Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	worthy_a	write_v	writer_n	32	3	7.8175	4	false

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

god of thonder Had let me knowen and began to write Like as ye have herd me endite Wherefore to study and rede alway I purpose to do day by day Thus in dreaming and in game Endeth this litell booke of Fame ¶ Here endeth the booke of Fame The Prologue of the Testament of Love MAny men there been that with ere 's openly sprad so moch swalowen the deliciousnesse of iestes and of ryme by queint knitting coloures that of the goodnesse or of the badnesse of the sentence take they litle hede or els none Sothely dull witte and a thoughtful soule so sore haue mined graffed in my spirites that soch craft of enditing woll nat been of my acquaintaunce And for rude wordes boistous percen the hart of the herer to the intest point and planten there the sentence of thinges so that with littel helpe it is able to spring This booke that nothing hath of the great flood of witte ne of semeliche colours is doluen with rude wordes and boistous and so drawe togider to maken the catchers therof ben the more ready to hent sentence Some men there been that painten with colours rich some with vers as with red inke some with coles chalke And yet is there good matter to y● leude people of thilke chalkie purtreyture as hem thinketh for the time and afterward the sight of the better colours yeuen to hem more joye for the first leudnesse So soothly this leude clowdy occupation is not to praise but by the leud for commenly leude leudnesse commendeth Eke it shall yeue sight that other precious things shall be the more in reuerence In Latin and French hath many soueraine wits had great delite to endite and haue many noble things fulfilde but certes there been some that speaken their poisie mater in French of which speche the French men haue as good a fantasie as we haue in hearing of French mens English And many terms there ben in English which unneth we English men connen declare the knowledging How should then a french man borne such termes conne iumpere in his matter but as the Iay chatereth English right so truly the understanding of English men wol not stretch to the priuie termes in Frenche what so euer we bosten of straunge langage Let then Clerks enditen in Latin for they haue the propertie of science and the knowing in that facultie and lette Frenchmen in their French also enditen their queint termes for it is kindely to their mouthes let us shewe our fantasies in such wordes as we learneden of our dames tongue And although this booke be little thanke worthy for the leudnesse in trauaile yet such writings exciten men to thilk things that been necessary for euery man thereby may as by a perpetual mirrour seene the vices or vertues of other in which thing lightly may be conceiued to escheue perils necessaries to catch after as auentures haue fallen to other people or persons * Certes the soueraignst thing of desire and most creature reasonable haue or els should haue full appetite to their perfection unreasonable beasts mowen not sith reason hath in hem no working Then reasonable that woll not is comparisoned to unreasonable and made like hem Forsooth the most soueraigne and finall perfection of man is in knowing of a sooth withouten any entent deceiuable and in loue of one very God that is inchaungeable that is to know and loue his creator Nowe principally the meane to bring in knowledging and louing his creatour is y● consideration of things made by the creatour where through be thilke thynges that beene made understanding here to our wits arne the unseen priueties of God made to us sightfull and knowing in our contemplation and understonding These things then forsooth much bringen us to the full knowledging sooth and to that parfite loue of the maker of heuenly things Lo Dauid faith thou hast delited me in making as who saith to haue delite in the tune how God hath lent me in consideration of thy making Whereof Aristotle in the booke de Animalibus sayth to naturel Philosophers * It is a great liking in loue of knowing their creatour also in knowing of causes in kindely things considered Forsooth the formes of kindely thynges the shape a great kindely loue me should haue to the werkemen that hem made * The crafte of a werkeman is shewed in the werke Herefore truely the Philosophers with a liuely studye many noble things right precious worthie to memorie written and by a great swete and trauaile to us leften of causes the properties in natures of things to which therefore Philosophers it was more joy more lyking more heartie lust in kindely vertues matters of reason the perfection by busie studie to know than to haue had all the treasour all the richesse all the vaine-glory that the passed Emperours Princes or Kings hadden Therfore the names of hem in the booke of perpetuall memorie in vertue and peace arne written and in the contrary that is to sayne in Styxe the foule pitte of hell arne thilke pressed that such goodnesse hated And because this booke shall be of loue and the prime causes of stering in that doing with passions and diseases for wanting of desire I will that this booke be cleaped the Testament of Loue. But now thou Reader who is thilke that will not in scorne laugh to heare a dwarfe or els halfe a man say he wil rend out the swerd of Hercules handes And also hee should set Hercules gades a mile yet ferther and over that hee had power and strength to pull up the speare that Alisander the noble might never wagge And that passing all thing to been mayster of Fraunce by might there as the noble gracious Edward the third for all his great prowesse in victories ne might all yet conquere Certes I wote well there shall be made more scorne iape of me that I so unworthely clothed all togither in the cloudie cloude of vnconning will putten me in prees to speke of loue or els of the causes in that matter sithen all the greatest clerkes han had ynough to done and as who laith gathered up cleane toforne hem and with their sharpe sithes of conning all mowen and made there of great rekes and noble full of all plenties to feed me and many another * Enuy forsooth commendeth nought his reason that he hath in haine be it neuer so trustie And although these noble reapers as good workmen worthy their hire han all draw and bound vp in y● sheues and made many shockes yet haue I ensample to gader the small crums and fullin my wallet of tho that fallen from the bourde among the small hounds notwithstanding the trauaile of the almoigner that hath drawe vp in y● cloth all the remissailes as trenchours and the releefe to beare to the almesse Yet also haue I leaue of that noble husband Boece although I be a stranger of conning to come

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

angry wife doun in an hous They ben so wicked and so contrarious They haten that their husbonds louen aie * He saied a woman cast her shame awaie When she cast off her smock and farther mo A faire woman but she be chast also Is like a gold ring on a Sowes nose Who coud wen● or who coud suppose The wo that in miue hart was and pine And when I saw he would neuer fine To reden on this cursed booke all night All suddainly three leaues haue I plight Out of his booke right as he radde and eke I with my fist so tooke him on the cheke That in the fire he fell backward adoun And vp he stert as doth a wood Lioun And with his fist he smote me on mine head That in the floore I lay as I were dead And when he seie how still that I lay He was agast and would haue fled away Till at the last out of my swoun I braied Oh hast thou slaine me false theefe I saied For my lond thus hast thou murdred mee Et I be dead yet woll I once kisse thee And neere he came and kneeled faire adoun And saied deere suster sweet Alisoun As helpe me God I shall thee neuer smite That I haue doen it is thy selfe to wite Foryeue it me and that I thee beseke And yet eftsoones I hit him on the cheke And saied theefe thus much am I bewreke Now woll I die I may no longer speke But at the last with mokell care and wo We fell accorded within out selues two He yafe me all the bridle in mine hond To haue the gouernaunce of hous and lond And of his tongue and of his hond also And I made hem bren his booke anon tho And when I had gotten vnto me By maistrie all the soueraignte And that he saied mine owne true wife Do as thou list the tear me of all thy life Keepe thine honour and eke mine estate After that day we had neuer debate God helpe me so I was to him as kinde As any wife fro Denmarke vnto Inde And also true and so was he to me I pray to God that sit in Majestie So blisse his soule for his mercy deare Now woll I say my tale if ye woll heare The Frere lough when he had heard all this Now dame qd he so haue I joy or blis This is a long preamble of a tale And when the Sompner herd the frere gale Lo qd this Sompner by Gods armes two A Frere woll entermete him euermo * Lo good men a Flie and eke a Frere Woll fall in euery dish and eke matere What speakest thou of preambulatioun What amble or trot either peace or sit adoun Thou lettest our disport in this mattere Ye wolt thou so sit Sompner qd the Frere Now by my fay I shall ere that I go Tell of a Sompner such a tale or two That all the folke shull laugh in this place Now do els Frere I beshrew thy face Qd. this Sompner and I beshrew mee But if I tell tales two or three Of Freres ere I come to Sitting burne That I shall make thine hart for to murne For well I wot thy patience is gone Our host cried peace and that anone And saied let the woman tell her tale Ye faren as folke that dronken been of ale So dame tell forth your tale and that is best All ready sir qd she right as you lest If I haue licence of this worthy Frere Yes dame tell forth your tale I woll it here A Batcheler of King Arthurs Court is enjoined by the Queen to tell what thing it is that Women most desire At length he is taught it by an old Woman who for that cause is enforced to marry her ¶ The wife of Bathes Tale. IN the old dayes of King Artour Of which the Bretons speaken great honour All was this lond fulfilled of Fairie The Elfe queene with hir iolly companie Daunced full oft in many a greene mead This was the old opinion as I read I speake of many an hundred yeare ago But now can no man see none elfes mo For now the great charity and prayeres Of limitours and other holy Freres That fearchen euery land and euery streame As thicke as motes in the Sunne beame Blissing hals chambers kitchens boures Cities boroughes castles and hie toures Thropes Bernes Shepens and Dairies This maketh that there been no Fairies * For there as wont to walke was an Elfe There walketh now the limitour himselfe In vndermeles and in mornings And saieth his Mattins and his holy things As he goeth in his limitatioun Women may go safely vp and doun An euery bush and vnder euery tree There nis none other incubus but hee And he ne will doen hem no dishonour And so fell it that this king Artour Had in his house a lustie batcheler That on a day came riding fro the riuer And happed that alone as he was borne He saw a maid walking him beforne Of which maid anon maugre her head By very force he beraft her maidenhead For which oppression was such clamour And such pursute vnto king Artour That damned was this knight to be dead By course of law should haue lost his head Perauenture such was the statute tho But that the Queene and other ladies mo Sa long praiden the king of his grace Till he his life graunted in that place And yaue him to the queene all at her will To chese where that she would him saue or spill The queen thanketh the king with al hir might And after this thus spake she to the knight When she sey her time on a certaine day Thou standeth yet qd she in such array That of thy life yet hast thou no surete A graunt thee thy life if thou canst tell me What thing is it that women most desiren Beware and keepe thy necke bone from yren And if thou canst not tell it me anon Yet woll I yeue thee leaue for to gon A tweluemonth and a day to seeke and lere An answere sufficient in this matere And suertie woll I haue ere that thou passe Thy body for to yelde in this place Wo was the knight and sorrowfully liketh But what he may not done all as him liketh And at last he chese him for to wend And come ayen right at the yeares end With such answer as God wold him puruay And taketh his leue wendeth forth his way He seeketh euery house and euery place Where as he hopeth for to find grace To learne what thing women louen most But he ne couth arriuen in no coost Where as he might find in this matere Two creatures according yfere Some said women loued best richesse Some said honour some said jollinesse Some said rich array some said lust a bed And oft time to been widdow and wed Some said that our heart is most yeased When that we been flatered and ypraised He goeth full me the sooth I woll not lie * A man shall

mokell werking vertues enpight as me seemeth in none other creature that euer saw I with mine eyen My disciple qd she me wondereth of thy words and on thee that for a little disease hast foryetten my name Wost thou not well that I am Loue that first thee brought to thy seruice O good Lady qd I is this worship to thee or to thyne excellence for to come into so foule a place Parde sometime tho I was in prosperitie and with forraine goods enuolued I had mokell to doen to drawe thee to mine hostell and yet many wernings thou madest ere thou lift fully to graunt thine home to make at my dwelling place and now thou commest goodly by thine owne vise to comfort me with wordes and so there through I ginne remember on passed gladnesse Truly lady I ne wote whether I shall say welcome or none sithen thy comming woll as much do mee tene and sorrow as gladnesse and mirth see why For that me comforteth to thinke on passed gladnesse that me anoyeth eft to be in doing thus thy comming both gladdeth and teneth and that is cause of much sorrow lo lady howe then I am comforted by your comming and with that I gan in tears is distill and tenderly weepe Now certes qd Loue I see well and that me overthinketh that wit in thee fayleth and art in point to dote Truly qd I that have ye maked and that ever will I rue Wotest thou not wel qd she that every sheepheard ought by reason to seeke his sperkeland sheepe that arne ron into wildernesse among bushes and perils and hem to their pasture ayen bryng and take of hem privie busie cure and keepping And tho the unconning Sheep scattered would been lost renning to wildernesse and to deserts draw or els woulden put himself to the swallowing Wolfe yet shall the shepheard by businesse and trauaile so put him forth that he shall not let him be lost by no way * A good sheepheard putteth rather his life to be lost for his sheepe But for thou shalt not wene me being of werse condicion truly for everiche of my folk and for all tho that to me ward be knit in any condicion I woll rather die than suffer hem through errour to been spilt For me list and it me liketh of all mine a Shepheardesse to be cleaped Wost thou not well I failed never wight but he me refused and would negligently go with unkindnesse And yet parde have I many such holpe and releved and they have oft me beguiled but ever at the end it discended in their own necks Hast thou not radde how kind I was to Paris Priamus son of Troy How Iason me falsed for all his fals behest How Sesars sonke I left it for no tene till he was troned in my blisse for his service What qd she most of all maked I not a love day betweene God and mankinde and chese a maid to be nompere to put the quarell at end Lo how I have travailed to haue thanke on all sides and yet list me not to rest and I might find on whom I should werche But truly mine own disciple because I have thee found at all assayes in thy will to be ready mine hestes to have followed and hast ben true to that Margarite Pearle that ones I thee shewed and she alway ayenward hath made but daungerous chear I am come in proper persone to put thee out of errours and make thee glad by wayes of reason so that sorrow ne disease shall no more hereafter thee amaistrie Wherethrough I hope thou shalt lightly come to the grace that thou long hast desired of thilke Iewel Hast thou not heard many ensamples how I have comforted and releeved the schollers of my lore Who hath worthied Kings in the field Who hath honoured Ladies in houre by a perpetuall mirror of their truth in my service Who hath caused worthy folke to void vice and shame Who hath hold cities and realms in prosperity If thee lift cleape ayen thine olde remembraunce thou coudest every poynt of this declare in especiall and say that I thy maistres have be cause causing these things and many mo other Now iwis madame qd I all these thyngs I know well my selfe and that thyne excellence passeth the understanding of us beasts and that no mannes wit yearthly may comprehend thy vertues Well then qd she for I see thee in disease and sorrow I wote well thou art one of mine nories I may not suffer thee so to make sorrow thine owne selfe to shend but I my self come to be thy fere thine heavy charge to make to seem the lesse for wo is him that is alone * And to the sorry to been moned by a sorrowful wight it is great gladnesse Right so with my sick friendes I am sick and with sorry I cannot els but sorrow make till when I have hem releeved in such wise that gladnesse in a maner of counterpaising shall restore as mokell in joy as the passed heavinesse beforn did in tene And also qd she when any of my servaunts been alone in solitary place I have yet ever busied me to be with hem in comfort of their hearts and taught hem to make songs of plaint and of blisse and to enditen letters of Rhethorike in queint understandings and to bethinke hem in what wise they might best their Ladies in good service please and also to learn maner in countenaunce in words and in bearing and to ben meek and lowly to every wight his name and fame to encrease and to yeue great yefts and large that his renome may springen but thee thereof have I excused for thy losse and great costages wherethrough thou art needy arne nothing to me unknowen but I hope to God somtime it shall been amended as thus as I saied In norture have I taught all mine and in courtesie made hem expert their Ladies hearts to winne and if any would endeynous or proud or be envious or of wretches acquaintaunce hasteliche have such voided out of my schoole for all vices truly I hate vertues and worthinesse in all my power I auaunce Ah worthy creature qd I and by juste cause the name of goddesse dignely ye mowe beat in thee lithe the grace through which any creature in this worlde hath any goodnesse truly all manner of blisse and preciousnesse in vertue out of thee springen and wellen as brookes and rivers procceden from their springs and like as all waters by kind drawen to the sea so all kindly thinges threst●● by full appetite of desire to drawe after thy steppes and to thy presence approch as to their kindely perfection howe dare then beasts in this world aught forfete ayenst thy Divine purueighaunce Also lady ye knowen all the privy thoughtes in heartes no counsayle may been hidde from your knowynge Wherefore I wate well Lady that ye knowe your selfe that I in my conscience am and have been willyng to your service all coud I never doe as I

delite or els were he lost both in pack in clothes is this fair nay God wot I may nat tel by thousand parts y● wrongs in trechery of soch false people for make they neuer so good a bond all set ye at a mite when your hert tourneth and they that wenen for sorrow of you dey y● pite of your false hert is flow out of town * Alas therefore y● euer any woman wold take any wight in her grace till she know at y● full on whom she might at all assays trust Women con no more craft in queint knowing to vnderstand y● false disceiuable conjectments of mans beguilings Lo how it fareth though ye men gronen crien certes it is but disceit y● preueth well by thends in your werking How many women haue been lorn and with shame foul shent by long lasting time which thorow mens gile haue been disceiued euer their fame shall dure their deeds rad and song in many londs that they han done recoueren shall they neuer but alway been deemed lightly in such plite ayen should they fall of which slanders tenes ye false men wicked been the very causes on you by right ought these shames and these reproues all holy discend Thus arn ye all nigh vntrew for all your fair speche your hert is ful fickel What cause han ye women to dispise better fruit than they been ne sweter spices to your behoue mow ye not find as far as worldly bodies stretchen Loke to their forming at the making of their persons by God in joy of Paradice for goodnesse of mans propre body were they maked after the saws of the Bible rehearsing Gods words in this wise It is good to mankind that we make to him an helper Lo in paradise for your help was this tree graffed out of which all linage of man discendeth if a man be noble fruit of noble fruit it is sprongen the blisse of Paradise to mens sory herts yet in this tree abideth O noble helps been these trees and gentil jewel to ben worshipped of euery good creature * He that hem anoieth doth his own shame it is a comfortable perl ayenst al tenes Euery company is mirthed by their present being Truly I wist neuer vertue but a woman were therof y● root What is heauen y● worse tho Sarazins on it lien Is your faith vntrue tho renogates maken theron leasings If y● fire doth any wight bren blame his own wit that put himself so far in y● heat Is not fire gentillest most element comfortable amongs all other fire is cheef werker in forthering sustenance to mankind shall fire been blamed for it brend a fool naturally by his own stultie wit in stering Ah wicked fools for your proper mallice and shrewdnesse of your self ye blame and dispise the precious thing of your kind and which things among other most ye desiren Trewly Nero and his children been shrews y● dispisen so their dames The wickednesse and giling of men in disclaundring of thilke that most hath hem gladded pleased were impossible to write or to nempne Neuer the later yet I say he that knoweth a way may it lightly passe eke an hearb proued may safely to smertande sores be laid so I say in him that is proued is nothing soch euils to gesse But these things haue I rehersed to warne you women all at ones that to lightly without good assay ye assenten not to mans speach The Sun in the day light is to knowen from the Moon that shineth in y● night Now to thee thy self qd she as I haue oft said I know well thine hert thou art none of all the tofore nempned people for I know well the continuance of thy seruice y● neuer sithen I set thee a werk might thy Margarite for pleasance freendship ne fairehede of none other be in point moued from thine hert wherefore into mine houshold hastely I woll that thou entre and all the parfite priuite of my werking make it be know in thy vnderstanding as one of my priuy familiers Thou desirest qd she fain to hear of tho things there I left Ye forsooth qd I that were to me a great blisse Now qd she for thou shalt not wene that womans condicions for fair spech such thing belongeth THou shalt qd she vnderstand first among all other things that all the cure of my seruice to me in the parfite blisse in doing is desired in euery mans herte be he neuer so moche a wretche but euery man trauaileth by diuers study and seeke thilke blisse by diuers ways but all the endes are knitte in selinesse of desire in the parfite blisse that is soch joy when men it haue gotten there liueth no thing more to been coueited But how y● desire of soch perfection in my seruice be kindly set in louers herts yet her erronious opinions misturn it by falsenesse of wening And although mens vnderstanding be misturned to know which shoulde beene the way vnto my person and whither it abideth yet wote they there is a loue in euery wight weneth by that thing that he coueiteth most he should come to thilk loue and that is parfite blisse of my seruants but then full blisse may not be and there lack any thing of that blisse in any side Eke it followeth then that he that must haue full blisse lack no blisse in loue on no side Therefore Lady qd I tho thilk blisse I haue desired and sothe to forne this my self by ways of riches of dignite of power and of renome wening me in tho thrages had ben thilk blisse but ayenst the heer it tourneth When I supposed best thilke blisse haue get and come to the full purpose of your seruice sodainly was I hindred and throwen so fer abacke that me thinketh an impossible to come there I left I woll well qd she therefore hast thou failed for thou wentest not by the hie way a littel misgoing in the ginning causeth mikell errour in the end wherefore of thilk blisse thou failedst for hauing of richesse ne none of thother things thou nempnedst mowen not make soch parfite blisse in loue as I shall shew Therefore they be not worthy to thilke blisse and yet somewhat must been cause and way to thilk blisse Ergo there is some soch thing and some way but it is littel in vsage and that is not openly iknow But what felest in thine hert of the seruice in which by me thou art entred wenest aught thy self yet be in the hie way to my blisse I shall so shew it to thee thou shalt not con say the contrary Good Lady qd I altho I suppose it in my hert yet would I hear thine words how ye meanen in this matter qd she that I shall with my good will The ilke blisse desired somedeal ye knowen altho it be not perfitely for kindly entencion leadeth you thereto but in three maner liuings is all such ways shewed Euery wight in this world to haue this

thilke knot but richesse arn kindly naughty bad and needy and the ilke knot is thing kindly good most praised and desired Ergo thing naughty badde and needy in kindly vnderstanding is more worthy than thing kindly good most desired and praised The consequence is false needs the antecedent mote been of the same condition But that richesses been badde naughty and needy that woll I proue wherefore they mowe cause no such thing that is so glorious good * The more richesse thou hast the more need hast thou of help hem to keep Ergo thou needest in richesse which need thou shouldest not haue if thou hem wantest Then must riches been needy that in their hauing maken thee needy to helps in surety thy richesse to keepen wherethrough followeth richesse to been needy Euery thing causing euils is bad and naughty but riches in one causen misease in another they mowen not euenly stretchen all about Whereof commeth plee debate theft begilings but riches to win which things been bad and by richesse arn caused ergo the ilk richesse been badde which badnesse need been knit into riches by a manner of kindly property and euery cause and caused accorden so that it followeth the ilk richesse to haue the same accordaunce with badnesse nede that their cause asketh Also euery thing hath his beeing by his cause then if the cause be destroyed y● being of caused is vanished And so if richesse causen loue and richesse weren destroyed the loue should vanish but the ilke knot and it be true may not vanish for no going of no richesse Ergo richesse is no cause of the knot And many men as I said setten the cause of the knot in richesse the ilke knitten the richesse and nothing the euill the ilke persons what euer they been wenen that richesse is most woorthy to be had and that make they the cause and so wene they thilke riches be better than the persone Commonly suche asken rather after the quantity than after the quality and such wenen as well by hemselfe as by other that conjunction of his life and of his soul is no more precious but in as mikell as he hath of richesse Alas how may he holden such things precious or noble that neither han life ne soul ne ordinaunce of werching limmes such richesse been more woorthy when they been in gathering in departing ginneth his loue of other mennes praysing And auarice gathering maketh be hated and needy to many out helps and when leueth the possession of such goods and they ginne vanish then entereth sorrow and tene in their herts O bad and strait been thilke that at their departing maketh men tenefull and sorry and in the gathering of hem make menne needy Much folk at one 's mowen not togither much therof haue * A good guest gladdeth his host and all his meiny but he is a bad guest that maketh his host needy and to be afeard of his ●uests going Certes qd I me wondereth therefore that the common opinion is thus he is worth no more than that he hath in ca●tell O qd she look thou be not of that opinion for if gold or money or other manner of riches shinen in thy sight whose is that Not thine and tho they haue a little beauty they be nothing in comparison of our kind and therefore ye should not set your woorthinesse in thing lower than your self for the richesse the fairenesse the woorthinesse of thilke goods if there be any such preciousnesse in hem are not thine thou madest hem so neuer from other they come to thee to other they shull from thee wherefore embracest thou other wights goods as tho they were thine Kind hath draw hem by hemself It is sooth the goods of the yearth been ordained in your food and nourishing but if thou wolt hold thee apayed with that sufficeth to thy kind thou shalt not be in danger of no such riches * To kind sufficeth little thing who that taketh heed * And if thou wolt algates with superfluity of riches be athroted thou shalt hastelich be annoyed or els euil at ease And fairnesse of fields ne of habitations ne multitude of meiny may not be rekened as riches that are thine own for if they be bad it is great sclaunder and villany to the occupier and if they be good or fair the matter of the workman that hem made is to praise How should otherwise bounty be counted for thine the ilke goodnesse and fairnesse be proper to tho things hemself then if they be not thine sorrow not when they wend ne glad thee not in pompe and in pride when thou hem hast for their bounty and their beauties cometh out of their own kind and not of thine own person as fair been they in their not hauing as when thou hast hem they be not fair for thou hast hem but thou hast getten hem for the fairnesse of themself And there the valance of men is deemed in riches outforth wenen me to haue no proper good in themself but seech it in strange things Truly the condition of good wening is in thee mistourned to wene your noblenesse be not in your self but in the goods and beauty of other things Parde the beasts that han but feeling souls haue suffisaunce in their own self and ye that been like to God seken encrease of suffisance from so excellent a kind of so low things ye do great wrong to him that you made sords ouer all yearthly things ye put your worthinesse vnder the number of the feet of lower things and foul when ye judge thilke riches to be your worthinesse then put ye your self by estimation vnder thilk foul things and then leue ye the knowing of your self so be ye viler than any domb beast that commeth of shreud vice Right so thilk persons that louen none euill for dear worthinesse of the person but for straunge goods and saith the adornment in the knot lieth in such thing his errour is perillous and shreud and he wrieth much venime with much wealth and that knot may not be good when he hath it getten Certes thus hath riches with flickering light annoied many and often when there is a throw out shrew he cometh all the gold all the precious stones that mowen be founden to haue in his bandon he weneth no wight be worthy to haue such things but he alone How many hast thou know now in late time that in their riches supposed suffisance haue followed and now it is all failed Ye lady qd I that is for misse meddling and other wise gouerned thilk riches than they should Yea qd she tho had not the flood greatly areised throw to hemward both grauell and sand he had made no meddling And right as sea yeueth flood so draweth sea ebbe and pulleth ayen vnder wawe all the first out throw but if good piles of noble gouernance in Loue in well meaning manner been sadly grounded to which

Moone nothing in kind shew their shining as they should For the Sunne made no brenning heat in loue but fresed enuy in mens hearts for feeblenes of shining heat and the Moone was about vnder an old cloud the liuings by waters to destroy Lady qd I it is supposed they had shined as they should Ye qd she but now it is prooued at the full their beauty in kindly shining failed wherefore dignity of himseluen hath no beauty in fairenesse ne driueth not away vices but encreaseth and so be they no cause of the knot Now see in good truth hold ye not such sonnes woorthy of no reuerence and dignities woorthy of no worship that maketh men to do the more harms I not qd I. No qd she and thou see a wise good man for his goodnesse and wisenesse wolt thou not do him worship Thereof he is worthy That is good skill qd I it is due to such both reuerence and worship to haue Then qd she a shrew for his shreudnesse altho he be put forth toforne other for ferde yet is he worthy for shreudnesse to be vnworshipped of reuerence no part is he worthy to haue to contrarious doing belongeth and that is good skill For right as he besmiteth the dignities thilk same thing ayenward him smiteth or els should smite And ouer this thou wost well qd she that fire in euery place heateth where it be and water maketh wet Why For kindly werking is so yput in hem to do such things for euery kindly in werking sheweth his kind But though a wight had been Maior of your city many Winter together come in a strange place there he were not known he should for his dignity haue no reuerence Then neither worship ne reuerence is kindly proper in no dignity sithen they shoulden done their kind in such doing if any were And if reuerence ne worship kindly be not sette in dignities and they more therein been shewed than goodnesse for that in dignity is shewed but it prooueth that goodnesse kindly in hem is not grounded Iwis neither worship ne reuerence ne goodnesse in dignity done none office of kind for they haue none such property in nature of doing but by false opinion of the people Lo how sometime thilk that in your City wern in dignity noble if thou list hem nempne they been now ouertourned both in worship in name and in reuerence wherefore such dignities haue no kindely ●er●hing of worship and of reuerence he that hath no worthynesse on it self Now it riseth and now it vanisheth after the variaunt opinion in false heartes of vnstable people Wherfore if thou desire y● knot of this jewel or els if thou wouldest suppose she should set the knot on thee for such manner of dignity then thou wenest beauty or goodnesse of the ilk somewhat encreaseth the goodnesse or vertue in the body but dignity of hemself ben not good ne yeuen reuerence ne worship by their own kind how should they then yeue to any other a thing that by no way mowe they haue hemself It is seen in dignity of the Emperor and of many mo other that they mowe not of hemselue keep their worship ne their reuerence that in a little while it is now vp and now down by vnstedfast hearts of the people What bounty mow they yeue that with cloud lightly leaueth his shining Certes to the occupier is mokell apeired sithen such doing doth villany to him that may it not maintain wherefore thilk way to the knot is crooked and if any desire to come to the knot he must leaue this way on his left side or els shall he neuer come there AVaileth aught qd she power of might in maintenaunce of woorthy to come to this knot Parde qd I ye for herts ben rauished from such manner things Certes qd she though a fooles hearte is with thing rauished yet therefore is no generall cause of the powers ne of a siker parfite heart to be looked after Was not Nero the most shrew one of thilk that men rede and yet had he power to make Senators Iustices and Princes of many lands Was not that great power Yes certes qd I. Well qd she yet might he not help himself out of disease when he gan fall How many ensamples canst thou remember of kings great and noble and huge power holden and yet they might not keep hemselue from wretchednesse How wretched was king Henry Curtmantill ere he died He had not so much as to couer with his members and yet was he one of the greatest kings of all the Normands offspring and most possession had O a noble thing and clear is power that is not founden mighty to keep himself Now truly a great fool is he that for such thing would set the knot in thine heart Also power of realms is not thilk greatest power amongs the worldly powers reckened And if such powers han wretchednesse in hemself it followeth other powers of feebler condition to been wretched and then that wretchednesse should ben cause of such a knot But euery wight that hath reason wote well that wretchednesse by no way may been cause of none such knot wherefore such power is no cause That powers haue wretchednesse in hemself may right lightly been preued If power lacke on any side on that side is no power but no power is wretchednesse for all be it so y● power of emperors or kings or els of their realms which is the power of the Prince stretchen wide broad yet besides is there mokel folke of which he hath no commandement ne lordship and there as lacketh his power his nonpower entreth where vnder springeth y● maketh hem wretches No power is wretchednesse and nothing els but in this maner hath kings more portion of wretchednesse than of power Truly such powers been vnmighty foreuer they ben in drede how thilke power from lesing may be keeped of sorrow so drede sorrily pricks euer in their herts Little is that power whych careth and feardeth it selfe to maintaine Vnmighty is y● wretchednesse which is entered by y● feardfull wening of the wretch himself and knot ymaked by wretchednesse is betweene wretches wretches all thynge bewaylen wherefore the knotte should be bewayled and there is no such parfite blisse that we supposed at the ginning Ergo power in nothyng should cause such knottes Wretchednesse is a kyndely property in such power as by way of drede which they mowe not eschew ne by no way liue in sikernesse For thou wost well qd she hee is nought mightye that woulde done that hee may not done ne perfourme Therefore qd I these kings and lords that han suffisaunte at the full of men and other things mowen well ben holden nughty their commaundements been done it is neuer more denied Fool qd she or he wot himself mighty or wote it not * For he is nought mighty that is blind of his might wote it not That is footh qd I Then if he wote it he must

they did to the laurer Is for by they haue their laud wholly Their triumph eke and marshall glory Which vnto them is more parfit richesse Than any wight imagine can or gesse For one leafe giuen of that noble tree To any wight that hath done worthily And it be done so as it ought to be Is more honour than any thing earthly Witnesse of Rome that founder was truly Of all knighthood and deeds maruelous Record I take of Titus Liuius And as for her that crowned is in greene It is Flora of these floures goddesse And all that here on her awaiting beene It are such that loued idlenesse And not delite of no businesse But for to hunt hauke and pley in medes And many other such idle dedes And for the great delite and pleasaunce They haue to the Floure and so reuerently They vnto it do such obeisaunce As ye may see now faire Madame qd I If I durst aske what is the cause and why That knights haue the signe of honour Rather by the Leafe than the Flour Soothly doughter qd she this is the trouth For knights euer should be perseuering To seeke honour without feintise or slouth Fro we le to better in all manner thing In signe of which with leaues aye lasting They be rewarded after their degree Whose lusty green May may not appaired be But aie keping their beautie fresh greene For there nis storme that may hem deface Haile nor snow wind nor frosts kene Wherfore they haue this property grace And for the Floure within a little space Woll be lost so simple of nature They be that they no greeuance may endure And euery storme will blow them soone away Ne they last not but for a season That is the cause the very trouth to say That they may not by no way of reason Be put to no such occupation Madame qd I with all mine whole seruise I thanke you now in my most humble wise For now I am acertained throughly Of euery thing I desired to know I am right glad that I haue said soothly Ought to your pleasure if ye will me trow Qd. she ayen but to whom do ye owe Your seruice and which will ye honour Tel me I pray this yere the Leafe or the Flour Madame qd I though I least worthy Vnto the Leafe I owe mine obseruaunce That is qd she right well done certainly And I pray God to honour you auaunce And kepe you fro the wicked remembraunce Of male bouch and all his crueltie And all that good and well conditioned be For here may I no lenger now abide I must follow the great company That ye may see yonder before you ride And forth as I couth most humbly I tooke my leue of her as she gan hie After them as fast as euer she might And I drow homeward for it was nigh night And put all that I had seene in writing Vnder support of them that lust it to rede O little booke thou art so vnconning How darst thou put thy self in prees for drede It is wonder that thou wexest not rede Sith that thou wost full lite who shall behold Thy rude language full boistously vnfold Explicit Chaucers A. B. C. called La Priere de nostre Dame Chaucer's A. B. C. called La Priere de nostre Dame made as some say at the request of Blanch Dutchess of Lancaster as a Prayer for her private use being a Woman in her Religion very devout A ALmighty and all merciable Queene To whom all this world fleeth for succour To haue release of sinne of sorrow of tene Glorious Virgine of all flouris flour To thee I flee confounded in errour Helpe and releeue almighty debonaire Haue mercy of mine perillous langour Venquist me hath my cruell aduersaire B Bounty so fixe hath in my heart his tent That well I wote thou will my succour be Thou canst not warn that with good entent Axith thine helpe thine heart is aye so free Thou art largesse of plaine felicite Hauen and refute of quiete and of rest Lo how that Theuis seuen chasen me Helpe Lady bright or that mine ship to brest C Comfort is none but in you Lady dere For lo mine sinne and mine confusioun which ought not in thine presence for to apere Han taken on me a greeuous actioun Of veray right and disperatioun And as by right they mighten well sustene That I were worthy mine damnatioun Nere mercy of you blisful Quene D Dout is there none Queen of misericord That thou nart cause of grace mercy here God vouchedsafe through thee with vs to accord For certis Christ is blisful modir dere Were now the bow bent in swiche manere As it was first of justice and of ire The rightfull God would of no mercy here But through thee han we grace as we desire E Euer hath mine hope of refute in thee be For here beforne full oft in many a wise Vnto mercy hast thou receiued me But mercy Lady at the great assise When we shall come before the high Iustise So little freut shall then in me ben found That but thou or that day correct me Of very right mine werk will me confound F Flying I flee for succour to thine tent Me for to hide fro tempest full of drede Beseking you that ye you not absent Though I be wick O help yet at this nede All haue I been a beast in wit and dede Yet Lady thou mee close in with thine own grace Thine enemy mine lady take hede Vnto mine death in point is me to chase G Gracious maid modir which that neuer Were bitter nor in earth nor in see But full of sweetnesse and of mercy euer Help that mine fader be not wroth with me Speake thou for I ne dare him not see So haue I done in earth alas the while That certes but if thou mine succour be To sinke eterne he will mine ghost exile H He vouchedefafe tell him as was his will Become a man as for our alliaunce And with his blood he wrote that blisfull bill Vpon the crosse as generall acquetaunce To euery penitent in full criaunce And therefore Lady bright thou for vs prey Then shalt thou stent all his greeuaunce And maken our foe to failen of his prey I I wote well thou wilt been our succour Thou art so full of bounty in certaine For when a soule falleth in errour Thine pity goeth and haleth him againe Then makest thou his peace which his souerain And bringest him out of the crooked strete Who so thee loueth shall not loue in vaine That shall he find as he the life shall lete K Kalenderis enlumined been they That in this world been lighted with thine name And who so goith with thee the right wey Him that not drede in soule to been lame Now Queen of comfort sith thou art the same To whom I seech for my medicine Let not mine fo no more mine woundentame Mine hele into thine hond

slender long and lene With rusty bridle made not for the sale My man toforne with a void male That of Fortune tooke mine Inne anone Where y● pilgrims were lodged euerychone The same time her gouernour the host Stonding in hall full of wind and bost Liche to a man wonder sterne and fers Which spake to me saied anon dan Pers Dan Dominike dan Godfray or Clement Ye be welcome newly into Kent Thogh your bridle haue nother boos ne bell Beseeching you that ye will tell First of your name and what countre Without more shortly that ye be That looke so pale all deuoid of blood Vpon your head a wonder thredbare hood Well arrayed for to ride late I answered my name was Lidgate Monke of Bury nie fifty yeare of age Come to this toune to doe my pilgrimage As I haue hight I haue thereof no shame Dan Iohn qd he well brouke ye your name Thogh ye be sole beeth right glad and light Praying you to soupe with vs this night And ye shall haue made at your deuis A great pudding or a round hagis A franche moile a tanse or a froise To been a Monke slender is your coise Ye haue been sicke I dare mine head assure Or let feed in a faint pasture Lift vp your head be glad take no sorrow And ye should home ride with vs to morrow I say when ye rested haue your fill After supper sleepe will done none ill Wrap well your head clothes round about Strong nottie ale will make you to rout Take a pillow that ye lie not low If need be spare not to blow To hold wind by mine opinion Will engender Colles passion And make men to greuen on her rops When they haue filled her maws her crops But toward night eat some Fennell rede Annis Commin or Coriander sede And like as I power haue and might I charge you rise not at midnight Though it so be the Moone shine clere I will my selfe be your Orlogere To morrow earely when I see my time For we will forth parcell afore prime Accompany parde shall doe you good What looke vp Monke for by Cockes blood Thou shalt be merry who so that say nay For to morrow anone as it is day And that it ginne in the East to daw Thou shalt be bound to a new law At going out of Canterbury toun And lien aside thy professioun Thou shalt not chese nor thy selfe withdraw If any mirth be found in thy maw Like the custome of this company For none so proud that dare me deny Knight nor knaue Chanon Priest ne Nonne To tell a tale plainely as they conne When I assigne and see time oportune And for that we our purpose woll contune We will homeward the same custome vse And thou shalt not plainely thee excuse Be now well ware study well to night But for all this be of heart light Thy wit shall be the sharper and the bet And we anon were to supper set And serued well vnto our pleasance And soone after by good gouernance Vnto bed goeth euery manner wight And toward morrow as soon as it was light Euery pilgrime both bet and wors As bad our host tooke anone his hors When the Sunne rose in the East full clere Fully in purpose to come to dinere Vnto Ospring and breake there our fast And when we werne fro Canterbury past Nought the space of a bowe draught Our host in hast hath my bridle raught And to me saied as it were in game Come forth dan Iohn by your christen name And let vs make some manner mirth or play * Shete your ports a twenty deuill way Is no disport so to patere and say It woll make your lips wonder dray Tell some tale and make thereof a jape For by my Rouncie thou shalt it not escape But preach not of none holinesse Ginne some tale of mirth or of gladnesse And nodde not with thine heauy becke Tell vs some thing that draweth to effect Onely of joy make no lenger let And when I saw it would be no bet I obeyed vnto his bidding So as the law me bound in all thing And as I coud with a pale cheare My tale I gan anone as ye shall heare Finitur Prologus de Thebes Et sequitur quoque pars prima libri Here beginneth the History of the Destruction of the City of THEBES SIrs qd I sith of your courtesie I entred am into your companie And admitted a tale for to tell By him that hath power to compell I meane our host gouernour and guide Of you echone riding here beside Though that my wit barrain be and dull I will rehearse a story wonderfull Touching the siege and destruction Of worthy Thebes the mighty royal toun Built and begonne of old antiquitie Vpon the time of worthy Iosue By diligence of king Amphion Cheefe cause first of his foundation For which his fame which neuer shall away In honour floureth yet vnto this day And in story remembred is and preised But how the wals were on height reised It is wonder and marueile for to here But if you list I shall you platly lere The manner hole platly in sentence Vnder support of your patience As write mine author and Bochas both two Rede her bookes and ye shall find it so How this king this prudent Amphion With his sweetnesse and melodious soun The city built that whylome was so strong By Armonie of his sweet song And vertue onely of the werbles sharpe That he made in Mercuries Harpe Of which the strengs were not touched soft Whereby the wals reised were aloft Without craft of any mans hand Full yore ago midde of Greekes land Which is a thing of Poets told Neuer yseine nother of yong nor old But as Bocchas list to specifie Cleare expouning this darke Poesie Sith Mercury god of eloquence Yafe by the might of heauenly influence Vnto this King at his Nativite Through glad aspects that he should be Most excellent by craft of Rhetorike That in this world was none to him like Which signifieth to hem that ben prudent The Musical the lusty instrument I mean the harpe most melodious Yove to this King by Mercurious And his song this author can you teach Was nothing but the crafty speech Of this King ycalled Amphion Whereby he made the Countries environ To have such lust in his words sweet That were so pleasant favourable meet In her eares that shortly there was none Disobeisaunt with the King to gone Wheresoeuer that him list to assigne His chere his port was eft so benigne That through his stering and exhortatioun With him they went first to build this toun And forsooke ech man his country By one assent to make this city Royall and rich that liche was none And thus the wals made of lime and stone Were reised first by singing of this king Liche as Poetes feine in her writing Passing rich and royall of entaile Here may ye see how much may availe The

king how it is befall The open trouth of his knights all How Tideus hath slaine hem euerychone That saue himselfe there escaped none Which was reserued from sheding of his blood The king to tell plainely how it stood And when he had rehearsed euery poynt Ethiocles stood in such disjoynt How Ethiocles sore was astonied when he heard the death of his Knights Of hatefull ire he wext nigh wood And in his teene and in his fell mood Of cruell mallice to the knight he spake And felly seid that it was for lacke Only of manhode through her cowardise That they were flaine in so mortall wise And hanged be he high by the neck That of your death or of your slaughter reck Or you compleine eyther one or all Of the mischeefe that is you befall I doe no force that none of you astert But sigh vpon your false coward hert That o knight hath through his renoun Brought you all to confusioun Full gracelesse and full vnhappy to Nay qd this knight it is nothing so It is thine vnhap plainly and not ours That so many worthy warriours Which all her life neuer had shame Except this querele taken in thy name That grounded was rooted on falsenesse This was cause in very soothnesse Of our vnhap I wot wele and none other With thine vntrouth done vnto thy brother And that thou were so openly forsworne And percell cause why that we were lorne Was fals breaking of thine assured oth And tho the king mad almost for wroth In purpose was for to slea this knight Onely for he said vnto him right The which alas both at eue and morrow Suppressed was with a deadly sorrow Renning aye in his remembraunce With the pitous and vnhappy chaunce Of the great mischeefe and misauenture Touching the death and discomfiture Of his fieres and of himselfe also That the shamefast importable wo So was on him with such a mortall strife That he was weary of his owne life Hent he hath a swerd and aside stert And roue himself euen to the hert The king himselfe being tho present And the rumour and the noise is went Through Thebes of the wood rage By such as weren joyned by linage To the knights slaine at hill That all at ones of one heart and will They wold haue arisen throughout y● Citie Vpon the king auenged for to be Which of her death was cheefe occasioun But the Barons and Lords of the toun Ful busie were this rumour and disease Of high prudence to stint and appease In quiete euery thing to sette And after that the bodies home they fette Of the knights like as ye haue herd Afore yslaine with the bloody swerd Of Tideus full sharpe whet and ground And in the field so as they hem found Onely of loue and of affectioun Solemnely they brought hem to the toun And like the manere of the rites old They were first brent into ashes cold And each one yburied like to his degre Lo here the kalends of aduersite Sorrow vpon sorrow and destruction First of the king and all the region For lacke onely like as I you told That behests truly were not hold The first ground and root of this ruine As the story clearely shall determine And my tale hereafter shall you lere If that you list the remnaunt for to here Finitur Pars secunda sequitur Pars tertia O Cruell Mars full of Melancoly And of thy kind hote combust and dry As the sparkles shewen from so ferre By the streames of the red sterre In thy Sphere as it about goth What was cause that thou were so wroth W th hem of Thebes throgh whos feruent ire The City brent and was set on fire As bookes old well rehearse conne Of cruell hate rooted and begonne And engendred the story maketh mind Onely of blood corrupt and vnkind By infection called originall Causing a strife dredefull and mortall Of which the mischeef through al Grece ran And King Adrastus alderfirst began Which hath him cast a conquest for to make Vpon Thebes for Polimites sake In knightly wise there to preue his might Of full entent to recure his right And first of all he sette a Parlement And hath his letters and messengers sent Through Greece to many sundry Kings Hem to enhast and make no lettings And round about as made is mention He sent also to many a region For Princes Dukes Earles and Barons To taken vp in cities and in tounes And to chesen out the most likeliest And such as weren preued for the best As of manhood and send hem vp ech one And in her hond receiue her pay anone With Adrastus to Thebes for to ride And tho lords that with him abide The great purveyaunce of King Adrastus toward the City of Thebes In houshold still haue her leaue take To riden home her retourne to make In her countries as they were of degre To sustene hem to take vp meine And to make hem strong with knights and squeres With speres bows and arbalasteres In all the hast possible that they may And to returne in her best array At tearme set full manly to be seine Toforne Arge moustren in a pleine The Kings and Princes that come to Adrastus And as I rede full worthy of degre Thider come first Prothonolope The which was by record of writing Of Archade sonne vnto the king And full prudent found in warre and pees There came also the king Gilmichenes As I find full famous of renoun Thider come eke the king Ipomedoun And passing all of knighthood and of name And excelling by worthinesse of fame The noble king called Campaneus Came eke to Arge the story telleth thus Proued full wele and had riden fer And thider come the king Meleager King Genor eke that held his royall see Mine author saith in the lond of Greece King Locris and king Pirrus And eke the king called Tortolonus And renouned in many a region There come the king called Palenon Oft assayed and found a manly knight That with him broght in stele armed bright Full many worthy out of his countre And Tideus most knightly for to see That noble man that worthy werriour As he that was of worthinesse the flour Master and Mirrour by prowes of his hond Hath sent also into the mighty lond Of Calcedoine of which he was heire That is his kingdome both rich and feire Charging his counsaile and officers also In all the hast that it may be do To seeken out the best werriours Of famous knights and proued souldeours Through al the lond leid on hem this charge Without abode for to come to Arge And they obey full lowly his bidding Enhasting hem and made no letting But sped hem fast vpon her journy And from Thebes the mighty strong city Came doun knights w th many another man Maugre the king to helpe what they can Considred first his falshood and treason Ymeued onely of trouth and of reason Polimites as they were

as they issue out Lay many one slaine in the rout On either part of fortune as they mette Her mortall swerds were so sharpe whette And Tideus emong hem of the toun From day to day plaieth the Lion So cruelly where so that he rode That Theban non aforne his face abode He made of hem through his high renoun So great slaughter and occisioun That as the death from his swerd they fled For who came next laid his life to wedde He quit himself so like a manly knight That where he went he put hem to the flight And maugre hem in his crueltee He droue hem home into her citee Hem pursuing proudly to the gate That vnto him they beare so dedly hate That they hem cast by sleight or some engine To bring him vnwarely vnto his fine And lay awaite for him day and night But alas this noble manly knight How pitiously this worthy Tideus was slain with a quarrel Vpon a day as he gan hem chace And mortally made hem lese her place And sued hem almost to the toun That cause was of his destructioun For one alas that on the walles stood Which all that day vpon him abode With a quarel sharpe heded for his sake Marked him with a bow of brake So cruelly making none a rest Till it was passed both backe and brest Wher through alas ther was none other rede Ne Lechcraft that he mote be dede There may thereof be maked no delaies And yet he was holden in his dayes The best knight and most manly man As mine aucthour well rehearse can But for all that was there no defence Ayenst the stroke of deaths violence But Bocchas write ere he were fully dedde He was by Greekes presented with the hedde Of him that yaue his last fatall wound And he was called like as it is found Menalippus I can none other tell But thilke day Thebans waxe so fell Vpon Greekes that vnder her citee The manly king Parthonope Yslaine was euene afore the gates And there also armed bright in plates The famous king called Ipomedon The same day as made is mencion On horsebacke manly as he faught At bridge euen vpon the draught Beset with preace casuelly was drouned And thus fortune hath on Greekes frowned On euery side thilke vnhappy day But all the manere tellen I ne may Of her fighting nor her slaughter in soth More to declare than mine aucthour doth But thilke day I find as ye may sene When Phebus was passed Meridene And from y● South Westward can him draw His guilt tresses to bathen in the wawe The Thebanking fell Ethiocles Roote and vnrest and causer of vnpees The slaughter of Grekes when y● he beheld Armed in stele he came out into the feld Full desirous in that sodain heate Polimite in the field to mete Singulerly with him to haue a do For in this world he hated no man so He sat so nigh printed in his herte Whose coming out his brother gan aduerte Vpon his steed in the opposite And had againward also great delite To meten him if fortune will assent Thenuious fire so her herts brent Which hate was cancred of vnkind blood And like two Tigres in her rage wood With speres sharp ground for the nones So as they ran and met both at ones Polimite through plate maile and shield Rofe him throghout smote him into y● field But when he saw the stremes of his blood Raile about in manere of a flood All sodainly of compassioun From his coursour he light adoune How each of the Theban Brethren slough other even tofore the Citee And brotherly with a pitous face To saue his life gan him to vnbrace And from his wound of new affection Full besie was to pull out the trunchon Of loue onely handling him right soft But out alas while he lay aloft Full iriously Ethiocles the fell Of all this sorow very cours and well With a dagger in all his peines smart His brother rofe vnwarely to the hart Which all her life had be so wroth And thus the Thebans were islaw both At entree euen afore the toun But Grekes tho been availed doun In the field the worthy knights all In Thebes land as such thing shall The cry arose when her king was dedde And to the gates armed foot and hedde Out of the toun came many a proude Theban And some of hem upon the walles ran And gan to shoute that pitee was to here And they without of her life in werre Without comfort or consolatioun Dispeired ronne home to the toun And Grekes followen after at backe That many one that day goeth to wracke And as her fomen proudly hem assaile Ful many Grekes both throgh plate maile Was shette throughout preasing at wals And beaten off with great round bals That here lay one and another yonder And the noise more hideous than thonder Of gunneshot and of Arblates eke So loud out rong y● many a worthy Greke There lost his life they were on hem so fell And at gates shortly for to tell As Grekes preasen to enter the city They of Thebes in her cruelty With hem mette full furious and wood And mortally as they againe hem stood Men might see speres shiver asonder That to behold it was a very wonder How they foine with daggers with swerds Through the viser ayming at berds Persing also through the round mailes Rent out peeces of her auentailes That nought auaileth the mighty Gesseran Through neck and breast that the speres ran Her weapons were so sharpe ground whet In their armour that they were not let For there lay one troden under foot And yonder one perced to the heart root Here lieth one dead and there another lame This was the play and the mortall game Atweene Thebans and the Grekes proud That the swoughs and the cries loud Of hem that lay and yolden vp the ghost Was heard full ferre about in many a cost How all the royal blood both of Grekes side and on the City side islain were upon o day And at gates and saillyng of the wall Is●aine was all the blood royall Both of the toune and of the Grekes land And all the worthy knights of her hand And of Lords if I shall not feine On Grekes side aliue were but tweine King Adrastus and Campaneus That day to hem was so vngracious And for Titan Westred was so low That no man might vnneths other know Of the towne they shitte her gates fast With barrers round ymade for to last In which no wight kerue may ne hew And Adrastus with a Grekes few Repeired is home to his tent And all that night he wasted hath and spent For his vnhap in sorrow complayning And they in Thebes the next day suing Her deuoire did and her busie cure To ordeine and make a sepulture For her King yssaine in the field And offer vp his banner and his shield His helme his swerde and also his penon Therein of gold ybeaten a