Manuscript relations in 1 Dial. 1

John Kilcullen

Families of Manuscripts

Collation suggests that the witnesses can be grouped into the following families (with sub-groups indicated by brackets):

Bb (FiAnCe)

CaKoLcLaUnVdFr

PaLb (VaVgPc) Vb (PbAr) (PzLy)

(BaDi) (ToEs)

(VcVf) (OxAv) Br We

Let us call these respectively the red, green, blue, purple and yellow groups.


Contents

Evidence of Grouping

Individually significant

Significant by accumulation

(1) Variants shared by several groups

(2) Variants characteristic of a Single group

(3) Sub-groups

Wandering witnesses, odd affinities: Va, VgPz, ArPz, FrLy, Vc.

Contamination

Long Omissions (a long omission rules out a witness as ancestor of another that does not have the omission).

Places where scribe puts "Y or/and X" for "X" and other insignificant variants.


Evidence of Grouping

Variants that may be significant individually

1. 97 [cuiusmodi (Blue) and qualiter (Green) are superfluous after quale. This variation suggests distinct Green and Blue groups; Ko goes with Blue until about 5308; LaCaLcVd contaminated?],

2. 348, 358, [The rejected variants make poor sense: "attending not to who or whose opinion was the author, but to what is said, will see what is to be written with eyes remote and more sincerely seek the truth"; OR "attending not to who is the author of some opinion but to what is said, with zeal removed, will see what is to be written with their eyes and more sincerely seek the truth". Paleographically the errors of 348 are easy, and some of those of 358 can be understood as attempts to correct an error, remotioribus, common to Green and Blue ancestors.],

3. 495 [supplicandi LaVdLc makes poor sense],

4. 711 [habet quidem PaPb makes poor sense],

5. 1330 , 1335, 1350, 1357, 1361 [Perhaps the source of the Blue family lacked all the words "Secunda... censenda", and the text found in VgPzLy, "secunda ratio ad illius scientie doctores pertinet diffinire etc que tractat regulas fidei que tractantur in alia scientia et plures alias et non econtra", was supplied by conjecture based on the rest of the argument. Pb does not have the passage in its proper place, but at the end of the paragraph inserts "secunda ratio est haec ad illius scientiae tractatores in qua explicite et complete traditur regula fidei orthodoxae pertinet principaliter diffinire per modum doctrinae quae assertio etc", which is the version found in the other families (suggesting contamination); Vb has the VgPzLy version written into the margin; Pa and Lb have this version as their text, with marginal additions derived from some MS or MSS belonging to another family (they do not delete "que tractat regulas fidei que tractantur in alia scientia et plures alias et non econtra"). Va and Ar have as their text the version found in the other families (exceptions: that Va omits "traditur" and Ar omits "per modum... censenda"), suggesting contamination.],

6. 1656 --- 1658 [theologi does not fit the argument. All groups show confusion, because veri/viri and catholici/theologi are easily mistaken from one another; not significant],

7. 1885, 1916 --- 1918 [not significant: these are omissions by homoioteleuton because of two occurrences of "humano ingenio"],

8. 2275 [scire (added by Purple, Yellow and LaVdFrLcVaPa, but not by Ca or most of Blue) is superfluous in view of aperiam; no obvious explanation. Va and Pa sometimes differ from their group, perhaps because of contamination from Yellow or Purple], ,

9. 5131, 5132 ["naturalibus" shared by Green and Blue],

10. 5381 , 5443, , minoris . . . consuetudo does not work as an argument. The argument would be: "A statute has no less force than a custom. But a custom in conflict with truth gives way, therefore a custom opposed to theology and moral philosophy must be condemned." This makes no use of the first premise, the comparison between custom and statute, and it leaves open the possibility that an ecclesiastical statute contrary to theology and moral philosophy might not be condemned. The preferred version argues: "A statute has no more force than a custom. But a custom must give way if found opposed to truth. Therefore a statute must also give way if opposed to theology and moral philosophy"---from which it follows that both ecclesiastical custom and statute, i.e. everything in the realm of changeable particulars dealt with by canon law, must give way to theology and moral philosophy. So minoris and consuetudo are errors, shared by Red, Green and Blue.

11. 5510, 5512 [suggests that Green and Blue share an ancestor which introduced the phrase "veritati contraria"] ,

12. 5711 [no obvious explanation],

13. 6051 ["ante" perhaps an echo of antea , "sententiam" a scribe's rash anticipation of what turned out to be memoriam; omission perhaps an attempt to get rid of "ante sententiam et" as nonsense; this suggests that PaPbAr may represent the ancestor that introduced "ante sentententiam"; suggests affinity of LbVgVaVb with Red],

14. 6070 [suggests affinity of KoCaVd],

15. 6143 ["noverunt" obviously an error; strongly suggests that Blue and Red had a common ancestor],

16. 6892 ["qui auctor eius" and the like are obviously wrong; strongly suggests that Green and Blue had a common ancestor; VdVb differ from their groups],

17. 7488 --- 7499[Red + LbVgPcVaVb: "Sed de pertinacia heresis considerat tam theologia quam scientia iuristarum, et theologia sicut superior, scientia vero canonistarum sicut inferior; ergo ad theologiam principalius spectat de pertinacia considerare." Green and remaining Blue: "Sed de pertinacia heresum considerat tam theologia quam scientia canonistarum; igitur, cum theologia sit scientia superior, scientia vero canonistarum sit scientia inferior, sequitur quod ad theologiam principalius spectat de pertinacia considerare." Either text is possible. Shows a split in Blue group, some going with Red others with Green. The omission shared by Purple and Yellow also makes sense: the omitted text makes explicit something the author might conceivably have left unexpressed. The Red text is preferred as being more explicit and more elegantly worded.],

18. 7694 ["in communitate" makes no sense in this context, so LbVgPcVbPbArPzLy share a clear error, which VaPa do not share],

19. 7788 --- 7797, [the videtur/ videretur/ viderentur added by LaCaKoVdLc and LbVgPcPaVbPbArPzLy is an error that disrupts the text: if it had been original, these witnesses at least would not have had "applicando" and "spectaret", but some of them do. "Spectare" is omitted by most of them (KoVdLbPcPaVbPbArPzLy), presumably because after "videretur" etc. it makes no sense. Red Purple and Yellow therefore have the correct text. It is noteworthy that Va agrees with them, suggesting contamination from one of these groups.],

20. 7983 ["dicitur" is superfluous, since there is already a dicitur at 7962, where it belongs according to all witnesses. We follow Red and Blue in omitting it.

21. 8519 [agreement of Green in an error]

Accumulations of agreements individually not significant

In sorting witnesses into family groups it is not necessary to rely only on manifest errors or difficult-to-explain variants. An accumulation of variations that could individually be accidental (e.g. transpositions of word order) may help to characterize the families.

(1) Agreements shared by several groups

(Red Green Blue) (Purple Yellow)

27 [exceptions: KoVa],

109 [exceptions: LbVa],

793 [exceptions: Vd],

968 [exceptions: Fr],

1194 [exceptions: Va],

1613 [Purple Yellow rejected],

1649,

1705,

1978,

2769 ---2770 [exceptions: Fr],

2854 , 2867 [position of pertinere noscuntur],

4023 (putanda/censenda; exceptions: LaVdLc],

4106 [Purple Yellow united, others not; others have excommunicare or the like, exceptions: FiAnCeLaKoVdLcArLy],

4256 [exceptions: LaPa],

4648 [exceptions: Va],

4926 [exceptions: La],

5381 [exceptions: Vc],

5443, 5444 [exceptions: Pc],

7489 [Purple Yellow united, rejected; Red and some Blue followed (LbVgPcVaVb).] ,

7603 [exceptions: Fr],

7775 --- 7779,

(Green Blue) (Red Purple Yellow)

See above, "Individually significant variants", 2, 9, 11, 16, 19.

47 [exceptions: KoFrPa, Vc],

97 [Green has qualiter, Blue cuiusmodi, with LaCaLcVd contaminated.],

98 [Green has editum (exception: Ko), Blue omits. Exception: Ba.],

224 [exceptions: LaLbVb, To],

232,

319,

365, 366 [exceptions: FrVaVb],

649 [exceptions: LaFrLbVa],

714 [exception: Pa],

997 [only half of Blue, viz. PaPbArPzLy],

1013 [Green Blue; exceptions: LbPcVb],

1089 [exception: Lb],

1174 [exception: Lc],

1361 [exception: Va],

1484 [exceptions: Vg, Ba],

2301 [exceptions: Va; VdFr, Ca contaminated],

2389 [exception: Pc],

2481 [exception: Va],

2646, 2647 ,

2938,

2970,

3078 [Blue introduces something like "assertione", Green juxtaposes that to something like "consensione". Exceptions: Fr, Ar.],

3421 [exceptions: Va, Lc],

3533 [only some, viz. LaKoVdLc LbVaVbPbAr],

3699,

3846,

4485,

4619 [exceptions: LbVg],

4923 [exception: Lb],

4924 [exceptions: VcOxAv],

5030,

5089,

5097 [,

5131, 5132 [Green Blue have something like naturalibus; Es VgPcVa have utique.],

5370,

5554, 5555 [Red Purple Yellow rejected. Exception: We],

5711 [exceptions: LaPaVbPbArPz]

6218 [exception: Fr],

6892 [exceptions: VdVb],

6958 [Green and Blue differ],

7158 [exceptions: LbVa, VgPcVb],

7788 [Green, Blue all add some form of videre. Exception: Va],

7790[including Va],

(Red Blue) (Green Purple Yellow)

569 [exception: Ar],

927 [also Ko],

1609[also Ko],

2298 [exceptions: PcPaPbAr],

2331, 2332 [petitionem; also Ko],

2386 [also Ko],

2492 [also Ko],

2634,

2697 [also Ko],

3071 [exceptions: PcAr],

3144 [also Ko Fr Ba],

3327 [also Ko; exceptions: VaPb],

3341 [exceptions: LbPaVbArVa],

3343 [exceptions: LbVaPaPbArVb],

3349,

3470 [also KoFr],

3757 [also Ko; exception: Bb],

4277 [also Ko],

4360 [also Ko],

4741 [illorum/istorum; also Ko],

5518 [exception: Ly],

5760 [exceptions: ArPz],

5927 [exceptions: ArLy],

6033 [exceptions: VgPzLy],

6143 ["noverunt" obviously an error; strongly suggests that Blue and Red had a common ancestor],

6590,

6611,

6629,

6766,

6845 [exceptions: AnCe],

6885,

7141 [exceptions: LbPb],

7194 [also We],

7487

7490 --- 7499 [exceptions: PaPbArPzLy],

7505,

7784,

7853 [exceptions: LbPc],

7983,

8315,

(2) Agreements characteristic of one group

Red

The reality of this group can be inferred from its shifting associations: Red-Green-Blue, Red-Purple-Yellow, and Red-Blue --- given that Green, Blue, Purple and Yellow are shown to be real groups.

31 [also Vg],

73,

2563 [also Vb],

4741,

Green

See above, "Individually significant variants", 1.

(La [is this true?] and Ko often go with Blue; Ko rejoins after 5291 approx.):,

42 [exceptions: Ko, Lc],

156 [exception: Ko],

174 [exception: Ko],

319 [exceptions: Ko, Fr],

396 [exception: Ko],

421 [also Pa; exception: Ko],

608 [exceptions: KoFr],

672 [exception: Ko],

770 [exception: KoFr],

826, 830 [also Ar; exception: Ko],

941 [also ArPb],

1345 [also Ar],

1357 [also Ar],

1572 [also Ox; exceptions: KoFr],

2912 [exception: Ko],

3339 [exceptions: KoFr],

3622 [ch 5 no layout; also Ba; exception: Ko],

4017 [also PcLy; exception: Ko],

4722 [also PaPbAr],

5129 [also Ly; exceptions: LaKo]

5308, 5329 [also Ly],

5398 [also Ly],

5512 [also Ly],

5569 [also ArPaPb],

5651, 5653 [also Ly],

5954 [also Ly],

6207,

6295 [exception: La],

6757,

6613,

6701,

6703,

6709 [exception: Vd],

6757,

6818,

6873,

6958,

6994,

7180,

7204,

7359, 7365,

7499,

7542,

7789,

7844 [exception: Fr],

7995 [exception: Vd],

8060 [exception: La],

8082, 8083,

8185,

8240,

8259 [exception: Fr],

Blue

See above, "Individually significant variants", 1.

288 [Blue imperonal 3rd person; also Ko; exception: Va],

358 [see above],

467 [also Ko; exceptions: VaVb, LbVg],

591 [also Ko; exceptions: LbVa],

1333 [exceptions: VaAr],

1335 [exceptions: VaAr],

1350 [exception: Va],

1371 [exceptions: VbPbAr],

1375,

1494 [exception: Va],

1528 [exception: Va],

1652 [also Ko],

2345---2348 [also Ko; exception Va],

2563 [also KoVd, Ba; exception: Vb, which agrees with Red],

2942 [also Ko],

3283 [also Ko; exception Va],

3301 [also Ko],

3576 [also Ko],

3604 [also Ko, Br],

3607 [also Ko; exception: Lb],

3635 [exceptions: VaLb],

3805 [exceptions: VaVb],

3943 [also KoLc; exception: Pa],

4370 [also Ko; exceptions: VaLy],

4741 [also Ko; exception: Ly],

4869 [also Ko],

5386 [exceptions: VgPcVaPbLy],

5420 [also La; exceptions: PaPzLy],

5510 [exceptions: PaPzLy],

5577 [exceptions: VgPcVaPzLy],

5582 [exception: Ly],

5651 [exceptions: PzLy],

6037,

6193 [exceptions: LbVa],

6400 [exceptions: PzLy],

6418 [exception: Pa],

6492 [exceptions: LbPa],

6506 [exceptions: LbPa],

6518 [exceptions: LbVb],

6635,

6674 [exception: Lb],

6854 [exceptions: LbVb],

6958,

6986,

7240 [exceptions: LbVb],

7288,

7464,

7473 [exceptions: PcVaPa],

7576 [also KoCa],

7605 [exceptions: VgPcVa],

7694 [see above],

7912,

7933 [exception: Lb],

8013,

8240 [Blue contaminated by Green],

Purple

11,

423, 437 [Michael, Ott],

4843 [also Fr],

7559,

7706,

Yellow

182 [exception: Br],

2127,

4028 [also Lc],

6469

(3) Sub-groups and individual witnesses

Red

FiAnCe vs Bb

60,

2167,

3156,

6457,

7573,

7576,

Green

Lc
Fr
Ko with Ar until 5038, then with Green

Blue

There seem to be two more-or-less stable sub-groups, the core members of which are VgPcVa and ArPb respectively. Others of the Blue group associate sometimes with one of these, sometimes with the other. However, any of the Blue group, including the core members of these "stable" sub-groups, will sometimes agree with members of the other sub-group or with Red, Green, Purple or Yellow. Many of these agreements may be coincidence, but some suggest contamination.

Va often disagrees with most of the Blue group

47,

109,

287,

348 (Va with Red)

358,

365,

467,

649,

1194,

1217,

1333,

1334,

1352 --- 1361,

1450,

2345,

2481,

3328,

3635,

3805,

4648

Pz has affinity with Vg and with Ar

See variants shared by Ar and Pz and no more than one other Blue, and variants shared by Vg and Pz and no more than one other Blue. (There is no overlap between the two sets of variants, confirming the hypothesis that Vg and Ar belong to different Blue sub-groups.)

Ly influenced by MS like Fr

The text of Ly derives mostly from Pz. However, there are a number of readings shared by Ly and Fr, which suggests that the editor of Ly may have revised the Pz text with the help of some manuscript like Fr.

4017,

4370

4741

4877,

4973,

5044,

5063,

5129

5308, 5329

5345,

5362,

5381,

5398,

5450 --- 5456,

5512,

5518,

5582

5569,

5635,

5651, 5653,

5711,

5811,

5927,

5954,

Yellow

Vc sometimes disagrees with other Yellow

42,

47,

50,

52,

235,

421,

1255,

3757,

5381,

6232, 6233

Contamination

The shifting combinations of the main groups, (1) Red Green Blue vs Purple Yellow (2) Green Blue vs Red Purple Yellow, and (3) Red Blue vs Green Purple Yellow, imply that some group ancestors borrowed readings from other traditions. The shifting affiliations of the sub-groups of Blue suggest contamination within the Blue group. Various individual witnesses show signs of contamination, viz. Pa Lb Pb Va Ar Ly; see above here, here, here, and here. In the following places there are further signs of contamination, consisting either in coupled readings (which might alternatively be due to a scribe's hesitation over the wording in his exemplar), or a reading introduced by "aliter", or the presence in only some members of a group of readings found in all or some members of another group.

270,

997 [some Green, some Blue],

2229 --- 2232 [LaCaVd borrow from Red or Blue],

2386,

2533,

2787 [Purple agrees with Green Blue in omitting tales --- coincidence?],

3078,

3339,

3349 [Red, Blue],

6216 (Vb],

6492 (VbPb],

6572 [purple with blue - coincidence?]

6870 [Green with Yellow; exceptions: Lc, Vc --- coincidence?]

8240

 

Long omissions in 1 Dial. 1

If witness X omits a longish passage found in pretty much the same words in witness Y and also in a number of other witnesses, then it can be inferred that X is not the sole source of Y (though the words could be borrowed from another manuscript), since it is unlikely that the scribe who produced Y would have invented just the words found in other witnesses. (If in some case the supplying of the same words is not unlikely, e.g. because the trend of the argument is so clear or because the words are drawn from the Bible or some other well-known text, then the inference of independence cannot be made.) If several witnesses share the same omission, none of them can be the source of any other witness except perhaps one or more members of the same group.

Omissions listed below eliminate the following as possible ancestors of extant witnesses: Bb, Ce, La, Ko, Vd, Lc, Lb, Vg, Va, Pc, Pa, Vb, Ar, Pb, Ba, To, Ox, Av.

Of the remaining witnesses, the following are eliminated except possibly as sources of others in the same set:
Ca by 968 (LaLcCaVdAr), 2702 and 2710 (LaCaVdFrLc), 5308 (LaCaVdFrLc)
Fr by 2702 and 2710 (LaCaVdFrLc), 5308 (LaCaVdFrLc), 5686 (FrTo)
Pz by 2122 (PzLy)
Es by 7040 , 7051 (LbVgPcVaEsOxAv), 4934 and 4945 (BaToEs), 6225 (ToEs)
Vc by 4601 (PbVc)
Br by 1066 (CeBr)

Witnesses without omissions: Fi, An, We

List of omissions

1555 Vd ,

1565 Ar (overlaps Vd),

569 [Red, Blue]

757 Lc (short),

968 LcCaAr (short),

1066 CeBr ,

1215 To (short),

1223 VdTo ,

1244 Lc ,

1249 Ce ,

1474 Pc ,

1531 Vd ,

1555 Vd ,

1565 Ar ,

1885 PcVbPb (Lb and Pa also omit, but insert in margin),

1936 PcVbPb,

1938 VgPzLy (same as 1936 except first word) (all blue except VaAr),

2068 Ko (short),

2116 Vg ,

2122 PzLy (most of 2116),

2322 To (short),

2528 To (short),

2702 LaCaVdFrLc ,

2710 LaCaVdFrLc (continues 2702),

2772 Ce ,

2823 VbPb (2821 most of passage omitted by Lb, inserted Lbm),

2978 Lc (short),

2981 Lb (short),

2987 Ko (short),

3152 Av ,

3252 Ce (short),

3642 La (short),

3662 Ar (short),

3681 To (3687 most of passage omitted Lb, inserted Lbm),

3959 KoAr (short),

3994 VbPb (short),

4013 Vb (4008 same passage omitted Lb, inserted Lbm),

4093 To (short),

4141 Pb (short),

4391 KoPaPbAr (Ar omits, but at 4405 KoPaPb insert same passage---variation of order),

4394 To ,

4532 LaVd (homoioteleuton),

4601 PbVc (homoioteleuton, short),

4655 Ar (continues with 4663, homoioteleuton),

4671 Bb (homoioteleuton),

4769 Lb (long, unique, not inserted in margin),

4815 Ba ,

4934 BaToEs ,

4945 BaToEs (continues 4934),

5057 Pa (long, unique, uncorrected),

5095 To ,

5248 Av ,

5260 Ar (homoioteleuton),

5308 LaKoCaVdFrLcLy (green omits, inserts at 5329)

5311 LbPaVbPbAr (blue omits, does not insert)

5345 FrLy ,

5533 Ce ,

5624 To (short),

5651 VgPcVaVbPbArTo (FrLbPa insert in margin)(homoioteleuton),

5682 Ar (short),

5686 FrTo (short),

5723 VaVbAv (also Lb, inserted Lbm) ,

5733 VaVbAv (also Lb, inserted Lbm) (continues 5723; homoioteleuton),

5786 Ly (FrLy insert similar material at the end of the paragraph; Fr has it here also),

6225 ToEs (homoioteleuton),

6336 Vb (also Lb, added Lbm),

6346 Vb (continues 6336; Lb omits, Lbm supplies),

6558 VgPcVbPzLy ,

6559 Va (cf. 6558),

6707 Pc (also missing 6696-6705,with which this is continuous),

6807 Ox ,

6820 Ox (continues 6807),

7032 Vb ,

7035 To ,

7053 To (continues 7035) (homoioteleuton-errantes)

7040 LbVgPcVaEsOxAv

7051 LbVgPcVaEsOxAv (continues 7040) (homoioteleuton - debeant a prelatis),

7052 Vb (continues 7032)(homoioteleuton - quomodo errantes),

7420 Ar (short),

8048 Ce (short)

8122 VgPcVb (8119 Lb, Lbm supplies)

8129 Ox ,

8292 Bb ,

8320 Av ,

Places where scribe writes "Y or/and X" for "X"

Note: Links will open in "window 3"

Some variants seem to be due to scribes' near indifference to certain features of the text, leading to substitution of synonyms, coupling of like words, variations of tense and mood. A modern edition will not be able to restore the original text in respects that the scribes commonly regarded with indifference.

In many places a coupling "x et/vel y" may well be what the author wrote, and in some places it may be due to the scribe's difficulty in reading the exemplar. (However, it does not seem to be the case, as it is with Codex A of Scotus's Ordinatio, that the couplings represent the difficulty the scribe of the manuscript from which others descend had in reading his exemplar (Scotus, Opera Omnia, vol. 1, pp. 229*-230*)---the instances in the Dialogus occur scattered through dependent witnesses and cannot be shown to derive from an early ancestor.) In many places,however, it seems that when the scribe returned to the exemplar he realized that what he had just written in his copy ("y") was not the wording of the exemplar, though more or less equivalent to it; but instead of deleting the error he has tacked on to it the correct word ("x"), either by simple juxtaposition or after "et", "vel", or the like. A similar practice has been noted by the editor of Piers Plowman. See G. Kane, Piers Plowman: The A Version (London, 1960), p. 126.

Juxtaposition

826 [La]

2533 [exemplar of ancestor of BbAnVdLbVgPcVaPzLy had catholicarum --- or this may be an example of contamination, where ancestor had one of the pair written in as a correction]

3349,

4106 [Bb --- perhaps contamination]

vel

319

1994 [Es]

5791 [ToEs]

6896 [Lc]

7033 [Lc]

7605 [PaVbPbArPzLy]

7706 [BaToEs]

8013 [VgPzLy]

sive

1620 [CaLcLaVd ancestor had "hereticas"]

7416, 7418

8282

seu

221

818 , 819 [ratione officii seu auctoritate, Ca]

941

1374

1399

1620

1622

2634

3576

6086

8013

et

608 [Fr exemplar had distinguere, like LaCaVdLcVaPaPb]

927 [exemplar of the common ancestor of FiBbAnCeKoLbVgVaPaVbPbArPzLy had discernere]

1412

1635 [Lc]

1656 [Vd]

2697 [omitted words added at the end]

3078

4106

4510

5132 ?

5386

5420

6194

8419

Hesitation over wording

Some couplings seem due to scribe's inability to read his exemplar, or to doubts about its correctness:

1340,

5044

7865

8240 Return to Relationships among Manuscripts and Editions