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Page 8
#Er it was Day, as was her won to do.#
Again,
#And but I have her Mercy and her Grace,
That I may seen her at the lefte way;
I nam but deed there nis no more to say.#
Again,
#Alas, what is this wonder Maladye?
For heate of colde, for colde of heate I dye.#
_Chaucer_'s first Book of _Troylus_, fol. 159. b.
And since we are a united Nation, and he as great a Poet, considering his
time, as this Island hath produced, I will with due Veneration for his
Memory, beg leave to cite the learned and noble Prelate, _Gawen Douglas_,
Bishop of _Dunkeld_ in _Scotland_, who in his Preface to his judicious
and accurate Translation of _Virgil_, p. 4. says,
Nane is, nor was, nor zit sal be, trowe I,
Had, has, or sal have, sic craft in Poetry:
Again, p. 5.
Than thou or I, my Freynde, quhen we best wene.
But before, at least contemporary with _Chaucer_, we find Sir _John
Gower_, not baulking _Monosyllables;
#Myne Herte is well the more glad
To write so as he me bad,
And eke my Fear is well the lasse.
To _Henry_ the Fourth,
_King Salomon_ which had at his asking
Of God, what thyng him was leuest crave.
He chase Wysedom unto governyng
Of Goddes Folke, the whiche he wolde save:
And as he chase it fyl him for to have.
For through his Witte, while that his Reigne laste,
He gate him Peace, and Rest, into his laste.#
Again,
#Peace is the chefe of al the Worldes Welth,
And to the Heven it ledeth eke the way,
Peace is of Soule and Lyfe the Mannes Helth,
Of Pestylence, and doth the Warre away,
My Liege Lord take hede of that I say.
If Warre may be lefte, take Peace on Hande
Which may not be without Goddes Sande.# [E]
[Footnote E:_ Besides the Purpose for which these Verses are here
cited, it may not be amiss to observe from some Instances of
Words contain'd in them, how necessary, at least useful, the
Knowledge of the _Saxon Tongue_ is, to the right understanding
our _Old English Poets_, and other Writers. For example,
#leuest#, this is the same with the _Saxon_ *leofost*, _most
beloved_, or _desirable_. #Goddes folke#, not _God his Folk_,
this has plainly the Remains of the _Saxon_ Genitive Case.
#Sande#, this is a pure _Saxon_ word, signifying _Mission_,
or _being sent_. See the _Saxon Homily_ on the Birth Day of
St. _Gregory_, p. 2. *He �urh his r�de & sande us fram �eofles
biggengum �tbr�d.* He through his Counsel and Commission rescued
us from the Worship of the Devil.]
Nor were the _French_, however more polite they may be thought, than we
are said to be, more scrupulous in avoiding them, if these Verses are
upon his Monument;
#En toy qui es fitz de Dieu le Pere,
Sauue soit, qui gist sours cest pierre.#
This will be said to be old _French_, let us see whether _Boileau_ will
help us out, who has not long since writ the Art of Poetry;
Mais moi, grace au Destin, qui n'ai ni feu ne lieu,
Je me loge o� je puis, & comme il plaist � Dieu.
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