Text 74: The Boke of Mawndevile

Original text (in a South-East Midlands dialect, 14th century):

… That bereth applis grete plente

And who þat cleueth an appul atwyn

A litille beest he fyndith thereyn.

To a litille lombe liche it ys

Of bloode and bone and eke of flessh

And welle shapen atte folle

In al thinge saufe it hath noo wolle

And men and women þere meest and leest

Eten of þat frute so with þat beest.

(Original text extracted from page 238 from Freeborn, Dennis. From Old English to Standard English. 3rd edition, New York, Palgrave MacMillan,2006)

Our Modern translation:

The Book of Mandeville:

...That apples born in great plentyand who cleaves an apple in twoa little beast he finds therein.To a little lamb like it isof blood, bone and also of fleshand well shaped completelyin all things except that it has no wooland men and women there most and leasteat of that fruit so with that beast.