DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61385#0150
cxliv Chapter XII.—Riming Strudmre of the Speczdum.
muche 386 ; lihtliche : muche 672.—i : ui -.fire : duire : 282.—o : u:
worche : churche 860.—o : ou: noht : bouht 172, 226, : iwrouht 580, :
souht 196, : pouht 32, 560, etc. These unimportant variations exist
purely on the face of the MSS. and are without weight as regards
the internal principle of the rime. A more or less successful attempt
at correction of such errors has been offered by various scribes, who
detected the inaccuracy.
Perfect rime.—Perfect rime is represented in both its classes;
but this subdivision is to be modified in Teutonic words according to
the interpretation of the syllabic value of final -e. If -e be regarded
as silent, masculine rime predominates in the versification of the
Speculum ; while on the other hand, if -e be sounded, feminine rime
is in excess in the proportion in general of 7 to 6. The discussion to
follow will probably show that as in Chaucer (cf. Skeat, Prioresses
Tale, p. Ivii) and in contemporary poets (but see Schleich, Ywain and
Gawain, pp. xxvii ff.) the dominant rime preserves the -e, and in closer
proportion relatively to the masculine rime than in the Poema Morale
(Skeat, pp. Ivii—Iviii) and in On God Ureisun of Ure Lefdi, where
the relationship of masculine rimes to feminine rimes stands perhaps
as 10 to 150. Assuming that -e is to be pronounced, on basis of rimes
recurring most frequently, perfect rime may be classified as follows :
1. Masculine {strong, monosyllabic) rimes, (a) Assonantal rimes.
In -e: be : pe 328, 334, 414, 536, 588; be : charite 96, 936, 1034;
be : fie 834, 850; be : se 396, 534, 738, 752, 872, : (ise) 402, 730,:pite
260; me : se 190, : pe 108, 392, 550, 552, 556, 920, 1012; pe : bise
488; charite : me 56, 324, : pe 84, : be 96.—In -i: witerli : merci
458, 528; sikerli : empti 1002; leuedi : witerli 364.—In -o: also :
do 10, 208, 898; do : to 68, 332 ; do : wo 484, 918; po : mo 240,
1004. Numerous other examples might be included, in which this
poem is prolific. (&) Consonantal rimes.—In -a: al : prat 238;
bicam : nam 246 ; cas : trespas 704; last : cast 636.—In -e : qued :
ded 862, : red 48, 654; wel : katel 162, 578, 896, etc.; power : ner
216.—-In -i: wif : lyf 234, 702, 734; his : paradys 300; liht : niht
856.—In -o: forsok : tok 34; blod : rod 248 ; non : idon 546.—In
-oht: bouht : noht 172; pouht : ouht 316; inouh : drouh 44. Here
compare Robert of Gloucester, where inou rimes with drou 253, 269,
311, etc. (Wright’s edition, The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of
Gloucester, London). Compare also Guy of Warwick, Zupitza’s
fifteenth century edition, p. xiii: ynogh : too 10,859 ; ynowe : also
8953, and Rolandlied, enow : trowe 530, 1000 (Schleich, p. 28).
muche 386 ; lihtliche : muche 672.—i : ui -.fire : duire : 282.—o : u:
worche : churche 860.—o : ou: noht : bouht 172, 226, : iwrouht 580, :
souht 196, : pouht 32, 560, etc. These unimportant variations exist
purely on the face of the MSS. and are without weight as regards
the internal principle of the rime. A more or less successful attempt
at correction of such errors has been offered by various scribes, who
detected the inaccuracy.
Perfect rime.—Perfect rime is represented in both its classes;
but this subdivision is to be modified in Teutonic words according to
the interpretation of the syllabic value of final -e. If -e be regarded
as silent, masculine rime predominates in the versification of the
Speculum ; while on the other hand, if -e be sounded, feminine rime
is in excess in the proportion in general of 7 to 6. The discussion to
follow will probably show that as in Chaucer (cf. Skeat, Prioresses
Tale, p. Ivii) and in contemporary poets (but see Schleich, Ywain and
Gawain, pp. xxvii ff.) the dominant rime preserves the -e, and in closer
proportion relatively to the masculine rime than in the Poema Morale
(Skeat, pp. Ivii—Iviii) and in On God Ureisun of Ure Lefdi, where
the relationship of masculine rimes to feminine rimes stands perhaps
as 10 to 150. Assuming that -e is to be pronounced, on basis of rimes
recurring most frequently, perfect rime may be classified as follows :
1. Masculine {strong, monosyllabic) rimes, (a) Assonantal rimes.
In -e: be : pe 328, 334, 414, 536, 588; be : charite 96, 936, 1034;
be : fie 834, 850; be : se 396, 534, 738, 752, 872, : (ise) 402, 730,:pite
260; me : se 190, : pe 108, 392, 550, 552, 556, 920, 1012; pe : bise
488; charite : me 56, 324, : pe 84, : be 96.—In -i: witerli : merci
458, 528; sikerli : empti 1002; leuedi : witerli 364.—In -o: also :
do 10, 208, 898; do : to 68, 332 ; do : wo 484, 918; po : mo 240,
1004. Numerous other examples might be included, in which this
poem is prolific. (&) Consonantal rimes.—In -a: al : prat 238;
bicam : nam 246 ; cas : trespas 704; last : cast 636.—In -e : qued :
ded 862, : red 48, 654; wel : katel 162, 578, 896, etc.; power : ner
216.—-In -i: wif : lyf 234, 702, 734; his : paradys 300; liht : niht
856.—In -o: forsok : tok 34; blod : rod 248 ; non : idon 546.—In
-oht: bouht : noht 172; pouht : ouht 316; inouh : drouh 44. Here
compare Robert of Gloucester, where inou rimes with drou 253, 269,
311, etc. (Wright’s edition, The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of
Gloucester, London). Compare also Guy of Warwick, Zupitza’s
fifteenth century edition, p. xiii: ynogh : too 10,859 ; ynowe : also
8953, and Rolandlied, enow : trowe 530, 1000 (Schleich, p. 28).