Editing and the Limitations of the Durior Lectio.

Kane’s choice among the variants of plante of pees (A. 1. 137), a durior lectio, was probably correct, though not on those grounds, since planete of pees, perhaps an even harder reading found in one B manuscript and thus perhaps in the A archetype, makes sense as a reference to Mercury symbolizing Christ as the psychopomp. But at B.5.514 baches, the durzor lectio when compared with bankes, is probably incorrect, given what appears to be a buried scriptural allusion to Ezekiel 34:6 that illuminates the narrative situation of B. 5- 7. Plante of pees likewise seems a translation of the Septuagint version of Ezekiel 34:29, which could have come to WL through quotations by the Latin fathers or commentaries. Finally, B. 18.179 (C. 20.182), emended by K-D on the basis of the C archetype to mercy synge from mercy shul haue, appears to be a case of a reading that was too hard, yet “to sing mercy” probably echoes a response of the first Friday of the Octave of Epiphany or one of the following day which begins with misericordia.