was it shewed on that portreiture As is depainted in the starres aboue Who shall be dead or els slaine for loue Sufficeth one ensample in stories old I may not reken them all though I would The statue of Mars vpon a cart stood Armed and looked grim as he were wood And ouer his head there shinen two figures Of starres that been cleaped in scriptures That one Puella hight that other Rubeus This god of armes was araied thus A wolfe there stood beforne him at his fete With eyen red and of a man he ete With subtill pensill was painted this storie In redouting of Mars and of his glorie Now to the temple of Diane the chast As shortly as I can I woll me hast To tell you all the discriptioun Depainted been the wals vp and doun Of hunting and of shamefast chastite There saw I how wofull Calistope When that Diane greeued was with her Was turned fro a woman to a bere And afterward was she made the loadsterre Thus was it painted I can say no ferre Her sonne is eke a starre as men may see There saw I Dane turned vnto a tree I meane not the goddesse Diane But Venus daughter which that hight Dane There saw I Acteon an Hert ymaked For vengeance that he saw Diane all naked I saw how that his hounds haue him cought And freten him for they knew him nought Yet painted was a little furthermore How Athalant hunted the wild Bore And Mellager and many other mo For which Diane wrought him care and wo. There saw I many another wonder storie Which me list not to draw in memorie This goddesse full well vpon an Hart sete With small hounds all abouten her fete And vnderneath her feet she had a Moone Wexing it was and yet should wane soone In gaudie greene her statue clothed was With bow in hand and arrowes in caas Her iyen aye she cast full low adoun There Pluto hath his darke regioun A woman trauelling was her before But for her child so long was vnbore Full pitously Lucina gan she call And said helpe for thou maiest best of all Well coud he paint liuely that it wrought With many a florein he the hewes bought Now been these lists made and Theseus That at his great cost hath arayed thus The temples and the theatre eueridele When it was done it him liked wonder wele But stint I woll of Theseus alite And speake of Palamon and of Arcite The day approcheth of her returning That euerich should an C. knights bring The battaile to darreine as I you told And to Athens her couenants to hold Hath euerich of hem brought an C. knights Well armed for the warre at all rights And sikerly there trowed many a man That never sithens the world began As for to speak of knighthood of her hond As farre as God hath made sea or lond Nas of so few so noble a company For every wight that loued chiualry And would his thankes haue a passing name Hath praied that he might be of that game And well was him that thereto chosen was For if there fell to morrow such a caas Ye know well that euery lusty knight That loueth paramours and hath his might Were it in England or were it elsewhere They would all full faine willen to be there * To fight for a lady ah benedicite It were a lustie sight for men to se And right so farden they with Palamon With him there went knights many on Some would been armed in an habergeon And in a brest plate with a light gippion And some would have a paire of plates large And some wold haue a pruce sheld som a â—arge Some would be armed on his legs wele And haue an axe and some a mace of stele There nas none new gise that it nas old Armed were they as I haue you told Euerich after his opinion ¶ Ther maist thou se comming with Palamon Ligurge himselfe the great king of Trace Blacke was his berd manly was his face The sercles of his iyen in his hed They glouden betwixt yellow and red And like a Lion looked he about With kemped haires on his browes stout His lims great his brawnes hard and strong His shoulders brode his armes round long And as the guise was in his countre Full high upon a chaire of gold stood he With foure great white buls in the trasys Instead of a coat armour ouer his harnays With nailes yellow and bright as any gold He hath a beares skin cole blacke for old His long haire was kempt behind his backe As any ravens feather it shone for blacke A wreath of gold arme great of huge weight Vpon his head set full of stones bright Of fine rubies and clere diamands About his chaire there went white allaunds Twenty and mo as grete as any stere To hunten at the lion or the wild bere And followed him with mosell fast ybound Collers of gold and torrettes filed round An hundred lordes had he in his rout Armed full well with hearts sterne and stout With Arcite in stories as men do find The great Emetrius the King of Inde Vpon a steed bay trapped in stele Covered with a cloth of gold diapred wele Came riding like the god of armes Marce His coat armure was of cloth of Trace Well couched with perle white round gret His saddle was of brent gold new ybet A mantle upon his shoulders hanging Brette full of rubies red as fire sparkling His crispe haire like rings was of yron And that was yellow and glittering as the son His nose was high his eyen bright cytryn His lips ruddie his colour was sanguyn A few freckles in his face yspreint Betwixt yellow and somdele blacke ymeint And as a Lion he his eyen kest Of fiue and twenty yere his age I gest His beard was well begun for to spring His voice was as a trumpet sowning Vpon his head he weared of laurer greene A garland fresh and lustie for to seene Vpon his hand he bare for his delite An Eagle tame as any lilly white An hundred lords had he with him there All armed saue her heads in her gere And that full richely in all manner things For trusteth well that earles dukes kings Were gathered in this noble company For loue and for encrease of chiualry About this king there ran on euery part Full many a rame Lion and Libart And in this wise these lords all and some Been on the sunday to the citie come About prime and in the toune a light This Theseê° this duke this worthy knight When he had brought hem into his citee And inned hem euerich after his degree He feasted hem and doth so great labour To easen hem and done hem all honour That yet men wenen that no mans wit Of none estate coud ne amend it The minstralcie the seruice at the feast The great yefts also to the most and least The rich array throughout Theseus paleis Ne who sat first
place he lay as he were dead His breast to brosten with his saddle bow As blacke he lay as any coale or crow So was the blood yroune in his face Anon he was ybrought out of the place With hart full sore to Theseus paleis Tho was he coruen out of his harneis And in a bed ybrought full faire and bliue For he was yet in memory and on liue And alway crying after Emely Duke Theseus with all his company Is comen home to Athens his cite With all blisse and great solemnite Albeit that this auenture was fall He would not discomfort hem all Men said eke that Arcite should not die He should ben healed of his maladie And of another thing they were as faine That of hem all there was none islaine All were they sore hurt and namely one That with a spere was thirled his brest bone Two other had wounds two broken arms Some of them had salues some had charms Sundry fermaces of hearbes and eke saue They dronken for they would her liues haue For which this noble duke as he well can Comforteth and honoureth euery man And made great reuell all the long night Vnto the straunge lords as it was right Ne there nas hold no discomforting But as is at iusts or a turneying For soothly there nas no discomfiture For falling is hold but an auenture Ne to be 〈◊〉 by force unto a stake Vnyolden and with twenty knights take And one person withouten any mo To be harted forth by arme foot and too And eke his steed driuen forth with staues With footmen both yeomen and knaues It was arretted him no villanie There may no man cleape it cowardie For which anon duke Theseus did cry To stinten all rancour and enuy They gre as well of one side as of other And either side is like as others brother And yaue hem gyfts after her degree And helden a feast fully dates three And conueyed the knights worthily Out of his toune a daies iourney largely And home went euery man the right way There nas no more but farwell haue good day Of this battel I woll no more endite But speake of Palamon and of Arcite Swelleth the breast of Arcite and the sore Encreaseth at his heart still more and more The clottered blood for any lee chcraft Corrumped and is in his bouke last That neither veineblood ne vent ousing Ne drinke of hearbes may be helping By vertue expulsiue or animall For thilke vertue cleaped naturall Ne may the venim void ne expell The pipes of his lungs began to swell And euery lacerte in his breast adoun Is shent with venim and corruptioun Him gaineth neither for to get his life Vomit vpward ne downward laxatife All is to brusten thilke region Nature hath no domination * And certainly ther as nature woll not wirch Farwell physicke go beare the corse to chirch This is all and some that Arcire must die For which he sendeth after Emelie And Palamon that was his cosyn deare Then said he thus as ye shall after heare Nought may my wofull spirit in my hart Declare o point of all my sorrows smart To you my lady that I love most But I bequeath the service of my gost To you abouen any creature Since that my life may no lenger dure Alas the wo alas my paines strong That I for you haue suffered and so long Alas the death alas mine Emely Alas departing of our company Alas mine hearts queene alas my liues wife Mine hearts ladie ender of my life * What is the world what asken men to haue Now with his loue now in his cold graue Alone withouten any company Farwell my sweet foe mine Emely And soft doe take me in your armes twey For the loue of God hearkeneth what I say I haue here with my cousin Palamon Had strife and rancour many a day agon For loue of you and for my iealousie And Iupiter so wisely my soule gie To speaken of a seruant properly With circumstances all and truly That is to say trouth honor and knighthede Wisdome humblesse estate high kinrede Freedome and all that longeth to that art So Iupiter have of my soule any part As in this world right now know I non So worthy to be loued as Palamon That serueth you and woll doen all his life And if that you shall euer been a wife Foryet not Palamon the gentleman And with that word his speech faile began For from his feet vnto his breast was come The cold death that had him ouernome And yet moreouer for in his armes two The vitall strength is lost and all ago Saue only the intellect without more That dwelleth in his heart sicke and sore Gan failen wher the hart felt death Dusked been his iyen two and failed breath But on his ladie yet cast he his iye His last word was mercy Emelie His spirit chaunged and out went there Whitherward I cannot tell ne where Therfore I stint I am no diuinistre Of soules find I not in this registre Ne me list not thilke opinion to tell Of hem though they writen where they dwel Arcite is cold there Mars his soule gie Now woll I speake forth of Emelie Shright Emelie and houlen Palamon And Theseus his sister vp tooke anon Swouning and bare her fro his corse away What helpeth it to tarrie forth the day To tellen how she wept both euen morow * For in such case women haue much sorow When that her husbands been fro hem go That for the more part they sorowen so Or els fallen in such maladie That at the last certainely they die Infinit been the sorow and the teares Of old folke and folke of tender yeares In all the toune for death of this Theban For him there weepeth both child and man So great weeping was there not certaine When Hector was brought all fresh yssaine To Troy alas the pitie that was there Scratching of cheekes and renting eke here Why woldest thou be dead thus women crie And haddest gold inough and Emelie No man ne may gladen Theseus Saving his old father Egeus That knew this worlds transmutatioun * As he had seene it both vp and doun Ioy after wo and wo after gladnesse And shewed him ensamples and likenesse * Right as there died neuer man qd he That he ne liued in yearth in some degree Right so there liued neuer man he saied In this world that sometime he ne deied * This world is but a throughfare full of wo And we been pilgrimes passing to and fro Death is an end of euery worlds sore And over all this yet said he much more To this effect full wisely to exhort The people that they should hem recomfort Duke Theseus with all his busie cure Casteth now where that the sepulture Of good Arcite shall best ymaked bee And eke most honourable for degree And at the last he tooke conclusion That there as Arcite and Palamon Had for love the
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
principio Yet wolde he have a farthing or he went His purchase was better than his rent And rage he couth as it were a whelpe In loue dayes there coude he mikel helpe For there he was nat like a cloisterere With a threde bare cope as a poore frere But he was like a maister or a pope Of double worstede was his semy cope So rounded was as a bell out of presse Somwhat he lisped for his wantonnesse To make his Englishe swete upon his tong And in harpinge whan that he song His eyen twinkeled in his head a right As done the sterres in a frosty night This worthy frere was called Huberde ¶ The Marchaunt 7. A Marchaunt was there with a forked berde In motley and high on his Horse he sat Vpon his head a Flaunders bever hat His bootes clasped faire and fetously His reasons spake he full solemnly Shewing alway the increase of his winning He would the see were kept for any thing Betwixe Middleborough and Orewell Well could he in exchaunge sheldes sell This worthy man so well his wit besette There wist no wight that he was in dette So stately was he of his governaunce With his bargeins with his cheuisaunce Forsooth he was a worthy man withall But sooth to saine I not what men him call ¶ The Clerke of Oxenford 8. A Clerke there was of Oxenford also That unto Logicke had long ygo As leane was his hors as is a rake And he was nothing fat I undertake But looked hollow and thereto soberly Full thredbare was his over courtpy For he had yet getten him no benefice Ne was nought worldly to have none office For him was leuer han at his beds hed Twentie bookes clad with blacke or red Of Aristotle and of his Philosophy Than robes riche or fiddle or gay sautrie But all he that he was a philosopher Yet had he but little gold in cofer But all that he might of his friends hent On bookes and on learning he it spent And busily gan for the soules pray Of hem that holpen him to scholay Of study took he most cure and hede Not a word spake he more than was nede And that was said in forme and reverence And short and quick and of high sentence Sowning in moral vertue was his speach Gladly would he learn and gladly teach ¶ The Sergeant at Law 9. A Sergeant of Law ware and wise That often had been at the pervise There was also full rich of excellence Discreete he was and of great reverence He seemed such his words were so wise Iustice he was full often in assise By patent and by plain commissioun For his science and his high renoun Of fee and robes had he many one So great a purchasour was no where none All was fee simple to him in effect His purchasing might not been in suspect No where so besie a man as he there nas And yet he seemed busier than he was In tearmes had he case and domes all That fro the time of king William was fall Thereto he coud endite and maken a thing There coud no wight pinch at his writing And every statute coud he plain by rote He rode but homely in a medley cote Girt with a seint of silke with barres smale Of his array tell I no lenger tale ¶ The Frankelein 10. A Frankelein there was in his company White was his berd as is the daisie And of his complexion he was sanguine Well loved he by the morrow a sop in wine To liven in delite was ever his wonne For he was Epicures own sonne That held opinion that plain delite Was very felicitie perfite An housholder and that a great was he Saint Iulian he was in his countre His bread his ale was alway after one A better viended man was no where none Without bake meat was never his house Of fish and flesh and that so plenteouse It snewed in his house of meat and drink Of all deintes that men coud of think After the sondre seasons of the yere So chaunged he his meat and his suppere Full many a fatte Partriche had he in mew And many a Breme many a Luce in stew Wo was his Coke but his sauce ay were Poynante and sharp and ready all his gere His table dormaunt in his hall alway Stode redy covered all the long day At cessions there was he lord and sire Full ofte time he was knight of the shire An anelace and gipsere all of silk Hing at his girdle white as morow milk A sherife had he been and a countour Was no where such a worthy vavesour ¶ The Haberdasher 11. AN Haberdasher there was a carpenter A webbe a dier and a tapiser All were yclothed in o Lyvere Of a solempne and a great fraternite Full fresh and new her geare ypiked was Her knives ychaped nere not with bras But al with silver wrought ful clene wele Her girdles and her pouches every dele Wel semde everich of hem a faire burgeis To sitten at a yeld hal on the hie deys Everich for the wisedom that he can Was shape liche for to ben an alderman For cattaile had they right inough and rent And eke her wives would it well assent And els certaine they were to blame It is full faire to been ycleped madame And to gone to vigilles all before And have a mantell roialliche ibore ¶ The Coke 12. A Coke they had with hem for the nones To boyle the Chikens and the marie-bones And pouder marchaunt tarte and galingale Well coud he know a draught of London ale He couthe roste sethe boil and fry Make mortreis and well bake a pie But great harme was it as it thought me That on his shinne a mormall had he And blanke manger made he with the best ¶ The Shipman 13. A Shipman was there wonning ferre by West For aught I wote he was of Dertmouth He rode upon a rouncie as he couthe In a goune of falding to the knee A dagger hanging by a lace had he About his neck under his arme doune The hot somer had made his hew all broune And certain he was a good felaw Full many a draught of Wine had he draw From Burdeux ward while the chapmen slepe Of nice conscience took he no kepe If that he faught and had the higher hand By water he sent him home to every land But of his craft to reken well his tides His stremes and his daungers him besides His herbrough his mone his lode manage There was none soch from Hull to Cartage Hardy he was and wise to undertake With many a tempest had his berde be shake He knew all the havens as there were Fro Scotland to the Cape de Fenestre And every creeke in Britain and in Spain His barge was called the Maudelain ¶ The Doctor of Phisike 14. WIth us there was a Doctor of Phisike In all this world ne was there none him like To speake of Phisike and of Surgerie For
word if it bee in his charge All speak he never so rudely ne large Or else he mote tellen his tale untrue Or fein things or find words new He may not spare altho he were his brother He mote as well say o word as another Christ spake himself full brode in holy writ And well I wotte no villany is it Eke Plato saith who so can him rede * The words mote been cosin to the dede Also I pray you forgive it me All have I not set folk in her degree Here in this tale as they shoulden stand My wit is short ye may well understand GReat cheer made our hoste us verichone And to the Supper set he us anone And served us with vitaile of the best Strong was the wine well to drink us lest A seemly man our Host was with all For to been a Marshal in a Lords Hall A large man he was with iyen stepe A fairer Burgeis is there none in Chepe Bold of his speech wise and well itaught And of manhood him lacked right nought Eke thereto he was a right merry man And after supper plaien he began And speak of nâ—â—th among other things When that we had made our reckonings And said thus now lordings truly Ye been to me welcome right heartily For by my trouth if I should not lie I saw not this year so merry a Company Atones in this her borough as is now Fain wold I don you mirth I wist how And of a mirth I am right now bethought To don you ease and it shall cost nought Ye gon to Canterbury God mote you spede The blissful Martyr quite you your mede And well I wot as ye gone by the way Ye shapen you to talken and to play For truly comfort ne mirth is there none To riden by the way as dumb as a stone And therefore wold I maken you disport As I said erst and done you some comfort And if you liketh all by one assent For to stonden at my Iudgment And for to worchen as I shall you say To morrow when we riden on the way Now by my Fathers Soul that is deed But ye be merry I will give you my heed Hold up your hands withouten more speech Our counsail was not long for to sech Vs thouÈt it was not worth to make it nice And graunted him without more avise And bad him say his verdit as him lest Lordings qd he now herkeneth for the best But take it nat I pray you in disdain This is the point to speak it plat and plain That ech of you to shorten others way In this viage shall tellen tales tway To Canterbury ward I mean it so And homewards he shall tell tales other two Of a ventures whilom that han befall And which of you that hereth him best of all That is to sain that tellen in this case Tales of best sentence and most solace Shall have a supper at our alder cost Here in this place sitting by this post When that we comen ayen from Canterbury And for to make you the more merry I will my selven goodly with you ride Right at mine own cost and be your guide And who that woll my judgment with say Shall pay all that we spend by the way And yef ye vouchsafe that it be so Tell me anone without words mo And I woll erly shape me therefore This thing was granted our oaths swore With glad hert and praiden him also That he would vouchsafe for to do so And that he would ben our Governour And of our tales judge and reportour And set a Supper at a certain prise And we wollen ben demed at his devise In hie and low and thus by one assent We ben accorded to his judgment And thereupon the wine was fette anone We dronken and to rest went ilke one Withouten any lenger tarying A morrow when the day gan to spring Vp rose our Host and was our alder cocke And gadird us togedirs on a flocke And forth we riden a little more than paas Vnto the watering of saint Thomas And there our Host began his Horse arest And said Lords herkeneth if you lest Ye wote your forward and I it record * If eve song and morrow song accord Let see now who shall tell the first tale As ever I mote drink wine or ale Who so is rebel to my Iudgment Shall pay for all that by the way is spent Now draweth cut or that ye farther twin The which that hath the shortest shall begin Sir Knight qd he my maister my lord Now draweth cut for that is mine accord Commeth nere qd he my lady Prioress And ye sir Clerk let be your shamefastness Ne studieth nought lay hand to every man Anone to draw every wight began And shortly for to tellen as it was Were it by aventure chaunce or caas The sothe is this the cut fill to the Knight Of which blith and glad was every wight And tell he must his tale as was reason By forward and by composition As ye han heard what nee deth words mo And when this good man saw that it was so As he that wise was and obedient To keepen his forward by his free assent He said sithen I shall begin the game What welcome cut to me a Goddesname Now let us ride and herkeneth what I say And with that word we riden forth our way And he began with a right merry chere His tale anone right as ye shall hear ¶ Thus endeth the Prologues of the Canterbury Tales The Knight's Tale. PAlamon and Arcite a pair of Friends and Fellow-prisoners fight a Combat before Duke Theseus for the Lady Emely Sister to the Queen Ipolita Wife of Theseus A Tale fitting the Person of a Knight for that it discourseth of the Deeds of Arms and Love of Ladies WHilome as old stories tellen us There was a Duke that hight Theseus Of Athens he was lord and governour And in his time such a conquerour That greater was none under the son Full many a rich country had he won What with his wisdom and his chivalry He conquered all the reigne of Feminy That whilome was ycleaped Cithea And wedded the queene Ipolita And brought her home with him to his country With mikell glory and solemnity And eke her young sister Emely And thus with victory and melody Let I this worthy Duke to Athens ride And all his hoast in armes him beside And certes if it nere to long to here I would have told fully the mannere How wonnen was the reign of Feminy By Theseus and by his Chivalry And of the great battaile for the nones Betweene Athens and Amasones And how besieged was Ipolita The young hardy queene of Cithea And of the feast that was at her wedding And of the tempest at her home coming But all that thing I mote as now forbear * I have God wot a large field to ear And weked ben the oxen in the plow The remnant of my tale is
astonied was And said what amounteth this alas I put me vnder thy protection Diane and vnder thy disposition And home she goth anon the next way This is the effect there is no more to say The next houre of Mars following this Arcite vnto the temple walked is Of fierce Mars to done his sacrifise With all the might of his paymem wise With pitous heart and high deuotion Right thus to Mars he said his orison O strong god that in the reignes cold Of Trace honoured art and lord yhold And hast in euery reigne and euery lond Of armes all the bridle in thine hond And hem fortunest as thee list deuise Accept of me my pitous sacrifise If so be that my thought may deserue And that my might be worthy for to serue Thy godhead that I may been one of thine Then pray I thee that thou rue on my pine For thilke sore paine and for thilke hot fire In which thou brentest whylom for desire When thou vsedst the faire beaute Of faire young Venus both fresh and fre And haddest her in thine armes at thy will Although thou ones on a time misfull When Vulcanus had caught thee in his laas And found thee ligging by his wife alas For thilke sorrow that was in thine hart Have ruth as well on my paines smart I am young and uncunning as thou wost And as I trow with love offended most That ever was any lives creature For she that doth me all this wo endure Ne retcheth neuer where I sinke or flete And well I wot or she me mercy hete I mote with strength with her in this place And well I wot without help or grace Of thee ne may my strength not auaile Then help me lord to morrow in my battaile For thilke fire that whilome brenned thee As well as the fire now brenneth mee And do that I to morrow have the victory Mine be the trauell and thine be the glory Thy soveraign temple woll I most honouren Of any place and alway most labouren In thy pleasaunce and in thy crafts strong And in thy temple I woll my banner hong And all the armes of my companie And euermore untill the day I die Eterne fire I woll beforne thee find And eke to this auow I woll me bind My heard my haire that hongeth low adoun That neuer yet felt offencioun Of rasour ne of shere I woll thee yeve And been thy true seuaunt while I liue Now lord have ruth vpon my sorrowes sore Yeve me the victory I aske thee no more The praier stint of Arcite the strong The rings on the temple dore they rong And eke the dores yclattren full fast Of which Arcite somewhat him agast The fires brennen upon the auter bright That it gan all the temple for to light A sweet smell anon the ground up yafe And Arcite anon his hond up hafe And more insence into the fire he cast With other rites mo and at the last The statu of Mars began his hautherke ring And with that sound he heard a murmuring Full low and dim that said thus Victory For which he yafe to Mars honor and glory And thus with joy and hope well to fare Arcite anon into his inne is fare As faine as foule is of the bright sun And right anon such a strife is begun For thilke graunting in the heauen aboue Betwixt Venus the goddess of loue And Mars the sterne god armipotent That Iupiter was busie it to stent Till that the pale Saturnus the cold That knew so many aventures old Found in his experience and art That he full soone hath pleased every part And sooth is said elde hath great auauntage * In elde is both wisdome and usage Men may the old outren but not outread Saturne anon to stinten strife and dread Albeit that it be again his kind Of all this strife he can remedy find My deare doughter Venus qd Saturne My course that hath so wide for to turne Hath more power than wot any man Mine is the drenching in the sea so wan Mine is the prison in the darke coat Mine is the strangling and hanging by the throat The murmure and the churles rebelling The groning and the priuy enpoysoning I do vengeance and plaine correction While I dwell in the signe of the Lion Mine is the ruine of the high hals The falling of the toures and of the wals Vpon the minor or on the carpenters I slew Sampson shaking the pillers And mine been also the maladies cold The darke treasons and the casts old My looking is the father of pestilence Now weep no more I shall do my diligence That Palamon that is thine owne knight Shall have his lady as thou him behight Though Mars shal help his knight natheles Betwixt you it mot sometime be pees All be ye not of one complection That couseth all day such deuision I am thine ayle ready at thy will Weep no more I woll thy lust fulfill Now woll I stenten of these gods aboue Of Mars and of Venus goddesse of loue And plainely woll tellen you as I can The great effect of which that I began Great was the feast in Athens that day And eke that lusty season in May Made euery wight to ben in such pleasaunce That all that day iusten they and daunce And spenden it in Venus high seruise But because that they shoulden arise Early for to see the great and strange sight Vnto her rest went they quickly at night And on the morrow when day gan spring Of horse and harneis noise and clattering There was in the hostelries all about And to the pallace rode there many a rout Of lords upon great steeds and palfreis There maiest thou see deuising of harneis So vncouth so rich and wrought so wele Of Goldsmithry of braudry and of stele The shields bright testers and trappers Gold hewen helms hauberks coat armers Lords in paraments on her coursers Knights of retinue and eke squiers Nailing the speares and helmes bokeling Gigging of shields with lamers lacing There as need is they were nothing ydell The foming steeds on the golden bridell Gnawing and fast the armurers also With file and hammer riding to and fro Yemen on foot and communes many one With short staues thicke as they may gone Pipes trompes nakoners and clariouns That in the battaile blowne bloudie souns The pallace full of people up and doun Here three there ten holding her questioun Deuining of these Theban knights two Some said thus some said it should he so Some did hold with him with the black berd Som with the balled som with the thick herd Some said he looked grim and would fight He hath a sparth of twenty pound of weight Thus was the hall full of deuining Long after the sunne gam to spring The great Theseus of his sleepe gan wake With minstralcie and noise that they make Held yet the chamber of his pallace rich Till that the Theban knights both ylich Honoured weren and to the place
yfet Duke Theseus is at the window set Arayed right as he were a god in trone The people preased thyderward full sone Him for to seen and done him high reuerence And eke to heare his hest and his sentence An herauld on a scaffold made an oo Till all the noise of the people was ydo And when he saw the people of noise still Thus shewed he forth the mighty dukes will The lord hath of his high discretion Considered that it were destruction To gentle blood to fighten in this gise Of mortall battell now in this emprise Wherefore to shapen that they shall not die He woll his first purpose modifie No man therefore up paine of losse of life No manner shot polax ne short knife Into the lists send or thider bring Ne short sword to sticke with point biting No man ne draw ne heare it by his side Ne no man shall to his fellow ride But one course with a sharp grounden spere Foin if him list on foot the same he shall were And he that is at mischiefe shall he take And not slaine but brought unto the stake That shal ben ordained on either side Thider he shall by force and there abide And if so fall that the cheefetaine be take On either side or els sleen his make No longer shall the turnament last God speed you goth and layeth on fast With swords long mases fighten your fill Goth now your way this is the lords will The voice of the people touched heuen So loud cried they with mery steuen God saue such a lord that is so good He willeth no destruction of blood Vp goth the trompes and the melody And to the lists rideth so the company By ordinance throughout the cite large Hanged with cloth of gold not with sarge Full like a lord this noble duke gan ride And these two Thebans on either side And after rode the queene and Emely And after that another company Of one and other after her degree And thus they pasten throughout the citee And to the lists comen they be by time It nas not of the day yet fully prime When set was Theseus full rich and hie Ipolita the queene and Emelie And other ladies in degrees about Vnto the seats preaseth all the rout And westward through the yates under mart Arcite and eke and hundred of his part With banner red is entred right anon And in the selue moment entred Palamon Is under Venus eastward in that place With banner white and hardy cheare face In all the world to seken up and doun So euen without variatioun There nas no where such companies twey For there was none so wise that coud sey That any had of other auauntage Of worthinesse ne of estate ne age So euen were they chosen for to gesse And into the renges faire they hem dresse When that her names red were euerichone That in her number gile were there none Tho were the gates shut and cried was loud Do now your deuoir yong knights proud The heraulds left her pricking up doun Now ringen trompes loud and clarioun There is no more to say east and west In goth the sharpe speres sadly in the arrest In goth the sharpe spurs into the side There see men who can iust and who can ride There shiueren shafts upon sheilds thicke He feeleth through the hert spoone the pricke Vp springeth the speres twenty foot on hight Out goth the swords as the siluer bright The helmes they to hew and to shred Out burst the blood with sterne stremes red With mighty maces the bones they to breke He thro the thickest of the throng gan threke There stumblen steeds strong doun gon all He rolled under foot as doth a ball He foineth on his feet with a tronchoun And he hurleth with his horse adoun He through the body is hurt and sith ytake Maugre his head brought unto the stake As forward was right there he must abide Another is lad on that other side And sometime doth hem Theseus to rest Hem to refresh and drinke if hem lest Full oft a day have these Thebans two Together met and done ech other wo Vnhorsed hath ech other of hem twey There was no tigre in the vale of Colaphey When her whelpe is stole when it is lite So cruell on the hunt as is Arcite For jealous hert upon this Palamon Ne in Belmarie there is no fell Lion That hunted is or for his hunger wood Ne of his prey desireth so the blood As Palamon to slee his foe Arcite The iealous strokes on her helmes bite Out renneth the blood on both her sides reed Sometime an end there is of euery deed For ere the sunne unto the rest went The strong king Emetrius gan hent This Palamon as he fought with this Arcite And made his sword deepe in his flesh bite And by force of twenty is he take Vnyolden and drawne to the slake And in the rescous of this Palamon The strong king Ligurge is borne adoun And king Emetrius for all his strength Is borne out of his saddle a swords length So hurt him Palamon or he were take But all for naught he was brought to the stake His hardy heart might him helpen naught He must abide when that he was caught By force and eke by composition Who sorroweth now but wofull Palamon That mote no more gone againe to fight And when that Theseus had seen that sight He cried ho no more for it is don Ne none shall lenger to his fellow gon I woll be true iudge and not party Arcite of Thebes shall haue Emely That by his fortune hath her faire ywon Anon there is a noise of people begon For ioy of this so loud and high withall It seemed that the listes shoulden fall What can now faire Venus done aboue What saith she now what doth the quene of loue But wepeth so for wanting of her will Till that her teares adowne on the lists fell She said I am ashamed doutles Saturnus said fair daughter hold thy pees Mars hath al his wil his kniÈt hath his boon And by mine dead thou shait be eased soon The trumpes with the loud minstralcie The heraulds that so loud yell and crie Been in her wele for loue of Dan Arcite But hearkeneth me and stinteth noise alite Which a miracle there befell anon The fierce Arcite hath his helme off ydon And on a courser for to shew his face He pricketh endlong in the large place Looking vpward vpon Emelie And she ayen him cast a friendly eye * For women as to speak in commune They followen all the favour of fortune And was all his chere as in his hert Out of the ground a fire infernall stert From Pluto sent at the request of Saturne For which his horse for feare gan to turne And leape aside and foundred as he lepe And ere that Arcite may taken kepe He pight him off on the pomell of his head That in the
Tidings of sundry realmes for to lere The wonders that they might seen or here Emong other things specially These marchants haue him told of dame Custance So great noblesse in earnest seriously That this Soudan hath cauÈt so great plesance To han her figure in his remembrance And all his lust and all his busie cure Was for to loue her while his life may dure Parauenture in that like large booke Which cleaped is the heauen ywritten was With starres when that he his birth tooke That he for loue should han his death alas * For in the starres clearer then is the glas Is written God wot who so could it read The death of euery man withouten dread In starres many a Winter there before Was written the death of Hector Achilles Of Pompey and Iulius or they were bore The strife of Thebes and of Hercules Of Sampson Turnus and of Socrates The death but that mens wits been so dust That no wight can well read it at the full This Soudan for his priuie counsel sent And shortly of this matter for to pace He hath to hem declared all his intent said hem certain but if he might haue grace To haue Custance within a little space He nas but dead and charged hem to hie To shapen for his life some remedie Diuers men diuersly they saiden The argument they casten vp and doune Many a subtill reason forth they laiden They speaken of Magicke and abusioun But finally as in conclusioun They cannot seene in that none auauntage Ne in none other way saue in mariage Then saw they therein such difficulty By way of reason to speake all plain Because that there was such diuersity Between both her laws that they sain They trow that no christen prince would fain Wedden his child vnder our lawes swete That vs was tauÈt by Mahound our prophet And he answerd rather than I lese Custance I would be christen doubtles I mote been hers I may none other chese I pray you hold your arguments in pees Saueth my life and be ye not retcheles To getten her that hath my life in cure For in this woe I may not long endure What needeth greater delatation I say by treatie and embassadrie And by the Popes mediation And all the church and all the chiualrie That in destruction of Maumetrie And in encrease of Christs law deare They been accorded as ye shall heare How that the Soudan and his baronage And all his lieges should ychristened be And he shall han Custance in marriage And certaine gold I not what quantite And her to find sufficient surete The same accord was sworne on either side Now fair Custance almighty God thee gide Now woulden some men waiten as I gesse That I should tellen all the purueiance That the Emperour of his noblesse Hath shapen for his doughter dame Custance Well may men know that so great ordinance May no man tellen in a little clause As was araied for so high a cause Bishops been shapen with her for to wend Lords and ladies and knights of renoun And other folke yâ—â—ow this is the end And notified is throughout the toun That euery wight with great deuotioun Should pray Christ that he this mariage Receiue in gree and speed this voyage The day is come of her departing I say the wofull day naturall is come That there may be no longer tarrying But forward they hem dresse all and some Custance that with sorrow is all ouercome Full pale arist and dressed her to wend For well she sey there is none other end Alas what wonder is it though she wept That shall be sent to a straunge nation Fro friends that so tenderly her kept And be bounden vnder subjection Of one she knoweth not his condition * Husbands been all good han been yore That know ne wiues I dare say no more Father she said thy wretched child Custance Thy young daughter fostered vp so loft And ye my mother my soueraigne pleasaunce Ouer all thing out take Christ on loft Custance your child her commendeth oft Vnto your grace for I shall to Surrie Ne shall I neuer more see you with eie Alas vnto the Barberie nation I must anon sithen it is your will But Christ that starfe for our redemption So yeue me grace his hestes to fulfill I wretched woman no force though I spill * Women are born to thraldome penaunce And to been vnder mans gouernaunce I trow at Troy when Thurus brake the wall Of Ilion ne when brent was Thebes cite Ne Rome for the harme of Hanniball That Romans hath ivenqueshed times thre Nas heard such tender weeping for pite As was in the chamber for her parting But forth she mote wheder she weepe or sing O first mouing cruel firmament With thy diurnal swegh that croudest aye And hurriest all fro East to Occident That naturally would hold another way Thy crouding set the heauen in such array At the beginning of this fierce Voyage That cruell Mars hath slaine this mariage O infortunat assendent tortuous Of which the lord is helpelesse fall alas Out of his angle into his derkest house O Mars O occisier as in this caas O feeble Mone vnhappy been thy paas Thou knittest there thou nart not receiued Ther thou wer wel fro thence art thou waiued Imprudent Emperour of Rome alas Was there no philosopher in thy toun Is no time bette than other in such cas Of voiage is there none electioun Namely to folke of high conditioun Nat when a rote is of a birth yknow Alas we been too leaud or to slow To ship is brought this wofull faire maid Solemnely with euery circumstance Now Iesus Christ be with you all she said There nis no more but farwell fair Custance She paineth her to make good countenance And forth I let her saile in this mannere And turne I woll againe to my mattere Explicit prima pars sequitur pars secunda THe mother of the Soudan well of vices Espied hath her sonnes plaine intent How he woll lete his old sacrifices And right anon she for her counsaile sent And they ben comen to know what she ment And when assembled was this folke in feare She set her doune and said as ye shall heare Lords qd she ye knowne euery chone How that my sonne is in point to lete The holy lawes of our Alkaron Yeuen by Gods messenger Mahomete But one auow to great God I hete The life shall rather out of my body start Or Mahomets law goe out of my hart What should vs tiden of this new law But thraldome to our bodies and pennaunce And afterward in hell to been draw For we reneyed Mahound our creaunce But lords woll ye now make assuraunce As I shall say assenting to my lore And I shall make us fafe for euermore They sworen and assenten euery man To liue with her and die and by her stond And euerich in the best wise that he can To strengthen her shall all
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
saieth the Apostle cloth and food Sufficeth vs though they be not full good The cleanenesse and the fasting of vs Freres Maketh that Christ accepteth our prayeres Lo Moises fortie daies and fortie night Fasted ere that the high God of his might Spake with him in the mount of Sinay With empty wombe fasting many a day Receiued he the law that was written With Gods finger and Hely well witten In mount Oreb ere he had any speech With the high God that is our soules leech He fasted long and was in contemplaunce Aaron that had the temple in gouernaunce And eke the other priests euerichone Into the temple when they should gone To praien for the people and doen seruice They nold drinke in no manner wise No drinke that dronke might hem make But there in abstinence pray and wake Least that they deiden take heed what I say But they be sober that for the people pray Ware that I say no more for it sufficeth Our Lord Iesu as holy writ deuiseth Yaue vs ensample of fasting and prayeres Therefore we Mendicantes we silly Freres Ben wedded to pouert and continence To charity humblenesse and abstinence To persecution for rightwisnesse To weeping misericorde and cleanenesse And therefore may ye see that our prayeres I speake of vs mendicants we Freres Ben to the high God more acceptable Than yours with your feast at your table Fro Paradice first if I shall not lie Was man chased out for his gluttonie And chast was man in Paradice certain But herken now Thomas what I shall sain I haue no text thereof as I suppose But I find it in manner of a glose That specially our sweet Lord Iesus Spake this by Freres when he saied thus Blessed be they that poore in spirit been And so forth all the Gospell may ye seen Whether it be liker our perfection Or hers that swimmen in possession Fie on her pompe and on her gluttonie And on her leaudnesse I hem defie Me thinketh they ben like Iouinian Fat as a Whale and walking as a Swan As vinolent as bottle in the spence Her prayer is of full little reuerence When they for souls say the Psalme of Dauid Lo bouffe they sain Cor meum eructauit Who followeth Christs Gospell his lore But we that humble be chast and poore Workers of gods word and not auditours Therefore right as an hauke at a sours Vp springeth into the aire so prayeres Of charitable and cahst busie Freres Maken her sours vp to Gods eares two Thomas Thomas so mote I ride or go And by that lord that cleaped is saint Yue Ne thou our broder wer thou shouldst not thriue For in our Chapiter pray we day night To Christ that he thee send health and might Thy body for to welden hastily God wot qd he nothing therof feele I As help me Christ for within few years Haue I spended vpon diuers maner Freres Well many a pound yet fare I neuer the bet Certain my good haue I almost beset Farewell my good for it is almost ago The frere answerd o Thomas dost thou so What needeth thee diuers Freres to sech What needeth him that hath a perfit lech To sechen other leches in the town Your inconstance is your confusion Hold ye me then or els our Couent To prayen for you insufficient Thomas that iape nis not worth a Mite Your maladie is for we haue to lite A yeue that couent halfe a quarter Otes And yeue that couent four twenty gortes And yeue that Frere a penny and let him go Nay nay Thomas it may nothing be so What is a farthing worth parted in twelue Lo ech thing that is oned in himselue Is more strong than when it is so scattered Thomas of me thou shalt not be iflattered Thou wolst haue all our labour for nought The hie God that all this world hath wrought * Saith that the workman is worthy his hire Thomas naught of your treasure I desire As for my self but that all our couent To pray for you is aie so diligent And holy for to builden Christ owne chirch Thomas if ye woll learne for to wirch Of building vp of Chirches may ye sinde If it be good in Thomas life of Inde Ye liggen here full of anger and ire With which the deuil set your heart on fire And chiden here this holy innocent Your wife that is so good and patient And therfore trow me Thomas if ye lest Ne chide not with thy wife as for the best And beare this word away by thy faith Touching such thing lo what the wise saith * Within thy house be thou no Lion To thy subjects do thou none oppression Ne make not thine acquaintance to flee And yet Thomas eftsones charge I thee Beware of her that in thy bosom sleepeth Ware of the serpent that so slily creepeth Vnder the grasse and stingeth full subtilly Beware my sonne and hearken patiently That twenty thousand men han lost her liues For striuing with her lemmans her wiues Now since you haue so holy and meek a wife What nedeth you Thomas to make strife * There nis iwis no serpent so cruell When men treden on his taile ne halfe so fel As a woman is when she hath caught an ire Vengeance is then all her desire Ire is a sinne one of the greatest of seuen Abhominable unto the high God of heven And to himself it is destruction This every lewd Vicar and Parson * Can say how ire engendreth homecide Ire is in sooth the executour of pride I could of ire say so much sorrow That my tale should last till to morrow And therfore I pray God both day and night That to an irous man he send little might * It is great harme and eke great pitee To see an irous man in high degree Whiledom ther was an irous potestate As saith Seneck that during his estate Vpon a day out riden knights two And as fortune would it should be so That one of hem came home that other nought Anon the knight before the judge is brought That said thus thou hast thy fellow slain For which I deme thee to the death certain And to another knight commanded he Go lead him to the death I charge thee And hapned as they went by the wey Toward the place ther as he should dey The knight came which men wend had be ded Then thought they that it was the best reed To lede hem both to the Iudge again They saiden lord the knight hath not slain His fellow here he stant hole aliue Ye shullen be dead qd he so mot I thriue That is to say both one two and three And to the first knight right thus spake he I damned thee thou must algate be dead And thou must also leese needs thyn head For thou art cause why thy fellow dieth And to the third knight right thus he sayeth Thou hast not don that I commanded thee And thus he lete do fle hem
be in maile The arrows of thy crabbed eloquence Shal perce his brest eke his adventaile In iealousie eke looke thou him binde And that shall make him couch as doth a quaile If thou be faire there folke ben in presence Shew thou thy visage and thine apparaile If thou be foule be free of thy dispence To get thee friends aye do thy travaile Be aye of cheare as light as lefe on linde And let him care weepen wring and waile Ye arch wiues stondeth aye at your defence Sith ye be strong as is a great camaile Ne suffreth not that men do you offence And ye sclendre wives feeble as in battaile Beth eygre as any tygre is in Inde Aye clappeth as a mill I you counsail ¶ Here endeth the clerk of Oxenfords tale ¶ Here follow the words of our Host When this worthy clerke ended had his tale Our Host said and sworen by cockes bones Me were leuer than a barrel af ale My wife at home had heard this legend ones This is a gentle tale for the nones As to my purpose wist ye my will But thing that woll not be let it be still ¶ The Frankeleins Prologue THese old gentle Britons in her dayes Of divers auentures maden layes Rimed at first in her mother tong Which layes with her instruments they song Or else readen hem for her pleasaunce And one of hem have I in remembraunce Which I shall say as willing as I can But sirs because I am a borell man At my beginning first I you beseech Haue me excused of my rude speech I learned never Rhetoricke certaine Thing that I speke mote be bare and plaine I slept neuer on the mount of Pernaso Ne learned Marcus Tullius Cicero Colours ne know I none withouten dread But such colours as growen in the mead Or els such as men dien or paint Colours of Rhetoricke been to me quaint Ny spirit feeleth not of such mattere This is my tale if ye woll it here ¶ The Frankeleins Tale. AUrelius after much labour and cost bestowed to win the love of Dorigen another mans wife is content in the end through the good dealing of her and her husband to lose both labour and cost The scope of this Tale seemeth a contention in courtesie IN Armorike that called is Britaine There was a knight that loved and did his paine To serven Ladies in his best wise And many a labour many a great emprise He for his Lady wrought ere she were won For she was one the fairest vnder son And eke thereto commen of high kinrede That well vnneth durst this knight for drede Tell her his wo his pain and his distresse But at the last she of her worthinesse And namely for his meek obeysaunce Hath such a pity caught of his pennaunce That prively she fell of his accord To take him for her husbond and her lord Of such lordship as men have over her wives And for to lead in the more blisse her lives Of his free will he swore her as a knight That never in all his life day ne night Ne should he take upon him no maistry Again her will ne kithe her iealousie But her obey and follow her will in all As any louer to his lady shall Save that the name of soveraignete That would he have for shame of his degree She thonked him with full great humbless She said sir sith of your gentleness Ye profred me to have so large a raine Ne would god never betwixt vs twaine As in my gilt were either werre or strife Sir I woll be your true humble wife Haue here my trouth till that my hert brest Thus ben they both in quiet and in rest For one thing sirs safely dare I seine * That friends everich other must obeine If they woll long holden company * Love woll not be constrained by maistry When maistry comes the God of loue anone Beateth his wings farewell he is gone * Loue is a thing as any spirit free Women of kind desiren libertee And not to be constrained as a thrass And so done men if I sooth say shall Looke who that most pacient is in loue He is at his auantage all aboue * Patience is an high vertue certain For it venquisheth as these clerkes sain Things that rigour shall never attain For every word men may not chide or plain * Learneth to suffer or else so mote I gone Ye shall it learne whether ye woll or none * For in this world certain no wight there is That he ne doth or saieth sometime amis Ire sickness or constellation Wine wo or chaunging of complexion Causeth full oft to done amisse or speaken On every wrong a man may not be wreken * After the time must be temperaunce To every wight that can of governaunce And therefore hath this worthy wise knight To liven in ease suffraunce her hight And she to him full wisely gan swere That never should there be default in here Here may men see humble and wise accord Thus hath she take her servant and her lord Servaunt in loue and lord in marriage Then was he both in lordship and seruage Servage nay but in lordship aboue Sithen he hath both his lady and his loue His lady certes and his wife also The which that law of lond accordeth to And when he was in this prosperity Home with his wife he goth into his country Not fer fro Denmarke there his dwelling was Where as he liueth in ioy and solas * Who coud tell but he had wedded be The ioy the ease and the prosperity That is betwixt an husbond and his wife Evermore lasted this blisful life Till that this knight of which I speake thus That of Caere Iuda was cleped Aruiragus Shope him to dwellen a yeare or twaine In Englond that cleped was Britaine To seeken in armes worship and honour For all his lust he set in such labour And dwelt there two year the booke faith thus Now woll I stint of this Aruiragus And speake I woll of Dorigen his wife That loueth her husbond as her hearts life For his absence weepeth she and siketh As done these noble wiues when hem liketh She mourneth waileth fasteth plaineth Desire of his presence her so constraineth That all this wide world set she at nought Her friends which knew her heauy thought Comforten her in all that euer they may They preachen hir and tellen night day That causelesse she slew her selfe alas And euery comfort possible in this caas They done to her with all her businesse And all to maken her leaue her heauinesse * By processe as ye knowen euerychone Men mowen so long grauen in stone Till some figure therein printed be So long han they comforted her till she Receiued hath by hope and by reason The enprinting of her constellation Through which her gret sorrow gan assuage She may not alway enduren such a rage And eke Aruiragus in all this care Hath sent his letters
is out of dout This false iudge I say goth now fast about To hasten his delight all that he may And so befell that soone after on a day This false iudge as telleth us the storie As he was wont sat in his consistorie And yaue his doomes vpon sundry caas This false client came forth a full great paas And said Lord if that it be your will As doth me right vpon this pitous bill In which I plaine vpon Virginius And if he woll say it is not thus I woll proue it and find good witnesse That sooth is that my bill woll expresse The iudge answerd of this in his absence I may not yeue definite sentence Let doe him call and I woll gladly here Thou shalt haue all right no wrong here Virginius came to wete the iudges will And right anon was rad this cursed bill The sentence of it was as ye shall heare To you my lord Appius so deare Sheweth your poore seruaunt Claudius How that a knight called Virginius Ayenst the law and ayenst all equite Holdeth expresse ayenst the will of me My seruant which that is my thral by right Which from mine hous was stolen on a night Whiles she was full yong I woll it preue By witnesse lord so that ye you not greue She is not his doughter what so he say Wherefore my lord iustice I you pray Yeeld me my thrall if it be your will Lo this was all the sentence of that bill Virginius gan upon the client behold But hastily ere he his tale told He would haue defended it as shuld a knight And by witnesse of many a trew wight That all was false that said his aduersarie This cursed iudge would no lenger tary He here a word more of Virginius But yaue his iudgment and said thus I deme anon this client his seruaunt haue Thou shalt no lenger her in thine house saue Go bring her forth put her in our ward This client shal haue his thrall thus I award And when this worthy knight Virginius Through the assent of the iudge Appius Must by force his deare doughter yeuen Vnto the iudge in letchery to liuen He goth him home and set him in his hall And let anon his deare doughter call And with a face dead as ashen cold Vpon her humble face he gan behold With fathers pity sticking through his hert All would he not from his purpose conuert Doughter qd he Virginia by thy name There ben two waies either death or shame That thou must suffer alas that I was borne For neuer thou deseruedest whereforne To dien with a sword or with a knife Oh dere doughter comfort of my life Which I haue fostred vp with such plesance That thou neuer were out of my remembrance O doughter which that art my last wo And in my life my last ioy also O iemmme of chastitie in patience Take thou thy death this is my sentence For loue not for hate thou must be dead My pitous hond mote smite of thine head Alas that euer Appius thee sey Thus hath he falsely iudged thee to dey And told her all the case as ye before Han heard it needeth not to tell it more O mercy dere father qd this maid And with that word both her armes laid About his necke as she was wont to do The teares brast out of her eyen two And said O good father shall I die Is there no grace Is there no remedie No certes deare doughter mine qd he Then yeue me leaue father mine qd she My death to complaine a little space For parde Iepte yaue his doughter grace For to complaine ere he her slough alas And God it wot nothing was her trespas But that she ran her father first to see To welcome him with great solemnitee And with that word she fell aswoune anone And after when her swouning was gone She riseth vp and to her father said Blessed be God that I shall die a maid Yeue me my death ere that I haue a shame Doth with your child your wil a gods name And with that word she praieth him full oft That with his swerd he should smite her soft And with that word aswoune doune she fell Her father with sorrowfull heart and fell Her head off smote and by the top it hent And to the iudge he it yaue in present As he sat in doome in consistorie When the iudge it saw as saith the storie He bad take him and hong him also fast But right anone all the people in thrast To saue the knight for routh and for pity For knowen was the iudges iniquity The people anon had suspect in this thing By manner of this clients challenging That it was by the assent of Appius They wist well that he was letcherous For which unto Appius they gone And kesten him in prison right anone Whereas he slew himselfe and Claudius That seruant was vnto this Appius Was demed to be honged vpon a tree But Virginius of his great pitee So prayed for him that he was exiled And els certes he had been beguiled The remnaunt were honged more lesse That consented were to his cursednesse * Here may men see how sin hath his merite Beware for no man wot how God wol smite In no degree ne in no manner wise The worme of conscience woll arise Of wicked life though it so priuie be That no man wote of it but God and he Whether he be leaud man or lered He not how soone he may been affered * Therefore I rede you this counsaile take To forsake sinne or sinne you forsake ¶ The words of the Host OUr host gan sweare as he were wood Harrow qd he by nailes and by blood This was a false theefe a cursed iustice As shamefull death as heart may deuise Come to the iustice and her aduocas Algate this silly maiden is slaine alas Alas too deare abought she her beautee Wherefore I say that all men may see * That yefts of Fortune or of nature Been cause of death of many a creature Her beauty was her death I dare well saine Alas so pitously as she was slaine But hereof woll I not proceed as now * Men haue full oft more harme than prow But truly truly mine owne maister dere This is a ernefull tale for to here But nathelesse passe ouer and no force I pray to God to saue thy gentle corce And thy vrinals and thy iordanes Thine ypocras and eke thy galianes And euery boxe full of letuarie God blesse hem and our lady saint Marie So mote I thee thou art a proper man And ylike a prelate by saint Runian Saue that I cannot speake well in terme But well I wot thou dost mine hert to yerne That I haue almost ycaught a cardiacle By corpus domini But I haue triacle Or els a draught of moist cornie ale Or but I heare anon another merry tale My heart is lost for pity of this maid Thou belamy thou Iohn pardoner he
Me dreamed all this night parde An elfe queene shall my lemman be And sleep vnder my gore An Elfe Queene woll I loue â—wis For in this world no woman is To be my make in towne All other women I forsake And to an Elfe Quene I me take By dale and eke by doune Into his saddle â—e clombe anone And pricked ouer stile and stone An Elfe Queene to spie Till he so long had ridden and gone That he found in a priuie wone The countrey of Fairie Wherein he sought North and South And oft he spied with his mouth In many a forrest wilde And in that countre nas there none As farre as he had rid and gone Neither wife ne childe Till him there came a great Giaunt His name was called sir Oliphaunt A perillous man of deede He swore child by Termagaunt But if you pricke out of my haunt Anon I slea thy steede Here is the Queene of Fairie With harpe and pipe and simphonie Within this place and boure The childe saied al 's so mote I thee To morow woll I meten thee Whan I haue mine armoure And yet I hope par ma faie That thou shalt with this launce gaie Abien it through thy mawe Thy Hawberke shall I perce if I may Or it be fully prime of the day For here thou shalt be slawe Sir Thopas droue abacke full fast This Gyaunt at him stones cast Out of a fell staffe sling But faire escaped sir Thopace And all was through Gods grace And through his faire bearing Yet listneth lordings to my tale Merier than the Nightingale For now I woll ye roune How sir Thopas with sides smale Pricking ouer doune and dale Is comen ayen to toune His merry men commanded he To maken him both game and gle For needes must he fight With a Giant with heads thre For Paramours and iolite Of one that shone full bright Doe come he said my ministrales And iestors for to tellen vs tales Anon in mine arming Of Romaunces that been royals Of Popes and of Cardinals And eke of loue longing They fet him first the swete wine And Mede eke in a Mazeline And royal spicerie Of Ginger bread that was full fine Of Licores and eke Comine With Suger that is trie He did next his white lere Of cloth of lake fine and clere A breche and eke a shert And next his sâ—ert an haketon And ouer that an habergion For percing of his hert And ouer that a fine hauberâ—e Was all iwrought of Iews werke Full strong it was of plate And ouer that his cote armoure As white as is the Lilie floure In which he would debate His shield was all of gold so red And therein was a Bores head A carbocle by his side And there he swore on ale and bread How that the Gyant should be dead Betide what so betide His iambeux were of cure buly His sword sheth of Iuorie His helmet of Laton bright His saddle was of ruel bone His bridle as the Sunne shone Or as the Moone light His speare was of fine Sypres That biddeth warre and nothing peace The head full sharpe iground His steede was all dapple gray Hee goeth an aumble by the way Full softly and round in londe Lo Lords mine here is a fit If ye woll any more of it To tellen it woll I fond NOw hold your mouth for charite Both knight and also ladie fre And herkeneth to my spell Of battaile and of cheualrie And of ladies love drerie Anon I woll you tell Men speken of Romaunces of pris Of Hornechild and of Ipotis Of Beuis and of sir Gie Of sir Libeaux and Blandamoure But sir Thopas he beareth the floure Of riall cheualrie His good steede he bestrode And forth upon his way glode As sparke out of the bronde Vpon his crest he bare a tour And therein stricked a Lilie flour God shilde his cors fro shonde And for he was a knight auntrous He nolde slepen in none house But liggen in his hood His bright helme was his wanger And by him fed his destrer Of hearbes fine and good Himselfe dronke water of the well As did the knight sir Persiuell So worthy under wede ¶ The words of our Hoste NO more of this for Gods dignite Q. d. out Hoste for thou makest me So wearie of thy very leudenes That also willy God my soule blesse Mine eares aken of thy draftie speach Now such a riche the deuill I beteach * This may wel be clepe rime Dogrel qd he Why so qd I why wolt thou let me More of my tale than any other man Sins that it is the best time I can By God qd he plainly at a worde Thy draftie timing is not worth a torde Thou doest nought els but spendest time Sir at one word thou shalt no lenger rime Let see whether thou canst tell ought in gest Or tell in prose somewhat at the lest In which ther may be some mirth or doctrine Gladly qd I by Gods swete pine I woll you tell a little thing in prose That ought like you as I suppose Or else ye be certes too dangerous It is a morall tale vertuous All be it tolde sometime in sundry wise Of sundry folke as I shall you devise As thus ye wote that every Evangelist That telleth us the paine of Iesu Christ Ne saith not all thing that his fellow doth But nathelesse her sentence is all soth And all accorden in her sentence All be there in her telling difference For some of hem saien more and some lesse Whan they his pitous passion expresse I meane of Marke Matthew Luke Iohn But doubtlesse her sentence is all one Therefore lordings all I you beseech If that you thinke I vary in my speech As thus although I tell somewhat more Of Proverbes than ye han heard before Comprehended in this little treatise here To enforcen the effect of my matere And though I do not the same words say As ye han heard yet to all you I pray Blameth me not for in my sentence Shull ye not finde mochell difference Fro the sentence of this treatise lite After the which this little tale I write And therefore hearkeneth what I shall say And let me tell my tale I you pray ¶ Chaucers Tale of Melibeus Prudence the discreet wife of Melibeus persuadeth her husband to patience and to receive his Enemies to mercy and grace A Tale full of Morality wherein both high and low may learn to govern their affections AYong man called Melibeus mighty and rich begate upon his wife that called was Prudence a doughter which that called was Sophie Vpon a day befell that he for his disport is went into the fields him to play his wife and eke his doughter had he left within his house of which the doores were fast ishet Foure of his old foes han it aspied and setten ladders to the walles of his house and by the windowes beene entred and bet his wife and wounded his doughter with
great avarice and knoweth well that needs he must die for death is the end of every man as in this present life And for what cause or encheson joineth he him or knitteth he him so fast unto his goods that al his wits mow not discever him ne depart him fro his goods and knoweth well or ought to know that when he is dead he shall nothing bear with him out of this world And therefore saith saint Augustine * That the avaricious manne is likened unto hell that the more it swalloweth the more desire it hath to swallow and devour And as well as yee would eschew to be called an avaricious man or chinche as well should yee keepe and governe you in such a wise that menne call you not foole large Therefore saith Tullius * The goods of thine house ne should not be hid ne kept so close but that they might be opened by pity and debonairte that is to say to yeue hem part that have great need Ne thy goods should not be so open to be every mannes goods Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem ye shall alway have three things in your heart that is to say * Our Lord God conscience good name First ye shall have God in your heart and for no richesse yee should doe any thing which may in any manner displease GOD your creatour and maker For after the word of Salomon * It is better to have a little good with the love of GOD than to have much good and treasure and lese the love of his Lord GOD. And the Prophet saith * That better it is to be a good manne and have little good and treasure than to be holden a shrewe and have great richesse And yet I say furthermore that yee should alway doe your businesse to get you richesse so that yee get hem with good conscience And the Apostle sayeth * That there nis thing in this world of which wee should have so great joy as when our conscience beareth us good witnesse And the Wise man saith * That the substaunce of a man is full good when sinne is not in mannes conscience Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem yee must have great bnsinesse and great dilligence that your good name bee alway kept and conserved For Salomon saith * That better it is and more it availeth a man to have a good name than for to have many richesses And therefore he sayeth in another place * Do great diligence saith Salomon in keeping of thy friends of thy good name for it shall lenger abide with thee than any treasure be it never so precious And certes he should not be called a great Gentleman that after God good conscience all things left ne dooth his dilligence and businesse to keepe his good name And Cassiodor sayth * That it is a signe of a gentle heart when a manne loveth and desireth to have a good name And therefore sayeth saint Augustine * That there ben two things that been right necessarie and also needfull and that is good conscience and good lose that is to say good conscience to thine owne person inward and good lose for thy neighbour outward And hee that trusteth him so much in his good conscience that hee despiseth and setteth at nought his good name or lose recketh not though he keepe not his good name nis but a cruell churle Sir now haue I shewed you how ye shuld doe in getting richesses and how yee should vse hem and I see well that for the trust that ye haue in your richesses ye woll moue warre and battaile I counsaile you that ye begin no warre in trust of your richesses for they ne suffice not warres to maintaine And therefore sayeth a Philosopher * That a man that desireth and would algates haue warre shall neuer haue suffisaunce for the richer that he is the greater dispences must he make if he woll haue worship and victorie And Salomon saith * That the greater riches that a man hath the more dispendours he hath And therfore sir albeit so that for your richesses ye may haue much folke yet behooueth it not ne it is not good to begin warre whereas ye may in other manner haue peace vnto your worship and profit * For the victorie of battailes that been in this world lieth not in great number or multitude of people ne in the vertue of man but it lieth in the will and in the hond of our Lord God almightie And therfore Iudas Machabeus which was Gods knight when hee should fight against his aduersarie that had a greater number a greater multitude of folk and stronget than was his people of Machabe yet he recomforted his little companie and saied right in this wise Also lightly saied he may our Lord God Almightie yeue victorie to a fewe folke as to many folke For the victorie of a battaile commeth not by the great number of people but it commeth from our Lorde GOD of heeuen And deare sir for as much as there is no manne certaine if it be worthie that God yeue him victorie or not after that Salomon sayeth * Therefore euery man should greatly dreade warres to begin and because that in battels fall many perils and happeth other while that as soone is the great man slaine as the little man And as it is written in the second booke of Kings The deeds of battailes ben adventurous and nothing certaine for as lightly is one hurt with a speare as another and for there is great perill in warre therefore should a man flie and eschew warre in as much as a man may goodly For Salomon sayeth * Hee that loueth perill shall fall in perill After that dame Prudence had spoken in this manner Melibe answerd and said I see well dame Prudence that by your fair words and your reasons that ye haue shewed mee that the warre liketh you nothing but I haue not yet heard your counsaile how I shall doe in this need Certes said shee I counsaile you that ye accorde with your aduersaries and that yee haue peace with hem For saint Iames sayth in his Epistle * That by concorde peace small riches wexe great and by debate and discorde riches decay And yee know well that one of the greatest moste soueraigne thing that is in this world is vnity peace And therefore sayeth our Lord Iesu Christ to his Apostles in this wise * Well happy beene they that loue purchase peace for they be called the children of God Ah saied Melibe now see I well that ye loue not mine honour ne my worship ye know well that mine aduersaries haue begun this debate and brige by their outrage And yee see well that they ne require ne pray me of peace ne they aske not to be reconciled Woll ye then that I goe meeke me obey me to hem and crie hem mercie Forsoth that were not my worship * For right as men say
that it is full of might About such men set vp great light Other soche stockes shull stande thereby As darke as it were midnight For it maâ—e make no mastrie That it leud people see mow Thou Mary thou worchest wonder things About that that men offren to now Hongen broches ouches and rings The priest purchaseth the offerings But he nill offer to none Image Woe is the soule that he for sings That preacheth for soche a pilgrimage To men and women that been poore That been Christes owne likenesse Men shullen offer at her doore That suffer hunger and distresse And to soche Images offer lesse That mow not feele thurst ne cold The poore in spirite gan Christ blesse Therefore offreth to feble and old Bucklers brode and sweardes long Baudrike with baselardes kene Soche toles about her necke they hong With Antichrist soche priestes been Vpon her deedes it is well seen Whome they serven whom they honouren Antichristes they been clene And Goddes goodes falsely devouren Of scarlet and grene gaie gounes That mote be shape of the newe To clippen kissen they counten in tounes The damoseles that to the daunce sewe Cutted clothes to shewe her hewe With long pikes on her shone Our Goddes Gospell is not true Either they serven the devill or none Now been priestes pokes so wide That men must enlarge the vestiment The holy Gospell they doen hide For they contrarien in raiment Soche priestes of Lucifer been sent Like conquerours they been araied The proude pendaunts at her ars is ipent Falsely the truth they han betraied Shrift silver soche wollen aske And woll men crepe to the crouche None of the Sacraments save aske Without mede shall no man touch On her Bishop their warant vouch That is lawe of the decre With mede and money thus they mouch And this they sain is charite In the middes of her Masse They nill have no man but for hire And full shortly let forth passe Such shull men find in each shire That Personages for profite desire To live in liking and in lusts I dare not saine Sans ose ie dire That such been Antichrists priests For they yef the bishops why Or they mote been in his service And holden forth her harlottry Such prelates been of feeble emprise Of Gods graine such men agrise For such matters that taken mede How they excuse hem and in what wise Me thinketh they ought greatly drede They sâ—ine that it to no man longeth To reprove them though they erre But falsely Goddes goodes they fongeth And therewith meintein wo and warre Her deedes should be as bright as sterre Her living leud mannes â—ight They say the Pope may not erre Nede must that passe mannes might Though a priest lye with his lemman all night And tellen his felowe and he him He goth to Masse anon right And saieth he singeth out of sinne His birde abideth him at his Inne And dighteth his diner the meane while He singeth his Masse for he would winne And so he weneth God begile Hem thinketh long till they be met And that they usen forth all the yere Emong the folke whan he is set He holdeth no man halfe his pere Of the Bishop he hath powere To soile men or els they been lore His absolution may them skere And wo is the soule that he singeth for The Griffon began for to threte And saied of Monkes canst thou ought The Pellican said they been full grete And in this world much wo hath wrought Saint Benet that her order brought Ne made hem neuer on such mannere I trowe it came never in his thought That they should use so great powere That a man should a Monke lord call Ne serve on knees as a king He is as proud as prince in pall In meat and drinke and all thing Some wearen mitre and ring With double Worsted well ydight With royall meat and rich drinke And rideth on a courser as a knight With hauke and with hounds eke With brooches or ouches on his hood Some say no Masse in all a weeke Of deinties is her most food They have lordships and bondmen This is a royall religion Saint Benet made never none of hem To have lordship of man ne toun Now they ben queint and curious With fine cloth clad and served cleane Proud angrie and envious Mallice is much that they meane In catching craftie and covetous Lordly they liven in great liking This living is not religious According to Benet in his living They ben clerkes her courts they oversee Her poore tenaunce fully they slite The higher that a man amerced be The gladlier they woll it write This is farre from Christes poverty For all with covetise they endite On the poore they have no pity Ne never hem cherish but ever hem bite And commonly such been comen Of poore people and of hem begete That this perfection han inomen Her fathers riden not but on her fete And travailen sore for that they eate In povert liveth yong and old Her fathers suffreth drought and weate Many hungrie meales thurst and cold And all this these Monkes han forsake For Christes love and saint Benete To pride and ease have hem take This religion is evill beseate Had they been out of religion They must have hanged at the plowe Threshing and diking fro toune to toune With sorrie meat and not half ynowe Therefore they han this all forsake And taken to riches pride and ease Full few for God woll Monkes hem make Little is such order for to praise Saint Benet ordained it not so But bad hem be churchliche In churchliche manner live and go Boistous in earth and not lordliche They disclaunder saint Benet Therefore they have his holy curse Saint Benet with hem never met But if they thought to robbe his purse I can no more hereof tell But they ben like tho before And cleane serve the devill of hell And ben his treasure and his store And all such other counterfaitours Chanons Canons and such disguised Been Gods enemies and traitours His true religion han foule despised Of Freres I have told before In a making of a Crede And yet I could tell worse and more But men would werien it to rede As Gods goodnesse no man tell might Write ne speake ne thinke in thought So her falshed and her unright May no man tell that ever God wrought The Griffon saied thou canst no good Thou came never of no gentle kind Other I trowe thou waxest wood Or els thou hast lost thy mind Should holy church have no hedde Who should be her governaile Who should her rule who should her redde Who should her forthren who should availe * Ech man shall live by his travaile Who best doeth shall have most mede * With strength if men the church assaile With strength men must defend her nede And the Pope were purely poore Needie and nothing ne had He should be driven from doore to doore The wicked of him nolde not be drad
And yet art thou not wont parde But nathelesse though thou beaten be Thou shalt not be the first that so Hath for soothsaw suffred wo. Sir sith that it may liken you Though that I should be slaine right now I shall doen your commaundement For thereto have I great talent Withouten words mo right than False Semblaunt his sermon began And saied hem thus in audience Barons take heed of my sentence That wight that list to have knowing Of false Semblant full of flattering He must in worldly folke him seke And certes in the Cloysters eke I won no where but in hem tway But not like euen sooth to say Shortly I woll herborow me There I hope best to hulstred be * And certainely sikerest hiding Is vnderneath humblest clothing Religious folke ben full couert Seculer folke ben more apert But nathelesse I woll not blame Religious folke ne hem diffame In what habite that euer they go Religion humble and true also Woll I not blame ne dispise But I nill love it in no wise I meane of false religious That dout been and malicious That wollen in her habite go And setten not her heart thereto REligious folke been all pitous Thou shalt not seene one dispitous They loven no pride ne no strife But humbly they woll lede her life With which folke woll I neuer be And if I dwell I faine me I may well in her habite go But me were leuer my necke atwo Than let a purpose that I take What couenaunt that euer I make I dwell with hem that proud be And full of wiles and subtelte That worship of this world coueiten And great nede connen expleiten And gone and gadren great pitaunces And purchase hem the acquaintaunces Of men that mightie life may leden And faine hem poore and himselfe feden With good morsels delicious And drinken good wine precious And preach vs pouert and distresse And fishen hemselfe great richesse With wily nettes that they cast It woll come foule out at the last They ben fro cleane religion went They make the world an argument That hath a foule conclusion I have a robe of religion Then am I all religious This argument is all roignous It is not worth a crooked Brere * Habite ne maketh neither Monke ne Frere But cleane life and deuotion Maketh men of good religion Nathelesse there can none answere How high that euer his head he â—here With rasour whetted neuer so kene That guile in braunches cutte thurtene There can no wight distinct it so That he dare say a word thereto But what herborow that euer I take Or what semblaunt that euer I make I meane but guile and follow that For right no more than Gibbe our Cat That awaiteth Mice and Rattes to killen Ne entend I but to beguilen Ne no wight may by my clothing Wete with what folke is my dwelling Ne by my words yet parde So soft and so pleasaunt they be Behold the deeds that I do But thou be blind thou oughtest so For varie her words fro her deed They thinke on guile withouten dreed What manner clothing that they were Or what estate that euer they bere Lered or leud Lord or Ladie Knight Squire Burgeis or Bailie Right thus while fals Semblant sermoneth Eftsoones Love him aresoneth And brake his tale in his speaking As though he had him told leasing And saied what deuill is that I heare What folke hast thou vs nempned here May men find religioun In worldly habitatioun * Yea sir it followeth nat that they Should lead a wicked life parfey Ne not therefore her soules lese That hem to worldly clothes chese For certes it were great pitee Men may in secular clothes see Florishen holy religiouns Full many a saint in field and toun With many a virgine glorious Deuout and full religious Han died that common cloth aye beren Yet saintes neuerthelesse they weren I could recken you may a ten Yea welnigh all these holy women That men in churches herry and seke Both maidens and these wiues eke That baren full many a faire child here Weared alway clothes seculere And in the same diden they That saints weren and ben alway The ix thousand maidens dere That beren in heauen her cierges clere Of which men rede in church and sing Were take in secular clothing When they receiued martirdome And wonnen heauen vnto her home * Good heart maketh the good thought The clothing yeueth ne reueth nought The good thought and the worching That maketh the religion flouring There lieth the good religioun After the right ententioun * Who so tooke a weathers skin And wrapped a greedy wolfe therein For he should go with lambes white Wenest thou not he would hem bite Yes Neuerthelesse as he were wood He would hem wirry and drinke the blood And well the rather hem deceiue For sith they coud nat perceiue His tregette and his crueltie They would him follow altho he flie IF there be wolues of such hew Amongs these Apostles new Thou holy church thou maist be wailed Sith that thy citie is assailed Through knights of thine owne table God wot thy lordship is doutable If they enforce it to win That should defend it fro within Who might defence ayenst hem make Without stroke it mote be take Of trepeget or mangonell Without displaying of pensell And if God nill done it succour But let renne in this colour Thou must thy hestes letten bee Then is there nought but yeeld thee Or yeue him tribute doutles And hold it of hem to have pees But greater harme betide thee That they all maister of it bee Well con they scorne thee withall By day stuffen they the wall And all the night they minen there Nay thou planten must els where Thine impes if thou wolt fruit have Abide not there thy selfe to save BVt now peace here I turne againe I woll no more of this thing faine If I might maken you weary But I woll heten you alway To helpe your friends what I may So they wollen my company For they been shent all vtterly But if so fall that I be Oft with hem and they with me And eke my lemman mote they serue Or they shull not my love deserue Forsooth I am a false traitour God iudged me for a theefe trechour Forsworne I am but well nigh none Wote of my guile till it be done Through me hath many one deth receiued That my treget neuer aperceiued And yet receiueth and shall receiue That my falsenesse shall neuer apperceiue But who so doth if he wise be Him is right good beware of me But so sligh is the aperceiuing That all to late commeth knowing For Protheus that coud him chaunge In euery shape homely and straunge Coud neuer such guile ne treasoun As I for I come neuer in toun There as I might knowen be Though men me both might here and see Full well I can my clothes chaunge Take one and make another straunge Now am I Knight now
Or if he have peraventure Through vsage of his noriture Lived over deliciously Then oughten good folke comenly Han of his mischeefe some pite And suffren him also that he May gone about and begge his bread That he be not for honger dead Or if he have of craft conning And strength also and desiring To worchen as he had what But he find neither this ne that Then may he begge till that he Have getten his necessite Or if his winning be so lite That his labour woll not aquite Sufficiauntly all his living Yet may he go his brede begging Fro dore to dore he may go trace Till he the remnaunt may purchase Or if a man would vndertake Any emprise for to make In the rescous of our lay And it defenden as he may Be it with armes or lettrure Or other convenable cure If it be so he poore be Then may he begge till that he May find in trouth for to swinke And get him cloth meat and drinke Swinke he with his honds corporell And not with hondes espirituell IN all this case and in semblables If that there ben mo reasonables He may begge as I tell you here And els not in no manere As William saint Amour would preach And oft would dispute and teach Of this matter all openly At Paris full solemnely And also God my soule blesse As he had in this stedfastnesse The accord of the vniversite And of the people as seemeth me No good man ought it to refuse Ne ought him thereof to excuse Be wrothe or blithe who so be For I woll speake and tell it thee All should I die and be put doun As was saint Poule in derke prisoun Or be exiled in this caas With wrong as maister William was That my mother Hypocrisie Banished for her great envie My mother flemed him saint Amour This noble did such labour To sustaine ever the loyalte That hee too much agilte me He made a booke and let it write Wherein his life he did all write And would eche remed begging And live by my travelling If I ne had rent ne other good What weneth he that I were wood For labour might me never please I have more will to ben at ease And have well lever sooth to say Before the people patter and pray And wrie me in my foxerie Vnder a cope of papelardie Qd. Love what divell is this that I here What words tellest thou me here What sir Falsenesse that apert is Then dredest thou not God No certes For selde in great thing shall he spede In this world that God woll drede For folke that hem to vertue yeven And truely on her owne liven And hem in goodnesse aye content On hem is little thrift isent Such folke drinken great misease That life may me never please But see what gold han vserers And silver eke in garners Tailagiers and these moniours Bailiffes Beadles Provost Countours These liven well nigh by ravine The small people hem mote encline Aud they as wolves woll hem eten Vpon the poore folke they geten Full much of that they spend or kepe Nis none of hem that he nill strepe And wrine hem selfe well at full Without scalding they hem pull * The strong the feeble overgothe But I that weare my simple clothe Robbe both robbed and robbours And guile guiling and guilours By my treget I gather and threste The great treasour into my cheste That lieth with me so fast bound Mine high paleis doe I found And my delights I fulfill With wine at feastes at my will And tables full of entremees I woll no life but ease and pees And winne gold to spend also For when the great bagge is go It commeth right with my yapes Make I not well tomble mine apes To winnen is alway mine entent My purchase is better than my rent For though I should beaten be Over all I entremete me Without me may no wight dure I walke soules for to cure Of all the world cure have I In brede and length boldly I woll both preach and eke counsailen With honds woll I not travailen For of the Pope I have the bull I ne hold not my wittes dull I woll not stinten in my live These Emperours for to shrive Of Kings Dukes and Lords grete But poore folke all quite I lete I love no such shriving parde But it for other cause be I recke not of poore men Her estate is not worth an ben Where findest thou a swinker of labour Have me to his confessour But Empresses and Duchesses These Queenes and eke Countesses These Abbesses and eke Bigins These great Ladies palasins These iolly Knights and Bailives These Nonnes and these Burgeis wives That rich been and eke pleasing And these Maidens welfaring Where so they clad or naked be Vncounsailed goeth there none fro me And for her soules safete At Lord and Lady and her meine I aske when they hem to me shrive The propertie of all her live And make hem trow both most and least Her parish Priest is but a beast Ayenst me and my company That shrewes been as great as I For which I woll not hide in hold No privete that me is told That I by word or signe iwis Ne woll make hem know what it is And they wollen also tellen me They hele fro me no privite And for to make you hem perceiven That vsen folke thus to deceiven I woll you saine withouten drede What men may in the Gospell rede Of saint Mathew the Gospellere That saieth as I shall you say here VPon the chaire of Moses Thus it is glosed doubtles That is the old Testament For thereby is the chaire ment Sitte Scribes and Pharisen That is to saine the cursed men Which that we Ipocrites call Doeth that they preach I rede you all But doeth not as they doen adele That been not weary to say wele But to doe well no will have they And they would bind on folke alway That been to be beguiled able Burdons that been importable On folkes shoulders things they couchen That they nill with their fingers touchen And why woll they not touch it why For hem ne list nat sikerly For sadde burdons that men taken Make folkes shoulders aken And if they do ought that good bee That is for folke it should see Her burdons larger maken they And maken her hemmes wide alwey And loven seates at the table The first and most honourable And for to han the first chairis In Synagogues to hem full dere is And willen that folke hem lout and grete When that they passen through the strete And wollen be cleped maister also But they ne should not willen so The Gospell is there ayenst I gesse That sheweth well her wickednesse ANother custome vse we Of hem that woll ayenst vs be We hate hem deadly everychone And we woll werrey him as one Him that one hateth hate we all And coniect how to doen him fall And if we seene him winne honour
not such twey By God qd she of Hector that is sooth And of Troilus the same thing trow I For dredelesse men telleth that he dooth In armes day by day so worthely And beareth him here at home so gently To every wight that all prise hath he Of hem that me were levest praised be Ye say right sooth iwis qd Pandarus For yesterday who so had with him been Mighten have wondred upon Troilus For never yet so thicke a swarme of been Ne flew as Greekes from him gan fleen And through the field in every wights eare There was no crie but Troilus is there Now here now there he hunted hem so fast There nas but Greekes blood and Troilus Now him he hurt and him all doun he cast Aye where he went it was arraied thus He was her death and shield and life for us That as that day ther durst him none withstond While that he held his bloody swerd in hond Thereto he is the friendliest man Of great estate that ever I saw my live And where him list best fellowship can To such as him thinketh able for to thrive And with that word tho Pandarus as blive He tooke his leave and said I woll gon hen Nay blame have I uncle qd she then What eileth you to be weary thus soone And nameliche of women woll ye so Nay sitteth doune by God I haue to done With you to speake of wisedom er ye go And every wight that was about hem tho That heard that gan ferre away to stond While they two had all that hem list in hond When that her tale all brought was to an end Of her estate and of her governaunce Qd. Pandarus now time is that I wend But yet I say ariseth let us daunce And cast your widdows habit to mischaunce What list you thus your selfe to disfigure Sith you is tidde so glad an aventure But well bethought for love of God qd she Shal I not weten what ye meane of this No this thing asketh leaser tho qd he And eke me would full much greve iwis If I it told and ye it tooke amis Yet were it bette my tongue to hold still Than say a sooth that were ayenst your will For nece mine by the goddesse Minerve And Iupiter that maketh the thunderring And the blisfull Venus that I serve Ye ben the woman in this world living Withouten paramours to my weting That I best love and lothest am to greve And that ye weten well your selfe I leve Iwis mine uncle qd she graunt mercy Your friendship have I founden ever yet I am to no man beholden truely So much as you and have so little quit And with the grace of God emforth my wit As in my guilt I shall you never offend And if I have ere this I woll amend But for the love of God I you beseech As ye be he that I love most and trist Let be to me your fremed manner speech And say to me your nece what you list And with that word her uncle anon her kist And said gladly my leve nece so dere Take it for good that I shall say you here With that she gan her eien doune to cast And Pandarus to cough gan a lite And said Nece alway lo to the last How so it be that some men hem delite With subtle art her tales for tendite Yet for all that in her entention Her tale is all for some conclusion And sith the end is every tales strength And this matter is so behovely What should I paint it or drawen it on length To you that ben my friend so faithfully And with that word he gan right inwardly Beholden her and looken in her face And said on such a mirrour much good grace Then thought he thus if I my tale endite Ought hard or make a processe any while She shall no savour have therein but lite And trow I would her in my will beguile * For tender wittes wenen all be wile Whereas they con nat plainliche understond For thy her wit to serven woll I fond And looked on her in a busie wise And she was ware that he beheld her so Ah lord qd she so fast ye me avise Saw ye me never ere now what say ye no Yes yes qd he and bet woll ere I go But by my trouth I thought now if ye Be fortunate for now men shall it see * For every wight some goodly aventure Sometime is shape if he it can receiven But if he nill take of it no cure When that it cometh but wilfully it weiven Lo neither case nor fortune him deceiven But right his own slouth wretchednesse And such a wight is for to blame I gesse Good aventure O belie nece have ye Full lightly founden and ye conne it take And for the love of God and eke of me Catch it anone least aventure slake What should I lenger processe of it make Yeve me your hond for in this world is non If that you list a wight so well begon And sith I speake of good ententioun As I to you have told well here beforne And love as well your honour and renoun As any creature in all the world iborne By all the othes that I have you sworne And ye be wroth therefore or wene I lie Ne shall I never seene you eft with eie Beth nat agast ne quaketh nat whereto Ne chaunge nat for fere so your hew For hardely the worst of this is do And though my tale as now be to you new Yet trust alway ye shall me find true And were it thing that me thought unfitting To you would I no such tales bring Now my good Eme for Gods love I prey Qd. she come off and tell me what it is For both I am agast what ye woll say And eke me longeth it to wit iwis For whether it be well or be amis Say on let me not in this feare dwell So woll I done now hearkeneth I shall tell Now nece mine the kings own dere sonne The good wise worthy fresh and free Which alway for to done well is his wonne The noble Troilus so loveth thee That but ye helpe it woll his bane be Lo here is all what should I more sey Doth what you list to make him live or dey But if ye let him die I woll sterven Have here my trouth nece I nill not lien All should I with this knife my throte kerven With that the teares burst out of his eien And said if that ye done us both dien Thus guiltlesse then have ye fished faire What mend ye though that we both apaire Alas he which that is my lord so dere That trew man that noble gentle knight That nought desireth but your frendly chere I see him dien there he goeth upright And hasteth him with all his full might For to ben slaine if his fortune assent Alas that God you such a beautie sent If it be so that ye so cruell be That of his
reise A thousand fold yet higher than the sonne He is he can that few other Lords conne And Pandarus of that they would afferme He nought forgate her praising to conferme Herd all this thing fair Creseid well inough And every word gan for to notifie For which with sober chere her heart lough For who is that ne would her glorifie To mowen such a knight done live or die But all passe I least ye too long idwell But for o fine is all that ever I tell The time came fro dinner for to rise And as hem ought arisen everychone And gane a while of this and that devise But Pandarus brake all this speech anone And said to Deiphebus woll ye gone If your will be as erst I you preide To speaken of the nedes of Creseide Heleine which that by the hond her held Tooke first the tale and said go we blive And goodly on Creseide she beheld And said Ioves let him never thrive That doth you harm reve him sone of live And yeve me sorrow but he shall it rue If that I may and all folke be true Tell thou thy nices case qd Deiphebus To Pandarus for thou canst best it tell My Lords and my Ladies it stant thus What should I lenger qd he do you dwell * He rong hem out a proces like a bell Vpon her foe that hight Poliphete So hainous that men might on it spete Answerd of this ech worse of hem than other And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien And honged be such one were he my brother And so he shall for it ne may nought varien What should I lenger in this tale tarien Plaineliche all at ones they her highten To ben her frend in all that ever they mighten Spake then Heleine and said Pandarus Wot aught my lord my brother of this mater I meane Hector or wote it Troilus He said ye but woll ye me now here Me thinketh thus sith that Troilus is here It were good if that ye would assent She told him her selfe all this ere she went For he wol have yâ— more her grefe at hart Because lo that she a Lady is And by your will I woll but in right start And do you wete and that anone iwis If that he sleepe or woll aught here of this And in he lept and said him in his ere * God have thy soul for brought have I thy bere To smilen of this gan tho Troilus And Pandarus without reckoning Out went anon to Heleine and Deiphebus And said hem so there be no tarying Ne more prease he woll well that ye bring Creseide my Lady that is now here And as he may enduren he woll her here But well ye wote the chamber is but lite And few folke may lightly make it warme Now looketh ye for I woll have no wite To bring in prease yâ— might done him harme Or him diseasen for my better arme Yet were it bette she bid till oft soonis Now looke ye that knowen what to donis I say for me best is as I can know That no wight in ne wend but ye twey But it were I for I cannot in a throw Rehearse her case vnlike that she can sey And after this she may him ones prey To ben good Lord in short and take her leve This may not mokell of his ease him reve And eke for she is straunge he woll forbere His ease which that him dare nat for you Eke other thing that toucheth nat to her He woll it tell I wote it well right now That secret is and for the townes prow And they that knew nothing of his entent Without more to Croilus in they went Heleine in all her goodly soft wise Gan him salve and womanly to play And saied iwis ye mote algate arise Now faire brother be all hole I pray And gan her arme right over his shoulder lay And him with all her wit to recomfort As she best could she gan him to disport So after this qd she we you beseke My dere brother Deiphebus and I For love of God and so doeth Pandare eke To been good lord and friend right hartely Vnto Creseide which that certainly Received wrong as wot well here Pandare That can her case well bet than I declare This Pandarus gan new his tong affile And all her case rehearse and that anone When it was saied soone after in a while Qd. Troilus as soone as I may gone I wol right faint with all my might ben one Have God my trouth her cause to sustene Now good thrift have ye qd Helein the quene Qd. Pandarus and it your will be That she may take her leave ere that she go O els God forbid it tho qd he If that she vouchsafe for to do so And with that word qd Troilus ye two Deiphebus and my suster lefe and dere To you have I to speake of a matere To been avised by your rede the better And found as hap was at his beds hedde The copie of a treatise and a letter That Hector had him sent to asken rede If such a man was worthy to ben dede Wote I naught who but in a grisly wise He praied hem anone on it avise Deiphebus gan this letter for to vnfold In earnest great so did Heleine the queene And roming outward fast it gonne behold Dounward a steire into an herbor greene This ilke thing they redden hem betwene And largely the mountenaunce of an houre They goone on it to reden and to poure Now let hem rede and tourne we anone To Pandarus that gan full soft prie That all was well and out he gan to gone Into the great chamber and that in hie And saied God save all this companie Come nece mine my lady Queene Heleine Abideth you and eke my Lords tweine Rise take with you your nece Antigone Or whom you list or no force hardely The lasse prease the bet come forth with me And looke that ye thonken humbly Hem all three and when ye may goodly Your time isee taketh of hem your leave Least we too long his restes him bireave All innocent of Pandarus entent Qd. tho Creseide go we vncle dere And arme in arme inward with him she went Avising well her words and her chere And Pandarus in earnestfull manere Saied all folke for Gods love I pray Stinteth right here and softly you play Aviseth you what folke ben here within And in what plite one is God him amend And inward thus full softely begin Nece I coniure and highly you defend On his halfe which that soule vs all send And in the vertue of corounes twaine Slea nat this man that hath for you this paine Fie on the deuill thinke which on he is And in what plite he lieth come off anone * Think all such taried tide but lost it nis That woll ye both saine when ye been one Secondly there yet deuineth none Vpon you two come off now if ye conne * While
president Though that Hector nay full oft praid And finally what wight that it withsaid It was for naught it must ben and should For substaunce of the Parliment it would Departed out of the parliment echone This Troilus without words mo Vnto his chamber spedde him fast alone But if it were a man of his or two The which he bad out faste for to go Because he would slepen as he said And hastely upon his bedde him laid And as in Winter leaves ben birast Ech after other till trees he hare So that there nis but barke branch ilast Lithe Troilus biraft of ech welfare Ibounden in the blacke barke of care Disposed wode out of his witte to breide So sore him sate the chaunging of Creseide He rist him up and every dore he shette And window eke tho this sorowfull man Vpon his beddes side doune him sette Full like a dead image pale and wan And in his breast the heaped wo began Out brust and he to worken in this wise In his woodnesse as I shall you devise Right as the wild Bull beginneth spring Now here now there idarted to the hert And of his death roreth in complaining Right so gan he about the chamber stert Smiring his breast aye with his fistes smert His head to the wall his body to yâ— ground Foll oft he swapt himselven to confound His eyen two for pity of his hert Out stremeden as swift as welles twey The high sobs of his sorrowes smert His speech him reft unnethes might he sey O death alas why nilt thou do me dey Accursed by that day which that nature Shope me to ben a lives creature But after when the fury and all the rage Which that his heart twist and fast threst By length of time somewhat gan assuage Vpon his bed he laid him doun to rest But tho begon his teares more out to brest That wonder is the body may suffise To halfe this wo which that I you devise Then said he thus Fortune alas yâ— while What have I done what have I thee agilt How mightest thou for routhe me begile Is there no grace and shall I thus be spilt Shall thus Creseide away for yâ— thou wilt Alas how mightest thou in thine hart find To ben to me thus cruell and unkind Have I thee nat honoured all my live As thou well wotest above the Gods all Why wilt thou me fro ioy thus deprive O Troilus what may men now thee call But wretch of wretches out of honour fall Into misery in which I woll bewaile Creseide alas till that the breath me faile Alas Fortune if that my life in joy Displeased had unto thy foule Envie Why ne haddest thou my father king of Troy Biraft the life or done my brethren die Or slaine my selfe yâ— thus complaine crie I combre world that may of nothing serve But ever dye and never fully sterve If that Creseide alone were me laft NaughtrauÈt I whider thou woldst me stere And her alas then hast thou me byraft But evermore lo this is thy manere To reve a wight that most is to him dere To preve in that thy gierfull violence Thus am I lost there helpeth no defence O very Lord O love O God alas That knowest best mine hert al my thought What shal my sorowfull life done in this caas If I to go that I so dere have bought Sens ye Creseide me have fully brought Into your grace and both our hearts sealed How may ye suffer alas it be repealed What I may done I shal while I may dure On live in turment and in cruell paine This infortune or this disaventure Alone as I was borne I woll complaine Ne never woll I seene it shine or raine But end I woll as Edippe in derkenesse My sorrowfull life and dien in distresse O wery ghost that errest to and fro Why 〈◊〉 thou flien out of the wofullest Body that ever might on ground go O soule lurking in this wofull neste Fly forthout mine hart and let it breste And follow alway Creseide thy lady dere Thy right place is now no lenger here O wofull eien two sens your disport Was all to seene Creseides eyen bright What shall ye done but for my discomfort Stoden for naught wepen out your sight Sens she is queint yâ— wont was you to light * In veine from this forth have I eyen twey I formed sens your vertue is awey O my Creseide O lady soveraine Of this wofull soule that thus crieth Who shall now yeven comfort to thy paine Alas no wight but when mine hert dieth My spirit which that so unto you hieth Receiâ—e in gree for that shall aye you serve For thy no force is though the body sterve O ye lovers that high upon the whele Ben sette of Fortune in good aventure God lene that ye finden aye love of stele And long more your life in joy endure But when ye comen by my sepulture Remembreth that your fellow resteth there For I loved eke though I unworthy were O old unholsome and mislived man Calcas I meane alas what eiled thee To 〈◊〉 a Greek sens thou art borne Trojan O Calcas which that wolt my bane be In cursed time was thou borne for me As would blisfull Iove for his joy That I thee had where I would in Troy A thousand sighes hotter than the glede Out of his breast each after other went Medled with plaint new his wo to fede For which his wofull teares never stent And shortly so his sorowes him to rent And wore so mate that joy or pennaunce He feeleth none but heth in a traunce Panoare which that in the parliment Had heatd with every Lord and burgeis seid And how full graunted was by one assent For Antenor to yelden oâ—t Creseid Gan well nigh wood out of his wit to breid So that for wo he niste what he ment But in a 〈…〉 went A certaine knight that for the 〈…〉 The chamber dore undid it him anone And Pandare that full tenderly wept Into the derke chamber as still as stone Toward the bedde gan softly to goue So confuse that he â—â—st what to say For very wo his wit was nigh away And with chere and leeking all to torne For sorow of this with his armes folden He stood this wofull Troilus beforne And on his pitous face he gan beholden But so oft gan his heart colden Seeing his friend in wo whose heavinesse His heart slough as thought him for distresse This wofull wight this Troilus yâ— felt His friend Pandare icomen him to see Gan as the snow ayenst the sunne melt For which this wofull Pandare of pite Gan for to weepe as tenderly as he And speechlesse thus ben these ilke twey That neither might for sorow o word sey But at the last this wofull Troilus Nigh dead for smert gan bresten out to rore And with a sorowfull noise he said thus Among his sobs and his sighes sore Lo
Sith yâ— thy weping but doubleth thy wo * I counsaile thee make vertue of a nede Go learne to clappe thy clapper to and fro And learne after the lawe of lepers lede There was no bote but forthwith then she yede Fro place to place while cold hunger sore Compelled her to be a ranke beggore That same time of Troy the garnisoun Which had the chieftain worthy Troilus ThrouÈ jeopardy of warre had striken doun Knights of Grece in nomber marveilous With great triumph and laude victorious Again to Troy right royally they rode The way where Creseide with yâ— leper stode Seing that company come al with o stevin They gave a cry shoke cupps good spede Worthy lordes for Goddes love of hevin To us seper part of your almose dede Then to her cry noble Troilus toke hede Having pite nere by the place gan pas Wher Creseide sat nat weting with she was Then vpon him she kest vp both her iyen And with a blinke it come in til his thought That he sometime her face before had sein But she was in soch plite he knew her nought Yet then her loke into his minde he brought The swete visage and amorous blenking Offaire Creseid sometime his owne derling No wonder was suppose in mind that he Toke her figure so sone and lo now why * The Idoll of a thing in case may be So depe enprinted in the fantasie That it deludeth the wittes outwardly And so apereth in forme and like estate Within the minde as it was figurate A sparke of love then til his hartcouth spring And kindeled his body in a fire With hote feuer in swette and trembling Him tooke while he was readie to exspire To heare his shield his brest began to tire Within a while he chaunged many a hewe And nevertheles nat one an other knew For knightly pite and memoriell Of faire Creseide a girdel gan he take A purse of gold and many a gaie iewell And in the skirt of Creseide doun gan shake Then rode away and nat a word he spake Pensife in hart while he came to the toune And for great care oft sith almost fell doune The lepre folke to Creseide then couth draw To see the equall distributioun Of the almose but when the gold they saw Ech one to other priuely can roun And saied yon lord hath more affectioun How ever it be vnto yon Lazarous Than to vs al we know by his almous What lord is yon qd she have ye no fele That doeth to vs so great humanite Yes qd a lepre man I know him wele Sir Troilus it is a knight gentle and free When Creseide vnderstood that it was hee Stiffer than stele there sterte a bitter stound Throughout her hert fill doun to yâ— ground When she over come with sighing sore sad With many a carefull crie and cold atone Now is my brest with stormy stoundes stad Wrapped in wo wretchfull will of one Then fell in swoun ful oft or she would fone And ever in her swouning cried she thus O false Creseide and true knight Troilus Thy love thy laude all thy gentlenesse I counted small in my prosperite So effated I was in wantonnesse And clambe vpon the fickell whele so hie All faith and love I promitted to thee Was in thy selfe fekell and furious O false Creseide and true knight Troilus For love of me thou kept countenaunce Honest and chast in conuersacion Of all women protectour and defence Thou were and helped their opinion My minde and fleshly foule affection Was enclined to lustes lecherous Fie false Creseide O true knight Troilus Lovers beware and take good hede about Whom that ye love for when ye suffre pain I let you wit there is right few throughout Whom ye may trust to have true love again Proue when ye woll your labour is in vain Therefore I rede ye take them as ye find For they are sad as Wedercocke in wind Bicause I know the great vnstablenesse Brittle as glasse vnto my self I say Trusting in other as great brutelnesse As inconstaunt and as vntrue of fay Though some be true I wot riÈt few ar they Who findeth truth let him his lady ruse None but my self as now I woll accuse When this was said with paper she sat doun And in this maner made her testament Here I bequethe my corse and carioun With wormes and with Toodes to be rent My cuppe my clapper and mine ornament And all my gold these lepre folke shall have When I am dedde to bury me in grave This roiall ring set with this Rubie redde Which Troilus in dowrie to me send To him again I leaue it when I am dedde To make my careful death vnto him kend Thus I conclude shortly and make an end My spirit I leave to Diane where she dwels To walke with her in wast wodes welles O Diomede thou hast both broche belt Which Troilus gaue me in tokening Of his true love with that worde she swelt And soone a leaper man toke off the ring Then buried her withouten tarying To Troilus forthwith the ring he bare And of Creseide the death he gan declare When he had heard her great infirmite Her legacie and lamentacioun And how she ended in such poverte He swelt for wo and fell doune in a swoun For sorow his hart to brast was boun Sighing full sadly sayd I can no more She was vntrue and wo is me therefore Some saith he made a tombe of marble gray And wrote her name superscripcioun And layd it on her graue whereas she lay In golden letters conteining this reasoun Lo faire Fadies Creseide of Troie toun Somtime counted the floure of womanhed Vnder this stone late leper lieth dedde Now worthy women in this balade short Made for your worship and instruction Of charite I monish and exhort Minge nat your love with false discepcion Beare in your mind this sore conclusion Of faire Creseide as I have sayd before Sith she is dedde I speake of her no more The Legend of good Women For that some Ladies in the Court took offence at Chaucers large speeches against the untruth of Women the Queen enjoyned him to compile this Book in the commendation of sundry Maidens and Wives who shewed themselves faithful to faithless men A Thousand times I have heard men tell That there is joy in heaven pain in hell And I accord it wele that it is so But nathelesse yet wote I wele also That there nis non dwelling in this countre That either hath in heaven or in hell ibe Ne may of it none other waies witten But as he heard sayd or found it written For by assay there may no man it preve But God forbede but men should leve Wel more thing than they have seen with iye Men shall nat weâ—en every thing a lie But if himself it seeth or els it dooth For God wote thing is never the lesse soth Though every wight ne may
ye han walked wide Any of my sustren walke you beside With any wild Bore or other beast That they have hunted into this forrest I tucked vp with arrowes in her caas Nay sothly Lady qd this Eneas But by thy beautie as it thinketh me Thou mightest never yearthly woman be But Phebus suster art thou as I gesse And if so be that thou be a goddesse Have mercy on our labour and our wo. I nam no goddesse soothly qd she tho For maidens walken in this country here With arrows with bow in this manere This is the realme of Libie there ye been Sf which that Dido lady is and queen And shortly told all the occasion Why Dido came into that region Of which as now me lifteth nat to rime It nedeth nat it nere but losse of time For this is all and some it was Venus His owne mother that spake with him thus And to Cartage she bade he should him dight And vanished anon out of his sight I could follow word for word Vergile But it would lasten all to long while This noble queen that cleped was Dido That whylom was the wife of Sicheo That fairer was than the bright sunne This noble toun of Carthage hath begunne In which she reigneth in so great honour That she was hold of all Quenes flour Of gentillesse of freedome and of beaute That well was him that might her ones se Of Kings and Lordes so desired That all the world her beautie had ifired She stood so well in every wights grace When Eneas was come vnto the place Vnto the maister temple of all the toun There Dido was in her deuotioun Full priuely his way then hath he nome When he was in the large temple come I cannot saine if that it be possible But Venus had him maked invisible Thus sayth the booke withouten any lees And when this Eneas and Achates Hadden in this temple ben over all Then found they depainted on a wall How Troy and all the land destroyed was Alas that I was borne qd Eneas Through the world our shame is kid so wide Now it is painted vpon every side We that weren in prosperite Ben now disclaundred and in such degre No lenger for to liven I ne kepe And with that word he brast out for to wepe So tenderly that routh it was to seene This fresh Lady of the citie Queen Stood in the temple in her estate roiall So richely and eke so faire withall So yong so lustie with her eyen glade That if that God that heaven yearth made Would have a love for beauty goodnesse And womanhede trouth and semelinesse Whom should he loven but this lady swete There nis no woman to him halfe so mete Fortune that hath yâ— world in governaunce Hath sodainly brought in so new a chaunce That never was there yet so frened a caas For all the company of Eneas Which that we wend have lorne in the see Arrived is nought ferre fro that citee For which the greatest of his lords some By aventure ben to the citie come Vnto that same temple for to seke The Queene and of her socour her beseke Such renome was ther sprong of her goodnes And when they had tolde all her distresse And all her tempest and all her hard caas Vnto the Queene appeared Eneas And openly beknew that it was he Who had joy then but his meine That hadden found her lord her governour The Quene saw they did him such honour And had heard of Eneas ere tho And in her hart had routh and wo That ever such a noble man as he Shall ben disherited in such degre And saw the man that he was like a knight And suffisaunt of person and of might And like to ben a very gentilman And well his words he beset can And had a noble visage for the nones And formed well of brawne and of bones And after Venus had such fairenesse That no man might be halfe so faire I gesse And well a lord him semed for to be And for he was a straunger somewhat she Liked him the bet as God doe bote To some folke often new thing is sote Anon her hart hath pitee of his wo And with pitie Love came also And thus for pitie and for gentilnesse Refreshed must he ben of his distresse She said certes that she sorry was That he hath had such perill and such caas And in her friendly speech in this manere She to him spake and sayd as ye may here Be ye nat Venus sonne and Anchises In good faith all the worship and encrees That I may goodly done you ye shall have Your ships and your meine shall I save And many a gentle word she spake him to And commaunded her messengers to go The same day withouten any faile His ships for to seeke and hem vitaile Full many a beast she to the ships sent And with the wine she gan hem to present And to her roiall paleis she her sped And Eneas she alway with her led What nedeth you the feastes to discrive He never better at ease was in live Full was the feast of deinties and richesse Of instruments of song and of gladnesse And many an amorous looking and devise This Eneas is come to Paradise Out of the swolowe of hell and thus in joy Remembreth him of his estate in Troy To dauncing chambers full of paraments Of rich beds and of pavements This Eneas in ledde after the meat And with the queene when that he had seat And spices parted and the wine agon Vnto his chamber was he lad anon To take his ease and for to have his rest With all his folke to done what so him lest There nas courser well ibridled none Ne stede for the Iusting well to gone Ne large palfrey easie for the nones Ne iewell fret full of rich stones Ne sackes full of gold of large wight Ne Rubie none that shineth by night Ne gentill hauten faukon hereonere Ne hound for Hart wild Bore or Dere Ne cup of gold with floreins new ibette That in the lond of Libie may ben gette That Dido ne hath Eneas it isent And all is payed what that he hath spent Thus can this honorable quene her gests call As she that can in freedome passen all Eneas soothly eke without lees Hath sent to his shippe by Achates After his sonne and after rich things Both scepter clothes broches eke rings Some for to weare and some to present To her that all these noble things him sent And bad his sonne how that he should make The presenting and to the quene it take Repaired is this Achates againe And Eneas full blisfull is and faine To seene his yong sonne Ascanius For to him it was reported thus That Cupido that is the god of Love At prayer of his mother high above Had the likenesse of the child itake This noble queene enamoured for to make On Eneas but of that scripture Be as be may I make
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
grace might bene And maken in that lande some chevesaunce And kepen him fro wo and fro mischaunce For sicke he was and almost at the death Vnneth might he speake or draw breath And lieth in Rhodopeia him for to rest When he may walk him thought it was best Vnto the countrey to seeken for succour Men knew him wele and did him honour For at Athenes Duke and Lord was he As Theseus his father hath ibe That in his time was great of renoun No man so great in all his regioun And like his father of face and of stature And false of love it came him of nature As doth the Foxe Renarde the Foxes sonne Of kind he could his old father wonne Without lore as can a Drake swimme When it is caught and caried to the brimme This honorable queen Phillis doth him chere Her liketh well his sporte and his manere But I am agroted here beforne To write of hem that in love been forsworne And eke to haste me in my Legende Which to performe God me grace sende Therfore I passe shortly in this wise Ye have well heard of Theseus the gise In the betraiyng of faire Adriane That of her pite kept him fro his bane At short wordes right so Demophon The same way and the same pathe hath gon That did his false father Theseus For vnto Phillis hath he sworne thus To wedden her and her his trouth plight And piked of her all the good he might When he was hole sound and had his rest And doth with Phillis what so that him lest As well I could if that me list so Tellen all his doing to and fro He sayd to his countrey mote him saile For there he would her wedding apparaile As fill to her honour and his also And openly he tooke his leave tho And to her swore he would not sojourne But in a month again he would retourne And in that londe let make his ordinaunce As very Lorde and tooke the obeisaunce Well and humbly and his shippes dight And home he goeth the next way he might For vnto Phillis yet came he nought And that hath she so harde and sore ibought Alas as the storie doth vs record She was her owne death with a corde When that she saw yâ— Demophon her traied But first wrote she to him fast him praied He would come and deliver her of pain As I rehearse shall a worde or twain Me liste not vouchsafe on him to swinke Dispenden on him a penne full of ynke For false in love was he right as his sire The Devill set her soules both on a fire But of the letter of Phillis woll I write A worde or twain although it be but lite Thine hostesse qd she O Demophon Thy Phillis which that is so wo begon Of Rhodopeie vpon you mote complain Over the terme set betwixt vs twain That ye ne holden forward as ye sayd Your ancre which ye in our haven layd Hight vs that ye would comen out of doubt Or that the Moone ones went about But times fower yâ— Moone hath hid her face Sens thilke day ye went fro this place And fower times light the world again But for all that yet shall I sothly sain Yet hath the streme of Scython not brought From Athens the ship yet came it nought And if that ye the terme reken would As I or other true lovers doe should I plain not God wot before my day But al her letter writen I ne may By order for it were to me a charge Her letter was right long and therto large But here and there in rime I have it layd There as me thought that she hath wel sayd She sayd the sailes cometh not again Ne to the worde there nis no â—ey certain But I wot why ye come not qd she For I was of my love to you so fre And of the Goddes that ye have swore That her vengeaunce fall on you therfore Ye be not suffisaunt to beare the pain To moche trusted I well may I sain Vpon your linage and your faire tong And on your teares falsly out wrong How coud ye wepe so by craft qd she May there soche teares fained be Now certes if ye would have in memory It ought be to you but little glory To have a selie maide thus betrayed To God qd she pray I and oft have prayed That it be now the greatest price of all And most honour that ever you shall befall And when thine old aunceters painted bee In which men may her worthinesse see Then pray I God thou painted be also That folke may reden forth by as they go Lo this is he that with his flattery Betraied hath and done her villany That was his true love in thought dede But sothly of o point yet may they rede That ye been like your father as in this For he begiled Ariadne iwis With such an arte and such subtelte As thou thy selves hast begiled me As in that poinct although it be not feire Thou folowest certain and art his heire But sens thus sinfully ye me begile My body mote ye sene within a while Right in the haven of Athenes fleeting Withouten Sepulture and buriyng Though ye been harder then is any stone And when this letter was forth sent anone And knew how brotell and how fals he was She for dispaire fordid her selfe alas Such sorow hath she for she beset her so Beware ye women of your subtill fo Sens yet this day men may ensample se And trusteth now in love no man but me ¶ The Legende of Hypermestre IN Grecen whilom were brethren two Of which that one was called Danao That many a son hath of his body wonne As soch false lovers ofte conne Emong his sonnes all there was one That aldermost he loved of everychone And when this child was borne this Danao Shope him a name and called him Lino That other brother called was Egiste That was of love as false as ever him liste And many a daughter gate he in his life Of which he gate vpon his right wife A doughter dere and did her for to call Hypermestra yongest of hem all The which child of her nativite To all good thewes borne was she As liked to the Goddes or she was borne That of the shefe she should be the corne The werdes that we clepen destine Hath shapen her that she must needes be Pitous sad wise true as stele And to this woman it accordeth wele For though yâ— Venus yave her great beaute With Iupiter compowned so was she That conscience trouth and drede of shame And of her wifehode for to kepe her name This thought her was felicite as here And reed Mars was that time of the yere So feble that his malice is him raft Repressed hath Venus his cruell craft And what with Venus and other oppression Of houses Mars his venime is a don That Hypermestre dare not handle a knife In malice though she should lese her life But
to his hals I woll do paint with pure gold And tapite hem full manyfold Of one sute this shall he haue If I wiâ—t where were his caue If he can make me sleepe soone As did the goddesse queene Alcione And thus this like god Morpheus May wil of me mo fees thus Than ever he wan and to Iuno That is his goddesse I shall so do I trowe that she shall hold her paid I had vnneth that word ysaid Right thus as I haue told you That suddainly I nist how Such a lust anone me tooke To sleepe that right vpon my booke I fell a sleepe and therewith even Me mette so inly such a sweven So wonderfull that never yet I trowe no man had the wit To conne well my sweden rede No not Ioseph without drede Of Egypt he that rad so The kinges meting Pharao No more than coud the least of vs. Ne nat scarcely Macrobeus He that wrote all the avision That he met of king Scipion The noble man the Affrican Such meruailes fortuned than I trowe arede my dreames euen Lo thus it was this was my sweven Me thought thus that it was May And in the dawning there I lay Me met thus in my bed all naked And looked forth for I was waked With smale foules a great hepe That had afraied me out of my slepe Through noise and sweetnesse of her song And as me met they sate among Vpon my chamber roofe without Vpon the tyles over all about And eueriche song in his wise The most solemne seruise By note that ever man I trow Had heard for some of hem song low Some high and all of one accord To tell shortly at o word Was never heard so sweet steven But it had be a thing of heven So merry a sowne so sweet entunes That certes for the towne of Tewnes I noide but I had heard hem sing For all my chamber gan to ring Through singing of her ermony For instrument nor melody Was no where heard yet halfe so swete Nor of accord halfe so mete For there was none of hem that fained To sing for ech of hem him pained To find out many crafty notes They ne spared nat her throtes And sooth to saine my chamber was Full well depainted and with glas Were all the windowes well yglased Full clere and nat an hole ycrased That to behold it was great joy For holly all the story of Troy Was in the glaising ywrought thus Of Hector and of King Priamus Of Achilles and of king Laomedon And eke of Medea and of Iason Of Paris Heleine and of Lavine And all the wals with colours fine Were paint both text and glose And all the Romaunt of the Rose My windowes weren shit echone And through the glasse the sunne shone Vpon my bed with bright bemes With many glad glidy stremes And eke the welkin was so faire Blew bright clere was the aire And full attempre for sooth it was For neyther too cold ne hote it nas Ne in all the welkin was no cloud And as I lay thus wonder loud Me thought I heard a hunt blow Tassay his great horne and for to know Whether it was clere or horse of sowne And I heard going both vp and downe Men horse hounds and other thing And all men speake of hunting How they would slee the hart with strength And how the hart had vpon length So much enbosed I not now what Anon right when I heard that How that they would on hunting gone I was right glad and vp anone Tooke my horse and forth I went Out of my chamber I neuer stent Till I come to the field without There ouertooke I a great rout Of hunters and eke forresters And many relaies and limers And highed hem to the forrest fast And I with hem so at the last I asked one lad a lymere Say fellow who shall hunt here Qd. I and he answered ayen Sir the Emperour Occtonyen Qd. he and is here fast by A gods halfe in good time qd I Go we fast and gan to ride When we come to the forest side Euery man did right soone As to hunting fell to done The maister hunt anone fote hote With his horne blew three mote At the vncoupling of his houndis Within a while the hart found is I hallowed and rechased fast Long time and so at the last This hart rouzed and stale away Fro all the hounds a preuie way The hounds had ouershot him all And were vpon a default yfall Therewith the hunt wonder fast Blew a forloyn at the last I was go walked fro my tree And as I went there came by me A whelpe that fawned me as I stood That had yfollowed and coud no good It came and crept to me as low Right as it had me yknow Held downe his head and joyned his eares And laid all smooth downe his heares I would haue caught it anone It fled and was fro me gone As I him followed and it forth went Downe by a floury greene it went Full thicke of grasse full soft and sweet With floures fele faire vnder feet And little vsed it seemed thus For both Flora and Zepherus They two that make floures grow Had made her dwelling there I trow For it was on to behold As though the earth enuy wold To be gayer than the heuen To have mo floures such seuen As in the welkin sterres be It had forget the pouerte That winter through his cold morrowes Had made it suffer and his sorrowes All was foryeten and that was seene For all the wood was woxen greene Sweetnesse of dewe had made it waxe It is no need eke for to axe Where there were many greene greues Or thicke of trees so full of leues And euery tree stood by himselue Fro other well tenne foot or twelue So great trees so huge of strength Of fortie or fiftie fadome length Cleane without bowe or sticke With crops brode and eke as thicke They were not an inch asunder That it was shadde over all vnder And many an hart and many an hind Was both before me and behind Of fawnes sowers buckes does Was full the wood and many roes And many squirrels that sete Full high vpon the trees and ete And in her manner made feasts Shortly it was so full of beasts That though Argus the noble countour Sate to recken in his countour And recken with his figures ten For by tho figures newe all ken If they be craftie recken and number And tell of euery thing the number Yet should he faile to recken even The wonders me met in my sweven But forth I romed right wonder fast Downe the wood so at the last I was ware of a man in blacke That sate and had yturned his backe To an Oke an huge tree Lord thought I who may that bee What eyleth him to sitten here Anon right I went nere Then found I sitte even vpright A wonder welfaring knight By the manner me thought so Of good mokell
all blesse My worlds welfare and my goddesse And I wholy hers and euery dele By our Lorde qd I I trowe you wele Hardly your loue was wel beset I not how it might haue do bet Bet ne not so wel qd he I trowe sir qd I parde Nay leue it wel Sir so do I I leue you wel that trewly You thought that she was the best And to behold the alderfairest Who so had loked her with your eyen With mine nay all that her seyen Said and swore it was so And though they ne had I would tho Haue loued best my lady free Though I had had al the beaute That euer had Alcibiades And al the strength of Hercules And thereto had the worthinesse Of Alisaunder and al the richesse That euer was in Babiloine In Cartage or in Macedoine Or in Rome or in Niniue And thereto also hardy be As was Hector so haue I joy That Achilles slough at Troy And therefore was he slayne also In a temple for both two Were slaine he and Antilegius And so saith Dares Fregius For loue of Polixena Or ben as wise as Minerua I would euer without drede Haue loued her for I must nede Nede Nay trewly I gabbe now Nought nede and I woll tellen how For of good will mine herte it wold And eke to loue her I was holde As for the fayrest and the hest She was as good so haue I rest As euer was Penelope of Grece Or as the noble wife Lucrece That was the best he telleth thus The Romane Titus Liuius She was as good and nothing like Though her stories be autentike Algate she was as trewe as she But wherefore that I tell thee When I first my lady sey I was right yong soth to sey And full great need I had to lerne When mine herte wolde yerne To loue it was a great emprise But as my wit wolde best suffise After my yong childely wit Without drede I beset it To loue her in my best wise To do her wurship and the seruise That I coude tho by my trouth Without faining eyther slouth For wonder faine I wolde her see So mokell it amended mee That when I sawe her amorowe I was warished of all my sorowe Of all day after till it were eue Me thought nothing might me greue Were my sorowes neuer so smert And yet she sit so in mine herte That by my trouth I nold nought For all this world out of my thought Leaue my Lady no trewly Now by my trouth sir qd I Me thinketh ye haue such a chaunce As shrift without repentaunce Repentaunce nay fie qd he Shuld I now repent me To loue nay certes then were I well Worse than was Achitofell Or Antenor so haue I joy The traitour that betrayed Troy Or the false Ganelion He that purchased the traison Of Rouland and of Oliuere Nay while I am a liue here I nil foryet her never mo Now good sir qd I tho Ye haue well told me here before It is no need to reherse it more How ye saw her first and where But would ye tell me the manere To her which was your first speche Thereof I would you beseche And how she knew first your thought Whether ye loved her or nought And telleth me eke what ye have lore I herde you tell here before Ye said thou notest what thou meanest I have lost more than thou weenest What losse is that qd I tho Nil she not love you is it so Or have ye ought done amis That she hath lefte you is it this For Goddes love tell me all Before God qd he and I shall I say right as I have said On her was all my love laid And yet she nist it not never a dele Not longe time leve it wele For by right siker I durst nought For all this world tell her my thought Ne I wolde have wrathed her trewly For wost thou why she was lady Of the body that had the herte And who so hath that may not asterte But for to keepe me fro ydlenesse Trewly I did my businesse To make songes as I best coude And oft time I song hem loude And made songes this a great dele Although I coude nat make so wele Songes ne knew the arte al As coude Lamekes son Tubal That found out first the arte of songe For as his brothers hamers ronge Vpon his anvelt vp and downe Thereof he toke the first sowne But Grekes saine of Pithagoras That he the first finder was Of the art Aurora telleth so But thereof no force of hem two Algates songes thus I made Of my feling mine herte to glade And lo this was alther first I not where it were the werst Lord it maketh mine herte light When I thinke on that swere wight That is so semely one to se And wish to God it might so be That she wold hold me for her knight My Lady that is so fayre and bright Now have I told thee soth to say My first song vpon a day I bethought me what wo And sorowe that I suffred tho For her and yet she wist it nought Ne tell her durst I not my thought Alas thought I I can no rede And but I tell her I am but dede And if I tel her to say right soth I am a dradde she woll be wroth Alas what shall I then do In this debate I was so wo Me thought mine hert brast a twain So at the last sothe for to saine I bethought me that Nature Ne formed never in creature So much beauty trewly And bounty without mercy In hope of that may tale I tolde With sorowe as that I never sholde For nedes and maugre mine heed I must have tolde her or be deed I not well how that I began Full yvell reherce it I can And eke as helpe me God withall I trow it was in the dismall That was the ten woundes of Egipt For many a word I overskipt In my tale for pure fere Lest my wordes misse set were With sorowfull hert and woundes dede Softe and quaking for pure drede And shame and stinting in my tale For ferde and mine hew al pale Full oft I wexte both pale and reed Bowing to her I hing the heed I durst not ones loke her on For wit manner and all was gone I said mercy and no more It nas no game it sate me sore So at the the last soth to saine Whan that mine heart was com againe To tell shortly all my speech With hole harte I gan her beseech That she wolde be my Lady swete And swore and hertely gan her hete Ever to be stedfast and trewe And love her alway freshly newe And never other Lady have And all her worship for to save As I best coude I sware her this For yours is all that ever there is For evermore mine hertswete And never to false you but I mete I nyl as wise God helpe me so And when I had my tale ydo God wote she
thee as loud as I may crie And then she began this song full hie I shrew all hem that been of loue vntrue And when she had song it to the end Now farewell qd she for I mote wend And god of loue that can right well may As much joy send thee this day As any yet louer he euer send Thus taketh yâ— Nightingale her leaue of me I pray to God alway with her be And joy of loue he send her euermore And shilde vs fro the Cuckow and his lore For there is not so false a bird as he Forth she flew the gentle Nightingale To all the birds that were in that dale And gate hem all into a place in fere And besoughten hem that they would here Her disease and thus began her tale The Cuckow well it is not for to hide How the Cuckow and I fast haue chide Euer sithen it was day light I pray you all that ye doe me right On that foule false vnkind bridde Then spake o bird for all by one assent This matter asketh good auisement For we been birdes here in fere And sooth it is the Cuckow is not here And therefore we woll haue a parliment And thereat shall the Egle be our Lord And other peres that been of record And the Cuckow shall be after sent There shall be yeue the judgement Or els we shall finally make accord And this shall be without nay The morrow after saint Valentines day Vnder a Maple that is faire and grene Before the chamber window of the quene At Woodstocke vpon the grene lay She thanked hem then her leaue toke And into an Hauthorne by that broke And there she sate and song vpon that tree Terme of life loue hath withhold me So loud that I with that song awoke Explicit O Leud book with thy foule rudenesse Sith thou haste neither beauty ne eloquence Who hath thee caused or yeue thee hardinesse For to appeare in my Ladies presence I am full siker thou knowest her beneuolence Full agreeable to all her abying For of all good she is the best liuing Alas that thou ne haddest worthinesse To shew to her some pleasaunt sentence Sith that she hath through her gentillesse Accepted the seruant to her digne reuerence O me repenteth that I ne had science And leiser al 's to make thee more florishing For of all good she is the best liuing Beseech her meekely with all lowlinesse Though I be ferre from her in absence To think on my trouth to her stedfastnesse And to abridge of my sorrowes the violence Which caused is wherof knoweth your sapience She like among to notifie me her liking For of all good she is the best liuing Lenuoye A Vrore of gladnesse and day of lustinesse Lucern a night with heauenly influence Illumined root of beauty and goodnesse Suspires which I effunde in silence Of grace I beseech alledge let your writing Now of all good sith ye be best liuing Explicit Scogan unto the Lords and Gentlemen of the Kings House In the written Copies the Title hereof is thus Here followeth a moral Ballad to the Prince the Duke of Clarence the Duke of Bedford the Duke of Gloucester the Kings Sons by Henry Scogan at a Supper among the Merchants in the Vintry at London in the House of Lewis John MY noble sonnes and eke my lords dere I your father called vnworthely Send vnto you this little Treatise here Written with mine owne hand full rudely Although it be that I not reuerently Haue written to your estates I you pray Mine vnconning taketh benignely For Gods sake and herken what I say I complain me sore when I remember me The suddaine age that is vpon me fall But more I complain my mispent juuentute The which is impossible ayen for to call But certainly the most complaint of all Is to thinke that I haue be so nice That I ne would vertues to me call In all my youth but vices aye cherice Of which I aske mercy of the Lord That art almighty God in majesty Beseking to make so euen accord Betwixt thee and my soule that vanity Worldly lust ne blind prosperity Haue no lordship ouer my flesh so frele Thou Lord of rest and parfite vnity Put fro me vice and kepe my soule he le And yeue me might while I haue life space Me to confirme fully to thy pleasaunce Shew to me the abundaunce of thy grace And in good werks grant me perseueraunce Of all my youth forget the ignoraunce Yeue me good will to serue thee ay to queme Set all my life after thine ordinaunce And able me to mercy or thou deme My lords dere why I this complaint write To you whom I loue most entirely Is for to warne you as I can endite * That time lost in youth folily Greueth a wight bodily and ghostly I meane him that to lust and vice entend Wherefore lords I pray you specially Your youth in vertue shapeth to dispend * Plant the root of youth in such a wise That in vertue your growing be alway Looke alway goodnesse be in your exercise That shall you mighty make at each assay The fiend to withstand at each affray Passeth wisely this perillous pilgrimage Think on this word and werke it euery day That shall you yeue a parfite floured age Taketh also hede how yâ— these noble clerkes Writen in her bookes of great saprence Saying that faith is ded withouten werkes And right so is estate with negligence Of vertue and therefore with diligence * Shapeth of vertue so to plant the root That ye thereof haue full experience To worship of your life and soules boot * Taketh also hede that lordship ne estate Without vertue may not long endure Thinketh eke how vices vertue at debate Haue ben and shall while the world may dure And euer the vicious by auenture Is ouerthrow and thinketh euermore That God is Lord of all vertue and figure Of all goodnesse and therfore follow his lore My maister Chaucer God his soule saue That in his language was so curious He said that the father which is dead graue Biqueth nothing his vertue with his hous Vnto his children and therefore labourous Ought ye be beseeking God of grace To yeue you might for to be vertuous Through whichye miÈt haue part of his place * Here may ye see that vertuous noblesse Commeth not to you by way of auncestry But it commeth by lefull businesse Of honest life and not by slogardry Wherefore in youth I rede you edisie The house of vertue in such a manere That in your age may you keepe and gie Fro the tempest of worlds wawes here * Thinketh how betwixe vertue and estate There is a parfite blessed Mariage Vertue is cause of peace vice of debate In mans soule the which be full of courage Cherisheth then vertue vices to outrage Driueth hem away let hem haue no wonning In your soules leseth not the heritage Which God hath yeue to
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
Shewing the ships there without Tho gan the aged lady weepe And said alas our joy on sleepe Soone shall be brought ye long or night For we discried been by this knight For certes it may none other be But he is of yond companie And they be come him here to seche And with that word her failed speche VVithout remedy we be destroid Full oft said all and gan conclude Holy at once at the last That best was shit their yates fast And arme them all in good langage As they had done of old vsage And of fayre wordes make their shot This was their counsaile and the knot And other purpose tooke they none But armed thus forth they gone Toward the walles of the yle But or they come there long while They met the great lord of boue That called is the god of Loue That them auised with such chere Right as he with them angry were Auailed them not their walls of glasse This mighty lord let not to passe The shutting of their yates fast All they had ordained was but wast For when his ships had found land This lord anon with bow in hand Into this yle with huge prease Hied fast and would not cease Till he came there the knight lay Of Queene ne lady by the way Tooke he no heed but forth past And yet all followed at the last And when he came where lay the knight Well shewed he he had great might And forth the Queene called anone And all the ladies euerichone And to them said is not thus routh To see my seruaunt for his trouth Thus leane thus sicke and in this paine And wot not vnto whom to plaine Saue onely one without mo Which might him heale and is his fo And with that word his heauy brow He shewed the Queene and looked row This mighty lord forth tho anone With o looke her faults echone He can her shew in little speech Commaunding her to be his leech Withouten more shortly to say He thought the Queene soone should obay And in his hond he shoke his bow And said right soone he would be know And for she had so long refused His seruice and his lawes not vsed He let her wit that he was wroth And bent his bow and forth he goth A pace or two and euen there A large draught vp to his eare He drew and with an arrow ground Sharpe and new the Queene a wound He gaue that piersed vnto the hart Which afterward full sore gan smart And was not whole of many yeare And euen with that be of good cheare My knight qd he I will thee hele And thee restore to parfite wele And for each paine thou hast endured To haue two joys thou art cured And forth he past by the rout With sober cheare walking about And what he said I thought to heare Well wist he which his seruaunts were And as he passed anon he fond My lady and her tooke by the hond And made her chere as a Goddes And of beaute called her princes Of bounty eke gaue her the name And said there was nothing blame In her but she was vertuous Sauing she would no pity vse Which was the cause that he her sought To put that far out of her thought And sith she had whole richesse Of womanhead and friendlinesse He said it was nothing fitting To void pity his owne legging And gan her preach and with her play And of her beauty told her aie And said she was a creature Of whom the name should endure And in bookes full of pleasaunce Be put for euer in remembraunce And as me thought more friendly Vnto my lady and goodlely He spake than any that was there And for the appuls I trow it were That she had in possession Wherefore long in procession Many a pace arme vnder other He welke and so did with none other But what he would commaund or say Forthwith needs all must obay And what he desired at the lest Of my lady was by request And when they long together had beene He brought my lady to the Queene And to her said so God you speed Shew grace consent that is need My lady tho full conningly Right well auised and womanly Downe gan to kneele vpon the floures VVhich Aprill nourished had with shoures And to this mighty lord gan say That pleaseth you I woll obay And me restraine from other thought As ye woll all thyng shall be wrought And with that word kneeling she quoke That mighty lord in armes her tooke And said you haue a seruaunt one That truer liuing is there none VVherefore good were seeing his trouth That on his paines ye had routh And purpose you to heare his speech Fully auised him to leech For of one thyng ye may be sure He will be yours while he may dure And with that word right on his game Me thought he lough and told my name VVhich was to me maruaile and fere That what to do I nist there Ne whether was me bet or none There to abide or thus to gone For well wend I my lady wold Imagen or deme that I had told My counsaile whole or made complaint Vnto that lord that mighty saint So verily each thyng vnsought He said as he had knowne my thought And told my trouth and mine vnease Bet than I couth haue for mine ease Though I had studied all a weke Well wist that lord that I was seke And would be leched wonder faine No man me blame mine was the paine And when this lord had all said And long with my lady plaid She gan to smile with spirit glade This was the answere that she made Which put me there in double peine That what to do ne what to seine Wist I not ne what was the best Ferre was my heart then fro his rest For as I thought that smiling signe Was token that the heart encline Would to requests reasonable Because smiling is fauorable To euery thing that shall thriue So thought I tho anon bliue That wordlesse answere in no toun Was tane for obligatioun Ne called surety in no wise Amongst them that called been wise Thus was I in a joyous dout Sure and vnsurest of that rout Right as mine heart thought it were So more or lesse wexe my fere That if one thought made it wele Another shent it euery dele Till at the last I couth no more But purposed as I did before To serue truly my liues space Awaiting euer the yeare of grace VVhich may fall yet or I sterue If it please her that I serue And serued haue and woll do euer For thyng is none that me is leuer Than her seruice whose presence Mine heauen is whole and her absence An hell full of diuers paines VVhych to the death full oft me straines Thus in my thoughts as I stood That vnneth felt I harme ne good I saw the Queene a little paas Come where this mighty lord was And kneeled downe in presence there Of all the ladies
that there were VVith sober countenaunce auised In few words that well suffised And to this lord anon present A bill wherein whole her entent VVas written and how she besought As he knew euery will and thought That of his godhead and his grace He would forgyue all old trespace And vndispleased be of time past For she would euer be stedfast And in his seruice to the death Vse euery thought while she had breath And sight and wept and said no more VVithin was written all the sore At whych bill the lord gan smyle And said he would within that yle Be lord and syre both east and west And cald it there his new conquest And in great councell tooke the Queene Long were the tales them betweene And ouer her bill he read thrise And wonder gladly gan deuise Her features faire and her visage And bad good thrift on that Image And sayd he trowed her compleint Should after cause her be corseint And in his sleeue he put the bill Was there none that knew his will And forth he walke apace about Beholding all the lusty rout Halfe in a thought with smiling chere Till at the last as ye shall here He turned vnto the Queene ageine And said to morne here in this pleine I woll ye be and all yours That purposed ben to weare flours Or of my lusty colour vse It may not be to you excuse Ne none of yours in no wise That able be to my seruise For as I said haue here before I will be lord for euermore Of you and of this yle and all And of all yours that haue shall Ioy peace ease or in pleasaunce Your liues vse without noysaunce Here will I in state be seene And turned his visage to the Queene And you giue knowledge of my will And a full answere of your bill Was there no nay ne words none But very obeisaunt seemed echone Queene and other that were there VVell seemed it they had great fere And there tooke lodging euery night VVas none departed of that night And some to read old Romances Them occupied for their pleasances Some to make verelaies and laies And some to other diuerse plaies And I to me a Romance tooke And as I reading was the booke Me thought the sphere had so run That it was rising of the Sun And such a prees into the piaine Assemble gone that with great paine One might for other go ne stand Ne none take other by the hand VVithouten they distourbed were So huge and great the prees was there And after that within two houres This mighty lord all in floures Of diuers colours many a paire In his estate vp in the aire VVell two fathom as his hight He set him there in all their sight And for the Queene and for the Knight And for my lady and euery wight In hast he sent so that neuer one VVas there absent but come echone And when they thus assembled were As ye haue heard me say you here VVithout more tarrying on hight There to be seene of euery wight Vp stood among the prees aboue A counsayler seruaunt of loue VVhich seemed well of great estate And shewed there how no debate Owe ne goodly might be vsed In gentilnesse and be excused VVherefore he said his lords will VVas euery wight there should be still And in pees and one accord And thus commaunded at a word And can his tongue to swiche language Turne that yet in all mine age Heard I neuer so conningly Man speake ne halfe so faithfully For euery thing he said there Seemed as it insealed were Or approued for very trew Swiche was his cunning language new And well according to his chere That where I be me thinke I here Him yet alway when I mine one In any place may be alone First con he of the lusty yle All thastate in little while Rehearse and wholly euery thing That caused there his lords comming And euery we le and euery wo And for what cause ech thing was so VVell shewed he there in easie speech And how the sicke had need of leech And that whole was and in grace He told plainly why each thing was And at the last he con conclude Voided euery language rude And said that prince that mighty lord Or his departing would accord All the parties there present And was the fine of his entent VVitnesse his presence in your sight VVhich sits among you in his might And kneeled downe withouten more And not o word spake he more Tho gan this mighty lord him dresse VVith cheare auised to do largesse And said vnto this knight and me Ye shall to joy restored be And for ye haue ben true ye twaine I graunt you here for euery paine A thousand joys euery weeke And looke ye be no lenger seeke And both your ladies lo hem here Take ech his own beeth of good chere Your happy day is new begun Sith it was rising of the sun And to all other in this place I graunt wholly to stand in grace That serueth truely without slouth And to auaunced be by trouth Tho can this knight and I downe kneele VVening to doe wonder wele Seeing O Lord your great mrrcy Vs hath enriched so openly That we deserue may neuer more The least part but euermore VVith soule and body truely serue You and yours till we sterue And to their Ladies there they stood This knight that couth so mikel good VVent in hast and I also Ioyous and glad were we tho And also rich in euery thought As he that all hath and ought nought And them besought in humble wise Vs taccept to their seruice And shew vs of their friendly cheares VVhich in their treasure many yeares They kept had vs to great paine And told how their seruants twaine VVere and would be and so had euer And to the death chaunge would we neuer Ne doe offence ne thinke like ill But fill their ordinance and will And made our othes fresh new Our old seruice to renew And wholly theirs for euermore VVe there become what might we more And well awaiting that in slouth VVe made ne fault ne in our trouth Ne thought not do I you ensure VVith our will where we may dure This season past againe an eue This Lord of the Queene tooke leue And said he would hastely returne And at good leisure there sojourne Both for his honour and for his ease Commaunding fast the knight to please And gaue his statutes in papers And ordent diuers officers And forth to ship the same night He went and soone was out of sight And on the morrow when the aire Attempred was and wonder faire Early at rising of the sun After the night away was run Playing vs on the riuage My Lady spake of her voyage And said she made small journies And held her in straunge countries And forthwith to the Queene went And shewed her wholly her entent And tooke her leaue with cheare weeping That pitty was to see that
honour for aye Haue I here lost cleane this day Dead would I be alas my name Shall aye he more henceforth in shame And I dishonoured and repreued And neuer more shall be beleeued And made swich sorow that in trouth Him to behold it was great routh And so endured the dayes fiftene Till that the Lords on an euen Him come and told they ready were And shewed in few words there How and what wise they had purueyd For his estate and to him said That twenty thousand knights of name And fourty thousand without blame All come of noble ligine Togider in a compane VVere lodged on a riuers side Him and his pleasure there tabide The prince tho for joy vp rose And where they lodged were he goes VVithout more that same night And these his supper made to right And with them bode till it was dey And forthwith to take his journey Leuing the streight holding the large Till he came to his noble barge And when this prince this lusty knight VVith his people in armes bright VVas comen where he thought to pas And knew well none abiding was Behind but all were there present Forthwith anon all his intent He told them there and made his cries Through his ofte that day twise Commaunding euery liues wight There being present in his sight To be the morow on the riuage VVhere he begin would his viage The morrow come the cry was kept Few was there that night that slept But trussed and purueied for the morrow For fault of ships was all their sorrow For saue the barge and other two Of ships there saw I no mo Thus in their douths as they stood Waxing the sea comming the flood Was cried to ship goe euery wight Then was but hie that hie might And to the barge me thought echone They went without was left not one Horse male trusse ne bagage Salad speare gard brace ne page But was lodged and roome ynough At which shipping me thought I lough And gan to maruaile in my thought How euer such a ship was wrought For what people that can encrease Ne neuer so thicke might be the prease But all had roome at their will There was not one was lodged ill For as I trow my selfe the last Was one and lodged by the mast And where I looked I saw such rome As all were lodged in a towne Forth goth the ship said was the creed And on their knees for their good speed Downe kneeled euery wight a while And praied fast that to the yle They might come in safety The prince and all the company With worship and without blame Or disclaunder of his name Of the promise he should retourne Within the time he did sojourne In his lond biding his host This was their prayer least and most To keepe the day it might not been That he appointed had with the queen To returne without slouth And so assured had his trouth For which fault this prince this knight During the time slept not a night Such was his wo and his disease For doubt he should the queene displease Forth goeth the ship with such speed Right as the prince for his great need Desire would after his thought Till it vnto the yle him brought Where in hast vpon the sand He and his people tooke the land With herts glad and chere light Weening to be in heauen that night But or they passed a while Entring in toward that yle All clad in blacke with chere piteous A lady which neuer dispiteous Had be in all her life tofore With sory chere and hert to tore Vnto this prince where he gan ride Come and said abide abide And haue no hast but fast retourne No reason is ye here sojourne For your vntruth hath vs discried VVo worth the time we vs allied VVith you that are so soone vntrew Alas the day that we you knew Alas the time that ye were bore For all this lond by you is lore Accursed be he you hider brought For all your joy is turnd to nought Your acquaintance we may complaine VVhich is the cause of all our paine Alas madame quoth tho this knight And with that from his horse he light VVith colour pale and cheekes lene Alas what is this for to mene VVhat haue ye said why be ye wroth You to displease I would be loth Know ye not well the promesse I made haue to your princesse VVhich to perfourme is mine intent So mote I speed as I haue ment And as I am her very trew Without change or thought new And also fully her seruand As creature or man liuand May be to lady or princesse For she mine heauen and whole richesse Is and the lady of mine heale My worlds joy and all my weale What may this be whence coms this speech Tell me Madame I you beseech For fith the first of my liuing Was I so fearfull of nothing As I am now to heare you speake For doubt I feele mine heart breake Say on madame tell me your will The remnaunt is it good or ill Alas qd she that ye were bore For for your loue this land is lore The queene is dead and that is ruth For sorrow of your great vntruth Of two partes of the lusty rout Of ladies that were there about That wont were to talke and play Now are dead and cleane away And vnder earth tane lodging new Alas that euer ye were vntrew For when the time ye set was past The queene to counsaile sone in hast What was to doe and said great blame Your acquaintaunce cause would and shame And the ladies of their auise Prayed for need was to be wise In eschewing tales and songs That by them make would ill tongs And sey they were lightly conquest And prayed to a poore feast And foule had their worship weiued When so vnwisely they conceiued Their rich treasour and their heale Their famous name and their weale To put in such an auenture Of which the sclaunder euer dure Was like without helpe of appele Wherefore they need had of counsele For euery wight of them would say Their closed yle an open way Was become to euery wight And well appreued by a knight Which he alas without paysaunce Had soone acheued thobeisaunce All this was moued at counsell thrise And concluded daily twise That bet was die without blame Than lose the riches of their name Wherefore the deaths acquaintaunce They chese and left haue their pleasaunce For doubt to liue as repreued In that they you so soone beleeued And made their othes with one accord That eat ne drinke ne speake word They should neuer but euer weping Bide in a place without parting And vse their dayes in penaunce Without desire of allegeaunce Of which the truth anon con preue For why the queen forth with her leue Toke at them all that were present Of her defauts fully repent And died there withouten more Thus are we lost for euermore What should I more hereof reherse
Comen within come see her herse Where ye shall see the piteous sight That euer yet was shewen to knight For ye shall see ladies stond Ech with a great rod in bond Clad in black with visage white Ready each other for to smite If any be that will not wepe Or who that makes countenaunce to slepe They be so bet that all so blew They be as cloth that died is new Such is their parfite repentance And thus they keepe their ordinance And will do euer to the death While them endures any breath This knight tho in armes twaine This lady tooke and gan her saine Alas my birth wo worth my life And euen with that he drew a knife And through gowne doublet and shert He made the blood come from his hert And set him downe vpon the greene And full repent closed his eene And saue that ones he drew his breath VVithout more thus he tooke his death For which cause the lusty hoast VVhich in a battaile on the coast At once for sorrow such a cry Gan rere thorow the company That to the heauen heard was the sowne And vnder therth al 's fer adowne That wild beasts for the feare So sodainly afrayed were That for the doubt while they might dure They ran as of their liues vnsure From the woods vnto the plaine And from the valleys the high mountaine They sought and ran as beasts blind That cleane forgotten had their kind This wo not ceased to counsaile went These Lords and for that lady sent And of auise what was to done They her besought she say would sone VVeeping full sore all clad in blake This lady softly to them spake And said my lords by my trouth This mischiefe it is of your flouth And if ye had that judge would right A prince that were a very knight Ye that ben of astate echone Die for his fault should one and one And if he hold had the promesse And done that longs to gentilnesse And fulfilled the princes behest This hasty farme had bene a feast And now is vnrecouerable And vs a slaunder aye durable VVherefore I say as of counsaile In me is none that may auaile But if ye list for remembraunce Puruey and make such ordinaunce That the queene that was so meke With all her women dede or seke Might in your land a chappell haue With some remembraunce of her graue Shewing her end with the pity In some notable old city Nigh unto an high way Where euery wight might for her pray And for all hers that haue ben trew And euen with that she changed hew And twise wished after the death And sight and thus passed her breath Then said the Lords of the host And so conclude least and most That they would euer in houses of thacke Their liues lead and weare but blacke And forsake all their pleasaunces And turn all joy to penaunces And beare the dead prince to the barge And named them should haue the charge And to the hearse where lay the queen The remnaunt went and down on kneen Holding their honds on high gon crie Mercy mercy euerish thrie And cursed the time that euer slouth Should haue such masterdome of trouth And to the barge a long mile They hare her forth and in a while All the Ladies one and one By companies were brought echone And past the sea and tooke the land And in new herses on a sand Put and brought were all anon Vnto a City closed with stone Where it had been vsed aye The kings of the land to lay After they raigned in honours And writ was which were conquerours In an abbey of Nunnes which were blake Which accustomed were to wake And of vsage rise ech a night To pray for euery liues wight And so befell as in the guise Ordeint and said was the seruise Of the prince and of the queen So deuoutly as might been And after that about the herses Many orisons and verses Without note full softely Said were and that full heartily That all the night till it was day The people in the Church con pray Vnto the holy Trinity Of those soules to haue pity And when the night past and ronne Was and the new day begonne The yong morrow with rayes red Which from the Sunne ouer all con spred Atempered clere was and faire And made a time of wholsome aire Befell a wonder case and strange Among the people and gan change Soone the word and euery woo Vnto a joy and some to two A bird all fedred blew and greene With bright rayes like gold betweene As small thred ouer euery joynt All full of colour strange and coint Vncouth and wonderfull to sight Vpon the queens herse con light And song full low and softely Three songs in her harmony Vnletted of euery wight Till at the last an aged knight Which seemed a man in great thought Like as he set all thing at nought With visage and ein all forwept And pale as man long vnslept By the herses as he stood With hasty hondling of his hood Vnto a prince that by him past Made the bridde somewhat agast Wherefore she rose and left her song And depart from us among And spread her wings for to passe By the place he entred was And in his hast shortly to tell Him hurt that backeward downe he fell From a window richly peint With liues of many diuers seint And bet his wings and bled fast And of the hurt thus died and past And lay there well an houre and more Till at the last of briddes a score Come and sembled at the place Where the window broken was And made swiche wamentacioun That pity was to heare the soun And the warbles of their throtes And the complaint of their notes Which from joy cleane was reuersed And of them one the glas soone persed And in his beke of colours nine An herbe he brought flourelesse all grene Full of small leaues and plaine Swart and long with many a vaine And where his fellow lay thus dede This hearbe down laid by his hede And dressed it full softily And hong his head and stood thereby Which hearb in lesse than halfe an houre Gan ouer all knit and after floure Full out and wexe ripe the seed And right as one another feed Would in his beake he tooke the graine And in his fellowes beake certaine It put and thus within the third Vp stood and pruned him the bird Which dead had be in all our sight And both togither forth their flight Tooke singing from vs and their leue Was none disturb hem would ne greue And when they parted were and gone Thabbesse the seeds soone echone Gadred had and in her hand The herb she tooke well auisand The leafe the seed the stalke the floure And said it had a good sauour And was no common herb to find And well approued of vncouth kind And than other more vertuouse VVho so haue it might for to vse In his need flowre leafe or
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
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
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
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
point to point if ye looke it wele And how this Duke without more abode The same day toward Thebes rode Full like in sooth a worthy conquerour And in his coast of cheualry the flour And finally to speaken of this thing With old Creon that was of Thebes king How yâ— he faught slough him like a knight And all his hoast put vnto the flight Yet as some authors make mentioun Or Theseus entred into the toun The women first with pekois with malles With great labour beat downe the walles And in her writing also as they saine Campaneus was in the wals slaine With cast of stones he was so ouerlade For whom Adrastus such a sorrow made That no man may release him of his paine And Iocasta with her doughters twaine Full wilfully oppressed of her cheres To Athenes were sent as prisoners What fell of hem more can I not saine But Theseus mine author write certaine Out of the field ere he from Thebes went He beat it downe and the houses brent The people slough for all her crying loud He made her wals and her toures proud Round about euen vpon a row With the soile to be saied full low That nought was left but the soile bare And to the women in release of her care How that Duke Theseus delivered to the Ladies the Bodies of their Lords The bodies of her Lords that were slaine This worthy Duke restored hath againe But what should I any lenger dwell The old rites by and by to tell Nor the obsequies in order to deuise Nor declare the manner and the guise How the bodies were to ashes brent Nor of the gommes in the flaume spent To make the aire sweeter of reles Of Frankencence Mirre and Aloes Nor how the women round about stood Some with milke and some also with blood And some of hem with vrnes made of gold When the ashes fully were made cold To enclose hem of great affection And beare hem home vnto her region And how that other full deadly of her looke For loue onely of the bones tooke Hem to keepe for a remembraunce That to rehearse euery obseruaunce That was doen in the fires bright The wake plaies during all the night Nor of the wrastling telling point by point Of hem that were naked and annoint How eueriche other lugge can and shake Ne how the women haue her leaue take Of Theseus with full great humblesse Thanking him of his high worthinesse That him list vpon her wo to rew And how that he his freedome to renew With the women of his high largesse Iparted hath eke of his richesse And how this Duke Theseus hem forsooke And to Athenes the right way tooke With Laurer crowned in signe of victory And the palme of conquest and of glory Did his honour duly vnto Marte And how the women wept when they parte How King Adrastus with the Ladies repaired home ayen to Arge With King Adrastus home ayein to Arge To tellen all it were too great a charge And eke also as ye shall vnderstand At ginning I tooke no more on hand By my promise in conclusion But to rehearse the destruction Of mighty Thebes and no more And thus Adrastus with his lockes hore Still abode in Arge his citee Vnto his end ye get no more of me Sauf as mine authour liketh to compile After that he liued but a while For he was old ere the siege began And thought and sorrow so vpon him ran The which in sooth shorted hath his daies And time set Death maketh no delaies And all his joy passed was and gone For of his lords aliue was not one But slaine at Thebes ye known all the caas And when this King in Arge buried was Full royally with great solemnitee It was accounted in bookes ye may see Four hundred year tofore the foundation of Rome was the City of Thebes destroyed CCCC yeare as made is mention Tofore the building and foundation Of great Rome so royal and so large When the Ladies departed from Arge To her countries full trist and desolate Lo here the fine of conteke and debate Lo here the might of Mars yâ— froward sterre Lo what it is to beginne a werre How it concludeth ensample ye may see First of yâ— Grekes sith of the Thebans cite For eyther part hath matter to complaine And in her strife ye may see things twaine How all the worthy Blood of Greece destroyed was at siege and the City brought to nought to final loss of both parties The worthy blood of all Greece spilt And Thebes eke of Amphion first built Without recure brought to ruine And with the soile made plaine as any line To wildernesse tourned and deserte And Grekes eke fall into pouerte Both of her men and also of her good For finally all the gentill blood Was shed out there her wounds wer so wide To losse finall vnto either side For in the warre is none exception Of high estate ne low condition But as fate and fortune both in fere List to dispose with her double chere Bellona goddesse is of battaile And Bellona yâ— goddesse in her chare * Aforn prouideth Wherfore euery man beware Vnauised warre to beginne For no man wote who shall lese or winne And hard it is when either part leseth And doubtlesse neither of hem cheseth That they must in all such mortall rage Maugre her lust feelen great damage It may not be by mannes might restreined And warre in sooth was neuer ordeined But for sinfull folkes to chastise And as the Bible truly can deuise How that War first began in Heaven by the high Pride and Surquedy of Lucifer High in heauen of pride and surquedy Lucifer fader of Enuy The old Serpent the Leuiathan Was the first that euer warre began When Michael the heauenly champion With his feres venquished the Dragon And to hell cast him downe full low The which Serpent hath the Coccle sow Through all earth of enuy and debate * That vnneths is there none estate Without strife can liue in charitee For euery man of high and low degree Enuieth now that other should thriue And ground cause why that men so striue Is couetise and false Ambition That eueriche would haue domination Ouer other and trede him vnderfoot Which of all sorrow ginning is and root And Christ recordeth rede looke ye may se For lacke of loue with mischeef there shall be Surget gens contra gentem Luc. xxi For o people as he doth deuise Ayenst another of hate shall arise And after telleth what diuisions There shall be betweene regions Eueriche busie other to oppresse And all such strife as he beareth witnesse Kalends been I take his word to borrow And a ginning of mischeefe and of sorrow Men haue it found by experience But the venim and the violence Of strife of warre of conteke and of debate That maketh londs bare and desolate Shall be proscript and voided out of place And Martes swerdes shall
you find of the Cooks Tale add this What thorow himself his felaw yâ— fought Vnto a mischief both they were brought The tone ydamned to prison perpetually The tother to deth for he couth not of clergy And therefore yong men learne while ye may That with many divers thoughts beth pricked all the day Remembre you what mischief cometh of misgovernaunce Thus mowe ye learn worschip and come to substaunce Think how grace and governaunce hath brought aboune Many a poore man'ys Son chefe state of the Town Euer rule thee after the best man of name And God may grace thee to come to yâ— same Immediately after these words at the end of the Squires Tale Apollo whirleth up his chare so hie Vntill the God Mercurius house he flie Let this be added But I here now maken a knotte To the time it come next to my lotte For here ben felawes behind an hepe truly That wolden talk full besily And have here sport as well as I And the day passeth certainly So on this mattere I may no lenger dwell But stint my clack and let the other tell Therefore oft taketh now good hede Who shall next tell and late him spede FINIS 1 This Leland had Commission from King Hen. Eighth to search all Libraries in England for matters of Antiquity He died in the days of Edw. Sixth 2 In the 1. Book and 5th Sect. 3 About the 2d or 3d Year of Edw. Third 1 Vintner quasi Wineturner that is a Merchant of the Viâ—â—ry which sold by whole sale 1 This Q. Isabel being sent into France with her young Son Edw. by the K. of England her Husband to conferr about matters with her Brother the French King would by no means return having conceived a great Hatred against the Spensers and also against the King for suffering himself to be misled by their naughty Counsel but by all means stirred the People to Rebellion and in the end came over her self with almost three thousand Strangers besides Englishmen 2 Henault a Province lying between France and Flanders 1 This Coniecture is of small force for the Merchants of the Staple had not any Arms granted to them as I have been informed before the time of Henry the Sixth or much thereabout Canterbury Colledge in Oxford founded by Simon Islip Archbishop of Canterbury was suppressed in the Reign of K. Hen. 8. and joyned unto Christs-Church 2 Nicholas de Lynna studiorum praecipuas partes in Mathesi collocavit quae quatuor disciplinarum orbem complectitur videlicet Arithmeticam Geometriam Musicam Astrologiam Bale 3 John Gower a Knight as Bale writeth studied not only the common Laws of the Land but all other kind of good Literature He lieth buried in St. Mary Overies in Southwark in a stately Tomb erected in the Wall with his Image lying over him in a Habit of greenish Damask down to his Feet a Collar of Esses Gold about his Neck and on his Head a Chaplet of Roses the Ornaments of Knighthood Under his Head he hath the likeness of three Books which he compiled the first Speculum Meditantis in French the second Vox Clamantis in Latin the third Confessio Amantis in English 4 John Plantagenet sirnamed Gaunt of Gaunt in Flanders where he was born was the fourth Son of King Edward the Third He was Duke of Lancaster Earl of Lincoln Darby and Leicester King of Castile and Lyons and Steward of England He was also Earl of Richmond and Duke of Aquitain He had three Wives Blanch Constance and Katharine He lieth buried in the Quire of Pauls 1 Thomas Chaucer was born about the 38 or 39th Year of Edw. 3. 2 Written Ann. Domini 1391. Rich. secund 14. 1 This John Burghershe was of the same Line of Barrholomew Burghershe one of the first Knights of the Garter at the Institution thereof by Edward 3. and of Henry Burghershe Bishop of Lincoln and Chancellor and Treasurer of England 2 Ewelme olim Chauceri Delapolorum nunc Regiae aedes Dum enim Johannes Lincolniae Comes Gulielmo Delapolo è filio Johanne nepos res novas contra Henricum septimum moliretur proscriptus omnibus honoribus his possessionibus excidit quae in patrimonium Regium transcriptae fuerunt G. C. 3 Dunnington Castle standeth in a Park in Barkshire not far from Newberry where to this day standeth an old Oak called Chaucer's Oak 4 Wallingford in Barkshire Castrum admirandae amplitudinis magnificentiae duplici murorum ambitu duplici item vallo circundatum in medio moli in magnam altitudinem aeditae arx imponitur in cujus acclivi per gradus ascensu fons est immensae profunditatis Incolae constructum à Danis credunt alii à Romanis G. Camben 5 Knaresborow in Yorkshire Castrum rupi asperrimae impositum quod Serlonem de Burgo patruum Eustacii Vescii condidisse ferunt nunc patrimonii Lancastrensis censetur G. Camden 6 This Jane of Navarr Widow to John of Mounford Duke of Britain was married to Henry the Fourth about the fourth Year of his Reign 7 The Pooles Advancement grew first by Merchandise and Sir Richard Poole Kt. was Father to William de la Pool Merchant of Hull who for that he frankly and freely did lend to King Ed. 3. a great Sum of Mony at Mortaign in France when he was greatly distressed was honoured with the Girdle Military made Banneret and endued with 1000 Marks by the Year and his Successors after were advanced to be Dukes of Suffolk as in Master Stow's Annals appeareth William de la Pole was first secretly married to the Countess of Henault by whom he had a Daughter and after being divorced from her was publickly married to Chaucer's Daughter Countess of Salisbury who proved this Daughter being married to one Barentine a Bastard The which Barentine afterward for a Rior made against the Countess was condemned and lost an hundred Pounds by the Year J. Stow. In the 28. of K. Hen. 6. 1450. this William de la Pole was banished the Realm for five Years to pacifie the hard opinion which the Commons had conceived against him In his Journey to his Banishment he was taken and beheaded and his Body cast up at Dover Sands and buried in the Charter-house at Hull J. St. This Sir Rich. Dangle a Knt. of Poictu came over with the Duke of Lancaster who for his Valiancy and tryed Truth to the King of England was made Knight of the Garter 1 Some say he did but translate it and that it was made by Sir Otes de Grantsome Knight in French of my Lady of York Daughter to the King of Spain representing Venus and my Lord of Huntingdon sometime Duke of Excester This Lady was younger Sister to Gaunt's second Wife This Lord of Huntingdon was called John Holland half Brother to Richard the Second He married Elizabeth the Daughter of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Out of the Records in the Tower a Thomas Occleve vel Ockelese vir tam bonis literis quam generis prosapia clarus exquisua quadam Anglici sermonis eloquentia post Chaucerum cujus suerat discipulus patriam ornavit linguam Johannis Wiclevi ipsius Berengarii in religione doctrinam sequebatur Tractatus hos fecit Planctum proprium Dialogum and amicum De quadam Imperatrice De arte moriendi De coelesti Hierusalem De quodam Jonatha De Regimine Principis * John Lidgate Monk of Bury an excellent Poet He travelled France and Italy to learn the Languages and Sciences * That is Geffrey Vinesause of whom read in the Recital of Authors This William Caxton of London Mercer brought Printing out of Germany into England about the latter end of the Reign of Henry the Sixth and practised the same in the Abbey of St. Peter at Westminster It was first found in Germany at Mogunce by one John Cuthembergus a Knight and brought to Rome by Conradus an Almaigne as some Authors say