Part 74 (1/2)

I do not see that _lecturn_ can possibly signifie any thing but _a reading-desk_, in which sense it is used by Chaucer.

20. LITHIE. Ep. 10.

Inne _lithie_ moncke apperes the barronnes pryde.

If there be any such word as this, we should naturally expect it to follow the signification of _lithe_; soft, limber: which will not suit with this pa.s.sage.

I go on to the _third_ general head of words inflected contrary to grammar and custom. In a language like ours, in which the inflections are so few and so simple, it is not to be supposed that a writer, even of the lowest cla.s.s, would commit very frequent offences of this sort.

I shall take notice of some, which I think impossible to have fallen from a genuine Rowley.

1. CLEVIS. H. 2. 46.

Fierce as a _clevis_ from a rocke ytorne.

_Clevis_ or _cleves_ is the plural number of _Cleve_, a cliff. It is so used by Chaucer. I cannot believe that it was ever used as a singular noun.

EYNE. E. II. 79. T. 169. See also ae 681.

In everich _eyne_ aredynge nete of wyere.

Wythe syke an _eyne_ shee swotelie hymm dydd view.

_Eyne_, a contraction of _eyen_, is the plural number of _eye_. It is not more probable that an ancient writer should have used the expressions here quoted, than that any one now should say--In _every eyes_;--_With such an eyes_.

HEIE. E. II. 15. T. 123. Le. 5. 9. Ent. 2. ae 355.

_Heie_, the old plural of _He_, was obsolete, I apprehend, in the time of the supposed Rowley. At least it is very improbable that the same writer, at any time, should use _heie_ and _theie_ indifferently, as in these poems.

THYSSEN. E. II. 87.

Lette _thyssen_ menne, who haveth sprite of love.

I cannot believe that _thyssen_ was ever in use as the plural number of _this_. The termination seems to have been added, for the sake of the metre, by one who knew that many words formerly ended in _en_, but was quite ignorant of what particular sorts they were. In the same manner _coyen_, ae. 125. and _sothen_, ae. 227. are put for _coy_ and _sothe_, contrary to all usage or a.n.a.logy.

And this leads me to the capital blunder, which runs through all these poems, and would alone be sufficient to destroy their credit; I mean, the termination of _verbs in the singular number_ in _n_[3]. I will set down a number of instances, in which _han_ is used for the present or past time _singular_ of the v. _Have_; only premising, that _han_, being an abbreviation of _haven_, is never used by any ancient writer except in the present time _plural_ and the infinitive mode.

P. 26. v. 9. The Brytish Merlyn oftenne _hanne_ The gyfte of inspyration.

Ba. 2. The featherd songster chaunticleer _Han_ wounde hys bugle horne.

ae. 685. Echone wylle wyssen hee _hanne_ seene the daie.

734. Bryghte sonne _han_ ynne hys roddie robes byn dyghte.

650. Whanne Englonde _han_ her foemenn.

1137. ----Mie stede _han_ notte mie love.

1184. _Hanne_ alle the fuirie of mysfortunes wylle Fallen onne mie benned headde I _hanne_ been aella stylle.