIImo, since the text occurs in John 13: 3, 4: [Jesus] sciens, quia omnia dedit ei Pater in manus, et quia a Deo exivit, et ad Deum vadit, surgit a coena. The secondary text Penitemini occurs in Mark 1: 15: Et dicens [Jesus]: Quoniam impletum est tempus, et appropinquavit regnum Dei: poenitemini, et credite Evangelio. ... 6. Vray esleu sauveur de tout le monde. The reading et seul sauveur of BCD (and Dupin III, 1153) seems a reasonable one, but I follow here the policy of retaining the original wording of MS. A whenever possible. Furthermore, the usage of MS. A supports the present reading in that it allows a past participle used as an adjective to be placed before the noun it modifies. See (line 429) corrumpue fragilité; (line 640) dur et obstiné cuer. 37-38. Dieu benoit en eternité. Dupin adopts the reading of MS. D, en trinité [in Trinitate, III, 1153]. 40. Commandiés a Dieu. BCD give comanciés (D commençastez) a dire, which is a more natural reading. Commander a Dieu, however, is used regularly in our MS. with the meaning "to say farewell" (11. 68, 98, etc.). The omission of the direct object with the second of two verbs is also regular (11. 93, 342, 425-6). The "le" of l'embrassiés (1. 38) may be considered as the object of commandiés. 75. Maistre et seigneur. The more usual word-order of this phrase, seigneur et maistre, "lord and master", is presented by BCD (and Dupin III, 1154). I do not adopt it because A is consistent in using maistre et seigneur. See lines 550, 575, 814, and 1425. 139. Sa passion advenir. The usage of A varies for the word advenir, when employed in this construction. The form advenir, as above, is most common (11. 254, 376, 412, 601, 707); a advenir occurs in line 522; avenir, not preceded by a, in lines 1434(2) and 1887. 1A critical study of the sources of the Ad Deum vadit is to appear later. 168-9. Une commune partie du texte. The reading une bonne partie of BCD does not agree so well with the thought expressed in lines 163-4: Et comprendray le sens des quatre euvangelistes ensemble. See also line 141. 183. Faictes que en parlions. BCD offer the reading que nous en parlions. A omits regularly the subject pronoun, and allows hiatus of this kind, as in line 2501 que au, line 2922 que on, etc. 186. Lors veint Jhesus. BCD offer the reading vint. The form veint (Latin venit is paleographically possible also as the scribe does not dot the i) occurs in lines 186, 388, and 1617, while vint occurs in lines 133 and 513. The intercalation of e in the past definite is common in MS. A; veis 48, veirent 2271, feist 2564, feistez 2079, 2603, etc. 227-8. Malvais traïte. BC have traïtre, D trahistre. MS. A frequently omits the letter r after d and t. The following words are examples of this practice: commette (infin.), 1. 319; traïte (noun), 11. 440, 1370; traïteuse, 1. 562; anteprinse, 11. 562, 667, 1846, 2067: orde, 1. 655; prende (infin.), 1. 2062. The r is omitted before br in the word mabre (1. 78), but is retained in line 2100, marbre. 407. Comment ne te descouz tu. The variants desrons of B and desromps of CD seem possible, especially as we find the form desrons in our MS., line 840. The reading of A, however, is clearly descouz, and the meaning of the word descoudre fits the context. 438. Sans sa doulce mere. Dupin (III, 1160) follows the reading of C veant sa doulce mere which does not fit the context. 478. En pensant qu'elle estoit nostre salvacion. Dupin adopts the reading of C; en pensant quelle estoit vostre salutacion (qualis esset tua salutatio, III, 1161). 534. Que approuveray je? Que reprouveray je? This marginal note in A is in the handwriting of the scribe, and the omission is indicated in the body of the text by the sign after the words commenceray je. D adopts it entirely; BC omit que reprouveray-je. 566-7. Celuy que Dieu a en mesprisement. I do not feel entirely justified in rejecting the form mesprisonnement of A for the reading of BCD. Mesprisonnement seems to be formed regularly. However, while we find both mesprison and mesprisement in the sense used here of "disdain", there seems to be no example of the form mesprisonnement. 707. Moyennent bonne penitence. BCD offer moyennant. This ending ent for ant appears elsewhere in MS. A, as: (1. 2662) en se blessant et se plaient; (1. 2903) en delivrant et en alegent la peine. ... 722-3. Et s'en fuirent. La compaignie doncquez, et le tribun. I adopt the reading of BCD because the reading of A would give an impossible meaning to the sentence which follows the word tribun: Et s'en fuirent de la compaignie, et doncquez le tribun, c'est a dire le guet et le maistre du guet. 869. Gancher le coup. The different readings of the four MSS. for the word gancher illustrate the confused state of this word in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. I am assuming that gancher is a variation of the 'more common guencher or guenchier. Our MS. gives the forms garis (1. 335) and gary (1. 2935) for the past participle of guérir; and garison (1. 787) for guérison. Gaucher is also a possible reading, even though the n in this case is clear, because the scribe often confuses n and u. 942. Les aultres Maries qui depuis fuirent au crucifiement. BCD offer the form furent. I adopt the reading of A fuirent because another passage of the sermon shows that the verb fuir, "to flee", best fits the context here. See lines 2955-2959. 1320-1. Or ne nous reprendra il plus. Dupin (III, 1174) translates this sentence as follows: Non respondebit igitur vobis amplius. 1463-65. Le champ... Alchedemach. A omits the entire line between the above two words. I accept the sentence supplied by BCD because the meaning would be incomplete without it. The reading in A stands: Ilz acheterent d'iceulx le champ Alchedemach, c'est a dire, le champ de sang jusquez au jour d’uy. 1579. Il converty le peuple. The word commeut written above converty is preferable in meaning, and seems to be in the same handwriting as the text. As the word converty, however, is written very clearly in the original, and has not been crossed out, I do not feel justified in rejecting it. 1823-1831. [Oroison] O vray sauveur de tout le monde, vous estez celuy.... MS. D places this prayer at the end of the Exposition (1. 1941), where it would naturally occur if the regular order-Texte, Exposition, Oroison-were followed. From the standpoint of the context, however, it belongs clearly in its present position. 1863-4. Jhesu Christ ot sur son corps Vm iiic lxxv plaies. The word nonante is written above the number lxxv in MS. A, in a different handwriting. The probable source of this statement is the Revelationes of Saint Bridget (Revelationes S. Birgittae, Coloniae Agrippinae (1628), Liber Primus, Cap. X, Notae, p. 17) in which the explanation for the two numbers of MS. A, 5475 and 5490, is given. I know no source for the number 5375, given by BCD. 1998. Dient les expositeurs que les pointures luy perserent le chief, et decoula le sang aval. BCD offer the reading dit saint Bernard. The sentence had become a commonplace by the time of Gerson, and was attributed both to Saint Bernard and Saint Anselm. See Saint Anselm (Meditatio IX) (Migne, Pat. Lat., Vol. 158, col. 755), and the Lamentatio in Passionem Christi, attributed to Saint Bernard (Migne, op cit., Vol 184, col. 769). Also found in the Sermo de Vita et Passione Domini, attributed both to Saint Bernard and to Saint Anselm (Migne, op. cit., Vol. 184, col. 960). 2212. Une femme occist son enfant propre. BCD offer the reading propre enfant. I keep the reading of A, enfant propre, because the usage in regard to the order of noun and adjective was very free at the beginning of the fifteenth century, and the above sentence is possible. A similar construction is found in lines 232-3: le bien qui vient a ta personne propre. It is possible also for the word propre in the above sentence occist son enfant propre to have the meaning "even", in which case it would regularly follow the noun. 2290-91. Vin ouquel estoit mirre. I am unable to find an example in Old French of the spelling mierre of MS. A. The reading of BCD, mirre, occurs in A, line 3051. 2410. Vath, qui destruis le temple. C offers the reading bach. See note at the beginning of the glossary. 2535. Nous vous rendons graces. A omits graces, BC offer the reading remercions, D omits the passage. I supply the word graces because it seems to fit the context. A similar sentence occurs in lines 221-2: sommes nous plus obligiés a le recognoistre et a rendre graces et mercy. ... 2895. O forte et haulte voix, qui va jusquez es prisons d'enfer! BCD (and Dupin III, 1199) accept the following sentence which is written in the right margin of MS. A, beginning directly after the word haulte of the text: [haulte] voix qui fest trembler et esmovoir le cil et la terre et tout le monde, O puissant et persant voix qui va jusquez. I do not feel that my reasons for rejecting this sentence are at all conclusive. They are as follows: 1. The handwriting has a different general appearance from the rest of the MS. This difference may come simply from the cramped position of the sentence in the margin, as the individual letters resemble those of the text. 2. The spelling fest instead of fait or faict, and cil instead of ciel occurs nowhere else in the MS. 3. The ink used in the marginal note presents a different appearance from that of the text. 2929. Prend honte en toy qui es en la coulpe de ceste mort. The variant from BC (not in Dupin III, 1199) se tu n'en deulx et pleures quant toute riens qui n'en a couppe (C coulpe) s'en esmeut et s'en trouble fits well into the meaning of the sentence, but is not essential to it. I follow here again the general policy of changing MS. A as little as possible. A abay 1418, barking, howling. GLOSSARY abeuvrer, to give to drink. Past part. abeuvré 2848. afferir 1346, to be fitting. affichier 2696, to fix. absoudre, to absolve. Past part. afflicté 2617, afflicted. absoub 1664. accoustumance 1026, habit. accoustumer, to establish as a cus- acteur 1132, author (creator). aggravé 356, heavy. aggraver 571, to consider as a very ainçoys 404, 1157, 1707, etc., rather, Alchedemach 1465. Aceldama. Professor Antoine Thomas, in answer to a request for information in regard to certain words in the text whose meanings were doubtful, responded with his usual courtesy by sending the following information. On account of its interesting nature, this statement is given here as a whole, instead of being incorporated in the glossary. 1. Mussee et joincte [1. 2907]. Je ne crois pas qu'il y ait lieu d'admettre ici pour le participe joincte, un sens différent du sens ordinaire. 2. Royaulté de la feve ou de poys ou d'un personnage [1. 2026]. La dernière expression, comme vous le dites, équivaut certainement à "royauté de théâtre". Quant à poys, il m'embarrasse beaucoup: peut |