c. "but if".

þat ne bid he bibute gif hunger cumen

It is most frequently met with. wunne þurh nanes cunnes monnen, þer an under (Lay. II, 358). Nan ne shollde wurrpenn þa sett to wurrpenn prest, butt iff He prestess sune waere (Orm. 492). Nexst fleshe ne schal mon werien no linene cloð, bute gif hit beo of herde and of greate heorden (Ancr. Riwle p. 418). Mai he no leue at hire taken but-if he it mai wið crafte maken (Gen. and Exod. 2697). Bote yef ich ne hedde pe uirtue of charite, al hit nere me nazt worth (Ayenb. p. 89). Before the soudan comethe no strangier but gif he be clothed in clothe of gold (Maundev. p. 39). No man may zeven covenable medicyne, but gif he knowe the qualitee of the dede (ib. p. 120). [In Maundeville »but gif« frequently occurs in the phrase »bute zif it be«, used instead of the elliptical »but«; f. i. They have no watre, but gif it be of that flood of that ryvere (p. 45).] Na-moore myghe God be man, But if he moder hadde (P. Ploughm. p. 343). Sothely no man may do thes signes that thou doist, but gif God were with hym (Wycl. John 3, 2, earlier text; Spp. I, b, 255). Whan that thay (heihe toures and grete edifices) ben accomplised, yit beth thay nought worth a straw, but if they be defended by trewe frendes (Ch. Melib. Spp. I, b, 395).

d. "but if that".

Forr niss nan mann þatt wirrkenn mazz þa tacness þatt tu wirrkesst, Butt iff patt Drihhtinn be wipp himm (Orm. 16626); ib. 17950. Nu nis no squier of pris in this middel erd But if that he bere a babel and a long berd (Wr. Polit. S. p. 335). No man Schal not supplante othur securly But zef that hyt be so y-wrozth, That hyt turne the werke to nogth (Halliw. Freemas. 204). No man

schalle neyghe the charyot, but only tho lordes, but zif that the emperour calle ony man to him (Maundev. p. 241).

3. Interrogative principal sentence, with the expectation of an answer in the negative.

How man, but he were maad of stele, Myghte liue a monthe suche peynes to fele? (Chauc. Rom. of R. 2733). — Whate are all thi werkes worthe, whethire pay be bodyly or gastely, bot if thay be done ryghtefully ...? (Rolle de Hamp. p. 27). Hov schulde pou com to his kyth bot-if pou clene were? (E. Engl. All. P. p. 71).

c. The elliptical use of "but".

1. "But" with reference to affirmative principal sentences. ze schulen eten urom ester uort þet pe holi rode dei, pe latere, pet is ine heruest, everiche deie twie, bute uridawes and umbridawes (Ancr. Riwle p. 412). So blac is al the mone of him silve i- wis, Bote ther as the sonne schyneth (Wr. Pop. treat. p. 133). Ich beleue ine Yesu Crist, oure lhord, Godes zone, pe uader, in alle pinges pet belongep to be godhede, an is onlepi þing mid þe uader, bote of pe persone pet is oper þanne þe persone of þe uader (Ayenb. p. 12). All shall be fordone that lif in land bot ye (Town. Myst. p. 23). He saide alle shalle be slayn bot oonely we (ib. p. 28).

Here we have to mention the phrase »but for«. It already occurs at an early period. Hit likede wel þan kinge buten for ane pinge (Lay. III, 264). Here >>buten<< and >> for << are still efficient each in its own full power, the latter serving to introduce an object considered as the cause of something and the former introducing an exception to what precedes: It well pleased the king, except (it did not well please him) for (because of) one thing. Quite different is the use of but for« in the later stage. In pes

thou myth be for me, Bot for thi pepyl of this londe (Cov. Myst. p. 312). Nay I myself wold kylle hym Bot for sir Pylate (Town. Myst. p. 207). By Goddis woundes, but for dysplesaunce, Of my querell soone wolde I venged be (Skelton I, 43). Here the verb of the principal sentence cannot be supplied after »but«; »but for« has become here a formula, serving to introduce an object that has got an exceptive character by »but« as the cause, by which the realization of an intended action has been hindered or checked; it therefore means » were it not for«, »without«, »when such a one or such a thing were not«.

2. "But" with reference to negative principal sentences. —

Þat swote song þat nane halwes ne mahen bute meidenes ane singen in heuene (H. Meidenh. p. 19). For nabbich bute hire ane (S. Marh. p. 6). Nis per bote nan, bute fleon þenne (ib. p. 15). Nu nabbe we of pan londe buten þene west ende (Lay. III, 273). The other ne can sweng but anne (Owl and Night. p. 28). Ne ouwe ze (speken) buten et peos two purles (Ancr. Riwle p. 68). Non but non (Gen. and Exod. 3488). þi felle wip-oute nis bot a sakke (Spp. I, a, 116, a sarmun). I nabbe don her nout bote goed (Vox and Wolf, Spp. I, a, 133). Therfore bote after hete me ne schal no thundre i-seo ne hure (Wr. Pop. treat. p. 135). He ne kepte bute hire one (R. of Gl. p. 32). Wyn nelle ihc Muche ne lite Bute of cuppe white (K. Horn 1131). pou ne sselt habbe god bote me and pou ne sselt do pine hope bote ine me (Ayenb. p. 5). A saule may noghte here it bot by rauyschynge in lufe (Rolle de Hamp. p. 16). There it reyneth not but litylle in that contree (Maundev. p. 45). There is non but on in alle the world (ib. p. 48). He cometh noght but ofte (P. Ploughm. p. 309). No man may be convertid to God but onely by the ernestful doyinge of God (Serm. ag. Miracle-plays, Spp.

I, b, 232). Jhesu baptiside not, but his disciplis (Wycl. John 4, 2). Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn. (Chauc. C. T. 638). Ther nas but hevynes and mochil sorwe (ib. 6661).

As in complete accessory sentences, also in the elliptical use of »but« with a preceding negative Wycliffe has the peculiarity that he often emphatically repeats the negative before >> but«; f. i. And no man styeth into heuene, no but he that cam doun fro heuene (John 3, 13). But this peculiarity as well as that quoted above is not met with in all manuscripts.

The Anglo-Saxon use of »but instead of »than< after comparatives in a negative or in an interrogative sentence implying a negative sense, has maintained itself in O. Engl. What woldest pou more of hym, bute pat he be truage bere (R. of Gl. I, 58). He ne couthe no beter dyght, Bote out of lond stal by nyht (Alis 117). And there were wont to ben 5 soudans, but now there is no mo but he of Egypt (Maundev. p. 36). There is no mo briddes of that kynde in alle the world, but it allone (ib. p. 48). Remarkable is the following passage, in which »>but<< and >als occur together: Richer kyng is non in pis world bot ze, No valianter of bon in Cristendam als he (Langt. I, 144).

Also the Anglo-Saxon use of »but after »other< and >>elles<< in a negative sentence has maintained itself in O. E. Ha nawiht ne þarf of oder þing þenchen bute an of hire leofmon wið treowe luue cwemen (H. Meidenh. p. 5). Heo naueð oðer geld buten hire suluen (Ancr. Riwle p. 58) ib. p. 84. For wille ich the love, ne non other, Bote mi wedde houssebonde (Dame Siriz, Spp. 1, a, 108). Ne makede his Moder non oper chere Bute also he were ileid on bere (Fl. and Bl. 13). Cani do non othir dede Bot

my pater noster and my crede (Rel. ant. I, 146). Thou xalt have..., Noon other God but the kyng of blysse (Cov. Myst. p. 60). Off nan þing elless niss þe nohht Butt off patt an þing ane (Orm. 7983) ib. 8263. þis name Jhesu es noghte ells for to say one Ynglishe bot heler or hele (Rolle de Hamp. p. 43). pe name of Jhesu es noghte elles bot pis gastely hele (ib. p. 44). Saynt Bernard says þat man here is nathyng elles, Bot a foule slyme

(Rolle de Hamp. Pricke of Consc. 362).

ys y-mad for nothing ellus But for to Freemas. 498).

.«

Goddes hous, that

pray yn (Halliw.

From »but<< with a preceding negative with the restrictive meaning »only«, above spoken of, there arises the isolated »but« with the same meaning. It is already found at an early stage of the period. >>Mid how mony knygtes

mon

.«

ys he come?« þe oper azeyn seyde, »Madame, bute mid o (R. of Gl. p. 35). Hit arn aboute on pis bench bot berdlez chylder (Sir Gawayne 280). I may bot mourne (ib. 1795). Þat dotz bot prych my hert prange, My breste in bale bot bolne and bele (E. Engl. All. P. p. 1). I am bot mol (ib. p. 12). A nakede mynde or a nakede ymagynacione of Jhesu. . . es bot a blyndnes (Rolle de Hamp. p. 19). Luke after na noper bodily swetnes ., charge it bot a lytill (ib. p. 33). Lewed men ne koude Jangle ne jugge, That justifie hem sholde But suffren and serven (P. Ploughm. p. 8). That thow tellest . . . Is but a tale of Waltrot (P. Ploughm. p. 377). Worthi men, that conne Latyn but litylle (Maundev. p. 5). It is but two journeyes in largenesse (ib. p. 46). In Egypt there ben but fewe forcelettes or castelles (ib. p. 47). We dy but oones (Town. Myst. p. 265). Of those that welle has wroght Fynd I bot a fone (ib. p. 22). The wepyng and the fleyshly devocion in hem ben but as strokis of han hamer on every side