96 JK II. Curnahan — Maistre Eloy du Mont, diet Costentin. 



ill tlie fact that when lie accepts a ceitain syllable-value for a com- 

 bination of vowels, he does not change this value to meet the exi- 

 gencies of the verse. As a consequence of this exactness of usage, 

 the definite syllable-value of certain groups of vowels is clear. In 

 his lines of ten syllables, he uses the " cesure ordinaire,'" and in the 

 forty cases in which we find tlie feminine cesura, with the fourth 

 syllable of the line accented, the following word begins with a 

 vowel. No examples of lyi'ic cesura are found. 



A few of the questions to be considered in a study of the manner 

 of counting syllables at this epoch, may be illustrated by examples 

 from tlie.se poems : 



1. Hiatus. Frequent, with no cdses of sjMialepha : planta en (2, 

 verso), ordonne a (2, verso), clerge et (4, recto). Flora et (1), verso), 

 beaulte admirable (9, verso), macquereau est (19, verso), volupte 

 est (21, recto), volupte incline (25, verso), norame en (12, recto), a en 

 (10, verso), a on (18, recto). 



2. Final mute e, followed by a word which begins with a vowel, 

 never counts as a s^dlable, although, in a few cases, the elision is not 

 indicated, as : Que a (11, verso), Je iinploreray (13, verso), que ung 

 (14, recto). Sometimes the elision is graphically represented by 

 raising the "e" above the line and closing the gap. 



3. Final "es," followed by a word which begins with a vowel, 

 counts as a separate syllable ; estes en, 3-syll. (13, recto). Princes et, 

 3-syll. (14, recto), fleuves y, 3-syll. (18, recto), tumbes au, 3-s\-ll. (21, 

 recto), lignes et, 3-syll. (42, recto). 



4. The verbal ending " oient " counts as one syllable ; auroient 

 (4, recto), croiroient (V, recto), excedoient (9, recto), soient (13, verso). 



5. The ending " ier," in verbs, counts as two syllables ; other- 

 wise, as one syllable. Ex.: two syllables, attedier (12, verso), 

 dedier (12, verso), marier (29, recto); one syllable, ouvrier (3, recto), 

 familiers (12, recto), louvrier (13, verso), descolliers (14, verso), 

 entier (16, verso), mestier (16, verso). 



6. Final " ieux " counts as one syllable in the stem of a Avord, 

 but as two syllables in the ending. Ex.: one syllable in inieulx 

 (1, verso), lieu (2, verso), Dieu (2, verso) ; two syllables in spacieux 

 (2, verso), gratieuse (9, verso), furieux (38, recto). In rime-words, 

 we find: trespreciei/a; (2-syll.) : cieulx (1-syll.); jyieu (1 syll.): 

 oA\eiix (2- 85^1.). 



V. Final " ion " counts as two syllables ; nation (3, recto), dona- 

 tion (3, recto), region (44, verso). 



' See A. Tobler, " Le Vers fran^ais, ancien et moderue," p. 112. 



