HISTORY OF ENGLISH PROSE- FIFTEENTH CENTURY PROSE

 

HISTORY OF ENGLISH PROSE

FIFTEENTH CENTURY PROSE

The Fifteenth century is comparatively barren and non productive in the field of English literature. During this time little poetry of quality was written. The English and Scottish poets were very poor imitators of Chaucer both in the command of subject matter and versification. But the prose literature of this age recorded considerable progress. Unlike the poetry of this age prose suffered from no retrogression. There was a perceptible increase in skill due to increased practice. There was a growing perception of the beauties of rhythm and cadence and there was the development of various prose styles including the ornate and the plain. The English prose certainly moved forward during the 15^th century to a richness that was unknown to the preceding age. During the 15^th century prose made some remarkable progress because the English men shaped the rough material of their native tongue to form a literature for providing instruction and entertainment. But still English prose of the 15^th century amounts for little originality and artistic value. The slow progress of prose on national lines was due to the influence that Latin exercised on the minds of the prose writers of this age. They were fascinated by Latin constructions. They were also contented to be the translators of French works of repute. Prose in the century was developed much on trial and error basis.

The promising prose writers of the century sought to impart directness, vigour and simplicity. It was due to their efforts that the prose of the age developed and various kinds of prose works were written. It is interesting to observe that English prose writers attempted different kinds of prose during this period. Fisher and Cranmer (1489-1556) popularized theological writings and historical prose was presented in The Chronicle of England by Capgrave (1393-1464) who wrote in a business like fashion. Philosophical prose appeared in The Governance of England by Fortescue (c. 1394-1476). Elyot (c. 1490-1546) popularised educational prose and prepared the way for medical prose in the Castle of Health. William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible is highly praiseworthy.

The English Prose of the 15^th century was cultivated and promoted by the following writers:

Reginald Peacock

Sir John Fortescue

William Caxton

John Fisher

Hugh Latimer

Sir Thomas More

Sir Thomas Malory

REGINALD PEACOCK (1392-1461) is one of the important prose writers of the 15^th century. Peacock’s prose, often rugged and obscure, is marked by his preference for English words over Latin. His two works were The Repressor of over-much Blaming of the Clergy (c. 1445) and The Book of Faith. His books were among the earliest of English controversial works and they mark a victory over the once all important Latin.

SIR JOHN FORTESCUE (1394-1476) was an important prose writer who made some contributions in the development of 15^th century English prose. In contrast to Peacock, he stands for clarity of ideas. Fortescue avoids Peacock’s pattern of long complicated sentences. H. S. Bennet in his Chaucer and the Fifteenth Century writes “in common with other 15^th century writers Fortescue is not capable of writing a highly complex prose but what straight forwardness, simplicity and clear thinking could accomplish may be seen in almost every pages of The Governance of England”.

WILLIAM CAXTON (1422-1490) the English printer was also a remarkable prose writer of the 15^th century. It would be difficult to overestimate the debt of Caxton to English literature. He printed almost every English work of real quality known in his days including Chaucer and Malory. In addition Caxton made and printed twenty four translations from French, Dutch and Latin texts, of which the most remarkable were the two earliest, the Recuyell of the Histories of Troye (1471) and the Game and Playe of Chesse (1475). At first he wanted to employ the elegant and ornate style but soon he became conscious of his limitations and switched to a simpler style. He decided to write in “Englysshe not ouer rude, ne curious,

but in suche termes as shall be vnderstanden by goddys grace.” To make himself more certain of being understood he sometimes placed the French word beside the English word. This practise was especially cultivated by Caxton. He avoided rustic terms and became intelligible to all his readers. The best of his prose can be found in his explanatory prefaces.

JOHN FISHER (1459-1535), a religious divine and the Bishop of Rochester, opposed Henry V111 during Reformation, was imprisoned and finally beheaded. He wrote much in Latin and in English and he is represented by a small collection of tracts and sermons and a longer treatise on the Psalms. Though they are of no great quantity, his prose works are in the nature of much importance. They are the first of the rhetorical religious books that for several centuries were to be an outstanding feature of English prose. In addition they mark a distinctive step ahead in the evolution of English prose style. They are written in the style of an orator: the searching after the appropriate word, the frequent use of rhetorical figures of speech and a rapid and flowing rhythm. In the style of Fisher we can observe the beginning of an ornate style. Fisher proved to be the direct ancestor of the prose style of the great 17^th century prose writer Jeremy Taylor.

HUGH LATIMER (1485-1555) is another prose writer of the 15^th century who was punished by Henry V111 because of his resistance against some of his reforms. Latimer’s prose work consists of two volumes of sermons published in 1549. These works are remarkable for their plain and dogmatic exposition, their graphical power and their homely appeal. He is first among the writers of plain style.

SIR THOMAS MORE (1478-1535) is much known for his Latin works owing to their elegance and wit. This includes Utopia which presents the picture of an imaginative ideal state based on the socialistic pattern. His English prose works include The Lyfe of John Picus, The Historie of Richard 111 and a number of tracts and letters. He writes ably and clearly but with no great distinction of manner. He is the first writer of the middle style.

SIR THOMAS MALORY, died 1471, was well known for his romance Morte’d Arthur. The famous Arthurian legends were joined to a great prose romance written with a uniform dignity and fervour. It is a skilful blend of dialogue and narrative, full of colour and life. The style has a transparent clarity and is poetic making Malory the first great prose stylist. Few writers of the century had been more successful than Malory in the use of dialogue and narrative. His dialogue is singularly terse and direct so that Malory’s prose is as capable of irony as Chaucer’s verse.

As we look back at the prose of the 15^th century we see a variety of very developed and condensed prose.