Sample Output from COLLATE

Scholars accustomed to reading the lists of variants in scholarly editions may well find the output from COLLATE difficult to read and counterintuitive. We did, at least initially. We present below three different states, of many possible ones, of the results of running COLLATE. The first represents the raw data derived from collation of all variants. Since the computer is not, in our sense of the term, "reading" the manuscripts, its instructions lead it to tell us, e.g., that "The" and "the" or that "maid," "mayd," "meyd," and their variants with final -e are all different words as well as different forms.

Unfiltered full collation

<3001>
is ] ys G
mede ] meede F
şe ] the Hm G C
mayde ] maide L C , meyde G , mayd F
and na ] & no F
na ] no G
na mo ] namo L R C , nomo Hm
of ] off G
hem ] theym G ; om. F
alle ] all G

<3002>
wiş ] with L R F C , wyth Hm G , Ibrowht by fore şe kyng added F
bedeles ] bedellus L , bedelles Hm C , bedelus R , bedel F
and ... kyng ] & bayly F
with ] wiş L , wyth Hm ; om. G
baillies ] bayllyues L , baylyfs Hm , bayliues R , baylyffes G ,
baillifs C
brou3t ] brougth Hm , ybrou3t R , broght G , brought C
bifore ] bifor L , by for ş[d][/d]  R , before G
şe ] the Hm G
şe kyng ] om. R
kyng ] kynge Hm

<3003>
the ] şe R , anon şe  F
kyng ] kyng[r]e[/r] Hm
called ] callede Hm , kallid F
clerk ] clerke L R G , clerk ne  Hm , clerc C
kan ] can L Hm R ; om. G
kan I ] y knowe F
I ] I know  G
I no3t ] y nougth Hm
no3t ] nou3t L R , not G F , nau3t C
his ] hys G

<3004>
mede ] meed F
şe ] the Hm
maide ] mayde L Hm R
maide and ] meyden & G
and ] & F
maken ] make L Hm G F C
hire ] here Hm , hyr G , hir C
at ] att G
ese ] easse G

<3005>
I ... sooşliche ] but y will hire first asay3e & sotilly hire F
shal ] schall Hm , schal R C , shall G
assayen ] assaye L Hm , assay R , assey G , assaie C
hire ] hir L C , here Hm , hyr G
myself ] my self  L C , my selfe  Hm G , myselue R
and ] & G
sooşliche ] sothelich L , soşli Hm , couthliche R , sothlyche G ,
sotheliche C
appose ] apposen G , apose F

<3006>
what ] watt G
man ] wy3e F
of şis ] vpon Hm
of ... moolde ] vpon mold G
şis ] om. C
moolde ] molde L Hm C , world R F
şat ] that Hm G C
hire ] here Hm , hyr G , she F , hir C
leuest ] leueste L Hm , levest G F

<3007>
and ] & F
if ] 3if Hm , yff G
she ] s3e Hm , heo R , sho C
werche ] worche L G C , wurche Hm R , wirche F
bi ] by Hm , by my  G C
bi wit ] be my witte R
bi ... and ] be F
wit ] my witte  L , wytt Hm G
and ] & G
wil ] wille L R C , wyll Hm G , wit F , & my wille added F
folwe ] folowe Hm G

<3008>
I ] y Hm
wol ] wil L F , wile R , wyll G , wole C
forgyuen ] forgyue L G F , for3yue Hm , for gyue  R C
hire ] hir L C , hyre Hm , hyr G
şis ] this Hm C , thys G , şe F
gilt ] gilte L C , gylt Hm G , gultes R , gyltis F
helpe ] help L C

<3009>
curteisly ] curteysliche L R , curteysly Hm , covrtyslyche G ,
şanne F , curteisliche C
şe ] the Hm G C
clerk ] clerke L R G , clerc C
şanne ] thanne Hm , then G , curtesyly dyd  F ; om. C
şe ] the Hm G
kyng ] kynge Hm , kyng hym  F , king C
hi3te ] hight L C , hy3te Hm , hyght G , hyghte F

<3010>
took ] toke L G C , tooke Hm , tok R , he took  F
mede ] meede F
bi ] by Hm R F C ; om. G
şe ] the Hm , they G
myddel ] middel L R , myddil F , midel C
myddel and ] meyde & G
and ... chambre ] & mente hire to chambre & şe clerk gan conforte
hire for gret conynge he hadde F
bro3te ] brou3te L R , brougth Hm , broght G , brought C
hire ] hir L C , hyr G
into ] in to  L R , In to  G , in to the  C
chambre ] chaumbre L R

<3011>
and ] ac R
and ... & ] & fette furş mirthe with F
şer ] şere L R , there Hm G , thare C
murşe ] myrthe L , merthe Hm , murthe R , myrth G , mirthe C
& ] and L Hm R C
mynstralcie ] mynstralcye L C , menstralsye Hm , minstracie R ,
mynsteralcye G , menstralcy F
mede ] mede for  G , meede with  F
plese ] pleasse G

<3012>
they ] [r]ş[/r]ei R , summe F , thay C
şat ] that Hm G C
wonyeş ] wonyeth L C , wonen Hm , wonyethe R , wonnen G
wonyeş ... alle ] whonen at westmenstre worchepe şey hire make F
in ] at R , att G
westmynstre ] westmenstre R , westmynster G
worshipeş ] worschiped L C , wurschipeden Hm , worschipped R ,                                                            
worshypen G
hire ] hir L C , here Hm , hyr G
alle ] all G

<3013>
gentilliche ] gentelliche L , gentylyche Hm , gentiliche R C ,
gentyllych G
gentilliche ... ioye ] fful Ientylly with Ioy3e of F
wiş ] wyth Hm , with R G C
ioye ] Ioy G , joie C
şe ] the Hm G
Iustices ] iustices L R , iustyces Hm , Ivsteces G , justices C
somme ] came G , manye F

<3014>
busked ] buskeden Hm
hem ] theym G , hem boldly  F
şe ] the Hm G , hire F
bour ] boure L Hm F C , bowre R G
şer ] şere L R F , there Hm G , ther C
şe ] the Hm G
burde ] birde L C , buyrde R , beerde F
burde dwellede ] byrd dwellyth G
dwellede ] dwelled L C , dewelte R , dwelliş F

<3015>
conforten ] conforte L R F C , comforten G
hire ] hyr G , hir C
kyndely ] kendeliche R , kyndlych G , konyngly F , kyndly C
clergies ] clergise L , clergyes Hm G F , clergyse R
leue ] leyve G , leve F

<3016>
and ] şey F
seiden ] seyden Hm R , sayd G , seide F , saiden C
mourne ] moorne Hm F , morne G C
no3t ] nought L , nou3t R , noght G , not F , nouhte C
no3t mede ] thu nougth Hm
mede ] meede F
şow ] thu Hm , şou G F , thow C
sorwe ] sorowe Hm G

<3017>
for ] ffor L F , [r]f[/r]for R
wol ] woll Hm , wil R , wyll G , will F ; om. L C
wisse ] wysse Hm G , wyse R
şe ] the Hm G C
kyng ] kynge L Hm G
and ] & F
şi ] thy Hm G C , şy F
wey ] weye Hm R , way G C , wey3e F
shape ] schape Hm R C

<3018>
be ] om. G
wedded ] wedden G , weddid F
at ] att G
şi ] thy Hm G , şy F C
wille ] wylle Hm , wyll G , will F
and ] & F
and ... leef ] & were thy leve G
wher ] where L Hm R F
şee ] şe L R F C , the Hm
leef ] leue L C , levest F
likeş ] liketh L C , lyketh Hm R G , lykeş F

<3019>
for ] ffor L G F , [r]f[/r]for R
al ] all Hm G , alle R
consciences ] conscience L R C , conscyence G
consciences ... I ] consyecys craft or cast as y F
cast ] caste L Hm C , castes G
cast ... craft ] crafte and cast R
craft ] crafte Hm G

Collation for Semantic Substantives Only

A second output from COLLATE might be adjusted, as this one is, to level most orthographic and dialectal variants, leaving only semantic substantive variants.

<3001>
hem ] om. F

<3002>
with ... kyng ] ibrowht by fore şe kyng with bedel & bayly  F
with ] om. G
şe kyng ] cropped R

<3003>
the ] anon şe F
clerk ] clerk ne Hm
kan I ] I know G, y knowe F

<3004>
maide ] meyden G

<3005>
I ] but y F
shal ... sooşliche ] will hire first asay3e & sotilly                      hire F
sooşliche ] couthliche R

<3006>
man ] wy3e F
of şis ] vpon Hm
of ... hire ] vpon mold that hyr G
şis ] om. C
moolde ] world R F
hire ] she F

<3007>
she ] heo R, sho C
bi ] bi my L R G F C

<3008>
şis gilt ] şe gyltis F
gilt ] gultes R

<3009>
curteisly ] şanne F
şanne ] curteysly dyd  F, om. C
kyng ] kyng hym F


took ] he took F
bi ] om. G
şe ] they G
myddel ] meyde G
and ... chambre ] & mente hire to chambre & şe clerk gan conforte hire for gret conynge he
hadde F
bro3te ] mente F
into ] to F, into şe C

<3011>
and ] ac R
şer ... & ] fette furş mirthe with F
mede ] mede for G, mede with F

<3012>
they ] summe F
in ] at R F, att G
worshipeş ] worschiped L C, wurschipeden Hm, worschipped R
worshipeş hire alle ] worchepe şey hire make F

<3013>
gentilliche ] fful Ientylly F
ioye ] ioye of F
somme ] came G, manye F

<3014>
hem ] hem boldly F
şe ] hire F
dwellede ] dwellyth G, dwelliş F

<3015>
kyndely ] konyngly F

<3016>
and ] şey F
mourne ] mourne thu Hm
mede ] om. Hm

<3017>
wol ] om. L C

<3018>
be ] om. G
wedded ] wedden G

Traditional Collational Style

The output from COLLATE has been re-arranged by word-processor to a traditional format, one more "intuitive" for traditionally trained scholars, primarily to make reading the archetypal and critical texts below somewhat easier.

The lection behind the bracket is from MS W. This run of COLLATE excludes purely orthographic variations and most inflectional and other differences deriving from dialect translation in the manuscripts. Other filters can be set to include some or all dialectal variations, some or all orthographic variants. This particular file was created to facilitate construction of the trial archetype.

<3001>  hem ] om. F

<3002>  Wiş ... kyng ] Ibrowht byfore şe kyng with bedel & bayly F
bedeles ] bedel F;  with (2) ] om. G;  şe kyng ] cropped R

<3003>  the ] anon şe F; kan ] ne can Hm; kan I ] I know F G

<3004>  maide ] meyden G; maken ] make C F G Hm L

<3005>  I ] but y F; shal ... sooşliche ] will hire first asay3e & sotilly hire F
sooşliche ] couthliche R

<3006>  man ] wy3e F; of şis ] vpon Hm; of ... hire ] vpon mold that hyr G; şis ]
om. C; moolde ] world R F; hire ] she F

<3007>  she ] heo R, sho C; bi ] bi my  L R G F C

<3008>  şis ] şe F; gilt ] gultes R F

<3009>  curteisly ] şanne F; şanne ] curteisly dyde F, om. C; kyng ] kyng hym F

<3010>  took ] he took F; bi şe myddel ] they meyde G; bro3te ] mente F; into ] to F, into
C; F inserts & şe clerk gan conforte hire for gret conynge he hadde

<3011>  and ] ac R; şer ... & ] fette furş mirthe with F; mede ] mede for G, Meede with F

<3012>  they ] summe F; in ] at R F, att G; worshipeş ] worschiped L C R, wurschipeden
Hm, worchepe şey F; alle ] make F


Copyright (c) 1994 by Hoyt N. Duggan, all rights reserved.