w is written u in betuene 9, suo 135, uilleth 200; it has disappeared in siche 179, so 59: vrefore 246 is miswritten for werfore. Metathesis of r is seen in undren 205, in loruerde 103 the scribe has added r by anticipation. ll is simplified in ffolvellet 90, uuluelden 93, godspel 242, iwil 114 &c.; Kentish wordle 191 &c. alternates with world 228. m is doubled in comme 55; mm simplified in wyman 87. The preposition in is reduced to i 5 &c.; nn is simplified in clenesse 92, cumene 284, done 191, heþenesse 8; n is lost in heueriche 252, 256, 281. bb is simplified in habeþ 259. Initial f is u, v in vaire 177, uastinge 57, velaghes 218, ueréé 51, verrene 35, uerste 223, uuluelden 93 and medially between vowels and vowellikes, ffolvellet 90, iuel 84, over 26, senuulle 142, with exceptions bifore 25, 104, underfonge 254, þerefore 254, werefore 238, vrefore 246, otherwise f occurs under all conditions. f is assimilated in hedde 41, lost in hest 101, iheed 248, lordes 32, lordinges 31. For t, th appears in wath 102 (comp. ethe in Ayenbite), and td in hotestd 266: t is doubled in yeftte 37, lost in beste 100, last 212 and finally in þa 82, 180, þe 39, 280. d is doubled in risindde 8; dd simplified in ofdred 16. For þ, th is often written in verbal terminations, t occurs in habbet 62, 64, 85, maket 121, d in bied 116, bitockned 107, bitokned 142, betokned 116, 143, 152, 266, drinked 115, hatied 278, tþ in habbetþ 219, dh in biedh 143, clepiedh 185, hatedh 73, mudh 113. Initial þ is t twice, to 58, 175 after and; the scribe must have had ant in mind or in his exemplar. A parasitic þ has been inserted in alþer 266, OE. ealra, an early instance of a form common in the South. For voiced s, z occurs in sechez 21, serganz 88, 89, signefiez 142, but it is not used initially. ss appears as sc in blisce 70. sc is s, sal 34, seawede 37, solle 271, sulle 223, srifte 159, flesliche 43, fles 237, but ssipe 168 (4), wesse 92, flesce 56, flessce 59. The stop c is k before e, i, akelþ 108, wakie 57, before a, u, kam 12, kuþe 17, in combination with consonants, biknewe 8, tokningge 141, folk 135, except cl, cr, clenesse 92, croos 90: it is c before o, cometh 22. Finally it is c or k, spac 20, bak 111, tok 139, 175: c is written ck in betockneþ 225, bitockneþ 268, bitockned 107, and gk in forþingketh 222. The graph xp (= χρ) is used in xpisteneman 107 &c., xpisteman 109: the Latin text has chana 78 for Cana. č is ch, besech 125, bisecheth 182, chald 109, chold 124, chereche 149, child 21, euerich 122, -lich 41 &c., michel 15, kingriche 16, seche 36, speche 33, swiche 127, techinge 231, þenche 245, wiche 145, wrench 275, sch in schald 108, but hic 22 &c., besekeþ 68: čč is ch, smech 50, wrichede 59. Palatal g is written y, ayen 30, toyenes 235, (wyn)yarde 203, yaf 158, ye 21, yemer 114, yere 66, yeue 210, yeftte 37, the doubling in winyyarde 272 was without intention: y is lost in iyue 133, gegiefen. It has developed to w in mowe 53, moue 72 and is lost in muee 33; other spellings are seen in tojanes 8, hye 64: yu 89, yure 64 have imitated ye, gē. g is lost finally in words ending in -ig. čǧ is gg in sigge 53 &c. The guttural stop is written g, gold 11, king 15, doubled in tokningge 141: for ng, nk appears in kink 38, offrinke 34, 36, þinkes 74, 112. The spirant is gh, daghen 252, haleghen 146, laghe 17, legheþ 275, oghe 112, seghe 105, moreghen 202, sorghen 185. Similarly the guttural spirant h is represented by ch, ibrocht 99, nacht 65, nocht 23, þurch 119 &c., but þurh 188; palatal are bricht 44, licht 46, michte 24, nicht 28, richt 209. h is added in hac 87, hic 66 &c., hifunde 21, his 218, hure 178, 198, hut 279, hye 64: h is lost in i 43, 250, is 232, ise 168, 246. hr is r, raþe 140, as already in OE., hw, w, wee 207, wer 13, vrefore 246, wiche 145, wo 48, wylem 38, but hwilem 19, 258, hwylem 117.
[Accidence:] Strong declension of masc. and neut. nouns. In the s. n. sune 48 represents sunu. Gen. -es, domes 192, liues 275; heueriche 252, 256, 281 is a composition form: d. -e, bodie 158, with short stem vowel, daye 69, daie 220, 227, gode 49 (10), marcatte 206, ueréé 51; exceptions are god 47, gost 72, iwil 157; peny 203 is probably accusative: the time words dai 5 (11), midday 205 (3), euen 235, moreghen 202 (5), undren 205 (3) are treated as accusatives, as occasionally in OE. tō-dæg, on mid-dæg, on undern. In the acc. bodi 60, peny 213, 215, 216, peni 251, 255, 281 have lost final g. The pl. n. a. of masculines ends in -es, bakbiteres 111, lordinges 31, daies 66, but husberners 111, croos 90; neuters are n. þinges 59, 61; a. þinges 73, 74, þinkes 74, werkes 50 (5), faten 91, 93. Pl. d. -es, angles 150, londes 31, 36, werkes 68 (4), writes 183, but daghen 252, wyntre 266 (comp. nom. wintru). All feminine nouns of the strong declension have -e throughout the singular, except n. lauedi 87, leuedi 83; d. lauedi 6, world 228, 238, 258, 263, wordl 230 (but wordle 191, 236, 243); a. hond 138. Plurals are n. deden 111, saulen 191, sennen 145, leuedis 31, tides 227; d. hertes 72, niedes 181, 185, offringes 63, wordles 259, sennen 147, sorghen 185; a. sennen 142, 143, 160. Nouns of the weak declension have -e throughout the singular, n. sterre 7, tunge 282, yare 282; d. bredgume 99, sunne 44, time 168; a. beliaue 41; plurals are d. haleghen 146; a. time 228. The minor declensions are represented by man s. n. 123, sikman 136, xpistenman 69, goodman 202, wyman 87, mannes s. g. 147, cristenemannes 45, men s. d. 260, manne 46, 120, cristenemanne 52, 69, man 265, 267, 268, s. a. 120, men pl. n. 15, pl. d. 153, pl. a. 142, werkmen 203; fader s. n. 48; frend s. n. 221; child s. a. 21; nicht s. d. 28. The French nouns have -es in the pl., except geus 15, gyus 13, paens 245, 247, serganz 88, 89.
Adjectives which in OE. end in e retain it throughout; those in -ig lose g and are invariable in the singular, so stille, newe, holi, onlepi 48. Weak inflections are s. n. m. euele 107, 109, gode 44, 45, vaire 177, f. gode 52, s. g. m. gode 45, s. d. m. euele 120, gode 46, 52, f. griate 272, ialde 39, neut. wrichede 59; strong, s. g. neut. longe 275, s. d. m. gode 67, 230, f. diadliche 150, 153, 154, 157, 189, 278, griate 234, neut. euele 157, s. a. m. gode 173. Not inflected are weak s. a. neut. heþen 239; strong, s. d. f. diadlich 264, neut. good 183, yemer 114, s. a. m. god 234, good 120, hool 137, s. a. f. gret 171, griat 201. French words have no inflection. The plural ends in -e, bitere 59, diadliche 143, euele 109, 156, senuulle 142, verrene 35, but heþen 252 and the predicative idel 207, 238, 241, 246 are uninflected. litel is litle, s. d. m. 174, pl. d. 147, pl. a. 143; āgen, oghe, s. n. m. 112. ān adj. is n. an before vowel 28, a before consonant 80, 136, 169, o 14, d. ane f. 81, neut. 168, a. ane 203, 213, 214, 216, emphatic form on n., a certain, 202, one d. 134, a. 199: the numeral and pronoun is d. one 117, 118, 168, on 221, a. on 218: nān adj. is s. n. no 55, 148, 273, noon 282, d. f. no 263, neut. none 157, a. neut. noon before vowel 221, no 85, pl. d. none 156: the pronoun is n. s. noon 148, non 247, 274. Adjectives with inflection used as nouns are euele s. d. 126, 138, gode 126, eueles pl. d. 190, godes 65, gode pl. a. 58; euel 186, good 281, unricht 221 are s. a. neut. Comparatives are greater s. d. f. 267 (2); more 217, namore 87 used as nouns: superlatives, formeste 134, beste 100, 102; used as nouns are ferste pl. 213, uerste pl. 223, laste pl. 218, 224; predicative are hotestd 266, ferst 224, last 223.
The personal pronouns are hic 22 (8), i(ne) 104, 221, me, we, us, þu, þe, ye, hye 64, yu, yw 174, 251. The pronoun of the third person is s. n. he m. 15 &c., ha 20 (21) often stressless, a 250, 264, ha in has 69, hi 26 for he, hi f. 87, hye 87, hit neut. 18, with m. f. nouns 50, 175; d. him m. 11, hire f. 86; a. hine m. 172, 283, hyne 10, hin 27 before vowel, hym 13 (possibly dative), hit neut. 21; pl. n. hi 8 &c., hie 207, i 43, 250; g. here 216; d. hem 10; a. hi 185, 204, hij 248, hem 17 (possibly dative), is in has 69, his 218. Reflexives are hine 148, him 170, him seluen 123, hem pl. d. 217, pl. a. 25, 92, 177; definitive are himselue s. d. neut. 115, himseluen 183: possessives, mine s. d. m. 209, 250, 251, f. 137, neut. 138, min s. a. neut. 222; þine s. d. m. 219; his s. 211 &c., is 232, pl. hise 15, 83, 171, ise 168, 246, his 103, 146, 150, 233; here 85; ure 5, 68, 280, hure 178, 198; yure 64; here 11 (10), hire 27, 30, 185. In the following account of the article and demonstrative the translator is assumed to have taken the genders of French nouns from the French original. The definite article is s. n. se m. 13 (15), þe 211, þe commencement 102, þe miracle 140, þo 265, si f. 31 (6), and with masc. nouns 6, 12, 45, si miracle 31, 177, þe 141, 255, þe custome 93, þe nature 266, þet neut. 32 (12); g. þes m. 214 (perhaps miswritten for his); d. þo m. 9 (17), þe 50 (13), þo f. 8 (18), þe 45 (6), þe cite 6, þo neut. 5 (12), þe 33 (8); a. þane m. 175, 274, 281, þan 206, 235, þo 25, 269, þo miracle 176, þe 44 (7), se 107, þo f. 70 (11), (and) to 175, þe 53 (7), þet neut. 21 (8); instrumental þe 105, 178: pl. n. þo 24 (17), þe 226, 247; d. þo 7 (11), þe 183; a. þo 56 (12), (and) to 58, þe 58, 89, 228, 229, 245. Þet is demonstrative adj. 42 (3), 49, 54 (2), 281, also þa s. d. m. 82, s. d. neut. 82, 180, þo s. d. m. 267; the plural is þo 59, 72, 73, 74 (2), 145, 147, 176, þa d. 252: þet is demonstrative pronoun 22, 68, 281, þat 150, 152, 161, þe[t] 280; for þet 15, 23, 24 means because, be þet 37, by that that: the plural is þo, mostly with relatives, þo þet 108 &c., those who, 231, those to whom, 283, for those who: other pronominal uses of the article are seen in se þet 96, 154, 180, he who, for þan 272, on that account, er þane 171 (read þan), before. The compound demonstrative is s. n. þes m. 225, þis, þis commencement 102, þis miracle 140, 177, þis f. þis signefiance 122, þis tempeste 171; d. þise m. 210, f. 152 (4), þis 229 (6), þise neut. 84, 97; a. þise f. 204, 222, þis neut. 20: pl. n. þos 210, 217, a. 90, 91. The relative is þet and þat; it means that which in 43, 209, 243, 278, 279, 280, in which 82, anyone who 208. Interrogative are wat 86, 174, 221, wet 42, 151, wiche 145, wyche 112; the correlative is swiche s. d. m. 179, siche s. a. m. 179, swiche pl. 127, 191, 262: ilca is ilke pl. 59, ileke 61, 72, 73, ilek 74. Indefinites are wo so 48; me 34, 38, 58, 145, man 112, 274; oþer 188, oþre pl. 111, 121, 210, oþer 100, 153; anoþer s. d. m. 30, anoþren 34; euerich 122, 216, eueriche s. d. m. 213, 260, aueriche 69, euerich 214; mani 118, 234; fele 224, 270; feaue pl. 224; al s. 243 &c., alle pl. 15 &c., pl. g. alþer 266.
Verbs in -an, except the contract slon 24, have infinitive in -e, bidde 75, bileue 75, yeue 251 and twenty-five other examples; those in -ian with short stem vowel have -ie, luuie 74, hatie 72, makie 34, 137, wakie 57, with long stem vowel, -i, loki 148. French verbs with consonant stems follow the latter, acumbri 187, anuri 22, onuri 24, serui 75 (3), somoni 16, suffri 41, targi 273, uisiti 57, with these is associated offri 10. The dat. infinitive is inflected in to cumene 284 only; it has -en in to siggen 123, 152, 231, otherwise -e, with prefixed for te, habbe 256, here 203, liese 16, wende 273; with to, seche 36, sigge 90 (3), slepe 170; Fr. for to anuri 10, to serui 273. Presents are s. 1. beneme 186, habbe 67, sigge 104; Fr. sucuri 185; 2. makest 218, syncopated hest 101; 3. belongeth 86, betockneþ 225, luueþ 279 and twelve others in -eþ, bitockned 107, betokned 116, 143, 152, 266, bitokned 142, luued 74, maked 119, hatedh 73, loket 60, maket 121; Fr. ofserueth 112, signefieth 40 (4), turneþ 265, amuntet 52, defendet 54, ofseruet 70, signefiet 55, 57, signified 50, 113, signefiez 142; syncopated are akelþ 108, anhet 115, forbiet 73, forliest 154, liest 145, 153, halt 283, hath 48, hot 88, 279, hóót 74, 280, licht 46, seith 183 (4), seid 113, 274, sent 264, sterft 154, telþ 32 (5), yefþ 272; the syncopated forms are thus as numerous as the full forms: pl. 1. bisecheth 182, habbeth 219 (3), redeth 5, habbetþ 219, hopieþ 256 (verbs in -ian with short stem vowel have -ieþ in pr. pl., -ie in subj.); Fr. perisset 173; 2. habbeth 21, 106, habbet 62, 64, 151, luuieþ 278, hatied 278, syncopated dret 174; Fr. ofserueþ 281; 3. betockneþ 226, habbeþ 100, 218, drinked 115, liesed 114, habbet 85, luuieþ 283, clepiedh 185, syncopated yeft 35; Fr. defendet 60: subjunctive s. 3. helpe 182, loke 122, wende 126, yeue 71, 159, yef 191 before vowel, luuie 244; Fr. deliuri 190, granti 284, serui 244, sucuri 181; pl. 1. beleue 47, loke 152, grede 186, 189, offre 42, 47, sigge 189, clepie 181; Fr. perissi 190; 2. falle 155: imperative s. 2. agyn 212, besech 125, yef 213, yeld 211, clepe 211; Fr. saue 172, sauue 189; pl. 2. bereth 96, cometh 22, 159, ihiereth 42, lokeþ 155, offreth 65, ffolvellet 90, forleted 159, greded 158, sechez 21; Fr. anuret 22, moveth 95. Past of Strong Verbs: I a. s. 3. spac 20, 87, yaf 158, 214; pl. 3. seghen 25, 215, seghe 105, speken 13: I b. s. 3. kam 12 (4), naam 237; pl. 3. comen 35 (4), nomen 9: I c. s. 3. fond 206 (3); pl. 1. fonden 208: II. s. 3. aros 169, 174, aróós 171: IV. s. 3. tok 139, 175: V. IV. pl. 3. wesse 92: V. s. 3. het 29, iuel 84; pl. 3. biknewe 8, helden 235. Participles present: II. risindde 8; past: I a. iseghe 176, iyue 133: I b. ibore 6 (4), bore 71, icume 216, 253, icomen 215: I c. idrunke 97, hifunde 21, ifonden 27: III. icornéé 224: V. behote 19, ihialde 101, underfonge 254, ofdred 16. Past of Weak Verbs: s. 3. ansuerede 220, answerde 86, clepede 89, makede 118, made 103, 135, offrede 38, seauede 237, seaude 249, hedde 97 (5), iherde 14 (5), iherede 232, seide 20 &c., sente 204, tachte 249; Fr. aperede 28, apierede 7, aresunede 245, failede 84, onurede 136, sucurede 180, paide 214; pl. askede 13, awakede 172, beleuede 103, offrede 40 (4), seawede 37, 39, hadde 173, hedde 41 (3), seyde 208, answerden 18 (3), hedden 11 (9), nedden 242, maden 63, seiden 172, 217, seden 230, uuluelden 93, wenden 216, wenten 25; Fr. anurede 27, gruchchede 217, seruede 88, 230, serueden 258. Participles past: astrengþed 179, bileued 242, clensed 139, icleped 81, pl. iclepede 91, 224, imaked 81 (3), maked 119, imad 204, ioffred 64, ismered 55, istrengþed 106, iþoled 219, iheed 248, iherd 62 (5), ileid 170, iseid 19, 259, itold 67, 222, anheet 116, 124, ibrocht 99, iwent 94; Fr. anud 15, anured 71, aparailed 11, asoiled 160, deseiurd 147, deseuerd 156, deseurd 148, 149, ientred 254, isauued 192, iserued 96, itravailed 218, iwarisd 140. Minor Groups: wot pr. s. 274, wiste pt. s. 173, pt. pl. 98, niste 98; kuþe pt. pl. 17; dorste pt. s. 87; sal 1 pr. s. 210, 251, pr. s. 34, 178, sollen 1 pr. pl. 200, 254, sollie 2 pr. pl. 160, sulle pr. pl. 223, solle 271, solde pt. s. 14 (4), pt. pl. 30, solden 250; micht 2 pr. s. 137, mai pr. s. 148 (3), may 58 (5), mowe 1 pr. pl. 53, 260, moue 72, muee 2 pr. pl. 33, mowe 1 pr. pl. subj. 75, michte pt. s. 24; mote 2 pr. s. subj. 127, pr. pl. subj. 192; bi inf. 14, 71, bie 178, 223, bien 18, 192, am 1 pr. s. 184, art 2 pr. s. 124, 125, is pr. s. 31 &c., his 122, nis 146, 148, bieþ 1 pr. pl. 152 (3), 2 pr. pl. 155 (5), bie ye 207, bieth pr. pl. 59 (5), biedh 143, bi 2 pr. s. subj. 139, be (swo) pr. s. subj. 263, bie 2 pr. pl. subj. 156, be pr. pl. subj. 263, bieþ 2 pr. pl. imp. 160, was pt. s. 6 (6), were pt. pl. 91 (3), weren 176, ware 91, waren 215, 216, ibe pp. 238 (5), ibye 219; wille 1 pr. s. 22, 139, wilt 2 pr. s. 137, wille pr. s. 182, 187, wile 180, nel 55, uilleth 1 pr. pl. 200, wolde pt. s. 23 (3), wolden pt. pl. 10; do inf. 58 (6), misdo 62, don 200, to done d. inf. 191, for to done 241, to do 58 (nominative), do 1 pr. s. 221, 222, deþ pr. s. 70 (3), doþ 179, 2 pr. pl. 279, 280, pr. pl. 100 (3), do pr. s. subj. 125, 126, 2 pr. pl. subj. 279, doþ 2 pr. pl. imp. 89, dede pt. s. 16 (5), deden pt. pl. 235, ido pp. 50, 101; go inf. 22, 57, gon 10, 192, goth pr. s. 51, go 2 pr. s. imp. 212, goþ 2 pr. pl. imp. 20 (3), yede pt. s. 12 (5), pt. pl. 210, yeden 252, igo pp. 239.
Noteworthy adverbs are al 8, 11, 212, alast 236, euerte 135, neuerte 248, ihende 55, 60, onlepiliche 65, also in Ayenbite; prepositions, the alternatives an 71, ane 242, a 192; at 84, ate 229; for 41, fore 67, 105; in 81 (11) mostly before vowels, ine 18 (33) mostly before consonants, inne 154, i 5 (5) followed by the definite article; to 22, te 5 &c. stressless, inte 250, 251, and amenges 217, an early instance, wath 102; conjunctions, ase so 110, 144 translating si cume, al wat 26, þe 39 for þet, þo þet 242, 246 meaning inasmuch as.
[Vocabulary:] Scandinavian are velaghes 218, fela(rede) 147, scab 142, and probably bakbiteres 111, as a compound. French are †acumbri 187, †age 265, †amonestement 61, †amuntet 52, †anud 15, †anuri 10, onuri 24, †anvie 188, †aparailed 11, †aperede 28, apierede 7, apostles 246, †aresunede 245, †asoiled 160, auenture 84, †bunte 272, chaste 120, cite 6, †commandement 214, †commencement 102, †compainie 149, conseil 9, †contrarie 101, †cors 55, custome 93, †cuuenable 37, deciples 84, †defendet 54, deliuri 190, †deseiurd 147, deseuerd 156, deseurd 148, †diuers 259, †ensample 35, failede 84, folies 121, geus 15, gyus 13, †glorius 31, glutunie 144, grace 72, granti 284, gruchchede 217, †hasteliche 94, †ientred 254, †iwarisd 140, large 121, lecherie 110, lechur 120, lepre 137, leprus 136, †maladie 140, manere 188, merci 158, miracle 98, montayne 134, †moveth 95, †nature 267, †naturel(liche) 115, nature(liche) 108, offrendes 12, 27, (of)serueth 112, †orgeilus 120, †paens 245, paide 214, †painime 71, †pardurable(liche) 148, patriarches 229, †pelrimage 57, peril 180, †perissi 190, poure 58, prechur 249, profetes 19, prophete 249, religiun 92, roberie 110, †sacrefise 39, sarmun 135, saue 172, sauue 189, seinte 6, sergant 211, serui 75, seruise 200, †signefiance 62, †signefieth 40, somoni 16, spus(breche) 144, †sucuri 181, suffri 41, †targi 273, †tempeste 170, †trauail 212, †itravailed 218, †umble 120, ure 218, urisun 67, †verray 39, uertu 126, uisiti 57, †ydres 90. The words marked † appear for the first time in English. marcatte 206 is probably a post-Conquest borrowing: offri 10 is French in form, but its meaning is the restricted one of OE. offrian. Latin are Architriclin 96 (pre-Conquest), probably clerekes 17, the French original has clers, possibly religiun 92. The French borrowings are often Anglo-French in form. The prefix in acumbri is en-, in ofseruet, English of-, with meaning for the compound, gains by serving; anud (enuier) and ensample for essample show an exchange of prefixes; in anvie a is written for e before a nasal; anuri is a contamination of aorer and honorer; in contrarie the affix is AF. -arie for OF. -aire, in manere, AF. -ere for OF. -iere, so -ur for -eor in lechur, prechur; OF. -ee (Latin -āta) is e in contre. In grant, OF. graanter, a is lost, in age, e initially, and after ai in painime, also between l and r in pelrimage. In sarmun, e becomes a before r + cons., but not in serganz; ie for e in apierede, as often in AF. texts, is probably here Kentish interchange of e, ie; u for o before n appears in amuntet, bunte, religiun, urisun, but not in commandment, commencement, the same substitution takes place in suffri; ai before s is phonetic e in aresunede; ai followed by e is ae in paens; ai + n mouillé is simple ai, ay in compainie, montayne; ei before vr is e in deseuered, deseur[e]d, but deseiur[e]d 147; ei before l mouillé is ai in aparailed; OF. juiu, later giu, is represented by geus, gius, as in MS. A; OF. ue is o in moveth; the regular representation of L. ŏ + l mouillé is seen in asoiled, but orgeilus is an isolated spelling, the usual diphthong being oi, ui, perhaps the writer was influenced by English orgel. OF. üi is u in anu[e]d. ch for c before i is doubled in gruchchede; n is lost in cuuenable, as in MS. A; r is doubled in verray; z has the value of ts in serganz; the spelling deciple is in MS. A.
[Dialect:] A scribe, not Kentish but probably South Midland, has copied with tolerable fidelity a Kentish manuscript, but alien forms such as aueriche 69, lauedi 6, war 26, ware 91, waren 215, spac 20, yaf 158 intrude; chold 124, as a compromise between chald of the exemplar and cold is significant.
[Introduction:] Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris from 1160 to 1196, composed in Latin a series of sermons on the gospels for the Sundays and other festivals of the Christian year, which were intended for the use of the priests in his diocese. The French versions of these are, in the opinion of Bourgain and Lecoy de la Marche, free reproductions by various preachers. That they were exceedingly popular is shown by the large number of manuscript copies which have survived. These have been classified by Meyer in two redactions. Our translator has used a manuscript of class A, and indeed one differing little from MS. Douce 270, Bodleian (D), written in England early in the thirteenth century. It has, however, a plus not represented in the English translation, which occasionally rather resembles MS. Ashmole 1280, Bodleian (A) also of the thirteenth century.
The translator gives a very literal rendering of his original; it influences his idiom, order and choice of words, even to the borrowing of an occasional inflection, as in sechez 251/21 (= querrez) and probably in signifiez 218/42 (= signefie). As the French sermons are not easily accessible, the fourth is here printed from D, with some variants from A. ‘Nos trouon lisand (lisons) en saint euangille dui . ke n·s· dex entra une fiez en une nef ⁊ si disciple le siuirent. Et si cum il furent en la mier . si leua un grant torment ⁊ nostre sire se esteit cochiez dormir . en la nief . deuant ceo ke li tormenz comencast. Et si disciple eurent grant pour; del torment . sil esueillerent . ⁊ si li distrent . Sire sauue nos; ke (kar) nos perisons . ⁊ il estoit chose de ce . kil nauoent creance (bone fiance) `i´ oi creance ne fiance en lui . ⁊ il lor dist . Que cremez uus gent de petite fei? si leua sus . si chosa deliurement les uenz . ⁊ la mer . sempres se furent appeisie. Et cum li hom qui erent en la mer (nef) eurent ueu le miracle . si sesmerueillerent mout. Ceo `est´ li bons (beaus) miracles ke leuangille dui nus reconte . si en duit estre afferme nostre creance. Car bien deit len creire en celui seignor qui tel miracle pot fere . ⁊ fet quant il ueut. OR nus besoigne que cil qui securut ses desciples en icel peril; quil nus sucurre en noz perilz . ⁊ il le fra uolentiers se nus len crion merci . par bone uolentie. Si cum il meisme dist par la sainte escripture . Je sui fet il la saluetie del pople . quant il mapeleront en lor besoigne . [e]t en lur angoises . Jo les orroj . ⁊ serrai lur deu pardurables. Prion lui donc merci seurement se diable nus uout enconbrer . par peche . par orgoil . ⁊ par enuie . o par ire . . . crions li merci . ⁊ si li disons . Sire saluez nos . ke nus ne perisons . . . ⁊ que il nus deliure de tuz mals . ⁊ quil nus doinst tot bien . ⁊ nus dont tels oures a faere en cest siecle que les almes ⁊ les cors (cors de nus) poisent estre sauuie . al ior del ioise.’