|
|
Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 3 (House of Fame, Legend of Good Women, Treatise on Astrolabe, Sources of Canterbury Tales)
THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 3 (House of Fame, Legend of Good Women, Treatise on Astrolabe, Sources of Canterbury Tales) [1899]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols.
About Liberty Fund:Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals. Copyright information:The text is in the public domain.
Fair use statement:
This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit.
THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN.
The Prologue to this Poem exists in two different versions, which differ widely from each other in many passages. The arrangement of the material is also different. For the sake of clearness, the earlier version is here called ‘Text A,’ and the later version ‘Text B.’ ‘Text A’ exists in one MS. only, but this MS. is of early date and much importance. It is the MS. marked Gg. 4. 27 in the Cambridge University Library, and is here denoted by the letter ‘C.’ It is the same MS. as that denoted by the abbreviation ‘Cm.’ in the footnotes to the Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. This text is printed in the upper part of the following pages. The footnotes give the MS. spellings, where these are amended in the text. ‘Text B’ occupies the lower part of the following pages. It follows the Fairfax MS. mainly, which is denoted by ‘F.’ In many places, the inferior spellings of this MS. are relegated to the footnotes, amended spellings being given in the text. Various readings are given from Tn. (Tanner MS. 346); T. (Trinity MS., R. 3. 19); A. (Arch. Seld. B. 24 in the Bodleian Library); Th. (Thynne’s Edition, 1532); B. (Bodley MS. 638); P. (Pepys MS. 2006); and sometimes from C. (already mentioned) or Add. (Addit. 9832). Lines which occur in one text only are marked (in either text) by a prefixed asterisk. Lines marked with a dagger (†) stand just the same in both texts. The blank space after A 60 (p. 70) shews that there is nothing in Text A corresponding to B 69-72. Where the corresponding matter is transposed to another place, one or other text has a portion printed in smaller type. The prologe of .ix. goode Wimmen.
-
- A have I herd men telle,
- †That is Ioye in heven, and peyne in helle;[ ]
- And I acorde wel that be so;
- But natheles, this I wel also,
- That ther nis that in this ,5
- That either hath in helle or y-be,
- †Ne may of hit non other weyes witen,
- †But as he hath herd seyd, or founde hit writen;
- †For by assay ther may no man hit preve.
- But forbode, but men leve10
- †Wel more thing then men han seen with yë!
- †Men shal nat wenen every-thing a lyë
- For that he it nat of yore ago.
- God wot, a thing is the lesse so
- †Thogh every wight ne may hit nat y-see.15
- †Bernard the monk ne saugh nat al, parde!
-
- †Than mote we to bokes that we finde,
- †Through which that olde thinges been in minde,
- †And to the doctrine of these olde wyse,
- †Yeven credence, in every skilful wyse,20
- And on these olde
- †Of holinesse, of regnes, of victories,
- †Of love, of hate, of other sundry thinges,
- †Of whiche I may not maken rehersinges.
- †And if that olde bokes were a-weye,25
- †Y-loren were of remembraunce the keye.
- Wel us on olde leve,
- Ther-as is non by preve.
-
- And, as for me, that wit be lyte,
- †On for to rede I me delyte,30
- †And in myn herte have hem in reverence;
- And to hem yeve swich lust and swich credence,
- That ther is wel game noon
- That from my make me to goon,
- But hit be other up-on the haly-day,35
- Or elles in the Ioly tyme of May;
- Whan that I here the smale foules singe,
- †And that the floures ginne for to springe,
- Farwel my , as that sesoun!
-
- Now have I therto this condicioun40
- †That, of alle the floures in the mede,
- †Than love I most these floures whyte and rede,
- †Swiche as men callen daysies in our toun.
- †To hem have I so greet affeccioun,
- †As I seyde erst, whan comen is the May,45
- †That in my bed ther daweth me no day
- †That I nam up, and walking in the mede
- To seen these the ,
- Whan hit up-riseth by the morwe ,
- *The longe day, thus in the grene.50
-
-
From A. 55-58.
This dayesye, of alle floures flour,
(B. 53)
- Fulfild of vertu and of alle honour,
- †And ever y-lyke fair and fresh of hewe,
- As wel in winter as in somer newe—
-
- And whan the for to weste,
(B. 61)
- Than closeth hit, and to reste.
- So sore is of the night,
- *Til on the morwe, that is light.
- This dayesye, of alle flour,55
- Fulfild of vertu and of alle honour,
- †And ever y-lyke fair and of hewe,
- As wel in as in newe,
- Fain wolde I , if I coude ;
(B. 67)
- *But wo is me, hit lyth nat in might!60
-
- For wel I wot, that folk han her-beforn
(B. 73)
- †Of , and lad a-wey the corn;
- † here and there,
- †And am ful glad if I may finde an
- Of goodly word that they han .65
- And, if hit happe me eft
- That they han in sayd,
- I hope that they nat ben ,
- hit is seid in forthering and honour
- Of hem that or flour.70
- For wel, I ne have nat
- As of the the flour, to make;
- Ne of the flour to make, ageyn the ,
- †No more than of the corn the .
- For, as to me, is ne ;75
- I am yit with never .
- I not , ne who the flour;
- That nis nothing the entent of my labour.
- For this werk is al of another tunne,
- Of story, er swich stryf was begunne.80
- †But that I spak, to yeve credence
(B. 97)
- To olde and hem reverence,
- Is for men beleve,
- as ther lyth non by preve.
- *For myn entent is, or I fro yow fare,85
- *The in to declare
- *Of a story, or of many a geste,
- *As seyn; leveth hem if yow leste!
-
- Whan passed was almost the of May,
(B. 108)
89
- And I romed, al the day,90
- *The grene , of which that I yow tolde,
- Upon the to beholde,
- And that the sonne out of the gan weste,
- And was the flour and goon to reste
- For of the , of which ,95
- †Hoom to myn hous ful swiftly I me ;
- †And, in a erber that I have,
- newe with ,
- †I bad men me my couche make;
- †For deyntee of the newe sake,100
- †I bad hem strowe on my bed.
- †Whan I was layd, and myn eyen ,
- I fel a-slepe an or two.
- Me mette how I was in the tho,
- *And that I in that same gyse,105
- To that flour, as ye han herd devyse.
- *Fair was this , as thoughte me overal;
- With was it al;
- As for to speke of gomme, or erbe, or tree,
- †Comparisoun may be.110
- For hit pleynly alle ,
- †And eek of riche alle .
- † the erthe his pore estat
- †Of , that him made and mat,
- And with his swerd of cold so sore .115
- Now sonne al that ,
- And him in grene al newe .
- †The smale foules, of the seson fayn,
- †That from the panter and the net ben scaped,
- †Upon the fouler, that hem made a-whaped120
- †In winter, and distroyed had hir brood,
- †In his despyt, hem thoughte hit did hem good
- †To singe of him, and in hir song despyse
- †The foule cherl that, for his covetyse,
- †Had hem betrayed with his sophistrye.125
- †This was hir song—‘the fouler we defye!’
- Somme songen [ ] on the braunches clere
(B. 139)
- Of love and [ ], that Ioye hit was to here,
- In and in preysing of make,
- And of the newe blisful sake,130
-
- That be seynt !
(B. 145)
- [ ] at his day I yow to be myn,
- †With-oute , myn herte swete!’
- †And therwith-al mete.
- ,135
- And after observaunces
- Right [ ] un-to love and to ;
- *So ech of hem [ ] to .
- *This song to I al myn ,
- *For-why I mette I wiste what they .140
-
-
From A. 90.
And I had romed, al the someres day,
(B. 180)
-
-
From A. 92.
Up-on the fresshe daysy to beholde.
(B. 182)
-
-
From A. 71-74.
For trusteth wel, I ne have nat undertake
(B. 188)
- As of the leef, ageyn the flour, to make;
- Ne of the flour to make, ageyn the leef,
- †No more than of the corn ageyn the sheef.
-
-
From A. 75-80.
For, as to me, is leefer noon ne lother;75
- I am with-holde yit with never nother.
- I not who serveth leef, ne who the flour;
- That nis nothing the entent of my labour.
- For this werk is al of another tunne,
- Of olde story, er swich stryf was begunne.80
-
-
From A. 93-96.
And that the sonne out of the south gan weste,
- And closed was the flour and goon to reste
- For derknesse of the night, of which she dredde,
- †Hoom to myn hous ful swiftly I me spedde
-
-
From A. 106.
To seen that flour, as ye han herd devyse.
-
-
From A. 97-104.
†And, in a litel erber that I have,
- Y-benched newe with turves fresshe y-grave,
- †I bad men shulde me my couche make;
- †For deyntee of the newe someres sake,100
- †I bad hem strowe floures on my bed.
- †Whan I was layd, and had myn eyen hed,
- I fel a-slepe within an houre or two.
- Me mette how I was in the medew tho,
- *Til at the laste a larke song above:141
- *‘I see,’ quod she, ‘the mighty god of love!
- *Lo! yond he , I see sprede!’
-
-
From A. 106.
To seen that flour, as ye han herd devyse,
-
- Tho gan I endelong the mede,
(B. 212)
- And saw him come, and in his hond a quene,145
- in ryal abite al of grene.
- †A of she hadde next ,
- †And up-on that a whyt
- With , and I shal nat lye;
- For al the world, right as the 150
- † is with whyte lyte,
- Swich were the of hir whyte.
- For of o perle fyn and oriental
- †Hir whyte coroun was y-maked al;
- †For which the whyte coroun, above the grene.155
- †Made hir lyk a daysie for to sene,
- Considered eek the fret of gold above.
-
- †Y-clothed was this mighty god of love
- Of silk, ful of greves;
- A garlond on his of rose-160
- * al with newe;
- *But of his face I can nat seyn the hewe.
- For sekirly his face so ,
- *That with the was the ;
- A furlong-wey I him beholde.165
- But at the laste in hande I saw him holde
- † , as the rede;
- And aungellich gan he sprede.
- †And al be that men seyn that blind is he,
- Al-gate me thoughte he mighte wel y-see;170
- †For sternely on me he gan biholde,
- †So that his loking doth myn herte colde.
- †And by the hande he held the noble quene,
- †Corouned with whyte, and clothed al in grene,
- †So womanly, so benigne, and so meke,175
- †That in this world, thogh that men wolde seke,
- †Half hir beautee shulde men nat finde
- †In creature that formed is by kinde,
- Hir name was Alceste ;
- I to god that falle she fayre!180
- †For ne hadde confort been of hir presence,
- †I had be deed, withouten any defence,
- †For drede of Loves wordes and his chere,
- †As, whan tyme is, her-after ye shal here.
- Byhind this god of love, up-on this grene,185
- †I saw cominge of ladyës
- †In ryal abite, a ful esy pas,
- †And after hem com of wemen swich a tras
- That, sin that god Adam made of erthe,
- The thredde part of wemen, ne the ferthe,190
- †Ne wende I nat by possibilitee
- in this world y-be;
(B. 289)
- †And trewe of love thise wemen were echoon.
-
- †Now whether was that a wonder thing or noon,
- †That, right anoon as that they gonne espye195
- †This flour, which that I clepe the dayesye,
- †Ful sodeinly they stinten alle at-ones,
- And kneled adoun, as it were for the nones.
- *And that they in compas,
- *Daunsinge aboute this flour an esy pas,200
- *And , as it were in carole-wyse,
- *This balade, that I yow devyse.
- Balade.
-
- †Hyd, Absolon, thy gilte tresses clere;
- †Ester, ley thou thy meknesse al a-doun;
- †Hyd, Ionathas, al thy frendly manere;205
- † , and Marcia Catoun,
- †Mak of your wyfhod no comparisoun;
- †Hyde ye your beautes, Isoude and Eleyne,
- Alceste is here, that al that may .
-
- †Thy faire body, lat hit nat appere,210
- †Lavyne; and thou, Lucresse of Rome toun,
- †And Polixene, that boghte love so dere,
- Eek Cleopatre, with al thy passioun,
- Hyde ye your trouthe in love and your renoun;
- And thou, Tisbe, that hast for love swich peyne:215
- Alceste is here, that al that may desteyne.
-
- Herro, Dido, Laudomia, alle in-fere,
- Eek Phyllis, hanging for thy Demophoun,
- †And Canace, espyed by thy chere,
- Ysiphile, betrayed with Jasoun,220
- Mak of trouthe in love no bost ne soun;
- Nor Ypermistre or Adriane, ne pleyne;
- Alceste is here, that al that may desteyne.
-
- Whan that this balade al was,
(B. 270)
-
-
From A. 179-198.
Hir name was Alceste ;
- I prey to god that ever falle she fayre!180
- †For ne hadde confort been of hir presence,
- †I had be deed, withouten any defence,
- †For drede of Loves wordes and his chere,
- †As, whan tyme is, her-after ye shal here.
- this god of love, up-on this grene,185
- †I saw cominge of
- †In ryal abite, a ful esy pas,
- †And after hem com of wemen swich a tras,
- That, sin that god Adam made of erthe,
- The thredde part of wemen, ne the ferthe,190
- †Ne wende I nat by possibilitee
- ever in this world y-be.
- †And trewe of love these wemen were echoon.
- †Now whether was that a wonder thing or noon,
- †That, right anon as that they gonne espye195
- †This flour, that I clepe the ,
- †Ful sodeinly they alle ,
- And adoun, as it were for the .
- *Upon the softe and grene gras225
- †They hem ful softely adoun,
(B. 301)
- By alle in , alle .
- First sat the god of love, and this quene
- †With the whyte coroun, clad in grene;
- †And sithen al the remenant by and by,230
- As they were of , ful curteisly;
- †Ne nat a word was spoken in the place
- †The mountance of a furlong-wey of space.
-
- I, faste by a bente,
- †Abood, to knowen what this peple mente,235
- †As stille as any stoon; til at the laste,
- The god of love on me his eye caste,
- And seyde, ‘ resteth ther?’ and I answerde
- Un-to his , whan that I him herde,
- †And seyde, ‘sir, hit am I’; and cam him neer,240
- †And salued him. Quod he, ‘what dostow heer
- In my presence, and that so boldely?
- †For it were worthy, trewely,
- A werm to in my than thou.’
- †‘And why, sir,’ quod I, ‘and hit lyke yow?’245
- †‘For thou,’ quod he, ‘art ther-to nothing able.
- * servaunts alle wyse and honourable.
- Thou art mortal fo, and me warreyest,
(B. 322)
- †And of myne olde servaunts thou ,
- †And hinderest hem with thy translacioun,250
- And folk to han devocioun
- †To me, and hit folye
- To troste on me. Thou mayst hit nat denye;
- For in pleyn , hit nedeth nat to glose,
- †Thou hast translated the Romauns of the Rose,255
- †That is an heresye ageyns my lawe,
- †And makest wyse folk fro me withdrawe.
- *And thinkest in wit, that is ful
- *That he nis but a verray propre
- *That , to harde and hote.260
- *Wel wot I ther-by thou beginnest dote
- *As olde , whan hir ;
- *Than blame they folk, and nat what hem .
- *Hast thou nat mad in eek the
- How that Crisseyde Troilus ,
(B. 332)
265
- In shewinge how that wemen han don mis?
- * natheles, answere me now to this,
- *Why thou as wel han seyd
- *Of wemen, as thou hast seyd ?
- *Was ther no good in minde,270
- *Ne in alle thou nat finde
- *Sum story of wemen that were goode and trewe?
- *Yis! god wot, sixty olde and newe
- *Hast thou , alle fulle of grete,
- *That bothe and trete275
- *Of wemen, lyf that they ,
- *And an ageyn badde.
- *This god, and alle ,
- *That for to .
- *What seith Valerie, Titus, or Claudian?280
- *What seith Ierome ageyns Iovinian?
- *How clene , and how trewe ,
- *How ,
- * Jerome; and that nat of a fewe,
- *But, I dar seyn, an on a rewe;285
- *That hit is for to rede, and routhe,
- *The wo that they for trouthe.
- For to hir love were they so trewe,
(B. 334)
- *That, than they take a newe,
- *They to be in wyse,290
- *And , as the story devyse;
- *And some were brend, and some were cut the hals,
- *And some , for nat be fals.
- *For alle ,
- *Or , or hir widwehed.295
- *And this thing was nat kept for holinesse,
- *But al for verray vertu and clennesse,
- *And for men shulde sette on hem no lak;
- *And yit they , al the pak,
- *That were so sore adrad of alle shame.300
- *These olde wemen kepte so hir name,
- *That in this world I men nat finde
- *A man that coude be so and kinde,
- *As was the leste woman in that tyde.
- *What seith also the of Ovyde305
- *Of trewe , and of hir labour?
- *What Vincent, in his Mirour?
- *Eek al world of maystow here,
- * and , trete of swich matere;
- *It nat alday thus for .310
- *But yit I , what to wryte
- *The draf of , and the corn?
- seint Venus, of whom that I was born,
(B. 338)
- thou lay,
(B. 336)
- As othere olde many a day,
(B. 337)
315
- Thou shalt repente hit, hit shal be sene!’
-
- spak Alceste, the quene,
- †And seyde, ‘god, right of your curtesye,
- †Ye moten herknen if he can replye
- Ageyns these that ye han to him ;320
- †A god ne sholde nat be thus agreved,
- †But of his he shal be stable,
- And therto rightful and merciable.
- *He shal nat rightfully his yre wreke
- *Or he have herd the party speke.325
- *Al ne is nat gospel that is to yow pleyned;
- *The god of love a tale .
-
-
From A. 338, 339.
This man to yow may wrongly been accused,
- †Ther as by right him oghte been excused;
-
- †For in your court is many a ,
- †And many a queynte accusour,
- That in eres a thing330
- For hate, or for Ielous imagining,
- And for to han with yow daliaunce.
- Envye (I to god yeve hir mischaunce!)
- Is lavender in the grete court alway.
- † she ne , neither ne day,335
- †Out of the hous of Cesar; thus seith Dante;
- Who-so that goth, alwey she moot wante.
- This man to yow may wrongly ,
- † as by right him .
- Or elles, , for that this man is nyce,340
- He may translate a thing in no malyce,
- But for he for to make,
- And non of what matere he take;
- *Therfor he wroot the Rose and Crisseyde
- *Of innocence, and niste what he seyde;345
- †Or him was boden make thilke tweye
- †Of som persone, and durste hit nat with-seye;
- *For he hath a book er this.
- †He ne hath nat doon so grevously amis
- †To translaten that olde clerkes wryten,350
- †As thogh that he of malice wolde endyten
- Despyt of love, and hadde him-self y-wroght.
- †This shulde a rightwys lord han in his thoght,
- †And nat be lyk tiraunts of Lumbardye,
- That wilfulhed and tirannye,355
- †For he that king or lord is naturel,
- †Him nat be tiraunt ne cruel,
- †As is a fermour, to the harm he can.
- †He thinke hit is his lige man,
- *And that him duetee,360
- * his peple pleyn
- *And wel to excusaciouns,
- *And and peticiouns,
- *In duewe tyme, whan they shal hit profre.
- †This is the sentence of the philosophre:
(B. 381)
365
- †A king to kepe his liges in Iustyce;
- † doute, that is his offyce.
- *And therto is a king ful depe y-sworn,
- *Ful an -biforn;
- And for to kepe his hir degree,370
- †As hit is right and skilful that they be
- † honoured, and most dere—
- †For they ben half- in this world here—
- This shal he , bothe to pore [ ] riche,
- Al be that here stat be nat a-liche,375
- †And han of pore folk compassioun.
- †For lo, the gentil kind of the lioun!
- †For whan a flye offendeth him or byteth,
- †He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth
- †Al esily; for, of his genterye,380
- †Him deyneth nat to wreke him on a flye,
- †As doth a curre or elles another beste.
- †In noble corage oghte been areste,
- †And weyen every thing by equitee,
- †And ever han reward to his owen degree.385
- †For, sir, hit is no maystrie for a lord
- To dampne a man with-oute answere or word;
- †And, for a lord, that is foul to use.
- †And if so be he may him nat ,
- axeth mercy with a sorweful herte,390
- †And profreth him, right in his bare sherte,
- †To been right at your owne Iugement,
- †Than oghte a god, by short avysement,
- †Considre his owne honour and his trespas.
- †For sith no cause of deeth lyth in this cas,395
- †Yow oghte been the lighter merciable;
- †Leteth yre, and beth somwhat tretable!
- †The man hath served yow of his conning,
- And forthered lawe with his making.
- *Whyl he was yong, he kepte estat;400
- *I not he be now a .
- But wel I wot, with that he can endyte,
- He hath delyte
- †To serve you, in preysing of your name.
- †He made the book that hight the Hous of Fame,405
- †And eek the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse,
- †And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse,
- †And al the love of Palamon and Arcyte
- †Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte;
- †And many an ympne for your halydayes,410
- †That highten Balades, Roundels, Virelayes;
- And for to speke of besinesse,
- †He hath in prose Boëce;
- *And of the of Mankinde,
- *As man may in pope Innocent y-finde;415
- †And mad the Lyf also of seynt Cecyle;
(B. 426)
- †He made also, goon sithen a greet whyl,
- †Origenes upon the Maudeleyne;
- †Him oghte now to have the lesse peyne;
- †He hath mad many a lay and many a thing.420
-
- †‘Now as ye been a god, and eek a king,
- †I, your Alceste, whylom quene of Trace,
- †I axe yow this man, right of your grace,
- †That ye him never hurte in al his lyve;
- †And he shal sweren yow, and that as blyve,425
- †He shal no more agilten in this wyse;
- †But he shal maken, as ye wil devyse,
- †Of wemen trewe in lovinge al hir lyve,
- †Wher-so ye wil, of maiden or of wyve,
- †And forthren yow, as muche as he misseyde430
- †Or in the Rose or elles in Crisseyde.’
-
- †The god of love answerde hir thus anoon,
- †‘Madame,’ quod he, ‘hit is so long agoon
- †That I yow knew so charitable and trewe,
- †That never yit, sith that the world was newe,435
- †To me ne fond than ye.
- That, if that I save degree,
- †I may ne nat warne your requeste;
- Al lyth in yow, doth with him what yow leste
- †And al foryeve, with-outen lenger space;440
- †For who-so yeveth a yift, or doth a grace,
- †Do hit by tyme, his thank is wel the more;
- †And demeth ye what he shal do therfore.
- †Go thanke now my lady heer,’ quod he.
-
- †I roos, and doun I sette me on my knee,445
- †And seyde thus: ‘Madame, the god above
- †Foryelde yow, that ye the god of love
- †Han maked me his wrathe to foryive;
- †And yeve me grace so long for to live,
- †That I may knowe soothly what ye be450
- That han me holpen, and put in swich degree.
- †But trewely I wende, as in this cas,
- †Naught have agilt, ne doon to love trespas.
- †Forwhy a trewe man, with-outen drede,
- †Hath nat to parten with a theves dede;455
- †Ne a trewe lover me nat blame,
- †Thogh that I speke a fals lover som shame.
- †They oghte rather with me for to holde,
- †For that I of Creseyde wroot or tolde,
- †Or of the Rose; what-so myn auctour mente,460
- †Algate, god wot, hit was myn entente
- †To forthren trouthe in love and hit cheryce;
- †And to be war fro falsnesse and fro vyce
- †By swich ensample; this was my meninge.’
-
- †And she answerde, ‘lat be thyn arguinge;465
- †For Love ne wol nat countrepleted be
- In right ne wrong; and lerne this at me!
- †Thou hast thy grace, and hold thee right ther-to.
- †Now wol I seyn what penance thou shalt do
- †For thy trespas, and understond hit here:470
- †Thou shalt, whyl that thou livest, yeer by yere,
- The moste party of thy lyve spende
- †In making of a glorious Legende
- †Of Gode Wemen, maidenes and wyves,
- †That were trewe in lovinge al hir lyves;475
- †And telle of false men that hem bitrayen,
- †That al hir lyf ne doon nat but assayen
- †How many wemen they may doon a shame;
- For in your world that is now holden game.
- And thogh thee lesteth nat a lover be,480
- †Spek wel of love; this penance yeve I thee.
- †And to the god of love I shal so preye,
- †That he shal charge his servants, by any weye,
- †To forthren thee, and wel thy labour quyte;
- Go now thy wey, thy penance is but lyte.’
(B. 495)
485
-
- †The god of love gan smyle, and than he seyde,
- †‘Wostow,’ quod he, ‘wher this be wyf or mayde,
- †Or quene, or countesse, or of what degree,
- †That hath so litel penance yeven thee,
- †That hast deserved sorer for to smerte?490
- †But pitee renneth sone in gentil herte;
- †That mayst thou seen, she kytheth what she is.’
- †And I answerde, ‘nay, sir, so have I blis,
- †No more but that I see wel she is good.’
-
- †‘That is a trewe tale, by myn hood,’495
- †Quod Love, ‘and that thou knowest wel, pardee,
- †If hit be so that thou avyse thee.
- †Hastow nat in a book, lyth in thy cheste,
- †The grete goodnesse of the quene Alceste,
- †That turned was into a dayesye:500
- †She that for hir husbonde chees to dye,
- †And eek to goon to helle, rather than he,
- †And Ercules rescued hir, pardee,
- †And broghte hir out of helle agayn to blis?’
-
- †And I answerde ageyn, and seyde, ‘yis,505
- †Now knowe I hir! And is this good Alceste,
- †The dayesye, and myn owne ?
- †Now fele I wel the goodnesse of this wyf,
- †That bothe after hir deeth, and in hir lyf,
- †Hir grete bountee doubleth hir renoun!510
- †Wel hath she quit me myn affeccioun
- †That I have to hir flour, the dayesye!
- †No wonder is thogh Iove hir stellifye,
- †As telleth Agaton, for hir goodnesse!
- †Hir whyte coroun berth of hit witnesse;515
- †For also many vertues hadde she,
- †As smale floures in hir coroun be.
- † remembraunce of hir and in honour,
- †Cibella made the dayesy and the flour
- †Y-coroned al with whyt, as men may see;520
- †And Mars yaf to hir coroun reed, pardee,
- †In stede of rubies, set among the whyte.’
-
- †Therwith this quene wex reed for shame a lyte,
- †Whan she was preysed so in hir presence.
- †Than seyde Love, ‘a ful gret negligence525
- Was hit to thee, to write
- *Of women, goodnesse
- *By , and by -biforn;
- *Let be the chaf, and wryt wel of the corn.
- *Why thou han of Alceste,530
- *And Criseide a-slepe and reste?
- *For of Alceste shulde be,
- Sin that thou that is she
(B. 542).
- Of goodnesse, for she taughte of fyn lovinge,
- †And namely of wyfhood the livinge,535
- †And alle the boundes that she oghte kepe;
- †Thy litel wit was thilke tyme a-slepe.
- †But now I charge thee, upon thy lyf,
- †That in thy Legend thou make of this wyf,
- Whan thou hast othere smale mad before;540
- †And fare now wel, I charge thee no more.
(B. 551).
-
- †At Cleopatre I wol that thou beginne;
(B. 566).
- †And so forth; and my love so shalt thou winne.’
-
- And with that word of I gan a-awake,
(B. 578).
- †And right thus on gan I make.545
Explicit prohemium.
The prologe of .ix. goode Wimmen.
-
- A thousand tymes men telle,
- † ther is Ioye in heven, and peyne in helle;
- And I acorde wel that hit is so;
- But natheles, yit wot I wel also,
- That ther noon dwelling in this contree,5
- That either hath in heven or y-be,
- †Ne may of hit non other weyes witen,
- †But as he hath herd , or founde hit writen;
- †For by assay ther may no man hit preve.[ ]
- But god forbede but men shulde leve10
- †Wel more thing then men han seen with yë!
- †Men shal nat wenen every-thing a lyë
- But-if hit seeth, or elles ;[ ]
- For, god wot, thing is never the lasse ,
- †Thogh every wight ne may hit nat y-see.15
- †Bernard the ne saugh nat , parde![ ]
-
- †Than mote we to bokes that we finde,
- †Through which that olde thinges in minde ,
- †And to the doctrine of these olde wyse,
- † credence, in every skilful wyse,20
- That tellen of these olde appreved stories,
- †Of holinesse, of regnes, of victories,
- †Of love, of hate, of other thinges,
- †Of whiche I may not maken rehersinges.
- †And if that olde bokes were 25[ ]
- † were of remembraunce the [ ]
- Wel us honouren and beleve
- These bokes, we han other preve.[ ]
-
- And as for me, that I but lyte,[ ]
- †On bokes for to rede I me delyte,30
- And to hem I feyth and ful credence,
- †And in myn herte have hem in reverence
- So , that ther is game noon
- That fro my bokes maketh me to goon,
- But hit be seldom, on the holyday;35
- Save, certeynly, whan that the of May[ ]
- Is comen, and that I here the foules singe,
- †And that the floures ginnen for to springe,
- my and my devocioun!
-
- Now have I condicioun ,40
- †That, of the floures in the mede,[ ]
- † love I most these floures whyte and rede,
- † as men callen daysies in toun.
- †To hem have I so affeccioun,
- †As I seyde erst, comen is the May,45
- †That in my bed ther daweth me no day
- †That I nam up, and walking in the mede
- To seen this the sonne ,
- Whan hit erly by the morwe ;
- *That blisful softneth al my sorwe,[ ]50
- *So glad am I whan that I have presence
- *Of hit , to doon reverence,
- As she, that is of floures flour,[ ]
- Fulfilled of al and honour,
- †And ever y-lyke , and of hewe;55
- And I love hit , and ever y-lyke newe,
- *And ever shal, til that myn dye;[ ]
- *Al swere I nat, of this I wol nat lye,
- *Ther loved no wight hotter in his lyve.
-
- *And whan that hit is eve, I renne blyve,60
- As sone as the sonne ginneth weste ,
- To seen this flour, how it wol go to reste,
- For fere of night, so hateth she derknesse!
-
-
From B. 53-56.
As she, that is of alle floures flour,
- Fulfilled of al vertu and honour,
- †And ever y-lyke fair, and fresh of hewe;
- And I love hit, and ever y-lyke newe.
-
- * chere is pleynly sprad in the brightnesse
- *Of the sonne, for ther hit wol unclose.[ ]65
- *Allas! that I ne had , ryme or prose,
- Suffisant this flour to preyse aright![ ]
- *But helpeth, ye that han [ ]
- *Ye lovers, that can make of ;
- *In this ye be diligent70
- *To forthren me somwhat in my labour,
- * ye ben with the leef or with the flour.[ ]
- For wel I wot, that ye han
- †Of ropen , and lad awey the ;
- †And I come after, glening here and there,75
- †And am ful glad if I may finde an ere
- Of any goodly word that ye han left.
- And thogh it happen me rehercen eft
- That ye han in your songes ,
- For-bereth me, and beth nat ,[ ]80
- Sin that ye see I do hit in the honour
- Of love, and in service of the flour,
-
-
From B. 188-196.
But natheles, ne wene nat that I make
- In preysing of the flour agayn the leef,
- †No more than of the corn agayn the sheef.
- For as to me, nis lever noon ne lother;
- I nam with-holden yit with never nother.
- Ne I not who serveth leef, ne who the flour;
- Wel brouken they hir service or labour.
- For this thing is al of another tonne,
- Of olde story, er swich thing was begonne.
-
- *Whom that I serve as I have or might.
- *She is the and the verray light,
- *That in this derke worlde me wynt and ,85
- *The in-with my brest yow ,
- *And loveth so sore, that ye ben verrayly
- *The maistresse of my , and .[ ]
- *My , my , is knit so in your ,
- *That , as an harpe obeyeth to the 90
- *And maketh hit soune after his fingeringe,
- *Right so mowe ye of myn bringe
- *Swich vois, right as yow list , to laughe or .
- *Be ye my gyde and lady ;
- *As to myn god, to yow I calle,95
- *Bothe in this werke and sorwes alle.
- †But that I , to give credence[ ]
- To olde stories, and doon hem reverence,
- And that men mosten more thing beleve
- Then may seen at or elles preve?100
- *That shal I seyn, that I see my tyme;
- *I may not speke in ryme.
- *My besy gost , that alwey newe
- *To seen this flour so yong, so of hewe,
- *Constreyned me with so desyr,[ ]105
- *That in my herte I ,
- *That made me to ryse er hit wer day—
- And was now the firste morwe of May—[ ]
- *With dredful and glad devocioun,
- *For to ben at the resureccioun110
- *Of this flour, whan it shuld unclose
- * the sonne, that roos as as rose,[ ]
- *That in the brest was of the beste that day,
- *That Agenores ladde away.
- *And doun on I me sette,115
- *And, as I , this flour I grette;
- *Kneling alwey, til hit unclosed was,
- *Upon the softe swote gras,[ ]
-
-
From B. 180, 182.
The longe day I shoop me for to abyde . . .
- But for to loke upon the dayesye.
-
-
From B. 197-200.
Whan that the sonne out of the south gan weste,
- And that this flour gan close and goon to reste
- For derknesse of the night, the which she dredde,
- †Hoom to myn hous ful swiftly I me spedde;
-
-
From B. 203-210.
†And, in a litel herber that I have,
- That benched was on turves fresshe y-grave,
- †I bad men sholde me my couche make;
- †For deyntee of the newe someres sake,
- †I bad hem strawen floures on my bed.
- †Whan I was leyd, and had my eyen hed,
- I fel on slepe in-with an houre or two;
- Me mette how I lay in the medew tho,
-
-
From B. 211.
To seen this flour, that I so love and drede,
-
- That was with floures swote enbrouded al,
- *Of swich and swich odour over-al,120
- That, for to speke of gomme, or herbe, or tree,
- †Comparisoun may noon y-maked be;
- For hit surmounteth pleynly alle odoures,
- †And of riche floures.
- †Forgeten had the erthe his pore [ ]125
- †Of , that him naked made and ,[ ]
- And with his swerd of so sore greved;
- Now hath sonne that releved[ ]
- That naked was, and clad hit new agayn.
- †The smale foules, of the seson fayn,[ ]130
- †That the panter and the ben scaped,
- †Upon the , that hem made a-whaped
- †In winter, and distroyed hir ,
- †In his , hem thoughte hit did hem
- †To singe of him, and in hir despyse135
- †The foule that, for his covetyse,
- †Had hem betrayed with his sophistrye.
- †This was song—‘the we defye,
- And al his !’ And somme songen clere
- Layes of love, that Ioye hit was to here,140
- In worshipinge and of hir make.
- And, for the newe blisful somers sake,
- *Upon the braunches ful of blosmes softe,
- *In delyt, they turned hem ful ofte,
- And songen, ‘blessed be seynt Valentyn![ ]145
- For on his day I yow to be myn,[ ]
- †Withouten repenting, myn swete!’
- †And therwith bekes gonnen mete,
- Yelding honour and humble obeisaunces
- To love, and diden observaunces150
- That longeth love and to nature;
- *Construeth that as yow list, I do no cure.
-
- *And that hadde doon —
- *As the tydif , for new-fangelnesse—
- *Besoghte mercy of hir trespassinge,155
- *And hir repentinge,
- *And sworen on the blosmes to be trewe,
- *So that makes wolde upon hem rewe,[ ]
- *And at the laste maden acord.
- *Al founde they Daunger for a tyme a lord,160
- *Yet Pitee, his stronge gentil might,
- *Forgaf, and Mercy passen Right,
- * innocence and ruled curtesye.[ ]
- *But I ne innocence folye,
- *Ne fals pitee, for ‘ is the mene,’165
- *As saith, in swich maner I mene.[ ]
- *And thus thise , voide of al malyce,
- *Acordeden to love, and laften vyce
- *Of hate, and alle of oon ,
- *‘Welcome, somer, governour and !’[ ]170
-
- *And and Flora gentilly[ ]
- *Yaf to the floures, softe and tenderly,
- * breth, and made hem for to sprede,
- *As god and goddesse of the floury mede;
- *In me I , day by day,175
- * alwey, the Ioly of May,
- *Withouten , withouten mete or drinke.
- * ful softely I gan to sinke;
- *And, leninge on myn elbowe and my syde,
- The longe day I me for to 180
- *For nothing , and I shal nat lye,
- But for to loke upon the ,
- *That by reson hit calle may
- *The ‘ ’ or elles the ‘ye of day,’[ ]
- *The emperice and of alle.185
- *I pray to god that faire she falle,
- *And alle that loven floures, for hir sake!
- But natheles, ne wene nat that I make
- In preysing of the flour agayn the leef,
- †No more than of the agayn the sheef:190
- For, as to me, nis lever noon ne lother;
- I nam with-holden yit with never .
- Ne I not who serveth leef, ne who the flour;
- Wel they service or labour;
- For this thing is al of another tonne,195
- Of olde , er was be-gonne.[ ]
-
- Whan that the sonne out of the south gan ,
- And that this gan close and goon to
- For derknesse of the night, the which she ,
- †Hoom to myn hous ful swiftly I me 200
- *To goon reste, and erly for ryse,
- To seen this flour to sprede, as I devyse.
- †And, in a litel herber that I have,
- That benched was on turves fresshe y-grave,
- †I bad men sholde me my couche make;205
- †For deyntee of the newe someres sake,
- †I bad hem strawen floures on my bed.
- †Whan I was , and had myn eyen hed ,
- I fel on slepe in-with an houre or ;
- Me mette how I lay in the tho,210
-
- To seen this flour that I and drede.
- And from a-fer walking in the mede
- The god of love , and in his hande a ;
- And she was clad in real grene.
- †A fret of gold she next hir heer,215
- †And upon that a she beer
- With smale , and I shal nat lye;
- For al the , ryght as a
- †Y-corouned is with whyte leves lyte,
- So were the florouns of hir whyte;220
- For of o perle fyne, oriental ,
- † whyte was y-maked al;
- †For which the whyte coroun, above the grene,
- †Made a daysie for to sene,
- Considered hir fret of above.225
-
- †Y-clothed was this mighty god of love
- In silke, enbrouded ful of grene greves,[ ]
- In-with a fret of rede rose-leves,
- *The fresshest sin the was first bigonne.
- *His was corouned with a sonne,230
- * of , for hevinesse and wighte;
- Therwith me his face shoon so
- That wel unnethes I him beholde;
- And in his hande me I saugh him holde
- † fyry dartes, as the gledes rede;235
- And aungellyke his winges saugh I sprede.
- †And al be that men seyn that blind is he,
- Al-gate me that he see;
- †For sternely on me he gan biholde,
- †So that his loking myn herte colde.240
- †And by the hande he this noble quene,
- † with whyte, and clothed al in grene,[ ]
- †So womanly, so benigne, and so meke,
- †That in this world, thogh that men ,
- †245
- †In creature that formed is by kinde.
-
-
From B. 276-281.
That is so good, so fair, so debonaire;
- I prey to god that ever falle hir faire!
- †For, nadde comfort been of hir presence,
- †I had ben deed, withouten any defence,
- †For drede of Loves wordes and his chere;280
- †As, when tyme is, her-after ye shal here.
-
From B 282-295
Behind god of love, upon grene,
- †I saugh cominge of ladyës nyntene
- †In real habit, a ful esy paas;
- †And after hem com of women swich a traas,285
- That, sin that god Adam mad of erthe
- The part of the ferthe,
- †Ne wende I nat by possibilitee,
- Had ever in this wyde worlde y-be;
- †And trewe of love, thise women were echoon.290
- †Now whether was that a wonder thing or noon,
- †That, right anoon as that they gonne espye
- †This flour, which that I clepe the dayesye,
- †Ful sodeinly they stinten alle at ones,
- And kneled doun, as it were for the nones,295
- *And may I seyn, as thinketh me,247
- *This , in preysing of this lady fre.
- Balade.
-
- † ;[ ]
- †Ester , ley thou thy al ;250
- †Hyd, Ionathas , al thy frendly manere;
- † , and Marcia Catoun,
- † of wyfhod no comparisoun;
- †Hyde ye beautes, Isoude and Eleyne,
- My lady , that al this may disteyne .255
-
- †Thy faire body, lat hit nat appere,
- †Lavyne ; and thou, Lucresse of Rome ,
- †And Polixene , that boghten love so dere,
- And Cleopatre , with al thy passioun,
- Hyde ye your trouthe of love and your renoun;260
- And thou, , that hast love swich peyne;[ ]
- My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.
-
- , Dido, , alle y-fere,[ ]
- And Phyllis , hanging for thy Demophoun,
- †And Canace , espyed by thy chere,265
- Ysiphile , with Jasoun,
- Maketh of your trouthe neyther boost ne ;
- Nor Ypermistre or Adriane, ye tweyne;
- My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.
-
- This balade may ful wel y-songen be,270[ ]
- *As I have erst, by my lady free;
- *For certeynly, alle these nat suffyse
- *To apperen with my lady in no wyse.
- *For as the sonne the disteyne,
- *So passeth al my lady sovereyne,275
- That is so good, so , so debonaire;
- I prey to god that ever falle hir faire![ ]
- †For, nadde comfort been of hir presence,
- †I ben , withouten any defence,
- †For drede of Loves wordes and his chere;280
- †As, when tyme is, her-after ye shal here.
-
- this god of love, upon the grene,
- †I saugh of ladyës
- †In real , a ful esy paas;
- †And after hem of swich a traas,285
- That, sin that god Adam of erthe,
- The thridde part of mankynd, or the ferthe,
- †Ne wende I nat by possibilitee,
- Had ever in this wyde worlde y-be;
- †And trewe of love thise women were .290
-
- †Now was that a wonder thing or ,
- †That, right anoon as that they gonne espye
- †This flour, which that I clepe the ,
- †Ful sodeinly they alle ,
- And , as it were for the nones ,295
- *And songen with o vois, ‘ and honour
- * trouthe of womanhede, and to this flour
- *That our alder prys in figuringe![ ]
- * whyte the witnessinge!’
-
- And with that word, a-compas enviroun ,300
- †They setten hem ful adoun.
- First sat the god of love, and sith his quene
- †With the whyte , clad in grene;
- †And sithen al the by and by ,
- As they were of estaat, ful curteisly;305
- †Ne nat a was spoken in the place
- †The mountance of a furlong-wey of space.
-
- I kneling by this , in good entente
- † , to knowen what this peple mente,
- †As stille as any ; til at the ,310
- This god of love on me caste,
- And seyde, ‘who kneleth ’? and I answerde
- Unto his asking, whan that I hit herde,
- †And seyde, ‘sir, hit am I ’; and him ,
- †And him. Quod he, ‘what dostow 315
- So nigh myn , so boldely?
- † it were better worthy, trewely,
- A to neghen my flour than thou.’[ ]
- †‘And why, ,’ quod I, ‘and hit lyke yow?’
- †‘For thou,’ quod he, ‘art ther-to nothing able.320
- *Hit is my , digne and delytable,
- And thou my , and al my werreyest,
- †And of myn olde thou misseyest,[ ]
- †And hem, with thy translacioun,
- And lettest from hir devocioun325
- †To serve , and holdest hit folye
- Love. Thou mayst hit nat denye;
- For in text, with-outen nede of glose,
- †Thou hast the Romaunce of the Rose,[ ]
- †That is an heresye my lawe,330
- †And makest wyse fro me withdrawe.
- And of thou hast as liste,[ ]
- That maketh men to wommen lasse triste,
- That ben as trewe as ever was any steel.334
- *Of thyn answere avyse right weel;335
- For, thogh thou reneyed hast my lay,
- As other wrecches han doon many a day,
- By seynt Venus, that my moder is,[ ]
- If that thou live, thou shalt repenten this
- So cruelly, that hit shal be sene!’340
-
- this lady, clothed al in grene,
- †And seyde, ‘god, right of curtesye,
- †Ye moten if he can replye[ ]
- Agayns al this that ye han to him meved;
- †A god ne sholde nat be thus agreved,345
- †But of his deitee he shal be stable,
- And therto gracious and merciable.
- *And if ye nere a god, that knowen ,[ ]
- * hit be, as I yow tellen ;
- This to you may falsly been accused,350
- † as by right him excused.
- †For in is many a losengeour,[ ]
- †And many a accusour,[ ]
- That tabouren in eres many a ,
- Right after hir imaginacioun,355
- To have daliance, and for envye;
- * been the causes, and I shall nat lye.[ ]
- Envye is of the court alway;[ ]
- †For she ne parteth, neither night ne day,
- †Out of the of Cesar; thus seith Dante;360
- Who-so that goth, algate she wol nat wante.[ ]
-
-
From B. 350, 351.
This man to yow may falsly been accused,
- †Ther as by right him oghte been excused.
-
- And , for this man is nyce,
- He doon hit, gessing no malyce,
- for he useth thinges for to make;[ ]
- Him rekketh noght of what matere he take;365
-
- †Or him was boden maken thilke tweye
- †Of persone, and durste hit nat with-seye;
- *Or him repenteth of this.
- †He ne hath nat doon so grevously amis
- †To translaten that olde clerkes wryten,370
- †thogh that he of malice wolde endyten
- of love, and had him-self hit wroght.
- †This a rightwys lord have in his thoght,
- †And nat be of Lumbardye,[ ]
-
- Than han no reward but at tirannye.375
- †For he that or is naturel,
- †Him nat be tiraunt ne
- †As is a fermour , to doon the he can.
- †He moste thinke hit is his man,
-
- *And is his tresour, and his gold in cofre.380
- †This is the sentence of the philosophre:[ ]
- †A king to kepe his in Iustyce;
- †With-outen doute, that is his offyce.
- Al wol he kepe lordes hir degree,
- †As hit is right and skilful that they be385
- †Enhaunced and honoured, and most dere—
- †For they ben half - in this world here—
- Yit he doon right, to and riche,
- Al be that be nat y-liche,
- †And han of folk compassioun.390
- †For , the gentil of the ![ ]
- †For whan a flye him or byteth,
- †He with his awey the smyteth
- †Al ; for, of his ,
- †Him deyneth nat to wreke him on a flye,395
- †As a curre or elles another .
- †In noble corage ,[ ]
- †And weyen every thing by equitee,
- †And ever han reward his owen degree.
- †For, sir, hit is no maystrie for a lord400
- To dampne a man with-oute answere word;
- †And, for a lord, that is foul to use.
- †And so be he may him nat excuse,
- asketh mercy with a dredful herte,
- †And him, right in his bare sherte,405[ ]
- †To been right at your Iugement,
- †Than a god, by short avysement,
- †Considre his owne honour and his trespas.
- †For sith no cause of in this ,
- †Yow oghte the lighter merciable;410
- †Leteth your yre, and beth somwhat tretable!
- †The man hath served yow of his ,
- And wel lawe in his making.
-
- ‘Al be hit that he can nat wel endyte,
- Yet hath he lewed folk delyte415[ ]
- †To serve you, in preysing of your name.
- †He made the book that hight the Hous of Fame,[ ]
- †And eek the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse,
- †And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse,
- †And al the love of Palamon and Arcyte420
- †Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte;[ ]
- †And many an ympne for your halydayes,
- †That highten Balades , Roundels, Virelayes;
- And, for to speke of other holynesse ,
- †He hath in Boëce,425[ ]
-
- †And the also of seynt Cecyle ;
- †He made also, goon a whyl,
- †Origenes upon the Maudeleyne;[ ]
- †Him now to have the lesse peyne;
- †He hath many a lay and many a .430
-
- †‘Now as ye a god, and eek a king,
- †I, your Alceste , whylom quene of Trace,
- †I aske yow this man, right of your grace,
- †That ye him never hurte in al his ;
- †And he shal yow, and that blyve,435
- †He shal more agilten in this wyse;
- †But shal maken, as ye wil devyse,
- †Of wommen trewe in lovinge al hir ,
- †Wher-so ye , of maiden or of ,
- †And forthren yow, as muche as he misseyde440
- †Or in the Rose or elles in Creseyde.’
-
- †The god of love hir anoon,
- †‘Madame,’ quod he, ‘hit is so long agoon
- †That I you so charitable and trewe,
- †That never yit, that the was newe,445
- †To me ne I better noon than ye.
- If that save my degree,
- †I may ne wol nat werne your requeste;
- Al in yow, doth with him as yow .
- †I al foryeve, with-outen lenger space;450
- †For who-so a yift, or a grace,
- †Do hit by tyme, his thank is wel the more;[ ]
- †And demeth ye what he shal do therfore.
- †Go thanke now my lady ,’ quod he.
-
- †I roos, and I sette me on my knee,455
- †And seyde thus: ‘Madame, the god above
- †Foryelde yow, that the god of love
- †Han maked me his wrathe to foryive;
- †And grace so long for to live,
- †That I may knowe soothly what ye be460
- That han me and in this degree.
- †But I wende, as in this cas,
- †Naught have agilt, ne doon to love trespas.
- †Forwhy a trewe man, with-outen drede,
- †Hath nat to parten with a theves dede;465[ ]
- †Ne a trewe lover me nat ,
- †Thogh that I a fals lover som shame.
- †They oghte rather with me for to holde,
- †For that I of Creseyde wroot or tolde,
- †Or of the Rose; what-so myn auctour mente,470
- †Algate, god wot, hit was myn entente
- †To forthren trouthe in love and hit cheryce;
- †And to war fro falsnesse and fro vyce
- †By swich ensample; this was my meninge.’
-
- †And she answerde, ‘lat be thyn arguinge;475[ ]
- †For Love ne wol nat countrepleted be
- In right ne wrong; and lerne me!
- †Thou hast thy grace, and right ther-to.
- †Now wol I seyn what penance thou shalt do
- †For thy trespas, understond hit here:480
- †Thou shalt, that thou livest, ,
- †The of thy spende
- †In making of a glorious Legende
- †Of , maidenes and wyves,
- †That weren in al hir lyves;485
- †And telle of men that hem bitrayen,
- †That al hir lyf ne doon nat but assayen
- †How many may doon a shame;
- For in that is now holde a game.
- †And thogh lyke nat a ,490
- † wel of love; this penance yive I thee.
- †And to the god of love I shal so preye,
- †That he shal charge his , by any weye,
- †To forthren thee, and wel thy labour quyte;
- now wey, penance is but lyte.495
- *And whan this book is , yive hit the quene[ ]
- *On my behalfe, at Eltham, or at .’
-
- †The god of love gan smyle, and than he seyde,
- †‘Wostow,’ quod he, ‘wher this be wyf or mayde,[ ]
- †Or quene, or countesse, or of what degree,500
- †That hath so litel penance yiven thee,
- †That hast deserved for to ?
- †But pitee in gentil herte;[ ]
- †That maystow seen, she kytheth what she is.’
- †And I , ‘nay, , so have I blis,505
- † but that I see wel she is good.’
-
- †‘That is a trewe tale, by myn hood,’
- †Quod Love, ‘and thou knowest wel, pardee,
- †If hit be so that thou avyse thee.
- †Hastow nat in a book, lyth in thy cheste,510[ ]
- †The goodnesse of the quene Alceste,
- †That turned was into a :
- †She that for hir husbonde chees to dye,
- †And to goon to helle, rather than he,
- †And Ercules rescowed hir, pardee,515[ ]
- †And broghte hir out of helle to blis?’
-
- †And I answerde ageyn, and seyde, ‘yis,
- †Now knowe I ! And is this good Alceste,
- †The , and myn hertes reste?
- †Now fele I the goodnesse of this wyf,520
- †That , and hir lyf,
- †Hir grete bountee doubleth hir renoun!
- †Wel hath she quit me myn affeccioun
- †That I have to hir flour, the !
- †No wonder is thogh Iove hir stellifye,525
- †As telleth Agaton , for !
- †Hir whyte of hit witnesse;
- †For also many vertues she,
- †As smale in hir be.
- †In remembraunce of hir and in ,530
- † the and the [ ]
- † al with , as men may see;
- †And Mars yaf to hir , pardee,[ ]
- †In stede of rubies, among the whyte.’
-
- †Therwith this quene wex reed for shame a lyte,535
- †Whan she was preysed so in hir presence.
- † seyde Love, ‘a ful
- Was to thee, that ilke tyme thou made
- *“Hyd, Absolon, thy tresses,” in balade ,
- *That thou hir in thy to sette,540
- *Sin that thou art so gretly in hir dette,
- And wost wel, that kalender is
- *To any woman that wol lover .
- For she al the of fyn lovinge,
- †And namely of the ,545
- †And alle the boundes that she kepe;
- †Thy litel was thilke tyme a-slepe.
- †But now I charge , upon thy ,
- †That in thy thou make of this ,[ ]
- Whan thou hast other smale before;550
- †And fare now wel, I charge thee .
-
- *‘But er I , thus muche I wol telle,
- *Ne shal no trewe lover come in helle.
- *Thise other ladies sittinge here arowe
- *Ben in balade , if thou canst hem knowe,555
- *And in thy alle thou shalt hem finde;
- *Have in thy alle in minde,
- *I mene of hem that in thy .
- *For ben twenty
- *
I.
THE LEGEND OF CLEOPATRA.
Incipit Legenda Cleopatrie, Martiris, Egipti regine.
N.B.—Readings not marked with any letter are from F. (Fairfax MS.)
-
- After the of Tholomee the king,580
- That al Egipte hadde in his governing,[ ]
- Regned his Cleopataras;
- Til on a tyme befel ther a cas,
- That out of Rome was sent a senatour,
- For to conqueren regnes and honour585
- Unto the of Rome, as was usaunce,
- To have the her obeisaunce;
- And, sooth to seye, Antonius was his name.
- So fil hit, as Fortune him a shame(10)
- Whan he was fallen in prosperitee,590
- Rebel unto the of Rome is he.[ ]
- And over al this, the suster of Cesar,[ ]
- He lafte hir falsly, er that she was war,
- And algates han another wyf;
- For he took with Rome and Cesar stryf.595
-
- Natheles, for-sooth, this ilke senatour
- Was a worthy gentil werreyour,[ ]
- And of deeth hit was ful damage.
- But love had broght this man in a rage,(20)
- And him so narwe bounden in his ,600
- for the love of Cleopataras,
- That al the he sette at value.
- Him thoughte,
- As for to love and serve;
- Him roghte nat in armes for to sterve605
- In the defence of hir, and of hir right.
-
- This noble quene so this knight,
- his , and for his chivalrye;
- As certeinly, but-if that lye,(30)
- He was, of persone and of gentilesse,610
- And of discrecioun hardinesse,
- Worthy to any wight that may.
- And she was as is the rose in May.
- And, to maken shortly is the beste,
- She his wyf, and hadde him as hir leste.615
-
- The wedding and the to devyse,
- To me, that have y-take empryse
- Of so many a storie for to make,
- Hit were to that I sholde slake(40)
- Of thing that bereth more effect and charge;620
- For men may overlade a or barge;
- And forthy to than wol I skippe,
- And al the , I wol lete hit slippe.
-
- Octovian , that was of this dede,
- Shoop him an on Antony to lede625
- Al-outerly for his destruccioun,
- With stoute as ;
- To they wente, and thus I let hem saile.
-
- Antonius was war, and wol nat faile(50)
- To meten with thise , if he may;630
- Took his , and , upon a day,
- His wyf and he, and al his
- To shippe anoon, no lenger they ne ;
- And in the see hit happed hem to mete—[ ]
- Up the trompe—and for to shoute and shete,635
- And peynen hem to sette on with the sonne.
- With grisly out the grete gonne,[ ]
- And they al ,[ ]
- And fro the top cometh the grete stones.(60)
- In the grapenel so ful of crokes640
- the ropes, and the shering-hokes.
- In with the polax he and he;[ ]
- the he to flee,
- And out agayn, and dryveth him over-borde;
- He stingeth him upon his speres orde;645
- He rent the with hokes lyke a sythe;
- He bringeth the cuppe, and biddeth be blythe;
- He poureth pesen upon the hacches ;
- With pottes ful of lym they ;[ ](70)
- And thus the longe day in fight they spende650
- Til, at the , as every thing hath ende,
- Antony is shent, and put him to the ,
- And al his , that best .[ ]
-
- Fleeth the queen, with al her purpre ,
- For strokes, which that as as ;655[ ]
- No wonder was, she hit nat endure.
- And whan that Antony that aventure,
- ‘Allas!’ quod he, ‘the day that I was !
- My in this day thus have I !’(80)
- And for out of his witte he sterte,660
- And roof him-self anoon the herte
- Er that he ferther out of the place.[ ]
- His wyf, that coude of Cesar have no grace,
- To Egipte is fled, for drede and for distresse;
- But , ye that of kindenesse.665
-
- Ye men, that falsly sweren many an
- That ye wol dye, if that your love be ,
- Heer may ye seen of women a trouthe!
- This woful hath swich routhe(90)
- That ther nis tonge noon that may hit telle.670
- But on the she wol no lenger dwelle,
- But made hir subtil make a shryne
- Of alle the and the stones fyne
- In al Egipte that she coude espye;
- And ful the shryne of spycerye,675
- And the embaume; and forth she fette
- This dede , and in the shryne hit shette.
- And next the shryne a than she grave;[ ]
- And the serpents that she have,[ ](100)
- She hem in that grave, and thus she :680
- ‘Now love, to whom my sorweful herte obeyde[ ]
- So that, fro that blisful houre
- That I yow swor to al frely youre,
- I mene yow, Antonius my knight!
- That never waking, in the day or night,685
- Ye nere out of myn hertes remembraunce
- For wele or , for carole or for daunce;
- And in my-self this made I ,
- That, right swich as ye felten, or wo,(110)
- As ferforth as hit in my lay,690
- Unreprovable unto my wyfhood ay,
- The same wolde I felen, or deeth.[ ]
- And thilke me lasteth breeth,
- I wol fulfille, and that shal wel be ;[ ]
- Was never unto hir love a trewer quene.’695
- And with that , naked , with ful good herte,
- Among the serpents in the pit she sterte,
- And ther she chees to han hir buryinge.
- Anoon the neddres gonne hir for to stinge,(120)
- And she hir deeth , with good chere,700
- For love of Antony, that was hir so dere:—
- And this is storial sooth , hit is no fable.
-
- Now, er I finde a man thus trewe and stable,
- And for love his deeth so freely take,
- I pray god lat hedes ake!705
Explicit Legenda Cleopatrie, martiris.
II.
THE LEGEND OF THISBE OF BABYLON.
Incipit Legenda Tesbe Babilonie, Martiris.
-
- At Babiloine whylom fil it thus,
- The whiche the Semiramus
- Leet dichen al about, and walles make
- Ful hye, of harde tyles wel y-bake.
- Ther weren dwellinge in this noble 710
- Two lordes, which that were of renoun,
- And woneden so , upon a grene,
- That ther nas but a stoon-wal hem bitwene,
- As ofte in tounes is the wone.
- And sooth to seyn, that o man a sone,715
- Of al that londe oon the lustieste.(11)
- That other a , the faireste,
- That in the was tho dwellinge.[ ]
- The name of gan to other springe
- By wommen, that were neighebores aboute.720
- For in that contree yit, withouten doute,
- Maidens y-kept, for Ielosye,[ ]
- Ful streite, lest they diden folye.
-
- This man was cleped Piramus,
- hight the , Naso seith thus;725
- And thus by was hir name y-shove[ ](21)
- That, as they in age, wex hir love;[ ]
- And certein, as by reson of hir age,
- Ther mighte have been hem mariage,
- But that hir fadres hit nat assente;730[ ]
- And in love y-lyke sore they brente,
- That noon of alle hir frendes mighte hit lette
- But somtyme yit they mette
- By , and of hir desyr;
- As, the , and hotter is the ;735[ ]
- Forbede a love, and it is ten so .(31)
-
- This wal, which that hem bothe ,
- Was cloven , right fro the toppe .
- Of olde tyme of his fundacioun;
- But yit this was so narwe and lyte,740
- It as nat y-nogh a myte.[ ]
- But what is that, that love can nat espye?[ ]
- Ye lovers , if that I shal nat lye,
- Ye founden first this litel narwe clifte;
- And, with a as softe as any shrifte,[ ]745
- They hir wordes through the clifte pace,(41)
- And tolden, that they stode in the place,
- Al hir compleynt of love, and al hir ,
- At every tyme whan they dorste .
-
- Upon o syde of stood he,750
- And on that other syde stood ,
- The of other to receyve,
- And thus hir wardeins wolde they deceyve.
- And every day this they wolde ,
- And wisshe to god, that it were 755
- Thus wolde they seyn—‘allas! thou wikked ,[ ](51)
- thyn envye thou us lettest !
- Why cleve, or fallen al a-two?
- Or, at the , but thou woldest so,
- Yit woldestow but ones us ,760
- Or that we kissen ,
- Than were we covered of cares colde.
- But natheles, yit be we to holde
- In as muche as thou suffrest for to goon
- wordes through thy lyme and eek thy stoon.765
- Yit we with thee ben wel .’(61)
-
- And whan thise ydel wordes weren ,
- The colde they wolden of stoon,
- And take hir leve, and they wolden goon.
- this was gladly in the 770
- Or wonder erly, lest men hit ;
- And longe tyme they in this manere
- Til on a day, whan Phebus gan to clere,[ ]
- Aurora with the stremes of hir hete
- Had dryed up the of herbes wete;775
- Unto this clifte, as it was wont to be,(71)
- Pyramus, and after com ,
- And plighten trouthe fully in hir
- That ilke same night to ,
- And to begyle hir wardeins ,780
- And forth out of the citee for to ;
- And, for the been so and wyde,
- For to in o place at o tyde,
- They sette mark hir meting sholde be[ ]
- Ther king Ninus was graven, under a tree;785
- For olde payens that [ ](81)
- Useden in to ben beried
- And by this grave was a welle.
- And, shortly of this tale for to telle,
- This was affermed wonder faste;790
- And longe hem thoughte that the sonne laste,
- That hit nere under the see adoun.
-
- This Tisbe so affeccioun
- And so Piramus to see,
- That, whan she seigh her tyme be,795
- At night she awey ful (91)
- With her face y-wimpled subtiny;
- For alle her frendes—for to save her trouthe—[ ]
- She hath for-sake; allas! and that is routhe
- That ever woman wolde be so trewe800
- To trusten man, but she the bet him knewe!
- And to the tree she a ful ,
- For love made her so hardy in this ;[ ]
- And by the welle she gan her dresse .
- Allas! than a wilde leonesse805
- Out of the , withouten more areste,(101)
- With blody mouthe, of of a beste,
- To drinken of the welle, ther as she sat;
- And, whan that Tisbe had espyed that,
- She rist her up, with a ful drery herte,810
- And in a cave with dredful foot she sterte,
- For by the she hit wel with-alle.
- And, as she , her wimpel leet she falle,[ ]
- And noon , so she was a-whaped.[ ]
- And so glad of that she was escaped;815
- And thus she , and darketh wonder stille.(111)
- Whan that this hath dronke her fille,
- Aboute the welle gan she for to winde,
- And right anoon the wimpel gan she finde,
- And with her blody mouth hit al to-rente.820
- Whan this was , no lenger she ne stente,
- But to the her wey than hath she nome.
-
- And, at the laste, this Piramus is come,[ ]
- But al to longe, allas! at was he.
- The , men mighte y-see,825
- And in his , as that he com ful faste,(121)
- His eyen to the grounde he caste,
- And in the sonde, as he ,
- He seigh the steppes of a ,
- And in his herte he sodeinly agroos ,830
- And pale he wex, therwith his heer aroos,
- And he , and the wimpel .
- ‘Allas!’ quod he, ‘the day that I was !
- This o night wol us lovers slee![ ]
- How sholde I axen mercy of Tisbe[ ]835
- Whan I am he that have yow , allas!(131)
- My bidding hath yow slain, in this cas.
- Allas! to bidde woman goon by nighte
- In place ther as peril fallen mighte,
- And I so ! allas, I ne hadde be840
- Here in this place a furlong-wey or !
- Now what leoun that be in this foreste,
- My body mote he , or what beste
- That wilde is, gnawen mote he now myn herte!’
- And with that worde he to the wimpel sterte,845
- And kiste hit ofte, and on hit ful sore,(141)
- And seide, ‘wimpel, allas! ther nis no more[ ]
- But thou shalt as wel the of me
- As thou hast felt the of !’
- And with that worde he smoot him to the herte.850
- The blood out of the wounde as brode sterte[ ]
- As water, whan the broken is.
-
- Now Tisbe, which that ,[ ]
- But sitting in her drede, she thus,
- ‘If so falle that my Piramus855
- Be comen hider, and may me nat ,(151)
- He may me holden fals and unkinde.’
- And out she , and after him gan espyen
- Bothe with her and with her yën,[ ]
- And thoghte, ‘I wol him tellen of my drede860
- of the and al my dede.’
- And at the laste her love than hath she founde[ ]
- with his on the grounde,
- Al blody, and therwith-al a-bak she sterte,
- And lyke the wawes quappe gan her herte,865
- And pale as she wex, and in a throwe(161)
- Avysed her, and gan him wel to knowe,
- That hit was Piramus, her dere.
- Who coude wryte whiche a chere[ ]
- Hath now, and how her she rente,870
- And how she gan her-selve to turmente,
- And how she lyth and swowneth on the grounde,
- And how she of teres ful his wounde,
- How medeleth she his blood with her compleynte,
- And with his blood her-selven gan she peynte;875
- How clippeth she the dede , allas?(171)
- How this woful in this cas!
- How kisseth she his frosty so cold!
- ‘Who hath doon this, and who hath been so
- To sleen my ? O , my Piramus!880
- I am thy , that thee calleth thus!’
- And therwith-al she lifteth up his heed.
-
- This woful man, that was nat fully deed,
- Whan that he the name of cryen,
- On her he caste his hevy yën885
- And again, and yeldeth up the .(181)
-
- Tisbe rist up, withouten noise or ,[ ]
- And her wimpel and his empty shethe,
- And eek his , that him hath doon to dethe;
- Than she thus: ‘ woful ,’ quod she,890
- ‘Is strong y-nogh in swiche a to me;
- For love shal yive strengthe and hardinesse
- To make my wounde large y-nogh, I gesse.
- I wol thee , and I wol be[ ]
- Felawe and cause of thy deeth,’ quod she.895
- ‘And thogh that nothing save the deeth only(191)
- Mighte thee fro me departe ,
- Thou no more now fro me
- Than fro the , for I wol with thee!
-
- ‘And now, ye wrecched fadres oure,900
- We, that weren children youre,
- We prayen yow, withouten more envye,
- That in o grave we moten lye,
- Sin love hath us to this ende!
- And rightwis god to every lover sende,[ ]905
- That loveth trewely, prosperitee(201)
- Than ever Piramus and Tisbe!
- And lat no woman her assure
- To her in swiche an aventure.
- But god forbede but a woman can910
- as trewe and loving as a man!
- And, for my , I shal anoon it kythe!’
- And, with that worde; his she took as swythe,[ ]
- That was of her loves blood and ,
- And to the herte she her-selven .915
-
- And thus Tisbe and Piramus .[ ](211)
- Of trewe men I finde but fewe
- In alle my , save this Piramus,
- And have I spoken of him thus.
- For hit is deyntee to us men to finde920
- A man that can in love be trewe and kinde.
- Heer may ye seen, what lover so he be,
- A woman dar and can as wel as he.
Explicit legenda Tesbe.
III.
THE LEGEND OF DIDO, QUEEN OF CARTHAGE.
N.B. From this point onward obvious corrections in the spelling of MS. F.are unnoticed.
Incipit Legenda Didonis martiris, Cartaginis regine.
-
- Glory and honour, Virgil Mantuan ,
- Be to thy name! and I shal, as I can,925
- Folow thy lantern, as thou gost biforn,[ ]
- How Eneas to Dido was forsworn.
- In thyn Eneïd and [ ]
- The tenour, and the grete effectes make.
-
- Whan Troye broght was to destruccioun930
- By Grekes sleighte, and namely by Sinoun,[ ]
- Feyning the hors Minerve,
- Through which that many a Troyan moste sterve;(10)
- And Ector had, after his deeth, appered,[ ]
- And fyr so wood, it mighte nat be stered,[ ]935
- In al the noble tour of Ilioun ,
- That of the citee was the cheef dungeoun;
- And al the contree was so lowe y-broght,
- And Priamus the king fordoon and noght;[ ]
- And Eneas was charged by Venus[ ]940
- To fleen awey, he took Ascanius,
- That was his sone, in his right hand, and fledde;[ ]
- And on his bakke he bar and with him ledde(20)
- His olde fader, cleped Anchises,
- And by the weye his wyf Creusa he lees .945
- And mochel sorwe hadde he in his minde
- Er that he coude his felawshippe finde.
- But, at the laste, whan he had hem founde,
- He made him redy in a certein stounde ,
- And to the see faste he gan him hye,950
- And saileth forth with al his companye
- Toward Itaile, as wolde destinee.
- But of his aventures in the see(30)[ ]
- Nis nat to purpos for to speke of here,
- For hit acordeth nat to my matere.955
- But, as I seide, of him and of Dido
- Shal be my tale, til that I have do.
-
- So longe he sailed in the salte see
- Til in Libye unnethe aryved he,
- With shippes seven with no more navye;960[ ]
- glad was he to londe for to hye,
- So was he with the tempest al to-shake .
- And whan that he the haven had y-take,(40)
- He had a knight, was Achates;[ ]
- And him of al his felawshippe he chees965
- To goon with him, the contre for ;
- He took with him no more companye.
- But forth they goon, and lafte his shippes ryde,
- His fere and he, with-outen any gyde.
- So longe he walketh in this wildernesse970
- Til, at the laste, he mette an hunteresse .
- A bowe in honde and arwes hadde she,
- Her clothes were unto the knee;[ ](50)
- But she was yit the fairest creature
- That ever was y-formed by nature;975
- And Eneas and Achates she grette,
- And thus she to hem spak, whan she hem mette.
- ‘Sawe ye,’ quod she, ‘as ye han walked wyde,[ ]
- of my sustren walke yow besyde,
- With any wilde boor or other beste980
- That they han hunted to, in this foreste,
- Y-tukked up , with arwes in her cas?’
-
- ‘Nay, soothly, lady,’ quod this Eneas;[ ](60)
- ‘But, by thy beaute, as hit thinketh me,
- Thou mightest never erthely womman be,985
- But Phebus suster artow, as I gesse.[ ]
- And, if so be that thou be a goddesse,
- Have mercy on our labour and our wo.’
-
- ‘I nam no goddes, soothly,’ quod she tho;
- ‘For maidens walken in this contree here,990
- With arwes and with bowe, in this manere.
- This is the regne of Libie, ther ye been,
- Of which that Dido lady is and queen’—(70)
- And shortly tolde al the occasioun[ ]
- Why Dido com into that regioun,995
- Of which as now me lusteth nat to ryme;
- Hit nedeth nat ; hit but los of tyme.
- For this is al and som , it was Venus,
- His owne moder, that spak with him thus;
- And to Cartage she bad he sholde him dighte,1000
- And vanished anoon out of his sighte.
- I coude folwe, word word, Virgyle,
- But it wolde lasten al to longe whyle.(80)
-
- This noble queen, that cleped was Dido,
- That whylom was the wyf of Sitheo ,1005
- That fairer was then the brighte sonne,
- This noble toun of Cartage hath begonne;
- In which she regneth in so greet honour,
- That she was holde of alle quenes flour,
- Of gentilesse, of freedom , of beautee;1010
- That wel was him that mighte her ones see;
- Of kinges and of lordes so desyred,
- That al the world her beaute hadde y-fyred;(90)
- She stood so wel in every wightes grace.
-
- Whan Eneas was come un-to that place,1015
- Unto the maister-temple of al the toun
- Ther Dido was in her devocioun,
- Ful prively his wey hath he nome.
- Whan he was in the temple come,
- I can nat seyn if that hit be possible,1020
- But Venus hadde him maked invisible—
- Thus seith the book, with-outen any lees.[ ]
- And whan this Eneas and Achates(100)
- Hadden in temple been over-al,[ ]
- Than founde they, depeynted on a wal,[ ]1025
- How Troye and al the lond destroyed was.
- ‘Allas! that I was born,’ quod Eneas,
- ‘Through-out the world our shame is kid wyde,[ ]
- Now it is peynted upon every syde!
- We, that weren in prosperitee,1030
- Be now disslaundred, and in swich degre,
- No lenger for to liven I ne kepe !’
- And, with that worde, he brast out for to wepe(110)
- So tendrely, that routhe hit was to sene.
- This fresshe lady, of the citee quene,[ ]1035
- Stood in the temple, in her estat royal,
- So richely, and eek so fair with-al,
- So yong, so lusty, with her eyen glade,
- That, if that god, that heven and erthe made,
- Wolde han a love, for beaute and goodnesse,1040
- And womanhod, and trouthe, and seemlinesse,
- Whom sholde he loven but this lady swete?
- There nis no womman to him half so mete.(120)
-
- Fortune, that hath the world in governaunce,[ ]
- Hath sodeinly broght in so newe a chaunce,1045
- That never so fremd a cas.
- For al the companye of Eneas,[ ]
- Which that wende han loren in the see,
- Aryved is, nat fer fro that citee;
- For which , the grettest of his lordes some1050
- By aventure ben to the citee come,
- Unto that same temple, for to seke
- The quene, and of her socour her beseke;(130)
- Swich renoun was ther spronge of her goodnesse.
- And, whan they hadden told al hir distresse,1055
- And al hir tempest and hir harde cas,
- Unto the quene appered Eneas,
- And openly beknew that hit was he.
- Who hadde Ioye than but his meynee ,
- That hadden founde hir lord, hir governour?1060
-
- The quene saw they dide him swich honour,[ ]
- And had herd ofte of Eneas, er tho,
- And in her herte routhe and wo(140)
- That ever swich a noble man as he
- Shal been disherited in swich degree;1065
- And saw the man, was lyk a knight,
- And suffisaunt of persone and of might,
- And lyk to been a veray gentil man;
- And wel his wordes he besette can,
- And had a noble visage for the nones,1070
- And formed wel of braunes and of bones.
- For, after Venus, hadde swich fairnesse,
- That no man might be half so fair, I gesse.(150)
- And wel a lord semed for to be.
- And, for he was a straunger, somwhat she[ ]1075
- Lyked him the bet, as, god do bote,[ ]
- To som folk ofte newe thing is swote.[ ]
- Anoon her herte hath pitee of his wo,
- , with pitee, love com also;
- And thus, for pitee and for gentilesse,1080
- Refresshed he been of his distresse.
- She seide, certes, that she sory was
- That he hath had swich peril and swich cas;(160)
- And, in her frendly speche, in this manere
- She to him spak, and seide .1085
-
- ‘Be ye nat Venus sone and Anchises?[ ]
- In good feith, al the worship and encrees
- That I may goodly doon yow, ye shul have.
- Your shippes and your meynee shal I save;’
- And many a gentil word she spak him to;1090
- And comaunded her go[ ]
- The same day, with-outen any faile,
- His shippes for to seke, and hem vitaile.(170)
- She many a to the shippes sente,
- And with the wyn she gan hem to presente;1095
- And to her royal paleys she her spedde,
- And Eneas alwey with her she ledde.
- What nedeth yow the feste to descryve?
- He never beter at ese was his lyve .
- Ful was the feste of deyntees and richesse,1100
- Of instruments, of song, and of gladnesse,
- And many an amorous loking and devys.
-
- This Eneas is come to Paradys[ ](180)
- Out of the swolow of helle, and thus in Ioye[ ]
- Remembreth him of his estat in Troye.1105
- To dauncing-chambres ful of parements ,
- Of riche beddes, and of ,[ ]
- This Eneas is lad, after the mete.
- And with the quene whan that he had sete,[ ]
- And spyces parted, and the wyn agoon,[ ]1110
- Unto his chambres was he lad anoon
- and for to have his reste,
- With al his folk, to doon what so hem leste.(190)
-
- Ther nas coursere wel y-brydled noon,
- Ne stede, for the wel to goon,1115
- Ne large palfrey, esy for the nones,
- Ne Iuwel, ful of riche stones,[ ]
- Ne sakkes ful of gold, of large wighte,
- Ne ruby noon, that by nighte,[ ]
- Ne gentil hautein faucon heronere,[ ]1120
- Ne hound, for hert or wilde boor or dere,
- Ne coupe of gold, with florins newe y-bete ,
- That in the lond of Libie may be gete,(200)
- That Dido ne hath hit Eneas y-sent;
- And al is payed, what that he hath spent.1125
- Thus can this quene her gestes calle,
- As she that can in freedom passen alle.
-
- Eneas sothly eek, with-outen lees,[ ]
- Hath sent his shippe, by Achates,
- After his sone, and after riche thinges,1130
- Both ceptre, clothes, broches, and eek ringes,
- Som for to were, and som for to presente
- To her, that all thise noble thinges him sente;(210)
- And bad his sone, how that he sholde make
- The presenting, and to the quene hit take .1135
-
- Repaired is this Achates again,[ ]
- And Eneas ful blisful is and fain
- To seen his yonge sone Ascanius.
- But natheles, our autour telleth ,
- That Cupido, that is the god of love,1140
- At preyere of his moder, hye above,
- Hadde the lyknes of the child y-take,
- This quene enamoured to make(220)
- On Eneas; but, of that scripture,
- Be as be may, I make of hit no cure.[ ]1145
- But sooth is this, the quene hath mad swich chere
- Un-to this child, that wonder is to here;
- And of the present that his fader sente
- She thanked him ofte, in good entente.
-
- Thus is this quene in plesaunce and in Ioye,1150[ ]
- With al this newe lusty folk of Troye.
- And of the dedes hath she more enquered
- Of Eneas, and al the story lered(230)
- Of Troye; and al the longe day they tweye
- Entendeden to speken and pleye;[ ]1155
- Of which ther gan to breden swich a fyr,[ ]
- That sely Dido hath now swich desyr
- With Eneas, her newe gest, to dele,
- That she lost her hewe, and eek her hele.
- Now to theffect, now to the of al,1160
- Why I have told this story, and tellen shal.[ ]
-
- Thus I beginne; hit fil, upon a night,
- When that the mone had light,[ ](240)
- This noble quene un-to her reste wente;
- She syketh sore, and gan her-self turmente.1165
- She waketh, walweth, maketh many a brayd ,
- As doon thise loveres, as I have herd sayd.
- And at the laste, unto her suster Anne
- She made her , and right thus spak she thanne.
-
- ‘Now, dere suster myn, what may hit be[ ]1170
- That me agasteth in my ?’ quod she.
- ‘This ilke Troyan is so in my thoght,
- For that me is so wel y-wroght,(250)
- And eek so lykly to be a man,[ ]
- And so mikel good he can,1175
- That al my love and lyf lyth in his cure.
- Have ye not herd him telle his aventure?
- Now certes, Anne, if that ye ,
- I fain to him y-wedded be;
- This is theffect; what sholde I more seye?1180
- In him lyth al, to do me live or deye.’
-
- Her suster Anne, as she that coude her good,
- Seide as her thoughte, and somdel hit with-stood.(260)
- But her-of was so long a sermoning,
- Hit were to long to make rehersing;1185
- But fynally, hit may not been with-stonde;
- Love wol love—for no wight wol hit wonde.[ ]
-
- The dawening up-rist out of the see;[ ]
- This amorous quene chargeth her meynee
- The nettes dresse, and speres brode and kene;1190
- An hunting wol this lusty fresshe quene;
- So priketh her this newe Ioly wo.[ ]
- To hors is al her lusty folk y-go;(270)
- Un-to the court the houndes been y-broght,
- And up-on , swift as any thoght,1195
- Her yonge knightes al aboute,[ ]
- And of her wommen eek an huge route.
- Up-on a thikke palfrey, paper-whyt,[ ]
- With sadel rede, enbrouded with delyt,
- Of gold the barres up-enbossed ,[ ]1200
- Sit Dido, al in gold and perre ;
- And she is fair, as is the morwe,
- That heleth seke of nightes sorwe.(280)
-
- Up-on a courser, startling as the fyr,
- Men mighte turne him with a litel wyr ,1205
- Sit Eneas, lyk Phebus to devyse;
- So was he fresshe arayed in his wyse.
- The fomy brydel with the bit of gold
- Governeth he, right as him-self hath wold .
- And forth this quene lat I ryde1210
- hunting, with this Troyan by her syde.
-
- The herd of hertes founden is anoon,[ ]
- With ‘hey! go bet! prik thou! lat goon, lat goon
- Why nil the leoun comen or the bere,
- That I mighte with this spere?’1215
- Thus seyn thise yonge folk, and up they kille
- These hertes , and han hem at hir wille.
-
- Among al this to-romblen gan the heven,
- The thunder rored with a grisly steven;
- Doun com the rain, with hail and sleet so faste,1220
- With hevenes fyr, that hit so sore
- This quene, and also her meynee,
- That ech of hem was glad a-wey to flee.(300)
- And shortly, fro the tempest her to save,
- She fledde her-self into a litel cave,1225
- And with her wente this Eneas al-so;
- I noot, with hem if ther wente any mo;
- The autour maketh of hit no mencioun.
- And heer began the depe affeccioun
- Betwix hem two; this was the firste morwe[ ]1230
- Of her gladnesse, and ginning of her sorwe.
- For ther hath Eneas y-kneled so,[ ]
- And told her al his herte, and al his wo,(310)
- And sworn so depe, to her to be trewe,
- For wele or wo, and chaunge for no newe,1235
- And as a fals lover so wel can pleyne,
- That sely Dido rewed on his peyne,
- And took him for husband, [ ] his wyf
- For , whyl that hem laste lyf.
- And after this, whan that the tempest stente,1240
- With mirth out as they comen, hoom they wente.
-
- The , and that anon,[ ]
- How Eneas hath with the quene y-gon(320)
- In-to the cave; and demed as hem liste;
- And whan the king, that Yarbas hight, hit wiste,1245
- As he that had her loved ever his lyf,
- And wowed her, to have to his wyf,
- Swich sorwe as he hath maked, and swich chere,
- Hit is a routhe and pitee for to here.
- But, as in love, al-day hit happeth so,1250
- That oon shal laughen anothers wo;
- Now laugheth Eneas, and is in Ioye
- And more richesse than ever was in Troye.(330)
-
- O sely womman, ful of innocence,[ ]
- Ful of pitee, of trouthe, conscience,1255
- What maked yow to men to trusten so?
- Have ye swich routhe upon hir feined wo,
- And han swich yow beforn?
- See ye nat alle, they been for-sworn?
- Wher see ye oon, that he ne hath laft his leef,1260
- Or been unkinde, or doon her som mischeef,
- Or pilled her, or bosted of his dede?
- Ye may as wel hit seen, as ye may rede;(340)
- Tak heed now of this grete gentil-man,
- This Troyan, that so wel her plesen can,1265
- That feineth him so trewe and obeising,
- So gentil and so of his doing,
- And can so wel doon alle his ,
- at festes and at daunces,
- And when she goth to temple and hoom ageyn,1270
- And fasten til he hath his lady seyn,
- And bere in his devyses, for her sake,
- I nat what; and songes wolde he make,(350)
- Iusten, and doon of armes many thinges,
- Sende her lettres, tokens, broches, —1275
- Now herkneth, how he shal his lady serve!
- Ther-as he was in peril for to sterve
- For hunger, and for mischeef in the see,
- And desolat, and fled from his contree,
- And al his folk with tempest al to-driven,1280
- She hath her body and eek her yiven
- In-to his hond, ther-as she mighte have been
- Of other lond than of Cartage a queen,(360)
- And lived in Ioye y-nogh; what wolde ye more?
-
- This Eneas, that hath depe y-swore,1285
- Is wery of his craft with-in a throwe;
- The hote ernest is al over-blowe.[ ]
- And prively he doth his shippes dighte,[ ]
- And shapeth him to stele a-wey by nighte.
-
- This Dido hath suspecioun of this,1290
- And thoughte wel, that hit was al a-mis;
- For in his bedde he lyth a-night and syketh;
- She asketh him anoon, what him mislyketh—(370)
- ‘My dere herte, which that I love most?’
-
- ‘Certes,’ quod he, ‘this night my fadres gost[ ]1295
- Hath in my sleep tormented,
- And eek Mercurie his message hath presented,
- That nedes the conquest of Itaile
- My destinee is sone for to saile;
- For which, me thinketh, brosten is myn herte!’1300
- Ther-with his false teres out they sterte;
- And taketh her with-in his armes two.
-
- ‘Is that in ernest,’ quod she; ‘wil ye so?(380)
- Have ye nat sworn to wyve me to take,
- Alas! what womman wil ye of me make?1305
- I am a gentil-woman and a queen,
- Ye wil nat fro your wyf thus foule fleen?
- That I was born! allas! what shal I do?’
-
- To telle in short, this noble queen Dido,
- She seketh halwes , and doth sacrifyse;1310
- She kneleth, cryeth, that routhe is to devyse;
- Coniureth him, and profreth him to be[ ]
- His thral, his servant in the leste ;(390)
- She falleth him , and swowneth there
- Dischevele, with her brighte gilte here,1315
- And seith, ‘have mercy! let me with yow ryde![ ]
- Thise lordes , which that wonen me besyde
- Wil me destroyen only for your sake.
- And, ye wil me now to wyve take,
- As ye han sworn, than wol I yive yow leve1320
- To sleen me with your swerd now sone at eve!
- For than dyen as your wyf.
- I am with childe, and my child his lyf.(400)
- Mercy, lord! pite in your thought!’[ ]
- But al this thing availeth her right noght;1325
- For on a night, slepinge, he let her lye,
- And stal a-wey his companye,
- And, as a traitour, forth he gan to saile
- Toward the large contree of Itaile.
- hath he laft Dido in wo and pyne;1330
- And wedded ther a lady hight Lavyne .
-
- A cloth he , and eek his swerd stonding,
- Whan he fro Dido stal in sleping,(410)
- Right at her beddes heed, so gan he hye
- Whan that he stal a-wey to his navye;1335
- Which cloth, whan sely Dido gan awake,
- She hath kist ful ofte for his sake;
- And seide, ‘ cloth, whyl Iupiter hit leste,[ ]
- Tak now my soule, unbind !
- I have fulfild of fortune al the cours.’1340
- And thus, allas! with-outen his socours,
- Twenty tyme y-swowned hath she thanne.
- And, whan that she un-to her suster Anne(420)
- Compleyned had, of which I may nat wryte—
- So greet a routhe I have hit for —1345
- And bad her norice and her goon
- To fecchen fyr and other anoon,
- And seide, that she wolde, sacrifye.
- And, whan she mighte her tyme wel espye,
- Up-on the fyr of sacrifys she sterte,1350
- And with his swerd she her to the herte.[ ]
-
- But, as myn autour seith, thus she seyde;[ ]
- Or she was hurt, she deyde,(430)
- She wroot a lettre anoon, that thus began:—[ ]
-
- ‘Right so,’ quod she, ‘as the whyte swan1355[ ]
- his deeth beginneth for to singe,
- Right so to yow I my compleyninge.
- Nat that I trowe to geten yow again,
- For wel I woot it is al in vain,
- Sin that the goddes been to me.1360
- But sin my name is lost through yow,’ quod she,
- ‘I may wel lese a word on yow, or letter,
- Al-be-it I shal be never the better;(440)
- For thilke wind that blew your ship a-wey,
- The same wind hath blowe a-wey your fey.’—1365
-
- But wol al this letter have in minde,
- Rede Ovide, and in him he shal hit finde.
Explicit Legenda Didonis martiris, Cartaginis regine.
IV.
THE LEGEND OF HYPSIPYLE AND MEDEA.
Incipit Legenda Ysiphile et Medee, Martirum.
Part I.
The Legend of Hypsipyle.
-
- Thou rote of false lovers, duk Iasoun![ ]
- Thou sly devourer and confusioun
- Of gentil-wommen, creatures,1370
- Thou madest thy reclaiming and thy lures
- To ladies of thy statly apparaunce,
- And of thy wordes, with plesaunce,
- And of thy feyned trouthe and thy manere,
- With thyn obeisaunce and humble chere,1375
- And with thy counterfeted peyne and wo.
- Ther other falsen oon, thou falsest two
- O! ofte swore thou that thou woldest dye
- For love, whan thou ne feltest maladye
- Save foul delyt, which that thou callest love!1380
- If that I live, thy name shal be shove
- In English, that thy sleighte shal be knowe!
- Have at thee , Iasoun! now thyn horn is blowe!
- But certes, hit is bothe routhe and wo
- That love with false loveres werketh so;1385
- For they shul have wel better chere
- Than he that hath his love ful dere,[ ](20)
- Or had in armes many a blody box .
- For ever as tendre a capoun the fox,[ ]
- Thogh he be fals and hath the foul betrayed,1390
- As shal the good-man that ther-for payed.[ ]
- to the capoun skille and right,
- The false fox wol have his part at night.
- On Iasoun this ensample is wel y-sene[ ]
- By Isiphile and Medea the quene.1395
-
- In Tessalye, telleth us,[ ]
- Ther was a that highte Pelleus,[ ](30)
- That had a brother, which that highte Eson ;
- And, whan for age he mighte unnethes gon,
- He yaf to Pelleus the governing1400
- Of al his regne, and made him lord and king.
- Of which Eson this Iasoun geten was,
- That, in his tyme, in al that lond, ther nas
- Nat swich a famous knight of gentilesse,
- , and .1405
- After his fader deeth, he bar him so
- That ther nas noon that liste been his fo,(40)
- But dide him al honour and companye;
- Of which this Pelleus hath greet envye,
- Imagining that Iasoun mighte be1410
- Enhaunsed so, and put in swich degree
- With love of lordes of his regioun,
- That from his regne he may be put adoun.
- And in his wit, a-night, compassed he
- How Iasoun mighte best destroyed be1415
- Withoute slaunder of his compasment.
- And at the laste he took avisement(50)
- To him in-to som fer contree
- Ther as this Iasoun may destroyed be.
- This was his wit; al made he to Iasoun[ ]1420
- Gret chere of love and of affeccioun,
- For drede lest his lordes hit espyde.
- So fil hit so, as fame renneth wyde,
- Ther was swich tyding over-al and swich los,
- That in an yle that called was Colcos ,1425
- Beyonde Troye, estward in the see,
- That was a ram, that men mighte see,(60)
- That had a flees of gold, that shoon so brighte,
- That no-wher was ther swich an-other sighte;
- But hit was kept alway with a dragoun,1430
- And many othere merveils, up and doun,
- And with two boles, maked al of bras,
- That spitten fyr, and thing ther was.
- But this was eek the tale, nathelees,
- That who-so wolde winne thilke flees,1435
- He moste bothe, or he hit winne mighte,
- With the boles and the dragoun fighte;(70)
- And king lord was of that yle.[ ]
-
- This Pelleus bethoghte upon this wyle;
- That he his nevew Iasoun wolde enhorte1440
- To sailen to that lond, him to disporte,
- And seide, ‘Nevew, if hit mighte be
- That swich worship mighte fallen thee,
- That thou this famous tresor winne,
- And hit my regioun with-inne,1445
- Hit were to me gret plesaunce and honour;
- Than were I holde to quyte thy labour.[ ](80)
- And al the I wol my-selven make;
- And what folk that thou wilt with thee take;
- Lat see now, darstow taken this viage?’1450
- Iasoun was yong, and lusty of corage,
- And under-took to doon this empryse.
-
- Anoon Argus his shippes gan devyse;
- With Iasoun wente the stronge Ercules,
- And many an-other that he with him chees.1455
- But who-so axeth who is with him gon,
- Lat him go Argonauticon,[ ](90)
- For he wol telle a tale long y-now.
- Philotetes anoon the sail up-drow,
- Whan the wind was good, and gan him hye1460
- Out of his contree called Tessalye.
- So long he sailed in the salte see
- Til in the aryved he—[ ]
- Al be this nat rehersed of Guido,
- Yet seith Ovyde in his Epistles so—1465
- And of this yle lady was and quene
- The faire yonge Isiphilee , the shene,(100)
- That whylom Thoas doghter was, the king .
-
- Isiphilee was goon in her playing;[ ]
- And, roming on the clyves by the see,1470
- Under a anoon espyed she
- Wher that the gan aryve.
- Of her goodnesse adoun she sendeth blyve
- To witen yif that any straunge wight
- With tempest thider were y-blowe a-night,1475
- To doon socour ; as was her usaunce
- To forthren every wight, and doon plesaunce(110)
- Of veray bountee and of curtesye.
-
- This messagere adoun him gan to hye,[ ]
- And fond Iasoun, and Ercules also,1480
- That in a to londe were y-go[ ]
- Hem to refresshen and to take the eyr.
- The morwening was and fair;
- And in his wey the messagere hem mette.
- Ful cunningly thise lordes two he grette,1485
- And dide his message, hem anoon
- Yif they were broken , or wo begoon,(120)
- Or hadde nede of lodesmen or vitaile;
- For socour they shulde no-thing faile,
- For hit was utterly the quenes wille.1490
-
- Iasoun answerde, mekely and stille,
- ‘My lady,’ quod he, ‘thanke I hertely
- Of hir goodnesse; us nedeth, trewely,
- No-thing as now, but that we wery be,
- And come for to pleye, out of the see,1495
- Til that the wind be better in our weye.’
-
- This lady rometh by the clif to pleye,(130)
- With her meynee, the stronde,
- And fynt this Iasoun and stonde,
- In spekinge of this thing, as I yow tolde.1500
-
- This Ercules and Iasoun gan beholde
- How that the quene hit was, and faire her grette
- Anon-right as they with this lady mette;
- And she took heed, and knew, by hir manere,
- By hir aray, by wordes and by chere,1505
- That were gentil-men, of greet degree.
- And to the castel with her ledeth she(140)
- Thise straunge folk, and doth hem greet honour,
- And axeth hem of travail and labour[ ]
- That they han suffred in the salte see;1510
- So that, within a day, or two, or three,
- She knew, folk that in his shippes be,
- That hit was Iasoun, ful of renomee,
- And Ercules, that had the grete los ,
- That soghten the aventures of Colcos;[ ]1515
- And dide hem honour more then before,
- And with hem deled ever lenger the more,(150)
- For they ben worthy folk, with-outen lees.
- And namely, with Ercules;
- To him her herte bar, he sholde be1520
- Sad, wys, and trewe, of wordes avisee,
- With-outen any other affeccioun
- Of love, or imaginacioun.
-
- This Ercules hath this Iasoun preysed,
- That to the sonne he hath him up ,1525
- That so trewe a man ther nas of love
- Under the of heven that is above;(160)
- And he was wys, hardy, secree, and riche.—[ ]
- Of thise three pointes ther nas noon him liche;[ ]
- Of freedom passed he, and lustihede,1530
- Alle tho that liven or ben dede;
- Ther-to so greet a gentil-man was he,
- And of Tessalie lykly king to be.[ ]
- Ther nas no lak, but that he was agast
- To love, and for to speke shamefast .1535
- hadde lever him-self to mordre, and dye[ ]
- Than that men shulde a lover him espye:—(170)
- ‘As wolde god that I had yive[ ]
- My blood and flesh, so that I mighte live,
- With the that he hadde o-wher a wyf1540
- For his estat; for swich a lusty lyf
- She sholde lede with this lusty knight!’
-
- And al this was compassed on the night
- Betwixe him Iasoun and this Ercules.
- Of thise two heer was a shrewed lees1545
- To come to hous upon an innocent;
- For to be-dote this queen was hir (180)
- And Iasoun is as coy as is a maide,
- He loketh pitously, but noght he saide,
- But frely yaf to her conseileres1550
- Yiftes grete, and to her officeres.[ ]
- As I leiser hadde, and tyme,[ ]
- By proces al his wowing for to ryme.
- But in this hous if any fals lover be,
- Right as him-self now doth, right so dide he,1555
- With feyning and with every sotil dede.
- Ye gete no more of me, but ye wil rede(190)
- Thoriginal , that telleth al the cas.
-
- The is this, that Iasoun wedded was
- Unto this quene, and took of her substaunce1560
- What-so him liste, unto his purveyaunce;
- And upon her begat he children two,
- And drow his sail, and saw her never-mo.
-
- A lettre sente she him certein,[ ]
- Which were to long to wryten and to sein,1565
- And him repreveth of his grete untrouthe,
- And preyeth him on her to have som routhe.(200)
- And of his children two, she seide him this,
- That be lyke, of alle thing, y-wis,
- To Iasoun, save they coude nat begyle;1570
- And preyed god, or hit were longe whyle,
- That she, that had his herte y-raft her fro,
- finden him to her untrewe al-so,
- And that she moste bothe her children spille,
- And alle tho that suffreth him his wille.1575
- And trew to Iasoun was she al her lyf,
- And ever kepte her chast, as for his wyf;(210)
- never had she Ioye at her herte,
- But dyed, for his love, of sorwes smerte.
Part II.
The Legend of Medea.
-
- To Colcos comen is this duk Iasoun,[ ]1580
- That is of love devourer and dragoun.[ ]
- As forme al-wey,[ ]
- And from forme forme hit passen may,
- Or as a welle that were botomlees,
- Right so can Iasoun have no pees.1585
- For, to desyren, through his appetyt,
- To doon with gentil wommen his delyt,(220)
- This is his lust and his felicitee.
-
- Iasoun is romed forth to the citee,
- That whylom cleped was ,[ ]1590
- That was the maister-toun of al Colcos,
- And hath y-told the cause of his coming
- Un-to , of that contre king,
- Preying him that he moste doon his assay[ ]
- To gete the flees of gold, if that he may;1595
- Of which the king assenteth to his bone,
- And doth him honour, as hit is to done,[ ](230)
- So ferforth, that his doghter and his eyr,
- Medea, which that was wys and
- That fairer saw ther never man with yë,1600
- He made her doon to Iasoun companye
- At mete, and sitte by him in the halle.
-
- Now was Iasoun a semely man with-alle,
- And lyk a lord, and had a greet renoun,
- And of his loke as real ,[ ]1605
- And goodly of his speche, and famulere,[ ]
- And coude of love al craft and art plenere(240)
- With-oute boke, with everich observaunce.
- And, as fortune her oghte a foul meschaunce,[ ]
- She wex enamoured upon this man.1610
-
- ‘Iasoun,’ quod she, ‘for ought I see or can,
- As of this thing the which ye been aboute,
- Ye your-self y-put in moche doute.
- For, who-so wol this aventure acheve,
- He may nat wel asterten, as I leve,1615
- With-outen deeth, but I his helpe be.
- But natheles, hit is my wille,’ quod she,[ ](250)
- ‘To forthren yow, so that ye shal nat dye,
- But turnen, sound, hoom to your Tessalye.’
-
- ‘My righte lady,’ quod this Iasoun tho,[ ]1620
- ‘That ye han of my dethe or of my wo
- Any reward, and doon me this honour,
- I wot wel that my might ne my labour
- May nat deserve hit in my lyves day;
- God thanke yow, ther I ne can ne may.1625
- Your man am I, and you beseche,
- To been my help, with-oute more speche;(260)
- But certes, for my deeth shal I nat spare.’
-
- Tho gan this Medea to him declare
- The peril of this cas, fro point to point,1630
- of his batail, and in what disioint
- He mote stande, of which no creature,
- Save only she, ne mighte his lyf assure.
- And shortly, for to go,
- They been accorded ful, betwix hem two,1635
- That Iasoun shal her wedde, as trewe knight;
- And term y-set, to come sone at night(270)
- Unto her chambre, and make ther his ooth,
- Upon the goddes, that he, for leef ne looth,[ ]
- Ne sholde her never falsen, night ne day,1640
- To been her husbond, whyl he liven may,
- As she that from his deeth him .
- they mette y-fere,
- And doth his ooth, and goth with her to bedde.
- And on the morwe, upward he him spedde;1645
- For she hath taught him how he shal nat faile
- The flees to winne, and stinten his bataile;(280)
- And saved him his lyf and his honour;
- And him greet name as a conquerour
- Right through the sleight of her enchantement.1650
-
- Now hath Iasoun the flees, and hoom is went
- With Medea, and ful gret woon.
- But unwist of her fader is she goon
- To Tessaly, with duk Iasoun her leef,
- That afterward hath broght her to mescheef.1655
- For as a traitour he is from her go,
- And with her lafte yonge children two,(290)
- And falsly hath betrayed her, allas!
- And ever in love a traitour he was;
- And wedded yit the thridde wyf anon,1660
- That was doghter of the king Creon.[ ]
-
- This is the meed of loving and guerdon[ ]
- That Medea received of Iasoun
- Right for her trouthe and for her kindenesse,
- That loved him better than her-self, I gesse,1665
- And lafte her fader and her heritage.
- And of Iasoun this is vassalage ,(300)
- That, in his dayes, nas noon y-founde
- So fals a lover going on the grounde.
- And therfor in her lettre thus she seyde1670
- First, whan she ,
- ‘Why lyked me thy yelow heer to see
- More then the boundes of myn honestee,
- Why lyked me thy youthe and thy fairnesse,
- And of thy tonge the infinit graciousnesse?1675
- O, haddest thou in thy conquest deed y-be,
- Ful mikel untrouthe had ther dyed with thee!’(310)
-
- Wel can Ovyde her lettre in vers endyte,
- Which were as now to long for me to wryte.
Explicit Legenda Ysiphile et Medee, Martirum.
V.
THE LEGEND OF LUCRETIA.
Incipit Legenda Lucrecie Rome, martiris.
-
- Now moot I seyn the exiling of kinges[ ]1680
- Of Rome, for hir horrible ,[ ]
- of the laste king Tarquinius,
- As saith Ovyde and Titus Livius.
- But for that cause telle I nat this storie,[ ]
- But to preise and drawen to memorie1685
- The verray wyf, the verray Lucresse,
- That, for her wyfhood and her stedfastnesse,
- Nat only that thise payens her comende,
- But , that cleped is in our legende(10)
- The grete Austin, hath greet compassioun[ ]1690
- Of this Lucresse, that starf at Rome toun;
- And in what wyse, I wol but shortly trete,
- And of this I touche but the grete.
-
- Whan Ardea beseged was aboute[ ]
- With Romains, that ful sterne were and stoute,1695
- Ful longe lay the sege, and litel ,[ ]
- So that they were half ydel, as hem ;
- And in his pley Tarquinius the yonge[ ]
- Gan for to iape, for he was light of tonge,(20)
- And seyde, that ‘it was an ydel lyf;1700
- No man did ther more than his wyf;
- And lat us speke of wyves, that is best;
- Praise every man his owne, as him lest,
- And with our speche lat us ese our herte.’
-
- A knight, that Colatyne, up sterte,[ ]1705
- And seyde thus, ‘nay, for hit is no nede
- To trowen on the word, but on the dede.[ ]
- I have a wyf,’ quod he, ‘that, as I trowe,[ ]
- Is holden good of alle that ever her knowe;(30)
- Go we to-night to , and we shul see.’1710
-
- Tarquinius answerde, ‘that lyketh me.’[ ]
- To Rome be they come, and faste hem dighte
- To Colatynes hous, and doun they lighte,
- Tarquinius, and eek this Colatyne.
- The husbond knew the wel and fyne,[ ]1715
- prively into the hous they goon;[ ]
- Nor at the gate porter was ther noon;
- And at the chambre-dore they .
- This noble wyf sat by her beddes syde(40)
- , for no malice she ne thoghte;[ ]1720
- And softe wolle that she wroghte[ ]
- To kepen her fro slouthe and ydelnesse;
- And bad her servants doon hir businesse,
- And axeth hem, ‘what tydings heren ye?
- How men of the sege, how shal hit be?1725
- God wolde the walles weren falle adoun;
- Myn husbond is longe out of this toun,
- For which the dreed doth me so smerte,
- Right as a hit stingeth to myn [ ](50)
- Whan I think on the or of that ;1730
- God save lord, I preye him for his grace:’—
- And ther-with-al ful tenderly she weep,[ ]
- And of her werk she took no more keep,
- But mekely she leet eyen falle;
- And thilke semblant sat her wel with-alle.1735
- And eek her teres, ful of honestee,
- Embelisshed her wyfly ;
- Her countenaunce is to her herte digne,
- For they acordeden in dede and signe.(60)
- And with that word her husbond Colatyn,[ ]1740
- Or she of him was war, com sterting in,
- And seide, ‘dreed thee noght, for I am here!’
- And she anoon up roos, with blisful chere,
- And him, as of wyves is the wone.
-
- Tarquinius, this proude kinges sone,[ ]1745
- Conceived hath her beautee and her chere,
- Her yelow heer, her , and her manere,
- Her hew, her wordes that she hath compleyned,
- And by no crafte her beautee nat feyned;(70)
- And caughte to this lady swich desyr,1750
- That in his herte as any fyr
- So woodly, that his wit was forgeten.
- For wel, thoghte he, she sholde nat be geten
- And ay the more he was in dispair,
- The more he coveteth and thoghte her fair.1755
- His blinde lust was al his covetinge.
-
- A-morwe, whan the brid began to singe,
- Unto the sege he comth ful privily,
- And by himself he walketh sobrely,(80)
- of her recording alwey newe;1760
- ‘Thus lay her heer, and thus fresh was her hewe;
- Thus sat, thus spak, thus span; this was her chere,
- fair she was, and was her manere.’
- Al this conceit his herte hath y-take.
- And, as the see, with tempest al to-shake ,1765
- , after whan the storm is al ago,
- Yet wol the water quappe a day or two,
- Right so, thogh that her forme wer absent,
- The plesaunce of her forme was present;(90)
- natheles, nat plesaunce, but delyt,1770
- Or an unrightful talent with despyt;[ ]
- ‘For, maugre her, she shal my lemman be;
- Hap helpeth hardy man ,’ quod he;[ ]
- ‘What ende that I make, hit shal be so;’[ ]
- And girt him with his swerde, and gan to go;[ ]1775
- And til he to Rome is come,
- And al aloon his wey than hath he nome
- Unto the house of Colatyn ful right.
- Doun was the sonne, and day hath lost his light;(100)
- And in he com un-to a privy halke ,1780
- And in the night ful theefly gan he stalke ,
- Whan every night was to his reste broght,
- Ne no wight had of tresoun swich a thoght.
- Were by window or by other gin,
- With swerde y-drawe, shortly he comth in1785
- Ther as she lay, this noble wyf Lucresse.
- And, as she wook, her bed she presse.
- ‘What beste is that,’ quod she, ‘that weyeth thus?’
- ‘I am the kinges sone, Tarquinius,’(110)
- Quod he, ‘but and thou crye, or noise make,1790
- Or if thou any creature awake,
- By thilke god that formed man on lyve,
- This swerd thyn herte shal I ryve.’
- And ther-withal unto her throte he sterte,
- And sette the al sharp upon her herte.1795
- No word she spak, she hath no might therto.
- What shal she sayn? her wit is al ago.
- Right as a wolf that a lomb aloon,[ ]
- To whom shal she compleyne, or make moon?(120)
- What! shal she fighte with an hardy knight?[ ]1800
- Wel wot men a woman hath no might.
- What! shal she crye, or how shal she
- That hath her by the throte, with swerde at herte?
- She axeth grace, and al that she can.
- ‘Ne wolt thou nat,’ quod , this cruel man,1805
- ‘As wisly Iupiter my soule save,
- I shal in the stable slee thy knave,
- And leye him in thy bed, and loude crye,
- That I thee finde in suche ;(130)
- And thus thou shalt be deed, and also lese1810
- Thy name, for thou shalt chese.’
-
- Thise Romain wyves loveden so hir name[ ]
- At thilke tyme, and dredden so the shame,
- That, what for fere of slaundre and drede of deeth,
- She loste at-ones wit and breeth,1815
- And in a swough she lay and so deed,
- Men mighte smyten of her arm or heed;
- She feleth no-thing, neither foul ne fair.
-
- Tarquinius, that art a kinges eyr,(140)
- And sholdest, as by linage and by right,1820
- Doon as a lord and as a knight,
- Why hastow doon dispyt to chivalrye?
- Why hastow doon lady vilanye?
- Allas! of thee this was a dede!
-
- But now purpos; in the story I rede,1825
- Whan he was goon, al this mischaunce is falle.
- This lady sente after her frendes alle,[ ]
- Fader, moder, husbond, al y-fere;
- And dischevele, with her heres clere,(150)
- In habit swich as women used tho1830
- Unto the burying of her frendes go,
- She sit in halle with a sorweful sighte.
- Her frendes axen what her aylen mighte,
- And who was deed? And she sit ay wepinge,
- A word for shame ne may she forth out-bringe,1835
- Ne upon hem she dorste nat beholde.
- But atte laste of Tarquiny she hem tolde,[ ]
- This rewful cas, and al this thing horrible.
- The wo to tellen hit were impossible,(160)
- That she and alle her frendes atones.1840
- Al hadde folkes hertes been of stones,
- Hit mighte have maked hem upon her rewe,
- Her herte was so wyfly and so trewe.
- She seide, that, for her gilt ne for her blame,
- Her husbond sholde nat have the foule name,1845
- , by no wey.
- And they answerden alle, hir fey,[ ]
- That they foryeve hit her, for hit was right;
- Hit was no gilt, hit lay nat in her might;(170)
- And seiden her ensamples many oon.1850
- But al for noght; for thus she seide anoon,
- ‘Be as be may,’ quod she, ‘of forgiving,
- I wol nat have no forgift for no-thing.’
- But prively she caughte forth a knyf,
- And therwith-al she rafte her-self her lyf;1855
- And as she fel adoun, she caste her look,[ ]
- And of her clothes yit took;[ ]
- For in her falling yit she hadde care
- Lest that her feet or swiche thing lay bare;[ ](180)
- So wel she loved clennesse and eek trouthe.[ ]1860
-
- Of her had al the toun of Rome routhe,
- And Brutus swore
- That Tarquin sholde y-banisht be ther-fore,
- And al his kin; and let the peple calle,
- And openly the tale he tolde hem alle,1865
- And openly let carie her on a bere
- Through al the toun, that men may see and here
- The horrible deed of her oppressioun.
- Ne never was ther king in Rome toun(190)
- Sin thilke day; and she was holden there1870
- A seint, and ever her day y-halwed dere[ ]
- As in hir lawe: and thus endeth Lucresse,
- The noble wyf, Titus bereth witnesse.
-
- I tell hit, for she was of love so trewe,
- Ne in her wille she chaunged for no newe.1875
- And stable herte, sad and kinde,
- That in these women men may alday finde;
- Ther as they caste hir herte, ther hit dwelleth.
- For wel I wot, that Crist telleth,(200)
- That in Israel, as wyd as is the lond,[ ]1880
- That so gret feith in al the lond he ne fond[ ]
- As in a woman; this is no lye.
- And as of , loketh which tirannye[ ]
- They doon alday; assay hem who so liste,
- The trewest is ful brotel for to triste.1885
Explicit Legenda Lucrecie Rome, Martiris.[ ]
VI.
THE LEGEND OF ARIADNE.
Incipit Legenda Adriane de Athenes.
-
- Iuge infernal, Minos, of king,
- Now cometh thy lot, now comestow on the ring;
- Nat only wryte I this storie,
- But for to clepe agein unto memorie
- Of Theseus the grete of love;1890
- For which the goddes of heven above
- Ben wrothe, and wreche han take for thy sinne.
- Be reed for shame! now I thy lyf beginne.
-
- Minos, that was the mighty king of ,
- That an hundred citees stronge and grete,[ ]1895
- To scole hath sent his sone Androgeus,[ ](11)
- To Athenes; of the whiche hit thus,
- That he was slayn, lerning philosophye,
- Right in that citee, nat but for envye.
-
- The grete Minos, of the whiche I speke,[ ]1900
- His sones deeth is comen for to wreke;
- he bisegeth harde and longe.[ ]
- But natheles the walles be so stronge,
- And Nisus , that was king of that citee,
- So chivalrous, that litel dredeth he;1905
- Of Minos or his ost took he no cure,(21)
- Til on a day befel an aventure,
- That Nisus doghter stood upon the wal,[ ]
- And of the sege saw the maner al.
- So hit, that, at a scarmishing,1910
- She caste her herte upon Minos the king,
- For his beautee and his chivalrye,
- So sore, that she wende for to dye.
- And, shortly of this proces for to pace,
- She made Minos winnen thilke place,1915
- So that the citee was al at his wille,(31)
- To saven whom him list, or elles spille;
- But wikkedly he quitte her kindenesse,
- And let her drenche in sorowe and distresse,
- Nere that the goddes hadde of her pite;1920
- But that tale were to long as now for me.
-
- Athenes wan this king Minos also,[ ]
- And and other tounes mo;
- this theffect, that Minos hath so driven
- Hem of Athenes, they mote him yiven[ ]1925
- Fro yere to yere her owne children dere(41)
- For to be slayn, .
-
- This Minos hath a monstre, a wikked beste,[ ]
- That was so cruel that, without areste,
- Whan that a man was broght his presence,1930
- He wolde him ete, ther helpeth no defence.
- And every thridde , with-outen doute,[ ]
- They casten lot, , as hit com aboute
- On riche, pore, he moste his sone take,
- And of his child he moste present make1935
- Unto , to save him or to spille,(51)
- Or lete his beste devoure him at his wille.
- And this hath don, right in despyt;
- To wreke his sone was set al his delyt,
- maken hem of Athenes his thral1940
- Fro yere to yere, whyl he liven shal;
- And hoom he saileth whan this toun is wonne.
- This wikked custom is so longe y-ronne
- Til of Athenes king Egeus
- sende his owne sone, Theseus,1945
- Sith that the lot is fallen him upon,(61)
- To be devoured, for grace is ther non.
- And forth is this woful yonge knight
- Unto the of king Minos ful right,
- And in a prison, fetered, cast is he1950
- Til tyme he sholde y-freten be.
-
- Wel maystow wepe, O woful Theseus,
- That art a kinges sone, and dampned thus.
- Me thinketh this, that thou y-holde[ ]
- To that saved thee fro cares colde!1955
- And now, if any woman helpe thee,(71)
- Wel oughtestow her servant for to be,
- And been her trewe lover yeer by yere!
- But now to come ageyn to my matere.
-
- The tour, ther this Theseus is throwe[ ]1960
- Doun in the botom derke and wonder lowe,
- Was ioyning the walle to a foreyne ;
- And hit was longing to the doghtren tweyne
- Of Minos, that in hir chambres grete
- Dwelten above, the maister-strete ,1965
- In , in Ioye and in solas.[ ](81)
- I nat how, hit happed ther, per cas,
- As Theseus compleyned him by nighte,
- The kinges doghter, highte,[ ]
- And eek her suster Phedra, herden al1970
- His , as they stode on the wal
- And upon the brighte mone;
- Hem leste nat go to bedde sone.
- And of his wo they had compassioun;
- A kinges sone to ben in swich prisoun1975
- And be devoured, thoughte hem gret pitee.(91)
-
- Than Adrian spak to her suster free,
- And seyde, ‘Phedra, leve suster dere,
- This woful lordes sone may ye nat here,
- How pitously compleyneth his kin,1980
- And eek his pore estat that he is in,
- And gilteless? , hit is routhe!
- And if ye wol assenten, by my trouthe,
- He shal be holpen, how so that we do!’
-
- Phedra answerde, ‘y-wis, me is as wo1985
- For him as ever I was for any man;(101)
- And, to his help, the beste reed can
- Is that we doon the gayler prively
- To come, and speke with us hastily,
- And doon this woful man with him to come.[ ]1990
- For if he may monstre overcome,
- Than were he quit ; ther is noon other bote.
- Lat us wel taste him at his herte-rote,
- That, if so be that he a wepen have,
- Wher that he dar, and save,1995
- Fighten with this fend, and him defende.[ ](111)
- For, in the prison, he shal descende,[ ]
- Ye , that the beste is in a place
- That nis nat derk, and hath roum eek and
- To welde an ax or swerd or staf or knyf,2000
- So that, me thinketh, he sholde save his lyf;
- If that he be a man, he shal do so.
- And we shul make balles eek also
- Of wexe and towe, that, whan he gapeth faste,[ ]
- Into the bestes throte he shal hem caste2005
- To slake his hunger and encombre his teeth;(121)
- And right anon, that Theseus seeth
- The beste , he shal on him lepe
- To sleen him, or they comen more .[ ]
- This wepen shal the gayler, or that tyde,2010
- Ful privily within the prison hyde;
- And, for the hous is to and fro,[ ]
- And hath so queinte weyes for to go—
- For hit is shapen as the mase is wroght—
- Therto have I remedie in my thoght,2015
- That, by a of twyne, as he hath goon,(131)
- The same wey he may returne anoon,
- Folwing alwey the threed, as he hath come.
- And, whan that he this hath overcome,
- Then may he fleen awey out of this ,[ ]2020
- And eek the gayler may he with him lede,
- And him avaunce at hoom in his contree,
- Sin that so greet a lordes sone is he.
- This is my reed, if that he dar hit take.’
-
- What sholde I lenger of hit make?2025
- The gayler cometh, and with him Theseus.(141)
- whan thise thinges been acorded thus,
- sit Theseus upon his knee:—[ ]
- ‘The righte lady of my lyf,’ quod he,
- ‘I, sorweful man, y-dampned to the deeth,2030
- Fro yow, that me lasteth lyf or breeth,
- I wol nat twinne, after this aventure,
- But in your servise thus I endure,
- That, as a wrecche unknowe, I wol yow serve
- For , til that myn herte sterve.2035
- Forsake I wol at hoom myn heritage,(151)
- And, as I seide, ben of your court a page,[ ]
- If that ye vouche-sauf that, in this place,
- Ye graunte me to han grace
- That I may han nat but my mete and drinke;2040
- And for my sustenance yit wol I swinke ,
- Right as yow list, that Minos ne no wight—
- Sin that he saw me never with eyen sight—
- Ne no man elles, shal me conne espye;[ ]
- So slyly and so wel I shal me gye,2045
- And wel disfigure and so lowe,(161)
- That in this world ther shal no man me knowe,
- To han my lyf, and to han presence[ ]
- Of yow, that doon to me this excellence.
- And to my fader shal I senden here2050
- This worthy man, that is your gaylere,[ ]
- guerdon, that he shal wel be[ ]
- Oon of the grettest men of my contree.
- And yif I dorste seyn, my lady bright,
- I am a kinges sone, and eek a knight;2055
- As wolde god, yif that hit mighte be(171)
- Ye weren in my contree, alle three,
- And I with yow, to bere yow companye,
- Than shulde ye seen yif that I ther-of lye!
- And, I profre yow in low manere2060
- To ben your page and serven yow right here,
- But I yow serve as lowly in that place,
- I prey to Mars to yive me swiche grace[ ]
- That shames on me ther mote falle,
- And deeth and to my frendes alle;[ ]2065
- And that my spirit by nighte mote go[ ](181)
- After my deeth, and walke to and fro;
- That I mote of a have a name,
- For which my spirit , to do me shame!
- And yif claime other degree ,2070
- ye vouche-sauf to yive hit me,
- As I have seid, of shames deeth I deye![ ]
- And mercy, lady! I can seye!’
-
- A seemly knight was to see,
- And yong, but of a twenty yeer and three;[ ]2075
- But who-so hadde y-seyn his countenaunce,(191)
- He wolde have wept, for routhe of his penaunce;
- For which this Adriane in this manere
- Answerde to his profre and to his chere.
-
- ‘A kinges sone, and eek knight,’ quod she,2080
- ‘To been my servant in so low degree,
- God shilde hit , for the shame of women alle!
- And me never swich a cas befalle![ ]
- sende yow grace and sleighte of herte also,
- Yow to defende and knightly your fo,2085
- And herafter that I may yow finde[ ](201)
- To me and to my suster here so kinde,
- That repente nat to give yow lyf!
- Yit were hit better I were your wyf,[ ]
- Sin ye been as gentil born as I,2090
- And have a nat but faste by,
- Then that I suffred yow to sterve,
- Or that I let yow as a page serve;
- Hit is not profit, as unto your kinrede;[ ]
- But what is that nil do for drede?2095
- And to my suster, sin that hit is so(211)
- That she mot goon with me, if that I go,
- Or elles suffre deeth as wel as I,
- That ye unto your sone as trewely
- Doon her wedded at your hoom-coming .2100
- This is the fynal ende of al this thing;
- Ye swere hit heer, al that may be sworn.’
-
- ‘Ye, lady myn,’ quod he, ‘or elles torn
- Mote I be with the Minotaur to-morwe!
- And haveth her-of my herte-blood to borwe ,2105
- Yif that ye wile; if I had knyf or spere,(221)
- I wolde hit out, and ther-on swere,[ ]
- For than at erst I wot ye wil me leve.
- By Mars, that is cheef of my bileve,
- So that I mighte liven and nat faile2110
- To-morwe for my bataile,
- I nolde never fro this place flee,
- Til that ye shuld the verray see.
- For now, if that the sooth I shal yow say,
- I have yow ful many a day,2115
- Though ye ne wiste nat, in my contree.(231)
- And aldermost desyred yow to see
- Of any erthly living creature;
- Upon my trouthe I swere, and yow ,
- Thise seven yeer I have your servant be;2120
- Now have I yow, and also have ye me,
- My dere herte, of Athenes duchesse !’
-
- This lady smyleth at his stedfastnesse,
- And at his wordes, and his chere,
- And to her suster seide in this manere,2125
- softely, ‘now, suster myn,’ quod she,(241)
- ‘Now be we duchesses, bothe I and ye,
- And sikered to the regals of Athenes,[ ]
- And bothe her-after lykly to be quenes,
- And saved fro his deeth a kinges sone,2130
- As ever of gentil women is the wone
- To save a gentil man, emforth hir might ,
- In honest cause, and namely in his right.
- Me thinketh no wight oghte ,[ ]
- Ne beren us ther-for an evel name.’2135
-
- And shortly of this matere for to make,(251)
- This Theseus of her hath leve y-take,
- And every point was in dede
- As ye have in covenant herd me rede.
- His wepen, his clew, his thing that I have said,2140
- Was by the gayler in the hous y-laid
- Ther as this Minotaur hath his dwelling,
- Right faste by the dore, at his entring.
- And Theseus is lad unto his deeth,
- And forth un-to this Minotaur he geeth ,2145
- And by the teching of this Adriane(261)
- He overcom this beste, and was his bane;
- And out he cometh by the clewe again
- Ful prevely, whan he this hath slain;
- And by the a barge,2150
- And of his wyves tresor gan charge,
- And took his wyf, and eek her suster free,
- And eek the , and with hem alle three
- Is stole awey out of the lond by nighte,
- And to the contre of him dighte[ ]2155
- Ther as he had a frend of his knowinge.(271)
- Ther festen they, ther dauncen they and singe;
- And in his armes hath this Adriane,
- That of the beste hath kept him from his bane;
- And gat him ther a barge anoon,2160
- And of his contree-folk a gret woon ,
- And taketh his leve, and hoomward saileth he.
- And in an yle , amid the wilde see,
- Ther as ther creature noon
- Save wilde bestes, and that ful many oon,2165
- He made his ship a-londe for to sette;(281)
- And in yle half a day he lette ,
- And seide, that on the lond he moste him reste.
- His mariners han doon right as him leste;
- And, for to tellen shortly in this cas,2170
- Whan Adriane his wyf a-slepe was,
- For that her suster fairer was than she,
- He taketh her in his hond, and forth goth he
- To shippe, and as a traitour stal his way
- Whyl that this Adriane a-slepe lay,2175
- And to his contree-ward he saileth blyve—(291)
- A twenty devil way the wind him dryve!—
- And fond his fader drenched in the see.
-
- Me list no more to speke of him, parde;
- Thise false lovers, poison be hir bane!2180
- But I wol turne again to Adriane
- That is with slepe for werinesse [ ]
- Ful sorwefully her herte may awake.
- Allas! for thee my herte hath pite!
- Right in the dawening awaketh she,2185
- And in the bedde, and fond right noght.[ ](301)
- ‘Allas!’ quod she, ‘that ever I was wroght!
- I am betrayed!’ and heer to-rente,
- And to the stronde bar-fot faste she wente,[ ]
- And cryed, ‘Theseus! myn herte swete!2190
- Wher be ye, that I may nat with yow mete,
- And mighte thus with bestes been y-slain?’[ ]
-
- The holwe rokkes answerde her again;[ ]
- No man she saw, and yit the mone,[ ]
- And hye upon a rokke she wente sone,2195[ ]
- And saw his barge sailing in the see.(311)
- Cold wex her herte, and right thus seide she.
- ‘Meker than ye finde I the bestes wilde!’[ ]
- he nat sinne, that her thus begylde?
- She cryed, ‘O turne again, for routhe and sinne!2200[ ]
- barge hath nat al his meiny inne!’
- Her kerchef on a pole up stikked she,[ ]
- that he sholde hit wel y-see,
- And him remembre that she was behinde,
- And turne again, and on the stronde her finde;2205
- But al for noght; his wey he is .(321)
- And doun she fil a-swown a stoon;
- And up she rist, and , in al her care,[ ]
- The steppes of his feet, ther he hath fare,
- And to her bedde right thus speketh tho:—2210
- ‘Thou bed,’ quod she, ‘that hast receyved two,
- Thou shalt answere of two, and nat of oon!
- Wher is gretter part away y-goon?
- Allas! wher shal I , wight, become!
- For , thogh so be that ship or boot ,2215
- Hoom to my contree dar I nat for drede;(331)
- I can in this cas nat rede!’
-
- What shal I telle more her compleining?
- Hit is so long, hit were an hevy thing.
- In her epistle Naso telleth al;2220
- But shortly to the ende shal.
- The goddes have her holpen, for pitee;
- And, in the signe of Taurus, men may see[ ]
- The stones of her coroun shyne clere.—
-
- I wol no more speke of this matere;2225
- But thus can begyle(341)
- trewe love. The devil quyte him his whyle !
Explicit Legenda Adriane de Athenes.
VII.
THE LEGEND OF PHILOMELA.
Title.FromF.After which,F.has Deus dator formatorum; B.has Deus dator formarum.
Incipit Legenda Philomene.
Deus dator formarum.
-
- Thou yiver of the formes, that hast wroght[ ]
- The faire world, and bare hit in thy thoght
- Eternally, or thou thy werk began,2230
- Why madest thou, unto the slaundre of man,
- Or—al be that hit was not thy doing,
- As for that to make swiche a thing—
- Why suffrest thou that Tereus was bore,
- That is in love so fals and so forswore,2235
- That, fro this world up to the firste hevene,
- Corrumpeth, whan that folk his name nevene?(10)[ ]
- And, as to me , so grisly was his dede,
- That, whan that I foule story rede,
- Myn eyen wexen foule and sore also;2240
- Yit the venim of so longe ago,
- That hit enfecteth him that beholde
- The story of , of which I tolde.[ ]
-
- Of Trace was he lord, and kin to Marte,[ ]
- The cruel god that stant with blody darte;2245
- And wedded had he, with blisful chere,
- King Pandiones faire doghter dere,(20)[ ]
- That highte Progne, flour of her contree,
- Thogh Iuno nat at the feste be,[ ]
- Ne Ymeneus, that god of wedding is;2250
- But at the feste redy been, y-wis,
- The furies three, with alle hir mortel
- The owle al night aboute the balkes ,[ ]
- That prophet is of wo and of mischaunce.
- This revel, ful of songe and ful of daunce,2255
- a fourtenight, or litel lasse.[ ]
- But, shortly of this story for to passe,(30)
- For I am wery of him for to telle,
- Five yeer his wyf and he togeder dwelle,[ ]
- Til on a day she gan so sore longe2260
- To seen her suster, that she saw nat longe ,
- That for desyr she niste what to seye.
- But to her husband gan she for to preye,
- For goddes love, that she moste ones goon
- Her suster for to seen, and come anoon ,2265
- Or elles , but she moste to her wende,
- She preyde him, that he wolde after her sende;(40)
- And this was, day by day, al her prayere
- With al humblesse of wyfhood, word, and chere.
-
- This Tereus let make his shippes yare,[ ]2270
- And into Grece him-self is forth y-fare
- Unto his fader in lawe, and gan him preye
- To vouche-sauf that, for a month or tweye,
- That Philomene, his wyves suster, mighte
- On Progne his wyf but ones have a sighte—2275
- ‘And she shal come to yow again anoon.
- Myself with wol bothe come and goon,(50)
- And as myn hertes lyf I wol her kepe.’
-
- This olde Pandion, this king, gan wepe
- For tendernesse of herte, for to leve2280
- His doghter goon, and for to yive her leve;
- Of al this world he no-thing so;[ ]
- But at the laste leve hath she to go.
- For Philomene, with salte teres eke,
- Gan her fader grace to beseke2285
- To seen her suster, that her ;
- And him embraceth with her armes two.(60)
- And therwith-al so yong and fair was she
- That, whan that Terëus saw her beautee,
- And of array that ther was noon her liche,2290
- And yit of was she two so riche,
- He caste his fyry herte upon her so
- That he wol have her, how so that hit go,
- And with his wyles kneled and so ,
- Til at the laste Pandion thus seyde:—2295
-
- ‘Now, sone,’ quod he, ‘that art to me so dere,
- I thee betake my yonge doghter ,(70)
- That bereth the key of al my hertes lyf.
- And grete wel my doghter and thy wyf,
- And yive her leve somtyme for to pleye,2300
- That she may seen me ones I deye.’
- And soothly, he hath mad him riche feste,
- And to his folk, the moste and eek the leste,
- That with him com; and yaf him yiftes grete,
- And him conveyeth through the maister-strete2305
- Of Athenes, and to the see him broghte,
- And turneth hoom; no malice he ne thoghte.(80)
-
- The ores pulleth forth the vessel faste,[ ]
- And into Trace arriveth at the laste,
- And up into a forest he her ledde,2310
- And a cave privily him spedde;
- And, in this derke cave, yif her leste,[ ]
- Or leste noght, he bad her for to reste;
- Of whiche her herte , and seyde thus,
- ‘Wher is my suster, brother Tereus?’2315
- And therwith-al she tenderly,
- And quook for fere, pale and pitously,(90)
- Right as the lamb that of the wolf is biten;
- Or as the colver, that the egle is smiten,
- And is out of clawes forth escaped,2320
- Yet hit is afered and awhaped
- Lest hit be hent eft-sones, so sat she.
- But utterly hit may non other be.
- By force hath , this traitour, doon that dede,
- That he hath reft her of maydenhede,2325
- Maugree her heed, by strengthe and by his might.
- Lo! here a dede of men, and that a right!(100)
- She cryeth ‘suster!’ with ful stevene,
- And ‘fader dere!’ and ‘help me, god in hevene!’
- Al helpeth nat; yet this false theef2330
- Hath doon this lady yet a more mischeef,
- For lest she sholde his shame crye,
- And doon him openly a vilanye,
- And with his swerd her tong of he,
- And in a castel made her for to be2335
- Ful privily in prison evermore,
- And kepte her to his usage and his store,(110)
- So that she him nevermore asterte.
- O sely Philomene! wo thyn herte;
- God wreke thee, and sende thee thy bone!2340
- Now is hit tyme I make an ende sone.
-
- This Tereus is to his wyf y-come,[ ]
- And in his armes hath his wyf y-nome,
- And pitously he weep, and shook his heed,
- And swor her that he her suster deed;2345
- For which sely Progne hath swich wo,
- That ny her sorweful herte brak a-two;(120)
- And thus in teres lete I Progne dwelle,
- And of her suster forth I wol yow telle.
-
- This woful lady had in youthe2350
- So that she werken and enbrouden couthe,
- And weven in stole the radevore
- As hit of women hath be woned .
- And, shortly for to seyn, she hath her fille
- Of mete and drink, clothing at her wille,2355
- And eek rede, and wel y-nogh endyte,
- But with a penne nat wryte;(130)
- But lettres can she weven to and fro,
- So that , by the yeer was a-go,
- She had in a stamin large2360
- How she was brought from Athenes in a barge,
- And in a cave how that she was brought;
- And al the thing that Tereus hath wroght,
- She hit wel, and wroot the story above,
- How she was served for her suster love;2365
- And to a knave a ring she yaf anoon,
- And prayed him, by signes, for to goon(140)
- Unto the quene, and beren her that clooth,
- And by swor him many an ooth,
- She sholde him yeve what she geten mighte.2370
-
- This knave anoon unto the quene him dighte,
- And took hit her, and al the maner tolde.
- And, whan that Progne hath this thing beholde,[ ]
- No word she spak, for sorwe and eek for rage;
- But feyned her to goon pilgrimage2375
- To Bachus temple; and, in a litel stounde,
- Her dombe suster sitting hath she founde,(150)
- Weping in the castel aloon.
- Allas! the wo, the compleint , and the moon
- That Progne upon her dombe suster maketh!2380
- In armes everich of hem other taketh,
- And thus I lete hem in hir sorwe dwelle.
-
- The remenant is no charge for to telle,[ ]
- For this is al and som, thus was she served,
- That never harm a-gilte ne deserved2385
- Unto this cruel man, that she of wiste.
- Ye may be war of men, yif that yow liste.(160)
- For, al be that he wol nat, for shame,
- Doon as Tereus, to lese his name,
- Ne serve yow as a or a knave,2390
- Ful litel whyle shul ye trewe him have,
- That wol I seyn, al were he now my brother,
- But hit so be that he may have .(166)
Explicit Legenda Philomene.
VIII.
THE LEGEND OF PHYLLIS.
Incipit Legenda Phillis.
-
- By preve as wel as by auctoritee,
- That wikked fruit cometh of a wikked tree,2395[ ]
- That may ye finde, if that it lyketh yow.
- But for this ende I speke this as now,
- To telle you of false Demophon .
- In love a falser herde I never non,
- hit were his fader Theseus.2400
- ‘God, for his grace , fro swich oon kepe us!’
- Thus thise women prayen that hit here.
- Now to theffect turne I of my matere.(10)
-
- Destroyed is of Troye the citee;
- This Demophon com sailing in the see2405
- Toward Athenes, to his paleys large;
- With him com many a ship and many a barge
- Ful of folk, of which ful many oon
- Is wounded sore, and , and wo begoon.
- And they han at the longe y-lain.2410
- Behinde him com a wind and eek a rain
- That shoof so sore, his sail stonde,
- Him were lever than al the world a-londe,(20)
- So hunteth him the tempest to and fro.
- So derk hit was, he coude nowher go;2415
- And with a wawe brosten was his stere.
- His ship was rent so lowe, in swich manere,
- That carpenter coude hit nat amende.
- The see, by nighte, as any torche brende
- For , and posseth him ,2420
- Til Neptune hath of him compassioun,
- And Thetis, , Triton, and they alle,[ ]
- And maden him a lond to falle,(30)
- Wher-of that Phillis lady was and quene,
- doghter, fairer on to sene2425
- Than is the flour again the brighte sonne.
- Unnethe is Demophon to londe y-wonne ,
- Wayk and eek wery, and his folk for-pyned
- Of werinesse, and also enfamyned;
- to the deeth he y-driven.2430
- His wyse folk to conseil han him yiven
- To seken help and socour of the queen,
- And loken what his grace mighte been,(40)
- And maken in that lond som chevisaunce ,
- kepen him fro wo and fro mischaunce.2435
- For seek was he, and almost at the deeth;
- Unnethe mighte he speke or drawe breeth,
- And lyth in Rodopeya him to reste.
- Whan he may walke, him thoughte hit was the beste
- Unto the to seken for socour.2440
- Men knewe him wel, and diden him honour;
- For at Athenes duk and lord was he,
- As Theseus his fader hadde y-be,(50)
- That in his tyme was renoun,
- No man so greet al his regioun;2445
- And lyk his fader of face and of stature,
- And fals of love; hit com him of nature;
- As doth the fox Renard , the foxes sone,
- Of kinde he coude his faders wone
- Withoute lore, as can a drake swimme,2450
- Whan hit is caught and caried to the brimme.
- This honourable doth him chere,
- Her lyketh wel his port his manere.(60)
- But for I am heer-biforn[ ]
- To wryte of hem that forsworn,2455
- And eek to haste me in my legende,[ ]
- Which to performe god me grace sende,
- Therfor I passe shortly in this wyse;
- Ye han wel herd of Theseus
- In the betraising of fair Adriane,2460
- That of her pite kepte him from his bane.
- At shorte wordes, right so Demophon
- The same wey, the same path hath gon(70)
- That dide his false fader Theseus.
- For unto Phillis hath he sworen thus,2465
- To wedden her, and her his trouthe plighte,
- And piked of her al the good he mighte,
- Whan he was hool and sound and hadde his reste;
- And doth with Phillis what so that him leste.
- And wel coude I, yif that me leste so,2470
- Tellen al his doing to and fro.
-
- He seide, his contree moste he saile,
- For ther he wolde her wedding apparaile(80)
- As fil to her honour and his also.
- And openly he took his leve tho,2475
- And , he wolde nat soiorne,
- But in a month retorne.
- And in that lond let make his ordinaunce
- As verray lord, and took the obeisaunce
- Wel and , and let his shippes dighte,2480
- And hoom he goth the nexte wey he mighte;
- For unto Phillis yit com he noght.
- And that hath she so harde and sore ,(90)
- Allas! that, as the us ,
- She was her owne deeth with a corde ,2485
- Whan that she saw that Demophon her trayed.
-
- to him and faste him prayed
- He wolde come, and her of ,
- As I reherse shal a word or .
- Me list nat vouche-sauf on him to swinke,2490
- Ne on him a penne ful of inke,
- For fals in love was he, right as his syre;
- The devil sette hir soules bothe !(100)
- But of the lettre of Phillis wol I wryte
- word or tweyne, al-thogh hit be but lyte.2495[ ]
-
- ‘ ,’ quod she, ‘O ,[ ]
- Thy Phillis, which that is so wo begon,
- Of Rodopeye, upon yow compleyne,
- Over the terme set betwix us tweyne,
- That ye ne holden forward, as ye seyde;2500
- Your anker, which ye in our haven leyde,
- Highte us, that ye wolde comen, out of doute,
- Or that the mone ones wente aboute.(110)
- But tymes foure the mone hath her face
- Sin day ye wente fro this place,2505
- And foure tymes the world again.
- But for al that, I shal soothly sain,
- Yit hath the of nat [ ]
- From Athenes the ship; yit noght.
- And, yif that ye the terme rekne wolde,2510
- As I or other trewe lovers sholde,
- I pleyne not, god wot, beforn my day.’—
-
- But al her lettre wryten I ne may(120)
- By ordre, for hit were to me a charge,
- Her lettre was right long and ther-to large;2515
- But here and there in ryme I have hit laid,
- Ther as me thoughte that she said.—
-
- She seide, ‘ sailes nat again,[ ]
- Ne to word ther nis no fey certein;
- But I wot why ye come nat,’ quod she;2520
- ‘For I was of my love to you so free.
- And of the goddes that ye han forswore,
- that hir vengeance falle on yow therfore,(130)
- Ye be nat suffisaunt to bere the peyne.
- To moche trusted I, wel may I ,2525
- Upon your linage and your faire tonge,
- And on your teres falsly out .
- How coude ye wepe so by craft?’ quod she;
- ‘May swiche teres feyned be?
- Now certes, yif ye wolde have in memorie,2530
- Hit oghte be to yow but litel glorie
- To have a sely thus betrayed!
- To god,’ quod she, ‘preye I, and ofte have prayed,(140)
- That hit be now the grettest prys of alle,[ ]
- And moste honour that ever yow shal befalle!2535
- And whan thyn olde auncestres peynted be,
- In which men may hir worthinesse see,
- Than, preye I god, thou peynted be also,
- That folk may reden, as they go,
- “Lo! this is he, that with his flaterye2540
- Betrayed hath and doon her vilanye
- That was his trewe love in thoghte and dede!”
- But sothly, of oo point yit may they rede,(150)
- That ye ben lyk your fader as in this;
- For he begyled Adriane, y-wis,2545
- With swiche an art and swiche sotelte
- As thou thy-selven hast begyled me.
- As in that point, al-thogh hit be nat fayr,
- Thou folwest , certein, and art his eyr.
- But sin thus sinfully ye me begyle,2550
- My body mote ye seen, within a whyle,
- Right in the haven of Athenes fletinge,
- With-outen sepulture and buryinge;(160)
- Thogh ye ben harder then is any stoon.’
-
- And, whan this lettre was forth anoon,2555
- And knew how brotel and how fals he was,
- She for dispeyr for-dide herself, allas!
- Swich sorwe hath she, for she besette her so.[ ]
- Be war, ye women, of your sotil fo,
- Sin yit this day men may ensample see;2560
- .[ ](168)
Explicit Legenda Phillis.
IX.
THE LEGEND OF HYPERMNESTRA.
Incipit Legenda Ypermistre.
-
- In Grece whylom weren brethren two,
- Of whiche that oon was Danao ,
- That many a sone hath of his body wonne,
- As swiche false lovers ofte conne.2565
- Among his sones alle ther was oon
- That aldermost he lovede of everichoon.
- And whan this child was born, this Danao
- Shoop him a name, and called him Lino .
- That other brother called was Egiste ,2570
- That was love as fals as ever him liste,(10)
- And many a doghter gat he in his lyve;
- Of which he gat upon his righte wyve
- A doghter dere, and dide for to calle[ ]
- Ypermistra , yongest of hem alle;2575
- The whiche child, of her nativitee ,
- To alle was she,[ ]
- As lyked to the , or she was born,
- That of the shefe she sholde be the corn;
- The Wirdes , that we clepen Destinee,2580
- Hath shapen her that she nedes be(20)
- , wyse, and trewe as steel;[ ]
- And to this woman hit accordeth weel.
- For, though that Venus yaf her greet beautee,[ ]
- With Iupiter compouned so was she2585
- That conscience, trouthe, and dreed of shame,
- And of her wyfhood for to kepe her name,
- This, thoughte her , was felicitee as here.
- And rede Mars was, that tyme of the yere,
- So feble, that his malice is him ,2590
- Repressed hath Venus his cruel craft;(30)
- What with Venus other oppressioun
- Of houses, Mars his venim is adoun,
- That Ypermistra dar nat handle a knyf[ ]
- In malice, thogh she sholde lese her lyf.2595
- But natheles, as heven gan tho turne,
- badde aspectes hath she of Saturne,[ ]
- That made her to deyen in prisoun,
- I shal after make mencioun.
-
- Danao and Egistes also—2600
- so be that they were brethren two,(40)
- For thilke tyme nas spared no linage—
- Hit hem to maken mariage
- Betwix Ypermistra and him Lino,[ ]
- And casten swiche a day hit shal be so;2605
- And ful acorded was hit ;
- The array is wroght, the tyme is faste by.
- And thus Lino hath of his fadres brother
- The doghter wedded, and eche of hem hath other.
-
- The torches brennen and the lampes brighte,2610[ ]
- The sacrifices been ful redy dighte;(50)
- Thencens out of the fyre reketh sote,
- The flour, the leef is rent up by the rote
- To maken garlands and corounes hye;
- Ful is the place of minstralcye,2615
- Of songes amorous of mariage,
- As thilke tyme was the pleyn usage.
- And this was in the paleys of Egiste,
- That in his hous was lord, as him liste;
- And thus day they dryven to an ende;2620
- The frendes taken leve, and hoom they wende.(60)
- The night is come, the bryd shal go to bedde;
- Egiste to his chambre faste him spedde,
- And privily let his doghter calle.[ ]
- Whan that the hous was of hem alle,2625
- He loked on his doghter with glad chere,
- And to her spak, as ye shul here.
-
- ‘My righte doghter, tresor of myn herte!
- Sin day that shapen was my sherte,[ ]
- Or by the fatal sustren had my dom,2630[ ]
- So ny myn herte never thing me com(70)
- As thou, Ypermistra, dere!
- Tak heed what thy fader thee here,
- And werk after thy wyser ever-mo.
- For alderfirste, doghter, I love thee so2635
- That al the world to me nis half so leef;
- Ne nolde rede thee to thy mischeef
- For al the gode under the colde mone;
- And what I mene, hit shal be seid right sone,
- With protestacioun, wyse,2640[ ]
- That, but thou do as I shal thee devyse,(80)
- Thou shalt be deed, by him that al hath wroght!
- At shorte wordes, thou noght
- Out of my paleys, or that thou be deed,
- But thou consente and werke after my reed;2645
- Tak this to thee for ful conclusioun.’
-
- This Ypermistra caste her eyen doun,
- And quook as dooth the leef of aspe grene;
- Deed wex her hewe, and lyk as ash to sene,
- And seyde, ‘lord and fader, al your wille,2650
- After my might, god wot, I shal fulfille,(90)
- So hit no confusioun.’
-
- ‘I nil,’ quod he, ‘have noon excepcioun;’[ ]
- And out he caughte a knyf, as rasour kene;
- ‘Hyd this,’ quod he, ‘that hit be nat ;2655[ ]
- And, whan thyn husbond is to bedde ,
- Whyl that he slepeth, cut his throte a-two.
- For in my dremes hit is warned me
- How that my nevew shal my bane be,
- But whiche I noot, wherfor I wol be siker .2660
- Yif thou sey nay, we two shul a biker(100)
- As I have seyd, by him that I have sworn.’
-
- This Ypermistra hath ny her wit forlon;
- And, for to passen harmles of that place,
- She graunted him; ther was non other grace.2665
- And ,[ ]
- And seyde, ‘herof a draught, or two ,
- Yif him drinke, whan he goth to reste,
- And he shal slepe as longe as ever thee leste,
- The and been so stronge:2670
- And go thy wey, lest that him thinke .’(110)
-
- Out comth the bryd, and with ful sober chere,
- As is of maidens ofte the manere,
- To chambre broght with revel and with songe,
- And shortly, lest this tale be to longe,2675
- This Lino and she ben broght to bedde;[ ]
- And every wight out at the dore him spedde.
-
- The night is wasted, and he fel a-slepe;
- Ful tenderly beginneth she to wepe.
- She rist her up, and dredfully she quaketh,2680[ ]
- As doth the braunche that Zephirus shaketh,(120)
- And were alle in Argon that citee.[ ]
- As cold as any frost now wexeth she;[ ]
- For pite by the herte her so,
- And dreed of death doth her so moche wo,2685
- That thryes doun she fil in .[ ]
- She rist her up, and stakereth heer and there,
- And on her handes faste loketh she.
- ‘Allas! shul my handes blody be?
- I am a maid, and, as by my nature,2690[ ]
- And by my semblant and by my vesture,(130)
- Myn handes been nat shapen for a knyf,
- As for to reve no man fro his lyf.
- What devil have I with the knyf to do?
- And shal I have my throte corve a-two?2695
- Than shal I blede, allas! and beshende;[ ]
- nedes cost this thing mot have an ende;
- Or he or I mot nedes lese our lyf.
- Now certes,’ quod she, ‘sin I am his wyf,
- And hath my feith, yit is it bet for me2700[ ]
- For to be deed in wyfly honestee(140)
- Than be a traitour living in my shame.
- Be as be may, for ernest or for game,
- He shal awake, and ryse and go his way
- Out at this goter , or that hit be day!’—2705
- And weep ful tenderly upon his face,
- And in her armes gan him to embrace,
- And him she roggeth and awaketh softe;
- And window leep he fro the lofte[ ]
- Whan she hath warned him, and doon him bote .2710
-
- This Lino swifte was, and light of fote,(150)
- And a ful good pas.
- This sely woman is so wayk, allas!
- And helples so, that, she wente,
- Her cruel fader dide her for to hente.2715[ ]
- Allas! Lino! why art thou so unkinde?
- Why ne thou remembred in thy minde
- taken her, and lad her forth with thee?
- For, whan she saw that goon awey was he,
- And that she mighte nat so faste go,2720
- Ne folwen him, she doun right tho,(160)
- she was caught and fetered in prisoun.
- This tale is seid for this conclusioun . . . .
[Unfinished.]
- ‘Car par l’escript que nous avons,
- Les fais des anciens savons;
- Si les en devons mercier,
- Et loer et regracier.’
- ‘And ther she was honoured as hir oughte’; E 1120.
- —‘wel more us oughte
- Receyven al in gree that god us sent’; E 1150.
The glossary to the Man of Law’s Tale gives:—
- ‘Alla goth to his in, and, as him oughte,’ &c.; B 1097.
- ‘But that they weren as hem oughte be’; G 1340.
- ‘Wel oughten we to doon al our entente’; G 6.
- ‘Wel oughte us werche, and ydelnes withstonde’; G 14.
- ‘In tyme of May hot is in boure;
- Divers, in medewe, spryngith floure;
- The ladies, knyghtis honourith;
- Treowe love in heorte durith’; &c.
- ‘And next, Appollo, so clere, shene, and bright,
- The dayes eye, and voyder of the nyght.’
- That | of alle the floures in the mede; 41.
- Suf | fisant this flour to preyse aright; 67.
- Of | this flour, whan that hit shulde unclose; 111.
- Made | hir lyk a daysie for to sene; 224.
- ‘Zephirus et Flora, sa fame,
- Qui des flors est deesse et dame,
- Cil dui font les floretes nestre,’ &c.
- ‘a pleasaunt herber well ywrought,
- That benched was, and with turfes new,
- Freshly turved, wherof the grene gras,
- So small, so thicke, so short, so fresh of hew,
- That most like unto green woll wot I it was;
- The hegge also, that yede in compas
- And closed in all the grene herbere,
- With sicamour was set and eglatere’; &c.
So too, in the Assembly of Ladies, st. 7:—
- ‘Which broght me to an herber fair and grene
- Made with benches ful crafty and clene.’
- ‘Hester, Judith, Penelope, Helaine,
- Sarre, Tisbe, Rebeque, et Sairy,
- Lucresse, Yseult, Genèvre, chastelaine
- La très loial nommée de Vergy,
- Rachel, et la dame de Fayel
- Onc ne furent si precieulx jouel
- D’onneur, bonté, senz, beauté et valour
- Con est ma très doulce dame d’onnour.
- Se d’Absalon la grant beauté humaine,’ &c.
- ‘And every tree stood by himselve
- Fro other wel ten foot or twelve.
- So grete trees, so huge of strengthe’—
the Eng. version of the Rom. of the Rose (1391) has:—
- ‘These trees were set, that I devyse,
- Oon from another, in assyse,
- Five fadome or sixe, I trowe so,
- But they were hye and grete also.’
We may here note the variation between ten foot or twelve and five fadom or six; the original has cinq toises, ou de sis. Other passages in the Book of the Duchesse which resemble the existing E. version of the Rom. of the Rose are these. (1) Book Duch. 424; cf. R. R. 1396. (2) Book Duch. 291; cf. R. R. 49. (3) Book Duch. 410; cf. R. R. 59. (4) Book Duch. 283; R. R. 7. (5) Book Duch. 340; R. R. 130. (6) Book Duch. 1152; R. R. 2084.
For a fuller discussion of this question, see the Pref. to Ch. Minor Poems, in vol. i. p. 1.
— A. 260. Paramours seems to be an adverb here, meaning ‘with a lover’s affection.’ So in the Kn. Tale, A 1155:—
‘For par amour I loved hir first er thow.’ And again, in A 2112:—
- ‘Ye knowen wel, that every lusty knight
- That loveth paramours, and hath his might.’
- ‘He hadde a book, that gladly, night and day,
- For his desport he wolde rede alway;
- He cleped it Valerie and Theofraste,
- At whiche book he lough alwey ful faste.
- And eek ther was somtyme a clerk at Rome,
- A cardinal, that highte Seint Ierome,
- That made a book agayn Iovinian’; &c.
- ‘Hir court hath many a losengere,
- And many a traytour envious.’
- ‘La meretrice, che mai dall’ ospizio
- Di Cesare non torse gli occhi putti,
- Morte comune, e delle corti vizio,
- Infiammò contre me gli animi tutti.’
Cary’s translation has:—
- ‘The harlot, who ne’er turned her gloating eyes
- From Cæsar’s household, common vice and pest
- Of courts, ’gainst me inflamed the minds of all.’
Gower (C. A. ed. Pauli, i. 263) says:—
- ‘Senec witnesseth openly
- How that envie properly
- Is of the court the comun wenche.’
- ‘What is a king in his legeaunce,
- Wher that ther is no law in londe?’
- ‘—una storia antica,
- Tanto negli anni riposta e nascosa,
- Che Latino autor non par ne dica,
- Per quel ch’io senta, in libro alcuna cosa.’
- ‘And argue not for reason ne for skill
- Againe thy ladies pleasure ne entent,
- For love will not be counterpleted indeede.’
|
