XXXVII - Per savi teing senz doptanza

Summary

6 MSS: A (33^v-34^r) Marcabruns, D (189^v) no heading, a ‘v’ in the margin indicates this is the fifth pièce in the Marcabruns section (D reg. Marcabruns), I (120^v-121^r) Marcabrus, K(106^v) Marcabrus, N(267^r-v) no heading, a¹ (308-309) Marcabrus

D’s stanza order offers a more logical progression between stanzas IV and V (continuing the exposition of amors’ virtues from lines 23–24), between stanzas V and VI (see the note to lines 31-32), between stanzas VI and VII (again continuing the exposition of amors’ good qualities), between VII and VIII where the mention of follatura (line 42) leads on nicely to the attack on the fob (line 43) and between VIII and IX (since the attack on the fob is followed by the lament that preaching is of no use with a fool). With the AIKNa¹ stanza order (adopted by Dejeanne), each stanza becomes a more independent unit of thought.

Analysis of the manuscripts

AIKNa¹ share a defective common source: see lines 20 (rhyme), possibly 40 (where the indicative after ab sol que or ah so que is unlikely: see Jensen, Syntax, § 874; see also DOM, I, 7), 54 (though there is diffraction here) and 55. Here and elsewhere (see particularly the notes to lines 1–2, 13, 15, 17, 23, 25, 26, 30, 31–32, 33, 36, 38, 39, 44, 47, 52, 57, 58 and 59), D is isolated but may preserve, or point to, the best readings; in some cases (20, 31-32, 36, 40, 51-52, 55, 57 and 59), D offers good readings where some or all of the other MSS are dubious. The stanza order also opposes D to AIKNd’ and D’s may be preferable (see ‘Stanza order’).

A has some individual errors (lines 8 and 52) and isolated readings, some of which are facilior and all of which are almost certainly innovations (lines 7, 14, 18, 27, 31, 37, 43, 51, 57) since in the three instances where A might seem to offer correct readings where the other MSS are clearly at fault or problematic, these in all probability derive from a scribe ‘tidying up’ a source he believed to be defective (18, 27 and 57; see the notes to these lines). There are no cases of common error opposing DIKNa¹ to A since in line 18 D is missing and in lines 27 and 57 DIKNa¹ do not agree.