Walter W. Skeat

Name: Alexander and Dindimus
Author: Walter W. Skeat

Summary

“Alexander and Dindimus”, published in 1878, is a work by Walter W. Skeat. It explores elements such as þat, þe and lif.

Quotes from Alexander and Dindimus (Walter W. Skeat)

Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ But the spelling of proper names is very corrupt in nearly all writings of the 14th century, and it is quite unnecessary to suppose that such a misspelling is to be laid upon the scribe. Even in the best MSS. of Chaucer, such names assume very singular forms, and we have no ground for supposing that the case would have been any different if Chaucer had written out his poems himself. Hence all such forms are best left as they stand, though it often happens that we can interpret them correctly by seeing through the disguise. Even in the Latin texts the spellings differ. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ As to the phrase, it is an imitation of the common M.E. many kinnes thinges, i.e. things of many a kind; a phrase which has been twisted into the modern form 'many a kind of thing' by a complete inversion of the form of construction. So also we have alles kinnes thinges, things of every kind, corrupted to 'every kind of thing;' and again, what kinnes thinges, things of what kind, or 'what kind of thing.' See further in the note to Piers Plowman C.xi.128. See also note to the same, B.xviii.298, for another example of don in the sense of 'make;' where, moreover, the gen. form dones is used. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Bisse, pp. 98, 99.
1042. The reading helpe is absurd, and obviously corrupt; the word meant is plainly yyelpe, i.e. boast. And the mis-writing of the word is easily accounted for, as the scribe's eye must have caught the last word of the next line, viz. hele.
1046. Perhaps corrupt. The stress of the alliteration falls upon for, which is not good; and the word sorw is suspicious. As it stands, it means—'And ye endeavour, with sorrow, to (make) your false gods hear;' and, even so, teh construction is strained. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Godus, goods, property, wealth; not 'gods.' So also in l. 963.
800. ' (Who) is greedy to catch condemned souls.'
801. 'And, whether he gets few or many'
803, 804. 'For ye are famed (for being) covetous, and can never cease (from being greedy) but ever go about to acquire worldly wealth.' 805. An obscure line. Insert a comma after is, and another after burnus, thus isolating burnus as being a vocative case. Then take al is = it is all; and we get—'and it is all about (i.e. it is all done with the object) , O ye men, in order to feed your body;' i.e. ye do it all to pamper the body. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Terras nostras non aramus, et ipsis semina non immittimus. Boues currui non iungimus. Retia in mari ad comprehendendum pisces non ponimus. Uenationes aliquas quadrupedum aut auium non facimus. Nihil etiam ad manducandum querimus nisi quod terra sine labore hominum producit. His etiam cibis non implemur, quia illicita est nobis. Nihil apid nos ventres producit. Ideo absque morbo sumus. Et dum viuimus semper fruimur corporum sanitate. Nullam facimus nobis medicinam. Nullum etiam adiutorium querimus pro nostrorum corporum sanitate. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Uascula de terra non facimus. In fossis sine solitudine aliqua repausamus. Nos enim tales domos habemus in quibus dum viuimus habitamus, et dum morimur in ipsis sepelimur. Ad negociandum maria non nauigamus. Artem huius loquendi non discimus, sed simplicitate qua fruimur que nos mentiri non sinit omnia enarramus. Philosophum scolas non frequentamus, quorum doctrina discors est, nihilque certum aut stabile, sed super mendacia discurrunt. Ludos non amamus. Dum uero ludrica volumus exercere, nos nostra et nostrorum predecessorum facta perlegimus; et cum deberemus ridere, plangimus et turbamur. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ The following Index, though not quite a full concordance, is very nearly so. Though I may not have cited every word, I have not wittingly omitted any. For very common words, such as in, is, I have only supplied about a couple of references. In the case of more unusual words, I have inserted many references, but by no means all.
The following symbols are used in a special sense; viz. v. = infin. mood of a verb; pr. s. = third person sing, of present tense; pr. pl. = third person plu. of present tense; pt. s. = third person sing, of past tense; pt. pl. = third person plu. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ For in the English text, he can only be the wind (cf. his in l. 488) ; which gives—'the wind embraces and encloses the clear water.' He seems to have taken the reading amplectitur, and to have connected this sentence with the preceding one, with which it has no obvious connection beyond the reference of illud to mare. Instead of its being the wind which embraces the sea, the true reference is to the sea which embraces the land. This comes out more clearly in the other Latin text (see Preface) in Bisse's Palladius, p. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Nullum furtum facimus et pro nostra conscientia in punlicum eximus. Non reputamus nos esse deos nec contra deum inuidia concitamur. Deus qui omnia creauit in mundo multas rerum varietates constituit, qui dedit homini liberum arbitrium vt de omnibus que sunt in mundo discernat prouideat. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Ad ignem pro afflictione frigoris non sedemus. Nullum estum corpora nostra sentiunt; semper nudis corporibus ambulamus; corporis desideria non facimus. Omnia per patientam supportamus. Omnes inimicos nostros interiores occidimus, vt exteriores nullatenus timeamus. Levius enim capitur ciuitas quando ab interioribus et exterioribus impugnatur. Tu autem, imperator, cum exterioribus pugnas, vt quidem nunc porcos demones nutrias et conserues. Securi semper viuimus; in mari in terra, nullum adiutorium postulamus. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ We show no mercy Amon þe men of our march · mercy vnknowe;
For we ben meved to no man · mercy to gran [t] e.
384We never do any sin for which we have to ask for mercy. We ne gilte noht god · no no gome here,
Where-fore we mosten haue in minde · mercy to crye,
Þat god scholde of oure gilt · for-giuen vs þe sinne
Of ony wikkede werk · þat we wroute euyre.
388We do not sacrifice to devils. Ne we for sake of our sinne · no sacrifice maken
To oure galfule [28] god · wiþ gold nor wiþ siluer,
As ȝe dulfully don · to deuelus of paine,
To make hem glad of ȝoure gilt · & glose ȝou here! ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ The first liue, meaning 'believe', is better spelt leue; cf. leuen in l. 597.
591. Parenthetical. 'And, except each grave be fair and fine, ye think it a folly.'
592. Lodlich = lothlich, loathsome; the MS. reading bodilech is clearly miswritten for this word.
596. 'People who know who (are they that) love them.' This is here supposed to be a Greek opinion.
601. 'On account of which the great God of heaven would be expected to hear us, (so as) to grant a man's petition when any one prayed to him.'
605. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Quid ergo proficit aurum? non purgat, non reprimit, non satiat, non sustentat; nullam cordi humano confert sanitatem nec vtilitatem. Quid inde vasa aurea componitis? Nonne vasa lutea tantundem proficiunt, nisi quod mentes vestre magis propter splendorem auri in superbiam eleuantur? Malum siquidem aurum est, quia quanto maiori quantitate habetur, tanto magis illud habendi cupiditate augmentatur.
Responsiua alexandri didimo regi bragmanorum.Responsiua alexandri didimo regi bragmanorum. [R] Ex regum ed dominus dominantium Alexander filius dei Hamonis et regine Olimpie Didimo dicendo mandamus. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Palladius, p. 27.
535. In the Latin text, for supra (so printed in the old edition) read sopiri. "Vos tartareum custodem sopiri posse pretio suggessistis;" De Bragmanis, ed. Bisse, p. 91.
540. 'Ye shew yourselves (to be) unnatural by killing your children.'
549. But yyif, unless, except. Alse, also, as well.
550. Gilte, ye sin; see gulten in Stratmann. Instead of Per dies tuos, the translator has evidently had a text with the reading Per deos tuos, which is probably right; see deos tuos four lines lower down. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Waken, watch; cf. vigilans in the Lat. text.
788. 'To you is lechery dear, and (you like) to live by stealing.'
791-801. There is no mention of Cerberus nor Hydra in the Latin text at the foot of the page; but we find in Bisse's edition of Palladius, at pp. 96, 97, the following passage: "Tantalus est inexplebilis semperque sitiens cupiditatis aviditas; Cerberus mala ventris edacitas, cui quia non sufficit unum, terna ora collata sunt. Hydræ sunt vitiorum post satietatem renascentium fœditates; viperina corona est actuum sordidorum squalor horribilis." ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ The Latin text seems corrupt. The other text has—"Cur autem, quæso, visum est tibi nos continentur et pie viventes dicere Diis [Deos?] , vel certe invidere Deo, siquidem justius in vos cadit ista suspicio?" ed. Bisse p. 98.
1020. 'But (will bring upon you) harm for your want of discernment, when ye depart hence,' i.e. die.
1029. 'To relieve any one of severe hunger or thirst.'
1041. 'For every one well loves that which is like himself.' An allusion to the old proverb—"like to like," quoted by Heywood. See Hazlitt's Eng. Proverbs, p. 265 ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Gence the sense is--'You greatly sin, O man, by example of (or by means of) your false gods, just as they were wont, when in this world, to act during their lives.' Bi here answers to the Latin per, instead of taking its commoner M.E. sense of 'with respect to,' as in l. 552.
555. As a lie, like a flame. See Piers Plowman, B. xvii. 207.
562. 'To her was lechery pleasing.'
570. 'Ye boast of more than ye can perform.'
575. Gol, gold; the same spelling occurs in Havelok; see remarks in the Preface to my edition of that poem, p. xxxvii.
577. You-silue to abowe, to bow down to yourselves; cf. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Where-fore a lud mihte like · to louen hem þe bettere,
Or þei fairere þan a-fore · [tp] folk [31] miht seme;
So to hihten hem her · we holden hit sinne,
To maken hem comelokur corn · þan hur kynde askyþ.
408 Our wvies never paint their faces, Þere-fore þe haten to be hiht · on hed or on face
Wiþ ony wachinge of watur · or ony werk ellus,
Of fonde wiþ fals craft · hure face to enoine,
For to bliken of hur ble · þe bliþure of chere,
412 Or hem schenure to schene · þan þei schape were
nor try to look better than they are by nature. Of him þat lente hem hur lif · & hure limus made. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Þanne is vs g [r] ayþed no graue · in þe grounde doluen,
448we lie where we lay. But þere lin as we laie · whan we lif hadde.
Wiþ us schineþ euery schalk · in schippus for to saile,
We do not go to sea. For to wine on þe watur · wordliche fode.
For þe þat sailen on þe see · as we soþ knowen,
452 In gret peril ben iput · & perichen ful ofte.
We do not cultivate learning. We ben lered in oure land · lore of no scole,
Ne to no sience i-set · vs silue to wisse,
Þat mihte vs kenne in þis kiþ · to carpen as wise,
456But þat comeþ us by kinde · we konne noht ellus. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ These expressions answer to "secundum ordinem natiuitatis cuiuslibet" in the Latin text.
327. Holde, old. So also hauter = auter, altar, 728; haþel = aþel, noble, l. 856.
328. 'When our limbs lack might, and (when) we lose our (natural) heat.'
347. 'Nor do we desire to procure any man to go against them.' Procre was misprinted prince in Stevenson's edition, thus destroying the sense. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ For ȝe so busiliche ben wiþ [17] · aboute þe werre.
But say þou nouht, sire king · for sake of enuie,
284Yet think not I grudge telling you. Þat me were loþ of our lif · ludus to teche;
For as michel as y may · in minde bi-þenke,
Bi þis a-selede sonde · soþliche i telle.
We are poor Brahmans. We, bredde breþurne in god · bragmanus pore,
288Leden clanliche our lif · & libben as simple.
We ne wilne in þis world · to welde [18] no more,
We live a simple life,
in all povety. Bute was we simpleliche our lif · sostaine ,pwe. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ The Latin text also has a strange error; for aerem read uitam.
402. Don deie, cause to be dyed.
405. The MS. tolk is clearly miswritten for to folk.
406. Hihten, explained by Stevenson to mean 'honour, adorn;' a rare word. So hiht = improved, l. 408. And see l. 418. It is difficult to fin authority for the word; but it is probably a peculiar use of A.S. hyhtan or hihtan as (1) to hope; (2) to exult. To these Bosworth adds 'to increase,' with a reference that shews that it was considered as equivalent to Lat. augere. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Humana siquidem voluntas variabilis est que cum celi mutatione mutatur, quoniam scincerus dies scinceram mentem reddit hominis et gaudentem. Tenebrosa autem dies tristem reddit sensum hominis et obscurum, Et per diuersas etates similitur variatur. Infantia siquidem in simplicitate letatur, iuuentus presumptione, senectus stabilitate commode gratulatur. Multa delectabilia visui nostro occurrunt que uobis per auditum, alia attrahimus per odorem, alia sentimus per tactum, et per gustum alia saporamus. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ If all is ture, ye are very good men. Ȝif alle þe lorus þat þou, lud · in lettrus me sentest
Ben trewe to be trowen on · & trysty to leue,
Þanne by ye sykur [53] to be saf · for sake of ȝoure werkus.
For ȝe ben burnus of lif · best vp-on erþe,
832 [Fol. 214] Ȝif ȝe nouht wirche but wel · in þis word here;
Hit comeþ ȝou bi custum · so clanly to libbe.
WHy deem ye that we sin? Whi deme þanne þat we don · ne dede vp-on erþe
But sinne þat is sorwful · oure soule to spille?
836Whi seye ȝe seggus also · þat sinne ȝe holden
Any werkus to wirche · of wordliche craftus?
Why blame the works of man? ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Ll. 691, 692 are due to the other Latin text—"Cererum frumenti datricem horrea ventris incolere;" ed. Bisse, p. 95.
696. The correction is obvious.
698. He; Juno is here supposed to be masculine, as in l. 717. 'And men say that he keeps a condemned spirit of the air, to speak wonders and foretell what is to happen, of wo or weal.' The sense of in his worde one is by no means clear; it may be 'by his word alone,' in which case in should rather have been bi. Or else it may mean 'in his world (sphere) alone;' only Juno was not reckoned as a planet or possessor of a sphere. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Every limb is dedicated to some god. For euery lime þat a lud · longeþ to haue,
Ȝe kyþen carefule · godus · & kallen hem nowþe,
652Aftur dedeus þat þei dede · diuerse names.
Michel holde ȝe of miht · minuera þe falce,
For hue [44] foundede first · folies manye;
Minerva sprang out of Jupiter's head, & þis is seggus ȝour sawe · as ȝe sain alle.
Hue was engendred wiþ gin · of iubiterus hede;
660For—þi [45] ȝe holden hure wis · & hollyche segge,
Þat hue þe hilþe of þe heed · haþ for to kepe. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Erant autem in ipso campo aues mitissime super volantes, et cum aliquis tangere vellet eas, coninue exibat ex eis ignis et eum crudeliter incendebat. vocatum gagaie (sic) ; et castra metata sunt ibi. Et respicientes vltra flumen viderunt tres homines, quos iussit alexander indica lingua inquiri qui essent. At illi dixerunt, "Bragmani sumus." Desiderabat autem alexander cum eis loqui, sed ipsam latitudinem fluminis nemo poterat preterire; eo quod erant ibi yppotami multi et scorpiones agrestes et cocodrilli, qui per ipsum fluuium omni tempore discurrebant, excepto mense iulii et augusti. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Qua propter reputamus te nimium infelicem, quia credis naturam deorum vel cum diis communicationem habere, cum ad deum fornicatione et idolorum seruitute quottidie sordides; cum hec facis, hec amas, et post mortem inde tormenta innumerabilia sustinebis. Nos vero contraria facimus et amamus, vt post mortem diuina gloria potiamur. Tu non seruis vni deo, qui regnat in celo, sed plurimis diis. Tot deos colis quot in tuo corpore membra portas. Nam hominem dicis paruum mundum; et sicut corpus hominis habet multa membra, ita et in celo dicis multos deos existere. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Nullum laborem qui auarice pertineat sustinemus, membra nostra libidini non tradimus. Aldulterium non committimus, nec aliquod vicium facimus vnde ad penitentiam retrahamur. De defectibus non querimus, quia quod rectum est omnes facimus et tractamus. Sunitaneam mortem non facimus, quia per sordita facta aerem non sordidamus. Aer noster nullatenus est corruptus. Nullum colorem nostris vestimentis tradimus. Femine nostre non onrnantur vt placeant, cum ipsis non causa libidinis sed causa procreande sobolis commiscemus. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Thou fightest against outward foes, But þou fihtest wiþ þi fon · þat faren þe biside,
& hem þat in þi [26] bodi ben · ay berest wiþ þe.
343 But if we ony enimis · wiþ-inne vs aspie,
we slay the foes within us. We nolle sclepe in no scloweþe · til we hem sclain haue;
Þer-for we al ouurcomen · þat arn vs wiþ-inne,
We ne haue fere of no fon · þat faren wiþ-oute,
Ne we agayn hem to [27] · nol no gome procre,
348Ne of no haþel vndur heuene · any help seche;
We fear no one, and desire to conquer none. We ne doute none douhtie · ne no dede sterne,
Ne we no wilne no win · of watur no of londe. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ A god holde ȝe him · helplich of grace,
presides over the arms. Þat haþ ȝour armus to ȝeme · & may ȝou ȝiue strenke.
Bacchus the drunkard, For bacus þe bollere · þat ȝe abowen alle,
676Englaymed was in glotenye · & glad to be drounke,
over the throat Ȝe callen him kepere of þe þrote · & kinde god holden,
[Fol. 213] & wis witiere of win · þat alle won bryngus.
Of Cupid, ye say Cupidus þe corsede · þat is in care punched,
680Ȝe worchen al worschipe · & in þis wise tellen—
How he telleþ alixandre of his maumentrie. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Quomodo alexander inuenit arbores que nascebantur cum sole.Quomodo alexander inuenit arbores que nascebantur cum sole. [I] Nde amoto exercitu deuenit ad alium campum in quo arbores consistebant mire magnitudinis, que cum sole oriebantur et cum sole occidebant. A prima siquidem hora diei egrediebantur de sub terra et vsque ad horam sextam cressebant (sic) altissime. A sexta vero hora vsque ad occasum solis intantum descendebat, vt nullatenus super terram viderentur. Et quottiedie fructus amenissimos conducebant. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Is sone soþliche of man · þat in him-silf dwelleþ,
By which molde is y-maad · & man vp-on erþe,
& al þat weihes in þis word · scholde wiþ fare;
Al bestus þer-by · þat lif bere mowe,
620All are sustained by Him. Ben soþliche i-sustained · as him-slif likus;
Þat ilke worþliche word · we worschipen alle,
& hit lelliche louen · as our lif likus.
God is a Spirit. God is spedful in speche · & a spryt clene,
624Boþe blessed & blyþe · þat blendeþ alle sorwe.
He clameþ nought but clennesse · & clepeþ to [h] is ioie
Clene-minded men · þat meke ben founde. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ We han so michel at þe mel · þat we no more wilne.
Oþir goodis to gete · giue we no tente,
We desire no dainties Ne oþir dainteys dere · desire we none,
Þan oure modur of mete · may vs [20] forþ bringe,
308Þat we kennen for kinde · & callen þe erþe.
The earth sustains us. Sche vs norscheþ at nede · & i-now sendeþ,
Wiþ-oute swer oþur swink · swich as we hauen.
Hit ne is no leue in our land · þat ludus þer-inne
312We never eat too much/ Scholde more of hure mete · þan mesure take;
For-þi [21] sounde we be seie · & sike in no time,
and are always in health. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Vn-kinde kiþe ȝe ȝou · to kille ȝour children,
To queme quedfulle godus · þat quenchen ȝour blisse;
& to ȝoure souorain of sinne · sacrifice maken
Wiþ þat vnblisful blod · þat þei bled hauen.
544 Ye make war ever. Miche maugre ȝe maken · among many kingus,
& gret werre in þis world · to waste þe peple.
Many men vp-on molde · ful mek & ful simple
Þorou þe prouede prince · fu; prouede ben woxe.
548Ye cannot have enough. Ȝe wene winne noht i-now · on þis worde one,
But ȝif ȝe heuene miht haue · & holden hit alse.
Your gods used to work all evil. ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Whan mihte lakken our limus · & lesen our hete,
We schulle for-leten oure lif · & leue þat þe soule
To him þat schop vs to schap · schal fare to blisse.
For no cold þat vs comeþ · in our kinde age,
332We use no fire. We ne faren to no fir · our fingrus to warme;
Of bodi hole we ben · & no bale fele.
We flee lusts. Ay we founden to fle · flechliche lustus;
We maken þorou mekenesse · alle manir þingus
336Þat mihte us soile wiþ sinne · sese in a while.
I rede þe, [23] riche emperour · ful raþe þat þou founde
To ouyr-comen enemis · þat arn þe [24] wiþ-inne ”

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Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ The sense is—'in yet another way.'
941-952. This passage is from the other Latin text, in Bisse's edition of Palladius, p. 102. "Quis enim aut audaciam requirit in puero, aut in adolescente constantiam, aut mobilitatem poscit in vetulo? Multa sunt quæ visui nostro, alia quæ auditui, nonnulla quæ odoratui, vel tactui, vel sapori voluptosa succurrunt, quibuys ærumnarum quas ex labora contrahimus mulceatur asperitas ”

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Source: Wikisource

Walter W. Skeat, Alexander and Dindimus (1878)

“ Ȝif gold were to a gome · so goode of his kinde,
Whan men hit helde in here hand · of hadde in here warde.
1036So scholde it be to a burn · bote of his nede,
His corsede couaytise · cofly to sese,
The more gold a man has, the more he wants. But now, þe more þat a man · may þer-of winne,
Þe more ȝernus he [59] ȝit · to ȝeme at his wille;
1040 & he is mensked þe mor · amongus ȝou alle,
For wel louus euery lud · þat liche is him tille.
Your gods cannot heal the dead. We sain þat ȝour sory godes · of wham ȝe so helpe,
Mow no manyr ded þing · þorou hure miht hele. ”

Walter W. Skeat

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