Vassar College - Vassarion Yearbook (Poughkeepsie, NY)

Page 30 text:

skit og sr! I, f XZ, Q X 43 ' - ,se All r ferr Wi ts M Q95Opi'lOl'l1OF'6 Qcliioeial. LN. B.-The distinguished English scholar, Paulus Miltonius, presents the following hitherto unpublished fragment, which he assures us must he the work of that Father of English prose, John Maundevylle, Knyghtef'-ED.j Q And alfo zee schulle undirftonde that in this Lond of strange Folk, cam I to a Regioun wher Wornrnen duellen ner withouten Companye of Men. The Men her ben fewe and for the grete, lytylle. And her the Wommen ben deuiden into 4 grete Clafses, als Men clepen hem. But the moft noble of tho' Clafses ben hizte Sopho-Mor. And Men byzylyche difputen why thei han receiuen this name. Somme declaren that hit cam fro Gocpog fwipog, that is to seyne, a zuys fbi But this is folyeg als for me, I seye hit cam fro Grek Gomos and Englyfsche more, that is to seyne, more zzgzs. And this grete C'Zzzf.vz'.v lernen and practiken the Blak Arte and hau moche Mizt ouer the euil Spirites for to callen oute Foir and to maken Sterres shinen bi Dai. For Wher als in oure Lond the Alkamaiftres werken in secree, her werken thei biforen alle Men and techen hire Arte. Also this grete CZajGis maken courbe lines oute of streizt and prouen how that no thyng is more als no thyng. And thei han grete Feer of a thyng which thei clepen A brzggezz' Moffzvzyfezz, or als is bet, Manftre. For zif that I undirftonde arizt, her is a Brigge, and under the Brigge lurketh a grete Monftre, and thei that wyllen for to gon ouer the Brigge 18

Page 29 text:

4 MEN W 1 1 ' if H i ! if mm y L I 53: .ff ffwaxf Mm ff N, u X - , '- -4 J ', Q -X N V V I 72 x-NYXQ ' L FP' V W3 ' ea-1+ W. N. Swvylfb -W 'K ff ,I X 5 u, fi? ,df is lj? ww, If ,J --ff 71 J, Vs f -ff! f -1. if if N ZY V H :S f 3' ,WW ML - -Y kb zau fgagg 1 E t -Qi' fs. 1 gi: .. e 51,4 '45 M- 17

Page 31 text:

eyther thei fallen thuruh and ben deuoured bi the Monftre, or zif thei gon ouer to the tother Syde, than faren thei no bet. For a grete Mylle which standeth ner bi grindeth them to smal Poudre. And that oni zit linen, this is a grete Marvaylle. And eueri Tewefday thei meten and clucchen hire hecldes and byzylyche dif- puten apriari ef apoffcrz'arz'. And thei studien the Latyn tonge, and the Bookes wher in thei reden ben lyk unto oures, but whan thei speken the tonge, than do I ne undirftonde. But natheles Men seyen that thei speken euer Quyte right. Al so ben thei wel acqueynted with many dyverfe tonges, Grek, Dutche and Frenfche. ' That thei ben moft wys this prouelh for that becaufe thei rulhen td the Librarie and ner iiften in hire hafte to reden mi Bookes alle be thei ben ne worthi. And that Wommen ben so Wonclerly wys is to me a grete marvaylle. GLOSSARY. For z'hegrefe, for the great part. Fair, Fire. Cozzrbe, curved. ZV213 nearly, near. Byzybwhe, busily. t,tt Jlfi, my. fire, their. 'QIIIIIEE 5111115 flllli f fe 'Y !'f, fi Q i A f A f W A A - Sify? M f 19