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 â—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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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
request With hert and will all that might be done As vntill her that might redresse it best For in her mind there might she find it soone The remedy of that which was her boone Rehearsing that she had said before Beseeching her it might be so no more And in like wise as they had done before The gentlewomen of our company Put her billes and for to tell you more One of hem wrote C'est sans dire verely And her matere hole to specifie Within her bill she put it in writing And what it said ye shall have knowing It said God wote and that full pitously Like as she was disposed in her hert No misfortune that she tooke grevously All one to her was the joy and smert Sometime no thanke for all her good desert Other comfort she wanted none comming And so vsed it greeued her nothing Desiring her and lowly beseeching That she would for seke a better way As she that had ben her daies living Stedfast and trewe and will be alway Of her felaw somewhat I shall you say Whose bill was red next forth withall And what it meant rehearsen you I shall En Dieu est she wrote in her devise And thus she said withouten faile Her trouth might be take in no wise Like as she thouÈt wherfore she had mervaile For trouth somtime was wont to take availe In every matere but all that is ago The more pity that it is suffred so Much more there was wherof she shuld complain But she thoght it too great encombraunce So much to write and therfore in certain In God and her she put all her affiaunce As in her word is made a remembraunce Beseeching her that she would in this cace Shew vnto her the favour of her grace The third she wrote rehersing her grevaunce Ye wote ye what a pitous thing to here For as me thoght she felt great displesaunce One might right wel perceive it by her chere And no wonder it sate her passing nere Yet loth she was to put it in writing But need woll have course in every thing Soyes ensure this was her word certaine And thus she wrote in a little space There she loved her labour was in vaine For he was set all in another place Full humbly desiring in that cace Some good comfort her sorrow to appease That she might live more at hearts ease The fourth surely me thought she liked wele As in her port and in her behaving And bien moneste as ferre as I coud fele That was her word till her well belonging Wherefore to her she prayed above all thing Full heartely to say you in substaunce That she would send her good continuaunce Ye have rehearsed me these billes all But now let see somwhat of your entent It may so hap paraventure ye shall Now I pray you while I am here present Ye shall have knowledge parde what I ment But this I say in trouth and make no fable The case it selfe is inly lamentable And well I wote ye woll think the same Like as I say when ye have heard my bill Now good tel on I here you by saint Iame Abide a while it is not yet my will Yet must ye wete by reason and by skill Sith ye haue knowledg of that was don before And thus it is said without words more Nothing so lefe as death to come to me For finall end of my sorrowes and paine What should I more desire as seeme ye And ye knew all aforne it for certaine I wote ye would and for to tell you plaine Without her help that hath all thing in cure I cannat thinke that it may long endure As for my trouth it hath be proued wele To say the sooth I can say no more Of full long time and suffered euerydele In patience and keepe it all in store Of her goodnesse beseeching her therefore That I might haue my thanke in such wise As my desert serueth of justise When these billes were rad euerychone The ladies tooke a good aduisement And hem to answere by one and one She thought it was too much in her entent Wherefore she yaue hem commaundement In her presence to come both one and all To yeue hem her answere in generall What did she then suppose ye verely She spake her self and said in this manere We haue well seene your billes by and by And some of hem pitous for to here We woll therefore ye know all this in fere Within short time our court of parliment Here shall be hold in our pallais present And in all this wherein you find you greued There shall ye find an open remedy In such wise as ye shall be releeued Of all that ye rehearse here throughly As for the date ye shall know verely That ye may haue a space in your comming For Diligence shall it tell you by writing We thanked her in our most humble wise Our felawship ech one by one assent Submitting vs lowly till her seruise For as we thought we had our trauail spent In such wise as we held vs content Then each of vs tooke other by the sleue And forthwithall as we should take our leue All suddainly the water sprang anone In my visage and therewithall I woke Where am I now thought I all this is gone All mased and vp I gan to loke With that anon I went and made this boke Thus simply rehearsing the substance Because it shuld not be out of remembrance Now verely your dream is passing good And worthy to be had in remembraunce For though I stand here as long as I stood It should to me be none encombraunce I tooke therein so inly great pleasaunce But tell me now with ye the book do call For I must wete With right good will ye shall As for this booke to say you very right Of the name to tell you in certainte L'assemble de dames thus it hight How thinke ye that name is good parde Now go farewell for they call after me My felawes all and I must after sone Rede well my dreme for now my tale is done The Conclusions of the Astrolabie This Book written to his Son in the year of our Lord 1391 and in the 14th of King Richard 2. standeth so good at this day especially for the Horizon of Oxford as in the opinion of the Learned it cannot be amended LIttle Lowis my sonne I perceiue well by certaine euidences thine abilitie to learne sciences touching numbers and proportions and also well consider I thy busie prayer in especiall to learne the Treatise of the Astrolabie Then for as much as a Philosopher saith hee wrapeth him in his friend that condiscendeth to the rightfull prayers of his friend Therefore I haue giuen thee a sufficient Astrolabie for our orizont compouned after the latitude of Oxenford Vpon the which by mediation of this little Treatise I purpose to teach thee a certaine number of conclusions pertayning to this same instrument I say a certaine of conclusions
THE PROGENIE OF GEFFREY CHAUCER The true portraiture of GEFFREY CHAUCEER the famous English poet as by THOMAS OCCLEUE is described who liued in his time and was his Scholar 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 Monk of Bury 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 which are many that either are by Nature or Derivation Arabick Greek Latine Italian French Dutch or Saxon mark'd with particular Notes for the better understanding their Original LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXXVII TO THE Right Honourable Sir ROBERT CECIL K nt PRINCIPAL SECRETARY To the QUEEN's Most Excellent Majesty Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries one of her Highness's most Honourable Privy Council and Right Worthy Chancellor of the Vniversity of CAMBRIDGE Right Honourable AT the last Impression of this Work in way of humble Duty and Thankfulness I presented to Your Honour certain Collections and Observations upon Chaucer as namely His Life Picture and Pedigree the Arguments of every Book and Tale the Explanation of old Words with Declaration of Authors by him cited and also two Treatises the Death of Blanch called his Dream and the Flower and the Leaf never before printed But as these things then through want of time were not fully perfected so were there some other things omitted at the next Impression to be performed Now therefore that both by old written Copies and by Thynn's praise-worthy Labours I have reformed the whole Work whereby Chaucer for the most part is restored to his own Antiquity and noted withal most of his Sentences and Proverbs having also with some Additions reduced into due place those former Notes and Collections as likewise proved the Significations of most of the old and obscure Words by the Tongues and Dialects from whence they are derived translated also into English all the Latin and French by him used and lastly added to his Works some Things of his own doing as the Treatise of Jack Upland against Fryars and his A. B. C. commonly called La Priere de nostre Dame I am bold to present the whole to your Honourable Favour and Patronage always mindful of my bounden Duty to Your Honour's House which with hearty Prayer I commend to the Grace of the Almighty Your Honour 's in all Duty at Commandment THO. SPEGHT To the Readers AFter this Book was last Printed I understood that Mr. Francis Thynn had a purpose as indeed he hath when time shall serve to set out Chaucer with a Comment in our Tongue as the Italians have Petrark and others in their Language Whereupon I purposed not to meddle any farther in this Work altho some promise made to the contrary but to referr all to him being a Gentleman for that purpose inferiour to none both in regard of his own Skill as also of those helps left to him by his Father Yet notwithstanding Chaucer now being Printed again I was willing not only to help some Imperfections but also to add some things whereunto he did not only persuade me but most kindly lent me his Help and Direction By this means most of his old Words are restored Proverbs and Sentences marked such Notes as were collected drawn into better order and the Text by old Copies corrected But of some things I must advertise the Readers as first that in Chaucer they shall find the Proper Names oftentimes much differing from the Latin and Greek from whence they are drawn which they must not condemn in him as a fault for both he and other Poets in Translating such Words from one Language into another do use as the Latins and Greeks do the sundry Species of Metaplasmus as Campaneus for Capaneus Atheon for Acteon Adriane for Ariadne Which Chaucer doth in other Words also as gon for begon leve for beleve peraunter for peradventure loveden for did love woneden for did won c. It is his manner likewise imitating the Greeks by two Negatives to cause a greater Negation as I ne said none ill Also many times to understand his Verb as I not what men him call for I know not c. And for the Author to name some part of his Work as Argonauticon for Apollonius Rhodius And that sometime in the Genitive Case a former Substantive being understood as read Aeneidos Metamorphoseos for the Authors of those Works And for his Verses altho in divers places they may seem to us to stand of unequal Measures yet a skilful Reader that can scan them in their nature shall find it otherwise And if a Verse here and there fall out a Syllable shorter or longer than another I rather aret it to the negligence and rape of Adam Scrivener that I may speak as Chaucer doth than to any unconning or over-sight in the Author for how fearful he was to have his Works miswritten or his Verse mismeasured may appear in the End of his Fifth Book of Troylus and Creseide where he writeth thus And for there is so great diversitie In English and in writing of our tongue So pray I God that none miswrite thee Ne thee mismetre for defaut of tongue c. Moreover whereas in the explanation of the old Words sundry of their Significations by me given may to some seem conjectural yet such as understand the Dialects of our Tongue especially in the North and have knowledge in some other Languages will judge otherwise and for the satisfying of others which want such skill I have by these Characters a. g. l. i. f. d. b. notified to them from what Tongue or Dialect such Words are derived It were a Labour worth commendation if some Scholar that hath Skill and Leisure would conferr Chaucer with those learned Authors both in Greek and Latin from whom he hath drawn many excellent things and at large report such Histories as in his Works are very frequent and many of them hard to be found which would so grace this Ancient Poet that whereas divers have thought him unlearned and his Writings mere Trifles it should appear That besides the knowledge of sundry Tongues he was a Man of great Reading and deep Judgment This course I began in the former Impression but here of purpose have left it off as also the Description of Persons and Places except some few of more worthy note as a labour rather for a Commentor for that it concerneth Matter than for him that intendeth only the explaining of Words And thus to conclude I commit to your wonted Favour this our Poet and what here is done for the Poet's sake TO HIS Very Loving and assured Good Friend Mr. THOMAS SPEGHT I Am sorry that neither the
Stile therein for the most part is low and open and like unto theirs but herein they differ The Comedy-Writers do all follow and borrow one from another as Terence from Plautus and Menander Plautus from Menander and Demophilus Statius and Caecilius from Diphilus Apollodorus and Philemon and almost all the last Comedians from that which was called Antiqua Comaedia The Ring they beat is this and out of the same Track they go not To shew the Looseness of many Young-men the Lewdness of some Young-women the crafty School Points of old Bawds the little regard of honest disposed Serving-men the miserable Wretchedness of divers old Fathers and their Folly in countenancing and committing their Sons to the Charge and Government of most impudent and flattering Parasites such as in Terence is prating Davus and Geta and bold bawdy Chaucer's Device of his Canterbury Pilgrimage is merely his own His Drift is to touch all sorts of men and to discover all Vices of that Age which he doth so feelingly and with so true an Aim as he never fails to hit whatsoever mark he levels at In his five Books of Troylus and Creseid in the Romaunt of the Rose in his Black Knight in the Merciless Lady in some few also of his Tales in his Dream and in that of Blanch which is in your hands and was never yet imprinted and in other his Discourses he soareth much higher and is in his Troilus so sententious as there be few Staves in those Books which include not some principal Sentence most excellently imitating Homer and Virgil and borrowing often of them and of Horace also and other the rarest both Orators and Poets that have written Of whom for the sweetness of his Poetry may be said that which is reported of Stesichorus and as Marcus Cethegus was termed by Ennius Suadae medulla so may Chaucer rightly be called The Pith and Sinews of Eloquence and very Life it self of all Mirth and pleasant Writing besides one Gift he hath above other Authors and that is By excellency of his Descriptions to possess his Readers with a more forcible Imagination of seeing that as it were done before their Eyes which they read than any other that ever hath written in any Tongue And here I cannot forget to remember unto you those ancient learned Men of our time in Cambridge whose diligence in reading of his Works themselves and commending them to others of the younger sort did first bring you and me in love with him and one of them at that time and all his Life after was as you know one of the rarest men for Learning in the whole World The same may be said of that worthy learned Man your good Friend in Oxford who with many other of like excellent Judgment have ever had Chaucer in most high Reputation And now Mr. Speght seeing not only all Greek and Latin Poets have had their Interpreters and the most of them translated into our Tongue but the French also and Italian as Guillaume de Salust that most divine French Poet Petrark and Ariosto those two excellent Italians whereof the last instructed by Mr. Iohn Harington doth now speak as good English as he did Italian before shall only Chaucer our Ancient Poet nothing inferiour to the best amongst all the Poets of the World remain always neglected and never be so well understood of his own Country-men as Strangers are Well content your self and set your heart at rest for seeing I was one of them which first procured you to take in hand this Work and since you have given me of your Copies to use privately for mine own Pleasure if you will not put them abroad your self they shall abroad ' ere long and look into the World without your consent Yet lest many Inconveniences might happen by this Attempt of mine and divers things be set forth contrary unto your own liking let me once again intreat you as I have done often heretofore to yield to my just and reasonable suit wherein you shall not only satisfie that Conceit which I have many Years carried of your unfeigned Love towards me but pleasure many who daily expect your Pains herein and perform also unto Chaucer great part of that Honour that he most worthily deserveth So with my thrice hearty Commendations I bid you farewel From Leicester the last of June Anno 1597. Your assured and ever loving Friend Francis Beaumont THE READER TO Geffrey Chaucer Reader WHere hast thou dwelt good Geffrey all this while Vnknown to us save only by thy Books Chaucer In Haulks and Herns God wot and in Exile Where none vouchsaft to yield Me Words or Looks Till one which saw me there and knew my Friends Did bring me forth such Grace sometime God sends Reader But who is he that hath thy Books repair'd And added more whereby thou art more graced Chaucer The self-same Man who hath no Labour spar'd To help what Time and Writers had defaced And made old Words which were unknown of many So plain that now they may be known of any Reader Well fare his heart I love him for thy sake Who for thy sake hath taken all this Pains Chaucer Would God I knew some means amends to make That for his Toil he might receive some Gains But wot ye what I know his Kindness such That for my good he thinks no Pains too much H. B. Vpon the Picture of Chaucer WHat Pallas City owes the heavenly mind Of prudent Socrates wise Greece's Glory What Fame Arpinas spreadingly doth find By Tully's Eloquence and Oratory What lasting Praise sharp witted Italy By Tasso's and by Petrark's Pen obtained What Fame Bartas unto proud France hath gained By seven days World Poetically strained What high Renown is purchas'd unto Spain Which fresh Dianaes Verses do distill What Praise our Neighbour Scotland doth retain By Gawine Douglas in his Virgil Quill Or other Motions by sweet Poets Skill The same and more fair England challenge may By that rare Wit and Art thou do'st display In Verse which doth Apollo's Muse bewray Then Chaucer live for still thy Verse shall live T'unborn Poets which Life and Light will give Fran. Thynn Of the Animadversions upon Chaucer IN reading of the learn'd praise-worthy Pain The helpful Notes explaining Chaucer's Mind The abstruse Skill and artificial Vein By true Annalogy I rightly find Speght is the Child of Chaucer's fruitful Brain Vernishing his Works with Life and Grace Which envious Age would otherwise deface Then be he lov'd and thanked for the same Since in his Love he hath reviv'd his Name THE LIFE Of Our Learned English Poet Geffrey Chaucer So much as we can find by Heralds Chronicles and Records of his Country Parentage Education Marriage Children With their Marriage Lands Service Reward Issue Death Revenues Service Reward Friends Books Death Gulielmus Camdenus Gaufredus Chaucer sui saeculi ornamentum extra omnem ingenii aleam positus Poetastras nostros longo post se intervallo relinquens
's and Petrarch who had done the same for the Italian Tongue Alanus for the French and Johannes Mena for the Spanish neither was Chaucer inferiour to any of them in the performance hereof and England in this respect is much beholden to him as Leland well noteth Anglia Chaucerum veneratur nostra poetam Cui veneres debet patria lingua suas Our England honoureth Chaucer Poet as principal To whom her Country Tongue doth owe her Beauties all Besides those Books of his which we have in print he wrote divers others as De Vulcani veru De Leone eius dignitate Comoedias Tragoedias Facetias Jocos Jack Vpland against Friars Now Printed And His A. B. C. Now Printed Others I have seen without any Authors Name in the hands of Mr. Stow that painful Antiquary which for the Invention I would verily judge to be Chaucer's were it not that Words and Phrases carry not every where Chaucer's Antiquity Mr. William Thynn in his first printed Book of Chaucer's Works with one Column on a side had a Tale called the Pilgrims Tale which was more odious to the Clergy than the Speech of the Plowman The Tale began thus In Lincolneshire fast by a fenne Standeth a religious house who doth it kenne The Argument of which Tale as also the occasion thereof and the cause why it was left out of Chaucer's Works shall hereafter be shewed if God permit in Mr. Thynn's Comment upon Chaucer and the Tale it self published if possibly it can be found Now concerning those Books which we have in print The Canterbury Tales for the most part were of his own Invention yet some of them translated and penned in King Richard the Second's Days and after the Insurrection of Jack Straw which was in the fourth Year of the same King for in the Tale of the Nuns Priest he maketh mention thereof The Romaunt of the Rose was translated out of French Troilus and Creseid called Trophe in the Lumbard Tongue was translated out of Latin as in the Preface to the second Book of Troilus and Creseid he confesseth in these Words To every Lover I me excuse That of no sentement I this endite But out of Latin in my Tongue it write Mary Magdalen translated out of St. Origen The Ballad Fly from the Prease made by Chaucer on his Death-bed The Letter of Cupid is none of Chaucer's doing but was compiled by Thomas Occleve of the Office of the privy Seal sometime Chaucer's Scholar The which Occleve for the Love he bare to his Master caused his Picture to be truly drawn in his Book De Regimine Principis dedicated to Henry the Fifth the which I have seen and according to which this in the beginning of this Book was done by Mr. Spede who hath annexed thereto all such Coats of Arms as any way concern the Chaucers as he found them travelling for that Purpose at Ewelm and at Wickham Occleve in that Book where he setteth down Chaucer's Picture addeth these Verses Although his life be queint the resemblaunce Of him that hath in me so fresh livelines That to put other men in remembraunce Of his person I have here the likenes Do make to the end in soothfastnes That they that of him have lost thought and mind By this peinture may again him find His Death GEffrey Chaucer departed out of this World the 25th of October in the Year of our Lord 1400 after he had lived about 72 Years Thus writeth Bale out of Leland Chaucerus ad canos devenit sensitque senectutem morbum esse dum causas suas Londini curaret c. Chaucer lived till he was an old Man and found old Age to be grievous and whilst he followed his Causes at London he died and was buried at Westminster The old Verses which were written on his Grave at the first were these Galfridus Chaucer vates fama poesis Maternae hac sacra sum tumulatus humo But since Mr. Nicholas Brigham did at his own Cost and Charges erect a fair marble Monument for him with his Picture resembling that done by Occleve and these Verses Qui fuit Anglorum vates ter maximus olint Gaufredus Chaucer conditur hoc tumulo Annum si quaeras domini si tempora vitae Ecce notae subsunt quae tibi cuncta notant Anno Domini 1400 die mensis Octob. 25. About the Ledge of which Tomb were these Verses now clean worn out Si rogites quis eram forsan te fama docebit Quod si fama negat mundi quia gloria transit Haec monumenta lege Now it shall not be amiss to these Epitaphs to add the Judgements and Reports of some learned men of this worthy and famous Poet. And first of all Thomas Occleve who lived in his Days writeth thus of him in his Book De Regimine Principis But welaway so is mine hert woe That the honour of English Tongue is deed Of which I wont was counsail have and reed O Master dere and Fadre reuerent My Master Chaucer floure of Eloquence Mirror of fructuous entendement O universal Fadre of Science Alas that thou thine excellent prudence In thy bed mortal mightest not bequeath What eyld Death Alas why would she thee sle O Death that didest not harme singler in slaughter of him But all the land it smerteth But nathelesse yet hast thou no power his Name sle His hie vertue afterteth Vnslain fro thee which ay us lifely herteth With Books of his ornat enditing That is to all this land enlumining The same Author again in the same Book My dear Maister God his soule quite And Fader Chaucer faine would have me taught But I was young and leered lite or nought Alas my worthy Maister honorable This Lands very treasure and richesse Death by thy death hath harme irreparable Vnto us done her vengeable duresse Dispoiled hath this lond of the sweetnesse Of Rhetorige for unto Tullius Was never man so like among us Also who was heire in Philosophy To Aristotle in our Tongue but thou The steppes of Virgil in Poese Thou suedest eken men know well inough That combre World that thee my Maister slough Would I slaine were Death was too hastife To renne on thee and reve thee thy life She might have tarried her vengeance a while To that some man had egal to thee be Nay let be that she knew wele that this I le May never man forth bring like unto thee And her Office needs do must she God had her so I trust all for the best O Maister Maister God thy Soul rest Dan John Lidgate likewise in his Prologue of Bocchas of the Fall of Princes by him translated saith thus in his Commendation My Maister Chaucer with his fresh Comedies Is dead alas chief Poet of Britaine That whilome made full pitous Tragedies The faule also of Princes he did complaine As he that was of making soveraine Whom all this land should of right preferre Sith of our Language he was
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
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 should not be so open to be every mannes goods Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem ye shall alway have three things in your heart that is to say * Our Lord God conscience good name First ye shall have God in your heart and for no richesse yee should doe any thing which may in any manner displease GOD your creatour and maker For after the word of Salomon * It is better to have a little good with the love of GOD than to have much good and treasure and lese the love of his Lord GOD. And the Prophet saith * That better it is to be a good manne and have little good and treasure than to be holden a shrewe and have great richesse And yet I say furthermore that yee should alway doe your businesse to get you richesse so that yee get hem with good conscience And the Apostle sayeth * That there nis thing in this world of which wee should have so great joy as when our conscience beareth us good witnesse And the Wise man saith * That the substaunce of a man is full good when sinne is not in mannes conscience Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem yee must have great bnsinesse and great dilligence that your good name bee alway kept and conserved For Salomon saith * That better it is and more it availeth a man to have a good name than for to have many richesses And therefore he sayeth in another place * Do great diligence saith Salomon in keeping of thy friends of thy good name for it shall lenger abide with thee than any treasure be it never so precious And certes he should not be called a great Gentleman that after God good conscience all things left ne dooth his dilligence and businesse to keepe his good name And Cassiodor sayth * That it is a signe of a gentle heart when a manne loveth and desireth to have a good name And therefore sayeth saint Augustine * That there ben two things that been right necessarie and also needfull and that is good conscience and good lose that is to say good conscience to thine owne person inward and good lose for thy neighbour outward And hee that trusteth him so much in his good conscience that hee despiseth and setteth at nought his good name or lose recketh not though he keepe not his good name nis but a cruell churle Sir now haue I shewed you how ye shuld doe in getting richesses and how yee should vse hem and I see well that for the trust that ye haue in your richesses ye woll moue warre and battaile I counsaile you that ye begin no warre in trust of your richesses for they ne suffice not warres to maintaine And therefore sayeth a Philosopher * That a man that desireth and would algates haue warre shall neuer haue suffisaunce for the richer that he is the greater dispences must he make if he woll haue worship and victorie And Salomon saith * That the greater riches that a man hath the more dispendours he hath And therfore sir albeit so that for your richesses ye may haue much folke yet behooueth it not ne it is not good to begin warre whereas ye may in other manner haue peace vnto your worship and profit * For the victorie of battailes that been in this world lieth not in great number or multitude of people ne in the vertue of man but it lieth in the will and in the hond of our Lord God almightie And therfore Iudas Machabeus which was Gods knight when hee should fight against his aduersarie that had a greater number a greater multitude of folk and stronget than was his people of Machabe yet he recomforted his little companie and saied right in this wise Also lightly saied he may our Lord God Almightie yeue victorie to a fewe folke as to many folke For the victorie of a battaile commeth not by the great number of people but it commeth from our Lorde GOD of heeuen And deare sir for as much as there is no manne certaine if it be worthie that God yeue him victorie or not after that Salomon sayeth * Therefore euery man should greatly dreade warres to begin and because that in battels fall many perils and happeth other while that as soone is the great man slaine as the little man And as it is written in the second booke of Kings The deeds of battailes ben adventurous and nothing certaine for as lightly is one hurt with a speare as another and for there is great perill in warre therefore should a man flie and eschew warre in as much as a man may goodly For Salomon sayeth * Hee that loueth perill shall fall in perill After that dame Prudence had spoken in this manner Melibe answerd and said I see well dame Prudence that by your fair words and your reasons that ye haue shewed mee that the warre liketh you nothing but I haue not yet heard your counsaile how I shall doe in this need Certes said shee I counsaile you that ye accorde with your aduersaries and that yee haue peace with hem For saint Iames sayth in his Epistle * That by concorde peace small riches wexe great and by debate and discorde riches decay And yee know well that one of the greatest moste soueraigne thing that is in this world is vnity peace And therefore sayeth our Lord Iesu Christ to his Apostles in this wise * Well happy beene they that loue purchase peace for they be called the children of God Ah saied Melibe now see I well that ye loue not mine honour ne my worship ye know well that mine aduersaries haue begun this debate and brige by their outrage And yee see well that they ne require ne pray me of peace ne they aske not to be reconciled Woll ye then that I goe meeke me obey me to hem and crie hem mercie Forsoth that were not my worship * For right as men say
the Booke of Canterbury tales THE Romaunt of the Rose THis Book was begun in French Verse by William de Lorris and finished forty years after by John Clopinell alias John Moone born at Mewen upon the River of Loyer not far from Paris as appeareth by Molinet the French Author of the Morality upon the Romaunt and afterward translated for the most part into English Metre by Geffrey Chaucer but not finished It is entituled The Romaunt of the Rose or The Art of Love wherein is shewed the helps and furtherances as also the lets and impediments that Lovers have in their Suits In this Book the Authour hath many glaunces at the Hypocrisie of the Clergy whereby he got himself such hatred amongst them that Gerson Chancellour of Paris writeth thus of him saith he There was one called Johannes Meldinensis who wrote a Book called The Romaunt of the Rose which Book if I only had and that there were no more in the World if I might have five hundred pound for the same I would rather burn it than take the Money He sayeth more That if he thought the Authour thereof did not repent him for that Book before he dyed he would vouchsafe to pray for him no more than he would for Judas that betrayed Christ MAny men sain that in sweueninges There nis but fables and lesinges But men may some sweuen seene Which hardely that false ne been But afterward ben apparaunt This may I draw to warraunt An authour that hight Macrobes That halt not dreames false ne lees But undoth us the auisioun That whilom mette king Cipioun And who so sayth or weneth it be A yape or else nicete To wene that dreames after fall Let who so liste a foole me call For this trow I and say for me That dreames signifiaunce be Of good and harme to many wightes That dreamen in her sleep a nightes Full many thinges couertly That fallen after all openly Within my twentie yeere of age When that loue taketh his courage Of young folke I went soone To bed as I was wont to doone And fast I slept and in sleeping Me mette such a sweuening That liked me wondrous wele But in that sweuen is neuer a dele That it nis afterward befall Right as this dreame woll tell us all Now this dreame woll I rime a right To make your hearts gay and light For loue it prayeth and also Commaundeth me that it be so And if there any aske me Whether that it be he or she How this Booke which is here Shall hight that I rede you here It is the Romaunt of the Rose In which all the art of loue I close The matter faire is of to make God graunt me in gree that she it take For whom that it begonnen is And that is she that hath Iwis So mokel prise and thereto she So worthie is beloued to be That she well ought of prise and right Be cleped Rose of euerie wight That it was Mey me thought tho It is fiue yere or more ago That it was Mey thus dreamed me In time of loue and iolitie That all thing ginneth waxen gay For there is neither buske nor hay In Mey that it nill shrouded bene And it with new leues wrene These woodes eke recoueren grene That drie in winter ben to sene And the earth waxeth proud withall For swote dewes that on it fall And the poore estate forget In which that winter had it set And then become the ground so proude That it woll haue a newe shroude And maketh so queint his robe and faire That it had hewes an hundred paire Of grasse and floures Inde and Pers And many hewes full diuers That is the robe I mean iwis Through which the ground to praisen is The birdes that han left her song While they han suffred cold full strong In wethers grille and derke to sight Ben in Mey for the sunne bright So glad that they shew in singing That in her heart is such liking That they mote singen and ben light Then doth the Nightingale her might To maken noyse and singen blith Then is blisfull many a sith The chelaundre and the popingaye Then young folke entenden aye For to ben gay and amorous The time is then so sauorous Hard is his heart that loueth nought In Mey when all this mirth is wrought When he may on these braunches here The small birdes singen clere Her blisfull sweete song piteous And in this season delitous When loue affirmeth all thing Me thought one night in my sleeping Right in my bed full readyly That it was by the morrow early And up I rose and gan me cloth Anone I wish mine hondes both A siluer needle forth I drow Out of an aguiler queint inow And gan this needle thread anone For out of toune me list to gone The sound of birdes for to heare That on the buskes singen cleare That in the sweete season that lefe is With a thred basting my sleuis Alone I went in my playing The small foules song hearkening That payned hem full many a paire To sing on bowes blossomed faire Iolife and gay full of gladnesse Toward a Riuer gan I me dresse That I heard ren fast by For fairer playen none saw I Then playen me by that Riuere For from an hill that stood there nere Come doune the stream full stiffe and bold Clere was the water and as cold As any Well is sooth to saine And somedele lasse it was than Saine But it was straiter weleaway And neuer saw I er that day The water that so wele liked me And wonder glad was I to se That lusty place and that Riuere And with that water that ran so clere My face I wish tho saw I wele The bottome ypaued eueridele With grauel full of stones shene The meadowes soft sote and grene Be et right on the water side Full clere was than the morowe tide And full attempre out of drede Tho gan I walken thorow the Mede Dounward aye in my playing The Riuers side coasting And when I had a while igone I saw a garden right anone Full long and broad and eueridele Enclosed was and walled wele With high walles enbatailed Portrayed without and well entayled With many rich portraitures And both yet Images and peintures Gan I beholde besely And I woll tell you readyly Of thilke Images the semblaunce As farre as I haue remembraunce Amidde saw I Hate stonde That for her wrath and yre and onde Seemed to be a mynoresse An angry wight a childeresse And full of gile and fell courage By semblaunt was that like Image And she was nothing wele araide But like a wode woman afraide Ifrounced foule was her visage And grinning for dispitous rage Her nose snorted up for tene Full hidous was she for to sene Full foule and rustie was she this Her head iwrithen was iwis Full grimly with a great towaile An image of another entaile A lifte halfe was her fast by
fiend in hell The first of hem is called Pride That other arrow next him beside It was cleped Villanie That arrow was as with fellonie Envenimed and with spitous blame The third of hem was cleped Shame The fourth Wanhope cleped is The fift the New thought ywis These arrowes that I speake of here Were all five on one mannere And all were they resemblable To hem was well sitting and able The foule crooked bow hidous That knottie was and all roinous That bow seemed well to shete The arrowes five that been unmete And contrary to that other five But though I tell not as blive Of her power ne of her might Hereafter shall I tellen right The sooth and eke signifiaunce As ferre as I have remembraunce All shall be saied I undertake Ere of this booke an end I make Now come I to my tale againe But aldersirst I woll you saine The fashion and the countenaunces Of all the folke that on the daunce is The God of Love jolife and light Led on his hond a Ladie bright Of high prise and of great degre This Ladie called was beaute And an arrow of which I told Full well thewed was she hold Ne she was derke ne browne but bright And cleare as the Moone light Againe whom all the Starres semen But small candles as we demen Her flesh was tender as dewe of floure Her cheare was simple as bird in boure As white as Lilly or Rose in rise Her face gentle and treatise Fetis she was and small to see No wintred browes had shee Ne popped here for it needed nought To winder her or to paint her ought Her tresses yellow and long straughten Vnto her heeles downe they raughten Her nose her mouth and eye and cheke Well wrought and all the remnaunt eke A full great sauour and a swote Me thought in mine heart rote As helpe me God when I remember Of the fashion of euery member In world is none so faire a wight For young she was and hewed bright Sore pleasant and fetis with all Gent and in her middle small Beside beauty yede Richesse An high Ladie of great noblesse And great of price in euery place But who so durst to her trespace Or till her folke in werke or dede He were full hardie out of drede For both she helpe and hinder may And that is not of yesterday That rich folke haue full great might To helpe and eke to greue a wight The best and greatest of valour Didden Richesse full great honour And busie weren her to serue For that they would her loue deserue They cleped her Ladie great and small This wide world her dredeth all This world is all in her daungere Her court hath many a losengere And many a traitour enuious That ben full busie and curious For to dispraise and to blame That best deseruen loue and name To forne the folke hem to begilen These losenge ours hem preise and smilen And thus the world with word annointen But afterward they prill and pointen The folke right to the bare bone Behind her backe when they ben gone And foule abaten folkes prise Full many a worthy man and wise Han hindred and idoen to die These losengeours with her flatterie And maketh folke full straunge be There as hem ought ben priue Well euill mote they thriue and thee And euill ariued mote they bee These losengeours full of enuie No good man loueth her companie Richesse a robe of purple on had Ne trow not that I lie or mad For in this world is none it liche Ne by a thousand deale so riche Ne none so faire for it full wele With Orfreis laied was euery dele And purtraid in the ribanings Of Dukes stories and of Kings And with a bend of gold tassiled And knops fine of gold amiled About her necke of gentle entaile Was shet the rich Cheuesaile In which there was full great plente Of stones clere and faire to se Richesse a girdle had vpon The bokell of it was of ston Of vertue great and mokell of might For who so bare the stone so bright Of venim durst him nothing doubt While he the stone had him about That stone was greatly for to loue And till a rich mans behoue Worth all the gold in Rome and Frise The Mourdant wrought in noble gise Was of a stone full precious That was so fine and vertuous That whole a man it couth make Of palsie and of toothake And yet the stone had such a grace That he was seker in euery place All thilke day not blind to beene That fasting might that stone seene The barres were of gold full fine Vpon a tissue of Sattine Full heauie great and nothing light In eueriche was a besaunt wight Vpon the tresses of Richesse Was set a circle of noblesse Of brend gold that full light shone So faire trow I was neuer none But he were cunning for the nones That could deuise all the stones That in that circle shewen clere It is a wonder thing to here For no man could preise or gesse Of hem the value or richesse Rubies there were Saphirs Ragounces And Emeraudes more than two vnces But all before full subtilly A fine Carbuncle set saw I The stone so cleare was and so bright That all so soone as it was night Men might seene to go for nede A mile or two in length and brede Such light sprang out of the stone That Richesse wonder bright shone Both her head and all her face And eke about her all the place Dame Richesse on her hond gan lede A yong man full of semely hede That she best loued of any thing His lust was much in housholding In clothing was he full fetise And loued well to haue hors of prise He wend to haue reproued be Of theft or murder if that he Had in his stable an hacknay And therefore he desired aye To been acquainted with Richesse For all his purpose as I gesse Was for to make great dispence Withouten warning or defence And Richesse might it well sustaine And her dispences we le maintaine And him alway such plentie send Of gold and siluer for to spend Without lacking or daungere As it were pourde in a garnere And after on the daunce went Largesse that set all her entent For to ben honorable and free Of Alexanders kinne was shee Her most joy was ywis When that she yafe and saied haue this Not Auarice the foule caitife Was halfe to gripe so ententife As Largesse is to yeue and spend And God alway ynowe her send So that the more she yaue away The more iwis she had alway Great loos hath Largesse and great prise For both wise folke and vnwise Were wholly to her bandon brought So well with yefts hath she wrought And if she had an enemy I trowe that she couth craftely Make him full soone her friend to be So large of yefts and wise was she Therefore she stood in loue and grace Of rich and poore
Richesse or preise through his valour Provende rent or dignite Full fast iwis compassen we By what ladder he is clomben so And for to maken him downe to go With treason we woll him defame And doen him lese his good name Thus from his ladder we him take And thus his frends foes we make But word ne wete shall he none Till all his friendes been his fone For if we did it openly We might have blame readily For had he wist of our mallice He had him kept but he were nice Another is this that if so fall That there be one among vs all That doeth a good tourne out of drede We saine it is our alder dede Yea sikerly though he it fained Or that him list or that him dained A man through him avaunced be Thereof all parteners be we And tellen folke where so we go That man through vs is sprongen so And for to have of men praising We purchase through our flattering Of rich men of great poste Letters to witnesse our bounte So that man weeneth that may vs see That all vertue in vs bee And alway poore we vs faine But how so that we begge or plaine We ben the folke without leasing That all thing have without having Thus be dradde of the people iwis And gladly my purpose is this I deale with no wight but he Have gold and treasour great plente Her acquaintaunce well love I This much my desire shortly I entremete me of brocages I make peace and mariages I am gladly executour And many times a procuratour I am sometime messangere That falleth not to my mistere And many times I make enquest For me that office is nat honest To deale with other mens thing That is to me a great liking And if that ye have ought to do In place that I repaire to I shall it speden through my wit As soone as ye have told me it So that ye serve me to pay My service shall be yours alway But who so woll chastice me Anone my love lost hath he For I love no man in no gise That woll me reprove or chastise But I woll all folke vndertake And of no wight no teaching take For I that other folke chastie Woll not be taught fro my follie I Love none Hermitage more All deserts and holtes hoore And great woods everychon I let hem to the Baptist Iohn I queth him quite and him relesse Of Egipt all the wildernesse Too ferre were all my mansiouns Fro all cities and good touns My paleis and mine house make I There men may renne in openly And say that I the world forsake But all amidde I build and make My house and swim and play therein Bette than a fish doeth with his sinne OF Antichristes men am I Of which that Christ sayeth openly They have habite of holinesse And liven in such wickednesse To the copie if him talent tooke Of the Evangelistes booke There might he see by great traisoun Full many a false comparisoun As much as through his great might Be it of heat or of light The Sunne surmounteth the Moone That troubler is and chaungeth soone And the nutte kernell the shell I scorne nat that I you tell Right so withouten any gile Surmounteth this noble Evangile The word of any Evangelist And to her title they tooken Christ And many such comparisoun Of which I make no mentioun Might men in that booke find Who so could of hem have mind The vniversitie that tho was asleepe Gan for to braied and taken keepe And at the noise the head vp cast Ne never sithen slept it fast But vp it stert and armes tooke Ayenst this false horrible booke All ready battaile for to make And to the Iudge the booke they take But they that broughten the booke there Hent it anone away for feare They nolde shew it no more adele But then it kept and keepen wele Till such a time that they may see That they so strong woxen bee That no wight may hem well withstond For by that booke they durst not stond Away they gonne it for to here For they ne durst not answere By exposition no glose To that that clerkes woll appose Ayenst the cursednesse iwis That in that booke written is Now wote I nat ne I can nat see What manner end that there shall bee Of all this that they hide But yet algate they shall abide Till that they may it bette defend This trow I best woll be her end Thus Antechrist abiden we For we been all of his meine And what man that woll not be so Right soone he shall his life forgo Outward Lamben seemen we Full of goodnesse and of pite And inward we withouten fable Been greedy Wolves ravisable We enviroun both lond and see With all the world werrien wee We woll ordaine of all thing Of folkes good and her living If there be castell or cite Within that any bougerons be Although that they of Millaine were For thereof been they blamed there Or of a wight out of measure Would lene her gold and take vsure For that he is so covetous Or if he be too lecherous Or these that haunten Simonie Or Provost full of trecherie Or Prelate living iollily Or Priest that halt his quein him by Or old hoores hostillers Or other baudes or bordellers Or els blamed of any vice Of which men shoulden doen iustice By all the saints that we prey But they defend them with lamprey With luce with elis with samons With tender geese and with capons With tartes or with cheffes fat With daintie flaunes brode and flat With caleweis or with pullaile With coninges or with fine vitaile That we vnder our clothes wide Maken through our gollet glide Or but he woll doe come in hast Rae venison bake in past Whether to that loure or groine He shall have of a corde a loigne With which men shall him bind and lede To brenne him for his sinfull dede That men shull heare him crie and rore A mile way about and more Or els he shall in prison die But if he woll his friendship buy Or smerten that that he hath do More than his guilt amounteth to But and he couth through his sleight Doe maken vp a toure of height Nought rought I whether of stone or tree Or yearth or turves though it be Though it were of no vounde stone Wrought with squier and scantilone So that the toure were stuffed well With all riches temporell And then that he would vp dresse Engines both more and lesse To cast at vs by every side To beare his good name wide Such sleights I shall you yeven Barrels of wine by sixe or seven Or gold in sackes great plente He should soone delivered be And if he have no such pitences Let him studie in equipolences And let lies and fallaces If that he would deserve our graces Or we shall beare him such witnesse Of sinne and of his wretchednesse And doen his lose so wide renne That
service * As plant a tree or herbe in sondrie wise And on the morrow pull it vp as blive No wonder is though it may never thrive And sith yâ— God of love hath thee bestowed In place digne vnto thy worthinesse * Stond fast for to good port hast thou rowed And of thy selfe for any heavinesse Hope alwaie well for but if drerinesse Or over hast both our labour shend I hope of this to maken a good end And wost thou why I am the lasse afered Of this matter with my nece to trete For this have I heard say of wise lered Was never man or woman yet beyete That was vnapt to suffer loves hete Celestiall or els love of kind For thy some grace I hope in her to find And for to speake of her in speciall Her beautie to bethinken and her youth It sit her nought to been celestiall As yet though that her list both and kouth And truely it sit her well right nouth A worthy knight to loven and cherice And but she doe I hold it for a vice Wherefore I am and woll be aye ready To paine me to doe you this service For both you to please this hope I Here after for that ye been both wise And con counsaile keepe in such a wise That no man shall the wiser of it bee And so we may ben gladded all three And by my trouth I have right now of thee A good conceit in my wit as I gesse And what it is I woll now that thou see I thinke that sith Love of his goodnesse Hath thee conuerted out of wickednesse That thou shalt been the best post I leue Of all his lay and most his foes greue Ensample why see now these great clerkes That erren aldermost ayen a law And ben conuerted from her wicked werkes Throgh grace of god yâ— lest hem to withdraw They arne the folke yâ— han god most in aw And strengest faithed been I vnderstond And con an errour alder best withstond When Troilus had herd Pandare assented To ben his helpe in loving of Creseide He wext of his wo as who saith vnturmented But hotter wext his love and then he said With sober chere as though his hart plaid Now blisfull Venus helpe ere that I sterue Of thee Pandare I mow some thank deserue But dere friend how shall my wo be lesse Till this be done good eke tell me this How wilt thou saine of me and my distresse Least she be wroth this drede I most iwis Or woll not heren all how it is All this drede I and eke for the manere Of thee her Eme she nill no such thing here Qd. Pandarus thou hast a full great care * Lest the chorle may fall out of the moone Why lord I hate of thee the nice fare Why entremete of that thou hast to doone For Gods love I bid thee a boone So let me alone and it shall be thy best Why frend qd he then done right as thee lest But herke Pandare o word for I nolde That thou in me wendest so great follie That to my lady I desiren should That toucheth harme or any villanie For dredelesse me were leuer to die Than she of me ought els vnderstood But that that might sownen into good Tho lough this Pandarus anon answerd And I thy borow fie no wight doth but so I raught not though she stood and herd How that thou saiest but farwell I woll go Adieu be glad God speed vs both two Yeue me this labour and this businesse And of my speed be thine all the sweetnesse Tho Troilus gan doune on knees to fall And Pandare in his armes hent fast And said now fie on the Greekes all Yet parde God shall helpen at last And dredelesse if that my life may last And God toforne lo some of hem shall smerte And yet me a thinketh that this auaunt masterte And now Pandare I can no more say Thou wise thou wost thou maist thou art all My life my death hole in thine hond I say Help me now qd he Yes by my trouth I shal God yeeld thee friend and this in speciall Qd. Troilus that thou me recommaund To her that may me to yâ— death commaund This Pandarus tho desirous to serve His full friend he said in this manere Farwell think I wol thy thanke deserve Have here my trouth that thou shalt here And went his way thinking on this matere And how he best might beseechen her of grace And find a time thereto and a place * For every wight that hath a house to found He renneth nat the werke for to begin With rakel hond but he woll biden stound And send his hearts line out fro within Alder first his purpose for to win All thus Pandare in his heart thought And cast his werke full wisely ere he wrought But Troilus lay tho no lenger doun But anone gat vpon his stede baie And in the field he played the Lioun Wo was the Greek that with him met yâ— daye And in the toune his manner tho forth aye So goodly was and gat him so in grace That eche him loved that looked in his face For he became the friendliest wight The gentilest and eke the most free The thriftiest and one the best knight That in his time was or els might be Dead were his yapes and his cruelte His high port and his manner straunge And each of hem gan for a vertue chaunge Now let vs stint of Troilus a stound That fareth like a man that hurt is sore And is some dele of a king of his wound Ylessed well but healed no dele more And as an easie patient the lore Abite of him that goeth about his cure And thus he driueth forth his aventure Explicit liber primus OVt of these black wawes let vs for to sail O wind now the weather ginneth clere For in the sea the boate hath such trauaile Of my conning that vnneth I it stere This sea clepe I the tempestous matere Of deepe dispaire that Troilus was in But now of hope the kalends begin O lady mine that called art Cleo Thou be my spede fro this forth my muse To rime well this booke till I have do Me needeth here none other art to vse For why to every lover I me excuse That of no sentement I this endite But out of latine in my tongue it write Wherefore I nil have neither thank ne blame Of all this worke but pray you mekely Disblameth me if any word be lame For as mine authour said so say I Eke though I speake of love vnfeelingly No wonder is for it nothing of new is * A blind man cannot judgen well in hewis I know yâ— in forme of speech is change Within a thousand yere and words tho That hadden prise now wonder nice strange Thinketh hem and yet they spake hem so And spedde as well in love as men now do * Eke for to winnen love in sundry ages In
sundry londs sundry ben vsages And for thy if it happe in any wise That here be any lover in this place That herkeneth as the story woll devise How Troilus came to his ladies grace And thinketh so nolde I not love purchase Or wondreth on his speech or his doing I not but it is to me no wondring * For every wight which yâ— to Rome went Halt nat o pathe ne alway o manere Eke in some lond were all the gamen shent If that men farde in love as men done here As thus in open doing or in chere In visiting in forme or said our saws * For thy men sain ech country hath his laws Eke scarsely ben there in this place three That have in love said like and done in all For to this purpose this may liken thee And thee right nought yet all is done or shall * Eke some men graue intre som in stone wall As it betide but sith I have begonne Mine authour shall I follow as I konne Explicit Prohemium IN May yâ— mother is of moneths glade That yâ— fresh floures both blew white rede Ben quick ayen that winter dead made And full of baume is fleting every mede When Phebus doth her bright beams spred Right in the white Bole it so betidde As I shall sing on Maies day the thridde That Pandarus for all his wise speach Felt eke his part of loves shottes kene That coud he never so well of loving preach It made his hew a day full oft grene So shope it that him fill that day a tene In love for which in wo to bed he went And made ere it were day full many a went The swallow Progne with a sorowfull lay When morow come gan make hir waimenting Why she forshapen was and ever lay Pandare a bed halfe in a slombering Till she so nigh him made her waimenting How Tereus gan forth her suster take That with the noise of her he gan awake And to call and dresse him vp to rise Remembring him his arrand was to done From Troilus and eke his great emprise And cast knew in good plite was yâ— moone To done voiage and tooke his way full soone Vnto his neces paleis there beside Now Ianus God of entre thou him guide When he was come vnto his neces place Where is my lady to her folke qd he And they him told and he forth in gan pace And found two other ladies sit and shee Within a paued parlour and they three Herden a maiden hem reden the geste Of the siege of Thebes while hem leste Qd. Pandarus madame God you see With your booke and all the companie Eigh vncle mine welcome iwis qd shee And vp she rose and by the hond in hie She tooke him fast and said this night thrie To good mote it turne of you I met And with the word she downe on bench him set Yea nece ye shull faren well the bet If God woll all this yeare qd Pandarus But I am sorry that I have you let To hearken of your booke ye praisen thus For Gods love what saith it tell it vs Is it of love or some good ye me lere Vncle qd she your maistresse is nat here With that they gonnen laugh tho she seide This romaunce is of Thebes that we rede And we have heard how yâ— king Laius deide Through Edippus his sonne al the dede And here we stinten at these letters rede How the bishop as the booke can tell Amphiorax fell through the ground to hell Qd. Pandarus all this know I my selue And all thassiege of Thebes and the care For hereof ben there maked bookes twelue But let be this and tell me how ye fare Do way your barbe shew your face bare Do way your book rise vp and let vs daunce And let vs to done to May some obseruaunce Eighe God forbid qd she be ye mad Is that a widdowes life so God you save By God ye maken me right sore adrad Ye ben so wild it seemeth as ye raue * It sat me well bet aye in a caue To bide and rede on holy saints liues Let maidens gon to daunce yong wiues As ever thriue I qd this Pandarus Yet could I tell o thing to done you play Now vncle dere qd she tell it vs For Gods love is then thassiege awey I am of Greekes ferde so that I dey Nay nay qd he as ever mote I thriue It is a thing well bet than such fiue Ye holy God qd she what thing is that What bet than such five eighe nay iwis For all this world ne can I reden what It should ben some iape I trow it is And but your selven tell us what it is My wit is for to arede it all to leane As helpe me God I not what that ye meane And I your borow ne never shall qd he This thing be told to you as mote I thrive And why uncle mine why so qd she By God qd he that woll I tell as blive For prouder woman is there none on live And ye it wist in all the toune of Troy I iape nat so ever have I joy Tho gan she wondren more than before A thousand fold and downe her eyen cast For never sith the time that she was bore To knowen thing desired she so fast And with a sike she said him at the last Now uncle mine I nill you not displease Nor asken more that may do you disease So after this with many words glade And friendly tales and with merry chere Of this that they speake and gonnen wade In many an unkouth glad deepe matere As friends done when they bethe ifere Till she gan asken him how Hector ferde That was the tounes wall Greekes yerde Full wel I thanke it God said Pandarus Save in his arme he hath a little wound And eke his fresh brother Troilus The wise worthy Hector the secound In whom that every vertue list habound And first all trouth and all gentlenesse Wisedom honour freedom and worthinesse In good faith eme qd she that liketh me They faren well God save hem both two * For trewliche I hold it great deintie A kinges sonne in armes well to do And be of good conditions thereto * For great power and morall vertue here Is selde iseene in one persone ifere In good faith that is sooth qd Pandarus But by my trouth the king hath sonnes twey That is to meane Hector and Troilus That certainly though that I should dey They ben as void of vices dare I sey As any men that liven under sunne Her might is wide iknow what they conne Of Hector needeth it no more for to tell In all this world there nis a better knight Than he that is of worthinesse the well And he well more vertue hath than might This knoweth many a wise worthy knight And the same prise of Troilus I sey God helpe me so I know
folke is blent lo all yâ— time is wonne * In titering and pursute and delaies The folke devine at wegging of a stre And though ye would han after merry daies Then dare ye nat and why For she and she Spake such a word thus looked he and he Least time be lost I dare nat with you deale Come off therfore and bringeth him to heale But now to you ye lovers that ben here Was Troilus nat in a cankedort That lay and might the wispring of hem here And thoght O lord right now renneth my sort Fully to die or have anone comforte And was the first time he should her pray Of love O mightie God what shall he say Explicit Liber Secundus O Blisfull light of which the bemes clere Adorneth all the third heaven faire O sonnes lefe O Ioues doughter dere Pleasaunce of love O goodly debonaire In gentle hearts aye ready to repaire O very cause of heale and of gladnesse Iheried be thy might and thy goodnesse In heaven and hell in earth and salt see Is felt thy might if that I well discerne As man and beast fish herbe grene tree They fele in times with vapour eterne God loveth and to love woll naught werne * And in this world no lives creature Withouten love is worth or may endure Ye Ioues first to thilke affects glade Through which that things liven all be Commenden and amorous hem made On mortall thing and as you list aye ye Yeve hem in love ease or aduersite And in a thousand formes doune hem sent For love in yearth whom you list he hent Ye fiers Mars appeasen of his ire And as you list ye maken hearts digne Algates hem that ye woll set a fire They dreden shame and vices they resigne Ye doen him curteis be fresh and benigne And high or low after a wight entendeth The ioies that he hath your might it sendeth Ye holden reigne and house in vnitie Ye soothfast cause of friendship ben also Ye knowen all thilke couered qualitie Of things which that folke wondren at so When they can nat construe how it may go She loveth him or why he loveth here * As why this fish nat yâ— commeth to were Ye folke a law have set in vniuerse And this know I by hem that lovers be * That who so striveth with you hath yâ— werse Now Ladie bright for thy benignite At reuerence of hem that serven thee Whose clerke I am so teacheth me devise Some joy of that is felt in thy servise Yea in my naked heart sentement In hilde and do me shew of thy sweetnesse Caliope thy voice be now present For now is need seest thou nat my distresse How I mote tell anon right the gladnesse Of Troilus to Venus herying To the which who nede hath God him bring Incipit Liber Tertius LAy all this meane while this Troilus Recording his lesson in this manere Mafey thought he thus woll I say thus Thus woll I plaine vnto my Lady dere That word is good this shall be my chere This nill I nat foryetten in no wise God leve him werken as he can devise And Lord so that his hart gan to quappe Hearing her come and short for to sike And Pandarus that ledde her by the lappe Came nere and gan in at the curtein pike And saied God doe bote on all that are sike See who is here you comen to visite Lo here is she that is your death to wite Therewith it seemed as he wept almost A a qd Troilus so routhfully Whether me be wo O mighty god thou wost Who is all there I see nat truely Sir qd Creseide it is Pandare and I Ye sweet hart alas I may nat rise To kneele and do you honour in some wise And dressed him vpward and she right tho Gan both her honds soft vpon him ley O for the love of God doe ye not so To me qd she eye what is this to sey Sir comen am I to you for causes twey First you to thonke and of your Lordship eke Continuaunce I would you beseke This Troilus that heard his Ladie pray Of Lordship him wox neither quick ne dedde Ne might o word for shame to it say Although men shoulden smiten off his hedde But Lord so he wox sodaineliche redde And sir his lesson that he wende conne To praien her is through his wit ironne Creseide all this aspied well ynough For she was wise loved him never the lasse * All nere he in all apert or made it tough Or was too bold to sing a foole a Masse But when his shame gan somwhat to passe His reasons as I may my rimes hold I woll you tell as teachen bookes old In chaunged voice right for his very drede Which voice eke quoke thereto his manere Goodly abasht and now his hewes rede Now pale vnto Creseide his ladie dere With looke doun cast humble iyolden chere Lo the alder first word that him astart Was twice mercy mercy O my sweet hart And stint a while when he might out bring The next word was God wote for I have As faithfully as I have had konning Ben yours all God so my soule do save And shall till that I wofull wight be grave And though I dare ne can vnto you plaine I wis I suffer not the lasse paine Thus much as now ah womanliche wife I may out bring and if this you displease That shall I wreke vpon mine owne life Right soone I trow and do your hart an ease If with my death your heart may appease But sens yâ— ye han heard me somewhat sey Now retch I never how soone that I dey Therewith his manly sorrow to behold It might have made an hart of stone to rew * And Pandare wept as he to water would And poked ever his nece new and new And saied wo begon been hearts true For love of God make of this thing an end Or slea us both at ones ere that ye wend. I what qd she by God and by my trouth I not nat what ye wilne that I sey Eye what qd he that ye have on him routh For Gods love and doeth him nat to dey Now then thus qd she I woll him prey To tell me the fine of his entent Yet wist I never well what that he ment What that I mean O my sweet hart dere Qd. Troilus O goodly fresh and free That with the streames of your eyen so clere Ye shoulden sometime friendly on me see And then agreen that I may ben hee Withouten braunch of vice on any wise In trouth alway to do you my servise As to my lady right and cheefe resort With all my witte and all my diligence And to have right as you list comfort Vnder your yerde egall to mine offence As death if that I breake your defence And that ye digne me so much honour Me to commaunden aught in any hour And I to ben your
in this manere And thus fortune a time ladde in ioie Creseide and eke this kinges son of Troie In suffisaunce in blisse and in singings This Troilus gan all his life to lede He spendeth justeth and maketh feestings He geveth frely oft and chaungeth wede He helde about him alway out of drede A world of folke as come him well of kind The freshest and the best he coulde find That such a voice was of him and a steven Throughout the world of honour largesse That it vp ronge vnto the yate of Heven And as in love he was in such gladnesse That in his hart he demed as I gesse That there nis lover in this world at ease So wel as he and thus gan love him please The goodlihede or beaute which the kind In any other lady had isette Can not yâ— mountenaunce of a gnat vnbind About his hert of al Creseides nette He was so narowe imasked and iknette That is vndon in any maner side That nil nat ben for aught that may betide And by the honde ful ofte he would take This Pandarus and into gardin lede And such a feest and such a processe make Him of Creseide and of her womanhede And of her beaute that withouten drede It was an heven his wordes for to here And then he would sing in this manere Love that of erth sea hath governaunce Love that his heestes hath in heven hie Love that with an holsome aliaunce Halte people ioyned as him list hem gie Love that knitteth lawe and companie And couples doth in vertue for to dwell Binde this accord that I have told and tell That yâ— the world with faith which that is stable Diverseth so his stoundes according That elements that be the discordable Holden a bonde perpetually during That Phebus mote his rosy day forth bring And yâ— the mone hath lordship over yâ— nights Al this doeth love aie heried be his mights That that the sea that greedy is to flowen Constraineth to a certaine ende so His floods that so fiercely they ne growen To drenchen earth and all for evermo And if that love aught let his bridle go All that now loveth asunder should lepe And lost were all that love halt now to hepe So would to God that authour is of kind That with his bond love of his vertue list To searchen hearts all and fast bind That from his bond no wight yâ— wey out wist And hearts cold hem would I that hem twist To maken hem love that list hem aie rew On hearts sore and keep hem that ben trew In all needs for the townes werre He was and aye the first in armes dight And certainely but if that bookes erre Save Hector most idradde of any wight And this encrease of hardinesse and might Come him of love his ladies thanke to win That altered his spirit so within In time of truce on hauking would he ride Or els hunt Bore Beare or Lioun The small beasts let he gon beside And when yâ— he come riding into the toun Full oft his lady from her window doun As fresh as faucon comen out of mue Full redely was him goodly to salue And most of love vertue was his speech And in dispite had all wretchednesse And doubtlesse no need was him beseech To honouren hem that had worthinesse And easen hem that weren in distresse And glad was he if any wight well ferde That lover was when he it wist or herde For sooth to saine he lost held every wight But if he were in loves high servise I meane folke that aught it ben of right And over all this so well could he devise Of sentement and in so vncouth wise All his array that every lover thought That al was wel what so he said or wrought And though that he be come of blood roiall Him list of pride at no wight for to chace Benigne he was to ech in generall For which he gate him thank in every place Thus wolde love iheried by his grace That Pride and Ire Envie and Avarice He gan to flie and every other vice Thou lady bright the doughter of Diane Thy blind and winged son eke dan Cupide Ye sustren nine eke that by Helicone In hill Pernaso listen for to abide That ye thus ferre han deined me to gide I can no more but sens that ye woll wend Ye heried ben for aye withouten end Through you have I said fully in my song Theffect and ioy of Troilus servise All be that there was some disease among As mine authour listeth to devise My third booke now end I in this wise And Trolius in lust and in quiete Is with Creseide his owne heart swete Explicit liber tertius BVt all too little welaway the while Lasteth such ioy ithonked bee fortune That seemeth truest when she woll begile And can to fooles her song entune That she hem hent yâ— blent traitor commune * And when a wight is from her whele ithrow Then laugheth she maketh him the mowe From Troilus she gan her bright face Away to writhe and tooke of him none hede And cast him clene out of his ladies grace And on her whele she set vp Diomede For which mine hert right now ginneth blede And now my pen alas with which I write Quaketh for drede of that I must endite For how Creseide Troilus forsooke Or at the least how that she was vnkind Mote henceforth ben matter of my booke As writen folk through which it is in mind Alas that they should ever cause find To speake her harme and if they on her lie Iwis hemselfe should have the villanie O ye Herines nightes doughters three That endlesse complaine ever in paine Megera Alecto and eke Tesiphonee Thou cruell Mars eke father of Quirine This ilke fourth booke helpe me to fine So that the loos and love and life ifere Of Troilus be fully shewed here Incipit liber quartus LIgging in host as I have said ere this The Greekes strong about Troy toun Befell that when that Phebus shining is Vpon the breast of Hercules Lion That Hector with many a bold Baron Cast on a day with Greekes for to fight As he was wont to greve hem what he miÈt Not I how long or short it was bitwene This purpose that day they fighten ment But on a day well armed bright and shene Hector and many a worthy knight out went With speare in hond and big bowes bent And in the berde withouten lenger lette Her fomen in the field anone hem mette The long day with speares sharpe iground With arrows darts swerds and maces fell They fight bringen horse man to ground And with her axes out the braines quell But in the last shoure sooth to tell The folke of Troy hem selven so misleden That with yâ— worse at night home they fleden At which day was taken Anthenor Maugre Polimidas or Monesteo Xantippe Sarpedon Palestinor Polite or eke the Troyan dan Rupheo
not sighed halfe so sore Who might have said that I had done amis To steale away with such one as he is * But all too late commeth the lectuarie When men the corse vnto the graue carie Too late is now to speke of that matere Prudence alas one of thine eyen three Me lacked alway ere that I came here For on time passed well remembred mee And present time eke would I well see But future time ere I was in the snare Could I not seene that causeth now my care But nathelesse betide what betide I shal to morow at night by east or west Out of this hoast steale on some side And gone with Troilus where as him lest This purpose woll I hold and this is the best * No force of wicked tongues â—onglerie For ever on love have wretches had Endie * For who so woll of every word take hede Or rule hem by every wights wit Ne shall he never thriven out of drede For that that some men blamen ever yet Lo other manner folke commenden it And as for me for all such variaunce Felicitie clepe I my suffâ—â—aunce For which withouten any words mo To Troy I woll as for conclusioun But God it wote ere fully moneths two She was full ferre fro that ententioun For both Troilus and Troy toun Shall knotlesse throughout her hart slide For she woll take a purpose for to abide This Diomede of whom I you tell gan Goth now within himselfe aye arguing With all the sleight and all that ever he can How he may best with shortest tarying Into his nerre Creseides heart bring To this entent he couth never fine To fishen her he laid out booke and line But nathelesse well in his hart he thought That she nas nat without a love in Troy For never sithen he her thence brought Ne couth he seene her laugh or maken joy He nist how best her hart for tacoâ—e But for tassey he said nought it ne greveth * For he yâ— naught assaieth naught atcheveth Yet said he to himselfe vpon a night Now am I nat a foole that wote well how Her wo is for love of another wight And hereupon to gone assay her now I may well wete it nill nat ben my prow * For wise folke in bookes it expresse Men shall nat wo a wight in hevinesse But who so might winnen such a floure Fro him for whom she mourneth night day He might saine he were a conquerour And right anone as he that bold was aye Thought in his hart hap how hap may All should I dye I woll her heart seech I shall no more lesen but my speech This Diomede as bookes us declare Was in his nedes prest and courageous With stern voice mighty limmes square Hardy testife strong and chevalrous Of deedes like his father Tideus And some men saine he was of tonge large And heire he was of Calcidony and Arge Creseide meane was of her stature Thereto of shape of face and eke of chere There might ben no fairer creature And oft time this was her manere To gone itressed with her haires clere Downe by her colere at her backe behind Which with a thred of gold she would bind And save her browes joyneden ifere There nas no lacke in aught I can espien But for to speaken of her eyen clere Lo truly they written that her seien That Paradis stood formed in her eien And with her rich beauty evermore Strove love in her aie which of hem was more She sobre was eke simple wise withall The best inorished eke that might bee And goodly of her speech in generall Charitable estately lusty and free Ne nevermore ne lacked her pitee Tender hearted sliding of corage But truly I cannat tell her age And Troilus well woxen was in hight And complete formed by proportioun So well yâ— kind it naught amenden might Young fresh strong and hardy as Lioun Trew as steele in ech conditioun One of the best entetched creature That is or shall while that the world may dure And certainely in story as it is fond That Troilus was never unto no wight As in his time in no degree second In daring do that longeth to a knight All might a Giaunt passen him of might His hart aye with the first and with the best Stood peregall to dare done what him lest But for to tellen forth of Diomede It fill that after on the tenthe day Sens that Creseide out of the city yede This Diomede as fresh as braunch in May Came to the tent there as Calcas lay And fained him with Calcas have to done But what he ment I shall you tellen sone Creseide at short wordes for to tell Welcommed him downe him by her sette And he was ethe ynough to maken dwell And after this withouten long lette The spices and the wine men forth hem fette And forth they speke of this and that ifere As friends done of which some shall ye here He gan first fallen of the warre in speech Betwixen hem and the folke of Troy toun And of thassiege he gan eke her beseech To tellen him what was her opinioun Fro that demaund he so discendeth doun To asken her if that her straunge thought The Greeks gise werkes that they wrought And why her father tarieth so long To wedden her unto some worthy wight Creseide that was in her paines strong For love of Troilus her owne knight So ferforth as she cunning had or might Answerde him tho but as of his entent It seemed nat she wiste what he ment But nathelesse this ilke Diomede Gan on himselfe assure and thus he seide If I aright have taken on you hede Methinketh thus O lady mine Creseide That sens I first hond on your bridle leide When I out came of Troy by the morrow Ne might I never seene you but in sorrow I can nat saine what may the cause be But if for love of some Trojan it were The which right sore would a thinken me That ye for any wight that dwelleth there Shoulden spill a quarter of a tere Or pitously your selven so begile For dredelesse it is nat worth the while The folke of Troy as who saith all some In prison ben as ye your selven see Fro thence shall nat one on live come For all the gold at wixen sunne and see Trusteth well and understondeth mee There shall nat one to mercy gone on live All were he lord of worldes twise five Such wrech on hem for fetching of Heleine There shall be take ere that we hence wend That Maunes which that Goddes ben of peine Shall ben agast that Grekes wol hem shend And men shall drede unto the worlds end From henceforth to ravishen any Queene So cruell shall our wreche on hem be seene And but if Calcas lede us with ambages That is to saine with double wordes slie Such as men clepen a word with two visages Ye shall well knowen that I
ladies for to lie Away qd he there Ioves yeve the sorow That shalt be fals peraventure yet to morow As well thou mightest lien on good Alceste That was of creatures but men lie That ever weren kindest and the best For when her husbond was in ieopardie To die himselfe but if she would die She chese for him to die and to hell And starfe anon as vs the bookes tell Cassandre goeth and he with cruell hart Foryate his wo for anger of her speech And fro his bedde all suddainly he start As though all hole him had I made a seech And day by day he gan require and seech A sooth of this with all his full cure And thus he driveth forth his aventure Fortune which that permutation Of all things hath as it is her committed Through purveyaunce and disposition Of high Iove as reignes shall ben flitted Fro folk to folk or when they shal ben smitted Gan pull away the feathers bright of Troy Fro day to day till they ben bare of joy Emong all this the fine of the ieopardie Of Hector gan approchen wonder blive The fate would his soule should vnbodie And shapen had a meane it out to drive Ayenst which fate him helpeth not to strive But on a day to fighten gan he wend At which alas he caught his lives end For which me thinketh every manner wight That haunteth armes ought to bewaile The death of him that was so noble a knight For as he drough a king by thauentaile Vnware of this Achilles through yâ— maile And through the bodie gan him for to rive And thus the worthy knight was reft of live For whom as old bookes tellen us Was made such wo that tong it may nat tell And namely the sorow of Troilus That next him was of worthinesse the well And in this wo gan Troilus to dwell That what for sorow love and for unrest Full oft a day he had his heart brest But nathelesse tho he gon him dispaire And drede aye that his lady was untrue Yet aye on her his hart gan repaire And as these lovers done he sought aye new To get ayen Creseide bright of hew And in his hart he went her excusing That Calcas caused all her tarying And oft time he was in purpose great Himselven like a pilgrime to disguise To seene her but he may not counterfeat To ben unknowen of folke that weren wise He find excuse aright that may suffise If he among the Grekes knowen were For which he wept full oft many a tere To her he wrote yet oft time all new Full pitously he left it nat for slouth Beseeching her sens that he was true That she wol come ayen shold her trouth For which Creseide upon a day for routh I take it so touching all this matere Wrote him ayen and said as ye may here Cupides sonne ensample of goodlihede O swerde of knighthood sours of gentilnesse How might a wight in turment in drede And healelesse you send as yet gladnesse I heartlesse I sicke I in distresse Sens ye with me nor I with you may deale You neither send I hart may nor heale Your letters full the paper all iplainted Conceived hath mine hearts pite I have eke seene with teares all depainted Your letter and how that ye requiren me To come ayen which yet ne may not be But why least that this letter founden were No mention ne make I now for fere Grevous to me God wote is your unrest Your hast and that the Goddes ordinaunce It seemeth nat ye take it for the best Nor other thing nis in your remembraunce As thinketh me but only your pleasaunce But beth not wroth that I you beseech For that I tary is all for wicked speech For I have heard well more than I wend Touching us two how thinges have istond Which I shall with dissimusing amend And beth nat wroth I have eke understond How yene do but holden me in hond But now no force I can nat in you gesse But all trouth and all gentilnesse Come I woll but yet in such disjoint I stond as now that with yere or what day That this shall be that can I nat appoint But in effect I pray you as I may Of your good word of your friendship aye For truly while that my life may dure As for a friend ye may in me assure Yet pray I you no evill ye ne take That it is short which that I to you write I dare nat there I am well letters make Ne never yet ne could I well endite * Eke great effect men write in place lite Th entent is all and nat the letters space And fareth well God have you in his grace La vostre C. This Troilus thought this letter all straunge When he it saw sorowfully he sight Him thought it like a kalends of eschaunge But finally he full ne trowen might That she ne would him holden that she hight For with ful evell will list him to leve That loveth well in such case though him greve But nathelesse men saine that at the last For any thing men shall the soothe see And such a case betide and that as fast That Troilus well understood that she Nas nat so kind as that her ought be And finally he wote now out of dout That all is lost that he hath ben about Stood on a day in his melancholy This Troilus and in suspectioun Of her for whom he wend to dye And so befell that throughout Troy toun As was that guise iborne was up and doun A manner cote armoure as saith the story Beforne Deiphebe insigne of his victory The which cote as telleth Lollius Deiphebe it had rent fro Diomede The same day and when this Troilus It saw he gan to taken of it hede A vising of the length and of the brede And all the werke but as he gan behold Full sodainly his heart gan to cold As he that on the coler found within A brooch that he Creseide yave at morow That she from Troy must nedes twin In remembraunce of him and of his sorow And she him laid ayen her faith to borow To keepe it aye but now full well he wist His lady nas no longer on to trift He goth him home gan full soone send For Pandarus and all this newe chaunce And of this broch he told him word end Complaining of her hartes variaunce His long love his trouth his pennaunce And after death without words more Full fast he cried his rest him to restore Then spake he thus O lady mine Creseide Where is your faith where is your behest Where is your love where is your trouth he seide Of Diomede have ye now all the fest Alas I would have trowed at the least That sens ye nolde in trouthe to me stond That ye thus nolde have holden me in hond Who shall now trowen on any othes mo Alas I never would have wend
then qd I that thyngs ne be not necessary by her proper nature so that they commen in all her manners in the likenesse of necessity by condicion of the diuine science Philosophy This is the difference qd she that tho thyngs which that I purposed thee a little here beforn that is to same Sunne arising and the man walking that there whiles that thilke thyngs been done they ne might not been vndone Nathelesse that one of hem or it was done it behoueth by necessity that it was done but not that other Right so it is here that the thyngs which that God hath present withouten doubt they shullen been but some of hem discendeth of the nature of thyngs as the Sunne arising and some discendeth of the power of the doers as the man walking Boetius Then said I no wrong that if these thynges bee referred to the diuine knowing then been they necessary and if they been considered by hemself then been they absolute fro the bonde of necessity Right so as all thyngs that appereth or sheweth to the wits if thou referre hem to reason it is vniuersall and if thou looke it or referre it to it selfe then is it singular But now if thou saist thus that if that it be in my power to chaungen my purpose then shall I voiden the purueyaunce of God when peraduenture I shall haue chaunged the thyngs which that he knoweth beforne Philosophy Then shall I answeren thee thus Certes thou maist well chaunge thy purpose but for as much as the present soothnesse of the diuine purueyaunce beholdeth that thou maist chaunge thy purpose and whether thou chaunge it or no and whiderward that thou tourne it thou ne maist not eschew the diuine prescience right so thou ne maist not flid the sight of the present eye although that thou tourne thy selfe by thy free will into diuers actions But thou maist sayne ayen to this thus How shall it then be shall not the diuine science ben chaunged by my disposicion when that I will one thyng now and now another thyng And thilke prescience ne see meth it not to enterchaunge stounds of knowing as who saith ne shall it not seemen to vs that the diuine prescience enterchaungeth his diuers stounds of knowing so that it know sometime one thyng and sometime it knoweth the contrary of that thing Philosophy No forsooth qd she for the diuine sight renneth beforne and seeth all the futures and clepeth hem ayen and retourneth hem to the proper prescience of his proper knowing ne he enterchaungeth not so as thou wenest the stounds of his foreknowing as now this now that but he dwelling aye commeth beforn and embraceth at o stroke all the mutacions And this prescience to comprehenden and to seen all thyngs God ne hath not taken it of the betidings of thyngs to commen but of his proper simplicity And hereby is assoiled thilke thyngs that thou puttest a little here beforne that is to sayne that it is vnworthy thyng to sayne that our futures yeven cause of the prescience of God For certes strength of the diuine science which that embraceth all thyngs by his presentary knowing establisheth manner to all thyngs and it ne oweth not to latter thyngs And sith that these thyngs ben thus that is to sain that necessity is not in thyngs by the diuine prescience then is there freedome of arbitry that dwelleth hole and vnwemmed to mortal men ne the laws ne purposen not wicked medes and pains to the willings of men that ben vnbounden and quite of all necessity * And God beholder and foreweter of all thyngs dwelleth aboue and the present eternity of sight renneth alway with the diuers quality of our deeds dispensing or ordeining medes to good men and tourments to wicked men Ne in idle ne in vain ne been there not put in God hope and prayers that ne mowen not been vnspeedfull ne without effect when they ben rightfull * Withstand then and eschew thou vices worship and love thou vertues areise thy courage to rightfull hopes yeeld thou humble prayers and high Great necessity of prowesse and of vertue is encharged and commaunded to you if ye nill not dissimulen sith that ye worchen and done that is to saine your deeds and your werks beforne the eyen of the judge that seeth and also that demeth all thyngs Deo gratias ¶ Thus endeth the Book of Boetius of the Consolation of Philosophy The Book commonly entituled Chaucer's Dream By the Person of a mourning Knight sitting under an Oak is meant John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster greatly lamenting the death of one whom he entirely loved supposed to be Blanch the Dutchess I Haue great woonder by this light How I liue for day ne night I may not sleepe welnigh nought I haue so many an idle thought Purely for default of sleepe That by my trouth I take no keepe Of nothing how it commeth or gothe To me nis nothing lefe nor lothe All is yliche good to me Ioy or sorrow where so it be For I haue feeling in nothing But as it were a mased thing All day in point to fall adoun For sorrowfull imaginacioun Is alway wholly in my mind And well ye wote against kind It were to liuen in this wise For nature would not suffise To none earthly creature Not long time to endure Without sleepe and be in sorrow And I ne may ne night ne morrow Sleepe and this melancolie And drede I haue for to die Defaut of sleepe and heauinesse Hath slaine my spirit of quickenesse That I haue lost all lustyhead Such fantasies ben in mine head So I not what is best to do But men might aske me why so I may not sleepe and what me is But nathelesse who aske this Leseth his asking truly My seluen cannot tell why The sooth but truly as I gesse I hold it be a sickenesse That I haue suffred this eight yere And yet my boot is neuer the nere For there is phisicien but one That may me heale but that is done Passe we ouer vntill eft That will not be mote needs be left Our first matter is good to keepe So when I saw I might not sleepe Now of late this other night Vpon my bed I sate vpright And bade one reach me a booke A Romaunce and he it me tooke To rede and drive the night away For me thought it better play Than either at Chesse or Tables And in this booke were written fables That Clerkes had in old time And other Poets put in rime To rede and for to be in mind While men iâ—ued the law of kind This booke ne spake but of such things Of queenes liues and of kings And many other things smale Among all this I found a tale That me thought a wonder thing This was the tale There was a king That hight Seys and had a wife The best that might beare life And this queene hight Alcione So it befell thereafter soone This king woll wenden ouer
acompted not a stre Of all my tale so thought me To tell shortly right as it is Trewly her answere it was this I can not now well countrefete Her wordes but this was the grete Of her answere she said nay All vtterly alas that day The sorow I suffered and the wo That trewly Caisandra that so Bewayled the destruction Of Troy and of Illyon Had never soch sorow as I tho I durst no more say thereto For pure feare but stale away And thus I lived full many a day That trewly I had no need Ferther than my beddes heed Never a day to seche sorrow I found it ready every morrow For why I loved in no gere So it befell another yere I thought ones I would fonde To doe her know and vnderstonde My wo and she well vnderstood That I ne wilned thing but good And worship and to keepe her name Over all things and drede her shame And was so busie her to serve And pitie were that I should sterve Sith that I wilned no harme iwis So when my Lady knew all this My Lady yave me all holly The noble yeft of her mercy Saving her worship by all ways Dredelesse I mene none other ways And therewith she yave me a ring I trowe it was the first thing But if mine harte was iwaxe Glad that it is no need to axe As helpe me God I was as blive Raised as fro death to live Of all happes the alderbest The gladdest and the most at rest For truely that swete wight When I had wrong and she the right She would alway so goodly Foryeve me so debonairly In all my youth in all chaunce She tooke in her gouernaunce Therewith she was alway so true Our joy was ever iliche newe Our hertes were so even a paire That never nas that one contraire To that other for no wo For sothe iliche they suffred tho O blisse and eke o sorow bothe Ilich they were both glad and wrothe All was vs one without were And thus we lived full many a yere So well I can not tell how Sir qd I where is she now Now qd he and stinte anone Therewith he woxe as dedde as stone And saied alas that I was bore That was the losse that here before I tolde thee that I had lorne Bethinke thee how I said here beforne Thou woste full litle what thou menest I have loste more than thou wenest God wote alas right that was she Alas sir how what may that be She is dedde Nay Yes by my trouth Is that your losse by God it is routhe And with that worde right anone They gan to strake forth all was done For that time the Harte huntyng With that me thought that this kyng Gan homeward for to ride Vnto a place was there beside Which was from vs but a lite A long castell with walles white By sainct Iohan on a rich hill As me mette but thus it fill Right thus me mette as I you tell That in the castell there was a bell As it had smitte houres twelue Therewith I awoke my selue And found me lying in my bedde And the booke that I had redde Of Alcione and Seis the kyng And of the Goddes of sleping I found it in mine hond full even Thought I this is so queint a sweven That I would by processe of tyme Fond to put this sweven in ryme As I can best and that anon This was my sweven now it is done Explicit MY master c. When of Christ our king Was asked what is troth or sothfastnesse He not a worde answerde to that asking As who saith no man is all true I gesse And therefore though I hight to expresse The sorow and wo that is in Mariage I dare not writen of it no wickednesse Lest I my selfe fall eft in soche dotage I woll not say how that it is the chaine Of Sathanas on which he knaweth ever But I dare saine were he out of his paine As by his will he would be bounden never But thilke doted foole that eft hath lever Ichayned be than out of prison crepe God let him never fro his woe discever Ne no man hym bewayle though he wepe But yet lest thou doe worse take a wife * Bet is to wedde than brenne in worse wise But thou shalt have sorow on thy flesh thy life And ben thy wives thrale as sain these wise And if that holy writ may not suffice Experience shall thee teach so may happe * Take the way leuer to be taken in Frise Than eft to fall of wedding in the trappe This little writte Prouerbes or figures I sende you take keepe of it I rede Vnwise is he that can no we le endure * If thou be siker put thee not in drede The wife of Bathe I pray you that ye rede Of this matter that we have on honde God graunt you your lyfe freely to lede In fredome for foule is to be bonde Explicit The Assembly of Fowls All Fowls are gathered before Nature on S. Valentines day to chose their makes A Formell Eagle being belov'd of three Tercels requireth a years respite to make her choice upon this trial Qui bien aime tard oublie He that loveth well is slow to forget THe Lyfe so short the craft so long to lerne Thassay so hard so sharpy the conquering The dreadful joy alway yâ— flit so yerne All this mean I by love that my feeling Astonieth with his wonderful werkyng So sore I wis that when I on him think Naught wete I wel whether I flete or sink For all be that I know not love in dede Ne wot how that he quiteth folke her hire Yet happeth me full oft in bookes rede Of his myracles and of his cruell ire There rede I well he woll be lorde and sire I dare not say his strokes be sore But God save soch a lorde I can no more Of vsage what for lust and what for lore On bookes rede I of as I you told But wherfore speake I all this naught yore Agon it happed me to behold Vpon a booke was iwritten with letters old And there vpon a certain thing to lerne The long day full fast I radde and yerne * For out of the old fieldes as men saith Commeth al this new corne fro yere to yere And out of old bookes in good faith Commeth all this new science that men lere But now to purpose as of this mattere To rede forth it gan me so delite That all that day me thought it but a lite This booke of which I make mencion Entitled was right thus as I shall tell Tullius of the dreame of Scipion Chapiters sevenâ—t had of heaven and hell And yearth and soules that therein dwell Of which as shortly as I can it treate Of his sentence I woll you saine the greate First telleth it when Scipion was come In Affricke how he meteth Massinisse That him for joy in armes hath inome Then telleth he her speach and
all the blisse That was betwixt hem til the day gan misse And how his auncester Affrikan so dere Gan in his slepe that night til him appere Then telleth it that from a sterrie place How Affrikan hath him Cartage shewed And warned him before of all his grace And said him what man lered eyther leude That loveth common profite well itheude He should into a blisfull place wend There as the joy is without any end Then asked he if folke that here been dede Have life and dwelling in another place And Affrikan said ye without any drede And how our present lives space Ment but a maner death with way we trace And rightfull folke shull gon after they die To heaven and shewed him the Galaxie Then shewed he him the little yerth that here is To regard of the heavens quantite And after shewed he hym the nine speris And after that the melodie heard he That commeth of thilke speres thrise three That welles of Musicke been and melodie In this world here and cause of armonie Then said he him sens earth was so lite And full of tourment and of hard grace That he ne should him in this world delite Then told he him in certain yeres space That every sterre should come into his place There it was first all should out of mind That in this world is done of all mankind Then prayed him Scipion to tell him all The way to come into that heaven blisse And he said First know thy selfe immortall And loke aie busely that thou werche wisse To common profite and thou shalt not misse To come swiftly vnto that place dere That full of blisse is and of soules clere And breakers of the law soth to saine And likerous folke after that they been dede Shall whirle about the world alway in paine Till many a world be passed out of drede And then foryeven all her wicked dede Then shullen they come to that blisfull place To which to comen God send thee grace The day gan failen and the darke night That reveth beastes from her businesse Beraft me my booke for lacke of light And to my bedde I gan me for to dresse Fulfilled of thought and busie heauinesse For both I had thyng which that I nold And eke I ne had that thing that I wold But finally my spirite at last For weary of my labour all that day Tooke rest that made me to slepe fast And in my sleepe I met as that I lay How Affrikan right in the selfe aray That Scipion him saw before that tide Was come and stode right at my beds side The wearie hunter sleping in his bedde The wood ayen his mind goeth anone The Iudge dremeth how his plees be spedde The Carter dremeth how his cartes gone The rich of gold that knight fight with his fone The sicke mette he drinketh of the tonne The lover mette he hath his lady wonne Can I not saine if that the cause were For I had radde of Affrikan beforne That made me to mete that he stood there But thus said he thou hast thee so wel borne In looking of mine old booke all to torne Of which Macrobie raught not a lite That some dele of thy labour would I quite Citherea thou blisfull Lady swete That with thy fire brond dauntest when the lest That madest me this sweven for to mete Be thou my helpe in this for thou maist best As wisely as I seigh the North Northwest When I began my sweven for to write So yeve me might to rime it and endite This aforesaid Affrikan me hent anone And forthwith him to a gate brought Right of a Parke walled with grene stone And over the gate with letters large iwrought There were verse ywritten as me thought On either halfe of full great difference Of which I shall you say yâ— playne sentence Through me men gon into the blisful place Of harts heale and dedly wounds cure Through me men gon into the well of grace There grene lusty May shall ever endure This is the way to all good auenture Be glad thou reader and thy sorow off cast All open am I passe in and spede thee fast Through me men gon then spake the other side Vnto the mortall strokes of the speare Of which disdaine and danger is the gide There never tree shall fruit ne leaves beare This streme you ledeth to the sorowful were There as the fish in pryson is all dry The eschewing is onely the remedy These verses of gold and Asure ywritten weare Of which I gan astonied to behold For with that one encreased all my feare And with that other gan my hart to bold That one me het that other did me cold No wit had I for errour for to chese To enter or flie or me to save or lese Right as betwene Adamants two Of even weight a peece of yron set Ne hath no might to move to ne fro For what that one may hale that other let So fared I that I nist where me was bet To entre or leave till Affrikan my gide Me hent and shove in at the gates wide And said it standeth written in thy face Thine errour though thou tell it not me But dread thee not to come into this place For this writing is nothing meant by thee Ne by none but he Loves servaunt bee For thou of Love hast lost thy tast I gesse As sicke man hath of swete and bitternesse But natheles although thou be dull That thou canst not doe yet mayst thou see For many a man that may not stand a pull Yet liketh it him at the wrestlyng for to be And demeth yet whether he doe bet or he And if thou haddest connyng for tendite I shall thee shew matter of to write And with that my hand in his he toke anon Of which I comfort caught and went in fast But Lord so I was glad and well begon For ouer all where I mine iyen cast Were trees clad with leaues that aie shal last Eche in his kind with colour fresh grene As Emeraude that joy it was to sene The bilder Oke and eke the hardy Asshe The piller Elme the coffer vnto caraine The Boxe pipe tree Holme to whips lasshe The sailing Firre yâ— Cipres death to plaine The shooter Ewe the Aspe for shaftes plaine The Oliue of peace eke the dronken vine The victor Palme the Laurer to diuine A gardein saw I full of blosomed bowis Vpon a River in a grene Mede There as sweetnesse euermore inough is With floures white blewe yelowe red And cold Welle streames nothing dede That swommen full of smale fishes light With finnes rede and scales silver bright On every bough the birdes heard I sing With voice of Angell in her armonie That busied hem her birdes forth to bring The little pretty Conies to her play gan hie And further all about I gan espie The dredful Roe the Buck the Hart Hind Squirrels and beasts small of
pite Iwis mine owne deare hert ye Know full well that neuer yet As farre as euer I had wit Agilt you in thought ne in dede O haue ye men such goodlihede In speech and neuer a dele of trouth Alas that euer had routh Any woman on a false man Now I see well and tell can We wretched women can no art For certaine for the more part Thus we been serued euerichone How sore that ye men can grone Anon as we have you receiued Certainly we been deceiued For though your loue lest a season Wait vpon the conclusion And eke how ye determine And for the more part define O welaway that I was borne For through you my name is lorne And mine acts redde and song Ouer all this land in euery tong O wicked fame for there nis Nothing so swift lo as she is O sooth is euery thing is wist Though it be couerde with the mist Eke though I might duren euer That I haue done recouer I neuer That it ne shall be said alas I shamed was through Eneas And that I shall thus judged be Lo right as she hath done now she Woll done estsoones hardely Thus say the people priuely But that is done nis not to done But all her complaint ne her mone Certaine auailed her not a stre And when she wist soothly he Was forth into his ship agone She into chamber went anone And called on her suster Anne And gan her to complaine than And said that she cause was That she first loued him alas And first counsailed her thereto But what when this was said and do She roft her seluen to the hart And deide through the wounds smart But all the manner how she deide And all the words how she seide Who so to know it hath purpose Rede Virgile in Eneidos Or the Pistels of Ouide What that she wrote or that she dide And nere it too long to endite By God I would it here write But welaway the harme and routh That hath betide for such vntrouth As men may oft in bookes rede And all day seene it yet in dede That for to thinken it tene is Lo Demophon Duke of Athenis How he forswore him falsely And traied Phillis wickedly That kings doughter was of Thrace And falsely gan his tearme pace And when she wist that he was false She hong her selfe right by the halfe For he had done her such vntrouth Lo was not this a wo and routh Eke looke how false and recheles Was to Briseida Achilles And Paris to Oenone And Iason to Hipsiphile And eft Iason to Medea And Hercules to Dianira For he left her for Iolee That made him take his death parde How false was eke Theseus That as the storie telleth vs How he betraied Adriane The deuill be his soules bane For had he laughed or yloured He must haue been all deuoured If Adriane ne had be And for she had of him pite She made him fro the death escape And he made her a full false jape For after this within a while He left her sleeping in an Isle Desart alone right in the see And stale away and let her bee And tooke her suster Phedra tho With him and gan to ship go And yet he had sworne to here On all that euer he could swere That so she saued him his life He would taken her to his wife For she desired nothing els In certain as the booke vs tels But for to excuse this Eneas Fulliche of all his great trespas The booke saith sauns faile The gods bad him go to Itaile And leauen Affrickes regioun And faire Dido and her toun Tho saw I graue how to Itaile Dan Eneas gan for to saile And how the tempest all began And how he lost his steresman Which that the sterne or he tooke keepe Smote ouer the bord as he sleepe And also saugh I how Sibile And Eneas beside an Isle To hell went for to see His father Anchises the free And how he there found Palimurus And also Dido and Deiphebus And eueriche tourment eke in hell Saw he which long is for to tell Which paines who so list to know He must rede many a row In Vergile or in Claudian Or Daunt that it tellen can Tho saw I eke all the ariuaile That Eneas had made in Itaile And with king Latin his treate And all the battailes that he Was at himselfe and his knights Or he had all iwonne his rights And how he Turnus reft his life And wan Lauina to his wife And all the maruellous signals Of the gods celestials How maugre Iuno Eneas For all her sleight and her compas Acheued all his auenture For Iupiter tooke on him cure At the prayer of Venus Which I pray alway saue vs And vs aye of our sorrowes light When I had seene all this sight In this noble temple thus Hey Lord thought I that madest vs Yet saw I neuer such noblesse Of Images nor such richesse As I see grauen in this church But nought wote I who did hem worch Ne where I am ne in what countree But now will I out gone and see Right at the wicket if I can Seene ought where stering any man That may me tellen where I am When I out of the dore came I fast about me beheld Then saw I but a large field As farre as euer I might see Without toune house or tree Or bush or grasse or eared land For all the field was but of sand As small as men may see at eye In the desart of Lybye Ne no manner creature That is yformed by nature Ne saw I me to rede or wisse O Christ thought I that are in blisse From fanton and illusion Me saue and with deuotion Mine eyen to the heauen I cast Tho was I ware lo at the last That fast by the sunne on hye As kenne might I with mine eye Me thought I saw an Egle sore But that it seemed much more Than I had any Egle yseine This is as sooth as death certaine It was of gold and shone so bright That neuer saw men such a sight But if the heauen had ywonne All new of God another sonne So shone the Egles fethers bright And somewhat downward gan it light Explicit liber primus NOw hearken euery manner man That English vnderstand can And listeth of my dreame to here For nowe at erst shall ye lere So sely and so dredefull a vision That I say neither Scipion Ne king Nabugodonosore Pharao Turnus ne Alcanore Ne metten such a dreame as this Now faire blisfull O Cipris So be my fauour at this time That ye me tendite and rime Helpeth that in Pernaso dwell Beside Elicon the clere well O thought that wrote all that I met And in the tresorie it set Of my braine now shall men see If any vertue in thee bee To tell all my dreame aright Now kithe thy engine and thy might This Egle of which I haue you told That with feathers
fathers cart and gie The cart horse gan well aspie That he coud no gouernaunce And gan for to leape and praunce And beare him up and now doun Till he saw the Scorpioun Which that in heauen a signe is yet And he for fere lost his wit Of that and let the reynes gone Of his horse and they anone Soone up to mount and downe discende Till bothe eyre and earth brende Till Iupiter lo at the last Him slew and fro the carte cast Lo is it not a great mischaunce To let a foole haue gouernaunce Of things that he can not demaine And with this word sothe for to saine He gan alway upper to sore And gladded me then more and more So faithfully to me spake he Tho gan I to looke under me And beheld the eyrish beests Cloudes mistes and tempests Snowes hayles raynes and windes And thengendring in her kindes All the way through which I came O God qd I that made Adame Moch is thy might and nobles And tho thought I upon Boece That writeth a thought may flie so hie With fethers of Philosophy To passen euerich Element And when he hath so far ywent Then may be seen behind his backe Cloude and earth and all that I of spake Tho gan I wexe in a were And said I wote well I am here But whether in body or in goost I not ywis but God thou woost For more clere entendement Nas me neuer yet ysent And then thought I on Marcian And eke of Anticlaudian That sothe was her descripcion Of all the heauens region As far as that I saw the preve And therefore I can hem leue With that the Egle gan to cry Let be qd he thy fantasie Wilt thou learne of sterres ought Nay certainly qd I right nought And why qd he for I am old Or els would I thee haue told Qd. he the sterres names lo And all the heauens signs to And which they be No force qd I. Yes parde qd he wost thou why For when thou redest poetry How the goddes can stellify Birde fishe or him or her As the Rauin and other Or Ariones harpe fine Cassor Polexe or Delphine Or Athalantes doughters seuen How all these are set in heuen For though thou haue hem ofte in hand Yet nost thou nat where they stand No force qd I it is no need As well I leue so God me speed Hem that writen of this matere As though I knew her places here And eke they semen here so bright It should shenden all my sight To looke on hem that may well be Qd. he and so forth hare he me A while and tho he gan to cry That neuer herde I thing so hie Hold up thine heed for all is well Saint Iulian lo bonue hostell See here the house of Fame lo Mayst thou not here that I do What qd I the great sowne Qd. he that rombleth up and downe In Fames house full of tidings Both of fayre speech and chidings And of false and sothe compouned Herken well it is not rowned Herest thou not the great swough Yes perde qd I wel ynough And what sowne is it like qd he Peter lyke the beating of the see Qd. I against the roches halow When tempests done her shippes swalow And that a man stand out of doute A myle thens and here it route Or els lyke the humbling After the clappe of a thuisoring When Iouis hath the eyre ybete But it doth me for feare swete Nay drede thee not thereof qd he It is nothing that will byten thee Thou shalt haue no harme truely And with that worde both he and I As nigh the place arrived were As men might cast with a spere I niste how but in a strete He set me faire on my feete And said walke forth a pace And tell thine aduenture and case That thou shalt finde in fames place Now qd I while we haue space To speake or that I go fro thee For the loue of God tell me In sothe that I will of thee lere If this noyse that I here Be as I haue herde thee tell Of folke that done in earth dwell And commeth here in the same wise As I thee herd or this deuise And that here liues body nis In all that house that yonder is That maketh all this loude fare No qd he by saint Clare And also wisse God rede me But o thing I will warne thee Of the which thou wilt haue wonder Lo to the house of Fame yonder Thou woste how commeth euery speach It needeth not the efte to reach But understand now right well this When any speach ycomen is Vp to the palais anone right It wexeth like the same wight Which that the worde in earth spake Be he clothed in reed or blake And hath so very his likenesse And spake the worde that thou wilt gesse That it the same body be Man or woman he or she And is not this a wonder thing Yes qd I tho by heauen king And with this worde farewell qd he And here will I abide thee And God of heauen send thee grace Some good to learne in this place And I of him tooke leaue anone And gan forth to the palays gone Explicit liber secundus GOd of Science and of light Apollo through thy great might This littell last booke now thou gie Now that I will for maistrie Here art potenciall be shewde But for the rime is light and lewde Yet make it somewhat agreable Though some verse fayle in a sillable And that I do no diligence To shewe craft but sentence And if deuine vertue thou Wilt helpe me to shewe now That in my heed ymarked is Lo that is for to meanen this The house of Fame for to discriue Thou shalt see me go as bliue Vnto the next laurer I see And kisse it for it is thy tree Now entre in my brest anone When I was from the Egle gone I gan behold vpon this place And certaine or I further passe I woll you all the shappe deuise Of house and citee and all the wise How I gan to this place approch That stood vpon so hie a roch Hyer standeth none in Spayne But vp I clambe with moch payne And though to climbe greued mee Yet I ententife was to see And for to poren wondre low If I coude any wise yknow What maner stone this roche was For it was lyke a limed glas But that it shone full more clere But of what congeled matere It was I niste redely But at the last espied I And found that it was euerydele A roche of yse and not of stele Thought I by saint Thomas of Kent This were a feeble foundement To builden on a place hie He ought him little to glorifie That hereon bilte God so me saue Tho sawe I all the hall ygraue With famous folkes names fele That had been in moch we le And her fames wide yblow But well vnneth might I know Any letters for to rede
god of thonder Had let me knowen and began to write Like as ye have herd me endite Wherefore to study and rede alway I purpose to do day by day Thus in dreaming and in game Endeth this litell booke of Fame ¶ Here endeth the booke of Fame The Prologue of the Testament of Love MAny men there been that with ere 's openly sprad so moch swalowen the deliciousnesse of iestes and of ryme by queint knitting coloures that of the goodnesse or of the badnesse of the sentence take they litle hede or els none Sothely dull witte and a thoughtful soule so sore haue mined graffed in my spirites that soch craft of enditing woll nat been of my acquaintaunce And for rude wordes boistous percen the hart of the herer to the intest point and planten there the sentence of thinges so that with littel helpe it is able to spring This booke that nothing hath of the great flood of witte ne of semeliche colours is doluen with rude wordes and boistous and so drawe togider to maken the catchers therof ben the more ready to hent sentence Some men there been that painten with colours rich some with vers as with red inke some with coles chalke And yet is there good matter to y◠leude people of thilke chalkie purtreyture as hem thinketh for the time and afterward the sight of the better colours yeuen to hem more joye for the first leudnesse So soothly this leude clowdy occupation is not to praise but by the leud for commenly leude leudnesse commendeth Eke it shall yeue sight that other precious things shall be the more in reuerence In Latin and French hath many soueraine wits had great delite to endite and haue many noble things fulfilde but certes there been some that speaken their poisie mater in French of which speche the French men haue as good a fantasie as we haue in hearing of French mens English And many terms there ben in English which unneth we English men connen declare the knowledging How should then a french man borne such termes conne iumpere in his matter but as the Iay chatereth English right so truly the understanding of English men wol not stretch to the priuie termes in Frenche what so euer we bosten of straunge langage Let then Clerks enditen in Latin for they haue the propertie of science and the knowing in that facultie and lette Frenchmen in their French also enditen their queint termes for it is kindely to their mouthes let us shewe our fantasies in such wordes as we learneden of our dames tongue And although this booke be little thanke worthy for the leudnesse in trauaile yet such writings exciten men to thilk things that been necessary for euery man thereby may as by a perpetual mirrour seene the vices or vertues of other in which thing lightly may be conceiued to escheue perils necessaries to catch after as auentures haue fallen to other people or persons * Certes the soueraignst thing of desire and most creature reasonable haue or els should haue full appetite to their perfection unreasonable beasts mowen not sith reason hath in hem no working Then reasonable that woll not is comparisoned to unreasonable and made like hem Forsooth the most soueraigne and finall perfection of man is in knowing of a sooth withouten any entent deceiuable and in loue of one very God that is inchaungeable that is to know and loue his creator Nowe principally the meane to bring in knowledging and louing his creatour is y◠consideration of things made by the creatour where through be thilke thynges that beene made understanding here to our wits arne the unseen priueties of God made to us sightfull and knowing in our contemplation and understonding These things then forsooth much bringen us to the full knowledging sooth and to that parfite loue of the maker of heuenly things Lo Dauid faith thou hast delited me in making as who saith to haue delite in the tune how God hath lent me in consideration of thy making Whereof Aristotle in the booke de Animalibus sayth to naturel Philosophers * It is a great liking in loue of knowing their creatour also in knowing of causes in kindely things considered Forsooth the formes of kindely thynges the shape a great kindely loue me should haue to the werkemen that hem made * The crafte of a werkeman is shewed in the werke Herefore truely the Philosophers with a liuely studye many noble things right precious worthie to memorie written and by a great swete and trauaile to us leften of causes the properties in natures of things to which therefore Philosophers it was more joy more lyking more heartie lust in kindely vertues matters of reason the perfection by busie studie to know than to haue had all the treasour all the richesse all the vaine-glory that the passed Emperours Princes or Kings hadden Therfore the names of hem in the booke of perpetuall memorie in vertue and peace arne written and in the contrary that is to sayne in Styxe the foule pitte of hell arne thilke pressed that such goodnesse hated And because this booke shall be of loue and the prime causes of stering in that doing with passions and diseases for wanting of desire I will that this booke be cleaped the Testament of Loue. But now thou Reader who is thilke that will not in scorne laugh to heare a dwarfe or els halfe a man say he wil rend out the swerd of Hercules handes And also hee should set Hercules gades a mile yet ferther and over that hee had power and strength to pull up the speare that Alisander the noble might never wagge And that passing all thing to been mayster of Fraunce by might there as the noble gracious Edward the third for all his great prowesse in victories ne might all yet conquere Certes I wote well there shall be made more scorne iape of me that I so unworthely clothed all togither in the cloudie cloude of vnconning will putten me in prees to speke of loue or els of the causes in that matter sithen all the greatest clerkes han had ynough to done and as who laith gathered up cleane toforne hem and with their sharpe sithes of conning all mowen and made there of great rekes and noble full of all plenties to feed me and many another * Enuy forsooth commendeth nought his reason that he hath in haine be it neuer so trustie And although these noble reapers as good workmen worthy their hire han all draw and bound vp in y◠sheues and made many shockes yet haue I ensample to gader the small crums and fullin my wallet of tho that fallen from the bourde among the small hounds notwithstanding the trauaile of the almoigner that hath drawe vp in y◠cloth all the remissailes as trenchours and the releefe to beare to the almesse Yet also haue I leaue of that noble husband Boece although I be a stranger of conning to come
this world and that is well seene Lo how in my moste comforte as I wende and moste supposed to have had full aunswere of my contrary thoughtes suddainly it was vanished And all the workes of man faren in the same wise when folke wenen best her entent for to have and willes to perfourme anon chaunging of the lift side to the right halve torneth it so cleane into another kind that never shall it come to the first plite in doing O this wrongfull steering so soone other-wised out of knowing but for my purpose was at my beginning so dureth yet if God of his grace tyme woll me graunt I think to perfourme this worke as I have begone in love after as my thinne witte with inspiracicion of him that hildeth all grace woll suffre Grecuously God wotte haue I suffred a great throw that the Romayn Emperour which in vnity of loue should accord and euery with other in cause of other to auance and namely sith this Empire to be corrected of so many sects in heresie of faith of seruice of rule in loues religion Trewly all were it but to shend erronious opinions I may it no lenger suffre For many men there been that sain loue to been in grauell and sand that with Sea ebbing and flowing woweth as riches that sodainly wanisheth And some sain that loue should be in windy blasts that stoundmele tournerh as a phane and glory of renome which after lusts of the variant people is areysed or stilled Many also weâ—en that in the Sun and the Moon and other Sters loue should been founden for among all other Planets most souerainly they shinen as dignities in reuerence of estates rather than good han and occupien Full many also there been that in okes and in huge posts supposen loue to been grounded as in strength and in might which mowen not helpen their own wretchednesse when they gin to fall But soch diuersity of sects ayenst the rightful bileue of loue these errors â—een forth spred that loues seruants in the trew rule and stedfast faith in no place darn appear Thus irrecuparable joy is went and annoy endlesse is entred For no man aright deproueth soch errors but comfirmen their words and sain that bad is noble good and goodnes is bad to which folk the Prophet biddeth wo without end Also many tongues of great false teachings in guiling maner principally in my times not only with words but also with armes loues seruaunts and professe in his religion of trew rule pursewen to confounden and to distroien And for as much as holy Fathers that our Christen faith aproued and strengthed to the Iews as to men reasonable and of diuinity learned proued thilk faith with reasons and with aucthoritees of the old Testament and of the new her pertinacy to distroy But to Paynims that for beests and hounds were hold to put hem out of their error was miracles of God shewed These things were figured by coming of thangell to the sheepherds and by the sterre to Painims kings as who saith Angel reasonable to reasonable creature and sterre of myracle to people bestiall not learned wern sent to enform But I louers clerk in all my conning and with all my mights trewly I haue no soch grace in vertue of myracles ne for no discomfite falsehedes suffiseth not auctorities alone sithen that such heretikes and maintainors of falsities Wherefore I wot well sithen that they been men and reason is approued in hem the clowd of error hath her reason bewond probable reasons which that catchend wit rightfully may not with sitte But my trauayling study I haue ordeined hem with that auctority misglosed by mans reason to graunt shall be enduced Now ginneth my pen to quake to thinken on the sentences of the enuious people which alway been ready both rider and goer to skorn and to jape this leud book and me for rancor and hate in their hearts they shullen so dispise that although my book be leud yet shall it been more leud holden and by wicked wordes in many maner apaired Certes me thinketh the sown of their bad speach right now is full both mine eares O good precious Margarite mine heart should weep if I wist ye token hede of soch maner speach but trewly I wote well in that your wisedom shall not astert For of God maker of kind witnesse I took that for none enuy ne iuell haue I draw this matter togider but only for goodnes to maintain and errors in falsetes to distroy Wherfore as I said with reason I think thilke foresaid errors to distroy and dequace These reasons and soch other if they enduce men in loues seruice trew to beleeue of parfite blisse yet to full faith in credence of desert fully mow they not suffise sithen faith hath no merit of mede when mans reason sheweth experience in doing For vtterly no reason the parfite blisse of loue by no way may make to be comprehended Lo what is a persell of louers joy parfite science in good service of their desire to comprehend in bodely doing the liking of the soul nat as by a glasse to haue contemplacion of time comming but thilk first imagined and thought after face to face in beholding what heart what reason what vnderstanding can make his heauen to be feeled and know without assay of doing Certes none Sithen then of loue commeth soch fruit in blisse and loue in himself is the most among other vertues as Clerks sain The seed of soch springing in all places in all countreis in all worlds should been sowe But o wel away thilk seed is forsake and mowen not been suffred the lond tillers to set a werk without meddling of cockle bad wedes which sometime stonken hath caught the name of loue among ydiotes and bad meaning people Neuer the latter yet how so it be that men cleap thilk King preciousest in kind with many eke names that other things that the foule yeuen the ilke noble name it sheweth well that in a maner men haue greate liking in wurshipping thilke name wherefore this work haue I writ and to the titled of loues name I haue it auowed in a maner of sacrifice that where euer it be rad it mow in merit by the excellence of thilk name the more wex in authority and wurship of taking in hede and to what entent it was ordained the in feeres mowen been moued Euerything to whom is ow and occasion done as for his end Aristotle supposeth that the acts of euery thing been in a maner his finall cause A finall cause is nobler or els euen as noble as thilk thing that is finally to thilk end wherefore accion of thing euerlasting is deemed to be eternall and not temporal sithen it is his final cause Right so the acts of my book loue and loue is noble wherefore though my book be leud the cause with which I am stered and for whom I ought it done noble forsooth been both But bicause that in conning
greuaunce Hence fro me hence that me for to endite Halpe aye here afore O ye muses nine Whilom ye were wont to be mine aâ—d light My penne to direct my braine to illumine No lenger alas may I sewe your doctrine The fresh lustie metres that I wont to make Haue been here afore I vtterly forsake Come hither thou Hermes ye furies all Which fer ben vnder vs nigh yâ— nether pole Where Pluto reigneth O king infernall Send out thine arpies send anguish dole Miserie and wo leaue ye me not sole Of right be present must pain eke turment The pale death beseemeth not to be absent To me now I call all this lothsome sort My pains tencrease my sorows to augment For worthie I am to be bare of all comfort Thus sith I haue consumed and mispent Not only my days but my 5 fold talent That my lord committed me I can't recompence I may not too derely abie my negligence By the path of penaunce yet woll I reuert To the well of grace mercy there to fetch * Despisest not God the meeke contrite hert Of the cock crow alas yâ— I would not retch And yet it is not late in the second wetch Mercy shall I purchase by incessaunt crying The mercies of our lord euer shall I sing But well maist thou wail wicked woman That thou shuldest deceiue thus any innocent And in recompence of my sinne so as I can To al men wol I make leue this monument In shewing part of thy falshed is mine entent For all were too much I cannot well I wote The cause sheweth plainly he that thus wrote * If all the yearth were parchment scribable Speedie for the hand and all manner wood Were hewed and proportioned to pens able All water inke in damme or in flood Euery man being a parfit Scribe and good The cursednesse yet and deceit of women Coud not he shewed by the meane of pen. I flie all odious resemblaunces The deuils brond call women I might Whereby man is encensed to mischaunces Or a stinking rose that faire is in sight Or deadly empoyson like yâ— sugar white * Which by his sweetnesse causeth man to tast And sodainly sleeth bringeth him to his last It is not my manner to vse such language But this my doctrine as I may lawfully I woll holly ground with authoritie sage Willing both wisedome and vertue edifie * Wine and women into apostasie Cause wisemen to fall what is that to say Of wisedome cause them to forget the way Wherefore the wiseman doth thee aduise In whose words can be found no leasing With the straunger to sit in no wise Which is not thy wife fall not in clipping With her but beware eke of her kissing Keep with her in wine no altercation Least that thine hert fall by inclination May a man thinkest hide and safe lay Fire in his bosome without empairement And brenning of his clothes or whider he may Walke on hote coles his feet not brent As who saith nay and whereby is ment This foresaid prouerbe and similitude But that thou ridde thee plainly to denude From the flatterers forgetting her gide The gide of her youth I mean shamefastnes Which shuld cause her maidenhead to abide Her gods behest eke she full recheles Not retching committeth it to forgetfulnes * Neither God ne shame in her hauing place Needs must such a woman lacke grace And all that neigh her in way of sinne To tourne of grace shall lacke the influence The pathes of life no more to come in Wherefore first friend thee with Sapience Remembring God and after with Prudence To thine owne weale that they thee keepe Vnto thine hert least her words creepe In his book where I take my most ground And in his prouerbes sage Salomon Telleth a tale which is plainly found In the fifth chapiter whider in deed don Or meekely feined to our instruction Let clerkes determine but this am I sure Much like thing I haue had in vre At my window saith he I looked out Fair yong people where I saw many Among hem all as I looked about To a yong man fortuned I lent mine eye Estraunged from his mind it was likely By the street at a corner nigh his own hous He went about with eye right curious When that the day his light gan withdraw And the night approched in the twilight How a woman came and met him I saw Talking with him vnder shade of the night Now blessed be God qd she of his might Which hath fulfilled mine hearts desire Assaked my paines which were hote as fire And yet mine authour as it is skill To follow I must tell her arrayment She was full nice soules like to spill As nice in countenaunce yet as in garment For jangling she was of rest impatient Wandring still in no place she stode But restlesse now and now out she yode Now in the house now in the strete Now at a corner she standeth in await Incessauntly busie her pray for to gete To bring to the lure whom she doth lait Now where I left vnto my matter strait I woll tourne againe how she him mette Sweetly kissed and friendly hem grette With words of curtesie many and diuerse Right as in part I haue before told Now as I can I purpose to reherse How she flattering said with visage bold I haue made vowes and offerings manifold For thy sake O mine hert O my loue dere This day I thanke God all performed were Therefore I came out made thus astart Very desirous your welfare to see Now I haue seene you pleased is mine hert In faith shall none haue my loue but ye As true as I am to you be to me I pray you hertely dere hert come home No man should be to me so welcome And in good faith the sooth for to say Your comming to me ran in my thought Herke in your eare my bed fresh and gay I haue behanged with tapettes new bought From Egipt from far countries brought Steined with many a lustie fresh hue Exceeding gold or Iasper in value My chamber is strowed with mirre insence With sote sauoring aloes with sinamome Breathing an Aromatike redolence Surmounting Olibane in any mans dome Ye shall betweene my breasts rest if ye come Let vs haue our desired halsing For we may safe be till in the morning Mine husband is not at home he is went Forth in his journey a farre way hence A bagge with money he hath with him hent As him thought needfull for his expence Vnto my word giue faith and credence Now is the Moone yong and of light dull Ere he come home it woll be at the full Thus craftely hath she him besette With her lime roddes panter and snare The selie soule caught in her nette Of her sugred mouth alas nothing ware Thus is he left gracelesse and bare Of helpe comfort and ghostly succour And furthermore as saith mine authour As a beast led to
declared Whereof the land is bound to thy seruice Which for defaut of helpe hath long cared But now there is no mans hert spared To loue serue and worch thy pleasaunce And all this is through Gods purueiaunce * In all thing which is of God begonne There followeth grace if it be well gouerned Thus tellen they which old books conne Wherof my lord I wote well thou art lerned * Ask of thy God so shalt thou not be warned Of no request which is reasonable For God vnto the good is fauourable King Salomon which had at his asking Of God what thing him was leuest craue He chase wisdome vnto gouerning Of Gods folke the which he would saue And as he chase it fill him for to haue For through his wit while that his reign last He gate him peace and rest into his last But Alexander as telleth his story Vnto the God besought in other way Of all the world to win the victory So that vnder his swerd it might obay In warre he had all that he would pray The mighty God behight him that behest The world wanne and had it of conquest But though it fill at thilke time so That Alexander his asking hath atcheued This sinful worlde was all Painem tho Was none which hath yâ— high God beleued * No wonder was though thilk world was greued Though a tirant his purpose might win All was vengeaunce and infortune of sin But now the faith of Christ is come a place Among the princes in this yearth here It sitte hem well to do pity and grace But yet it must be tempored in manere For they finden cause in the mattere Vpon the point what afterward betide The law of right shall not be laid aside So may a king of warre the voyage Ordaine and take as he thereto is hold To claime and ask his rightful heritage In all places where it is withhold But otherwise if God himself wold Affirme loue peace between the kings * Peace is yâ— best aboue all earthly things * Good is to eschew war and nathelees A king may make war vpon his right For of battaile the final end is pees Thus stant the law that a worthy knight Vpon his trouth may go to the fight But if so were that he might chese Better is yâ— peace of which may no man lese To stere peace ought euerich on liue First for to sette his leige lord in rest And eke these other men that they ne striue For so this land may stand at best * What king that would be the worthiest The more he might our deadly war cease The more he should his worthinesse increase * Peace is the chiefe of all the worlds welth And to the heauen it leadeth eke the way Peace is of soul and life the mannes health Of pestilence and doth the war away My liege lord take heed of that I say If war may be left take peace on hand Which may not be without goddes sand With peace stant euery creature in rest Without peace there may no life be glad Aboue all other good peace is the best Peace hath himself when werre is al bestad The peace is safe the warre is euer drad Peace is of all charity the kay Which hath the life and soule for to way My liege lord if that thee list to seech The soth ensamples with the war hath wrought Thou shalt well here of wise mennes speech That deadly warre turneth into nought For if these old books be well ysought There miÈt thou se what thing yâ— war hath do Both of conquest and conquerour also For vain honour or for the worlds good They that whilome the strong wars made Wher be they now bethink well in thy mood * The day is gone the night is derke fade Her cruelty which made hem then glade They sorrowen now yet haue nauÈt yâ— more The blood is shad which no man mayrestore The warre is mother of the wrongs all It sleeth the priest in holy church at masse Forlith the maid and doth her flour to fall The warre maketh the great city lasse And doth the law his rules ouerpasse Ther is nothing wherof mischeef may grow Which is not caused of the warre I trow * The war bringeth in pouerty at his heels Whereof the commen people is sore greued The war hath set his cart on thilk wheles Where that fortune may nat be beleued For when men wene best to haue atcheued Full oft it is all new to begin The warre hath nothing siker tho he win For thy my worthy prince in Christs halue As for a part whose faith thou hast be guide Ley to this old sore a new saue And do the warre away what so betide Purchase peace and set it by thy side And suffer nat thy people be deuoured So shal thy name euer after stand honoured If any man be now or euer was Ayen the peace thy preuy counsailour Let God be of thy counsaile in this caas And put away the cruel warriour * For God which is of man the creatour He would not men slough his creature Without cause of deadly forfaiture * Where needeth most behoueth most to looke My lord how so thy wars be without Of time passed who that heed tooke Good were at home to see right well about * For euermore the worst is for to dout But if thou mightest parfite peace attaine There should be no cause for to plaine About a king good counsaile is to preise Aboue all other things most vailable But yet a king within himself shall peise And seene the things that be reasonable And there upon he shall his wits stable Among the men to set peace in euin For loue of him which is yâ— king of heuin * A well is him that shed neuer blood But if it were in cause of rightwisenesse For if a king the peril vnderstood What is to slee the people then I gesse The deadly warres and the heauinesse Whereof peace distourbed is full oft Should at some time cease and were soft O king fulfilled of grace and knighthode Remember vpon this point for Christs sake If peace be profered vnto thy manhode Thine honour saue let it not be forsake Though thou yâ— wars darst well vndertake After reason yet temper thy courage For like to peace there is none auauntage My worthy lord think well how so befall Of thilke lore as holy books saine * Christ is the head and we be members all As well the subject as the soueraigne So sitte it well that charity be plaine Which vnto God himself most accordeth So as the lore of Christs word recordeth In the old law or Christ himselfe was bore Among the ten commaundements I rede How that manslaughter should be forbore Such was the wil that time of the godhede But afterward when Christ toke his manhede Peace was yâ— first thing he let do cry Ayenst the worlds rancour and enuy And or Christ went out of this earth here And
The Court of Love This Book is an imitation of the Romaunt of the Rose shewing that all are subject to love what impediments soever to the contrary containing also those twenty Statutes which are to be observed in the Court of Love WIth timerous heart and trembling hand of drede Of cunning naked bare of eloquence Vnto the floure of porte in womanhede I write as he that none intelligence Of metres hath ne floures of sentence Saufe that me list my writing to conuey In that I can to please her high nobley The blosomes fresh of Tullius gardein soot Present they not my matter for to born Poemes of Virgil taken here no root Ne craft of Galfride may not here sojourn Why nam I cunning O well may I mourn For lacke of science that I cannat write Vnto the princes of my life aright No tearmes digne vnto her excellence So is she sprong of noble stirpe and high A world of honour and of reuerence There is in her this will I testifie Caliope thou suster wise and slie And thou Minerua guide me with thy grace That language rude my matter not deface Thy suger dropes sweet of Helicon Distill in me thou gentle muse I pray And thee Melpomene I call anone Of ignoraunce the mist to chase away And giue me grace so for to write and say That she my lady of her worthinesse Accept in gree this little short treatesse That is entituled thus The Court of Loue And ye that ben Metriciens me excuse I you beseech for Venus sake aboue For what I mean in this ye need not muse And if so be my lady it refuse For lacke of ornate speech I would be wo That I presume to her to writen so But my entent and all my busie cure Is for to write this treatesse as I can Vnto my lady stable true and sure Faithfull and kind sith first that she began Me to accept in seruice as her man To her be all the pleasure of this book That when her like she may it rede and look WHen I was young at eighteene yeare of age Lusty and light desirous of pleasaunce Approching on full sadde and ripe courage Loue arted me to do my obseruaunce To his estate and done him obeisaunce Commaunding me yâ— Court of Loue to see Alite beside the mount of Citharee There Citherea goddesse was and quene Honoured highly for her majeste And eke her sonne the mighty God I wene Cupide the blind that for his dignite A M. louers worship on their kne There was I bid in paine of death to pere By Mercury the winged messengere So then I went by strange fer countrees Enquiring aye what coast had to it drew The Court of Loue thiderward as bees At last I see the people gan pursue And me thoght some wight was there that knew Where that yâ— court was holden ferre or nie And after them full fast I gan me hie Anone as I them ouertooke I said Heile friends whither purpose ye to wend Forsooth qd ofte that answered liche a maid To Loues Court now go we gentle friend Where is that place qd I my fellow hend At Citheron sir said he without dout The king of Loue and all his noble rout Dwelleth within a castle rially So then apace I journed forth among And as he said so fond I there truly For I beheld the toures high and strong And high pinacles large of hight and long With plate of gold bespred on euery side And precious stones yâ— stone werke for to hide No Saphire in Inde no Rube rich of price There lacked then nor Emeraud so grene Bales Turkes ne thing to my deuice That may the castle maken for to shene All was as bright as sterres in Winter bene And Phebus shone to make his peace ageine For trespas done to high estates tweine Venus and Mars the god goddesse clere When he them found in armes cheined fast Venus was then full sad of hert and chere But Phebus beams streight as is the mast Vpon the castle ginneth he to cast To please the lady princes of that place In signe he looketh after loues grace For there nis God in heauen or hell ywis But he hath ben right soget vnto loue Ioue Pluto or whatsoeuer he is Ne creature in yearth or yet aboue Of these the reuers may no wight approue But furthermore the castle to descrie Yet saw I neuer none so large and hie For vnto heauen it stretcheth I suppose Within and out depeinted wonderly With many a thousand daisie rede as rose And white also this saw I verely But who tho daisies might do signifie Can I not tell safe that the quenes floure Alceste it was that kept there her sojoure Which vnder Venus lady was and quene And Admete king soueraine of that place To whom obeied the ladies good ninetene With many a thousand other bright of face And yong men fele came forth with lusty pace And aged eke their homage to dispose But what they were I coud not well disclose Yet nere and nere forth in I gan me dress Into an hall of noble apparaile With arras spred and cloth of gold I gesse And other silke of esyer auaile Vnder the cloth of their estate sauns faile The king and quene there sat as I beheld It passed joy of Helise the field There saints haue their comming resort To seene the king so rially beseine In purple clad and eke the quene in sort And on their heads saw I crownes tweine With stones fret so that it was no paine Withouten meat and drink to stand see The kings honour and the rialtee And for to treat of states with the king That ben of councel cheef with the quene The king had Danger nere to him standing The quene of loue Disdain that was sene For by the faith I shall to God I wene Was neuer straunger none in her degree Than was the quene in casting of her eye And as I stood perceiuing her apart And eke the beames shining of her eyen Me thought they weren shapen lich a dart Sharp persing smal and streight of line And all her haire it shone as gold so fine Dishiuil crispe down hanging at her backe A yard in length and soothly then I spake O bright regina who made thee so faire Who made thy colour vermelet and white Wher wonneth yâ— God how far aboue the aire Great was his craft great was his delite Now maruell I nothing that ye do hight The quene of loue and occupie the place Of Cithare now sweet lady thy grace In mewet spake I so that nought astart By no condition word that might be hard But in my inward thought I gan aduert And oft I said my wit is dull and hard For with her beauty thus God wot I ferde As doth the man yrauished with sight When I beheld her cristall eyen so bright No respect hauing what was best to done Till right
Shewing the ships there without Tho gan the aged lady weepe And said alas our joy on sleepe Soone shall be brought ye long or night For we discried been by this knight For certes it may none other be But he is of yond companie And they be come him here to seche And with that word her failed speche VVithout remedy we be destroid Full oft said all and gan conclude Holy at once at the last That best was shit their yates fast And arme them all in good langage As they had done of old vsage And of fayre wordes make their shot This was their counsaile and the knot And other purpose tooke they none But armed thus forth they gone Toward the walles of the yle But or they come there long while They met the great lord of boue That called is the god of Loue That them auised with such chere Right as he with them angry were Auailed them not their walls of glasse This mighty lord let not to passe The shutting of their yates fast All they had ordained was but wast For when his ships had found land This lord anon with bow in hand Into this yle with huge prease Hied fast and would not cease Till he came there the knight lay Of Queene ne lady by the way Tooke he no heed but forth past And yet all followed at the last And when he came where lay the knight Well shewed he he had great might And forth the Queene called anone And all the ladies euerichone And to them said is not thus routh To see my seruaunt for his trouth Thus leane thus sicke and in this paine And wot not vnto whom to plaine Saue onely one without mo Which might him heale and is his fo And with that word his heauy brow He shewed the Queene and looked row This mighty lord forth tho anone With o looke her faults echone He can her shew in little speech Commaunding her to be his leech Withouten more shortly to say He thought the Queene soone should obay And in his hond he shoke his bow And said right soone he would be know And for she had so long refused His seruice and his lawes not vsed He let her wit that he was wroth And bent his bow and forth he goth A pace or two and euen there A large draught vp to his eare He drew and with an arrow ground Sharpe and new the Queene a wound He gaue that piersed vnto the hart Which afterward full sore gan smart And was not whole of many yeare And euen with that be of good cheare My knight qd he I will thee hele And thee restore to parfite wele And for each paine thou hast endured To haue two joys thou art cured And forth he past by the rout With sober cheare walking about And what he said I thought to heare Well wist he which his seruaunts were And as he passed anon he fond My lady and her tooke by the hond And made her chere as a Goddes And of beaute called her princes Of bounty eke gaue her the name And said there was nothing blame In her but she was vertuous Sauing she would no pity vse Which was the cause that he her sought To put that far out of her thought And sith she had whole richesse Of womanhead and friendlinesse He said it was nothing fitting To void pity his owne legging And gan her preach and with her play And of her beauty told her aie And said she was a creature Of whom the name should endure And in bookes full of pleasaunce Be put for euer in remembraunce And as me thought more friendly Vnto my lady and goodlely He spake than any that was there And for the appuls I trow it were That she had in possession Wherefore long in procession Many a pace arme vnder other He welke and so did with none other But what he would commaund or say Forthwith needs all must obay And what he desired at the lest Of my lady was by request And when they long together had beene He brought my lady to the Queene And to her said so God you speed Shew grace consent that is need My lady tho full conningly Right well auised and womanly Downe gan to kneele vpon the floures VVhich Aprill nourished had with shoures And to this mighty lord gan say That pleaseth you I woll obay And me restraine from other thought As ye woll all thyng shall be wrought And with that word kneeling she quoke That mighty lord in armes her tooke And said you haue a seruaunt one That truer liuing is there none VVherefore good were seeing his trouth That on his paines ye had routh And purpose you to heare his speech Fully auised him to leech For of one thyng ye may be sure He will be yours while he may dure And with that word right on his game Me thought he lough and told my name VVhich was to me maruaile and fere That what to do I nist there Ne whether was me bet or none There to abide or thus to gone For well wend I my lady wold Imagen or deme that I had told My counsaile whole or made complaint Vnto that lord that mighty saint So verily each thyng vnsought He said as he had knowne my thought And told my trouth and mine vnease Bet than I couth haue for mine ease Though I had studied all a weke Well wist that lord that I was seke And would be leched wonder faine No man me blame mine was the paine And when this lord had all said And long with my lady plaid She gan to smile with spirit glade This was the answere that she made Which put me there in double peine That what to do ne what to seine Wist I not ne what was the best Ferre was my heart then fro his rest For as I thought that smiling signe Was token that the heart encline Would to requests reasonable Because smiling is fauorable To euery thing that shall thriue So thought I tho anon bliue That wordlesse answere in no toun Was tane for obligatioun Ne called surety in no wise Amongst them that called been wise Thus was I in a joyous dout Sure and vnsurest of that rout Right as mine heart thought it were So more or lesse wexe my fere That if one thought made it wele Another shent it euery dele Till at the last I couth no more But purposed as I did before To serue truly my liues space Awaiting euer the yeare of grace VVhich may fall yet or I sterue If it please her that I serue And serued haue and woll do euer For thyng is none that me is leuer Than her seruice whose presence Mine heauen is whole and her absence An hell full of diuers paines VVhych to the death full oft me straines Thus in my thoughts as I stood That vnneth felt I harme ne good I saw the Queene a little paas Come where this mighty lord was And kneeled downe in presence there Of all the ladies
they did to the laurer Is for by they haue their laud wholly Their triumph eke and marshall glory Which vnto them is more parfit richesse Than any wight imagine can or gesse For one leafe giuen of that noble tree To any wight that hath done worthily And it be done so as it ought to be Is more honour than any thing earthly Witnesse of Rome that founder was truly Of all knighthood and deeds maruelous Record I take of Titus Liuius And as for her that crowned is in greene It is Flora of these floures goddesse And all that here on her awaiting beene It are such that loued idlenesse And not delite of no businesse But for to hunt hauke and pley in medes And many other such idle dedes And for the great delite and pleasaunce They haue to the Floure and so reuerently They vnto it do such obeisaunce As ye may see now faire Madame qd I If I durst aske what is the cause and why That knights haue the signe of honour Rather by the Leafe than the Flour Soothly doughter qd she this is the trouth For knights euer should be perseuering To seeke honour without feintise or slouth Fro we le to better in all manner thing In signe of which with leaues aye lasting They be rewarded after their degree Whose lusty green May may not appaired be But aie keping their beautie fresh greene For there nis storme that may hem deface Haile nor snow wind nor frosts kene Wherfore they haue this property grace And for the Floure within a little space Woll be lost so simple of nature They be that they no greeuance may endure And euery storme will blow them soone away Ne they last not but for a season That is the cause the very trouth to say That they may not by no way of reason Be put to no such occupation Madame qd I with all mine whole seruise I thanke you now in my most humble wise For now I am acertained throughly Of euery thing I desired to know I am right glad that I haue said soothly Ought to your pleasure if ye will me trow Qd. she ayen but to whom do ye owe Your seruice and which will ye honour Tel me I pray this yere the Leafe or the Flour Madame qd I though I least worthy Vnto the Leafe I owe mine obseruaunce That is qd she right well done certainly And I pray God to honour you auaunce And kepe you fro the wicked remembraunce Of male bouch and all his crueltie And all that good and well conditioned be For here may I no lenger now abide I must follow the great company That ye may see yonder before you ride And forth as I couth most humbly I tooke my leue of her as she gan hie After them as fast as euer she might And I drow homeward for it was nigh night And put all that I had seene in writing Vnder support of them that lust it to rede O little booke thou art so vnconning How darst thou put thy self in prees for drede It is wonder that thou wexest not rede Sith that thou wost full lite who shall behold Thy rude language full boistously vnfold Explicit Chaucers A. B. C. called La Priere de nostre Dame Chaucer's A. B. C. called La Priere de nostre Dame made as some say at the request of Blanch Dutchess of Lancaster as a Prayer for her private use being a Woman in her Religion very devout A ALmighty and all merciable Queene To whom all this world fleeth for succour To haue release of sinne of sorrow of tene Glorious Virgine of all flouris flour To thee I flee confounded in errour Helpe and releeue almighty debonaire Haue mercy of mine perillous langour Venquist me hath my cruell aduersaire B Bounty so fixe hath in my heart his tent That well I wote thou will my succour be Thou canst not warn that with good entent Axith thine helpe thine heart is aye so free Thou art largesse of plaine felicite Hauen and refute of quiete and of rest Lo how that Theuis seuen chasen me Helpe Lady bright or that mine ship to brest C Comfort is none but in you Lady dere For lo mine sinne and mine confusioun which ought not in thine presence for to apere Han taken on me a greeuous actioun Of veray right and disperatioun And as by right they mighten well sustene That I were worthy mine damnatioun Nere mercy of you blisful Quene D Dout is there none Queen of misericord That thou nart cause of grace mercy here God vouchedsafe through thee with vs to accord For certis Christ is blisful modir dere Were now the bow bent in swiche manere As it was first of justice and of ire The rightfull God would of no mercy here But through thee han we grace as we desire E Euer hath mine hope of refute in thee be For here beforne full oft in many a wise Vnto mercy hast thou receiued me But mercy Lady at the great assise When we shall come before the high Iustise So little freut shall then in me ben found That but thou or that day correct me Of very right mine werk will me confound F Flying I flee for succour to thine tent Me for to hide fro tempest full of drede Beseking you that ye you not absent Though I be wick O help yet at this nede All haue I been a beast in wit and dede Yet Lady thou mee close in with thine own grace Thine enemy mine lady take hede Vnto mine death in point is me to chase G Gracious maid modir which that neuer Were bitter nor in earth nor in see But full of sweetnesse and of mercy euer Help that mine fader be not wroth with me Speake thou for I ne dare him not see So haue I done in earth alas the while That certes but if thou mine succour be To sinke eterne he will mine ghost exile H He vouchedefafe tell him as was his will Become a man as for our alliaunce And with his blood he wrote that blisfull bill Vpon the crosse as generall acquetaunce To euery penitent in full criaunce And therefore Lady bright thou for vs prey Then shalt thou stent all his greeuaunce And maken our foe to failen of his prey I I wote well thou wilt been our succour Thou art so full of bounty in certaine For when a soule falleth in errour Thine pity goeth and haleth him againe Then makest thou his peace which his souerain And bringest him out of the crooked strete Who so thee loueth shall not loue in vaine That shall he find as he the life shall lete K Kalenderis enlumined been they That in this world been lighted with thine name And who so goith with thee the right wey Him that not drede in soule to been lame Now Queen of comfort sith thou art the same To whom I seech for my medicine Let not mine fo no more mine woundentame Mine hele into thine hond
goodlihede and the lowlinesse of a king And specially in cheare and in speaking To his lieges and to bearen him faire In his apport and shew him debonaire And not to been to strange ne solein In countenaunce outward ne disdein Which causeth oft who that can advert Great hatred in the peoples hert And therevpon prively woll rowne When a Prince doth vpon hem frowne Shortly deme for all his excellence Emong hemselfe out of his presence Everiche conclude liche his fantasie And thus full oft gendred is enuy In folkes heartes of soleinte and pride For such as list not ones to looke aside To reward hem when they low loute * And againe kind it is out of doute That any head by record of the wise Should the foot of disdaine despise Which beareth him vp who so can take heed And susteineth in his most need As his piller and his supportaile * For finally ne were the pooraile Her bearer vp and supportation Farewell Lordship and domination Throughout the Land of every high estate Wherefore me seemeth more is fortunate Of Mercury the soote sugred Harpe Than Mars swerd whetted kene sharpe More accepted with aspects good Than is this God with his lookes wood What the goodlihead of a Prince availeth to win the hearts of his People * For humble speech with glad countenance May a Prince soothly aduance Emong his people hearts for to win Of inward love which will not twin Than gold richesse pride or tyranny Other disdaine daunger or surquedy For of lords clerkes can report But that loue her crowne doe support The fine is not in conclusion I take record of King Amphion Example good of King Amphion That built Thebes by his eloquence More than of pride or of violence Noble and rich that like was no where none And thus the wals made of lime and stone Were reised first by singing of this king Like as Poets feinen in her writing How after the opinion of some Authours King Cadmus built first the city of Thebes But soothly yet some expositours Grounding hem upon old authours Saine that Cadmus the famous old man Full long afore the city first began And the ground of building sette And the bounds by compasse out mette With thongs out kerue of a Buls side Which enuiron stretch might wide To get in land a full large space VVhereupon to build a dwelling place How the Country of Boece took first its name of a Bulls skin and after called Thebes And how King Cadmus was exiled out of Thebes by Prowess of King Amphion And called was the soile thus getten in VVhylome Boece of the Buls skin The name after into Thebes tourned But Cadmus hath not there long sojourned Like in story as it is compiled For shortly he fro thence was exiled Never after for to dwell in the toun By the knighthood of this Amphioun VVhich vp perfourmeth rich for the nones The city Thebes of mighty square stones As I you told a lite heretoforne And Cadmus thus his kingdome hath lorne Scepter and crowne and his power roiall Now have I told vnto you ground of all That ye well know by information Clerely the pith and the exposition Of this matter as clerkes can you tell It were but vaine lenger for to dwell To tarry you on this mattere Sith my tale which that ye shall here Vpon our way will last a long while The space in sooth as I suppose of vii mile And now ye know first how Amphion Built and began this city and this toun Reigning there long after as I rede Of him no more for I will procede To my purpose that I first began Not telling here how the line ran How the Line of Amphion by descent was conveyed to King Laius Fro king to king by succession Conveying downe by the stock of Amphion Seriously by line all the discent But leaue all this plainly of intent To tell forth in bookes as I rede How Laius by processe gan succede Here beginneth the Story of King Laius and Iocasta his Wife TO beare the Crowne in this mighty land Holding the scepter of Thebes in his hand Manly and wise during all his life And Iocasta called was his wife Full womanly the story saith certaine For a time though she were barraine Till Laius in full humble wise To have a child did sacrifice First to Apollo in his chaire so bright And Iupiter that hath so great a might Beseeching hem with devout reuerence To graunt only through her influence That his request executed may be And specially to goddesses three He besought Pallas and Iuno And Diane for to help also That he be not defrauded of his boon And his prayer accepted was full soone That finally through his rites old Even like as his heart would The Queen Iocasta hath anone conceived Which when the King fully hath perceived He made in haste him list not to abide Through his kingdome Messengers ride Fro coast to coast the story can deuise For Divinours and Philosophers wise For such as were famous Phisiciens And well expert Astronomiens To come in hast vnto his presence To find out shortly in sentence By craft onely of calculation The childs fate and disposition How the Astronomiens and Philosophers of Thebes calcled out the fate of Edippus And thereupon to yeue a iudgement The root I take at the ascendent Truly sought out by minute and degre The selfe houre of his natiuite Not foryet the heauenly mansions Clearely searched by smale fractions First by seconds terces and eke quartes On Augrime stones and on white cartes Ipriued out by diligent labour In tables correct deuoid of all errour Iustly sought and found out of both two The yeares collect and expanse also Considred eke by good inspection Euery houre and constellation And each aspect and looke eke diuers Which were good and which also peruers Where they were toward or at debate Happy wilfull or iufortunate The cursed Constellation and Disposition of the Heaven at the Nativity of Edippus And finally in conclusion They found Saturne in the Scorpion Heauie chered melancolike and loth And wood Mars furious and wroth Holding his sceptre in the Capricorne The same houre when this child was borne Venus direct and contrarious And depressed in Mercurious hous That the dome and judgement finall Of these clerkes to speake in speciall By fatall sort that may not be withdraw That with his swerd his father shall be slaw How the fate of Edippus disposed that he should slea his own Father There may no man helpe it ne excuse On which thing the king gan sore muse And cast he would on that other side Againe her dome for himselfe prouide Shape away and remedy toforne Bidding the quene when the child wer borne Without mercy or moderly pite That he be dead it may none other be And in all hast like as he hath sent She obeied his commaundement With wofull heart and pitous looke And face pale her yong
Ermin To lap hem in ayens the cold morrow After the rage of her nights sorrow To take her rest till the sonne arise And when the king in full prudent wise First of al he was not rekeles The knights herts for to sette in pees That euer after I dare 〈◊〉 it wele Ech was to other trew as any stele During her life both in word and dede Vndre a knotte bound of brotherhede And Adrastus the worthy king famous A feast made rich and plenteous To these knights himselfe thereat present And after mete full goodly he hath sent This noble king for his doughters dere Of gentillesse for to make chere To the knights come fro so ferre And like in soth as Lucifer the sterre Gladeth the morrow at his vprising So the ladies at her in comming With the stremes of her eyen clere Goodly apport and womanly manere Countenances and excellent fairenesse To all the Court broughten in gladnesse For the freshnesse of her heauenly cheres So agreable was vnto the straungeres At her entree that in especial Hem thought it like a thing celestial Enhasting hem in full knightly wise Ayenst hem goodly to arise And as they met with humble countenaunce Ful conningly did her obseruaunce Hem conueying in to her sitting place But sothely I haue leiser none ne space To reherse and put in remembraunce Holly the manere of her daliaunce It were to long for you to abide But well I wot that the god Cupide By influence of his mighty hond And the feruence of his firy brond Her meeting first fortuned hath so wele That his arowes of gold and not of stele Yperced han the knights herts tweine Through the brest with such a lusty peine That ther abode sharpe as spere or launce Depe yficched the point of remembraunce Which may not lightly rased be away And thus in joy they driue forth the day In pley and reuel for the knights sake And toward night they her chambre take At â—ue time as her fader bad And on her weie the knights hem lad Reuerently vp by many a staire Taking leue gan anon repaire To her lodging in ful stately a Toure Assigned to hem by the herbeiour And after ipices plenty and the wine In cuppes great wrought of gold full fine Without tarying to bedde straight they gon Touching her rest wheder they sleepe or non Demeth ye louers that in such maner thing By experience haue fully knowledging For it is not declared in my booke But as I find the king all night wooke Thoughtfull in hert the story specifies Musing sore and full of fantasies First aduerting the great worthinesse Of these knights and the semelinesse Her lusty youth her force and her manhode And how they were come of roial blode And this he gan to reuolue about And in his hert hauing a maner of doubt Atwene two hanging in a balance Wheder he should make an aliance Atween his doughters the knights tweine For one thing ay his heart gan constreine The remembraunce of his auision Of which aforne made is amencion Touching the Lion and the wild Bore It nedeth not to reherse it no more Casting alway in his fantasie What it might clerely signifie This darke dreame that was hid and close But on the morow Adrastus vp arose And to the Temple the right way he tooke And gan pray deuoutly on his booke To the goddes of his dreme to specifie And they him bede homward for to hie And to behold in the knights sheeldes The fell beasts painted in the fields Which shall to him be cleere inspection Full plainly making declaracion Of his dreme which he had on the night And Adrastus enhasted him full right In her sheelds wisely to behold Where that he saw as the goddes told In the sheelds hanging vpon hookes The beasts rage with her mortall crookes And to purpos like as write Bochas Polimite ful streite enbraced was In the hide of a fierce Lioun And Tideus aboue his Habergeoun A gipoun had hidous sharpe and hoor Wrought of the bristels of a wild Boore The which beasts as the story leres Were wrought and bete vpon her baneres Displaide brode whan they should fight Wherefore the king whan he had a sight At his repayre in hert was full glad And with a face full demure and sad With his lords that he about him had To the temple he the knights lad And whan they had with all circumstaunces Of Rites old done her obseruaunces Home to the Court they retourne ayein And in hall rich and well besein This worthy king of hert liberall Made a feast solempne and riall Which in deintees surely did excell But it were vein euery cours to tell Her straunge sewes and other soteltees Ne how they sat like her degrees For lacke of time I let ouerslide And after meate Adrastus took aside The knights two and like a prudent man In secree wise thus his tale he gan How Adrastus spake to the Knights in secret touching the marriage of his Daughters Sirs qd he I ne doubt it nought That it is fresh grene ay in your thought How that first by goddes ordinaunce And after next through fates purueiance And by werking of fortunes hond How ye were brought in to this lond Both tweine but now this last night Of whos comming I am full glad and light First in my selfe shortly to expresse When I consider and see the likelinesse Of your persons with the circumstaunces And holle the maner of your gouernaunces Seing full well whereto should I feigne Yee been likely hereafter to atteigne To great estate and habundance of good Through your birth and your rial blood Ye may not faile but ye haue wrong For ye are both manly and right strong And for to set your hertes more at rest My purpose is I hope for the best So that in you be no variance To make a knot as be alliance Atwene you and my doughters two Yf your herts accord we le thereto And for I am fully in despeire To succede for to haue an heire Therefore ye shall haue possession During my life of halfe my region Forth with in hond and all after my day There is no man that thereto shal say nay And sothly after when that I am graue Ech of you shall his part haue Of this kingdome as I haue prouided This is to say it shall be diuided Atwene you two euerich to be crouned Your properties be equite compouned So egaly in euery mans sight That ech of you enjoy shall his right And in your witte ye shall the lond amend And of manhood knightly it defend Ayens our enemies and our mortall foon And for the dayes passed been and goon Of my desires and my lusty youth I am full set for to make it couth That ye shall haue like mine opinioun The gouernaunce of all this Regioun To this entent me seemeth for the best Ye to gouerne and I to liue in rest Fully to follow the lust of
kemeling a Brewers vessel kernels holes or corners in battelments kerueth greveth ken d. teach know kers nasturtium d. waterdresses keuer b. recover kene b. sharp kend b. made me know * Kichell A Cake which Horrace calleth Libum Vtque sacerdotis fugitibus liba recuso and with us it is called a Gods Kichell because Godfathers and Godmothers used commonly to give one of them to their Godchildren when they asked blessing kith b. acquaintance kinrest quiet rest kithen b. shew kinds kindels faetus b. young ones kirked b. turned upward kith b. make known shew acknowledge kid b. known made known kitheth b. sheweth kin b. kind knarri b. stubby kned knit knittest setlest knockeden d. did knock knopped d. tied laced kon b. can koueren f. to hide L. Lake fine cloth like lawn largesse i. liberality lachesse f. leysines latered l. laysie loitring laas laqueus d. net or ginâ— laude l. praise langorous f. pining lacke dispraise laft lest off enclosed lacke d. offence also lie to dispraise lay a song lauen b. draw empty laudes i. morning servise languerth i. languisheth latonne f. copper lacert i. sinew layuers corrigiae thongs lay b. law laund b. a plain between trees lauender i. f. laundress laued b. drew lath b. a barn laften forsook lasse less lach f. lasie larson f. robbery lacking dispraising lacken extenuate dispraise Lettow Lituania part of Sarmatia joyning to Polonia Leyes taken to be Levissa upon the Continent not far from Rhodes lestis temptations lusts pleasures ley a song lees leasing also lost release lewde b. ignorant leue beleve live releeve grant dear iet lete b. leave forsake leden language lene b. lend leueth beareth leuer better lech b. a surgeon leue b. dear lete b. left off to leave lends lumbi d. loins lettrure f. book learning ledge d. lay lessel umbraculum bush or hovel lele right lawful leite light legends l. tales lere d. to teach leuer lefe d. wont dear willing rather leueth remaineth legisters i. lawyers leged resident lete b. deemed made shew shewed lease praise letting leaving leueth relieveth also taketh leave lemes b. flames light lectorne a desk legging d. lodging letest fare b. makest shew leuesell a bush lere complexion colour skin letargi g. a drousie disease causing forgetfulness lest lust * Litarge f. white lead The Composition whereof as I find it in an old written book is thus Accipiter plumbum funditur in olla projiciuntur interius testae alterius ollae postea moveatur olla fortiori manu quousque commisceantur testae plumbum praeterea projiciatur illud totum illud est litargirum hoc modo preparatur plumbum ad plumbaciones ollarum ligne aloes a bitter kind of wood out of India and Arabia licand b. in good plite limitation i. circuit liard b. nimble lich lech b. like limaile i. dust that cometh of filing light to make light lith lieth lisse f. end limit border lisse lees release lisse b. ease ligne f. line lith membrum a lim lifthalfe b. left side lith lieth also plain liege lege f. lawful true lignes liketh yieldeth litherly b. slothful liggen b. lie liart b. gentle lithe smooth liuen b. beleeve lithi lethy b. soft gentle lissed f. bounded lisse to have less to wax less lieges f. subjects lithe b. to ease lorrell lurco devourer lombes lambs loos lose f. praise also order lossell d. crafty fellow louedaies arbitrements loppe b. a spider lodemanage skill of Navigation by stone and needle lollar b. a breaker of fasting days louke a fellow receiver lorco a devourer a gulligut Loi Dunstan Iulian Runian and what they were may be known in the Legend Festival and Votaries louting b. kneeling honouring longen belong lore b. learning knowledge lorne b. lost losenger f. flatterer or lier londles b. runnagates loute b. to bow or bend lozenge f. square losengeri f. flattery loteby companion or love loth b. lothed losenges f. square figures lore b. lost loode led losenge f. square lostheld accompted lost lodesmen b. guides lore ratio regard doctrine low fire flame also to allow or like lordeth ruleth lucerne l. candel lugge b. pull lushbrough a base Coin in the days of Edward the Third M. * Magicke He meaneth this Physician was skilful in Astrology and could make his election of fortunate hours wherein to minister his Potions to his Patient and likewise that he was practised in Magick natural as in making of Sigils or Characters stamped in Metal in their due times fitted to that sign that governed that part of the Body wherein the Malady was as the stamp of Aries for the disease in the Head and of Leo for the Reins c. Hereof he speaketh in the third Book of Fame And Clerkes eke which conne well All this Magick naturell That craftely doe her entents To maken in certaine ascendents Images lo through which Magicke They make a man be whole and sicke * Martes marke A Skar or Cut which the Children born in his Regiment have and that in some part of their face but this good Wife of Bath will needs have two one for the Character of her principal Planet and the other c. maintenance threatning masteling shining mazeline a mazer manace f. threaten maladie desease make his beard deceive him malles b. hammers betils maumetri b. worship of false Gods martirdom torment maskewed fensed fortified makeles b. matchless mate d. daunted tame mad pined consumed maugre f. despite martereth i. dieth marke of Adam mankind malison b. a curse malleable b. abiding the hammer marris b. a fen mailes d. round rings magonell an instrument to cast stones malt b. melted mansuete l. gentle maumet mahumet b. a toyl bable idol mannish virago b. stout mauis f. a bushel make it hinder it maint mingled malt melted matire f. matter mani g. madness masday b. holy day maysondew f. an hospital malure f. mischance malebouch f. wicked mouth * Mercury crude l. Quick-silver for the killing whereof I read thus Argentum vivum extinguitur cum forti admixtione salivae hominis donec dispereat dico quod si projeceris super ipsum aquam fluentem si redierit ad primam dispositionem non est extinctum cum vere non redierit bene est extinctum Ipsum autem argentum vivum terra est * Meritot b. A sport used by Children by swinging themselves in bell-ropes or such like till they be giddy In Latin it is called Oscillum and is thus described by an old Writer Oscillum est genus ludi scilicet cum funis dependitur de trabe in quo pueri puellae sedentes impelluntur huc illuc metamorphoseos g. a work written by Ovid of the Transmutation of things merke b. dark meke b. be gentle mete mote b. must might medes b. to boot mede b. reward help mesell f. leper or lazerman meint b. mingled met dreamed meridionall l. of the South mede hydromeli d. honey and water sodden together messagri f.
supplien f. make entreaty supporaile upholder superlatife l. highest swyre b. neck swich b. such sweuen a dream swinker a labourer sawtry f. dancing instrumental musick or the instrument swilke b. such swolow b. gulf switch b. quickly swaine b. a servant swow a sleep swelt b. sowned swe rt d. sun-burned black swough b. sound swith b. swift swiftly swa b. also so swelwen b. devour swonken b. laboured swoll b. swelled swegh impetus b. force swelt b. die sykes sighs syker b. assurance steddy sykerd d. allied sye b. to fall syth b. afterward times T. Tabard d. A Jacket or sleeveless Coat worn in times past by Noblemen in the Wars but now only by Heralds and is called their Coat of Arms in service It was the sign of an Inn in Southwark by London within the which was the Lodging of the Abbot of Hyde by Winchester This was the Hostelry where Chaucer and the other Pilgrims met together and with Henry Baily their Host accorded about the manner of their Journey to Canterbury And whereas through time it had been much decaied it was then by Mr. J. Preston with the Abbots house thereto adjoyned newly repaired and with convenient Rooms much encreased for the Receipt of many Guests It is now the Sign of the Talbot tapinage f. secresie slilyness tailages toll customs tapes b. strings Taurs Mars therein Taurus being properly Venus house under the which Sign this woman was born Mars then ruling in the same prognosticateth great Incontinency tackle b. feather arrow taas f. d. an heap taboure a drum talages payments talagiers tole-gatherers tapite d. tapestry taling d. telling tales tacoy to pluck to or draw tabouren d. sound targe l. a target tatch tetch b. craft tatterwags b. raggs jaggs tale rayl tane b. take talent f. i. desire tassed b. tasselled tassey to aslay testes certain devices to try gold and silver testeres f. skulls sallets tene b. sorrow testifie f. wild brained teme an Ingot of metal teme g. a text termine l. to end terrestre f. l. earthly temen lay or bind temps f. l. time tell no store take no regard tetch b. a trick a stain frowardness tenhaunce set out tewell b. chimney tercelet d. Falco masculus textuele textele l. skillful in the text thrages busie matters Theophrast In his Book De Frugalitate else in his Treatise De Loquacitate mulierum therout without threke thrust thirled pierced thence catch find yet thanks acts enterprises labour reward thewes qualities thenne thence thilke same threpe b. affirm thare there also needeth thirled jugulavit strangled thacked b. beat smote thringing thrusting clustering together throw a short time thriueth b. springeth tho those although thascry outcry thorruke an heap thrilled killed thrope d. a village thankheeld thank-worthy theke such throw anger haste threst oppress thre mot the blast of an horn then although thonke held d. bestow labour or liking thopposite l. overagainst tholed b. suffred thauentaile coat of male thringe d. thrust thedom b. thriving theich plain smooth thore before threte curse threaten timbesters plaiers on sounding Instruments tid b. hapned befallen tiflers triflers tite b. befalleth tilleth b. ploweth tiren tear rent tides b. hapneth tissu f. a lace told took care made accompt tout b. hole * Tortuous Tortuous the signs are which are called Obliquae ascendentia that is all from Capricorn to Cancer So he calleth the Ascendent unfortunate because it is one of those signs and had at the same time the Lord of that sign in his fall which is in the Sign contrary to his exaltation toteth b. looketh tone b. claws * Tolitane tables Alphonsus tables to calculate the motion of the Planets for the meridian of Taledo towell tayle torcencions using extortion toder b. the other tomblesters tumblers told no tale took no care tole f. clout toy tournet f. a tower tort i. extortion torrets rings or the fastning of dogs Collars totti b. dizzie totoler prater Tramissene a City in Barbary in the Province sometime called Mauritania Tingitana or Caesariensis as hath Melanghton traue b. a trevis to snoo a wild horse in trate trot old drab transcend l. pass exceed trepeget an Instrument to cast stones trowen to trust trice pull trist meta a mark tressed broided up trentall thirty masses tresse funiculus d. the broiding up of the hair tretis streight trauers f. overthwart a curtain trip b. a piece trew truce trausmew i. change trill b. d. to turn to drop trenchant f. bending also sharp trayle f. an arbour trist l. b. sad also to believe traiâ—rie f. treason tregetor a iugler troce d. wreath or wyth tresses hair braids of hair truandise d. idleness trete handle trects streight treget deceit trophe i. victory tulsurelike f. tilekill-like tull lure allure twittel b. a knife twin b. depart also separate twiereth singeth twy d. two twynned b. parted twight b. pulled twyn to take away to depart to turn twifold d. double twitten b. carved out twist ramus b. a bow twist b. pinch hold twy tâ—â—y d. two V. Valerie and Theophrast Some will have us read Valery and his Paraphrast This Valery wrote a Book De non ducenda uxore with a Paraphrase upon it which I have seen in the Study of Mr. Allen of Oxford a man of as rare Learning as he is stored with rare Books His Name was Gualterus Maape Arch-deacon of Oxford in the days of King Henry the Second but changed his Name because he would not have the Author known and termed it Valerius ad Rusinum But yet there was one called Valerius who wrote a Book of the same Argument printed among St. Jerome's Works And likewise one called Theophrastus Eresius who among many things did write a Book wherein he reasoneth whether it be convenient for a wise man to marry Johannes Sarisburiensis in his Policraticon hath translated some things in this Book out of Greek and Latin as may appear lib. 8. cap. 11. De molestiis oneribus Conjugiorum out of which Chapter Chaâ—cer hath taken much for this Argument as may be seen in the Merchants Tale but more in the Wife of Bath's Prologue where between 30 and 40 Verses are translated from thence And if the whole Work at this day were by some sufficient Scholar translated it would deserve as much commendation as many Books which learned men not without great commendation have heretofore translated valence i. cloth of Valencia in Spain vapoured l. ascended vasselage f. service subjection van f. a fan vauesoure f. a Lord. Vernacle a cloth or napkin wherein was the figure of Christ's Face vernage i. sweet wine to be drank in Winter vent fore-part verge f. a garden vermell vermayle f. red ventosing f. cupping veiued weved put away verre f. glass vechons Hedghogs vecke i. an old woman veneri l. hunting Vigils It was the manner in times past upon festival Evens called Vigiliae for Parishioners to meet in their Church-houses or Church-yards and there to have a drinking fit
a Writer in Astronomy as of the Conjunction of the Planets c. Alanus among other things wrote a Book De Planctu Naturae B. Bocatius born at Florence in Italy set out many things in his own Tongue claruit 1375. Bernardus de Gordonio a Frenchman born Reader of Physick at Mount Pelier Bernardus Abbas Clarevallensis a Burgonian and a singular Divine set forth many things 1140. Basilius Magnus Bishop of Caesarea 367. C. Cato a learned man among the Romans before the Incarnation 182. Corinna a Theban Woman and a Lyrike Poet she wrote 50 Books and Epigrams as Suidas and Pausanias report Claudianus born in Alexandria in Egypt among many things wrote a Book of the stealing away of Proserpina Crisippus did write a Book against the pleasure of the Body Constantine the Monk did translate and write many things in Physick and among other Lib. de coitu quibus modis augeatur diminuatur D. Dante 's Aligeras an Italian and born in Florence lived 1341. Dares Phrigius did write the Trojan War in Greek where he himself was a Souldier Ditis Historicus did write a Book of the Trojan War found in a certain Sepulchre Damascenus Presbiter did write many things in the Greek Tongue Dioscorides a worshipful Knight of Egypt wrote in Greek of the natures of divers Herbs He lived under Cleopatra and Antonius E. Aesculapius did write a Book of the original cause and descriptions of Diseases F. Franciscus Petrarcha an Italian born did write when Chaucer was a young man floruit 1374. G. Gatisden and Gilbertin Englishmen born and writers in Physick Guido de Columna a Sicilian did write of the Trojan War 1287. Galfride Vinesause was a Norman by his Parents but born in England he did write in his Book entituled de artificio loquendi by way of Example of Mourning under the Rhetorical figure of Apostrophe a complaint for the Death of Richard the First who was slain with an Arrow at the Siege of the Castle of Chalne in Normandy and lived in the time of King John An. Dom. 1210 Galenus a most singular Physician did write a multitude of Books 160. Gregorius Magnus did write much in Divinity claruit An. 369. Galfridus Monumethensis an Englishman born translated into our Tongue the History of England floruit 1152. H. Homerus the chiefest of all Poets wrote in the Greek Tongue two works the one called his Ilias and the other his Odyssea Helowis Maximinian Livian Aurora Zansis and divers others alledged by Chaucer have none or few of their works extant Haly wrote a Book of the Compositions of Medicines Hieronimus Stridonensis did write among other things a defence of Virginity in two Books against Jovinian Hippocrates Cous a most ancient Physician and Prince of all others lived in the days of Artaxerxes Hermes an Egyptian Disciple to Plato did write of many strange things I. Josephus wrote in Greek the Battel and Destruction of the Jews He was after the Incarnation seventy six years Johannes Damascenus a Writer in Physick 1158. Innocentius Papa born in Company wrote a Book of the happy state of Mankind Juvenalis a Poet which wrote Satyrs Justinian an Emperour of Rome who caused to be written the Books of the Laws called the Digests Institutions and the Code containing the Decrees of the Emperours He was after the Incarnation five hundred and seventy years L. Lollius an Italian Historiographer born in the City of Vrbine Lucanus a famous Poet that wrote the Battel between Caesar and Pompey M. Macrobius Aurellius wrote a Commentary on Scipio's Dream Marcus Aurelius Cassiodorus a Monk among many things wrote of the state of the Soul Marcianus Capella did write of the Liberal Sciences and also of the marriage of Philologi and Mercury O. Ovidius a famous Latin Poet and Orator advanced to be Senator of Rome He lived when Christ was conversant on Earth P. Petrus Alfonsus a Jew turned to the Faith before called Moses was baptised by King Alphonsus and bare his Name he did write many Books 1100. Pamphilus Presbiter Kinsman to Eusebius after much pains in writing suffered Martyrdom in Caesaria under the Persecution of Maximinus Papinius Statius a Neapolitan wrote of the Destruction of Thebes He lived under Domitian Ptolemeus lived in the Time of Anthony the Emperour he wrote divers works and restored out of Darkness the Mathematical Sciences Pithagoras an excellent Philosopher of Samos at whose Wisdom Plato did wonder He was before the Incarnation 522 years Petrus Cassiodorus an Italian a Noble man and learned did write to the Church of England and perswaded them to cast off their Obedience to the Roman Bishops and to beware of their Tyranny 1302. R. Rasis an Arabian Physician Rufus a Physician of Ephesus in the time of Trajan the Emperour S. Statius a noble Poet which wrote twelve Books of the Theban War Senior Zadith did write a Book of Alchimy Gesner Seneca a Spaniard born in Corduba a singular Philosopher did write many things he lived in the time of Nero by whom he was put to Death Serapion an Arabian did write of the Composition of Medicines Suetonius wrote the Lives of the Roman Emperours Strode a man of great Learning Fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford 1380. T. Tertullian did write a Book of the attire of Women Titus Livius the most excellent Writer of the Romans History Tho. Bradwarden was Bishop of Canterbury who did write a Book De causa Dei contra Pelagianos and dedicated it to the Society of Merton Colledge in Oxford He did write many other Books one of the Trinity one of Predestination one of all Sciences one of the Principles of Geometry also a book of the Reward of them which shall be saved and another called the Sum of Divinity He flourished in the year of Grace 1270. Trotula set forth a book of the cure of Diseases in and after Childbirth Theophrastus Eresius Disciple to Aristotle writing a great number of Books hath one De frugalitate Tullius a Senator of Rome Father of Eloquence and pure Fountain of the Latin Tongue He flourished about forty years before Christs Incarnation V. Valerius Maximus wrote to Tiberius Caesar a Book of the memorable deeds and sayings of worthy Men. Virgilius the most famous Poet of Mantua whose Life Petrus Crinitus hath set down at large in Lib. 3. de Poetis Latinis Vitellio did write ten books of Perspectives W. William S. Aymour a Frenchman did write a Commentary on the Apocalipse much inveighing against the Pope and was therefore banished and his Books burned ADVERTISEMENT WHilst this Work was just finishing we hapned to meet with a Manuscript wherein we found the Conclusion of the Cook 's Tale and also of the Squires Tale which in the Printed Books are said to be lost or never finish'd by the Author but coming so late to our hands they could not be inserted in their proper places therefore the Reader is desir'd to add them as here directed Immediately after what
you find of the Cooks Tale add this What thorow himself his felaw yâ— fought Vnto a mischief both they were brought The tone ydamned to prison perpetually The tother to deth for he couth not of clergy And therefore yong men learne while ye may That with many divers thoughts beth pricked all the day Remembre you what mischief cometh of misgovernaunce Thus mowe ye learn worschip and come to substaunce Think how grace and governaunce hath brought aboune Many a poore man'ys Son chefe state of the Town Euer rule thee after the best man of name And God may grace thee to come to yâ— same Immediately after these words at the end of the Squires Tale Apollo whirleth up his chare so hie Vntill the God Mercurius house he flie Let this be added But I here now maken a knotte To the time it come next to my lotte For here ben felawes behind an hepe truly That wolden talk full besily And have here sport as well as I And the day passeth certainly So on this mattere I may no lenger dwell But stint my clack and let the other tell Therefore oft taketh now good hede Who shall next tell and late him spede FINIS 1 This Leland had Commission from King Hen. Eighth to search all Libraries in England for matters of Antiquity He died in the days of Edw. Sixth 2 In the 1. Book and 5th Sect. 3 About the 2d or 3d Year of Edw. Third 1 Vintner quasi Wineturner that is a Merchant of the Viâ—â—ry which sold by whole sale 1 This Q. Isabel being sent into France with her young Son Edw. by the K. of England her Husband to conferr about matters with her Brother the French King would by no means return having conceived a great Hatred against the Spensers and also against the King for suffering himself to be misled by their naughty Counsel but by all means stirred the People to Rebellion and in the end came over her self with almost three thousand Strangers besides Englishmen 2 Henault a Province lying between France and Flanders 1 This Coniecture is of small force for the Merchants of the Staple had not any Arms granted to them as I have been informed before the time of Henry the Sixth or much thereabout Canterbury Colledge in Oxford founded by Simon Islip Archbishop of Canterbury was suppressed in the Reign of K. Hen. 8. and joyned unto Christs-Church 2 Nicholas de Lynna studiorum praecipuas partes in Mathesi collocavit quae quatuor disciplinarum orbem complectitur videlicet Arithmeticam Geometriam Musicam Astrologiam Bale 3 John Gower a Knight as Bale writeth studied not only the common Laws of the Land but all other kind of good Literature He lieth buried in St. Mary Overies in Southwark in a stately Tomb erected in the Wall with his Image lying over him in a Habit of greenish Damask down to his Feet a Collar of Esses Gold about his Neck and on his Head a Chaplet of Roses the Ornaments of Knighthood Under his Head he hath the likeness of three Books which he compiled the first Speculum Meditantis in French the second Vox Clamantis in Latin the third Confessio Amantis in English 4 John Plantagenet sirnamed Gaunt of Gaunt in Flanders where he was born was the fourth Son of King Edward the Third He was Duke of Lancaster Earl of Lincoln Darby and Leicester King of Castile and Lyons and Steward of England He was also Earl of Richmond and Duke of Aquitain He had three Wives Blanch Constance and Katharine He lieth buried in the Quire of Pauls 1 Thomas Chaucer was born about the 38 or 39th Year of Edw. 3. 2 Written Ann. Domini 1391. Rich. secund 14. 1 This John Burghershe was of the same Line of Barrholomew Burghershe one of the first Knights of the Garter at the Institution thereof by Edward 3. and of Henry Burghershe Bishop of Lincoln and Chancellor and Treasurer of England 2 Ewelme olim Chauceri Delapolorum nunc Regiae aedes Dum enim Johannes Lincolniae Comes Gulielmo Delapolo è filio Johanne nepos res novas contra Henricum septimum moliretur proscriptus omnibus honoribus his possessionibus excidit quae in patrimonium Regium transcriptae fuerunt G. C. 3 Dunnington Castle standeth in a Park in Barkshire not far from Newberry where to this day standeth an old Oak called Chaucer's Oak 4 Wallingford in Barkshire Castrum admirandae amplitudinis magnificentiae duplici murorum ambitu duplici item vallo circundatum in medio moli in magnam altitudinem aeditae arx imponitur in cujus acclivi per gradus ascensu fons est immensae profunditatis Incolae constructum à Danis credunt alii à Romanis G. Camben 5 Knaresborow in Yorkshire Castrum rupi asperrimae impositum quod Serlonem de Burgo patruum Eustacii Vescii condidisse ferunt nunc patrimonii Lancastrensis censetur G. Camden 6 This Jane of Navarr Widow to John of Mounford Duke of Britain was married to Henry the Fourth about the fourth Year of his Reign 7 The Pooles Advancement grew first by Merchandise and Sir Richard Poole Kt. was Father to William de la Pool Merchant of Hull who for that he frankly and freely did lend to King Ed. 3. a great Sum of Mony at Mortaign in France when he was greatly distressed was honoured with the Girdle Military made Banneret and endued with 1000 Marks by the Year and his Successors after were advanced to be Dukes of Suffolk as in Master Stow's Annals appeareth William de la Pole was first secretly married to the Countess of Henault by whom he had a Daughter and after being divorced from her was publickly married to Chaucer's Daughter Countess of Salisbury who proved this Daughter being married to one Barentine a Bastard The which Barentine afterward for a Rior made against the Countess was condemned and lost an hundred Pounds by the Year J. Stow. In the 28. of K. Hen. 6. 1450. this William de la Pole was banished the Realm for five Years to pacifie the hard opinion which the Commons had conceived against him In his Journey to his Banishment he was taken and beheaded and his Body cast up at Dover Sands and buried in the Charter-house at Hull J. St. This Sir Rich. Dangle a Knt. of Poictu came over with the Duke of Lancaster who for his Valiancy and tryed Truth to the King of England was made Knight of the Garter 1 Some say he did but translate it and that it was made by Sir Otes de Grantsome Knight in French of my Lady of York Daughter to the King of Spain representing Venus and my Lord of Huntingdon sometime Duke of Excester This Lady was younger Sister to Gaunt's second Wife This Lord of Huntingdon was called John Holland half Brother to Richard the Second He married Elizabeth the Daughter of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Out of the Records in the Tower a Thomas Occleve vel Ockelese vir tam bonis literis quam generis prosapia clarus exquisua quadam Anglici sermonis eloquentia post Chaucerum cujus suerat discipulus patriam ornavit linguam Johannis Wiclevi ipsius Berengarii in religione doctrinam sequebatur Tractatus hos fecit Planctum proprium Dialogum and amicum De quadam Imperatrice De arte moriendi De coelesti Hierusalem De quodam Jonatha De Regimine Principis * John Lidgate Monk of Bury an excellent Poet He travelled France and Italy to learn the Languages and Sciences * That is Geffrey Vinesause of whom read in the Recital of Authors This William Caxton of London Mercer brought Printing out of Germany into England about the latter end of the Reign of Henry the Sixth and practised the same in the Abbey of St. Peter at Westminster It was first found in Germany at Mogunce by one John Cuthembergus a Knight and brought to Rome by Conradus an Almaigne as some Authors say