6. +Middle English, 1250-1485.+-- Most of the inflexions of nouns and adjectives have in this period-- between the middle of the thirteenth and the end of the fifteenth century-- completely disappeared. The inflexions of verbs are also greatly reduced in number. The +strong+[1] mode of inflexion has ceased to be employed for verbs that are new-comers, and the +weak+ mode has been adopted in its place. During the earlier part of this period, even country-people tried to speak French, and in this and other modes many French words found their way into English. A writer of the thirteenth century, John de Trevisa, says that country-people “fondeth [that is, try] with great bysynes for to speke Freynsch for to be more y-told of.” The country-people did not succeed very well, as the ordinary proverb shows: “Jack would be a gentleman if he could speak French.” Boys at school were expected to turn their Latin into French, and in the courts of law French only was allowed to be spoken. But in 1362 Edward III. gave his assent to an Act of Parliament allowing English to be used instead of Norman-French. “The yer of oure Lord,” says John de Trevisa, “a thousond thre hondred foure score and fyve of the secunde Kyng Richard after the conquest, in al the gramer scoles of Engelond children leveth Freynsch, and construeth and turneth an Englysch.” To the first half of this period belong a +Metrical Chronicle+, attributed to +Robert of Gloucester+; +Langtoft’s+ Metrical Chronicle, translated by +Robert de Brunne+; the +Agenbite of Inwit+, by Dan Michel of Northgate in Kent; and a few others. But to the second half belong the rich and varied productions of +Geoffrey Chaucer+, our first great poet and always one of our greatest writers; the alliterative poems of +William Langley+ or +Langlande+; the more learned poems of +John Gower+; and the translation of the Bible and theological works of the reformer +John Wyclif+. [Footnote 1: See p. 43.] 7. +Tudor English, 1485-1603.+-- Before the end of the sixteenth century almost all our inflexions had disappeared. The great dramatist Ben Jonson (1574-1637) laments the loss of the plural ending +en+ for verbs, because _wenten_ and _hopen_ were much more musical and more useful in verse than _went_ or _hope_; but its recovery was already past praying for. This period is remarkable for the introduction of an enormous number of Latin words, and this was due to the new interest taken in the literature of the Romans-- an interest produced by what is called the +Revival of Letters+. But the most striking, as it is also the most important fact relating to this period, is the appearance of a group of dramatic writers, the greatest the world has ever seen. Chief among these was +William Shakespeare+. Of pure poetry perhaps the greatest writer was +Edmund Spenser+. The greatest prose-writer was +Richard Hooker+, and the pithiest +Francis Bacon+.