Words of the authority

The author / authority
Guy Marchant, Authority

Here is a comparison line by line of the Ellesmere manuscript against all other available sources.

In this comparison we ignore punctuation, accents, capitalization, double letters, final e's (and e before final s), differences caused by split words (e.g. "toforne" and "to forne"), and differences caused by interchange of aun/an and cion/cyon/tion.

Deletions are marked in red and insertions in green: In other words, the red words are from the Ellesmere-manuscript.

The authority

Verba Auctoris

Verba Auctoris Lenuoy
Trinity

Verba Auctoris The docture speketh.
Vespasian

Verba Auctoris The Wordes of the Translatour.
Tottel

Verba Auctoris The Words of the Translator.
Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

O creatures ȝe / that ben resonable

O creatures ȝe/ that ben resonable be reasonable
Selden

O ye creatures ȝe/ that ben byn resonable
Trinity

O ye creatures ȝe/ that ben be resonable
Vespasian

O creatures ȝe/ Creature/ that ben byn resonable
Vossius

O creatures ȝe/ that ben resonable reasonable,
Tottel, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

The life desiringe / whiche is eternal

The life desiringe/ whiche wiche is eternal
Selden

The life desiringe/ whiche is eternal that be naturall;
Vespasian

Ȝe mai sene here / doctryne ful notable

Ȝe mai sene se here/ doctryne ful notable
Selden, Trinity

Ȝe Here mai sene here/ you learne doctryne ful notable
Vespasian

Ȝowre life to lede / whiche that ys mortal

Ȝowre Ȝoure life to lede/ whiche wiche that ys mortal
Selden

Ȝowre Your life to lede/ whiche that ys mortal
Trinity, Lansdowne

Ȝowre Love life to lede/ lead whiche that ys mortal immortall.
Vespasian

Ȝowre Your life to lede/ the whiche that ys mortal
Vossius

Ȝowre Your life to lede/ lead[e], whiche that ys mortal
Tottel, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

Ther bi to lerne / in [e]special

Ther bi Whereby to lerne/ learne in [e]special
Vespasian

Ther bi Thereby to lerne/ learne in [e]special
Tottel

Ther bi Thereby to lerne/ learne in [e]special special
Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

How ȝe schulle trace the daunce of machabre

How ȝe schulle shul trace the daunce of machabre
Selden

How ȝe schulle shall trace the daunce of machabre
Trinity, Tottel, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

How ȝe schulle trace the You must treed this daunce of machabre which you here se,
Vespasian

How ȝe schulle shal trace the daunce of machabre which that ye see
Lansdowne, Vossius

To man and woman / yliche natural

To man and woman/ yliche alyche natural
Trinity

To man and woman/ yliche and eche wight natural
Vespasian

To man and woman/ yliche that be natural
Vossius

To man and woman/ yliche ylike natural
Tottel, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

For dethe ne spareth / hye ne lowe degre.

For dethe ne spareth/ doth not spaire hye ne nor lowe degre.
Vespasian

For dethe ne spareth/ hye ne sparith/ hih nor lowe degre.
Lansdowne

For dethe ne spareth/ hye ne hih nor lowe degre.
Vossius

For dethe death ne spareth/ hye ne lowe degre.
Tottel, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

Angelus
Lansdowne, Vossius

In this myrrow[r]e / eueri wight mai fynde

In this myrrow[r]e/ mirrour/ eueri wight mai fynde
Selden, Tottel

In this myrrow[r]e/ myrrour eueri wight man mai fynde
Trinity, Lansdowne

In this myrrow[r]e/ eueri wight miroure ech man mai fynde
Vespasian

In this myrrow[r]e/ merour/ eueri wight man mai fynde
Vossius

In this myrrow[r]e/ eueri myrrour every wight mai fynde
Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

That hym behoueth / to go vpon this daunce

That hym behoueth/ bihoveth/ to go vpon this daunce
Selden

That hym behoueth/ to go vpon opon this daunce
Trinity

That yt behoveth hym behoueth/ to go vpon this treade his daunce
Vespasian

That hym behoueth/ behouyth/ to go goon vpon this daunce
Lansdowne

That hym behoueth/ be houeth/ to go gon vpon this the daunce
Vossius

That hym behoueth/ to go gone vpon this daunce
Tottel

That hym behoueth/ behoveth to go vpon gone upon this daunce
Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

Who gothe to-forne / or who schal go be-hynde

Who gothe to forne/ or who schal shal go be hynde behinde
Selden

Who gothe to forne/ before or who schal shall go be hynde behynde
Trinity

Who gothe to forne/ shall go before, or who schal go be hynde shall come behynde,
Vespasian

Who gothe to forne/ before/ or who schal go be hynde goth behynde
Lansdowne

Who gothe to forne/ or beforne/ & who schal go be hynde goth behynde
Vossius

Who gothe goeth to forne/ or who schal shall go be hynde behynde,
Tottel, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

All dependeth / in goddes ordynaunce

All dependeth/ dependith/ in goddes goddis ordynaunce
Selden, Lansdowne

All dependeth/ in goddes ordynaunce ordenaunce
Trinity

All dependeth/ holy doth depende in goddes ordynaunce
Vespasian

All dependeth/ dependit in goddes goddis ordynaunce
Vossius

All dependeth/ in on goddes ordynaunce
Dugdale-1718

Where-fore eche man / lowely take his chaunce

Where fore eche man/ lowely lowly take his chaunce
Selden, Lansdowne, Tottel

Where fore eche yche man/ lowely lowly take his chaunce
Trinity

Where fore eche man/ lowely Let every one therefore take lowlye his chaunce
Vespasian

Where fore Werfor eche man/ lowely lowly take his chaunce
Vossius

Where fore eche Wherefore lowly every man/ lowely take his chaunce
Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

Deth spareth not / pore ne blode royal

Deth spareth not/ nat pore ne nor blode royal
Trinity

For Deth spareth doth not/ pore ne spaire powre nor blode royal ryall;
Vespasian

Deth spareth not/ nothir/ pore ne nor blode royal
Lansdowne

Deth spareth not/ sparith nouthir/ pore ne nor blode royal
Vossius

Deth Death spareth not/ nouther pore ne blode bloud royal
Tottel

Deth Death spareth not/ pore ne yet blode royal
Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818

Eche man ther-fore / haue yn remembraunce

Eche Yche man ther fore/ haue thys yn remembraunce
Trinity

Eche Every man ther fore/ haue therefor have this yn remembraunce
Vespasian, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-1718

Eche man ther fore/ haue have this yn remembraunce
Lansdowne

Eche man ther fore/ haue this yn remembraunce
Vossius, Tottel

Eche Every man ther fore/ haue have this yn remembraunce
Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1818

Of oo matier / god hathe forged al.

Of oo matier/ mater/ god hathe forged al.
Selden

Of oo oon matier/ god hathe forged forgyd al.
Trinity

Of oo matier/ one substance god hathe forged haith formed hus al.
Vespasian

Of oo matier/ oon mateer/ god hathe forged Forgid al.
Lansdowne

Of oo matier/ oon mater/ god hathe forged hat forgid al.
Vossius

Of oo matier/ matter god hathe forged yforged al.
Tottel, Dugdale-1658, Dugdale-monasticon, Dugdale-1718, Dugdale-1818