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

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).