Text 90: John of Trevisa, 1385
Text 91: Caxton's version, 1482

Our modern translation

As it is known how many kinds of people are in this island there are also many languages and tongues. Nevertheless, Welshmen and Scots that are not mixed with other nations keep near yet their first language and speech.

Also Englishmen though they had from the beginning three kinds of speech, southern, northern and middle speech in the middle of the land, as they came from three kinds of people from Germany. Nevertheless, by mingling and mixing first with Danes and after with Normans, in many things, the country language is affected and some use strange stammering, chattering, snarling and harsh gnashing.

This damage of the language comes from two things: one is because that children who go to school learn to speak English first and then they are compelled to construe their lessons in French and have done so since Normans came into England first.

Also gentlemen's children are taught from their infancy to speak French. And northern men will imitate and compare themselves to gentlemen and are busy to speak French in order to be more appreciated.

This custom was much followed before the great deth. But since it is somewhat changed. Sir John Cornwaile, a master of grammar, changed the teaching at grammar schools and construction of French into English. An other masterschools follow the same way now in the year of our Lord, 1385, the ninth year of King Richard II, and leave French at schools and use all construcions in English.

And also gentlemen have left to teach their children to speak French. It seems a great wonder that Englishmen have so great diversity in their own language in sound and speaking, which is everything in one island. And the language of Normandy is come from another land and has one kind of sounds among all men that speak it in England...

Also concerning the mentioned tongue which is divided into three it is a great wonder for men of the est with men of the west agree better with sounds of their speech than men of the north with men of the south.

Therefore it is that men of Mercia, who are from Middle England as it were partners of the extremes understand better the languages on their side, northern and southern, than northerners and southerners understand each other.

All the language of the Northumbrians and especially at York is so shrill, cutting and grating and badly pronounced that we southern men may hardly understand that language. I suppose this is because they are near to the aliens that speak strangely.