Scottish Text Society publications > New series > Kingis quair; together with A ballad of good counsel

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INTRODUCTION.
tive. Of this James has numerous instances, as in grene
{?>?>)> faire (j6), fresche (80), huge (100), bothe (124), fresche
(1 $2), grene (191). Hence we can confidently restore the
metre in other instances by reading smalle (33), ^pnge
(86, 92), longe (29, 95). So also, in the phrase grete balas,
the form balas has a plural sense (46). Foure is dis¬
syllabic, as in st. 21. These usages are not Northern.
(e') Chaucer uses a final -e to denote the definite form of
the adjective, this use being determined by the occurrence
of the or that or this, or of a possessive pronoun, before the
adjective. This is not Northern ; yet examples abound.
Hence we find his faire (7), the plane (36), hir suete (41), hir
quhyte (48), that fresche (49), the suete (61), the suete grene,
where the adjectives are plural (67), my drye (69), the hote
(j6), gour benigne (102), that suete (103); and see stanzas
109, 130, 133, 143, (this ilke) 154, 155. Had the scribe
understood this matter, there would have been more
examples still; for we can restore the metre in numerous
places by reading the longe (8), the sharpe (32), the freschest
gonge (40), thir calde (69), the longe (72), the colde (73), the
ryghte (75), the nexte (86), the blynde (94), the streighte (112),
this faire (178), the faire (191). Positive proof of the truth
of this rule is afforded by such an example as that in st.
32, where we find: “The scharpe grene suete lenepere.”
For here the omission of the final e would leave but seven
syllables in the line, and would produce a most jarring
discord, such as no man with an ear could have endured.
The king’s ear for melody was doubtless a fine one.
So also in st. 33, we find: “And on the smalle grene
twistis sat.” One very queer result is that the poet seems
to apply a similar rule to substantives, as he adds to them
a final -e more readily when this or the or a possessive