Social life in Britain from the conquest to the reformation / compiled by G.G. Coulton.

  • George Gordon Coulton
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Social life in Britain from the conquest to the reformation / compiled by G.G. Coulton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    bycause that they beeth nyh to straunge men and naciouns that speketh strongliche, and also bycause that the kynges of Engelond woneth alwey fer from that cuntrey; for they beeth more i-torned to the south contray, and yif they gooth to the north contray they gooth with greet help and strengthe. (p. 165.) Now of the maneres and of the doynges of the medled peple of Engelond nedeth for to telle. But the Flemynges that beeth in the westside of Wales beeth now by- torned as though they were Englische bycause of companye with Englische men, and they beeth stalworthe arid stronge to figte, and beeth the moste enemyes that Walsche men hath, and useth marchaundyse and clothynge and beeth ful redy to putte them self to aventures and to peril in the see and in the lond bycause of greet wynnynge, and beeth redy for to goo somtyme to the plowgh and somtyme to dedes of armes whan tyme and place axeth. Hit semeth of this men a grete wonder that in a boon1 of a wethres right schuldre, whan the flesche is aweye i-sode and nought i-rosted, they knoweth what hath be do, is i-doo, and schal be do, and as hit were by a spirit of prophecie and a wonderful craft they telleth what me[n] doth in fer contrayes, tokens of pees and of werre, the staat of the reeme,*sleynge of men, and spouse- breche; soche they declareth certeynliche by schewynge of tokenes and of sy[g]nes that beeth in suche a schulder boon.... But the Englische men that woneth in Engelond, that beeth i-medled in the ilond, that beth fer i-spronge from the places that they spronge of first, wel lightliche with oute entisynge of eny other men, by there owne assent tornen to contrary dedes. And so unesy, also ful unpacient of pees, enemy of besynesse, and wlatful2 of sleuthe...that whan they haveth destroyed there enemyes al to the grounde, thanne they fighteth with themself, and sleeth everiche other, as a voyd stomak and a clene worcheth in hit self....Notheles men of the south beeth esier and more mylde; and men of the north be more unstable, more cruel, and more unesy; the myddel men beeth somedele partyners with bothe ; also they
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