The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• General Introduction.
• Life of Geoffrey Chaucer.
• List of Chaucer’s Works.
• Errata and Addenda.
• Introduction.: the Romaunt of the Rose.
• Introduction: the Minor Poems.
• The Romaunt of the Rose.
• Fragment A.: Le Roman De La Rose.
• Fragment B.
• Fragment C.
• The Minor Poems.
• I.: An A. B. C.
• II.: The Compleynte Unto Pite.
• III.: The Book of the Duchesse.
• IV.: The Compleynt of Mars.
• V.: The Parlement of Foules.
• VI.: A Compleint to His Lady.
• VII.: Anelida and Arcite.
• VIII.: Chaucers Wordes Unto Adam, His Owne Scriveyn.
• IX.: The Former Age.
• X.: Fortune.
• XI.: Merciles Beaute: a Triple Roundel.
• XII.: To Rosemounde. a Balade.
• XIII.: Truth.
• XIV.: Gentilesse.
• XV.: Lak of Stedfastnesse.
• XVI.: Lenvoy De Chaucer a Scogan.
• XVII.: Lenvoy De Chaucer a Bukton.
• XVIII.: The Compleynt of Venus.
• XIX.: The Compleint of Chaucer to His Empty Purse.
• XX.: Proverbs.
• Appendix.
• XXI.: Against Women Unconstant.
• XXII.: An Amorous Compleint. (compleint Damours.)
• XXIII.: A Balade of Compleynt.
• Notes to the Romaunt of the Rose.
• Notes to the Minor Poems.

THE MINOR POEMS.

I.

AN A. B. C.

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).

• 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 errour!5
  • Help and releve , thou mighty debonaire,^[ ]
  • Have mercy on my perilous langour!
  • Venquisshed me hath my cruel adversaire.^[ ]
• • 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 saufthurgh thee with us tacorde .^[ ]
  • For certes, Cristes blisful moder dere ,
  • 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!
  • 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.
• • 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,
  • That he hath in his listes of mischaunce85
  • 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 defende95
  • 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.
• • 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?
  • 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 chastisinge130
  • That dar I nought abyden in no wyse:
  • So hidous is hisrightful rekeninge.^[ ]
  • Moder , of whom our mercy gan to springe,
  • Beth ye my Iuge and eek my soules leche;
  • For ever in you is pitee haboundinge135
  • 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
  • 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 misbilevedpryved 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
• • 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 obeye170
  • 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 seye175
  • 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
  • Now ladybrighte , 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

Explicit carmen.

• • A toy du monde le refui,
  • Vierge glorieuse, m’en fui
  • Tout confus, ne puis miex faire;
  • A toy me tien, 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 necessaire10
  • A moy, se tu, debonnayre,
  • Ne me sequeurs comme a autrui.
• • 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 raporte20
  • 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
  • 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 receü50
  • 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,
  • 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 requeste70
  • 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 eschapper80
  • 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.
• • 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 enteriné110
  • 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
  • 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’entrait130
  • 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 recreüz140
  • 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 Lumiere des non voians
  • Et vrai repos des recreans
  • Et de tout bien tresoriere,
  • A toy sont toutez gens beans160
  • 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 querre170
  • 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,
  • 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’affruite190
  • 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 empirement200
  • 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;
  • 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 tour230
  • 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

• 161. C. Xp̄c (= Gk. χρς).

• 163. All the MSS. insert suffred after eek, caught from the line above; see note.

• • 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 offendu250
  • 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 pere260
  • 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
  • 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.

II.

THE COMPLEYNTE UNTO PITE.

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.

• • 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 compleyne5
  • 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 Pitemay no bille availe.
• • Then level I al thise virtues , sauf Pite ,^[ ]50
  • Keping the corps, as ye have herd me seyn,
  • Confedredalle 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 regalye65
  • 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 fordothan 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 somstreem 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 dissever115
  • 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.

III.

THE BOOK 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.

• The Proem.
• • I havegret 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 thought
  • 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 endure20
  • 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 hevinesse25
  • 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 so30
  • 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, mootnede 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 aud dryve the night away;^[ ][ ]
  • For me thoghte it better play50
  • 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 minde55
  • 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 tale60
  • That me thoughte a wonder thing.
• • This was the tale: Ther was a king^[ ]
  • That highteSeys , 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 ryse70
  • That brakhirmast , 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 lyf85
  • 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 took95
  • 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 shal115
  • 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 fila-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 dedesleep
  • Fil on her, or she tokekeep ,
  • 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 takkeep .
  • 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 nestente^[ ]
  • 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 derk170
  • 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 heedy-hed ,^[ ]175
  • And some laye naked in hir bed ,
  • And slepe whyles the dayes laste.
• • This messager comflying 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 oonyë^[ ]
  • 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 swow215
  • 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 sayewel ,
  • I had be dolven everydel ,^[ ]
  • And deed, right throughdefaute 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 make235
  • 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 deye240
  • 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 folde260
  • Of oo sute; this shal he have,
  • If I wiste wher were his cave,
  • If he can make me slepe sone,
  • As did the goddesseAlcione .^[ ]
  • 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 wordy-sayd270
  • 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 even275
  • 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 thavisioun285
  • 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 dawningther 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 werenshet 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 blowe345
  • Tassaye his horn , and for to knowe
  • Whether hit were clere or hors of soune.^[ ]
• • I herdegoinge , 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 route360
  • 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 overshotehem alle,
  • And were on a defaute y-falle;
  • Therwith the hunte wonder faste385
  • 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 anoon395
  • 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 theerthe envye wolde
  • To be gayer than the heven,
  • To have mo floures, swiche seven^[ ]
  • As in the welkensterres 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 tenfootor 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 figuresmowe 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 nothingreed ,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 gretwoon ,^[ ]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]-see485
• • Of al goodnesse she had no mete!’—
  • Whan he had mad thus his complaynte ,
  • His sorowfulherte 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 witeeek why hit was a-drad
  • By kinde, and for to make hit glad;
  • For hit is membre principal495
  • Of the body; and that made al
  • His hewe chaunge and wexe grene
  • And pale, for noblood[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 faste505
  • 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 stood515
  • 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 goodlyspak 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 .’
• • ‘Byour 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 pite575
  • 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 morwe595
  • 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

    Explicit the Boke of the Duchesse.

    IV.

    THE COMPLEYNT OF MARS.

    The authorities here used are: F. (Fairfax 16); Tn. (Tanner 346); Ju. (Julian Notary’s edition); Harl. (Harleian 7333); T. (Trinity College, Cambridge, R. 3. 20); Ar. (Arch. Seld. B. 24, in the Bodleian Library). Also Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532). I follow F. mainly; and note variations from it.

    • The Proem.
    • • ‘Gladeth, ye foules , of the morrow gray,^[ ]
      • Lo! Venus risen among yon rowes rede!^[ ]
      • And floures fresshe, honourethye this day ;^[ ]
      • For when the sonneuprist , 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!’—
      • (Seynt 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,

      • 17-19. in wrong order inF.Tn.

      • 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 hyefeste ,
      • Yet wol I, in my briddes wyse, singe
      • The sentence of the compleynt, at the leste ,
      • That woful Mars made atte departinge^[ ]25
      • 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 revolucioun30
      • 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 thus45
      • 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 heven50
      • 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, for his eyen tweyne95
      • 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-toCyleniustour ,^[ ]
      • 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 mightehir 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 oosteyre 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 twelfteday 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.

    Title.In F. Ar. Ju; T. Complaint 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 broght165
      • By him that lordeth ech intelligence,
      • I yaf my trewe servise and my thought,
      • 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,
      • 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 trewe200
      • 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 Iswoune 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 faste225
      • Thing to desyre, but his 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 woodtil that he be
      • Sesed ther-with; and then at erst hath he240
      • 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 passioun255
      • 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

    V.

    THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES.

    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. 1. 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 parlement of Fowlis.

    • The Proem.
    • • The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne,^[ ]
      • Thassay sohard , so sharp the conquering,^[ ]
      • The dredful Ioy, that alwey slitso yerne,^[ ]
      • Al this mene I by love, that my feling^[ ]
      • Astonyeth with his wonderful worching5
      • 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 rede10
      • 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 ofScipioun ’;^[ ]
      • 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^[ ]
      • InAfrik , 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 he60
      • 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 misse75
      • 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 therthein peyne ,^[ ]80
      • Til many a world be passed, out of drede,
      • And than, for-yevenalle 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
      • Aud 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 neverfruyt 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 nistewhether 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 ofstrenges 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 hirwyle215
      • 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 might220
      • 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 longe230
      • I saw a temple of brasy-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 thenne250
      • 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 subtilkerchef of Valence,^[ ]
      • Ther wasno 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 espye280
    • • 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 shal285
      • 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 place295
      • 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 mesure300
      • 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 ofaray and face,
      • In swich aray men mighten hir ther finde.
      • This noble emperesse, ful of grace,
      • Bad every foul to take hisowne 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 pyne335
      • 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 falselapwing , 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 kinde365
      • 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 ordenaunce390
      • 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-go465
      • 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 h

        Explicit tractatus de congregacione Volucrum die sancti Valentini.

        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.

        Of these fragments there are but two MS. copies, viz. in Shirley’s MS. Harl. 78, here called ‘Sh.’ and in Ph. = MS. Phil. 9053, in which (as in Ed. = ed. 1561) it is written in continuation of the Complaint unto Pity. Ph. is copied from Sh. The spelling is bad, and I alter it throughout.

        • 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.)

          15. It seems necessary to repeat this line in order to start the series of rimes.

        • [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;

        • 24. Supplied to complete the rime from Compl. Mars, 189.

        • [For this day in hir servise shal I dye].^[ ]

        • III. (In Terza Rima; imperfect.)

          25. Supplied from Compl. Pite, 22, 17.

        • [Thus am I slain, with sorwes ful dyverse;25

        • 26. Supplied from Anelida, 307.

        • 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;

          • 50. So in Anelida, 237.

          • 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

          • 56, 59. Both lines are missing; supplied from Anelida, 181, 182.

          • [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 unmete75
          • 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 wood90
          • 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.^[ ]

        • 124-133. Unique stanza, inPh.only.

        • • 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.^[ ]

        VII.

        ANELIDA AND ARCITE.

        The compleynt of feire Anelida and fals Arcite.

        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.

        • Proem.
        • • Thouferse 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;^[ ]20
          • 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 spradde40
          • 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 Theseus45
          • 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 groundedeed 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 knowe190
          • That he was servaunt to hir ladyshippe,
          • But lest that he wer proude , she held him lowe;
          • Thus serveth he, withoutenfee 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.

        Title.So in F. (but misspelt Analida); B. The complaynt of feyre Anelida on fals Arcyte; D. Litera Annelide Regine.

        • 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 dothhir 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 besinesse250
          • 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 byte270^[ ]
          • 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
        • Conclusion.
        • Than ende I thus, sith I may do no more,^[ ]
        • I yeve hit up for now and ever-more;
        • For I shal never eftputten 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 Anelidaso 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 fela-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.)

        VIII.

        CHAUCERS WORDES UNTO ADAM, HIS OWNE SCRIVEYN.

        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.

        • Adamscriveyn , 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.

        IX.

        THE FORMER AGE.

        From MS. I (= Ii. 3. 21, Camb. Univ. Library); also in Hh (= Hh. 4. 12, Camb. Univ. Library). I note every variation from I.

        • • Ablisful 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 grond15
          • 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 firstdide 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 shete45
          • 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.

        X.

        FORTUNE.

        Balades de visage sanz peinture.

        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).

        • 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 favour5
          • 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

          • 76. InI.only; the rest omit this line.

          • 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.

        XI.

        MERCILES BEAUTE: A TRIPLE ROUNDEL.

        This excellent text is from P. (MS. Pepys 2006, p. 390). I note all variations from the MS.

        • 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 yënYour yëntwo 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 yëntwo 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 ;
          • Sohath yourbeautè 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 beautèfro 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 Loveescaped 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 clene35
          • For ever-mo; [ther] is non other mene.
          • Sin I fro Loveescaped am so fat,
          • I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;
          • Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.39

        Explicit.

        XII.

        TO ROSEMOUNDE. A BALADE.

        From MS. Rawl. Poet. 163, leaf 114.

        No title in the MS.

        Readings.

        • • 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 Tristam 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,
          • Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce .24

        Tregentil. Chaucer.

        XIII.

        TRUTH.

        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.

        • 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.

          22-28. This stanza is inAt.only.

        • 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 especial25
        • 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.

        XIV.

        GENTILESSE.

        Title;so in Harl., but spelt Chaucier; T. has—Balade by Chaucier.

        The MSS. are A. (Ashmole 59); T. (Trin. Coll. R. 3. 20); Harl. (Harl. 7333); Ct. (Cotton, Cleopatra D. 7); Ha. (Harl. 7578); Add. (Additional 22139, Brit. Museum). Also Cx. (Caxton’s printed edition). I follow chiefly the last of these, and note variations.

        • Moral Balade of Chaucer.
        • • Thefirste 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.

        XV.

        LAK OF STEDFASTNESSE.

        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.

        • Balade.
        • • Som tymethis 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.^[ ]

        Title. T. Lenvoye to Kyng Richard; F. Harl. Th. Lenvoy.

        • 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.

        XVI.

        LENVOY DE CHAUCER A SCOGAN.

        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.

        • • 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 throughthy 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 yonge20
          • 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, thoghhis 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 hanno mede;
          • But wel I wot, thouwilt 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 puttehir forth in prees,40
          • But al shal passe that men prose or ryme;
          • Take every man his turn , as for his tyme.

        N.B. All have —.i. a Windesore, and — .i. a Grenewich opposite ll. 43, 45.

        • 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 eft Love defye !49

        XVII.

        LENVOY DE CHAUCER A BUKTON.

        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.

        • 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 wryteof 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 eft 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.

        XVIII.

        THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.

        • I. (The Lover’s worthiness.)

          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. 1. 6. Camb. Univ. Library); Ar. (Arch. Seld. P. 24); P. (Pepys 2006); etc. Th. = Thynne (1532). I follow F. mainly.

        • • 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 stedfastnesse5
          • 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.
          • 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 ,
          • 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 sotelIalousye , the deceyvable,
          • Ful often-tyme causeth destourbing .
          • Thus be we ever in drede and suffering ,45
          • In nouncerteyn we languisshe in penaunce,^[ ]
          • And han ful often many an hardmeschaunce ,
          • 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-day55
          • 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
          • Now love wel, herte , and look thou never stente ;
          • And let the Ielousputte 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 suffyse65
          • That Love so hy a grace to theesente ,
          • 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 ;

          • 72. See l. 56.

          • 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 hathswich scarsitee ,80
          • To folowe word by word the curiositee^[ ]
          • Of Graunson, flour of hem that make in Fraunce.^[ ]
        • 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 recorder5
          • 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.
          • 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 convenable25
          • Que voz grans biens [vous] faciez comparer:
          • Veillier ou lit et jeuner a la table,
          • Rire plourant et en plaignant chanter,
          • 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 raisonnable35
          • 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.
          • 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
          • 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 souffire65
          • 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.

        XIX.

        THE COMPLEINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE.

        The MSS. are: F. (Fairfax 16); Harl (Harl. 7333); Ff. (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. 1. 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.

        • • Toyou , 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!

        XX.

        PROVERBS.

        The MSS. are: F. (Fairfax 16); Ha. (Harl. 7578); Ad. (Addit. 16165). I follow F. mainly.Title;in F. Ha.; Ad. Prouerbe.

        • Proverbe of Chaucer.
        • • I.
          • What shul thiseclothesmany-fold ,
          • Lo ! this hote somers day?—
          • After greet heet cometh cold ;
          • No man caste his pilche away.5
        • • II.
          • Of al this world the wydecompas
          • Hitwol not in myn armes tweyne.—^[ ][ ]
          • Who-so mochel wol embrace
          • Litel therof he shal distreyne.

        APPENDIX.

        [The following Poems are also probably genuine; but are placed here for lack of external evidence.]

        XXI.

        AGAINST WOMEN UNCONSTANT.

        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.

        • 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 havelyves 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 mirournothing 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 chaungingstant 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.

        XXII.

        AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT. (COMPLEINT DAMOURS.)

        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.

        • An amorous Compleint, made at Windsor.
        • • I, which that am the sorwefulleste man^[ ]
          • That in this world was ever yit livinge ,
          • And leestrecoverer of him-selven can,^[ ]
          • Beginne thus my deedly 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.
          • Yehan me cast in thilkespitous 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 welsinge , ‘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, thoughshe shewe no pite unto me,
          • Sithen that she doth othere men the same,60
          • I ne oughte to despyse my ladies game;
          • It is hirpley 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 womanhede65
          • That I now dorste my sharpe sorwes smerte
          • Shewe by worde, thatye wolde ones rede
          • The pleynte of me, the which ful sore drede
          • That I have seidhere , throughmyn 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.

        XXIII.

        A BALADE OF COMPLEYNT.

        In MS. Addit. 16165, fol. 256, back; headed Balade of compleynte.

        • • 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 grave5
          • 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 wyse15
          • 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 .

        [P. 269: l. 145.]The stop at the end should be a comma.

        [P. 278: l. 49.]For aud read and

        [P. 282: l. 145.]For Aud read And

        [P. 313: l. 1069.]For ‘Antilegius,’ a better form would be ‘Antilogus,’ a French form of Antilochus.

        [P. 326: l. 74.]Perhaps ‘let’ should be ‘lete’

        [P. 330: l. 206.]For folke read folk

        [P. 338: l. 91.]For Aud read And

        [P. 340: l. 133.]For the read thee

        [P. 362: l. 76.]The final stop should be a comma.

        [P. 374: ll. 243, 248.]For desteny and ful better forms are destinee and fulle

        [P. 377: l. 328.]For furlong wey read furlong-wey

        [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. gouernowresse; Gl. Gg. gouerneresse.

        [143. ]C. thi wil.

        [144. ]L. crowned; Gg. crounnyd; 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.

        [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. bryȝt; 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.

        [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 saue oonly pite; Tn. Ff. T. Then lene all vertues saue 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. heremus; Sh. vertuouse (!).

        [93. ]F. yow; tendirly.

        [94. ]B. som; F. somme. 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. wo; rest insert my before wo.

        [104. ]F. vnsoghte.

        [105. ]All omit ne; see note.

        [107. ]F. woo.

        [109. ]F. wote. Sh. al-jaughe; 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 different line—Now pitee þat I haue sought so yoore agoo.

        [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. somme.

        [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. Through. 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. vnder-stonde; take.

        [141. ]Tn. B. alle; 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. heire; 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. eiȝe.

        [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. somme. 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. doutermere; 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. ȝit; 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. thought.

        [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. somme. Tn. song; F. songe (it can be singular).

        [305. ]Tn. Som; F. Somme. 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.

        [429, 430. ]B. doys, roys.

        [430. ]Tn. wode; F. woode.

        [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. telle; 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. ȝung; 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. alle (read al-le).

        [579. ]B. alle; 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. telle; 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. pleynyng; 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.

        [666. ]B. I-koude; Th. Tn. Iconde (!); F. y-konde (!); see l. 667.

        [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. ]T. you; Ar. ȝow; Ju. ye; rest om.

        [19. ]F. this fest; rest the leste (lest, leest).

        [22. ]F. highe; 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. skowrginge; Ar. scurgeing; Tn. schouryng (sic); F. stering; Th. scornyng, and ed. 1561 scorning (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. oure-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. Through.

        [82. ]F. (alone) inserts ful before sturdely.

        [83. ]F. bryght.

        [84. ]Ju. Th. knockeden; Harl. knokkide; 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.

        [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. Departen.

        [209. ]F. longe.

        [210. ]Read lov-e (e unelided). F. dovne.

        [213. ]Tn. righte; F. right. F. sauacyoun; 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. luste.

        [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; Ju. 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. Complen (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.

        [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 thouȝte; 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. Scipioun; F. Cipioun; Gg. sothion (!).

        [32. ]F. hyt had vij; Gg. and the rest seuene It hadde.

        [33. ]Ff. therInne; 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 outyn; 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. Than bad he hym 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 sumdel 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. immortalle; 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-ȝeuyn is his weked dede (but dede is plural).

        [84. ]Gg. comyn; 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. folwyn (!).

        [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. Ff. 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. ȝif; 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 Som); rest Som, Some, Somme.

        [193. ]Gg. gunne; F. gunnen; rest gan, cane.

        [194. ]F. Trin. om. al.

        [196. ]Cx. Squerels; F. Squerel; rest Squyrelis (Squyrellis, 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. whille; 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. wolle; 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. daunsedyn; F. daunced.

        [233. ]F. O. om. ther.

        [234. ]F. om. were; rest retain.

        [236. ]Gg. ȝer be ȝeere; 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 welle 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. vicaire; 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 hede).

        [384. ]Gg. ese; F. ease.

        [385. ]Gg. Ff. ȝow; 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. Royalle; 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. entirmetyn; F. entremete.

        [517. ]All but Gg. Cx. ins. hyt (it, yt) bef. doth.

        [518. ]Ff. vncommaundet; 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.

        [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.

        [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.

        [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.

        [54. ]Sh. ins. lo after is.

        [55. ]Sh. ins. lo after fere.

        [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.

        [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 (?).

        [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. eneriche.

        [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 xxii in the MSS. D. olde; Cx. olde; Lt. of olde; Harl. eld; rest of elde.

        [79. ]Tn. mydelle; 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 alle (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. bane.

        [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. shipe; 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. thought.

        [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 alle 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.

        [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. mourdre.

        [292. ]F. vnkyndnesse.

        [293. ]Tn. D. faste; F. fast.

        [296. ]F. avaunt. Tn. B. Lt. bet; F. beter.

        [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.

        [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.

        [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.

        [23. ]I. inserts batails (Hh. batayllys) after No.

        [22. ]I. owt-.

        [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 tyrauntz. 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. kaues. I. Hh. om. 2nd in; which I supply.

        [43. ]I. Sleptin; blyssed; withowte.

        [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.

        [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 shalt 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.

        [77. ]A. F. B. H. And; I. T. That. I. lest; rest list (liste). At end—B. Explicit.

        [1. ]P. Yowre two yen; but read Your yen two; for in ll., 6, 11, 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. ]Your yen, &c.

        [8. ]trouth.

        [9. ]liffe; deth.

        [10. ]deth; trouth.

        [11-13. ]Your yen, &c.

        [14. ]yowre.

        [15. ]nauailleth; pleyn.

        [16. ]danger.

        [17. ]deth.

        [18. ]soth; fayn.

        [19, 20. ]So hath your, &c.

        [21. ]compased.