oa Cent mille escus : Texts, Scribes, and Caron’s Investment in the Ma maistresse-Complex

Cent mille escus,ascribed to Caron in two of its many sources, has long attracted scholarly attention. Questions nevertheless persist concerning its authorship (there are conflicting attributions), the transmission of its music (distinct versions survive), and its poetic text (with the appearance of the Leuven Chansonnier there now exist three entirely different final stanzas—a possibly unique instance among songs of the period). New information is presented on all these issues. I offer reasons for accepting Caron’s authorship, pursue various implications of the song’s complex transmission, and point to musico-poetic links with other works, including Ockeghem’s Ma maistresse, that demonstrate how well-known songs could spark chains of reference and association beyond the realm of music.