(_a_) _ai_ before a nasal was in Anglo-Norman writing very commonly represented by _ei_. This is merely a question of spelling apparently, the sound designated being the same in either case. Our author (or his scribe) had a certain preference for uniformity of appearance in each set of rhymes. Thus he gives us first _solein_, _plein_, _soverein_, _certein_, _mein_, _Evein_, in _Mir._ 73 ff., then _vain_, _grain_, _main_, _gain_, _pain_, _vilain_, 2199 ff.; or again _haltaines_, _paines_, _acompaines_, _compaines_, _restraines_, _certaines_, 603 ff., but _peine_, _constreine_, _vileine_, _peine_ (verb), _aleine_, _procheine_, 2029 ff. Sometimes however the two forms of spelling are intermixed, as _vein_, _pain_, _main_, &c., 16467 ff., or _meine_, _humeine_, _capitaine_, 759 ff. Some of the words in the _ai_ series, as _pain_, _gain_, _compaine_, are spelt with _ai_ only, but there are rhyme-sequences in _-ain_ without any of these words included, as 6591 ff., _main_, _prochain_, _vilain_, _certain_, _vain_, _sain_; also words with original French _ei_, such as _peine_, _constreine_, _restreines_, _enseigne_, _plein_ (plenus), _veine_ (vena), _meinz_ (minus), _atteins_, _feinte_, _exteinte_, enter into the same class. Thus we must conclude that before a nasal these two diphthongs were completely confused. It must be noted that the liquid sound of the nasal in such words as _enseigne_, _plaigne_, had been completely lost, but the letter _g_ with which it was associated in French continued to be very generally written, and by the influence of these words _g_ was often introduced without justification into others. Thus we have the rhymes _ordeigne_, _meine_, _semeigne_ (= _semaine_), _desdeigne_, _peine_, 2318 ff.; _peigne_ (= _peine_), _compleigne_, _pleine_, _meine_, _halteigne_, _atteigne_, in _Bal._ iii; while in _gaign_, _bargaign_, rhyming with _grain_, _prochain_, &c., _g_ is omitted at pleasure. Evidently in the Anglo-Norman of this period it had no phonetic value. (_b_) When not before a nasal, _ai_ and _ei_ do not interchange freely in this manner. Before _l_, _ll_, it is true, _ei_ has a tendency to become _ai_, as in _conseil consail_ (also _consal_), _consei(l)ler consail(l)er_, _merveille mervaille_; also we have _contrefeite_, _souffreite_, 6305 ff., _eie_ for _aie_ (_avoir_), _eir_ for _air_ 13867, _gleyve_ 14072, _meistre_ 24714, _eide_ (_eyde_) for _aide_ in the rubric headings, _paleis_ (_palois_) for _palais_, and _vois_ (representing _veis_) sometimes for _vais_ (vado); also in ante-tonic syllables, _cheitif_, _eiant_, _eysil_, _leiter_, _meisoun_, _meistrie_, _oreisoun_, _peisible_, _pleisir_, _seisine_, _veneisoun_, beside _chaitif_, _allaiter_, _maisoun_, _maistrie_, _paisible_, _plaisir_, _saisine_. This change is much less frequent, especially in tonic syllables, than in some earlier texts, e.g. the _Vie de S. Grégoire_.