How to parse. ...

64

tOOW TO PARSE

[Par. 82.

In the same way, when stating the Object of
" didst thou leave," you need not write down " thy
cruel master," but only the Noun part, "master."
82 EXERCISE XVII.1
Caxton brought the printing press to England from Bruges
in 1476. In addition to the difficulties that attended the
new art of printing, the language had come into such a
state that an author needed much judgment to select
his words and frame his style. A conflict was raging
between the new-fangled French affectation and English
pedantry, and Caxton was sorely distracted between the
"honest and great clerks," who advocated the former,
and the " gentlemen," who stood up for " old and homely
terms." " Our language," says the printer, "varieth
far from that which was used and spoken when I was
born; " and he adds that " the English that is spoken in
one shire varieth from the English spoken in another."
He goes on to tell a tale how certain merchants on the
Thames sailing to Zealand and compelled by contrary
winds to remain on the Foreland, went into a farmhouse
and asked for "eggs." The good-wife answered that
she spoke no French. " Why talkest thou of French? "
replied the merchant, angry at being taken for a Frenchman, "I speak no French, nor understand it, I ask for
eggs." But the farmer's wife, in spite of all his anger,
could none the better understand him, till one of his
companions said he wanted " eyren," and the eggs came
fast enough.
" Lo what shall a man in these days now write?" adds the
puzzled printer. Shall he write "eggs" or " eyren"?
Certainly, it* is hard to please every man, by cause of
diversity and change of language.
1 This Exercise is modified from the admirable Short History of
the English People, J. It. Green, M.A (Macmillan, London). It may
be parsed after the following Specimen Exercise.