Text 104: Sir Thomas Elyot, The Gouernor, 1531 (i) (facsimile)

A public wealth is a body living, compact
Or made of various different classes of
Men, which is disposed by the order of
Traditional values, and governed by the rule and mode-
Ration of reason. In the Latin tongue it is
Called respublica, of which the word
Res has diverse significations, and does not
Only mean that, that is called a thing,
Which is distinct from a person, but also
Signified estate, condition, substance, and
Profit. In our old vulgar, profit is called
Wealth; and it is called a wealthy country,
Wherein is all thing that is profitable; and
He is a wealthy man, which is rich in money
And property. Public (as Varro says) is
Derived from people, which in Lain is called
Populus, wherefore it seems that men
Have long been mistaken in calling rempublicam
A common wealth. And they who think that
That is the meaning, that everything
Should be equally distributed without
Discrepancy of any estate or condition, are therefore
More moved by their instincts than by any
Good reason or inclination to humanity. And
That shall soon be obvious to those that will
Be satisfied either with authority or with
Natural order and the example.
First, the proper and true signification of the
Words public and common, which are borrowed
From the Latin tongue for the insufficiency of
Our own language, shall sufficiently declare the
Blindness of those who have hitherto
Held and maintained the said opinions.

Text 86: The Boke of Margery Kempe (iii) (vocabulary)

schort – short
tretys – treatise
synful – sinful
wrecchys – wretches
wher – where
solas – solace
vndyrstondyn – understand
vnspecabyl – unspeakable
ower – our
souereyn – sovereign
Sauyowr – Saviour
cryst – Christ
Ihesu – Jesus
whos – whose
worschepd – worshipped
magnyfyed – magnified
wythowten – without
ende – end
deyneth – deigns
exercysen – exercise
nobeley – nobly
goodnesse – goodness
werkys – works (n)
ben – are
exampyl – example
instruccyon – instruction
werkyth – works
profyth – profit
lak – lack
charyte – charity (love)
hynderawnce – hindrance

Text 85: The Boke of Margery Kempe (ii) (vocabulary)

bedde – bed
herd – heard
sownd – sound
swet – sweet
þwot – seemed (to her)
þerwith – therewith
styrt – started
owt – out
euyr – ever
dede – did
synne – sin
ful – full
hevyn – heaven
passyd – passed
mygth – might
wyth owtyn – without
ony – any
myrth – mirth
aftyrward – afterward
plentyuows – plenteous
habundawnt – abundant
teerys – tears
hy – high
deuocyon – devotion
greet – great
sobbyngys – sobbings
syhyngys – sighings
blysse – bliss
dredyng – dreading
shamys – shames
spytys – spites
wretchyd – wretched

Text 84: The Boke of Margery Kempe (i) (vocabulary)

þis – this
ȝer – years
sumdele – something
mor – more
sche – she
maryed – married
worschepful – worshipful
burgeys – burgess
wyth – with
chylde – child
kynde - nature
wolde – wished
aftyr – afther
þat – that
conceyued – conceived
accessys – fevers
þan – then
chyldyng – childbirth
sekenesse – sickness
beforn – befote
dyspered – despaired
hyr – her
wenyng – thinking
leuyn - live

Text 83: Letter of King Henry V, 1418 (vocabulary)

tru∫ty - trusty
wi∫e – manner, way
lres - letters
repacon - reparation
restitucon - restitution
∫ugettes - subjects
ayen∫t – against
with∫tanding – withstanding
vnto – unto
lieg(es) – lieges
ye, yow – you
whiche – which
clo∫ed – closed
wiþ ynne – within
þees – these
haue – to have
trouthe – truth
wol – will
doon – to do, done
ha∫t – haste
þoo – those
per∫onnes – persons
aboue∫aid – above said, aforesaid
∫emblable - similar
mat(er)es – matters
Iu∫te – just
remede – remedy
re∫titucon – restitution
attemptat(es) – violation(s)
thai – they
we cau∫e – we are compelled
yeuen – given
vnder – under
∫ignet - signet

Text 79: Chaucer’s ‘The Parson’s Tale’

Aftere auarιce comyth Glotenye Which ιs expres a gayne the comaundmet of god What Gloteny ιs Glotenye ιs vnmeſurable appetιt to ete or to drιnke or ellys to don ynogh to the vnmeſurable apetιt and deſordeynee coueιtιſe to ete or to drιnke thιs synne corrumped all thιs world . as ιs wel shewd ιn the synne of adam and of Eue
he þt ιs vſaunt to thιs synne of Glotenye he ne may noo synne wtſonde he mote ben ιn servage of all vιces ffor ιt ιs the deuell hoord there he hιdeth hym and reſteth hιm thιs synne hath manye spιces Of dιurſe speces of Gloe þe fιrſt ιs drokenneſſe The fιrſe ιs dronkynneſſe that ιs the horrιble sepulture of mannes reſon and þ’ for whan a man ιs dronken . he hathe loſt ιs reſoun and thιs ιs dedly synne But sothely whan that a man ιs not wont to ſtronge drιnke and peruenture ne knoweth not the strenght of the drιnke or hathe ffebleſſe ιn hιs hedd or hathe trauayled þorow the whιche he drιnketh the more al be he sodenly caught wt drιnke, ιt ιs no dedly synne but venyall The seconde spece of Glotenye ιs þt the spιrιt of a man wexeth all trouble for dronkeneſſe bιreueth hym the diſcrecyou of hιs wytte The ιιjde spece of Gloe The therde spece of Glotenye ιs whanne a man deuoureth hιs mete and hathe no ryghtfull man’e of etynge. The ιιιjte spιce of Gloe The ιιιjte spece of Glotenye ιs whanne thourgh the grete habundaunce of hιs mete the humởs of hιs body ben deſtemperyd The ve spece of Gloe The fyfte ιs foryetylneſſe by to muchell drιnkeynge ffor whιch som tyme a man forgeteth er the morwe what he ded at evyn or on the nyght before…
Theſe ben the v fιngers of the deueles hand by Whιche he draweth folk to synne.

After avarice comes Gluttony which is expressed against the commandment of God. What is Gluttony? Gluttony is immensurable appetite to eat or to drink or else to do anything to the immensurable appetite and chaos and desire to eat and to drink. This sin corrupted the entire world, as it is clear in the sin of Adam and Eve.

The one who is accustomed to the sin of Gluttony may not withstand the sin. He must be in service of all vices for it is the devil’s hoard. There, he hides and rests himself. This sin has many types, diverse kinds of Gluttony. The first is drunkenness that is the horrible grave of man’s reason and therefore when a man is drunk, he loses his reason and this is a deadly sin. But certainly when a man is not accustomed to strong drink and perhaps does not know the strength of the drink or is feeble in his head or has worked too much so he drinks more although he suddenly gets drunk, it is not deadly sin but venial.

The second type of Gluttony is the spirit of a man who becomes all troubled for drunkenness and bereaves him of the reason of his wit. The third type of gluttony: the third type of Gluttony is when a man devours his meat and has no rightful manner of eating. The foruth type of gluttony: the fourth type of Gluttony is when through the great abundance of his meat the moistures of his body are distempered. The fifth type of Gluttony: the fifth type of Gluttony is forgetfulness by too much drink because sometimes a man forgets in the morning what he did in the evening or in the night before…

These are the five fingers of the devil's hands by which he brings folk to sin.

13.1. Chaucer’s prose writing

Alas my worthy mayster honorable
Thys landes verray tresouur and rychesse
Deth by thy deth hath harme irriparable
Vnto vs don; hir vengeable duresse
Despoyled hath this land of the swetnesse
Of rethorik, for vnto Tullius
Was nere man so lyk amonges vs.
Also, who was hier in philosophy
To Aristotle in our tonge but thou?
The steppes of Virgile in poesie
Thow filwedist eek, men wot wel enow…

Alas my worthy honourable master

These lands are very treasure and richness

Death by your death has done irreparable harm

To us, his vengeful harm

Has made this land get rid of the sweetness

Of rhetoric, since from Tullius

There was no man like him among us.

Also, who was heir in philosophy

To Aristotle in our language but you?

The steps of Virgile in poetry

You also filled, it is well-known…