Of þe dwellers of þis lond tungis (&) languagis, condicionus & manerys. Capitulum XVI.
As towchynge þe firste parte of þis chapiture, hit is to been vndirstondyn that, as mony dyuerys peeples as hit haþe dwellers, so many hit haþe dyuersites of toungis and languagis. Nerþelees they been not alle pure, but sum ben mixte & medlid [MS. medlis st. medlid] on sundry wysys. Scottis & Walsshmen, þe wch ben the Brytouns propirly, as peeple moste ynpermyxt & leste medlyd [MS. medlis st. medlid] wt oþer kepyne moste puerly hire firste propir speche or language. Nerþelees Scottys, of grete famulearyte & commvnycacyoun wt þe Pyctis, sum-what hane drawyn and Medyllynge(!) in hur toungis. | The Flemmynges, þe wch as hit is seide beforn, dwellyn yn þe weste marche of Walis, hane left here Rude barbarye & spekyne more saxoonly or englysshely. | Angli, alle-be-hit þat from the firste begynnynge, aftir þe III dyuersytees of peeplis of Germayne þe whiche they comyne of, (þei) hadyn III dyuer∣sites of sowndyngis yn hure language and yn þe III dyuerys places, as Sowþe, Norþe, & Mydlonde, yet of commyxtioun dyuers firste (with) Danys & sethe wt Normannys they hane corrupte her first natif toungis and vsyn now Ine wot what straunge and pilgryms blaberynge & cheterynge, noþynge a-cordynge on-to here firste speche. And þis corrupcioun of englysshe men yn þer modre-tounge, be∣gunne, as I seyde, wt famylyar commixtion of Danys firste & of Normannys aftir, toke grete augmentacioun & encrees aftir þe commynge of William conqueroure by II thyngis. | The firste was: by decre and ordynaunce of þe seide William conquerour children in gramer-scolis ageyns þe consuetude & þe custom of alle oþer nacyons, here owne [MS, owre.] modre-tonge lafte [MS. laste st. lafte.] & forsakyne, lernyd here Donet on frenssh & to construyn yn ffrenssh and to maken here latyns on þe same wyse. | The secounde cause was þat by þe same decre lordis sonys & alle nobylle & worthy mennys children were fyrste set to lyrnyn & speken ffrenssh, or þan þey cowde spekyne ynglyssh, and þat alle wrytyngis and endentyngis & alle-maner plees and contrauercyes in [MS. & st. in.] courtis of the lawe, & alle-maner Reknȳngis & countis yn hows-oolde schulle be doon yn the same [or—same zusatz.] , And þis seeynge, þe rurales, þat þey myghte semyn þe more worschipfulle and honorable & þe redyliere comyn to þe famyliarite of þe worthy & þe grete, leftyn hure modre-tounge & labouryd to kūnne spekyne ffrenss he; and [and—Englyssh Zusatz.] thus by processe of tyme barbariȝid thei in bothyn & spokyne neythyr good ffrenssh nor good Englyssh... And yet yn þe Saxoyne