II. OF THE ENGLISHI AND PROSE In 1385, we have a specimen of an old Chro- CHAP. nicler's English, written in that year by Nich. Trevisa, in the Prologue to his translation of Higden's Poly- PROGRESS chronicon; which may be quoted not only for its contributing to mark the chronological progress of LANGUAGE our language, but also for the information 'which it affords on the decline of the French, and the ascendency of the English tongue." To this we may also add an extract from his translation of the sermon of the archbishop of Armagh, preached before the pope at Avignon in 1357. It was chiefly directed against the Mendicant Friars. The passage is interesting for its information, that at one time 30,000 scholars were studying at Oxford; and that the number had become reduced to 6,000. It also implies the endeavour of the friars to excel the other clergy in their libraries, and pupils. 28 "Children in scole agenst the usage and manir of all other nations beeth compelled for to leve hire owne langage, & for to construe hir lessons & hire thynges in Frensche; and so they haveth seethe Normans came first into Engelond-Also gentilmen children beeth taught to speke Frensche, from the tyme that they bith rokked in hire cradell and kunneth speke and play with a childes boche; and uplondissche men will likne himself to gentylmen, and fondith with greet besynesse for to speke Frensche to be told of. This maner was moche used to for first deth, and is sith some dele changed. For Iohn Cornewaile a maister of gram changed the lore in grammer scole and construction of Frensche into Englische and Richard Pencriche lernede the manere techynge of him, as other men of Pencriche. So that now the yere of oure Lord a thousand thre hundred and four score and five, and of the seconde kyng Richard after the Conquest nyne and [in] alle the grammere scoles of Engilond, children leveth Frensche and constrwth and learneth an Englische,' &c. Trevisa, Harl. MS. N° 1900. He dates the conclusion of his translation, 1387. 28 In attacking the Mendicant Orders, for seducing children from their parents, he says— 'Hereof cometh grete damage bothe to the peple and to the clergie also. To the peple, for many men for what thei loveth best in this worlde, that is her owne children. Also hit is grete damage to the clergie for now in the Universitees of the rewme of Englond: for children beth so ystole from her fadres and modres, lewed men in everiche place withholdeth her children, and sendeth hem nought to the Universite; for hem is lever make him erthe tilyers, and have hem, than sende hem to the Universite and lese hem. So that ghet in my tyme in the Universite of Oxenford VOL. V. GG BOOK IX. ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND PROSE COMPOSI- In 1386, we have a curious instance of the style of the London tradesmen, in the petition of the mercers company to the king in parliament." It were thritty thousand scholers at ones: and now beth unnethe sixe thousand. And me trowith that the grettist occasioun and cause why scholers beth so withdrawe; hit is for children beth so begiled and ystole. And y se noon gretter damage to al the clergie than in this damage. Also there is more grete damage that undoth and distruyeth the seculers of al maner faculte, for those ordres of beggers, for endeles wynnynges that thei geteth by beggyng of the forseide privyleges of schriftes and sepultures and othere; thei beth now so multiplyed in coventes and in persons, that many men tellith that in general studies unnethe is yfounde to sillying a profitable book of the faculte of art, of dyvynyte, of lawe canoun, of phisik, other of lawe civile, but alle bookes beth ybought of freres. So that in everich covent of freres is a noble librarie and a grete; and so that everich frere that hath state in scole siche as thei beth now, hath an huge librarye. And also y sent of my sugettes to scole thre or foure persons; and hit is seide me that somme of hem beth come home agen, for thei myght nought fynde to selle oon gode bible, nother othere covenable bookes, hith semeth that herof schuld come siche an ende that no clergie schuld leve in holy chirche, but oonlich in freres; and so the feith of holy chirche were loste but oonlich in freres.' 29 The first paragraphs of this petition are as follows: To the moost noble and worthiest Lordes, moest ryghtful and wysest Conseille to owre lige Lorde the Kynge, compleynen, if it lyke to yow, the folk of the Mercerye of London, as a membre of the same Citee, of many wronges subtiles, and also open oppressions, ydo to hem by longe tyme here before passed Of which oon was, where the eleccion of Mairaltie is to be to the fre men of the Citee, bi gode and paisible avys of the wysest and trewest, at o day in the yere frelich, there noughtwithstondyng the same fredam or fraunchise, Nichol Brembre wyth his upberers, pr'posed hym the yere next after John Northampton Mair of the same Citee, with stronge honde as it is ful knowen, and thourgh debate and strenger partye ageins the pees bifore purveyde was chosen Mair in destruccion of many ryght. For, in the same yere, the foresaid Nichol, withouten nede, ayein the pees, made dyverse enarmynges bi day and eke bi nyght, and destruyd the Kynges trewe lyges, som with open slaughtre, som bi false emprisonement and som fledde the Citee for feere, as it is openlich knowen. And so ferthermore, for to susteyne thise wronges, and many othere, the next yere after, the same Nichol ayeins the forsaide fredam and trewe cōes did crye openlich, that no man sholde come to chese her Mair, but such as were sompned, and tho that were sompned were of his ordynance and after his avys. And in the nyght next after folwynge, he did carye grete quantitee of armure to the Guyldehall, with which as wel straungers of the contree as othere of withinne were armed on the morwe, ayeins his own proclamacion, that was such that no man shulde be armed; and certein bushments were laide, that when free men of the Citee come to chese her Maire, breken up armed, cryinge with loud voice, Sle, Sle, folwing hem, wherthourgh the peple, for feere, fledde to houses, and other hidynges, as in londe of Werre adradde to be ded in cõe.' Plac. Parl. vol. 3. p. 225. II. shews that a good style was forming in the busy me- CHAP. tropolis, and is one of the earliest petitions from the city to the parliament, that history has preserved. 6 PROGRESS OF THE AND PROSE TION. In 1388, we have another indication of the style ENGLISH of the metropolis, in the sermons preached in that LANGUAGE year at St. Paul's Cross, by maister Thomas Wym- COMPOSIbilton.'30 They prove that the Anglo-Saxon was disused, and that our present English was substantially formed. Being addressed to a London audience, they may be presumed to be in the usual diction of those to whom they were repeated. They shew the increased cultivation which our old English was receiving. In the duke of Gloucester's written confession, taken in 1397, we have a specimen of the most polished style of the language at that period." As one 30 These are in MS. in the British Museum. For right as gee seen, that in the tiliying of the material vyne ther ben diverse labouris; for summe kutte awey the voide braunchies; summe maken forkis and railes to bere up the vynes; and summe diggen awey the olde eerthe from the roote and leven there fatter. And alle these officers ben so necessarie to the vyne, that gif ony of hem faile, it shal harme gretly or destroye the vyne. But the vyne be kut, it shal wexe wilde. But gif she be railed, she shal be overgoo with netles and weedis. But the roote be fattid with dunge, she for febilnesse shulde wexe bareyne. Rightsoo in the chirche been needful these thire officers. Preesthod, Knyghthod, and laboreris. To prestis it falleth, to kutte awey the voide braunches of synnes with the swerd of her tunge. To knyghtis it falleth, to lette wronges and theftis to be doo; and to mayntene Goddis lawe and hem that ben techers thereof; and also to keepe the londe fro enemyes of oothere londes. And to laboreris it falleth, to travaile bodily; and with her soor swet, gete out of the eerthe the bodily luflode, for hem and for oothere parties: and there statis ben also needful to the chirche, that noon may wel be withouten oothere: for gif preshod lackide, the peepil, for defaute of knowyng Goddis lawe, shulden wexe wilde on vices and dye goostli. And gif knyghthod lackede and men to rule the peepil bi lawe and hardnesse, theves and enemyes shulden so encrese, that no man shulde lyve in pees; and gif the laborers weren not, both preestis and knyghtis mosten ben acremen and herdis, and ellis they shulden for defaute of bodily sustenaunce dye.' Wymbilton's Sermon, MS. Bib. Reg. 18. A 17. 31 The duke, before he was murdered, delivered it written, be his own honde' to the commissioner, who transmitted it to Richard II. The first part, and the last paragraph, will be a sufficient specimen : 'I Thomas of Wodestok, the VIII day of Septembre, the zeer of my Lord the Kyng on and twenty, bi the vertue of a commission of my Lord IX. ENGLISH BOOK of the royal family, son of Edward III, and brother of the Black Prince, we have in his phrases an instance of the diction of an accomplished gentleman of his LANGUAGE day; yet it certainly has not the ease and merit of COMPOSII Some of the specimens which we have already adduced. It may have been the fashion to affect a style that should differ from the clear vulgar phrase. AND PROSE TION. The prose works of Chaucer claim to be noticed about this time. They are highly curious in many. respects. They not only shew the prose style of a highly cultivated mind and poet, but they are spe the Kyng the same zeer directid to William Rykhill Justice, the which is comprehendid more pleynly in the forseid commission, knowleche, that I was on wyth steryng of other men to assente to the makyng of a commission; In the which commission I amonges other restreyned my Lord of his freedom, and toke upon me amonge other, Power Reall, trewly naght know yng ne wytyng that tyme that I dede azeyns his estate ne his realte, as I dede after and do now. And forasmuche as I knew afterward that I hadde do wronge, and taken upon me more than me owght to do, I submettede to my Lord, and cryed hym mercy and grace, and zet do als lowlych and as mekely as any man may, and putte me heygh and lowe in his mercy and in his grace, as he that always hath ben ful of mercy and of grace to all other. Also, in that tyme that I came armed into my Lordes p'sence, and into his palais, howsoever that I dede it for drede of my lyf, I knowleche for certain that I dede evyll, and azeyns his regalie and his estate: Wherfor I subnett me lowly and mekely into his mercy and to his grace. Also, in that that I took my Lordes Ires of his messagers, and opened hem azeyns his leve, I knowleche that I dede evyll: Wherfor I putt me lowly in his grace. Also, in that that I sclaundred my Loord, I knowleche that I dede evyll and wykkedly, in that that I spake it unto hym in sclaunderouse wyse in audience of other folk. But by the wey that my sowle schall to, I mente none evyll therin. Nevertheles I wote and I knowleche that I dede evyll and unkunnyngelych: Wherfor I submett, me heygh and lowe in his grace. And therfor I beseche my lyege and souverayn Loord the Kyng, that he wyll of his heygh grace and benyngnytee accepte me to his mercy and his grace, as I that putt my lyf, my body, and my goode holy at his wyll, as lowlych, as mekelych as any creature kan do or may do to his lyege Loord. Besechyng to his heygh Lordeschippe, that he wyll, for the pas sion that God soffred for all mankynde, and the compassion that he hadde. of his Modir on the cros, and the pytie that he hadde of Marye Maudeleyne, that he wyll vouchesauf for to have compassion and pytie; and to accepte me unto his mercy and to his grace, as he that hathe ever bene ful of mercy and of grace to all his lyeges, and to all other that have naght bene so neygh unto hym as I have bene, thogh I be unworthy.' Plac. Parl. vol. 3. p. 379. II. ENGLISH cimens of the "straunge English" which some com- CHAP. plained of, and of that "ornate style," which he declares himself to have aimed at and valued. His PROGRESS "Testament of Love" is an instance, that scholars OF THE have sometimes spoiled language, instead of im- LANGUAGE proving it. But as it is of no use to perpetuate the memory of his defects, because, as it has been remarked before, the age is more influenced by an author's beauties than by his faults; some of the happier passages of this great poet's prose style, in this work, will be transcribed in the notes.32 There is at 32 O Glorye! glorye! thou art none other thinge to thousands of folke but a great sweller of eares A wise gentill heart looketh after vertue and none other bodily joies alone-Is there any thing to thee more precious than thyself-Thou shall have in thy power that, thou woldest never lose & that in no way may be taken fro thee-A squle dieth never. Virtue and goodnesse, evermore with the soule, endureth; & this knot is perfite blesse. Glorie of fame in this worlde, is not but hindering of glory in time comming. But if thou wolt make comparison to ever, what joy maiest thou have in yearthly name, it is a fair likenesse, a pees or one grayne of wheat, to a thousand ships full of corne charged. What nombre is betweene the one & the other? and yet mowe both they bee nombred, and end in reckenyng have. Every wight in soche yearthly weale habundaunt, is hold noble, precious, benigne & wise to doe what he shall, in any degree that menne him set, all be it that the soth be in the contrary of all tho thinges. But he that can never so well him behave & hath vertue habundaunt, in manyfold manners; & be not wealthed with soche yearthly goodes, is hold for a foole & saied his wit is but sotted. Gentilnesse in kindrede maken not gentil linage in succession, without desert of a mans owne selfe. Where is now the line of Alisaundre the noble, or els of Hector of Troie. Who is descended of right blood of lyne fro King Artour? Parde! Sir Perdicas whom that King Alisandre made to been his heyre in Greece, was of no Kinges blood, his dame was a tombistere. Of what kinred been the gentils in our days. I trowe therefore if any good be in gentilesse, it is onely that it seemeth a maner of necessite bee input to gentilmen that they shoulden not varien fro the vertues of their auncesters. Certes all manner linage of men ben evenliche in birth, for one father maker of all goodness enformed hem all, & all mortall folke of one seed are greyned. A wise gentill heart looketh after vertue and none other bodily joies alone. Lo how ye been confounded with errour and folly. The knowing of very cause and way is goodnesse and vertue. Is there any thing to thee more precious than thyself? Thou shalt have in thy power, that thou wouldest never lese & that in no way may be taken fro theeA soule dieth never. Vertue and goodnesse evermore with the soule AND PROSE TION. |