lord's bedchamber, where was a great fire made and prepared for him, and there new apparelled him with rich and princely garments. And in the time of the king's absence, the dishes of the banquet were clean taken up, and the table spread again with new and sweet perfumed cloths; every man sitting still until the king and his maskers came in among them again, every man being newly apparelled. Then the king took his seat under the cloth of estate, commanding no man to remove, but sit still, as they did before. Then in came a new banquet before the king's majesty, and to all the rest through the tables, wherein, I suppose, were served two hundred dishes, or above, of wondrous costly meats and devices, subtilly devised. Thus passed they forth the whole night with banquetting, dancing, and other triumphant devices, to the great comfort of the king, and pleasant regard of the nobility there assembled.

LORD BERNERS.

the second time made another leap and a fell cry, and stepped forward a little; and the Englishmen removed not one foot. Thirdly again, they leaped and cried, and went forth till they came within shot; then they shot fiercely with their cross-bows. Then the English archers stepped forth one pace, and let fly their arrows so wholly and thick that it seemed snow. When the Genoese felt the arrows piercing through heads and arms and breasts, many of them cast down their cross-bows, and did cut their strings, and returned discomfited. When the French king saw them flee away, he said, 'Slay these rascals, for they shall let and trouble us without reason.' Then ye should have seen the men-at-arms dash in among them, and killed a great number of them, and ever still the Englishmen shot whereas they saw the thickest press; the sharp arrows ran into the men-at-arms and into their horses; and many fell horse and men among the Genoese; and when they were down, they could not relieve again; the press was so thick that one overthrew another. And also, among the Englishmen, there were certain rascals that went on foot with great knives, and they went in among the men-at-arms, and murdered many as they lay on the ground, both earls, barons, knights, and squires, whereof the King of England was after displeased, for he had rather they had been taken prisoners.

JOHN BELLENDEN.

LORD BERNERS, another favourite of Henry VIII., under whom he was chancellor of the exchequer, and governor of Calais, is known chiefly as the author of a translation of the French chronicler, Froissart. His version of that fascinating narrative of contemporary events in England, France, Flanders, Scotland, and other countries,* was executed by the king's command, and appeared in 1523. It is an excellent sample of the English language of that period, being remarkable for the purity and nervousContemporary with Lord Berners was JOHN BELness of its style.† Lord Berners wrote also The LENDEN, archdean of Moray, a favourite of James History of the Most Noble and Valiant Knight, Ar-V. of Scotland, and one of the lords of session in the thur of Little Britain, and other works, translated reign of Queen Mary. Besides writing a topography from the French and Spanish; he was likewise the of Scotland, epistles to James V., and some poems, author of a book on The Duties of the Inhabitants he translated, by the king's command, Hector Boece's of Calais. From his translation of Froissart (which History of Scotland, and the first five books of Livy. was reprinted in 1812), we extract the following The translation of Boece was published in 1536, and constitutes the earliest existing specimen of Scotpassages:tish literary prose. The first original work in that language was one entitled The Complaynt of Scotland, which was published at St Andrews in 1548, by an unknown author, and consists of a meditation on the distracted state of the kingdom. The difference between the language of these works and that employed by the English writers of the preceding century is not great. Bellenden's translation of Boece is rather a free one, and additions are sometimes made by the translator.* Another translation, published by Holinshed, an English Chronicler, in the reign of Elizabeth, was the source from which Shakspeare derived the historical materials of his tragedy of Macbeth. Two extracts from Bellenden's version, in the original spelling, are here subjoined:

[Battle of Cressy.]

When the French king saw the Englishmen, his blood changed, and (he) said to his marshalls, Make the Genoese go on before, and begin the battle in the name of God and St Denis.' There were of the Genoese cross-bows about a fifteen thousand, but they were so weary of going a-foot that day, a six leagues, armed with their cross-bows, that they said to their constables, We be not well ordered to fight this day, for we be not in the case to do any great deed of arms; we have more need of rest.' These words came to the Earl of Alençon, who said, 'A man is well at ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, to be faint and fail now at most need.' Also, the same season, there fell a great rain and an eclipse, with a terrible thunder; and before the rain, there came flying over the battles a great number of crows for fear of the tempest coming. Then anon the air began to wax clear, and the sun to shine fair and bright, the which was right in the Frenchmens' eyen, and on the Englishmens' back. When the Genoese were assembled together, and began to approach, they made a great leap and ery, to abash the Englishmen ; but they stood still, and stirred not for all that. Then the Genoese again

[Part of the Story of Macbeth.]

Nocht lang eftir, hapnit ane uncouth and wounderfull thing, be quhilk followit, sone, ane gret alteration in the realme. Be aventure, Makbeth and Banquho wer passand to Fores, quhair King Duncane hapnit to be for the time, and met be the gait thre wemen, clothit in elrage and uncouth weid. Thay wer jugit, be the pepill, to be weird sisteris. The first of thaim said to Makbeth, 'Hale, Thane of Glammis!' the second said, 'Hale, Thane of Cawder!' and the third said, 'Hale, King of Scotland!' Than said Banquho, Quhat wemen be ye, sa unmercifull to me, and sa favorable to my companyeon? For ye gaif to him nocht onlie landis and gret rentis, bot gret lordschippis and kingdomes; and gevis me nocht.' To this, answerit the first of thir weird sisteris, 'We schaw more felicite apparing to thee than to him; for

* An excellent reprint of it, along with an edition of the translation of Livy, appeared in Edinburgh in 1821.

thoucht he happin to be ane king, his empire sall end unhappelie, and nane of his blude sall eftir him succeid; be contrar, thow sall nevir be king, bot of the sal cum mony kingis, quhilkis, with lang progressioun, sall rejose the croun of Scotland.' Als sone as thir wourdis wer said, thay suddanlie evanist out of sicht. This prophecy and divinatioun wes haldin mony dayis in derision to Banquho and Makbeth. For sum time, Banquho wald call Makbeth, King of Scottis, for derisioun; and he, on the samin maner, wald call Banquho the fader of mony kingis. Yit, becaus al thingis succedit as thir wemen devinit, the pepill traistit and jugit thaim to be weird sisteris. Not lang eftir, it hapnit that the Thane of Cawder wes disherist and forfaltit of his landis, for certane crimes of lese majeste; and his landis wer gevin be King Duncane to Makbeth. It hapnit in the next nicht, that Banquho and Makbeth wer sportand togiddir at thair supper. Than said Banquho, Thow hes gottin all that the first two weird sisteris hecht. Restis nocht bot the croun, quhilk wes hecht be the thrid sister.' Makbeth, revolving all thingis as thay wer said be thir weird sisteris, began to covat the croun; and yit he concludit to abide quhil he saw the time ganand thairto, fermelie beleving that the thrid weird suld cum, as the first two did afore.

6

incontinent thairefter was drownit in ane fresche rever. Now I belief nane hes sic eloquence, nor fouth of langage, that can sufficientlie declare, how far we, in thir present dayis, ar different fra the virtew and temperance of our eldaris. For quhare our eldaris had sobriete, we have ebriete and dronkines; quhare thay had plente with sufficence, we have immoderat cursis [courses] with superfluite; as he war maist noble and honest, that culd devore and swelly maist; and, be extreme diligence, serchis sa mony deligat coursis, that thay provoke the stomok to ressave mair than it may sufficientlie degest. And nocht allenarliel may surfet dennar and sowper suffice us, above the temperance of oure eldaris, bot als to continew our schamefull and immoderit voracite with duble dennaris and sowparis. Na fishe in the se, nor foul in the aire, nor best in the wod, may have rest, but socht heir and thair, to satisfy the hungry appetit of glutonis. Nocht allenarly ar winis socht in France, bot in Spainye, Italy, and Grece; and, sumtime, baith Aphrik and Asia socht, for new delicius metis and winis, to the samin effect. Thus is the warld sa utterly socht, that all maner of droggis and electuaris, that may nuris the lust and insolence of pepill, ar brocht in Scotland, with maist sumptuus price, to na les dammage than perdition In the mene time, King Duncane maid his son Mal- of the pepill thereof: for, throw the immoderat glutcolme Prince of Cumbir, to signify that he suld ony, our wit and reason ar sa blindit within the preregne eftir him. Quhilk wes gret displeseir to Mak- soun of the body, that it may have no knawledge of beth; for it maid plane derogatioun to the thrid weird, hevinly thingis; for the body is involvit with sic promittit afore to him be thir weird sisteris. Noch- clowdis of fatnes, that, howbeit it be of gud comtheles, he thocht, gif Duncane wer slane, he had maist plexioun be nature, it is sa opprest with superfleu richt to the croun, becaus he wes nerest of blud thair-metis and drinkis, that it may nothir weild, nor yit to, be tennour of the auld lawis maid eftir the deith ouir? the self; bot, confessand the self vincust, gevis of King Fergus, 'Quhen young children wer unabil place to all infirmiteis, quhill it be miserably deto govern the croun, the nerrest of thair blude sall stroyit. regne.' Als, the respons of thir weird sisteris put him in beleif, that the thrid weird suld cum als weill as the first two. Attour, his wife, impacient of lang tary, as all wemen ar, specially quhare thay ar desirus of ony purpos, gaif him gret artation to persew the thrid weird, that scho micht be ane quene; calland him, oft timis, febil cowart, and nocht desirus of honouris; sen he durst not assailye the thing with manheid and curage, quhilk is offerit to him be benivolence of fortoun; howbeit sindry otheris hes assailyeit síc thingis afore, with maist terribil jeopardyis, quhen thay had not sie sickernes to succeid in the end of

thair laubouris as he had.

Makbeth, be persuasion of his wife, gaderit his freindis to ane counsall at Innernes, quhare King Duncane happinit to be for the time. And because he fand sufficient oportunite, be support of Banquho and otheris his freindis, he slew King Duncane, the vii yeir of his regne. His body was buryit in Elgin, and eftir tane up and brocht to Colmekill, quhare it remanis yit, amang the sepulturis of uthir kingis; fra our redemption, MXLVI yeris.

The New Maneris and the Auld, of Scottis. Our eldaris howbeit thay war richt virtewis baith in weir and peace, war maist exercit with temperance; for it is the fontane of all virtew. Thay disjunit airly in the morning with smal refectioun, and sustenit thair liffis thairwith quhil the time of sowper; throw quhilk thair stomok was nevir surfetly chargit, to empesche thaim of uthir besines. At the sowpar thay war mair large; howbeit thay had bot ane cours. Thay eit, for common, flesche half raw; for the saup is maist nurisand in that maner. All dronkatis, glutonis, and consumers of vittalis, mair nor was necessar to the sustentation of men, war tane, and first commandit to welly thair fowth3 of quhat drink thay plesit, and 'Breakfasted. 2 Until. 3 Full quantity, or fill.

[Extract from the Complaynt of Scotland.]

There eftir I heard the rumour of rammasche3 foulis and of beystis that made grite beir, quhilk past beside burnis and boggis on green bankis to seek their sustentation. Their brutal sound did redond to the high skyis, quhil the deep hou cauernis of cleuchist and rotche craggis ansuert vitht ane high note of that samyn sound as thay beystis hed blauen. It aperit be presumyng and presuposing, that blaberand eccho had been hid in ane hou hole, cryand hyr half ansueir, quhen Narcissus rycht sorry socht for his saruandis, quhen he was in ane forrest, far fra ony folkis, and there efter for love of eccho he drounit in ane drau vel. Nou to tel treutht of the beystis that maid sic beir, and of the dyn that the foulis did, ther syndry soundis hed nothir temperance nor tune. For fyrst furtht on the fresche fieldis the nolt maid noyis vitht mony loud lou. Baytht horse and meyris did fast nee, and the folis neckyr. The bullis began to bullir, quhen the scheip began to blait, because the calfis began till mo, quhen the doggis berkit. Than the suyne began to quhryne quhen thai herd the asse rair, quhilk gart the hennis kekkyl quhen the cokis creu. The chekyns began to peu when the gled quhissillit. The fox follouit the fed geise and gart them cry claik. The gayslingis cryit quhilk quhilk, and the dukis cryit quaik. The ropeen of the rauynis gart the cras crope. The huddit crauis cryit varrok varrok, quhen the suannis murnit, because the gray goul mau pronosticat ane storme. The turtil began for to greit, quhen the cuschet zoulit. The titlene followit the goilk, and gart hyr sing guk guk. The dou croutit hyr sad sang that soundit lyik sorrou.

Rebeen and

6 Cloughs, deep valleys or ravines in the hills. 7 Forced, caused. 8 Cuckoo. 9 Dove

And Mary sayde, My soule magnifieth the Lorde, and my sprete reioyseth in God my Savioure.

For he hath loked on the povre degre off his honde mayden. Beholde nowe from hens forthe shall all generacions call me blessed.

For he that is myghty hath done to me greate thinges, and blessed ys his name:

And hys mercy is always on them that feare him thorow oute all generacions.

throughout, very closely followed it. To use the These translations were speedily followed by words of a profound modern scholar, It is astonish- others, so that the desire of the people for scriptural ing how little obsolete the language of it is, even at knowledge was amply gratified. The dissemination this day; and, in point of perspicuity and noble of so many copies of the sacred volume, where neither simplicity, propriety of idiom, and purity of style, the Bible nor any considerable number of other books no English version has yet surpassed it.'* A had formerly been in use, produced very remarkable beautiful edition of it has lately been published.† effects. The versions first used, having been formed The following are Tyndale's translations of the Mag- in some measure from the Latin translation, called nificat and Lord's Prayer, in the spelling of the ori- the Vulgate, contained many words from that langinal edition:guage, which had hardly before been considered as English; such as perdition, consolation, reconciliation, sanctification, immortality, frustrate, inexcusable, transfigure, and many others requisite for the expression of compound and abstract ideas, which had never occurred to our Saxon ancestors, and therefore were not represented by any terms in that language. These words, in the course of time, became part of ordinary discourse, and thus the language was enriched. In the Book of Common Prayer, compiled in the subsequent reign of Edward VI., and which affords many beautiful specimens of the English of that time, the efforts of the learned to make such words familiar, are perceptible in many places; where a Latin term is often given with a Saxon word of the same or nearly the same meaning following it, as humble and lowly,' 'assemble and meet together.' Another effect proceeded from the freedom with which the people were allowed to judge of the doctrines, and canvass the texts, of the sacred writings. The keen interest with which they now perused the Bible, hitherto a closed book to the most of them, is allowed to have given the first imOure Father which arte in heven, halowed be thy pulse to the practice of reading in both parts of the Let thy kingdom come. Thy wyll be ful-island, and to have been one of the causes of the filled, as well in erth, as hit ys in heven. Geve vs flourishing literary era which followed. this daye oure dayly breade. And forgeve vs oure treaspases, even as we forgeve them which treaspas VS. Leede vs not into temptacion, but delyvre vs from yvell. Amen.

He hath shewed strengthe with his arme; he hath scattered them that are proude in the ymaginacion of their hertes.

He hath putt doune the myghty from their seates, and hath exalted them of lowe degre.

He hath filled the hongry with goode thinges, and hath sent away the ryche empty.

He hath remembred mercy, and hath holpen his servaunt Israhel.

Even as he promised to oure fathers, Abraham and to his seed for ever.

name.

MILES COVERDALE.

In translating the Pentateuch, Tyndale was assisted by MILES COVERDALE, who, in 1535, published the first English translation of the whole Scriptures, with this title: Biblia, the Bible; That is, the Holy Scripture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully and newly translated out of the Doutche and Latyn into English. Coverdale was made bishop of Exeter in 1551, but retired to the Continent during the reign of Mary. When Elizabeth ascended the throne, he returned to England, and remained there till his death. His translation of the Bible has lately been reprinted in London. The extent of its variation from that of Tyndale will appear by contrasting the following verse, as rendered by each translator:

SIR JOHN CHEKE.

Among the great men of this age, a high place is due to SIR JOHN CHEKE, (1514-1557), professor of Greek at Cambridge, and one of the preceptors of

the prince, afterwards Edward VI. He is chiefly distinguished for his exertions in introducing the study of the Greek language and literature into England. Having dictated to his pupils an improved mode of pronouncing Greek words, he was violently assailed on that account by Bishop Gardiner, then

THOMAS WILSON, originally a fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and who rose to be Dean of Durham, and to various high state employments under Elizabeth, may be considered as the first critical writer upon the English language.* He pub-poets, but under the same is comprehended something