wonder though she adorn herself; but, in the eyes of God, she is more lovely who is unadorned outwardly for his sake. Have neither ring, nor brooch, nor ornamented girdle, nor gloves, nor any such thing that is not proper for you to have. In this book read every day, when ye are at leisure-every day, less or more; for I hope that, if ye read it often, it will be very beneficial to you, through the grace of God, or else I shall have ill employed much of my time. God knows, it would be more agreeable to me to set out on a journey to Rome, than to begin to do it again. And, if ye find that ye do according to what ye read, thank God earnestly; and if ye do not, pray for the grace of God, and diligently endeavor that ye may keep it better, in every point, according to your ability. May the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the one Almighty God, keep you under his protection! May he give you joy and comfort, my dear sisters, and for all that ye endure and suffer for him may he never give you a less reward than his entire self. May he be ever exalted from world to world, for ever and ever, Amen. As often as ye read any thing in this book, greet the Lady with an Ave Mary for him that made this rule, and for him who wrote it, and took pains about it. Moderate enough I am, who ask so little. 20 80 200 230 that not unpleasing to thee is thy fate. If thou hast a sorrow and he knoweth it, before thee he'll pity, behind thee will twit. Thou mightest betray it to such a one as would without pity thou madest more moan. Hide it deep in thy heart that it leave no smart; nor let it be guessed what is hid in thy breast." 22 Thus quoth Alfred: and idle tales scatter The wise man can store when he should keep still. CUCKOO SONG by four in company. It should not be sung by fewer than three, or at least two, in addition to those who sing the Foot. And it should be sung in this manner: One begins, accompanied by those who sing the Foot, the rest keeping silent Then, when he has reached the first note after the cross [a mark on the musical score], another begins; and so on. The first line of the Foot one singer repeats as often as necessary, pausing 240 at the end; the other line another man sings, pausing in the middle but not at the end, but immediately beginning again." 410 420 This song, one of the most beautiful Middle English lyrics, belongs to the early years of the period. Its popularity is proved by the existence of music to which it was sung in the first half of the thirteenth century. The manuscript which contains the music adds the following directions in Latin: "This part-song (rota) may be sung The poem shows that a sense of rime, music, and sweetness had arrived, and the lines were settling down into molds of equal length. Moreover, the poet was beginning to enter into the spirit of nature with a glad heart instead of feeling in harmony only with her darker aspects, as was the case in most of the Old English writers. THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY-AGE B OF CHAUCER Y 1350 was concluded a movement toward national freedom and unity. The English spirit of independence was everywhere manifest; and the power of Parliament modified the "divine right" of kings. The English language, beginning to recover complete ascendancy, supplanted French in the law courts, was heard in the pulpit, and was taught in the school. Not only was literature intended primarily for the people-like Wyclif's translation of the Bible-written in the native tongue, but even writers for court circles used English as a medium of expression; thus Chaucer, choosing the language of the people and the Midland dialect, and abandoning alliteration for meter and rime, became in truth the Father of the English language. From THE PEARL This anonymous poem is allegorical; possibly the "pearl" is the poet's daughter. The poem was found in a single manuscript of the late fourteenth or the early fifteenth century with Cleanness, Patience, and Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight, three other Middle English poems. It is almost positive from similarity in style that the four are by the same author. His identity has not yet been discovered. The works reveal a distinct personality, a knowledge of courtly life, and a familiarity with old English, French, and Latin writers. The main part of The Pearl is a paraphrase of the closing chapters of the Apocalypse, and the parable of the vineyard. Another source is Chaucer's Romance of the Rose, a translation from an earlier French poem. From the latter and the Book of Revelation are derived much of the wealth and brilliancy of the poem. The verse is easy and musical; the poet shows a mastery of descriptive power, a delight in nature, and a wide vocabulary. The selection here given is translated, because the West Midland dialect of the original presents more difficulties than the East Midland of Chau 1 O pearl, for princes' pleasure wrought, 1 Never from orient realms was brought So smooth its sides, so slender shown, Down thro' the grass in an arbor-plot. 2 Since in that spot it slipt from my hand, Oft have I lingered there and yearned For joy that once my sorrows banned And all my woes to rapture turned. 1 The first stanza of the original runs thus: 12 Pearl-dight in royal wise, perdie, One might by grace have seen her there, When all as fresh as a fleur-de-lys Adown the margent stepped that fair. Her robe was white as gleaming snow, Unclasped at the sides and closely set With the loveliest margarites, I trow, That ever my eyes looked on yet. Her sleeves were broad and full, I ween, With double braid of pearls made bright. Her kirtle shone with as goodly sheen, With precious pearls no less bedight. 20 Pearl-dight, that nature's masterpiece Came down the margent, stepping slow; No gladder man from here to Greece 192 203 One of the many literary mysteries that are met with in the course of English literature is the case of William Langland or Langley, generally accepted as the author of the Vision of Piers the Plowman. Little is known about him. One manuscript declares that his father was of gentle birth. From the poem, represented by three greatly differing texts, it is inferred that the poet was born about 1332, was free born, was born in wedlock, and was sent to school; his literary acquirements seem to have been considerable; there are indications that he took minor orders; he speaks of a wife and a daughter; and they lived at Cornhill in London, apparently leading a life of great poverty. Yet recent critics believe, on account of differences in style, diction, meter, sentence structure, views of social life, and other points, that the poem is the work of perhaps five different individuals; and that the autobiographical facts are not genuine, but merely part of the fiction. They believe that the three texts known as A, B, and C, cannot be by one author even had he been composing and revising them for over thirty years (1362-1399). This long allegorical poem attacks in the spirit of reform what appear to be outstanding abuses in church, state, and society, and, as Sir Edmund Gosse says, presents "an epitome of the social and political life of England, and particularly of London, seen from within and from below, without regard to what might be thought above and outside the class of workers." The prologue, of which the first 82 lines are here given, sets the key-note of the poem by a description of the suffering, weakness, and crimes of the contemporary world as seen in a vision. The balance of the poem is almost entirely a narrative interpretation of his vision. The Prologue, as here printed, is from what is known as the B-text, edited by Dr. Skeat. The most useful edition is that of W. W. Skeat, 2 vols., 1886; further discussion and criticism will be found in Gosse, Ker (Med. Lit.), Scudder, Manly (Camb. Hist. Lit.), and H. Monroe, "Chaucer and Langland," Poetry 7:297-302. |