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44. Reign of Richard II, 1400 back to 1377.—Example written in 1391. "Lytel Lowys my sonne, I perceve well by certaine evidences thyne abylyte to lerne scyences, touching nombres and proporcions, and also well consydre I thy besye prayer in especyal to lerne the tretyse of the astrolabye. Than for as moche as a philosopher saithe, he wrapeth hym in his frende, that condiscendeth to the ryghtfull prayers of his frende: therefore I have given the a sufficient astrolabye for oure orizont, compowned after the latitude of Oxenforde: vpon the whiche by meditacion of this lytell tretise, I purpose to teche the a certame nombre of conclusions, pertainynge to this same instrument."—GEOFFREY CHAUCER: Of the Astrolabe.

45. Example written about 1385—to be compared with that of 1555, on p. 87.

"And thus this companie of muses iblamed casten wrothly the chere dounward to the yerth, and shewing by rednesse their shame, thei passeden sorowfully the thresholde. And I of whom the sight plounged in teres was darked, so that I ne might not know what that woman was, of so Imperial aucthoritie, I woxe all abashed and stonied, and cast my sight doune to the yerth, and began still for to abide what she would doen afterward."—CHAUCER: Version from Boëthius: Johnson's Hist. of E. L., p. 29.

46. Poetical Example—probably written before 1380.

"O Socrates, thou stedfast champion;

She ne might nevir be thy turmentour,

Thou nevir dreddist her oppression,

Ne in her chere foundin thou no favour,

Thou knewe wele the disceipt of her colour,

And that her moste worship is for to lie,

I knowe her eke a false dissimulour,

For finally Fortune I doe defie."—CHAUCER.

47. Reign of Edward III, 1377 to 1327.—Example written about 1360.

"And eke full ofte a littell skare

Vpon a banke, er men be ware,

Let in the streme, whiche with gret peine,

If any man it shall restreine.

Where lawe failleth, errour groweth;

He is not wise, who that ne troweth."—SIR JOHN GOWER.

48. Example from Mandeville, the English traveller—written in 1356.

"And this sterre that is toward the Northe, that wee clepen the lode sterre, ne apperethe not to hem. For whiche cause, men may wel perceyve, that the lond and the see ben of rownde schapp and forme. For the partie of the firmament schewethe in o contree, that schewethe not in another contree. And men may well preven be experience and sotyle compassement of wytt, that zif a man fond passages be schippes, that wolde go to serchen the world, men mighte go be schippe all aboute the world, and aboven and benethen. The whiche thing I prove thus, aftre that I have seyn. * * * Be the whiche I seye zou certeynly, that men may envirowne alle the erthe of alle the world, as wel undre as aboven, and turnen azen to his contree, that hadde companye and schippynge and conduyt: and alle weyes he scholde fynde men, londes, and yles, als wel as in this contree."—SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE; Johnson's Hist. of E. L., p. 26.

49. Example from Rob. Langland's "Vision of Pierce Ploughman," 1350.

"In the somer season,

When hot was the Sun,

I shope me into shroubs,

As I a shepe were;

In habit as an harmet,

Vnholy of werkes,

Went wyde in this world

Wonders to heare."

50. Description of a Ship—referred to the reign of Edward II: 1327–1307.

"Such ne saw they never none,

For it was so gay begone,

Every nayle with gold ygrave,

Of pure gold was his sklave,

Her mast was of ivory,

Of samyte her sayle wytly,

Her robes all of whyte sylk,

As whyte as ever was ony mylke.

The noble ship was without

With clothes of gold spread about

And her loft and her wyndlace

All of gold depaynted was."

ANONYMOUS: Bucke's Gram., p. 143.

51. From an Elegy on Edward I, who reigned till 1307 from 1272.

"Thah mi tonge were made of stel,

Ant min herte yzote of bras,

The goodness myht y never telle,

That with kyng Edward was:

Kyng, as thou art cleped conquerour,

In uch battaille thou hadest prys;

God bringe thi soule to the honour,

That ever wes ant ever ys.

Now is Edward of Carnavan

Kyng of Engelond al aplyght;

God lete him never be worse man

Then his fader, ne lasse myht,

To holden his pore men to ryht,

Ant understonde good counsail,

Al Engelond for to wysse and dyht;

Of gode knyhtes darh him nout fail."

ANON.: Percy's Reliques, Vol. ii, p. 10.