← Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

Book I

The Hous of Fame.

God turne us every dreem to gode!

For hit is wonder, by the rode,

To my wit, what causeth swevenes

Either on morwes, or on evenes;

And why the effect folweth of somme,

And of somme hit shal never come;

Why that is an avisioun,

And this a revelacioun;

Why this a dreem, why that a sweven,

And nat to every man liche even;

Why this a fantom, these oracles,

I noot; but who-so of these miracles

The causes knoweth bet than I,

Devyne he; for I certeinly

Ne can hem noght, ne never thinke

To besily my wit to swinke,

To knowe of hir signifiaunce

The gendres, neither the distaunce

Of tymes of hem, ne the causes

For-why this more than that cause is;

As if folkes complexiouns

Make hem dreme of reflexiouns;

Or elles thus, as other sayn,

For to greet feblenesse of brayn,

By abstinence, or by seeknesse,

Prison, stewe, or greet distresse;

Or elles by disordinaunce

Of naturel acustomaunce,

That som man is to curious

In studie, or melancolious,

Or thus, so inly ful of drede,

That no man may him bote bede;

Or elles, that devocioun

Of somme, and contemplacioun

Causeth swiche dremes ofte;

Or that the cruel lyf unsofte

Which these ilke lovers leden

That hopen over muche or dreden,

That purely hir impressiouns

Causeth hem avisiouns;

Or if that spirits have the might

To make folk to dreme a-night

Or if the soule, of propre kinde,

Be so parfit, as men finde,

That hit forwot that is to come,

And that hit warneth alle and somme

Of everiche of hir aventures

By avisiouns, or by figures,

But that our flesh ne hath no might

To understonden hit aright,

For hit is warned to derkly;—

But why the cause is, noght wot I.

Wel worthe, of this thing, grete clerkes,

That trete of this and other werkes;

For I of noon opinioun

Nil as now make mencioun,

But only that the holy rode

Turne us every dreem to gode!

For never, sith that I was born,

Ne no man elles, me biforn,

Mette, I trowe stedfastly,

So wonderful a dreem as I

The tenthe day [dide] of Decembre,

The which, as I can now remembre,

I wol yow tellen every del.

The Invocation.

But at my ginning, trusteth wel,

I wol make invocacioun,

With special devocioun,

Unto the god of slepe anoon,

That dwelleth in a cave of stoon

Upon a streem that comth fro Lete,

That is a flood of helle unswete;

Besyde a folk men clepe Cimerie,

Ther slepeth ay this god unmerie

With his slepy thousand sones

That alway for to slepe hir wone is—

And to this god, that I of rede,

Preye I, that he wol me spede

My sweven for to telle aright,

If every dreem stonde in his might.

And he, that mover is of al

That is and was, and ever shal,

So yive hem Ioye that hit here

Of alle that they dreme to-yere,

And for to stonden alle in grace

Of hir loves, or in what place

That hem wer levest for to stonde,

And shelde hem fro povert and shonde,

And fro unhappe and ech disese,

And sende hem al that may hem plese,

That take hit wel, and scorne hit noght,

Ne hit misdemen in her thoght

Through malicious entencioun.

And who-so, through presumpcioun,

Or hate or scorne, or through envye,

Dispyt, or Iape, or vilanye,

Misdeme hit, preye I Iesus god

That (dreme he barfoot, dreme he shod),

That every harm that any man

100

Hath had, sith [that] the world began,

Befalle him therof, or he sterve,

And graunte he mote hit ful deserve,

Lo! with swich a conclusioun

As had of his avisioun

105

Cresus, that was king of Lyde,

That high upon a gebet dyde!

This prayer shal he have of me;

I am no bet in charite!

Now herkneth, as I have you seyd,

110

What that I mette, or I abreyd.

The Dream.

Of Decembre the tenthe day,

Whan hit was night, to slepe I lay

Right ther as I was wont to done,

And fil on slepe wonder sone,

115

As he that wery was for-go

On pilgrimage myles two

To the corseynt Leonard,

To make lythe of that was hard.

But as I sleep, me mette I was

120

Within a temple y-mad of glas;

In whiche ther were mo images

Of gold, stondinge in sondry stages,

And mo riche tabernacles,

And with perre mo pinacles,

125

And mo curious portreytures,

And queynte maner of figures

Of olde werke, then I saw ever.

For certeynly, I niste never

Wher that I was, but wel wiste I,

130

Hit was of Venus redely,

The temple; for, in portreyture,

I saw anoon-right hir figure

Naked fletinge in a see.

And also on hir heed, parde,

135

Hir rose-garlond whyt and reed,

And hir comb to kembe hir heed,

Hir dowves, and daun Cupido,

Hir blinde sone, and Vulcano,

That in his face was ful broun.

140

But as I romed up and doun,

I fond that on a wal ther was

Thus writen, on a table of bras:

'I wol now singe, if that I can,

The armes, and al-so the man,

145

That first cam, through his destinee,

Fugitif of Troye contree,

In Itaile, with ful moche pyne,

Unto the strondes of Lavyne.'

And tho began the story anoon,

150

As I shal telle yow echoon.

First saw I the destruccioun

Of Troye, through the Greek Sinoun,

[That] with his false forsweringe,

And his chere and his lesinge

155

Made the hors broght into Troye,

Thorgh which Troyens loste al hir Ioye.

And after this was grave, allas!

How Ilioun assailed was

And wonne, and king Priam y-slayn,

160

And Polites his sone, certayn,

Dispitously, of dan Pirrus.

And next that saw I how Venus,

Whan that she saw the castel brende,

Doun fro the hevene gan descende,

165

And bad hir sone Eneas flee;

And how he fledde, and how that he

Escaped was from al the pres,

And took his fader, Anchises,

And bar him on his bakke away,

170

Cryinge, 'Allas, and welaway!'

The whiche Anchises in his honde

Bar the goddes of the londe,

Thilke that unbrende were.

And I saw next, in alle this fere,

175

How Creusa, daun Eneas wyf,

Which that he lovede as his lyf,

And hir yonge sone Iulo,

And eek Ascanius also,

Fledden eek with drery chere,

180

That hit was pitee for to here;

And in a forest, as they wente,

At a turninge of a wente,

How Creusa was y-lost, allas!

That deed, [but] noot I how, she was;

185

How he hir soughte, and how hir gost

Bad him to flee the Grekes ost,

And seyde, he moste unto Itaile,

As was his destinee, sauns faille;

That hit was pitee for to here,

190

Whan hir spirit gan appere,

The wordes that she to him seyde,

And for to kepe hir sone him preyde.

Ther saw I graven eek how he,

His fader eek, and his meynee,

195

With his shippes gan to sayle

Toward the contree of Itaile,

As streight as that they mighte go.

Ther saw I thee, cruel Iuno,

That art daun Iupiteres wyf,

200

That hast y-hated, al thy lyf,

Al the Troyanisshe blood,

Renne and crye, as thou were wood,

On Eolus, the god of windes,

To blowen out, of alle kindes,

205

So loude, that he shulde drenche

Lord and lady, grome and wenche

Of al the Troyan nacioun,

Withoute any savacioun.

Ther saw I swich tempeste aryse,

210

That every herte mighte agryse,

To see hit peynted on the walle.

Ther saw I graven eek withalle,

Venus, how ye, my lady dere,

Wepinge with ful woful chere,

215

Prayen Iupiter an hye

To save and kepe that navye

Of the Troyan Eneas,

Sith that he hir sone was.

Ther saw I Ioves Venus kisse,

220

And graunted of the tempest lisse.

Ther saw I how the tempest stente,

And how with alle pyne he wente,

And prevely took arrivage

In the contree of Cartage;

225

And on the morwe, how that he

And a knight, hight Achatee,

Metten with Venus that day,

Goinge in a queynt array,

As she had ben an hunteresse,

230

With wind blowinge upon hir tresse;

How Eneas gan him to pleyne,

Whan that he knew hir, of his peyne;

And how his shippes dreynte were,

Or elles lost, he niste where;

235

How she gan him comforte tho,

And bad him to Cartage go,

And ther he shuldë his folk finde,

That in the see were left behinde.

And, shortly of this thing to pace,

240

She made Eneas so in grace

Of Dido, quene of that contree,

That, shortly for to tellen, she

Becam his love, and leet him do

That that wedding longeth to.

245

What shulde I speke more queynte,

Or peyne me my wordes peynte,

To speke of love? hit wol not be;

I can not of that facultee.

And eek to telle the manere

250

How they aqueynteden in-fere,

Hit were a long proces to telle,

And over long for yow to dwelle.

Ther saw I grave, how Eneas

Tolde Dido every cas,

255

That him was tid upon the see.

And after grave was, how she

Made of him, shortly, at oo word,

Hir lyf, hir love, hir lust, hir lord;

And dide him al the reverence,

260

And leyde on him al the dispence,

That any woman mighte do,

Weninge hit had al be so,

As he hir swoor; and her-by demed

That he was good, for he swich semed.

265

Allas! what harm doth apparence,

Whan hit is fals in existence!

For he to hir a traitour was;

Wherfor she slow hir-self, allas!

Lo, how a woman doth amis,

270

To love him that unknowen is!

For, by Crist, lo! thus hit fareth;

'Hit is not al gold, that glareth.'

For, al-so brouke I wel myn heed,

Ther may be under goodliheed

275

Kevered many a shrewed vyce;

Therfor be no wight so nyce,

To take a love only for chere,

For speche, or for frendly manere;

For this shal every woman finde

280

That som man, of his pure kinde,

Wol shewen outward the faireste,

Til he have caught that what him leste;

And thanne wol he causes finde,

And swere how that she is unkinde,

285

Or fals, or prevy, or double was.

Al this seye I by Eneas

And Dido, and hir nyce lest,

That lovede al to sone a gest;

Therfor I wol seye a proverbe,

290

That 'he that fully knoweth therbe

May saufly leye hit to his yë';

Withoute dreed, this is no lye.

But let us speke of Eneas,

How he betrayed hir, allas!

295

And lefte hir ful unkindely.

So whan she saw al-utterly,

That he wolde hir of trouthe faile,

And wende fro hir to Itaile,

She gan to wringe hir hondes two.

300

'Allas!' quod she, 'what me is wo!

Allas! is every man thus trewe,

That every yere wolde have a newe,

If hit so longe tyme dure,

Or elles three, peraventure?

305

As thus: of oon he wolde have fame

In magnifying of his name;

Another for frendship, seith he;

And yet ther shal the thridde be,

That shal be taken for delyt,

310

Lo, or for singular profyt.'

In swiche wordes gan to pleyne

Dido of hir grete peyne,

As me mette redely;

Non other auctour alegge I.

315

'Allas!' quod she, 'my swete herte,

Have pitee on my sorwes smerte,

And slee me not! go noght away!

O woful Dido, wel away!'

Quod she to hir-selve tho.

320

'O Eneas! what wil ye do?

O, that your love, ne your bonde,

That ye han sworn with your right honde,

Ne my cruel deeth,' quod she,

'May holde yow still heer with me!

325

O, haveth of my deeth pitee!

Y-wis, my dere herte, ye

Knowen ful wel that never yit,

As fer-forth as I hadde wit,

Agilte yow in thoght ne deed.

330

O, have ye men swich goodliheed

In speche, and never a deel of trouthe?

Allas, that ever hadde routhe

Any woman on any man!

Now see I wel, and telle can,

335

We wrecched wimmen conne non art;

For certeyn, for the more part,

Thus we be served everichone.

How sore that ye men conne grone,

Anoon as we have yow receyved!

340

Certeinly we ben deceyved;

For, though your love laste a sesoun,

Wayte upon the conclusioun,

And eek how that ye determynen,

And for the more part diffynen.

345

'O, welawey that I was born!

For through yow is my name lorn,

And alle myn actes red and songe

Over al this lond, on every tonge.

O wikke Fame! for ther nis

350

Nothing so swift, lo, as she is!

O, sooth is, every thing is wist,

Though hit be kevered with the mist.

Eek, thogh I mighte duren ever,

That I have doon, rekever I never,

355

That I ne shal be seyd, allas,

Y-shamed be through Eneas,

And that I shal thus Iuged be—

"Lo, right as she hath doon, now she

Wol do eftsones, hardily;"

360

Thus seyth the peple prevely.'—

But that is doon, nis not to done;

Al hir compleynt ne al hir mone,

Certeyn, availeth hir not a stre.

And whan she wiste sothly he

365

Was forth unto his shippes goon,

She in hir chambre wente anoon,

And called on hir suster Anne,

And gan hir to compleyne thanne;

And seyde, that she cause was

370

That she first lovede [Eneas],

And thus counseilled hir therto.

But what! when this was seyd and do,

She roof hir-selve to the herte,

And deyde through the wounde smerte.

375

But al the maner how she deyde,

And al the wordes that she seyde,

Who-so to knowe hit hath purpos,

Reed Virgile in Eneidos

Or the Epistle of Ovyde,

380

What that she wroot or that she dyde;

And nere hit to long to endyte,

By god, I woldë hit here wryte.

But, welaway! the harm, the routhe,

That hath betid for swich untrouthe,

385

As men may ofte in bokes rede,

And al day seen hit yet in dede,

That for to thenken hit, a tene is.

Lo, Demophon, duk of Athenis,

How he forswor him ful falsly,

390

And trayed Phillis wikkedly,

That kinges doghter was of Trace,

And falsly gan his terme pace;

And when she wiste that he was fals,

She heng hir-self right by the hals,

395

For he had do hir swich untrouthe;

Lo! was not this a wo and routhe?

Eek lo! how fals and reccheles

Was to Briseida Achilles,

And Paris to Enone;

400

And Iason to Isiphile;

And eft Iason to Medea;

And Ercules to Dyanira;

For he lefte hir for Iöle,

That made him cacche his deeth, parde.

405

How fals eek was he, Theseus;

That, as the story telleth us,

How he betrayed Adriane;

The devel be his soules bane!

For had he laughed, had he loured,

410

He mostë have be al devoured,

If Adriane ne had y-be!

And, for she had of him pitee,

She made him fro the dethe escape,

And he made hir a ful fals Iape;

415

For after this, within a whyle

He lefte hir slepinge in an yle,

Deserte alone, right in the see,

And stal away, and leet hir be;

And took hir suster Phedra tho

420

With him, and gan to shippe go.

And yet he had y-sworn to here,

On al that ever he mighte swere,

That, so she saved him his lyf,

He wolde have take hir to his wyf;

425

For she desired nothing elles,

In certein, as the book us telles.

But to excusen Eneas

Fulliche of al his greet trespas,

The book seyth, Mercurie, sauns faile,

430

Bad him go into Itaile,

And leve Auffrykes regioun,

And Dido and hir faire toun.

Tho saw I grave, how to Itaile

Daun Eneas is go to saile;

435

And how the tempest al began,

And how he loste his steresman,

Which that the stere, or he took keep,

Smot over-bord, lo! as he sleep.

And also saw I how Sibyle

440

And Eneas, besyde an yle,

To helle wente, for to see

His fader, Anchises the free.

How he ther fond Palinurus,

And Dido, and eek Deiphebus;

445

And every tourment eek in helle

Saw he, which is long to telle.

Which who-so willeth for to knowe,

He moste rede many a rowe

On Virgile or on Claudian,

450

Or Daunte, that hit telle can.

Tho saw I grave al tharivaile

That Eneas had in Itaile;

And with king Latine his tretee,

And alle the batailles that he

455

Was at him-self, and eek his knightes,

Or he had al y-wonne his rightes;

And how he Turnus refte his lyf,

And wan Lavyna to his wyf;

And al the mervelous signals

460

Of the goddes celestials;

How, maugre Iuno, Eneas,

For al hir sleighte and hir compas,

Acheved al his aventure;

For Iupiter took of him cure

465

At the prayere of Venus;

The whiche I preye alway save us,

And us ay of our sorwes lighte!

Whan I had seyen al this sighte

In this noble temple thus,

470

'A, Lord!' thoughte I, 'that madest us,

Yet saw I never swich noblesse

Of images, ne swich richesse,

As I saw graven in this chirche;

But not woot I who dide hem wirche,

475

Ne wher I am, ne in what contree.

But now wol I go out and see,

Right at the wiket, if I can

See o-wher stering any man,

That may me telle wher I am.'

480

When I out at the dores cam,

I faste aboute me beheld.

Then saw I but a large feld,

As fer as that I mighte see,

Withouten toun, or hous, or tree,

485

Or bush, or gras, or ered lond;

For al the feld nas but of sond

As smal as man may see yet lye

In the desert of Libye;

Ne I no maner creature,

490

That is y-formed by nature,

Ne saw, me [for] to rede or wisse.

'O Crist,' thoughte I, 'that art in blisse,

Fro fantom and illusioun

Me save!' and with devocioun

495

Myn yën to the heven I caste.

Tho was I war, lo! at the laste,

That faste by the sonne, as hyë

As kenne mighte I with myn yë,

Me thoughte I saw an egle sore,

500

But that hit semed moche more

Then I had any egle seyn.

But this as sooth as deeth, certeyn,

Hit was of golde, and shoon so bright,

That never saw men such a sighte,

505

But-if the heven hadde y-wonne

Al newe of golde another sonne;

So shoon the egles fethres brighte,

And somwhat dounward gan hit lighte.

Explicit liber primus.

[Go to Book II]

The authorities are F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); P. (Pepys 2006); Cx. (Caxton's ed.); Th. (Thynne's ed. 1532). I follow F. mainly, correcting the spelling.

1. P. drem; rest dreme. 8. All have And why; I omit why. 9, 10. F. swevene, evene; Cx. Th. sweuen, euen. 11. Th. B. a fantome; P. a fauntom; Cx. a fanton; F. affaintome; after which, all needlessly insert why. 12. F. Th. B. P. not; Cx. note (= noot). Elide o in so. 20. All wrongly insert is before more. 24. B. of the; rest of her; I omit the (her). 26. F. B. stewe; P. stoe; Cx. stryf; Th. stryfe. 35. P. sweche; rest suche, such. 45. F. B. forwote; rest wote. 50. F. vnderstonde, followed by a metrical mark, indicating a pause: I add n. 58, 62. MSS. dreme (= dreem). 63. See note. 64. B. P. now; F. yow; rest om. 71. P. strem; rest streme (= streem); so P. drem (rest dreme) in l. 80. MSS. cometh (= com'th). 73. Cx. Th. clepe; F. clepeth. 77. F. That; rest And. 78. Th. wol; P. wol; Cx. wyl; F. B. wolde. 85. F. B. stonde; Cx. Th. stande; P. stond. Cx. alle; F. Th. al (wrongly). 88. All pouerte. 89. B. ech; F. eche. 100. I supply that. 103. P. om. a. 109, 110. Cx. seyd, abreyd; the rest seyde (sayde), abreyde (abrayde). Grammar requires seyd, abreyd; (abreyde also occurs). 117, 118. Cx. P. leonard, hard; F. Th. B. leonarde, harde. P. om. of. 119. MSS. slept, slepte; read sleep, as in l. 438. 122. F. Th. golde; Cx. P. gold; B. goold. 126. All queynt. 127. F. B. olde; Th. golde; Cx. P. gold. F. sawgh. 131. Th. This; rest The. 132. F. sawgh. 134. Th. heed; B. hed; F. Cx. hede. Cx. Th. P. parde; F. B. partee (!). 135. B. red; F. Th. rede; Cx. Rose garlondes smellynge as a mede. 136. MSS. combe. B. hed; rest hede. 139. Cx. P. brown; F. broune. 140. Cx. down; F. dovne. 141. P. fond; F. Cx. B. fonde; Th. founde. Cx. Th. wal; B. wall; F. walle. 143. F. B. say; rest synge. F. B. P. om. that. 146. F. B. Troy. 148. Cx. Th. P. Lauyne; F. B. Labyne. 152. Cx. Th. P. Troye; F. B. Troy; see l. 155. 153. All om. That. F. B. P. fals; Cx. fals vntrewe; Th. false vntrewe. 159. Cx. Th. kyng; F. B. kynge. F. y-slayne; rest slayn. 160. Th. Polytes; F. B. Polite. From this point I make no further note of obvious corrections in spelling. 172. Cx. P. Th. goddes; F. B. goddesse (wrongly) 173. F. B. -brende; rest -brenned. 174. Cx. P. this; F. B. his. 184. F. P. That dede not I how she was; B. That ded not I how she was; Cx. That rede note I how it was; Th. That rede nat I howe that it was. Read deed, and insert but. 188. Cx. Th. destyne; F. destanye. 193. Cx. Th. grauen; P. graven; F. grave; B. graue. 196. F. B. Towardes. 199. P. Iubiter; rest Iupiters; read Iupiteres. 204. F. blowe; P. Cx. Th. blowen. 210. Th. herte; rest hert. 220. F. omits from lisse to tempest in next line; the rest are right. 221, 222. F. B. stent, went; Cx. Th. stente, wente. 227. P. Cx. Th. Metten; F. B. Mette. 235. F. P. comfort; rest comforte. 237. P. folk; rest folke; but shulde is here dissyllabic. 242. F. tel; B. telle; P. Cx. Th. tellen. 257, 8. All worde, lorde. 260. Th. the; rest omit. 270. F. vnknowe; rest vnknowen. 278. Th. Or speche; rest Or (F. Of!) for speche; read For speche. Lines 280-2 3 are in Th. only, which reads some; fayrest; lest; than. 285. Cx. Th. (3rd) or; F. B. P. om. 290. F. B. therbe (= the herbe); P. Cx. Th. the herbe. 305. Cx. Th. one; P. on; F. B. love. 309, 310. All delyte, profyte. 313. For mette, Cx. Th. have mette dremyng (!). 314. F. auttour = auctour. 315. F. he; the rest she. 320. F. Th. wol; P. wille; Cx. wyl. 322. F. ha; P. B. haue; rest om. 328. All had. 329. I insert I; which all omit. 332. P. hadde; rest had. 334. Cx. telle; P. tellen; F. tel. 340. F. omits this line; the rest have it. 347. F. B. al youre; Cx. Th. P. myn (om. al). 352. F. B. om. be. 353. Th. duren; F. B. dure. 358. Th. done; rest omit. 362. All insert But before Al. 363. Cx. Th. P. Certeyn; F. B. Certeynly. 365. Cx. goon; P. gon; F. agoon; B. agon. 366. in] All in to. 370. All Allas (alas); read Eneas. 371. F. B. As; rest And. 375. Cx. Th. P. But; F. B. And. 381. F. And nor hyt were to; Cx. And nere it were to; Th. And nere it to; B. P. And ner it were to. Th. B. to endyte; F. Cx. tendyte. 387. P. thenken; F. B. thynke; Cx. Th. thynken. 391. F. B. om. was. 402. Cx. Th. P. And; F. B. omit. 410. Th. al; Cx. all; P. alle; F. B. om. 426. F. B. om. as and us. 428. F. B. om. greet. 429. B. Mercure; F. Mercure; rest om. 433. F. B. how that; rest how. 434. Cx. P. to saylle; Th. for to sayle; F. B. for to assayle. 446. Th. longe is for; F. B. is longe. Cx. P. whyche no tonge can telle. 451. For tharivaile, F. B. Th. have the aryvayle; Cx. the arryuaylle; P. the arevaille. 458. F. labina; rest Lauyna. 468. Cx. P. seyn; rest seen (sene). 473. F. B. grave; rest grauen. 475. F. B. omit in. 478. Th. sterynge any; the rest any stiryng (sterynge). 486. Cx. Th. P. was but of sonde (sande); F. B. nas but sonde. 491. I insert for. Cx. Th. P. insert I after saw; but it is in l. 489. 496. F. B. omit lo. 504. F. B. omit lines 504-507. Colophon and Title. So in Cx.; the rest omit them.