The Manuscripts of Piers Plowman: The B-Version

An exhaustive descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts of the B text. The status of the manuscript witnesses as the products of scribal culture, and of scribal interpretation, is emphasized. Section 2 consists of codicological and paleographical descriptions of manuscripts, with ample footnotes detailing scholarly discussion of particular manuscripts and/or manuscript families. Marginalia are recorded as well. Section 3 lists scribal annotations, such as marginal scribal commentary or corrections, and the use of paraphs. Much of the scribal practice involving particular annotations are recorded in tables in Section 4. Black and white facsimiles of all manuscripts are included.

Rev. D. Mehl, Archiv für das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Literaturen 237.1 (2000): 176-77; J. Bengton, The Library 21.2 (1999): 157-58; Rob Adams, YLS 13 (1999): 207-13; A. S. G. Edwards, MLR 94 (1999): 1071-72; Ralph Hanna, RES 50 (1999): 74-75; A. V. C. Schmidt, MAE 68 (1999): 322; Hoyt N. Duggan. Speculum 77.3 (2002): 870-72.