Part 2

[letter: I] I dreste me forth, and happede to mete anone [leaf] Right a faire lady, I you ensure; [leaf] And she come riding by herselfe alone, [leaf] All in white; with semblance ful demure [leaf] I salued her, and bad her good aventure [leaf] Might her befall, as I coude most humbly; [leaf] And she answered, ‘My doughter, gramercy!’

[letter: M] ‘Madame,’ quod I, ‘if that I durst enquere [leaf] Of you, I woulde faine, of that company, [leaf] Wite what they be that paste by this arbere?’ [leaf] And she ayen answerede right friendly: [leaf] ‘My faire doughter, all tho that passed here by [leaf] In white clothing, be servaunts everichone [leaf] Unto the Leafe, and I myselfe am one.

[letter: S] See ye not her that crowned is,’ quod she, [leaf] ‘All in white?’—‘Madame,’ quod I, ‘yis:’ [leaf] ‘That is Diané, goddesse of chastité; [leaf] And for because that she a maiden is, [leaf] In her own hond the braunch she beareth iwis, [leaf] That agnus castus men calle properly; [leaf] And all the ladies in her company,

[letter: W] Which as ye se of that hearb chapelets weare, [leaf] Be such as han kept alway hir maidenheed: [leaf] And alle they that of laurer chapelets beare, [leaf] Be such as hardy were, and manly indeed, [leaf] Victorious name which never may be dede! [leaf] And alle they were so worthy of here honde, [leaf] That in her time none might hem withstonde.

[letter: A] And tho that weare chaplets on here hede [leaf] Of fresh woodbind, be such as never were [leaf] To love untrue in word, in thought, ne dede, [leaf] But aye stedfast; ne for pleasaunce, ne fere, [leaf] Thogh that they shuld here hertes al to-tere, [leaf] Woulde ne flitte, but ever were stedfaste, [leaf] Til that here lives there asunder braste.’

[letter: N] ‘Now faire madame,’ quod I, ‘yet would I pray [leaf] Your ladiship, if that it mighte be, [leaf] That I mighte knowe, by some maner way, [leaf] (Sith that it hath i-liked your beauté, [leaf] The trouth of these ladies for to telle me); [leaf] What that these knightes be in rich armour, [leaf] And what tho be in grene and weare the flour?

[letter: A] And why that some dide reverence to the tre, [leaf] And some unto the plot of floures faire?’ [leaf] ‘With right good will, my fair doghter,’ quod she, [leaf] ‘Sith your desire is good and debonaire; [leaf] Tho nine crowned be very exemplaire [leaf] Of all honour longing to chivalry; [leaf] And those certaine be called the Nine Worthy,

[letter: W] Which ye may see now riding all before [leaf] That in her time dide many a noble dede, [leaf] And for here worthinesse full oft have bore [leaf] The crowne of laurer leaves on here hede, [leaf] As ye may in your olde bookes rede; [leaf] And how that he that was a conquerour, [leaf] Hadde by laurer alway his most honour.

[letter: A] And tho that beare bowes in here honde [leaf] Of the precious laurer so notable, [leaf] Be such as were, I woll ye understonde, [leaf] Noble knightes of the rounde table, [leaf] And eke the Douseperis honourable, [leaf] Which they bearen in signe of victory; [leaf] It is witnesse of here deedes mightily.

[letter: E] Eke there be knightes old of the garter, [leaf] That in her time dide right worthily; [leaf] And the honour they dide to the laurer, [leaf] Is for by it they have here laud wholly, [leaf] Here triumph eke, and marshall glory; [leaf] Which unto hem is more parfit richesse, [leaf] Than any wight imagine can or gesse.

[letter: F] For one leafe given of that noble tree [leaf] To any wight that hath done worthily, [leaf] And it be done so as it oughte to be, [leaf] Is more honour than anything earthly; [leaf] Witnesse of Rome that founder was truly [leaf] Of all knighthood and deedes marvelous; [leaf] Record I take of Titus Livius.

[letter: A] And as for her that crowned is in greene, [leaf] It is Flora, of these floures goddesse; [leaf] And all that here on her awaiting beene, [leaf] It are such folk that loved idelnesse, [leaf] And not delite hadde of no businesse, [leaf] But for to hunt and hauke, and pley in medes, [leaf] And many other such idle dedes.

[letter: A] And for the greate delite and pleasaunce [leaf] They have to the floure, and so reverently [leaf] They unto it do such grete obeisaunce [leaf] As ye may se.’—‘Now faire Madame,’ quod I, [leaf] ‘If I durst aske what is the cause and why, [leaf] That knightes have the signe of honour, [leaf] Wel rather by the leafe than by the flour?’

[letter: S] ‘Soothly, doughter,’ quod she, ‘this is the trouth: [leaf] For knightes ever should be persevering, [leaf] To seeke honour without feintise or slouth, [leaf] Fro wele to better in all manner thing; [leaf] In signe of which, with leaves aye lasting [leaf] They be rewarded after here degré, [leaf] Whose lusty green may not appaired be,

[letter: B] But aie keping here beautie fresh & greene; For there nis storme that ne may hem deface, [leaf] Ne haile nor snow, ne winde nor frostes kene; [leaf] Wherfore they have this propertie and grace. And for the floure, within a little space [leaf] Woll be i-lost, so simple of nature [leaf] They be, that they no greevance may endure;

[letter: A] And every storme will blow hem soone awaye, [leaf] Ne laste they not but for oon season; That is the cause, the very trouth to saye, [leaf] That they maye not, by no way of reason, [leaf] Be put to no such occupation.’ [leaf] ‘Madame,’ quod I, ‘with all mine whole servise [leaf] I thanke you now, in my most humble wise;

[letter: F] For now I am acertained throughly, [leaf] Of every thing I desired to knowe.’ [leaf] ‘I am right glad that I have said, sothly, [leaf] Ought to your pleasure, if ye wille me trowe,’ [leaf] Quod she ayen, ‘but to whom do ye owe [leaf] Your service? and which wolle ye honoure, [leaf] Tel me I pray, this yere, the Leafe or the Floure?’

[letter: M] ‘Madame,’ quod I, ‘though I be least worthy, [leaf] Unto the Leafe I owe mine observaunce’: ‘That is,’ quod she, ‘right well done certainly; And pray I God to honour you avaunce, [leaf] And kepe you fro the wicked remembraunce [leaf] Of Malebouch, and all his crueltie, [leaf] And all that good and well conditioned be.

[letter: F] For here may I no lenger now abide, [leaf] I muste followe the greate company, [leaf] That ye maye see yonder before you ride.’ And tho forth, as I couthe, most humbly, [leaf] I tooke my leve of her, as she gan hie [leaf] After hem as fast as ever she mighte; [leaf] And I drow homeward, for it was nigh nighte,

[letter: A] And put all that I hadde seene in writing, [leaf] Under support of hem that lust it to rede. [leaf] O little booke, thou art so unconning, [leaf] How darst thou put thyself in prees, for drede? [leaf] It is wonder that thou wexest not rede! [leaf] Sith that thou wost full lite who shall beholde [leaf] Thy rude language, ful boistously unfolde.

HERE ENDS CHAUCER’S FLOWER AND THE LEAF. PRINTED AT THE ESSEX HOUSE PRESS UNDER THE CARE OF C. R. ASHBEE. THE ORNAMENTAL LETTERS HAVE BEEN DRAWN AND COLOURED IN BY EDITH HARWOOD. MDCCCCII.

Published in England by EDWARD ARNOLD, 37 Bedford Street, Strand, and in America by SAMUEL BUCKLEY & CO., 100 William Street, New York.

165 copies only, and all on vellum. This copy is No. _138_.