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XVIII.: THE CUCKOO AND THE NIGHTINGALE; OR THE BOOK OF CUPID, GOD OF LOVE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces)

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XVIII.: THE CUCKOO AND THE NIGHTINGALE; OR THE BOOK OF CUPID, GOD OF LOVE. - 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.

Author: Geoffrey Chaucer
Editor: Walter W. Skeat

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

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XVIII.

THE CUCKOO AND THE NIGHTINGALE;

OR THE BOOK OF CUPID, GOD OF LOVE.

From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); collated with F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); S. (Arch. Selden, B. 24); T. (Tanner 346); also in Ff. (Camb. Univ. Ff. 1. 6).

Title:Th. Of the C. and the N.; F.B. The boke of Cupide, god of loue.

- THE god of love, a ! benedicite!
- How mighty and how greet a lord is he![ ]
- For he can make of lowe hertes hye,
- And of hye lowe, and lyke for to dye,
- And harde hertes he can maken free.5
- And he can make, within a litel stounde
- Of seke folk ful hole, fresshe and sounde,
- And of [the] hole , he can make seke;
- And he can binden and unbinden eke
- What he wol have bounden or unbounde.10
- To telle his might my wit may not suffyse ;
- For he may do al that he wol devyse.[ ]
- For he can make of wyse folk ful nyce,
- And [eke] in lyther folk distroyen vyce;
- And proude hertes he can make agryse.15
- Shortly, al that ever he wol he may;
- Ageines him ther dar no wight sey nay.
- For he can gladde and greve whom him lyketh ;
- And, who that he wol, he laugheth or he syketh ;
- And most his might he sheweth ever in May .20
- For every trewe gentil herte free
- That with him is, or thinketh for to be,
- Ageines May now shal have som steringe
- Other to joye, or elles to morninge ,
- In no sesoun so greet , as thinketh me.25
- For whan they mowe here the briddes singe,
- And see the floures and the leves springe,
- That bringeth into hertes rémembraunce
- A maner ese, medled with grevaunce,
- And lusty thoughtes fulle of greet longinge.30
- And of that longing cometh hevinesse,
- And therof groweth ofte greet seknesse ,
- And al for lak of that that they desyre;
- And thus in May ben hertes sette on fyre,
- So that they brennen forth in greet distresse.35
- I speke this of feling , trewely ;
- For, althogh I be old and unlusty,
- Yet have I felt of that seknesse, in May,
- Bothe hoot and cold, an acces every day,
- How sore, y-wis, ther wot no wight but I.40
- I am so shaken with the fevers whyte ,
- Of al this May yet slepte I but a lyte;
- And also it naught lyketh unto me ,
- That any herte shulde slepy be
- In whom that Love his fyry dart wol smyte.45
- But as I lay this other night wakinge,
- I thoghte how lovers had a tokeninge,
- And among hem it was a comune tale ,
- That it were good to here the nightingale
- Rather than the lewde cukkow singe.50
- And then I thoghte , anon as it was day,
- I wolde go som whider to assay
- If that I might a nightingale here;
- For yet had I non herd of al this yere,
- And hit was tho the thridde night of May.55
- And than , anon as I the day espyde ,
- No lenger wolde I in my bedde abyde,
- But unto a wode , that was faste by,
- I wente forth alone, boldely ,
- And held my way doun by a broke-syde,60
- Til I com to a launde of whyte and grene;
- So fair oon had I never in[ne]been ;
- The ground was grene, y-poudred with daisye,[ ]
- The floures and the gras y-lyke hye,
- Al grene and whyte; was nothing elles sene.65
- Ther sat I doun among the faire floures;
- And saw the briddes trippe out of her boures
- Ther-as they had hem rested al the night.
- They were so joyful of the dayes light
- That they †begonne of May to don hir houres !70
- They coude that servyce al by rote ;
- Ther was many a lovely straunge note;
- Some songe loudë , as they hadde pleyned ,
- And some in other maner vois y-feyned ,
- And some al out, with al the fulle throte.75
- They proyned hem, and made[n] hem right gay,
- And daunseden, and lepten on the spray,
- And evermore two and two in-fere;
- Right so as they had chosen hem to-yere
- In Feverere , on seint Valentynes day.80[ ]
- And eke the river, that I sat upon,
- It made suche a noise, as it ron ,
- Accordaunt with the briddes armonye ,
- Me thoughte , it was the best[e] melodye
- That mighte been y-herd of any mon.85
- And for delyt ther-of , I wot never how ,
- I fel in suche a slomber and a swow ,[ ]
- Not al a-slepe , ne fully wakinge;
- And in that swow me thoughte I herde singe
- That sory brid, the lew[e]de cukkow .90
- And that was on a tree right fast[e] by;
- But who was than evel apayd but I?
- ‘Now god,’ quod I, ‘that dyëd on the crois
- Yeve sorow on thee , and on thy lewde vois!
- For litel joye have I now of thy cry.’95
- And as I with the cukkow thus gan chyde,
- I herde, in the nexte bush besyde ,
- A Nightingalë so lustily singe
- That with her clere vois she made ringe
- Through-out al the grene wode wyde.100
- ‘A! goode Nightingale!’ quod I thenne ,
- ‘A litel hast thou been to longe henne ;
- For here hath been the lew[e]de Cukkow,
- And songen songes rather than hast thou;
- I pray to god that evel fyr him brenne!’105
- But now I wol you telle a wonder thing:
- As longë as I lay in that swowning ,
- Me thoughte , I wiste what the briddes ment,
- And what they seyde , and what was her entent,
- And of her speche I hadde good knowing.110
- And than herde I the Nightingale say,
- ‘Now, gode Cukkow! go som-where away,
- And let us that can singen dwellen here;
- For every wight escheweth thee to here,
- Thy songes be so elenge, in good fay!’115
- ‘What?’ quod he , ‘what may thee eylen now?
- It thinketh me, I singe as wel as thou,
- For my song is bothe trewe and playn ;
- Al-though I can not crakel so in vayn
- As thou dost in thy throte, I wot never how.120
- And every wight may understande me;
- But, Nightingale, so may they not do thee ;
- For thou hast many a nyce queinte cry.
- I have herd thee seyn , “ocy! ocy!”
- How mighte I knowe what that shulde be?’125
- ‘A fole !’ quod she, ‘wost thou not what it is?
- Whan that I say “ocy! ocy!” y-wis,
- Than mene I that I wolde, wonder fayn ,
- That alle they were shamfully y-slayn
- That menen aught ayeines love amis.130
- And also I wolde alle tho were dede
- That thenke not in love hir lyf to lede;
- For who that wol the god of love not serve,
- I dar wel say, is worthy for to sterve;
- And for that skil “ocy! ocy!” I grede .’135
- ‘Ey !’ quod the Cukkow, ‘this is a queint lawe,
- [ ] That every wight shal love or be to-drawe !
- But I forsake al suchë companye.
- For myn entent is neither for to dye,
- Ne , whyl I live, in loves yok to drawe.140
- For lovers ben the folk that been on-lyve
- That most disesë han, and most unthryve ,
- And, most enduren sorow, wo, and care;
- And, at the laste, failen of welfare ;
- What nedeth hit ayeines trouth to stryve?’145
- ‘What ?’ quod she, ‘thou art out of thy minde!
- How might thou in thy cherles herte finde
- To speke of loves servaunts in this wyse?
- For in this worlde is noon so good servyse
- To every wight that gentil is of kinde.150
- For ther-of, trewly, cometh al goodnesse,[ ]
- Al honóur, and [eke] al gentilnesse ,[ ]
- Worship, esë , and al hertes lust,[ ]
- Parfit joye, and ful assured trust,
- Jolitee, plesauncë, and freshnesse,155
- Lowliheed, and trewe companye,[ ]
- Seemliheed, largesse, and curtesye,
- Drede of shame for to doon amis;
- For he that trewly Loves servaunt is
- Were lother to be shamed than to dye.160
- And that this is sooth, al that I seye,
- In that beleve I wol bothe live and deye,
- And Cukkow, so rede I thou do, y-wis.’
- ‘Ye , than,’ quod he, ‘god let me never have blis
- If ever I to that counseyl obeye!165
- Nightingale, thou spekest wonder fayre,
- But, for al that, the sooth is the contrayre ;
- For loving is, in yonge folk , but rage,
- And in olde folk hit is a greet dotage;
- Who most hit useth, most he shal apeyre.170
- For therof comth disese and hevinesse,
- Sorowe and care, and mony a greet seknesse,
- Dispyt, debat, [and] anger, and envye,
- Repreef and shame, untrust and jelousye,
- Pryde and mischeef, povértee , and woodnesse.175
- What ! Loving is an office of dispayr ,
- And oo thing is ther-in that is not fayr ;
- For who that geteth of love a litel blis ,
- But-if he be alway therwith, y-wis,
- He may ful sone of age have his[ ]heyr .180
- And, Nightingale, therfor hold thee ny ;
- For, leve me wel, for al thy queynte cry,
- If thou be fer or longe fro thy make,
- Thou shalt be as other that been forsake,
- And than[ne] thou shalt hoten as do I !’185
- ‘Fy!’ quod she, ‘on thy namë and on thee !
- The god of love ne let thee never y-thee!
- For thou art wors a thousand-fold than wood.
- For many on is ful worthy and ful good,
- That had be naught, ne hadde love y-be!190
- For Love his servaunts ever-more amendeth,
- And from al evel taches hem defendeth,
- And maketh hem to brenne right as fyr
- In trouthë and in worshipful desyr,
- And, whom him liketh, joye y-nough hem sendeth.’195
- ‘Thou Nightingale,’ he seyde, ‘hold thee stille ;
- For Love hath no resoun but his wille ;
- For ofte sithe untrewe folk he eseth ,
- And trewe folk so bitterly displeseth
- That , for defaute of grace , he let hem spille .200
- With such a lorde wol I never be;[ ][ ]
- For he is blind alwey , and may not see;
- And whom he hit he not, or whom he fayleth ;[ ]
- And in his court ful selden trouthe avayleth;
- Só dyvérs and so wilfúl is he.’205
- Than took I of the Nightingale kepe,
- She caste a sigh out of her herte depe,
- And seyde , ‘Alas! that ever I was bore!
- I can, for tene, say not oon word more;’
- And right with that she brast out for to wepe.210
- ‘Alas!’ quod she, ‘my herte wol to-breke
- To heren thus this false brid to speke
- Of love, and of his worshipful servyse;
- Now, god of love, thou help me in som wyse
- That I may on this Cukkow been awreke!’215
- Me thoughte than, that I sterte up anon,[ ]
- And to the broke I ran, and gat a stoon,[ ]
- And at the Cukkow hertely I caste;
- And he, for drede, fley away ful faste;
- And glad was I when that he was a-goon .220
- And evermore the Cukkow, as he fley ,
- He seyde , ‘Farewel! farewel, papinjay !’
- As though he hadde scorned, thoughte me ;
- But ay I hunted him fro tree to tree[ ]
- Til he was fer al out of sighte awey .225
- And thanne com the Nightingale to me,
- And seyde , ‘Frend, forsothe I thanke thee
- That thou hast lyked me thus to rescowe ;
- And oon avow to Love I wol avowe ,
- That al this May I wol thy singer be.’230
- I thanked her, and was right wel apayed ;
- ‘Ye,’ quod she, ‘and be thou not amayed ,
- Though thou have herd the Cukkow er than me.
- For, if I live, it shal amended be
- The nexte May, if I be not affrayed .235
- And oon thing I wol rede thee also;
- Ne leve thou not the Cukkow, loves fo;[ ]
- For al that he hath seyd is strong lesinge .’
- ‘Nay,’ quod I, ‘thérto shal no thing me bringe
- Fro love; and yet he doth me mochel wo .’240
- ‘Ye , use thou ,’ quod she, ‘this medicyne;
- Every day this May, or that thou dyne,
- Go loke upon the fresshe dayësyë .
- And though thou be for wo in poynt to dye,
- That shal ful gretly lissen thee of thy pyne.245
- And loke alwey that thou be good and trewe,
- And I wol singe oon of my songes newe,
- For love of thee , as loude as I may crye;’
- And than[ne] she began this song ful hye—
- ‘I shrewe al hem that been of love untrewe!’250
- And whan she hadde songe hit to the ende,
- ‘Nów farewel,’ quod she, ‘for I mot wende;
- And god of love, that can right wel and may,
- As mochel joye sende thee this day
- As ever yet he any lover sende !’255
- Thus took the Nightingale her leve of me.
- I pray to god, he alway with her be,
- And joye of love he sende her evermore;
- And shilde us fro the Cukkow and his lore;
- For ther is noon so fals a brid as he.260
- Forth she fley , the gentil Nightingale,
- To al the briddes that were in that dale ,
- And gat hem alle into a place in-fere,
- And †hem besoughte that they woldë here
- Her disese ; and thus began her tale:—265
- ‘Ye witen wel, it is not fro yow hid [ ]
- How the Cukkow and I faste have chid
- Ever sithen it was dayes light;
- I pray yow alle , that ye do me right
- Of that foule, false, unkinde brid .’270
- Than spak oo brid for alle , by oon assent,
- ‘This mater asketh good avysement;
- For we ben fewe briddes here in-fere.
- And sooth it is, the Cukkow is not here;
- And therefor we wol have a parlement .275
- And therat shal the Egle be our lord ,
- And other peres that ben of
  Explicit Clanvowe.
  
  [1. ]Th. ah; F. a; S. a. a.
  
  [2. ]Th. Howe; gret; lorde.
  
  [4. ]Th. of his; Ff. S. of hye; F. B. high hertis.
  
  [6. ]F. B. S. Ff. And he; Th. om. And.
  
  [7. ]Th. folke; om. ful.
  
  [8. ]I supply the. S. hole folke.
  
  [9. ]S. And he; rest om. And. Th. F. B. bynde; read binden.
  
  [10. ]Th. T. That; F. B. Ff. What; S. Quhom.
  
  [11. ]Th. tel; wytte.
  
  [12. ]Th. Ff. wol; rest can.
  
  [12, 13. ]Th. T. transpose these lines.
  
  [13. ]Th. folke.
  
  [14. ]I supply eke. Th. T. om. in (S. has in-to). F. lyther; S. lidder; Th. Ff. lythy; T. leþi. Th. folke. Th. T. to distroyen; rest om. to.
  
  [17. ]Ff. T. Ageynes; S. Ageynest; Th. Agaynst; F. B. Ayenst. Th. Ff. T. om. ther.
  
  [18. ]Th. glad; rest glade.
  
  [19. ]Th. loweth. S. has 2nd he; rest omit. F. B. don hym laugh or siketh.
  
  [20. ]Th. T. shedeth.
  
  [21. ]Th. fre.
  
  [22. ]F. B. om. for.
  
  [23. ]S. Ff. AȜeynes; F. B. Ayenst; Th. T. Agayne. Th. nowe.
  
  [24. ]F. B. Other; S. Outhir; Th. T. Ff. Or. Th. ioy. F. B. S. T. ellis; Th. els. Th. T. Ff. some mournyng; rest om. some.
  
  [25. ]F. B. grette; Ff. S. grete; Th. moche.
  
  [26. ]F. then; rest whan (when). Th. may; T. mai; F. B. S. mow; Ff. mowe. Th. byrdes; S. foulis; rest briddes.
  
  [27. ]Th. leaues.
  
  [28. ]Th. T. her (for hertes).
  
  [29. ]Th. T. ease; S. ess; F. B. case (!). Ff. y-medled.
  
  [30. ]Th. ful; Ff. fulle. Th. great.
  
  [32. ]Th. great sicknesse.
  
  [33. ]S. all; rest om. Th. lacke.
  
  [35. ]Th. forthe; great.
  
  [36. ]S. trewely; Th. trewly.
  
  [37. ]F. B. S. For althogh; Th. T. If (!). Th. olde.
  
  [38. ]Th. T. I haue; rest haue I. Th. felte; sicknesse. Th. Ff. through; rest in.
  
  [39. ]All hote. Th. F. B. colde. Th. T. and (!); for an. Th. axes; F. B. acces.
  
  [40. ]Th. Howe; wote.
  
  [42. ]Th. T. om. yet; (Ff. has ne.) Th. T. slepe; Ff. S. slepte; F. B. slept.
  
  [43. ]S. naught likith vnto me; Th. T. Ff. is not lyke to me: F. B. is vnlike for to be.
  
  [45. ]Th. darte.
  
  [47. ]Th. howe.
  
  [48. ]Th. amonge.
  
  [50. ]Th. cuckowe.
  
  [51. ]Th. thought.
  
  [52. ]T. Ff. whider; S. quhider; F. B. whedir; Th. where.
  
  [54. ]Th. none herde. F. B. T. this; Ff. the; Th. S. that.
  
  [55. ]S. thridde; T. thridd; Th. F. B. thirde.
  
  [56. ]S. than; rest om. Th. aspyde.
  
  [58. ]Ff. to; Th. T. vnto; F. B. into; S. in. Th. wodde; F. B. wode.
  
  [59. ]Th. T. went; F. B. wente. Th. forthe. Th. boldely; Ff. T. boldly; rest priuely.
  
  [60. ]Th. helde. F. B. S. my; Th. Ff. the; T. me the. Th. downe.
  
  [61. ]F. B. come; S. cam; Th. T. came (read com).
  
  [62. ]All in; read inne. S. has in y-ben.
  
  [63, 64. ]B. transposes.
  
  [64. ]F. B. gras; S. greses; Th. greues; T. Ff. grenes. S. ylike; F. B. al I-like; Th. T. Ff. lyke.
  
  [65. ]Th. els.
  
  [66. ]Th. sate; downe.
  
  [67. ]Th. sawe; birdes. Th. trippe; T. trip; S. flee; F. B. crepe.
  
  [68. ]Th. T. Ff. om. had. S. thame rested; rest rested hem.
  
  [70. ]Th. T. om. That. All began; read begonne. Ff. to don hir; Th. T. for to done. F. B. of Mayes ben her houres (!); S. on mayes vss thair houres.
  
  [72. ]S. lusty (for lovely). S. straunge; rest om.
  
  [73. ]Ff. lowe. T. hade; rest had. S. compleyned.
  
  [74. ]Th. voice yfayned.
  
  [75. ]Ff. S. all (2); rest om. Th. Ff. T. the ful; S. fulle; F. B. a lowde.
  
  [76. ]F. B. pruned. All made; read maden.
  
  [80. ]Th. Feuerere; T. FeuirȜere; rest Marche (!). All upon; read on.
  
  [81. ]S. eke; rest om.
  
  [83. ]Th. T. with; rest to. T. Ff. briddes; S. birdis; Th. byrdes; F. B. foules. S. T. Ff. armonye; Th. armony; F. B. ermonye.
  
  [84. ]Th. thought. All best (!).
  
  [85. ]Th. myght; yherde.
  
  [86. ]All delyte. S. therof; rest om. Th. wotte; F. B. note; S. wote; T. wot. F. B. ner (for never). Th. howe.
  
  [87. ]Th. swowe; Ff. swough; S. slowe (!); B. slow (!).
  
  [88. ]F. B. S. on slepe.
  
  [89. ]Th. swowe; thought.
  
  [90. ]F. B. Ff. That; rest the. F. B. Ff. bridde; S. T. brid; Th. byrde. Th. Cuckowe.
  
  [91. ]All fast.
  
  [92. ]Th. yuel apayde.
  
  [93. ]Th. Nowe. F. B. vpon (for on).
  
  [94. ]Th. the.
  
  [95. ]Th. nowe.
  
  [96. ]Th. cuckowe. Th. T. thus gan; Ff. now gan; S. gan to; F. B. gan.
  
  [97. ]Th. B. busshe; Ff. T. bussh; F. busshes (!); S. beugh. F. B. me beside.
  
  [100. ]Th. T. Ff. om. out. Ff. the greues of the wode (better)
  
  [101. ]Th. Ah. Ff. S. thenne; T. thanne; rest then.
  
  [102. ]Th. haste. Ff. S. T. henne; rest hen.
  
  [103. ]F. B. lewde; S. lewed; T. Ff. loude (!). (The line runs badly.)
  
  [104. ]F. B. om. hast.
  
  [105. ]Th. T. om. that. Th. yuel fyre. Th. S. her; rest him. Th. bren; rest brenne.
  
  [106. ]Th. nowe; tel.
  
  [107. ]Th. laye. (The line runs badly; read longë or swowening.)
  
  [108. ]Th. thought; wyst. Th. T. what; rest al that.
  
  [109. ]Th. sayd.
  
  [110. ]T. hade; rest had.
  
  [111. ]Th. om. And. Th. T. there (for than).
  
  [112. ]Th. Nowe good.
  
  [113. ]Th. lette.
  
  [114. ]Th. the.
  
  [116. ]F. B. she (for he). Th. the.
  
  [118. ]Th. songe; playne.
  
  [119. ]Th. T. And though; rest Al-though. Th. crakel; T. crakil; S. crekill; Ff. crake; F. B. breke hit (!). Th. vayne.
  
  [120. ]Th. doest; S. dois; rest dost. Th. Ff. S. neuer; T. not; F. B. ner.
  
  [122. ]Th. done; T. S. Ff. do; F. B. om. Th. the.
  
  [123. ]Th. haste. Th. T. Ff. nyce queynt(e); S. queynt feyned; F. B. queint.
  
  [124. ]F. B. S. herd the; T. the herd; Th. the herde. Th. sayne; T. seyn; F. B. seye; S. sing.
  
  [125. ]Th. Howe. F. B. Who myghte wete what; S. Bot quho mycht vnderstand quhat.
  
  [126. ]Th. Ah; Ff. T. A; rest O. Th. foole; woste. Th. T. Ff. it; rest that.
  
  [128. ]Th. meane; fayne.
  
  [129. ]Ff. alle; S. all; rest al. Th. T. Ff. they; rest tho. Th. yslayne.
  
  [130. ]Th. meanen. S. aȜeines; F. B. ayen; T. again; Th. agayne.
  
  [131. ]F. B. al tho were dede; Th. T. Ff. that al tho had the dede. S. And al they I wold also were dede.
  
  [132. ]Th. thynke; T. think; S. thinkith; Ff. thenke; F. B. thenk. F. B. S. Ff. her lyne in loue.
  
  [133. ]Th. S. who so; rest om. so. Th. T. Ff. place not after wol.
  
  [134. ]Th. T. F. B. Ff. he is; S. om. he. Th. Ff. T. om. for.
  
  [136. ]Th. Eye; cuckowe. F. B. insert ywis before this.
  
  [137. ]Th. T. Ff. That euery wight shal loue or be to-drawe; F. B. That eyther I shal love or elles be slawe.
  
  [139. ]Th. myne. F. B. neyther; S. nouthir; Th. T. Ff. not.
  
  [140. ]Th. T. Ff. Ne neuer; rest om. neuer. Th. T. on; rest in.
  
  [141. ]Th. S. ben; Ff. T. bene; F. B. lyven (for been).
  
  [142. ]Th. moste (twice); disease.
  
  [143. ]Th. moste. F. B. S. enduren; Th. Ff. T. endure.
  
  [144. ]So F. B. (with of her for of); Th. T. Ff. And leste felen of welfare; S. And alderlast have felyng of welefare.
  
  [145. ]S. aȜeynes; Th. B. ayenst; F. T. ayens.
  
  [146. ]S. Quhat brid quod. Th. arte.
  
  [147. ]Th. T. Ff. might thou; F. maist thou; B. S. maistow. Th. Ff. churlnesse; T. clerenes (!); F. B. cherles hert; S. cherlish hert.
  
  [148. ]Th. seruauntes.
  
  [149. ]Th. none.
  
  [152. ]S. Honestee estate and all gentilness; Th. T. F. Ff. Al honour and al gentylnesse; B. Al honour and al gentillesse.
  
  [153. ]Th. ease.
  
  [154. ]Th. Parfyte. F. B. ensured.
  
  [155. ]S. and eke.
  
  [156, 157. ]All but the first words transposed in Th. T.
  
  [158. ]F. B. S. and for; Th. T. Ff. om. and. Th. done.
  
  [160. ]Th. T. Ff. om. 1st to.
  
  [161. ]F. B. Ff. om. this. F. B. S. al; Th. T. Ff. om.
  
  [162. ]Th. T. om. bothe.
  
  [163. ]F. B.S. rede I; Th. T. Ff. I rede. Th. that thou.
  
  [164. ]Th. T. Ff. om. Ye. F. B. she; rest he. Th. T. om. god.
  
  [165. ]Th. T. vnto; F. B. Ff. S. to. F. B. thy (for that).
  
  [167. ]F. B. the sothe; S. full sooth. Th. T. Ff. is the sothe contrayre.
  
  [168. ]F. B. S. Ff. loving; Th. T. loue. Th. folke.
  
  [169. ]Th. folke; F. B. Ff. om. F. B. hit is; Th. T. om. Th. great.
  
  [170. ]Th. moste (twice). F. B. he; S. it; Th. T. Ff. om.
  
  [171. ]F. mony an; B. mony a; Th. T. S. Ff. disease and.
  
  [172. ]Th. So sorowe; rest om. So. Th. many a gret. F. B. om. greet.
  
  [173. ]Th. Dispyte debate. I supply and.
  
  [174. ]F. Repreve and; B. Repreff and; S. Repref and; Th. T. Deprauyng.
  
  [175. ]Th. T. B. Ff. om. 1st and. Th. mischefe. S. pouertee; Ff. pouerte; rest pouert.
  
  [176. ]Th. T. Ff. om. What. Th. dispayre.
  
  [177. ]B. T. oo; S. o; F. oon; Th. one. Th. fayre.
  
  [178. ]Th. getteth; S. get (better). Th. blysse.
  
  [179. ]F. B. om. if. F. B. S. Ff. therby.
  
  [180. ]Th. heyre; T. eyre; S. aire; F. B. crie (!); Ff. heiere.
  
  [181. ]F. B. therfor Nyghtyngale. Th. therefore holde the nye.
  
  [182. ]Th. Ff. T. S. queynt; F. B. loude.
  
  [183. ]Th. T. Ff. ferre. F. of (for or).
  
  [184. ]Th. T. S. ben; F. B. be (read been).
  
  [185. ]Th. Ff. than; F. B. T. then (read thanne); S. om. F. B. shalt thou.
  
  [186. ]Th. the.
  
  [188. ]Th. T. worse. Th. folde.
  
  [189. ]Th. one; Ff. on; F. B. om. S. ar; rest is.
  
  [190. ]T. hade (twice); rest had.
  
  [191. ]Th. T. Ff. put evermore after For. Th. seruauntes; F. B. seruant.
  
  [192. ]Ff. T. euel; S. euell; Th. yuel; F. B. om F. tachches; S. stachis (!). F. B. him.
  
  [193. ]F. B. him. F. B. as eny; T. right as a; Ff. right as; Th. right in a. S. be brynnyng as a. Th. fyre.
  
  [195. ]Th. whan; T. when; Ff. whanne (for whom). F. B. Ff. him; S. he; Th. T. hem. Th. ioy.
  
  [196. ]F. B. Ye (for Thou). Th. sayd. T. F. B. S. Ff. hold the; Th. be. Th. styl.
  
  [197. ]F. B. S. Ff. his; Th. T. it is. Th. wyl.
  
  [198. ]F. B. Ff. sithe; Th. T. tyme; S. tymes. Th. folke; easeth.
  
  [199. ]Th. folke. Th. T. Ff. he displeaseth; rest om. he.
  
  [200. ]F. B. And (for That). Th. corage; rest grace. Th. spyl.
  
  [201. ]Ff. wille; F. wolde; B. wull; S. wole.
  
  [201–205. ]From F. B. Ff. S.; Th. T. omit.
  
  [202. ]F. B. blynde; S. blynd. S. alweye; F. B. Ff. om.
  
  [203. ]Ff. And whom he hit he not, or whom he failith (best); F. B. And whan he lyeth he not, ne whan he fayleth; S. Quhom he hurtith he note, ne quhom he helith (!).
  
  [204. ]So Ff.; F. B. In; S. Into. Ff. S. his; F. B. this. F. B. selde.
  
  [205. ]F. B. dyuerse.
  
  [206. ]Th. toke.
  
  [207. ]Th. T. Howe she; F. B. S. om. Howe. Th. T. Ff. om. herte.
  
  [208. ]Th. sayd.
  
  [209. ]Th. not say one; T. nouȜt sey oo.
  
  [210. ]Th. that worde; rest om. worde. F. B. on (for out). Th. om. for.
  
  [212. ]Th. leude; Ff. false; rest fals. T. B. brid; Ff. bridde; Th. byrde; S. bird. F. B. Ff. to; rest om.
  
  [214. ]Th. helpe; some.
  
  [215. ]Th. cuckowe ben.
  
  [216. ]S. thocht; rest thought (read thoughte). F. B. S. that I; T. Ff. I; Th. he.
  
  [217. ]S. gat; F. B. gatte.
  
  [217–219. ]Th. T. omit.
  
  [218. ]S. hardily; F. B. Ff. hertly.
  
  [219. ]Ff. flyeȜ; F. flyed; B. flye; S. gan flee (read fley, as in 221).
  
  [220. ]Th. om. when. Th. agon; T. S. agone; Ff. goon; F. gone; B. gon.
  
  [221. ]F. B. fley; Th. flaye; Ff. S. flay; T. flai.
  
  [222. ]Th. T. om. He. Th. sayd. Th. popyngaye; F. B. papyngay; S. papaIay; Ff. papeiay.
  
  [223. ]T. hade; rest had. F. B. Ff. thoght me; S. as thocht me (read thoughte me); Th. me alone (to rime with 217).
  
  [224, 225. ]Th. T. omit.
  
  [225. ]F. B. Ff. sight away.
  
  [226. ]Th. S. than; F. B. T. then; Ff. thanne. F. B. T. S. come; Th. Ff. came.
  
  [227. ]F. B. seyde; Th. sayd. Th. the.
  
  [228. ]Th. haste. F. B. thus; S. for; Th. T. Ff. om. T. rescow; rest rescowe.
  
  [229. ]Th. one. Ff. I wol avowe; F. B. I avowe; Th. T. make I nowe. S. And rycht anon to loue I wole allowe.
  
  [231. ]Th. apayde; T. apaied.
  
  [232. ]F. B. Ff. S. amayed; Th. T. dismayde.
  
  [233. ]Th. herde. F. B. er; Th. T. Ff. erst.
  
  [235. ]Ff. nexte; rest next. Th. affrayde; T. affraied.
  
  [236. ]Th. one.
  
  [237. ]S. leue; rest loue (!). Th. cuckowe ne his; F. B. S. om. ne his.
  
  [238. ]Th. stronge leasyng.
  
  [239. ]F. B. S. Ff. there (for therto). T. man (for thing).
  
  [240. ]F. B. S. Fro; Th. T. Ff. For (!). So Ff. F. B. S.; Th. T. and it hath do me moche (T. myche) wo.
  
  [241. ]F. B. Yee; S. Ya. S. thou schalt vss. Th. T. Ff. om. thou.
  
  [242. ]Ff. F. B. er; rest or. Th. T. Ff. om. that.
  
  [243. ]F. B. S. fressh flour; Ff. Th. T. om. flour. S. dayeseye.
  
  [245. ]Th. greatly. B. lisse; F. Ff. lyssen; Th. T. S. lessen. S. om. thee.
  
  [246 ]—end. Lost in S.
  
  [247. ]Th. one. Ff. my; rest the.
  
  [248. ]Th. the.
  
  [249. ]Th. T. Ff. than; F. B. then (read thanne). Th. songe.
  
  [250. ]F. B. Ff. hem al. Th. ben; T. bene.
  
  [251. ]Ff. hadde; T. hade; rest had.
  
  [252. ]Th. Nowe. F. most; B. must; Th. Ff. mote; T. mot.
  
  [254. ]Ff. mochel; F. B. mekil; T. mykil; Th. moche. Th. the.
  
  [255. ]So F. B. Ff.; Th. T. As any yet louer he euer sende.
  
  [256. ]Th. T. Ff. taketh; F. B. toke. Th. leaue.
  
  [257. ]Th. T. Ff. om. he.
  
  [259. ]Th. cuckowe.
  
  [260. ]Ff. noon; F. B. non; Th. T. not. T. Ff. brid; F. B. bridde; Th. byrde.
  
  [261. ]F. B. fley; T. fleigh; Ff. fleȜt; Th. flewe.
  
  [262. ]Th. byrdes; rest briddes. B. the vale; F. the wale; Th. T. Ff. that dale.
  
  [263. ]Th. T. gate; F. B. gat.
  
  [264. ]All put hem after besoughte. Ff. bysought; rest besoughten (!).
  
  [265. ]Th. T. disease.
  
  [266. ]Ff. Ye wyten; F. B. Ye knowe; Th. T. The cuckowe (!). F. B. fro yow hidde; Th. T. for to hyde (!).
  
  [267. ]F. B. How that; rest om. that. Th. T. Ff. fast; F. B. om. Th. chyde; Th. chide; F. B. Ff. chidde.
  
  [268. ]Th. Ff. daye; rest dayes.
  
  [269. ]Th. Ff. praye; rest pray (prey). Ff. alle; rest al.
  
  [270. ]Th. bride; T. Ff. brid; F. B. bridde.
  
  [271. ]Th. o; rest oon. T. all; rest al. Th. one; T. oon; F. B. om.
  
  [273. ]Th. om. fewe. Th. byrdes.
  
  [274. ]All soth. Th. cuckowe.
  
  [276. ]T. Ff. lord; rest lorde.
  
  [277. ]T. Ff. record; rest recorde.
  
  [278. ]Th. cuckowe.
  
  [279. ]Ff. Th. T. om. And. Th. There. Th. T. yeue; F. yeuen; B. yeuyn; Ff. youe.
  
  [1, 2.]Quoted from the Knightes Tale, A 1785–6.
  
  [4.]The word of is inserted in Th., Ff. and S., and seems to be right; but as hy-e should be two syllables, perhaps the words And of were rapidly pronounced, in the time of a single syllable. Or omit And.
  
  [11–5.]The lines of this stanza are wrongly arranged in Thynne, and in every printed edition except the present one; i. e. the lines 12 and 13 are transposed. But as the rime-formula is aabba, it is easy to see that suffyse, devyse, agryse rime together on the one hand, and nyce, vyce, on the other. The pronunciation suffice is comparatively modern; in Chaucer, the suffix -yse was pronounced with a voiced s, i. e. as z. Note the rimes devyse, suffyse in the Book of the Duch. 901–2; suffyse, wyse, devyse, in the C. T., B 3648–9; &c. The MSS. Ff., F., and B. all give the right arrangement.
  
  [18.]whom him lyketh, him whom it pleases him (to gladden or sadden).
  
  [20, 23.]May; cf. Troil. ii. 50–63; Rom. Rose, 51–2, 74–6, 85–6; Legend of Good Women, 108; C. T., A 1500–2.
  
  [36.]of feling, from experience. Spek-e is dissyllabic.
  
  [39.]hoot, hot, i. e. hopeful; cold, full of despair; acces, feverish attack, as in Troil. ii. 1315, 1543, 1578.
  
  [41.]fevers whyte, feverish attacks (of love) that turn men pale; the same as blaunche fevere in Troil. i. 916; see note to that line.
  
  [48.]a comune tale, a common saying. As a fact, one would expect to hear the cuckoo first. Prof. Newton, in his Dict. of Birds, says of the cuckoo, that it ‘crosses the Mediterranean from its winter-quarters in Africa at the end of March or beginning of April. Its arrival is at once proclaimed by the peculiar . . . cry of the cock.’ Of the nightingale he says—‘if the appearance of truth is to be regarded, it is dangerous to introduce a nightingale as singing in England before the 15th of April or after the 15th of June.’
  
  As the change of style makes a difference of 12 days, this 15th of April corresponds to the 3rd of April in the time of Chaucer. It is remarkable that Hazlitt, in his Proverbs, p. 305, gives the following:—‘On the third of April, comes in the cuckoo and the nightingale’; which may once have been correct as regards the latter. Hazlitt also says that, in Sussex, the 14th of April is supposed to be ‘first cuckoo-day’; whereas it would better apply to the nightingale. And again, another proverb says (p. 380)—‘The nightingale and the cuckoo sing both in one month.’ It is clear that, whatever the facts may be, our ancestors had a notion that these birds arrived nearly at the same time, and attached some importance, by way of augury, to the possibility of hearing the nightingale first. They must frequently have been disappointed. See Milton’s sonnet, as quoted in the Introduction.
  
  [54.]of, during; exactly as in l. 42.
  
  [62.]Read inne, the adverbial form; for the sake of the grammar and scansion. See Inne in the Gloss. in vol. vi. p. 135. been gives a false rime to gren-e and sen-e; shewing that grene and sene are here monosyllabic (really green and seen), instead of being dissyllabic, as in Chaucer. Sene is the adj., meaning visible, not the pp., which then took the form seyn.
  
  [70.]For began, which is singular, substitute the pl. form begonne. to don hir houres, to sing their matins, &c.; referring to the canonical hours of church-service. Bell has the reading to don honoures, for which there is no early authority. Morris unluckily adopts the meaningless reading found in MSS. F. and B.
  
  [71.]‘They knew that service all by rote,’ i. e. by heart. Bell actually explains rote as a hurdy-gurdy; as to which see Rote (in senses 2 and 3) in the Gloss. in vol. vi. p. 218.
  
  [80.]Feverere seems to have been pronounced Fev’rer’. Surely it must be right. Yet all the MSS. (except T.) actually have Marche (written Mars in Ff.), followed by upon, not on. Even Th. and T. have upon, not on; but it ruins the scansion, unless we adopt the reading March. It looks as if the author really did write Marche!
  
  [82, 85.]ron, mon, for ran, man, are peculiar. As such forms occur in Myrc and Audelay (both Shropshire authors) and in Robert of Gloucester, they are perfectly consistent with the supposition that they are due to Clanvowe’s connection with Herefordshire.
  
  [87.]swow, swoon; cf. Book Duch. 215.
  
  [90.]As brid is a monosyllable (cf. ll. 212, 260, 270, 271), it is necessary to make lew-ed-e a trisyllable; as also in l. 103. But it becomes lew’de in ll. 50, 94. Chaucer has lew-ed, P. F. 616, &c.
  
  [105.]him; the cuckoo is male, but the nightingale, by way of contrast, is supposed to be female.
  
  [118.]playn, simple, having simple notes; cf. ‘the plain-song cuckoo,’ Mids. Nt. Dr. iii. 1. 134.
  
  [119.]crakel, ‘trill or quaver in singing; used in contempt’; New E. Dict.
  
  [124.]I seems to be strongly accented. It is a pity that there is no authority for inserting For before it. Otherwise, read I hav-ë.
  
  In Old French, oci oci, represented the cry of the nightingale; Godefroy gives examples from Raoul de Houdenc, Froissart, and Deschamps. Moreover, oci was also the imperative of the O. F. verb ocire, to kill; with which it is here intentionally confused. Accordingly, the nightingale retorts that oci means ‘kill! kill!’ with reference to the enemies of love.
  
  [135.]grede, exclaim, cry out. Not used by Chaucer, though found in most dialects of Middle-English. Clanvowe may have heard it in Herefordshire, as it occurs in Langland, Layamon, Robert of Gloucester, and in the Coventry Mysteries, and must have been known in the west. But it was once a very common word. From A.S. græ̃dan.
  
  [137.]to-drawe, drawn asunder; cf. Havelok, 2001; Will. of Palerne, 1564.
  
  [140.]yok, yoke; cf. Ch. C. T., E 113, 1285.
  
  [142.]unthryve, become unsuccessful, meet with ill luck. A very rare word; but it also occurs in the Cursor Mundi (Fairfax MS.), l. 9450, where it is said of Adam that ‘his wyf made him to unthryve.’
  
  [146.]The first syllable of the line is deficient. Accent What strongly. Cf. 153–8 below.
  
  [151.]The sentiment that love teaches all goodness, is common at this time; see Schick’s note to Lydgate’s Temple of Glas, l. 450.
  
  [152.]The true reading is doubtful.
  
  [153–8.]Here the author produces a considerable metrical effect, by beginning all of these lines with a strong accent. There are three such consecutive lines in the Wyf of Bathes Tale, D 869–71. Cf. ll. 161, 232, 242, 252, 261, 265, 268, 270, 278.
  
  [180.]Bell and Morris read haire, without authority, and Bell explains it by ‘he may full soon have the hair (!) which belongs to age, scil., grey hair, said to be produced by anxiety.’ But the M. E. form of ‘hair’ is heer, which will not give a true rime; and the word heyr represents the mod. E. heir. As the h was not sounded, it is also written eir (as in MS. T.) and air (as in MS. S.). The sense is—‘For he who gets a little bliss of love may very soon find that his heir has come of age, unless he is always devoted to it.’ This is a mild joke, signifying that he will soon find himself insecure, like one whose heir or successor has come of age, and whose inheritance is threatened. On the other hand, ‘to have one’s hair of age’ is wholly without sense. Compare the next note.
  
  [185.]‘And then you shall be called as I am.’ I. e. your loved one will forsake you, and you will be called a cuckold. This remark is founded on the fact that the O. F. coucou or cocu had the double sense of cuckoo and cuckold. See cocu in Littré. This explains l. 186.
  
  [201–5.]Bell, by an oversight, omits this stanza.
  
  [203.]This reading (from the best MS., viz. Ff.) is much the best. The sense is—‘And whom he hits he knows not, or whom he misses’; because he is blind.
  
  [216–25.]All the early printed editions crush these two stanzas into one, by omitting ll. 217–9, and 224–5, and altering thoughte me (l. 223) to me aloon. This is much inferior to the text.
  
  [237.]leve, believe; yet all the authorities but S. have the reading loue! Cf. l. 238.
  
  [243.]dayesye, daisy. Cf. Legend of Good Women, 182–7, 201–2, 211.
  
  [266.]Ye witen is the right reading; turned into ye knowe in F. and B. The old printed editions actually read The cuckowe!
  
  [267.]A syllable seems lacking after I; such lines are common in Lydgate. The reading y-chid would render the line complete; or we may read hav-ë, as perhaps in l. 124.
  
  [275.]An obvious allusion to Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules, in which he gives ‘the royal egle’ the first place (l. 330).