With merthe and mynstralsye, wyth metez at hor wylle,
Thay maden as mery as any men moghten
With laghyng of ladies, with lotes of bordes (play upon words).
(l. 1952.)
[579] l. 1746.
[580] "Pearl, an English Poem of the Fourteenth Century, edited with modern rendering by Israel Gollancz," London, 1891, 8vo. The poem is written in stanzas (a b a b a b a b b c b c); the author employs both rhyme and alliteration. "Pearl" belongs apparently, like "Sir Gawayne," and some other poems on religious subjects, contained in the same MS., to the second half of the fourteenth century; there are, however, doubts and discussions concerning the date. Some coarsely-painted miniatures, by no means corresponding to the gracefulness of the poem, represent the chief incidents of "Pearl;" they are by the same hand as those of "Sir Gawayne." See the reproduction of one of them in "Piers Plowman, a contribution to the History of English Mysticism," London, 1894, 8vo, p. 12.
I entred in that erber grene,
In Augoste in a hygh seysoun,
Quen corne is corven with crokez kene;
On huyle ther perle it trendeled doun;
Schadowed this wortes (plants) full schyre and schene,
Gilofre, gyngure and gromylyoun,
And pyonys powdered ay betwene.
Yif hit wacz semly on to sene,
A fayrie tiayr yet fro hit flot. (St. 4.)
As stremande sternes quen strothe men slepe,
Staren in welkyn in wynter nyght. (St. 10.)