Margaret Connolly's
Textual Criticism
Own experience of editing
- thesis 1987-90 Contemplations of the Dread and Love of God, published by EETS (1994)
- CDLG = 16 MSS, 2 early printed editions
- chose base text as could not work out stemma
- ignored 24 extracts from text extant in other MSS
- EETS policy = to give full list of variant readings = 100 pages in published edition
- problem of bulk (lots of witnesses, lots of alternative readings to incorporate)
- The Middle English Mirror (with Thomas G. Duncan) 1st vol (of 4) published by Middle English Texts (2003)
- sermon cycle (60 sermons) - 14c ME prose translation of 13c Anglo-Norman verse text
- large text extant in 18 MSS
- base MS = GUL Hunter 250, complex MS as heavily revised on linguistic principles
- Duncan had begun work on this in 1960s; had already decided upon base text & editorial policy of restoring original language = bold undertaking
- important to use "odd" MSS like this as basis for editions - such unusual witnesses would otherwise be edited out, giving impression that ME was tidier than it actually was
- Editing from single witness
nb. my experience involves prose texts which survive in complex textual traditions (ie. many MSS). Invite Simon Horobin to comment on his experience of editing Abbotsford MS = long collection of saints' lives, some of which duplicate Bokenham's Legendys of Hooly Wummen, but mostly his project has to deal with a single witness; most of text = prose, some verse - sounds simple, but no other evidence to help editor decide on solutions to problems.
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