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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) The prologe of .ix. goode Wimmen. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 3 (House of Fame, Legend of Good Women, Treatise on Astrolabe, Sources of Canterbury Tales)
The prologe of .ix. goode Wimmen. - 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.
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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
- *
- ‘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.’
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