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• Introduction
• Errata.
• Additions to ‘the Minor Poems’ In Vol. I.
• XXIV.: Womanly Noblesse.
• XXV.: Complaint to My Mortal Foe.
• XXVI.: Complaint to My Lode-sterre.
• Notes to the Preceding Poems.
• The Canterbury Tales. Group A.
• The Prologue.
• The Knightes Tale.
• The Miller’s Prologue.
• The Milleres Tale.
• The Reeve’s Prologue.
• The Reves Tale.
• The Cook’s Prologue.
• The Cokes Tale.
• Group B.
• Introduction to the Man of Law’s Prologue. (t. 4421-4446.)
• The Tale of the Man of Lawe.
• The Shipman’s Prologue.
• The Shipmannes Tale.
• The Prioress’s Prologue. (t. 13365-13382.)
• The Prioresses Tale.
• Prologue to Sir Thopas. (t. 13621-13641.)
• Sir Thopas.
• Prologue to Melibeus. (t. 13847-13875.)
• The Tale of Melibeus.
• The Monk’s Prologue. (t. 13895-13924.)
• The Monkes Tale.
• The Prologue of the Nonne Prestes Tale. (t. 14773-14798).
• The Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Group C.
• The Phisiciens Tale. (t. 11935-11957.)
• Words of the Host. (t. 12221-12239.)
• The Prologue of the Pardoners Tale. (t. 12263-12288).
• The Pardoners Tale. ( Numbered In Continuation of the Preceding. )
• Group D.
• The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. (t. 5583-5602; For T. 5582, See P. 164.)
• The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.
• The Friar’s Prologue. (t. 6847-6868).
• The Freres Tale.
• The Somnour’s Prologue. (t. 7247-7270.)
• The Somnours Tale.
• Group E.
• The Clerk’s Prologue. (t. 7877-7898.)
• The Clerkes Tale.
• The Merchant’s Prologue. (t. 9089-9120).
• The Marchantes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Marchantes Tale.
• Group F.
• The Squieres Tale. (t. 10315-10334).
• The Franklin’s Prologue. (t. 11021-11040).
• The Frankeleyns Tale.
• Group G.
• The Seconde Nonnes Tale.
• The Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue. (t. 16022-16043.)
• The Chanouns Yemannes Tale.
• Group H.
• The Manciple’s Prologue. (t. 16950-16968).
• The Maunciples Tale.
• Group I.
• The Parson’s Prologue. (t. 17312-17330).
• The Persones Tale.
• Appendix to Group A.
• The Tale of Gamelyn.

XXIV.

WOMANLY NOBLESSE.

• • Balade that Chaucier made.
  • So hath my herte caught in rémembraunce
  • Your beautè hool, and stedfast governaunce,
  • Your vertues allè, and your hy noblesse,
  • That you to serve is set al my plesaunce;
  • So wel me lykth your womanly contenaunce, 5
  • Your fresshe fetures and your comlinesse,
  • That, whyl I live, my herte to his maistresse,
  • You hath ful chose, in trew perséveraunce,
  • Never to chaunge, for no maner distresse.
• • And sith I [you] shal do this observaunce10
  • Al my lyf, withouten displesaunce,
  • You for to serve with al my besinesse,
  • [Taketh me, lady, in your obeisaunce,]
  • And have me somwhat in your souvenaunce.
  • My woful herte suffreth greet duresse;15
  • And [loke] how humbl[el]y, with al simplesse,
  • My wil I cónforme to your ordenaunce,
  • As you best list, my peynes to redresse.
• • Considring eek how I hange in balaunce
  • In your servysè; swich, lo! is my chaunce,20
  • Abyding grace, whan that your gentilnesse
  • Of my gret wo list doon allegeaunce,
  • And with your pitè me som wyse avaunce,
  • In ful rebating of my hevinesse;
  • And thinkth, by reson, wommanly noblesse25
  • Shuld nat desyre for to doon outrance
  • Ther-as she findeth noon unbuxumnesse.

• Lenvoye.
• Auctour of norture, lady of plesaunce,
• Soveraine of beautè, flour of wommanhede,
• Take ye non hede unto myn ignoraunce,30
• But this receyveth of your goodlihede,
• Thinking that I have caught in rémembraunce
• Your beautè hool, your stedfast governaunce.

[]From MS. Addit. 34360, fol. 21, back (with ascription by Shirley); hitherto unprinted. Rejected readings of the MS. are here given.

[1. ]hert.

[2. ]Yowre (throughout); hoole; stidefast.

[3. ]al; hie.

[4. ]yow; sette.

[5. ]likith;for womanly perhaps read wyfly.

[6. ]comlynesse.

[7. ]whiles; myn hert; maystresse.

[8. ]triev.

[10. ]I insert you.

[11. ](Accent on Al); live.

[12. ]besynesse.

[13. ]Dr. Furnivall supplies this lost line; cf. Complaint to Pity, l. 84.

[15. ]hert suffrith grete.

[16. ]I supply loke; humbly.

[17. ]ordynaunce.

[18. ]for to (I omit for).

[19. ]eke.

[20. ]service suche loo.

[21. ](Perhaps omit that).

[22. ]grete woo; do.

[23. ]wise.

[24. ]rebatyng; myn hevynesse.

[25. ]And thynkith be raison that (too long).

[26. ]desire; for til do the (I omit the).

[27. ]fyndith non vn-.

[29. ]Soueraigne; floure.

[31. ]receyvith; goodelyhede.

[32. ]Thynkyng.

[33. ]hole; stidefast.