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AS it is knowen how many ma∣ner of people ben in this Ylonde there ben also so many langages and ton¦ges. Netheles walsshe and Scottes that ben not medled with other nacyons kepe yet theyr langage & speche but yet y• scot¦tes y• were sōtyme confederate & dwelled wt pyctes draw sōwhat after ther speche
But the flemynges that dwell in y• west syde of wales haue lefte her straunge spe¦che and speken lyke to Saxons / also En¦glysshmen though they had fro y• begyn¦nynge thre maner of speches. sontherne Northern & myddell speche in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the londe as they come of thee manner of people. Germania. Ne••eles by com∣mixion and medlynge fyrst with Danes and afterwarde with Normans in ma∣ny thynges the countre langage in appa¦red / for some vse straung wlaff 〈…〉〈…〉 terynge harrynge garrynge & gry••••ytyn¦ge This apparinge of y• langage cometh of two thynges / one bycause y• chylorene that gone to scole lerne to speke fyrst En¦glysshe / and than ben compelled to con∣strewe her lessons in Frensshe & that ha¦ue ben vsed syn the Normans come into Englonde: Also gentylmens chyldren be lerned and taught from theyr youth too speke frensshe / and vp londesshmen wyll counterfete and lyken hymselfe to gentyl men and are besy to speke frensshe for to be more sette by / wherfore it is sayd by a comyn prouerbe. Iack wolde be a gentyl man yf he coude speke frensshe ¶Treui¦sa. This was moche vsed to for the grete deth. but syth it is somdele chaunged / for syr Ioan Corne wayle a mayster of gra∣mer chaungede the techynge of gramer scole and construccion of frensshe in too Englysshe. And other scole maysters vse the same waye now in the yere of our lor¦de. a .M.CCC.lxxxv. the ix. yere of kyng Rycharde the seconde / & leue all frenssh in scoles & vse all constructyon in englys¦she wherin they haue auaūtage one way that is that they lerne the soner theyr gra¦mer / and in another dysauauntage. for nowe theyl erne no frensshe nor can no ne / whiche is hurt for them that shal pas¦se the see. And also gentylmen haue mo∣che lefte to teche theyre chyldren to speke frensshe. ¶R. It semeth a grete wonder y• Englysshmen haue so grete dyuersyte in theyr owne langage in sown & in spe∣kynge of it whiche is all in one ylonde. And the langage of Normandye is comē out of an other londe and hath one ma∣nere sowne amonge all them that speke it in Englonde / for a man of ••ence sou¦thern western & Northern mē speken fren¦she all syke in sowne and speche but they can not speke theyr Englysshe so. ¶Tre¦uisa. Netheles ther ben as many dyuerse maner of frensshe in the reame of fraū¦••e / as dyuerse Englysshe in the reame of Englonde. ¶R. Also of the forsayd tou∣ge whiche is departed in thre is grete wō¦der / formen of y• eest with men of y• ••est accorde better in sownynge of the•••• spe∣che / than men of y• north wt men of ye sou¦th Therfore it is y• men of mer•••• y• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of myddell Englōde as it were part••••ers wt y• endes vnderstond better y• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••••gages northern & southern thā northern & southern vnderstōde eyther other 〈…〉〈…〉 helde pō .li.iii. All y• lāgage of y• North••••bres & specyall at york•• is so sharpe shyt¦tynge frottynge and vnshappe that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 southern men may vnneth vnderstonde that langage. I suppose the cause but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they be nyghe to the alyens that speke straungely. And also by cause the kynges of Englonde abyde and dwellt more 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the south countre than in the north 〈…〉〈…〉 tree. The cause why they abide more in the south countree than in the north 〈…〉〈…〉 tree / is by cause that there is better 〈◊〉〈◊〉 londe more people 〈◊〉〈◊〉 noble 〈…〉〈…〉 profytable hauens in the south 〈◊〉〈◊〉 than in the north countree:
FOr the maners & doynge of wals¦shmen and of Scottes ben tofore somwhat declared. Nowe I purpose to tel¦le and declare the condycions of the med¦led people of Englonde. But ye flemyn¦ges that been in the weste syde of Wales bē now all torned as they were Englyshe
men by cause they companye with En¦glysshmen. And they be myghty and strō¦ge to fyght / and ben the moost enemyes that walsshmen haue / and vse marchaū¦dyse and clothynge and ben full redy too putte themself in auentures and to peryl in thesee & londe bycause of grete wyn∣nynge & ben redy somtyme to the plowe and somtyme to dedes of armes whanne tyme and place axeth. It semeth of these men a grete wonder that in a boon of a wethers ryght sholder whan the flessheis soden awaye and not rosted they knowe what haue be done / is done / & shall be do¦ne as it were by spyryte of prophecye and a wonderfull crafte. They telle what is done in ferre coūties / tokenes of peas or of warre / y• state of y• royame / sleynge of men & spousebreche suche thynges theye declare certayne of tokenes and sygnes y• is in suche a sholder bone. ¶. R. But the Englysshmen that dwelle in Englonde ben medled in the ylonde & ben ferre fro the places that they spronge of fyrste tor¦nenne to the contrarye dedes lyghtelye withoute entysynge of ony other men by hyr own assente: And vnesy also vnpacy cut of peas / enemyes of besynes / and full of slouthe. ¶Wilhel. de pon .li.iij. sayth. That whan they haue dystroyed theyr en¦emyes all to the grounde / thenne they fy∣ghten with theyme selfe and sleeth eche other / as voyd and an empti stomak wer¦keth in it selfe. ¶R. Netheles men of the south ben esyer and more mylde than mē of the north. For they be more vnstable & more cruell and more vnesy. The myd∣dell men ben parteners with both. Also they vse them to glotony more than other men and ben more costlewe in mete and clothynge. Men suppose that they tooke that vyce of kynge Herdeknot that was a Dane. For he heet lette forth twyes dou¦ble messe at Dyner and at souper alsoo These men ben spedefull on hors and a fote. Able and redy to all maner dedys of armes / aud ben wonte to haue vyctorye and maystrye in euery fyght where noo treasonis walkynge / and ben curyous & can well tell dedys and wondres that they haue seen. Also they gone in dyuerse lon des vnneth ben ony men ryche in her ow ne londe or more gracious in ferre and in straunge londe / they can better wynne & gete newe than kepe hir owne herytage / Therfore it is that they be sprad so wy∣de and wente that euery londe be theyr ow¦ne. The men be able to all manere sley∣ght and wytte / but tofore the dede blon∣derynge and hasty: And more wyse after the dede than tofore. and leuen of lygh∣tly what they haue begonne. ¶Solinus li.vi. Therfore Eugeni{us} the pope sayde that Englysshmen were able to do what euer they wold / and to be sette and put tofore all other / ne were that lyght wyt letteth. And as Hanyball sayde that the Romayns myghte not be ouercome but in ther owne countre soo. Englysshmen may not be ouercome in straunge londes but in her owne countre they be lyghtly ouercome. ¶R. These men despysen her owne and prayse other mennes. And vn∣nethe be pleased nor apayd with theyr ow¦ne estate what befalleth and becomethe other men / they wyll gladly take to thē / self. Therfore it is that a yeman arayeth hym as a squyer / a squyere as a knyght a knyght as a duke / a duke as a kynge / Yet some go a boute and wyll be lyke to all manere state and ben in no state. For they take euery degre that be of no degre for in berynge outward they be myntrals and herowdes. in talkynge grete spekers In etynge and drynkynge glotons / In gaderynge of catell hucksters and tauer¦ners. In araye tormentours. In wynnyn¦ges argi. In trauayle tantaly. In takyn∣ge hede dedaly. In beddes sardanapaly / In chyrches mawmetes. In courtes thon¦dre only in preuylege of clergi & in preben des they knowleche hēself clerkes. ¶Tre¦uysa As touchynge the termes of latyn as argi / tantali / dedali / serdanapaly / ye
muste vnderstonde them as y• poetes fey¦ned of them. Argus was an herde & kep¦te bestes he had an hondred een: and Ar¦gus was also a shyp / a shypman and a chapman / and so Argus myght se befo∣re and behynde and on euery syde. Ther¦fore he that is wyse and ware and can se that he be not deceyued may be called ar¦gus. And so the Cronycle sayth in plu∣rell nombre y• Englysshmen ben argy. y• is to saye they se about where as wyn∣nynge is / That other worde tantaly / y• poete feyneth that Tantalus slewe his owne sone wherfor he is dampned to per¦petuall penaūce / and he standeth alway in water vp to the neyther lyppe & hath alwaye rype apples & noble fruyte han¦gynge downe too the ouerlyppe / but the fruyte ne the water may not come with in his mouthe. he is soo holde and stan∣deth bytwene mete and drynke & maye neyther ete ne drynke / and is euer an hō¦gred and a thyrste that wo is hym alyue by this manere lykenesse of Tantalus they that do ryghte noughte there as is moche is to doo in euery syde ben called tāta••y. It semeth that it is to saye in tra uayll they be tantaly / for they do ryght nought therto. The thyrde worde is de∣dale / take hede that Dedalus was a sub¦tyll and a slyeman. And therfore by ly∣kenes they that ben subtyll & slye theye be called dedaly. And the fourth worde is sardanapaly / ye shall vnderstonde y• Sardanapalus was kynge of Assyryēs and was full vnchast / and vsed hym for to lye softe. And by a maner of lykenes of hym they that lyue vnchastly ben cal¦led sardanapaly. ¶R. But amonge all Englysshmen medled togyders is so gre¦te a chaungynge and dyuersyte of clo∣thynge and of araye and so many ma∣ners & dyuerse shappes that well nyghe is ther ony man knowen by his clothyn¦ge and his araye of what some euer de∣gre that he be Therof prophecied an ho¦ly Anker in kynge Egelfredes tyme in this manere. Henry ii.vi. Englysshmen for as moche as they vse them to dron•• lewnes / to treason and to rechelesnes of goddes hous / fyrste by Danes and then by Normans / and at the thyrde tyme bi the Scottes that theye holde the mooste wretches and lest worth of all other they shall be ouercome. Thenne the worlde shall be so vnstable and so dyuerse and varyable that the vnstablenes of though¦tes shall be bytokened by many manere dyuersytees of clothynge.