CHIASTIC STRUCTURE IN BRITISH LIBRARY MANUSCRIPT COTTON NERO A.x, Article 3 by DEBORAH LORENE–CHURCH MILLER (Under the direction of Dr. Christy Desmet) ABSTRACT In this dissertation I argue that the four poems appearing in the Cotton Nero A.x Manuscript have a discernable sequence, structural integrity, and rhetorical purpose: Together, the four poems constitute a Text. Instead of being a randomly bound, miscellaneous anthology of works by, perhaps, the same anonymous fourteenth–century alliterative poet, the Manuscript reveals a coherent discourse, sequenced in an orderly way to achieve a particular rhetorical purpose. The underlying “logic” of this sequence is peculiarly Medieval and, paradoxically, postmodern because it is based on a visually and aurally apprehended rhetorical scheme that relies on apposition. The apposition is materially and rhetorically elaborated by means of balanced numeration of lines, a transitional “hub,” and the placement of the poems and their illustrations in the volume itself. In this Manuscript, the sophisticated intertwining of themes, character types, and poetic styles operates within the rhetorical framework of a chiasmus. The failure to see or trust an integrating mechanism in the Cotton Nero A.x Manuscript can be accounted for in three ways. In Chapter One, I examine the historical neglect of those rhetorical figures classed as schemes, as opposed to tropes, particularly the scheme chiasmus. I conclude that chiasmus offers an excellent and frequently used means of organizing text, acting as visual and aural text marker that functions non– logically and non–hierarchically. In Chapter Two, I demonstrate how the Manuscript’s material and editorial histories have tended alternately to undermine or support the perception of the Manuscript as a Text. Chapter Three presents the critical fortunes of the four poems as authorless “orphans” and how the chiastic structure in Cotton Nero A.x, reveals the Text’s material and rhetorical boundaries and the poems’ collective “identity.” The Prologue to the third poem Patience acts as the open center of a four–part chiastic structure, a structure that is echoed in thematic and stylistic inversions that appear throughout the four poems. The Manuscript’s reliance on numerological strategies, the “bookending” effect of its illustrations, and the schematic effect of some of these images evince the poems’ material boundaries. INDEX WORDS: Chiasmus, Cotton Nero A.x Manuscript, Medieval literature, Pearl–poet, Gawain, Patience, Cleanness, Rhetorical figures, Rhetorical schemes. CHIASTIC STRUCTURE IN BRITISH LIBRARY MANUSCRIPT COTTON NERO A.x, Article 3 by DEBORAH LORENE–CHURCH MILLER B.S., Purdue University, 1976 M.A., The University of Georgia, 1990 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2002 © 2002 Deborah Lorene–Church Miller All Rights Reserved CHIASTIC STRUCTURE IN BRITISH LIBRARY MANUSCRIPT COTTON NERO A.x, Article 3 by DEBORAH LORENE–CHURCH MILLER Approved: Major Professor: Christy Desmet Committee: John Vance William Provost Jonathan Evans Michael Moran Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia December 2002 DEDICATION to Lois Anne Denton Church 11/4/1919 — 10/28/1989 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Committee Chair & Major Professor, Christy Desmet: My advocate with the fierce editorial hand. Without nagging, without despairing, without coddling, without evaluation, but with active, constant, loyal Patience.Committee member and Major Professor for MA, William Provost: A Pearl. For reading every word and for making us read every word. Without whom it would not have been.Committee member: Mike Moran: For handling administrative details with aplomb and Cleanness. Committee members John Evans and John Vance: the two Gawains for their lovely courtesy. John V. for modestly, happily, and politely noting that a “handbook” is usually somewhat smaller than a breadbox, and John E., for a proper sherry toast. Dean, Thomas Hodler: The Green Knight, for a good lesson in grace and obedience, and just “a nick on the neck.” The Princess Kathy Houff: Eleven years, same building, new office, friend, boss, colleague— we are pioneers.The Lady Jane Barroso: For inspiration, perspective and the “wisdom to know the difference.” Walter Gordon: For St. Augustine. Judy Shaw: For Manuscripts Students’ room and Bodleian library cards, and 2 months in a room with a view. Malcolm Parkes: For a kindly and generous tutorial in manuscript paleography, an interview with Pam Richardson, and a day with Cotton Nero A.x in the spring of 1995. Laura Moll, Nina Shubert, and Lee Ann Pingle: For copious, careful, and/or crucial computer aid. For contributing in many different ways: Sandy, Ginny, Margaret, Dolores, Rosemary, Debbie, Toni,Wanda, Dana, Nina S., Sally, Jen, David, Morgan, Nina C., Ron, Rebecca, v Alice, George, Steve, Eric, Tamela, RuthElizabeth, Cathleen, Cassandra, Paige, Betsy, Rochelle, JoAnn, Eleanor, Will, Mark, Esther, Hilah, Dudley. And, I would like to acknowledge the support of my family. To Mom, who took me to the library every week and whose spirit has been watching over me.To Dad, for remembering the apple cakes and Snitzy for helping him.To Doug, for teaching me to argue and Kathy for being my own Hestia.To Anne, for telling me stories and the truth.To Pat, for beating up that boy next door and faithful love. To my children who have lived with this project for a generous portion of their lives: Maggie, who gave me the single best piece of advice for my oral exams, “Mom, just pretend like they really want to know the answers!”; Allison, who repeatedly pronounces me “brilliant,” forgives all my shortcomings, and makes great oriental chicken; and to Chris who has made me laugh on particularly gloomy mornings—“let us be as they say, Less Miserable-es.” I, of course, acknowledge every error and oversight as my own. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..……………………………………………………………….v INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 THE CHIASMUS AS SCHEME AND FIGURE................................................. 12 Introduction: Chiasmus as a Master Scheme.................................................. 12 Current Views of Chiasmus: Definitions, Problems, Partial Solutions .......... 20 Conclusion: Chiasmus in Theory.................................................................... 57 2 BRITISH LIBRARY MANUSCRIPT COTTON NERO A.x, ARTICLE 3: HABEAS CORPUS................................................................................................ 69 The Foster Families: Madden, Savile, Cotton ................................................ 72 3 READING BRITISH LIBRARY COTTON NERO A.x, ARTICLE 3 AS A TEXT: THE IMPORTANCE OF “PATIENCE” ............................................... 136 Setting the Author Aside............................................................................... 136 Getting Back to the Medieval Text............................................................... 153 APPENDIX A: DATES OF PUBLICATIONS OF EDITIONS AND SELECTED CRITICAL MATERIAL .................................................................................... 183 APPENDIX B: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION FROM BRETT DOLMAN, BRITISH LIBRARY .......................................................................................... 191 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................... 193 vii INTRODUCTION I was introduced to the four untitled poems (now entitled Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) that are contained in the British Library’s Cotton Nero A.x Manuscript, Article 31 during a seminar in 1989. Only vaguely 1 Up until 1964, the Cotton Nero A.x Manuscript contained, as will be discussed in Chapter Two, two “unrelated” works, two Latin theological treatises which book–ended the four–poem Pearl–manuscript. In 1964, the Pearl–manuscript was rebound separately, and the addition of “Art. 3” to the catalogue citation reflects that change (Moorman 10). The Manuscript is also identified by the British Library code “Cott 60110.” However, the Pearl–manuscript is still often, perhaps usually, referred to as British Library Manuscript Cotton Nero A.x, but it goes by many other names. When referring to the four poems collectively, I generally use the name Pearl–manuscript or just the Manuscript, and, occasionally, Nero A.x. Other writers call the collection, the Gawain–poems, the Pearl– poems, the Gawain–manuscript, the Poems of the Pearl–manuscript, or repeat the names of the four poems with the disclaimer “usually entitled” or “editorially titled.” Variations in spelling of the titles are prevalent (e.g., Green Knight, Grene KnyZt, Grene Gome) and sometimes the poem Cleanness is entitled Purity. You will also see “BM Cotton Nero A.x MS” and “BL Cotton Nero A.x MS” depending on dates of publication because the “British Museum library” became the “British Library” in 1973 when the Library was aware that Gawain was part of a manuscript containing other poems, I had only the haziest of notions about the role of manuscripts, editors, and publishers behind the works I had been reading — a situation the seminar was designed to remedy. At first, the class was using Charles Moorman’s 1977 edition, The Works of the Gawain–Poet, but most