Specimens of Semi-Saxon and Early English.
EXTRACT FROM THE BRUT OF LAYAMON—About 1180.
| He nom tha Englisca boc Tha makede Seint Beda; An other he nom on Latin, Tha makede Seinte Albin, And the feire Austin, The fulluht broute hider in. Boc he nom the thridde, Leide ther amidden, Tha makede a Frenchis clerc, Wace was ihoten, The wel couthe writen, And he hoc yef thare aethelen Allienor, the wes Henries quene, Thes heyes kinges. | He took the English book That Saint Bede made; Another he took in Latin, That Saint Albin made, And the fair Austin, That baptism brought hither in. The third book he took, And laid there in midst, That made a French clerk, Wace was he called, That well could write, And he it gave to the noble Eleanor, that was Henry's Queen, The high king's. |
EXTRACT FROM A CHARTER OF HENRY III.—1258.
| Henry, thurg Gode's fultome, King on Engleneloande, Lhoaverd on Yrloand, Duk on Norman, on Acquitain, Earl on Anjou, send I greting, to alle hise holde, ilærde and ilewede on Huntindonnschiere. Thæt witen ge wel alle, hæt we willen and unnen thæt ure rædesmen alle, other the moare del of heom, thæt beoth ichosen thurg us and thurg thæt loandes-folk on ure kineriche, habbith idon, and schullen don in the worthnes of God, and ure treowthe, for the freme of the loande, etc. | Henry, through God's support, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy, of Acquitain, Earl of Anjou, sends greeting to all his subjects, learned and unlearned, of Huntingdonshire. This know ye well all, that we will and grant what our counsellors all, or the more part of them, that be chosen through us and through the landfolk of our kingdom, have done, and shall do, to the honor of God, and our allegiance, for the good of the land, etc. |
Anglo-Saxon Element in Modern English.
That the young student may be made aware of the extent of the employment of Anglo-Saxon in our present language, and that he may have some clue to direct him to a knowledge of the Saxon words, the following extracts, embracing a great proportion of these words, are submitted to his attention. The words not Teutonic are marked in Italics.
MILTON.