Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Síða 95
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Norman scribe in the second half of the 12th century, “vers l’an 1170”
according to Bédier18. This is the oldest and by far the best version of
the poem, and all the more or less critical editions have been based on it.
It is an assonanced version, containing 4002 verses, divided into 291 laisses
of unequal length.
2. V4, preserved in the Biblioteca di San Marco in Venice, written
about 1300, in Franco-Italian. This version, too, is assonanced, although
the scribe has tried to make it appear a rhymed text (by arbitrarily chang-
ing the words, e.g. repos is written report because the rhyme word is mort,
V4 vv. 491-92). The last part of V4 is based on the version rimée of the
poem.
3. The Chateauroux MS, C, and
4. The second Venice MS, V7.
These two MSS contain the complete text of the version rimée, and
there are relatively few differences between them. Occasionally C has two
sets of laisses, the original assonanced ones and the rhymed version (e.g. C
vv. 1411-1533 are the assonanced version of O 1039-1160, C vv. 1534-42
and 1867-2060 are the version rimée of the same passage). Both MSS
belong to the period about 1300.
5. The Paris MS, P. What corresponds to the first 1000 verses in O
has been lost in this MS. It is the longest of all versions, and frequently
has two laisses where the other MSS have one. P dates from the 13th
century.
6. The Lyon MS, L. It begins with the verse corresponding to O 1152.
The first 1100 verses and the Baligant episode have been deliberately
omitted, and L is a shortened version of a text very similar to that of P.
L belongs to the 14th century.
7. The MS of Trinity College, Cambridge, T, written in the 15th
century, or about 1500. The first part of the MS is lost, and T begins
with the verse that corresponds to O v. 766. It is derived from a text of
the P type, but much shortened.
8. Two short fragments (Fragments lorrains and Fragments Lavergne'),
dating from the 13th century, and with a text that is practically identical
with that of P. They can be left aside here, since they do not contain a
single reading of any interest for the present study of the relationship be-
tween the Kms and the French versions.
16 La Chanson de Roland, publiée d’aprés le manuscrit d’Oxford-par Joseph
Bédier. Édition definitive, Paris 1937, p. n.
6 Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana, XIX