ll. 680-692, is in Chaucer's favourite 7-line stanza, often called the

ballad-stanza, or simply _balade_ in the MSS.

The poem itself may be roughly divided into four parts. The first part, ll. 1-84, is mainly occupied with an epitome of the general contents of Cicero's Somnium Scipionis. The second part, ll. 85-175, shews several instances of the influence of Dante, though the stanza containing ll. 99-105 is translated from Claudian. The third part, ll. 176-294, is almost wholly translated or imitated from Boccaccio's Teseide. And the fourth part, ll. 295 to the end, is occupied with the real subject of the poem, the main idea being taken, as Chaucer himself tells us, from Alanus de Insulis. The passages relating to the _Somnium Scipionis_ are duly pointed out in the notes; and so are the references to Dante and Claudian. The history of the third and fourth parts requires further explanation.

We have already seen that Chaucer himself tells us, in the Prol. to the Legend, 420, that he made--'al the love of Palamon and Arcyte Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte.' (N.B. This does not mean that _Chaucer's_ version of the story was 'little known,' but that _Boccaccio_ speaks of the story as being little known--'che Latino autor non par ne dica'; see note to Anelida, l. 8.) Now, in the first note on _Anelida and Arcite_, it is explained how this story of Palamon and Arcite was necessarily translated, more or less closely, from Boccaccio's Teseide, and was doubtless written in the 7-line stanza; also that fragments of it are preserved to us (1) in sixteen stanzas of the Parliament of Foules, (2) in the first ten stanzas of Anelida, and (3) in three stanzas of Troilus. At a later period, the whole poem was re-written in a different metre, and now forms the Knightes Tale. The sixteen stanzas here referred to begin at l. 183 (the previous stanza being also imitated from a different part of the _Teseide_, bk. xi. st. 24), and end at l. 294. Chaucer has somewhat altered the order; see note to l. 183. I here quote, from Furnivall's _Trial Forewords_, pp. 60-66, a translation by Mr. W. M. Rossetti, of Boccaccio's _Teseide_, bk. vii. stanzas 51-66; and I give, beneath it, the Italian text, from an edition published at Milan in 1819. This passage can be compared with Chaucer's imitation of it at the reader's leisure.

I note, beforehand, that, in the first line of this translation, the word _whom_ refers to _Vaghezza_, i. e. Grace, Allurement; whilst _she_ is the prayer of Palemo, personified.

_Tes._ vii. stanzas 51-60; cf. _Parl. Foules_, ll. 183-259.

<< 'With whom going forward, she saw that [i. e. Mount Cithaeron] In every view suave and charming; In guise of a garden bosky and beautiful, And greenest, full of plants, Of fresh grass, and every new flower; And therein rose fountains living and clear; And, among the other plants it abounded in, Myrtle seemed to her more than other. >> Colla quale oltre andando vide quello Per ogni vista soave ed ameno, A guisa d'un giardin fronzuto e bello E di piante verdissimo ripieno, D'erbetta fresca e d'ogni fior novello; E fonti vive e chiare vi surgieno, E in fra l'altre piante, onde abbondava, Mortine più che altro le sembrava.

<< 'Here she heard amid the branches sweetly P. F. 190. Birds singing of almost all kinds: Upon which [branches] also in like wise She saw them with delight making their nests. Next among the fresh shadows quickly She saw rabbits go hither and thither, And timid deer and fawns, And many other dearest little beasts.

>> Quivi sentì pe' rami dolcemente Quasi d'ogni maniera ucce' cantare, Sopra de' quali ancor similemente Gli vide con diletto i nidi a fare: Poscia fra l'ombre fresche prestamente Vidi conigli in qua e in là andare, E timidenti cervi e cavrioli, E molti altri carissimi bestiuoli.

<< 'In like wise here every instrument P. F. 197. She seemed to hear, and delightful chaunt: Wherefore passing with pace not slow, And looking about, somewhat within herself suspended At the lofty place and beautiful adornment She saw it replete in almost every corner With spiritlings which, flying here and there, Went to their bourne. Which she looking at,

>> Similemente quivi ogni stromento Le parve udire e dilettoso canto; Onde passando con passo non lento, E rimirando, in sè sospesa alquanto Dell' alto loco e del bell' ornamento; Ripieno il vide quasi in ogni canto Di spirite', che qua e là volando Gieno a lor posta; a' quali essa guardando,

<< 'Among the bushes beside a fountain P. F. 211. Saw Cupid forging arrows-- He having the bow set down by his feet; Which [arrows when] selected his daughter Voluptas Tempered in the waves. And settled down With them was Ease [_Ozio_, Otium]; whom she saw That he, with Memory, steeled his darts With the steel that she [Voluptas] first tempered.

>> Tra gli albuscelli ad una fonta allato Vide Cupido a fabbricar saette, Avendo egli a' suoi piè l'arco posato, Le qua' sua figlia Voluttade elette Nell' onde temperava, ed assettato Con lor s'era Ozio, il quale ella vedette, Che con Memoria l'aste sue ferrava De' ferri ch' ella prima temperava.

<< 'And then she saw in that pass Grace [_Leggiadria_], P. F. 218. With Adorning [_Adornezza_] and Affability, And the wholly estrayed Courtesy; And she saw the Arts that have power To make others perforce do folly, In their aspect much disfigured. The Vain Delight of our form She saw standing alone with Gentilesse.

>> E poi vide in quel passo Leggiadria Con Adornezza ed Affabilitate, E la ismarrita in tutto Cortesia, E vide l'Arti ch' hanno potestate Di fare altrui a forza far follia, Nel loro aspetto molto isfigurate: Delia immagine nostra il van Diletto Con Gentilezza vide star soletto.

<< 'Then she saw Beauty pass her by, P. F. 225. Without any ornament, gazing on herself; And with her she saw Attraction [_Piacevolezza_] go,-- She [the prayer] commending to herself both one and other. With them she saw standing Youth, Lively and adorned, making great feast: And on the other side she saw madcap Audacity Going along with Glozings and Pimps.

>> Poi vide appresso a sè passar Bellezza Sanz' ornamento alcun sè riguardando, E vide gir con lei Piacevolezza, E l'una e l'altra seco commendando, Vide con loro starsi Giovinezza Destra ed adorna, molto festeggiando: E d'altra parte vide il folle Ardire Con Lusinghe e Ruffiani insieme gire.

<< 'In mid the place, on lofty columns, P. F. 232. She saw a temple of copper; round which She saw youths dancing and women-- This one of them beautiful, and that one in fine raiment, Ungirdled, barefoot, only in their hair and gowns, Who spent the day in this alone. Then over the temple she saw doves hover And settle and coo.

>> In mezzo il loco sur alte colonne Di rame vide un tempio, al qual d'intorno Danzanti giovinetti vide e donne, Qual d'esse bella, e qual d'abito adorno, Iscinte, iscalze, in capei soli e'n gonne, Che in questo solo disponeano il giorno: Poi sopra il tempio vide volitare E posarsi colombe e mormorare.

<< 'And near to the entry of the temple P. F. 239. She saw that there sat quietly My lady Peace, who a curtain Moved lightly before the door. Next her, very subdued in aspect, Sat Patience discreetly, Pallid in look; and on all sides Around her she saw artful Promises.

>> E all'entrata del tempio vicina Vide che si sedava pianamente Monna Pace, la quale una cortina Movea innanzi alla porta lievemente; Appresso a lei in vista assai tapina Pacienza sedea discretamente; Pallida nell' aspetto, e d'ogni parte Intorno a lei vide Promesse ad arte.

<< 'Then entering the temple, of Sighs P. F. 246. She felt there an earthquake, which whirled All fiery with hot desires. This lit up all the altars With new flames born of pangs; Each of which dripped with tears Produced by a woman cruel and fell Whom she there saw, called Jealousy

>> Poi dentro al tempio entrata, di sospiri Vi senti un terremoto, che girava Focoso tutto di caldi disiri: Questi gli altari tutti alluminava Di nuove fiamme nate di martiri, De' qua' ciascun di lagrime grondava, Mosse da una donna cruda e ria, Che vide lì, chiamata Gelosia:

<< 'And in that [temple] she saw Priapus hold P. F. 253. The highest place--in habit just such as Whoever would at night see him Could [do] when, braying, the animal Dullest of all awoke Vesta, who to his mind Was not a little--towards whom he in like guise Went: and likewise throughout the great temple She saw many garlands of diverse flowers.'

>> Ed in quel vide Priapo tenere Più sommo loco, in abito tal quale Chiunque il volle la notte vedere Potè, quando ragghiando l'animale Più pigro destò Vesta, che in calere Non poco gli era, in vêr di cui cotale Andava; e simil per lo tempio grande Di fior diversi assai vide grillande.

_Tes._ vii. 61, 62; cf. _P. F._ 281-294.

<< 'Here many bows of the Chorus of Diana P. F. 281. She saw hung up and broken; among which was That of Callisto, become the Arctic Bear. The apples were there of haughty Atalanta, who was sovereign in racing; And also the arms of that other proud one Who brought forth Parthenopaeus, Grandson to the Calydonian King Oeneus.

>> Quivi molti archi a' Cori di Diana Vide appiccati e rotti, in tra quali era Quel di Callisto fatta tramontana Orsa; le pome v'eran della fiera Atalanta che 'n correr fu sovrana; Ed ancor l'armi di quell' altra altiera Che partorì il bel Partenopeo Nipote al calidonio Re Eneo.

<< 'She saw there histories painted all about; P. F. 288. Among which with finer work Of the spouse of Ninus she there Saw all the doings distinguished; and at foot of the mulberry-tree Pyramus and Thisbe, and the mulberries already distained; And she saw among these the great Hercules In the lap of Iole, and woeful Biblis Going piteous, soliciting Caunus.'

>> Videvi storie per tutto dipinte, In tra le qua' con più alto lavoro Della sposa di Nino ivi distinte L'opere tutte vide; e a piè del moro Piramo e Tisbe, e già le gelse tinte: E'l grand' Ercole vide tra costoro In grembo a Jole, e Bibli dolorosa Andar pregando Cauno pietosa.

_Tes._ vii. 63-66; cf. _P. F._ 260-280.

<< 'But, as she saw not Venus, it was told her P. F. 260. (Nor knew she by whom)--"In secreter Part of the temple stays she delighting. If thou wantest her, through that door quietly Enter." Wherefore she, without further demur, Meek of manner as she was, Approached thither to enter within, And do the embassy to her committed.

>> Ma non vedendo Vener, le fu detto, Nè conobbe da cui: 'In più sagreta Parte del tempio stassi ella a diletto: Se tu la vuoi, per quella porta, cheta Te n'entra': ond' essa, sanza altro rispetto, In abito qual era mansueta, Là si appressò per entrar dentro ad essa, E l'ambasciata fare a lei commessa.

<< 'But there she, at her first coming, P. F. 261. Found Riches guarding the portal-- Who seemed to her much to be reverenced: And, being by her allowed to enter there, The place was dark to her at first going. But afterwards, by staying, a little light She gained there; and saw her lying naked On a great bed very fair to see.

>> Ma essa lì nel primo suo venire Trovò Richezza la porta guardare; La qual le parve assai da riverire; E lasciata da lei quiv'entro entrare, Oscuro le fu il loco al primo gire; Ma poca luce poscia nello stare Lì prese, e vide lei nuda giacere Sopra un gran letto assai bella a vedere.

<< 'But she had hair of gold, and shining P. F. 267. Round her head without any tress. Her face was such that most people Have in comparison no beauty at all. The arms, breast, and outstanding apples, Were all seen; and every other part with a Texture so thin was covered That it shewed forth almost as [if] naked.

>> Ma avie d'oro i crini e rilucenti Intorno al capo sanza treccia alcuna: Il suo viso era tal che le più genti Hanno a rispetto bellezza nissuna: Le braccia, il petto e le poma eminenti Si vedien tutte, e ogni altra parte d'una Testa tanto sottil si ricopria, Che quasimente nuda comparia.

<< 'The neck was fragrant with full a thousand odours. P. F. 274. At one of her sides Bacchus was seated, At the other Ceres with her savours. And she in her hands held the apple, Delighting herself, which, to her sisters Preferred, she won in the Idean vale. And, having seen all this, she [the prayer] made her request, Which was conceded without denial.'

>> Olíva il collo ben di mille odori: Dall' un de' lati Bacco le sedea, Dall' altro Ceres cogli suoi savori: Ed essa il pomo per le man tenea, Sè dilettando, il quale alle sorori Prelata vinse nella valle Idea: E tutto ciò veduto posse il prego, Il qual fu conceduto senza niego.

At l. 298 we are introduced to a queen, who in l. 303 is said to be the noble goddess Nature. The general idea is taken from Aleyn's _Pleynt of Kynde_ (l. 316), i. e. from the _Planctus Naturae_ of Alanus de Insulis; see note to l. 298 of the poem. I here quote the most essential passage from the Anglo-Latin Satirical Poets, ed. T. Wright, ii. 437. It describes the garment worn by the goddess Nature, on which various birds were represented. The phrase _animalium_ _concilium_ may have suggested the name given by Chaucer to our poem. But see the remark on p. 75, l. 21.

'Haec autem [vestis] nimis subtilizata, subterfugiens oculorum indaginem, ad tantam materiae tenuitatem advenerat, ut ejus aerisque eandem crederes esse naturam, in qua, prout oculis pictura imaginabatur, _animalium_ celebratur _concilium_. Illic _aquila_, primo juvenem, secundo senem, induens, tertio iterum reciprocata priorem, in Adonidem revertebatur a Nestore. Illic _ancipiter_ (_sic_), civitatis praefectus aeriae, violenta tyrannide a subditis redditus exposcebat. Illic _milvus_, venatoris induens personam, venatione furtiva larvam gerebat ancipitris. Illic _falco_ in _ardeam_ bellum excitabat civile, non tamen aequali lance divisum. Non enim illud pugnae debet appellatione censeri, ubi tu pulsas, ego vapulo tantum. Illic _struthio_, vita seculari postposita, vitam solitariam agens, quasi heremita factus, desertarum solitudines incolebat. Illic _olor_, sui funeris praeco, mellitae citherizationis organo vitae prophetabat apocopam. Illic in _pavone_ tantum pulcritudinis compluit Natura thesaurum, ut eam postea crederes mendicasse. Illic _phoenix_, in se mortuus, redivivus in alio, quodam Naturae miraculo, se sua morte a mortuis suscitabat. Illic _avis concordiae_ (_ciconia_) prolem decimando Naturae persolvebat tributum. Illic _passeres_ in atomum pygmeae humilitatis relegati degebant, _grus_ ex opposito in giganteae quantitatis evadebat excessum.

'Illic _phasianus_, natalis insulae perpessus angustias, principum futurus deliciae, nostros evolabat in orbes. Illic _gallus_, tanquam vulgaris astrologus, suae vocis horologio horarum loquebatur discrimina. Illic _gallus silvestris_, privatioris galli deridens desidiam, peregre proficiscens, nemorales peragrabat provincias. Illic _bubo_, propheta miseriae, psalmodias funereae lamentationis praecinebat. Illic _noctua_ tantae deformitatis sterquilinio sordescebat, ut in ejus formatione Naturam crederes fuisse somnolentam. Illic _cornix_, ventura prognosticans, nugatorio concitabatur garritu. Illic _pica_, dubio picturata colore, curam logices perennebat insomnem. Illic _monedula_, latrocinio laudabili reculas thesaurizans, innatae avaritiae argumenta monstrabat. Illic _columba_, dulci malo inebriata Diones, laborabat Cypridis in palaestra. Illic _corvus_, zelotypiae abhorrens dedecus, suos foetus non sua esse pignora fatebatur, usque dum comperto nigri argumento coloris, hoc quasi secum disputans comprobat. Illic _perdix_ nunc aeriae potestatis insultus, nunc venatorum sophismata, nunc canum latratus propheticos abhorrebat. Illic _anas_ cum _ansere_, sub eodem jure vivendi, hiemabat in patria fluviali. Illic _turtur_, suo viduata consorte, amorem epilogare dedignans, in altero bigamiae refutabat solatia. Illic _psittacus_ cum sui gutturis incude vocis monetam fabricabat humanae. Illic _coturnicem_, figurae draconis ignorantem fallaciam, imaginariae vocis decipiebant sophismata. Illic _picus_, propriae architectus domunculae, sui rostri dolabro clausulam fabricabat in ilice. Illic _curruca_, novercam exuens, materno pietatis ubere alienam cuculi prolem adoptabat in filium; quae tamen capitali praemiata stipendio, privignum agnoscens, filium ignorabat. Illic _hirundo_, a sua peregrinatione reversa, sub trabe nidi lutabat hospitium. Illic _philomena_, deflorationis querelam reintegrans, harmoniaca tympanizans dulcedine, puritatis dedecus excusabat. Illic _alauda_, quasi nobilis citharista, non studii artificio, sed Naturae magisterio, musicae praedocta scientiam, citharam praesentabat in ore.... Haec animalia, quamvis illic quasi allegorice viverent, ibi tamen esse videbantur ad litteram.'

As to the date of this poem, Ten Brink (_Studien_, p. 127) shews that it must have been written later than 1373; and further, that it was probably written earlier than Troilus, which seems to have been finished in 1383. It may therefore have been written in 1382, in which case it may very well refer to the betrothal (in 1381) of King Richard II to Queen Anne of Bohemia. See, on this subject, Dr. Koch's discussion of the question in Essays on Chaucer, p. 407, published by the Chaucer Society. Prof. Ward (who follows Koch) in his Life of Chaucer, p. 86, says:--'Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the great Emperor Charles IV., and sister of King Wenceslas, had been successively betrothed to a Bavarian prince and to a Margrave of Meissen, before--after negotiations which, according to Froissart, lasted a year[261]--her hand was given to young King Richard II. of England. This sufficiently explains the general scope of the _Assembly of Fowls_, an allegorical poem written on or about St. Valentine's Day, 1381[262]--eleven months or nearly a year after which date the marriage took place[263].'

I here note that Lydgate's _Flour of Curtesie_ is a palpable imitation of the _Parliament of Foules_; so also is the earlier part of his _Complaint of the Black Knight_.

On the other hand, it is interesting to find, in the Poésies de Marie de France, ed. Roquefort, Paris, 1820, that Fable 22 (vol. i. p. 130) is entitled:--'Li parlemens des Oiseax por faire Roi.' In this fable, the Birds reject the Cuckoo, and choose the Eagle as king.

§ 23. VI. A COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY.

We may fairly say that this poem is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley, since in MS. Harl. 78 it is copied out by him as if it were a continuation of the Complaint to Pity, and the pages are, throughout, headed with the words--'The Balade of Pytee. By Chauciers.' Stowe implies that he had seen more than one MS. copy of this poem, and says that 'these verses were compiled by Geffray Chauser,' for which he may have found authority in the MSS.[264] Moreover, the internal evidence settles the matter. It is evident that we have here a succession of metrical experiments, the last of which exhibits a ten-line stanza resembling the nine-line stanza of his Anelida; in fact, we here have that Complaint in a crude form, which was afterwards elaborated; see the references, in the Notes, to the corresponding passages in that poem. But a very great and unique interest is attached to lines 16 to 43. For here we have the _sole_ example, in English literature of that period, of the use of _terza rima_, obviously copied from Dante; and Chaucer was the only writer who then had a real acquaintance with that author. I know of no other example of the use of this metre before the time of Lord Surrey and Sir Thomas Wiat, when Englishmen once more sought acquaintance with Italian poetry. Consequently, we have here the pleasure of seeing how Chaucer handled Dante's metre; and the two fragments here preserved shew that he might have handled it quite successfully if he had persevered in doing so.

It is to be regretted that Shirley's spelling is so indifferent; he was rather an amateur than a professional scribe. Some of his peculiarities may be noticed, as they occur not only here, but also in the two last pieces, nos. XXII. and XXIII. He constantly adds a final _e_ in the wrong place, producing such forms _fallethe_, _howe_, _frome_, and the like, and drops it where it is necessary, as in _hert_ (for _herte_). He is fond of _eo_ for _ee_ or long _e_, as in _beo_, _neodethe_. He writes _ellas_ for _allas_; also _e_ in place of the prefix _y-_, as in _eknytte_ for _y-knit_. This last peculiarity is extremely uncommon. I have removed the odd effect which these vagaries produce, and I adopt the ordinary spelling of MSS. that resemble in type the Ellesmere MS. of the Canterbury Tales.

This piece exhibits three distinct metres, viz. the 7-line stanza, terza rima, and the 10-line stanza. Of the last, which is extremely rare, we have here the earliest example. Lines 56 and 59 are lost, and some others are imperfect.

§ 24. VII. ANELIDA AND ARCITE.

The genuineness of this poem is obvious enough, and is vouched for both by Lydgate and Shirley, as shewn above. It is further discussed in the Notes. I may add that Lydgate incidentally refers to it in his _Complaint of the Black Knight_, l. 379:--'Of Thebes eke the false Arcite.' Much later allusions are the following:--

'There was also Annelida the queene, Upon Arcite how sore she did complaine'; _Assembly of Ladies_, l. 465.

...... 'and the weimenting Of her Annelida, true as turtle-dove To Arcite fals.' _Court of Love_, l. 233.

The first three stanzas are from Boccaccio's _Teseide_, as shewn in the Notes; so also are stanzas 8, 9, and 10. Stanzas 4-7 are partly from Statius. The origin of ll. 71-210 is at present unknown. It is difficult to date this poem, but it must be placed after 1373, because of its quotations from the _Teseide_, or rather from Chaucer's own _Palamon and Arcite_. The mention of 'the quene of Ermony' in l. 72 suggests that Chaucer's thoughts may have been turned towards Armenia by the curious fact that, in 1384, the King of Armenia came to England about Christmas time, stayed two months, and was hospitably entertained by King Richard at Eltham; see Fabyan's _Chronicles_, ed. Ellis, p. 532. At an earlier time, viz. in 1362, Walsingham says that some knights of Armenia appeared at a tournament in Smithfield. In the Transactions of the Cambridge Philological Society, May 13, 1886, there is a short paper by Prof. Cowell, from which we learn that Mr. Bradshaw believed the name of _Anelida_ to be identical 'with Anáhita ([Greek: Anaitis]), the ancient goddess of Persia and Armenia.... He supposed that Chaucer got the name _Anelida_ from a misreading of the name _Anaetidem_ or _Anaetida_ in some Latin MS., the _t_ being mistaken for _l_.' We must remember that _Creseide_ represents a Greek _accusative_ form [Greek: Chrusêida], of which the gen. [Greek: Chrusêidos] occurs in Homer, _Il._ i. 111; and perhaps the form _Dalida_ (for Dalilah) in the Septuagint is also due to association with Greek accusatives in [Greek: -ida]. The genitive _Anaetidos_ occurs in Pliny, xxxiii. 4; in Holland's translation of Pliny, ii. 470, she appears as 'the goddesse _Diana_ syrnamed _Anaitis_.' It may be as well to explain to those who are unaccustomed to MSS. of the fourteenth century, that it was then usual to write _e_ in place of _ae_ or _æ_, so that the name would usually be written, in the accusative case, _Anetida_. This suggests that _Anelida_ should be spelt with but one _n_; and such is the practice of all the better MSS.

It remains to be added that one source of the part of the poem called the _Complaint_ (ll. 211-350) is the piece printed in this volume as no. VI. That piece is, in fact, a kind of exercise in metrical experiments, and exhibits specimens of a 10-line stanza, resembling the nine-line stanza of this Complaint. Chaucer seems to have elaborated this into a longer Complaint, with additional varieties in the metre; and then to have written the preceding story by way of introduction. One line (vi. 50) is repeated without alteration (vii. 237); another (vi. 35) is only altered in the first and last words (vii. 222). Other resemblances are pointed out in the Notes.

It is also worth while to notice how the character of the speaking falcon in the second part of the Squire's Tale is precisely that of Anelida. The parallel lines are pointed out in the Notes. The principal MSS. may be thus grouped: Aa.--F. B. Ab.--Tn. D. Lt. B.--Harl. Cx. Here A and B are two groups, of which the former is subdivided into A_a_ and A_b._ See Koch, in _Anglia_, iv. b. 102.

§ 25. VIII. CHAUCER'S WORDES UNTO ADAM.

This is evidently a genuine poem, written by the author of the translation of Boethius and of the story of Troilus.

§ 26. IX. THE FORMER AGE.

First printed in 1866, in Morris's Chaucer, from a transcript made by Mr. Bradshaw, who pointed out its genuineness. It is ascribed to Chaucer in both MSS., and belongs, in fact, to his translation of Boethius, though probably written at a later date. In MS. I. the poem is headed:--'Chawc_er_ vp-on this fyfte met_ur_ of the second book.' In MS. Hh., the colophon is: 'Finit Etas prima: Chaucers.' Dr. Koch thinks that the five poems here numbered IX. X. XIII-XV. 'form a cyclus, as it were, being free transcriptions of different passages in Boethius' _Consolatio Philosophiae_.' There is, in fact, a probability that these were all written at about the same period, and that rather a late one, some years after the prose translation of Boethius had been completed; and a probable date for this completion is somewhere about 1380.

Both MS. copies are from the same source, as both of them omit the same line, viz. l. 56; which I have had to supply by conjecture. Neither of the MSS. are well spelt, nor are they very satisfactory. The mistake in riming l. 47 with l. 43 instead of l. 45 may very well have been due to an oversight on the part of the poet himself. But the poem is a beautiful one, and admirably expressed; and its inclusion among the Minor Poems is a considerable gain.

Dr. Furnivall has printed the Latin text of Boethius, lib. ii. met. 5, from MS. I., as well as Chaucer's prose version of the same, for the sake of comparison with the text of the poem. The likeness hardly extends beyond the first four stanzas. I here transcribe that part of the prose version which is parallel to the poem, omitting a few sentences which do not appear there at all; for the complete text, see vol. ii.

'Blisful was the first age of men. They helden hem apayed with the metes that the trewe feldes broughten furthe. They ne distroyede nor deceivede not hem-self with outrage. They weren wont lightly to slaken hir hunger at even with acornes of okes. [_Stanza 2._] They ne coude nat medly[265] the yifte of Bachus to the clere hony; that is to seyn, they coude make no piment nor clarree. [_Stanza 3._] ... they coude nat deyen whyte fleeses[266] of Serien contree with the blode of a maner shelfisshe that men finden in Tyrie, with whiche blode men deyen purpur. [_Stanza 6._] They slepen hoolsum slepes upon the gras, and dronken of the renninge wateres [_cf._ l. 8]; and layen under the shadwes of the heye pyn-trees. [_Stanza 3, continued._] Ne no gest ne no straungere ne carf yit the heye see with ores or with shippes; ne they ne hadde seyn yit none newe strondes, to leden marchaundyse in-to dyverse contrees. Tho weren the cruel clariouns ful hust[267] and ful stille.... [_Stanza 4._] For wherto or whiche woodnesse of enemys wolde first moeven armes, whan they seyen cruel woundes, ne none medes[268] be of blood y-shad[269]?... Allas! what was he that first dalf[270] up the gobetes[271] or the weightes of gold covered under erthe, and the precious stones that wolden han ben hid? He dalf up precious perils; ... for the preciousnesse of swiche thinge, hath many man ben in peril.'

The metre is the same as that of the ABC.

§ 27. X. FORTUNE.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. A. and T.; also marked as Chaucer's in MSS. F. and I. In MS. I., this poem and the preceding are actually introduced into Chaucer's translation of Boethius, between the fifth metre and the sixth prose of the second book, as has been already said. The metre is the same as that of the ABC and The Former Age, but the same rimes run through three stanzas. The Envoy forms a 7-line stanza, but has only two rimes; the formula is _ababbab_. For further remarks, see the Notes.

§ 28. XI. MERCILES BEAUTE.

The unique copy of this poem is in MS. P[272]. It is the last poem in the MS., and is in excellent company, as it immediately follows several other of Chaucer's genuine poems[273]. This is probably why Bp. Percy attributed it to Chaucer, who himself tells us that he wrote 'balades, _roundels_, virelayes.' It is significant that Mätzner, in his _Altenglische Sprachproben_, i. 347, chose this poem alone as a specimen of the Minor Poems. It is, in fact, most happily expressed, and the internal evidence places its authenticity beyond question. The three roundels express three 'movements,' in the poet's usual manner; and his mastery of metre is shewn in the use of the same rime in _-en-e_ in the first and third roundels, requiring no less than _ten_ different words for the purpose; whilst in the second roundel the corresponding lines end in _-eyn-e_, producing much the same effect, if (as is probable) the old sounds of _e_ and _ey_ were not very different. We at once recognise the Chaucerian phrases _I do no fors_ (see Cant. Ta. D 1234, 1512), and _I counte him not a bene_ (see Troil. v. 363).

Very characteristic is the use of the dissyllabic word _sen-e_ (l. 10), which is an adjective, and means 'manifest,' from the A. S. _geséne_, (_gesýne_), and not the past participle, which is _y-seen_. Chaucer rimes it with _clen-e_ (Prol. to C. T. 134), and with _gren-e_ (Kn. Tale, A 2298). The phrase _though he sterve for the peyne_ (l. 23) reminds us of _for to dyen in the peyne_ (Kn. Ta. A 1133).

But the most curious thing about this poem is the incidental testimony of Lydgate, in his Ballade in Commendacion of our Ladie; see poem no. 26 above, discussed at p. 38. I here quote st. 22 in full, from ed. 1561, fol. 330:

'Where might I loue euer better beset Then in this Lilie, likyng to beholde? That lace of loue, the bonde so well thou knit, That I maie see thee, or myne harte colde, And or I passe out of my daies olde, Tofore [thee] syngyng euermore vtterly-- _Your iyen twoo woll slea me sodainly_.'

I ought to add that this poem is the only one which I have admitted into the set of Minor Poems (nos. I-XX) with incomplete external evidence. If it is not Chaucer's, it is by some one who contrived to surpass him in his own style. And this is sufficient excuse for its appearance here.

Moreover, Lydgate's testimony _is_ external evidence, in a high degree. Even the allusion in l. 27 to the Roman de la Rose points in the same direction; and so does Chaucer's statement that he wrote roundels. Excepting that in the Parl. of Foules, ll. 680-692, and the three here given, no roundels of his have ever been found[274].

§ 29. XII. TO ROSEMOUNDE.

This poem was discovered by me in the Bodleian Library on the 2nd of April, 1891. It is written on a fly-leaf at the end of MS. Rawlinson Poet. 163, which also contains a copy of Chaucer's Troilus. At the end of the 'Troilus' is the colophon: 'Here endith the book of Troylus and of Cresseyde.' This colophon is preceded by 'Tregentyll,' and followed by 'Chaucer.' On the next leaf (no. 114) is the Balade, without any title, at the foot of which is 'Tregentil'----'Chaucer,' the two names being written at a considerable distance apart. I believe 'Tregentil' to represent the name of the scribe[275]. In any case, 'Chaucer' represents the name of the author. It is a happy specimen of his humour.

§ 30. XIII. TRUTH.

This famous poem is attributed to Chaucer in MS. F., also (thrice) by Shirley, who in one of the copies in MS. T. (in which it occurs _twice_) calls it a 'Balade that Chaucier made on his deeth-bedde'; which is probably a mere bad guess[276]. The MSS. may be divided into two groups; the four best are in the first group, viz. At., E., Gg., Ct., and the rest (mostly) in the second group. Those of the first group have the readings _Tempest_ (8), _Know thy contree_ (19), and _Hold the hye wey_ (20); whilst the rest have, in the same places, _Peyne_ (8), _Look up on hy_ (19), and _Weyve thy lust_ (20). It is remarkable that the Envoy occurs in MS. At. _only_. It may have been suppressed owing to a misunderstanding of the word _vache_ (cow), the true sense of which is a little obscure. The reference is to Boethius, bk. v. met. 5, where it is explained that quadrupeds _look down_ upon the earth, whilst man alone _looks up_ towards heaven; cf. _lok up_ in l. 19 of the poem. The sense is therefore, that we should cease to look down, and learn to look up like true men; 'only the linage of man,' says Chaucer, in his translation of Boethius, 'heveth heyeste his heye heved[277] ... this figure amonesteth[278] thee, that axest the hevene with thy righte visage, and hast areysed thy fore-heved to beren up a-heigh thy corage, so that thy thoght ne be nat y-hevied[279] ne put lowe under fote.'

§ 31. XIV. GENTILESSE.

It is curious that this Balade not only occurs as an independent poem, as in MSS. T., Harl., Ct., and others, but is also quoted bodily in a poem by Henry Scogan in MS. A. It is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. T. and Harl.; and still more satisfactory is the account given of it by Scogan. The title of Scogan's poem is:--'A moral balade made by Henry Scogan squyer. Here folowethe nexst a moral balade to my lorde the Prince, to my lord of Clarence, to my lord of Bedford, and to my lorde of Gloucestre; by Henry Scogan, at a souper of feorthe merchande (_sic_) in the vyntre in London, at the hous of Lowys Iohan.' It is printed in all the old editions of Chaucer; see poem no. 33, p. 32. Scogan tells us that he was 'fader,' i. e. tutor, to the four sons of Henry IV. above-mentioned[280]. His ballad is in twenty-one 8-line stanzas, and he inserts Chaucer's _Gentilesse_, distinguished by being in 7-line stanzas, between the 13th and 14th stanzas of his own work. He refers to Chaucer in the 9th stanza thus (in MS. A.):--

'My maistre Chaucier, God his soule have, That in his langage was so curyous, He saide that the fader, nowe dede and grave, Beqwathe no-thing his vertue with his hous Un-to his sone.'

This is a reference to ll. 16, 17 of Chaucer's poem. Again, in his 13th stanza, he says:--

'By auncetrye thus may yee no-thing clayme, As that my maistre Chaucier dothe expresse, But temporell thing, that man may hurte and mayme; Thane is gode stocke of vertuous noblesse; And, sithe that he is lord of blessednesse That made us alle, and for mankynde that dyed, Folowe his vertue with full besynesse; And of this thinge herke howe my maistre seyde.'

He here refers to lines 15-17, and lines 1-4 of Chaucer's poem; and then proceeds to quote it in full. Having done so, he adds:--

'Loo, here this noble poete of Brettayne Howe hyely he, in vertuouse sentence, The losse [MS. lesse] in youthe of vertue can compleyne.'

Scogan's advice is all good; and, though he accuses himself of having misspent his youth, this may very well mean no more than such an expression means in the mouth of a good man. He is doubtless the very person to whom Chaucer's 'Lenvoy a Scogan' was addressed, and Chaucer (l. 21) there gives him an excellent character for wisdom of speech. Accordingly, he is not to be confused with the Thomas Scogan or Scogin to whom is attributed an idle book called 'Scoggins Iests,' which were said to have been 'gathered' by Andrew Boord or Borde, author of the Introduction of Knowledge[281]. When Shakespeare, in 2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 33, says that Sir John Falstaff broke Scogan's head, he was no doubt thinking of the supposed author of the jest-book, and may have been led, by observation of the name in a black-letter edition of Chaucer, to suppose that he lived in the time of Henry IV. This was quite enough for his purpose, though it is probable that the jester lived in the time of Edward IV.; see Tyrwhitt's note on the Envoy to Scogan. On the other hand, we find Ben Jonson taking his ideas about Scogan solely from Henry Scogan's poem and Chaucer's Envoy, without any reference to the jester. See his Masque of the Fortunate Isles, in which Scogan is first described and afterwards introduced. The description tells us nothing more than we know already.

As for Lewis John (p. 82), Tyrwhitt says he was a Welshman, 'who was naturalised by Act of Parliament, 2 Hen. V., and who was concerned with Thomas Chaucer in the execution of the office of chief butler; _Rot. Parl._ 2 Hen. V. n. 18.'

Caxton's printed edition of this poem seems to follow a better source than any of the MSS.

§ 32. XV. LAK OF STEDFASTNESSE.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. Harl. and T., and sent to King Richard at Windsor, according to the same authority. The general idea of it is from Boethius; see the Notes. Shirley refers it to the last years of Richard II., say 1397-9. We find something very like it in Piers Plowman, C. iv. 203-210, where Richard is told that bribery and wicked connivance at extortion have almost brought it about--

'That no lond loveth the, and yut leest thyn owene.'

In any case, the date can hardly vary between wider limits than between 1393 and 1399. Richard held a tournament at Windsor in 1399[282], which was but thinly attended; 'the greater part of the knights and squires of England were disgusted with the king.'

Of this poem, MS. Ct. seems to give the best text.

§ 33. XVI. LENVOY A SCOGAN.

This piece is attributed to Chaucer in all three MSS., viz. F., P., and Gg.; and is obviously genuine. The probable date of it is towards the end of 1393; see the Notes.

For some account of Scogan, see above (p. 83).

§ 34. XVII. LENVOY A BUKTON.

This piece is certainly genuine. In MS. F., the title is--'Lenvoy de Chaucer a Bukton.' In Julian Notary's edition it is--'Here foloweth the counceyll of Chaucer touching Maryag, &c. whiche was sente te (_sic_) Bucketon, &c.' In all the other early printed editions it is inserted _without any title_ immediately after the Book of the Duchess.

The poem is one of Chaucer's latest productions, and may safely be dated about the end of the year 1396. This appears from the reference, in l. 23, to the great misfortune it would be to any Englishmen 'to be take in Fryse,' i. e. to be taken prisoner in Friesland. There is but one occasion on which this reference could have had any point, viz. during or just after the expedition of William of Hainault to Friesland, as narrated by Froissart in his Chronicles, bk. iv. capp. 78, 79. He tells that William of Hainault applied to Richard II. for assistance, who sent him 'some men-at-arms and two hundred archers, under the command of three English lords[283].' The expedition set out in August, 1396, and stayed in Friesland about five weeks, till the beginning of October, when 'the weather began to be very cold and to rain almost daily.' The great danger of being taken prisoner in Friesland was because the Frieslanders fought so desperately that they were seldom taken prisoners themselves. Then 'the Frieslanders offered their prisoners in exchange, man for man; but, when their enemies had none to give in return, they put them to death.' Besides this, the prisoners had to endure all the miseries of a bad and cold season, in an inclement climate. Hence the propriety of Chaucer's allusion fully appears. From l. 8, we learn that Chaucer was now a widower; for the word _eft_ means 'again.' His wife is presumed to have died in the latter part of 1387. We should also observe the allusion to the Wife of Bath's Tale in l. 29.

§ 35. XVIII. THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.

This poem is usually printed as if it formed part of the Complaint of Mars; but it is really distinct. It is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley both in MS. T. and in MS. A. It is not original, but translated from the French, as appears from l. 82. Shirley tells us that the author of the French poem was Sir Otes de Graunson, a worthy knight of Savoy. He is mentioned as receiving from King Richard the grant of an annuity of 126l. 13s. 4d. on 17 Nov. 1393; see Furnivall's _Trial Forewords_, p. 123. The association of this poem with the Complaint of Mars renders it probable that the Venus of this poem is the same as the Venus of the other, i. e. the Princess Isabel of Spain, and Duchess of York. This fits well with the word _Princess_ at the beginning of the Envoy; and as she died in 1394, whilst Chaucer, on the other hand, complains of his advancing years, we must date the poem about 1393, i. e. just about the time when Graunson received his annuity. Chaucer, if born about 1340, was not really more than 53, but we must remember that, in those days, men often aged quickly. John of Gaunt, who is represented by Shakespeare as a very old man, only lived to the age of 59; and the Black Prince died quite worn out, at the age of 46. Compare the notes to ll. 73, 76, 79, and 82.

Much new light has lately been thrown upon this poem by Dr. A. Piaget, who contributed an article to _Romania_, tome xix., on 'Oton de Granson et ses Poésies,' in 1890. The author succeeded in discovering a large number of Granson's poems, including, to our great gain, the three Balades of which Chaucer's 'Compleynt of Venus' is a translation. I am thus enabled to give the original French beneath the English version, for the sake of comparison.

He has also given us an interesting account of Granson himself, for which I must refer my readers to his article. It appears that Froissart mentions Granson at least four times (twice in bk. i. c. 303, A.D. 1372, once in c. 305, and once in c. 331, A.D. 1379), as fighting on the side of the English; see Johnes' translation. He was in Savoy from 1389 to 1391; but, in the latter year, was accused of being concerned in the death of Amadeus VII., count of Savoy, in consequence of which he returned to England, and in 1393 his estates in Savoy were confiscated. It was on this occasion that Richard II. assigned to him the pension above mentioned. With the hope of clearing himself from the serious charge laid against him, Granson fought a judicial duel, at Bourg-en-Bresse, on Aug. 7, 1397, in which, however, he was slain.

Now that we have the original before us, we can see clearly, as Dr. Piaget says, that Chaucer has certainly not translated the original Balades 'word for word' throughout. He does so sometimes, as in ll. 27, 28, 30, 31, in which the closeness of the translation is marvellous; but, usually, he paraphrases the original to a considerable extent. In the first Balade, he has even altered the general motive; in the original, Granson sings the praises of his lady; in Chaucer, it is a lady who praises the worthiness of her lover.

It also becomes probable that the title 'The Compleynt of Venus,' which seems to have been suggested by Shirley, is by no means a fitting one. It is not suitable for Venus, unless the 'Venus' be a mortal; neither is it a continuous 'Compleynt,' being simply a linking together of three separate and distinct Balades.

It is clear to me that, when Chaucer added his Envoy, he made the difficulties of following the original 'word by word' and of preserving the original metre his excuse; and that what really troubled him was the difficulty of adapting the French, especially Balade I., so as to be acceptable to the 'Princess' who enjoined him to translate these Balades. In particular, he evidently aimed at giving them a sort of connection, so that one should follow the other naturally; which accounts for the changes in the first of them. It is significant, perhaps, that the allusion to 'youth' (F. _jeunesce_) in l. 70 is entirely dropped.

On the whole, I think we may still accept the theory that this poem was written at the request (practically, the command) of Isabel, duchess of York, the probable 'Venus' of the 'Compleynt of Mars.' Chaucer seems to have thrown the three Balades together, linking them so as to express a lady's constancy in love, and choosing such language as he deemed would be most acceptable to the princess. He then ingeniously, and not without some humour, protests that any apparent alterations are due to his own dulness and the difficulties of translating 'word for word,' and of preserving the rimes.

In l. 31, the F. text shews us that we must read _Pleyne_, not _Pleye_ (as in the MSS.). This was pointed out by Mr. Paget Toynbee.

§ 36. XIX. THE COMPLEINT TO HIS PURSE.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley, in MS. Harl. 7333; by Caxton; by the scribes of MSS. F., P., and Ff.; and by early editors. I do not know on what grounds Speght removed Chaucer's name, and substituted that of T. Occleve; there seems to be no authority for this change. I think it highly probable that the poem itself is older than the Envoy; see note to l. 17. In any case, the Envoy is almost certainly Chaucer's latest extant composition.

§ 37. XX. PROVERBS.

Attributed to Chaucer in MSS. F. and Ha.; see further in the Notes. From the nature of the case, we cannot assign any probable date to this composition. Yet it was, perhaps, written after, rather than before, the Tale of Melibeus.

§ 38. XXI. AGAINST WOMEN UNCONSTAUNT.

For the genuineness of this Balade, we have chiefly the internal evidence to trust to; but this seems to me to be sufficiently strong. The Balade is perfect in construction, having but three rimes (_-esse_, _-ace_, _-ene_), and a refrain. The 'mood' of it strongly resembles that of Lak of Stedfastnesse; the lines run with perfect smoothness, and the rimes are all Chaucerian. It is difficult to suppose that Lydgate, or even Hoccleve, who was a better metrician, could have produced so good an imitation of Chaucer's style. But we are not without strong external evidence; for the general idea of the poem, and what is more important, the whole of the refrain, are taken from Chaucer's favourite author Machault (ed. Tarbé, p. 56); whose refrain is--'En lieu de bleu, Damë, vous vestez vert.' Again, the poem is only found in company with other poems by Chaucer. Such collocation frequently means nothing, but those who actually consult[284] MSS. Ct. and Ha. will see how close is its association with the Chaucerian poems in those MSS. I have said that it occurs in MSS. F., Ct., and Ha. Now in MS. Ct. we find, on the back of fol. 188 and on fol. 189, just four poems in the same hand. These are (1) Gentilesse; (2) Lak of Stedfastnesse; (3) Truth; and (4) Against Women Unconstaunt. As three of these are admittedly genuine, there is evidence that the fourth is the same. We may also notice that, in this MS., the poems on Lak of Stedfastnesse and Against Women Unconstaunt are not far apart. On searching MS. Ha. (Harl. 7578), I again found three of these poems in company, viz. (1) Gentilesse; (2) Lak of Stedfastnesse; and (3) Against Women Unconstaunt; the last being, in my view, precisely in its right place. (This copy of the poem was unknown to me in 1887.)

§ 39. XXII. AN AMOROUS COMPLAINT.

Whilst searching through the various MSS. containing Minor Poems by Chaucer in the British Museum, my attention was arrested by this piece, which, as far as I know, has never before been printed. It is in Shirley's handwriting, but he does not claim it for Chaucer. However, the internal evidence seems to me irresistible; the melody is Chaucer's, and his peculiar touches appear in it over and over again. There is, moreover, in the last stanza, a direct reference to the Parliament of Foules[285].

I cannot explain the oracular notice of time in the heading; even if we alter _May_ to _day_, it contradicts l. 85, which mentions 'seint Valentines day.' The heading is--'And next folowyng begynnith an amerowse compleynte made at wyndesore in the laste May tofore Nouembre' (_sic_). The date is inexplicable[286]; but the mention of locality is interesting. Chaucer became a 'valet of the king's chamber' in 1367, and must frequently have been at Windsor, where the institution of the Order of the Garter was annually celebrated on St. George's Day (April 23). Some of the parallelisms in expression between the present poem and other passages in Chaucer's Works are pointed out in the Notes.

This Complaint should be compared with the complaint uttered by Dorigen in the Cant. Tales, F. 1311-1325, which is little else than the same thing in a compressed form. There is also much resemblance to the 'complaints' in Troilus; see the references in the Notes.

Since first printing the text in 1888, I found that it is precisely the same poem as one extant in MSS. F. and B., with the title 'Complaynt Damours.' I had noticed the latter some time previously, and had made a note that it ought to be closely examined; but unfortunately I forgot to do so, or I should have seen at once that it had strong claims to being considered genuine. These claims are considerably strengthened by the fact of the appearance of the poem in these two Chaucerian MSS., the former of which contains no less than _sixteen_, and the latter _seven_ of the Minor Poems, besides the Legend and the Hous of Fame.

In reprinting the text in the present volume, I take occasion to give all the more important results of a collation of the text with these MSS. In most places, their readings are inferior to those in the text; but in other places they suggest corrections.

In MS. F. the fourth stanza is mutilated; the latter half of lines 24-28 is missing.

In B., below the word _Explicit_, another and later hand has scrawled 'be me Humfrey Flemy_ng_.' 'Be me' merely means--'this signature is mine.' It is a mere scribble, and does not necessarily relate to the poem at all.

The readings of F. and B. do not help us much; for the text in Harl., on the whole, is better.

It is not at all improbable that a better copy of this poem may yet be found.

§ 40. XXIII. BALADE OF COMPLEYNT.

This poem, which has not been printed before, as far as I am aware, occurs in Shirley's MS. Addit. 16165, at fol. 256, back. It is merely headed 'Balade of compleynte,' without any note of its being Chaucer's. But I had not read more than four lines of it before I at once recognised the well-known melodious flow which Chaucer's imitators (except sometimes Hoccleve) so seldom succeed in reproducing. And when I had only finished reading the first stanza, I decided at once to copy it out, not doubting that it would fulfil all the usual tests of metre, rime, and language; which it certainly does. It is far more correct in wording than the preceding poem, and does not require that we should either omit or supply a single word. But in l. 20 the last word should surely be _dere_ rather than _here_; and the last word in l. 11 is indistinct. I read it as _reewe_ afterwards altered to _newe_; and _newe_ makes very good sense. I may notice that Shirley's _n_'s are very peculiar: the first upstroke is very long, commencing below the line; and this peculiarity renders the reading tolerably certain. Some lines resemble lines in no. VI., as is pointed out in the Notes. Altogether, it is a beautiful poem, and its recovery is a clear gain.

§ 41. CONCLUDING REMARKS.

I regret that this Introduction has run to so great a length; but it was incumbent on me to shew reasons for the rejection or acceptance of the very large number of pieces which have hitherto been included in editions of Chaucer's Works. I have now only to add that I have, of course, been greatly indebted to the works of others; so much so indeed that I can hardly particularise them. I must, however, mention very gratefully the names of Dr. Furnivall, Professor Ten Brink, Dr. Koch, Dr. Willert, Max Lange, Rambeau, and various contributors to the publications of the Chaucer Society; and though I have consulted for myself such books as Le Roman de la Rose, the Teseide, the Thebaid of Statius, the poems of Machault, and a great many more, and have inserted in the Notes a large number of references which I discovered, or re-discovered, for myself, I beg leave distinctly to disclaim any merit, not doubting that most of what I have said may very likely have been said by others, and said better. Want of leisure renders it impossible for me to give to others their due meed of recognition in many instances; for I have often found it less troublesome to consult original authorities for myself than to hunt up what others have said relative to the passage under consideration.

I have relegated Poems no. XXI., XXII., and XXIII. to an Appendix, because they are not expressly attributed to Chaucer in the MSS. Such evidence has its value, but it is possible to make too much of it; and I agree with Dr. Koch, that, despite the MSS., the genuineness of no XX. is doubtful; for the rime of _compas_ with _embrace_ is suspicious. It is constantly the case that poems, well known to be Chaucer's, are not marked as his in the MS. copies; and we must really depend upon a prolonged and intelligent study of the internal evidence. This is why I admit poems nos. XXI-XXIII into the collection; and I hope it will be conceded that I am free from recklessness in this matter. Certainly my methods differ from those of John Stowe, and I believe them to be more worthy of respect.

* * * * *

THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.

<< FRAGMENT A.

Many men seyn that in sweveninges Ther nis but fables and lesinges; But men may somme swevenes seen, Which hardely ne false been, But afterward ben apparaunte. 5 This may I drawe to waraunte An authour, that hight Macrobes, That halt not dremes false ne lees, But undoth us the avisioun That whylom mette king Cipioun. 10 And who-so sayth, or weneth it be A Iape, or elles [a] nycetee To wene that dremes after falle, Let who-so liste a fool me calle.

>> LE ROMAN DE LA ROSE.

Maintes gens dient que en songes N'a se fables non et mençonges; Mais l'en puet tiex songes songier Qui ne sunt mie mençongier; Ains sunt après bien apparant. Si en puis bien trere à garant Ung acteur qui ot non Macrobes, Qui ne tint pas songes à lobes; Ainçois escrist la vision Qui avint au roi Cipion. 10 Quiconques cuide ne qui die Que soit folor ou musardie De croire que songes aviengne, Qui ce voldra, pour fol m'en tiengne;

<< For this trowe I, and say for me, 15 That dremes signifiaunce be Of good and harme to many wightes, That dremen in her slepe a-nightes Ful many thinges covertly, That fallen after al openly. 20 Within my twenty yere of age, THE DREAM. Whan that Love taketh his corage Of yonge folk, I wente sone To bedde, as I was wont to done, And fast I sleep; and in sleping, 25 Me mette swiche a swevening, That lykede me wonders wel; But in that sweven is never a del That it nis afterward befalle, Right as this dreem wol telle us alle. 30 Now this dreem wol I ryme aright, To make your hertes gaye and light; For Love it prayeth, and also Commaundeth me that it be so And if ther any aske me, 35 Whether that it be he or she, How [that] this book [the] which is here Shal hote, that I rede you here;

>> Car endroit moi ai-je fiance Que songe soit senefiance Des biens as gens et des anuiz, Car li plusors songent de nuitz Maintes choses couvertement Que l'en voit puis apertement. 20 Où vintiesme an de mon aage, Où point qu'Amors prend le paage Des jones gens, couchiez estoie Une nuit, si cum je souloie, Et me dormoie moult forment, Si vi ung songe en mon dormant, Qui moult fut biax, et moult me plot, Mès onques riens où songe n'ot Qui avenu trestout ne soit, Si cum li songes recontoit. 30 Or veil cel songe rimaier, Por vos cuers plus fere esgaier, Qu'Amors le me prie et commande; Et se nus ne nule demande Comment ge voil que cilz Rommanz Soit apelez, que ge commanz:

<< It is the Romance of the Rose, In which al the art of love I close. 40 The mater fair is of to make; God graunte in gree that she it take For whom that it begonnen is! And that is she that hath, y-wis, So mochel prys; and ther-to she 45 So worthy is biloved be, That she wel oughte of prys and right, Be cleped Rose of every wight. That it was May me thoughte tho, It is fyve yere or more ago; 50 That it was May, thus dremed me, In tyme of love and Iolitee, That al thing ginneth waxen gay, For ther is neither busk nor hay In May, that it nil shrouded been, 55 And it with newe leves wreen. These wodes eek recoveren grene, That drye in winter been to sene; And the erthe wexeth proud withalle, For swote dewes that on it falle, 60 And [al] the pore estat forget In which that winter hadde it set,

>> Ce est li Rommanz de la Rose, Où l'art d'Amors est tote enclose. La matire en est bone et noeve: Or doint Diez qu'en gré le reçoeve 40 Cele por qui ge l'ai empris. C'est cele qui tant a de pris, Et tant est digne d'estre amée, Qu'el doit estre Rose clamée. Avis m'iere qu'il estoit mains, Il a jà bien cincq ans, au mains, En Mai estoie, ce songoie, El tems amoreus plain de joie, El tens où tote riens s'esgaie, Que l'en ne voit boisson ne haie 50 Qui en Mai parer ne se voille, Et covrir de novele foille; Li bois recovrent lor verdure, Qui sunt sec tant cum yver dure, La terre méisme s'orgoille Por la rousée qui la moille, Et oblie la poverté Où ele a tot l'yver esté.

<< And than bicometh the ground so proud That it wol have a newe shroud, And maketh so queynt his robe and fayr 65 That it hath hewes an hundred payr Of gras and floures, inde and pers, And many hewes ful dyvers: That is the robe I mene, y-wis, Through which the ground to preisen is. 70 The briddes, that han left hir song, Whyl they han suffred cold so strong In wedres grille, and derk to sighte, Ben in May, for the sonne brighte, So glade, that they shewe in singing, 75 That in hir herte is swich lyking, That they mote singen and be light. Than doth the nightingale hir might To make noyse, and singen blythe. Than is blisful, many a sythe, 80 The chelaundre and the papingay. Than yonge folk entenden ay For to ben gay and amorous, The tyme is than so savorous. Hard is his herte that loveth nought 85 In May, whan al this mirth is wrought;

>> Lors devient la terre si gobe, Qu'ele volt avoir novele robe; 60 Si scet si cointe robe faire, Que de colors i a cent paire, D'erbes, de flors indes et perses, Et de maintes colors diverses. C'est la robe que ge devise, Por quoi la terre miex se prise. Li oisel, qui se sunt téu Tant cum il ont le froit éu, Et le tens divers et frarin, Sunt en Mai, por le tens serin, 70 Si lié qu'il monstrent en chantant Qu'en lor cuer a de joie tant, Qu'il lor estuet chanter par force. Li rossignos lores s'efforce De chanter et de faire noise; Lors s'esvertue, et lors s'envoise Li papegaus et la kalandre: Lors estuet jones gens entendre A estre gais et amoreus Por le tens bel et doucereus. 80 Moult a dur cuer qui en Mai n'aime,

<< Whan he may on these braunches here The smale briddes singen clere Hir blisful swete song pitous; And in this sesoun delytous, 90 Whan love affrayeth alle thing, Me thoughte a-night, in my sleping, Right in my bed, ful redily, That it was by the morowe erly, And up I roos, and gan me clothe; 95 Anoon I wissh myn hondes bothe; A sylvre nedle forth I drogh Out of an aguiler queynt y-nogh, And gan this nedle threde anon; For out of toun me list to gon 100 The sowne of briddes for to here, That on thise busshes singen clere. And in the swete sesoun that leef is, With a threde basting my slevis, Aloon I wente in my playing, 105 The smale foules song harkning; That peyned hem ful many a payre To singe on bowes blosmed fayre. Iolif and gay, ful of gladnesse,

>> Quant il ot chanter sus la raime As oisiaus les dous chans piteus. En iceli tens déliteus, Que tote riens d'amer s'effroie, Sonjai une nuit que j'estoie, Ce m'iert avis en mon dormant, Qu'il estoit matin durement; De mon lit tantost me levai, Chauçai moi et mes mains lavai. 90 Lors trais une aguille d'argent D'un aguiller mignot et gent, Si pris l'aguille à enfiler. Hors de vile oi talent d'aler, Por oïr des oisiaus les sons Qui chantoient par ces boissons. En icele saison novele, Cousant mes manches à videle, M'en alai tot seus esbatant, Et les oiselés escoutant, 100 Qui de chanter moult s'engoissoient Par ces vergiers qui florissoient. Jolis, gais et plains de léesce,

<< Toward a river I gan me dresse, 110 That I herde renne faste by; For fairer playing non saugh I Than playen me by that riveer, For from an hille that stood ther neer, Cam doun the streem ful stif and bold. 115 Cleer was the water, and as cold As any welle is, sooth to seyne; And somdel lasse it was than Seine, But it was straighter wel away. And never saugh I, er that day, 120 The water that so wel lyked me; And wonder glad was I to see That lusty place, and that riveer; And with that water that ran so cleer My face I wissh. Tho saugh I wel 125 The botme paved everydel With gravel, ful of stones shene. The medewe softe, swote, and grene, Beet right on the water-syde. Ful cleer was than the morow-tyde, 130 And ful attempre, out of drede. Tho gan I walke through the mede, Dounward ay in my pleying,

>> Vers une riviere m'adresce. Que j'oi près d'ilecques bruire; Car ne me soi aillors déduire Plus bel que sus cele riviere. D'ung tertre qui près d'iluec iere Descendoit l'iaue grant et roide, Clere, bruiant, et aussi froide 110 Comme puiz, ou comme fontaine, Et estoit poi mendre de Saine, Mès qu'ele iere plus espanduë. Onques mès n'avoie véuë Cele iaue qui si bien coroit: Moult m'abelissoit et séoit A regarder le leu plaisant. De l'iaue clere et reluisant Mon vis rafreschi et lavé. Si vi tot covert et pavé 120 Le fons de l'iaue de gravele; La praérie grant et bele Très au pié de l'iaue batoit. Clere et serie et bele estoit La matinée et atrempeé; Lors m'en alai parmi la prée Contre val l'iaue esbanoiant,

<< The river-syde costeying. And whan I had a whyle goon, 135 I saugh a GARDIN right anoon, THE GARDEN. Ful long and brood, and everydel Enclos it was, and walled wel, With hye walles enbatailled, Portrayed without, and wel entailled 140 With many riche portraitures; And bothe images and peyntures Gan I biholde bisily. And I wol telle you, redily, Of thilke images the semblaunce, 145 As fer as I have remembraunce. A-midde saugh I HATE stonde, HATE. That for hir wrathe, ire, and onde, Semed to been a moveresse, An angry wight, a chideresse; 150 And ful of gyle, and fel corage, By semblaunt was that ilke image. And she was no-thing wel arrayed, But lyk a wood womman afrayed; Y-frounced foule was hir visage, 155 And grenning for dispitous rage; Hir nose snorted up for tene.

>> Tot le rivage costoiant. Quant j'oi ung poi avant alé, Si vi ung vergier grant et lé, 130 Tot clos d'ung haut mur bataillié, Portrait defors et entaillié A maintes riches escritures. Les ymages et les paintures Ai moult volentiers remiré: Si vous conteré et diré De ces ymages la semblance, Si cum moi vient à remembrance. Ens où milieu je vi HAÏNE HAÏNE. Qui de corrous et d'ataïne 140 Sembloit bien estre moverresse, Et correceuse et tencerresse, Et plaine de grant cuvertage Estoit par semblant cele ymage. Si n'estoit pas bien atornée, Ains sembloit estre forcenée, Rechignie avoit et froncié Le vis, et le nés secorcié.

<< Ful hidous was she for to sene, Ful foul and rusty was she, this. Hir heed y-writhen was, y-wis, 160 Ful grimly with a greet towayle. An image of another entayle, FELONYE. A lift half, was hir faste by; Hir name above hir heed saugh I, And she was called FELONYE. 165 Another image, that VILANYE VILANYE. Y-cleped was, saugh I and fond Upon the walle on hir right hond. Vilanye was lyk somdel That other image; and, trusteth wel, 170 She semed a wikked creature. By countenaunce, in portrayture, She semed be ful despitous, And eek ful proud and outrageous. Wel coude he peynte, I undertake, 175 That swiche image coude make. Ful foul and cherlish semed she, And eek vilaynous for to be, And litel coude of norture, To worshipe any creature. 180

>> Par grant hideur fu soutilliée, Et si estoit entortillée 150 Hideusement d'une toaille. Une autre ymage d'autel taille FELONNIE. A senestre vi delez lui; Son non desus sa teste lui; Apellée estoit FELONNIE. Une ymage qui VILONIE VILENNIE. Avoit non, revi devers destre, Qui estoit auques d'autel estre Cum ces deus et d'autel féture; Bien sembloit male créature, 160 Et despiteuse et orguilleuse, Et mesdisant et ramponeuse. Moult sot bien paindre et bien portraire Cil qui tiex ymages sot faire: Car bien sembloit chose vilaine, De dolor et de despit plaine; Et fame qui petit séust D'honorer ceus qu'ele déust.

<< And next was peynted COVEITYSE, COVEITYSE. That eggeth folk, in many gyse, To take and yeve right nought ageyn, And grete tresours up to leyn. And that is she that for usure 185 Leneth to many a creature The lasse for the more winning, So coveitous is her brenning. And that is she, for penyes fele, That techeth for to robbe and stele 190 These theves, and these smale harlotes; And that is routhe, for by hir throtes Ful many oon hangeth at the laste. She maketh folk compasse and caste To taken other folkes thing, 195 Through robberie, or miscounting. And that is she that maketh trechoures; And she [that] maketh false pledoures, That with hir termes and hir domes Doon maydens, children, and eek gromes 200 Hir heritage to forgo. Ful croked were hir hondes two; For Coveityse is ever wood

>> Après fu painte COVEITISE: COUVOITISE. C'est cele qui les gens atise 170 De prendre et de noient donner, Et les grans avoirs aüner. C'est cele qui fait à usure Prester mains por la grant ardure D'avoir conquerre et assembler. C'est cele qui semont d'embler Les larrons et les ribaudiaus; Si est grans pechiés et grans diaus Qu'en la fin en estuet mains pendre. C'est cele qui fait l'autrui prendre, 180 Rober, tolir et bareter, Et bescochier et mesconter; C'est cele qui les trichéors Fait tous et les faus pledéors, Qui maintes fois par lor faveles Ont as valés et as puceles Lor droites herites toluës. Recorbillies et croçües Avoit les mains icele ymage; Ce fu drois: car toz jors esrage 190 Coveitise de l'autrui prendre.

<< To grypen other folkes good. Coveityse, for hir winning, 205 Ful leef hath other mennes thing. Another image set saugh I AVARICE. Next Coveityse faste by, And she was cleped AVARICE. Ful foul in peynting was that vice; 210 Ful sad and caytif was she eek, And al-so grene as any leek. So yvel hewed was hir colour, Hir semed have lived in langour. She was lyk thing for hungre deed, 215 That ladde hir lyf only by breed Kneden with eisel strong and egre; And therto she was lene and megre. And she was clad ful povrely, Al in an old torn courtepy, 220 As she were al with dogges torn; And bothe bihinde and eek biforn Clouted was she beggarly. A mantel heng hir faste by, Upon a perche, weyke and smalle; 225 A burnet cote heng therwithalle, Furred with no menivere,

>> Coveitise ne set entendre A riens qu'à l'autrui acrochier; Coveitise à l'autrui trop chier. Une autre ymage y ot assise AVARICE. Coste à coste de Coveitise, AVARICE estoit apelée: Lede estoit et sale et foulée Cele ymage, et megre et chetive, Et aussi vert cum une cive. 200 Tant par estoit descolorée Qu'el sembloit estre enlangorée; Chose sembloit morte de fain, Qui ne vesquit fors que de pain Petri à lessu fort et aigre; Et avec ce qu'ele iere maigre, Iert-ele povrement vestuë, Cote avoit viés et desrumpuë, Comme s'el fust as chiens remese; Povre iert moult la cote et esrese, 210 Et plaine de viés palestiaus. Delez li pendoit ung mantiaus A une perche moult greslete, Et une cote de brunete; Où mantiau n'ot pas penne vaire,

<< But with a furre rough of here, Of lambe-skinnes hevy and blake; It was ful old, I undertake. 230 For Avarice to clothe hir wel Ne hasteth hir, never a del; For certeynly it were hir loth To weren ofte that ilke cloth; And if it were forwered, she 235 Wolde have ful greet necessitee Of clothing, er she boughte hir newe, Al were it bad of wolle and hewe. This Avarice held in hir hande A purs, that heng [doun] by a bande; 240 And that she hidde and bond so stronge, Men must abyde wonder longe Out of that purs er ther come ought, For that ne cometh not in hir thought; It was not, certein, hir entente 245 That fro that purs a peny wente. And by that image, nygh y-nough, ENVYE. Was peynt ENVYE, that never lough, Nor never wel in herte ferde But-if she outher saugh or herde 250

>> Mes moult viés et de povre afaire, D'agniaus noirs velus et pesans. Bien avoit la robe vingt ans; Mès Avarice du vestir Se sot moult à tart aatir: 220 Car sachiés que moult li pesast Se cele robe point usast; Car s'el fust usée et mauvese, Avarice éust grant mesese De noeve robe et grant disete, Avant qu'ele éust autre fete. Avarice en sa main tenoit Une borse qu'el reponnoit, Et la nooit si durement, Que demorast moult longuement 230 Ainçois qu'el en péust riens traire, Mès el n'avoit de ce que faire. El n'aloit pas à ce béant Que de la borse ostat néant. Après refu portrete ENVIE, ENVIE. Qui ne rist oncques en sa vie, N'oncques de riens ne s'esjoï, S'ele ne vit, ou s'el n'oï

<< Som greet mischaunce, or greet disese. No-thing may so moch hir plese As mischef and misaventure; Or whan she seeth discomfiture Upon any worthy man falle, 255 Than lyketh hir [ful] wel withalle. She is ful glad in hir corage, If she see any greet linage Be brought to nought in shamful wyse. And if a man in honour ryse, 260 Or by his witte, or by prowesse, Of that hath she gret hevinesse; For, trusteth wel, she goth nigh wood Whan any chaunce happeth good. Envye is of swich crueltee, 265 That feith ne trouthe holdeth she To freend ne felawe, bad or good. Ne she hath kin noon of hir blood, That she nis ful hir enemy; She nolde, I dar seyn hardely, 270 Hir owne fader ferde wel. And sore abyeth she everydel Hir malice, and hir maltalent:

>> Aucun grant domage retrere. Nule riens ne li puet tant plere 240 Cum mefet et mesaventure; Quant el voit grant desconfiture Sor aucun prodomme chéoir, Ice li plest moult à véoir. Ele est trop lie en son corage Quant el voit aucun grant lignage Dechéoir et aler à honte; Et quant aucuns à honor monte Par son sens ou par sa proéce, C'est la chose qui plus la bléce. 250 Car sachiés que moult la convient Estre irée quant biens avient. Envie est de tel cruauté, Qu'ele ne porte léauté A compaignon, ne à compaigne; N'ele n'a parent, tant li tiengne, A cui el ne soit anemie: Car certes el ne vorroit mie Que biens venist, neis à son pere. Mès bien sachiés qu'ele compere 260 Sa malice trop ledement:

<< For she is in so greet turment And hath such [wo], whan folk doth good, 275 That nigh she melteth for pure wood; Hir herte kerveth and to-breketh That god the peple wel awreketh. Envye, y-wis, shal never lette Som blame upon the folk to sette. 280 I trowe that if Envye, y-wis, Knewe the beste man that is On this syde or biyond the see, Yit somwhat lakken him wolde she. And if he were so hende and wys, 285 That she ne mighte al abate his prys, Yit wolde she blame his worthinesse, Or by hir wordes make it lesse. I saugh Envye, in that peynting, Hadde a wonderful loking; 290 For she ne loked but awry, Or overthwart, al baggingly. And she hadde [eek] a foul usage; She mighte loke in no visage Of man or womman forth-right pleyn, 295 But shette oon yë for disdeyn;

>> Car ele est en si grant torment, Et a tel duel quant gens bien font, Par ung petit qu'ele ne font. Ses felons cuers l'art et detrenche, Qui de li Diex et la gent venche. Envie ne fine nule hore D'aucun blasme as gens metre sore; Je cuit que s'ele cognoissoit Tot le plus prodome qui soit 270 Ne deçà mer, ne delà mer, Si le vorroit-ele blasmer; Et s'il iere si bien apris Qu'el ne péust de tot son pris Rien abatre ne deprisier, Si vorroit-ele apetisier Sa proéce au mains, et s'onor Par parole faire menor. Lors vi qu'Envie en la painture Avoit trop lede esgardéure; 280 Ele ne regardast noient Fors de travers en borgnoiant; Ele avoit ung mauvès usage, Qu'ele ne pooit où visage Regarder reins de plain en plaing, Ains clooit ung oel par desdaing,

<< So for envye brenned she Whan she mighte any man [y]-see, That fair, or worthy were, or wys, Or elles stood in folkes prys. 300 SOROWE was peynted next Envye SOROWE. Upon that walle of masonrye. But wel was seen in hir colour That she hadde lived in langour; Hir semed have the Iaunyce. 305 Nought half so pale was Avaryce, Nor no-thing lyk, [as] of lenesse; For sorowe, thought, and greet distresse, That she hadde suffred day and night Made hir ful yelwe, and no-thing bright, 310 Ful fade, pale, and megre also. Was never wight yit half so wo As that hir semed for to be, Nor so fulfilled of ire as she. I trowe that no wight mighte hir plese, 315 Nor do that thing that mighte hir ese; Nor she ne wolde hir sorowe slake, Nor comfort noon unto hir take;

>> Qu'ele fondoit d'ire et ardoit, Quant aucuns qu'ele regardoit, Estoit ou preus, ou biaus, ou gens, Ou amés, ou loés de gens. 290 Delez Envie auques près iere TRISTESSE. TRISTECE painte en la maisiere; Mès bien paroit à sa color Qu'ele avoit au cuer grant dolor, Et sembloit avoir la jaunice. Si n'i feïst riens Avarice Ne de paleur, ne de mégrece, Car li soucis et la destrece, Et la pesance et les ennuis Qu'el soffroit de jors et de nuis, 300 L'avoient moult fete jaunir, Et megre et pale devenir. Oncques mès nus en tel martire Ne fu, ne n'ot ausinc grant ire Cum il sembloit que ele éust: Je cuit que nus ne li séust Faire riens qui li péust plaire: N'el ne se vosist pas retraire, Ne réconforter à nul fuer Du duel qu'ele avoit à son cuer. 310

<< So depe was hir wo bigonnen, And eek hir herte in angre ronnen, 320 A sorowful thing wel semed she. Nor she hadde no-thing slowe be For to forcracchen al hir face, And for to rende in many place Hir clothes, and for to tere hir swire, 325 As she that was fulfilled of ire; And al to-torn lay eek hir here Aboute hir shuldres, here and there, As she that hadde it al to-rent For angre and for maltalent. 330 And eek I telle you certeynly How that she weep ful tenderly. In world nis wight so hard of herte That hadde seen hir sorowes smerte, That nolde have had of hir pitee, 335 So wo-bigoon a thing was she. She al to-dasshte hir-self for wo, And smoot togider her handes two. To sorwe was she ful ententyf, That woful recchelees caityf; 340 Hir roughte litel of pleying, Or of clipping or [of] kissing; For who-so sorweful is in herte

>> Trop avoit son cuer correcié, Et son duel parfont commencié. Moult sembloit bien qu'el fust dolente, Qu'ele n'avoit mie esté lente D'esgratiner tote sa chiere; N'ele n'avoit pas sa robe chiere, Ains l'ot en mains leus descirée Cum cele qui moult iert irée. Si cheveul tuit destrecié furent, Et espandu par son col jurent, 320 Que les avoit trestous desrous De maltalent et de corrous. Et sachiés bien veritelment Qu'ele ploroit profondément: Nus, tant fust durs, ne la véist, A cui grant pitié n'en préist, Qu'el se desrompoit et batoit, Et ses poins ensemble hurtoit. Moult iert à duel fere ententive La dolereuse, la chetive; 330 Il ne li tenoit d'envoisier, Ne d'acoler, ne de baisier: Car cil qui a le cuer dolent,

<< Him liste not to pleye ne sterte, Nor for to daunsen, ne to singe, 345 Ne may his herte in temper bringe To make Ioye on even or morowe; For Ioye is contraire unto sorowe. ELDE was peynted after this, ELDE. That shorter was a foot, ywis, 350 Than she was wont in her yonghede. Unnethe hir-self she mighte fede; So feble and eek so old was she That faded was al hir beautee. Ful salowe was waxen hir colour, 355 Hir heed for-hoor was, whyt as flour. Y-wis, gret qualm ne were it noon, Ne sinne, although hir lyf were gon. Al woxen was hir body unwelde, And drye, and dwyned al for elde. 360 A foul forwelked thing was she That whylom round and softe had be. Hir eres shoken fast withalle, As from her heed they wolde falle. Hir face frounced and forpyned, 365 And bothe hir hondes lorn, fordwyned.

>> Sachiés de voir, il n'a talent De dancier, ne de karoler, Ne nus ne se porroit moller Qui duel éust, à joie faire, Car duel et joie sont contraire. Après fu VIELLECE portraite, VIEILLESSE. Qui estoit bien ung pié retraite 340 De tele cum el soloit estre; A paine se pooit-el pestre, Tant estoit vielle et radotée. Bien estoit si biauté gastée, Et moult ert lede devenuë. Toute sa teste estoit chenuë, Et blanche cum s'el fust florie. Ce ne fut mie grant morie S'ele morust, ne grans pechiés, Car tous ses cors estoit sechiés 350 De viellece et anoiantis: Moult estoit jà ses vis fletris, Qui jadis fut soef et plains; Mès or est tous de fronces plains, Les oreilles avoit mossues, Et trestotes les dents perdues, Si qu'ele n'en avoit neis une. Tant par estoit de grant viellune,

<< So old she was that she ne wente A foot, but it were by potente. The TYME, that passeth night and day, TIME. And restelees travayleth ay, 370 And steleth from us so prively, That to us seemeth sikerly That it in oon point dwelleth ever, And certes, it ne resteth never, But goth so faste, and passeth ay, 375 That ther nis man that thinke may What tyme that now present is: Asketh at these clerkes this; For [er] men thinke it redily, Three tymes been y-passed by. 380 The tyme, that may not soiourne, But goth, and never may retourne, As water that doun renneth ay, But never drope retourne may; Ther may no-thing as tyme endure, 385 Metal, nor erthely creature; For alle thing it fret and shal: The tyme eek, that chaungeth al, And al doth waxe and fostred be, And alle thing distroyeth he: 390

>> Qu'el n'alast mie la montance De quatre toises sans potance. 360 Li tens qui s'en va nuit et jor, Sans repos prendre et sans sejor, Et qui de nous se part et emble Si celéement, qu'il nous semble Qu'il s'arreste adés en ung point, Et il ne s'i arreste point, Ains ne fine de trepasser, Que nus ne puet néis penser Quex tens ce est qui est présens; Sel' demandés as clers lisans, 370 Ainçois que l'en l'éust pensé, Seroit-il jà trois tens passé. Li tens qui ne puet sejourner, Ains vait tous jors sans retorner, Cum l'iaue qui s'avale toute, N'il n'en retorne arriere goute: Li tens vers qui noient ne dure, Ne fer ne chose tant soit dure, Car il gaste tout et menjue; Li tens qui tote chose mue, 380 Qui tout fait croistre et tout norist, Et qui tout use et tout porrist;

<< The tyme, that eldeth our auncessours And eldeth kinges and emperours, And that us alle shal overcomen Er that deeth us shal have nomen: The tyme, that hath al in welde 395 To elden folk, had maad hir elde So inly, that, to my witing, She mighte helpe hir-self no-thing, But turned ageyn unto childhede; She had no-thing hir-self to lede, 400 Ne wit ne pith in[with] hir holde More than a child of two yeer olde. But natheles, I trowe that she Was fair sumtyme, and fresh to see, Whan she was in hir rightful age: 405 But she was past al that passage And was a doted thing bicomen. A furred cope on had she nomen; Wel had she clad hir-self and warm, For cold mighte elles doon hir harm. 410 These olde folk have alwey colde, Hir kinde is swiche, whan they ben olde. Another thing was doon ther write, POPE-HOLY. That semede lyk an ipocrite,

>> Li tens qui enviellist nos peres, Et viellist roys et emperieres, Et qui tous nous enviellira, Ou mort nous desavancera; Li tens qui toute a la baillie Des gens viellir, l'avoit viellie Si durement, qu'au mien cuidier El ne se pooit mès aidier, 390 Ains retornoit jà en enfance, Car certes el n'avoit poissance, Ce cuit-je, ne force, ne sens Ne plus c'un enfés de deus ans. Ne porquant, au mien escient, Ele avoit esté sage et gent, Quant ele iert en son droit aage; Mais ge cuit qu'el n'iere mès sage, Ains iert trestote rassotée. Si ot d'une chape forrée 400 Moult bien, si cum je me recors, Abrié et vestu son corps: Bien fu vestue et chaudement, Car el éust froit autrement. Les vielles gens ont tost froidure; Bien savés que c'est lor nature. Une ymage ot emprès escrite, PAPELARDIE. Qui sembloit bien estre ypocrite;

<< And it was cleped POPE-HOLY. 415 That ilke is she that prively Ne spareth never a wikked dede, Whan men of hir taken non hede; And maketh hir outward precious, With pale visage and pitous, 420 And semeth a simple creature; But ther nis no misaventure That she ne thenketh in hir corage. Ful lyk to hir was that image, That maked was lyk hir semblaunce. 425 She was ful simple of countenaunce, And she was clothed and eek shod, As she were, for the love of god, Yolden to religioun, Swich semed hir devocioun. 430 A sauter held she faste in honde, And bisily she gan to fonde To make many a feynt prayere To god, and to his seyntes dere. Ne she was gay, fresh, ne Iolyf, 435 But semed be ful ententyf To gode werkes, and to faire, And therto she had on an haire. Ne certes, she was fat no-thing,

>> PAPELARDIE ert apelée. C'est cele qui en recelée, 410 Quant nus ne s'en puet prendre garde, De nul mal faire ne se tarde. El fait dehors le marmiteus, Si a le vis simple et piteus, Et semble sainte créature; Mais sous ciel n'a male aventure Qu'ele ne pense en son corage. Moult la ressembloit bien l'ymage Qui faite fu à sa semblance, Qu'el fu de simple contenance; 420 Et si fu chaucie et vestue Tout ainsinc cum fame rendue. En sa main ung sautier tenoit, Et sachiés que moult se penoit De faire à Dieu prieres faintes, Et d'appeler et sains et saintes. El ne fu gaie, ne jolive, Ains fu par semblant ententive Du tout à bonnes ovres faire; Et si avoit vestu la haire. 430 Et sachiés que n'iere pas grasse,

<< But semed wery for fasting; 440 Of colour pale and deed was she. From hir the gate [shal] werned be Of paradys, that blisful place; For swich folk maketh lene hir face, As Crist seith in his evangyle, 445 To gete hem prys in toun a whyle; And for a litel glorie veine They lesen god and eek his reine. And alderlast of everichoon, POVERT. Was peynted POVERT al aloon, 450 That not a peny hadde in wolde, Al-though [that] she hir clothes solde, And though she shulde anhonged be; For naked as a worm was she. And if the weder stormy were, 455 For colde she shulde have deyed there. She nadde on but a streit old sak, And many a clout on it ther stak; This was hir cote and hir mantel, No more was there, never a del, 460 To clothe her with; I undertake, Gret leyser hadde she to quake.

>> De jeuner sembloit estre lasse, S'avoit la color pale et morte. A li et as siens ert la porte Dévéée de Paradis; Car icel gent si font lor vis Amegrir, ce dit l'Evangile, Por avoir loz parmi la ville, Et por un poi de gloire vaine Qui lor toldra Dieu et son raine. 440 Portraite fu au darrenier POVRETÉ. POVRETÉ, qui ung seul denier N'éust pas, s'el se déust pendre, Tant séust bien sa robe vendre; Qu'ele iere nuë comme vers: Se li tens fust ung poi divers, Je cuit qu'ele acorast de froit, Qu'el n'avoit c'ung vié sac estroit Tout plain de mavès palestiaus; Ce iert sa robe et ses mantiaus. 450 El n'avoit plus que afubler, Grant loisir avoit de trembler.

<< And she was put, that I of talke, Fer fro these other, up in an halke; There lurked and there coured she, 465 For povre thing, wher-so it be, Is shamfast, and despysed ay. Acursed may wel be that day, That povre man conceyved is; For god wot, al to selde, y-wis, 470 Is any povre man wel fed, Or wel arayed or y-cled, Or wel biloved, in swich wyse In honour that he may aryse. Alle these thinges, wel avysed, 475 As I have you er this devysed, With gold and asure over alle Depeynted were upon the walle. Squar was the wal, and high somdel; Enclosed, and y-barred wel, 480 In stede of hegge, was that gardin; Com never shepherde therin. Into that gardyn, wel [y-]wrought, Who-so that me coude have brought, By laddre, or elles by degree, 485 It wolde wel have lyked me.

>> Des autres fu un poi loignet; Cum chien honteus en ung coignet Se cropoit et s'atapissoit, Car povre chose, où qu'ele soit, Est adès boutée et despite. L'eure soit ore la maudite, Que povres homs fu concéus! Qu'il ne sera jà bien péus, 460 Ne bien vestus, ne bien chauciés, Néis amés, ne essauciés. Ces ymages bien avisé, Qui, si comme j'ai devisé, Furent à or et à asur De toutes pars paintes où mur. Haut fu li mur et tous quarrés, Si en fu bien clos et barrés, En leu de haies, uns vergiers, Où onc n'avoit entré bergiers. 470 Cis vergiers en trop bel leu sist: Qui dedens mener me vousist Ou par échiele ou par degré, Je l'en séusse moult bon gré;

<< For swich solace, swich Ioye, and play, I trowe that never man ne say, As in that place delitous. The gardin was not daungerous 490 To herberwe briddes many oon. So riche a yerd was never noon Of briddes songe, and braunches grene. Therin were briddes mo, I wene, Than been in alle the rewme of Fraunce. 495 Ful blisful was the accordaunce Of swete and pitous songe they made, For al this world it oughte glade. And I my-self so mery ferde, Whan I hir blisful songes herde, 500 That for an hundred pound nolde I,-- If that the passage openly Hadde been unto me free-- That I nolde entren for to see Thassemblee, god [it kepe and were!]-- 505 Of briddes, whiche therinne were, That songen, through hir mery throtes, Daunces of love, and mery notes. Whan I thus herde foules singe, I fel faste in a weymentinge, 510

>> Car tel joie ne tel déduit Ne vit nus hons, si cum ge cuit, Cum il avoit en ce vergier: Car li leus d'oisiaus herbergier N'estoit ne dangereux ne chiches. Onc mès ne fu nus leus si riches 480 D'arbres, ne d'oisillons chantans: Qu'il i avoit d'oisiaus trois tans Qu'en tout le remanant de France. Moult estoit bele l'acordance De lor piteus chant à oïr: Tous li mons s'en dust esjoïr. Je endroit moi m'en esjoï Si durement, quant les oï, Que n'en préisse pas cent livres, Se li passages fust delivres, 490 Que ge n'entrasse ens et véisse L'assemblée (que Diex garisse!) Des oisiaus qui léens estoient, Qui envoisiement chantoient Les dances d'amors et les notes Plesans, cortoises et mignotes. Quant j'oï les oisiaus chanter, Forment me pris à dementer

<< By which art, or by what engyn I mighte come in that gardyn; But way I couthe finde noon Into that gardin for to goon. Ne nought wiste I if that ther were 515 Eyther hole or place [o]-where, By which I mighte have entree; Ne ther was noon to teche me; For I was al aloon, y-wis, Ful wo and anguissous of this. 520 Til atte laste bithoughte I me, That by no weye ne mighte it be; That ther nas laddre or wey to passe, Or hole, into so fair a place. Tho gan I go a ful gret pas 525 Envyroning even in compas The closing of the square wal, Til that I fond a wiket smal So shet, that I ne mighte in goon, And other entree was ther noon. 530 Upon this dore I gan to smyte, THE DOOR. That was [so] fetys and so lyte; For other wey coude I not seke. Ful long I shoof, and knokked eke,

>> Par quel art ne par quel engin Je porroie entrer où jardin; 500 Mès ge ne poi onques trouver Leu par où g'i péusse entrer. Et sachiés que ge ne savoie S'il i avoït partuis ne voie, Ne leu par où l'en i entrast, Ne hons nés qui le me monstrast N'iert illec, que g'iere tot seus, Moult destroit et moult angoisseus; Tant qu'au darrenier me sovint C'oncques à nul jor ce n'avint 510 Qu'en si biau vergier n'éust huis, Ou eschiele ou aucun partuis. Lors m'en alai grant aléure Açaignant la compasséure Et la cloison du mur quarré, Tant que ung guichet bien barré Trovai petitet et estroit; Par autre leu l'en n'i entroit. A l'uis commençai à ferir, Autre entrée n'i soi querir. 520 Assez i feri et boutai, Et par maintes fois escoutai

<< And stood ful long and of[t] herkning 535 If that I herde a wight coming; Til that the dore of thilke entree A mayden curteys opened me. YDELNESSE. Hir heer was as yelowe of hewe As any basin scoured newe. 540 Hir flesh [as] tendre as is a chike, With bente browes, smothe and slike; And by mesure large were The opening of hir yën clere. Hir nose of good proporcioun, 545 Hir yën greye as a faucoun, With swete breeth and wel savoured. Hir face whyt and wel coloured, With litel mouth, and round to see; A clove chin eek hadde she. 550 Hir nekke was of good fasoun In lengthe and gretnesse, by resoun, Withoute bleyne, scabbe, or royne. Fro Ierusalem unto Burgoyne Ther nis a fairer nekke, y-wis, 555 To fele how smothe and softe it is. Hir throte, al-so whyt of hewe As snow on braunche snowed newe.

>> Se j'orroie venir nulle arme. Le guichet, qui estoit de charme, M'ovrit une noble pucele Qui moult estoit et gente et bele. Cheveus ot blons cum uns bacins, La char plus tendre qu'uns pocins, Front reluisant, sorcis votis. Son entr'oil ne fu pas petis, 530 Ains iert assez grans par mesure; Le nés ot bien fait à droiture, Les yex ot plus vairs c'uns faucons, Por faire envie à ces bricons. Douce alene ot et savorée, La face blanche et colorée, La bouche petite et grocete, S'ot où menton une fossete. Le col fu de bonne moison, Gros assez et lons par raison, 540 Si n'i ot bube ne malen. N'avoit jusqu'en Jherusalen Fame qui plus biau col portast, Polis iert et soef au tast. La gorgete ot autresi blanche Cum est la noif desus la branche

<< Of body ful wel wrought was she Men neded not, in no cuntree, 560 A fairer body for to seke. And of fyn orfrays had she eke A chapelet: so semly oon Ne wered never mayde upon;.... And faire above that chapelet 565 A rose gerland had she set. She hadde [in honde] a gay mirour, And with a riche gold tressour Hir heed was tressed queyntely; Hir sleves sewed fetisly. 570 And for to kepe hir hondes faire Of gloves whyte she hadde a paire. And she hadde on a cote of grene Of cloth of Gaunt; withouten wene, Wel semed by hir apparayle 575 She was not wont to greet travayle. For whan she kempt was fetisly, And wel arayed and richely, Thanne had she doon al hir Iournee; For mery and wel bigoon was she. 580

>> Quant il a freschement negié. Le cors ot bien fait et dougié, L'en ne séust en nule terre Nul plus bel cors de fame querre. 550 D'orfrois ot un chapel mignot; Onques nule pucele n'ot Plus cointe ne plus desguisié, Ne l'aroie adroit devisié En trestous les jors de ma vie. Robe avoit moult bien entaillie; Ung chapel de roses tout frais Ot dessus le chapel d'orfrais: En sa main tint ung miroër, Si ot d'ung riche treçoër 560 Son chief trecié moult richement, Bien et bel et estroitement Ot ambdeus cousues ses manches; Et por garder que ses mains blanches Ne halaissent, ot uns blans gans. Cote ot d'ung riche vert de gans, Cousue à lignel tout entour. Il paroit bien à son atour Qu'ele iere poi embesoignie. Quant ele s'iere bien pignie, 570 Et bien parée et atornée, Ele avoit faite sa jornée.

<< She ladde a lusty lyf in May, She hadde no thought, by night ne day, Of no-thing, but it were oonly To graythe hit wel and uncouthly. Whan that this dore hadde opened me 585 This mayden, semely for to see, I thanked hir as I best mighte, And axede hir how that she highte, And what she was, I axede eke. And she to me was nought unmeke, 590 Ne of hir answer daungerous, But faire answerde, and seide thus:-- Lo, sir, my name is YDELNESSE; So clepe men me, more and lesse. Ful mighty and ful riche am I, 595 And that of oon thing, namely; For I entende to no-thing But to my Ioye, and my pleying, And for to kembe and tresse me. Aqueynted am I, and privee 600 With Mirthe, lord of this gardyn, That fro the lande of Alexandryn Made the trees be hider fet, That in this gardin been y-set.

>> Moult avoit bon tems et bon May, Qu'el n'avoït soussi ne esmay De nule riens, fors solement De soi atorner noblement. Quant ainsinc m'ot l'uis deffermé La pucele au cors acesmé, Je l'en merciai doucement, Et si li demandai comment 580 Ele avoit non, et qui ele iere. Ele ne fu pas envers moi fiere, Ne de respondre desdaigneuse: Je me fais apeler Oiseuse,' Dist-ele, 'à tous mes congnoissans; Si sui riche fame et poissans. S'ai d'une chose moult bon tens, Car à nule riens je ne pens Qu'à moi joer et solacier, Et mon chief pignier et trecier: 590 Quant sui pignée et atornée, Adonc est fete ma jornée. Privée sui moult et acointe De Déduit le mignot, le cointe; C'est cil cui est cest biax jardins, Qui de la terre as Sarradins Fist çà ces arbres aporter, Qu'il fist par ce vergier planter.

<< And whan the trees were woxen on highte, 605 This wal, that slant here in thy sighte, Dide Mirthe enclosen al aboute; And these images, al withoute, He dide hem bothe entaile and peynte, That neither ben Iolyf ne queynte, 610 But they ben ful of sorowe and wo, As thou hast seen a whyle ago. 'And ofte tyme, him to solace, Sir Mirthe cometh into this place, And eek with him cometh his meynee, 615 That liven in lust and Iolitee. And now is Mirthe therin, to here The briddes, how they singen clere, The mavis and the nightingale, And other Ioly briddes smale. 620 And thus he walketh to solace Him and his folk; for swetter place To pleyen in he may not finde, Although he soughte oon in-til Inde. The alther-fairest folk to see 625 That in this world may founde be Hath Mirthe with him in his route, That folowen him alwayes aboute.'

>> Quant li arbres furent créu, Le mur que vous avez véu, 600 Fist lors Deduit tout entor faire, Et si fist au dehors portraire Les ymages qui i sunt paintes, Que ne sunt mignotes ne cointes; Ains sunt dolereuses et tristes, Si cum vous orendroit véistes. Maintes fois por esbanoier Se vient en cest leu umbroier Déduit et les gens qui le sivent, Qui en joie et en solas vivent. 610 Encores est léens, sans doute, Déduit orendroit qui escoute A chanter gais rossignolés, Mauvis et autres oiselés. Il s'esbat iluec et solace O ses gens, car plus bele place Ne plus biau leu por soi joer Ne porroit-il mie trover; Les plus beles gens, ce sachiés, Que vous jamès nul leu truissiés, 620 Si sunt li compaignon Déduit Qu'il maine avec li et conduit.'

<< When Ydelnesse had told al this, And I hadde herkned wel, y-wis, 630 Than seide I to dame Ydelnesse, Now al-so wisly god me blesse, Sith Mirthe, that is so fair and free, Is in this yerde with his meynee, Fro thilke assemblee, if I may, 635 Shal no man werne me to-day, That I this night ne mote it see. For, wel wene I, ther with him be A fair and Ioly companye Fulfilled of alle curtesye.' 640 And forth, withoute wordes mo, In at the wiket wente I tho, That Ydelnesse hadde opened me, Into that gardin fair to see. And whan I was [ther]in, y-wis, 645 Myn herte was ful glad of this. THE GARDEN. For wel wende I ful sikerly Have been in paradys erth[e]ly; So fair it was, that, trusteth wel, It semed a place espirituel. 650 For certes, as at my devys, Ther is no place in paradys So good in for to dwelle or be As in that GARDIN, thoughte me;

>> Quant Oiseuse m'ot ce conté, Et j'oi moult bien tout escouté, Je li dis lores: 'Dame Oiseuse, Jà de ce ne soyés douteuse, Puis que Déduit li biaus, li gens Est orendroit avec ses gens En cest vergier, ceste assemblée Ne m'iert pas, se je puis, emblée, 630 Que ne la voie encore ennuit; Véoir la m'estuet, car ge cuit Que bele est cele compaignie, Et cortoise et bien enseignie.' Lors m'en entrai, ne dis puis mot, Par l'uis que Oiseuse overt m'ot, Où vergier; et quant je fui ens Je fui liés et baus et joiens. Et sachiés que je cuidai estre Por voir en Paradis terrestre, 640 Tant estoit li leu delitables, Qu'il sembloit estre esperitables: Car si cum il m'iert lors avis, Ne féist en nul Paradis Si bon estre, cum il faisoit Où vergier qui tant me plaisoit.

<< For there was many a brid singing, 655 Throughout the yerde al thringing. In many places were nightingales, Alpes, finches, and wodewales, That in her swete song delyten In thilke place as they habyten. 660 Ther mighte men see many flokkes Of turtles and [of] laverokkes. Chalaundres fele saw I there, That wery, nigh forsongen were. And thrustles, terins, and mavys, 665 That songen for to winne hem prys, And eek to sormounte in hir song These other briddes hem among. By note made fair servyse These briddes, that I you devyse; 670 They songe hir song as faire and wel As angels doon espirituel. And, trusteth wel, whan I hem herde, Full lustily and wel I ferde; For never yit swich melodye 675 Was herd of man that mighte dye.

>> D'oisiaus chantans avoit assés Par tout le vergier amassés; En ung leu avoit rossigniaus, En l'autre gais et estorniaus; 650 Si r'avoit aillors grans escoles De roietiaus et torteroles, De chardonnereaus, d'arondeles, D'aloes et de lardereles; Calendres i ot amassées En ung autre leu, qui lassées De chanter furent à envis: Melles y avoit et mauvis Qui baoient à sormonter Ces autres oisiaus par chanter. 660 Il r'avoit aillors papegaus, Et mains oisiaus qui par ces gaus Et par ces bois où il habitent, En lor biau chanter se délitent. Trop parfesoient bel servise Cil oisel que je vous devise; Il chantoient ung chant itel Cum s'il fussent esperitel. De voir sachiés, quant les oï, Moult durement m'en esjoï: 670 Que mès si douce mélodie Ne fu d'omme mortel oïe.

<< Swich swete song was hem among, That me thoughte it no briddes song, But it was wonder lyk to be Song of mermaydens of the see; 680 That, for her singing is so clere, Though we mermaydens clepe hem here In English, as in our usaunce, Men clepen hem sereyns in Fraunce. Ententif weren for to singe 685 These briddes, that nought unkunninge Were of hir craft, and apprentys, But of [hir] song sotyl and wys. And certes, whan I herde hir song, And saw the grene place among, 690 In herte I wex so wonder gay, That I was never erst, er that day, So Iolyf, nor so wel bigo, Ne mery in herte, as I was tho. And than wiste I, and saw ful wel, 695 That Ydelnesse me served wel, That me putte in swich Iolitee. Hir freend wel oughte I for to be, Sith she the dore of that gardyn Hadde opened, and me leten in. 700

>> Tant estoit cil chans dous et biaus, Qu'il ne sombloit pas chans d'oisiaus, Ains le péust l'en aesmer A chant de seraines de mer, Qui par lor vois, qu'eles ont saines Et series, ont non seraines. A chanter furent ententis Li oisillon qui aprenti 680 Ne furent pas ne non sachant; Et sachiés quant j'oï lor chant, Et je vi le leu verdaier, Je me pris moult à esgaier; Que n'avoie encor esté onques Si jolif cum je fui adonques; Por la grant délitableté Fui plains de grant jolieté. Et lores soi-je bien et vi Que Oiseuse m'ot bien servi, 690 Qui m'avoit en tel déduit mis: Bien déusse estre ses amis, Quant ele m'avoit deffermé Le guichet du vergier ramé.

<< From hennesforth how that I wroughte, I shal you tellen, as me thoughte. First, whereof Mirthe served there, And eek what folk ther with him were, Withoute fable I wol descryve. 705 And of that gardin eek as blyve I wol you tellen after this. The faire fasoun al, y-wis, That wel [y-]wrought was for the nones, I may not telle you al at ones: 710 But as I may and can, I shal By ordre tellen you it al. Ful fair servyse and eek ful swete These briddes maden as they sete. Layes of love, ful wel sowning 715 They songen in hir Iargoning; Summe highe and summe eek lowe songe Upon the braunches grene y-spronge. The sweetnesse of hir melodye Made al myn herte in reverdye. 720 And whan that I hadde herd, I trowe, These briddes singing on a rowe, Than mighte I not withholde me That I ne wente in for to see

>> Dès ore si cum je sauré, Vous conterai comment j'ovré. Primes de quoi Déduit servoit, Et quel compaignie il avoit Sans longue fable vous veil dire, Et du vergier tretout à tire 700 La façon vous redirai puis. Tout ensemble dire ne puis, Mès tout vous conteré par ordre, Que l'en n'i sache que remordre. Grant servise et dous et plaisant Aloient cil oisel faisant; Lais d'amors et sonnés cortois Chantoit chascun en son patois, Li uns en haut, li autre en bas; De lor chant n'estoit mie gas. 710 La douçor et la mélodie Me mist où cuer grant reverdie; Mès quant j'oi escouté ung poi Les oisiaus, tenir ne me poi Que dant Déduit véoir n'alasse; Car à savoir moult desirasse

<< Sir Mirthe; for my desiring 725 Was him to seen, over alle thing, His countenaunce and his manere: That sighte was to me ful dere. Tho wente I forth on my right hond Doun by a litel path I fond 730 Of mentes ful, and fenel grene; And faste by, withoute wene, SIR MIRTHE I fond; and right anoon SIR MIRTHE. Unto sir Mirthe gan I goon, Ther-as he was, him to solace. 735 And with him, in that lusty place, So fair folk and so fresh hadde he, That whan I saw, I wondred me Fro whennes swich folk mighte come, So faire they weren, alle and some; 740 For they were lyk, as to my sighte, To angels, that ben fethered brighte. This folk, of which I telle you so, Upon a carole wenten tho. A lady caroled hem, that highte 745 GLADNES, [the] blisful and the lighte; GLADNESSE. Wel coude she singe and lustily, Non half so wel and semely, And make in song swich refreininge, It sat hir wonder wel to singe. 750

>> Son contenement et son estre. Lors m'en alai tout droit à destre, Par une petitete sente Plaine de fenoil et de mente; 720 Mès auques près trové Déduit, Car maintenant en ung réduit M'en entré où Déduit estoit. Déduit ilueques s'esbatoit; S'avoit si bele gent o soi, Que quant je les vi, je ne soi Dont si tres beles gens pooient Estre venu; car il sembloient Tout por voir anges empennés, Si beles gens ne vit homs nés. 730 Ceste gent dont je vous parole, S'estoient pris à la carole, Et une dame lor chantoit, Qui Léesce apelée estoit: Bien sot chanter et plesamment, Ne nule plus avenaument, Ne plus bel ses refrains ne fist, A chanter merveilles li sist;

<< Hir vois ful cleer was and ful swete. She was nought rude ne unmete, But couthe y-now of swich doing As longeth unto caroling: For she was wont in every place 755 To singen first, folk to solace; For singing most she gaf hir to; No craft had she so leef to do. Tho mightest thou caroles seen, And folk [ther] daunce and mery been, 760 And make many a fair tourning Upon the grene gras springing. Ther mightest thou see these floutours, Minstrales, and eek Iogelours, That wel to singe dide hir peyne. 765 Somme songe songes of Loreyne; For in Loreyne hir notes be Ful swetter than in this contree. Ther was many a timbestere, And saylours, that I dar wel swere 770 Couthe hir craft ful parfitly. The timbres up ful sotilly They caste, and henten [hem] ful ofte Upon a finger faire and softe,

>> Qu'ele avoit la vois clere et saine; Et si n'estoit mie vilaine; 740 Ains se savoit bien desbrisier, Ferir du pié et renvoisier. Ele estoit adès coustumiere De chanter en tous leus premiere: Car chanter estoit li mestiers Qu'ele faisoit plus volentiers. Lors véissiés carole aler, Et gens mignotement baler, Et faire mainte bele tresche, Et maint biau tor sor l'erbe fresche. 750 Là véissiés fléutéors, Menesterez et jougléors; Si chantent li uns rotruenges, Li autres notes Loherenges, Por ce qu'en set en Loheregne Plus cointes notes qu'en nul regne. Assez i ot tableterresses Ilec entor, et tymberresses Qui moult savoient bien joer, Et ne finoient de ruer 760 Le tymbre en haut, si recuilloient Sor ung doi, c'onques n'i failloient.

<< That they [ne] fayled never-mo. 775 Ful fetis damiselles two, Right yonge, and fulle of semlihede, In kirtles, and non other wede, And faire tressed every tresse, Hadde Mirthe doon, for his noblesse, 780 Amidde the carole for to daunce; But her-of lyth no remembraunce, How that they daunced queyntely. That oon wolde come al prively Agayn that other: and whan they were 785 Togidre almost, they threwe y-fere Hir mouthes so, that through hir play It semed as they kiste alway; To dauncen wel coude they the gyse; What shulde I more to you devyse? 790 Ne bede I never thennes go, Whyles that I saw hem daunce so. Upon the carole wonder faste, I gan biholde; til atte laste A lady gan me for to espye, 795 And she was cleped CURTESYE, CURTESYE. The worshipful, the debonaire; I pray god ever falle hir faire!

>> Deus damoiseles moult mignotes, Qui estoient en pures cotes, Et trecies à une tresce, Faisoient Déduit par noblesce Enmi la karole baler; Mès de ce ne fait à parler Comme el baloient cointement. L'une venoit tout belement 770 Contre l'autre; et quant el estoient Près à près, si s'entregetoient Les bouches, qu'il vous fust avis Que s'entrebaisassent où vis: Bien se savoient desbrisier. Ne vous en sai que devisier; Mès à nul jor ne me quéisse Remuer, tant que ge véisse Ceste gent ainsine efforcier De caroler et de dancier. 780 La karole tout en estant Regardai iluec jusqu'à tant C'une dame bien enseignie Me tresvit: ce fu Cortoisie La vaillant et la debonnaire, Que Diex deffende de contraire.

<< Ful curteisly she called me, 'What do ye there, beau sire?' quod she, 800 Come [neer], and if it lyke yow To dauncen, daunceth with us now.' And I, withoute tarying, Wente into the caroling. I was abasshed never a del, 805 But it me lykede right wel, That Curtesye me cleped so, And bad me on the daunce go. For if I hadde durst, certeyn I wolde have caroled right fayn, 810 As man that was to daunce blythe. Than gan I loken ofte sythe The shap, the bodies, and the cheres, The countenaunce and the maneres Of alle the folk that daunced there, 815 And I shal telle what they were. Ful fair was MIRTHE, ful long and high; MIRTHE. A fairer man I never sigh. As round as appel was his face, Ful rody and whyt in every place. 820 Fetys he was and wel beseye, With metely mouth and yën greye;

>> Cortoisie lors m'apela: Biaus amis, que faites-vous là?' Fait Cortoisie, 'ça venez, Et avecque nous vous prenez 790 A la karole, s'il vous plest.' Sans demorance et sans arrest A la karole me sui pris, Si n'en fui pas trop entrepris, Et sachiés que moult m'agréa Quant Cortoisie m'en pria, Et me dist que je karolasse; Car de karoler, se j'osasse, Estoie envieus et sorpris. A regarder lores me pris 800 Les cors, les façons et les chieres, Les semblances et les manieres Des gens qui ilec karoloient: Si vous dirai quex il estoient. Déduit fu biaus et lons et drois, Jamés en terre ne venrois Où vous truissiés nul plus bel homme: La face avoit cum une pomme, Vermoille et blanche tout entour, Cointes fu et de bel atour. 810

<< His nose by mesure wrought ful right; Crisp was his heer, and eek ful bright. His shuldres of a large brede, 825 And smalish in the girdilstede. He semed lyk a portreiture, So noble he was of his stature, So fair, so Ioly, and so fetys, With limes wrought at poynt devys, 830 Deliver, smert, and of gret might; Ne sawe thou never man so light. Of berde unnethe hadde he no-thing, For it was in the firste spring. Ful yong he was, and mery of thought, 835 And in samyt, with briddes wrought, And with gold beten fetisly, His body was clad ful richely. Wrought was his robe in straunge gyse, And al to-slitered for queyntyse 840 In many a place, lowe and hye. And shod he was with greet maistrye, With shoon decoped, and with laas. By druerye, and by solas, His leef a rosen chapelet 845 Had maad, and on his heed it set.

>> Les yex ot vairs, la bouche gente, Et le nez fait par grant entente; Cheveus ot blons, recercelés, Par espaules fu auques lés, Et gresles parmi la ceinture: Il resembloit une painture, Tant ere biaus et acesmés, Et de tous membres bien formés. Remuans fu, et preus, et vistes, Plus legier homme ne véistes; 820 Si n'avoit barbe, ne grenon, Se petiz peus folages non, Car il ert jones damoisiaus. D'un samit portret à oysiaus, Qui ere tout à or batus, Fu ses cors richement vestus. Moult iert sa robe desguisée, Et fu moult riche et encisée, Et décopée par cointise; Chauciés refu par grant mestrise 830 D'uns solers décopés à las; Par druerie et par solas Li ot s'amie fet chapel De roses qui moult li sist bel.

<< And wite ye who was his leef? Dame GLADNES ther was him so leef, GLADNESSE. That singeth so wel with glad corage, That from she was twelve yeer of age, 850 She of hir love graunt him made. Sir Mirthe hir by the finger hadde [In] daunsing, and she him also; Gret love was atwixe hem two. Bothe were they faire and brighte of hewe; 855 She semede lyk a rose newe Of colour, and hir flesh so tendre, That with a brere smale and slendre Men mighte it cleve, I dar wel sayn. Hir forheed, frounceles al playn. 860 Bente were hir browes two, Hir yën greye, and gladde also, That laughede ay in hir semblaunt, First or the mouth, by covenaunt. I not what of hir nose descryve; 865 So fair hath no womman alyve.... Hir heer was yelowe, and cleer shyning, I wot no lady so lyking.

>> Savés-vous qui estoit s'amie? Léesce qui nel' haoit mie, L'envoisie, la bien chantans, Qui dès lors qu'el n'ot que sept ans De s'amor li donna l'otroi; Déduit la tint parmi le doi 840 A la karole, et ele lui, Bien s'entr'amoient ambedui: Car il iert biaus, et ele bele, Bien resembloit rose novele De sa color. S'ot la char tendre, Qu'en la li péust toute fendre A une petitete ronce. Le front ot blanc, poli, sans fronce, Les sorcis bruns et enarchiés, Les yex gros et si envoisiés, 850 Qu'il rioient tousjors avant Que la bouchete par convant. Je ne vous sai du nés que dire, L'en nel' féist pas miex de cire. Ele ot la bouche petitete, Et por baisier son ami, preste; Le chief ot blons et reluisant. Que vous iroie-je disant? Bele fu et bien atornée; D'ung fil d'or ere galonnée, 860 S'ot ung chapel d'orfrois tout nuef; Je qu'en oi véu vint et nuef,

<< Of orfrays fresh was hir gerland; I, whiche seen have a thousand, 870 Saugh never, y-wis, no gerlond yit, So wel [y]-wrought of silk as it. And in an over-gilt samyt Clad she was, by gret delyt, Of which hir leef a robe werde, 875 The myrier she in herte ferde. And next hir wente, on hir other syde, CUPIDE. The god of Love, that can devyde Love, as him lyketh it [to] be. But he can cherles daunten, he, 880 And maken folkes pryde fallen. And he can wel these lordes thrallen, And ladies putte at lowe degree, Whan he may hem to proude see. This God of Love of his fasoun 885 Was lyk no knave, ne quistroun; His beautee gretly was to pryse. But of his robe to devyse I drede encombred for to be. For nought y-clad in silk was he, 890 But al in floures and flourettes, Y-painted al with amorettes;

>> A nul jor mès véu n'avoie Chapel si bien ouvré de soie. D'un samit qui ert tous dorés Fu ses cors richement parés, De quoi son ami avoit robe, Si en estoit assés plus gobe. A li se tint de l'autre part Li Diex d'Amors, cil qui départ 870 Amoretes à sa devise. C'est cil qui les amans justise, Et qui abat l'orguel des gens, Et si fait des seignors sergens, Et des dames refait bajesses, Quant il les trove trop engresses. Li Diex d'Amors, de la façon, Ne resembloit mie garçon: De beaulté fist moult à prisier, Mes de sa robe devisier 880 Criens durement qu'encombré soie. Il n'avoit pas robe de soie, Ains avoit robe de floretes, Fete par fines amoretes

<< And with losenges and scochouns, With briddes, libardes, and lyouns, And other beestes wrought ful wel. 895 His garnement was everydel Y-portreyd and y-wrought with floures, By dyvers medling of coloures. Floures ther were of many gyse Y-set by compas in assyse; 900 Ther lakked no flour, to my dome, Ne nought so muche as flour of brome, Ne violete, ne eck pervenke, Ne flour non, that man can on thenke, And many a rose-leef ful long 905 Was entermedled ther-among: And also on his heed was set Of roses rede a chapelet. But nightingales, a ful gret route, That flyen over his heed aboute, 910 The leves felden as they flyen; And he was al with briddes wryen, With popiniay, with nightingale, With chalaundre, and with wodewale, With finch, with lark, and with archaungel. 915 He semede as he were an aungel

>> A losenges, à escuciaus, A oiselés, à lionciaus, Et à bestes et à liépars; Fu la robe de toutes pars Portraite, et ovrée de flors Par diverseté de colors. 890 Flors i avoit de maintes guises Qui furent par grant sens assises; Nulle flor en esté ne nest Qui n'i soit, neis flor de genest, Ne violete, ne parvanche, Ne fleur inde, jaune ne blanche; Si ot par leus entremeslées Foilles de roses grans et lées. Il ot où chief ung chapelet De roses; mès rossignolet 900 Qui entor son chief voletoient, Les foilles jus en abatoient: Car il iert tout covers d'oisiaus, De papegaus, de rossignaus, De calandres et de mesanges; Il sembloit que ce fust uns anges

<< That doun were comen fro hevene clere. Love hadde with him a bachelere, That he made alweyes with him be; SWETE-LOKING cleped was he. 920 This bachelere stood biholding SWETE-LOKING. The daunce, and in his honde holding Turke bowes two hadde he. That oon of hem was of a tree That bereth a fruyt of savour wikke; 925 Ful croked was that foule stikke, And knotty here and there also, And blak as bery, or any slo. That other bowe was of a plante Withoute wem, I dar warante, 930 Ful even, and by proporcioun Tretys and long, of good fasoun. And it was peynted wel and thwiten, And over-al diapred and writen With ladies and with bacheleres, 935 Ful lightsom and [ful] glad of cheres. These bowes two held Swete-Loking, That semed lyk no gadeling. And ten brode arowes held he there, Of which five in his right hond were. 940

>> Qui fust tantost venus du ciau. Amors avoit ung jovenciau Qu'il faisoit estre iluec delés; Douz-Regard estoit apelés. 910 Ici bachelers regardoit Les caroles, et si gardoit Au Diex d'Amors deux ars turquois. Li uns des ars si fu d'un bois Dont li fruit iert mal savorés; Tous plains de nouz et bocerés Fu li ars dessous et dessore, Et si estoit plus noirs que mores. Li autres ars fu d'un plançon Longuet et de gente façon; 920 Si fu bien fait et bien dolés, Et si fu moult bien pipelés. Dames i ot de tous sens pointes, Et valés envoisiés et cointes. Ices deux ars tint Dous-Regars Qui ne sembloit mie estre gars, Avec dix des floiches son mestre. Il en tint cinq en sa main destre;

<< But they were shaven wel and dight, Nokked and fethered a-right; And al they were with gold bigoon, And stronge poynted everichoon, And sharpe for to kerven weel. 945 But iren was ther noon ne steel; For al was gold, men mighte it see, Out-take the fetheres and the tree. The swiftest of these arowes fyve Out of a bowe for to dryve, 950 And best [y]-fethered for to flee, And fairest eek, was cleped BEAUTEE. BEAUTEE. That other arowe, that hurteth lesse, Was cleped, as I trowe, SIMPLESSE. SIMPLESSE. The thridde cleped was FRAUNCHYSE, 955 That fethered was, in noble wyse, FRAUNCHYSE. With valour and with curtesye. The fourthe was cleped COMPANYE COMPANYE. That hevy for to sheten is; But who-so sheteth right, y-wis, 960 May therwith doon gret harm and wo. The fifte of these, and laste also,

>> Mès moult orent ices cinq floiches Les penons bien fais, et les coiches: 930 Si furent toutes à or pointes, Fors et tranchans orent les pointes, Et aguës por bien percier, Et si n'i ot fer ne acier; Onc n'i ot riens qui d'or ne fust, Fors que les penons et le fust: Car el furent encarrelées De sajetes d'or barbelées. La meillore et la plus isnele De ces floiches, et la plus bele, 940 Et cele où li meillor penon Furent entés, Biautes ot non. Une d'eles qui le mains blece, Ot non, ce m'est avis, Simplece. Une autre en i ot apelée Franchise; cele iert empenée De Valor et de Cortoisie. La quarte avoit non Compaignie: En cele ot moult pesant sajete. Ele n'iert pas d'aler loing preste; 950 Mès qui de près en vosist traire, Il en péust assez mal faire.

<< FAIR-SEMBLAUNT men that arowe calle, FAIR- The leeste grevous of hem alle; SEMBLAUNT. Yit can it make a ful gret wounde, 965 But he may hope his sores sounde, That hurt is with that arowe, y-wis; His wo the bet bistowed is. For he may soner have gladnesse, His langour oughte be the lesse. 970 Fyve arowes were of other gyse, That been ful foule to devyse; For shaft and ende, sooth to telle, Were al-so blak as feend in helle. The first of hem is called PRYDE; PRYDE. 975 That other arowe next him bisyde, It was [y]-cleped VILANYE; VILANYE. That arowe was as with felonye Envenimed, and with spitous blame. The thridde of hem was cleped SHAME. SHAME. 980 The fourthe, WANHOPE cleped is, WANHOPE. The fifte, the NEWE-THOUGHT, y-wis. NEWE- These arowes that I speke of here, THOUGHT. Were alle fyve of oon manere, And alle were they resemblable. 985 To hem was wel sitting and able

>> La quinte avoit non Biau-Semblant, Ce fut toute la mains grévant. Ne porquant el fait moult grant plaie; Mès cis atent bonne menaie, Qui de cele floiche est plaiés, Ses maus en est mielx emplaiés; Car il puet tost santé atendre, S'en doit estre sa dolor mendre. 960 Cinq floiches i ot d'autre guise, Qui furent lédes à devise: Li fust estoient et li fer Plus noirs que déables d'enfer. La premiere avoit non Orguex, L'autre qui ne valoit pas miex, Fu apelée Vilenie; Icele fu de felonie Toute tainte et envenimée. La tierce fu Honte clamée, 970 Et la quarte Desesperance: Novel-Penser fu sans doutance Apelée la darreniere. Ces cinq floiches d'une maniere Furent, et moult bien resemblables; Moult par lor estoit convenables

<< The foule croked bowe hidous, That knotty was, and al roynous. That bowe semede wel to shete These arowes fyve, that been unmete, 990 Contrarie to that other fyve. But though I telle not as blyve Of hir power, ne of hir might, Her-after shal I tellen right The sothe, and eek signifiaunce, 995 As fer as I have remembraunce: Al shall be seid, I undertake, Er of this boke an ende I make. Now come I to my tale ageyn. But alderfirst, I wol you seyn 1000 The fasoun and the countenaunces Of al the folk that on the daunce is. The God of Love, Iolyf and light, Ladde on his honde a lady bright, Of high prys, and of greet degree. 1005 This lady called was BEAUTEE, BEAUTEE. [As was] an arowe, of which I tolde. Ful wel [y]-thewed was she holde; Ne she was derk ne broun, but bright, And cleer as [is] the mone-light, 1010

>> Li uns des arcs qui fu hideus, Et plains de neus, et eschardeus; Il devoit bien tiex floiches traire, Car el erent force et contraire 980 As autres cinq floiches sans doute. Mès ne diré pas ore toute Lor forces, ne lor poestés. Bien vous sera la verités Contée, et la sénefiance Nel'metré mie en obliance; Ains vous dirai que tout ce monte, Ainçois que je fine mon conte. Or revendrai à ma parole: Des nobles gens de la karole 990 M'estuet dire les contenances, Et les façons et les semblances. Li Diex d'Amors se fu bien pris A une dame de haut pris, Et delez lui iert ajoustés: Icele dame ot non Biautés, Ainsinc cum une des cinq fleches. En li ot maintes bonnes teches: El ne fu oscure, ne brune, Ains fu clere comme la lune, 1000

<< Ageyn whom alle the sterres semen But smale candels, as we demen. Hir flesh was tendre as dewe of flour, Hir chere was simple as byrde in bour; As whyt as lilie or rose in rys, 1015 Hir face gentil and tretys. Fetys she was, and smal to see; No windred browes hadde she, Ne popped hir, for it neded nought To windre hir, or to peynte hir ought. 1020 Hir tresses yelowe, and longe straughten, Unto hir heles doun they raughten: Hir nose, hir mouth, and eye and cheke Wel wrought, and al the remenaunt eke. A ful gret savour and a swote 1025 Me thinketh in myn herte rote, As helpe me god, whan I remembre Of the fasoun of every membre! In world is noon so fair a wight; For yong she was, and hewed bright, 1030 [Wys], plesaunt, and fetys withalle, Gente, and in hir middel smalle. Bisyde Beaute yede RICHESSE, RICHESSE. An high lady of greet noblesse,

>> Envers qui les autres estoiles Resemblent petites chandoiles. Tendre ot la char comme rousée, Simple fu cum une espousée, Et blanche comme flor de lis; Si ot le vis cler et alis, Et fu greslete et alignie; Ne fu fardée ne guignie: Car el n'avoit mie mestier De soi tifer ne d'afetier. 1010 Les cheveus ot blons et si lons Qu'il li batoient as talons; Nez ot bien fait, et yelx et bouche. Moult grant douçor au cuer me touche, Si m'aïst Diex, quant il me membre De la façon de chascun membre Qu'il n'ot si bele fame où monde. Briément el fu jonete et blonde, Sade, plaisant, aperte et cointe, Grassete et grele, gente et jointe. 1020 Près de Biauté se tint Richece, Une dame de grant hautece,

<< And greet of prys in every place. 1035 But who-so durste to hir trespace, Or til hir folk, in worde or dede, He were ful hardy, out of drede; For bothe she helpe and hindre may: And that is nought of yisterday 1040 That riche folk have ful gret might To helpe, and eek to greve a wight. The beste and grettest of valour Diden Richesse ful gret honour, And besy weren hir to serve; 1045 For that they wolde hir love deserve, They cleped hir 'Lady,' grete and smalle; This wyde world hir dredeth alle; This world is al in hir daungere. Hir court hath many a losengere, 1050 And many a traytour envious, That been ful besy and curious For to dispreisen, and to blame That best deserven love and name. Bifore the folk, hem to bigylen, 1055 These losengeres hem preyse, and smylen, And thus the world with word anoynten; But afterward they [prikke] and poynten

>> De grant pris et de grant affaire. Qui à li ne as siens meffaire Osast riens par fais, ou par dis, Il fust moult fiers et moult hardis; Qu'ele puet moult nuire et aidier. Ce n'est mie ne d'ui ne d'ier Que riches gens out grant poissance De faire ou aïde, ou grévance. 1030 Tuit li greignor et li menor Portoient à Richece honor: Tuit baoient à li servir, Por l'amor de li deservir; Chascuns sa dame la clamoit, Car tous li mondes la cremoit; Tous li mons iert en son dangier. En sa cort ot maint losengier, Maint traïtor, maint envieus: Ce sunt cil qui sunt curieus 1040 De desprisier et de blasmer Tous ceus qui font miex à amer. Par devant, por eus losengier, Loent les gens li losengier; Tout le monde par parole oignent, Mès lor losenges les gens poignent

<< The folk right to the bare boon, Bihinde her bak whan they ben goon, 1060 And foule abate the folkes prys. Ful many a worthy man and wys, An hundred, have [they] don to dye, These losengeres, through flaterye; And maketh folk ful straunge be, 1065 Ther-as hem oughte be prive. Wel yvel mote they thryve and thee, And yvel aryved mote they be, These losengeres, ful of envye! No good man loveth hir companye. 1070 Richesse a robe of purpre on hadde, Ne trowe not that I lye or madde; For in this world is noon it liche, Ne by a thousand deel so riche, Ne noon so fair; for it ful wel 1075 With orfrays leyd was everydel, And portrayed in the ribaninges Of dukes stories, and of kinges. And with a bend of gold tasseled, And knoppes fyne of gold ameled. 1080 Aboute hir nekke of gentil entaile Was shet the riche chevesaile,

>> Par derriere dusques as os, Qu'il abaissent des bons les los, Et desloent les aloés, Et si loent les desloés. 1050 Maint prodommes ont encusés, Et de lor honnor reculés Li losengier par lor losenges; Car il font ceus des cors estranges Qui déussent estre privés: Mal puissent-il estre arivés Icil losengier plain d'envie! Car nus prodons n'aime lor vie. Richece ot une porpre robe, Ice ne tenés mie à lobe, 1060 Que je vous di bien et afiche Qu'il n'ot si bele, ne si riche Où monde, ne si envoisie. La porpre fu toute orfroisie; Si ot portraites à orfrois Estoires de dus et de rois. Si estoit au col bien orlée D'une bende d'or néélée Moult richement, sachiés sans faille. Si i avoit tretout à taille 1070

<< In which ther was ful gret plentee Of stones clere and bright to see. Rychesse a girdel hadde upon, 1085 The bokel of it was of a stoon Of vertu greet, and mochel of might; For who-so bar the stoon so bright, Of venim [thurte] him no-thing doute, While he the stoon hadde him aboute. 1090 That stoon was greetly for to love, And til a riche mannes bihove Worth al the gold in Rome and Fryse. The mourdaunt, wrought in noble wyse, Was of a stoon ful precious, 1095 That was so fyn and vertuous, That hool a man it coude make Of palasye, and of tooth-ake. And yit the stoon hadde suche a grace, That he was siker in every place, 1100 Al thilke day, not blind to been, That fasting mighte that stoon seen. The barres were of gold ful fyne, Upon a tissu of satyne, Ful hevy, greet, and no-thing light, 1105 In everich was a besaunt-wight. Upon the tresses of Richesse Was set a cercle, for noblesse,

>> De riches pierres grant plenté Qui moult rendoient grant clarté. Richece ot ung moult riche ceint Par desus cele porpre ceint; La boucle d'une pierre fu Qui ot grant force et grant vertu: Car cis qui sor soi la portoit, Nes uns venins ne redotoit: Nus nel pooit envenimer, Moult faisoit la pierre à aimer. 1080 Ele vausist à ung prodomme Miex que trestous li ors de Romme. D'une pierre fu li mordens, Qui garissoit du mal des dens; Et si avoit ung tel éur, Que cis pooit estre asséur Tretous les jors de sa véue, Qui à géun l'avoit véue. Li clou furent d'or esmeré, Qui erent el tissu doré; 1090 Si estoient gros et pesant, En chascun ot bien ung besant. Richece ot sus ses treces sores Ung cercle d'or; onques encores

<< Of brend gold, that ful lighte shoon; So fair, trowe I, was never noon. 1110 But he were cunning, for the nones, That coude devysen alle the stones That in that cercle shewen clere; It is a wonder thing to here. For no man coude preyse or gesse 1115 Of hem the valewe or richesse. Rubyes there were, saphyres, iagounces, And emeraudes, more than two ounces. But al bifore, ful sotilly, A fyn carboucle set saugh I. 1120 The stoon so cleer was and so bright, That, al-so sone as it was night, Men mighte seen to go, for nede, A myle or two, in lengthe and brede. Swich light [tho] sprang out of the stoon, 1125 That Richesse wonder brighte shoon, Bothe hir heed, and al hir face, And eke aboute hir al the place. Dame Richesse on hir hond gan lede A yong man ful of semelihede, 1130 That she best loved of any thing; His lust was muche in housholding.

>> Ne fu si biaus véus, ce cuit, Car il fu tout d'or fin recuit; Mès cis seroit bons devisierres Qui vous sauroit toutes les pierres, Qui i estoient, devisier, Car l'en ne porroit pas prisier 1100 L'avoir que les pierres valoient, Qui en l'or assises estoient. Rubis i ot, saphirs, jagonces, Esmeraudes plus de dix onces. Mais devant ot, par grant mestrise, Une escharboucle où cercle assise, Et la pierre si clere estoit, Que maintenant qu'il anuitoit, L'en s'en véist bien au besoing Conduire d'une liue loing. 1110 Tel clarté de la pierre yssoit, Que Richece en resplendissoit Durement le vis et la face, Et entor li toute la place. Richece tint parmi la main Ung valet de grant biauté plain, Qui fu ses amis veritiez. C'est uns hons qui en biaus ostiez

<< In clothing was he ful fetys, And lovede wel have hors of prys. He wende to have reproved be 1135 Of thefte or mordre, if that he Hadde in his stable an hakeney. And therfore he desyred ay To been aqueynted with Richesse; For al his purpos, as I gesse, 1140 Was for to make greet dispense, Withoute werning or defence. And Richesse mighte it wel sustene, And hir dispenses wel mayntene, And him alwey swich plentee sende 1145 Of gold and silver for to spende Withoute lakking or daungere, As it were poured in a garnere. And after on the daunce wente LARGESSE. LARGESSE, that sette al hir entente 1150 For to be honourable and free; Of Alexandres kin was she; Hir moste Ioye was, y-wis, Whan that she yaf, and seide, 'have this.' Not Avarice, the foule caytyf, 1155 Was half to grype so ententyf,

>> Maintenir moult se délitoit. Cis se chauçoit bien et vestoit, 1120 Si avoit les chevaus de pris; Cis cuidast bien estre repris Ou de murtre, ou de larrecin, S'en s'estable éust ung roucin. Por ce amoit-il moult l'acointance De Richece et la bien-voillance, Qu'il avoit tous jors en porpens De demener les grans despens, Et el les pooit bien soffrir, Et tous ses despens maintenir; 1130 El li donnoit autant deniers Cum s'el les puisast en greniers. Après refu Largece assise, Qui fu bien duite et bien aprise De faire honor, et de despendre: El fu du linage Alexandre; Si n'avoit-el joie de rien Cum quant el pooit dire, 'tien.' Neis Avarice la chétive N'ert pas si à prendre ententive 1140

<< As Largesse is to yeve and spende. And god y-nough alwey hir sende, So that the more she yaf awey, The more, y-wis, she hadde alwey. 1160 Gret loos hath Largesse, and gret prys; For bothe wys folk and unwys Were hoolly to hir baundon brought, So wel with yiftes hath she wrought. And if she hadde an enemy, 1165 I trowe, that she coude craftily Make him ful sone hir freend to be, So large of yift and free was she; Therfore she stood in love and grace Of riche and povre in every place. 1170 A ful gret fool is he, y-wis, That bothe riche and nigard is. A lord may have no maner vice That greveth more than avarice. For nigard never with strengthe of hond 1175 May winne him greet lordship or lond. For freendes al to fewe hath he To doon his wil perfourmed be. And who-so wol have freendes here, He may not holde his tresour dere. 1180 For by ensample I telle this, Right as an adamaunt, y-wis,

>> Cum Largece ere de donner; Et Diex li fesoit foisonner Ses biens si qu'ele ne savoit Tant donner, cum el plus avoit. Moult a Largece pris et los; Ele a les sages et les fos Outréement à son bandon, Car ele savoit fere biau don; S'ainsinc fust qu'aucuns la haïst, Si cuit-ge que de ceus féist 1150 Ses amis par son biau servise; Et por ce ot-ele à devise L'amor des povres et des riches. Moult est fos haus homs qui est chiches! Haus homs ne puet avoir nul vice, Qui tant li griet cum avarice: Car hons avers ne puet conquerre Ne seignorie ne grant terre; Car il n'a pas d'amis plenté, Dont il face sa volenté. 1160 Mès qui amis vodra avoir Si n'ait mie chier son avoir, Ains par biaus dons amis acquiere: Car tout en autretel maniere

<< Can drawen to him sotilly The yren, that is leyd therby, So draweth folkes hertes, y-wis, 1185 Silver and gold that yeven is. Largesse hadde on a robe fresshe Of riche purpur Sarsinesshe. Wel fourmed was hir face and clere, And opened had she hir colere; 1190 For she right there hadde in present Unto a lady maad present Of a gold broche, ful wel wrought. And certes, it missat hir nought; For through hir smokke, wrought with silk, 1195 The flesh was seen, as whyt as milk. Largesse, that worthy was and wys, Held by the honde a knight of prys, Was sib to Arthour of Bretaigne. And that was he that bar the enseigne 1200 Of worship, and the gonfanoun. And yit he is of swich renoun, That men of him seye faire thinges Bifore barouns, erles, and kinges. This knight was comen al newely 1205 Fro tourneyinge faste by;

>> Cum la pierre de l'aïment Trait à soi le fer soutilment, Ainsinc atrait les cuers des gens Li ors qu'en donne et li argens. Largece ot robe toute fresche D'une porpre Sarrazinesche; 1170 S'ot le vis bel et bien formé; Mès el ot son col deffermé, Qu'el avoit iluec en présent A une dame fet présent, N'avoit gueres, de son fermal, Et ce ne li séoit pas mal, Que sa cheveçaille iert overte, Et sa gorge si descoverte, Que parmi outre la chemise Li blanchoioit sa char alise. 1180 Largece la vaillant, la sage, Tint ung chevalier du linage Au bon roy Artus de Bretaigne; Ce fu cil qui porta l'enseigne De Valor et le gonfanon. Encor est-il de tel renom, Que l'en conte de li les contes Et devant rois et devant contes. Cil chevalier novelement Fu venus d'ung tornoiement, 1190

<< Ther hadde he doon gret chivalrye Through his vertu and his maistrye; And for the love of his lemman [Had] cast doun many a doughty man. 1210 And next him daunced dame FRAUNCHYSE, Arrayed in ful noble gyse. FRAUNCHYSE. She was not broun ne dun of hewe, But whyt as snowe y-fallen newe. Hir nose was wrought at poynt devys, 1215 For it was gentil and tretys; With eyen gladde, and browes bente; Hir heer doun to hir heles wente. And she was simple as dowve on tree, Ful debonaire of herte was she. 1220 She durste never seyn ne do But that [thing] that hir longed to. And if a man were in distresse, And for hir love in hevinesse, Hir herte wolde have ful greet pitee, 1225 She was so amiable and free. For were a man for hir bistad, She wolde ben right sore adrad That she dide over greet outrage, But she him holpe his harm to aswage; 1230

>> Où il ot faite por s'amie Mainte jouste et mainte envaïe, Et percié maint escu bouclé, Maint hiaume i avoit desserclé, Et maint chevalier abatu, Et pris par force et par vertu. Après tous ceus se tint Franchise, Qui ne fu ne brune ne bise, Ains ere blanche comme nois; Et si n'ot pas nés d'Orlenois, 1200 Ainçois l'avoit lonc et traitis, Iex vairs rians, sorcis votis: S'ot les chevous et blons, et lons, Et fu simple comme uns coulons. Le cuer ot dous et debonnaire: Ele n'osast dire ne faire A nuli riens qu'el ne déust; Et s'ele ung homme cognéust Qui fust destrois por s'amitié, Tantost éust de li pitié, 1210 Qu'ele ot le cuer si pitéable, Et si dous et si amiable, Que se nus por li mal traisist, S'el ne li aidast, el crainsist Qu'el féïst trop grant vilonnie. Vestue ot une sorquanie,

<< Hir thoughte it elles a vilanye. And she hadde on a sukkenye, That not of hempen herdes was; So fair was noon in alle Arras. Lord, it was rideled fetysly! 1235 Ther nas nat oo poynt, trewely, That it nas in his right assyse. Ful wel y-clothed was Fraunchyse; For ther is no cloth sitteth bet On damiselle, than doth roket. 1240 A womman wel more fetys is In roket than in cote, y-wis. The whyte roket, rideled faire, Bitokened, that ful debonaire And swete was she that it bere. 1245 By hir daunced a bachelere; I can not telle you what he highte, But fair he was, and of good highte, Al hadde he be, I sey no more, The lordes sone of Windesore. 1250 And next that daunced CURTESYE, CURTESYE. That preised was of lowe and hye, For neither proud ne fool was she. She for to daunce called me,

>> Qui ne fu mie de borras: N'ot si bele jusqu'à Arras; Car el fu si coillie et jointe, Qu'il n'i ot une seule pointe 1220 Qui à son droit ne fust assise. Moult fu bien vestue Franchise; Car nule robe n'est si bele Que sorquanie à damoisele. Fame est plus cointe et plus mignote En sorquanie que en cote: La sorquanie qui fu blanche, Senefioit que douce et franche Estoit cele qui la vestoit. Uns bachelers jones s'estoit 1230 Pris à Franchise lez à lez, Ne soi comment ert apelé, Mès biaus estoit, se il fust ores Fiex au seignor de Gundesores. Après se tenoit Courtoisie, Qui moult estoit de tous prisie, Si n'ere orguilleuse ne fole. C'est cele qui à la karole

<< (I pray god yeve hir right good grace!) 1255 Whan I com first into the place. She was not nyce, ne outrageous, But wys and war, and vertuous, Of faire speche, and faire answere; Was never wight misseid of here; 1260 She bar no rancour to no wight. Cleer broun she was, and therto bright Of face, of body avenaunt; I wot no lady so plesaunt. She were worthy for to bene 1265 An emperesse or crouned quene. And by hir wente a knight dauncing That worthy was and wel speking, And ful wel coude he doon honour. The knight was fair and stif in stour, 1270 And in armure a semely man, And wel biloved of his lemman. Fair YDELNESSE than saugh I, YDELNESSE. That alwey was me faste by. Of hir have I, withouten fayle, 1275 Told yow the shap and apparayle For (as I seide) lo, that was she That dide me so greet bountee,

>> La soe merci m'apela Ains que nule, quant je vins là. 1240 El ne fu ne nice, n'umbrage, Mès sages auques sans outrage, De biaus respons et de biaus dis, Onc nus ne fu par li laidis, Ne ne porta nului rancune. El fu clere comme la lune Est avers les autres estoiles Qui ne resemblent que chandoiles. Faitisse estoit et avenant, Je ne sai fame plus plaisant. 1250 Ele ere entoutes cors bien digne D'estre emperieris, ou roïne. A li se tint uns chevaliers Acointables et biaus parliers, Qui sot bien faire honor as gens. Li chevaliers fu biaus et gens, Et as armes bien acesmés, Et de s'amie bien amés. La bele Oiseuse vint après, Qui se tint de moi assés près. 1260 De cele vous ai dit sans faille Toute la façon et la taille; Jà plus ne vous en iert conté, Car c'est cele qui la bonté

<< That she the gate of the gardin Undide, and leet me passen in. 1280 And after daunced, as I gesse, YOUTHE. [YOUTHE], fulfild of lustinesse, That nas not yit twelve yeer of age, With herte wilde, and thought volage; Nyce she was, but she ne mente 1285 Noon harm ne slight in hir entente, But only lust and Iolitee. For yonge folk, wel witen ye, Have litel thought but on hir play. Hir lemman was bisyde alway, 1290 In swich a gyse, that he hir kiste At alle tymes that him liste, That al the daunce mighte it see; They make no force of privetee; For who spak of hem yvel or wel, 1295 They were ashamed never-a-del, But men mighte seen hem kisse there, As it two yonge douves were. For yong was thilke bachelere, Of beaute wot I noon his pere; 1300 And he was right of swich an age As Youthe his leef, and swich corage. The lusty folk thus daunced there, And also other that with hem were,

>> Me fist si grant qu'ele m'ovri Le guichet del vergier flori. Après se tint mien esciant, Jonesce, au vis cler et luisant, Qui n'avoit encores passés, Si cum je cuit, douze ans d'assés. 1270 Nicete fu, si ne pensoit Nul mal, ne nul engin qui soit; Mès moult iert envoisie et gaie, Car jone chose ne s'esmaie Fors de joer, bien le savés. Ses amis iert de li privés En tel guise, qu'il la besoit Toutes les fois que li plesoit, Voians tous ceus de la karole: Car qui d'aus deus tenist parole, 1280 Il n'en fussent jà vergondeus, Ains les véissiés entre aus deus Baisier comme deus columbiaus. Le valés fu jones et biaus, Si estoit bien d'autel aage Cum s'amie, et d'autel corage. Ainsi karoloient ilecques, Ceste gens, et autres avecques,

<< That weren alle of hir meynee; 1305 Ful hende folk, and wys, and free, And folk of fair port, trewely, Ther weren alle comunly. Whan I hadde seen the countenaunces Of hem that ladden thus these daunces, 1310 Than hadde I wil to goon and see The gardin that so lyked me, And loken on these faire loreres, On pyn-trees, cedres, and oliveres. The daunces than y-ended were; 1315 For many of hem that daunced there Were with hir loves went awey Under the trees to have hir pley. A, lord! they lived lustily! A gret fool were he, sikerly, 1320 That nolde, his thankes, swich lyf lede! For this dar I seyn, out of drede, That who-so mighte so wel fare, For better lyf [thurte] him not care; For ther nis so good paradys 1325 As have a love at his devys. Out of that place wente I tho, And in that gardin gan I go,

>> Qui estoient de lor mesnies, Franches gens et bien enseignies, 1290 Et gens de bel afetement Estoient tuit communément. Quant j'oi véues les semblances De ceus qui menoient les dances, J'oi lors talent que le vergier Alasse véoir et cerchier, Et remirer ces biaus moriers, Ces pins, ces codres, ces loriers. Les karoles jà remanoient, Car tuit li plusors s'en aloient 1300 O lor amies umbroier Sous ces arbres por dosnoier. Diex, cum menoient bonne vie! Fox est qui n'a de tel envie; Qui autel vie avoir porroit, De mieudre bien se sofferroit, Qu'il n'est nul greignor paradis Qu'avoir amie à son devis. D'ilecques me parti atant, Si m'en alai seus esbatant 1310

<< Pleying along ful merily. The God of Love ful hastely 1330 Unto him Swete-Loking clepte, No lenger wolde he that he kepte His bowe of golde, that shoon so bright. He [bad] him [bende it] anon-right; And he ful sone [it] sette on ende, 1335 And at a braid he gan it bende, And took him of his arowes fyve, Ful sharpe and redy for to dryve. Now god that sit in magestee Fro deedly woundes kepe me, 1340 If so be that he [wol] me shete; For if I with his arowe mete, It [wol me greven] sore, y-wis! But I, that no-thing wiste of this, Wente up and doun ful many a wey, 1345 And he me folwed faste alwey; But no-wher wolde I reste me, Til I hadde al the [yerde in] be. The gardin was, by mesuring, Right even and squar in compassing; 1350 It was as long as it was large. Of fruyt hadde every tree his charge, THE TREES.

>> Par le vergier de çà en là; Et li Diex d'Amors apela Tretout maintenant Dous-Regart: N'a or plus cure qu'il li gart Son arc: donques sans plus atendre L'arc li a commandé à tendre, Et cis gaires n'i atendi, Tout maintenant l'arc li tendi, Si li bailla et cinq sajetes Fors et poissans, d'aler loing prestes. 1320 Li Diex d'Amors tantost de loing Me prist à suivir, l'arc où poing. Or me gart Diex de mortel plaie! Se il fait tant que à moi traie, Il me grevera moult forment. Je qui de ce ne soi noient, Vois par la vergier à délivre, Et cil pensa bien de moi sivre; Mès en nul leu ne m'arresté, Devant que j'oi par tout esté. 1330 Li vergiers par compasséure Si fu de droite quarréure, S'ot de lonc autant cum de large; Nus arbres qui soit qui fruit charge,

<< But it were any hidous tree Of which ther were two or three. Ther were, and that wot I ful wel, 1355 Of pomgarnettes a ful gret del; That is a fruyt ful wel to lyke, Namely to folk whan they ben syke. And trees ther were, greet foisoun, That baren notes in hir sesoun, 1360 Such as men notemigges calle, That swote of savour been withalle. And alemandres greet plentee, Figes, and many a date-tree Ther weren, if men hadde nede, 1365 Through the gardin in length and brede. Ther was eek wexing many a spyce, As clow-gelofre, and licoryce, Gingere, and greyn de paradys, Canelle, and setewale of prys, 1370 And many a spyce delitable, To eten whan men ryse fro table. And many hoomly trees ther were, That peches, coynes, and apples bere, Medlers, ploumes, peres, chesteynes, 1375 Cheryse, of whiche many on fayn is,

>> Se n'est aucuns arbres hideus, Dont il n'i ait ou ung, ou deus Où vergier, ou plus, s'il avient. Pomiers i ot, bien m'en sovient, Qui chargoient pomes grenades, C'est uns fruis moult bons à malades; 1340 De noiers i ot grant foison, Qui chargoient en la saison Itel fruit cum sunt nois mugades, Qui ne sunt ameres, ne fades; Alemandiers y ot planté, Et si ot où vergier planté Maint figuier, et maint biau datier; Si trovast qu'en éust mestier, Où vergier mainte bone espice, Cloz de girofle et requelice, 1350 Graine de paradis novele, Citoal, anis, et canele, Et mainte espice délitable, Que bon mengier fait après table. Où vergier ot arbres domesches, Qui chargoient et coins et pesches, Chataignes, nois, pommes et poires, Nefles, prunes blanches et noires,

<< Notes, aleys, and bolas, That for to seen it was solas; With many high lorer and pyn Was renged clene al that gardyn; 1380 With cipres, and with oliveres, Of which that nigh no plente here is. Ther were elmes grete and stronge, Maples, asshe, ook, asp, planes longe, Fyn ew, popler, and lindes faire, 1385 And othere trees ful many a payre. What sholde I telle you more of it? Ther were so many treës yit, That I sholde al encombred be Er I had rekened every tree. 1390 These trees were set, that I devyse, Oon from another, in assyse, Five fadome or sixe, I trowe so, But they were hye and grete also: And for to kepe out wel the sonne, 1395 The croppes were so thikke y-ronne, And every braunch in other knet, And ful of grene leves set, That sonne mighte noon descende, Lest [it] the tendre grasses shende. 1400

>> Cerises fresches vermeilletes, Cormes, alies et noisetes; 1360 De haus loriers et de haus pins Refu tous pueplés li jardin, Et d'oliviers et de ciprés, Dont il n'a gaires ici prés; Ormes y ot branchus et gros, Et avec ce charmes et fos, Codres droites, trembles et chesnes, Erables haus, sapins et fresnes. Que vous iroie-je notant? De divers arbres i ot tant, 1370 Que moult en seroie encombrés, Ains que les éusse nombrés. Sachiés por voir, li arbres furent Si loing à loing cum estre durent. Li ung fu loing de l'autre assis Plus de cinq toises, ou de sis: Mès li rain furent lonc et haut, Et por le leu garder de chaut, Furent si espés par deseure, Que li solaus en nesune eure 1380 Ne pooit à terre descendre, Ne faire mal à l'erbe tendre.

<< Ther mighte men does and roes y-see, And of squirels ful greet plentee, From bough to bough alwey leping. Conies ther were also playing, That comen out of hir claperes 1405 Of sondry colours and maneres, And maden many a turneying Upon the fresshe gras springing. In places saw I WELLES there, THE WELLES. In whiche ther no frogges were, 1410 And fair in shadwe was every welle; But I ne can the nombre telle Of stremes smale, that by devys Mirthe had don come through condys, Of which the water, in renning, 1415 Gan make a noyse ful lyking. About the brinkes of thise welles, And by the stremes over-al elles Sprang up the gras, as thikke y-set And softe as any veluët, 1420 On which men mighte his lemman leye, As on a fetherbed, to pleye, For therthe was ful softe and swete. Through moisture of the welle wete

>> Où vergier ot daims et chevrions, Et moult grant plenté d'escoirions, Qui par ces arbres gravissoient; Connins i avoit qui issoient Toute jor hors de lor tesnieres, Et en plus de trente manieres Aloient entr'eus tornoiant Sor l'erbe fresche verdoiant. 1390 Il ot par leus cleres fontaines, Sans barbelotes et sans raines, Cui li arbres fesoient umbre; Mès n'en sai pas dire le numbre. Par petis tuiaus que Déduis Y ot fet fere, et par conduis S'en aloit l'iaue aval, fesant Une noise douce et plesant. Entor les ruissiaus et les rives Des fontaines cleres et vives, 1400 Poignoit l'erbe freschete et drue; Ausinc y poïst-l'en sa drue Couchier comme sur une coite, Car la terre estoit douce et moite Por la fontaine, et i venoit Tant d'erbe cum il convenoit.

<< Sprang up the sote grene gras, 1425 As fair, as thikke, as mister was. But muche amended it the place, That therthe was of swich a grace That it of floures had plente, That both in somer and winter be. 1430 Ther sprang the violete al newe, And fresshe pervinke, riche of hewe, And floures yelowe, whyte, and rede; Swich plentee grew ther never in mede. Ful gay was al the ground, and queynt, 1435 And poudred, as men had it peynt, With many a fresh and sondry flour, That casten up ful good savour. I wol not longe holde you in fable Of al this gardin delitable. 1440 I moot my tonge stinten nede, For I ne may, withouten drede, Naught tellen you the beautee al, Ne half the bountee therewithal. I wente on right honde and on left 1445 Aboute the place; it was not left, Til I hadde al the [yerde in] been, In the estres that men mighte seen.

>> Mès moult embelissoit l'afaire Li leus qui ere de tel aire, Qu'il i avoit tous jours plenté De flors et yver et esté. 1410 Violete y avoit trop bele, Et parvenche fresche et novele; Flors y ot blanches et vermeilles, De jaunes en i ot merveilles. Trop par estoit la terre cointe, Qu'ele ere piolée et pointe De flors de diverses colors, Dont moult sunt bonnes les odors. Ne vous tenrai jà longue fable Du leu plesant et délitable; 1420 Orendroit m'en convenra taire, Que ge ne porroie retraire Du vergier toute la biauté, Ne la grant délitableté. Tant fui à destre et à senestre, Que j'oi tout l'afere et tout l'estre Du vergier cerchié et véu; Et li Diex d'Amors m'a séu

<< And thus whyle I wente in my pley, The God of Love me folowed ay, 1450 Right as an hunter can abyde The beste, til he seeth his tyde To shete, at good mes, to the dere, Whan that him nedeth go no nere. And so befil, I rested me 1455 Besyde a welle, under a tree, Which tree in Fraunce men calle a pyn. But, sith the tyme of king Pepyn, Ne grew ther tree in mannes sighte So fair, ne so wel woxe in highte; 1460 In al that yerde so high was noon. And springing in a marble-stoon Had nature set, the sothe to telle, Under that pyn-tree a welle. And on the border, al withoute, 1465 Was writen, in the stone aboute, Lettres smale, that seyden thus, Here starf the faire Narcisus.' NARCISUS was a bachelere, NARCISUS. That Love had caught in his daungere, 1470 And in his net gan him so streyne, And dide him so to wepe and pleyne, That nede him muste his lyf forgo. For a fair lady, hight Echo,

>> Endementiers en agaitant, Cum li venieres qui atant 1430 Que la beste en bel leu se mete Por lessier aler la sajete. En ung trop biau leu arrivé, Au darrenier, où je trouvé Une fontaine sous ung pin; Mais puis Karles le fils Pepin, Ne fu ausinc biau pin véus, Et si estoit si haut créus, Qu'où vergier n'ot nul si bel arbre. Dedens une pierre de marbre 1440 Ot nature par grant mestrise Sous le pin la fontaine assise: Si ot dedens la pierre escrites Où bort amont letres petites Qui disoient: 'ici desus Se mori li biaus Narcisus.' Narcisus fu uns damoisiaus Que Amors tint en ses roisiaus, Et tant le sot Amors destraindre, Et tant le fist plorer et plaindre, 1450 Que li estuet à rendre l'ame: Car Equo, une haute dame,

<< Him loved over any creature, 1475 And gan for him swich peyne endure, That on a tyme she him tolde, That, if he hir loven nolde, That hir behoved nedes dye, Ther lay non other remedye. 1480 But natheles, for his beautee, So fiers and daungerous was he, That he nolde graunten hir asking, For weping, ne for fair praying. And whan she herde him werne hir so, 1485 She hadde in herte so gret wo, And took it in so gret dispyt, That she, withoute more respyt, Was deed anoon. But, er she deyde, Ful pitously to god she preyde, 1490 That proude-herted Narcisus, That was in love so daungerous, Mighte on a day ben hampred so For love, and been so hoot for wo, That never he mighte Ioye atteyne; 1495 Than shulde he fele in every veyne What sorowe trewe lovers maken, That been so vilaynsly forsaken.

>> L'avoit amé plus que riens née. El fu par lui si mal menée Qu'ele li dist qu'il li donroit S'amor, ou ele se morroit. Mès cis fu por sa grant biauté Plains de desdaing et de fierté, Si ne la li volt otroier, Ne por chuer, ne por proier. 1460 Quant ele s'oï escondire, Si en ot tel duel et tel ire, Et le tint en si grant despit, Que morte en fu sans lonc respit; Mès ainçois qu'ele se morist, Ele pria Diex et requist Que Narcisus au cuer ferasche, Qu'ele ot trové d'amors si flasche, Fust asproiés encore ung jor, Et eschaufés d'autel amor 1470 Dont il ne péust joie atendre; Si porroit savoir et entendre Quel duel ont li loial amant Que l'en refuse si vilment.

<< This prayer was but resonable, Therefor god held it ferme and stable: 1500 For Narcisus, shortly to telle, By aventure com to that welle To reste him in that shadowing A day, whan he com fro hunting. This Narcisus had suffred paynes 1505 For renning alday in the playnes, And was for thurst in greet distresse Of hete, and of his werinesse That hadde his breeth almost binomen. Whan he was to that welle y-comen, 1510 That shadwed was with braunches grene, He thoughte of thilke water shene To drinke and fresshe him wel withalle; And doun on knees he gan to falle, And forth his heed and nekke out-straughte 1515 To drinken of that welle a draughte And in the water anoon was sene His nose, his mouth, his yën shene, And he ther-of was al abasshed; His owne shadowe had him bitrasshed. 1520 For wel wende he the forme see Of a child of greet beautee.

>> Cele proiere fu resnable, Et por ce la fist Diex estable, Que Narcisus, par aventure, A la fontaine clere et pure Se vint sous le pin umbroier, Ung jour qu'il venoit d'archoier, 1480 Et avoit soffert grant travail De corre et amont et aval, Tant qu'il ot soif por l'aspreté Du chault, et por la lasseté Qui li ot tolue l'alaine. Et quant il vint à la fontaine Que li pins de ses rains covroit, Il se pensa que il bevroit: Sus la fontaine, tout adens Se mist lors por boivre dedans. 1490 Si vit en l'iaue clere et nete Son vis, son nés et sa bouchete, Et cis maintenant s'esbahi; Car ses umbres l'ot si trahi, Que cuida véoir la figure D'ung enfant bel à desmesure.

<< Wel couthe Love him wreke tho Of daunger and of pryde also, That Narcisus somtyme him bere. 1525 He quitte him wel his guerdon there; For he so musede in the welle, That, shortly al the sothe to telle, He lovede his owne shadowe so, That atte laste he starf for wo. 1530 For whan he saugh that he his wille Mighte in no maner wey fulfille, And that he was so faste caught That he him couthe comfort naught, He loste his wit right in that place, 1535 And deyde within a litel space. And thus his warisoun he took For the lady that he forsook. Ladyes, I preye ensample taketh, Ye that ayeins your love mistaketh: 1540 For if hir deeth be yow to wyte, God can ful wel your whyle quyte. Whan that this lettre, of whiche I telle, Had taught me that it was the welle Of Narcisus in his beautee, 1545 I gan anoon withdrawe me,

>> Lors se sot bien Amors vengier Du grant orguel et du dangier Que Narcisus li ot mené. Lors li fu bien guerredoné, 1500 Qu'il musa tant à la fontaine, Qu'il ama son umbre demaine, Si en fu mors à la parclose. Ce est la somme de la chose: Car quant il vit qu'il ne porroit Acomplir ce qu'il desirroit, Et qu'il i fu si pris par sort, Qu'il n'en pooit avoir confort En nule guise, n'en nul sens, Il perdi d'ire tout le sens, 1510 Et fu mors en poi de termine. Ainsinc si ot de la meschine Qu'il avoit d'amors escondite, Son guerredon et sa merite. Dames, cest exemple aprenés, Qui vers vos amis mesprenés; Car se vous les lessiés morir, Diex le vous sara bien merir. Quant li escris m'ot fait savoir Que ce estoit tretout por voir 1520 La fontaine au biau Narcisus, Je m'en trais lors ung poi en sus,

<< Whan it fel in my remembraunce, That him bitidde swich mischaunce. But at the laste than thoughte I, That scatheles, ful sikerly, 1550 I mighte unto THE WELLE go. THE WELLE. Wherof shulde I abasshen so? Unto the welle than wente I me, And doun I louted for to see The clere water in the stoon, 1555 And eek the gravel, which that shoon Down in the botme, as silver fyn; For of the welle, this is the fyn, In world is noon so cleer of hewe. The water is ever fresh and newe 1560 That welmeth up with wawes brighte The mountance of two finger highte. Abouten it is gras springing, For moiste so thikke and wel lyking, That it ne may in winter dye, 1565 No more than may the see be drye. Down at the botme set saw I Two cristal stones craftely In thilke fresshe and faire welle. But o thing soothly dar I telle, 1570

>> Que dedens n'osai regarder, Ains commençai à coarder, Quant de Narcisus me sovint, Cui malement en mesavint; Mès ge me pensai qu'asséur, Sans paor de mavés éur, A la fontaine aler pooie, Por folie m'en esmaioie. 1530 De la fontaine m'apressai, Quant ge fui près, si m'abessai Por véoir l'iaue qui coroit, Et la gravele qui paroit Au fons plus clere qu'argens fins, De la fontaine c'est la fins. En tout le monde n'ot si bele, L'iaue est tousdis fresche et novele, Qui nuit et jor sourt à grans ondes Par deux doiz creuses et parfondes. 1540 Tout entour point l'erbe menue, Qui vient por l'iaue espesse et drue, Et en iver ne puet morir Ne que l'iaue ne puet tarir. Où fons de la fontaine aval Avoit deux pierres de cristal Qu'à grande entente remirai, Et une chose vous dirai,

<< That ye wol holde a greet mervayle Whan it is told, withouten fayle. For whan the sonne, cleer in sighte, Cast in that welle his bemes brighte, And that the heet descended is, 1575 Than taketh the cristal stoon, y-wis, Agayn the sonne an hundred hewes, Blewe, yelowe, and rede, that fresh and newe is. Yit hath the merveilous cristal Swich strengthe, that the place overal, 1580 Bothe fowl and tree, and leves grene, And al the yerd in it is sene. And for to doon you understonde, To make ensample wol I fonde; Right as a mirour openly 1585 Sheweth al thing that stant therby, As wel the colour as the figure, Withouten any coverture; Right so the cristal stoon, shyning, Withouten any disceyving, 1590 The estres of the yerde accuseth To him that in the water museth; For ever, in which half that he be, He may wel half the gardin see;

>> Qu'à merveilles, ce cuit, tenrés Tout maintenant que vous l'orrés. 1550 Quant li solaus qui tout aguete, Ses rais en la fontaine giete, Et la clartés aval descent, Lors perent colors plus de cent Où cristal, qui por le soleil Devient ynde, jaune et vermeil: Si ot le cristal merveilleus Itel force que tous li leus, Arbres et flors et quanqu'aorne Li vergiers, i pert tout aorne; 1560 Et por faire la chose entendre, Un essample vous veil aprendre. Ainsinc cum li miréors montre Les choses qui li sunt encontre, Et y voit-l'en sans coverture Et lor color, et lor figure; Tretout ausinc vous dis por voir, Que li cristal, sans décevoir, Tout l'estre du vergier accusent A ceus qui dedens l'iaue musent: 1570 Car tous jours quelque part qu'il soient, L'une moitié du vergier voient;

<< And if he turne, he may right wel 1595 Seen the remenaunt everydel. For ther is noon so litel thing So hid, ne closed with shitting, That it ne is sene, as though it were Peynted in the cristal there. 1600 This is the mirour perilous, In which the proude Narcisus Saw al his face fair and bright, That made him sith to lye upright. For who-so loke in that mirour, 1605 Ther may no-thing ben his socour That he ne shal ther seen som thing That shal him lede into [loving]. Ful many a worthy man hath it Y-blent; for folk of grettest wit 1610 Ben sone caught here and awayted; Withouten respyt been they bayted. Heer comth to folk of-newe rage, Heer chaungeth many wight corage; Heer lyth no reed ne wit therto; 1615 For Venus sone, daun Cupido, Hath sowen there of love the seed, That help ne lyth ther noon, ne reed,

>> Et s'il se tornent maintenant, Pueent véoir le remenant. Si n'i a si petite chose, Tant reposte, ne tant enclose, Dont démonstrance n'i soit faite, Cum s'ele iert es cristaus portraite. C'est li miréoirs périlleus, Où Narcisus li orguilleus 1580 Mira sa face et ses yex vers, Dont il jut puis mors tout envers. Qui en cel miréor se mire, Ne puet avoir garant de mire, Que tel chose à ses yex ne voie, Qui d'amer l'a tost mis en voie. Maint vaillant homme a mis à glaive Cis miréors, car li plus saive, Li plus preus, li miex afetié I sunt tost pris et aguetié. 1590 Ci sourt as gens novele rage, Ici se changent li corage; Ci n'a mestier sens, ne mesure, Ci est d'amer volenté pure; Ci ne se set conseiller nus; Car Cupido, li fils Venus,

<< So cercleth it the welle aboute. His ginnes hath he set withoute 1620 Right for to cacche in his panteres These damoysels and bacheleres. Love wil noon other bridde cacche, Though he sette either net or lacche. And for the seed that heer was sowen, 1625 This welle is cleped, as wel is knowen, The Welle of Love, of verray right, Of which ther hath ful many a wight Spoke in bokes dyversely. But they shulle never so verily 1630 Descripcioun of the welle here, Ne eek the sothe of this matere, As ye shulle, whan I have undo The craft that hir bilongeth to. Alway me lyked for to dwelle, 1635 To seen the cristal in the welle, That shewed me ful openly A thousand thinges faste by. But I may saye, in sory houre Stood I to loken or to poure; 1640 For sithen [have] I sore syked, That mirour hath me now entryked.

>> Sema ici d'Amors la graine Qui toute a çainte la fontaine; Et fist ses las environ tendre, Et ses engins i mist por prendre 1600 Damoiseles et Damoisiaus; Qu'Amors ne velt autres oisiaus. Por la graine qui fu semée, Fu cele fontaine clamée La Fontaine d'Amors par droit, Dont plusors ont en maint endroit Parlé, en romans et en livre; Mais jamès n'orrez miex descrivre La verité de la matere, Cum ge la vous vodré retrere. 1610 Adès me plot à demorer A la fontaine, et remirer Les deus cristaus qui me monstroient Mil choses qui ilec estoient. Mès de fort hore m'i miré: Las! tant en ai puis souspiré! Cis miréors m'a decéu; Se j'éusse avant cognéu

<< But hadde I first knowen in my wit The vertue and [the] strengthe of it, I nolde not have mused there; 1645 Me hadde bet ben elles-where; For in the snare I fel anoon, That hath bitraisshed many oon. In thilke mirour saw I tho, Among a thousand thinges mo, 1650 A ROSER charged ful of roses, THE ROSER. That with an hegge aboute enclos is. Tho had I swich lust and envye, That, for Parys ne for Pavye, Nolde I have left to goon and see 1655 Ther grettest hepe of roses be. Whan I was with this rage hent, That caught hath many a man and shent, Toward the roser gan I go. And whan I was not fer therfro, 1660 The savour of the roses swote Me smoot right to the herte rote, As I hadde al embawmed [be.] And if I ne hadde endouted me To have ben hated or assailed, 1665 My thankes, wolde I not have failed

>> Quex sa force ert et sa vertu, Ne m'i fusse jà embatu: 1620 Car meintenant où las chaï Qui meint homme ont pris et traï. Où miroer entre mil choses, Choisi rosiers chargiés de roses, Qui estoient en ung détor D'une haie clos tout entor: Adont m'en prist si grant envie, Que ne laissasse por Pavie, Ne por Paris, que ge n'alasse Là où ge vi la greignor masse. 1630 Quant cele rage m'ot si pris, Dont maint ont esté entrepris, Vers les rosiers tantost me très; Et sachiés que quant g'en fui près, L'oudor des roses savorées M'entra ens jusques es corées, Que por noient fusse embasmés: Se assailli ou mesamés

<< To pulle a rose of al that route To beren in myn honde aboute, And smellen to it wher I wente; But ever I dredde me to repente, 1670 And lest it greved or for-thoughte The lord that thilke gardyn wroughte. Of roses were ther gret woon, So faire wexe never in roon. Of knoppes clos, some saw I there, 1675 And some wel beter woxen were; And some ther been of other moysoun, That drowe nigh to hir sesoun, And spedde hem faste for to sprede; I love wel swiche roses rede; 1680 For brode roses, and open also, Ben passed in a day or two; But knoppes wilen fresshe be Two dayes atte leest, or three. The knoppes gretly lyked me, 1685 For fairer may ther no man see. Who-so mighte haven oon of alle, It oughte him been ful leef withalle. Mighte I [a] gerlond of hem geten, For no richesse I wolde it leten. 1690

>> Ne cremisse estre, g'en cuillisse, Au mains une que ge tenisse 1640 En ma main, por l'odor sentir; Mès paor oi du repentir: Car il en péust de legier Peser au seignor du vergier. Des roses i ot grans monciaus, Si beles ne vit homs sous ciaus; Boutons i ot petit et clos, Et tiex qui sunt ung poi plus gros. Si en i ot d'autre moison Qui se traient à lor soison, 1650 Et s'aprestoient d'espanir, Et cil ne font pas à haïr. Les roses overtes et lées Sunt en ung jor toutes alées; Mès li bouton durent trois frois A tout le mains deux jors ou trois. Icil bouton forment me plurent, Oncques plus bel nul leu ne crurent. Qui en porroit ung acroichier, Il le devroit avoir moult chier; 1660 S'ung chapel en péusse avoir, Je n'en préisse nul avoir.

<< Among THE KNOPPES I chees oon THE KNOPPE. So fair, that of the remenaunt noon Ne preyse I half so wel as it, Whan I avyse it in my wit. For it so wel was enlumyned 1695 With colour reed, as wel [y]-fyned As nature couthe it make faire. And it had leves wel foure paire, That Kinde had set through his knowing Aboute the rede rose springing. 1700 The stalke was as risshe right, And theron stood the knoppe upright, That it ne bowed upon no syde. The swote smelle sprong so wyde That it dide al the place aboute-- 1705

>> Entre ces boutons en eslui Ung si très-bel, qu'envers celui Nus des autres riens ne prisié, Puis que ge l'oi bien avisié: Car une color l'enlumine, Qui est si vermeille et si fine, Com Nature la pot plus faire. Des foilles i ot quatre paire 1670 Que Nature par grant mestire I ot assises tire à tire. La coe ot droite comme jons, Et par dessus siet li boutons, Si qu'il ne cline, ne ne pent. L'odor de lui entor s'espent; La soatime qui en ist Toute la place replenist. 1678

G. = Glasgow MS.; Th. = Thynne's ed. (1532).

1-44. _Lost in_ G.; _from_ Th. 3. Th. some sweuen; _but the pl. is required_. 4. Th. that false ne bene. 5. Th. apparaunt. 6. Th. warraunt. 12. Th. els; _om._ a. 13, 14. Th. fal, cal; fole.

23. Th. folke; went. 25. Th. slepte. 26. Th. suche. 27. Th. lyked; wele. 28. Th. dele. 29. Th. afterwarde befal. 30. Th. dreme; tel; al. 31. Th. Nowe; dreme. 35. Th. there. 37. Th. Howe; _om._ that _and_ the. 38. Th. hatte; _read_ hote.

39. Ed. 1550, Romaunte. 40. Th. arte. 42. Th. graunt me in; _omit_ me. 45. _Here begins_ G. 46. Th. to be; G. _torn_. 47. Th. G. ought. 49. G. Th. thought. 55. G. Th. bene. 56. G. Th. wrene. 59. G. erth. G. Th. proude. 61. G. Th. forgette. 62. G. Th. had; sette.

66. G. Th. had. 69-72. _Imperfect in_ G. 72. G. so; Th. ful. 73. Th. grylle; G. gryl. 73, 74. G. Th. sight, bright. 76. Th. herte; G. hertis. G. sich. 80. G. _om._ a. 81. G. _om._ the. 82. Th. yonge; G. yong. 84. Th. sauorous; G. sauerous. 85. Th. his herte; G. the hert.

89. G. blesful; Th. blysful. 91. G. affraieth; Th. affirmeth. G. Th. al. 96. G. wisshe; hondis. 97. Th. nedyl. G. droughe; Th. drowe. 98. Th. aguyler; G. Aguler. G. ynoughe; Th. ynowe. 101. Th. sowne; G. song. 102. Th. on; G. in. _Both_ buskes. 103. G. _om._ the. G. swete; Th. lefe. 107. Th. That; G. They. G. _om._ a. 109. Th. Iolyfe; G. Ioly.

110. _Both_ gan I. 111. G. herd; fast. 113. _Both_ ryuere. 114. _Both_ nere. 117-120. _Imperfect in_ G. 121. _Perhaps om._ that. 123, 4. G. Th. ryuere, clere. 126. Th. botome ypaued. 132. G. walk thorough.

138. G. Th. Enclosed was; _see_ l. 1652. 139. Th. hye; G. high. 142. G. the ymages and the peyntures; Th. the ymages and peyntures. 146. G. haue in; Th. _om._ in. 147. Th. Amydde; G. Amyd. 149. _Both_ mynoresse; _French_, moverresse. 154. _Both_ wode. 155. G. _om._ Y-.

160. Th. ywrithen; G. writhen. 163. G. _om._ faste. 165, 6. _Both_ Felony, Vil(l)any. 167. Th. Ycleped; G. Clepid. _Both_ fonde. 168. G. wal; Th. wall. _Both_ honde. 174. _Both_ outragious. 176. Th. suche an ymage.

184. G. gret tresouris; Th. gret treasours. G. leyne; Th. layne. 185. G. _om._ she. 188. Th. couetous; G. coueitise. 189. G. _om._ she. Th. for; G. that. 196. _Both_ myscoueiting. 198. _Both om._ that. 203. _Both_ wode.

204. _Both_ gode. 208. _Both_ fast. 212. Th. any; G. ony. 214. _Both_ semed to haue. 219. G. porely; Th. poorely. 220. _Both_ courtpy. 224. Th. mantel; G. mantyl. _Both_ fast.

234. Th. ilke; G. ilk. 239. Th. helde; G. hilde. 240. _Both om._ doun. 241, 2. Th. stronge, longe; G. strong, long. 245, 6. _Both_ entent, went. 248. _Both_ peynted. 249, 250. _Both_ in hir herte. G. farede, herede; Th. ferde, herde.

255. _Perhaps read_ On ... to falle. 256. _Both om._ ful. 259. Th. shamful; G. shynful. 261. _Both_ or by his prowesse. 264. Th. chaunce; G. chaunge. 266. G. trouth. 271. G. farede; Th. fared. 273. _Both_ male talent; _see_ 330.

275. G. hath; Th. hate. _I supply_ wo. 276. _Read_ melt'th _or_ melt. 277. _Both_ so (_for_ to-). 278. Th. people; G. puple. 282. _Both_ best. 291. G. Th. awrie. 292. G. -thart; Th. -twharte, _misprint for_ -thwart. 293. _I supply_ eek. G. _om._ a foul. 296. G. hir eien; Th. her one eye.

298. _Both_ se. 299. _So_ Th.; G. fairer or worthier. 303. G. seyn; Th. sene. 305. _Both_ to haue; _read_ hav-ë. Th. iaundice. 307. _I supply_ as. 310. Th. yelowe; G. yolare.

324. _Both_ rent. 333-380. _Lost in_ G; _from_ Th. 334. Th. had sene. 340. Th. rechelesse. 341. Th. rought. 342. _I supply_ of.

344. Th. luste; play. 349. Th. contrarie. 352. Th. might. 356. Th. for hore.

367, 368. Th. went, potent. 370. Th. restlesse. 379. _Supply_ er (Kaluza). 381. G. _begins again_. 382. _Both_ may neuer. 387. _Both_ frette. Th. shal; G. shalle. 388. Th. al; G. alle. 389. Th. al; G. alle. 390. _Both_ al.

398. _Both_ myght. 401. _Both_ witte; pithe; in. 404. _Both_ faire. 408. Th. cappe.

421. Th. symple; G. semely. 435. G. ne fresh; Th. _om._ ne. 436. _Both_ to be.

442. _Both_ ay (_giving no sense_); _read_ shal. 444. _Both_ grace (_for_ face). 446. G. _om._ hem. 448. G. _om._ eek. 452. _I supply_ that. 455. G. wedir; Th. wether. 456. G. deyd; Th. dyed. 462. _Both_ had.

466. G. pouer. 467. G. shamefast; dispised. 471. G. ony pouere; fedde. Th. yfedde. 472. G. cledde; Th. ycledde. 478. Th. were; G. newe. 479. _Both_ Square. 480. Th. ybarred; G. barred. 483. _Both_ wrought. 485. G. laddris; Th. ladders; _read_ laddre; _see_ 523.

489. _Both_ As was in. 492. G. yeer; Th. yere; _read_ yerd; _see_ 656. 494. Th. Therin; G. Therynne. 498. _Both_ ought. 501. Th. hundred; G. hundreth. _Both_ wolde (_by confusion_). 503. _Both_ be. 505. _Both_ kepe it fro care; _a false rime_. 506. _Both_ ware; _a false spelling_. 510. _Both_ weymentyng.

512. _Both_ into. 516. _Both_ where; _read_ o-where. 517. _Both_ myght. 520. _Both_ For; _read_ Ful. G. angwishis; _see_ F. text. 532. _I supply 1st_ so.

535. G. and of herknyng; Th. al herkenyng. 536. G. ony; Th. any; _read_ a. 537. G. _om._ the. 540. G. ony; Th. any. 541. _I supply 1st_ as. 542. _Both_ bent. 546. _Both_ as is a; _omit_ is _or_ a. 558. G. snawe; Th. snowe. G. snawed; Th. snowed.

560. G. neded; Th. neden. 564. _Some lines lost?_ 567. _I supply_ in honde. 568. Th. tressour; G. tresour; (_cf._ Gawain, 1739). 569. _Both_ queyntly; _see_ l. 783. 570. _Both_ fetously; _see_ l. 577.

583. _Both_ but if; _om._ if. 586. _Both_ may; _see_ l. 538. 587, 588. _Both_ myght, hyght. 592. G. answeride; Th. answerde. 603. G. hidre be; Th. hyther be. _Both_ fette. 604. G. sette; Th. ysette.

605. _Both_ hight. 606. _Both_ sight. 617. Th. therin; G. therynne. 623. Th. playen in; G. pleyn ynne.

631. Th. Than; G. Thanne. 645, 653. Th. in; G. Inne. 654. _Both_ thought.

655. Th. byrde; G. bridde; _read_ brid. 660. _Both_ places (_badly_). 661. _Both_ might. 668. _Both_ That (_for_ These). 673. Th. whan; G. that. Th. herde; G. herd. 676. _Both_ myght.

684. _Both_ clepe. 688. Th. But; G. For. _Both om._ hir. 699. Th. gardyn; G. gardyne. 700. G. inne; Th. in.

701. G. hens-; wrought. 702. _Both_ thought. 709. _Both_ wrought. 716. Th. her; G. their. Th. iargonyng; G. yarkonyng. 718. Th. ispronge; G. spronge. 720. Th. reuelrye; G. reuerye; _see_ French. 724. Th. in; G. inne.

728. _Both_ sight (_wrongly_). 732. Th. faste; G. fast. _Both_ without. 739. Th. whence; G. whenne. _Both_ might. 741, 2. _Both_ sight, bright. 743. Th. These; G. This. 745. _Both_ hyght. 746. _Both_ blisfull. Th. and lyght; G. and the light; _see_ 797. 749. _Both add_ couthe _before_ make.

760. _I supply_ ther. 761. _Both_ made (_for_ make). 770. Th. saylours; G. saillouris. 773. _Both_, hente; _I supply_ hem.

776. G. damysels; Th. damosels. 782. _Both_ lieth. 783. _Both_ queyntly; _see_ l. 569. 791. _Both_ bode; _read_ bede; _see_ note. 798. _Both_ pray to God.

801. _I supply_ neer. 806. _Both_ it to me liked. 811. _Both_ right blythe; _om._ right. 812. Th. Than; G. Thanne. 819. Th. appel; G. appille.

834. _Both_ first. 836. _Both_ samette. 837. _Both_ beten ful; _om._ ful. 844. _Both_ drury. 845. Th. rosen; G. rosyn.

848. _Both_ gladnesse. 859. G. seye; Th. sey (_for_ say_n_). 860. G. pleye; Th. pley (_for_ pley_n_). 861. _Both_ Bent. 863. _Both_ laugheden. 865. _Both_ I wot not what of hir nose I shal descryve (_eleven syllables_). 866. _Two lines lost._

869. Th. orfrayes. 870. Th. whiche; G. which. Th. sene; G. seyen. 873. Th. samyte; G. samet. 875, 6. Th. werde, ferde; G. werede, ferede. _Both ins._ hir _bef._ herte. 877. Th. on; G. in. 879. _Both_ Love, and as hym likith it be. 887. Th. prise; G. preyse. 890. Th. ycladde; G. clad. 891. G. and in; Th. _om._ in. 892. _From_ Th.; G. _om._

893. Th. losenges; G. losynges. 897. Th. Ypurtrayed; G. Portreied. Th. ywrought; G. wrought. 900. Th. Yset; G. Sett. 902. Th. moche; G. mych. 903, 4. _Both_ peruynke, thynke. 906. G. -melled; Th. -medled; _see_ l. 898.

923. _Both_ Turke bowes two, full wel deuysed had he (_too long_). 928. Th. any; G. ony. 929, 930. Th. plante, warante; G. plant, warant. _Both_ Without. 932. G. Treitys; Th. Trectes. _Both ins._ ful _after_ of. 933. G. twythen; Th. thwitten (_printed_ twhitten). 936. _I supply_ ful. 939. Th. helde; G. hilde.

942. Th. aryght; G. right. 944. G. peynted (!). 945. Th. sharpe; G. sharp. Th. wele; G. welle. 946. Th. stele; G. steelle. 948. Th. Out take; G. Outake. 953. G. lasse; Th. lesse. 958. Th. companye; G. compaigny. 959. _Both_ shoten; _see_ l. 989. 960. _For_ right _read_ nigh (K.).

964. _Both_ leest. 969. Th. soner; G. sonner. 970. Th. Hys; G. Hir. Th. ought be; G. ought to be. 973. _Both_ for to telle. 984. _Both_ on; _read_ of (K.).

991. _Both_ And contrarye. 998. Th. booke; G. book. 1007. G. Th. And; _read_ As was; F. _Ainsinc cum_. 1010. _I supply_ is.

1015. _For_ As _read_ And (K.). 1017. _Both_ smale. 1018. _Both_ wyntred; _see_ l. 1020. 1026. _Both_ thought; _read_ thinketh (K.). 1031. _Both_ Sore (!); _read_ Wys (?). 1034. _Both_ And hight (!).

1037. _Both_ in werk (!). 1043. G. and the; Th. _om._ the. 1045. Th. weren; G. were. 1058. Th. But; G. And. Th. prill; G. prile; _prob. error for_ prike, _or_ prikke.

1062. Th. and wyse; G. ywys. 1063. G. haue do; Th. and ydon. 1065. Th. And maketh; G. Haue maad. 1066. G. _om._ as. _Both_ ought. 1068. Th. aryued; G. achyued. 1071. G. purpur; Th. purple. 1073. Th. it; G. hir. 1080. Th. amyled; Speght, ameled; G. enameled. 1082. G. shete; Th. shette.

1089. _Both_ durst (!); _read_ thurte _or_ thurfte. 1092. Th. mannes; G. man. 1098. G. _om._ of. _Both_ tothe. 1101. Th. thylke; G. thilk. 1102. _Both_ myght.

1109. _Both_ light. 1111. Th. he; G. she. 1112. _Both_ deuyse. 1116. Th. the; G. that. 1117. _Both_ ragounces (!). 1125. Morris _supplies_ tho. 1132. G. mych.

1134. Th. loued wel to haue; G. loued to haue well. 1137. Th. an; G. ony. 1139. Th. ben; G. be. 1141. Th. Was; G. And. 1142. Th. or defence; G. of diffense. 1144. Th. dispences; G. dispence. 1146. Th. for to spende; G. for to dispende; _see_ 1157. 1147. Th. lackynge; G. lakke. 1150. Th. sette; G. settith.

1162. G. _om._ wys. 1166. Th. craftely; G. tristely. 1172. Th. nygarde; G. nygart. 1176. G. _om._ him. 1178. Th. wyl; G. wille. 1182. Th. adamant; G. adamaund.

1187. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. 1188. G. sarlynysh; Th. Sarlynyssche. 1199. _Both_ sibbe. Th. Arthour; G. Artour. Th. Breteigne; G. Britaigne. 1200. Th. enseigne; G, ensaigne. 1201. _Both_ gousfaucoun. 1205. _Both_ newly. 1206. Th. tourneyeng; G. tourneryng.

1207. Th. There; G. The. 1210. _Both_ He caste. 1214. Th. yfallen; G. falle. 1219. Th. on; G. of. 1221. _Both_ durst. 1227, 8. _Both_ bistadde, adradde. 1230. Th. taswage.

1233. Th. hempe; G. hempe ne (_for_ hempene). 1235. G. ridled; Th. ryddeled. 1236. G. _om._ nat. _Both_ a; _read_ oo. 1238. Th. yclothed; G. clothed. 1243; _see_ 1235. 1244. _Both_ Bitokeneth. 1247, 8. _Both_ hight.

1255. Th. _om._ right. 1259. G. and of; Th. _om._ of. 1261. G. _om. 1st_ no. 1263. G. wenaunt (!). 1265. G. _om._ were. 1274. _Both_ fast. 1275. _Both_ without.

1282. _Both_ And she; _read_ Youthe; _see_ 1302. 1288. Th. yonge; G. yong. Th. wel; G. wole. 1303. _Both_ that; _read_ thus; _see_ 1310.

1307. _Both_ faire; truly (truely). 1308. _Both_ were. 1313. G. loreyes; Th. Laurelles. 1315. Th. ended; G. eended (=y-ended?). 1323. _Both_ myght. 1324. _Both_ durst (_for_ thurte). 1326. _Both_ As to haue.

1332. _Both_ she (_for 2nd_ he). 1334. _Both_ hadde (_for_ bad); bent; _om._ it. 1335. _I supply_ it. _Both_ an (_for_ on). 1339. _Both_ sittith. 1340. _Both_ he kepe me; (_om._ he). 1341. G. hadde me shette; Th. had me shete. 1342. G. mette; Th. mete. 1343. _Both_ had me greued. 1348. _Both_ hadde in all the gardyn be.

1359. G. of gret; Th. _om._ of. 1360. Th. nuttes. 1363. _Both_ almandres. 1365. Th. weren; G. wexen. 1366. _Read_ Throughout the yerd? 1369. Th. Gyngere; G. Gyngevre. _Both_ Parys (!). 1375. Th. plommes. Th. chesteynis; G. chesteyns. 1376. G. Cherys; Th. Cheryse. G. which.

1379. Th. laurer; G. lorey (!). 1381. G. olyuers; Th. olyueris. 1384. _Both_ oke. 1386-1482. _Lost in_ G. 1397, 8. Th. knytte, sytte; _see_ Parl. Fo. 628. 1399. Th. myght there noon. 1400. _I supply_ it.

1403. Th. bowe; Speght, bough (_twice_). 1404. Th. Connes. 1405, 6. Th. clapers, maners. 1411, 2. Th. wel, tel. 1413, 4. Th. deuyse, condyse 1423. Th. the erthe; _see_ 1428. 1424. Th. wel.

1425. Th. Spronge; _see_ l. 1419. 1428. Th. suche. 1429. Th. hath. 1431. Th. vyolet. 1440. Th. dilectable. 1445, 6. Th. lefte. 1447. Th. garden; _read_ yerde in (K.); cf. 1366 (note). 1448. Th. efters (!).

1452. Th. beest. 1453. Th. shoten; _read_ shete. 1453. Th. goodmesse; _see_ 3462. 1456. Th. Besydes. 1474. Th. that hight; (_om._ that).

1482. Th. feirs. 1483. G. _begins again_. 1485. G. _om._ hir. 1486. Th. hert. 1488. Th. without. 1489. Th. deyde; G. dide. 1495. _Both_ might to; _I omit_ to. 1496. Th. Than; G. And that. Th. shulde he; G. he shulde. 1498. G. velaynesly; Th. vilaynously.

1500. Th. ferme; G. forme. 1503. G. resten; Th. rest. G. that; Th. the. 1508. G. heet; Th. herte (_for_ heete). 1510. _Both_ wel. Th. y-comen; G. comen. 1515. G. he straught; Th. out-straught. 1516. _Both_ draught. 1517, 8. G. seen, sheen; Th. sene, shene. 1520. Th. had; G. was.

1527. _Both_ musede so. 1528. Th. _om._ al. 1534: _Both_ comforte.

1550. G. scathles; Th. scathlesse. 1552. Th. abasshen; G. abaisshen. 1553. _From_ Th.; _not in_ G. 1561, 2. _Both_ bright, hight. 1563. _Both_ Aboute.

1573, 4. _Both_ sight, bright. 1581. _Both_ foule. 1583. _Both_ you to; _I omit_ to. 1585. _Both_ mirrour. 1586. G. stondith; Th. stondeth. 1591. _Both_ entrees. 1593, 4. _Both_ ye (_for_ he).

1601, 1605. _Both_ mirrour. 1604. _So_ Th.; G. swithe to ligge. 1605. Th. loke; G. loketh. 1608. _Both_ laughyng (!); _read_ loving. 1609. G. _om._ a. 1610. Th. Y-blent; G. Blent. 1617. Th. sowen; G. sowne.

1621, 2. _Both_ panters, bachelers. 1638. G. fast; Th. faste. 1641. _I supply_ have. _Both_ sighed (_for_ syked). 1642, 9. _Both_ mirrour.

1644. Th. vertue; G. vertues. _I supply_ the. _Both_ strengthes; _read_ strengthe. 1646. _Both_ had. 1648. G. bitrisshed; Th. bytresshed. 1649. Th. thylke; G. thilk. 1652. Th. enclos; G. enclosid. 1655. G. att (_for_ and). 1663. Th. G. me; _read_ be (F. _fusse_). 1666. _So_ Th.; G. Me thankis. G. wole; Th. wol; _read_ wolde.

1668. _Both_ bere. 1671, 2. _Both_ -thought, wrought. 1673. _Both_ ther were; _both_ wone. 1674. Th. ware; G. waxe; _both_ Rone. 1679. Th. faste; G. fast. 1683. G. will_e_; Th. wyl. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. 1687. _Both_ myght haue. 1688. G. lief; Th. lefe. 1689. _I supply_ a.

1694. G. it in; Th. _om._ it. 1695. G. enlomyned. 1698. _Both_ hath; _om._ wel? 1700. _Both_ roses. 1701. Th. rysshe; G. rish. 1705. Th. dyed (_for_ dide; _wrongly_). 1705, 6. _A false rime_; l. 1705 _is incomplete in sense, as the sentence has no verb. Here the genuine portion ends._ L. 1706 _is by another hand_.

FRAGMENT B.

Whan I had smelled the savour swote, No wille hadde I fro thens yit go, But somdel neer it wente I tho, To take it; but myn hond, for drede, Ne dorste I to the rose bede, 1710 For thistels sharpe, of many maneres, Netles, thornes, and hoked breres; [Ful] muche they distourbled me, For sore I dradde to harmed be. The God of Love, with bowe bent, 1715 That al day set hadde his talent To pursuen and to spyen me, Was stonding by a fige-tree. And whan he sawe how that I Had chosen so ententifly 1720 The botoun, more unto my pay Than any other that I say, He took an arowe ful sharply whet, And in his bowe whan it was set, He streight up to his ere drough 1725 The stronge bowe, that was so tough, And shet at me so wonder smerte, That through myn eye unto myn herte The takel smoot, and depe it wente. And ther-with-al such cold me hente, 1730 That, under clothes warme and softe, Sith that day I have chevered ofte. Whan I was hurt thus in [that] stounde, I fel doun plat unto the grounde. Myn herte failed and feynted ay, 1735 And long tyme [ther] a-swone I lay. But whan I com out of swoning, And hadde wit, and my feling, I was al maat, and wende ful wel Of blood have loren a ful gret del. 1740 But certes, the arowe that in me stood Of me ne drew no drope of blood, For-why I found my wounde al dreye. Than took I with myn hondis tweye The arowe, and ful fast out it plight, 1745 And in the pulling sore I sight. So at the last the shaft of tree I drough out, with the fethers three. But yet the hoked heed, y-wis, The whiche Beautee callid is, 1750 Gan so depe in myn herte passe, That I it mighte nought arace; But in myn herte stille it stood, Al bledde I not a drope of blood. I was bothe anguissous and trouble 1755 For the peril that I saw double; I niste what to seye or do, Ne gete a leche my woundis to; For neithir thurgh gras ne rote, Ne hadde I help of hope ne bote. 1760 But to the botoun ever-mo Myn herte drew; for al my wo, My thought was in non other thing. For hadde it been in my keping, It wolde have brought my lyf agayn. 1765 For certeinly, I dar wel seyn, The sight only, and the savour, Alegged muche of my langour. Than gan I for to drawe me Toward the botoun fair to see; 1770 And Love hadde gete him, in [a] throwe, Another arowe into his bowe, And for to shete gan him dresse; The arowis name was Simplesse. And whan that Love gan nyghe me nere, 1775 He drow it up, withouten were, And shet at me with al his might, So that this arowe anon-right Thourghout [myn] eigh, as it was founde, Into myn herte hath maad a wounde. 1780 Thanne I anoon dide al my crafte For to drawen out the shafte, And ther-with-al I sighed eft. But in myn herte the heed was left, Which ay encresid my desyre, 1785 Unto the botoun drawe nere; And ever, mo that me was wo, The more desyr hadde I to go Unto the roser, where that grew The fresshe botoun so bright of hewe. 1790 Betir me were have leten be; But it bihoved nedes me To don right as myn herte bad. For ever the body must be lad Aftir the herte; in wele and wo, 1795 Of force togidre they must go. But never this archer wolde fyne To shete at me with alle his pyne, And for to make me to him mete. The thridde arowe he gan to shete, 1800 Whan best his tyme he mighte espye, The which was named Curtesye; Into myn herte it dide avale. A-swone I fel, bothe deed and pale; Long tyme I lay, and stired nought, 1805 Til I abraid out of my thought. And faste than I avysed me To drawen out the shafte of tree; But ever the heed was left bihinde For ought I couthe pulle or winde. 1810 So sore it stikid whan I was hit, That by no craft I might it flit; But anguissous and ful of thought, I felte such wo, my wounde ay wrought, That somoned me alway to go 1815 Toward the rose, that plesed me so; But I ne durste in no manere, Bicause the archer was so nere. For evermore gladly, as I rede, Brent child of fyr hath muche drede. 1820 And, certis yit, for al my peyne, Though that I sigh yit arwis reyne, And grounde quarels sharpe of stele, Ne for no payne that I might fele, Yit might I not my-silf withholde 1825 The faire roser to biholde; For Love me yaf sich hardement For to fulfille his comaundement. Upon my feet I roos up than Feble, as a forwoundid man; 1830 And forth to gon [my] might I sette, And for the archer nolde I lette. Toward the roser fast I drow; But thornes sharpe mo than y-now Ther were, and also thistels thikke, 1835 And breres, brimme for to prikke, That I ne mighte gete grace The rowe thornes for to passe, To sene the roses fresshe of hewe. I must abide, though it me rewe, 1840 The hegge aboute so thikke was, That closid the roses in compas. But o thing lyked me right wele; I was so nygh, I mighte fele Of the botoun the swote odour, 1845 And also see the fresshe colour; And that right gretly lyked me, That I so neer it mighte see. Sich Ioye anoon therof hadde I, That I forgat my malady. 1850 To sene [it] hadde I sich delyt, Of sorwe and angre I was al quit, And of my woundes that I had thar; For no-thing lyken me might mar Than dwellen by the roser ay, 1855 And thennes never to passe away. But whan a whyle I had be thar, The God of Love, which al to-shar Myn herte with his arwis kene, Caste him to yeve me woundis grene. 1860 He shet at me ful hastily An arwe named Company, The whiche takel is ful able To make these ladies merciable. Than I anoon gan chaungen hewe 1865 For grevaunce of my wounde newe, That I agayn fel in swoning, And sighed sore in compleyning. Sore I compleyned that my sore On me gan greven more and more. 1870 I had non hope of allegeaunce; So nigh I drow to desperaunce, I rought of dethe ne of lyf, Whither that love wolde me dryf. If me a martir wolde he make, 1875 I might his power nought forsake. And whyl for anger thus I wook, The God of Love an arowe took; Ful sharp it was and [ful] pugnaunt, And it was callid Fair-Semblaunt, 1880 The which in no wys wol consente, That any lover him repente To serve his love with herte and alle, For any peril that may bifalle. But though this arwe was kene grounde 1885 As any rasour that is founde, To cutte and kerve, at the poynt, The God of Love it hadde anoynt With a precious oynement, Somdel to yeve aleggement 1890 Upon the woundes that he had Through the body in my herte maad, To helpe hir sores, and to cure, And that they may the bet endure. But yit this arwe, withoute more, 1895 Made in myn herte a large sore, That in ful gret peyne I abood. But ay the oynement wente abrood; Throughout my woundes large and wyde It spredde aboute in every syde; 1900 Through whos vertu and whos might Myn herte Ioyful was and light. I had ben deed and al to-shent But for the precious oynement. The shaft I drow out of the arwe, 1905 Roking for wo right wondir narwe; But the heed, which made me smerte, Lefte bihinde in myn herte With other foure, I dar wel say, That never wol be take away; 1910 But the oynement halp me wele. And yit sich sorwe dide I fele, That al-day I chaunged hewe, Of my woundes fresshe and newe, As men might see in my visage. 1915 The arwis were so fulle of rage, So variaunt of diversitee, That men in everich mighte see Bothe gret anoy and eek swetnesse, And Ioye meynt with bittirnesse. 1920 Now were they esy, now were they wood, In hem I felte bothe harm and good; Now sore without aleggement, Now softening with oynement; It softned here, and prikked there, 1925 Thus ese and anger togider were. The God of Love deliverly Com lepand to me hastily, And seide to me, in gret rape, 'Yeld thee, for thou may not escape! 1930 May no defence availe thee here; Therfore I rede mak no daungere. If thou wolt yelde thee hastily, Thou shalt [the] rather have mercy. He is a fool in sikernesse, 1935 That with daunger or stoutnesse Rebellith ther that he shulde plese; In such folye is litel ese. Be meek, wher thou must nedis bowe; To stryve ageyn is nought thy prowe. 1940 Come at ones, and have y-do, For I wol that it be so. Than yeld thee here debonairly.' And I answerid ful humbly, 'Gladly, sir; at your bidding, 1945 I wol me yelde in alle thing. To your servyse I wol me take; For god defende that I shulde make Ageyn your bidding resistence; I wol not doon so gret offence; 1950 For if I dide, it were no skile. Ye may do with me what ye wile, Save or spille, and also sloo; Fro you in no wyse may I go. My lyf, my deth, is in your honde, 1955 I may not laste out of your bonde. Pleyn at your list I yelde me, Hoping in herte, that sumtyme ye Comfort and ese shulle me sende; Or ellis shortly, this is the ende, 1960 Withouten helthe I moot ay dure, But-if ye take me to your cure. Comfort or helthe how shuld I have, Sith ye me hurte, but ye me save? The helthe of lovers moot be founde 1965 Wher-as they token firste hir wounde. And if ye list of me to make Your prisoner, I wol it take Of herte and wil, fully at gree. Hoolly and pleyn I yelde me, 1970 Withoute feyning or feyntyse, To be governed by your empryse. Of you I here so much prys, I wol ben hool at your devys For to fulfille your lyking 1975 And repente for no-thing, Hoping to have yit in som tyde Mercy, of that [that] I abyde.' And with that covenaunt yeld I me, Anoon doun kneling upon my knee, 1980 Profering for to kisse his feet; But for no-thing he wolde me lete, And seide, 'I love thee bothe and preyse, Sen that thyn answer doth me ese, For thou answerid so curteisly. 1985 For now I wot wel uttirly, That thou art gentil, by thy speche. For though a man fer wolde seche, He shulde not finden, in certeyn, No sich answer of no vileyn; 1990 For sich a word ne mighte nought Isse out of a vilayns thought. Thou shalt not lesen of thy speche, For [to] thy helping wol I eche, And eek encresen that I may. 1995 But first I wol that thou obay Fully, for thyn avauntage, Anon to do me here homage. And sithen kisse thou shalt my mouth, Which to no vilayn was never couth 2000 For to aproche it, ne for to touche; For sauf of cherlis I ne vouche That they shulle never neigh it nere. For curteys, and of fair manere, Wel taught, and ful of gentilnesse 2005 He muste ben, that shal me kisse, And also of ful high fraunchyse, That shal atteyne to that empryse. And first of o thing warne I thee, That peyne and gret adversitee 2010 He mot endure, and eek travaile, That shal me serve, withoute faile. But ther-ageyns, thee to comforte, And with thy servise to desporte, Thou mayst ful glad and Ioyful be 2015 So good a maister to have as me, And lord of so high renoun. I bere of Love the gonfanoun, Of Curtesye the banere; For I am of the silf manere, 2020 Gentil, curteys, meek and free; That who [so] ever ententif be Me to honoure, doute, and serve, And also that he him observe Fro trespas and fro vilanye, 2025 And him governe in curtesye With wil and with entencioun; For whan he first in my prisoun Is caught, than muste he uttirly, Fro thennes-forth ful bisily, 2030 Caste him gentil for to be, If he desyre helpe of me.' Anoon withouten more delay, Withouten daunger or affray, I bicom his man anoon, 2035 And gave him thankes many a oon, And kneled doun with hondis Ioynt, And made it in my port ful queynt; The Ioye wente to myn herte rote. Whan I had kissed his mouth so swote, 2040 I had sich mirthe and sich lyking, It cured me of languisshing. He askid of me than hostages:-- I have,' he seide, 'taken fele homages Of oon and other, where I have been 2045 Disceyved ofte, withouten wene. These felouns, fulle of falsitee, Have many sythes bigyled me, And through falshede hir lust acheved, Wherof I repente and am agreved. 2050 And I hem gete in my daungere, Hir falshed shulie they bye ful dere. But for I love thee, I seye thee pleyn, I wol of thee be more certeyn; For thee so sore I wol now binde, 2055 That thou away ne shalt not winde For to denyen the covenaunt, Or doon that is not avenaunt. That thou were fals it were gret reuthe, Sith thou semest so ful of treuthe.' 2060 'Sire, if thee list to undirstande, I merveile thee asking this demande. For-why or wherfore shulde ye Ostages or borwis aske of me, Or any other sikirnesse, 2065 Sith ye wote, in sothfastnesse, That ye have me surprysed so, And hool myn herte taken me fro, That it wol do for me no-thing But-if it be at your bidding? 2070 Myn herte is yours, and myn right nought, As it bihoveth, in dede and thought, Redy in alle to worche your wille, Whether so [it] turne to good or ille. So sore it lustith you to plese, 2075 No man therof may you disseise. Ye have theron set sich Iustise, That it is werreyd in many wise. And if ye doute it nolde obeye, Ye may therof do make a keye, 2080 And holde it with you for ostage.' Now certis, this is noon outrage,' Quoth Love, 'and fully I accord; For of the body he is ful lord That hath the herte in his tresor; 2085 Outrage it were to asken more.' Than of his aumener he drough A litel keye, fetys y-nough, Which was of gold polisshed clere, And seide to me, 'With this keye here 2090 Thyn herte to me now wol I shette; For al my Iowellis loke and knette I binde under this litel keye, That no wight may carye aweye; This keye is ful of gret poeste.' 2095 With which anoon he touchid me Undir the syde ful softely, That he myn herte sodeynly Without [al] anoy had spered, That yit right nought it hath me dered. 2100 Whan he had doon his wil al-out, And I had put him out of dout, Sire,' I seide, 'I have right gret wille Your lust and plesaunce to fulfille. Loke ye my servise take at gree, 2105 By thilke feith ye owe to me. I seye nought for recreaundyse, For I nought doute of your servyse. But the servaunt traveileth in vayne, That for to serven doth his payne 2110 Unto that lord, which in no wyse Can him no thank for his servyse.' Love seide, 'Dismaye thee nought, Sin thou for sucour hast me sought, In thank thy servise wol I take, 2115 And high of degree I wol thee make, If wikkidnesse ne hindre thee; But, as I hope, it shal nought be. To worship no wight by aventure May come, but-if he peyne endure. 2120 Abyde and suffre thy distresse; That hurtith now, it shal be lesse; I wot my-silf what may thee save, What medicyne thou woldist have. And if thy trouthe to me thou kepe, 2125 I shal unto thyn helping eke, To cure thy woundes and make hem clene, Wher-so they be olde or grene; Thou shalt be holpen, at wordis fewe. For certeynly thou shalt wel shewe 2130 Wher that thou servest with good wille, For to complisshen and fulfille My comaundementis, day and night, Whiche I to lovers yeve of right.' 'Ah, sire, for goddis love,' seide I, 2135 Er ye passe hens, ententifly Your comaundementis to me ye say, And I shal kepe hem, if I may; For hem to kepen is al my thought. And if so be I wot hem nought, 2140 Than may I [sinne] unwitingly. Wherfore I pray you enterely, With al myn herte, me to lere, That I trespasse in no manere.' The god of love than chargid me 2145 Anoon, as ye shal here and see, Word by word, by right empryse, So as the Romance shal devyse. The maister lesith his tyme to lere, Whan the disciple wol not here. 2150 It is but veyn on him to swinke, That on his lerning wol not thinke. Who-so lust love, let him entende, For now the Romance ginneth amende. Now is good to here, in fay, 2155 If any be that can it say, And poynte it as the resoun is Set; for other-gate, y-wis, It shal nought wel in alle thing Be brought to good undirstonding: 2160 For a reder that poyntith ille A good sentence may ofte spille. The book is good at the ending, Maad of newe and lusty thing; For who-so wol the ending here, 2165 The crafte of love he shal now lere, If that he wol so long abyde, Til I this Romance may unhyde, And undo the signifiaunce Of this dreme into Romaunce. 2170 The sothfastnesse that now is hid, Without coverture shal be kid, Whan I undon have this dreming, Wherin no word is of lesing. 'Vilany, at the biginning, 2175 I wol,' sayd Love, 'over alle thing, Thou leve, if thou wolt [not] be Fals, and trespasse ageynes me. I curse and blame generally Alle hem that loven vilany; 2180 For vilany makith vilayn, And by his dedis a cherle is seyn. Thise vilayns arn without pitee, Frendshipe, love, and al bounte. I nil receyve to my servyse 2185 Hem that ben vilayns of empryse. 'But undirstonde in thyn entent, That this is not myn entendement, To clepe no wight in no ages Only gentil for his linages. 2190 But who-so [that] is vertuous, And in his port nought outrageous, Whan sich oon thou seest thee biforn, Though he be not gentil born, Thou mayst wel seyn, this is a soth, 2195 That he is gentil, bicause he doth As longeth to a gentilman; Of hem non other deme I can. For certeynly, withouten drede, A cherl is demed by his dede, 2200 Of hye or lowe, as ye may see, Or of what kinrede that he be. Ne say nought, for noon yvel wille, Thing that is to holden stille; It is no worship to misseye. 2205 Thou mayst ensample take of Keye, That was somtyme, for misseying, Hated bothe of olde and ying; As fer as Gaweyn, the worthy, Was preysed for his curtesy, 2210 Keye was hated, for he was fel, Of word dispitous and cruel. Wherfore be wyse and aqueyntable, Goodly of word, and resonable Bothe to lesse and eek to mar. 2215 And whan thou comest ther men ar, Loke that thou have in custom ay First to salue hem, if thou may: And if it falle, that of hem som Salue thee first, be not dom, 2220 But quyte him curteisly anoon Without abiding, er they goon. 'For no-thing eek thy tunge applye To speke wordis of ribaudye. To vilayn speche in no degree 2225 Lat never thy lippe unbounden be. For I nought holde him, in good feith, Curteys, that foule wordis seith. And alle wimmen serve and preyse, And to thy power hir honour reyse. 2230 And if that any missayere Dispyse wimmen, that thou mayst here, Blame him, and bidde him holde him stille. And set thy might and al thy wille Wimmen and ladies for to plese, 2235 And to do thing that may hem ese, That they ever speke good of thee, For so thou mayst best preysed be. 'Loke fro pryde thou kepe thee wele; For thou mayst bothe perceyve and fele, 2240 That pryde is bothe foly and sinne; And he that pryde hath, him withinne, Ne may his herte, in no wyse, Meken ne souplen to servyse. For pryde is founde, in every part, 2245 Contrarie unto Loves art. And he that loveth trewely Shulde him contene Iolily, Withouten pryde in sondry wyse, And him disgysen in queyntyse. 2250 For queynt array, withouten drede, Is no-thing proud, who takith hede; For fresh array, as men may see, Withouten pryde may ofte be. 'Mayntene thy-silf aftir thy rent, 2255 Of robe and eek of garnement; For many sythe fair clothing A man amendith in mich thing. And loke alwey that they be shape, What garnement that thou shalt make, 2260 Of him that can [hem] beste do, With al that perteyneth therto. Poyntis and sleves be wel sittand, Right and streight upon the hand. Of shoon and botes, newe and faire, 2265 Loke at the leest thou have a paire; And that they sitte so fetisly, That these rude may uttirly Merveyle, sith that they sitte so pleyn, How they come on or of ageyn. 2270 Were streite gloves, with aumenere Of silk; and alwey with good chere Thou yeve, if thou have richesse; And if thou have nought, spend the lesse. Alwey be mery, if thou may, 2275 But waste not thy good alway. Have hat of floures fresh as May, Chapelet of roses of Whitsonday; For sich array ne cost but lyte. Thyn hondis wasshe, thy teeth make whyte, 2280 And let no filthe upon thee be. Thy nailes blak if thou mayst see, Voide it awey deliverly, And kembe thyn heed right Iolily. [Fard] not thy visage in no wyse, 2285 For that of love is not thempryse; For love doth haten, as I finde, A beaute that cometh not of kinde. Alwey in herte I rede thee Glad and mery for to be, 2290 And be as Ioyful as thou can; Love hath no Ioye of sorowful man. That yvel is ful of curtesye That [lauhwith] in his maladye; For ever of love the siknesse 2295 Is meynd with swete and bitternesse. The sore of love is merveilous; For now the lover [is] Ioyous, Now can he pleyne, now can he grone, Now can he singen, now maken mone. 2300 To-day he pleyneth for hevinesse, To-morowe he pleyeth for Iolynesse. The lyf of love is ful contrarie, Which stoundemele can ofte varie. But if thou canst [som] mirthis make, 2305 That men in gree wole gladly take, Do it goodly, I comaunde thee; For men sholde, wher-so-ever they be, Do thing that hem [best] sitting is, For therof cometh good loos and pris. 2310 Wher-of that thou be vertuous, Ne be not straunge ne daungerous. For if that thou good rider be, Prike gladly, that men may se. In armes also if thou conne, 2315 Pursue, til thou a name hast wonne. And if thy voice be fair and clere, Thou shalt maken no gret daungere Whan to singe they goodly preye; It is thy worship for to obeye. 2320 Also to you it longith ay To harpe and giterne, daunce and play; For if he can wel foote and daunce, It may him greetly do avaunce. Among eek, for thy lady sake, 2325 Songes and complayntes that thou make; For that wol meve [hem] in hir herte, Whan they reden of thy smerte. Loke that no man for scarce thee holde, For that may greve thee manyfolde. 2330 Resoun wol that a lover be In his yiftes more large and free Than cherles that been not of loving. For who ther-of can any thing, He shal be leef ay for to yeve, 2335 In [Loves] lore who so wolde leve; For he that, through a sodeyn sight, Or for a kissing, anon-right Yaf hool his herte in wille and thought, And to him-silf kepith right nought, 2340 Aftir [swich yift], is good resoun, He yeve his good in abandoun. 'Now wol I shortly here reherce, Of that [that] I have seid in verse, Al the sentence by and by, 2345 In wordis fewe compendiously, That thou the bet mayst on hem thinke, Whether-so it be thou wake or winke; For [that] the wordis litel greve A man to kepe, whanne it is breve. 2350 'Who-so with Love wol goon or ryde He mot be curteys, and void of pryde, Mery and fulle of Iolite, And of largesse alosed be. 'First I Ioyne thee, here in penaunce, 2355 That ever, withoute repentaunce, Thou set thy thought in thy loving, To laste withoute repenting; And thenke upon thy mirthis swete, That shal folowe aftir whan ye mete. 2360 'And for thou trewe to love shalt be, I wol, and [eek] comaunde thee, That in oo place thou sette, al hool, Thyn herte, withouten halfen dool, For trecherie, [in] sikernesse; 2365 For I lovede never doublenesse. To many his herte that wol depart, Everiche shal have but litel part. But of him drede I me right nought, That in oo place settith his thought. 2370 Therfore in oo place it sette, And lat it never thennes flette. For if thou yevest it in lening, I holde it but a wrecchid thing: Therfore yeve it hool and quyte, 2375 And thou shalt have the more merite. If it be lent, than aftir soon, The bountee and the thank is doon; But, in love, free yeven thing Requyrith a gret guerdoning. 2380 Yeve it in yift al quit fully, And make thy yift debonairly; For men that yift [wol] holde more dere That yeven is with gladsome chere. That yift nought to preisen is 2385 That man yeveth, maugre his. Whan thou hast yeven thyn herte, as I Have seid thee here [al] openly, Than aventures shulle thee falle, Which harde and hevy been withalle. 2390 For ofte whan thou bithenkist thee Of thy loving, wher-so thou be, Fro folk thou must depart in hy, That noon perceyve thy malady, But hyde thyn harm thou must alone, 2395 And go forth sole, and make thy mone. Thou shalt no whyl be in oo stat, But whylom cold and whylom hat; Now reed as rose, now yelowe and fade. Such sorowe, I trowe, thou never hade; 2400 Cotidien, ne [yit] quarteyne, It is nat so ful of peyne. For ofte tymes it shal falle In love, among thy peynes alle, That thou thy-self, al hoolly, 2405 Foryeten shalt so utterly, That many tymes thou shalt be Stille as an image of tree, Dom as a stoon, without stering Of foot or hond, without speking. 2410 Than, sone after al thy peyne, To memorie shalt thou come ageyn, As man abasshed wondre sore, And after sighen more and more. For wit thou wel, withouten wene, 2415 In swich astat ful oft have been That have the yvel of love assayd, Wher-through thou art so dismayd. 'After, a thought shal take thee so, That thy love is to fer thee fro: 2420 Thou shalt say, "God, what may this be, That I ne may my lady see? Myne herte aloon is to her go, And I abyde al sole in wo, Departed fro myn owne thought, 2425 And with myne eyen see right nought. '"Alas, myn eyen sende I ne may, My careful herte to convay! Myn hertes gyde but they be, I praise no-thing what ever they see. 2430 Shul they abyde thanne? nay; But goon visyte without delay That myn herte desyreth so. For certeynly, but-if they go, A fool my-self I may wel holde, 2435 Whan I ne see what myn herte wolde. Wherfore I wol gon her to seen, Or esed shal I never been, But I have som tokening." Then gost thou forth without dwelling; 2440 But ofte thou faylest of thy desyre, Er thou mayst come hir any nere, And wastest in vayn thy passage. Than fallest thou in a newe rage; For want of sight thou ginnest morne, 2445 And homward pensif dost retorne. In greet mischeef than shall thou be, For than agayn shal come to thee Sighes and pleyntes, with newe wo, That no icching prikketh so. 2450 Who wot it nought, he may go lere Of hem that byen love so dere. 'No-thing thyn herte appesen may, That oft thou wolt goon and assay, If thou mayst seen, by aventure, 2455 Thy lyves joy, thyn hertis cure; So that, by grace if thou might Atteyne of hir to have a sight, Than shall thou doon non other dede But with that sight thyn eyen fede. 2460 That faire fresh whan thou mayst see, Thyn herte shal so ravisshed be, That never thou woldest, thy thankis, lete, Ne remove, for to see that swete. The more thou seest in sothfastnesse, 2465 The more thou coveytest of that swetnesse; The more thyn herte brenneth in fyr, The more thyn herte is in desyr. For who considreth every del, It may be lykned wondir wel, 2470 The peyne of love, unto a fere; For ever [the] more thou neighest nere Thought, or who-so that it be, For verray sothe I telle it thee, The hatter ever shal thou brenne, 2475 As experience shal thee kenne. Wher-so [thou] comest in any cost, Who is next fyr, he brenneth most. And yit forsothe, for al thyn hete, Though thou for love swelte and swete, 2480 Ne for no-thing thou felen may, Thou shalt not willen to passe away. And though thou go, yet must thee nede Thenke al-day on hir fairhede, Whom thou bihelde with so good wille; 2485 And holde thysilf bigyled ille, That thou ne haddest non hardement To shewe hir ought of thyn entent. Thyn herte ful sore thou wolt dispyse, And eek repreve of cowardyse, 2490 That thou, so dulle in every thing, Were dom for drede, without speking. Thou shalt eek thenke thou didest foly, That thou were hir so faste by, And durst not auntre thee to say 2495 Som-thing, er thou cam away; For thou haddist no more wonne, To speke of hir whan thou bigonne: But yif she wolde, for thy sake, In armes goodly thee have take, 2500 It shulde have be more worth to thee Than of tresour greet plentee. 'Thus shalt thou morne and eek compleyn, And gete enchesoun to goon ageyn Unto thy walk, or to thy place, 2505 Where thou biheld hir fleshly face. And never, for fals suspeccioun, Thou woldest finde occasioun For to gon unto hir hous. So art thou thanne desirous 2510 A sight of hir for to have, If thou thine honour mightest save, Or any erand mightist make Thider, for thy loves sake; Ful fayn thou woldist, but for drede 2515 Thou gost not, lest that men take hede. Wherfore I rede, in thy going, And also in thyn ageyn-coming, Thou be wel war that men ne wit; Feyne thee other cause than it 2520 To go that weye, or faste by; To hele wel is no folye. And if so be it happe thee That thou thy love ther mayst see, In siker wyse thou hir salewe, 2525 Wherwith thy colour wol transmewe, And eke thy blood shal al to-quake, Thyn hewe eek chaungen for hir sake. But word and wit, with chere ful pale, Shul wante for to telle thy tale. 2530 And if thou mayst so fer-forth winne, That thou [thy] resoun durst biginne, And woldist seyn three thingis or mo, Thou shalt ful scarsly seyn the two. Though thou bithenke thee never so wel, 2535 Thou shalt foryete yit somdel, But-if thou dele with trecherye. For fals lovers mowe al folye Seyn, what hem lust, withouten drede, They be so double in hir falshede; 2540 For they in herte cunne thenke a thing And seyn another, in hir speking. And whan thy speche is endid al, Right thus to thee it shal bifal; If any word than come to minde, 2545 That thou to seye hast left bihinde, Than thou shalt brenne in greet martyr; For thou shalt brenne as any fyr. This is the stryf and eke the affray, And the batail that lastith ay. 2550 This bargeyn ende may never take, But-if that she thy pees wil make. 'And whan the night is comen, anon A thousand angres shal come upon. To bedde as fast thou wolt thee dight, 2555 Where thou shalt have but smal delyt; For whan thou wenest for to slepe, So ful of peyne shalt thou crepe, Sterte in thy bedde aboute ful wyde, And turne ful ofte on every syde; 2560 Now dounward groffe, and now upright, And walowe in wo the longe night, Thyne armis shalt thou sprede a-brede, As man in werre were forwerreyd. Than shal thee come a remembraunce 2565 Of hir shape and hir semblaunce, Wherto non other may be pere. And wite thou wel, withoute were, That thee shal [seme], somtyme that night, That thou hast hir, that is so bright, 2570 Naked bitwene thyn armes there, Al sothfastnesse as though it were. Thou shalt make castels than in Spayne, And dreme of Ioye, al but in vayne, And thee delyten of right nought, 2575 Whyl thou so slomrest in that thought, That is so swete and delitable, The which, in soth, nis but a fable, For it ne shal no whyle laste. Than shalt thou sighe and wepe faste, 2580 And say, "Dere god, what thing is this? My dreme is turned al amis, Which was ful swete and apparent, But now I wake, it is al shent! Now yede this mery thought away! 2585 Twenty tymes upon a day I wolde this thought wolde come ageyn, For it alleggith wel my peyn. It makith me ful of Ioyful thought, It sleeth me, that it lastith noght. 2590 A, lord! why nil ye me socoure, The Ioye, I trowe, that I langoure? The deth I wolde me shulde slo Whyl I lye in hir armes two. Myn harm is hard, withouten wene, 2595 My greet unese ful ofte I mene. But wolde Love do so I might Have fully Ioye of hir so bright, My peyne were quit me richely. Allas, to greet a thing aske I! 2600 It is but foly, and wrong wening, To aske so outrageous a thing. And who-so askith folily, He moot be warned hastily; And I ne wot what I may say, 2605 I am so fer out of the way; For I wolde have ful gret lyking And ful gret Ioye of lasse thing. For wolde she, of hir gentilnesse, Withouten more, me onis kesse, 2610 It were to me a greet guerdoun, Relees of al my passioun. But it is hard to come therto; Al is but foly that I do, So high I have myn herte set, 2615 Where I may no comfort get. I noot wher I sey wel or nought; But this I wot wel in my thought, That it were bet of hir aloon, For to stinte my wo and moon, 2620 A loke on [me] y-cast goodly, [Than] for to have, al utterly, Of another al hool the pley. A! lord! wher I shal byde the day That ever she shal my lady be? 2625 He is ful cured that may hir see. A! god! whan shal the dawning spring? To ly thus is an angry thing; I have no Ioye thus here to ly Whan that my love is not me by. 2630 A man to lyen hath gret disese, Which may not slepe ne reste in ese. I wolde it dawed, and were now day, And that the night were went away; For were it day, I wolde upryse. 2635 A! slowe sonne, shew thyn enpryse! Speed thee to sprede thy bemis bright, And chace the derknesse of the night, To putte away the stoundes stronge, Which in me lasten al to longe." 2640 'The night shalt thou contene so, Withoute rest, in peyne and wo; If ever thou knewe of love distresse, Thou shalt mowe lerne in that siknesse. And thus enduring shalt thou ly, 2645 And ryse on morwe up erly Out of thy bedde, and harneys thee Er ever dawning thou mayst see. Al privily than shalt thou goon, What [weder] it be, thy-silf aloon, 2650 For reyn, or hayl, for snow, for slete, Thider she dwellith that is so swete, The which may falle aslepe be, And thenkith but litel upon thee. Than shalt thou goon, ful foule aferd; 2655 Loke if the gate be unsperd, And waite without in wo and peyn, Ful yvel a-cold in winde and reyn. Than shal thou go the dore bifore, If thou maist fynde any score, 2660 Or hole, or reft, what ever it were; Than shalt thou stoupe, and lay to ere, If they within a-slepe be; I mene, alle save thy lady free. Whom waking if thou mayst aspye, 2665 Go put thy-silf in Iupartye, To aske grace, and thee bimene, That she may wite, withouten wene, That thou [a]night no rest hast had, So sore for hir thou were bistad. 2670 Wommen wel ought pite to take Of hem that sorwen for hir sake. And loke, for love of that relyke, That thou thenke non other lyke, For [whom] thou hast so greet annoy, 2675 Shal kisse thee er thou go away, And hold that in ful gret deyntee. And, for that no man shal thee see Bifore the hous, ne in the way, Loke thou be goon ageyn er day. 2680 Suche coming, and such going, Such hevinesse, and such walking, Makith lovers, withouten wene, Under hir clothes pale and lene, For Love leveth colour ne cleernesse; 2685 Who loveth trewe hath no fatnesse. Thou shalt wel by thy-selfe see That thou must nedis assayed be. For men that shape hem other wey Falsly her ladies to bitray, 2690 It is no wonder though they be fat; With false othes hir loves they gat; For oft I see suche losengeours Fatter than abbatis or priours. 'Yet with o thing I thee charge, 2695 That is to seye, that thou be large Unto the mayd that hir doth serve, So best hir thank thou shalt deserve. Yeve hir yiftes, and get hir grace, For so thou may [hir] thank purchace, 2700 That she thee worthy holde and free, Thy lady, and alle that may thee see. Also hir servauntes worshipe ay, And plese as muche as thou may; Gret good through hem may come to thee, 2705 Bicause with hir they been prive. They shal hir telle how they thee fand Curteis and wys, and wel doand, And she shal preyse [thee] wel the mare. Loke out of londe thou be not fare; 2710 And if such cause thou have, that thee Bihoveth to gon out of contree, Leve hool thyn herte in hostage, Til thou ageyn make thy passage. Thenk long to see the swete thing 2715 That hath thyn herte in hir keping. 'Now have I told thee, in what wyse A lover shal do me servyse. Do it than, if thou wolt have The mede that thou aftir crave.' 2720 Whan Love al this had boden me, I seide him:--'Sire, how may it be That lovers may in such manere Endure the peyne ye have seid here? I merveyle me wonder faste, 2725 How any man may live or laste In such peyne, and such brenning, In sorwe and thought, and such sighing, Ay unrelesed wo to make, Whether so it be they slepe or wake. 2730 In such annoy continuely, As helpe me god, this merveile I, How man, but he were maad of stele, Might live a month, such peynes to fele.' The God of Love than seide me, 2735 Freend, by the feith I owe to thee, May no man have good, but he it by. A man loveth more tendirly The thing that he hath bought most dere. For wite thou wel, withouten were, 2740 In thank that thing is taken more, For which a man hath suffred sore. Certis, no wo ne may atteyne Unto the sore of loves peyne. Non yvel therto ne may amounte, 2745 No more than a man [may] counte The dropes that of the water be. For drye as wel the grete see Thou mightist, as the harmes telle Of hem that with Love dwelle 2750 In servyse; for peyne hem sleeth, And that ech man wolde flee the deeth, And trowe they shulde never escape, Nere that hope couthe hem make Glad as man in prisoun set, 2755 And may not geten for to et But barly-breed, and watir pure, And lyeth in vermin and in ordure; With alle this, yit can he live, Good hope such comfort hath him yive, 2760 Which maketh wene that he shal be Delivered and come to liberte; In fortune is [his] fulle trust. Though he lye in strawe or dust, In hope is al his susteyning. 2765 And so for lovers, in hir wening, Whiche Love hath shit in his prisoun; Good-Hope is hir salvacioun. Good-Hope, how sore that they smerte, Yeveth hem bothe wille and herte 2770 To profre hir body to martyre; For Hope so sore doth hem desyre To suffre ech harm that men devyse, For Ioye that aftir shal aryse. Hope, in desire [to] cacche victorie; 2775 In Hope, of love is al the glorie, For Hope is al that love may yive; Nere Hope, ther shulde no lover live. Blessid be Hope, which with desyre Avaunceth lovers in such manere. 2780 Good-Hope is curteis for to plese, To kepe lovers from al disese. Hope kepith his lond, and wol abyde, For any peril that may betyde; For Hope to lovers, as most cheef, 2785 Doth hem enduren al mischeef; Hope is her help, whan mister is. And I shal yeve thee eek, y-wis, Three other thingis, that greet solas Doth to hem that be in my las. 2790 'The firste good that may be founde, To hem that in my lace be bounde, Is Swete-Thought, for to recorde Thing wherwith thou canst accorde Best in thyn herte, wher she be; 2795 Thought in absence is good to thee. Whan any lover doth compleyne, And liveth in distresse and peyne, Than Swete-Thought shal come, as blyve, Awey his angre for to dryve. 2800 It makith lovers have remembraunce Of comfort, and of high plesaunce, That Hope hath hight him for to winne. For Thought anoon than shal biginne, As fer, god wot, as he can finde, 2805 To make a mirrour of his minde; For to biholde he wol not lette. Hir person he shal afore him sette, Hir laughing eyen, persaunt and clere, Hir shape, hir fourme, hir goodly chere, 2810 Hir mouth that is so gracious, So swete, and eek so saverous; Of alle hir fetures he shal take heede, His eyen with alle hir limes fede. 'Thus Swete-Thenking shal aswage 2815 The peyne of lovers, and hir rage. Thy Ioye shal double, withoute gesse, Whan thou thenkist on hir semlinesse, Or of hir laughing, or of hir chere, That to thee made thy lady dere. 2820 This comfort wol I that thou take; And if the next thou wolt forsake Which is not lesse saverous, Thou shuldist been to daungerous. 'The secounde shal be Swete-Speche, 2825 That hath to many oon be leche, To bringe hem out of wo and were, And helpe many a bachilere; And many a lady sent socoure, That have loved par-amour, 2830 Through speking, whan they mighten here Of hir lovers, to hem so dere. To [hem] it voidith al hir smerte, The which is closed in hir herte. In herte it makith hem glad and light, 2835 Speche, whan they mowe have sight. And therfore now it cometh to minde, In olde dawes, as I finde, That clerkis writen that hir knewe Ther was a lady fresh of hewe, 2840 Which of hir love made a song On him for to remembre among, In which she seide, "Whan that I here Speken of him that is so dere, To me it voidith al [my] smerte, 2845 Y-wis, he sit so nere myn herte. To speke of him, at eve or morwe, It cureth me of al my sorwe. To me is noon so high plesaunce As of his persone daliaunce." 2850 She wist ful wel that Swete-Speking Comfortith in ful muche thing. Hir love she had ful wel assayed, Of him she was ful wel apayed; To speke of him hir Ioye was set. 2855 Therfore I rede thee that thou get A felowe that can wel concele And kepe thy counsel, and wel hele, To whom go shewe hoolly thyn herte, Bothe wele and wo, Ioye and smerte: 2860 To gete comfort to him thou go, And privily, bitween yow two, Ye shal speke of that goodly thing, That hath thyn herte in hir keping; Of hir beaute and hir semblaunce, 2865 And of hir goodly countenaunce. Of al thy state thou shalt him sey, And aske him counseil how thou may Do any thing that may hir plese; For it to thee shal do gret ese, 2870 That he may wite thou trust him so, Bothe of thy wele and of thy wo. And if his herte to love be set, His companye is muche the bet, For resoun wol, he shewe to thee 2875 Al uttirly his privite; And what she is he loveth so, To thee pleynly he shal undo, Withoute drede of any shame, Bothe telle hir renoun and hir name. 2880 Than shal he forther, ferre and nere, And namely to thy lady dere, In siker wyse; ye, every other Shal helpen as his owne brother, In trouthe withoute doublenesse, 2885 And kepen cloos in sikernesse. For it is noble thing, in fay, To have a man thou darst say Thy prive counsel every del; For that wol comfort thee right wel, 2890 And thou shall holde thee wel apayed, Whan such a freend thou hast assayed. 'The thridde good of greet comfort That yeveth to lovers most disport, Comith of sight and biholding, 2895 That clepid is Swete-Loking, The whiche may noon ese do, Whan thou art fer thy lady fro; Wherfore thou prese alwey to be In place, where thou mayst hir se. 2900 For it is thing most amerous, Most delitable and saverous, For to aswage a mannes sorowe, To sene his lady by the morowe. For it is a ful noble thing 2905 Whan thyn eyen have meting With that relyke precious, Wherof they be so desirous. But al day after, soth it is, They have no drede to faren amis, 2910 They dreden neither wind ne reyn, Ne [yit] non other maner peyn. For whan thyn eyen were thus in blis, Yit of hir curtesye, y-wis, Aloon they can not have hir Ioye, 2915 But to the herte they [it] convoye; Part of hir blis to him [they] sende, Of al this harm to make an ende. The eye is a good messangere, Which can to the herte in such manere 2920 Tidyngis sende, that [he] hath seen, To voide him of his peynes cleen. Wherof the herte reioyseth so That a gret party of his wo Is voided, and put awey to flight. 2925 Right as the derknesse of the night Is chased with clerenesse of the mone, Right so is al his wo ful sone Devoided clene, whan that the sight Biholden may that fresshe wight 2930 That the herte desyreth so, That al his derknesse is ago; For than the herte is al at ese, Whan they seen that [that] may hem plese. 'Now have I thee declared alout, 2935 Of that thou were in drede and dout; For I have told thee feithfully What thee may curen utterly, And alle lovers that wole be Feithful, and ful of stabilite. 2940 Good-Hope alwey kepe by thy syde, And Swete-Thought make eek abyde, Swete-Loking and Swete-Speche; Of alle thyn harmes they shal be leche. Of every thou shalt have greet plesaunce; 2945 If thou canst byde in sufferaunce, And serve wel without feyntyse, Thou shalt be quit of thyn empryse, With more guerdoun, if that thou live; But al this tyme this I thee yive.' 2950 The God of Love whan al the day Had taught me, as ye have herd say, And enfourmed compendiously, He vanished awey al sodeynly, And I alone lefte, al sole, 2955 So ful of compleynt and of dole, For I saw no man ther me by. My woundes me greved wondirly; Me for to curen no-thing I knew, Save the botoun bright of hew, 2960 Wheron was set hoolly my thought; Of other comfort knew I nought, But it were through the God of Love; I knew nat elles to my bihove That might me ese or comfort gete, 2965 But-if he wolde him entermete. The roser was, withoute doute, Closed with an hegge withoute, As ye to-forn have herd me seyn; And fast I bisied, and wolde fayn 2970 Have passed the haye, if I might Have geten in by any slight Unto the botoun so fair to see. But ever I dradde blamed to be, If men wolde have suspeccioun 2975 That I wolde of entencioun Have stole the roses that ther were; Therfore to entre I was in fere. But at the last, as I bithought Whether I sholde passe or nought, 2980 I saw come with a gladde chere To me, a lusty bachelere, Of good stature, and of good hight, And Bialacoil forsothe he hight. Sone he was to Curtesy, 2985 And he me graunted ful gladly The passage of the outer hay, And seide:--'Sir, how that ye may Passe, if [it] your wille be, The fresshe roser for to see, 2990 And ye the swete savour fele. Your warrant may [I be] right wele; So thou thee kepe fro folye, Shal no man do thee vilanye. If I may helpe you in ought, 2995 I shal not feyne, dredeth nought; For I am bounde to your servyse, Fully devoide of feyntyse.' Than unto Bialacoil saide I, 'I thank you, sir, ful hertely, 3000 And your biheest [I] take at gree, That ye so goodly prefer me; To you it cometh of greet fraunchyse, That ye me prefer your servyse.' Than aftir, ful deliverly, 3005 Through the breres anoon wente I, Wherof encombred was the hay. I was wel plesed, the soth to say, To see the botoun fair and swote, So fresshe spronge out of the rote. 3010 And Bialacoil me served wel, Whan I so nygh me mighte fele Of the botoun the swete odour, And so lusty hewed of colour. But than a cherl (foule him bityde!) 3015 Bisyde the roses gan him hyde, To kepe the roses of that roser, Of whom the name was Daunger. This cherl was hid there in the greves, Covered with grasse and with leves, 3020 To spye and take whom that he fond Unto that roser putte an hond. He was not sole, for ther was mo; For with him were other two Of wikkid maners, and yvel fame. 3025 That oon was clepid, by his name, Wikked-Tonge, god yeve him sorwe! For neither at eve, ne at morwe, He can of no man [no] good speke; On many a Iust man doth he wreke. 3030 Ther was a womman eek, that hight Shame, that, who can reken right, Trespas was hir fadir name, Hir moder Resoun; and thus was Shame [On lyve] brought of these ilk two. 3035 And yit had Trespas never ado With Resoun, ne never ley hir by, He was so hidous and ugly, I mene, this that Trespas hight; But Resoun conceyveth, of a sight, 3040 Shame, of that I spak aforn. And whan that Shame was thus born, It was ordeyned, that Chastitee Shulde of the roser lady be, Which, of the botouns more and las, 3045 With sondry folk assailed was, That she ne wiste what to do. For Venus hir assailith so, That night and day from hir she stal Botouns and roses over-al. 3050 To Resoun than prayeth Chastitee, Whom Venus flemed over the see, That she hir doughter wolde hir lene, To kepe the roser fresh and grene. Anoon Resoun to Chastitee 3055 Is fully assented that it be, And grauntid hir, at hir request, That Shame, bicause she is honest, Shal keper of the roser be. And thus to kepe it ther were three, 3060 That noon shulde hardy be ne bold (Were he yong, or were he old) Ageyn hir wille awey to bere Botouns ne roses, that ther were. I had wel sped, had I not been 3065 Awayted with these three, and seen. For Bialacoil, that was so fair, So gracious and debonair, Quitte him to me ful curteisly, And, me to plese, bad that I 3070 Shuld drawe me to the botoun nere; Prese in, to touche the rosere Which bar the roses, he yaf me leve; This graunt ne might but litel greve. And for he saw it lyked me, 3075 Right nygh the botoun pullede he A leef al grene, and yaf me that, The which ful nygh the botoun sat; I made [me] of that leef ful queynt. And whan I felte I was aqueynt 3080 With Bialacoil, and so prive, I wende al at my wille had be. Than wex I hardy for to tel To Bialacoil how me bifel Of Love, that took and wounded me, 3085 And seide: 'Sir, so mote I thee, I may no loye have in no wyse, Upon no syde, but it ryse; For sithe (if I shal not feyne) In herte I have had so gret peyne, 3090 So gret annoy, and such affray, That I ne wot what I shal say; I drede your wrath to disserve. Lever me were, that knyves kerve My body shulde in pecis smalle, 3095 Than in any wyse it shulde falle That ye wratthed shulde been with me.' Sey boldely thy wille,' quod he, I nil be wroth, if that I may, For nought that thou shalt to me say.' 3100 Thanne seide I, 'Sir, not you displese To knowen of my greet unese, In which only love hath me brought; For peynes greet, disese and thought, Fro day to day he doth me drye; 3105 Supposeth not, sir, that I lye. In me fyve woundes dide he make, The sore of whiche shal never slake But ye the botoun graunte me, Which is most passaunt of beautee, 3110 My lyf, my deth, and my martyre, And tresour that I most desyre.' Than Bialacoil, affrayed all, Seyde, 'Sir, it may not fall; That ye desire, it may not ryse. 3115 What? wolde ye shende me in this wyse? A mochel foole than I were, If I suffrid you awey to bere The fresh botoun, so fair of sight. For it were neither skile ne right 3120 Of the roser ye broke the rind, Or take the rose aforn his kind; Ye ar not courteys to aske it. Lat it stil on the roser sit, And growe til it amended be, 3125 And parfitly come to beaute. I nolde not that it pulled wer Fro the roser that it ber, To me it is so leef and dere.' With that sterte out anoon Daungere, 3130 Out of the place where he was hid. His malice in his chere was kid; Ful greet he was, and blak of hewe, Sturdy and hidous, who-so him knewe; Like sharp urchouns his here was growe, 3135 His eyes rede as the fire-glow; His nose frounced ful kirked stood, He com criand as he were wood, And seide, 'Bialacoil, tel me why Thou bringest hider so boldly 3140 Him that so nygh [is] the roser? Thou worchist in a wrong maner; He thenkith to dishonour thee, Thou art wel worthy to have maugree To late him of the roser wit; 3145 Who serveth a feloun is yvel quit. Thou woldist have doon greet bountee, And he with shame wolde quyte thee. Flee hennes, felowe! I rede thee go! It wanteth litel I wol thee slo; 3150 For Bialacoil ne knew thee nought, Whan thee to serve he sette his thought; For thou wolt shame him, if thou might, Bothe ageyn resoun and right. I wol no more in thee affye, 3155 That comest so slyghly for tespye; For it preveth wonder wel, Thy slight and tresoun every del.' I durst no more ther make abode, For the cherl, he was so wode; 3160 So gan he threten and manace, And thurgh the haye he did me chace. For feer of him I tremblid and quook, So cherlishly his heed he shook; And seide, if eft he might me take, 3165 I shulde not from his hondis scape. Than Bialacoil is fled and mate, And I al sole, disconsolate, Was left aloon in peyne and thought; For shame, to deth I was nygh brought. 3170 Than thought I on myn high foly, How that my body, utterly, Was yeve to peyne and to martyre; And therto hadde I so gret yre, That I ne durst the hayes passe; 3175 There was non hope, there was no grace. I trowe never man wiste of peyne, But he were laced in Loves cheyne; Ne no man [wot], and sooth it is, But-if he love, what anger is. 3180 Love holdith his heest to me right wele, Whan peyne he seide I shulde fele. Non herte may thenke, ne tunge seyne, A quarter of my wo and peyne. I might not with the anger laste; 3185 Myn herte in poynt was for to braste, Whan I thought on the rose, that so Was through Daunger cast me froo. A long whyl stood I in that state, Til that me saugh so mad and mate 3190 The lady of the highe ward, Which from hir tour lokid thiderward. Resoun men clepe that lady, Which from hir tour deliverly Come doun to me withouten more. 3195 But she was neither yong, ne hore, Ne high ne low, ne fat ne lene, But best, as it were in a mene. Hir eyen two were cleer and light As any candel that brenneth bright; 3200 And on hir heed she hadde a crown. Hir semede wel an high persoun; For rounde enviroun, hir crownet Was ful of riche stonis fret. Hir goodly semblaunt, by devys, 3205 I trowe were maad in paradys; Nature had never such a grace, To forge a werk of such compace. For certeyn, but the letter lye, God him-silf, that is so high, 3210 Made hir aftir his image, And yaf hir sith sich avauntage, That she hath might and seignorye To kepe men from al folye; Who-so wole trowe hir lore, 3215 Ne may offenden nevermore. And whyl I stood thus derk and pale, Resoun bigan to me hir tale; She seide: 'Al hayl, my swete frend! Foly and childhood wol thee shend, 3220 Which thee have put in greet affray; Thou hast bought dere the tyme of May, That made thyn herte mery to be. In yvel tyme thou wentist to see The gardin, wherof Ydilnesse 3225 Bar the keye, and was maistresse Whan thou yedest in the daunce With hir, and haddest aqueyntaunce: Hir aqueyntaunce is perilous, First softe, and aftir[ward] noyous; 3230 She hath [thee] trasshed, withoute ween; The God of Love had thee not seen, Ne hadde Ydilnesse thee conveyed In the verger where Mirthe him pleyed. If Foly have supprised thee, 3235 Do so that it recovered be; And be wel war to take no more Counsel, that greveth aftir sore; He is wys that wol himsilf chastyse. And though a young man in any wyse 3240 Trespace among, and do foly, Lat him not tarye, but hastily Lat him amende what so be mis. And eek I counseile thee, y-wis, The God of Love hoolly foryet, 3245 That hath thee in sich peyne set, And thee in herte tormented so. I can nat seen how thou mayst go Other weyes to garisoun; For Daunger, that is so feloun, 3250 Felly purposith thee to werrey, Which is ful cruel, the soth to sey. 'And yit of Daunger cometh no blame, In reward of my doughter Shame, Which hath the roses in hir warde, 3255 As she that may be no musarde. And Wikked-Tunge is with these two, That suffrith no man thider go; For er a thing be do, he shal, Where that he cometh, over-al, 3260 In fourty places, if it be sought, Seye thing that never was doon ne wrought; So moche tresoun is in his male, Of falsnesse for to [feyne] a tale. Thou delest with angry folk, y-wis; 3265 Wherfor to thee [it] bettir is From these folk awey to fare, For they wol make thee live in care. This is the yvel that Love they calle, Wherin ther is but foly alle, 3270 For love is foly everydel; Who loveth, in no wyse may do wel, Ne sette his thought on no good werk. His scole he lesith, if he be clerk; Of other craft eek if he be, 3275 He shal not thryve therin; for he In love shal have more passioun Than monke, hermyte, or chanoun. The peyne is hard, out of mesure, The Ioye may eek no whyl endure; 3280 And in the possessioun Is muche tribulacioun; The Ioye it is so short-lasting, And but in happe is the geting; For I see ther many in travaille, 3285 That atte laste foule fayle. I was no-thing thy counseler, Whan thou were maad the homager Of God of Love to hastily; Ther was no wisdom, but foly. 3290 Thyn herte was Ioly, but not sage, Whan thou were brought in sich a rage, To yelde thee so redily, And to Love, of his gret maistry. 'I rede thee Love awey to dryve, 3295 That makith thee recche not of thy lyve. The foly more fro day to day Shal growe, but thou it putte away. Take with thy teeth the bridel faste, To daunte thyn herte; and eek thee caste, 3300 If that thou mayst, to gete defence For to redresse thy first offence. Who-so his herte alwey wol leve, Shal finde among that shal him greve' Whan I hir herd thus me chastyse, 3305 I answerd in ful angry wyse. I prayed hir cessen of hir speche, Outher to chastyse me or teche, To bidde me my thought refreyne, Which Love hath caught in his demeyne:-- 3310 What? wene ye Love wol consent, That me assailith with bowe bent, To draw myn herte out of his honde, Which is so quikly in his bonde? That ye counsayle, may never be; 3315 For whan he first arested me, He took myn herte so hool him til, That it is no-thing at my wil; He [taughte] it so him for to obey, That he it sparred with a key. 3320 I pray yow lat me be al stille. For ye may wel, if that ye wille, Your wordis waste in idilnesse; For utterly, withouten gesse, Al that ye seyn is but in veyne. 3325 Me were lever dye in the peyne, Than Love to me-ward shulde arette Falsheed, or tresoun on me sette. I wol me gete prys or blame, And love trewe, to save my name; 3330 Who me chastysith, I him hate.' With that word Resoun wente hir gate, Whan she saugh for no sermoning She might me fro my foly bring. Than dismayed, I lefte al sool, 3335 Forwery, forwandred as a fool, For I ne knew no chevisaunce. Than fel into my remembraunce, How Love bade me to purveye A felowe, to whom I mighte seye 3340 My counsel and my privete, For that shulde muche availe me. With that bithought I me, that I Hadde a felowe faste by, Trewe and siker, curteys, and hend, 3345 And he was called by name a Freend; A trewer felowe was no-wher noon. In haste to him I wente anoon, And to him al my wo I tolde, Fro him right nought I wold withholde. 3350 I tolde him al withoute were, And made my compleynt on Daungere, How for to see he was hidous, And to-me-ward contrarious; The whiche through his cruelte 3355 Was in poynt to have meygned me; With Bialacoil whan he me sey Within the gardyn walke and pley, Fro me he made him for to go, And I bilefte aloon in wo; 3360 I durst no lenger with him speke, For Daunger seide he wolde be wreke, Whan that he sawe how I wente The fresshe botoun for to hente, If I were hardy to come neer 3365 Bitwene the hay and the roser. This Freend, whan he wiste of my thought, He discomforted me right nought, But seide, 'Felowe, be not so mad, Ne so abaysshed nor bistad. 3370 My-silf I knowe ful wel Daungere, And how he is feers of his chere, At prime temps, Love to manace; Ful ofte I have ben in his caas. A feloun first though that he be, 3375 Aftir thou shalt him souple see. Of long passed I knew him wele; Ungoodly first though men him fele, He wol meek aftir, in his bering, Been, for service and obeysshing. 3380 I shal thee telle what thou shalt do.-- Mekely I rede thou go him to, Of herte pray him specialy Of thy trespace to have mercy, And hote him wel, [him] here to plese, 3385 That thou shalt nevermore him displese. Who can best serve of flatery, Shal plese Daunger most uttirly.' My Freend hath seid to me so wel, That he me esid hath somdel, 3390 And eek allegged of my torment; For through him had I hardement Agayn to Daunger for to go, To preve if I might meke him so. To Daunger cam I, al ashamed, 3395 The which aforn me hadde blamed, Desyring for to pese my wo; But over hegge durst I not go, For he forbad me the passage. I fond him cruel in his rage, 3400 And in his hond a gret burdoun. To him I knelid lowe adoun, Ful meke of port, and simple of chere, And seide, 'Sir, I am comen here Only to aske of you mercy. 3405 That greveth me, [sir], ful gretly That ever my lyf I wratthed you, But for to amende I am come now, With al my might, bothe loude and stille, To doon right at your owne wille; 3410 For Love made me for to do That I have trespassed hidirto; Fro whom I ne may withdrawe myn herte; Yit shal I never, for Ioy ne smerte, What so bifalle, good or ille, 3415 Offende more ageyn your wille. Lever I have endure disese Than do that shulde you displese. 'I you require and pray, that ye Of me have mercy and pitee, 3420 To stinte your yre that greveth so, That I wol swere for evermo To be redressid at your lyking, If I trespasse in any thing; Save that I pray thee graunte me 3425 A thing that may nat warned be, That I may love, al only; Non other thing of you aske I. I shal doon elles wel, y-wis, If of your grace ye graunte me this. 3430 And ye [ne] may not letten me, For wel wot ye that love is free, And I shal loven, [sith] that I wil, Who-ever lyke it wel or il; And yit ne wold I, for al Fraunce, 3435 Do thing to do you displesaunce.' Than Daunger fil in his entent For to foryeve his maltalent; But al his wratthe yit at laste He hath relesed, I preyde so faste: 3440 Shortly he seide, 'Thy request Is not to mochel dishonest; Ne I wol not werne it thee, For yit no-thing engreveth me. For though thou love thus evermore, 3445 To me is neither softe ne sore. Love wher thee list; what recchith me, So [thou] fer fro my roses be? Trust not on me, for noon assay, In any tyme to passe the hay.' 3450 Thus hath he graunted my prayere. Than wente I forth, withouten were, Unto my Freend, and tolde him al, Which was right Ioyful of my tale. He seide, 'Now goth wel thyn affaire, 3455 He shal to thee be debonaire. Though he aforn was dispitous, He shal heeraftir be gracious. If he were touchid on som good veyne, He shuld yit rewen on thy peyne. 3460 Suffire, I rede, and no boost make, Til thou at good mes mayst him take. By suffraunce, and [by] wordis softe, A man may overcomen ofte Him that aforn he hadde in drede, 3465 In bookis sothly as I rede.' Thus hath my Freend with gret comfort Avaunced me with high disport, Which wolde me good as mich as I. And thanne anoon ful sodeynly 3470 I took my leve, and streight I went Unto the hay; for gret talent I had to seen the fresh botoun, Wherin lay my salvacioun; And Daunger took kepe, if that I 3475 Kepe him covenaunt trewly. So sore I dradde his manasing, I durst not breke[n] his bidding; For, lest that I were of him shent, I brak not his comaundement, 3480 For to purchase his good wil. It was [hard] for to come ther-til, His mercy was to fer bihinde; I wepte, for I ne might it finde. I compleyned and sighed sore, 3485 And languisshed evermore, For I durst not over go Unto the rose I loved so. Thurghout my deming outerly, [Than] had he knowlege certeinly, 3490 [That] Love me ladde in sich a wyse, That in me ther was no feyntyse, Falsheed, ne no trecherye. And yit he, ful of vilanye, Of disdeyne, and cruelte, 3495 On me ne wolde have pite, His cruel wil for to refreyne, Though I wepe alwey, and compleyne. And while I was in this torment, Were come of grace, by god sent, 3500 Fraunchyse, and with hir Pite Fulfild the botoun of bountee. They go to Daunger anon-right To forther me with al hir might, And helpe in worde and in dede, 3505 For wel they saugh that it was nede. First, of hir grace, dame Fraunchyse Hath taken [word] of this empryse: She seide, 'Daunger, gret wrong ye do To worche this man so muche wo, 3510 Or pynen him so angerly; It is to you gret vilany. I can not see why, ne how, That he hath trespassed ageyn you, Save that he loveth; wherfore ye shulde 3515 The more in cherete of him holde. The force of love makith him do this; Who wolde him blame he dide amis? He leseth more than ye may do; His peyne is hard, ye may see, lo! 3520 And Love in no wyse wolde consente That [he] have power to repente; For though that quik ye wolde him sloo, Fro Love his herte may not go. Now, swete sir, is it your ese 3525 Him for to angre or disese? Allas, what may it you avaunce To doon to him so greet grevaunce? What worship is it agayn him take, Or on your man a werre make, 3530 Sith he so lowly every wyse Is redy, as ye lust devyse? If Love hath caught him in his lace, You for tobeye in every caas, And been your suget at your wille, 3535 Shulde ye therfore willen him ille? Ye shulde him spare more, al-out, Than him that is bothe proud and stout. Curtesye wol that ye socour Hem that ben meke undir your cure. 3540 His herte is hard, that wole not meke, Whan men of mekenesse him biseke.' 'That is certeyn,' seide Pite; We see ofte that humilitee Bothe ire, and also felonye 3545 Venquissheth, and also melancolye; To stonde forth in such duresse, This crueltee and wikkednesse. Wherfore I pray you, sir Daungere, For to mayntene no lenger here 3550 Such cruel werre agayn your man, As hoolly youres as ever he can; Nor that ye worchen no more wo On this caytif that languisshith so, Which wol no more to you trespasse, 3555 But put him hoolly in your grace. His offense ne was but lyte; The God of Love it was to wyte, That he your thral so gretly is, And if ye harm him, ye doon amis; 3560 For he hath had ful hard penaunce, Sith that ye refte him thaqueyntaunce Of Bialacoil, his moste Ioye, Which alle his peynes might acoye. He was biforn anoyed sore, 3565 But than ye doubled him wel more; For he of blis hath ben ful bare, Sith Bialacoil was fro him fare. Love hath to him do greet distresse, He hath no nede of more duresse. 3570 Voideth from him your ire, I rede; Ye may not winnen in this dede. Makith Bialacoil repeire ageyn, And haveth pite upon his peyn; For Fraunchise wol, and I, Pite, 3575 That merciful to him ye be; And sith that she and I accorde, Have upon him misericorde; For I you pray, and eek moneste, Nought to refusen our requeste; 3580 For he is hard and fel of thought, That for us two wol do right nought.' Daunger ne might no more endure, He meked him unto mesure. 'I wol in no wyse,' seith Daungere, 3585 Denye that ye have asked here; It were to greet uncurtesye. I wol ye have the companye Of Bialacoil, as ye devyse; I wol him letten in no wyse.' 3590 To Bialacoil than wente in hy Fraunchyse, and seide ful curteisly:-- Ye have to longe be deignous Unto this lover, and daungerous, Fro him to withdrawe your presence, 3595 Which hath do to him grete offence, That ye not wolde upon him see; Wherfore a sorowful man is he. Shape ye to paye him, and to plese, Of my love if ye wol have ese. 3600 Fulfil his wil, sith that ye knowe Daunger is daunted and brought lowe Thurgh help of me and of Pite; You [thar] no more afered be.' 'I shal do right as ye wil,' 3605 Saith Bialacoil, 'for it is skil, Sith Daunger wol that it so be.' Than Fraunchise hath him sent to me. Bialacoil at the biginning Salued me in his coming. 3610 No straungenes was in him seen, No more than he ne had wrathed been. As faire semblaunt than shewed he me, And goodly, as aforn did he; And by the honde, withouten doute, 3615 Within the haye, right al aboute He ladde me, with right good chere, Al environ the vergere, That Daunger had me chased fro. Now have I leve over-al to go; 3620 Now am I raised, at my devys, Fro helle unto paradys. Thus Bialacoil, of gentilnesse, With alle his peyne and besinesse, Hath shewed me, only of grace, 3625 The estres of the swote place. I saw the rose, whan I was nigh, Was gretter woxen, and more high, Fresh, rody, and fair of hewe, Of colour ever yliche newe. 3630 And whan I had it longe seen, I saugh that through the leves grene The rose spredde to spanishing; To sene it was a goodly thing. But it ne was so spred on brede, 3635 That men within might knowe the sede; For it covert was and [en]close Bothe with the leves and with the rose. The stalk was even and grene upright, It was theron a goodly sight; 3640 And wel the better, withouten wene, For the seed was not [y]-sene. Ful faire it spradde, [god it] blesse! For suche another, as I gesse, Aforn ne was, ne more vermayle. 3645 I was abawed for merveyle, For ever, the fairer that it was, The more I am bounden in Loves laas. Longe I abood there, soth to saye, Til Bialacoil I gan to praye, 3650 Whan that I saw him in no wyse To me warnen his servyse, That he me wolde graunte a thing, Which to remembre is wel sitting; This is to sayne, that of his grace 3655 He wolde me yeve leyser and space To me that was so desirous To have a kissing precious Of the goodly freshe rose, That swetely smelleth in my nose; 3660 For if it you displesed nought, I wolde gladly, as I have sought, Have a cos therof freely Of your yeft; for certainly I wol non have but by your leve, 3665 So loth me were you for to greve.' He sayde, 'Frend, so god me spede, Of Chastite I have suche drede, Thou shuldest not warned be for me, But I dar not, for Chastite. 3670 Agayn hir dar I not misdo, For alwey biddeth she me so To yeve no lover leve to kisse; For who therto may winnen, y-wis, He of the surplus of the pray 3675 May live in hope to get som day. For who so kissing may attayne, Of loves peyne hath, soth to sayne, The beste and most avenaunt, And ernest of the remenaunt.' 3680 Of his answere I syghed sore; I durst assaye him tho no more, I had such drede to greve him ay. A man shulde not to muche assaye To chafe his frend out of mesure, 3685 Nor put his lyf in aventure; For no man at the firste stroke Ne may nat felle doun an oke; Nor of the reisins have the wyne, Til grapes rype and wel afyne 3690 Be sore empressid, I you ensure, And drawen out of the pressure. But I, forpeyned wonder stronge, [Thought] that I abood right longe Aftir the kis, in peyne and wo, 3695 Sith I to kis desyred so: Til that, [rewing] on my distresse, Ther [to me] Venus the goddesse, Which ay werreyeth Chastite, Came of hir grace, to socoure me, 3700 Whos might is knowe fer and wyde, For she is modir of Cupyde, The God of Love, blinde as stoon, That helpith lovers many oon. This lady brought in hir right hond 3705 Of brenning fyr a blasing brond; Wherof the flawme and hote fyr Hath many a lady in desyr Of love brought, and sore het, And in hir servise hir hertes set. 3710 This lady was of good entayle, Right wondirful of apparayle; By hir atyre so bright and shene, Men might perceyve wel, and seen, She was not of religioun. 3715 Nor I nil make mencioun Nor of [hir] robe, nor of tresour, Of broche, [nor] of hir riche attour; Ne of hir girdil aboute hir syde, For that I nil not long abyde. 3720 But knowith wel, that certeynly She was arayed richely. Devoyd of pryde certeyn she was; To Bialacoil she wente a pas, And to him shortly, in a clause, 3725 She seide: 'Sir, what is the cause Ye been of port so daungerous Unto this lover, and deynous, To graunte him no-thing but a kis? To werne it him ye doon amis; 3730 Sith wel ye wote, how that he Is Loves servaunt, as ye may see, And hath beaute, wher-through [he] is Worthy of love to have the blis. How he is semely, biholde and see, 3735 How he is fair, how he is free, How he is swote and debonair, Of age yong, lusty, and fair. Ther is no lady so hauteyne, Duchesse, countesse, ne chasteleyne, 3740 That I nolde holde hir ungoodly For to refuse him outerly. His breeth is also good and swete, And eke his lippis rody, and mete Only to pleyen, and to kisse. 3745 Graunte him a kis, of gentilnesse! His teeth arn also whyte and clene; Me thinkith wrong, withouten wene, If ye now werne him, trustith me, To graunte that a kis have he; 3750 The lasse [to] helpe him that ye haste, The more tyme shul ye waste.' Whan the flawme of the verry brond, That Venus brought in hir right hond, Had Bialacoil with hete smete, 3755 Anoon he bad, withouten lette, Graunte to me the rose kisse. Than of my peyne I gan to lisse, And to the rose anoon wente I, And kissid it ful feithfully. 3760 Thar no man aske if I was blythe, Whan the savour soft and lythe Strook to myn herte withoute more, And me alegged of my sore, So was I ful of Ioye and blisse. 3765 It is fair sich a flour to kisse, It was so swote and saverous. I might not be so anguisshous, That I mote glad and Ioly be, Whan that I remembre me. 3770 Yit ever among, sothly to seyn, I suffre noye and moche peyn. The see may never be so stil, That with a litel winde it [nil] Overwhelme and turne also, 3775 As it were wood, in wawis go. Aftir the calm the trouble sone Mot folowe, and chaunge as the mone. Right so farith Love, that selde in oon Holdith his anker; for right anoon 3780 Whan they in ese wene best to live, They been with tempest al fordrive. Who serveth Love, can telle of wo; The stoundemele Ioye mot overgo. Now he hurteth, and now he cureth, 3785 For selde in oo poynt Love endureth. Now is it right me to procede, How Shame gan medle and take hede, Thurgh whom felle angres I have had; And how the stronge wal was maad, 3790 And the castell of brede and lengthe, That God of Love wan with his strengthe. Al this in romance wil I sette, And for no-thing ne wil I lette, So that it lyking to hir be, 3795 That is the flour of beaute; For she may best my labour quyte, That I for hir love shal endyte. Wikkid-Tunge, that the covyne Of every lover can devyne 3800 Worst, and addith more somdel, (For Wikkid-Tunge seith never wel), To me-ward bar he right gret hate, Espying me erly and late, Til he hath seen the grete chere 3805 Of Bialacoil and me y-fere. He mighte not his tunge withstonde Worse to reporte than he fonde, He was so ful of cursed rage; It sat him wel of his linage, 3810 For him an Irish womman bar. His tunge was fyled sharp, and squar, Poignaunt and right kerving, And wonder bitter in speking. For whan that he me gan espye, 3815 He swoor, afferming sikirly, Bitwene Bialacoil and me Was yvel aquayntaunce and privee. He spak therof so folily, That he awakid Ielousy; 3820 Which, al afrayed in his rysing, Whan that he herde [him] Iangling, He ran anoon, as he were wood, To Bialacoil ther that he stood; Which hadde lever in this caas 3825 Have been at Reynes or Amyas; For foot-hoot, in his felonye To him thus seide Ielousye:-- Why hast thou been so necligent, To kepen, whan I was absent, 3830 This verger here left in thy ward? To me thou haddist no reward, To truste (to thy confusioun) Him thus, to whom suspeccioun I have right greet, for it is nede; 3835 It is wel shewed by the dede. Greet faute in thee now have I founde; By god, anoon thou shalt be bounde, And faste loken in a tour, Withoute refuyt or socour. 3840 For Shame to long hath be thee fro; Over sone she was agoo. Whan thou hast lost bothe drede and fere, It semed wel she was not here. She was [not] bisy, in no wyse, 3845 To kepe thee and [to] chastyse, And for to helpen Chastitee To kepe the roser, as thinkith me. For than this boy-knave so boldely Ne sholde not have be hardy, 3850 [Ne] in this verger had such game, Which now me turneth to gret shame.' Bialacoil nist what to sey; Ful fayn he wolde have fled awey, For fere han hid, nere that he 3855 Al sodeynly took him with me. And whan I saugh he hadde so, This Ielousye, take us two, I was astoned, and knew no rede, But fledde awey for verrey drede. 3860 Than Shame cam forth ful simply; She wende have trespaced ful gretly; Humble of hir port, and made it simple, Wering a vayle in stede of wimple, As nonnis doon in hir abbey. 3865 Bicause hir herte was in affray, She gan to speke, within a throwe, To Ielousye, right wonder lowe. First of his grace she bisought, And seide:--'Sire, ne leveth nought 3870 Wikkid-Tunge, that fals espye, Which is so glad to feyne and lye. He hath you maad, thurgh flatering, On Bialacoil a fals lesing. His falsnesse is not now anew, 3875 It is to long that he him knew. This is not the firste day; For Wikkid-Tunge hath custom ay Yongé folkis to bewreye, And false lesinges on hem leye. 3880 'Yit nevertheles I see among, That the loigne it is so longe Of Bialacoil, hertis to lure, In Loves servise for to endure, Drawing suche folk him to, 3885 That he had no-thing with to do; But in sothnesse I trowe nought, That Bialacoil hadde ever in thought To do trespace or vilanye; But, for his modir Curtesye 3890 Hath taught him ever [for] to be Good of aqueyntaunce and privee; For he loveth non hevinesse, But mirthe and pley, and al gladnesse; He hateth alle [trecherous], 3895 Soleyn folk and envious; For [wel] ye witen how that he Wol ever glad and Ioyful be Honestly with folk to pley. I have be negligent, in good fey, 3900 To chastise him; therfore now I Of herte crye you here mercy, That I have been so recheles To tamen him, withouten lees. Of my foly I me repente; 3905 Now wol I hool sette myn entente To kepe, bothe [loude] and stille, Bialacoil to do your wille.' 'Shame, Shame,' seyde Ielousy, 'To be bitrasshed gret drede have I. 3910 Lecherye hath clombe so hye, That almost blered is myn ye; No wonder is, if that drede have I. Over-al regnith Lechery, Whos might [yit] growith night and day. 3915 Bothe in cloistre and in abbey Chastite is werreyed over-al. Therfore I wol with siker wal Close bothe roses and roser. I have to longe in this maner 3920 Left hem unclosid wilfully; Wherfore I am right inwardly Sorowful and repente me. But now they shal no lenger be Unclosid; and yit I drede sore, 3925 I shal repente ferthermore, For the game goth al amis. Counsel I [mot take] newe, y-wis. I have to longe tristed thee, But now it shal no lenger be; 3930 For he may best, in every cost, Disceyve, that men tristen most. I see wel that I am nygh shent, But-if I sette my ful entent Remedye to purveye. 3935 Therfore close I shal the weye Fro hem that wol the rose espye, And come to wayte me vilanye, For, in good feith and in trouthe, I wol not lette, for no slouthe, 3940 To live the more in sikirnesse, [To] make anoon a forteresse, [To enclose] the roses of good savour. In middis shal I make a tour To putte Bialacoil in prisoun, 3945 For ever I drede me of tresoun. I trowe I shal him kepe so, That he shal have no might to go Aboute to make companye To hem that thenke of vilanye; 3950 Ne to no such as hath ben here Aforn, and founde in him good chere, Which han assailed him to shende, And with hir trowandyse to blende. A fool is eyth [for] to bigyle; 3955 But may I lyve a litel while, He shal forthenke his fair semblaunt.' And with that word cam Drede avaunt, Which was abasshed, and in gret fere, Whan he wiste Ielousye was there. 3960 He was for drede in such affray, That not a word durste he say, But quaking stood ful stille aloon, Til Ielousye his wey was goon, Save Shame, that him not forsook; 3965 Bothe Drede and she ful sore quook; [Til] that at laste Drede abreyde, And to his cosin Shame seyde: Shame,' he seide, 'in sothfastnesse, To me it is gret hevinesse, 3970 That the noyse so fer is go, And the sclaundre of us two. But sith that it is [so] bifalle, We may it not ageyn [do] calle, Whan onis sprongen is a fame. 3975 For many a yeer withouten blame We han been, and many a day; For many an April and many a May We han [y]-passed, not [a]shamed, Til Ielousye hath us blamed 3980 Of mistrust and suspecioun Causeles, withouten enchesoun. Go we to Daunger hastily, And late us shewe him openly, That he hath not aright [y]-wrought, 3985 Whan that he sette nought his thought To kepe better the purpryse; In his doing he is not wyse. He hath to us [y]-do gret wrong, That hath suffred now so long 3990 Bialacoil to have his wille, Alle his lustes to fulfille. He must amende it utterly, Or ellis shal he vilaynsly Exyled be out of this londe; 3995 For he the werre may not withstonde Of Ielousye, nor the greef, Sith Bialacoil is at mischeef.' To Daunger, Shame and Drede anoon The righte wey ben [bothe a]-goon. 4000 The cherl they founden hem aforn Ligging undir an hawethorn. Undir his heed no pilowe was, But in the stede a trusse of gras. He slombred, and a nappe he took, 4005 Til Shame pitously him shook, And greet manace on him gan make. Why slepist thou whan thou shulde wake?' Quod Shame; 'thou dost us vilanye! Who tristith thee, he doth folye, 4010 To kepe roses or botouns, Whan they ben faire in hir sesouns. Thou art woxe to familiere Where thou shulde be straunge of chere, Stout of thy port, redy to greve. 4015 Thou dost gret foly for to leve Bialacoil here-in, to calle The yonder man to shenden us alle. Though that thou slepe, we may here Of Ielousie gret noyse here. 4020 Art thou now late? ryse up [in hy], And stoppe sone and deliverly Alle the gappis of the hay; Do no favour, I thee pray. It fallith no-thing to thy name 4025 Make fair semblaunt, where thou maist blame. 'If Bialacoil be swete and free, Dogged and fel thou shuldist be; Froward and outrageous, y-wis; A cherl chaungeth that curteis is. 4030 This have I herd ofte in seying, That man [ne] may, for no daunting, Make a sperhauke of a bosarde. Alle men wole holde thee for musarde, That debonair have founden thee, 4035 It sit thee nought curteis to be; To do men plesaunce or servyse, In thee it is recreaundyse. Let thy werkis, fer and nere, Be lyke thy name, which is Daungere.' 4040 Than, al abawid in shewing, Anoon spak Dreed, right thus seying, And seide, 'Daunger, I drede me That thou ne wolt [not] bisy be To kepe that thou hast to kepe; 4045 Whan thou shuldist wake, thou art aslepe. Thou shalt be greved certeynly, If thee aspye Ielousy, Or if he finde thee in blame. He hath to-day assailed Shame, 4050 And chased awey, with gret manace, Bialacoil out of this place, And swereth shortly that he shal Enclose him in a sturdy wal; And al is for thy wikkednesse, 4055 For that thee faileth straungenesse. Thyn herte, I trowe, be failed al; Thou shalt repente in special, If Ielousye the sothe knewe; Thou shalt forthenke, and sore rewe.' 4060 With that the cherl his clubbe gan shake, Frouning his eyen gan to make, And hidous chere; as man in rage, For ire he brente in his visage. Whan that he herde him blamed so, 4065 He seide, 'Out of my wit I go; To be discomfit I have gret wrong. Certis, I have now lived to long, Sith I may not this closer kepe; Al quik I wolde be dolven depe, 4070 If any man shal more repeire Into this garden, for foule or faire. Myn herte for ire goth a-fere, That I lete any entre here. I have do foly, now I see, 4075 But now it shal amended bee. Who settith foot here any more, Truly, he shal repente it sore; For no man mo into this place Of me to entre shal have grace. 4080 Lever I hadde, with swerdis tweyne, Thurgh-out myn herte, in every veyne Perced to be, with many a wounde, Than slouthe shulde in me be founde. From hennesforth, by night or day, 4085 I shal defende it, if I may, Withouten any excepcioun Of ech maner condicioun; And if I any man it graunte, Holdeth me for recreaunte.' 4090 Than Daunger on his feet gan stonde, And hente a burdoun in his honde. Wroth in his ire, ne lefte he nought, But thurgh the verger he hath sought. If he might finde hole or trace, 4095 Wher-thurgh that men mot forth-by pace, Or any gappe, he dide it close, That no man mighte touche a rose Of the roser al aboute; He shitteth every man withoute. 4100 Thus day by day Daunger is wers, More wondirful and more divers, And feller eek than ever he was; For him ful oft I singe 'allas!' For I ne may nought, thurgh his ire, 4105 Recover that I most desire. Myn herte, allas, wol brest a-two, For Bialacoil I wratthed so. For certeynly, in every membre I quake, whan I me remembre 4110 Of the botoun, which [that] I wolde Fulle ofte a day seen and biholde. And whan I thenke upon the kisse, And how muche Ioye and blisse I hadde thurgh the savour swete, 4115 For wante of it I grone and grete. Me thenkith I fele yit in my nose The swete savour of the rose. And now I woot that I mot go So fer the fresshe floures fro, 4120 To me ful welcome were the deeth; Absens therof, allas, me sleeth! For whylom with this rose, allas, I touched nose, mouth, and face; But now the deeth I must abyde. 4125 But Love consente, another tyde, That onis I touche may and kisse, I trowe my peyne shal never lisse. Theron is al my coveityse, Which brent myn herte in many wyse. 4130 Now shal repaire agayn sighinge, Long wacche on nightis, and no slepinge; Thought in wisshing, torment, and wo, With many a turning to and fro, That half my peyne I can not telle. 4135 For I am fallen into helle From paradys and welthe, the more My turment greveth; more and more Anoyeth now the bittirnesse, That I toforn have felt swetnesse. 4140 And Wikkid-Tunge, thurgh his falshede, Causeth al my wo and drede. On me he leyeth a pitous charge, Bicause his tunge was to large. Now it is tyme, shortly that I 4145 Telle you som-thing of Ielousy, That was in gret suspecioun. Aboute him lefte he no masoun, That stoon coude leye, ne querrour; He hired hem to make a tour. 4150 And first, the roses for to kepe, Aboute hem made he a diche depe, Right wondir large, and also brood; Upon the whiche also stood Of squared stoon a sturdy wal, 4155 Which on a cragge was founded al, And right gret thikkenesse eek it bar. Abouten, it was founded squar, An hundred fadome on every syde, It was al liche longe and wyde. 4160 Lest any tyme it were assayled, Ful wel aboute it was batayled; And rounde enviroun eek were set Ful many a riche and fair touret. At every corner of this wal 4165 Was set a tour ful principal; And everich hadde, withoute fable, A porte-colys defensable To kepe of enemies, and to greve, That there hir force wolde preve. 4170 And eek amidde this purpryse Was maad a tour of gret maistryse; A fairer saugh no man with sight, Large and wyde, and of gret might. They [ne] dredde noon assaut 4175 Of ginne, gunne, nor skaffaut. [For] the temprure of the mortere Was maad of licour wonder dere; Of quikke lyme persant and egre, The which was tempred with vinegre. 4180 The stoon was hard [as] ademant, Wherof they made the foundement. The tour was rounde, maad in compas; In al this world no richer was, Ne better ordeigned therwithal. 4185 Aboute the tour was maad a wal, So that, bitwixt that and the tour, Rosers were set of swete savour, With many roses that they bere. And eek within the castel were 4190 Springoldes, gunnes, bows, archers; And eek above, atte corners, Men seyn over the walle stonde Grete engynes, [whiche] were nigh honde; And in the kernels, here and there, 4195 Of arblasters gret plentee were. Noon armure might hir stroke withstonde, It were foly to prece to honde. Without the diche were listes made, With walles batayled large and brade, 4200 For men and hors shulde not atteyne To neigh the diche over the pleyne. Thus Ielousye hath enviroun Set aboute his garnisoun With walles rounde, and diche depe, 4205 Only the roser for to kepe. And Daunger [eek], erly and late The keyes kepte of the utter gate, The which openeth toward the eest. And he hadde with him atte leest 4210 Thritty servauntes, echon by name. That other gate kepte Shame, Which openede, as it was couth, Toward the parte of the south. Sergeauntes assigned were hir to 4215 Ful many, hir wille for to do. Than Drede hadde in hir baillye The keping of the conestablerye, Toward the north, I undirstonde, That opened upon the left honde, 4220 The which for no-thing may be sure, But-if she do [hir] bisy cure Erly on morowe and also late, Strongly to shette and barre the gate. Of every thing that she may see 4225 Drede is aferd, wher-so she be; For with a puff of litel winde Drede is astonied in hir minde. Therfore, for stelinge of the rose, I rede hir nought the yate unclose. 4230 A foulis flight wol make hir flee, And eek a shadowe, if she it see. Thanne Wikked-Tunge, ful of envye, With soudiours of Normandye, As he that causeth al the bate, 4235 Was keper of the fourthe gate, And also to the tother three He went ful ofte, for to see. Whan his lot was to wake a-night, His instrumentis wolde he dight, 4240 For to blowe and make soun, Ofter than he hath enchesoun; And walken oft upon the wal, Corners and wikettis over-al Ful narwe serchen and espye; 4245 Though he nought fond, yit wolde he lye. Discordaunt ever fro armonye, And distoned from melodye, Controve he wolde, and foule fayle, With hornpypes of Cornewayle. 4250 In floytes made he discordaunce, And in his musik, with mischaunce, He wolde seyn, with notes newe, That he [ne] fond no womman trewe, Ne that he saugh never, in his lyf, 4255 Unto hir husbonde a trewe wyf; Ne noon so ful of honestee, That she nil laughe and mery be Whan that she hereth, or may espye, A man speken of lecherye. 4260 Everich of hem hath somme vyce; Oon is dishonest, another is nyce; If oon be ful of vilanye, Another hath a likerous ye; If oon be ful of wantonesse, 4265 Another is a chideresse. Thus Wikked-Tunge (god yeve him shame!) Can putte hem everichone in blame Withoute desert and causeles; He lyeth, though they been giltles. 4270 I have pite to seen the sorwe, That waketh bothe eve and morwe, To innocents doth such grevaunce; I pray god yeve him evel chaunce, That he ever so bisy is 4275 Of any womman to seyn amis! Eek Ielousye god confounde, That hath [y]-maad a tour so rounde, And made aboute a garisoun To sette Bialacoil in prisoun; 4280 The which is shet there in the tour, Ful longe to holde there soiour, There for to liven in penaunce. And for to do him more grevaunce, [Ther] hath ordeyned Ielousye 4285 An olde vekke, for to espye The maner of his governaunce; The whiche devel, in hir enfaunce, Had lerned [muche] of Loves art, And of his pleyes took hir part; 4290 She was [expert] in his servyse. She knew ech wrenche and every gyse Of love, and every [loveres] wyle, It was [the] harder hir to gyle. Of Bialacoil she took ay hede, 4295 That ever he liveth in wo and drede. He kepte him coy and eek privee, Lest in him she hadde see Any foly countenaunce, For she knew al the olde daunce. 4300 And aftir this, whan Ielousye Had Bialacoil in his baillye, And shette him up that was so free, For seure of him he wolde be, He trusteth sore in his castel; 4305 The stronge werk him lyketh wel. He dradde nat that no glotouns Shulde stele his roses or botouns. The roses weren assured alle, Defenced with the stronge walle. 4310 Now Ielousye ful wel may be Of drede devoid, in libertee, Whether that he slepe or wake; For of his roses may noon be take. But I, allas, now morne shal; 4315 Bicause I was without the wal, Ful moche dole and mone I made. Who hadde wist what wo I hadde, I trowe he wolde have had pitee. Love to deere had sold to me 4320 The good that of his love hadde I. I [wende a bought] it al queyntly; But now, thurgh doubling of my peyn, I see he wolde it selle ageyn, And me a newe bargeyn lere, 4325 The which al-out the more is dere, For the solace that I have lorn, Than I hadde it never aforn. Certayn I am ful lyk, indeed, To him that cast in erthe his seed; 4330 And hath Ioie of the newe spring, Whan it greneth in the ginning, And is also fair and fresh of flour, Lusty to seen, swote of odour; But er he it in sheves shere, 4335 May falle a weder that shal it dere, And maken it to fade and falle, The stalk, the greyn, and floures alle; That to the tilier is fordone The hope that he hadde to sone. 4340 I drede, certeyn, that so fare I; For hope and travaile sikerly Ben me biraft al with a storm; The floure nil seden of my corn. For Love hath so avaunced me, 4345 Whan I bigan my privitee To Bialacoil al for to telle, Whom I ne fond froward ne felle, But took a-gree al hool my play. But Love is of so hard assay, 4350 That al at onis he reved me, Whan I wend best aboven have be. It is of Love, as of Fortune, That chaungeth ofte, and nil contune; Which whylom wol on folke smyle, 4355 And gloumbe on hem another whyle; Now freend, now foo, [thou] shalt hir fele, For [in] a twinkling tourneth hir wheel. She can wrythe hir heed awey, This is the concours of hir pley; 4360 She can areyse that doth morne, And whirle adown, and overturne Who sittith hieghst, [al] as hir list; A fool is he that wol hir trist. For it [am] I that am com doun 4365 Thurgh change and revolucioun! Sith Bialacoil mot fro me twinne, Shet in the prisoun yond withinne, His absence at myn herte I fele; For al my Ioye and al myn hele 4370 Was in him and in the rose, That but yon [wal], which him doth close, Open, that I may him see, Love nil not that I cured be Of the peynes that I endure, 4375 Nor of my cruel aventure. A, Bialacoil, myn owne dere! Though thou be now a prisonere, Kepe atte leste thyn herte to me, And suffre not that it daunted be; 4380 Ne lat not Ielousye, in his rage, Putten thyn herte in no servage. Although he chastice thee withoute, And make thy body unto him loute, Have herte as hard as dyamaunt, 4385 Stedefast, and nought pliaunt; In prisoun though thy body be, At large kepe thyn herte free. A trewe herte wol not plye For no manace that it may drye. 4390 If Ielousye doth thee payne, Quyte him his whyle thus agayne, To venge thee, atte leest in thought, If other way thou mayest nought; And in this wyse sotilly 4395 Worche, and winne the maistry. But yit I am in gret affray Lest thou do not as I say; I drede thou canst me greet maugree, That thou emprisoned art for me; 4400 But that [is] not for my trespas, For thurgh me never discovered was Yit thing that oughte be secree. Wel more anoy [ther] is in me, Than is in thee, of this mischaunce; 4405 For I endure more hard penaunce Than any [man] can seyn or thinke, That for the sorwe almost I sinke. Whan I remembre me of my wo, Ful nygh out of my wit I go. 4410 Inward myn herte I fele blede, For comfortles the deeth I drede. Ow I not wel to have distresse, Whan false, thurgh hir wikkednesse, And traitours, that arn envyous, 4415 To noyen me be so coragious? A, Bialacoil! ful wel I see, That they hem shape to disceyve thee, To make thee buxom to hir lawe, And with hir corde thee to drawe 4420 Wher-so hem lust, right at hir wil; I drede they have thee brought thertil. Withoute comfort, thought me sleeth; This game wol bringe me to my deeth. For if your gode wille I lese, 4425 I mote be deed; I may not chese. And if that thou foryete me, Myn herte shal never in lyking be; Nor elles-where finde solace, If I be put out of your grace, 4430 As it shal never been, I hope; Than shulde I fallen in wanhope.

[_Here, at_ l. 4070 _of the_ French text, _ends the work of_ G. de Lorris; _and begins the work of_ Jean de Meun.]

Allas, in wanhope?--nay, pardee! For I wol never dispeired be. If Hope me faile, than am I 4435 Ungracious and unworthy; In Hope I wol comforted be, For Love, whan he bitaught hir me, Seide, that Hope, wher-so I go, Shulde ay be relees to my wo. 4440 But what and she my balis bete, And be to me curteis and swete? She is in no-thing ful certeyn. Lovers she put in ful gret peyn, And makith hem with wo to dele. 4445 Hir fair biheest disceyveth fele, For she wol bihote, sikirly, And failen aftir outrely. A! that is a ful noyous thing! For many a lover, in loving, 4450 Hangeth upon hir, and trusteth fast, Whiche lese hir travel at the last. Of thing to comen she woot right nought; Therfore, if it be wysly sought, Hir counseille, foly is to take. 4455 For many tymes, whan she wol make A ful good silogisme, I drede That aftirward ther shal in dede Folwe an evel conclusioun; This put me in confusioun. 4460 For many tymes I have it seen, That many have bigyled been, For trust that they have set in Hope, Which fel hem aftirward a-slope. But natheles yit, gladly she wolde, 4465 That he, that wol him with hir holde, Hadde alle tymes [his] purpos clere, Withoute deceyte, or any were. That she desireth sikirly; Whan I hir blamed, I did foly. 4470 But what avayleth hir good wille, Whan she ne may staunche my stounde ille? That helpith litel, that she may do, Outake biheest unto my wo. And heeste certeyn, in no wyse, 4475 Withoute yift, is not to pryse. Whan heest and deed a-sundir varie, They doon [me have] a gret contrarie. Thus am I possed up and doun With dool, thought, and confusioun; 4480 Of my disese ther is no noumbre. Daunger and Shame me encumbre, Drede also, and Ielousye, And Wikked-Tunge, ful of envye, Of whiche the sharpe and cruel ire 4485 Ful oft me put in gret martire. They han my Ioye fully let, Sith Bialacoil they have bishet Fro me in prisoun wikkidly, Whom I love so entierly, 4490 That it wol my bane be, But I the soner may him see. And yit moreover, wurst of alle, Ther is set to kepe, foule hir bifalle! A rimpled vekke, fer ronne in age, 4495 Frowning and yelowe in hir visage, Which in awayte lyth day and night, That noon of hem may have a sight. Now moot my sorwe enforced be; Ful soth it is, that Love yaf me 4500 Three wonder yiftes of his grace, Which I have lorn now in this place, Sith they ne may, withoute drede Helpen but litel, who taketh hede. For here availeth no Swete-Thought, 4505 And Swete-Speche helpith right nought. The thridde was called Swete-Loking, That now is lorn, without lesing. [The] yiftes were fair, but not forthy They helpe me but simply, 4510 But Bialacoil [may] loosed be, To gon at large and to be free. For him my lyf lyth al in dout, But-if he come the rather out. Allas! I trowe it wol not been! 4515 For how shuld I evermore him seen? He may not out, and that is wrong, Bicause the tour is so strong. How shulde he out? by whos prowesse, Out of so strong a forteresse? 4520 By me, certeyn, it nil be do; God woot, I have no wit therto! But wel I woot I was in rage, Whan I to Love dide homage. Who was in cause, in sothfastnesse, 4525 But hir-silf, dame Idelnesse, Which me conveyed, thurgh fair prayere, To entre into that fair vergere? She was to blame me to leve, The which now doth me sore greve. 4530 A foolis word is nought to trowe, Ne worth an appel for to lowe; Men shulde him snibbe bittirly, At pryme temps of his foly. I was a fool, and she me leved, 4535 Thurgh whom I am right nought releved. She accomplisshed al my wil, That now me greveth wondir il. Resoun me seide what shulde falle. A fool my-silf I may wel calle, 4540 That love asyde I had not leyde, And trowed that dame Resoun seyde. Resoun had bothe skile and right. Whan she me blamed, with al hir might, To medle of love, that hath me shent; 4545 But certeyn now I wol repent. 'And shulde I repent? Nay, parde! A fals traitour than shulde I be. The develles engins wolde me take, If I my [lorde] wolde forsake, 4550 Or Bialacoil falsly bitraye. Shulde I at mischeef hate him? nay, Sith he now, for his curtesye, Is in prisoun of Ielousye. Curtesye certeyn dide he me, 4555 So muche, it may not yolden be, Whan he the hay passen me lete, To kisse the rose, faire and swete; Shulde I therfore cunne him maugree? Nay, certeynly, it shal not be; 4560 For Love shal never, [if god wil], Here of me, thurgh word or wil, Offence or complaynt, more or lesse, Neither of Hope nor Idilnesse; For certis, it were wrong that I 4565 Hated hem for hir curtesye. Ther is not ellis, but suffre and thinke, And waken whan I shulde winke; Abyde in hope, til Love, thurgh chaunce, Sende me socour or allegeaunce, 4570 Expectant ay til I may mete To geten mercy of that swete. 'Whylom I thinke how Love to me Seyde he wolde taken atte gree My servise, if unpacience 4575 Caused me to doon offence. He seyde, "In thank I shal it take, And high maister eek thee make, If wikkednesse ne reve it thee; But sone, I trowe, that shal not be." 4580 These were his wordis by and by; It semed he loved me trewly. Now is ther not but serve him wele, If that I thinke his thank to fele. My good, myn harm, lyth hool in me; 4585 In Love may no defaute be; For trewe Love ne failid never man. Sothly, the faute mot nedis than (As God forbede!) be founde in me, And how it cometh, I can not see. 4590 Now lat it goon as it may go; Whether Love wol socoure me or slo, He may do hool on me his wil. I am so sore bounde him til, From his servyse I may not fleen; 4595 For lyf and deth, withouten wene, Is in his hand; I may not chese; He may me do bothe winne and lese. And sith so sore he doth me greve, Yit, if my lust he wolde acheve 4600 To Bialacoil goodly to be, I yeve no force what felle on me. For though I dye, as I mot nede, I praye Love, of his goodlihede, To Bialacoil do gentilnesse, 4605 For whom I live in such distresse, That I mote deyen for penaunce. But first, withoute repentaunce, I wol me confesse in good entent, And make in haste my testament, 4610 As lovers doon that felen smerte:-- To Bialacoil leve I myn herte Al hool, withoute departing, Or doublenesse of repenting.'

COMENT RAISOUN VIENT A L'AMANT.

Thus as I made my passage 4615 In compleynt, and in cruel rage, And I not wher to finde a leche That couthe unto myn helping eche, Sodeynly agayn comen doun Out of hir tour I saugh Resoun, 4620 Discrete and wys, and ful plesaunt, And of hir porte ful avenaunt. The righte wey she took to me, Which stood in greet perplexite, That was posshed in every side, 4625 That I nist where I might abyde, Til she, demurely sad of chere, Seide to me as she com nere:-- 'Myn owne freend, art thou yit greved? How is this quarel yit acheved 4630 Of Loves syde? Anoon me telle; Hast thou not yit of love thy fille? Art thou not wery of thy servyse That thee hath [pyned] in sich wyse? What Ioye hast thou in thy loving? 4635 Is it swete or bitter thing? Canst thou yit chese, lat me see, What best thy socour mighte be? 'Thou servest a ful noble lord, That maketh thee thral for thy reward, 4640 Which ay renewith thy turment, With foly so he hath thee blent. Thou felle in mischeef thilke day, Whan thou didest, the sothe to say, Obeysaunce and eek homage; 4645 Thou wroughtest no-thing as the sage. Whan thou bicam his liege man, Thou didist a gret foly than; Thou wistest not what fel therto, With what lord thou haddist to do. 4650 If thou haddist him wel knowe, Thou haddist nought be brought so lowe; For if thou wistest what it were, Thou noldist serve him half a yeer, Not a weke, nor half a day, 4655 Ne yit an hour withoute delay, Ne never [han] loved paramours, His lordship is so ful of shoures. Knowest him ought?' _L'Amaunt._ 'Ye, dame, parde!' _Raisoun._ 'Nay, nay.' _L'Amaunt._ 'Yes, I.' _Raisoun._ 'Wherof, lat see?' 4660 _L'Amaunt._ 'Of that he seyde I shulde be Glad to have sich lord as he, And maister of sich seignory.' _Raisoun._ 'Knowist him no more?' _L'Amaunt._ 'Nay, certis, I, Save that he yaf me rewles there, 4665 And wente his wey, I niste where, And I abood bounde in balaunce.' _Raisoun._ 'Lo, there a noble conisaunce! But I wil that thou knowe him now Ginning and ende, sith that thou 4670 Art so anguisshous and mate, Disfigured out of astate; Ther may no wrecche have more of wo, Ne caitif noon enduren so. It were to every man sitting 4675 Of his lord have knowleching. For if thou knewe him, out of dout, Lightly thou shulde escapen out Of the prisoun that marreth thee.' _L'Amaunt._ 'Ye, dame! sith my lord is he, 4680 And I his man, maad with myn honde, I wolde right fayn undirstonde To knowen of what kinde he be, If any wolde enferme me.' _Raisoun._ 'I wolde,' seid Resoun, 'thee lere, 4685 Sith thou to lerne hast sich desire, And shewe thee, withouten fable, A thing that is not demonstrable. Thou shalt [here lerne] without science, And knowe, withoute experience, 4690 The thing that may not knowen be, Ne wist ne shewid in no degree. Thou mayst the sothe of it not witen, Though in thee it were writen. Thou shalt not knowe therof more 4695 Whyle thou art reuled by his lore; But unto him that love wol flee, The knotte may unclosed be, Which hath to thee, as it is founde, So long be knet and not unbounde. 4700 Now sette wel thyn entencioun, To here of love discripcioun. 'Love, it is an hateful pees, A free acquitaunce, without relees, [A trouthe], fret full of falshede, 4705 A sikernesse, al set in drede; In herte is a dispeiring hope, And fulle of hope, it is wanhope; Wyse woodnesse, and wood resoun, A swete peril, in to droune, 4710 An hevy birthen, light to bere, A wikked wawe awey to were. It is Caribdis perilous, Disagreable and gracious. It is discordaunce that can accorde, 4715 And accordaunce to discorde. It is cunning withoute science, Wisdom withoute sapience, Wit withoute discrecioun, Havoir, withoute possessioun. 4720 It is sike hele and hool siknesse, A thrust drowned [in] dronkenesse, An helthe ful of maladye, And charitee ful of envye, An [hunger] ful of habundaunce, 4725 And a gredy suffisaunce; Delyt right ful of hevinesse, And drerihed ful of gladnesse; Bitter swetnesse and swete errour, Right evel savoured good savour; 4730 Sinne that pardoun hath withinne, And pardoun spotted without [with] sinne; A peyne also it is, Ioyous, And felonye right pitous; Also pley that selde is stable, 4735 And stedefast [stat], right mevable; A strengthe, weyked to stonde upright, And feblenesse, ful of might; Wit unavysed, sage folye, And Ioye ful of turmentrye; 4740 A laughter it is, weping ay, Rest, that traveyleth night and day; Also a swete helle it is, And a sorowful Paradys; A plesaunt gayl and esy prisoun, 4745 And, ful of froste, somer sesoun; Pryme temps, ful of frostes whyte, And May, devoide of al delyte, With seer braunches, blossoms ungrene; And newe fruyt, fillid with winter tene. 4750 It is a slowe, may not forbere Ragges, ribaned with gold, to were; For al-so wel wol love be set Under ragges as riche rochet; And eek as wel be amourettes 4755 In mourning blak, as bright burnettes. For noon is of so mochel prys, Ne no man founden [is] so wys, Ne noon so high is of parage, Ne no man founde of wit so sage, 4760 No man so hardy ne so wight, Ne no man of so mochel might, Noon so fulfilled of bounte, [But] he with love may daunted be. Al the world holdith this way; 4765 Love makith alle to goon miswey, But it be they of yvel lyf, Whom Genius cursith, man and wyf, That wrongly werke ageyn nature. Noon suche I love, ne have no cure 4770 Of suche as Loves servaunts been, And wol not by my counsel fleen. For I ne preyse that loving, Wher-thurgh man, at the laste ending, Shal calle hem wrecchis fulle of wo, 4775 Love greveth hem and shendith so. But if thou wolt wel Love eschewe, For to escape out of his mewe, And make al hool thy sorwe to slake, No bettir counsel mayst thou take, 4780 Than thinke to fleen wel, y-wis; May nought helpe elles; for wite thou this:-- If thou flee it, it shal flee thee; Folowe it, and folowen shal it thee.' _L'Amaunt._ Whan I hadde herd al Resoun seyn, 4785 Which hadde spilt hir speche in veyn: Dame,' seyde I, 'I dar wel sey Of this avaunt me wel I may That from your scole so deviaunt I am, that never the more avaunt 4790 Right nought am I, thurgh your doctryne; I dulle under your disciplyne; I wot no more than [I] wist [er], To me so contrarie and so fer Is every thing that ye me lere; 4795 And yit I can it al parcuere. Myn herte foryetith therof right nought, It is so writen in my thought; And depe graven it is so tendir That al by herte I can it rendre, 4800 And rede it over comunely; But to my-silf lewedist am I. 'But sith ye love discreven so, And lakke and preise it, bothe two, Defyneth it into this letter, 4805 That I may thenke on it the better; For I herde never [diffyne it ere], And wilfully I wolde it lere.' _Raisoun._ 'If love be serched wel and sought, It is a sykenesse of the thought 4810 Annexed and knet bitwixe tweyne, [Which] male and female, with oo cheyne, So frely byndith, that they nil twinne, Whether so therof they lese or winne. The roote springith, thurgh hoot brenning, 4815 Into disordinat desiring For to kissen and enbrace, And at her lust them to solace. Of other thing love recchith nought, But setteth hir herte and al hir thought 4820 More for delectacioun Than any procreacioun Of other fruyt by engendring; Which love to god is not plesing; For of hir body fruyt to get 4825 They yeve no force, they are so set Upon delyt, to pley in-fere. And somme have also this manere, To feynen hem for love seke; Sich love I preise not at a leke. 4830 For paramours they do but feyne; To love truly they disdeyne. They falsen ladies traitoursly, And sweren hem othes utterly, With many a lesing, and many a fable, 4835 And al they finden deceyvable. And, whan they her lust han geten, The hoote ernes they al foryeten. Wimmen, the harm they byen ful sore; But men this thenken evermore, 4840 That lasse harm is, so mote I thee, Disceyve them, than disceyved be; And namely, wher they ne may Finde non other mene wey. For I wot wel, in sothfastnesse, 4845 That [who] doth now his bisynesse With any womman for to dele, For any lust that he may fele, But-if it be for engendrure, He doth trespasse, I you ensure. 4850 For he shulde setten al his wil To geten a likly thing him til, And to sustene[n], if he might, And kepe forth, by kindes right, His owne lyknesse and semblable, 4855 For bicause al is corumpable, And faile shulde successioun, Ne were ther generacioun Our sectis strene for to save. Whan fader or moder arn in grave, 4860 Hir children shulde, whan they ben deede, Ful diligent ben, in hir steede, To use that werke on such a wyse, That oon may thurgh another ryse. Therfore set Kinde therin delyt, 4865 For men therin shulde hem delyte, And of that dede be not erke, But ofte sythes haunt that werke. For noon wolde drawe therof a draught Ne were delyt, which hath him caught. 4870 This hadde sotil dame Nature; For noon goth right, I thee ensure, Ne hath entent hool ne parfyt; For hir desir is for delyt, The which fortened crece and eke 4875 The pley of love for-ofte seke, And thralle hem-silf, they be so nyce, Unto the prince of every vyce. For of ech sinne it is the rote, Unlefulle lust, though it be sote, 4880 And of al yvel the racyne, As Tullius can determyne, Which in his tyme was ful sage, In a boke he made of Age, Wher that more he preyseth Elde, 4885 Though he be croked and unwelde, And more of commendacioun, Than Youthe in his discripcioun. For Youthe set bothe man and wyf In al perel of soule and lyf; 4890 And perel is, but men have grace, The [tyme] of youthe for to pace, Withoute any deth or distresse, It is so ful of wildenesse; So ofte it doth shame or damage 4895 To him or to his linage. It ledith man now up, now doun, In mochel dissolucioun, And makith him love yvel company, And lede his lyf disrewlily, 4900 And halt him payed with noon estate. Within him-silf is such debate, He chaungith purpos and entent, And yalt [him] into som covent, To liven aftir her empryse, 4905 And lesith fredom and fraunchyse, That Nature in him hadde set, The which ageyn he may not get, If he there make his mansioun For to abyde professioun. 4910 Though for a tyme his herte absente, It may not fayle, he shal repente, And eke abyde thilke day To leve his abit, and goon his way, And lesith his worship and his name, 4915 And dar not come ageyn for shame; But al his lyf he doth so mourne, Bicause he dar not hoom retourne. Fredom of kinde so lost hath he That never may recured be, 4920 But-if that god him graunte grace That he may, er he hennes pace, Conteyne undir obedience Thurgh the vertu of pacience. For Youthe set man in al folye, 4925 In unthrift and in ribaudye, In leccherye, and in outrage, So ofte it chaungith of corage. Youthe ginneth ofte sich bargeyn, That may not ende withouten peyn. 4930 In gret perel is set youth-hede, Delyt so doth his bridil lede. Delyt thus hangith, drede thee nought, Bothe mannis body and his thought, Only thurgh Youthe, his chamberere, 4935 That to don yvel is customere, And of nought elles taketh hede But only folkes for to lede Into disporte and wildenesse, So is [she] froward from sadnesse. 4940 'But Elde drawith hem therfro; Who wot it nought, he may wel go [Demand] of hem that now arn olde, That whylom Youthe hadde in holde, Which yit remembre of tendir age, 4945 How it hem brought in many a rage, And many a foly therin wrought. But now that Elde hath hem thurghsought, They repente hem of her folye, That Youthe hem putte in Iupardye, 4950 In perel and in muche wo, And made hem ofte amis to do, And suen yvel companye, Riot and avouterye. 'But Elde [can] ageyn restreyne 4955 From suche foly, and refreyne, And set men, by hir ordinaunce, In good reule and in governaunce. But yvel she spendith hir servyse, For no man wol hir love, ne pryse; 4960 She is hated, this wot I wele. Hir acqueyntaunce wolde no man fele, Ne han of Elde companye, Men hate to be of hir alye. For no man wolde bicomen olde, 4965 Ne dye, whan he is yong and bolde. And Elde merveilith right gretly, Whan they remembre hem inwardly Of many a perelous empryse, Whiche that they wrought in sondry wyse, 4970 How ever they might, withoute blame, Escape awey withoute shame, In youthe, withoute[n] damage Or repreef of her linage, Losse of membre, sheding of blode, 4975 Perel of deth, or losse of good. 'Wost thou nought where Youthe abit, That men so preisen in her wit? With Delyt she halt soiour, For bothe they dwellen in oo tour. 4980 As longe as Youthe is in sesoun, They dwellen in oon mansioun. Delyt of Youthe wol have servyse To do what so he wol devyse; And Youthe is redy evermore 4985 For to obey, for smerte of sore, Unto Delyt, and him to yive Hir servise, whyl that she may live. 'Where Elde abit, I wol thee telle Shortly, and no whyle dwelle, 4990 For thider bihoveth thee to go. If Deth in youthe thee not slo, Of this journey thou maist not faile. With hir Labour and Travaile Logged been, with Sorwe and Wo, 4995 That never out of hir courte go. Peyne and Distresse, Syknesse and Ire, And Malencoly, that angry sire, Ben of hir paleys senatours; Groning and Grucching, hir herbergeours, 5000 The day and night, hir to turment, With cruel Deth they hir present, And tellen hir, erliche and late, That Deth stant armed at hir gate. Than bringe they to hir remembraunce 5005 The foly dedis of hir infaunce, Which causen hir to mourne in wo That Youthe hath hir bigiled so, Which sodeynly awey is hasted. She wepeth the tyme that she hath wasted, 5010 Compleyning of the preterit, And the present, that not abit, And of hir olde vanitee, That, but aforn hir she may see In the future som socour, 5015 To leggen hir of hir dolour, To graunt hir tyme of repentaunce, For hir sinnes to do penaunce, And at the laste so hir governe To winne the Ioy that is eterne, 5020 Fro which go bakward Youthe [hir] made, In vanitee to droune and wade. For present tyme abidith nought, It is more swift than any thought; So litel whyle it doth endure 5025 That ther nis compte ne mesure. 'But how that ever the game go, Who list [have] Ioye and mirth also Of love, be it he or she, High or lowe, who[so] it be, 5030 In fruyt they shulde hem delyte; Her part they may not elles quyte, To save hem-silf in honestee. And yit ful many oon I see Of wimmen, sothly for to seyne, 5035 That [ay] desire and wolde fayne The pley of love, they be so wilde, And not coveite to go with childe. And if with child they be perchaunce, They wole it holde a gret mischaunce; 5040 But what-som-ever wo they fele, They wol not pleyne, but concele; But-if it be any fool or nyce, In whom that shame hath no Iustyce. For to delyt echon they drawe, 5045 That haunte this werk, bothe high and lawe, Save sich that ar[e]n worth right nought, That for money wol be bought. Such love I preise in no wyse, Whan it is given for coveitise. 5050 I preise no womman, though [she] be wood, That yeveth hir-silf for any good. For litel shulde a man telle Of hir, that wol hir body selle, Be she mayde, be she wyf, 5055 That quik wol selle hir, by hir lyf. How faire chere that ever she make, He is a wrecche, I undirtake, That loveth such one, for swete or sour, Though she him calle hir paramour, 5060 And laugheth on him, and makith him feeste. For certeynly no suche [a] beeste To be loved is not worthy, Or bere the name of druery. Noon shulde hir please, but he were wood, 5065 That wol dispoile him of his good. Yit nevertheles, I wol not sey [But] she, for solace and for pley, May a Iewel or other thing Take of her loves free yeving; 5070 But that she aske it in no wyse, For drede of shame of coveityse. And she of hirs may him, certeyn, Withoute sclaundre, yeven ageyn, And ioyne her hertes togidre so 5075 In love, and take and yeve also. Trowe not that I wolde hem twinne, Whan in her love ther is no sinne; I wol that they togedre go, And doon al that they han ado, 5080 As curteis shulde and debonaire, And in her love beren hem faire, Withoute vyce, bothe he and she; So that alwey, in honestee, Fro foly love [they] kepe hem clere 5085 That brenneth hertis with his fere; And that her love, in any wyse, Be devoid of coveityse. Good love shulde engendrid be Of trewe herte, iust, and secree, 5090 And not of such as sette her thought To have her lust, and ellis nought, So are they caught in Loves lace, Truly, for bodily solace. Fleshly delyt is so present 5095 With thee, that sette al thyn entent, Withoute more (what shulde I glose?) For to gete and have the Rose; Which makith thee so mate and wood That thou desirest noon other good. 5100 But thou art not an inche the nerre, But ever abydest in sorwe and werre, As in thy face it is sene; It makith thee bothe pale and lene; Thy might, thy vertu goth away. 5105 A sory gest, in goode fay, Thou [herberedest than] in thyn inne, The God of Love whan thou let inne! Wherfore I rede, thou shette him out, Or he shal greve thee, out of doute; 5110 For to thy profit it wol turne, If he nomore with thee soiourne. In gret mischeef and sorwe sonken Ben hertis, that of love arn dronken, As thou peraventure knowen shal, 5115 Whan thou hast lost [thy] tyme al, And spent [thy youthe] in ydilnesse, In waste, and woful lustinesse; If thou maist live the tyme to see Of love for to delivered be, 5120 Thy tyme thou shall biwepe sore The whiche never thou maist restore. (For tyme lost, as men may see, For no-thing may recured be). And if thou scape yit, atte laste, 5125 Fro Love, that hath thee so faste Knit and bounden in his lace, Certeyn, I holde it but a grace. For many oon, as it is seyn, Have lost, and spent also in veyn, 5130 In his servyse, withoute socour, Body and soule, good, and tresour, Wit, and strengthe, and eek richesse, Of which they hadde never redresse.' Thus taught and preched hath Resoun, 5135 But Love spilte hir sermoun, That was so imped in my thought, That hir doctrine I sette at nought. And yit ne seide she never a dele, That I ne understode it wele, 5140 Word by word, the mater al. But unto Love I was so thral, Which callith over-al his pray, He chasith so my thought [alway], And holdith myn herte undir his sele, 5145 As trust and trew as any stele; So that no devocioun Ne hadde I in the sermoun Of dame Resoun, ne of hir rede; It toke no soiour in myn hede. 5150 For alle yede out at oon ere That in that other she dide lere; Fully on me she lost hir lore, Hir speche me greved wondir sore. [Than] unto hir for ire I seide, 5155 For anger, as I dide abraide: Dame, and is it your wille algate, That I not love, but that I hate Alle men, as ye me teche? For if I do aftir your speche, 5160 Sith that ye seyn love is not good, Than must I nedis say with mood, If I it leve, in hatrede ay Liven, and voide love away From me, [and been] a sinful wrecche, 5165 Hated of all that [love that] tecche. I may not go noon other gate, For either must I love or hate. And if I hate men of-newe More than love, it wol me rewe, 5170 As by your preching semeth me, For Love no-thing ne preisith thee. Ye yeve good counseil, sikirly, That prechith me al-day, that I Shulde not Loves lore alowe; 5175 He were a fool, wolde you not trowe! In speche also ye han me taught Another love, that knowen is naught, Which I have herd you not repreve, To love ech other; by your leve, 5180 If ye wolde diffyne it me, I wolde gladly here, to see, At the leest, if I may lere Of sondry loves the manere.' _Raison._ 'Certis, freend, a fool art thou 5185 Whan that thou no-thing wolt allowe That I [thee] for thy profit say. Yit wol I sey thee more, in fay; For I am redy, at the leste, To accomplisshe thy requeste, 5190 But I not wher it wol avayle; In veyne, perauntre, I shal travayle. Love ther is in sondry wyse, As I shal thee here devyse. For som love leful is and good; 5195 I mene not that which makith thee wood, And bringith thee in many a fit, And ravisshith fro thee al thy wit, It is so merveilous and queynt; With such love be no more aqueynt. 5200

COMMENT RAISOUN DIFFINIST AMISTIE.

'Love of Frendshipe also ther is, Which makith no man doon amis, Of wille knit bitwixe two, That wol not breke for wele ne wo; Which long is lykly to contune, 5205 Whan wille and goodis ben in comune; Grounded by goddis ordinaunce, Hool, withoute discordaunce; With hem holding comuntee Of al her goode in charitee, 5210 That ther be noon excepcioun Thurgh chaunging of entencioun; That ech helpe other at hir neede, And wysly hele bothe word and dede; Trewe of mening, devoid of slouthe, 5215 For wit is nought withoute trouthe; So that the ton dar al his thought Seyn to his freend, and spare nought, As to him-silf, without dreding To be discovered by wreying. 5220 For glad is that coniunccioun, Whan ther is noon suspecioun [Ne lak in hem], whom they wolde prove That trew and parfit weren in love. For no man may be amiable, 5225 But-if he be so ferme and stable, That fortune chaunge him not, ne blinde, But that his freend alwey him finde, Bothe pore and riche, in oon [e]state. For if his freend, thurgh any gate, 5230 Wol compleyne of his povertee, He shulde not byde so long, til he Of his helping him requere; For good deed, done [but] thurgh prayere, Is sold, and bought to dere, y-wis, 5235 To hert that of gret valour is. For hert fulfilled of gentilnesse Can yvel demene his distresse. And man that worthy is of name To asken often hath gret shame. 5240 A good man brenneth in his thought For shame, whan he axeth ought. He hath gret thought, and dredith ay For his disese, whan he shal pray His freend, lest that he warned be, 5245 Til that he preve his stabiltee. But whan that he hath founden oon That trusty is and trew as stone, And [hath] assayed him at al, And found him stedefast as a wal, 5250 And of his freendship be certeyne, He shal him shewe bothe Ioye and peyne, And al that [he] dar thinke or sey, Withoute shame, as he wel may. For how shulde he ashamed be 5255 Of sich oon as I tolde thee? For whan he woot his secree thought, The thridde shal knowe ther-of right nought; For tweyn in nombre is bet than three In every counsel and secree. 5260 Repreve he dredeth never a del, Who that biset his wordis wel; For every wys man, out of drede, Can kepe his tunge til he see nede; And fooles can not holde hir tunge; 5265 A fooles belle is sone runge. Yit shal a trewe freend do more To helpe his felowe of his sore, And socoure him, whan he hath nede, In al that he may doon in dede; 5270 And gladder [be] that he him plesith Than [is] his felowe that he esith. And if he do not his requeste, He shal as mochel him moleste As his felow, for that he 5275 May not fulfille his voluntee [As] fully as he hath requered. If bothe the hertis Love hath fered, Joy and wo they shul depart, And take evenly ech his part. 5280 Half his anoy he shal have ay, And comfort [him] what that he may; And of his blisse parte shal he, If love wol departed be. 'And whilom of this [amitee] 5285 Spak Tullius in a ditee; ["A man] shulde maken his request Unto his freend, that is honest; And he goodly shulde it fulfille, But it the more were out of skile, 5290 And otherwise not graunt therto, Except only in [cases] two: If men his freend to deth wolde dryve, Lat him be bisy to save his lyve. Also if men wolen him assayle, 5295 Of his wurship to make him faile, And hindren him of his renoun, Lat him, with ful entencioun, His dever doon in ech degree That his freend ne shamed be, 5300 In this two [cases] with his might, Taking no kepe to skile nor right, As ferre as love may him excuse; This oughte no man to refuse." This love that I have told to thee 5305 Is no-thing contrarie to me; This wol I that thou folowe wel, And leve the tother everydel. This love to vertu al attendith, The tothir fooles blent and shendith. 5310 'Another love also there is, That is contrarie unto this, Which desyre is so constreyned That [it] is but wille feyned; Awey fro trouthe it doth so varie, 5315 That to good love it is contrarie; For it maymeth, in many wyse, Syke hertis with coveityse; Al in winning and in profyt Sich love settith his delyt. 5320 This love so hangeth in balaunce That, if it lese his hope, perchaunce, Of lucre, that he is set upon, It wol faile, and quenche anon; For no man may be amorous, 5325 Ne in his living vertuous, But-[if] he love more, in mood, Men for hem-silf than for hir good. For love that profit doth abyde Is fals, and bit not in no tyde. 5330 [This] love cometh of dame Fortune, That litel whyle wol contune; For it shal chaungen wonder sone, And take eclips right as the mone, Whan she is from us [y]-let 5335 Thurgh erthe, that bitwixe is set The sonne and hir, as it may falle, Be it in party, or in alle; The shadowe maketh her bemis merke, And hir hornes to shewe derke, 5340 That part where she hath lost hir lyght Of Phebus fully, and the sight; Til, whan the shadowe is overpast, She is enlumined ageyn as faste, Thurgh brightnesse of the sonne bemes 5345 That yeveth to hir ageyn hir lemes. That love is right of sich nature; Now is [it] fair, and now obscure. Now bright, now clipsy of manere, And whylom dim, and whylom clere. 5350 As sone as Poverte ginneth take, With mantel and [with] wedis blake [It] hidith of Love the light awey, That into night it turneth day; It may not see Richesse shyne 5355 Til the blakke shadowes fyne. For, whan Richesse shyneth bright, Love recovereth ageyn his light; And whan it failith, he wol flit, And as she [groweth, so groweth] it. 5360 'Of this love, here what I sey:-- The riche men are loved ay, And namely tho that sparand bene, That wol not wasshe hir hertes clene Of the filthe, nor of the vyce 5365 Of gredy brenning avaryce. The riche man ful fond is, y-wis, That weneth that he loved is. If that his herte it undirstood, It is not he, it is his good; 5370 He may wel witen in his thought, His good is loved, and he right nought. For if he be a nigard eke, Men wole not sette by him a leke, But haten him; this is the soth. 5375 Lo, what profit his catel doth! Of every man that may him see, It geteth him nought but enmitee. But he amende him of that vyce, And knowe him-silf, he is not wys. 5380 'Certis, he shulde ay freendly be, To gete him love also ben free, Or ellis he is not wyse ne sage No more than is a gote ramage. That he not loveth, his dede proveth, 5385 Whan he his richesse so wel loveth, That he wol hyde it ay and spare, His pore freendis seen forfare; To kepe [it ay is] his purpose, Til for drede his eyen close, 5390 And til a wikked deth him take; Him hadde lever asondre shake, And late his limes a sondre ryve, Than leve his richesse in his lyve. He thenkith parte it with no man; 5395 Certayn, no love is in him than. How shulde love within him be, Whan in his herte is no pite? That he trespasseth, wel I wat, For ech man knowith his estat; 5400 For wel him oughte be reproved That loveth nought, ne is not loved. 'But sith we arn to Fortune comen, And [han] our sermoun of hir nomen, A wondir wil I telle thee now, 5405 Thou herdist never sich oon, I trow. I not wher thou me leven shal, Though sothfastnesse it be [in] al, As it is writen, and is sooth, That unto men more profit doth 5410 The froward Fortune and contraire, Than the swote and debonaire: And if thee thinke it is doutable, It is thurgh argument provable. For the debonaire and softe 5415 Falsith and bigylith ofte; For liche a moder she can cherishe And milken as doth a norys; And of hir goode to hem deles, And yeveth hem part of her loweles, 5420 With grete richesse and dignitee; And hem she hoteth stabilitee In a state that is not stable, But chaunging ay and variable; And fedith hem with glorie veyne, 5425 And worldly blisse noncerteyne. Whan she hem settith on hir whele, Than wene they to be right wele, And in so stable state withalle, That never they wene for to falle. 5430 And whan they set so highe be, They wene to have in certeintee Of hertly frendis [so] gret noumbre, That no-thing mighte her stat encombre; They truste hem so on every syde, 5435 Wening with hem they wolde abyde In every perel and mischaunce, Withoute chaunge or variaunce, Bothe of catel and of good; And also for to spende hir blood 5440 And alle hir membris for to spille, Only to fulfille hir wille. They maken it hole in many wyse, And hoten hem hir ful servyse, How sore that it do hem smerte, 5445 Into hir very naked sherte! Herte and al, so hole they yeve, For the tyme that they may live, So that, with her flaterye, They maken foolis glorifye 5450 Of hir wordis [greet] speking, And han [there]-of a reioysing, And trowe hem as the Evangyle; And it is al falsheed and gyle, As they shal afterwardes see, 5455 Whan they arn falle in povertee, And been of good and catel bare; Than shulde they seen who freendis ware. For of an hundred, certeynly, Nor of a thousand ful scarsly, 5460 Ne shal they fynde unnethis oon, Whan povertee is comen upon. For [this] Fortune that I of telle, With men whan hir lust to dwelle, Makith hem to lese hir conisaunce, 5465 And nourishith hem in ignoraunce. 'But froward Fortune and perverse, Whan high estatis she doth reverse, And maketh hem to tumble doun Of hir whele, with sodeyn tourn, 5470 And from hir richesse doth hem flee, And plongeth hem in povertee, As a stepmoder envyous, And leyeth a plastre dolorous Unto her hertis, wounded egre, 5475 Which is not tempred with vinegre, But with poverte and indigence, For to shewe, by experience, That she is Fortune verely In whom no man shulde affy, 5480 Nor in hir yeftis have fiaunce, She is so ful of variaunce. Thus can she maken high and lowe, Whan they from richesse ar[e]n throwe, Fully to knowen, withouten were, 5485 Freend of effect, and freend of chere; And which in love weren trew and stable, And whiche also weren variable, After Fortune, hir goddesse, In poverte, outher in richesse; 5490 For al [she] yeveth, out of drede, Unhappe bereveth it in dede; For Infortune lat not oon Of freendis, whan Fortune is goon; I mene tho freendis that wol flee 5495 Anoon as entreth povertee. And yit they wol not leve hem so, But in ech place where they go They calle hem "wrecche," scorne and blame, And of hir mishappe hem diffame, 5500 And, namely, siche as in richesse Pretendith most of stablenesse, Whan that they sawe him set onlofte, And weren of him socoured ofte, And most y-holpe in al hir nede: 5505 But now they take no maner hede, But seyn, in voice of flaterye, That now apperith hir folye, Over-al where-so they fare, And singe, "Go, farewel feldefare." 5510 Alle suche freendis I beshrewe, For of [the] trewe ther be to fewe; But sothfast freendis, what so bityde, In every fortune wolen abyde; They han hir hertis in suche noblesse 5515 That they nil love for no richesse; Nor, for that Fortune may hem sende, They wolen hem socoure and defende; And chaunge for softe ne for sore, For who is freend, loveth evermore. 5520 Though men drawe swerd his freend to slo, He may not hewe hir love a-two. But, in [the] case that I shal sey, For pride and ire lese it he may, And for reprove by nycetee, 5525 And discovering of privitee, With tonge wounding, as feloun, Thurgh venemous detraccioun. Frend in this case wol gon his way, For no-thing greve him more ne may; 5530 And for nought ellis wol he flee, If that he love in stabilitee. And certeyn, he is wel bigoon Among a thousand that fyndith oon. For ther may be no richesse, 5535 Ageyns frendship, of worthinesse; For it ne may so high atteigne As may the valoure, sooth to seyne, Of him that loveth trew and wel; Frendship is more than is catel. 5540 For freend in court ay better is Than peny in [his] purs, certis; And Fortune, mishapping, Whan upon men she is [falling], Thurgh misturning of hir chaunce, 5545 And casteth hem oute of balaunce, She makith, thurgh hir adversitee, Men ful cleerly for to see Him that is freend in existence From him that is by apparence. 5550 For Infortune makith anoon To knowe thy freendis fro thy foon, By experience, right as it is; The which is more to preyse, y-wis, Than [is] miche richesse and tresour; 5555 For more [doth] profit and valour Poverte, and such adversitee, Bifore than doth prosperitee; For the toon yeveth conisaunce, And the tother ignoraunce. 5560 'And thus in poverte is in dede Trouthe declared fro falsehede; For feynte frendis it wol declare, And trewe also, what wey they fare. For whan he was in his richesse, 5565 These freendis, ful of doublenesse, Offrid him in many wyse Hert and body, and servyse. What wolde he than ha [yeve] to ha bought To knowen openly her thought, 5570 That he now hath so clerly seen? The lasse bigyled he sholde have been And he hadde than perceyved it, But richesse nold not late him wit. Wel more avauntage doth him than, 5575 Sith that it makith him a wys man, The greet mischeef that he [receyveth], Than doth richesse that him deceyveth. Richesse riche ne makith nought Him that on tresour set his thought; 5580 For richesse stont in suffisaunce And no-thing in habundaunce; For suffisaunce al-only Makith men to live richely. For he that hath [but] miches tweyne, 5585 Ne [more] value in his demeigne, Liveth more at ese, and more is riche, Than doth he that is [so] chiche, And in his bern hath, soth to seyn, An hundred [muwis] of whete greyn, 5590 Though he be chapman or marchaunt, And have of golde many besaunt. For in the geting he hath such wo, And in the keping drede also, And set evermore his bisynesse 5595 For to encrese, and not to lesse, For to augment and multiply. And though on hepis [it] lye him by, Yit never shal make his richesse Asseth unto his gredinesse. 5600 But the povre that recchith nought, Save of his lyflode, in his thought, Which that he getith with his travaile, He dredith nought that it shal faile, Though he have lytel worldis good, 5605 Mete and drinke, and esy food, Upon his travel and living, And also suffisaunt clothing. Or if in syknesse that he falle, And lothe mete and drink withalle, 5610 Though he have nought, his mete to by, He shal bithinke him hastely, To putte him out of al daunger, That he of mete hath no mister; Or that he may with litel eke 5615 Be founden, whyl that he is seke; Or that men shul him bere in hast, To live, til his syknesse be past, To somme maysondewe bisyde; He cast nought what shal him bityde. 5620 He thenkith nought that ever he shal Into any syknesse falle. 'And though it falle, as it may be, That al betyme spare shal he As mochel as shal to him suffyce, 5625 Whyl he is syke in any wyse, He doth [it], for that he wol be Content with his povertee Withoute nede of any man. So miche in litel have he can, 5630 He is apayed with his fortune; And for he nil be importune Unto no wight, ne onerous, Nor of hir goodes coveitous; Therfore he spareth, it may wel been, 5635 His pore estat for to sustene. 'Or if him lust not for to spare, But suffrith forth, as nought ne ware, Atte last it hapneth, as it may, Right unto his laste day, 5640 And taketh the world as it wolde be; For ever in herte thenkith he, The soner that [the] deeth him slo, To paradys the soner go He shal, there for to live in blisse, 5645 Where that he shal no good misse. Thider he hopith god shal him sende Aftir his wrecchid lyves ende. Pictagoras himsilf reherses, In a book that the Golden verses 5650 Is clepid, for the nobilitee Of the honourable ditee:-- "Than, whan thou gost thy body fro, Free in the eir thou shalt up go, And leven al humanitee, 5655 And purely live in deitee."-- He is a fool, withouten were, That trowith have his countre here. "In erthe is not our countree," That may these clerkis seyn and see 5660 In Boece of Consolacioun, Where it is maked mencioun Of our countree pleyn at the eye, By teching of philosophye, Where lewid men might lere wit, 5665 Who-so that wolde translaten it. If he be sich that can wel live Aftir his rente may him yive, And not desyreth more to have, That may fro povertee him save: 5670 A wys man seide, as we may seen, Is no man wrecched, but he it wene, Be he king, knight, or ribaud. And many a ribaud is mery and baud, That swinkith, and berith, bothe day and night, 5675 Many a burthen of gret might, The whiche doth him lasse offense, For he suffrith in pacience. They laugh and daunce, trippe and singe, And ley not up for her living, 5680 But in the tavern al dispendith The winning that god hem sendith. Than goth he, fardels for to bere, With as good chere as he dide ere; To swinke and traveile he not feynith, 5685 For for to robben he disdeynith; But right anoon, aftir his swinke, He goth to tavern for to drinke. Alle these ar riche in abundaunce, That can thus have suffisaunce 5690 Wel more than can an usurere, As god wel knowith, withoute were. For an usurer, so god me see, Shal never for richesse riche bee, But evermore pore and indigent, 5695 Scarce, and gredy in his entent. 'For soth it is, whom it displese, Ther may no marchaunt live at ese, His herte in sich a were is set, That it quik brenneth [more] to get, 5700 Ne never shal [enough have] geten; Though he have gold in gerners yeten, For to be nedy he dredith sore. Wherfore to geten more and more He set his herte and his desire; 5705 So hote he brennith in the fire Of coveitise, that makith him wood To purchase other mennes good. He undirfongith a gret peyne, That undirtakith to drinke up Seyne; 5710 For the more he drinkith, ay The more he leveth, the soth to say. [This is the] thurst of fals geting, That last ever in coveiting, And the anguisshe and distresse 5715 With the fire of gredinesse. She fighteth with him ay, and stryveth, That his herte asondre ryveth; Such gredinesse him assaylith, That whan he most hath, most he faylith. 5720 Phisiciens and advocates Gon right by the same yates; They selle hir science for winning, And haunte hir crafte for greet geting. Hir winning is of such swetnesse, 5725 That if a man falle in sikenesse, They are ful glad, for hir encrese; For by hir wille, withoute lees, Everiche man shulde be seke, And though they dye, they set not a leke. 5730 After, whan they the gold have take, Ful litel care for hem they make. They wolde that fourty were seke at onis, Ye, two hundred, in flesh and bonis, And yit two thousand, as I gesse, 5735 For to encresen her richesse. They wol not worchen, in no wyse, But for lucre and coveityse; For fysyk ginneth first by _fy_, The fysycien also sothely; 5740 And sithen it goth fro _fy_ to _sy_; To truste on hem, it is foly; For they nil, in no maner gree, Do right nought for charitee. 'Eke in the same secte are set 5745 Alle tho that prechen for to get Worshipes, honour, and richesse. Her hertis arn in greet distresse, That folk [ne] live not holily. But aboven al, specialy, 5750 Sich as prechen [for] veynglorie, And toward god have no memorie, But forth as ypocrites trace, And to her soules deth purchace, And outward [shewen] holynesse, 5755 Though they be fulle of cursidnesse. Not liche to the apostles twelve, They deceyve other and hem-selve; Bigyled is the gyler than. For preching of a cursed man, 5760 Though [it] to other may profyte, Himsilf availeth not a myte; For oft good predicacioun Cometh of evel entencioun. To him not vailith his preching, 5765 Al helpe he other with his teching; For where they good ensaumple take, There is he with veynglorie shake. 'But lat us leven these prechoures, And speke of hem that in her toures 5770 Hepe up her gold, and faste shette, And sore theron her herte sette. They neither love god, ne drede; They kepe more than it is nede, And in her bagges sore it binde, 5775 Out of the sonne, and of the winde; They putte up more than nede ware, Whan they seen pore folk forfare, For hunger dye, and for cold quake; God can wel vengeaunce therof take. 5780 [Thre] gret mischeves hem assailith, And thus in gadring ay travaylith; With moche peyne they winne richesse; And drede hem holdith in distresse, To kepe that they gadre faste; 5785 With sorwe they leve it at the laste; With sorwe they bothe dye and live, That to richesse her hertis yive, And in defaute of love it is, As it shewith ful wel, y-wis. 5790 For if these gredy, the sothe to seyn, Loveden, and were loved ageyn, And good love regned over-alle, Such wikkidnesse ne shulde falle; But he shulde yeve that most good had 5795 To hem that weren in nede bistad, And live withoute fals usure, For charitee ful clene and pure. If they hem yeve to goodnesse, Defending hem from ydelnesse, 5800 In al this world than pore noon We shulde finde, I trowe, not oon. But chaunged is this world unstable; For love is over-al vendable. We see that no man loveth now 5805 But for winning and for prow; And love is thralled in servage Whan it is sold for avauntage; Yit wommen wol hir bodies selle; Suche soules goth to the devel of helle.' 5810

[_Here ends_ l. 5170 _of the_ F. text. _A great gap follows. The next line answers to_ l. 10717 _of the same_.]

1711. Th. thystels; G. thesteles. 1713. Ful] _Both_ For. Th. moche; G. mych.

1721. G. botheum; Th. bothum; _read_ botoun. 1727. Th. shotte. 1728. G. me nye (!) 1732. _Both_ Sithen; Th. chyuered. 1733. _I supply_ that. 1736. _I supply_ ther; F. _iluec_. 1743. Th. drey; G. drie. 1749. Th. yet; G. atte. 1750. Th. whiche; G. which it. 1757. G. to do; Th. do. 1758. _Both_ two (!). 1761. _Both_ bothum. 1766. _Both_ certis euenly. 1771. a] _Both_ his.

1779. _I supply_ myn. 1786. _Both_ bothom; _so in_ 1790. 1791. _Both_ were to haue. 1797, 8. Th. fyne, pyne; G. feyne, peyne. 1806. Th. of; G. on. 1808. _Both_ drawe. 1811. Th. stycked; G. stikith. 1814. felte] _both_ lefte (!).

1845. _Both_ bothom. 1848. _Both_ mighte it. 1851. _Both_ sene I hadde. 1853, 4. _Both_ thore, more; _see_ l. 1857. 1856. G. thens; Th. thence. 1860. G. Castith; Th. Casteth. 1863. G. which. 1873. Th. dethe; G. deth. 1874. G. Whader; Th. Whether. 1879. _I supply_ ful. 1892. _So_ Th.; G. (_in late hand_) That he hadde the body hole made. 1895. _Both_ without.

_Transpose_ 1913, 4? 1922. Th. hem; G. hym. 1924. _Both_ softyng; _see_ 1925. 1925. _Both_ prikkith. 1929. Th. iape. 1933. Th. hastely; G. hastly. 1934. _I supply_ the. 1946. _Both_ al. 1965. _Both_ loue (!). 1971. _Both_ Without.

1982. G. _om._ me. 1984. Th. Sens. 1994. _Supply_ to; _see_ 2126. 1999. Th. sythe; G. sith; _read_ sithen. 2002. _For_ of _read_ to? 2006. G. must. _Both_ kysse. 2012. _Both_ without. 2018. _Both_ gonfenoun. 2022. _I supply_ so. 2030. G. thens; Th. thence. 2033. _Both_ without. 2038. _Perhaps_ quoynt. 2044. _Perhaps_ tan (_for_ taken).

2046. _Both_ Disteyned (F. _deceus_). 2049. _Both ins._ her _after_ through. 2066. G. wole; Th. wot (F. _savez_). 2067. _Both_ susprised. 2068. _Perhaps_ tan (_for_ taken). 2074. _I supply_ it. 2076. G. disese; Th. desese (F. _dessaisir_). 2085. Th. tresore; G. tresour. 2099. _I supply_ al. 2105. Th. at; G. atte.

2109. _Om._ But? 2116. _Read_ gree? 2132. G. compleysshen; Th. accomplysshen. 2141. _I supply_ sinne. 2142. Th. entierly. 2150. G. Whanne that; Th. Whan. 2154. _Both_ bigynneth to amende. 2167. Th. he; G. ye.

2176. G. say; Th. saye. 2178. G. ageyns; Th. ayenst. 2183. G. withouten; Th. without. 2185. G. resseyue; Th. receyue. _Both_ vnto (_for_ to). 2191. _I supply_ that. 2195. _Both_ in (_for_ a). 2208. G. yong; Th. yonge. 2215. G. more; Th. mare. 2218. Th. hem; G. him. 2219, 20. _Both_ somme, domme. 2224. Th. rybaudye; G. rebaudrye. 2234. Th. sette; G. _om._

2247. _Both_ trewly. 2249, 2251, 2254. _Both_ Without. 2261. _I supply_ hem; _both_ best. 2264. G. streght. _Both_ on (_for_ upon). 2268. G. ruyde; Th. rude (F. _cil vilain_). 2271. G. streit. Th. aumere; G. awmere; _see_ 2087. 2278. Th. Whit-; G. wis-. 2279. _Both_ costneth (F. _couste_). 2285. _Both_ Farce. 2294. G. knowith (!); _so_ Th. 2302. _Both_ pleyneth (!).

2305. _I supply_ som. 2309. _I supply_ best. 2316. Th. tyl; G. to. 2318. G. _om._ no. 2327. _Both_ meuen. 2336. _Both_ londes; _read_ Loues. 2341. G. this swiffte (_so_ Th.; F. _si riche don_). _Both_ it is; _om._ it. 2344, 9. _I supply_ that. 2347. _Both_ better. 2355. G. that heere; Th. _om._ that.

2362. _I supply_ eek. 2365. _Both_ and (_for_ in). 2367, 8. _Both_ departe, parte. 2371, 2. _So_ Th.; G. sitte, flitte. 2383. _I supply_ wol. 2384. G. _om._ is. 2388. _I supply_ al. 2395-2442. _Not in_ G.; _from_ Th. 2401. _I supply_ yit. 2403, 4. Th. fal, al. 2405. Th. holy. 2413. As] Th. A.

2427. Th. sene (F. _envoier_). 2432. Th. gone and visyten. 2437, 8. Th. sene, bene. 2443. G. _begins again_. 2446. _Both_ thou dost; _om._ thou. 2454. _For_ wolt _read_ nilt? 2466. _Om._ of? 2472. _I supply_ the. 2473. _For_ Thought _read_ That swete? 2477. _I supply_ thou.

2492. _Both_ do_m_me. 2494, 2521. Th. faste; G. fast. 2499. G. yitt; Th. yet (_for_ yif). 2532. _I supply_ thy; F. _ta raison_. Th. durste; G. derst. 2541. a] Th. o.

2550. Th. batell; G. batelle. 2563, 4. Th. a-brede, forwerede; G. abrode, forweriede; _see_ 3251. 2569. seme] _Both_ se. 2576. Th. slombrest. 2578. G. _om._ a.

2610. Th. Withouten; G. Without. Th. kesse; G. kysse. 2617. _Both_ I wote not; _read_ I noot. 2619. _Both_ better. 2621. _Both_ on hir I caste. 2622. _Both_ That (_for_ Than). 2628. _Both_ liggen. 2649. Th. shalt; G. shalle. 2650. _Both_ whider (!). 2655, 6. Th. aferde, vnsperde; G. afeerd, unspered. 2660. Th. shore. 2664. Th. thy; G. the. 2668. _Both_ without. 2669. _Both om._ a.

2675. Th. whan; G. whanne; _read_ wham _or_ whom; F. _De qui tu ne pues avoir aise_. 2676. _Corrupt_; F. _Au departir la porte baise_. Th. awey; G. away. 2683. Th. _ins._ any (G. ony) _bef._ wene. 2687. Th. selfe; G. silf. 2688. Th. assayed; G. assaid. 2690. _Both_ for to (_for_ to). 2693. Th. ofte; G. of. 2697. Th. dothe; G. doith. 2700. _I supply_ hir. 2709, 2710. _Both_ more, fore; _read_ mare, fare. _I supply_ thee. 2712. _Perhaps omit_ to. 2729. Th. Aye; G. A-yee.

2746. _I supply_ may. 2748. Th. great; G. greet. 2752. _For_ that _read_ yet? 2755, 6. Th. sete, ete; G. sett, ete. 2760. _Both_ yeue. 2763. _I supply_ his. Th. trust; G. trist. 2774. _Both_ aftirward. 2775. _I supply_ to. 2777. _Both_ yeue. 2786. _Both_ endure. 2789, 90. Th. solace, lace. G. Doith. 2791. _Both_ first.

2796. G. Thenkyng; Th. Thynkyng; _see_ 2804. 2798. _Both_ and in peyne. 2801. _Both ins._ to _bef._ have. 2824. _Both_ not ben; F. _tu seroies_. 2831. _Both_ myght. 2833. _Both_ me (_for_ hem); _see_ 2845. 2845. _I supply_ my; _see_ 2833. 2846. G. sittith; Th. sytteth. 2854. Th. him; G. hem. Th. apayde; G. apaied; _see_ l. 2891.

2895. G. and of; Th. _om._ of. 2897. G. which. 2912. _I supply_ yit. 2916. _I supply_ it. Th. conuoye G. conueye. 2917. they] _Both_ thou.

2921, 2. _Both_ sene, clene; _supply_ he. 2934. _I supply_ that. 2935. _Both_ declared thee. 2946. Th. sufferaunce; G. suffraunce. 2950. _Both_ yeue. 2954. Th. vanysshed; G. vanyshide. 2960, 2973. _Both_ bothom; _read_ botoun. 2970. G. bisiede; Th. besyed. 2971. Th. haye; G. hay.

2981. Th. gladde; G. glad. 2984. F. _Bel-Acueil_. 2987. G. outter; Th. vtter. 2990. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. 2992. _Both_ warrans; _I supply_ I be; F. _Ge vous i puis bien garantir_. 3000. Th. hertely; G. hertly. 3001. _I supply_ I. 3009, 3013. _Both_ bothom; _read_ botoun. 3010. Th: fresshe; G. fresh. Th. spronge; G. sprange. 3012. _Both_ myght. 3020. Th. grasse; G. gras. 3029. _I insert_ no. 3035. _Both_ Brought; _I supply_ On lyve (i. e. to life). Th. ylke; G. ilk.

3038. Th. so vgly; G. so oughlye; _om._ so. 3045. _Both_ bothoms; _read_ botouns. Th. las; G. lasse. 3046. Th. sondrie; G. sondre. 3047. Th. wyste; G. wist. 3050, 3064. _Both_ Bothoms. 3052. _Both_ Venus hath flemed. 3058. G. _om._ is. 3071, 6, 8. _Both_ bothom. 3079. _I supply_ me; F. _me fis_. 3083. G. waxe; Th. wext.

3109. _Both_ bothom. 3115. _Both_ arise; _read_ ryse. 3125. _Both_ And late (lette) it growe. 3127, 8. _Both_ were, bere. 3136. G. _om._ Th. His eyes reed sparclyng as the fyre-glowe (_too long_); F. _S'ot les yex rouges comme feus._ 3037. _Both_ kirked. 3150. I] G. it; Th. he; F. _ge_. 3154. Th. agayne; G. ageyns.

3164. Th. he; G. it. 3179. _I supply_ wot. 3186. Th. brast; G. barste. 3188. G. That was; Th. _m._ That. Th. through; G. thurgh. 3191. Th. highe; G. high. 3195. _Both_ without. 3201. on] G. in (!). 3207. _Both_ For nature; _I omit_ For. 3209. _Both_ but if the. 3213. Th. seignorie; G. seignurie.

3219,20. G. freende, sheende; Th. frende, shende. 3221. Th. the; G. ye. 3227. G. didest (!). 3228. Th. had; G. hadde; _read_ haddest. 3230. _I supply_ ward. 3231,2. _Both_ wene, sene; _I supply_ thee. 3248. G. _om._ nat. 3251. Th. werrey; G. werye. 3264. _Both_ seyne; feyne _seems better_. 3266. _I supply_ it. 3274. _Both_ he be a; _I omit_ a. 3279. G. _om._ of.

3282. Th. moche; G. mych. 3292. G. arrage (!). 3301. _After_ gete, Th. _ins._ the, _and_ G. thee. 3315. Th. counsayle; G. counsele. 3320. _Both_ thought; _read_ taughte. 3331. _Both_ Who that; _I omit_ that. 3337. _Both_ cherisaunce; F. _chevissance_. 3340. _Both_ myght. 3344. _Both_ fast.

3350. _Both_ witholde. 3355. Th. whiche; G. which. 3356. G. _om._ have. Th. meymed. 3364. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. _Both_ bothom. 3372. Th. fiers. 3379. Th. meke; G. make. 3385. _I supply_ him. 3399. Th. forbode; G. fobede; _read_ forbad. 3406. _I supply_ sir. 3408. _Both_ amenden.

3414. G. _om._ I. 3418. G. you shulde. 3429. G. doon elles well_e_; Th. done al wel; F. _Toutes vos autres volentes Ferai_. 3433. Th. suche; G. sichen; F. _puis-qu'il me siet_. 3447. _Both_ where that the; _I omit_ that. 3448. _I supply_ thou; F. _tu_. 3454. Th. tale; G. talle. 3455. Th. affayre; G. affere. 3462. _Both_ good mes (_sic_); F. _en bon point_; _see_ l. 1453. 3464. _Both_ -come. 3468. G. _om._ me.

3473. _Both_ bothom. 3482. Morris _supplies_ hard. 3490. _Both_ That he had. 3491. G. Thanne; Th. Than; _read_ That; F. _Qu'Amors_. 3498. G. Thou; Th. Tho. _Both_ and me (_for_ and). 3502. _Both_ bothom. 3508. _I supply_ word. 3510. Th. moche; G. mych. 3522. _Both_ ye (_for_ he); F. _Que il_. 3525. _Both_ it is.

3534. G. to beye; Th. to bey. 3548. _Both_ This; F. _C'est_; This = This is. 3552. Th. he; G. ye. 3554. _Both_ Vpon (_for_ On). 3560. _Read_ mis (_for_ amis). 3563. Th. moste; G. most. 3590. G. lette; Th. let. 3591. Th. hye; G. high.

3595-3690. _Not in_ G.; _from_ Th. 3599, 3600. Th. please, ease. 3604. Th. dare (_for_ thar), _wrongly_. Th. aferde. 3615. Th. without. 3619. Th. hadde. 3620. Th. leaue. 3622. Th. hel. 3626. Th. eftres. 3633. Th. spannysshinge. 3641. Th. without. 3642. Th. sene. 3643. Th. the god of blesse; F. _Diex la beneie_. 3646. Th. marueyle.

3656. Th. leysar. 3660. Th. That so swetely. 3663. Th. cosse. 3667. Th. sayd. 3670, 1. Th. dare. 3674. Th. ywisse. 3676. Th. lyfe; _read_ live. 3679. Th. best. 3687. Th. first. 3688. Th. fel downe. 3690. Th. grapes be ripe; _om._ be. 3691. G. _begins again_. 3694. _Both_ Though. 3697. _Both_ rennyng (_for_ rewing). 3698. _Both_ come (_absurdly_); _see_ l. 3700; _read_ to me. 3699. Th. werryeth; G. werieth; F. _guerroie_. 3707. Th. flame. 3709. _Both_ hette. 3710. G. herte is; Th. hert is; _read_ hertis = hertes. _Both_ sette. 3716. G. nell_e_; Th. nyl. 3718. _Both_ neithir (_for_ nor).

3723. G. pruyde. 3730. Th. warne; G. worne. 3742. G. outterly; Th. vtterly. 3745. _Both_ pleyne (playne). 3746. _Both_ -nysse. 3748. G. thenkith. 3749. Th. warne; G. worne. 3751. _Both_ ye helpe; _read_ to helpe. 3755. Th. with his hete. 3756. _Both ins._ me _after_ bad. 3757. G. Grauntede; Th. Graunt. 3761. Thar] Th. There nede. 3763. _Both_ Stroke. 3774. G. it wille; Th. at wyl. 3779. Th. selde; G. yelde.

3790. G. strong; Th. stronge. 3803, 3811. _Both_ bare. 3805. G. gret; Th. great. 3807. _Both_ myght. 3808. G. report. 3812. _Both_ square. 3832. Th. regarde. 3834. Th. thus; G. this. 3845. _I supply_ not. 3846. _I supply_ to. 3848. G. thenkith.

3852. _I supply_ Ne. _Both_ verge; _see_ 3234. G. hadde; Th. had. 3862. Th. wende; G. wente. 3864. Th. vayle; G. bayle. Th. stede; G. stide. 3877. _Both_ first. 3880. G. fals. _Both_ lye. 3885. G. such. 3889. G. vylonye. 3891. M. _supplies_ for. 3895. _Both_ trechours. 3897. _I supply_ wel. 3902. _Both_ herte I crye. 3907. _Both_ lowe. 3912. G. yhe; Th. eye. 3915. _I supply_ yit. 3917. Th. werreyed; G. werried.

3928. Th. Counsayle. _Both_ must; _read_ mot, _and supply_ take. 3942. _Both_ Do; _read_ To. _Both_ fortresse; F. _forteresce_. 3943. _Both_ Thanne (Than) close; F. _Qui les Roses clorra entor_. 3954. Th. blende; G. blynde. 3955. _I supply_ for. 3967. _I supply_ Til. _Both_ last. 3971. _Both_ ferre. 3973. _I supply_ so. 3974. _I supply_ do. 3977. Th. haue. 3979. _Both_ shamed. 3982. G. withoute; Th. without.

3985, 6. G. _om._ he. 3994. Th. vilanously; G. vilaynesly. 4000. _Both_ right. _I supply_ bothe a-. 4009, 4016. G. doist. 4011. _Both_ bothoms. 4015. _Both_ Stoute, porte. 4021. G. an high; Th. an hye; _read_ in hy. 4026. _Both_ To make. 4036. _Both_ sittith (-eth). 4044. _I supply_ not.

4059. Th. sothe; G. sooth. G. knowe. 4063. as] G. a. 4065. G. _om._ he. 4072. G. gardyne. 4073. _a-fere,_ i. e. on fire. 4089. _Both put_ it _after_ I. 4096. _Both_ me (_for_ me_n_). 4098. _Both_ myght. 4110. Th. quake; C. quoke. 4111. _Both_ bothom. _I supply_ that.

4114. Th. moche; G. mych. 4120. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. 4158. G. Aboute; Th. About. 4159. G. fademe. 4175. M. _supplies_ ne. 4177. _Supply_ For (F. _Car_). _Both_ temprure.

4181. _Both_ of; _read_ as. 4188. _Both_ Roses; _read_ Rosers; F. _rosiers_. 4191. G. and bows; Th. bowes and. 4194. whiche] _Both_ who. 4207. _I supply_ eek. 4208. G. _om._ kepte. 4220. Th. lefte; G. lyft. 4222. M. _supplies_ hir. 4142. Th. Ofter; G. Ofte.

4246. G. wole. 4254. M. _supplies_ ne. 4264. Th. eye; G. ighe. 4269. Th. deserte; G. disseit. 4272. _Both_ walketh (!). 4283. _Both_ lyue. 4285. _Both_ Which (_for_ Ther); _giving no sense_. 4288. Th. whiche; G. which. 4289. _I supply_ muche. 4291. _Both_ except. 4293. _I supply_ loveres. 4294. _I supply_ the. 4308. _Both_ bothoms.

4314. G. _om._ of. 4322. _Both_ wente aboute (a = have). 4337. _Both_ make. 4339. G. tiliers; Th. tyllers. 4344. Th. nyl; G. nel. 4352. _Both_ wente; aboven to haue. 4355. Th. folke; G. folk. 4356. G. glowmbe; Th. glombe. 4357. M. _supplies_ thou. 4358. _I supply_ in. Th. tourneth; G. tourne. 4361. Th. areyse; G. arise. 4363. Th. hyest. _Both_ but; _read_ al. _Both_ lust. 4364. _Both_ trust. 4365. am] _Both_ is. 4366. _Both_ charge. 4372. wal] G. wole; Th. wol.

4394. _Both_ maist. 4401. _I supply_ is. 4403. _Both_ ought. 4404. _I supply_ ther. 4407. _I supply_ man. 4413. _Both_ Owe. 4414. Th. false; G. fals 4425. _Both_ good. 4432. _Both_ falle.

4440. G. reles; Th. relees. 4441. G. baalis; Th. bales. 4448. Th. vtterly. 4452. Th. traueyle. 4460. Th. put; G. putte. 4465. Th. nathelesse; G. neuertheles; _after which_ G. _has_ yit (Th. yet). 4467. _Both_ her (_for_ his). 4472. G. no; Th. ne. 4476. _Both_ preise; _read_ pryse. 4477. Th. a-sondre; G. asundry. 4478. _I supply_ me have; F. _Avoir me lest tant de contraires_. 4483. G. Dre (!). 4486. G. putte. 4492. G. sonner. 4495. _Both_ ferre.

4509. _I supply_ The. 4510. _Both_ symply; _read_ simpilly? 4511. _I supply_ may. 4513, 4. Th. dout, out; G. doute, oute. 4528. G. verger. 4537. G. Sheo. 4541. G. assayde; G. _om._ not. 4549. Th. engyns; G. engynnes. 4550. _Both_ Loue; _read_ lorde. 4556. Th. moche that it; G. mych that. 4557. _Both_ lete = leet. 4561. _Both_ yeue good wille; F. _se Diex plaist_.

4567, 4573, 4584. G. thenke. 4574. _Both_ take. G. att; Th. at. 4587. _Om._ ne? 4614. G. _om._ Or. 4615. Rubrie _in both_. 4617. _For_ not _read_ nist? 4621. G. wijs. 4623. _Both_ right. 4628. Th. came; G. come.

4634. _Both_ the. _I insert_ pyned. Th. suche. 4638. _Both_ myght. 4647. _Both_ liege. 4657. G. I lovede; Th. I loued; _read_ han loved. 4659. (_ends at_ parde); _misnumbered 4660 in_ M. Th. Ye; G. Yhe. 4660. Th. Yes; G. Yhis. 4667. _misnumbered 4670 in_ M. 4672. G. a state. 4680. G. Yhe. 4683. _Both_ knowe. 4684. G. ony.

4689. _I supply_ here lerne; _both_ withouten. 4690. _Both_ withouten. 4700. G. knette; Th. knytte. 4705. _Both_ And through the; _read_ A trouthe. _Both_ frette. 4709. G. vode (_for_ wood); Th. voyde. 4710. G. perelle. 4712. Th. weare. 4713. G. karibdous; Th. Carybdes; F. _Caribdis_. 4721. Th. lyke; G. like; _read_ sike. Th. sickenesse; G. sekenesse. 4722. G. trust; Th. truste; (thrust = thirst). _Both_ and (_for_ in). 4723. _Both_ And. G. helth. 4725. _Both_ And. G. anger; Th. angre (!). 4728. _Both_ dreried. 4731. _Both_ Sen. 4732. _Supply_ with. 4736. _Supply_ stat; F. _Estat trop fers et trop muable_.

4755. _Both_ by (_for_ be). 4758. M _supplies_ is. 4762. G. mychel; _see_ 4757. 4764. _Both_ That; _read_ But. 4771, 2. _Both_ bene, flene. 4793. _I supply_ I. _Both_ euer; _read_ er. 4796. _Both_ al by partuere. 4799. _Both_ greven. 4802. Th. lewdest. 4804. Th. lacke; G. lak. 4807. _Both_ diffyned here.

4811. G. kned; Th. knedde. _Both_ bitwixt. 4812. _Both_ With. 4813. _Both_ frely that; _I omit_ that. G. nylle. 4823. _Both_ engendrure; _see_ 6114. 4830. G. _om._ at. 4834. _Both_ swerne. 4837. _Both_ han her lust. 4839. Th. _om._ they. 4846. who] _Both_ what. 4856. G. _omits_; _from_ Th. 4858. _Both_ their; _read_ ther. 4865. _Both_ sette. 4873. G. parfight; T. parfyte.

4875. Th. crease. 4878. Th. vyce; G. wise. 4882. Th. Tullyus; G. Tulius. 4889. _Both_ sette. 4892. G. p_er_ell; Th. parel; _read_ tyme. Th. youthe; G. yougth. 4904. _Both_ yalte. _I supply_ him. 4921. _Both_ But that if. 4926. G. _om._ in. 4931. Th. youth-hede; G. youthede. 4933. thus] _Both_ this. 4935. _Both_ youthes chambre (chambere); _read_ Youthe his chamberere; F. _Par Ionesce sa chamberiere_. 4936. G. custommere. 4940. _Supply_ she.

4943. _Both_ And mo of (!). 4945. _Both_ remembreth. 4948. _Both_ him; _read_ hem. 4950. Th. ieopardye. 4951. Th. moche; G. mych. 4954. G. avoutrie; Th. avoutrye. 4955. can] _Both_ gan. 4956. Th. suche; G. sich. 4960. _Both_ neither preise. 4996. Th. courte; G. court. 5000. Th. herbegeours; G. herbeiours. 5004. Th. stondeth; G. stondith.

5010. _Both_ weped. 5021. _Both_ he (_for_ hir). 5028. _Both_ list to loue. 5030. _Supply_ so. 5036. _Supply_ ay. 5050. _Both_ gouen. 5051. _Both_ so; _read_ she (_or_ sho). 5059. _Both_ loued. 5062. Th. suche; G. such; _I supply_ a. 5064. Th. Drury; G. drurie. 5068. But] _Both_ That; _cf._ 4764.

5085. they] _Both_ to. 5099. G. _om._ thee. 5107. G. herberest hem; Th. herborest. 5111. G. profi[gh]t. 5116. thy] _Both_ the; F. _ton_. 5117. _Both_ by thought; F. _ta Ionesce_. 5124. Th. recouered.

5144. alway] G. ay; Th. aye. 5155. _Both_ That; F. _Lors_. 5162. (say = assay?) 5165. _I supply_ and been. 5166. _I supply_ love that. 5168. Th. eyther; G. other. 5187. _I supply_ thee.

5223. _I supply_ Ne ... hem. 5229. _Both_ oo state; _read_ oon estate; _see_ 5400. 5234, 49, 53. _Supply_ but, hath, he.

5259. Th. in; G. of. 5261. G. dreded. 5271, 72, 82, 5314, 27. _Supply_ be, is, him, it, if. 5277, 8. _Supply_ As. Th. requyred, fyred. _Perhaps om._ the. 5283. his] _Both_ this. 5285. _Both_ vnyte. 5286. Th. Tullius; G. Tulius. 5287. A man] _Both_ And. 5292. Th. causes; G. cause; _see_ 5301, 5523. 5301. G. caas; Th. case. 5304. _Both_ ought. 5325. G. amerous.

5330. Th. bydeth; G. bit. 5331, 48, 52, 53. _Supply_ This, it, with, It. 5335. _Both_ he; _read_ she; _see_ 5337, 5341. 5345. _Both_ Thurgh the; _I omit_ the. 5356. Th. blacke; G. blak. 5360. _Both_ greueth so greueth. 5367. Th. fonde; G. fonned. 5375. _Both_ sothe. 5376. Th. his; G. this. 5379. _Both_ him silf (selfe) of. 5389. _Both_ kepen ay his; _see_ 5387. 5390. Th. eyne; G. iyen. 5393. G. alle hise lymes; Th. al his lymmes; _I omit_ alle.

5399. Th. wate; G. wote. 5400, 1. _Both_ estate; ought to be. 5403. Th. sithe; G. se. 5404. _Both_ hath. 5408. in] G. it; Th. _om._ 5419, 20, 25, 27, 36. _Both_ hym (!); F. _les_. 5425. G. glorie and veyne. 5431. _Both_ high. 5433. so] _Both_ to. 5446. G. _om._ very. 5451. _I supply_ greet. 5452. Th. chere (_for_ there); G. cheer (!). 5455. G. aftirward; Th. afterwarde. 5463. _Both_ thus.

5465. Th. hem; G. men. 5470. Th. Of; G. Or with. 5478. _Read_ She sheweth, by experience. 5485. _Both_ without. 5486. _Both_ affect; _see_ note. 5489. Th. goddesse; G. goddes. 5491. _Both_ For al that yeueth here out of drede. 5493. Th. lette; G. late. 5503. Th. they; G. the. 5505. Th. yholpe; G. I hope. 5510. G. feldfare. 5512. _I supply_ the.

5523, 42, 85, 86, 88. _Supply_ the, his, but, more, so. 5544. _Both_ fablyng; F. _cheans_. 5546. _Both_ caste. 5555. _Both_ in; _read_ is. 5556. _Both_ depe (_for_ doþ). 5569. Th. haue you to haue; G. ha yow to ha. 5577. _Both_ perceyueth.

5590. G. mavis; Th. mauys. 5597. G. aument. 5598. it] _Both_ that. 5611, 38. G. not; Th. nat. 5612. G. hastly. 5617. _Both_ berne. 5627, 43. _Supply_ it, the. 5633. Th. wyght; G. witte. G. honerous. 5640. Th. laste; G. last. 5641. _Both_ take. 5649. G. Pictigoras; Th. Pythagoras.

5661. G. Boice. 5668. _Both_ rent; yeue. 5675. G. wynkith (!). 5683. G. fardeles. 5685. G. feyntith. 5686. G. disdeyntith. 5699. _Both_ where; F. _guerre_. 5700. _I supply_ more; F. _plus_. 5701. _Both_ shal thogh he hath geten (!). 5713. _Both_ Thus is thurst.

5727. G. ther; Th. her (=hir). 5734. G. Yhe. 5740. G. phicicien; _read_ fysycien. 5741. G. fy; Th. fye (_for_ sy); _see_ note. 5742. G. _om._ it. 5749, 51. _Supply_ ne, for. 5755. _Both_ shewing. 5761. _Supply_ it, _wh. follows_ Himself _in_ 5762. 5763. _Both_ ofte. 5771. G. fast. 5781. _Both_ The; F. _Trois_.

5783. G. mych. 5788. _Both_ vnto. 5791. Th. these; G. this. 5793. G. goode.

FRAGMENT C.

Whan Love had told hem his entente, The baronage to councel wente; In many sentences they fille, And dyversly they seide hir wille: But aftir discord they accorded, 5815 And hir accord to Love recorded. Sir,' seiden they, 'we been at oon, By even accord of everichoon, Out-take Richesse al-only, That sworen hath ful hauteynly, 5820 That she the castel nil assaile, Ne smyte a stroke in this bataile, With dart, ne mace, spere, ne knyf, For man that speketh or bereth the lyf, And blameth your empryse, y-wis, 5825 And from our hoost departed is, (At leeste wey, as in this plyte,) So hath she this man in dispyte; For she seith he ne loved hir never, And therfor she wol hate him ever. 5830 For he wol gadre no tresore, He hath hir wrath for evermore. He agilte hir never in other caas, Lo, here al hoolly his trespas! She seith wel, that this other day 5835 He asked hir leve to goon the way That is clepid To-moche-Yeving, And spak ful faire in his praying; But whan he prayde hir, pore was he, Therfore she warned him the entree. 5840 Ne yit is he not thriven so That he hath geten a peny or two, That quitly is his owne in hold. Thus hath Richesse us alle told; And whan Richesse us this recorded, 5845 Withouten hir we been accorded. 'And we finde in our accordaunce, That False-Semblant and Abstinaunce, With alle the folk of hir bataile, Shulle at the hinder gate assayle, 5850 That Wikkid-Tunge hath in keping, With his Normans, fulle of langling. And with hem Curtesie and Largesse, That shulle shewe hir hardinesse To the olde wyf that [kepeth] so harde 5855 Fair-Welcoming within her warde. Than shal Delyte and Wel-Helinge Fonde Shame adoun to bringe; With al hir hoost, erly and late, They shulle assailen [thilke] gate. 5860 Agaynes Drede shal Hardinesse Assayle, and also Sikernesse, With al the folk of hir leding, That never wist what was fleing. 'Fraunchyse shal fighte, and eek Pitee, 5865 With Daunger ful of crueltee. Thus is your hoost ordeyned wel; Doun shal the castel every del, If everiche do his entente, So that Venus be presente, 5870 Your modir, ful of vassalage, That can y-nough of such usage; Withouten hir may no wight spede This werk, neither for word ne dede. Therfore is good ye for hir sende, 5875 For thurgh hir may this werk amende.' _Amour._ 'Lordinges, my modir, the goddesse, That is my lady, and my maistresse, Nis not [at] al at my willing, Ne doth not al my desyring. 5880 Yit can she som-tyme doon labour, Whan that hir lust, in my socour, [Al my nedis] for to acheve, But now I thenke hir not to greve. My modir is she, and of childhede 5885 I bothe worshipe hir, and eek drede; For who that dredith sire ne dame Shal it abye in body or name. And, natheles, yit cunne we Sende aftir hir, if nede be; 5890 And were she nigh, she comen wolde, I trowe that no-thing might hir holde. 'My modir is of greet prowesse; She hath tan many a forteresse, That cost hath many a pound er this, 5895 Ther I nas not present, y-wis; And yit men seide it was my dede; But I come never in that stede; Ne me ne lykith, so mote I thee, Such toures take withoute me. 5900 For-why me thenketh that, in no wyse, It may ben cleped but marchandise. 'Go bye a courser, blak or whyte, And pay therfor; than art thou quyte. The marchaunt oweth thee right nought, 5905 Ne thou him, whan thou [hast] it bought. I wol not selling clepe yeving, For selling axeth no guerdoning; Here lyth no thank, ne no meryte, That oon goth from that other al quyte. 5910 But this selling is not semblable; For, whan his hors is in the stable, He may it selle ageyn, pardee, And winne on it, such hap may be; Al may the man not lese, y-wis, 5915 For at the leest the skin is his. Or elles, if it so bityde That he wol kepe his hors to ryde, Yit is he lord ay of his hors. But thilke chaffare is wel wors, 5920 There Venus entremeteth nought; For who-so such chaffare hath bought, He shal not worchen so wysly, That he ne shal lese al outerly Bothe his money and his chaffare; 5925 But the seller of the ware The prys and profit have shal. Certeyn, the byer shal lese al; For he ne can so dere it bye To have lordship and ful maistrye, 5930 Ne have power to make letting Neither for yift ne for preching, That of his chaffare, maugre his, Another shal have as moche, y-wis, If he wol yeve as moche as he, 5935 Of what contrey so that he be; Or for right nought, so happe may, If he can flater hir to hir pay. Ben than suche marchaunts wyse? No, but fooles in every wyse, 5940 Whan they bye such thing wilfully, Ther-as they lese her good [fully]. But natheles, this dar I saye, My modir is not wont to paye, For she is neither so fool ne nyce, 5945 To entremete hir of sich vyce. But truste wel, he shal paye al, That repente of his bargeyn shal, Whan Poverte put him in distresse, Al were he scoler to Richesse, 5950 That is for me in gret yerning, Whan she assenteth to my willing. 'But, [by] my modir seint Venus, And by hir fader Saturnus, That hir engendrid by his lyf, 5955 But not upon his weddid wyf! Yit wol I more unto you swere, To make this thing the seurere; Now by that feith, and that leautee I owe to alle my brethren free, 5960 Of which ther nis wight under heven That can her fadris names neven, So dyvers and so many ther be That with my modir have be privee! Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse, 5965 The pole of helle to my witnesse, Now drinke I not this yeer clarree, If that I lye, or forsworn be! (For of the goddes the usage is, That who-so him forswereth amis, 5970 Shal that yeer drinke no clarree). Now have I sworn y-nough, pardee; If I forswere me, than am I lorn, But I wol never be forsworn. Sith Richesse hath me failed here, 5975 She shal abye that trespas dere, At leeste wey, but [she] hir arme With swerd, or sparth, or gisarme. For certes, sith she loveth not me, Fro thilke tyme that she may see 5980 The castel and the tour to-shake, In sory tyme she shal awake. If I may grype a riche man, I shal so pulle him, if I can, That he shal, in a fewe stoundes, 5985 Lese alle his markes and his poundes. I shal him make his pens outslinge, But-[if] they in his gerner springe; Our maydens shal eek plukke him so, That him shal neden fetheres mo, 5990 And make him selle his lond to spende, But he the bet cunne him defende. 'Pore men han maad hir lord of me; Although they not so mighty be, That they may fede me in delyt, 5995 I wol not have hem in despyt. No good man hateth hem, as I gesse, For chinche and feloun is Richesse, That so can chase hem and dispyse, And hem defoule in sondry wyse. 6000 They loven ful bet, so god me spede, Than doth the riche, chinchy grede, And been, in good feith, more stable And trewer, and more serviable; And therfore it suffysith me 6005 Hir goode herte, and hir leautee. They han on me set al hir thought, And therfore I forgete hem nought. I wolde hem bringe in greet noblesse, If that I were god of Richesse, 6010 As I am god of Love, sothly, Such routhe upon hir pleynt have I. Therfore I must his socour be, That peyneth him to serven me; For if he deyde for love of this, 6015 Than semeth in me no love ther is.' 'Sir,' seide they, 'sooth is, every del, That ye reherce, and we wot wel Thilk oth to holde is resonable; For it is good and covenable, 6020 That ye on riche men han sworn. For, sir, this wot we wel biforn; If riche men doon you homage, That is as fooles doon outrage; But ye shul not forsworen be, 6025 Ne let therfore to drinke clarree, Or piment maked fresh and newe. Ladyes shulle hem such pepir brewe, If that they falle into hir laas, That they for we mowe seyn "Allas!" 6030 Ladyes shuln ever so curteis be, That they shal quyte your oth al free. Ne seketh never other vicaire, For they shal speke with hem so faire That ye shal holde you payed ful wel, 6035 Though ye you medle never a del. Lat ladies worche with hir thinges, They shal hem telle so fele tydinges, And moeve hem eke so many requestis By flatery, that not honest is, 6040 And therto yeve hem such thankinges, What with kissing, and with talkinges, That certes, if they trowed be, Shal never leve hem loud ne fee That it nil as the moeble fare, 6045 Of which they first delivered are. Now may ye telle us al your wille, And we your hestes shal fulfille. 'But Fals-Semblant dar not, for drede Of you, sir, medle him of this dede, 6050 For he seith that ye been his fo; He not, if ye wol worche him wo. Wherfore we pray you alle, beausire, That ye forgive him now your ire, And that he may dwelle, as your man, 6055 With Abstinence, his dere lemman; This our accord and our wil now.' 'Parfay,' seide Love, 'I graunte it yow; I wol wel holde him for my man; Now lat him come:' and he forth ran. 6060 Fals-Semblant,' quod Love, 'in this wyse I take thee here to my servyse, That thou our freendis helpe alway, And hindre hem neithir night ne day, But do thy might hem to releve, 6065 And eek our enemies that thou greve. Thyn be this might, I graunt it thee, My king of harlotes shalt thou be; We wol that thou have such honour. Certeyn, thou art a fals traitour, 6070 And eek a theef; sith thou were born, A thousand tyme thou art forsworn. But, natheles, in our hering, To putte our folk out of douting, I bid thee teche hem, wostow how? 6075 By somme general signe now, In what place thou shalt founden be, If that men had mister of thee; And how men shal thee best espye, For thee to knowe is greet maistrye; 6080 Tel in what place is thyn haunting.' _F. Sem._ 'Sir, I have fele dyvers woning, That I kepe not rehersed be, So that ye wolde respyten me. For if that I telle you the sothe, 6085 I may have harm and shame bothe. If that my felowes wisten it, My tales shulden me be quit; For certeyn, they wolde hate me, If ever I knewe hir cruelte; 6090 For they wolde over-al holde hem stille Of trouthe that is ageyn hir wille; Suche tales kepen they not here. I might eftsone bye it ful dere, If I seide of hem any thing, 6095 That ought displeseth to hir hering. For what word that hem prikke or byteth, In that word noon of hem delyteth, Al were it gospel, the evangyle, That wolde reprove hem of hir gyle, 6100 For they are cruel and hauteyn. And this thing wot I wel, certeyn, If I speke ought to peire hir loos, Your court shal not so wel be cloos, That they ne shal wite it atte last. 6105 Of good men am I nought agast, For they wol taken on hem nothing, Whan that they knowe al my mening; But he that wol it on him take, He wol himself suspecious make, 6110 That he his lyf let covertly, In Gyle and in Ipocrisy, That me engendred and yaf fostring.' 'They made a ful good engendring,' Quod Love, 'for who-so soothly telle, 6115 They engendred the devel of helle! 'But nedely, how-so-ever it be,' Quod Love, 'I wol and charge thee, To telle anoon thy woning-places, Hering ech wight that in this place is: 6120 And what lyf that thou livest also, Hyde it no lenger now; wherto? Thou most discover al thy wurching, How thou servest, and of what thing, Though that thou shuldest for thy soth-sawe 6125 Ben al to-beten and to-drawe; And yit art thou not wont, pardee. But natheles, though thou beten be, Thou shalt not be the first, that so Hath for soth-sawe suffred wo.' 6130 _F. Sem._ 'Sir, sith that it may lyken you, Though that I shulde be slayn right now, I shal don your comaundement, For therto have I gret talent.' Withouten wordes mo, right than, 6135 Fals-Semblant his sermon bigan, And seide hem thus in audience:-- Barouns, tak hede of my sentence! That wight that list to have knowing Of Fals-Semblant, ful of flatering, 6140 He must in worldly folk him seke, And, certes, in the cloistres eke; I wone no-where but in hem tweye; But not lyk even, sooth to seye; Shortly, I wol herberwe me 6145 There I hope best to hulstred be; And certeynly, sikerest hyding Is undirneth humblest clothing. 'Religious folk ben ful covert; Seculer folk ben more appert. 6150 But natheles, I wol not blame Religious folk, ne hem diffame, In what habit that ever they go: Religioun humble, and trewe also, Wol I not blame, ne dispyse, 6155 But I nil love it, in no wyse. I mene of fals religious, That stoute ben, and malicious; That wolen in an abit go, And setten not hir herte therto. 6160 'Religious folk ben al pitous; Thou shalt not seen oon dispitous. They loven no pryde, ne no stryf, But humbly they wol lede hir lyf; With swich folk wol I never be. 6165 And if I dwelle, I feyne me I may wel in her abit go; But me were lever my nekke atwo, Than lete a purpose that I take, What covenaunt that ever I make. 6170 I dwelle with hem that proude be, And fulle of wyles and subtelte; That worship of this world coveyten, And grete nedes cunne espleyten; And goon and gadren greet pitaunces, 6175 And purchace hem the acqueyntaunces Of men that mighty lyf may leden; And feyne hem pore, and hem-self feden With gode morcels delicious, And drinken good wyn precious, 6180 And preche us povert and distresse, And fisshen hem-self greet richesse With wyly nettis that they caste: It wol come foul out at the laste. They ben fro clene religioun went; 6185 They make the world an argument That hath a foul conclusioun. "I have a robe of religioun, Than am I al religious:" This argument is al roignous; 6190 It is not worth a croked brere; Habit ne maketh monk ne frere, But clene lyf and devocioun Maketh gode men of religioun. Nathelesse, ther can noon answere, 6195 How high that ever his heed he shere With rasour whetted never so kene, That Gyle in braunches cut thrittene; Ther can no wight distincte it so, That he dar sey a word therto. 6200 'But what herberwe that ever I take, Or what semblant that ever I make, I mene but gyle, and folowe that; For right no mo than Gibbe our cat [Fro myce and rattes went his wyle], 6205 Ne entende I [not] but to begyle; Ne no wight may, by my clothing, Wite with what folk is my dwelling; Ne by my wordis yet, pardee, So softe and so plesaunt they be. 6210 Bihold the dedis that I do; But thou be blind, thou oughtest so; For, varie hir wordis fro hir dede, They thenke on gyle, withouten drede, What maner clothing that they were, 6215 Or what estat that ever they bere, Lered or lewd, lord or lady, Knight, squier, burgeis, or bayly.' Right thus whyl Fals-Semblant sermoneth, Eftsones Love him aresoneth, 6220 And brak his tale in the speking As though he had him told lesing; And seide: 'What, devel, is that I here? What folk hast thou us nempned here? May men finde religioun 6225 In worldly habitacioun?' _F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir; it foloweth not that they Shulde lede a wikked lyf, parfey, Ne not therfore her soules lese, That hem to worldly clothes chese; 6230 For, certis, it were gret pitee. Men may in seculer clothes see Florisshen holy religioun. Ful many a seynt in feeld and toun, With many a virgin glorious, 6235 Devout, and ful religious, Had deyed, that comun clothe ay beren, Yit seyntes never-the-les they weren. I coude reken you many a ten; Ye, wel nigh alle these holy wimmen, 6240 That men in chirchis herie and seke, Bothe maydens, and these wyves eke, That baren many a fair child here, Wered alwey clothis seculere, And in the same dyden they, 6245 That seyntes weren, and been alwey. The eleven thousand maydens dere, That beren in heven hir ciergis clere, Of which men rede in chirche, and singe, Were take in seculer clothing, 6250 Whan they resseyved martirdom, And wonnen heven unto her hoom. Good herte makith the gode thought; The clothing yeveth ne reveth nought. The gode thought and the worching, 6255 That maketh religioun flowring, Ther lyth the good religioun Aftir the right entencioun. 'Who-so toke a wethers skin, And wrapped a gredy wolf therin, 6260 For he shulde go with lambis whyte, Wenest thou not he wolde hem byte? Yis! never-the-las, as he were wood, He wolde hem wery, and drinke the blood; And wel the rather hem disceyve, 6265 For, sith they coude not perceyve His treget and his crueltee, They wolde him folowe, al wolde he flee. 'If ther be wolves of sich hewe Amonges these apostlis newe, 6270 Thou, holy chirche, thou mayst be wayled! Sith that thy citee is assayled Thourgh knightis of thyn owne table, God wot thy lordship is doutable! If they enforce [hem] it to winne, 6275 That shulde defende it fro withinne, Who might defence ayens hem make? Withouten stroke it mot be take Of trepeget or mangonel; Without displaying of pensel. 6280 And if god nil don it socour, But lat [hem] renne in this colour, Thou moost thyn heestis laten be. Than is ther nought, but yelde thee, Or yeve hem tribute, doutelees, 6285 And holde it of hem to have pees: But gretter harm bityde thee, That they al maister of it be. Wel conne they scorne thee withal; By day stuffen they the wal, 6290 And al the night they mynen there. Nay, thou most planten elleswhere Thyn impes, if thou wolt fruyt have; Abyd not there thy-self to save. 'But now pees! here I turne ageyn; 6295 I wol no more of this thing seyn, If I may passen me herby; I mighte maken you wery. But I wol heten you alway To helpe your freendis what I may, 6300 So they wollen my company; For they be shent al-outerly But-if so falle, that I be Oft with hem, and they with me. And eek my lemman mot they serve, 6305 Or they shul not my love deserve. Forsothe, I am a fals traitour; God iugged me for a theef trichour; Forsworn I am, but wel nygh non Wot of my gyle, til it be don. 6310 'Thourgh me hath many oon deth resseyved, That my treget never aperceyved; And yit resseyveth, and shal resseyve, That my falsnesse never aperceyve: But who-so doth, if he wys be, 6315 Him is right good be war of me. But so sligh is the [deceyving That to hard is the] aperceyving. For Protheus, that coude him chaunge In every shap, hoomly and straunge, 6320 Coude never sich gyle ne tresoun As I; for I com never in toun Ther-as I mighte knowen be, Though men me bothe might here and see. Ful wel I can my clothis chaunge, 6325 Take oon, and make another straunge. Now am I knight, now chasteleyn; Now prelat, and now chapeleyn; Now prest, now clerk, and now forstere; Now am I maister, now scolere; 6330 Now monk, now chanoun, now baily; What-ever mister man am I. Now am I prince, now am I page, And can by herte every langage. Som-tyme am I hoor and old; 6335 Now am I yong, [and] stout, and bold; Now am I Robert, now Robyn; Now frere Menour, now Iacobyn; And with me folweth my loteby, To don me solas and company, 6340 That hight dame Abstinence-Streyned, In many a queynt array [y]-feyned. Right as it cometh to hir lyking, I fulfille al hir desiring. Somtyme a wommans cloth take I; 6345 Now am I mayde, now lady. Somtyme I am religious; Now lyk an anker in an hous. Somtyme am I prioresse, And now a nonne, and now abbesse; 6350 And go thurgh alle regiouns, Seking alle religiouns. But to what ordre that I am sworn, I take the strawe, and lete the corn; To [blynde] folk [ther] I enhabite, 6355 I axe no-more but hir abite. What wol ye more? in every wyse, Right as me list, I me disgyse. Wel can I bere me under weed; Unlyk is my word to my deed. 6360 Thus make I in my trappis falle, Thurgh my pryvileges, alle That ben in Cristendom alyve. I may assoile, and I may shryve, That no prelat may lette me, 6365 Al folk, wher-ever they founde be: I noot no prelat may don so, But it the pope be, and no mo, That made thilk establisshing. Now is not this a propre thing? 6370 But, were my sleightis aperceyved, [Ne shulde I more been receyved] As I was wont; and wostow why? For I dide hem a tregetry; But therof yeve I litel tale, 6375 I have the silver and the male; So have I preched and eek shriven, So have I take, so have [me] yiven, Thurgh hir foly, husbond and wyf, That I lede right a Ioly lyf, 6380 Thurgh simplesse of the prelacye; They know not al my tregetrye. 'But for as moche as man and wyf Shuld shewe hir paroche-prest hir lyf Ones a yeer, as seith the book, 6385 Er any wight his housel took, Than have I pryvilegis large, That may of moche thing discharge; For he may seye right thus, pardee:-- "Sir Preest, in shrift I telle it thee, 6390 That he, to whom that I am shriven, Hath me assoiled, and me yiven Penaunce soothly, for my sinne, Which that I fond me gilty inne; Ne I ne have never entencioun 6395 To make double confessioun, Ne reherce eft my shrift to thee; O shrift is right y-nough to me. This oughte thee suffyce wel, Ne be not rebel never-a-del; 6400 For certis, though thou haddest it sworn, I wot no prest ne prelat born That may to shrift eft me constreyne. And if they don, I wol me pleyne; For I wot where to pleyne wel. 6405 Thou shall not streyne me a del, Ne enforce me, ne [yit] me trouble, To make my confessioun double. Ne I have none affeccioun To have double absolucioun. 6410 The firste is right y-nough to me; This latter assoiling quyte I thee. I am unbounde; what mayst thou finde More of my sinnes me to unbinde? For he, that might hath in his hond, 6415 Of alle my sinnes me unbond. And if thou wolt me thus constreyne, That me mot nedis on thee pleyne, There shal no Iugge imperial, Ne bisshop, ne official, 6420 Don Iugement on me; for I Shal gon and pleyne me openly Unto my shrift-fadir newe, (That hight not Frere Wolf untrewe!) And he shal chevise him for me, 6425 For I trowe he can hampre thee. But, lord! he wolde be wrooth withalle, If men him wolde Frere Wolf calle! For he wolde have no pacience, But don al cruel vengeaunce! 6430 He wolde his might don at the leest, [Ne] no-thing spare for goddis heest. And, god so wis be my socour, But thou yeve me my Saviour At Ester, whan it lyketh me, 6435 Withoute presing more on thee, I wol forth, and to him goon, And he shal housel me anoon, For I am out of thy grucching; I kepe not dele with thee nothing." 6440 Thus may he shryve him, that forsaketh His paroche-prest, and to me taketh. And if the prest wol him refuse, I am ful redy him to accuse, And him punisshe and hampre so, 6445 That he his chirche shal forgo. 'But who-so hath in his feling The consequence of such shryving, Shal seen that prest may never have might To knowe the conscience aright 6450 Of him that is under his cure. And this ageyns holy scripture, That biddeth every herde honeste Have verry knowing of his beste. But pore folk that goon by strete, 6455 That have no gold, ne sommes grete, Hem wolde I lete to her prelates, Or lete hir prestis knowe hir states, For to me right nought yeve they.' _Amour._ 'And why is it?' _F. Sem._ 'For they ne may. 6460 They ben so bare, I take no keep; But I wol have the fatte sheep;-- Lat parish prestis have the lene, I yeve not of hir harm a bene! And if that prelats grucchen it, 6465 That oughten wroth be in hir wit, To lese her fatte bestes so, I shal yeve hem a stroke or two, That they shal lesen with [the] force, Ye, bothe hir mytre and hir croce. 6470 Thus Iape I hem, and have do longe, My priveleges been so stronge.' Fals-Semblant wolde have stinted here, But Love ne made him no such chere That he was wery of his sawe; 6475 But for to make him glad and fawe, He seide:--'Tel on more specialy, How that thou servest untrewly. Tel forth, and shame thee never a del; For as thyn abit shewith wel, 6480 Thou [semest] an holy heremyte.' _F. Sem._ 'Soth is, but I am an ypocryte.' _Amour._ 'Thou gost and prechest povertee?' _F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir; but richesse hath poustee.' _Amour._ 'Thou prechest abstinence also?' 6485 _F. Sem._ 'Sir, I wol fillen, so mote I go, My paunche of gode mete and wyne, As shulde a maister of divyne; For how that I me pover feyne, Yit alle pore folk I disdeyne. 6490 'I love bet the acqueyntaunce Ten tymes, of the king of Fraunce, Than of pore man of mylde mode, Though that his soule be also gode. For whan I see beggers quaking, 6495 Naked on mixens al stinking, For hungre crye, and eek for care, I entremete not of hir fare. They been so pore, and ful of pyne, They might not ones yeve me dyne, 6500 For they have no-thing but hir lyf; What shulde he yeve that likketh his knyf? It is but foly to entremete, To seke in houndes nest fat mete. Let bere hem to the spitel anoon, 6505 But, for me, comfort gete they noon. But a riche sike usurere Wolde I visyte and drawe nere; Him wol I comforte and rehete, For I hope of his gold to gete. 6510 And if that wikked deth him have, I wol go with him to his grave. And if ther any reprove me, Why that I lete the pore be, Wostow how I [mot] ascape? 6515 I sey, and swerë him ful rape, That riche men han more tecches Of sinne, than han pore wrecches, And han of counseil more mister; And therfore I wol drawe hem ner. 6520 But as gret hurt, it may so be, Hath soule in right gret poverte, As soul in gret richesse, forsothe, Al-be-it that they hurten bothe. For richesse and mendicitees 6525 Ben cleped two extremitees; The mene is cleped suffisaunce, Ther lyth of vertu the aboundaunce. For Salamon, ful wel I woot, In his Parables us wroot, 6530 As it is knowe of many a wight, In his [thrittethe] chapitre right: "God, thou me kepe, for thy poustee, Fro richesse and mendicitee; For if a riche man him dresse 6535 To thenke to moche on [his] richesse, His herte on that so fer is set, That he his creatour foryet; And him, that [begging] wol ay greve, How shulde I by his word him leve? 6540 Unnethe that he nis a micher, Forsworn, or elles [god is] lyer." Thus seith Salamones sawes; Ne we finde writen in no lawes, And namely in our Cristen lay-- 6545 (Who seith "ye," I dar sey "nay")-- That Crist, ne his apostlis dere, Whyl that they walkede in erthe here, Were never seen her bred begging, For they nolde beggen for nothing. 6550 And right thus were men wont to teche; And in this wyse wolde it preche The maistres of divinitee Somtyme in Paris the citee. 'And if men wolde ther-geyn appose 6555 The naked text, and lete the glose, It mighte sone assoiled be; For men may wel the sothe see, That, parde, they mighte axe a thing Pleynly forth, without begging. 6560 For they weren goddis herdis dere, And cure of soules hadden here, They nolde no-thing begge hir fode; For aftir Crist was don on rode, With [hir] propre hondis they wrought, 6565 And with travel, and elles nought, They wonnen al hir sustenaunce, And liveden forth in hir penaunce, And the remenaunt [yeve] awey To other pore folk alwey. 6570 They neither bilden tour ne halle, But [leye] in houses smale withalle. A mighty man, that can and may, Shulde with his honde and body alway Winne him his food in laboring, 6575 If he ne have rent or sich a thing, Although he be religious, And god to serven curious. Thus mote he don, or do trespas, But-if it be in certeyn cas, 6580 That I can reherce, if mister be, Right wel, whan the tyme I see. 'Seke the book of Seynt Austin, Be it in paper or perchemin, There-as he writ of these worchinges, 6585 Thou shalt seen that non excusinges A parfit man ne shulde seke By wordis, ne by dedis eke, Although he be religious, And god to serven curious, 6590 That he ne shal, so mote I go, With propre hondis and body also, Gete his food in laboring, If he ne have propretee of thing. Yit shulde he selle al his substaunce, 6595 And with his swink have sustenaunce, If he be parfit in bountee. Thus han tho bookes tolde me: For he that wol gon ydilly, And useth it ay besily 6600 To haunten other mennes table, He is a trechour, ful of fable; Ne he ne may, by gode resoun, Excuse him by his orisoun. For men bihoveth, in som gyse, 6605 Som-tyme [leven] goddes servyse To gon and purchasen her nede. Men mote eten, that is no drede, And slepe, and eek do other thing; So longe may they leve praying. 6610 So may they eek hir prayer blinne, While that they werke, hir mete to winne. Seynt Austin wol therto accorde, In thilke book that I recorde. Justinian eek, that made lawes, 6615 Hath thus forboden, by olde dawes, "No man, up peyne to be deed, Mighty of body, to begge his breed, If he may swinke, it for to gete; Men shulde him rather mayme or bete, 6620 Or doon of him apert Iustice, Than suffren him in such malice." They don not wel, so mote I go, That taken such almesse so, But if they have som privelege, 6625 That of the peyne hem wol allege. But how that is, can I not see, But-if the prince disseyved be; Ne I ne wene not, sikerly, That they may have it rightfully. 6630 But I wol not determyne Of princes power, ne defyne, Ne by my word comprende, y-wis, If it so fer may strecche in this. I wol not entremete a del; 6635 But I trowe that the book seith wel, Who that taketh almesses, that be Dewe to folk that men may see Lame, feble, wery, and bare, Pore, or in such maner care, 6640 (That conne winne hem nevermo, For they have no power therto), He eteth his owne dampning, But-if he lye, that made al thing. And if ye such a truaunt finde, 6645 Chastise him wel, if ye be kinde. But they wolde hate you, percas, And, if ye fillen in hir laas, They wolde eftsones do you scathe, If that they mighte, late or rathe; 6650 For they be not ful pacient, That han the world thus foule blent. And witeth wel, [wher] that god bad The good man selle al that he had, And folowe him, and to pore it yive, 6655 He wolde not therfore that he live To serven him in mendience, For it was never his sentence; But he bad wirken whan that nede is, And folwe him in goode dedis. 6660 Seynt Poule, that loved al holy chirche, He bade thapostles for to wirche, And winnen hir lyflode in that wyse, And hem defended truaundyse, And seide, "Wirketh with your honden;" 6665 Thus shulde the thing be undirstonden. He nolde, y-wis, bidde hem begging, Ne sellen gospel, ne preching, Lest they berafte, with hir asking, Folk of hir catel or of hir thing. 6670 For in this world is many a man That yeveth his good, for he ne can Werne it for shame, or elles he Wolde of the asker delivered be; And, for he him encombreth so, 6675 He yeveth him good to late him go: But it can him no-thing profyte, They lese the yift and the meryte. The goode folk, that Poule to preched, Profred him ofte, whan he hem teched, 6680 Som of hir good in charite; But therof right no-thing took he; But of his hondwerk wolde he gete Clothes to wryen him, and his mete." _Amour._ 'Tel me than how a man may liven, 6685 That al his good to pore hath yiven, And wol but only bidde his bedis, And never with honde laboure his nedis: May he do so?' _F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir.' _Amour._ 'And how?' _F. Sem._ 'Sir, I wol gladly telle yow:-- 6690 Seynt Austin seith, a man may be In houses that han propretee, As templers and hospitelers, And as these chanouns regulers, Or whyte monkes, or these blake-- 6695 (I wole no mo ensamplis make)-- And take therof his sustening, For therinne lyth no begging; But other-weyes not, y-wis, [If] Austin gabbeth not of this. 6700 And yit ful many a monk laboureth, That god in holy chirche honoureth; For whan hir swinking is agoon, They rede and singe in chirche anoon. 'And for ther hath ben greet discord, 6705 As many a wight may bere record, Upon the estate of mendience, I wol shortly, in your presence, Telle how a man may begge at nede, That hath not wherwith him to fede, 6710 Maugre his felones Iangelinges, For sothfastnesse wol non hidinges; And yit, percas, I may abey, That I to yow sothly thus sey. 'Lo, here the caas especial: 6715 If a man be so bestial That he of no craft hath science, And nought desyreth ignorence, Than may he go a-begging yerne, Til he som maner craft can lerne, 6720 Thurgh which, withoute truaunding, He may in trouthe have his living. Or if he may don no labour, For elde, or syknesse, or langour, Or for his tendre age also, 6725 Than may he yit a-begging go. 'Or if he have, peraventure, Thurgh usage of his noriture, Lived over deliciously, Than oughten good folk comunly 6730 Han of his mischeef som pitee, And suffren him also, that he May gon aboute and begge his breed, That he be not for hungur deed. Or if he have of craft cunning, 6735 And strengthe also, and desiring To wirken, as he hadde what, But he finde neither this ne that, Than may he begge, til that he Have geten his necessitee. 6740 'Or if his winning be so lyte, That his labour wol not acquyte Sufficiantly al his living, Yit may he go his breed begging; Fro dore to dore he may go trace, 6745 Til he the remenaunt may purchace. Or if a man wolde undirtake Any empryse for to make, In the rescous of our lay, And it defenden as he may, 6750 Be it with armes or lettrure, Or other covenable cure, If it be so he pore be, Than may he begge, til that he May finde in trouthe for to swinke, 6755 And gete him clothes, mete, and drinke. Swinke he with hondis corporel, And not with hondis espirituel. 'In al thise caas, and in semblables, If that ther ben mo resonables, 6760 He may begge, as I telle you here, And elles nought, in no manere; As William Seynt Amour wolde preche, And ofte wolde dispute and teche Of this matere alle openly 6765 At Paris ful solempnely. And al-so god my soule blesse, As he had, in this stedfastnesse, The accord of the universitee, And of the puple, as semeth me. 6770 'No good man oughte it to refuse, Ne oughte him therof to excuse, Be wrooth or blythe who-so be; For I wol speke, and telle it thee, Al shulde I dye, and be put doun, 6775 As was seynt Poul, in derk prisoun; Or be exiled in this caas With wrong, as maister William was, That my moder Ypocrisye Banisshed for hir greet envye. 6780 'My moder flemed him, Seynt Amour: This noble dide such labour To susteyne ever the loyaltee, That he to moche agilte me. He made a book, and leet it wryte, 6785 Wherin his lyf he dide al wryte, And wolde ich reneyed begging, And lived by my traveyling, If I ne had rent ne other good. What? wened he that I were wood? 6790 For labour might me never plese, I have more wil to been at ese; And have wel lever, sooth to sey, Bifore the puple patre and prey, And wrye me in my foxerye 6795 Under a cope of papelardye.' Quod Love, 'What devel is this I here? What wordis tellest thou me here?' _F. Sem._ 'What, sir?' _Amour._ 'Falsnesse, that apert is; Than dredist thou not god?' _F. Sem._ 'No, certis: 6800 For selde in greet thing shal he spede In this world, that god wol drede. For folk that hem to vertu yiven, And truly on her owne liven, And hem in goodnesse ay contene, 6805 On hem is litel thrift y-sene; Such folk drinken gret misese; That lyf [ne] may me never plese. But see what gold han usurers, And silver eek in [hir] garners, 6810 Taylagiers, and these monyours, Bailifs, bedels, provost, countours; These liven wel nygh by ravyne; The smale puple hem mote enclyne, And they as wolves wol hem eten. 6815 Upon the pore folk they geten Ful moche of that they spende or kepe; Nis none of hem that he nil strepe, And wryen him-self wel atte fulle; Withoute scalding they hem pulle. 6820 The stronge the feble overgoth; But I, that were my simple cloth, Robbe bothe robbed and robbours, And gyle gyled and gylours. By my treget, I gadre and threste 6825 The greet tresour into my cheste, That lyth with me so faste bounde. Myn highe paleys do I founde, And my delytes I fulfille With wyne at feestes at my wille, 6830 And tables fulle of entremees; I wol no lyf, but ese and pees, And winne gold to spende also. For whan the grete bagge is go, It cometh right with my Iapes. 6835 Make I not wel tumble myn apes? To winne is alwey myn entent; My purchas is better than my rent; For though I shulde beten be, Over-al I entremete me; 6840 Withoute me may no wight dure. I walke soules for to cure. Of al the worlde cure have I In brede and lengthe; boldely I wol bothe preche and eek counceilen; 6845 With hondis wille I not traveilen, For of the pope I have the bulle; I ne holde not my wittes dulle. I wol not stinten, in my lyve, These emperouris for to shryve, 6850 Or kyngis, dukis, and lordis grete; But pore folk al quyte I lete. I love no such shryving, pardee, But it for other cause be. I rekke not of pore men, 6855 Hir astate is not worth an hen. Where fyndest thou a swinker of labour Have me unto his confessour? But emperesses, and duchesses, Thise quenes, and eek [thise] countesses, 6860 Thise abbesses, and eek Bigyns, These grete ladyes palasyns, These Ioly knightes, and baillyves, Thise nonnes, and thise burgeis wyves, That riche been, and eek plesing, 6865 And thise maidens welfaring, Wher-so they clad or naked be, Uncounceiled goth ther noon fro me. And, for her soules savetee, At lord and lady, and hir meynee, 6870 I axe, whan they hem to me shryve, The propretee of al hir lyve, And make hem trowe, bothe meest and leest, Hir paroch-prest nis but a beest Ayens me and my company, 6875 That shrewis been as greet as I; For whiche I wol not hyde in hold No privetee that me is told, That I by word or signe, y-wis, [Nil] make hem knowe what it is, 6880 And they wolen also tellen me; They hele fro me no privitee. And for to make yow hem perceyven, That usen folk thus to disceyven, I wol you seyn, withouten drede, 6885 What men may in the gospel rede Of Seynt Mathew, the gospelere, That seith, as I shal you sey here. 'Upon the chaire of Moyses-- Thus is it glosed, douteles: 6890 That is the olde testament, For therby is the chaire ment-- Sitte Scribes and Pharisen;-- That is to seyn, the cursid men Whiche that we ypocritis calle-- 6895 Doth that they preche, I rede you alle, But doth not as they don a del, That been not wery to seye wel, But to do wel, no wille have they; And they wolde binde on folk alwey, 6900 That ben to [be] begyled able, Burdens that ben importable; On folkes shuldres thinges they couchen That they nil with her fingres touchen.' _Amour._ 'And why wol they not touche it?' _F. Sem._ 'Why? 6905 For hem ne list not, sikirly; For sadde burdens that men taken Make folkes shuldres aken. And if they do ought that good be, That is for folk it shulde see: 6910 Her burdens larger maken they, And make hir hemmes wyde alwey, And loven setes at the table, The firste and most honourable; And for to han the first chaieris 6915 In synagoges, to hem ful dere is; And willen that folk hem loute and grete, Whan that they passen thurgh the strete, And wolen be cleped "Maister" also. But they ne shulde not willen so; 6920 The gospel is ther-ageyns, I gesse: That sheweth wel hir wikkidnesse. 'Another custom use we:-- Of hem that wol ayens us be, We hate hem deedly everichoon, 6925 And we wol werrey hem, as oon. Him that oon hatith, hate we alle, And coniecte how to doon him falle. And if we seen him winne honour, Richesse or preys, thurgh his valour, 6930 Provende, rent, or dignitee, Ful fast, y-wis, compassen we By what ladder he is clomben so; And for to maken him doun to go, With traisoun we wole him defame, 6935 And doon him lese his gode name. Thus from his ladder we him take, And thus his freendis foes we make; But word ne wite shal he noon, Til alle his freendis been his foon. 6940 For if we dide it openly, We might have blame redily; For hadde he wist of our malyce, He hadde him kept, but he were nyce. 'Another is this, that, if so falle 6945 That ther be oon among us alle That doth a good turn, out of drede, We seyn it is our alder dede. Ye, sikerly, though he it feyned, Or that him list, or that him deyned 6950 A man thurgh him avaunced be; Therof alle parceners be we, And tellen folk, wher-so we go, That man thurgh us is sprongen so. And for to have of men preysing, 6955 We purchace, thurgh our flatering, Of riche men, of gret poustee, Lettres, to witnesse our bountee; So that man weneth, that may us see, That alle vertu in us be. 6960 And alwey pore we us feyne; But how so that we begge or pleyne, We ben the folk, without lesing, That al thing have without having. Thus be we dred of the puple, y-wis. 6965 And gladly my purpos is this:-- I dele with no wight, but he Have gold and tresour gret plentee; Hir acqueyntaunce wel love I; This is moche my desyr, shortly. 6970 I entremete me of brocages, I make pees and mariages, I am gladly executour, And many tymes procuratour; I am somtyme messager; 6975 That falleth not to my mister. And many tymes I make enquestes; For me that office not honest is; To dele with other mennes thing, That is to me a gret lyking. 6980 And if that ye have ought to do In place that I repeire to, I shal it speden thurgh my wit, As sone as ye have told me it. So that ye serve me to pay, 6985 My servyse shal be your alway. But who-so wol chastyse me, Anoon my love lost hath he; For I love no man in no gyse, That wol me repreve or chastyse; 6990 But I wolde al folk undirtake, And of no wight no teching take; For I, that other folk chastye, Wol not be taught fro my folye. 'I love noon hermitage more; 6995 Alle desertes, and holtes hore, And grete wodes everichoon, I lete hem to the Baptist Iohan. I quethe him quyte, and him relesse Of Egipt al the wildirnesse; 7000 To fer were alle my mansiouns Fro alle citees and goode tounes. My paleis and myn hous make I There men may renne in openly, And sey that I the world forsake. 7005 But al amidde I bilde and make My hous, and swimme and pley therinne Bet than a fish doth with his finne. 'Of Antecristes men am I, Of whiche that Crist seith openly, 7010 They have abit of holinesse, And liven in such wikkednesse. Outward, lambren semen we, Fulle of goodnesse and of pitee, And inward we, withouten fable, 7015 Ben gredy wolves ravisable. We enviroune bothe londe and see; With al the world werreyen we; We wol ordeyne of alle thing, Of folkes good, and her living. 7020 'If ther be castel or citee Wherin that any bougerons be, Although that they of Milayne were, For ther-of ben they blamed there: Or if a wight, out of mesure, 7025 Wolde lene his gold, and take usure, For that he is so coveitous: Or if he be to leccherous, Or [thefe, or] haunte simonye; Or provost, ful of trecherye, 7030 Or prelat, living Iolily, Or prest that halt his quene him by; Or olde hores hostilers, Or other bawdes or bordillers, Or elles blamed of any vyce, 7035 Of whiche men shulden doon Iustyce: By alle the seyntes that we pray, But they defende hem with lamprey, With luce, with elis, with samons, With tendre gees, and with capons, 7040 With tartes, or with cheses fat, With deynte flawnes, brode and flat, With caleweys, or with pullaille, With coninges, or with fyn vitaille, That we, undir our clothes wyde, 7045 Maken thurgh our golet glyde: Or but he wol do come in haste Roo-venisoun, [y]-bake in paste: Whether so that he loure or groine, He shal have of a corde a loigne, 7050 With whiche men shal him binde and lede, To brenne him for his sinful dede, That men shulle here him crye and rore A myle-wey aboute, and more. Or elles he shal in prisoun dye, 7055 But-if he wol [our] frendship bye, Or smerten that that he hath do, More than his gilt amounteth to. But, and he couthe thurgh his sleight Do maken up a tour of height, 7060 Nought roughte I whether of stone or tree, Or erthe, or turves though it be, Though it were of no vounde stone, Wrought with squyre and scantilone, So that the tour were stuffed wel 7065 With alle richesse temporel; And thanne, that he wolde updresse Engyns, bothe more and lesse, To caste at us, by every syde-- To bere his goode name wyde-- 7070 Such sleightes [as] I shal yow nevene, Barelles of wyne, by sixe or sevene, Or gold in sakkes gret plente, He shulde sone delivered be. And if he have noon sich pitaunces, 7075 Late him study in equipolences, And lete lyes and fallaces, If that he wolde deserve our graces; Or we shal bere him such witnesse Of sinne, and of his wrecchidnesse, 7080 And doon his loos so wyde renne, That al quik we shulde him brenne, Or elles yeve him suche penaunce, That is wel wors than the pitaunce. 'For thou shalt never, for nothing, 7085 Con knowen aright by her clothing The traitours fulle of trecherye, But thou her werkis can aspye. And ne hadde the good keping be Whylom of the universitee, 7090 That kepeth the key of Cristendome, [They] had been turmented, alle and some. Suche been the stinking [fals] prophetis; Nis non of hem, that good prophete is; For they, thurgh wikked entencioun, 7095 The yeer of the incarnacioun A thousand and two hundred yeer, Fyve and fifty, ferther ne ner, Broughten a book, with sory grace, To yeven ensample in comune place, 7100 That seide thus, though it were fable:-- "This is the Gospel Perdurable, That fro the Holy Goost is sent." Wel were it worth to ben [y]-brent. Entitled was in such manere 7105 This book, of which I telle here. Ther nas no wight in al Parys, Biforn Our Lady, at parvys, That [he] ne mighte bye the book, To copy, if him talent took. 7110 Ther might he see, by greet tresoun, Ful many fais comparisoun:-- "As moche as, thurgh his grete might, Be it of hete, or of light, The sunne sourmounteth the mone, 7115 That troubler is, and chaungeth sone, And the note-kernel the shelle-- (I scorne nat that I yow telle)-- Right so, withouten any gyle, Sourmounteth this noble Evangyle 7120 The word of any evangelist." And to her title they token Christ; And many such comparisoun, Of which I make no mencioun, Might men in that boke finde, 7125 Who-so coude of hem have minde. 'The universitee, that tho was aslepe, Gan for to braide, and taken kepe; And at the noys the heed up-caste, Ne never sithen slepte it faste, 7130 But up it sterte, and armes took Ayens this fals horrible book, Al redy bateil for to make, And to the Iuge the book to take. But they that broughten the book there 7135 Hente it anoon awey, for fere; They nolde shewe it more a del, But thenne it kepte, and kepen wil, Til such a tyme that they may see That they so stronge woxen be, 7140 That no wight may hem wel withstonde; For by that book they durst not stonde. Away they gonne it for to bere, For they ne durste not answere By exposicioun ne glose 7145 To that that clerkis wole appose Ayens the cursednesse, y-wis, That in that boke writen is. Now wot I not, ne I can not see What maner ende that there shal be 7150 Of al this [boke] that they hyde; But yit algate they shal abyde Til that they may it bet defende; This trowe I best, wol be hir ende. 'Thus Antecrist abyden we, 7155 For we ben alle of his meynee; And what man that wol not be so, Right sone he shal his lyf forgo. We wol a puple on him areyse, And thurgh our gyle doon him seise, 7160 And him on sharpe speris ryve, Or other-weyes bringe him fro lyve, But-if that he wol folowe, y-wis, That in our boke writen is. Thus moche wol our book signifye, 7165 That whyl [that] Peter hath maistrye, May never lohan shewe wel his might. 'Now have I you declared right The mening of the bark and rinde That makith the entenciouns blinde. 7170 But now at erst I wol biginne To expowne you the pith withinne:-- [And first, by Peter, as I wene, The Pope himself we wolden mene] And [eek] the seculers comprehende, 7175 That Cristes lawe wol defende, And shulde it kepen and mayntenen Ayeines hem that al sustenen, And falsly to the puple techen. [And] Iohan bitokeneth hem [that] prechen, 7180 That ther nis lawe covenable But thilke Gospel Perdurable, That fro the Holy Gost was sent To turne folk that been miswent. The strengthe of Iohan they undirstonde 7185 The grace in which, they seye, they stonde, That doth the sinful folk converte, And hem to Iesus Crist reverte. 'Ful many another horriblete May men in that boke see, 7190 That ben comaunded, douteles, Ayens the lawe of Rome expres; And alle with Antecrist they holden, As men may in the book biholden. And than comaunden they to sleen 7195 Alle tho that with Peter been; But they shal nevere have that might, And, god toforn, for stryf to fight, That they ne shal y-nough [men] finde That Peters lawe shal have in minde, 7200 And ever holde, and so mayntene, That at the last it shal be sene That they shal alle come therto, For ought that they can speke or do. And thilke lawe shal not stonde, 7205 That they by Iohan have undirstonde; But, maugre hem, it shal adoun, And been brought to confusioun. But I wol stinte of this matere, For it is wonder long to here; 7210 But hadde that ilke book endured, Of better estate I were ensured; And freendis have I yit, pardee, That han me set in greet degree. 'Of all this world is emperour 7215 Gyle my fader, the trechour, And emperesse my moder is, Maugre the Holy Gost, y-wis. Our mighty linage and our route Regneth in every regne aboute; 7220 And wel is worth we [maistres] be, For al this world governe we, And can the folk so wel disceyve, That noon our gyle can perceyve; And though they doon, they dar not saye; 7225 The sothe dar no wight biwreye. But he in Cristis wrath him ledeth, That more than Crist my bretheren dredeth. He nis no ful good champioun, That dredith such similacioun; 7230 Nor that for peyne wole refusen Us to correcten and accusen. He wol not entremete by right, Ne have god in his eye-sight, And therfore god shal him punyce; 7235 But me ne rekketh of no vyce, Sithen men us loven comunably, And holden us for so worthy, That we may folk repreve echoon, And we nil have repref of noon. 7240 Whom shulden folk worshipen so But us, that stinten never mo To patren whyl that folk us see, Though it not so bihinde hem be? 'And where is more wood folye, 7245 Than to enhaunce chivalrye, And love noble men and gay, That Ioly clothis weren alway? If they be sich folk as they semen, So clene, as men her clothis demen, 7250 And that her wordis folowe her dede, It is gret pite, out of drede, For they wol be noon ypocritis! Of hem, me thinketh [it] gret spiteis; I can not love hem on no syde. 7255 But Beggers with these hodes wyde, With sleighe and pale faces lene, And greye clothis not ful clene, But fretted ful of tatarwagges, And highe shoes, knopped with dagges, 7260 That frouncen lyke a quaile-pype, Or botes riveling as a gype; To such folk as I you devyse Shuld princes and these lordes wyse Take alle her londes and her thinges, 7265 Bothe werre and pees, in governinges; To such folk shulde a prince him yive, That wolde his lyf in honour live. And if they be not as they seme, That serven thus the world to queme, 7270 There wolde I dwelle, to disceyve The folk, for they shal not perceyve. 'But I ne speke in no such wyse, That men shulde humble abit dispyse, So that no pryde ther-under be. 7275 No man shulde hate, as thinketh me, The pore man in sich clothing. But god ne preiseth him no-thing, That seith he hath the world forsake, And hath to worldly glorie him take, 7280 And wol of siche delyces use; Who may that Begger wel excuse? That papelard, that him yeldeth so, And wol to worldly ese go, And seith that he the world hath left, 7285 And gredily it grypeth eft, He is the hound, shame is to seyn, That to his casting goth ageyn. 'But unto you dar I not lye: But mighte I felen or aspye, 7290 That ye perceyved it no-thing, Ye shulden have a stark lesing Right in your hond thus, to biginne, I nolde it lette for no sinne.' The god lough at the wonder tho, 7295 And every wight gan laughe also, And seide:--'Lo here a man aright For to be trusty to every wight!' 'Fals Semblant,' quod Love, 'sey to me, Sith I thus have avaunced thee, 7300 That in my court is thy dwelling, And of ribaudes shall be my king, Wolt thou wel holden my forwardis?' _F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir, from hennes forewardis; Hadde never your fader herebiforn 7305 Servaunt so trewe, sith he was born.' _Amour._ 'That is ayeines al nature.' _F. Sem._ 'Sir, put you in that aventure; For though ye borowes take of me, The sikerer shal ye never be 7310 For ostages, ne sikirnesse, Or chartres, for to bere witnesse. I take your-self to record here, That men ne may, in no manere, Teren the wolf out of his hyde, 7315 Til he be [flayn], bak and syde, Though men him bete and al defyle; What? wene ye that I wole bigyle? For I am clothed mekely, Ther-under is al my trechery; 7320 Myn herte chaungeth never the mo For noon abit, in which I go. Though I have chere of simplenesse, I am not weary of shrewednesse. My lemman, Streyned-Abstinence, 7325 Hath mister of my purveaunce; She hadde ful longe ago be deed, Nere my councel and my reed; Lete hir allone, and you and me.' And Love answerde, 'I truste thee 7330 Withoute borowe, for I wol noon.' And Fals-Semblant, the theef, anoon, Right in that ilke same place, That hadde of tresoun al his face Right blak withinne, and whyt withoute, 7335 Thanketh him, gan on his knees loute. Than was ther nought, but 'Every man Now to assaut, that sailen can,' Quod Love, 'and that ful hardily.' Than armed they hem communly 7340 Of sich armour as to hem fel. Whan they were armed, fers and fel, They wente hem forth, alle in a route, And set the castel al aboute; They wil nought away, for no drede, 7345 Til it so be that they ben dede, Or til they have the castel take. And foure batels they gan make, And parted hem in foure anoon, And toke her way, and forth they goon, 7350 The foure gates for to assaile, Of whiche the kepers wol not faile; For they ben neither syke ne dede, But hardy folk, and stronge in dede. Now wole I seyn the countenaunce 7355 Of Fals-Semblant, and Abstinaunce, That ben to Wikkid-Tonge went. But first they helde her parlement, Whether it to done were To maken hem be knowen there, 7360 Or elles walken forth disgysed. But at the laste they devysed, That they wold goon in tapinage, As it were in a pilgrimage, Lyk good and holy folk unfeyned. 7365 And Dame Abstinence-Streyned Took on a robe of camelyne, And gan hir graithe as a Begyne. A large coverchief of threde She wrapped al aboute hir hede, 7370 But she forgat not hir sautere; A peire of bedis eek she here Upon a lace, al of whyt threde, On which that she hir bedes bede; But she ne boughte hem never a del, 7375 For they were geven her, I wot wel, God wot, of a ful holy frere, That seide he was hir fader dere, To whom she hadde ofter went Than any frere of his covent. 7380 And he visyted hir also, And many a sermoun seide hir to; He nolde lette, for man on lyve, That he ne wolde hir ofte shryve. And with so gret devocion 7385 They maden her confession, That they had ofte, for the nones, Two hedes in one hood at ones. Of fair shape I devyse her thee, But pale of face somtyme was she; 7390 That false traitouresse untrewe Was lyk that salowe hors of hewe, That in the Apocalips is shewed, That signifyeth tho folk beshrewed, That been al ful of trecherye, 7395 And pale, thurgh hypocrisye; For on that hors no colour is, But only deed and pale, y-wis. Of suche a colour enlangoured Was Abstinence, y-wis, coloured; 7400 Of her estat she her repented, As her visage represented. She had a burdoun al of Thefte, That Gyle had yeve her of his yefte; And a scrippe of Fainte Distresse, 7405 That ful was of elengenesse, And forth she walked sobrely: And False-Semblant saynt, _ie vous die_, [Had], as it were for such mistere, Don on the cope of a frere, 7410 With chere simple, and ful pitous; His looking was not disdeinous, Ne proud, but meke and ful pesible. About his nekke he bar a bible, And squierly forth gan he gon; 7415 And, for to reste his limmes upon, He had of Treson a potente; As he were feble, his way he wente. But in his sleve he gan to thringe A rasour sharp, and wel bytinge, 7420 That was forged in a forge, Which that men clepen Coupegorge. So longe forth hir way they nomen, Til they to Wicked-Tonge comen, That at his gate was sitting, 7425 And saw folk in the way passing. The pilgrimes saw he faste by, That beren hem ful mekely, And humblely they with him mette. Dame Abstinence first him grette, 7430 And sith him False-Semblant salued, And he hem; but he not remued, For he ne dredde hem not a-del. For when he saw hir faces wel, Alway in herte him thoughte so, 7435 He shulde knowe hem bothe two; For wel he knew Dame Abstinaunce But he ne knew not Constreynaunce. He knew nat that she was constrayned, Ne of her theves lyfe feyned, 7440 But wende she com of wil al free; But she com in another degree; And if of good wil she began, That wil was failed her [as] than. And Fals-Semblant had he seyn als, 7445 But he knew nat that he was fals. Yet fals was he, but his falsnesse Ne coude he not espye, nor gesse; For semblant was so slye wrought, That falsnesse he ne espyed nought. 7450 But haddest thou knowen him beforn, Thou woldest on a boke have sworn, Whan thou him saugh in thilke aray That he, that whylom was so gay, And of the daunce Ioly Robin, 7455 Was tho become a Iacobin. But sothely, what so men him calle, Freres Prechours been good men alle; Hir order wickedly they beren, Suche minstrelles if [that] they weren. 7460 So been Augustins and Cordileres, And Carmes, and eek Sakked Freres, And alle freres, shodde and bare, (Though some of hem ben grete and square) Ful holy men, as I hem deme; 7465 Everich of hem wolde good man seme. But shalt thou never of apparence Seen conclude good consequence In none argument, y-wis, If existence al failed is. 7470 For men may finde alway sophyme The consequence to envenyme, Who-so that hath the subteltee The double sentence for to see. Whan the pilgrymes commen were 7475 To Wicked-Tonge, that dwelled there, Hir harneis nigh hem was algate; By Wicked-Tonge adoun they sate, That bad hem ner him for to come, And of tydinges telle him some, 7480 And sayde hem:--'What cas maketh yow To come into this place now?' Sir,' seyde Strained-Abstinaunce, We, for to drye our penaunce, With hertes pitous and devoute, 7485 Are commen, as pilgrimes gon aboute; Wel nigh on fote alway we go; Ful dusty been our heles two; And thus bothe we ben sent Thurghout this world that is miswent, 7490 To yeve ensample, and preche also. To fisshen sinful men we go, For other fisshing ne fisshe we. And, sir, for that charitee, As we be wont, herberwe we crave, 7495 Your lyf to amende; Crist it save! And, so it shulde you nat displese, We wolden, if it were your ese, A short sermoun unto you seyn.' And Wikked-Tonge answerde ageyn, 7500 The hous,' quod he, 'such as ye see, Shal nat be warned you for me, Sey what you list, and I wol here.' Graunt mercy, swete sire dere!' Quod alderfirst Dame Abstinence, 7505 And thus began she hir sentence: _Const. Abstinence._ 'Sir, the first vertue, certeyn, The gretest, and most sovereyn That may be founde in any man, For having, or for wit he can, 7510 That is, his tonge to refreyne; Therto ought every wight him peyne. For it is better stille be Than for to speken harm, pardee! And he that herkeneth it gladly, 7515 He is no good man, sikerly. And, sir, aboven al other sinne, In that art thou most gilty inne. Thou spake a Iape not long ago, (And, sir, that was right yvel do) 7520 Of a yong man that here repaired, And never yet this place apaired. Thou seydest he awaited nothing But to disceyve Fair-Welcoming. Ye seyde nothing sooth of that; 7525 But, sir, ye lye; I tell you plat; He ne cometh no more, ne goth, pardee! I trow ye shal him never see. Fair-Welcoming in prison is, That ofte hath pleyed with you, er this, 7530 The fairest games that he coude, Withoute filthe, stille or loude; Now dar [he] nat [him]self solace. Ye han also the man do chace, That he dar neither come ne go. 7535 What meveth you to hate him so But properly your wikked thought, That many a fals lesing hath thought? That meveth your foole eloquence, That iangleth ever in audience, 7540 And on the folk areyseth blame, And doth hem dishonour and shame, For thing that may have no preving, But lyklinesse, and contriving. For I dar seyn, that Reson demeth, 7545 It is not al sooth thing that semeth, And it is sinne to controve Thing that is [for] to reprove; This wot ye wel; and, sir, therefore Ye arn to blame [wel] the more. 7550 And, nathelesse, he rekketh lyte; He yeveth nat now thereof a myte; For if he thoughte harm, parfay, He wolde come and gon al day; He coude him-selfe nat abstene. 7555 Now cometh he nat, and that is sene, For he ne taketh of it no cure, But-if it be through aventure, And lasse than other folk, algate. And thou here watchest at the gate, 7560 With spere in thyne arest alway; There muse, musard, al the day. Thou wakest night and day for thought; Y-wis, thy traveyl is for nought. And Ielousye, withouten faile, 7565 Shal never quyte thee thy travaile. And scathe is, that Fair-Welcoming, Withouten any trespassing, Shal wrongfully in prison be, Ther wepeth and languissheth he. 7570 And though thou never yet, y-wis, Agiltest man no more but this, (Take not a-greef) it were worthy To putte thee out of this baily, And afterward in prison lye, 7575 And fettre thee til that thou dye; For thou shalt for this sinne dwelle Right in the devils ers of helle, But-if that thou repente thee.' 'Ma fay, thou lyest falsly!' quod he. 7580 What? welcome with mischaunce now! Have I therfore herbered you To seye me shame, and eek reprove? With sory happe, to your bihove, Am I to-day your herbergere! 7585 Go, herber you elleswhere than here, That han a lyer called me! Two tregetours art thou and he, That in myn hous do me this shame, And for my soth-sawe ye me blame. 7590 Is this the sermoun that ye make? To alle the develles I me take, Or elles, god, thou me confounde! But er men diden this castel founde, It passeth not ten dayes or twelve, 7595 But it was told right to my-selve, And as they seide, right so tolde I, He kiste the Rose privily! Thus seide I now, and have seid yore; I not wher he dide any more. 7600 Why shulde men sey me such a thing, If it hadde been gabbing? Right so seide I, and wol seye yit; I trowe, I lyed not of it; And with my bemes I wol blowe 7605 To alle neighboris a-rowe, How he hath bothe comen and gon.' Tho spak Fals-Semblant right anon, Al is not gospel, out of doute, That men seyn in the toune aboute; 7610 Ley no deef ere to my speking; I swere yow, sir, it is gabbing! I trowe ye wot wel certeynly, That no man loveth him tenderly That seith him harm, if he wot it, 7615 Al be he never so pore of wit. And sooth is also sikerly, (This knowe ye, sir, as wel as I), That lovers gladly wol visyten The places ther hir loves habyten. 7620 This man you loveth and eek honoureth; This man to serve you laboureth; And clepeth you his freend so dere, And this man maketh you good chere, And every-wher that [he] you meteth, 7625 He you saleweth, and he you greteth. He preseth not so ofte, that ye Ought of his come encombred be; Ther presen other folk on yow Ful ofter than [that] he doth now. 7630 And if his herte him streyned so Unto the Rose for to go, Ye shulde him seen so ofte nede, That ye shulde take him with the dede. He coude his coming not forbere, 7635 Though ye him thrilled with a spere; It nere not thanne as it is now. But trusteth wel, I swere it yow, That it is clene out of his thought. Sir, certes, he ne thenketh it nought; 7640 No more ne doth Fair-Welcoming, That sore abyeth al this thing. And if they were of oon assent, Ful sone were the Rose hent; The maugre youres wolde be. 7645 And sir, of o thing herkeneth me:-- Sith ye this man, that loveth yow, Han seid such harm and shame now, Witeth wel, if he gessed it, Ye may wel demen in your wit, 7650 He nolde no-thing love you so, Ne callen you his freend also, But night and day he [wolde] wake, The castel to destroye and take, If it were sooth as ye devyse; 7655 Or som man in som maner wyse Might it warne him everydel, Or by him-self perceyven wel; For sith he might not come and gon As he was whylom wont to don, 7660 He might it sone wite and see; But now al other-wyse [doth] he. Than have [ye], sir, al-outerly Deserved helle, and Iolyly The deth of helle douteles, 7665 That thrallen folk so gilteles.' Fals-Semblant proveth so this thing That he can noon answering, And seeth alwey such apparaunce, That nygh he fel in repentaunce, 7670 And seide him:--'Sir, it may wel be. Semblant, a good man semen ye; And, Abstinence, ful wyse ye seme; Of o talent you bothe I deme. What counceil wole ye to me yeven?' 7675 _F. Sem._ 'Right here anoon thou shalt be shriven, And sey thy sinne withoute more; Of this shall thou repente sore; For I am preest, and have poustee To shryve folk of most dignitee 7680 That been, as wyde as world may dure. Of al this world I have the cure, And that had never yit persoun, No vicarie of no maner toun. And, god wot, I have of thee 7685 A thousand tymes more pitee Than hath thy preest parochial, Though he thy freend be special. I have avauntage, in o wyse, That your prelates ben not so wyse 7690 Ne half so lettred as am I. I am licenced boldely In divinitee to rede, And to confessen, out of drede. If ye wol you now confesse, 7695 And leve your sinnes more and lesse, Without abood, knele doun anon, And you shal have absolucion.' 7698

EXPLICIT.

5814. Th. wyl; G. tille. 5820. _Both_ sworne. 5821. G. The (_for_ That). _Both_ nyl not. 5827. Th. leest; G. lest. 5831. G. tresoure. 5836. G. axide.

5855. _Both_ kepte; F. _qui mestrie_. 5859. G. oost. 5860. _Both_ that ilke. 5861. G. Agayns; Th. Agaynst. 5869, 70. _Both_ entent, present. 5871. _Both_ vesselage. 5879. _Supply_ at. 5883. _Both_ As my nede is. 5886. _Om._ eek? 5894. G. fortresse. 5900. _Both_ That such; _om._ That. _Both_ ben take; _om._ ben.

5906, 53. _Supply_ hast, by. 5920. G. thilk. 5935. G. myche. 5939. Th. marchauntes; G. marchauntz. 5942. _Both_ folyly. 5946. Th. vyce; G. wise. 5947. G. trust; pay. 5958. Th. surere. 5959. _Both_ beaute (!). 5960. _Both_ That I.

5976. _Both_ ful dere. 5977. _Both_ leest; _supply_ she. 5980. Th. thylke; G. thilk. 5983. Th. grype; G. grepe. 5988. _I supply_ if. 5997, 9. Th. hem; G. hym. 6002. _Read_ gnede. 6006. _Both_ good; beaute (_as in_ 5959). 6009. Th. wol; G. wole. 6025. G. shulle. _Both_ forsworne. 6026. G. lette.

6037. G. worthe. 6401. G. hym. 6048. G. heestes. 6057. This = This is. 6063. G. away. 6064. _Both_ hindreth. 6073. G. netheles; Th. nathelesse.

6143. _Both_ twey. 6144. G. sey; Th. say. 6165. _Both_ which; F. _tex_.

6169. _Both_ lette. 6172. G. subtilite. 6174. _Both_ nede; F. _besoignes_. 6183, 4. G. cast, last. 6187. G. _om._ hath. 6192. _Both_ neithir monk; _om._ neithir. 6195. Th. Na-; G. Ne-. 6197. Th. rasour; G. resoun. 6205. _I supply this line._ 6206. _Supply_ not. Th. begylen; G. bigilyng. 6214. _Both_ without.

6227. G. Yhe. 6237. Th. co_m_men; G. comyn; _read_ comun. 6240. G. Yhe; G. _om._ alle. 6243. _Both_ ful many; _om._ ful. 6245. G. dieden. 6247. _Both_ xi. 6253. G. hert; _both_ good. 6255. _Both_ good. 6256. _Both_ the religioun; _om._ the. 6259. G. took. 6263. G. Yhis; Th. Yes. 6271. G. biwailed (!). 6275, 82. _Supply_ hem. 6278. _Both_ Without. 6285. G. doutlees; Th. doutles.

6292. _Both_ planten most. 6296. _Both_ feyne; F. _dire_. 6314. _Both ins._ shal _bef._ never. 6316. G. warre; Th. ware. 6317, 8. _Words supplied by_ Kaluza. 6323. _Both_ myght. 6336. _I supply_ and. 6341. _Both_ and reyned (!) _for_ streyned; _see_ 7366. 6342. _I supply_ y-. 6346. _Both_ I a; _om._ a.

6354. G. bete; Th. beate (_for_ lete). 6355. _Both_ Ioly (_for_ blynde); _I supply_ ther. 6356. Th. habite. 6359. Th. beare; G. were. 6361. G. _om._ Thus _and_ I; _both_ in to (_for_ in). 6372. _Both omit; supplied as in_ Morris; F. _Si n'en sut mes si receus._ 6375. _Both_ I a.; _om._ a. 6377. G. shreuen. 6378. _Both_ I (_for_ me); _both_ yeuen. 6386. G. ony. 6388. G. mych. 6392. _Both_ yeuen. 6393. G. _ins._ For _bef._ Penaunce. 6399. _Both_ ought. 6407. _Both_ not; _read_ yit.

6425. G. cheueys; Th. chuse; F. _chevir_. 6426. Th. hamper. 6432. _I supply_ Ne. 6452. Th. this is ayenst. 6453. G. heerde. 6454. G. beeste. 6460. _Both_ it is; F. _Porquoi_. 6462, 7. G. fat. 6465. G. grucche; Th. grutche. 6466. _Both_ woth (!). 6469. _I supply_ the. 6470. G. Yhe.

6481. _Both_ seruest; F. _sembles_. 6482. _Both_ I am but an. 6484. G. Yhe. 6487. _Both_ good. 6491. _Both_ bettir; G. that queyntaunce. 6492. Th. tymes; G. tyme. 6493. _Both_ of a pore. 6496. G. myxnes; Th. myxins. 6500. _Both_ me a dyne. 6513. G. ony. 6515. _Both_ not. 6516. _Both_ swere. 6522. _Both_ Hath a soule.

6531. Th. of; G. to. 6532. G. thrittene; Th. thirtene; _read_ thrittethe. 6536. G. myche. 6539. _Both_ beggith (-eth). 6542. _Both_ goddis (-es). 6543. G. Salamon; Th. Salomon. 6546. G. yhe. 6550. _Both_ nolden. 6551. G. was. 6557. _Both_ myght. 6565. G. ther; Th. their. 6569. _Both_ yaf. 6570. _Both_ folkis (-es). 6572. _Both_ they; _read_ leye; F. _Ains gisoient._ 6581. _Perhaps om._ That.

6598. _Both_ tolde (_against grammar_). 6600. G. desily (!). 6601. Th. To; G. Go. 6606. _Both_ Ben somtyme in; _see_ 6610. 6616. G. old; Th. olde. 6650. _Both_ myght. 6653. _I supply_ wher; F. _la ou_. 6655. _Both_ yeue.

6667. _Both_ haue bidde; (_om._ haue). 6679. _Both_ good. 6682. Th. -of; G. -fore. 6684. _Both_ wryne. 6688. G. _omits_: Th. hondis. 6699. Th. -wayes; G. -weys. 6700. If] _Both_ Yit. 6707. _Both_ mendiciens (-ence); _see_ 6657.

6721. _Both_ without. 6728. Th. noriture; G. norture. 6737. _Both_ had. 6748. G. Ony. 6756. _Both_ clothe; _read_ clothes; _see_ 6684. 6759. _Both_ this. 6766. _Both_ solemply. 6782. Th. This; G. The. 6784. Th. agylte; G. agilt. 6786. _So_ Th.; G. Of thyngis that he beste myghte (_in late hand_).

6792. G. wille. 6797. _Both_ this that; _om._ that. 6803. _Both_ yeuen. 6806. G. sene. 6808, 10. _Supply_ ne, hir. 6819. _Both_ wrine. _Both_ hem, at. 6820. _Both_ Without. 6823, 4. _Both_ robbyng, gilyng. 6827. G. fast. 6828. _Both_ high. 6834. G. gret; Th. great. 6841. _Both_ Without. 6844. _Both_ boldly. 6850. _Both_ emperours. 6851. G. _om._ and.

6860, 6901. _Supply_ thise, be. 6862. G. gret; Th. great. 6880. Th. Ne wol; G. Wol; _read_ Nil. 6890. _Both_ doutles (-lees). 6902, 7, 11. _Both_ burdons.

6925, 6. _Both_ him; _read_ hem. 6936. _Both_ good. 6939. Th. wete. 6949. G. Yhe. 6952. Th. parceners; G. perseners. 6974. _Both_ tymes a; _om._ a.

6997. G. gret; Th. great. 7002. Th. al; G. _om._ 7012. _After this line, both in_ Th. _and_ G., _come_ ll. 7109-7158. 7018. G. werrien; Th. werryen. 7019. _Both_ al. 7022. Th. bougerons; G. begger. 7029. _Both_ these that; F. _lerres ou_. 7035. G. ony. 7037. we] G. me. 7038. hem] _Both_ them. 7041. G. cheffis; Th. cheffes; F. _fromages_. 7047. he] G. we. 7048. _Both_ bake.

7056. _Both_ his; _read_ our. 7059. G. sleght; Th. sleight. 7060. G. hight; Th. heyght. 7063. _Both_ vounde. 7070. _Both_ good. 7071. G. sleghtes. _I supply_ as. 7075. G. _om._ he have. 7092. Th. We had ben turmented al and 7093. _I supply_ fals. 7104. _Both_ brent. 7109. G. _has here_ l. 7110, _followed by a blank line_; Th. _has_ That they [_read_ he] ne might 7110. Th. To the copye, if hem talent toke; _after which_, Of the Euangelystes booke (_spurious_).

7113. G. gret; Th. great. 7119, 21. G. ony. 7123. G. many a such. 7125. Th. booke; G. book. 7127. _Perhaps omit_ that. 7133, 37, 42. G. _om._ for, it, they. 7143. Th. Awaye; G. Alwey. 7144. G. durst. 7145. _Both_ no. 7148. Th. booke; G. book. 7151. _Supply_ boke. 7159. _Both_ vpon. _Before this line_ G. _and_ Th. _wrongly insert_ ll. 7013-7110, 7209-7304. 7164. Th. booke; G. book. 7165. G. mych. 7166. _I supply_ that.

7173, 4. _Supplied by conjecture_; F. _Par Pierre voil le Pape entendre._ 7175, 99. _I supply_ eek, men. 7178. G. Ayens; Th. Ayenst. 7180. And] _Both_ That. that] _Both_ to. 7189. G. orribilite; Th. horriblete. 7190. Th. booke; G. book. 7196. G. Petre. 7200. G. Petres. 7205. G. thilk. 7209. _See note to_ l. 7159. 7217. Th. Empresse; G. Emperis. 7221. _Both_ worthy; _see_ 7104. _Both_ mynystres. 7234. G. iye.

7236. Th. recketh; G. rekke. 7243. _Both_ may us (_om._ may). 7244. G. _om._ hem. 7254. Th. hem; G. hym; _supply_ it. 7255. Th. hem; G. hym. 7257. G. steight (!). 7258. Th. graye; G. grey. 7260. G. high. 7262. Th. ryuelyng; G. reuelyng. 7263. G. dyuyse. 7272. The] G. To. 7292. _Both_ shulde.

7303. G. forwordis. 7304. G. Yhe. Th. hence; G. hens. 7307. Th. ayenst; G. ayens. 7316. _Both_ slayn; _see_ note. 7317. G. alto defyle. 7325. G. Myn; Th. My. G. streyneth (!). 7331. _Both_ Without. 7336. Th. Thankyng. 7355. G. countynaunce. 7358. G. heelde. 7362. Th. laste; G. last.

7368. G. gracche; Th. gratche. G. bygynne; Th. bygyne. 7371. Th. psaltere; G. sawter. 7380. G. ony. 7385-7576. _From_ Th.; _lost in_ G. 7386. Th. made. 7389. Th. shappe; denysed. 7394. tho] Th. to. 7409. Had] Th. And. 7429. Th. humbly. 7432. Th. remeued.

7435. Th. thought. 7444. _I supply_ as. 7458. Th. Frere. 7460. _Supply_ that. 7463. Th. al. 7464. Th. greet. 7471, 72. Th. sopheme, enueneme; F. _sophime_, _envenime_. 7473. Th. hath hadde the. 7488. Th. doughty (!); F. _poudreus_; _read_ dusty. 7494. Th. herborowe.

7504. Th. sir. 7513. Th. styll. 7532. Th. styl. 7533. Th. she nat herselfe. 7546. Th. sothe. 7548, 50. _I supply_ for, wel. 7553. Th. thought harme. 7560. Th. her.

7568. Th. Without. 7577. G. _begins again_. 7582. Th. herbered; G. herberd. 7585. _Both_ herbegere. 7590. _Both_ sothe. Th. sawe; G. saugh. 7600. _Both_ where. G. ony. 7625. _I supply_ he. 7626. G. saloweth.

7628. Th. comynge. 7630. _Supply_ that. 7637. G. I ner_er_ (!). 7653. G. wole; Th. wol: _read_ wolde. 7662. doth] F. _fait_; _both_ wot. 7663. Th. we (_for_ ye); G. _om._ 7666. _Both_ giltles. 7678. _Both_ repent. 7686. Th. tymes; G. tyme.

7693. _So_ Th. (_but with_ for to _for_ to); G. To reden in diuinite. 7694. G. And longe haue red (_wrongly_); _here_ G. _abruptly ends_. 7694-8. _From_ Th. 7697. Th. abode. COLOPHON. G. Explicit, _following_ And longe haue red (_see note to_ 7694); Th. Finis. Here endeth the Romaunt of the Rose.

* * * * *

THE MINOR POEMS.

I. AN A. B. C.

_Incipit carmen secundum ordinem literarum Alphabeti._

<< Almighty and al merciable quene, To whom that al this world fleeth for socour, To have relees of sinne, sorwe and tene, Glorious virgine, of alle floures flour, To thee I flee, confounded in erreur! 5 Help and releve, thou mighty debonaire, Have mercy on my perilous langour! Venquisshed me hath my cruel adversaire.

>> A toy du monde le refui, Vierge glorieuse, m'en fui Tout confus, ne puis miex faire; A toy me tíen, a toy m'apuy. Relieve moy, abatu suy: Vaincu m'a mon aversaire. Puis qu'en toy ont tous repaire Bien me doy vers toy retraire Avant que j'aie plus d'annuy. N'est pas luite necessaire 10 A moy, se tu, debonnayre, Ne me sequeurs comme a autrui.

<< Bountee so fix hath in thyn herte his tente, That wel I wot thou wolt my socour be, 10 Thou canst not warne him that, with good entente, Axeth thyn help. Thyn herte is ay so free, Thou art largesse of pleyn felicitee, Haven of refut, of quiete and of reste. Lo, how that theves seven chasen me! 15 Help, lady bright, er that my ship to-breste!

Comfort is noon, but in yow, lady dere, For lo, my sinne and my confusioun, Which oughten not in thy presence appere, Han take on me a grevous accioun 20 Of verrey right and desperacioun; And, as by right, they mighten wel sustene That I were worthy my dampnacioun, Nere mercy of you, blisful hevene quene.

Doute is ther noon, thou queen of misericorde, 25 That thou nart cause of grace and mercy here; God vouched sauf thurgh thee with us tacorde. For certes, Cristes blisful moder dere,

>> Bien voy que par toy confortés Sera mes cuers desconfortés, Quer tu es de salu porte. Se je me suis mal tresportez Par .vij. larrons, pechiés mortez, Et erre par voie torte, Esperance me conforte Qui à toy hui me raporte 20 A ce que soie deportez. Ma povre arme je t'aporte: Sauve la: ne vaut que morte; En li sont tous biens avortez.

Contre moy font une accion Ma vergoigne et confusion, Que devant toy ne doy venir Pour ma très grant transgression. Rayson et desperacion Contre moy veulent maintenir; 30 Mès pour ce que veil plait fenir, Devant toy les fès convenir En faisant replicacion. C'est que je di appartenir A toy du tout et convenir Pitié et miseracion.

Dame es de misericorde Par qui Diex bien se recorde A sa gent estre racordé. Par toy vint pes et concorde, 40

<< Were now the bowe bent in swich manere, As it was first, of Iustice and of yre, 30 The rightful God nolde of no mercy here; But thurgh thee han we grace, as we desyre.

Ever hath myn hope of refut been in thee, For heer-biforn ful ofte, in many a wyse, Hast thou to misericorde receyved me. 35 But mercy, lady, at the grete assyse, Whan we shul come bifore the hye Iustyse! So litel fruit shal thanne in me be founde, That, but thou er that day me wel chastyse, Of verrey right my werk me wol confounde. 40

Fleeing, I flee for socour to thy tente Me for to hyde from tempest ful of drede, Biseching you that ye you not absente, Though I be wikke. O help yit at this nede!

>> Et fu pour oster discorde L'arc de justice descordé; Et pour ce me sui acordé Toi mercier et concordé, Pour ce que ostas la corde; Quar, ainsi com j'ay recordé, S'encore fust l'arc encordé Comparé l'eust ma vie orde.

En toy ay m'esperance eü Quant a merci m'as receü 50 Autre foys en mainte guise, Du bien qui ou ciel fu creü As ravivé et repeü M'ame qui estoit occise. Las! mès quant la grant assise Sera, se n'y es assise Pour moy mal y seray veü. De bien n'ay nulle reprise. Las m'en clain quant bien m'avise, Souvent en doy dire heü! 60

Fuiant m'en viens a ta tente Moy mucier pour la tormente Qui ou monde me tempeste. Pour mon pechié ne t'absente,

<< Al have I been a beste in wille and dede, 45 Yit, lady, thou me clothe with thy grace. Thyn enemy and myn--lady, tak hede, Un-to my deth in poynt is me to chace.

Glorious mayde and moder, which that never Were bitter, neither in erthe nor in see, 50 But ful of swetnesse and of mercy ever, Help that my fader be not wroth with me! Spek thou, for I ne dar not him y-see. So have I doon in erthe, allas ther-whyle! That certes, but-if thou my socour be, 55 To stink eterne he wol my gost exyle.

He vouched sauf, tel him, as was his wille, Bicome a man, to have our alliaunce, And with his precious blood he wroot the bille Up-on the crois, as general acquitaunce, 60 To every penitent in ful creaunce; And therfor, lady bright, thou for us praye. Than shalt thou bothe stinte al his grevaunce, And make our foo to failen of his praye.

>> A moy garder met t'entente, A mon besoing soiez preste. Se lonc temps j'ay esté beste A ce, Vierge, je m'arreste Que de ta grace me sente. Si te fais aussi requeste 70 Que ta pitié nu me veste, Car je n'ay nulle autre rente.

Glorieuse vierge mere Qui a nul onques amere Ne fus en terre ne en mer, Ta douceur ores m'apere Et ne sueffres que mon pere De devant li me jecte puer. Se devant li tout vuit j'apper, Et par moy ne puis eschapper 80 Que ma faute ne compere. Tu devant li pour moy te per En li moustrant que, s'a li per Ne sui, si est il mon frere.

Homme voult par sa plaisance Devenir, pour aliance Avoir a humain lignage. Avec li crut dès enfance Pitié dont j'ai esperance Avoir eu en mon usage. 90 Elle fu mise a forage Quant au cuer lui vint mesage Du cruel fer de la lance. Ne puet estre, se sui sage, Que je n'en aie avantage, Se tu veus et abondance.

<< I wot it wel, thou wolt ben our socour, 65 Thou art so ful of bountee, in certeyn. For, whan a soule falleth in errour, Thy pitee goth and haleth him ayeyn. Than makest thou his pees with his sovereyn, And bringest him out of the crooked strete. 70 Who-so thee loveth he shal not love in veyn, That shal he finde, as he the lyf shal lete.

Kalenderes enlumined ben they That in this world ben lighted with thy name, And who-so goth to you the righte wey, 75 Him thar not drede in soule to be lame. Now, queen of comfort, sith thou art that same To whom I seche for my medicyne, Lat not my foo no more my wounde entame, Myn hele in-to thyn hand al I resigne. 80

Lady, thy sorwe can I not portreye Under the cros, ne his grevous penaunce. But, for your bothes peynes, I you preye, Lat not our alder foo make his bobaunce,

>> Ie ne truis par nulle voie Ou mon salut si bien voie Com, après Dieu, en toy le voy; Quar quant aucun se desvoie, 100 A ce que tost se ravoie, De ta pitié li fais convoy. Tu li fès lessier son desroy Et li refaiz sa pais au roy, Et remez en droite voie. Moult est donc cil en bon arroy, En bon atour, en bon conroy Que ta grace si conroie.

Kalendier sont enluminé Et autre livre enteriné 110 Quant ton non les enlumine. A tout meschief ont resiné Ceus qui se sont acheminé A toy pour leur medicine. A moy donc, virge, t'encline, Car a toy je m'achemine Pour estre bien mediciné; Ne sueffre que de gaïnne Isse justice devine Par quoy je soye exterminé. 120

La douceur de toy pourtraire Je ne puis, a qui retraire Doit ton filz de ton sanc estrait; Pour ce a toy m'ay volu traire

<< That he hath in his listes of mischaunce 85 Convict that ye bothe have bought so dere. As I seide erst, thou ground of our substaunce, Continue on us thy pitous eyen clere!

Moises, that saugh the bush with flaumes rede Brenninge, of which ther never a stikke brende, 90 Was signe of thyn unwemmed maidenhede. Thou art the bush on which ther gan descende The Holy Gost, the which that Moises wende Had ben a-fyr; and this was in figure. Now lady, from the fyr thou us defende 95 Which that in helle eternally shal dure.

Noble princesse, that never haddest pere, Certes, if any comfort in us be, That cometh of thee, thou Cristes moder dere, We han non other melodye or glee 100 Us to reioyse in our adversitee, Ne advocat noon that wol and dar so preye For us, and that for litel hyre as ye, That helpen for an Ave-Marie or tweye.

>> Afin que contre moy traire Ne le sueuffres nul cruel trait. Je recongnois bien mon mesfait Et qu'au colier j'ai souvent trait Dont l'en me devroit detraire; Mez se tu veus tu as l'entrait 130 Par quoy tantost sera retrait Le mehain qui m'est contraire.

Moyses vit en figure Que tu, vierge nete et pure, Jesu le filz Dieu conceüs: Un bysson contre nature Vit qui ardoit sans arsure. C'es tu, n'en suis point deceüs, Dex est li feus qu'en toy eüs; Et tu, buisson des recreüz 140 Es, pour tremper leur ardure. A ce veoir, vierge, veüs Soie par toy et receüs, Oste chaussement d'ordure.

Noble princesse du monde Qui n'as ne per ne seconde En royaume n'en enpire, De toy vient, de toy redonde Tout le bien qui nous abonde, N'avons autre tirelire. 150 En toy tout povre homme espire Et de toy son salu tire, Et en toy seule se fonde. Ne puet nul penser ne dire, Nul pourtraire ne escrire Ta bonté comme est parfonde.

<< O verrey light of eyen that ben blinde, 105 O verrey lust of labour and distresse, O tresorere of bountee to mankinde, Thee whom God chees to moder for humblesse! From his ancille he made thee maistresse Of hevene and erthe, our bille up for to bede. 110 This world awaiteth ever on thy goodnesse, For thou ne failest never wight at nede.

Purpos I have sum tyme for tenquere, Wherfore and why the Holy Gost thee soughte, Whan Gabrielles vois cam to thyn ere. 115 He not to werre us swich a wonder wroughte, But for to save us that he sithen boughte. Than nedeth us no wepen us for to save, But only ther we did not, as us oughte, Do penitence, and mercy axe and have. 120

Queen of comfort, yit whan I me bithinke That I agilt have bothe, him and thee, And that my soule is worthy for to sinke, Allas, I, caitif, whider may I flee?

>> O Lumiere des non voians Et vrai repos des recreans Et de tout bien tresoriere, A toy sont toutez gens beans 160 Qui en la foy sont bien creans Et en toy ont foy entiere; A nul onques ne fus fiere, Ains toy deïs chamberiere Quant en toy vint li grans geans. Or es de Dieu chanceliere Et de graces aumosniere Et confort a tous recreans.

Pris m'est volenté d'enquerre Pour savoir que Diex vint querre 170 Quant en toy se vint enserrer; En toy devint vers de terre; Ne cuit pas que fust pour guerre Ne pour moy jus aterrer. Vierge, se ne me sens errer, D'armes ne me faut point ferrer Fors sans plus de li requerre. Quant pour moy se vint enterrer, Se il ne se veut desterrer Encor puis s'amour acquerre. 180

Quant pourpensé après me sui Qu'ay offendu et toy et lui, Et qu'a mal est m'ame duite, Que, fors pechié, en moi n'estui,

<< Who shal un-to thy sone my mene be? 125 Who, but thy-self, that art of pitee welle? Thou hast more reuthe on our adversitee Than in this world mighte any tunge telle.

Redresse me, moder, and me chastyse, For, certeynly, my fadres chastisinge 130 That dar I nought abyden in no wyse: So hidous is his rightful rekeninge. Moder, of whom our mercy gan to springe, Beth ye my Iuge and eek my soules leche; For ever in you is pitee haboundinge 135 To ech that wol of pitee you biseche.

Soth is, that God ne graunteth no pitee With-oute thee; for God, of his goodnesse, Foryiveth noon, but it lyke un-to thee. He hath thee maked vicaire and maistresse 140

>> Et que mal hyer et pis m'est hui, Tost après si me ranvite, Vierge douce, se pren fuite, Se je fui a la poursuite, Ou fuiray, qu'a mon refui? S'a nul bien je ne m'affruite 190 Et mas sui avant que luite, Plus grief encore en est l'anuy.

Reprens moy, mere, et chastie Quar mon pere n'ose mie Attendre a mon chastiement. Son chastoy si fiert a hie; Rien n'ataint que tout n'esmie Quant il veut prendre vengement. Mere, bien doi tel batement Douter, quar en empirement 200 A tous jours esté ma vie. A toy dont soit le jugement, Car de pitié as l'oingnement, Mès que merci l'en te prie.

Sans toy nul bien ne foysonne Et sans toy Diex riens ne donne, Quar de tout t'a fet maistresse. Quant tu veus trestout pardonne;

<< Of al the world, and eek governeresse Of hevene, and he represseth his Iustyse After thy wille, and therefore in witnesse He hath thee crouned in so ryal wyse.

Temple devout, ther god hath his woninge. 145 Fro which these misbileved pryved been, To you my soule penitent I bringe. Receyve me! I can no ferther fleen! With thornes venimous, O hevene queen, For which the erthe acursed was ful yore, 150 I am so wounded, as ye may wel seen, That I am lost almost;--it smert so sore.

Virgine, that art so noble of apparaile, And ledest us in-to the hye tour Of Paradys, thou me wisse and counsaile, 155 How I may have thy grace and thy socour; Al have I been in filthe and in errour. Lady, un-to that court thou me aiourne That cleped is thy bench, O fresshe flour! Ther-as that mercy ever shal soiourne. 160

>> Et par toy est mise bonne A justice la mairesse; 210 N'est royne ne princesse Pour qui nul ainsi se cesse Et de droit se dessaisonne. Du monde es gouverneresse, Et du ciel ordeneresse; Sans reson n'as pas couronne.

Temple saint ou Dieu habite Dont privé sont li herite Et a tous jours desherité, A toy vieng, de toy me herite, 220 Reçoif moy par ta merite Quar de toy n'ay point hesité. Et se je me sui herité Des espines d'iniquité Pour quoy terre fu maudite, Las m'en clain en verité, Car a ce fait m'a excité L'ame qui n'en est pas quite.

Vierge de noble et haut atour, Qui au chastel et a la tour 230 De paradis nous atournes, Atourne moy ens et entour De tel atour que au retour De ta grace me retournes, Se vil sui, si me raournes. A toy vieng, ne te destournes, Quer au besoing es mon destour. Sequeur moy, point ne sejournes, Ou tu a la court m'ajournes, Ou ta pitié fait son sejour. 240

<< Xristus, thy sone, that in this world alighte, Up-on the cros to suffre his passioun, And eek, that Longius his herte pighte, And made his herte blood to renne adoun; And al was this for my salvacioun; 165 And I to him am fals and eek unkinde, And yit he wol not my dampnacioun-- This thanke I you, socour of al mankinde.

Ysaac was figure of his deeth, certeyn, That so fer-forth his fader wolde obeye 170 That him ne roughte no-thing to be slayn; Right so thy sone list, as a lamb, to deye. Now lady, ful of mercy, I you preye, Sith he his mercy mesured so large, Be ye not skant; for alle we singe and seye 175 That ye ben from vengeaunce ay our targe.

Zacharie you clepeth the open welle To wasshe sinful soule out of his gilt. Therfore this lessoun oughte I wel to telle That, nere thy tender herte, we weren spilt. 180

>> Xristus, ton filz, qui descendi En terre et en la crois pendi, Ot pour moy le costé fendu. Sa grant rigour il destendi Quant pour moy l'esperit rendi, Son corps pendant et estendu; Pour moy son sanc fu espandu. Se ceci j'ai bien entendu A mon salut bien entendi, Et pour ce, se l'ay offendu 250 Et il ne le m'a pas rendu, Merci t'en rens, graces l'en di.

Ysaac le prefigura Qui de sa mort rien ne cura En obeïsant au pere. Comme .j. aignel tout endura; En endurant tout espura Par crueuse mort amere. O très douce vierge mere, Par ce fait fai que se pere 260 Par plour l'ame qui cuer dura; Fai que grace si m'apere; Et n'en soiez pas avere Quar largement la mesura.

Zacharie de mon somme Me exite, et si me somme D'en toy ma merci atendre; Fontaine patent te nomme

<< Now lady brighte, sith thou canst and wilt Ben to the seed of Adam merciable, So bring us to that palais that is bilt To penitents that ben to mercy able. Amen. 184

>> Pour laver pecheür homme: C'est leçon bonne a aprendre. 270 Se tu donc as le cuer tendre Et m'offense n'est pas mendre De cil qui menga la pomme, Moy laver veillez entendre, Moy garder et moy deffendre, Que justice ne m'asomme.

_Explicit carmen._

_The_ MSS. _used to form this text are_: C. = MS. Ff. 5. 30 in the Camb. Univ. Library; Jo. = MS. G. 21, in St. John's College, Cambridge; Gl. = Glasgow MS. Q. 2. 25; L. = MS. Laud 740, in the Bodleian Library; Gg. = MS. Gg. 4. 27 in the Camb. Univ. Library; F. = MS. Fairfax 16, in the Bodleian Library; B = MS. Bodley 638; Sion = Sion Coll. MS. _The text closely follows the first of these; and all variations from it are recorded_ (_except sometimes_ i _for_ y, _and_ y _for_ i).

1. C. Almihty; queene. 3. L. B. sorwe; F. Jo. sorowe; _the rest insert_ of _before_ sorwe. 4. C. Gloriowse. 6. C. releeue; mihti. 8. Jo. Venquist; Gg. Venquyst. _Read_ m'hath. C. cruelle.

10. C. bee. 11. F. B. werne. 12. C. helpe. 14. C. Hauene; refute. 15. C. Loo; theeves sevene; mee. 16. C. briht. 17. C. ladi deere. 18. C. loo. 19. C. ouhten; thi; appeere. 20. C. greevous. 21. C. riht. 22. C. riht þei mihten; susteene. 23. C. wurthi. 24. C. queene. 25. C. Dowte. 26. C. merci heere. 27. C. Gl. Gg. saf; Jo. saff; L. F. saufe; B. sauf. C. thoruh; L. F. þurgh. Gl. F. B. tacorde; C. L. to accorde. 28. C. crystes; mooder deere.

29. C. maneere. 31. C. rihtful; heere. 32. C. thoruh; Jo. L. F. B. thurgh. 33. C. Euere. C. refuit; Gl. refuyt; Gg. refut; _rest_ refute. 35. C. resceyued. 36. C. merci ladi. 37. C. shule. 39. wel _is supplied from the_ Sion MS.; _nearly all the copies give this line corruptly_; _see_ note. 40. C. riht; wole. 41. C. Fleeinge; thi. 42. C. tempeste; dreede. 43. C. Biseeching yow. 44. C. Thouh; neede.

45. C. ben. Jo. wille; C. wil. 46. C. thi. 47. C. Thin; ladi; heede. 49. C. Gloriows; mooder; neuere. 50. C. eerthe. 51. C. euere. 54. C. eerthe. 55. C. bee. 56. C. wole. 57. C. saaf; F. B. sauf; L. saufe; Jo. saffe; Gl. Gg. saf. 58. C. Bicomen; oure. 59. C. wrot. 61. C. criaunce; Gg. cryaunce; _rest_ creaunce. 62. C. ladi briht. 63. C. Thanne.

64, 65: C. oure. 66: C. bowntee. 69: C. Thanne. 73: C. Kalendeeres enlumyned. 74: C. thi. 75: C. yow; rihte. 77: C. sithe. 78: C. seeche. 79: C. vntame; Sion, vntaame (_wrongly_); _rest_ entame.] 80: C. resyne; Gl. B. resigne. 81: C. kan. 82: C. greevous. 84: C. oure.

85. C. hise lystes. 86. C. bouht. 87. C. oure. 88. C. thi; cleere. 89. C. sauh; F. B. saugh. C. flawmes. 93. C. holigost. 94. C. a fyir. 95. C. fyir; Gl. fyr. C. deufende (_sic_). 96. C. eternalli. 97. C. neuere; peere. 98. C. bee. 99. C. mooder deere. 100. C. noon ooþer. 101. C. oure. 102. C. wole. 103. C. yee.

107. C. tresoreere. 108. F. chees; C. ches. C. mooder. 109. C. the. 110. C. eerthe; oure; beede. 111. C. euere; thi. 112. C. neuere; neede. 113. Gg. F. B. tenquere; C. to enquere. 114. C. whi; holi; souhte. 115. C. Sion, vn-to; _rest_ to. 116. C. wunder wrouhte. 117. C. bouhte. 118. C. Thanne needeth; wepene. 119. C. oonly. Jo. F. B. did; C. diden. C. ouhte. 120. C. Doo; merci. 123. C. wurthi.

125. C. thi; bee. 126. C. thi-. 128. C. miht. 129. C. mooder. 130. F. Fadres; B. fadrys; C. faderes; Jo. fader. 131. C. nouht. 132. Gg. F. B. is his; _rest_ it is. C. rihful (_sic_). 133. C. Mooder; merci. 135. C. euere. 136. C. eche; wole; biseeche. 137. C. granteth; F. graunteth. 140. C. vicair; Gg. F. vicaire; Gl. B. Sion, vicayre.

141. C. gou_er_nowresse; Gl. Gg. gouerneresse. 143. C. thi wil. 144. L. crowned; Gg. crou_n_nyd; C. Jo. F. corowned. C. rial. 146. C. misbileeued. Jo. L. pryued; _rest_ depriued. 148. C. Resceyve; ferþere. 149. C. venymous. 150. C. eerthe. 151. C. (_alone_) _om._ so. 156. C. thi (_twice_). 157. Gg. Al; B. C. All. C. ben. 158. C. Ladi. 159. Sion MS. fresshe; Gg. frosche (_sic_); _the rest wrongly omit the final_ e. 160. C. merci; euere.

161. C. X[=p]c (= Gk. [Greek: chrs]). 163. _All the MSS. insert_ suffred _after_ eek, _caught from the line above_; _see_ note. 167. C. wole. 171. C. rouhte. 172. C. Riht soo thi. C. lust; _rest_ list, liste. 173. C. ladi; merci; yow. 174. C. Sithe; merci. 177. C. yow; opene. 179. C. ouht. 180. C. thi.

181. C. ladi. Gg. bry[gh]t; _which the rest omit_. C. Gg. sithe; F. B. sith. Harl. 2251 _supplies_ bothe _after_ thou. 183. Sion MS. _alone supplies_ So; Jo. _supplies_ And. MS. Harl. 2251 _has_ un-to; _rest_ to. 184. Gl. penytentz; C. penitentes; Jo. Penitence (_for_ penitents). C. merci.

* * * * *

II. THE COMPLEYNTE UNTO PITE.

Pite, that I have sought so yore ago, With herte sore, and ful of besy peyne, That in this world was never wight so wo With-oute dethe; and, if I shal not feyne, My purpos was, to Pite to compleyne 5 Upon the crueltee and tirannye Of Love, that for my trouthe doth me dye.

And when that I, by lengthe of certeyn yeres, Had ever in oon a tyme sought to speke, To Pite ran I, al bespreynt with teres, 10 To preyen hir on Crueltee me awreke. But, er I might with any worde out-breke, Or tellen any of my peynes smerte, I fond hir deed, and buried in an herte.

Adoun I fel, when that I saugh the herse, 15 Deed as a stoon, whyl that the swogh me laste; But up I roos, with colour ful diverse, And pitously on hir myn yën caste, And ner the corps I gan to presen faste, And for the soule I shoop me for to preye; 20 I nas but lorn; ther nas no more to seye.

Thus am I slayn, sith that Pite is deed; Allas! that day! that ever hit shulde falle! What maner man dar now holde up his heed? To whom shal any sorwful herte calle? 25 Now Crueltee hath cast to sleen us alle, In ydel hope, folk redelees of peyne-- Sith she is deed--to whom shul we compleyne?

But yet encreseth me this wonder newe, That no wight woot that she is deed, but I; 30 So many men as in hir tyme hir knewe, And yet she dyed not so sodeynly; For I have sought hir ever ful besily Sith first I hadde wit or mannes mynde; But she was deed, er that I coude hir fynde. 35

Aboute hir herse ther stoden lustily, Withouten any wo, as thoughte me, Bountee parfit, wel armed and richely, And fresshe Beautee, Lust, and Iolitee, Assured Maner, Youthe, and Honestee, 40 Wisdom, Estaat, [and] Dreed, and Governaunce, Confedred bothe by bonde and alliaunce.

A compleynt hadde I, writen, in myn hond, For to have put to Pite as a bille, But whan I al this companye ther fond, 45 That rather wolden al my cause spille Than do me help, I held my pleynte stille; For to that folk, withouten any faile, Withoute Pite may no bille availe.

Then leve I al thise virtues, sauf Pite, 50 Keping the corps, as ye have herd me seyn, Confedred alle by bonde of Crueltee, And been assented that I shal be sleyn. And I have put my compleynt up ageyn; For to my foos my bille I dar not shewe, 55 Theffect of which seith thus, in wordes fewe:--

_The Bille._

¶ 'Humblest of herte, hyest of reverence, Benigne flour, coroune of vertues alle, Sheweth unto your rial excellence Your servaunt, if I durste me so calle, 60 His mortal harm, in which he is y-falle, And noght al only for his evel fare, But for your renoun, as he shal declare.

Hit stondeth thus: your contraire, Crueltee, Allyed is ageynst your regalye 65 Under colour of womanly Beautee, For men [ne] shuld not knowe hir tirannye, With Bountee, Gentilesse, and Curtesye, And hath depryved you now of your place That hight "Beautee, apertenant to Grace." 70

For kyndly, by your heritage right, Ye been annexed ever unto Bountee; And verrayly ye oughte do your might To helpe Trouthe in his adversitee. Ye been also the coroune of Beautee; 75 And certes, if ye wanten in thise tweyne, The world is lore; ther nis no more to seyne.

¶ 'Eek what availeth Maner and Gentilesse Withoute you, benigne creature? Shal Crueltee be your governeresse? 80 Allas! what herte may hit longe endure? Wherfor, but ye the rather take cure To breke that perilous alliaunce, Ye sleen hem that ben in your obeisaunce.

'And further over, if ye suffre this, 85 Your renoun is fordo than in a throwe; Ther shal no man wite wel what Pite is. Allas! that your renoun shuld be so lowe! Ye be than fro your heritage y-throwe By Crueltee, that occupieth your place; 90 And we despeired, that seken to your grace.

Have mercy on me, thou Herenus quene, That you have sought so tenderly and yore; Let som streem of your light on me be sene That love and drede you, ay lenger the more. 95 For, sothly for to seyne, I bere the sore, And, though I be not cunning for to pleyne, For goddes love, have mercy on my peyne!

¶ 'My peyne is this, that what so I desire That have I not, ne no-thing lyk therto; 100 And ever set Desire myn herte on fire; Eek on that other syde, wher-so I go, What maner thing that may encrese wo That have I redy, unsoght, everywhere; Me [ne] lakketh but my deth, and than my bere. 105

What nedeth to shewe parcel of my peyne? Sith every wo that herte may bethinke I suffre, and yet I dar not to you pleyne; For wel I woot, al-though I wake or winke, Ye rekke not whether I flete or sinke. 110 But natheles, my trouthe I shal sustene Unto my deth, and that shal wel be sene.

This is to seyne, I wol be youres ever; Though ye me slee by Crueltee, your fo, Algate my spirit shal never dissever 115 Fro your servyse, for any peyne or wo. Sith ye be deed--allas! that hit is so!-- Thus for your deth I may wel wepe and pleyne With herte sore and ful of besy peyne.' 119

_Here endeth the exclamacion of the Deth of Pyte._

_The_ MSS. _are_: Tn. (Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); Sh. (Shirley's MS., Harl. 78); Ff. (Ff. 1. 6, in Camb. Univ. Library); T., _here used for_ Trin. (Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19); _also_ Ha. (Harl. 7578). _I follow_ F. _mainly, noting all variations of importance._

TITLE; _in_ B. 1. F. agoo. 2. F. hert. 3. F. worlde; woo. 5. F. purpose. 8. F. be; B. Sh. T. by. F. certeyne. 9. Sh. Ha. a tyme sought; _rest_ sought a tyme (_badly_). 10. F. bespreynte. 11. F. prayen. Sh. Ha. wreke; _rest_ awreke. 14. F. fonde; dede. 15. F. Adovne. Ha. _alone supplies_ that. 16. F. Dede; stone; while. T. (_and_ Longleat) a; _rest om._ 17. F. roose; coloure. 18. F. petously; B. pitously. B. yen; F. eyen; _after which all but_ Sh. _and_ Ha. _insert_ I. 19. Sh. Ha. to; _which the rest omit_. 20. Sh. shoope; _rest_ shope. F. prey; Sh. preye. 21. _For_ nas, _the_ MSS. _wrongly have_ was; _in both places_. F. lorne; sey.

22. F. slayne; dede. 23. Tn. shulde; F. shuld. 24. F. hold; hede. 25. _All but_ Sh. _and_ Ha. _ins._ now _bef._ any. F. eny. 26. F. caste. Sh. Ha. sleen; F. slee. 27. F. folke redelesse. 30. F. dede. 31. F. mony. 32. F. B. _omit_ she; _the rest have it_. _Only_ Sh. _and_ T. _retain_ so. 33. F. besely. _For_ ever, Ten Brink _reads_ ay. 34. _Only_ Sh. _gives this line correctly; so_ Ha. (_but with_ any _for_ mannes). F. Sith I hadde firste witte or mynde. 35. F. dede. Sh. Ha. that; _rest omit_. 36. F. there; lustely. 38. F. Bounte. 39. F. beaute; iolyte. 40. F. honeste. 41. F. Wisdome. F. B. estaat; _rest_ estate; Ten Brink _rightly supplies_ and _after_ Estat (_sic_). F. drede. 43. Ha. hadde; Sh. hade; _rest_ had. F. honde. 44. Sh. Ha. For; _rest omit_. F. pittee. 45. F. when. F. fonde. 46. Sh. wolden; F. wolde. 47. F. helpe; helde. Sh. Ha. compleynt; T. cause; _rest_ pleynte _or_ pleynt.

48. F. folke. F. withoute; B. without; Ha. withouten. 49. F. pitee. Ha. may; Sh. ne may; _rest_ ther may. 50. Sh. Ha. þanne leve I alle þees vertues sauf pitee; F.B. Then leve we al vertues save oonly pite; Tn. Ff. T. Then leueall vertues save onely pite. 51. F. Kepynge; herde. 52. F. Cofedered (_sic_). Sh. alle by bonde of (Ha. _om._ alle); F. Tn. B. Ff. by bonde and by; T. by bound and. 53. Sh. that; _rest_ when. 54. F. complaynt. 55. F. Foes; Tn. foos. 57. F. highest. 59. F. youre rialle. 60. F. Youre; durst. 61. Sh. whiche he is Inne falle; _rest_ in which he is falle: Thynne _has_ yfal; _read_ y-falle. 62. F. oonly. 64. _The_ MSS. _insert_ that _after_ thus, _except_ Sh. _and_ Ha. Sh. contraire; _rest_ contrary. 65. Sh. ageynst; F. ayenst. 66. F. beaute. 67. _The_ MSS. _omit_ ne. F. shulde. 68. F. bounte. 69. Sh. nowe; _which the rest omit_. 70. Sh. heghte (_for_ highte); Ha. hight; Tn. is hye; F. B. T. is hygh. F. beaute apertenent. _The_ MSS. (_except_ Sh. _and_ Ha.) _insert_ your _after_ to.

71. F. kyndely; youre. 72. _Most_ MSS. be; Ha. been; _read_ been (_and in_ l. 75). 73. F. verrely; youre. 75. F. beaute. 76. Tn. Ff. Ha. wante; _rest_ want; _read_ wanten. F. these tweyn. 77. F. worlde. _For_ nis, _all have_ is. F. seyn. 78. F. Eke. 79. F. yow. 82. F. Wherfore. 86. F. fordoo. Sh. than; _rest omit_. 87. F. wete well; _rest omit_ well; Tn. wyte. 88. F. Tn. B. Ff. T. _insert_ euer _after_ that, _which_ Sh. _rightly omits_. Sh. Ha. shoulde be; _rest_ is falle. 89. Sh. thanne; _rest_ also. F. youre. 90. F. youre. 91. Sh. sechen to; B. sekyn to; Tn. Ff. T. seken; F. speken to (_for_ seken to). 92. Tn. F. B. Ff. herenus; T. herem_us_; Sh. vertuouse (!). 93. F. yow; tendirly. 94. B. som; F. som_m_e. F. streme. Sh. Ha. youre; _which the rest omit_. 95. Sh. ay; _rest_ euer. Sh. Ha. _om._ the. 96. F. sothely. Sh. the hevy sore; Ha. the sore; _rest_ so sore (_which gives no sense_).

97. F. kunnynge. 98. F. goddis. 100. F. lyke. 101. F. Sh. setteth; Ha. set; _rest_ settith; _see_ note. F. hert. 102. F. Eke. F. sydes; _rest_ side, syde. F. where so; goo. 103. Sh. Ha. we; _rest insert_ my _before_ wo. 104. F. vnsoghte. 105. _All omit_ ne; _see_ note. 107. F. woo. 109. F. wote. Sh. al-þaughe; _rest_ though, thogh. 110. F. B. where; _rest_ whether. 111. _All but_ Sh. _and_ Ha. _needlessly insert_ yet _before_ my. 114. F. soo; _rest_ foo, fo. 115. F. spirite. 116. F. youre; eny. 117. B. yet (_sic_) be ded; F. Tn. Ff. T. ye be yet ded (_which will not scan_); Sh. Ha. _have a diferent line_--Now pitee þat I haue sought so yoore agoo.

* * * * *

III. THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESSE.

_The Proem._

I have gret wonder, by this lighte, How that I live, for day ne nighte I may nat slepe wel nigh noght; I have so many an ydel thoght Purely for defaute of slepe, 5 That, by my trouthe, I take kepe Of no-thing, how hit cometh or goth, Ne me nis no-thing leef nor loth. Al is y-liche good to me-- Ioye or sorowe, wherso hit be-- 10 For I have feling in no-thing, But, as it were, a mased thing, Alway in point to falle a-doun; For [sory] imaginacioun Is alway hoolly in my minde. 15 And wel ye wite, agaynes kinde Hit were to liven in this wyse; For nature wolde nat suffyse To noon erthely creature Not longe tyme to endure 20 Withoute slepe, and been in sorwe; And I ne may, ne night ne morwe, Slepe; and thus melancolye, And dreed I have for to dye, Defaute of slepe, and hevinesse 25 Hath sleyn my spirit of quiknesse, That I have lost al lustihede. Suche fantasyes ben in myn hede So I not what is best to do. But men mighte axe me, why so 30 I may not slepe, and what me is? But natheles, who aske this Leseth his asking trewely. My-selven can not telle why The sooth; but trewely, as I gesse, 35 I holdë hit be a siknesse That I have suffred this eight yere, And yet my bote is never the nere; For ther is phisicien but oon, That may me hele; but that is doon. 40 Passe we over until eft; That wil not be, moot nede be left; Our first matere is good to kepe. So whan I saw I might not slepe, Til now late, this other night, 45 Upon my bedde I sat upright, And bad oon reche me a book, A romaunce, and he hit me took To rede and dryve the night away; For me thoghte it better play 50 Then playen either at chesse or tables. And in this boke were writen fables That clerkes hadde, in olde tyme, And other poets, put in ryme To rede, and for to be in minde 55 Whyl men loved the lawe of kinde. This book ne spak but of such thinges, Of quenes lyves, and of kinges, And many othere thinges smale. Amonge al this I fond a tale 60 That me thoughte a wonder thing. This was the tale: Ther was a king That highte Seys, and hadde a wyf, The beste that mighte bere lyf; And this quene highte Alcyone. 65 So hit befel, therafter sone, This king wolde wenden over see. To tellen shortly, whan that he Was in the see, thus in this wyse, Soche a tempest gan to ryse 70 That brak hir mast, and made it falle, And clefte hir ship, and dreinte hem alle, That never was founden, as it telles, Bord ne man, ne nothing elles. Right thus this king Seys loste his lyf. 75 Now for to speken of his wyf:-- This lady, that was left at home, Hath wonder, that the king ne come Hoom, for hit was a longe terme. Anon her herte gan to erme; 80 And for that hir thoughte evermo Hit was not wel [he dwelte] so, She longed so after the king That certes, hit were a pitous thing To telle hir hertely sorwful lyf 85 That hadde, alas! this noble wyf; For him she loved alderbest. Anon she sente bothe eest and west To seke him, but they founde nought. 'Alas!' quoth she, 'that I was wrought! 90 And wher my lord, my love, be deed? Certes, I nil never ete breed, I make a-vowe to my god here, But I mowe of my lorde here!' Such sorwe this lady to her took 95 That trewely I, which made this book, Had swich pite and swich rowthe To rede hir sorwe, that, by my trowthe, I ferde the worse al the morwe After, to thenken on her sorwe. 100 So whan [she] coude here no word That no man mighte fynde hir lord, Ful oft she swouned, and seide 'alas!' For sorwe ful nigh wood she was, Ne she coude no reed but oon; 105 But doun on knees she sat anoon, And weep, that pite was to here. 'A! mercy! swete lady dere!' Quod she to Iuno, hir goddesse; 'Help me out of this distresse, 110 And yeve me grace my lord to see Sone, or wite wher-so he be, Or how he fareth, or in what wyse, And I shal make you sacrifyse, And hoolly youres become I shal 115 With good wil, body, herte, and al; And but thou wilt this, lady swete, Send me grace to slepe, and mete In my slepe som certeyn sweven, Wher-through that I may knowen even 120 Whether my lord be quik or deed.' With that word she heng doun the heed, And fil a-swown as cold as ston; Hir women caughte her up anon, And broghten hir in bed al naked, 125 And she, forweped and forwaked, Was wery, and thus the dede sleep Fil on her, or she toke keep, Through Iuno, that had herd hir bone, That made hir [for] to slepe sone; 130 For as she prayde, so was don, In dede; for Iuno, right anon, Called thus her messagere To do her erande, and he com nere. Whan he was come, she bad him thus: 135 Go bet,' quod Iuno, 'to Morpheus, Thou knowest him wel, the god of sleep; Now understond wel, and tak keep. Sey thus on my halfe, that he Go faste into the grete see, 140 And bid him that, on alle thing, He take up Seys body the king, That lyth ful pale and no-thing rody. Bid him crepe into the body, Aud do it goon to Alcyone 145 The quene, ther she lyth alone, And shewe hir shortly, hit is no nay, How hit was dreynt this other day; And do the body speke so Right as hit was wont to do, 150 The whyles that hit was on lyve. Go now faste, and hy thee blyve!' This messager took leve and wente Upon his wey, and never ne stente Til he com to the derke valeye 155 That stant bytwene roches tweye Ther never yet grew corn ne gras, Ne tree, ne nothing that ought was, Beste, ne man, ne nothing elles, Save ther were a fewe welles 160 Came renning fro the cliffes adoun, That made a deedly sleping soun, And ronnen doun right by a cave That was under a rokke y-grave Amid the valey, wonder depe. 165 Ther thise goddes laye and slepe, Morpheus, and Eclympasteyre, That was the god of slepes heyre, That slepe and did non other werk. This cave was also as derk 170 As helle pit over-al aboute; They had good leyser for to route To envye, who might slepe beste; Some henge hir chin upon hir breste And slepe upright, hir heed y-hed, 175 And some laye naked in hir bed, And slepe whyles the dayes laste. This messager com flying faste, And cryed, 'O ho! awak anon!' Hit was for noght; ther herde him non. 180 Awak!' quod he, 'who is, lyth there?' And blew his horn right in hir ere, And cryed 'awaketh!' wonder hyë. This god of slepe, with his oon yë Cast up, axed, 'who clepeth there?' 185 Hit am I,' quod this messagere; Iuno bad thou shuldest goon'-- And tolde him what he shulde doon As I have told yow here-tofore; Hit is no need reherse hit more; 190 And wente his wey, whan he had sayd. Anon this god of slepe a-brayd Out of his slepe, and gan to goon, And did as he had bede him doon; Took up the dreynte body sone, 195 And bar hit forth to Alcyone, His wyf the quene, ther-as she lay, Right even a quarter before day, And stood right at hir beddes fete, And called hir, right as she hete, 200 By name, and seyde, 'my swete wyf, Awak! let be your sorwful lyf! For in your sorwe ther lyth no reed; For certes, swete, I nam but deed; Ye shul me never on lyve y-see. 205 But good swete herte, [look] that ye Bury my body, [at whiche] a tyde Ye mowe hit finde the see besyde; And far-wel, swete, my worldes blisse! I praye god your sorwe lisse; 210 To litel whyl our blisse lasteth!' With that hir eyen up she casteth, And saw noght; '[A]!' quod she, 'for sorwe!' And deyed within the thridde morwe. But what she sayde more in that swow 215 I may not telle yow as now, Hit were to longe for to dwelle; My first matere I wil yow telle, Wherfor I have told this thing Of Alcione and Seys the king. 220 For thus moche dar I saye wel, I had be dolven everydel, And deed, right through defaute of sleep, If I nad red and taken keep Of this tale next before: 225 And I wol telle yow wherfore; For I ne might, for bote ne bale, Slepe, or I had red this tale Of this dreynte Seys the king, And of the goddes of sleping. 230 Whan I had red this tale wel, And over-loked hit everydel, Me thoughte wonder if hit were so; For I had never herd speke, or tho, Of no goddes that coude make 235 Men [for] to slepe, ne for to wake; For I ne knew never god but oon. And in my game I sayde anoon-- And yet me list right evel to pleye-- 'Rather then that I shulde deye 240 Through defaute of sleping thus, I wolde yive thilke Morpheus, Or his goddesse, dame Iuno, Or som wight elles, I ne roghte who-- To make me slepe and have som reste-- 245 I wil yive him the alder-beste Yift that ever he abood his lyve, And here on warde, right now, as blyve; If he wol make me slepe a lyte, Of downe of pure dowves whyte 250 I wil yive him a fether-bed, Rayed with golde, and right wel cled In fyn blak satin doutremere, And many a pilow, and every bere Of clothe of Reynes, to slepe softe; 255 Him thar not nede to turnen ofte. And I wol yive him al that falles To a chambre; and al his halles I wol do peynte with pure golde, And tapite hem ful many folde 260 Of oo sute; this shal he have, If I wiste wher were his cave, If he can make me slepe sone, As did the goddesse Alcione. And thus this ilke god, Morpheus, 265 May winne of me mo feës thus Than ever he wan; and to Iuno, That is his goddesse, I shal so do, I trow that she shal holde her payd.' I hadde unneth that word y-sayd 270 Right thus as I have told hit yow, That sodeynly, I niste how, Swich a lust anoon me took To slepe, that right upon my book I fil aslepe, and therwith even 275 Me mette so inly swete a sweven, So wonderful, that never yit I trowe no man hadde the wit To conne wel my sweven rede; No, not Ioseph, withoute drede, 280 Of Egipte, he that redde so The kinges meting Pharao, No more than coude the leste of us; Ne nat scarsly Macrobeus, (He that wroot al thavisioun 285 That he mette, king Scipioun, The noble man, the Affrican-- Swiche mervayles fortuned than) I trowe, a-rede my dremes even. Lo, thus hit was, this was my sweven. 290

_The Dream._

Me thoughte thus:--that hit was May, And in the dawning ther I lay, Me mette thus, in my bed al naked:-- [I] loked forth, for I was waked With smale foules a gret hepe, 295 That had affrayed me out of slepe Through noyse and swetnesse of hir song; And, as me mette, they sate among, Upon my chambre-roof withoute, Upon the tyles, al a-boute, 300 And songen, everich in his wyse, The moste solempne servyse By note, that ever man, I trowe, Had herd; for som of hem song lowe, Som hye, and al of oon acorde. 305 To telle shortly, at oo worde, Was never y-herd so swete a steven, But hit had be a thing of heven;-- So mery a soun, so swete entunes, That certes, for the toune of Tewnes, 310 I nolde but I had herd hem singe, For al my chambre gan to ringe Through singing of hir armonye. For instrument nor melodye Was nowher herd yet half so swete, 315 Nor of acorde half so mete; For ther was noon of hem that feyned To singe, for ech of hem him peyned To finde out mery crafty notes; They ne spared not hir throtes. 320 And, sooth to seyn, my chambre was Ful wel depeynted, and with glas Were al the windowes wel y-glased, Ful clere, and nat an hole y-crased, That to beholde hit was gret Ioye. 325 For hoolly al the storie of Troye Was in the glasing y-wroght thus, Of Ector and king Priamus, Of Achilles and Lamedon, Of Medea and of Iason, 330 Of Paris, Eleyne, and Lavyne. And alle the walles with colours fyne Were peynted, bothe text and glose, [Of] al the Romaunce of the Rose. My windowes weren shet echon, 335 And through the glas the sunne shon Upon my bed with brighte bemes, With many glade gilden stremes; And eek the welken was so fair, Blew, bright, clere was the air, 340 And ful atempre, for sothe, hit was; For nother cold nor hoot hit nas, Ne in al the welken was a cloude. And as I lay thus, wonder loude Me thoughte I herde an hunte blowe 345 Tassaye his horn, and for to knowe Whether hit were clere or hors of soune. I herde goinge, up and doune, Men, hors, houndes, and other thing; And al men speken of hunting, 350 How they wolde slee the hert with strengthe, And how the hert had, upon lengthe, So moche embosed, I not now what. Anon-right, whan I herde that, How that they wolde on hunting goon, 355 I was right glad, and up anoon; [I] took my hors, and forth I wente Out of my chambre; I never stente Til I com to the feld withoute. Ther overtook I a gret route 360 Of huntes and eek of foresteres, With many relayes and lymeres, And hyed hem to the forest faste, And I with hem;--so at the laste I asked oon, ladde a lymere:-- 365 Say, felow, who shal hunten here Quod I; and he answerde ageyn, Sir, themperour Octovien,' Quod he, 'and is heer faste by.' 'A goddes halfe, in good tyme,' quod I, 370 Go we faste!' and gan to ryde. Whan we came to the forest-syde, Every man dide, right anoon, As to hunting fil to doon. The mayster-hunte anoon, fot-hoot, 375 With a gret horne blew three moot At the uncoupling of his houndes. Within a whyl the hert [y]-founde is, Y-halowed, and rechased faste Longe tyme; and at the laste, 380 This hert rused and stal away Fro alle the houndes a prevy way. The houndes had overshote hem alle, And were on a defaute y-falle; Therwith the hunte wonder faste 385 Blew a forloyn at the laste. I was go walked fro my tree, And as I wente, ther cam by me A whelp, that fauned me as I stood, That hadde y-folowed, and coude no good. 390 Hit com and creep to me as lowe, Right as hit hadde me y-knowe, Hild doun his heed and Ioyned his eres, And leyde al smothe doun his heres. I wolde han caught hit, and anoon 395 Hit fledde, and was fro me goon; And I him folwed, and hit forth wente Doun by a floury grene wente Ful thikke of gras, ful softe and swete, With floures fele, faire under fete, 400 And litel used, hit seemed thus; For bothe Flora and Zephirus, They two that make floures growe, Had mad hir dwelling ther, I trowe; For hit was, on to beholde, 405 As thogh the erthe envye wolde To be gayer than the heven, To have mo floures, swiche seven As in the welken sterres be. Hit had forgete the povertee 410 That winter, through his colde morwes, Had mad hit suffren, and his sorwes; Al was forgeten, and that was sene. For al the wode was waxen grene, Swetnesse of dewe had mad it waxe. 415 Hit is no need eek for to axe Wher ther were many grene greves, Or thikke of trees, so ful of leves; And every tree stood by him-selve Fro other wel ten foot or twelve. 420 So grete trees, so huge of strengthe, Of fourty or fifty fadme lengthe, Clene withoute bough or stikke, With croppes brode, and eek as thikke-- They were nat an inche a-sonder-- 425 That hit was shadwe over-al under; And many an hert and many an hinde Was both before me and bihinde. Of founes, soures, bukkes, doës Was ful the wode, and many roës, 430 And many squirelles, that sete Ful hye upon the trees, and ete, And in hir maner made festes. Shortly, hit was so ful of bestes, That thogh Argus, the noble countour, 435 Sete to rekene in his countour, And rekened with his figures ten-- For by tho figures mowe al ken, If they be crafty, rekene and noumbre, And telle of every thing the noumbre-- 440 Yet shulde he fayle to rekene even The wondres, me mette in my sweven. But forth they romed wonder faste Doun the wode; so at the laste I was war of a man in blak, 445 That sat and had y-turned his bak To an oke, an huge tree. Lord,' thoghte I, 'who may that be? What ayleth him to sitten here?' Anoon-right I wente nere; 450 Than fond I sitte even upright A wonder wel-faringe knight-- By the maner me thoughte so-- Of good mochel, and yong therto, Of the age of four and twenty yeer. 455 Upon his berde but litel heer, And he was clothed al in blakke. I stalked even unto his bakke, And ther I stood as stille as ought, That, sooth to saye, he saw me nought, 460 For-why he heng his heed adoune. And with a deedly sorwful soune He made of ryme ten vers or twelve, Of a compleynt to him-selve, The moste pite, the moste rowthe, 465 That ever I herde; for, by my trowthe, Hit was gret wonder that nature Might suffren any creature To have swich sorwe, and be not deed. Ful pitous, pale, and nothing reed, 470 He sayde a lay, a maner song, Withoute note, withoute song, And hit was this; for wel I can Reherse hit; right thus hit began.-- ¶ 'I have of sorwe so gret woon, 475 That Ioye gete I never noon, Now that I see my lady bright, Which I have loved with al my might, Is fro me deed, and is a-goon. 479 ¶ Allas, [o] deeth! what ayleth thee, 481 That thou noldest have taken me, Whan that thou toke my lady swete? That was so fayr, so fresh, so free, So good, that men may wel [y]-see 485 Of al goodnesse she had no mete!'-- Whan he had mad thus his complaynte, His sorowful herte gan faste faynte, And his spirites wexen dede; The blood was fled, for pure drede, 490 Doun to his herte, to make him warm-- For wel hit feled the herte had harm-- To wite eek why hit was a-drad By kinde, and for to make hit glad; For hit is membre principal 495 Of the body; and that made al His hewe chaunge and wexe grene And pale, for no blood [was] sene In no maner lime of his. Anoon therwith whan I saw this, 500 He ferde thus evel ther he sete, I wente and stood right at his fete, And grette him, but he spak noght, But argued with his owne thoght, And in his witte disputed faste 505 Why and how his lyf might laste; Him thoughte his sorwes were so smerte And lay so colde upon his herte; So, through his sorwe and hevy thoght, Made him that he ne herde me noght; 510 For he had wel nigh lost his minde, Thogh Pan, that men clepe god of kinde, Were for his sorwes never so wrooth. But at the laste, to sayn right sooth, He was war of me, how I stood 515 Before him, and dide of myn hood, And [grette] him, as I best coude. Debonairly, and no-thing loude, He sayde, 'I prey thee, be not wrooth, I herde thee not, to sayn the sooth, 520 Ne I saw thee not, sir, trewely.' 'A! goode sir, no fors,' quod I, I am right sory if I have ought Destroubled yow out of your thought; For-yive me if I have mis-take.' 525 'Yis, thamendes is light to make,' Quod he, 'for ther lyth noon ther-to; Ther is no-thing missayd nor do.' Lo! how goodly spak this knight, As it had been another wight; 530 He made it nouther tough ne queynte And I saw that, and gan me aqueynte With him, and fond him so tretable, Right wonder skilful and resonable, As me thoghte, for al his bale. 535 Anoon-right I gan finde a tale To him, to loke wher I might ought Have more knowing of his thought. 'Sir,' quod I, 'this game is doon; I holde that this hert be goon; 540 Thise huntes conne him nowher see.' 'I do no fors therof,' quod he, My thought is ther-on never a del.' 'By our lord,' quod I, 'I trow yow wel, Right so me thinketh by your chere. 545 But, sir, oo thing wol ye here? Me thinketh, in gret sorwe I yow see; But certes, [good] sir, yif that ye Wolde ought discure me your wo, I wolde, as wis god helpe me so, 550 Amende hit, yif I can or may; Ye mowe preve hit by assay. For, by my trouthe, to make yow hool, I wol do al my power hool; And telleth me of your sorwes smerte, 555 Paraventure hit may ese your herte, That semeth ful seke under your syde.' With that he loked on me asyde, As who sayth, 'nay, that wol not be.' 'Graunt mercy, goode frend,' quod he, 560 I thanke thee that thou woldest so, But hit may never the rather be do. No man may my sorwe glade, That maketh my hewe to falle and fade, And hath myn understonding lorn, 565 That me is wo that I was born! May noght make my sorwes slyde, Nought the remedies of Ovyde; Ne Orpheus, god of melodye, Ne Dedalus, with playes slye; 570 Ne hele me may phisicien, Noght Ypocras, ne Galien; Me is wo that I live houres twelve; But who so wol assaye him-selve Whether his herte can have pite 575 Of any sorwe, lat him see me. I wrecche, that deeth hath mad al naked Of alle blisse that was ever maked, Y-worthe worste of alle wightes, That hate my dayes and my nightes; 580 My lyf, my lustes be me lothe, For al welfare and I be wrothe. The pure deeth is so my fo, [Thogh] I wolde deye, hit wolde not so; For whan I folwe hit, hit wol flee; 585 I wolde have [hit], hit nil not me. This is my peyne withoute reed, Alway deying, and be not deed, That Sesiphus, that lyth in helle, May not of more sorwe telle. 590 And who so wiste al, by my trouthe, My sorwe, but he hadde routhe And pite of my sorwes smerte, That man hath a feendly herte. For who so seeth me first on morwe 595 May seyn, he hath [y]-met with sorwe; For I am sorwe and sorwe is I. 'Allas! and I wol telle the why; My [song] is turned to pleyning, And al my laughter to weping, 600 My glade thoghtes to hevinesse, In travaile is myn ydelnesse And eek my reste; my wele is wo. My good is harm, and ever-mo In wrathe is turned my pleying, 605 And my delyt in-to sorwing. Myn hele is turned into seeknesse, In drede is al my sikernesse. To derke is turned al my light, My wit is foly, my day is night, 610 My love is hate, my sleep waking, My mirthe and meles is fasting, My countenaunce is nycete, And al abaved wher-so I be, My pees, in pleding and in werre; 615 Allas! how mighte I fare werre? 'My boldnesse is turned to shame, For fals Fortune hath pleyd a game Atte ches with me, allas! the whyle! The trayteresse fals and ful of gyle, 620 That al behoteth and no-thing halt, She goth upryght and yet she halt, That baggeth foule and loketh faire, The dispitousë debonaire, That scorneth many a creature! 625 An ydole of fals portraiture Is she, for she wil sone wryen; She is the monstres heed y-wryen, As filth over y-strawed with floures; Hir moste worship and hir [flour is] 630 To lyen, for that is hir nature; Withoute feyth, lawe, or mesure She is fals; and ever laughinge With oon eye, and that other wepinge. That is broght up, she set al doun. 635 I lykne hir to the scorpioun, That is a fals flatering beste; For with his hede he maketh feste, But al amid his flateringe With his tayle he wol stinge, 640 And envenyme; and so wol she. She is thenvyous charite That is ay fals, and semeth wele, So turneth she hir false whele Aboute, for it is no-thing stable, 645 Now by the fyre, now at table; Ful many oon hath she thus y-blent. She is pley of enchauntement, That semeth oon and is nat so, The false theef! what hath she do, 650 Trowest thou? by our lord, I wol thee seye. Atte ches with me she gan to pleye; With hir false draughtes divers She stal on me, and took my fers. And whan I saw my fers aweye, 655 Alas! I couthe no lenger pleye, But seyde, "farwel, swete, y-wis, And farwel al that ever ther is!" Therwith Fortune seyde "chek here!" And "mate!" in mid pointe of the chekkere 660 With a poune erraunt, allas! Ful craftier to pley she was Than Athalus, that made the game First of the ches: so was his name. But god wolde I had ones or twyes 665 Y-koud and knowe the Ieupardyes That coude the Grek Pithagores! I shulde have pleyd the bet at ches, And kept my fers the bet therby; And thogh wherto? for trewely 670 I hold that wish nat worth a stree! Hit had be never the bet for me. For Fortune can so many a wyle, Ther be but fewe can hir begyle, And eek she is the las to blame; 675 My-self I wolde have do the same, Before god, hadde I been as she; She oghte the more excused be. For this I say yet more therto, Hadde I be god and mighte have do 680 My wille, whan my fers she caughte, I wolde have drawe the same draughte. For, also wis god yive me reste, I dar wel swere she took the beste! 'But through that draughte I have lorn 685 My blisse; allas! that I was born! For evermore, I trowe trewly, For al my wil, my lust hoolly Is turned; but yet, what to done? By our lord, hit is to deye sone; 690 For no-thing I [ne] leve it noght, But live and deye right in this thoght. Ther nis planete in firmament, Ne in air, ne in erthe, noon element, That they ne yive me a yift echoon 695 Of weping, whan I am aloon. For whan that I avyse me wel, And bethenke me every-del, How that ther lyth in rekening, In my sorwe, for no-thing; 700 And how ther leveth no gladnesse May gladde me of my distresse, And how I have lost suffisance, And therto I have no plesance, Than may I say, I have right noght. 705 And whan al this falleth in my thoght, Allas! than am I overcome! For that is doon is not to come! I have more sorowe than Tantale.' And whan I herde him telle this tale 710 Thus pitously, as I yow telle, Unnethe mighte I lenger dwelle, Hit dide myn herte so moche wo. 'A! good sir!' quod I, 'say not so! Have som pite on your nature 715 That formed yow to creature, Remembre yow of Socrates; For he ne counted nat three strees Of noght that Fortune coude do.' 'No,' quod he, 'I can not so.' 720 'Why so? good sir! parde!' quod I; Ne say noght so, for trewely, Thogh ye had lost the ferses twelve, And ye for sorwe mordred your-selve, Ye sholde be dampned in this cas 725 By as good right as Medea was, That slow hir children for Iason; And Phyllis als for Demophon Heng hir-self, so weylaway! For he had broke his terme-day 730 To come to hir. Another rage Had Dydo, quene eek of Cartage, That slow hir-self, for Eneas Was fals; [a!] whiche a fool she was! And Ecquo dyed for Narcisus 735 Nolde nat love hir; and right thus Hath many another foly don. And for Dalida dyed Sampson, That slow him-self with a pilere. But ther is [noon] a-lyve here 740 Wolde for a fers make this wo!' 'Why so?' quod he; 'hit is nat so; Thou wost ful litel what thou menest; I have lost more than thou wenest.' 'Lo, [sir,] how may that be?' quod I; 745 Good sir, tel me al hoolly In what wyse, how, why, and wherfore That ye have thus your blisse lore.' 'Blythly,' quod he, 'com sit adoun; I telle thee up condicioun 750 That thou hoolly, with al thy wit, Do thyn entent to herkene hit.' Yis, sir.' 'Swere thy trouthe ther-to.' Gladly.' 'Do than holde her-to!' 'I shal right blythly, so god me save, 755 Hoolly, with al the witte I have, Here yow, as wel as I can.' 'A goddes half!' quod he, and began:-- Sir,' quod he, 'sith first I couthe Have any maner wit fro youthe, 760 Or kyndely understonding To comprehende, in any thing, What love was, in myn owne wit, Dredeles, I have ever yit Be tributary, and yiven rente 765 To love hoolly with goode entente, And through plesaunce become his thral, With good wil, body, herte, and al. Al this I putte in his servage, As to my lorde, and dide homage; 770 And ful devoutly prayde him to, He shulde besette myn herte so, That it plesaunce to him were, And worship to my lady dere. 'And this was longe, and many a yeer 775 Or that myn herte was set o-wher, That I did thus, and niste why; I trowe hit cam me kindely. Paraunter I was therto most able As a whyt wal or a table; 780 For hit is redy to cacche and take Al that men wil therin make, Wher-so men wol portreye or peynte, Be the werkes never so queynte. 'And thilke tyme I ferde so 785 I was able to have lerned tho, And to have coud as wel or better, Paraunter, other art or letter. But for love cam first in my thought, Therfore I forgat it nought. 790 I chees love to my firste craft, Therfor hit is with me [y]-laft. Forwhy I took hit of so yong age, That malice hadde my corage Nat that tyme turned to no-thing 795 Through to mochel knowleching. For that tyme youthe, my maistresse, Governed me in ydelnesse; For hit was in my firste youthe, And tho ful litel good I couthe; 800 For al my werkes were flittinge, And al my thoghtes varyinge; Al were to me y-liche good, That I knew tho; but thus hit stood. 'Hit happed that I cam on a day 805 Into a place, ther I say, Trewly, the fayrest companyë Of ladies, that ever man with yë Had seen togedres in oo place. Shal I clepe hit hap other grace 810 That broghte me ther? nay, but Fortune, That is to lyen ful comune, The false trayteresse, pervers, God wolde I coude clepe hir wers! For now she worcheth me ful wo, 815 And I wol telle sone why so. 'Among thise ladies thus echoon, Soth to seyn, I saw [ther] oon That was lyk noon of [al] the route; For I dar swere, withoute doute, 820 That as the someres sonne bright Is fairer, clerer, and hath more light Than any planete, [is] in heven, The mone, or the sterres seven, For al the worlde, so had she 825 Surmounted hem alle of beaute, Of maner and of comlinesse, Of stature and wel set gladnesse, Of goodlihede so wel beseye-- Shortly, what shal I more seye? 830 By god, and by his halwes twelve, It was my swete, right as hir-selve! She had so stedfast countenaunce, So noble port and meyntenaunce. And Love, that had herd my bone, 835 Had espyed me thus sone, That she ful sone, in my thoght, As helpe me god, so was y-caught So sodenly, that I ne took No maner [reed] but at hir look 840 And at myn herte; for-why hir eyen So gladly, I trow, myn herte seyen, That purely tho myn owne thoght Seyde hit were [bet] serve hir for noght Than with another to be wel. 845 And hit was sooth, for, everydel, I wil anoon-right telle thee why. 'I saw hir daunce so comlily, Carole and singe so swetely, Laughe and pleye so womanly, 850 And loke so debonairly, So goodly speke and so frendly, That certes, I trow, that evermore Nas seyn so blisful a tresore. For every heer [up]on hir hede, 855 Soth to seyn, hit was not rede, Ne nouther yelw, ne broun hit nas; Me thoghte, most lyk gold hit was. And whiche eyen my lady hadde! Debonair, goode, glade, and sadde, 860 Simple, of good mochel, noght to wyde; Therto hir look nas not a-syde, Ne overthwert, but beset so wel, Hit drew and took up, everydel, Alle that on hir gan beholde. 865 Hir eyen semed anoon she wolde Have mercy; fooles wenden so; But hit was never the rather do. Hit nas no countrefeted thing, It was hir owne pure loking, 870 That the goddesse, dame Nature, Had made hem opene by mesure, And close; for, were she never so glad, Hir loking was not foly sprad, Ne wildely, thogh that she pleyde; 875 But ever, me thoghte, hir eyen seyde, "By god, my wrathe is al for-yive!" 'Therwith hir liste so wel to live, That dulnesse was of hir a-drad. She nas to sobre ne to glad; 880 In alle thinges more mesure Had never, I trowe, creature. But many oon with hir loke she herte, And that sat hir ful lyte at herte, For she knew no-thing of hir thoght; 885 But whether she knew, or knew hit noght Algate she ne roghte of hem a stree! To gete hir love no ner nas he That woned at home, than he in Inde; The formest was alway behinde. 890 But goode folk, over al other, She loved as man may do his brother; Of whiche love she was wonder large, In skilful places that bere charge. 'Which a visage had she ther-to! 895 Allas! myn herte is wonder wo That I ne can discryven hit! Me lakketh bothe English and wit For to undo hit at the fulle; And eek my spirits be so dulle 900 So greet a thing for to devyse. I have no wit that can suffyse To comprehenden hir beaute; But thus moche dar I seyn, that she Was rody, fresh, and lyvely hewed; 905 And every day hir beaute newed. And negh hir face was alder-best; For certes, Nature had swich lest To make that fair, that trewly she Was hir cheef patron of beautee, 910 And cheef ensample of al hir werke, And moustre; for, be hit never so derke, Me thinketh I see hir ever-mo. And yet more-over, thogh alle tho That ever lived were now a-lyve, 915 [They] ne sholde have founde to discryve In al hir face a wikked signe; For hit was sad, simple, and benigne. 'And which a goodly softe speche Had that swete, my lyves leche! 920 So frendly, and so wel y-grounded, Up al resoun so wel y-founded, And so tretable to alle gode, That I dar swere by the rode, Of eloquence was never founde 925 So swete a sowninge facounde, Ne trewer tonged, ne scorned lasse, Ne bet coude hele; that, by the masse I durste swere, thogh the pope hit songe, That ther was never through hir tonge 930 Man ne woman gretly harmed; As for hir, [ther] was al harm hid; Ne lasse flatering in hir worde, That purely, hir simple recorde Was founde as trewe as any bonde, 935 Or trouthe of any mannes honde. Ne chyde she coude never a del, That knoweth al the world ful wel. 'But swich a fairnesse of a nekke Had that swete, that boon nor brekke 940 Nas ther non sene, that mis-sat. Hit was whyt, smothe, streght, and flat, Withouten hole; [and] canel-boon, As by seming, had she noon. Hir throte, as I have now memoire, 945 Semed a round tour of yvoire, Of good gretnesse, and noght to grete. 'And gode faire WHYTE she hete, That was my lady name right. She was bothe fair and bright, 950 She hadde not hir name wrong. Right faire shuldres, and body long She hadde, and armes, every lith Fattish, flesshy, not greet therwith; Right whyte handes, and nayles rede, 955 Rounde brestes; and of good brede Hir hippes were, a streight flat bak. I knew on hir non other lak That al hir limmes nere sewing, In as fer as I had knowing. 960 'Therto she coude so wel pleye, Whan that hir liste, that I dar seye, That she was lyk to torche bright, That every man may take of light Ynogh, and hit hath never the lesse. 965 'Of maner and of comlinesse Right so ferde my lady dere; For every wight of hir manere Might cacche ynogh, if that he wolde, If he had eyen hir to beholde. 970 For I dar sweren, if that she Had among ten thousand be, She wolde have be, at the leste, A cheef mirour of al the feste, Thogh they had stonden in a rowe, 975 To mennes eyen that coude have knowe. For wher-so men had pleyd or waked, Me thoghte the felawship as naked Withouten hir, that saw I ones, As a coroune withoute stones. 980 Trewely she was, to myn yë, The soleyn fenix of Arabye, For ther liveth never but oon; Ne swich as she ne knew I noon. 'To speke of goodnesse; trewly she 985 Had as moche debonairte As ever had Hester in the bible, And more, if more were possible. And, soth to seyne, therwith-al She had a wit so general, 990 So hool enclyned to alle gode, That al hir wit was set, by the rode, Withoute malice, upon gladnesse; Therto I saw never yet a lesse Harmful, than she was in doing. 995 I sey nat that she ne had knowing What was harm; or elles she Had coud no good, so thinketh me. 'And trewly, for to speke of trouthe, But she had had, hit had be routhe. 1000 Therof she had so moche hir del-- And I dar seyn and swere hit wel-- That Trouthe him-self, over al and al, Had chose his maner principal In hir, that was his resting-place. 1005 Ther-to she hadde the moste grace, To have stedfast perseveraunce, And esy, atempre governaunce, That ever I knew or wiste yit; So pure suffraunt was hir wit. 1010 And reson gladly she understood, Hit folowed wel she coude good. She used gladly to do wel; These were hir maners every-del. 'Therwith she loved so wel right, 1015 She wrong do wolde to no wight; No wight might do hir no shame, She loved so wel hir owne name. Hir luste to holde no wight in honde; Ne, be thou siker, she nolde fonde 1020 To holde no wight in balaunce, By half word ne by countenaunce, But-if men wolde upon hir lye; Ne sende men in-to Walakye, To Pruyse and in-to Tartarye, 1025 To Alisaundre, ne in-to Turkye, And bidde him faste, anoon that he Go hoodles to the drye see, And come hoom by the Carrenare; And seye, "Sir, be now right ware 1030 That I may of yow here seyn Worship, or that ye come ageyn!" She ne used no suche knakkes smale. 'But wherfor that I telle my tale? Right on this same, as I have seyd, 1035 Was hoolly al my love leyd; For certes, she was, that swete wyf, My suffisaunce, my lust, my lyf, Myn hap, myn hele, and al my blisse, My worldes welfare and my [lisse], 1040 And I hirs hoolly, everydel.' 'By our lord,' quod I, 'I trowe yow wel! Hardely, your love was wel beset, I not how ye mighte have do bet.' 'Bet? ne no wight so wel!' quod he. 1045 I trowe hit, sir,' quod I, 'parde!' Nay, leve hit wel!' 'Sir, so do I; I leve yow wel, that trewely Yow thoghte, that she was the beste, And to beholde the alderfaireste, 1050 Who so had loked with your eyen.' 'With myn? nay, alle that hir seyen Seyde, and sworen hit was so. And thogh they ne hadde, I wolde tho Have loved best my lady fre, 1055 Thogh I had had al the beautee That ever had Alcipyades, And al the strengthe of Ercules, And therto had the worthinesse Of Alisaundre, and al the richesse 1060 That ever was in Babiloyne, In Cartage, or in Macedoyne, Or in Rome, or in Ninive; And therto al-so hardy be As was Ector, so have I Ioye, 1065 That Achilles slow at Troye-- And therfor was he slayn also In a temple, for bothe two Were slayn, he and Antilegius, And so seyth Dares Frigius, 1070 For love of [hir] Polixena-- Or ben as wys as Minerva, I wolde ever, withoute drede, Have loved hir, for I moste nede! "Nede!" nay, I gabbe now, 1075 Noght "nede," and I wol telle how, For of good wille myn herte hit wolde, And eek to love hir I was holde As for the fairest and the beste. 'She was as good, so have I reste, 1080 As ever was Penelope of Grece, Or as the noble wyf Lucrece, That was the beste--he telleth thus, The Romain Tytus Livius-- She was as good, and no-thing lyke, 1085 Thogh hir stories be autentyke; Algate she was as trewe as she. 'But wherfor that I telle thee Whan I first my lady sey? I was right yong, [the] sooth to sey, 1090 And ful gret need I hadde to lerne; Whan my herte wolde yerne To love, it was a greet empryse. But as my wit coude best suffyse, After my yonge childly wit, 1095 Withoute drede, I besette hit To love hir in my beste wyse, To do hir worship and servyse That I tho coude, by my trouthe, Withoute feyning outher slouthe; 1100 For wonder fayn I wolde hir see. So mochel hit amended me, That, whan I saw hir first a-morwe, I was warished of al my sorwe Of al day after, til hit were eve; 1105 Me thoghte no-thing mighte me greve, Were my sorwes never so smerte. And yit she sit so in myn herte, That, by my trouthe, I nolde noght, For al this worlde, out of my thoght 1110 Leve my lady; no, trewly!' 'Now, by my trouthe, sir,' quod I, Me thinketh ye have such a chaunce As shrift withoute repentaunce.' 'Repentaunce! nay fy,' quod he; 1115 Shulde I now repente me To love? nay, certes, than were I wel Wers than was Achitofel, Or Anthenor, so have I Ioye, The traytour that betraysed Troye, 1120 Or the false Genelon, He that purchased the treson Of Rowland and of Olivere. Nay, whyl I am a-lyve here I nil foryete hir never-mo.' 1125 'Now, goode sir,' quod I [right] tho, Ye han wel told me her-before. It is no need reherse hit more How ye sawe hir first, and where; But wolde ye telle me the manere, 1130 To hir which was your firste speche-- Therof I wolde yow be-seche-- And how she knewe first your thoght, Whether ye loved hir or noght, And telleth me eek what ye have lore; 1135 I herde yow telle her-before.' 'Ye,' seyde he, 'thou nost what thou menest; I have lost more than thou wenest.' 'What los is that, [sir]?' quod I tho; 'Nil she not love yow? is hit so? 1140 Or have ye oght [y-]doon amis, That she hath left yow? is hit this? For goddes love, tel me al.' 'Before god,' quod he, 'and I shal. I saye right as I have seyd, 1145 On hir was al my love leyd; And yet she niste hit never a del Noght longe tyme, leve hit wel. For be right siker, I durste noght For al this worlde telle hir my thoght, 1150 Ne I wolde have wratthed hir, trewly. For wostow why? she was lady Of the body; she had the herte, And who hath that, may not asterte. 'But, for to kepe me fro ydelnesse, 1155 Trewly I did my besinesse To make songes, as I best coude, And ofte tyme I song hem loude; And made songes a gret del, Al-thogh I coude not make so wel 1160 Songes, ne knowe the art al, As coude Lamekes sone Tubal, That fond out first the art of songe; For, as his brothers hamers ronge Upon his anvelt up and doun, 1165 Therof he took the firste soun; But Grekes seyn, Pictagoras, That he the firste finder was Of the art; Aurora telleth so, But therof no fors, of hem two. 1170 Algates songes thus I made Of my feling, myn herte to glade; And lo! this was [the] alther-firste, I not wher [that] hit were the werste.-- ¶ "Lord, hit maketh myn herte light, 1175 Whan I thenke on that swete wight That is so semely on to see; And wisshe to god hit might so be, That she wolde holde me for hir knight, My lady, that is so fair and bright!"-- 1180 'Now have I told thee, sooth to saye, My firste song. Upon a daye I bethoghte me what wo And sorwe that I suffred tho For hir, and yet she wiste hit noght, 1185 Ne telle hir durste I nat my thoght. "Allas!" thoghte I, "I can no reed; And, but I telle hir, I nam but deed; And if I telle hir, to seye sooth, I am a-dred she wol be wrooth; 1190 Allas! what shal I thanne do?" 'In this debat I was so wo, Me thoghte myn herte braste a-tweyn! So atte laste, soth to seyn, I me bethoghte that nature 1195 Ne formed never in creature So moche beaute, trewely, And bounte, withouten mercy. 'In hope of that, my tale I tolde With sorwe, as that I never sholde, 1200 For nedes; and, maugree my heed, I moste have told hir or be deed. I not wel how that I began, Ful evel rehersen hit I can; And eek, as helpe me god with-al, 1205 I trowe hit was in the dismal, That was the ten woundes of Egipte; For many a word I over-skipte In my tale, for pure fere Lest my wordes mis-set were. 1210 With sorweful herte, and woundes dede, Softe and quaking for pure drede And shame, and stinting in my tale For ferde, and myn hewe al pale, Ful ofte I wex bothe pale and reed; 1215 Bowing to hir, I heng the heed; I durste nat ones loke hir on, For wit, manere, and al was gon. I seyde "mercy!" and no more; Hit nas no game, hit sat me sore. 1220 'So atte laste, sooth to seyn, Whan that myn herte was come ageyn, To telle shortly al my speche, With hool herte I gan hir beseche That she wolde be my lady swete; 1225 And swor, and gan hir hertely hete Ever to be stedfast and trewe, And love hir alwey freshly newe, And never other lady have, And al hir worship for to save 1230 As I best coude; I swor hir this-- "For youres is al that ever ther is For evermore, myn herte swete! And never false yow, but I mete, I nil, as wis god helpe me so!" 1235 'And whan I had my tale y-do, God wot, she acounted nat a stree Of al my tale, so thoghte me. To telle shortly as hit is, Trewly hir answere, hit was this; 1240 I can not now wel counterfete Hir wordes, but this was the grete Of hir answere; she sayde, "nay" Al-outerly. Allas! that day The sorwe I suffred, and the wo! 1245 That trewly Cassandra, that so Bewayled the destruccioun Of Troye and of Ilioun, Had never swich sorwe as I tho. I durste no more say therto 1250 For pure fere, but stal away; And thus I lived ful many a day. That trewely, I hadde no need Ferther than my beddes heed Never a day to seche sorwe; 1255 I fond hit redy every morwe, For-why I loved hir in no gere. 'So hit befel, another yere, I thoughte ones I wolde fonde To do hir knowe and understonde 1260 My wo; and she wel understood That I ne wilned thing but good, And worship, and to kepe hir name Over al thing, and drede hir shame, And was so besy hir to serve;-- 1265 And pite were I shulde sterve, Sith that I wilned noon harm, y-wis. So whan my lady knew al this, My lady yaf me al hoolly The noble yift of hir mercy, 1270 Saving hir worship, by al weyes; Dredles, I mene noon other weyes. And therwith she yaf me a ring; I trowe hit was the firste thing; But if myn herte was y-waxe 1275 Glad, that is no need to axe! As helpe me god, I was as blyve, Reysed, as fro dethe to lyve, Of alle happes the alder-beste, The gladdest and the moste at reste. 1280 For trewely, that swete wight, Whan I had wrong and she the right, She wolde alwey so goodely For-yeve me so debonairly. In alle my youthe, in alle chaunce, 1285 She took me in hir governaunce. 'Therwith she was alway so trewe, Our Ioye was ever y-liche newe; Our hertes wern so even a payre, That never nas that oon contrayre 1290 To that other, for no wo. For sothe, y-liche they suffred tho Oo blisse and eek oo sorwe bothe; Y-liche they were bothe gladde and wrothe; Al was us oon, withoute were. 1295 And thus we lived ful many a yere So wel, I can nat telle how.' 'Sir,' quod I, 'wher is she now?' Now!' quod he, and stinte anoon. Therwith he wex as deed as stoon, 1300 And seyde, 'allas! that I was bore! That was the los, that her-before I tolde thee, that I had lorn. Bethenk how I seyde her-beforn, "Thou wost ful litel what thou menest; 1305 I have lost more than thou wenest"-- God wot, allas! right that was she!' 'Allas! sir, how? what may that be?' She is deed!' 'Nay!' 'Yis, by my trouthe!' 'Is that your los? by god, hit is routhe!' 1310 And with that worde, right anoon, They gan to strake forth; al was doon, For that tyme, the hert-hunting. With that, me thoghte, that this king Gan [quikly] hoomward for to ryde 1315 Unto a place ther besyde, Which was from us but a lyte, A long castel with walles whyte, By seynt Iohan! on a riche hil, As me mette; but thus it fil. 1320 Right thus me mette, as I yow telle, That in the castel was a belle, As hit had smiten houres twelve.--

Therwith I awook my-selve, And fond me lying in my bed; 1325 And the book that I had red, Of Alcyone and Seys the king, And of the goddes of sleping, I fond it in myn honde ful even. Thoghte I, 'this is so queynt a sweven, 1330 That I wol, by processe of tyme, Fonde to putte this sweven in ryme As I can best'; and that anoon.-- This was my sweven; now hit is doon. 1334

EXPLICIT THE BOKE OF THE DUCHESSE.

_The_ MSS. _are_: F. (Fairfax 16); Tn. (Tanner 346); B. (Bodley 638); _the fourth authority is_ Th. (Thynne's edition of 1532). _I follow_ F. _mainly, and note all but very trifling variations from it_. B. _usually agrees with_ F.

TITLE: _in_ F. 1. Tn. gret; F. grete. Th. by; F. Tn. be. 5. Tn. Th. defaute; F. defaulte. 6. _All_ take no kepe. 8. Tn. Th. lefe (_read_ leef); F. leve. 9. Tn. Th. good; F. goode. 10. Tn. Ioye; F. Ioy. 11, 12. F. no thynge, thynge. 14. _All_ sorwful (_badly_); _read_ sory. 15. F. hooly. 16. F. woote; Th. B. wote; Tn. wotte; _read_ wite. 19. _For_ To _perhaps read_ Unto. F. ertherly (_miswritten_). 21. _All_ be. 22. Th. Tn. B. ne (_2nd time_); F. no.

23. _All_ this. 24. _All_ drede. 25. Th. Tn. Defaute; F. Defaulte. 26. Th. slayne; Tn. slain; F. _omits_. 27. F. loste. Tn. _omits_ ll. 31-96; F. _has them in a later hand_ (_the spelling of which I amend_). 32. F. nathles whoe 33. F. trewly. 34. F. tell. 35. Th. sothe; F. southe (!) F. trewly. 36. F. hold it; Th. holde it; _read_ hold-ë hit. F. sicknes. 38. F. boote. 39. Th. F. For ther. (phisicien = fízishén). F. one. 40. F. heale; done. 41. F. vntill efte. 42. F. mote. Th. nede; F. nedes. F. lefte. 43. F. mater. 44. Th. So whan; F. Soe when. F. sawe. 45. Th. Tyl nowe late: F. Til now late; _but probably corrupt_. 46. F. sate. 47. F. bade one. F. booke. 48. F. it; Th. he it. F. toke. 50. F. thought; beter. 51. F. play; Ten Brink _reads_ playen. 52. F. written.

53. F. had. 56. F. While. Th. of; F. in (_copied from line above_). 57. F. boke. Th. spake; F. speake (_read_ spak). 58. F. kings. 59. Th. smale: F. smalle. 60. Th. al; F. all. F. fonde. 61. F. thought. 62. F. There. 63. F. hight. Th. Seys; F. Seyes. F. had. F. wife. 64. Th. beste; F. best. F. might beare lyfe. 65. F. hight. 66. F. Soe it befill thereafter. 67. F. woll; Th. wol. 70. _Perhaps read_ gan aryse. 71. F. brake. (hir=_their_). F. maste; fal. 72. Th. her; F. ther (_see line above_). F. dreint; all. 73. Th. F. founde (_error for_ founden). 74. F. Borde. 75. Th. Seys; F. Seyes. F. life. 76. Th. F. Now for to speke of Alcyone his wyfe; _read_: Now for to speken of his wyf. F. wife. 79. Th. F. Home; it. 80. Th. Anon; F. Anone. Th. F. began (_error for_ gan). Th. F. yerne (_error for_ erme); see note.

81. F. thought. 82. F. It; wele; thought soe. _Both_ her thought so, _caught from l._ 81; _read_ he dwelte (delayed). 83. F. soe. 84. F. it. 85. F. tell. Th. hertely; F. hartely. F. life. 86. Th. F. she had; _I omit_ she, _and supply_ alas _from l._ 87. 87. Th. _and_ F. _insert_ alas _after_ him. 88. F. Anone; sent. 91. F. where. 92. Th. nyl; F. will. F. eate breede. 94. Th. lorde; F. Lord. 95. F. toke. 96. F. trewly; booke. 97. _The older hand recommences in_ F. F. had; Tn. I Had. F. suche (_twice_). F. pittee. 100. F. And aftir; _but_ Th. Tn. B. _omit_ And. 101. _All_ this lady (_for_ she; _badly_). 102. F. myght; lorde. 103. F. ofte; sayed. 104. F. woode. 105. F. rede. 106. F. doune; sate. 107. _All_ wepte (_read_ weep). F. pittee. 109. Th. to; _which_ F. Tn. _omit_. 110. F. Helpe; B. Help.

112. F. Soone. Tn. B. wite; F. Th. wete. 114. F. yowe. 116. Th. Tn. B. good wyl; F. good wille (wil _is here a monosyllable_). 117. F. wilte. 118. Tn. Send; Th. F. Sende. 119. Th. som; F. som_m_e. 120. Th. through; F. thorgh. F. knowe. 121. F. lorde; quyke; ded. 122. F. worde; henge; hed. 123. Th. Tn. fel; F. felle (_see_ l. 128). F. A swowne, Tn. a swowe (_for_ a-swowen = a-swown); Th. in a swowne. F. colde; Tn. cold. 124. F. kaught; anoon. 127. Tn. dede; F. ded. _All_ slepe. 128. F. tooke. _All_ kepe. 129. Th. Through; F. Throgh. F. herde. 130. _I supply_ for. 131. Th. Tn. prayde; F. prayede; _after which all insert_ right (_but see next line_). 134. F. come. 137, 138. _All_ slepe, kepe. F. vnderstonde; take.

141. Tn. B. all_e_; F. al. 142. Th. He; F. Tn. That he. F. kynge. 144. Tn. B. Bid; F. Bud. 145. Th. Alcyone; F. Tn. Alchione. 146. Th. alone; F. allone. 149. _After_ speke _all insert_ right (_see next line_). 150. _All_ woned. 151. Tn. on; F. a. 152. F. hye the. 153. F. toke; went. 154. Th. he (_for_ ne). F. stent. 155. Tn. com; F. come. F. valey. 156. Th. bytwene; F. betwex; Tn. betwix. F. twey. 157. F. corne. 158, 159. _All_ noght (_for_ nothing). F. oughte. 162. F. dedely; Th. deedly; Tn. dedli. 166. F. There these; lay. 167. Th. F. B. Eclympasteyre (_as in text_); Tn. Etlympasteyre (_with_ t _for_ c). 168. Tn. heir_e_; F. eyre. 169, 170. F. werke, derke.

171. Tn. pit; F. pitte. 173. F. To envye; Tn. Th. vie. 175. Tn. slepte; F. slept; _see_ 177. Th. heed; F. hed. B. Tn. I-hid; Th. yhed; F. yhedde. 176. _All_ lay. F. Tn. bedde. 177. F. slepe; Th. Tn. slepte. 178. F. com. Tn. flyyng; F. fleynge; Th. rennyng. 179. F. Tn. O how; Th. ho ho. F. awake. 180. F. there. 181. F. Awake; lythe. 182. F. horne. Tn. B. ere; F. heere. 184. Tn. oon; F. on. F. ye; Th. eye; Tn. ei[gh]e. 185. Th. Tn. Cast; F. Caste. _All ins._ and _after_ up. 191. Th. wente; F. went. F. sayede; Tn. seide. 192. F. a-brayede; Tn. abraied. 195. F. Tooke; dreynt; _see_ Cant. Ta. B. 69. 196. F. bare. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. 197. F. wife. 199. Th. her; F. Tn. hys. F. fete; _see_ note. 200. _All_ hete.

201. F. sayede; wyfe. 202. F. Awake; lyfe. 203. F. there; rede. 204. _I put_ nam; _all have_ am. F. dede. 206. _I supply_ look, _for the sake of sense and metre_; _read_--But good swet' hert-ë, look that ye. 207. _All_ for suche; _read_ at whiche. 210. F. pray; youre. 211. F. while oure. 213. _All_ allas (_for_ A). 214. F. deyede; Tn. deid. 215. F. sayede. Tn. swow; Th. B. swowe; F. sorowe (!). 216. F. nowe. 219. Tn. told; F. tolde. F. thynge. 220. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. F. kynge. 221. _All_ say. Tn. wel; F. welle. 222. Tn. eueridel; F. euerydelle. 223. F. thorgh. Tn. defaute; F. defaulte. _All_ slepe. 224. Th. F. ne had (_read_ nad); Tn. hade. Tn. red; F. redde. _All_ take kepe. 226. F. _omits_ I (_by mistake_). 228. F. redde. 229. F. kynge. 230. Th. goddes; F. Tn. goddis.

231. Tn. red; F. redde. 233. F. thoght. 234. Tn. herd; F. herde. 235. F. goddis. 236. _I supply the former_ for. 237. I ne = I n'. 238. F. sayede. 239. F. pley. 240. F. dey. 241. F. Thorgh defaulte. Tn. sleping; F. slepynge. 244. Tn. sum; F. som_m_e. F. ellis. F. roght; Th. Tn. rought. 245. Tn. som; F. some. 247. F. Yifte. F. abode. 248. B. on warde; _rest_ onwarde. 251. F. yif (_see_ l. 246). Tn. fethirbed; F. feder bedde. 252. Tn. cled; F. cledde. 253. Tn. fyn; F. fyne. Th. doutremere; Tn. dout_er_mere; F. de owter mere. 254. Tn. pilow; F. pelowe. 257, 8. F. fallys, hallys.

264. _All ins._ quene _after_ goddesse. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. 267. _All_ wanne (!). 269. F. payede. 270. Tn. woord; F. worde. F. y-sayede. 271. Th. Tn. B. as; _which_ F. _omits_. Tn. told; F. tolde. 273. Tn. lust; F. luste. F. tooke. 274. F. booke. 275. F. evene. 276. F. swevene. 277. Tn. [gh]it; F. yitte. 278. Th. trowe; F. trow; Tn. trov. 281. Th. Tn. B. he; F. ho. F. red; Th. Tn. rad (_but read_ redde _or_ radde). 282. F. metynge. 283. B. leste; F. lest. 285. Tn. wrot; F. wrote. 286. F. kynge. 288. Th. Suche meruayles fortuned than; F. Tn. B. _omit this line_.

291. F. thoght. 292. F. dawnynge. Th. there; _rest om._ 294. _All_ And (_for_ I). 295. Tn. gret; F. grete. 296. _All insert_ my _before_ slepe; _it is not wanted_. 297. F. Thorgh; swettenesse; songe. 298. Th. as; F. Tn. B. al (_badly_). F. amonge. 299. F. roofe. 300. _All_ ouer al; _but omit_ ouer. 301. _All_ songe, song. 304. F. herde. Tn. B. som; F. so_m_me. Tn. song; F. songe (_it can be singular_). 305. Tn. Som; F. Som_m_e. F. high. 306. F. att. 307. F. harde; Tn. I-herd. 308. F. thynge. 309. F. soune. Th. Th. entunes; F. entewnes. 310. F. tewnes; Th. Tewnes; Tn. twnes. 311. F. herde. 313. F. Thorgh syngynge. 315. F. nowhere herde; halfe. 316. F. halfe. 318. Tn. ich; _rest_ eche.

319. F. _wrongly inserts_ of _after_ out. F. notys. 320. F. throtys. 321. F. soothe. 323. F. y-glasyd. 324. F. hoole y-crasyd. 326. Tn. hoolly; F. holy. Tn. storie; F. story. 327. F. glasynge. 328. _All_ and of king. 329. _All repeat_ of king _before_ Lamedon; _the words were caught from_ l. 328. 330. _All insert_ And eke _before_ Of Medea. 331. _All_ and of (_for_ and). 332. Tn. colours; F. colouris. 334. _All_ And; _read_ Of. 335. Th. weren; F. were. Tn. shet; F. shette. 336. F. throgh. 337. F. bryght. 338. F. gilde; Th. B. gyldy; Tn. gilti; _read_ gilden. 339. F. eke. F. welken; Th. Tn. welkyn. _All_ faire. 340. F. ayre. 341. Th. atempre; F. Tn. attempre. 342. _All ins._ to _bef._ cold. F. colde; hoote. Th. nas; F. Tn. was. 343. F. welkene; Th. welkyn; Tn. walkyn. 345. F. thoght. 346. F. Tassay; horne.

347. Tn. B. hors; Th. F. horse. 348. _All insert_ And _at the beginning of the line_; _but read_ I herd-e. F. Th. goynge; Tn. goyng; _after which all insert_ bothe (_which is not wanted_). 350. F. Th. speke; Tn. spake; _but read_ speken. 355. F. huntynge. 357. _I supply_ I. F. Tooke; forthe; went. 358. F. stent. 359. F. come; felde. 360. F. ouertoke; grete. 361. F. eke; foresterys. 362. F. lymerys. 364. Th. I; _which_ F. Tn. _omit_. _For_ at the _perhaps read_ atte. 366. F. felowe whoo. _All_ hunte (_read_ hunten). 367. _All_ answered (-id). 369. F. here fast. 370. _Read_ goddes _as_ god's. 373. F. didde. 374. F. huntynge fille. 375. F. fote hote. 376. F. blewe; mote.

377. F. vncoupylynge; Th. vncouplynge. 378. F. Withynne; while; herte. Th. F. founde; Tn. found; _read_ y-founde. 380. _All_ and so; _om._ so. 381. F. Tn. B. rused; Th. roused. F. staale. 383. Th. ouer-shot; F. ouershette; Tn. ouershet. Tn. hem; F. hym (_wrongly_). 384. Tn. on; F. vpon. Tn. defaute; F. defaulte. 386. F. Blewe. Th. Tn. forloyn; F. forleygne. _Perhaps read_ atte _for_ at the. 388. F. went; came. 389. F. whelpe. Th. fawned; F. Favned. F. stoode. 390. F. goode. 391. F. come. _All have_ crepte (_wrongly_); _read_ creep. 392. Tn. hade; F. had. 393. B. Hild; F. Hylde; Tn. Held. Th. heed; Tn. hed; F. hede. F. erys. 394. F. herys. 395. _All_ haue; _read_ han. 396. Tn. fledde; F. fled. 397. F. forthe went. 398. F. went. 399. _All_ swete (_correctly_). 400. _All_ fete; _see_ 199. 402. Tn. bothe; F. both. 404. _All_ made; _read_ mad _or_ maad. F dwellynge.

406. F. therthe; Th. the erthe. 408. F. moo; swche (_sic_). 409. Th. welken; F. walkene. F. sterris. 411. F. thorgh. 412. _All_ suffre. 414. F. woode. 415. _All_ made. 416. _All_ nede eke. 417. F. Where there. 419. F. stoode. 420. Tn. ten; F. tene. Th. foote; F. fete; Tn. _om._ Th. or; F. Tn. fro other (_repeated_). 422. Th. Tn. B. Of; F. Or. Th. or; _rest om._ F. fedme; Th. fedome; Tn. fedim; _read_ fadme. 424. Th. brode; F. Tn. bothe (_wrongly_). F. eke. 426. Tn. B. shadwe; F. shadewe. 427. Tn. hert; F. herte. 429. Th. fawnes; F. Tn. fovnes. F. Tn. sowres; Th. sowers. 430. Tn. wode; F. woode. 429, 430. B. doys, roys. 431. Th. squyrrels; F. sqwirels; Tn. squirels; B. squyrellys (_three syllables_). 432. F. high. 433. F. festys. 434. F. bestys.

435. Th. Tn. countour; F. counter (_and so in_ l. 436). 437. F. Tn. rekene; Th. reken (_caught from above_); _read_ rekened. F. figuris. 438. F. figuris. F. mowe; B. mow; Th. Tn. newe (_reading doubtful_). _All have_ al ken; _see_ note. 440. B. tell_e_; _rest_ tel. F. thinge. 441. F. evene. 442. F. swevene. 443. _All ins._ right _bef._ wonder. 444. F. Doune; woode. 446. Th. sate; F. Tn. sete. Tn. Iturned; F. turned. 447. F. ooke. 448. Th. Tn. thought; F. thogh (!). 450. F. went. 451. Tn. fond; F. founde. 452. F. farynge. 454. _All but_ B. _insert_ ryght _before_ yong. Tn. [gh]ung; F. Th. yonge. 455. _All_ yere; _read_ yeer. 456. _All_ heere, here; _read_ heer. 457. Th. blacke; F. blake. 458. Tn. bakke; F. bake. 459. F. stoode. 460. F. sawe. 461. Tn. heng; F. henge. Th. heed; Tn. hed; F. hede. 462. Tn. dedly; F. dedely.

463. Th. Tn. twelue; F. twelfe. 464. Th. Tn. selue; F. selfe. 465. Tn. pite; F. pitee. 468. _All_ suffre; _read_ suffren. 469. F. suche. Th. deed; F. Tn. ded. 470. Tn. pitous; B. pitouse; F. petuose. Tn. nothing; F. no thynge. Th. reed; F. Tn. red. 471. F. sayed; Tn. said. 471, 2. Tn. song; F. songe. 473. B. _alone supplies_ it (=hit); _all insert_ ful _before_ wel. 475. F. grete; Tn. gret. _All_ wone; _read_ woon. 476. F. Ioy; none. 477, 8. _Read_ brighte, mighte? 479. Th. deed; F. ded. _After_ l. 479 Thynne _inserts_ And thus in sorowe lefte me alone; _it is spurious_; _see_ note. [Hence there is no l. 480.] 481. Koch _supplies_ o. Tn. deth; F. dethe. 483. Tn. that; _which_ F. Tn. _omit_. 484. F. faire. F. freshe; Tn. fressh. 485. _All_ se; _but read_ y-see. 486. F. goodenesse. 487. _All_ made. Th. B. complaynte; F. complaynt. 488. F. sorwful. Th. herte; F. hert. Th. B. faynte; F. faynt. 489. F. spiritis. 490. Tn. blood; F. bloode.

491. Th. herte; F. hert. _All_ warme. 492. Th. herte; F. hert. _All_ harme. 493. B. wite; F. wete. _All_ eke. 498. _All insert_ ther _before_ no. F. noo bloode. _All_ is; _but read_ was. 499. Th. lymme; B. Tn. lyme; F. hym(!). 500. B. saw; F. saugh. 501. F. Th. there; Tn. for. _All_ sete (fete _is dat. pl._). 502. F. went; stoode. 503. _All_ spake (_wrongly_). 504. Th. Tn. owne; F. ovne. 506. F. Th. lyfe; Tn. life. 507. F. thought. 509. F. throgh. B. sorwe; Tn. sorov; F. sorwes. 511. Tn. lost; F. loste. 512. F. _inserts_ the _before_ god; Th. Tn. _omit_. 513. F. wrothe. 514. Th. laste; F. last. F. sothe. 515. F. stoode. 516. _All_ did. F. hoode. 517. _All_ had ygret; Lange _proposes_ grette (_e_ unelided). 519. F. wrothe. 520. F. sothe.

521. B. saw; F. sawgh. F. trewly. 522. Tn. goode; F. good. 523, 4. F. oughte, thoughte. 526. F. thamendys. 527. F. lyeth; Tn. lith. 528. F. There. _All_ myssayde. 529. Th. goodly; F. goodely. _All_ spake (!). Th. knyght; F. knyghte. 530. B. ben; _rest_ be. 531. F. towgh. 532. F. sawe; aqueynt. 533. F. fonde. 535. F. thoght. 537. F. oughte. 538. F. knowynge; thoughte. 541. F. These huntys konne. 543. F. there on; dele (Tn. del). 544. Tn. Bi; Th. By; F. Be. F. oure lorde; wele (Tn. wel). 545. B. thinketh; F. thenketh. 547. F. grete. 548. _Ins._ good; see 714, 721. Th. Tn. if; F. yif. 550. F. wys; Th. wyse; Tn. wisse.

554. Th. al; F. alle; Tn. _om._ 556. B. ese; F. ease. 560. Tn. frend; F. frende. 564. _All_ fal. 565. F. vnderstondynge lorne. 566. F. borne. 568. F. Th. _ins._ al (Tn. of) _before_ the. 570. _All ins._ his _after_ with. 571. _All ins._ no _after_ may. 573. Th. Tn. houres; F. oures. 574. _All_ assay. 575. B. Th. herte; F. Tn. hert. 577. F. wrechch; Tn. wrecch; Tn. wretche (_for_ wrecche). _All_ made. 578. F. al; Th. Tn. al the; B. all_e_ (_read_ al-le). 579. B. all_e_; _rest_ al. 581. _All_ lyfe. F. loothe. 582. F. wroothe (_it is plural_). 583. _All ins._ ful _after_ so. F. foo. 584. _All_ That; _read_ Thogh. F. soo.

586. _For the former_ hit, _all have_ him; _but see line above_. 587. Th. reed; F. rede. 588. F. deynge. Th. deed; F. dede. 589. F. B. Thesiphus; Tn. Tesiphus; Th. Tesyphus. (_The two latter are miswritten for_ Cesiphus = Sesiphus). Tn. lithe; F. Th. lyeth. 591. Th. Tn. al; F. alle. Th. by; F. Tn. be. 592. Tn. hade; F. had. 594. Tn. feenli (_sic_); Th. F. fendely. 596. Tn. met; Th. F. mette (!); _read_ y-met. 598. B. tell_e_; _rest_ tel. 599. _For_ song, F. Th. _have_ sorowe, _and_ Tn. _has_ sorov, _which are absurd; the reading is obviously_ song, _the_ ng _being altered to_ rowe _by influence of_ l. 597, _which the scribes glanced at_. Tn. pleyny_n_g; F. pleynynge. 600. Tn. laughter; F. lawghtre. Tn. weping; F. wepynge. 601. F. thoghtys. 603. _All_ eke. 604. Th. Tn. good; F. goode. _All_ harme. 605. Th. playeng; F. pleynge. 606. F. sorwynge. 607. Tn. sekenes; F. sekeenesse (_sic_). 609. Tn. li[gh]t; F. lyghte; Th. syght. 610. Tn. wit; F. wytte. Th. Tn. nyght; F. nyghte.

611. _All_ slepe. Tn. waking; F. wakynge. 612. Tn. fasting; F. fastynge. 614. Tn. abaved (_sic_); Th. F. abawed. _All_ where so. 617. Tn. boldnes; Th. F. boldenesse. (_Perhaps read_ y-turned.) 618. F. pleyde; Th. played; Tn. pleied. 619. F. Atte the (_wrongly_); Th. Tn. At the. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. 621. Tn. halt; F. Th. halte (!). 622. Tn. goth; Th. gothe; F. gethe (!). Th. halte; Tn. is halt; F. is halte. 627. Th. wrien; _rest_ varien (!). 628. Th. Tn. monstres; F. Mowstres. Th. heed; F. Tn. hed. 629. B. filth; _rest_ fylthe. Th. Tn. ystrowed. 630. F. worshippe. Th. Tn. floures; F. B. flourys; _read_ flour is. 632. Tn. feith; F. feythe. 633. F. lawghynge. 634. Tn. oon; Th. F. one. Th. eye; Tn. ei[gh]; F. yghe; B. ye. F. wepynge. 635. Th. set; F. sette. 637. F. flateyrynge; Tn. flateryng. 639. Th. Tn. amyd; F. amydde. 640. Th. he; F. hyt; Tn. it.

642. F. thenvyouse; Tn. thenvious; Th. the enuyous. 644. Th. false; F. Tn. fals. 645. F. no thynge. 647. Th. Ful; _rest_ For. F. thus she; Tn. Th. she thus. 649. Th. nat; F. Tn. not. 650. Th. false; F. Tn. fals. Th. F. thefe; Tn. knaue. 651. F. oure lorde; the sey. 652. _All_ At the; Atte _is better_. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. F. pley. 653. Th. Tn. false; F. fals. 654. F. staale; toke. F. Tn. fers; Th. feers. 655. F. sawgh. B. a-waye; _rest_ away. 656. B. pleye; Th. F. play; Tn. pley. 657. _All_ farewel (farewell); _and in_ l. 658. 660. _All insert_ the _after_ in (_badly_). 661. F. povne; Tn. pou_n_; Th. paune. Tn. erraunt; F. errante. 663. Tn. Athalaus. 664. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. 666. B. I-koude; Th. Tn. Iconde (!); F. y-konde (!); _see_ l. 667. 667. Tn. Grek; F. Greke. Th. Pithagores; F. Tn. Pictagoras. 668. Tn. pleyd; F. pleyde.

670. Tn. thogh; Th. thoughe; F. thoght (_sic_). F. trewly. 671. F. holde; wysshe. 675. _All_ eke. B. las; F. lasse; Tn. lesse. 676. F. -selfe. 677. Th. had I ben; F. as I be (_wrongly_). 678. F. oght. 681. _All_ she my fers; _read_ my fers she (Koch). _All_ kaught, _read_ caughte; _and_ dranghte _in_ ll. 682, 685. 683. Tn. wis; F. wys. 684. Th. she; F. Tn. B. he. F. tooke. 685. F. throgh; draught; lorne. 686. F. borne. 689. F. doone. 690. F. Be oure lorde; soone. 691. F. -thynge. _I supply_ ne. 693. _All_ For there (ther); _but omit_ For. 694. F. ayre. 695. F. yifte. 696. F. wepynge.

699. Tn. lyth; F. lyeth. F. rekenynge. 700. Th. Tn. In; F. Inne. 701. F. levyth noe. 702. B. Tn. glade; F. glad; _read_ gladde. 703. Th. lost; F. loste. 710. Tn. telle; F. tel. 711. Th. Tn. Thus; F. This. 712. F. myght; duelle. 713. Tn. dide, herte; F. dyd, hert. 714. Th. good; F. goode. 715. Tn. som; F. so_m_me. 721. _All insert_ yis (_or_ yes) _before_ parde; _which spoils both sense and metre_. 722. Th. say; _rest om._ F. trewly. 723. Th. lost; F. loste. 726. Th. good; F. goode. 727. Tn. slowe; F. slowgh. 728. _All_ also; _read_ als. 729. F. Henge.

732. _All_ the quene; _omit_ the. _All_ eke. 733. Tn. slow; F. slough. F. selfe. 734. _I supply former_ a. F. foole. 735. _All_ Ecquo. 739. Tn. slow; F. slough. F. hym-selfe. 740. _All_ no man; _but read_ noon. 741. _Perhaps read_ maken. 743. F. woste; menyst. 744. Th, lost; F. loste. F. thow wenyst. 745. F. Tn. Loo she that may be; Th. Howe that may be; _here_ she _is an error for_ sir, _and_ Howe that may be _for_ how may that be; (_ed. 1550 has_ Howe may that be). 746. _All_ sir. F. Tn. telle; Th. tel. F. hooly. 749. F. come. Tn. sit; F. sytte. 750. F. _inserts_ hyt _after_ telle; _which_ Th. Tn. _omit_. Th. Tn. vpon a; F. vp a; _but_ vp _is right_. 751. _All ins._ shalt _after_ thou; _omit it_ (Koch). F. hooly. Tn. wit; Th. wyt; F. wytte. 752. Tn. hit; F. hitte (!). 754. F. Tn. here lo; Th. here to. _Accent_ thér- _and_ hér-. 755. _Perhaps_ right _should be omitted_. 756. F. Hooly. 758. B. half; F. halfe; (goddes = god's).

760. Tn. wit; F. wytte. 761. F. vnderstondynge. 763. Tn. wit; F. wytte. 764. Tn. yit; F. yitte. 765. Tn. youen; F. yive. 766. F. hooly. 767, 768. Th. thral, al; F. thralle, alle. Th. wyl; F. wille. 771. _All_ deuoutely. _All insert_ I _before_ prayde. Th. prayde; F. prayed. 772. Th. Tn. herte; F. hert. 773. F. plesance; _see_ l. 767. 774. F. worshippe. 775, 6. _All_ yere, owhere. 778. Tn. cam; F. came. 779. F. Perauenture; _see_ l. 788. _All insert_ moste _before_ able. 780. F. white walle. 781. F. cachche. 783. F. Tn. Whethir; Th. Whether; _read_ Wher (_contracted form_). F. portrey or peynt; Tn. purtrey or paynte. 784. Tn. queynte; F. queynt. 785. _All insert_ ryght _before_ so. 787. Th. Tn. conde (_for_ coude); F. kende (_for_ kenned). 788. _All_ arte.

789. Tn. kam; F. came. 790. _All_ forgate. 791. Th. chees; Tn. chese; F. ches. Tn. fyrste; F. first. _All_ crafte (_but it will not rime_). 792. _All_ lafte (_wrongly_); _read_ y-laft. 793. _All_ For-why; _read_ For? _All_ toke. _All_ yonge. 795. F. no thynge. 796. F. Thorgh. Tn. knowlechynge; F. knowlachynge. 799. Tn. firste; F. first. 800. F. goode; Th. good. 801. F. Tn. flyttynge. 802. _All ins._ That tyme (_see_ l. 797) _bef._ And. Tn. thoughte_n_; _rest_ thoght. F. Tn. varyinge. 804. F. knewe; stoode. 805. F. came. _Perhaps_ on (_or_ a) _should be omitted_. 806. _All_ ther that I; _om._ that. 808. F. euere. F. Tn. ye; Th. eye. 810. Tn. hap; F. happe. 811. F. broght; Tn. broghte. _All_ there. 813. Tn. false; F. fals. 816. Tn. tell_e_; F. tel. 817. F. Amonge these. 818. _I supply_ ther.

819. _All_ lyke (like). _I supply_ al. 821. Tn. bryght; F. bryghte. 822. Th. lyght; F. lyghte. 823. _All_ any other planete in; _see_ note. F. hevene. 824. F. sevene. 826. Th. Tn. Surmounted; F. Surmountede. Tn. B. all_e_; F. al. 828. _All ins._ of _after_ and. F. _ins._ so _before_ wel; _which_ Th. Tn. _omit_. Th. Tn. set; F. sette. 829. Th. goodlyhede; F. godelyhede. _All ins._ and _before_ so, _probably caught from the line above_. B. beseye; _rest_ besey. 830. Th. _supplies_ more; F. Tn. _omit_. _All_ sey. 831. Th. Tn. his; F. _omits_. 832. Tn. as; Th. F. al. 833. Th. stedfast; F. stedfaste. 835. F. Tn. had wel herd; _om._ wel. 838. F. y-kaught; Th. I cought; Tn. I caughte. 839. _All_ toke. 840. _All_ counseyl; _I propose_ reed. _All_ loke. 841. Th. And; F. Tn. But (_caught from_ l. 840). Th. Tn. herte; F. hest (_wrongly_). _All_ for why; _read_ for? 842. F. hert; Th. Tn. herte. 843. F. ovne; _read_ owne. 844. F. beter; Th. better; Tn. bettyr; _read_ bet. 846. Tn. B. soth; F. Th. sothe.

848. Tn. saw; F. sawgh. F. comelely; Th. comely; Tn. comly. 850. F. Lawghe; pley. 852. Th. goodly; F. goodely. 854. Tn. seyn; F. seyne. 855. _All_ on; _read_ upon. 856. Tn. seyn; F. seyne. (_For_ was _probably read_ nas.) 857. F. yelowe; broune. 858. F. Tn. thoght. Th. F. lyke; Tn. likely. Th. golde; _which_ F. Tn. _absurdly omit_. 861. F. goode. 862. F. looke. 863. F. ouertwert; Tn. ouyrthwerte; Th. ouertwhart (_sic_). Th. beset; Tn. biset; F. besette. 864. F. Tn. drewh. F. tooke. _All_ enerydele. 865. Tn. B. All_e_; F. Th. Al. 867. F. foolys; B. folys. 869. F. thynge. 870. F. lokynge. 873. Th. close; Tn. clos; F. cloos. 874. F. lokynge. Th. folyche. 876. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght.

877. Th. By; F. Tn. Be. 882. Th. trowe; F. Tn. trow. 883. Th. herte; Tn. hyrte; F. hert. 884. _All_ sate. B. lyte; Tn. lite; F. litel. Th. Tn. herte; F. hert. 885. Tn. knew; F. knowe (_sic_). F. no thynge. 886. _This line is in_ Th. _only;_ Th. _has_ knewe _(twice)._ 887. Tn. roghte; Th. F. rought. 888. Tn. ner; F. nerre. F. was; Th. Tn. nas. 889. Th. than; Tn. then; F. that. 891. Tn. gode; Th. F. good. _All_ folke. 893. F. wounder. 894. F. placis. 895. _All_ But which; _omit_ But. 898. Th. bothe; F. both. 900. _All_ eke. B. spyritz; F. spiritis. 901. _All_ grete a thynge. 902. Th. wyt; Tn. F. witte. 903. Th. F. comprehende; Tn. comprehend; _read_ comprehenden. 904. Tn. seyn; F. sayn. 905. _All insert_ white _after_ Was, _which spoils metre and story_ (_see_ l. 948). F. fressh.

908. Th. Tn. certes; F. certys. 909. _All_ faire _or_ fayre. 910, 911. B. chief; _rest_ chefe. Th. Tn. patron; F. patrone. 913. F. thynkyth. 914. Tn. B. all_e_; Th. F. al (_it is plural_). 916. _I supply_ They; Th. Ne wolde haue; Tn. Ne sholde haue; F. Ne sholde ha. _The right reading is_ They ne sholde have (They ne _being read as_ They n'). 919. Th. goodly; F. goodely. 921. Th. frendly; F. frendely. 922. F. B. Vp; Th. Tn. Vpon; _see_ l. 750. 923. Tn. B. all_e_; F. al. Tn. gode; F. goode. 924. _After_ swere _all insert_ wel (_needlessly_). Tn. rode; F. roode. 929. Th. Tn. pope; F. Pape. 930. _All ins._ yet _after_ never. Th. through; F. throgh. 931. F. gretely. 932. Th. Tn. her; F. hit (_sic_). _I supply_ ther (_cf._ l. 930); _perhaps omitted, because_ her _also ended in_ her. _All_ harme. 933. F. flaterynge; word.

937. _All_ dele. 938. _All_ worlde; wele. 939. _All_ fairenesse (fayrenes). 941. Th. Tn. B. sene; F. seen. Th. F. myssatte; Tn. missate. 942. _All badly insert_ pure (_dissyllabic_) _before_ flat; _but_ smothe _has two syllables_. Tn. flat; Th. F. flatte. 943. _All_ or; _I read_ and. 944. Th. by; _rest_ be. 946. _All_ rounde. Th. tour; F. Tn. toure. 947. Th. good; E. goode. F. gretenesse; grete. 948. B. het; _rest_ hete. 949. Th. right; F. ryghte. 950. _All_ faire. Th. bright; F. bryghte. 951. _All_ had (_but it is emphatic_). _All_ wronge. 952. _All_ longe. 953. _All_ had. 954. Th. great; F. Tn. grete. 957. Tn. bak; F. bakke. 958. B. knyw; _rest_ knewe. _All_ noon other; _perhaps read_ no maner. Tn. lak; F. lakke. 959. _All insert_ pure (_dissyllabic_) _after_ nere; _but_ limmes _is dissyllabic_. 960. Tn. fer; F. ferre. F. knowynge. 961. Th. playe; F. pley. 962. Tn. liste; F. list. Th. saye; F. sey.

963. _All_ lyke. 965. F. hathe. 969. Tn. cacche; F. cachche. Th. Tn. if; F. yif (_and in_ l. 970). 971. _All_ swere wel; _read_ sweren (_omitting the expletive_ wel). 972. _All_ thousande. 973. F. lest. 974. B. chieff; _rest_ chefe. Th. Tn. myrrour; F. meroure. Th. Tn. feste; F. fest. 975. Th. F. stonde; _read_ stonden. 976. Th. that; _which_ Tn. F. _omit_. 977. Tn. B. pleyd; F. pleyed. 978. F. thoght. Th. felaushyp; Tn. feliship; F. felysshyppe. 979. Tn. saw; F. sawgh. 981. Th. F. Trewly; Tn. Truly. B. ye; Th. F. eye (_note the rime_). 982. Th. Tn. soleyn; F. soleyne. 983. Th. lyueth; F. levyth. 984. Tn. knew; _rest_ knowe. 985. Th. goodnesse; F. godenesse. 988. Th. Tn. if; F. yif. 989. Tn. F. seyn; Th. sayne. F. alle. 990. Tn. wit; F. wytte. Th. general; F. generalle. 991. F. hoole. 992. _All_ wytte.

994. _All_ And thereto; _but_ And _is needless_. F. sawgh. 995. Th. Harmful; F. Harmeful. 996. _For_ ne had _perhaps read_ nad. 997. _I transpose_; _all have_ What harme was (_but_ harm _is monosyllabic, and the line is then bad_). 998. Tn. F. coude. Th. thynketh; F. thenketh. 1000. F. had hadde hyt hadde. 1001. _All_ dele. 1002. _All_ wele. 1003. F. al and alle. 1004. Th. principal; F. principalle. 1007. F. stedefaste. 1008. Th. Tn. B. attempre; F. atempry. 1009. Tn. knew; F. knewe. Tn. yit; F. yitte. 1010. Tn. wit; F. wytte. 1011. F. vnderstoode. 1012. F. goode. 1016. _All_ wronge. 1019. Tn. luste; F. lust 1020. _All_ wolde not; _an error for_ nolde (Koch). 1022. _All_ halfe worde.

1025. Th. F. pruyse; Tn. pruse; B. sprewse. 1027. Th. bydde; F. bid. 1028. Th. hoodlesse; F. hoodeles. _All_ in-to; _read_ to. 1029. B. hom; _rest_ home. Tn. Carrynare. 1030. F. Tn. sey; Th. _omits_. 1032. F. Worshyppe. 1034. F. wherfore. Tn. telle; F. tel. 1035. _All_ seyde (sayde). 1036. F. hooly. _All_ leyde (layde). 1037. _All_ wyfe (wife). 1038. _All_ luste. _All_ lyfe (life). 1039. Tn. F. happe; Th. hope. 1040. F. worldys. _I substitute_ lisse _for_ goddesse; _see_ note. 1041. F. hooly hires and; Th. Tn. holy hers and; B. hooly hyres. 1042. F. oure. 1043. Th. beset; F. besette; Tn. yset. 1044. F. myght haue doo bette. 1045. Th. Tn. Bet; F. Bette. F. wele. 1046. F. hit wel sir; Th. Tn. _om._ hit wel. 1047. F. sire. 1048. _All_ trewly. 1049. Th. Tn. beste; F. best. 1050. Tn. fayreste; F. fayrest. 1051. _All ins_. her _after_ loked. 1052. Tn. B. all_e_; F. al.

1053. _All_ swore; _read_ sworen. 1054. _Perhaps read_ nadde. 1056. F. had hadde (_better_ hadde had). 1057. _All_ Alcipyades. 1060. Th. Tn. Alisaundre; F. Alisaunder. ? _omit_ al _or_ the. 1064. Th. therto; F. Tn. to (_see_ 1059). Th. Tn. al so; F. also as. 1066. Tn. slow; F. slough. 1067. Tn. therfor; F. ther fore. 1069. Tn. slayn; F. slayne. Th. Tn. Antilegius; F. Antylegyus. 1071. _I supply_ hir. 1074. Tn. moste; F. most. 1075. _All insert_ trewly _after_ nay; _we must omit it_. 1075, 6. F. nowe, howe. 1077. Th. good; F. goode. F. hert. 1078. _All_ eke. 1081. _All ins._ was _after_ ever. Th. Penelope; F. Penelopee; Tn. penelapie; _read_ Pénelóp'. 1082. _All_ wyfe (wife).

1083: Th. beste; F. best. 1084: Tn. romayn; F. Romayne. 1088: _All_ wherfore. 1089: F. firste. Th. sey; F. say. 1090: _All_ yonge. _I supply_ the. 1091: F. grete nede. 1093: F. grete. 1094: _All_ wytte. Tn. best; F. beste. 1095: _All_ yonge. F. childely wytte. 1097: B. beste; _rest_ best. 1098: F. worshippe. Th. F. _insert_ the _before_ servyse; _but_ Tn. _omits_. 1099: _All_ coude tho; _read_ tho coude. Tn. by; F. be. 1100: F. Feynynge. 1101: Tn. fayn; F. feyne. 1103: Tn. saw; F. sawgh. 1104: Th. warysshed; F. Tn. warshed. 1106: F. thoght. 1108: Tn. sit; Th. syt; F. sytte. Th. Tn. in; F. _om._ 1110: Th. out; Tn. F. oute. 1111: _All_ trewly.

1114. _All_ shrifte (shryfte). 1117. Tn. certes; F. certis. 1118. Tn. Achitofell; F. Achetofel. 1120. Tn. traytour; F. traytore. Tn. F. B. betraysed; Th. betrayed. 1121. Th. false; F. fals. _All_ Genellon. 1123. Tn. rowland; F. Rowlande. 1124. _All_ while (whyle). 1126. F. good; Tn. gode. _I supply_ right. 1127. _All_ tolde. B. her-; F. here-. 1128. _All_ nede. F. Th. Tn. _insert_ to _after_ need; B. _omits it_. Tn. hit; Th. it; F. _om._ 1129. Tn. sawe; F. sawgh. Th. first; F. firste. 1130. Tn. telle; F. tel. 1131. Tn. her; F. hire. B. firste; _rest_ first. 1133. _All_ knewe (_subjunctive_). 1135. _All_ eke. 1136. Tn. her-; F. here-. 1137. Tn. seyde he; F. he seyde. F. menyst. 1138. F. wenyst. 1139. Tn. los; F. losse. _I supply_ sir. 1141. F. doon; Tn. Th. done (_read_ y-doon). 1142. F. bathe lefte.

1143. Th. tel; F. telle. Th. al; F. alle. 1144. Th. shal; F. shalle. 1145. _All_ say. Tn. seyd; F. seyde. 1146. Tn. leyd; F. leyde. 1147. _All needlessly insert_ not (_or_ nat) _after_ hit. 1150. F. tel. 1153. Tn. herte; F. hert. 1154. Th. asterte; F. astert. 1155. _Omit_ But for? F. _ins._ so _before_ fro; Tn. Th. _omit_. 1158. _All_ songe. 1159. F. Th. Tn. _ins._ this (B. thus) _before_ a. F. grete dele. 1160. _All_ wele. 1161. Th. Tn. ne; B. to; F. the (!). F. knowe (_infin._); Tn. know; Th. knewe (_wrongly_). _All_ the arte; _perhaps read_ that art. 1162. Th. Lamekes; F. lamekys. Th. Tubal; F. Tuballe; Tn. B. Tuballe. 1163. B. fonde; _rest_ founde. Th. first; F. firste. _All_ songe. 1164. Tn. brothers; F. brothres. 1165. Th. anuelt; Tn. anuelte; F. Anuelet. Tn. doun; F. doon. 1166. F. tooke. B. fyrste; _rest_ first. Tn. soune; F. soon. 1167. Th. of Pithagoras. 1168. Tn. fyrste; F. first. 1169. _All_ arte.

1171. F. Algatis. 1172. F. felynge; hert 1173. Th. this; F. Tn. thus. _I supply_ the. Tn. firste; F. first. 1174. Th. werst; Tn. F. _repeat_ first. _I supply_ that. 1175. _All_ Lorde. Tn. herte; F. hert. 1178. _All_ myght (might). 1180. _All_ faire (fayre). 1181. _All_ tolde. Tn. soth; F. sothe. _All_ say. 1182. Tn. firste; F. first. _All_ songe; _all_ day. 1183. Tn. bethoghte; F. bethoght. 1185. F. wyst. 1186. Tn. tell_e_; F. tel. _All_ durst. 1187. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. F. rede. 1188. _All_ am; _grammar requires_ nam. F. dede. 1189. Tn. if; F. yif. _All_ sey (say), _after which ryght is needlessly inserted; I omit it_. Tn. soth; F. sothe. 1190. Tn. wroth; F. wrothe. 1192. _All_ debate. 1193. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. F. brast; Th. Tn. braste (_subj._). Tn. a tweyn; F. a tweyne. 1194. _All_ at the; _read_ atte. Tn. seyn; F. sayne. 1195. _All_ bethoght (bethought) me. 1197. _All_ trewly _or_ truly. 1198. F. wyth oute; _read_ withouten.

1201. F. nedys; Mawgree. Th. heed; F. hede. 1202. Tn. moste; F. most. _All_ tolde. Th. deed; F. dede. 1203. Th. began; F. beganne (!). 1204. _All_ reherse _or_ reherce; _but read_ rehersen. 1205, 6. _All_ eke. Th. -al, dismal; F. Tn. -alle, dismalle. 1208. _All_ worde. 1210. F. wordys. Tn. mysset; F. mys sette. 1212. F. quakynge. 1213. F. styntynge. 1215. Tn. wex; F. wexe. Th. reed; F. rede. 1216. F. Bowynge. Th. heed; F. hede. 1218. Tn. wit; F. witte. _All_ maner. 1220. _All_ sate (!). 1221. _All_ at the; _read_ atte. Tn. soth; F. sothe. Tn. seyn; F. seyne. 1222. Tn. herte; F. hert. Tn. agayn; F. ageyne. 1223. Th. shortly; F. shortely. Th. al; Tn. B. all_e_; F. at (!). 1226. _All_ swore (!). 1228. F. fresshly.

1230. F. worshippe. 1231. _All_ swore _or_ swere(!). 1232. Th. al; F. alle. 1234. _All ins._ to _before_ false. 1235. Tn. wisse; F. wysse; B. wys. 1237. _All_ wote (!). 1238. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. 1239. _All ins._ ryght _before_ as. 1242. F. wordys. 1244. Th. Al; F. Alle. 1248. Th. Troye; F. Troy. 1250. Tn. durste; F. durst. 1251. F. stale. 1253. _All_ trewly. _All_ nede. 1254. _All_ hede. 1256. _All_ fonde _or_ founde.

1261. F. vnderstode. 1262. Th. thyng; F. Tn. B. no thynge; _but_ no _is not required by idiom or metre_. _All_ goode, gode. 1263. F. worshippe. 1264. _All_ al (_or_ alle) thynges; _but_ al thing _is the right idiom_. Th. drede; Tn. to drede; F. dred. 1266. _For_ And _read_ That (Lange). 1267. _All_ harme. 1268. Tn. knew; F. knewe. 1269. F. hooly. 1270. F. yifte. 1271. F. Savynge hir worshippe. 1273. _All_ rynge (!). 1274. Tn. firste; F. first. Th. thyng; F. thynge. 1275. Tn. if; F. yif. Tn. herte; F. hert. 1276. Tn. Glad; F. Gladde. _All_ nede. 1279. Tn. all_e_; F. al. 1281. _All_ trewly (treuly). 1282. Th. Tn. B. the; _which_ F. _omits_. 1284. Th. debonairly; F. debonairely. 1285. Tn. B. all_e_ (_first time_); _the rest_ al. B. all_e_ (_second time_); _rest_ al. 1286. F. tooke. 1289. F. Oure. Th. F. werne; Tn. weren. Th. euen; F. evene. 1290. Th. Tn. contrayre; F. contrarye.

1293. _All_ eke. 1294. _All_ glad. 1300. Tn. B. wex; F. waxe; Th. woxe. Th. deed; F. dede. 1302. Tn. los; F. losse. 1303. F. hadde; _rest_ had. _All_ lorne (!). 1304. F. Bethenke. F. herebeforne. 1305. F. menyst. 1306. F. wenyst. 1307. F. wote. 1309. Th. deed; F. ded. Tn. bi; F. be. 1310. F. youre. Tn. los; F. losse. Th. by; F. be. 1312. _Read rather_ They gonne forth straken (_or_ striken). 1313. Th. hart; F. Tn. herte (!). 1314. F. thoght; kynge. 1315. _I supply_ quikly; _the line is too short_. 1316. _All insert_ was _after_ place. 1318. _All_ longe. F. wallys. 1319. Th. Tn. By; F. Be. Th. hyl; F. Tn. hille. 1320. Th. fyl; F. Tn. fille (!).

1322. F. castell. _All ins._ ther _before_ was. 1323. Th. smytte; F. Tn. smyte; _read_ smiten (_pp._). Th. houres; F. oures. 1324. F. awooke. 1325. _All_ fonde _or_ founde. F. lyinge. Tn. bed; F. bedde. 1326. F. booke. Tn. had red; F. hadde redde. 1327. Th. Alcyone; F. Alchione. F. kynge. 1328. F. goddys of slepynge. 1329. Tn. euyn; F. evene. 1330. Tn. Thoghte; F. Thoght. Tn. sweuyn; F. sweuene. 1331. Th. by; F. be. 1332. _All_ put. Tn. sweuyn; F. sweuene. 1334. Tn. sweuyn; F. sweuene. COLOPHON; _so in_ F. B.

* * * * *

IV. THE COMPLEYNT OF MARS.

_The Proem._

Gladeth, ye foules, of the morow gray, Lo! Venus risen among yon rowes rede! And floures fresshe, honoureth ye this day; For when the sonne uprist, then wol ye sprede. But ye lovers, that lye in any drede, 5 Fleëth, lest wikked tonges yow espye; Lo! yond the sonne, the candel of Ielosye!

With teres blewe, and with a wounded herte Taketh your leve; and, with seynt Iohn to borow, Apeseth somwhat of your sorowes smerte, 10 Tyme cometh eft, that cese shal your sorow; The glade night is worth an hevy morow!'-- (Seynte Valentyne! a foul thus herde I singe Upon thy day, er sonne gan up-springe).--

Yet sang this foul--'I rede yow al a-wake, 15 And ye, that han not chosen in humble wyse, Without repenting cheseth yow your make. And ye, that han ful chosen as I devyse, Yet at the leste renoveleth your servyse; Confermeth it perpetuely to dure, 20 And paciently taketh your aventure.

And for the worship of this hye feste, Yet wol I, in my briddes wyse, singe The sentence of the compleynt, at the leste, That woful Mars made atte departinge 35 Fro fresshe Venus in a morweninge, Whan Phebus, with his fyry torches rede, Ransaked every lover in his drede.

_The Story._

¶ Whylom the thridde hevenes lord above, As wel by hevenish revolucioun 30 As by desert, hath wonne Venus his love, And she hath take him in subieccioun, And as a maistresse taught him his lessoun, Comaunding him that never, in hir servyse, He nere so bold no lover to despyse. 35

For she forbad him Ielosye at alle, And cruelte, and bost, and tirannye; She made him at hir lust so humble and talle, That when hir deyned caste on him her yë, He took in pacience to live or dye; 40 And thus she brydeleth him in hir manere, With no-thing but with scourging of hir chere.

Who regneth now in blisse but Venus, That hath this worthy knight in governaunce? Who singeth now but Mars, that serveth thus 45 The faire Venus, causer of plesaunce? He bynt him to perpetual obeisaunce, And she bynt hir to loven him for ever, But so be that his trespas hit dissever.

Thus be they knit, and regnen as in heven 50 By loking most; til hit fil, on a tyde, That by hir bothe assent was set a steven, That Mars shal entre, as faste as he may glyde, Into hir nexte paleys, to abyde, Walking his cours til she had him a-take, 55 And he preyde hir to haste hir for his sake.

Then seyde he thus--"myn hertes lady swete, Ye knowe wel my mischef in that place; For sikerly, til that I with yow mete, My lyf stant ther in aventure and grace; 60 But when I see the beaute of your face, Ther is no dreed of deth may do me smerte, For al your lust is ese to myn herte."

She hath so gret compassion of hir knight, That dwelleth in solitude til she come; 65 For hit stood so, that ilke tyme, no wight Counseyled him, ne seyde to him welcome, That nigh hir wit for wo was overcome; Wherfore she spedde hir as faste in hir weye, Almost in oon day, as he dide in tweye. 70

The grete Ioye that was betwix hem two, Whan they be met, ther may no tunge telle, Ther is no more, but unto bed they go, And thus in Ioye and blisse I let hem dwelle; This worthy Mars, that is of knighthod welle, 75 The flour of fairnes lappeth in his armes, And Venus kisseth Mars, the god of armes.

Soiourned hath this Mars, of which I rede, In chambre amid the paleys prively A certeyn tyme, til him fel a drede, 80 Through Phebus, that was comen hastely Within the paleys-yates sturdely, With torche in honde, of which the stremes brighte On Venus chambre knokkeden ful lighte.

The chambre, ther as lay this fresshe quene, 85 Depeynted was with whyte boles grete, And by the light she knew, that shoon so shene, That Phebus cam to brenne hem with his hete; This sely Venus, dreynt in teres wete, Enbraceth Mars, and seyde, "alas! I dye! 90 The torch is come, that al this world wol wrye."

Up sterte Mars, him liste not to slepe, Whan he his lady herde so compleyne; But, for his nature was not for to wepe, In stede of teres, fro his eyen tweyne 95 The fyry sparkes brosten out for peyne; And hente his hauberk, that lay him besyde; Flee wolde he not, ne mighte him-selven hyde.

He throweth on his helm of huge wighte, And girt him with his swerde; and in his honde 100 His mighty spere, as he was wont to fighte, He shaketh so that almost it to-wonde; Ful hevy he was to walken over londe; He may not holde with Venus companye, But bad hir fleen, lest Phebus hir espye. 105

O woful Mars! alas! what mayst thou seyn, That in the paleys of thy disturbaunce Art left behinde, in peril to be sleyn? And yet ther-to is double thy penaunce, For she, that hath thyn herte in governaunce, 110 Is passed halfe the stremes of thyn yën; That thou nere swift, wel mayst thou wepe and cryen.

Now fleeth Venus un-to Cylenius tour, With voide cours, for fere of Phebus light. Alas! and ther ne hath she no socour, 115 For she ne fond ne saw no maner wight; And eek as ther she had but litil might; Wher-for, hir-selven for to hyde and save, Within the gate she fledde into a cave.

Derk was this cave, and smoking as the helle, 120 Not but two pas within the gate hit stood; A naturel day in derk I lete hir dwelle. Now wol I speke of Mars, furious and wood; For sorow he wolde have seen his herte blood; Sith that he mighte hir don no companye, 125 He ne roghte not a myte for to dye.

So feble he wex, for hete and for his wo, That nigh he swelt, he mighte unnethe endure; He passeth but oo steyre in dayes two, But ner the les, for al his hevy armure, 130 He foloweth hir that is his lyves cure; For whos departing he took gretter yre Thanne for al his brenning in the fyre.

After he walketh softely a pas, Compleyning, that hit pite was to here. 135 He seyde, "O lady bright, Venus! alas! That ever so wyde a compas is my spere! Alas! whan shal I mete yow, herte dere, This twelfte day of April I endure, Through Ielous Phebus, this misaventure." 140

Now god helpe sely Venus allone! But, as god wolde, hit happed for to be, That, whyl that Venus weping made hir mone, Cylenius, ryding in his chevauchè, Fro Venus valance mighte his paleys see, 145 And Venus he salueth, and maketh chere, And hir receyveth as his frend ful dere.

Mars dwelleth forth in his adversite, Compleyning ever on hir departinge; And what his compleynt was, remembreth me; 150 And therfore, in this lusty morweninge, As I best can, I wol hit seyn and singe, And after that I wol my leve take; And God yeve every wight Ioye of his make!

The compleynt of Mars.

_The Proem of the Compleynt._

¶ The ordre of compleynt requireth skilfully, 155 That if a wight shal pleyne pitously, There mot be cause wherfor that men pleyne; Or men may deme he pleyneth folily And causeles; alas! that am not I! Wherfor the ground and cause of al my peyne, 160 So as my troubled wit may hit ateyne, I wol reherse; not for to have redresse, But to declare my ground of hevinesse.

_Devotion._

¶ The firste tyme, alas! that I was wroght, And for certeyn effectes hider broght 165 By him that lordeth ech intelligence, I yaf my trewe servise and my thoght, For evermore--how dere I have hit boght!-- To hir, that is of so gret excellence, That what wight that first sheweth his presence, 170 When she is wroth and taketh of him no cure, He may not longe in Ioye of love endure.

This is no feyned mater that I telle; My lady is the verrey sours and welle Of beaute, lust, fredom, and gentilnesse, 175 Of riche aray--how dere men hit selle!-- Of al disport in which men frendly dwelle, Of love and pley, and of benigne humblesse, Of soune of instruments of al swetnesse; And therto so wel fortuned and thewed, 180 That through the world hir goodnesse is y-shewed.

What wonder is then, thogh that I besette My servise on suche oon, that may me knette To wele or wo, sith hit lyth in hir might? Therfor my herte for ever I to hir hette; 185 Ne trewly, for my dethe, I shal not lette To ben hir trewest servaunt and hir knight. I flater noght, that may wite every wight; For this day in hir servise shal I dye; But grace be, I see hir never with yë. 190

_A Lady in fear and woe._

¶ To whom shal I than pleyne of my distresse? Who may me helpe, who may my harm redresse? Shal I compleyne unto my lady free? Nay, certes! for she hath such hevinesse, For fere and eek for wo, that, as I gesse, 195 In litil tyme hit wol hir bane be. But were she sauf, hit wer no fors of me. Alas! that ever lovers mote endure, For love, so many a perilous aventure!

For thogh so be that lovers be as trewe 200 As any metal that is forged newe, In many a cas hem tydeth ofte sorowe. Somtyme hir ladies will not on hem rewe, Somtyme, yif that Ielosye hit knewe, They mighten lightly leye hir heed to borowe; 205 Somtyme envyous folke with tunges horowe Depraven hem; alas! whom may they plese? But he be fals, no lover hath his ese.

But what availeth suche a long sermoun Of aventures of love, up and doun? 210 I wol returne and speken of my peyne; The point is this of my destruccioun, My righte lady, my salvacioun, Is in affray, and not to whom to pleyne. O herte swete, O lady sovereyne! 215 For your disese, wel oghte I swoune and swelte, Thogh I non other harm ne drede felte.

_Instability of Happiness._

¶ To what fyn made the god that sit so hye, Benethen him, love other companye, And streyneth folk to love, malgre hir hede? 220 And then hir Ioye, for oght I can espye, Ne lasteth not the twinkeling of an yë, And somme han never Ioye til they be dede. What meneth this? what is this mistihede? Wherto constreyneth he his folk so faste 225 Thing to desyre, but hit shulde laste?

And thogh he made a lover love a thing, And maketh hit seme stedfast and during, Yet putteth he in hit such misaventure, That reste nis ther noon in his yeving. 230 And that is wonder, that so Iust a king Doth such hardnesse to his creature. Thus, whether love breke or elles dure, Algates he that hath with love to done Hath ofter wo then changed is the mone. 235

Hit semeth he hath to lovers enmite, And lyk a fissher, as men alday may see, Baiteth his angle-hook with som plesaunce, Til mony a fish is wood til that he be Sesed ther-with; and then at erst hath he 240 Al his desyr, and ther-with al mischaunce; And thogh the lyne breke, he hath penaunce; For with the hoke he wounded is so sore, That he his wages hath for ever-more.

_The Brooch of Thebes._

¶ The broche of Thebes was of suche a kinde, 245 So ful of rubies and of stones Inde, That every wight, that sette on hit an yë, He wende anon to worthe out of his minde; So sore the beaute wolde his herte binde, Til he hit hadde, him thoghte he moste dye; 250 And whan that hit was his, than shulde he drye Such wo for drede, ay whyl that he hit hadde, That welnigh for the fere he shulde madde.

And whan hit was fro his possessioun, Than had he double wo and passioun 255 For he so fair a tresor had forgo; But yet this broche, as in conclusioun, Was not the cause of this confusioun; But he that wroghte hit enfortuned hit so, That every wight that had hit shuld have wo; 260 And therfor in the worcher was the vyce, And in the covetour that was so nyce.

So fareth hit by lovers and by me; For thogh my lady have so gret beaute, That I was mad til I had gete hir grace, 265 She was not cause of myn adversite, But he that wroghte hir, also mot I thee, That putte suche a beaute in hir face, That made me to covete and purchace Myn owne deth; him wyte I that I dye, 270 And myn unwit, that ever I clomb so hye.

_An Appeal for Sympathy._

¶ But to yow, hardy knightes of renoun, Sin that ye be of my divisioun, Al be I not worthy to so grete a name, Yet, seyn these clerkes, I am your patroun; 275 Ther-for ye oghte have som compassioun Of my disese, and take it noght a-game. The proudest of yow may be mad ful tame; Wherfor I prey yow, of your gentilesse, That ye compleyne for myn hevinesse. 280

And ye, my ladies, that ben trewe and stable, By way of kinde, ye oghten to be able To have pite of folk that be in peyne: Now have ye cause to clothe yow in sable; Sith that your emperice, the honorable, 285 Is desolat, wel oghte ye to pleyne; Now shuld your holy teres falle and reyne. Alas! your honour and your emperice, Nigh deed for drede, ne can hir not chevise.

Compleyneth eek, ye lovers, al in-fere, 290 For hir that, with unfeyned humble chere, Was ever redy to do yow socour; Compleyneth hir that ever hath had yow dere; Compleyneth beaute, fredom, and manere; Compleyneth hir that endeth your labour; 295 Compleyneth thilke ensample of al honour, That never dide but al gentilesse; Kytheth therfor on hir som kindenesse.' 298

1. Ar. foules; Ju. fowles; T. fooles (!); Harl. floures (_see_ l. 3); F. Tn. lovers (_wrongly_). F. Harl. on; Tn. in; _rest_ of. 2. Ar. the; F. Harl. yow; Tn. Ju. you; T. your (_wrongly_; Thynne (1532) _has_ yon, _which, after all, is clearly right_). 3. T. Ar. honoureth: F. Tn. honouren. F. the (!); _rest_ ye. F. Tn. T. day; Ju. Harl. Ar. may (!) 4. F. Harl. sunne; _rest_ sonne. Ar. vp risith. Ju. T. Ar. ye; F. they (!); Tn. the (!); Harl. he (!!). 5. Ar. any; F. eny. 7. F. Loo yonde; sunne; Ialosye. 8. F. blew; hert. 9. F. sent; Ar. seynt. 10. F. sum-; smert. 11. Ar. eft; Th. efte; T. efft; F. ofte. 12. Tn. Th. glade; F. glad. 13. F. foule; herd. 14. F. your; Ar. the; _rest_ thy. F. sunne.

15. F. sange; foule. 17-19. _in wrong order in_ F. Tn. 17. T. you; Ar. [gh]ow; Ju. ye; _rest om._ 19. F. this fest; _rest_ the leste (lest, leest). 22. F. high_e_; Tn. high; _rest_ hye. F. fest. 24. F. lest. 25. F. departyng; _see_ l. 149. 26. F. morwnyng (_see_ Kn. Tale, 204). 28. F. _ins._ hath _bef._ every; Tn. hat; Ju. had; _rest om._ 29. T. thridde; F. thrid. 35. Ju. Ar. nere; F. T. ner. F. bolde; dispise. 38. F. (_only_) _om._ him. F. calle (_for_ talle); Harl. talle; Ju. Ar. tall; T. tal. 39. F. to cast; Ju. T. _rightly omit_ to. 40. F. toke. 41. F. maner. 42. Ju. scourgyng; T. skowrging_e_; Ar. scurgeing; Tn. schouryng (_sic_); F. stering; Th. scornyng, _and ed._ 1561 scorni_n_g (_probably a substitution_). F. cher.

46. F. fair. 48. T. Ar. loven; _rest_ loue. 49. Tn. trespas; F. trespace. T. Ar. disseuer; F. deseuer. 51. T. Ju. Tn. By; F. Be. 53. F. fast. 54. Tn. nexte; F. next. 55. Ar. our_e_-take. 56. T. preyde; F. preiede. F. faste (!); Harl. hasten; _rest_ haste. 57. F. hertis; suete. 58. F. myschefe. 59. F. sikirly. 60. F. lyfe. 62. F. smert. 63. F. alle; hert. 64. F. grete. F. on; _rest_ of. 66. F. stode. 67. Jn. Harl. T. Ar. _ins._ there _after 1st_ him. 68. F. nyghe; witte. F. sorowe; Tn. sorow; _rest_ wo, woo. 69. T. spedde; F. sped. T. Ar. als; _rest_ as. F. fast; wey. 70. F. dyd; twey.

71. Ar. betuix; F. betwex; _rest_ bytwene. 72. F. When; mette; tel. 74. F. duel. 75. F. knyghthode wel. 76. F. feyrenesse. 81. F. Throgh. 82. F. (_alone_) _inserts_ ful _before_ sturdely. 83. F. bryght. 84. Ju. Th. knockeden; Harl. knokkid_e_; Tn. knokked; F. knokken (_wrongly; a copy in_ MS. Pepys 2006 _rightly has_ knokkeden). 87. F. shone. 88. Tn. T. brenne; F. bren. 89. F. cely (_for_ sely); Tn. Ju. sely. MSS. nygh dreynt; _omit_ nygh. 92. Tn. sterte; F. stert. Tn. liste; F. lust. 95. Tn. stede; F. stid. F. twyne. 97. F. hent; hauberke; ley. 98. F. wold; myght.

99. Tn. Ju. T. throweth; F. thrwe (_badly_). F. helme; wyght. 101. F. fyght. 102. Ar. to-wound; Harl. to-wond; _rest_ to-wonde. 103. Ar. he was; _rest_ was he. 108. F. (_alone_) _inserts_ thou _after_ Art. 110. F. hert. 112. Tn. Ju. Th. nere; F. ner. 113. F. Tn. in to; Harl. to _rest_ vn to. Ju. Cylenius; Harl. Cylenyus; Ar. Cilenius; T. Celenius; Tn. cilinius; F. cilinios. F. toure. 115. Harl. T. ne; Ar. so; _rest om._ 116. F. founde; saugh. 117. F. eke. 119. Harl. T. fledde; Tn. Ju. Ar. fled; F. fel. 120. F. Derke; hel. 121. F. pales; _rest_ pas (pace). F. stode. 122. F. let; duel. 123. _So all._ F. wode. 124. F. wold; sene; hert blode. 125. F. myght. Harl. done hir; Ju. doo her; T. Ar. do hir; F. Tn. haue done her; _read_ hir don. 126. Tn. roghte; Ju. Harl. Ar. rought; F. thoght (!).

128. F. myght. 129. Harl. o; T. oon; Ju. one; _rest_ a. Tn. Ju. Harl. steyre; T. stayre; F. sterre (!). 130. F. lesse. 132. F. toke. 133. Harl. T. Thanne; F. Then. 134. F. paas. 135. F. heree. 137. F. speree. 138. F. hert. 139. T. twelfft (_but read_ twelfte); Ju. twelfth; Harl. Ar. twelf (_wrongly_); F. Tn. xij. F. dayes; Tn. days; _rest_ day (_rightly_). 140. F. Throgh Ielouse. 141. _Read_ helpe god (Koch). 143. F. while. 144. Ju. Cylenius; F. Cilinius. Tn. Lt. cheuauche; F. cheuache. 145. F. Ju. Fro; Ar. From; Tn. Harl. T. For. Ar. valance; Tn. valauns; F. Valaunses; Th. (ed. 1532) Valanus (_for_ Valauns?); Ju. balance; Harl. T. balaunce. 147. F. frende. 151. F. morwnynge. 154. Ju. Th. yeue; F. yif. F. Ioy.

TITLE. _In_ F. Ar. Ju.; T. Complaint of mars. 156. F. pleyn. 157. F. wherfore; pleyn. 158. F. Other; _rest_ Or. Ju. Ar. folily; F. folely. 160. F. grounde; peyn. 161. F. witte; ateyn. 163. F. grounde. 164. F. first. 166. Tn. By; F. Be. 167. F. trwe; Tn. trewe. 169. F. That (_by mistake_); _rest_ To. F. excelence. 171. F. wrothe. 175. F. fredam. 179. F. Instrumentes. 181. F. thorow; worlde.

182. _All but_ Tn. Th. _om._ that. T. besette; F. beset. 183. T. oone; Tn. Ar. one; F. on (_twice_). F. knet; Ar. knett; _rest_ knette. 184. F. lythe. 185. F. Therfore. F. hert. Ju. Th. hette; Ar. het; F. T. hight; Tn. set; (Longleat MS. _has_ hette). 186. F. truly. Tn. Ju. T. shal I. F. let. 187. F. truest; Tn. Ar. trewest. 188. Tn. wite; F. wete; T. wit; Ju. knowe. 191. T. thane (_for_ than); _rest omit_. 192. F. harme. 193. F. compleyn. 195. F. eke. 197. Ju. Ar. sauf; T. sauff; F. Tn. safe. 200. Tn. thogh; F. tho. 201. Tn. any; F. eny. 202. Tn. many; F. mony. T. Ar. cas; F. case. 203. F. Somme; _rest_ Somtyme. Ju. T. Ar. lady. 204. Ar. gif; _rest_ if, yf; _read_ yif. 205. F. ley; hede. 207. Ju. T. Th. Deprauen; Ar. Depeynen; F. Tn. Dep_ar_ten.

209. F. longe. 210. _Read_ lov-e (e _unelided_). F. dovne. 213. Tn. righte; F. right. F. sauacyou_n_; _rest_ saluacioun. 214. F. pleyn. 215. F. hert suete. F. Tn. o; Ar. and; T. and my; Ju. _om._ 216. F. I oght wel; Tn. I oghte wel; Ju. T. Ar. wel ought I. Ju. swowne; Ar. suoun; T. swoone; Tn. swone; F. sowne. F. swelt. 217. F. none; harme; felt. 218. Ju. fyn; _rest_ fyne. F. sitte; T. sit. 219. T. Tn. Ju. him; Ar. thame; F. _om._ F. other (= or); Tn. othyr (= or); Ju. T. or. 220. F. folke. 221. F. Ioy. 222. Tn. ye; _rest_ eye. 223. F. Ioy. 225. F. folke; fast. 226. F. shuld last. 228. F. stidfast. 229. Ju. put; Ar. puttis. 230. Tn. T. reste; F. rest. T. noon; Ar. non; Ju. none; F. _om._ 231. F. Iuste.

236. Tn. enmyte; F. enemyte. 237. F. lyke. 238. Tn. Ju. Bayteth; F. Bateth. Ju. hook; F. hoke. Tn. som; F. summe. 239. F. fissch; wode. F. to; _rest_ til. 241. F. desire. 244. F. hathe. 245. F. such. 246. F. Tn. Ar. stones of; Jn. T. _om._ of; _see_ Rom. Rose, 67. 247. T. Th. sette; Ar. sett; _rest_ set. 248. Tn. wende; F. wend. 249. F. wold; hert. 250. T. hade; _rest_ had. F. thoght. Tn. moste; F. must. 251. F. Ju. _om._ that. F. (_only_) _om._ his. F. shuld. 252. Ju. T. hadde; F. had. 253. Ju. sholde madde; F. shuld mad. 256. F. feir; tresore (Tn. Iuel). 259. F. wroght. Tn. Th. enfortuned; T. enfortund; F. enfortune (!). 261. F. therfore.

267. F. wroght. Ju. Ar. also; T. als; F. Tn. as. 268. F. Tn. Ju. Ar. put (_for_ putte); T. list to putte. Tn. Ju. a; F. T. Ar. _om._ 269. T. Ar. to; _rest om._ F. coueten; Tn. Ju. coueyten; (_but_ to covete _is better_). 270. F. ovne; Th. owne; Ju. T. Ar. owen. F. dethe. 271. F. ovne witte; Tn. _and rest_ vnwit. F. clombe. 273. F. deuisioun. 274. _Perhaps omit_ to (_as_ T.). 276. F. Therefore; oght; somme. 278. Tn. proudest; F. pruddest. Ar. maid; _rest_ made (_for_ mad, _pp._). 279. F. Wherfore. 280. F. Tn. compleyn; Ju. Ar. compleyne; T. compleynen. 281. Ar. trewe; F. true. 282. Ar. By; F. Be. 283. F. folke; peyn. 285. Tn. emperice; F. emperise (_and in_ l. 288). 286. Tn. oghte; F. oght; Ar. aughten. 289. F. Negh ded.

290. F. eke. 293. Tn. Compleyneth; F. Comple_n_ (_by mistake_); _see next line_. 297. Tn. dide; Ju. dyde; _rest_ did. T. al; Ju. all; Ar. alway; F. Tn. _om._ 298. Ar. sum; F. summe.

* * * * *

V. THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES.

_The Proem._

The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne, Thassay so hard, so sharp the conquering, The dredful Ioy, that alwey slit so yerne, Al this mene I by love, that my feling Astonyeth with his wonderful worching 5 So sore y-wis, that whan I on him thinke, Nat wot I wel wher that I wake or winke.

For al be that I knowe not love in dede, Ne wot how that he quyteth folk hir hyre, Yet happeth me ful ofte in bokes rede 10 Of his miracles, and his cruel yre; Ther rede I wel he wol be lord and syre, I dar not seyn, his strokes been so sore, But God save swich a lord! I can no more.

Of usage, what for luste what for lore, 15 On bokes rede I ofte, as I yow tolde. But wherfor that I speke al this? not yore Agon, hit happed me for to beholde Upon a boke, was write with lettres olde; And ther-upon, a certeyn thing to lerne, 20 The longe day ful faste I radde and yerne.

For out of olde feldes, as men seith, Cometh al this newe corn fro yeer to yere; And out of olde bokes, in good feith, Cometh al this newe science that men lere. 25 But now to purpos as of this matere-- To rede forth hit gan me so delyte, That al the day me thoughte but a lyte.

This book of which I make mencioun, Entitled was al thus, as I shal telle, 30 Tullius of the dreme of Scipioun'; Chapitres seven hit hadde, of hevene and helle, And erthe, and soules that therinne dwelle, Of whiche, as shortly as I can hit trete, Of his sentence I wol you seyn the grete. 35

First telleth hit, whan Scipioun was come In Afrik, how he mette Massinisse, That him for Ioye in armes hath y nome. Than telleth [hit] hir speche and al the blisse That was betwix hem, til the day gan misse; 40 And how his auncestre, African so dere, Gan in his slepe that night to him appere.

Than telleth hit that, fro a sterry place, How African hath him Cartage shewed, And warned him before of al his grace, 45 And seyde him, what man, lered other lewed, That loveth comun profit, wel y-thewed, He shal unto a blisful place wende, Ther as Ioye is that last withouten ende.

Than asked he, if folk that heer be dede 50 Have lyf and dwelling in another place; And African seyde, 'ye, withoute drede,' And that our present worldes lyves space Nis but a maner deth, what wey we trace, And rightful folk shal go, after they dye, 55 To heven; and shewed him the galaxye.

Than shewed he him the litel erthe, that heer is, At regard of the hevenes quantite; And after shewed he him the nyne speres, And after that the melodye herde he 60 That cometh of thilke speres thryes three, That welle is of musyke and melodye In this world heer, and cause of armonye.

Than bad he him, sin erthe was so lyte, And ful of torment and of harde grace, 65 That he ne shulde him in the world delyte. Than tolde he him, in certeyn yeres space, That every sterre shulde come into his place Ther hit was first; and al shulde out of minde That in this worlde is don of al mankinde. 70

Than prayde him Scipioun to telle him al The wey to come un-to that hevene blisse; And he seyde, 'know thy-self first immortal, And loke ay besily thou werke and wisse To comun profit, and thou shalt nat misse 75 To comen swiftly to that place dere, That ful of blisse is and of soules clere.

But brekers of the lawe, soth to seyne, And lecherous folk, after that they be dede, Shul alwey whirle aboute therthe in peyne, 80 Til many a world be passed, out of drede, And than, for-yeven alle hir wikked dede, Than shul they come unto that blisful place, To which to comen god thee sende his grace!'--

The day gan failen, and the derke night, 85 That reveth bestes from hir besinesse, Berafte me my book for lakke of light, And to my bedde I gan me for to dresse, Fulfild of thought and besy hevinesse; For bothe I hadde thing which that I nolde, 90 And eek I ne hadde that thing that I wolde.

But fynally my spirit, at the laste, For-wery of my labour al the day, Took rest, that made me to slepe faste, And in my slepe I mette, as I lay, 95 How African, right in that selfe aray That Scipioun him saw before that tyde, Was comen, and stood right at my beddes syde.

The wery hunter, slepinge in his bed, To wode ayein his minde goth anoon; 100 The Iuge dremeth how his plees ben sped; The carter dremeth how his cartes goon; The riche, of gold; the knight fight with his foon, The seke met he drinketh of the tonne; The lover met he hath his lady wonne. 105

Can I nat seyn if that the cause were For I had red of African beforn, That made me to mete that he stood there; But thus seyde he, 'thou hast thee so wel born In loking of myn olde book to-torn, 110 Of which Macrobie roghte nat a lyte, That somdel of thy labour wolde I quyte!'--

Citherea! thou blisful lady swete, That with thy fyr-brand dauntest whom thee lest, And madest me this sweven for to mete, 115 Be thou my help in this, for thou mayst best; As wisly as I saw thee north-north-west, When I began my sweven for to wryte, So yif me might to ryme hit and endyte!

_The Story._

This forseid African me hente anoon, 120 And forth with him unto a gate broghte Right of a parke, walled with grene stoon; And over the gate, with lettres large y-wroghte, Ther weren vers y-writen, as me thoghte, On eyther halfe, of ful gret difference, 125 Of which I shal yow sey the pleyn sentence.

Thorgh me men goon in-to that blisful place Of hertes hele and dedly woundes cure; Thorgh me men goon unto the welle of Grace, Ther grene and lusty May shal ever endure; 130 This is the wey to al good aventure; Be glad, thou reder, and thy sorwe of-caste, Al open am I; passe in, and hy the faste!'

Thorgh me men goon,' than spak that other syde, 'Unto the mortal strokes of the spere, 135 Of which Disdayn and Daunger is the gyde, Ther tree shal never fruyt ne leves bere. This streem you ledeth to the sorwful were, Ther as the fish in prison is al drye; Theschewing is only the remedye.' 140

Thise vers of gold and blak y-writen were, The whiche I gan a stounde to beholde, For with that oon encresed ay my fere, And with that other gan myn herte bolde; That oon me hette, that other did me colde, 145 No wit had I, for errour, for to chese, To entre or flee, or me to save or lese.

Right as, betwixen adamauntes two Of even might, a pece of iren y-set, That hath no might to meve to ne fro-- 150 For what that on may hale, that other let-- Ferde I, that niste whether me was bet, To entre or leve, til African my gyde Me hente, and shoof in at the gates wyde,

And seyde, 'hit stondeth writen in thy face, 155 Thyn errour, though thou telle it not to me; But dred thee nat to come in-to this place, For this wryting is no-thing ment by thee, Ne by noon, but he Loves servant be; For thou of love hast lost thy tast, I gesse, 160 As seek man hath of swete and bitternesse.

But natheles, al-though that thou be dulle, Yit that thou canst not do, yit mayst thou see; For many a man that may not stonde a pulle, Yit lyketh him at the wrastling for to be, 165 And demeth yit wher he do bet or he; And if thou haddest cunning for tendyte, I shal thee shewen mater of to wryte.'

With that my hond in his he took anoon, Of which I comfort caughte, and wente in faste; 170 But lord! so I was glad and wel begoon! For over-al, wher that I myn eyen caste, Were treës clad with leves that ay shal laste, Eche in his kinde, of colour fresh and grene As emeraude, that Ioye was to sene. 175

The bilder ook, and eek the hardy asshe; The piler elm, the cofre unto careyne; The boxtree piper; holm to whippes lasshe; The sayling firr; the cipres, deth to pleyne; The sheter ew, the asp for shaftes pleyne; 180 The olyve of pees, and eek the drunken vyne, The victor palm, the laurer to devyne.

A garden saw I, ful of blosmy bowes, Upon a river, in a grene mede, Ther as that swetnesse evermore y-now is, 185 With floures whyte, blewe, yelowe, and rede; And colde welle-stremes, no-thing dede, That swommen ful of smale fisshes lighte, With finnes rede and scales silver-brighte.

On every bough the briddes herde I singe, 190 With voys of aungel in hir armonye, Som besyed hem hir briddes forth to bringe; The litel conyes to hir pley gunne hye, And further al aboute I gan espye The dredful roo, the buk, the hert and hinde, 195 Squerels, and bestes smale of gentil kinde.

Of instruments of strenges in acord Herde I so pleye a ravisshing swetnesse, That god, that maker is of al and lord, Ne herde never better, as I gesse; 200 Therwith a wind, unnethe hit might be lesse, Made in the leves grene a noise softe Acordant to the foules songe on-lofte.

The air of that place so attempre was That never was grevaunce of hoot ne cold; 205 Ther wex eek every holsom spyce and gras, Ne no man may ther wexe seek ne old; Yet was ther Ioye more a thousand fold Then man can telle; ne never wolde it nighte, But ay cleer day to any mannes sighte. 210

Under a tree, besyde a welle, I say Cupyde our lord his arwes forge and fyle; And at his fete his bowe al redy lay, And wel his doghter tempred al the whyle The hedes in the welle, and with hir wyle 215 She couched hem after as they shulde serve, Som for to slee, and som to wounde and kerve.

Tho was I war of Plesaunce anon-right, And of Aray, and Lust, and Curtesye; And of the Craft that can and hath the might 220 To doon by force a wight to do folye-- Disfigurat was she, I nil not lye; And by him-self, under an oke, I gesse, Sawe I Delyt, that stood with Gentilnesse.

I saw Beautee, withouten any atyr, 225 And Youthe, ful of game and Iolyte, Fool-hardinesse, Flatery, and Desyr, Messagerye, and Mede, and other three-- Hir names shul noght here be told for me-- And upon pilers grete of Iasper longe 230 I saw a temple of bras y-founded stronge.

Aboute the temple daunceden alway Wommen y-nowe, of whiche somme ther were Faire of hem-self, and somme of hem were gay; In kirtels, al disshevele, wente they there-- 235 That was hir office alwey, yeer by yere-- And on the temple, of doves whyte and faire Saw I sittinge many a hundred paire.

Before the temple-dore ful soberly Dame Pees sat, with a curteyn in hir hond: 240 And hir besyde, wonder discretly, Dame Pacience sitting ther I fond With face pale, upon an hille of sond; And alder-next, within and eek with-oute, Behest and Art, and of hir folke a route. 245

Within the temple, of syghes hote as fyr I herde a swogh that gan aboute renne; Which syghes were engendred with desyr, That maden every auter for to brenne Of newe flaume; and wel aspyed I thenne 250 That al the cause of sorwes that they drye Com of the bitter goddesse Ialousye.

The god Priapus saw I, as I wente, Within the temple, in soverayn place stonde, In swich aray as whan the asse him shente 255 With crye by night, and with his ceptre in honde; Ful besily men gunne assaye and fonde Upon his hede to sette, of sondry hewe, Garlondes ful of fresshe floures newe.

And in a privee corner, in disporte, 260 Fond I Venus and hir porter Richesse, That was ful noble and hauteyn of hir porte; Derk was that place, but afterward lightnesse I saw a lyte, unnethe hit might be lesse, And on a bed of golde she lay to reste, 265 Til that the hote sonne gan to weste.

Hir gilte heres with a golden threde Y-bounden were, untressed as she lay, And naked fro the breste unto the hede Men might hir see; and, sothly for to say, 270 The remenant wel kevered to my pay Right with a subtil kerchef of Valence, Ther was no thikker cloth of no defence.

The place yaf a thousand savours swote, And Bachus, god of wyn, sat hir besyde, 275 And Ceres next, that doth of hunger bote; And, as I seide, amiddes lay Cipryde, To whom on knees two yonge folkes cryde To ben hir help; but thus I leet hir lye, And ferther in the temple I gan espye 280

That, in dispyte of Diane the chaste, Ful many a bowe y-broke heng on the wal Of maydens, suche as gunne hir tymes waste In hir servyse; and peynted over al Of many a story, of which I touche shal 285 A fewe, as of Calixte and Athalaunte, And many a mayde, of which the name I wante;

Semyramus, Candace, and Ercules, Biblis, Dido, Tisbe and Piramus, Tristram, Isoude, Paris, and Achilles, 290 Eleyne, Cleopatre, and Troilus, Silla, and eek the moder of Romulus-- Alle these were peynted on that other syde, And al hir love, and in what plyte they dyde.

Whan I was come ayen into the place 295 That I of spak, that was so swote and grene, Forth welk I tho, my-selven to solace. Tho was I war wher that ther sat a quene That, as of light the somer-sonne shene Passeth the sterre, right so over mesure 300 She fairer was than any creature.

And in a launde, upon an hille of floures, Was set this noble goddesse Nature; Of braunches were hir halles and hir boures, Y-wrought after hir craft and hir mesure; 305 Ne ther nas foul that cometh of engendrure, That they ne were prest in hir presence, To take hir doom and yeve hir audience.

For this was on seynt Valentynes day, Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make, 310 Of every kinde, that men thenke may; And that so huge a noyse gan they make, That erthe and see, and tree, and every lake So ful was, that unnethe was ther space For me to stonde, so ful was al the place. 315

And right as Aleyn, in the Pleynt of Kinde, Devyseth Nature of aray and face, In swich aray men mighten hir ther finde. This noble emperesse, ful of grace, Bad every foul to take his owne place, 320 As they were wont alwey fro yeer to yere, Seynt Valentynes day, to stonden there.

That is to sey, the foules of ravyne Were hyest set; and than the foules smale, That eten as hem nature wolde enclyne, 325 As worm, or thing of whiche I telle no tale; But water-foul sat lowest in the dale; And foul that liveth by seed sat on the grene, And that so fele, that wonder was to sene.

Ther mighte men the royal egle finde, 330 That with his sharpe look perceth the sonne; And other egles of a lower kinde, Of which that clerkes wel devysen conne. Ther was the tyraunt with his fethres donne And greye, I mene the goshauk, that doth pyne 335 To briddes for his outrageous ravyne.

The gentil faucon, that with his feet distreyneth The kinges hond; the hardy sperhauk eke, The quayles foo; the merlion that peyneth Him-self ful ofte, the larke for to seke; 340 Ther was the douve, with hir eyen meke; The Ialous swan, ayens his deth that singeth; The oule eek, that of dethe the bode bringeth;

The crane the geaunt, with his trompes soune; The theef, the chogh; and eek the Iangling pye; 345 The scorning Iay; the eles foo, the heroune; The false lapwing, ful of trecherye; The stare, that the counseyl can bewrye; The tame ruddok; and the coward kyte; The cok, that orloge is of thorpes lyte; 350

The sparow, Venus sone; the nightingale, That clepeth forth the fresshe leves newe; The swalow, mordrer of the flyës smale That maken hony of floures fresshe of hewe; The wedded turtel, with hir herte trewe; 355 The pecok, with his aungels fethres brighte; The fesaunt, scorner of the cok by nighte;

The waker goos; the cukkow ever unkinde; The popiniay, ful of delicasye; The drake, stroyer of his owne kinde; 360 The stork, the wreker of avouterye; The hote cormeraunt of glotonye; The raven wys, the crow with vois of care; The throstel olde; the frosty feldefare.

What shulde I seyn? of foules every kinde 365 That in this worlde han fethres and stature, Men mighten in that place assembled finde Before the noble goddesse Nature. And everich of hem did his besy cure Benignely to chese or for to take, 370 By hir acord, his formel or his make.

But to the poynt--Nature held on hir honde A formel egle, of shap the gentileste That ever she among hir werkes fonde, The most benigne and the goodlieste; 375 In hir was every vertu at his reste, So ferforth, that Nature hir-self had blisse To loke on hir, and ofte hir bek to kisse.

Nature, the vicaire of thalmyghty lorde, That hoot, cold, hevy, light, [and] moist and dreye 380 Hath knit by even noumbre of acorde, In esy vois began to speke and seye, Foules, tak hede of my sentence, I preye, And, for your ese, in furthering of your nede, As faste as I may speke, I wol me spede. 385

Ye know wel how, seynt Valentynes day, By my statut and through my governaunce, Ye come for to chese--and flee your way-- Your makes, as I prik yow with plesaunce. But natheles, my rightful ordenaunce 390 May I not lete, for al this world to winne, That he that most is worthy shal beginne.

The tercel egle, as that ye knowen wel, The foul royal above yow in degree, The wyse and worthy, secree, trewe as stel, 395 The which I formed have, as ye may see, In every part as hit best lyketh me, Hit nedeth noght his shap yow to devyse, He shal first chese and speken in his gyse.

And after him, by order shul ye chese, 400 After your kinde, everich as yow lyketh, And, as your hap is, shul ye winne or lese; But which of yow that love most entryketh, God sende him hir that sorest for him syketh.' And therwith-al the tercel gan she calle, 405 And seyde, 'my sone, the choys is to thee falle.

But natheles, in this condicioun Mot be the choys of everich that is here, That she agree to his eleccioun, Who-so he be that shulde been hir fere; 410 This is our usage alwey, fro yeer to yere; And who so may at this time have his grace, In blisful tyme he com in-to this place.'

With hed enclyned and with ful humble chere This royal tercel spak and taried nought; 415 Unto my sovereyn lady, and noght my fere, I chese, and chese with wille and herte and thought, The formel on your hond so wel y-wrought, Whos I am al and ever wol hir serve, Do what hir list, to do me live or sterve. 420

Beseching hir of mercy and of grace, As she that is my lady sovereyne; Or let me dye present in this place. For certes, long may I not live in peyne; For in myn herte is corven every veyne; 425 Having reward only to my trouthe, My dere herte, have on my wo som routhe.

And if that I to hir be founde untrewe, Disobeysaunt, or wilful negligent, Avauntour, or in proces love a newe, 430 I pray to you this be my Iugement, That with these foules I be al to-rent, That ilke day that ever she me finde To hir untrewe, or in my gilte unkinde.

And sin that noon loveth hir so wel as I, 435 Al be she never of love me behette, Than oghte she be myn thourgh hir mercy, For other bond can I noon on hir knette. For never, for no wo, ne shal I lette To serven hir, how fer so that she wende; 440 Sey what yow list, my tale is at an ende.'

Right as the fresshe, rede rose newe Ayen the somer-sonne coloured is, Right so for shame al wexen gan the hewe Of this formel, whan she herde al this; 445 She neyther answerde 'wel,' ne seyde amis, So sore abasshed was she, til that Nature Seyde, 'doghter, drede yow noght, I yow assure.'

Another tercel egle spak anoon Of lower kinde, and seyde, 'that shal not be; 450 I love hir bet than ye do, by seynt Iohn, Or atte leste I love hir as wel as ye; And lenger have served hir, in my degree, And if she shulde have loved for long loving, To me allone had been the guerdoning. 455

I dar eek seye, if she me finde fals, Unkinde, Iangler, or rebel any wyse, Or Ialous, do me hongen by the hals! And but I bere me in hir servyse As wel as that my wit can me suffyse, 460 Fro poynt to poynt, hir honour for to save, Tak she my lyf, and al the good I have.'

The thridde tercel egle answerde tho, Now, sirs, ye seen the litel leyser here; For every foul cryeth out to been a-go 465 Forth with his make, or with his lady dere; And eek Nature hir-self ne wol nought here, For tarying here, noght half that I wolde seye; And but I speke, I mot for sorwe deye.

Of long servyse avaunte I me no-thing, 470 But as possible is me to dye to-day For wo, as he that hath ben languisshing Thise twenty winter, and wel happen may A man may serven bet and more to pay In half a yere, al-though hit were no more, 475 Than som man doth that hath served ful yore.

I ne say not this by me, for I ne can Do no servyse that may my lady plese; But I dar seyn, I am hir trewest man As to my dome, and feynest wolde hir ese; 480 At shorte wordes, til that deth me sese, I wol ben hires, whether I wake or winke, And trewe in al that herte may bethinke.'

Of al my lyf, sin that day I was born, So gentil plee in love or other thing 485 Ne herde never no man me beforn, Who-[so] that hadde leyser and cunning For to reherse hir chere and hir speking; And from the morwe gan this speche laste Til dounward drow the sonne wonder faste. 490

The noyse of foules for to ben delivered So loude rong, 'have doon and let us wende!' That wel wende I the wode had al to-shivered. Come of!' they cryde, 'allas! ye wil us shende! Whan shal your cursed pleding have an ende? 495 How shulde a Iuge eyther party leve, For yee or nay, with-outen any preve?'

The goos, the cokkow, and the doke also So cryden 'kek, kek!' 'kukkow!' 'quek, quek!' hye, That thorgh myn eres the noyse wente tho. 500 The goos seyde, 'al this nis not worth a flye! But I can shape hereof a remedye, And I wol sey my verdit faire and swythe For water-foul, who-so be wrooth or blythe.'

'And I for worm-foul,' seyde the fool cukkow, 505 For I wol, of myn owne auctoritè, For comune spede, take the charge now, For to delivere us is gret charitè.' Ye may abyde a whyle yet, parde!' Seide the turtel, 'if hit be your wille 510 A wight may speke, him were as good be stille.

I am a seed-foul, oon the unworthieste, That wot I wel, and litel of kunninge; But bet is that a wightes tonge reste Than entremeten him of such doinge 515 Of which he neyther rede can nor singe. And who-so doth, ful foule himself acloyeth, For office uncommitted ofte anoyeth.'

Nature, which that alway had an ere To murmour of the lewednes behinde, 520 With facound voys seide, 'hold your tonges there! And I shal sone, I hope, a counseyl finde You to delivere, and fro this noyse unbinde; I Iuge, of every folk men shal oon calle To seyn the verdit for you foules alle.' 525

Assented were to this conclusioun The briddes alle; and foules of ravyne Han chosen first, by pleyn eleccioun, The tercelet of the faucon, to diffyne Al hir sentence, and as him list, termyne; 530 And to Nature him gonnen to presente, And she accepteth him with glad entente.

The tercelet seide than in this manere: Ful hard were hit to preve hit by resoun Who loveth best this gentil formel here; 535 For everich hath swich replicacioun, That noon by skilles may be broght a-doun; I can not seen that arguments avayle; Than semeth hit ther moste be batayle.'

'Al redy!' quod these egles tercels tho. 540 Nay, sirs!' quod he, 'if that I dorste it seye, Ye doon me wrong, my tale is not y-do! For sirs, ne taketh noght a-gref, I preye, It may noght gon, as ye wolde, in this weye; Oure is the voys that han the charge in honde, 545 And to the Iuges dome ye moten stonde;

And therfor pees! I seye, as to my wit, Me wolde thinke how that the worthieste Of knighthode, and lengest hath used hit, Moste of estat, of blode the gentileste, 550 Were sittingest for hir, if that hir leste; And of these three she wot hir-self, I trowe, Which that he be, for hit is light to knowe.'

The water-foules han her hedes leyd Togeder, and of short avysement, 555 Whan everich had his large golee seyd, They seyden sothly, al by oon assent, How that 'the goos, with hir facounde gent, That so desyreth to pronounce our nede, Shal telle our tale,' and preyde 'god hir spede.' 560

And for these water-foules tho began The goos to speke, and in hir cakelinge She seyde, 'pees! now tak kepe every man, And herkeneth which a reson I shal bringe; My wit is sharp, I love no taryinge; 565 I seye, I rede him, though he were my brother, But she wol love him, lat him love another!'

Lo here! a parfit reson of a goos!' Quod the sperhauk; 'never mot she thee! Lo, swich hit is to have a tonge loos! 570 Now parde, fool, yet were hit bet for thee Have holde thy pees, than shewed thy nycete! Hit lyth not in his wit nor in his wille, But sooth is seyd, "a fool can noght be stille."'

The laughter aroos of gentil foules alle, 575 And right anoon the seed-foul chosen hadde The turtel trewe, and gunne hir to hem calle, And preyden hir to seye the sothe sadde Of this matere, and asked what she radde; And she answerde, that pleynly hir entente 580 She wolde shewe, and sothly what she mente.

Nay, god forbede a lover shulde chaunge!' The turtel seyde, and wex for shame al reed; Thogh that his lady ever-more be straunge, Yet let him serve hir ever, til he be deed; 585 For sothe, I preyse noght the gooses reed; For thogh she deyed, I wolde non other make, I wol ben hires, til that the deth me take.'

Wel bourded!' quod the doke, 'by my hat! That men shulde alwey loven, causeles, 590 Who can a reson finde or wit in that? Daunceth he mury that is mirtheles? Who shulde recche of that is reccheles? Ye, quek!' yit quod the doke, ful wel and faire, 'There been mo sterres, god wot, than a paire!' 595

Now fy, cherl!' quod the gentil tercelet, Out of the dunghil com that word ful right, Thou canst noght see which thing is wel be-set: Thou farest by love as oules doon by light, The day hem blent, ful wel they see by night; 600 Thy kind is of so lowe a wrechednesse, That what love is, thou canst nat see ne gesse.'

Tho gan the cukkow putte him forth in prees For foul that eteth worm, and seide blyve, 'So I,' quod he, 'may have my make in pees, 605 I recche not how longe that ye stryve; Lat ech of hem be soleyn al hir lyve, This is my reed, sin they may not acorde; This shorte lesson nedeth noght recorde.'

'Ye! have the glotoun fild ynogh his paunche, 610 Than are we wel!' seyde the merlioun; Thou mordrer of the heysugge on the braunche That broghte thee forth, thou [rewthelees] glotoun! Live thou soleyn, wormes corrupcioun! For no fors is of lakke of thy nature; 615 Go, lewed be thou, whyl the world may dure!'

Now pees,' quod Nature, 'I comaunde here; For I have herd al your opinioun, And in effect yet be we never the nere; But fynally, this is my conclusioun, 620 That she hir-self shal han the eleccioun Of whom hir list, who-so be wrooth or blythe, Him that she cheest, he shal hir have as swythe.

For sith hit may not here discussed be Who loveth hir best, as seide the tercelet, 625 Than wol I doon hir this favour, that she Shal have right him on whom hir herte is set, And he hir that his herte hath on hir knet. This Iuge I, Nature, for I may not lyë; To noon estat I have non other yë. 630

But as for counseyl for to chese a make, If hit were reson, certes, than wolde I Counseyle yow the royal tercel take, As seide the tercelet ful skilfully, As for the gentilest and most worthy, 635 Which I have wroght so wel to my plesaunce; That to yow oghte been a suffisaunce.'

With dredful vois the formel hir answerde, My rightful lady, goddesse of Nature, Soth is that I am ever under your yerde, 640 Lyk as is everiche other creature, And moot be youres whyl my lyf may dure; And therfor graunteth me my firste bone, And myn entente I wol yow sey right sone.'

'I graunte it you,' quod she; and right anoon 645 This formel egle spak in this degree, Almighty quene, unto this yeer be doon I aske respit for to avysen me. And after that to have my choys al free; This al and som, that I wolde speke and seye; 650 Ye gete no more, al-though ye do me deye.

I wol noght serven Venus ne Cupyde For sothe as yet, by no manere wey.' Now sin it may non other wyse betyde,' Quod tho Nature, 'here is no more to sey; 655 Than wolde I that these foules were a-wey Ech with his make, for tarying lenger here'-- And seyde hem thus, as ye shul after here.

To you speke I, ye tercelets,' quod Nature, 'Beth of good herte and serveth, alle three; 660 A yeer is not so longe to endure, And ech of yow peyne him, in his degree, For to do wel; for, god wot, quit is she Fro yow this yeer; what after so befalle, This entremes is dressed for you alle.' 665

And whan this werk al broght was to an ende, To every foule Nature yaf his make By even acorde, and on hir wey they wende. A! lord! the blisse and Ioye that they make! For ech of hem gan other in winges take, 670 And with hir nekkes ech gan other winde, Thanking alwey the noble goddesse of kinde.

But first were chosen foules for to singe, As yeer by yere was alwey hir usaunce To singe a roundel at hir departinge, 675 To do Nature honour and plesaunce. The note, I trowe, maked was in Fraunce; The wordes wer swich as ye may heer finde, The nexte vers, as I now have in minde.

_Qui bien aime a tard oublie._

'Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe, 680 That hast this wintres weders over-shake, And driven awey the longe nightes blake!

Seynt Valentyn, that art ful hy on-lofte;-- Thus singen smale foules for thy sake-- _Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe,_ 685 _That hast this wintres weders over-shake._

Wel han they cause for to gladen ofte, Sith ech of hem recovered hath his make; Ful blisful may they singen whan they wake; _Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe,_ 690 _That hast this wintres weders over-shake,_ _And driven awey the longe nightes blake_.'

And with the showting, whan hir song was do, That foules maden at hir flight a-way, I wook, and other bokes took me to 695 To rede upon, and yet I rede alway; I hope, y-wis, to rede so som day That I shal mete som thing for to fare The bet; and thus to rede I nil not spare. 699

EXPLICIT TRACTATUS DE CONGREGACIONE VOLUCRUM DIE SANCTI VALENTINI.

_The authorities are_: F. (Fairfax 16); Gg. (Gg. 4. 27, Cambridge Univ. Library); Trin. (Trinity Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19); Cx. (Caxton's edition); Harl. (Harleian 7333); O. (St. John's Coll. Oxford); Ff. (Ff. I. 6, Cambridge Univ. Library); _occasionally_ Tn. (Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181); _and others_. _I follow_ F. _mainly, corrected by_ Gg. _(and others); and note all variations from_ F. _of any consequence._

TITLE; Gg. _has_--Here begynyth the parlement of Foulys; D. The _par_lement of Fowlis. 2. _So_ F. Harl. Tn.; _some transpose_ hard _and_ sharp. 3. Gg. _and others_ dredful; F. slyder. Gg. O. slit; Cx. flit (_for_ slit); Ff. slydeth (_om._ so); F. slyd; Trin. fleeth. 5. Gg. (_and others_) with his wondyrful; F. soo with a dredeful. 7. F. Tn. wake or wynke; _rest_ flete or synke; _see_ 482. 9. Gg. Trin. Harl. that; _which the rest omit_. 10. Gg. Trin. Cx. Harl. Ff. ful ofte in bokis; F. in bookes ofte to. 11. F. _ins._ of _after_ and; Gg. _om._ 13. F. Dar I; Gg. _and others_ I dar. 14. F. suche; Gg. swich. 17. F. Tn. D. why; _rest_ wherfore (wherfor).

21. Gg. faste; F. fast. Harl. radde; F. rad; Gg. redde. 22. F. seyth; Gg. sey. 24. F. feythe; Gg. fey. 26. Gg. O. as of this; Trin. Cx. Harl. Ff. of this; F. of my firste. 28. Gg. Ff. me thou[gh]te; Trin. Cx. Harl. me thought hit; F. thought me. 30. Gg. Cx. thus; F. Trin. Harl. there. Gg. _and rest_ as I schal; F. I shal yow. 31. F. _inserts_ the _after_ dreme of; _the rest omit_. Trin. Harl. O. Scipio_u_n; F. Cipio_u_n; Gg. sothion (!). 32. F. hyt had vij; Gg. _and the rest_ seuene It hadde. 33. Ff. therInn_e_; F. _and the rest_ theryn (_wrongly_). 34. Gg. it; O. of; _the rest omit_. 35. Gg. seyn; F. tel; _the rest_ sey (say). 37. F. In-to; _rest_ In. F. Aufryke; Gg. Affrik. 39. _For_ hit _all wrongly have_ he; see ll. 36, 43. 40. Harl. betwix; F. betwixt. 41. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan. 42. F. on; _rest_ in. 43. F. tolde he hym; Gg. Trin. Cx. Harl. tellith it; O. Ff. tellithe he. 44. Gg. Affrycan; F. Aufrikan. F. y-shewed; _rest_ schewid, shewyd, &c.

46. Gg. other; Th. eyther; _rest_ or. 49. Gg. There as Ioye is that last with outy_n_; F. There Ioy is that lasteth with-out. 50. F. _inserts_ the _after_ if; _rest omit_. 52. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan. 53. Gg. Ff. that; Trin. Cx. Harl. how; F. _om._ 54. Cx. Nis; Gg. Nys; F. Trin. Harl. Ff. Meneth. 55. Gg. _and rest_ after; F. whan. Gg. Ff. gon; Harl. O. gone. 56. Cx. galaxye; F. Ff. galoxye; O. galoxie. i. watlynstrete; Harl. galorye; Trin. galry (!); Gg. galylye (!). 58. Gg. _and rest_ the; Harl. tho; F. _om._ 62. T. Cx. Harl. O. That welles of musyk be (ben). 64. Gg. Ff. Tha_n_ bad he hy_m_ syn erthe was so lyte; F. Than bad he hym see the erthe that is so lite (_wrongly_). 65. Cx. Trin. Harl. O. ful of torment and; F. was somedel fulle; Gg. was su_m_del disseyuable and ful (!). 69. Gg. _and rest_ schulde (schuld, shuld); F. shal. 70. F. was; _rest_ is.

71. F. O. he; _rest_ him. Gg. _and rest_ to; F. _om._ 72. Gg. Trin. Harl. O. into that; Cx. unto that; F. to (_om._ that). 73. Gg. inmortal; O. Th. immortall_e_; F. _and rest_ mortalle(!). 75. Gg. _and rest_ not (nat, noght); F. never. 76. Gg. comyn: Cx. comen; F. come. Gg. O. to; _rest_ into, vnto. 77. Trin. Cx. Harl. Ff. _retain_ of _after_ and; F. Gg. O. _omit_. 78. F. _ins._ for _before_ to (_but_ lawe _is dissyllabic_); _rest om._ 80. Gg. _wrongly puts_ there _for_ therthe; Harl. O. Ff. _place_ alwey _before_ in peyne; _the rest are bad_. 82. F. _ins._ hem _before_ alle. Gg. And that for-[gh]euy_n_ is his weked dede (_but_ dede _is plural_). 84. Gg. comy_n_; _rest_ come, com. Cx. Harl. the sende his; O. sende the his; Gg. synde us; Ff. send vs; F. sende ech lover (!). 85. Harl. faylen; Cx. fayllen; F. faile; Gg. folwy_n_ (!). 87. F. Berefte; _rest_ Berafte, Beraft. 90. F. had; Gg. hadde. 91. Harl. O. _give 1st_ that; Trin. Cx. the; F. Ff. Gg. _om._ 95. _After_ as, Gg. Trin. Harl. O. _insert_ that; _it is hardly needed_. 96. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan.

102. Gg. Ft carte is; O. cart is; _rest_ cartes _or_ cartis. 104, 5. Gg. Harl. O. met; F. Trin. Cx. meteth. 106. Gg. Cx. O. Ff. I nat; F. not I. 107. F. redde had; Gg. hadde red; _rest_ had red (rad). Gg. affrican; F. Aufrican. 108. F. _omits_ made; _the rest have it_. 110. to-torn] F. al to torne. 111. F. roght noght; Gg. roughte nat; Cx. roght not. 112. F. Cx. _ins._ the _after_ I; _rest omit_. 114. Trin. Cx. fyrebronde; Gg. ferbrond; F. firy bronde. 119. Gg. [gh]if; F. yeve. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. hit and; Ff. eke and; Gg. & ek; F. and to. 120. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan. 122. F. _and rest_ with; Gg. of. 124. _Read_ weren; _all_ were (weer). Gg. I-wrete; Th. ywritten; F. writen.

133. F. Ff. hye; _the rest_ spede (sped). 135. F. stroke; _rest_ strokes (strokis). 137. Cx. Harl. O. Ff. neuer tree shal. Cx. fruyt; Harl. O. fruyte; Trin. F. frute. 138. F. unto; _rest_ to. 139. _All_ is (ys). 140. O. Theschewing; Cx. Theschewyng; Harl. The eschuyng; F. Thescwynge (_sic_). 142. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. The; F. Gg. Of; Ff. On. F. Cx. a stounde (_which I think is correct_); Ff. astonde; (_alt. to_) Gg. a-stonyd; Trin. astonyed; Harl. O. astoned. 144. F. Cx. O. Ff. _insert_ to _before_ bolde (_wrongly_); Gg. Trin. Harl. _om._ 148. Gg. be-twixsyn; F. betwix. 149. F. y-sette; Gg. set. 150. F. That; Ff. _om._; _rest_ Ne (_which would be elided_). F. nor; _rest_ ne (_better_). 152. Gg. _and rest_ nyste; F. I ne wiste. Gg. _and rest_ whether; F. wher that (_perhaps rightly_).

153. F. Affrikan. 156. Gg. Cx. O. to; _rest omit_. 158. Trin. Cx. by; Gg. bi; F. be. 159. Gg. Trin. Cx. by; F. be. 160. Gg. stat (!); _for_ tast (taste). 162. F. Ff. _om._ that. 163. Gg. Harl. O. _supply_ Yit; Cx. Yf; _rest om._ F. yet thou maist hyt; O. mayst thowe; _rest_ yit mayst (may) thou. 165. F. Ff. _om._ for. 166. Gg. wher; _rest_ whether. 167. Gg. Cx. tendite; F. Trin. to endite. 169. F. And with; _rest om._ And. 170. Gg. confort. Gg. that as; _rest_ went in. 172. F. _om._ that (_but_ over-al=ov'r-al). 173. F. Weren; _rest_ Were. 174. Gg. O. Ff. of; F. Cx. with (_from line above_). 175. F. Emerawde. Gg. sothe (_for_ Ioye, _wrongly_). 177. Cx. O. piler; Gg. pilere; Trin. pylor; F. Harl. peler. 178. F. box pipe tre; Gg. _and rest_ box tre pipere (_or_ piper). Trin. the holyn; Cx. holin; Ff. holye; Gg. O. holm; F. Harl. holme.

180. Gg. Ew; _rest_ ewe. 183. Harl. O. blosmy; Gg. blospemy (_for_ blossemy); Cx. blossome; Trin. blossom; F. Ff. blossomed. 185. O. that; Gg. ther; _rest omit_. Gg. Ff. I-now; O. I-nowe; F. ynowh. 188. Ff. That swommen; Harl. That swommyn; Gg. That swemyn; Trin. That swymen; Cx. O. That swymmen; F. And swymmynge. 192. F. That; Gg. Ff. So (_error for_ So_m_); _rest_ Som, Some, Som_m_e. 193. Gg. gunne; F. gunnen; _rest_ gan, cane. 194. F. Trin. _om._ al. 196. Cx. Squerels; F. Squerel; _rest_ Squyrelis (Squyrell_is_, Squerellis). 197. F. Cx. On; _rest_ Of. Gg. Cx. O. strengis; Trin. stryngys; F. strynge. Gg. a-cord; _rest_ accorde, acorde. 198. F. _om._ so. F. Gg. and (_for_ a, _wrongly_); Ff. _om._; _rest_ a. 201. F. _om._ be; _rest have it_. 203. Gg. bryddis; _rest_ foules. 205. F. ther of; _rest_ of. 206. Gg. wex; Ff. waxed; F. growen; _rest_ was (_error for_ wex).

207. Trin. Cx. Harl. Ne; _rest omit_. 208. F. more Ioye; _rest_ Ioye more. 209. F. No; _rest_ Then (_or_ Than). F. _om._ ne; _rest_ (_except_ Ff.) _retain it_. Trin. was (_for_ wolde). 214. Gg. Th. wel; F. O. wille; Cx. Trin. wylle; Harl. whill_e_; _see_ note. 215. Gg. _and rest_ hire (hir, hyr); F. harde. F. fyle; Trin. vyle (_for_ fyle) Harl. wyel; _rest_ wile. 216. F. shul; _rest_ shuld, shulde. 217. F. _om._ for. 221. O. doon by force; Trin. Cx. do by force; Harl. done be force; Gg. don be fore (_sic_); F. goo before. 222. F. Ff. Disfigured. Gg. Harl. nyl; Cx. Trin. Ff. wil; O. woll_e_; F. shal. 225. Gg. saw; F. sawgh. Gg. with outyn; Cx. Ff. with outen; F. with oute. 228. F. Ff. Trin. _omit 1st_ and. 229. F. Ff. Trin. _omit_ here. 230. F. pelers; _rest_ pilers (pileris, pylors). 231. F. sawgh. F. glas; _rest_ (_except_ Ff.) bras _or_ brasse. Gg. Harl. O. I-founded; Trin. enfoundyd; F. founded.

232. Gg. daunsedy_n_; F. daunced. 233. F. O. _om._ ther. 234. F. _om._ were; _rest retain_. 236. Gg. [gh]er be [gh]eere; Trin. Cx. Harl. yere by yere; F. fro yere to yere. 237. Trin. O. of douys; Gg. of dowis; Cx. of duues; Harl. of dofes; Ff. of dowfs; F. saugh I (_sic_). 238. F. Of dowves white (_sic_); Ff. Saw I sitte; _rest_ Saw I syttynge. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. thousand (_for_ hundred). 240. F. _om._ with. 241. Gg. _and rest_ by hire syde (_for_ hir besyde). 244. F. _om._ eek; _rest retain_. 246. Gg. sykys. 248. Gg. sikis. 250. Trin. Cx. flame. F. _om._ wel; _rest retain it_. 252. Gg. Cam; O. Com; F. Come; Cx. Comen; Trin. Harl. Ff. Cometh. Gg. Trin. Cx. goddesse; Harl. goddes (i. e. _goddess_); F. O. goddys. 253. F. sawgh. 255. Gg. swich; F. suche. 256. Trin. Cx. Ff. by; _rest_ be.

260. Gg. priue; F. prevy. 264. F. saugh. 267. Gg. goldene; Ff. golden; F. _and rest_ golde _or_ gold. 271. Cx. wel couerd; Harl. wel couered; Gg. was wel keuerede; Trin. was well_e_ coueryd; F. keuered wel. 272. Harl. Trin. Ff. sotil. Trin. O. kerchyff; F. keuerchefe; Gg. couercheif; Cx. couerchef. 273. Gg. nas (_for_ was). Gg. Harl. _alone insert 2nd_ no (_but it is wanted_). 275. Trin. Cx. Bachus; _rest_ Bacus. Gg. wyn; F. wyne. 277. F. Gg. Harl. Cipride (_rightly_); _the rest_ Cupide (!); _see_ l. 279. 278. Gg. Cx. O. two; Ff. to; F. the; Trin. Harl. _om._ Gg. O. Ff. folk ther (_for_ folkes). 279. Gg. Trin. let; O. lat; Ff. lett; F. B. Cx. Harl. lete. 283. Gg. Harl. gunne; F. gonne; _rest_ gan, can. 285. Gg. Cx. Ff. Ful (_for_ Of).

288. Cx. O. Semiramis; Ff. Semiriamis; _rest_ Semiramus (_as in_ Leg. Good Women, _Tisbe_, l. 2). Gg. Hercules. 289. Trin. Harl. Tysbe; F. Cx. Tesbe; Gg. Thisbe. 295. F. Cx. comen; _rest_ come. F. Ff. that; _rest_ the. 298. Gg. that; _which rest omit_ (_though wanted_). 303. F. O. _wrongly insert_ of _before_ Nature. 307. Gg. Trin. Cx. Ff. they; F. Harl. O. there. _After_ were (_dissyllabic_) Gg. _inserts_ al; _needlessly_. 308. Gg. dom; _rest_ dome. 310. Gg. bryd (_for_ foul); Cx. birde. 311. F. On; _rest_ Of. Ff. thenke; _rest_ thynke (_not so well_). 313. Gg. Ff. eyr (_for_ see).

316. F. Alayne; Trin. Alen; _rest_ Aleyn. 317. Gg. in (_for_ of). _All but_ Gg. Ff. _needlessly insert_ suche _before_ aray (_caught from line below_). 318. Gg. swich; F. suche. MSS. myghte, myght; _but read_ mighten. 320. Gg. Ff. his; _rest_ her, hir (_wrongly_). Cx. owen; Gg. owene; F. ovne; _rest_ owne. 325. Gg. Cx. hem; Ff. them; O. _om._; _rest_ that. 327. Trin. vale (_for_ dale). 330. Gg. ryal; Cx. Harl. O. rial. 338. F. _om._ hardy. _All_ eke (_for_ eek); _exceptionally_. 343. Trin. bood; Cx. bodword; _rest_ bode (_dissyllabic_).

344. Gg. Ff. _om._ the. 345. Trin. chowgh; F. choghe; Cx. choughe; Harl. chowhe; Gg. O. Ff. crow (_wrongly_). 346. Harl. Ff. eles; Gg. O. elis; Trin. elys; F. Cx. egles (!). Trin. Harl. O. _insert_ the _before_ heroun; _rest omit_. 347. Gg. false; F. fals. Trin. Cx. lapwynk; O. lappewynk. 348. Gg. starlyng; _rest_ stare. Gg. bewreye (_but note the rime_). 349. Gg. rodok. 350. Gg. orloge; F. orlogge. Gg. thorpis; F. thropes. 352. Gg. Cx. Ff. grene (_for_ fresshe). 353. Trin. Th. flyes; Ff. bryddis; Gg. O. foulis; _rest_ foules (fowles). _But_ flyes _is right_; see Cant. Ta. I. 468, Boeth. iii. met. 7. 355. F. his; O. _om._; _rest_ hire, hir, her. 356. Gg. clothis (_for_ fethers). 357. F. be (_for_ by). 359. F. papiay; Gg. popyniay. 361. F. Cx. Ff. _om._ the. 363. Gg. The rauen wys, the crowe wit voice of care; Ff. _same_ (_omitting_ wys); F. _and rest_ The rauenes and the crowes with her voys of care (_badly_). 367. Gg. myghtyn; F. myghte. 368. F. that; Ff. this; Harl. _om._; _rest_ the. _All but_ Gg. Ff. _ins._ of _bef._ Nature. 369. Gg. eueriche; O. Ff. euery; F. eche (_badly_).

370. Gg. Benygnely; F. Benyngly (_sic_). 374. fonde _is pt. t. subjunctive_. 375. Gg. Cx. the (_after_ and); Ff. moste; _rest om._ 378. Gg. bek; F. beke. 379. Ff. Cx. vicair_e_; F. vyker. 380. _I insert_ and _after_ light. Gg. Cx. dreye; _rest_ drye. 381. Trin. Cx. by; F. be; Gg. with. 383. Cx. Ff. kepe (_for_ bede). 384. Gg. ese; F. ease. 385. Gg. Ff. [gh]ow; Cx. you (_for_ me). 386. F. Cx. Harl. _insert_ that _after_ how. 387. Gg. By; F. Be. 389. F. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. _insert_ With _before_ Your; Gg. Ff. _rightly omit_. 390. Gg. Cx. Ff. ordenaunce; _rest_ gouernaunce (_see_ l. 387). 391. F. Trin. Harl. O. let (i. e. _let go_); Gg. breke; Ff. suffre; Cx. lette. 393. Gg. terslet (_for_ tercel). Gg. ful wel; F. wele. 394. Gg. ryal. 395. Gg. stel; F. stele. 396. _All_ have formed.

411. Cx. yere by yere (_for_ fro yeer to yere). 413. Gg. cam. 414. Gg. O. Ff. _om._ ful; _rest retain_. 415. Trin. Ff. Royall_e_; F. real; Gg. ryal. 424. Gg. I may. 426. _Read_ al-only? 428. Gg. And if that I to hyre be founde; F. And yf I be founde to hir.

436. F. As though; _rest_ Al be. 438. F. knette; Gg. areete; _rest_ knytte, knyt. 439. Gg. Cx. O. Ne (_for_ For). 445. _So all._ _Read_ whan that she? 446. Gg. She neythir; Cx. Harl. O. Ff. She neyther; F. Trin. Neyther she. 450. Gg. O. Ff. shal; _rest_ shulde, shuld. 460. Gg. that; _rest omit_. 462. Gg. the; Trin. Harl. ye; _rest_ she.

463. Gg. thredde; Trin. Ff. thryd; F. thirdde. 467. F. _om._ Nature. 473. Gg. yeer and as (_for_ winter and). 476. F. _om._ ful. 479. Gg. seyn; F. say. 480. Gg. Ff. ese; _rest_ plese. 481. Gg. shorte; F. short. 482. Ff. hyres; F. hirse (!). 487. _I supply_ so. Gg. hadde; F. had. 488. F. rehersen; _rest_ reherse (reherce). 490. Gg. drow; Cx. wente; _rest_ went (_badly_). 494. Cx. Harl. wil; F. wol. 495. Gg. pletynge; Trin. Cx. Harl. pletyng.

498. _So_ Gg.; _rest_ The goos, the duk, and the cukkowe also (_wrongly; see next line_). 501. F. seyde tho; _rest omit_ tho. Gg. Ff. nys not; Trin. O. ys nat; Cx. is not; F. Harl. _om._ not. 503. Gg. Cx. I; _rest om._ 507. Gg. O. profit; _rest_ spede. Trin. For comon spede, take the chargë now. F. Cx. Harl. O. _ins._ on me _bef._ the; Ff. _ins._ vpon me. Gg. tak on no (!) _for_ take the. 510. Trin. Seyde; Cx. Said; _rest_ Quod. 511. F. good; Cx. better (_for_ as good); _rest_ fayr. 514. Gg. bet; _rest_ better. 515. Gg. entirmety_n_; F. entremete. 517. _All but_ Gg. Cx. _ins._ hyt (it, yt) _bef._ doth. 518. Ff. vncom_m_aundet; O. vnconveyid; Gg. onquit (!); _rest_ vncommytted. 520. Gg. _om._ behynde; Trin. Harl. blynde; Cx. by kynde; _rest_ behynde. 523. F. O. Ff. for to (_for_ to). F. delyueren; _rest_ delyuere (deliver). F. Gg. Harl. from; _rest_ fro.

524. Cx. charge (_for_ Iuge). 527. _Most_ MSS. _insert_ the _before_ foules; _which_ Gg. Th. _and_ Longleat MS. _omit_. 530. _All but_ Cx. Ff. _ins._ to _after_ list. 534. Trin. Th. preue; Gg. proue; F. preven. 536. Gg. swich; F. suche. 537. Gg. non by skillis; F. _and rest_ by skilles may non (_badly_). 540. Cx. terselis egles. 543. Gg. ne; _rest omit_. 544. F. _om._ gon. 545. Gg. Cx. Oure; _rest_ Oures, Ours. 549. Gg. O. hath; _rest_ had. 551. Gg. sittyngest; _rest_ sittynge. 553. Cx. Harl. ethe (_for_ light).

556. Gg. O. gole; Ff. goler; Cx. golye; Ff. golee; Trin. Harl. wyltee. 558. Gg. facounde so; Ff. facounde; Cx. faconde; F. faucond. 560. F. Cx. Ff. _needlessly insert_ to _after_ preyd-e. 564. _All but_ Gg. _insert_ forth _before_ bringe. 569. _For_ Quod _read_ Seyde? 570. Gg. sich (_for_ swich); F. suche. 575. F. laughtre. 576. F. Harl. Ff. foules; Trin. fowle; Cx. fowl; O. foule; Gg. ful (!). 577. Gg. gunne; Ff. gonne; _rest_ gan.

588. Harl. hires; Gg. hire; Cx. hers; _rest_ hirs. Trin. Harl. _om._ that (_perhaps rightly_). 589. Gg. Cx. Ff. doke; F. duk. 590. F. Ff. shulden. 592. F. Gg. murye; _rest_ mery. 594. Gg. O. yit; Ff. yet; _rest om._ 599. Gg. by; F. be (_1st time_). 602. Gg. Th. nat; F. neyther. 603. F. put; Gg. putte. 606. Cx. Ff. recche; F. Gg. Harl, reche; Trin. O. rek. 611. Gg. Merlioun; Trin. O. Merlyon; Cx. merlion; F. Ff. Emerlyon. 612. F. _om. 1st_ the. Harl. heysugge; O. heysugg; Cx. heysug; Ff. haysugge; F. haysogge; Gg. heysoge; Trin. heysoke. 613. Gg. reufulles (!); Pepys rowthfull; _rest_ rewful (!).

621. Gg. han; _rest_ haue. Gg. Cx. the; _rest_ hir, hyr. 623. F. cheest; Gg. chesith; Trin. cheseth; Harl. chesithe. F. han hir; Gg. hire han; Trin. hyr hafe; Cx. Harl. Ff. her haue. 626. Gg. hire this fauour; Trin. Harl. to hyr thys fauour; F. _and rest_ thys fauour to hir. 630. Ff. ye; Harl. yee; Trin. ey; _rest_ eye. 632. F. Gg. I (_for_ hit). Gg. certis; _rest omit_. 637. _All but_ Gg. Cx. _insert_ hit (_or_ it) _after_ That _or_ yow. Th. ben; Cx. haue ben; _rest_ to ben (be). 641. Gg. As is a-nothir lyuis creature. O. _alone ins._ Like _bef._ As. 642. Gg. mot; _rest_ moste (muste). 643. Gg. grau_n_tyth; _rest_ graunte, graunt (_badly_). 644. Trin. Cx. Harl. I wyll yow; O. I woll [gh]ewe; F. Ff. yow wol I.

652. F. Cipride; Harl. Cypride; Ff. Sypryde; _rest_ Cupide (_cf._ ll. 212, 277). 654. F. other weyes; Cx. other wayes; O. othir wey (_perhaps best_); Gg. othirwise; Ff. other-wyse; Trin. Harl. other (_sic_). 655. Gg. Harl. tho; _rest om._ 659. F. terceletys; Th. tercelets. 660. F. al; Gg. alle. 665. F. O. entremesse; Ff. entremeese; Th. entremes; Gg. entyrmes; Harl. entermes. 666. F. wroght; _rest_ brought, broght. 669. F. A; Gg. But; _rest_ And. Gg. Ioye; F. Ioy. 672. Gg. Thankynge; F. Thonkyng. Gg. queen; _rest_ goddesse, goddes.

678. Gg. sweche (_for_ swiche); F. suche. Th. _Qui_; miswritten _Que_ in F. Cx.; _Qe_ in Trin.; rest omit. _aime_; F. ayme. _tard_; F. tarde. _Lines_ 680-692 _only occur in_ Gg. Th. _and_ Digby 181; _lines_ 683, 684, 687-9 _in_ O. _I follow_ Digby 181 _mainly_. 680. Digb. Nowe welcome. 681. Gg. wintres wedres; Digb. wynter wedirs. 682. Gg. And; Digb. Hast. Digb. drevyn; Gg. dreuyne. Digb. nyghtis; Gg. nyghtes. 684. Digb. syngen; Fowlis. 687. Gg. O. Wele. 688. Gg. O. hem; Digb. them. 689. Digb. Full_e_ blisfully they synge and endles ioy thei make (_wrongly_); Gg. Ful blisseful mowe they ben when they wake; O. Th. Ful blesfull may they synge when they wake (Th. awake). 693. F. showtynge. 694. Gg. mady_n_; Ff. maden; F. made. 698. Trin. fynde (_for_ mete). 699. Ff. nyl; Gg. nele; F. O. wol; Trin. wyll_e_; Cx. wil.

COLOPHON. _So in_ F; Gg. _has_--Explicit parliamentum Auium in die sancti Valentini tentum, secundum Galfridum Chaucer; Ff. _has_--Explicit Parliamentum Auium; MS. Arch. Seld. B. 24 _has_--Here endis the parliament of foulis; Quod Galfride Chaucere; _the_ Longleat MS. _has_--Here endith the Parlement of foules.

* * * * *

VI. A COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY.

I. (_In seven-line stanzas._)

The longe night, whan every creature Shulde have hir rest in somwhat, as by kinde, Or elles ne may hir lyf nat long endure, Hit falleth most in-to my woful minde How I so fer have broght my-self behinde, 5 That, sauf the deeth, ther may no-thing me lisse, So desespaired I am from alle blisse.

This same thoght me lasteth til the morwe, And from the morwe forth til hit be eve; Ther nedeth me no care for to borwe, 10 For bothe I have good leyser and good leve; Ther is no wight that wol me wo bereve To wepe y-nogh, and wailen al my fille; The sore spark of peyne doth me spille.

II. (_In Terza Rima; imperfect._)

[The sore spark of peyne doth me spille;] 15 This Love hath [eek] me set in swich a place That my desyr [he] never wol fulfille; For neither pitee, mercy, neither grace Can I nat finde; and [fro] my sorwful herte, For to be deed, I can hit nat arace. 20 The more I love, the more she doth me smerte; Through which I see, with-oute remedye, That from the deeth I may no wyse asterte; [For this day in hir servise shal I dye].

III. (_In Terza Rima; imperfect._)

[Thus am I slain, with sorwes ful dyverse; 25 Ful longe agoon I oghte have taken hede]. Now sothly, what she hight I wol reherse; Hir name is Bountee, set in womanhede, Sadnesse in youthe, and Beautee prydelees, And Plesaunce, under governaunce and drede; 30 Hir surname eek is Faire Rewthelees, The Wyse, y-knit un-to Good Aventure, That, for I love hir, sleeth me giltelees. Hir love I best, and shal, whyl I may dure, Bet than my-self an hundred thousand deel, 35 Than al this worldes richesse or creature. Now hath nat Lovë me bestowed weel To lovë, ther I never shal have part? Allas! right thus is turned me the wheel, Thus am I slayn with loves fyry dart. 40 I can but love hir best, my swete fo; Love hath me taught no more of his art But serve alwey, and stinte for no wo.

IV. (_In ten-line stanzas._)

[With]-in my trewe careful herte ther is So moche wo, and [eek] so litel blis, 45 That wo is me that ever I was bore; For al that thing which I desyre I mis, And al that ever I wolde nat, I-wis, That finde I redy to me evermore; And of al this I not to whom me pleyne. 50 For she that mighte me out of this bringe Ne reccheth nat whether I wepe or singe; So litel rewthe hath she upon my peyne.

Allas! whan sleping-time is, than I wake, Whan I shulde daunce, for fere than I quake; 55 [Yow rekketh never wher I flete or sinke;] This hevy lyf I lede for your sake, Thogh ye ther-of in no wyse hede take, [For on my wo yow deyneth not to thinke.] My hertes lady, and hool my lyves quene! 60 For trewly dorste I seye, as that I fele, Me semeth that your swete herte of stele Is whetted now ageynes me to kene.

My dere herte, and best beloved fo, Why lyketh yow to do me al this wo, 65 What have I doon that greveth yow, or sayd, But for I serve and love yow and no mo? And whylst I live, I wol do ever so; And therfor, swete, ne beth nat evil apayd. For so good and so fair as [that] ye be, 70 Hit were [a] right gret wonder but ye hadde Of alle servants, bothe goode and badde; And leest worthy of alle hem, I am he.

But never-the-les, my righte lady swete, Thogh that I be unconning and unmete 75 To serve as I best coude ay your hynesse. Yit is ther fayner noon, that wolde I hete, Than I, to do yow ese, or elles bete What-so I wiste were to [yow distresse]. And hadde I might as good as I have wille, 80 Than shulde ye fele wher it wer so or noon; For in this worlde living is ther noon That fayner wolde your hertes wil fulfille.

For bothe I love, and eek dreed yow so sore, And algates moot, and have doon yow, ful yore, 85 That bet loved is noon, ne never shal; And yit I wolde beseche yow of no more But leveth wel, and be nat wrooth ther-fore, And lat me serve yow forth; lo! this is al. For I am nat so hardy ne so wood 90 For to desire that ye shulde love me; For wel I wot, allas! that may nat be; I am so litel worthy, and ye so good.

For ye be oon the worthiest on-lyve, And I the most unlykly for to thryve; 95 Yit, for al this, [now] witeth ye right wele, That ye ne shul me from your service dryve That I nil ay, with alle my wittes fyve, Serve yow trewly, what wo so that I fele. For I am set on yow in swich manere 100 That, thogh ye never wil upon me rewe, I moste yow love, and ever been as trewe As any can or may on-lyve [here].

The more that I love yow, goodly free, The lasse fynde I that ye loven me; 105 Allas! whan shal that harde wit amende? Wher is now al your wommanly pitee, Your gentilesse and your debonairtee, Wil ye no thing ther-of upon me spende? And so hool, swete, as I am youres al, 110 And so gret wil as I have yow to serve, Now, certes, and ye lete me thus sterve, Yit have ye wonne ther-on but a smal.

For, at my knowing, I do no-thing why, And this I wol beseche yow hertely, 115 That, ther ever ye finde, whyl ye live, A trewer servant to yow than am I, Leveth [me] thanne, and sleeth me hardely, And I my deeth to you wol al forgive. And if ye finde no trewer [man than me], 120 [Why] will ye suffre than that I thus spille, And for no maner gilt but my good wille? As good wer thanne untrewe as trewe to be.

But I, my lyf and deeth, to yow obeye, And with right buxom herte hoolly I preye, 125 As [is] your moste plesure, so doth by me; Wel lever is me lyken yow and deye Than for to any thing or thinke or seye That mighte yow offende in any tyme. And therfor, swete, rewe on my peynes smerte, 130 And of your grace granteth me som drope; For elles may me laste ne blis ne hope, Ne dwellen in my trouble careful herte.

1. Sh. nightes; _see_ l. 8. 2, 3. hir] Sh. theyre. 7. Ed. (1561) dispaired. 12. Sh. me; Ed. my. 14. _All insert_ now _before_ doth. 15. _It seems necessary to repeat this line in order to start the series of rimes._ 16. Sh. This loue that hathe me set; _I omit_ that, _and supply_ eek. 17. _I supply_ he (i. e. Love).

19. Sh. and yit my; _I omit_ yit, _and supply_ fro. 24. _Supplied to complete the rime from_ Compl. Mars, 189. 25. _Supplied from_ Compl. Pite, 22, 17. 26. _Supplied from_ Anelida, 307. 31. Sh. is eek. 32. Sh. The wyse eknytte; Ph. The wise I-knyt (_corrupt?_) 33. Sh. hir she; _I omit_ she. 36. _Corrupt? Perhaps read_ richest creature. 40. Sh. fury. 42. _Read_ of alle his? 44. Sh. In; _I read_ With-in. 45. _I supply_ eek.

50. _So in_ Anelida, 237. 54. Sh. _ins._ lo _after_ is. 55. Sh. _ins._ lo _after_ fere. 56, 59. _Both lines are missing; supplied from_ Anelida, 181, 182. 57. Sh. _ins._ lo _after_ lede. 68. Sh. euer do. 70. _I supply_ that. 71. _I supply_ a. 72. Sh. _ins._ of _after_ bothe. 76. Sh. koude best; Ph. _om._ best. 77. Sh. noon fayner. 78. Sh. youre; _read_ yow. 79. Sh. wist that were; _om._ that. Sh. your hyenesse (_repeated from_ l. 76; _wrongly_); _read_ yow distresse.

82. Sh. _ins._ þane _before_ is. 83. Sh. wille; Ph. Ed. wil. 86. Sh. better. 88. Sh. leuethe; Ph. lovith. 96. _I supply_ now. 98. Sh. ne wil (_for_ nil). 100. Ed. (1561) _has_ set so hy vpon your whele. 102. Sh. beon euer. 103. Sh. man can; _I omit_ man. _I supply_ here; _the line is imperfect_. 104. Sh. But the; _I omit_ But. 113. Ed. _om._ a.

114. Sh. nought; _read_ nothing. 116. Sh. whyles. 118. _I supply_ me. 120. Sh. no trewer so verrayly; Ed. no trewer verely (_false rime_). 121. _I supply_ Why. 124-133. _Unique stanza, in_ Ph. _only._ 126. _I supply_ is. 127. Ph. For wele; _omit_ For. 129. Ph. That yow myght offenden. 132. Ph. no blisse. 133. Ph. dwelle withyn. _Colophon._ Ph. Explicit Pyte: dan Chaucer Lauteire (?).

* * * * *

VII. ANELIDA AND ARCITE.

THE COMPLEYNT OF FEIRE ANELIDA AND FALS ARCITE.

_Proem._

Thou ferse god of armes, Mars the rede, That in the frosty country called Trace, Within thy grisly temple ful of drede Honoured art, as patroun of that place! With thy Bellona, Pallas, ful of grace, 5 Be present, and my song continue and gye; At my beginning thus to thee I crye.

For hit ful depe is sonken in my minde, With pitous herte in English for tendyte This olde storie, in Latin which I finde, 10 Of quene Anelida and fals Arcite, That elde, which that al can frete and byte, As hit hath freten mony a noble storie, Hath nigh devoured out of our memorie.

Be favorable eek, thou Polymnia, 15 On Parnaso that, with thy sustres glade, By Elicon, not fer from Cirrea, Singest with vois memorial in the shade, Under the laurer which that may not fade, And do that I my ship to haven winne; First folow I Stace, and after him Corinne.

_The Story._

_Iamque domos patrias, &c._; Statii Thebais, xii. 519.

Whan Theseus, with werres longe and grete, The aspre folk of Cithe had over-come, With laurer crouned, in his char gold-bete, Hoom to his contre-houses is y-come;-- 25 For which the peple blisful, al and somme, So cryden, that unto the sterres hit wente, And him to honouren dide al hir entente;--

Beforn this duk, in signe of hy victorie, The trompes come, and in his baner large 30 The image of Mars; and, in token of glorie, Men mighten seen of tresor many a charge, Many a bright helm, and many a spere and targe, Many a fresh knight, and many a blisful route, On hors, on fote, in al the felde aboute. 35

Ipolita his wyf, the hardy quene Of Cithia, that he conquered hadde, With Emelye, hir yonge suster shene, Faire in a char of golde he with him ladde, That al the ground aboute hir char she spradde 40 With brightnesse of the beautee in hir face, Fulfild of largesse and of alle grace.

With his triumphe and laurer crouned thus, In al the floure of fortunes yevinge, Lete I this noble prince Theseus 45 Toward Athenes in his wey rydinge, And founde I wol in shortly for to bringe The slye wey of that I gan to wryte, Of quene Anelida and fals Arcite.

Mars, which that through his furious course of yre, 50 The olde wrath of Iuno to fulfille, Hath set the peples hertes bothe on fyre Of Thebes and Grece, everich other to kille With blody speres, ne rested never stille, But throng now her, now ther, among hem bothe, 55 That everich other slough, so wer they wrothe.

For whan Amphiorax and Tydeus, Ipomedon, Parthonopee also Were dede, and slayn [was] proud Campaneus, And whan the wrecches Thebans, bretheren two, 60 Were slayn, and king Adrastus hoom a-go, So desolat stood Thebes and so bare, That no wight coude remedie of his care.

And whan the olde Creon gan espye How that the blood roial was broght adoun, 65 He held the cite by his tirannye, And did the gentils of that regioun To been his frendes, and dwellen in the toun. So what for love of him, and what for awe, The noble folk wer to the toune y-drawe. 70

Among al these, Anelida the quene Of Ermony was in that toun dwellinge, That fairer was then is the sonne shene; Through-out the world so gan hir name springe, That hir to seen had every wight lykinge; 75 For, as of trouthe, is ther noon hir liche, Of al the women in this worlde riche.

Yong was this quene, of twenty yeer of elde, Of midel stature, and of swich fairnesse, That nature had a Ioye hir to behelde; 80 And for to speken of hir stedfastnesse, She passed hath Penelope and Lucresse, And shortly, if she shal be comprehended, In hir ne mighte no-thing been amended.

This Theban knight [Arcite] eek, sooth to seyn, 85 Was yong, and ther-with-al a lusty knight, But he was double in love and no-thing pleyn, And subtil in that crafte over any wight, And with his cunning wan this lady bright; For so ferforth he gan hir trouthe assure, 90 That she him [trust] over any creature.

What shuld I seyn? she loved Arcite so, That, whan that he was absent any throwe, Anon hir thoghte hir herte brast a-two; For in hir sight to hir he bar him lowe, 95 So that she wende have al his herte y-knowe; But he was fals; it nas but feyned chere, As nedeth not to men such craft to lere.

But never-the-les ful mikel besinesse Had he, er that he mighte his lady winne, 100 And swoor he wolde dyen for distresse, Or from his wit he seyde he wolde twinne. Alas, the whyle! for hit was routhe and sinne, That she upon his sorowes wolde rewe, But no-thing thenketh the fals as doth the trewe. 105

Hir fredom fond Arcite in swich manere, That al was his that she hath, moche or lyte, Ne to no creature made she chere Ferther than that hit lyked to Arcite; Ther was no lak with which he mighte hir wyte, 110 She was so ferforth yeven him to plese, That al that lyked him, hit did hir ese.

Ther nas to hir no maner lettre y-sent That touched love, from any maner wight, That she ne shewed hit him, er hit was brent; 115 So pleyn she was, and did hir fulle might, That she nil hyden nothing from hir knight, Lest he of any untrouthe hir upbreyde; Withouten bode his heste she obeyde.

And eek he made him Ielous over here, 120 That, what that any man had to hir seyd, Anoon he wolde preyen hir to swere What was that word, or make him evel apayd; Than wende she out of hir wit have brayd; But al this nas but sleight and flaterye, 125 Withouten love he feyned Ielosye.

And al this took she so debonerly, That al his wille, hir thoghte hit skilful thing, And ever the lenger loved him tenderly, And did him honour as he were a king. 130 Hir herte was wedded to him with a ring; So ferforth upon trouthe is hir entente, That wher he goth, hir herte with him wente.

Whan she shal ete, on him is so hir thoght, That wel unnethe of mete took she keep; 135 And whan that she was to hir reste broght, On him she thoghte alwey til that she sleep; Whan he was absent, prevely she weep; Thus liveth fair Anelida the quene For fals Arcite, that did hir al this tene. 140

This fals Arcite, of his new-fangelnesse, For she to him so lowly was and trewe, Took lesse deyntee for hir stedfastnesse, And saw another lady, proud and newe, And right anon he cladde him in hir hewe-- 145 Wot I not whether in whyte, rede, or grene-- And falsed fair Anelida the quene.

But never-the-les, gret wonder was hit noon Thogh he wer fals, for hit is kinde of man, Sith Lamek was, that is so longe agoon, 150 To been in love as fals as ever he can; He was the firste fader that began To loven two, and was in bigamye; And he found tentes first, but-if men lye.

This fals Arcite sumwhat moste he feyne, 155 Whan he wex fals, to covere his traitorye, Right as an hors, that can both byte and pleyne; For he bar hir on honde of trecherye, And swoor he coude hir doublenesse espye, And al was falsnes that she to him mente; 160 Thus swoor this theef, and forth his way he wente.

Alas! what herte might enduren hit, For routhe or wo, hir sorow for to telle? Or what man hath the cunning or the wit? Or what man might with-in the chambre dwelle, 165 If I to him rehersen shal the helle, That suffreth fair Anelida the quene For fals Arcite, that did hir al this tene?

She wepeth, waileth, swowneth pitously, To grounde deed she falleth as a stoon; 170 Al crampissheth hir limes crokedly, She speketh as hir wit were al agoon; Other colour then asshen hath she noon, Noon other word she speketh moche or lyte, But 'mercy, cruel herte myn, Arcite!' 175

And thus endureth, til that she was so mate That she ne hath foot on which she may sustene; But forth languisshing ever in this estate, Of which Arcite hath nother routhe ne tene; His herte was elles-where, newe and grene, 180 That on hir wo ne deyneth him not to thinke, Him rekketh never wher she flete or sinke.

His newe lady holdeth him so narowe Up by the brydel, at the staves ende, That every word, he dradde hit as an arowe; 185 Hir daunger made him bothe bowe and bende, And as hir liste, made him turne or wende; For she ne graunted him in hir livinge No grace, why that he hath lust to singe;

But drof him forth, unnethe liste hir knowe 190 That he was servaunt to hir ladyshippe, But lest that he wer proude, she held him lowe; Thus serveth he, withouten fee or shipe, She sent him now to londe, now to shippe; And for she yaf him daunger al his fille, 195 Therfor she had him at hir owne wille.

Ensample of this, ye thrifty wimmen alle, Take here Anelida and fals Arcite, That for hir liste him 'dere herte' calle, And was so meek, therfor he loved hir lyte; 200 The kinde of mannes herte is to delyte In thing that straunge is, also god me save! For what he may not gete, that wolde he have.

Now turne we to Anelida ageyn, That pyneth day by day in languisshing; 205 But whan she saw that hir ne gat no geyn, Upon a day, ful sorowfully weping, She caste hir for to make a compleyning, And with hir owne honde she gan hit wryte; And sente hit to hir Theban knight Arcite. 210

THE COMPLEYNT OF ANELIDA THE QUENE UPON FALS ARCITE.

_Proem._

So thirleth with the poynt of remembraunce, The swerd of sorowe, y-whet with fals plesaunce, Myn herte, bare of blis and blak of hewe, That turned is in quaking al my daunce, My suretee in a-whaped countenaunce; 215 Sith hit availeth not for to ben trewe; For who-so trewest is, hit shal hir rewe, That serveth love and doth hir observaunce Alwey to oon, and chaungeth for no newe.

(_Strophe._)

1. I wot my-self as wel as any wight; 220 For I loved oon with al my herte and might More then my-self, an hundred thousand sythe, And called him my hertes lyf, my knight, And was al his, as fer as hit was right; And whan that he was glad, than was I blythe, 225 And his disese was my deeth as swythe; And he ayein his trouthe me had plight For ever-more, his lady me to kythe.

2. Now is he fals, alas! and causeles, And of my wo he is so routheles, 230 That with a worde him list not ones deyne To bring ayein my sorowful herte in pees, For he is caught up in a-nother lees. Right as him list, he laugheth at my peyne, And I ne can myn herte not restreyne, 235 That I ne love him alwey, never-the-les; And of al this I not to whom me pleyne.

3. And shal I pleyne--alas! the harde stounde-- Un-to my foo that yaf my herte a wounde, And yet desyreth that myn harm be more? 240 Nay, certes! ferther wol I never founde Non other help, my sores for to sounde. My desteny hath shapen it ful yore; I wil non other medecyne ne lore; I wil ben ay ther I was ones bounde, 245 That I have seid, be seid for ever-more!

4. Alas! wher is become your gentilesse! Your wordes ful of plesaunce and humblesse? Your observaunces in so low manere, And your awayting and your besinesse 250 Upon me, that ye calden your maistresse, Your sovereyn lady in this worlde here? Alas! and is ther nother word ne chere Ye vouchesauf upon myn hevinesse? Alas! your love, I bye hit al to dere. 255

5. Now certes, swete, thogh that ye Thus causeles the cause be Of my dedly adversitee, Your manly reson oghte it to respyte To slee your frend, and namely me, 260 That never yet in no degree Offended yow, as wisly he, That al wot, out of wo my soule quyte!

¶ But for I shewed yow, Arcite, Al that men wolde to me wryte, 265 And was so besy, yow to delyte-- My honour save--meke, kinde, and free, Therfor ye putte on me the wyte, And of me recche not a myte, Thogh that the swerd of sorow byte 270 My woful herte through your crueltee.

6. My swete foo, why do ye so, for shame? And thenke ye that furthered be your name, To love a newe, and been untrewe? nay! And putte yow in sclaunder now and blame, 275 And do to me adversitee and grame, That love yow most, god, wel thou wost! alway? Yet turn ayeyn, and be al pleyn som day, And than shal this that now is mis be game, And al for-yive, whyl that I live may. 280

(_Antistrophe._)

1. Lo! herte myn, al this is for to seyne, As whether shal I preye or elles pleyne? Whiche is the wey to doon yow to be trewe? For either mot I have yow in my cheyne, Or with the dethe ye mot departe us tweyne; 285 Ther ben non other mene weyes newe; For god so wisly on my soule rewe, As verily ye sleen me with the peyne; That may ye see unfeyned of myn hewe.

2. For thus ferforth have I my deth [y]-soght, 290 My-self I mordre with my prevy thoght; For sorow and routhe of your unkindenesse I wepe, I wake, I faste; al helpeth noght; I weyve Ioy that is to speke of oght, I voyde companye, I flee gladnesse; 295 Who may avaunte hir bet of hevinesse Then I? and to this plyte have ye me broght, Withoute gilt; me nedeth no witnesse.

3. And sholde I preye, and weyve womanhede? Nay! rather deth then do so foul a dede, 300 And axe mercy gilteles! what nede? And if I pleyne what lyf that I lede, Yow rekketh not; that know I, out of drede; And if I unto yow myn othes bede For myn excuse, a scorn shal be my mede; 305 Your chere floureth, but hit wol not sede; Ful longe agoon I oghte have take hede.

4. For thogh I hadde yow to-morow ageyn, I might as wel holde Averill fro reyn, As holde yow, to make yow stedfast. 310 Almighty god, of trouthe sovereyn, Wher is the trouthe of man? who hath hit sleyn? Who that hem loveth shal hem fynde as fast As in a tempest is a roten mast. Is that a tame best that is ay feyn 315 To renne away, when he is leest agast?

5. Now mercy, swete, if I misseye, Have I seyd oght amis, I preye? I not; my wit is al aweye. I fare as doth the song of _Chaunte-pleure_. 320 For now I pleyne, and now I pleye, I am so mased that I deye, Arcite hath born awey the keye Of al my worlde, and my good aventure!

¶ For in this worlde nis creature 325 Wakinge, in more discomfiture Then I, ne more sorow endure; And if I slepe a furlong wey or tweye, Than thinketh me, that your figure Before me stant, clad in asure, 330 To profren eft a newe assure For to be trewe, and mercy me to preye.

6. The longe night this wonder sight I drye, And on the day for this afray I dye, And of al this right noght, y-wis, ye recche. 335 Ne never mo myn yën two be drye, And to your routhe and to your trouthe I crye. But welawey! to fer be they to fecche; Thus holdeth me my destinee a wrecche. But me to rede out of this drede or gye 340 Ne may my wit, so weyk is hit, not strecche.

_Conclusion._

Than ende I thus, sith I may do no more, I yeve hit up for now and ever-more; For I shal never eft putten in balaunce My sekernes, ne lerne of love the lore. 345 But as the swan, I have herd seyd ful yore, Ayeins his deth shal singe in his penaunce, So singe I here my destiny or chaunce, How that Arcite Anelida so sore Hath thirled with the poynt of remembraunce! 350

_The story continued._

Whan that Anelida this woful quene Hath of hir hande writen in this wyse, With face deed, betwixe pale and grene, She fel a-swowe; and sith she gan to ryse, And unto Mars avoweth sacrifyse 355 With-in the temple, with a sorowful chere, That shapen was as ye shal after here. 357

(_Unfinished._)

_The chief authorities are_: Harl. (Harl. 7333); F. (Fairfax 16); Tn. (Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181); Cx.(Caxton's edition); B. (Bodley 638); Lt. (Longleat MS.). Th. = Thynne's ed. 1532. _I follow_ F. _mainly, correcting the spelling; and give_ selected _variations._ _Title from_ F.; B. _has_ boke _for_ compleynt.

1. Tn. ferse; F. fers. 3. Harl. D. Cx. temple; _rest_ temples. 6. F. songe. F. contynew; D. contynue. F. guye; Tn. gye. 7. F. I to the; Harl. Tn. D. to the I. 9. Cx. for tendyte; Harl. for to endite; _rest_ to endyte. 11. F. Analida; Cx. Anelida; Tn. D. Annelida. 12. Harl. that; Cx. that (_for_ which); _rest om._ 15. F. eke. Harl. Polymea; _rest_ Polymya, Polymia; Th. Polymnia. 16. Harl. Cx. with; _rest_ hath (!). Harl. Cx. sustren. 17. F. B. Cx. Cirrea; D. Cirea; Tn. Circa (_wrongly_).

20. Tn. ship; F. shippe. _After_ l. 21, 3 Latin lines are quoted from Statius (see note). 23. F. folke. Cx. Cithye. 24. Harl. D. Cx. Lt. With; F. The (_caught from_ l. 23). D. crowned; F. corovned. 25. _All_ Home. Tn. ycome; F. he come. 27. Cx. cryeden; _but rest_ cryden, criden. Harl. unto; _rest_ to. Tn. wente; F. went. 28. Tn. entente; F. entent. 29. F. Harl. Beforne; Cx. Biforn; Tn. D. B. Lt. Before. Harl. duk; F. duke. Harl. _inserts_ hie (= hy); Addit. 16165 _has_ his; _the rest wrongly omit_; _accent_ o _in_ victórie. 31. Cx. tokening. Harl. and tokenyng of his glorie. 32. F. sene; Harl. seen. 33. Tn. many; F. mony (_5 times_). 35. on] Harl. Cx. and. 36. Tn. Ypolita. F. wife. 37. Harl. D. Cithea. D. hadde; Lt. hade; _rest_ had. 39. F. chare. D. ladde; Lt. lade; _rest_ lad. 40. Harl. ground; F. grounde. D. spradde; _rest_ sprad. 41. Harl. Cx. the; _rest omit_. 42. F. Fulfilled; al.

43. D. Cx. Lt. crowned; _rest_ corouned. 44. F. yevyng; Tn. gifeynge. 45. F. B. Let; _rest_ Lete. 46. F. ryding; Tn. ridinge. 47. F. bring; Tn. brynge. 48. D. slye (_rightly_); Tn. sly; F. sley. 50. F. thro. Harl. Tn. D. furious; F. furiouse. 51. Harl. Tn. wrath; F. wrethe. 52. F. hertis. 53. F. B. Tn. _insert_ and _after_ Grece; _which_ D. Lt. Harl. Cx. _omit_. Harl. yche othir for to kylle (_a good reading_). Cf. l. 56. F. eueriche. 55. D. among; F. amonge. D. bothe; F. both (_but_ wrothe _in_ l. 56). 56. F. eueriche. 58. Harl. Parthonopee; Cx. Parthonope; D. Partonope; Tn. Partinope; F. B. Prothonolope(!). 59. Harl. Tn. dede; F. ded. _I supply_ was, _which sense and metre require_; Cx. _supplies_ and. F. proude. 60. _So_ F. Tn. B. Lt.; Harl. D. Cx. _put_ wrechid (wrecchid) _for_ wrecches. 61. Cx. hom; _rest_ home. 62. F. stode. 66. F. helde. 70. F. folke.

72. Tn. dwellynge; F. duellyng. 73. F. sunne; Harl. Tn. D. Cx. sonne. 74. D. Through; F. Thorogh. Tn. sprynge; F. spring. 75. Tn. likynge; F. likyng. 77. Harl. Tn. D. Cx. the; F. thes. 78. twenty _is written_ xxti _in the_ MSS. D. olde; Cx. olde; Lt. of olde; Harl. eld; _rest_ of elde. 79. Tn. mydell_e_; F. mydil. F. suche. 80. F. Ioy. 81. D. stedfastnesse; F. stidfastnesse. 82. F. B. both; _rest_ hath. Harl. Th. penelope; F. _and others_ penolope. 84. Harl. ne; _rest om._ Tn. myghte; F. myght. 85. _I supply_ Arcite; _line too short._ F. seyne. 86. Harl. yong; F. yonge. Harl. there with all_e_ (_so_ D. Cx. Lt.); _rest_ therto with al. 87. F. pleyne. 88. Harl. any; F. eny. 89. D. Lt. Cx. wan; F. whan (!). 90. F. ferforthe. F. can; _rest_ gan. 91. Th. Tn. Harl. trusteth; _rest_ trusted; _read_ trust. D. any; F. eny. 93. F. eny throw. 94. F. thoght; hert. 95. F. bare. 96. F. hert.

101. Harl. Tn. D.B. swore (_for_ swoor); Cx. sware; F. sworne. 105. Tn. thenketh; F. thinketh. 106. F. fonde; suche. 107. F. B. _wrongly insert_ both _before_ moche; _rest omit_. F. B. and; _rest_ or. 109. Harl. Cx. that; _rest omit_. 110. F. wiche; myght. 111. Tn. yeuen; F. yevin. 112. F. dyd her hert an ese; Harl. Cx. _omit_ hert an; _others vary_. 114, 118. D. any; F. eny. 116. Tn. D. B. fulle; _rest_ ful. 119. (_See_ 126.) Harl. Cx. heste; _rest_ herte, hert. 120. F. eke. Tn. Ielous; F. Ielouse. D. Cx. here (_for the rime_); F. her. 121. Harl. any; F. eny. F. seyde. 123. F. worde. Harl. Tn. apayde; F. apaied; D. B. apaid. 124. F. wend. Cx. brayd; Tn. breyde; F. breyed. 125. Harl. Cx. this nas; _rest_ was. D. sleight; Cx. sleyght; F. sleght. 126. Harl. Withouten; F. With out; (_and so in_ 119).

127. F. toke. F. B. as; _rest_ so. 128. Harl. Tn. wille; F. wil. F. thoght. Koch _proposes to omit_ hit. 129. _All ins._ she _after_ lenger; _it is not wanted_. 131. F. ringe. 132. Harl. Cx. So; _rest_ For so. Harl. Tn. entente; F. entent. 133. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 135. F. toke; kepe. 136. Harl. Cx. that; _rest omit_. Harl. D. Cx. reste; F. rest. 137. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. Harl. Tn. Cx. alwey; F. ay. F. slepe. 138. F. wepe. 139. Cx. fayr; F. feire. 141. D. newfangilnesse; Tn. newfangulnes; F. new fanglesse 143. F. Toke. D. sted-; F. stid-. 144. F. proude. 145. Harl. D. cladde; F. clad. 146. F. whethir. 148. F. lesse grete. 149. Harl. Cx. _omit_ the, _which_ F. _and others insert after_ is. 152. Harl. Tn. firste; F. first. 154. F. founde.

156. Harl. Tn. D. couer; Cx. couere; F. coueren. 157. F. Tn. pleyn. 159, 161. _All_ swore. 160. Harl. Tn. mente; F. ment. 161. D. Cx. theef; F. thefe. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 162. Tn. herte; F. hert. Cx. enduren; _rest_ endure. 167. F. feir. 169. Cx. swowneth; D. sownyth; F. swoneth. 170. Harl. Tn. D. grounde; F. ground. F. dede; ston. 171. Harl. Al; _rest om._ Cx. Crampissheth; Lt. Crampuissheth; Tn. Crampicheth; F. cravmpysshe. 172. F. agon. 174. Harl. Noon; Cx. None; _the rest insert_ Ne _before_ Noon. _For_ she speketh, _all the_ MSS. _have_ speketh she. 175. F. mercie; hert. 178. F. B. for; _rest_ forth. 179. Tn. D. nothir; F. nouther. 180. F. wher; _rest_ where. 182. Harl. nought; Cx. not (_for_ never). Harl. D. Cx. whether; _but_ wher _is short for_ whether. Cf. Compt. unto Pite, 110; _see note_.

183. _All but_ Harl. Cx. Th. _insert_ up _before_ so; _see next line_. 184. F. bridil. 185. F. worde. B. D. Lt. dredith; F. Tn. dred hit; Harl. Cx. drad; _read_ dradde hit. 187. Tn. Cx. liste; Harl. lyste; F. lust. 190. Harl. Cx. vnnethe; F. vnneth. F. list. 191. _All_ un-to; _read_ to. 192. Cx. proud; F. proude. Harl. Cx. held; F. helde. 193. Harl. withouten; F. with out. Harl. Cx. mete; _rest_ fee. F. B. Lt. shippe; D. ship_e_; Cx. sype; Harl. shepe (!); Tn. shep (!). 195. D. yaf; F. yafe. 196. Harl. owne; F. ovne. 197. Harl Tn. D. thrifty; F. thrifte. 198. B. here; F. her (i. e. _here_); Tn. D. here of; Cx. Lt. hede of. 199. Tn. Cx. liste (_pt. t._); F. list. Harl. Cx. dere herte; F. her der hert. 200. _All_ meke. 201. _All_ kynde (kinde). F. hert. 203. Harl. Cx. he (_twice_); F. _and others wrongly have_ they _the 2nd time_. 205. F. Tn. be; _rest_ by. 206. F. sawe. 208. Harl. Tn. caste; F. cast. 209. Harl. owne; F. ovne. 210. Th. sente; D. Cx. sende; _rest_ sent. F. B. _omit_ hit; _rest retain_.

211. Harl. thirllethe; Cx. thirleth; F. B. thirled (!). 212. B. swerd; F. suerde. F. y-whet; B. I-whet; _rest_ whet. 213. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl. Tn. D. blak; F. blake. 214. Harl. Cx. in. _rest_ to; _see_ 215. 215. Tn. B. Lt. surete; F. suerte. F. B. in to; _rest_ in. D. Cx. a whaped; Harl. a whaaped; F. a waped. 216. Harl. for; _rest om._ 217. Harl. trewest; F. truest. Harl. hir; Cx. her; F. _and others_ him (_but see_ l. 218). 218. F. dothe. 220. Harl. any; F. eny. 221. F. hert. 223. F. B. cleped; _rest_ called. F. hertis life. 227. Harl. D. Cx. B. plight; F. I-plyght. 229. _So_ Tn. Harl. Cx. D; F. B. Alas now hath he left me causeles. 232. Tn. herte, pees; F. hert, pes. 233. B. caught; F. caght. Tn. D. Cx. lees; F. les.

234. F. B. me (!); _rest_ him. 235. F. hert. 238. F. pleyn. Harl. Tn. harde; F. hard. 239. F. yafe; hert. 240. F. harme. 241. F. certis. _All_ be founde; _but_ be _is copied in from the line above; see_ l. 47. 242. F. helpe. 243. Tn. desteny; F. destany. F. B. _om._ ful. 246. F. seide (_twice_.) 252. F. souereigne. 253. _I supply_ and _from_ Cx.; Harl. _has_ And is there nowe neyther. 254. Lt. vouchesauf; Cx. vouchen sauf; F. vouchesafe. 256. F. certis. 257. F. B. causer (_for_ caus-e); _rest_ cause. 258. F. dedely. 259. F. oght. 260. Harl. Lt. slee; Tn. D. Cx. sle; F. slene. F. frende. 263. Harl. wot; F. wote.

264, 265. Harl. Cx. But for I was so pleyne, Arcyte, In all_e_ my werkes, much and lyte; _and omit_ was _in_ l. 266. 267. F. honor. Tn. saue; F. D. safe; Harl. Cx. sauf. 268. F. put. 269. Harl. Tn. recche; F. rek. 270. F. B. _om._ that. F. suerde. 271. Tn. herte; F. hert. F. thro. 272. F. suete. 274. Harl. Tn. vntrewe; F. vntrew. 275. Harl. putte; F. put. 278. Tn. D. Ff. Lt. turne; _rest_ come. 279. Tn. Harl. Cx. D. Lt. And then shall this that now is mis ben (be); F. B. And turne al this that hath be mys to. 280. F. foryeve; Tn. foryife; Harl. 372, foryiue (_rightly_). 281. F. hert. Harl. seyne (_gerund_); F. seyn. 282. F. wheder; prey; pleyn. 284, 5, 8. F. cheyn, tweyn, peyn. 287. D. Cx. on; Harl. of; F. Tn. B. vpon. 288. D. verily; F. verrely.

290. Harl. Cx. _omit this stanza_. F. dethe (_wrongly_); _rest_ deth. _All_ soght, sought; _read_ y-soght. 291. D. B. mordre; F. mo_ur_dre. 292. F. vnkyndnesse. 293. Tn. D. faste; F. fast. 296. F. avaunt. Tn. B. Lt. bet; F. bet_er_. 298. Tn. Lt. With oute; F. With out. 299. _Some of the_ final rimes _in this stanza are_ forced _ones_. F. B. shal; _rest_ sholde (shulde). F. prey. 300. F. dethe; Harl. Cx. dye. F. foule. 301. F. mercie. Tn. gilteles; F. giltles. 302. Harl. pleyne; F. pleyn. F. lyfe. Harl. Cx. _ins._ that; F. _and others omit_. 304. Tn. D. unto; F. to. 305. F. skorne. 306. F. B. _om._ hit. 307. F. _and others insert_ to _before_ have; Tn. D. Lt. Cx. _omit_. 308. D. hadde; F. had. 309. F. Apprile; Harl. Aueryll. 310. F. B. yow be; _rest om._ be. F. stidfast. 311. F. souereigne. 312. F. slayn. 313. Tn. D. Lt. She; Harl. Sheo; _rest_ Who. F. B. _insert_ she _before_ shal. 314. F. _om. 1st_ a. 315. Is] F. this (!) 316. Harl. fleen; Cx. fle (_for_ renne). F. lest.

317. Harl. Cx. But; _rest_ Now. F. mercie. F. myssey (_omitting_ e _in_-eye _throughout, wrongly_); Harl. myssaye, &c. 318. _So_ F. B.; _rest_ Have I ought seyd out of the weye. F. seyde. 319. Harl. Cx. half (_for_ al). 320. F. dothe; songe. F. chaunt plure; Harl. Chaunte pleure. 321. F. pleyn. 323. F. borne. 325. Harl. Cx. nys; F. B. D. ther is no; Tn. ther nis no (_too many syllables_). 328. F. furlonge. F. B. other (_for_ or); _rest_ or. 329. F. thenketh; Tn. thynketh. 330. Tn. stant; F. stont. 331. Harl. Cx. To profren efte; D. Tn. Lt. Efte to profre; F. B. To suere yet. Tn. D. Cx. Lt. assure; F. asure. 332. F. trew; mercie. Harl. and love me til I dye; Cx. and love me til he deye. 334. F. B. this; D. Tn. suche; Harl. Cx. thilke. 335. F. reche; Tn. D. recche; _and so with_ feche, &c. 339. F. destany; Tn. destyne (_for the rime_). 341. F. weyke. 343. Harl. D. Cx. yeve; F. yf; Tn. gife.

344. F. efte. Tn. Cx. putten; F. put. 347. Tn. deth; F. dethe. Tn. D. Lt. Ff. _insert_ in; _rest om._ 348. Harl. Tn. destenye; D. destynye; F. destany. 349. F. Analida. F. B. to; _rest_ so. 351. _This stanza only occurs in_ Tn. D. Lt. Ff. Th.; _I follow_ Tn. _mainly_. Tn. Annelida; wofull. 352. Tn. Lt. Ff. of; D. with. 353. D. Th. deed; _rest_ dede. D. betwixe; Th. betwyxe; Ff. bitwixte; Tn. Lt. betwix. 354. Tn. felle; Th. fel. Ff. a swowe; Tn. a swow. 355. Lt. Th. avoweth; D. avowith; Tn. avoyth. 356. Tn. With-Inne; _rest_ With-in. Tn. sorofulle. 357. Tn. shapyn; aftyr. shal after] Lt. Th. may plainly.

* * * * *

VIII. CHAUCERS WORDES UNTO ADAM, HIS OWNE SCRIVEYN.

Adam scriveyn, if ever it thee bifalle Boece or Troilus to wryten newe, Under thy lokkes thou most have the scalle, But after my making thou wryte trewe. So ofte a daye I mot thy werk renewe, 5 Hit to correcte and eek to rubbe and scrape; And al is through thy negligence and rape.

_From_ T. (= MS. R. 3. 20 _in_ Trin. Coll. Library, Cambridge). _It also occurs in_ Stowe's edition (1561).

TITLE; T. _has_--Chauciers wordes .a. Geffrey vn-to Adame his owen scryveyne; Stowe _has_--Chaucers woordes vnto his owne Scriuener.

1. T. scryveyne; byfalle. 2. T. Troylus for to; nuwe. 3. T. thy long lokkes (_see_ note); thowe. 4. T. affter; makyng thowe wryte more truwe (_see_ note). 5. T. offt; renuwe. 6. T. It; corect; Stowe _has_ correcte. T. eke. 7. T. thorugh; neclygence.

* * * * *

IX. THE FORMER AGE.

A blisful lyf, a paisible and a swete Ledden the peples in the former age; They helde hem payed of fruites, that they ete, Which that the feldes yave hem by usage; They ne were nat forpampred with outrage; 5 Unknowen was the quern and eek the melle; They eten mast, hawes, and swich pounage, And dronken water of the colde welle.

Yit nas the ground nat wounded with the plough, But corn up-sprong, unsowe of mannes hond, 10 The which they gniden, and eete nat half y-nough No man yit knew the forwes of his lond; No man the fyr out of the flint yit fond; Un-korven and un-grobbed lay the vyne; No man yit in the morter spyces grond 15 To clarre, ne to sause of galantyne.

No mader, welde, or wood no litestere Ne knew; the flees was of his former hewe; No flesh ne wiste offence of egge or spere; No coyn ne knew man which was fals or trewe; 20 No ship yit karf the wawes grene and blewe; No marchaunt yit ne fette outlandish ware; No trompes for the werres folk ne knewe, No toures heye, and walles rounde or square.

What sholde it han avayled to werreye? 25 Ther lay no profit, ther was no richesse, But cursed was the tyme, I dar wel seye, That men first dide hir swety bysinesse To grobbe up metal, lurkinge in darknesse, And in the riveres first gemmes soghte. 30 Allas! than sprong up al the cursednesse Of covetyse, that first our sorwe broghte!

Thise tyraunts putte hem gladly nat in pres, No wildnesse, ne no busshes for to winne Ther poverte is, as seith Diogenes, 35 Ther as vitaile is eek so skars and thinne That noght but mast or apples is ther-inne. But, ther as bagges been and fat vitaile, Ther wol they gon, and spare for no sinne With al hir ost the cite for tassaile. 40

Yit were no paleis-chaumbres, ne non halles; In caves and [in] wodes softe and swete Slepten this blissed folk with-oute walles, On gras or leves in parfit quiete. No doun of fetheres, ne no bleched shete 45 Was kid to hem, but in seurtee they slepte; Hir hertes were al oon, with-oute galles, Everich of hem his feith to other kepte.

Unforged was the hauberk and the plate; The lambish peple, voyd of alle vyce, 50 Hadden no fantasye to debate, But ech of hem wolde other wel cheryce; No pryde, non envye, non avaryce, No lord, no taylage by no tyrannye; Humblesse and pees, good feith, the emperice, 55 [Fulfilled erthe of olde curtesye.]

Yit was not Iupiter the likerous, That first was fader of delicacye, Come in this world; ne Nembrot, desirous To reynen, had nat maad his toures hye. 60 Allas, allas! now may men wepe and crye! For in our dayes nis but covetyse [And] doublenesse, and tresoun and envye, Poysoun, manslauhtre, and mordre in sondry wyse. 64

FINIT ETAS PRIMA. CHAUCERS.

1. I. Blysful; paysyble. 2. I. poeples; Hh. peplis. 3. I. paied of the; Hh. paied with the (_but omit_ the). I. fructes; Hh. frutes. 4. I. Whiche. 5. I. weere; Hh. were. I. Hh. owtrage. 6. I. Onknowyn. I. quyerne; Hh. qwerne. I. ek. 7. I. swych pownage. 9. I. grownd; wownded; plowh. 11. I. gnodded; Hh. knoddyd; _read_ gniden; _see_ note. I. I-nowh. 12. I. knewe; Hh. knew. 13. I, owt; flynt; fonde. 15. I. spices. 16. I. sawse; Hh. sause. I. galentyne; Hh. galantine. 17. I. madyr; Hh. madder. Hh. wellyd (_wrongly_), I. wod; Hh. woode. 18. I. knewh. I. fles; Hh. flese (_for_ flees). I. is (_for_ his); Hh. hys. 19. I. flessh; wyste. 20. I. knewh. Hh. was; I. is.

22. I. owt-. 23. I. _inserts_ batails (Hh. batayllys) _after_ No. 24. I. towres; rownde. 26. I. profyt; rychesse. 27. I. corsed; Hh. cursyd. 28. I. fyrst; Hh. first. I. dede; bysynesse. 29. I. lurkynge. Hh. derknesse; I. dirkenesse. 30. I. Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte. 31. I. cursydnesse. 32. Hh. couetyse; I. coueytyse. I. fyrst owr; browhte. 33. I. Thyse tyrau_n_tz. _Both_ put. 34. I. _inserts_ places (Hh. place of) _after_ No. I. wynne. 36. I. vitayle; ek. 37. I nat (_for_ noght); Hh. nowt. 39. I. synne. 40. I. Cyte. I. forto asayle; Hh. for to asayle. 41. Hh. were; I. was. 42. I. kanes. I. Hh. _om. 2nd_ in; _which I supply_. 43. I. Sleptin; blyssed; with-owte. 44. Hh. On; I. Or. I. parfyt Ioye reste and quiete (!); Hh. parfite Ioy and quiete (!). 45. I. down. 46. I. kyd. I. surte; Hh. surt. 47. I. weere; on; -owte. 48. I. Euerych; oother.

49. I. hawberke. 50. I. lambyssh. I. poeple; Hh. pepyl. Hh. voyd; I. voyded. Hh. vice; I. vyse. 51. I. fantesye. 52. I. eche; oother. 53. I. pride. 54. I. tyranye. 55. Hh. Humblesse; I. Vmblesse. I. pes. 56. _Not in the_ MSS.; _I supply it._ Koch _suggests_--Yit hadden in this worlde the maistrye. 57. I. Iuppiter; Hh. Iupiter. I. lykerous. 58. I. fyrst; fadyr; delicasie. 59. I. desyrous. 60. I. regne; towres. 61. Hh. men; _which_ I. _omits_. 62. I. owre. 63. I. Hh. _omit first_ And, _which I supply_. I. Hh. Dowblenesse. 64. I. Poyson and manslawtre; Hh. Poysonne manslawtyr. _Finit, &c.; in_ Hh. _only._

* * * * *

X. FORTUNE.

_Balades de visage sanz peinture._

I. LE PLEINTIF COUNTRE FORTUNE.

This wrecched worldes transmutacioun, As wele or wo, now povre and now honour, With-outen ordre or wys discrecioun Governed is by Fortunes errour; But natheles, the lak of hir favour 5 Ne may nat don me singen, though I dye, _Iay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour_:' For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!

Yit is me left the light of my resoun, To knowen frend fro fo in thy mirour. 10 So muche hath yit thy whirling up and doun Y-taught me for to knowen in an hour. But trewely, no force of thy reddour To him that over him-self hath the maystrye! My suffisaunce shal be my socour: 15 For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!

O Socrates, thou stedfast champioun, She never mighte be thy tormentour; Thou never dreddest hir oppressioun, Ne in hir chere founde thou no savour. 20 Thou knewe wel deceit of hir colour, And that hir moste worshipe is to lye. I knowe hir eek a fals dissimulour: For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!

II. LA RESPOUNSE DE FORTUNE AU PLEINTIF.

No man is wrecched, but him-self hit wene, 25 And he that hath him-self hath suffisaunce. Why seystow thanne I am to thee so kene, That hast thy-self out of my governaunce? Sey thus: 'Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce That thou hast lent or this.' Why wolt thou stryve? 30 What wostow yit, how I thee wol avaunce? And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve!

I have thee taught divisioun bi-twene Frend of effect, and frend of countenaunce; Thee nedeth nat the galle of noon hyene, 35 That cureth eyen derke fro hir penaunce; Now seestow cleer, that were in ignoraunce. Yit halt thyn ancre, and yit thou mayst arryve Ther bountee berth the keye of my substaunce: And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve. 40

How many have I refused to sustene, Sin I thee fostred have in thy plesaunce! Woltow than make a statut on thy quene That I shal been ay at thyn ordinaunce? Thou born art in my regne of variaunce, 45 Aboute the wheel with other most thou dryve. My lore is bet than wikke is thy grevaunce, And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve.

III. LA RESPOUNSE DU PLEINTIF COUNTRE FORTUNE.

Thy lore I dampne, hit is adversitee. My frend maystow nat reven, blind goddesse! 50 That I thy frendes knowe, I thanke hit thee. Tak hem agayn, lat hem go lye on presse! The negardye in keping hir richesse Prenostik is thou wolt hir tour assayle; Wikke appetyt comth ay before seknesse: 55 In general, this reule may nat fayle.

LA RESPOUNSE DE FORTUNE COUNTRE LE PLEINTIF.

Thou pinchest at my mutabilitee, For I thee lente a drope of my richesse, And now me lyketh to with-drawe me. Why sholdestow my realtee oppresse? 60 The see may ebbe and flowen more or lesse; The welkne hath might to shyne, reyne, or hayle; Right so mot I kythen my brotelnesse. In general, this reule may nat fayle.

Lo, thexecucion of the magestee 65 That al purveyeth of his rightwisnesse, That same thing 'Fortune' clepen ye, Ye blinde bestes, ful of lewednesse! The hevene hath propretee of sikernesse, This world hath ever resteles travayle; 70 Thy laste day is ende of myn intresse: In general, this reule may nat fayle.

Lenvoy de Fortune.

Princes, I prey you of your gentilesse, Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne, And I shal quyte you your bisinesse 75 At my requeste, as three of you or tweyne; And, but you list releve him of his peyne, Preyeth his beste frend, of his noblesse, That to som beter estat he may atteyne. 79

_Explicit._

The spelling is conformed to that of the preceding poems; the alterations though numerous are slight; as _y_ for _i_, _au_ for _aw_, &c. The text mainly follows MS. I. (= Ii. 3. 21, Camb. Univ. Library). Other MSS. are A. (Ashmole 59); T. (Trin. Coll. Camb.); F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); H. (Harl. 2251).

2: F. pouerte; _rest_ poure (poore, pore, poeere). 8, 16: I. fynaly; deffye. 11: I. mochel; _the rest_ muche, moche. 13: I. fors; thi reddowr. 17: I. stidfast chaumpyoun. 18: I. myht; thi tormentowr. 20: I. fownde thow.

21. I. the deseyte; A. T. H. _om._ the. 22. I. most. 23. I. knew; _rest_ knowe. I. ek. 24. I. fynaly; the deffye. 27. H. seystow; I. seysthow. I. (_only_) _om._ to. 30. _So_ I.; _rest_ Thou shall not stryue. 31. I. woost thow; B. wostow; A. T. wostowe. 36. I. derkyd; _rest_ derke (derk). T. from hir; H. from ther; A. frome theire; F. B. fro; I. for. 37. H. seestow; A. T. seestowe; I. _partly erased_. 43. I. Wolthow; B. Woltow. 46. I. most thow; H. thow must; _the rest_ maystow, maisthow, maistow.

49: I. dempne; F. B. H. dampne. 50: I. maysthow; B. maistou; H. maystow. 51: I. thanke to; F. thanke yt; B. thanke it; H. thank it nat: (Lansdowne _and_ Pepys _also have_ thank it). 60: I. apresse; _rest_ oppresse. 61: I. A. or; _rest_ and. 62: I. welkne; A. B. H. welkin; F. welkene; T. sky. 63: I. brutelnesse; T. brutilnesse; F. B. H. brotelnesse; A. brittelnesse. _After_ l. 64, _a new rubric is wrongly inserted, thus_: I. Le pleintif; F. B. H. Le pleintif encontre Fortune; A. The Pleyntyff ageinst Fortune; T. Thaunswer of the Lover ayenst Fortune; _see_ note. 65: A. F. þexecucion; B. thexecucyon; I. excussyoun. I. maieste; _rest_ magestee (mageste). 71: I. intersse (_sic_); (Lansd. _and_ Pepys intresse); T. F. B. interesse; A. H. encresse.

73. I. gentilesses; _the rest_ gentilesse. 76. _In_ I. _only; the rest omit this line._ 77. A. F. B. H. And; I. T. That. I. lest; _rest_ list (liste). _At end_--B. Explicit.

* * * * *

XI. MERCILES BEAUTE: A TRIPLE ROUNDEL.

I. _Captivity._

Your yën two wol slee me sodenly, I may the beautè of hem not sustene, So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene.

And but your word wol helen hastily My hertes wounde, whyl that hit is grene, 5 _Your yën two wol slee me sodenly,_ _I may the beautè of hem not sustene_.

Upon my trouthe I sey yow feithfully, That ye ben of my lyf and deeth the quene; For with my deeth the trouthe shal be sene. 10 _Your yën two wol slee me sodenly,_ _I may the beautè of hem not sustene,_ _So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene._

II. _Rejection._

So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne; 15 For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.

Giltles my deeth thus han ye me purchaced; I sey yow sooth, me nedeth not to feyne; _So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced_ _Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne_. 20

Allas! that nature hath in yow compassed So greet beautè, that no man may atteyne To mercy, though he sterve for the peyne. _So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced_ _Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne;_ 25 _For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne._

III. _Escape._

Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat, I never thenk to ben in his prison lene; Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.

He may answere, and seye this or that; 30 I do no fors, I speke right as I mene. _Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,_ _I never thenk to ben in his prison lene._

Love hath my name y-strike out of his sclat, And he is strike out of my bokes clene 35 For ever-mo; [ther] is non other mene. _Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,_ _I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;_ _Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene._ 39

_Explicit._

_This excellent text is from_ P. (MS. Pepys 2006, p. 390). _I note all variations from the_ MS.]

1. P. Yowre two yen; _but read_ Your yen two; _for in_ ll., 6, II, _the_ MS. _has_ Your yen, &c. P. wolle sle. 2. them; _read_ hem. 3. wondeth it thorowout (out _in the margin_). 4. wille. 5. Mi hertis wound while; it. 6, 7. Yo_ur_ yen, &c. 8. trouth. 9. liffe; deth. 10. deth; trouth. 11-13. Yo_ur_ yen, &c. 14. yowre. 15. nauailleth; pleyn. 16. danger.

17. deth. 18. soth; fayn. 19, 20. So hath yo_ur_, &c. 21. compased. 22. grete; atteyn. 23. peyn. 24-26. So hath yo_ur_ beaute, &c. 28. neu_er_e. 29. fre. 30. answer_e_ & sey. 32, 33. Syn I fro loue, &c. 34. I strike. 36. this is (_read_ ther is). 37-39. Syn I fro loue, &c.

* * * * *

XII. TO ROSEMOUNDE. A BALADE.

Madame, ye ben of al beautè shryne As fer as cercled is the mappemounde; For as the cristal glorious ye shyne, And lyke ruby ben your chekes rounde. Therwith ye ben so mery and so iocounde, 5 That at a revel whan that I see you daunce, It is an oynement unto my wounde, Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce.

For thogh I wepe of teres ful a tyne, Yet may that wo myn herte nat confounde; 10 Your seemly voys that ye so smal out-twyne Maketh my thoght in Ioye and blis habounde. So curteisly I go, with lovë bounde, That to my-self I sey, in my penaunce, Suffyseth me to love you, Rosemounde, 15 Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce.

Nas never pyk walwed in galauntyne As I in love am walwed and y-wounde; For which ful ofte I of my-self divyne That I am trewe Tristan the secounde. 20 My love may not refreyd be nor afounde; I brenne ay in an amorous plesaunce. Do what you list, I wil your thral be founde, Thoghe ye to me ne do no daliaunce. 24

TREGENTIL. CHAUCER.

_From_ MS. Rawl. Poet. 163, leaf 114.

_No title in the_ MS. _Readings._ 2. mapamonde. 3. cristall. 4. chekys. 5. ioconde. 6. Reuell; se; dance. 8. Thoght (_see_ 16); daliance. 11. semy (_sic_); _read_ seemly; fynall, _for_ final(_misreading of_ fmal). 12. Makyth; ioy; blys. 13. curtaysly. 18. I wounde. 19. deuyne. 20. trew. 21. refreyde (_with_ be _above the line, just before it_); affounde. 22. amorouse. 23. lyst; wyl. 24. daliance.

* * * * *

XIII. TRUTH.

BALADE DE BON CONSEYL.

Flee fro the prees, and dwelle with sothfastnesse, Suffyce unto thy good, though hit be smal; For hord hath hate, and climbing tikelnesse, Prees hath envye, and wele blent overal; Savour no more than thee bihove shal; 5 Werk wel thy-self, that other folk canst rede; And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse, In trust of hir that turneth as a bal: Gret reste stant in litel besinesse; 10 And eek be war to sporne ageyn an al; Stryve noght, as doth the crokke with the wal. Daunte thy-self, that dauntest otheres dede; And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse, 15 The wrastling for this worlde axeth a fal. Her nis non hoom, her nis but wildernesse: Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste, out of thy stal! Know thy contree, look up, thank God of al; Hold the hye wey, and lat thy gost thee lede: 20 And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

ENVOY.

Therfore, thou vache, leve thyn old wrecchednesse Unto the worlde; leve now to be thral; Crye him mercy, that of his hy goodnesse Made thee of noght, and in especial 25 Draw unto him, and pray in general For thee, and eek for other, hevenlich mede; And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede. 28

EXPLICIT LE BON COUNSEILL DE G. CHAUCER.

TITLE. Gg. _has_--Balade de bone conseyl; F. _has_--Balade.

_The_ MSS. _are_ At. (Addit. 10340, Brit. Museum); Gg. (Camb. Univ. Library, Gg. 4. 27); E. (Ellesmere MS.); Ct. (Cotton, Cleop. D. 7); T. (Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 20); F. (Fairfax 16); _and others_. _The text is founded on_ E.

2. E. Suffise. E. good; T. goode; At. Ct. thing; Gg. þyng. 4. At. blent; T. blenteþe; Gg. blyndyþ; E. blyndeth; Ct. blindeth; _see_ note. 5. E. the. 7. T. _inserts_ thee _before_ shal. 8. Tempest] Harl. F. T. Peyne. 9. E. trist; _the rest_ trust. 10. Gg. Gret reste; T. Gret rest; E. For gret reste; Ct. For greet rest; At. Mych wele. E. bisynesse; _rest_ besynesse. 11. E. ek; agayn. 13. E. Ct. Daunt; _the rest_ Daunte. 14. T. _inserts_ thee _before_ shal. 15. E. the; boxomnesse.

19. Know thy contree] Harl. F. T. Loke vp on hie. E. lok; _the rest_ loke, looke. 20. _For_ Hold the hye wey, Harl. F. _and others have_ Weyve thy lust. E. the (_for_ thee). 21. T. _inserts_ thee _before_ shal. 22-28. _This stanza is in_ At. _only._ 22. At. þine olde wrechedenesse. 23. At. world. 24. At. Crie hym; hys hie. 25. At. þe; nou[gh]t. 26. At. Drawe; hym. 27. At. þe; eke; heuenelyche. 28. At. schal delyuere. COLOPHON: _so in_ F.

* * * * *

XIV. GENTILESSE.

MORAL BALADE OF CHAUCER.

The firste stok, fader of gentilesse-- What man that claymeth gentil for to be, Must folowe his trace, and alle his wittes dresse Vertu to sewe, and vyces for to flee. For unto vertu longeth dignitee, 5 And noght the revers, saufly dar I deme, Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.

This firste stok was ful of rightwisnesse, Trewe of his word, sobre, pitous, and free, Clene of his goste, and loved besinesse, 10 Ageinst the vyce of slouthe, in honestee; And, but his heir love vertu, as dide he, He is noght gentil, thogh he riche seme, Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.

Vyce may wel be heir to old richesse; 15 But ther may no man, as men may wel see, Bequethe his heir his vertuous noblesse; That is appropred unto no degree, But to the firste fader in magestee, That maketh him his heir, that can him queme, 20 Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.

1. Cx. first; Harl. ffirste; Ct. firste. T. gentilesse; _rest_ gentilnesse. 3. Cx. _om._ alle. 4. A. T. suwe; Harl. shew (_for_ sewe); Cx. folowe (!). 5. Cx. vertue; dignyte. 6. Cx. not; _rest_ nou[gh]t, nought, no[gh]te. 7. Cx. mytor; A. T. Harl. Add. mytre. Cx. crowne; dyademe. 8. Cx. rightwisnes. 9. A. Ct. Ha. pitous; Cx. pyetous. 10. Cx. besynes. 11. A. Ageinst; T. Ageynst; Cx. Agayn. Cx. _om._ the. Cx. honeste. 12. Cx. eyer; _rest_ heire, heyre, eyre. 13. Cx. not; Ct. Ha. nought. Cx. though; Add. thogh. 14. Cx. mytor; crowne. 15. Cx. _omits_ heir. Cx. holde; _rest_ olde; _but read_ old. 16. Cx. al; _rest_ as. 17. Cx. eyer.

18. Cx. degre. 19. Cx. first; mageste. 20. Ct. That maketh his heires hem that hym queme (_omitting_ can); A. That maþe his heyre him that wol him qweme; T. That makeþe heos heyres hem þat wol him qweeme; Add. That maketh his eires hem that can him queme; Cx. That makes hem eyres that can hem queme; _with other variations_. _I follow_ Cx., _supplying_ his, _and putting_ him _and_ heir _in the singular_; _cf._ he _in_ l. 21. 21. Cx. crowne mytor.

* * * * *

XV. LAK OF STEDFASTNESSE.

BALADE.

Som tyme this world was so stedfast and stable That mannes word was obligacioun, And now hit is so fals and deceivable, That word and deed, as in conclusioun, Ben no-thing lyk, for turned up so doun 5 Is al this world for mede and wilfulnesse, That al is lost for lak of stedfastnesse.

What maketh this world to be so variable But lust that folk have in dissensioun? Among us now a man is holde unable, 10 But-if he can, by som collusioun, Don his neighbour wrong or oppressioun. What causeth this, but wilful wrecchednesse, That al is lost, for lak of stedfastnesse?

Trouthe is put doun, resoun is holden fable; 15 Vertu hath now no dominacioun, Pitee exyled, no man is merciable. Through covetyse is blent discrecioun; The world hath mad a permutacioun Fro right to wrong, fro trouthe to fikelnesse, 20 That al is lost, for lak of stedfastnesse.

Lenvoy to King Richard.

O prince, desyre to be honourable, Cherish thy folk and hate extorcioun! Suffre no thing, that may be reprevable To thyn estat, don in thy regioun. 25 Shew forth thy swerd of castigacioun, Dred God, do law, love trouthe and worthinesse, And wed thy folk agein to stedfastnesse. 28

_Explicit._

_The_ MSS _are_: Harl. (Harl. 7333); T. (Trin. Coll. R. 3. 20); Ct. (Cotton, Cleop. D. 7); F. (Fairfax 16); Add. (Addit. 22139); Bann. (Bannatyne); _and others_. Th. = Thynne (1532). _I follow_ Ct. _chiefly. The title_ Balade _is in_ F.

1. Ct. Sumtyme. Ct. F. the; Harl. T. Add. this. Ct. worlde. 2. Ct. worde. 3. Ct. nowe it; false; deseiuable. 4. Ct. worde; dede. 5. Harl. T. Beon; Add. Ar; Ct. Is; F. Ys. Ct. lyke. 6. Ct. all; worlde. 8. Ct. worlde; veriable. 9. Ct. folke; discension. 10. _The_ MSS. _have_ For among vs now, _or_ For nowe a dayes; _but_ Bann. _omits_ For, _which is not wanted_. 11. Bann. Harl. T. Th. collusion; Ct. F. Add. conclusioun (_but see_ l. 4). 12. Ct. Do; neyghburgh. 15. Ct. putte. 17. Ct. Pite. 18. Ct. Thorugh. 19. Ct. worlde. T. F. Add. Th. a; Bann. ane; Ct. _om._

20. Ct. trought; F. trouthe. TITLE. T. Lenvoye to Kyng Richard; F. Harl. Th. Lenvoy. 22. Ct. honurable. 23. Ct. Cherice thi. 25. Ct. thine estaat doen; thi. 26. Ct. Shewe; swerde. 27. Ct. Drede; truthe. 28. Ct. thi; ayen. Ct. Th. add _Explicit_.

* * * * *

XVI. LENVOY DE CHAUCER A SCOGAN.

To-broken been the statuts hye in hevene That creat were eternally to dure, Sith that I see the brighte goddes sevene Mow wepe and wayle, and passioun endure, As may in erthe a mortal creature. 5 Allas, fro whennes may this thing procede? Of whiche errour I deye almost for drede.

By worde eterne whylom was hit shape That fro the fifte cercle, in no manere, Ne mighte a drope of teres doun escape. 10 But now so wepeth Venus in hir spere, That with hir teres she wol drenche us here. Allas, Scogan! this is for thyn offence! Thou causest this deluge of pestilence.

Hast thou not seyd, in blaspheme of this goddes, 15 Through pryde, or through thy grete rakelnesse, Swich thing as in the lawe of love forbode is? That, for thy lady saw nat thy distresse, Therfor thou yave hir up at Michelmesse! Allas, Scogan! of olde folk ne yonge 20 Was never erst Scogan blamed for his tonge!

Thou drowe in scorn Cupyde eek to record Of thilke rebel word that thou hast spoken, For which he wol no lenger be thy lord. And, Scogan, thogh his bowe be nat broken, 25 He wol nat with his arwes been y-wroken On thee, ne me, ne noon of our figure; We shul of him have neyther hurt ne cure.

Now certes, frend, I drede of thyn unhappe, Lest for thy gilt the wreche of Love procede 30 On alle hem that ben hore and rounde of shape, That ben so lykly folk in love to spede. Than shul we for our labour han no mede; But wel I wot, thou wilt answere and seye: 'Lo! olde Grisel list to ryme and pleye!' 35

Nay, Scogan, sey not so, for I mexcuse, God help me so! in no rym, doutelees, Ne thinke I never of slepe wak my muse, That rusteth in my shethe stille in pees. Whyl I was yong, I putte hir forth in prees, 40 But al shal passe that men prose or ryme; Take every man his turn, as for his tyme.

ENVOY.

Scogan, that knelest at the stremes heed Of grace, of alle honour and worthinesse, In thende of which streme I am dul as deed, 45 Forgete in solitarie wildernesse; Yet, Scogan, thenke on Tullius kindenesse, Minne thy frend, ther it may fructifye! Far-wel, and lok thou never est Love defye! 49

TITLE: _so in_ F. _and_ P.; Gg. _has_--Litera directa de Scogon per G. C. _The_ MSS. _are_: Gg. (Camb. Univ. Library, Gg. 4. 27); F. (Fairfax 16); P. (Pepys 2006). Th. = Thynne (1532). _I follow_ F. _mainly_.

1. F. statutez. 2. F. weren eternaly. 3. F. bryght goddis. 4. F. Mowe. 5. F. Mortale. 6. F. thys thinge. 8. F. whilome. F. yshape; Gg. it schape; P. Th. it shape. 9. F. fyfte sercle; maner. 10. F. myght; teeres; eschape. 11. F. wepith. 12. F. teeres. 14. F. cawsest; diluge. 15. Gg. Hast þu; F. Hauesthow. F. this goddis; Gg. the goddis; P. Th. the goddes. 16. F. Thurgh; thrugh. F. they (_wrongly_); Gg. þyn; P. thi. F. rekelnesse; P. Th. reklesnesse; Gg. rechelesnesse; _see_ note. 17. F. P. forbede; Gg. forbodyn; Th. forbode. 18. Gg. saw; F. sawgh. 19. F. Therfore thow. Gg. Mychel-; F. Mighel-. 20. F. folke.

22. F. skorne; eke; recorde. 23. F. worde; thow. 24. F. lorde. 25. F. thow; P. Th. though. F. thy (_for_ his, _wrongly_); Gg. P. his. 27. F. the. Th. our; Gg. oure; P. owre; F. youre. 28. F. hurte. Gg. P. Th. ne; F. nor. 29. F. dreed. 30. F. gilte. 31. Gg. P. hore; F. hoor. F. shappe; P. shape; Gg. schap. 32. F. folke. 33. P. shull; F. Gg. shal. Gg. P. han; F. haue. F. noo. 34. F. thow. F. wolt; Gg. wilt. 35. Gg. P. Lo olde; F. Loo tholde. F. lyste. 36. F. say; Gg. P. sey. F. soo. 37. P. help; Gg. F. helpe. F. soo. F. ryme dowteles. 38. F. Gg. to wake; P. Th. _om._ to. 40. F. While; yonge. Gg. putte; F. put. P. Th. her; F. hyt; Gg. it. 41. F. alle. 42. F. hys turne. 43. F. hede; Gg. hed. 45. F. dede; Gg. P. ded. 48. F. Mynne; there. 49. F. Fare; loke thow; dyffye.

N.B. _All have_--.i. a Windesore, _and_--.i. a Grenewich _opposite_ ll. 43, 45.

* * * * *

XVII. LENVOY DE CHAUCER A BUKTON.

THE COUNSEIL OF CHAUCER TOUCHING MARIAGE, WHICH WAS SENT TO BUKTON.

My maister Bukton, whan of Criste our kinge Was axed, what is trouthe or sothfastnesse, He nat a word answerde to that axinge, As who saith: 'no man is al trewe,' I gesse. And therfor, thogh I highte to expresse 5 The sorwe and wo that is in mariage, I dar not wryte of hit no wikkednesse, Lest I my-self falle eft in swich dotage.

I wol nat seyn, how that hit is the cheyne Of Sathanas, on which he gnaweth ever, 10 But I dar seyn, were he out of his peyne, As by his wille, he wolde be bounde never. But thilke doted fool that est hath lever Y-cheyned be than out of prisoun crepe, God lete him never fro his wo dissever, 15 Ne no man him bewayle, though he wepe.

But yit, lest thou do worse, tak a wyf; Bet is to wedde, than brenne in worse wyse. But thou shalt have sorwe on thy flesh, thy lyf, And been thy wyves thral, as seyn these wyse, 20 And if that holy writ may nat suffyse, Experience shal thee teche, so may happe, That thee were lever to be take in Fryse Than eft to falle of wedding in the trappe.

ENVOY.

This litel writ, proverbes, or figure 25 I sende you, tak kepe of hit, I rede: Unwys is he that can no wele endure. If thou be siker, put thee nat in drede. The Wyf of Bathe I pray you that ye rede Of this matere that we have on honde. 30 God graunte you your lyf frely to lede In fredom; for ful hard is to be bonde. 32

_Explicit._

TITLE: _so in_ MS. Fairfax 16. Second Title _from_ Ju.

_The authorities are_: F. (Fairfax 16); Th. (Thynne's edition, 1532); _and a printed copy by_ Julian Notary (Ju.). _I follow_ F. _mainly._

2. F. ys; sothefastnesse. 3. F. worde. 4. F. noo. Ju. Th. trewe; F. trew. 5. F. therfore though; hight (Ju. hyghte). 6. F. woo. 7. F. writen; hyt noo. 8. Ju. Lest; F. Leste. 9. F. hyt. 10. F. euere. 11. F. oute. 12. F. neuere. 13. F. foole. Th. efte; F. ofte; Ju. oft. F. leuere. 15. F. woo disseuere. 16. F. noo. 17. F. yet; thow doo; take; wyfe. 19. F. thow; flessh; lyfe. 20. F. ben. F. wifes; Ju. Th. wynes.

21. F. yf; hooly writte. 22. F. the. 23. F. the. 24. F. Ju. _om._ to; _which_ Th. _inserts_. 25. F. writte; Th. writ; Ju. wryt. 26. F. yow take; hyt. 27. F. Vnwise; kan noo. 28. F. thow; the. 29. F. wyfe; yow. 31. F. yow; lyfe. 32. F. fredam. F. harde it is; Ju. hard is; Th. foule is (_omitting_ ful). _All add_ Explicit.

* * * * *

XVIII. THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.

<< I. (_The Lover's worthiness._)

Ther nis so hy comfort to my plesaunce, Whan that I am in any hevinesse, As for to have leyser of remembraunce Upon the manhod and the worthinesse, Upon the trouthe, and on the stedfastnesse 5 Of him whos I am al, whyl I may dure; Ther oghte blame me no creature, For every wight preiseth his gentilesse.

In him is bountee, wisdom, governaunce Wel more then any mannes wit can gesse; 10 For grace hath wold so ferforth him avaunce That of knighthode he is parfit richesse.

>> I.

Il n'est confort que tant de biens me face, Quant je ne puis a ma dame parler, Comme d'avoir temps, loisir et espace De longuement en sa valour penser, Et [de] ses doulz fais femenins recorder 5 Dedens mon cuer. C'est ma vie, par m'ame, Ne je ne truis nul homme qui me blasme, Car chascun a joye de li loer.

Il a en li bonté, beauté et grace, Plus que nulz homs ne saroit deviser. 10 C'est grant ëur quant en si pou de place Dieux a voulu tous les biens assembler.

<< Honour honoureth him for his noblesse; Therto so wel hath formed him Nature, That I am his for ever, I him assure, 15 For every wight preiseth his gentilesse.

And not-withstanding al his suffisaunce, His gentil herte is of so greet humblesse To me in worde, in werke, in contenaunce, And me to serve is al his besinesse, 20 That I am set in verrey sikernesse. Thus oghte I blesse wel myn aventure, Sith that him list me serven and honoure; For every wight preiseth his gentilesse.

II. (_Disquietude caused by Jealousy._)

Now certes, Love, hit is right covenable 25 That men ful dere bye thy noble thing, As wake a-bedde, and fasten at the table, Weping to laughe, and singe in compleyning,

>> Honneur la vuelt sur toutes honnorer. Oncques ne vi si [douce et] plaisant dame De toutes gens avoir si noble femme; 15 Car chascun a joye de li loer.

Ou qu'elle soit, bien fait et mal efface. Moult bien li siet le rire et le jouer. Son cuer esbat et les autres soulace Si liement qu'on ne l'en doit blasmer. 20 De li veoir ne se puet nulz lasser. Son regart vault tous les biens d'un royaume. Il semble bien qu'elle est tres noble femme, Car chascun a joye de li loer.

II.

Certes, Amours, c'est chose convenable 25 Que voz grans biens [vous] faciez comparer: Veillier ou lit et jeuner a la table, Rire plourant et en plaignant chanter,

<< And doun to caste visage and loking, Often to chaungen hewe and contenaunce, 30 Pleyne in sleping, and dremen at the daunce, Al the revers of any glad feling.

Ialousye be hanged by a cable! She wolde al knowe through hir espying; Ther doth no wight no-thing so resonable, 35 That al nis harm in hir imagening. Thus dere abought is love in yeving, Which ofte he yiveth with-outen ordinaunce, As sorow ynogh, and litel of plesaunce, Al the revers of any glad feling. 40

A litel tyme his yift is agreable, But ful encomberous is the using; For sotel Ialousye, the deceyvable, Ful often-tyme causeth destourbing.

>> Baissier les yeux quant on doit regarder, Souvent changier couleur et contenance, 30 Plaindre en dormant et songier a la dance Tout a rebours de ce qu'on vuelt trouver.

Jalousie, c'est l'amer du deable; Elle vuelt tout veoir et escouter, Ne nulz ne fait chose si raisonnable 35 Que tout a mal ne le vueille tourner. Amours, ainsi fault voz dons acheter, Et vous donnez souvent sanz ordonnance Assez douleur et petit de plaisance, Tout a rebours de ce qu'on vuelt trouver. 40

Pour un court temps le gieu est agreable; Mais trop par est encombreux a user. Et, ja soit il a dames honnorable, A leurs amis est trop grief a porter.

<< Thus be we ever in drede and suffering, 45 In nouncerteyn we languisshe in penaunce, And han ful often many an hard meschaunce, Al the revers of any glad feling.

III. (_Satisfaction in Constancy._)

But certes, Love, I sey nat in such wyse That for tescape out of your lace I mente; 50 For I so longe have been in your servyse That for to lete of wol I never assente; No force thogh Ialousye me tormente; Suffyceth me to see him whan I may, And therfore certes, to myn ending-day 55 To love him best ne shal I never repente.

And certes, Love, whan I me wel avyse On any estat that man may represente, Than have ye maked me, through your franchyse, Chese the best that ever on erthe wente. 60

>> Toudiz convient souffrir et endurer, 45 Sans nul certain languir en esperance, Et recevoir mainte male meschance, Tout a rebours de ce qu'on vuelt trouver.

III.

Amours, sachiez que pas ne le vueil dire Pour moy getter hors des amoureux las; 50 Car j'ay porté si long temps mon martire Que mon vivant ne le guerpiray pas. Il me souffist d'avoir tant de soulas Que veoir puisse la [belle et] gracieuse; Combien qu'el est [en]vers moy dangereuse, 55 De li servir ne serai jamaiz las.

Certes, Amours, quant bien droit [je] remire Les haulx estas, les moyens et les bas, Vous m'avez fait de tous les bons eslire, A mon avis, le meilleur, en tous cas. 60

<< Now love wel, herte, and look thou never stente; And let the Ielous putte hit in assay That, for no peyne wol I nat sey nay; To love him best ne shal I never repente.

Herte, to thee hit oghte y-nogh suffyse 65 That Love so hy a grace to thee sente, To chese the worthiest in alle wyse And most agreable unto myn entente. Seche no ferther, neyther wey ne wente, Sith I have suffisaunce unto my pay. 70 Thus wol I ende this compleynt or lay; To love him best ne shal I never repente.

Lenvoy.

Princess, receyveth this compleynt in gree, Unto your excellent benignitee Direct after my litel suffisaunce. 75 For eld, that in my spirit dulleth me, Hath of endyting al the soteltee Wel ny bereft out of my remembraunce; And eek to me hit is a greet penaunce, Sith rym in English hath swich scarsitee, 80 To folowe word by word the curiositee Of Graunson, flour of hem that make in Fraunce.

>> Or aime, cuer, ainsy que tu pourras; Car ja n'aras paine si doulereuse, Pour ma dame, que ne me soit joieuse; De li servir ne seray jamaiz las.

Cuer, il te doit assez plus que souffire 65 D'avoir choisy ce[lle] que choisi as. Ne quiers [or] plus royaume ne empire, Car si bonne jamaiz ne trouveras, Ne si belle par mes yeux ne verras: C'est jeunesce sachant et savoureuse. 70 Ja soit elle de m'amour desdaigneuse, De li servir ne seray jamaiz las.

TITLE: _so in_ F. Ff. Ar.; _see_ Notes. _The_ MSS. _are_: T. (Trin. Coll. Cambridge, R. 3. 20); A. (Ashmole 59); Tn. (MS. Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16); Ff. (MS. Ff. I. 6. Camb. Univ. Library); Ar. (Arch. Seld. P. 24); P. (Pepys 2006); etc. Th.=Thynne (1532). _I follow_ F. _mainly._

1. F. high; T. A. hye (hy _is better_). 2. F. When; eny. 4. F. manhod; _the rest have final_ e. 5. F. stidfastnesse. 6. F. whiles; A. whilest; _rest_ while. 7. F. oght; Tn. oghte to. 9. F. ys bounte. F. T. A. Th. _insert_ and _after_ wisdom; _but the rest omit it_. 10. F. eny manes witte. 11. F. wolde (_wrongly_); Ff. wold. F. fersorthe. 12. F. p_ar_fite.

14. F. well. 16. F. preysith. 18. F. hert; grete. 19. F. werk. 21. F. sikirnesse. 22. F. oght. 25. F. certis. 26. T. A. Tn. Th. thy; F. Ff. the. 27. F. a-bed; T. A. a-bedde. 28. F. Wepinge; laugh; sing; compleynynge.

29. F. cast; _the rest_ caste. F. lokynge. 30. F. chaunge visage (_wrongly_); change hewe _in_ MS. Arch. Selden, B. 24; T. A. chaunge huwe. 31. MSS. Pley, Pleye; _read_ Pleyne (F. _Plaindre_). F. dreme; T. Tn. Ff. Th. dremen. 32. F. reuerse; eny. 33. Ff. T. Ialousye; F. Ielosie. Ff. P. be; F. Th. he (!). Ialousye be] T. þaughe Ialousye wer. T. Tn. Th. by; F. be; Ff. with. 34. F. wold; thro; espyinge. 35. F. dothe. 36. F. nys harme; ymagenynge. 37. F. yevynge. 38. F. yifeth. Ff. withouten; _rest_ withoute. 40. F. reuerse; felynge. 42. T. Ff. encomberous; F. encombrouse. F. vsynge. 43. Tn. sotell; F. subtil. F. Ielosie. 44. T. destourbing; F. derturbynge (_sic_).

45. F. suffrynge; P. sufferyng; T. souffering. 46. F. Ff. noun-certeyn; T. noun-certaine; A. nouncerteine. F. langvisshen. 47. F. harde. F. _wrongly repeats_ penaunce; T. A. meschaunce. 48. F. reuerse; ony; felynge. 49. F. certys; not. 50. F. youre; ment. 51. F. be; _the rest_ ben _or_ been. 52. F. wil; T. A. Ff. wol. F. assent. 53. F. fors; turment. 55. F. certys. 56. F. _om._ ne, _which_ T. A. P. _insert_; Ar. _has_ that. Tn. _inserts_ me _before_ never. 57. F. certis; when. 58. F. eny estate; represent. 59. F. Tn. Then; _rest_ Than, Thanne, Thane. T. Ff. P. maked; _rest_ made. F. thro. 60. F. went.

61. F. hert; loke; stent. 62. P. Ielous; A. Ialous; T. Ialouse; F. Ielousie. A. putte; F. put. 63. F. peyn wille I not. 64. F. yow (_for_ him); T. A. Tn. Ar. him (_see_ l. 56). 65. F. Hert; the; ought ynogh. 66. F. highe; T. A. hye. T. A. Ff. Ar. thee; F. yow; Tn. you. F. sent. 67. F. al. 68. F. entent. 69. F. went. 70. F. Sithe. F. Tn. ye (_for_ I); _rest_ I. 71. _All but_ Ju. (Julian Notary's edition) _repeat_ this _before_ lay. 72. _See_ l. 56. 73. T. A. Pryncesse; _rest_ Princes. F. resseyueth. 74. F. excelent benignite. 75. F. Directe aftir. 76. F. elde. 77. Tn. soteltee; F. subtilite. 78. F. nighe. 79. F. eke; grete. 80. F. ryme; englissh hat (_sic_) such skarsete. 81. F. worde by worde; curiosite. 82. F. floure; maken.

* * * * *

XIX. THE COMPLEINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE.

To you, my purse, and to non other wight Compleyne I, for ye be my lady dere! I am so sory, now that ye be light; For certes, but ye make me hevy chere, Me were as leef be leyd up-on my bere; 5 For whiche un-to your mercy thus I crye: Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

Now voucheth sauf this day, or hit be night, That I of you the blisful soun may here, Or see your colour lyk the sonne bright, 10 That of yelownesse hadde never pere. Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere, Quene of comfort and of good companye: Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

Now purs, that be to me my lyves light, 15 And saveour, as doun in this worlde here, Out of this toune help me through your might, Sin that ye wole nat been my tresorere; For I am shave as nye as any frere. But yit I pray un-to your curtesye: 20 Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

LENVOY DE CHAUCER.

O conquerour of Brutes Albioun! Which that by lyne and free eleccioun Ben verray king, this song to you I sende; And ye, that mowen al our harm amende, 25 Have minde up-on my supplicacioun!

_The_ MSS. _are_: F. (Fairfax 16); Harl (Harl. 7333); Ff. (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. I.6): P. (Pepys 2006); Add. (Addit. 22139); _also_ Cx. (Caxton's edition); Th. (Thynne, 1532). _I follow_ F. _mainly._

TITLE. _So in_ Cx. (_but with_ Un-to _for_ to); F. _om._ empty; P. La compleint de Chaucer a sa Bourse Voide.

1. F. yow. 2. F. Complayn; Harl. P. Compleyne. 3. Harl. be; F. been. 4. Add. That; P. But; _rest_ For. P. Add. but ye; F. Harl. but yf ye; Ff. but yif ye; Cx. Th. ye now. 5. Add. leyd; F. layde. 7. F. Beeth; ageyne; mote. 8. F. hyt; nyght. 9. F. yow; sovne. 10. F. lyke; bryght. 11. _Read_ That of yél-ownés-se. 12. F. lyfe; hertys. 14. F. ageyne; moote. 15. P. Cx. purs; F. Add. purse. F. ben. 17. F. Oute; helpe; thurgh. 18. F. bene. 19. Harl. P. Th. any; Add. eny; Cx. ony; F. is a.

21. F. Bethe; ayen; moote. F. Lenvoy de Chaucer; Harl. P. Lenvoye; Cx. Thenuoye of Chaucer vnto the kynge. 23. F. Whiche. F. lygne; Harl. Cx. Ff. P. lyne. 24. F. Been; kynge; yow. 25. F. alle myn harme; Ff. all_e_ oure harmes; Harl. all oure harmous; P. Cx. all_e_ harmes.

* * * * *

XX. Proverbs.

PROVERBE OF CHAUCER.

I.

What shul thise clothes many-fold, Lo! this hote somers day?-- After greet heet cometh cold; No man caste his pilche away.

II.

Of al this world the wyde compas 5 Hit wol not in myn armes tweyne.-- Who-so mochel wol embrace Litel therof he shal distreyne.

_The_ MSS. _are_: F. (Fairfax 16); Ha. (Harl. 7578); Ad. (Addit. 16165). _I follow_ F. _mainly._ TITLE; _in_ F. Ha.; Ad. Prouerbe.

1. Ad. þees; F. Ha. these. _All needlessly insert_ thus _after_ clothes_._ F. many-folde. 2. F. Loo; hoote. 3. F. grete hete; Ha. greet hete; Ad. heet. F. colde. 4. Ha. pilche; F. pilch. 5. F. all; worlde. Ad. wyde; F. Ha. large. Ad. Ha. compas; F. compace. 6. Ad. Hit; F. Yt. Ad. wol; F. Ha. wil. Ad. myn; F. Ha. my. 7. F. Whoo-so.

* * * * *

APPENDIX.

[_The following Poems are also probably genuine; but are placed here for lack of external evidence_.]

XXI. AGAINST WOMEN UNCONSTANT.

BALADE.

Madame, for your newe-fangelnesse, Many a servaunt have ye put out of grace, I take my leve of your unstedfastnesse, For wel I wot, whyl ye have lyves space, Ye can not love ful half yeer in a place; 5 To newe thing your lust is ever kene; In stede of blew, thus may ye were al grene.

Right as a mirour nothing may enpresse, But, lightly as it cometh, so mot it pace, So fareth your love, your werkes bereth witnesse. 10 Ther is no feith that may your herte enbrace; But, as a wedercok, that turneth his face With every wind, ye fare, and that is sene; In stede of blew, thus may ye were al grene.

Ye might be shryned, for your brotelnesse, 15 Bet than Dalyda, Creseide or Candace; For ever in chaunging stant your sikernesse, That tache may no wight fro your herte arace; If ye lese oon, ye can wel tweyn purchace; Al light for somer, ye woot wel what I mene, 20 In stede of blew, thus may ye were al grene.

_Explicit._

TITLE. _None in_ Ct.; Balade _in_ F.; ed. 1561 _has_--A Balade which Chaucer made agaynst woman unconstaunt.

_The text is from_ Ct. (Cotton, Cleopatra D. 7); _that in_ ed. 1561 _is much the same, except in spelling. Another copy in_ F. (Fairfax 16). _A third in_ Ha. (Harl. 7578); _of less value_.

2. Ct. Manie; F. many. Ct. F. of youre; Ha. _om._ youre. 4. Ct. wote while. F. have lyves; Ct. to lyve haue. 5. Ct. kunnought; F. Ha. kan not. 6. F. thing; Ct. Ha. thinges. Ct. _inserts_ so _before_ kene; ed. (1561) _omits_ so; F. _has_ ay so. 7. Ct. sted; F. stede. Ct. Blue; F. blew. 8. Ct. Mirro_ur_; ed. mirour. Ct. Ha. ed. _ins._ that _bef._ nothing; F. _om._ 11. Ct. F. hert; Ha. ed. herte. 12. Ha. _om._ a. Ha. wethirkoc. 14. Ct. _om._ al; F. Ha. ed. _retain it_.

15. Ct. _om._ your; F. Ha. ed. _retain it_. 16. Ct. Bettir; F. Ha. ed. Better; _read_ Bet. F. Dalyda; Ct. Dalide. Ct. Cresside; F. Creseyde. 17. Ct. Changeng; F. chaungyng. _All_ stondeth; _read_ stant. 18. F. tache; Ct. tacche: ed. tatche. F. Ha. herte; Ct. ed. hert. 19. Ct. Ha. lese; F. ed. lose. Ct. kunne; F. kan; ed. can; Ha. kanne. Ct. ed. tweine; F. tweyn. 20. Ct. All; ed. Al. Ct. F. wote; Ha. woote; ed. wot; _cf._ Cant. Ta. A 740, 829. 21. Ct. _om._ al; F. ed. _retain it_. Ct. _adds_ Explicit.

* * * * *

XXII. AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT.

(COMPLEINT DAMOURS.)

AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT, MADE AT WINDSOR.

I, which that am the sorwefulleste man That in this world was ever yit livinge, And leest recoverer of him-selven can, Beginne thus my deadly compleininge On hir, that may to lyf and deeth me bringe, 5 Which hath on me no mercy ne no rewthe That love hir best, but sleeth me for my trewthe.

Can I noght doon ne seye that may yow lyke, [For] certes, now, allas! allas! the whyle! Your plesaunce is to laughen whan I syke, 10 And thus ye me from al my blisse exyle. Ye han me cast in thilke spitous yle Ther never man on lyve mighte asterte; This have I for I lovë you, swete herte!

Sooth is, that wel I woot, by lyklinesse, 15 If that it were thing possible to do Tacompte youre beutee and goodnesse, I have no wonder thogh ye do me wo; Sith I, thunworthiest that may ryde or go, Durste ever thinken in so hy a place, 20 What wonder is, thogh ye do me no grace?

Allas! thus is my lyf brought to an ende, My deeth, I see, is my conclusioun; I may wel singe, 'in sory tyme I spende My lyf;' that song may have confusioun! 25 For mercy, pitee, and deep affeccioun, I sey for me, for al my deedly chere, Alle thise diden, in that, me love yow dere.

And in this wyse and in dispayre I live In lovë; nay, but in dispayre I dye! 30 But shal I thus [to] yow my deeth for-give, That causeles doth me this sorow drye? Ye, certes, I! For she of my folye Hath nought to done, although she do me sterve; Hit is nat with hir wil that I hir serve! 35

Than sith I am of my sorowe the cause And sith that I have this, withoute hir reed, Than may I seyn, right shortly in a clause, It is no blame unto hir womanheed Though swich a wrecche as I be for hir deed; 40 [And] yet alwey two thinges doon me dyë, That is to seyn, hir beutee and myn yë.

So that, algates, she is the verray rote Of my disese, and of my dethe also; For with oon word she mighte be my bote, 45 If that she vouched sauf for to do so. But [why] than is hir gladnesse at my wo? It is hir wone plesaunce for to take, To seen hir servaunts dyen for hir sake!

But certes, than is al my wonderinge, 50 Sithen she is the fayrest creature As to my dome, that ever was livinge, The benignest and beste eek that nature Hath wrought or shal, whyl that the world may dure, Why that she lefte pite so behinde? 55 It was, y-wis, a greet defaute in kinde.

Yit is al this no lak to hir, pardee, But god or nature sore wolde I blame; For, though she shewe no pite unto me, Sithen that she doth othere men the same, 60 I ne oughte to despyse my ladies game; It is hir pley to laughen whan men syketh, And I assente, al that hir list and lyketh!

Yit wolde I, as I dar, with sorweful herte Biseche un-to your meke womanhede 65 That I now dorste my sharpe sorwes smerte Shewe by worde, that ye wolde ones rede The pleynte of me, the which ful sore drede That I have seid here, through myn unconninge, In any worde to your displesinge. 70

Lothest of anything that ever was loth Were me, as wisly god my soule save! To seyn a thing through which ye might be wroth; And, to that day that I be leyd in grave, A trewer servaunt shulle ye never have; 75 And, though that I on yow have pleyned here, Forgiveth it me, myn owne lady dere!

Ever have I been, and shal, how-so I wende, Outher to live or dye, your humble trewe; Ye been to me my ginning and myn ende, 80 Sonne of the sterre bright and clere of hewe, Alwey in oon to love yow freshly newe, By god and by my trouthe, is myn entente; To live or dye, I wol it never repente!

This compleynt on seint Valentynes day, 85 Whan every foul [ther] chesen shal his make, To hir, whos I am hool, and shal alwey, This woful song and this compleynt I make, That never yit wolde me to mercy take; And yit wol I [for] evermore her serve 90 And love hir best, although she do me sterve.

_Explicit._

_In_ MS. Harl. 7333, fol. 133 b and 134. _Title_--And next folowyng begynnith an amerowse compleynte made at wyndesore in the laste May tofore Novembre (_sic_). _Also in_ F. (Fairfax) _and_ B. (Bodley 638); _entitled_ Complaynt Damours. N. B. Unmarked _readings are from_ Harl.

1. sorowfullest. 2. worlde; leving (F. lyvinge). 3. F. lest; Harl. B. leste. B. rekeuerer. 4. Begynne right thus; _so_ F. B.; _I omit_ right. 5. lyff; dethe. 6. Whiche hathe; rought (_for_ rewthe). 7. beste; sleethe. 8. F. Kan I noght doon to seyn; B. Kan I nought don to seyn; Harl. Cane I nought ne saye. 9. _All_ Ne; _read_ For. 10. Youre. 11. frome. 12. Yee. F. B. han; Harl. haue. caste. F. B. thilke; Harl. that. _All_ spitouse. 13. Harl. ne (_after_ lyve); F. B. _om._ 14. beste (_after_ you); F. B. _om._

15. Soothe; weele. 16. F. B. that; Harl. _om._ F. B. a thing; Harl. _om._ a. thinge; doo. 17. F. B. Tacompte youre; Harl. For to acounte your. 18. noo wondre; yee; woo. 19. Sithe; goo. 20. F. neuer; B. euyr; Harl. euer. hie. 21. wondir; doo; noo. 22. Ellas; Eonde. F. myshefe; B. myschef (_for_ my lyf). 23. dethe; concluciou_n_. 24. wele. F. sing; B. singe; Harl. say. Harl. sorye. 25. B. ys my (_for_ may have). Confuciou_n_. 26. B. my saluaciou_n_ (_for_ deep affeccioun). 27, 28. B. I sey for me I haue nou_n_ [neu_er_?] felte All_e_ thes diden me in despeire to melte. 27. fo (? _for_ for). 28. All_e_ this; yowe deere. 29. Harl. _om. 2nd_ in. 30. F. B. nay; Harl. nay nay. 31. _I supply_ to; yowe; dethe for-geve. 32. dothe. 33. certe (!); sheo. 34. Hathe; Al-thoughe sheo. 35. nought (_for_ nat). 36. Thane sithe. 37. sitthe; rede. 38. seyne. 39. noo; womanhede. 40. Thaugh suche; dede.

41. Yette; _I supply_ And; twoo; doone. 42. seyne; beaute; eye. 43. Harl. _om._ that. F. B. _om._ the. verraye Roote. 44. diseese; alsoo. 45. worde sheo myght; boote. 46. sheo wovched saufe; soo. 47. _I supply_ why; woo. 48. wonne; _all ins._ to _after_ wonne. 49. seon; sarvauntes; B. seruaunte. 50. thanne; all_e_; wondering. 51. sheo. 53. eke. 54. Hathe; shall_e_; Harl. _om._ that; worlde. 55. Whi; sheo lefe pitte; byhinde. Harl. so; F. alle; B. all. 56. ewisse; grete. 57. Yitte; noo. F. B. _om._ al. 58. Harl. _ins._ hem _before_ soore (_sic_); F. B. hem (_but om._ sore). 59. thowe (_for_ though); sheo; pette. 60. sheo doothe. 61. ought. 62. Harl. _om._ hir; pleye; lawhe when that men sikith. 63. liste; likethe. 64. B. Yit; F. Yet; Harl. Yeo (_sic_); _see_ 57. dare; sorowfull. 65. F. B. meke; Harl. mekly. 66. F. sorwes; B. sorwys; Harl. shoures. 67. Harl. and; F. B. that, yee; onys.

68. compleynte (_for_ pleynte); which I Fulle. 69. saide; thorowe. B. vnkonnynge; F. vnkunnynge; Harl. vnknowynge. F. B. _om._ here _and_ myn. 70. yowre. 71. Loothest; loothe. 72. als; sowle safe. 73. seyne; thorughe; yee; wrothe. 74. leyde. 75. sarvaunt ne shulde yee. F. shul; B. shall; Harl. shulde. 76. thaughe. F. B. on yow haue pleyned; Harl. haue playned vnto yow. 77. For-gyvethe yt me, myne oune lady so dere. 78. howe. 79. youre. 80. Yee ben; gynnynge. 81. Harl. of; F. ouer; B. ovyr. F. B. _om._ and clere. Sterre so bright; huwe. 82. Harl. And I ay oon; F. B. Alwey in oon. fresshely. 84. wolle. 85. Conpleynte; valantines. 86. foughel cheesen shall; _I supply_ ther _from_ Parl. Foules, 310. 87. was (F. B. whos); hole; shall. 88. wofull_e_ songe; conplaynte. 90. wolle; _I supply_ for. 91. all_e_-thowhe sheo. F. B. Explicit; Harl. _om._

* * * * *

XXIII. A BALADE OF COMPLEYNT.

Compleyne ne coude, ne might myn herte never My peynes halve, ne what torment I have, Though that I sholde in your presence ben ever, My hertes lady, as wisly he me save That bountee made, and beutee list to grave 5 In your persone, and bad hem bothe in-fere Ever tawayte, and ay be wher ye were.

As wisly he gye alle my Ioyes here As I am youres, and to yow sad and trewe, And ye, my lyf and cause of my good chere, 10 And deeth also, whan ye my peynes newe, My worldes Ioye, whom I wol serve and sewe, My heven hool, and al my suffisaunce, Whom for to serve is set al my plesaunce.

Beseching yow in my most humble wyse 15 Taccepte in worth this litel povre dyte, And for my trouthe my service nat despyse, Myn observaunce eek have nat in despyte, Ne yit to long to suffren in this plyte, I yow beseche, myn hertes lady dere, 20 Sith I yow serve, and so wil yeer by yere.

_In_ MS. Addit. 16165, fol. 256, back; _headed_ Balade of compleynte.

1. koude; h_er_t. 2. turment. 3. Thaughe; shoulde; youre. 4. wissely. 5. beaute liste. 6. youre; bade; in-feere. 7. beo. 8. wissely. 9. yowe sadde; truwe. 10. lyff; gode. 11. dethe; whane; reewe, _altered by the scribe to_ newe. 12. whome; suwe. 13. hole; souffisaunce. 14. sette. 15. yowe; moste. 16. Taccept; worthe; pore. 17. not despice. 18. eke; not. 19. longe; suffre. 20. here (_error for_ dere; _see_ XXII. 77). 21. yowe; yere by yere.

* * * * *

NOTES

TO

THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.

The French text, a portion of which is given in the lower part of pp. 93-164, is reprinted from Le Roman de la Rose, ed. Méon, Paris, 1814.

1. Scan:--Many | men seyn | that in | swev'níng-es ||. So, in the next line, read:--lesíng-es. In l. 3, read:--swev'nes. In l. 4, read 'hard-e-ly' as _three_ syllables, and 'fals-e' as two; and, in general, throughout ll. 1-1705, apply the usual rules of Chaucerian pronunciation.

_sweveninges_, dreamings; see l. 3; cf. A.S. _swefen_, a dream, pl. _swefnu_; _swefnian_, v., to dream. The translation should be compared with the original F. text, as given below it.

On the subject of dreams, cf. Hous of Fame, ll. 1-52, and the notes to ll. 1, 7.

5. _apparaunte_, apparent, as coming true.

6. 'To warrant this, I may cite an author named Macrobius.' Macrobius, the commentator on Cicero's Somnium Scipionis (as here said); see notes to Parl. of Foules, 31; Book Duch. 284.

8-10. _halt_, holds, considers; _lees_, deceptive. 'But explains to us the vision that king Scipio formerly dreamt.'

22. _taketh his corage_, assumes fresh confidence from the support of the young, is encouraged by the young, receives their tribute. The O.F. _paage_ is the mod. F. _péage_, toll, lit. 'footing.'

24. Cf. 'Right ther as I was wont to done'; Ho. Fame, 113.

27. Read--'That hit me lyked wonder wel.' _wonder wel_, wonderfully well. This use of _wonder_ is common; see Cant. Ta., G 751, 1035. At a later time, _wonder_, when thus used adverbially, received the adverbial suffix _-s_; hence Th. has '_wonders_ wel' here. So also '_wonders_ dere' in the Test. of Love; see _Wondrous_ in my Etym. Dict.

38. _hote_, be called; a less ambiguous spelling than _hatte_, as in Thynne; cf. Cant. Ta. D 144. _rede you here_, advise you to hear.

44. _she._ These and similar allusions are merely translated, and have therefore no special significance.

49. 'Me thoghte thus; that hit was May'; Book Duch. 291.

56. _wreen_, cover; A. S. _wr[=e]on_. Cf. _wrye_, I cover, Cant. Ta. D 1827.

59. Read:--And th'erth-e. Cf. Book Duch. 410-5; Good Wom. 125.

61. _Forget_, i. e. forgetteth; pres. tense. So in Ayenb. of Inwyt, p. 18, l. 9, we find the form _uoryet_. I supply _al_.

67. _inde_, azure; see Cursor Mundi, 9920. _pers_; see Prol. 439.

73. _grille_, keen, rough. '_Grym_, gryl, and horryble'; Prompt. Parv.

81. _chelaundre_, (cf. l. 663), a kind of lark; O. F. _calandre_, _caladre_, Lat. _caradrius_, Gk. [Greek: charadrios]. Cf. Land of Cockaigne, l. 97. _papingay_, parrot; Sir Topas, B 1957.

98. _aguiler_, needle-case. It occurs nowhere else. The rime _drow_, _y-now_ occurs in Leg. Good Women, 1458.

118. _Seine_, the river of Paris. In the next line, _wel away straighter_ means 'a good deal broader' or more expanded (F. text, _plus espandue_), though less in volume. _Wel away_, in this sense, occurs in P. Plowman, B. xii. 263, xvii. 42.

129. _Beet_, beat, struck, i. e. bordered closely; a translation of F. _batoit_.

131. So also 'And ful atempre'; Book Duch. 341.

147. The descriptions of allegorical personages in this poem are clearly imitated from similar descriptions in Latin poets. Compare the celebrated description of Envy in Ovid, Metam. ii. 775, and the like. MS. G. absurdly reads _a hate_ for _Hate_.

149. The reading must, of course, be _moveresse_, as in the Fr. text; Speght corrected it in 1598; it means a mover or stirrer up of strife.

196. Read _miscounting_ (Kaluza); F. text, _mesconter_.

197. _maketh_; pronounced _mak'th_. Note, once for all, that _'th_ for final _-eth_ is extremely common throughout all parts of this poem.

206. _thing_, pl. goods (A. S. _þing_, pl.). Cf. l. 387.

207. _Avarice_, i. e. Penuriousness, as distinct from _Coveitise_, i. e. Covetousness of the wealth of others. Compare the description of Avarice in Piers Plowman, B. v. 188.

220. _courtepy_, short coat, cape; see Prol. 290.

225. _perche_, a horizontal pole, on which clothes were sometimes hung.

226. _burnet_, a cloth of dyed wool, orig. of a dark brown colour. Gowns were nearly always trimmed with fur, but in this case only a common lambskin fur was used, instead of a costly fur such as _miniver_.

240. I supply _doun_, down. Cf. 'heng ... doun'; Cant. Ta. G 574.

247. _Envy._ Cf. Ovid, Met. ii. 775; P. Plowman, B. v. 76.

273. _maltalent_, ill-will; see 330. Cf. _talent_, Cant. Ta. C 540.

276. Read _melt'th_. _for pure wood_, as if entirely mad. The simple phrase _for wood_, as if mad, occurs in Ho. Fame, 1747; Leg. of Good Women, 2420 (unless _For-wood_ is there a compound adjective).

292. _baggingly_, askant, sideways; cf. _baggeth_, looks askant, Book Duch. 623.

311. _fade_, withered. 'Thi faire hewe is al _fade_'; Will. of Palerne, 891. Compare the description of Sorrow in Sackville's 'Induction'; see my Specimens of Eng. Literature, iii. 286.

360. _dwyned_, dwindled, wasted; cf. _for-dwyned_, 366.

361. _forwelked_, much wrinkled; cf. _welked_, Cant. Ta. C 738.

368. _potente_, a crutch, staff; cf. Cant. Ta. D 1776.

369, 381. With these lines cf. Cant. Tales, B 20-24.

380. F. _trois tens_, three moments. It is here asserted that no one can think of the present moment; for while he tries to do so, three moments have fled.

387. _fret_, for _freteth_, devours. 'Tempus edax rerum'; Ovid, Met. xv. 234. _and shal_, and will ever do so. _thing_ is pl., as in 206.

396. Bell and Morris here print _elde_ with a capital letter, shewing that they did not make out the sense. But it is here a _verb_, as in 391, 392. The sense is:--'Time ... had made her grow so extremely old that, as far as I knew, she could in no wise help herself.'

401. _inwith_, for _within_, is common in Chaucer; the occurrence of _pith_, just before, probably caused the scribe to omit _with_.

413. _doon ther write_, caused to be written (or described) there.

415. _Pope-holy_; properly an adjective, meaning 'holy as a pope,' hence, hypocritical. Here used as a sb., as equivalent to 'hypocrite,' to translate F. _Papelardie_. Used as an adj. in P. Plowman, C. vii. 37; see my note, which gives references to Dyce's Skelton, i. 209, 216, 240, 386; Barclay, Ship of Fools, ed. Jamieson, i. 154; and Polit. Poems, ed. Wright, ii. 251.

429. 'Devoted to a religious life,' viz. by having joined one of the religious orders. See note to P. Plowman, C. xi. 88.

438. _haire_, hair-shirt; the F. text has _la haire_, borrowed from O. H. G. _h[=a]rr[=a]_, with the same sense. The A. S. word is _h[=æ]re_, a derivative from _h[=æ]r_, hair. See _Haar_ in Kluge. See Cant. Ta., G 133; P. Plowman, C. vii. 6, and the note.

442. The reading _ay_ possibly stands for _a[gh]_, i. e. _agh_ or _ogh_. _Ogh_ (A. S. _[=a]h_) is the (obsolete) pres. t. of _ought_, which takes its place in mod. E. Cf. _ye owen_, in Melibeus, B 2691. See _ah_ in Stratmann. 'From her the gate of Paradise ought to be kept.' But it is simpler to read _shal_ (F. text, _ert_ = Lat. _erit_).

445. Alluding to Matt. vi. 16. For _grace_, read _face_ (l. 444).

454. Cf. 'like a worm'; Clerkes Ta. E 880.

464. _halke_, corner; Can. Yem. Ta. G 311.

482. _shepherd-e_, is trisyllabic; cf. _herd-e_, in Prol. 603.

490. _daungerous_, stingy; contrasted with _riche_ (l. 492).

501. It is impossible to make sense without reading _nolde_ for _wolde_. The Fr. text clearly shews that _nolde_ is meant:--'Que _n_'en preisse _pas_ ... Que ge _n_'entrasse.' The scribe stumbled over the double negative.

505. G. has:--'Thassemble, god kepe it fro care Of briddis, whiche therynne ware'; and Th. has the same reading. It cannot be right, because _care_ and _were_ give a false rime. Even the scribe has seen this, and has altered _were_ to _ware_, to give a rime to the eye. Perhaps such a rime may have passed in Northern English, but certainly not in Midland. I have no hesitation in restoring the reading, which must have been 'God _it kepe and were_,' or something very near it. It is obvious that _were_ is the original word in this passage, because it is the precise etymological equivalent of _garisse_ in the French text; and it is further obvious that the reason for expelling it from the text, was to avoid the apparent repetition of _were_ in the rime; a repetition which the scribe too hastily assumed to be a defect, though examples of it are familiar to the student of Chaucer; cf. Prol. 17, 18. Chaucer has _were_, to defend, riming with _spere_, Cant. Ta. A 2550; and _were_ (were) also riming with _spere_, Ho. Fame, 1047. He would therefore have had no hesitation in riming these words together; and we cannot doubt that he here did so. Cf. ll. 515, 516 below.

516. _where_ would mean 'by which'; read _o-where_, i. e. anywhere.

520. The spelling _angwishis_ is a false spelling of _anguissous_, i. e. full of anguish. For this form, see Pers. Tale, I 304.

535. Read _oft_; F. text, 'par maintes fois.'

562. _orfrays_, gold embroidered work, cloth-of-gold; cf. ll. 869, 1076. 'The golden bands fastened to, or embroidered on chasubles, copes, and vestments ... Fringes or laces appended to the garments, as well as the embroidered work upon them, were so termed'; Fairholt, Costume in England. See Way's note on _Orfrey_ in the Prompt. Parvulorum. Cotgrave has: '_Orfrais_, m. Broad welts, or gards of gold or silver imbroidery laid on Copes, and other Church-vestments'; &c. There is a long note upon it, with quotations, in Thynne's Animadversions on Speght's Chaucer, ed. Furnivall, pp. 33-35; he says it is 'frised or perled cloothe of gold,' or 'a weued clothe of gold.' Here it seems to mean a gold-embroidered band, worn as a chaplet.

568. _tressour_; so spelt in Gawain and the Grene Knight, 1739, where a lady is described as having precious stones, in clusters of twenty, 'trased aboute hir _tressour_.' Roquefort also gives the O. F. forms _tressour_, _tressoir_, _tresson_, 'ornement de tête pour les femmes, ruban pour attacher les cheveux.' It differs from the heraldic term _tressure_ (Lat. _tricatura_) in the form of the suffix. _Tressour_ can rime with _mirrour_, whilst _tressure_ (strictly) cannot do so. Her hair was entwined with gilt ribbons or threads.

574. _Gaunt_, Ghent; see Cant. Ta. A 448.

579, 580. _Iournee_, day's work. _wel bigoon_, might mean richly adorned; cf. 'With perle and gold so wel begoon'; Gower, C. A. ii. 45. But it is here equivalent to _mery_; see l. 693.

584. _graythe hir_, dress or adorn herself. _uncouthly_, strikingly, in an unusual way.

593. This is 'the porter Ydlenesse' of the Knightes Tale; A 1940.

602. _Alexandryn_, of Alexandria; for _of_ may well be omitted. It means that many trees have been imported from the east by way of Alexandria. Many MSS. of the Fr. text read 'de la terre Alexandrins.' The damson, for example, came from Damascus.

603. I put _be hider_ for _hider be_; but _be_, after all, is better omitted. _Made hider fet_ is a correct idiom; see note to Cant. Ta. E 1098.

610. The images and pictures on the outside of the wall were made repellent, to keep strangers aloof.

624. _oon_, one; i. e. a place. _intil Inde_, as far as India.

656. The rime is only a single one, in _-ing_.

658. _Alpes_, bullfinches; also called _an awp_, or, corruptly, _a nope_. 'Alp, or _Nope_, a bulfinch. I first took notice of this word in _Suffolk_, but find since that it is used in other counties, almost generally all over England'; Ray's Collection of South and E. Country Words (1691).

_wodewales_, witwalls. In the Prompt. Parvulorum, the _wodewale_ is identified with the _wodehake_, woodpecker; whilst Hexham explains Du. _Weduwael_ as 'a kinde of a yellow bird.' There is often great confusion in such names. The true _witwall_ is the Green Woodpecker (_Gecinus viridis_). We may omit _and_, and even _were_ in l. 657.

662. _laverokkes_, larks. The A. S. _l[=a]werce_, _l[=a]ferce_, became _laverk_; then the final _k_ was exchanged for the diminutive suffix _-ok_.

663. _Chalaundres_; see note to l. 81 above.

664. _wery_, weary (F. _lassees_); _nigh forsongen_, nearly tired out with singing.

665. _thrustles_, throstles, thrushes; see Parl. Foules, 364.

_terins_; F. _tarin_, which, Littré says, is the _Fringilla spinus_. Cotgrave has: '_Tarin_, a little singing bird, having a yellowish body, and an ash-coloured head'; by which (says Prof. Newton) he means the siskin, otherwise called the aberdevine.

_mavys_, mavises, song-thrushes. If we take the _mavis_ to be the song-thrush, _Turdus musicus_, then the throstle may be distinguished as the missel-thrush, _Turdus viscivorus_. But the mavis is also called throstle. In Cambridge, the name is pronounced _mavish_ (romic mei·vish).

672. 'As spiritual angels do.'

676. 'Of man liable to death'; by mortal man.

684. _sereyns_, i. e. Sirens. Cotgrave has: '_Sereine_, f. a Mermaid.' Chaucer takes no notice of G. de Lorris' notable etymology, by which he derives _Seraines_ from the adj. _seri_. Cotgrave gives (marked as obsolete): '_Seri_, m. _ie_, f. Quiet, mild, calm, still; fair, clear.'

693. _wel bigo_, the opposite of 'woe begone'; as in l. 580. Cf. 'glad and wel begoon'; Parl. Foules, 171.

700. _leten_, pp. of _leten_, to let; 'and had let me in.'

705. Morris reads _Withoute_, which improves the line:--'Without-e fabl' I wol descryve.'

714. _sete_, sat; A. S. _s[=æ]ton_, pt. t. pl. (The correct form).

716. _Iargoning_, chattering; cf. E. _jargon_.

720. Read _reverdye_ (see footnote). It means 'rejoicing'; from the renewal of green things in spring.

731. _mentes_, mints; Th. has _myntes_.

735. 'Where he abode, to amuse himself.'

744. _carole_, a dance; orig. a dance in a ring, accompanied with song. Hence, in l. 745, the verb _carolen_, to sing, in accompaniment to a dance of this character. In Rob. of Brunne's Handlyng Synne, 9138, there is a description of a company carolling 'hand in hand.' And see below, ll. 759-765, 781; Book Duch. 849.

746. I insert _the_ (as Urry does) before _blisful_; cf. l. 797.

749. The line--'And couthe make in song swich refreininge' is obviously too long. The word _couthe_ is needlessly repeated from l. 747, and must be omitted. The Fr. text shews that _refreininge_ means the singing of a refrain at the end of each verse.

768. _in this contree._ This is an adaptation; the original Fr. says 'in _any_ country.' Warton calmly observes: 'there is not a syllable of these songs and singers of Lorraine in the French.' But he consulted a defective copy.

769. _timbestere_, a female player on a timbrel. Tyrwhitt confuses the matter by quoting Lye, who mixed up this word with _tombestere_, a female tumbler; for which see Cant. Ta. C 477. They are quite unconnected, but are formed with the same fem. suffix, viz. that which appears also in the mod. E. _spin-ster_, and in the old words _webb-estere_, _bak-estere_, whence the surnames Webster, Baxter. In l. 772, _timbres_ simply mean timbrels, and tambourine-players may still be performing the easy trick of throwing up a tambourine and catching it, spinning, on a finger-point. There is therefore no reason for explaining _timbre_ as a basin. Nevertheless, such a mistake arose, and Junius quotes (s.v. _Timbestere_) some lines from an edition of Le Roman de la Rose, printed in 1529, in which the following lines here occur:--

'Apres y eut farces joyeuses, Et batelleurs et batelleuses, Qui de passe passe jouoyent, Et en l'air _ung bassin_ ruoyent, Puis le scavoyent bien recueillir Sur ung doy, sans point y faillir.'

It is tolerably certain that this is a corrupt form of the passage, and only makes the matter darker. All it proves is, that _timbre_ was, by some, supposed to mean a basin! No doubt it had that sense (see Cotgrave), but not here.

_Timbestere_ is a mere English form of the O.F. _tymberesse_, a player on a _timbre_. Diez, in his Dictionary, cites a passage from a commentary on the Psalms, given in Roquefort, Poés. franç, p. 127, to this effect:--'li _tymbres_ est uns estrumenz de musique qui est couverz d'un cuir sec de bestes'; i. e. it is the Lat. _tympanum_. So also, in Wright's Vocab. col. 616, l. 28, we have:--'_Timpanum_, a taber, or a tymbre.' In Allit. Poems, ed. Morris, ii. 1414, we read of the sound of '_tymbres_ and _tabornes_,' and of '_symbales_,' i. e. cymbals. In King Alisaunder, ed. Weber, 191, we again have _tymbres_ meaning 'timbrels.' Wyclif, in his tr. of Isaiah, v. 12, has '_tymbre_ and trumpe,' to translate 'tympanum et tibia'; and the word is well preserved in the mod. E. dimin. _timbr-el_.

770. _saylours_, dancers; from O. F. _saillir_, Lat. _salere_; cf. '_Salyyn_, salio'; Prompt. Parv. The M. E. _sailen_, to dance, occurs in P. Plowman, C xvi. 208 (see my note); and in Rob. of Glouc. l. 5633 (or p. 278, ed. Hearne).

791. _Ne bede I._ The Fr. text means--'I would never seek to go away.' As _e_ and _o_ are constantly confused, I change _bode_ (which gives no sense) into _bede_; i. e. 'I would never pray.' _Bede_ is the pt. t. subj. of _bidden_, to pray. Gower uses _ne bede_ in the same sense; 'That I ne bede never awake'; Conf. Am. ii. 99.

826. _girdilstede_, the _stead_ or place of the girdle, i. e. the waist.

836. _samyt_, samite, a very rich silk; see Halliwell and my Etym. Dict.

840. _to-slitered_, very much 'slashed' with small cuts. It is well known that slashed or snipped sleeves, shewing the colour of the lining beneath them, were common in the Tudor period; and it here appears that they were in vogue much earlier. _Sliteren_ is the frequentative form of _sliten_, to slit.

843. _decoped_, cut, slashed. The shoes were slashed like the dress; the Fr. text has here _decopes_, which, only just above, is translated by _to-slitered_. Cf. the expression 'galoches _y-couped_' in P. Plowman, C. xxi. 12, and see my note on that passage. Halliwell is quite wrong in confusing _decoped_ with _coppid_, i. e. peaked. See note to Mill. Ta. A 3318.

860. The readings _pleye_, _pley_ are evidently false; the scribe has omitted the stroke for _n_ above the vowel. The right reading is obviously _playn_, i. e. plain, smooth; it translates F. _poli_, just as _frounceles_ translates _sans fronce_, without a wrinkle.

865. If the reader prefers to keep _eleven_ (or _twelve_) syllables in this line, I am sorry for him.

869. _orfrays_, gold embroidery; see note to l. 562. In this case, the gold seems to have been embroidered on silk; see l. 872.

886. _quistroun_, a kitchen-boy, scullion. Godefroy gives the forms _coistron_, _coitron_, _coisteron_, _quistron_, _coestron_, with the sense 'marmiton.' His examples include the expressions '_coitron_ de la cuisine,' and 'un _quistroun_ de sa quisyne.' The addition of _de la (sa) cuisine_ shew that the word meant no more than 'boy' or 'lad'; such a lad as was often employed in the kitchen.

'Ther nas knave, ne _quystron_, That he ne hadde god waryson'; King Alisaunder, ed. Weber, 2511.

892. _amorettes_, (probably) love-knots. Such seems also to be the meaning in the passage in the Kingis Quair, st. 47, which was probably imitated from the present one. But both passages are sufficiently obscure. The word occurs again, below, in l. 4755, where the meaning is different, viz. young girls, sweethearts; but we must remember that it is there employed by a different translator. In the present passage, the Fr. text is obscure, and it is possible that _par fines amoretes_ means 'by beautiful girls.' The note in Bell's Chaucer says accordingly:--'these flowers were painted by amorous young ladies;' and adds that '_with_ here means _by_.' But this will hardly serve. We have no proof that Chaucer so understood the French; and if '_with_ means _by_' here, it must have the same sense in l. 894, which would mean that birds, leopards, and lions all lent a hand in painting. On the whole, the sense 'love-knots' seems the safest.

893. _losenges and scochouns_, lozenges (or diamond-shaped figures) and escutcheons.

911. _felden_, caused to fall, knocked off.

914. _chalaundre_; see note to l. 81. _wodewale_; see note to l. 658.

915. _archaungel_, supposed to mean 'a titmouse,' answering to F. _mesange_. But no other example of this use is known.

923. This line is too long; I omit _ful wel devysed_, which is not in the original.

933. _thwiten_, cut, shaped; pp. of _thwyten_, to cut (see Hous of Fame, 1938); cf. _thwitel_ in the Reves Ta. A 3933, and E. _whittle_.

938. _gadeling_, vagabond; see Gamelyn, 102, 106.

971. The idea of the two sets of arrows is taken from Ovid, Met. i. 468-471.

998. William de Lorris did not live to fulfil this promise.

1008. I. e. Beauty was also the name of an arrow; see l. 952. The allegory is rather of a mixed kind.

1014. _byrde_, i. e. bride (though the words are different); Fr. _espousee_. _bour_, bower; the usual name for a lady's chamber.

1018. I alter the _wintred_ of the old copies to _windred_, to make the form agree with that in l. 1020. To _windre_ is evidently a form suggested by the Fr. _guignier_. There are two verbs of this form; the more common is _guigner_, to wink (see Cotgrave); the other is given by Godefroy as _guignier_, _guigner_, _guingnier_, _guinier_, _gignier_, with the senses 'parer, farder,' i. e. to trick out. Note the original line: 'Ne fu fardee ne guignie'; and again in l. 2180: 'Mais ne te farde ne guigne.' The sense, in the present passage, is evidently 'to trim,' with reference to the eyebrows. 'Her eyebrows were not artificially embellished.'

_Poppen_, in l. 1019, has much the same sense, and is evidently allied to F. _popin_, 'spruce, neat, briske, trimme, fine,' in Cotgrave.

1031. I read _Wys_ for want of a better word; it answers to one sense of Lat. _sapidus_, whence the F. _sade_ is derived. However, Cotgrave explains _sade_ by 'pretty, neat, spruce, fine, compt, minion, quaint.' Perhap _Queint_ or _Fine_ would do better.

1049. _in hir daungere_, under her control; see Prol. A 663, and the note. And see l. 1470.

1050. _losengere_, deceiver, flatterer; see Non. Pr. Ta. B 4516; Legend of Good Women, 352. Cf. ll. 1056, 1064 below.

1057. 'And thus anoint the world with (oily) words.'

1058. I cannot find that there is any such word as _prill_ (as in Th.) or _prile_ (as in G.) in any suitable sense; the word required is clearly _prikke_. As it was usual to write _kk_ like _lk_, the word probably looked, to the eye, like _prilke_, out of which _prille_ may have been evolved. Numerous mistakes have thus arisen, such as _rolke_ for _rokke_ (a rock) in Gawain Douglas, and many more of the same kind. M. Michel here quotes an O. F. proverb--'Poignez vilain, il vous oindra: Oignez vilain, il vous poindra.'

1068. Read _aryved_, for the Fr. text has _arives_; cf. Ho. Fame, 1047.

1079. _bend_, band, strip; as used in heraldry.

1080. Read _améled_, as in Speght; of which _enameled_ is a lengthened form, with the prefix _en-_. It signifies 'enamelled.' Palsgrave gives a good example. 'I _ammell_, as a goldesmyth dothe his worke, _Iesmaille_. Your broche is very well amelled: _vostre deuise est fort bien esmaillee_.' See _Ameled_ in the New Eng. Dict. See also the long note in Warton (sect. xiii, where this passage is quoted) on enamelling in the middle ages. He cites the Latin forms _amelitam_ and _amelita_ in the sense 'enamelled,' and shews that the art flourished, in particular, at Limoges in France.

1081. _of gentil entaile_, of a fine shape, referring to her neck, apparently; or it may refer to the collar. Halliwell quotes from MS. Douce 291 'the hors of gode _entaile_,' i. e. of a good shape. Cf. _entaile_, to shape, in l. 609 above; and see l. 3711.

1082. _shet_, shut, i. e. clasped, fastened. _Chevesaile_, a collar; properly, the neckband of the robe, as explained in the New E. Dict. Though it does not here occur in the Fr. text, it occurs below in a passage which Chaucer does not exactly translate, though it answers to the 'colere' of l. 1190, q.v. There seems to be no sufficient reason for explaining it by 'necklace' or 'gorget,' as if it were a separable article of attire. It answers to a Lat. type _capitiale_, from _capitium_, the opening in a tunic through which the head passed; which explains how the word arose.

1089. The right word is _thurte_, which the scribe, not understanding, has turned into _durst_; both here, and in l. 1324 below. _Thurte him_ means 'he needed,' the exact sense required. The use of the dative _him_ is a clear trace of the use of this phrase.

The idea that a gem would repel venom was common; see P. Plowman, B. ii. 14, and my note.

1093. _and Fryse_, and Friesland. Not in the original, and merely added for the rime.

1094. _mourdaunt_, mordant, chape, tag. Halliwell explains it 'the tongue of a buckle,' which is probably a guess; it is often mentioned as if it were quite distinct from it. It was probably 'the metal chape or tag fixed to the end of a girdle or strap,' viz. to the end _remote_ from the buckle; see Fairholt's 'Costume.' Godefroy explains it in the same way; it terminated the dependent end of the girdle; and this explains how it could be made of a stone. Warton, in a note on this passage (sect. xiii.), quotes from a wardrobe roll, in which there is mention of one hundred garters 'cum boucles, barris, et pendentibus de argento.'

1103. _barres_, bars; fixed transversely to the satin tissue of the girdle, and perforated to receive the tongue of the buckle. See note to Prol. A 329.

1106. 'In each bar was a bezant-weight of gold.' A _bezant_ was a gold coin, originally struck at Byzantium, whence the name. It 'varied in weight between the English sovereign and half-sovereign, or less'; New E. Dict.

1117. The false reading _ragounces_ is easily corrected by the original. In Lydgate's Chorle and Bird, st. 34, we find:--'There is a stone which called is _iagounce_.' Warton rather hastily identifies it with the jacinth. Godefroy says that some make it to be a jacinth, but others, a garnet. Warnke explains _iagunce_ (in Marie de France, Le Fraisne, 130) by 'ruby.'

1120. _carboucle_, carbuncle; see notes to Ho. Fame, 1352, 1363.

1137. That is, he would have expected to be accused of a crime equal to theft or murder, if he had kept in his stable such a horse as a hackney. The F. text has _roucin_, whence Chaucer's _rouncy_, in Prol. A 390.

1148. I. e. as if his wealth had been poured into a garner, like so much wheat. _daungere_ here means 'parsimony.'

1152. I. e. Alexander was noted for his liberality.

1163. _to hir baundon_, (so as to be) at her disposal.

1182. _adamaunt_, lodestone; _leyd therby_, laid beside it.

1188. The form _sarlynysh_ (in G.) evidently arose from the common mistake of reading a long _s_ as an _l_. The right reading is, of course, _Sarsinesshe_, i. e., Saracenic, or coloured by an Eastern dye. Compare the mod. E. _sarsnet_, a derivative from the same source.

1190. Her neck-band was thrown open, because she had given away the brooch, with which she used to fasten it.

1199. The knight is said to be _sib_, i. e., akin, to king Arthur, because of the great celebrity of that flower of chivalry.

1201. The reading _gousfaucoun_ is a queer mistake; the scribe seems to have thought that it meant a goshawk! But the sense is war-banner.' See _Gonfanon_ in my Etym. Dict.

1215. _at poynt devys_, with great exactness, with great regularity; cf. l. 830. The same expression occurs in the Ho. of Fame, 917.

1216. _tretys_, long and well-shaped; hence this epithet, as applied to the nose of the Prioress; see Prol. A 152. See ll. 932, 1016.

1227. _bistad_, bestead; i. e. hard beset.

1232. _sukkenye_, an E. adaptation of the O.F. _sorquanie_. Cotgrave has: '_Souquenie_, f. a canvas Jacket, frock, or Gaberdine; such a one as our Porters wear.' Mod. F. _souquenille_, a smock-frock. It was therefore a loose frock, probably made, in this case, of fine linen. For a note in the glossary to Méon's edition says that linen was sometimes the material used for it; and we are expressly told, in the text, that it was _not_ made of hempen hards. Cf. Russ. _sukno_, cloth.

1235. _rideled_, 'gathered,' or pleated; F. _coillie_. Not 'pierced like a riddle,' as suggested in Bell's Chaucer, but gathered in folds like a curtain or a modern surplice; from O.F. _ridel_ (F. _rideau_), a curtain. Cf. 'filettis, and wymplis, and _rydelid_ gownes and rokettis, colers, lacis,' &c.; Reliquiæ Antiquæ, i. 41. Hence, in ll. 1236, 7, the statement that every point was in its right place; because it was so evenly gathered.

1240. 'A _roket_, or _rochet_, is a loose linen frock synonymous with _sukkenye_. The name is now appropriated to the short surplice worn by bishops over their cassocks.'--Bell.

1249, 50. _Al hadde he be_, even if he had been. As the French copy consulted by Warton here omitted two lines of the original, Warton made the singular mistake of supposing that, in l. 1250, Chaucer intended 'a compliment to some of his patrons.' But William de Lorris died in 1260, so that the _seignor de Gundesores_ was 'Henry of Windsor,' as he was sometimes termed[287], i. e. no other than Henry III; and the reference was probably suggested by the birth of prince Edward in 1239, unless these two lines were added somewhat later.

1263. _avenant_, comely, graceful; see the New E. Dict.

1282. The absolutely necessary correction in this line was suggested by Ten Brink, in his Chaucer Studien, p. 30.

1284. _volage_, flighty, giddy; see Manc. Ta. H 239.

1294. I should like to read--'They ne made force of privetee'; pronounced _They n' mad-e_, &c. But _no fors_ is usual.

1321. _his thankes_, willingly; see Kn. Ta. A 1626, 2107.

1324. _durst_ is an error for _thurte_; see note to l. 1089.

1334. For _hadde_ (which gives no sense), read _bad_; confusion of _b_ and _h_ is not uncommon. And for _bent_, read _bende it_; see l. 1336.

1341. Some mending of the text is absolutely necessary, because _shette_ is altogether a false form; the pp. of _sheten_, to shoot, is _shoten_. The suggested emendation satisfies the conditions, and makes better sense. So, in l. 1343, read _wol me greven_.

1348. In ll. 1461, 1582, the F. _vergier_ is translated by _yerde_. So here, and in l. 1447 (as Dr. Kaluza suggests) we must read _yerde in_, to make sense. The scribe easily turned _yerde in_ into _gardin_, but ruined the sense by it. So in l. 1366, _yerde_ would be better than _gardin_.

1359. _greet foisoun_, a great abundance (of them).

1361. _notemygge_ is the form given in the Prompt. Parv. In Sir Topas, 1953, _notemuge_ occurs in all the seven MSS. See note to the same, B 1950, which explains _clow-gelofre_, i. e. clove, and _setewale_, i. e., zedoary.

1363. The form _alemandres_ is justified by the Fr. text, which has _Alemandiers_. The O. F. for 'almond' was at first _alemande_, before it was shortened to _almande_; see _Almond_ in the New E. Dict. The sense is 'almond-trees.'

1369. _parys_ or _paris_ is a stupid blunder for _paradys_, as the Fr. text shews. It was a well-known term. Cotgrave has '_Graine de paradis_, the spice called Grains.' Philips explains _Paradisi grana_ as 'cardamum-seed.' Compare the quotation from Langham in the New E. Dict., s. v. _Cardamom_. _Canelle_ (in l. 1370) is 'cinnamon.'

1374. _coyn_ is the word which has been twisted into _quin_; and the pl. _quins_ has become the sing. _quince_.

1377. _aleys._ 'Aley [adapted from O. Fr. _alie_, _alye_ (also _alis_), mod. Fr. _alise_, _alize_, from O. H. G. _eliza_, mod. G. _else_(_beere_); the suppression of the _s_ in the O. Fr. is anomalous.] The fruit of the Wild-Service tree'; New E. Dict. No other example of the word is known in English. _bolas_, bullace; the rime is only a _single_ one.

1379. _lorer_, laurel; miswritten _lorey_ in G.; cf. l. 1313 above, where _loreres_ is miswritten _loreyes_.

1384. Compare the tree-lists in Parl. Foules, 176, and in the Kn. Ta. A 2921.

1385. I should read _Pyn, ew_, instead of _Fyn ew_; only we have had _pyn_ already, in l. 1379.

1391. Imitated in the Book Duch. 419; again, l. 1401 is imitated in the same, 429.

1397, 8. The rimed words must needs be _knet_, _set_, as in the Parl. Foules, 627, 628.

1405. _claperes_, burrows. '_Clapier_, m. A clapper of conies, a heap of stones, &c., whereinto they retire themselves'; Cotgrave. See _Clapper_ in the New E. Dict.

1414. _condys_, conduits; Fr. text, _conduis_. Godefroy gives numerous examples of _conduis_ as the pl. of O. F. _conduit_, in the sense of safe-conduct, &c. So, in the Ayenbite of Inwyt, p. 91, we find:--'Thise uif wytes byeth ase uif _condwys_,' i. e. these five wits (senses) are as five channels. _by devys_, by contrivances (l. 1413).

1420. _vel-u-et_ is here a trisyllabic word; and the _u_ is a vowel, as in A. F. _veluet_. The mod. E. _velvet_ arose from misreading the _u_ as a _v_. The Prompt. Parv. has also the form _velwet_. So in Lydgate, Compl. of the Black Knight, l. 80: 'And soft as vel-u-et,' &c.

1426. _as mister was_, as was need, as was necessary.

1447. As _garden_ makes no sense here, Kaluza reads _yerde in_; see note to l. 1348.

1448. _estres_ (F. text, _l'estre_), inner parts; see Rev. Ta. A 4295, and the note.

1453. _at good mes_, to advantage, from a favourable position; Fr. _en_ _bel leu_. In l. 3462, the phrase translates F. _en bon point_. _Mes_ (_Lat. missum_) is an old Anglo-French hunting-term, answering (nearly) to mod. E. _shot_. Thus, in Marie de France, Guigemar, 87:--'Traire voleit, si _mes_ ëust,' he wished to shoot, if he could get a good shot. See Ducange, ed. 1887, ix. 270, for two more examples.

1458. _Pepyn_; the F. text says 'Charles, the son of Pepin.' Charles the Great, who died in 814, was the son of Pepin Le Bref, king of the Franks, who died in 768.

1469. This story of Narcissus is from Ovid, Met. iii. 346.

1470. _in his daungere_, within his control; in l. 1492, _daungerous_ means 'disdainful.' See note to l. 1049.

1498. The right spelling is _vilaynsly_; it occurs in the Pers. Tale, I 279; and the adj. _vilayns_ in the same, I 627, 715, 854.

1517, 18. The right spellings are _sene_, adj., visible, and _shene_, adj., showy, bright.

1525. _bere_, bore; but it is in the subjunctive mood; A. S. _b[=æ]re_.

1537. _warisoun_, reward; F. _guerredon_. But this is not the usual sense; it commonly means healing, cure, or remedy; see _Guarison_ in Cotgrave. However, it also means provision, store, assistance; whence it is no great step to the sense of 'reward.' To 'winne a warisun' is to obtain a reward; Will. of Palerne, 2253, 2259. Cf. note to l. 886.

1550. _scatheles_, without harm. There is actually a touch of humour here; the poet ran no risk of falling in love with such a face as his own.

1561. _welmeth up_, boils up, bubbles up; from A. S. _wylm_, a spring.

1564. _For moiste_, because it was moist, because of its moisture. The adj. has almost the force of a sb. Cf. note to l. 276.

1591. _entrees_ is, of course, a blunder for _estres_, as the F. text shews. See l. 1448 above, where _estres_ rightly occurs, to represent F. _l'estre_. _accuseth_, reveals, shews; see the New Eng. Dict.

1604. 'That made him afterwards lie on his back,' i. e. lie dead (F. _mors_). The alteration of _lye_ to _ligge_ in MS. G. is a clear example of the substitution of a Northern form.

1608. Here _laughyng_ is a very queer travesty of _loving_, owing to a similarity in the sound. But the F. text has _d'amer_, which settles it.

1621. _panteres_, nets; see Leg. of Good Women, 131, and the note.

1624. _lacche_, trap. The usual sense is 'the latch of a door'; but the sense here given is clearly caught from the related verb _lacchen_, which sometimes meant to catch birds. Thus in P. Plowman, B. v. 355, we find 'forto lacche foules,' i. e. to catch birds. We must not confuse _lacche_, as here used, with _lace_, a snare.

1641. We must read _syked_, not _sighede_, in order to rime with _entryked_. Observe that _syketh_ rimes with _entryketh_ in the Parl. of Foules, 404. Further, as the rime is a double one, the word _have_ must be inserted, to fill up the line. It is in the Fr. text, 'tant en _ai_ puis souspire.'

1652. _enclos_, enclosed; a French form, used for the rime. Cf. _clos_, in the same sense; The Pearl, l. 2.

1663. Speght made the obvious correction of _be_, for _me_.

1666. _My thankes_, with my goodwill; cf. _his thankes_, l. 1321.

1673. _gret woon_, a great quantity.

1674. _roon_ (in place of _Rone_); F. text, _sous ciaus_, 'under the skies.' Bell suggests that there is a reference to the river Rhone, and to the roses of Provence. But the prep. _in_ must mean 'in' or 'upon'; and as roses do not grow on a river, but upon bushes, perhaps _roon_ answers to Lowland Scotch _rone_, a bush; see Jamieson. Thus Henrysoun, Prol. to Moral Fables, l. 15, has:--'The roisis reid arrayit on _rone_ and ryce'; and G. Douglas has _ronnis_, bushes. _In Roon_ might mean 'in Rouen'; spelt _Roan_ in Shakespeare.

1677. _moysoun_, size; Cotgrave has: '_Moyson_, size, bignesse, quantity'; from Lat. _mensionem_, a measuring. See P. Plowman, C. xii. 120, and my note. Not connected with _moisson_, harvest, as suggested in Bell.

1701. 'The stalk was as upright as a rush.'

1705. Here ends Chaucer's portion of the translation, in the middle of an incomplete sentence, without any verb. It may have been continued thus (where _dide fulfild_ = caused to be filled):--

The swote smelle sprong so wyde, That it dide al the place aboute _Fulfild of baume, withouten doute_.

We can easily understand that the original MS. ended here suddenly, the rest being torn away or lost. An attempt was made to join on another version, without observing the incompleteness of the sentence. Moreover, the rime is a false one, since _swote_ and _aboute_ have different vowel-sounds. Hence the point of junction becomes visible enough.

Dr. Max Kaluza was the first to observe the change of authorship at this point, though he made Chaucer's portion end at l. 1704. He remarked, very acutely, that Chaucer translates the F. _bouton_ by the word _knoppe_; see