§ 46. Place of the Attribute.

(A.) One attribute.

In Old and Middle English, adjectives (as a rule) precede the noun; this before-putting, though not unfrequent in poetry, occurs rarely in prose. In Caxton, adjectives—not only of French, but also of Teutonic origin, as well as present and past participles—follow the noun, and we may safely say that this is due to French influence.

(B.) Of two adjectives belonging to the same noun, the first precedes, the second follows it. This is nearly like the French use; but Caxton was far from copying his original, he simply kept a very old good English tradition:—

• Old English: Gif ænig man hæbbemódigne sunu and rancne,—Deuter. xxi. 18; to gódum lande and wídgillum, Exod. iii. 8; wæron on þis um felda unríme gesomnunga hwíttra manna and fægerra, Beda, v. 13; he gefór ... gód man and clæne and swiðe æðele, Chronicle, 1056; þat se anweald ... becume tó gódum men and tó wísum,—Boeth. xvi. 1.

• Middle English: heo wulle under fon swa heȝ þing and swa hali swa is cristes licome, O. E. Hom., 25; þet frumkenede childe and þet lefeste,—ibid. 87; non þe ledeð feir lif and clene,—ibid. 137; monie wundre and muchele,—ibid. 139; þat loðeliche ward, and ateliche, and grisliche,—ibid. II. 5; lomb is drih þing and milde,—ibid. 49; þe olde men þe þo weren and lif holie, ibid. 51; after summ apel man & good,—Orm. 611; Rihhtwise men and gode,—ibid. 116; ſull mehhtiȝ mann and mœre,—ibid. 806;

• 'Of hem woren ðe getenes boren,

  Migti men, and figti, [and] for-loren.'
  
  —Story of Genesis and Exodus, 564;

• 'A michel fier he sag, and an brigt.'
  
  —ibid. 951;

• 'Ghe bed him gold, and agte, and fe,

  To maken him riche man and fre.'
  
  —ibid. 2018;

• 'Long weige and costful he ðor fond.'
  
  —ibid. 3880;

• Troye, þat god mon was and wys,—Robert of Glos., p. 10; a lute bal and round,—Wright, Pop. Treat. on Science, p. 137; Sire Emerde Valence, gentil knyght and free,—Polit. Songs, (Camden Soc.) p. 216; ful modi man and proud,—Anecd., p. 2; He was hardy mon and strong,—Alis., 4402; the foulest contree, and the most cursed, and the porest,—Maundeville, p. 129; a heȝe ernde and a hasty,—Gawayne, 1051; to knawe god and lonye,—Ayenbite, 88; soþe blisse and ziker,—ibid. 93; þa is guod lyf and yblyssed, ibid.; a gode zone and trewe,—ibid. 101;Page  cvi and namely with a yong wif and a fair,—Chaucer, II. 327; an old man and a pore with hem mette, ibid. III. 98; of such a parfyt God and a stable,—ibid. III. 6; in a foul stynkynge stable and cold,—Wyclif, 17; in grete fatte hors and nedeles,—ibid. 60; gaie houses and costy,—ibid. 61; open heretiks and stronge,—ibid.; new song and costy,—ibid. 76; an heuenly yiefte and gostly,—ibid. 82; here worldly lif and cursed,—ibid. 99; proude men and delicate,—ibid. 120; wide cloþis and precious,—ibid. 128. Cf. ibid. 129, 140, 145, 156, 181, 223. I am come of gret blode and riall,—Gesta Romanorum, 23; a strong man and a mighty,—ibid. 42; a wise man and a redy,—ibid. 148; a noble man, and a worthi,—ibid. 172; riche yiftes and fair,—ibid. 190; a worthy knyȝt and a riche,—ibid. 202. Cf. ibid. 251, 264.

• CAXTON: and so grete a stroke and so heuy he gaffe hym, Blanchardyn, 62/22; god hath well kept hym from so moche an hap and so hyghe,—ibid. 75/24; that knewe hym for a trusty man and secret,—ibid. 81/23; he lete fall vpon daryus suche a stourdy strok, and so grete, —ibid. 86/17; a grete tempeste roose in the see, and so horryble,—ibid. 97/20; that was a fayr knyght and yonge,—ibid. 110/2; ye shall doo as a wyse woman and well counseylled,—ibid. 178/1; the best tyme and most entier,—ibid. 179/5; the grete strokes and the dangerous,—Aymon, 392/9; that was a worthy knyghte and a wyse, —ibid. 504/20; a myghty spere and sharpe,—Charles the Grete, 48/27; O ryche emperour and noble,—ibid. 84/16; I had had ſyue of the valyauntest erles of ſraunce and of the grettest,—ibid. 88/3; she ledde them by an olde gate and secrete,—ibid. 94/1; in spayne he had XVI grete townes and stronge,—ibid. 205/6; she was called a fair lady and a passynge wyse,—Morte Darthur, 35/7; that is a passyng true man and a ſeythful, ibid. 38/29; that was a passyng good man and a yonge,—ibid. 52/8; thou art a boystous man and an vnlykely,—ibid. 84/20; he was a likely man and a well made,—ibid. 94/27; the best knyght and the myghtyest,—ibid. 192/35; many in this land of hyghe estate and lowe,—ibid. 198/1; this is an horryble dede and a shameful,—ibid. 211/13; this is a fowle custome and a shameful,—ibid. 310/31; they ſoughte vpon foote a noble batail togyders and a myghty, ibid. 346/21. Cf. 353/5, 408/16, 412/25, 425/31, 432/2, 435/7, 442/20, 509/2, and passim.