36   EARLY THEORIES OF TRANSLATION

THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD   37

at the beginning of the next century, delights in the ornamental style which has added a charm to ancient story.

Quharfore of sic antiquiteis Thei that set haly thare delite Gestis or storyis for to write, Flurist fairly thare purpose

With quaynt and curiouse circumstance,

For to raise hertis in plesance, And the heraris till excite

Be wit or will to do thare delite.1

The "antiquiteis" which he has in mind are obviously the tales of Troy. Guido delle Colonne, Homer, and Virgil, he

continues, all

Fairly formyt there tretyss,

And curiously dytit there storyis?

Some writers, however, did not adopt the elevated style which such subject matter deserves.

Sum usit bot in plane maner Of air done dedis thar mater To writ, as did Dares of Frigy, That wrait of Troy all the story, Bot in till plane and opin style, But curiouse wordis or subtile.3

Andrew does not attempt to discuss the application of his theory to English style, but he has perhaps suggested the reason why the question of style counted for so much in connection with this pseudo-historical material. In the introduction to Barbour's Bruce, though the point at issue is not translation, there is a similar idea. According to Barbour, a true story has a special claim to an attractive

rendering.

Storyss to rede ar delitabill,

Suppose that thai be nocht bot fabill;

Original Chronicle, 11.6-13.   Ll. 16-17.
LI. 18-23.

Than suld storyss that suthfast wer, And thai war said in gud maner,

Have doubill plesance in heryng.

The fyrst plesance is the carpyng,

And the tothir the suthfastness,

That schawys the thing rycht as it wes.1

Lydgate, Wyntoun's contemporary, apparently shared his views. In translating Boccaccio's Falls of Princes he dispenses with stylistic ornament.

Of freshe colours I toke no maner hede. But my processe playnly for to lede: As me semed it was to me most mete To set apart Rethorykes swete.2

But when it came to the Troy story, his matter demanded a different treatment. He calls upon Mars

To do socour my stile to directe,

And of my penne the tracys to correcte, Whyche bareyn is of aureate licour, But in thi grace I fynde som favour For to conveye it wyth thyn influence?

He also asks aid of Calliope.

Now of thy grace be helpyng unto me, And of thy golde dewe lat the lycour wete My dulled breast, that with thyn hony swete Sugrest tongis of rethoricyens,

And maistresse art to musicyens.4

Like Wyntoun, Lydgate pays tribute to his predecessors, the clerks who have kept in memory the great deeds of the past

. . . thorough diligent labour,

And enlumyned with many corious flour Of rethorik, to make us comprehend The trouthe of al.5

1 Ed. E. E. T. S., 11.1-7.   Prologue.

3 Ed. E. E. T. S., 11.29-33.   Ll. 54-8.   6 Ll. 217-20.