The Handbook of Specimens of English Literature

21. The Earliest English Song (with music), A.D. 1250.

22. Proclamation of Henry III., A.D. 1258. (Handbook,

par. 37.)

Henr', thurg Godes fultume King on Engleneloande, lhoaverd ou Irloand, duk' on Norm', on Aquitain', and eorl on Aniow, send igretinge to all hise halde ilaerde and ilaewede on Huntendon' schir.'

Thaet witen ge wel alle, thaet we willen and unnen, thaet thaet ure raedesmen alle other the moare dael of heom, thaet beoth ichosen thurg us and thurg thaet loandes folk on ure kuneriche, habbeth idon and chullen don in the worthnesse of Gode and on ure treowthe for the freme of the loande thurg the besigte of than to foreniseide redesmen, beo stedefaest and ilestinde in alle thinge a buten aende, and we hoaten alle ure treowe in the treowthe, that heo us ogen, thaet beo stedefaestliche healden and

Henry, by God's grace king in (of) England, lord in (of) Ireland, duke in (of) Normandy, in (of) Aquitaine, and earl in (of) Anjou, sends greeting to all his lieges, learned and lay, in Huntingdonshire.

This know ye well all, that we will and grant that what our councillors, all or the greater part of them, who are chosen by us and by the land's people in our kingdom, have done and shall do, to the honour of God and in allegiance to us, for the good of the land, by the ordinance of the aforesaid councillors, be stedfast and permanent in all things, time without end, and we command all our true men by the faith that they owe us, that they stedfastly hold, and swear to hold and defend the regulations that

Goes to hide among the fern.

swerien to healden and to werien the isetnesses, thaet beon imakede and beon to makien thurg than toforeniseide raedesmen other thurg the moare dael of heom alswo alse hit is biforen iseid, and thaet aehc other helpe thaet for to done bi than ilche othe agenes alle men, rigt for to done and to foangen, and noan ne nime of loande ne of egte, wherethurg this besigte muge beon ilet other iwersed on onie wise and gif oni other onie cumen her ongenes, we willen and hoaten, thaet alle ure treowe heom healden deadliche ifoan, and for thaet we willen, thaet this beo stedefaest and lestinde, we senden gew this writ open iseined with ure seel to halden amanges gew ine hord.

Witnesse usselven aet Lunden' thane egtetenthe day on the monthe of Octobr' in the two and fowertigthe geare of ure cruninge.

And this wes idon aetforen ure isworene redesmen:

[here follow the signatures of several redesmen or councillors] and aetforen othre moge.

And al on tho ilche worden is isend in to aeurihce othre shcire ouer al thaere kuneriche on Engleneloande and ek in tel Irelonde.

are made and to be made by the aforesaid councillors, or by the greater part of them, as is before said, and that each help others this to do, by the same oath, against all men, right to do and to receive, and that none take of land or goods, whereby this ordinance may be let or impaired in any wise, and if any one or any number transgress here against, we will and command that all our true men them hold as deadly foes, and because we will that this be stedfast and permanent, we send you these letters patent sealed with our seal, to keep among you in custody.

Witness ourself at London the eighteenth day in the month of October in the two and fortieth year of our coronation.

And this was done before our sworn councillors:

[Signatures]

and before other nobles [?]

And all in the same words is sent into every other shire over all the kingdom in (of) England and also into Ireland.

From MARSH's Origin and History of the English Language, p. 192.

23. The Battle of Lewes. (Handbook, par. 21.)

One of the earliest specimens of satire, about A.D. 1265. This piece, and others of a similar character, originated the first law ' against slanderous reports to cause discord betwixt king and people.'

Sitteth alle stille, ant herkneth to me:
The kyn of Alemaigne,a bi mi leautè b
Thritti thousent pound askede he
For te make the pees in the countre
Ant so he dudè more.

Richard, thah thou be euer trichard,
Tricthen shalt thou neuer more.

Sire Simond de Mountfort hath suore bi ys chyn,
Heuede f he nou here the Erl of Waryn;

Shuld he neuer more come to is yn,g

Ne with sheld, ne with spere, ne with other gyn
To help of Wyndèsore,1

Richard thah thou be ever trichard

Trichten shalt thou neuer more, i

Two stanzas out of eight. WARTON, i., 43. PERCY's Reliques, bk. ii.

24. Robert of Gloucester's Chronicle, A.D. 1290.

par. 20.)

(Handbook,

Engelond ys a wel god lond, ich wene of eche lond best,
Yset in the ende of the world, as al in the west.

The see goth hym al aboute, he stont k as an yle.
Here fon heo durre the lasse dout, but1 hit be thorw gyle
Of fole of the selue lond, as me hath y seye wyle.
From south to north he ys long eigte hundred myle:
And foure hondred myle brod from est to west to wende,
A mydde tho lond as yt be, and not as by the on ende.
Plente we may in Engelond of alle gode y se,
Bute folc yt for gulte other geres the worse be.
For Engelond ys ful ynow of fruyt and of tren,
Of wodes and of parkes, that joye yt ys to sen.
Of foules and of bestes of wylde and tame also.

Of salt fysch and eche fresch, and fayr ryueres ther tr.
Of welles swete and colde ynow, of lesen m and of mede.
Of seluer or and of gold, of tyn and of lede.

The Romans.

b Loyalty.

c Peace.

d Though.

• Very tricky.

f Had.

8 Home.

Engine, weapon.
Windsor.

J Richard, brother of Henry II. was said to have asked £30,000 to procure peace between the King and the Barons. The chief fortress of Henry was Windsor Castle. The Earl of Warren escaped. k Stands.

1 Unless it be.

Lees, pastures and meads.

Of stel, of yrn and of bras, of god corn gret won.

Of whyte and of wolle god, betere ne may be non,

Wateres he hath eke gode ynow ac at before all other thre
Out of the lond in to the see, armes as thei be.

Wher by the schippes mowe come fro the se and wende
And brynge on lond god ynow, a boute meche ende.
Seuerne and Temese, Homber yt is the thridde.
And thenne is as wo seith the pure lond a midde.
Homber bryngeth by north muche god and wyde.
Seuerne by West South Tamese by the Est syde.
From HEARNE's ed., vol. i., p. I.

Oxford.

25. Robert de Brunne, A.D. 1303. (Handbook, pars. 20, 37.)

Grossetete's Love of Music.

Y shall gow telle as y haue herde

Of the bysshope saynt Roberde

Hys to-name bys Grostest

Of Lynkolne, so sayeth the gest.c
He louede moche to here the harpe,
For mannys wytte hyt makyth sharpe.
Next hys chaumber, besyde hys stody,
Hys harpers chaumbre was fast therby.
Many tymes by nygtys and dayys,
He had solace of notes and layys.
One askede hym onys resun why
He hadde delyte in mynstralsy?
He answered hym on thys manere
Why he helde the harper so dere—

The vertu of the harpe, thurghe skylle and ryst,
Wyl destroyè the fendès mygt:

And to the croys d by godè skylle
Ys the harpe leykened weyle.—
Tharefor, godè men ge shul lere

When ge any glemen here,

To wurschep gode at goure powere,

As Dauyde seyth yn Sautere!

From the Manuel des Péchés. WARTON, i., 57.

• Great plenty, store ⚫ Surname

c The story.

Minstrels.

d Cross.

f Psalter.

THE HANDLING OF SYNNE, 1343. (Handbook, par. 70.)

The Tale of the Saturday Half-Holiday.

In Nauerne be gunde the see

In Venysè a gode cyte,
Duellyde a prest of Ynglonde,
And was auaunsede, y understonde.
Every gere at the florysyngge
When the vynys shuldè spryngge
A tempest that tymè began to falle
And fordedè a here vynys alle;
Every gere withouten fayle
And fordydè here grete trauayle.
Therfor the folk were alle sory
Thurghe the cyte comunly:
Thys prest seyde, y shal gou telle
What shall best thys tempest felle;
On Satyrday shal ge ryngge noun
And late ne longer ne werke be
doun:

In Avergne beyond the sea
In Venice a good city
Dwelled a priest of England
And was advanced I understand.
Every year at the flourishing
When the vines should spring
A tempest then began to fall
And ruined all their vines
Every year without fail

And ruined their great labour.
Therefore the folk were all sorry
Through the city commonly
This priest said, I shall you tell
What shall best this tempest fell
On Saturday shall ye ring noon
And let no longer work be done.

Roberd de Brunnè. Edited by F. J. FURNIVAL, Lond., 1862.

26. Richard Rolle de Hampole, 1300-1350. (Handbook,

par. 41.)

The Prikke of Conscience. A Northumbrian poem. In seven books of 9624 lines.

9533. Now haf I here als I first undirtoke

Fulfilled the seven partes of this boke,
That er titeld byfor to have in mynde.

The first es of the wretchednes of mans kynde;

The secunde es of the werldes condicions sere d

And of the unstabelnes of the werld here;

The thred es of the ded that es bodily:

The ferthe alswa es of purgatory:

The fift es of domesday, the last day of alle,

And of the takens that byfor sal falle;
The sext es of the paynes of helle to neven;"
And the sevend part es of the joyes of heven.

• Ruined all their vines.

Ring noon.

• As.

d Several.

• Tokens, from teach

! To name.

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The Handbook of Specimens of English Literature: Selected from the Chief ...