CHAPTER IV.Philology.

There is a strongly marked individuality in the spelling throughout all the treatises in this work. If the Hunting rhymes belong to Dam Julyans, their orthography, like the prose portions, is that of the Schoolmaster, who appears to have been a North-countryman, many words leading to that conclusion. The formation of the plural by adding the letters “is” or “ys” strikes the attention at once. Thus the plural of bells is bellis; egg, eggis; vetch, fetchis; fulmert, fulmertis; hawk, hawkys; herd, herdys; person, personys, and so on. The change of ayat the end of a word to aniis common, as onli, softeli, unthrefti; and for if; algate; awth for all the; bowke; chylder; clepit; clees; knaw; ken; yowre; and many others are Northern. As might be expected, many Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman words now obsolete are found, such as benymme, blynne, byzete, canell, clepit, colver, dagon, gobbit, kawe, kydde, liggen, merde, nasethrils, nym,[5]raton, and many others.

5. In the slang of thieves tostealis tonimat this day.

The following vocabulary will show the chief words in which peculiarity of spelling or dialect are noticeable:—

alfe, halfalgate, alwaysand, used for “if”appillis, applesarn, areassone, as soonawntelere, antlerawth, aughtawth, all thebarris, barsbeestys, beastsbeke, beakbellis, bellsbene, bebenymme, take awayblynne, to ceaseboon, bonebodi, bodybowellis, bowelsbott, butbottre, butterbowke, crookedbridde, birdbroght, broughtbysprenged, sprinkledbyzete, gaincalt, calledcalde, calledcattis flesh, cat’s fleshcanell, cinnamoncallish, call (imper.)chycon, chickchykynnes, chickenschooce, choicechylder, childrenclepit, calledcloos, closecommuneli, commonlycommythe, comethcowntenansis, countenancescoluer, a dovecolode, coldcogh, coughcontenyt, containedcowples, couplescroampe, crampcurrage, couragecum,cumme, comedais, daysdagon, a piecedayses, daisiesdeeil, a portiondefawte, defaultdiueris, diversdookes, ducksdoon, dodoys, doesecheon, each oneech, eacheeg, eggeegis, eggsellis, elseelis, eelserrabull, arableeseli, easilyeueri, everyeuerose, rosewatereuyn,eeuen, eveneyre, aireygh,eyghen, eye, eyesfebulness, feeblenessfechens, stoatsfaukeneris, falconersfeederis,federes, feathersfetchis, vetchesfeldis, fieldsfosterys, forestersfolowys, followsflee, flayforder, furtherforrgeet, forgetfostewt, fostfowrith, fourthfulmertis, polecatsgedder, gatherglayre, white of an egggobbit, piecegres, greasegroyn, growngyde, guidehabull, ablehawkys, hawkshawtyn, proudhakke, hackhaare, hareheepis, heepshedgis, hedgesherdys, herdshowndys, houndshoole, wholehoold,holde, oldhoom, homehudge, smallhuntid, huntedhunterys, huntershennys, henshuicles oppon hir houghishanylon, wiles of a foxigh,ighe,iyen, eye, eyesingraylyt, engrailledinowgh, enoughilich, alikeiren, ironilke, eachjuse, juicekawe, callken, knowknaw,knawe, knowknottis, knotskneys, kneeskow, cowknyue, knifekydde, knownkyndeli, naturalkut, cutlayserly, leisurelylew warmeleppys, leapsleif, dearleuer, liverlies, licelinne,lynne, linenlittyl, littleliggyn, lieluke waterlyddis of the ighen, eyelidslymayall, iron filingslooff, loafmaake, makemary, marrowmarkeris, markersmerde, dungmedecyne,medesyn,medlide, mingledmeele,melis, meal, mealsmedill, minglemoch, muchmony, manymowothe, mouthmoystour, moisturemyddes, midstmynne, minenasethrillis, nostrilsnares, nostrilsnaamys, namesnatheless, neverthelessneppe, catmintnettis, netsnotabull, notableno moo, no morenombur, numbernot, a nutnyghtis, nightsnym,nomme, take, takenokys, oaksonli, onlyony, honeyones,onys, onceoouen, ovenoon, oneoppyn, openordenatiliowte, outparlous,perlous, perilouspennyd, featheredpersonys, personspellittis, pelletspike, pickproceis, processputtith, puttethpraty, prettyproperteis, propertiesquarterit, quarteredrad, ? afraidraton, a ratrestith, restethrede, readyrebuket, rebukedroys, roesroungethrowse, rousesaauue, saveserven, sewsemytoyn, semitonese, seeshewys, showsslau, slowsnakys, snakessofteli, softlysomwatt, somewhatsoore, soresowre, soarsoper, suppersowkyng, suckingsonnys, sonsspanyellis, spanielssnakys, snakestaake, taketakys, takestempur, tempertermys,termis, termstho,thei, theythridde, thirdtheyem, themthreis, thricetheys, thighstogeyder, togethertoon, twotweys, twicetymeli, timelythredis, threadsvarri rede, very redveri, veryvnthrefti, unthriftyvreyne, urinewarbellith, warbellethwatt, whatweere, whereweere, wearyware, werewengys, wingswhaan, whenwhote nat, wot notwroght, wroughtwode,wold, wouldwight, swiftwoddys, woodswylis, whileyche, eachyghes, eyesyolow, yellowyowre, youryowris, yours

alfe, half

algate, always

and, used for “if”

appillis, apples

arn, are

assone, as soon

awntelere, antler

awth, aught

awth, all the

barris, bars

beestys, beasts

beke, beak

bellis, bells

bene, be

benymme, take away

blynne, to cease

boon, bone

bodi, body

bowellis, bowels

bott, but

bottre, butter

bowke, crooked

bridde, bird

broght, brought

bysprenged, sprinkled

byzete, gain

calt, called

calde, called

cattis flesh, cat’s flesh

canell, cinnamon

callish, call (imper.)

chycon, chick

chykynnes, chickens

chooce, choice

chylder, children

clepit, called

cloos, close

communeli, commonly

commythe, cometh

cowntenansis, countenances

coluer, a dove

colode, cold

cogh, cough

contenyt, contained

cowples, couples

croampe, cramp

currage, courage

cum,cumme, come

dais, days

dagon, a piece

dayses, daisies

deeil, a portion

defawte, default

diueris, divers

dookes, ducks

doon, do

doys, does

echeon, each one

ech, each

eeg, egg

eegis, eggs

ellis, else

elis, eels

errabull, arable

eseli, easily

eueri, every

euerose, rosewater

euyn,eeuen, even

eyre, air

eygh,eyghen, eye, eyes

febulness, feebleness

fechens, stoats

faukeneris, falconers

feederis,federes, feathers

fetchis, vetches

feldis, fields

fosterys, foresters

folowys, follows

flee, flay

forder, further

forrgeet, forget

fostewt, fost

fowrith, fourth

fulmertis, polecats

gedder, gather

glayre, white of an egg

gobbit, piece

gres, grease

groyn, grown

gyde, guide

habull, able

hawkys, hawks

hawtyn, proud

hakke, hack

haare, hare

heepis, heeps

hedgis, hedges

herdys, herds

howndys, hounds

hoole, whole

hoold,holde, old

hoom, home

hudge, small

huntid, hunted

hunterys, hunters

hennys, hens

huicles oppon hir houghis

hanylon, wiles of a fox

igh,ighe,iyen, eye, eyes

ingraylyt, engrailled

inowgh, enough

ilich, alike

iren, iron

ilke, each

juse, juice

kawe, call

ken, know

knaw,knawe, know

knottis, knots

kneys, knees

kow, cow

knyue, knife

kydde, known

kyndeli, natural

kut, cut

layserly, leisurely

lew warme

leppys, leaps

leif, dear

leuer, liver

lies, lice

linne,lynne, linen

littyl, little

liggyn, lie

luke water

lyddis of the ighen, eyelids

lymayall, iron filings

looff, loaf

maake, make

mary, marrow

markeris, markers

merde, dung

medecyne,medesyn,

medlide, mingled

meele,melis, meal, meals

medill, mingle

moch, much

mony, many

mowothe, mouth

moystour, moisture

myddes, midst

mynne, mine

nasethrillis, nostrils

nares, nostrils

naamys, names

natheless, nevertheless

neppe, catmint

nettis, nets

notabull, notable

no moo, no more

nombur, number

not, a nut

nyghtis, nights

nym,nomme, take, taken

okys, oaks

onli, only

ony, honey

ones,onys, once

oouen, oven

oon, one

oppyn, open

ordenatili

owte, out

parlous,perlous, perilous

pennyd, feathered

personys, persons

pellittis, pellets

pike, pick

proceis, process

puttith, putteth

praty, pretty

properteis, properties

quarterit, quartered

rad, ? afraid

raton, a rat

restith, resteth

rede, ready

rebuket, rebuked

roys, roes

roungeth

rowse, rouse

saauue, save

serven, sew

semytoyn, semitone

se, see

shewys, shows

slau, slow

snakys, snakes

softeli, softly

somwatt, somewhat

soore, sore

sowre, soar

soper, supper

sowkyng, sucking

sonnys, sons

spanyellis, spaniels

snakys, snakes

taake, take

takys, takes

tempur, temper

termys,termis, terms

tho,thei, they

thridde, third

theyem, them

threis, thrice

theys, thighs

togeyder, together

toon, two

tweys, twice

tymeli, timely

thredis, threads

varri rede, very red

veri, very

vnthrefti, unthrifty

vreyne, urine

warbellith, warbelleth

watt, what

weere, where

weere, weary

ware, were

wengys, wings

whaan, when

whote nat, wot not

wroght, wrought

wode,wold, would

wight, swift

woddys, woods

wylis, while

yche, each

yghes, eyes

yolow, yellow

yowre, your

yowris, yours

We have now traced the various aspects in which this curious work may be viewed. There is not one of them that would not repay much deeper study, and the reader will, doubtless, sympathise with the writer in the wish that more could be discovered concerning the schoolmaster-printer. That his pioneer attempts to establish a printing press met with many discouragements was a matter of course; and, doubtless, he had many technical, business, and even social difficulties to overcome; for a reading public had to be created and patronage was scantily afforded. Nevertheless he struggled on for at least seven years, as we learn from the dates on his books, and whatever may have been his shortcomings, either as author or as printer, the fact of his having been one of the earliest promoters in this country of the grandest discovery which the mind of man has yet made, will unite all of us in honouring the memory and respecting the name, shadowy though it be, of the “Scole mayster of St. Albon.”

William Blades.

Fleuron

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