[English Dialects From the Eighth Century to the Present Day by Walter W. Skeat]@TWC D-Link book
English Dialects From the Eighth Century to the Present Day

CHAPTER V
11/11

Indeed, this is so well known that special examples are needless; I content myself with referring to the _Specimens of Middle Scots_, by G.Gregory Smith, Edinburgh and London, 1902.

These specimens include extracts from such famous authors as Henryson, Dunbar, Gawain (or Gavin) Douglas, Sir David Lyndesay, John Knox, and George Buchanan.

Perhaps it is well to add that "Scottis" or "Scots" is the Northern form of "Scottish" or "Scotch"; just as "Inglis" is the Northern form of "English." "Middle Scots" implies both "Old Scots" and "Modern Scots." "Old Scots" is, of course, the same thing as Northumbrian or Northern English of the Middle English Period, which may be roughly dated as extant from 1300 to 1400 or 1450.

"Modern Scots" is the dialect (when they employ dialect) illustrated by Allan Ramsay, Alexander Ross, Robert Tannahill, John Galt, James Hogg (the Ettrick Shepherd), Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and very many others.
I conclude this chapter with a characteristic example of Middle Scots.
The following well-known passage is from the conclusion to Dunbar's _Golden Targe_.
And as I did awake of my sweving{1}, The ioyfull birdis merily did syng For myrth of Phebus tendir bem{e}s schene{2}; Swete war the vapouris, soft the morowing{3}, Halesum the vale, depaynt wyth flouris ying{4}; The air attemperit, sobir, and amene{5}; In quhite and rede was all the feld besene{6} Throu Naturis nobil fresch anamalyng{7}, In mirthfull May, of eviry moneth Quene.
O reverend Chaucere, rose of rethoris{8} all, As in oure tong ane flour{9} imperiall, That raise{10} in Britane evir, quho redis rycht, Thou beris of makaris{11} the try{'u}mph riall; Thy fresch anamalit term{e}s celicall{12} This mater coud illumynit have full brycht; Was thou noucht of oure Inglisch all the lycht, Surmounting eviry tong terrestriall Als fer as Mayis morow dois mydnycht?
O morall Gower, and Ludgate laureate, Your sugurit lippis and tongis aureate{13} Bene to oure eris cause of grete delyte; Your angel mouthis most mellifluate{14} Oure rude langage has clere illumynate, And faire our-gilt{15} oure speche, that imperf{'y}te Stude, or{16} your goldyn pennis schupe{17} to wryte; This ile before was bare, and desolate Of rethorike, or lusty{18} fresch endyte{19}.
{Footnotes: 1: _dream_ 2: _bright_ 3: _morn_ 4: _young_ 5: _pleasant_ 6: _arrayed_ 7: _enamelling_ 8: _orators_ 9: _flower_ 10: _didst rise_ 11: _poets_ 12: _heavenly_ 13: _golden_ 14: _honeyed_ 15: _overgilt_ 16: _ere_ 17: _undertook_ 18: _pleasant_ 19: _composition_}.


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