The testament of william thorpe was published around 1530 as an appendix to thorpe's longer examination. many scholars, however, doubt the attribution of the testament to thorpe because, whereas the examination is dated 1406, the testament is dated 1460. one scholar has recently argued that the 1460 date be amended to 1409, based on the observation that when these numbers are expressed as roman numerals, mlx and mix, it becomes easy to see how the dates might have become confused through scribal error.
which of the following, if true, would most support the scholar's hypothesis concerning the date of the testament?
(a) the sole evidence that historians have had that william thorpe died no earlier than 1460 was the presumed date of publication of the testament.
(b) in the preface to the 1530 publication, the editor attributes both works to william thorpe.
(c) few writers in fifteenth-century england marked dates in their works using only roman numerals.
(d) the testament alludes to a date, "friday, september 20," as apparently contemporaneous with the writing of the testament, and september 20 fell on a friday in 1409 but not in 1460.
(e) the testament contains few references to historical events that occurred later than 1406.