OxfordPRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESSBY HORACE HART, M.A.PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY
OxfordPRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESSBY HORACE HART, M.A.PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY
PREFATORY NOTE
The circumstances under which this edition was undertaken have already been stated in the Preface to the volume containing the French Works, where mention is also made of the editor’s obligations to many librarians and private owners of manuscripts.
At present it need only be said that the editor has become more and more convinced, as his work went on, of the value and authentic character of the text given by the Fairfax MS. of theConfessio Amantis, which as proceeding directly from the author, though not written by his hand, may claim the highest rank as an authority for his language.
It is hoped that the list of errata, the result chiefly of a revision made during the formation of the Glossary, may be taken to indicate not so much the carelessness of the editor, as his desire to be absolutely accurate in the reproduction of this interesting text.
The analysis of theConfessio Amantiswhich is printed in the Introduction, was undertaken chiefly at the suggestion of Dr. Furnivall. With reference to this it may be observed that in places where the author is following well-known sources, the summaries are intentionally briefer, and in the case of some of the Biblical stories a reference to the original has been thought sufficient.
Oxford, 1901.