(Edited by Dr. White, Oxford, 1852.) Nu, brotherr Wallterr, brotherr min Now, brother Walter, brother mine Affterr the flaeshes kinde;

After the flesh's kind (or nature) ; Annd brotherr min i Crisstenndom And brother mine in Christendom (or

Christ's kingdom) Thurrh fulluhht and thurrh trowwthe; Through baptism and through truth ; Annd brotherr min i Godess hus,

And brother mine in God's house, Yet o the thride wise,

Yet on (in) the third wise, Thurrh thatt witt hafenn takenn ba Though that we two have taken both An reghellboc to folghenn,

One rule-book to follow, Unnderr kanunnkess had and lif, Under canonic's (canon's) rank and life, Swa summ Sannt Awwstin sette ;

So as St. Austin set (or ruled); Icc hafe don swa summ thu badd

I have done so as thou bade Annd forthedd te thin wille ;

And performed thee thine will (wish;; Icc hafe wennd inntill Ennglissh

I have wended (turned) into English Goddspelless hallghe lare,

Gospel's holy lore, Affterr thatt little witt tatt me

After that little wit that me Min Drihhtin hafеthth lenedd.

My Lord hath lent.

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 Henry, by the grace of God king in Englencloande, lhoaverd on Irloand, (of) England, lord in (of) Ireland, duke duk' on Norm', on Aquitain', and eorl in (of) Normandy, in (of) Aquitaine, on Aniow, send igretinge to all hise and earl in (of) Anjou, sends greeting halde ilaerde and ilaewede on Hunten- to all his lieges, clerk and lay, in Huntdon' schir'.

ingdonshire. Thaet witen ge wel alle, thaet we This know yo well all, that we wil. willen and unnen, thaet thaet ure and grant that what our councillors, raedesmen alle other the moare dael all or the major part of them, who are of heom, thaet beoth ichosen thurg chosen by us and by the land's people us and thurg thaet loandes folk on ure in our kingdom, have done and shall kuneriche, babbeth idon and schullen do, to the honour of God and in alledon in the worthnesse of Gode and on giance to us, for the good of the land, ure treowthe for the freme of the by the ordinance of the aforesaid counloande thurg the besigte of than tofo- cillors, be stedfast and permanent in all (From Guest's History of English Rhythms, vol. ii. p. 142.) Averil is meory, and longith the day; April is merry, and length'neth the day; Ladies loven solas and play ;

Ladies love solace and play ; Swaynes justes ; knyghtis turnay ; Swains the jousts; knights the tournay ; Syngeth the nyghtyngale ; gredeth theo Singeth the nightingale; screameth the jay;

jay ; The hote sunne chongeth the clay ; The hot sun changeth the clay; As ye well yseen may.

As ye well may see. - Alisaunder, 140.

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, His quiste maked, and for him given, His bequests made, and for him given, His knictes dede he alle site,

His knights he made all sit, For thorw them he wolde wite,

For from them would he know, Hwo micte yeme hise children yunge, Who should keep his children young, Till that he couthen speken wit tunge, Till they knew how to speak with tongue,

Thuse come lo! Engelond into Nor- Thus came lo! England into Normans'.

i mannes honde,

hand. And the Normans ne couthe speke tho And the Normans not could speak then bote her owe speche,

but their own speech, And speke French as dude atom, and And spake French as (they) did at home, here chyldren dude al so teche;

and their children did all so teach : So that heymen of thys lond, that of her So that high men of this land, that of blod come,

their blood come, Holdeth alle thulke speche that hii of Hold all the same specch 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;

(reckon) of him well little : Ac lowe men holdeth to Englyss and to But low men hold to English and to her kunde speche yute.

their natural speech yet. Ich wene ther ne be man in world con- I wen there not be man in world cuntreyes none

tries none That ne holdeth to her kunde speche, That not holdeth to their natural speech bot Engelond one.

but England (al.) one. Ac wel me wot vor to conne both wel But well I wot for to know both well yt ys;

it is : Vor the more that a man con, the more For the more that a man kpows, the worth he ys.

more worth he is.

10. Robert Mannyng or Robert of Brunne (Manual, p. 27).

Jordynges, that be now here,
If ye wille listene & lere
All the story of Inglande,
Als Robert Mannyng wryten it fand,
& on Inglysch has it schewed,
Not for the lerid bot for the lewed,
For tho that in this land wonn,
That the Latyn no Frankys conn,
For to haf solace & gamen
In felawschip when thai sitt samen.

Lords, that be now here,
If ye will listen and learn
All the story of England,
As Robert Mannyng found it written,
And in English has shewed it,
Not for the learned but for the unlearned,
For those that in this land dwell,
That know not Latin nor French,
In order to have solace and enjoyment
In fellowship when they sit together.