All the company enclin{et} cair{yn} to ship;
Cach{yn} in cables, knyt up _hor_ ancres,
Sesit vp _hor_ sailes in a sad hast;
_Richet_ þere rapes, rapit unto see.
Hokit out of hauyn, all the hepe somyn,
_Hade bir at hor bake_, blawen to þe depe;
Sail{yn} forthe _soberly_, somyn but a while,
Noght fyftene forlong fairly to the end.
. . . . . . . . . . .
When sodenly the softe aire _unsoberly_ rose;
The cloudis overcast, _claterrit_ aboute;
Wyndes full wodely _walt_ up the ythes;
Wex _merke_ as the mydnighte mystes full thicke:
Thunret in the _thestur throly_ with all;
With a _launchant laite_ lightonyd the water;
And a _ropand_ rayne _raiked_ fro the heuyn.
The storme was full stithe with mony stout windes,
Hit _walt_ up the wilde se vppon wan hilles.
The ffolke was so ferd, that _on flete_ were,
All drede for to drowne with dryft of the se;
And in perell were put all the proude kynges. --(p. 150.)
[Footnote 1: Edited by Sir Frederic Madden for the Bannatyne Club,
under the title of “Syr Gawayn and the Grene Knyȝt,” and by me for
the Early English Text Soc., 1865.]
[Footnote 2: Wyntown nowhere asserts that Huchowne is a
Scotchman.]
[Footnote 3: Edited for E. E. T. Soc. by Rev. G. G. Perry, M.A.]
[Footnote 4: This is evident from the following particulars:--
I. In old Scotch manuscripts we find the guttural _gh_ (or ȝ)
represented by _ch_; thus, _aght_, _laght_, _saght_, _wight_, are
the English forms which, in the Scotch orthography, become _aucht_
(owed), _laucht_ (seized), _saucht_ (peace), _wicht_ (active). It
is the former orthography, however, that prevails in the Morte
Arthure.
II. We miss the Scotch use of (1) _-is_ or _-ys_, for _-es_ or
_-s_, in the plural number, and of possessive cases of nouns, and
in the person endings of the present tense indicative mood of
verbs; (2) _-it_ or _-yt_, for _-ed_ or _-d_, in the preterites or
passive participles of regular verbs.
III. There is a total absence of the well-known Scotch forms
_begouth_ (began), _sa_ (so), _sic_ (such), _throuch_, _thorow_
(through). Instead of these _bigan_, _so_, _syche_, _thrughe_
(_thurgh_) are employed. See Preface to Hampole’s Pricke of
Conscience, pp. vii, viii.]
[Footnote 5: This is shown by the frequent employment of _-es_ as
the person ending of the verb in the present tense, plural number.
The corresponding Southern verbal inflexion _-eth_ _never_ occurs;
while the Midland _-en_ is only occasionally met with in the third
person plural present, and has been introduced by a later copyist.
There are other characteristics, such as the predominance of words
containing the A.S. long _a_; as _hame_ (home), _stane_ (stone),
_thra_ (bold), _walde_ (would), etc.; the frequent use of _thir_
(these), _tha_ (the, those), etc.]
[Footnote 6: The peculiarities referred to do not appear to be
owing to the copyist of the Lincoln manuscript (Robert de
Thornton, a native of Oswaldkirk in Yorkshire), who, being a
Northumbrian, would probably have restored the original readings.
The non-Northumbrian forms in the Morte Arthure are-- 1. The
change of _a_ into _o_, as _bolde_ for _balde_, _bote_ for _bate_,
_one_ for _ane_, _honde_ for _hande_, _londe_ for _lande_;
2. _they_, _theyre_, _them_, _theym_, for _thay_, _thaire_,
_tham_; 3. _gayliche_, _kindliche_, _semlyche_, etc., for _gayly_,
_kindly_, _seemly_, etc. (the termination _lich_, _liche_, was
wholly unknown to the Northumbrian dialect, being represented by
_ly_ or _like_); 4. _churle_, _churche_, _iche_, _mache_, _myche_,
_syche_, _wyrche_, etc., for _carle_, _kirke_, _ilk_, _make_,
_mykelle_, _swilk_, _wyrk_, etc.; 5. infinitives in _-en_, as
_drenschen_, _schewenne_, _wacchenne_, etc.; 6. the use of _eke_,
_thos_, for _als_ (_alswa_), _thas_; 7. the employment of _aye_
for _egg_. The former word _never_ occurs in any pure Northumbrian
work, while the latter is seldom met with in any Southern
production.]
[Footnote 7: The poems are _Northern_ in contradistinction to
_Southern_, but they are not Northern or Northumbrian in
contradistinction to _Midland_.]
[Footnote 8: Printed by Mr. D. Laing in his “Inedited Pieces,”
from a MS. of Mr. Heber’s. Other copies are in the Vernon MS., and
Cotton Calig. A. ii.; the latter imperfect.]
[Footnote 9: Other specimens of this dialect will doubtless turn
up. Mr. Brock has found a MS. in British Museum (Harl. 3909) with
most of the peculiarities pointed out by me in the preface to the
present work, and I believe that this dialect was probably a
flourishing one in the 13th century. See O.E. Homilies, p. li.]
[Footnote 10: (1) _en_ as the inflexion of the pres. tense pl.,
indic. mood of verbs; (2) _s_ in the second and third pers. sing.
of verbs; (3) _ho_ = she; (4) _hit_ = its; (5) _tow_ = two;
(6) _deȝter_ = daughters, etc.]
[Footnote 11: See p. 36, ll. 1052-1066; p. 37, ll. 1074-1089; pp.
161-162, ll. 4956-4975.]
[Footnote 12: See pp. 25, 26 (Jason’s unfaithfulness); pp. 74, 75,
ll. 2241-2255; p. 75, ll. 2256-2263; p. 69, ll. 2267-2081; p. 158,
ll. 4839-4850; p. 189, ll. 4881-4885; p. 165, ll. 5078-5086, etc.]
[Footnote 13: In the Harl. MS. 3909, nearly all the p. part. and
preterites end in _-et_ (_-ut_ and _-et_ occur in Romances ed. by
Robson).]
[Footnote 14: This seems to furnish an etymology for _Clent_
Hills, Worcestershire--_brent_ is the term employed in
Alliterative.]
The poems in the present volume, three in number, seem to have been
written for the purpose of enforcing, by line upon line and precept upon
precept, Resignation to the will of God; Purity of life as manifested in
thought, word, and deed; Obedience to the Divine command; and Patience
under affliction.
In the first poem, entitled by me “_The Pearl_”, the author evidently
gives expression to his own sorrow for the loss of his infant child, a
girl of two years old, whom he describes as a
Perle plesaunte to prynces paye
_Pearl pleasant to princes’ pleasure,_
To clanly clos in golde so clere
_Most neatly set in gold so clear._
Of her death he says:
Allas! I leste hyr in on erbere
_Alas! I lost her in an arbour,_
Þurȝ gresse to grounde hit fro me yot
_Through grass to ground it from me got._ --(p. 1.)
The writer then represents himself as visiting his child’s grave (or
arbour) in the “high season of August,” and giving way to his grief
(p. 2). He falls asleep, and in a dream is carried toward a forest,
where he saw rich rocks gleaming gloriously, hill sides decked with
crystal cliffs, and trees the leaves of which were as burnished silver.
The gravel under his feet was “precious pearls of orient,” and birds “of
flaming hues” flew about in company, whose notes were far sweeter than
those of the cytole or gittern (guitar) (p. 3). The dreamer arrives at
the bank of a stream, which flows over stones (shining like stars in the
welkin on a winter’s night) and pebbles of emeralds, sapphires, or other
precious gems, so
Þat all the loȝe lemed of lyȝt
_That all the deep gleamed of light,_
So dere watȝ hit adubbement
_So dear was its adornment._ --(p. 4.)
Following the course of the stream, he perceives on the opposite side a
crystal cliff, from which was reflected many a “royal ray” (p. 5).
At þe fote þer-of þer sete a faunt
_At the foot thereof there sat a child,_
A mayden of menske, ful debonere
_A maiden of honour, full debonnair;_
Blysnande whyt watȝ hyr bleaunt
_Glistening white was her robe,_
(I knew hyr wel, I hade sen hyr ere)
_(I knew her well, I had seen her before)_
At glysnande golde þat man con schore
_As shining gold that man did purify,_
So schon þat schene an-vnder schore
_So shone that sheen (bright one) on the opposite shore;_
On lenghe I loked to hyr þere
_Long I looked to her there,_
Þe lenger I knew hyr more & more
_The longer I knew her, more and more._ --(pp. 6, 7.)
The maiden rises, and, proceeding along the bank of the stream,
approaches him. He tells her that he has done nothing but mourn for the
loss of his Pearl, and has been indeed a “joyless jeweller” (p. 8).
However, now that he has found his Pearl, he declares that he is no
longer sorrowful, but would be a “joyful jeweller” were he allowed to
cross the stream (p. 8). The maiden blames her father for his rash
speech, tells him that his Pearl is not lost, and that he cannot pass
the stream till after death (p. 10). The dreamer is in great grief; he
does not, he says, care what may happen if he is again to lose his
Pearl. The maiden advises him to bear his loss patiently, and to abide
God’s doom (p. 11). She describes to him her blissful state in heaven,
where she reigns as a queen (p. 12). She explains to him that Mary is
the Empress of Heaven, and all others kings and queens (p. 13). The
parable of the labourers in the vineyard[15] (pp. 15-18) is then
rehearsed at length, to prove that “innocents” are admitted to the same
privileges as are enjoyed by those who have lived longer upon the earth
(p. 18). The maiden then speaks to her father of Christ and his one
hundred and forty thousand brides (p. 24), and describes their blissful
state (p. 26). She points out to him the heavenly Jerusalem, which was
“all of bright burnished gold, gleaming like glass” (p. 29). Then the
dreamer beholds a procession of virgins going to salute the Lamb, among
whom he perceives his “little queen” (p. 33). On attempting to cross the
stream to follow her, he is aroused from his dream (p. 35), laments his
rash curiosity in seeking to know so much of God’s mysteries, and
declares that man ever desires more happiness than he has any right to
expect (p. 35).
[Footnote 15: Matthew, chapter xx.]
The second poem, entitled “_Cleanness_,” is a collection of Biblical
stories, in which the writer endeavours to enforce Purity of Life, by
showing how greatly God is displeased at every kind of impurity, and how
sudden and severe is the punishment which falls upon the sinner for
every violation of the Divine law.
After commending cleanness and its “fair forms,” the author relates (I.)
The Parable of the Marriage Feast (p. 39); (II.) the Fall of the Angels
(p. 43); (III.) The wickedness of the antediluvian world (p. 44),
He watȝ famed for fre þat feȝt loued best
_He was famous as free that fight loved best,_
& ay þe bigest in bale þe best watȝ halden
_And ever the biggest in sin the best was held;_ (p. 45.)
(IV.) The destruction of mankind by the Flood. When all were safely
stowed in the ark,
Thenne sone com þe seuenþe day, when samned wern alle
_Then soon came the seventh day when assembled were all,_
& alle woned in þe whichche þe wylde & þe tame.
_And all abode in the ark (hutch), the wild and the tame._
Þen bolned þe abyme & bonkeȝ con ryse
_Then swelled the abyss and banks did rise,_
Waltes out vch walle-heued, in ful wode stremeȝ
_Bursts out each well-head in full wild streams,_
Watȝ no brymme þat abod vnbrosten bylyue
_There was no brim (stream) that abode unburst by then,_
Þe mukel lauande loghe to þe lyfte rered
_The much (great) flowing deep (loch) to the loft (sky) reared._
Mony clustered clowde clef alle in clowteȝ
_Many a clustering cloud cleft all in clouts (pieces),_
To-rent vch a rayn-ryfte & rusched to þe vrþe
_Rent was each a rain-rift and rushed to the earth;_
Fon neuer in forty dayeȝ, & þen þe flod ryses
_Failed never in forty days, and then the flood rises,_
Ouer-walteȝ vche a wod and þe wyde feldeȝ
_Over-flows each wood and the wide fields;_
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Water wylger ay wax, woneȝ þat stryede
_Water wildly ever waxed, abodes that destroyed,_
Hurled in-to vch hous, hent þat þer dowelled
_Hurled into each house, seized those that there dwelt._
Fyrst feng to þe flyȝt alle þat fle myȝt
_First took to flight all that flee might,_
Vuche burde with her barne þe byggyng þay leueȝ
_Each bride (woman) with her bairn their abode they leave,_
& bowed to þe hyȝ bonk þer brentest hit wern
_And hied to the high bank where highest it were,_
& heterly to þe hyȝe hilleȝ þay [h]aled on faste
_And hastily to the high hills they rushed on fast;_
Bot al watȝ nedleȝ her note, for neuer cowþe stynt
_But all was needless their device, for never could stop_
Þe roȝe raynande ryg [&] þe raykande waweȝ
_The rough raining shower and the rushing waves,_
Er vch boþom watȝ brurd-ful to þe bonkeȝ eggeȝ
_Ere each bottom (valley) was brim-ful to the banks’ edges,_
& vche a dale so depe þat demmed at þe brynkeȝ
_And each dale so deep that dammed at the brinks._ --(pp. 47, 48).
The ark is described as “heaved on high with hurling streams.”
Kest to kyþeȝ vncouþe þe clowdeȝ ful nere
_Cast to kingdoms uncouth the clouds ful near,_
Hit waltered on the wylde flod, went as hit lyste
_It tossed on the wild flood, went as it list,_
Drof vpon þe depe dam, in daunger hit semed
_It drove upon the deep dam, in danger it seemed,_
With-outen mast, oþer myke, oþer myry bawe-lyne
_Without mast, or mike,[16] or merry bow-line,_
Kable, oþer capstan to clyppe to her ankreȝ
_Cable or capstan to clip to their anchors,_
Hurrok, oþer hande-helme hasped on roþer
_Oar or hand-helm hooked on rudder,_
Oþer any sweande sayl to seche after hauen
_Or any swinging sail to seek after haven,_
Bot flote forthe with þe flyt of þe felle wyndeȝ
_But floated forth with the force of the fell winds._
Wheder-warde so þe water wafte, hit rebounde
_Whither-ward so (as) the water waft, it rebounded,_
Ofte hit roled on-rounde & rered on ende
_Oft it rolled around and reared on end,_
Nyf our lorde hade ben her lodeȝ-mon hem had lumpen harde
_Had our Lord not been their (pilot) leader hardship had befallen
them._ --(p. 49.)
(V.) The Visit of Three Angels to Abraham (p. 54).
(VI.) The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (pp. 64, 65), including a
description of the Dead Sea, the tarn (lake) of traitors (p. 66).
(VII.) The invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (p. 71), and the
captivity of Judah (p. 74).
The following is a paraphrase of the fourth and fifth verses in the
twenty-fifth chapter of the second book of Kings.[17]
Þenne þe kyng of þe kyth a counsayl hym takes
_Then the king of the kingdom a counsel him takes,_
Wyth þe best of his burnes, a blench for to make
_With the best of his men a device for to make;_
Þay stel out on a stylle nyȝt er any steuen rysed
_They stole out on a still night ere any sound arose,_
& harde hurles þurȝ þe oste, er enmies hit wyste
_And hard hurled through the host, ere enemies it wist,_
Bot er þay at-wappe ne moȝt þe wach wyth oute
_But ere they could escape the watch without,_
Hiȝe skelt watȝ þe askry þe skewes an-vnder
_High scattered was the cry, the skies there under,_
Loude alarom vpon launde lulted was þenne
_Loud alarm upon land sounded was then;_
Ryche, ruþed of her rest, ran to here wedes,
_Rich (men) roused from their rest, ran to their weeds,_
Hard hattes þay hent & on hors lepes
_Kettle hats they seized, and on horse leap;_
Cler claryoun crak cryed on-lofte
_Clear clarion’s crack cried aloft._
By þat watȝ alle on a hepe hurlande swyþee
_By that (time) was all on a heap, hurling fast,_
Folȝande þat oþer flote, & fonde hem bilyue
_Following that other fleet (host), and found them soon,_
Ouer-tok hem, as tyd,[18] tult hem of sadeles
_Over-took them in a trice, tilted them off saddles,_
Tyl vche prynce hade his per put to þe grounde
_Till each prince had his peer put to the ground;_
& þer watȝ þe kyng kaȝt wyth calde prynces
_And there was the king caught with crafty princes,_
& alle hise gentyle for-iusted on Ierico playnes
_And all his nobles vanquished on Jericho’s plains._ --(pp. 71, 72.)
(VIII.) Belshazzar’s impious feast (pp. 76-80), and the handwriting upon
the wall (pp. 80, 81).
In þe palays pryncipale vpon þe playn wowe
_In the palace principal upon the plain wall,_
In contrary of þe candelstik þat clerest hit schyned
_Opposite to the candlestick that clearest there shone._
Þer apered a paume, with poyntel in fyngres
_There appeared a palm with a pointel in its fingers,_
Þat watȝ grysly & gret, & grymly he wrytes
_That was grisly and great, and grimly it writes,_
None oþer forme bot a fust faylaynde þe wryst
_None other form but a fist failing the wrist_
Pared on þe parget, purtrayed lettres
_Pared on the plaister, pourtrayed letters._
When þat bolde Baltaȝar blusched to þat neue
_When that bold Belshazzar looked to that fist,_
Such a dasande drede dusched to his hert
_Such a dazzling dread dashed to his heart._
Þat al falewed his face & fayled þe chere
_That all paled his face and failed the cheer;_
Þe stronge strok of þe stonde strayned his ioyntes
_The strong stroke of the blow strained his joints,_
His cnes cachcheȝ to close & cluchches his hommes
_His knees catch to close, and he clutches his hams,_
& he with plat-tyng his paumes displayes his lers[19]
_And he with striking his palms displays his fears,_
& romyes as a rad ryth þat roreȝ for drede
_And howls as a frightened hound that roars for dread,_
Ay biholdand þe honde til hit hade al grauen,
_Ever beholding the hand till it had all graven,_
& rasped on þe roȝ woȝe runisch saueȝ
_And rasped on the rough wall uncouth saws (words)._
(IX.) The story of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and its punishment (pp. 84,
85), and the interpretation of the handwriting by Daniel (p. 86).
(X.) The invasion of Babylon by the Medes (pp. 87, 88).
Baltaȝar in his bed watȝ beten to deþe
_Belshazzar in his bed was beaten to death,_
Þat boþe his blood & his brayn blende on þe cloþes
_That both his blood and his brains blended on the clothes;_
Þe kyng in his cortyn watȝ kaȝt by þe heles
_The king in his curtain was caught by the heels,_
Feryed out bi þe fete & fowle dispysed
_Ferried out by the feet and foully despised;_
Þat watȝ so doȝty þat day & drank of þe vessayl
_He that was so doughty that day and drank of the vessels,_
Now is a dogge also dere þat in a dych lygges
_Now is as dear (valuable) as a dog that in a ditch lies._ --(p. 88.)
[Footnote 16: See Glossary.]
[Footnote 17: “4. And the city was broken up, and all the men of
war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which
is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city
round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
“5. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and
overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were
scattered from him.”]
[Footnote 18: Immediately.]
[Footnote 19: ? feres.]
The third poem, entitled “_Patience_,” is a paraphrase of the book of
Jonah. The writer prefaces it with a few remarks of his own in order to
show that “patience is a noble point though it displease oft.”
The following extract contains a description of the sea-storm which
overtook Jonah:--
Anon out of þe norþ est þe noys bigynes
_Anon out of the north east the noise begins,_
When boþe breþes[20] con blowe vpon blo watteres
_When both breezes did blow upon blue waters:_
Roȝ rakkes þer ros with rudnyng an-vnder
_Rough clouds there arose with lightning there under,_
Þe see souȝed ful sore, gret selly to here
_The sea sobbed full sore, great marvel to hear;_
Þe wyndes on þe wonne water so wrastel togeder,
_The winds on the wan water so wrestle together,_
Þat þe wawes ful wode waltered so hiȝe
_That the waves full wild rolled so high,_
& efte busched to þe abyme þat breed fyssches
_And again bent to the abyss that bred fishes;_
Durst nowhere for roȝ arest at þe bothem.
_Durst it nowhere for roughness rest at the bottom._
When þe breth & þe brok & þe bote metten
_When the breeze and the brook and the boat met,_
Hit watȝ a ioyles gyn þat Ionas watȝ inne
_It was a joyless engine that Jonah was in,_
For hit reled on round vpon þe roȝe yþes
_For it reeled around upon the rough waves._
Þe bur ber to hit baft þat braste alle her gere
_The bore (wave) bear to it abaft that burst all her gear,_
Þen hurled on a hepe þe helme & þe sterne
_Then hurled on a heap the helm and the stern,_
Furste to murte[21] mony rop & þe mast after
_First marred[21] many a rope and the mast after._
Þe sayl sweyed on þe see, þenne suppe bihoued
_The sail swung on the sea, then sup behoved_
Þe coge of þe colde water, & þenne þe cry ryses
_The boat of the cold water, and then the cry rises;_
Ȝet coruen þay þe cordes & kest al þer-oute
_Yet cut they the cords and cast all there-out._
Mony ladde þer forth-lep to laue & to kest
_Many a lad there forth leapt to lave and to cast,_
Scopen out þe scaþel water, þat fayn scape wolde
_To scoop out the scathful water that fain escape would;_
For be monnes lode neuer so luþer, þe lyf is ay swete
_For be man’s lot never so bad, the life is aye sweet._ --(p. 93.)
The writer, in concluding the story of Jonah, exhorts his readers to be
“patient in pain and in joy.”
For he þat is to rakel to renden his cloþeȝ,
Mot efte sitte with more vn-sounde to sewe hem togeder.
_For he that is too rash to rend his clothes,
Must afterwards sit with more unsound (worse ones)
to sew them together._ (p. 104.)
[Footnote 20: Eurus and Aquilo.]
[Footnote 21: ? = to-marte.]
This brief outline of the poems, together with the short extracts from
them, will, it is hoped, give the reader stomach to digest the whole. It
is true that they contain many “uncouth” terms; but this will be their
highest merit with the student of language, as is shown, by Dr. Guest’s
testimony, that they are “for several reasons curious, and especially so
to the philologist.”[22] To those readers who do not appreciate the
importance of such a very large addition to the vocabulary of our Early
Language as is made by these treatises, let Sir Frederic Madden’s
opinion of their literary merit suffice. That distinguished editor says,
of the author’s “poetical talent, the pieces contained in the MS. afford
unquestionable proofs; and the description of the change of the seasons,
the bitter aspect of winter, the tempest which preceded the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the sea storm occasioned by the wickedness of
Jonas, _are equal to any similar passages_ in Douglas or Spenser.”[23]
Moreover, as to the hardness of the language--inasmuch as the subject
matter of the poem will be familiar to all who may take up the present
volume, the difficulty on the word-point will not be such as to deter
the reader from understanding and appreciating the production of an old
English poet, who--though his very name, unfortunately, has yet to be
discovered--may claim to stand in the foremost rank of England’s early
bards.
The Editor of the present volume has endeavoured to do justice to his
author by giving the text, with some few exceptions, as it stands in the
manuscript.[24] The contractions of the scribe have been expanded and
printed in italics, a plan which he hopes to see adopted in every future
edition of an early English author.
The Glossary has been compiled not only for the benefit of the reader,
but for the convenience of those who are studying the older forms of our
language, and who know how valuable a mere index of words and references
sometimes proves.
In conclusion, I take the present opportunity of acknowledging the kind
assistance of Sir Frederic Madden and E. A. Bond, Esq., of the British
Museum, who, on every occasion, were most ready to render me any help in
deciphering the manuscript, in parts almost illegible, from which the
poems in the present volume are printed.
[Footnote 22: History of English Rhythms, vol. i. p. 159.]
[Footnote 23: Syr Gawayn, ed. Madden, p. 302.]
[Footnote 24: Wherever the Text has been altered, the reading of
the MS. will be found in a foot-note.]