hundred thousand sithe In vertue and holy almes dede They liuen all and neuer asunder wend Till death departen hem this life they lede And fareth now well my tale is at an end Now Iesu Christ that of his might may send Ioy after wo gouerne vs in his grace And keepe vs all that been in this place ¶ The Squires Prologue OUR host on his stirrops stoode anon And said good men hearkeneth euerichon This was a thriftie tale for the nones Sir parish priest qd he for Gods bones Tell vs a tale as was thy forward yore I see well that ye learned men in lore Can muckle good by Gods dignite The Parson him answerd benedicite What eileth the man so sinfully to swere Our host answerd O Ienkin be ye there Now good men qd our host harkneth to me I smell a loller in the wind qd he Abideth for Gods digne passion For we shall haue a predication This loller here woll preachen vs somewhat Nay by my fathers soule that shall he nat Saied the Squier here shall he nat preach Here shall he no Gospell glose ne teach We leueth all in the great God qd he He would sowen some difficulte * Or spring some cockle in our cleane corne And therefore host I warne thee beforne My jolly body shall a tale tell And I shall ringen you so merry a bell That I shall waken all this companie But it shall not been of Philosophie Ne of Physicke ne tearmes queint of law There is but little Latine in my maw The King of Arabie sendeth to Cambuscan King of Sarra an Horse and a Sword of rare qualitie and to his daughter Canace a Glass and a Ring by the vertue whereof she understandeth the language of all Fowls Much of this Tale is either lost or else never finished by Chaucer The Squires Tale. AT Sarra in the lond of Tartarie There dwelt a king that warred on Surrie Through which ther died many a doughtie man This noble king was called Cambuscan Which in his time was of so great renoun That there nas no where in no regioun So excellent a lord in all thing Him lacked nought that longeth to a king As of the sect of which he was borne He kept his lay to which he was sworne And thereto he was hardie wise and riche And pitous and just alway yliche True of his word benigne and honourable Of his corage as any centre stable Young fresh and strong in armes desirous As any batcheler of all his hous A faire person he was and fortunate And kept alway so roiall astate That there nas no where such another man This noble king this Tartre this Cambuscan Had two sonnes by Eltheta his wife Of which the eldest hight Algarsife That other was cleaped Camballo A doughter had this worthy king also That youngest was and hight Canace But for to tell you all her beaute It lithe not in my tong ne in my conning I dare not vndertake so high a thing Mine English eke is vnsufficient It must been a Rethor excellent That couth his colours longing for the art If he should discriue here every part I am none such I mote speake as I can And so befell that this Cambuscan Hath twenty Winter borne his diademe As he was wont fro yeare to yeare I denie He let the feast of his natiuity Doen crien throughout Sarra his city The last Idus of March after the yere Phebus the Sunne full jolly was clere For he was nigh his exaltation In Marces face and in his mansion In Aries the collerike the hote signe Full lustie was the weather and benigne For which the foules ayenst the sunne shene What for the season and the yong grene Full louden song her affections Hem seemed han getten hem protections Ayen the swerd of Winter kene and cold This Cambuscan of which I haue you told In roiall vestements sit on his deis With diademe full high in his paleis And held his feast so roiall and so riche That in this world nas there none it liche Of which if I shall tell all the array Then would it occupie a Sommers day And eke it needeth not to deuise At euery course the order of seruice I wol not tellen as now of her strange sewes Ne of her Swans ne of her Heronsewes Eke in that lond as tellen knights old There is some meat that is full dainty hold That in this lond men retch of it but small There is no man that may reporten all I will not tarie you for it is prime And for it is no fruit but losse of time Vnto my first purpose I woll haue recourse And so befell that after the third course While that this king sit thus in his noblay Hearkening his minstrals her things play Beforne him at his boord deliciously In at the hall doore all suddainely There came a knight on a steed of brasse And in his hond a broad mirrour of glasse Vpon his thombe he had of gold a ring And by his side a naked sword honging And vp he rideth to the high bord In all the hall ne was there spoke a word For maruaile of the knight him to behold Full busily they waiten yong and old This straunge knight that come thus sodenly All armed saue his head full roially Salued king and queene and lords all By order as they sitten in the hall With so high reuerence and obeisaunce As well in speech as in countenaunce That Gawaine with his old courtesie Though he come ayen out of fairie Ne could him not amend of no word And after this before the high bord He with a manly voice saied his message After the forme vsed in his language Without vice of sillable or of letter And for his tale should seeme the better Accordant to his words was his chere As teacheth art of speech hem that it lere All be that I cannot sowne his stile Ne I cannot climben so high a stile Yet say I thus as to my comen intent Thus much amounteth all that euer he ment If it so be that I haue it in my mind He saied The king of Araby and of Inde My liege lord on this solemne day Salueth you as he best can and may And sendeth you in honour of your feest By me that am readie at your heest This steed of brasse that easily and well Can in the space of a day naturell That is to say in foure and twenty houres Where so ye list in drought or in shoures Beren your body into euery place Into which your heart willeth to pace Without weine of you through foule or faire Or if ye list to fleen in the aire As doth an Eagle when him list to sore This same steed shall beare you euermore Withouten harm till you been there you lest Though that ye sleepen on his back and rest And turne again with writhing of a pin He that it wrought could full many a gin He waited many a constellation Or
in chamber out of this hall That all ye gone to see this Damian Doeth him disport he is a gentleman And tellen him that I woll him visite Haue I nothing but rested me alite And speed you fast for I woll abide Till that you sleepen fast by my side And with that word he gan to him call A squire that was Marshall of his hall And told him certaine thing that he would This fresh May hath streight her way ihold With all her women vnto this Damian And downe by his beds side sat she than Comforting him as goodly as she may This Damian whan that he his time say In secret wise his purse and eke his bill In which he had written all his will Hath put into her honde withouten more Saue that he sighed wonderous deep sore And sothly to her right thus sayed he Mercie and that ye discouer nat me For I am dead if that this thing be kid This purse hath she in her bosome hid And went her way ye get no more of me But vnto Ianuary icome is she And on his bed side she sit full soft He taketh her and kisseth her full oft And layed him down to sleep and that anon She fained her as that she must gon Ther as ye wote that euery wight had need And whan she of this bill hath taken heed She rent it all to clouts and at last Into the priuie sothly she it cast Who studieth now but faire fresh May And downe by Ianuary she lay That slept till the cough hath him awaked Anon he prayed her to strip her all naked He would of her he said haue some pleasance He said her clothes did him encombrance And she obeieth he she lefe or loth But lest that precious folk be with me wroth How that he wrought I dare nat to you tell Or wheder she thought it paradise or hell But I let hem worch in her wise Till euen song ring that they must arise Were it by destenie or by aduenture Where it by influence or by nature Or constellation that in such estate The heauen stood that time fortunate As for to put a bill of Venus werkes * For all thing hath time as saien clerkes To any woman for to get her loue I cannot say but the great God aboue That knoweth that non act is causeles He deme all for I woll hold my pees But soth is this how that this fresh May Hath take such impression that day Of pittie on this sicke Damian That fro her heart she driuen ne can The remembrance for to doen him ease Certain thouÈt she whom this thing displease I recke not for this I him assure I loue him best of any creature Though he no more had than his shert * Lo pittie renneth sone in gentle hert Here may ye see how excellent franchise * In women is whan they hem narow auise Some tyraunt is as there be many a one That hath an heart as hard as any stone Which would haue letten sterue in the place Well rather than haue granted him her grace And her rejoyced in her cruel pride And not haue recked to been an homicide This gentle Maie fulfilled of pittie Right so of her hond a letter made she In which she graunted him her very grace There lacked nought but onely time place Where that she might to his lust suffice For it shall be right as he woll deuise And whan she saw her time vpon a day To visit this Damian goth this faire Maie And subtilly this letter downe she thrust Vnder his pillow read it if him lust She taketh him by the hond hard him twist So secretly that no wight of it wist And bad him been all whole forth she went To Ianuary when that he for her sent Vp riseth Damian the next morow All passed was his sicknesse and his sorowe He kembeth him proineth him and piketh And doth all that his Lady lust and liketh And eke to Ianuary he goeth as low As euer did a dog for the bow He is so pleasaunt to euery man For craft is all who that it can That euery wight is fain to speken him good And fully in his Ladies grace he stood Thus let I Damian about his need And in my tale forth I woll proceed Some clerkes holden that felicite Stont in delite and therefore certain hee This noble Ianuarie with all his might In honest wise as longeth to a knight Shope him to liue full deliciously His housing his array as honestly To his degree was made as a kings Among other of his honest things He had a garden walled all with stone So fayre a garden was there neuer none For out of doubt I verily suppose That he that wrote the Romant of the Rose Ne couth of it the beautie well deuise Ne Priapus ne might not suffise Though he be god of gardens for to tell The beautie of the garden and of the well That stont vnder a laurer alway green Full oft time king Pluto and his queen Proserpina and all her fayrie Disporten hem and maken melodie About that well and daunced as men told This noble knight this Ianuarie the old Such deinte hath in it to walke and play That he woll suffer no wight to bear the kay Saue he himselfe for the small wicket He bare alway of siluer a clicket With which when that him list ne would vnshet And when that he would pay his wife her det In summer season thider would he go And Maie his wife no wight but they two And things which that weren not done a bed He in the garden perfourmed hem and sped And in this wise many a mery day Liued this Ianuarie and this fresh May. But worldly joy may not alway endure To Ianuarie ne to no liuing creature * O sudden hap O thou fortune vnstable Like to the Scorpion diceiuable That flattrest with thy head when thou wolt sting Thy tale is deth thrugh thine enuenoming O brotell joy O sweet poyson queint O monster that so suddenly canst peint Thy gifts vnder the hew of stedfastnesse That thou deceiuest both more and lesse Why hast thou Ianuary thus deceiued And haddest him for thy friend receiued And now thou hast beraft him both his eyen For sorow of which desireth he to dyen Alas this noble Ianuarie that so free Amidde his lust and his prosperitie Is woxen blind and all suddenly His death therefore desireth he vtterly And therewithall the fire of jelousie Lest that his wife should fall in some folly So brent his heart that he would full faine That some man both him and her had slaine For neuer after his death ne in his life Ne would he that she were loue ne wife But euer liue a widdow in clothes blacke Sole as the turtle doth that hath lost her make But at the last after a moneth or tway His sorow gan to swage soth to say For whan he wist it might non other be He paciently
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
graine Of their heale might be certaine And laid it downe vpon the herse VVhere lay the queene and gan reherse Echone to other that they had seene And taling thus the sede wex greene And on the dry herse gan spring VVhich me thought a wondrous thing And after that floure and new seed Of which the people all tooke heed And said it was some great miracle Or medicine fine more than triacle And were well done there to assay If it might ease in any way The corses which with torch light They waked had there all that night Soone did the lords there consent And all the people thereto content With easie words and little fare And made the queenes visage bare Which shewed was to all about Wherefore in swoone fell whole the rout And were so sorry most and least That long of weping they not ceast For of their lord the remembraunce Vnto them was such displeasaunce That for to liue they called a paine So were they very true and plaine And after this the good abbesse Of the graine gan these and dresse Three with her fingers cleane and small And in the queenes mouth by tale One after other full easily She put and full conningly Which shewed soone such vertue That preued was the medicine true For with a smiling countenaunce The Queene vprose and of vsaunce As she was wont to euery wight She made good cheere for which sight The people kneeling on the stones Thought they in heauen were soule bones And to the prince where he lay They went to make the same assay And when the Queene it vnderstood And how the medicine was good She prayed she might haue the graines To releue him from the paines Which she and he had both endured And to him went and so him cured That within a little space Lusty and fresh on liue he was And in good hele and hole of speech And lough and said gramercy leech For which the joy throughout the town So great was that the bels sown Afraied the people a journay About the city euery way And come and asked cause and why They rongen were so stately And after that the queene thabbesse Made diligence or they would cesse Such that of ladies soone a rout Sewing the queene was all about And called by name echone and told Was none forgetten young ne old There might men see joyes new When the medicine fine and trew Thus restored had euery wight So well the queene as the knight Vnto perfit joy and hele That fleting they were in such we le As folke that would in no wise Desire more perfit paradise And thus when passed was the sorrow With mikle joy soone on the morrow The king the queene and euery lord With all the Ladies by one accord A generall assembly Great cry through the country The which after as their intent Was turned to a Parliament Where was ordained and auised Euery thing and deuised That please might to most and least And there concluded was the feast Within the yle to be hold With full consent of young and old In the same wise as before As thing should be withouten more And shipped and thither went And into straunge Realmes sent To kings queenes and duchesses To diuers princes and princesses Of their linage and can pray That it might like them at that day Of mariage for their sport Come see the yle and them disport Where should be jousts and turnaies And armes done in other waies Signifying ouer all the day After Aprill within May And was auised that ladies tweine Of good estate and well beseine With certaine knights and squiers And of the queenes officers In manner of an embassade With certain letters closed and made Should take the barge and depart And seeke my lady euery part Till they her found for any thing Both charged haue queene and king And as their lady and maistres Her to beseke of gentilnes At the day there for to been And oft her recommaund the queen And prayes for all loues to hast For but she come all woll be wast And the feast a businesse Without joy or lustinesse And tooke them tokens and good speed Praid God send after their need Forth went the ladies and the knights And were out fourteene daies and nights And brought my lady in their barge And had well sped and done their charge Whereof the queene so hartily glad Was that in soth such joy she had When the ship approched lond That she my lady on the sond Met and in armes so constraine That wonder was behold them twaine Which to my dome during twelue houres Neither for heat ne watry shoures Departed not no company Sauing themselfe but none them by But gaue them laysour at their ease To rehearse joy and disease After the pleasure and courages Of their young and tender ages And after with many a knight Brought were where as for that night They parted not for to pleasaunce Content was hert and countenaunce Both of the queene and my maistresse This was that night their businesse And on the morrow with huge rout This prince of lords him about Come and to my Lady said That of her comming glad and well apaid He was and full commingly Her thanked and full heartily And lough and smiled and said ywis That was in doubt in safety is And commaunded do diligence And spare for neither gold ne spence But make ready for on the morow Wedded with saint Iohn to borow He would be withouten more And let them wite this lese and more The morow come and the seruice Of mariage in such a wise Said was that with more honour Was neuer prince ne conquerour Wedde ne with such company Of gentilnesse in chiualry Ne of Ladies so great routs Ne so beseen as all abouts They were there I certifie You on my life withouten lie And the feast hold was in tentis As to tell you mine entent is In a rome a large plaine Vnder a wood in a champaine Betwixt a riuer and a well Where neuer had abbay ne sell Ben ne kirke house ne village In time of any mans age And dured three months the feast In one estate and neuer ceast From early the rising of the sonne Till the day spent was and yronne In justing dauncing and lustinesse And all that sowned to gentilnesse And as me thought the second morrow When ended was all old sorrow And in surety euery wight Had with his lady slept a night The Prince the Queene and all the rest Vnto my lady made request And her besought oft and praied To mewards to be well apaied And consider mine old trouth And on my paines haue routh And me accept to her seruise In such forme and in such wise That we both might be as one Thus prayed the Queene and euerichone And for there should be no nay They stint justing all a day To pray my lady and requere Be content and out of fere And with good heart make friendly
yâ— lond yâ— this monstre was slaw And line right to Thebes he gan draw Well receiued for his worthinesse For his manhood and his prowesse And for they seigh he was a seemely knight Well fauoured in euery mans sight And saw also Thebes the mighty toun Not onely they but all the regioun Were destitute of a gouernour Ayen her foon hauing no succour Hem to defend but the Queene alone Emong hemselfe making full great mone For there was none as bookes specifie The Sceptre and croune to occupie For which the Lordes all by one assent Within the toune set a parlement Shortly concluding if it might been Prudently to treate with the Queen Namely they that held hem selfe most sage To condescend by way of mariage She to be joyned to this manly knight Passing prudent and famous eke of might Most holle man as they can discerne The worthy citee to keepe and gouerne And through counsail of the lords all To their desire plainly she is fall And accorded without more tarying That of Thebes Edippus shall be king By full assent was none that sayed nay And time set ayein a certain day Emong hem selfe and finally deuised The wedding was in Thebes solempnized Full rially that needs must vnthriue Onely for he his moder tooke to wiue Vnwist of both he was of her blood And ignoraunt shortly how it stood That he toforne had his father slaw For which this wedding was against the law * And tofore God is neither faire ne good Nor acceptable blood to touch blood Which cause hath be of great confusion In many a lond and many a region Ground and root of vnhap and mischaunce The fine concluding alway with vengeaunce As men haue sein by clere experience And holy writ recordeth in sentence How Herode falsly in his life By violence tooke his brothers wife For she was fayre and pleasaunt to his sight And kept her still by force through his might Although to her title had he non And for her sake the holy man sainct Iohn For his trouth in prison lost his hedde Wherefore I rede euery man take hede VVhether so he be Lord Prince or King That he beware to eschue soch wedding Ere yâ— the swerde of vengeance him manace Lest he lese hap fortune and grace Taking ensample in all maner thing Of Edippus in Thebes crouned king All be that he wrought of ignoraunce Full derke and blind of his wofull chaunce And if vnwist that he of innocence As ye haue herde fell in soch offence For which he was punished brought low What are they worthy that her errour know And from the knot list not to absteine Of such spousaile to God and man vnclene I can not sem ne more thereof deuise Demeth your self that prudent been wise And eke Edippus haueth emong in mind Of whom the wedding like as ye may find Vnhappy was and passing odious Infortunate and eke vngracious I am werie more thereof to write The hatefull processe also to endite I passe ouer fully of entent For Imeneus was not there present Nor Lucina list not there to shine Ne there was none of the Muses nine But one accord to maken melody For there song not by heauenly armony Neyther Clio nor Caliope None of the sustren in nomber thrise three As they did when Philolaie Ascended vp high aboue the skie To be wedded this Lady vertuous Vnto her Lord the God Mercurius And as Matrician inamed de Copelle In his booke of wedding can you tell There concluding in his marriage The Poete that whilom was so sage That this Lady called Sapience Iwedded was vnto Eloquence As it sat well by heauenly purueiaunce Hem to be joyned by knot of alliaunce But both two soothly of entent At wedding in Thebes were absent That caused after great aduersity For finall end of that solempnity Was sorrow and wo and destruction Vtter ruine of this roiall toun There may no man helpe it ne succour For a time in joy though they floure The Names of the People being at the Wedding of the King Edippus and of Jocasta the Queen But at his wedding plainly for to tell Was Cerberus chief porter of hell And Herebus fader to Hatred Was there present with his holle kinred His wife also with her browes blacke And her doughters sorow for to make Hidously chered and vgly for to see Megera and Thesiphonee Alecto eke with Labour and Enuie Drede Fraude and false Tretcherie Treason Pouert Indigence and Nede And cruell death in his rent wede Wretchednesse Compleint and eke Rage Fearfull Pale Dronkenesse croked Age Cruell Mars and many a Tigre wood Brenning Ire and vnkind blood Fraternall hate deepe set in the roote Saufe onely Death that there nas no boote Assured othes at fine Vntrew All these folke were at weddyng new To make the toune desolate and bare As the story after shall declare But aie in Thebes with his walles strong Edippus reigneth many a day and long And as mine aucthor write in words plain By Iocasta he had sonnes twain Ethiocles and also Polimite And in bookes as sondry clerkes write Doughters two full goodly on to see Of which that one hight Antigonee And that other called was Imein Of her beauty inly souerein Edippus aie deuoid of warre and strife With Iocasta ledde a mery life Till fortune of her iniquity Had enuy of his prosperity For when he shone most rich in his renoun From her whele she plunged him adoun Out of his joy into sodein wo As she is wont frowardly to do And namely hem that setten her affiaunce Of hartely trust in her variaunce For when the king passing of great might Sat with the quene vpon a certain night Casuelly when his folke echone Out of chamber sodeinly were gone Ere he was ware Iocasta gan behold The carectes of his wounds old Vpon his feet emprented wonder depe Tournyng her face brest out for to wepe So secrely he might it not espie And she anon fell into a fantasie Aie on this thing musing more and more And in her bedde gan to sighen sore And when the king conceiueth her distresse He gan enquere of her heauinesse Fully the cause and thoccasion For he will wite in conclusion What her eileth and why she fared so My Lord qd she without wordes mo Percell cause of this sodein rage Is for that I in my tender age Had a Lord inamed Laius King of this toune a man right vertuous By whom I had a sonne right wonder feire Likely to been his successour and heire But bicause his Diuinours told At his birth sothly that he should If he had life by fatall destinee Slaen his fader it might none other be For which the king his fate to eschue Bad men in hast as him thought due To slea the child and haue thereof no roth And I anon bad without sloth To certain men vp pein of judgement To execute the commaundement Of the king
renoun As he alas out of that regioun Exiled was for he his brother slow As the stage of Thebes writ the manere how Al be that he to him no malice ment For on a day as they on hunting went In a forest for harte and for hind So as he stood under a great lind And casuely lete his Arow slippe He slough his brother called Menelippe Through mortall sort his hand was begiled For which he was banished and exiled As the law narow sette his charge As for this caas he came first to Arge Into the porch where Polimite did slepe Of auenture ere he toke any kepe The same night hidously besein With the tempest of thondre and of rein And felt also anoy and great damage Through the forest holding his passage As Polimite had do toforne In perrell oft likely to be lorne With bestes rage set on euery side Till of grace without any guide He rode through Arge the great mighty toun Streght vnto the palaice to the chief dongeon Like as I told where Polimite lay And at his comming made a great affray For he was blind through derkenesse of the night And him to guie he ne fond no light VVhen he came in of priket ne of torche Till he vnwarely entred in to the porche And would haue take there his herbergage But Polimite sterte vp in a rage Sodenly awaked as I rede With the nying of his proud stede And first of all when that he beheld A knight armed and on his brest a sheld And gan the manere of this ray aduerte Of veray ire vpon his horse he sterte And cruelly gan Tideus enquere Whens he come and what he did there And bad in hast his answere to deuise And Tideus in full humble wise Answered ayen of verray gentillesse And said in soth of high distresse Of the tempest and the derke night He driuen was like an errant knight Of need onely and great necessity And him constrained of great aduersity To take lodging where so that he might And in that Court therfore he alight Without more thinking none outrage Ne to no wight meaning no damage Then Polimite of malice and of pride Told him shortly he should not abide Ne lodge there though he had it sworne For I qd he toke it vp beforne And will it keepe during al this night I sey thee platly maugre all thy might Qd. Tideus then it is no curtesie Me to deuoid but rather villenie Yef ye take hede that seeme a gentil knight And as I suppose ye haue no title of right To this lodging by way of heritage More than haue I for all your fell rage And parde yet it shal be no disease Till to morow though ye do me ease Of gentillesse onely with your leue To suffre me it shall but litel greue But aye the more Tideus spake faire Polimite was froward and contraire And shortly saith it geineth not to striue That of force he shall deuoid bliue Or vtterly atwene hem both two This thing to try he must haue do And Tideus seing no better mene Ful like a knight in stele armed clene Without abode fast gan him spede Wondre liuely for to stride his stede And thus these knights pompous and elate For litel cause fellen at debate How Tideus and Polimite striuen for her Lodging And as they ronne togider on horsebacke Either on other first his spere brake And after that full surquedous of pride With sharpe swerdes they togider ride Full irously these mighty Champions In her fury like Tygres or Lions As they hurtel that al the palaice shooke And king Adrastus out of his sleepe wooke And made in hast his Chambreleins call And through yâ— Court his worthy knights al Commaunding hem to descend and see And report what it might bee This wonderful noice in his Court by night And when he seigh two strang knights fight In plates thicke and bright maile Without Iudge they had great meruaile And were dismaied of this vncouth thing And as they found told to the king And Adrastus for darknesse of the night From his chambre with many torches light Into the Court is descended downe All his meine stonding enuiron Of these knights hauing great wondre And of manhode he put hem first asondre Hem commanding like a gentill king To leuen her strife and cessen off fighting And entred in with a knightly looke And first from hem her swerdes both he tooke Affirming eke as to his fantasie It was a rage and a great folie So wilfully her liues jeopart Withouten Iudge her quarel to depart And specially in the derke night When neither might of other haue sight Charging hem vp peine of her life To disseuere and stinten of her strife And tho Tideus in all the hast he might Full humbly from his steed alight And right mekely with chere countenance Put him holly in the gouernance Of Adrastus in all manere thing And Polimite eke made no tarying To high him also and would not withsey The kings bidding lowly to obey So as him ought with due reuerence And as they stood both in his presence He gan enquere first of her estate The cause also why they were at debate Of her Countrees sothly and her age And asked hem eke touching her linage By descent of what stocke they were born And Tideus his answere yaue beforn Told plainly and made no lesing How he was sonne vnto the King Of Calcidoine and rightfull heire thereto And of his exile the cause he told also As ye haue herd in the story rad And Polimite with chere and face sad Vnto the king touching his Countree Said he was borne in Thebes the Citee And Iocaste the great famous queene His moder was without any wene But of his father whilom king and lord For very shame he spake neuer a word Onely for yif I shall not feine His fader was and brother both tweine The which in soth he was full loth to tell And eke the king would him not compell Of gentillesse but bad without blame Of his birth for to haue no shame For holly the caas he knew euery dele Touching his kin he knew yâ— ground fulwele Like as it was by full cleere report Enforcing him for to do comfort With all his might and all besie peine This manly king to these knights tweine And to hem said before him as they stood He wist well that of full woorthy blood They were descended touching her kinred And made in hast his officers lede The straunge knights being at debate Through his palaice to chambre of estate Ech by himself for to take his ease And euery thing in soth yâ— might hem please Was offred hem like her estates And when they were disarmed of her plates Cushens Greues and her Sabatons Her Harneis voided and her Habergeons Two mantels vnto hem were brought Frette with perle and rich stones wrought Of cloth of gold and Violet crimsin Full richely â—urred with
Dragon High in the temple that men might seene And Iocasta the infortunate Queene Her sonnes death sore gan complaine And also eke her young doughters tweine Both Imeine and Antigoine Crien and weepe that pity was to see But to her sorrowes there was no refute And thus the city bare and destitute Hauing no wight to gouerne hem ne guy For dead and slaine was all her cheualry And no wight left almost in the toun To reigne on hem by successioun But for they saw and tooken hede Without this that they had an head In the city they may not dure long * For though it so be yâ— commons be strong With multitude and haue no gouernaile Of an head ful lite it may auaile Therefore they haue vnto her succour Ichosen hem a new gouernour How Creon the old tyrant ychosen was to be King of Thebes An old tyrant that called was Creon Full acceptable to hem euerychone And crowned him without more letting To reigne in Thebes and to been her king Although he had no title by descent But by free choice made in Parlement And thereto him like as it is found By her ligeaunce of new they were bound For to be true while the city stood To him only with body and with good Thus they were sworn sured euerichone And he againward to save hem fro her fone And hem defend with all his full might And mainteine hem in all manner right This was the accord as in sentement And in this while hath Adrastus sent From the siege of Thebes the city A wounded knight home to his country Through all Grece plainly to declare All the slaughter and the euil fare Of which Grekes right as it is fall And how that he hath lost his Lords all At more mischeefe than any man can mouth And when this thing was in Grece couth First to Argiue and to Deiphile And to the Ladies eke in the countre And of Prouinces abouten adjacent They came downe all by one assent Worthy Quenes and with hem Duchesses And other eke that called were Countesses How all the Ladies of Graece arrayed hem toward Thebes And all the ladies and women of degree Been assembled in Arge the citee Like as I rede and all in clothes blake That to behold the sorrow that they make It were a death to any man aliue And if I should by and by discriue Her tender weeping and her woful souns Her complaints and lamentatiouns Her oft swouning with faces dead and pale Thereof I might make a new tale Almost a day you to occupie And as mine authour doth clerely certifie Throughout all Grece from all regiouns Out of cities and royal touns Came all the ladies and women of estate Full heauy cheared and disconsolate To this assembly toforne as I you told In purpose fully her journey for to hold Toward Thebes they sorrowfull creatures There to bewaile her wofull auentures Tacquite hemselfe of trouth womanhead To her Lords which in field lay dead And as the story liketh to declare All this journey they went on foot bare Like as they had gone on pilgrimage In token of mourning barbed the visage Wimpled echone in burnet weeds Not in chaires drawne forth with steeds Nor on palfreies blacke neither white Like as mine author liketh to endite To holden her way but barefoot foorth they went So faithfully euerychone they ment Through heauinesse defaced of her hue And as I find they weren all true Now was not that a wonder for to see So many true out of o countree At ones gadered in a companie And faithfull all bookes cannot lie Both in her port and inward in mening Vnto my dome it was an vncouth thing Emong a thousand women or tweine Not to find one that coud in heart feine It was a maruaile not oft seene toforne * For selde in fields groweth any corne But if some weed spring vp there emong Men allay Wines when they be too strong But her trouth was meint with none allaies They were so true found at all assaies And they ne stint upon her journey Till that they come there they would be Where Adraitus written as I finde Lay in his tent all of colour Inde And greatly meruailed when that he beheld The number of hem spred throgh al yâ— field Clad all in blacke and barefoot euerychone Out of his tent he dressed him anone Vpon his hand the King Campaneus Full trist in heart and face right pitous Againe the women forth they went in fere And to behold the wofull heavy chere The dolefull cries also when they met The sorrowful sighes in her breasts shet The teares new distilling on her faces And so swouning in many sundry places When they her Lords aliue not ne found But in yâ— field throgh girt with many a wound Lay straught vpright plainely to endite With deadly eyen tourned vp the white Who made sorrow or felt her heart riue For her Lord but the faire Argiue Who can now weepe but Deiphilee Tideus for she ne might see Whose constreints were so fell and kene That Adrastus might not susteine To behold the Ladies so compleine Wishing his heart coruen were in tweine How the old cursed Creon will not suffer the bodies neither to be brent nor buried And yet alas both euen and morow O thing there was that doubled all her sorow That old Creon fader of fellony Ne would suffer through his tiranny The dead bodies be buried neither brent But with beasts and hounds to be rent He made hem all upon an heape be laid Whereof the women thrist and euil apaid For very dole as it was no wonder Her herts felt almost riue asunder And as my master Chaucer list to endite All clad in blacke with her wimples white With great honour and due reuerence In the Temple of the goddesse Clemence They bode the space of a fourthnight Till Theseus the noble worthy knight Duke of Athenes with his cheualry Repaired home out of Feminy And with him led full faire vpon to seene Through his manhood Ipolita the Queene And her sister called Emely And when these women first gan espy The worthy Duke as he came riding King Adrastus hem all conueying The women brought vnto his presence Which him besought to yeue hem audience And all at ones swouning in the place Full humbly besoughten him of grace To rew on hem her harmes to redresse But if ye list to see the gentillesse Of Theseus and how he hath him borne If ye remember as ye haue heard toforne Well rehearsed at Depford in the vale In the beginning of the knights tale How the final destruction of Thebes is compendiously rehearsed in the Knights tale First how that he when he herd hem speke For very routh he felt his heart breke And her sorrowes when he gan aduart From his courser downe anone he start Hem comforting in full good entent And in his armes he hem all vp hent The Knights tale rehearsen euerydele From
called John Gower It seemeth that Chaucer was of the Inner Temple for not many Years since Master Buckley did see a Record in the same House where Geffrey Chaucer was fined two Shillings for beating a Franciscan Friar in Fleet-street Thus spending much time in the Universities France Flanders and Inns of Court he proved a singular man in all kind of Knowledge His Marriage HE matched in Marriage with a Knights Daughter of Henault called Paon de Ruet King of Arms as by this Draught appeareth taken out of the Office of the Heralds This Gentlewoman whom he married whose Name we cannot find as it may be gathered by Chaucer's own Words in his Dream was Attendant on Blanch the Dutchess in the Duke of Lancaster's House as also her Sister Katharine was or else waited on the Dutchess Maud Sister of Blanch who was married to William Duke of Bavare Earl of Henault Zeland and Holland But howsoever it was by this Marriage he became Brother-in-Law to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster as hereafter appeareth Stemma peculiare Gaufredi Chauceri Poetae celeberrimi Paganus de Rouet Hannoniensis aliter dictus Guien Rex Armorum Catherina de Rouet à priore marito Hugone Swinford Equite cognominata Swinford Quae postea renupta Johanni Gandavensi tertii Edovardi Regis filio Lancastriae Duci illi procreavit filios tres unicam filiam Gaufredus Chaucer Poeta celeber sui saeculi ornamentum ac decus ingens Altera filiarum cohaeredum Guienni Armorum Regis cujus Nomen non editur Thomas Chaucer Armiger dominus Manerii de Ewhelm in Oxoniensi Comit. William de la Pole Comes Marchio postea Dux Suffolciae Alicia unica filia haeres Thomae Chaucer ter nupta Johanni Philip. equiti deinde comiti Sarum postea Will. Com. Suff. Johannes de la Pole Dux Suffolciae Edmundus de la Pole Comes Suffolciae ultimus ex hac stirpe attinctus tempore Regis Hen. 7. Johannes Burg hershe Miles Matildis filia William Kerdeston Militis Johannes Burghershe Miles Imania filia natu maxima una haeredum Simonis Hannap vel Hanning de Comit. Glouc. Matildis filia cohaeres Johannis Burghershe Militis Margareta altera filiarum haeredum Johannis Burghershe nupta Johanni Arundel de Com. Cornubiae Johannes Arundell Hinc descendit hodiernus Johannes Arundel His Children with their Advancement IT should seem that Geffrey Chaucer had another Son besides Thomas for in the Preface to the Astrolabe writeth to one whom he calleth his little Son Lewis yet some hold opinion but I know not upon what Grounds that Thomas Chaucer was not the Son of Geffrey Chaucer but rather some Kinsman of his whom he brought up But this Pedigree by the hands of Master Glover alias Somerset that learned Antiquary as also the Report of Chronicles shew it to be otherwise Some say that in recompence of Chaucer's Service in France being sent thither Ambassador Edward the Third gave him this Maud Daughter and Heir of Sir John Burghershe Knight whom he married to Thomas Chaucer his Son to the great increase of his Living and amendment in Blood This Thomas Chaucer besides his own Inheritance of Ewelm and Dunnington Castle which M. England's most excellent Antiquiographer termeth Quondam Chauceri postea Delapolorum Castellum exiguum was divers ways preferred as out of Records in the Tower of London here we may partly see Vicesimo secundo Rich. secundi viginti Marcae datae Thomae Chaucer per ann durante vita Anno primo Henrici quarti idem donum viginti Marcarum confirmatum Thomas Chaucer primo anno Henrici sexti capitalis Pincerna Regis Angliae Thomas Chaucer Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Barkshire and Constable of Wallingford-Castle and Knaresborow Castle and the Forest of Knaresborow during Life Queen Jane Wife to Henry the Fourth the twelfth year of his Reign gave to Thomas Chaucer for his good Service Manerium de Woodstock Hannebrough Wotton Stuntesfield cum omnibus membris Hamlet suis durante vita Thomas Chaucer the last Heir male of the Chaucers and Owner of Ewelm and Dunnington Castle the Inheritance of the Chaucers lieth buried in a black Marble Tomb in a fair Chappel in the Parish-Church of Ewelm in the south side of the Quire with this Epitaph Hic jacet Thomas Chaucer Armiger quondam dominus istius villae patronus istius Ecclesiae qui obiit 18 die Mensis Novemb. Anno Dom. 1434. Matildis uxor ejus quae obiit 28 die Mensis Aprilis Anno Dom. 1436. Thomas Chaucer had one only Daughter named Alice married thrice first to Sir John Phillip Knight then to Thomas Mountacute Earl of Salisbury and the third time to William de la Pole Earl and after Duke of Suffolk who for love of his Wife and commodity of her Lands fell much to dwell in Oxfordshire and Barkshire where his Wives Lands lay Between them they had a Son called John as appeareth in the Book of the Foundation of the Hospital of Ewelm which is to be seen in Mr. Stow's Library where the Master Minister and the poor Men are enjoyned to gather themselves at appointed times about the Tomb of Thomas Chaucer and Maud his Wife Father and Mother of the Dutchess and there to say certain Prayers appointed which being ended one of them is to say openly in the English Tongue God save in Body and Soul our sovereign Lord the King my Lord William Duke of Suffolk my Lady Alice Dutchess of Suffolk his Wife our Foundress my Lord John their Son and all Christian People the Brethren answering Amen This is added because some have held that she never had Child but that the Duke had this Son by another Wife although indeed the descending of the Chaucers Lands to the Poles and after to the King might sufficiently confute them But what is it wherein some will not cavil This William and his Wife increased the Manor Place of Ewelm and builded there a Parish-Church and an Hospital called Gods-house for two Priests and thirteen poor men to be sustained for ever One of the Priests to be Master of the Alms-house and Alms people them to instruct the other Priest a School-master freely to teach the Children of the Tenants of the said Lordship their Grammar and either of them to have ten Pounds by the Year Also one of the poor men to be called Minister to present the Faults of the other to the Master and to ring their common Bell to Service and to have sixteen Pence the Week and the rest fourteen Pence To the which House they gave the Manors of Ramridge in Hampshire Conock in Wiltshire and Mersh in Buckinghamshire They also founded an Hospital at Donnington Castle J. St. This Alice Wife of Duke William surviving her Husband was after buried in the Parish Church of Ewelm on the South-side of the high Altar in a rich Tomb of Alabaster with an
Image in the Habit of a Vowess and Dutchess crowned lying on the same Tomb and another Image under the Tomb so near as may be like unto her at the time of her Death with this Epitaph Orate pro anima serenissimae principissae Aliciae Suffolchiae hujus Ecclesiae Patronae primae fundatricis hujus Eleemosinariae quae obiit 20 die mensis Maii Anno Dom. 1475. Litera Dominicali A. Among many things that greatly renowned Geffrey Chaucer this was one saith Bale That he had a Kinswoman Quae Gulielmo Sudovolgiorum Duci nupsit ac magno in splendore Aquelmi vitam egit that is which being married to William Duke of Suffolk lived in great Honour at Ewelm His Revenues BUT now to return to Geffrey Chaucer although he had Lands and Revenues in divers Places and that to the yearly value as some say almost of a thousand Pounds yet the Place of his most Abode was at Woodstock in a fair House of Stone next to the King's Place called to this day Chaucer's House and by that Name passed by the Queen to the Tenant which there now dwelleth Chaucer took great Pleasure to lye there in regard of the Park in sundry of his Writings much by him commended as also to be near the Court where his best Friends were and they who were able to do him most Pleasure by whose means he had sundry Rewards bestowed upon him and that worthily for his good Service which often he performed and whereof in Chronicles and Records we may read His Service IN the last Year of King Edward the Third he with Sir Richard Dangle and Sir Richard Stan was sent to Montrevil to move a Marriage to be had between Richard Prince of Wales and the Lady Mary Daughter to the French King Some write that he with Petrark was present at the Marriage of Lionel Duke of Clarence with Violant Daughter of Galeasius Duke of Millain yet Paulus Jovius nameth not Chaucer but Petrark he saith was there And yet it may well be for it is in Record that twice or thrice he was employed in foreign Countries which if it be true well might the man be at such Charges and Expences as he might stand in need of King Richard the Second's Protection as after shall appear till he had better recovered himself But for his Service he was not unrewarded His Rewards CHaucer is called Armiger Regis for in the Patent Rolls of Part 1. of 50 Ed. 3. M. 5. the King maketh a Grant Armigero nostro Galfrido Chaucer This Armiger Regis was of good Worship and Reputation about the Prince being also the same that Scutifer Regis was to bear the King's Shield and other Armour of his both out and in the Wars By which Name of Scutifer Regis the King granted to him the Lands and Body of Sir Edmund Staplegat for the Manor of Bilsington in Kent to whom he paid 104 Pounds for the same as appeareth in Patent Part 2. de anno 49 Edw. 3. Again the King before that in 45 Edw. 3 as appeareth in pellis Exitus of the Exchequer had granted unto him twenty Marks by Year by the Name of Galfride Chaucer Valectus Hospitii which is Groom of the Palace a place of good Worship By which Name of Valectus also King Edw. 3. long before did entite Laurence Hastings Lord of Aburganey calling him Valectum nostrum being the King's Groom Page or Servant For unto this day certain Servitors of the Queens are called Pages and Grooms being of Worship and Reputation as are the Grooms of the Privy Chamber By which may be gathered in what Credit G. Chaucer was with King Edw. 3. Anno 8 Richardi 2. Galfridus Chaucer Contrarotulator Customarïorum Subsidiorum in portu Civitatis nostrae London Anno 17 Richardi 2. Viginti librae datae Galfrido Chaucero per annum durante vita Vigessimo secundo anno Richardi secundi concessum Galfrido Chaucer unum dolium vini per annum durante vita in portu civitatis London per manus capitalis Pincernae nostri Anno primo Henrici quarti Galfrido Chaucero Armigero literae patentes confirmatae pro viginti libris nummorum per annum durante vita uno dolio vini Eodem etiam anno concessae adhuc datae eidem Galfrido Chaucero Quadraginta marcae per annum durante vita His Friends FRiends he had in the Court of the best sort for besides that he always held in with the Princes in whose days he lived he had of the best of the Nobility both Lords and Ladies which favoured him greatly But chiefly John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster at whose commandment he made the Treatise Of the Alliance betwixt Mars and Venus and also the Book of the Dutchess Likewise the Lady Isabel Daughter to King Edward the Third and Wife to Ingeram de Guynes Lord De Coucy also the Lady Margaret Daughter to the same King married to John Hastings Earl of Penbrook did greatly love and favour Geffrey Chaucer and he again did as much honour them but especially the Lady Margaret as it may appear in divers Treatises by him written as in the Prologue of the Legend of good Women under the Name of the Daisy and likewise in a Ballad beginning In the season of Feuerier Others there were of great account whereof some for some causes took liking of him and other for his rare Gifts and Learning did admire him And thus he lived in honour many Years both at home and abroad Yet it seemeth that he was in some trouble in the days of King Richard the Second as it may appear in the Testament of Love where he doth greatly complain of his own rashness in following the multitude and of their hatred against him for bewraying their purpose And in that complaint which he maketh to his empty Purse I do find a written Copy which I had of Mr. Stow whose Library helped me in many things wherein ten times more is adjoyned than is in Print Where he maketh great Lamentation for his wrongful Imprisonment wishing death to end his days which in my Judgment doth greatly accord with that in the Testament of Love Moreover we find it thus in Record In the second Year of Richard the Second The King took Geffrey Chaucer and his Lands into his Protection the occasion whereof no doubt was some danger and trouble wherein he was fallen by favouring some rash attempt of the common People For living in such troublesome times wherein few knew what part to take no marvel if he came into some danger nay great marvel that he fell not into greater danger But as he was learned so was he wise and kept himself much out of the way in Holland Zeland and France where he wrote most of his Books His Books CHaucer had always an earnest desire to enrich and beautifie our English Tongue which in those days was very rude and barren and this he did following the Example of Dante
is divided into five Books The first booke beginneth Folio 356 The second booke beginneth Folio 363 The third booke beginneth Folio 373 The fourth booke beginneth Folio 387 The fifth booke beginneth Folio 399 All these Works following be Works by themselves The Dream of Chaucer called the Duchess Folio 408 The Assembly of Poules Folio 418 The Floure of Courtesie Folio 425 How Pity is dead c. Folio 427 La belle dame sans mercy Folio 428 Annelida and false Arcite Folio 435 The Complaint of Annelida to false Arcite Folio 437 The Assembly of Ladies Folio 439 The Conclusion of the Astrolaby Folio 445 The Complaint of the black Knight Folio 460 A Praise of Women Folio 466 The House of Fame is divided into three Books The first booke beginneth Folio 467 The second booke beginneth Folio 471 The third booke beginneth Folio 476 The Testament of Love is divided into three Books The Prologue of the Testament of Love Folio 484 The first booke beginneth Folio 485 The second booke beginneth Folio 500 The third booke beginneth Folio 521 All these Works following be Works by themselves The Lamentation of Mary Mag. Folio 537 The Remedy of Love Folio 545 The Complaint of Mars and Venus Folio 548 The Complaint of Mars alone Folio 550 The Complaint of Venus alone Folio 551 The Letter of Cupid Folio 552 A Ballad of our Lady Folio 556 A Ballad to King Henry the IV. Folio 558 Three Sayings of Dan John Lid. Folio 562 Of the Cuckow and the Nightingale ibid. Scogan unto the young Lords and Gentlemen of the King's House Folio 565 Divers other Ballads of Chaucer c. Folio 567 A Ballad of good Counsel made by John Lidgate Folio 569 A Praise or Commendation of Caucer's Eloquence Folio 570 A Ballad â—eaching what is Gentilness ibid. A Proverb against Covetise and Negligence ibid. A Ballad against unconstant Women ibid. How all things in this World is variable save Women only ibid. The Craft of Lovers Folio 571 A pleasant Ballad of Women Folio 573 The ten Commandements of Love ibid. The nine Ladies worthy Folio 574 Certain Ballads Folio 575 How Mercury with three Goddesses appeared to Paris Folio 576 A Ballad pleasaunt ibid. The discriving of a fair Lady ibid. A Ballad warning men to beware of deceitful Women ibid. Certain Verses compiled by Chaucer Folio 578 A Ballad declaring the worthiness of Womens Chastity Folio 579 The Court of Love ibid. Chaucer's Dream Folio 592 The Floure and the Leafe Folio 609 The A. B. C. called la priere de nostre dame Folio 615 Jack Upland Folio 616 Chaucer's Words to Adam his own Scrivener Folio 621 The Prologue of the Story of Thebes Folio 622 The first Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 623 The second Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 630 The third Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 643 Eight goodly Questions with their Answers SOmetime in Greece that noble region There were eight clerkes of full great science Philosophers of notable discretion Of whom was asked to proue their prudence Eight Questions of derke intelligence To which they answered after their entent As here doth appeare plaine and euident The first question was What earthly thing Is best and to God most commendable The first clerke answerd without tarying A mans soule euer ferme and stable In right from the trouth not variable * But now alas full sore may we weepe For couetise hath brought trouth asleepe The second What thing is most odious A double man saied the Philosopher With a virgine face and a taile venemous With a faire view and a false profer A corrupt carien in a golden tree * It is a monster in natures linage One man to have a double visage The third What is the best dower That may be to a wife appropriate A cleane life was the clerkes answer Without sinne all chast and inuiolate From all deceits and speeches inornate Or countenaunce which shall be to dispise * No fire make and then no smoke woll arise The fourth question What maiden may Be called cleane in chastity The fourth clerke answered which alway Euery creature is ashamde on to lie Of whom men reporten great honestie * Good maidens keepe your chastity forth And remember yâ— good name is gold worth Who is a poore man euer full of wo A couetous man which is a nigon He that in his heart can neuer say ho The more good the lesse distribution The richer the worse of condition Men in this coast clepen him a niggard Sir Guy the bribour is his steward Which is a rich man without fraud He that can to his good suffise Whatsoeuer he hath he yeueth God yâ— laud And keepeth him cleane from all couetise He desires nothing in vngodly wise His body is here his mind is aboue * He is a rich man for God doth him loue Who is a foole is the seventh demaund He that would hurt and hath no powere Might he mikell much would he command His mallice great his might nought were He thretteth full fast full little may he dere He thinketh not how men haue saied be forne * God sendeth a shrewd Cow a short horne Who is a wise man is the eight question He that might noye doth no annoiaunce Might punish and leaueth punission A man mercifull without vengeaunce A wise man putteth in remembraunce * Saying Had I venged all mine harme My cloke had not be furred halfe so warme Explicit To the King 's most noble Grace and to the Lords and Knights of the Garter TO you wele of honour and worthiness Our Christen King the heire successour Vnto Iustinians deuout tendernesse In the faith of Iesu our redemptour And to your Lords of the Garter floure Of cheualrie as men you clepe and call The lord of vertue and of grace authour Graunt the fruit of your lose neuer appall O liege Lord that haue the likenesse Of Constantine thensample and mirrour To Princes all in humble buxomenesse To holy Church o veray sustainour And piller of our faith and werriour Againe of heresies the bitter Gall Doe forth doe forth continue your succour Hold up Christs banner let it not fall This Isle or this had been but heathenesse Had be of your faith the force and vigour And yet this day the fiends crabbedness Weneth fully to catch a time and houre To haue on vs your lieges a sharpe shoure And to his seruitude vs knitte and thrall But aye we trust in you our protectour On your constaunce we awaiten all Commandeth that no wight haue hardinesse O worthy King our Christen Emperour Of the faith to disputen more or lesse Openly emong people Her errour Springeth all day and engendreth rumour Maketh such law and for ought may befall Obserue it wele thereto be ye doctour Doeth so and God in glorie shall you stall Ye Lords eke shining in noble fame To which appropred is the maintenaunce Of Christs cause in honour of his name Shoue on and put his
ship sticked so fast That thence nolne it not of all a tyde The wil of Christ was that she should ther abide The constable of the castle doun is fare To seene this wrecke al the ship he sought And found this weary woman full of care He found also the treasure that she brought In her language mercy she besought The life out of her body for to twin Her to deliuer of wo that she was in A manner latin corrupt was her speche But algates thereby was she vnderstond The constable when him list no lenger seche This wofull woman brought he to lond She kneleth doun and thanketh Gods sond But what she was she would no man sey For foule ne faire though she shoulden dey She said she was so mased in the see That she foryate her mind by her trouth The constable of her hath so great pite And eke his wife that they weepen for routh She was so diligent withouten slouth To serue and please euerich in that place That all her louen that looken in her face The constable dame hermegild his wife Were painems that countrey euery where But Hermegild loued her right as her life And Custance hath so long soiourned there In orisons with many a bitter tere Till Iesu hath conuerted through his grace Dame Hermegild constablesse of that place In all that lond dursten no christen rout All christen folke been fled from the countre Through painims that conquered all about The plagues of the North by lond and see To Wales fled the christianite Of old Bretons dwelling in that I le There was her refute for the meane while Yet nas there neuer Christen so exiled That there nas some in her priuite honoured Christ and Heathen beguiled And nigh the castle such there dwellen three That one of hem was blind might not see * But it were with thilke eyen of his mind With which men seen after they been blind Bright was the sunne as in sommers day For which the constable and his wife also And Custance han taken the right way Toward the sea a furlong way or two To plaien and to romen to and fro And in her walke three blind men they met Crooked and old with eyen fast yshet In the name of Christ cried this blind Breton Dame Hermegild yeue me sight again This lady waxe afraied of the soun Least that her husbond shortly forto sain Would her for Iesus Christs lore haue slain Till Custance made her bold bad her werch The will of Christ as doughter of his cherch The constable woxe abashed of that sight And saied what amounteth all this fare Custance answered sir it is Christs might That helpeth folke out of the fiends snare And so ferforth she gan our law declare That she the constable ere that it was eue Conuerted and on Christ made him beleeue This constable was nothing lord of this place Of which I speake there he Custance fond But kept it strongly many a Winter space Vnder Alla king of Northumberlond That was full wise and worthy of his hond Againe the Scots as men may well here But tourne I woll againe to my mattere Sathan that euer vs waiteth to beguile Saw of Custance all her perfectioun And cast anon how he might quite her wile And made a yong knight that dwelt in the toun Loue her so hot of foule affectioun That verily him thought that he should spill But he of her once might haue his will He woeth her but it auailed nought She would doe no manner sinne by no wey And for despight he compassed in his thought To maken her on shamefull death to dey He waiteth when the Constable is away And priuily on a night he crept Into Hermgilds chamber while she slept Werie forwaked in her orisons Sleepeth Custance and Hermegilde also This knight through sathans temptations All softly is to the bed ygo And cut the throat of Hermegilde atwo And laied the bloody knife by dame Custance went his way ther God yeue him mischance Soon after cometh the constable home again And eke Alla that king was of that lond And saw his wife dispitously yslain For which he wept and wrong his hond And in the bed the bloody knife he fond By dame Custance alas what might she say For very wo her wit was all away To king Alla was told all this mischance And eke the time and where and in what wise That in a ship was founden this Custance As here before ye han heard me deuise The kings heart for pity gan agrise When he saw so benigne a creature Fall in disease and in misaduenture For as the lamb toward his deth is brought So stant this innocent beforne the king This fals knight that hath this treson wrought Bereth her in hond that she hath don this thing But nathelesse there was great mourning Emong the people and said they cannot gesse That she had done so great a wickednesse For they han seen her euer so vertuous And louing Hermegild right as her life Of this bare witnesse euerich in the hous Saue he that Hermegild slow with his knife This gentle king hath caught a great motife Of this witness thought he would enquere Deeper in this case the trouth to lere Alas Custance thou hast no champion He fight canst thou not so welaway But he that starft for our redemption And bond Sathan and yet lith there he lay So be thy strong champion this day For but if Christ on thee miracle kithe Without gilt thou shalt been slaine aswithe She set her doun on knees thus she said Immortall God that sauedest Susanne Fro fals blame and thou mercifull maid Marie I meane doughter to saint Anne Beforne whose child angels sing Osanne If I be guiltlesse of this felonie My succour be or els shall I die Haue ye not seene sometime a pale face Emong a prees of hem that hath been lad Toward his deth wheras hem get no grace And such a colour in his face hath had That men might know his face that was bistad Emongs all the faces in that rout So standeth Custance and loketh her about O Queenes liuing in prosperity Dutchesses and ye ladies euerichone Haue some routh on her aduersity An Emperors doughter stant alone She hath no wiÈt to whom to make her mone O blood roiall that stondeth in this drede Fere of been thy friends at thy greatest nede This Alla king hath suche compassioun As gentle herte is full of pyte That from his eyen ran the water doun Nowe hastely do fette a boke qd he And if this knight wol swere how that she This woman slowe yet wol we us avyse Whom that we wol shall ben our iustyse A Breton booke written with Euangeles Was fet and thereon he swore anone She guilty was and in the meane whiles An hond him smote vpon the necke bone That doune he fell atones as a stone And both his eyen brust out of his
face In sight of euery body in that place A voice was heard in generall audience That saied Thou hast disclandred guiltles The doughter of holy chirch in high presence Thus hast thou doen and yet I hold my pees Of this marueile agast was all the prees As dismaide folke they stonden euerichone For dread of wreche saue Custance alone Great was the dread and eke the repentance Of hem that hadden wrought suspection Vpon this silly innocent Custance And for this miracle in conclusion And by Custances mediation The king and many another in that place Conuerted was thanked be Gods grace This fals knight was slain for his vntroth By judgement of Alla hastily And yet Custance had of his death great roth And after this Iesus of his mercy Made Alla wedden full solemnely This holy maid that is so bright and shene And thus hath Christ made Custance a quene But who was wofull if I should not lie Of this wedding but Donegild and no mo The kings mother full of tyrannie Her thought her cursed hart brast a two She would not that her sonne had doe so Her thought a despight that he should take So straunge a creature vnto his make * He list not of the chaffe ne of the stre Make so long a tale as of the corne What should I tell of the realte Of that mariage or which course goth beforne Who bloweth in a trumpe or in a horne The fruit of euery tale is for to say They eaten and drinken daunce and play They gon to bed as it was skill and right For though that wiues been ful holy things They must take in patience a night Such manner necessaries as been pleasings To folke that han wedded hem with rings And lay a little her holinesse aside As for the time it may none other betide On her he gat a man child anone And to a bishop and to his constable eke He tooke his wife to keepe when he is gone To Scotland ward his fomen for to seke Now fair Custance that is so humble and meke So long is gone with child till that still She halt her chamber abiding Christs will The time is come a man child she bare Mauricius at fontstone they him call This constable doth forth come a messenger And wrote to his king that cleaped was Alla How that this blisfull tiding is befall And other tidings needfull for to say He takes the letter and forth goth his way This messenger to doen his auauntage Vnto the kings mother rideth swithe And salueth her full faire in his language Madame qd he ye may be glad and blithe And thanked God an hundred thousand sith My lady quaene hath a child withouten dout To joy and blisse of all this reigne about Lo here the letters sealed of this thing That I mote beare in all the hast I may Yeue ye wol ought vnto your sonne the king I am your seruaunt both night and day Donegilde answered as at this time nay But here I woll all night thou take thy rest To morrow woll I say thee what my lest This messenger dronk sadly both ale wine And stollen were his lettets priuily Out of his boxe while he slept as a swine And counterfeited was full subtilly Another letter wrought full sinfully Vnto the king direct of this mattere Fro his Constable as ye shall after here The letter spake the queene deliuered was Of so horrible a fendlishe creature That in the castle none so hardy was That any while dursten therein endure The mother was an Elfe by auenture I come by charmes or by sorcerie And euery wight hateth her companie Wo was this king when he that letter had sein But to no wight he told his sorrow sore But with his owne hand he wrote again Welcome the sonde of Christ for euermore To me that am new learned in his lore Lord welcome be thy lust and thy pleasance My lust I put all in thy ordinance Keepeth this child all be it foule or faire And eke may wife vnto mine home coming Christ when him lest may send me an heire More agreeable than this to my liking This letter he sealed priuily weeping Which to the messenger was taken sone And forth he goth there is no more to done O messenger fulfilled of dronkenesse Strong is thy breth thy limmes faltren aie And thou be wraiest all secretnesse Thy mind is sorne thou ianglist as a Iaie Thy face is tourned in a new array * There dronkennesse reigneth in any rout There nis no counsaile hid withouten dout O Donegild I ne haue non English digne Vnto thy malice and thy tirannie And therefore to the fende I thee resigne Let him enditen of thy traitrie Fie mannish fie O nay by God I lie Fie fendishe spirit for I dare well tell Though thou here walke thy spirit is in hell This messenger came fro the king againe And at the kings mothers house he light And she was of this messenger full faine And pleased him in all that euer she might He dronke and well his girdle vnder pight He sleepeth and he snoreth in his guise All night till the summe gan arise Eft were his letters stollen euerichone And counterfeited letters in this wise The king commaundeth his constable anone Vpon paine of hanging on an high iewise That he ne should suffren in no wise Custance within his realme for to abide Three daies and a quarter of a tide But in the same ship as he her fond Her and her young sonne and all her gere He should crouden and put fro the lond And charge her that she neuer eft come there O Custance well may thy ghost haue fere And sleeping in thy dreame been in pennance When Donegild cast all this ordinance This messenger on the morrow when he woke Vnto the castle halt the next way And to the Constable he the letter tooke And when that he this pitous letter sey Full oft he saied alas and welaway Lord christ qd he how may this world indure So full of sinne is many a creature O mighty God if that it be thy will Sin thou art rightful iudge how may it be That thou wolt suffer innocence to spill And wicked folke to reigne in prosperite O good Custance alas so woe is me That I mote be thy turmentour or els dey On shames death there nis none other wey Weepen both yong and old in that place When that the king this cursed letter sent And Custance with a deadly pale face The fourth day toward the ship she went But nathelesse she taketh in good intent The will of Christ kneeling in that strond She saied lord aye welcome be thy sond He that me kept fro that false blame Whiles I was on the lond amongs you He can me keepe fro harme eke fro shame In the salt sea although I see not how As strong as euer he was he is now In him trust I and in his mother dere That is
melodie The vshers and the squires been ygone The spices and the wine is comen anone They eten dronken when this had an end Vnto the temple as reason was they wend The seruice done they soupen all by day What needeth it to rehearsen her array Each man wot well that at a kings feast Is plenty to the most and to the least And dainties mo than been it my knowing And after supper goeth this noble king To seen this horse of brasse with all his rout Of lords and of ladies him about Such wondring there was on this horse of bras That sithen the great siege of Troy was There as men wondred on an horse also Ne was there such a wondring as was tho But finally the king asketh the knight The vertue of this horse and the night And praied him to tell of his gouernaunce The horse anon gan to trip and daunce When that this knight laid hond on his raine And said sir there is no more to saine But when you list to riden any where Ye mote trill a pin stant in his ere Which I shall tell you betweene vs two Ye mote nempne him to what place also Or to what country you list to ride And when ye come there you list abide Bid him discend and trill another pin For therein lieth the effect of all the gin And he woll downe discend done your will And in that place he woll abide still Though al the world had the contrary sworne He shall not thence be ythrow ne yborne Or if you listen bid him thence to gone Trill this pin and he woll vanish anone Out of the sight of euery manner wight And come ayen be it day or night When that you list to clepen him againe In such a guise as I shall to you saine Betwixt you and me and that full sone Ride when you list there nis no more to done Enfourmed when the king was of yâ— knight And hath conceiued in his wit aright The manner and the forme of all this thing Full glad and full blith the noble king Repaireth to his reuell as beforne The bridie is in the toure yborne And kept among his iewels lefe and dere The horse vanished I not in what mannere Out of her sight ye get no more of me But thus I lete in lust an iolite This Cambuscan and his lords feasting Till well nigh the day began to spring Explicit prima pars sequitur pars secunda THe noryce of digestion the sleepe Gan on hem winke and bad hem take keepe * That mirth drink and labour woll haue rest And with a galping mouth hem all he kest And said it was time to lie adoun For blood was in his dominatioun * Cherisheth blood natures friend qd hee They thanken him galping by two by three And euery wight gan drawen him to his rest As sleepe hem bade chey tooke it for the best Her dreames shul not now ben ytold for me Full were her heeds of fumosite That causeth dreames of which there is no charge They sleepen soundly till it was prime large The most part but it were Canace She was full measurable as women be For of her father had she take her leue To gone to rest soone after it was eue Her list not apalled for to be Nor on the morrow vnfestliche for to see And slept her first slepe and then awoke For such a joy she in her heart tooke Both of her queynt ring of her mirrour That twenty times she chaunged her colour And in her slepe right for impression Of her mirrour she had a vision Wherfore or that the sunne vp gan glide She cleped her maistresses her beside And said that her lust for to arise These old women that been gladly wise As is her maistresse answerd her anon And said Madam whider woll ye gon Thus early for folke been all in rest I woll quoth she arise for me lest No lenger to slepe but walken about Her maistresse cleped women a great rout And vp they risen wel ten or twelue Vp riseth fresh Canace her selue As ioly and bright as the yong sunne That in the Ram is foure degrees vp runne No higher was he whan she ready was And forth she walked an easie paas Arrayed after the lusty season sote Lightly for to playen and walken on foote Nought but fiue or sixe of her meyne And in a trenche fer in the parke goeth she The vapor which that fro the earth glode Maketh the sunne to seem ruddy and brode But nathelesse it was so faire a sight That it made all her hearts for to light What for the season and for the morowning And for the foules that she herde to sing For right anon she wiste what they ment Right by her song and knew al her entent * The knot why that euery tale is tolde If it be taried till lust be colde Of hem that han it hearkened after yore The sauour passeth euer lenger the more For fulsumnes of prolixite And by that same reason thinketh me I should vnto the same knot condiscende And make of her walking sone an ende Amidde a tre for dry as white as chalke As Canace was playing in her walke There sat a falcon ouer head full hie That with a pitious voyce gan to cry That all the wood resouned of her cry And beaten had her selfe so pitously With both her wings till the reed blood Ran endlong the tre there as she stood And euer in one she cryed and shright And with her becke her seluen so she pight That there nas Tygre ne cruell beast That dwelleth in wood neither in forrest That nolde han wept if that they wepe coud For sorrow of her she shright alway so loud For there was neuer yet man on liue If that he couthe a Falcon well discriue That herde of such another of fayrenes As wel of plumage as of gentilnes Of shape of all that might irekened be A Falcon peregryn than seemed she Of fremd lond and euermore as she stood She swounded now now for lacke of blood Til welny is she fallen fro the tree This faire kings doughter this Canace That on her finger bare the queint ring Through which she vnderstood wel euery thing That any foule may in his leden saine And coud answere him in his leden againe Hath vnderstand what this falcon seyd And welny for routhe almost she deyd And to the tree she goeth full hastily And on this Falcon gan looke pitously And held her lap abroad for well she wist The Falcon must fallen from the twist Whan that she swouned next for lacke of blood A long while to waiten there she stood Till at the last she spake in this manere Vnto the hauke as ye shallen after here What is the cause if it be for to tell That ye ben in this furiall paine of hell Qd. Canace vnto this Hauke aboue * Is this for sorow of death or losse of loue For
take of hem heed And straw her cage faire and soft as silke And giue hem sugre hony bread and milke Yet right anon as his dore is vp He with his feet would sporne adoun his cup And to the wood he would and wormes eat So newfangle ben they of her meat And louen nouelries of proper kind No gentlenesse of blood may hem bind So ferd this Tercelet alas the day Tho he were gentle borne fresh and gay And goodly for to see and humble and free He saw vpon a time a kite flee And suddainly he loued this kite so That all his loue is cleane fro me go And hath his trouth falsed in this wise Thus hath the kite my loue in her seruice And I am lorne without remedy And with that word this faucon gan to cry And swouned oft in Canaces barme Great was the sorow for that hawkes harme That Canace and all her women made They nist how they might her faucon glade But Canace home heareth her in her lap And softly in plaisters gan her wrap There as she with her beck had hurt her selue Now cannot Canace but herbes delue Out of the ground and make salues new Of herbes precious and fine of hew To helen with the hawke fro day to night She doeth her businesse and all her might And by her beds head she made a mew And couered it with veluets blew * In signe of trouth that is in women seene And all without the Mew is painted greene In which were painted all these false foules As ben these tidefes tercelets and owles Right for despight were painted hem beside Pyes fele on hem for to cry and chide Thus leaue I Canace her hauke keeping I woll no more as now speake of her ring Till it come eft to purpose for to sain How that this faucon got her loue againe Repentaunt as the storie telleth vs By mediation of Camballus The kings sonne of which I haue of told But henceforth I woll my processe hold To speaken of auentures and of battails That yet was neuer herd of so gret maruails First woll I tell you of Cambuscan That in his time many a city wan How that he wan Thedora to his wife And after woll I speake of Algarsife For whom full oft in great perill he was Ne had he ben holpen by the horse of bras And after woll I speake of Camballo That fought in lists with the brethren two For Canace ere that he might her win And there I left I woll againe begin Explicit secunda pars Apollo whirleth vp his chare so hie Till that the god Mercurius house he flie ¶ There can be found no more of this foresaid tale which hath been sought in divers places ¶ Here followeth the words of the Marchaunt to the Squier and the words of the Host to the Marchaunt IN faith Squier thou hast thee well yquit And gentely to I praise well thy wit Qd. the Marchaunt considering thine youth So feelingly thou speakest I thee alouth As to my doome there is none that is here Of eloquence that shall be thy pere If that thou liue God giue the right good chaunce And in vertue send thee perseuerance For of thy speaking I haue great deinte I haue a sonne and by the Trinite I had leuer than twenty poundsworth lond Though it now were fallen in my hond He were a man of such discretion As that ye ben fie on possession But if a man be vertuous withall I haue my sonne snibbed and yet shall For he to vertue listeth not to intend But for to play at dise and to spend And lese all that he hath is his vsage And he had leuer talke with a page Than to commune with any gentle wight Where he might learne gentlenesse aright Straw for your gentlenesse qd our host What Marchant pardy full well thou wost That ech of you mote tellen at the lest A tale or two or breaken your behest That know I well qd the Marchant certain I pray you haue me not in disdain Though I to this man speake a word or two Tell on thy tale withouten words mo Gladly sir host qd he I woll obey Vnto your will now hearkeneth what I sey I woll you not contrary in no wise As farre as my wits may suffice I pray to God that it may pleasen you Then wot I well it is good ynow The Marchants Prologue WEeping and wailing care and other sorrow I haue ynow both euen and eke a morrow Qd. the Marchant and so haue other mo That wedded be I trow that it be so For well I wot it fareth so by me I haue a wife the worst that may be For though the fiend coupled to her were She wold him ouermatch I dare well swere What should I rehearse in speciall Her high malice she is a shrew at all There is a long and a large difference Betwixt Grisilds great patience And of my wife the passing cruelte Were I vnbound all so mote I thee I would neuer eft come in the snare * We wedded men liue in sorrow and care Assay who so woll and he shall find That I say sooth by saint Thomas of Inde As for the more part I say not all God sheild that it should so befall Ah good sir host I haue wedded be These moneths two and more not parde And yet I trow he that all his life Hath wedded be though men him rife Into the heart ne couth in no mannere Tell so much sorrow as I now here Coud tell of my wiues cursednesse Now qd our host Marchant so God the blesse Since ye ben so much know of that art Full heartily I pray you tell vs part Gladly qd he but of mine owne sore For sorry heart I tell may no more ¶ The Marchants Tale. Old January marrieth young May and for his unequal match receiveth a foul reward WHylome there was dwelling in Lumbardie A worthy knight that born was at Pauie In which he liued in great prosperite And sixtie yere a wife lesse man was he And followed aye his bodily delite On women there as was his appetite As done these fooles that ben seculeres And when that he was past sixtie yeres Were it for holinesse or dotage I cannot saine but such a great corage Had this knight to ben a wedded man That day and night he doth all that he can To espie where that he wedded might be Praying our lord to graunten him that he Mighten once knowen of that blisfull life That is betwixt an husbond and his wife And for to liuen vnder that holy bond With which God first man and woman bond None other life said he is worth a beane * For wedlocke is so easie and so cleane That in this world it is a paradise Thus saith this old knight that is so wise * And certainely as south as God is king To take a wife it is a glorious thing And namely when a man is old and hore Then is a wife
tooke his aduersite Saue out of doubt may he nat forgone That he nas ielous euer more in one Which jelousie it was so outragious That neither in hall ne in none other house Ne in none other place neuer mo He nolde suffer her neither ride ne go But if that he had honde on her alway For which full often wepeth fresh May That loued Damian so benignely That she mote either die sodainely Or she mote haue him all at her lest She waiteth whan her heart should to brest Vpon that other side Damian Become is the sorowfullest man That euer was for neither night ne day Ne might he speake a word to fresh May As to his purpose of no such matere But if that Ianuary must it here That had an hand vpon her euermo But natheles by writing to and fro And priuie signes wist he what she ment And she knew all the signes of his entent O Ianuary what might thee it auaile Tho thou mightest see as far as ships saile * For as good is a blind man disceived be As to be disceiued when that he may see Lo Argus which had an hundred eien For all that euer he couth pore and prien Yet was he blent and God wot so ben mo That wenen wisely that it is not so Passe ouer is an ease I say no more The fresh May of which I spake of yore In warme waxe hath printed this clicket That Ianuary bare of that small wicket By which vnto his garden oft he went And Damian that knew all her intent The clicket counterfeited priuily There nis no more to say but hastily Some wonder by this clicket shall betide Which ye shall heren if ye woll abide O noble Ouid sooth sayest thou God wote * What flight is it if loue be long and hote That he nill find it out in some manere By Pyramus and Thisbe may men lere Thogh they were kept ful long streit ouer all They ben accorded rowning through a wall There nis no wight couth find such a sleight But now to purpose ere the daies eight Were passed ere the month Iuly befill That Ianuary hath caught so great a will Through egging of his wife him for to play In his garden and no wight but they tway That in a morrow vnto this May said hee Rise vp my wife my loue my lady free The turtle voice is heard my lady swete The winter is gone with all his raines wete Come forth now with thine eyen columbine Now fairer been thy brests than is wine The garden is enclosed all about Come forth my white spouse out of all dout Thou hast me wounded in my hert O wife No spot in thee nas in all thy life Come forth and let vs taken our disport I chese thee for my wife and my comfort Such old leaud words then vsed he Vnto Damian a signe made she That he should go before with his clicket This Damian hath opened this wicket And in he stert and that in such manere That no wight might it see ne here And still he sat vnder a bush anone This Ianuary as blind as is a stone With May in his hand and no wight mo Into his fresh garden is he go And clapt to the wicket suddainly Now wife qd he here nis but thou and I That art the creature that I best loue For by that lord that sit vs all aboue I had leuer dien on a knife Than thee offend my dere true wife For Gods sake thinke how I thee chees Not for couetise ne other good doubtles But only for the loue I had to thee And though that I be old and may not see Be to me true and I woll tell you why Certes three things shall ye win thereby First loue of Christ to your selfe honour And all mine heritage toune and tour I giue it you maketh charters as ye list This shall be done to morrow ere sunne rist So wisely God my soule bring to blisse I pray you on couenaunt that ye me kisse And though that I be jelous wite me nought Ye been so deepe imprinted in my thought That when I consider your beaute And withall the vnlikely elde of me I may not certes though I should die Forbeare to ben out of your companie For very loue this is withouten dout Now kisse me wife and let vs rome about This fresh May when she these words herd Benignely to Ianuarie answerd But first and forward she began to weepe I haue qd she a soule for to keepe As well as ye and also mine honour And of wifehood ilke tender flour Which that I haue ensured in your hond When that the priest to you my body bond Wherefore I woll answere in this manere By the leaue of you my lord so dere I pray God that neuer daw that day That I ne sterue as foule as woman may If euer I do to my kin that shame Or els that I empaire so my name That I be false and if I do that lacke Do strip me and put me in a sacke And in the next riuer do me drench I am a gentlewoman and no wench Why speke ye thus but men ben euer vntrew And women haue reproofe of you aye new Ye can none other communing I leue But speak to vs of vntrust and repreue And with that word she saw where Damian Sat in the bush and kneele he began And with her finger signes made she That Damian should climbe vpon a tre That charged was with fruite vp he went For verily he knew all her intent And euery signe that she couth make Well bet than Ianuarie her owne make For in a letter she had told him all Of this matter how that he werch shall And thus I let him sit in the pery And Ianuarie and Maie roming full mery Bright was the day blew the firmament Phebus of gold doun hath his streames sent To gladen every flour with his warmenesse He was that time in Gemini as I gesse But little fro his declination The causer of Ioues exaltation And so befell that bright morow tide That in the garden on the further side Pluto that is the king of Fayrie And many a ladie in his companie Following his wife the queene Proserpine Ech after other right as a line Whiles she gadred floures in a mead In Claudian ye may the story read How in his grisely cart he her fet This king of Fayrie adoune him set Vpon a bench of turues fresh and greene And right anon thus said he to his queene My wife qd he that may nat say nay Experience so proveth euery day The treason which that women doth to man Ten hundred thousand stories tell I can Notable of your vntrouth and brotelnesse O Salomon richest of all richesse Fulfild of sapience and of worldly glory Full worthy ben thy words in memory To euery wight that wit and reason can Thus praiseth he the bounty of man * Among a thousand men yet found
I one But of all women found I neuer none Thus saith the king that knoweth your wickednesse And Iesus Filius Sirach as I gesse Ne speaketh of you but selde reuerence A wild fire a corrupt pestilence So fall upon your bodies yet to night Ne see ye not this honourable knight Because alas that he is blind and old His owne man shall maken him cuckold Lo where he sit the letchour in the tree Now woll I graunt of my maiestie Vnto this old blind worthy knight That he shall haue again his eye sight When that his wife would done him vilanie Then shall he know all her harlotrie Both in reprefe of her and other mo Ye shall qd Proserpine and woll ye so Now by my mothers soule sir I swere That I shall yeuen her sufficient answere And all women after for her sake That though they been in any gilt ytake With face bolde they shullen hemselue excuse And bear hem down that would hem accuse For lacke of answere non of hem shull dien All had he see a thing with both his eyen Yet should we women so visage it hardely And weepe and swere and chide subtilly That ye shall been as leude as are gees What recketh me of your authoritees I wote well this Iewe this Salomon Found of vs women fooles many one But though he ne found no good woman Yet there hath found many an other man Women full true full good and vertuous Witnes of hem that dwell in Christes house With Martyrdom they preued her constance The Romain iests eke make remembrance Of many a very true wife also But sir he not wroth that it be so Thogh that he said he found no good woman I pray you take the sentence of the man * He meant thus That in soueraign bounte His none but God that sitteth in trinite Eye for very God that nis but one What make ye so much of Salomon What though he made a temple Gods house What though he were rich and glorious So made he a temple of false godis How might he don a thing that more fore forbod is Parde as faire as ye his name emplaster He was a lechour and an idolaster And in his elde very God forsooke And if that God nad as saith the booke Yspared him for his fathers sake he should Haue lost his reigne soner than he would Iset nat of all the villanie That ye of women write a butterflie I am a woman needs more I speake Or els to swell till that mine heart breake For sithen he said that we been iangleresses As euer mote I hole broke my tresses I shall not spare for no curtesie To speak hem harm that would vs villanie Dame qd this Pluto be no lenger wroth I giue it vp but sith I swore mine oth That I would graunt him his sight ayen My word shall stand that warne I you certeine I am a king it set me not to lie And I quoth she queen am of Fairie Her answere she shall haue I vndertake Let vs no mo words hereof make Forsoth I will no longer you contrary Now let vs turne againe to Ianuarie That in the garden with this faire Maie Singeth merier than the Popingay You loue I best and shall and other non So long about the alleyes is he gon Till he was commen ayenst thilke pery Where as this Damian sitteth full mery On high among these fresh leues green This fresh Maie that is so bright shene Gan for to sike and said alas my side Now sir qd she for ought that may betide I must haue of these peers that here I see Or I mote die so sore longeth me To eten some of the small peers greene Help for hir loue that is heauens queen I tell you well a woman in my plite May haue to fruite so great an appetite That she may dyen but she it haue Alas qd he that I ne had here a knaue That couth climbe alas alas qd he For I am blinde ye sir no force qd she But would ye vouchsafe for Gods sake The pery in your armes for to take For well I wot that ye mistrust me Then would I climbe well ynough qd she So I my foote might set vpon your backe Forsooth said he in me shall be no lacke Might I you helpe all with mine hart blood He stoupeth down on his back she stood And caught her by a twist and vp she goth Ladies I pray you that ye be not wroth I can nat glose I am a rude man And sodainely anon this Damian Gan pullen vp the smocke and in the throng A great tent a thrifty and a long She said it was the meriest fit That euer in her life she was at yet My lords tent serueth me nothing thus It foldeth twifold by sweet Iesus He may not swiue not worth a leke And yet he is full gentill and full meke This is leuer to me than an euensong And when that Pluto saw this wrong To Ianuary he gaue againe his sight And made him see as well as euer he might And whan he had caught his sight againe Ne was there neuer man of thing so faine But on his wife his thought was euer mo Vp to the tree he cast his eyen two And saw how Damian his wife had dressed In such mannere it may not be expressed But if I would speak vncurtesly And vp he yaf a roring and a cry As doth the mother when the child shall die Out helpe alas harow he gan to cry For sorrow almost he gan to die That his wife was swiued in the pery O strong lady whore what doest thou And she answered sir what ayleth you Haue patience and reason in your minde I haue you holpen of both your eyen blinde Vp peril of my soule I shall nat lien As me was taught to help your eyen Was nothing bet for to make you see Than strogle with a man vpon a tree God wot I did it in full good entent Strogle qd he ye algate in it went As stiffe and as round as any bell It is no wonder though thy belly swell Thy smocke on his breast it lay so thech That stil me thought he pointed on the brech God giue you both on shames death to dien He swiued thee I saw it with mine eyen Or els I be honged by the halse Then is qd she my medicine false For certainely if that ye might see Ye would not say these words vnto me Ye haue some glimsing and no perfit sight I see qd he as well as euer I might Thanked be God with both mine eyen two And by my trouth me thought he did so Ye mase ye mase good sir quoth she This thanke haue I for that I made you see Alas quoth she that euer I was so kind Now dame qd he let al passe out of mind Come down my sefe and if I haue missaid God helpe me so as I am euill apaid But by my fathers soule I wende haue
Fareth euery knight thus as do ye Is this the law of king Artours hous Is euery knight of his loue so daungerous I am your owne loue and eke your wife I am she which that saued hath your life And certes yet did I neuer you vnright Why fare ye thus with me the first night Ye faren like a man that had lost his wit Fie what is my gilt for Gods loue tell me it And it shall be amended if I may Amended qd this knight alas nay nay That woll not been amended neuer mo Thou art so loathly and so old also And thereto comen of so low a kind That little wonder is thogh Iwallow wind So would God qd he mine hert would brest Is this qd she the cause of your vnrest Ye certainely qd he no wonder nis Now sir qd she I couth amend all this If that me list ere it were dayes three So well ye might beare you vnto me But for ye speake of such gentlenesse As is discended out of old richesse That therefore shullen ye be gentlemen Such errogaunce is not worth an hen * Lo who that is most vertuous alway Preuy and apert and most intendeth aye To do the gentle deeds that he can Take him for the greatest gentleman Christ wold we claimed of him our gentlenesse Not of our elders for our old richesse * For though they yeue vs all her heritage For which we claimen to ben of high parage Yet may they not bequeath for nothing To none of vs her vertuous living That made hem gentlemen ycalled be And bad vs followen hem in such degre Full well can the wise poet of Florence That hight Dante 's speake in this sentence Lo in such manner rime is Dante 's tale * Full selde vp riseth by his braunches smale Prowesse of man for God of his goodnesse Woll that we claime of him our gentlenesse For of our elders may we nothing claime But temporal thing that men may hurt maime Eke euery wight wot this as well as I If gentlenesse were planted naturally Vnto a certaine linage doun the line Preuy and apert then wold they neuer fine To done of gentlenesse the faire office They might done no villany ne vice Take fire and beare it into the derkest hous Betwixt this and the mount Caucasus And let men shut the dores and go thenne Yet woll the fire as faire lie and brenne As twenty thousand men might it behold His office naturall aye woll it hold Vpon perill of my life till that it die * Here may ye see well how that gentrie Is not annexed to possession Sithen folke do not her operation Alway as doth the fire lo in his kind For God it wot men may full often find A lords sonne done shame and villany * And he that woll haue prise of his gentry For he was borne of a gentle hous And had his elders noble and vertuous And nill himselfe don no gentle deedes He follow his gentle auncetre that dead is He nis not gentle be he duke or erle * Fie villaines sinful deeds maketh a cherle For gentlenesse nis but the renomie Of thine auncetres for her high bountie Which is a strong thing to thy persone Thy gentlenesse commeth fro God alone * Then cometh out very gentlenesse of grace It was nothing bequeath vs with our place Thinketh how noble as saith Valerius Was thilke Tullius Hostilius That out of pouerty rose to high noblesse Readeth Seneck and readeth eke Boece There shall ye seene expresse no dread is * That he is gentle that doth gentle deedis And therfore deare husbond I thus conclude All were it that mine auncetors were rude Yet may that high God and so hope I Graunt me grace to liue vertuously * Then am I gentle when I begin To liue vertuously and leauen sin And there as ye of pouertie me repreue The high God on whom that we beleue In wilfull pouerte chese to lead his life And certes euery man maid and wife May vnderstond Iesu heauen king Ne would not chese a vicious liuing * Glad pouert is an honest thing certaine This woll Seneck and other clerkes saine * Who so wold hold him paid of his pouert I hold him rich all had he not a shert * He that coueteth is a full poore wight For he would han that is not in his might * But who that nought hath ne coueteth to haue Is rich although ye hold him but a knaue Very pouert is sinne properly Iuuenall saith of pouert merrily * The poore man when he goeth by the way Beforne theeues he may sing and play * Pouert is hatefull good and as I gesse A full great bringer out of businesse A great amender eke of sapience To him that taketh it in patience Pouert is although it seeme elenge Possession that no wight woll challenge * Pouerte full often when a man is low Maketh him God and eke himselfe to know * Pouert a spectacle is as thinketh me Through which one may his very friends see And therfore since that I you not greue Of my pouert no more me repreue Now sir eke of elde ye repreued me And certes sir though none authorite Were in no booke ye gentles of honour Sain that men should an old wight honour And cleape hem father for her gentlenesse And authors shall I find as I gesse Now there as ye sain that I am foule and old Then drede you not to been a cokewold * For filth elthe and foule all so mote I thee Ben great wardeins vpon chastite But natheles since I know your delite I shall fulfill your worldly appetite These now qd she one of these things twey To haue me foule and old till that I dey And be to you a true humble wife And neuer you displease in all my life Or els woll you haue me yong and faire And take your auenture of the repaire That shall come to your house because of me Or in some other place may well be Now chese your selue whether that you liketh This knight auiseth him and sore liketh But at the last he said in this manere My lady and my loue and wife so dere I put me in your wise gouernaunce Cheseth your selfe which may be more pleasaunce And most honour to you and me also I do no force whether of the two For as you liketh it sufficeth me Then haue I got of you the maistry qd she Since I may chese and gouerne as my lest Ye certes wife qd he I hold it for the best Kisse me qd she we be no lenger wroth For by my truth I woll be to you both This is to say to be both faire and good I pray to God that I mote sterue wood But I to you be also good and trew As euer was wife sithen the world was new And but I be to morrow as faire to seene As any Lady Empresse or Queene That is between East and eke the West Doth with my life right as
many reignes great In the Orient with many a faire cite Appertainaunt vnto the maiestie O Rome with strength held the mfull fast Ne neuer might her foemen doe her fle All the while that Odinates dayes last Her battailes who so list hem for to rede Againe Sapor the king and other mo And how all this proces fill in dede Why she conquered and her title therto And after of her mischiefe and her wo How that she was besieged and itake Let him to my maister Petrarke go That writeth ynough of this I vndertake When Odenat was dead she mightily The realmes held and with her owne honde Ayenst her foes she fought so truely That ther nas no prince ne king in all the lond But were full glad if they that grace fond That she ne should vpon his londe warrey With her they made aliaunce by bond To be in peace and let hem ride and pley The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne him beforne the Romain Galien Ne durst neuer be so coragious Ne non Armen ne non Egipcien Ne Surrien ne none Arabien Within the field that durst with her fight Lest that she would hem with her hondes sleen Or with her maine put hem to flight In kings habite wenten her sonnes two As the lawfull heires of her realmes all And Hermanno and Titamallo Her names were as Perciens hem call * But aie fortune hath in her honie gall This mightie Queene may no while endure Fortune out of her reigne made her to fall To wretchednesse and to misauenture Aurelian when that the gouernance Of Rome came into his honds twey He shope vpon this Queene to do vengeance And with his legions he tooke his way Toward Zenobia and shortly for to say He made her flie and at last her hent And fettered her and eke her children tway And wan the land home to Rome he went Emongest other things that he wan Her chair that of gold was wrought pierre This great Romaine this Aurelian Hath with him lad that for men should it see All beforne his triumph walked she With golden chaines on her necke honging Crowned she was as after he degre And full of pierre charged her clothing Alas fortune she that whilom was Dredefull to kings and to Emperours Now gaureth all the people on her alas And she that helmed was in stark stoures And wan by force townes strong and toures Shall on her head now weare autremite And she that bare the septer full of floures Shall beare a distafe her cost for to quite Nero. ALthough that Nero were as vicious As any fende that lieth full low adown Yet he as telleth vs Suetonius All this world had in subiectioun Both East and West and Septentrioun Of Rubies Saphires and of Perles white Were all his clothes broudred vp and down For he in gemmes greatly gan delite More delicate more pompous of aray More proude was neuer Emperour than he That like cloth that he had weared o day After that time he nold it neuer see Nettes of golde threde had he great plente To fish in Tiber when him list to play His lusts were as law in his degre For fortune as his friend would him obay He Rome brent for his dilicacie The Senatours he slue vpon a day To heare how her wiues would weepe crie And slow his brother and by his sister lay His mother made he in a pitous aray For he her wombe let slit to behold Where he conceiued was so welaway That he so little of his mother told No teares out of his eyen for that sight He came but saied a faire woman was she Great wonder is that he coud or might Be Domisman of her dead beaute The wine to bring him commaunded he And dranke anon none other wo he made * When might is joined vnto cruelte Alas too deepe will the venume wade In youth a maister had this Emperour To teach him lettrure and courtesie For of moralite he was the flour And in his time but if his bookes lie And whiles his maister had of him maistrie He made him so cunning and so souple That long time it was or tyrannie Or any vice durst in him encouple Senek his maister was of which I deuise Because Nero had of him such drede For he for his vices would him chastise Discreetly as by word and not by dede Sir he would say an Emperour mote nede Be vertuous and hate tyrannie For which he made him in a bathe to blede On both his armes till he must die This Nero had eke a customaunce In youth ayenst his maister to rise And afterward him thought great grevaunce Because he often would him chastise Therefore he made him to die in this wise He chose in a bathe to die in this manere Rather than to have another turmentise And thus hath Nero slaine his maister dere Now fell it so that fortune list no longer The high pride of Nero to cherishe For tho he were strong yet was she stronger She thought thus by God I am too nice To set a man that is fulfilled of vice In high degree and an Emperour him call By God out of his seat I woll him trice When he least weneth soonest shall he fall The people rose upon him on a night For his defaut and when he it aspied Out of his dores anon he hath him dight Alone and there he wend have been allied He knocked fast and aye the more he cried The faster shet they the dores all Tho wist he well he had himselfe beguiled And went his way no lenger durst he call The people cried rombled up and down That with his ears he heard how they saied Where is this false tyrant this Neroun For feare full neere out of his wit he braied And to his gods right pitously he praied For succour but it might not betide For drede of this him thought that he deid And ran into a garden him to hide And in this garden found he chorles twey Sitting by a fire great and red And to the chorles two he gan to prey To slea him and to gird off his hed That to his body when he were ded Were no despite done for his defame Himselfe he slough he could no better red Of which fortune lough had then game Holofernes WAs neuer capitaine vnder a king That reignes mo put in subjectioun Ne stronger was in field of all thing As in his time ne greater of renoun Ne more pompous in high presumptioun Than Holoferne which fortune aye kist And so licourousâ—y lad him up and doun Till that he dead was ere that he wist * Not onely that this world had of him awe For lesing of richesse and liberte But he made euery man renie his lawe Nabuchodonosor was lord saied he None other God should honoured be Ayenst his hest there dare no wight trespace Saue in Bethulia a strong cite Where Eliachem was priest of that place But take keepe of the
With full assured looking and manere This Troilus as he was wont to guide His yong knights he lad hem up and doune In thilke large Temple on every side Beholding aie the Ladies of the toune Now here now there for no devotioune Had he to none to reven him his rest But gan to praise and lacke whome he lest And in his walk full fast he gan to waiten If knight or squier of his companie Gan for to sike or let his eyen baiten On any woman that he coud espie He would smile and hold it a follie * And say hem thus O Lord she sleepeth soft For love of thee when thou turnest full oft I have heard tell pardieux of your living Ye Lovers eke your lewd observaunces And which a labour folke have in winning Of love and in keeping such doutaunces And when your pray is lost wo penaunces O very fooles blinde and nice be ye There is not one can ware by another be And with yâ— word he gan cast up the brow Ascaunces lo is this not well ispoken At which the God of Love gan looken low Right for dispite shope him to be wroken He kidde anone his bow was not broken For sodainly he hitte him at the full * And yet as proude a peacocke gan he pull O blinde world o blind entention How often falleth all the effect contraire Of sequedrie and foule presumption * For caught is proud caught is debonaire This Troilus is clomben on the staire And little weneth that he mote descenden * But all day it faileth that fooles wenden * As proud bayard beginneth for to skippe Out of the way so pricketh him his corne Till he a lash have of the long whippe Then thinketh he tho I praunce all beforn First in the traise full fat and new ishorne Yet am I but an horse and horses law I must endure and with my feeres draw So fared it by this fiers and proud knight Though he a worthy kinges sonne were And wend nothing had had such might Ayenst his will that should his heart stere Yet with a looke his heart woxe on fire That he that now was most in pride above Woxe sodainly most subject unto Love For thy ensample taketh of this man Ye wise proud and worthy folkes all To scornen love which that so soone can The freedome of your hearts to him thrast For ever it was and ever it be shall * That love is he that all thing may bind For no man may fordo the law of kind That this be sooth hath preved doth yet For this I trow ye know all and some Men reden not that folke han greater wit Than they yâ— han ben most with love inome And strengest folk been therewith overcome The worthyest and greatest of degree This was and is and yet man shall it see And trueliche that sitte well to be so For alderwisest han therewith ben pleased And they that han ben aldermost in wo With love han ben comforted most eased And oft it hath the cruell heart appeased And worthy folke made worthier of name And causeth most to dreden vice and shame Now sith it may nat goodly be withstond And is a thing so vertuous and kind Refuseth nought to love ne to ben bond Sith as him selven list he may you bind * The yerde is bette that bowen woll wind Than that that brest therefore I you rede Now followeth him that so well can you lede But for to tellen forth in speciall As of this kings sonne of which I told And leven other thing collaterall Of him thinke I my tale forth to hold Both of his joy and of his cares cold And his werke as touching this matere For I it gan I woll thereto refere Within the temple he went him forth playing This Trouilus of every wight about Now on this Lady now on that looking Where so she were of toune or of without And upon case befell that through a rout His eye peirced and so deepe it went Till on Creseide it smote and there it stent And sodainly for wonder wext astoned And gan her bet behold in thrifty wise O very God thouÈt he wher hast thou woned That art so faire and goodly to devise Therewith his heart gan to spread and rise And soft sighed least men might him here And caught ayen his first playing chere She nas nat with the most of her stature But all her limmes so well answearing Weren to womanhood that creature Was never lasse mannish in seeming And eke the pure wise of her meaning Shewed well that men might in her gesse Honour estate and womanly noblesse Tho Troilus right wonder well withall Gan for to like her meaning and her chere Which somdele deignous was for she let fall Her looke a little aside in such manere Ascaunces what may I not stonden here And after that her looking gan she light That never thought him seen so good a sight And of her looke in him there gan to quicken So great desire and such affection That in his hearts bottome gan to sticken Of her sixe and deepe impression And though he earst had pored vp and doun * Then was he glad his hornes in to shrinke Vnnethes wist he how to looke or winke Lo he that lete him selven so cunning And scorned hem that loves paines drien Was full vnware that love had his dwelling Within the subtill streames of her eyen That sodainely him thought he felt dyen Right with her looke the spirite in his heart Blessed be love that thus can folke convert She thus in blacke liking to Troilus Over all thing he stood for to behold But his desire ne wherefore he stood thus He neither chere made ne word thereof told But from a ferre his manner for to hold On other thing sometime his looke he cast And eft on her while that the service last And after this nat fullish all awhaped Out of the Temple eselich he went Repenting him that ever he had iaped Of loves folke least fully the discent Of scorne fill on himselfe but what he ment Least it were wist on any manner side His woe he gan dissimulen and hide When he was fro that Temple thus departed He straight anone unto his Pallaice turneth Right with her loke through shotten darted All faineth he in lust that he soiourneth And all his chere and speech also he burneth And aie of Loves servaunts every while Him selfe to wrie at hem he gan to smile And sayd Lord so they live all in lust Ye Lovers for the cunningest of you That servest most ententifelich and best Him tite as often harme thereof as prow Your hire is quit ayen ye God wote how Not well for well but scorne for good servise In faith your order is ruled in good wise In no certaine been your observaunces But it onely a sely few points be Ne nothing asketh so great attendaunces As doth your
mine ease eke woxen hell is My joy in wo I can sey now nought ellis But tourned is for which my life I warie Every joy or ease in his contrarie which with your coming home ayen to Troy Ye may redresse and more a thousand sithe Than ever I had encreasen in me joy For was there never hart yet so blithe To save his life as I shall ben as swithe As I you see and though no manner routh Can meuen you yet thinketh on your trouth And if so be my gilt hath death deserved Or if you list no more vpon me see In guerdon yet of that I have you served Beseeeh I you mine owne lady free That herevpon ye woulden write me For love of God my right lodesterre That death may make an end of al my werre If other cause aught doth you for to dwell That with your letter ye may me recomfort For though to me your absence is an hell With patience I woll my wo comfort And with your letter of hope I woll disport Now writeth swete let me thus nat plaine With hope or death delivereth me fro paine Iwis mine owne dere hert trew I wote that when ye next vpon me see So lost have I mine heale eke mine hew Creseide shall not conne knowen me Iwis mine herts day my lady free So thursteth aye mine hert to behold Your beautie that vnneth my life I hold I say no more all have I for to sey To you well more than I tell may But whether that ye do me live or dey Yet pray I God so yeve you right good day And fareth well goodly faire fresh May As ye that life or death me may commaund And to your trouth aye I me recomaund With heale such that but ye yeven me The same heale I shall none heale have In you lieth when you list that it so be The day in which me clothen shall my grave And in you my life in you might for to save Me fro disease of all my paines smart And fare now well mine owne sweet hart La vostre T. This letter forth was sent vnto Creseide Of which her answere in effect was this Full pitously she wrote ayen and seide That all so soone as she might iwis She would come amend all that was amis And finally she wrote and saied then She would come ye but she nist when But in her letter made she such feasts That wonder was and swore she loved him best Of which he found but bottomlesse bihests But Troilus thou mayst now East West * Pipe in an Iuie leafe if that thee lest Thus goth the world god shild vs fro mischaunce And every wight that meaneth trouth avaunce Encreasen gan the wo fro day to night Of Troilus for tarying of Creseide And lessen gan his hope and eke his might For which all doun he in his bedde him leide He ne eat dronke ne slept ne word seide Imagining aye that she was vnkind For which wel nigh he wext out of his mind This dreme of which I told have eke beforne May never come out of his remembraunce He thought aye well he had his lady lorne And that Ioves of his purveyaunce Him shewed had in sleepe the signifiaunce Of her vntrouth and his disaventure And that the bore was shewed him in figure For which he for Sibille his suffer sent That called was Cassandre eke all about And all his dreame he told her ere he stent And her be sought assoilen him the dout Of the strong Bore with tuskes stout And finally within a little stound Cassandre him gan thus his dreme expound She gan first smile said O brother dere If thou a sooth of this desirest to know Thou must a few of old stories here To purpose how that fortune overthrow Hath lords old through which within a throw Thou shalt this Bore know of what kind He comen is as men in bookes find Diane which that wroth was and in ire For Greekes nolde done her Sacrifice Ne incens vpon her Alter set on fire She for that Greekes gon her so dispise Wrake her in a wonder cruell wise For with a Bore as great as oxe in stall She made vp frete her corne and vines all To slea that Bore was all the country raised Emong which there came this Bore to A maid one of this world the best ipraised And Meleager lord of that countre He loved so this fresh maiden free That with his manhood ere he would stent This Bore he slough her the hed he sent Of which as old bookes tellen vs There rose a conteke and great envie And of this lord discended Tideus By line or els old bookes lie But how this Meleager gan to die Through his mother woll I you not tell For all too long it were for to dwell She told eke how Tideus ere she stent Vnto the strong citie of Thebes To claimen kingdome of the citie went For his fellawe dan Polimites Of which the brother dan Ethiocles Full wrongfully or Thebes held that strength This told she by proesse all by length She told eke how Hemonides affart When Tideus stough fiftie knightes stout She told eke all the Prophesies by hart And how that seven kings with her rout Besiegeden the citie all about And of the holy Serpent and the well And of the furies all she gan him tell Associat profugus Tideus primo Polynicem Tidea ligatum docet insidiasque secundo Tertius Harmoniam canit vatem latitantem Quartus habet reges ineuntes praelia septem Lemniadum furiae quinto narrantur anguis Archemori bustum sexto ludique seguuntur Dat Thebis vatem Graiorum septimus umbris Octavo cecidit Tideus spes vita Pelasgum Hippomedon nono moritur cum Parthenopeo Fulmine percussus decimo Capaneus superatur Undecimo perimunt sese per vulnera fratres Argivum flentem narrat duodenus ignem Of Archinories burying and the plaies And how Amphiorax fill through the ground How Tideus was slaine lord of Argeis And how Hippomedon in a little stound Was dreint dead Parthenope of wound And also how Campaneus the proud With thunder dint was slaine yâ— cried loud She gan eke tell him how yâ— either brother Ethiocles and Polimites also At a scarmishe eche of hem slough other And of Argiues weeping and her mo And how the toun was brent she told eke tho And tho discended doun from lestes old To Diomede and thus she spake and told This like Bore betokeneth Diomede Tideus son that doun descended is Fro Meleager that made the Bore to blede And thy Lady where so she be iwis This Diomede her hert hath and she is his Weep if thou wolt or leave for out of dout This Diomede is in and thou art out Thou sayst not sooth qd he thou sorceresse With all thy false ghost of Prophecie Thou wenest been a great devineresse Now seest thou nat this foole of fantasie Painen her on
ladies for to lie Away qd he there Ioves yeve the sorow That shalt be fals peraventure yet to morow As well thou mightest lien on good Alceste That was of creatures but men lie That ever weren kindest and the best For when her husbond was in ieopardie To die himselfe but if she would die She chese for him to die and to hell And starfe anon as vs the bookes tell Cassandre goeth and he with cruell hart Foryate his wo for anger of her speech And fro his bedde all suddainly he start As though all hole him had I made a seech And day by day he gan require and seech A sooth of this with all his full cure And thus he driveth forth his aventure Fortune which that permutation Of all things hath as it is her committed Through purveyaunce and disposition Of high Iove as reignes shall ben flitted Fro folk to folk or when they shal ben smitted Gan pull away the feathers bright of Troy Fro day to day till they ben bare of joy Emong all this the fine of the ieopardie Of Hector gan approchen wonder blive The fate would his soule should vnbodie And shapen had a meane it out to drive Ayenst which fate him helpeth not to strive But on a day to fighten gan he wend At which alas he caught his lives end For which me thinketh every manner wight That haunteth armes ought to bewaile The death of him that was so noble a knight For as he drough a king by thauentaile Vnware of this Achilles through yâ— maile And through the bodie gan him for to rive And thus the worthy knight was reft of live For whom as old bookes tellen us Was made such wo that tong it may nat tell And namely the sorow of Troilus That next him was of worthinesse the well And in this wo gan Troilus to dwell That what for sorow love and for unrest Full oft a day he had his heart brest But nathelesse tho he gon him dispaire And drede aye that his lady was untrue Yet aye on her his hart gan repaire And as these lovers done he sought aye new To get ayen Creseide bright of hew And in his hart he went her excusing That Calcas caused all her tarying And oft time he was in purpose great Himselven like a pilgrime to disguise To seene her but he may not counterfeat To ben unknowen of folke that weren wise He find excuse aright that may suffise If he among the Grekes knowen were For which he wept full oft many a tere To her he wrote yet oft time all new Full pitously he left it nat for slouth Beseeching her sens that he was true That she wol come ayen shold her trouth For which Creseide upon a day for routh I take it so touching all this matere Wrote him ayen and said as ye may here Cupides sonne ensample of goodlihede O swerde of knighthood sours of gentilnesse How might a wight in turment in drede And healelesse you send as yet gladnesse I heartlesse I sicke I in distresse Sens ye with me nor I with you may deale You neither send I hart may nor heale Your letters full the paper all iplainted Conceived hath mine hearts pite I have eke seene with teares all depainted Your letter and how that ye requiren me To come ayen which yet ne may not be But why least that this letter founden were No mention ne make I now for fere Grevous to me God wote is your unrest Your hast and that the Goddes ordinaunce It seemeth nat ye take it for the best Nor other thing nis in your remembraunce As thinketh me but only your pleasaunce But beth not wroth that I you beseech For that I tary is all for wicked speech For I have heard well more than I wend Touching us two how thinges have istond Which I shall with dissimusing amend And beth nat wroth I have eke understond How yene do but holden me in hond But now no force I can nat in you gesse But all trouth and all gentilnesse Come I woll but yet in such disjoint I stond as now that with yere or what day That this shall be that can I nat appoint But in effect I pray you as I may Of your good word of your friendship aye For truly while that my life may dure As for a friend ye may in me assure Yet pray I you no evill ye ne take That it is short which that I to you write I dare nat there I am well letters make Ne never yet ne could I well endite * Eke great effect men write in place lite Th entent is all and nat the letters space And fareth well God have you in his grace La vostre C. This Troilus thought this letter all straunge When he it saw sorowfully he sight Him thought it like a kalends of eschaunge But finally he full ne trowen might That she ne would him holden that she hight For with ful evell will list him to leve That loveth well in such case though him greve But nathelesse men saine that at the last For any thing men shall the soothe see And such a case betide and that as fast That Troilus well understood that she Nas nat so kind as that her ought be And finally he wote now out of dout That all is lost that he hath ben about Stood on a day in his melancholy This Troilus and in suspectioun Of her for whom he wend to dye And so befell that throughout Troy toun As was that guise iborne was up and doun A manner cote armoure as saith the story Beforne Deiphebe insigne of his victory The which cote as telleth Lollius Deiphebe it had rent fro Diomede The same day and when this Troilus It saw he gan to taken of it hede A vising of the length and of the brede And all the werke but as he gan behold Full sodainly his heart gan to cold As he that on the coler found within A brooch that he Creseide yave at morow That she from Troy must nedes twin In remembraunce of him and of his sorow And she him laid ayen her faith to borow To keepe it aye but now full well he wist His lady nas no longer on to trift He goth him home gan full soone send For Pandarus and all this newe chaunce And of this broch he told him word end Complaining of her hartes variaunce His long love his trouth his pennaunce And after death without words more Full fast he cried his rest him to restore Then spake he thus O lady mine Creseide Where is your faith where is your behest Where is your love where is your trouth he seide Of Diomede have ye now all the fest Alas I would have trowed at the least That sens ye nolde in trouthe to me stond That ye thus nolde have holden me in hond Who shall now trowen on any othes mo Alas I never would have wend
clothed all in greene And saied God right of your curtesie Ye mote herken if he can replie Ayenst all this that ye have to him meved A God ne shulde nat be thus agreved But of his deite he shal be stable And thereto gracious and merciable And if ye nere a God that knowen all Then might it be as I you tellen shall This man to you may falsely ben accused That as by right him ought ben excused For in your court is many a losengeour And many a queinte totoler accusour That tabouren in your eares many a soun Right after her imaginacioun To have your daliaunce and for envie These ben the causes and I shall nat lie Envie is lavender of the court alway For she ne parteth neither night ne day Out of the house of Cesar thus saith Dant Who so that goeth algate she wol nat want And eke peraunter for this man is nice He might done it gessing no malice But for he vseth thinges for to make Him recketh nought of what mater he take Or him was boden make thilke twey Of some persone and durst it nat withsey Or him repenteth vtterly of this He ne hath nat done so grevously amis To translaten that old clerkes writen As though that he of malice would enditen Dispite of love and had himselfe it wrought This shold a riÈtwise lord have in his thouÈt And nat be like tiraunts of Lombardie That han no reward but at tyrannie * For he that king or lorde is naturell Him ought nat be tiraunt ne cruell As is a fermour to done the harme he can He must thinke it is his liege man And is his tresour and his gold in cofer This is the sentence of the Philosopher A king to kepe his lieges in Iustice Withouten doute that is his office All woll he kepe his lordes in her degree As it is right and skil that they bee Enhaunsed and honoured and most dere For they ben halfe goddes in this world here Yet mote he done both right to poore riche All be that her estate be nat both iliche And have of poore folke compassion For lo the gentill kinde of the lion For when a flie offendeth him or biteth He with his taile away the flie smiteth Al easily for of his gentrie Him deineth nat to wreke him on a flie As doeth a curre or els another beest * In noble corage ought ben areest And waien every thing by equite And ever have regard vnto his owne degre For sir it is no maistrie for a lord To dampne a man without answere of word And for a lorde that is full foule to vse And it so be he may him nat excuse But asketh mercy with a dreadfull hert And profereth him right in his bare sherte To ben right at your owne judgement Then ought a God by short avisement Consider his owne honour and his trespace For sith no cause of death lieth in this case You ought to ben the lightlier merciable Letteth your ire bethe somewhat tretable The man hath served you of his conninges And forthred well your law in his makinges All be it that he can nat well endite Yet hath he made leude folke delite To serve you in preising of your name He made the boke that hight The house of fame And eke the death of Blaunche the Duchesse And the Parliament of Foules as I gesse And al the love of Palamon and Arcite Of Thebes though the storie is knowen liâ—e And many an Himpne for your holy daies That highten balades rondels virelaies And for to speake of other holinesse He hath in prose translated Boece And made the life also of saint Cecile He made also gone is a great while Origenes vpon the Maudelaine Him ought now to have the lesse paine He hath made many a ley and many a thing Now as ye be a God and eke a king I your Alceste whilom quene of Trace I aske you this man right of your grace That ye him never hurt in al his live And he shal swearen to you and that blive He shal never more agilten in this wise But shal maken as ye woll devise Of women trewe in loving al her life Where so ye woll of maiden or of wife And forthren you as much as he misseide Or in the Rose or els in Creseide The God of Love answerde her thus anon Madame qd he it is so long agon That I you knew so charitable and trewe That never yet sens the world was newe To me ne found I better none than ye If that I woll save my degree I may nor woll nat werne your request Al lieth in you doth with him as you lest I al foryeve withouten lenger space * For who so yeveth a yefte or doth a grace Do it betime his thanke shall be the more And demeth ye what ye shal do therfore Go thanke now my lady here qd he I rose and doun I set me on my knee And said thus Madame the God above For yelde you that the God of Love Have maked me his wrath to foryeve And grace so long for to live That I may know sothely what ye be That have me holpen and put in this degre But trewly I wende as in this caas Nought have a gilte ne done to love trespas * For why a trewe man withouten drede Hath nat to parten with a theves dede Ne a trewe lover ought me nat to blame Though yâ— I speke a false lover some shame They ought rather with me for to hold For that I of Creseide wrote or told Or of the Rose what so mine author ment Algate God wotte it was mine entent To forthren trouth in love and it cherice And to ben ware fro falsenesse and fro vice By which ensample this was my mening And she answerde let be thine arguing For love ne wol not counterpleted be In right ne wrong and lerne that of me Thou hast thy grace hold the right thereto Now woll I saine with penance thou shalt do For thy trespace vnderstand it here Thou shalt while that thou livest yere by yere The most partie of thy time spende In making of a glorious legende Of good women maidens and wives That weren trewe in loving all her lives And tell of false men that hem betraien That al her life ne do nat but assaien How many women they may done a shame For in your world that is now hold a game And though thee like nat a lover be Speke wel of love this penance yeve I thee And to the God of love I shal so pray That he shal charge his servants by any way To forthren thee and wel thy labour quite Go now thy waie this penaunce is but lite And when this boke is made yeve it yâ— quene On my behalfe at Eltham or at Shene The God of love gan smile and then he said Wost thou qd he where this be wife or maid Or queene or countesse or of what
degree That hath so littell penaunce yeven thee That hast deserved sore for to smart * But pite renneth soone in gentle hart That maist thou sene she kitheth what she is And I answerde naie sir so have I blis No more but that I see well she is good That is a trewe tale by mine hood Qd. Love and thou knowest wel parde If it be so that thou avise the Hast thou nat in a booke in thy cheste The great goodnesse of the quene Alceste That turned was into a Daiesie She that for her husband chese to die And eke to gone to hell rather than he And Hercules rescued her parde And brought her out of hel againe to blis And I answerde againe and said yes Now know I her And is this good Alceste The Daiesie and mine owne herts reste Now fele I well the goodnesse of this wife That both after her death and in her life Her great bounte doubleth her renoun Wel hath she quit me mine affectioun That I have to her floure the daiesie No wonder is though Iove her stellifie As telleth Agaton for her great goodnesse Her white corowne beareth of it witnesse For all so many vertues had she As smal florounes in her corowne be In remembraunce of her and in honour Cibilla made the daiesie and the floure I crowned al with white as men may se And Mars yave to her a corowne reed parde In stede of Rubies set among yâ— white Therewith this quene woxe reed for shame alite When she was praysed so in her presence Then said Love a full great negligence Was it to thee that ilke time thou made Hide Absolon thy tresses in balade That thou forget in thy songe to sette Sith that thou art so greatly in her dette And wost well that kalender is she To any woman that woll lover be For she taught all the craft of trewe loving And namely of wifehode the living And all the bondes that she ought keepe Thy litel witte was thilke time a sleepe But now I charge thee vpon thy life That in thy legende make of this wife When thou hast other smale imade before And fare now well I charge thee no more But er I go thus much I will the tell * Ne shal no trewe lover come in hell These other ladies sitting here a rowe Ben in my balade if thou const hem know And in thy bokes al thou shalt hem find Have hem now in thy legende al in mind I meane of hem that ben in thy knowing For here ben twenty thousand mo sitting Than thou knowest good women all And trewe of love for ought that may befall Make the metres of hem as the lest I mote gone home the sunne draweth west To paradis with all this companie And serve alway the fresh Daiesie At Cleopatras I woll that thou begin And so forth and my love so shalt thou win For let see now what man that lover be Wol done so strong a paine for love as she I wote well that thou maist nat all it rime That suche lovers did in her time It were too long to reden and to here Suffiseth me thou make in this manere That thou reherce of al her life the great After these old authours listen for to treat For who so shall so many a story tell Sey shortly or he shall to long dwell And with that worde my bookes gan I take And right thus on my legende gan I make ¶ Thus endeth the Prologue ¶ Here beginneth the legende of Cleopatras Queene of Egipt AFter the death of Ptholome the King That all Egipt had in his governing Reigned his Queene Cleopatras Till on a time bifel there such a caas That out of Rome was sent a senatour For to conqueren realmes and honour Vnto the toune of Rome as was vsaunce To have the world at her obeisaunce And soth to say Antonius was his name So fil it as fortune him ought a shame When he was fallen in prosperite Rebel vnto the toune of Rome is he And over al this the suster of Cesare He left her falsely er that she was ware And would algates han another wife For which he toke with Rome Cesar strife Nathelesse forsoth this ilke Senatour Was a full worthy gentill werriour And of his deth it was ful great damage But love had brought this man in such a rage And him so narow bounden in his laas And all for the love of Cleopatras That al the world he set at no value Him thouÈt there was nothing to him so due As Cleopatras for to love and serve Him thought that in armes for to sterve In the defence of her and of her right This noble quene eke loved so this knight Through his desert and for his chevalrie As certainly but if that bokes lie He was of person and of gentilnesse And of discretion and of hardinesse Worthy to any wight that liven may And she was faire as is the rose in Maie And for to maken shorte is the best She woxe his wife and had him as her lest The wedding and the feast to devise To me that have itake such emprise And so many a storie for to make It were to long lest that I should slake Of thing that beareth more effect charge For men may overlade a ship or barge And for thy to effect then woll I skippe And al the remnaunt I woll let it slippe Octavian that wood was of this dede Shope him an hooste on Antony to lede Al vtterly for his distruction With stoute Romaines cruell as Lion To ship they went and thus I let hem faile Antonius was ware and woll nat faile To meten with these Romaines if he may Toke eke his rede and both vpon a day His wife and he and all his host forth went To ship anone no lenger they ne stent And in the see it happed hem to mete Vp goeth the trumpe for to shoute shete And painen hem to set on with the sunne With grisly sown out goeth the great gunne And hertely they hurtlen in all at ones And fro the top doune cometh yâ— great stones In goeth the grapenel so full of crokes Among the ropes ran the shering hokes In with the polaxe preaseth he and he Behind the maste beginneth he to flee And out againe and driveth him over borde He sticketh him vpon his speares orde He rent the saile with hookes like a sith He bringeth the cup and biddeth hem be blith He poureth peesen vpon the hatches slider With pots full of lime they gone togider And thus the long day in fight they spend Till at the last as every thing hath end Antony is shent and put him to the flight And all his folke to go that best go might Fleeth eke yâ— quene with all her purple saile For strokes which yâ— went as thicke as haile No wonder was he might it nat endure And when that Antony saw that aventure Alas qd he the day that I was
of me make I am a Gentlewoman and a Queen Ye woll not fro your wife thus foule fleen That I was borne alas what shall I do To tellen in short this noble Queen Dido She seeketh hallowes and doth Sacrifise She kneeleth crieth that routh is to devise Coniureth him and profereth him to be His thrall his servaunt in the best degre She falleth him to foot and sowneth there Discheuile with her bright gilt heere And sayth have mercy let me with you ride These lordes which that wonnen me beside Woll me destroyen only for your sake And ye woll me now to wife take As ye have sworne then woll I yeve you leve To slaen me with your swerd now sone at eve For then yet shall I dien as your wife I am with child and yeve my child his life Mercy lord have pitie in your thought But all this thing a vaileth her right nought And as a traitour forthe gan to saile Toward the large countrey of Itaile And thus hath he laft Dido in wo and pine And wedded there a ladie hight Lavine A cloth he laft and eke his sword standing When he fro Dido stale in her sleeping Right at her beds head so gan he hie When that he stale away to his nauie Which cloth when sillie Dido gan awake She hath it kist full oft for his sake And said O sweet cloth while Iupiter it lest Take my soule vnbind me of this vnrest I have fulfilled of fortune all the course And thus alas withouten his socourse Twentie time iswouned hath she than And when that she vnto her suster Anne Complained had of which I may not write So great routh I have it for to endite And bad her norice and her sustren gone To fetchen fire and other things anone And sayd that she would sacrifie And when she might her time well aspie Vpon the fire of Sacrifice she start And with his sword she rofe her to the hart But as mine authour saith yet this she seide Or she was hurt beforne or she deide She wrote a letter anon and thus began Right so qd she as the white Swan Ayenst his death beginneth for to sing Right so to you I make my complaining Not that I trow to getten you againe For well I wote it is all in vaine Sens that the gods ben contrarious to me But sin my name is lost through you qd she I may well lese a word on you or letter Albeit I shall be never the better For thilke wind that blew your ship away The same wind hath blow away your fay But who so woll all this letter have in mind Rede Ovide and in him he shall it find ¶ The Legend of Hipsiphile and Medea THou root of false lovers Duke Iason Thou sleer devourer and confusion Of gentlewomen gentle creatures Thou madest thy reclaiming and thy lures To Ladies of thy scathliche apparaunce And of thy words farsed with pleasaunce And of thy fained trouth and thy manere With thine obeisaunce and humble chere And with thine counterfeited paine and wo There other fallen one thou falsed two O oft swore thou that thou wouldest die For love when thou ne feltest maladie Save foule delite which thou callest love If that I live thy name shall be shove In English that thy deceit shall be know Have at thee Iason now thine honor is blow But certes it is both routh and wo That Love with false lovers werketh so For they shall have well better love chere Than he that hath bought love full dere Or had in armes many a bloodie boxe * For ever as tender a Capon eateth the Foxe Though he be fals hath the foule betraied As shall the good man that therefore paied Although he have to the Capon skill right The false Foxe woll have his part at night On Iason this ensample is well iseene By Hipsiphile and Medea the Queene In Thessalie as Ovide telleth vs There was a knight that hight Peleus That had a brother which that hight Eson And when for age he might vnnethes gon He yave to Peleus the governing Of al his reign and made him lord and king Of which Eson this Iason getten was That in his time in all that land there nas Nat such a famous knight of gentillesse Of freedome of strength and of lustinesse After his fathers death he bare him so That there nas none that list ben his fo But did him all honour and companie Of which this Peleus hath great envie Imagining that Iason might be Enhaunsed so and put in such degre With love of lordes of his regioun That from his reigne he may be put adoun And in his wit a night compassed he How Iason might best destroyed be Withouten slaunder of his compasment And at the last he tooke avisement That to send him into some ferre countre There as this Iason may destroyed be This was his wit all made he to Iason Great chere of looke and of affection For drede least his lords it espide So fell it as fame ronneth wide There was such tiding over all and such loos That in an Isle that called was Colcos Beyond Troy Eastward in the see That there was a Ram that men might see That had a flees of gold that shone so bright That no where was there such another sight But it was kept alway with a Dragoun And many other marvailes vp and doun And with two Buls maked all of Bras That spitten fire and much thing there was But this was eke the tale nathelees That who so would winnen thilke Flees He must both or he it winnen might With the Buls and the Dragon fight And king Otes lord was of that I le This Peleus bethought vpon this while That he his nephew Iason would exhort To sailen to that lond him to disport And sayd nephew if it might bee That such worship might fall thee That thou this famous treasure might win And bring it my region within It were to me great pleasaunce and honour Then were I hold to quite thy labour And all thy costes I woll my selfe make And chose with folke thou wolt with thee take Let see now darste thou taken this voyage Iason was yong and lustie of corage And vndertooke to done this like emprise Anon Argus his ships gan devise With Iason went the strong Hercules And many another that he with him ches But who so asketh who is with him gon Let him rede Argonauticon For he woll tell a tale long ynough Philoctetes anon the saile vp drough When the wind was good and gan him hie Out of his countrey called Thessalie So long they sayled in the salt see Till in the Isle of Lemnon arrived hee All be this nat rehearsed of Guido Yet saieth Ovide in his Epistles so And of this Isle lady was and Quene The faire yong Hipsiphile the shene That whylom Thoas doughter was y◠king Hipsiphile was gone in her playing And roming on the clevis by
word she spake she hath no might therto What shall she saine her wit is all ago Right as when a wolfe findeth a lamb alone To whom shall she complaine or make mone What shall she fight with an hardy knight Well wote men a woman hath no might What shall she crie or how shall she astert That hath her by the throte with swerd at hert She asketh grace and said all that she can No wolt thou nat qd this cruell man As wisely Iupiter my soule save I shall in thy stable slea thy knave And lay him in thy bed and loud crie That I thee find in such avoutrie And thus thou shalt be dead and also lese Thy name for thou shalt nat chese This Romans wives loveden so her name At thilke time and dreden so the shame That with for fere of slander drede of death She lost both at ones wit and breath And in a swough she lay and woxe so dead Men mighten smite off her arme or head She feleth nothing neither foule ne faire Tarquinius that art a kings heire And shouldest as by linage and by right Done as a lord and a very knight Why hast thou done dispite to chivalrie Why hast thou done thy lady villanie Alas of thee this was a villanous dede But now to the purpose in the story I rede When he was gon this mischaunce is fall This lady sent after her friendes all Father mother and husbond all ifere And discheveled with her haire clere In habite such as women vsed tho Vnto the burying of her friends go She sate in hall with a sorowfull sight Her friends asken what her aylen might And who was dead and she sate aye weeping A word for shame ne may she forth out bring Ne vpon hem she durst nat behold But at the last of Tarquiny she hem told This rufull case and all this thing horrible The wo to tell were impossible That she and all her friends make at ones All had folkes herts ben of stones It might have maked hem vpon her rew Her hert was so wifely and so trew She said that for her gilt ne for her blame Her husbond should nat have the foule name That would she nat suffren by no way And they answerde all vnto her fay That they foryave it her for it was right It was no gilt it lay nat in her might And saiden her ensamples many one But all for naught for thus she said anone Be as be may qd she of forgiving I will nat have no forgift for nothing But prively she cought forth a knife And therwithall she raft her selfe her life And as she fell adowne she cast her looke And of her clothes yet heed she tooke For in her falling yet she had a care Least that her feet or such things lay bare So well she loved cleannesse and eke trouth Of her had all the towne of Rome routh And Brutus hath by her chast blood swore That Tarquin should ybanished be therfore And all his kinne and let the people call And openly the tale he told hem all And openly let carry her on a bere Through all y◠town that men may see here The horrible deed of her oppressioun Ne never was there king in Rome toun Sens thilke day and she was holden there A saint and ever her day yhallowed dere As in her law and thus endeth Lucresse The noble wife Titus beareth witnesse I tell it for she was of love so trew Ne in her will she chaunged for no new And in her stable hert sadde and kind That in these women men may all day find There as they cast her hert there it dwelleth For well I wote that Christ himselfe telleth That in Israel as wide as is the lond That so great faith in all the lond he ne fond As in a woman and this is no lie And as for men looke ye such tyrannie They doen all day assay hem who so list * The truest is full brothell for to trist ¶ The Legend of Ariadne of Athens JVdge infernall Minos of Crete king Now commeth thy lot thou commest on the ring Nat for thy sake only written is this storie But for to clepe ayen vnto memorie Of Theseus the great vntrouth of love For which the gods of heaven above Ben wroth wrath have take for thy sinne Be red for shame now I thy life beginne Minos that was y◠mighty king of Crete That had an hundred cities strong and grete To schoole hath sent his sonne Androgeus To Athens of the which it happed thus That he was slaine learning Phylosophie Right in that citie nat but for envie The great Minos of the which I speke His sonnes death is come for to wreke Alcathoe he besieged hard and long But nathelesse the walles be so strong And Nisus that was king of that cite So chivalrous that little dredeth he Of Minos or his hoast tooke he no cure Till on a day befell an aventure That Nisus doughter stood vpon the wall And of the siege saw the manner all So happed it that at scarmishing She cast her hert vpon Minos the king For his beautie and his chevalrie So sore that she wende for to die And shortly of this processe for to pace She made Minos winnen thilke place So that the citie was all at his will To saven whom him list or els spill But wickedly he quit her kindnesse And let her drench in sorrow and distresse Nere that the gods had of her pite But that tale were too long as now for me Athenes wan this king Minos also As Alcathoe and other townes mo And this the effect that Minos hath so driven Hem of Athenes that they mote him yeven Fro yere to yere her owne children dere For to be slaine as ye shall after here This Minos hath a monster a wicked best That was so cruell that without areest When y◠a man was brought into his presence He would him eat there helpeth no defence And every third yeare withouten dout They casten lotte as it came about On rich and poore he must his sonne take And of his childe he must present make To Minos to save him or to spill Or let his beast devour him at his will And this hath Minos done right in dispite To wreke his sonne was set all his delite And make hem of Athenes his thrall Fro yere to yere while he liven shall And home he saileth when this toun is won This wicked custome is so long yron Till of Athenes king Egeus Mote senden his owne sonne Theseus Sens that the lotte is fallen him vpon To ben devoured for grace is there non And forth is ladde this wofull yong knight Vnto the country of king Minos full of might And in a prison fettred fast is he Till the time he should yfreten be Well maist thou wepe O wofull Theseus That art a kings sonne and damned thus Me thinketh this that thou art depe yhold To whom
that saved thee fro cares cold And now if any woman helpe thee Well oughtest thou her servaunt for to bee And ben her true lover yere by yere But now to come ayen to my matere The toure there this Theseus is throw Down in the bottome derk and wonder low Was joyning to the wall of a foreine Longing vnto the doughtren tweine Of Minos that in her chambers grete Dwelten above the maister strete Of the towne in joy and in sollas Not I nat how it happed percaas As Theseus complained him by night The kings doughter that Ariadne hight And eke her suster Phedra herden all His complaint as they stood on the wall And looked vpon the bright moone Hem list nat to go to bed so soone And of his wo they had compassion A kings sonne to be in such prison And ben devoured thought hem great pite Then Ariadne spake to her suster free And said Phedra lefe suster dere This wofull lords sonne may ye nat here How pitously he complaineth his kin And eke his poore estate that he is in And guiltlesse certes now it is routh And if ye woll assent by my trouth He shall ben holpen how so that we do Phedra answerde iwis me is as wo For him as ever I was for any man And to his helpe the best rede I can Is that we done the gailer prively To come and speke with vs hastely And done this wofull man with him to come For if he may this monster overcome Then were he quit there is none other boot Let vs well tast him at his hart root That if so be that he a weapon have Where that he his life dare kepe or save Fighten with this fiend and him defend For in the prison here as he shall discend Ye wote well that the beast is in a place That is not derke hath roume eke space To welde an axe or swerde staffe or knife So that me thinketh he should save his life If that he be a man he shall do so And we shall make him balles eke also Of were and towe that when he gapeth fast Into the beestes throte he shall hem cast To sleke his honger and encomber his teeth And right anon when that Theseus seeth The beest acheked he shall on him leepe To sleen him or they comen more to heepe This we apen shal the gailer or that tide Full prively within the prison hide And for the house is crencled to and fro And hath so queint waies for to go For it is shapen as the mase is wrought Thereto have I a remedy in my thought That by a clewe of twine as he hath gon The same way he may returne anon Folowing alway the threde as he hath come And when this beest is overcome Then may he flien away out of this stede And eke the gailer may he with him lede And him avaunce at home in his countre Sens that so great a Lords sonne is he This is my rede if that ye dare it take What shold I lenger sermon of it make The gailer cometh and with him Theseus When these things ben accorded thus Downe sate Theseus vpon his knee The right lady of my life qd he I sorowfull man ydamned to the deth Fro you whiles that me lasteth breth I wol nat twinne after this aventure But in your service thus I woll endure That as a wretch vnknow I woll you serve Forevermore till that mine hert sterve Forsake I woll at home mine heritage And as I said ben of your court a page If that ye vouchsafe that in this place Ye graunt me to have soche a grace That I may have nat but my meate drinke And for my sustinaunce yet woll I swinke Right as you list that Minos ne no wight Sens that he saw me never with eyen sight Ne no man els shall me espie So slily and so well I shal me gie And me so wel disfigure and so low That in this world there shall no man me know To have my life and to have presence Of you that done to me this excellence And to my father shall I sende here This worthy man that is your gaylere And him so guerdon that he shall well be One of the greatest men of my countre And if I durst saine my lady bright I am a kings sonne and eke a knight As wold God if that it might be Ye weren in my countrey all thre And I with you to beare you companie Then shuld ye sene if that I thereof lie And if that I profer you in lowe manere To ben your page and serven you right here But I you serve as lowly in that place I pray to Mars to yeve me soch grace That shames death on me there mote fall And death and poverte to my frends all And that my sprite by night mote go After my death and walke to and fro That I mote of traitour have a name For which my sprit mote go to do me shame And if I clayme ever other degree But ye vouchsafe to yeve it mee As I have said of shames death I dey And mercy Lady I can naught els sey A semely knight was this Theseus to see And yonge but of twenty yere and three But who so had ysene his countenance He wold have wept for routh of his penance For which this Ariadne in this manere Answerde to his profre and to his chere A kings sonne and eke a knight qd she Go ben my servaunt in so lowe degree God shilde it for the shame of women all And lene me never soch a case befall And sende you grace and sleight of hert also You to defend knightly to sleen your foe And lene hereafter I may you find To me and to my suster here so kind That I ne repent nat to yeve you life Yet were it better I were your wife Sith ye ben as gentill borne as I And have a realme nat but fast by Than that I suffred your gentillesse to sterve Or that I let you as a page serve It is no profite as vnto your kinrede But what is that yâ— man woll nat do for dred And to my suster sith that it is so That she mote gone with me if that I go Or els suffre death as wel as I That ye vnto your sonne as trewly Done her be wedded at your home coming This is the finall end of all this thing Ye swere it here vpon all that may be sworne Ye Lady mine qd he or els to torne Mote I be with the Minotaure or to morow And haveth here of mine hert blood to borow If that ye woll if I had knife or speare I would it letten out and thereon sweare For then at erste I wot ye would me leve By Mars that is chiefe of my beleve So that I might liven and nat faile To morow for to taken my bataile I nolde never fro this place flie Till that ye should the very profe se
then qd I that thyngs ne be not necessary by her proper nature so that they commen in all her manners in the likenesse of necessity by condicion of the diuine science Philosophy This is the difference qd she that tho thyngs which that I purposed thee a little here beforn that is to same Sunne arising and the man walking that there whiles that thilke thyngs been done they ne might not been vndone Nathelesse that one of hem or it was done it behoueth by necessity that it was done but not that other Right so it is here that the thyngs which that God hath present withouten doubt they shullen been but some of hem discendeth of the nature of thyngs as the Sunne arising and some discendeth of the power of the doers as the man walking Boetius Then said I no wrong that if these thynges bee referred to the diuine knowing then been they necessary and if they been considered by hemself then been they absolute fro the bonde of necessity Right so as all thyngs that appereth or sheweth to the wits if thou referre hem to reason it is vniuersall and if thou looke it or referre it to it selfe then is it singular But now if thou saist thus that if that it be in my power to chaungen my purpose then shall I voiden the purueyaunce of God when peraduenture I shall haue chaunged the thyngs which that he knoweth beforne Philosophy Then shall I answeren thee thus Certes thou maist well chaunge thy purpose but for as much as the present soothnesse of the diuine purueyaunce beholdeth that thou maist chaunge thy purpose and whether thou chaunge it or no and whiderward that thou tourne it thou ne maist not eschew the diuine prescience right so thou ne maist not flid the sight of the present eye although that thou tourne thy selfe by thy free will into diuers actions But thou maist sayne ayen to this thus How shall it then be shall not the diuine science ben chaunged by my disposicion when that I will one thyng now and now another thyng And thilke prescience ne see meth it not to enterchaunge stounds of knowing as who saith ne shall it not seemen to vs that the diuine prescience enterchaungeth his diuers stounds of knowing so that it know sometime one thyng and sometime it knoweth the contrary of that thing Philosophy No forsooth qd she for the diuine sight renneth beforne and seeth all the futures and clepeth hem ayen and retourneth hem to the proper prescience of his proper knowing ne he enterchaungeth not so as thou wenest the stounds of his foreknowing as now this now that but he dwelling aye commeth beforn and embraceth at o stroke all the mutacions And this prescience to comprehenden and to seen all thyngs God ne hath not taken it of the betidings of thyngs to commen but of his proper simplicity And hereby is assoiled thilke thyngs that thou puttest a little here beforne that is to sayne that it is vnworthy thyng to sayne that our futures yeven cause of the prescience of God For certes strength of the diuine science which that embraceth all thyngs by his presentary knowing establisheth manner to all thyngs and it ne oweth not to latter thyngs And sith that these thyngs ben thus that is to sain that necessity is not in thyngs by the diuine prescience then is there freedome of arbitry that dwelleth hole and vnwemmed to mortal men ne the laws ne purposen not wicked medes and pains to the willings of men that ben vnbounden and quite of all necessity * And God beholder and foreweter of all thyngs dwelleth aboue and the present eternity of sight renneth alway with the diuers quality of our deeds dispensing or ordeining medes to good men and tourments to wicked men Ne in idle ne in vain ne been there not put in God hope and prayers that ne mowen not been vnspeedfull ne without effect when they ben rightfull * Withstand then and eschew thou vices worship and love thou vertues areise thy courage to rightfull hopes yeeld thou humble prayers and high Great necessity of prowesse and of vertue is encharged and commaunded to you if ye nill not dissimulen sith that ye worchen and done that is to saine your deeds and your werks beforne the eyen of the judge that seeth and also that demeth all thyngs Deo gratias ¶ Thus endeth the Book of Boetius of the Consolation of Philosophy The Book commonly entituled Chaucer's Dream By the Person of a mourning Knight sitting under an Oak is meant John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster greatly lamenting the death of one whom he entirely loved supposed to be Blanch the Dutchess I Haue great woonder by this light How I liue for day ne night I may not sleepe welnigh nought I haue so many an idle thought Purely for default of sleepe That by my trouth I take no keepe Of nothing how it commeth or gothe To me nis nothing lefe nor lothe All is yliche good to me Ioy or sorrow where so it be For I haue feeling in nothing But as it were a mased thing All day in point to fall adoun For sorrowfull imaginacioun Is alway wholly in my mind And well ye wote against kind It were to liuen in this wise For nature would not suffise To none earthly creature Not long time to endure Without sleepe and be in sorrow And I ne may ne night ne morrow Sleepe and this melancolie And drede I haue for to die Defaut of sleepe and heauinesse Hath slaine my spirit of quickenesse That I haue lost all lustyhead Such fantasies ben in mine head So I not what is best to do But men might aske me why so I may not sleepe and what me is But nathelesse who aske this Leseth his asking truly My seluen cannot tell why The sooth but truly as I gesse I hold it be a sickenesse That I haue suffred this eight yere And yet my boot is neuer the nere For there is phisicien but one That may me heale but that is done Passe we ouer vntill eft That will not be mote needs be left Our first matter is good to keepe So when I saw I might not sleepe Now of late this other night Vpon my bed I sate vpright And bade one reach me a booke A Romaunce and he it me tooke To rede and drive the night away For me thought it better play Than either at Chesse or Tables And in this booke were written fables That Clerkes had in old time And other Poets put in rime To rede and for to be in mind While men iâ—ued the law of kind This booke ne spake but of such things Of queenes liues and of kings And many other things smale Among all this I found a tale That me thought a wonder thing This was the tale There was a king That hight Seys and had a wife The best that might beare life And this queene hight Alcione So it befell thereafter soone This king woll wenden ouer
see To tellen shortly when that he Was in the see thus in this wise Such a tempest gan to rise That brake her mast and made it fall And cleft her ship and dreint hem all That neuer was found as it tels Bord ne man ne nothing els Right thus this king Seys lost his life Now for to speake of Alcione his wife This lady that was left at home Hath wonder that the king ne come Home for it was a long terme Anon her hart began to yerne And for that her thought euermo It was not wele her thought so She longed so after the king That certes it were a pitous thing To tell her heartely sorrowfull life That she had this noble wife For him alas she loued alderbest Anon she sent both east and west To seeke him but they found him nought Alas qd she that I was wrought Whether my lord my love be dead Certes I nill neuer eat bread I make a vow to my god here But I mowe of my lord here Such sorrow this lady to her tooke That truly I that made this booke Had such pitie and such routh To rede her sorrow that by my trouth I farde the worse all the morrow After to thinken on her sorrow So when this lady coud here no word That no man might find her lord Full oft she swowned and said alas For sorrow full nigh wood she was Ne she coud no rede but one But downe on knees she sate anone And wept that pitie were to here A mercy sweet lady dere Qd. she to Iuno her goddesse Helpe me out of this distresse And yeve me grace my lord to see Soone or wete where so he bee Or how he fareth or in what wise And I shall make you sacrifice And holly yours become I shall With good will body hart and all And but thou wolt this lady swete Send me grace to slepe and mete In my sleepe some certaine sweuen Where through that I may know euen Whether my lord be quicke or dead With that word she hing downe the head And fell in a swowne as cold as stone Her women caught her up anone And brought her in bed all naked And she forweped and forwaked Was weary and thus the dead sleepe Fell on her or she tooke keepe Through Iuno that had heard her boone That made her to sleepe soone For as she praide right so was done Indeed for Iuno right anone Called thus her messengere To do her erraund and he come nere When he was come she had him thus Go bet qd Iuno to Morpheus Thou knowest him well the God of sleepe Now vnderstand well and take keepe Say thus on my halfe that hee Go fast into the great see And bid him that on all thing He take up Seis body the king That lieth full pale and nothing rody Bid him creepe into the body And do it gone to Alcione The queene there she lieth alone And shew her shortly it is no nay How it was dreint this other day And do the body speake right so Right as it was wonted to do The whiles that it was aliue Go now fast and hye thee bliue This messenger tooke leue and went Vpon his way and neuer he stent Till he came to the darke valley That stant betweene rockes twey There neuer yet grew corne ne gras Ne tree ne naught that aught was Beast ne man ne naught els Saue that there were a few wels Came renning fro the cliffes adowne That made a deadly sleeping sowne And rennen downe right by a caue That was under a rocke ygraue Amid the valley wonder deepe There these goddes lay asleepe Morpheus aud Eclympasteire That was the god of sleepes heire That slept and did none other werke This caue was also as derke As hell pitte ouer all about They had good leyser for to rout To vye who might sleepe best Some hing her chin vpon her brest And slept vpright her head yhed And some lay naked in her bed And slept whiles their daies last This messenger come renning fast And cried ho ho awake anone It was for naught there heard him none Awake qd he who lieth there And blew his horne right in her ear And cried awaketh wonder hye This god of sleepe with his one eye Cast vp and asked who clepeth there It am I qd this messengere Iuno bade thou shouldest gone And told him what he should done As I have told you here before It is no need rehearse it more And went his way when he had saide Anone this god of slepe abraide Out of his sleepe and gan to go And did as he had bidde him do Tooke vp the dead body soone And bare it forth to Alcione His wife the queene there as she lay Right even a quarter before day And stood right at her beds fete And called her right as she hete By name and said My sweet wife Awake let be your sorrowfull life For in your sorrow there lyeth no rede For certes sweet love I am but dede Ye shall me never on live ysee But good sweet hart looke that yee Bury my body for such a tide Ye mowe it find the see beside And farewell sweet my worlds blisse I pray God your sorrow lisse Too little while our blisse lasteth With that her eyen vp she casteth And saw naught alas qd she for sorrow And vsed within the third morrow But what she said more in that swowe I may nat tell it you as now It were too long for to dwell My first matere I will you tell Wherefore I haue told this thing Of Alcione and Seis the king For thus much dare I say wele I had be bolden every dele And dead right through defaut of sleepe If I ne had red and take kepe Of this tale next before And I will tell you wherfore For I ne might for bote ne bale Sleepe or I had redde this tale Of this dreint Seis the king And of the gods of sleeping When I had red this tale wele And overlooked it everydele Me thought wonder if it were so For I had never heard speake or tho Of no gods that coud make Men to sleepe ne for to wake For I ne knew never God but one And in my game I said anone And yet me lift right euill to pley Rather than that I should dey Through defaut of sleeping thus I would giue thilke Morpheus Or that goddesse dame Iuno Or some wight els I ne rought who To make me slepe and haue some rest I will giue him the alther best Yest that ever he abode his liue And here onward right now as blive If he woll make me sleepe alite Of downe of pure Doues white I woll yeve him a featherbed Raied with gold and right well cled In fine blacke Sattin doutremere And many a pillow and euery bere Of cloth of raines to slepe on soft Him there not need to turne oft And I woll yeve him all that fals To his chamber and
stighed to heuin he made his testament Where he bequeath to his disciples there And yaue his peace which is yâ— foundement Of charity without whose assent The worlds peace may neuer well be tried Ne loue kept ne law iustified The Iews with yâ— painims hadden werre But they among hemself stode euer in peace Why should then our peace stand out of erre Which Christ hath chose vnto his own encrese For Christ is more than was Moyses And Christ hath set the parfite of the law The which should in no wise be withdraw * To yeue vs peace was cause why Christ dide Without peace may nothing stond auailed But now a man may see on euery side How Christs faith is euery day assailed With painims destroyed and so batailed That for defaut of helpe and of defence Vnneth hath Christ his due reuerence The right faith to keepe of holy church The first point is named of knighthode And euery man is hold for to worch Vpon the point that stant to his manhode But now alas the fame is spred so brode That euery man this thing complaineth And yet is there no man that helpe ordaineth The worlds cause is waited ouer all There be the warres ready to the full But Christs own cause in speciall There ben the swerds and the speares dull And with the sentence of the Popes bull As for to done the folke paine obay The church is tourned all another way It is wonder aboue any mans wit Without war how Christs faith was won And we that be vpon this earth yet Ne keepe it nat as it was first begon To euery creature vnder the sonne Christ bad himselfe that we should preach And to the folke his Euangely teach * More light it is to keep than to make But that we founden made tofore hond We keepe not but let it lightly slake The peace of Christ hath al to broke his bond We rest our selfe and suffren euery lond To slee each other as thing vndefended So stant the war and peace is not amended But though the head of holy church aboue Ne do not all his hole businesse Among the people to set peace loue These kings oughten of her rightwisenesse Her owne cause among hemselfe redresse * Tho Peters ship as now hath lost his stere It lithe in hem the barge for to stere If holy church after the duty Of Christs word ne be nat all auised To make peace accord and vnity Among the kings that be now deuised Yet natheles the law stant assised Of mans wit to be so reasonable Without that to stand himselfe stable Of holy church we ben children all And euery child is hold for to bow Vnto the mother how that ever it fall Or els he must reason disallow And for that cause a knight shall first auow The right of holy church to defend That no man shall the priuiledge offend Thus were it good to set all in euin The worlds princes and the prelates both For loue of him which is the king of heuin And if men should algate wexen wroth The sarazins which vnto Christ ben loth Let men be armed ayenst hem to fight So may the knight his deed of armes right Vpon iii. points stant Christs peace oppressed First holy church in her selfe deuided Which ought of reason first to be redressed But yet so high a cause is not decided And thus when humble patience is prided The remenaunt which that they should rule No wonder is though it stand out of rule * Of that the head is sicke the limmes aken These reigns that to Christs peace belongen For worlds good these deadly wars maken Which helpelesse as in balaunce hongen The head aboue hem hath nat vnderfongen To set peace but euery man sleeth other And in this wise hath charity no brother The two defauts that bringen in the third Of miscreants that seene how we debate Between the two they fallen in amid Where now all day they find an open gate Lo thus the deadly warre stant algate But euer I hope of king Henries grace That he it is which shall the peace embrace My worthy noble prince and king annoint Whom God hath of his grace so preserued Behold and see the world vpon this point As for thy part that Christs peace be serued So shall thy high mede be deserued To him which all shall quite at last * For this life here may no while last See Alexander Hector and Iulius See Machabeus Dauid and Iosue See Charlemaiue Godefray and Arthus Fulfilled of warre and of mortality Her fame abitte but all is vanity For death which hath the warres vnder foot Hath made an end of which there is no boot So many a man the soth wete and know That peace is good for euery king to haue * The fortune of the warre is euer vnknow But where peace is there is yâ— marches saue That now is vp to morrow is vnder graue * The mighty God hath all grace in hand Without him men may not long stand At the tennes to win or lese a chase May no life wete or that the ball be ronne * Al stant in God with thing men shal purchase The end is in him or that it be begonne * Men saine the woll when it is well sponne Doth that the cloth is strong and profitable And els it may neuer be durable The worlds chaunces vpon auenture Ben euer set but thilke chaunce of pees Is so behouely to the creature That is aboue all other peerlees But it may not beget nathelees Among the men to last any while But where the hert is plaine without guile The peace is as it were a sacrament Tofore the God and shall with words plaine Without any double entendement Be treated for the trouth cannot faine * But if the men within himselfe ben vaine The substaunce of the peace may not be trew But euery day it chaungeth vpon new But who that is of charity parfite He voideth all sleights ferre away And set his word vpon the same plite Where that his hert hath found a siker way And thus when conscience is truly way And that these ben handled with the wise It shall abide and stand in all wise The Apostle saith * Ther may no life be good Which is not grounded vpon charity For charity ne shed neuer blood So hath the warre as there no property For thilke vertue which is said pity With charity so ferforth is acquainted That in her may no false semblant be painted Cassodore whose writing is authorised Saith * Where that pity reigneth is grace Through which yâ— peace hath al his welth assised So that of warre he dredeth no manace Where pity dwelleth in the same place There may no deadly cruelty sojourne Wherof that mercy should his way tourne To see what pity forthwith mercy doth The cronique is at Rome in thilke empire Of Constantine which is a tale sooth When him was leuer his owne death desire Than do the
no force of thy reddour To him that ouer himselfe hath maistre * My suffisaunce shall be my succour For finally fortune I defie O Socrates thou stedfast champion She might neuer be thy turmentour Thou neuer dredest her oppression Ne in her chere found thou no fauour Thou knew the deceit of her colour And that her most worship is for to lie I know her eke a false dissimulour For finally fortune I defie The answer of Fortune * No man is wretched but himselfe it wene Ne that hath in himselfe suffisaunce Why saist thou then I am to thee so kene That hast thy selfe out of my gouernance Say thus graunt mercy of thine habundance that thou hast lent or this thou shalt not striue What wost thou yet how I thee woll auance And eke thou hast thy best friend aliue I haue thee taught deuision betweene Friend of effect and friend of countenaunce Thee needeth not the gall of an Hine That cureth eyen darke for her pennaunce Now seest thou clere that were in ignoraunce * Yet holt thine anker yet thou maistarriue There bounty beareth yâ— key of my substance And eke thou hast thy best friend aliue How many haue I refused to sustene Sith I haue thee fostred in thy pleasaunce Wolt thou then make a statute on thy quene That I shall be aye at thine ordinaunce Thou born art in my reigne of variaunce About the whele with other must thou driue My lore is bet then wicke is thy greuaunce And eke thou hast thy best friend aliue The answer to Fortune Thy lore I dampne it is aduersity My frend maist thou not reue blind goddesse That I thy friends know I thanke it thee * Take hem againe let hem go lie a presse The niggardes in keeping her richesse Pronoslike is thou wolt her toure assaile * Wicke appetite commeth aye before sicknesse In general this rule may not faile Fortune Thou pinchest at my mutability For I thee lent a droppe of my richesse And now me liketh to withdraw me Why shouldest thou my royalty oppresse The sea may ebbe and flow more and lesse The welken hath might to shine rain hail Right so must I kithe my brotilnesse In generall this rule may not fail The Plaintife Lo the execution of the majesty That all purueigheth of his rightwisenesse That same thing fortune clepen ye Ye blind beasts full of leaudnesse * The heauen hath property of sikernesse This world hath euer restlesse trauaile The last day is end of mine entresse In generall this rule may not faile Thenuoye of Fortune Princes I pray you of your gentilnesse Let not this man and me thus cry and plain And I shall quite you this businesse And if ye liste releue him of his pain Pray ye his best frende of his noblesse That to some better state he may attain Lenuoy TO broken been the statutes hie in heauen That create were eternally tendure Sithe that I see the bright Goddes seuen Mowe wepe and waile and passion endure As may in yearth a mortall creature Alas fro whens may this thing procede Of which errour I die almost for drede By word eterne whilom was it shape That fro the fifth cercle in no manere Ne might of teares doune escape But now so weepeth Venus in her sphere That with her teares she wol drench vs here Alas Scogan this is for thine offence Thou causest this deluge of pestilence Hast thou not said in blaspheme of yâ— goddis Through pride or through thy gret rekelnes Such things as in the law of loue forbode is That for thy lady saw not thy distresse Therfore thou yaue her vp at Mighelmesse Alas Scogan of olde folke ne yong Was neuer erst Scogan blamed for his tong Thou drew in scorne Cupide eke to record Of thilke rebell word that thou hast spoken For which he woll no lenger be thy Lord And Scogan though his bow be not broken He woll not with his arowes be ywroken On thee ne me ne none of our figure We shall of him haue neither hurte ne cure Now certes frend I drede of thine vnhape Lest for thy gilte the wreche of loue procede On all hem that been hore round of shape That be so likely folke to spede Then we shall of our labour haue our mede But well I wot thou wolt answere and say * Lo old Grisell list to renne and play Nay Scogan say not so for I me excuse God helpe me so in no rime doubtles Ne thinke I neuer of sleepe wake my muse That rusteth in my sheath still in pees While I was yong I put her forth in prees But all shall passe that men prose or time Take euery man his tourne as for his time * Scogan thou knelest at the stremes hedde Of grace of all honour and of worthiness In th ende of which I am dull as dedde Forgotten in solitary wildernesse Yet Scogan thinke on Tullius kindness Mind thy frende there it may fructifie Farewel and looke thou neuer eft loue defie Explicit * GO forth King rule thee by Sapience Bishop be able to minister doctrine Lorde to true counsaile yeue audience Womanhode to chastity euer encline Knight let thy deedes worship determine Be righteous Iudge in sauing thy name Rich do almose lest thou lese bliss with shame * People obey your king and the law Age be ruled by good religion True seruant be dredful kepe thee vnder aw And thou poore fie on presumpcion Inobedience to youth is vtter destruction Remember you how God hath set you lo And doe your part as ye be ordeined to Th. Occleve to his empty Purse TO you my purse and to none other wight Complaine I for ye be my Lady dere I am sorry now that ye be light For certes ye now make me heauy chere Me were as lefe laid vpon a bere For which vnto your mercy thus I crie Be heauy againe or els mote I die Now vouchsafe this day or it be night That I of you the blissful sowne may here Or see your colour like the sunne bright That of yelowness had neuer pere Ye be my life ye be my hertes stere Queene of comfort and of good companie Be heauy againe or els mote I die Now purse that art to me my liues light And sauiour as downe in this world here Out of this towne helpe me by your might Sith that you woll not be my treasure * For I am shaue as nere as any frere But I pray vnto your curtesie Be heauy againe or els mote I die Explicit Occleve unto the King O Conquerour of Brutes Albion Which that by line and free election Been very king this to you I send And ye that may all harmes amend Haue minde vpon my supplicacion Explicit A Ballad of good counsail translated out of Latin verses into English by Dan John Lidgate cleped the Monk of Bury COnsider well every circumstaunce Of what estate ever thou bee Riche strong or mighty of puissance
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
anone beholding here and there I spied a friend of mine and that full sone A gentlewoman was the chamberere Vnto the quene that hote as ye shall here Philobone that loued all her life When she me sey she led me forth as blife And me demanded how and in what wise I thither come and what my errand was To seen the Court qd I and all the guise And eke to sue for pardon and for grace And mercy aske for all my great trespas That I none erst come to the court of loue Foryeue me this ye gods all aboue That is well said qd Philobone indede But were ye not assomoned to appere By Mercurius for that is all my drede Yes gentill feire qd I now am I here Ye yet what tho though that be true my dere Of your free will ye should haue come vnsent For ye did not I deme ye will be shent For ye that reigne in youth and lustinesse Pampired with ease and jalous in your age Your duty is as farre as I can gesse To loues court to dressen your viage As soone as nature maketh you so sage * That ye may know a woman from a swan Or when your foot is growen halfe a span But sith that ye by wilfull negligence This xviii year hath kept your self at large The greater is your trespas and offence And in your neck you mote bere all yâ— charge For better were ye ben withouten barge Amidde the sea in tempest and in raine Then biden here receiuing wo and paine That ordained is for such as them absent Fro loues court by yeres long and fele I ley my life ye shall full soone repent For loue will râ—iue your colour lust and he le Eke ye must bait on many an heauy mele No force ywis I stirred you long agone To draw to court qd little Philobone Ye shall well see how rough and angry face The king of Loue will shew when ye him se By mine aduise kneel down ask him grace Eschewing perill and aduersite For well I wote it woll none other be Comfort is none ne counsell to your ease Why will ye then the king of Loue displease O mercy God qd iche I me repent Caitife wretch in hert in will and thought And after this shall be mine hole entent To serue please how dere that loue be bought Yet sith I haue mine own pennance ysought With humble sprite shall I it receiue Though that the king of Loue my life bereiue And though that feruent loues qualite In me did neuer wortch truly yet I With all obeisaunce and humilite And benigne hert shall serue him till I die And he that lord of might is great and hie Right as him list me chastice and correct And punish me with trespace thus infect These words said she caught me by the lap And led me forth in till a temple round Both large and wide and as my blessed hap And good auenture was right soone I found A tabernacle reised from the ground Where Venus sat and Cupide by her side Yet halfe for drede I can my visage hide And eft againe I looked and beheld Seeing full sundry people in the place And mister folk some that might not weld Their lims wele me thought a wonder case The temple shone with windows all of glass Bright as the day with many a fair image And there I see the fresh queene of Cartage Dido that brent her beauty for the loue Of false Eneas and the weimenting Of her Annelida true as Turtle doue To Arcite fals and there was in peinting Of many a prince and many a doughty king Whose martirdom was shewed about yâ— wals And how that fele for loue had suffred fals But sore I was abashed and astonied Of all tho folke that there were in that tide And then I asked where they had wonned In diuers courts qd she here beside In sundry clothing mantill wise full wide They were arraied and did their sacrifise Vnto the God and goddesse in their guise Lo yonder folk qd she yâ— kneele in blew They weare the colour aye and euer shall In signe they were and euer will be trew Withouten chaunge and soothly yonder all That ben in black and mourning cry and call Vnto the gods for their loues bene Som sick some dede som all to sharp kene Yea then qd I with done these priests here Nonnes and Hermites Freres and all tho That sit in white in russet and in grene Forsooth qd she they waylen of their wo. O mercy Lord may they so come and go Freely to court and haue such liberty Yea men of each condition and degre And women eke For truly there is none Exception made ne neuer was ne may This court is ope and free for euerichone The king of loue he will not say them nay He taketh all in poore or rich array That meekely sew vnto his excellence With all their hert and all their reuerence And walking thus about with Philobone I see where come a messengere in hie Streight from the king which let command anone Throughout the court to make an ho cry All new come folke abide and wote ye why The kings lust is for to seene you sone Come nere let see his will mote need be done Then gan I me present tofore the king Trembling for fere with visage pale of hew And many a louer with me was kneeling Abashed sore till vnto the time they knew The sentence yeue of his entent full trew And at the last the king hath me behold With sterne visage seid what doth this old Thus ferre ystope in yeres come so late Vnto the court forsooth my liege qd I An hundred time I haue ben at the gate Afore this time yet coud I neuer espie Of mine acqueintaunce any in mine eie And shame fastnesse away me gan to chace But now I me submit vnto your grace Well all is pardoned with condition That thou be true from henceforth to thy might And seruen loue in thine entention Sweare this then as ferre as it is right thou shalt haue grace here in thy quenes sight Yes by yâ— faith I owe to your croun I swere Though death therefore me thirâ—th with his spere And when yâ— king hod seene vs euerychone He let commaund an Officer in hie To take our faith and shew vs one by one The statutes of the court full busily Anon the booke was leid before their eie To rede and see what thing we must obserue In Loues Court till that we die and sterue ANd for that I was lettred there I red The statutes hole of Loues Court hall The first statute that on the booke was spred Was to be true in thought and deeds all Vnto the king of Loue the lord ryall And to the quene as faithfull and as kind As I coud thinke with hert will and mind The Second statute secretly to kepe Councell of loue not blowing euery where All that I
Her nose directed streight and euen as line With forme and shape thereto conuenient In which the goddes milk white path doth shine And eke her eyen ben bright orient As is the Smaragde vnto my judgement Or yet these sterres heauenly small bright Her visage is of louely rede and white Her mouth is short and shit in little space Flaming somedeale not ouer redde I mean With pregnant lips thick to kisse percace * For lippes thinne not fat but euer lene They serue of nauÈt they be not worth a bean For if the basse been full there is delite Maximian truly thus doth he write But to my purpose I say white as snow Been all her teeth and in order they stond Of one stature and eke her breath I trow Surmounteth all odours that euer I found In sweetnesse and her body face and hond Been sharpely slender so that from the head Vnto the foot all is but womanhead I hold my peace of other things hidde Here shall my soule and not my tong bewray But how she was arraied if ye me bidde That shall I well discouer you and say A bend of gold and silke full fresh and gay With her intresse broudered full wele Right smoothly kept and shining euerydele About her necke a flower of fresh deuise With Rubies set that lusty were to sene And she in goun was light and summer wise Shapen full wele the colour was of grene With aureat sent about her sides clene With diuers stones precious and rich Thus was she rayed yet saw I neuer her lich For if that Ioue had but this lady seine Tho Calixto ne yet Alemenia They neuer hadden in his armes leine Ne he had loued the faire Eurosa Ye ne yet Dane ne Antiopa For all their beauty stood in Rosiall She seemed lich a thing celestiall In bounty fauour port and seemelinesse Pleasaunt of figure mirrour of delite Gracious to seene and root of all gentilnesse With angell visage iusty redde and white There was not lack saufe daunger had alite This goodly fresh in rule and gouernaunce And somdele strange she was for her pleasaunce And truly sone I took my leaue and went When she had me enquired what I was For more and more impressen gan the dent Of loues dart while I beheld her face And eft againe I come to seeken grace And vp I put my bill with sentence clere That followeth after rede and ye shall here O ye fresh of beauty the root That nature hath formed so wele and made Princes and quene and ye that may do boot Of all my langour with your words glad Ye wounded me ye made me wo bestad Of grace redresse my mortall greefe as ye Of all my harme the very causer be Now am I caught and vnware suddainly With persaunt streames of your eye so clere Subject to been and seruen you mekely And all your man iwis my lady dere Abiding grace of which I you require That mercilesse ye cause me not to sterue But guerdon me liche as I may deserue For by my troth all the days of my breath I am and will be your in will and hert Patient and meeke for you to suffer death If it require now rue vpon my smart And this I swere I neuer shall out start From loues court for none aduersitie So ye would rue on my distresse and me My desteny my fate and houre I blisse That haue me set to been obedient Onely to you the floure of all iwis I trust to Venus neuer to repent For euer redy glad and diligent Ye shall me find in seruice to your grace Till death my life out of my body race Humble vnto your excellence so digne Enforcing aye my wits and delite To serue and please with glad hert and benigne And been as Troylus Troyes knight Or Antonie for Cleopatre bright And neuer you me thinkes to renay This shall I keepe vnto mine ending day Enprint my speech in your memoriall Sadly my princes salue of all my sore And think yâ— for I would becommen thrall And been your owne as I haue sayd before Ye must of pity cherish more and more Your man and tender after his desert And giue him courage for to been expert For where yâ— one hath set his hert on fire And findeth neither refute ne pleasaunce Ne word of comfort death will quite his hire Alas that there is none allegeaunce * Of all their wo alas the great greuaunce To loue vnloued but ye my lady dere In other wise may gouerne this matere Truly gramercy friend of your good will And of your profer in your humble wise But for your seruice take and keep it still And where ye say I ought you well to cherise And of your greefe the remedy deuise I know not why I nam acquainted well With you ne wot not sothly where ye dwell In art of loue I write and songs make That may be song in honour of the king And quene of Loue and then I vndertake He that is sadde shall then tull merry sing And daungerous not ben in euery thing Beseech I you but seene my will and rede And let your answere put me out of drede What is your name rehearse it here I pray Of whence and where of what condition That ye been of let see come off and say Faine would I know your disposition Ye haue put on your old entention But what ye meane to serue me I ne wote Saufe that ye say ye loue me wonder hote My name alas my hert why makes thou straunge Philogenet I calld am fer nere Of Cambrige clerk yâ— neuer think to chaunge Fro you yâ— with your heuenly stremes clere Rauish mine hert and ghost and all infere Since at the first I write my bill for grace Me thinke I see some mercy in your face And with I mene by gods yâ— al hath wrought My bill now maketh small mention That ye been lady in mine inward thought Of all mine hert withouten offencion That I best loue and sith I begon To draw to court lo then what might I say I yeeld me here vnto your nobley And if that I offend or wilfully By pompe of hert your precept disobay Or done againe your will unskilfully Or greuen you for earnest or for play Correct ye me right sharply then I pray As it is seene vnto your womanhede And rew on me or els I nam but dede Nay God forbede to fesse you so with grace And for a word of sugred eloquence To haue compassion in so little space Then were it time that some of vs were hens Ye shall not find in me such insolence * Eye what is this may ye not suffre sight How may ye looke vpon the candle light That clerer is and hotter than mine eie And yet ye sayd the beames perse and frete How shall ye then the candle light endrie For well wote ye that hath the sharper hete And there ye bid me you correct and bete
trauailed and so faint That neither knew I kirke ne saint Ne what was what ne who was who Ne auised what way I would go But by a venturous grace I rise and walkt sought pace and pace Till I a winding staire found And held the vice aye in my hond And vpward softly so gan creepe Till I came where I thought to sleepe More at mine ease and out of preace At my good leisure and in peace Till somewhat I recomfort were Of the trauell and great feare That I endured had before This was my thought without more And as a wight witlesse and faint Without more in a chamber paint Full of stories old and diuers More than I can now rehearse Vnto a bed full soberly So as I might full sothly Pace after other and nothing said Till at the last downe I me laid And as my mind would giue me leue All that I dreamed had that eue Before all I can rehearse Right as a child at schoole his verse Doth after that he thinketh to thriue Right so did I for all my liue I thought to haue in remembraunce Both the paine and the pleasaunce The dreame whole as it me befell Which was as ye here me tell Thus in my thoughts as I lay That happy or unhappy day Wot I not so haue I blame Of the two which is the name Befell me so that there a thought By processe new on sleepe me brought And me gouerned so in a while That againe within the yle Me thought I was whereof the knight And of the ladies I had a sight And were assembled on a greene Knight and lady with the queene At which assembly there was said How they all content and paid Were wholly as in that thing That the knight there should be king And they would all for sure witnesse Wedded be both more and lesse In remembraunce without more Thus they consent for euermore And was concluded that the knight Depart should the same night And forthwith there tooke his voiage To journey for his marriage And returne with such an host That wedded might be least and most This was concluded written and sealed That it might not be repealed In no wise but aie be firme And all should be within a tearme Without more excusation Both feast and coronation This knight which had thereof the charge Anon into a little barge Brought was late against an eue Where of all he tooke his leaue Which barge was as a mans thought After his pleasure to him brought The Queene her selfe accustomed aye In the same barge to play It needeth neither mast ne rother I haue not heard of such another No maister for the gouernaunce Hie sayled by thought and pleasaunce VVithout labour East and VVest All was one calme or tempest And I went with at his request And was the first prayed to the fest VVhen he came in his countree And passed had the wauy see In an hauen deepe and large He left his rich and noble barge And to the court shortly to tell He went where he wont was to dwell And was receiued as good right As heire and for a worthy knight VVith all the states of the lond VVhich came anon at his first sond VVith glad spirits full of trouth Loth to do fault or with a slouth Attaint be in any wise Their riches was their old seruise VVhich euer trew had be fond Sith first inhabit was the lond And so receiued there her King That forgotten was no thing That owe to be done ne might please Ne their soueraine Lord do ease And with them so shortly to say As they of custome had done aye For seuen yere past was and more The father the old wise and hore King of the land tooke his leue Of all his barons on an eue And told them how his dayes past VVere all and comen was the last And hertily prayed hem to remember His sonne which yong was and tender That borne was their prince to be If he returne to that countree Might by aduenture or grace VVithin any time or space And to be true and friendly aye As they to him had bene alway Thus he them prayd without more And tooke his leaue for euermore Knowen was how tender in age This young prince a great viage Vncouth and straung honours to seche Tooke in hond with little speeche VVhich was to seeke a princes That he desired more than riches For her great name that floured so That in that time there was no mo Of her estate ne so well named For borne was none that euer her blamed Of which princes somewhat before Here haue I spoke and some will more So thus befell as ye shall heare Vnto their lord they made such cheare That joy was there to be present To see their troth and how they ment So very glad they were ech one That them among there was no one That desired more riches Than for their Lord such a princes That they might please and that were faire For fast desired they an heire And said great surety were ywis And as they were speaking of this The prince himselfe him auised And in plaine English vndisguised Them shewed hole his journey And of their counsell gan them prey And told how he ensured was And how his day he might not passe VVithout diffame and great blame And to him for euer shame And of their counsell and auise There he prayth them once or twise And that they would within ten daies Auise and ordaine him such waies So that it were no displeasaunce Ne to this Realme ouer great grieuaunce And that he haue might to his feast Sixty thousand at the least For his intent within short while Was to returne vnto his yle That he came fro and kepe his day For nothing would he be away To counsaile tho the Lords anon Into a chamber euerychone Togither went them to deuise How they might best and in what wise Puruey for their Lords pleasaunce And the Realmes continuaunce Of honor which in it before Had continued euermore So at the last they found the waies How within the next ten daies All might with paine and diligence Be done and cast what the dispence Might draw and in conclusion Made for ech thing prouision When this was done wholly tofore The prince the lords all before Come and shewed what they had done And how they couth by no reason Find that within the ten daies He might depart by no waies But would be fifteene at the least Or he returne might to his feast And shewed him euery reason why It might not be so hastily As he desired ne his day He might not keepe by no way For diuers causes wonder great VVhich when he heard in such an heat He fell for sorow and was seke Still in his bed whole that weke And nigh the tother for the shame And for the doubt and for the blame That might on him be aret And oft vpon his brest he her And said alas mine
sie From the same groue where the ladies come out Of men of armes comming such a rout As all the men on earth had ben assembled In that place we le horsed for the nones Stering so fast that all the earth trembled But for to speake of riches and stones And men and horse I trow the large wones Of Pretir Iohn ne all his tresory Might not vnneth haue boght the tenth party Of their array who so list heare more I shall rehearse so as I can alite Out of the groue that I spake of before I sie come first all in their clokes white A company that ware for their delite Chapelets fresh of okes seriall Newly sprong and trumpets they were all On euery trumpe hanging a broad banere Of fine Tartarium were full richely bete Euery trumpet his lords armes here About their neckes with great pearles sete Collers brode for cost they would not lete As it would seem for their schochones echone Were set about with many a precious stone Their horse harneis was all white also And after them next in one company Came kings of armes and no mo In clokes of white cloth of gold richly Chapelets of greene on their heads on hie The crowns that they on their scochones bere Were set with pearle ruby and saphere And eke great Diamonds many one But all their horse harneis and other geare Was in a sute according euerychone As ye haue heard the foresaid trumpets were And by seeming they were nothing to lere And there guiding they did so manerly And after hem came a great company Of herauds and purseuaunts eke Arrayed in clothes of white veluet And hardily they were no thing to seke How they on hem should the harneis set And euery man had on a chapelet Scochones and eke horse harneis indede They had in sute of hem that before hem yede Next after hem came in armour bright All saue their heads seemely knights nine And euery claspe and naile as to my sight Of their harneis were of red gold fine With cloth of gold and furred with ermine Were the trappors of their stedes strong Wide large that to the ground did hong And euery bosse of bridle and paitrell That they had was worth as I would wene A thousand pound and on their heads well Dressed were crownes of laurer grene The best made that euer I had sene And euery knight had after him riding Three henshmen on him awaiting Of which euery on a short tronâ—houn His lords helme bare so richly dight That the worst was worth the ransoun Of a king the second a shield bright Bare at his necke the thred bare vpright A mighty spere full sharpe ground and kene And euery child ware of leaues grene A fresh chapelet vpon his haires bright And clokes white of fine veluet they were Their steeds trapped and raied right Without difference as their lords were And after hem on many a fresh corsere There came of armed knights such a rout That they besprad the large field about And all they ware after their degrees Chaplets new made of laurer grene Some of oke and some of other trees Some in their honds bare boughs shene Some of laurer and some of okes kene Some of hauthorne and some of woodbind And many mo which I had not in mind And so they came their horses freshly stering With bloody sownes of her trompes loud There sie I many an vncouth disguising In the array of these knights proud And at the last as euenly as they coud They took their places in middes of the mede And euery knight turned his horse hede To his fellow and lightly laid a spere In the rest and so justes began On euery part about here and there Some brake his spere some drew down hors man About the field astray the steeds ran And to behold their rule and gouernaunce I you ensure it was a great pleasaunce And so the justs last an houre and more But tho that crowned were in laurer grene Wan the prise their dints were so sore That there was none ayenst hem might sustene And the justing all was left off clene And fro their horse the ninth alight anone And so did all the remnant euerichone And forth they yede togider twain twain That to behold it was a worthy sight Toward the ladies on the greene plaine That song daunced as I said now right The ladies as soone as they goodly might They brake of both the song and dance And yede to meet hem with ful glad semblance And euery lady tooke full womanly By the hond a knight and forth they yede Vnto a faire laurer that stood fast by With leues lade the boughes of great brede And to my dome there neuer was indede Man that had seene halfe so faire a tree For vnderneath there might it well haue be An hundred persons at their owne plesance Shadowed fro the heat of Phebus bright So that they should haue felt no greuance Of raine ne haile that hem hurt might The sauour eke rejoice would any wight That had be sicke or melancolius It was so very good and vertuous And with great reuerence they enclining low To the tree so soot and faire of hew And after that within a little throw They began to sing and daunce of new Some song of loue some plaining of vntrew Enuironning the tree that stood vpright And euer yede a lady and a knight And at the last I cast mine eye aside And was waxe of a lusty company That came roming out of the field wide Hond in hond a knight and a lady The ladies all in surcotes that richely Purfiled were with many a rich stone And euery knight of green ware mantles on Embrouded well so as the surcotes were And euerich had a chapelet on her hed Which did right well vpon the shining here Made of goodly floures white and red The knights eke that they in hond led In sute of hem ware chapelets euerychone And before hem went minstrels many one As Harpes Pipes Lutes and Sautry All in greene and on their heads bare Of diuers floures made full craftely All in a sute goodly chapelets they ware And so dauncing into the mede they fare In mid the which they found a tuft that was All ouersprad with floures in compas Whereto they enclined euerychone With great reuerence and that full humbly And at the last there began anone A lady for to sing right womanly A Bargaret in praising the daisie For as me thought among her notes swete She said Si douset la Margarete Then they all answered her in fere So passingly well and so pleasauntly That it was a blisful noise to here But I not it happed suddainly As about noone the sonne so feruently Waxe hote that the prety tender floures Had lost the beauty of her fresh colours For shronke with heat the ladies eke to brent that they ne wist where they hem might bestow The knights swelt for
goodlihede and the lowlinesse of a king And specially in cheare and in speaking To his lieges and to bearen him faire In his apport and shew him debonaire And not to been to strange ne solein In countenaunce outward ne disdein Which causeth oft who that can advert Great hatred in the peoples hert And therevpon prively woll rowne When a Prince doth vpon hem frowne Shortly deme for all his excellence Emong hemselfe out of his presence Everiche conclude liche his fantasie And thus full oft gendred is enuy In folkes heartes of soleinte and pride For such as list not ones to looke aside To reward hem when they low loute * And againe kind it is out of doute That any head by record of the wise Should the foot of disdaine despise Which beareth him vp who so can take heed And susteineth in his most need As his piller and his supportaile * For finally ne were the pooraile Her bearer vp and supportation Farewell Lordship and domination Throughout the Land of every high estate Wherefore me seemeth more is fortunate Of Mercury the soote sugred Harpe Than Mars swerd whetted kene sharpe More accepted with aspects good Than is this God with his lookes wood What the goodlihead of a Prince availeth to win the hearts of his People * For humble speech with glad countenance May a Prince soothly aduance Emong his people hearts for to win Of inward love which will not twin Than gold richesse pride or tyranny Other disdaine daunger or surquedy For of lords clerkes can report But that loue her crowne doe support The fine is not in conclusion I take record of King Amphion Example good of King Amphion That built Thebes by his eloquence More than of pride or of violence Noble and rich that like was no where none And thus the wals made of lime and stone Were reised first by singing of this king Like as Poets feinen in her writing How after the opinion of some Authours King Cadmus built first the city of Thebes But soothly yet some expositours Grounding hem upon old authours Saine that Cadmus the famous old man Full long afore the city first began And the ground of building sette And the bounds by compasse out mette With thongs out kerue of a Buls side Which enuiron stretch might wide To get in land a full large space VVhereupon to build a dwelling place How the Country of Boece took first its name of a Bulls skin and after called Thebes And how King Cadmus was exiled out of Thebes by Prowess of King Amphion And called was the soile thus getten in VVhylome Boece of the Buls skin The name after into Thebes tourned But Cadmus hath not there long sojourned Like in story as it is compiled For shortly he fro thence was exiled Never after for to dwell in the toun By the knighthood of this Amphioun VVhich vp perfourmeth rich for the nones The city Thebes of mighty square stones As I you told a lite heretoforne And Cadmus thus his kingdome hath lorne Scepter and crowne and his power roiall Now have I told vnto you ground of all That ye well know by information Clerely the pith and the exposition Of this matter as clerkes can you tell It were but vaine lenger for to dwell To tarry you on this mattere Sith my tale which that ye shall here Vpon our way will last a long while The space in sooth as I suppose of vii mile And now ye know first how Amphion Built and began this city and this toun Reigning there long after as I rede Of him no more for I will procede To my purpose that I first began Not telling here how the line ran How the Line of Amphion by descent was conveyed to King Laius Fro king to king by succession Conveying downe by the stock of Amphion Seriously by line all the discent But leaue all this plainly of intent To tell forth in bookes as I rede How Laius by processe gan succede Here beginneth the Story of King Laius and Iocasta his Wife TO beare the Crowne in this mighty land Holding the scepter of Thebes in his hand Manly and wise during all his life And Iocasta called was his wife Full womanly the story saith certaine For a time though she were barraine Till Laius in full humble wise To have a child did sacrifice First to Apollo in his chaire so bright And Iupiter that hath so great a might Beseeching hem with devout reuerence To graunt only through her influence That his request executed may be And specially to goddesses three He besought Pallas and Iuno And Diane for to help also That he be not defrauded of his boon And his prayer accepted was full soone That finally through his rites old Even like as his heart would The Queen Iocasta hath anone conceived Which when the King fully hath perceived He made in haste him list not to abide Through his kingdome Messengers ride Fro coast to coast the story can deuise For Divinours and Philosophers wise For such as were famous Phisiciens And well expert Astronomiens To come in hast vnto his presence To find out shortly in sentence By craft onely of calculation The childs fate and disposition How the Astronomiens and Philosophers of Thebes calcled out the fate of Edippus And thereupon to yeue a iudgement The root I take at the ascendent Truly sought out by minute and degre The selfe houre of his natiuite Not foryet the heauenly mansions Clearely searched by smale fractions First by seconds terces and eke quartes On Augrime stones and on white cartes Ipriued out by diligent labour In tables correct deuoid of all errour Iustly sought and found out of both two The yeares collect and expanse also Considred eke by good inspection Euery houre and constellation And each aspect and looke eke diuers Which were good and which also peruers Where they were toward or at debate Happy wilfull or iufortunate The cursed Constellation and Disposition of the Heaven at the Nativity of Edippus And finally in conclusion They found Saturne in the Scorpion Heauie chered melancolike and loth And wood Mars furious and wroth Holding his sceptre in the Capricorne The same houre when this child was borne Venus direct and contrarious And depressed in Mercurious hous That the dome and judgement finall Of these clerkes to speake in speciall By fatall sort that may not be withdraw That with his swerd his father shall be slaw How the fate of Edippus disposed that he should slea his own Father There may no man helpe it ne excuse On which thing the king gan sore muse And cast he would on that other side Againe her dome for himselfe prouide Shape away and remedy toforne Bidding the quene when the child wer borne Without mercy or moderly pite That he be dead it may none other be And in all hast like as he hath sent She obeied his commaundement With wofull heart and pitous looke And face pale her yong
as I yaue hem in charge And forth they gone to a forest large Adjacent vnto this countree Persing his feet and heng him on a tree Not performyng th execution On him they had such compassion Left him there and resorted home ayen Beyng in doubt and vncertein At their repeire as they tolden all Of this child what afterward is befall Saufe they said huntes had him found Which ladden him forth his feet vnbound But to what coast they coud not declare Which percel is of mine euil fare Ground and cause of mine heauy chere Considered eke the woundes that appere Vpon your feet and wot not what they mene And o thing aie is at mine hart greene My Lord alas but of new date King Laius slaine was but late At a Castell nigh this countree Vpon your comming into this citee All this yweied and rekened into one Maketh mine hart as heauie as a stone So that I can counsell none ne red And with that word the king lift vp his hed And abreid with sharpe sighes smert And all this thing by order can aduert Curiously by good auisement And by signes clere and euident Conceiueth well and sore gan repent It was himself that Iocasta ment And when the king sigh in maners pleine By her Goddes she gan him constreine To shew out the cause of his affray And it expoune and make no delay Croppe and roote shortly why that he Entred first into that countre From whens he came and from what region But he her put in delusion As he had doen it for the nones Till at last he brast out at ones Vnto the Queene and gan a processe make First how he was in the forest take Wounded the feet and so forth euery thing Of his cherishing with Polibon the king And holle the cause why he him forsooke And in what wise he the way tooke Toward Thebes as Apollo bad And of fortune how that he was lad Where that Sphinx kept the Mounteine And how that he also slowe in certeine King Laius at Castell gate Toward night when it was full late And how to Thebes that he gan him spede To find out the stocke of his kinrede Which vnto him gan wexe couth For by processe of his greene youth He found out wele by rekening of his life That she was both his moder and his wife So that all night and suyng on the morow Betweene hem two began a new sorrow Which vnto me were pitous for to tell For thereupon yif I should dwell A long space it would you occupy But ye may read in a Tragedy Tragediae Senecae de Egypto Reg. Thebax Of Morall Senek fully his ending His dooll his mischief and his compleining How with sorrow and vnweldie age This Edippus fell in dotage Lost his witte and his worldly delite And how his sonnes had him in despite And of disdaine tooke of him no keepe And eke bookes saine his iyen out he wepe And as mine aucthour liketh to deuise As his sonnes rebuke him and despise Vpon a day in a certaine place Out of his hedde his iyen he gan race And cast at hem he can no other boote And of malice they trade him vnder foote Fully deuoid both of loue and dread And when Edippus for mischief was thus ded Within a pitt made in the earth low Of cruelty his sonnes gan him throw Worse then Serpent or any Tigre wood * But of cursed stock commeth vnkind blood As in storie ye may rede heretoforne Although the Rose grow out of the thorne Thus of Edippus when he was blind old The wretched end I haue you plainly told * For which shortly to man and child I rede To be wele ware and take hede Of kindly right and of conscience To doe honour and due renerence How every Man ought of Duty to do Reverence to his Father and Mother or else there will fall Vengeance To father and moder of what estate they bee Or certaine els they shull neuer thee For who that is not to hem debonaire In speach in porte for to treat hem faire Hem to obey in honesty and drede And hem to cherish of what they have nede I dare affirme excepting none estate That he shall first be infortunate In all his werke both on Sea and lond And of what thing that he take in hond For the time froward to him and contraire Wast of his goods plainly and appaire Finde plenty of conteke warre and strife Vnhappy end and shortnesse of life And gracelesse of what he hath to do Hatred of God and man also Therefore no man be thereof recheles But make your mirrour of Ethiocles And his brother called Polimite Which in soch things greatly were to wite As ye shall here of hem how it fill And when we been descended doun this hill As I passed here the lowe vaile I shall begin the remnaunt of my tale Explicit prima pars istius Codialli Immediate sequitur secunda pars ejusdem PAssed yâ— Thrope of Broughton on the blee By my Kalender I gan anon to see Through the Sunne that full clere gan shine Of the clocke that it drew to nine And sawe also as siluer dropes shene Of the dewe like perles on the grene Vapoured vp into the aire aloft When Zepherus with his blowing soft The weder made lustie smooth and faire And right attempre was the holsome aire The same houre all the holle route Of the pilgrimes riding round aboute In my tale when I gan procede Rehearsing forth as it was in dede When Edippus buried was and graue How his sonnes the kingdome for to haue How the Sons of Edippus debated for the Crown Emong hemselfe by full mortall hate For the croune gonne for to debate Which of hem justly shall succede And the Scepter of the toune possede Auerting nought neither to right ne wrong But eche of hem to make his partie strong And his querele proudly to susteine From whose herts was deuoided clene Of brotherhood the faithfull aliaunce False couetise so made hem at distaunce Fully werching into destruction And ruine of this noble toun So hote brent of hatred and enuy Of both two through pompous surquedy That neither would pleinly in a poinct Other forbeare they stode in soch disjoinct Like as they had of birth been foreins Till of the toune the noble citezeins Knights Barons with many a worthy lord Shope a way to make hem of accord And to set hem in quiete and in pees But for his part this Ethiocles Alledge gan that he was first borne For which he ought of reason go toforne In the citee to be crouned king Sith by law there was no letting For vnto him longeth the heritage By discent and by title of age The controversie of the two Brethren But Polimite of full high disdaine All openly gan reply againe And for his part said in especiall Reason was none that he should haue all Both Regaly and dominatioun And the lordship
wholly of the toun And he right nought out of the city But liue in sile and in pouerty Concluding without fere or drede Rather than it suffer he would be dede And thus alas through her enuious strife At ende euerich lost his life At great mischief as ye shall after here But thilke time the Lords all in fere Full besily did her diligence By great auise and full high prudence To set hem in quiet and in rest Counsailyng hem plainly for the best To leue her strife of wisedome and of reason And condescend to some conclusion Which to both might most auaile And finally through her gouernaile The common Union between these two Brethren The Lordes all tho being present Haue hem brought to been of one assent Of one hert as brother vnto brother Euerich of hem to reigne after other Yeere by yeere as it commeth about So that the toun shall absent him out Fully that yeere and himself gie By his manhood and his chiualrie Haunt himself in deeds Marciall While his brother in his See riall Holdeth his Sceptre the citee to gouerne And when the yeere his cours hath run yerne And is come out he shall haue repeire To reigne in Thebes like as Lord and heire There to receiue fully his dignitee While that other voideth the citee Paciently taking his auenture Till he ayen his honour may recure Thus enterchange euery yeere they shall That one ascendeth that other hath a fall They must obey of hert and take it well Like as that one resorteth of the we le For this was holle the composicion Betwene the brethren and conuencion Fully knit vp by great auisement Tofore the Goddes by othe of Sacrament Neuer after to grutche ne to varie But accomplish shortly and not tarie Like as thaccord enrolled in the toun From poinct to poinct made mencioun But alder first by reason of his age Ethiocles had the auantage To reigne aforne and weare the croune Polimite him hasting out of toune During that yere it may none other be Whiles his brother satte in his rialte Full richely vpon Fortunes whele And rode him forth armed bright in stele This Polimite sothly as I rede Himselfe alone on a riall stede Without guide all the long day Being aferde to keepe the high way In his hert hauing suspecion To his brother of malice and treason Lest he pursue through fals vnkind blood To haue him dedde for couetise of good That he alone might haue possessioun During his life fully of the toune For which in hast hauing no felaw Polimite aside gan him withdraw By a forest joyning to the See Knowing right nought the site of yâ— countre Full of hilles and of high Mounteines Craggie Roches and but few pleines Wondre dreadfull and lothsome of passage And therewithall full of beasts rage Holding his way of hert nothing light Mate and wery till it draweth to night And all the day beholding enuiron He neither saw Castel Toure ne Toun The which thing greueth him ful sore And sodenly the see began to rore Winde and tempest hidiously tarise The raine doun bete in full grisly wise That many a beast therof was adrad And nigh for fere gan to wexe madd As it sempte by the wofull sownes Of Tigres Beres Bores and Liones Which for refute hem selfe for to saue Euerich in hast draweth vnto his Caue But Polymite in this tempest huge Alas the while findeth no refuge Ne him to shrowde saw nowhere no succour Till it was passed almost midnight hour A large space that the sterres clere The cloudes voided in heauen did appere So that this knight out of the Forest large Gan approch into the londe of Arge How Polimite first came into the Lond of Arge Seing a palaice mighty of building Of which Adrastus called was the king A lusty man rich and wondre sage And yronne was somdel into age Borne of the Isle that called is Chifon And somtime Sonne of the king Cholon And for his witte in story as is couth He chosen was in his tendre youth Of Arge to be crouned king Thiefe of all Greece be record of writing Not by descente nor succession And but alonely of free election He held of Arge the Sceptre in his hand As most worthy of all Greekes land Loued and drade for wisdome and Iustice And as the story plainly can deuise This worthy king had doughters two Passing faire and right good also It were to long her beaute to descriue Argiue and Deiphile the doughters tweine of King Adrastus And the eldest called was Argiue Deiphile ynamed the second And Adrastus like as it is found This worthy king had sonne none To succede after he be gone For which he was during all his life Triste in hert add passingly pensife But holy his trust and his hope stood By alliance of some worthy blood Brought in by mene of his doughters twein That he shal be relessed of his peine Through recomfort of some high Mariage And sothly yet full oft in his courage He troubled was by occasion Of a sweuene and of a vision The Dream of King Adrastus of a wild Boar and a fers Lion Shewed to him vpon a certein night For as him thought his inward sight While he slept by clere inspection A wild Boore and a fers Lion Possede shul these bestes in her rage His doughters two by bond of Mariage In short time within a certein day Which brought his hert in full great affray * But thing in soth that destine hath shape Here in this world ful hard it is tescape And marueilous a man to eschue his fate And Polimite of whom I spake late With the tempest bete and all bereined By grate onely the Citie hath atteined Where Adrastus full stately of degree Thilke time held his roiall see The troubled might merke and obscure Hath brought this knight only by auenture Through the Citie enclosed with a wall Vnto the palaice chief and principall Where as the king in his chambre aloft Lay in his bed and slept wonder soft Eke al his folke had her chambres take Like as Fortune parauenture had shape The selfe time because it was so late And casuely the porter at the gate As it had by right for the nones And in a porch built of square stones Full mightely enarched enuiroun Where the domes and ples of the toun Were executed and lawes of the king And there this knight without more tarying Wery and mate from his stede alight Hanging the reine in all the hast he might Vpon his arme sure him for to keepe And leid him doun and gan anon to slepe As him semed that time for the best And while that he lay thus for to rest Of auenture there came a knight riding One of the worthiest of the world liuing Curteis lowly and right vertuous As saith mine Auctour called Tideus Virous in armes and manly in werking Of his birth Sonne vnto the king Of Callidoine a lond of great
Ermin To lap hem in ayens the cold morrow After the rage of her nights sorrow To take her rest till the sonne arise And when the king in full prudent wise First of al he was not rekeles The knights herts for to sette in pees That euer after I dare 〈◊〉 it wele Ech was to other trew as any stele During her life both in word and dede Vndre a knotte bound of brotherhede And Adrastus the worthy king famous A feast made rich and plenteous To these knights himselfe thereat present And after mete full goodly he hath sent This noble king for his doughters dere Of gentillesse for to make chere To the knights come fro so ferre And like in soth as Lucifer the sterre Gladeth the morrow at his vprising So the ladies at her in comming With the stremes of her eyen clere Goodly apport and womanly manere Countenances and excellent fairenesse To all the Court broughten in gladnesse For the freshnesse of her heauenly cheres So agreable was vnto the straungeres At her entree that in especial Hem thought it like a thing celestial Enhasting hem in full knightly wise Ayenst hem goodly to arise And as they met with humble countenaunce Ful conningly did her obseruaunce Hem conueying in to her sitting place But sothely I haue leiser none ne space To reherse and put in remembraunce Holly the manere of her daliaunce It were to long for you to abide But well I wot that the god Cupide By influence of his mighty hond And the feruence of his firy brond Her meeting first fortuned hath so wele That his arowes of gold and not of stele Yperced han the knights herts tweine Through the brest with such a lusty peine That ther abode sharpe as spere or launce Depe yficched the point of remembraunce Which may not lightly rased be away And thus in joy they driue forth the day In pley and reuel for the knights sake And toward night they her chambre take At â—ue time as her fader bad And on her weie the knights hem lad Reuerently vp by many a staire Taking leue gan anon repaire To her lodging in ful stately a Toure Assigned to hem by the herbeiour And after ipices plenty and the wine In cuppes great wrought of gold full fine Without tarying to bedde straight they gon Touching her rest wheder they sleepe or non Demeth ye louers that in such maner thing By experience haue fully knowledging For it is not declared in my booke But as I find the king all night wooke Thoughtfull in hert the story specifies Musing sore and full of fantasies First aduerting the great worthinesse Of these knights and the semelinesse Her lusty youth her force and her manhode And how they were come of roial blode And this he gan to reuolue about And in his hert hauing a maner of doubt Atwene two hanging in a balance Wheder he should make an aliance Atween his doughters the knights tweine For one thing ay his heart gan constreine The remembraunce of his auision Of which aforne made is amencion Touching the Lion and the wild Bore It nedeth not to reherse it no more Casting alway in his fantasie What it might clerely signifie This darke dreame that was hid and close But on the morow Adrastus vp arose And to the Temple the right way he tooke And gan pray deuoutly on his booke To the goddes of his dreme to specifie And they him bede homward for to hie And to behold in the knights sheeldes The fell beasts painted in the fields Which shall to him be cleere inspection Full plainly making declaracion Of his dreme which he had on the night And Adrastus enhasted him full right In her sheelds wisely to behold Where that he saw as the goddes told In the sheelds hanging vpon hookes The beasts rage with her mortall crookes And to purpos like as write Bochas Polimite ful streite enbraced was In the hide of a fierce Lioun And Tideus aboue his Habergeoun A gipoun had hidous sharpe and hoor Wrought of the bristels of a wild Boore The which beasts as the story leres Were wrought and bete vpon her baneres Displaide brode whan they should fight Wherefore the king whan he had a sight At his repayre in hert was full glad And with a face full demure and sad With his lords that he about him had To the temple he the knights lad And whan they had with all circumstaunces Of Rites old done her obseruaunces Home to the Court they retourne ayein And in hall rich and well besein This worthy king of hert liberall Made a feast solempne and riall Which in deintees surely did excell But it were vein euery cours to tell Her straunge sewes and other soteltees Ne how they sat like her degrees For lacke of time I let ouerslide And after meate Adrastus took aside The knights two and like a prudent man In secree wise thus his tale he gan How Adrastus spake to the Knights in secret touching the marriage of his Daughters Sirs qd he I ne doubt it nought That it is fresh grene ay in your thought How that first by goddes ordinaunce And after next through fates purueiance And by werking of fortunes hond How ye were brought in to this lond Both tweine but now this last night Of whos comming I am full glad and light First in my selfe shortly to expresse When I consider and see the likelinesse Of your persons with the circumstaunces And holle the maner of your gouernaunces Seing full well whereto should I feigne Yee been likely hereafter to atteigne To great estate and habundance of good Through your birth and your rial blood Ye may not faile but ye haue wrong For ye are both manly and right strong And for to set your hertes more at rest My purpose is I hope for the best So that in you be no variance To make a knot as be alliance Atwene you and my doughters two Yf your herts accord we le thereto And for I am fully in despeire To succede for to haue an heire Therefore ye shall haue possession During my life of halfe my region Forth with in hond and all after my day There is no man that thereto shal say nay And sothly after when that I am graue Ech of you shall his part haue Of this kingdome as I haue prouided This is to say it shall be diuided Atwene you two euerich to be crouned Your properties be equite compouned So egaly in euery mans sight That ech of you enjoy shall his right And in your witte ye shall the lond amend And of manhood knightly it defend Ayens our enemies and our mortall foon And for the dayes passed been and goon Of my desires and my lusty youth I am full set for to make it couth That ye shall haue like mine opinioun The gouernaunce of all this Regioun To this entent me seemeth for the best Ye to gouerne and I to liue in rest Fully to follow the lust of
my desires Hunte and hauke in woods and riuers When so euer I haue thereto pleasance And for to haue none other attendance Vnto nothing but to mine ease For which shortly yif it agree and please That I haue said to you that ben so wise And be according vnto your auise Delayeth not but in wordes plein That you seemeth yeue answere ayen And when Adrastus had his tale fined Tideus with hed full low enclined As he that was a veray gentill knight With his power and his full might Full humbly thanked the king Touching his profre and so high a thing And for his party said he would assent Fully of hert neuer to repent To all that euer the king hath said And Polimite was also appaid In the story as it is comprehended On euery part fully is holle descended The kings will to fulfill in dede From point to point there vpon procede Whether so that euer they winne or lese And Tideus made his brother chese Of gentilnesse and of curtesie Which that was most to his fantasie Of the Sisters for to haue to wiue And he in soth chosen hath Argiue Which eldest was full womanly to se And Tideus tooke Deiphile Of her beaute most souereigne excellent Adrastus throughout his lond hath sent For his lords and his Baronage To be present at the mariage Of the knights and make no letting And they ech one come at his bidding In goodly wise meke and full benigne Ayein the day that he did assigne And thidre come full many a lusty knight Full we le besein and many a lady bright From euery coste and many a fresh squier The story seith and many a communer To behold the great rialte And the manere of this solempnite But to tell all the circumstaunces Of just reuel and the diuers daunces The feasts riche and the yeftes great The peinfull sighes and the feruent heat Of loues folke brenning as the glede And deuise of many a solein wede The touches stole and the amorous lokes By sotell craft leide out lines and hokes The Ielous folke to traien and begile In their awaites with many a sondry wile All this in soth descriuen I ne can But wele I the newe fame ranne This meane while with some swift passage Vnto the Thebes of this marriage And be report trew and not fained Tho when thereof the eares hath attained Mine Auctour writ of Ethiocles Touching the honour and the great encres Of Polimite highly magnified And that he newly was allied With Adrastus in the lond of Arge The which thing he greatly gan to charge Dreading inly that this Marriage Shall after time turne to his dammage Sore musing and casting vp and doun The great power and the high renoun Of Adrastus the which of Greeks lond Had all the power soget to his hond Least that he for Polimites sake Would vpon him a new warre make But if that he like the conuentioun At time set deliuer vp the toun To his brother by bond of oth sworne And by couenaunt assured here toforne If ye remember late as I you told Which he was in purpose for to hold But for his best cast him for to vary And thereupon list no lenger tary Liche his desires to shape remedies And first he sent for his next allies In whom he had his most affiaunce For his lords that had gouernaunce Of his kingdome to come to him anon And when they weren present euerichon He said plainly wening for the best That his hert shall neuer be in rest But in sorrow and in a maner of dread Till his brother vtterly be dead That he in Thebes in his roiall sete Might alone reigne in quiete He meant himselfe shortly and none other Vnpertourbed of Polimite his brother And at his counsell diuerse of entent I find written thre folkes were present Some in soth that faithfull were and trew And some also that can change of new And other eke that betwene tweine Couertly could vndre colour feine Commendation of Trouth * THE first seid aboue all thing Trouth should long vnto a king Of his worde not be variable But plein and hool as a contre stable How Trouth is preferred in the Book of Esdre aforne Kings Women and Wine For trouth first without any wene Is chief piller that may a king susteine In joy and honour for to lede his life For trouth sometime had a prerogatife As of Esdre the booke can specifie Record I take of prudent Neemie That worthy kings for all her great pride Wine and women been eke set aside With all power and dominacion Hauing reward in comparison To trouths might and trouths worthinesse For as Esdre pleinly both expresse Who so taketh hede in the same place The influence sothly and the grace Of trouth alone this old Neemie Gat him licence to reedifie The walles new of Hierusalem Which is treasure chief of euery Realme * For Salomon write how yâ— things tweine Trouth and mercy linked in a cheine Trouth and Mercy preserven a King from all Adversity Preserue a king like to his decree From al mischiefe and al aduersitee Alas therefore that any doublenesse Variaunce or elles vnsikernesse Chaunge nor doubleness should not be in a King Change of word or mutabilite Fraud or disceite or instabilite Should in a king haue domination To causen after his destruction Of kings redeth the story doun by rowe And seeth how many haue ben ouertrowe Through her falshod from fortunes whele For vnto God it pleaseth neuer adele A king to be double of entent For it may happe that the world is went Ful oft sith by sleight of her werking But thus the truth God seeth in euery thing Right as it is for there may be no cloude Toforne his sight trouth for to shroude It may be clipsed and derked by deceipt By false engine ligging in aweite As a serpent for to vndermine But at last it will cleerly shine Who yâ— saith nay shew his bright beames For it in soth of kingdomes and of realmes Is bearer vp and conservatrice From al mischief and sothfast mediatrice To God aboue who so list to se To keepe a king in prosperite On euery side as I afferme dar For which ye kings lords beeth we le war Your behests justly for to hold And thinketh how Thebes with his walles old Destroied was platly this is no les For the doublenesse of Ethiocles That with his people sore after bought Onely for that he nat by conseil wrought Of hem that were both trew and wise Him list not werke by her auise But left trouth and set his fantasie To be gouerned by false flatterie The Counsell of false Flatterers That bad him thinke how he was a knight And to hold of force more than of right During his life the lordship of the toun And not to lese his possession For no bonde nor hestes made toforn * But let his brother blowe in an horne Where that him list or
pipe in a rede This was the counseil platly and the rede Of soch as list not to say the soth But falsly flatre with her words smoth And whan they hadde holle her tale fined Ethiocles fully is enclined Whosoeuer therat laugh or weepe Like her counseil possession to keepe Who that saith nay or grutcheth there ayein Him to contraire him thought was but vein How the year was come out that Ethiocles reigned in Thebes But in this while that the sheene sonne The xii signes round about had ronne Sith Ethiocles by just rekening In Thebes was crouned lord and king Holding the Sceptre and the Diademe That by reason as it would seeme The time was full complete and the space Of couenant he should void his place And Polimite eke his journey make Toward Thebes possession to take Of due title but he had wrong Which thought in soth the yere was wondre long Of his exile or that it come about And for he had in hert a maner of doubt Least in his brother were falsehed found To acquite himselfe like as he was bound To Adrastus he gan declare his herte Beseching him this matter to aduert And therevpon to yeue counsell sone Touching his right what was best to done Whether it were best to go or to abide Or like a knight manly to ride Himself alone and make no message For to chalenge his rightfull heritage Within Thebes either by pees or strife And thereupon to jeoperd his life Thus was he set for all his fers brother But Adrastus sothly thought another Bet was to send than himself to gone Lest he were trapped among his mortal fone Hauing his brother suspect in this caas That by fraude or by some fallas He would werke his destructioun If he were hardy to entre into the toun For which he had him prudently take heed Fully concluding how it were more speed That some other be to Thebes sent To perceiue fully th entent Of Ethiocles inward by some signe And if that he his crowne will resigne For thilke yeere like as he made his oth And whan he knew how his purpose goth Thereupon to werken and procede And thus Adrastus wisely gan him rede How Tideus took upon him to do the message of Polimite his Brother And while they treat vpon this mattere Tideus with a manly chere Said vtterly for his brothers sake This message he would vndertake With whole themprise of thenbassiate Were it welefull or infortunate He will not spare whatsoeuer betide But Adrastus on that other side And Polimite in conclusion Were contraire to that opinion And said soothly as hem thought right Sith that he was so well a proued knight And discended of so worthy blood That they nold for none yearthly good For all Thebes with the regalty Put his body in such jeopardy But al this thing auaileth him right nought For he wil forth how deare that it be bought Taking leaue first of all the estates And armed him in maile and sure plates And shope him forth vpon his journie Who made then sorrow but Deiphile The sorrow of Deiphile when Tideus went toward Thebes the City With bitter teares dewed all her face Full oft sithes swouning in the place Trist and mourning in her blacke wede And when she saw that he tooke his stede So inwardly encreased gan her mone Seeing her lord so riding forth alone Vpon his way this worthy Tideus And in all hast the story telleth vs He speedeth him so making no delaies That in the space of few daies The high toures of Thebes he gan see And entred is into that citee Wisely enquiring where the pallaice stode And like a knight thider streight he rode Marked full well in many a mans sight Like Mars himselfe in stele armed bright Till he attained hath the cheefe dongeon Where as the king held his mansion And throgh the palaice with a knightly looke Into the hall the right way he tooke From his stede when he light adoun Not aferde but hardy as Lioun Where as the king with lords a great rout In the hall sitting round about He entred in most manfull of courage To execute the fine of his message And as him thought conuenient and due Full cunningly he gan the king salue Requiring him of kingly excellence In goodly wise to yeue him audience And not disdaine neither in port ne chere Sith he was come as a messangere From Polimite his owne brother dere Ginning his tale thus as ye shall here How wisely and how knightly Tideus did his message QVod he vnto your worthinesse My purpose is breefly to expresse The effect holly as in sentement Of the message why that I am sent It were long processe to make But of my mattere the very ground to take In eschuing of prolixity And void away all superfluity Sith your selfe best ought to vnderstond The cause fully that we haue on hond And eke conceiue the entent of my meaning Of rightwisenesse longing to a king First considered if that ye take hede When Edippus the old king was dede How that your selfe and your brother bliue For the crowne contagiously gan striue As mortall foen by full great hatrede Which of you two should first succede Till that ye were by meanes reconciled Ye to reigne and he to been exiled Out of this toune for a yeares space And then ayeine resort into his place To reigne as king and ye to voiden out So as your tourn by processe cometh about Eueriche of you patiently tendure Thentrechaunging of his auenture Who were put out or stood in his estate Thereupon to make no debate Liche the couenaunt and conuentioun Enrolled vp by lords of the toun Which of reason may not be denied Sithen ye haue a yeare occupied The request that Tideus made in the name of Polimite under the title of Convention Polimite requireth you of right To acquite you as a true knight In eschuing of mortall warre and strife Sith ye had a prerogatife As eldest brother for to reigne aforne And thinketh how that ye arne sworne Your oth to keepe and make no tarrying Holly aduerting liche a prudent king * That trouth is more in comparison Than all the treasour of your region More acceptable vnto God and man Than all the richesse that ye reken can Wherefore in hast and let there be no slouth Quiteth your selfe justely in your trouth Vnto your brother auoiding this citee And let him reigne in his royall see The crowne of Thebes a yeare to occupie Then will all Greece praise and magnifie Your high renoun and may say none other But ye acquite you justly to your brother This whole theffect of all that I will sain Answer expectant what ye will send ayain Whan Tideus had told his tale Ethiocles triste and wonder pale His conceit first in maner hath refreined Dissimuling vnder colour feined Shewing a chere in maner debonaire To his intent wonderly contraire Inward in hert wood and
furious Tourning his face towards Tideus He gan abreid and at last out spake And euen thus vnto him he spake The Answer of King Ethiocles I haue great marueile qd he in my thought Of the message which that thou hast brought That my brother as thou hast expouned Desireth so in Thebes to be crowned Hauing regard to the abundaunce The great plenty and the suffisaunce That he hath now with the king of Arge That me seemeth he should little charge To haue Lordship or dominioun In the bounds of this little toun Sith he reigneth so freshly in his flours Surmounting all his predecessours By new encrease through fortunes might Wherfore in heart I am right glad light Fully trusting if I had nede To his helpe that without drede Like a brother that I should him find To me ward faithfull true and kind Supposing plainely euermore Of this reigne he set but little store Nor casteth him not for so short a while As for a yeare his brother to exile To liue in pouerry and in great distresse He will not suffer it of his high noblesse It were no token of no brother hede But a signe rather of hatrede To interrupt my possession Of this little poore Region All that he spake who so coud aduert Of very scorne rooted in his hert As hem seempt the story can you teach By the surplus soothly of his speach He might no lenger him restreine But plainely said as betwene vs tweine I meane thus Polimite and me There is no bond nor surete Ne faith ymade that may him auaile As he claimeth to yeue the gouernaile Of this city neither yeare ne day For I shall let him soothly if I may That he shall not by title of his bond Enjoy in Thebes halfe a foot of lond Let him keepe that he hath wonne For I purpose as I haue begonne To reigne in Thebes henceforth all my liue Maugre all hem that thereayen striue And in despite of his friends all Or the counsaile that him list to call Let him be sure and know this right wele His manacing I drede neuer a dele And sikerly as to my deuise It sheweth well that thou art not wise But suppressed with a manere of rage To take on thee this surquedous message And presumest to doe so high offence So boldely to speake in my presence But all in fere auaile shall right nought For the tithings that thou hast brought Shall vnto him be disencreace He better were to haue been in peace Than of folly and presumption Ayenst me to seech occasion For I liue and thereto here mine hond As I said erst he winneth here no lond While the wall of this toune may stond For plainely I doe thee to vnderstond That they shull first be beat down full low And all the toures to the earth ythrow Ere he in Thebes haue any thing ado Lo here is all retourne and say him so When Tideus saw the feruent ire Of the king with anger set on fire Full of despite and of Melancolie Conceiuing eke the great fellonie In his apport like as he were wood This worthy knight a little while stood Sad and demure ere he would ought seine But at last thus he said ayeine The knightly Answer that Tideus yaue ayeine to the King Certes qd he I conceiue of new About thee thy counsaile is vntrew I dare it saine and vow it at best Ne thou art not faithfull of thy behest Stable of thy word that thou hast said toforne But deceiuable and falsely eke forsworne And eke perjurate of thine assured oth But whether so be that thou be lefe or wroth I say thee shortly hold it for no fage All this shall tourne vnto thy damage Trist it well and in full cruell wise All Greekes lond shall vpon thee arise To be auenged and manly to redresse The great vntrouth and the high falsenesse Which yâ— thou hast ayen thy brother wrought It shall full deare after this be bought And verily indeed as thou shalt lere King Adrastus will meddle in this matere And all the Lords about him enuiron That bounden be to his subjection Princes Dukes and many a noble Knight In susteining of thy brothers right Shall on a day with spere and with shield Ayenst thee be gadred in a field Knightly to preue all by one assent That thou art fals and double of entent Of thy promise atteint and eke outrayed And leue me well it shall not be delayed But in all hast execute in deede * Like thy desert thou shalt haue thy meede For God aboue and his rightwisenesse Such open wrong shall in hast redresse And of his might all such collusion Reforme ayeine and all extortion * For this the fine Falshood shall not vaile Ayenst trouth in field to holden battaile Wrong is crooked both halt and lame And here anone in my brothers name As I that am his next allie At his querele shortly I defie Fully auised with all mine hole entent And ye Lords that been here present I you require of your worthinesse To say trouth and beare witnesse When time commeth and justly to record How your king falsely gan discord From his hest of false variaunce And thinke on how ye of faith and ligeaunce Are bound echone ye may not go therefro For to obey and serue both two This next yeare now anon following As to your lord and to your true king Polimite though he be now absent By just accord made in Parliament At your deuise which sitten here a row Engrossed was vp as it is well know And enrolled onely for witnesse In your Registers to void all falsenesse That none of you vary may of new From that I say but if he be vntâ—ew For which I rede your selfe to acquite Let no time lenger lie in respite But at ones without more tarrying Of manly force fet home your king Maugre your fone like as ye are bound And let in you no slouth be found To put him justly in possession This is my counsaile in conclusion How manly Tideus departed from the King When Tideus had his message saied Like to the charge that was on him saied As he that list no lenger there sojourne Fro the king he gan his face tourne Not astonied nor in his heart aferde But full proudely layed hond on his swerde And in dispite who was lefe or loth A sterne pace through the hall he goth Through the court and manly toke his stede And out of Thebes fast gan him spede Enhasting him till he was at large And sped him forth toward the lond of Arge Thus leaue I him riding forth a while Whiles that I retourne ayeine my stile Vnto the king which in the hall stood Emong his lords furious and wood And his heart wroth and euill apaied Of the words that Tideus had saied Specially hauing remembrance On the proud dispitous defiance Whiles that he fat in his royall See Vpon which he would auenged bee Full cruelly what that euer befall And
in his ire he gan to him call Cheefe Constable of his Chiualrie Charging him fast for to hie With all the worthy chose of his houshold Such as he knew most manfull and bold In all hast Tideus for to sue Tofore or he out of his lond remue Vp peine of life and lesing of her head Without mercy anon that he be dead How falsely Ethiocles laid an Ambushment in the way to have slain Tideus in his repair And of knights fifty were in number Mine author saith vnwarely him to comber Armed echone in maile and thicke stele And therewithall yhorsed wonder wele At o posterne forth they gonne to ride By a gein path that lay out aside Secretly that no man hem aspy Onely of treason and of fellony They hast hem forth all the long day Of cruell mallice for to stop his way Through a forest all of one assent Full couertly for tolay a bushment Vnder an hill at a strait passage To fallen on him at more auauntage The same way that Tideus gan draw At thilke mount where yâ— Sphinx was slaw He nothing ware in his opinion Of the compassed conspiration But innocent like a gentle knight Rode aye forth till it drow to night Sole by himself without companie Hauing no man him to wise or gie But at last lifting vp his hede Toward eue he gan to take hede Mid of his way right as any line Thought he saw ayenst the Moone shine Shields fresh and plates burned bright The which enuiron cast a great light Imagining in his fantasie There was treason or conspiracie Wrought by yâ— king his journey for to lette And of all that he nothing sette But well assured in his manly hert List not ones aside to diuert But kept his way his shield vpon his brest And cast his spere manly in the rest How worthy Tideus outrayed fifty Knights lying in await for to slaen him And the first platly that he mette Through the body proudly he him smette That he fell dead cheefe maister of hem all And then at ones they vpon him fall On euery paas by compasse enuiron But Tideus through his high renoun His bloody swerde let about him glide He sleeth and killeth vpon euery side In his ire and his mortall tene That meruell it was how he might so sustene Ayenst hem all on euery halfe beset But his swerde was so sharpe whet That his fomen found it full vnsoot But he alas was made light on foot By force grounded in full great distresse But of knighthood and of high prowesse Vp he rose maugre all his fone And as they came he slough hem one by one Like a Lion rampant in his rage And on this hill he found a narrow passage Which that he tooke of full high prudence And liche a Bore stonding at his defence As his fomen proudely him assaile Vpon the plein her blood he made to raile All enuiron that the soile waxe redde Now here now there as they fellen dedde That here lay one and there lay two or three So mercilesse in his crueltee Thilke day he was vpon hem found And at ones his enemy did confound Where as he stood this mighty champion Beside he saw with water tourned doun An huge stone large round and square And sodainly ere that they were ware As it had lien there for the nones Vpon his foen he rolled it at ones That ten of hem wenten vnto wracke And the remenaunt amased drew abacke For one by one they went to mischaunce Thus finally he brought to outrance Hem euerychone Tideus as bliue That none but one left of hem aliue Himselfe yhurt and ywounded kene Through his harneis bleeding on the grene The Theban knights in compas round about In the valley slaine all the whole rout Which pitously againe the Moone gape For none of hem shortly might escape But dead echone as they haue deserued Saue one except the which was reserued By Tideus of this entention To the king to make relation How his knights haue on her journey sped Euerich of hem his life left for a wed And at meeting how they haue hem borne To tellen all he assured was and sworne To Tideus full lowly on his knee By which ensample openly ye may see How Truth with little Multitude hath ever in the fine Victory of Falshood Ayens trouth falshood hath no might Figh on querels not grounded vpon right Without which may be no victory For euery man haue this in memory That great power shortly to conclude Plenty of good or great multitude Sleight or engine force or fellony Arne too feeble to hold a champarty Ayenst trouth who that list take heed For at end falshood may not speed Tendure long ye shall find it thus Record I take of worthy Tideus That arted his hond throgh troths excellence Fifty knights slough in his defence But one except as I late told Sworne and assured with his hand vphold The king tenforme how they were atteint And Tideus of bleeding was wonder feint Mate and weary and in great distresse And ouerlayd of very feeblenesse But as he might tho himselfe sustene He tooke his horse stonding on the grene Worthed vp and forth he gan to ride An easie paas with his wounds wide And soothly yet in his opinion He was alway aferde of treason But anguishous and full of busie peine He rode him forth till he did atteine Into the bounds of Ligurgus lond A worthy king and manly of his hond How Tideus all to wounded came into Ligurgus lond And he full pale onely for lacke of blood Tideus saw where a Castle stood Strong and mighty built vpon a roche Toward which fast he gan approche Conueighed thider by clearenesse of the stone That by night ayens the Moone shone On high toures with crestes Marciall And joyning almost to the wall Was a gardein little out beside Into which Tideus gan to ride Of aduenture by a gate small And there he found for to reken all A lusty Erber vnto his deuise Sweet and fresh like a Paradise Very heauenly of inspectioun And first of all he alight adoun The goodly place when that he beheld And from his necke he voided hath his sheld Drew the bridle from his horse hede Let him go and tooke no manner hede Through the garden that enclosed was Him to pasture on the soot gras And Tideus more heauy than is Ledde Vpon the hearbes greene white and redde As him thought that time for the best He layd him downe for to take his rest Of wearinesse desirous to sleepe And none await his body for to keepe And with dreames grudged euer emong There he lay till the Larke song With notes new high vp in the aire The glad morrow rody and right faire Phebus also casting vp his beames The high hils gilt with his streames The siluer dew vpon the hearbes round There Tideus lay vpon the cold ground At vprist of the shene Sunne And stoundmeale his greene
wounds runne Round about that the soile depeint Was of the greene with the red meint How Ligurgus Doughter found Tideus sleeping in the Herber all forwounded And euery morrow for holesomnes of aire Ligurgus doughter did make her repaire Of custome aye emong the floures new In the garden of many a diuers hew Such joy had she for to take hede On her stalkes for to seene hem sprede In the alures walking to and fro And when she had a little while go Her selfe alone casting vp her sight She beheld where an armed knight Lay to rest him on the hearbes cold And him beside she gan eke behold His mighty stede walking here and there And she anon fell in a manner fere Specially when she saw the blood Sprad on the greene about there she stood But at last she caught hardinesse And womanly gan her for to dresse Toward the knight hauing a manner drede And great doubt least that he were dede And of her will soothly this was chiefe That she thought for to make a priefe How that it stood of this man full oft And forth she goeth and toucheth him soft Where as he lay with her honds smale And with a face deadly bleike and pale Liche as a man adawed in a swough He vp stert and his swerde drought Not fully out but put it vp ayeine Anone as he hath the Lady seine Beseeching her onely of her grace To haue pity on his trespace And rew on him of her womanhede For of a fray he was fall in drede Least he had been assayled of new Of the Thebanes preued full vntrue For drede of which he was so rechlees Full humbly him yeelding to the pees Trist in himselfe yâ— he passed had his bounds And when that she saw his mortall wounds She had routh of very gentillesse Of his disease and his distresse And had he should be nothing dismaied Nor in heart sorrifull nor affraied Discomfort him in no manner thing For I qd she am doughter to the king Called Ligurge which greatly me delite Euery morrow this garden to visite It is to me so passingly disport Wherefore qd she beth of good comfort How womanly the Lady acquit her to Tideus in his Disease For no wight here touching your voyage Shall hinder you ne doe you no damage And if ye list of all your auenture The plaine trouth vnto me discure I will in sooth doe my businesse To reforme your greeuous heauinesse With all my might and whole my diligence That I hope of your great offence Ye shall haue helpe in your aduersite And as ferreforth as it lieth in me Trusteth right well ye shall no faut find And when he saw that she was so kind So womanly so goodly and benigne In all her port by many a diuers signe He vnto her by order will not spare His auentures fully to declare In Thebes first touching his message And at hill of the woody rage Of his wounds and of his hurts sore It were but vaine to rehearse it more By and by he told it euerydele The which in sooth she liked neuer adele But had routh and compassion Of his mischeefe wrought by false treason Riding in hast that he should her sue And womanly as her thought due To a chamber she led him vp aloft Full well beseine there in a bed right soft Richly abouten apparrailed With cloth of gold all the floure irailed Of the same both in length and brede And first this Lady of her womanhede Her women did bid as goodly as they can To be attendant vnto this wounded man And when he was vnarmed to his shert She made first wash his wounds smert How Tideus was refreshed in the Castle of the Lady And serch hem well with diuers instruments And made fette sundry ointments And Leeches eke the best she coud find Full craftely to staunch him and to bind And euery thing that may done him ease To suage his peine or his wo tapease Was in the Court and in the Castle sought And by her bidding to her chamber wrought And for his sake she hath after sent For such deinties as were conuenient Most nutritife by Phisickes lore Hem that were seke or wounded to restore Making her women eke to taken keepe And await on him on nights when he sleepe And be well ware that nothing astart That was or might be lusty to his hart And with all this she prayed him abide Till he were strong and mighty for to ride In the Castle to play him and disport And at leiser home ayeine resort When he might by welde him at his large But all for nought he will home to Arge Tooke his leaue on the next day Without abode to hast him on his way Lowly thanking vnto her goodnesse Of her freedome and bounteous largesse So womanly that her list take heed Him to refresh in his great need Behoting her with all his full might He would be her seruant and her true knight While he liueth of what she will him charge And forth he rode till he come to Arge How Tideus repeired is home to Arge In full great hast would no where dwell But what should I rehearse either tell Of his repaire the coasts or the pleines The great roches or the high mounteines Or all the manere of his home comming Of the meeting nor the welcomming Nor the joy that Adrastus made Nor how his suster or his wife were glade Nor how that they whereto should I write Enbraced him in her armes white Nor the gadering about him or the prees Nor the sorrow that Polimites Made in himselfe to see him sore wounded His greeuous hurts his sores eke vnsounded His deadly looke and his face pale Of all this to ginne a new tale It were in sooth a manner idlenesse Nor how himselfe in order did expresse First how that he in Thebes hath him borne Ne how the king falsely was forsworne Nor of thawait nor treason that he sette When fifty knights on the way him mette As ye haue heard all the manere how Without which my tale is long ynow But Adrastus made men to seach In euery coast for many a diuers Leach To come in hast and make no tarrying Vpon a peine by bidding of the king To done her craft that he were recured And of his force in euery part assured And they echone so her cunning shew That in space of a dayes few He was all whole made of his sicknesse There was tho joy then was ther gladnesse Throughout the court through al yâ— toun For euery man hath such opinioun In Tideus for his gentillesse For his manhood and his lowlinesse That he was hold the most famous knight And best beloued in euery mannes sight Throughout Greece in euery region But now must I make a digression To tell shortly as in sentement Of thilke knight that Tideus hath sent Into Thebes onely to declare Of the great mischeefe and the euill fare Vnto 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 yâ— 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
lord as he is of degree Vnto his lodging assigned shall bee Your officers let hem selfe deuise Yf the housing largely may suffise To you and yours stretchen and atteine That none estate haue cause to compleine And all your host lodged here beside Which ententifely vpon you abide Let hem fet by my auctority Vitaile inough here in my city And al that may hem succour or saue And at o word al that euer I haue Is full and holle at your commaundement How Adrastus and all the states of Grekes preiden Ligurgus for the life of Isophile Qd. Adrastus that is not our entent Nor no part cause of our comming For we be come all for another thing A certein gift of you to requere Benignely if ye list to here Which may Grekes passingly auaile Of our request if we do not faile Which we dare not openly expresse Withouten that ye will of your gentillesse Your graunt affirme conferme and ratifie Then were we bold it to specifie qd Ligurgus what thing euer it be Not excepted but onely things three The first is this it touche not my life My yong sonne pleinly nor my wife Take all my good and what ye list proâ—ide Of my treasour and set these thing aside All the surplus I compt nat a mite Then Adrastus astomed was a lite When Ligurgus in conclusion Of his sonne made exception And whiles they treat thus in fere There came forth one with a wofull chere Of face and looke pale and nothing red And loud crieth the kings sonne is ded Alas the while that whilom was so feire After Ligurgus borne to ben his heire The which alas hath yolden vp the breath Of a Serpent stong vnto the death And with his wound new fresh and greene In the herber lieth that pity is to seene And hath so lien almost all this day But when Ligurgus heard this affray And wist his child was dead and had no mo Little wonder though that he was wo For sodainly the importable smart Ran anon and hent him by the hart The sorow that King Ligurgus made for the death of his Child and the lamentation of the Queen That for constreint of his deadly peine Throughout he felt coruen euery veine The rage gan mine on him so depe That he could not but sobbe sigh and wepe And with the noise and lamentacioun The Quene distraught is descended doun And when she knew the ground of all this sorrow It needed her no teares for to borow But twenty time vpon a row Aswound she fell to the earth low And stoundmell for this mischaunce Still as a stone she lieth in a traunce But when the child into court was brought Tofore Ligurgus alas I wite him nought Vpon the corps with a mortall face He fell atones and gan it to embrace Sore to grispe and agein vp sert Then when Adrastus this thing can aduert Of kingly routh and compassioun From his eyen the teares fell adoun Eke Kings Dukes that about stood Onely of pity that is in gentill blood No power had the teares to restreine That on her cheekes doune began to reine But all a day would not suffise All her sorowes in order to deuise First of the king and the queene also To tellen al I should neuer haue do Not in the space almost of an houre But when the stormes and the teary shoure Of her weping was somewhat ouergone The litel Corps was grauen vnder stone And Adrastus in the same tide Ligurgus toke a litel out a side And full wisely with his prudent spech The Queene present gan him for to tech That so to sorow auaile may right nought To murdre himself with his owne thought * Ayeinst death may be no recure Though in wo perpetually endure Al helpeth not when the soule is go And our life here thus taketh heed thereto Is but an exile and a pilgrimage Ful of turment and of bitter rage Liche See renning to and fro Suing an Ebbe when the flood is do Litel space abiding at full Of whose sojourne the Pope yeueth no bull For king is none Duke ne Emperour That may him shroud ayenst his fatal shour Of cruel death when him list manace To marke a man with his mortall mace Then geineth not to his saluation Neither franchise ne protection And littel or nought may helpen in this caas Saufâ—ondir eyther supersedeas For in this world who so loketh aright Is none so great of power nor of might None so rich shortly nor so bold That he must die either yong or old And who in youth passeth his passage He escaped is all the wood rage All sorrow all trouble of this present life Replenished with conteke warre and strife Which selde or neuer stondeth in surete Wherefore best is as it seemeth me No man grutch but of high prudence The sonde of God he taketh in patience And ye that been so wise and manly to Your selfe to drowne in torment and in wo For losse of thing and ye list to see That in no wise may recured bee Is great folly and vndiscretioun And thus Adrastus hath conueyed doun The substance whole of that he would say Till that he found a tiâ— for to pray Conuement for Isophilee Beseching him for to haue pite Of that she hath offended his highnesse Not wilfully but of reckelesnesse First that he would his domes so diuide Mercy preferre and set right aside At request and prayer of hem all Of this vnhap and mischeefe that is fall By hasty rigour not to doe vengeaunce But thinke aforne in his purueyaunce * Who to wretches doth mercy in her drede Shall mercy find when he hath most nede And sith he hath power might and space Let him take this lady into his grace For lacke of routh that she nat thus die But tho the Quene gan again replie How the Queen will algate have the Serpent dead And platly said as in this matere Auaileth neither request nor prayere Pite mercy nor remission But if it be by this condicion That the Serpent cause of all sorow Through his labour lay his hed to borow This is finall and vtter recompence To find grace for her great offence Or elles shortly shede blood for blood And when Greekes her answere vnderstood Of one actord in her best wise Toke on hem this auenturous emprise For loue onely of Isophile And gon to ride enuiron the contre By hilles valeis roches and caues In diches darke and in old graues By euery cost serching vp and doun Till at last full famous of renoun The worthy knight Parthonolope Was the first that happed for to se This hidous Serpent by a Riuer side Great and horrible sterne and full of pride Vnder a Roch by a banke lowe And in all hast he bent a sturdy bowe And therein set an Arowe filed kene And through the body spotted blew grene How Parthonolope slew the Serpent Full mightely he made it for to glide And hent out a swerde
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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 yâ— 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 Isâ—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
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