ENGLISH PROSE AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE (c. 1154) A MONK OF PETERBOROUGH FROM THE RECORD FOR 1137 This gære1 for 2 the king Stephne ofer sæ3 4 This year went King Stephen over the sea to Normandi, and ther wes underfangen, 5 ⚫ to Normandy and was received there, befor-thi-that hi7 uuenden 8 that he sculde 9 ben 10 alsuic 11 alse 12 the eom 13 wes, and for 6 he hadde get 14 his tresor; ac 15 he to-deld 16 it and scatered sotlice.17 Micel 18 hadde Henri king gadered gold and sylver, and na 19 ne dide me 21 for his saule 22 tharof.23 god 20 28 34 32 Tha 24 the king Stephne to Englalande com,25 tha 26 macod 27 he his gadering æt Oxeneford; and thar he nam 29 the biscop Roger of Sereberi,30 and Alexander biscop of Lincol and te 31 Canceler Roger his neves,3 and dide 33ælle in prisun til hi7 iafen up here 35 castles. Tha 24 the suikes 36 undergæton 37 that he milde man was and softe and god 20 and na 19 justise 38 ne dide, tha 26 diden hi alle wunder.39 Hi hadden him 40 manred 41 maked 27 and athes 42 hi nan 19 treuthe ne heolden.44 Alle he7 weron forsworen, and here 35 treothes forloren ; 46 for ævric 47 rice 48 man his castles makede,1o and agænes 50 him heolden," and fylden 52 the land ful of castles. Hi suencten 53 suythe the uurecce men of the land mid 56 'castel weorces. 57 45 54 55 suoren 43 ac 15 Tha 24 the castles uuaren 45 maked, tha 58 fylden hi mid deovles and yvele 59 men. Tha 58 61 namen 60 hi tha men the 62 hi wenden 63 that ani god hefden,65 bathe 66 be 67 nihtes 64 cause they thought that he was going to be just such as his uncle was, and because he still had his uncle's treasure; but he dispersed it and scattered it foolishly. Much had Henry the king gathered of gold and silver, and no good did anyone for his soul by means of it. When King Stephen came to England, then he made his assembly at Oxford; and there he seized the bishop Roger of Salisbury and Alexander, bishop of Lincoln, and the Chancellor Roger, his nephews, and put them all in prison till they gave up their castles. When the traitors perceived that he was a mild man and soft and good, and enforced no justice, then did they all wonders. They had done homage to him and sworn oaths, but they kept no troth. But they were all forsworn and their troths were entirely abandoned; for every powerful man built his castles and held against him, and they filled the land full of castles. They oppressed grievously the wretched men of the land with castle-building. 38 When the castles were built, then they filled them with devils and evil men. Then they seized the men who they thought had any property, both by night and by day, was 5 received because 35 their 36 traitors 37 perceived justice, punishthey weened, thought should 10 be 11 just such ment strange things, evils 40 to him homage uncle 14 yet 15 but 16 dispersed 42 oaths foolishly sworn 44 kept 45. were 46 entirely aban20 good 21 anyone soul 23 doned 47 on account every powerful 49 built 51 held against 26 then 27 made 52 filled 53 oppressed greatly 55 wretched 56 with assembly 29 seized 30 Salisbury 31 the 32 nephews (i.e. the son 57 works 58 then 59 evil 60 seized 61 those and nephew of Roger of Salisbury) 33 put gave Ich 41 35 38 40 men and women also, and thrust them in prison for gold and silver, and tortured them with unspeakable tortures, for never were any martyrs so tortured as they were. They were hanged up by the feet and smoked with foul smoke. They were hanged by the thumbs, or by the head, and coats of mail were hung on their feet. Knotted strings were put about their heads and twisted till they penetrated to the brains. They put them in dungeons in which were adders and snakes and toads, and killed them thus. I cannot and I may not tell all the wonders nor all the tortures that they did to wretched men in this land; and that lasted the nineteen years while Stephen was king, and ever it was worse and worse. FROM THE POEMA MORALE, OR MORAL ODE (c. 1170) 42 41 (Unknown Author) æm elder then ich wes, a wintre and a lore; Icwælde 43 more thanne ic dude,4 mi wit ah 45 to ben more. 41 Wel lange ic" habbe 46 child ibeon 47 a weorde and ech 48 a dede; Theh 49 ic beo 50 wintre eald, to ying 52 I eom a rede.53 50 Unnut lyf ic habb ilæd,55 and yiet,56 methincth, ic lede; Thanne ic me bethenche, 57 wel sore ic me adrede.58 3 them after (i.e. to obtain) 2 put 38 while 39 unspeakable torture knowledge never one (ie. they indefinite) 13 hanged 14 feet 16 17 head 18 hung 19 corselets (as weights) 20 their 21 cords 22 about 23 twisted SO 15 foul 25 24 till 28 where 33 evils or 26 brains went, penetrated 29 adders 30 toads 35 wretched 34 tortures 31 killed 36 in 27 prison 41 I 42 in years and in 44 did 50 55 led govern 47 been 48 also 49 though 53 counsel 54 useless 58 I am frightened ishness since 66 67 62 unless could 45 ought 46 have am 51 old 52 young 56 still 59 almost 57 bethink 60 done 61 child 63 64 68 mercy young, silly THE POEMA MORALE Ich mihte habbe bet 15 idon, hadde ic tho 16 yselthe; 17 Nu ic wolde, ac 18 ic ne mei 19 for elde 20 for unhelthe; 21 ne 22 Ylde 20 me is bistolen on, ær ic hit awyste; 28 Erwe 25 we beoth 26 to done god, and to yfele do of Criste. 27 man of manne thanne him 20 The " wel ne deth 31 the hwile he mei,32 wel oft hit hym scæl ruwen,33 34 39 Thænne hy 35 mowen sculen 36 and ripen,37 41 ye muye,32 the hwile Ne hopie no man 42 to muchel to childe ne to wyfe; The " him selve foryut 43 for wife other for childe, 45 hym He sceal cume an uvele stede 44 bute God beo milde. sum god biforen hym, the hwile Sende æch 46 he mei, to heovene; Betere is an elmesse 47 bifore thenne beon æfter seovene. Ne beo the leovre 48 thene the sulf thi mei 49 ne thi maye 50 Sot 51 is the 11 is othres mannes freond betre thene his aye. 52 54 Ne hopie 53 wif to hire were, ne wer 30 54 to his wife; Beo 55 for him sulve ævrich 56 man, the hwyle he beo 57 alive. Wis 58 is the 59 him sulfne bithencth 60 the hwile he mote 61 libbe, 62 63 wulleth 64 him foryite 65 the fremde 66 and the sibbe.67 1 all too often 2 sinned 3 deed also laid most pleased formerly it 10 displeases 7 13 follows but 19 20 25 All too often have I sinned in deed and eke All too freely have I spent, too little laid in Almost all I now mislike of things I liked of Who follows over-much his will, betrays him- Had fortune only favored me, I might have Now for weakness and for age, I may not, Old age is stolen me upon, ere that I it wist; Timid we are in doing good, in evil all too More awe of man than awe of Christ doth 20 Who doth not well, the while he may, shall When comes the time to mow and reap what Do ye for God the best ye may, the while ye And let no man hope overmuch in child nor He who doth himself forget for wife or else Shall come into an evil place save God to him Let each some good before him send, the while For better is one alms before than afterward are seven. And hold not dearer than thyself thy kinsman or thy son; 30 Foolish to be another's friend rather than thine own. And let no wife in husband hope, nor husband in his wife; Be each man for himself alone, the while he is in life. Wise is who bethinks himself the while he liveth yet; For him will stranger-ay, and friend, soon enough forget. 6 al 37 11 who reap 46 each 47 sowed 40 what 42 let no also 41 45 unless 44 in evil place dearer 53 hope not bethinks stranger 16 then ness 26 are 32 may 27 28 33 shall repent see 35 58 wise 59 who 65 60 64 will forget 66 54 49 kinsman man 61 56 every 55 be 62 live Now, brother Walter, brother mine And brother mine in Christendom In that we two have taken both Just as St. Austin ordered; For into English I have turned According to the little wit With which my Lord endowed me. Thou thoughtest that it might full well Be turned to mickle profit If English folk, for love of Christ, And follow it, and it fulfil, With thought, with word, with action. And therefore thou didst yearn that I This book for thee should render; And I for thee have finished it, As Christ the Lord did help me; And now behooves us both thank Christ I have collected in this book turned 33 into 34 holy lore 35 wit, intelligence 36 that 37 my Lord has lent 38 thoughtest 39 to 40 42 great benefit 41 if eagerly 43 fulfil 44 with thought 45 therefore 46 desiredst 47 work lected ac have 20 both 22 rule-book 23 follow 24 canon's 25 order 27 commanded 28 I have 29 badest 30 52 but us two it behooves 50 both 51 col53 in nigh, near |