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ENGLISH PROSE AND
PROSE AND POETRY

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

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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

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Ich 41

35

38

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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;

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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

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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

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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

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THE POEMA MORALE

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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;
Ne mihte ic iseon 23 before me for smeche 24
ne for miste.

28

Erwe 25 we beoth 26 to done god, and to yfele
al to thriste;
More æie 29 stent 30

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
ther 38 hi ær seowen.
40 to Gode wet
Don ec
a life;
ye buth 26

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

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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
in word;

All too freely have I spent, too little laid in
hoard.

Almost all I now mislike of things I liked of
yore;

Who follows over-much his will, betrays him-
self the more.

Had fortune only favored me, I might have
done more good;

Now for weakness and for age, I may not,
though I would.

Old age is stolen me upon, ere that I it wist;
I could not see before me for the smoke and
for the mist.

Timid we are in doing good, in evil all too
bold;

More awe of man than awe of Christ doth
every person hold.

20

Who doth not well, the while he may, shall
often rue it sore,

When comes the time to mow and reap what
he has sown before.

Do ye for God the best ye may, the while ye
are in life;

And let no man hope overmuch in child nor
yet in wife.

He who doth himself forget for wife or else
for child

Shall come into an evil place save God to him
be mild.

Let each some good before him send, the while
he may, to heaven;

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.

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6 al

37

11

who

reap
man hope

46 each
51 foolish 52
57 is
63
soon

47

sowed
43 forgets
one alms 48
own

40

what 42 let no also 41 45 unless 44 in evil place dearer 53 hope not bethinks

stranger

16 then
15 better
14 betrays
21 weak-
age
12 much
9 may not
timid
24 smoke
17 good fortune 18
22 before I knew it 23
fear 30 arises to 31 doth
36 shall
awe,
bold 29
evil
34 when
they

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

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56 every

55 be
may
67 kinsman

62 live

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Now, brother Walter, brother mine
After the fleshly nature;

And brother mine in Christendom
Through baptism and through fealty;
And brother mine in God's own house
In still another manner,

In that we two have taken both
One book of rules to follow,
Within the life of canonhood,

Just as St. Austin ordered;
As thou didst bid me, I have done,
Thy will for thee fulfilling;

For into English I have turned
The gospel's holy teaching,

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,
It zealously would study,

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
That it is brought to ending.

I have collected in this book
Now nearly all the gospels

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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

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but us two it behooves 50 both 51 col53 in nigh, near

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