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قراءة كتاب Caxton's Book of Curtesye

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Caxton's Book of Curtesye

Caxton's Book of Curtesye

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دار النشر: Project Gutenberg
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it. This is printed e or [=n], though no doubt the tail and line have often no value at all. The curls to the _r_s are printed e, because ther with the curly r, in l. 521, Hill, rimes to where of l. 519.

At the end of Caxton's final d and g is occasionally a crook-backed line, something between the line of beauty and the ordinary knocker. This no doubt represents the final e of MSS., and is so printed, as Mr Childs has not the knocker in the fount of type that he uses for the Society's work. Caxton's [=n] stands for _u_n in the -aunce, -aunte, of words from the French. No stops or inverted commas have been put to Caxton's text here, but the stanzas and lines have been numbered, and side-notes added.

"The Book of Curtesye," says Mr Bradshaw, "is known from three early editions. The first, without any imprint, but printed at Westminster by Caxton ab. 1477-78,[1] the only known copy of which is here reproduced. The second (with the colophon 'Here endeth a lytyll treatyse called the booke of Curtesye or lytyll John. Emprynted atte Westmoster') is only known from a printer's proof of two pages[2] preserved among the Douce fragments in the Bodleian. It must have been printed by Wynkin de Worde in Caxton's house ab. 1492. In the third edition it was reprinted at the end of the Stans puer ad Mensam by Wynkin de Worde ab. 1501-1510. The Cambridge copy is the only one known to remain of this edition."

[Footnote 1: In his type No. 2, Blades, ii. 63.]

[Footnote 2: In Caxton's type No. 5, Blades, ii. 235 (not 253 as in
Index).]

I have no more to say: but, readers, remember this coming New Year to do more than last for what Dr Stratmann calls "the dear Old English." Think of Chaucer when his glad spring comes, and every day besides; forget not Langland or any of our early men:

                                              reporte
    & revyue _th_e lawde of the_m_ th_a_t were
    famovs i_n_[1] owr_e_ langage, these faders dere,
      whos sowles i_n_ blis, god et_er_nall avaunce,
      _th_at lysten so[2] owr_e_ langage to enhavnce!

(Hill, l. 430-4.)

[Footnote 1: Founders of, Oriel MS.]

[Footnote 2: some, Hill; so, Oriel.]

_3, St George's Square, N.W.

15 Dec., 1867._

The Book of Curtesye.

[The Book of Curtesy.]

[From the Oriel MS. lxxix.]

[1]

Lytle childe, sythen youre tendre infancie
  Stondeth as yett vndir yndyff[e]rence,
To vice or vertu to moven[1] or Applie, 3
[Sidenote 1: MS. coorven]
  And in suche Age ther is no prouide_n_ce,
Ne comenly no sadde intelligence,
    But ryght as wax receyueth printe and figure,
    So chylder ben disposed of nature,

[2]

Vice or vertu to Folowe and ympresse
  In mynde; and therfore, to stere and remeve
You from vice, and to vertu thou[1] dresse, 10
[Sidenote 1: Read you]
  That on to folow, and the other to eschewe,
  I haue devysed you this lytill newe
    Instrucc_i_on according to your_e_ age,
    Playne in sentence, but playner in langage. 14

(Richard Hill's Commonplace Book, or Balliol MS. 354, ffl C lx.)

[Sidenote: Hill's Text.]

Here begynnyth lytill[e] Ioh_a_n.

¶ Lytell[e] Iohan, sith yo_u_r tender_e_ enfancye
    Stondyth as yet vnder_e_ Indyfference
  To vyce or vertu to mevyn or applie,
    & in suche age ther[1] ys no p_ro_vydence, 4
    Ne come_n_ly no sage Intelygence,
      But as wax receyvith prynt or fygure,
      So chyldren bene disposed of nature

[Footnote 1: The th is the same as the y.]

¶ Vyce or vertu to folowe, & enpresse 8
    In mynde; & _ther_for to styre & remeve
  you frome vice, & to vertu addresse,
    That on to folow, & _tha_t o_ther_ to eschewe,
    I haue devysed you this lytill[e] newe 12
      Instrucc_i_on[1] accordyng vnto yo_u_r age,
      playn In sentence, but playner_e_ In langage.

[Footnote 1: The mark of contraction is over the n: t.i. the n has its tail curled over its back like a dog's.]

[The Book of Courtesye.]

[Caxton's Text.]

[1]

[Sidenote: Leaf 1 a.]

  Lytyl Iohn syth your tendre enfancye
  Stondeth as yet vnder / in difference
[Sidenote: As Infancy is indifferent]
To vice or vertu to meuyn or applye 3
[Sidenote: whether it follows vice or virtue,]
And in suche age ther is no prouidence
Ne comenly no sad_e_ Intelligence
But as waxe resseyueth prynte or figure
So children ben disposid_e_ of nature 7

[2]

Vyce or vertue to folowe and_e_ enpresse
In mynde / and_e_ therfore / to styre & remeue
You from vice / and_e_ to vertue addresse 10
That one to folowe / and that other teschewe
I haue deuysed you / this lytyl newe
[Sidenote: I have written this new treatise to draw you from vice, and
turn you to virtue.]
Instrucc_i_on / acordyng_e_ vnto your age
Playne in sentence / but playner in la_n_gage 14

* * * * *

THE ORIEL TEXT.

[3]

Taketh hede therfore and herkyn what I say,
   And yeueth therto hooly your_e_ adu_er_tence,
Lette not your_e_ eye be here and your_e_ hert away, 17
   But yeueth herto your_e_ besy diligence,
   And ley aparte alle wantawne insolence,
      Lernyth to be vertues and well thewid;
      Who wolle not lere, nedely must be lewid. 21

[4]

Afore all thyng, fyrst and principally,
   In the morowe when ye[1] shall vppe ryse,
[Sidenote 1: MS. he.]
To wyrship god haue in your_e_ memorie; 24
   Wyth cristis crosse loke ye blesse you thriese,
   Youre pater-nosteir seyth in devoute wyse,
     Aue maria wyth the holy crede,
     Than alle the after the bettir may ye spede. 28

[5]

And while ye be Abouten honestely
  To dresse your_e_-self and don on your_e_ aray,
Wyth your_e_ felawe well and tretably 31
  Oure lady matens Avyseth that you say,
  And this obseruaunce vseth eu_e_ry day,
    Wyth prime and owris, and wythouten drede
    The blyssed lady woll graunte you your_e_ mede. 35

[Sidenote: Hill's Text.]

¶ Take hede _ther_for, & harken what I saye,
    & geve _ther_to yowr_e_ good advertence, 16

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