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APP. L. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ON SPECIAL SUBJECTS 60I

abstract of Titus C. xvi, has but a slight value. There can be some doubt only for the French and the Latin texts.

Dr. Carl Schönborn * and Herr Eduard Mätzner, j 4C respectively seem to have been the first to show that the current Latin and English texts cannot possibly have been made by Mandeville himself. Dr. J. Vogels states the same of unprinted Latin

versions which he has discovered in the British Museum, and he has proved it as regards the Italian version." +

" In Latin, as Dr. Vogels has shown, there are five independent versions. Four of them, which apparently originated in England (one manuscript, now at Leyden, being dated in 139o) have no special interest ; the fifth, or vulgate Latin text, was no doubt made at Liége, and has an important bearing on the author's identity. It is

found in twelve manuscripts, all of the 15th century, and is the only Latin version as yet printed." §

The universal use of the French language at the time would be an argument in favour of the original text being in this tongue, if corrupt proper names, abbreviations in the Latin text, etc., did not make the fact still more probable.

The story of the English version, as it is told by Messrs. Nicholson and Warner, is highly interesting : The English version was made from a " mutilated archetype," in French (Warner, p. x.) of the beginning of the 15th century, and was used for all the known English manuscripts, with the exception of the Cotton and Egerton volumes—and also for all the printed editions until 1725. Mr. Nicholson II pointed out that it is defective in the passage extending from p. 36, 1. 7 : " And there were to ben 5 Soudans," to p. 62, 1. 25 : " the Monkes of the Abbeye of ten tyme," in Halliwell's edition (1839) from Titus C. xvi. which corresponds to Mr. Warner's Egerton text, p. 18, 1. 21 : " for the Sowdan," and p. 32, 1. 16, " synges oft tyme." It is this bad text which, until 1725,1T has been printed as we just said, with numerous variants, including the poor edition of Mr. Ashton** who has given the text of East instead of the Cotton text under the pretext that the latter was not legible. tt

Two revisions of the English version were made during the first quarter of the 15th century ; one is represented by the British Museum Egerton MS. 1982 and the abbreviated Bodleian MS. e. Mus. 116 ; the other by the Cotton MS. Titus C. xvi. This last one gives the text of the edition of 1725 often reprinted till Halliwell's (1839 and 1866). $$ The Egerton MS. 1982 has been reproduced in a magnificent volume edited in 1889 for the Roxburghe Club par Mr. G. F. Warner, of the British Museum ; §§ this edition includes also the French text from the Harley MS. 4383

t

* Bib. Untersuchungen.

t Altenglische Sprachproben nebst einem Wörterbuche unter Mitwirkung von Karl Goldbeck herausgegeben von Eduard Mätzner. Erster Band : Sprachproben. Zweite Abtheilung : Prosa. Berlin. Weidmannsche Buchhandlung. (Vol. i. 1869, large 8vo, pp. 415 ; vol. i., John Maundeville,

pp. 152-221.)

1 Encycloj5ædia Brit., p. 475.   §Nat. Biog. p. 23-24.

!I The Academy, x. p. 477.—Encycloyædia Britannica, 9th ed., XV., p. 475.

1 The // Voiage // and // Travaile // of // Sir John Maundevile, kt. // Which Treateth of the // Way to Hierusalem ; and of // Marvayles of Inde, // With other // Ilands and Countryes. // — Now publish'd entire from an Original MS. // in the Cotton Library. // — London : // Printed for J. Woodman, and D. Lyon, in // Russel-Street, Covent-Garden, and C. Davis, // in Hatton-Garden.

1725, 8vo, 5. ff. n. c.+pp. xvi.-384+4 ff. n. c.

** The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight which treateth of the way towards

Hierosallun and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys. Edited, Annotated, and Illustrated in Facsimile by John Ashton.... London, Pickering & Chatto, 1887, large 8vo., pp.

xxiv.-289.

tt L. c. p. vi.

11 The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maundevile, Kt. which treateth of the way to Hierusalem ;

and of Marvayles of Inde, with other ilands and countryes. Reprinted from the Edition of A. D. 2725. With an introduction, additional notes, and Glossary. By J. O. Halliwell, Esq., F.S.A., F.R.A.S. London : Published by Edward Lumley, M.D.CCC.XXXIX., 8vo, pp. xvii.-xii.-326.

The Voiage and Travaille of Sir John Maundevile ... By J. O. Halliwell, London : F. S. Ellis,

MDCCCLXVI., 8vo, pp xxxi.-326.

§§ The Buke of John Maundeuill being the Travels of sir John Mandeville, knight 1322-1356 a

hitherto unpublished english version from the unique copy (Egerton Ms. 2982) in the British Museum edited together with the French text, notes, and an introduction by George F. Warner, M.A., F.S.A., assistant-keeper of Manuscripts in the British Museum. Illustrated with twenty-eight miniatures reproduced in facsimile from the additional MS. 24,189. Printed for the Roxburghe Club. Westminster, Nichols and Sons.... MDCCCLXXXIX., large 4to, pp. xlvi.+232+28 miniatures.