Appendix 4: Some Features of Prosody and Versification

by: Richard Maidstone (Author) , A. G. Rigg (Translator) , David R. Carlson (Editor)

from: Concordia (The Reconciliation of Richard II with London)  2003

(Note: The short vowel markings in the printed volume could not be replicated effectively in HTML, so they have been replaced by a circumflex in this online version)

4.1 Lengthening before the strong caesura

9 Ricardē
30 inultūs
61 coccineā
62 celūm
75 ornatūs
76 togā
81 argentariūs
85 sartōr
89 vaginatōr
91 pandoxatōr
104 propinquantē
128 frontē
139 vobīs
147 causā
151 ornatūs
161 sequitūr
172 concussīt
175 crucibūs
177 respirarē
184 Australē
194 eximiām
202 partē
216 suscipimūs
225 elegīt
230 vest vēr
237 tegitūr
239 dominā
240 instantēr
244 faciēs
254 luxūs
267 ibī
273 foliā
284 turrīs
286 scalā
304 vobīs
308 placitē
319 ibī
324 extaticūs
328 sibī
331 ibī
333 dulcōr
336 multimodūm
338 psalteriā
342 michī
346 clerūs
355 incensūm
358 portē
361 spinetā
392 suā
397 patrissantē
408 veniā
419 vestrā
427 aīt
432 formā
442 edictā
450 efficerē
455 ornatūs
456 difficilē
458 insolitā
472 modō
474 mortīs
478 prostratā
480 Arthurūs
484 iniuriā
494 modō
508 amōr
535 maiōr


4.2 Shortening of final -o

12 gliscô
16 supputô
16 dandô
49 processiô
50 ordô
86 mangô
94 caupô
96 putô
152 tendô
174 venerandô
241 referendô
253 rogô
281 putô
288 nesciô
295 virgô
296 eloquendô
305 referendô
310 subridendô
350 concitô
365 leô
405 compassiô
421 extendendô
425 cernô
426 remittô
478 supplicô
487 rogô
493 sumô
507 protecciô
516 sperô
518 ponderô
527 contenciô
534 variandô


4.3 Shortening of final -e

157 valdê
158 valdê
304 intimê
324 intimê
354 dulcê
392 publicê
486 intimê
518 valdê


4.4 Short e from classical Latin ae

74 prêest
141 vestrê
325 êtas


4.5 Initial h- closing a preceding syllable

28 nēc habet
168 priūs hec
234 tamēn hillari
303 quōd habet


4.6 Other unclassical quantities

7 sāta
16 numerūm
26 ôdisse (compare 146, 416)
30 īnultus (but compare 414 înultus)
37 adōlescens
105 credîs
126 bêrillus
130 trahīt
138 prôvoluti
146 ôderit (compare 26, 416)
165 Vīridibus
166 bīpartitis
168 posteriūs
193 mirificūm
194 lûcem
201 dûcit
201 dêputatus
209 nīmis (but compare 111, 137, 198, 206, 380 nîmis)
217 Concêdimus
223 imperâtoria
232 salûs
245 gaudentēr
263 Āt
280 corônata
294 subtîlitate
314 quiêtasse
319 trōnus (compare 459, 495)
331 melôdia
344 vîsitare
348 Ād
383 crucīfixi
416 ôderit (compare 26, 146)
426 plêbis (compare 489, 532)
431 propâgata
434 sōnat
443 quôn
444 sītis
446 Auxiliūm
457 Nām
459 trōnus (compare 319, 495)
460 tegmîna
476 humilīs
480 Quamvîs
489 plêbibus (compare 426, 532)
495 mêcum
495 trōnum (compare 319, 459)
514 auctôritas
532 plêbem (compare 426, 489)


4.7 Patterns of dactyl (D) and spondee (S) distribution

In hexameters (first four feet), by (number of lines [of the total 274 hexameters]) and by percent, from most to least frequent:

1. DDDD (36): 13.1%
2. DDSD (34): 12.4%
2. DSDD (34): 12.4%
4. DSSD (30): 10.9%
5. DSDS (28): 10.2%
6. DSSS (25): 9.1%
7. DDDS (20): 7.3%
7. DDSS (20): 7.3%
9. SDSD (11): 4.0%
10. SDSS (8): 2.9%
10. SSSS (8): 2.9%
12. SDDD (6): 2.2%
12. SSDD (6): 2.2%
14. SDDS (3): 1.1%
14. SSDS (3): 1.1%
16. SSSD (2): 0.7%

In pentameters (first two feet), by (number of lines [of the total 272 pentameters]) and by percent, from most to least frequent:

1. DD (122): 44.9%
2. DS (104): 38.2%
3. SD (32): 11.8%
4. SS (14): 5.1%

Some comparable figures for Ovid's elegiac verse are in Maurice Platnauer, Latin Elegiac Verse, pp. 36-37; and for the long hexameter poems, from the earliest records to late antiquity, in George E. Duckworth, Vergil and Classical Hexameter Poetry, especially Table 1. For Anglo-Saxon-period Anglo-Latin poets, see Andy Orchard, "After Aldhelm," 96-133; and figures for some later medieval continental Latin poets are discussed in Warner of Rouen, Moriuht, ed. Christopher J. McDonough, especially pp. 60-61.




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