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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) XXI.: THE ASSEMBLY OF LADIES. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces)
XXI.: THE ASSEMBLY OF LADIES. - 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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XXI.
THE ASSEMBLY OF LADIES.
From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); compared with A. (Áddit. 34360); and T. (Trin. R. 3. 19). Title.Th. The assemble of ladies; T. the Boke callyd Assemble de Damys.
-
- IN Septembre, at the falling of the ,
- The fressh was al-togider doon,
- And of the was in the ;
- In a ,
- Ther were ladyes walking, as was her wone,5
- Foure in nombre, as to my ,
- And I the simplest of hem .
-
- Of gentilwomen fayre ther were also,
- Disporting hem, everiche after her gyse,
- In crosse-aleys walking, by two and two,10
- And some alone, after her fantasyes.
- Thus occupyed we were in dyvers wyse;
- And yet, in trouthe, we were not alone;
- Ther were knightës and squyers many one.
-
- ‘Wherof I served?’ oon of hem asked me;15
- I , as it fel in my thought,
- ‘To walke the mase , in certayntè,
- As a woman that [ ] nothing rought.’
- He asked me —‘whom that I sought,
- And of my colour why I was so pale?’20
- ‘Forsothe,’ quod I, ‘and therby a tale.’
-
- ‘That must ,’ quod he, ‘and that ;
- Tel on, let see, and make no .’
- ‘ ,’ quod I, ‘ye a hasty oon,
- I let you it is no litel thing.25
- But, for bicause ye have a longing
- In your , this for to here,
- I shal you tel the of this matere.—
-
- It happed thus, that, in an ,[ ]
- My felawship and I, by assent,30
- Whan al other ,
- To passe our tyme, into this mase we went,
- And toke our wayes, eche after our entent;
- Some inward, and † they had gon out,[ ]
- Some stode , and loked al .35
-
- And, to say, some were ful ,
- And right anon as ;
- Other ther were, so mased in her ,
- Al wayes were good for hem, bothe eest and west.
- Thus went they , and had but litel rest;40
- And some, her corage did hem assayle,
- For very , they over the rayle![ ]
-
- And as they sought to and fro,
- I myself a litel avauntage;[ ]
- Al for-weried, I might no further go,45
- Though I had won right , for my viage.
- So I into a passage,
- Which brought me to an herber and grene,
- Mad with benches, ful and clene,
-
- That, as me thought, ther might no crëature50
- Devyse a better, by proporcioun;
- Safe it was closed wel, I you ensure,
- With enviroun,
- Ful secretly, with going doun
- Inmiddes the place, with turning , certayn;55[ ]
- And upon that, a ;
-
- With margarettes growing in ordinaunce,
- To shewe went to and fro,
- That to beholde it was a plesaunce,
- And they were acompanyed with mo[ ]60
- and sovenez also;
- The povre were not disloged there;[ ]
- ! god , her place was every-where!
-
- The flore was paved faire and
- With stones square, of many dyvers ,65
- So wel joynëd that, for to say the sothe,
- Al semed ;
- And underneth, the ,[ ]
- As silver bright, springing in suche a wyse
- That, whence it , ye coude it not devyse.70
-
- A litel whyle was I al alone,
- Beholding wel this délectable place;
- My felawship were coming everichone,[ ]
- So abyde, as for a space.
- Rememb[e]ring of many dyvers cace75
- Of tyme passed, with sighes depe,
- I set me , and ther I fel a-slepe.
-
- And, as I slept, me thought ther to me
- A gentilwoman, metely of stature;
- Of worship she semed for to be,80
- Atyred wel, not high, but by mesure;
- Her countenaunce ful and ful demure;
- Her colours blewe , al that she had upon;
- Ther no mo [ ] but herself aloon.
-
- Her was wel , certainly,85
- With , after her own devyse;
- purfyl her by and by[ ]
- .
- Than prayde I her, in wyse
- That of her name I might have remembraunce;90
- She sayd, she Perséveraunce.
-
- So furthermore to speke was I ,
- Where she dwelled, I prayed her for to say;
- And she ful ,
- “My dwelling is, and hath many a day95
- With a lady.”—“What lady, I you pray?”
- “Of estate, thus warne I you,” quod she;
- “What cal ye her?”—“Her name is Loyaltè.”
-
- “In what offyce ye, or in what degrè?”
- Quod I to her, “that wolde I fayn.”100
- “I am,” quod she, “unworthy though I be,
- Of her chambre her ;
- This I , as for a token ,
- Lyke as ye the rule in such servyce
- the same offyce.105
-
- She charged me, by her commaundëment,
- To you and your felawes everichon,
- That ye come there as she is present,
- For a , which shal be ,
- Or seven dayës be comen and .110
- And furthermore, she bad that I say
- Excuse there might be non, nor [ ] delay.
-
- Another thing was forget
- Whiche in no wyse I wolde but ye it ;
- Remembre wel, and it in your mind,115
- Al your felawes and ye come in ,
- Every liche able your maters for to sew;
- With more, which I pray you thinke upon,
- Your on your everichon.
-
- And ,120
- As many been in suche an high presence;
- your request as ye can best devyse,
- And she gladly wol yeve you audience.
- There is no , ne no maner offence,
- Wherin ye fele that your herte is ,125
- But with her right sone ye .”
-
- “I am right glad,” quod I, “ye tel me this,
- But there is non of us that knoweth the way.”
- “As of your way,” quod she, “ye not mis,
- Ye have to gyde you, day by day,130
- Of my felawes (I can no better say)
- Suche as shal tel you the ful right;
- And Diligence this gentilwoman hight.
-
- A woman of right famous governaunce,
- And wel cherisshed, tel you in certayn;135
- Her felawship shal do you plesaunce.
- Her is suche, her maners trewe and ;
- She with glad chere wol do her besy payn
- To bring you there; don.”
- “Abyde,” I, “ye may not go so sone.”140
-
- “Why so?” quod she, “and I have to go
- To yeve warning in many dyvers place
- To your felawes, and so to other mo;
- And wel ye , I have but litel space.”
- “ yet,” quod I, “ye must tel me this cace,145
- If we shal any man unto us cal?”
- “Not ,” quod she, “may come you al.”
-
- “ ! benedicite!
- What have ? I pray you tel me that!”
- “ , by my , I trow but wel,” quod she;150
- “But ever I can bileve there is somwhat,
- And, for to say you , more can I ;
- In I may nothing ,
- I no further than is my charge.”
-
- “Than thus,” quod I, “do me to ,155
- What place is there this lady is dwelling?”
- “Forsothe,” quod she, “and sought al this ,
- Fairer is , though it were for a king
- Devysed wel, and that in every thing.
- The toures ful plesaunt ,160
- With fressh, turning with every .
-
- The chambres ,
- With bay-windowes, goodly as may be thought,
- As for daunsing and other wyse ;
- The galeryes right wonder wel y-wrought,165
- That I wel , if ye were thider brought.
- And good hede therof in every wyse,
- Ye it thinke a very paradyse.”
-
- “What hight place?” quod I; “ say me that.”
- “Plesaunt ,” quod she, “to tel you .”170
- “Of trouth,” quod I, “and, ye what,
- It may wel be called so, certayn;
- But furthermore, this wold I wit fayn,
- What I do as sone as I come there,
- And after whom I may best enquere?”175
-
- “A gentilwoman, a porter the yate
- There shal ye ; her name is Countenaunce;
- If † so hap come erly or late,
- Of her were good to have som acquaintaunce.
- She can best avaunce,180
- And to come to ladyes presence;
- To her wordës I rede credence.
-
- Now it is tyme I you fro;
- For, in good , I have businesse.”
- “I right wel,” quod I, “that it is so;185
- And I you of your gentilnesse.
- Your hath yeven me hardinesse
- That I shal be , withouten ,
- To do after your counsayl.”
-
- Thus parted she, and I lefte al aloon;190
- With that I saw, as I beheld asyde,
- A woman come, a verray goodly oon;
- And forth withal, as I had her aspyed,
- Me thought anon, [that] it shuld be the gyde;
- And of her name anon I did enquere.195
- Ful womanly she yave me this answere.
-
- “I am,” quod she, “a simple crëature
- Sent from the ; my name is Diligence.
- As sone as I might come, I you ensure,
- I taried not, after I had licence;200
- And that I am come to your presence,
- Look, what servyce I can do or may,
- Commaundë me; I can no further say.”
-
- I thanked her, and prayed her to come nere,
- Because I ;205
- Her gown was blew, dressed in good manere
- With her devyse, her also, that
- Tant que je puis; and I was wel ;
- than wist I, withouten any more,
- It was ful , that I had before.210
-
- “Though we took before a litel space,
- It were ful good,” quod she, “as I gesse.”
- “ ,” quod I, “have we unto place?”
- “A dayes journey,” quod she, “but litel lesse;
- Wherfore I redë that we dresse;215
- For, I suppose, our felawship is past,
- And for nothing I .”
-
- Than we, springing of day,
- And forth we wente [ ] soft pace,
- Til, at the last, we were on our journey220
- So , that we might the place.
- “ let us rest,” quod I, “a litel space,
- And say we, as devoutly as we can,
- A pater-noster for saint Julian.”
-
- “With al , I assent with good wil;225
- Much better we spede, whan we have don.”
- Than taried we, and sayd it every .
- And whan the day after noon,
- We a place, and thider we sone,
- Which rounde was closed with a wal,230
- Seming to me ful lyke an hospital.
-
- Ther , had brought al myn aray,
- A gentilwoman of aquaintaunce.
- “I have ,” quod I, “what maner way
- Ye had knowlege of al this ordenaunce.”235
- “ ,” quod she, “I Perséveraunce,
- How she warned felawes ,
- And what aray have upon.”
-
- “ , for my love,” quod I, “this I you pray,
- Sith ye have take upon you al payn,240
- That ye helpe me on with aray;[ ]
- For wit ye wel, I .”
- “Al this prayer nedeth not, ;”
- Quod she you sone,
- And ye shal it shal be .”245
-
- “But this I ye what,
- That my felawes passed .”
- “I you,” quod she, “that ar they nat;
- For here they assemble .
- Notwithstanding, I you ;250
- Mak redy, and tary no more,
- It is no ye be there .”
-
- So than I dressed me in myn aray,
- And asked her, whether it were wel or no?
- “It is right wel,” quod she, “unto my pay;255
- Ye nede not care to what place ever ye go.”
- And that she and I debated so,
- Diligence, and me al in :
- “Sister,” quod she, “right wel ye your new!”
-
- Than we forth, and met at aventure260
- A woman, an officer :
- “What is your name,” quod I, “good crëature?”
- “ ,” quod she, “without .”
- “And where,” quod I, “is your most ?”
- “I have,” quod she, “this office of purchace,265
- purveyour, that longeth to this place.”
-
Before 267: Th.T. Acquayntaunce herbyger.
-
- “ love,” quod I, “in al your ordenaunce,
- What is her name that is the ?”
- “For sothe,” quod she, “her name is Acquaintaunce,
- A woman of right gracious manere.”270
- Than thus quod I, “What straungers have ye here?”
- “But ,” quod she, “of ;
- Ye be the first, as ferforth as I .”
-
- Thus with talës we streight to the yate;
- This woman departed was and gon;275
- Diligence, and knokked fast ;
- “Who is without?” quod Countenaunce .
- “ ,” quod I, “ sister, here is !”
- “ ?” quod she, and therwithal she ;
- “I, Diligence! ye me wel .”280
-
- Than opened she the , and in we go;
- With wordës she sayd ful gentilly,
- “Ye are welcome, ywis! are ye no mo?”
- “Nat ,” quod she, “save this woman and I.”
- “ than,” quod she, “I pray yow hertely,285
- my chambre, as for a , to rest
- Til your felawës come, I holde it best.”
-
- I thanked her, and forth we
- Til her chambre, wordës mo.
- Diligence, and ;290
- “Wher-ever you list,” quod I, “ may ye go;
- And I you right hertely also
- Of your god do you ;
- I can no more, but Jesu be your !”
-
- Than Countenauncë asked me ,295
- “Your felawship, where ben they ?” quod she.
- “For sothe,” quod I, “they be coming ;
- ,
- Without I may hem at this .
- Here wil I stande, awaytinge ever ,300
- For, wel I wot, they wil nat be long.”
-
- Thus as I ful busily,
- I thought to take good hede of her aray,
- Her was I verely,
- Of good , and furred wel with gray;305
- Upon her sleve her (this is no nay),
- sayd thus, as my pennë can endyte,
- A moi que je voy, writen with whyte.
-
- cam streight me,
- “Your ,” quod she, “ wold I that I knew.”310
- “Forsothe,” quod I, “ye shal wel knowe and ,
- And for my , I have ; this is .
- It is that my clothing be ,
- As here-before I had commaundëment;
- And so to do I am right wel content.315
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