150 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
pwart man”; pravorum securitas, ‘‘ be surety of shrewes”’; monachi 
et moniales, ‘‘monkes and mynchines’’; vires fortiores prioribus, 
““strengpes more mighty than the raper”; solitas ineptias cordis, 
“the wont japes of byne heart’; omnem exercitum celi, ‘all pe 
knighthode of heven”’; mens solidata est, ‘‘my mind is sadded” ; 
mundi hujug susurrationes, ‘‘ pe rouning of pis world”; interdum 
percipis, “‘ pou perceivest amonge’’; vestis subtilis, ‘‘ he sotel 
clope’’; tepescimus, ‘“‘we wax leuke”’; gravitatem conscientie, 
‘“‘ grucching of conscience’; quod justum est judicabit, ‘‘ pat rightwys 
is, he shall deme’; litteras tradunt, sed tu sensum aperis, ‘‘ pei 
bitake us pe letter, but pou openest pe witte.” 
But not merely is this translation interesting as a specimen of 
fifteenth-century English; it has also great intrinsic merit. The 
expression is often very pointed and forcible, and the character of the 
style is in general well adapted for the reproduction in English of the 
thought of da Kempis. Hallam justly speaks of the ‘‘ heart-piercing ” 
quality of many of the detached sentences of this writer, and despairs 
of translation being able to give the effect of his ‘‘ concise and ener- 
getic” expression. Milman similarly remarks on his ‘short and 
quivering sentences, which go at once to the heart, and lay. hold of 
and cling tenaciously to the memory with the compression and com- 
pleteness of proverbs.”’ I do not say that this earliest English version 
is comparable with the original Latin in these respects. But it really 
possesses a high degree of excellence, which is well brought out by 
comparing it with the first printed translation—-that of Atkynson. By 
the kindness of Mr. Eccles, of the British Museum, I have obtained a 
copy of Atkynson’s rendering of the third chapter of Part I. I will 
first read the Latin of a few sentences of this chapter, then the MS. 
translation of them, and lastly Atkynson’s version of the same sen- 
tences ; and it will be seen what rhetorical elaboration and expansion 
there is in the latter, and how entirely he spoils the simple earnestness 
and solemnity of the original, whilst these qualities are well pre- 
served in the MS. version. 
“‘Dic mihi, ubi sunt modo omnes illi domini et magistri, quos 
bene noyisti, dum adhue viverent et studiis florerent? Jam eorum 
prebendas alii possident, et nescio utrum de eis recogitant. In vita 
sua aliquid esse videbantur, et modo de illis tacetur. O quam cito 
transit gloria mundi! Utinam vita eorum scientiz ipsorum con- 
cordasset! Tunc bene studuissent et legissent. Quam multi pereunt 
per vanam scientiam in szeculo, qui parum curant de Dei servitio! 
Et quia magis eligunt magni esse quam humiles, ideo evanescunt in 
cogitationibus suis.” 
This well-known passage the old translator renders as follows :—- 
““Telle me now where are tho lordes and maistres that thou 
knewist somtyme, whiles thei lyved and florishid in scoles. Now 
othir men have her prebendes, and I wote not whethir thei ones 
thenke upon hem. In her lyves somewhat thei apperid ; and now of 
hem spekith almost no man. O lorde, how sone passith the glory of 
