ENGLISH PROSE WRITERS OF THE

FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

FROM the Conquest for three centuries onwards, English as a literary language is for the most part represented by ballads, metrical tales, metrical homilies, and works of similar character. During that time there is no work which we can compare with the simple but noble prose of King Alfred, or Elfric, or some of the writers of the Saxon Chronicle. The cultured prose of that period was Latin, but the victory of English over both Latin and French was becoming yearly more assured, and there were in the fourteenth century at least three prose writers of whom we must speak. Two of them, Mandeville and Wyclif, wrote in the Midland dialect, which was now rapidly asserting its pre-eminence; the third, John of Trevisa, wrote in the Western or Southern dialect, which was more akin to the tongue of Wessex and King Alfred.

Mandeville. The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Mandeville' was one of the most popular books of the middle ages; and no wonder, for no romance of Arthur or Charlemagne is more thickly strewn with marvels. Of the writer's life little is known with certainty. He was born at St. Albans about 1300, started on his travels in 1322, returned in 1356, and it is said that he died in 1371 and was buried in Liège.

In his prologue he tells us he wrote his book 'specyally for hem,' that wylle and are in purpos for to visite the holy citee of Jerusalem, and the holy places that are

1 them.

thereaboute.' And zee schulle undirstonde that I have put this boke out of Latyn into Frensch, and translated it azen out of Frensch into Englyssch, that every man of my nacioun may undirstonde it.'

The good knight was grieved that the holy lond, the lady and sovereyn of alle othere londes,' should be in the hands of heathen men, and he longed for a new Crusade. 'zif wee ben right children of Crist wee oughte for to chalenge the heritage that oure fader lafte us, and do it out of hethene mennes hondes.' 'Wolde God, that the temporel lordes and alle worldly lordes weren at gode accord, and with the comen peple woulden taken this holy viage over the see.'

But the Travels contain much more than a description of the Holy Land. Babylon, Tartary, Cathay and Isles innumerable are described, and even Paradise. 'Of Paradys ne can not I speken propurly, for I was not there. It is fer bezonde, and also I was not worthi. Paradys terrestre, as wise men seyn, is the highest place of Erthe, and it is so highe that it touchethe nyghe to the cercle of the Mone. And this Paradys is enclosed all aboute with a Walle, and men wyte not whereof it is. For the Walles ben covered all over with mosse as it semethe.'

But even of the places where Mandeville was really present he gives us marvellous accounts. In the deserts of Sinai he visited St. Catherine's monastery, and he tells us :

There is the Chirche of Seynte Kateryne, in the whiche ben manye Lampes brennynge. For thei han2 of Oyle of Olyves ynow bothe for to

I burning.

2 have.

F

brenne in here Lampes and to ete also. And that plentee have thei be the Myracle of God. For the Ravenes and the Crowes and the Choughes and other Foules of the Contree assemblen hem there every zeer ones, and fleen thider as in pilgrymage; and everyche of hem bringethe a Braunche of the Bayes or of Olyve in here Bekes in stede of Offyring, and leven hem there; of the whiche the Monkes maken gret plentee of Oyle and this is a gret Marvaylle. Also whan the Prelate of the Abbeye is dead, I have undirstonden be informacioun that his Lampe quenchethe. And whan thei chesen another Prelate, if he be a gode Man and worthi to be Prelate, his Lampe schal lighte with the Grace of God withouten touchinge of ony Man.

Mandeville often leaves us in doubt whether he is speaking of what he has seen or of what he has heard only. In the earlier years of the century Marco Polo had visited Tartary, and Oderic, a Franciscan friar, had journeyed into India and China, and Mandeville made use of their narratives. Indeed, it is possible that his own travels extended no farther cast than to Syria and Arabia.

Pliny's great book of Natural History also furnished him with many wonderful stories, such as the following concerning-

The Lond of Pigmaus where that the folk ben of litylle Stature, that ben but 3 Span long, and thei ben right faire and gentylle. And thei maryen hem whan thei ben half 3ere of age and geten Children. And thei lyven not but 6 zeer or 7 at the moste. And he that lyvethe 8 zeer men holden him there righte passynge old.

Wyclif. John Wyclif was born about 1320, at Spreswell, a poore village a good myle from Richemont' in Yorkshire. So tradition tells, and of his birth and family circumstances we know no more. He went in due course to Oxford, and became the foremost scholar of the University. He devoted himself to the study, not only of

theology, but also of optics and other branches of physical science, as Roger Bacon had done before him. In 1360 he was Master of Baliol, and in 1365 Warden of Canterbury Hall, but this honour he soon lost in consequence of his bold attacks upon the evils of the times.

The clergy were sunk in sloth and luxury, they fed themselves and not their flocks, and Wyclif believed that no reform would avail except to strip them of their riches. Even the great orders of mendicant friars, the Dominicans and Franciscans, who had laboured so unweariedly in their first age, were now become corrupt, and they were denounced by Wyclif, and in return they became his bitterest opponents.

At this time also occurred the scandal of the rival Popes of Rome and Avignon, and Wyclif was led to believe that Christendom could do well without a Pope. Some of the richest English benefices were held by Italian cardinals and priests, of whom it was said, they neither see nor care to see their parishioners, despise God's services, convey away the treasury of the realm, and are worse than Jews or Saracens.'

More than once Wyclif was summoned to answer for his teaching. In 1377 he appeared before the Bishop of London in old St. Paul's, and the mob were against him and ready to tear him in pieces, but he was accompanied and defended by John of Gaunt, King Edward's son. A little later he appeared again at Lambeth Palace, but this time the common people were on his side and his enemies could do nothing against him. In the latter years of his life he retired to his parish of Lutterworth, and devoted himself to two great and good works, the

translation of the Bible, and the training and sending forth his order of poor priests to teach and preach throughout the land. His friends and disciples were expelled from Oxford, and he himself was summoned to Rome, but he died of paralysis in December 1384. The spirit of his teaching passed over to the Continent and inspired Huss and his followers in Bohemia. Thirty years later the Council of Constance condemned Huss to be burnt, and ordered that Wyclif's body should be dug up and also burnt. The ashes were cast into the Swift, which runs by Lutterworth. The brook did convey his ashes to the Avon; Avon into Severn; Severn into the narrow seas; they into the main ocean; and thus the ashes of Wyclif were an emblem of his doctrine which is now dispersed all the world over.'1

Wyclif's literary works were very numerous. His greatest is a Latin one, 'De Dominio Divino;' but the one by which he will chiefly be remembered is the translation of the Bible. How much of it is the work of his own pen it is impossible to tell, but there is no doubt that he was the animating and controlling spirit in the execution of this noble work.

The following extract is from Mark's account of the death of John the Baptist.

Eroude in his birthe-day made a soupere to the princis, and tribunys, and to the firste of Galilee. And whanne the douter of thilke Erodias hadde entrid yn, and lepte, and pleside to Eroude, and also to men restynge, the kyng seide to the wenche, Axe thou of me what thou wolt, and I schal 3yve to thee.' And he swoor to hir, 'For what evere thou schalt axe, I schal 3yve to thee thou; the half of my kingdom.' The whiche, whanne sche hadde gon out, seide to hir modir, What

Fuller.