Whoso wilneth to be wise and worship desireth

Descriptive details

‘The ABC of Aristotle’ with a Prologue in unrhyming alliterative verse. For texts which lack the Prologue see DIMEV 6054.

Internal cross references: 6054

Bibliography

Witnesses

1. BodDou384, f. 3

A single leaf detached from SOURCE_KEY_BLHar1304: last 11 lines only.. No music or illustration.

2. CULFf548, ff. 8v–9

No music or illustration.

First lines:
Who so wil to be wyce
and worship desireth
Lette hym lorne oo letter
And loke on a noþer…
Last lines:
…To wylde to wrathfull and wade not to depe
ffor a mesurable meyne is best for vs alle

Bibliographical references:

  • Editions: Downing1969, 17-18;

3. BLHar541, ff. 213–213v

No music or illustration.

First lines:
Who so wyll be wyse and worshyp to wynne
leern he on lettur and loke vpon an other…
Last lines:
…W. To wyld to wrothfull & wade not to depe
A mesurabull meane way is best for vs all

Bibliographical references:

  • Editions: Forster1900b, 30 (with variants from other MSS);

5. BLHar1304, ff. 103–103v

Added to originally blank leaves at end of volume by a hand of late fifteenth or sixteenth century; 59 alliterative lines including a 10-line introduction, 21-line advice alliterating letters of the alphabet in order, 7-line introduction regarding measure and 21-line advice reagrding measure, with 20 short sentences of advice beginning ‘Be not to’ and following letters of the alphabet (i.e., DIMEV 6054), as ‘Be not to Amerows to auenturous ne anger not to ofte / Be not to bolde to besu ne bowrde not to brode / Be not to cursed…’); the last 11 lines added by a later hand of sixteenth century.. No music or illustration.

Internal cross references: 6054

First lines:
Wo so wil be wise and worshippe desireth
lett hym lerne on letter and loke on a noþer…
Last lines:
…Be not to venemous to vengeable ne wast not to moche
for a mesurable mene is best for vs alle

Bibliographical references:

  • Editions: Furnivall1869a, 65-7;

6. Lam853, pp. 30–32

Written as prose.. No music or illustration.

First lines:
WHo so wilneþ to be wijs & worschip desiriþ
Leerne he oo lettir & looke on anothir
Of þe a. b. c. of aristotil argue not aȝen þat
It is councel for riȝt manye clerkis & knyȝtis a þousand…
Last lines:
…W to wielde ne to wraþful neiþer waaste ne waade not to depe
ffor a mesurable meene is euere þe beste of alle

Bibliographical references:

  • Editions: Furnivall1868a, orig. ed. 11-12; rev. ed. 260-61; Rust2003;