Early English Alliterative Poems 9
1. Four of these are prefixed to the first poem. In the first the
Author is represented slumbering in a meadow, by the side of a
streamlet, clad in a long red gown, having falling sleeves, turned
up with white, and a blue hood attached round the neck.
In the second the same person appears, drawn on a larger scale, and
standing by the stream. In the third he occurs nearly in the same
position, with his hands raised, and on the opposite side a lady
dressed in white, in the costume of Richard the Second’s and Henry
the Fourth’s time, buttoned tight up to the neck, with long hanging
sleeves. Her hair is plaited on each side, and on her head is a
crown. In the fourth we see the author kneeling by the water, and
beyond the stream is depicted a castle or palace, on the embattled
wall of which appears the same lady, with her arm extended towards
him.
The poem commences on fol. 39, and consists of one hundred and one
twelve-line stanzas,[68] every five of which conclude with the same
line, and are connected by the iteration of a leading __EXPRESSION__. It
concludes on fol. 55b.
2. Then follow two more illuminations; in the first of which Noah
and his family are represented in the ark; in the second the prophet
Daniel expounding the writing on the wall to the affrighted
Belshazzar and his queen. These serve as illustrations to the second
poem, which begins at fol. 57, and is written in long alliterative
lines. It concludes on fol. 82.
3. Two illuminations precede, as before; one of which represents the
sailors throwing the prophet Jonas into the sea, the other depicts
the prophet in the attitude of preaching to the people of Nineveh.
The poem is in the same metre as the last, and commences at fol. 83.
It is occupied wholly with the story of Jonas, as applicable to the
praise of meekness and patience; and ends on fol. 90.
4. The Romance intitled _Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knyȝt_ follows,
fol. 91. Prefixed is an illumination of a headless knight on
horseback, carrying his head by its hair in his right hand, and
looking benignly at an odd-eyed bill-man before him; while from a
raised structure above, a king armed with a knife, his queen, an
attendant with a sabre, and another bill-man scowling looks on. Here
and elsewhere the only colours used are green, red, blue, and
yellow. It ends on fol. 124b., and at the conclusion, in a later
hand, is written “Hony soit q̃ mal penc,” which may, perhaps, allude
to the illumination on the opposite page, fol. 125, representing the
stolen interview between the wife of the Grene Knyȝt and Sir
Gawayne. Above the lady’s head is written:
Mi mind is mukel on on, þ{a}t wil me noȝt amende,
Sum time was trewe as ston, & fro schame couþ{e} hir defende.
It does not appear very clearly how these lines apply to the painting.
Two additional illuminations follow; in the first of which Gawayne is
seen approaching the _Grene Chapel_, whilst his enemy appears above,
wielding his huge axe; and in the second Sir Gawayne, fully equipped in
armour, is represented in the presence of king Arthur and queen
Guenever, after his return to the court.
The third and concluding portion of the Cotton volume extends from fol.
127 to fol. 140b, inclusive, and consists of theological excerpts, in
Latin, written in a hand of the end of the thirteenth century. At the
conclusion is added _Epitaphium de Ranulfo, abbate Ramesiensi_, who was
abbot from the year 1231 to 1253, and who is erroneously called _Ralph_
in the _Monasticon_, vol. ii. p. 548, new ed.
[Footnote 67: Taken with some few alterations from Sir F. Madden’s
“Syr Gawayn.”]
[Footnote 68: A line, however, is missing from the MS. on fol.
55b. See page 15.]
CONTRACTIONS USED IN THE GLOSSARY.
The letters A. B. C. refer severally to the poems, entitled by me, “The
Pearl,” “Cleanness,” and “Patience.”
A.S. Anglo-Saxon.
Dan. Danish.
Du. Dutch.
E. English.
O.E. Old English.
Prov.E. Provincial English.
N.Prov.E. } North Provincial English.
N.P.E. }
Fr. French.
O.Fr. Old French.
Prov. Fr. Provincial French.
Fris. Frisian.
G. Doug. Gawin Douglas’s Æneid, published by the
Bannatyne Club, 2 vols.
Ger. German.
Goth. Gothic.
Icel. Icelandic.
Jam. Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary.
K. Alex. King Alexander, Romance of (Ed. Stevenson).
Met. Hom. Metrical Homilies (Ed. Small).
O.N. Old Norse.
O.S. Old Saxon.
Prompt. Parv. Promptorium Parvulorum (Ed. Way).
Sc. Scotch.
O.Sc. Old Scotch.
S.Sax. Semi-Saxon.
Sw. Swedish.
O.Sw. Old Swedish.
Town. Myst. Townley Mysteries.
T. B. Troy Book (Ed. Donaldson).
Errata (noted by transcriber)
PREFACE:
[Footnote 4.III]
... for _-ed_ or _-d_ [or _d_]
... pp. vii, viii. [vii. viii.]
[Footnote 5]
... verbal inflexion _-eth_ _never_ occurs [_-eth_. _never_]
[Footnote 9]
... See O.E. Homilies, p. li. [O.E]
[Footnote 10]
... (5) _tow_ = two; [two:]
their blissful state (p. 26). [(p. 26),]
(IX.) ... by Daniel (p. 86). [p, 86]
_First marred[21] many a rope and the mast after._
[_footnote number misprinted “2”; shared note is 1_]
DIALECT AND GRAMMAR:
“For þer bene bestes þat _schyn_ be rost.”[44] [““For þer bene]
GRAMMATICAL DETAILS: Pronouns
[Footnote 59]
... Page 91, l. 72. [l, 72.]
_hi_ (A.S. _hí_) [_closing ) missing_]
The same construction [“The same]
----: Verbs
_comes me, runs me_, Ib. Act 3, Sc. 1. [me_. Ib.]
Nom. I, thou, he, ho, hit. [he ho]
PRETERITE TENSE. [_. missing_]
(I) hopede[64] (hoped), (We) hopeden. [hopeden,]
Wreke (avenge), wrek, wroken. [(avenge) wrek,]
Class III. Drawe, draȝe, droȝ, drawen. [drawen,]
Helpe, halp, holpen. [holpen,]
Sterve (die), starf, storven. [storveu]
Schal, „ scholde, schulde. [_. missing_]
----: Adverbs
The Norse forms _hethen_, _quethen_ [Ths Norse]
_thence_, (_thennes_), etc.
[_opening ( missing; “etc{t}” with italic {t} for ._]
CONTRACTIONS:
Ger. [_the abbreviations O.H.G. and M.H.G. are not listed_]
N.P.E. [_note that this abbreviation is never used_]
Prompt. Parv. Promptorium Parvulorum [Prampt.]
* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *
THE PEARL.
[Headnotes:
A FATHER VISITS HIS CHILD’S GRAVE, AND THERE FALLING ASLEEP,
HE DREAMS.
HE SEES A BEAUTIFUL FOREST, WHICH CAUSES HIS GRIEF TO ABATE.
THE FATHER SEES HIS LOST CHILD DRESSED IN WHITE ROBES.
THE MAIDEN ADDRESSES HER FATHER.
SHE TELLS HIM OF HER BLISS.
DEATH IS THE ROAD TO PARADISE.
ALL MUST ABIDE GOD’S DOOM.
THE BEREAVED PARENT ASKS HIS CHILD’S PITY.
SHE DESCRIBES HER MODE OF LIFE.
MARY IS THE EMPRESS OF HEAVEN.
THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.
THE PAYMENT OF THE LABOURERS.
THE APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE.
GOD IS NO NIGGARD.
PARADISE WAS LOST THROUGH AN APPLE.
INNOCENTS ARE SAVED BY RIGHT.
CHRIST BLESSED LITTLE CHILDREN.
FORSAKE THE MAD WORLD.
THE LAMB AND HIS BRIDES.
THE LAMB WAS SLAIN IN JERUSALEM.
THE VISION OF SAINT JOHN.
THE ABODE OF CHRIST’S BRIDES.
THE OLD AND NEW JERUSALEM.
A DEscRIPTION OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.
NO SUN NOR MOON IN HEAVEN.
NO CHURCH IN HEAVEN.
A PROCESSION OF VIRGINS.
HE WISHES TO CROSS THE STREAM.
THE FATHER OF THE MAIDEN AWAKES.
GOD GIVE US GRACE TO SERVE HIM.]
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