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VI.: THE LEGEND OF ARIADNE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 3 (House of Fame, Legend of Good Women, Treatise on Astrolabe, Sources of Canterbury Tales)

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VI.: THE LEGEND OF ARIADNE. - 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.

Author: Geoffrey Chaucer
Editor: Walter W. Skeat

Part of: The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 7 vols.

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VI.

THE LEGEND OF ARIADNE.

Incipit Legenda Adriane de Athenes.

- Iuge infernal, Minos, of Crete king,
- Now cometh thy lot, now comestow on the ring;
- Nat for thy sake only wryte I this storie,
- But for to clepe agein unto memorie
- Of Theseus the grete untrouthe of love;1890
- For which the goddes of the 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 Crete ,
- That hadde an hundred citees stronge and grete,[ ]1895
- To scole hath sent his sone Androgeus,[ ](11)
- To Athenes; of the whiche hit happed 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;
- Alcathoe 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 happed hit, that, at a scarmishing,1910
- She caste her herte upon Minos the king,[ ]
- For his beautee and for 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 Alcathoe and other tounes mo;
- And this theffect, that Minos hath so driven
- Hem of Athenes, that they mote him yiven[ ]1925
- Fro yere to yere her owne children dere(41)
- For to be slayn, as ye shul after here .
- This Minos hath a monstre, a wikked beste,[ ]
- That was so cruel that, without areste,
- Whan that a man was broght in his presence,1930
- He wolde him ete, ther helpeth no defence.
- And every thridde yeer , with-outen doute,[ ]
- They casten lot, and , as hit com aboute
- On riche, on pore, he moste his sone take,
- And of his child he moste present make1935
- Unto Minos , to save him or to spille,(51)
- Or lete his beste devoure him at his wille.
- And this hath Minos don, right in despyt;
- To wreke his sone was set al his delyt,
- And maken hem of Athenes his thral1940
- Fro yere to yere, whyl that he liven shal;
- And hoom he saileth whan this toun is wonne.
- This wikked custom is so longe y-ronne
- Til that of Athenes king Egeus
- Mot 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 lad this woful yonge knight
- Unto the court of king Minos ful right,
- And in a prison, fetered, cast is he1950
- Til thilke 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 were depe y-holde[ ]
- To whom 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 as this Theseus is throwe[ ]1960
- Doun in the botom derke and wonder lowe,
- Was ioyning in the walle to a foreyne ;
- And hit was longing to the doghtren tweyne
- Of king Minos, that in hir chambres grete
- Dwelten above, toward the maister-strete ,1965
- In mochel mirthe , in Ioye and in solas.[ ](81)
- Not I nat how, hit happed ther, per cas,
- As Theseus compleyned him by nighte,
- The kinges doghter, Adrian that highte,[ ]
- And eek her suster Phedra, herden al1970
- His compleyning , as they stode on the wal
- And lokeden upon the brighte mone;
- Hem leste nat to 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 he his kin,1980
- And eek his pore estat that he is in,
- And gilteless? now certes , 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 I 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 this 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, his lyf to kepe and save,1995
- Fighten with this fend, and him defende.[ ](111)
- For, in the prison, ther he shal descende,[ ]
- Ye wite wel , that the beste is in a place
- That nis nat derk, and hath roum eek and space
- 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 him 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, whan that Theseus seeth
- The beste achoked , he shal on him lepe
- To sleen him, or they comen more to-hepe .[ ]
- This wepen shal the gayler, or that tyde,2010
- Ful privily within the prison hyde;
- And, for the hous is crinkled to and fro,[ ]
- And hath so queinte weyes for to go—
- For hit is shapen as the mase is wroght—
- Therto have I a remedie in my thoght,2015
- That, by a clewe 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 beste hath overcome,
- Then may he fleen awey out of this drede ,[ ]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 sermoun of hit make?2025
- The gayler cometh, and with him Theseus.(141)
- And whan thise thinges been acorded thus,
- Adoun sit Theseus upon his knee:—[ ]
- ‘The righte lady of my lyf,’ quod he,
- ‘I, sorweful man, y-dampned to the deeth,2030
- Fro yow, whyl that me lasteth lyf or breeth,
- I wol nat twinne, after this aventure,
- But in your servise thus I wol endure,
- That, as a wrecche unknowe, I wol yow serve
- For ever-mo , 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 so gret a 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 me so wel disfigure and so lowe,(161)
- That in this world ther shal no man me knowe,
- To han my lyf, and for to han presence[ ]
- Of yow, that doon to me this excellence.
- And to my fader shal I senden here2050
- This worthy man, that is now your gaylere,[ ]
- And, him to 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, if 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 a grace[ ]
- That shames deeth on me ther mote falle,
- And deeth and povert 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 traitour have a name,
- For which my spirit go , to do me shame!
- And yif I ever claime other degree ,2070
- But-if ye vouche-sauf to yive hit me,
- As I have seid, of shames deeth I deye![ ]
- And mercy, lady! I can nat elles seye!’
- A seemly knight was Theseus 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 a knight,’ quod she,2080
- ‘To been my servant in so low degree,
- God shilde hit , for the shame of women alle!
- And leve me never swich a cas befalle![ ]
- But sende yow grace and sleighte of herte also,
- Yow to defende and knightly sleen your fo,2085
- And leve herafter that I may yow finde[ ](201)
- To me and to my suster here so kinde,
- That I repente nat to give yow lyf!
- Yit were hit better that I were your wyf,[ ]
- Sin that ye been as gentil born as I,2090
- And have a rëaume, nat but faste by,
- Then that I suffred giltles yow to sterve,
- Or that I let yow as a page serve;
- Hit is not profit, as unto your kinrede;[ ]
- But what is that that man 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 be wedded at your hoom-coming .2100
- This is the fynal ende of al this thing;
- Ye swere hit heer, on 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 leten out, and ther-on swere,[ ]
- For than at erst I wot ye wil me leve.
- By Mars, that is the cheef of my bileve,
- So that I mighte liven and nat faile2110
- To-morwe for tacheve my bataile,
- I nolde never fro this place flee,
- Til that ye shuld the verray preve see.
- For now, if that the sooth I shal yow say,
- I have y-loved yow ful many a day,2115
- Though ye ne wiste hit nat, in my contree.(231)
- And aldermost desyred yow to see
- Of any erthly living creature;
- Upon my trouthe I swere, and yow assure ,
- 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 hertly wordes, and his chere,
- And to her suster seide in this manere,2125
- Al 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 her-of us blame ,[ ]
- 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 performed was in dede
- As ye have in this 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 beste hath slain;
- And by the gayler geten hath a barge,2150
- And of his wyves tresor gan hit charge,
- And took his wyf, and eek her suster free,[ ]
- And eek the gayler , and with hem alle three
- Is stole awey out of the lond by nighte,
- And to the contre of Ennopye 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 newe barge anoon,2160
- And of his contree-folk a ful gret woon ,
- And taketh his leve, and hoomward saileth he.
- And in an yle , amid the wilde see,
- Ther as ther dwelte creature noon
- Save wilde bestes, and that ful many oon,2165
- He made his ship a-londe for to sette;(281)
- And in that 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 atake.[ ]
- Ful sorwefully her herte may awake.
- Allas! for thee my herte hath now pite!
- Right in the dawening awaketh she,2185
- And gropeth in the bedde, and fond right noght.[ ](301)
- ‘Allas!’ quod she, ‘that ever I was wroght!
- I am betrayed!’ and her 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 shyned 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!’[ ]
- Hadde he nat sinne, that her thus begylde?
- She cryed, ‘O turne again, for routhe and sinne!2200[ ]
- Thy barge hath nat al his meiny inne!’
- Her kerchef on a pole up stikked she,[ ][ ]
- Ascaunce 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 y-goon .(321)
- And doun she fil a-swown upon a stoon;
- And up she rist, and kiste , in al her care,[ ]
- The steppes of his feet, ther he hath fare,
- And to her bedde right thus she speketh tho:—2210
- ‘Thou bed,’ quod she, ‘that hast receyved two,
- Thou shalt answere of two, and nat of oon!
- Wher is thy gretter part away y-goon?
- Allas! wher shal I , wrecched wight, become!
- For , thogh so be that ship or boot heer come ,2215
- Hoom to my contree dar I nat for drede;(331)
- I can my-selven 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 I telle 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 this false lover can begyle[ ](341)
- His trewe love. The devil quyte him his whyle !

Explicit Legenda Adriane de Athenes.

[1886. ]F. B. Tn. Grece; rest Crete; see l. 1894.

[1888. ]F. B. oonly for thy sake; rest for thy sake only. F. Tn. Th. B. writen is; T. A. Add. wryte I.

[1890. ]F. vntrewe; rest vntrouthe (vntrouth).

[1891. ]T. A. Add. the; rest om. (after of).

[1895. ]T. A. Th. had; B. wanne; F. whan (!); Tn. om.

[1897. ]F. happeth; A. hapned; Add. appynyd; rest happed.

[1902. ]Th. Alcathoe (rightly); A. Alcitoe; Tn. Alcie; T. All the cyte; F. B. And the citee.

[1910. ]F. B. hyt happed; rest happed hit.

[1911. ]C. caughte.

[1912. ]C. T. A. Add. for; rest om. C. om. 1922, 1923.

[1923. ]Th. As Alcathoe; A. As Alcitoe; F. B. And Alcites; T. With all the cyte; see l. 1902.

[1924. ]C. But (for And).

[1925. ]F. B. Tn. B. om. that.

[1927. ]C. T. righ[t] as ye shal here; A. rycht thus as ye schall here.

[1930. ]C. T. A. Add. in; rest in-to.

[1932. ]C. om. yeer.

[1933. ]C. T. A. Add. and; rest om. C. fil (for com).

[1934. ]C. or; Th. Add. and; rest on.

[1936. ]T. Add. Vn-to; rest To. C. Theseus (for Minos).

[1938. ]C. T. A. Th. Add. right; rest om.

[1940. ]F. B. To; rest And.

[1941. ]C. T. A. that; rest om.

[1944. ]C. T. Add. that; rest om.

[1945. ]Tn. Mot; C. T. Th. Mote; rest Moste (Must).

[1948. ]C. gon (for lad).

[1949. ]C. T. A. Add. court; rest contree. C. T. A. Add. right; rest of might.

[1951. ]A. thilke; C. the ilke; rest the.

[1954. ]C. T. A. Add. were depe; F. B. depe were; Tn. depe; Th. arte depe.

[1955. ]C. hym; T. theym; rest whom.

[1960. ]C. A. as; T. Add. that: rest om.

[1962. ]C. T. A. Add. in; rest to. C. Tn. T. A. Add to; F. B. Th. of.

[1964. ]A. king; rest om. C. Of Thesius that, &c.

[1965. ]C. T. A. Add. toward; rest om.

[1966. ]T. In mochell myrthe; Add. In moche myrth; Th. Of the towne; rest Of Athenes (!); see note.

[1967. ]C. Tn. Th. Not; F. A. B. Wot. T. But I not how. A. happinit; rest happed. Add. ther; T. there; rest om.

[1969. ]F. Tn. B. Add. that Adriane (badly); Th. that Ariadne.

[1971. ]C. T. A. Add. compleynyge; rest compleynt.

[1972. ]C. T. lokedyn; rest loked.

[1973. ]F. B. (only) om. 1st to. C. A. sone; rest so sone.

[1980. ]F. Tn. B. om. he.

[1982. ]C. now certeyn; T. A. now certes; rest certes now.

[1987. ]F. A. B. insert that before I.

[1991. ]F. B. the; rest this.

[1995. ]So C.; F. B. that hys lyf he dar kepe or; Tn. Th. that he his lif dar kepe or; T. that he dar his lyfe kepe and.

[1997. ]F. Tn. B. Th. ther as; C. T. A. om. as.

[1998. ]F. Tn. B. omit this line. So C. Th. A. Wel wote Ȝe, &c. T. The best, ye wot well that he ys, &c.

[1999. ]Addit. (12524) rome eke and space; C. bothe roum and space; rest roume (roum) and eke space.

[2003. ]F. Tn. B. om. him.

[2007. ]C. what (error for whan) that; Th. T. whan that; F. Tn. A. B. whan.

[2008. ]T. A. C. achoked; Th. acheked (!); F. Tn. asleked; B. aslakyd.

[2009. ]F. (only) the (for they). F. to helpe (!); rest to hepe.

[2012. ]Tn. crenkled; Th. crencled; B. crnklyd.

[2015. ]T. (only) om. a.

[2016. ]F. B. clywe.

[2019. ]So C. A.; so Addit. (12625), with monstre forbeste; F. Tn. Th. B. And whan this best ys ouercome (!); T. And when that he thus hath ouercome (!).

[2020. ]C. T. A. drede; rest stede; (drede gives the better rime).

[2025. ]T. A. Th. sermoun; C. sarmoun; rest om.

[2027. ]C. And; rest om.

[2028. ]C. T. A. Adoun; rest Doun.

[2031. ]C. T. A. whil; rest whiles. F. Tn. Th. B. om. lyf or.

[2032. ]F. Tn. B. wolde; rest wil (wol).

[2035. ]C. A. -mo; rest -more.

[2039. ]C. A. so gret a; T. so gret; rest suche a.

[2046. ]F. B. so me; T. so; rest me so.

[2048. ]C. A. for; rest om.

[2051. ]C. now; rest om.

[2052. ]C. F. to; Tn. T. Th. B. so; A. om.

[2060. ]F. Tn. Th. B. insert that after if.

[2063. ]C. A. so (for 2nd to). C. A. a; rest om.

[2064. ]C. T. A. Th. deth; F. B. dede; Tn. deed; see l. 2072.

[2065. ]T. pouert; rest pouerte; cf. Cant. Ta. C. 441.

[2068. ]A a traytour; rest om. a.

[2069. ]A. go; C. T. goth; Th. mote go; F. Tn. B. mot go (for mot-e go); see l. 2066. [Go = may go.]

[2070. ]F. B. ever y; T. C. A., I ever.

[2071. ]C. T. A. if; rest om.

[2073. ]F. B. no more; Tn. nat; rest nat elles.

[2074. ]F. Tn. Th. B. this Theseus; C. T. A. om. this.

[2075. ]C. a; rest om.

[2083. ]A. leue; Th. lene; C. F. B. leue or lene; Tn. leen; (leve is right); see l. 2086.

[2084. ]C. T. A. But; rest And.

[2085. ]So C. A. B.; F. Tn. T. Th. to sleen (badly).

[2086. ]F. leve (sic); A. lyve; C. B. leue (or lene); Th. lene; Tn. leen; T. graunt. C. T. A. that; rest om.

[2088. ]C. T. A., I; rest I ne.

[2089. ]C. T. A. that; rest om.

[2090. ]C. T. A. that; rest om.

[2091. ]T. reaume; Tn. reame; C. reume; rest realme.

[2092. ]C. T. giltles Ȝow; A. Ȝow giltles; F. Tn. Th. B. your gentilesse (!).

[2095. ]C. that; rest that that. C. men; T. a man; rest man. C. nyl don; A. nyl do; T. wyll do (!); F. Tn. Th. B. wol not do.

[2100. ]F. B. to be; rest om. to.

[2102. ]A. on; rest vpon.

[2107. ]B. lete; F. C. Tn. T. laten; A. latten; Th. letten.

[2109. ]C. T. A. the; rest om.

[2111. ]C. tacheue; T. A. to acheue; F. Tn. Th. B. to taken (!). C. myn; A. T. Th. my; F. Tn. B. by (!).

[2113. ]C. preue (rightly); F. T. prefe; Tn. A. prof; Th. profe; B. trouth.

[2115. ]C. I-louyd; A. yloued; rest loved.

[2116. ]F. Tn. Th. B. om. hit.

[2119. ]C. ensure.

[2124. ]C. Th. hertely; B. hertilye; rest hertly (hertely is more correct). F. Tn. Th. B. and at his chere.

[2126. ]C. T. A. Al; rest And.

[2134. ]C. her-of us; rest us her-of.

[2138. ]All was performed; the improvement is obvious.

[2139. ]F. B. the; rest this.

[2149. ]F. hath thys beste; rest this beste hath.

[2150-2153. ]F. Tn. B. omit from geten to gayler (owing to repetition of gayler).

[2150. ]So C.; T. has getyn he hath; A. Th. gotten hath.

[2151. ]So C. T. Th.; A. has he for hit.

[2152. ]So C. T. A. Th.

[2155. ]C. Ennepye; F. Tn. B. Eunopye or Ennopye; T. Ennopy; A. Ennopie; Th. Enupye.

[2160. ]C. T. A. newe; rest noble.

[2161. ]F. Tn. B. om. ful.

[2164. ]C. dwellede; B. Th. dwelte; Tn. A. dwelt; F. T. dwelleth.

[2168. ]F. Tn. B. om. that.

[2182. ]C. atake; rest y-take.

[2184. ]C. now; T. A. gret; rest om.

[2186. ]C. T. graspeth; A. grapid; rest gropeth.

[2188. ]C. & al hire her.

[2193. ]F. B. omit this line.

[2194. ]C. shynede; T. shynyd; A. schyneth; F. Tn. Th. B. shone.

[2199. ]C. Hadde; T. A. Had; rest Hath. F. Tn. Th. needlessly insert he after that.

[2201. ]F. thy (for his).

[2202, 2203. ]T. omits these lines.

[2203. ]C. Tn. Th. B. Ascaunce; A. Ascances; F. Aschaunce. C. A. that; rest om.

[2206. ]C. I-gon; A. ygone; T. agone; rest goon (gone).

[2207. ]C. T. A. upon; rest on.

[2208. ]C. kyssith; rest kyssed (but read kiste).

[2210. ]C. om. she.

[2213. ]C. thyn; T. A. thy; rest the. C. I-gon; A. y-gone; rest goon (gone).

[2214. ]C. wreche.

[2215. ]So T.; A. that any bote her come; C. that boot here ne come (wrongly); Tn. F. B. that bote none here come (wrongly); see note.

[2217. ]C. myn selue; F. my selfe (read my selven); rest my self.

[2221. ]C. T. A. I telle; rest telle I.

[2226. ]C. T. Th. this false louer; F. Tn. B. these false lovers.

[2226, 2227. ]A. omits these lines.

[2227. ]C. Tn. T. Th. His; F. Hyr; B. Her; but all have him. Perhaps him quyte would give a smoother line.

[9.]aprocheth] a-procheþ C; aprochiþ P; miswritten aprochid AB. more toward] neer C; ner P; neerer I; thoward AB.

[11.]conteyned I; conteynyd P; contened C; consideered (sic) A; contined B.

[13.]yf P; Ȝif C; if it I; AB omit. N.B. It is best to use the spelling yif, as the word is commonly so spelt in A.

[22.]same CPI; seconde AB. The reading same is right; for the ‘latitude of a climate’ means the breadth of a zone of the earth, and the latitude of the first climate (here chosen by way of example) is the breadth as measured along a great circle perpendicular to the equator, from the beginning of the said first climate to the end of the same. The words ‘evene-directe agayns the poole Artik’ mean in the direction of the North pole; i. e. the latitude of a climate is reckoned from its beginning, or southernmost boundary-line, towards the end of the same, viz. its northern boundary-line.

[22.]þe poole Artik P; þe pool artyke C; the pole artike I; from north to south AB. Observe that this singular error in A, ‘euene directe agayns from north to south,’ probably arose from a confusion of the text ‘euene directe agayns þe poole Artik’ with a gloss upon it, which was ‘from north to south.’ It is important as throwing light on the meaning of the phrase, and proving that the interpretation of it given above (note to l. 22) is correct.

[24.]intercept CP; intercepte I; except (over an erasure) AB.

The only reading about which there is any doubt is that in line 18, which may be either ‘illike distant by-twene them alle’ (A), or ‘I-like distaunte fro þe equinoxial’ (C). But it is immaterial which reading be adopted, since Illike-distant is here used merely in the sense of parallel, and the boundaries of the climates are parallel both to one another, and to the equinoctial. The climates themselves were of different breadths.

[§ 40, l. 4.]this samples AB; þese ensamples C.

[5.]for sothe] miswritten for sonne AB; in general C; yn special P; the reading sonne points to sothe, and makes it very probable that for sothe is the true reading.

[6.]the longitude] þe longitude C; latitude AB (absurdly); see l. 11.

[1889.]Memóri-e has four syllables, and is accented on the second.

[1895.]Hadde, had, possessed; referring to Crete. This seems better than the reading wan (i.e. won), referring to Minos. Cf. Ovid, Her. x. 67:—‘Non ego te, Crete, centum digesta per urbes.’

[1896.]Cf. Ovid, Met. vii. 456-8:—

‘Bella parat Minos . . .
Androgeique necem iustis ulciscitur armis.’

Androgeus is again mentioned in Ovid, Her. x. 99; and in Vergil, Æn. vi. 20.

‘There came certain of king Minos’ ambassadors out of Creta, to ask a tribute, being now the third time that it was demanded; which the Athenians paid for this cause. Androgeus, the eldest son of king Minos, was slain by treason within the country of Attica: for which cause Minos, pursuing the revenge of his death, made very hot and sharp wars upon the Athenians, and did them great hurt.’—Shakespeare’s Plutarch, p. 280.

[1900.]From this point to l. 1921 Chaucer follows Ovid, Met. viii. 6-176, but gives a mere outline of the story of Scylla. See note to l. 1908.

[1902.]Alcathoe, the citadel of Megara, and hence a name for Megara. It was named after Alcathous, founder of Megara; indeed, in Ovid, Met. viii. 8, it is called Alcathoi urbs; but Chaucer found the right form in Met. vii. 443.

[1904.]Nisus, Nisus, king of Megara; Met. viii. 8.

[1908.]Nisus’ daughter was named Scylla. In order to gain the love of Minos, she cut off her father’s purple hair, on which the safety of his kingdom depended; whereupon Nisus was changed into a sparrow-hawk, and Scylla into the bird ciris; Met. viii. 9-151. But Chaucer omits these details. Cf. Parl. of Foules, 292, and the note.

[1922.]Chaucer here leaves Ovid; this part of the story is partly given in Plutarch and Hyginus, but Chaucer seems to have filled in details from some source unknown to me.

[1925.]‘Whereupon the Athenians sent immediately unto him, and intreated him for peace: which he granted them, with condition that they should be bound to send him yearly, into Creta, seven young boys and as many young girls. Now thus far all the historiographers do very well agree, but in the rest not. And they which seem furthest off from the troth [including Chaucer] do declare, that when these young boys were delivered in Creta, they caused them to be devoured by the Minotaur within the labyrinth.’ — Shakespeare’s Plutarch, p. 280.

[1928.]The Minotaur was a monster, half bull and half man, dwelling in a labyrinth at Crete, constructed by Dædalus. He annually devoured the fourteen Athenian young people, as above said, till slain by Theseus. Cf. Ovid, Met. viii. 155.

[1932.]Every thridde yeer, every third year. This is due to Ovid’s expression—‘tertia sors annis domuit repetita nouenis’ (Met. viii. 171), which Golding translates by—‘The third time at the ninth yeares end the lot did chance to light On Theseus,’ &c. But Hyginus (Fab. xli) says:—‘Instituit autem ut anno unoquoque septenos liberos suos Minotauro ad epulandum mitterent.’

[1944.]Egeus, Ægeus, king of Athens; Met. vii. 402, 404.

[1954.]‘That thou wouldst be deeply indebted to any one who,’ &c.

[1960.]‘Furthermore, after he [Theseus] was arrived in Creta, he slew there the Minotaur . . . by the means and help of Ariadne: who being fallen in fancy with him, did give him a clue of thread, by the help whereof she taught him, how he might easily wind out of the turnings and crancks of the labyrinth.’—Shak. Plutarch, p. 283. Cf. Ovid; Met. viii. 172; Hyginus, Fab. xlii.

[1962.]Foreyne, outer chamber; belonging to the chambres grete, or set of larger rooms occupied by the daughters of the king. It seems to answer to the A.S. búr, mod. E. bower, explained in Murray’s Dict. as ‘an inner apartment, esp. as distinguished from the “hall,” or large public room; also, esp. applied to a lady’s private apartment; boudoir.’ It is merely a peculiar use of our word foreign; the O. Fr. forain (fem. foraine) often meant ‘outer,’ as in the phrases une foraine rue, an outer (more retired) street; es tenebres forennes, into outer darkness; see Godefroy’s F. Dict. I agree with Mätzner, that there is no sufficient reason for explaining the word in this passage by ‘privy,’ though it admittedly has that meaning also (as given in Levins).

[1965.]Maister-strete, principal street; as in Kn. Ta., A 2902.

[1966.]Most MSS. begin the line with Of Athenes, as in l. 2306. This would be a most extraordinary oversight, as the scene is laid in Crete, in the town of Gnossus. MS. T. substitutes ‘In mochell myrthe’; and the old printed editions have ‘Of the towne,’ which scans badly, though ‘Of thilke toune’ would do well enough. We seem justified in rejecting the reading Of Athenes, because Chaucer distinctly mentions Athenes in ll. 1940, 1944, as being the place whence Theseus was sent ‘unto the court of Minos’; l. 1949. Besides this, in l. 2122 Theseus calls Ariadne by the prospective title of ‘duchess of Athens’; on which Ariadne playfully remarks that she and her sister are now ‘assured to royal positions in Athens’; l. 2128. From all which it does not seem fair to charge the error upon Chaucer himself; and I therefore make the bold alteration suggested by MS. T., and supported by MS. Addit. 9832, which has ‘In moche myrth.’ In the title of the poem, Ariadne is called ‘Adriane de Athenes,’ but this is another matter, and has reference to l. 2122. She became ‘duchess of Athens’ in the right of her husband Theseus.

[1969.]Adrian or Adriane, the M. E. spellings of Ariadne: see Ho. Fame, 407; Prol. to Man of Law, B 67. Ariadne and Phædra were the daughters of Minos; Theseus took both of them away from Crete; and, on the voyage, deserted Ariadne for her sister.

[1990.]‘And make this sorrowful man come with him.’

[1992.]Quit, free, delivered. It seems to have been an understood thing, that if a captive Athenian should succeed in slaying the Minotaur, he should go free, and the tribute paid by the Athenians should be remitted. One account in Plutarch says that Minos himself ‘chose Theseus, upon condition agreed between them; . . . and that after the death of the Minotaur this tribute should cease.’—Sh. Plut. p. 282. One condition was, that the captives should be unarmed. This explains Phædra’s plan, in l. 1994, for arming Theseus surreptitiously; cf. l. 2011.

[1993.]Taste, test. The word test was formerly used only as a sb., of a vessel in which gold or silver was tested; the place of the mod. E. verb to test was supplied by the M. E. tasten, and there can be little doubt that the words taste and test have been partially confused; see these words in my Etym. Dict., whence I quote the following: ‘The M. E. tasten meant both to feel and to taste. “I rede thee, lat thyn hand upon it falle, And taste it wel, and stoon thou shalt it finde”; Ch. C. T. 15970 (G 502). “Every thyng Himseolf schewith in tastyng;” King Alisaunder, 4042.—F. taster, to taste or take an assay of; also to handle, feel, touch; Cotgrave. Cf. mod. F. tâter; Ital. tastare, “to taste, to assaie, to feele, to grope, to trye, to proofe, to touch”; Florio.’

[1996.]The former syllable of Fighten forms a foot by itself.

[1997.]‘Where he will have to descend.’

[2002.]Shal do, will be sure to do.

[2004.]Bell remarks that this resembles the stratagem by which Daniel destroyed the dragon at Babylon. ‘Tulit igitur Daniel picem, et adipem, et pilos, et coxit pariter: fecitque massas, et dedit in os draconis, et diruptus est draco’; Dan. xiv. 26 (Vulgate).

[2009.]To-hepe, together; i.e. ‘before they come to closer quarters.’ Bell alters this, the reading of all the MSS. and old editions, to to kepe, which gives no sense; and Morris and Corson follow suit. Yet to-hepe, lit. ‘to a heap,’ but used adverbially in the precise sense of ‘together,’ is not a recondite expression. Morris explains it rightly elsewhere, viz. in Chaucer’s tr. of Boethius, bk. iv. pr. 6, l. 182, where ‘y-medled to-hepe’ means ‘mixed together.’ It is also in Troil. iii. 1764:—‘that Love halt now to-hepe,’ which Love now holds together. And yet again, in Ch. Astrolabe, pt. i. § 14. 5. See also P. Plowm. Crede, 727.

[2012.]The hous, i. e. the famous labyrinth. Crinkled, full of turns or ‘cranks’; see note to l. 1960. Cf. Mid. Du. krunckel-winckel, or krinckel-winckel, ‘crooked here and there’; Hexham (ad 1658); Du. krinkel, a winding, krinkelen or kronkelen, to wind about; all allied to E. crank, a twist, hence a twisted handle. Cf. Ovid, Met. viii. 173; Æn. vi. 27. And see Trevisa, tr. of Higden, i. 9.

[2020.]Read drede, dread; not stede, place. The Rime-indexes shew that, in the ending -ede in Chaucer, the former e is usually long (-ēde, -eede). However, stěde, in the sense of ‘stead’ (A.S. stěde), rimes once with drēde, in Ho. Fame, 829.

[2028.]Sit on his knee, kneels down. We also find to setten him on knees, to fallen on knees, to knelen on knees, he lay on kne, &c. See Mätzner, s. v. cneo, p. 442. ‘On knes she sat adoun’; Lay le Freine, 159. Cf. Man of Lawes Tale, B 638.

[2029.]The righte; here used as a vocative case.

[2037.]Cf. Arcite’s service as a page; Kn. Ta., A 1427.

[2040.]Nat but, only, merely; the familiar Northern E. nob-but. See l. 2091.

[2041.]Swinke, toil, labour hard. It is curious that this word should be obsolete. Perhaps no word that is now obsolete was once more common. It occurs in Chaucer, Langland, Gower, Spenser, &c.; but not in Shakespeare.

[2044.]‘Nor any one else, shall be able to espy me.’

[2048.]‘In order to have my life, and to retain your presence.’ The sense is quite clear. The note in Corson—‘presence seems to mean here presentiment or suspicion’—is due to some mistake.

[2051.]Only MS. C. retains now; and it would be better before is than after it.

[2056.]Yif, if; answering to than, then, in l. 2059.

[2063.]‘I pray Mars to do me such a favour.’

[2064.]Shames deeth, a death of shame; see l. 2072.

[2065.]Póvert occurs as a dissyllable, in Cant. Ta., C 441.

[2066.]Pronounce spirit nearly as spir’t.

Go, walk about, roam. He prays that he may be punished by being made to walk as a ghost after death. A reference to the supposed restlessness of the spirits of wicked men; see Parl. of Foules, 80. But good spirits also ‘walked’ sometimes; Wint. Tale, iii. 3. 17.

[2069.]For which, for which cause, on which account. Go, may walk; the subjunctive mood.

[2070.]Other degree, i. e. a higher degree than that of page. He professes not to aspire to this, unless she vouchsafes to give it him.

[2072.]‘May I die by a death of shame.’ The of depends on deye; cf. Man of Lawes Tale, B 819.

[2075.]A twenty, about twenty. A is here used as expressly an approximative result; as in ‘an eight days,’ Luke ix. 28; so ‘a ten,’ Squi. Tale, F 383. Only MS. C. retains a, but it is wanted for the metre.

[2082.]God shilde hit, God defend or forbid it.

[2083.]Leve, grant. We also find lene, to grant, give, but it is only used with a following case; whilst leve is only used with a following clause. Me is governed by befalle. ‘And grant that such a case may never befall me,’ i.e. for Theseus to be merely her page.

[2086.]And leve, and may He also grant.

[2089.]‘Yet it would be better’; followed by Then (=than) in l. 2092.

[2094.]The latter syllable of profit comes at the caesura, and is easily read quickly. We need not change unto into to, as in MS. A. only.

[2096.]To my, as for my.

[2099.]That, (I propose) that. Sone, Hippolytus. Yet, in l. 2075, Theseus was only 23 years old! Perhaps she proposes, in banter, a purely whimsical condition; cf. ll. 2102, 2120, 2127.

[2100.]Hoom-coming, arrival at home; cf. Kn. Tale, 26 (A 884).

[2101.]Fynal ende, definite settlement.

[2105.]To borwe, as a pledge; cf. Squi. Ta., F 596.

[2107.]To draw blood on oneself was a frequent mode of attestation. Cf. Wright’s note on K. Lear, ii. 1. 34; and note how Faustus stabs his arm in Marlowe’s play; Act ii. sc. 1.

[2120.]Servant, devoted lover; the usual phrase. This asseveration of Theseus shews that he thought Ariadne immeasurably credulous.

[2122.]Of Athenes duchesse, (whom I hail as) duchess of Athens. That is, he promises her marriage. In l. 2127 Ariadne grows pleasant on the subject.

[2128.]‘And assured to the royalties (or regal attributes) of Athens’; i.e. we are secure of our future royal rank.

[2130.]And saved, and we have saved. Chaucer has be just above; so that he has changed the idiom.

[2132.]Emforth hir might, even-forth with her might, to the extent of her power; cf. Kn. Ta., 1377 (A 2235).

[2134.]‘It seems to me, no one ought to blame us for this; nor give us an evil name on this account.’

[2145.]Geeth, goeth, goes; A. S. gǽð. For two more examples, see geð in Gloss. to Spec. of English, Part I.

[2150.]By, by help of, with the help of.

[2151.]Of, with. Gan hit charge, did load it. ‘And they say, that having killed this Minotaur, he returned back again the same way he went, bringing with him those other young children of Athens [whom Chaucer forgets to mention], whom with Ariadne also he carried afterwards away.’—Sh. Plutarch, p. 283.

[2155.]Ennopye, Œnopia, another name for Ægina; which was on their way from Crete to Athens. Chaucer got the name from Ovid, Met. vii. 472, 473, 490; and introduces it naturally enough, because Æacus, then dwelling there, was an old ally of the Athenians; id. 485; cf. l. 2156 in our poem. Gilman suggests that Enope (i. e. Gerenia in Messenia) is meant, which is merely a wild guess.

[2161.]Woon, number. Originally, a hope; also, a resource, a store, a quantity; and hence gret woon=a great number. For examples, see wān in Stratmann; and cf. note to Troil. iv. 1181.

[2163.]Yle, island; usually said to be Naxos, on the supposition that it is not much out of the way in sailing from Gnossus in Crete to Attica. Chaucer has inadvertently brought Theseus to Ægina already; but we need not trouble about the geographical conditions. The description of the island is from Ovid, Her. x. 59:—‘Uacat insula cultu’; &c.

[2167.]Lette, tarried; pt. t. of the weak verb letten; quite distinct from leet or lēt (pt. t. of leten), which would not rime with set-te. This latter part of the story is nearly all from Ovid, Her. x.

Compare, e. g. ll. 4-6:—

‘unde tuam sine me uela tulere ratem;
In quo me somnusque meus male prodidit, et tu,
pro facinus! somnis insidiate meis.’

[2176.]To his contre-ward, i. e. toward his country. Cf. ‘To Thebesward’; Kn. Ta. 109 (A 967).

[2177.]A twenty devil way, in the way of twenty devils; i. e. in all sorts of evil ways or directions; cf. Can. Yem. Ta., G 782.

[2178.]His fader, king Ægeus (l. 1944). The story is that Theseus went to Crete in a ship with a black sail, in token of his unhappy fate. He had agreed to exchange this for a white sail, if his expedition was successful; but this he omitted to do. Hence Ægeus, ‘seeing the black sail afar off, being out of all hope ever more to see his son again, took such a grief at his heart, that he threw himself headlong from the top of a cliff, and killed himself.’—Shak. Plutarch, p. 284.

[2182.]Atake, overtaken with sleep; cf. C. T. 6966 (D 1384).

[2186.]‘Perque torum moueo brachia; nullus erat’; Her. x. 12.

[2189, 90.]

‘Alta puellares tardat arena pedes.
Interea toto clamanti littore, Theseu!’ id. 20.

[2192.]Suggested by Ovid; ll. 81-6.

[2193.]‘Reddebant nomen concaua saxa tuum’; id. 22. The Latin and English lines are alike beautiful.

[2194.]‘Luna fuit; specto, si quid, nisi littora, cernam’; id. 17.

[2195-7.]These three lines represent eight in Ovid; 25-32.

[2198.]This line answers to the first line in Ovid, Epist. x.

[2200, 1.]His meiny, its (complete) crew. Inne, within; A.S. innan.

‘Quo fugis, exclamo, scelerate? Reuertere, Theseu;
flecte ratem; numerum non habet illa suum’; id. 35.

[2202.]

Candidaque imposui longae uelamina uirgae,
scilicet oblitos admonitura mei’; id. 41.

[2208-17.]Paraphrased from Ovid; Her. x. 51-64.

[2212.]Answere of, answer for; ‘redde duos.’

[2214.]Wher shal I become? Where shall I go to? the old idiom. We now say, ‘what will become of me?’ On this expression, see Bicome in my Gloss. to P. Plowman (Clar. Press Series).

[2215.]‘For even if a ship or boat were to come this way, I dare not go home to my country, for fear (of my father).’

The reading that bote none here come is nonsense, and expresses the converse of what is meant. The corresponding line in Ovid is—‘Finge dari comitesque mihi, uentosque, ratemque’; 63.

[2218.]What, for what, why? See Cant. Ta., B 56, &c.

[2220.]Naso, Ouidius Naso. Her epistle, the epistle above quoted, the title of which is—‘Ariadne Theseo.’

[2223, 4.]The story is that Bacchus took compassion on Ariadne, and finally placed her crown as a constellation in the heavens; see Ovid, Fasti, iii. 461-516; Met. viii. 178-182. This constellation is the Northern Crown, or Corona Borealis, which is just in the opposite side of the sky from Taurus. Ovid says—‘qui medius nixique genu est anguemque tenentis,’ Met. viii. 182. Here the holder of the snake is Ophiuchus; and Nixus genu or Engonasin (ἐν γόνασιν) was a name for Hercules; see Hyginus, Poet. Ast. lib. ii. c. 6; lib. iii. c. 5; Ausonius, Eclog. iii. 2. The Northern Crown comes to the meridian with the sign Scorpio, not Taurus. We can only bring the sense right by supposing that in the signe of Taurus means when the sun is in that sign, viz. in April. In the nights of April, in our latitude, the Northern Crown is very conspicuous.

[2227.]Quyte him his whyle, repay him for his time, i. e. for the way in which he had spent his time; cf. Man of Law’s Ta., B 584.