It must be remembered that a gloss is not quite the same thing as a free translation that observes the rules of grammar.  A gloss translates the Latin text word by word, in the order of that text; so that the glossator can neither observe the natural English order nor in all cases preserve the English grammar; a fact which somewhat lessens its value, and must always be allowed for.  It is therefore necessary, in all cases, to ascertain the Latin text.  I subjoin a specimen, from Matt, v 11-15.

eadge aron ge mith thy yfle hia gecuoethas iuh    and mith thy
11.  Beati estis   cum      maledixerunt        uobis  et  cum

oehtas    iuih        and cuoethas eghwelc yfel  with     iuih
persecuti uos fuerint et  dixerint omne    malum aduersum uos

gesuicas vel w{ae}ges fore mec gefeath and wynnsumiath forthon
    mentientes propter me. 12. gaudete et exultate quoniam

mearda iuere monigfalde is vel sint merces uestra copiosa est

        in heofnum su{ae} vel suelce ec forthon
        in caelis sic enim

ge-oehton      tha witgo tha the weron   {ae}r iuih      gee
persecuti sunt prophetas qui     fuerunt ante  uos.  13.  Uos

sint salt eorthes th{ae}t gif salt forworthes in thon estis sal terrae quod si sal euanuerit in quo

        ges{ae}lted bith to
        sallietur ad

nowihte vel n{ae}nihte m{ae}ge ofer th{ae}t
    nihilum ualet ultra

buta th{ae}t gesended bith vel geworpen {’u}t
nisi ut mittatur foras

and getreden bith from monnum et conculcetur ab hominibus

            gie aron vel sint leht middangeardes
        14.  Uos estis lux mundi

ne m{ae}g burug vel ceastra gehyda vel gedeigla ofer mor non potest ciuitas abscondi supra monte

geseted      ne ec bernas    th{ae}ccille vel leht-f{ae}t
posita.  15. neque accendunt      lucernam

and settas tha vel hia unther mitte
et ponunt eam sub

vel under sestre ah ofer leht-isern and lihteth allum tha the in
  modio sed super candelabrum et luceat omnibus qui in

hus bithon vel sint domo sunt.

The history of the Northern dialect during the next three centuries, from the year 1000 to nearly 1300, with a few insignificant exceptions, is a total blank.

CHAPTER IV

THE DIALECTS OF NORTHUMBRIA; A.D. 1300-1400

A little before 1300, we come to a Metrical English Psalter, published by the Surtees Society in 1843-7.  The language is supposed to represent the speech of Yorkshire.  It is translated (rather closely) from the Latin Vulgate version.  I give a specimen from Psalm xviii, 14-20.