"fairy," OED 4a

[Charles Doyle]

A little more information: For the line in question, Caxton's 1483 publication of _Confessio Amantis_ gives "a fayrye" (fol. 132v)--like the OED.

In Macaulay's edition (still the "standard") it appears as "of faierie" (3:146). In at least two other places Macaulay's text has the phrase "of faierie." Some 49 mss. of _Confessio Amantis_ are extant.

--Charlie
_______________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:19:25 -0500
>From: "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
>Subject: Re: "fairy," OED 4a
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>I downloaded some stuff from Google Books.
>
>In Gower's "Confessio Amantis", Book 5, some dude seems to be flirting with
>the ladies at church, if I'm reading it right.
>
>Here is the passage in question as edited by Henry Morley (Routledge,
>1889): v. 2, pp. 302-3:
>
><<
>
>And thus he loketh on his flessh
>Right as an hawke which hath a sight
>Upon the fowl there he shall light,
>And as he were a fairie
>He sheweth him to-fore her eye
>In holy placé where they sitte
>Al for to make her hertés flitte.
>
> >>
>
>But here is the passage as edited by G. C. Macaulay (Early English Text
>Society, 1901): vol.2, pp. 145-6:
>
><<
>
>And thus he loketh on the fleissh,
>Riht as an hauk which hath a sihte
>Upon the foul, ther he schal lihte;
>And as he were of faierie,
>He scheweth him tofore here yhe
>In holi place wher thei sitte,
>Al forto make here hertes flitte.
>
> >>
>
>There are various slight differences.
>
>So is it originally "a" or "of"? Maybe the OED folks know for sure, but I
>don't.
>
>-- Doug Wilson

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