Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose (part 3)

That hath [y]-maad a tour so rounde,

And made aboute a garisoun

4280

To sette Bialacoil in prisoun;

The which is shet there in the tour,

Ful longe to holde there soiour,

There for to liven in penaunce.

And for to do him more grevaunce,

4285

[Ther] hath ordeyned Ielousye

An olde vekke, for to espye

The maner of his governaunce;

The whiche devel, in hir enfaunce,

Had lerned [muche] of Loves art,

4290

And of his pleyes took hir part;

She was [expert] in his servyse.

She knew ech wrenche and every gyse

Of love, and every [loveres] wyle,

It was [the] harder hir to gyle.

4295

Of Bialacoil she took ay hede,

That ever he liveth in wo and drede.

He kepte him coy and eek privee,

Lest in him she hadde see

Any foly countenaunce,

4300

For she knew al the olde daunce.

And aftir this, whan Ielousye

Had Bialacoil in his baillye,

And shette him up that was so free,

For seure of him he wolde be,

4305

He trusteth sore in his castel;

The stronge werk him lyketh wel.

He dradde nat that no glotouns

Shulde stele his roses or botouns.

The roses weren assured alle,

4310

Defenced with the stronge walle.

Now Ielousye ful wel may be

Of drede devoid, in libertee,

Whether that he slepe or wake;

For of his roses may noon be take.

4315

But I, allas, now morne shal;

Bicause I was without the wal,

Ful moche dole and mone I made.

Who hadde wist what wo I hadde,

I trowe he wolde have had pitee.

4320

Love to deere had sold to me

The good that of his love hadde I.

I [wende a bought] it al queyntly;

But now, thurgh doubling of my peyn,

I see he wolde it selle ageyn,

4325

And me a newe bargeyn lere,

The which al-out the more is dere,

For the solace that I have lorn,

Than I hadde it never aforn.

Certayn I am ful lyk, indeed,

4330

To him that cast in erthe his seed;

And hath Ioie of the newe spring,

Whan it greneth in the ginning,

And is also fair and fresh of flour,

Lusty to seen, swote of odour;

4335

But er he it in sheves shere,

May falle a weder that shal it dere,

And maken it to fade and falle,

The stalk, the greyn, and floures alle;

That to the tilier is fordone

4340

The hope that he hadde to sone.

I drede, certeyn, that so fare I;

For hope and travaile sikerly

Ben me biraft al with a storm;

The floure nil seden of my corn.

4345

For Love hath so avaunced me,

Whan I bigan my privitee

To Bialacoil al for to telle,

Whom I ne fond froward ne felle,

But took a-gree al hool my play.

4350

But Love is of so hard assay,

That al at onis he reved me,

Whan I wend best aboven have be.

It is of Love, as of Fortune,

That chaungeth ofte, and nil contune;

4355

Which whylom wol on folke smyle,

And gloumbe on hem another whyle;

Now freend, now foo, [thou] shalt hir fele,

For [in] a twinkling tourneth hir wheel.

She can wrythe hir heed awey,

4360

This is the concours of hir pley;

She can areyse that doth morne,

And whirle adown, and overturne

Who sittith hieghst, [al] as hir list;

A fool is he that wol hir trist.

4365

For it [am] I that am com doun

Thurgh change and revolucioun!

Sith Bialacoil mot fro me twinne,

Shet in the prisoun yond withinne,

His absence at myn herte I fele;

4370

For al my Ioye and al myn hele

Was in him and in the rose,

That but yon [wal], which him doth close,

Open, that I may him see,

Love nil not that I cured be

4375

Of the peynes that I endure,

Nor of my cruel aventure.

A, Bialacoil, myn owne dere!

Though thou be now a prisonere,

Kepe atte leste thyn herte to me,

4380

And suffre not that it daunted be;

Ne lat not Ielousye, in his rage,

Putten thyn herte in no servage.

Although he chastice thee withoute,

And make thy body unto him loute,

4385

Have herte as hard as dyamaunt,

Stedefast, and nought pliaunt;

In prisoun though thy body be,

At large kepe thyn herte free.

A trewe herte wol not plye

4390

For no manace that it may drye.

If Ielousye doth thee payne,

Quyte him his whyle thus agayne,

To venge thee, atte leest in thought,

If other way thou mayest nought;

4395

And in this wyse sotilly

Worche, and winne the maistry.

But yit I am in gret affray

Lest thou do not as I say;

I drede thou canst me greet maugree,

4400

That thou emprisoned art for me;

But that [is] not for my trespas,

For thurgh me never discovered was

Yit thing that oughte be secree.

Wel more anoy [ther] is in me,

4405

Than is in thee, of this mischaunce;

For I endure more hard penaunce

Than any [man] can seyn or thinke,

That for the sorwe almost I sinke.

Whan I remembre me of my wo,

4410

Ful nygh out of my wit I go.

Inward myn herte I fele blede,

For comfortles the deeth I drede.

Ow I not wel to have distresse,

Whan false, thurgh hir wikkednesse,

4415

And traitours, that arn envyous,

To noyen me be so coragious?

A, Bialacoil! ful wel I see,

That they hem shape to disceyve thee,

To make thee buxom to hir lawe,

4420

And with hir corde thee to drawe

Wher-so hem lust, right at hir wil;

I drede they have thee brought thertil.

Withoute comfort, thought me sleeth;

This game wol bringe me to my deeth.

4425

For if your gode wille I lese,

I mote be deed; I may not chese.

And if that thou foryete me,

Myn herte shal never in lyking be;

Nor elles-where finde solace,

4430

If I be put out of your grace,

As it shal never been, I hope;

Than shulde I fallen in wanhope.

[Here, at l. 4070 of the French text, ends the work of G. de Lorris; and begins the work of Jean de Meun.]

Allas, in wanhope?—nay, pardee!

For I wol never dispeired be.

4435

If Hope me faile, than am I

Ungracious and unworthy;

In Hope I wol comforted be,

For Love, whan he bitaught hir me,

Seide, that Hope, wher-so I go,

4440

Shulde ay be relees to my wo.

But what and she my balis bete,

And be to me curteis and swete?

She is in no-thing ful certeyn.

Lovers she put in ful gret peyn,

4445

And makith hem with wo to dele.

Hir fair biheest disceyveth fele,

For she wol bihote, sikirly,

And failen aftir outrely.

A! that is a ful noyous thing!

4450

For many a lover, in loving,

Hangeth upon hir, and trusteth fast,

Whiche lese hir travel at the last.

Of thing to comen she woot right nought;

Therfore, if it be wysly sought,

4455

Hir counseille, foly is to take.

For many tymes, whan she wol make

A ful good silogisme, I drede

That aftirward ther shal in dede

Folwe an evel conclusioun;

4460

This put me in confusioun.

For many tymes I have it seen,

That many have bigyled been,

For trust that they have set in Hope,

Which fel hem aftirward a-slope.

4465

But natheles yit, gladly she wolde,

That he, that wol him with hir holde,

Hadde alle tymes [his] purpos clere,

Withoute deceyte, or any were.

That she desireth sikirly;

4470

Whan I hir blamed, I did foly.

But what avayleth hir good wille,

Whan she ne may staunche my stounde ille?

That helpith litel, that she may do,

Outake biheest unto my wo.

4475

And heeste certeyn, in no wyse,

Withoute yift, is not to pryse.

Whan heest and deed a-sundir varie,

They doon [me have] a gret contrarie.

Thus am I possed up and doun

4480

With dool, thought, and confusioun;

Of my disese ther is no noumbre.

Daunger and Shame me encumbre,

Drede also, and Ielousye,

And Wikked-Tunge, ful of envye,

4485

Of whiche the sharpe and cruel ire

Ful oft me put in gret martire.

They han my Ioye fully let,

Sith Bialacoil they have bishet

Fro me in prisoun wikkidly,

4490

Whom I love so entierly,

That it wol my bane be,

But I the soner may him see.

And yit moreover, wurst of alle,

Ther is set to kepe, foule hir bifalle!

4495

A rimpled vekke, fer ronne in age,

Frowning and yelowe in hir visage,

Which in awayte lyth day and night,

That noon of hem may have a sight.

Now moot my sorwe enforced be;

4500

Ful soth it is, that Love yaf me

Three wonder yiftes of his grace,

Which I have lorn now in this place,

Sith they ne may, withoute drede

Helpen but litel, who taketh hede.

4505

For here availeth no Swete-Thought,

And Swete-Speche helpith right nought.

The thridde was called Swete-Loking,

That now is lorn, without lesing.

[The] yiftes were fair, but not forthy

4510

They helpe me but simply,

But Bialacoil [may] loosed be,

To gon at large and to be free.

For him my lyf lyth al in dout,

But-if he come the rather out.

4515

Allas! I trowe it wol not been!

For how shuld I evermore him seen?

He may not out, and that is wrong,

Bicause the tour is so strong.

How shulde he out? by whos prowesse,

4520

Out of so strong a forteresse?

By me, certeyn, it nil be do;

God woot, I have no wit therto!

But wel I woot I was in rage,

Whan I to Love dide homage.

4525

Who was in cause, in sothfastnesse,

But hir-silf, dame Idelnesse,

Which me conveyed, thurgh fair prayere,

To entre into that fair vergere?

She was to blame me to leve,

4530

The which now doth me sore greve.

A foolis word is nought to trowe,

Ne worth an appel for to lowe;

Men shulde him snibbe bittirly,

At pryme temps of his foly.

4535

I was a fool, and she me leved,

Thurgh whom I am right nought releved.

She accomplisshed al my wil,

That now me greveth wondir il.

Resoun me seide what shulde falle.

4540

A fool my-silf I may wel calle,

That love asyde I had not leyde,

And trowed that dame Resoun seyde.

Resoun had bothe skile and right.

Whan she me blamed, with al hir might,

4545

To medle of love, that hath me shent;

But certeyn now I wol repent.

'And shulde I repent? Nay, parde!

A fals traitour than shulde I be.

The develles engins wolde me take,

4550

If I my [lorde] wolde forsake,

Or Bialacoil falsly bitraye.

Shulde I at mischeef hate him? nay,

Sith he now, for his curtesye,

Is in prisoun of Ielousye.

4555

Curtesye certeyn dide he me,

So muche, it may not yolden be,

Whan he the hay passen me lete,

To kisse the rose, faire and swete;

Shulde I therfore cunne him maugree?

4560

Nay, certeynly, it shal not be;

For Love shal never, [if god wil],

Here of me, thurgh word or wil,

Offence or complaynt, more or lesse,

Neither of Hope nor Idilnesse;

4565

For certis, it were wrong that I

Hated hem for hir curtesye.

Ther is not ellis, but suffre and thinke,

And waken whan I shulde winke;

Abyde in hope, til Love, thurgh chaunce,

4570

Sende me socour or allegeaunce,

Expectant ay til I may mete

To geten mercy of that swete.

'Whylom I thinke how Love to me

Seyde he wolde taken atte gree

4575

My servise, if unpacience

Caused me to doon offence.

He seyde, "In thank I shal it take,

And high maister eek thee make,

If wikkednesse ne reve it thee;

4580

But sone, I trowe, that shal not be."

These were his wordis by and by;

It semed he loved me trewly.

Now is ther not but serve him wele,

If that I thinke his thank to fele.

4585

My good, myn harm, lyth hool in me;

In Love may no defaute be;

For trewe Love ne failid never man.

Sothly, the faute mot nedis than

(As God forbede!) be founde in me,

4590

And how it cometh, I can not see.

Now lat it goon as it may go;

Whether Love wol socoure me or slo,

He may do hool on me his wil.

I am so sore bounde him til,

4595

From his servyse I may not fleen;

For lyf and deth, withouten wene,

Is in his hand; I may not chese;

He may me do bothe winne and lese.

And sith so sore he doth me greve,

4600

Yit, if my lust he wolde acheve

To Bialacoil goodly to be,

I yeve no force what felle on me.

For though I dye, as I mot nede,

I praye Love, of his goodlihede,

4605

To Bialacoil do gentilnesse,

For whom I live in such distresse,

That I mote deyen for penaunce.

But first, withoute repentaunce,

I wol me confesse in good entent,

4610

And make in haste my testament,

As lovers doon that felen smerte:—

To Bialacoil leve I myn herte

Al hool, withoute departing,

Or doublenesse of repenting.'

Coment Raisoun vient a L'amant.

4615

Thus as I made my passage

In compleynt, and in cruel rage,

And I not wher to finde a leche

That couthe unto myn helping eche,

Sodeynly agayn comen doun

4620

Out of hir tour I saugh Resoun,

Discrete and wys, and ful plesaunt,

And of hir porte ful avenaunt.

The righte wey she took to me,

Which stood in greet perplexite,

4625

That was posshed in every side,

That I nist where I might abyde,

Til she, demurely sad of chere,

Seide to me as she com nere:—

'Myn owne freend, art thou yit greved?

4630

How is this quarel yit acheved

Of Loves syde? Anoon me telle;

Hast thou not yit of love thy fille?

Art thou not wery of thy servyse

That thee hath [pyned] in sich wyse?

4635

What Ioye hast thou in thy loving?

Is it swete or bitter thing?

Canst thou yit chese, lat me see,

What best thy socour mighte be?

'Thou servest a ful noble lord,

4640

That maketh thee thral for thy reward,

Which ay renewith thy turment,

With foly so he hath thee blent.

Thou felle in mischeef thilke day,

Whan thou didest, the sothe to say,

4645

Obeysaunce and eek homage;

Thou wroughtest no-thing as the sage.

Whan thou bicam his liege man,

Thou didist a gret foly than;

Thou wistest not what fel therto,

4650

With what lord thou haddist to do.

If thou haddist him wel knowe,

Thou haddist nought be brought so lowe;

For if thou wistest what it were,

Thou noldist serve him half a yeer,

4655

Not a weke, nor half a day,

Ne yit an hour withoute delay,

Ne never [han] loved paramours,

His lordship is so ful of shoures.

Knowest him ought?'

L'Amaunt. 'Ye, dame, parde!'

Raisoun. 'Nay, nay.'

L'Amaunt. 'Yes, I.'

4660

Raisoun. 'Wherof, lat see?'

L'Amaunt. 'Of that he seyde I shulde be

Glad to have sich lord as he,

And maister of sich seignory.'

Raisoun. 'Knowist him no more?'

L'Amaunt. 'Nay, certis, I,

4665

Save that he yaf me rewles there,

And wente his wey, I niste where,

And I abood bounde in balaunce.'

Raisoun. 'Lo, there a noble conisaunce!

But I wil that thou knowe him now

4670

Ginning and ende, sith that thou

Art so anguisshous and mate,

Disfigured out of astate;

Ther may no wrecche have more of wo,

Ne caitif noon enduren so.

4675

It were to every man sitting

Of his lord have knowleching.

For if thou knewe him, out of dout,

Lightly thou shulde escapen out

Of the prisoun that marreth thee.'

4680

L'Amaunt. 'Ye, dame! sith my lord is he,

And I his man, maad with myn honde,

I wolde right fayn undirstonde

To knowen of what kinde he be,

If any wolde enferme me.'

4685

Raisoun. 'I wolde,' seid Resoun, 'thee lere,

Sith thou to lerne hast sich desire,

And shewe thee, withouten fable,

A thing that is not demonstrable.

Thou shalt [here lerne] without science,

4690

And knowe, withoute experience,

The thing that may not knowen be,

Ne wist ne shewid in no degree.

Thou mayst the sothe of it not witen,

Though in thee it were writen.

4695

Thou shalt not knowe therof more

Whyle thou art reuled by his lore;

But unto him that love wol flee,

The knotte may unclosed be,

Which hath to thee, as it is founde,

4700

So long be knet and not unbounde.

Now sette wel thyn entencioun,

To here of love discripcioun.

'Love, it is an hateful pees,

A free acquitaunce, without relees,

4705

[A trouthe], fret full of falshede,

A sikernesse, al set in drede;

In herte is a dispeiring hope,

And fulle of hope, it is wanhope;

Wyse woodnesse, and wood resoun,

4710

A swete peril, in to droune,

An hevy birthen, light to bere,

A wikked wawe awey to were.

It is Caribdis perilous,

Disagreable and gracious.

4715

It is discordaunce that can accorde,

And accordaunce to discorde.

It is cunning withoute science,

Wisdom withoute sapience,

Wit withoute discrecioun,

4720

Havoir, withoute possessioun.

It is sike hele and hool siknesse,

A thrust drowned [in] dronkenesse,

An helthe ful of maladye,

And charitee ful of envye,

4725

An [hunger] ful of habundaunce,

And a gredy suffisaunce;

Delyt right ful of hevinesse,

And drerihed ful of gladnesse;

Bitter swetnesse and swete errour,

4730

Right evel savoured good savour;

Sinne that pardoun hath withinne,

And pardoun spotted without [with] sinne;

A peyne also it is, Ioyous,

And felonye right pitous;

4735

Also pley that selde is stable,

And stedefast [stat], right mevable;

A strengthe, weyked to stonde upright,

And feblenesse, ful of might;

Wit unavysed, sage folye,

4740

And Ioye ful of turmentrye;

A laughter it is, weping ay,

Rest, that traveyleth night and day;

Also a swete helle it is,

And a sorowful Paradys;

4745

A plesaunt gayl and esy prisoun,

And, ful of froste, somer sesoun;

Pryme temps, ful of frostes whyte,

And May, devoide of al delyte,

With seer braunches, blossoms ungrene;

4750

And newe fruyt, fillid with winter tene.

It is a slowe, may not forbere

Ragges, ribaned with gold, to were;

For al-so wel wol love be set

Under ragges as riche rochet;

4755

And eek as wel be amourettes

In mourning blak, as bright burnettes.

For noon is of so mochel prys,

Ne no man founden [is] so wys,

Ne noon so high is of parage,

4760

Ne no man founde of wit so sage,

No man so hardy ne so wight,

Ne no man of so mochel might,

Noon so fulfilled of bounte,

[But] he with love may daunted be.

4765

Al the world holdith this way;

Love makith alle to goon miswey,

But it be they of yvel lyf,

Whom Genius cursith, man and wyf,

That wrongly werke ageyn nature.

4770

Noon suche I love, ne have no cure

Of suche as Loves servaunts been,

And wol not by my counsel fleen.

For I ne preyse that loving,

Wher-thurgh man, at the laste ending,

4775

Shal calle hem wrecchis fulle of wo,

Love greveth hem and shendith so.

But if thou wolt wel Love eschewe,

For to escape out of his mewe,

And make al hool thy sorwe to slake,

4780

No bettir counsel mayst thou take,

Than thinke to fleen wel, y-wis;

May nought helpe elles; for wite thou this:—

If thou flee it, it shal flee thee;

Folowe it, and folowen shal it thee.'

4785

L'Amaunt. Whan I hadde herd al Resoun seyn,

Which hadde spilt hir speche in veyn:

Dame,' seyde I, 'I dar wel sey

Of this avaunt me wel I may

That from your scole so deviaunt

4790

I am, that never the more avaunt

Right nought am I, thurgh your doctryne;

I dulle under your disciplyne;

I wot no more than [I] wist [er],

To me so contrarie and so fer

4795

Is every thing that ye me lere;

And yit I can it al parcuere.

Myn herte foryetith therof right nought,

It is so writen in my thought;

And depe graven it is so tendir

4800

That al by herte I can it rendre,

And rede it over comunely;

But to my-silf lewedist am I.

'But sith ye love discreven so,

And lakke and preise it, bothe two,

4805

Defyneth it into this letter,

That I may thenke on it the better;

For I herde never [diffyne it ere],

And wilfully I wolde it lere.'

Raisoun. 'If love be serched wel and sought,

4810

It is a sykenesse of the thought

Annexed and knet bitwixe tweyne,

[Which] male and female, with oo cheyne,

So frely byndith, that they nil twinne,

Whether so therof they lese or winne.

4815

The roote springith, thurgh hoot brenning,

Into disordinat desiring

For to kissen and enbrace,

And at her lust them to solace.

Of other thing love recchith nought,

4820

But setteth hir herte and al hir thought

More for delectacioun

Than any procreacioun

Of other fruyt by engendring;

Which love to god is not plesing;

4825

For of hir body fruyt to get

They yeve no force, they are so set

Upon delyt, to pley in-fere.

And somme have also this manere,

To feynen hem for love seke;

4830

Sich love I preise not at a leke.

For paramours they do but feyne;

To love truly they disdeyne.

They falsen ladies traitoursly,

And sweren hem othes utterly,

4835

With many a lesing, and many a fable,

And al they finden deceyvable.

And, whan they her lust han geten,

The hoote ernes they al foryeten.

Wimmen, the harm they byen ful sore;

4840

But men this thenken evermore,

That lasse harm is, so mote I thee,

Disceyve them, than disceyved be;

And namely, wher they ne may

Finde non other mene wey.

4845

For I wot wel, in sothfastnesse,

That [who] doth now his bisynesse

With any womman for to dele,

For any lust that he may fele,

But-if it be for engendrure,

4850

He doth trespasse, I you ensure.

For he shulde setten al his wil

To geten a likly thing him til,

And to sustene[n], if he might,

And kepe forth, by kindes right,

4855

His owne lyknesse and semblable,

For bicause al is corumpable,

And faile shulde successioun,

Ne were ther generacioun

Our sectis strene for to save.

4860

Whan fader or moder arn in grave,

Hir children shulde, whan they ben deede,

Ful diligent ben, in hir steede,

To use that werke on such a wyse,

That oon may thurgh another ryse.

4865

Therfore set Kinde therin delyt,

For men therin shulde hem delyte,

And of that dede be not erke,

But ofte sythes haunt that werke.

For noon wolde drawe therof a draught

4870

Ne were delyt, which hath him caught.

This hadde sotil dame Nature;

For noon goth right, I thee ensure,

Ne hath entent hool ne parfyt;

For hir desir is for delyt,

4875

The which fortened crece and eke

The pley of love for-ofte seke,

And thralle hem-silf, they be so nyce,

Unto the prince of every vyce.

For of ech sinne it is the rote,

4880

Unlefulle lust, though it be sote,

And of al yvel the racyne,

As Tullius can determyne,

Which in his tyme was ful sage,

In a boke he made of Age,

4885

Wher that more he preyseth Elde,

Though he be croked and unwelde,

And more of commendacioun,

Than Youthe in his discripcioun.

For Youthe set bothe man and wyf

4890

In al perel of soule and lyf;

And perel is, but men have grace,

The [tyme] of youthe for to pace,

Withoute any deth or distresse,

It is so ful of wildenesse;

4895

So ofte it doth shame or damage

To him or to his linage.

It ledith man now up, now doun,

In mochel dissolucioun,

And makith him love yvel company,

4900

And lede his lyf disrewlily,

And halt him payed with noon estate.

Within him-silf is such debate,

He chaungith purpos and entent,

And yalt [him] into som covent,

4905

To liven aftir her empryse,

And lesith fredom and fraunchyse,

That Nature in him hadde set,

The which ageyn he may not get,

If he there make his mansioun

4910

For to abyde professioun.

Though for a tyme his herte absente,

It may not fayle, he shal repente,

And eke abyde thilke day

To leve his abit, and goon his way,

4915

And lesith his worship and his name,

And dar not come ageyn for shame;

But al his lyf he doth so mourne,

Bicause he dar not hoom retourne.

Fredom of kinde so lost hath he

4920

That never may recured be,

But-if that god him graunte grace

That he may, er he hennes pace,

Conteyne undir obedience

Thurgh the vertu of pacience.

4925

For Youthe set man in al folye,

In unthrift and in ribaudye,

In leccherye, and in outrage,

So ofte it chaungith of corage.

Youthe ginneth ofte sich bargeyn,

4930

That may not ende withouten peyn.

In gret perel is set youth-hede,

Delyt so doth his bridil lede.

Delyt thus hangith, drede thee nought,

Bothe mannis body and his thought,

4935

Only thurgh Youthe, his chamberere,

That to don yvel is customere,

And of nought elles taketh hede

But only folkes for to lede

Into disporte and wildenesse,

4940

So is [she] froward from sadnesse.

'But Elde drawith hem therfro;

Who wot it nought, he may wel go

[Demand] of hem that now arn olde,

That whylom Youthe hadde in holde,

4945

Which yit remembre of tendir age,

How it hem brought in many a rage,

And many a foly therin wrought.

But now that Elde hath hem thurghsought,

They repente hem of her folye,

4950

That Youthe hem putte in Iupardye,

In perel and in muche wo,

And made hem ofte amis to do,

And suen yvel companye,

Riot and avouterye.

4955

'But Elde [can] ageyn restreyne

From suche foly, and refreyne,

And set men, by hir ordinaunce,

In good reule and in governaunce.

But yvel she spendith hir servyse,

4960

For no man wol hir love, ne pryse;

She is hated, this wot I wele.

Hir acqueyntaunce wolde no man fele,

Ne han of Elde companye,

Men hate to be of hir alye.

4965

For no man wolde bicomen olde,

Ne dye, whan he is yong and bolde.

And Elde merveilith right gretly,

Whan they remembre hem inwardly

Of many a perelous empryse,

4970

Whiche that they wrought in sondry wyse,

How ever they might, withoute blame,

Escape awey withoute shame,

In youthe, withoute[n] damage

Or repreef of her linage,

4975

Losse of membre, sheding of blode,

Perel of deth, or losse of good.

'Wost thou nought where Youthe abit,

That men so preisen in her wit?

With Delyt she halt soiour,

4980

For bothe they dwellen in oo tour.

As longe as Youthe is in sesoun,

They dwellen in oon mansioun.

Delyt of Youthe wol have servyse

To do what so he wol devyse;

4985

And Youthe is redy evermore

For to obey, for smerte of sore,

Unto Delyt, and him to yive

Hir servise, whyl that she may live.

'Where Elde abit, I wol thee telle

4990

Shortly, and no whyle dwelle,

For thider bihoveth thee to go.

If Deth in youthe thee not slo,

Of this journey thou maist not faile.

With hir Labour and Travaile

4995

Logged been, with Sorwe and Wo,

That never out of hir courte go.

Peyne and Distresse, Syknesse and Ire,

And Malencoly, that angry sire,

Ben of hir paleys senatours;

5000

Groning and Grucching, hir herbergeours,

The day and night, hir to turment,

With cruel Deth they hir present,

And tellen hir, erliche and late,

That Deth stant armed at hir gate.

5005

Than bringe they to hir remembraunce

The foly dedis of hir infaunce,

Which causen hir to mourne in wo

That Youthe hath hir bigiled so,

Which sodeynly awey is hasted.

5010

She wepeth the tyme that she hath wasted,

Compleyning of the preterit,

And the present, that not abit,

And of hir olde vanitee,

That, but aforn hir she may see

5015

In the future som socour,

To leggen hir of hir dolour,

To graunt hir tyme of repentaunce,

For hir sinnes to do penaunce,

And at the laste so hir governe

5020

To winne the Ioy that is eterne,

Fro which go bakward Youthe [hir] made,

In vanitee to droune and wade.

For present tyme abidith nought,

It is more swift than any thought;

5025

So litel whyle it doth endure

That ther nis compte ne mesure.

'But how that ever the game go,

Who list [have] Ioye and mirth also

Of love, be it he or she,

5030

High or lowe, who[so] it be,

In fruyt they shulde hem delyte;

Her part they may not elles quyte,

To save hem-silf in honestee.

And yit ful many oon I see

5035

Of wimmen, sothly for to seyne,

That [ay] desire and wolde fayne

The pley of love, they be so wilde,

And not coveite to go with childe.

And if with child they be perchaunce,

5040

They wole it holde a gret mischaunce;

But what-som-ever wo they fele,

They wol not pleyne, but concele;

But-if it be any fool or nyce,

In whom that shame hath no Iustyce.

5045

For to delyt echon they drawe,

That haunte this werk, bothe high and lawe,

Save sich that ar[e]n worth right nought,

That for money wol be bought.

Such love I preise in no wyse,

5050

Whan it is given for coveitise.

I preise no womman, though [she] be wood,

That yeveth hir-silf for any good.

For litel shulde a man telle

Of hir, that wol hir body selle,

5055

Be she mayde, be she wyf,

That quik wol selle hir, by hir lyf.

How faire chere that ever she make,

He is a wrecche, I undirtake,

That loveth such one, for swete or sour,

5060

Though she him calle hir paramour,

And laugheth on him, and makith him feeste.

For certeynly no suche [a] beeste

To be loved is not worthy,

Or bere the name of druery.

5065

Noon shulde hir please, but he were wood,

That wol dispoile him of his good.

Yit nevertheles, I wol not sey

[But] she, for solace and for pley,

May a Iewel or other thing

5070

Take of her loves free yeving;

But that she aske it in no wyse,

For drede of shame of coveityse.

And she of hirs may him, certeyn,

Withoute sclaundre, yeven ageyn,

5075

And ioyne her hertes togidre so

In love, and take and yeve also.

Trowe not that I wolde hem twinne,

Whan in her love ther is no sinne;

I wol that they togedre go,

5080

And doon al that they han ado,

As curteis shulde and debonaire,

And in her love beren hem faire,

Withoute vyce, bothe he and she;

So that alwey, in honestee,

5085

Fro foly love [they] kepe hem clere

That brenneth hertis with his fere;

And that her love, in any wyse,

Be devoid of coveityse.

Good love shulde engendrid be

5090

Of trewe herte, iust, and secree,

And not of such as sette her thought

To have her lust, and ellis nought,

So are they caught in Loves lace,

Truly, for bodily solace.

5095

Fleshly delyt is so present

With thee, that sette al thyn entent,

Withoute more (what shulde I glose?)

For to gete and have the Rose;

Which makith thee so mate and wood

5100

That thou desirest noon other good.

But thou art not an inche the nerre,

But ever abydest in sorwe and werre,

As in thy face it is sene;

It makith thee bothe pale and lene;

5105

Thy might, thy vertu goth away.

A sory gest, in goode fay,

Thou [herberedest than] in thyn inne,

The God of Love whan thou let inne!

Wherfore I rede, thou shette him out,

5110

Or he shal greve thee, out of doute;

For to thy profit it wol turne,

If he nomore with thee soiourne.

In gret mischeef and sorwe sonken

Ben hertis, that of love arn dronken,

5115

As thou peraventure knowen shal,

Whan thou hast lost [thy] tyme al,

And spent [thy youthe] in ydilnesse,

In waste, and woful lustinesse;

If thou maist live the tyme to see

5120

Of love for to delivered be,

Thy tyme thou shall biwepe sore

The whiche never thou maist restore.

(For tyme lost, as men may see,

For no-thing may recured be).

5125

And if thou scape yit, atte laste,

Fro Love, that hath thee so faste

Knit and bounden in his lace,

Certeyn, I holde it but a grace.

For many oon, as it is seyn,

5130

Have lost, and spent also in veyn,

In his servyse, withoute socour,

Body and soule, good, and tresour,

Wit, and strengthe, and eek richesse,

Of which they hadde never redresse.'

5135

Thus taught and preched hath Resoun,

But Love spilte hir sermoun,

That was so imped in my thought,

That hir doctrine I sette at nought.

And yit ne seide she never a dele,

5140

That I ne understode it wele,

Word by word, the mater al.

But unto Love I was so thral,

Which callith over-al his pray,

He chasith so my thought [alway],

5145

And holdith myn herte undir his sele,

As trust and trew as any stele;

So that no devocioun

Ne hadde I in the sermoun

Of dame Resoun, ne of hir rede;

5150

It toke no soiour in myn hede.

For alle yede out at oon ere

That in that other she dide lere;

Fully on me she lost hir lore,

Hir speche me greved wondir sore.

5155

[Than] unto hir for ire I seide,

For anger, as I dide abraide:

Dame, and is it your wille algate,

That I not love, but that I hate

Alle men, as ye me teche?

5160

For if I do aftir your speche,

Sith that ye seyn love is not good,

Than must I nedis say with mood,

If I it leve, in hatrede ay

Liven, and voide love away

5165

From me, [and been] a sinful wrecche,

Hated of all that [love that] tecche.

I may not go noon other gate,

For either must I love or hate.

And if I hate men of-newe

5170

More than love, it wol me rewe,

As by your preching semeth me,

For Love no-thing ne preisith thee.

Ye yeve good counseil, sikirly,

That prechith me al-day, that I

5175

Shulde not Loves lore alowe;

He were a fool, wolde you not trowe!

In speche also ye han me taught

Another love, that knowen is naught,

Which I have herd you not repreve,

5180

To love ech other; by your leve,

If ye wolde diffyne it me,

I wolde gladly here, to see,

At the leest, if I may lere

Of sondry loves the manere.'

5185

Raison. 'Certis, freend, a fool art thou

Whan that thou no-thing wolt allowe

That I [thee] for thy profit say.

Yit wol I sey thee more, in fay;

For I am redy, at the leste,

5190

To accomplisshe thy requeste,

But I not wher it wol avayle;

In veyne, perauntre, I shal travayle.

Love ther is in sondry wyse,

As I shal thee here devyse.

5195

For som love leful is and good;

I mene not that which makith thee wood,

And bringith thee in many a fit,

And ravisshith fro thee al thy wit,

It is so merveilous and queynt;

5200

With such love be no more aqueynt.

Comment Raisoun diffinist Amistie.

'Love of Frendshipe also ther is,

Which makith no man doon amis,

Of wille knit bitwixe two,

That wol not breke for wele ne wo;

5205

Which long is lykly to contune,

Whan wille and goodis ben in comune;

Grounded by goddis ordinaunce,

Hool, withoute discordaunce;

With hem holding comuntee

5210

Of al her goode in charitee,

That ther be noon excepcioun

Thurgh chaunging of entencioun;

That ech helpe other at hir neede,

And wysly hele bothe word and dede;

5215

Trewe of mening, devoid of slouthe,

For wit is nought withoute trouthe;

So that the ton dar al his thought

Seyn to his freend, and spare nought,

As to him-silf, without dreding

5220

To be discovered by wreying.

For glad is that coniunccioun,

Whan ther is noon suspecioun

[Ne lak in hem], whom they wolde prove

That trew and parfit weren in love.

5225

For no man may be amiable,

But-if he be so ferme and stable,

That fortune chaunge him not, ne blinde,

But that his freend alwey him finde,

Bothe pore and riche, in oon [e]state.

5230

For if his freend, thurgh any gate,

Wol compleyne of his povertee,

He shulde not byde so long, til he

Of his helping him requere;

For good deed, done [but] thurgh prayere,

5235

Is sold, and bought to dere, y-wis,

To hert that of gret valour is.

For hert fulfilled of gentilnesse

Can yvel demene his distresse.

And man that worthy is of name

5240

To asken often hath gret shame.

A good man brenneth in his thought

For shame, whan he axeth ought.

He hath gret thought, and dredith ay

For his disese, whan he shal pray

5245

His freend, lest that he warned be,

Til that he preve his stabiltee.

But whan that he hath founden oon

That trusty is and trew as stone,

And [hath] assayed him at al,

5250

And found him stedefast as a wal,

And of his freendship be certeyne,

He shal him shewe bothe Ioye and peyne,

And al that [he] dar thinke or sey,

Withoute shame, as he wel may.

5255

For how shulde he ashamed be

Of sich oon as I tolde thee?

For whan he woot his secree thought,

The thridde shal knowe ther-of right nought;

For tweyn in nombre is bet than three

5260

In every counsel and secree.

Repreve he dredeth never a del,

Who that biset his wordis wel;

For every wys man, out of drede,

Can kepe his tunge til he see nede;

5265

And fooles can not holde hir tunge;

A fooles belle is sone runge.

Yit shal a trewe freend do more

To helpe his felowe of his sore,

And socoure him, whan he hath nede,

5270

In al that he may doon in dede;

And gladder [be] that he him plesith

Than [is] his felowe that he esith.

And if he do not his requeste,

He shal as mochel him moleste

5275

As his felow, for that he

May not fulfille his voluntee

[As] fully as he hath requered.

If bothe the hertis Love hath fered,

Joy and wo they shul depart,

5280

And take evenly ech his part.

Half his anoy he shal have ay,

And comfort [him] what that he may;

And of his blisse parte shal he,

If love wol departed be.

5285

'And whilom of this [amitee]

Spak Tullius in a ditee;

["A man] shulde maken his request

Unto his freend, that is honest;

And he goodly shulde it fulfille,

5290

But it the more were out of skile,

And otherwise not graunt therto,

Except only in [cases] two:

If men his freend to deth wolde dryve,

Lat him be bisy to save his lyve.

5295

Also if men wolen him assayle,

Of his wurship to make him faile,

And hindren him of his renoun,

Lat him, with ful entencioun,

His dever doon in ech degree

5300

That his freend ne shamed be,

In this two [cases] with his might,

Taking no kepe to skile nor right,

As ferre as love may him excuse;

This oughte no man to refuse."

5305

This love that I have told to thee

Is no-thing contrarie to me;

This wol I that thou folowe wel,

And leve the tother everydel.

This love to vertu al attendith,

5310

The tothir fooles blent and shendith.

'Another love also there is,

That is contrarie unto this,

Which desyre is so constreyned

That [it] is but wille feyned;

5315

Awey fro trouthe it doth so varie,

That to good love it is contrarie;

For it maymeth, in many wyse,

Syke hertis with coveityse;

Al in winning and in profyt

5320

Sich love settith his delyt.

This love so hangeth in balaunce

That, if it lese his hope, perchaunce,

Of lucre, that he is set upon,

It wol faile, and quenche anon;

5325

For no man may be amorous,

Ne in his living vertuous,

But-[if] he love more, in mood,

Men for hem-silf than for hir good.

For love that profit doth abyde

5330

Is fals, and bit not in no tyde.

[This] love cometh of dame Fortune,

That litel whyle wol contune;

For it shal chaungen wonder sone,

And take eclips right as the mone,

5335

Whan she is from us [y]-let

Thurgh erthe, that bitwixe is set

The sonne and hir, as it may falle,

Be it in party, or in alle;

The shadowe maketh her bemis merke,

5340

And hir hornes to shewe derke,

That part where she hath lost hir lyght

Of Phebus fully, and the sight;

Til, whan the shadowe is overpast,

She is enlumined ageyn as faste,

5345

Thurgh brightnesse of the sonne bemes

That yeveth to hir ageyn hir lemes.

That love is right of sich nature;

Now is [it] fair, and now obscure.

Now bright, now clipsy of manere,

5350

And whylom dim, and whylom clere.

As sone as Poverte ginneth take,

With mantel and [with] wedis blake

[It] hidith of Love the light awey,

That into night it turneth day;

5355

It may not see Richesse shyne

Til the blakke shadowes fyne.

For, whan Richesse shyneth bright,

Love recovereth ageyn his light;

And whan it failith, he wol flit,

5360

And as she [groweth, so groweth] it.

'Of this love, here what I sey:—

The riche men are loved ay,

And namely tho that sparand bene,

That wol not wasshe hir hertes clene

5365

Of the filthe, nor of the vyce

Of gredy brenning avaryce.

The riche man ful fond is, y-wis,

That weneth that he loved is.

If that his herte it undirstood,

5370

It is not he, it is his good;

He may wel witen in his thought,

His good is loved, and he right nought.

For if he be a nigard eke,

Men wole not sette by him a leke,

5375

But haten him; this is the soth.

Lo, what profit his catel doth!

Of every man that may him see,

It geteth him nought but enmitee.

But he amende him of that vyce,

5380

And knowe him-silf, he is not wys.

'Certis, he shulde ay freendly be,

To gete him love also ben free,

Or ellis he is not wyse ne sage

No more than is a gote ramage.

5385

That he not loveth, his dede proveth,

Whan he his richesse so wel loveth,

That he wol hyde it ay and spare,

His pore freendis seen forfare;

To kepe [it ay is] his purpose,

5390

Til for drede his eyen close,

And til a wikked deth him take;

Him hadde lever asondre shake,

And late his limes a sondre ryve,

Than leve his richesse in his lyve.

5395

He thenkith parte it with no man;

Certayn, no love is in him than.

How shulde love within him be,

Whan in his herte is no pite?

That he trespasseth, wel I wat,

5400

For ech man knowith his estat;

For wel him oughte be reproved

That loveth nought, ne is not loved.

'But sith we arn to Fortune comen,

And [han] our sermoun of hir nomen,

5405

A wondir wil I telle thee now,

Thou herdist never sich oon, I trow.

I not wher thou me leven shal,

Though sothfastnesse it be [in] al,

As it is writen, and is sooth,

5410

That unto men more profit doth

The froward Fortune and contraire,

Than the swote and debonaire:

And if thee thinke it is doutable,

It is thurgh argument provable.

5415

For the debonaire and softe

Falsith and bigylith ofte;

For liche a moder she can cherishe

And milken as doth a norys;

And of hir goode to hem deles,

5420

And yeveth hem part of her loweles,

With grete richesse and dignitee;

And hem she hoteth stabilitee

In a state that is not stable,

But chaunging ay and variable;

5425

And fedith hem with glorie veyne,

And worldly blisse noncerteyne.

Whan she hem settith on hir whele,

Than wene they to be right wele,

And in so stable state withalle,

5430

That never they wene for to falle.

And whan they set so highe be,

They wene to have in certeintee

Of hertly frendis [so] gret noumbre,

That no-thing mighte her stat encombre;

5435

They truste hem so on every syde,

Wening with hem they wolde abyde

In every perel and mischaunce,

Withoute chaunge or variaunce,

Bothe of catel and of good;

5440

And also for to spende hir blood

And alle hir membris for to spille,

Only to fulfille hir wille.

They maken it hole in many wyse,

And hoten hem hir ful servyse,

5445

How sore that it do hem smerte,

Into hir very naked sherte!

Herte and al, so hole they yeve,

For the tyme that they may live,

So that, with her flaterye,

5450

They maken foolis glorifye

Of hir wordis [greet] speking,

And han [there]-of a reioysing,

And trowe hem as the Evangyle;

And it is al falsheed and gyle,

5455

As they shal afterwardes see,

Whan they arn falle in povertee,

And been of good and catel bare;

Than shulde they seen who freendis ware.

For of an hundred, certeynly,

5460

Nor of a thousand ful scarsly,

Ne shal they fynde unnethis oon,

Whan povertee is comen upon.

For [this] Fortune that I of telle,

With men whan hir lust to dwelle,

5465

Makith hem to lese hir conisaunce,

And nourishith hem in ignoraunce.

'But froward Fortune and perverse,

Whan high estatis she doth reverse,

And maketh hem to tumble doun

5470

Of hir whele, with sodeyn tourn,

And from hir richesse doth hem flee,

And plongeth hem in povertee,

As a stepmoder envyous,

And leyeth a plastre dolorous

5475

Unto her hertis, wounded egre,

Which is not tempred with vinegre,

But with poverte and indigence,

For to shewe, by experience,

That she is Fortune verely

5480

In whom no man shulde affy,

Nor in hir yeftis have fiaunce,

She is so ful of variaunce.

Thus can she maken high and lowe,

Whan they from richesse ar[e]n throwe,

5485

Fully to knowen, withouten were,

Freend of effect, and freend of chere;

And which in love weren trew and stable,

And whiche also weren variable,

After Fortune, hir goddesse,

5490

In poverte, outher in richesse;

For al [she] yeveth, out of drede,

Unhappe bereveth it in dede;

For Infortune lat not oon

Of freendis, whan Fortune is goon;

5495

I mene tho freendis that wol flee

Anoon as entreth povertee.

And yit they wol not leve hem so,

But in ech place where they go

They calle hem "wrecche," scorne and blame,

5500

And of hir mishappe hem diffame,

And, namely, siche as in richesse

Pretendith most of stablenesse,

Whan that they sawe him set onlofte,

And weren of him socoured ofte,

5505

And most y-holpe in al hir nede:

But now they take no maner hede,

But seyn, in voice of flaterye,

That now apperith hir folye,

Over-al where-so they fare,

5510

And singe, "Go, farewel feldefare."

Alle suche freendis I beshrewe,

For of [the] trewe ther be to fewe;

But sothfast freendis, what so bityde,

In every fortune wolen abyde;

5515

They han hir hertis in suche noblesse

That they nil love for no richesse;

Nor, for that Fortune may hem sende,

They wolen hem socoure and defende;

And chaunge for softe ne for sore,

5520

For who is freend, loveth evermore.

Though men drawe swerd his freend to slo,

He may not hewe hir love a-two.

But, in [the] case that I shal sey,

For pride and ire lese it he may,

5525

And for reprove by nycetee,

And discovering of privitee,

With tonge wounding, as feloun,

Thurgh venemous detraccioun.

Frend in this case wol gon his way,

5530

For no-thing greve him more ne may;

And for nought ellis wol he flee,

If that he love in stabilitee.

And certeyn, he is wel bigoon

Among a thousand that fyndith oon.

5535

For ther may be no richesse,

Ageyns frendship, of worthinesse;

For it ne may so high atteigne

As may the valoure, sooth to seyne,

Of him that loveth trew and wel;

5540

Frendship is more than is catel.

For freend in court ay better is

Than peny in [his] purs, certis;

And Fortune, mishapping,

Whan upon men she is [falling],

5545

Thurgh misturning of hir chaunce,

And casteth hem oute of balaunce,

She makith, thurgh hir adversitee,

Men ful cleerly for to see

Him that is freend in existence

5550

From him that is by apparence.

For Infortune makith anoon

To knowe thy freendis fro thy foon,

By experience, right as it is;

The which is more to preyse, y-wis,

5555

Than [is] miche richesse and tresour;

For more [doth] profit and valour

Poverte, and such adversitee,

Bifore than doth prosperitee;

For the toon yeveth conisaunce,

5560

And the tother ignoraunce.

'And thus in poverte is in dede

Trouthe declared fro falsehede;

For feynte frendis it wol declare,

And trewe also, what wey they fare.

5565

For whan he was in his richesse,

These freendis, ful of doublenesse,

Offrid him in many wyse

Hert and body, and servyse.

What wolde he than ha [yeve] to ha bought

5570

To knowen openly her thought,

That he now hath so clerly seen?

The lasse bigyled he sholde have been

And he hadde than perceyved it,

But richesse nold not late him wit.

5575

Wel more avauntage doth him than,

Sith that it makith him a wys man,

The greet mischeef that he [receyveth],

Than doth richesse that him deceyveth.

Richesse riche ne makith nought

5580

Him that on tresour set his thought;

For richesse stont in suffisaunce

And no-thing in habundaunce;

For suffisaunce al-only

Makith men to live richely.

5585

For he that hath [but] miches tweyne,

Ne [more] value in his demeigne,

Liveth more at ese, and more is riche,

Than doth he that is [so] chiche,

And in his bern hath, soth to seyn,

5590

An hundred [muwis] of whete greyn,

Though he be chapman or marchaunt,

And have of golde many besaunt.

For in the geting he hath such wo,

And in the keping drede also,

5595

And set evermore his bisynesse

For to encrese, and not to lesse,

For to augment and multiply.

And though on hepis [it] lye him by,

Yit never shal make his richesse

5600

Asseth unto his gredinesse.

But the povre that recchith nought,

Save of his lyflode, in his thought,

Which that he getith with his travaile,

He dredith nought that it shal faile,

5605

Though he have lytel worldis good,

Mete and drinke, and esy food,

Upon his travel and living,

And also suffisaunt clothing.

Or if in syknesse that he falle,

5610

And lothe mete and drink withalle,

Though he have nought, his mete to by,

He shal bithinke him hastely,

To putte him out of al daunger,

That he of mete hath no mister;

5615

Or that he may with litel eke

Be founden, whyl that he is seke;

Or that men shul him bere in hast,

To live, til his syknesse be past,

To somme maysondewe bisyde;

5620

He cast nought what shal him bityde.

He thenkith nought that ever he shal

Into any syknesse falle.

'And though it falle, as it may be,

That al betyme spare shal he

5625

As mochel as shal to him suffyce,

Whyl he is syke in any wyse,

He doth [it], for that he wol be

Content with his povertee

Withoute nede of any man.

5630

So miche in litel have he can,

He is apayed with his fortune;

And for he nil be importune

Unto no wight, ne onerous,

Nor of hir goodes coveitous;

5635

Therfore he spareth, it may wel been,

His pore estat for to sustene.

'Or if him lust not for to spare,

But suffrith forth, as nought ne ware,

Atte last it hapneth, as it may,

5640

Right unto his laste day,

And taketh the world as it wolde be;

For ever in herte thenkith he,

The soner that [the] deeth him slo,

To paradys the soner go

5645

He shal, there for to live in blisse,

Where that he shal no good misse.

Thider he hopith god shal him sende

Aftir his wrecchid lyves ende.

Pictagoras himsilf reherses,

5650

In a book that the Golden verses

Is clepid, for the nobilitee

Of the honourable ditee:—

"Than, whan thou gost thy body fro,

Free in the eir thou shalt up go,

5655

And leven al humanitee,

And purely live in deitee."—

He is a fool, withouten were,

That trowith have his countre here.

"In erthe is not our countree,"

5660

That may these clerkis seyn and see

In Boece of Consolacioun,

Where it is maked mencioun

Of our countree pleyn at the eye,

By teching of philosophye,

5665

Where lewid men might lere wit,

Who-so that wolde translaten it.

If he be sich that can wel live

Aftir his rente may him yive,

And not desyreth more to have,

5670

That may fro povertee him save:

A wys man seide, as we may seen,

Is no man wrecched, but he it wene,

Be he king, knight, or ribaud.

And many a ribaud is mery and baud,

5675

That swinkith, and berith, bothe day and night,

Many a burthen of gret might,

The whiche doth him lasse offense,

For he suffrith in pacience.

They laugh and daunce, trippe and singe,

5680

And ley not up for her living,

But in the tavern al dispendith

The winning that god hem sendith.

Than goth he, fardels for to bere,

With as good chere as he dide ere;

5685

To swinke and traveile he not feynith,

For for to robben he disdeynith;

But right anoon, aftir his swinke,

He goth to tavern for to drinke.

Alle these ar riche in abundaunce,

5690

That can thus have suffisaunce

Wel more than can an usurere,

As god wel knowith, withoute were.

For an usurer, so god me see,

Shal never for richesse riche bee,

5695

But evermore pore and indigent,

Scarce, and gredy in his entent.

'For soth it is, whom it displese,

Ther may no marchaunt live at ese,

His herte in sich a were is set,

5700

That it quik brenneth [more] to get,

Ne never shal [enough have] geten;

Though he have gold in gerners yeten,

For to be nedy he dredith sore.

Wherfore to geten more and more

5705

He set his herte and his desire;

So hote he brennith in the fire

Of coveitise, that makith him wood

To purchase other mennes good.

He undirfongith a gret peyne,

5710

That undirtakith to drinke up Seyne;

For the more he drinkith, ay

The more he leveth, the soth to say.

[This is the] thurst of fals geting,

That last ever in coveiting,

5715

And the anguisshe and distresse

With the fire of gredinesse.

She fighteth with him ay, and stryveth,

That his herte asondre ryveth;

Such gredinesse him assaylith,

5720

That whan he most hath, most he faylith.

Phisiciens and advocates

Gon right by the same yates;

They selle hir science for winning,

And haunte hir crafte for greet geting.

5725

Hir winning is of such swetnesse,

That if a man falle in sikenesse,

They are ful glad, for hir encrese;

For by hir wille, withoute lees,

Everiche man shulde be seke,

5730

And though they dye, they set not a leke.

After, whan they the gold have take,

Ful litel care for hem they make.

They wolde that fourty were seke at onis,

Ye, two hundred, in flesh and bonis,

5735

And yit two thousand, as I gesse,

For to encresen her richesse.

They wol not worchen, in no wyse,

But for lucre and coveityse;

For fysyk ginneth first by fy,

5740

The fysycien also sothely;

And sithen it goth fro fy to sy;

To truste on hem, it is foly;

For they nil, in no maner gree,

Do right nought for charitee.

5745

'Eke in the same secte are set

Alle tho that prechen for to get

Worshipes, honour, and richesse.

Her hertis arn in greet distresse,

That folk [ne] live not holily.

5750

But aboven al, specialy,

Sich as prechen [for] veynglorie,

And toward god have no memorie,

But forth as ypocrites trace,

And to her soules deth purchace,

5755

And outward [shewen] holynesse,

Though they be fulle of cursidnesse.

Not liche to the apostles twelve,

They deceyve other and hem-selve;

Bigyled is the gyler than.

5760

For preching of a cursed man,

Though [it] to other may profyte,

Himsilf availeth not a myte;

For oft good predicacioun

Cometh of evel entencioun.

5765

To him not vailith his preching,

Al helpe he other with his teching;

For where they good ensaumple take,

There is he with veynglorie shake.

'But lat us leven these prechoures,

5770

And speke of hem that in her toures

Hepe up her gold, and faste shette,

And sore theron her herte sette.

They neither love god, ne drede;

They kepe more than it is nede,

5775

And in her bagges sore it binde,

Out of the sonne, and of the winde;

They putte up more than nede ware,

Whan they seen pore folk forfare,

For hunger dye, and for cold quake;

5780

God can wel vengeaunce therof take.

[Thre] gret mischeves hem assailith,

And thus in gadring ay travaylith;

With moche peyne they winne richesse;

And drede hem holdith in distresse,

5785

To kepe that they gadre faste;

With sorwe they leve it at the laste;

With sorwe they bothe dye and live,

That to richesse her hertis yive,

And in defaute of love it is,

5790

As it shewith ful wel, y-wis.

For if these gredy, the sothe to seyn,

Loveden, and were loved ageyn,

And good love regned over-alle,

Such wikkidnesse ne shulde falle;

5795

But he shulde yeve that most good had

To hem that weren in nede bistad,

And live withoute fals usure,

For charitee ful clene and pure.

If they hem yeve to goodnesse,

5800

Defending hem from ydelnesse,

In al this world than pore noon

We shulde finde, I trowe, not oon.

But chaunged is this world unstable;

For love is over-al vendable.

5805

We see that no man loveth now

But for winning and for prow;

And love is thralled in servage

Whan it is sold for avauntage;

Yit wommen wol hir bodies selle;

5810

Suche soules goth to the devel of helle.'

[Here ends l. 5170 of the F. text. A great gap follows. The next line answers to l. 10717 of the same.]

1711. Th. thystels; G. thesteles. 1713. Ful] Both For. Th. moche; G. mych.

1721. G. botheum; Th. bothum; read botoun. 1727. Th. shotte. 1728. G. me nye (!) 1732. Both Sithen; Th. chyuered. 1733. I supply that. 1736. I supply ther; F. iluec. 1743. Th. drey; G. drie. 1749. Th. yet; G. atte. 1750. Th. whiche; G. which it. 1757. G. to do; Th. do. 1758. Both two (!). 1761. Both bothum. 1766. Both certis euenly. 1771. a] Both his.

1779. I supply myn. 1786. Both bothom; so in 1790. 1791. Both were to haue. 1797, 8. Th. fyne, pyne; G. feyne, peyne. 1806. Th. of; G. on. 1808. Both drawe. 1811. Th. stycked; G. stikith. 1814. felte] both lefte (!).

1845. Both bothom. 1848. Both mighte it. 1851. Both sene I hadde. 1853, 4. Both thore, more; see l. 1857. 1856. G. thens; Th. thence. 1860. G. Castith; Th. Casteth. 1863. G. which. 1873. Th. dethe; G. deth. 1874. G. Whader; Th. Whether. 1879. I supply ful. 1892. So Th.; G. (in late hand) That he hadde the body hole made. 1895. Both without.

Transpose 1913, 4? 1922. Th. hem; G. hym. 1924. Both softyng; see 1925. 1925. Both prikkith. 1929. Th. iape. 1933. Th. hastely; G. hastly. 1934. I supply the. 1946. Both al. 1965. Both loue (!). 1971. Both Without.

1982. G. om. me. 1984. Th. Sens. 1994. Supply to; see 2126. 1999. Th. sythe; G. sith; read sithen. 2002. For of read to? 2006. G. must. Both kysse. 2012. Both without. 2018. Both gonfenoun. 2022. I supply so. 2030. G. thens; Th. thence. 2033. Both without. 2038. Perhaps quoynt. 2044. Perhaps tan (for taken).

2046. Both Disteyned (F. deceus). 2049. Both ins. her after through. 2066. G. wole; Th. wot (F. savez). 2067. Both susprised. 2068. Perhaps tan (for taken). 2074. I supply it. 2076. G. disese; Th. desese (F. dessaisir). 2085. Th. tresore; G. tresour. 2099. I supply al. 2105. Th. at; G. atte.

2109. Om. But? 2116. Read gree? 2132. G. compleysshen; Th. accomplysshen. 2141. I supply sinne. 2142. Th. entierly. 2150. G. Whanne that; Th. Whan. 2154. Both bigynneth to amende. 2167. Th. he; G. ye.

2176. G. say; Th. saye. 2178. G. ageyns; Th. ayenst. 2183. G. withouten; Th. without. 2185. G. resseyue; Th. receyue. Both vnto (for to). 2191. I supply that. 2195. Both in (for a). 2208. G. yong; Th. yonge. 2215. G. more; Th. mare. 2218. Th. hem; G. him. 2219, 20. Both somme, domme. 2224. Th. rybaudye; G. rebaudrye. 2234. Th. sette; G. om.

2247. Both trewly. 2249, 2251, 2254. Both Without. 2261. I supply hem; both best. 2264. G. streght. Both on (for upon). 2268. G. ruyde; Th. rude (F. cil vilain). 2271. G. streit. Th. aumere; G. awmere; see 2087. 2278. Th. Whit-; G. wis-. 2279. Both costneth (F. couste). 2285. Both Farce. 2294. G. knowith (!); so Th. 2302. Both pleyneth (!).

2305. I supply som. 2309. I supply best. 2316. Th. tyl; G. to. 2318. G. om. no. 2327. Both meuen. 2336. Both londes; read Loues. 2341. G. this swiffte (so Th.; F. si riche don). Both it is; om. it. 2344, 9. I supply that. 2347. Both better. 2355. G. that heere; Th. om. that.

2362. I supply eek. 2365. Both and (for in). 2367, 8. Both departe, parte. 2371, 2. So Th.; G. sitte, flitte. 2383. I supply wol. 2384. G. om. is. 2388. I supply al. 2395-2442. Not in G.; from Th. 2401. I supply yit. 2403, 4. Th. fal, al. 2405. Th. holy. 2413. As] Th. A.

2427. Th. sene (F. envoier). 2432. Th. gone and visyten. 2437, 8. Th. sene, bene. 2443. G. begins again. 2446. Both thou dost; om. thou. 2454. For wolt read nilt? 2466. Om. of? 2472. I supply the. 2473. For Thought read That swete? 2477. I supply thou.

2492. Both domme. 2494, 2521. Th. faste; G. fast. 2499. G. yitt; Th. yet (for yif). 2532. I supply thy; F. ta raison. Th. durste; G. derst. 2541. a] Th. o.

2550. Th. batell; G. batelle. 2563, 4. Th. a-brede, forwerede; G. abrode, forweriede; see 3251. 2569. seme] Both se. 2576. Th. slombrest. 2578. G. om. a.

2610. Th. Withouten; G. Without. Th. kesse; G. kysse. 2617. Both I wote not; read I noot. 2619. Both better. 2621. Both on hir I caste. 2622. Both That (for Than). 2628. Both liggen. 2649. Th. shalt; G. shalle. 2650. Both whider (!). 2655, 6. Th. aferde, vnsperde; G. afeerd, unspered. 2660. Th. shore. 2664. Th. thy; G. the. 2668. Both without. 2669. Both om. a.

2675. Th. whan; G. whanne; read wham or whom; F. De qui tu ne pues avoir aise. 2676. Corrupt; F. Au departir la porte baise. Th. awey; G. away. 2683. Th. ins. any (G. ony) bef. wene. 2687. Th. selfe; G. silf. 2688. Th. assayed; G. assaid. 2690. Both for to (for to). 2693. Th. ofte; G. of. 2697. Th. dothe; G. doith. 2700. I supply hir. 2709, 2710. Both more, fore; read mare, fare. I supply thee. 2712. Perhaps omit to. 2729. Th. Aye; G. A-yee.

2746. I supply may. 2748. Th. great; G. greet. 2752. For that read yet? 2755, 6. Th. sete, ete; G. sett, ete. 2760. Both yeue. 2763. I supply his. Th. trust; G. trist. 2774. Both aftirward. 2775. I supply to. 2777. Both yeue. 2786. Both endure. 2789, 90. Th. solace, lace. G. Doith. 2791. Both first.

2796. G. Thenkyng; Th. Thynkyng; see 2804. 2798. Both and in peyne. 2801. Both ins. to bef. have. 2824. Both not ben; F. tu seroies. 2831. Both myght. 2833. Both me (for hem); see 2845. 2845. I supply my; see 2833. 2846. G. sittith; Th. sytteth. 2854. Th. him; G. hem. Th. apayde; G. apaied; see l. 2891.

2895. G. and of; Th. om. of. 2897. G. which. 2912. I supply yit. 2916. I supply it. Th. conuoye G. conueye. 2917. they] Both thou.

2921, 2. Both sene, clene; supply he. 2934. I supply that. 2935. Both declared thee. 2946. Th. sufferaunce; G. suffraunce. 2950. Both yeue. 2954. Th. vanysshed; G. vanyshide. 2960, 2973. Both bothom; read botoun. 2970. G. bisiede; Th. besyed. 2971. Th. haye; G. hay.

2981. Th. gladde; G. glad. 2984. F. Bel-Acueil. 2987. G. outter; Th. vtter. 2990. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. 2992. Both warrans; I supply I be; F. Ge vous i puis bien garantir. 3000. Th. hertely; G. hertly. 3001. I supply I. 3009, 3013. Both bothom; read botoun. 3010. Th: fresshe; G. fresh. Th. spronge; G. sprange. 3012. Both myght. 3020. Th. grasse; G. gras. 3029. I insert no. 3035. Both Brought; I supply On lyve (i. e. to life). Th. ylke; G. ilk.

3038. Th. so vgly; G. so oughlye; om. so. 3045. Both bothoms; read botouns. Th. las; G. lasse. 3046. Th. sondrie; G. sondre. 3047. Th. wyste; G. wist. 3050, 3064. Both Bothoms. 3052. Both Venus hath flemed. 3058. G. om. is. 3071, 6, 8. Both bothom. 3079. I supply me; F. me fis. 3083. G. waxe; Th. wext.

3109. Both bothom. 3115. Both arise; read ryse. 3125. Both And late (lette) it growe. 3127, 8. Both were, bere. 3136. G. om. Th. His eyes reed sparclyng as the fyre-glowe (too long); F. S'ot les yex rouges comme feus. 3037. Both kirked. 3150. I] G. it; Th. he; F. ge. 3154. Th. agayne; G. ageyns.

3164. Th. he; G. it. 3179. I supply wot. 3186. Th. brast; G. barste. 3188. G. That was; Th. m. That. Th. through; G. thurgh. 3191. Th. highe; G. high. 3195. Both without. 3201. on] G. in (!). 3207. Both For nature; I omit For. 3209. Both but if the. 3213. Th. seignorie; G. seignurie.

3219,20. G. freende, sheende; Th. frende, shende. 3221. Th. the; G. ye. 3227. G. didest (!). 3228. Th. had; G. hadde; read haddest. 3230. I supply ward. 3231,2. Both wene, sene; I supply thee. 3248. G. om. nat. 3251. Th. werrey; G. werye. 3264. Both seyne; feyne seems better. 3266. I supply it. 3274. Both he be a; I omit a. 3279. G. om. of.

3282. Th. moche; G. mych. 3292. G. arrage (!). 3301. After gete, Th. ins. the, and G. thee. 3315. Th. counsayle; G. counsele. 3320. Both thought; read taughte. 3331. Both Who that; I omit that. 3337. Both cherisaunce; F. chevissance. 3340. Both myght. 3344. Both fast.

3350. Both witholde. 3355. Th. whiche; G. which. 3356. G. om. have. Th. meymed. 3364. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. Both bothom. 3372. Th. fiers. 3379. Th. meke; G. make. 3385. I supply him. 3399. Th. forbode; G. fobede; read forbad. 3406. I supply sir. 3408. Both amenden.

3414. G. om. I. 3418. G. you shulde. 3429. G. doon elles welle; Th. done al wel; F. Toutes vos autres volentes Ferai. 3433. Th. suche; G. sichen; F. puis-qu'il me siet. 3447. Both where that the; I omit that. 3448. I supply thou; F. tu. 3454. Th. tale; G. talle. 3455. Th. affayre; G. affere. 3462. Both good mes (sic); F. en bon point; see l. 1453. 3464. Both -come. 3468. G. om. me.

3473. Both bothom. 3482. Morris supplies hard. 3490. Both That he had. 3491. G. Thanne; Th. Than; read That; F. Qu'Amors. 3498. G. Thou; Th. Tho. Both and me (for and). 3502. Both bothom. 3508. I supply word. 3510. Th. moche; G. mych. 3522. Both ye (for he); F. Que il. 3525. Both it is.

3534. G. to beye; Th. to bey. 3548. Both This; F. C'est; This = This is. 3552. Th. he; G. ye. 3554. Both Vpon (for On). 3560. Read mis (for amis). 3563. Th. moste; G. most. 3590. G. lette; Th. let. 3591. Th. hye; G. high.

3595-3690. Not in G.; from Th. 3599, 3600. Th. please, ease. 3604. Th. dare (for thar), wrongly. Th. aferde. 3615. Th. without. 3619. Th. hadde. 3620. Th. leaue. 3622. Th. hel. 3626. Th. eftres. 3633. Th. spannysshinge. 3641. Th. without. 3642. Th. sene. 3643. Th. the god of blesse; F. Diex la beneie. 3646. Th. marueyle.

3656. Th. leysar. 3660. Th. That so swetely. 3663. Th. cosse. 3667. Th. sayd. 3670, 1. Th. dare. 3674. Th. ywisse. 3676. Th. lyfe; read live. 3679. Th. best. 3687. Th. first. 3688. Th. fel downe. 3690. Th. grapes be ripe; om. be. 3691. G. begins again. 3694. Both Though. 3697. Both rennyng (for rewing). 3698. Both come (absurdly); see l. 3700; read to me. 3699. Th. werryeth; G. werieth; F. guerroie. 3707. Th. flame. 3709. Both hette. 3710. G. herte is; Th. hert is; read hertis = hertes. Both sette. 3716. G. nelle; Th. nyl. 3718. Both neithir (for nor).

3723. G. pruyde. 3730. Th. warne; G. worne. 3742. G. outterly; Th. vtterly. 3745. Both pleyne (playne). 3746. Both -nysse. 3748. G. thenkith. 3749. Th. warne; G. worne. 3751. Both ye helpe; read to helpe. 3755. Th. with his hete. 3756. Both ins. me after bad. 3757. G. Grauntede; Th. Graunt. 3761. Thar] Th. There nede. 3763. Both Stroke. 3774. G. it wille; Th. at wyl. 3779. Th. selde; G. yelde.

3790. G. strong; Th. stronge. 3803, 3811. Both bare. 3805. G. gret; Th. great. 3807. Both myght. 3808. G. report. 3812. Both square. 3832. Th. regarde. 3834. Th. thus; G. this. 3845. I supply not. 3846. I supply to. 3848. G. thenkith.

3852. I supply Ne. Both verge; see 3234. G. hadde; Th. had. 3862. Th. wende; G. wente. 3864. Th. vayle; G. bayle. Th. stede; G. stide. 3877. Both first. 3880. G. fals. Both lye. 3885. G. such. 3889. G. vylonye. 3891. M. supplies for. 3895. Both trechours. 3897. I supply wel. 3902. Both herte I crye. 3907. Both lowe. 3912. G. yhe; Th. eye. 3915. I supply yit. 3917. Th. werreyed; G. werried.

3928. Th. Counsayle. Both must; read mot, and supply take. 3942. Both Do; read To. Both fortresse; F. forteresce. 3943. Both Thanne (Than) close; F. Qui les Roses clorra entor. 3954. Th. blende; G. blynde. 3955. I supply for. 3967. I supply Til. Both last. 3971. Both ferre. 3973. I supply so. 3974. I supply do. 3977. Th. haue. 3979. Both shamed. 3982. G. withoute; Th. without.

3985, 6. G. om. he. 3994. Th. vilanously; G. vilaynesly. 4000. Both right. I supply bothe a-. 4009, 4016. G. doist. 4011. Both bothoms. 4015. Both Stoute, porte. 4021. G. an high; Th. an hye; read in hy. 4026. Both To make. 4036. Both sittith (-eth). 4044. I supply not.

4059. Th. sothe; G. sooth. G. knowe. 4063. as] G. a. 4065. G. om. he. 4072. G. gardyne. 4073. a-fere, i. e. on fire. 4089. Both put it after I. 4096. Both me (for men). 4098. Both myght. 4110. Th. quake; C. quoke. 4111. Both bothom. I supply that.

4114. Th. moche; G. mych. 4120. Th. fresshe; G. fresh. 4158. G. Aboute; Th. About. 4159. G. fademe. 4175. M. supplies ne. 4177. Supply For (F. Car). Both temprure.

4181. Both of; read as. 4188. Both Roses; read Rosers; F. rosiers. 4191. G. and bows; Th. bowes and. 4194. whiche] Both who. 4207. I supply eek. 4208. G. om. kepte. 4220. Th. lefte; G. lyft. 4222. M. supplies hir. 4142. Th. Ofter; G. Ofte.

4246. G. wole. 4254. M. supplies ne. 4264. Th. eye; G. ighe. 4269. Th. deserte; G. disseit. 4272. Both walketh (!). 4283. Both lyue. 4285. Both Which (for Ther); giving no sense. 4288. Th. whiche; G. which. 4289. I supply muche. 4291. Both except. 4293. I supply loveres. 4294. I supply the. 4308. Both bothoms.

4314. G. om. of. 4322. Both wente aboute (a = have). 4337. Both make. 4339. G. tiliers; Th. tyllers. 4344. Th. nyl; G. nel. 4352. Both wente; aboven to haue. 4355. Th. folke; G. folk. 4356. G. glowmbe; Th. glombe. 4357. M. supplies thou. 4358. I supply in. Th. tourneth; G. tourne. 4361. Th. areyse; G. arise. 4363. Th. hyest. Both but; read al. Both lust. 4364. Both trust. 4365. am] Both is. 4366. Both charge. 4372. wal] G. wole; Th. wol.

4394. Both maist. 4401. I supply is. 4403. Both ought. 4404. I supply ther. 4407. I supply man. 4413. Both Owe. 4414. Th. false; G. fals 4425. Both good. 4432. Both falle.

4440. G. reles; Th. relees. 4441. G. baalis; Th. bales. 4448. Th. vtterly. 4452. Th. traueyle. 4460. Th. put; G. putte. 4465. Th. nathelesse; G. neuertheles; after which G. has yit (Th. yet). 4467. Both her (for his). 4472. G. no; Th. ne. 4476. Both preise; read pryse. 4477. Th. a-sondre; G. asundry. 4478. I supply me have; F. Avoir me lest tant de contraires. 4483. G. Dre (!). 4486. G. putte. 4492. G. sonner. 4495. Both ferre.

4509. I supply The. 4510. Both symply; read simpilly? 4511. I supply may. 4513, 4. Th. dout, out; G. doute, oute. 4528. G. verger. 4537. G. Sheo. 4541. G. assayde; G. om. not. 4549. Th. engyns; G. engynnes. 4550. Both Loue; read lorde. 4556. Th. moche that it; G. mych that. 4557. Both lete = leet. 4561. Both yeue good wille; F. se Diex plaist.

4567, 4573, 4584. G. thenke. 4574. Both take. G. att; Th. at. 4587. Om. ne? 4614. G. om. Or. 4615. Rubrie in both. 4617. For not read nist? 4621. G. wijs. 4623. Both right. 4628. Th. came; G. come.

4634. Both the. I insert pyned. Th. suche. 4638. Both myght. 4647. Both liege. 4657. G. I lovede; Th. I loued; read han loved. 4659. (ends at parde); misnumbered 4660 in M. Th. Ye; G. Yhe. 4660. Th. Yes; G. Yhis. 4667. misnumbered 4670 in M. 4672. G. a state. 4680. G. Yhe. 4683. Both knowe. 4684. G. ony.

4689. I supply here lerne; both withouten. 4690. Both withouten. 4700. G. knette; Th. knytte. 4705. Both And through the; read A trouthe. Both frette. 4709. G. vode (for wood); Th. voyde. 4710. G. perelle. 4712. Th. weare. 4713. G. karibdous; Th. Carybdes; F. Caribdis. 4721. Th. lyke; G. like; read sike. Th. sickenesse; G. sekenesse. 4722. G. trust; Th. truste; (thrust = thirst). Both and (for in). 4723. Both And. G. helth. 4725. Both And. G. anger; Th. angre (!). 4728. Both dreried. 4731. Both Sen. 4732. Supply with. 4736. Supply stat; F. Estat trop fers et trop muable.

4755. Both by (for be). 4758. M supplies is. 4762. G. mychel; see 4757. 4764. Both That; read But. 4771, 2. Both bene, flene. 4793. I supply I. Both euer; read er. 4796. Both al by partuere. 4799. Both greven. 4802. Th. lewdest. 4804. Th. lacke; G. lak. 4807. Both diffyned here.

4811. G. kned; Th. knedde. Both bitwixt. 4812. Both With. 4813. Both frely that; I omit that. G. nylle. 4823. Both engendrure; see 6114. 4830. G. om. at. 4834. Both swerne. 4837. Both han her lust. 4839. Th. om. they. 4846. who] Both what. 4856. G. omits; from Th. 4858. Both their; read ther. 4865. Both sette. 4873. G. parfight; T. parfyte.

4875. Th. crease. 4878. Th. vyce; G. wise. 4882. Th. Tullyus; G. Tulius. 4889. Both sette. 4892. G. perell; Th. parel; read tyme. Th. youthe; G. yougth. 4904. Both yalte. I supply him. 4921. Both But that if. 4926. G. om. in. 4931. Th. youth-hede; G. youthede. 4933. thus] Both this. 4935. Both youthes chambre (chambere); read Youthe his chamberere; F. Par Ionesce sa chamberiere. 4936. G. custommere. 4940. Supply she.

4943. Both And mo of (!). 4945. Both remembreth. 4948. Both him; read hem. 4950. Th. ieopardye. 4951. Th. moche; G. mych. 4954. G. avoutrie; Th. avoutrye. 4955. can] Both gan. 4956. Th. suche; G. sich. 4960. Both neither preise. 4996. Th. courte; G. court. 5000. Th. herbegeours; G. herbeiours. 5004. Th. stondeth; G. stondith.

5010. Both weped. 5021. Both he (for hir). 5028. Both list to loue. 5030. Supply so. 5036. Supply ay. 5050. Both gouen. 5051. Both so; read she (or sho). 5059. Both loued. 5062. Th. suche; G. such; I supply a. 5064. Th. Drury; G. drurie. 5068. But] Both That; cf. 4764.

5085. they] Both to. 5099. G. om. thee. 5107. G. herberest hem; Th. herborest. 5111. G. profiȝt. 5116. thy] Both the; F. ton. 5117. Both by thought; F. ta Ionesce. 5124. Th. recouered.

5144. alway] G. ay; Th. aye. 5155. Both That; F. Lors. 5162. (say = assay?) 5165. I supply and been. 5166. I supply love that. 5168. Th. eyther; G. other. 5187. I supply thee.

5223. I supply Ne ... hem. 5229. Both oo state; read oon estate; see 5400. 5234, 49, 53. Supply but, hath, he.

5259. Th. in; G. of. 5261. G. dreded. 5271, 72, 82, 5314, 27. Supply be, is, him, it, if. 5277, 8. Supply As. Th. requyred, fyred. Perhaps om. the. 5283. his] Both this. 5285. Both vnyte. 5286. Th. Tullius; G. Tulius. 5287. A man] Both And. 5292. Th. causes; G. cause; see 5301, 5523. 5301. G. caas; Th. case. 5304. Both ought. 5325. G. amerous.

5330. Th. bydeth; G. bit. 5331, 48, 52, 53. Supply This, it, with, It. 5335. Both he; read she; see 5337, 5341. 5345. Both Thurgh the; I omit the. 5356. Th. blacke; G. blak. 5360. Both greueth so greueth. 5367. Th. fonde; G. fonned. 5375. Both sothe. 5376. Th. his; G. this. 5379. Both him silf (selfe) of. 5389. Both kepen ay his; see 5387. 5390. Th. eyne; G. iyen. 5393. G. alle hise lymes; Th. al his lymmes; I omit alle.

5399. Th. wate; G. wote. 5400, 1. Both estate; ought to be. 5403. Th. sithe; G. se. 5404. Both hath. 5408. in] G. it; Th. om. 5419, 20, 25, 27, 36. Both hym (!); F. les. 5425. G. glorie and veyne. 5431. Both high. 5433. so] Both to. 5446. G. om. very. 5451. I supply greet. 5452. Th. chere (for there); G. cheer (!). 5455. G. aftirward; Th. afterwarde. 5463. Both thus.

5465. Th. hem; G. men. 5470. Th. Of; G. Or with. 5478. Read She sheweth, by experience. 5485. Both without. 5486. Both affect; see note. 5489. Th. goddesse; G. goddes. 5491. Both For al that yeueth here out of drede. 5493. Th. lette; G. late. 5503. Th. they; G. the. 5505. Th. yholpe; G. I hope. 5510. G. feldfare. 5512. I supply the.

5523, 42, 85, 86, 88. Supply the, his, but, more, so. 5544. Both fablyng; F. cheans. 5546. Both caste. 5555. Both in; read is. 5556. Both depe (for doþ). 5569. Th. haue you to haue; G. ha yow to ha. 5577. Both perceyueth.

5590. G. mavis; Th. mauys. 5597. G. aument. 5598. it] Both that. 5611, 38. G. not; Th. nat. 5612. G. hastly. 5617. Both berne. 5627, 43. Supply it, the. 5633. Th. wyght; G. witte. G. honerous. 5640. Th. laste; G. last. 5641. Both take. 5649. G. Pictigoras; Th. Pythagoras.

5661. G. Boice. 5668. Both rent; yeue. 5675. G. wynkith (!). 5683. G. fardeles. 5685. G. feyntith. 5686. G. disdeyntith. 5699. Both where; F. guerre. 5700. I supply more; F. plus. 5701. Both shal thogh he hath geten (!). 5713. Both Thus is thurst.

5727. G. ther; Th. her (=hir). 5734. G. Yhe. 5740. G. phicicien; read fysycien. 5741. G. fy; Th. fye (for sy); see note. 5742. G. om. it. 5749, 51. Supply ne, for. 5755. Both shewing. 5761. Supply it, wh. follows Himself in 5762. 5763. Both ofte. 5771. G. fast. 5781. Both The; F. Trois.

5783. G. mych. 5788. Both vnto. 5791. Th. these; G. this. 5793. G. goode.

FRAGMENT C.

Whan Love had told hem his entente,

The baronage to councel wente;

In many sentences they fille,

And dyversly they seide hir wille:

5815

But aftir discord they accorded,

And hir accord to Love recorded.

Sir,' seiden they, 'we been at oon,

By even accord of everichoon,

Out-take Richesse al-only,

5820

That sworen hath ful hauteynly,

That she the castel nil assaile,

Ne smyte a stroke in this bataile,

With dart, ne mace, spere, ne knyf,

For man that speketh or bereth the lyf,

5825

And blameth your empryse, y-wis,

And from our hoost departed is,

(At leeste wey, as in this plyte,)

So hath she this man in dispyte;

For she seith he ne loved hir never,

5830

And therfor she wol hate him ever.

For he wol gadre no tresore,

He hath hir wrath for evermore.

He agilte hir never in other caas,

Lo, here al hoolly his trespas!

5835

She seith wel, that this other day

He asked hir leve to goon the way

That is clepid To-moche-Yeving,

And spak ful faire in his praying;

But whan he prayde hir, pore was he,

5840

Therfore she warned him the entree.

Ne yit is he not thriven so

That he hath geten a peny or two,

That quitly is his owne in hold.

Thus hath Richesse us alle told;

5845

And whan Richesse us this recorded,

Withouten hir we been accorded.

'And we finde in our accordaunce,

That False-Semblant and Abstinaunce,

With alle the folk of hir bataile,

5850

Shulle at the hinder gate assayle,

That Wikkid-Tunge hath in keping,

With his Normans, fulle of langling.

And with hem Curtesie and Largesse,

That shulle shewe hir hardinesse

5855

To the olde wyf that [kepeth] so harde

Fair-Welcoming within her warde.

Than shal Delyte and Wel-Helinge

Fonde Shame adoun to bringe;

With al hir hoost, erly and late,

5860

They shulle assailen [thilke] gate.

Agaynes Drede shal Hardinesse

Assayle, and also Sikernesse,

With al the folk of hir leding,

That never wist what was fleing.

5865

'Fraunchyse shal fighte, and eek Pitee,

With Daunger ful of crueltee.

Thus is your hoost ordeyned wel;

Doun shal the castel every del,

If everiche do his entente,

5870

So that Venus be presente,

Your modir, ful of vassalage,

That can y-nough of such usage;

Withouten hir may no wight spede

This werk, neither for word ne dede.

5875

Therfore is good ye for hir sende,

For thurgh hir may this werk amende.'

Amour. 'Lordinges, my modir, the goddesse,

That is my lady, and my maistresse,

Nis not [at] al at my willing,

5880

Ne doth not al my desyring.

Yit can she som-tyme doon labour,

Whan that hir lust, in my socour,

[Al my nedis] for to acheve,

But now I thenke hir not to greve.

5885

My modir is she, and of childhede

I bothe worshipe hir, and eek drede;

For who that dredith sire ne dame

Shal it abye in body or name.

And, natheles, yit cunne we

5890

Sende aftir hir, if nede be;

And were she nigh, she comen wolde,

I trowe that no-thing might hir holde.

'My modir is of greet prowesse;

She hath tan many a forteresse,

5895

That cost hath many a pound er this,

Ther I nas not present, y-wis;

And yit men seide it was my dede;

But I come never in that stede;

Ne me ne lykith, so mote I thee,

5900

Such toures take withoute me.

For-why me thenketh that, in no wyse,

It may ben cleped but marchandise.

'Go bye a courser, blak or whyte,

And pay therfor; than art thou quyte.

5905

The marchaunt oweth thee right nought,

Ne thou him, whan thou [hast] it bought.

I wol not selling clepe yeving,

For selling axeth no guerdoning;

Here lyth no thank, ne no meryte,

5910

That oon goth from that other al quyte.

But this selling is not semblable;

For, whan his hors is in the stable,

He may it selle ageyn, pardee,

And winne on it, such hap may be;

5915

Al may the man not lese, y-wis,

For at the leest the skin is his.

Or elles, if it so bityde

That he wol kepe his hors to ryde,

Yit is he lord ay of his hors.

5920

But thilke chaffare is wel wors,

There Venus entremeteth nought;

For who-so such chaffare hath bought,

He shal not worchen so wysly,

That he ne shal lese al outerly

5925

Bothe his money and his chaffare;

But the seller of the ware

The prys and profit have shal.

Certeyn, the byer shal lese al;

For he ne can so dere it bye

5930

To have lordship and ful maistrye,

Ne have power to make letting

Neither for yift ne for preching,

That of his chaffare, maugre his,

Another shal have as moche, y-wis,

5935

If he wol yeve as moche as he,

Of what contrey so that he be;

Or for right nought, so happe may,

If he can flater hir to hir pay.

Ben than suche marchaunts wyse?

5940

No, but fooles in every wyse,

Whan they bye such thing wilfully,

Ther-as they lese her good [fully].

But natheles, this dar I saye,

My modir is not wont to paye,

5945

For she is neither so fool ne nyce,

To entremete hir of sich vyce.

But truste wel, he shal paye al,

That repente of his bargeyn shal,

Whan Poverte put him in distresse,

5950

Al were he scoler to Richesse,

That is for me in gret yerning,

Whan she assenteth to my willing.

'But, [by] my modir seint Venus,

And by hir fader Saturnus,

5955

That hir engendrid by his lyf,

But not upon his weddid wyf!

Yit wol I more unto you swere,

To make this thing the seurere;

Now by that feith, and that leautee

5960

I owe to alle my brethren free,

Of which ther nis wight under heven

That can her fadris names neven,

So dyvers and so many ther be

That with my modir have be privee!

5965

Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse,

The pole of helle to my witnesse,

Now drinke I not this yeer clarree,

If that I lye, or forsworn be!

(For of the goddes the usage is,

5970

That who-so him forswereth amis,

Shal that yeer drinke no clarree).

Now have I sworn y-nough, pardee;

If I forswere me, than am I lorn,

But I wol never be forsworn.

5975

Sith Richesse hath me failed here,

She shal abye that trespas dere,

At leeste wey, but [she] hir arme

With swerd, or sparth, or gisarme.

For certes, sith she loveth not me,

5980

Fro thilke tyme that she may see

The castel and the tour to-shake,

In sory tyme she shal awake.

If I may grype a riche man,

I shal so pulle him, if I can,

5985

That he shal, in a fewe stoundes,

Lese alle his markes and his poundes.

I shal him make his pens outslinge,

But-[if] they in his gerner springe;

Our maydens shal eek plukke him so,

5990

That him shal neden fetheres mo,

And make him selle his lond to spende,

But he the bet cunne him defende.

'Pore men han maad hir lord of me;

Although they not so mighty be,

5995

That they may fede me in delyt,

I wol not have hem in despyt.

No good man hateth hem, as I gesse,

For chinche and feloun is Richesse,

That so can chase hem and dispyse,

6000

And hem defoule in sondry wyse.

They loven ful bet, so god me spede,

Than doth the riche, chinchy grede,

And been, in good feith, more stable

And trewer, and more serviable;

6005

And therfore it suffysith me

Hir goode herte, and hir leautee.

They han on me set al hir thought,

And therfore I forgete hem nought.

I wolde hem bringe in greet noblesse,

6010

If that I were god of Richesse,

As I am god of Love, sothly,

Such routhe upon hir pleynt have I.

Therfore I must his socour be,

That peyneth him to serven me;

6015

For if he deyde for love of this,

Than semeth in me no love ther is.'

'Sir,' seide they, 'sooth is, every del,

That ye reherce, and we wot wel

Thilk oth to holde is resonable;

6020

For it is good and covenable,

That ye on riche men han sworn.

For, sir, this wot we wel biforn;

If riche men doon you homage,

That is as fooles doon outrage;

6025

But ye shul not forsworen be,

Ne let therfore to drinke clarree,

Or piment maked fresh and newe.

Ladyes shulle hem such pepir brewe,

If that they falle into hir laas,

6030

That they for we mowe seyn "Allas!"

Ladyes shuln ever so curteis be,

That they shal quyte your oth al free.

Ne seketh never other vicaire,

For they shal speke with hem so faire

6035

That ye shal holde you payed ful wel,

Though ye you medle never a del.

Lat ladies worche with hir thinges,

They shal hem telle so fele tydinges,

And moeve hem eke so many requestis

6040

By flatery, that not honest is,

And therto yeve hem such thankinges,

What with kissing, and with talkinges,

That certes, if they trowed be,

Shal never leve hem loud ne fee

6045

That it nil as the moeble fare,

Of which they first delivered are.

Now may ye telle us al your wille,

And we your hestes shal fulfille.

'But Fals-Semblant dar not, for drede

6050

Of you, sir, medle him of this dede,

For he seith that ye been his fo;

He not, if ye wol worche him wo.

Wherfore we pray you alle, beausire,

That ye forgive him now your ire,

6055

And that he may dwelle, as your man,

With Abstinence, his dere lemman;

This our accord and our wil now.'

'Parfay,' seide Love, 'I graunte it yow;

I wol wel holde him for my man;

6060

Now lat him come:' and he forth ran.

Fals-Semblant,' quod Love, 'in this wyse

I take thee here to my servyse,

That thou our freendis helpe alway,

And hindre hem neithir night ne day,

6065

But do thy might hem to releve,

And eek our enemies that thou greve.

Thyn be this might, I graunt it thee,

My king of harlotes shalt thou be;

We wol that thou have such honour.

6070

Certeyn, thou art a fals traitour,

And eek a theef; sith thou were born,

A thousand tyme thou art forsworn.

But, natheles, in our hering,

To putte our folk out of douting,

6075

I bid thee teche hem, wostow how?

By somme general signe now,

In what place thou shalt founden be,

If that men had mister of thee;

And how men shal thee best espye,

6080

For thee to knowe is greet maistrye;

Tel in what place is thyn haunting.'

F. Sem. 'Sir, I have fele dyvers woning,

That I kepe not rehersed be,

So that ye wolde respyten me.

6085

For if that I telle you the sothe,

I may have harm and shame bothe.

If that my felowes wisten it,

My tales shulden me be quit;

For certeyn, they wolde hate me,

6090

If ever I knewe hir cruelte;

For they wolde over-al holde hem stille

Of trouthe that is ageyn hir wille;

Suche tales kepen they not here.

I might eftsone bye it ful dere,

6095

If I seide of hem any thing,

That ought displeseth to hir hering.

For what word that hem prikke or byteth,

In that word noon of hem delyteth,

Al were it gospel, the evangyle,

6100

That wolde reprove hem of hir gyle,

For they are cruel and hauteyn.

And this thing wot I wel, certeyn,

If I speke ought to peire hir loos,

Your court shal not so wel be cloos,

6105

That they ne shal wite it atte last.

Of good men am I nought agast,

For they wol taken on hem nothing,

Whan that they knowe al my mening;

But he that wol it on him take,

6110

He wol himself suspecious make,

That he his lyf let covertly,

In Gyle and in Ipocrisy,

That me engendred and yaf fostring.'

'They made a ful good engendring,'

6115

Quod Love, 'for who-so soothly telle,

They engendred the devel of helle!

'But nedely, how-so-ever it be,'

Quod Love, 'I wol and charge thee,

To telle anoon thy woning-places,

6120

Hering ech wight that in this place is:

And what lyf that thou livest also,

Hyde it no lenger now; wherto?

Thou most discover al thy wurching,

How thou servest, and of what thing,

6125

Though that thou shuldest for thy soth-sawe

Ben al to-beten and to-drawe;

And yit art thou not wont, pardee.

But natheles, though thou beten be,

Thou shalt not be the first, that so

6130

Hath for soth-sawe suffred wo.'

F. Sem. 'Sir, sith that it may lyken you,

Though that I shulde be slayn right now,

I shal don your comaundement,

For therto have I gret talent.'

6135

Withouten wordes mo, right than,

Fals-Semblant his sermon bigan,

And seide hem thus in audience:—

Barouns, tak hede of my sentence!

That wight that list to have knowing

6140

Of Fals-Semblant, ful of flatering,

He must in worldly folk him seke,

And, certes, in the cloistres eke;

I wone no-where but in hem tweye;

But not lyk even, sooth to seye;

6145

Shortly, I wol herberwe me

There I hope best to hulstred be;

And certeynly, sikerest hyding

Is undirneth humblest clothing.

'Religious folk ben ful covert;

6150

Seculer folk ben more appert.

But natheles, I wol not blame

Religious folk, ne hem diffame,

In what habit that ever they go:

Religioun humble, and trewe also,

6155

Wol I not blame, ne dispyse,

But I nil love it, in no wyse.

I mene of fals religious,

That stoute ben, and malicious;

That wolen in an abit go,

6160

And setten not hir herte therto.

'Religious folk ben al pitous;

Thou shalt not seen oon dispitous.

They loven no pryde, ne no stryf,

But humbly they wol lede hir lyf;

6165

With swich folk wol I never be.

And if I dwelle, I feyne me

I may wel in her abit go;

But me were lever my nekke atwo,

Than lete a purpose that I take,

6170

What covenaunt that ever I make.

I dwelle with hem that proude be,

And fulle of wyles and subtelte;

That worship of this world coveyten,

And grete nedes cunne espleyten;

6175

And goon and gadren greet pitaunces,

And purchace hem the acqueyntaunces

Of men that mighty lyf may leden;

And feyne hem pore, and hem-self feden

With gode morcels delicious,

6180

And drinken good wyn precious,

And preche us povert and distresse,

And fisshen hem-self greet richesse

With wyly nettis that they caste:

It wol come foul out at the laste.

6185

They ben fro clene religioun went;

They make the world an argument

That hath a foul conclusioun.

"I have a robe of religioun,

Than am I al religious:"

6190

This argument is al roignous;

It is not worth a croked brere;

Habit ne maketh monk ne frere,

But clene lyf and devocioun

Maketh gode men of religioun.

6195

Nathelesse, ther can noon answere,

How high that ever his heed he shere

With rasour whetted never so kene,

That Gyle in braunches cut thrittene;

Ther can no wight distincte it so,

6200

That he dar sey a word therto.

'But what herberwe that ever I take,

Or what semblant that ever I make,

I mene but gyle, and folowe that;

For right no mo than Gibbe our cat

6205

[Fro myce and rattes went his wyle],

Ne entende I [not] but to begyle;

Ne no wight may, by my clothing,

Wite with what folk is my dwelling;

Ne by my wordis yet, pardee,

6210

So softe and so plesaunt they be.

Bihold the dedis that I do;

But thou be blind, thou oughtest so;

For, varie hir wordis fro hir dede,

They thenke on gyle, withouten drede,

6215

What maner clothing that they were,

Or what estat that ever they bere,

Lered or lewd, lord or lady,

Knight, squier, burgeis, or bayly.'

Right thus whyl Fals-Semblant sermoneth,

6220

Eftsones Love him aresoneth,

And brak his tale in the speking

As though he had him told lesing;

And seide: 'What, devel, is that I here?

What folk hast thou us nempned here?

6225

May men finde religioun

In worldly habitacioun?'

F. Sem. 'Ye, sir; it foloweth not that they

Shulde lede a wikked lyf, parfey,

Ne not therfore her soules lese,

6230

That hem to worldly clothes chese;

For, certis, it were gret pitee.

Men may in seculer clothes see

Florisshen holy religioun.

Ful many a seynt in feeld and toun,

6235

With many a virgin glorious,

Devout, and ful religious,

Had deyed, that comun clothe ay beren,

Yit seyntes never-the-les they weren.

I coude reken you many a ten;

6240

Ye, wel nigh alle these holy wimmen,

That men in chirchis herie and seke,

Bothe maydens, and these wyves eke,

That baren many a fair child here,

Wered alwey clothis seculere,

6245

And in the same dyden they,

That seyntes weren, and been alwey.

The eleven thousand maydens dere,

That beren in heven hir ciergis clere,

Of which men rede in chirche, and singe,

6250

Were take in seculer clothing,

Whan they resseyved martirdom,

And wonnen heven unto her hoom.

Good herte makith the gode thought;

The clothing yeveth ne reveth nought.

6255

The gode thought and the worching,

That maketh religioun flowring,

Ther lyth the good religioun

Aftir the right entencioun.

'Who-so toke a wethers skin,

6260

And wrapped a gredy wolf therin,

For he shulde go with lambis whyte,

Wenest thou not he wolde hem byte?

Yis! never-the-las, as he were wood,

He wolde hem wery, and drinke the blood;

6265

And wel the rather hem disceyve,

For, sith they coude not perceyve

His treget and his crueltee,

They wolde him folowe, al wolde he flee.

'If ther be wolves of sich hewe

6270

Amonges these apostlis newe,

Thou, holy chirche, thou mayst be wayled!

Sith that thy citee is assayled

Thourgh knightis of thyn owne table,

God wot thy lordship is doutable!

6275

If they enforce [hem] it to winne,

That shulde defende it fro withinne,

Who might defence ayens hem make?

Withouten stroke it mot be take

Of trepeget or mangonel;

6280

Without displaying of pensel.

And if god nil don it socour,

But lat [hem] renne in this colour,

Thou moost thyn heestis laten be.

Than is ther nought, but yelde thee,

6285

Or yeve hem tribute, doutelees,

And holde it of hem to have pees:

But gretter harm bityde thee,

That they al maister of it be.

Wel conne they scorne thee withal;

6290

By day stuffen they the wal,

And al the night they mynen there.

Nay, thou most planten elleswhere

Thyn impes, if thou wolt fruyt have;

Abyd not there thy-self to save.

6295

'But now pees! here I turne ageyn;

I wol no more of this thing seyn,

If I may passen me herby;

I mighte maken you wery.

But I wol heten you alway

6300

To helpe your freendis what I may,

So they wollen my company;

For they be shent al-outerly

But-if so falle, that I be

Oft with hem, and they with me.

6305

And eek my lemman mot they serve,

Or they shul not my love deserve.

Forsothe, I am a fals traitour;

God iugged me for a theef trichour;

Forsworn I am, but wel nygh non

6310

Wot of my gyle, til it be don.

'Thourgh me hath many oon deth resseyved,

That my treget never aperceyved;

And yit resseyveth, and shal resseyve,

That my falsnesse never aperceyve:

6315

But who-so doth, if he wys be,

Him is right good be war of me.

But so sligh is the [deceyving

That to hard is the] aperceyving.

For Protheus, that coude him chaunge

6320

In every shap, hoomly and straunge,

Coude never sich gyle ne tresoun

As I; for I com never in toun

Ther-as I mighte knowen be,

Though men me bothe might here and see.

6325

Ful wel I can my clothis chaunge,

Take oon, and make another straunge.

Now am I knight, now chasteleyn;

Now prelat, and now chapeleyn;

Now prest, now clerk, and now forstere;

6330

Now am I maister, now scolere;

Now monk, now chanoun, now baily;

What-ever mister man am I.

Now am I prince, now am I page,

And can by herte every langage.

6335

Som-tyme am I hoor and old;

Now am I yong, [and] stout, and bold;

Now am I Robert, now Robyn;

Now frere Menour, now Iacobyn;

And with me folweth my loteby,

6340

To don me solas and company,

That hight dame Abstinence-Streyned,

In many a queynt array [y]-feyned.

Right as it cometh to hir lyking,

I fulfille al hir desiring.

6345

Somtyme a wommans cloth take I;

Now am I mayde, now lady.

Somtyme I am religious;

Now lyk an anker in an hous.

Somtyme am I prioresse,

6350

And now a nonne, and now abbesse;

And go thurgh alle regiouns,

Seking alle religiouns.

But to what ordre that I am sworn,

I take the strawe, and lete the corn;

6355

To [blynde] folk [ther] I enhabite,

I axe no-more but hir abite.

What wol ye more? in every wyse,

Right as me list, I me disgyse.

Wel can I bere me under weed;

6360

Unlyk is my word to my deed.

Thus make I in my trappis falle,

Thurgh my pryvileges, alle

That ben in Cristendom alyve.

I may assoile, and I may shryve,

6365

That no prelat may lette me,

Al folk, wher-ever they founde be:

I noot no prelat may don so,

But it the pope be, and no mo,

That made thilk establisshing.

6370

Now is not this a propre thing?

But, were my sleightis aperceyved,

[Ne shulde I more been receyved]

As I was wont; and wostow why?

For I dide hem a tregetry;

6375

But therof yeve I litel tale,

I have the silver and the male;

So have I preched and eek shriven,

So have I take, so have [me] yiven,

Thurgh hir foly, husbond and wyf,

6380

That I lede right a Ioly lyf,

Thurgh simplesse of the prelacye;

They know not al my tregetrye.

'But for as moche as man and wyf

Shuld shewe hir paroche-prest hir lyf

6385

Ones a yeer, as seith the book,

Er any wight his housel took,

Than have I pryvilegis large,

That may of moche thing discharge;

For he may seye right thus, pardee:—

6390

"Sir Preest, in shrift I telle it thee,

That he, to whom that I am shriven,

Hath me assoiled, and me yiven

Penaunce soothly, for my sinne,

Which that I fond me gilty inne;

6395

Ne I ne have never entencioun

To make double confessioun,

Ne reherce eft my shrift to thee;

O shrift is right y-nough to me.

This oughte thee suffyce wel,

6400

Ne be not rebel never-a-del;

For certis, though thou haddest it sworn,

I wot no prest ne prelat born

That may to shrift eft me constreyne.

And if they don, I wol me pleyne;

6405

For I wot where to pleyne wel.

Thou shall not streyne me a del,

Ne enforce me, ne [yit] me trouble,

To make my confessioun double.

Ne I have none affeccioun

6410

To have double absolucioun.

The firste is right y-nough to me;

This latter assoiling quyte I thee.

I am unbounde; what mayst thou finde

More of my sinnes me to unbinde?

6415

For he, that might hath in his hond,

Of alle my sinnes me unbond.

And if thou wolt me thus constreyne,

That me mot nedis on thee pleyne,

There shal no Iugge imperial,

6420

Ne bisshop, ne official,

Don Iugement on me; for I

Shal gon and pleyne me openly

Unto my shrift-fadir newe,

(That hight not Frere Wolf untrewe!)

6425

And he shal chevise him for me,

For I trowe he can hampre thee.

But, lord! he wolde be wrooth withalle,

If men him wolde Frere Wolf calle!

For he wolde have no pacience,

6430

But don al cruel vengeaunce!

He wolde his might don at the leest,

[Ne] no-thing spare for goddis heest.

And, god so wis be my socour,

But thou yeve me my Saviour

6435

At Ester, whan it lyketh me,

Withoute presing more on thee,

I wol forth, and to him goon,

And he shal housel me anoon,

For I am out of thy grucching;

6440

I kepe not dele with thee nothing."

Thus may he shryve him, that forsaketh

His paroche-prest, and to me taketh.

And if the prest wol him refuse,

I am ful redy him to accuse,

6445

And him punisshe and hampre so,

That he his chirche shal forgo.

'But who-so hath in his feling

The consequence of such shryving,

Shal seen that prest may never have might

6450

To knowe the conscience aright

Of him that is under his cure.

And this ageyns holy scripture,

That biddeth every herde honeste

Have verry knowing of his beste.

6455

But pore folk that goon by strete,

That have no gold, ne sommes grete,

Hem wolde I lete to her prelates,

Or lete hir prestis knowe hir states,

For to me right nought yeve they.'

Amour. 'And why is it?'

6460

F. Sem. 'For they ne may.

They ben so bare, I take no keep;

But I wol have the fatte sheep;—

Lat parish prestis have the lene,

I yeve not of hir harm a bene!

6465

And if that prelats grucchen it,

That oughten wroth be in hir wit,

To lese her fatte bestes so,

I shal yeve hem a stroke or two,

That they shal lesen with [the] force,

6470

Ye, bothe hir mytre and hir croce.

Thus Iape I hem, and have do longe,

My priveleges been so stronge.'

Fals-Semblant wolde have stinted here,

But Love ne made him no such chere

6475

That he was wery of his sawe;

But for to make him glad and fawe,

He seide:—'Tel on more specialy,

How that thou servest untrewly.

Tel forth, and shame thee never a del;

6480

For as thyn abit shewith wel,

Thou [semest] an holy heremyte.'

F. Sem. 'Soth is, but I am an ypocryte.'

Amour. 'Thou gost and prechest povertee?'

F. Sem. 'Ye, sir; but richesse hath poustee.'

6485

Amour. 'Thou prechest abstinence also?'

F. Sem. 'Sir, I wol fillen, so mote I go,

My paunche of gode mete and wyne,

As shulde a maister of divyne;

For how that I me pover feyne,

6490

Yit alle pore folk I disdeyne.

'I love bet the acqueyntaunce

Ten tymes, of the king of Fraunce,

Than of pore man of mylde mode,

Though that his soule be also gode.

6495

For whan I see beggers quaking,

Naked on mixens al stinking,

For hungre crye, and eek for care,

I entremete not of hir fare.

They been so pore, and ful of pyne,

6500

They might not ones yeve me dyne,

For they have no-thing but hir lyf;

What shulde he yeve that likketh his knyf?

It is but foly to entremete,

To seke in houndes nest fat mete.

6505

Let bere hem to the spitel anoon,

But, for me, comfort gete they noon.

But a riche sike usurere

Wolde I visyte and drawe nere;

Him wol I comforte and rehete,

6510

For I hope of his gold to gete.

And if that wikked deth him have,

I wol go with him to his grave.

And if ther any reprove me,

Why that I lete the pore be,

6515

Wostow how I [mot] ascape?

I sey, and swerë him ful rape,

That riche men han more tecches

Of sinne, than han pore wrecches,

And han of counseil more mister;

6520

And therfore I wol drawe hem ner.

But as gret hurt, it may so be,

Hath soule in right gret poverte,

As soul in gret richesse, forsothe,

Al-be-it that they hurten bothe.

6525

For richesse and mendicitees

Ben cleped two extremitees;

The mene is cleped suffisaunce,

Ther lyth of vertu the aboundaunce.

For Salamon, ful wel I woot,

6530

In his Parables us wroot,

As it is knowe of many a wight,

In his [thrittethe] chapitre right:

"God, thou me kepe, for thy poustee,

Fro richesse and mendicitee;

6535

For if a riche man him dresse

To thenke to moche on [his] richesse,

His herte on that so fer is set,

That he his creatour foryet;

And him, that [begging] wol ay greve,

6540

How shulde I by his word him leve?

Unnethe that he nis a micher,

Forsworn, or elles [god is] lyer."

Thus seith Salamones sawes;

Ne we finde writen in no lawes,

6545

And namely in our Cristen lay—

(Who seith "ye," I dar sey "nay")—

That Crist, ne his apostlis dere,

Whyl that they walkede in erthe here,

Were never seen her bred begging,

6550

For they nolde beggen for nothing.

And right thus were men wont to teche;

And in this wyse wolde it preche

The maistres of divinitee

Somtyme in Paris the citee.

6555

'And if men wolde ther-geyn appose

The naked text, and lete the glose,

It mighte sone assoiled be;

For men may wel the sothe see,

That, parde, they mighte axe a thing

6560

Pleynly forth, without begging.

For they weren goddis herdis dere,

And cure of soules hadden here,

They nolde no-thing begge hir fode;

For aftir Crist was don on rode,

6565

With [hir] propre hondis they wrought,

And with travel, and elles nought,

They wonnen al hir sustenaunce,

And liveden forth in hir penaunce,

And the remenaunt [yeve] awey

6570

To other pore folk alwey.

They neither bilden tour ne halle,

But [leye] in houses smale withalle.

A mighty man, that can and may,

Shulde with his honde and body alway

6575

Winne him his food in laboring,

If he ne have rent or sich a thing,

Although he be religious,

And god to serven curious.

Thus mote he don, or do trespas,

6580

But-if it be in certeyn cas,

That I can reherce, if mister be,

Right wel, whan the tyme I see.

'Seke the book of Seynt Austin,

Be it in paper or perchemin,

6585

There-as he writ of these worchinges,

Thou shalt seen that non excusinges

A parfit man ne shulde seke

By wordis, ne by dedis eke,

Although he be religious,

6590

And god to serven curious,

That he ne shal, so mote I go,

With propre hondis and body also,

Gete his food in laboring,

If he ne have propretee of thing.

6595

Yit shulde he selle al his substaunce,

And with his swink have sustenaunce,

If he be parfit in bountee.

Thus han tho bookes tolde me:

For he that wol gon ydilly,

6600

And useth it ay besily

To haunten other mennes table,

He is a trechour, ful of fable;

Ne he ne may, by gode resoun,

Excuse him by his orisoun.

6605

For men bihoveth, in som gyse,

Som-tyme [leven] goddes servyse

To gon and purchasen her nede.

Men mote eten, that is no drede,

And slepe, and eek do other thing;

6610

So longe may they leve praying.

So may they eek hir prayer blinne,

While that they werke, hir mete to winne.

Seynt Austin wol therto accorde,

In thilke book that I recorde.

6615

Justinian eek, that made lawes,

Hath thus forboden, by olde dawes,

"No man, up peyne to be deed,

Mighty of body, to begge his breed,

If he may swinke, it for to gete;

6620

Men shulde him rather mayme or bete,

Or doon of him apert Iustice,

Than suffren him in such malice."

They don not wel, so mote I go,

That taken such almesse so,

6625

But if they have som privelege,

That of the peyne hem wol allege.

But how that is, can I not see,

But-if the prince disseyved be;

Ne I ne wene not, sikerly,

6630

That they may have it rightfully.

But I wol not determyne

Of princes power, ne defyne,

Ne by my word comprende, y-wis,

If it so fer may strecche in this.

6635

I wol not entremete a del;

But I trowe that the book seith wel,

Who that taketh almesses, that be

Dewe to folk that men may see

Lame, feble, wery, and bare,

6640

Pore, or in such maner care,

(That conne winne hem nevermo,

For they have no power therto),

He eteth his owne dampning,

But-if he lye, that made al thing.

6645

And if ye such a truaunt finde,

Chastise him wel, if ye be kinde.

But they wolde hate you, percas,

And, if ye fillen in hir laas,

They wolde eftsones do you scathe,

6650

If that they mighte, late or rathe;

For they be not ful pacient,

That han the world thus foule blent.

And witeth wel, [wher] that god bad

The good man selle al that he had,

6655

And folowe him, and to pore it yive,

He wolde not therfore that he live

To serven him in mendience,

For it was never his sentence;

But he bad wirken whan that nede is,

6660

And folwe him in goode dedis.

Seynt Poule, that loved al holy chirche,

He bade thapostles for to wirche,

And winnen hir lyflode in that wyse,

And hem defended truaundyse,

6665

And seide, "Wirketh with your honden;"

Thus shulde the thing be undirstonden.

He nolde, y-wis, bidde hem begging,

Ne sellen gospel, ne preching,

Lest they berafte, with hir asking,

6670

Folk of hir catel or of hir thing.

For in this world is many a man

That yeveth his good, for he ne can

Werne it for shame, or elles he

Wolde of the asker delivered be;

6675

And, for he him encombreth so,

He yeveth him good to late him go:

But it can him no-thing profyte,

They lese the yift and the meryte.

The goode folk, that Poule to preched,

6680

Profred him ofte, whan he hem teched,

Som of hir good in charite;

But therof right no-thing took he;

But of his hondwerk wolde he gete

Clothes to wryen him, and his mete."

6685

Amour. 'Tel me than how a man may liven,

That al his good to pore hath yiven,

And wol but only bidde his bedis,

And never with honde laboure his nedis:

May he do so?'

F. Sem. 'Ye, sir.'

Amour. 'And how?'

6690

F. Sem. 'Sir, I wol gladly telle yow:—

Seynt Austin seith, a man may be

In houses that han propretee,

As templers and hospitelers,

And as these chanouns regulers,

6695

Or whyte monkes, or these blake—

(I wole no mo ensamplis make)—

And take therof his sustening,

For therinne lyth no begging;

But other-weyes not, y-wis,

6700

[If] Austin gabbeth not of this.

And yit ful many a monk laboureth,

That god in holy chirche honoureth;

For whan hir swinking is agoon,

They rede and singe in chirche anoon.

6705

'And for ther hath ben greet discord,

As many a wight may bere record,

Upon the estate of mendience,

I wol shortly, in your presence,

Telle how a man may begge at nede,

6710

That hath not wherwith him to fede,

Maugre his felones Iangelinges,

For sothfastnesse wol non hidinges;

And yit, percas, I may abey,

That I to yow sothly thus sey.

6715

'Lo, here the caas especial:

If a man be so bestial

That he of no craft hath science,

And nought desyreth ignorence,

Than may he go a-begging yerne,

6720

Til he som maner craft can lerne,

Thurgh which, withoute truaunding,

He may in trouthe have his living.

Or if he may don no labour,

For elde, or syknesse, or langour,

6725

Or for his tendre age also,

Than may he yit a-begging go.

'Or if he have, peraventure,

Thurgh usage of his noriture,

Lived over deliciously,

6730

Than oughten good folk comunly

Han of his mischeef som pitee,

And suffren him also, that he

May gon aboute and begge his breed,

That he be not for hungur deed.

6735

Or if he have of craft cunning,

And strengthe also, and desiring

To wirken, as he hadde what,

But he finde neither this ne that,

Than may he begge, til that he

6740

Have geten his necessitee.

'Or if his winning be so lyte,

That his labour wol not acquyte

Sufficiantly al his living,

Yit may he go his breed begging;

6745

Fro dore to dore he may go trace,

Til he the remenaunt may purchace.

Or if a man wolde undirtake

Any empryse for to make,

In the rescous of our lay,

6750

And it defenden as he may,

Be it with armes or lettrure,

Or other covenable cure,

If it be so he pore be,

Than may he begge, til that he

6755

May finde in trouthe for to swinke,

And gete him clothes, mete, and drinke.

Swinke he with hondis corporel,

And not with hondis espirituel.

'In al thise caas, and in semblables,

6760

If that ther ben mo resonables,

He may begge, as I telle you here,

And elles nought, in no manere;

As William Seynt Amour wolde preche,

And ofte wolde dispute and teche

6765

Of this matere alle openly

At Paris ful solempnely.

And al-so god my soule blesse,

As he had, in this stedfastnesse,

The accord of the universitee,

6770

And of the puple, as semeth me.

'No good man oughte it to refuse,

Ne oughte him therof to excuse,

Be wrooth or blythe who-so be;

For I wol speke, and telle it thee,

6775

Al shulde I dye, and be put doun,

As was seynt Poul, in derk prisoun;

Or be exiled in this caas

With wrong, as maister William was,

That my moder Ypocrisye

6780

Banisshed for hir greet envye.

'My moder flemed him, Seynt Amour:

This noble dide such labour

To susteyne ever the loyaltee,

That he to moche agilte me.

6785

He made a book, and leet it wryte,

Wherin his lyf he dide al wryte,

And wolde ich reneyed begging,

And lived by my traveyling,

If I ne had rent ne other good.

6790

What? wened he that I were wood?

For labour might me never plese,

I have more wil to been at ese;

And have wel lever, sooth to sey,

Bifore the puple patre and prey,

6795

And wrye me in my foxerye

Under a cope of papelardye.'

Quod Love, 'What devel is this I here?

What wordis tellest thou me here?'

F. Sem. 'What, sir?'

Amour. 'Falsnesse, that apert is;

Than dredist thou not god?'

6800

F. Sem. 'No, certis:

For selde in greet thing shal he spede

In this world, that god wol drede.

For folk that hem to vertu yiven,

And truly on her owne liven,

6805

And hem in goodnesse ay contene,

On hem is litel thrift y-sene;

Such folk drinken gret misese;

That lyf [ne] may me never plese.

But see what gold han usurers,

6810

And silver eek in [hir] garners,

Taylagiers, and these monyours,

Bailifs, bedels, provost, countours;

These liven wel nygh by ravyne;

The smale puple hem mote enclyne,

6815

And they as wolves wol hem eten.

Upon the pore folk they geten

Ful moche of that they spende or kepe;

Nis none of hem that he nil strepe,

And wryen him-self wel atte fulle;

6820

Withoute scalding they hem pulle.

The stronge the feble overgoth;

But I, that were my simple cloth,

Robbe bothe robbed and robbours,

And gyle gyled and gylours.

6825

By my treget, I gadre and threste

The greet tresour into my cheste,

That lyth with me so faste bounde.

Myn highe paleys do I founde,

And my delytes I fulfille

6830

With wyne at feestes at my wille,

And tables fulle of entremees;

I wol no lyf, but ese and pees,

And winne gold to spende also.

For whan the grete bagge is go,

6835

It cometh right with my Iapes.

Make I not wel tumble myn apes?

To winne is alwey myn entent;

My purchas is better than my rent;

For though I shulde beten be,

6840

Over-al I entremete me;

Withoute me may no wight dure.

I walke soules for to cure.

Of al the worlde cure have I

In brede and lengthe; boldely

6845

I wol bothe preche and eek counceilen;

With hondis wille I not traveilen,

For of the pope I have the bulle;

I ne holde not my wittes dulle.

I wol not stinten, in my lyve,

6850

These emperouris for to shryve,

Or kyngis, dukis, and lordis grete;

But pore folk al quyte I lete.

I love no such shryving, pardee,

But it for other cause be.

6855

I rekke not of pore men,

Hir astate is not worth an hen.

Where fyndest thou a swinker of labour

Have me unto his confessour?

But emperesses, and duchesses,

6860

Thise quenes, and eek [thise] countesses,

Thise abbesses, and eek Bigyns,

These grete ladyes palasyns,

These Ioly knightes, and baillyves,

Thise nonnes, and thise burgeis wyves,

6865

That riche been, and eek plesing,

And thise maidens welfaring,

Wher-so they clad or naked be,

Uncounceiled goth ther noon fro me.

And, for her soules savetee,

6870

At lord and lady, and hir meynee,

I axe, whan they hem to me shryve,

The propretee of al hir lyve,

And make hem trowe, bothe meest and leest,

Hir paroch-prest nis but a beest

6875

Ayens me and my company,

That shrewis been as greet as I;

For whiche I wol not hyde in hold

No privetee that me is told,

That I by word or signe, y-wis,

6880

[Nil] make hem knowe what it is,

And they wolen also tellen me;

They hele fro me no privitee.

And for to make yow hem perceyven,

That usen folk thus to disceyven,

6885

I wol you seyn, withouten drede,

What men may in the gospel rede

Of Seynt Mathew, the gospelere,

That seith, as I shal you sey here.

'Upon the chaire of Moyses—

6890

Thus is it glosed, douteles:

That is the olde testament,

For therby is the chaire ment—

Sitte Scribes and Pharisen;—

That is to seyn, the cursid men

6895

Whiche that we ypocritis calle—

Doth that they preche, I rede you alle,

But doth not as they don a del,

That been not wery to seye wel,

But to do wel, no wille have they;

6900

And they wolde binde on folk alwey,

That ben to [be] begyled able,

Burdens that ben importable;

On folkes shuldres thinges they couchen

That they nil with her fingres touchen.'

Amour. 'And why wol they not touche it?'

6905

F. Sem. 'Why?

For hem ne list not, sikirly;

For sadde burdens that men taken

Make folkes shuldres aken.

And if they do ought that good be,

6910

That is for folk it shulde see:

Her burdens larger maken they,

And make hir hemmes wyde alwey,

And loven setes at the table,

The firste and most honourable;

6915

And for to han the first chaieris

In synagoges, to hem ful dere is;

And willen that folk hem loute and grete,

Whan that they passen thurgh the strete,

And wolen be cleped "Maister" also.

6920

But they ne shulde not willen so;

The gospel is ther-ageyns, I gesse:

That sheweth wel hir wikkidnesse.

'Another custom use we:—

Of hem that wol ayens us be,

6925

We hate hem deedly everichoon,

And we wol werrey hem, as oon.

Him that oon hatith, hate we alle,

And coniecte how to doon him falle.

And if we seen him winne honour,

6930

Richesse or preys, thurgh his valour,

Provende, rent, or dignitee,

Ful fast, y-wis, compassen we

By what ladder he is clomben so;

And for to maken him doun to go,

6935

With traisoun we wole him defame,

And doon him lese his gode name.

Thus from his ladder we him take,

And thus his freendis foes we make;

But word ne wite shal he noon,

6940

Til alle his freendis been his foon.

For if we dide it openly,

We might have blame redily;

For hadde he wist of our malyce,

He hadde him kept, but he were nyce.

6945

'Another is this, that, if so falle

That ther be oon among us alle

That doth a good turn, out of drede,

We seyn it is our alder dede.

Ye, sikerly, though he it feyned,

6950

Or that him list, or that him deyned

A man thurgh him avaunced be;

Therof alle parceners be we,

And tellen folk, wher-so we go,

That man thurgh us is sprongen so.

6955

And for to have of men preysing,

We purchace, thurgh our flatering,

Of riche men, of gret poustee,

Lettres, to witnesse our bountee;

So that man weneth, that may us see,

6960

That alle vertu in us be.

And alwey pore we us feyne;

But how so that we begge or pleyne,

We ben the folk, without lesing,

That al thing have without having.

6965

Thus be we dred of the puple, y-wis.

And gladly my purpos is this:—

I dele with no wight, but he

Have gold and tresour gret plentee;

Hir acqueyntaunce wel love I;

6970

This is moche my desyr, shortly.

I entremete me of brocages,

I make pees and mariages,

I am gladly executour,

And many tymes procuratour;

6975

I am somtyme messager;

That falleth not to my mister.

And many tymes I make enquestes;

For me that office not honest is;

To dele with other mennes thing,

6980

That is to me a gret lyking.

And if that ye have ought to do

In place that I repeire to,

I shal it speden thurgh my wit,

As sone as ye have told me it.

6985

So that ye serve me to pay,

My servyse shal be your alway.

But who-so wol chastyse me,

Anoon my love lost hath he;

For I love no man in no gyse,

6990

That wol me repreve or chastyse;

But I wolde al folk undirtake,

And of no wight no teching take;

For I, that other folk chastye,

Wol not be taught fro my folye.

6995

'I love noon hermitage more;

Alle desertes, and holtes hore,

And grete wodes everichoon,

I lete hem to the Baptist Iohan.

I quethe him quyte, and him relesse

7000

Of Egipt al the wildirnesse;

To fer were alle my mansiouns

Fro alle citees and goode tounes.

My paleis and myn hous make I

There men may renne in openly,

7005

And sey that I the world forsake.

But al amidde I bilde and make

My hous, and swimme and pley therinne

Bet than a fish doth with his finne.

'Of Antecristes men am I,

7010

Of whiche that Crist seith openly,

They have abit of holinesse,

And liven in such wikkednesse.

Outward, lambren semen we,

Fulle of goodnesse and of pitee,

7015

And inward we, withouten fable,

Ben gredy wolves ravisable.

We enviroune bothe londe and see;

With al the world werreyen we;

We wol ordeyne of alle thing,

7020

Of folkes good, and her living.

'If ther be castel or citee

Wherin that any bougerons be,

Although that they of Milayne were,

For ther-of ben they blamed there:

7025

Or if a wight, out of mesure,

Wolde lene his gold, and take usure,

For that he is so coveitous:

Or if he be to leccherous,

Or [thefe, or] haunte simonye;

7030

Or provost, ful of trecherye,

Or prelat, living Iolily,

Or prest that halt his quene him by;

Or olde hores hostilers,

Or other bawdes or bordillers,

7035

Or elles blamed of any vyce,

Of whiche men shulden doon Iustyce:

By alle the seyntes that we pray,

But they defende hem with lamprey,

With luce, with elis, with samons,

7040

With tendre gees, and with capons,

With tartes, or with cheses fat,

With deynte flawnes, brode and flat,

With caleweys, or with pullaille,

With coninges, or with fyn vitaille,

7045

That we, undir our clothes wyde,

Maken thurgh our golet glyde:

Or but he wol do come in haste

Roo-venisoun, [y]-bake in paste:

Whether so that he loure or groine,

7050

He shal have of a corde a loigne,

With whiche men shal him binde and lede,

To brenne him for his sinful dede,

That men shulle here him crye and rore

A myle-wey aboute, and more.

7055

Or elles he shal in prisoun dye,

But-if he wol [our] frendship bye,

Or smerten that that he hath do,

More than his gilt amounteth to.

But, and he couthe thurgh his sleight

7060

Do maken up a tour of height,

Nought roughte I whether of stone or tree,

Or erthe, or turves though it be,

Though it were of no vounde stone,

Wrought with squyre and scantilone,

7065

So that the tour were stuffed wel

With alle richesse temporel;

And thanne, that he wolde updresse

Engyns, bothe more and lesse,

To caste at us, by every syde—

7070

To bere his goode name wyde—

Such sleightes [as] I shal yow nevene,

Barelles of wyne, by sixe or sevene,

Or gold in sakkes gret plente,

He shulde sone delivered be.

7075

And if he have noon sich pitaunces,

Late him study in equipolences,

And lete lyes and fallaces,

If that he wolde deserve our graces;

Or we shal bere him such witnesse

7080

Of sinne, and of his wrecchidnesse,

And doon his loos so wyde renne,

That al quik we shulde him brenne,

Or elles yeve him suche penaunce,

That is wel wors than the pitaunce.

7085

'For thou shalt never, for nothing,

Con knowen aright by her clothing

The traitours fulle of trecherye,

But thou her werkis can aspye.

And ne hadde the good keping be

7090

Whylom of the universitee,

That kepeth the key of Cristendome,

[They] had been turmented, alle and some.

Suche been the stinking [fals] prophetis;

Nis non of hem, that good prophete is;

7095

For they, thurgh wikked entencioun,

The yeer of the incarnacioun

A thousand and two hundred yeer,

Fyve and fifty, ferther ne ner,

Broughten a book, with sory grace,

7100

To yeven ensample in comune place,

That seide thus, though it were fable:—

"This is the Gospel Perdurable,

That fro the Holy Goost is sent."

Wel were it worth to ben [y]-brent.

7105

Entitled was in such manere

This book, of which I telle here.

Ther nas no wight in al Parys,

Biforn Our Lady, at parvys,

That [he] ne mighte bye the book,

7110

To copy, if him talent took.

Ther might he see, by greet tresoun,

Ful many fais comparisoun:—

"As moche as, thurgh his grete might,

Be it of hete, or of light,

7115

The sunne sourmounteth the mone,

That troubler is, and chaungeth sone,

And the note-kernel the shelle—

(I scorne nat that I yow telle)—

Right so, withouten any gyle,

7120

Sourmounteth this noble Evangyle

The word of any evangelist."

And to her title they token Christ;

And many such comparisoun,

Of which I make no mencioun,

7125

Might men in that boke finde,

Who-so coude of hem have minde.

'The universitee, that tho was aslepe,

Gan for to braide, and taken kepe;

And at the noys the heed up-caste,

7130

Ne never sithen slepte it faste,

But up it sterte, and armes took

Ayens this fals horrible book,

Al redy bateil for to make,

And to the Iuge the book to take.

7135

But they that broughten the book there

Hente it anoon awey, for fere;

They nolde shewe it more a del,

But thenne it kepte, and kepen wil,

Til such a tyme that they may see

7140

That they so stronge woxen be,

That no wight may hem wel withstonde;

For by that book they durst not stonde.

Away they gonne it for to bere,

For they ne durste not answere

7145

By exposicioun ne glose

To that that clerkis wole appose

Ayens the cursednesse, y-wis,

That in that boke writen is.

Now wot I not, ne I can not see

7150

What maner ende that there shal be

Of al this [boke] that they hyde;

But yit algate they shal abyde

Til that they may it bet defende;

This trowe I best, wol be hir ende.

7155

'Thus Antecrist abyden we,

For we ben alle of his meynee;

And what man that wol not be so,

Right sone he shal his lyf forgo.

We wol a puple on him areyse,

7160

And thurgh our gyle doon him seise,

And him on sharpe speris ryve,

Or other-weyes bringe him fro lyve,

But-if that he wol folowe, y-wis,

That in our boke writen is.

7165

Thus moche wol our book signifye,

That whyl [that] Peter hath maistrye,

May never lohan shewe wel his might.

'Now have I you declared right

The mening of the bark and rinde

7170

That makith the entenciouns blinde.

But now at erst I wol biginne

To expowne you the pith withinne:—

[And first, by Peter, as I wene,

The Pope himself we wolden mene]

7175

And [eek] the seculers comprehende,

That Cristes lawe wol defende,

And shulde it kepen and mayntenen

Ayeines hem that al sustenen,

And falsly to the puple techen.

7180

[And] Iohan bitokeneth hem [that] prechen,

That ther nis lawe covenable

But thilke Gospel Perdurable,

That fro the Holy Gost was sent

To turne folk that been miswent.

7185

The strengthe of Iohan they undirstonde

The grace in which, they seye, they stonde,

That doth the sinful folk converte,

And hem to Iesus Crist reverte.

'Ful many another horriblete

7190

May men in that boke see,

That ben comaunded, douteles,

Ayens the lawe of Rome expres;

And alle with Antecrist they holden,

As men may in the book biholden.

7195

And than comaunden they to sleen

Alle tho that with Peter been;

But they shal nevere have that might,

And, god toforn, for stryf to fight,

That they ne shal y-nough [men] finde

7200

That Peters lawe shal have in minde,

And ever holde, and so mayntene,

That at the last it shal be sene

That they shal alle come therto,

For ought that they can speke or do.

7205

And thilke lawe shal not stonde,

That they by Iohan have undirstonde;

But, maugre hem, it shal adoun,

And been brought to confusioun.

But I wol stinte of this matere,

7210

For it is wonder long to here;

But hadde that ilke book endured,

Of better estate I were ensured;

And freendis have I yit, pardee,

That han me set in greet degree.

7215

'Of all this world is emperour

Gyle my fader, the trechour,

And emperesse my moder is,

Maugre the Holy Gost, y-wis.

Our mighty linage and our route

7220

Regneth in every regne aboute;

And wel is worth we [maistres] be,

For al this world governe we,

And can the folk so wel disceyve,

That noon our gyle can perceyve;

7225

And though they doon, they dar not saye;

The sothe dar no wight biwreye.

But he in Cristis wrath him ledeth,

That more than Crist my bretheren dredeth.

He nis no ful good champioun,

7230

That dredith such similacioun;

Nor that for peyne wole refusen

Us to correcten and accusen.

He wol not entremete by right,

Ne have god in his eye-sight,

7235

And therfore god shal him punyce;

But me ne rekketh of no vyce,

Sithen men us loven comunably,

And holden us for so worthy,

That we may folk repreve echoon,

7240

And we nil have repref of noon.

Whom shulden folk worshipen so

But us, that stinten never mo

To patren whyl that folk us see,

Though it not so bihinde hem be?

7245

'And where is more wood folye,

Than to enhaunce chivalrye,

And love noble men and gay,

That Ioly clothis weren alway?

If they be sich folk as they semen,

7250

So clene, as men her clothis demen,

And that her wordis folowe her dede,

It is gret pite, out of drede,

For they wol be noon ypocritis!

Of hem, me thinketh [it] gret spiteis;

7255

I can not love hem on no syde.

But Beggers with these hodes wyde,

With sleighe and pale faces lene,

And greye clothis not ful clene,

But fretted ful of tatarwagges,

7260

And highe shoes, knopped with dagges,

That frouncen lyke a quaile-pype,

Or botes riveling as a gype;

To such folk as I you devyse

Shuld princes and these lordes wyse

7265

Take alle her londes and her thinges,

Bothe werre and pees, in governinges;

To such folk shulde a prince him yive,

That wolde his lyf in honour live.

And if they be not as they seme,

7270

That serven thus the world to queme,

There wolde I dwelle, to disceyve

The folk, for they shal not perceyve.

'But I ne speke in no such wyse,

That men shulde humble abit dispyse,

7275

So that no pryde ther-under be.

No man shulde hate, as thinketh me,

The pore man in sich clothing.

But god ne preiseth him no-thing,

That seith he hath the world forsake,

7280

And hath to worldly glorie him take,

And wol of siche delyces use;

Who may that Begger wel excuse?

That papelard, that him yeldeth so,

And wol to worldly ese go,

7285

And seith that he the world hath left,

And gredily it grypeth eft,

He is the hound, shame is to seyn,

That to his casting goth ageyn.

'But unto you dar I not lye:

7290

But mighte I felen or aspye,

That ye perceyved it no-thing,

Ye shulden have a stark lesing

Right in your hond thus, to biginne,

I nolde it lette for no sinne.'

7295

The god lough at the wonder tho,

And every wight gan laughe also,

And seide:—'Lo here a man aright

For to be trusty to every wight!'

'Fals Semblant,' quod Love, 'sey to me,

7300

Sith I thus have avaunced thee,

That in my court is thy dwelling,

And of ribaudes shall be my king,

Wolt thou wel holden my forwardis?'

F. Sem. 'Ye, sir, from hennes forewardis;

7305

Hadde never your fader herebiforn

Servaunt so trewe, sith he was born.'

Amour. 'That is ayeines al nature.'

F. Sem. 'Sir, put you in that aventure;

For though ye borowes take of me,

7310

The sikerer shal ye never be

For ostages, ne sikirnesse,

Or chartres, for to bere witnesse.

I take your-self to record here,

That men ne may, in no manere,

7315

Teren the wolf out of his hyde,

Til he be [flayn], bak and syde,

Though men him bete and al defyle;

What? wene ye that I wole bigyle?

For I am clothed mekely,

7320

Ther-under is al my trechery;

Myn herte chaungeth never the mo

For noon abit, in which I go.

Though I have chere of simplenesse,

I am not weary of shrewednesse.

7325

My lemman, Streyned-Abstinence,

Hath mister of my purveaunce;

She hadde ful longe ago be deed,

Nere my councel and my reed;

Lete hir allone, and you and me.'

7330

And Love answerde, 'I truste thee

Withoute borowe, for I wol noon.'

And Fals-Semblant, the theef, anoon,

Right in that ilke same place,

That hadde of tresoun al his face

7335

Right blak withinne, and whyt withoute,

Thanketh him, gan on his knees loute.

Than was ther nought, but 'Every man

Now to assaut, that sailen can,'

Quod Love, 'and that ful hardily.'

7340

Than armed they hem communly

Of sich armour as to hem fel.

Whan they were armed, fers and fel,

They wente hem forth, alle in a route,

And set the castel al aboute;

7345

They wil nought away, for no drede,

Til it so be that they ben dede,

Or til they have the castel take.

And foure batels they gan make,

And parted hem in foure anoon,

7350

And toke her way, and forth they goon,

The foure gates for to assaile,

Of whiche the kepers wol not faile;

For they ben neither syke ne dede,

But hardy folk, and stronge in dede.

7355

Now wole I seyn the countenaunce

Of Fals-Semblant, and Abstinaunce,

That ben to Wikkid-Tonge went.

But first they helde her parlement,

Whether it to done were

7360

To maken hem be knowen there,

Or elles walken forth disgysed.

But at the laste they devysed,

That they wold goon in tapinage,

As it were in a pilgrimage,

7365

Lyk good and holy folk unfeyned.

And Dame Abstinence-Streyned

Took on a robe of camelyne,

And gan hir graithe as a Begyne.

A large coverchief of threde

7370

She wrapped al aboute hir hede,

But she forgat not hir sautere;

A peire of bedis eek she here

Upon a lace, al of whyt threde,

On which that she hir bedes bede;

7375

But she ne boughte hem never a del,

For they were geven her, I wot wel,

God wot, of a ful holy frere,

That seide he was hir fader dere,

To whom she hadde ofter went

7380

Than any frere of his covent.

And he visyted hir also,

And many a sermoun seide hir to;

He nolde lette, for man on lyve,

That he ne wolde hir ofte shryve.

7385

And with so gret devocion

They maden her confession,

That they had ofte, for the nones,

Two hedes in one hood at ones.

Of fair shape I devyse her thee,

7390

But pale of face somtyme was she;

That false traitouresse untrewe

Was lyk that salowe hors of hewe,

That in the Apocalips is shewed,

That signifyeth tho folk beshrewed,

7395

That been al ful of trecherye,

And pale, thurgh hypocrisye;

For on that hors no colour is,

But only deed and pale, y-wis.

Of suche a colour enlangoured

7400

Was Abstinence, y-wis, coloured;

Of her estat she her repented,

As her visage represented.

She had a burdoun al of Thefte,

That Gyle had yeve her of his yefte;

7405

And a scrippe of Fainte Distresse,

That ful was of elengenesse,

And forth she walked sobrely:

And False-Semblant saynt, ie vous die,

[Had], as it were for such mistere,

7410

Don on the cope of a frere,

With chere simple, and ful pitous;

His looking was not disdeinous,

Ne proud, but meke and ful pesible.

About his nekke he bar a bible,

7415

And squierly forth gan he gon;

And, for to reste his limmes upon,

He had of Treson a potente;

As he were feble, his way he wente.

But in his sleve he gan to thringe

7420

A rasour sharp, and wel bytinge,

That was forged in a forge,

Which that men clepen Coupegorge.

So longe forth hir way they nomen,

Til they to Wicked-Tonge comen,

7425

That at his gate was sitting,

And saw folk in the way passing.

The pilgrimes saw he faste by,

That beren hem ful mekely,

And humblely they with him mette.

7430

Dame Abstinence first him grette,

And sith him False-Semblant salued,

And he hem; but he not remued,

For he ne dredde hem not a-del.

For when he saw hir faces wel,

7435

Alway in herte him thoughte so,

He shulde knowe hem bothe two;

For wel he knew Dame Abstinaunce

But he ne knew not Constreynaunce.

He knew nat that she was constrayned,

7440

Ne of her theves lyfe feyned,

But wende she com of wil al free;

But she com in another degree;

And if of good wil she began,

That wil was failed her [as] than.

7445

And Fals-Semblant had he seyn als,

But he knew nat that he was fals.

Yet fals was he, but his falsnesse

Ne coude he not espye, nor gesse;

For semblant was so slye wrought,

7450

That falsnesse he ne espyed nought.

But haddest thou knowen him beforn,

Thou woldest on a boke have sworn,

Whan thou him saugh in thilke aray

That he, that whylom was so gay,

7455

And of the daunce Ioly Robin,

Was tho become a Iacobin.

But sothely, what so men him calle,

Freres Prechours been good men alle;

Hir order wickedly they beren,

7460

Suche minstrelles if [that] they weren.

So been Augustins and Cordileres,

And Carmes, and eek Sakked Freres,

And alle freres, shodde and bare,

(Though some of hem ben grete and square)

7465

Ful holy men, as I hem deme;

Everich of hem wolde good man seme.

But shalt thou never of apparence

Seen conclude good consequence

In none argument, y-wis,

7470

If existence al failed is.

For men may finde alway sophyme

The consequence to envenyme,

Who-so that hath the subteltee

The double sentence for to see.

7475

Whan the pilgrymes commen were

To Wicked-Tonge, that dwelled there,

Hir harneis nigh hem was algate;

By Wicked-Tonge adoun they sate,

That bad hem ner him for to come,

7480

And of tydinges telle him some,

And sayde hem:—'What cas maketh yow

To come into this place now?'

Sir,' seyde Strained-Abstinaunce,

We, for to drye our penaunce,

7485

With hertes pitous and devoute,

Are commen, as pilgrimes gon aboute;

Wel nigh on fote alway we go;

Ful dusty been our heles two;

And thus bothe we ben sent

7490

Thurghout this world that is miswent,

To yeve ensample, and preche also.

To fisshen sinful men we go,

For other fisshing ne fisshe we.

And, sir, for that charitee,

7495

As we be wont, herberwe we crave,

Your lyf to amende; Crist it save!

And, so it shulde you nat displese,

We wolden, if it were your ese,

A short sermoun unto you seyn.'

7500

And Wikked-Tonge answerde ageyn,

The hous,' quod he, 'such as ye see,

Shal nat be warned you for me,

Sey what you list, and I wol here.'

Graunt mercy, swete sire dere!'

7505

Quod alderfirst Dame Abstinence,

And thus began she hir sentence:

Const. Abstinence. 'Sir, the first vertue, certeyn,

The gretest, and most sovereyn

That may be founde in any man,

7510

For having, or for wit he can,

That is, his tonge to refreyne;

Therto ought every wight him peyne.

For it is better stille be

Than for to speken harm, pardee!

7515

And he that herkeneth it gladly,

He is no good man, sikerly.

And, sir, aboven al other sinne,

In that art thou most gilty inne.

Thou spake a Iape not long ago,

7520

(And, sir, that was right yvel do)

Of a yong man that here repaired,

And never yet this place apaired.

Thou seydest he awaited nothing

But to disceyve Fair-Welcoming.

7525

Ye seyde nothing sooth of that;

But, sir, ye lye; I tell you plat;

He ne cometh no more, ne goth, pardee!

I trow ye shal him never see.

Fair-Welcoming in prison is,

7530

That ofte hath pleyed with you, er this,

The fairest games that he coude,

Withoute filthe, stille or loude;

Now dar [he] nat [him]self solace.

Ye han also the man do chace,

7535

That he dar neither come ne go.

What meveth you to hate him so

But properly your wikked thought,

That many a fals lesing hath thought?

That meveth your foole eloquence,

7540

That iangleth ever in audience,

And on the folk areyseth blame,

And doth hem dishonour and shame,

For thing that may have no preving,

But lyklinesse, and contriving.

7545

For I dar seyn, that Reson demeth,

It is not al sooth thing that semeth,

And it is sinne to controve

Thing that is [for] to reprove;

This wot ye wel; and, sir, therefore

7550

Ye arn to blame [wel] the more.

And, nathelesse, he rekketh lyte;

He yeveth nat now thereof a myte;

For if he thoughte harm, parfay,

He wolde come and gon al day;

7555

He coude him-selfe nat abstene.

Now cometh he nat, and that is sene,

For he ne taketh of it no cure,

But-if it be through aventure,

And lasse than other folk, algate.

7560

And thou here watchest at the gate,

With spere in thyne arest alway;

There muse, musard, al the day.

Thou wakest night and day for thought;

Y-wis, thy traveyl is for nought.

7565

And Ielousye, withouten faile,

Shal never quyte thee thy travaile.

And scathe is, that Fair-Welcoming,

Withouten any trespassing,

Shal wrongfully in prison be,

7570

Ther wepeth and languissheth he.

And though thou never yet, y-wis,

Agiltest man no more but this,

(Take not a-greef) it were worthy

To putte thee out of this baily,

7575

And afterward in prison lye,

And fettre thee til that thou dye;

For thou shalt for this sinne dwelle

Right in the devils ers of helle,

But-if that thou repente thee.'

7580

'Ma fay, thou lyest falsly!' quod he.

What? welcome with mischaunce now!

Have I therfore herbered you

To seye me shame, and eek reprove?

With sory happe, to your bihove,

7585

Am I to-day your herbergere!

Go, herber you elleswhere than here,

That han a lyer called me!

Two tregetours art thou and he,

That in myn hous do me this shame,

7590

And for my soth-sawe ye me blame.

Is this the sermoun that ye make?

To alle the develles I me take,

Or elles, god, thou me confounde!

But er men diden this castel founde,

7595

It passeth not ten dayes or twelve,

But it was told right to my-selve,

And as they seide, right so tolde I,

He kiste the Rose privily!

Thus seide I now, and have seid yore;

7600

I not wher he dide any more.

Why shulde men sey me such a thing,

If it hadde been gabbing?

Right so seide I, and wol seye yit;

I trowe, I lyed not of it;

7605

And with my bemes I wol blowe

To alle neighboris a-rowe,

How he hath bothe comen and gon.'

Tho spak Fals-Semblant right anon,

Al is not gospel, out of doute,

7610

That men seyn in the toune aboute;

Ley no deef ere to my speking;

I swere yow, sir, it is gabbing!

I trowe ye wot wel certeynly,

That no man loveth him tenderly

7615

That seith him harm, if he wot it,

Al be he never so pore of wit.

And sooth is also sikerly,

(This knowe ye, sir, as wel as I),

That lovers gladly wol visyten

7620

The places ther hir loves habyten.

This man you loveth and eek honoureth;

This man to serve you laboureth;

And clepeth you his freend so dere,

And this man maketh you good chere,

7625

And every-wher that [he] you meteth,

He you saleweth, and he you greteth.

He preseth not so ofte, that ye

Ought of his come encombred be;

Ther presen other folk on yow

7630

Ful ofter than [that] he doth now.

And if his herte him streyned so

Unto the Rose for to go,

Ye shulde him seen so ofte nede,

That ye shulde take him with the dede.

7635

He coude his coming not forbere,

Though ye him thrilled with a spere;

It nere not thanne as it is now.

But trusteth wel, I swere it yow,

That it is clene out of his thought.

7640

Sir, certes, he ne thenketh it nought;

No more ne doth Fair-Welcoming,

That sore abyeth al this thing.

And if they were of oon assent,

Ful sone were the Rose hent;

7645

The maugre youres wolde be.

And sir, of o thing herkeneth me:—

Sith ye this man, that loveth yow,

Han seid such harm and shame now,

Witeth wel, if he gessed it,

7650

Ye may wel demen in your wit,

He nolde no-thing love you so,

Ne callen you his freend also,

But night and day he [wolde] wake,

The castel to destroye and take,

7655

If it were sooth as ye devyse;

Or som man in som maner wyse

Might it warne him everydel,

Or by him-self perceyven wel;

For sith he might not come and gon

7660

As he was whylom wont to don,

He might it sone wite and see;

But now al other-wyse [doth] he.

Than have [ye], sir, al-outerly

Deserved helle, and Iolyly

7665

The deth of helle douteles,

That thrallen folk so gilteles.'

Fals-Semblant proveth so this thing

That he can noon answering,

And seeth alwey such apparaunce,

7670

That nygh he fel in repentaunce,

And seide him:—'Sir, it may wel be.

Semblant, a good man semen ye;

And, Abstinence, ful wyse ye seme;

Of o talent you bothe I deme.

7675

What counceil wole ye to me yeven?'

F. Sem. 'Right here anoon thou shalt be shriven,

And sey thy sinne withoute more;

Of this shall thou repente sore;

For I am preest, and have poustee

7680

To shryve folk of most dignitee

That been, as wyde as world may dure.

Of al this world I have the cure,

And that had never yit persoun,

No vicarie of no maner toun.

7685

And, god wot, I have of thee

A thousand tymes more pitee

Than hath thy preest parochial,

Though he thy freend be special.

I have avauntage, in o wyse,

7690

That your prelates ben not so wyse

Ne half so lettred as am I.

I am licenced boldely

In divinitee to rede,

And to confessen, out of drede.

7695

If ye wol you now confesse,

And leve your sinnes more and lesse,

Without abood, knele doun anon,

7698

And you shal have absolucion.'

Explicit.

5814. Th. wyl; G. tille. 5820. Both sworne. 5821. G. The (for That). Both nyl not. 5827. Th. leest; G. lest. 5831. G. tresoure. 5836. G. axide.

5855. Both kepte; F. qui mestrie. 5859. G. oost. 5860. Both that ilke. 5861. G. Agayns; Th. Agaynst. 5869, 70. Both entent, present. 5871. Both vesselage. 5879. Supply at. 5883. Both As my nede is. 5886. Om. eek? 5894. G. fortresse. 5900. Both That such; om. That. Both ben take; om. ben.

5906, 53. Supply hast, by. 5920. G. thilk. 5935. G. myche. 5939. Th. marchauntes; G. marchauntz. 5942. Both folyly. 5946. Th. vyce; G. wise. 5947. G. trust; pay. 5958. Th. surere. 5959. Both beaute (!). 5960. Both That I.

5976. Both ful dere. 5977. Both leest; supply she. 5980. Th. thylke; G. thilk. 5983. Th. grype; G. grepe. 5988. I supply if. 5997, 9. Th. hem; G. hym. 6002. Read gnede. 6006. Both good; beaute (as in 5959). 6009. Th. wol; G. wole. 6025. G. shulle. Both forsworne. 6026. G. lette.

6037. G. worthe. 6401. G. hym. 6048. G. heestes. 6057. This = This is. 6063. G. away. 6064. Both hindreth. 6073. G. netheles; Th. nathelesse.

6143. Both twey. 6144. G. sey; Th. say. 6165. Both which; F. tex.

6169. Both lette. 6172. G. subtilite. 6174. Both nede; F. besoignes. 6183, 4. G. cast, last. 6187. G. om. hath. 6192. Both neithir monk; om. neithir. 6195. Th. Na-; G. Ne-. 6197. Th. rasour; G. resoun. 6205. I supply this line. 6206. Supply not. Th. begylen; G. bigilyng. 6214. Both without.

6227. G. Yhe. 6237. Th. commen; G. comyn; read comun. 6240. G. Yhe; G. om. alle. 6243. Both ful many; om. ful. 6245. G. dieden. 6247. Both xi. 6253. G. hert; both good. 6255. Both good. 6256. Both the religioun; om. the. 6259. G. took. 6263. G. Yhis; Th. Yes. 6271. G. biwailed (!). 6275, 82. Supply hem. 6278. Both Without. 6285. G. doutlees; Th. doutles.

6292. Both planten most. 6296. Both feyne; F. dire. 6314. Both ins. shal bef. never. 6316. G. warre; Th. ware. 6317, 8. Words supplied by Kaluza. 6323. Both myght. 6336. I supply and. 6341. Both and reyned (!) for streyned; see 7366. 6342. I supply y-. 6346. Both I a; om. a.

6354. G. bete; Th. beate (for lete). 6355. Both Ioly (for blynde); I supply ther. 6356. Th. habite. 6359. Th. beare; G. were. 6361. G. om. Thus and I; both in to (for in). 6372. Both omit; supplied as in Morris; F. Si n'en sut mes si receus. 6375. Both I a.; om. a. 6377. G. shreuen. 6378. Both I (for me); both yeuen. 6386. G. ony. 6388. G. mych. 6392. Both yeuen. 6393. G. ins. For bef. Penaunce. 6399. Both ought. 6407. Both not; read yit.

6425. G. cheueys; Th. chuse; F. chevir. 6426. Th. hamper. 6432. I supply Ne. 6452. Th. this is ayenst. 6453. G. heerde. 6454. G. beeste. 6460. Both it is; F. Porquoi. 6462, 7. G. fat. 6465. G. grucche; Th. grutche. 6466. Both woth (!). 6469. I supply the. 6470. G. Yhe.

6481. Both seruest; F. sembles. 6482. Both I am but an. 6484. G. Yhe. 6487. Both good. 6491. Both bettir; G. that queyntaunce. 6492. Th. tymes; G. tyme. 6493. Both of a pore. 6496. G. myxnes; Th. myxins. 6500. Both me a dyne. 6513. G. ony. 6515. Both not. 6516. Both swere. 6522. Both Hath a soule.

6531. Th. of; G. to. 6532. G. thrittene; Th. thirtene; read thrittethe. 6536. G. myche. 6539. Both beggith (-eth). 6542. Both goddis (-es). 6543. G. Salamon; Th. Salomon. 6546. G. yhe. 6550. Both nolden. 6551. G. was. 6557. Both myght. 6565. G. ther; Th. their. 6569. Both yaf. 6570. Both folkis (-es). 6572. Both they; read leye; F. Ains gisoient. 6581. Perhaps om. That.

6598. Both tolde (against grammar). 6600. G. desily (!). 6601. Th. To; G. Go. 6606. Both Ben somtyme in; see 6610. 6616. G. old; Th. olde. 6650. Both myght. 6653. I supply wher; F. la ou. 6655. Both yeue.

6667. Both haue bidde; (om. haue). 6679. Both good. 6682. Th. -of; G. -fore. 6684. Both wryne. 6688. G. omits: Th. hondis. 6699. Th. -wayes; G. -weys. 6700. If] Both Yit. 6707. Both mendiciens (-ence); see 6657.

6721. Both without. 6728. Th. noriture; G. norture. 6737. Both had. 6748. G. Ony. 6756. Both clothe; read clothes; see 6684. 6759. Both this. 6766. Both solemply. 6782. Th. This; G. The. 6784. Th. agylte; G. agilt. 6786. So Th.; G. Of thyngis that he beste myghte (in late hand).

6792. G. wille. 6797. Both this that; om. that. 6803. Both yeuen. 6806. G. sene. 6808, 10. Supply ne, hir. 6819. Both wrine. Both hem, at. 6820. Both Without. 6823, 4. Both robbyng, gilyng. 6827. G. fast. 6828. Both high. 6834. G. gret; Th. great. 6841. Both Without. 6844. Both boldly. 6850. Both emperours. 6851. G. om. and.

6860, 6901. Supply thise, be. 6862. G. gret; Th. great. 6880. Th. Ne wol; G. Wol; read Nil. 6890. Both doutles (-lees). 6902, 7, 11. Both burdons.

6925, 6. Both him; read hem. 6936. Both good. 6939. Th. wete. 6949. G. Yhe. 6952. Th. parceners; G. perseners. 6974. Both tymes a; om. a.

6997. G. gret; Th. great. 7002. Th. al; G. om. 7012. After this line, both in Th. and G., come ll. 7109-7158. 7018. G. werrien; Th. werryen. 7019. Both al. 7022. Th. bougerons; G. begger. 7029. Both these that; F. lerres ou. 7035. G. ony. 7037. we] G. me. 7038. hem] Both them. 7041. G. cheffis; Th. cheffes; F. fromages. 7047. he] G. we. 7048. Both bake.

7056. Both his; read our. 7059. G. sleght; Th. sleight. 7060. G. hight; Th. heyght. 7063. Both vounde. 7070. Both good. 7071. G. sleghtes. I supply as. 7075. G. om. he have. 7092. Th. We had ben turmented al and 7093. I supply fals. 7104. Both brent. 7109. G. has here l. 7110, followed by a blank line; Th. has That they [read he] ne might 7110. Th. To the copye, if hem talent toke; after which, Of the Euangelystes booke (spurious).

7113. G. gret; Th. great. 7119, 21. G. ony. 7123. G. many a such. 7125. Th. booke; G. book. 7127. Perhaps omit that. 7133, 37, 42. G. om. for, it, they. 7143. Th. Awaye; G. Alwey. 7144. G. durst. 7145. Both no. 7148. Th. booke; G. book. 7151. Supply boke. 7159. Both vpon. Before this line G. and Th. wrongly insert ll. 7013-7110, 7209-7304. 7164. Th. booke; G. book. 7165. G. mych. 7166. I supply that.

7173, 4. Supplied by conjecture; F. Par Pierre voil le Pape entendre. 7175, 99. I supply eek, men. 7178. G. Ayens; Th. Ayenst. 7180. And] Both That. that] Both to. 7189. G. orribilite; Th. horriblete. 7190. Th. booke; G. book. 7196. G. Petre. 7200. G. Petres. 7205. G. thilk. 7209. See note to l. 7159. 7217. Th. Empresse; G. Emperis. 7221. Both worthy; see 7104. Both mynystres. 7234. G. iye.

7236. Th. recketh; G. rekke. 7243. Both may us (om. may). 7244. G. om. hem. 7254. Th. hem; G. hym; supply it. 7255. Th. hem; G. hym. 7257. G. steight (!). 7258. Th. graye; G. grey. 7260. G. high. 7262. Th. ryuelyng; G. reuelyng. 7263. G. dyuyse. 7272. The] G. To. 7292. Both shulde.

7303. G. forwordis. 7304. G. Yhe. Th. hence; G. hens. 7307. Th. ayenst; G. ayens. 7316. Both slayn; see note. 7317. G. alto defyle. 7325. G. Myn; Th. My. G. streyneth (!). 7331. Both Without. 7336. Th. Thankyng. 7355. G. countynaunce. 7358. G. heelde. 7362. Th. laste; G. last.

7368. G. gracche; Th. gratche. G. bygynne; Th. bygyne. 7371. Th. psaltere; G. sawter. 7380. G. ony. 7385-7576. From Th.; lost in G. 7386. Th. made. 7389. Th. shappe; denysed. 7394. tho] Th. to. 7409. Had] Th. And. 7429. Th. humbly. 7432. Th. remeued.

7435. Th. thought. 7444. I supply as. 7458. Th. Frere. 7460. Supply that. 7463. Th. al. 7464. Th. greet. 7471, 72. Th. sopheme, enueneme; F. sophime, envenime. 7473. Th. hath hadde the. 7488. Th. doughty (!); F. poudreus; read dusty. 7494. Th. herborowe.

7504. Th. sir. 7513. Th. styll. 7532. Th. styl. 7533. Th. she nat herselfe. 7546. Th. sothe. 7548, 50. I supply for, wel. 7553. Th. thought harme. 7560. Th. her.

7568. Th. Without. 7577. G. begins again. 7582. Th. herbered; G. herberd. 7585. Both herbegere. 7590. Both sothe. Th. sawe; G. saugh. 7600. Both where. G. ony. 7625. I supply he. 7626. G. saloweth.

7628. Th. comynge. 7630. Supply that. 7637. G. I nerer (!). 7653. G. wole; Th. wol: read wolde. 7662. doth] F. fait; both wot. 7663. Th. we (for ye); G. om. 7666. Both giltles. 7678. Both repent. 7686. Th. tymes; G. tyme.

7693. So Th. (but with for to for to); G. To reden in diuinite. 7694. G. And longe haue red (wrongly); here G. abruptly ends. 7694-8. From Th. 7697. Th. abode. Colophon. G. Explicit, following And longe haue red (see note to 7694); Th. Finis. Here endeth the Romaunt of the Rose.

THE MINOR POEMS.

I. AN A. B. C.

Incipit carmen secundum ordinem literarum Alphabeti.

Almighty and al merciable quene,

To whom that al this world fleeth for socour,

To have relees of sinne, sorwe and tene,

Glorious virgine, of alle floures flour,

5

To thee I flee, confounded in erreur!

Help and releve, thou mighty debonaire,

Have mercy on my perilous langour!

Venquisshed me hath my cruel adversaire.

A toy du monde le refui,

Vierge glorieuse, m'en fui

Tout confus, ne puis miex faire;

A toy me tíen, a toy m'apuy.

Relieve moy, abatu suy:

Vaincu m'a mon aversaire.

Puis qu'en toy ont tous repaire

Bien me doy vers toy retraire

Avant que j'aie plus d'annuy.

10

N'est pas luite necessaire

A moy, se tu, debonnayre,

Ne me sequeurs comme a autrui.

Bountee so fix hath in thyn herte his tente,

10

That wel I wot thou wolt my socour be,

Thou canst not warne him that, with good entente,

Axeth thyn help. Thyn herte is ay so free,

Thou art largesse of pleyn felicitee,

Haven of refut, of quiete and of reste.

15

Lo, how that theves seven chasen me!

Help, lady bright, er that my ship to-breste!

Comfort is noon, but in yow, lady dere,

For lo, my sinne and my confusioun,

Which oughten not in thy presence appere,

20

Han take on me a grevous accioun

Of verrey right and desperacioun;

And, as by right, they mighten wel sustene

That I were worthy my dampnacioun,

Nere mercy of you, blisful hevene quene.

25

Doute is ther noon, thou queen of misericorde,

That thou nart cause of grace and mercy here;

God vouched sauf thurgh thee with us tacorde.

For certes, Cristes blisful moder dere,

Bien voy que par toy confortés

Sera mes cuers desconfortés,

Quer tu es de salu porte.

Se je me suis mal tresportez

Par .vij. larrons, pechiés mortez,

Et erre par voie torte,

Esperance me conforte

20

Qui à toy hui me raporte

A ce que soie deportez.

Ma povre arme je t'aporte:

Sauve la: ne vaut que morte;

En li sont tous biens avortez.

Contre moy font une accion

Ma vergoigne et confusion,

Que devant toy ne doy venir

Pour ma très grant transgression.

Rayson et desperacion

30

Contre moy veulent maintenir;

Mès pour ce que veil plait fenir,

Devant toy les fès convenir

En faisant replicacion.

C'est que je di appartenir

A toy du tout et convenir

Pitié et miseracion.

Dame es de misericorde

Par qui Diex bien se recorde

A sa gent estre racordé.

40

Par toy vint pes et concorde,

Were now the bowe bent in swich manere,

30

As it was first, of Iustice and of yre,

The rightful God nolde of no mercy here;

But thurgh thee han we grace, as we desyre.

Ever hath myn hope of refut been in thee,

For heer-biforn ful ofte, in many a wyse,

35

Hast thou to misericorde receyved me.

But mercy, lady, at the grete assyse,

Whan we shul come bifore the hye Iustyse!

So litel fruit shal thanne in me be founde,

That, but thou er that day me wel chastyse,

40

Of verrey right my werk me wol confounde.

Fleeing, I flee for socour to thy tente

Me for to hyde from tempest ful of drede,

Biseching you that ye you not absente,

Though I be wikke. O help yit at this nede!

Et fu pour oster discorde

L'arc de justice descordé;

Et pour ce me sui acordé

Toi mercier et concordé,

Pour ce que ostas la corde;

Quar, ainsi com j'ay recordé,

S'encore fust l'arc encordé

Comparé l'eust ma vie orde.

En toy ay m'esperance eü

50

Quant a merci m'as receü

Autre foys en mainte guise,

Du bien qui ou ciel fu creü

As ravivé et repeü

M'ame qui estoit occise.

Las! mès quant la grant assise

Sera, se n'y es assise

Pour moy mal y seray veü.

De bien n'ay nulle reprise.

Las m'en clain quant bien m'avise,

60

Souvent en doy dire heü!

Fuiant m'en viens a ta tente

Moy mucier pour la tormente

Qui ou monde me tempeste.

Pour mon pechié ne t'absente,

45

Al have I been a beste in wille and dede,

Yit, lady, thou me clothe with thy grace.

Thyn enemy and myn—lady, tak hede,

Un-to my deth in poynt is me to chace.

Glorious mayde and moder, which that never

50

Were bitter, neither in erthe nor in see,

But ful of swetnesse and of mercy ever,

Help that my fader be not wroth with me!

Spek thou, for I ne dar not him y-see.

So have I doon in erthe, allas ther-whyle!

55

That certes, but-if thou my socour be,

To stink eterne he wol my gost exyle.

He vouched sauf, tel him, as was his wille,

Bicome a man, to have our alliaunce,

And with his precious blood he wroot the bille

60

Up-on the crois, as general acquitaunce,

To every penitent in ful creaunce;

And therfor, lady bright, thou for us praye.

Than shalt thou bothe stinte al his grevaunce,

And make our foo to failen of his praye.

A moy garder met t'entente,

A mon besoing soiez preste.

Se lonc temps j'ay esté beste

A ce, Vierge, je m'arreste

Que de ta grace me sente.

70

Si te fais aussi requeste

Que ta pitié nu me veste,

Car je n'ay nulle autre rente.

Glorieuse vierge mere

Qui a nul onques amere

Ne fus en terre ne en mer,

Ta douceur ores m'apere

Et ne sueffres que mon pere

De devant li me jecte puer.

Se devant li tout vuit j'apper,

80

Et par moy ne puis eschapper

Que ma faute ne compere.

Tu devant li pour moy te per

En li moustrant que, s'a li per

Ne sui, si est il mon frere.

Homme voult par sa plaisance

Devenir, pour aliance

Avoir a humain lignage.

Avec li crut dès enfance

Pitié dont j'ai esperance

90

Avoir eu en mon usage.

Elle fu mise a forage

Quant au cuer lui vint mesage

Du cruel fer de la lance.

Ne puet estre, se sui sage,

Que je n'en aie avantage,

Se tu veus et abondance.

65

I wot it wel, thou wolt ben our socour,

Thou art so ful of bountee, in certeyn.

For, whan a soule falleth in errour,

Thy pitee goth and haleth him ayeyn.

Than makest thou his pees with his sovereyn,

70

And bringest him out of the crooked strete.

Who-so thee loveth he shal not love in veyn,

That shal he finde, as he the lyf shal lete.

Kalenderes enlumined ben they

That in this world ben lighted with thy name,

75

And who-so goth to you the righte wey,

Him thar not drede in soule to be lame.

Now, queen of comfort, sith thou art that same

To whom I seche for my medicyne,

Lat not my foo no more my wounde entame,

80

Myn hele in-to thyn hand al I resigne.

Lady, thy sorwe can I not portreye

Under the cros, ne his grevous penaunce.

But, for your bothes peynes, I you preye,

Lat not our alder foo make his bobaunce,

Ie ne truis par nulle voie

Ou mon salut si bien voie

Com, après Dieu, en toy le voy;

100

Quar quant aucun se desvoie,

A ce que tost se ravoie,

De ta pitié li fais convoy.

Tu li fès lessier son desroy

Et li refaiz sa pais au roy,

Et remez en droite voie.

Moult est donc cil en bon arroy,

En bon atour, en bon conroy

Que ta grace si conroie.

Kalendier sont enluminé

110

Et autre livre enteriné

Quant ton non les enlumine.

A tout meschief ont resiné

Ceus qui se sont acheminé

A toy pour leur medicine.

A moy donc, virge, t'encline,

Car a toy je m'achemine

Pour estre bien mediciné;

Ne sueffre que de gaïnne

Isse justice devine

120

Par quoy je soye exterminé.

La douceur de toy pourtraire

Je ne puis, a qui retraire

Doit ton filz de ton sanc estrait;

Pour ce a toy m'ay volu traire

85

That he hath in his listes of mischaunce

Convict that ye bothe have bought so dere.

As I seide erst, thou ground of our substaunce,

Continue on us thy pitous eyen clere!

Moises, that saugh the bush with flaumes rede

90

Brenninge, of which ther never a stikke brende,

Was signe of thyn unwemmed maidenhede.

Thou art the bush on which ther gan descende

The Holy Gost, the which that Moises wende

Had ben a-fyr; and this was in figure.

95

Now lady, from the fyr thou us defende

Which that in helle eternally shal dure.

Noble princesse, that never haddest pere,

Certes, if any comfort in us be,

That cometh of thee, thou Cristes moder dere,

100

We han non other melodye or glee

Us to reioyse in our adversitee,

Ne advocat noon that wol and dar so preye

For us, and that for litel hyre as ye,

That helpen for an Ave-Marie or tweye.

Afin que contre moy traire

Ne le sueuffres nul cruel trait.

Je recongnois bien mon mesfait

Et qu'au colier j'ai souvent trait

Dont l'en me devroit detraire;

130

Mez se tu veus tu as l'entrait

Par quoy tantost sera retrait

Le mehain qui m'est contraire.

Moyses vit en figure

Que tu, vierge nete et pure,

Jesu le filz Dieu conceüs:

Un bysson contre nature

Vit qui ardoit sans arsure.

C'es tu, n'en suis point deceüs,

Dex est li feus qu'en toy eüs;

140

Et tu, buisson des recreüz

Es, pour tremper leur ardure.

A ce veoir, vierge, veüs

Soie par toy et receüs,

Oste chaussement d'ordure.

Noble princesse du monde

Qui n'as ne per ne seconde

En royaume n'en enpire,

De toy vient, de toy redonde

Tout le bien qui nous abonde,

150

N'avons autre tirelire.

En toy tout povre homme espire

Et de toy son salu tire,

Et en toy seule se fonde.

Ne puet nul penser ne dire,

Nul pourtraire ne escrire

Ta bonté comme est parfonde.

105

O verrey light of eyen that ben blinde,

O verrey lust of labour and distresse,

O tresorere of bountee to mankinde,

Thee whom God chees to moder for humblesse!

From his ancille he made thee maistresse

110

Of hevene and erthe, our bille up for to bede.

This world awaiteth ever on thy goodnesse,

For thou ne failest never wight at nede.

Purpos I have sum tyme for tenquere,

Wherfore and why the Holy Gost thee soughte,

115

Whan Gabrielles vois cam to thyn ere.

He not to werre us swich a wonder wroughte,

But for to save us that he sithen boughte.

Than nedeth us no wepen us for to save,

But only ther we did not, as us oughte,

120

Do penitence, and mercy axe and have.

Queen of comfort, yit whan I me bithinke

That I agilt have bothe, him and thee,

And that my soule is worthy for to sinke,

Allas, I, caitif, whider may I flee?

O Lumiere des non voians

Et vrai repos des recreans

Et de tout bien tresoriere,

160

A toy sont toutez gens beans

Qui en la foy sont bien creans

Et en toy ont foy entiere;

A nul onques ne fus fiere,

Ains toy deïs chamberiere

Quant en toy vint li grans geans.

Or es de Dieu chanceliere

Et de graces aumosniere

Et confort a tous recreans.

Pris m'est volenté d'enquerre

170

Pour savoir que Diex vint querre

Quant en toy se vint enserrer;

En toy devint vers de terre;

Ne cuit pas que fust pour guerre

Ne pour moy jus aterrer.

Vierge, se ne me sens errer,

D'armes ne me faut point ferrer

Fors sans plus de li requerre.

Quant pour moy se vint enterrer,

Se il ne se veut desterrer

180

Encor puis s'amour acquerre.

Quant pourpensé après me sui

Qu'ay offendu et toy et lui,

Et qu'a mal est m'ame duite,

Que, fors pechié, en moi n'estui,

125

Who shal un-to thy sone my mene be?

Who, but thy-self, that art of pitee welle?

Thou hast more reuthe on our adversitee

Than in this world mighte any tunge telle.

Redresse me, moder, and me chastyse,

130

For, certeynly, my fadres chastisinge

That dar I nought abyden in no wyse:

So hidous is his rightful rekeninge.

Moder, of whom our mercy gan to springe,

Beth ye my Iuge and eek my soules leche;

135

For ever in you is pitee haboundinge

To ech that wol of pitee you biseche.

Soth is, that God ne graunteth no pitee

With-oute thee; for God, of his goodnesse,

Foryiveth noon, but it lyke un-to thee.

140

He hath thee maked vicaire and maistresse

Et que mal hyer et pis m'est hui,

Tost après si me ranvite,

Vierge douce, se pren fuite,

Se je fui a la poursuite,

Ou fuiray, qu'a mon refui?

190

S'a nul bien je ne m'affruite

Et mas sui avant que luite,

Plus grief encore en est l'anuy.

Reprens moy, mere, et chastie

Quar mon pere n'ose mie

Attendre a mon chastiement.

Son chastoy si fiert a hie;

Rien n'ataint que tout n'esmie

Quant il veut prendre vengement.

Mere, bien doi tel batement

200

Douter, quar en empirement

A tous jours esté ma vie.

A toy dont soit le jugement,

Car de pitié as l'oingnement,

Mès que merci l'en te prie.

Sans toy nul bien ne foysonne

Et sans toy Diex riens ne donne,

Quar de tout t'a fet maistresse.

Quant tu veus trestout pardonne;

Of al the world, and eek governeresse

Of hevene, and he represseth his Iustyse

After thy wille, and therefore in witnesse

He hath thee crouned in so ryal wyse.

145

Temple devout, ther god hath his woninge.

Fro which these misbileved pryved been,

To you my soule penitent I bringe.

Receyve me! I can no ferther fleen!

With thornes venimous, O hevene queen,

150

For which the erthe acursed was ful yore,

I am so wounded, as ye may wel seen,

That I am lost almost;—it smert so sore.

Virgine, that art so noble of apparaile,

And ledest us in-to the hye tour

155

Of Paradys, thou me wisse and counsaile,

How I may have thy grace and thy socour;

Al have I been in filthe and in errour.

Lady, un-to that court thou me aiourne

That cleped is thy bench, O fresshe flour!

160

Ther-as that mercy ever shal soiourne.

Et par toy est mise bonne

210

A justice la mairesse;

N'est royne ne princesse

Pour qui nul ainsi se cesse

Et de droit se dessaisonne.

Du monde es gouverneresse,

Et du ciel ordeneresse;

Sans reson n'as pas couronne.

Temple saint ou Dieu habite

Dont privé sont li herite

Et a tous jours desherité,

220

A toy vieng, de toy me herite,

Reçoif moy par ta merite

Quar de toy n'ay point hesité.

Et se je me sui herité

Des espines d'iniquité

Pour quoy terre fu maudite,

Las m'en clain en verité,

Car a ce fait m'a excité

L'ame qui n'en est pas quite.

Vierge de noble et haut atour,

230

Qui au chastel et a la tour

De paradis nous atournes,

Atourne moy ens et entour

De tel atour que au retour

De ta grace me retournes,

Se vil sui, si me raournes.

A toy vieng, ne te destournes,

Quer au besoing es mon destour.

Sequeur moy, point ne sejournes,

Ou tu a la court m'ajournes,

240

Ou ta pitié fait son sejour.

Xristus, thy sone, that in this world alighte,

Up-on the cros to suffre his passioun,

And eek, that Longius his herte pighte,

And made his herte blood to renne adoun;

165

And al was this for my salvacioun;

And I to him am fals and eek unkinde,

And yit he wol not my dampnacioun—

This thanke I you, socour of al mankinde.

Ysaac was figure of his deeth, certeyn,

170

That so fer-forth his fader wolde obeye

That him ne roughte no-thing to be slayn;

Right so thy sone list, as a lamb, to deye.

Now lady, ful of mercy, I you preye,

Sith he his mercy mesured so large,

175

Be ye not skant; for alle we singe and seye

That ye ben from vengeaunce ay our targe.

Zacharie you clepeth the open welle

To wasshe sinful soule out of his gilt.

Therfore this lessoun oughte I wel to telle

180

That, nere thy tender herte, we weren spilt.

Xristus, ton filz, qui descendi

En terre et en la crois pendi,

Ot pour moy le costé fendu.

Sa grant rigour il destendi

Quant pour moy l'esperit rendi,

Son corps pendant et estendu;

Pour moy son sanc fu espandu.

Se ceci j'ai bien entendu

A mon salut bien entendi,

250

Et pour ce, se l'ay offendu

Et il ne le m'a pas rendu,

Merci t'en rens, graces l'en di.

Ysaac le prefigura

Qui de sa mort rien ne cura

En obeïsant au pere.

Comme .j. aignel tout endura;

En endurant tout espura

Par crueuse mort amere.

O très douce vierge mere,

260

Par ce fait fai que se pere

Par plour l'ame qui cuer dura;

Fai que grace si m'apere;

Et n'en soiez pas avere

Quar largement la mesura.

Zacharie de mon somme

Me exite, et si me somme

D'en toy ma merci atendre;

Fontaine patent te nomme

Now lady brighte, sith thou canst and wilt

Ben to the seed of Adam merciable,

So bring us to that palais that is bilt

184

To penitents that ben to mercy able. Amen.

Pour laver pecheür homme:

270

C'est leçon bonne a aprendre.

Se tu donc as le cuer tendre

Et m'offense n'est pas mendre

De cil qui menga la pomme,

Moy laver veillez entendre,

Moy garder et moy deffendre,

Que justice ne m'asomme.

Explicit carmen.

The MSS. used to form this text are: C. = MS. Ff. 5. 30 in the Camb. Univ. Library; Jo. = MS. G. 21, in St. John's College, Cambridge; Gl. = Glasgow MS. Q. 2. 25; L. = MS. Laud 740, in the Bodleian Library; Gg. = MS. Gg. 4. 27 in the Camb. Univ. Library; F. = MS. Fairfax 16, in the Bodleian Library; B = MS. Bodley 638; Sion = Sion Coll. MS. The text closely follows the first of these; and all variations from it are recorded (except sometimes i for y, and y for i).

1. C. Almihty; queene. 3. L. B. sorwe; F. Jo. sorowe; the rest insert of before sorwe. 4. C. Gloriowse. 6. C. releeue; mihti. 8. Jo. Venquist; Gg. Venquyst. Read m'hath. C. cruelle.

10. C. bee. 11. F. B. werne. 12. C. helpe. 14. C. Hauene; refute. 15. C. Loo; theeves sevene; mee. 16. C. briht. 17. C. ladi deere. 18. C. loo. 19. C. ouhten; thi; appeere. 20. C. greevous. 21. C. riht. 22. C. riht þei mihten; susteene. 23. C. wurthi. 24. C. queene. 25. C. Dowte. 26. C. merci heere. 27. C. Gl. Gg. saf; Jo. saff; L. F. saufe; B. sauf. C. thoruh; L. F. þurgh. Gl. F. B. tacorde; C. L. to accorde. 28. C. crystes; mooder deere.

29. C. maneere. 31. C. rihtful; heere. 32. C. thoruh; Jo. L. F. B. thurgh. 33. C. Euere. C. refuit; Gl. refuyt; Gg. refut; rest refute. 35. C. resceyued. 36. C. merci ladi. 37. C. shule. 39. wel is supplied from the Sion MS.; nearly all the copies give this line corruptly; see note. 40. C. riht; wole. 41. C. Fleeinge; thi. 42. C. tempeste; dreede. 43. C. Biseeching yow. 44. C. Thouh; neede.

45. C. ben. Jo. wille; C. wil. 46. C. thi. 47. C. Thin; ladi; heede. 49. C. Gloriows; mooder; neuere. 50. C. eerthe. 51. C. euere. 54. C. eerthe. 55. C. bee. 56. C. wole. 57. C. saaf; F. B. sauf; L. saufe; Jo. saffe; Gl. Gg. saf. 58. C. Bicomen; oure. 59. C. wrot. 61. C. criaunce; Gg. cryaunce; rest creaunce. 62. C. ladi briht. 63. C. Thanne.

64, 65: C. oure. 66: C. bowntee. 69: C. Thanne. 73: C. Kalendeeres enlumyned. 74: C. thi. 75: C. yow; rihte. 77: C. sithe. 78: C. seeche. 79: C. vntame; Sion, vntaame (wrongly); rest entame.] 80: C. resyne; Gl. B. resigne. 81: C. kan. 82: C. greevous. 84: C. oure.

85. C. hise lystes. 86. C. bouht. 87. C. oure. 88. C. thi; cleere. 89. C. sauh; F. B. saugh. C. flawmes. 93. C. holigost. 94. C. a fyir. 95. C. fyir; Gl. fyr. C. deufende (sic). 96. C. eternalli. 97. C. neuere; peere. 98. C. bee. 99. C. mooder deere. 100. C. noon ooþer. 101. C. oure. 102. C. wole. 103. C. yee.

107. C. tresoreere. 108. F. chees; C. ches. C. mooder. 109. C. the. 110. C. eerthe; oure; beede. 111. C. euere; thi. 112. C. neuere; neede. 113. Gg. F. B. tenquere; C. to enquere. 114. C. whi; holi; souhte. 115. C. Sion, vn-to; rest to. 116. C. wunder wrouhte. 117. C. bouhte. 118. C. Thanne needeth; wepene. 119. C. oonly. Jo. F. B. did; C. diden. C. ouhte. 120. C. Doo; merci. 123. C. wurthi.

125. C. thi; bee. 126. C. thi-. 128. C. miht. 129. C. mooder. 130. F. Fadres; B. fadrys; C. faderes; Jo. fader. 131. C. nouht. 132. Gg. F. B. is his; rest it is. C. rihful (sic). 133. C. Mooder; merci. 135. C. euere. 136. C. eche; wole; biseeche. 137. C. granteth; F. graunteth. 140. C. vicair; Gg. F. vicaire; Gl. B. Sion, vicayre.

141. C. gouernowresse; Gl. Gg. gouerneresse. 143. C. thi wil. 144. L. crowned; Gg. crounnyd; C. Jo. F. corowned. C. rial. 146. C. misbileeued. Jo. L. pryued; rest depriued. 148. C. Resceyve; ferþere. 149. C. venymous. 150. C. eerthe. 151. C. (alone) om. so. 156. C. thi (twice). 157. Gg. Al; B. C. All. C. ben. 158. C. Ladi. 159. Sion MS. fresshe; Gg. frosche (sic); the rest wrongly omit the final e. 160. C. merci; euere.

161. C. Xpc (= Gk. χρς). 163. All the MSS. insert suffred after eek, caught from the line above; see note. 167. C. wole. 171. C. rouhte. 172. C. Riht soo thi. C. lust; rest list, liste. 173. C. ladi; merci; yow. 174. C. Sithe; merci. 177. C. yow; opene. 179. C. ouht. 180. C. thi.

181. C. ladi. Gg. bryȝt; which the rest omit. C. Gg. sithe; F. B. sith. Harl. 2251 supplies bothe after thou. 183. Sion MS. alone supplies So; Jo. supplies And. MS. Harl. 2251 has un-to; rest to. 184. Gl. penytentz; C. penitentes; Jo. Penitence (for penitents). C. merci.

II. THE COMPLEYNTE UNTO PITE.

Pite, that I have sought so yore ago,

With herte sore, and ful of besy peyne,

That in this world was never wight so wo

With-oute dethe; and, if I shal not feyne,

5

My purpos was, to Pite to compleyne

Upon the crueltee and tirannye

Of Love, that for my trouthe doth me dye.

And when that I, by lengthe of certeyn yeres,

Had ever in oon a tyme sought to speke,

10

To Pite ran I, al bespreynt with teres,

To preyen hir on Crueltee me awreke.

But, er I might with any worde out-breke,

Or tellen any of my peynes smerte,

I fond hir deed, and buried in an herte.

15

Adoun I fel, when that I saugh the herse,

Deed as a stoon, whyl that the swogh me laste;

But up I roos, with colour ful diverse,

And pitously on hir myn yën caste,

And ner the corps I gan to presen faste,

20

And for the soule I shoop me for to preye;

I nas but lorn; ther nas no more to seye.

Thus am I slayn, sith that Pite is deed;

Allas! that day! that ever hit shulde falle!

What maner man dar now holde up his heed?

25

To whom shal any sorwful herte calle?

Now Crueltee hath cast to sleen us alle,

In ydel hope, folk redelees of peyne—

Sith she is deed—to whom shul we compleyne?

But yet encreseth me this wonder newe,

30

That no wight woot that she is deed, but I;

So many men as in hir tyme hir knewe,

And yet she dyed not so sodeynly;

For I have sought hir ever ful besily

Sith first I hadde wit or mannes mynde;

35

But she was deed, er that I coude hir fynde.

Aboute hir herse ther stoden lustily,

Withouten any wo, as thoughte me,

Bountee parfit, wel armed and richely,

And fresshe Beautee, Lust, and Iolitee,

40

Assured Maner, Youthe, and Honestee,

Wisdom, Estaat, [and] Dreed, and Governaunce,

Confedred bothe by bonde and alliaunce.

A compleynt hadde I, writen, in myn hond,

For to have put to Pite as a bille,

45

But whan I al this companye ther fond,

That rather wolden al my cause spille

Than do me help, I held my pleynte stille;

For to that folk, withouten any faile,

Withoute Pite may no bille availe.

50

Then leve I al thise virtues, sauf Pite,

Keping the corps, as ye have herd me seyn,

Confedred alle by bonde of Crueltee,

And been assented that I shal be sleyn.

And I have put my compleynt up ageyn;

55

For to my foos my bille I dar not shewe,

Theffect of which seith thus, in wordes fewe:—

The Bille.

¶ 'Humblest of herte, hyest of reverence,

Benigne flour, coroune of vertues alle,

Sheweth unto your rial excellence

60

Your servaunt, if I durste me so calle,

His mortal harm, in which he is y-falle,

And noght al only for his evel fare,

But for your renoun, as he shal declare.

Hit stondeth thus: your contraire, Crueltee,

65

Allyed is ageynst your regalye

Under colour of womanly Beautee,

For men [ne] shuld not knowe hir tirannye,

With Bountee, Gentilesse, and Curtesye,

And hath depryved you now of your place

70

That hight "Beautee, apertenant to Grace."

For kyndly, by your heritage right,

Ye been annexed ever unto Bountee;

And verrayly ye oughte do your might

To helpe Trouthe in his adversitee.

75

Ye been also the coroune of Beautee;

And certes, if ye wanten in thise tweyne,

The world is lore; ther nis no more to seyne.

¶ 'Eek what availeth Maner and Gentilesse

Withoute you, benigne creature?

80

Shal Crueltee be your governeresse?

Allas! what herte may hit longe endure?

Wherfor, but ye the rather take cure

To breke that perilous alliaunce,

Ye sleen hem that ben in your obeisaunce.

85

'And further over, if ye suffre this,

Your renoun is fordo than in a throwe;

Ther shal no man wite wel what Pite is.

Allas! that your renoun shuld be so lowe!

Ye be than fro your heritage y-throwe

90

By Crueltee, that occupieth your place;

And we despeired, that seken to your grace.

Have mercy on me, thou Herenus quene,

That you have sought so tenderly and yore;

Let som streem of your light on me be sene

95

That love and drede you, ay lenger the more.

For, sothly for to seyne, I bere the sore,

And, though I be not cunning for to pleyne,

For goddes love, have mercy on my peyne!

¶ 'My peyne is this, that what so I desire

100

That have I not, ne no-thing lyk therto;

And ever set Desire myn herte on fire;

Eek on that other syde, wher-so I go,

What maner thing that may encrese wo

That have I redy, unsoght, everywhere;

105

Me [ne] lakketh but my deth, and than my bere.

What nedeth to shewe parcel of my peyne?

Sith every wo that herte may bethinke

I suffre, and yet I dar not to you pleyne;

For wel I woot, al-though I wake or winke,

110

Ye rekke not whether I flete or sinke.

But natheles, my trouthe I shal sustene

Unto my deth, and that shal wel be sene.

This is to seyne, I wol be youres ever;

Though ye me slee by Crueltee, your fo,

115

Algate my spirit shal never dissever

Fro your servyse, for any peyne or wo.

Sith ye be deed—allas! that hit is so!—

Thus for your deth I may wel wepe and pleyne

119

With herte sore and ful of besy peyne.'

Here endeth the exclamacion of the Deth of Pyte.

The MSS. are: Tn. (Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); Sh. (Shirley's MS., Harl. 78); Ff. (Ff. 1. 6, in Camb. Univ. Library); T., here used for Trin. (Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19); also Ha. (Harl. 7578). I follow F. mainly, noting all variations of importance.

Title; in B. 1. F. agoo. 2. F. hert. 3. F. worlde; woo. 5. F. purpose. 8. F. be; B. Sh. T. by. F. certeyne. 9. Sh. Ha. a tyme sought; rest sought a tyme (badly). 10. F. bespreynte. 11. F. prayen. Sh. Ha. wreke; rest awreke. 14. F. fonde; dede. 15. F. Adovne. Ha. alone supplies that. 16. F. Dede; stone; while. T. (and Longleat) a; rest om. 17. F. roose; coloure. 18. F. petously; B. pitously. B. yen; F. eyen; after which all but Sh. and Ha. insert I. 19. Sh. Ha. to; which the rest omit. 20. Sh. shoope; rest shope. F. prey; Sh. preye. 21. For nas, the MSS. wrongly have was; in both places. F. lorne; sey.

22. F. slayne; dede. 23. Tn. shulde; F. shuld. 24. F. hold; hede. 25. All but Sh. and Ha. ins. now bef. any. F. eny. 26. F. caste. Sh. Ha. sleen; F. slee. 27. F. folke redelesse. 30. F. dede. 31. F. mony. 32. F. B. omit she; the rest have it. Only Sh. and T. retain so. 33. F. besely. For ever, Ten Brink reads ay. 34. Only Sh. gives this line correctly; so Ha. (but with any for mannes). F. Sith I hadde firste witte or mynde. 35. F. dede. Sh. Ha. that; rest omit. 36. F. there; lustely. 38. F. Bounte. 39. F. beaute; iolyte. 40. F. honeste. 41. F. Wisdome. F. B. estaat; rest estate; Ten Brink rightly supplies and after Estat (sic). F. drede. 43. Ha. hadde; Sh. hade; rest had. F. honde. 44. Sh. Ha. For; rest omit. F. pittee. 45. F. when. F. fonde. 46. Sh. wolden; F. wolde. 47. F. helpe; helde. Sh. Ha. compleynt; T. cause; rest pleynte or pleynt.

48. F. folke. F. withoute; B. without; Ha. withouten. 49. F. pitee. Ha. may; Sh. ne may; rest ther may. 50. Sh. Ha. þanne leve I alle þees vertues sauf pitee; F.B. Then leve we al vertues save oonly pite; Tn. Ff. T. Then leueall vertues save onely pite. 51. F. Kepynge; herde. 52. F. Cofedered (sic). Sh. alle by bonde of (Ha. om. alle); F. Tn. B. Ff. by bonde and by; T. by bound and. 53. Sh. that; rest when. 54. F. complaynt. 55. F. Foes; Tn. foos. 57. F. highest. 59. F. youre rialle. 60. F. Youre; durst. 61. Sh. whiche he is Inne falle; rest in which he is falle: Thynne has yfal; read y-falle. 62. F. oonly. 64. The MSS. insert that after thus, except Sh. and Ha. Sh. contraire; rest contrary. 65. Sh. ageynst; F. ayenst. 66. F. beaute. 67. The MSS. omit ne. F. shulde. 68. F. bounte. 69. Sh. nowe; which the rest omit. 70. Sh. heghte (for highte); Ha. hight; Tn. is hye; F. B. T. is hygh. F. beaute apertenent. The MSS. (except Sh. and Ha.) insert your after to.

71. F. kyndely; youre. 72. Most MSS. be; Ha. been; read been (and in l. 75). 73. F. verrely; youre. 75. F. beaute. 76. Tn. Ff. Ha. wante; rest want; read wanten. F. these tweyn. 77. F. worlde. For nis, all have is. F. seyn. 78. F. Eke. 79. F. yow. 82. F. Wherfore. 86. F. fordoo. Sh. than; rest omit. 87. F. wete well; rest omit well; Tn. wyte. 88. F. Tn. B. Ff. T. insert euer after that, which Sh. rightly omits. Sh. Ha. shoulde be; rest is falle. 89. Sh. thanne; rest also. F. youre. 90. F. youre. 91. Sh. sechen to; B. sekyn to; Tn. Ff. T. seken; F. speken to (for seken to). 92. Tn. F. B. Ff. herenus; T. heremus; Sh. vertuouse (!). 93. F. yow; tendirly. 94. B. som; F. somme. F. streme. Sh. Ha. youre; which the rest omit. 95. Sh. ay; rest euer. Sh. Ha. om. the. 96. F. sothely. Sh. the hevy sore; Ha. the sore; rest so sore (which gives no sense).

97. F. kunnynge. 98. F. goddis. 100. F. lyke. 101. F. Sh. setteth; Ha. set; rest settith; see note. F. hert. 102. F. Eke. F. sydes; rest side, syde. F. where so; goo. 103. Sh. Ha. we; rest insert my before wo. 104. F. vnsoghte. 105. All omit ne; see note. 107. F. woo. 109. F. wote. Sh. al-þaughe; rest though, thogh. 110. F. B. where; rest whether. 111. All but Sh. and Ha. needlessly insert yet before my. 114. F. soo; rest foo, fo. 115. F. spirite. 116. F. youre; eny. 117. B. yet (sic) be ded; F. Tn. Ff. T. ye be yet ded (which will not scan); Sh. Ha. have a diferent line—Now pitee þat I haue sought so yoore agoo.

III. THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESSE.

The Proem.

I have gret wonder, by this lighte,

How that I live, for day ne nighte

I may nat slepe wel nigh noght;

I have so many an ydel thoght

5

Purely for defaute of slepe,

That, by my trouthe, I take kepe

Of no-thing, how hit cometh or goth,

Ne me nis no-thing leef nor loth.

Al is y-liche good to me—

10

Ioye or sorowe, wherso hit be—

For I have feling in no-thing,

But, as it were, a mased thing,

Alway in point to falle a-doun;

For [sory] imaginacioun

15

Is alway hoolly in my minde.

And wel ye wite, agaynes kinde

Hit were to liven in this wyse;

For nature wolde nat suffyse

To noon erthely creature

20

Not longe tyme to endure

Withoute slepe, and been in sorwe;

And I ne may, ne night ne morwe,

Slepe; and thus melancolye,

And dreed I have for to dye,

25

Defaute of slepe, and hevinesse

Hath sleyn my spirit of quiknesse,

That I have lost al lustihede.

Suche fantasyes ben in myn hede

So I not what is best to do.

30

But men mighte axe me, why so

I may not slepe, and what me is?

But natheles, who aske this

Leseth his asking trewely.

My-selven can not telle why

35

The sooth; but trewely, as I gesse,

I holdë hit be a siknesse

That I have suffred this eight yere,

And yet my bote is never the nere;

For ther is phisicien but oon,

40

That may me hele; but that is doon.

Passe we over until eft;

That wil not be, moot nede be left;

Our first matere is good to kepe.

So whan I saw I might not slepe,

45

Til now late, this other night,

Upon my bedde I sat upright,

And bad oon reche me a book,

A romaunce, and he hit me took

To rede and dryve the night away;

50

For me thoghte it better play

Then playen either at chesse or tables.

And in this boke were writen fables

That clerkes hadde, in olde tyme,

And other poets, put in ryme

55

To rede, and for to be in minde

Whyl men loved the lawe of kinde.

This book ne spak but of such thinges,

Of quenes lyves, and of kinges,

And many othere thinges smale.

60

Amonge al this I fond a tale

That me thoughte a wonder thing.

This was the tale: Ther was a king

That highte Seys, and hadde a wyf,

The beste that mighte bere lyf;

65

And this quene highte Alcyone.

So hit befel, therafter sone,

This king wolde wenden over see.

To tellen shortly, whan that he

Was in the see, thus in this wyse,

70

Soche a tempest gan to ryse

That brak hir mast, and made it falle,

And clefte hir ship, and dreinte hem alle,

That never was founden, as it telles,

Bord ne man, ne nothing elles.

75

Right thus this king Seys loste his lyf.

Now for to speken of his wyf:—

This lady, that was left at home,

Hath wonder, that the king ne come

Hoom, for hit was a longe terme.

80

Anon her herte gan to erme;

And for that hir thoughte evermo

Hit was not wel [he dwelte] so,

She longed so after the king

That certes, hit were a pitous thing

85

To telle hir hertely sorwful lyf

That hadde, alas! this noble wyf;

For him she loved alderbest.

Anon she sente bothe eest and west

To seke him, but they founde nought.

90

'Alas!' quoth she, 'that I was wrought!

And wher my lord, my love, be deed?

Certes, I nil never ete breed,

I make a-vowe to my god here,

But I mowe of my lorde here!'

95

Such sorwe this lady to her took

That trewely I, which made this book,

Had swich pite and swich rowthe

To rede hir sorwe, that, by my trowthe,

I ferde the worse al the morwe

100

After, to thenken on her sorwe.

So whan [she] coude here no word

That no man mighte fynde hir lord,

Ful oft she swouned, and seide 'alas!'

For sorwe ful nigh wood she was,

105

Ne she coude no reed but oon;

But doun on knees she sat anoon,

And weep, that pite was to here.

'A! mercy! swete lady dere!'

Quod she to Iuno, hir goddesse;

110

'Help me out of this distresse,

And yeve me grace my lord to see

Sone, or wite wher-so he be,

Or how he fareth, or in what wyse,

And I shal make you sacrifyse,

115

And hoolly youres become I shal

With good wil, body, herte, and al;

And but thou wilt this, lady swete,

Send me grace to slepe, and mete

In my slepe som certeyn sweven,

120

Wher-through that I may knowen even

Whether my lord be quik or deed.'

With that word she heng doun the heed,

And fil a-swown as cold as ston;

Hir women caughte her up anon,

125

And broghten hir in bed al naked,

And she, forweped and forwaked,

Was wery, and thus the dede sleep

Fil on her, or she toke keep,

Through Iuno, that had herd hir bone,

130

That made hir [for] to slepe sone;

For as she prayde, so was don,

In dede; for Iuno, right anon,

Called thus her messagere

To do her erande, and he com nere.

135

Whan he was come, she bad him thus:

Go bet,' quod Iuno, 'to Morpheus,

Thou knowest him wel, the god of sleep;

Now understond wel, and tak keep.

Sey thus on my halfe, that he

140

Go faste into the grete see,

And bid him that, on alle thing,

He take up Seys body the king,

That lyth ful pale and no-thing rody.

Bid him crepe into the body,

145

Aud do it goon to Alcyone

The quene, ther she lyth alone,

And shewe hir shortly, hit is no nay,

How hit was dreynt this other day;

And do the body speke so

150

Right as hit was wont to do,

The whyles that hit was on lyve.

Go now faste, and hy thee blyve!'

This messager took leve and wente

Upon his wey, and never ne stente

155

Til he com to the derke valeye

That stant bytwene roches tweye

Ther never yet grew corn ne gras,

Ne tree, ne nothing that ought was,

Beste, ne man, ne nothing elles,

160

Save ther were a fewe welles

Came renning fro the cliffes adoun,

That made a deedly sleping soun,

And ronnen doun right by a cave

That was under a rokke y-grave

165

Amid the valey, wonder depe.

Ther thise goddes laye and slepe,

Morpheus, and Eclympasteyre,

That was the god of slepes heyre,

That slepe and did non other werk.

170

This cave was also as derk

As helle pit over-al aboute;

They had good leyser for to route

To envye, who might slepe beste;

Some henge hir chin upon hir breste

175

And slepe upright, hir heed y-hed,

And some laye naked in hir bed,

And slepe whyles the dayes laste.

This messager com flying faste,

And cryed, 'O ho! awak anon!'

180

Hit was for noght; ther herde him non.

Awak!' quod he, 'who is, lyth there?'

And blew his horn right in hir ere,

And cryed 'awaketh!' wonder hyë.

This god of slepe, with his oon yë

185

Cast up, axed, 'who clepeth there?'

Hit am I,' quod this messagere;

Iuno bad thou shuldest goon'—

And tolde him what he shulde doon

As I have told yow here-tofore;

190

Hit is no need reherse hit more;

And wente his wey, whan he had sayd.

Anon this god of slepe a-brayd

Out of his slepe, and gan to goon,

And did as he had bede him doon;

195

Took up the dreynte body sone,

And bar hit forth to Alcyone,

His wyf the quene, ther-as she lay,

Right even a quarter before day,

And stood right at hir beddes fete,

200

And called hir, right as she hete,

By name, and seyde, 'my swete wyf,

Awak! let be your sorwful lyf!

For in your sorwe ther lyth no reed;

For certes, swete, I nam but deed;

205

Ye shul me never on lyve y-see.

But good swete herte, [look] that ye

Bury my body, [at whiche] a tyde

Ye mowe hit finde the see besyde;

And far-wel, swete, my worldes blisse!

210

I praye god your sorwe lisse;

To litel whyl our blisse lasteth!'

With that hir eyen up she casteth,

And saw noght; '[A]!' quod she, 'for sorwe!'

And deyed within the thridde morwe.

215

But what she sayde more in that swow

I may not telle yow as now,

Hit were to longe for to dwelle;

My first matere I wil yow telle,

Wherfor I have told this thing

220

Of Alcione and Seys the king.

For thus moche dar I saye wel,

I had be dolven everydel,

And deed, right through defaute of sleep,

If I nad red and taken keep

225

Of this tale next before:

And I wol telle yow wherfore;

For I ne might, for bote ne bale,

Slepe, or I had red this tale

Of this dreynte Seys the king,

230

And of the goddes of sleping.

Whan I had red this tale wel,

And over-loked hit everydel,

Me thoughte wonder if hit were so;

For I had never herd speke, or tho,

235

Of no goddes that coude make

Men [for] to slepe, ne for to wake;

For I ne knew never god but oon.

And in my game I sayde anoon—

And yet me list right evel to pleye—

240

'Rather then that I shulde deye

Through defaute of sleping thus,

I wolde yive thilke Morpheus,

Or his goddesse, dame Iuno,

Or som wight elles, I ne roghte who—

245

To make me slepe and have som reste—

I wil yive him the alder-beste

Yift that ever he abood his lyve,

And here on warde, right now, as blyve;

If he wol make me slepe a lyte,

250

Of downe of pure dowves whyte

I wil yive him a fether-bed,

Rayed with golde, and right wel cled

In fyn blak satin doutremere,

And many a pilow, and every bere

255

Of clothe of Reynes, to slepe softe;

Him thar not nede to turnen ofte.

And I wol yive him al that falles

To a chambre; and al his halles

I wol do peynte with pure golde,

260

And tapite hem ful many folde

Of oo sute; this shal he have,

If I wiste wher were his cave,

If he can make me slepe sone,

As did the goddesse Alcione.

265

And thus this ilke god, Morpheus,

May winne of me mo feës thus

Than ever he wan; and to Iuno,

That is his goddesse, I shal so do,

I trow that she shal holde her payd.'

270

I hadde unneth that word y-sayd

Right thus as I have told hit yow,

That sodeynly, I niste how,

Swich a lust anoon me took

To slepe, that right upon my book

275

I fil aslepe, and therwith even

Me mette so inly swete a sweven,

So wonderful, that never yit

I trowe no man hadde the wit

To conne wel my sweven rede;

280

No, not Ioseph, withoute drede,

Of Egipte, he that redde so

The kinges meting Pharao,

No more than coude the leste of us;

Ne nat scarsly Macrobeus,

285

(He that wroot al thavisioun

That he mette, king Scipioun,

The noble man, the Affrican—

Swiche mervayles fortuned than)

I trowe, a-rede my dremes even.

290

Lo, thus hit was, this was my sweven.

The Dream.

Me thoughte thus:—that hit was May,

And in the dawning ther I lay,

Me mette thus, in my bed al naked:—

[I] loked forth, for I was waked

295

With smale foules a gret hepe,

That had affrayed me out of slepe

Through noyse and swetnesse of hir song;

And, as me mette, they sate among,

Upon my chambre-roof withoute,

300

Upon the tyles, al a-boute,

And songen, everich in his wyse,

The moste solempne servyse

By note, that ever man, I trowe,

Had herd; for som of hem song lowe,

305

Som hye, and al of oon acorde.

To telle shortly, at oo worde,

Was never y-herd so swete a steven,

But hit had be a thing of heven;—

So mery a soun, so swete entunes,

310

That certes, for the toune of Tewnes,

I nolde but I had herd hem singe,

For al my chambre gan to ringe

Through singing of hir armonye.

For instrument nor melodye

315

Was nowher herd yet half so swete,

Nor of acorde half so mete;

For ther was noon of hem that feyned

To singe, for ech of hem him peyned

To finde out mery crafty notes;

320

They ne spared not hir throtes.

And, sooth to seyn, my chambre was

Ful wel depeynted, and with glas

Were al the windowes wel y-glased,

Ful clere, and nat an hole y-crased,

325

That to beholde hit was gret Ioye.

For hoolly al the storie of Troye

Was in the glasing y-wroght thus,

Of Ector and king Priamus,

Of Achilles and Lamedon,

330

Of Medea and of Iason,

Of Paris, Eleyne, and Lavyne.

And alle the walles with colours fyne

Were peynted, bothe text and glose,

[Of] al the Romaunce of the Rose.

335

My windowes weren shet echon,

And through the glas the sunne shon

Upon my bed with brighte bemes,

With many glade gilden stremes;

And eek the welken was so fair,

340

Blew, bright, clere was the air,

And ful atempre, for sothe, hit was;

For nother cold nor hoot hit nas,

Ne in al the welken was a cloude.

And as I lay thus, wonder loude

345

Me thoughte I herde an hunte blowe

Tassaye his horn, and for to knowe

Whether hit were clere or hors of soune.

I herde goinge, up and doune,

Men, hors, houndes, and other thing;

350

And al men speken of hunting,

How they wolde slee the hert with strengthe,

And how the hert had, upon lengthe,

So moche embosed, I not now what.

Anon-right, whan I herde that,

355

How that they wolde on hunting goon,

I was right glad, and up anoon;

[I] took my hors, and forth I wente

Out of my chambre; I never stente

Til I com to the feld withoute.

360

Ther overtook I a gret route

Of huntes and eek of foresteres,

With many relayes and lymeres,

And hyed hem to the forest faste,

And I with hem;—so at the laste

365

I asked oon, ladde a lymere:—

Say, felow, who shal hunten here

Quod I; and he answerde ageyn,

Sir, themperour Octovien,'

Quod he, 'and is heer faste by.'

370

'A goddes halfe, in good tyme,' quod I,

Go we faste!' and gan to ryde.

Whan we came to the forest-syde,

Every man dide, right anoon,

As to hunting fil to doon.

375

The mayster-hunte anoon, fot-hoot,

With a gret horne blew three moot

At the uncoupling of his houndes.

Within a whyl the hert [y]-founde is,

Y-halowed, and rechased faste

380

Longe tyme; and at the laste,

This hert rused and stal away

Fro alle the houndes a prevy way.

The houndes had overshote hem alle,

And were on a defaute y-falle;

385

Therwith the hunte wonder faste

Blew a forloyn at the laste.

I was go walked fro my tree,

And as I wente, ther cam by me

A whelp, that fauned me as I stood,

390

That hadde y-folowed, and coude no good.

Hit com and creep to me as lowe,

Right as hit hadde me y-knowe,

Hild doun his heed and Ioyned his eres,

And leyde al smothe doun his heres.

395

I wolde han caught hit, and anoon

Hit fledde, and was fro me goon;

And I him folwed, and hit forth wente

Doun by a floury grene wente

Ful thikke of gras, ful softe and swete,

400

With floures fele, faire under fete,

And litel used, hit seemed thus;

For bothe Flora and Zephirus,

They two that make floures growe,

Had mad hir dwelling ther, I trowe;

405

For hit was, on to beholde,

As thogh the erthe envye wolde

To be gayer than the heven,

To have mo floures, swiche seven

As in the welken sterres be.

410

Hit had forgete the povertee

That winter, through his colde morwes,

Had mad hit suffren, and his sorwes;

Al was forgeten, and that was sene.

For al the wode was waxen grene,

415

Swetnesse of dewe had mad it waxe.

Hit is no need eek for to axe

Wher ther were many grene greves,

Or thikke of trees, so ful of leves;

And every tree stood by him-selve

420

Fro other wel ten foot or twelve.

So grete trees, so huge of strengthe,

Of fourty or fifty fadme lengthe,

Clene withoute bough or stikke,

With croppes brode, and eek as thikke—

425

They were nat an inche a-sonder—

That hit was shadwe over-al under;

And many an hert and many an hinde

Was both before me and bihinde.

Of founes, soures, bukkes, doës

430

Was ful the wode, and many roës,

And many squirelles, that sete

Ful hye upon the trees, and ete,

And in hir maner made festes.

Shortly, hit was so ful of bestes,

435

That thogh Argus, the noble countour,

Sete to rekene in his countour,

And rekened with his figures ten—

For by tho figures mowe al ken,

If they be crafty, rekene and noumbre,

440

And telle of every thing the noumbre—

Yet shulde he fayle to rekene even

The wondres, me mette in my sweven.

But forth they romed wonder faste

Doun the wode; so at the laste

445

I was war of a man in blak,

That sat and had y-turned his bak

To an oke, an huge tree.

Lord,' thoghte I, 'who may that be?

What ayleth him to sitten here?'

450

Anoon-right I wente nere;

Than fond I sitte even upright

A wonder wel-faringe knight—

By the maner me thoughte so—

Of good mochel, and yong therto,

455

Of the age of four and twenty yeer.

Upon his berde but litel heer,

And he was clothed al in blakke.

I stalked even unto his bakke,

And ther I stood as stille as ought,

460

That, sooth to saye, he saw me nought,

For-why he heng his heed adoune.

And with a deedly sorwful soune

He made of ryme ten vers or twelve,

Of a compleynt to him-selve,

465

The moste pite, the moste rowthe,

That ever I herde; for, by my trowthe,

Hit was gret wonder that nature

Might suffren any creature

To have swich sorwe, and be not deed.

470

Ful pitous, pale, and nothing reed,

He sayde a lay, a maner song,

Withoute note, withoute song,

And hit was this; for wel I can

Reherse hit; right thus hit began.—

475

¶ 'I have of sorwe so gret woon,

That Ioye gete I never noon,

Now that I see my lady bright,

Which I have loved with al my might,

479

Is fro me deed, and is a-goon.

481

¶ Allas, [o] deeth! what ayleth thee,

That thou noldest have taken me,

Whan that thou toke my lady swete?

That was so fayr, so fresh, so free,

485

So good, that men may wel [y]-see

Of al goodnesse she had no mete!'—

Whan he had mad thus his complaynte,

His sorowful herte gan faste faynte,

And his spirites wexen dede;

490

The blood was fled, for pure drede,

Doun to his herte, to make him warm—

For wel hit feled the herte had harm—

To wite eek why hit was a-drad

By kinde, and for to make hit glad;

495

For hit is membre principal

Of the body; and that made al

His hewe chaunge and wexe grene

And pale, for no blood [was] sene

In no maner lime of his.

500

Anoon therwith whan I saw this,

He ferde thus evel ther he sete,

I wente and stood right at his fete,

And grette him, but he spak noght,

But argued with his owne thoght,

505

And in his witte disputed faste

Why and how his lyf might laste;

Him thoughte his sorwes were so smerte

And lay so colde upon his herte;

So, through his sorwe and hevy thoght,

510

Made him that he ne herde me noght;

For he had wel nigh lost his minde,

Thogh Pan, that men clepe god of kinde,

Were for his sorwes never so wrooth.

But at the laste, to sayn right sooth,

515

He was war of me, how I stood

Before him, and dide of myn hood,

And [grette] him, as I best coude.

Debonairly, and no-thing loude,

He sayde, 'I prey thee, be not wrooth,

520

I herde thee not, to sayn the sooth,

Ne I saw thee not, sir, trewely.'

'A! goode sir, no fors,' quod I,

I am right sory if I have ought

Destroubled yow out of your thought;

525

For-yive me if I have mis-take.'

'Yis, thamendes is light to make,'

Quod he, 'for ther lyth noon ther-to;

Ther is no-thing missayd nor do.'

Lo! how goodly spak this knight,

530

As it had been another wight;

He made it nouther tough ne queynte

And I saw that, and gan me aqueynte

With him, and fond him so tretable,

Right wonder skilful and resonable,

535

As me thoghte, for al his bale.

Anoon-right I gan finde a tale

To him, to loke wher I might ought

Have more knowing of his thought.

'Sir,' quod I, 'this game is doon;

540

I holde that this hert be goon;

Thise huntes conne him nowher see.'

'I do no fors therof,' quod he,

My thought is ther-on never a del.'

'By our lord,' quod I, 'I trow yow wel,

545

Right so me thinketh by your chere.

But, sir, oo thing wol ye here?

Me thinketh, in gret sorwe I yow see;

But certes, [good] sir, yif that ye

Wolde ought discure me your wo,

550

I wolde, as wis god helpe me so,

Amende hit, yif I can or may;

Ye mowe preve hit by assay.

For, by my trouthe, to make yow hool,

I wol do al my power hool;

555

And telleth me of your sorwes smerte,

Paraventure hit may ese your herte,

That semeth ful seke under your syde.'

With that he loked on me asyde,

As who sayth, 'nay, that wol not be.'

560

'Graunt mercy, goode frend,' quod he,

I thanke thee that thou woldest so,

But hit may never the rather be do.

No man may my sorwe glade,

That maketh my hewe to falle and fade,

565

And hath myn understonding lorn,

That me is wo that I was born!

May noght make my sorwes slyde,

Nought the remedies of Ovyde;

Ne Orpheus, god of melodye,

570

Ne Dedalus, with playes slye;

Ne hele me may phisicien,

Noght Ypocras, ne Galien;

Me is wo that I live houres twelve;

But who so wol assaye him-selve

575

Whether his herte can have pite

Of any sorwe, lat him see me.

I wrecche, that deeth hath mad al naked

Of alle blisse that was ever maked,

Y-worthe worste of alle wightes,

580

That hate my dayes and my nightes;

My lyf, my lustes be me lothe,

For al welfare and I be wrothe.

The pure deeth is so my fo,

[Thogh] I wolde deye, hit wolde not so;

585

For whan I folwe hit, hit wol flee;

I wolde have [hit], hit nil not me.

This is my peyne withoute reed,

Alway deying, and be not deed,

That Sesiphus, that lyth in helle,

590

May not of more sorwe telle.

And who so wiste al, by my trouthe,

My sorwe, but he hadde routhe

And pite of my sorwes smerte,

That man hath a feendly herte.

595

For who so seeth me first on morwe

May seyn, he hath [y]-met with sorwe;

For I am sorwe and sorwe is I.

'Allas! and I wol telle the why;

My [song] is turned to pleyning,

600

And al my laughter to weping,

My glade thoghtes to hevinesse,

In travaile is myn ydelnesse

And eek my reste; my wele is wo.

My good is harm, and ever-mo

605

In wrathe is turned my pleying,

And my delyt in-to sorwing.

Myn hele is turned into seeknesse,

In drede is al my sikernesse.

To derke is turned al my light,

610

My wit is foly, my day is night,

My love is hate, my sleep waking,

My mirthe and meles is fasting,

My countenaunce is nycete,

And al abaved wher-so I be,

615

My pees, in pleding and in werre;

Allas! how mighte I fare werre?

'My boldnesse is turned to shame,

For fals Fortune hath pleyd a game

Atte ches with me, allas! the whyle!

620

The trayteresse fals and ful of gyle,

That al behoteth and no-thing halt,

She goth upryght and yet she halt,

That baggeth foule and loketh faire,

The dispitousë debonaire,

625

That scorneth many a creature!

An ydole of fals portraiture

Is she, for she wil sone wryen;

She is the monstres heed y-wryen,

As filth over y-strawed with floures;

630

Hir moste worship and hir [flour is]

To lyen, for that is hir nature;

Withoute feyth, lawe, or mesure

She is fals; and ever laughinge

With oon eye, and that other wepinge.

635

That is broght up, she set al doun.

I lykne hir to the scorpioun,

That is a fals flatering beste;

For with his hede he maketh feste,

But al amid his flateringe

640

With his tayle he wol stinge,

And envenyme; and so wol she.

She is thenvyous charite

That is ay fals, and semeth wele,

So turneth she hir false whele

645

Aboute, for it is no-thing stable,

Now by the fyre, now at table;

Ful many oon hath she thus y-blent.

She is pley of enchauntement,

That semeth oon and is nat so,

650

The false theef! what hath she do,

Trowest thou? by our lord, I wol thee seye.

Atte ches with me she gan to pleye;

With hir false draughtes divers

She stal on me, and took my fers.

655

And whan I saw my fers aweye,

Alas! I couthe no lenger pleye,

But seyde, "farwel, swete, y-wis,

And farwel al that ever ther is!"

Therwith Fortune seyde "chek here!"

660

And "mate!" in mid pointe of the chekkere

With a poune erraunt, allas!

Ful craftier to pley she was

Than Athalus, that made the game

First of the ches: so was his name.

665

But god wolde I had ones or twyes

Y-koud and knowe the Ieupardyes

That coude the Grek Pithagores!

I shulde have pleyd the bet at ches,

And kept my fers the bet therby;

670

And thogh wherto? for trewely

I hold that wish nat worth a stree!

Hit had be never the bet for me.

For Fortune can so many a wyle,

Ther be but fewe can hir begyle,

675

And eek she is the las to blame;

My-self I wolde have do the same,

Before god, hadde I been as she;

She oghte the more excused be.

For this I say yet more therto,

680

Hadde I be god and mighte have do

My wille, whan my fers she caughte,

I wolde have drawe the same draughte.

For, also wis god yive me reste,

I dar wel swere she took the beste!

685

'But through that draughte I have lorn

My blisse; allas! that I was born!

For evermore, I trowe trewly,

For al my wil, my lust hoolly

Is turned; but yet, what to done?

690

By our lord, hit is to deye sone;

For no-thing I [ne] leve it noght,

But live and deye right in this thoght.

Ther nis planete in firmament,

Ne in air, ne in erthe, noon element,

695

That they ne yive me a yift echoon

Of weping, whan I am aloon.

For whan that I avyse me wel,

And bethenke me every-del,

How that ther lyth in rekening,

700

In my sorwe, for no-thing;

And how ther leveth no gladnesse

May gladde me of my distresse,

And how I have lost suffisance,

And therto I have no plesance,

705

Than may I say, I have right noght.

And whan al this falleth in my thoght,

Allas! than am I overcome!

For that is doon is not to come!

I have more sorowe than Tantale.'

710

And whan I herde him telle this tale

Thus pitously, as I yow telle,

Unnethe mighte I lenger dwelle,

Hit dide myn herte so moche wo.

'A! good sir!' quod I, 'say not so!

715

Have som pite on your nature

That formed yow to creature,

Remembre yow of Socrates;

For he ne counted nat three strees

Of noght that Fortune coude do.'

720

'No,' quod he, 'I can not so.'

'Why so? good sir! parde!' quod I;

Ne say noght so, for trewely,

Thogh ye had lost the ferses twelve,

And ye for sorwe mordred your-selve,

725

Ye sholde be dampned in this cas

By as good right as Medea was,

That slow hir children for Iason;

And Phyllis als for Demophon

Heng hir-self, so weylaway!

730

For he had broke his terme-day

To come to hir. Another rage

Had Dydo, quene eek of Cartage,

That slow hir-self, for Eneas

Was fals; [a!] whiche a fool she was!

735

And Ecquo dyed for Narcisus

Nolde nat love hir; and right thus

Hath many another foly don.

And for Dalida dyed Sampson,

That slow him-self with a pilere.

740

But ther is [noon] a-lyve here

Wolde for a fers make this wo!'

'Why so?' quod he; 'hit is nat so;

Thou wost ful litel what thou menest;

I have lost more than thou wenest.'

745

'Lo, [sir,] how may that be?' quod I;

Good sir, tel me al hoolly

In what wyse, how, why, and wherfore

That ye have thus your blisse lore.'

'Blythly,' quod he, 'com sit adoun;

750

I telle thee up condicioun

That thou hoolly, with al thy wit,

Do thyn entent to herkene hit.'

Yis, sir.' 'Swere thy trouthe ther-to.'

Gladly.' 'Do than holde her-to!'

755

'I shal right blythly, so god me save,

Hoolly, with al the witte I have,

Here yow, as wel as I can.'

'A goddes half!' quod he, and began:—

Sir,' quod he, 'sith first I couthe

760

Have any maner wit fro youthe,

Or kyndely understonding

To comprehende, in any thing,

What love was, in myn owne wit,

Dredeles, I have ever yit

765

Be tributary, and yiven rente

To love hoolly with goode entente,

And through plesaunce become his thral,

With good wil, body, herte, and al.

Al this I putte in his servage,

770

As to my lorde, and dide homage;

And ful devoutly prayde him to,

He shulde besette myn herte so,

That it plesaunce to him were,

And worship to my lady dere.

775

'And this was longe, and many a yeer

Or that myn herte was set o-wher,

That I did thus, and niste why;

I trowe hit cam me kindely.

Paraunter I was therto most able

780

As a whyt wal or a table;

For hit is redy to cacche and take

Al that men wil therin make,

Wher-so men wol portreye or peynte,

Be the werkes never so queynte.

785

'And thilke tyme I ferde so

I was able to have lerned tho,

And to have coud as wel or better,

Paraunter, other art or letter.

But for love cam first in my thought,

790

Therfore I forgat it nought.

I chees love to my firste craft,

Therfor hit is with me [y]-laft.

Forwhy I took hit of so yong age,

That malice hadde my corage

795

Nat that tyme turned to no-thing

Through to mochel knowleching.

For that tyme youthe, my maistresse,

Governed me in ydelnesse;

For hit was in my firste youthe,

800

And tho ful litel good I couthe;

For al my werkes were flittinge,

And al my thoghtes varyinge;

Al were to me y-liche good,

That I knew tho; but thus hit stood.

805

'Hit happed that I cam on a day

Into a place, ther I say,

Trewly, the fayrest companyë

Of ladies, that ever man with yë

Had seen togedres in oo place.

810

Shal I clepe hit hap other grace

That broghte me ther? nay, but Fortune,

That is to lyen ful comune,

The false trayteresse, pervers,

God wolde I coude clepe hir wers!

815

For now she worcheth me ful wo,

And I wol telle sone why so.

'Among thise ladies thus echoon,

Soth to seyn, I saw [ther] oon

That was lyk noon of [al] the route;

820

For I dar swere, withoute doute,

That as the someres sonne bright

Is fairer, clerer, and hath more light

Than any planete, [is] in heven,

The mone, or the sterres seven,

825

For al the worlde, so had she

Surmounted hem alle of beaute,

Of maner and of comlinesse,

Of stature and wel set gladnesse,

Of goodlihede so wel beseye—

830

Shortly, what shal I more seye?

By god, and by his halwes twelve,

It was my swete, right as hir-selve!

She had so stedfast countenaunce,

So noble port and meyntenaunce.

835

And Love, that had herd my bone,

Had espyed me thus sone,

That she ful sone, in my thoght,

As helpe me god, so was y-caught

So sodenly, that I ne took

840

No maner [reed] but at hir look

And at myn herte; for-why hir eyen

So gladly, I trow, myn herte seyen,

That purely tho myn owne thoght

Seyde hit were [bet] serve hir for noght

845

Than with another to be wel.

And hit was sooth, for, everydel,

I wil anoon-right telle thee why.

'I saw hir daunce so comlily,

Carole and singe so swetely,

850

Laughe and pleye so womanly,

And loke so debonairly,

So goodly speke and so frendly,

That certes, I trow, that evermore

Nas seyn so blisful a tresore.

855

For every heer [up]on hir hede,

Soth to seyn, hit was not rede,

Ne nouther yelw, ne broun hit nas;

Me thoghte, most lyk gold hit was.

And whiche eyen my lady hadde!

860

Debonair, goode, glade, and sadde,

Simple, of good mochel, noght to wyde;

Therto hir look nas not a-syde,

Ne overthwert, but beset so wel,

Hit drew and took up, everydel,

865

Alle that on hir gan beholde.

Hir eyen semed anoon she wolde

Have mercy; fooles wenden so;

But hit was never the rather do.

Hit nas no countrefeted thing,

870

It was hir owne pure loking,

That the goddesse, dame Nature,

Had made hem opene by mesure,

And close; for, were she never so glad,

Hir loking was not foly sprad,

875

Ne wildely, thogh that she pleyde;

But ever, me thoghte, hir eyen seyde,

"By god, my wrathe is al for-yive!"

'Therwith hir liste so wel to live,

That dulnesse was of hir a-drad.

880

She nas to sobre ne to glad;

In alle thinges more mesure

Had never, I trowe, creature.

But many oon with hir loke she herte,

And that sat hir ful lyte at herte,

885

For she knew no-thing of hir thoght;

But whether she knew, or knew hit noght

Algate she ne roghte of hem a stree!

To gete hir love no ner nas he

That woned at home, than he in Inde;

890

The formest was alway behinde.

But goode folk, over al other,

She loved as man may do his brother;

Of whiche love she was wonder large,

In skilful places that bere charge.

895

'Which a visage had she ther-to!

Allas! myn herte is wonder wo

That I ne can discryven hit!

Me lakketh bothe English and wit

For to undo hit at the fulle;

900

And eek my spirits be so dulle

So greet a thing for to devyse.

I have no wit that can suffyse

To comprehenden hir beaute;

But thus moche dar I seyn, that she

905

Was rody, fresh, and lyvely hewed;

And every day hir beaute newed.

And negh hir face was alder-best;

For certes, Nature had swich lest

To make that fair, that trewly she

910

Was hir cheef patron of beautee,

And cheef ensample of al hir werke,

And moustre; for, be hit never so derke,

Me thinketh I see hir ever-mo.

And yet more-over, thogh alle tho

915

That ever lived were now a-lyve,

[They] ne sholde have founde to discryve

In al hir face a wikked signe;

For hit was sad, simple, and benigne.

'And which a goodly softe speche

920

Had that swete, my lyves leche!

So frendly, and so wel y-grounded,

Up al resoun so wel y-founded,

And so tretable to alle gode,

That I dar swere by the rode,

925

Of eloquence was never founde

So swete a sowninge facounde,

Ne trewer tonged, ne scorned lasse,

Ne bet coude hele; that, by the masse

I durste swere, thogh the pope hit songe,

930

That ther was never through hir tonge

Man ne woman gretly harmed;

As for hir, [ther] was al harm hid;

Ne lasse flatering in hir worde,

That purely, hir simple recorde

935

Was founde as trewe as any bonde,

Or trouthe of any mannes honde.

Ne chyde she coude never a del,

That knoweth al the world ful wel.

'But swich a fairnesse of a nekke

940

Had that swete, that boon nor brekke

Nas ther non sene, that mis-sat.

Hit was whyt, smothe, streght, and flat,

Withouten hole; [and] canel-boon,

As by seming, had she noon.

945

Hir throte, as I have now memoire,

Semed a round tour of yvoire,

Of good gretnesse, and noght to grete.

'And gode faire Whyte she hete,

That was my lady name right.

950

She was bothe fair and bright,

She hadde not hir name wrong.

Right faire shuldres, and body long

She hadde, and armes, every lith

Fattish, flesshy, not greet therwith;

955

Right whyte handes, and nayles rede,

Rounde brestes; and of good brede

Hir hippes were, a streight flat bak.

I knew on hir non other lak

That al hir limmes nere sewing,

960

In as fer as I had knowing.

'Therto she coude so wel pleye,

Whan that hir liste, that I dar seye,

That she was lyk to torche bright,

That every man may take of light

965

Ynogh, and hit hath never the lesse.

'Of maner and of comlinesse

Right so ferde my lady dere;

For every wight of hir manere

Might cacche ynogh, if that he wolde,

970

If he had eyen hir to beholde.

For I dar sweren, if that she

Had among ten thousand be,

She wolde have be, at the leste,

A cheef mirour of al the feste,

975

Thogh they had stonden in a rowe,

To mennes eyen that coude have knowe.

For wher-so men had pleyd or waked,

Me thoghte the felawship as naked

Withouten hir, that saw I ones,

980

As a coroune withoute stones.

Trewely she was, to myn yë,

The soleyn fenix of Arabye,

For ther liveth never but oon;

Ne swich as she ne knew I noon.

985

'To speke of goodnesse; trewly she

Had as moche debonairte

As ever had Hester in the bible,

And more, if more were possible.

And, soth to seyne, therwith-al

990

She had a wit so general,

So hool enclyned to alle gode,

That al hir wit was set, by the rode,

Withoute malice, upon gladnesse;

Therto I saw never yet a lesse

995

Harmful, than she was in doing.

I sey nat that she ne had knowing

What was harm; or elles she

Had coud no good, so thinketh me.

'And trewly, for to speke of trouthe,

1000

But she had had, hit had be routhe.

Therof she had so moche hir del—

And I dar seyn and swere hit wel—

That Trouthe him-self, over al and al,

Had chose his maner principal

1005

In hir, that was his resting-place.

Ther-to she hadde the moste grace,

To have stedfast perseveraunce,

And esy, atempre governaunce,

That ever I knew or wiste yit;

1010

So pure suffraunt was hir wit.

And reson gladly she understood,

Hit folowed wel she coude good.

She used gladly to do wel;

These were hir maners every-del.

1015

'Therwith she loved so wel right,

She wrong do wolde to no wight;

No wight might do hir no shame,

She loved so wel hir owne name.

Hir luste to holde no wight in honde;

1020

Ne, be thou siker, she nolde fonde

To holde no wight in balaunce,

By half word ne by countenaunce,

But-if men wolde upon hir lye;

Ne sende men in-to Walakye,

1025

To Pruyse and in-to Tartarye,

To Alisaundre, ne in-to Turkye,

And bidde him faste, anoon that he

Go hoodles to the drye see,

And come hoom by the Carrenare;

1030

And seye, "Sir, be now right ware

That I may of yow here seyn

Worship, or that ye come ageyn!"

She ne used no suche knakkes smale.

'But wherfor that I telle my tale?

1035

Right on this same, as I have seyd,

Was hoolly al my love leyd;

For certes, she was, that swete wyf,

My suffisaunce, my lust, my lyf,

Myn hap, myn hele, and al my blisse,

1040

My worldes welfare and my [lisse],

And I hirs hoolly, everydel.'

'By our lord,' quod I, 'I trowe yow wel!

Hardely, your love was wel beset,

I not how ye mighte have do bet.'

1045

'Bet? ne no wight so wel!' quod he.

I trowe hit, sir,' quod I, 'parde!'

Nay, leve hit wel!' 'Sir, so do I;

I leve yow wel, that trewely

Yow thoghte, that she was the beste,

1050

And to beholde the alderfaireste,

Who so had loked with your eyen.'

'With myn? nay, alle that hir seyen

Seyde, and sworen hit was so.

And thogh they ne hadde, I wolde tho

1055

Have loved best my lady fre,

Thogh I had had al the beautee

That ever had Alcipyades,

And al the strengthe of Ercules,

And therto had the worthinesse

1060

Of Alisaundre, and al the richesse

That ever was in Babiloyne,

In Cartage, or in Macedoyne,

Or in Rome, or in Ninive;

And therto al-so hardy be

1065

As was Ector, so have I Ioye,

That Achilles slow at Troye—

And therfor was he slayn also

In a temple, for bothe two

Were slayn, he and Antilegius,

1070

And so seyth Dares Frigius,

For love of [hir] Polixena—

Or ben as wys as Minerva,

I wolde ever, withoute drede,

Have loved hir, for I moste nede!

1075

"Nede!" nay, I gabbe now,

Noght "nede," and I wol telle how,

For of good wille myn herte hit wolde,

And eek to love hir I was holde

As for the fairest and the beste.

1080

'She was as good, so have I reste,

As ever was Penelope of Grece,

Or as the noble wyf Lucrece,

That was the beste—he telleth thus,

The Romain Tytus Livius—

1085

She was as good, and no-thing lyke,

Thogh hir stories be autentyke;

Algate she was as trewe as she.

'But wherfor that I telle thee

Whan I first my lady sey?

1090

I was right yong, [the] sooth to sey,

And ful gret need I hadde to lerne;

Whan my herte wolde yerne

To love, it was a greet empryse.

But as my wit coude best suffyse,

1095

After my yonge childly wit,

Withoute drede, I besette hit

To love hir in my beste wyse,

To do hir worship and servyse

That I tho coude, by my trouthe,

1100

Withoute feyning outher slouthe;

For wonder fayn I wolde hir see.

So mochel hit amended me,

That, whan I saw hir first a-morwe,

I was warished of al my sorwe

1105

Of al day after, til hit were eve;

Me thoghte no-thing mighte me greve,

Were my sorwes never so smerte.

And yit she sit so in myn herte,

That, by my trouthe, I nolde noght,

1110

For al this worlde, out of my thoght

Leve my lady; no, trewly!'

'Now, by my trouthe, sir,' quod I,

Me thinketh ye have such a chaunce

As shrift withoute repentaunce.'

1115

'Repentaunce! nay fy,' quod he;

Shulde I now repente me

To love? nay, certes, than were I wel

Wers than was Achitofel,

Or Anthenor, so have I Ioye,

1120

The traytour that betraysed Troye,

Or the false Genelon,

He that purchased the treson

Of Rowland and of Olivere.

Nay, whyl I am a-lyve here

1125

I nil foryete hir never-mo.'

'Now, goode sir,' quod I [right] tho,

Ye han wel told me her-before.

It is no need reherse hit more

How ye sawe hir first, and where;

1130

But wolde ye telle me the manere,

To hir which was your firste speche—

Therof I wolde yow be-seche—

And how she knewe first your thoght,

Whether ye loved hir or noght,

1135

And telleth me eek what ye have lore;

I herde yow telle her-before.'

'Ye,' seyde he, 'thou nost what thou menest;

I have lost more than thou wenest.'

'What los is that, [sir]?' quod I tho;

1140

'Nil she not love yow? is hit so?

Or have ye oght [y-]doon amis,

That she hath left yow? is hit this?

For goddes love, tel me al.'

'Before god,' quod he, 'and I shal.

1145

I saye right as I have seyd,

On hir was al my love leyd;

And yet she niste hit never a del

Noght longe tyme, leve hit wel.

For be right siker, I durste noght

1150

For al this worlde telle hir my thoght,

Ne I wolde have wratthed hir, trewly.

For wostow why? she was lady

Of the body; she had the herte,

And who hath that, may not asterte.

1155

'But, for to kepe me fro ydelnesse,

Trewly I did my besinesse

To make songes, as I best coude,

And ofte tyme I song hem loude;

And made songes a gret del,

1160

Al-thogh I coude not make so wel

Songes, ne knowe the art al,

As coude Lamekes sone Tubal,

That fond out first the art of songe;

For, as his brothers hamers ronge

1165

Upon his anvelt up and doun,

Therof he took the firste soun;

But Grekes seyn, Pictagoras,

That he the firste finder was

Of the art; Aurora telleth so,

1170

But therof no fors, of hem two.

Algates songes thus I made

Of my feling, myn herte to glade;

And lo! this was [the] alther-firste,

I not wher [that] hit were the werste.—

1175

¶ "Lord, hit maketh myn herte light,

Whan I thenke on that swete wight

That is so semely on to see;

And wisshe to god hit might so be,

That she wolde holde me for hir knight,

1180

My lady, that is so fair and bright!"—

'Now have I told thee, sooth to saye,

My firste song. Upon a daye

I bethoghte me what wo

And sorwe that I suffred tho

1185

For hir, and yet she wiste hit noght,

Ne telle hir durste I nat my thoght.

"Allas!" thoghte I, "I can no reed;

And, but I telle hir, I nam but deed;

And if I telle hir, to seye sooth,

1190

I am a-dred she wol be wrooth;

Allas! what shal I thanne do?"

'In this debat I was so wo,

Me thoghte myn herte braste a-tweyn!

So atte laste, soth to seyn,

1195

I me bethoghte that nature

Ne formed never in creature

So moche beaute, trewely,

And bounte, withouten mercy.

'In hope of that, my tale I tolde

1200

With sorwe, as that I never sholde,

For nedes; and, maugree my heed,

I moste have told hir or be deed.

I not wel how that I began,

Ful evel rehersen hit I can;

1205

And eek, as helpe me god with-al,

I trowe hit was in the dismal,

That was the ten woundes of Egipte;

For many a word I over-skipte

In my tale, for pure fere

1210

Lest my wordes mis-set were.

With sorweful herte, and woundes dede,

Softe and quaking for pure drede

And shame, and stinting in my tale

For ferde, and myn hewe al pale,

1215

Ful ofte I wex bothe pale and reed;

Bowing to hir, I heng the heed;

I durste nat ones loke hir on,

For wit, manere, and al was gon.

I seyde "mercy!" and no more;

1220

Hit nas no game, hit sat me sore.

'So atte laste, sooth to seyn,

Whan that myn herte was come ageyn,

To telle shortly al my speche,

With hool herte I gan hir beseche

1225

That she wolde be my lady swete;

And swor, and gan hir hertely hete

Ever to be stedfast and trewe,

And love hir alwey freshly newe,

And never other lady have,

1230

And al hir worship for to save

As I best coude; I swor hir this—

"For youres is al that ever ther is

For evermore, myn herte swete!

And never false yow, but I mete,

1235

I nil, as wis god helpe me so!"

'And whan I had my tale y-do,

God wot, she acounted nat a stree

Of al my tale, so thoghte me.

To telle shortly as hit is,

1240

Trewly hir answere, hit was this;

I can not now wel counterfete

Hir wordes, but this was the grete

Of hir answere; she sayde, "nay"

Al-outerly. Allas! that day

1245

The sorwe I suffred, and the wo!

That trewly Cassandra, that so

Bewayled the destruccioun

Of Troye and of Ilioun,

Had never swich sorwe as I tho.

1250

I durste no more say therto

For pure fere, but stal away;

And thus I lived ful many a day.

That trewely, I hadde no need

Ferther than my beddes heed

1255

Never a day to seche sorwe;

I fond hit redy every morwe,

For-why I loved hir in no gere.

'So hit befel, another yere,

I thoughte ones I wolde fonde

1260

To do hir knowe and understonde

My wo; and she wel understood

That I ne wilned thing but good,

And worship, and to kepe hir name

Over al thing, and drede hir shame,

1265

And was so besy hir to serve;—

And pite were I shulde sterve,

Sith that I wilned noon harm, y-wis.

So whan my lady knew al this,

My lady yaf me al hoolly

1270

The noble yift of hir mercy,

Saving hir worship, by al weyes;

Dredles, I mene noon other weyes.

And therwith she yaf me a ring;

I trowe hit was the firste thing;

1275

But if myn herte was y-waxe

Glad, that is no need to axe!

As helpe me god, I was as blyve,

Reysed, as fro dethe to lyve,

Of alle happes the alder-beste,

1280

The gladdest and the moste at reste.

For trewely, that swete wight,

Whan I had wrong and she the right,

She wolde alwey so goodely

For-yeve me so debonairly.

1285

In alle my youthe, in alle chaunce,

She took me in hir governaunce.

'Therwith she was alway so trewe,

Our Ioye was ever y-liche newe;

Our hertes wern so even a payre,

1290

That never nas that oon contrayre

To that other, for no wo.

For sothe, y-liche they suffred tho

Oo blisse and eek oo sorwe bothe;

Y-liche they were bothe gladde and wrothe;

1295

Al was us oon, withoute were.

And thus we lived ful many a yere

So wel, I can nat telle how.'

'Sir,' quod I, 'wher is she now?'

Now!' quod he, and stinte anoon.

1300

Therwith he wex as deed as stoon,

And seyde, 'allas! that I was bore!

That was the los, that her-before

I tolde thee, that I had lorn.

Bethenk how I seyde her-beforn,

1305

"Thou wost ful litel what thou menest;

I have lost more than thou wenest"—

God wot, allas! right that was she!'

'Allas! sir, how? what may that be?'

She is deed!' 'Nay!' 'Yis, by my trouthe!'

1310

'Is that your los? by god, hit is routhe!'

And with that worde, right anoon,

They gan to strake forth; al was doon,

For that tyme, the hert-hunting.

With that, me thoghte, that this king

1315

Gan [quikly] hoomward for to ryde

Unto a place ther besyde,

Which was from us but a lyte,

A long castel with walles whyte,

By seynt Iohan! on a riche hil,

1320

As me mette; but thus it fil.

Right thus me mette, as I yow telle,

That in the castel was a belle,

As hit had smiten houres twelve.—

Therwith I awook my-selve,

1325

And fond me lying in my bed;

And the book that I had red,

Of Alcyone and Seys the king,

And of the goddes of sleping,

I fond it in myn honde ful even.

1330

Thoghte I, 'this is so queynt a sweven,

That I wol, by processe of tyme,

Fonde to putte this sweven in ryme

As I can best'; and that anoon.—

1334

This was my sweven; now hit is doon.

Explicit the Boke of the Duchesse.

The MSS. are: F. (Fairfax 16); Tn. (Tanner 346); B. (Bodley 638); the fourth authority is Th. (Thynne's edition of 1532). I follow F. mainly, and note all but very trifling variations from it. B. usually agrees with F.

Title: in F. 1. Tn. gret; F. grete. Th. by; F. Tn. be. 5. Tn. Th. defaute; F. defaulte. 6. All take no kepe. 8. Tn. Th. lefe (read leef); F. leve. 9. Tn. Th. good; F. goode. 10. Tn. Ioye; F. Ioy. 11, 12. F. no thynge, thynge. 14. All sorwful (badly); read sory. 15. F. hooly. 16. F. woote; Th. B. wote; Tn. wotte; read wite. 19. For To perhaps read Unto. F. ertherly (miswritten). 21. All be. 22. Th. Tn. B. ne (2nd time); F. no.

23. All this. 24. All drede. 25. Th. Tn. Defaute; F. Defaulte. 26. Th. slayne; Tn. slain; F. omits. 27. F. loste. Tn. omits ll. 31-96; F. has them in a later hand (the spelling of which I amend). 32. F. nathles whoe 33. F. trewly. 34. F. tell. 35. Th. sothe; F. southe (!) F. trewly. 36. F. hold it; Th. holde it; read hold-ë hit. F. sicknes. 38. F. boote. 39. Th. F. For ther. (phisicien = fízishén). F. one. 40. F. heale; done. 41. F. vntill efte. 42. F. mote. Th. nede; F. nedes. F. lefte. 43. F. mater. 44. Th. So whan; F. Soe when. F. sawe. 45. Th. Tyl nowe late: F. Til now late; but probably corrupt. 46. F. sate. 47. F. bade one. F. booke. 48. F. it; Th. he it. F. toke. 50. F. thought; beter. 51. F. play; Ten Brink reads playen. 52. F. written.

53. F. had. 56. F. While. Th. of; F. in (copied from line above). 57. F. boke. Th. spake; F. speake (read spak). 58. F. kings. 59. Th. smale: F. smalle. 60. Th. al; F. all. F. fonde. 61. F. thought. 62. F. There. 63. F. hight. Th. Seys; F. Seyes. F. had. F. wife. 64. Th. beste; F. best. F. might beare lyfe. 65. F. hight. 66. F. Soe it befill thereafter. 67. F. woll; Th. wol. 70. Perhaps read gan aryse. 71. F. brake. (hir=their). F. maste; fal. 72. Th. her; F. ther (see line above). F. dreint; all. 73. Th. F. founde (error for founden). 74. F. Borde. 75. Th. Seys; F. Seyes. F. life. 76. Th. F. Now for to speke of Alcyone his wyfe; read: Now for to speken of his wyf. F. wife. 79. Th. F. Home; it. 80. Th. Anon; F. Anone. Th. F. began (error for gan). Th. F. yerne (error for erme); see note.

81. F. thought. 82. F. It; wele; thought soe. Both her thought so, caught from l. 81; read he dwelte (delayed). 83. F. soe. 84. F. it. 85. F. tell. Th. hertely; F. hartely. F. life. 86. Th. F. she had; I omit she, and supply alas from l. 87. 87. Th. and F. insert alas after him. 88. F. Anone; sent. 91. F. where. 92. Th. nyl; F. will. F. eate breede. 94. Th. lorde; F. Lord. 95. F. toke. 96. F. trewly; booke. 97. The older hand recommences in F. F. had; Tn. I Had. F. suche (twice). F. pittee. 100. F. And aftir; but Th. Tn. B. omit And. 101. All this lady (for she; badly). 102. F. myght; lorde. 103. F. ofte; sayed. 104. F. woode. 105. F. rede. 106. F. doune; sate. 107. All wepte (read weep). F. pittee. 109. Th. to; which F. Tn. omit. 110. F. Helpe; B. Help.

112. F. Soone. Tn. B. wite; F. Th. wete. 114. F. yowe. 116. Th. Tn. B. good wyl; F. good wille (wil is here a monosyllable). 117. F. wilte. 118. Tn. Send; Th. F. Sende. 119. Th. som; F. somme. 120. Th. through; F. thorgh. F. knowe. 121. F. lorde; quyke; ded. 122. F. worde; henge; hed. 123. Th. Tn. fel; F. felle (see l. 128). F. A swowne, Tn. a swowe (for a-swowen = a-swown); Th. in a swowne. F. colde; Tn. cold. 124. F. kaught; anoon. 127. Tn. dede; F. ded. All slepe. 128. F. tooke. All kepe. 129. Th. Through; F. Throgh. F. herde. 130. I supply for. 131. Th. Tn. prayde; F. prayede; after which all insert right (but see next line). 134. F. come. 137, 138. All slepe, kepe. F. vnderstonde; take.

141. Tn. B. alle; F. al. 142. Th. He; F. Tn. That he. F. kynge. 144. Tn. B. Bid; F. Bud. 145. Th. Alcyone; F. Tn. Alchione. 146. Th. alone; F. allone. 149. After speke all insert right (see next line). 150. All woned. 151. Tn. on; F. a. 152. F. hye the. 153. F. toke; went. 154. Th. he (for ne). F. stent. 155. Tn. com; F. come. F. valey. 156. Th. bytwene; F. betwex; Tn. betwix. F. twey. 157. F. corne. 158, 159. All noght (for nothing). F. oughte. 162. F. dedely; Th. deedly; Tn. dedli. 166. F. There these; lay. 167. Th. F. B. Eclympasteyre (as in text); Tn. Etlympasteyre (with t for c). 168. Tn. heire; F. eyre. 169, 170. F. werke, derke.

171. Tn. pit; F. pitte. 173. F. To envye; Tn. Th. vie. 175. Tn. slepte; F. slept; see 177. Th. heed; F. hed. B. Tn. I-hid; Th. yhed; F. yhedde. 176. All lay. F. Tn. bedde. 177. F. slepe; Th. Tn. slepte. 178. F. com. Tn. flyyng; F. fleynge; Th. rennyng. 179. F. Tn. O how; Th. ho ho. F. awake. 180. F. there. 181. F. Awake; lythe. 182. F. horne. Tn. B. ere; F. heere. 184. Tn. oon; F. on. F. ye; Th. eye; Tn. eiȝe. 185. Th. Tn. Cast; F. Caste. All ins. and after up. 191. Th. wente; F. went. F. sayede; Tn. seide. 192. F. a-brayede; Tn. abraied. 195. F. Tooke; dreynt; see Cant. Ta. B. 69. 196. F. bare. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. 197. F. wife. 199. Th. her; F. Tn. hys. F. fete; see note. 200. All hete.

201. F. sayede; wyfe. 202. F. Awake; lyfe. 203. F. there; rede. 204. I put nam; all have am. F. dede. 206. I supply look, for the sake of sense and metre; read—But good swet' hert-ë, look that ye. 207. All for suche; read at whiche. 210. F. pray; youre. 211. F. while oure. 213. All allas (for A). 214. F. deyede; Tn. deid. 215. F. sayede. Tn. swow; Th. B. swowe; F. sorowe (!). 216. F. nowe. 219. Tn. told; F. tolde. F. thynge. 220. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. F. kynge. 221. All say. Tn. wel; F. welle. 222. Tn. eueridel; F. euerydelle. 223. F. thorgh. Tn. defaute; F. defaulte. All slepe. 224. Th. F. ne had (read nad); Tn. hade. Tn. red; F. redde. All take kepe. 226. F. omits I (by mistake). 228. F. redde. 229. F. kynge. 230. Th. goddes; F. Tn. goddis.

231. Tn. red; F. redde. 233. F. thoght. 234. Tn. herd; F. herde. 235. F. goddis. 236. I supply the former for. 237. I ne = I n'. 238. F. sayede. 239. F. pley. 240. F. dey. 241. F. Thorgh defaulte. Tn. sleping; F. slepynge. 244. Tn. sum; F. somme. F. ellis. F. roght; Th. Tn. rought. 245. Tn. som; F. some. 247. F. Yifte. F. abode. 248. B. on warde; rest onwarde. 251. F. yif (see l. 246). Tn. fethirbed; F. feder bedde. 252. Tn. cled; F. cledde. 253. Tn. fyn; F. fyne. Th. doutremere; Tn. doutermere; F. de owter mere. 254. Tn. pilow; F. pelowe. 257, 8. F. fallys, hallys.

264. All ins. quene after goddesse. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. 267. All wanne (!). 269. F. payede. 270. Tn. woord; F. worde. F. y-sayede. 271. Th. Tn. B. as; which F. omits. Tn. told; F. tolde. 273. Tn. lust; F. luste. F. tooke. 274. F. booke. 275. F. evene. 276. F. swevene. 277. Tn. ȝit; F. yitte. 278. Th. trowe; F. trow; Tn. trov. 281. Th. Tn. B. he; F. ho. F. red; Th. Tn. rad (but read redde or radde). 282. F. metynge. 283. B. leste; F. lest. 285. Tn. wrot; F. wrote. 286. F. kynge. 288. Th. Suche meruayles fortuned than; F. Tn. B. omit this line.

291. F. thoght. 292. F. dawnynge. Th. there; rest om. 294. All And (for I). 295. Tn. gret; F. grete. 296. All insert my before slepe; it is not wanted. 297. F. Thorgh; swettenesse; songe. 298. Th. as; F. Tn. B. al (badly). F. amonge. 299. F. roofe. 300. All ouer al; but omit ouer. 301. All songe, song. 304. F. herde. Tn. B. som; F. somme. Tn. song; F. songe (it can be singular). 305. Tn. Som; F. Somme. F. high. 306. F. att. 307. F. harde; Tn. I-herd. 308. F. thynge. 309. F. soune. Th. Th. entunes; F. entewnes. 310. F. tewnes; Th. Tewnes; Tn. twnes. 311. F. herde. 313. F. Thorgh syngynge. 315. F. nowhere herde; halfe. 316. F. halfe. 318. Tn. ich; rest eche.

319. F. wrongly inserts of after out. F. notys. 320. F. throtys. 321. F. soothe. 323. F. y-glasyd. 324. F. hoole y-crasyd. 326. Tn. hoolly; F. holy. Tn. storie; F. story. 327. F. glasynge. 328. All and of king. 329. All repeat of king before Lamedon; the words were caught from l. 328. 330. All insert And eke before Of Medea. 331. All and of (for and). 332. Tn. colours; F. colouris. 334. All And; read Of. 335. Th. weren; F. were. Tn. shet; F. shette. 336. F. throgh. 337. F. bryght. 338. F. gilde; Th. B. gyldy; Tn. gilti; read gilden. 339. F. eke. F. welken; Th. Tn. welkyn. All faire. 340. F. ayre. 341. Th. atempre; F. Tn. attempre. 342. All ins. to bef. cold. F. colde; hoote. Th. nas; F. Tn. was. 343. F. welkene; Th. welkyn; Tn. walkyn. 345. F. thoght. 346. F. Tassay; horne.

347. Tn. B. hors; Th. F. horse. 348. All insert And at the beginning of the line; but read I herd-e. F. Th. goynge; Tn. goyng; after which all insert bothe (which is not wanted). 350. F. Th. speke; Tn. spake; but read speken. 355. F. huntynge. 357. I supply I. F. Tooke; forthe; went. 358. F. stent. 359. F. come; felde. 360. F. ouertoke; grete. 361. F. eke; foresterys. 362. F. lymerys. 364. Th. I; which F. Tn. omit. For at the perhaps read atte. 366. F. felowe whoo. All hunte (read hunten). 367. All answered (-id). 369. F. here fast. 370. Read goddes as god's. 373. F. didde. 374. F. huntynge fille. 375. F. fote hote. 376. F. blewe; mote.

377. F. vncoupylynge; Th. vncouplynge. 378. F. Withynne; while; herte. Th. F. founde; Tn. found; read y-founde. 380. All and so; om. so. 381. F. Tn. B. rused; Th. roused. F. staale. 383. Th. ouer-shot; F. ouershette; Tn. ouershet. Tn. hem; F. hym (wrongly). 384. Tn. on; F. vpon. Tn. defaute; F. defaulte. 386. F. Blewe. Th. Tn. forloyn; F. forleygne. Perhaps read atte for at the. 388. F. went; came. 389. F. whelpe. Th. fawned; F. Favned. F. stoode. 390. F. goode. 391. F. come. All have crepte (wrongly); read creep. 392. Tn. hade; F. had. 393. B. Hild; F. Hylde; Tn. Held. Th. heed; Tn. hed; F. hede. F. erys. 394. F. herys. 395. All haue; read han. 396. Tn. fledde; F. fled. 397. F. forthe went. 398. F. went. 399. All swete (correctly). 400. All fete; see 199. 402. Tn. bothe; F. both. 404. All made; read mad or maad. F dwellynge.

406. F. therthe; Th. the erthe. 408. F. moo; swche (sic). 409. Th. welken; F. walkene. F. sterris. 411. F. thorgh. 412. All suffre. 414. F. woode. 415. All made. 416. All nede eke. 417. F. Where there. 419. F. stoode. 420. Tn. ten; F. tene. Th. foote; F. fete; Tn. om. Th. or; F. Tn. fro other (repeated). 422. Th. Tn. B. Of; F. Or. Th. or; rest om. F. fedme; Th. fedome; Tn. fedim; read fadme. 424. Th. brode; F. Tn. bothe (wrongly). F. eke. 426. Tn. B. shadwe; F. shadewe. 427. Tn. hert; F. herte. 429. Th. fawnes; F. Tn. fovnes. F. Tn. sowres; Th. sowers. 430. Tn. wode; F. woode. 429, 430. B. doys, roys. 431. Th. squyrrels; F. sqwirels; Tn. squirels; B. squyrellys (three syllables). 432. F. high. 433. F. festys. 434. F. bestys.

435. Th. Tn. countour; F. counter (and so in l. 436). 437. F. Tn. rekene; Th. reken (caught from above); read rekened. F. figuris. 438. F. figuris. F. mowe; B. mow; Th. Tn. newe (reading doubtful). All have al ken; see note. 440. B. telle; rest tel. F. thinge. 441. F. evene. 442. F. swevene. 443. All ins. right bef. wonder. 444. F. Doune; woode. 446. Th. sate; F. Tn. sete. Tn. Iturned; F. turned. 447. F. ooke. 448. Th. Tn. thought; F. thogh (!). 450. F. went. 451. Tn. fond; F. founde. 452. F. farynge. 454. All but B. insert ryght before yong. Tn. ȝung; F. Th. yonge. 455. All yere; read yeer. 456. All heere, here; read heer. 457. Th. blacke; F. blake. 458. Tn. bakke; F. bake. 459. F. stoode. 460. F. sawe. 461. Tn. heng; F. henge. Th. heed; Tn. hed; F. hede. 462. Tn. dedly; F. dedely.

463. Th. Tn. twelue; F. twelfe. 464. Th. Tn. selue; F. selfe. 465. Tn. pite; F. pitee. 468. All suffre; read suffren. 469. F. suche. Th. deed; F. Tn. ded. 470. Tn. pitous; B. pitouse; F. petuose. Tn. nothing; F. no thynge. Th. reed; F. Tn. red. 471. F. sayed; Tn. said. 471, 2. Tn. song; F. songe. 473. B. alone supplies it (=hit); all insert ful before wel. 475. F. grete; Tn. gret. All wone; read woon. 476. F. Ioy; none. 477, 8. Read brighte, mighte? 479. Th. deed; F. ded. After l. 479 Thynne inserts And thus in sorowe lefte me alone; it is spurious; see note. [Hence there is no l. 480.] 481. Koch supplies o. Tn. deth; F. dethe. 483. Tn. that; which F. Tn. omit. 484. F. faire. F. freshe; Tn. fressh. 485. All se; but read y-see. 486. F. goodenesse. 487. All made. Th. B. complaynte; F. complaynt. 488. F. sorwful. Th. herte; F. hert. Th. B. faynte; F. faynt. 489. F. spiritis. 490. Tn. blood; F. bloode.

491. Th. herte; F. hert. All warme. 492. Th. herte; F. hert. All harme. 493. B. wite; F. wete. All eke. 498. All insert ther before no. F. noo bloode. All is; but read was. 499. Th. lymme; B. Tn. lyme; F. hym(!). 500. B. saw; F. saugh. 501. F. Th. there; Tn. for. All sete (fete is dat. pl.). 502. F. went; stoode. 503. All spake (wrongly). 504. Th. Tn. owne; F. ovne. 506. F. Th. lyfe; Tn. life. 507. F. thought. 509. F. throgh. B. sorwe; Tn. sorov; F. sorwes. 511. Tn. lost; F. loste. 512. F. inserts the before god; Th. Tn. omit. 513. F. wrothe. 514. Th. laste; F. last. F. sothe. 515. F. stoode. 516. All did. F. hoode. 517. All had ygret; Lange proposes grette (e unelided). 519. F. wrothe. 520. F. sothe.

521. B. saw; F. sawgh. F. trewly. 522. Tn. goode; F. good. 523, 4. F. oughte, thoughte. 526. F. thamendys. 527. F. lyeth; Tn. lith. 528. F. There. All myssayde. 529. Th. goodly; F. goodely. All spake (!). Th. knyght; F. knyghte. 530. B. ben; rest be. 531. F. towgh. 532. F. sawe; aqueynt. 533. F. fonde. 535. F. thoght. 537. F. oughte. 538. F. knowynge; thoughte. 541. F. These huntys konne. 543. F. there on; dele (Tn. del). 544. Tn. Bi; Th. By; F. Be. F. oure lorde; wele (Tn. wel). 545. B. thinketh; F. thenketh. 547. F. grete. 548. Ins. good; see 714, 721. Th. Tn. if; F. yif. 550. F. wys; Th. wyse; Tn. wisse.

554. Th. al; F. alle; Tn. om. 556. B. ese; F. ease. 560. Tn. frend; F. frende. 564. All fal. 565. F. vnderstondynge lorne. 566. F. borne. 568. F. Th. ins. al (Tn. of) before the. 570. All ins. his after with. 571. All ins. no after may. 573. Th. Tn. houres; F. oures. 574. All assay. 575. B. Th. herte; F. Tn. hert. 577. F. wrechch; Tn. wrecch; Tn. wretche (for wrecche). All made. 578. F. al; Th. Tn. al the; B. alle (read al-le). 579. B. alle; rest al. 581. All lyfe. F. loothe. 582. F. wroothe (it is plural). 583. All ins. ful after so. F. foo. 584. All That; read Thogh. F. soo.

586. For the former hit, all have him; but see line above. 587. Th. reed; F. rede. 588. F. deynge. Th. deed; F. dede. 589. F. B. Thesiphus; Tn. Tesiphus; Th. Tesyphus. (The two latter are miswritten for Cesiphus = Sesiphus). Tn. lithe; F. Th. lyeth. 591. Th. Tn. al; F. alle. Th. by; F. Tn. be. 592. Tn. hade; F. had. 594. Tn. feenli (sic); Th. F. fendely. 596. Tn. met; Th. F. mette (!); read y-met. 598. B. telle; rest tel. 599. For song, F. Th. have sorowe, and Tn. has sorov, which are absurd; the reading is obviously song, the ng being altered to rowe by influence of l. 597, which the scribes glanced at. Tn. pleynyng; F. pleynynge. 600. Tn. laughter; F. lawghtre. Tn. weping; F. wepynge. 601. F. thoghtys. 603. All eke. 604. Th. Tn. good; F. goode. All harme. 605. Th. playeng; F. pleynge. 606. F. sorwynge. 607. Tn. sekenes; F. sekeenesse (sic). 609. Tn. liȝt; F. lyghte; Th. syght. 610. Tn. wit; F. wytte. Th. Tn. nyght; F. nyghte.

611. All slepe. Tn. waking; F. wakynge. 612. Tn. fasting; F. fastynge. 614. Tn. abaved (sic); Th. F. abawed. All where so. 617. Tn. boldnes; Th. F. boldenesse. (Perhaps read y-turned.) 618. F. pleyde; Th. played; Tn. pleied. 619. F. Atte the (wrongly); Th. Tn. At the. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. 621. Tn. halt; F. Th. halte (!). 622. Tn. goth; Th. gothe; F. gethe (!). Th. halte; Tn. is halt; F. is halte. 627. Th. wrien; rest varien (!). 628. Th. Tn. monstres; F. Mowstres. Th. heed; F. Tn. hed. 629. B. filth; rest fylthe. Th. Tn. ystrowed. 630. F. worshippe. Th. Tn. floures; F. B. flourys; read flour is. 632. Tn. feith; F. feythe. 633. F. lawghynge. 634. Tn. oon; Th. F. one. Th. eye; Tn. eiȝ; F. yghe; B. ye. F. wepynge. 635. Th. set; F. sette. 637. F. flateyrynge; Tn. flateryng. 639. Th. Tn. amyd; F. amydde. 640. Th. he; F. hyt; Tn. it.

642. F. thenvyouse; Tn. thenvious; Th. the enuyous. 644. Th. false; F. Tn. fals. 645. F. no thynge. 647. Th. Ful; rest For. F. thus she; Tn. Th. she thus. 649. Th. nat; F. Tn. not. 650. Th. false; F. Tn. fals. Th. F. thefe; Tn. knaue. 651. F. oure lorde; the sey. 652. All At the; Atte is better. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. F. pley. 653. Th. Tn. false; F. fals. 654. F. staale; toke. F. Tn. fers; Th. feers. 655. F. sawgh. B. a-waye; rest away. 656. B. pleye; Th. F. play; Tn. pley. 657. All farewel (farewell); and in l. 658. 660. All insert the after in (badly). 661. F. povne; Tn. poun; Th. paune. Tn. erraunt; F. errante. 663. Tn. Athalaus. 664. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. 666. B. I-koude; Th. Tn. Iconde (!); F. y-konde (!); see l. 667. 667. Tn. Grek; F. Greke. Th. Pithagores; F. Tn. Pictagoras. 668. Tn. pleyd; F. pleyde.

670. Tn. thogh; Th. thoughe; F. thoght (sic). F. trewly. 671. F. holde; wysshe. 675. All eke. B. las; F. lasse; Tn. lesse. 676. F. -selfe. 677. Th. had I ben; F. as I be (wrongly). 678. F. oght. 681. All she my fers; read my fers she (Koch). All kaught, read caughte; and dranghte in ll. 682, 685. 683. Tn. wis; F. wys. 684. Th. she; F. Tn. B. he. F. tooke. 685. F. throgh; draught; lorne. 686. F. borne. 689. F. doone. 690. F. Be oure lorde; soone. 691. F. -thynge. I supply ne. 693. All For there (ther); but omit For. 694. F. ayre. 695. F. yifte. 696. F. wepynge.

699. Tn. lyth; F. lyeth. F. rekenynge. 700. Th. Tn. In; F. Inne. 701. F. levyth noe. 702. B. Tn. glade; F. glad; read gladde. 703. Th. lost; F. loste. 710. Tn. telle; F. tel. 711. Th. Tn. Thus; F. This. 712. F. myght; duelle. 713. Tn. dide, herte; F. dyd, hert. 714. Th. good; F. goode. 715. Tn. som; F. somme. 721. All insert yis (or yes) before parde; which spoils both sense and metre. 722. Th. say; rest om. F. trewly. 723. Th. lost; F. loste. 726. Th. good; F. goode. 727. Tn. slowe; F. slowgh. 728. All also; read als. 729. F. Henge.

732. All the quene; omit the. All eke. 733. Tn. slow; F. slough. F. selfe. 734. I supply former a. F. foole. 735. All Ecquo. 739. Tn. slow; F. slough. F. hym-selfe. 740. All no man; but read noon. 741. Perhaps read maken. 743. F. woste; menyst. 744. Th, lost; F. loste. F. thow wenyst. 745. F. Tn. Loo she that may be; Th. Howe that may be; here she is an error for sir, and Howe that may be for how may that be; (ed. 1550 has Howe may that be). 746. All sir. F. Tn. telle; Th. tel. F. hooly. 749. F. come. Tn. sit; F. sytte. 750. F. inserts hyt after telle; which Th. Tn. omit. Th. Tn. vpon a; F. vp a; but vp is right. 751. All ins. shalt after thou; omit it (Koch). F. hooly. Tn. wit; Th. wyt; F. wytte. 752. Tn. hit; F. hitte (!). 754. F. Tn. here lo; Th. here to. Accent thér- and hér-. 755. Perhaps right should be omitted. 756. F. Hooly. 758. B. half; F. halfe; (goddes = god's).