THE AUTHOR

The speech characteristics of an author to whom only 1205 lines can be definitely imputed are difficult to détermine. Ail that we can expect to be reasonably safe from changes by scribes is the set of tonic syllables in rhyme and the consonants and mute e^s which succeed them. Thèse number 602 pairs, but of course not ail of them are free from uncertainty. In a large majority of cases the two words in rhyme come from similar etymons ; as, for example, two infinitives in -er or -ir, two participles in -é, etc. In ail thèse, the scribe might make the same change for both words. In cases where the rhyme-syllables come from phonetically différent etymons, we are reasonably free from danger of change, or if changes hâve been made, they can be detected. In addition, verse measure may reveal a few facts as to syllable-reductions and longer or shorter word-forms.

Though we are thus circumscribed in our effort to disclose the author's language, some facts concerning it can be shown. We shall consider them in the pages which follow, my aim being to give a list of ail phonological and morphological phenomena established by the rhyme-syllables, with complète références.

^ Pp. 67-68. In Romania, for April, 1896, it was announced that Mr. Paris and Mr. Foerster in collaboration wonld piiblish a volume containing a group of poems, among them the Chevalier à l'Épêe. I saw this notice only in the summer, having left America too early for it to reach me there. The material for my thesis was by this time ready, so that it was too late for me to change my subject. I regret that I should hâve thus unwittingly trespassed upon the domain of able scholars and I should even now leave my dissertation unpublished, were it not that the régulations of the University require me to print it.

^ John Dunlop s Geschichle der Prosadichtung, p. 471, rem. 157 ; rem. 158.

^ Balladen und Romanzen der deutschen Dichtern, pp. 112-113 (I hâve not seen this work). "* Bibliothèque des Romans, 1776, April, p. 161.

5 Cf. Dunlop, l. c, vol. I, p. 272.

Language of Auihor, 43

(a) Phonology. -âge (-aticum): sage 136, 308, 571, 1005,

-ais (a + i) : e checked 122, 692, 900.

-ie (É) : -ie (i + a) 13, 415, 503, 489.

'ie (-ARius) : -ie (i + a) 194, 363, 388, 445, 986, 1149.

-ie (Ë + n) : -ie (i + an) 1097, 1107.

-i (i -j- post-tonic i) : i (ï) 83.

-i(K + i): iÇi) 240, 457, 585.

-eu (0 free) : eu (el checked) 892 [sens: eus).

-0 (5 free): o (ù checked) 5 (anor : jor), 253 {valor : jor)^ 417 plasor: jor), 681 [dolor : jor), 1177 (anor: tor), 871 {flor : retor),

-os (-osus) : vos 677 (angoissos: vos), 289 (jalons: vos).

-ui (o + i) : ui (ù + i) 279.

-eut: -ant 697.

-ain (en): -am (an) 237 (fahi), 278 (amain), 322, 1176 (painne), 908 (frain).

-ain (en) : -ain (an) 1119 (taint), 648 (plains).

-on: on 1036, 1135.

-i7; -zsiJ 189.

c; c/i 218 (lices: riches).

Form -iee reqnired for mètre 712.

(b) Case Flexion. Nom. Sing 3fasc. (I). Préserves flexional s; 790 mengiers (: chevaliers , ace. plu.); 1017 chevaliers, ('.lévriers, ace. plu.); 1033 abrivez (imenez, près. ind.). (!!)• Has lost flexional s; 225 vaslet (: gringalet, ace. sing.); 238 Gauvain (fain, ace. sing.) ; 328 oste (: oste, verb) 427 Gauvain ('.main, ace. sing.); 562 èran^ (ms. branc, : maintenant)', 1110 ^/a/Y ('.fait, verb). Sammary. Nom. Sing. with s — 3; without « — 6.

Nom. Sing. Masc, after être or other copulative verbs. (I). Préserves flexional s: 217 7'iches (: lices, ace. plu.); 506 iriez {: estaingniez, près, ind.); 736 quites (: dites) ; (702 sains: Gauvains, nom. sing.). (II). Has lost flexional s : 194 chevalier {: chier, ace. sing.) ; 592 ami (: ci) after je voil estre ; 263 vilain (: main, ace. sing.) ; 391 asm/' (: mur, ace. sing.) ; 448 certain ('.Gauvain, ace. sing.); 616 moi^t (: resort, ace. sing.); 653 vilain (: certain, ace. sing.) ; 670 mor^ (: déport, ace. sing.) ; 698 dolant (: hautement) ; 708 mor^ (: tort, nom. sing. neut. after être) ; 744 oseiir (: Aiia — read Artur — ace. sing.); 1173 sage ('.usage, ace. sing.) ; 46 atome (: ofublé, part, after avoir -{- ace. sing. masc.) ; 343 acointié (: repo,hié, ace. sing. masc.) ; 453 haitié (: mengié, part, after ai;oir -j- ace. sing. masc.) ; 480 atome (: clarté, ace. sing.) ; 570 garni (:si); 635 honi (:issi); 839 péri (: merci, ace. sing.); 542 ^arni (: ami, ace. sing.) ; 954 desarmé (: poesté, ace. sing.) ; 956

44 Language of Author,

fet {:foi'fety ace. sing.) ; 987 vaillant (igrant^ nom. plu. masc.);: 1003 marri {igtierpi part, after avoir -\- ace. sing. masc). 622 morne (: tome) aûer remaindre; 898 errant {'.remuant^ ace. sing.) after venir ; 1051 certain (: Gauvain, ace. sing.) after povoir estre; 704 tret {ifety part, after avoir -\- ace. sing. fem.) after devoir estre ; 741 certain (: Gauvain, ace. sing.) after voloir estre ; 980 certain (: Gauvain f ace. sing.) after guider estre ; 605 esperdu (: esperdu,. part, after aî;o^V -|- ace. sing.) after remaindre. Summary. Nom. Sing. Masc. after copula, with s — 4 (3 certain); without s — 31.

Nom. Plu. Masc. (I). Préserves forra without s : 243 serjant (: aitant) ; 417 plusor {:jor, ace. sing.) ; 444 serjant (: devant) ; 502 ^en^ (: conmandement, ace, sing.) ; 838 parent (: longuement) ; 1121 tronçon (: hozon, ace. sing.) ; 607 esbahi (: merci, ace. sing.) ; 988 grant (: vaillant, nom. sing. masc. after é'6^^re, which in the poem is followed in a raajority of instances by the uninflected form.). (II). Has assumed flexional s: 1196 am^s (ms. reading ami] ipais); 869 6iaus {lisniaus, ace. plu. masc). Summary. Nom. Plu.. Masc. without s — 8 ; with s — 2.

Complément m masc. sing. after s^être reflexive and être auxiliary. (I). Préserves flexional s: auxiliary, 710 alez (: vivez). (II). Has lost flexional s : reflexive, 47 issic (: tenu, part, after avoir -[ace. sing. masc.) ; 94 oblié (: pejisé ace. sing.) ; 430 hasté (: sa/wé, part, after ace. sing. masc. 4- avoir) ; 785 tret {ifet, ace. sing. masc. -f avoir) ; 831 porpensê (: demoré, part, after avoir, intrans.) ; 850 repairiê (: congié, ace. sing.) ; eslessié (: sachiê, part, after ace sing. masc. + avoir)', 581 porpenséz (: ce^^^;, part, after nom. sing. neut. + povoir estre — probably better to read porpensê : celé as elsewhere the neuter has no s) : auxiliary, 63 issu (:fu) ; 74 aie (^i alumê, ace. sing.); 104: descendu (^lescu, ace. sing.); 161 adrois (idrois, nom. sing. neut. — read adroit: droit); 219 entré (-.trespasséy part, after avoir intrans.) ; 521 aie (: volenté, ace. sing.) ; (250 enb'é : atome, nom. sing. masc. after être copula); (80 alez: aresnez, nom. sing. masc. after être copula). Summary. Complément préserves flexional s — 1 ; does not préserve s — 16 (13 certain).

Agr'eement of participle after avoir vnth object. (I). Agreement in case : A. avoir -[- part. + ace. plu. masc. 752 esprovez (: trovez, nom. sing. masc. after être copula); 878 obliez {:retornez, nom. sing. masc. after être auxiliary) : B. Ace. plu. masc. -|- avoir -|- part. 1147 amez {:provez, nom. plu. masc. after s'être);. 1055 lessiez {: estaigniez, nom. plu. masc. after s'être); 1057 apelez {:alez, nom. plu. masc. after être auxiliary): C. Avoir -\acc. plu. masc. + pai'fc- Ibb trovez {:arestez, ace. plu. masc): D. Avoir -\- ace. plu. fem. -|- part. 41 chauciees (: dougiees, ace plu.. fem.). None of thèse forms save the last two are positively assured, but they ail may hâve the s termiuation, the last two must

Language of Author. 45

liave it, and the uniformity with which the s is written in the cases giveu above may indicate the persistence of a trait of the author ; so the indications are tliat the participle after avoir regularly received the flexional ending.

(II). Agreernent in gender : A. Avoir -{- part, -f- ace. sing. fem. 620 enprise (: guise, ace. sing.); 1141 botee {: espee, ace. sing.); 711 veii (:/ti) : B. Avoir -\- ace. sing. fem. + part. 347 demandée {: demoree, ace. sing.); 915 portée \: espee); S2S fête (itrete, ace. sing. fem. after avoir') ; 925 saisie (demanded by mètre) ; but 703 fet (: ti-et, nom. sing. masc. after devoir estre) : C. Ace. sing. fem. + avoir -\- part. S05 mise (iservise) ; 807 menée {wespree) ; 845 donee (: contrée) ; 264 éprise (demanded by mètre) ; but 328 desfendu (: entendu j avoir -f- part. -}- subord. clause) ; 744 mercié (: volenté). Summary. Fem. participle after avoir agrées in gender with object — 10 (9 certain) ; does not agrée — 4.

Predicate agreernent — miscellaneous. (I). Nom. sing. masc. -|comme + adjective ; 920 hardi {: parti, part, after avoir -\- ace. sing). (II). Nom. sing. neuter -{- être -f- adjective : 324 grief (: chief, ace. sing.); 583 seu{\jeû, invariable part.); 202 reprochié (: lessiê, ace. sing. after avoir-) ; 162 drois {ladrois, nom. sing. masc. after être — should probably read cZroiï ; adroit). (III). Nom. plu. masc. after Ure copulative : 796 osté (iplentê, ace sing.); 368 apresté {iplenté, ace. sing.). (IV). Nom. plu. masc. after être auxiliary : 117 endormi (: esperi, prêt, ind.j. Cases II, III, and IV above show that the confusion existing in the use of flexional s was not complète and absolute.

(c) Verbs. Weak verbs. Près Ind. 1 sing. I. — no ending, 197, 278, 945, 965 : 1 sing. II.— no ending. 748 : 3 sing. I.— 6, 96, 968, 227, 292, 366, 376, 397, 526, 621,^800, 801, 855, 1022, 1046, 1070, 1187: 3 sing. IL— no ending, 158, 165, 558, 655, 1036, 694, 886, 732 : 5 plu. I.—ez, 709 : 5 plu. Il.—ez, 714, 723, 1034 : Pre.s. Subj. 1 sing. I.— no ending, 143, 421, 488, 528, 536, 767, 1113, 1155 : 3 sing. I.— no ending, 86 : 3 sing. II.— e, 546 : 3 sing. III.— e, 2, 145, 246, 465, 989 : Imperf. Indic. 1 sing. III — oie, 1094 : 3 sing. I. -ot, 983 (porpensot : ot) : Perf. Ind. 1 sing. I. -ai, 745, 1080 : 3 sing. I. -a, 133, 435 721, 857, 1048 : 3 sing. III. -i, 598, 117, 680, 696 : Fut. Ind. 1 sing. -ai, 1079, 927 : 3 sing. -a, 881, 1047, 1100 : Conditional, 1 sing. -oie, 1045. (II.) Strong verbs. Près. Ind. 1 sing., sai 532, 745 ; a.i, 928 ; voi, 1028: 3 sing., w, 858; a 1063, 1099; voit, 1002; dit, 151: fait, 1109 ; desfent, 529 ; pent, 533 : 5 plu. dites, 735 : 6 plu., sont, 642, 1035; font, 693; vont, 754, 972: Près. 8ubj. 3 smg., voie, 233, 1012; oie, (hear), 1092; die, 291, 338, 578; ode, 549 ; face, 575; doie (not doive), 414 : Imperf. Ind. 3 sing. -oit, 206, 1001 ; Perf. Ind. 2 sing., fus, 160 : 3 sing.,>, 64, 173, 214, 712, 1143,

■un

46 Language of Auihor,

1198; vit (vidit), 496; estut {:jut), 517; vint, 544; sot, 983: Conditional 3 sing. -027, 761 : Imperf. Subj. 3 sing., poïsty.

Termination of 4^ plural (-ons or -ornes). The first person plural occurs seven times in the poera. Twice (175, 176) it is in rhyme and either form wonld meet the requireraents of the mètre. In the other cases (180, 188, 406, 960, 977) the measure requires the one syllable form of the ending, but this does not definitely establish it, as the longer form raight be substituted by making slight changes in thèse lines. v,

Termination of Imperf ect Indicative. The Imperfect I. does not occur in rhyme with the Imperfect of other conjugations, but the verse measure in ail cases permits and in some cases requires the one syllable form of the ending in the imperfect of verbs of the first conjugation, thus indicating that the termination was not -eve. (I). One syllable form necessary : amoit 286 ; mervelloit 982. (IIj. One syllable form permissible : eschapoit 636, quidoit

Termination of S plural. 5 Plu. Près. Ind. : 5 Plu. Fut. 191 ; 6 Plu. Près. Ind. I. : 5 Plu. Fut. 1030; 5 Plu. Près. Subj. I. liriez 505; 5 Plu. Près. Subj. : 5 Plu. Fut. 123; 3 Sing. Imperf. Ind. -ot 983.

(d) KeDUCTION of hiatus -E BEFORE THE TONIC VOWEL.

The verse measure requires' or permits the unreduced form of words in which the tonic vowel is imraediately preceded by e.

1. Unreduced from necessary : seû 583, 626 ; seilst 650 ; eu 1174 ; eûst 201 ; deûst 260 ; méistes 1042 ; féist 654 ; feïstes 1041 ;

féissiez 706 ; geû 584 ; veoir 765 ; veû 711, 890, 1060 ; peûst 719 ; peûstes 726; peussent 755; aperceilst 720; aleiXre 153, 388; méismes 579.

2. Unreduced form permissible : seû 200 ; seûst 401 ; méist 322 ; féist 522 ; geû 627 ; aresteûe 1023 ; aseûr 391 ; féist 321.

(e) FORMS ESTABLISHED FOR INDIVIDUAL WORDS. Von (: non)

183 ; servise (: mise) 306 ; feme: same (seminat) 1169 ; bloi : poi 303 ; us (USTIUM, :plus) 500, 821 (The context, especially in the first case, prevenrs our substituting puis for plus and then reading uis) ; 3 Personal pron., ele or el passim. While not occurring in rhyme, el is so fréquent that it is assured by the mètre ; frois (frisc) (: demanois) 474 ; eus, pers. pron., (: seus) 891 ; vo, nom. plu. maso, poss., is assured by the mètre 1035. This is the only occurrence of the nom. plu. of the possessive, but the mètre assures the two syllable form in the singular, 193, 241, 332, 508, etc.; créant, creanter 318, 463, 767, 947, 905, 977, 1070, beside cranter 331.. (The mètre assures thèse form s) ; attestée 1020, beside aresteûe

Language of Author, 47

(f ) SuMMARY. From the facts given above we can draw the following inferences conceriiing the language of the author : (1) -âge (-aticum) ; (2) free A gives e ; (3) -ais was pronounced es ; (4) 110 cases of ie in rhyme with e ; (5) -iee not reduced to -ie ; (6) free Ë gives ie ; (7) i's, frorn whatever etymological source, could be rhymed together ; (8) seus (SOLUS), but in -OR and -osus, o does not develop to eu; (9) ô -|- i gives ui ; (10) ni and i not found in rhyme together; (11) -en and -an confused ; (12) -ein and -am confused ; (13) -o?i and -p?i fall together; (14) e immediately before the tonic vowel had not yet disappeared ; (15) s silent when before t ; (16) t final of verb forms had disappeared ; (17) one case where c before e is pronounced ch ; (18) l before a consonant had vocalized ; (19) 5 Plu. Fut. rhymes with 5 Plu» Près. Ind. and Subjunc. ; (20) Imperf. Ind. 1 not -eve ; (21) Imperf. Indic. 1 -ot (one case) ; (22) no indications of ending -ornes in 4 Plu., but nothing definitely disproves it ; (23) va 3 Sing. Près. (24) oase endings were greatly confused and the flexional s in the singular was disappearing, especially in predicate adjectives and participles ; (25) ïhe following word-forms are established : (a) Von ; (b) servise ; (c) us (door) ; (d) feme : same ; (e) bloi : poi ; (f) pronoun el beside eU ; (g) frois (frisc) ; (h) pronoun eus; (i) possessive, vostre, "passim^ but vo once (nom. plu.) ; ( j) creanter and cranter' ; (k) aresté, past part, beside aresVèu,

With three exceptions ail the traits noted above occuf frequently in Central French (Ile-de-France and Champagne) and there are no traces of any distinct marks of other diaîects. The exceptions are the two Picard characteristics c rhyming with ch and a pronoun form vo^ and the one example of an imperfect in -o^, which might be interpreted as a Norman I Conjugation mark. But thèse unsupported phenomena are not sufficient to lend décisive color to a theory that either Picard or Norman was the dialect of the author of the poera, especially as there are other traits which contradict such a view. Thus en and an are confused in the rhyme words, as they should not be for Picard or Norman ; in opposition to the Norman, SOLUS gives seus ; and there are no traces of the Picard phenomena -ier giving -er, ie for iee, a for ai, e disappearing before the tonic vowel, late persistence of t final, late préservation of ai as a diphthong.

I shall next compare the characteristics established by the rhyme and the mètre with the Ile-de-France and Champagne diaîects. In the foot-notes I give références for my assertions about speechtraits of thèse sections. The main sources are the language of Chrétien de Troyes and of Rustebeuf and the examination of Francien documents by Dr. Metzke.

48 Language of Author,

In the following points the author is in accord with both dialects : A free give e ; ^ -âge (aticum) ; ^ -ie after a palatal kept separate from -e ; ^ -iee not reduced to -ie ; * É free gives ie; o gives eu in SOLUS but remains in -OR and -osus ; ^ 6 -\- i gives ui ; ui and -i rhymes kept separate ; ^ -en and -an confused ; ^ on and on fall together ;^ e ïu hiatus before the tonic vowel had not yet disappeared ; s silent when before t;^ t final of verb forms had disappeared;^" /before consonant had vocalized;^^ Imperf. Ind. 1. not -eve ; ^^ no indication of 4 Plu. ending -ornes ; ^^ 3 Sing. Près, va ; ^* servise not service ; ^^ feme rhymes with same}^

Thèse forms indicate that the composer of the poem belonged to Central France and used either the Champagne or the Ile-de-France dialect. The manuscript, as we shall see later, is of the Champagne dialect, so that it is especially to the rhyme-forms that are differentiated from the gênerai manuscript forms that we should look for indications aiding us to localize the author. Thèse forms, with such as diifer from the usual type of either of the dialects or both, will now be considered.

That va is the rhyme-form while both va and vait occur in the manuscript is without significance, since both va and vait are found in Metzke's documents ^^ and in Chrétien de Troyes.^^

The occurrence of -aclie and -âge (-aticum) in the manuscript beside -âge alone in rhyme proves nothing conclusively since -ache occnrs isolaled in both Chrétien de Troyes^^ and Rustebeuf,^^ yet

^ Foerster, Cligès (1884), Introduction, p. LVi, l 7; Metzke, A. N. S. L.y vol. LXiv, p, 399 ; Joràou, Franco-Gallia, vol. V, p. 343.

^ Foerster, /. c, p. Lxxiv, ^ 31 : Chrétien's form -âge with one exception.

^Foerster /. c, p. lxii, ^ 15 ; A. N. S. L., lxv, p. 70 ; F. G., V, p. 287.

* Foerster, /. c, p. lxiii, ^16; A. N. S. L., lxv, p. 70 ; F. G., V, p. 287.

^ Foerster, /. c, p. LVir, ^ 10a ; ^. K S. L., lxiv, p. 406 ff. ; F. G., V, pp. 278, 280, 291 ; Guiot de Provins, 1. 1348.

^ Generally true in Chrétien's works ; Foerster, l. c, p. lxv, ^ 18, 3. i for ui coeurs only sporadically in Francien documents ; A. JS. S. L., lxv, p. 69. In Rustebeuf tti rarelv rhymes with i, but does rhyme at times with u ; F. G., V, p. 290.

' Foerster, L c, p. lxi, g 14 ; A. N. K L., lxv, p. 61 ; F. G., V, p. 284; Guiot de Provins, 1. 2230.

^ Cligès, U. 74-75, etc.

9 Foerster, L c, p. lxxiii, g 20 ; A. N. S. L., lxv, p. 84 ; F. G., V, p. 294.

^® Cliqès 1. 9 etc.

ïi Foerster, Le, p. lxix, ^ 22 ; A. N. S. L., lxv, p. 85 ; F. G., V, p. 292.

12 Cligès, 1. 432, etc.

^2 Foerster, /. c, p. lviii, ^ 10, 2 : -ons the more common form with Chrétien. Wailly, Mémoire sur la Langiie de Joinville, pp. 420-421, finds no cases of -ornes in the documents he consults.

^* Foerster, /. c, p. lxxv, g 30 ; A. N. S. L., lxv, p. 89 ; F. G., V, p. 339.

15 Foerster, /. c, p. lviii, ^ 8 ; Rustebeuf, servise ; cf. no. 8, 1. 6 ; no. 5, 1. 36 ; no. 41, 1. 89 ; no. 42, 1. 105 ; no. 56, 1. 342, etc.

16 Foerster, l. c, p. LV, § 3 ; A. N. S. L., lxiv, p. 395 ; F. G., V, p. 273. iM. N. S. L., LXV, p. 89. 18 Foerster, L c, p. lxxv, ^ 30.

19 Cf. Foerster. Eric et Enide (1890), 1. 1006 and p. 306, note to 1. 1006.

20 No. 10, 1.58.

Language of Author. 49

since -ache is Eastern it may indicate that the copyist lived farther toward the east than the composer.

Chrétien's forms are po but 6/oe/ while the aiithor's forms for thèse words rhyme. The writing in rhyme is poi, bloi; in the body of the werse^ pou and poi. In Francien we fiud both pou^ and poi.^ Thus thèse forms show nothing definite.

Rhyme /rois, ont of rhyme fres (modem frais) ; Chrétien, /res.* The Word does not occur in Rustebeuf in rhyme, but is found under the forra frois in Guillaume de Lorris^ and in Norman* and Picard/ Thus this form may be expected for Ile-de-France.

In rhyme, pronoun eus ; out of rhyme, aus ; Chrétien, aus.^ In rhyme, indefinite pronoun on; out of rhyme, en: both thèse traits are strong indications that the author was under Ile-de-France rather than Champagne influence.

The author's form of the pronoun is el beside ele. El is a Norman trait® and current in Ile-de-France.^'^

The manuscript in gênerai conforms to the rules of case flexion, while the author does not. It seems that the Champagne dialect held to the rules longer than the Francien, for the confusion takes place in Rustebeuf ^^ (wrote 1255-1285) but does not in the Joinville CJhartes^^ (^1239-1315).

Rhyme, peilst ; out of rhyme, poïst and peûst ; poïst is the Champagne,^^ and peilst the Ile-de-France form.^^

Since it rhymes with the Présent, the 4 Plural Future is -ez. The rhyme between the 4 Plu. Fut. and the Près. Subj. would seem to indicate a parallel Future form in -oiz, unless the Subj. in -ez occurring once in the body of the poem (1. 337) be taken as supporting a subjunctive in -ez as the author's form. Rustebeuf has Future -oiz^^ (Près. Subj. does not occur); Chrétien, Fut. and

^Foerster, Cligès (1884), p. lvii, ^ 9.

2 Rustebeuf, no. 6, 1. 41 ; J 0, 345 ; 22, 49 ; 44, 217 ; 49, 95 ; 56, 611 ; and cf. 11, 84.

^A. N. S. L., Lxv, p. 79. '^Foerster, /. c, p. lvi, ^ 6.

^ Roman de la Rose, vol. I, 1. 1707 (: trois).

^ Cf. Wace, Roman de Rou, part 2 ]. 4140, where freis rhymes with a séries of words in -eis.

''Cf. Foerster, Aiol et Mirabel, I. 9031, and note, p. liv ; Raoul de Cambrai, 1. 712, hermin frois in rhyme. frais is applied to hermin in Old French (cf. Godefroy, s. v.fres), so it is evidently the meaning in this passage.

«Foerster, Clif/ès (1884), p. lxxi, ^ 22.

^ Grave, Eneas, Introd., p. xxi ; Doutrepont, la Clef d' Amors, Introd., p. xxxviii ; Warnke, die liais von Marie de France, Introd., p. xxvr.

1° Rustebeuf, no. 1, 1. 90 ; 40, 89 ; 40, 131 ; 40, 138, etc. Foerster, Yvnin (1887), p. 308, note to 1. 3045 : " s'el in VP ist fuer Kristian unmoeglich." 1. 3045 is si con s' ele ne l'i seiist.

^' Cf. infra, under " Language of the Scribe."

^'^ Foerster, Clif/ès (1884), p. lvii, ^ 8. ^M. N. S. L., lxv, p. 91.

^^ No. 12, 1. 121 ; 54, 604, for -oiz; no cases occur in Rustebeuf of Future in -ez except in rhyme with itself.

ÔÔ Language of Author,

Près. Subj. -oiz} In the body of the manuscript, -oiz is the predominatiug form, beside -ez. After a palatal, in and out of rhyme^ the Près. Subj. is -iez: so in Chrétien^ and Éustebeuf?

Imperfect Indicative in rhyme, -ot (occurs only once and belongs to class I) ; out of rhyme, -oit. The rhyme form might be attributed to the influence either of the common Picard and Eastern réduction of tonic oi to o/ or of the regular Norman Imperf., Class I, in -ot ; but as the reduced form cornes up once in Rustebeuf ® and three tiraes in Jean de Meun,^ and in ail thèse cases is also in a verb of the First Class, the réduction is more probably due to the Norman influence.

Rhyme form us, nou-rhyme form uis (door), seems to show another trace of Norman influence for the Author, since us is a Norman form.^ The form used by Rustebeuf is not clearly established.^

Two Picard forms occur, lices in rhyme with riches, and one case of vo Nom. Plu. for vostre, assured by mètre. But occasional Picard ch for medio-palatal c is well assured in Ile-de-France documents.^ The flexion, Sing. vos, vo. Plu. vo, vos, is a characteristic of the Picard, but the verse measure of the poem fully assures the singular as vostre, so this one plural form represents a leveling to the oblique form voz or a Picard borrowing. The shortened form occurs in the verse of Gautier de Coincy^'^ and frequently in Eustache Deschamps. '^

The réduction of ai to e has reached at least its second stage {i, e., before s) with the author, and its final stage with the scribe.

Our examination shows that as between the Champagne and Ile-de-France dialects, the forms of the author point to the west and indicate he was of the Ile-de-France, and that the two sporadic

^ Foerster, l. c, p. LXiv, § 16a.

2 Cf. Eric et Enide, 1. 607 ; Yvcdn, 1. 5743.

3 No. 42, 1. 745, etc.

*Cf Foerster, Chevalier as deus Espees, Introd., pp. xxxix-XL ; Apfelstedt^ Loihrinqischer Psalter, p. xx, ^ 32; Goerlich, Frz. Slud., VII, p. 59. Cf. also Paris, Rom. xxi, p. 283 and note.

=' No. 41, 1. 167.

^ Roman de la Rose, vol. II, p. 315, amot: mot-, II, 319 and 329, /o<:o<.

"^ Cf. Marie de France, Lais, ' Guigemar,' 1. 589, etc. Bartsch and Horning, la Lang. et la Lit.fr., col. 88, 1. 2; 154, 13 (Norman texts). So also us, St. Alexis, str. 36, 1. 3, and us: plus in the Touraine author, Benoit de Ste. More ; le Roman de Troie, p. 214, 1. 15421 (cf. Bartsch, Chrestomathie, col. 134, 1. 29 ; 144, 34).

^ It occurs twice, no. 42, 1. 648 ; 55, 707, and rhymes with puis in each case, but plus would raake as good a reading as puis in both passages and is a variant ms. reading in the first. The confusion of puis and plus in writing would be easy.

^Cf. ^. N. S. L. LXV, p. 82; Rustebeuf, no. 51, 1. 62 (for this particular Word, however, his rhyme is lices, pelices, vices, espices, no. 20, 1. 48) ; Foerster, Chevalier as deus Espees, p. lui.

10 Les Miracles de la Sainte Vierge, p. 37, 1. 363 ; 103, 1205 ; 96, 873.

11 Oeuvres, vol. II, p. 133 ; III, 81 ; III, 271 ; IV, 240, etc.

Language of Author, 51

Picard traits which occur are found in Francien manuscripts, Thiis we may conclude that he was a ^Français de France' or at any rate, if a Picard, then a Picard wlio had been largely influenced by the normalizing influence of the Francien. There is nothing in the characteristics given above that enables us to localize the time of the poem sufficiently to give us any light about the date of its composition. The one occurrence of cranter' beside fréquent creanter does not indicate réduction of hiatus vowels for there are no signs of this in the poem, but it is the variant forra for creanter, The examples in Godefroy, s. v. creanter show that it was found in Lorraine, but it was not necessarily limited to that section. Through the reappearance elsewhere of one of the épisodes,^ apparently imitated from the Chevalier à l^Épée, we are able ta ûx the date of the poem as anterior to 1210.