Cap. V. How Science Sent Him Fyrst to Gramer, Where He Was Received by Dame Congruyte

The lady Gramer, in all humbly wyse, Dyd me receyve into her goodly scoole; To whose doctrine I dyd me advertise For to attayne, in her artyke poole, Her gylted dewe, for to oppresse my doole; To whom I sayde that I wold gladly lerne Her noble connynge, so that I myght descerne

What that it is, and why that it was made? To whych she answered than, in speciall, By cause that connynge shoulde not pale ne fade, Of every scyence it is originall, Whych doth us tech ever in generall In all good ordre to speke directly, And for to wryte by true ortografy.

Somtyme in Egypt reygned a noble kyng, Iclyped Evander, whych dyd well abounde In many vertues, especially in lernyng; Whych had a doughter, that by her study found To wryte true Latyn the fyrst parfyt ground. Whose goodly name, as her story sayes, Was called Carmentis in her livyng dayes.

Thus in the tyme of olde antiquytie, The noble phylosophers, wyth theyr whole delyghte, For the comon prouffyte of all humanite, Of the seven sciences for to knowe the ryght, They studied many a long wynters nyght, Eche after other theyr partes to expresse, Thys was theyr guyse to eschewe ydelnesse.

The pomped carkes wyth foode dilicious They dyd not feed, but to theyr sustinaunce; They folowed not theyr fleshe so vycious, But ruled it by prudent governaunce; They were content alway wyth suffisaunce, They coveyted not no worldly treasure, For they knewe that it myght not endure.

But nowe a dayes the contrary is used: To wynne the mony theyr studyes be all set. The commen profyt is often refused, For well is he that may the money get From his neyghbour wythout any let. They thynke nothynge they shall from it pas, Whan all that is shall be tourned to was.

The bryttel fleshe, nourisher of vyces, Under the shadowe of evyll slogardy, Must need haunte the carnall delices; Whan that the brayne, by corrupt glotony, Up so downe is tourned than contrary. Frayle is the bodye to grete unhappynes, Whan that the head is full of dronkennes.

So doo they now; for they nothyng prepence Howe cruell deth doth them sore ensue. They are so blynded in worldly necligence, That to theyr merite they wyll nothyng renewe The seven scyences, theyr slouth to eschewe; To an others profyt they take now no keepe, But to theyr owne, for to eate, drynke, and sleepe.

And all thys dame Gramer told me every dele, To whom I herkened wyth all my diligence; And after thys she taught me ryght well Fyrst my Donet and then my accidence. I set my mynde wyth percyng influence To lerne her scyence, the fyrst famous arte, Eschewyng ydlenes and layeng all aparte.

Madame, quod I, for as much as there be Eight partes of speche, I would knowe ryght fayne, What a noune substantive is in hys degre, And wherefore it is so called certayne? To whom she answered ryght gentely agayne, Sayeng alway that a nowne substantyve Might stand wythout helpe of an adjectyve.

The Latyn worde whyche that is referred Unto a thynge whych is subtancyall, For a nowne substantyve is wel averred, And wyth a gender is declynall; So all the eyght partes in generall Are Laten wordes, annexed properly To every speche, for to speke formally.

And gramer is the fyrst foundement Of every science to have construccyon: Who knewe gramer wythout impediment Shoulde perfytely have intelleccion Of a lytterall cense and moralyzacion. To construe every thynge ententifly, The worde is gramer wel and ordinatly.

By worde the world was made orygynally, The hye Kynge sayde, it was made incontinent; He dyd commaunde, al was made shortly. To the world the worde is sentencious judgemente. I marked well dame Gramers sentement, And of her than I dyd take my lycence, Goynge to Logyke wyth all my dylygence.