#Manuscript:# Stowe 34, British Museum: of the early part of the
thirteenth century; written on vellum, 223 × 160 mm., by three scribes,
with numerous corrections by at least three other hands. It belonged
once to William Fleetwood, Recorder of London, and to Thomas Astley. See
Catalogue of the Stowe MSS., and Catalogue of an Exhibition of the Stowe
MSS., no. 240.
#Facsimile:# Palæographical Society; Second Series, plate 92.
#Edition:# Holthausen, F., Part i. Text and Translation. E. E. T. S.,
O. S. 89.
#Literature:# Schmidt, G. Ueber die Sprache und Heimat der ‘Vices and
Virtues.’ Leipzig, 1899; Philippsen, M. Die Deklination in den ‘Vices
and Virtues.’ Kieler Diss. Erlangen, 1911; Heuser, W., Anglia, xvii. 88.
#Phonology:# Oral #a# and #a# before nasals is _a_, wascen 82, swanc 4;
#a# before lengthening groups wavers between _a_ (9 times) and _o_ (5),
lande 16, londe 8, understanden 34, understonden 138. #æ# is regularly
_a_, after 42, cwað 94, was 3; wrecche 60, 116 comes from #wrecca#. #e#
is generally _e_, but umlaut #e# before nasal is _a_ (representing #æ#,
Bülbring, § 171) in namden 117, inamde 120, sant 127, sante 84, wante
88; before lengthening groups _e_, lengðe 45, but _a_ as above in andin
122, andeden 123, wand 93, and _æ_ in wænden 46, strænges 28; _a_, _æ_
for umlaut #e# before nasals is characteristic of the South-Eastern area
(Morsbach, § 108); _i_ for #e# in ðingþ 41 is due to confusion of
#þencan# and #þyncan#; hwilliche 112 descends from #hwilc#. _i_ is _i_,
bidde 52, finde 83; cherche 9 is #cyrice#, ferst 91, ðessere 22 (3) come
from forms with #y#. #o# is _o_, dropes 12, borde 15; ðane 3 is LWS.
#ðane#. #u# is _u_, cumeð 26, swunken 146, grundwall 53, but beswonken
136, forðer 45 (late North. #forþor#). #y# is _e_, euele 26, kennes 13,
þelliche 36; #mycel# is muchele 4 (3), beside michele 21 (8); þincþ 47,
63, þingþ 70 represent #þyncþ#.
The representation of #ā# wavers between _a_ and _o_, the former
predominating, lare 20 (3), lore 57 (3), swa 5, swo 12, wat 136, wot
137; before two consonants, annesse 115, onnesse 148, tacneð 79, tocneð
130. #ǣ{1}# is regularly _a_, ani 35 (5), sade 75 (8); before two
consonants, alche 139, aure 125 (3), but _æ_ in ær 4, 47, bræde 44, mæst
29, næure 31, tæche 54, _ea_ in sea 22; ilke 130 descends from #ylc#.
#ǣ{2}# is also _a_, dade 92, 98, rad 19, 42, ware 129; before two
consonants, blastes 27, latst 48, but _æ_ in ræd 44, wære 60, and _e_ in
leten 56, nahwer 83. #ē# is _e_, bene 95, feden 116, before two
consonants, dest 36, misferde 125, but _ie_ in hie 36, hier 144, and
more frequently in other places, bienes VV 65/3, diest id. 41/2; _o_ in
doð 33, 42 is from the plural. #ī# is _i_, liue 8, wisdome 32, but
bleðeliche 66 beside bliðeliche 63. #ō# is _o_, don 123, godnesse 91.
#ū# is _u_, trukede 120, dust 70. #ȳ# is _e_ in screden 116, _ie_ in
inȝied 80, 91 (#ingehȳd#), _i_ in litle 12, litel 42, 91, little 136.
#ea# before #r# + cons. is _a_, harm VV 29/10; before lengthening groups
_a_, harde 31, warnin 27 (4), warð 87, but middeneard 6; the _i_-umlaut
is _e_, wernde 83. #ea# before #l# + cons. is also _a_, all 6 (14),
grundwall 53, halt 40 (#heald#), scalt 38, but _ea_ survives in ealde
128, healden 57 (4), before a lengthening group; the _i_-umlaut is _e_,
eldest 118. #eo# before #r# + cons. is _e_, berȝen 140, berȝin 138, ferr
45, herte 34, 82, but _ie_ in hierte 31, 98, liernin 64, 138, _a_ in
harkeð 66 (*#heorcian#); _eo_ survives in weorc VV 95/3 &c.; the
_i_-umlaut is _ie_, hierdes 1, but worð 133. #eo# before #l# + cons. is
seen in seluen 20. #eo#, _u_-umlaut of #e#, is _e_ in heuene 24,
heuneriches 140; after #w#, _o_ in woreld 2 (5). #eo#, _u_- and
_å_-umlaut of #i#, is _e_, icleped 58, leðebeiȝe 15, seððen 5, the
datives ðese 60, 143, 144, ðesen 119, 120, ðese 53, 140; #heora# is here
15, 30, and hire 14: niðer 30 is without umlaut. #ea# after palatals is
_a_, scal 79: #ie# after #g# is _i_, ȝif 90, 101, ȝiuen 40, ȝiue 74, _e_
in beȝete 125, forȝete 60, _ei_ (for ie) in forȝeit 149. #ȝef# is ȝif
32, gif 102. #eo# after #sc# is _u_, scule 8, sculen 1, 74, but scolde
129. #eom# is am 59, #heom#, hem 112.
#ēa# is _ea_, breade 100, dead 87, forleas 7, teares 73 (8), but bred
77, ec 2: aȝean 93 is #ongēan#: the _i_-umlaut has _e_, ȝemeleastes 13,
hersum 15, hersumnesse 115 (2), iherde 95 (5), netene 130, but
unbiliefde 33. #ēo# is mostly _ie_, bien 12 &c., dier 129, dieuliche 11,
lief 3, ouerȝiede 6, ðies 79, 91, but _e_ in be 39, betwen 112, deules
26, lef 88, twene 139; _eo_ is rare, beon VV 121/10. The _i_-umlaut is
_e_, fiftene 95, inede 74, steren 9, and _ie_, niede 92 (4), niedfulle
74, stieren 1, stierde 5. Palatal #ēa# after #g# is seen in ȝear 95,
biȝeates 14 (#begēat#, Napier, OE. Glosses 2698); after #sc# in
scadwisnesse 121. #ȝīet# is ȝiet 90, 95.
#a# + #g# is _aȝ_, laȝe 128, 131, forðdraȝen 97. #æ# + #g# is _ai_,
faire 11, mai 34, sai 94 (#sæge#), tail 129, but daiȝ 77. #e# + #g# is
_ei_, aweiward 48, seið 17 (#segeð#), but iseȝen 119 (#gesegen#). #o# +
#g# is seen in ibroiden 28; #o# + #ht# in þohtes 25, 30. #u# + #g# is
_uȝ_, muȝe 97, muge 125. #ā# + #g#, #h# are seen in wauȝe 89, auh 17;
#ǣ{1}# + #ht# in betaht 7; #ǣ{2}# + #g# in ȝeseiȝe 124; #ē# + #g# in
wreiȝede 83; #ī# + #g# in stieð 24; #ō# + #g# in bowes 44, #ō# + #ht# in
besouhte 84, ȝeþouht 46, þouhten 77; #ea# + #h# in iseih 94; #ie# + #ht#
in miht 98, mihte 5 &c., mihtes 46, niht 77; #eo# + #ht# in riht 146;
#ēa# + #h# in þeih 105; #īe# + #ht# in ieiht 96; #ā# + #w# in saule 10
(6), sawle 80: naht 12, 87, 126 is #nāht#. nielnesse 30 represents
#neowolnes#. #ēa# + #w# gives _eaw_, feawe 40, sceawin 25 (3), unðeawes
55; #ēo# + #w#, _ew_, ȝew 20, ȝewer 19, ȝewere 20, newe 131, #īe# + #w#,
_ew_, trewe 39.
#a# without stress is levelled to _e_ in andswereð 51, middeneard 6; #o#
to _e_ in forðer 45, niðer 30, sikere 12, sikerliker 98, sikerest 113,
te 28, 42; #u# to _e_ in leðebeiȝe 15. #e# is lost in eule 81,
heuneriches 140, o in nielnesse 30, _e_ is added in ofte 60. #on# is a
149.
For #w# the rune is used. #ll# is simplified in dieuliche 11. #n# is
doubled in þennken 49: for almihtin 143, see 79/17 note. Initial #f# is
_f_, ferr 45, #f# between vowels or vowel and liquid is _u_, euele 26,
aure 125, otherwise _f_, unbeliefde 33. #d# is doubled in godd 7,
goddspell 118, lost in finst 40; #dd# is simplified in amidewarde 70;
for #d#, _t_ appears in halt 40. Initial #þ# becomes _t_ after #t# in
tin 40, tu 37, 47, 87; for #þ#, _d_ is written in seid 21, 67, speked
73, tobrekd 35, wid 71. #s# is represented by _sc_ in bledscin 147: #sc#
is regularly _sc_ [š], iscop 52, scal 79, sceawin 25, scipes 14, scolde
129, scule 8, wascen 82. The stop #c# is written _k_ before _e_, _i_,
lokin 1, munekes 38 and before another consonant, forsakþ 20, tobrekð
32, but tobrecþ 36, _c_ in other positions, cumen 113, exceptionally
_ch_ in ilche 52 (#ilca#), arche 5, 9 (if not French), _g_ in ðingþ 41
(4): #ic# is ic and ich. #č# is _ch_, alche 139, beseche 58, ilich 69,
iswinch 48, michel 122 &c., tæche 54, þelliche 36, þench 89, þenchinde
59, but exceptionally _k_ in beseke 106, beseken 97, ilke 130 (#ylc#
confused with #ilca#): #čč# is _cch_, wacchen 114, wrecche 60, 116. #cg#
is _gg_, segge 99, 109; #cs#, _x_, rixin, rixið 110; #cw#, _cw_, becweð
86, cwað 94, cwide 86. Palatal #g# is _ȝ_, initially, biȝeates 14,
ȝemeleastes 13, but Gif 102 (with capital letter); medially, maniȝe 4
(4), heriȝen 147 (3), wuniȝeð 15, 18, muȝe 97, VV 3/18, 73/17 &c., but
muge 125. The prefix #ge-# is often retained, ȝewriten 23, ȝeþanc 57,
ȝeswinkes 145, beside iþanke 66, iswinch 48, and _ȝ_ is added in ȝew 20,
ȝewer 19, ȝewere 20, ouerȝiede 6. For the stop, _g_ is used initially,
grundwall 53, agunnen 123, ȝegunnen 53, but iȝunnen 47, medially,
bringen 8, but the palatal symbol is used for the spirant after _l_,
_r_, berȝin 138 &c., folȝin 44 (3), foriswelȝen 39: #myr(i)gþ# is
represented by merhðe 25, merchþe 140. #g# is lost in heuiliche 48. For
#h#, _ȝ_ is written in þurȝwunie 131, ðurȝwuneð 133; _h_ is added in
Hvte 143, lost in þurwuneð 128, inȝied 80, 91 (inȝehied VV 141/1):
initial #hl# is preserved in hlesteð 17 (3), but lhesten 50, lesten 44.
#Accidence:# Strong declension of _masc._ and _neut._ nouns. _Sing. g._
-es, priestes 43, kennes 13, scipes 14: _d._ -e, hlauerde 143, netene
130, but daiȝ 151 (comp. OE. #on dæg#), hlauerd 52, ræd 44, sal 111 (OE.
#æt sumum sǣle#, #on sumne sǣl#) are without inflection. _Pl. n. a._ of
masculines, -es, hierdes 1, bowes 44, but wintre 4 (#wintru#); neuters
are _n._ dier 129, _a._ ȝear 95, þing 137, bede 114 (#gebēdu#): _pl. g._
ðinge 71; _d._ -es, blastes 27, biȝeates 14, ȝeswinkes 145, wordes 66.
Of the _fem._ nouns of the strong declension, forbisne 66, mihte 126,
niede 151, sawle 51 (3), scadwisnesse 121 have added e in the _s. n._
and bene 95, mihte 106, niede 92, 150 in the _s. a._ _Gen._ -e, herte
34: _d._ -e, bræde 44, cherche 9, but sea 22, woreld 2 (4). _Pl. g._
saule 13; _d._ ȝemeleastes 13, mihtes 46 (5); _a._ dade 92, 98, mihtes
69. Nouns of the weak declension are _s. d._ hope 28, ileaue 28; _a._
lichame 10; _pl. n._ dropes 12; _d._ wisen 117; _a._ wacchen 114. The
minor declensions are represented by mann _s. n._ 33, mannes _s. g._
145, manne _s. d._ 33, stieresmanne 15, man _s. a._ 127, stieresmann 3,
manne 124, stieresmenn _pl. n._ 8, mannen _pl. d._ 38, stieresmannen 18,
21, stieresman[nen] 23; moder _s. n._ 109; faderes _pl. n._ 109, 111.
Remnants of the strong declension of adjectives in the sing. are haliȝes
_g. m._ 145, faste _d. m._, rihte 28, dieuliche _d. f._ 11, mannliche
10, michele 21, 96, faire _d. neut._ 11. The weak declension in the
sing. has -e throughout, unware _n. m._ 41, unwise 33, eule _n. f._ 81,
gode 80, lieue 136, muchele _d. m._ 5, wilde 6, bitere _d. f._ 22, ealde
128, soðe 29, &c., gode _a. m._ 3, 35, michele _a. f._ 25, little _a.
neut._ 136; exceptions are hali 64, 117, 124, muchel 48. The _pl._
strong and weak has -e in all cases, sikere _n._ 12, halie _d._ 140,
euele _a._ 26, but hali _n._ 108, 111, hersum 15, hali _d._ 46, 53 are
uninflected; comparatives and superlatives are gladdere _s. n. f._ 98,
eldes[t] _pl. d._, wisest 118, #ān# is a _n. m._ 91, on 118, an _f._ 66,
126, one _a. f._ 106, #nān#, non _n. f._ 71, _neut._ 103, none _d. m._
10, 11, _f._ 72, _neut._ 32, 134. Adjectives used as nouns are gode
_s. d. neut._ 72, 134, arst _s. a. neut._ 71, betste 89, god 38, 40,
lasse 43, litel 42, gode _pl. d._ 150.
The personal pronouns are ic 45 (8), ich 46 (8), me, we, us, þu, (ðat)
tu 37, 58, (scalt) tu 87, ðe, ȝew 20. The pronoun of the third person is
_s. n._ he _m._ 4, 7, ?hie 45, hie _f._ 108, 109, he 110, hit _neut._
29; _d._ him _m._ 7, hire _f._ 110; _a._ hie _m._ 36, _f._ 5, his 127;
_pl. n._ hie 2; _d._ hem 56; _a._ hes 50, 54, 56. Reflexives are me
seluen 19, hem _pl. d._ 112: possessives, min 57, 79, mine _pl._ 76, 79,
þin 98, ðine _s. d. f._ 57, 90, 91, _s. a. m._ 95, _s. a. f._ 95, tin
_s. a. neut._ 40, þi 96, ure 23, ȝewer 19, ȝewere 20, his 82, is 93,
hire 81, here _pl._ 30, hire 14. The definite article is _s. n._ ðe _m._
17, _f._ 79, 80, se 81, þat _neut._ 80, 117; _d._ ðan _m._ 33, 52, ðe 5
(6), ðo 69, ðare _f._ 29 (8), ðe 9, 31, ða 147, ðe _neut._ 64, ðo 100;
_a._ ðane _m._ 3, 53, ðanne 127, ðe _f._ 25, 39, ða 4, 9, þat _neut._
89, ðe _instr._ 98: _pl. n._ ða 8, ðe 1; _d._ ðan 74, ða 21 (3), ðe 46
(4); _a._ ðe 26, ðo 31. The article is used as pronoun antecedent to
relatives, se ðe, he who 19, 65, ðo ðe, those who 1, 2: ðat is
demonstrative 17, 33, 64, 80, 102, 121. The compound demonstrative is
_s. n._ þies _f._ 91, 79 (with _neut._ bedd); _d._ ðese _m._ 60, 144,
ðessere _f._ 22, 71, 131, ðese _neut._ 143; _a._ ðese _f._ 58, 124, þis
_neut._ 20, 136: _pl. n._ þese 73; _d._ ðesen 119, 120, þese 38, 53,
140; _a._ ðese 103. The relatives are ðe 1, ðat 37, 60, what, se ðe 148,
who; ðe 4 means with which. Interrogatives are hwam _s. d. f._ 71, hwat
17, 36, hwilliche 112: #ilca# is ilche _s. d. m._ 52, #þyllic#, þelliche
_pl. d._ 36. Indefinites are se ðe 125, whoso; se . . . he 132; hwat
hwat 134, whatever, me 113, man 104, 110; feawe _pl._ 40; sum _s. n._
113, sume _s. d. m._ 111, _pl. a._ 97; oþres _s. g. neut._ 77, oðer
_s. d. f._ 61, oðre _pl. d._ 108; ilke _s. n. m._ 130, alche _s. d. m._
139; auriche _s. d. neut._ 130; ani 35 &c.; maniȝes _s. g. m._ 145,
_neut._ 12, manies 117, maniȝe _pl. n._ 12, manie 119, maniȝe _pl. d._
55, _pl. a._ 4, 119; all _s. a. m._ 6, _f._ 39, al _s. a. neut._ 37,
alle _pl. n._ 14, 129, alre _pl. g._ 71, alle _pl. d._ 14 (7), _pl. a._
137.
Infinitives of the second weak conjugation, except watrien 79, end in
-in, andin 122, folȝin 44 (3), rixin 110, all others in -en, -ien,
berȝen 140, beseken 97, herien 143, except berȝin 138, herborȝin 115.
The _dat. inf._ is not inflected; to laten, to libben 88, to speken, to
þennken 49 are virtually nominatives. Presents are _s._ 1. beseche 58,
habbe 56; 2. hauest 53, lokest 47, syncopated are dalst 37, finst 40,
hafst 37, latst 48; 3. answereð 51, haueð 45, rixeð 148, tocneð 130,
rixið 110, and twelve others, but syncopated forms predominate, hafð 35,
sant 127, and nineteen others; _pl._ 1. fareð 21, habbeð 119 (3), speked
73, finde we 83; 3. cumeð 26, stieð 24, wuniȝeð 15, 18, exceptionally
folgið 3, seggeð 109, stikð 30; _subjunctive s._ 2. beseke 106,
forðbringe 54, heriȝe 149, sette 59, tæche 54, þanke 150; 3. beȝete 125,
þurȝwunie 131; _pl._ 1. bledscin, heriȝen 147, hvte we 143, segge we 99,
speken 71, þankin 147; 3. forliesen 9, lokien 14, tobreken 27:
_imperative s._ 2. becweð 86, sai 94, wand 93; halt 40 for hald; _pl._
2. hlesteð 17. Past of Strong Verbs: Ia. _s._ 3. cwað 94, iseih 94;
_pl._ 1. ȝeseiȝe we 124: Ic. _s._ 3. swanc 4, warð 87, worð 133; _pl._
3. agunnen 123, swunken 146: III. _s._ 3. forleas 7: IV. _s._ 3. iscop
52: V. _s._ 3. hatte 106, 126. Participles present: Ia. spekinde 112;
past: Ia. iseȝen 119: Ic. agunnen 133, ȝegunnen 53, iȝunnen 47,
beswonken 136, ȝeborȝen 119, iborȝen 133, ibroiden 28: II. ȝeswiken 57,
ȝewriten 23: V. ihoten 29, 128. Past of Weak Verbs: _s._ 1. hadde 46,
47; 3. besouhte 84, ȝeherde 93, hadde 7, sade 75 &c.; _pl._ 3. andeden
123, namden 117. Participles present: liuiende 16, þenchinde 59,
wuniende 60; past: betaht 7, ȝeluued 90, icleped 58, ihafd 56, ieiht 96
(#geīecan#), unbiliefde _adj. s. d._ 33. Minor Groups: wat _pr. s._ 136,
wot 137, witen _pr. pl._ 41, wite 2. _pr. imp._ 73; auh _pr. s._ 17;
scal 1. _pr. s._ 79, scalt 2. _pr. s._ 38 (3), sculen _pr. pl._ 1, 74,
scule 8, scolde _pt. s._ 129; miht 2. _pr. s._ 98, 139, mai _pr. s._ 34
(3), muȝe 2. _pr. s. subj._ 97, muge _pr. s. subj._ 125, mihte _pt. s._
5 (3), mihten _pt. pl._ 13 (3), mihtin 122; bien _inf._ 72, 87, am 1.
_pr. s._ 59, is _pr. s._ 23, nis 103, bieð _pr. pl._ 2 (4), bien _pr.
pl. subj._ 12, 15, 105, be 2. _imp. s._ 39, was _pt. s._ 3, waren _pt.
pl._ 77, wære _pt. s. subj._ 60, ware 129; wile 1. _pr. s._ 46 (3), wilt
2. _pr. s._ 63 (3), wile 37 (_subj._ form), wile _pr. s._ 31 (4), willeð
_pr. pl._ 16, wile 40 (for willen, _subj._ form), woldest 2. _pt. s._
49, wolde _pt. s._ 82, wolden _pt. pl._ 39; don _inf._ 123, dest 2. _pr.
s._ 36, doð _pr. s._ 33, dede _pt. s._ 42, deden _pt. pl._ 121, idon
_pp._ 45, 90, don 134.
#Dialect:# Here, as in the Trinity College manuscript of the Poema
Morale, a scribe of the northern border of the South-Eastern area has
turned a composition in the dialect of the Middle or Western South into
his own, with occasional retention of Southern forms. After a
considerable interval his version was copied with little alteration by
the three scribes of the Stowe manuscript, for the differences between
the sections are mainly graphic and only in a minor degree dialectal. As
a consequence, the language of VV is older than that current at the time
when the copy was made; in some respects older than that of MS. T of the
PM., as in its representation of #ā#, #ā# + #g#, #ā# + #w#. Occasional
lapses into OE. forms at the beginning of the manuscript, such as
acwellan _inf._ VV 9/19, daȝas 27/22 (which would have been in OE.
#dagum#), have been thought to point to an OE. original, but they are
more probably due to a scribe acquainted with the older native
literature.
#Vocabulary:# Scandinavian are hahte 21, skele 121, sckelewisnesse 107;
an OE. borrowing is stieresmann 3: French are carite 29, cariteð 58,
hert 35, prophete 75, richeise 88, (stan) roches 31, seruise 130, and
probably arche 5: offrin 129 is a pre-Conquest Latin borrowing.
#Introduction:# The book is imperfect at the beginning, but probably
little has been lost. It opens in the middle of a confession by a sinful
soul of a formidable array of sins, to which Reason (‘Scadwisnesse,’
90/62, ‘Ratio,’ 92/135) replies by a series of discourses on the virtues
which will help the soul against its vices. The first extract, written
by the first scribe, is part of this. The second piece, written by the
third hand, concludes the book.
The writer speaks of his work as a compilation from many authors
(93/144). The framework of it may have been suggested by S. Isidore’s
Synonyma de Lamentatione Animae Peccatricis, wherein Homo and Ratio hold
similar alternate discourse (Opera vi. 472), but nothing else. The
author appears to have been acquainted with the writings of Hugh of St.
Victor (_d._ 1140); he may have borrowed from him (Opera i. 69) the idea
of the contest between Mercy and Truth (VV 113), but the influence of
the older English literature dominates his style, vocabulary, and mode
of thought.
1. #hierdes#, pastors: comp. ‘þe selue herdes beð þe lorþewes of holi
chiriche,’ OEH ii. 39/12; ‘se cyning ⁊ se biscop sceoldan beon Cristenra
folca hyrdas,’ BH 45/25. #lokin#, to take care of, preserve: comp. 4/20;
‘ðe sceaweres ðe lokeden ðe hali burh,’ VV 103/13, 121/11; generally
with _acc._, but ‘to lokin of mine wrecche lichame,’ VV 17/3. #⁊# = and,
89/28.