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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32749	The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.; Works. 1687	Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.; Speght, Thomas, fl. 1600.; Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? Siege of Thebes.	1687 (1687)	Wing C3736; ESTC R3920	1,295,535	731

narration such sensible and open stile lacking neither majesty ne mediocrity covenable in disposition and such sharpness or quickness in conclusion that it is much to be marvailed how in his time when doutless all good letters were laid asleep throughout the world as the thing which either by the disposition and influence of the bodies above or by other ordinaunce of God seemed like as was in danger to have utterly perished such an excellent Poet in our tongue shuld as it were nature repugning spring and arise For tho it had been in Demosthenes or Homerus times when all learning and excellency of sciences flourished amongs the Greeks or in the season that Cicero prince of eloquence amongs Latines lived yet had it been a thing right rare straunge and worthy perpetual laud that any Clerke by learning or witte could then have framed a tongue before so rude imperfite to such a sweet ornature and composition likely if he had lived in these days being good letters so restored and revived as they be if he were not empeached by the envy of such as may tollerate nothing which to understond their capacity doth not extend to have brought it unto a full and final perfection Wherefore gracious soveraigne lord taking such delight and pleasure in the works of this noble Clerke as is aforementioned I have of a long season much used to rede and visite the same and as books of divers imprints came unto my hands I easily and without great study might and have deprehended in them many errours falsities and depravations which evidently appeared by the contrarieties and alterations found by collation of the one with the other whereby I was moved and stirred to make diligent search where I might find or recover any true copies or exemplaries of the said books whereunto in process of time not without cost and pain I attained and not only unto such as seem to be very true copies of those works of Geffrey Chaucer which before had been put in print but also to divers other never till now imprinted but remaining almost unknowne and in oblivion whereupon lamenting with my self the negligence of the people that have been in this Realm who doubtless were very remiss in the setting forth or avauncement either of the Histories thereof to the great hinderaunce of the renoume of such noble Princes valiant Conquerours and Captains as have been in the same or also of the works of memory of the famous and excellent Clerks in all kinds of sciences that have flourished therein Of which both sorts it hath pleased God as highly to nobilitate this Isle as any other Region of Christendome I thought it in manere appertenaunt unto my duty and that of very honesty and love to my Country I ought no less to do than to put my helping hand to the restauration and bringing again to light of the said works after the true Copies and Exemplaries aforesaid And devising with my self who of all other were most worthy to whom a thing so excellent and notable should be dedicate which to my conceit seemeth for the admiration novelty and strangeness that it might be deputed to be of in the time of the Authour in comparison as a pure and fine tried precious or pollished jewel out of a rude or indigest masse or matere none could to my thinking occurre that since or in the time of Chaucer was or is sufficient but only your Majesty Royal which by discretion and judgement as most absolute in wisedome and all kinds of doctrine could and of his innate clemency and goodness would add or give any Authority hereunto For this cause most excellent and in all vertues most prestante Prince I as humbly prostrate before your Kingly estate lowly supply and beseech the same that it woll vouchsafe to toke in good part my poor study and desirous mind in reducing unto light this so precious and necessary an ornament of the tongue in this your Realm over pitous to have been in any point lost falsified or neglected So that under the shield of your most royal Protection and Defence it may go forth in publick and prevail over those that would blemish deface and in many things clearly abolish the laud renoume and glory heretofore compared and meritoriously adquired by divers Princes and other of this said most noble Isle whereunto not only Straungers under pretext of high learning and knowlege of their malicious and perverse minds but also some of your own subjects blinded in folly and ignoraunce do with great study contend Most gracious victorious and of God most elect and worthy Prince my most dread soveraigne Lord in whom of very merite duty and succession is renued the glorious Title of Defensor of the Christen Faith which by your noble Progenitour the Great Constantine sometime King of this Realm Emperour or Rome was next God and his Apostles cheefly maintained corroborate and defended Almighty Iesu send to your Highness the continuall and everlasting habundance of his infinite Grace Amen A TABLE of the Principal Matters Contained in this VOLUME Which you may find by the Folio's as follows Folio THE Prologues of the Canterbury Tales 1 The Knights Tale Folio 9 The Millers Tale Folio 26 The Reves Tale Folio 33 The Cooks Tale Folio 36 The man of Laws Tale Folio 38 The Squires Tale Folio 47 The Marchants Tale Folio 53 The Wife of Bathes Prologue Folio 62 The Wife of Bathes Tale Folio 69 The Freres Tale Folio 72 The Sompnours Tale Folio 75 The Clerke of Oxenfords Tale Folio 80 The Frankeleins Tale Folio 91 The second Nonnes Prologue Folio 98 The second Nonnes Tale Folio 99 The Prologue of the Chanons Yeoman 102 Folio 103 The Chanons Yeomans Tale Folio 104 The Doctour of Physickes Tale Folio 110 The Pardoners Prologue Folio 112 The Pardoners Tale Folio 113 The Shipmans Tale Folio 117 The Prioresse Prologue Folio 121 The Prioresse Tale ibid. The Rime of Sir Topas Folio 123 The Tale of Chaucer Folio 125 The Monks Prologue Folio 141 The Monks Tale Folio 142 The Tale of the Nonnes Priest Folio 149 The Manciples Tale Folio 155 The Plowman's Tale Folio 157 The Parsons Tale Folio 169 The Romaunt of the Rose Folio 199 Troilus and Creseide is divided into five Books The first Booke beginneth Folio 258 The second Booke beginneth Folio 268 The third Booke beginneth Folio 283 The fourth Booke beginneth Folio 298 The fifth Booke beginneth Folio 313 The Testament of Creseide Folio 329 The Legend of good women hath all these following The Prologue Folio 334 The Legend of Cleopatras Folio 339 The Legend of Tisbe of Babylon Folio 340 The Legend of Queene Dido Folio 341 The Legend of Hipsiphile and Medea Folio 345 The Legend of Lucrece of Rome Folio 347 The Legend of Ariadne Folio 349 The Legend of Philomene Folio 351 The Legend of Phillis Folio 353 The Legend of Hypermestra Folio 354 A goodly Ballad of Chaucer Folio 355 Boetius de Consolatione

is divided into five Books The first booke beginneth Folio 356 The second booke beginneth Folio 363 The third booke beginneth Folio 373 The fourth booke beginneth Folio 387 The fifth booke beginneth Folio 399 All these Works following be Works by themselves The Dream of Chaucer called the Duchess Folio 408 The Assembly of Poules Folio 418 The Floure of Courtesie Folio 425 How Pity is dead c. Folio 427 La belle dame sans mercy Folio 428 Annelida and false Arcite Folio 435 The Complaint of Annelida to false Arcite Folio 437 The Assembly of Ladies Folio 439 The Conclusion of the Astrolaby Folio 445 The Complaint of the black Knight Folio 460 A Praise of Women Folio 466 The House of Fame is divided into three Books The first booke beginneth Folio 467 The second booke beginneth Folio 471 The third booke beginneth Folio 476 The Testament of Love is divided into three Books The Prologue of the Testament of Love Folio 484 The first booke beginneth Folio 485 The second booke beginneth Folio 500 The third booke beginneth Folio 521 All these Works following be Works by themselves The Lamentation of Mary Mag. Folio 537 The Remedy of Love Folio 545 The Complaint of Mars and Venus Folio 548 The Complaint of Mars alone Folio 550 The Complaint of Venus alone Folio 551 The Letter of Cupid Folio 552 A Ballad of our Lady Folio 556 A Ballad to King Henry the IV. Folio 558 Three Sayings of Dan John Lid. Folio 562 Of the Cuckow and the Nightingale ibid. Scogan unto the young Lords and Gentlemen of the King's House Folio 565 Divers other Ballads of Chaucer c. Folio 567 A Ballad of good Counsel made by John Lidgate Folio 569 A Praise or Commendation of Caucer's Eloquence Folio 570 A Ballad ●eaching what is Gentilness ibid. A Proverb against Covetise and Negligence ibid. A Ballad against unconstant Women ibid. How all things in this World is variable save Women only ibid. The Craft of Lovers Folio 571 A pleasant Ballad of Women Folio 573 The ten Commandements of Love ibid. The nine Ladies worthy Folio 574 Certain Ballads Folio 575 How Mercury with three Goddesses appeared to Paris Folio 576 A Ballad pleasaunt ibid. The discriving of a fair Lady ibid. A Ballad warning men to beware of deceitful Women ibid. Certain Verses compiled by Chaucer Folio 578 A Ballad declaring the worthiness of Womens Chastity Folio 579 The Court of Love ibid. Chaucer's Dream Folio 592 The Floure and the Leafe Folio 609 The A. B. C. called la priere de nostre dame Folio 615 Jack Upland Folio 616 Chaucer's Words to Adam his own Scrivener Folio 621 The Prologue of the Story of Thebes Folio 622 The first Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 623 The second Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 630 The third Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 643 Eight goodly Questions with their Answers SOmetime in Greece that noble region There were eight clerkes of full great science Philosophers of notable discretion Of whom was asked to proue their prudence Eight Questions of derke intelligence To which they answered after their entent As here doth appeare plaine and euident The first question was What earthly thing Is best and to God most commendable The first clerke answerd without tarying A mans soule euer ferme and stable In right from the trouth not variable * But now alas full sore may we weepe For couetise hath brought trouth asleepe The second What thing is most odious A double man saied the Philosopher With a virgine face and a taile venemous With a faire view and a false profer A corrupt carien in a golden tree * It is a monster in natures linage One man to have a double visage The third What is the best dower That may be to a wife appropriate A cleane life was the clerkes answer Without sinne all chast and inuiolate From all deceits and speeches inornate Or countenaunce which shall be to dispise * No fire make and then no smoke woll arise The fourth question What maiden may Be called cleane in chastity The fourth clerke answered which alway Euery creature is ashamde on to lie Of whom men reporten great honestie * Good maidens keepe your chastity forth And remember y● good name is gold worth Who is a poore man euer full of wo A couetous man which is a nigon He that in his heart can neuer say ho The more good the lesse distribution The richer the worse of condition Men in this coast clepen him a niggard Sir Guy the bribour is his steward Which is a rich man without fraud He that can to his good suffise Whatsoeuer he hath he yeueth God y● laud And keepeth him cleane from all couetise He desires nothing in vngodly wise His body is here his mind is aboue * He is a rich man for God doth him loue Who is a foole is the seventh demaund He that would hurt and hath no powere Might he mikell much would he command His mallice great his might nought were He thretteth full fast full little may he dere He thinketh not how men haue saied be forne * God sendeth a shrewd Cow a short horne Who is a wise man is the eight question He that might noye doth no annoiaunce Might punish and leaueth punission A man mercifull without vengeaunce A wise man putteth in remembraunce * Saying Had I venged all mine harme My cloke had not be furred halfe so warme Explicit To the King 's most noble Grace and to the Lords and Knights of the Garter TO you wele of honour and worthiness Our Christen King the heire successour Vnto Iustinians deuout tendernesse In the faith of Iesu our redemptour And to your Lords of the Garter floure Of cheualrie as men you clepe and call The lord of vertue and of grace authour Graunt the fruit of your lose neuer appall O liege Lord that haue the likenesse Of Constantine thensample and mirrour To Princes all in humble buxomenesse To holy Church o veray sustainour And piller of our faith and werriour Againe of heresies the bitter Gall Doe forth doe forth continue your succour Hold up Christs banner let it not fall This Isle or this had been but heathenesse Had be of your faith the force and vigour And yet this day the fiends crabbedness Weneth fully to catch a time and houre To haue on vs your lieges a sharpe shoure And to his seruitude vs knitte and thrall But aye we trust in you our protectour On your constaunce we awaiten all Commandeth that no wight haue hardinesse O worthy King our Christen Emperour Of the faith to disputen more or lesse Openly emong people Her errour Springeth all day and engendreth rumour Maketh such law and for ought may befall Obserue it wele thereto be ye doctour Doeth so and God in glorie shall you stall Ye Lords eke shining in noble fame To which appropred is the maintenaunce Of Christs cause in honour of his name Shoue on and put his

ne last vpon the deys What ladies fairest been or best dauncing Or which of hem can best daunce or sing Ne who most feelingly speaketh of loue Ne what haukes sitten on perchen aboue Ne what hounds liggen on the flour a doun Of all this now make I no mentioun But of the effect that thinketh me the best Now cometh the point harkeneth if you list The sunday at night or day gan to spring When Palamon the larke herd to sing Although it were not day by hours two Yet song the larke and Palamon right tho With holy heart and with an high corage He rose vp to wenden on his pilgrimage Vnto the blisfull Cithera benigne I mean Venus honourable and digne And in her houre he walketh foorth apaas Vnto the lists there as the temple was And doun he kneleth and with humble chere And hert full sore he said as ye shall here ¶ Fairest of faire O lady mine Venus Doughter of Ioue and spouse to Vulcanus Thou glader of the mount of Citheron For thilke loue thou haddest to Adon Haue pity of my bitter teares smart And take my humble prayer at thine heart Alas I ne haue no language to tell The effect ne the torment of mine hell Mine heart may not mine harmes bewray I am so confuse that I cannot say But mercy lady bright that wost wele My thought seest what harms that I fele Consider all this and rue vpon my sore As wisly as I shall for euermore Enforce my might thy true seruant to be And hold warre alway with chastite That make I mine auow so ye me helpe I keepe not of armes still for to yelpe Ne aske I to morrow to haue victory Ne renounce in this case ne vaine glory Of prise of armes to blowen vp and doun But would haue full possessioun Of Emely and die in her service Find thou the maner how and in what wise I retch it not but it may better be To haue victory of hem or they of me So that I haue my lady in mine armes For though so be that Mars is god of Armes Your Vertue is so great in heauen aboue That if you list I shall well haue my loue Thy temple shall I worship euer mo And on thine aulter where I ride or go I woll done sacrifice and fires bete And if you woll not so my lady swete Then pray I you to morrow with a spear That Arcite doe me through the heart beare Then reke I not when I haue lost my life Though Arcite win her to his wife This is the effect and end of my prayere Yeue me my lady thou blisfull lady dere When the orison was done of Palamon His sacrifice he did and that anon Full pitously with all circumstaunces All tell I not as now his obseruaunces But at the last the statue of Venus shoke And made a signe whereby that he toke That his prayer accepted was that day For though the signe shewed a delay Yet wist he well that graunted was his bone with glad hart he went him home full sone The third houre in equall that Palamon Began to Venus temple for to gon Vp rose the sunne and vp rose Emelie And unto the temple of Diane gan hie Her maidens the which thider were lad Full readily with hem the fire they had The incense the clothes and the remnant all That to the sacrifice longen shall The hornes full of meeth as was the gise There lacked nought to done her sacrifise Smoking the temple full of clothes faire This Emely with heart debonaire Her body wisshe with water of a well But how she did right I dare not tell * But it be any thing in generall And yet it were a game to hear it all To him that meaneth wel it were no charge * But it is good a man be at his large Her bright haire vnkempt was vntressed all A crown of a greene Oke vnseriall Vpon her head was set full faire and mete Two fires on the aulter gan she bete And did her things as men may behold In Stace of Thebes and these bookes old When kindled was the fire with pitous chere Vnto Diane she spake as ye may here O chast goddesse of the woods greene To whom both heauen earth and see is sene Queen of the reigne of Pluto dark and low Goddess of maidens that my hart hath know Full many a yeare and wost what I desire As keepe me fro the vengeance of thine ire That Acteon abought cruelly Chast goddesse well wost thou that I Desire to been a maid all my life Ne neuer woll I be loue ne wife I am thou wost well of thy company A maid and loue hunting and venery And for to walken in the woods wild And not for to been a wife been with child Nought will I know company of man Now helpe me lady sith you may and can For the three formes that thou hast in thee And Palamon that hath such a loue to me And eke Arcite that loueth me so sore This grace I pray thee withouten more As send loue and peace betwixt hem two And fro me turn away her hearts so That all her hote loue and her desire And all her busie torment and all her fire Be queint or turned in another place And if so be thou wolt not do me that grace Or if any destiny be shapen so That I shall needs have one of hem two As send me him that most desireth me Behold goddesse of cleane chastite The bitter tears that on my cheekes fall Since thou art a maid and keeper of vs all My maidenhed thou keep and well conserue And while I liue a maiden woll I thee serue The fires bren vpon the aulter clere While Emely was thus in her prayere But sodeinly she saw a thing queint For right anon one of the fires queint And quicked againe and after that anon That other fire was queint and all agon And as it queint it made a whistling As done these wet bronds in her brenning And at the bronds end outran anone As it were bloudy drops many one For which so sore agast was Emely That she was well nie mad and gan to cry For she ne wist what it signified But onely for the feare thus she cried And wept that it was pity for to heare And therewithall Diane gan to appeare With how in hond right as an hunteresse And said doughter stint thine heavinesse Among the gods high it is affirmed And by eterne word written and confirmed Thou shalt been wedded to one of tho That have for thee so much care and wo But vnto which of hem I may not tell Farwell for I may no longer dwell The fires which now on mine aulter bren Shall declaren ere that thou gon hen This auenture of loue as in this case And with that word the arrows in the case Of the goddesse clatteren fast and ring And forth she went and made vanishing For which this Emely

yaue me my sturdie hardinesse Mine ascendent was Taure Mars therin Alas alas that euer loue was sin I followed aye mine inclination By vertue of my constellation That made me I couth neuer withdraw My chamber of Venus from a good fellaw Yet haue I Martes marke vpon my face And also in another priuie place For God so wisely be my saluation I loued neuer by no discretion But euer followed mine appetite All were he short long blacke or white I tooke no keepe so that he liked mee How poore he was ne eke of what degree What should I say but at the months end This jolly clerke Ienken that was so hend Hath wedded me with great solemnitee And to him yaue I all the lond and fee That euer was yeuen me here before But afterward repented me full sore He nold suffer nothing of my list By God he smote me once with his fist For that I rent out of his booke a lefe That of that stroke my eares wex defe Stubborne I was as is a Lionesse And of my tongue a very iangleresse And walke I would as I had doen beforn Fro hous to hous although he had it sworn For which full oftentime would he preach And me of old Romane iests teach How he Sulpitius Gallus left his wife And her forsooke for tearme of his life Not but for open hede he her seie Looking out at his dore on a daie Another Romane told he me by name That for his wife was at a Summer game Without his weting he forsooke her eke And then would he vpon his Bible seke That ilke prouerbe of Ecclesiast Where he commaundeth forbiddeth fast A man shall not suffer his wife roile about Then would he say right thus out of dout * Who so buildeth his house all of sallowes And pricketh his blind hors ouer the fallowes And suffereth his wife for to seche hallowes Is worthy to be honged on the gallowes But all for nought I set not an haw Of his prouerbes ne of his old saw Ne I would not of him corrected be I hate him that my vices telleth me And so doe mo God it wote than I. This made him wood with me all vtterly I nold not forbeare him in no caas Now woll I say you sooth by S. Thomas Why that I rent out of his booke a lefe For which he smote me that I was defe He had a booke that gladly night and day For his disport he would read alway He cleped it Valerie and Theophrast At which booke he lough alway full fast And eke there was a clerk somtime at Rome A Cardinall that hight saint Ierome That made a booke ayenst Iouinian In which booke there was eke Tertullian Crisippus Trotula and Helowis That was Abbesse not ferre fro Paris And eke the parables of Salomon Ouids art and bookes many one And all these were bounden in one volume And euery night and day was his custome When he had leisure and vacatioun From other worldly occupatioun To readen in this booke of wicked wiues He knew of hem mo legends and liues Than been of good women in the Bible For trusteth well it is an impossible That any clerke would speak good of wiues But if it been of holy saints liues Ne of none other woman nere the mo * Who painteth the Lion tell me who By God if women had written stories As clerkes han within her oratories They wold haue writ of men more wickedness Than all the marke of Adam may redresse The children of Mercurie and Venus Been in her working full contrarious Mercurie loueth wisdome and science And Venus loueth riot and dispence And for her diuers disposition Ech falleth in others exaltation And thus God wote Mercurie is desolate In Pisces where Venus is exaltate And Venus falleth where Mercurie is reised Therefore no woman of no clerke is preised * The clerke when he is old may nought do Of Venus werkes not worth his old sho Then sit he downe and writ in his dotage That women cannot keepe her marriage But now to purpose why I told thee That I was beaten for a booke parde Vpon a night Ienken that was our sire Red vpon his booke as he sate by the fire Of Eue first that for her wickednesse Was all mankind brought to wretchednesse For which that Iesu Christ himselfe was slaine That bought vs with his hart blood againe Lo here expresse of women may ye find That woman was the losse of all mankind Tho rad he me how Sampson lost his heres Sleping his lemman cut hem with her sheres Through which treason lost he both his eyen Tho rad he me if that I shall not lien Of Hercules and of his Deianire That caused him to set himselfe a fire Nothing forgot he the care and the wo That Socrates had with his wiues two How that Xantippe cast pisse on his head This silly man sat still as he were dead He wiped his head no more durst he saine But er the thunder stint there cometh raine Of Pasiphae that was queene of Crete For shreudnesse him thought y● tale was swete Fie speake no more it is a grisely thing Of her horrible lust and her liking Of Clitemnestra for her letcherie That falsely made her husbond for to die He rad it with well good deuotion He told me eke for what occasion Amphiaraus at Thebes lost his life My husbond had a legend of his life Eriphilem that for an ouche of gold Hath priuily vnto the Greekes told Where that her husbond hid him in a place For which he had at Thebes sorry grace Of Lima told he me and of Lucie They both made her husbonds for to die That one for loue that other was for hate Lima her husbond on an euin late Empoysoned had for that she was his fo Lucia Is●erous loued her husbond so That for he should alway vpon her thinke She gaue him such a loue manner drinke That he were dead ere it were morrow And thus algates husbonds han sorrow Then told he me how one Latumeus Complained to his fellow Arius That in his garden growed such a tree On which he said that his wiues three Honged hemselfe for harts dispitous O lefe brother qd this Arius Yeue me a plant of this blisful tree And in my garden planted shall it bee Of latter date of wiues hath he red That some han slain her husbands in bed And let her letchour dight hem all the night Whiles that the corse lay in floore vpright And some had driuen nailes in her brain Whiles they sleep thus they haue hem slain Some haue yeue hem poyson in her drink He spake more harm than any hart may think And therwithall he knew mo prouerbes Than in this world there groweth grasse or herbes * Bet is qd he thine habitation Be with a Lion or a foule Dragon Than with a woman vsing for to chide * Bet is qd he high in the roofe to abide Than with an

His son in bloud and flesh to cloth and wind Within the cloyster of thy blisfull sidis Tooke mans shape the eterne loue and pees That of the true compas Lord and guide is Whom heauen earth and sea withouten les Aye herien and thou virgine wemles Bare of thy body and dwellest maiden pure The creator of euery creature Assembled is in the magnificence With mercy goodnesse and with such pitee That thou art the sonne of excellence Not onely that helpest them that praien thee But oftentime of thy benignitee Full freely or that men thine helpe beseech Thou goest beforne and art her liues leech Now helpe thou blisfull meekefaire maid Me flemed wretch in this desert of gall Thinke on the woman of Canane that said That whelpes eaten some of the crums small That from her Lords table been yfall And though that I vnworthy doughter of Eue Be sinfull yet accepteth my beleeue And for that faith is ded withouten werkis So for to werch yeue me witte and space That I be quit from the place that most derkis O thou that art so faire and full of grace Be mine aduocate in that hie place There as without ende is song Osanna Thou Christes mother doughter of Anna. And of thy light my soule in prison light That troubled is by the contagion Of my body and also by the wight Of earthly lust and false affection O heauen O refute O saluation Of hem that been in sorow and distresse Now help for to my werke I woll me dresse Yet I pray you that reden that I write Foryeueth me that I doe no diligence This ilke storie subtilly to endite For hoth haue I the words and the sentence Of him that at the saints reuerence The storie wrote and followen her legende And pray you that ye woll my werke amende First woll I you the name of saint Cecily Expoune as men may in her storie see It is to say in English Heauens lilly For pure chastnesse of virginitie Or for she witnes had of honestie And greene of conscience and of good same The sote sauoured Lilly was her name Or Cecily is to say the way to blinde For she ensample was by good teaching Or else Cecily as I written finde Is joyned by a manner conioining Of heauen and Lia in her figuring The heauen is set for thought of holinesse And Lia for her lasting besinesse Cecily may eke be saied in this manere Wanting of blindnesse for her great light For her sapience and for her thewes clere Or els Lo this maidens name so bright Of heuen Leos cometh of which by right Men might the heauen of people her call Ensample of good and wise werkes all For Leos people in English is to say And right as men may in the heauen see The sunne and moon and sterres euery way Right so men ghostly in this maiden free Sawen of faith the great magnanimitie And eke the clerenesse hole of sapience And sundrie werkes bright of excellence And right so as these Philosophers write That heauen is swift round eke brenning Right so was faire Cecily the white Full swift and busie in euery good working And round and whole in good perseuering And brenning euer in charitie full bright Now haue I declared you what she hight ¶ The second Nonnes Tale. The life and death of Saint Cecily THis maiden bright Cecile as her life saith Was comen of Romanes of noble kind And so foorth fostered vp in the faith Of Christ and bare his Gospell in her mind She neuer ceased as I written find Of her prayer and God to loue and dread Beseeching him to keepe her maidenhead And when this maid should vnto a man I wedded be that was full yong of age Which that ycleped was Valerian And day was come of her mariage She full deuout and humble in her corage Vnder her robe of gold that sat full faire Had next her flesh yclad her in an haire And whiles that the organs made melodie To God alone thus in hert song she O lord my soule and eke my bodie gie Vnwemmed lest I confounded be And for his loue that died vpon a tree Euery second or third day she fast Aye biding in her orison full fast The night came and to bed must she gone With her husbond as is the manere And priuily she said vnto him anone O sweet and well beloued spouse dere There is a counsaile and ye woll it here Which that right faine I would to you saine So that ye me ensure it not to bewraine Valerian gan fast vnto her swere That for no case ne thing that might be He should neuer to none bewraien here And then at erst thus to him said she I haue an Angell which that loueth me That with great loue where so I wake or sleepe Is ready aye my body for to keepe And if that he may felen out of drede That ye me touch or loue in vilonie He right anon will slee you with the dede And in your youth thus shall ye die And if that ye in clene loue me gie He woll you loue as me for your cleanesse And shew you of his joy and brightnesse This Valerian corrected as God wold Answerd ayen if I shall trust thee Let me that angell see and him behold And if that it a very angell be Then woll I done as thou hast prayed me And if thou loue another man forsoth Right with this sword then woll I slee you both Cecile answerd anon in this wise If that ye lust that angel shul you see So that ye trow on Christ and you baptise Goth forth to Via apia qd she That from this toun ne stant but miles three And to the poore folke that there doe dwell Say hem right thus as I shall you tell Tell hem that I Cecile you to hem sent To shewen you the good Vrban the old For secret needs and for good entent And when that ye saint Vrban han behold Tell him the words that I to you told And when that he hath purged you from sin Then shall ye see that angell ere ye twinne Valerian is to that place igon And right as him was taught by his lerning He found this holy Vrban anon Among these saints burials louting And he anon without tareing Did his message and when he had it tolde Vrban for joy gan his honds vp hold The teres from his eyen let he fall Almightie God O Iesu Christ qd he Sower of chaste counsell hierde of vs all The fruit of thilke seed of chastite That thou hast sow in Cecile take to thee Lo like a besy bee withouten gile Thee serueth aye thine owne thrall Cecile For thilke spouse that she tooke but newe Full like a fierce Lion she sendeth here As meeke as any lambe was to ewe And with that word anon ther gan apere An old man iclad in white clothes clere That had a book with letters of gold in hond And

five mortall woundes in five sundry places That is to say In her feet in her honds in her eares in her nose and in her mouth and leften her for dede and wenten her way When Melibeus returned was into his house and see all this mischiefe hee like a mad man renting his clothes gan to weep and crie Prudence his wife as farre foorth as shee durst besought him of his weping for to stint But not for thy he gan to weep and cry ever lenger the more This noble wife Prudence remembred her upon the sentence of Ovid in his booke that cleped is the remedy of loue whereas he saith * Hee is a foole that distourbeth the mother to weepe in the death of her childe till she have wept her fill as for a certain time and then shall a man doen his diligence with amiable wordes to recomfort and pray her of her weeping for to stint For which reason this noble wife Prudence suffered her husbond to weepe and cry as for a certaine space and when she saw her time shee saied him in this wise Alas my Lord qd she why make ye your selfe for to be like a foole Forsoth it apperteineth not unto a wise man to maken such a sorowe Your doughter with the grace of God shall warish and escape And all were it so that she right now were dead yee ne ought not as for her death your self destroy Senek saith * The wise man shall not take to great discomfort for the death of his children but certes he should suffer it in patience as wel as he abideth the death of his own proper person This Melibeus answered anon and said What man qd he should of his weping stint that hath so great a cause for to weep Iesus himselfe our Lorde wept for the death of Lazarus his friend Prudence answered certes well I wote * A temperat weeping is nothing defended to him that sorowfull is among folke in sorow but it is rather graunted him to weepe The Apostle Paule unto the Romanes writteth Men should rejoyce with him that maketh joye and weepe with such folke as weepen But though a temperate weeping be granted certes outragious weeping is defended Measure of weeping should be considered after the lore that teacheth us Senek * When that thy friend is dead qd he let not thine iyen to moist been of teers ne to much drie although teeres comen to thine eyen let hem not fall And when thou hast forgon thy friend doe diligence to get another friend and this is more wisedom than for to weepe for thy friend which thou hast lorne for therein is no bote And therefore if ye govern you by sapience put away sorow out of your heart Remembreth you that Iesus Sirake saieth * A man that is joyous and glad in hart it him conserueth florishing in his age But sothly a sorowfull heart maketh his bones drie Hee saith eke thus That sorow in heart slayeth full many a man Salomon sayeth * That right as mouths in the sheepes fleise annoieth the clothes and the small wormes the tree right so anoieth sorow the hart of man wherefore us ought as well in the death of our children as in the losse of our temporal goods have patience Remember you upon patient Iob when hee had lost his children and his temporall substaunce and in his bodies endured and receiued full many a grieuous tribulation yet saied hee thus * Our Lord it sent to me our Lord hath bereft it me right so as our Lord would right so it be done iblessed be the name of our Lord. To these foresaid things Melibeus unto his wife Prudence answered All thy words qd he ben true and thereto profitable but truely mine heart is troubled with this sorrow so grievously that I not what to do Let call qd Prudence your true friends al thy linage which that been wise and telleth to hem your case and hearkeneth what they say in counsailing gouerne you after her sentence Salomon saith * Werke all thy things by counsaile thou shalt never rue Then by counsaile of his wife Prudence this Melibeus let cause a great congregation of people as Surgiens Phisitions old folke and yong and some of his old enemies reconciled as by her semblance to his loue and to his grace therwithal there came some of his neighbours that did him reverence more for dread than for loue as it happe ofte There comen also ful many subtil flatterers and wise Advocates learned in the lawe And when these folkes togeders assembled were this Melibeus in sorrowfull wise shewed hem his case and by the manner of his speech it seemed that in hart he bare a cruell ire ready to doen vengeaunce upon his foes and suddainly he desired that warre should begin but natheles yet asked he counsaile upon this matter A Surgien by licence and assent of such as were wise up rose and unto Melibeus saied as ye shall heare Sir qd he as to us Surgiens appertaineth that we doe to every wight the best that we can where as we beene withholden and to our patient that wee dooen no damage wherefore it happeth many time ofte that when two men have everch wounded other one Surgien healeth hem both wherfore vnto our arte it is not pertinent to norish warre ne parties to support But certes as to the warishing of your doughter all be it so that perilously she be wounded we shall doe so tentife businesse fro day to night that with the grace of God she shall been whole sound as soone as is possible Almost right in the same wise the Phisitions answered saue that they saiden a few words more That right as maladies beene by her contraries cured right so shall a man warishe warre by peace His neigbours full of enuie his fained friends that seemed reconciled his flatterers maden semblaunce of weeping enpaired agrutched much of this matter in praysing greatly Melibe of might of power of riches and of friends dispising the power of his aduersaries and said vtterly that hee anon should wreken him on his foes and begin warre Vp rose then an Aduocate that was wise by leaue and by counsaile of other that were wise saied The neede for the which wee beene assembled in this place is a full heauie thing a great matter because of the wrong and of the wickednesse that hath bee doen and eke by reason of great damages that in time comming been possible to fallen for the same and eke by reason of the great riches power of the parties both for the which reasons it were a full great peril to erren in this matter Wherefore Melibeus this is our sentence we counsaile you abouen all thing that right anon thou doe thy diligence in keeping of thy proper person in such a wise that thou ne want non espie ne watch thy body for to saue And after that we counsaile that in thine house thou set sufficient garrison so

great avarice and knoweth well that needs he must die for death is the end of every man as in this present life And for what cause or encheson joineth he him or knitteth he him so fast unto his goods that al his wits mow not discever him ne depart him fro his goods and knoweth well or ought to know that when he is dead he shall nothing bear with him out of this world And therefore saith saint Augustine * That the avaricious manne is likened unto hell that the more it swalloweth the more desire it hath to swallow and devour And as well as yee would eschew to be called an avaricious man or chinche as well should yee keepe and governe you in such a wise that menne call you not foole large Therefore saith Tullius * The goods of thine house ne should not be hid ne kept so close but that they might be opened by pity and debonairte that is to say to yeue hem part that have great need Ne thy goods