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ENGLISH PROSE AND POETRY

EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH

THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE (c. 1154)
A MONK OF PETERBOROUGH

FROM THE RECORD FOR 1137

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Tha 24 the king Stephne to Englalande com,25 tha 26 macod 27 he his gadering æt Oxeneford; and thar he nam 29 the biscop Roger of Sereberi,30 and Alexander biscop of Lincol and te 31 Canceler Roger his neves,32 and dide 33ælle in prisun til hi7 iafen 3⁄44 un here 35 castles. Tha 24 the suikes 36 undergæton that he milde man was and softe and god 20 and na 19 justise 38 ne dide, tha 26 diden hi alle wunder.39 Hi hadden him 40 red 4 maked 27 and athes 42 hi nan 19 treuthe ne heolden. Alle he7 weron 45 forsworen, and here 35 treothes forloren; 46 for ævric 47 rice 48 man his castles makede," and agænes 50 him heolden,51 and fylden 52 the land ful of castles. Hi suencten 53 suythe the uurecce men of the land mid 56

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castel weorces. 57

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suoren

43

man

ac

15

men.

Tha 24 the castles uuaren 45 maked, tha 58 fylden hi mid deovles and yvele 59 Tha 58 namen hi tha 61 men the 62 hi wenden 63 that ani god hefden, 65 bathe 66 be 67 nihtes

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This year went King Stephen over the sea to Normandy and was received there, because they thought that he was going to be just such as his uncle was, and because he still had his uncle's treasure; but he dispersed it and scattered it foolishly. Much had Henry the king gathered of gold and silver, and no good did anyone for his soul by means of it.

When King Stephen came to England, then he made his assembly at Oxford; and there he seized the bishop Roger of Salisbury and Alexander, bishop of Lincoln, and the Chancellor Roger, his nephews, and put them all in prison till they gave up their castles. When the traitors perceived that he was a mild man and soft and good, and enforced no justice, then did they all wonders. They had done homage to him and sworn oaths. but they kept no troth. But they were all forsworn and their troths were entirely abandoned; for every powerful man built his castles and held against him, and they filled the land full of castles. They oppressed grievously the wretched men of the land with castle-building.

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35 their 36 traitors 37 perceived justice, punishment 39 strange things, evils 40 to him homage 42 oaths 43 foolishly sworn 44kept were 46 entirely abandoned every 48 powerful 49 built against held 54 greatly filled 53 oppressed wretched with 57 works 58 59 then evil 60 seized 61 those

dispersed

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on account

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when 25 came then 27 made 28 assembly

29 seized 30 Salisbury 31 the 32 nephews (i.e. the son and nephew of Roger of Salisbury) 33 put gave

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I

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51 56

62 who

63 weened, thought 64 property 65 had 66 both 67 by

swa

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and be dæies, carlmen and wimmen, and diden 2 heom 3 in prisun efter 4 gold and sylver, and pined heom untellendlice 6 pining, for ne uuæren nævre nan martyrs pined alse" hi wæron. Me 12 henged up bi the fet 14 and smoked heom mid ful 15 smoke. Me henged bi the thumbes, other 16 bi the hefed,1 and hengen 18 19 bryniges on her 20 fet. Me dide 2 cnotted strenges 21 abuton 22 here 20 hæved 17 and uurythen 23 to 24 that it gæde 25 to the hærnes.26 Hi dyden heom in quarterne 27 thar 28 nadres 29 and snakes and pades 30 wæron inne, and drapen heom swa.10

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I ne can ne I ne mai 32 tellen alle the wunder 33 ne alle the pines 34 that hi diden men on 36 this land; and that lastede tha .xix. wintre 37 wile 38 Stephne was king, and ævre 39 it was uuerse 40 and uuerse.

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men and women also, and thrust them in prison for gold and silver, and tortured them with unspeakable tortures, for never were any martyrs so tortured as they were. They were hanged up by the feet and smoked with foul smoke. They were hanged by the thumbs, or by the head, and coats of mail were hung on their feet. Knotted strings were put about their heads and twisted till they penetrated to the brains. They put them in dungeons in which were adders and snakes and toads, and killed them thus. . . .

I cannot and I may not tell all the wonders nor all the tortures that they did to wretched men in this land; and that lasted the nineteen years while Stephen was king, and ever it was worse and worse.

FROM THE POEMA MORALE, OR MORAL ODE (c. 1170)

(Unknown Author)

Ich "æm elder then ich 41 wes, a wintre and a

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I am older than I was in winters and in lore;

I govern more than e'er I did, my wisdom. should be more.

Full long time have I been a child in word and eke in deed;

Though I be in winters old, too young am I

in rede.

Useless is the life I lead, and long, methinks, have led;

When I remember me of this, full sore am I a-dread.

Nearly all that I have done is childish and of naught;

But, save God show me mercy now, too late is this my thought.

Many idle speeches have I spoken since speech to me was lent;

And many a foolish deed have done, that I must now repent.

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38 while 4 after (ie. to obtain)

8

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govern 48 also 49 though 54 useless

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7

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torture were

never

knowledge 47 been

ever 43

53 counsel 58 I am

ishness

one (ie. they indefinite) 13 hanged corselets

15 foul 16 17 head 18

or

19 hung

(as weights) 20 their 21 cords 22 about 23 twisted

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went, penetrated 29 adders 30 toads 35 wretched

34 tortures

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55 led

ΙΟ

42 in years and in

am

frightened 59 almost

62 unless

66 since 67 could 68

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mercy

45 ought

51 old 52

56 still

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60 done

many

46 have

young 57 bethink

61 child

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young, silly 69 repents

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All too often have I sinned in deed and eke in word;

All too freely have I spent, too little laid in hoard.

Almost all I now mislike of things I liked of yore;

Who follows over-much his will, betrays himself the more.

Had fortune only favored me, I might have done more good;

Now for weakness and for age, I may not, though I would.

Old age is stolen me upon, ere that I it wist; I could not see before me for the smoke and for the mist.

Timid we are in doing good, in evil all too bold;

More awe of man than awe of Christ doth every person hold.

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Who doth not well, the while he may, shall often rue it sore,

When comes the time to mow and reap what he has sown before.

Do ye for God the best ye may, the while ye are in life;

And let no man hope overmuch in child nor yet in wife.

He who doth himself forget for wife or else for child

Shall come into an evil place save God to him be mild.

Let each some good before him send, the while he may, to heaven;

For better is one alms before than afterward

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