the drama. It contains many fine passages, but is rather declamatory and stiff, and the action is very heavy. It is unnecessary to characterize particularly the various dramatic authors who flourished before the period of Shakspere; suffice it to state that the structure and language of the drama were gradually refined and improved by many writers, of whom Heywood, Greene, Lylly, Peele, and Nash are the best known and most meritorious. The immediate predecessor of Shakspere was Christopher Marlowe, the son of a shoemaker in Canterbury, who exhibited, probably in 1586, the first part of "Tamburlane the Great," which was received with general approbation, and was followed by the "Second Part" of the same play, "Dr Faustus," the "Jew of Malta," 'Edward II.," and the "Massacre of Paris." Marlowe was a reckless profligate, and unhappily, when only thirty years of age, fell in a drunken scuffle in the streets of Deptford. During his brief career, however, he earned for himself an imperishable name in our literature: to him belongs the merit of introducing blank verse, with all its grace and freedom, into plays intended for an ordinary audience; and though his language is sometimes extravagant, and his plots and incidents often ill constructed and incredible, he is a powerful delineator of character, and in command over the passions, especially the more terrible ones, he is certainly not inferior even to Shakspere.

66

SELECTIONS.

1. CHAUCER.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER was born probably in London, A.D. 1328. He is said to have received a university education, but whether at Oxford or Cambridge has been much disputed. He served under Edward III. in the French wars, and having secured the patronage of John of Gaunt, he was rewarded with a pension. The poet afterwards became connected with his patron, by marrying the sister of Lady Swinford, the wife of John of Gaunt. Chaucer, through his patron's influence probably, was employed on honourable diplomatic missions, in one of which to Italy, he is said to have had an interview with the poet Petrarch, which exerted considerable influence on his future style. He was also appointed controller of the customs levied on wine and wool in London; and his salary, in addition to sundry other emoluments, enabled him to lead a comfortable life. On the accession of Richard II. he was involved in the disgrace which overtook the Duke of Lancaster and his adherents, and was deprived of his pensions. He was, however, restored to royal favour, and lived just long enough to receive the first fruits of the bounty of Henry IV., the son of his former patron. He died October 25, A D. 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

His chief work, the "Canterbury Tales," is written in imitation of the "Decameron" of Boccaccio. Twenty-nine persons, of various ranks and both sexes, accidentally meet at the Tabard Inn, Southwark, all bent on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St Thomas at Canterbury; and at the proposal of the jovial host, who accompanies them, they agree to beguile the way by telling each two tales, one on their journey to Canterbury, the other on their return. This plan, however, has been only partially finished: seven of the company relate no tales; we have no account of the proceedings of the pilgrims when they reached the shrine, nor of the tales told on their way home, nor of a subject which would have afforded Chaucer's humour full scope-the supper at the Tabard, with which the ability of the best story-teller was to be rewarded on their return to Southwark. Of the Tales, two are in prose; and from the first of them, the tale of "Melibus," the following extract is selected. In printing it, the plan adopted by Mr Cowden Clarke in his "Riches of Chaucer" has been followed. The old spelling, which is very arbitrary and fluctuating, has been modernized, without, however, either substituting new terms for old, or omitting or altering any of the old

era.

OF THE CHOICE OF FRIENDS.

13

terminations which were characteristic of the language of Chaucer's Of these peculiarities the chief are: the use of the infinitive termination in en, as been for be; the imperative ending in eth, as trusteth for trust; the employment of plural person endings, as ye been for *ye be, ye han (i.e., haven) for ye have; and the frequent occurrence of double negatives.

The following extract contains the advice of Sapience to her husband Melibus:

OF THE CHOICE OF FRIENDS FROM CHAUCER'S "MELIBŒUS".1 (CANTERBURY TALES.)

Now, sir, quod dame Prudence, and since ye vouchen safe to be governed by my counselling, I will inform you how ye shall govern yourself in choosing of your counsel. Ye shall first in all your works meekly beseech to the high God, that he will be your counsellor ; and shape you to that intent that he give you counsel and comfort, as taught Toby his son :2 "At all times thou shalt bless God, and pray him to dress thy ways; and look that all thy counsels be in him for evermore." Saint James3 eke saith: "If any of you have need of sapience, ask it of God." And afterward, then shall ye take counsel in yourself, and examine well your thoughts of such things as you thinkith that is best for your profit. And then shall ye drive from your heart three things that been contrary to good counsel that is to say-ire, covetise, and hastiness.

First, he that asketh counsel of himself, certes,7 he must be without ire, for many cause. The first is this: he that hath great ire and wrath in himself, he weeneth alway he may do thing that he may not do. And secondly, he that is irous and wroth, he may not well deem; and he that may not well deem, may not well counsel. The third is this: that he that is irous and wroth, as saith Seneca, may not speak but blameful things, and with his vicious words he stirreth other folk to anger and to ire. And eke, sir, ye must drive covetise out of your heart. For the apostle 10 saith that covetise is root of all harms. And trusteth11 well, that a covetous man ne 12 can not deem ne think, but only to fulfil the end of his covetise; and certes that may never been 13 accomplished; for ever the more abundance that he hath of riches, the more he de

The reader may compare the first three sentences with the original spelling as here given: "Now, sire, quod dame Prudens, and syn ye vouchen saufe to be governed by my counseilying, I wil enforme you how ye schul governe youre self, in chesyng of youre counseil. Ye schul first in alle youre werkes mekely biseche to the hihe God, that he wol be your counseilour; and schape you to that extent that he give you counseil and comfort, as taughte Toby his sone. 'At alle tymes thou schalt blesse God, and pray him to dresse thy wayes; and loke that alle thi counseiles be in him for evermore.""

2 See Tobit iv. 20.

3 James i. 5.

you thinketh; being used impersonally, as in our methinks.

6 i. e., covetousness.

4 You thinkith, it seems to

5 Been, i. e., be.

8 i. e., thinketh. 11 Imperative, trust ye. 13 Been, the infinitive mood for be

7 i. e., assuredly.

10 1 Tim. vi. 10.

12 A double negative, ne and not.

9 ie., judge.

9

sireth. And, sir, ye must also drive out of your heart hastiness; for certes ye may not deem for the best a sudden thought that falleth in your heart, but ye must avise you on it full oft. For, as ye heard here before, the common proverb is this: that he that soon. deemeth soon repenteth. Sir, ye been1 not always in like disposition, for certes something that sometime seemeth to you that it is good for you to do, another time it seemeth to you the contrary. When ye han2 taken counsel in your selfen,3 and han deemed by good deliberation such thing as you seemeth best, then rede I you that ye keep it secre. Bewray not your counsel to no person, but it so be that ye ween sickerly, that through your bewraying, your condition shall be to you the more profitable. For Jesus Sirac 10 saith, "Neither to thy foe ne to thy friend discover not thy secre ne thy folly; for they will give you audience, and looking, and supportation in thy presence, and scorn in thine absence." Another clerk 11 saith, that scarcely shall thou find any person that may keep counsel secreely. The book saith :12 " While thou keepest thy counsel in thine heart, thou keepest it in thy prison; and when thou bewrayest thy counsel to any wight, he holdeth thee in his snare." And therefore you is better hide your counsel in your heart, than prayen 13 him to whom ye have bewrayed your counsel that he will keep it close and still. For Seneca saith: "If so be that thou ne mayest not thine own counsel hide, how darest thou prayen any other wight thy counsel secreely to keep?" But, natheless, 14 if thou ween sickerly that thy bewraying of thy counsel to a person will make thy condition stand in the better plight, then shalt thou tell him thy counsel in this wise.

11

First, thou shalt make no semblant 15 whether thee were liefer 16 war or peace, or this or that; ne show him not thy will and thine intent; for trust well that commonly these counsellors been flatterers, namely the counsellors of the great lords, for they enforcen them 17 alway rather to speak pleasant words inclining to the lord's lust, 18 than words that been true and profitable. And therefore men say, that the rich man hath seldom good counsel but 19 if he have it of himself. And after that thou shalt consider thy friends and thy enemies. And as touching thy friends, thou shalt consider which of them beeth 20 most faithful and most wise, and eldest and most approved in counselling; and of them shalt thou ask thy counsel, as the case requireth.

1 Been, second person plural, present indicative, for be.

2 Have.

5 Rede, advise.

3 Selfen, self; the termination being dropped in modern English. You seemeth, seems to you; seemeth being used impersonally. Secre, secret; an Anglo-Norman word probably introduced by Chaucer into English. 7 Bewray, disclose. 8 But, except, unless. 9 Sickerly, assuredly.

10 Jesus Sirac, that is, Jesus the son of Sirac; see Eccles. xix. 8. 11 Clerk, clergyman or scholar. 12 See Eccles. viii. 22.

13 Prayen, pray.

14 Natheless, nevertheless; this word may also be found in Milton, "Paradise Lost," Book I. 15 Semblant, appearance or manifestation.

16 Liefer, rather; still used in Scotch; thee were liefer, it pleased thee better.

17 Enforcen them, force themselves.

19 But, unless.

18 Lust, will or pleasure.

20 Beeth, is.

SIR JOHN MAUNDEVILLE.

15

I say, that first ye shall clepe' to your counsel your friends that been true. For Solomon saith, that right as the heart of a man delighteth in savour that is sweet, right so the counsel of true friends giveth sweetness to the soul. He saith also, there may no thing be likened to the true friend; for certes gold ne silver beeth not so much worth as the good will of a true friend. And eke he said, that a true friend is a strong defence; who that it findeth, certes he findeth a great treasure. Then shall ye eke consider if that your true friends been discreet and wise; for the book saith, Ask thy counsel alway of them that been wise. And by this same reason shall ye clepe to your counsel of your friends that been of age, such as have y-see sights and been expert in many things, and been approved in counsellings. For the book 10 saith, that in old men is the sapience, and in long time the prudence. And Tullius" saith, that great things been not aye accomplished by strength, ne by deliverness 12 of body, but by good counsel, by authority of persons, and by science; the which three things ne be not feeble by age, but certes they enforcen and increasen day by day. And then shall ye keep this for a general rule: first shall ye clepe to your counsel a few of your friends that been especial. For Solomon 13 saith, Many friends have thou, but among a thousand choose thou one to be thy counsellor. For albeit so that thou first ne tell thy counsel but to a few, thou mayest afterward tell it mo14 folk, if it be need. But look alway that thy counsellors have thilke 15 three conditions that I have said before: that is to say, that they been true, and old, and of wise experience. And work not alway in every need by one counsellor alone; for some time behoveth it be counselled by many. Solomon saith, Salvation of things is whereas 1 there beeth many counsellors.

16

For

II. SIR JOHN MAUNDEVILLE.

Or Maundeville, the earliest of our popular travellers, little more is known with certainty than what he has himself stated in the introduction to his work. "I was born," says he, "in England, in the town of Saint Alban's, passed the sea in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1322, on the day of St Michael (29th September), and hitherto have been a long time over the sea, and have seen and gone through many divers lands, and many provinces, and kingdoms, and isles."

6 Who that, in modern English, whosoever.

5 See Eccles. vi. 14.

7 See Prov. xxii. 17.

10 See Job xii. 12. 12 Deliverness, nimbleness or agility.

8 Y-see, seen, past participle of to see, formed as in German by prefixing ge, afterwards softened into y. 9 Expert, experienced. 11 Tullius, that is, Marcus Tullius Cicero. 13 See Eccles. vi. 6.

14 Mo, for more.

17 Whereas, where.

15 Thilke, the same; the word is still used in Scotch. 16 Prov. xi. 14.