I'll probably write on Caxton's Mirror of the World for another Rewind Wednesday, but today, while checking an incidental fact, I had to chuckle at this reminder that humans never change.
This excerpt from the 15th-century text is complaining about a class of people that rushes through the education system to use its formal titles to get rich, not wise. 🙃
(Loosely modernized translation in the post below.)
We never, ever change.
The spelling in that era was notoriously loose and freeform—no common frame of reference. I kind of like it—sometimes gives you an idea of their accents.
Ironically, it's more obvious because of the printing press, but it wasn't yet taken on as a task because there weren't yet enough printing presses and matter being read to highlight the need. 😂
Loosely:
In Paris, Oxenford & Cambridge is there such manner of clerks that have the renown and fame to be called masters, to be praised and honoured. And have the name of master, that they should be good clerks without having the degree & name of master. But they be called masters wrongfully, for vanity ministers them in such ways that there can be little truth; because they have taken so soon the name of master, they leave the clergy & take them to the winning, as the merchants do, & brokers.