8. +The English of the Thirteenth Century.+-- In this century there was a great breaking-down and stripping-off of inflexions. This is seen in the +Ormulum+ of Orm, a canon of the Order of St Augustine, whose English is nearly as flexionless as that of Chaucer, although about a century and a half before him. Orm has also the peculiarity of always doubling a consonant after a short vowel. Thus, in his introduction, he says:-- “Þiss boc iss nemmnedd Orrmulum Forr þi þatt Orrm itt wrohhte.” That is, “This book is named Ormulum, for the (reason) that Orm wrought it.” The absence of inflexions is probably due to the fact that the book is written in the East-Midland dialect. But, in a song called “The Story of Genesis and Exodus,” written about 1250, we find a greater number of inflexions. Thus we read:-- “Hunger wex in lond Chanaan; And his x sunes Jacob for-ðan Sente in to Egypt to bringen coren; He bilefe at hom ðe was gungest boren.” That is, “Hunger waxed (increased) in the land of Canaan; and Jacob for that (reason) sent his ten sons into Egypt to bring corn: he remained at home that was youngest born.” 9. +The English of the Fourteenth Century.+-- The four greatest writers of the fourteenth century are-- in verse, +Chaucer+ and +Langlande+; and in prose, +Mandeville+ and +Wycliffe+. The inflexions continue to drop off; and, in Chaucer at least, a larger number of French words appear. Chaucer also writes in an elaborate verse-measure that forms a striking contrast to the homely rhythms of Langlande. Thus, in the “Man of Lawes Tale,” we have the verse:-- “O queenës, lyvynge in prosperitée, Duchessës, and ladyës everichone, Haveth som routhe on hir adversitée; An emperourës doughter stant allone; She hath no wight to whom to make hir mone. O blood roial! that stondest in this dredë Fer ben thy frendës at thy gretë nedë!” Here, with the exception of the imperative in _Haveth som routhe_ (= have some pity), _stant_, and _ben_ (= _are_), the grammar of Chaucer is very near the grammar of to-day. How different this is from the simple English of Langlande! He is speaking of the great storm of wind that blew on January 15, 1362:-- “Piries and Plomtres weore passchet to þe grounde, In ensaumple to Men þat we scholde do þe bettre, Beches and brode okes weore blowen to þe eorþe.”