Part 16

To speke of an unkinde man, I finde hou whilom Adrian, Of Rome which a gret lord was, Upon a day as he per cas To wode in his huntinge wente, 5 It hapneth at a soudein wente, After his chace as he poursuieth, Thurgh happ, the which noman eschuieth, He fell unwar into a pet, Wher that it mihte noght be let. 10 The pet was dep and he fell lowe, That of his men non myhte knowe Wher he becam, for non was nyh Which of his fall the meschief syh. And thus al one ther he lay 15 Clepende and criende al the day For socour and deliverance, Til aȝein eve it fell per chance, A while er it began to nyhte, A povere man, which Bardus hihte, 20 Cam forth walkende with his asse, And hadde gadred him a tasse Of grene stickes and of dreie To selle, who that wolde hem beie, As he which hadde no liflode, 25 Bot whanne he myhte such a lode To toune with his asse carie. And as it fell him for to tarie That ilke time nyh the pet, And hath the trusse faste knet, 30 He herde a vois, which cride dimme, And he his ere to the brimme Hath leid, and herde it was a man, Which seide, 'Ha, help hier Adrian, And I wol ȝiven half mi good.' 35 The povere man this understod, As he that wolde gladly winne, And to this lord which was withinne He spak and seide, 'If I thee save, What sikernesse schal I have 40 Of covenant, that afterward Thou wolt me ȝive such reward As thou behihtest nou tofore?' That other hath his othes swore Be hevene and be the goddes alle, 45 If that it myhte so befalle That he out of the pet him broghte, Of all the goodes whiche he oghte He schal have evene halvendel. This Bardus seide he wolde wel; 50 And with this word his asse anon He let untrusse, and therupon Doun goth the corde into the pet, To which he hath at þe ende knet A staf, wherby, he seide, he wolde 55 That Adrian him scholde holde. Bot it was tho per chance falle, Into that pet was also falle An ape, which at thilke throwe, Whan that the corde cam doun lowe, 60 Al sodeinli therto he skipte And it in bothe hise armes clipte. And Bardus with his asse anon Him hath updrawe, and he is gon. But whan he sih it was an ape, 65 He wende al hadde ben a iape Of faierie, and sore him dradde: And Adrian eftsone gradde For help, and cride and preide faste, And he eftsone his corde caste; 70 Bot whan it cam unto the grounde, A gret serpent it hath bewounde, The which Bardus anon up drouh. And thanne him thoghte wel ynouh It was fantosme, bot yit he herde 75 The vois, and he therto ansuerde, 'What wiht art thou in Goddes name?' 'I am,' quod Adrian, 'the same, Whos good thou schalt have evene half.' Quod Bardus, 'Thanne a Goddes half 80 The thridde time assaie I schal': And caste his corde forth withal Into the pet, and whan it cam To him, this lord of Rome it nam, And therupon him hath adresced, 85 And with his hand ful ofte blessed, And thanne he bad to Bardus hale. And he, which understod his tale, Betwen him and his asse, al softe, Hath drawe and set him up alofte 90 Withouten harm, al esely. He seith noght ones 'grant merci,' Bot strauhte him forth to the cité, And let this povere Bardus be. And natheles this simple man 95 His covenant, so as he can, Hath axed; and that other seide, If so be that he him umbreide Of oght that hath be speke or do, It schal ben venged on him so, 100 That him were betre to be ded. And he can tho non other red, But on his asse aȝein he caste His trusse, and hieth homward faste: And whan that he cam hom to bedde, 105 He tolde his wif hou that he spedde. Bot finaly to speke oght more Unto this lord he dradde him sore. So that a word ne dorste he sein. And thus upon the morwe aȝein, 110 In the manere as I recorde, Forth with his asse and with his corde To gadre wode, as he dede er, He goth; and whan that he cam ner Unto the place where he wolde, 115 He hath his ape anon beholde, Which hadde gadred al aboute Of stickes hiere and there a route, And leide hem redy to his hond, Wherof he made his trosse and bond. 120 Fro dai to dai and in this wise This ape profreth his servise, So that he hadde of wode ynouh. Upon a time and as he drouh Toward the wode, he sih besyde 125 The grete gastli serpent glyde, Til that sche cam in his presence, And in hir kinde a reverence Sche hath him do, and forth withal A ston mor briht than a cristall 130 Out of hir mouth tofore his weie Sche let doun falle, and wente aweie For that he schal noght ben adrad. Tho was this povere Bardus glad, Thonkende God and to the ston 135 He goth and takth it up anon, And hath gret wonder in his wit Hou that the beste him hath aquit, Wher that the mannes sone hath failed, For whom he hadde most travailed. 140 Bot al he putte in Goddes hond, And torneth hom, and what he fond Unto his wif he hath it schewed; And thei, that weren bothe lewed, Acorden that he scholde it selle. 145 And he no lengere wolde duelle, Bot forth anon upon the tale The ston he profreth to the sale; And riht as he himself it sette, The iueler anon forth fette 150 The gold and made his paiement; Therof was no delaiement. Thus whan this ston was boght and sold, Homward with ioie manyfold This Bardus goth; and whan he cam 155 Hom to his hous and that he nam His gold out of his purs, withinne He fond his ston also therinne, Wherof for ioie his herte pleide, Unto his wif and thus he seide, 160 'Lo, hier my gold, lo, hier mi ston!' His wif hath wonder therupon, And axeth him hou that mai be. 'Nou, be mi trouthe! I not,' quod he, 'Bot I dar swere upon a bok 165 That to my marchant I it tok, And he it hadde whan I wente: So knowe I noght to what entente It is nou hier, bot it be grace. Forthi tomorwe in other place 170 I wole it fonde for to selle, And if it wol noght with him duelle, Bot crepe into mi purs aȝein, Than dar I saufly swere and sein It is the vertu of the ston.' 175 The morwe cam, and he is gon To seche aboute in other stede His ston to selle, and he so dede, And lefte it with his chapman there. Bot whan that he cam elleswhere 180 In presence of his wif at hom, Out of his purs and that he nom His gold, he fond his ston withal. And thus it fell him overal, Where he it solde in sondri place, 185 Such was the fortune and the grace. Bot so wel may nothing ben hidd, That it nys ate laste kidd: This fame goth aboute Rome So ferforth that the wordes come 190 To themperour Iustinian; And he let sende for the man, And axede him hou that it was. And Bardus tolde him al the cas, Hou that the worm and ek the beste, 195 Althogh thei maden no beheste, His travail hadden wel aquit; Bot he which hadde a mannes wit, And made his covenant be mouthe, And swor therto al that he couthe, 200 To parte and ȝiven half his good, Hath nou forȝete hou that it stod, As he which wol no trouthe holde. This Emperour al that he tolde Hath herd, and thilke unkindenesse 205 He seide he wolde himself redresse. And thus in court of iuggement This Adrian was thanne assent, And the querele in audience Declared was in the presence 210 Of themperour and many mo; Wherof was mochel speche tho And gret wondringe among the press. Bot ate laste natheles For the partie which hath pleigned 215 The lawe hath diemed and ordeigned Be hem that were avised wel, That he schal have the halvendel Thurghout of Adrianes good. And thus of thilke unkinde blod 220 Stant the memoire into this day, Wherof that every wys man may Ensamplen him, and take in mynde What schame it is to ben unkinde; Aȝein the which reson debateth, 225 And every creature it hateth.

XIII

JOHN OF TREVISA'S TRANSLATION OF HIGDEN'S POLYCHRONICON

1387.

Ranulph Higden (d. 1364) was a monk of St. Werburgh's at Chester, and has been doubtfully identified with the 'Randal Higden' who is said to have travelled to Rome to get the Pope's consent to the acting of the Chester miracle plays in English.

His _Polychronicon_, so called because it is the chronicle of many ages, is a compilation covering the period from the Creation to 1352. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries it was the favourite universal history; and the First Book, which deals with general geography, has still a special interest for the light it throws on the state of knowledge in Chaucer's day.

Two English prose translations are known: Trevisa's, completed in 1387, and modernized and printed by Caxton in 1482; and an anonymous rendering made in the second quarter of the fifteenth century. Both are printed, with Higden's Latin, in the edition by Babington and Lumby, Rolls Series, 9 vols., 1865-86.

John of Trevisa was a Cornishman. He was a fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, from 1362 to 1365; and was one of those expelled from Queen's College for 'unworthiness' in 1379. He became vicar of Berkeley, and at the request of Sir Thomas Berkeley undertook the translation of the _Polychronicon_. In 1398 he brought to an end another long work, the translation of _Bartholomaeus de Proprietatibus Rerum_, the great encyclopaedia of natural science at this time. He died at Berkeley in 1402.

Trevisa was a diligent but not an accurate or graceful translator. He rarely adds anything from his own knowledge, though we have an example in the account of the reform of teaching at Oxford while he was there. The interest of his work depends chiefly on the curiosity of some passages in his originals.

A. THE MARVELS OF BRITAIN.

CHAP. xlii.

MS. Tiberius D. vii (about 1400), f. 39 a.

In Brytayn buþ hoot welles wel arayed and yhyȝt to þe vse of mankunde. Mayster of þulke welles ys þe gret spyryt of Minerua. Yn hys hous fuyr duyreþ alwey, þat neuer chaungeþ into askes, bote þar þe fuyr slakeþ, hyt changeþ ynto stony clottes. {5}

Yn Brytayn buþ meny wondres. Noþeles foure buþ most wonderfol. Þe furste ys at Pectoun. Þar bloweþ so strong a wynd out of þe chenes of þe eorþe þat hyt casteþ vp aȝe cloþes þat me casteþ yn. Þe secunde ys at Stonhenge bysydes Salesbury. Þar gret stones and wondur huge buþ {10} arered an hyȝ, as hyt were ȝates, so þat þar semeþ ȝates yset apon oþer ȝates. Noþeles hyt ys noȝt clerlych yknowe noþer parceyuet houȝ and wharfore a buþ so arered and so wonderlych yhonged. Þe þridde ys at Cherdhol. Þer ys gret holwenes vndur eorþe. Ofte meny men habbeþ {15} ybe þerynne, and ywalked aboute wiþynne, and yseye ryuers and streemes, bote nowhar conneþ hy fynde non ende. Þe feurþe ys þat reyn ys yseye arered vp of þe hulles, and anon yspronge aboute yn þe feeldes. Also þer ys a gret pond þat conteyneþ þre score ylondes couenable for men to dwelle {20} ynne. Þat pound ys byclypped aboute wiþ six score rooches. Apon euerych rooch ys an egle hys nest; and þre score ryuers eorneþ into þat pound, and non of ham alle eorneþ into þe se, bot on. Þar ys a pound yclosed aboute wiþ a wal of tyyl and of ston. Yn þat pound men wascheþ and baþeþ {25} wel ofte, and euerych man feeleþ þe water hoot oþer cold ryȝt as a wol hymsylf. Þar buþ also salt welles fer fram þe se, and buþ salt al þe woke long forto Saturday noon, and fersch fram Saturday noon forto Moneday. Þe water of þis welles, whanne hyt ys ysode, turneþ into smal salt, fayr and {30} whyyt. Also þar ys a pond þe water þerof haþ wondur worchyng, for þey al an ost stood by þe pond, and turnede þe face þyderward, þe water wolde drawe vyolentlych toward þe pond, and weete al here cloþes. So scholde hors be drawe yn þe same wyse. Bote ȝef þe face ys aweyward {35} fram þe water, þe water noyeþ noȝt. Þer ys a welle <þat> non streem eorneþ þarfram noþer þerto, and ȝet four maner fysch buþ ytake þarynne. Þat welle ys bote twenty foot long, and twenty foot brood, and noȝt deop bote to þe kneo, and ys yclosed wiþ hyȝ bankkes in euerych syde. {40}

Yn þe contray aboute Wynchestre ys a den. Out of þat den alwey bloweþ a strong wynd, so þat no man may endure for to stonde tofor þat den. Þar ys also a pond þat turneþ tre into yre and hyt be þerynne al a ȝer, and so tren buþ yschape into whestones. Also þer ys yn þe cop of an hul {45} a buryel. Euerych man þat comeþ and meteþ þat buriel a schal fynde hyt euene ryȝt of hys oune meete; and ȝef a pylgrym oþer eny wery man kneoleþ þerto, anon a schal be al fersch, and of werynes schal he feele non nuy.

Fast by pe Ministre of Wynburney, þat ys noȝt fer fram {50} Bathe, ys a wode þat bereþ moche fruyt. Ȝef pe tren of þat wode falle into a water oþer grounde <þat> þar ys nyȝ, and lygge þar al a ȝer, þe tren teorneþ ynto stoones.

Vndur þe cité of Chestre eorneþ þe ryuer Dee, þat now todeleþ Engelond and Wales. Þat ryuer euerych monthe {55} chaungeþ hys fordes, as men of þe contray telleþ, and leueþ ofte þe chanel. Bote wheþer þe water drawe more toward Engelond oþer toward Wales, to what syde þat hyt be, þat ȝer men of þat syde schal habbe þe wors ende and be ouerset, and þe men of þe oþer syde schal habbe þe betre ende and be {60} at here aboue. Whanne þe water chaungeþ so hys cours, hyt bodeþ such happes. Þis ryuer Dee eorneþ and comeþ out of a lake þat hatte Pimbilmere. Yn þe ryuer ys gret plenté of samon. Noþeles in þe lake ys neuer samon yfounde.

B. THE LANGUAGES OF BRITAIN.

CHAP. lix.

As hyt ys yknowe houȝ meny maner people buþ in þis ylond, þer buþ also of so meny people longages and tonges. Noþeles Walschmen and Scottes, þat buþ noȝt ymelled wiþ oþer nacions, holdeþ wel nyȝ here furste longage and speche, bote ȝef Scottes, þat were som tyme confederat and wonede {5} wiþ þe Pictes, drawe somwhat after here speche. Bote þe Flemmynges þat woneþ in þe west syde of Wales habbeþ yleft here strange speche, and spekeþ Saxonlych ynow. Also Englysch men, þeyȝ hy hadde fram þe bygynnyng þre maner speche, Souþeron, Norþeron, and Myddel speche in þe {10} myddel of þe lond, as hy come of þre maner people of Germania, noþeles by commyxstion and mellyng, furst wiþ Danes and afterward wiþ Normans, in menye þe contray longage ys apeyred, and som vseþ strange wlaffyng, chyteryng, harryng, and garryng grisbittyng. Þis apeyryng of þe {15} burþtonge ys bycause of twey þinges. On ys for chyldern in scole, aȝenes þe vsage and manere of al oþer nacions, buþ compelled for to leue here oune longage, and for to construe here lessons and here þinges a Freynsch, and habbeþ suþthe þe Normans come furst into Engelond. Also gentil men {20} children buþ ytauȝt for to speke Freynsch fram tyme þat a buþ yrokked in here cradel, and conneþ speke and playe wiþ a child hys brouch; and oplondysch men wol lykne hamsylf to gentil men, and fondeþ wiþ gret bysynes for to speke Freynsch, for to be more ytold of. {25}

[Þys manere was moche y-vsed tofore þe furste moreyn, and ys seþthe somdel ychaunged. For Iohan Cornwal, a mayster of gramere, chayngede þe lore in gramerscole and construccion of Freynsch into Englysch; and Richard Pencrych lurnede þat manere techyng of hym, and oþer men of Pencrych, so þat {30} now, þe ȝer of oure Lord a þousond þre hondred foure score and fyue, of þe secunde kyng Richard after þe Conquest nyne, in al þe gramerscoles of Engelond childern leueþ Frensch, and construeþ and lurneþ an Englysch, and habbeþ þerby avauntage in on syde, and desavauntage yn anoþer. {35} Here avauntage ys þat a lurneþ here gramer yn lasse tyme þan childern wer ywoned to do. Disavauntage ys þat now childern of gramerscole conneþ no more Frensch þan can here lift heele, and þat ys harm for ham and a scholle passe þe se and trauayle in strange londes, and in meny caas also. {40} Also gentil men habbeþ now moche yleft for to teche here childern Frensch.] Hyt semeþ a gret wondur houȝ Englysch, þat ys þe burþ tonge of Englysch men, and here oune longage and tonge, ys so dyuers of soon in þis ylond; and þe longage of Normandy ys comlyng of anoþer lond, and haþ on maner {45} soon among al men þat spekeþ hyt aryȝt in Engelond. [Noþeles þer ys as meny dyuers maner Frensch yn þe rem of Fraunce as ys dyuers manere Englysch in þe rem of Engelond.]

Also of þe forseyde Saxon tonge, þat ys deled a þre, and ys abyde scarslych wiþ feaw vplondysch men, and ys gret {50} wondur, for men of þe est wiþ men of þe west, as hyt were vnder þe same party of heuene, acordeþ more in sounyng of speche þan men of þe norþ wiþ men of þe souþ. Þerfore hyt ys þat Mercii, þat buþ men of myddel Engelond, as hyt were parteners of þe endes, vndurstondeþ betre þe syde {55} longages, Norþeron and Souþeron, þan Norþeron and Souþeron vndurstondeþ eyþer oþer.

Al þe longage of þe Norþhumbres, and specialych at Ȝork, ys so scharp, slyttyng, and frotyng, and vnschape, þat we Souþeron men may þat longage vnneþe vndurstonde. Y trowe {60} þat þat ys bycause þat a buþ nyȝ to strange men and aliens, þat spekeþ strangelych, and also bycause þat þe kynges of Engelond woneþ alwey fer fram þat contray; for a buþ more yturnd to þe souþ contray, and ȝef a goþ to þe norþ contray, a goþ wiþ gret help and strengthe. {65}

Þe cause why a buþ more in þe souþ contray þan in þe norþ may be betre cornlond, more people, more noble cytés, and more profytable hauenes.

XIV

POLITICAL PIECES

In the thirteenth century political poems were written chiefly in Latin or French. In the fourteenth century a steadily growing tendency to use English witnesses the increased interest of the people in politics and social questions. The fullest collections are those edited by T. Wright, _Political Songs of England_ (John to Edward II), Camden Society, 1839; and _Political Poems and Songs_ (Edward III to Richard III), Rolls Series, 2 vols., 1859-61.

The selections A and B are from the poems of Laurence Minot, of which the best edition is the third by J. Hall, Oxford 1914. Minot was a better patriot than a poet, and his boisterous contempt for the Scots and French reflects the spirit of England in the early days of Edward III's greatness.

The empty phrases in which the anonymous piece C abounds do not disguise a note of despair. The long war with France was becoming more and more hopeless. The plague that added to its miseries had carried off Henry, first Duke of Lancaster, in 1361. The Black Prince, to whom the nation looked for guidance, had died in 1376. The inglorious old age of Edward III ended in the following year. But there remained the hope, soon to be falsified, that the boy king Richard II would steer the ship of state to safety.

D is the earliest text of the letter which John Ball addressed to the Essex members of the Great Society of Peasants on the eve of the revolt of 1381. It shows how deep an impression the characters and allegorical form of _Piers Plowman_ had made on the oppressed serfs and labourers, and it gives some idea of the vague and incoherent thinking that brought ruin on their enterprise. Ball, who had defied established authority all his life, was freed from prison by the rebels, became a ringleader, and preached to their assembly on Blackheath a famous sermon with the text:

When Adam dalf, and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman?

A few weeks later he was executed by sentence of Lord Chief Justice Tressilian, who had been charged by the King to take vengeance on the rebels.

The distich E sums up briefly the history of a year which turned moderate men against Richard II. A fuller contemporary picture of the events that led to his deposition is found in the alliterative poem _Richard the Redeles_, attributed by Skeat to the author of _Piers Plowman_.

A. ON THE SCOTS (ABOUT 1333).

BY LAURENCE MINOT.

MS. Cotton Galba E. ix (about 1425), f. 52 a.

_Now for to tell ȝou will I turn Of batayl of Banocburn_

Skottes out of Berwik and of Abirdene At þe Bannokburn war ȝe to kene; Þare slogh ȝe many sakles, als it was sene, And now has King Edward wroken it, I wene. It es wrokin, I wene, wele wurth þe while! 5 War ȝit with þe Skottes for þai er ful of gile!

Whare er ȝe Skottes of Saint Iohnes toune? Þe boste of ȝowre baner es betin all doune. When ȝe bosting will bede, Sir Edward es boune For to kindel ȝow care, and crak ȝowre crowne. 10 He has crakked ȝowre croune, wele worth þe while Schame bityde þe Skottes, for þai er full of gile!

Skottes of Striflin war steren and stout, Of God ne of gude men had þai no dout. Now haue þai, þe pelers, priked obout, 15 Bot at þe last Sir Edward rifild þaire rout. He has rifild þaire rout, wele wurth þe while! Bot euer er þai vnder bot gaudes and gile.

Rughfute riueling, now kindels þi care; Berebag with þi boste, þi biging es bare; 20 Fals wretche and forsworn, whider wiltou fare? Busk þe vnto Brig, and abide þare. Þare, wretche, saltou won, and wery þe while; Þi dwelling in Dondé es done for þi gile.

Þe Skottes gase in Burghes and betes þe stretes; 25 Al þise Inglis men harmes he hetes; Fast makes he his mone to men þat he metes, Bot fone frendes he findes þat his bale betes. Fune betes his bale, wele wurth þe while! He vses al threting with gaudes and gile. 30

Bot many man thretes and spekes ful ill Þat sum tyme war better to be stane—still. Þe Skot in his wordes has wind for to spill, For at þe last Edward sall haue al his will. He had his will at Berwik, wele wurth þe while! 35 Skottes broght him þe kayes,—bot get for þaire gile.

B. THE TAKING OF CALAIS (1347).

BY LAURENCE MINOT.

MS. Cotton Galba E. ix (about 1425), f. 55 b.

_How Edward als þe romance sais Held his sege bifor Calais._

Calays men, now mai ȝe care, And murni g mun ȝe haue to mede; Mirth on mold get ȝe no mare, Sir Edward sall ken ȝow ȝowre crede. Whilum war ȝe wight in wede 5 To robbing rathly for to ren; Mend ȝow sone of ȝowre misdede: Ȝowre care es cumen, will ȝe it ken.