For w the rune is used. ll is simplified in dieuliche 11. n is doubled in þennken 49: for almihtin 143, see [79/17 note]. Initial f is f, ferr 45, f between vowels or vowel and liquid is u, euele 26, aure 125, otherwise f, unbeliefde 33. d is doubled in godd 7, goddspell 118, lost in finst 40; dd is simplified in amidewarde 70; for d, t appears in halt 40. Initial þ becomes t after t in tin 40, tu 37, 47, 87; for þ, d is written in seid 21, 67, speked 73, tobrekd 35, wid 71. s is represented by sc in bledscin 147: sc is regularly sc [š], iscop 52, scal 79, sceawin 25, scipes 14, scolde 129, scule 8, wascen 82. The stop c is written k before e, i, lokin 1, munekes 38 and before another consonant, forsakþ 20, tobrekð 32, but tobrecþ 36, c in other positions, cumen 113, exceptionally ch in ilche 52 (ilca), arche 5, 9 (if not French), g in ðingþ 41 (4): ic is ic and ich. č is ch, alche 139, beseche 58, ilich 69, iswinch 48, michel 122 &c., tæche 54, þelliche 36, þench 89, þenchinde 59, but exceptionally k in beseke 106, beseken 97, ilke 130 (ylc confused with ilca): čč is cch, wacchen 114, wrecche 60, 116. cg is gg, segge 99, 109; cs, x, rixin, rixið 110; cw, cw, becweð 86, cwað 94, cwide 86. Palatal g is ȝ, initially, biȝeates 14, ȝemeleastes 13, but Gif 102 (with capital letter); medially, maniȝe 4 (4), heriȝen 147 (3), wuniȝeð 15, 18, muȝe 97, VV 3/18, 73/17 &c., but muge 125. The prefix ge- is often retained, ȝewriten 23, ȝeþanc 57, ȝeswinkes 145, beside iþanke 66, iswinch 48, and ȝ is added in ȝew 20, ȝewer 19, ȝewere 20, ouerȝiede 6. For the stop, g is used initially, grundwall 53, agunnen 123, ȝegunnen 53, but iȝunnen 47, medially, bringen 8, but the palatal symbol is used for the spirant after l, r, berȝin 138 &c., folȝin 44 (3), foriswelȝen 39: myr(i)gþ is represented by merhðe 25, merchþe 140. g is lost in heuiliche 48. For h, ȝ is written in þurȝwunie 131, ðurȝwuneð 133; h is added in Hvte 143, lost in þurwuneð 128, inȝied 80, 91 (inȝehied VV 141/1): initial hl is preserved in hlesteð 17 (3), but lhesten 50, lesten 44.
[Accidence:] Strong declension of masc. and neut. nouns. Sing. g. -es, priestes 43, kennes 13, scipes 14: d. -e, hlauerde 143, netene 130, but daiȝ 151 (comp. OE. on dæg), hlauerd 52, ræd 44, sal 111 (OE. æt sumum sǣle, on sumne sǣl) are without inflection. Pl. n. a. of masculines, -es, hierdes 1, bowes 44, but wintre 4 (wintru); neuters are n. dier 129, a. ȝear 95, þing 137, bede 114 (gebēdu): pl. g. ðinge 71; d. -es, blastes 27, biȝeates 14, ȝeswinkes 145, wordes 66. Of the fem. nouns of the strong declension, forbisne 66, mihte 126, niede 151, sawle 51 (3), scadwisnesse 121 have added e in the s. n. and bene 95, mihte 106, niede 92, 150 in the s. a. Gen. -e, herte 34: d. -e, bræde 44, cherche 9, but sea 22, woreld 2 (4). Pl. g. saule 13; d. ȝemeleastes 13, mihtes 46 (5); a. dade 92, 98, mihtes 69. Nouns of the weak declension are s. d. hope 28, ileaue 28; a. lichame 10; pl. n. dropes 12; d. wisen 117; a. wacchen 114. The minor declensions are represented by mann s. n. 33, mannes s. g. 145, manne s. d. 33, stieresmanne 15, man s. a. 127, stieresmann 3, manne 124, stieresmenn pl. n. 8, mannen pl. d. 38, stieresmannen 18, 21, stieresman[nen] 23; moder s. n. 109; faderes pl. n. 109, 111.
Remnants of the strong declension of adjectives in the sing. are haliȝes g. m. 145, faste d. m., rihte 28, dieuliche d. f. 11, mannliche 10, michele 21, 96, faire d. neut. 11. The weak declension in the sing. has -e throughout, unware n. m. 41, unwise 33, eule n. f. 81, gode 80, lieue 136, muchele d. m. 5, wilde 6, bitere d. f. 22, ealde 128, soðe 29, &c., gode a. m. 3, 35, michele a. f. 25, little a. neut. 136; exceptions are hali 64, 117, 124, muchel 48. The pl. strong and weak has -e in all cases, sikere n. 12, halie d. 140, euele a. 26, but hali n. 108, 111, hersum 15, hali d. 46, 53 are uninflected; comparatives and superlatives are gladdere s. n. f. 98, eldes[t] pl. d., wisest 118, ān is a n. m. 91, on 118, an f. 66, 126, one a. f. 106, nān, non n. f. 71, neut. 103, none d. m. 10, 11, f. 72, neut. 32, 134. Adjectives used as nouns are gode s. d. neut. 72, 134, arst s. a. neut. 71, betste 89, god 38, 40, lasse 43, litel 42, gode pl. d. 150.
The personal pronouns are ic 45 (8), ich 46 (8), me, we, us, þu, (ðat) tu 37, 58, (scalt) tu 87, ðe, ȝew 20. The pronoun of the third person is s. n. he m. 4, 7, ?hie 45, hie f. 108, 109, he 110, hit neut. 29; d. him m. 7, hire f. 110; a. hie m. 36, f. 5, his 127; pl. n. hie 2; d. hem 56; a. hes 50, 54, 56. Reflexives are me seluen 19, hem pl. d. 112: possessives, min 57, 79, mine pl. 76, 79, þin 98, ðine s. d. f. 57, 90, 91, s. a. m. 95, s. a. f. 95, tin s. a. neut. 40, þi 96, ure 23, ȝewer 19, ȝewere 20, his 82, is 93, hire 81, here pl. 30, hire 14. The definite article is s. n. ðe m. 17, f. 79, 80, se 81, þat neut. 80, 117; d. ðan m. 33, 52, ðe 5 (6), ðo 69, ðare f. 29 (8), ðe 9, 31, ða 147, ðe neut. 64, ðo 100; a. ðane m. 3, 53, ðanne 127, ðe f. 25, 39, ða 4, 9, þat neut. 89, ðe instr. 98: pl. n. ða 8, ðe 1; d. ðan 74, ða 21 (3), ðe 46 (4); a. ðe 26, ðo 31. The article is used as pronoun antecedent to relatives, se ðe, he who 19, 65, ðo ðe, those who 1, 2: ðat is demonstrative 17, 33, 64, 80, 102, 121. The compound demonstrative is s. n. þies f. 91, 79 (with neut. bedd); d. ðese m. 60, 144, ðessere f. 22, 71, 131, ðese neut. 143; a. ðese f. 58, 124, þis neut. 20, 136: pl. n. þese 73; d. ðesen 119, 120, þese 38, 53, 140; a. ðese 103. The relatives are ðe 1, ðat 37, 60, what, se ðe 148, who; ðe 4 means with which. Interrogatives are hwam s. d. f. 71, hwat 17, 36, hwilliche 112: ilca is ilche s. d. m. 52, þyllic, þelliche pl. d. 36. Indefinites are se ðe 125, whoso; se . . . he 132; hwat hwat 134, whatever, me 113, man 104, 110; feawe pl. 40; sum s. n. 113, sume s. d. m. 111, pl. a. 97; oþres s. g. neut. 77, oðer s. d. f. 61, oðre pl. d. 108; ilke s. n. m. 130, alche s. d. m. 139; auriche s. d. neut. 130; ani 35 &c.; maniȝes s. g. m. 145, neut. 12, manies 117, maniȝe pl. n. 12, manie 119, maniȝe pl. d. 55, pl. a. 4, 119; all s. a. m. 6, f. 39, al s. a. neut. 37, alle pl. n. 14, 129, alre pl. g. 71, alle pl. d. 14 (7), pl. a. 137.
Infinitives of the second weak conjugation, except watrien 79, end in -in, andin 122, folȝin 44 (3), rixin 110, all others in -en, -ien, berȝen 140, beseken 97, herien 143, except berȝin 138, herborȝin 115. The dat. inf. is not inflected; to laten, to libben 88, to speken, to þennken 49 are virtually nominatives. Presents are s. 1. beseche 58, habbe 56; 2. hauest 53, lokest 47, syncopated are dalst 37, finst 40, hafst 37, latst 48; 3. answereð 51, haueð 45, rixeð 148, tocneð 130, rixið 110, and twelve others, but syncopated forms predominate, hafð 35, sant 127, and nineteen others; pl. 1. fareð 21, habbeð 119 (3), speked 73, finde we 83; 3. cumeð 26, stieð 24, wuniȝeð 15, 18, exceptionally folgið 3, seggeð 109, stikð 30; subjunctive s. 2. beseke 106, forðbringe 54, heriȝe 149, sette 59, tæche 54, þanke 150; 3. beȝete 125, þurȝwunie 131; pl. 1. bledscin, heriȝen 147, hvte we 143, segge we 99, speken 71, þankin 147; 3. forliesen 9, lokien 14, tobreken 27: imperative s. 2. becweð 86, sai 94, wand 93; halt 40 for hald; pl. 2. hlesteð 17. Past of Strong Verbs: Ia. s. 3. cwað 94, iseih 94; pl. 1. ȝeseiȝe we 124: Ic. s. 3. swanc 4, warð 87, worð 133; pl. 3. agunnen 123, swunken 146: III. s. 3. forleas 7: IV. s. 3. iscop 52: V. s. 3. hatte 106, 126. Participles present: Ia. spekinde 112; past: Ia. iseȝen 119: Ic. agunnen 133, ȝegunnen 53, iȝunnen 47, beswonken 136, ȝeborȝen 119, iborȝen 133, ibroiden 28: II. ȝeswiken 57, ȝewriten 23: V. ihoten 29, 128. Past of Weak Verbs: s. 1. hadde 46, 47; 3. besouhte 84, ȝeherde 93, hadde 7, sade 75 &c.; pl. 3. andeden 123, namden 117. Participles present: liuiende 16, þenchinde 59, wuniende 60; past: betaht 7, ȝeluued 90, icleped 58, ihafd 56, ieiht 96 (geīecan), unbiliefde adj. s. d. 33. Minor Groups: wat pr. s. 136, wot 137, witen pr. pl. 41, wite 2. pr. imp. 73; auh pr. s. 17; scal 1. pr. s. 79, scalt 2. pr. s. 38 (3), sculen pr. pl. 1, 74, scule 8, scolde pt. s. 129; miht 2. pr. s. 98, 139, mai pr. s. 34 (3), muȝe 2. pr. s. subj. 97, muge pr. s. subj. 125, mihte pt. s. 5 (3), mihten pt. pl. 13 (3), mihtin 122; bien inf. 72, 87, am 1. pr. s. 59, is pr. s. 23, nis 103, bieð pr. pl. 2 (4), bien pr. pl. subj. 12, 15, 105, be 2. imp. s. 39, was pt. s. 3, waren pt. pl. 77, wære pt. s. subj. 60, ware 129; wile 1. pr. s. 46 (3), wilt 2. pr. s. 63 (3), wile 37 (subj. form), wile pr. s. 31 (4), willeð pr. pl. 16, wile 40 (for willen, subj. form), woldest 2. pt. s. 49, wolde pt. s. 82, wolden pt. pl. 39; don inf. 123, dest 2. pr. s. 36, doð pr. s. 33, dede pt. s. 42, deden pt. pl. 121, idon pp. 45, 90, don 134.
[Dialect:] Here, as in the Trinity College manuscript of the Poema Morale, a scribe of the northern border of the South-Eastern area has turned a composition in the dialect of the Middle or Western South into his own, with occasional retention of Southern forms. After a considerable interval his version was copied with little alteration by the three scribes of the Stowe manuscript, for the differences between the sections are mainly graphic and only in a minor degree dialectal. As a consequence, the language of VV is older than that current at the time when the copy was made; in some respects older than that of MS. T of the PM., as in its representation of ā, ā + g, ā + w. Occasional lapses into OE. forms at the beginning of the manuscript, such as acwellan inf. VV 9/19, daȝas 27/22 (which would have been in OE. dagum), have been thought to point to an OE. original, but they are more probably due to a scribe acquainted with the older native literature.
[Vocabulary:] Scandinavian are hahte 21, skele 121, sckelewisnesse 107; an OE. borrowing is stieresmann 3: French are carite 29, cariteð 58, hert 35, prophete 75, richeise 88, (stan) roches 31, seruise 130, and probably arche 5: offrin 129 is a pre-Conquest Latin borrowing.
[Introduction:] The book is imperfect at the beginning, but probably little has been lost. It opens in the middle of a confession by a sinful soul of a formidable array of sins, to which Reason (‘Scadwisnesse,’ 90/62, ‘Ratio,’ 92/135) replies by a series of discourses on the virtues which will help the soul against its vices. The first extract, written by the first scribe, is part of this. The second piece, written by the third hand, concludes the book.
The writer speaks of his work as a compilation from many authors (93/144). The framework of it may have been suggested by S. Isidore’s Synonyma de Lamentatione Animae Peccatricis, wherein Homo and Ratio hold similar alternate discourse (Opera vi. 472), but nothing else. The author appears to have been acquainted with the writings of Hugh of St. Victor (d. 1140); he may have borrowed from him (Opera i. 69) the idea of the contest between Mercy and Truth (VV 113), but the influence of the older English literature dominates his style, vocabulary, and mode of thought.
[1]. hierdes, pastors: comp. ‘þe selue herdes beð þe lorþewes of holi chiriche,’ OEH ii. 39/12; ‘se cyning ⁊ se biscop sceoldan beon Cristenra folca hyrdas,’ BH 45/25. lokin, to take care of, preserve: comp. 4/20; ‘ðe sceaweres ðe lokeden ðe hali burh,’ VV 103/13, 121/11; generally with acc., but ‘to lokin of mine wrecche lichame,’ VV 17/3. ⁊ = and, 89/28.