Cr1.20.93KD.20.95 Age the hoore he was in the vawwarde
W.20.94KD.20.95 Elde þe hoore . þatW.20.94: W alone reads þat; all other manuscripts have he. was in þe vauntwarde
C
[Not found.]
G
[Not found.]
O
[Not found.]
R.20.69KD.20.95 Elde þe horelR.20.69:
Kane-Donaldson thought that the <l> of R's horel (= "whoremonger")
was inserted later. The ink color is identical to that used by the R scribe, though the
character form is much more compressed than his typical final <l>, so the likelihood is
that he himself added the character, possibly even before copying the next line, in order to
"correct" R to the alpha reading also found in F. Beta shows hore, which
is also the reading of C. One would normally assume, when confronted by
such an array, that the beta / C reading is authorial; however, in this
instance it would be easy to argue that their shared phrase, Elde þe hore,
is not only a classical example of an "easier reading" (because stereotypical) but that the
initial omission of final <l> in R's transcription offers evidence of another motive
that may explain the widespread presence of the dominant lection: censorship.
he was in vaunt-wardeR.20.69:
Following in, R uniquely omits þe. The C manuscripts here agree with the B majority. .
F.16.95KD.20.95¶ Þan Elde þe horelF.16.95: The substitution of horel, "fornicator," for hoore occurred in alpha. / he hild þe vawnwarde.