The Assumption of our Lady. § 7. Manuscripts.

Ivii

so 342 Add., 324 D, so: fo 374 Add., tho so 278 H, also: mo 17 C, etc.; but so to 179 C, 184 Add., 214 C, 296 C, 300 Add., 314 H, 344 Add., 718 Add., 904 Add., atwo : do 280 H, whom ; come 306 F (wham : cam 336 Add.), etc.

In the same way O.E. c, and shortened O.E. &, rimes now with a, now with e, e. g. was: gracias 310 Add., 774 Add., Thomas was 656 C, Iosephas was 582 H; but fless was 34 C, best lest 392 H, fed bed 124 C, 132 A, les: wes 566 D.

:

In the same way O.E. y rimes now with e, now with i, e. g. stede : dude 57 C, 62 Add., 88 Add., 800 Add., 82 C, 624 Add., kyng: geng 220 C, him (='them'): kyn 642 Add.; but mankyne : pyne 426 A, Inne: kynne 430 A, 478 A, 360 H, 338 D), 346, D, it : pytt 506 H, perynne synne 604 H, blisse: gladnesse 384 H, etc.

In the same way in the 3rd plur. pres. indic., the ending is sometimes -ep, sometimes -n, e. g. listneþ 8 C, seruep 418 H, goth 476 H, 593 A, bup 22 C, 26 C, etc.; but ben 25 A, beon 141 C, 149 A, etc., and the rime kenesmen : ben 122 C, 130 A.

Details may be multiplied indefinitely to show the general Southern character of the language, e. g. the verbal endings in -i or -y, as blessi : herkni 7, 8 C, loky 47 C, gladie 75 C, etc.; the infinitive preserving its final -n, as quene : bene 6 Add., bene : ysene 40 A, gon: on 140 C, quen : ben 98 C, 104 A, 114 C, 120 A, etc.; but beo: gleo 10 C, etc.; the present participle in and, as lepand hande 614 A, etc.; the use of the palatalized consonants, as in yyeue 566 H, ayene 597 H, etc.

The dialect then certainly is of the Southern part of England; but the rimes do not enable one to locate the dialect more exactly. The composition is undoubtedly that of a scholar in whom one might expect a wider range in pronunciation. Doubtless both Southern and Midland dialects were familiar to him. The pronunciation, however, of OE. y as e and of OE. œ as e belongs to the East Southern, and we shall probably be safe in calling the dialect a compromise between East Southern and East Midland.

The time of composition was probably not later than 1250. The OE. a had regularly changed to (if we neglect an isolated instance like thomas: ras 822 A); but I find no certain instance of lengthening in open syllables, and further, the oldest MS. (C) is not much later than 1250, as we have seen. It preserves the unmonophthonged eo, e. g. weop 29, treo 35, heo 36, beo 37, iseo 38, etc.

Grieving sorely, the

children are put aboard the boat,

and the following morn Ing wee land.

Harl. MS. 2253.

we shulden alle dege,' þy fader dep to beye."

þe children ede to je stronde, wryngynde huere honde,

ant in to shipes borde | at þe furste worde.

120

ofte hade horn be wo, | ah neuer wors þen him wes po.
[No gap in MS.

¶ þe see bygon to flowen | ant horn faste to rowen
ant þat ship wel suype drof, | ant horn wes adred þer of,
hue wenden mid ywisse | of huere lyue to misse.
al þe day ant al þe nyht, | o þat sprong þe day lyht,
Flotterede horn by pe stronde, | er he seye eny londe.

128

136

"foron," quop horn pe 3ynge, | "y telle ou tydynge.

Horn's farewell to the boat.

Cambr. Univ. MS. Gg. 4. 27. 2.
Ihc here fozeles singe
And pat gras him springe.
Blipe beo we on lyue,
Vre schup is on ryue."
Of schup hi gunne funde
And setten fout to grunde.
Bi þe se side

Hi leten pat schup ride.
panne spak him child horn,
In suddene he was born,
"Schup, bi pe se flode,
Daies haue þu gode;
Bi þe se brinke

No water pe na drinke.
[No gap in MS.

3ef þu cume to Suddenne,
Gret þu wel of myne kenne;
Gret pu wel my moder,
Godhild, quen þe gode.
And seie pe paene kyng,
Iesucristes wipering,
þat ihc am hol and fer
On þis lond ariued her.

7

Laud Misc. MS. 108.
Ych here foules singe

140 And so pe gras him springe.
Blipe be we o liue,

140

Houre schip hys come ryue."

144

Of schip pe gon fonde

144 An sette fot on grunde.
Bi pe se side

Here schip bigan to glide.
panne spek pe chid horn,
148 In sodenne he was yborn,
"Go nou, schip, by flode,

And haue dawes gode.

[No gap in MS.

152.

Softe mote pou stirie,

No water pe derie.

156 Gret wel al mi kinne,

And grete wel þe gode

Wanne pou comes to sodenne,

Quen godild, my moder.
And sey þat hepene king,
160 Ihesu cristes wiperling,

pat iche lef and dere,
On londe am riued here.

148

152

156

160

Harl. MS. 2253.

Ich here foules singe, | ant se pe grases springe. blype be ze alyue, | vr ship is come to ryue.”

of shipe hy gonne founde | ant sette fot to grounde. by pe see syde | hure ship bigon to ryde.

þenne spec him child horn, | in sudenne he was yborn,

66

nou, ship, by þe flode, | haue dayes gode,

by þe see brynke | no water pe adrynke.
softe mote pou sterye, | þat water pe ne derye.

zef þou comest to sudenne, | gret hem þat me kenne.
gret wel þe gode | quene godild, mi moder.
ant sey þene hepene kyng, | ihesu cristes wytherlyng,
pat ich hol ant fere, | in londe aryuede here.

Cembr. Triz IS. 41 + And seie put hei whai inde be lent of mine honde.” [No jap in MS.

be children rede to Time
Bi dales and bi june.

Hy metten wip aimair king,
Crist zeuen him his blessing,
King of Westernesse,
Crist give him Michel Esse.
He him spac to horn childi
Wordes pat were Mid,
“Whannes beo je, faire gumes,
bat her to londe beop ieume,
Alle prottene

Of bodie swipe kene!
Bigod at me makede,
A swihe fair verade

Ne saus ihe in none stunde
Bi westene londe.

The children

set out from

the shore and

meet King Aylmer,

who greets them kindly and asks their history.

Harl. MS. 2253.

ant say þat he shal fonde | þen deþ of myne honde."
¶ be ship bigon to fleoten | ant horn child to weopen.
by dales ant by dounes | þe children eoden to tounes.
metten hue Eylmer, þe kyng, | crist him 3eue god tymyng,
kyng of westnesse, | c[rist him myhte blesse.

he spec to horn child wordes suype myld,

"whenne be 3e gomen, | þat bueþ her a londe ycomen,

alle prettene of bodye suyþe kene ?

by god þat me made, | so feyr a felaurade

ne seh y neuer stonde | in westnesse Londe.

say me whet

seche." | horn зе

spec

huere speche.

Horn spac for huem alle, | for so hit moste byfalle;

168

176

184