Me imette that mon me hof Uppen are halle. Tha halle ich gon bestriden, He bar an his honde And tha postes for-heou alle Tha seide Modred, Haue that! And Walwain gon to ualle, And seodthen ich heo adun sette And al mi uolc riche Sette to fleme, That nuste ich under Criste Whar heo bicomen weoren. Buten mi seolf ich gond atstonden And ich ther wondrien agon Ther ich isah gripes Tha com an guldene leo Tha vthen me hire binomen. I dreamt that men raised (set) me The hall I gan bestride, As if I would ride; All the lands that I possessed (had), A "battle "-axe (most) strong; Exceeding hardily; And the posts all hewed in pieces, There I saw Wenhaver eke (the queen), "Dearest of women to me" ; All the mickle hall roof And I tumbled to the ground, So that my right arm brake in pieces,- And Walwain gan to fall (was fallen), And I grasped my dear (good) sword And smote off Modred his head, So that it rolled on the field. And the queen I "cut all in pieces And afterwards I" set "her" down And all my good people Set to flight, So that I knew not under Christ, Where (that) they were gone. But myself I gan stand And fereden me to londe. And weri of soryen, and seoc. Of mine sweuene swithe ithoht; Wale that ich nabbe here And brought me to land ;- "And" weary" from sorrow," and (very) Greatly (then) gan I to quake; As if I all burnt with fire." For ever in my life Alas! that I have (had) not here 5. The Ormulum (Manual, p. 27). Nu, brotherr Wallterr, brotherr min Thurrh fulluhht and thurrh trowwthe; Thurrh thatt witt hafenn takenn ba Now, brother Walter, brother mine Through baptism and through truth; Though that we two have taken both Under canonic's (canon's) rank and life, I have done so as thou bade After that little wit that me C.-OLD ENGLISH, 1250-1350. 6. Proclamation of Henry III. in A.D. 1258. (From Marsh's Origin and History of the English Language, pp. 192, 193.) Henr', thurg Godes fultume King on Englencloande, lhoaverd on Irloand, duk' on Norm', on Aquitain', and eorl on Aniow, send igretinge to all hise halde ilaerde and ilaewede on Huntendon' schir'. Thaet witen ge wel alle, thaet we willen and unnen, thaet thaet ure raedesmen alle other the moare dael of heom, thaet beoth ichosen thurg us and thurg thaet loandes folk on ure kuneriche, habbeth idon and schullen don in the worthnesse of Gode and on ure treowthe for the freme of the loande thurg the besigte of than tofo Henry, by the grace of God king in (of) England, lord in (of) Ireland, duke in (of) Normandy, in (of) Aquitaine, and earl in (of) Anjou, sends greeting to all his lieges, clerk and lay, in Huntingdonshire. This know ye well all, that we wil. and grant that what our councillors, all or the major part of them, who are chosen by us and by the land's people in our kingdom, have done and shall do, to the honour of God and in allegiance to us, for the good of the land, by the ordinance of the aforesaid councillors, be stedfast and permanent in all reniseide redesmen, beo stedefaest and ilestinde in alle thinge a buten aende, and we hoaten alle ure treowe in the treowthe, that heo us ogen, thaet heo stedefaestliche healden and swerien to healden and to werien the isetnesses, thaet beon imakede and beon to makien thurg than toforeniseide raedesmen other thurg the moare dael of heom alswo alse hit is biforen iseid, and thaet aehc other helpe thaet for to done bi than ilche othe agenes alle men, rigt for to done and to foangen, and noan ne nime of loande ne of egte, wherethurg this besigte muge beon ilet other iwersed on onie wise and gif oni other onie cumen her ongenes, we willen and hoaten, thaet alle ure treowe heom healden deadliche ifoan, and for thaet we willen, thaet this beo stedefaest and lestinde, we senden gew this writ open iseined with ure seel to halden amanges gew ine hord. Witnesse usselven aet Lunden' thane egtetenthe day on the monthe of Octobr' in the two and fowertigthe geare of ure cruninge. And this wes idon aetforen ure isworene redesmen : [here follow the signatures of several redesmen or councillors] and aetforen othre moge. And al on tho ilche worden is isend in to aeurihce othre shcire ouer al thaere kuneriche on Engleneloande and ek in tel Irelonde. things, time without end, and we command all our lieges by the faith that they owe us, that they stedfastly hold, and swear to hold and defend the regulations that are made and to be made by the aforesaid councillors, or by the major part of them, as is before said, and that each help others this to do, by the same oath, against all men, right to do and to receive, and that none take of land or goods, whereby this ordinance may be let or impaired in any wise, and if any [sing.] or any [plural] transgress here against, we will and command that all our lieges them hold as deadly foes, and because we will that this be stedfast and permanent, we send you these letters patent sealed with our seal, to keep among you in custody. Witness ourself at London the eighteenth day in the month of October in the two and fortieth year of our coronation. And this was done before our sworn councillors: [Signatures] and before other nobles [?] And all in the same words is sent into every other shire over all the kingdom in (of) England and also into Ireland. 7. King Alisaunder (Manual, p. 28). (From Guest's History of English Rhythms, vol. ii. p. 142.) Averil is meory, and longith the day; The hote sunne chongeth the clay; April is merry, and length'neth the day; jay; The hot sun changeth the clay; 8. Havelok (Manual, p. 28). (From Guest's History of English Rhythms, vol. ii. pp. 142-145.) Hwan he was hosled and shriven, When he was housled and shriven, Speken, and gangen, on horse riden, Till hise sone mouthe bere Helm on heued, and leden ut here, To speak, and walk, and ride on horse, And said they, he might best them keep Till his son might bear Helm on head, and lead out host, And king of Denmark should be made. 1 This is clearly a mistake for here. 9. Robert of Gloucester (Manual, p. 27). Thuse come lo! Engelond into Normannes honde, And the Normans ne couthe speke tho And speke French as dude atom, and Thus came lo! England into Normans'hand. And the Normans not could speak then but their own speech, And spake French as (they) did at home, and their children did all so teach: So that high men of this land, that of their blood come, Holdeth alle thulke speche that hii of Hold all the same speech that they of hem nome. them took ; Vor bote a man couthe French me tolth For but a man know French men tell of hym wel lute; Ac lowe men holdeth to Englyss and to her kunde speche yute. Ich wene ther ne be man in world con treyes none (reckon) of him well little : But low men hold to English and to their natural speech yet. I wen there not be man in world countries none That ne holdeth to her kunde speche, That not holdeth to their natural speech bot Engelond one. Ac wel me wot vor to conne both wel yt ys; Vor the more that a man con, the more worth he ys. but England (al-) one. But well I wot for to know both well it is: For the more that a man knows, the more worth he is. 10. Robert Mannyng or Robert of Brunne (Manual, p. 27). Lordynges, that be now here, All the story of Inglande, Als Robert Mannyng wryten it fand, Lords, that be now here, As Robert Mannyng found it written, CHAPTER II. THE AGE OF CHAUCER. 11. The Vision of Piers Ploughmun, 1350 (Manual, p. 50). SATIRE OF LAWYERS. Yet hoved ther an hundred In howves 2 of selk, Sergeantz it bi-semed That serveden at the barre, Pleteden for penyes And poundes the lawe; And noght for love of our Lord Thow myghtest bettre meete myst Than gete a mom of hire mouth, Til moneie be shewed. 1 hoved, waited 2 howves, hoods or caps. 12. John Gower, d. 1408. Confessio Amantis (Manual, p. 51, TALE OF THE COFFERS OR CASKETS. From the Fifth Book. In a Cronique thus I rede: Aboute a king, as must nede, Ther was of knyghtès and squiers Some of long time him hadden served, And some also ben of the route, These oldè men upon this thing, seq.). |