Date: Sat, 16 Mar 96 02:11:57 UT
From: "Robert Mackness" <ANTISKID@msn.com>
To: "Anthony Thyssen" <anthony@cit.gu.edu.au>

Subjective and objective cases is the important thing.
It works like this:

I do this to thee and thou dost this to me. Thou art thine own maister
   in thy castle. Thou sayest thine before a vowel and thy before a
   consonant.
I go but thou goest.
Aye is yes and nay is no.
The letter that looks like a Y in "Ye Olde Shoppe" is not a Y: it is called
   Thorn and is a dipthong pronounced like the `th' sound in "the". (Very few
   people know this but if thou shouldst consult the Oxford dictionary thou
   shalt find me true.)
The word sheriff is a contraction of shire reeve, a reeve being a sort of
   policeman. Only shires can truly have sheriffs.
Thou sire, hast the misfortune to to bear a name that is frequently
   mispronounced. Thy name is properly voiced Antony as in ant hill.
   The scientific literature has taken to spelling Neandertal without
   the aitch to encourage the proper pronunciation of it.

"Thou be" would not be said in Medieval English except when using the 
   subjunctive mood - Be that as it may, If this be so, and this is the
   error I humbly bring to thine attention.
In thence, hence,  the preposition "to " is included. How came thee
   hence? (to here).  I sent him thence. (to there).
In whence, from is included. Whence came thou? (be careful, it is thou
   and not thee) means Where didst thou come from?

Happen, noble lord, that a glossary of Olde English might work better
to thine ends than doth a dusty legend in some sad tower. Hither,
thither, plight and troth, God wot, craven,fraught and loath.
What sayest thou?

I hope, my liege, that thou art enlightened by my discourse.  
    I remain thy servant,
	  Childe Robert

(A Yorkshire man where thee, thou, and thy are heard in every street.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Old English 700 and 1100 AD
   Ic him saegde thaet he forealdod waere.
     -- I told him he was very old.

Middle English  (from a mystery play)  ~1375 AD
   To muster that he had no might, for all the cautels he could cast;
   Although he were in word so wight, for all his force now he is fast.
   As Pilate judged is done and dight.

NOTE:  Muster = show,   wight = strong,   dight = disposed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------