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4
The Author of c
Lancelot of the Laik'
Observe particularly that these are not instances of copying,
but examples in which the same author, whilst using again his
old rimes, takes the opportunity of slightly varying his phrases.
This is why the similarities are so convincing.
Neither have I exhibited all the parallelisms. Further on,
in J. 245, 246, we find for to endite, riming with to write ; whilst
in L. 205, 206, for to write rimes with endite. J. 573 ends
with thou thee dispone ; so does L. 1 54. J. 549 ends with walking
to and fro ; L. 43 ends with walkith to and fro. Many more such
similarities may easily be found, and the reader may persuade
himself as to the identity of the
authorship of the two poems
much more effectually than I can do it for him, by simply
examining the question for himself.
I will
just mention one curiosity of rime which is found in both
poems. We find that, in the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer five times
uses the tag atte laste (at the last), as furnishing a convenient rime
to caste ; see A 2429, B 508, B 904, E 1954, G 1314 ; but in
none of these examples is the verb used with reference to the eyes
or face. But in the Quair of Jelousye we find these two examples :
till, at the last,
Myne eye estward agayne the sonne I cast ; 33
till, at the last,
With that hir voce and eyne to hevin sche cast; 57
Lancelot of the Laik has two similar examples :
at the last,
Efterward 1 one syd he gan his Ey to cast; 1005
atte last ;
And in the knychtis wentail haith it cast ; 1055
Perhaps it is worth saying that there is no example of this
rime in the Kingis >uairy which I
(as believe I can prove)
exhibits the phonology of an earlier date. Anyone who wishes
to examine this
question will find much assistance from the essay
by Dr. F. J. Curtis on the Rimes and Phonology of the Middle-Scotch
Romance Clariodus, reprinted at Halle in 1894 from volumes 4
and 5 of Anglia. He shows clearly the artificiality of the form
ton in the sense of '
1 The word * Eforward '
taken.' T1tT X1tr c
WALTER W. SKEAT.
is so written in the MS. that the 'er' is only
denoted by a little curl. Considering that the long $ ( f ) and f are constantly
confused, I '
suspect that the scribe should have written Estward,' as in the other
poem. it is Surely remarkable that this correction will mend the scansion of the
line and give a clearer sense.