II. The Legend of Thisbe of Babylon

Incipit Legenda Tesbe Babilonie, Martiris.

At Babiloine whylom fil it thus,

The whiche toun the queen Semiramus

Leet dichen al about, and walles make

Ful hye, of harde tyles wel y-bake.

710

Ther weren dwellinge in this noble toun

Two lordes, which that were of greet renoun,

And woneden so nigh, upon a grene,

That ther nas but a stoon-wal hem bitwene,

As ofte in grete tounes is the wone.

715

And sooth to seyn, that o man hadde a sone,

(11)

Of al that londe oon of the lustieste.

That other hadde a doghter, the faireste,

That estward in the world was tho dwellinge.

The name of everich gan to other springe

720

By wommen, that were neighebores aboute.

For in that contree yit, withouten doute,

Maidens been y-kept, for Ielosye,

Ful streite, lest they diden som folye.

This yonge man was cleped Piramus,

725

And Tisbe hight the maid, Naso seith thus;

(21)

And thus by report was hir name y-shove

That, as they wexe in age, wex hir love;

And certein, as by reson of hir age,

Ther mighte have been bitwix hem mariage,

730

But that hir fadres nolde hit nat assente;

And bothe in love y-lyke sore they brente,

That noon of alle hir frendes mighte hit lette

But prively somtyme yit they mette

By sleighte, and speken som of hir desyr;

735

As, wry the gleed, and hotter is the fyr;

(31)

Forbede a love, and it is ten so wood.

This wal, which that bitwix hem bothe stood,

Was cloven a-two, right fro the toppe adoun,

Of olde tyme of his fundacioun;

740

But yit this clifte was so narwe and lyte,

It as nat sene, dere y-nogh a myte.

But what is that, that love can nat espye?

Ye lovers two, if that I shal nat lye,

Ye founden first this litel narwe clifte;

745

And, with a soun as softe as any shrifte,

(41)

They lete hir wordes through the clifte pace,

And tolden, whyl that they stode in the place,

Al hir compleynt of love, and al hir wo,

At every tyme whan they dorste so.

750

Upon that o syde of the wal stood he,

And on that other syde stood Tisbe,

The swote soun of other to receyve,

And thus hir wardeins wolde they deceyve.

And every day this wal they wolde threte,

755

And wisshe to god, that it were doun y-bete.

(51)

Thus wolde they seyn—'allas! thou wikked wal,

Through thyn envye thou us lettest al!

Why nilt thou cleve, or fallen al a-two?

Or, at the leste, but thou woldest so,

760

Yit woldestow but ones lete us mete,

Or ones that we mighte kissen swete,

Than were we covered of our cares colde.

But natheles, yit be we to thee holde

In as muche as thou suffrest for to goon

765

Our wordes through thy lyme and eek thy stoon.

(61)

Yit oghte we with thee ben wel apayd.'

And whan thise ydel wordes weren sayd,

The colde wal they wolden kisse of stoon,

And take hir leve, and forth they wolden goon.

770

And this was gladly in the even-tyde

Or wonder erly, lest men hit espyde;

And longe tyme they wroghte in this manere

Til on a day, whan Phebus gan to clere,

Aurora with the stremes of hir hete

775

Had dryed up the dew of herbes wete;

(71)

Unto this clifte, as it was wont to be,

Com Pyramus, and after com Tisbe,

And plighten trouthe fully in hir fey

That ilke same night to stele awey,

780

And to begyle hir wardeins everichoon,

And forth out of the citee for to goon;

And, for the feldes been so brode and wyde,

For to mete in o place at o tyde,

They sette mark hir meting sholde be

785

Ther king Ninus was graven, under a tree;

(81)

For olde payens that ydoles heried

Useden tho in feldes to ben beried

And faste by this grave was a welle.

And, shortly of this tale for to telle,

790

This covenant was affermed wonder faste;

And longe hem thoughte that the sonne laste,

That hit nere goon under the see adoun.

This Tisbe hath so greet affeccioun

And so greet lyking Piramus to see,

795

That, whan she seigh her tyme mighte be,

(91)

At night she stal awey ful prively

With her face y-wimpled subtilly;

For alle her frendes—for to save her trouthe—

She hath for-sake; allas! and that is routhe

800

That ever woman wolde be so trewe

To trusten man, but she the bet him knewe!

And to the tree she goth a ful good pas,

For love made her so hardy in this cas;

And by the welle adoun she gan her dresse.

805

Allas! than comth a wilde leonesse

(101)

Out of the wode, withouten more areste,

With blody mouthe, of strangling of a beste,

To drinken of the welle, ther as she sat;

And, whan that Tisbe had espyed that,

810

She rist her up, with a ful drery herte,

And in a cave with dredful foot she sterte,

For by the mone she seigh hit wel with-alle.

And, as she ran, her wimpel leet she falle,

And took noon heed, so sore she was a-whaped.

815

And eek so glad of that she was escaped;

(111)

And thus she sit, and darketh wonder stille.

Whan that this leonesse hath dronke her fille,

Aboute the welle gan she for to winde,

And right anoon the wimpel gan she finde,

820

And with her blody mouth hit al to-rente.

Whan this was doon, no lenger she ne stente,

But to the wode her wey than hath she nome.

And, at the laste, this Piramus is come,

But al to longe, allas! at hoom was he.

825

The mone shoon, men mighte wel y-see,

(121)

And in his weye, as that he com ful faste,

His eyen to the grounde adoun he caste,

And in the sonde, as he beheld adoun,

He seigh the steppes brode of a leoun,

830

And in his herte he sodeinly agroos,

And pale he wex, therwith his heer aroos,

And neer he com, and fond the wimpel torn.

'Allas!' quod he, 'the day that I was born!

This o night wol us lovers bothe slee!

835

How sholde I axen mercy of Tisbe

(131)

Whan I am he that have yow slain, allas!

My bidding hath yow slain, as in this cas.

Allas! to bidde a woman goon by nighte

In place ther as peril fallen mighte,

840

And I so slow! allas, I ne hadde be

Here in this place a furlong-wey or ye!

Now what leoun that be in this foreste,

My body mote he renden, or what beste

That wilde is, gnawen mote he now myn herte!'

845

And with that worde he to the wimpel sterte,

(141)

And kiste hit ofte, and weep on hit ful sore,

And seide, 'wimpel, allas! ther nis no more

But thou shalt fele as wel the blood of me

As thou hast felt the bleding of Tisbe!'

850

And with that worde he smoot him to the herte.

The blood out of the wounde as brode sterte

As water, whan the conduit broken is.

Now Tisbe, which that wiste nat of this,

But sitting in her drede, she thoghte thus,

855

'If hit so falle that my Piramus

(151)

Be comen hider, and may me nat y-finde,

He may me holden fals and eek unkinde.'

And out she comth, and after him gan espyen

Bothe with her herte and with her yën,

860

And thoghte, 'I wol him tellen of my drede

Bothe of the leonesse and al my dede.'

And at the laste her love than hath she founde

Beting with his heles on the grounde,

Al blody, and therwith-al a-bak she sterte,

865

And lyke the wawes quappe gan her herte,

(161)

And pale as box she wex, and in a throwe

Avysed her, and gan him wel to knowe,

That hit was Piramus, her herte dere.

Who coude wryte whiche a deedly chere

870

Hath Tisbe now, and how her heer she rente,

And how she gan her-selve to turmente,

And how she lyth and swowneth on the grounde,

And how she weep of teres ful his wounde,

How medeleth she his blood with her compleynte,

875

And with his blood her-selven gan she peynte;

(171)

How clippeth she the dede cors, allas?

How doth this woful Tisbe in this cas!

How kisseth she his frosty mouth so cold!

'Who hath doon this, and who hath been so bold

880

To sleen my leef? O spek, my Piramus!

I am thy Tisbe, that thee calleth thus!'

And therwith-al she lifteth up his heed.

This woful man, that was nat fully deed,

Whan that he herde the name of Tisbe cryen,

885

On her he caste his hevy deedly yën

(181)

And doun again, and yeldeth up the gost.

Tisbe rist up, withouten noise or bost,

And seigh her wimpel and his empty shethe,

And eek his swerd, that him hath doon to dethe;

890

Than spak she thus: 'My woful hand,' quod she,

'Is strong y-nogh in swiche a werk to me;

For love shal yive me strengthe and hardinesse

To make my wounde large y-nogh, I gesse.

I wol thee folwen deed, and I wol be

895

Felawe and cause eek of thy deeth,' quod she.

(191)

'And thogh that nothing save the deeth only

Mighte thee fro me departe trewely,

Thou shalt no more departe now fro me

Than fro the deeth, for I wol go with thee!

900

'And now, ye wrecched Ielous fadres oure,

We, that weren whylom children youre,

We prayen yow, withouten more envye,

That in o grave y-fere we moten lye,

Sin love hath brought us to this pitous ende!

905

And rightwis god to every lover sende,

(201)

That loveth trewely, more prosperitee

Than ever hadde Piramus and Tisbe!

And lat no gentil woman her assure

To putten her in swiche an aventure.

910

But god forbede but a woman can

Been as trewe and loving as a man!

And, for my part, I shal anoon it kythe!'

And, with that worde, his swerd she took as swythe,

That warm was of her loves blood and hoot,

915

And to the herte she her-selven smoot.

(211)

And thus ar Tisbe and Piramus ago.

Of trewe men I finde but fewe mo

In alle my bokes, save this Piramus,

And therfor have I spoken of him thus.

920

For hit is deyntee to us men to finde

A man that can in love be trewe and kinde.

Heer may ye seen, what lover so he be,

A woman dar and can as wel as he.

Explicit legenda Tesbe.

[Go to Legend of Dido]

707. tovne; queene. 710. tovne. 711. grete. 712. C. nygh; F. neigh. 714. grette. 715. C. hadde; F. had (so in l. 717). 716. C. Tn. Th. of; rest om. 717. Tn. doghter; F. doghtre. 718. esteward; worlde. 719. eueryche. 722. C. been; F. ben. 723. Tn. som; C. sum; F. somme. 724. C. Tn. yonge; F. yong. 725. All but C. om. And. Tn. A. Tisbe; C. Th. Tysbe; F. B. Tesbe; T. Thesbe. maide. 726. C. report; F. reporte. 727. C. wex, wex; F. T. wex, wax; Tn. wox, wax; B. wox, wox. 729. C. Tn. bitwixe; F. betwex. 730. nold. 731. booth; soore. 733. Tn. priuely; F. preuely. 734. C. sleyghte; F. sleight. A. speken; Tn. T. Th. spaken; F. C. spoken. Tn. som; F. somme. C. desyr; F. desire. 735. C. wry; F. Tn. wre. glede. C. fyr; F. fire. 736. woode. 737. bitwixe; stoode. 738. a-twoo; adovne. 740. C. clyfte; F. clyft. 741. C. A. nas; rest was. C. sene; F. seene. deere. 743. twoo. 745. C. soun; F. sovne. 746. leete. 747. while. C. stode; F. stoden. 748. woo. 749. soo. 750. F. the; rest that. wale. 751. Tesbe. 752. swoote sovne. 754. C. wal; F. walle. threete. 755. dovne. C. Tn. I-bete; F. y-bette. 756. C. Tn. wal; F. walle. 757. Thurgh. C. Tn. al; F. alle. 758. C. nylt thou; F. nyltow. 759. A. Th. B. leste; C. laste; F. leest. 760. let; meete. 761. oones; myght; sweete. 762. oure. 763. the. 765. Tn. Our; F. Or (!). thurgh; ek. 766. C. oughte; F. oght. the; apayede. 767. sayde. 768. walle. C. kysse; F. kyssen. 769. foorth. 770. F. Alle; rest And. T. A. euyn-tyde; Th. euentyde; C. F. Tn. B. euetyde. 771. espyede. 772. C. wroughte; F. wroght. 775. dewe. 777. F. Come; Tn. Com (twice). Tesbe. 778. C. fey; F. faye. 779. steele awaye (C. awey). 780. euerychone. 781. gone. 782. feeldes; broode. 783. meete. 786. C. Idolys; F. ydoyles. F. heriode (!). 787. thoo; feeldes; beriede. 788. C. Tn. faste; F. fast. 790. couenaunt. 792. F. (only) om. goon. 793. F. Tn. B. om. hath; greete. 794. F. Had (!); rest And. grete lykynge. 795. C. myghte; F. myght. 796. stale. A. priuely; F. prevely. 802. gooth; goode paas. 803. caas. 804. a-downe. 805. Tn. comth; F. comith. 806. woode. 807. strangelynge. 812. moone; saugh. 813. ranne. 814. tooke; hede; soore. 815. eke. T. of; rest om. 816. C. sit; F. sytte 817. T. leones; F. lyonesse. 821. don. 822. woode. 824. home. 825. moone shoone; well. 826. C. weye; F. wey. C. com; F. come. 827. Hise eighen; adovne. 828. behelde a-dovne. 829. broode. T. leoun; F. lyoune. 832. Tn. neer; C. ner; F. nere. C. Tn. com; F. come. C. fond; F. founde. C. torn; F. torne. 833. C. born; F. borne. 834. oo; wole; boothe. 836. slayne. 837. C. as; rest om. 839. F. a; rest as. 840. slowe. 841. yee. 843. F. T. B. om. he. All renten (rente, rent) wrongly; read renden. 846. From C. (which has wep for weep); F. om. this line. 848. feele; blode. 849. bledynge; Tesbe. 852. Tn. Th. conduyt; F. conduyte; C. A. condit. 853. C. wiste nat of this; F. wyst nat this. 854. C. thoughte; F. thought. 855. F. B. om. hit. 856. C. I-fynde; F. fynde. 857. ek. 858. comith. 859. hert; eighen. 861. Booth. Tn. leonesse; F. lyonesse. 863. Tn. Betyng; F. Betynge. helis. 866. F. Th. boxe; rest box. T. wexed (for wex); A. wox; Th. B. woxe; C. F. Tn. P. was (error for wax). F. B. om. and. 868. C. herte; F. hert. 869. dedely. 870. Tesbe; heere. 873. Tn. weep; C. wep; F. wepe. 876. C. Tn. cors; F. corps. 877. dooth; Tesbe. 878. mouthe; colde. 879. ben; bolde. 880. leefe. C. Tn. spek; rest speke (wrongly). F. Tn. Th. B. om. my. 881. Tesbe. 884. C. Th. herde; rest herd. Tesbe. 885. dedely. Tn. B. P. yen; F. eyn; rest eyen. 886. dovne; gooste. 887. vpp; booste. 888. saugh. 889. eke; swerde. 890. C. spak; F. spake. C. myn (for my); rest thy (!). hande. 891. werke. 892. F. (only) puts me before give. 894. wole; folowen deede. 895. eke. 897. the; trewly. 898. F. shal; C. schat (!); rest shalt. C. A. Th. departe now; Tn. departe trewlie; F. T. B. now departe. 899. deth; goo. 900. F. Ielouse; C. gelos. 901. whilome. 903. oo. T. I-fere; which the rest omit (!). 904. C. T. A. brought vs to; F. vs broght (!). pitouse. 906. moore. 907. C. euere ȝit hade; T. euer had yet; rest omit ȝit (yet). 908. noo gentile. 909. puten. 911. Ben. 912. parte. 913. swerde. 914. warme; hoote. 915. smoote (!). 916. Tn. T. ar; F. are; C. A. is. C. I-go; rest a-goo (a go). 917. moo. 918. bookes. 919. therfore.