[Footnote I-21: That the Cambr. scribe was from the South is very apparent from: (1) the pres. indic. plur. endings in eþ, e.g. _comeþ_ 282, etc., (2) the above rimes of OE. _call_ : _ell_, (3) _axede_ 576, 602, etc., (4) _rede_ : _hadde_ 453-4, (5) _hi_ for ‘they’ 284, etc., _heo_ for ‘she’ 303, etc., (6) _ifere_ 502 C, in fere 827, 280 T, (7) _vaire_ 16, _wuder_ 114, etc.] § 5. DATE OF COMPOSITION. We shall probably be safe in setting the date of composition in the second half of the 13th century. Lengthening in open syllables seems to have taken place, e.g.; _coome_ : _soone_ 100 T, _grome_ : _coome_ 112 T, _come_ : _hoome_ 500 T, _wite_ : _vnderȝete_ 556 C (also Cott.), _wite_ : _wite_ 756 C, _þerone_ : _stone_, 112 T, _vppone_ : _stone_ 172 T, 212 T, _þare_ : _ware_ 1036 T, etc. From this we must conclude that the date of composition is not earlier than 1250. On the other hand the earliest MS. (C) dates back to the second half of the 13th century. Indeed in this MS. there are still traces of the old distinction of grammatical gender, and OE. _ū_ is still always represented by _u_; while the second oldest MS. (Cott.) has the newer writing _ou_. (Cf. Hausknecht, ed. of Fl. and Bl. p. 130, Berlin, 1885.) § 6. VERSIFICATION. The poem is composed in short rimed couplets. The normal verse has four stresses. In no one of the MSS., however, are all the verses perfectly regular, due largely, no doubt, in part to the variety of forms available to each composer and to the variety of spellings to choose from, also to the attempts of each scribe to make the verses of the original fit into his own dialect. The rimes may be masculine or feminine. At times they are mere assonances, e.g.; _first_ : _lyst_ 693-4, _furste_ : _luste_ 377-8 C, _lyke_ : _lyte_ 781-2 T, _longe_ : _sonde_ 795-6 C, _coome_ : _soone_ 100 T, etc. At times they are inaccurate, e.g.; _grunde_ : _honde_ 303-4 C, _meene_ : _kyne_ 273-4 T. Peculiar are the rimes; _þerate_ : _gate_ 153-4 C, etc., _fyne_ : _þeryne_ 369-70 T, 441-2 C, etc., _þerone_ : _stone_ 112 T, 212 T. § 7. MANUSCRIPTS. Floris and Blauncheflur appears in four MSS., in each of the four with a greater or smaller part of the beginning lost.