SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

31 0 Saga-Book of the Viking Society
poem! Echoes in ME. lit. of Latin 'impossibilities'
include: 'whane brome wyll appolles bere' (R. Hist.
no. 61) d. Virgil Eel. (cited Curtius p. 95): 'the oak
bear golden apples', and 'ffor now pe bysom ledys pe
blynde' (R. Hist. no. 49), d. Carm. Bur. no. 6 'ceci
cecos precipitant' (d. Matt. XV, 14; Luke VI, 39).
On R. Rist. no. 49 see R. R. Robbins, Anglia LXXII,
385-89 esp. 388 for other ME. 'impossibilities' from
nature. Add also Lydgate's poem: 'Ryme without
Accord' (L. p. 792).
On the Chaucerian phrase d.
per werld is turnyd up so doun among (R Hist.
no. 491. 45).
2 All these lightli shold tornyn vp so dovne (R. Hist.
no. 631. 43).
3 Totus mundus est subversus (AR 46/no. 318 p. 361/
15t hC.).
For similar images d.
The worlde hath made a permutacioun (L. of S. 1. 19).
2 Totus mundus se mutavit (PC no. 197, AR 45).
3 A lord how gos pis word (= world) abowte (R. Hist.
no. 60 refrain).
4 Mundus eclipsim patitur
Decoris et honoris (AR zs in», 189 p. IJl/15thC.).
1. 6 On 'mede' d.
'Penny' poems (R. Sec. nos. 57 and 58).
2 'The power of the purse' (R. Sec. no. 59 esp. 1. 25
seq.).
3 'Money, Money' (R. Hist. no. 51).
4 Compare 1-3 with 'Nummus' poems (Carm. Bur.
nos. I and II) and with 'Simon' poem (Carm. Bur.
no. 10).
5 NB that R. Rist. no. 55 1. 17 including 'Demon
regnat, simonia dominatur' is a variant of Carm. Bur.
no. 5 1. 3·
6 Deschamps 'Arithmetic' poems (Des. V no. 937
p. 148 and Des. V no. 938 p. 150).
7 Des. III p. 22 no. 325, descriptive title: 'Everything
is obtained with money'.
8 Tout se fait par force d'argent (Des. VIII p. 75
no. 1422 refrain).
1. 6 On 'wilfulnesse' (asserting one's own will against
'law', or, governed by will without regard to reason)
d. generally Wyt and Wylle (K pp. 22-24) and