[69] In the first version, ‘Complaints are heard now of the injustice of the high court: flatterers have power over it, and those who speak the truth are not permitted to come near to the king’s side. The boy himself is blameless, but his councillors are in fault. If the king were of mature age, he would redress the balance of justice, but he is too young as yet to be held responsible for choice of advisers: it is not from the boy but from his elders that the evil springs which overruns the world.’ [70] In the first version as follows, ‘O king of heaven, who didst create all things, I pray thee preserve my young king, and let him live long and see good days. O king, mayest thou ever hold thy sceptre with honour and triumph, as Augustus did at Rome. May he who gave thee the power confirm it to thee in the future. For the glory of thy rule I have written these lines with humble heart. O flower of boyhood, according to thy worthiness I wish thee prosperity.’ [71] In the first version, ‘I am myself the worst of sinners, but may God grant me relief by his Spirit.’ [72] Communicated to me by Miss Bateson. [73] It is even the case in one instance (i. 846) that a blank is left in the line for a word omitted in D which might have been supplied by reference to any other MS. which contained the passage. So difficult was communication between Oxford and London in those days. [74] e.g. i. 209 Regem 219 Qui est ii. 9 sociatus 114 de pondere 266 Pontifice. [75] A few errors may be noted in the poem _De Lucis Scrutinio_, viz. l. 15 manifestus 36 oculis 66 similatam 89 Ominis (_for_ O nimis): also in ‘O deus immense,’ l. 28 se (_for_ te) 104 sub (_for_ sue). [76] Trifling differences of spelling are as a rule not recorded. Examples of such variations are the following in C: i. 1 ut 11 uidet 23 choruschat 120 talamum 137 sydera 139 themone 141 &c. sed (_for_ set) 196 &c. amodo 234 prohdolor 311 Immundos 586 Egiptus 1056 Symonis 1219 Ocupat 1295 suppremis 1505 loquturus 1514 Obstetit 1755 opprobrium 1832 littora 1947 litora 2094 patiens ii. _Prol._ 11 etiam ii. 57 fatie 261 Moise 494 synagoga iii. 291 redditus, &c. Variation in the use of capital letters or in regard to the separation of ‘que,’ ‘ve,’ &c. from the words which they follow is usually not recorded. The spelling of H and G is almost identical with that of S. EPISTOLA[77] =Hanc Epistolam subscriptam corde deuoto misit senex et cecus Iohannes Gower Reuerendissimo in Cristo Patri ac domino suo precipuo, domino Thome de Arundell, Cantuariensi Archiepiscopo, tocius Anglie Primati et apostolice sedis legato. Cuius statum ad ecclesie sue regimen dirigat et feliciter conseruet filius virginis gloriose, dominus noster Ihesus Cristus, qui cum deo patre et spiritu sancto viuit et regnat deus per omnia secula seculorum. Amen.=