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And of that generation of Cham be come the Paynims and divers folk that be in isles of the sea by all Ind. And forasmuch as he was the most mighty, and no man might withstand him, he cleped himself the Son of God and sovereign of all the world. And for this Cham, this emperor clepeth him Cham, and sovereign of all the world. And of the generation of Shem be come the Saracens.
Take, for instance, Master Holofernes's vituperation of Don Adrian de Armado in Love's Labour Lost, and see what you can make of it: 'I abhor such phantasms, such insociable and point-devise companions, such rackers of orthography, as to speak dout fine, when he should say doubt; det, when he should pronounce debt; d, e, b, t; not d, e, t; he clepeth a calf, cauf; half, hauf; neighbour vocatur nebour; neigh abbreviated ne: this is abominable, which we would call abhominable. Such a passage is curious, coming from one of whom it was asked: 'Monsieur, are you not lettered? and answered: 'Yes, yes; he teaches boys the Horn-book.
The sparrow, Venus' son; the nightingale That clepeth forth the fresh leaves new; The swallow, murd'rer of the bees small, That honey make of flowers fresh of hue; The wedded turtle, with his hearte true; The peacock, with his angels' feathers bright, The pheasant, scorner of the cock by night.
Afterward was our Lord led forth before the bishops and the masters of the law, into another garden of Annas; and there also he was examined, reproved, and scorned, and crowned eft with a sweet thorn, that men clepeth barbarines, that grew in that garden, and that hath also many virtues. And afterward he was led into a garden of Caiphas, and there he was crowned with eglantine.
Natheles, the sooth is this; that Tartars and they that dwell in the great Asia, they came of Cham; but the Emperor of Cathay clepeth him not Cham, but Can, and I shall tell you how. It is but little more but eight score year that all Tartary was in subjection and in servage to other nations about. For they were but bestial folk and did nothing but kept beasts and led them to pastures.
And so he clepeth him in his letters, right thus: CHAN! FILIUS DEI EXCELSI, OMNIUM UNIVERSAM TERRAM COLENTIUM SUMMUS IMPERATOR, & DOMINUS OMNIUM DOMINANTIUM! And the letter of his great seal, written about, is this; DEUS IN COELO, CHAN SUPER TERRAM, EJUS FORTITUDO. OMNIUM HOMINUM IMPERATORIS SIGILLUM. And the superscription about his little seal is this; DEI FORTITUDO, OMNIUM HOMINUM IMPERATORIS SIGILLUM.
Natheles the sothe is this, that Tartarynes and thei that duellen in the grete Asye, thei camen of Cham. But the emperour of Cathay clepeth him not Cham, but Can: and I schalle telle zou how.
And of that generacioun of Cham, ben comen the Paynemes, and dyverse folk, that ben in yles of the see, be alle Ynde. And for als moche as he was the moste myghty, and no man myghte withstonde him, he cleped himself the sone of God, and sovereyn of alle the world. And for this Cham, this emperour clepeth him Cham and sovereyn of all the world.
And now is there none of the caliphs, nor nought have been since the time of the Soldan Saladin; for from that time hither the soldan clepeth himself caliph, and so have the caliphs lost their name. Also witeth well, that Babylon the less, where the soldan dwelleth, and at the city of Cairo that is nigh beside it, be great huge cities many and fair; and that one sitteth nigh that other.
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