298 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE LANGUAGE OF GOWEKS CONFESSIO AMANTIS. 



; 



ELISION OF FINAL VOWELS. 



§ 74. Unaccented e final may be elided (slurred), 



I. before a vowel following : 

 II. before a few words beginning with h : 



1. before the pronoun he (Ms, him, her, 



hem) : 



i * 



2 



(has) 



except perhaps the Infinitive Mood ; 

 sometimes before hadde (had). 



3. before the'adverbs how and here (her). ■ 



4. before two or three words of French origin, 



in vrl ich h is silent. 



When one of these words beginning with h 

 ends the verse, no elision takes place before it. 



The e final of a monosyllable generally does not 

 suffer elision. 



Elision seems frequently to be prevented by the 

 caesural pause, 



§ 75. Unaccented e final is commonly elided 

 before a vowel. 



oure 



11. 



in stede of love is hate guided, i. 7. 



ensample and reule of alle tho, i. 10. 



and sobre and chaste and large and wise, i. 



and ete and drinke and house botho, i. 14. 



wher(e) that he love or love nought, i. 226. 



to love a newe and leve me, ii. 7. 



of suche as make a man mishappe, ii. 11. 



his love upon this faire ymage, ii. 14. 



to serve accidie in his office, ii. 19. 



eomtime of her is sore adrad, ii. 24. 



I serve, I bo we, I loke, I loute, ii. 41. 



in cold(e) I brenne and frese in hete, in. 9. 



this finde I write in poesy, iii. 17. 



as ye speke of, what shulde I more, iii. 24. 



in latin tunge it rede and singe, iii. 34. 



the forme of that figure embrace, iii. 53. 



Exception : for whanne I my lady here, i. 60 : qy. 

 whan that? 



1 



§ 76. Unaccented e final is elided before a few 



with 



him 



him, her, hem) 



ful ofte he shulde chaunge his chere, iii. 212. 



and he maj 7 helpe himself also, iii. 173. 



but if a prince him wolde reule, iii. 164. 



and in this wise he told his tale, iii. 185. 



and there upon they swore here oth(e), iii. 186. 



thus held the lawe his righte way, iii. 179. 



so wolde he set him in office, iii. 179. 



with love her hertes to him draw T e, iii. 193. 



but nede he mot that node shall, iii. 309. 



and as the tigre his time awaiteth, iii. 258. 



in hope for to cacche his pray, iii. 258. 



but tendre shame her word delaieth, iii. 261. 



and he which wolde her wo restreigne, iii. 261. 



and Brutus tolde hem all the tale, iii. 263. 



wher(e) dedly pride hem hath conveied, iii. 276. 



But not when these pronouns stand at the end 

 of a verse. 



wenende that it were he, i. 243. 

 and in this wise spedde he, ii. 74. 

 but non(e) amendes hadde he, ii. 150. 

 and every man tho saide his, ii. 383. 

 now tolden they, now tolde he, iii. 139. 



2. Before hath (lias ?), and hast : before have, 

 except perhaps the Infinitive Mood; some- 

 times before hadde (had). 

 a. how Mide hath don(e) his curtesy, ii. 133. 



which(e) ofte time hath shent the hous, ii. 151. 



Ovide the poete hath write, ii. 156. 



the hert to kepe hath for his part, ii. 176. 



the mannes soule has reconciled, ii. 187. 



the worldes wawe hath welnigh dreint, ii. 189. 



which (e) holy chirche hath undertake, ii. 190. 



his conscience hath all foryete, ii. 194. 



and lawe hath take her double face, i. 7, 353. 



Timon the cause hath undertake, i. 11, 32, 29? - 



which every kinde hath upon honde, i. 42, 57. 



So, i. 31, 32, 43, 52, 57, 63, 82, 123, 128, 130, 153, 



164, 169, 183, 188, 189, 205, 211, 218, 243, 

 264, 265, 268, 276, 292, 299, 355, 359, 363. 

 ii. 8, 18, 20, 26, 28, 31, 41, 54. 74, 79, 92, 101, 

 109, 126, 190, 329, 339, etc., etc. 



Exceptions : 



som(e) cause hath wherof it groweth, i. 264. 

 a sone hath which as his lif(e), ii. 324. 

 men sain that nede hath no lawe, iii. 277. 



* 



