olde go to serchen
the world, men mighte go be schippe all aboute the world, and aboven and
benethen. The whiche thing I prove thus, aftre that I have seyn. * * * Be
the whiche I seye zou certeynly, that men may envirowne alle the erthe of
alle the world, as wel undre as aboven, and turnen azen to his contree,
that hadde companye and schippynge and conduyt: and alle weyes he scholde
fynde men, londes, and yles, als wel as in this contree."--SIR JOHN
MANDEVILLE; _Johnson's Hist. of E. L._, p. 26.

49. _Example from Rob. Langland's "Vision of Pierce Ploughman," 1350_.

"In the somer season,
When hot was the Sun,
I shope me into shroubs,
As I a shepe were;
In habit as an harmet,
Vnholy of werkes,
Went wyde in this world
Wonders to heare."

50. _Description of a Ship--referred to the reign of Edward II: 1327-1307_.

"Such ne saw they never none,
For it was so gay begone,
Every nayle with gold ygrave,
Of pure gold was his sklave,
Her mast was of ivory,
Of samyte her sayle wytly,
Her robes all of whyte sylk,
As whyte as ever was ony mylke.
The noble ship was without
With clothes of gold spread about
And her loft and her wyndlace
All of gold depaynted was."
ANONYMOUS: _Bucke's Gram._, p. 143.

51. _From an Elegy on Edward I, who reigned till 1307 from 1272_.

"Thah mi tonge were made of stel,
Ant min herte yzote of bras,
The goodness myht y never telle,
That with kyng Edward was:
Kyng, as thou art cleped conquerour,
In uch battaille thou hadest prys;
God bringe thi soule to the honour,
That ever wes ant ever ys.
Now is Edward of Carnavan
Kyng of Engelond al aplyght;
God lete him never be worse man
Then his fader, ne lasse myht,
To holden his pore men to ryht,
Ant understonde good counsail,
Al Engelond for to wysse and dyht;
Of gode knyhtes darh him nout fail."
ANON.: _Percy's Reliques_, Vol. ii, p. 10.

VII. ENGLISH OF THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

52. _Reign of Henry III, 1272 to 1216.--Example from an old ballad entitled
Richard of Almaigne_; which Percy says was "made by one of the adherents of
Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, soon after the battle of Lewes, which
was fought, May 14, 1264."--_Percy's Reliques_, Vol. ii.

"Sitteth alle stille, and herkneth to me;
The kyng of Almaigne, bi mi leaute,
Thritti thousent p