SOURCE: "Syntax and Vocabulary," in The Poetry of Villon, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., 1962, pp. 78-111.

In this excerpt, Fox concerns himself with Villon's often curious word order and phrasing, which give the impression of realistic thought and speech patterns while retaining poetic qualities. Fox also examines Villon's expansive vocabulary.

It is impossible to read far into Villon's works without being struck by the concentrated, elliptical nature of his language. We have only to turn to the opening lines of his major work:

 En l'an de mon trentiesme aage,
Que toutes mes hontes j'eus beues,
Ne du tout fol, ne du tout sage,
Non obstant maintes peines eues,
Lesquelles j'ay toutes receues
Soubz la main Thibault d'Aussigny…
S'evesque il est, seignant les rues,
Qu'il soit le mien je le regny.

Mon seigneur n'est ne mon evesque,
Soubz luy ne tiens, s'il n'est en friche…
(T [Testament] 1-10) 

It...