Extract: the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and part of the Eighth

Psalm, about A.D. 1250.

"Fadir ur that es in hevene,
Halud be thi nam to nevene :
Thou do us thi rich rike:
Thi will on erd be wrought elk,
Als it es wrought in heven ay:
Ur ilk day brede give us to day:
Forgive thou all us dettes urs
Als we forgive till ur detturs:
And ledde us na in na fanding

But sculd us fra ivel thing."

"Hi true in God, fader hal-michttende, that makede heven and herdethe, and in Jhesu Krist, is anelepi sone, hure laverd, that was bigotin of the hali gast, and born of the mainden Marie, pinid under Punce Pilate, festened to the rode, ded and dulvun, licht in til helle, the thride dai up ras fra dede to live, stegh intil hevenne, sitis on is fadir richt hand, fadir alwaldand, he then sal cume to deme the quike and the dede. Hy troue hy theli gast, and heli kirke, the samninge of halghes, forgifnes of sinnes, uprisigen of fleyes, and life with-hutin hend. Amen."

Hence, the devotional style of the thirteenth century required about 198 common words to furnish 100 different words, and averaged about forty-six per cent, particles and forty-nine per cent, repetitions.

Extract from Robert of Gloucester's "Chronicle" (Vol. II., p.

550), a History of England, in Franco-English verse, beginning with fabulous times and ending at the death of Henry III., A.D. 1272:

"The erl of Gloucetre it bispek, so that there was

A parlement at Londone, to amendi suich trespas.
So that this tueie erles acorded were there,
That iremewed al clene the Frensse men were.

At Seint Hillari-tid this parlement was.

Ther was the erl of Ferers ibrouzt in hard cas.

Vor he hadde after the pais robberie iwrozt.

The king wolde in ech manere that he were to dethe ibrozt.

Sir Simon de Mountford wisliche dude inou.

Vor he wolde in either half rizt do, and no wou.

In the tour of Londone in prisoun he let him bringe,

For to saui is lif, and to paye the kinge.

Tho was the erl of Gloucetre anuid uor mani dede,

That he huld so prisons, al withoute is rede.

Vor suich man as he was, me tolde of him to lute,

And him thouzte, that ther was mid Sir Simon to gret prute.
And me sede he was adrad, that me him nome also
With treson, vor he was hext, and in prison him lete do.
Sir Jon Giffard tho verst aze Sir Simond turnde.
Vor he askede prisouns, that me mid rizte wurnde.
Vor he was him sulf at Lewes sone inome bi cas.
Ac Sir Willam Matrauers, a knizt that mid him was,
In the bataile suththe inome Sir Ranaud le fiz Peris,
And Sir Alein de la Souche, that Barons were iwis.
Ac he let hom suththe go, and Sir Reinaud was ther
In the bataile suththe inome, iarmed as he was er.
Sir Alein was ek inome in monkene wede
In the priorie suththe, arst he was in drede.

And vor Sir Willam Mantrauers hom let so quit gon,
Sir Simond nolde nouzt deliueri hom Sir Jon.
To the forest," &c.

Hence, Robert of Gloucester's style requires 267 common words to furnish 100 different words, and averages about fifty-three per cent. particles and sixty-three per cent. repetitions.

NOTE.-Thirty-two of the 100 words in this Table are now unchanged in English.