Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 2: Notes
General
Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 2: Notes
English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500
2, 13, 33: the last stress sometimes falls at the end of the second
half-line, contrary to OE. usage, as 17. Crossed alliteration occurs at
31, 39, 40, 91, 124; distinct alliteration in each half-line at 76, 249.
Perfect rhymes like sohten : rohten 10, imetten : igrætten 18 are
comparatively few, imperfect ones frequent, as vnwraste : criste 80,
ænde : grunde 109, dæðe : cuðe 158, monnen : hennen 160, ræde : neode
171, spræde : hude 210, hude : neode 212, inne : cunne 235, nap : up
275, wīn : ĭn 283; a final consonant is negligible, to : idon 9, wolde :
athalden 20, laȝe : dæȝen 69, peohtes : fehte 126, fluȝen : vnnifoȝe
130, fæhte : cnihten 155, cumeð : gærsume 189, monnen : cunne 200, hude
: ouerspræden 202, sætte : hæhten 230, scruden : prude 254, even a final
syllable, scenden : lond 192; assonances are frequent, as driȝen : liuen
25, lond : strong 56, londe : stronge 85, 124, ligge : libbe 174, faste
: castle 177, atwite : riche 204, ende : uelde 211, while : time 237,
time : liðe 243; inflectional rhymes are admissible, as andswerden :
cuðen 11, peohtes : londes 137, andswarede : wolde 151, children : olden
187, ihærde : seide 264; partial correspondences of sound suffice, as
tiðende : kinge 1, wenden : kinge 14, leofue : laðe 79, læue : liðe 92,
arerde : mare 223 (Bartels, 61), tiðende : londe 271, hende : kinge 287;
proper names have special freedom, as Jupiter : whar 61, appollin : idon
63, Teruagant : lon[d] 64, alemanisce : horse 125, vortigerne : sone
265. The text has suffered much less from a metrical point of view than
the Proverbs of Alfred, the interval of time between the original and
the extant copy being shorter, but the changes are the same in kind. i.
Words altered: for þa king 15 read muri; comp. ‘Swa he uorð to
Cantuare-buri[;] þer him þuhte swiðe muri,’ L 29519, 20: l. 37, see
note: l. 63, MS. O has possibly preserved the original: l. 85, read
leod-ferde ful stronge: l. 146, for blisse--heom, read dune wes heom
among; comp. ‘Þer wes swiðe muchel dune[;] þeines þer dremden,’ L 11574,
5: l. 242, for wolde read ȝirnde (Bartels 55); comp. 106/206: l. 268,
for ær read euere: l. 286, for fain read sæl: l. 288, read þe leuedi he
ȝeorne biheold[;] and comp. ‘He clepede to þere leuedi[;] heo wes him on
heorten leof,’ L 1190, 1: l. 297, read dringe : ȝunge (for child). ii.
Words omitted: l. 67, read dihteð alswa (Bartels 69): l. 107, read
Lauerd king! nu forðrihtes; comp. 94/30, 96/50, 108/263: l. 131, read
Vortigerne þe king[;] to herberwe wendẹ on hiȝing; comp. ‘Þa sæide þe
king[;] Nu to scipe an hiȝing,’ L 32040, 1: l. 134, read hehȝe maðmes
inoȝe; comp. ‘þa hæuekes ⁊ þa hundes[;] ⁊ hehȝe mine maħmes,’ L 22397,
8: l. 148, read runen swiðe deorne; comp. ‘and Hengest spæc wið
Vortigerne[;] of rune swiðe derne,’ L 14768, 9: l. 209, where two lines
have been compressed into one, read ‘⁊ he seolf wende[;] wide ȝeond
þissen londe | To sechen on folde[;] ænne brædne fæld’; comp. ‘Ah anan
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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