From lexical collation to significant omissions and paraphrases: New evidence for refining relations within the Prick of Conscience Group-IV Manuscripts

Abstract

Abstract: The Prick of Conscience is known to have survived in 97 manuscripts of the Main Version, 19
 of the Southern Recension, and about 50 short extracts. An initial collation of one lexical item in the 97
 extant copies of the Main Version and subsequent comparison of another 109 items in 54 of these copies
 allow for identifying parallel variant readings throughout the poem’s almost 10,000 lines. Those variants
 often transcend the word level affecting the line, the couplet, or more extensive passages. This paper
 contributes to refining textual relations within the Group-IV family of the work by showing distinct
 variance common to Dublin, Trinity College, 157 (D.4.11) (MV 21), London, Sion College, Arc. L. 40.
 2/E. 25 (MV 49), and Shrewsbury, School, III (Mus. III. 39) (MV 95). Apart from unfolding and expanding
 the extent of the relationship pointed out by Lewis & McIntosh (1982), this research also proves that the
 hitherto unsubclassified London, Lambeth Palace, 492 (MV 48) is another member of the subgroup. To
 illustrate how the proposed subset relates to a version closer to the presumed original and other Group-IV
 witnesses, readings from the following London, British Library manuscripts are also provided for reference:
 Cotton Galba E. IX (MV 27); Harley 4196 (MV 34); Egerton 657 (MV 29); Additional 22283 (MV 40).