Medieval English Texts: MS 1 & MS 2 Analysis

Posted on Jan 27, 2025 in Religion

MS 1: Anglicana Formata C.1390-C.1405

  1. His maister shal it in his shoppe abey
  2. Al haue he no part of the minstralcye
  3. For thelfe and not they been convertible
  4. Al konne he pleye on Giterne or Rubible
  5. Revel and trouthe as in a lowe degree
  6. They been ful wrothe al day as men may see
  7. This ioly prentys with his maister bood
  8. Til he were neigh out of his prentishood
  9. Al were he snybbed bothe erly and late
  10. And somtyme lad with revel to Newgate
  11. But ate laste his maister hym bithoghte
  12. Up on a day whan he his papir soghte
  13. Of a proverb that seith this same word
  14. Wel bet is roten appul out of hoord
  15. Than at it rotte al the remenaunt
  16. So fareth it by a riotous servaunt
  17. If is ful lasse harm to lete hym pace
  18. Than he shende alle the seruants ni the place
  19. The fore his maister gaf hym acquitaunce
  20. And bad for ther nys no theef with oute a lowke
  21. That helpeth hym to wasten and to sowke
  22. Of that he brybe kan or borwe may
  23. Anon he sente his bed and his array
  24. Unto a compeer of his owene sort
  25. That loned dees, and revel and disport
  26. And hadde a wyf that heeld for contenaunce
  27. A shoppe and swyued for hir sustenaunce

MS 2: Anglicana Formata C.1390-C.1405

  1. Now preye I to hem alle that herkne this litel tretys or rede
  2. That if ther be any thyng in it that liketh hem that ther of
  3. They thanken oure lord Jhu Crist. Of whom procedeth al
  4. wit and al goodnesse. And it ther be any thyng that displease hem I
  5. preyehem also that they arrette it to the defaute of myn unkonnynge
  6. and nat to my wyl that wolde ful fayn have seyd better if a hadde
  7. had konnynge. For oure book seith al that is writen is writen for
  8. oure doctrine. and that is myn entente Wherfer I biseke yow
  9. mekely for the mercy of god, that ye preye for me that crist have mercy
  10. on me and foryeve me my giltes and namely of my translacions
  11. and enditynges of worldly vanitees the whiche I revoke in my re
  12. traccions as in the book of Troilus The book also of Fame The
  13. book of the .XXV. ladies the book of the duchesse The book of
  14. seint valentynes day of the parlement of brides the tales of
  15. Caunterbury thilke that sownen in to synne. The book of the Leoun
  16. and many another book if they were in my remembrance and
  17. many a song and many a lecherous lay. That crist for his gre
  18. te mercy foryeve me the synne. But of the translacioun of Boece
  19. de consolacion and othere books of legendes of seintes and
  20. Omelies and moralitee and devocioun that thanke I oure
  21. lord Jhu Crist and his blisful mooder and alle the seintes of he
  22. vene bisekynge hem at they from hennes forth vn to my leyves
  23. ende sende me grace to biwayle my giltes and to studie to the
  24. salvacioun of my soule and graunte me grace of verray peniten
  25. ce confessioun and satisfaccioun to doon in this present lyf thurgh
  26. the benigne grace of hym at is kyng of kynges and preest
  27. over alle preestes that boghte vs wt the precious blood of his her
  28. te so at I may been oon of hem at the day of doome that shulle
  29. be saved Qui cum patre
  30. Heere is ended the book of the tales of Caunterbury
  31. Compiled by Geffry Chaucer of whos soule Ihu Crist
  32. have mercy. Amen.