The Rowley Poems Part 74

I do not see that _lecturn_ can possibly signifie any thing but _a reading-desk_, in which sense it is used by Chaucer.

20. LITHIE. Ep. 10.

Inne _lithie_ moncke apperes the barronnes pryde.

If there be any such word as this, we should naturally expect it to follow the signification of _lithe_; soft, limber: which will not suit with this pa.s.sage.

I go on to the _third_ general head of words inflected contrary to grammar and custom. In a language like ours, in which the inflections are so few and so simple, it is not to be supposed that a writer, even of the lowest cla.s.s, would commit very frequent offences of this sort.

I shall take notice of some, which I think impossible to have fallen from a genuine Rowley.

1. CLEVIS. H. 2. 46.

Fierce as a _clevis_ from a rocke ytorne.

_Clevis_ or _cleves_ is the plural number of _Cleve_, a cliff. It is so used by Chaucer. I cannot believe that it was ever used as a singular noun.

EYNE. E. II. 79. T. 169. See also ae 681.

In everich _eyne_ aredynge nete of wyere.

Wythe syke an _eyne_ shee swotelie hymm dydd view.

_Eyne_, a contraction of _eyen_, is the plural number of _eye_. It is not more probable that an ancient writer should have used the expressions here quoted, than that any one now should say--In _every eyes_;--_With such an eyes_.

HEIE. E. II. 15. T. 123. Le. 5. 9. Ent. 2. ae 355.

_Heie_, the old plural of _He_, was obsolete, I apprehend, in the time of the supposed Rowley. At least it is very improbable that the same writer, at any time, should use _heie_ and _theie_ indifferently, as in these poems.

THYSSEN. E. II. 87.

Lette _thyssen_ menne, who haveth sprite of love.

I cannot believe that _thyssen_ was ever in use as the plural number of _this_. The termination seems to have been added, for the sake of the metre, by one who knew that many words formerly ended in _en_, but was quite ignorant of what particular sorts they were. In the same manner _coyen_, ae. 125. and _sothen_, ae. 227. are put for _coy_ and _sothe_, contrary to all usage or a.n.a.logy.

And this leads me to the capital blunder, which runs through all these poems, and would alone be sufficient to destroy their credit; I mean, the termination of _verbs in the singular number_ in _n_[3]. I will set down a number of instances, in which _han_ is used for the present or past time _singular_ of the v. _Have_; only premising, that _han_, being an abbreviation of _haven_, is never used by any ancient writer except in the present time _plural_ and the infinitive mode.

P. 26. v. 9. The Brytish Merlyn oftenne _hanne_ The gyfte of inspyration.

Ba. 2. The featherd songster chaunticleer _Han_ wounde hys bugle horne.

ae. 685. Echone wylle wyssen hee _hanne_ seene the daie.

734. Bryghte sonne _han_ ynne hys roddie robes byn dyghte.

650. Whanne Englonde _han_ her foemenn.

1137. ----Mie stede _han_ notte mie love.

1184. _Hanne_ alle the fuirie of mysfortunes wylle Fallen onne mie benned headde I _hanne_ been aella stylle.

G. 20. _Hane_ Englonde thenne a tongue b.u.t.te notte a stynge?

M. 61. A tye of love a dawter faire she _hanne_.

H. 1. 74. Ne doubting but the bravest in the londe _Han_ by his foundynge arrowe-lede bene sleyne.

182. Where he by chance _han_ slayne a n.o.ble's son.

184. And in the battel he much goode _han_ done.

188. He of his boddie _han_ kepte watch and ward.

207. His chaunce in warr he ne before _han_ tryde.

281. The erlie felt de Torcies trecherous knyfe _Han_ made his crymson bloude and spirits floe.

319. O Hengist, _han_ thy cause bin good and true!

321. The erlie was a manne of hie degree.

And _han_ that daie full manie Normannes sleine.

337. But better _han_ it bin to lett alone.

If more instances should be wanted, see H. 1. 396. 429. 455. H. 2.

306. 703.--p. 275. ver. 4.--p. 281. ver. 63.--p. 288. ver. 1.

In the same irregular manner the following verbs are used _singularly_.

E. I. 10. Then _fellen_ on the grounde and thus yspoke.

H. 2. 665. Bewopen Alfwoulde _fellen_ on his knee.

P. 287. ver. 17. For thee I _gotten_ or bie wiles or breme.

H. 1. 252. He turned aboute and vilely _souten_ flie.

H. 2. 339. Fallyng he _shooken_ out his smokyng braine.

H. 2. 334. His sprite--Ne _shoulden_ find a place in anie songe.

ae. 172. So Adam _thoughtenne_ when ynn paradyse----

1136. Tys now fulle morne; I _thoughten_, bie laste nyghte--

Ch. 54. Full well it _shewn_, he _thoughten_ coste no sinne.

See also H. 2. 366. where _thoughten_, with the additional syllable, not being quite long enough for the verse, has had another syllable added at the beginning.