Cr1.5.98KD.5.99 Betwene many and many , I make debate oft
W.5.99KD.5.99 ¶ Bitwene manye and manye . I make debate ofte W.5.99:nota
C.5.100KD.5.99 Bitwene many and many · I make debate ofte
R.5.100KD.5.99 By-twene mayne and mayneR.5.100:
The form mayne is the R scribe's spelling for meine,
"household" (see also R.16.247:). In F the a-verse
reads By-twixe hym & manye men; most beta manuscripts
have Bitwene many and many. Though MED lists the head form
as meine, OED notes that by the opening of the fifteenth
century the word was sometimes spelled many, which appears to have been
beta's intention. Its authenticity is also supported by a cognate line from the A version, where the phrase reads Betwyn hym & his meyne. I make debate ofte .