CHAPTER III. THE AGE OF CHAUCER AND THE REVIVAL OF LEARNING (1350-1550)

  For out of olde feldes, as men seith, 
    Cometh al this newe corn fro yeer te yere; 
  And out of olde bokes, in good feith, 
    Cometh all this newe science that men lere.

                Chaucer, “Parliament of Foules”

SPECIMENS OF THE LANGUAGE. Our first selection, from Piers Plowman (cir. 1362), is the satire of Belling the Cat. The language is that of the common people, and the verse is in the old Saxon manner, with accent and alliteration. The scene is a council of rats and mice (common people) called to consider how best to deal with the cat (court), and it satirizes the popular agitators who declaim against the government. The speaker is a rat, “a raton of renon, most renable of tonge”:

  “I have y-seen segges,” quod he, 
    “in the cite of London 
  Beren beighes ful brighte 
    abouten here nekkes.... 
  Were there a belle on here beighe, 
    certes, as me thynketh, 
  Men myghte wite where thei went, 
    and awei renne! 
  And right so,” quod this raton, 
    “reson me sheweth 
  To bugge a belle of brasse 
    or of brighte sylver, 
  And knitten on a colere 
    for owre comune profit, 
  And hangen it upon the cattes hals; 
    than hear we mowen 
  Where he ritt or rest 
    or renneth to playe.” ... 
  Alle this route of ratones 
    to this reson thei assented; 
  Ac tho the belle was y-bought 
    and on the beighe hanged, 
  Ther ne was ratoun in alle the route, 
    for alle the rewme of Fraunce, 
  That dorst have y-bounden the belle 
    aboute the cattis nekke.