VIII. POEMA
MORALEManuscripts:i. Lambeth 487 (L), a small quarto, 177 ×
135 mm., of 67 leaves, written towards the end of the twelfth century.
Its contents are described in Wanley, p. 266, and printed in OEH i. pp.
2-189: nos. x, xi. of this book are also taken from it. The words
printed in clarendon in these three pieces are written in red, not
inserted afterwards by a rubricator but done at the same time as the
rest of the text. The PM ends with fordemet, l. 270, in the middle of a
page; the final t has a flourish for its cross stroke; the copyist had
apparently no knowledge of any more.ii. iii. Egerton 613, B.M., described in the List of Additions, 1843.
Its contents are mostly in Norman French, but it has two copies of the
PM: the second (e) furnishes here a complement to the Lambeth MS. as far
as l. 370, with which it ends; the first (E) is used to complete the
text. e was written in the first quarter of the thirteenth century, E is
somewhat later; the former has accents, the latter none. In e every
other line has a red initial, but the rubricator went wrong at ll. 308,
312. These copies are in different hands.iv. Trinity College, Cambridge, B. 14. 52 (T), on vellum, 135 × 105
mm.; written early in the thirteenth century. Its contents are described
in James, M. R., The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity
College, Cambridge, 1900, i. 459. A leaf is lost afterf.8, and a new hand begins with
f 9; the PM appears to be a distinct MS. (Anglia, iv. 408). The initials
of each line are capitals and written apart from their words. A later
hand has glossed aihte 42, goodes; ore 53, favour, grace; lean 64,
deserving; manke 70, Manca, Mancus.Other MSS. are v. Digby A 4, BodleianD, of the beginning of the thirteenth century;
described in Macray, W. D., Catalogue of the Digby MSS., Oxford,
1883. The PM is written in half lines and stanzas; it is in a hand found
nowhere else in the MS., which was probably copied at ChristChurch, Canterbury (James, M. R., The Ancient Libraries of
Canterbury and Dover, Cambridge, 1903; Förster, M., Archiv cxv. 167).
Its dialect is Kentish. vi. Jesus College, Oxford, E 29 (J): seep. 285. vii. McClean MS. 123 (M), Fitzwilliam
Museum, Cambridge, 122 leaves on vellum, 262 × 167 mm.: about 1300: the
Nuneaton Book, described by Miss Anna C. Paues, who discovered this copy
of the poem, in Anglia xxx. 217-26, and in A Descriptive Catalogue of
the McClean Collection of Manuscripts by M. R. James, Cambridge,
1912. Like Egerton 613 it has the Bestiary of William the Norman and the
Gospel of Nicodemus in French. The dialect ofPMis
South-Eastern, bordering on Kent. It begins with two lines from Sinners
Beware (OEM p. 72), and has four other lines not found in any other
copy: on the other hand, it wants seventy lines found in T; it diverges
from the other MSS. in the order of the lines, and in other respects
gives the impression of having been written down from memory.Facsimile:Of vi. Skeat, W. W., Twelve Facsimiles,
Oxford, 1892; plate vi gives ll. 1-34.Editions:Of L: OEH i. 159-75 with modern version.
Kluge, F., ME. Lesebuch, 57-61. Of E: Furnivall, F. J., Early
English Poems. Philological Society, 1862, 22-34, with readings of e and
OEH i. 288-95, 175-83. Of e: Zupitza-Schipper, Alt- und Mittelenglisches
Übungsbuch, Wien, 1907, 80-91, completed from E. Of T: OEH ii. 220-32
and Specimens 195-221. Of J: OEM 58-71 and Specimens 194-220. Of D:
Zupitza, J., Anglia i. 6-32, part in Hickes i. 222. Of M: Paues,
A. C., Anglia xxx. 227-37 (I read l. 29, hire; 63 þon; 65
nammore; 71 ouersicþ; 84 þurȝsicþ; 105 diaþe; 147 þar pine; 152
ysicþ; 191 ofspreng; 223 hi neure; 236 Mot; 268 wulle; 314 hī =
him; 333 ḅyseo = yseo).A critical edition based on all the MSS. then known was issued by H.
Lewin, Halle, 1881. He adopted Zupitza’s filiation of the MSS. as
expressed in the following table:LXEYWeUJTZDMiss Paues thinks that M is descended from V co-equal with U, thusdisplacing the latter from its position of original: to me it seems to
belong to the Z group, and to be most nearly related to D.The MSS. thus fall into two groups, which are here adequately
represented by the printed texts, for D is inferior and J much altered,
indeed often rewritten. U, the original, was probably written about 1180A.D.Literature:Einenkel, E., Anglia iv. Anz. 88-93;
Jordan, R., ES xlii. 38-42 (dialect of L); Krüger, A., Sprache und
Dialekt der ME. Homilien in der Handschrift B. 14. 52. Trinity College,
Cambridge, Erlangen, 1885; Paues, A. C., Anglia xxx. 217-37;
Zupitza, J., Anglia i. 5-38; iii. 32, 33; iv. 406-10.Analogues:Reimpredigt, ed. H. Suchier, Halle, 1879; Le
Sermon de Guischart de Beauliu, ed. A. Gabrielson, Upsala, 1909;
Guischart de Beauliu’s debt to religious learning and literature in
England, by A. Gabrielson, Archiv cxxviii. 309-28.Phonology:(1)of the
Lambeth MS.Oralaisa, baþien 245, faren 176;abefore nasals is normallyo, mon 22, þonc 71, butain manke 70, þanke 241, and þenne, þene, þen, wenne are the
usual spellings, with occasional þanne 18, 160;abefore
lengthening groups iso, honde 81, ifonded 147; ent 159 is
Anglianend.æis mostlye, brec 183, et 92, feder
148, efþ 171 (hæfð), hwet 92 &c., weter 248, butain
bað 218, fader 186, 195, habbe 3, 5, hwat 90, water 142, 194, 240.eise, beren 95, ende 179, strengþe 168, but sullic 181
(syllic; comp. seollic L 18035), ni 77, meind 142
(mengde).iisi, biden 125, binden 216, child 148;
afterwit isuin wule 34, 39, 155, wulleð 97, 226, uuel
123 (= nule), nute 236, nusten 102, 225. It isein þerdde
138,uin ofsprung 207; boð 120 is miswritten for bið.oiso, bifore 16, borde 260, but afterw,a, walde
49, nalde 185, 261; cumen 202 isc(w)omon. The prep.onis
mostly a, sometimes an;uisu, cumeð 234, funde 68, but
come 124, 221, iwoned 57 in contact withm,n,w.yis mostlyu, abuȝeð 195, cunne 202, duden 265, sunne
201, swuch 80, þunchen 62; before lengthening groups, sungede 258, butiin afirst 37, hwice 136, lifte 83, ofþinchþ 130 (5), swich
80 (3), andein dede 2, vnnet 5: king 50, drihten 80, drihte 110 are the only forms of these words.āis normallya, an 26, are 179, hwam 202, þa 190;
before consonant groups, are 207, hattre 247, but it isoin hom
95, hwon 105, þo 53, wori 142,ethrough loss of stress in se 80
&c., þe 169.ǣ1ise, eni 53, er 11, þen
71, ech 32, efre 68, ledden 209, butain anige 269, þan 74:
uches 90 descends from ylc.ǣ2is alwayse,
adrede 6, brede 143, lende 122, uniselðe 198.ēis alwayse;ī,i;ō,o, butein te
108: na 134 is Angliannā.ūis alwaysu.ȳis normallyu,
cudde 191, fur 76, hud 77, lutel 46, but litel 28, hwi 104.eabeforer+ cons. is regularlye, erȝe 17,
þerf 43; before lengthening groups, erninge 64, herde 157, 169, wernin
228, but arme 227, warni 226: thei-umlaut is represented by
derne 78, smirte 114.eabeforel+ cons. is onceea, bifealt 7; normallya(Anglian absence of breaking),
al 7 &c., salt 248, ald 4,-fald54,
247, waldeð 84, but welde 2, welden 55 (by confusion withgewieldan): thei-umlaut is seen in elde 14, 15, eldre
192, helde 197, but alder 1.eobeforer+ cons. is mostlye, herte 74, werke 27 (9), but horte 113; before length. groups
it isoin ȝorne 49, horþe 75, orðe 81, orðliche 153. Thewurgroup is represented by wurð 140; thei-umlaut by wurs
236, wurst 217, 219: bernd 249, berninde 218, bernunde 245 come frombærnan.eobeforel+ cons. is writteno[ö], solf 12 (13), butuin sulf 214 (LWS.sylf).ea,u-umlaut ofais represented by kare 45.eo,u-umlaut ofeiso, houene 25 (7), world
153, 222, butein heuenriche 42, 63, and by influence ofw,uin suster 148, 185:eo,å-umlaut ofeis writteno[ö], brokeð 91, fole 9 (4), unfrome 226,
but isein fele 70, 166, wele 222.eo, umlaut ofiis writteno[ö], binoþen 87, hore 101, solure 264, souene 26,
soððen 9, 117, but isein biclepie 107, iclepede 104, seue 140;uin suððen 205, hure 141. The palatal diphthongeaisain scal 24, 35, schal 19,-gate180;ein scefte 84, ȝere 110;sceamianis skamie 163,
165,sceomu, scome 166.ieaftergis regularlye(Anglian), ȝeuen 64, 261, ȝefð 144, ȝeue 45, 74, ȝelde 45,
forȝeten 34, 98, butiin giue 56; afterč,e,
chele 197, 233 (without umlaut); aftersc,i, scilde 220.eoaftergisuin ȝung 4, 10; aftersc,u, sculen 20 (8), sculde 118, 263, sculden 60, 265, butoonce in solde 51.eomis em 1, 4,heom, hom 18 &c.ēaiseain deaþe 182, uneade 181, otherwisee,
brede 189, chep 68, deðe 115, uneðe 189: lan 64 is Scandinavian. Thei-umlaut ise, alesed 134, iheren 262, ileuen 255.ēoiseoin beoð 17, beo 29, freonde 220, seon 16,
otherwise regularlyo, bon 2 (5), bo 134 (10), boð 26 &c.,
dore 143, doule 97 (5), frond 30 (4), son 158, þoue 43, butein
lef 252, sec 199, tening 253: bið 233 is due to confusion with the
singular. Thei-umlaut is represented by dore 144, 184, fond 219,
frond 220, node 261, þostre 78, but once þestre 76.gīetis ȝet
5;gēar, ȝer 140.ōafterscis seen in scop
84.a+gisaȝ, draȝen 47, 49, laȝe 170:ah14, 119, ach 58 is Anglianah.æ+gisei,
dei 134, mei 14, seið 114, 133.e+giseȝin
weȝes 72,eiin eie 18, weien 63:ongegnis aȝein 76;e+his seen in hechte 268;i+hin
iwichte 212;o+gin unwron 160 (unwrogen);o+hin bohte 184, unbocht 59;u+gin
fuȝeles 83, luȝen 159, muȝe 21, wruȝen 160;y+ginabuh 144 (abygþ).ā+gproducesaȝ, aȝen
30 (5), maȝe 29, but ahen161:ā+his seen in ahte 2, achten 129.ǣ1+giseiin eiðer 62, seiden 223;ǣ1+h,ehin ehte 259, echte 42 (3),
butachin tachte 268.ǣ2+ggiveseȝin iseȝen 98, 102, buteiin mei 29, 185.ē+gis seen in forwreien 97;ō+gin inoch 235;ō+hin biþocht 8, brochte 183: uwer 88 isōwer<ōhwǣr, comp. ouhwar AR 60/25.ea+hgives
mihte 13, michte 16, 52, mahte 222, isech 261; thei-umlaut is
represented in nihte 78:eo+h, brichte 75, rihte 109;
itsi-umlaut is represented in ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90.ēa+giseȝin eȝen 75;ēa+hgives
þah 4, þach 102, 222, þech 181;ēo+h, lihte 76,
lihtliche 145.ā+wisauin cnauð 146, knauð 110,
saule 136, 245, naut 48, 212;awin nawiht 150, 249 (but noht
190, nocht 132 are fromnōwiht);auwin iknauwen 161;
otherwiseaw, blaweð 136, mawen 20.ēa+wisawin scaweð 135.ēo+wisouin ou 50;owin ow 228, rowen 19, sowen 20,eowin eow 25: itsi-umlaut is represented in untrownesse 265.In syllables without stressais levelled toe, abuten
267, bihinden, binoþen 87, biforen 25, sone 38, but biforan 63;otoe, atter 142, siker 41, swikele 251.eis added in
areles 216 (ārlēas), ofte 57. The prefixgeisi,
ilome 47, iswinc 36, itit 125.Forsw,suis written once in suilch 120;quis
the regular equivalent ofcw, iquemen 95, quike 79. Anlis lost in ful 6, 145, fulenden 243:ggis written forngin biginnigge 119. Initialfis onceuin uersc
248:fbetween vowels or vowel and voiced consonant is generallyu, buuen 87, eure 86, iuere 229, solure 264, uuel 251, butfin ufel 59, 93, ufele 17, ifere 102; frure 232 is probablyfrōfre. In heste 242tis added, but hese 91:tsiscin milce 72.dis lost in leden 93 and added in
ordlinghes 103:tis written fordin ent 159, fordemet
270, idemet 106, 171, maket 230, undret 208, 247.þis lost in
abuh 144, ouersich 75; written fordin hefð 147; for itthis written in with 216,tin etlete 148, 153, 257,
hauet 65, ofþinchet 10, seit 133, þunchet 233,din cud 159 (but
kuðe 9), uneade 181,hin þench 33, wih 220,cin eclete
74: it is assimilated in attere 127, at ta 156.sc[š] isscin scal 24, scameþ 165, scilde 220,schin schal 19,sin bisunien 152,ssin fisses 83 and notablyskin skamie 163.čis generallych, chele 197, child 3, ich
1, but drunke 258, smike 16;c[k] is palatalized in hech 232,
werch 108, 116, werche 254, but werc 177; it isgin þingþ 5; ah
14, 119, 120, ach 58, 166, hi 221 (= ih) have Anglianh:ččisch, feche 222, reche 221, rechð 133, streche 231,
stuche 189, wreche 232:cgisgg, seggen 94, buggen 65,
but abuȝeð 195. Palatalgis very regularly represented byȝ, forȝeten 34, ȝeue 74, ȝere 110, butiin medierne 256
(georne),hin ahen161 andgin anige 269: gate 180 is plural:ngisnghin ordlinghes 103,nggin eueningges 162:gis
lost in murþe 154. The prefixgeis lost in bon 137, hud 77,
meind 142, write 101.hhas been added initially in hech 232,
helche 89, his 72, 121, 229, honde 193, dropped in is 217, raþer 131,
undret 208, 247:þdisplaceshin þurþ 90. Forhw,wappears in wa 114, wet 79, 94,hin hom 95.chforhis frequent, achten 129, brochte 183, brichte 75, hechte
268, isech 261, ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90, &c. In soht 30,htis written fortt.(2)of the Trinity College MS.Oralaisa, fare 180, habben 39;abefore nasals
regularlya, man 20, þanc 245, þanne, þane, þan are the usual
forms, but þene 343;abefore lengthening groups iso,
fonded 149, longe 3, but hangeð 312.æis regularlya,
after 28, almesse 28, brac 185, fader 150, water 244, but sæd 392,
hweðer 240.eise, bed 222, beren 95; before lengthening
groups, bende 398, felde 348, imengd 144, strengðe 317, but ængles 94,
angles 284, 355, 380.iisi, þridde 140, child 3, finde
54, buteafterwin nele 336, nelle 291, nesten 229, 388,
also in ofspreng 211, þese 312, þesse 328, 383, þesses 338
(ðyssum,ðysses),uafterwin swunche 208,
373, as also in ofsprung 198.oiso, bode 264, borde 311,
butonprep. is most frequently a, an.sorgis soreȝe
142 (4), but sareȝe 378.uis invariablyu, bigunne 218,
grunde 180.yisein deden 269, 270, euel 26 (11),
hlesten 230, 387, kenne 206 (4), senne 129 (7), senden 290
(syndun), steche 191, vnnet 5, unwenne 212;uin abugeð
197, abuið 146, bugge 65, dude 2, duden 96, fulle 352, furst 37, gulteð
315 (4), gult 197 (4), hulle 351, misduden 101, 194, muchel 76 (8),
murie 156, murihðe 396, þunche 62, ofþunche 207 (3), sunegeden 262;iin tihte 272, þincheð 5, 10, 166, swilch 79, 399, hwilch 138,
unwinne 250: king, drihten, drihte are the only forms of these
words.āis mostlyo; the exceptions are aquerne 366, bihat
368, hat 308, hatere 251, hwan 206, lac 203 (loc in corresponding line
73).ǣ1is mostlya, ani 53, are 124, has 91,
349, hate 236, sa 83, sade 131 (LWS.sǣde), tache 305, þare 346;
before two consonants, ache 235 (4), afre 86, mast 7, unhalðe 16 (4);
butein hete 199, mene 170, ðer 216, and before two consonants
arerde 172, ech 23 (8);æin ænes 185;eain hease 296. In
forgoð 358 a plural form is used for the singular.ǣ2is mostlya, adrade 6, dade 3 (4), lache 306, misdade 132, 166,
275, rade 4, strate 235 (4), before two consonants naddren 277, ofdrad
43, 94, 288, unisalðe 200, 378, wapne 340, butein mere 393,
misdede 209r. w.ofdrade, unsele 201, iselðe 15;æin læte 345, andiain þiar 165.ēise, beten 242,
demde 274, iquemd 174, butain ache 364 (ǣce): doð 35 (8)
is plural form for singular.īisi, abiden 140,þriste 19, but syrreue 50, ȝietceres 271 (Bülbring, § 306, anm. 1).ōisoexcept in cam 117 (4), te 316.ūis
invariablyu.ȳisein forbet 307, here 45, kedde
193;uin cuðen 99, fure 43, 152, hudden 162,iin litel
46, 264, 331.eabeforer+ cons. is, as a rule,a, arme 231,
narewe 343, swarte 282, before lengthening groups mostlya,
hardde 171, warnie 304, butein erninge 64, metheschele 366;ea,æin middeneard 140, 200, middenærd 195: thei-umlaut is represented by erminges 323, derne 77, smierte 114.eabeforel+ cons. is regularlya, alle 22,
biualle 198, before lengthening groups mostlyea, bihealde 288,
eald 4, but bihelden 392, holde 55: thei-umlaut is seen in elde
16 (5), elder 1, 326, elderne 194.eobeforer+ cons. is
mostlye, herte 74 (3), werc 108 (10), but storre 279, hierte
113; before lengthening groups it isiein ȝierles 324, ȝierne
49,ein erðe 75, erðeliche 155. In thewurgroupuis the rule, wurðe 142, wurðen 334. Thei-umlaut afterwgives werse 299, werest 221 (LWS.wyrsa,wyrrest): barneð
253, barnende 222, descend frombærnan; oerre 280 representseorre.eobeforel+ cons. is alwayse, self
131 &c.eo,u-umlaut ofeise, heuene
27, wereldes 271, butoin woreldes 226, 338; theå-umlaut
is represented by fele 9 (3), wele 155 (4):eo, umlaut ofiise, icleped 104, henne 400, seðen 9, seuene 28,
bineþen 87, but binime 44, ȝieue 74, niþer 347, quike 78, 192, siluer
268, and afterw, suster 150, 187, wude 348.eaafter
palatals isain sal 21, 26, safte 84, same 168, samie 165, sameð
167, scat 367.ieaftergisiein biȝiete 105,
126, ȝielde 45, forȝiete 34 (4), ȝieuen 64 (12), forȝieue 217; aftersc,c, it isi, silde 224 (5),ein chele
199, 236, bicherd 322. The conj.gifis ȝief 121, 166.eoafterggives ȝeunge 10, ȝeunger 326, jung 4, ȝieuð 377
(geogoð):eoaftersc, solde 37, 267, solden 60,
sulle 22, sullen 103.heomis hem;eom, am.ēais mostlyea, breade 191, deaðe 106 (7), eaðe 210,
288, 376, uneaðe 183, 191, but ec 46, 107, eðlate 74, 150, 261, rauing
257. Thei-umlaut ofēahas regularlye, alesed
136, hereð 89, ileuen 49, temen 108, but ȝiemeð 80.ēois mostlye, ben 39 (12), biflen 154, deflen 97, lef 73, frend 30, rewen
358, butiein bien 389, bie 4 (4), biede 266, bieð 291,
315, diere 145, fiendes 223, friende 224, lief 203, 261, hielden 172,
298, isien 18 (5), swiere 146, þieue 43;iin sic 201. Thei-umlaut is represented in diere 146, 186, fiendpl. n.283, friendpl. a.224, niede 265, þiesternesse 281, but
derlinges 389, frend 185, 304, þuster 77.gesīeneis isene 344;gīet, ȝiet 5, 293;gēar, ȝier 142:ōafterscis seen in sop 84.a+gisawin drawen 47,aȝin laȝe 172,
295.æ+gisai, dai 370, fair 392, mai 16, 44,
but maiȝ 88, 124, 217.e+gisei, wei 353,
eiseliche285, eie 20, seið 112, 135, but treiȝe 375, weiȝ 341, weiȝen 63:ongegnis aȝien 351.i+gisie, nieðe 342,
unwrien 162; finaligisi, peni 300, weri 244:i+hisih, sihte 369, wihte 78.o+hisoh, bohte 186.u+gisuȝ, luȝen 161, muȝe
23, 55, muȝen 159, but fueles 83.y+h, drihte 79, 110
withias usual, abuið 146, abugeð 197.ā+g,hisoȝ, moȝe 187, oȝen 163;ow, mowe 29, owen 30;oh, foh 365.ǣ1+giseiin
eiðer 62, 239, but aiðer 306, aihware 88:ǣ1+hisai, aihte 42 (5), taihte 272, but eihte 321.ǣ2+gisæiin mæi 29;aiin mai 187, grai 365;eiin iseie 118, iseien 98, 99, 102.ē+goccurs
in forwreien 97, leie 282:ō+g,hin inoh 391,
inoȝh 389, biþoht 8, brohte 185.ea+g,hisei, iseih 265; thei-umlaut is seen in mihte 15, 52, 202,
226, mihte 76, nihte 77, 370.eo+hisihin
brihte 75, rihte 109, rihtwisnesse 72, unriht 93; thei-umlaut is
represented in ouersihð 75, þurhsihð 90.ēa+gis seen in
eien 75, 381, raketeie 283;ēa+hin heie 16, 284, þeih 4, 102, 131:ēo+gin drie 292, lie 291;ēo+hin liht
316, 382, lihtliche 147.ā+wisow, bloweð 138,
cnoweð 110, icnowen 163, nowiht 152, sowle 138, but naht 48, &c.,
naðer 367.ī+wis seen in glie 292;ēa+win feawe 349;ēo+win newe 313, rewen 21, sewen 22,
untrewnesse 269:ēowis eow 157.In unstressed syllables levelling toetakes place as in L:eis inserted afterrbetween consonants in arefeð 315,
harem 198, iboreȝe 167, narewe 343: quica 192, þa 349 haveafore; comp. alla 81/76, blaca 82/99.ris lost medially in metheschele 366;rris simplified
in werest 221.nis lost medially in ore 383, raketeie 283,
druken 257, seuenihte 142;nnis simplified in done 37, isiene
392.bbis simplified in haben 53, 100, habeð 179, 194, libeð
208.fbetween vowels isu, buuen 87, eueten 277, deueles
179, but deflen 97, defles 258.tis dropped in a te 92, foremes
197, nah 129;tsis represented bycin milce 8, bychin milche 219.dis lost in godcunnesse 393, exchanged
withðin idemð 173, and doubled in hardde 171. Forþ,dis written in habbed 141, 177, bed 104, 381;thin lothe
61, metheschele 366, sathanas 287:þþis simplified in seðen 9, 117, 209.sc[š] isscin scat 367;sin bisunien 154, safte 84,
sal 21, same 168, sameð 167, samie 165, senche 335, silde 224 (5), sineð
279, solde 37, sop 84, srud 367, sulle 22, syrreue 50;ssin
fisses 83.gītsereis ȝietceres 271.čis expressed bych, muchel 12 (23), ich 1 (25), but mukel 209, ic 12, 229:ččis alsoch, feche 226, reche 135, 225, steche 191,
?wichen, 103:cgisgg, seggen 92,g, abugeð 197
(but abuið 146), ligeð 283:cwis alwaysqu, aquerne 366,
quike 78.ġis regularlyȝ, forȝieuenesse 302, forȝiete
34, butjin jung 4. Aysound has developed initially in
ȝierles 324; comp. ȝeie 13/43.gbeforeðiscin
strencðe 170,hin murihðe396. For almihtin 337 see79/17 note.hwinitial is preserved, buthrisr, raðer 133,
rewen 358.Accidence:(1)of L.Strong declension ofmasc.andneut.nouns. In thes. n.were 31 has added e; sune 186 representssunu.Gen.-es, swinkes 64; golde 70 is
probably miswritten for goldes:d.-e, gode 73, middenerde 193, fure
43, werke 27; exceptions are festen 145, god 49, hunger 145
(hungre), king 63 (r. w. erninge), middenerd 198, unriht
209, mostly before vowels, fur 150, werch 116, at mid pause of the
verse: misse 234,acc.has added e. Thepl. n. a.of
masculines ends in-es, engles 94, weȝes
72, bendes 188, but wintre 208 (wintru): neuters are-ȝer140, iswinc 36, lif 246, þing 84, word 9, 158,
doule 97 (dēoflu), gate 180 (gatu), werkes 63, 72, 111
with masc. termination;g.manke 70;d.doulen 269,
wrenchen 251, bende 134, wintre 1, 4, write 101. Of thefem.nouns, blisse 233, endinge 120, mihte 211, milce 72, murþe 154,
rihtwisnesse 72, sorȝe 140, 194, sunne 201, tilþe 57, unhelðe 197,
witnesse 113, 116, wombe 145 have added e in thes. nom., echte
42, 55, ehte 259, node 261 in theacc.The other casessing.andpl.end in e, helle 216,s. g., are
179,s. d.,53,s. a., but tening 253;pl. n.are blisse 153, glede 218, mihte 77, saule 136, uniselðe
198, wihte 79;g.misdede 130, souenihte 140,a.dede 10,
hese 91, saule 245, scefte 84, sorȝe 166, stunde 147, sunne 238, tide
137: worldes 222s. g.is a masc. form, deden 89pl.
a.a weak form. In the weak declension the termination of all cases
in the singular is e;n.mone 76;g.houene 65;d.deme 96, wawe 151;a.grome 166, swore 144:plural n.are
reuen 256, swicen 103, eȝen 75, ifere 102, iuere 229. The minor
declensions are represented by mons. n.22 &c., monness. g.30, monnes. d.117, but mon 201, 259, menpl. n.41, monnepl. g.161,pl. d.18, but men 18;
bokes. d.118, (a) bokenpl. d.224 (on
bōcum); feders. n.148, faders. g.195,s. a.186; broðers. n.148,s. a.185; susters. n.148, 185; fronds. n.30,
freondepl. d.220, frondpl. a.183, 219, 220, fond
219.With the exception of the weak forms laþe 268, betere 26, 142, hattre
247, loure 29, 263, mare 2, 18, wunderlukeste 68, the adjective in thes. n.is uninflected: alder 1 isieldra. Thes. d.regularly terminates ine, except uuel 24. Thes. a.is mostly uninflected, as wurst 217, but endelese 141,
herdne 169, lesse 60, muchele 191, 205. The participialāgenis
unvaried, aȝen 30, 108, 113, 116, 261, once ahen 161. Thepl. n.ends in e, arme 227, erȝe 17, herde 169, orðliche 153, but words in-ig, gredi 264, edi 227, weri 240 and idel 9, lut 104 (lȳtindeclinable), ofdred 94 are uninflected:pl. d.are fulle, gode
219, uuel 251;pl. a.with e, bare 137, ȝunge 10, sare 36, uuele
170, wreche 170, 250. OE.ānais ane 86, 110, 213:ānis
ans. n. f.26, ared. f.205, 207, ennea. m.137;nānis nan.22, 80, 181, nan 59,
naned. neut.236, nennea. m.119, nanea. f.235; naþinga. neut.98. Adjectives are used
extensively as nouns,s. n.sullic 181, ufel 59, uersc 248;s. a.beste 51, litel 28, lutel 46, lesse 71, lest 112, mare
2, 54, mest 7 (4), muchel 28. In thes. d.and throughout
thepl.the termination is regularly e,s. d.gode
21, 61, laðe 61, ufele 17;pl. n.eldre 192, fremede 34, laðe,
loue 44, sibbe 34, unholde 36,pl. a.dede, quike 190, uuele
192.The personal pronouns are ich, hi 221 (= ih), i in ilede 5, me, we,
us, þu, þe, ȝe, eow 25, ou 50, ow 155, 228. The pronoun of the third
person iss. n.hem.21, hitneut.11,d.himm.24, 44,a.hinem.12, 34, 116,
him 110, haf.215 (Mercian), es (seep. 274) 55, 239, is 144, his 40, 259; hes,
hies 56 (= he + es), hitneut.15, 38,pl. n.hi
66 (4), ho 19 (11),d.him 165, 184, hom 18, 62, 181, hia.180, hom 182, 184. Reflexives are hims.124, him solue 23 (5),
him solf 115; definitives, solfs.46, 129, sulf 214, þe solf 29,
him solf 40, 114, 184, hom solfpl.225; possessives, mi 2, þin
29, his 30, 31, 42, is 217, hire 31, vre 57, 247, hore 101, hure 141.
The definite article iss. n.þem.39, 68, þef.74, þa 116, 201,g.þesneut.193,d.þem.63, 92, 96, þa 156, (at) ta 156, þeref.233, (at) tere
127, þe 83, þanneut.212,a.þem.232, þef.13, 261, þatneut.51,pl. n.þe 94, þa 103,
136, (ent) ta 103,a.þa 190. The article is also frequently used
as pronoun antecedent to relatives, þe ðe 69 (5), þa þe 215, þo þe 53,
261, þe þet 55, he who; þa þe 93 (8), þa þi 173, þo þe 61, 96, they who;
þa þe 250, þe þe 252, þe ꝥ 263, they to whom; with þa þe 216, with those
whom; þen þe 71, to him who; þan þe 225, to those who; ꝥ þe 58, what.
Other pronominal uses are of þan 74, of him of whom, þe 169, þa 270,
they; þer fore 144, for it. The compound demonstrative is represented by
þisses. g. f.267, þespl. n.41, þaspl.
a.230. The relatives are þe 33 &c., þa 12, 139, 169, þi 173,
often meaning he who, they who 12, 19, 23, 253, þet 21 &c., often
meaning that which, what: þe 10 isgenitive, of which, ꝥ 65, 257dat.: þen 269 is þe + en. Interrogatives are hwas. n.133, hwamd.202, hom 95; hwat 244, hwet, wet
79, 103, to hwon 105; hweþer 236, hwilkes. d. m.130,
hwices. n. f.136, correlative suilchs. n.120, swich, swuch 80, swilchepl. d.220:ilcais ilkes. d.212. Indefinites are wa se 114; me
48 &c.; sums.25, summepl.147; fole 9 (4), fele 70,
166; eiðer 62; oðerss. g. m.30, 263, oðer 257,s. d. m.186,s. a. neut.147, oþrepl.
n.166; echs. n.32 &c., hech 232, ec 171, uchess. g. m.90, elchess. g. f.222, eches. d.231, ilches. d. m.86, helches. a. f.89; enis. n. m.68, aniges. d. f.269, enis. a. neut.53; monis. n.38, moniess. g.36; als. n. a.81, 54, allepl. n. a.79, 173,
174, 195, 84, alrepl. g.161, 187.Five-sixths of the infinitives end in en, showing Anglian influence,the remainder mostly in e, as bode 262r. w.node, ileste
242r. w.unstedefeste, ofþinche 203r. w.swinke; exceptional are wernin 228, warni 226, seon 16, son 158. Dative
infinitives are to baþien 245, beten 132, habben 39, swenchen 250,
swinden 57, þenchen 252, for . . . cumen 154, for habben 53,
for lesen 180, 182; possibly to frure 232, see note. Presents ares.1. adrede, biþenche 6; 3. biswikeð, fulieð 12, þunchet 233,
ofþinchet 10, hauet 65, þurþsicheþ 90, and the contracted forms (as
numerous as the uncontracted), abuh 144, bernd 249, bet 126, 164, bit
126, iherð 89, itit 125, lest 167, sent 42, 46, ouersich 75, þench 33,
wit 84:pl.1. abuȝeð 195, brokeð 91, þenke we 190; 3. fareð 232,
þolieð 202, wuneð 136:subjunctive s.1. bidde 134; 2. wende 86;
3. ȝeue 122, giue 56, helpe 156, lipnie 22, 31, rede 8, 156, scilde 220,
wite 122, wurð[e] 140:pl.3. ?come 124: imperatives.2.
wende 86:pl.2. sendeð 25, vnderstondeð 227. Past of Strong
Verbs: I a.s.3. isech 261;pl.1. iseȝen 102; 3. 98: I
b.s.1. com 221; 3. binom 259, brec 183, com 117, nom 205;pl.3. comen 139, 202, helen 160, stelen 159: I c.s.3.
unbond 188;pl.3. bigunnen 243, swunken 254;subj. s.3.
bigunne 214, funde 68: II.pl.3. witen 244, writen 224, wruȝen
160: III.pl.3. luȝen 159: IV.s.3. scop 84: V.s.3. let 260, hechte 268 (weak form);pl.3. biheten 242,
holden 170, sowen 20, leten 266. Participles present: I c. berninde 218,
bernunde 245: V. wallinde 218; past: I a. biȝeten 105, forȝeten 98,
iqueðen 9: I b. bistolen 15, forholen 77, iborene 105: I c. iborȝen 165,r. w.sorȝe, ifunde 177, sprunge 173, unforȝolden 59: II.
iwriten 118: II, III. unwron 160: III. biloken 81, icorene 104,
forlorene 106: IV. forsworene 103. Past of Weak Verbs:s.1.
hefde 13, sede 155; 3. biþohte 150, cudde 191, herde 262, likede 11,
seide 129,r. w.misdede:pl.1. hefden 51, leden 93;
3. ledden 209, luueden 93, iquemde 269:subj. s.3. hefde 137,
hefð 147 (miswritten for hefde). Participles past: alesed 134, ibet 132,
idemet 106, 171, fordemet 270, igult 27, hud 77, ihud 28, ofdred 43,
offerd 157, meind 142, iclepede 104. Minor Groups: watpr. s.79,
89, 111, nute hipr. pl.236, wiste 1pt. s.15, wistenpt. pl.139, nusten 1pt. pl.102,pt. pl.225;
ahtept. s.2, achten 1pt. pl.129; konpr. s.71,
cunnepr. s. subj.213, kuðe 1pt. s.9; þerfpr.
s.43, 44, 45, 163; scalpr. s.24, 35, schal 19, sculen 1pr. pl.47, 95, 161, scule we 92, 95, sculen 2pr. pl.20,
49,pr. pl.94, sculdept. s.263, sculden 1pt.
pl.60, solde 51, sculdenpt. pl.265, sculdept. s.
subj.118 (the past forms inuare Anglian); mei 1pr.
s.14, maipr. s.35, 40, 69, mei 65, 88, 124, 145, muȝen 1pr. pl.157, 206,pr. pl.66, 237 (in form subjunctive),
muȝepr. s. subj.21, 55, 125, muȝen 2pr. pl. subj.25,pr. pl. subj.19, mahte 1pt. s.(Anglianmæhte)
222, mihte 13, michte 16, 1pt. pl.52, mihtenpt. pl.200; motpr. s.33; boninf.2 &c., bo 134, em 1pr. s.1, 4, ispr. s.26, his 72, 121, 229, nis 77, 80, boðpr.
s.120 (in form plural), beoð 1pr. pl.17, boðpr.
pl.26, 75 &c., bið 233 (in form singular), bo 1pr. s.
subj.4,pr. s. subj.21 (7), beo 29, bopr. pl. subj.177, bon 94, wes 1pt. s.1,pt. s.187, 208, werenpt.
pl.102, 230, 251, werept. s. subj.153, nere 199, ibonpp.3; wule 1pr. s.155,pr. s.34, 39, wile 55,
uuel (miswritten for nule) 123, wulleðpr. pl.97, 226, walde 1pt. s.14 (Anglian),pt. s.35,r. w.unholde
149, wolde 147, nalde 185, 261, nolde 138, walde ȝe 2pt. pl.49,
woldenpt. pl.244, 266, nolden 238; doninf.37, 69, 92,
do 185, 186, to doneinf. dat.17, 37, deðpr. s.35
&c., doð 53 (plural form), doð 1pr. pl.58, 60, misdoð 206,
doðpr. pl.19, 79, dopr. s. subj.18, 21, 69, 210, dedept. s.2, misduden 1pt. pl.99, dudenpt. pl.265,
misduden 192, dude 96, idonpp.7 &c., fordon 270.(2)of T.Strong declension ofmasc.andneut.nouns. In thes. n.aquerne
366, were 31 have added e: sune 188 representssunu.Gen.-es, godes 313, goldes 70, werkes 64:d.-e, ate 262, biede 266, daie 80,
158; exceptions are deað 200, deuel 273, druken 262 (for drunke), fasten
147, 339, god 284, hunger 147 (hungre), peni 300, siluer 268
(seolfre), þanc 245, þing 320, mostly before a vowel, and fur
152, middenærd 195, peni 67, werc 116 at mid pause of the verse: misse
238s. a.has added e. Thepl. n. a.of
masculines ends in-es, ængles 94,
ȝietceres 271, bendes 190, but wintre 212, 356: neuters are folc 217,
ȝier 142, iswinc 36, þing 84, word 9, 160, ibede 301 (gebedu),
werkes 63 (4) (with masc. termination), deflen 97, a weak form:g.angles 355, 380, manke 70:d.dichen 41, ibeden 339,
wallen 41, wrenchen 255, bende 136, 293, 398, wapne 340, winter 4, worde
312, write 101, angles 284, derlinges 389, erminges 323, gultes 318,
werkes 258, wines 223. Of the strong feminines blisse 237, 380, este
363, idelnesse 7, mihte 76, 215, milce 72, reste 364, 373, rihtwisnesse
72, senne 129, 196, 205, sihte 369, soreȝe 142, 196, 378, strate 345,
tilðe 57, þiesternesse 281, unhalðe 327, unisalðe 378, witnesse 113,
116, wombe 147, have added e in thes. n., aihte 42, 55,
263, niede 265 in thes. a.The other casessing.andpl.end in e,s. g.blisse 357, helle 220, sowle 306;d.bote 318, dade 3, dure 124;a.milche 219, murihðe 396;pl. n.glede 222, unhalðe 199, wihte 78;g.blisse 355,
misdade 132, 275, seuenihte 142;d.aihte 271, 321;a.dade 10, 89, 160, laȝe 172, soreȝe 168. Exceptions are woreldes 226 (4)s.g., sa 83s. d., has 91s. a., rauing
257; wihten 285pl. n., honden 81pl. d., luues 314pl.
a., tiden 139. Nouns of the weak declension have e in all cases of
the singular;n.moȝe 187, almesse 28;g.lichame 306;d.deme 96, herte 309;a.grame 168, swiere 146:pl.
n.are eien 75, 381, eueten 277, iferen 102, 233, 297;a.swiken 278. The minor declensions are represented by mans. n.165, noman 24, manness. g.30, 90, 113,
mannes. d.117, man 20,maniman 205, menpl. n.162, 260, mannepl. g.163, 380,pl. d.342, men 263, 354; bocs. d.118, 228; broðers. n.150,s. a.187; faders. n.150, faderess. g.197, faders. a.188; susters. n.150, 187; frends. n.30, friendepl.
d.224, frendpl. a.185, 304, friend 224; fiendpl.
n.283, fiendespl. d.223,r. w.friende.Remnants of the strong declension of adjectives are wrechess. g. m.338 (with woreldesf.), ealde[s] 195, eueles. d. m.335, godelease 348, wrongwise 48, bares. d. f.211, stronge 283, godes. d. neut.73, unstedefaste 320, wilde 145, hardnes. a. m.171,
endelease 143, possiblydat., mucheles. a. f.396. Weak are ealdes. n. m.287, loðe 272, 287, narewe
349, swarte 282, brodes. n. f.345, murie 156, bares. d. m.348, heuenliche 96, muchele 92, mucheles. d. f.156, narewes. a. m.343,
brodes. a. neut.341, the comparatives and superlatives as
betre 28, wunderlukeste 68, except elder 1 (ieldra), niðer 299,
347, werest 221. All other adjectives are uninflected in the singular:
the termination in all cases of thepl.is e; arȝen.19,
lichamliched.398, wrechea.172, but arefeðheald 315,
eadi 231, euel 172, 233, gradi 268, idel 9, iwar 334, weri 244 are not
inflected.āgenis owen 30, oȝen 113, 116, 163, 265 without
variation:ānagives onen. s. m.86 (7):ānis onn. s. m.67,f.28, ones. d. m.348, on 335, ores. d. f.383, one 209, 211, ones. d. neut.384, ons. a. f.139,nān, nonen. s. m.367, non 110, no 37, 50, nons. n. f.289, noness. g. neut.372, nones. d. neut.240,s. a. f.239:ilca,
ilkes. d. neut.216. Of the numerals twam 312 isdat.Adjectives are freely used as nouns,s. n.foh,
grai 365, sellich 183;s. g.godes 371, 372;s. d.gode 23, lothe 61, juel (yfle) 19;s. a.emcristen 310, beste 51, lasse 71, mast 112: thepl.has e,n.fremde 34, elderne 194, heie 164, unholde
36;a.deade 192; exceptions are elder 326 (ieldran),
ȝeunger 326 (geongran), quica 192.The personal pronouns are ich, i in ibie 4, ibiðenche 6, idude 2,
ilade 5, ime 6, ine 16, 225, me, we, us, þu, þe, ȝie, eow. The pronoun
of the third person iss. n.hem.21, hie 114, ?hi
38, hitneut.13;d.himm.20, 21, 44;a.hinem.110, 116, 385, him 34, himf.129 (masc.form), hes 219, 241, his 263, hies 243, hes 40 (= he + es), 55, 56,
hitneut.17;pl. n.hie 22 &c., hi 382, he 248 (5),d.hem 62, 167, 180, 239 &c.,a.hem 184, 305, hes
102, 186, 288, 314, mes 259 (= me + es). Reflexives are us self
310, him 21, 124, him selfens.14, 107, 115, him selfe 25, him
self 111; definitives, þe self 29, him self 40, 114, 186, self 131, 218,
379,pl.hemself 229; possessives, mi 2, minepron.304,
þi 29, his 30 &c., hire 31, ure 57,pron.251, here 101. The
definite article issing. n.sem.287, þe 39 &c., þa
349, þef.116, 205, þet 68 (neut.form),d.þanm.63, 96, þe 83, 158, te in ate 92, þaref.346, 347,
397, þe 83, 237, (a)te 127, ðerneut.216 (fem.form),a.þanem.341, 343, 353,þene 343, þef.265, þatneut.51;pl. n.þe 103,d.þo 291, 340, 354,a.þo 278, þe 192, 278. The article
is also frequently used as pronoun antecedent to relatives, as þe þe, he
who 25, 66, se þe 53, 55, se þit 112 (= se þe hit), þan þe, to him
who 71, þo þe, those who 213, 234, þar þat, of those who 192, þo þe, to
those who 229, those to whom 267, 275, those who and those to whom 256,
wið þo þe, with those whom 220. Other pronominal uses are of þare, of
that other 328 (representingneut.noun), þar fore, for it 146,
after þan(e) þe,conj., according as 362, þo, those 171. The
compound demonstrative is þiss. g. f.271, þesses 338
(masc.form), þesses. d. neut.328, 383, þospl.
n.351, 352, ?þes 103, þesepl. d.312, þospl. a.234, 303, 314; relatives þe 33, 73, in combinations þis 156, 251
(= þe is), þit 112, 141 (= þe hit): þe often means he who 14,
21, 30, se 221; þe, they who 257, þat, that which 22 &c., þe, to
whom 296, of which 10. Interrogatives are hwo 135, hwat 78, 103, 137,
hwand.after prep. 95, 206, 330, to hwan, why 105, hweðer 240,
hwilch 138 with correlative swilch 79, 399;ilcais ilke 216:
indefinites, hwo se 114; me 48, 63, 342; sumepl.149, 361; fele
9, 70, 212; feawe 349, 354; eiðer 62, 239, aiðer 306; oðers. g.30, 261, 267, 363,s. d.116, 188, 360,s. a.149, þoðrepl.168 (= þe oðre), oðer 390;
elchs. n. m.107, 173, eche 344, ech 23, elchs. n. f.360, achess. g. f.226,neut.371, eches. d. m.86, achen 350, aches. d. f.235, elches. a. m.132,f.89; anis. n. m.68,d. f.273,a. neut.53; manin. s. m.38,s. g. m.36; africs. n. m.32, africh
65, afri 117; als. n. m.198,neut.7, alles. d. neut.307, 340,pl. n. m.22 &c.,f.78, alreg.163, 189, 355, alled.318, 389,a. m.224,a. f.84, 89,a. neut.84.The infinitives are equally divided between-en, including isien 18, 379, 385, and-e: exceptions are fulendin 247, warnin 230, 232. Those
of the second weak conjugation have-ien,-ie, wunien 153, 181, 249, samie 165,
wunie 214, 376. A dat. inf. with inflection is to isiene 392,
uninflected are to bete 134, to bihelden 392, to falle 316, to habben
39, te læte 345, te stonde 316, to swenche 254, to swinde 57, to þenchen
256, for to haben 53, for . . . to fulle 352, for lesen 182,
184. Presentss.1. adrade 6, bidde 136; 3. barneð 253, bihoteð
38, exceptionally biswicað 14, mislicað 13, haued 70, 340, singed 311,
contracted forms, three-sevenths of the total number, abit 130, abuið
146, bet 126, 166, bit 126, 357, itit 125, last 169, lat 129, lat 342,
sent 42, wit 84 and others;pl.1. abugeð 197, brekeð 91, findeð
332, wilnieð 319, but ileued 176, þenche we 192; 3. fareð 236, folȝeð
346, but habbed 141, 177:subjunctive s.2. wende 86; 3. bringe
397, cume 156, ȝieue 56 (4), ȝeue 317, helpe 158, hopie 31, rade 158,
reche 135, sende 27, silde 224, 303, warnie 304, wurðe 142;pl.1. late 307, 341, luue 309, silde 308, ute 337, werie 339, all followed
by we, haben 100, wurðen 334;3. wende 400:imperative s.2. wende 86;pl.2.
understondeð 231. Past of Strong Verbs: I a.s.3. sat 266, iseih
265;pl.1. iseien 98, 99, 102;subjunctive s.3. iseie
118: I b.s.3. brac 185, cam 117 (4), nam 209;pl.1.
come 330; 3. binomen 263, comen 206, halen 161, stalen 162, come 141: I
c.s.3. swanc 362, unbond 190;pl.3. bigunnen 247, gunne
276, swunken 258;subj. s.3. bigunne 218, funde 68: III.pl.3. luȝen 161: IV.s.3. sop 84: V.pl.3.
biheten 246, hielden 172, 298, leten 270, 352, sewen 22, lete 264.
Participles present: I c. barnende 222: V. wallinde 222; past: I a.
biȝiete 105,forȝieten98, ispeken 9: I b. bistolen 17, forholen 76, iborenepl.105: I c. iboreȝe 167, ifunde 179, sprunge 175, unforȝolden
59: II. iwrite 117, write 228: II, III. unwrien 162: III. biloken 81,
icorenepl.104, forlorene 106: IV. forsworene 103: V. biualle
198. Past of Weak Verbs:s.1. hadde 15, sade 157; 3. bohte 186,
kedde 193 (cȳðde), likede 13, sade 131, taihte 272;pl.1.
ladden 93, luueden 93; 3. arerde 172, hudden 162, ilaste 246, iquemde
273, leide 263, saden 227, sunegeden 262;subj. s.3. hadde 139,
149 (= hadde he);pl.1. swunke we 321. Participles past:
alesed 136, ibet 100, 134, bicherd, bikeihte 322, idemd 106, demde 274,
ofdrad 43, 288, ofdraddepl.94, ispend 12, teald 120, wuned 57.
Minor Groups: witeninf.386, wotpr. s.78, 89, 111, not
148 (= ne wot), witenpr. pl.294, niten 240 (= ne
witen), iwiste 1pt. s.17, wistept. pl.141, nestenpt. pl.229, 388 (= ne wisten); ohpr. s.2; cunneninf.336, can 1pr. s.306,pr. s.71, cunnenpr. pl.305, cunnepr. pl. subj.217, cuðe 1pt. s.9; þarfpr. s.43, 45, 165; salpr. s.21, 26, sullen 1pr. pl.163, sulen 58, sulle we 92, sullenpr. pl.103,
sulle 22, 106, soldept. s.37, 267, solden 1pt. pl.47,
60, solde 51, soldenpt. pl.269; mai 1pr. s.16, miht 2pr. s.129, maipr. s.35, 44, maiȝ 88, 124, 217, muȝen 1pr. pl.159, 210, 332,pr. pl.241, 288, 374, muȝe 207,pr. s. subj.23, 55, 125, 338, muȝe we 1pr. pl. subj.325, mihte 1pt. s.15, 226,pt. s.202, 1pt. pl.52; motpr. s.33, moten 1pr. pl. subj.317, 400; beninf.39 (12), bien 389, to be 2, am 1pr. s.1, ispr.
s.7, 72, nis 76, 79, beð 23, 32, 114, 1pr. pl.19,pr.
pl.75, 94, 237, bieð 291, 315, bed 104, 381, senden 290, bie 1pr. s. subj.4, 136,pr. s. subj.29, 77, be 32, 251, bienpr. pl. subj.80, ben 28, was 1pt. s.1,pt. s.189, 212, waren 1pt. pl.100, 333,pt. pl.102, naren
383, warept. s. subj.155, nare 201, 1pl.322, ibenpp.3; wille 1pr. s.227, wulle 157, nelle 291, wilepr. s.39, 55, nele 336, willeðpr. pl.34, 97, 230,
nelleð 374, wolde 1pt. s.16,pt. s.35, nolde 140, 187,
265, wolde ȝie 2pt. pl.49, woldenpt. pl.248, 270,
nolden 247, nolde 242; doninf.37, 69, 270, to doneinf.
dat.37, to don 19, deðpr. s.21, 221, doð 35 (8), 1pr.
pl.60,pr. pl.61, 78, dopr. s. subj.8, 20, 23,
214, 1pr. pl. subj.308, dude 1pt. s.2, duden 1pt.
pl.96, misduden 101, dedenpt. pl.269, 270, misduden 194, idonpp.7, ido 304,
fordon 274; forgoðpr. s.358, goðpr. pl.351, go we 1pr. pl. subj.343, 353.Dialect:L is a copy of a Southern original made by a
Midland scribe of the Southern border. His alterations, casual and
inconsistent, affect mainly the sounds; the inflections are on the whole
Southern, but the extensive retention of inflectionalnis due to
the scribe: the pronoun ha 215 and the infinitives warni 226, wernin 228
are Mercian features of the Katherine Group. T is South-Eastern
bordering on Kent, with some trace of Midland influence, such as the
exclusive representation ofæbya, the development ofæ+gasai, distinct from that ofe+gasei, the absence of breaking ineabeforel+ consonant, the past participles without prefix, the
infinitives in-in, features which point
to the northern border of the South-Eastern area as its place of origin.
In phonology it closely resembles Vices and Virtues. The dialect ofeis Middle South: its rhymes are mostly correct, and it is
probably the best representative of the original. MS. E is assigned by
Jordan to the same area, but nearer its northern border.Vocabulary:The foreign element in these texts is
small. French are bikehte bikeihte (first appearance), cunin kuning,
ermine (f. a.), martres 50/362 (f. a.), sabeline (f. a.),
serueden, werre: sōt is pre-Conquest French, soht 30/30, written for
sŏtt, a pre-Conquest Latin borrowing: Sathanas withthis French.
Scandinavian are bene, efninges eueningges (influenced byefen),
ille, laȝe loȝe, lofte, niþinges, þralles þrelles, wrange wronge, and
possibly fruden frute, lan 32/64: baþe boþe in a Southern text may
descend from OE.bā þā(Björkman, 108).Metre:The Septenarius is a purely syllabic metre
of seven feet, with or without end-rhyme, fashioned on the model of such
mediaeval Latin verse as the well-known méum | ést pro|pósit|úm || ín
ta|bérna | móri; the first section of the line having four stresses with
a masculine and the second three with a feminine ending. The trochaic
rhythm of the verse is very often changed into iambic by the addition of
a syllable as prelude before either half of the verse: the full scheme
is accordingly (x)x́xx́xx́xx́ || (x)x́xx́xx́x̀. This is perfectly
exemplified in the Ormulum with its invariable line of fifteen
syllables, but in the PM, the earliest known attempt at the metre in
English, the influence of the native prosody is strong, and a regular
line like Þe Món | þe wúl|e sík|er bón || to háb|ben Gód|es blíssè L 39
is uncommon. The following scansions of L illustrate the deviations from
the norm of the verse:ich ém | nu áld|er þénẹ | ich wés || awín|tre ént | a láreIch wél|de má|re þénẹ | ich déde || mi wít | áhte | bon máreWel lóngẹ | ich háb|be chíld | ibón || a wórd|e ént | a dédeþáh ich | bó a | wíntre | áld || to ȝúng | ich ém | on réde5v́nnet | líf ich | hábbẹ i|léd || ⁊ ȝét | me þíngþ | ilédeþénnẹ ich | mé bi|þénche | wél || ful sárẹ | ich mé | adrédemést al | þét ich | hábbẹ i|dón || bífealt | tó child|hádeWel látẹ | ich háb|be mé | biþócht || búte | Gód me nu | rédeFólẹ id|el wórd | ich hábbẹ | iquéðen || sóððen | ich spék|e kúðe10fóle | ȝúnge | dédẹ i|dón || þe mé | ofþínch|et núðeMést al | þét me | líkedẹ | ér || nú hit | mé mis|líkeðþa múch|el fúl|iéð | his wíl || híne | sólf he bi|swíkeðIch míh|te háb|be bét | idón || héfdẹ ich | þé i|sélþeNú ich | wáldẹ ah | ích ne | meí || for éldẹ | ⁊ fór | unhélþe15Élde | me ís | bistól|en ón || ér ich | hít | wístene míchtẹ | ich séon | bifór|e mé || for smí|ke né | for místeÉrȝe | we béoð | to dón|e gód || ⁊ to úf|elẹ ál | to þrísteMarẹ éi|e stónd|eð mén | of mónne || þánnẹ hom | dó of | crísteþe wél | ne dóð | þe hwílẹ (þe) | ho múȝen || wél oft | hít schal |
rówen20þénnẹho| máwen | scúlen ⁊ | répen || þét ho | ér | sówenDó he | to gód|e þét | he múȝe || þe hwílẹ (ꝥ) | he bó | alíuene líp|nie ná | món | to múchel || to chíld|e né | to wíue[þé] þe | hím | sólue | forȝét || for wí|ue né | for chíldehé scal | cúmen in | úuel | stúde || bútẹ him | Gód bo | mílde25Séndeð | sum gód | bifór|en éow || (þe) hwíle | (ꝥ) ȝe múȝẹn | to
hóuẹnefor bét|erẹ is án | elmés|se bifórẹn || þénne | bóð efter | sóuẹneÁlto | lómẹ ich | hábbẹ i|gúlt || a wérk|e ént | o wórdeÁl to | múchẹl ich | hábbẹ i|spént || to lítẹl | ihúd | in hórdeNe béo | þe ló|ure þé|ne þe sólf || ne þín | mei né | þin máȝe30Soht is þét | is óð|ers món|nes frónd || bétre | þén his | áȝen52for þer wé | hit mích|te fínd|en éft || ⁊ hább|en bút|en éndeElision of e occurs under the usual conditions: pronouns like me 6,
10, 15, þe 23, and nouns of the type of wintre 1, 4 are not subject to
it. Instances of hiatus are worde 3, þe 13, werke 27. Syncopation of e
occurs in muȝẹn, houẹne 25, biforẹn, souẹne 26, litẹl 28, and probably
in muchẹl 28, though it might be regarded as forming part of a
trisyllabic verse. The prelude is wanting in the first section, 4, 5, 6,
14, 20, 27, 28; in the second section, 8, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 26, 30; in
both, 7, 11, 20, 24. It is doubled in the first section, 30, 52; in the
second, 17. The first foot of each section is sometimes a trochee
instead of an iamb; so in the first section, 9, 15, 17, 21, 25; in the
second, 9. The unstressed element in a foot is sometimes wanting, 15,
20, 22; sometimes it is of two syllables, 8, 12, 24, 26 (threetimes), 29. Feminine endings before the caesura are not uncommon, 2, 9,
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24; but the ending of the line is invariably
feminine. A comparison of the manuscripts shows that the author’s
practice was more correct than the representation of any of them; thus
the unmetrical second section of 25 is in e, þe hwílẹ | he méi | to
héuẹne. But it is clear that he used all the licences detailed
above.Introduction:The Moral Ode is, to all appearance,
an original work, the natural product of an old man’s musings on life
with its lost opportunities, death, and judgement. Its manner and
spirit, simple, earnest, austere, sententious, are of the Old English
cast. The author lived in Hampshire somewhere near the junction of the
Stour with the Avon. He was probably a secular priest, for he makes no
reference to the life of the cloister and names no saint or holy place.
His theological learning was of a commonplace kind and without subtilty.
He may have had some skill in medicine. He lived through the Anarchy,
and the faithless vassal and the tyrannous noble wallow in his Inferno
with the corrupt judge and extortionate official.Another poem of similar content, the Sermon of Guischart de Beaulieu
in Anglo-Norman, was written in England about the same time as the Poema
Morale. If the author took his name from Beaulieu in Hampshire, where
King John founded a Cistercian Abbey in 1204A.D.(Dugdale v. 680), he may have written not far
from the home of our poet. It abounds in striking parallels to the PM,
but the editor of the Sermon thinks the resemblances are not
sufficiently close to prove that Guischart used the English poem.1.nu: in LT
only.awintre ⁊ a lare: a winter and ek on lore J; of wintre ⁊ of
lore M. ⁊ = ent; see 38/159.2.welde mare:
not in the usual meaning, possess more wealth, as at 21/89, 22/122, 130,
32/55, but either, am more respected, honoured, as at 18/22; ‘for
worulde weorðscypes wealdan,’ Thorpe, Laws, ii. 324. 4, or more
probably, possess more knowledge; if so, ‘knowledge comes but wisdom
lingers.’ Comp. ‘of wisdom wilde,’ OEM 96/94. ForweldeD reads
ealdi, M eldi, age, grow old.3.child: comp.
‘Adhuc enim non pueritia in nobis sed, quod est gravius, puerilitas
remanet: et hoc quidem peius est quod auctoritatem habemus senum, vitia
puerorum,’ Seneca, Ep. iv; ‘To longe ich habbe sot ibeo | Wel sore ich
me adrede,’ OEM 160/31.a worde, &c.: comp. 30/27: on worde ⁊
on dede D; of wordes & of dede M.4.a: on D; of
JM.on: at E; á e; of M.5-8. Comp. ‘Ki se fie en
cest secle por fol tenc mult celui | Par meimeimes le sai ne mie par altrui | Folement le menai itant cum ieo i fui
| Kar unkes ne fis riens de quanke faire dui | Trop i dui demurer trop
tart men apercui,’ Guischart 32-36; ‘vnnut lif to longe ich lede |
hwanne ich me biþenche;wel sore ich me adrede,’ OEM
192/3, 4.6.wel ful: wel,
wel D; ful J; the other MSS. wel, but T alters the first half of the
line.welqualifies biþenche.7.ꝥ= þet; see
32/55.bi fealt&c. is not original, but an avoidance of the
rare word chilce, which is in E e J T; D has chilðe, M chilse.chilce, childishness, appears to be formed from child, on the
analogy of milce from mild; it occurs here only. L alters l. 8 for the
sake of the rhyme; the other MSS. are with T.8.bute, unless;
comp. ll. 24, 210, 271.9.iqueðen:
ispeken T; ispeke J. Comp. ‘Ifurn ich habbe isuneȝet mid wurken ⁊ midd
muðe | ⁊ mid alle mine lime siððe ich sunehi cuðe | ⁊ wel feole sunne
ido þe me ofþincheð nuðe,’ OEM 193/29-31.10.þe: so T e,
but þat EJM; þet D. OE.ofþyncanis impersonal, it takes dative
of the person and genitive or, rarely, nominative of the cause; ‘him ðæs
slæpes ofþuhte,’ Ælf., Hom. Cath. i. 86/19 is normal. The indeclinable
relative þe here and in similar places, as ‘Ne do þu non oðer man þing
þe þe wolde ofþunche gief me hit dude þe,’ OEH ii. 179/20, may be doing
duty for the genitive (see46/292 note).
But in ME. generally hit is expressed as subject, 52/370, or the cause
is nominative, 38/164, 42/203 (notwithstanding the verb in the
singular), 145/104, or the subject is actually personal, 46/271; ‘his
freonden hit ofþuhten,’ L 197. Þat in the other texts is nominative.11. Comp. ‘Or me
semblet puillent co ke ieo mult amai | Quant del plait me souent enz en
mun queor mes mai,’ Guischart 1205, 6.Mest: Best J. The scribe
should have put the stop after er.12. Comp. ‘Mult est
fous ke fait trop de sa volontez,’ Archiv lxiii. 84/301. After this line
J interpolates, Mon let þi fol lust ouer-go · and eft hit þe likeþ; see
29/45.13.þeis
possibly miswriting of þen. M has also þe selþe, but e T D þo; E þer; J
eny selhþe. The meanings given in the dictionaries for iselþe, luck,
good fortune, happiness, do not give a good sense here; if it could mean
experience, the sentiment would be like ‘si jeunesse savait, si
vieillesse pouvait.’ Morris in OEH i. 160/13 translates discretion.14.elde&c.: comp. 20/72; 40/197; 48/323.15.wiste:
awuste E; á wyste e; iwiste TD; er þan ich hit wiste JM.16.smike:
smeke E; smeche e D; smoke J; smiche M.17.al to
þriste, all too bold, ready; comp. 157/127.18.stondeð:
B-T quotes understandan(of direction) ‘Swa micel ege stod
deoflum fram eow,’ Ælf. Hom. Cath. i. 64/25, with meaning, came over;
similar is ‘Norð-Denum stod atelic egesa,’ Beowulf, 783. In ME. stonden
has developed the meaning, exists (comp. Fr. être Manuscripts:i. Lambeth 487 (L), a small quarto, 177 ×
135 mm., of 67 leaves, written towards the end of the twelfth century.
Its contents are described in Wanley, p. 266, and printed in OEH i. pp.
2-189: nos. x, xi. of this book are also taken from it. The words
printed in clarendon in these three pieces are written in red, not
inserted afterwards by a rubricator but done at the same time as the
rest of the text. The PM ends with fordemet, l. 270, in the middle of a
page; the final t has a flourish for its cross stroke; the copyist had
apparently no knowledge of any more.ii. iii. Egerton 613, B.M., described in the List of Additions, 1843.
Its contents are mostly in Norman French, but it has two copies of the
PM: the second (e) furnishes here a complement to the Lambeth MS. as far
as l. 370, with which it ends; the first (E) is used to complete the
text. e was written in the first quarter of the thirteenth century, E is
somewhat later; the former has accents, the latter none. In e every
other line has a red initial, but the rubricator went wrong at ll. 308,
312. These copies are in different hands.iv. Trinity College, Cambridge, B. 14. 52 (T), on vellum, 135 × 105
mm.; written early in the thirteenth century. Its contents are described
in James, M. R., The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity
College, Cambridge, 1900, i. 459. A leaf is lost afterf.8, and a new hand begins with
f 9; the PM appears to be a distinct MS. (Anglia, iv. 408). The initials
of each line are capitals and written apart from their words. A later
hand has glossed aihte 42, goodes; ore 53, favour, grace; lean 64,
deserving; manke 70, Manca, Mancus.Other MSS. are v. Digby A 4, BodleianD, of the beginning of the thirteenth century;
described in Macray, W. D., Catalogue of the Digby MSS., Oxford,
1883. The PM is written in half lines and stanzas; it is in a hand found
nowhere else in the MS., which was probably copied at ChristChurch, Canterbury (James, M. R., The Ancient Libraries of
Canterbury and Dover, Cambridge, 1903; Förster, M., Archiv cxv. 167).
Its dialect is Kentish. vi. Jesus College, Oxford, E 29 (J): seep. 285. vii. McClean MS. 123 (M), Fitzwilliam
Museum, Cambridge, 122 leaves on vellum, 262 × 167 mm.: about 1300: the
Nuneaton Book, described by Miss Anna C. Paues, who discovered this copy
of the poem, in Anglia xxx. 217-26, and in A Descriptive Catalogue of
the McClean Collection of Manuscripts by M. R. James, Cambridge,
1912. Like Egerton 613 it has the Bestiary of William the Norman and the
Gospel of Nicodemus in French. The dialect ofPMis
South-Eastern, bordering on Kent. It begins with two lines from Sinners
Beware (OEM p. 72), and has four other lines not found in any other
copy: on the other hand, it wants seventy lines found in T; it diverges
from the other MSS. in the order of the lines, and in other respects
gives the impression of having been written down from memory.Facsimile:Of vi. Skeat, W. W., Twelve Facsimiles,
Oxford, 1892; plate vi gives ll. 1-34.Editions:Of L: OEH i. 159-75 with modern version.
Kluge, F., ME. Lesebuch, 57-61. Of E: Furnivall, F. J., Early
English Poems. Philological Society, 1862, 22-34, with readings of e and
OEH i. 288-95, 175-83. Of e: Zupitza-Schipper, Alt- und Mittelenglisches
Übungsbuch, Wien, 1907, 80-91, completed from E. Of T: OEH ii. 220-32
and Specimens 195-221. Of J: OEM 58-71 and Specimens 194-220. Of D:
Zupitza, J., Anglia i. 6-32, part in Hickes i. 222. Of M: Paues,
A. C., Anglia xxx. 227-37 (I read l. 29, hire; 63 þon; 65
nammore; 71 ouersicþ; 84 þurȝsicþ; 105 diaþe; 147 þar pine; 152
ysicþ; 191 ofspreng; 223 hi neure; 236 Mot; 268 wulle; 314 hī =
him; 333 ḅyseo = yseo).A critical edition based on all the MSS. then known was issued by H.
Lewin, Halle, 1881. He adopted Zupitza’s filiation of the MSS. as
expressed in the following table:LXEYWeUJTZDMiss Paues thinks that M is descended from V co-equal with U, thusdisplacing the latter from its position of original: to me it seems to
belong to the Z group, and to be most nearly related to D.The MSS. thus fall into two groups, which are here adequately
represented by the printed texts, for D is inferior and J much altered,
indeed often rewritten. U, the original, was probably written about 1180A.D.Literature:Einenkel, E., Anglia iv. Anz. 88-93;
Jordan, R., ES xlii. 38-42 (dialect of L); Krüger, A., Sprache und
Dialekt der ME. Homilien in der Handschrift B. 14. 52. Trinity College,
Cambridge, Erlangen, 1885; Paues, A. C., Anglia xxx. 217-37;
Zupitza, J., Anglia i. 5-38; iii. 32, 33; iv. 406-10.Analogues:Reimpredigt, ed. H. Suchier, Halle, 1879; Le
Sermon de Guischart de Beauliu, ed. A. Gabrielson, Upsala, 1909;
Guischart de Beauliu’s debt to religious learning and literature in
England, by A. Gabrielson, Archiv cxxviii. 309-28.Phonology:(1)of the
Lambeth MS.Oralaisa, baþien 245, faren 176;abefore nasals is normallyo, mon 22, þonc 71, butain manke 70, þanke 241, and þenne, þene, þen, wenne are the
usual spellings, with occasional þanne 18, 160;abefore
lengthening groups iso, honde 81, ifonded 147; ent 159 is
Anglianend.æis mostlye, brec 183, et 92, feder
148, efþ 171 (hæfð), hwet 92 &c., weter 248, butain
bað 218, fader 186, 195, habbe 3, 5, hwat 90, water 142, 194, 240.eise, beren 95, ende 179, strengþe 168, but sullic 181
(syllic; comp. seollic L 18035), ni 77, meind 142
(mengde).iisi, biden 125, binden 216, child 148;
afterwit isuin wule 34, 39, 155, wulleð 97, 226, uuel
123 (= nule), nute 236, nusten 102, 225. It isein þerdde
138,uin ofsprung 207; boð 120 is miswritten for bið.oiso, bifore 16, borde 260, but afterw,a, walde
49, nalde 185, 261; cumen 202 isc(w)omon. The prep.onis
mostly a, sometimes an;uisu, cumeð 234, funde 68, but
come 124, 221, iwoned 57 in contact withm,n,w.yis mostlyu, abuȝeð 195, cunne 202, duden 265, sunne
201, swuch 80, þunchen 62; before lengthening groups, sungede 258, butiin afirst 37, hwice 136, lifte 83, ofþinchþ 130 (5), swich
80 (3), andein dede 2, vnnet 5: king 50, drihten 80, drihte 110 are the only forms of these words.āis normallya, an 26, are 179, hwam 202, þa 190;
before consonant groups, are 207, hattre 247, but it isoin hom
95, hwon 105, þo 53, wori 142,ethrough loss of stress in se 80
&c., þe 169.ǣ1ise, eni 53, er 11, þen
71, ech 32, efre 68, ledden 209, butain anige 269, þan 74:
uches 90 descends from ylc.ǣ2is alwayse,
adrede 6, brede 143, lende 122, uniselðe 198.ēis alwayse;ī,i;ō,o, butein te
108: na 134 is Angliannā.ūis alwaysu.ȳis normallyu,
cudde 191, fur 76, hud 77, lutel 46, but litel 28, hwi 104.eabeforer+ cons. is regularlye, erȝe 17,
þerf 43; before lengthening groups, erninge 64, herde 157, 169, wernin
228, but arme 227, warni 226: thei-umlaut is represented by
derne 78, smirte 114.eabeforel+ cons. is onceea, bifealt 7; normallya(Anglian absence of breaking),
al 7 &c., salt 248, ald 4,-fald54,
247, waldeð 84, but welde 2, welden 55 (by confusion withgewieldan): thei-umlaut is seen in elde 14, 15, eldre
192, helde 197, but alder 1.eobeforer+ cons. is mostlye, herte 74, werke 27 (9), but horte 113; before length. groups
it isoin ȝorne 49, horþe 75, orðe 81, orðliche 153. Thewurgroup is represented by wurð 140; thei-umlaut by wurs
236, wurst 217, 219: bernd 249, berninde 218, bernunde 245 come frombærnan.eobeforel+ cons. is writteno[ö], solf 12 (13), butuin sulf 214 (LWS.sylf).ea,u-umlaut ofais represented by kare 45.eo,u-umlaut ofeiso, houene 25 (7), world
153, 222, butein heuenriche 42, 63, and by influence ofw,uin suster 148, 185:eo,å-umlaut ofeis writteno[ö], brokeð 91, fole 9 (4), unfrome 226,
but isein fele 70, 166, wele 222.eo, umlaut ofiis writteno[ö], binoþen 87, hore 101, solure 264, souene 26,
soððen 9, 117, but isein biclepie 107, iclepede 104, seue 140;uin suððen 205, hure 141. The palatal diphthongeaisain scal 24, 35, schal 19,-gate180;ein scefte 84, ȝere 110;sceamianis skamie 163,
165,sceomu, scome 166.ieaftergis regularlye(Anglian), ȝeuen 64, 261, ȝefð 144, ȝeue 45, 74, ȝelde 45,
forȝeten 34, 98, butiin giue 56; afterč,e,
chele 197, 233 (without umlaut); aftersc,i, scilde 220.eoaftergisuin ȝung 4, 10; aftersc,u, sculen 20 (8), sculde 118, 263, sculden 60, 265, butoonce in solde 51.eomis em 1, 4,heom, hom 18 &c.ēaiseain deaþe 182, uneade 181, otherwisee,
brede 189, chep 68, deðe 115, uneðe 189: lan 64 is Scandinavian. Thei-umlaut ise, alesed 134, iheren 262, ileuen 255.ēoiseoin beoð 17, beo 29, freonde 220, seon 16,
otherwise regularlyo, bon 2 (5), bo 134 (10), boð 26 &c.,
dore 143, doule 97 (5), frond 30 (4), son 158, þoue 43, butein
lef 252, sec 199, tening 253: bið 233 is due to confusion with the
singular. Thei-umlaut is represented by dore 144, 184, fond 219,
frond 220, node 261, þostre 78, but once þestre 76.gīetis ȝet
5;gēar, ȝer 140.ōafterscis seen in scop
84.a+gisaȝ, draȝen 47, 49, laȝe 170:ah14, 119, ach 58 is Anglianah.æ+gisei,
dei 134, mei 14, seið 114, 133.e+giseȝin
weȝes 72,eiin eie 18, weien 63:ongegnis aȝein 76;e+his seen in hechte 268;i+hin
iwichte 212;o+gin unwron 160 (unwrogen);o+hin bohte 184, unbocht 59;u+gin
fuȝeles 83, luȝen 159, muȝe 21, wruȝen 160;y+ginabuh 144 (abygþ).ā+gproducesaȝ, aȝen
30 (5), maȝe 29, but ahen161:ā+his seen in ahte 2, achten 129.ǣ1+giseiin eiðer 62, seiden 223;ǣ1+h,ehin ehte 259, echte 42 (3),
butachin tachte 268.ǣ2+ggiveseȝin iseȝen 98, 102, buteiin mei 29, 185.ē+gis seen in forwreien 97;ō+gin inoch 235;ō+hin biþocht 8, brochte 183: uwer 88 isōwer<ōhwǣr, comp. ouhwar AR 60/25.ea+hgives
mihte 13, michte 16, 52, mahte 222, isech 261; thei-umlaut is
represented in nihte 78:eo+h, brichte 75, rihte 109;
itsi-umlaut is represented in ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90.ēa+giseȝin eȝen 75;ēa+hgives
þah 4, þach 102, 222, þech 181;ēo+h, lihte 76,
lihtliche 145.ā+wisauin cnauð 146, knauð 110,
saule 136, 245, naut 48, 212;awin nawiht 150, 249 (but noht
190, nocht 132 are fromnōwiht);auwin iknauwen 161;
otherwiseaw, blaweð 136, mawen 20.ēa+wisawin scaweð 135.ēo+wisouin ou 50;owin ow 228, rowen 19, sowen 20,eowin eow 25: itsi-umlaut is represented in untrownesse 265.In syllables without stressais levelled toe, abuten
267, bihinden, binoþen 87, biforen 25, sone 38, but biforan 63;otoe, atter 142, siker 41, swikele 251.eis added in
areles 216 (ārlēas), ofte 57. The prefixgeisi,
ilome 47, iswinc 36, itit 125.Forsw,suis written once in suilch 120;quis
the regular equivalent ofcw, iquemen 95, quike 79. Anlis lost in ful 6, 145, fulenden 243:ggis written forngin biginnigge 119. Initialfis onceuin uersc
248:fbetween vowels or vowel and voiced consonant is generallyu, buuen 87, eure 86, iuere 229, solure 264, uuel 251, butfin ufel 59, 93, ufele 17, ifere 102; frure 232 is probablyfrōfre. In heste 242tis added, but hese 91:tsiscin milce 72.dis lost in leden 93 and added in
ordlinghes 103:tis written fordin ent 159, fordemet
270, idemet 106, 171, maket 230, undret 208, 247.þis lost in
abuh 144, ouersich 75; written fordin hefð 147; for itthis written in with 216,tin etlete 148, 153, 257,
hauet 65, ofþinchet 10, seit 133, þunchet 233,din cud 159 (but
kuðe 9), uneade 181,hin þench 33, wih 220,cin eclete
74: it is assimilated in attere 127, at ta 156.sc[š] isscin scal 24, scameþ 165, scilde 220,schin schal 19,sin bisunien 152,ssin fisses 83 and notablyskin skamie 163.čis generallych, chele 197, child 3, ich
1, but drunke 258, smike 16;c[k] is palatalized in hech 232,
werch 108, 116, werche 254, but werc 177; it isgin þingþ 5; ah
14, 119, 120, ach 58, 166, hi 221 (= ih) have Anglianh:ččisch, feche 222, reche 221, rechð 133, streche 231,
stuche 189, wreche 232:cgisgg, seggen 94, buggen 65,
but abuȝeð 195. Palatalgis very regularly represented byȝ, forȝeten 34, ȝeue 74, ȝere 110, butiin medierne 256
(georne),hin ahen161 andgin anige 269: gate 180 is plural:ngisnghin ordlinghes 103,nggin eueningges 162:gis
lost in murþe 154. The prefixgeis lost in bon 137, hud 77,
meind 142, write 101.hhas been added initially in hech 232,
helche 89, his 72, 121, 229, honde 193, dropped in is 217, raþer 131,
undret 208, 247:þdisplaceshin þurþ 90. Forhw,wappears in wa 114, wet 79, 94,hin hom 95.chforhis frequent, achten 129, brochte 183, brichte 75, hechte
268, isech 261, ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90, &c. In soht 30,htis written fortt.(2)of the Trinity College MS.Oralaisa, fare 180, habben 39;abefore nasals
regularlya, man 20, þanc 245, þanne, þane, þan are the usual
forms, but þene 343;abefore lengthening groups iso,
fonded 149, longe 3, but hangeð 312.æis regularlya,
after 28, almesse 28, brac 185, fader 150, water 244, but sæd 392,
hweðer 240.eise, bed 222, beren 95; before lengthening
groups, bende 398, felde 348, imengd 144, strengðe 317, but ængles 94,
angles 284, 355, 380.iisi, þridde 140, child 3, finde
54, buteafterwin nele 336, nelle 291, nesten 229, 388,
also in ofspreng 211, þese 312, þesse 328, 383, þesses 338
(ðyssum,ðysses),uafterwin swunche 208,
373, as also in ofsprung 198.oiso, bode 264, borde 311,
butonprep. is most frequently a, an.sorgis soreȝe
142 (4), but sareȝe 378.uis invariablyu, bigunne 218,
grunde 180.yisein deden 269, 270, euel 26 (11),
hlesten 230, 387, kenne 206 (4), senne 129 (7), senden 290
(syndun), steche 191, vnnet 5, unwenne 212;uin abugeð
197, abuið 146, bugge 65, dude 2, duden 96, fulle 352, furst 37, gulteð
315 (4), gult 197 (4), hulle 351, misduden 101, 194, muchel 76 (8),
murie 156, murihðe 396, þunche 62, ofþunche 207 (3), sunegeden 262;iin tihte 272, þincheð 5, 10, 166, swilch 79, 399, hwilch 138,
unwinne 250: king, drihten, drihte are the only forms of these
words.āis mostlyo; the exceptions are aquerne 366, bihat
368, hat 308, hatere 251, hwan 206, lac 203 (loc in corresponding line
73).ǣ1is mostlya, ani 53, are 124, has 91,
349, hate 236, sa 83, sade 131 (LWS.sǣde), tache 305, þare 346;
before two consonants, ache 235 (4), afre 86, mast 7, unhalðe 16 (4);
butein hete 199, mene 170, ðer 216, and before two consonants
arerde 172, ech 23 (8);æin ænes 185;eain hease 296. In
forgoð 358 a plural form is used for the singular.ǣ2is mostlya, adrade 6, dade 3 (4), lache 306, misdade 132, 166,
275, rade 4, strate 235 (4), before two consonants naddren 277, ofdrad
43, 94, 288, unisalðe 200, 378, wapne 340, butein mere 393,
misdede 209r. w.ofdrade, unsele 201, iselðe 15;æin læte 345, andiain þiar 165.ēise, beten 242,
demde 274, iquemd 174, butain ache 364 (ǣce): doð 35 (8)
is plural form for singular.īisi, abiden 140,þriste 19, but syrreue 50, ȝietceres 271 (Bülbring, § 306, anm. 1).ōisoexcept in cam 117 (4), te 316.ūis
invariablyu.ȳisein forbet 307, here 45, kedde
193;uin cuðen 99, fure 43, 152, hudden 162,iin litel
46, 264, 331.eabeforer+ cons. is, as a rule,a, arme 231,
narewe 343, swarte 282, before lengthening groups mostlya,
hardde 171, warnie 304, butein erninge 64, metheschele 366;ea,æin middeneard 140, 200, middenærd 195: thei-umlaut is represented by erminges 323, derne 77, smierte 114.eabeforel+ cons. is regularlya, alle 22,
biualle 198, before lengthening groups mostlyea, bihealde 288,
eald 4, but bihelden 392, holde 55: thei-umlaut is seen in elde
16 (5), elder 1, 326, elderne 194.eobeforer+ cons. is
mostlye, herte 74 (3), werc 108 (10), but storre 279, hierte
113; before lengthening groups it isiein ȝierles 324, ȝierne
49,ein erðe 75, erðeliche 155. In thewurgroupuis the rule, wurðe 142, wurðen 334. Thei-umlaut afterwgives werse 299, werest 221 (LWS.wyrsa,wyrrest): barneð
253, barnende 222, descend frombærnan; oerre 280 representseorre.eobeforel+ cons. is alwayse, self
131 &c.eo,u-umlaut ofeise, heuene
27, wereldes 271, butoin woreldes 226, 338; theå-umlaut
is represented by fele 9 (3), wele 155 (4):eo, umlaut ofiise, icleped 104, henne 400, seðen 9, seuene 28,
bineþen 87, but binime 44, ȝieue 74, niþer 347, quike 78, 192, siluer
268, and afterw, suster 150, 187, wude 348.eaafter
palatals isain sal 21, 26, safte 84, same 168, samie 165, sameð
167, scat 367.ieaftergisiein biȝiete 105,
126, ȝielde 45, forȝiete 34 (4), ȝieuen 64 (12), forȝieue 217; aftersc,c, it isi, silde 224 (5),ein chele
199, 236, bicherd 322. The conj.gifis ȝief 121, 166.eoafterggives ȝeunge 10, ȝeunger 326, jung 4, ȝieuð 377
(geogoð):eoaftersc, solde 37, 267, solden 60,
sulle 22, sullen 103.heomis hem;eom, am.ēais mostlyea, breade 191, deaðe 106 (7), eaðe 210,
288, 376, uneaðe 183, 191, but ec 46, 107, eðlate 74, 150, 261, rauing
257. Thei-umlaut ofēahas regularlye, alesed
136, hereð 89, ileuen 49, temen 108, but ȝiemeð 80.ēois mostlye, ben 39 (12), biflen 154, deflen 97, lef 73, frend 30, rewen
358, butiein bien 389, bie 4 (4), biede 266, bieð 291,
315, diere 145, fiendes 223, friende 224, lief 203, 261, hielden 172,
298, isien 18 (5), swiere 146, þieue 43;iin sic 201. Thei-umlaut is represented in diere 146, 186, fiendpl. n.283, friendpl. a.224, niede 265, þiesternesse 281, but
derlinges 389, frend 185, 304, þuster 77.gesīeneis isene 344;gīet, ȝiet 5, 293;gēar, ȝier 142:ōafterscis seen in sop 84.a+gisawin drawen 47,aȝin laȝe 172,
295.æ+gisai, dai 370, fair 392, mai 16, 44,
but maiȝ 88, 124, 217.e+gisei, wei 353,
eiseliche285, eie 20, seið 112, 135, but treiȝe 375, weiȝ 341, weiȝen 63:ongegnis aȝien 351.i+gisie, nieðe 342,
unwrien 162; finaligisi, peni 300, weri 244:i+hisih, sihte 369, wihte 78.o+hisoh, bohte 186.u+gisuȝ, luȝen 161, muȝe
23, 55, muȝen 159, but fueles 83.y+h, drihte 79, 110
withias usual, abuið 146, abugeð 197.ā+g,hisoȝ, moȝe 187, oȝen 163;ow, mowe 29, owen 30;oh, foh 365.ǣ1+giseiin
eiðer 62, 239, but aiðer 306, aihware 88:ǣ1+hisai, aihte 42 (5), taihte 272, but eihte 321.ǣ2+gisæiin mæi 29;aiin mai 187, grai 365;eiin iseie 118, iseien 98, 99, 102.ē+goccurs
in forwreien 97, leie 282:ō+g,hin inoh 391,
inoȝh 389, biþoht 8, brohte 185.ea+g,hisei, iseih 265; thei-umlaut is seen in mihte 15, 52, 202,
226, mihte 76, nihte 77, 370.eo+hisihin
brihte 75, rihte 109, rihtwisnesse 72, unriht 93; thei-umlaut is
represented in ouersihð 75, þurhsihð 90.ēa+gis seen in
eien 75, 381, raketeie 283;ēa+hin heie 16, 284, þeih 4, 102, 131:ēo+gin drie 292, lie 291;ēo+hin liht
316, 382, lihtliche 147.ā+wisow, bloweð 138,
cnoweð 110, icnowen 163, nowiht 152, sowle 138, but naht 48, &c.,
naðer 367.ī+wis seen in glie 292;ēa+win feawe 349;ēo+win newe 313, rewen 21, sewen 22,
untrewnesse 269:ēowis eow 157.In unstressed syllables levelling toetakes place as in L:eis inserted afterrbetween consonants in arefeð 315,
harem 198, iboreȝe 167, narewe 343: quica 192, þa 349 haveafore; comp. alla 81/76, blaca 82/99.ris lost medially in metheschele 366;rris simplified
in werest 221.nis lost medially in ore 383, raketeie 283,
druken 257, seuenihte 142;nnis simplified in done 37, isiene
392.bbis simplified in haben 53, 100, habeð 179, 194, libeð
208.fbetween vowels isu, buuen 87, eueten 277, deueles
179, but deflen 97, defles 258.tis dropped in a te 92, foremes
197, nah 129;tsis represented bycin milce 8, bychin milche 219.dis lost in godcunnesse 393, exchanged
withðin idemð 173, and doubled in hardde 171. Forþ,dis written in habbed 141, 177, bed 104, 381;thin lothe
61, metheschele 366, sathanas 287:þþis simplified in seðen 9, 117, 209.sc[š] isscin scat 367;sin bisunien 154, safte 84,
sal 21, same 168, sameð 167, samie 165, senche 335, silde 224 (5), sineð
279, solde 37, sop 84, srud 367, sulle 22, syrreue 50;ssin
fisses 83.gītsereis ȝietceres 271.čis expressed bych, muchel 12 (23), ich 1 (25), but mukel 209, ic 12, 229:ččis alsoch, feche 226, reche 135, 225, steche 191,
?wichen, 103:cgisgg, seggen 92,g, abugeð 197
(but abuið 146), ligeð 283:cwis alwaysqu, aquerne 366,
quike 78.ġis regularlyȝ, forȝieuenesse 302, forȝiete
34, butjin jung 4. Aysound has developed initially in
ȝierles 324; comp. ȝeie 13/43.gbeforeðiscin
strencðe 170,hin murihðe396. For almihtin 337 see79/17 note.hwinitial is preserved, buthrisr, raðer 133,
rewen 358.Accidence:(1)of L.Strong declension ofmasc.andneut.nouns. In thes. n.were 31 has added e; sune 186 representssunu.Gen.-es, swinkes 64; golde 70 is
probably miswritten for goldes:d.-e, gode 73, middenerde 193, fure
43, werke 27; exceptions are festen 145, god 49, hunger 145
(hungre), king 63 (r. w. erninge), middenerd 198, unriht
209, mostly before vowels, fur 150, werch 116, at mid pause of the
verse: misse 234,acc.has added e. Thepl. n. a.of
masculines ends in-es, engles 94, weȝes
72, bendes 188, but wintre 208 (wintru): neuters are-ȝer140, iswinc 36, lif 246, þing 84, word 9, 158,
doule 97 (dēoflu), gate 180 (gatu), werkes 63, 72, 111
with masc. termination;g.manke 70;d.doulen 269,
wrenchen 251, bende 134, wintre 1, 4, write 101. Of thefem.nouns, blisse 233, endinge 120, mihte 211, milce 72, murþe 154,
rihtwisnesse 72, sorȝe 140, 194, sunne 201, tilþe 57, unhelðe 197,
witnesse 113, 116, wombe 145 have added e in thes. nom., echte
42, 55, ehte 259, node 261 in theacc.The other casessing.andpl.end in e, helle 216,s. g., are
179,s. d.,53,s. a., but tening 253;pl. n.are blisse 153, glede 218, mihte 77, saule 136, uniselðe
198, wihte 79;g.misdede 130, souenihte 140,a.dede 10,
hese 91, saule 245, scefte 84, sorȝe 166, stunde 147, sunne 238, tide
137: worldes 222s. g.is a masc. form, deden 89pl.
a.a weak form. In the weak declension the termination of all cases
in the singular is e;n.mone 76;g.houene 65;d.deme 96, wawe 151;a.grome 166, swore 144:plural n.are
reuen 256, swicen 103, eȝen 75, ifere 102, iuere 229. The minor
declensions are represented by mons. n.22 &c., monness. g.30, monnes. d.117, but mon 201, 259, menpl. n.41, monnepl. g.161,pl. d.18, but men 18;
bokes. d.118, (a) bokenpl. d.224 (on
bōcum); feders. n.148, faders. g.195,s. a.186; broðers. n.148,s. a.185; susters. n.148, 185; fronds. n.30,
freondepl. d.220, frondpl. a.183, 219, 220, fond
219.With the exception of the weak forms laþe 268, betere 26, 142, hattre
247, loure 29, 263, mare 2, 18, wunderlukeste 68, the adjective in thes. n.is uninflected: alder 1 isieldra. Thes. d.regularly terminates ine, except uuel 24. Thes. a.is mostly uninflected, as wurst 217, but endelese 141,
herdne 169, lesse 60, muchele 191, 205. The participialāgenis
unvaried, aȝen 30, 108, 113, 116, 261, once ahen 161. Thepl. n.ends in e, arme 227, erȝe 17, herde 169, orðliche 153, but words in-ig, gredi 264, edi 227, weri 240 and idel 9, lut 104 (lȳtindeclinable), ofdred 94 are uninflected:pl. d.are fulle, gode
219, uuel 251;pl. a.with e, bare 137, ȝunge 10, sare 36, uuele
170, wreche 170, 250. OE.ānais ane 86, 110, 213:ānis
ans. n. f.26, ared. f.205, 207, ennea. m.137;nānis nan.22, 80, 181, nan 59,
naned. neut.236, nennea. m.119, nanea. f.235; naþinga. neut.98. Adjectives are used
extensively as nouns,s. n.sullic 181, ufel 59, uersc 248;s. a.beste 51, litel 28, lutel 46, lesse 71, lest 112, mare
2, 54, mest 7 (4), muchel 28. In thes. d.and throughout
thepl.the termination is regularly e,s. d.gode
21, 61, laðe 61, ufele 17;pl. n.eldre 192, fremede 34, laðe,
loue 44, sibbe 34, unholde 36,pl. a.dede, quike 190, uuele
192.The personal pronouns are ich, hi 221 (= ih), i in ilede 5, me, we,
us, þu, þe, ȝe, eow 25, ou 50, ow 155, 228. The pronoun of the third
person iss. n.hem.21, hitneut.11,d.himm.24, 44,a.hinem.12, 34, 116,
him 110, haf.215 (Mercian), es (seep. 274) 55, 239, is 144, his 40, 259; hes,
hies 56 (= he + es), hitneut.15, 38,pl. n.hi
66 (4), ho 19 (11),d.him 165, 184, hom 18, 62, 181, hia.180, hom 182, 184. Reflexives are hims.124, him solue 23 (5),
him solf 115; definitives, solfs.46, 129, sulf 214, þe solf 29,
him solf 40, 114, 184, hom solfpl.225; possessives, mi 2, þin
29, his 30, 31, 42, is 217, hire 31, vre 57, 247, hore 101, hure 141.
The definite article iss. n.þem.39, 68, þef.74, þa 116, 201,g.þesneut.193,d.þem.63, 92, 96, þa 156, (at) ta 156, þeref.233, (at) tere
127, þe 83, þanneut.212,a.þem.232, þef.13, 261, þatneut.51,pl. n.þe 94, þa 103,
136, (ent) ta 103,a.þa 190. The article is also frequently used
as pronoun antecedent to relatives, þe ðe 69 (5), þa þe 215, þo þe 53,
261, þe þet 55, he who; þa þe 93 (8), þa þi 173, þo þe 61, 96, they who;
þa þe 250, þe þe 252, þe ꝥ 263, they to whom; with þa þe 216, with those
whom; þen þe 71, to him who; þan þe 225, to those who; ꝥ þe 58, what.
Other pronominal uses are of þan 74, of him of whom, þe 169, þa 270,
they; þer fore 144, for it. The compound demonstrative is represented by
þisses. g. f.267, þespl. n.41, þaspl.
a.230. The relatives are þe 33 &c., þa 12, 139, 169, þi 173,
often meaning he who, they who 12, 19, 23, 253, þet 21 &c., often
meaning that which, what: þe 10 isgenitive, of which, ꝥ 65, 257dat.: þen 269 is þe + en. Interrogatives are hwas. n.133, hwamd.202, hom 95; hwat 244, hwet, wet
79, 103, to hwon 105; hweþer 236, hwilkes. d. m.130,
hwices. n. f.136, correlative suilchs. n.120, swich, swuch 80, swilchepl. d.220:ilcais ilkes. d.212. Indefinites are wa se 114; me
48 &c.; sums.25, summepl.147; fole 9 (4), fele 70,
166; eiðer 62; oðerss. g. m.30, 263, oðer 257,s. d. m.186,s. a. neut.147, oþrepl.
n.166; echs. n.32 &c., hech 232, ec 171, uchess. g. m.90, elchess. g. f.222, eches. d.231, ilches. d. m.86, helches. a. f.89; enis. n. m.68, aniges. d. f.269, enis. a. neut.53; monis. n.38, moniess. g.36; als. n. a.81, 54, allepl. n. a.79, 173,
174, 195, 84, alrepl. g.161, 187.Five-sixths of the infinitives end in en, showing Anglian influence,the remainder mostly in e, as bode 262r. w.node, ileste
242r. w.unstedefeste, ofþinche 203r. w.swinke; exceptional are wernin 228, warni 226, seon 16, son 158. Dative
infinitives are to baþien 245, beten 132, habben 39, swenchen 250,
swinden 57, þenchen 252, for . . . cumen 154, for habben 53,
for lesen 180, 182; possibly to frure 232, see note. Presents ares.1. adrede, biþenche 6; 3. biswikeð, fulieð 12, þunchet 233,
ofþinchet 10, hauet 65, þurþsicheþ 90, and the contracted forms (as
numerous as the uncontracted), abuh 144, bernd 249, bet 126, 164, bit
126, iherð 89, itit 125, lest 167, sent 42, 46, ouersich 75, þench 33,
wit 84:pl.1. abuȝeð 195, brokeð 91, þenke we 190; 3. fareð 232,
þolieð 202, wuneð 136:subjunctive s.1. bidde 134; 2. wende 86;
3. ȝeue 122, giue 56, helpe 156, lipnie 22, 31, rede 8, 156, scilde 220,
wite 122, wurð[e] 140:pl.3. ?come 124: imperatives.2.
wende 86:pl.2. sendeð 25, vnderstondeð 227. Past of Strong
Verbs: I a.s.3. isech 261;pl.1. iseȝen 102; 3. 98: I
b.s.1. com 221; 3. binom 259, brec 183, com 117, nom 205;pl.3. comen 139, 202, helen 160, stelen 159: I c.s.3.
unbond 188;pl.3. bigunnen 243, swunken 254;subj. s.3.
bigunne 214, funde 68: II.pl.3. witen 244, writen 224, wruȝen
160: III.pl.3. luȝen 159: IV.s.3. scop 84: V.s.3. let 260, hechte 268 (weak form);pl.3. biheten 242,
holden 170, sowen 20, leten 266. Participles present: I c. berninde 218,
bernunde 245: V. wallinde 218; past: I a. biȝeten 105, forȝeten 98,
iqueðen 9: I b. bistolen 15, forholen 77, iborene 105: I c. iborȝen 165,r. w.sorȝe, ifunde 177, sprunge 173, unforȝolden 59: II.
iwriten 118: II, III. unwron 160: III. biloken 81, icorene 104,
forlorene 106: IV. forsworene 103. Past of Weak Verbs:s.1.
hefde 13, sede 155; 3. biþohte 150, cudde 191, herde 262, likede 11,
seide 129,r. w.misdede:pl.1. hefden 51, leden 93;
3. ledden 209, luueden 93, iquemde 269:subj. s.3. hefde 137,
hefð 147 (miswritten for hefde). Participles past: alesed 134, ibet 132,
idemet 106, 171, fordemet 270, igult 27, hud 77, ihud 28, ofdred 43,
offerd 157, meind 142, iclepede 104. Minor Groups: watpr. s.79,
89, 111, nute hipr. pl.236, wiste 1pt. s.15, wistenpt. pl.139, nusten 1pt. pl.102,pt. pl.225;
ahtept. s.2, achten 1pt. pl.129; konpr. s.71,
cunnepr. s. subj.213, kuðe 1pt. s.9; þerfpr.
s.43, 44, 45, 163; scalpr. s.24, 35, schal 19, sculen 1pr. pl.47, 95, 161, scule we 92, 95, sculen 2pr. pl.20,
49,pr. pl.94, sculdept. s.263, sculden 1pt.
pl.60, solde 51, sculdenpt. pl.265, sculdept. s.
subj.118 (the past forms inuare Anglian); mei 1pr.
s.14, maipr. s.35, 40, 69, mei 65, 88, 124, 145, muȝen 1pr. pl.157, 206,pr. pl.66, 237 (in form subjunctive),
muȝepr. s. subj.21, 55, 125, muȝen 2pr. pl. subj.25,pr. pl. subj.19, mahte 1pt. s.(Anglianmæhte)
222, mihte 13, michte 16, 1pt. pl.52, mihtenpt. pl.200; motpr. s.33; boninf.2 &c., bo 134, em 1pr. s.1, 4, ispr. s.26, his 72, 121, 229, nis 77, 80, boðpr.
s.120 (in form plural), beoð 1pr. pl.17, boðpr.
pl.26, 75 &c., bið 233 (in form singular), bo 1pr. s.
subj.4,pr. s. subj.21 (7), beo 29, bopr. pl. subj.177, bon 94, wes 1pt. s.1,pt. s.187, 208, werenpt.
pl.102, 230, 251, werept. s. subj.153, nere 199, ibonpp.3; wule 1pr. s.155,pr. s.34, 39, wile 55,
uuel (miswritten for nule) 123, wulleðpr. pl.97, 226, walde 1pt. s.14 (Anglian),pt. s.35,r. w.unholde
149, wolde 147, nalde 185, 261, nolde 138, walde ȝe 2pt. pl.49,
woldenpt. pl.244, 266, nolden 238; doninf.37, 69, 92,
do 185, 186, to doneinf. dat.17, 37, deðpr. s.35
&c., doð 53 (plural form), doð 1pr. pl.58, 60, misdoð 206,
doðpr. pl.19, 79, dopr. s. subj.18, 21, 69, 210, dedept. s.2, misduden 1pt. pl.99, dudenpt. pl.265,
misduden 192, dude 96, idonpp.7 &c., fordon 270.(2)of T.Strong declension ofmasc.andneut.nouns. In thes. n.aquerne
366, were 31 have added e: sune 188 representssunu.Gen.-es, godes 313, goldes 70, werkes 64:d.-e, ate 262, biede 266, daie 80,
158; exceptions are deað 200, deuel 273, druken 262 (for drunke), fasten
147, 339, god 284, hunger 147 (hungre), peni 300, siluer 268
(seolfre), þanc 245, þing 320, mostly before a vowel, and fur
152, middenærd 195, peni 67, werc 116 at mid pause of the verse: misse
238s. a.has added e. Thepl. n. a.of
masculines ends in-es, ængles 94,
ȝietceres 271, bendes 190, but wintre 212, 356: neuters are folc 217,
ȝier 142, iswinc 36, þing 84, word 9, 160, ibede 301 (gebedu),
werkes 63 (4) (with masc. termination), deflen 97, a weak form:g.angles 355, 380, manke 70:d.dichen 41, ibeden 339,
wallen 41, wrenchen 255, bende 136, 293, 398, wapne 340, winter 4, worde
312, write 101, angles 284, derlinges 389, erminges 323, gultes 318,
werkes 258, wines 223. Of the strong feminines blisse 237, 380, este
363, idelnesse 7, mihte 76, 215, milce 72, reste 364, 373, rihtwisnesse
72, senne 129, 196, 205, sihte 369, soreȝe 142, 196, 378, strate 345,
tilðe 57, þiesternesse 281, unhalðe 327, unisalðe 378, witnesse 113,
116, wombe 147, have added e in thes. n., aihte 42, 55,
263, niede 265 in thes. a.The other casessing.andpl.end in e,s. g.blisse 357, helle 220, sowle 306;d.bote 318, dade 3, dure 124;a.milche 219, murihðe 396;pl. n.glede 222, unhalðe 199, wihte 78;g.blisse 355,
misdade 132, 275, seuenihte 142;d.aihte 271, 321;a.dade 10, 89, 160, laȝe 172, soreȝe 168. Exceptions are woreldes 226 (4)s.g., sa 83s. d., has 91s. a., rauing
257; wihten 285pl. n., honden 81pl. d., luues 314pl.
a., tiden 139. Nouns of the weak declension have e in all cases of
the singular;n.moȝe 187, almesse 28;g.lichame 306;d.deme 96, herte 309;a.grame 168, swiere 146:pl.
n.are eien 75, 381, eueten 277, iferen 102, 233, 297;a.swiken 278. The minor declensions are represented by mans. n.165, noman 24, manness. g.30, 90, 113,
mannes. d.117, man 20,maniman 205, menpl. n.162, 260, mannepl. g.163, 380,pl. d.342, men 263, 354; bocs. d.118, 228; broðers. n.150,s. a.187; faders. n.150, faderess. g.197, faders. a.188; susters. n.150, 187; frends. n.30, friendepl.
d.224, frendpl. a.185, 304, friend 224; fiendpl.
n.283, fiendespl. d.223,r. w.friende.Remnants of the strong declension of adjectives are wrechess. g. m.338 (with woreldesf.), ealde[s] 195, eueles. d. m.335, godelease 348, wrongwise 48, bares. d. f.211, stronge 283, godes. d. neut.73, unstedefaste 320, wilde 145, hardnes. a. m.171,
endelease 143, possiblydat., mucheles. a. f.396. Weak are ealdes. n. m.287, loðe 272, 287, narewe
349, swarte 282, brodes. n. f.345, murie 156, bares. d. m.348, heuenliche 96, muchele 92, mucheles. d. f.156, narewes. a. m.343,
brodes. a. neut.341, the comparatives and superlatives as
betre 28, wunderlukeste 68, except elder 1 (ieldra), niðer 299,
347, werest 221. All other adjectives are uninflected in the singular:
the termination in all cases of thepl.is e; arȝen.19,
lichamliched.398, wrechea.172, but arefeðheald 315,
eadi 231, euel 172, 233, gradi 268, idel 9, iwar 334, weri 244 are not
inflected.āgenis owen 30, oȝen 113, 116, 163, 265 without
variation:ānagives onen. s. m.86 (7):ānis onn. s. m.67,f.28, ones. d. m.348, on 335, ores. d. f.383, one 209, 211, ones. d. neut.384, ons. a. f.139,nān, nonen. s. m.367, non 110, no 37, 50, nons. n. f.289, noness. g. neut.372, nones. d. neut.240,s. a. f.239:ilca,
ilkes. d. neut.216. Of the numerals twam 312 isdat.Adjectives are freely used as nouns,s. n.foh,
grai 365, sellich 183;s. g.godes 371, 372;s. d.gode 23, lothe 61, juel (yfle) 19;s. a.emcristen 310, beste 51, lasse 71, mast 112: thepl.has e,n.fremde 34, elderne 194, heie 164, unholde
36;a.deade 192; exceptions are elder 326 (ieldran),
ȝeunger 326 (geongran), quica 192.The personal pronouns are ich, i in ibie 4, ibiðenche 6, idude 2,
ilade 5, ime 6, ine 16, 225, me, we, us, þu, þe, ȝie, eow. The pronoun
of the third person iss. n.hem.21, hie 114, ?hi
38, hitneut.13;d.himm.20, 21, 44;a.hinem.110, 116, 385, him 34, himf.129 (masc.form), hes 219, 241, his 263, hies 243, hes 40 (= he + es), 55, 56,
hitneut.17;pl. n.hie 22 &c., hi 382, he 248 (5),d.hem 62, 167, 180, 239 &c.,a.hem 184, 305, hes
102, 186, 288, 314, mes 259 (= me + es). Reflexives are us self
310, him 21, 124, him selfens.14, 107, 115, him selfe 25, him
self 111; definitives, þe self 29, him self 40, 114, 186, self 131, 218,
379,pl.hemself 229; possessives, mi 2, minepron.304,
þi 29, his 30 &c., hire 31, ure 57,pron.251, here 101. The
definite article issing. n.sem.287, þe 39 &c., þa
349, þef.116, 205, þet 68 (neut.form),d.þanm.63, 96, þe 83, 158, te in ate 92, þaref.346, 347,
397, þe 83, 237, (a)te 127, ðerneut.216 (fem.form),a.þanem.341, 343, 353,þene 343, þef.265, þatneut.51;pl. n.þe 103,d.þo 291, 340, 354,a.þo 278, þe 192, 278. The article
is also frequently used as pronoun antecedent to relatives, as þe þe, he
who 25, 66, se þe 53, 55, se þit 112 (= se þe hit), þan þe, to him
who 71, þo þe, those who 213, 234, þar þat, of those who 192, þo þe, to
those who 229, those to whom 267, 275, those who and those to whom 256,
wið þo þe, with those whom 220. Other pronominal uses are of þare, of
that other 328 (representingneut.noun), þar fore, for it 146,
after þan(e) þe,conj., according as 362, þo, those 171. The
compound demonstrative is þiss. g. f.271, þesses 338
(masc.form), þesses. d. neut.328, 383, þospl.
n.351, 352, ?þes 103, þesepl. d.312, þospl. a.234, 303, 314; relatives þe 33, 73, in combinations þis 156, 251
(= þe is), þit 112, 141 (= þe hit): þe often means he who 14,
21, 30, se 221; þe, they who 257, þat, that which 22 &c., þe, to
whom 296, of which 10. Interrogatives are hwo 135, hwat 78, 103, 137,
hwand.after prep. 95, 206, 330, to hwan, why 105, hweðer 240,
hwilch 138 with correlative swilch 79, 399;ilcais ilke 216:
indefinites, hwo se 114; me 48, 63, 342; sumepl.149, 361; fele
9, 70, 212; feawe 349, 354; eiðer 62, 239, aiðer 306; oðers. g.30, 261, 267, 363,s. d.116, 188, 360,s. a.149, þoðrepl.168 (= þe oðre), oðer 390;
elchs. n. m.107, 173, eche 344, ech 23, elchs. n. f.360, achess. g. f.226,neut.371, eches. d. m.86, achen 350, aches. d. f.235, elches. a. m.132,f.89; anis. n. m.68,d. f.273,a. neut.53; manin. s. m.38,s. g. m.36; africs. n. m.32, africh
65, afri 117; als. n. m.198,neut.7, alles. d. neut.307, 340,pl. n. m.22 &c.,f.78, alreg.163, 189, 355, alled.318, 389,a. m.224,a. f.84, 89,a. neut.84.The infinitives are equally divided between-en, including isien 18, 379, 385, and-e: exceptions are fulendin 247, warnin 230, 232. Those
of the second weak conjugation have-ien,-ie, wunien 153, 181, 249, samie 165,
wunie 214, 376. A dat. inf. with inflection is to isiene 392,
uninflected are to bete 134, to bihelden 392, to falle 316, to habben
39, te læte 345, te stonde 316, to swenche 254, to swinde 57, to þenchen
256, for to haben 53, for . . . to fulle 352, for lesen 182,
184. Presentss.1. adrade 6, bidde 136; 3. barneð 253, bihoteð
38, exceptionally biswicað 14, mislicað 13, haued 70, 340, singed 311,
contracted forms, three-sevenths of the total number, abit 130, abuið
146, bet 126, 166, bit 126, 357, itit 125, last 169, lat 129, lat 342,
sent 42, wit 84 and others;pl.1. abugeð 197, brekeð 91, findeð
332, wilnieð 319, but ileued 176, þenche we 192; 3. fareð 236, folȝeð
346, but habbed 141, 177:subjunctive s.2. wende 86; 3. bringe
397, cume 156, ȝieue 56 (4), ȝeue 317, helpe 158, hopie 31, rade 158,
reche 135, sende 27, silde 224, 303, warnie 304, wurðe 142;pl.1. late 307, 341, luue 309, silde 308, ute 337, werie 339, all followed
by we, haben 100, wurðen 334;3. wende 400:imperative s.2. wende 86;pl.2.
understondeð 231. Past of Strong Verbs: I a.s.3. sat 266, iseih
265;pl.1. iseien 98, 99, 102;subjunctive s.3. iseie
118: I b.s.3. brac 185, cam 117 (4), nam 209;pl.1.
come 330; 3. binomen 263, comen 206, halen 161, stalen 162, come 141: I
c.s.3. swanc 362, unbond 190;pl.3. bigunnen 247, gunne
276, swunken 258;subj. s.3. bigunne 218, funde 68: III.pl.3. luȝen 161: IV.s.3. sop 84: V.pl.3.
biheten 246, hielden 172, 298, leten 270, 352, sewen 22, lete 264.
Participles present: I c. barnende 222: V. wallinde 222; past: I a.
biȝiete 105,forȝieten98, ispeken 9: I b. bistolen 17, forholen 76, iborenepl.105: I c. iboreȝe 167, ifunde 179, sprunge 175, unforȝolden
59: II. iwrite 117, write 228: II, III. unwrien 162: III. biloken 81,
icorenepl.104, forlorene 106: IV. forsworene 103: V. biualle
198. Past of Weak Verbs:s.1. hadde 15, sade 157; 3. bohte 186,
kedde 193 (cȳðde), likede 13, sade 131, taihte 272;pl.1.
ladden 93, luueden 93; 3. arerde 172, hudden 162, ilaste 246, iquemde
273, leide 263, saden 227, sunegeden 262;subj. s.3. hadde 139,
149 (= hadde he);pl.1. swunke we 321. Participles past:
alesed 136, ibet 100, 134, bicherd, bikeihte 322, idemd 106, demde 274,
ofdrad 43, 288, ofdraddepl.94, ispend 12, teald 120, wuned 57.
Minor Groups: witeninf.386, wotpr. s.78, 89, 111, not
148 (= ne wot), witenpr. pl.294, niten 240 (= ne
witen), iwiste 1pt. s.17, wistept. pl.141, nestenpt. pl.229, 388 (= ne wisten); ohpr. s.2; cunneninf.336, can 1pr. s.306,pr. s.71, cunnenpr. pl.305, cunnepr. pl. subj.217, cuðe 1pt. s.9; þarfpr. s.43, 45, 165; salpr. s.21, 26, sullen 1pr. pl.163, sulen 58, sulle we 92, sullenpr. pl.103,
sulle 22, 106, soldept. s.37, 267, solden 1pt. pl.47,
60, solde 51, soldenpt. pl.269; mai 1pr. s.16, miht 2pr. s.129, maipr. s.35, 44, maiȝ 88, 124, 217, muȝen 1pr. pl.159, 210, 332,pr. pl.241, 288, 374, muȝe 207,pr. s. subj.23, 55, 125, 338, muȝe we 1pr. pl. subj.325, mihte 1pt. s.15, 226,pt. s.202, 1pt. pl.52; motpr. s.33, moten 1pr. pl. subj.317, 400; beninf.39 (12), bien 389, to be 2, am 1pr. s.1, ispr.
s.7, 72, nis 76, 79, beð 23, 32, 114, 1pr. pl.19,pr.
pl.75, 94, 237, bieð 291, 315, bed 104, 381, senden 290, bie 1pr. s. subj.4, 136,pr. s. subj.29, 77, be 32, 251, bienpr. pl. subj.80, ben 28, was 1pt. s.1,pt. s.189, 212, waren 1pt. pl.100, 333,pt. pl.102, naren
383, warept. s. subj.155, nare 201, 1pl.322, ibenpp.3; wille 1pr. s.227, wulle 157, nelle 291, wilepr. s.39, 55, nele 336, willeðpr. pl.34, 97, 230,
nelleð 374, wolde 1pt. s.16,pt. s.35, nolde 140, 187,
265, wolde ȝie 2pt. pl.49, woldenpt. pl.248, 270,
nolden 247, nolde 242; doninf.37, 69, 270, to doneinf.
dat.37, to don 19, deðpr. s.21, 221, doð 35 (8), 1pr.
pl.60,pr. pl.61, 78, dopr. s. subj.8, 20, 23,
214, 1pr. pl. subj.308, dude 1pt. s.2, duden 1pt.
pl.96, misduden 101, dedenpt. pl.269, 270, misduden 194, idonpp.7, ido 304,
fordon 274; forgoðpr. s.358, goðpr. pl.351, go we 1pr. pl. subj.343, 353.Dialect:L is a copy of a Southern original made by a
Midland scribe of the Southern border. His alterations, casual and
inconsistent, affect mainly the sounds; the inflections are on the whole
Southern, but the extensive retention of inflectionalnis due to
the scribe: the pronoun ha 215 and the infinitives warni 226, wernin 228
are Mercian features of the Katherine Group. T is South-Eastern
bordering on Kent, with some trace of Midland influence, such as the
exclusive representation ofæbya, the development ofæ+gasai, distinct from that ofe+gasei, the absence of breaking ineabeforel+ consonant, the past participles without prefix, the
infinitives in-in, features which point
to the northern border of the South-Eastern area as its place of origin.
In phonology it closely resembles Vices and Virtues. The dialect ofeis Middle South: its rhymes are mostly correct, and it is
probably the best representative of the original. MS. E is assigned by
Jordan to the same area, but nearer its northern border.Vocabulary:The foreign element in these texts is
small. French are bikehte bikeihte (first appearance), cunin kuning,
ermine (f. a.), martres 50/362 (f. a.), sabeline (f. a.),
serueden, werre: sōt is pre-Conquest French, soht 30/30, written for
sŏtt, a pre-Conquest Latin borrowing: Sathanas withthis French.
Scandinavian are bene, efninges eueningges (influenced byefen),
ille, laȝe loȝe, lofte, niþinges, þralles þrelles, wrange wronge, and
possibly fruden frute, lan 32/64: baþe boþe in a Southern text may
descend from OE.bā þā(Björkman, 108).Metre:The Septenarius is a purely syllabic metre
of seven feet, with or without end-rhyme, fashioned on the model of such
mediaeval Latin verse as the well-known méum | ést pro|pósit|úm || ín
ta|bérna | móri; the first section of the line having four stresses with
a masculine and the second three with a feminine ending. The trochaic
rhythm of the verse is very often changed into iambic by the addition of
a syllable as prelude before either half of the verse: the full scheme
is accordingly (x)x́xx́xx́xx́ || (x)x́xx́xx́x̀. This is perfectly
exemplified in the Ormulum with its invariable line of fifteen
syllables, but in the PM, the earliest known attempt at the metre in
English, the influence of the native prosody is strong, and a regular
line like Þe Món | þe wúl|e sík|er bón || to háb|ben Gód|es blíssè L 39
is uncommon. The following scansions of L illustrate the deviations from
the norm of the verse:ich ém | nu áld|er þénẹ | ich wés || awín|tre ént | a láreIch wél|de má|re þénẹ | ich déde || mi wít | áhte | bon máreWel lóngẹ | ich háb|be chíld | ibón || a wórd|e ént | a dédeþáh ich | bó a | wíntre | áld || to ȝúng | ich ém | on réde5v́nnet | líf ich | hábbẹ i|léd || ⁊ ȝét | me þíngþ | ilédeþénnẹ ich | mé bi|þénche | wél || ful sárẹ | ich mé | adrédemést al | þét ich | hábbẹ i|dón || bífealt | tó child|hádeWel látẹ | ich háb|be mé | biþócht || búte | Gód me nu | rédeFólẹ id|el wórd | ich hábbẹ | iquéðen || sóððen | ich spék|e kúðe10fóle | ȝúnge | dédẹ i|dón || þe mé | ofþínch|et núðeMést al | þét me | líkedẹ | ér || nú hit | mé mis|líkeðþa múch|el fúl|iéð | his wíl || híne | sólf he bi|swíkeðIch míh|te háb|be bét | idón || héfdẹ ich | þé i|sélþeNú ich | wáldẹ ah | ích ne | meí || for éldẹ | ⁊ fór | unhélþe15Élde | me ís | bistól|en ón || ér ich | hít | wístene míchtẹ | ich séon | bifór|e mé || for smí|ke né | for místeÉrȝe | we béoð | to dón|e gód || ⁊ to úf|elẹ ál | to þrísteMarẹ éi|e stónd|eð mén | of mónne || þánnẹ hom | dó of | crísteþe wél | ne dóð | þe hwílẹ (þe) | ho múȝen || wél oft | hít schal |
rówen20þénnẹho| máwen | scúlen ⁊ | répen || þét ho | ér | sówenDó he | to gód|e þét | he múȝe || þe hwílẹ (ꝥ) | he bó | alíuene líp|nie ná | món | to múchel || to chíld|e né | to wíue[þé] þe | hím | sólue | forȝét || for wí|ue né | for chíldehé scal | cúmen in | úuel | stúde || bútẹ him | Gód bo | mílde25Séndeð | sum gód | bifór|en éow || (þe) hwíle | (ꝥ) ȝe múȝẹn | to
hóuẹnefor bét|erẹ is án | elmés|se bifórẹn || þénne | bóð efter | sóuẹneÁlto | lómẹ ich | hábbẹ i|gúlt || a wérk|e ént | o wórdeÁl to | múchẹl ich | hábbẹ i|spént || to lítẹl | ihúd | in hórdeNe béo | þe ló|ure þé|ne þe sólf || ne þín | mei né | þin máȝe30Soht is þét | is óð|ers món|nes frónd || bétre | þén his | áȝen52for þer wé | hit mích|te fínd|en éft || ⁊ hább|en bút|en éndeElision of e occurs under the usual conditions: pronouns like me 6,
10, 15, þe 23, and nouns of the type of wintre 1, 4 are not subject to
it. Instances of hiatus are worde 3, þe 13, werke 27. Syncopation of e
occurs in muȝẹn, houẹne 25, biforẹn, souẹne 26, litẹl 28, and probably
in muchẹl 28, though it might be regarded as forming part of a
trisyllabic verse. The prelude is wanting in the first section, 4, 5, 6,
14, 20, 27, 28; in the second section, 8, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 26, 30; in
both, 7, 11, 20, 24. It is doubled in the first section, 30, 52; in the
second, 17. The first foot of each section is sometimes a trochee
instead of an iamb; so in the first section, 9, 15, 17, 21, 25; in the
second, 9. The unstressed element in a foot is sometimes wanting, 15,
20, 22; sometimes it is of two syllables, 8, 12, 24, 26 (threetimes), 29. Feminine endings before the caesura are not uncommon, 2, 9,
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24; but the ending of the line is invariably
feminine. A comparison of the manuscripts shows that the author’s
practice was more correct than the representation of any of them; thus
the unmetrical second section of 25 is in e, þe hwílẹ | he méi | to
héuẹne. But it is clear that he used all the licences detailed
above.Introduction:The Moral Ode is, to all appearance,
an original work, the natural product of an old man’s musings on life
with its lost opportunities, death, and judgement. Its manner and
spirit, simple, earnest, austere, sententious, are of the Old English
cast. The author lived in Hampshire somewhere near the junction of the
Stour with the Avon. He was probably a secular priest, for he makes no
reference to the life of the cloister and names no saint or holy place.
His theological learning was of a commonplace kind and without subtilty.
He may have had some skill in medicine. He lived through the Anarchy,
and the faithless vassal and the tyrannous noble wallow in his Inferno
with the corrupt judge and extortionate official.Another poem of similar content, the Sermon of Guischart de Beaulieu
in Anglo-Norman, was written in England about the same time as the Poema
Morale. If the author took his name from Beaulieu in Hampshire, where
King John founded a Cistercian Abbey in 1204A.D.(Dugdale v. 680), he may have written not far
from the home of our poet. It abounds in striking parallels to the PM,
but the editor of the Sermon thinks the resemblances are not
sufficiently close to prove that Guischart used the English poem. Manuscripts:i. Lambeth 487 (L), a small quarto, 177 ×
135 mm., of 67 leaves, written towards the end of the twelfth century.
Its contents are described in Wanley, p. 266, and printed in OEH i. pp.
2-189: nos. x, xi. of this book are also taken from it. The words
printed in clarendon in these three pieces are written in red, not
inserted afterwards by a rubricator but done at the same time as the
rest of the text. The PM ends with fordemet, l. 270, in the middle of a
page; the final t has a flourish for its cross stroke; the copyist had
apparently no knowledge of any more. ii. iii. Egerton 613, B.M., described in the List of Additions, 1843.
Its contents are mostly in Norman French, but it has two copies of the
PM: the second (e) furnishes here a complement to the Lambeth MS. as far
as l. 370, with which it ends; the first (E) is used to complete the
text. e was written in the first quarter of the thirteenth century, E is
somewhat later; the former has accents, the latter none. In e every
other line has a red initial, but the rubricator went wrong at ll. 308,
312. These copies are in different hands. iv. Trinity College, Cambridge, B. 14. 52 (T), on vellum, 135 × 105
mm.; written early in the thirteenth century. Its contents are described
in James, M. R., The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity
College, Cambridge, 1900, i. 459. A leaf is lost afterf.8, and a new hand begins with
f 9; the PM appears to be a distinct MS. (Anglia, iv. 408). The initials
of each line are capitals and written apart from their words. A later
hand has glossed aihte 42, goodes; ore 53, favour, grace; lean 64,
deserving; manke 70, Manca, Mancus. Other MSS. are v. Digby A 4, BodleianD, of the beginning of the thirteenth century;
described in Macray, W. D., Catalogue of the Digby MSS., Oxford,
1883. The PM is written in half lines and stanzas; it is in a hand found
nowhere else in the MS., which was probably copied at ChristChurch, Canterbury (James, M. R., The Ancient Libraries of
Canterbury and Dover, Cambridge, 1903; Förster, M., Archiv cxv. 167).
Its dialect is Kentish. vi. Jesus College, Oxford, E 29 (J): seep. 285. vii. McClean MS. 123 (M), Fitzwilliam
Museum, Cambridge, 122 leaves on vellum, 262 × 167 mm.: about 1300: the
Nuneaton Book, described by Miss Anna C. Paues, who discovered this copy
of the poem, in Anglia xxx. 217-26, and in A Descriptive Catalogue of
the McClean Collection of Manuscripts by M. R. James, Cambridge,
1912. Like Egerton 613 it has the Bestiary of William the Norman and the
Gospel of Nicodemus in French. The dialect ofPMis
South-Eastern, bordering on Kent. It begins with two lines from Sinners
Beware (OEM p. 72), and has four other lines not found in any other
copy: on the other hand, it wants seventy lines found in T; it diverges
from the other MSS. in the order of the lines, and in other respects
gives the impression of having been written down from memory. Facsimile:Of vi. Skeat, W. W., Twelve Facsimiles,
Oxford, 1892; plate vi gives ll. 1-34. Editions:Of L: OEH i. 159-75 with modern version.
Kluge, F., ME. Lesebuch, 57-61. Of E: Furnivall, F. J., Early
English Poems. Philological Society, 1862, 22-34, with readings of e and
OEH i. 288-95, 175-83. Of e: Zupitza-Schipper, Alt- und Mittelenglisches
Übungsbuch, Wien, 1907, 80-91, completed from E. Of T: OEH ii. 220-32
and Specimens 195-221. Of J: OEM 58-71 and Specimens 194-220. Of D:
Zupitza, J., Anglia i. 6-32, part in Hickes i. 222. Of M: Paues,
A. C., Anglia xxx. 227-37 (I read l. 29, hire; 63 þon; 65
nammore; 71 ouersicþ; 84 þurȝsicþ; 105 diaþe; 147 þar pine; 152
ysicþ; 191 ofspreng; 223 hi neure; 236 Mot; 268 wulle; 314 hī =
him; 333 ḅyseo = yseo). A critical edition based on all the MSS. then known was issued by H.
Lewin, Halle, 1881. He adopted Zupitza’s filiation of the MSS. as
expressed in the following table: Miss Paues thinks that M is descended from V co-equal with U, thusdisplacing the latter from its position of original: to me it seems to
belong to the Z group, and to be most nearly related to D. The MSS. thus fall into two groups, which are here adequately
represented by the printed texts, for D is inferior and J much altered,
indeed often rewritten. U, the original, was probably written about 1180A.D. Literature:Einenkel, E., Anglia iv. Anz. 88-93;
Jordan, R., ES xlii. 38-42 (dialect of L); Krüger, A., Sprache und
Dialekt der ME. Homilien in der Handschrift B. 14. 52. Trinity College,
Cambridge, Erlangen, 1885; Paues, A. C., Anglia xxx. 217-37;
Zupitza, J., Anglia i. 5-38; iii. 32, 33; iv. 406-10. Analogues:Reimpredigt, ed. H. Suchier, Halle, 1879; Le
Sermon de Guischart de Beauliu, ed. A. Gabrielson, Upsala, 1909;
Guischart de Beauliu’s debt to religious learning and literature in
England, by A. Gabrielson, Archiv cxxviii. 309-28. Phonology:(1)of the
Lambeth MS.Oralaisa, baþien 245, faren 176;abefore nasals is normallyo, mon 22, þonc 71, butain manke 70, þanke 241, and þenne, þene, þen, wenne are the
usual spellings, with occasional þanne 18, 160;abefore
lengthening groups iso, honde 81, ifonded 147; ent 159 is
Anglianend.æis mostlye, brec 183, et 92, feder
148, efþ 171 (hæfð), hwet 92 &c., weter 248, butain
bað 218, fader 186, 195, habbe 3, 5, hwat 90, water 142, 194, 240.eise, beren 95, ende 179, strengþe 168, but sullic 181
(syllic; comp. seollic L 18035), ni 77, meind 142
(mengde).iisi, biden 125, binden 216, child 148;
afterwit isuin wule 34, 39, 155, wulleð 97, 226, uuel
123 (= nule), nute 236, nusten 102, 225. It isein þerdde
138,uin ofsprung 207; boð 120 is miswritten for bið.oiso, bifore 16, borde 260, but afterw,a, walde
49, nalde 185, 261; cumen 202 isc(w)omon. The prep.onis
mostly a, sometimes an;uisu, cumeð 234, funde 68, but
come 124, 221, iwoned 57 in contact withm,n,w.yis mostlyu, abuȝeð 195, cunne 202, duden 265, sunne
201, swuch 80, þunchen 62; before lengthening groups, sungede 258, butiin afirst 37, hwice 136, lifte 83, ofþinchþ 130 (5), swich
80 (3), andein dede 2, vnnet 5: king 50, drihten 80, drihte 110 are the only forms of these words. āis normallya, an 26, are 179, hwam 202, þa 190;
before consonant groups, are 207, hattre 247, but it isoin hom
95, hwon 105, þo 53, wori 142,ethrough loss of stress in se 80
&c., þe 169.ǣ1ise, eni 53, er 11, þen
71, ech 32, efre 68, ledden 209, butain anige 269, þan 74:
uches 90 descends from ylc.ǣ2is alwayse,
adrede 6, brede 143, lende 122, uniselðe 198.ēis alwayse;ī,i;ō,o, butein te
108: na 134 is Angliannā.ūis alwaysu.ȳis normallyu,
cudde 191, fur 76, hud 77, lutel 46, but litel 28, hwi 104. eabeforer+ cons. is regularlye, erȝe 17,
þerf 43; before lengthening groups, erninge 64, herde 157, 169, wernin
228, but arme 227, warni 226: thei-umlaut is represented by
derne 78, smirte 114.eabeforel+ cons. is onceea, bifealt 7; normallya(Anglian absence of breaking),
al 7 &c., salt 248, ald 4,-fald54,
247, waldeð 84, but welde 2, welden 55 (by confusion withgewieldan): thei-umlaut is seen in elde 14, 15, eldre
192, helde 197, but alder 1.eobeforer+ cons. is mostlye, herte 74, werke 27 (9), but horte 113; before length. groups
it isoin ȝorne 49, horþe 75, orðe 81, orðliche 153. Thewurgroup is represented by wurð 140; thei-umlaut by wurs
236, wurst 217, 219: bernd 249, berninde 218, bernunde 245 come frombærnan.eobeforel+ cons. is writteno[ö], solf 12 (13), butuin sulf 214 (LWS.sylf).ea,u-umlaut ofais represented by kare 45.eo,u-umlaut ofeiso, houene 25 (7), world
153, 222, butein heuenriche 42, 63, and by influence ofw,uin suster 148, 185:eo,å-umlaut ofeis writteno[ö], brokeð 91, fole 9 (4), unfrome 226,
but isein fele 70, 166, wele 222.eo, umlaut ofiis writteno[ö], binoþen 87, hore 101, solure 264, souene 26,
soððen 9, 117, but isein biclepie 107, iclepede 104, seue 140;uin suððen 205, hure 141. The palatal diphthongeaisain scal 24, 35, schal 19,-gate180;ein scefte 84, ȝere 110;sceamianis skamie 163,
165,sceomu, scome 166.ieaftergis regularlye(Anglian), ȝeuen 64, 261, ȝefð 144, ȝeue 45, 74, ȝelde 45,
forȝeten 34, 98, butiin giue 56; afterč,e,
chele 197, 233 (without umlaut); aftersc,i, scilde 220.eoaftergisuin ȝung 4, 10; aftersc,u, sculen 20 (8), sculde 118, 263, sculden 60, 265, butoonce in solde 51.eomis em 1, 4,heom, hom 18 &c. ēaiseain deaþe 182, uneade 181, otherwisee,
brede 189, chep 68, deðe 115, uneðe 189: lan 64 is Scandinavian. Thei-umlaut ise, alesed 134, iheren 262, ileuen 255.ēoiseoin beoð 17, beo 29, freonde 220, seon 16,
otherwise regularlyo, bon 2 (5), bo 134 (10), boð 26 &c.,
dore 143, doule 97 (5), frond 30 (4), son 158, þoue 43, butein
lef 252, sec 199, tening 253: bið 233 is due to confusion with the
singular. Thei-umlaut is represented by dore 144, 184, fond 219,
frond 220, node 261, þostre 78, but once þestre 76.gīetis ȝet
5;gēar, ȝer 140.ōafterscis seen in scop
84. a+gisaȝ, draȝen 47, 49, laȝe 170:ah14, 119, ach 58 is Anglianah.æ+gisei,
dei 134, mei 14, seið 114, 133.e+giseȝin
weȝes 72,eiin eie 18, weien 63:ongegnis aȝein 76;e+his seen in hechte 268;i+hin
iwichte 212;o+gin unwron 160 (unwrogen);o+hin bohte 184, unbocht 59;u+gin
fuȝeles 83, luȝen 159, muȝe 21, wruȝen 160;y+ginabuh 144 (abygþ).ā+gproducesaȝ, aȝen
30 (5), maȝe 29, but ahen161:ā+his seen in ahte 2, achten 129.ǣ1+giseiin eiðer 62, seiden 223;ǣ1+h,ehin ehte 259, echte 42 (3),
butachin tachte 268.ǣ2+ggiveseȝin iseȝen 98, 102, buteiin mei 29, 185.ē+gis seen in forwreien 97;ō+gin inoch 235;ō+hin biþocht 8, brochte 183: uwer 88 isōwer<ōhwǣr, comp. ouhwar AR 60/25.ea+hgives
mihte 13, michte 16, 52, mahte 222, isech 261; thei-umlaut is
represented in nihte 78:eo+h, brichte 75, rihte 109;
itsi-umlaut is represented in ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90.ēa+giseȝin eȝen 75;ēa+hgives
þah 4, þach 102, 222, þech 181;ēo+h, lihte 76,
lihtliche 145.ā+wisauin cnauð 146, knauð 110,
saule 136, 245, naut 48, 212;awin nawiht 150, 249 (but noht
190, nocht 132 are fromnōwiht);auwin iknauwen 161;
otherwiseaw, blaweð 136, mawen 20.ēa+wisawin scaweð 135.ēo+wisouin ou 50;owin ow 228, rowen 19, sowen 20,eowin eow 25: itsi-umlaut is represented in untrownesse 265. In syllables without stressais levelled toe, abuten
267, bihinden, binoþen 87, biforen 25, sone 38, but biforan 63;otoe, atter 142, siker 41, swikele 251.eis added in
areles 216 (ārlēas), ofte 57. The prefixgeisi,
ilome 47, iswinc 36, itit 125. Forsw,suis written once in suilch 120;quis
the regular equivalent ofcw, iquemen 95, quike 79. Anlis lost in ful 6, 145, fulenden 243:ggis written forngin biginnigge 119. Initialfis onceuin uersc
248:fbetween vowels or vowel and voiced consonant is generallyu, buuen 87, eure 86, iuere 229, solure 264, uuel 251, butfin ufel 59, 93, ufele 17, ifere 102; frure 232 is probablyfrōfre. In heste 242tis added, but hese 91:tsiscin milce 72.dis lost in leden 93 and added in
ordlinghes 103:tis written fordin ent 159, fordemet
270, idemet 106, 171, maket 230, undret 208, 247.þis lost in
abuh 144, ouersich 75; written fordin hefð 147; for itthis written in with 216,tin etlete 148, 153, 257,
hauet 65, ofþinchet 10, seit 133, þunchet 233,din cud 159 (but
kuðe 9), uneade 181,hin þench 33, wih 220,cin eclete
74: it is assimilated in attere 127, at ta 156.sc[š] isscin scal 24, scameþ 165, scilde 220,schin schal 19,sin bisunien 152,ssin fisses 83 and notablyskin skamie 163.čis generallych, chele 197, child 3, ich
1, but drunke 258, smike 16;c[k] is palatalized in hech 232,
werch 108, 116, werche 254, but werc 177; it isgin þingþ 5; ah
14, 119, 120, ach 58, 166, hi 221 (= ih) have Anglianh:ččisch, feche 222, reche 221, rechð 133, streche 231,
stuche 189, wreche 232:cgisgg, seggen 94, buggen 65,
but abuȝeð 195. Palatalgis very regularly represented byȝ, forȝeten 34, ȝeue 74, ȝere 110, butiin medierne 256
(georne),hin ahen161 andgin anige 269: gate 180 is plural:ngisnghin ordlinghes 103,nggin eueningges 162:gis
lost in murþe 154. The prefixgeis lost in bon 137, hud 77,
meind 142, write 101.hhas been added initially in hech 232,
helche 89, his 72, 121, 229, honde 193, dropped in is 217, raþer 131,
undret 208, 247:þdisplaceshin þurþ 90. Forhw,wappears in wa 114, wet 79, 94,hin hom 95.chforhis frequent, achten 129, brochte 183, brichte 75, hechte
268, isech 261, ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90, &c. In soht 30,htis written fortt. (2)of the Trinity College MS.Oralaisa, fare 180, habben 39;abefore nasals
regularlya, man 20, þanc 245, þanne, þane, þan are the usual
forms, but þene 343;abefore lengthening groups iso,
fonded 149, longe 3, but hangeð 312.æis regularlya,
after 28, almesse 28, brac 185, fader 150, water 244, but sæd 392,
hweðer 240.eise, bed 222, beren 95; before lengthening
groups, bende 398, felde 348, imengd 144, strengðe 317, but ængles 94,
angles 284, 355, 380.iisi, þridde 140, child 3, finde
54, buteafterwin nele 336, nelle 291, nesten 229, 388,
also in ofspreng 211, þese 312, þesse 328, 383, þesses 338
(ðyssum,ðysses),uafterwin swunche 208,
373, as also in ofsprung 198.oiso, bode 264, borde 311,
butonprep. is most frequently a, an.sorgis soreȝe
142 (4), but sareȝe 378.uis invariablyu, bigunne 218,
grunde 180.yisein deden 269, 270, euel 26 (11),
hlesten 230, 387, kenne 206 (4), senne 129 (7), senden 290
(syndun), steche 191, vnnet 5, unwenne 212;uin abugeð
197, abuið 146, bugge 65, dude 2, duden 96, fulle 352, furst 37, gulteð
315 (4), gult 197 (4), hulle 351, misduden 101, 194, muchel 76 (8),
murie 156, murihðe 396, þunche 62, ofþunche 207 (3), sunegeden 262;iin tihte 272, þincheð 5, 10, 166, swilch 79, 399, hwilch 138,
unwinne 250: king, drihten, drihte are the only forms of these
words. āis mostlyo; the exceptions are aquerne 366, bihat
368, hat 308, hatere 251, hwan 206, lac 203 (loc in corresponding line
73).ǣ1is mostlya, ani 53, are 124, has 91,
349, hate 236, sa 83, sade 131 (LWS.sǣde), tache 305, þare 346;
before two consonants, ache 235 (4), afre 86, mast 7, unhalðe 16 (4);
butein hete 199, mene 170, ðer 216, and before two consonants
arerde 172, ech 23 (8);æin ænes 185;eain hease 296. In
forgoð 358 a plural form is used for the singular.ǣ2is mostlya, adrade 6, dade 3 (4), lache 306, misdade 132, 166,
275, rade 4, strate 235 (4), before two consonants naddren 277, ofdrad
43, 94, 288, unisalðe 200, 378, wapne 340, butein mere 393,
misdede 209r. w.ofdrade, unsele 201, iselðe 15;æin læte 345, andiain þiar 165.ēise, beten 242,
demde 274, iquemd 174, butain ache 364 (ǣce): doð 35 (8)
is plural form for singular.īisi, abiden 140,þriste 19, but syrreue 50, ȝietceres 271 (Bülbring, § 306, anm. 1).ōisoexcept in cam 117 (4), te 316.ūis
invariablyu.ȳisein forbet 307, here 45, kedde
193;uin cuðen 99, fure 43, 152, hudden 162,iin litel
46, 264, 331. eabeforer+ cons. is, as a rule,a, arme 231,
narewe 343, swarte 282, before lengthening groups mostlya,
hardde 171, warnie 304, butein erninge 64, metheschele 366;ea,æin middeneard 140, 200, middenærd 195: thei-umlaut is represented by erminges 323, derne 77, smierte 114.eabeforel+ cons. is regularlya, alle 22,
biualle 198, before lengthening groups mostlyea, bihealde 288,
eald 4, but bihelden 392, holde 55: thei-umlaut is seen in elde
16 (5), elder 1, 326, elderne 194.eobeforer+ cons. is
mostlye, herte 74 (3), werc 108 (10), but storre 279, hierte
113; before lengthening groups it isiein ȝierles 324, ȝierne
49,ein erðe 75, erðeliche 155. In thewurgroupuis the rule, wurðe 142, wurðen 334. Thei-umlaut afterwgives werse 299, werest 221 (LWS.wyrsa,wyrrest): barneð
253, barnende 222, descend frombærnan; oerre 280 representseorre.eobeforel+ cons. is alwayse, self
131 &c.eo,u-umlaut ofeise, heuene
27, wereldes 271, butoin woreldes 226, 338; theå-umlaut
is represented by fele 9 (3), wele 155 (4):eo, umlaut ofiise, icleped 104, henne 400, seðen 9, seuene 28,
bineþen 87, but binime 44, ȝieue 74, niþer 347, quike 78, 192, siluer
268, and afterw, suster 150, 187, wude 348.eaafter
palatals isain sal 21, 26, safte 84, same 168, samie 165, sameð
167, scat 367.ieaftergisiein biȝiete 105,
126, ȝielde 45, forȝiete 34 (4), ȝieuen 64 (12), forȝieue 217; aftersc,c, it isi, silde 224 (5),ein chele
199, 236, bicherd 322. The conj.gifis ȝief 121, 166.eoafterggives ȝeunge 10, ȝeunger 326, jung 4, ȝieuð 377
(geogoð):eoaftersc, solde 37, 267, solden 60,
sulle 22, sullen 103.heomis hem;eom, am. ēais mostlyea, breade 191, deaðe 106 (7), eaðe 210,
288, 376, uneaðe 183, 191, but ec 46, 107, eðlate 74, 150, 261, rauing
257. Thei-umlaut ofēahas regularlye, alesed
136, hereð 89, ileuen 49, temen 108, but ȝiemeð 80.ēois mostlye, ben 39 (12), biflen 154, deflen 97, lef 73, frend 30, rewen
358, butiein bien 389, bie 4 (4), biede 266, bieð 291,
315, diere 145, fiendes 223, friende 224, lief 203, 261, hielden 172,
298, isien 18 (5), swiere 146, þieue 43;iin sic 201. Thei-umlaut is represented in diere 146, 186, fiendpl. n.283, friendpl. a.224, niede 265, þiesternesse 281, but
derlinges 389, frend 185, 304, þuster 77.gesīeneis isene 344;gīet, ȝiet 5, 293;gēar, ȝier 142:ōafterscis seen in sop 84. a+gisawin drawen 47,aȝin laȝe 172,
295.æ+gisai, dai 370, fair 392, mai 16, 44,
but maiȝ 88, 124, 217.e+gisei, wei 353,
eiseliche285, eie 20, seið 112, 135, but treiȝe 375, weiȝ 341, weiȝen 63:ongegnis aȝien 351.i+gisie, nieðe 342,
unwrien 162; finaligisi, peni 300, weri 244:i+hisih, sihte 369, wihte 78.o+hisoh, bohte 186.u+gisuȝ, luȝen 161, muȝe
23, 55, muȝen 159, but fueles 83.y+h, drihte 79, 110
withias usual, abuið 146, abugeð 197.ā+g,hisoȝ, moȝe 187, oȝen 163;ow, mowe 29, owen 30;oh, foh 365.ǣ1+giseiin
eiðer 62, 239, but aiðer 306, aihware 88:ǣ1+hisai, aihte 42 (5), taihte 272, but eihte 321.ǣ2+gisæiin mæi 29;aiin mai 187, grai 365;eiin iseie 118, iseien 98, 99, 102.ē+goccurs
in forwreien 97, leie 282:ō+g,hin inoh 391,
inoȝh 389, biþoht 8, brohte 185.ea+g,hisei, iseih 265; thei-umlaut is seen in mihte 15, 52, 202,
226, mihte 76, nihte 77, 370.eo+hisihin
brihte 75, rihte 109, rihtwisnesse 72, unriht 93; thei-umlaut is
represented in ouersihð 75, þurhsihð 90.ēa+gis seen in
eien 75, 381, raketeie 283;ēa+hin heie 16, 284, þeih 4, 102, 131:ēo+gin drie 292, lie 291;ēo+hin liht
316, 382, lihtliche 147.ā+wisow, bloweð 138,
cnoweð 110, icnowen 163, nowiht 152, sowle 138, but naht 48, &c.,
naðer 367.ī+wis seen in glie 292;ēa+win feawe 349;ēo+win newe 313, rewen 21, sewen 22,
untrewnesse 269:ēowis eow 157. In unstressed syllables levelling toetakes place as in L:eis inserted afterrbetween consonants in arefeð 315,
harem 198, iboreȝe 167, narewe 343: quica 192, þa 349 haveafore; comp. alla 81/76, blaca 82/99. ris lost medially in metheschele 366;rris simplified
in werest 221.nis lost medially in ore 383, raketeie 283,
druken 257, seuenihte 142;nnis simplified in done 37, isiene
392.bbis simplified in haben 53, 100, habeð 179, 194, libeð
208.fbetween vowels isu, buuen 87, eueten 277, deueles
179, but deflen 97, defles 258.tis dropped in a te 92, foremes
197, nah 129;tsis represented bycin milce 8, bychin milche 219.dis lost in godcunnesse 393, exchanged
withðin idemð 173, and doubled in hardde 171. Forþ,dis written in habbed 141, 177, bed 104, 381;thin lothe
61, metheschele 366, sathanas 287:þþis simplified in seðen 9, 117, 209.sc[š] isscin scat 367;sin bisunien 154, safte 84,
sal 21, same 168, sameð 167, samie 165, senche 335, silde 224 (5), sineð
279, solde 37, sop 84, srud 367, sulle 22, syrreue 50;ssin
fisses 83.gītsereis ȝietceres 271.čis expressed bych, muchel 12 (23), ich 1 (25), but mukel 209, ic 12, 229:ččis alsoch, feche 226, reche 135, 225, steche 191,
?wichen, 103:cgisgg, seggen 92,g, abugeð 197
(but abuið 146), ligeð 283:cwis alwaysqu, aquerne 366,
quike 78.ġis regularlyȝ, forȝieuenesse 302, forȝiete
34, butjin jung 4. Aysound has developed initially in
ȝierles 324; comp. ȝeie 13/43.gbeforeðiscin
strencðe 170,hin murihðe396. For almihtin 337 see79/17 note.hwinitial is preserved, buthrisr, raðer 133,
rewen 358. Accidence:(1)of L.Strong declension ofmasc.andneut.nouns. In thes. n.were 31 has added e; sune 186 representssunu.Gen.-es, swinkes 64; golde 70 is
probably miswritten for goldes:d.-e, gode 73, middenerde 193, fure
43, werke 27; exceptions are festen 145, god 49, hunger 145
(hungre), king 63 (r. w. erninge), middenerd 198, unriht
209, mostly before vowels, fur 150, werch 116, at mid pause of the
verse: misse 234,acc.has added e. Thepl. n. a.of
masculines ends in-es, engles 94, weȝes
72, bendes 188, but wintre 208 (wintru): neuters are-ȝer140, iswinc 36, lif 246, þing 84, word 9, 158,
doule 97 (dēoflu), gate 180 (gatu), werkes 63, 72, 111
with masc. termination;g.manke 70;d.doulen 269,
wrenchen 251, bende 134, wintre 1, 4, write 101. Of thefem.nouns, blisse 233, endinge 120, mihte 211, milce 72, murþe 154,
rihtwisnesse 72, sorȝe 140, 194, sunne 201, tilþe 57, unhelðe 197,
witnesse 113, 116, wombe 145 have added e in thes. nom., echte
42, 55, ehte 259, node 261 in theacc.The other casessing.andpl.end in e, helle 216,s. g., are
179,s. d.,53,s. a., but tening 253;pl. n.are blisse 153, glede 218, mihte 77, saule 136, uniselðe
198, wihte 79;g.misdede 130, souenihte 140,a.dede 10,
hese 91, saule 245, scefte 84, sorȝe 166, stunde 147, sunne 238, tide
137: worldes 222s. g.is a masc. form, deden 89pl.
a.a weak form. In the weak declension the termination of all cases
in the singular is e;n.mone 76;g.houene 65;d.deme 96, wawe 151;a.grome 166, swore 144:plural n.are
reuen 256, swicen 103, eȝen 75, ifere 102, iuere 229. The minor
declensions are represented by mons. n.22 &c., monness. g.30, monnes. d.117, but mon 201, 259, menpl. n.41, monnepl. g.161,pl. d.18, but men 18;
bokes. d.118, (a) bokenpl. d.224 (on
bōcum); feders. n.148, faders. g.195,s. a.186; broðers. n.148,s. a.185; susters. n.148, 185; fronds. n.30,
freondepl. d.220, frondpl. a.183, 219, 220, fond
219. With the exception of the weak forms laþe 268, betere 26, 142, hattre
247, loure 29, 263, mare 2, 18, wunderlukeste 68, the adjective in thes. n.is uninflected: alder 1 isieldra. Thes. d.regularly terminates ine, except uuel 24. Thes. a.is mostly uninflected, as wurst 217, but endelese 141,
herdne 169, lesse 60, muchele 191, 205. The participialāgenis
unvaried, aȝen 30, 108, 113, 116, 261, once ahen 161. Thepl. n.ends in e, arme 227, erȝe 17, herde 169, orðliche 153, but words in-ig, gredi 264, edi 227, weri 240 and idel 9, lut 104 (lȳtindeclinable), ofdred 94 are uninflected:pl. d.are fulle, gode
219, uuel 251;pl. a.with e, bare 137, ȝunge 10, sare 36, uuele
170, wreche 170, 250. OE.ānais ane 86, 110, 213:ānis
ans. n. f.26, ared. f.205, 207, ennea. m.137;nānis nan.22, 80, 181, nan 59,
naned. neut.236, nennea. m.119, nanea. f.235; naþinga. neut.98. Adjectives are used
extensively as nouns,s. n.sullic 181, ufel 59, uersc 248;s. a.beste 51, litel 28, lutel 46, lesse 71, lest 112, mare
2, 54, mest 7 (4), muchel 28. In thes. d.and throughout
thepl.the termination is regularly e,s. d.gode
21, 61, laðe 61, ufele 17;pl. n.eldre 192, fremede 34, laðe,
loue 44, sibbe 34, unholde 36,pl. a.dede, quike 190, uuele
192. The personal pronouns are ich, hi 221 (= ih), i in ilede 5, me, we,
us, þu, þe, ȝe, eow 25, ou 50, ow 155, 228. The pronoun of the third
person iss. n.hem.21, hitneut.11,d.himm.24, 44,a.hinem.12, 34, 116,
him 110, haf.215 (Mercian), es (seep. 274) 55, 239, is 144, his 40, 259; hes,
hies 56 (= he + es), hitneut.15, 38,pl. n.hi
66 (4), ho 19 (11),d.him 165, 184, hom 18, 62, 181, hia.180, hom 182, 184. Reflexives are hims.124, him solue 23 (5),
him solf 115; definitives, solfs.46, 129, sulf 214, þe solf 29,
him solf 40, 114, 184, hom solfpl.225; possessives, mi 2, þin
29, his 30, 31, 42, is 217, hire 31, vre 57, 247, hore 101, hure 141.
The definite article iss. n.þem.39, 68, þef.74, þa 116, 201,g.þesneut.193,d.þem.63, 92, 96, þa 156, (at) ta 156, þeref.233, (at) tere
127, þe 83, þanneut.212,a.þem.232, þef.13, 261, þatneut.51,pl. n.þe 94, þa 103,
136, (ent) ta 103,a.þa 190. The article is also frequently used
as pronoun antecedent to relatives, þe ðe 69 (5), þa þe 215, þo þe 53,
261, þe þet 55, he who; þa þe 93 (8), þa þi 173, þo þe 61, 96, they who;
þa þe 250, þe þe 252, þe ꝥ 263, they to whom; with þa þe 216, with those
whom; þen þe 71, to him who; þan þe 225, to those who; ꝥ þe 58, what.
Other pronominal uses are of þan 74, of him of whom, þe 169, þa 270,
they; þer fore 144, for it. The compound demonstrative is represented by
þisses. g. f.267, þespl. n.41, þaspl.
a.230. The relatives are þe 33 &c., þa 12, 139, 169, þi 173,
often meaning he who, they who 12, 19, 23, 253, þet 21 &c., often
meaning that which, what: þe 10 isgenitive, of which, ꝥ 65, 257dat.: þen 269 is þe + en. Interrogatives are hwas. n.133, hwamd.202, hom 95; hwat 244, hwet, wet
79, 103, to hwon 105; hweþer 236, hwilkes. d. m.130,
hwices. n. f.136, correlative suilchs. n.120, swich, swuch 80, swilchepl. d.220:ilcais ilkes. d.212. Indefinites are wa se 114; me
48 &c.; sums.25, summepl.147; fole 9 (4), fele 70,
166; eiðer 62; oðerss. g. m.30, 263, oðer 257,s. d. m.186,s. a. neut.147, oþrepl.
n.166; echs. n.32 &c., hech 232, ec 171, uchess. g. m.90, elchess. g. f.222, eches. d.231, ilches. d. m.86, helches. a. f.89; enis. n. m.68, aniges. d. f.269, enis. a. neut.53; monis. n.38, moniess. g.36; als. n. a.81, 54, allepl. n. a.79, 173,
174, 195, 84, alrepl. g.161, 187. Five-sixths of the infinitives end in en, showing Anglian influence,the remainder mostly in e, as bode 262r. w.node, ileste
242r. w.unstedefeste, ofþinche 203r. w.swinke; exceptional are wernin 228, warni 226, seon 16, son 158. Dative
infinitives are to baþien 245, beten 132, habben 39, swenchen 250,
swinden 57, þenchen 252, for . . . cumen 154, for habben 53,
for lesen 180, 182; possibly to frure 232, see note. Presents ares.1. adrede, biþenche 6; 3. biswikeð, fulieð 12, þunchet 233,
ofþinchet 10, hauet 65, þurþsicheþ 90, and the contracted forms (as
numerous as the uncontracted), abuh 144, bernd 249, bet 126, 164, bit
126, iherð 89, itit 125, lest 167, sent 42, 46, ouersich 75, þench 33,
wit 84:pl.1. abuȝeð 195, brokeð 91, þenke we 190; 3. fareð 232,
þolieð 202, wuneð 136:subjunctive s.1. bidde 134; 2. wende 86;
3. ȝeue 122, giue 56, helpe 156, lipnie 22, 31, rede 8, 156, scilde 220,
wite 122, wurð[e] 140:pl.3. ?come 124: imperatives.2.
wende 86:pl.2. sendeð 25, vnderstondeð 227. Past of Strong
Verbs: I a.s.3. isech 261;pl.1. iseȝen 102; 3. 98: I
b.s.1. com 221; 3. binom 259, brec 183, com 117, nom 205;pl.3. comen 139, 202, helen 160, stelen 159: I c.s.3.
unbond 188;pl.3. bigunnen 243, swunken 254;subj. s.3.
bigunne 214, funde 68: II.pl.3. witen 244, writen 224, wruȝen
160: III.pl.3. luȝen 159: IV.s.3. scop 84: V.s.3. let 260, hechte 268 (weak form);pl.3. biheten 242,
holden 170, sowen 20, leten 266. Participles present: I c. berninde 218,
bernunde 245: V. wallinde 218; past: I a. biȝeten 105, forȝeten 98,
iqueðen 9: I b. bistolen 15, forholen 77, iborene 105: I c. iborȝen 165,r. w.sorȝe, ifunde 177, sprunge 173, unforȝolden 59: II.
iwriten 118: II, III. unwron 160: III. biloken 81, icorene 104,
forlorene 106: IV. forsworene 103. Past of Weak Verbs:s.1.
hefde 13, sede 155; 3. biþohte 150, cudde 191, herde 262, likede 11,
seide 129,r. w.misdede:pl.1. hefden 51, leden 93;
3. ledden 209, luueden 93, iquemde 269:subj. s.3. hefde 137,
hefð 147 (miswritten for hefde). Participles past: alesed 134, ibet 132,
idemet 106, 171, fordemet 270, igult 27, hud 77, ihud 28, ofdred 43,
offerd 157, meind 142, iclepede 104. Minor Groups: watpr. s.79,
89, 111, nute hipr. pl.236, wiste 1pt. s.15, wistenpt. pl.139, nusten 1pt. pl.102,pt. pl.225;
ahtept. s.2, achten 1pt. pl.129; konpr. s.71,
cunnepr. s. subj.213, kuðe 1pt. s.9; þerfpr.
s.43, 44, 45, 163; scalpr. s.24, 35, schal 19, sculen 1pr. pl.47, 95, 161, scule we 92, 95, sculen 2pr. pl.20,
49,pr. pl.94, sculdept. s.263, sculden 1pt.
pl.60, solde 51, sculdenpt. pl.265, sculdept. s.
subj.118 (the past forms inuare Anglian); mei 1pr.
s.14, maipr. s.35, 40, 69, mei 65, 88, 124, 145, muȝen 1pr. pl.157, 206,pr. pl.66, 237 (in form subjunctive),
muȝepr. s. subj.21, 55, 125, muȝen 2pr. pl. subj.25,pr. pl. subj.19, mahte 1pt. s.(Anglianmæhte)
222, mihte 13, michte 16, 1pt. pl.52, mihtenpt. pl.200; motpr. s.33; boninf.2 &c., bo 134, em 1pr. s.1, 4, ispr. s.26, his 72, 121, 229, nis 77, 80, boðpr.
s.120 (in form plural), beoð 1pr. pl.17, boðpr.
pl.26, 75 &c., bið 233 (in form singular), bo 1pr. s.
subj.4,pr. s. subj.21 (7), beo 29, bopr. pl. subj.177, bon 94, wes 1pt. s.1,pt. s.187, 208, werenpt.
pl.102, 230, 251, werept. s. subj.153, nere 199, ibonpp.3; wule 1pr. s.155,pr. s.34, 39, wile 55,
uuel (miswritten for nule) 123, wulleðpr. pl.97, 226, walde 1pt. s.14 (Anglian),pt. s.35,r. w.unholde
149, wolde 147, nalde 185, 261, nolde 138, walde ȝe 2pt. pl.49,
woldenpt. pl.244, 266, nolden 238; doninf.37, 69, 92,
do 185, 186, to doneinf. dat.17, 37, deðpr. s.35
&c., doð 53 (plural form), doð 1pr. pl.58, 60, misdoð 206,
doðpr. pl.19, 79, dopr. s. subj.18, 21, 69, 210, dedept. s.2, misduden 1pt. pl.99, dudenpt. pl.265,
misduden 192, dude 96, idonpp.7 &c., fordon 270. (2)of T.Strong declension ofmasc.andneut.nouns. In thes. n.aquerne
366, were 31 have added e: sune 188 representssunu.Gen.-es, godes 313, goldes 70, werkes 64:d.-e, ate 262, biede 266, daie 80,
158; exceptions are deað 200, deuel 273, druken 262 (for drunke), fasten
147, 339, god 284, hunger 147 (hungre), peni 300, siluer 268
(seolfre), þanc 245, þing 320, mostly before a vowel, and fur
152, middenærd 195, peni 67, werc 116 at mid pause of the verse: misse
238s. a.has added e. Thepl. n. a.of
masculines ends in-es, ængles 94,
ȝietceres 271, bendes 190, but wintre 212, 356: neuters are folc 217,
ȝier 142, iswinc 36, þing 84, word 9, 160, ibede 301 (gebedu),
werkes 63 (4) (with masc. termination), deflen 97, a weak form:g.angles 355, 380, manke 70:d.dichen 41, ibeden 339,
wallen 41, wrenchen 255, bende 136, 293, 398, wapne 340, winter 4, worde
312, write 101, angles 284, derlinges 389, erminges 323, gultes 318,
werkes 258, wines 223. Of the strong feminines blisse 237, 380, este
363, idelnesse 7, mihte 76, 215, milce 72, reste 364, 373, rihtwisnesse
72, senne 129, 196, 205, sihte 369, soreȝe 142, 196, 378, strate 345,
tilðe 57, þiesternesse 281, unhalðe 327, unisalðe 378, witnesse 113,
116, wombe 147, have added e in thes. n., aihte 42, 55,
263, niede 265 in thes. a.The other casessing.andpl.end in e,s. g.blisse 357, helle 220, sowle 306;d.bote 318, dade 3, dure 124;a.milche 219, murihðe 396;pl. n.glede 222, unhalðe 199, wihte 78;g.blisse 355,
misdade 132, 275, seuenihte 142;d.aihte 271, 321;a.dade 10, 89, 160, laȝe 172, soreȝe 168. Exceptions are woreldes 226 (4)s.g., sa 83s. d., has 91s. a., rauing
257; wihten 285pl. n., honden 81pl. d., luues 314pl.
a., tiden 139. Nouns of the weak declension have e in all cases of
the singular;n.moȝe 187, almesse 28;g.lichame 306;d.deme 96, herte 309;a.grame 168, swiere 146:pl.
n.are eien 75, 381, eueten 277, iferen 102, 233, 297;a.swiken 278. The minor declensions are represented by mans. n.165, noman 24, manness. g.30, 90, 113,
mannes. d.117, man 20,maniman 205, menpl. n.162, 260, mannepl. g.163, 380,pl. d.342, men 263, 354; bocs. d.118, 228; broðers. n.150,s. a.187; faders. n.150, faderess. g.197, faders. a.188; susters. n.150, 187; frends. n.30, friendepl.
d.224, frendpl. a.185, 304, friend 224; fiendpl.
n.283, fiendespl. d.223,r. w.friende. Remnants of the strong declension of adjectives are wrechess. g. m.338 (with woreldesf.), ealde[s] 195, eueles. d. m.335, godelease 348, wrongwise 48, bares. d. f.211, stronge 283, godes. d. neut.73, unstedefaste 320, wilde 145, hardnes. a. m.171,
endelease 143, possiblydat., mucheles. a. f.396. Weak are ealdes. n. m.287, loðe 272, 287, narewe
349, swarte 282, brodes. n. f.345, murie 156, bares. d. m.348, heuenliche 96, muchele 92, mucheles. d. f.156, narewes. a. m.343,
brodes. a. neut.341, the comparatives and superlatives as
betre 28, wunderlukeste 68, except elder 1 (ieldra), niðer 299,
347, werest 221. All other adjectives are uninflected in the singular:
the termination in all cases of thepl.is e; arȝen.19,
lichamliched.398, wrechea.172, but arefeðheald 315,
eadi 231, euel 172, 233, gradi 268, idel 9, iwar 334, weri 244 are not
inflected.āgenis owen 30, oȝen 113, 116, 163, 265 without
variation:ānagives onen. s. m.86 (7):ānis onn. s. m.67,f.28, ones. d. m.348, on 335, ores. d. f.383, one 209, 211, ones. d. neut.384, ons. a. f.139,nān, nonen. s. m.367, non 110, no 37, 50, nons. n. f.289, noness. g. neut.372, nones. d. neut.240,s. a. f.239:ilca,
ilkes. d. neut.216. Of the numerals twam 312 isdat.Adjectives are freely used as nouns,s. n.foh,
grai 365, sellich 183;s. g.godes 371, 372;s. d.gode 23, lothe 61, juel (yfle) 19;s. a.emcristen 310, beste 51, lasse 71, mast 112: thepl.has e,n.fremde 34, elderne 194, heie 164, unholde
36;a.deade 192; exceptions are elder 326 (ieldran),
ȝeunger 326 (geongran), quica 192. The personal pronouns are ich, i in ibie 4, ibiðenche 6, idude 2,
ilade 5, ime 6, ine 16, 225, me, we, us, þu, þe, ȝie, eow. The pronoun
of the third person iss. n.hem.21, hie 114, ?hi
38, hitneut.13;d.himm.20, 21, 44;a.hinem.110, 116, 385, him 34, himf.129 (masc.form), hes 219, 241, his 263, hies 243, hes 40 (= he + es), 55, 56,
hitneut.17;pl. n.hie 22 &c., hi 382, he 248 (5),d.hem 62, 167, 180, 239 &c.,a.hem 184, 305, hes
102, 186, 288, 314, mes 259 (= me + es). Reflexives are us self
310, him 21, 124, him selfens.14, 107, 115, him selfe 25, him
self 111; definitives, þe self 29, him self 40, 114, 186, self 131, 218,
379,pl.hemself 229; possessives, mi 2, minepron.304,
þi 29, his 30 &c., hire 31, ure 57,pron.251, here 101. The
definite article issing. n.sem.287, þe 39 &c., þa
349, þef.116, 205, þet 68 (neut.form),d.þanm.63, 96, þe 83, 158, te in ate 92, þaref.346, 347,
397, þe 83, 237, (a)te 127, ðerneut.216 (fem.form),a.þanem.341, 343, 353,þene 343, þef.265, þatneut.51;pl. n.þe 103,d.þo 291, 340, 354,a.þo 278, þe 192, 278. The article
is also frequently used as pronoun antecedent to relatives, as þe þe, he
who 25, 66, se þe 53, 55, se þit 112 (= se þe hit), þan þe, to him
who 71, þo þe, those who 213, 234, þar þat, of those who 192, þo þe, to
those who 229, those to whom 267, 275, those who and those to whom 256,
wið þo þe, with those whom 220. Other pronominal uses are of þare, of
that other 328 (representingneut.noun), þar fore, for it 146,
after þan(e) þe,conj., according as 362, þo, those 171. The
compound demonstrative is þiss. g. f.271, þesses 338
(masc.form), þesses. d. neut.328, 383, þospl.
n.351, 352, ?þes 103, þesepl. d.312, þospl. a.234, 303, 314; relatives þe 33, 73, in combinations þis 156, 251
(= þe is), þit 112, 141 (= þe hit): þe often means he who 14,
21, 30, se 221; þe, they who 257, þat, that which 22 &c., þe, to
whom 296, of which 10. Interrogatives are hwo 135, hwat 78, 103, 137,
hwand.after prep. 95, 206, 330, to hwan, why 105, hweðer 240,
hwilch 138 with correlative swilch 79, 399;ilcais ilke 216:
indefinites, hwo se 114; me 48, 63, 342; sumepl.149, 361; fele
9, 70, 212; feawe 349, 354; eiðer 62, 239, aiðer 306; oðers. g.30, 261, 267, 363,s. d.116, 188, 360,s. a.149, þoðrepl.168 (= þe oðre), oðer 390;
elchs. n. m.107, 173, eche 344, ech 23, elchs. n. f.360, achess. g. f.226,neut.371, eches. d. m.86, achen 350, aches. d. f.235, elches. a. m.132,f.89; anis. n. m.68,d. f.273,a. neut.53; manin. s. m.38,s. g. m.36; africs. n. m.32, africh
65, afri 117; als. n. m.198,neut.7, alles. d. neut.307, 340,pl. n. m.22 &c.,f.78, alreg.163, 189, 355, alled.318, 389,a. m.224,a. f.84, 89,a. neut.84. The infinitives are equally divided between-en, including isien 18, 379, 385, and-e: exceptions are fulendin 247, warnin 230, 232. Those
of the second weak conjugation have-ien,-ie, wunien 153, 181, 249, samie 165,
wunie 214, 376. A dat. inf. with inflection is to isiene 392,
uninflected are to bete 134, to bihelden 392, to falle 316, to habben
39, te læte 345, te stonde 316, to swenche 254, to swinde 57, to þenchen
256, for to haben 53, for . . . to fulle 352, for lesen 182,
184. Presentss.1. adrade 6, bidde 136; 3. barneð 253, bihoteð
38, exceptionally biswicað 14, mislicað 13, haued 70, 340, singed 311,
contracted forms, three-sevenths of the total number, abit 130, abuið
146, bet 126, 166, bit 126, 357, itit 125, last 169, lat 129, lat 342,
sent 42, wit 84 and others;pl.1. abugeð 197, brekeð 91, findeð
332, wilnieð 319, but ileued 176, þenche we 192; 3. fareð 236, folȝeð
346, but habbed 141, 177:subjunctive s.2. wende 86; 3. bringe
397, cume 156, ȝieue 56 (4), ȝeue 317, helpe 158, hopie 31, rade 158,
reche 135, sende 27, silde 224, 303, warnie 304, wurðe 142;pl.1. late 307, 341, luue 309, silde 308, ute 337, werie 339, all followed
by we, haben 100, wurðen 334;3. wende 400:imperative s.2. wende 86;pl.2.
understondeð 231. Past of Strong Verbs: I a.s.3. sat 266, iseih
265;pl.1. iseien 98, 99, 102;subjunctive s.3. iseie
118: I b.s.3. brac 185, cam 117 (4), nam 209;pl.1.
come 330; 3. binomen 263, comen 206, halen 161, stalen 162, come 141: I
c.s.3. swanc 362, unbond 190;pl.3. bigunnen 247, gunne
276, swunken 258;subj. s.3. bigunne 218, funde 68: III.pl.3. luȝen 161: IV.s.3. sop 84: V.pl.3.
biheten 246, hielden 172, 298, leten 270, 352, sewen 22, lete 264.
Participles present: I c. barnende 222: V. wallinde 222; past: I a.
biȝiete 105,forȝieten98, ispeken 9: I b. bistolen 17, forholen 76, iborenepl.105: I c. iboreȝe 167, ifunde 179, sprunge 175, unforȝolden
59: II. iwrite 117, write 228: II, III. unwrien 162: III. biloken 81,
icorenepl.104, forlorene 106: IV. forsworene 103: V. biualle
198. Past of Weak Verbs:s.1. hadde 15, sade 157; 3. bohte 186,
kedde 193 (cȳðde), likede 13, sade 131, taihte 272;pl.1.
ladden 93, luueden 93; 3. arerde 172, hudden 162, ilaste 246, iquemde
273, leide 263, saden 227, sunegeden 262;subj. s.3. hadde 139,
149 (= hadde he);pl.1. swunke we 321. Participles past:
alesed 136, ibet 100, 134, bicherd, bikeihte 322, idemd 106, demde 274,
ofdrad 43, 288, ofdraddepl.94, ispend 12, teald 120, wuned 57.
Minor Groups: witeninf.386, wotpr. s.78, 89, 111, not
148 (= ne wot), witenpr. pl.294, niten 240 (= ne
witen), iwiste 1pt. s.17, wistept. pl.141, nestenpt. pl.229, 388 (= ne wisten); ohpr. s.2; cunneninf.336, can 1pr. s.306,pr. s.71, cunnenpr. pl.305, cunnepr. pl. subj.217, cuðe 1pt. s.9; þarfpr. s.43, 45, 165; salpr. s.21, 26, sullen 1pr. pl.163, sulen 58, sulle we 92, sullenpr. pl.103,
sulle 22, 106, soldept. s.37, 267, solden 1pt. pl.47,
60, solde 51, soldenpt. pl.269; mai 1pr. s.16, miht 2pr. s.129, maipr. s.35, 44, maiȝ 88, 124, 217, muȝen 1pr. pl.159, 210, 332,pr. pl.241, 288, 374, muȝe 207,pr. s. subj.23, 55, 125, 338, muȝe we 1pr. pl. subj.325, mihte 1pt. s.15, 226,pt. s.202, 1pt. pl.52; motpr. s.33, moten 1pr. pl. subj.317, 400; beninf.39 (12), bien 389, to be 2, am 1pr. s.1, ispr.
s.7, 72, nis 76, 79, beð 23, 32, 114, 1pr. pl.19,pr.
pl.75, 94, 237, bieð 291, 315, bed 104, 381, senden 290, bie 1pr. s. subj.4, 136,pr. s. subj.29, 77, be 32, 251, bienpr. pl. subj.80, ben 28, was 1pt. s.1,pt. s.189, 212, waren 1pt. pl.100, 333,pt. pl.102, naren
383, warept. s. subj.155, nare 201, 1pl.322, ibenpp.3; wille 1pr. s.227, wulle 157, nelle 291, wilepr. s.39, 55, nele 336, willeðpr. pl.34, 97, 230,
nelleð 374, wolde 1pt. s.16,pt. s.35, nolde 140, 187,
265, wolde ȝie 2pt. pl.49, woldenpt. pl.248, 270,
nolden 247, nolde 242; doninf.37, 69, 270, to doneinf.
dat.37, to don 19, deðpr. s.21, 221, doð 35 (8), 1pr.
pl.60,pr. pl.61, 78, dopr. s. subj.8, 20, 23,
214, 1pr. pl. subj.308, dude 1pt. s.2, duden 1pt.
pl.96, misduden 101, dedenpt. pl.269, 270, misduden 194, idonpp.7, ido 304,
fordon 274; forgoðpr. s.358, goðpr. pl.351, go we 1pr. pl. subj.343, 353. Dialect:L is a copy of a Southern original made by a
Midland scribe of the Southern border. His alterations, casual and
inconsistent, affect mainly the sounds; the inflections are on the whole
Southern, but the extensive retention of inflectionalnis due to
the scribe: the pronoun ha 215 and the infinitives warni 226, wernin 228
are Mercian features of the Katherine Group. T is South-Eastern
bordering on Kent, with some trace of Midland influence, such as the
exclusive representation ofæbya, the development ofæ+gasai, distinct from that ofe+gasei, the absence of breaking ineabeforel+ consonant, the past participles without prefix, the
infinitives in-in, features which point
to the northern border of the South-Eastern area as its place of origin.
In phonology it closely resembles Vices and Virtues. The dialect ofeis Middle South: its rhymes are mostly correct, and it is
probably the best representative of the original. MS. E is assigned by
Jordan to the same area, but nearer its northern border. Vocabulary:The foreign element in these texts is
small. French are bikehte bikeihte (first appearance), cunin kuning,
ermine (f. a.), martres 50/362 (f. a.), sabeline (f. a.),
serueden, werre: sōt is pre-Conquest French, soht 30/30, written for
sŏtt, a pre-Conquest Latin borrowing: Sathanas withthis French.
Scandinavian are bene, efninges eueningges (influenced byefen),
ille, laȝe loȝe, lofte, niþinges, þralles þrelles, wrange wronge, and
possibly fruden frute, lan 32/64: baþe boþe in a Southern text may
descend from OE.bā þā(Björkman, 108). Metre:The Septenarius is a purely syllabic metre
of seven feet, with or without end-rhyme, fashioned on the model of such
mediaeval Latin verse as the well-known méum | ést pro|pósit|úm || ín
ta|bérna | móri; the first section of the line having four stresses with
a masculine and the second three with a feminine ending. The trochaic
rhythm of the verse is very often changed into iambic by the addition of
a syllable as prelude before either half of the verse: the full scheme
is accordingly (x)x́xx́xx́xx́ || (x)x́xx́xx́x̀. This is perfectly
exemplified in the Ormulum with its invariable line of fifteen
syllables, but in the PM, the earliest known attempt at the metre in
English, the influence of the native prosody is strong, and a regular
line like Þe Món | þe wúl|e sík|er bón || to háb|ben Gód|es blíssè L 39
is uncommon. The following scansions of L illustrate the deviations from
the norm of the verse: ich ém | nu áld|er þénẹ | ich wés || awín|tre ént | a láreIch wél|de má|re þénẹ | ich déde || mi wít | áhte | bon máreWel lóngẹ | ich háb|be chíld | ibón || a wórd|e ént | a dédeþáh ich | bó a | wíntre | áld || to ȝúng | ich ém | on réde5v́nnet | líf ich | hábbẹ i|léd || ⁊ ȝét | me þíngþ | ilédeþénnẹ ich | mé bi|þénche | wél || ful sárẹ | ich mé | adrédemést al | þét ich | hábbẹ i|dón || bífealt | tó child|hádeWel látẹ | ich háb|be mé | biþócht || búte | Gód me nu | rédeFólẹ id|el wórd | ich hábbẹ | iquéðen || sóððen | ich spék|e kúðe10fóle | ȝúnge | dédẹ i|dón || þe mé | ofþínch|et núðeMést al | þét me | líkedẹ | ér || nú hit | mé mis|líkeðþa múch|el fúl|iéð | his wíl || híne | sólf he bi|swíkeðIch míh|te háb|be bét | idón || héfdẹ ich | þé i|sélþeNú ich | wáldẹ ah | ích ne | meí || for éldẹ | ⁊ fór | unhélþe15Élde | me ís | bistól|en ón || ér ich | hít | wístene míchtẹ | ich séon | bifór|e mé || for smí|ke né | for místeÉrȝe | we béoð | to dón|e gód || ⁊ to úf|elẹ ál | to þrísteMarẹ éi|e stónd|eð mén | of mónne || þánnẹ hom | dó of | crísteþe wél | ne dóð | þe hwílẹ (þe) | ho múȝen || wél oft | hít schal |
rówen20þénnẹho| máwen | scúlen ⁊ | répen || þét ho | ér | sówenDó he | to gód|e þét | he múȝe || þe hwílẹ (ꝥ) | he bó | alíuene líp|nie ná | món | to múchel || to chíld|e né | to wíue[þé] þe | hím | sólue | forȝét || for wí|ue né | for chíldehé scal | cúmen in | úuel | stúde || bútẹ him | Gód bo | mílde25Séndeð | sum gód | bifór|en éow || (þe) hwíle | (ꝥ) ȝe múȝẹn | to
hóuẹnefor bét|erẹ is án | elmés|se bifórẹn || þénne | bóð efter | sóuẹneÁlto | lómẹ ich | hábbẹ i|gúlt || a wérk|e ént | o wórdeÁl to | múchẹl ich | hábbẹ i|spént || to lítẹl | ihúd | in hórdeNe béo | þe ló|ure þé|ne þe sólf || ne þín | mei né | þin máȝe30Soht is þét | is óð|ers món|nes frónd || bétre | þén his | áȝen52for þer wé | hit mích|te fínd|en éft || ⁊ hább|en bút|en énde ich ém | nu áld|er þénẹ | ich wés || awín|tre ént | a láre Ich wél|de má|re þénẹ | ich déde || mi wít | áhte | bon máre Wel lóngẹ | ich háb|be chíld | ibón || a wórd|e ént | a déde þáh ich | bó a | wíntre | áld || to ȝúng | ich ém | on réde 5v́nnet | líf ich | hábbẹ i|léd || ⁊ ȝét | me þíngþ | iléde þénnẹ ich | mé bi|þénche | wél || ful sárẹ | ich mé | adréde mést al | þét ich | hábbẹ i|dón || bífealt | tó child|háde Wel látẹ | ich háb|be mé | biþócht || búte | Gód me nu | réde Fólẹ id|el wórd | ich hábbẹ | iquéðen || sóððen | ich spék|e kúðe 10fóle | ȝúnge | dédẹ i|dón || þe mé | ofþínch|et núðe Mést al | þét me | líkedẹ | ér || nú hit | mé mis|líkeð þa múch|el fúl|iéð | his wíl || híne | sólf he bi|swíkeð Ich míh|te háb|be bét | idón || héfdẹ ich | þé i|sélþe Nú ich | wáldẹ ah | ích ne | meí || for éldẹ | ⁊ fór | unhélþe 15Élde | me ís | bistól|en ón || ér ich | hít | wíste ne míchtẹ | ich séon | bifór|e mé || for smí|ke né | for míste Érȝe | we béoð | to dón|e gód || ⁊ to úf|elẹ ál | to þríste Marẹ éi|e stónd|eð mén | of mónne || þánnẹ hom | dó of | críste þe wél | ne dóð | þe hwílẹ (þe) | ho múȝen || wél oft | hít schal |
rówen 20þénnẹho| máwen | scúlen ⁊ | répen || þét ho | ér | sówen Dó he | to gód|e þét | he múȝe || þe hwílẹ (ꝥ) | he bó | alíue ne líp|nie ná | món | to múchel || to chíld|e né | to wíue [þé] þe | hím | sólue | forȝét || for wí|ue né | for chílde hé scal | cúmen in | úuel | stúde || bútẹ him | Gód bo | mílde 25Séndeð | sum gód | bifór|en éow || (þe) hwíle | (ꝥ) ȝe múȝẹn | to
hóuẹne for bét|erẹ is án | elmés|se bifórẹn || þénne | bóð efter | sóuẹne Álto | lómẹ ich | hábbẹ i|gúlt || a wérk|e ént | o wórde Ál to | múchẹl ich | hábbẹ i|spént || to lítẹl | ihúd | in hórde Ne béo | þe ló|ure þé|ne þe sólf || ne þín | mei né | þin máȝe 30Soht is þét | is óð|ers món|nes frónd || bétre | þén his | áȝen 52for þer wé | hit mích|te fínd|en éft || ⁊ hább|en bút|en énde Elision of e occurs under the usual conditions: pronouns like me 6,
10, 15, þe 23, and nouns of the type of wintre 1, 4 are not subject to
it. Instances of hiatus are worde 3, þe 13, werke 27. Syncopation of e
occurs in muȝẹn, houẹne 25, biforẹn, souẹne 26, litẹl 28, and probably
in muchẹl 28, though it might be regarded as forming part of a
trisyllabic verse. The prelude is wanting in the first section, 4, 5, 6,
14, 20, 27, 28; in the second section, 8, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 26, 30; in
both, 7, 11, 20, 24. It is doubled in the first section, 30, 52; in the
second, 17. The first foot of each section is sometimes a trochee
instead of an iamb; so in the first section, 9, 15, 17, 21, 25; in the
second, 9. The unstressed element in a foot is sometimes wanting, 15,
20, 22; sometimes it is of two syllables, 8, 12, 24, 26 (threetimes), 29. Feminine endings before the caesura are not uncommon, 2, 9,
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24; but the ending of the line is invariably
feminine. A comparison of the manuscripts shows that the author’s
practice was more correct than the representation of any of them; thus
the unmetrical second section of 25 is in e, þe hwílẹ | he méi | to
héuẹne. But it is clear that he used all the licences detailed
above. Introduction:The Moral Ode is, to all appearance,
an original work, the natural product of an old man’s musings on life
with its lost opportunities, death, and judgement. Its manner and
spirit, simple, earnest, austere, sententious, are of the Old English
cast. The author lived in Hampshire somewhere near the junction of the
Stour with the Avon. He was probably a secular priest, for he makes no
reference to the life of the cloister and names no saint or holy place.
His theological learning was of a commonplace kind and without subtilty.
He may have had some skill in medicine. He lived through the Anarchy,
and the faithless vassal and the tyrannous noble wallow in his Inferno
with the corrupt judge and extortionate official. Another poem of similar content, the Sermon of Guischart de Beaulieu
in Anglo-Norman, was written in England about the same time as the Poema
Morale. If the author took his name from Beaulieu in Hampshire, where
King John founded a Cistercian Abbey in 1204A.D.(Dugdale v. 680), he may have written not far
from the home of our poet. It abounds in striking parallels to the PM,
but the editor of the Sermon thinks the resemblances are not
sufficiently close to prove that Guischart used the English poem. 1.nu: in LT
only.awintre ⁊ a lare: a winter and ek on lore J; of wintre ⁊ of
lore M. ⁊ = ent; see 38/159. 2.welde mare:
not in the usual meaning, possess more wealth, as at 21/89, 22/122, 130,
32/55, but either, am more respected, honoured, as at 18/22; ‘for
worulde weorðscypes wealdan,’ Thorpe, Laws, ii. 324. 4, or more
probably, possess more knowledge; if so, ‘knowledge comes but wisdom
lingers.’ Comp. ‘of wisdom wilde,’ OEM 96/94. ForweldeD reads
ealdi, M eldi, age, grow old. 3.child: comp.
‘Adhuc enim non pueritia in nobis sed, quod est gravius, puerilitas
remanet: et hoc quidem peius est quod auctoritatem habemus senum, vitia
puerorum,’ Seneca, Ep. iv; ‘To longe ich habbe sot ibeo | Wel sore ich
me adrede,’ OEM 160/31.a worde, &c.: comp. 30/27: on worde ⁊
on dede D; of wordes & of dede M. 4.a: on D; of
JM.on: at E; á e; of M. 5-8. Comp. ‘Ki se fie en
cest secle por fol tenc mult celui | Par meimeimes le sai ne mie par altrui | Folement le menai itant cum ieo i fui
| Kar unkes ne fis riens de quanke faire dui | Trop i dui demurer trop
tart men apercui,’ Guischart 32-36; ‘vnnut lif to longe ich lede |
hwanne ich me biþenche;wel sore ich me adrede,’ OEM
192/3, 4. 6.wel ful: wel,
wel D; ful J; the other MSS. wel, but T alters the first half of the
line.welqualifies biþenche. 7.ꝥ= þet; see
32/55.bi fealt&c. is not original, but an avoidance of the
rare word chilce, which is in E e J T; D has chilðe, M chilse.chilce, childishness, appears to be formed from child, on the
analogy of milce from mild; it occurs here only. L alters l. 8 for the
sake of the rhyme; the other MSS. are with T. 8.bute, unless;
comp. ll. 24, 210, 271. 9.iqueðen:
ispeken T; ispeke J. Comp. ‘Ifurn ich habbe isuneȝet mid wurken ⁊ midd
muðe | ⁊ mid alle mine lime siððe ich sunehi cuðe | ⁊ wel feole sunne
ido þe me ofþincheð nuðe,’ OEM 193/29-31. 10.þe: so T e,
but þat EJM; þet D. OE.ofþyncanis impersonal, it takes dative
of the person and genitive or, rarely, nominative of the cause; ‘him ðæs
slæpes ofþuhte,’ Ælf., Hom. Cath. i. 86/19 is normal. The indeclinable
relative þe here and in similar places, as ‘Ne do þu non oðer man þing
þe þe wolde ofþunche gief me hit dude þe,’ OEH ii. 179/20, may be doing
duty for the genitive (see46/292 note).
But in ME. generally hit is expressed as subject, 52/370, or the cause
is nominative, 38/164, 42/203 (notwithstanding the verb in the
singular), 145/104, or the subject is actually personal, 46/271; ‘his
freonden hit ofþuhten,’ L 197. Þat in the other texts is nominative. 11. Comp. ‘Or me
semblet puillent co ke ieo mult amai | Quant del plait me souent enz en
mun queor mes mai,’ Guischart 1205, 6.Mest: Best J. The scribe
should have put the stop after er. 12. Comp. ‘Mult est
fous ke fait trop de sa volontez,’ Archiv lxiii. 84/301. After this line
J interpolates, Mon let þi fol lust ouer-go · and eft hit þe likeþ; see
29/45. 13.þeis
possibly miswriting of þen. M has also þe selþe, but e T D þo; E þer; J
eny selhþe. The meanings given in the dictionaries for iselþe, luck,
good fortune, happiness, do not give a good sense here; if it could mean
experience, the sentiment would be like ‘si jeunesse savait, si
vieillesse pouvait.’ Morris in OEH i. 160/13 translates discretion. 14.elde&c.: comp. 20/72; 40/197; 48/323. 15.wiste:
awuste E; á wyste e; iwiste TD; er þan ich hit wiste JM. 16.smike:
smeke E; smeche e D; smoke J; smiche M. 17.al to
þriste, all too bold, ready; comp. 157/127. 18.stondeð:
B-T quotes understandan(of direction) ‘Swa micel ege stod
deoflum fram eow,’ Ælf. Hom. Cath. i. 64/25, with meaning, came over;
similar is ‘Norð-Denum stod atelic egesa,’ Beowulf, 783. In ME. stonden
has developed the meaning, exists (comp. Fr. être 19. See 32/35.hwile þe: comp. 32/33, 55: elsewhere L has the more usual hwile ꝥ
(always unmetrically), or hwile. 20.ȝe: hy E e;
hi DM: but J has, Hwenne alle men repen schule · þat heo ear seowe. ForꝥE has þer þe; e, þer; M, her þat. 21.to gode,
for good; comp. 32/61.he(muȝe): hi D; ȝe E e M; ye J: similarly
in the case of the following he. 22.lipnie,
depend on, trust to: hopie E e; leue D; truste M. 24.bute—milde: a formula of frequent occurrence; see KH 80
note. 25. D alters, Sende
sum god biuoren him | man, ꝥ wile to heuene; the scribe of E copied the
end of l. 21, reading, þe wyle ȝe ben aliue, and in the second half of
the next line, þanne ben after vyue. 27, 28 are misplaced,
the other MSS. have them as in T. With 27 comp. ‘Ifurn ich habbe
isunehed mid worke ⁊ mid worde,’ OEM 193/21; and with 28, ‘muchel ich
habbe ispened;to lite ich habbe an horde. | Hord þat ich
telle · is almesse dede,’ id. 193/24, 25; ‘Ne des altres uertuz nule ne
reseruai | . . . | Or ai si despendu ke ieo nule nen ai,’
Guischart 1184, 6. 29, 30 are wanting in
D.þe solf: þi self EJ. Withmei . . . maȝe,
comp. ‘Ne naueþ he mey ne mowe. | þat durre one þrowe. | Bi hym sitte ne
stonde,’ OEM 79/208-10, 179/161, 2. With l. 30 comp. ‘Qui mieux aime
autri que sei au molin fu mort de sei.’ ‘Videtur enim quod quis alium
plus quam se amat qui alios admonitionibus et correctionibus pascit et
seipsum non emendat,’ Hauréau, Notices, ii. 281, an application which
robs the proverb of its apparent crude selfishness. 31.lipnie:
lipne J; hopie E e T D; truste M. 32.ech: vych
J; the others are with T. 33.to him: the
others have him.þe mot: he is to be understoodfrom him in the preceding clause, see6/18
note. E has þe he mot, D, ꝥ he, M, þat he, the other MSS. he. 34.fremede . . .
sibbe: a formula, see KH 64 note. A variant is, ‘to freomede ⁊ to
kunne,’ OEH ii. 259/30.wuleis singular; comp. T. 35. Comp. 30/19,
44/238. The proverb is common, as, ‘he ne mei hwon he wule, þe nolde
hwule þet he muhte,’ AR 338/19; ‘hit is riht Godes dom, þet hwo ne deð
hwon he mei, he ne schal nout hwon he wolde,’ id. 296/22; Hendyng C.,
stanza 46. 36. The fruits of many
a man’s hard toil often pass into the possession of his enemies. Comp.
22/129, 30. From ‘Scrutetur foenerator omnem substantiam eius: et
diripiant alieni labores eius,’ Psalm cviii. 11, in the OE. version,
‘Ealle his æhta unholde fynd, rice reðe mann, rycene gedæle; and his
feoh onfon fremde handa,’ Thorpe, Psalter, 317/11.sare iswincis
plural. 37.don afirst,
put off: OE.fyrst, respite: comp. ‘Vre deð he do in firste ȝet,’
OEH i. 71/294.slawen: so e; but sclakien E; slakien J; sleuhþen
D; sclakie M. ‘Nolite deficere benefacientes,’ 2 Thess. iii. 13. 40.he his: he
it E; he hit JD; he e M.mid iwisse, of a certainty: OE.mid
gewisse: ‘mid iwissen,’ 38/139 ismid gewissum: ‘iwis,’
187/349 representss. neut.ofgewiss: ‘fuliwis,’ 79/17,
‘fullȝewiss,’ 89/20 is the same strengthened by ful: ‘to fuliwis’
190/445 shows the same treated as though it were a noun: similarly ‘to
fuligewis,’ 192/508, a compound of fulli +gewiss; Orm has
contracted ‘fuliȝwiss.’ Fromto wisse,mid wissecome ‘to
nafre none wisse,’ 45/240, ‘mid neure nane wisse,’ 44/236. See KH 1209
note. 42-65. Comp. generally
27/274-291. 43T. After For, þar
ne has been omitted by the scribe. 44.þerf he,
copied by mistake from the preceding line. The MSS. agree substantially
with T: e has, þer ne mei hí be nime.laðe . . . loue:
formal; comp. ‘mid lufe ge mid laþe,’ BH 45/8; ‘litel me is of ower
luue, leasse of ower laððe,’ SJ 27/14. 45.of ȝeve ne of
ȝelde, of bribes to officials and of taxes; things which subtract
from his gains on earth. Comp. ‘hem þat desireth | Ȝiftes or ȝeresȝyues
· bi cause of here offices,’ Piers Plowman, B. iii. 98, 99; Böddeker,
Alteng. Dicht. 104/53; 44/256: Mede was very busy in those days. This is
undoubtedly the original reading; J D concur, but E has of wiue ne of
childe, similarly e; M of ȝunge ne of ȝelde:herein T is hire,
usury. 46. Forsolf
bereðE has the singular variant, suuel and bred, savoury meat and
bread. 47, 48. Not in D.draȝen ⁊ don, convey our wealth and deposit it:comp. ‘La devriüm traire | trestot nostre afaire, | nostre estage
prendre, | le nostre doner | por nos delivrer, | partir e despendre,’
Reimpredigt 56/110, which is possibly the source of the English; see
also 51 note. Otherwisedraȝenwithþiderwould naturally
mean, proceed to that place, as in ‘Traez uers cel pais chascon a grant
espleit,’ Guischart 1259, but that leavesdonwithout meaning. It
has the sense of the fuller phrase in l. 42: see NED,doI 3.
Morris indeed connects don wel which is against the metrical pause as
indicated by the point afterdonin E e J: E e moreover read wel
oft ⁊ wel ȝelome, and J has hit in l. 48 for naut. Forwel oftesee 49/329, for wel ilome, 134/97. M reads þider we scolde bere ⁊ draȝe,
ofte ⁊ wel ylome, with hit in the next line, as in J.ofte ⁊
ilome: OE.oft and gelōme; comp. 48/325, 119/78, 127/360; ‘Hi
hedden teone and seorewe · ofte and ilome,’ OEM 89/14, 169/22; ON 1545;
L 16500. 48.wrangwise
dome: comp. 44/256. E reads mid wronge ne mid woȝe. 50.ne reue: ne
se ireue e, the others with T. The ‘reue’ is the sheriff. Comp. ‘Ia nuls
hom ki cel (i.e. luer) ad ne se deit esmaer | Kar li nel pot tolir ne
prouost ne ueier,’ Guischart 614, 15; ‘Il nen i ad prouost ne nad plaiz
ne contez | Sun aueir ni ert pris ne a marche menez,’ id.
375, 6. 51.hefden:
hedde e; the others have the present. Comp. ‘Tut le mielz ke auum a deu
nus deurum traire,’ Guischart 329. 53.er, for
her, which the other MSS. have. 55.halden wel,
possess to good purpose, make good use of. M reads wel wile wite. 56.hies: his E
e; hit J; hi D; he M.hes: heo hit E; he his e; he hit J; he hi
D; hi M. 58.doð: yeueþ
J, with T. 62.Eiðer,
both. Both of them shall hereafter seem both too little and too much; a
curious way of saying, He shall think his good deeds too little and his
bad deeds too much. The MSS. are in accord. Comp. ‘De tut le plus kat
fait est dolens e pensanz | Del bien li semble poi · li mals li semble
granz,’ Guischart 30, 31. 63.weien:
comp. ‘Dunc serrat a chascon tuz ses biens demustrez | Sulum nostre
labur dunc serrum mesurez | E les biens e les mals tuz nus serrunt
pesez,’ Guischart 442-4.
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