History of English Literature for Boys and Girls 1-31

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French. He not only uses words which are almost French, but arranges

his sentences in a French manner. He often, too drops the e in the, just

as in French the e or a in le and la is dropped before a vowel. This you

will often find in old English books. "The abbey" becomes thabbay, "The

English" thenglish. Caxton writes, too, thensygnementys for "the

teaching." Here we have the dropped e and also the French wordenseignement used instead of "teaching." But these were only last

struggles of a foreign tongue. The triumphant English we now possess

was already taking form.

But it was not by printing alone that in the fifteenth century men's

eyes were opened to new wonder. They were also opened to the

wonder of a new world far over the sea. For the fifteenth century was

the age of discovery, and of all the world's first great sailors. It was the

time when America and the western isles were discovered, when theCape of Good Hope was first rounded, and the new way to India found.

So with the whole world urged to action by the knowledge of these new

lands, with imagination wakened by the tales of marvels to be seen

there, with a new desire to see and do stirring in men's minds, it was

not wonderful that there should be little new writing. The fifteenth

century was the age of new action and new worlds. The new thought

was to follow.

1

English Literature For

Boys And Girls

by H.E. Marshall


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rocky coast of Scotland. It takes us from the singing of birds to the roar

of the waves. The story goes that the King wanted a good sailor to sail

across the sea. Then an old knight says to him that the best sailor that

ever sailed the sea is Sir Patrick Spens.

So the King writes a letter bidding Sir Patrick make ready. At first he

is pleased to get a letter from the King but when he has read what is in

And in the castle did he them do

Where no man might come them to,

Of their kin. There they prison'd were,

There they wept oft sort,

Both for hunger and for cold,


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is pleased to get a letter from the King, but when he has read what is in

it his face grows sad and angry too."Who has done me this evil deed?" he cries, "to send me out to sea

in such weather?"

Sir Patrick is very unwilling to go. But the King has commanded, so

he and his men set forth. A great storm comes upon them and the ship

is wrecked. All the men are drowned, and the ladies who sit at home

waiting their husbands' return wait in vain.

There are many versions of this ballad, but I give you here one of the

shortest and perhaps the most beautiful.

The king sits in Dumferling toune

Drinking the blude reid wine:

'O whar will I get a guid sailor,

To sail this schip of mine?'

Up and spak an eldern knicht,

Sat at the king's richt kne:

'Sir Patrick Spence is the best sailor

That sails upon the se.'

The king has written a braid letter,

And signed it wi his hand,

And sent it to Sir Patrick Spence,

Was walking on the sand.

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Ere they were three winters old.

Scantily he gave them clothes,

And cared not a nut for his oaths,

He them nor clothed right, nor fed,

Nor them richly gave to bed.

Thane Godard was most sickerly

Under God the most traitorly

That ever in earth shapen was

Except the wicked Judas.

After a time the traitor went to the tower where the children were,

and there he slew the two little girls. But the boy Havelok he spared.

For the lad that little was,

He kneeled before that Judas

And said, 'Lord, mercy now!

Homage, Lord, to you I vow!

All Denmark I to you will give

If that now you let me live.'

So the wicked Earl spared the lad for the time. But he did not mean

that he should live. Anon he called a fisherman to him and said:--


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History of English Literature for Boys and Girls 1-31