308 



OBSEBVATIONS ON THE LANGUAGE OF GOWER's CONFESSIO AMANTIS. 



c. The Genitive Case of classical proper names 

 is frequently used as a Nominative. 



so is Sibeles of goddesses the moder, ii. 265 : Sibele; 



ii. 166. 

 Cereres, ii. 168, 170, 177 : Ceres, ii. 168. 

 Circes, iii. 49, 50, 56, 362 : Echates, ii. 260, 262. 

 So Spercheidos, ii. 261. 



Sometimes classical proper names are declined 

 (a custom still with some old-fashioned Germans). 



♦ 



unto 



that he wolde 



upon knighthode Achillem sue, iii. 212. Achilles, 

 nom., same page. 



and Delboram hath Abel take, iii. 277. Delbora, 



nom, same page 



take 



341. 



n 



by shippe for Pentapolim, 



at domesday shall with him bring Judeam, 

 191. 



Ephesim (i. e. Ephesum), iii. 335, 336, 338. 

 Thelmachum his sone he shette, iii. 54. Thelema- 



chu s, iii. 60. 



(On i. 55 f we find Methamor for Metamorphoses.) 



§ 102. Dative Case. 



a. After to be. 



be him lief, or be him loth, i, 97 : ii. 27, 65. 



she, which was him nothing loth, ii. 240. 



me is lever, iii. 268 : i. 177 : you is lever, ii. 205. 



him were better, iii. 241 : him were best, ii. 306. 



er him be woo, i. 78 : wel you be, i. 210. 



what may you be ? iii. 260. 



wo the be, i. 98 (wo thou be, i. 295) : wo^ worth 

 false envy, iii. 320: wo worth alle slowe, iii 

 362. ' " 



So, but yet that other were lever 



have had the loking of his eye, i. 305. 



b. After verbs of motion, as in Saxon : 



goth him, i. 96, 256 : iii. 257, 292, 294, 318 319 



etc. ' ' 



goth her, ii. 258 : iii. 331. 



comth him, iii. 50. 

 rod(e) him forth, iii. 57. 

 him hasteth, i. 119. 



387 



c. After other verbs : 



he drad him of his owne sone, iii. 54 : ii. 239. 

 as he which drad him of vengeaunce, iii. 321 ( as 

 in Saxon). 



him thenketh, i. 133 : iii. 284, 329. 

 thoughte him, L 142. 



her thoughte, ii. 73. 

 that thoughte us, iii. 309. 

 if you thenketh, i. 135. 



So, for though it thenke a man first swete, iii. 281, 

 it thought a kinges doughter straunge, ii. 319. 



§ 103. Pronouns. — Personal Pronouns. 



it am I, ii. 123. 



it am nought I, iii. 6, as in Saxon and German. 



So, it bin delites = es sind, &c, iii. 33. 



We find her lord(e) his herte, for her lords heart, 

 i. 235; but as this is the only instance of this 

 analytical form which I have noticed, I suppose we 

 should read her lordes or lordis. 



§ 104. Demonstrative and Eelative Pronouns. 



These used somewhat like Latin Ufa : 



as tellen us these olde wise, i. 300, 62, 63. 

 whan that the$(e) herbes ben holsome, iii. 161. 

 so as these olde gestes sain, iii. 246. 



a. Which with a personal pronoun, expressing 

 only a single relative. 



that I may se min hus[e] bonde, 



which whilom he and I were one, iii. 337. 



let in the strem(e), which, with gret paine, 



if ever, man it shal restreigne, i. 21. 



her worthy fader, which men saide 



that he betwene her armes deide, i. 212. 



b. Which has frequently the signification of 

 what } what sort of (like welch in German), as : 



which a sorwe ! iii. 3 : o which a sinne violent ! 



iii. 244. 



42 



So what 



e axeth hem what 

 that were, iii. 325. 



o. What 



thing : 



t[e] 



