MATTHEW'S GOSPEL, CHAP. VIII. Forsothe when Jhesus hadde comen doun fro the hil, many cumpanyes folewiden hym. And loo! a leprouse man cummynge worshipide hym, sayinge; Lord, gif thou wolt, thou maist make me clene.2 And Jhesus holdynge forthe the hond, touchide hym sayinge, I wole; be thou maad clene. And anoon the lepre 3 of hym was clensid. And Jhesus saith to hym; See, say thou to no man; but go, shewe thee to prestis, and offre that gifte that Moyses comaundide, into witnessing to hem. Sothely when he hadde entride in to Capharnaum, centurio neigide to hym preyinge hym, And said, Lord, my child lyeth in the hous sike on 6 the palsie, and is yuel tourmentid. And Jhesus saith to hym, I shal cume, and shal hele hym. And centurio answerynge saith to hym, Lord, I am not worthi, that thou entre vndir my roof; but oonly say bi word, and my child shall be helid. For whis and I am a man ordeynd vnder power, hauynge vnder me knigtis;9 and I say to this, Go, and he goth; and to an other, Come thou, and he cometh; and to my seruaunt, Do thou this thing, and he doth. Sothely Jhesus, heerynge these thingis, wondride, and saide to men suynge 10 hym: Trewly I saye to you I fond nat so grete feith in Ysrael. Sothely Y say to you, that manye shulen " come fro the est and west, and shulen rest with Abraham and Ysaac and Jacob in the kyngdam of heuenes; forsothe the sonys of the rewme 13 shulen be cast out into vttremest derknessis;14 there shal be weepynge, and beetynge 1. Worshipide, did him reverence. Worship (worth-ship) is merely worthiness, honour. 2. Clene, O. E. cleene, was used of moral as well as of physical purity. 3. Lepré, ή λέπρα. 4. Into witnessing, for an evidence. So at present "to take to wife" means "to take as a wife." sition governing it. Gk. ave' v. 12 9. Knigtis, men at arms, warriors. See note 13, extract 2. 10. Suynge, following, fr. O. Fr. sewir, Lat. sequor. Compare "seek peace and ensue it," i. e. follow it up. 11. Shulen. See note 12 to previous extract. 12. Kyngdam. This word should pro 5. Neigide, drew near, fr. M. E. neizen, bably mean kingship; and the correct th. O. E. néh. 6. On, of. Even by Shakespeare these two prepositions seem to be used indifferently. 7. Yuel, evil, ill-the latter is merely a contraction of the former-fr. O. E. yfel. It takes the form eale in Shakespeare. 8. Forwhi, because: whi (why) is ablat. sing. of relative, and for is the prepo form would be kingric, as in the word bishopric; rice (Ger. reich, Lat. regnum) being O. E. for realm or jurisdiction. 13. Rewme, kingdom, realm, fr. O. Fr. roialme (royaume), Lat. regnum. 14. Derknessis. Abstract nouns admitted a plural in O. E., as in richessis, almesses. togidre of teeth. And Jhesus saide to centurio, Go; and as thou hast bileeued be it don to thee. And the child was helid fro that houre. 15. James I. 1394-1437. (History, p. 43.) (From the King's Quair.) King James wrote his "Quair" in England, and in all probability in the Southern dialect; nevertheless the oldest known MS. gives it in pure Scotch. Mr. Marsh conjectures that the language was entirely altered by some North-country scribe, “who loved Scotland more than the truth." 1 Of hir array the form gif I sal write, Toward her goldin haire, and rich atyre, 5 Wt mony ane emeraut and faire saphire, About hir neck, quhite as the fyre amaille A gudlie cheyne of small orfeverye, That as a sperk of lowe so wantonly. Semyt birnyng upon hir quhite throte, 15 And for to walk that fresche Mayes morowe, 3. In fretwise, ornamentally, in manner of fret, fr. O. E. frætu, ornament. Compare Hamlet's "fretted with golden fire." Couchit, laid trimmed, fr. Lat. collocare, through O. Fr. culcher. Chaucer, in The Knight's Tale, 1303, has" cowched of perlys whyte." 4. Balas, a kind of ruby, fr. N. Fr. balais, It. balascio. Lemyng, gleaming, fr. O. E. leomian, to shine. 7. Partit, partly. 8. Fyre amaille, the core or innermost part of the fire, fr. Sp. amago; or, according to Mr. Ellis, an error for faire email, i. e. enamel. 9. Orfeverye, gold work, fr. Fr. orfévre, th. fr. or, forgia, Lat. aurum and fabri care. 17, 18. That gudeliare, goodlier than which. To forowe, before; toforen (Chaucer). Alyte, a little. As I suppose and girt sche was alyte; In hir was zouth, beautee, wt humble aport, In word, in dede, in schap, in contenance, 19. Halflyng, in part, partly. The -lyng is here the old adverbial suffix found in noseling, on the nose, grovelling, on the grouffe or belly, darkling, in the dark; and in a corrupt form in endlong, sidelong, headlong. 25. Largesse estate, liberality of condition. 16. John Lydgate. 1370-1461. (History, p. 42.) (From The London Lackpenny.) A mere glance at this extract is sufficient to show us that the language is already on the threshold of modern English; and the same may be said also of those passages that immediately follow. 1 To London once my steps I bent, Where truth in no wise should be faint; And as I thrust the prese among, Till to the King's Bench I was come. 6. Would proceed, wish to push their way in the world, or, enter upon a legal process. 8. Prese, the press, crowd. "Fle fro the pres, and duelle with soth fastnesse," says Chaucer. 9. Froward, from-ward, starting aside from the straight course. And prayed him for God's sake to take heed; 15 Unto the Common Place I yode thoo, * How my goods were defrauded me by falsehood. 20 I got not a mum of his mouth for my meed, And for lack of money I might not speed. 25" Strawberries ripe!" and " cherries in the rise;" * * * Then I hied me unto East-chepe; 30 One cries ribs of beef, and many a pie; Pewter pots they clattered on a heap; There was harp, pipe, and minstrelsy. * "Yea, by Cock," "Nay, by Cock!" some began cry; Some song of Jenkin and Julian for their mede; 35 But for lack of money I might not speed. 17. The Paston Letters. 1434-1505. (History, p. 45.) John Paston, son of Sir William, the "Good Judge," meets, by arrangement of his parents, the lady whom they wish him to marry. Agnes Paston reports the result to her husband in London. From Agnes Paston to her husband, Sir William Paston. Dear husband, I recommend me to you, &c. Blessed be God I send you good tidings of the coming and the bringing home of the gentlewoman that ye weeten' of from Reedham this same night, according to appointment that ye made there for yourself. And as for the first acquaintance between John Paston and the said gentlewoman, she made him gentle cheer in gentle wise, and said he was verily your son; and so I hope there shall need no great treaty between them. The parson of Stockton told me if ye would buy her a gown, her mother would give thereto a goodly fur; the gown needeth for to be had; and of colour it would be a goodly blue, or else a bright sanguine. I pray you to buy for me two pipes 2 of gold. Your stews3 do well. The Holy Trinity have you in governance. Written at Paston, in haste, the Wednesday after "Deus qui errantibus; " 4 for default of a good secretary, &c. 1. Weeten, know; a pres. plur. fr. witen. 2. Pipes, rolls of gold thread. 3. Stews, ponds for preserving fish. Chaucer's Franklin had-" Ful manye a Yours, AGNES PASTON. brem, and manye a luce in stew." 4. Third Sunday after Easter, when the Collect beginning with these words was read. The John Paston of the following letter was a son of the John Paston mentioned above. This is a veritable love-letter of the fifteenth century. From Margery Brews to John Paston, Esq. Right reverend and worshipful, and my right well-beloved Valentine, I recommend me unto you, full heartily desiring to hear of your welfare, which I beseech Almighty God long for to preserve unto his pleasure and your heart's desire. |