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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) V.: THOMAS HOCCLEVE. THE LETTER OF CUPID. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces)
V.: THOMAS HOCCLEVE. THE LETTER OF CUPID. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces) [1897]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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V.
THOMAS HOCCLEVE.
THE LETTER OF CUPID.
From F (Fairfax); various readings from B (Bodley 638); T (Tanner 346); S (Arch. Selden B. 24); A (Ashburnham MS.); Tr. (Trin. Coll. Cam. R. 3. 20). Also in Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); D (Digby 181); Ff (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. 1. 6); and in the Bannatyne MS.
Litera Cupidinis, dei Amoris, directa subditis suis Amatoribus.
-
- CUPIDO, unto whos comaundëment
- The gentil kinrede of by
- And infernal been obedient,
- And mortel al serven ,
- The goddesse sonë soothly,5
- To tho that to our deitee
- Ben , hertly greting sende we!
-
- In general, we that ye knowe
- That ladies of honour and reverence,
- And other gentil 10
- seed of compleynt in our audience
- Of men that hem outrage and offence,
- That it eres greveth for to here;
- So is of this matere.
-
- 15
- That cleped is Albion they most compleyne;
- They , that there is croppe and rote of gyle.
- So conne tho men and feyne
- With stonding dropes eyen tweyne,
- When that hir feleth no distresse,20
- To blinden women with doublenesse.
-
- Hir wordes spoken ben so syghingly,
- chere and contenaunce,
- That every wight that meneth
- Demeth that they in have such grevaunce;25
- They so importáble is hir penaunce
- That, but lady lust to shewe hem grace,
- They right †mot sterven in the place.
-
- ‘A, lady myn!’ they , ‘I ensure,
- As doth me grace, and I shal ever be,30
- that my may and endure,
- To yow as humble and lowe in ech degree
- As possible is, and kepe al secree
- Right as that I do;
- And elles a-two.’35
-
- Ful it is to ;
- For may no man the trouthe deme;
- When out of his mouthe may [ ]
- But it queme,
- So is it of , as hit wolde seme.40
- O feythful woman, ful innocence,
- Thou deceyved fals apparence!
-
- By pitee,
- Wening al thing were as thise men sey,
- They graunte hem grace of hir benignitee45
- For that men shulde nat for sake dey;
- And with good hem in the wey
- Of lovë—kepe it if conne;
- other-whylë women beth y-wonne.
-
- And whan this man the hath by the stele,50[ ]
- And fully is in his possessioun,
- With that woman to dele,
- After if he may in the
- Any woman, his blinde affeccioun[ ]
- bestowë; evel mote he preve!55
- A man, for al his othes, is to !
-
- And, for that every fals man hath a make,
- (As un-to every wight is light to knowe),
- Whan this this woman hath forsake,
- He un-to his felowe;60
- Til he be there, his is on a lowe;
- His fals deceyt may him not suffyse,
- But of his treson telleth al the wyse.
-
- Is this a ? is this honour,
- A man accuse thus, and diffame?65
- is it good, confesse a traitour,
- And bringe woman to a sclandrous name,
- And telle how he body do shame?
- No may he thus to him conquere,
- But un-to him and here!70
-
- To ? Nay, yet was it no ;[ ]
- For al for vertu was that she ;
- But he that brewed hath al this ,
- That so faire, and falsly inward ,
- His the sclaundre, as it reson ,75
- And un-to her perpetuel,
- That in helpe can so wel!
-
- Althogh of men, sleyght and sotiltee,
- A sely, simple, and innocent woman
- Betrayed is, no wonder, sith the citee80
- Of Troye—as the storie can—
- Betrayed was, the disceyt of man,
- And set on fyre, and al over-throwe,
- And destroyed, as men knowe.
-
- men not citees grete, and kinges?85
- What wight can shape remedye
- thise falsly purpósed thinges?
- Who can the craftes to espye
- But man, whos ay
- To thing that souneth in-to falshede?90
- Women, beth ware of mennes sleight, I rede!
-
- And furthermore han thise men in usage
- That, where they not lykly been to spede,
- Suche as been with a double visage
- They prócuren , for to hir nede;95
- He prayeth him in his causë to procede,
- And largely guerdoneth he his travayle;
- wommen how men hem assayle!
-
- Another un-to his felowe seyth:
- ‘Thou fisshest faire! She that thee hath fyred100
- Is fals and , and hath no .
- She for the rode of folke is so desyred
- And, as an hors, fro day to day is hyred
- That, when thou twinnest fro hir companye,
- Another , and blered is thyn eyë!105
-
- ‘Now prikke on , and thy journey
- thou art there; for she, thy ,
- So liberal is, she wol no wight with-sey,
- But smertly of another take ;
- For thus wommen faren, al the !110
- Who-so hem trusteth, hanged he be!
- Ay they desyren chaunge and noveltee!’
-
- Wher-of procedeth this but of envye?
- For he ne winne may,
- He speketh and ,115
- As mannes blabbing is wont alway.
- Thus dyvers men ful often make assay
- For to distourben in sondry wyse,
- For they may not acheven hir empryse.
-
- Ful many a man wolde , for no good,120
- (That hath in love his tyme spent and used)
- Men wiste, his lady his axing withstood,
- And that he were of her pleynly refused,
- Or wast and veyn al that he mused;
- Wherfore he can no better remedye125
- But on his lady him to lye:
-
- ‘Every womman,’ he seyth, ‘is light to gete;
- Can noon sey “nay,” if she be wel y-soght.
- Who-so may , with her to trete,
- Of his ne shal he faile noght,130
- But he on be so depe y-broght[ ]
- That he shende al with open ;
- That loven nat, as that I gesse!’
-
- To thus, what may profyte
- gentils namely, that hem armen sholde,135
- And in defence of wommen hem delyte
- As that the ordre of gentilesse wolde?
- If that a man list gentil to be holde,
- that ther-to is contrarie;
- A sclaundring is his grete adversarie.140
-
- A is of tonge to be light;
- For who-so michel clappeth, gabbeth ofte.
- The tonge of so swift is and so wight
- That, whan it is areysed up-on lofte,
- Resoun it seweth so slowly and softe,145[ ]
- That it him never over-take may:
- Lord! so thise men trusty in !
-
- Al-be-it that man fynde woman nyce,
- Inconstant, rechelees, or ,
- Deynouse , fulfilled of malyce,150
- Withouten feyth or love, and deceyvable,
- Sly, queynt, and fals, in al coupable,
- Wikked and feers, and ful of crueltee,
- It foloweth nat that al wommen be.
-
- Whan that aungels formed had,155
- Among hem ther noon
- That founden was malicious and bad?
- Yis! al men woot that ther was many oon
- That, for hir pryde, fil from heven anoon.
- Shul men therfore aungels proude name?160
- Nay! he that susteneth is to blame.
-
- Of twelve apostels oon a traitour was;
- The remënant yit were and trewe.
- Than, if it happe men fyndë, per ,
- Oo womman fals, swich for t’eschewe,165
- And deme nat that they ben untrewe.
- I see wel mennes
- Hem causeth wommen for to trusten lesse.
-
- O! every man have an herte tendre
- Unto womman, and deme her honurable,170
- his shap be outher thikke or slendre,
- Or be he or good; this is no fable.
- Every man woot, that hath resonable,
- That of a womman he descended is:
- Than is it shame, of to speke amis.175
-
- A wikked may noon forth bring,
- For the fruit is, as that is the tree.
- hede of whom thou took thy biginning;
- Lat thy moder be unto thee.
- her, if thou wolt be!180
- Dispyse thou , in no manere,
- Lest that ther-by thy wikkednesse appere!
-
- An old provérbë is in English:
- Men seyn, ‘that brid or is dishonest ,
- What that he be, and holden ful ,185
- That useth to defoule his owne nest.’
- Men, to sey wel of it is best,
- And nat for to hem ne deprave,
- If that they hir honour kepe and save.
-
- Thise ladies eek compleynen hem on clerkes190
- That they han bokës of hir diffame,
- In which wommen and hir werkes
- And speken of hem and shame,
- And causëlees hem a wikked name.
- Thus they despysed on every syde,195
- And sclaundred, and bilowen on ful wyde.
-
- The sory bokes maken mencioun
- How they betrayden, in ,
- Adam, David, Sampsoun, and Salamoun,
- And many oon mo; who may rehersen al200
- The treson that they havë doon, and shal?
- The world hir malice may not comprehende;
- As that clerkes seyn, it hath ende.
-
- Ovyde, in his boke called ‘Remedye[ ]
- Of Lovë,’ of wommen wryteth;205
- Wherin, I trowe, he dide folye,
- And every wight that in such delyteth.
- A clerkes is, whan he endyteth
- Of , be it prose, or ryme, or vers,
- they ben wikke, al knowe he the revers.210
-
- And that scolers lerne in hir childhede,
- For they of be war sholde in age,
- And for to hem ever been in drede,
- Sin to deceyve is set al hir corage.
- to is avantage,215[ ]
- And namely, suche as men han in be ;
- For many a man by hath .
-
- No charge , what-so thise clerkes seyn;
- Of al hir wrong wryting I do no cure;
- Al hir travayle and labour is in veyn.220
- For, betwex me and my lady Nature,
- Shal be suffred, the world may dure,
- Thise clerkes, by hir cruel ,
- Thus upon kythen hir maistrye.
-
- Whylom ful of hem in my cheyne225[ ]
- , and now, what for unweldy age
- And for unlust, may not to love atteyne,
- And seyn, that love is but dotage.
- Thus, for that they lakken corage,
- They excyten, by hir wikked sawes,230
- For to rebelle agayn me and my lawes.
-
- But, hem that blamen wommen most,
- Suche is force of myn impressioun,
- That I felle can hir bost
- And al hir wrong imaginacioun.235
- It shal not in hir
- The foulest slutte of al a refuse,
- If that me list, for al that they can muse;
-
- But in as desyre
- As thogh she were a duchesse or a quene;240
- So can I folkes on fyre,
- And (as me list) hem sende or tene.
- They that to wommen y-whet so kene
- My persing strokes, how they smyte,
- Shul fele and knowe; and how they kerve and byte.245
-
- Perdee, this grete clerk, this sotil Ovyde
- And many another han deceyved be
- Of , as it knowen is ful wyde;
- no man more; and that is deyntee,
- So excellent a clerk as that was he,250
- And other mo that coude so wel preche
- Betrapped were, for they coude teche.
-
- And trusteth wel, that is no ;
- For pleynly hir .
- They wiste how they coude assayle255
- Hem, and what they in ;
- And they in hir daunger hente .
- With oo venym another was distroyed;[ ]
- And thus thise clerkes often were anoyed.
-
- Thise ladies ne thise gentils, nevertheles,260
- Were noon of tho that in this ;
- But swiche as vertules
- They quitten thus thise olde .
- forthy lesse may suffyse
- Than to deprave wommen generally;265
- For shul they gete noon therby.
-
- If that thise men, that lovers hem pretende,
- To weren feythful, , and trewe,
- And hem to deceyven or offende,
- to love hem wolde nat eschewe.270
- But every day hath man an newe;
- It upon oon abyde can no whyle.[ ]
- What is it, a wight begyle?
-
- Men beren upon honde
- That lightly, and withouten any peyne,275
- They wonne ; they can no wight withstonde
- That his disese list to hem compleyne.
- They been so freel, they mowe hem nat refreyne;
- But who-so lyketh may hem lightly have;
- So hir esy in to grave.280
-
- To maister Iohn de , as suppose,
- Than it was a occupacioun
- In making of the Romance of the Rose;
- So many a sly imaginacioun
- And perils for to rollen up and doun,285
- So , so many a cautele
- For to deceyve a sely !
-
- Nat can I seen, ne my comprehende
- That art and and sotiltee fayle
- For to conquére, and sone make an ende,290
- Whan man a feble place shal ;
- And sone also to venquisshe a
- Of no wight dar maken resistence,
- Ne hath noon to stonden at defence.
-
- Than of necessitee,295
- Sin art asketh so engyn and peyne
- A womman to , what she be,
- Of they not so bareyne[ ]
- As that somme of thise sotil feyne;
- But they ben as that wommen oghten be,300
- Sad, constant, and fulfilled of .
-
- How was Medea to Jasoun[ ]
- In the conquéring of the of !
- How falsly he affeccioun
- By whom victórie he , as he hath wold !305
- How may this man, for shame, be so
- To falsen , that from his dethe and shame
- Him , and gat him so prys and name?
-
- Of Troye also the traitour Eneas,[ ]
- The feythles , how hath he him forswore310
- To Dido, that queen of Cartágë was,
- That him releved of his smertes sore!
- What gentilesse might she han doon more
- she with unfeyned to him kidde?
- And what to ther-of betidde!315
-
- In my Legende of men may fynde[ ]
- (Who-so that lyketh therin for to rede)
- That behest may no man bynde;
- Of reprevable shame han they no drede.
- In mannes trouthe hath no stede;320
- The soil is noght, ther may no trouthe growe!
- To womman namely it is nat unknowe.
-
- Clerkes seyn also: ‘ther is no malyce
- Unto crabbed !’
- O woman! How shalt thou thy-self chevyce,325
- Sin men of so muchel witnesse?
- ! Do forth! no hevinesse!
- Kepë thyn ownë, what men clappe or crake;
- And somme of hem shul , I undertake!
-
- Malyce of wommen, what is it to drede?330
- They no men, distroyen no citees;
- They not oppressen ne overlede,
- Betraye empyres, remes, ne duchees,
- Ne men bereve hir landes ne hir mees,
- , ne houses sette on fyre,335
- Ne false contractes maken for non hyre!
-
- Trust, love, and entere charitee,
- Fervent wil, and corage
- To thewes gode, as it wel to be,
- Han ay, of custome and usage;340
- And wel they can a mannes ire aswage
- With wordes discreet and benigne;
- What they be inward, sheweth
Explicit litera Cupidinis, dei amoris, directa suis subditis amatoribus.
Colophon. D.T. amatoribus; F.om.B.has—The lettre of Cupide, god of love, directed to his suggestys louers.
- ‘Et aucuns sont qui iadis en mes las
- Furent tenus, mais il sont d’amer las,
- Ou par vieillece ou deffaulte de cuer,
- Si ne veulent plus amer a nul fuer,
- Et convenant m’ont de tous poins nyé,
- Moy et mon fait guerpy et renié,
- Comme mauvais serviteurs et rebelles.’
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