No More Learning

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.


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PREFATORY NOTE
THE editors of The Cambridge History of English Literature
are glad to find by the welcome extended to their first
volume that the work apparently goes some way towards meeting
the needs of those for whose use it was undertaken. They are
very sensible of the kindness of those critics who have pointed
out where it was thought that improvements could be made;
and, in several cases, they have been able to avail themselves of
these suggestions. The editors are especially pleased to find
that the purpose of the short editorial sections included in the
text has been generally understood, and that the notes attached
to the bibliographies have been found to be useful.
Simultaneously with the printing of the second volume, it has
been found necessary to prepare a second impression of the
first; and advantage has been taken of this occasion to correct
a few misprints and errors and to add one or two notes. In
order that purchasers of the first impression may not be placed
at any disadvantage in this respect, a printed slip, setting forth
corrections of importance that have been made in the first
volume, is inserted in all copies of the second volume.
Pressure of material, and the desire to consult the con-
venience of students, have prevented the editors from dealing in
the present volume with the beginnings of the English drama.
The chapters concerned with the early religious plays have been
transferred to the earlier of the two volumes which will deal
consecutively with the general history of the English drama from
its beginnings to the closing of the theatres under the Puritan
régime. It is not necessary to remind the student that, in any
collective estimate of the English literature of the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries, with which the present volume is chiefly
& B MAR 31 50


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vi
Prefatory Note
concerned, the miracle plays must be regarded as of the greatest
importance.
The third volume, Renascence and Reformation, is in the
press.
It deals with Erasmus and More, Barclay and Skelton,
Lindsay and Knox; with the poetry (other than dramatic) as well
as the prose of the earlier Tudor age; and it contains chapters, in
sequence to those in volume I, concerning changes in language
and prosody to the days of Elizabeth. The editors hope that it
may be in their power to publish this third volume before the
close of the present year; should they find it impossible to
accomplish this task, they desire that the blame may be imputed
not to the contributing authors, whose aid throughout has been
generous and ungrudging, but to editorial difficulties, into the
details of which it would be wearisome to enter here.
A. W. W.
A. R. W.
CAMBRIDGE,
20 March 1908.


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CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
PIERS THE PLOWMAN AND ITS SEQUENCE
By JOHN MATTHEWS MANLY, Professor of English Literature
in the University of Chicago.
PAGE
The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman. Form of
the poems. Theories concerning authorship. The three texts.
The crowd in the valley. The tower of Truth. Holy Church.
The court at Westminster. Meed. Reason. The first vision.
The second vision. The way to truth. Piers and his pilgrims at
work. Piers' pardon. The scene in the ale-house. The third
vision. The search for Do-well, Do-better and Do-best. John But.
B-text. B's continuation of the poems. The merits of B's work.
The author of the C-text. Conclusion assumed that the poems
are not the work of a single author. Differences in the three
texts. Parallel passages. William Langland. John But. Mum,
Sothsegger. Wynnere and Wastoure. The Parlement of the Thre
Ages. Letters of the insurgents of 1381. Peres the Ploughmans
Crede. The Ploughman's Tale. Jacke Upland. The Crowned
King. Death and Liffe. The Scotish Feilde. The fourteenth
century
1
CHAPTER II
RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY
RICHARD ROLLE. WYCLIF. THE LOLLARDS
By the Rev. J. P. WHITNEY, B. D. , King's College.
Bichard Rolle of Hampole. Rolle's mysticism. William Nassyngton.
Rolle and religion. The Pricke of Conscience. Wyclif's early
life. Wyclif and scholasticism. Wyclif's earlier writings. Attack
on Wyclif. The papal schism. The poor priests. The Bible in
English. Nicholas Hereford and John Purvey. Wyclif and
popular movements. Wyclif's views on the Eucharist. Wyclif's
later works. Wyclif's later life. The Lollards. Wyclif's per-
sonality
43


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viii
Contents
CHAPTER III
THE BEGINNINGS OF ENGLISH PROSE
TREVISA. THE MANDEVILLE TRANSLATORS
By ALICE D. GREENWOOD.
PAGE
Early English prose. Early translations. John Trevisa. Polychronicon.
Bartholomaeus. The travels of Sir John Mandeville. Jean
d'Outremeuse. Mandeville manuscripts. Mandeville's style. Man-
deville's detail
70
CHAPTER IV
THE SCOTTISH LANGUAGE
EARLY AND MIDDLE Scots
By G. GREGORY SMITH, M. A. , Balliol College, Oxford,
Professor of English Literature in Queen's College, Belfast.
“Scots' and 'Ynglis. ' Early Scots. Middle Scots. Southern influence
on Middle Scots. Latin and French elements in Middle Scots.
Alleged Celtic contributions .
88
CHAPTER V
THE EARLIEST SCOTTISH LITERATURE
BARBOUR, BLIND HARRY, HUCHOUN, WYNTOUN, HOLLAND
By PETER GILES, M. A. , Hon. LL. D. Aberdeen, Fellow of
Emmanuel College and Reader in Comparative Philology.
Early fragments. John Barbour. The Bruce. Blind Harry's Wallace.
Holland's Howlat. Huchoun of the Awle Ryale. Morte Arthure.
The Epistill of Suete Susane. The Awntyrs of Arthure.
Golagros and Gawane. Rauf Coilzear. Colkelbie's Sow. Lives
of the Saints. Gray's Scalacronica. Fordun and Bower's Scoti-
chronicon. Andrew of Wyntoun's Orygynale Cronykil
100
CHAPTER VI
JOAN GOWER
By G. C. MACAULAY, M. A. , Trinity College,
Lecturer in English.
His life. His political opinions. His literary work. The French
Speculum Meditantis (Mirour de l'Omme). The Latin Vox
Clamantis. The English Confessio Amantis. His latest works .
133


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Contents
ix
CHAPTER VII
CHAUCER
By GEORGE SAINTSBURY, M. A. , Merton College, Oxford, Professor
of Rhetoric and English Literature in the University of
Edinburgh.
PAGE
Chaucer's life. Canon of works. Early editions. Tyrwhitt's recension.
Later rearrangements. The Romaunt of the Rose. Early poems.
Troilus and Criseyde. The House of Fame. The Legend of
Good Women. The Canterbury Tales. Prose. The Astrolabe.
Boethius. Minor verse. Chaucer's learning. His humour. His
poetical quality. The tale of Gamelyn
156
.
CHAPTER VIII
THE ENGLISH CHAUCERIANS
By GEORGE SAINTSBURY, M. A.
Lydgate. Occleve. Burgh. George Ashby. Henry Bradshaw.
George Ripley. Thomas Norton. Osbern Bokenam. The Chau-
cerian apocrypha The tale of Beryn or The second Merchant's
tale. La Belle Dame sans Merci. The Cuckoo and the
Nightingale. The Assembly of Ladies. The Flower and the
Leaf. The Court of Love
197
.
CHAPTER IX
STEPHEN HAWES
By WILLIAM MURISON, M. A. Aberdeen.
The Passetyme of Pleasure. The Conversion of Swearers. A Joyful
Meditation to all England of the Coronation of Henry the
Eighth. The Example of Virtue. Hawes's learning and models.
His medievalism. His relation to Spenser. His metre
223
CHAPTER X
THE SCOTTISH CHAUCERIANS
By G. GREGORY SMITH, M. A.
James I. The Kingis Quair. The influence of Chaucer. Robert
Henryson. The Morall Fabillis of Esope.
The Testament of
Cresseid. Henryson's shorter poems. William Dunbar. His
allegories. The grotesque in Dunbar. His prosodio range. Gavin
Douglas. The Palice of Honour. King Hart. The Aeneid.
Douglas's medievalism. Walter Kennedy
239


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х
Contents
CHAPTER XI
THE MIDDLE SCOTS ANTHOLOGIES: ANONYMOUS
VERSE AND EARLY PROSE
By G. GREGORY SMITH, M. A.
PAGE
Early anthologists. The native elements. Peblis to the Play. Christis
Kirk on the Grene. Sym and his Brudir. The Wyf of
Auchtirmuchty. The Wowing of Jok and Jynny. Gure Carling.
King Berdok. Burlesque poems. Convivial verse. Fabliaux.
Historical and patriotic verse. Love poetry. Tayis Bank. The
Murning Maiden. Didactic and religious verse. Early Scottish
prose. Sir Gilbert Hay. Nisbet's version of Purvey
267
CHAPTER XII
ENGLISH PROSE IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
I
PECOCK. FORTESCUE. THE PASTON LETTERS
By ALICE D. GREENWOOD.
The Master of Game. John Capgrave. Reginald Pecock. The
Repressor of overmuch blaming of clergy. The Repressor and
the Lollards. Pecock's minor works. His style and vocabulary.
Sir John Fortescue. Walter Hylton. Juliana of Norwich. Gesta
Romanorum. Secreta Secretorum. William Gregory's note-book.
The Paston Letters. Copyists and booksellers.
286
CHAPTER XIII
THE INTRODUCTION OF PRINTING INTO ENGLAND AND
THE EARLY WORK OF THE PRESS
By E. GORDON DUFF, M. A. Oxon. , sometime Sandars Reader in
Bibliography in the University of Cambridge.
The first products of the new art. William Caxton. The first book
printed in English-The Recuyell of the Histories of Troy. The
first dated book issued in England - The Dictes and Sayings of
the Philosophers. The Golden Legend. Malory's Morte d'Arthur.
Caxton's views on the English language. Provincial presses. The
Book of St Albans. William de Machlinia. English books
printed abroad. Arnold's Chronicle. Richard Pynson. Berners's
Froissart. Wynkyn de Worde. Minor printers. Antoine Verard
and John of Doesborch. The book trade
310


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Contents
xi
CHAPTER XIV
ENGLISH PROSE IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
II
CAXTON. MALORY. BERNERS
By ALICE D. GREENWOOD.
PAGE
Caxton as editor. The Golden Legend. Malory's Morte d'Arthur.
Style of the Morte d'Arthur. Sir John Bourchier, Lord Berners.
The Chronicles of Froissart. Huon of Bordeaux. The Golden
Book of Marcus Aurelius
332
.
•
CHAPTER XV
ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH EDUCATION. UNIVERSITIES
AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE TIME OF COLET
By the Rev. T. A. WALKER, M. A. , LL. D. , Fellow of Peterhouse.
Paris and Oxford. Beginnings of Oxford and Cambridge. Town and
gown. University and bishop. The coming of the friars. The
schoolmen. The fall of the friars. Poor students. Walter de
Merton. Hugo de Balsham. The Black Death. The beginnings
of the colleges. William of Wykeham, Winchester and New
College. Henry VI, Eton and King's College. Queen Margaret.
Medieval studies. The Grammar School University studies.
The higher faculties. Peterhouse library and catalogue. The
library of the medieval student. The education of a young scholar
in the Middle Ages. The hour before the renascence. St Andrews
university. Glasgow and Aberdeen. Scottish university studies. 341
.
CHAPTER XVI
TRANSITION ENGLISH SONG COLLECTIONS
By FREDERICK MORGAN PADELFORD, Professor of the English
Language and Literature in the University of Washington.
Characteristics of folk-poetry. Minstrels' songs. Carols, sacred and
secular. Spiritual lullabies.
Didactic songs.
Satires against
women. Drinking songs. Love songs. Pre-Christian festivals
and May poems. Miscellaneous songs.
372


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xii
Contents
CHAPTER XVII
BALLADS
By FRANCIS B. GUMMERE, Professor of English in Haverford
College, U. S. A.
PAGE
Definition of the subject. The Canute song. Outlaw ballads and
political songs. The ballad question. Tradition. Robin Hood.
Babylon. The maid freed from the gallows. The making of
ballads. General outlines of ballad progress. Sources of ballads.
Riddle ballads. The epic tendency. Balladry in rags. Ballads of
domestic tragedy. Child Waters. Funeral ballads. The historical
ballad. The greenwood. Sources and aesthetic values of ballads
as a whole.
395
CHAPTER XVIII
POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS VERSE TO THE CLOSE OF
THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY-FINAL WORDS
By A. R. WALLER, M. A. , Peterhouse.
Anglo-Norman writings. L'Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal. The
Vows of the Heron. The Lollards. The Libel of English Policy.
Jack Napes' Soul, Lyrics and carols. The religious plays.
.
Didactio literature. Robin Hood. The fifteenth century
419
430
.
432
.
Appendix to chapter II .
Bibliographies .
Table of principal dates.
Index .
510
513


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CHAPTER I
PIERS THE PLOWMAN AND ITS SEQUENCE
FEw poems of the Middle Ages have had a stranger fate than
those grouped under the general title of The Vision of William
concerning Piers the Plowman. Obviously very popular in the
latter half of the fourteenth century, the time of their composition,
they remained popular throughout the fifteenth century, were
regarded in the sixteenth by the leaders of the reformation as an
inspiration and a prophecy, and, in modern times, have been
quoted by every historian of the fourteenth century as the most
vivid and trustworthy source for the social and economic history
of the time. Yet their early popularity has resulted in the
confusion of what is really the work of five different men, and in
the creation of a mythical author of all these poems and one other;
and the nature of the interest of the sixteenth century reformers
has caused a misunderstanding of the objects and aims of the
satire contained in the poems separately and collectively. Worst
of all, perhaps, the failure of modern scholars to distinguish the
presence of several hands in the poems has resulted in a general
charge of vagueness and obscurity, which has not even spared
a portion of the work remarkable for its clearness and definiteness
and structural excellence.
Before taking up any of the problems just suggested, we may
recall briefly certain undisputed facts as to the form of the poems.
They are written throughout in alliterative verse of the same
general type as that of Beowulf and other Old English poems, and,
at first sight, seem to form one long poem, extant in versions
differing somewhat from one another. As Skeat has conclusively
shown in his monumental editions of the texts, there are three
principal versions or texts, which he designates the A-text, the
B-text and the C-text, or the Vernon, the Crowley and the
Whitaker versions respectively. The A-text, or Vernon version,
consists of three visions supposed to come to the author while
1
E. L. II.
CH, I.


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2
Piers the Plowman and its Sequence
sleeping beside a stream among the Malvern hills. The first of
these, occupying the prologue and passus 1-10, is the vision of
the field full of folk—a symbol of the world—and Holy Church
and Lady Meed; the second, occupying passus V–VIII, is the
vision of Piers the Plowman and the crowd of penitents whom he
leads in search of Saint Truth; the third, occupying passus IX-XII,
is a vision in which the dreamer goes in search of Do-well, Do-better
and Do-best, but is attacked by hunger and fever and dies ere his
quest is accomplished. The B-text and the C-text are successive
modifications and expansions of the A-text.
Let us turn now from fact to theory. The two principal
authorities, Skeat and Jusserand, though differing in details, agree,
in the main, in the account they give of the poems and the author;
and their account is very generally accepted. It is as follows.
The author was William Langland (or Langley), born about 1331—2
at Cleobury Mortimer, 32 miles S. S.