A history of English literature : $b A practical text-book

Name: A history of English literature : $b A practical text-book
Author: Albert, Edward

Albert, Edward

English literature -- History and criticism

(4) My father was sae waik of bluid and bane
        That he deit,[78] wherefore my mother made greate mane;
        Then she deit within ane day or two,
        And there began my poverty and wo.
        Our gude grey meir was baitand[79] on the field,
        And our land’s laird took her for his heryield.[80]
        The vicar took the best cow by the heid
        Incontinent, when my father was deid.
        And when the vicar heard tell how that my mother
        Was deid, fra hand, he took till him the other.
                                 LYNDSAY, _Satyre of the Thrie Estatis_

3. The following series of translations of Matthew iii, 1–4,
illustrates the development of Biblical style. Write a short comment
upon them, comparing them and pointing out the development.

   (_a_) (1) In þo dayes come Ihone baptist prechand in desert
   of þe Iewry, & seyand, (2) Do [gh]e penaunce; forwhy þe kyngdome
   of heuyne sal come negh. (3) Þis is he of whome it was seide be
   Isay þe prophete, sayand, Þe voice of þe cryand in þe desert,
   redye [gh]e þe way of God, right make [gh]e þe lityl wayes of
   him.’ (4) & Ihone his kleþing of þe hoerys of camels, & a gyrdyl
   of a skyn about his lendys; & his mete was þe locust & hony of
   þe wode.
                                                     ANONYMOUS, 1300


   (_b_) (1) In thilke days came Ioon Baptist, prechynge in
   the desert of Iude, sayinge, (2) Do [gh]e penaunce, for the
   kyngdom of heuens shal nei[gh] (_or_ cume ni[gh]e). (3)
   Forsothe this is he of whome it is said by Ysaye the prophet, A
   voice of a cryinge in desert, Make [gh]e redy the wayes of the
   Lord; make [gh]e ri[gh]tful the pathes of hym. (4) Forsothe that
   ilk Ioon hadde cloth of the heeris of cameylis, and a girdil of
   skyn aboute his leendis; sothely his mete weren locustis, and
   hony of the wode.
                                       WYCLIF, _First Version_, 1384


   (_c_) (1) In tho daies Ioon Baptist cam, and prechide in
   the desert of Iudee, and seide, (2) Do [gh]e penaunce, for the
   kyngdom of heuenes shal nei[gh]e. (3) For this is he, of whom
   it is seid bi Ysaie, the prophete, seyinge, A vois of a crier
   in desert, Make [gh]e redi the weies of the Lord; make [gh]e
   ri[gh]t the pathis of hym. (4) And this Ioon hadde clothing of
   camels heeris, and a girdil of skynne aboute his leendis; and
   his mete was honysoukis and hony of the wode.
                                      WYCLIF, _Second Version_, 1388

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Opening the text

A history of English literature : $b A practical text-bookAlbert, Edward

History

A history of English literature : $b A practical text-book

Albert, Edward

English literature -- History and criticism

(4) My father was sae waik of bluid and bane
        That he deit,[78] wherefore my mother made greate mane;
        Then she deit within ane day or two,
        And there began my poverty and wo.
        Our gude grey meir was baitand[79] on the field,
        And our land’s laird took her for his heryield.[80]
        The vicar took the best cow by the heid
        Incontinent, when my father was deid.
        And when the vicar heard tell how that my mother
        Was deid, fra hand, he took till him the other.
                                 LYNDSAY, _Satyre of the Thrie Estatis_

3. The following series of translations of Matthew iii, 1–4,
illustrates the development of Biblical style. Write a short comment
upon them, comparing them and pointing out the development.

   (_a_) (1) In þo dayes come Ihone baptist prechand in desert
   of þe Iewry, & seyand, (2) Do [gh]e penaunce; forwhy þe kyngdome
   of heuyne sal come negh. (3) Þis is he of whome it was seide be
   Isay þe prophete, sayand, Þe voice of þe cryand in þe desert,
   redye [gh]e þe way of God, right make [gh]e þe lityl wayes of
   him.’ (4) & Ihone his kleþing of þe hoerys of camels, & a gyrdyl
   of a skyn about his lendys; & his mete was þe locust & hony of
   þe wode.
                                                     ANONYMOUS, 1300


   (_b_) (1) In thilke days came Ioon Baptist, prechynge in
   the desert of Iude, sayinge, (2) Do [gh]e penaunce, for the
   kyngdom of heuens shal nei[gh] (_or_ cume ni[gh]e). (3)
   Forsothe this is he of whome it is said by Ysaye the prophet, A
   voice of a cryinge in desert, Make [gh]e redy the wayes of the
   Lord; make [gh]e ri[gh]tful the pathes of hym. (4) Forsothe that
   ilk Ioon hadde cloth of the heeris of cameylis, and a girdil of
   skyn aboute his leendis; sothely his mete weren locustis, and
   hony of the wode.
                                       WYCLIF, _First Version_, 1384


   (_c_) (1) In tho daies Ioon Baptist cam, and prechide in
   the desert of Iudee, and seide, (2) Do [gh]e penaunce, for the
   kyngdom of heuenes shal nei[gh]e. (3) For this is he, of whom
   it is seid bi Ysaie, the prophete, seyinge, A vois of a crier
   in desert, Make [gh]e redi the weies of the Lord; make [gh]e
   ri[gh]t the pathis of hym. (4) And this Ioon hadde clothing of
   camels heeris, and a girdil of skynne aboute his leendis; and
   his mete was honysoukis and hony of the wode.
                                      WYCLIF, _Second Version_, 1388

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A history of English literature : $b A practical text-book

A history of English literature : $b A practical text-book

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