If the following "Notes" do not demand too much of your valuable space,
they may possibly interest the philological reader, and elicit a number
of learned illustrations. They are drawn from a MS. belonging to this
University (Dd. I. 1.), of which the main part is a course of _metrical_
sermons upon the Gospels throughout the year. The author of most, if not
all, of the pieces, was the famous solitary, Richard Rolle, of Hampole,
near Doncaster, who died in 1348.
1. The first sample I shall give is a curious illustration of the way in
which the preachers of that age were wont to represent the harshness of
the great in their dealings with the poor:
"For wiþ ensample may we se,
Þ't al þis world is but as þe se
Þ't bremli bariþ on banke wiþ bale,
And grete fischis etin þerin þe smale.
For riche men of þis world ete
Þ't pore men wiþ traueyle gete:
For wiþ pore men fariþ þe king
Riht as þe hal wiþ þe hering,
Riht as þe sturgeoun etiþ _merling_
And _lobkeling_ etiþ _spirling_,
So stroyen more men þe lesse
Wiþ worldis wo and wrongwisnesse,
All þ'e ska þe þt lesse sufferin of more
Smytiþ as storm of þe se ful sore."
Pp. 115, 116.
2. The word _keling_ (cod-fish) occurs again in the following passage,
where the subject of the preacher is the Incarnation of our Lord:
"For right as bayt þe hok heliþ
And so þe gredi keling teliþ,
so telid Ih[=u]s wiþ flesch & blode
_Gormond_ þe _gredi_ on þe rode:
Gormond þe gredi I him calle
Þt swelewiþ synful soulis alle,
Þt neuer is ful but euer redi
To ha[=u]se hem as _Gawen gredi_.
Þis Gaweyn was hirchid on a hoke
Þat flesch & bold on Marie toke
for hirching þe bodi slas
And so slow Ih[=e] Salhanas."--P. 193.
3. At p. 352. a rebuke is administered to the _gourmet_ in the following
terms:
"Þat oþer gostli ydropicy
Is called on Englisch gloteny,
þ't mekil is vsed wiþ these burgese,
þt lyue mekil at hir owne ese.
þei gar (i.e. _cause to_) seke þ'e cuntre thorw,
Boþe oplond and in borw,
Riche metis for to bye,
Summe to bake and summe to frye:
Al schal ben brouht on to his ham
Beste and foul boþ'e wylde & tame,
And yet all þis way not fille
His yernyng & his herte wille.
On þe pore men þinkiþ he nought
Ne on þt lord þt him der bought.
Many a mes be forn him stondiþ
And of ilkon sum þing he fondiþ,
Of venyson, of gos and gryse,
Tarte, _blawmanger_, and of ryse,
Of euerilkon sumwhat he tastiþ
And so forsoþe his kynde be wastiþ,
For ser deyntes & many mes
Make men falle in many sicknes.
But if þe riche man wolde þinke
Among al his mete & drynke,
þt his flesch schol rote in molde,
He wold not bin þerto so bolde."