Mappula Angliae [und] Zeitrechnung [Englische Studien 10 (1887)]

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 w^ch ben the Brytouns propirly, as peeple moste ynpermyxt & leste medlyd [MS. medlis st. medlid] w^t oþer kepyne moste puerly hire firste propir speche or language. Nerþelees Scottys, of grete famulearyte & commvnycacyoun w^t þe Pyctis, sum-what hane drawyn and Medyllynge(!) in hur toungis. | The Flemmynges, þe w^ch 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 w^t 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, w^t 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

or Englyssh tounge, þe whiche is remaynyd but in a fewe vplondyssh peeple, þe oryentalis, þat is to sayne þe Est-ynglyssh men, (with þe men of þe west acordyn more) [Fehlt im MS.] yn soundynge & spekynge, as men þat ben vndir oone lyneal climat of hevene, þan don þe northen (with þe sowthern) [Fehlt im MS.] men. | Also the Meerces, þe w^ch byn clepid mydlonde-ynglyssh, as collateralle par∣teners of bothyn extremytes, bettir vndirstondyn þe collateralle tounges, bothe the artyke þe w^ch is þe northe, & þe antartyke þe w^ch is þe sowthe, þan þe II extremal toungis vndirstondyn hemself to-gedir or þan eyþer vndyrstondithe other. For, as William pontyficis (!) seith li.^o 3^o: The norþehumbirlonde pepelis tonge, specially yne Yorke, stradelithe soo brode & so vnsavorly is wyde, þat þe fowtherne peple vnnethe can vndirstondyn hit. And þat is, as he supposithe, for oone of þe II causis, þat (is) [is fehlt.] , or for þe nyghenesse on-to the Scottis or for þe grete distaunce of kyngis of þe londe from þo marchis; The whiche byn more wone to be conuersaunte yn þe sowþe place of Ynglond þan yn þe norþe, ffor comynly þey drawe not norþe-warde butt yn stronge hand, or [or—countre zusatz.] ageyns the Scottis or for to reforme and redresse ryot and mysrewle of the same countre. | The cause why þat kyngis be more expectant & abydynge yn the sowþe þan In the norþe, may welle be þus: ffor þere, þat is to say by sowþe, þe erþe is more plen∣tyvous, and þe peple more copious, þe cytees and townys more worþi & hono∣rable, and þe portis or the hauenys more commodious & more profitable.— | [Im lat. neues cap.] Now I haue declaryd yn þe foorme parte of þe chapiture, of myn auctour þe laste and (on) [and st. but? on fehlt.] , þe dyuersitees of tounges & languages of the dwellers of þis londe, ffynally nowe is to be declaryd & shewyd what my seide auctour seithe & wry∣tithe of the condicions and maners of hem þat ynhabytyne & dwellyn yn þus londe. | And for as moche as of scottissh & þe walssh peples maners, þe whiche ben leste myxte & medlyd, as hit is seide be-forne, sum-what ys tolde yn dyuerys Chapitres: Therfore here, quod he, schalle woonly be spokyne of the condicions & þe maneris of þe myxte and medlyd peple of þus londe. And firste of the Flemmyngis, þe whiche, as hit is seide, dwellyne at þe west ende of Walis: The w^ch by famuliar Communycacioun & conuersacioun been as Englyssh men. | Thes peeple, quod Ranulphus, is stronge peeple and myghti, & hathe been sum-tyme yn conflycte of batelle to walssh men righte [MS. and righte.] comorous & vn-esy. | Thus peple is moste vsyd & excercisid in cloþe makynge & fellynge, & alle-wey prompte & redy to puttyne hem to þe aventires of alle perylys, boþe by londe and by watir, ffor lucre & encrees, and as tyme & place requirythe boþe redy to the plowhe & to armys. | And oo wondirfulle þynge is seide of þis peple: þat þey yn þe ryghte spatulys or shuldrys of a sheepe, þat is to sey a weedir, made [MS. make.] bare of fflesshe, aftur that hit hathe been sothyn but not roste, kune be-holdyn & seen þer [MS. þe.] bothe thyngis paste, presente & þo þat been to come. | And also by a maner of pro∣phicie or diuinacioun by a mervelous crafte þey declaryn the tooknys of pees and werre, þe state of lordus & londis, of reignys & kynges, of manslaughtres, of advoutryes, by serteyn signys of spottis (&) runyngis [MS. rūygis; l. rimis?] of þe seid bōne, þe w^ch is wondirfulle to wetyn. | The residue peple of ynglyssh men inhabetynge Loe∣grie, as an insulan peple ferre run from hur ffirste institucioun, by hire propir

mocyoun inward w^t-owtyn ony straunge or foreyn styrynge owtewarde is redely and sone mevid to contrarye þyngis, þat is to seyne, now to willyn O certeyn þynge, & w^t-owtyn ony grete abydynge or taryinge, þat wille forsakyn, to wyllyn evyn þe contrary. | In so moche þat þey been euer ynpacient of reste, loueris of solicitude & bysynesse, & lothyn alle ese & ydelnesse. | In so moche, as seiþe William de pondficibȝ li.^o 3^o, That when þey hane vttirly depressid hur outward enmyes, þey brosyn eche oþur & faryn lyke an empty stomake þe whiche wirkythe vpon hit-selfe. ‖ But not-for-than þe peple of þe sowþe place is more quyete yn þem-self & more softe þan is þe norþe place peple, þe w^ch is euer-more In∣quiete, more mevable & more cruelle. | The mydlonde peple is be-twix þe nor∣þyn & þe sowþirne, as is a participle bee-twix Nowne & Verbe, þat is to sey hit is a partyner w^t bothyn. | Also, quod he, þe ynglysshe peeple amonge alle oþur nacyouns is syngulerly yevyn to gloteny and dronkynshipe, & moste sumpteous and wastefulle yn mete and drynke & cloþus. | This [MS. The] vyce hit is supposid þat þis londe drowh firste of Hardeknut the Dane, þe whiche was þe firste kynge yn þis londe þat commaundid messe of mete to be sette on his Tablee at sowpeer. | This peeple, quod he, is delyvyr & swyfte boþe on foote & also on hors-backe, apt & promte to alle-maner kynde of armys, and yn euery congresse & conflicte yn batylle is commynly wone, lesse þen tresoun or fraude & gyle goo vndir, to haue þe ouyr-honde and þe victorye. | Thes peeple—& principally of þe norþe place [Zusatz] —is wondur coryous & besy to knowyn and to tellyn tydyngis & noveltees & merveylles syche as þey hane herde or seyen, prompt to sekyn oþur cuntres, seldoun ryche yn hure propir soyle, more happe in ferre & foreyne cuntrees þan yn hure owne cuntree, and kunne betture purchasyn new þyngis owtewarde þen kepyne here owne hereditable þyngis at hoom; ffor þe w^c cause þey lyghtly wyllyn be disperbylde yn to straunge cuntrees. | This peeple is also apt and redy to euery dede & manhode; | and aforne þat þey schuln oughte doo, in∣portune þey byn and fulle hardy, But aftir þe dede bettir avysid and more avesy; ‖ and therfore þey lyghtly willyn forsake þat þey hane be-gunne. And for þis cause hit is þat pope Eugenye seide ynglyssh peeple to been apte & able to euery thynge what-so-euyre they wolde, and worþi to be preferryd be-forne alle othur peeplys, ne were þe lyghtnesse of hur hertis and the hasty changeablenesse of hur wylle; and lyke as Hannybal seyde Romaynes myght nevir been ouyr∣comyne but yn hure owne cuntre, Ryghte so þe Englyssh peeple, quod he, the whiche yn straunge & foreyne countrees been ynvyncible, in hur owne seetes ben moste esy to ouer-comyne. | This peple sone lothithe and lakkithe hur owne þyngis & [MS. & preythe & preysythe] preysythe & commendythe oþur mennys thyngis, vnnethe ony tyme content w^t þe degre of hure owne estate, and suche þyngis as longithe to oþur men þey gladly wyllyne transfyguryn yn [MS. yn yn] hem-self. For a yeman wylle takyne vpone hym þat longithe to a squyeere, A squyeer that longith to a knyghte, A knyghte that longithe to an Erle, | And an Erle þat longithe to a duke, ‖ A duke þat longyþe to a kynge. | And this þey serclyn abowten euery kynde & þey byn yn no kynde, but þey attamyn & assayen euery ordir & þey byn yn non ordyr. | For yn hur apporte of araye they byn dysgysid as treiectours or myn∣strals. | In commynycacioun & talkynge þey byn Cicerones, þat is to say as elo∣quent & as gay yn speche as was þat grete Rethoryan Marcus Tullius Cicero.

In etynge and drynkynge they byne Nebulones, that is to say glotonys. ‖ In sub∣tylle getynge they been Cavpones [MS. Carpones, a. r. cavpones.] , that is to say tauerners: for lyke as tauerners medlyn watur w^t wyne yn vttrynge [MS. vt vttrynge.] of hure wyne, so þese folke medlyn falsheed w^t trewþe yn hure bargaynynge. | In hur cloþynge þey been Tirones, þat is to sey as new-made knyghtes. | In here lucrys & wynnyngis they byn Argi, þat is to seyne as circumspect & as ware as was Argus þe w^ch, as seyþe þe poete, had an hundryd eyne. | In labours þey byn as dulle as was Tantalus. | In courtis [l. curis.] & offyces they ben as crafty and as subtylle as was Dedalus. In hur beddys and yn hur cowchis þey byn as dyslauy [Dass. wort in d. Leg.] & lecherous as was Sardanapallus. | In templis and yn churches as dowme & as vnmevable as ymagis or similacris. | In courtis & plees þey ben as lowde as thundir-clappis. | And yne that only they knowlechyn hem-self clerkis þat þey hane multitude of priuylegis & pre∣bendis. | And vniuersaly in alle Englyssh men so moche is growyne and customyd þe variable & þe vnstable chaunge of cloþyngis & þe monyfolde dyuersitees of aray, þat yche of hem as now adayes semythe for to been Newtur gendur, þat is to say of [MS. þat st. of.] yche oþer nacyoun þen of his owne. [Derselbe vorwurf in Shakesp. Merch. of Ven. I, 2.] Of þe w^ch thynge prophecied onys an holy recluse or an anchorite þe tyme of kynge Egilredus, as seiþ Henricus li.^o 6., seyinge on þis wyse: For as moche as ynglyssh men been yovyn to prodicioun, to drounkynshipe, and to neclygence of goddis howse, they schulle be thries conquerid and born downe & put vndir: ‖ ffirste, quod he, by Danys, | The secounde tyme by Normaundus, | And þe þryde tyme by Scottis, whom they hane yn leste reputacioun; ‖ and yn so moche schalle than þe worlde be variant & vnstabulle, þat þe variaunce & þe vnstablenes of mennys hertis and soulys schalle mone be [MS. & be.] notid & markyd by þe mony-folde variaunce & dyuer∣fitees of mennys cloþis. Hec Policronica li.^o I. Cap. finali.