list She gathereth floures party white and reed To make a subtell garland for her heed And as an Angel heavenly she song The great toure that was so thick strong Which of the castell was the chefe dungeon Wherein the two Knights were in prison Of which I told you and tellen shall Was even joynant to the gardyn wall There as this Emely had her playing Bright was the sonne clere the morning And Palamon this woful prisoner As was his wont by leave of his gayler Was risen and romed in a chambre on high In which he all the noble cite sigh And eke the gardyn full of braunches grene There as this fresh Emely the shene Was in her walk and romed up and down This sorrowful prisoner this Palamon Goth in his chambre roming to and fro And to himself complaining of his wo That he was borne full oft said alas And so befell by auenture or caas That through a window thick of many a bar Of yron great and square as any spar He cast his eyen upon Emilia And therewith he blent and cried ha ha As though he stongen were unto the hert And with that cry Arcite anon up stert And said cosin mine what eyleth thee That art so pale and deadly for to see Why cryest thou who hath do thee offence For goddes love take all in pacience Our prison for it may none other be Fortune hath yeven us this adversite Some wicked aspect or disposition Of Saturne by some constellation Hath yeven us this altho we had it sworn So stood the heauen when that we were born We mote endure this is short and plain This Palamon answered and said again Cosyn forsoth of this opinion Thou hast a vain imaginacion This prison caused me not to cry But I was hurt right now through mine eye Into mine herte that woll my bane be The fairness of a Lady that I se Yond in the gardyn roming to and fro Is cause of all my crying and wo. I not wher she be woman or goddess But Venus it is sothly as I guess And therewithall on knees down he fyll And said Venus if it be thy will You in this gardyn thus to transfigure Beforne me sorrowful wretched creature Out of this prison help that we may scape And if our destiny be so ishape By eterne word to dyen in prison Of our linage have some compassion That is so low ybrought by tyranny And with that word Arcite gan espy Whereas the Lady romed to and fro And with that sight her beauty hurt him so That if that Palamon were wounded sore Arcite was hurt as much as he or more And with a sigh he said pitously The fresh beauty sleeth me sodenly Of her that rometh in yonder place And but I have her mercy and her grace That I may seen her at the least way I nam but dead there nys no more to say This Palamon whan he these words herd Dispitously he looked and answerd Whether sayst thou this in ernest or in play Nay quod Arcite in ernest by my fay God help me so me list full yll to pley This Palamon gan knit his browes twey It were quod he to thee no great honour To be false ne for to be a traytour To me that am thy cosyn and thy brother Isworne full depe each of us to other That never for to dien in the pain Till that the death depart shall us twain Neither of us in love to hindre other Ne in none other case my leve brother But that thou shouldest truly further me In every case as I should further thee This was thine oth and mine also certain I wot it well thou darst it not withsain Thus art thou of my counsell out of dout And now thou woldest falsly ben about To love my Lady whom I love and serve And ever shall till that mine hert sterve Now certes false Arcite thou shalt not so I loved her first and told thee my wo As to my counsell and to my brother sworne To further me as I have told beforne For which thou art thounden as a Knight To helpen me if it lye in thy might Or else art thou false I dare well sain This Arcite full proudly spake again Thou shalt quod he be rather false than I And thou art false I tell thee utterly For paramour I loved her first or thou What wilt thou sain thou wist it not or now Whether she be woman or goddess Thine is affection of holiness And mine is love as to a creature For which I told thee mine aventure As to my cosin and my brother sworne Suppose that thou lovedst her beforne * Wost thou not well the old Clerks saw That who shall give a lover any law Love is a greater law by my pan Then may be yeven to any earthly man And therefore positive law and such decree Is broken all day for love in eche degree A man mote needs love maugre his head He may not fleen it tho he shuld be dead All be she maid widow or else wife And eke it is not likely all thy life To stonden in her grace no more shall I For well thou wost thy selfe verely That thou and I be damned to prison Perpetual us gaineth no raunson * We striven as did the hounds for the bone That fought all day yet her part was none Ther came a cur while that they wer so wroth And bare away the bone from hem both * And therefore at Kings court my brother Each man for himself there is none other Love if thou list for I love and aye shall And soothly lefe brother this is all Here in this prison mote we endure And everich of us taken his aventure Great was the strife and long betwixt hem twey If that I had leisure for to sey But to theffect it happed on a day To tell it you shortly as I may A worthy Duke that hight Perithous That fellow was to Duke Theseus Sith thilke day that they were children lite Was come to Athens his fellow to visite And for to play as he was wont to do For in this world he loved no man so And he loved him as tenderly again So well they loved as old books saine That when that one was dead soothly to tell His fellow went sought him down in hell But of that storie list me not to write Duke Perithous loved well Arcite And had him know at Thebes yere by yere And finally at the request and prayere Of Perithous withouten any raunson Duke Theseus let him out of prison Freely to gone whether him list over all In such a guise as I you tellen shall This was the forward plainly to endite Betwixt Duke Theseus and him Arcite That if so were that Arcite were yfound Ever in his life by day night or stound In any countrey of this Duke Theseus And he were caught it was accorded thus That with a sword he should lese his heed There was no
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
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
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
jam monte potitus Ridet anhelantem dura ad fastigia turbam His Country THis famous and learned Poet Geffrey Chaucer Esq was supposed by Leland to have been an Oxfordshire or Barkshire Man born for so reporteth John Bale in his Catalogue of English Writers Quibusdam argumentis adducebatur Lelandus ut crederet c. Some Reasons did move Leland to think That Oxfordshire or Barkshire was his Native Country But as it is evident by his own Words in the Testament of Love he was born in the City of London for thus he writeth there Also in the City of London that is to me so dear and sweet in which I was foorth growen and more kindly Love have I to that Place than to any other in yerth as every kindly Creature hath full Appetite to that Place of his kindly Engendure and to wilne Rest and Peace in that stede to abide thilke Peace should thus there have been broken which of all wise Men is commended and desired In the Records of the Guild-Hall in London we find that there was one Richard Chaucer Vintner of London in the twenty third Year of Edward 3d. who might well be Chaucer's Father Also there was a Nun of St. Hellens in London named Elizabeth Chaucer in the first Year of Rich. 2d as it is in Record which seemeth either to have been his Sister or of his Kindred and by likelihood a Londoner born Moreover in the eighth year of the same King Geffrey Chaucer was Controller of the Custom-House in London as after out of the Records shall appear Other Dealings he had in the City as we may plainly see in the Testament of Love all which may move us to think That he was born in London His Parentage FOR his Parentage and Place of Birth although Bale termeth him Galfridus Chaucer nobili loco natus summae spei juvenis yet in the Opinion of some Heralds otherwise than his Vertues and Learning commended him he descended not of any great House which they gather by his Arms De argento rubeo colore partita per longitudiuem scuti cum benda ex transverso eisdem coloribus sed transmutatis depicta sub hac forma But this is but a simple Conjecture for honourable Houses and of great Antiquity have borne as mean Arms as Chaucer and yet his Arms are not so mean either for Colour Charge or Particion as some would make them And indeed both in respect of the Name which is French as also by other Conjectures it may be gathered That his Progenitors were Strangers But wheras some are of Opinion that the first coming of the Chaucers into England was when Qu. Isabel Wife to Edw. 2. and her Son Prince Edw. returned out of Henault into England at which time also almost 3000 Strangers came over with them as by Chronicles appeareth or some two Years after when Philip Daughter to the Earl of Henault came over to be married to Prince Edward I can by no means consent with them but rather must think That their Name and Family was of far more ancient Antiquity although by time decayed as many more had been of much greater Estate For in the days of Edw. 1. there was one John Chaucer as appeared by the Records of the Tower where it is said That the King did hear the Complaint of John Chaucer in the damage of 1000 l. There was also in the time of Hen. 3. and Edw. 1. Elias Chaucesir of whom the Records in the Exchequer have thus Edwardus Dei Gratia c. liberate de Thesauro nostro Elias Chaucesir decem solid c. with which Characters Geffrey Chaucer is written in the Records of Edw. 3. and Rich. 2. This Name was at the first a Name of Office or Occupation which afterward came to be the Name of a Family as Smith Baker Skinner and others have done In the time of King John likewise there was one named le Chaucer as appeareth by the Records of the Tower But what need I to stand upon the Antiquity or Gentry of Chaucer when the Roll of Battle Abbey affirmeth Chaucer to have come in with the Conquerour Moreover it is more likely that the Parents of Geffrey Chaucer were mere English and himself an English-man born for else how could he have come to that Perfection in our Language as to be called The first Illuminer of the English Tongue had not both he and his Parents before him been born and bred among us But what their Names were or what Issue they had otherwise than by Conjecture before given we cannot declare Now whether they were Merchants as some will have it for that in Places where they have dwelled the Arms of the Merchants of the Staple have been seen in the glass Windows or whether they were of other Calling it is not much necessary to search but wealthy no doubt they were and of good account in the Commonwealth who brought up their Son in such sort that both he was thought fit for the Court at home and to be employed for matters of State in foreign Countries His Education HIS bringing up as Leland saith was in the University of Oxford as also in Cambridge as appeareth by his own Words in his Book entituled The Court of Love and in Oxford by all likelihood in Canterbury or in Merton Colledge with John Wickliffe whose Opinions in Religion he much affected where besides his private Study he did with great diligence frequent the publick Schools and Disputations Hinc acutus Dialecticus hinc dulcis Rhetor hinc lepidus Poeta hinc gravis Philosophus ac sanctus Theologus evasit Mathematicus insuper ingeniosus erat à Johanne Sombo c. Hereupon saith Leland he became a witty Logician a sweet Rhetorician a pleasant Poet a grave Philosopher and a holy Divine Moreover he was a very skilful Mathematician instructed therein by John Some and Nicholas Lynne Friars Carmelites of Lynne and men very skilful in the Mathematicks whom he in his Book called The Astrolaby doth greatly commend and calleth them Reverend Clerks By his Travel also in France and Flanders where he spent much time in his young Years but more in the latter end of the Reign of King Rich. 2. he attained to great Perfection in all kind of Learning for so do Bale and Leland also report Circa postremos Richardi secundi annos in Galliis floruit magnamque illic ex assidua in literis exercitatione gloriam sibi comparavit Domum reversus forum Londinense Collegia Leguleiorum qui ibidem patria jura interpretantur frequentavit c. About the latter end of King Richard the Second's Days he flourished in France and got himself great Commendation there by his diligent Exercise in Learning After his Return home he frequented the Court at London and the Colledges of the Lawyers which there interpret the Laws of the Land and among them he had a familiar Friend
'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
the Loadsterre Afterward in the same place do follow fourscore and three Verses in the Commendation of Chaucer and the Books that he made particularly named In a Book of Master Stow's but I know not who was the Author I find these Verses O fathers and founders of enornat eloquence That elumined have our great Britaine To soon we have lost our lauriat Science O lusty licour of that fulsome Fountain O cursed Death why hast thou those Poets slain I mean Gower Chaucer and Gaufride Alas the time that ever they fro us dide John Lidgate again in a Book which he writeth of the Birth of the Virgin Mary hath these Verses And eke Maister Chaucer now is in graue The notable Rhetore Poet of Britaine That worthy was the laurell to haue Of poetry and the palme attain That made first to distil and rain The gold dew drops of speech and eloquence Into our Tongue through his excellence And found the floures first of Rhetoricke Our rude Speech only to enlumine That in our Tongue was never none him like For as the sunne doth in heaven shine In midday spere down to us by line In whose presence no sterre may appear Right so his ditties withouten any peare Every making with his light dislaine In soothfastnesse who so taketh heed Wherefore no wonder though my hert plain Vpon his death and for sorrow bleed For want of him now in my great need That should alas convay and eke direct And with his support amend and correct The wrong traces of my rude Pen There as I erre and go not line right But that for he ne may me not kenne I can no more but with all my might With all mine heart and mine inward sight Prayeth for him that now lieth in chest To God aboue to giue his Soul good rest The excellent and learned Scottish Poet Gawyne Dowglas Bishop of Dunkeld in the Preface of Virgil's Eneados turned into Scottish Verse doth thus speak of Chaucer Venerable Chaucer principal Poet without pere Heauenly Trumpet Orloge and Regulere In eloquence baulme conduct and Dyal Milky fountein clear strand and rose ryal Of fresh endite through Alvione Island brayed In his Legend of notable ladies sayed c. About Caxton's Time Stephanus Surigonius Poet Laureat of Millain did write this Epitaph upon Geffrey Chaucer in Latin Epitaphium Galfridi Chaucer per Poetam laureatum Stephanum Surigonum Mediolanensem in decretis licentiatum PYerides musae si possint numina fletus Fundere divinas atque rigare genas Galfridi vatis Chaucer crudelia fata Plangite sit lachrimis abstinuisse nephas Vos coluit vivens at vos celebrate sepultum Reddatur merito gratia digna viro Grande decus vobis est docti musa Maronis Qua didicit melius lingua latina loqui Grande novumque decus Chaucer famamque paravit Heu quantum fuerat prisca Britanna rudis Reddidit insignem maternis versibus ut jam Aurea splendescat ferrea facta prius Hunc latuisse virum nil si tot opuscula vertes Dixeris egregiis quae decorata modis Socratis ingenium vel fontes Philosophiae Quicquid arcani dogmata sacra ferunt Et quascumque velis tenuit dignissimus artes Hic vates parvo conditus hoc tumulo Ah laudis quantum praeclara Britannia perdis Dum rapuit tantum mors odiosa virum Crudeles Parcae crudelia filia sororum Non tamen extincto corpore fama perit Vivet in aeternum vivent dum scripta poetae Vivent aeterno tot monumenta die Si qua bonos tangit pietas si carmine dignus Carmina qui cecinit tot cumulata modis Haec sibi Marmoreo scribantur verba sepulchro Haec maneat landis sarcina summa suae Galfridus Chaucer vates fama poesis Maternae haec sacra sum timulatus humo Post obitum Caxton voluit te vivere cura Guillelnii Chaucer clare poeta tui Nam tua non solum compressit opuscula formis Has quoque sed landes jussit hic esse tuas And as for men of later time Mr. William Thynn that learned Gentleman and painful Collector of Chaucer's Works in his Epistle Dedicatory to the King's Majesty hath duely set forth the commendable Qualities of this Poet whose Judgment we are the rather to approve for that he had farther insight into him than many others of whom John Bale in his Book De Scriptoribus Britan. Centur. 12. hath some 60 Years past delivered this Guilhelmus Thynn praeclari generis homo ab ineunte aetate in literis educatus multo labore sedulitate cura usus in perquirendis vetustis exemplaribus Chauceri opera restituit atque in unum collegit volumen quod Henrico octavo Anglorum regi dedicavit Since whose time two of the purest and best Writers of our days the one for Prose the other for Verse Mr. Ascham and Mr. Spenser have delivered most worthy Testimonies of their approving of Chaucer Mr. Ascham in one Place calleth him English Homer and makes no doubt to say that he valueth his Authority of as high Estimation as ever he did either Sophocles or Euripides in Greek And in another place where he declareth his Opinion of English versifying he useth these Words Chaucer and Petrark those two worthy Wits deserve just Praise And last of all in his Discourse of Germany he putteth him nothing behind either Thucidides or Homer for his lively descriptions of site of Places and nature of Persons both in outward shape of Body and inward disposition of Mind adding this withal That not the proudest that hath written in any Tongue whatsoever in these Points can carry away the Praise from him Mr. Spenser in his first Eglogue of his Shepherds Kalendar calleth him Tityrus the God of Shepherds comparing him to the Worthiness of the Roman Tityrus Virgil. In his Fairy Queen in his Discourse of Friendship as thinking himself most worthy to be Chaucer's Friend for his like natural Disposition that Chaucer had the sheweth that none that lived with him nor none that came after him durst presume to revive Chaucer's lost Labours in that imperfect Tale of the Squire but only himself which he had not done had he not felt as he saith the Infusion of Chaucer's own sweet Spirit surviving within him And a little before he termeth him Most renowned and Heroical Poet and his Writings The Works of Heavenly Wit concluding his Commendation in this manner Dan Chaucer Well of English undefiled On Fame's eternal Beadrole worthy to be filed I follow here the footing of thy Feet That with thy meaning so I may the rather meet And once again I must remember Mr. Camden's Authority who as it were reaching one hand to Mr. Ascham and the other to Mr. Spenser and so drawing them together uttereth of him these Words De Homero nostro Anglico illud vere asseram quod de Homero eruditus ille Italus dixit Hic ille est cujus de gurgite sacro
Combibit arcanos vatum omnis turba furores And that we may conclude his Praises with the Testimony of the worthiest Gentleman that the Court hath afforded in many Years Sir Philip Sidney in his Apology for Poetry saith thus of him Chaucer undoubtedly did excellently in his Troilus and Creiseid of whom truly I know not whether to marvel more either that he in that misty time could see so clearly or that we in this clear Age walk so stumblingly after him Seeing therefore that both old and new Writers have carried this reverend Conceit of our Poet and openly declared the same by Writing let us conclude with Horace in the eighth Ode of his fourth Book Dignum laude virum musa vetat mori ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER HAving for some Years last past been greatly sollicited by many Learned and Worthy Gentlemen to Re-print the Works of this Ancient Poet I have now not only to answer their Desire but I hope to their full Satisfaction perform'd the Obligation long since laid upon me and sent Chaucer abroad into the World again in his old dress and under the Protection of his own Merits without any new Preface or Letters Commendatory it being the Opinion of those Learned Persons that his own Works are his best Encomium Whereas in the Life of Chaucer mention is made of a Tale call'd the Pilgrims Tale which is there said to have been seen in the Library of Mr. Stow and promis'd to be printed so soon as opportunity should offer I have for the procuring of it used all Diligence imaginable not only in searching the publick Libraries of both Universities but also all private Libraries that I could have Access unto but having no Success therein I beg you will please to accept my earnest Endeavour to have serv'd you and take what is here printed it being all that at present can be found that was Chaucer's J. H. THE Works of Ieffrey Chaucer With Additions Also the Siege and Destruction of the worthy City of Thebes Compiled by John Lidgate Monk of BVRY Virtue flourisheth in Chaucer still Though Death of him hath wrought his will To the KING's HIGHNESS My most Gracious Soveraign Lord HENRY the Eighth By the Grace of God King of England and of France Defensor of the Faith and Lord of Ireland c. AMongs all other excellencies most Gracious Soveraigne Lord wherewith Almighty God hath endowed mankind above the residue of earthly creatures as an outward declaration of reason or reasonableness wherein consisteth the similitude of Man unto Angels and the difference between the same and brute beasts I verayly suppose that Speech or Language is not to be reputed amongs the smallest or inferiours for thereby is expressed the conceit of one to another in open and plaine Sentence which in the residue of lively creatures lacketh and is not shewed amongs them but by certain covert and derke signes and that in few things having course and operation onely of nature This Speech or Language after the confusion of Tongues sent by Gods punishment for pride and arrogancy of people hath been by a certaine instinct and disposition natural devised and invented in sundry parts of the world as fellowships or companyings of folks one with another chaunced much to the outward expressing of the thing in word or sound according to that whereof it had meaning or signification But in processe of time by diligence or pollicy of people after divers formes figures and impressions in mettall barks of trees and other matter used for memory and knowledge of things then present or passed sundry letters or carectes were first amongs the Phenices devised and found with such knittings and joynings of one to another by a marvellous subtilty and craft as counterveiled was and is equivalent to the same Languages So as the conceit of mans mind which at the beginning was used to be declared by mouth only came to such point that it was as sensibly and vively expressed in writing Hereupon ensued a great occasion courage unto them that should write to compone and adorne the rudeness and barbariety of speech and to forme it to an eloquent and ordinate perfection whereunto many and many great Poets and Orators have highly employed their studies and courages leaving thereby notable Renoume of themselves and example perpetual to their posterity Amongs other the Greeks in all kinds of sciences seemed so to prevail and so to ornate their Tongue as yet by other of right noble Languages cannot be perfitely imitated or followed The Latines by example of the Greeks have gotten or wonne to them no small glory in the forming order and uttering of that Tongue Out of the which two if it be well searched that is to say Greeke and Latin though by corruption of speech it should seeme much otherwise have been derived the residue of the Languages that be written with the letters of carectes of either of them both But of all Speeches those which most approch to the Latin be the Italian and Spanish Tongues of whom the one by corruption of the Gothes and Longobardes had her beginning as Latin spoken by strangers of a barbare understanding the other being also Latin was by Vandales Gothes Moores Sarracenes and other so many times blemished as marveile it is to see now unto what perfection these two formed out of the Latin and Barbares speeches be reduced Next unto them in similitude to the Latin is the French tongue which by diligence of people of the same is in few years passed so amended as well in Pronunciation as in Writing that an Englishman by a small time exercised in that Tongue hath not lacked ground to make a Grammere or rule ordinary thereof Though of trouth which some shall scarcely believe the Germans have so formed the order of their Language that in the same is both as much plenty and as nere concordaunce to the phrase of the Latin as the French Tongue hath And veraily like as all these and the rest have been thus vigilant and studious to meliorate or amend their Languages so hath there not lacked amongs us Englishmen which have right well and notably endeavored and emploied themselves to the beautifying and bettering of the English Tongue Amongs whom most excellent Prince my most redoubted and gracious soveraign lord I your most humble Vassale Subject Servaunt William Thynn chief Clerke of your Kitchin mooved by a certain inclination and zeal which I have to hear of any thing sounding to the laud and honour of this your noble Realm have taken great delectation as the times and leisers might suffer to rede and heare the books of that noble famous Clerke Geffrey Chaucer in whose workes is so manifest comprobation of his excellent learning in all kindes of doctrines and sciences such fruitfulness in words well according to the matter and purpose to sweet pleasaunt sentences such perfection in metre the composition so adapted such freshness of invention compendiousnesse in
his hert By God I had rather than my shert That ye haue herd his legend as haue I. Dame Pertelot I say to you truly Macrobius that writeth the auision In Affrick of the worthy Scipion Affirmeth dremes and sayeth that they been Warning of things that we after seen And furthermore I pray you looketh well In the old Testament of Daniel If he held dreames for vanitee Reade eke of Ioseph and there shall ye see Whether dremes ben sometime but I say not all Warning of things that after shall fall Looke of Egipt the king that hight Pharao His baker and his butteler also Wheder they felt none effect in dremes Who so woll seeke acts of sundry remes May rede of dreames many a wonder thing Lo Cresus which that was of Lide king Mette he not that he sat vpon a tree Which signified he should honged bee Lo Andromacha that was Hectors wife That day that Hector should lese his life She dreamed in the same night beforne How the life of Hector should be lorne If that day he went vnto battaile She warned him but it might not auaile He went for to fight neuerthelesse But he was slaine anone of Achilles But that tale is all too long to tell And eke it is nigh day I may not dwell Shortely I say as for conclusion That I shall haue of this auision Aduersity and I say furthermore That I ne tell of laratiues no store For they ben venomous I wot it wele I hem defie I loue hem neuer adele But let vs speke of mirth stint all this Madame Perrelot so haue I blis Of one thing God hath me sent large grace For when I see the beautie of your face Ye ben so scarlet red about your eyen It maketh all my dread for to dien * For all so siker as In principio Mulier est hominis confusio Madame the sentence of this latine is Woman is mans joy and his blis For when I fele on night your soft side Albeit that I may not on you ride For that our perch is made so narrow alas I am so full of joy and of solas That I defie both sweuen and dreme And with that word he flew doun fro the beme For it was day and eke the hennes all And with a chucke he gan hem for to call For he had found a corne lay in the yerd Royall he was and no more aferd He feddred Pertelot twenty time And trode her eke as oft ere it was prime He looketh as it were a grim lioun And on his toes he romed vp and doun Him deigned not set his feet to the ground He chucked when he had a corne yfound And to him then ran his wiues all As royall as a prince in his hall Leaue I this chaunteclere in his posture And after woll I tell of his aduenture When yâ— month in which the world began that hight March in which God first made man Was complete and passed were also Sith March began thirtie dayes and two Befell that Chaunteclere in all his pride His seven wiues walking him beside Cast vp his eyen to the bright sunne That in the signe of Taurus was irunne Twenty degrees and one somewhat more He knew by kind and by none other lore that it was prime crew with a blisfull steuen The sunne he said is clombe vp to heuen Forty degrees one somewhat more iwis Madame Pertelot my worlds blis Herken how these blisfull birds sing And see the fresh floures how they gan spring Full is mine heart of reueli and sollas But suddainely him fell a sorrowfull caas * For euer the latter end of joy is wo God wote worldly joy is soone ago And if a rethore coud faire endite He in a chronicle might safely write As for a soueraine notabilite Now euery wise man herken to me This story is all so true I vndertake As is the booke of Launcelot du lake That women holden in full great reuerence Now woll I turne ayen to my sentence A col foxe full of sleight and iniquitee That in the groue had wonned yeares three By high imagination aforne cast The same night through the hedge brast Into the yerd there Chaunteclere the faire Was wont and eke his wiues to repaire And in a bed of wortes still he lay Till it was passed vndren of the day Waiting his time on Chaunteclere to fall As gladly done these homicides all That in await lie to murder men O false murder rucking in thy den O new Scariot and new Gauilion O false dissimuler O Greeke Sinon That broughtest Troy vtterly to sorrow O Chaunteclere accursed be the morrow That thou in thy yerd flew from the bemes Thou were full well warned by thy dremes That ilke day was perillous to thee But what that God afore wote must needs bee After the opinion of certaine clerkis Witnesse of him that any clerk is That in schole is great altercation In this matter and great disputation And hath been of an hundred thousand men But I ne cannot boult it to the bren As can the holy doctour saint Austin Or Boece or the bishop Bradwardin Whether that Gods worthy foreweting Straineth me needly to doe a thing Needly clepe I simple necessite Or if the free choice be graunted me To do the same thing or do it nought Though God forewot it or it was wrought Or of his weting streineth neuer a dele But by necessitie condicionele I woll not haue to done of such matere My tale is of a cocke as ye shall here That took his counsaile of his wife with sorrow To walke in the yerd vpon the morrow That he had met the dreme as I you told * Womens counsailes been often full cold Womens counsaile brought vs first to wo And made Adam fro paradice to go There as he was full merry well at ease But for I not whom I might displease If I counsaile of women would blame Passe ouer I said it in my game Redeth authors where they trete of such mattere And what they say of women ye mow here These ben the Cockes words and not mine I can of women no harme deuine Faire in the sond to bath her merely Lieth Pertelot and all her susters by Ayenst the sunne and Chaunteclere so free Sung merrier than the Mermaid in the see For Phisiologus sayeth vtterly How that they singen well and merely And so befell as he cast his eie Among the wortes on a butterflie He as ware of the foxe that lay full low Nothing then list him for to crow But cried cocke cocke and vp he stert As one that was affraid in his hert For naturally beasts desireth to flee Fro her contrarie if he may it see Tho he neuer erst had seene it with his eie This chaunteclere when he gan him espie He would haue fled but the foxe anone Said gentle sir alas what woll ye done Be ye afraid of me that am your friend Now certes I were
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
his fantasie An other time he should mightely Comfort himselfe and sain it was folie So causelesse soche drede for to drie And eft begin his aspre sorowes new That every man might on his paines rew Who could tell all or fully discrive His wo his plaint his langour and his pine Nat all the men that han or been on live Thou reader mayst thy self full well devine That soche a wo my wit can not define Vnidell for to write it should I swinke When that my wit is werie it to thinke On heaven yet the sterres weren seen Although full pale iwoxen was the Mone And whiten gan the Orisont shene All Eastward as it was wont to done And Phebus with his rosie carte sone Gan after that to dresse him vp to fare When Troilus sent after Pandare This Pandare that of all the day beforne Ne might him comen this Troilus to se Although he on his hedde it had sworne For with the king Priam alday was he So that it lay nat in his liberte No where to gon but on the morow he went To Troilus when that he for him sent For in his hart he could well devine That Troilus al night for sorow woke And that he would tell him of his pine This knew he well inough without boke For which to chamber streight the way he toke And Troilus tho soberly he grette And on the bedde full sone he gan him sette My Pandarus qd Troilus the sorow Which that I drie I may not long endure I trowe I shall not liven till to morow For which I would alwaies on aventure To thee devisen of my sepoulture The forme and of my movable thou dispoen Right as thee semeth best is for to doen. But of the fire and flambe funerall In which my body brennen shall to glede And of the feast and plaies palestrall At my vigile I pray thee take good hede That that be well and offer Mars my stede My sword mine helme leve brother dere My shelde to Pallas yeve that shineth clere The poudre in which min hart ibrend shal turn That pray I thee thou take and it conserve In a vessell that men clepeth an vrne Of Gold and to my lady that I serve For love of whom thus pitously I sterve So yeve it her and doe me this pleasaunce To praien her to kepe it for a remembraunce For well I fele by my maladie And by my dreames now and yore ago All certainly that I mote nedes die The oule eke which that hight Ascaphilo Hath after me shright all these nights two And God Mercurie now of me wofull wretch The soule guide and when thee list it fetch Pandare answerde and saied Troilus My dere frende as I have told thee yore That it is follie for to sorowen thus And causelesse for which I can no more But who so woll not trowen rede ne lore I can not seen in him no remedie But let him worchen with his fantasie But Troilus I pray thee tell me now If that thou trowe er this that any wight Hath loved paramours as well as thou Ye God wot fro many a worthy knight Hath his Ladie gon a fourtenight And he nat yet made halvendele the fare What nede is the to maken all this care Sens day by day thou maist thy selven see That from his love or els from his wife A man mote twinnen of necessitie Ye though he love her as his owne life Yet nill he with himself thus maken strife * For well thou wost my leve brother dere That alway frendes may not been ifere How done this folke that seen her loves wedded By frendes might as it betideth full oft And seen hem in her spouses bedde ibedded God wote they take it wisely faire and soft For why good hope halt vp her hert aloft And for they can a time of sorow endure * As time hem hurteth a time doth hem cure So shouldest thou endure and letten slide The time and fonde to been glad and light Ten dayes nis not so long to abide And sens she to comen thee hath behight She nill her hest breaken for no wight For drede thee not that she nill finde way To come ayen my life that durst I lay Thy sweuenes eke and all soch fantasie Drive out and let hem faren to mischaunce For they procede of thy melancolie That doth thee fele in slepe all this penaunce A straw for all sweuenes signifiaunce * God helpe me so I caunt hem not a Bean There wot no man aright with dremes mean For priestes of the temple tellen this That dreames been the reuelacions Of Goddes and al 's well they tel iwis That they been infernalles illusions And Leches saine that of complections Proceden they of fast or glotonie Who wot in sothe thus what they signifie Eke other saine that through impressions As if a wight hath fast a thing in mind That thereof cometh soche avisions And other sain as they in bokes find That after times of the yere by kind Men dreme that theffect goth by the mone But leve no dreme for it is nat to done Wel worth of dreams aie these old wives And truly eke augurie of these foules For feare of which men wenen lese her lives As ravens qualm or schriching of these oules To trowen on it bothe false and foule is Alas alas that so noble a creature As is a man should drede such ordure For which with al mine hart I thee beseche Vnto thy self that all this thou foryeve And rise now vp withouten more speche And let vs cast how forth may best be driven The time and eke how freshly we may liven When she cometh the which shall be right sone God helpe me so the best is thus to done Rise let vs speake of lustie life in Troy That we have lad and forth the time drive And eke of time coming vs rejoy That bringen shall our blisse now so blive And langour of these twise daies five We shall therewith so foryet or oppresse That well vnneth it done shall vs duresse This toune is full of lordes al about And truce lasten all this meane while Go we plaien vs in some lustie rout To Sarpedon not hens but a mile And thus thou shalt the time well beguile And drive it forth vnto that blisfull morow That thou her see that cause is of thy sorow Now rise my dere brother Troilus For certes it non honour is to thee To wepe and in thy bedde to rouken thus For truely of o thing trust to me If thou thus ligge a day two or three The folke woll wene that thou for cowardise Thee fainest sick and that thou darst not rise This Troilus answerde O brother dere This folke know that have isuffred pain That though he wepe make sorowful chere That feeleth harme smart in every vain No wonder is and though I ever plain Or alway wepe I am nothing to blame Sens that I have lost the
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
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
point to point if ye looke it wele And how this Duke without more abode The same day toward Thebes rode Full like in sooth a worthy conquerour And in his coast of cheualry the flour And finally to speaken of this thing With old Creon that was of Thebes king How yâ— he faught slough him like a knight And all his hoast put vnto the flight Yet as some authors make mentioun Or Theseus entred into the toun The women first with pekois with malles With great labour beat downe the walles And in her writing also as they saine Campaneus was in the wals slaine With cast of stones he was so ouerlade For whom Adrastus such a sorrow made That no man may release him of his paine And Iocasta with her doughters twaine Full wilfully oppressed of her cheres To Athenes were sent as prisoners What fell of hem more can I not saine But Theseus mine author write certaine Out of the field ere he from Thebes went He beat it downe and the houses brent The people slough for all her crying loud He made her wals and her toures proud Round about euen vpon a row With the soile to be saied full low That nought was left but the soile bare And to the women in release of her care How that Duke Theseus delivered to the Ladies the Bodies of their Lords The bodies of her Lords that were slaine This worthy Duke restored hath againe But what should I any lenger dwell The old rites by and by to tell Nor the obsequies in order to deuise Nor declare the manner and the guise How the bodies were to ashes brent Nor of the gommes in the flaume spent To make the aire sweeter of reles Of Frankencence Mirre and Aloes Nor how the women round about stood Some with milke and some also with blood And some of hem with vrnes made of gold When the ashes fully were made cold To enclose hem of great affection And beare hem home vnto her region And how that other full deadly of her looke For loue onely of the bones tooke Hem to keepe for a remembraunce That to rehearse euery obseruaunce That was doen in the fires bright The wake plaies during all the night Nor of the wrastling telling point by point Of hem that were naked and annoint How eueriche other lugge can and shake Ne how the women haue her leaue take Of Theseus with full great humblesse Thanking him of his high worthinesse That him list vpon her wo to rew And how that he his freedome to renew With the women of his high largesse Iparted hath eke of his richesse And how this Duke Theseus hem forsooke And to Athenes the right way tooke With Laurer crowned in signe of victory And the palme of conquest and of glory Did his honour duly vnto Marte And how the women wept when they parte How King Adrastus with the Ladies repaired home ayen to Arge With King Adrastus home ayein to Arge To tellen all it were too great a charge And eke also as ye shall vnderstand At ginning I tooke no more on hand By my promise in conclusion But to rehearse the destruction Of mighty Thebes and no more And thus Adrastus with his lockes hore Still abode in Arge his citee Vnto his end ye get no more of me Sauf as mine authour liketh to compile After that he liued but a while For he was old ere the siege began And thought and sorrow so vpon him ran The which in sooth shorted hath his daies And time set Death maketh no delaies And all his joy passed was and gone For of his lords aliue was not one But slaine at Thebes ye known all the caas And when this King in Arge buried was Full royally with great solemnitee It was accounted in bookes ye may see Four hundred year tofore the foundation of Rome was the City of Thebes destroyed CCCC yeare as made is mention Tofore the building and foundation Of great Rome so royal and so large When the Ladies departed from Arge To her countries full trist and desolate Lo here the fine of conteke and debate Lo here the might of Mars yâ— froward sterre Lo what it is to beginne a werre How it concludeth ensample ye may see First of yâ— Grekes sith of the Thebans cite For eyther part hath matter to complaine And in her strife ye may see things twaine How all the worthy Blood of Greece destroyed was at siege and the City brought to nought to final loss of both parties The worthy blood of all Greece spilt And Thebes eke of Amphion first built Without recure brought to ruine And with the soile made plaine as any line To wildernesse tourned and deserte And Grekes eke fall into pouerte Both of her men and also of her good For finally all the gentill blood Was shed out there her wounds wer so wide To losse finall vnto either side For in the warre is none exception Of high estate ne low condition But as fate and fortune both in fere List to dispose with her double chere Bellona goddesse is of battaile And Bellona yâ— goddesse in her chare * Aforn prouideth Wherfore euery man beware Vnauised warre to beginne For no man wote who shall lese or winne And hard it is when either part leseth And doubtlesse neither of hem cheseth That they must in all such mortall rage Maugre her lust feelen great damage It may not be by mannes might restreined And warre in sooth was neuer ordeined But for sinfull folkes to chastise And as the Bible truly can deuise How that War first began in Heaven by the high Pride and Surquedy of Lucifer High in heauen of pride and surquedy Lucifer fader of Enuy The old Serpent the Leuiathan Was the first that euer warre began When Michael the heauenly champion With his feres venquished the Dragon And to hell cast him downe full low The which Serpent hath the Coccle sow Through all earth of enuy and debate * That vnneths is there none estate Without strife can liue in charitee For euery man of high and low degree Enuieth now that other should thriue And ground cause why that men so striue Is couetise and false Ambition That eueriche would haue domination Ouer other and trede him vnderfoot Which of all sorrow ginning is and root And Christ recordeth rede looke ye may se For lacke of loue with mischeef there shall be Surget gens contra gentem Luc. xxi For o people as he doth deuise Ayenst another of hate shall arise And after telleth what diuisions There shall be betweene regions Eueriche busie other to oppresse And all such strife as he beareth witnesse Kalends been I take his word to borrow And a ginning of mischeefe and of sorrow Men haue it found by experience But the venim and the violence Of strife of warre of conteke and of debate That maketh londs bare and desolate Shall be proscript and voided out of place And Martes swerdes shall
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