[Accidence:] Strong declension of masc. and neut. nouns. In the s. n. a. hate 12, stede 43, 81, sune 5, 72, wlite 342, kire 505, mete 138, bale 80, erue 44, herdne 127 have e corresponding to their OE. vocalic ending, bege 194, bode 69, 437 (gebod, comp. boda, messenger), liche 542, 569 (but lich 495), weie 305 have added e, wliten 343, GE 3614, n, fe 89 represents feoh, drugte 402, drūgaþ. Gen.-es, flodes 150, kinges 87, wiwes 91, but louerdis 326: dat. -e, bale 92, 579, come 321, ende 588, here 533, mete 348, stede 468, 521, sune 443, with vowel termination in the nominative, dale 79 (dalen 27 has added n, against metre), gilte 463, harme 368, kinge 235 (but king 451), liue 471 (but lif 493), londe 386, 572 (but lond 129 &c.), ofspringe 236, tune 365, wastme 6, wedde 252, weie 293, 534, wiue 201; without inflection are fulsumhed 182, grund 164, strem 150, ðogt 384 and a large number of others, mostly with long stem vowel or of more than one syllable; yre 506 has lost n, tre 113 is an Anglian nominative form trēo, wo 458 is indeclinable. The pl. n. a. of masculines end in -es, fugeles 135, sunes 2 (7), lepes 132, muðes 270, but meten 133, 309, r. w. eten (translating cibos, panes; at GE 363 it is probably singular with added n), sunen 229 r. w. cumen: neuters are der 71, folc 498, 505, ger 181 (7), ?kin 556, neet 151, srud 421, gere 190, bones 566, geres 207, liches 501, wiues 417. Genitive is teres 342, 396, datives, engeles 587, semes 427, teres 410. Of the fem. nouns of the strong declension helpe 83, herte 339, luue 340 have original e in the nominative, bene 565, bere 535, blisse 122, dede 41 (3), rewðe 393, sonde 367, trewðe 513, vnselðehe 370, sinne 36, sorwe 59, sorge 74 (3), wede 68 have added e, without it are ending 474 and other verbal substantives in -ing, ned 295, sped 192. Genitives are drugte 161, soules 578, werldes 494; helle pine 584, helle dale 79 may be regarded as composition forms. Dative -e, blisse 586, helðe 398, lewse 44, nede 215, 219, werlde 288 (7); onsagen 99, ðeden 356 have added n; but bering 232, hond 197 (3), as often in OE., ned 578, smerles 508, sped 46, 275, wurðing 194 are without inflection. Acc. -e, fare 85, hirdnesse 26; gifte 520, kinde 490 have added e; without inflection are bimening 538, bliscing 452, ending 283, forward 88 (3), stund 95, 163 and, as in OE., hond 117, migt 504. Pl. n. are blisses 404, dedes 513, hertes 13, lages 500, sondes 219, agte 144; d. laiges 526; a. agtes 278, laiges 510, agte 198, weden 423. Nouns of the weak declension have -e in the nom., bode 529, bredwrigte 131, wille 388; d. wune 6; a. kuppe 101, time 474; genitive is weches 521, but ‘sterre,’ GE 134. Pl. n. are sterres 17, wukes 527; d. wunes 347, but ‘feren,’ GE 1275; a. asses 427, beries 116, feres 532, but ‘wunen,’ GE 3137. The minor declensions are represented by fot s. d. 326, 551, ‘fote’ pl. d., GE 376; man s. n. 167, s. d. 302, men pl. n. 184, chapmen 85, hirdemen 449, men pl. d. 587, pl. a. 47; moneð s. a. 516; boc s. n. 576; biri s. d. 311; nigt s. d. 103, s. a. 515, pl. a. 501 (5), nigtes 499; fader s. n. 19, faderes s. g. 229, fader s. d. 8; broðer s. n. 110, s. a. 244, breðere pl. n. 21 (9), briðere 325, breðere pl. g. 267, pl. d. 429, pl. a. 7; moder s. d. 338; dowter s. a. 201; childes s. g. 61, childre pl. n. 282, pl. a. 304, childer 203; eares pl. n. 158; bred s. a. 102, bread 133.
Adjectives which in OE. end in a vowel have e throughout, bliðe 413, 429, riche 324, 327, 408; those in -ig lose g and are invariable, miri 312, sundri 81, 408, 468, similarly rewli (hrēowlic) 64. Weak inflections are gunge s. n. m. 335 (insert þe before it), leue s. a. m. 475, wis[e] s. d. m. 461 (similarly ‘ðe strong[e] god of israel,’ GE 1846 is to be read). All others are uninflected in the singular; they either belong to the classes mentioned above, or are predicative, or come after the noun qualified. mycel is michil s. n. f. 281, michel s. n. neut. 89, lȳtel, litel s. a. f. 95. The plural has -e, fette 158, fulle 400, glaðe 351, gode 513, harde 108, smale 161; the exceptions, mostly dissyllabic or predicative, are bold 13, fulsum 207, nedful 184, niðful 13, ranc 159, 162, sorful 380, wis 533 (read wisẹ), wrigtful 258. ān as article without stress is before consonants, a, an, 58, 64, 81, 149, 159 &c., once on 469, before h, an 455, 555, as elsewhere before a vowel. The numeral and pronoun is on, 101, 179, 227, 233 &c.; nān, pronoun and adjective is mostly non, but the adjective is twice no, 296, 352. Adjectives used as nouns with inflections are pl. n. fette 164, d. dede 519, fette 154, a. fette 155, sibbe 557. Comparatives have -e, bettre 53, more 420, leuere 139, eldere 483, but bet 420 (adverb form); superlatives are mostly without it, best 350 (3), brictest 6, first 185, gungest 214, 239, hegest 196, most 350, but gunkeste 5, gungeste 244 have weak inflection: boðen is pl. n. with added n, 179, pl. d. 103.
The personal pronouns are ic 21 (4), ‘hic,’ GE 34, rarely i, id. 309, me, we, ur pl. g. 316, us, ðu, (‘redes)tu,’ GE 2934, ðe, ge pl. n., gure g. 372, gu d. 314, a. 561, ge 406. Dual forms occur elsewhere, ‘wit,’ GE 1775, ‘unc,’ id. 1776, ‘gunc,’ id. 2830. The pronoun of the third person is s. n. he m. 4 &c., e 29 (4), (wel) i 582, she f. 21, ‘sche,’ GE 235, ‘sge’ id. 1444, ‘che,’ id. 1227, ghe 203, ‘ge,’ GE 1024, it neut. 12, (was)t 53, (‘stod)et,’ GE 590, with pl. verb, id. 1770, g. ‘hire’ f. id. 2035, d. him m. 60, (mad)im 62, ‘hin,’ GE 47, ‘hire’ f., id. 322, ‘it’ neut., id. 6, a. him m. 37, ‘hine,’ GE 3468 r. w. dine, ‘hin,’ id. 3004, ‘in,’ id. 3887, ‘hire’ f., id. 971, it neut. 63, (‘tell)et,’ GE 3526; pl. n. he 31 &c., once ‘ðei,’ GE 573, g. here 263, 410, 421, ‘ere,’ GE 2855, her 312, d. hem 14, (wex)em 11, a. hem 26 &c., is 184, 458, 503 (‘warp)es,’ GE 3025, ‘hes’ (= he them), id. 911, 943. Reflexives are ‘ðe self,’ GE 934, gu 358, him 169, hem 256, 355, ‘himseluen,’ GE 1338, ‘hemseluen,’ id. 537; definitive is self s. d. m. 235; possessives, mi s. n. m. 110, mine f. 565, in other cases min 72, 80, 371; pl. n. a. mine 566, min 282, 304, 404; ði s. n. f. 388, s. a. neut. 143, in other cases ðin 110, 125, 189, 436; pl. n. ðine 21; his 8 &c. as general form for the singular, written is 15 (6), but hise 91, 191, 236, 396, 474, 475, 490, 495, 569, 579, at all these places his is metrically admissible; pl. hise as the general form 25 &c., but his 40, 73, 75, is 14, 410, 429, hise being in all these places metrically admissible; ‘hire’ f., GE 333; ‘his’ neut., GE 120, ‘is,’ id. 327; ure 315, 547, 560, hure 260, 549, ur 226; ‘gunker,’ GE 398, gure 232 (4), gur 314; here 16 (8), ‘ere,’ GE 3773, her 13. The definite article is ðe 82 &c., de 97, ‘(at) te,’ GE 2756, miswritten ðo 164, instrumental, ðe 357, for ði 11; ðat 169 &c., ða 244, pl. ðo 98 &c. are demonstratives: wið ðan ðat conj. 389, miswritten wið ðanne ðat 550. The compound demonstrative is s. ðis 19, 131, ðes 166; pl. ðise 185, ðis 179, 186, ðes 253, in the last three places ðise is admissible. The relatives are ðat 22, 185 (= that which), ðe 102. Interrogatives are ‘quo,’ GE 2821, ‘quase,’ id. 2870, quam 374, quat 107 (5), ‘Queðer,’ GE 1471, quilc s. 474, ‘quil,’ GE 3631, quilke pl. 134, 404, ‘qwel,’ GE 170; the correlative is swilc s. 33, 59, 393, swil 442, pl. swilke 234, swilc 236, 500 (metre requires swilke in the latter place). Indefinites are quat so 37, 40, 388, quat so euere 386; men 204, 232, 277, ‘man,’ GE 1, 3; sum 515, 516, 517, ‘summe’ pl., GE 399, 401; ani 235; oðer s. 202, oðere pl. 183 (5), toðere 394, oðer 133, 510 (read oðre); anoðer 43, 157; ilc 410, euerilc 152, euerilk on 379; ‘mani,’ s., GE 696, manie 446 (read mani), manige pl. 234, 332, ‘manie,’ GE 4068; fele 425; fo 457; al s. 167, but allẹ s. d. f. 428, pl. alle 16 &c., halle 394, al 250, 325 (read alle).
Only two verbs, fare 443, reste 82, have infinitive in -e; all others, including thirteen of the second weak conjugation, end in -en. Contract verbs are bisen 195, sen 19 (5), seen 492, ten 9. The dative infinitive is not inflected, it has for prefix mostly to, but for to with bigen 300, cumen 123, geuen 452, slon 34. Presents are s. 1. bid 563, chare 444, rede 187; 2. findes 374, ‘betes,’ GE 3974, ‘haues,’ id. 360 and others in -es, ‘tregest,’ GE 3975 is isolated; 3. bimeneð 280, liueð 437, cliued 59, endedẹ 575, haued 92, helped 77, liued 60, ðinked 461, trewið 91; contracted are bitid 235, bit 292, hað 560, lið 12 (‘ligeð,’ GE 889, against metre), wurð 39 (5); pl. 1. holden 290, drege we 262; 2. senden 294, cume ge 225, haue ge 369; 3. hauen 72, wunen 518: subjunctive s. 2. friðe 389; 3. berge 583, helpe 582, leue 586, wurðe 111, deren 534 r. w. here, with irrational added n; pl. 1. liuen 550: imperative s. 2. bed 127, tel 110, forgiue 549, ðhenke 126; pl. 2. bereð 297, hoteð 564, seið 404. Past of Strong Verbs: I a. s. 3. bad 93, 175, bigat 332, forgaf 553, forgat 146, gaf 45, quad 35, quat 77, quað 121, sag 7, spac 395; pl. 3. bedden 327, leigen 16: I b. s. 3. bar 22, bicam 202, cam 55, nam 84, tobar 200; pl. 3. comen 75, nomen 61: I c. s. 1. gan 459, wrong 118, wurð 116; 3. abraid 165, bigan 462, fond 30, gan 8, geld 206, unbond 277, wurð 145, freinde 107 (weak form); pl. 3. funden 69, gunnen 546, gunen 432, gunne 49 (if the word following ends in n, there is a tendency to drop the verbal n, comp. 10, 420), wurðen 104: subjunctive s. 1. wurðe 128; 3. wurðe 272, wurð[e] 477: II. s. 3. bilef 214, 251, ros 32, wrot 578; pl. 3. abiden 537, smiten 163: III. s. 3. bead 548, bed 101, gret 71; pl. 3. boden 67, lutten 217: IV. s. 1. stod 113; 3. stod 15, swor 487, understod 264, woc 165; pl. 3. foren 536, token 254: V. IV. s. 3. wex 13, 291, weis 343; pl. 3. wexen 158: V. s. 3. forlet 494, het 419, knew 221, let 222, slep 37; pl. 3. fellen 326, knewen 31. Participles present: ‘sigande,’ GE 1436, ‘betende,’ id. 2713, ‘stondende,’ id. 3149; past: I a. beden 266, ?forgeten 233, freten 155, geuen 512: I b. bicumen 281, boren 214, cumen 190, forholen 371, fornumen 282, numen 32, ouercumen 162, stolen 129, soren 15, vndernumen 189: I c. bunden 270, swolgen 72, worpen 39, wurðen 517: II. driuen 375: III. drogen 456, forloren 565: IV. dragen 100, grauen 485, shauen 174, slagen 58, sworen 530: V. IV. waxen 114: V. fordred 245, holden 94, hoten 239, yoten 470, inflected, hotene s. d. 562. Past of Weak Verbs: s. 1. hadde 117; 3. bitagte 193, gatte 531, herde 107, likede 353, made 580, seide 19, missed 57, trewed 439, set 58, told 177, ðoht 352, went 543; pl. 1. sinigeden 259, werneden 261; 3. chidden 23, ferden 360, leiden 65, luueden 206, maden 88, senten 66, skinden 85, hertedin 76, biried 571, shewed 67, stunden 83. Participles present: ‘tuderande,’ GE 164, ‘wuniende,’ id. 2742; past: maked 524, smered 509, ðewed 10, bitid 74, mad 469, seid 479, sperd 93, srid 73, biment 256, ?fest 427, filt 361, ligt 306, ofrigt 104, went 365, inflected, welkede 161. Minor Groups: ‘witen’ inf., GE 328, wot 1 pr. s. 231, pr. s. 166, ‘witen’ pr. pl., GE 74, wiste 2 pt. s. 383, pt. s. 316, wisten pt. pl. 271; hunne pr. s. subj. 303; og 1 pr. s. 241, ‘oc’ pr. s., GE 197, ogen pr. pl. 108, owen 40, ‘agtes’ 2 pt. s., GE 1762, agte pt. s. 363, ‘oget,’ GE 324; duren pr. pl. 293, ‘durste’ pt. s., GE 2593, ‘dursten’ pt. pl., id. 1863; can pr. s. 176, ‘cunen’ pr. pl., GE 4054, cuðe pt. s. 208, kude 168, ‘cuðen’ pt. pl., GE 2996, kude 420, ‘kuð’ pp., GE 2666; sal 1 pr. s. 79, salt 2 pr. s. 20, ‘sal,’ GE 1815, ‘saltu,’ id. 1041, sal pr. s. 126, sulen 1 pr. pl. 22, 2 pr. pl. 408, sule ge 242, sulen pr. pl. 143, ‘sule’ GE 305, ‘suldes’ 2 pt. s., id. 3984, sulde pt. s. 24, sulden pt. pl. 355, sulde 10; ‘munen’ inf., GE 1622, ‘mune,’ id. 972, ‘to munen’ dat. inf., id. 197, ‘for to munen,’ id. 687, muneð pr. s. 463, ‘munen’ 1 pr. pl., GE 558, mune ?pr. s. subj. 476, ‘mune’ 2 pr. s. imp., GE 45; ‘mugen’ inf., GE 1818, mai pr. s. 19 &c., may 36, ‘muwen’ 1 pr. pl., GE 3316, ‘mugen’ pr. pl., id. 3017, ‘mogen,’ id. 3227, mugen pr. pl. subj. 144, migte 1 pt. s. 137, pt. s. 68, migt he 238, ‘migten’ pt. pl., GE 573; mot pr. s. 582, ‘mote’ 1 pr. s. subj., GE 1621, pr. s. subj., id. 2645, ‘muste’ pt. s., id. 2624; ben inf. 10, for to ben d. inf. 196, am 1 pr. s. 129, ‘best’ 2 pr. s., GE 2884, ‘beas,’ id. 365, ‘art,’ id. 356, is pr. s. 74, ‘beð,’ GE 182, ben 1 pr. pl. 258, 2 pr. pl. 223, pr. pl. 123, be 454, aren 282, ‘arn,’ GE 16, be pr. s. subj. 388, 565, ben pr. pl. subj. 566, beð 2 pr. pl. imp. 317, was 1 pt. s. 120, ‘wore’ 2 pt. s., GE 1759, was pt. s. 1, wast (= was it) 53, were we 1 pt. pl. 228, weren pt. pl. 255 (6), woren 100 (7), ‘worn,’ GE 61, wore pt. s. subj. 139, 246; wile pr. s. 180, nile 59, wilen 2 pr. pl. 358, welin (for wilen) pr. pl. 585, wulde pt. s. 9, ‘wolde,’ GE 912, ‘wulden’ pt. pl., id. 1075, ‘wolden,’ id. 3756, ‘nolden,’ id. 3029; ‘don’ inf., GE 194, vndon 168, to don d. inf. 28, doð(es) pr. s. 230, don 2 pr. pl. 285, pr. pl. 519, do pr. s. subj. 568, 2 pr. s. imp. 387, doð 2 pr. pl. imp. 405, dede pt. s. 44 (9), deden pt. pl. 2, dede 82, don pp. 41, 128, 315, 477, 542, do 142; gon inf. 238, ouergon 340, ‘to gon’ d. inf., GE 3078, ‘gon’ 2 pr. pl., id. 3124, ‘go’ 2 pr. s. imp., id. 2815, ‘goð’ 2 pr. pl. imp., id. 3585, gede pt. s. 43, ‘geden’ pt. pl., GE 1034, gon pp. 291.
[Vocabulary:] Scandinavian are ai 287, aren 282, blomede 115, boðen 103, 179, (bi)calleð 368, fo 457, fro 31, geren 495, grot 74, groten 80, hagt 98, heil(nesse) 122, eðen 242, ille 12, kides 63, lages 500 laiges 526, laðes 188, lit 64, liðeð 131, lote 382 loten 312, nai 35, oc 229, or 1, orest 115, raken 186, ransaken 377, rapen 430 rapeð 403, scaðe 352, seck 363, semet 223, skinden 85, (ouer)takeð 367, tiding 412, til 60, ðeden 84, ðog 24, 217, ðral(dom) 376, wante 298, witter 6, witter(like) 374, wopnede 533; probably busk 159, vnhillen 8; possibly bond 130, cartes 416, twinne 421; in sonderemen 65, er is probably due to Scandinavian influence. French are butuler 109 buteler 169, cisterne 38, feið 241, feste 524, fin 424, flum 540, fruit 301, graunte 590, haigre 73, hardi 175, lettres 581, merci 237, messe(song) 520, offiz 125, olie 512, paid 269, pais 589, plates 52, poure 233, present 327, pris 301, prisun 94, prisunes 98, prisuner 96, scite 469, seruede 105, spices 48, spice(like) 497, spies 223, spien 226, strif 494; possibly the interjection A 237, rospen 186 (OF. rosper). Latin are crisme 512, elmesse 520.
[Dialect:] East Midland of the Southern border. Its general character is definitely East Midland, but ā as occasionally oa in rhymes like ðoa : salmona GE 4129, woa : oba GE 880, the occurrence of hine : dine GE 3468, hin, id. 3004, yoten 470 beside hotene 562, wuniende GE 2472 as assured by the metre, æ + g as ei beside ai testify to contact with the South. The large proportion of French words may point in the same direction. Evidence of transmission through a North Midland copy is furnished by ā as occasionally a, sć as s, the pronouns ghe, ge beside she, ðei beside he pl., the 2 pr. s. ind. of verbs in -es, the pres. part. in -ande, and occasional aren beside usual ben. It was probably at this stage that the metre suffered by loss of final -e; some feminine endings may have become masculine. The scribe of our manuscript was probably faithful to his exemplar, for he was imperfectly acquainted with the language.
[Metre:] The short rhymed couplet, as in ON. It is not so skilfully handled here as in ON, but it was no less regular in its construction before the copyists tampered with the text. Skeat’s description of it as a verse of four accents, ‘the unaccented syllables being left, as it were, to take care of themselves’ is misleading, for it is a verse of four feet with the regulation number of accented and unaccented syllables. It differs from the verse of ON in the predominance of masculine endings, in the larger proportion of trisyllabic feet, and in the number of fourth feet with an additional syllable. The types, as in ON (see [pp. 564, 565]), are i. ðat hé | wel ðéw|ed súld|e bén, 10; so 11, 33, 46, 63, 64, 70, 73, 75, 89, 93 &c.: i a. Naí quad | rubén | slo wé | him nógt, 35; so 45, 72, 101, 110, 145, 202, 221, 297, 302, 331, 387, 408, 422, 435, 459, 460 &c.: i b. ðát | ðu sált | ðus wúrð|ed bén, 20; so 23, 30, 36, 222, 272, 295, 578: ii. He knéw|en hím | fro fér|en kúmen, 31; so 47, 80, 85, 87, 92, 100, 123, 124, 133, 137, 156, 157, 181, 207, 218, 230, 265, 299, 322, 324, 337, 344, 351, 355, 371, 405 &c.: ii a. Wúrðed|en hím | wið frígt|i lúue, 18; so 333, 334, 343: ii b. Né | ðat mét|e fró | hem béren, 138; so 469, J́t | was v́nd|ren tím|ẹ or móre, 323. The unstressed element in a foot, and especially in the third foot, is often doubled; one of the syllables often admits of being slurred: i. Twelwe gér | or ýs|aác | was déad, 1; so 246, 363, ðo wéx | her hért|es niðfúl | and bóld, 13; so 28, 34, 42, for thrít|ti plát|es to ðó | chapmén, 52; so 57, 71, 96 &c., Wið ðó | prisún|es to líu|en in hágt, 98, Jacób|es sún|es déd|en unréd, 2; so 29, 39, 40, 62, 84, 97, 369: i a. Ál but ðe | ton bróð|er sým|eón, 250, Sónder|e mén | he it leíd|en ón, 65; so 69, Goód is | quað jós|eph to drém|en of wín, 121; so 184, féllen | bifórn | ðat lóu|erdis fót, 326; so 436, 439, 451, 564: i b. dón | for ðe déd|e chírch|e góng, 519, Wénd|e him slág|en set úp | an rém, 58; so 328, ðát | ðe bár | sulen lút|en ðé, 22; so 78, 83, 127, 148, 171, 193, 200, 228, 254, 286, 289, 301, 308, 350, 427, 440, 452, 453, 487, Jác|ob ðús | him bimén|eð o rígt, 280; so 383, 391, 403: ii. seue eár|es wéx|en fétt|ẹ of córen, 158, Hu he sét|tẹ at ðe mét|e hís|e súnes, 348, Jc réd|e ðe kíng | nu hér | bifóren, 187; so 235, 270, 288, 294, 321, 338, 374, 437, 502, 537, He wás | iacób|es gunkést|e súne, 5; so 81, 88, 155, 162, 217, 220, 281, 367, 431, 463, 530, 565, 585, Jn tó | egípt|e lédd|en ðat wáre, 86; so 309, 357, 400: ii a. Tóward | here fád|er he gún|en drágen, 432, so 467, Ság he | ðor kúm|en wið spíc|es wáre, 48, Gáf he | is bréð|ẹre wið hért|e blíðe, 429: ii b. Ór | for misdéd|e or fór | onságen, 99, ðát | is hánd|ful stod rígt | up sóren, 15; so 79, 185, 219, 300, 362, 385, 402, 538. The light syllable is omitted in ii. Ne wíst|e he nógt | quát | he wóren, 434: ii b. Húr|e sínn|e ðú | hím | forgíue, 549, with good effect. Inversion of the accent is infrequent, i. ðu sált | áfter | ðe ðríd|de deí, 141, 517: i a. Kínde | lúue | gan him óu|ergón, 340, Jósep | háued | hem áft|er sént, 366, J́c am | iosép | drédeð | gu nógt, 397: ii. He bád | cártes | and waín|es nímen, 416, Quuor ié|su críst | wúlde | ben bóren, 484, He dógt | wið hém | réste | to háuen, 486, And ebrís|se fólc | ádden | an kíre, 505, Egípt|e fólc | áueð | him wáked, 523, He bád | síbbe | cumen hím | bifóren, 557. Synizesis occurs in olie 512, birigeles 528, biriele 542. Syncope of the syllable after the accent in trisyllabic words is certain in breðẹre 21, 325, 429, blomẹde 115, rechẹde 178, euẹrilc 268, lerẹde 354, eldẹre 483, luuẹde 554, and similarly in arẹn 282, comẹn 356, wilẹn 358; it is probable, though not assured by the metre in seruede 105, wrigteles 130, leuere 139, fugeles 143, euerilc 152 &c., gaderen 188, faderes 229, 347, oðere 253 (oðre 573), breðere 51 &c., werneden 261, wunede 471, eldere 560, hotene 562; the medial e in words of this type is nowhere necessary for the scansion. The verbal termination -eþ has probably full syllabic value everywhere, as it has at 77, 92, 286, 367, 523. Elision takes place in allẹ 16, wantedẹ 209, sentẹ 213, listnedẹ 276, ðhogtẹ 347, witterlikẹ 479, hiatus in 153, 155, 233, 246, 252, 262, 367, 378, 425, 551, 586: in a large number of lines there is a choice between elision and hiatus; in view of the author’s liking for trisyllabic feet, the preference should perhaps be given to the latter.
Proper names of three syllables have, with few exceptions, two accents, those of two syllables are very often stressed on the second, according to the current clerical use, for Mammotrectus says ‘nulla dictio de natura acuit ultimam nisi . . . hebraica · ut David ⁊ Jacob.’ So ábrahám, adád, béniamín (10), but béniamin 422, chánaán, ‘cánahán,’ GE 726, dotáym, ebrón, éffraým, gálaád, génesís, gersén, iurdón, mánassén, pháraón 119 (7), pháraún 172 r. w. prisun, but pháraon 191, 465, pharáon 411, pútifár 87, 199, but pv́tifar 91, rámesé, sichém 25, but síchem 29, sýmeón, ýsaác. Otherwise egípte, once egípt 213, iácob, ácob 445, jacóbes, iésu, jóseph, jósep, ósep (18), iosép 92, 266, joséph 139 r. w. swep, in many other places the metre admits of either accentuation, josépes, júdas 387, elsewhere indeterminate, as Vdas 45, móyses, pháran, rúben 55, elsewhere rubén is possible; adjectives are cristéne 510, ebrísse. The spelling of the proper names mostly follows Comestor or the Vulgate, but ebron, egipte, jurdon, pharaon are French, and probably ramese; in view of the variants, no conclusion can be drawn from initial j in Jacob, Judas, and Joseph; for the last the author probably wrote iosep throughout.
The corruptions of the text consist mostly of inversions of the word order and additions which aim at greater clearness or emphasis. Line 6, read witter of wune (H = Holthausen); l. 7, hise breðere sag (H); l. 8, gan it; l. 24, ðog ðhóg|te iác|ob it súl|de bén; l. 53, was it; l. 60, Til he him; l. 77, it helpeð (H); l. 82, Wor sé|li fólc | hem rést|e déde, comp. GE 257; l. 91, his; l. 108, Harde drém|es óg|en a wóld|e ðát; l. 118, ðorin, comp. GE 3634; l. 130, And wrígt | ẹleslík|e hóld|en in bónd; l. 134, omit ðe; l. 149, read ðo drémp|te phá|raón | a drém; comp. 200/119, 127; l. 159, ránkẹ on | an búsk | and wél | tidí; l. 163, To sám|en smít|en and ón | a stúnd; l. 172, omit ðe king; l. 173, omit ðo; l. 180, omit king; l. 182, read In fúl | sumhéd | súlen | ben númen, comp. 207/351, 208/400; l. 183, And séu|e súl|en áft|er bén; l. 186, ðisẹ óð|ẹre súl|en rósp|en and ráken; l. 189, ðat ðin fólc | ne wúrð|e v́nd|er númen; l. 190, omit forð (H) and read ger; l. 191, omit king; l. 199, read was v́n|der hím | ðo pú|tifár; l. 214, biléf | at hóm | was gúng|est bóren; l. 225, And cúm|en fór | non óð|er ðíng; l. 241, Nú | bi ðe feíð | ic og phár|aón (H); l. 269, H would read here for ðe, but ?pai-ed; l. 275, omit so; l. 279, omit ðanne; l. 285, read If bén|iamín | ge; l. 287, Aí | sal hé | wið mé | biléwen; l. 290, omit non; l. 293, read Óc | he ne dúr|en weí | cumen ín, comp. 206/305; l. 310, omit alle; l. 311, omit alle; l. 312, read Here nón | ðo lót|en hád|den míri; l. 317, Béð | nu stíll|e quád | þe stiwárd; l. 341, Sone gé|de he út; l. 358, If gé | gu wíl|ẹn wið tréw|ðẹ léden, comp. 212/512; l. 361, omit alle; l. 370, read Grét | vnsélð|e is gú | cumen ón; l. 384, ðát | ic ám | wol wítt|er o ðógt; l. 386, Quat só | on lónd|e wúrð|e stólen, comp. 198/37, 40, 208/388, GE 270; l. 394, he dé|de ut áll|e ðe tóð|ẹre gón; l. 396, ðat ál | his wlít|e wurð tér|es wét; l. 400, Get fúll|e fíu|e súl|en ben númen; l. 411, omit king, and in line 412, newe; l. 421, omit here; l. 438, read Al egípt|e ín | his wíll|e clíueð; l. 446, Ánd | of his kínd|e mán|i a mán; l. 476, On ðhíng | ðat óff | og é | wel múne; l. 477, read wurðe; l. 492, Hál|i gást | it him déd|e sén; l. 495, read his; l. 498, And egípt|e fólc | him faír|e biwáken; l. 500, read swíl|ke; l. 514, ðo bén | ðam ál | ðat wéch|e déde; l. 528, scan get ádd|e jác|ob bír|yels nón; l. 529, omit king; l. 531, omit it; l. 542, scan ðor ís | ðat lích | in bír|yels dón; l. 545, read Hise bréð|ẹre ðán|ne cóm|en him tó; l. 546, omit alle; l. 550, read Wið ðán | ðat wé | ðe v́nd|er líuen; l. 577, ðe móy|ses eár | ðurg gód|es réd; l. 579, read his; l. 587, éngẹles | amóng | and sé|li mén, comp. GE 700, 785. In ll. 66, 67, it, though metrically admissible, is superfluous: l. 68 may be scanned, Jf his chíld|es wéd|e it mígt|e bén: ll. 250, 251 are unrhythmical and al in the former, ungrammatical, perhaps, álle but | here bróð|er sým|eón might be read, for l. 251 Holthausen proposed, biléf | ðis bróð|er ðór | in bónd: in l. 291, ðe dérð|e wéx | would improve the rhythm, as ure for ur in l. 316: scan l. 470, ðe wás | y-ót|en rám|esé. A considerable use is made of alliteration.
[Introduction:] The author tells us that his song is drawn out of Latin and written in simple language for those who are not book-learned. He was probably a secular priest, for there is no reference to the monastic life in his work. His source was almost exclusively the Historia Scholastica of Peter Comestor (here quoted from the edition printed by Crespin at Lyons in 1526), but he occasionally referred to the Vulgate. As his purpose was narrative, he leaves out most of Comestor’s learned disquisitions, but he retains those at ll. 81-4, 501-21 and somewhat enlarges the latter. The source of ll. 354-58 has not been discovered; it may have been an interpolated Comestor. The addition of ‘ouer pharan’ in l. 541 is probably due to the author.