LGW F 1 A thousand tymes have I herd men telle
LGW F 2 That ther ys joy in hevene and peyne in helle,
LGW F 3 And I acorde wel that it ys so;
LGW F 4 But, natheles, yet wot I wel also
LGW F 5 That ther nis noon dwellyng in this contree
LGW F 6 That eyther hath in hevene or helle ybe,
LGW F 7 Ne may of hit noon other weyes witen
LGW F 8 But as he hath herd seyd or founde it writen;
LGW F 9 For by assay ther may no man it preve.
LGW F 10 But God forbede but men shulde leve
LGW F 11 Wel more thing than men han seen with ye!
LGW F 12 Men shal not wenen every thing a lye
LGW F 13 But yf himself yt seeth or elles dooth.
LGW F 14 For, God wot, thing is never the lasse sooth,
LGW F 15 Thogh every wight ne may it nat ysee.
LGW F 16 Bernard the monk ne saugh nat all, pardee!
LGW F 17 Than mote we to bokes that we fynde,
LGW F 18 Thurgh whiche that olde thinges ben in mynde,
LGW F 19 And to the doctrine of these olde wyse,
LGW F 20 Yeve credence, in every skylful wise,
LGW F 21 That tellen of these olde appreved stories
LGW F 22 Of holynesse, of regnes, of victories,
LGW F 23 Of love, of hate, of other sondry thynges,
LGW F 24 Of whiche I may not maken rehersynges.
LGW F 25 And yf that olde bokes were aweye,
LGW F 26 Yloren were of remembraunce the keye.
LGW F 27 Wel ought us thanne honouren and beleve
LGW F 28 These bokes, there we han noon other preve.
LGW F 29 And as for me, though that I konne but lyte,
LGW F 30 On bokes for to rede I me delyte,
LGW F 31 And to hem yive I feyth and ful credence,
LGW F 32 And in myn herte have hem in reverence
LGW F 33 So hertely, that ther is game noon
LGW F 34 That fro my bokes maketh me to goon,
LGW F 35 But yt be seldom on the holyday,
LGW F 36 Save, certeynly, whan that the month of May
LGW F 37 Is comen, and that I here the foules synge,
LGW F 38 And that the floures gynnen for to sprynge,
LGW F 39 Farewel my bok and my devocioun!
LGW F 40 Now have I thanne eek this condicioun,
LGW F 41 That, of al the floures in the mede,
LGW F 42 Thanne love I most thise floures white and rede,
LGW F 43 Swiche as men callen daysyes in our toun.
LGW F 44 To hem have I so gret affeccioun,
LGW F 45 As I seyde erst, whanne comen is the May,
LGW F 46 That in my bed ther daweth me no day
LGW F 47 That I nam up and walkyng in the mede
LGW F 48 To seen this flour ayein the sonne sprede,
LGW F 49 Whan it upryseth erly by the morwe.
LGW F 50 That blisful sighte softneth al my sorwe,
LGW F 51 So glad am I, whan that I have presence
LGW F 52 Of it, to doon it alle reverence,
LGW F 53 As she that is of alle floures flour,
LGW F 54 Fulfilled of al vertu and honour,
LGW F 55 And evere ilyke faire and fressh of hewe;
LGW F 56 And I love it, and ever ylike newe,
LGW F 57 And evere shal, til that myn herte dye.
LGW F 58 Al swere I nat, of this I wol nat lye;
LGW F 59 Ther loved no wight hotter in his lyve.
LGW F 60 And whan that hit ys eve, I renne blyve,
LGW F 61 As sone as evere the sonne gynneth weste,
LGW F 62 To seen this flour, how it wol go to reste,
LGW F 63 For fere of nyght, so hateth she derknesse.
LGW F 64 Hire chere is pleynly sprad in the brightnesse
LGW F 65 Of the sonne, for ther yt wol unclose.
LGW F 66 Allas, that I ne had Englyssh, ryme or prose,
LGW F 67 Suffisant this flour to preyse aryght!
LGW F 68 But helpeth, ye that han konnyng and myght,
LGW F 69 Ye lovers that kan make of sentement;
LGW F 70 In this cas oghte ye be diligent
LGW F 71 To forthren me somwhat in my labour,
LGW F 72 Whethir ye ben with the leef or with the flour.
LGW F 73 For wel I wot that ye han her-biforn
LGW F 74 Of makyng ropen, and lad awey the corn,
LGW F 75 And I come after, glenyng here and there,
LGW F 76 And am ful glad yf I may fynde an ere
LGW F 77 Of any goodly word that ye han left.
LGW F 78 And thogh it happen me rehercen eft
LGW F 79 That ye han in your fresshe songes sayd,
LGW F 80 Forbereth me, and beth nat evele apayd,
LGW F 81 Syn that ye see I do yt in the honour
LGW F 82 Of love, and eke in service of the flour
LGW F 83 Whom that I serve as I have wit or myght.
LGW F 84 She is the clernesse and the verray lyght
LGW F 85 That in this derke world me wynt and ledeth.
LGW F 86 The hert in-with my sorwfull brest yow dredeth
LGW F 87 And loveth so sore that ye ben verrayly
LGW F 88 The maistresse of my wit, and nothing I.
LGW F 89 My word, my werk ys knyt so in youre bond
LGW F 90 That, as an harpe obeieth to the hond
LGW F 91 And maketh it soune after his fyngerynge,
LGW F 92 Ryght so mowe ye oute of myn herte bringe
LGW F 93 Swich vois, ryght as yow lyst, to laughe or pleyne.
LGW F 94 Be ye my gide and lady sovereyne!
LGW F 95 As to myn erthly god to yow I calle,
LGW F 96 Bothe in this werk and in my sorwes alle.
LGW F 97 But wherfore that I spak, to yive credence
LGW F 98 To olde stories and doon hem reverence,
LGW F 99 And that men mosten more thyng beleve
LGW F 100 Then men may seen at eye, or elles preve --
LGW F 101 That shal I seyn, whanne that I see my tyme;
LGW F 102 I may not al at-ones speke in ryme.
LGW F 103 My besy gost, that thursteth alwey newe
LGW F 104 To seen this flour so yong, so fressh of hewe,
LGW F 105 Constreyned me with so gledy desir
LGW F 106 That in myn herte I feele yet the fir
LGW F 107 That made me to ryse er yt were day --
LGW F 108 And this was now the firste morwe of May --
LGW F 109 With dredful hert and glad devocioun,
LGW F 110 For to ben at the resureccioun
LGW F 111 Of this flour, whan that yt shulde unclose
LGW F 112 Agayn the sonne, that roos as red as rose,
LGW F 113 That in the brest was of the beste, that day,
LGW F 114 That Agenores doghtre ladde away.
LGW F 115 And doun on knes anoon-ryght I me sette,
LGW F 116 And, as I koude, this fresshe flour I grette,
LGW F 117 Knelyng alwey, til it unclosed was,
LGW F 118 Upon the smale, softe, swote gras,
LGW F 119 That was with floures swote enbrouded al,
LGW F 120 Of swich swetnesse and swich odour overal,
LGW F 121 That, for to speke of gomme, or herbe, or tree,
LGW F 122 Comparisoun may noon ymaked bee;
LGW F 123 For yt surmounteth pleynly alle odoures,
LGW F 124 And of riche beaute alle floures.
LGW F 125 Forgeten hadde the erthe his pore estat
LGW F 126 Of wynter, that hym naked made and mat,
LGW F 127 And with his swerd of cold so sore greved;
LGW F 128 Now hath th' atempre sonne all that releved,
LGW F 129 That naked was, and clad him new agayn.
LGW F 130 The smale foules, of the sesoun fayn,
LGW F 131 That from the panter and the net ben scaped,
LGW F 132 Upon the foweler, that hem made awhaped
LGW F 133 In wynter, and distroyed hadde hire brood,
LGW F 134 In his dispit hem thoghte yt did hem good
LGW F 135 To synge of hym, and in hir song despise
LGW F 136 The foule cherl that, for his coveytise,
LGW F 137 Had hem betrayed with his sophistrye.
LGW F 138 This was hire song: " The foweler we deffye,
LGW F 139 And al his craft. " And somme songen clere
LGW F 140 Layes of love, that joye it was to here,
LGW F 141 In worship and in preysinge of hir make;
LGW F 142 And for the newe blisful somers sake,
LGW F 143 Upon the braunches ful of blosmes softe,
LGW F 144 In hire delyt they turned hem ful ofte,
LGW F 145 And songen, " Blessed be Seynt Valentyn,
LGW F 146 For on his day I chees yow to be myn,
LGW F 147 Withouten repentyng, myn herte swete! "
LGW F 148 And therwithalle hire bekes gonnen meete,
LGW F 149 Yeldyng honour and humble obeysaunces
LGW F 150 To love, and diden hire other observaunces
LGW F 151 That longeth onto love and to nature;
LGW F 152 Construeth that as yow lyst, I do no cure.
LGW F 153 And thoo that hadde doon unkyndenesse --
LGW F 154 As dooth the tydif, for newfangelnesse --
LGW F 155 Besoghte mercy of hir trespassynge,
LGW F 156 And humblely songen hire repentynge,
LGW F 157 And sworen on the blosmes to be trewe
LGW F 158 So that hire makes wolde upon hem rewe,
LGW F 159 And at the laste maden hire acord.
LGW F 160 Al founde they Daunger for a tyme a lord,
LGW F 161 Yet Pitee, thurgh his stronge gentil myght,
LGW F 162 Forgaf, and made Mercy passen Ryght,
LGW F 163 Thurgh innocence and ruled Curtesye.
LGW F 164 But I ne clepe nat innocence folye,
LGW F 165 Ne fals pitee, for vertu is the mene,
LGW F 166 As Etik seith. in swich maner I mene.
LGW F 167 And thus thise foweles, voide of al malice,
LGW F 168 Acordeden to love, and laften vice
LGW F 169 Of hate, and songen alle of oon acord,
LGW F 170 " Welcome, somer, oure governour and lord! "
LGW F 171 And Zepherus and Flora gentilly
LGW F 172 Yaf to the floures, softe and tenderly,
LGW F 173 Hire swoote breth, and made hem for to sprede,
LGW F 174 As god and goddesse of the floury mede;
LGW F 175 In which me thoghte I myghte, day by day,
LGW F 176 Duellen alwey, the joly month of May,
LGW F 177 Withouten slep, withouten mete or drynke.
LGW F 178 Adoun ful softely I gan to synke,
LGW F 179 And, lenynge on myn elbowe and my syde,
LGW F 180 The longe day I shoop me for t' abide
LGW F 181 For nothing elles, and I shal nat lye,
LGW F 182 But for to loke upon the dayesie,
LGW F 183 That wel by reson men it calle may
LGW F 184 The " dayesye, " or elles the " ye of day, "
LGW F 185 The emperice and flour of floures alle.
LGW F 186 I pray to God that faire mote she falle,
LGW F 187 And alle that loven floures, for hire sake!
LGW F 188 But natheles, ne wene nat that I make
LGW F 189 In preysing of the flour agayn the leef,
LGW F 190 No more than of the corn agayn the sheef;
LGW F 191 For, as to me, nys lever noon ne lother.
LGW F 192 I nam withholden yit with never nother;
LGW F 193 Ne I not who serveth leef ne who the flour.
LGW F 194 Wel browken they her service or labour;
LGW F 195 For this thing is al of another tonne,
LGW F 196 Of olde storye, er swich stryf was begonne.
LGW F 197 Whan that the sonne out of the south gan weste,
LGW F 198 And that this flour gan close and goon to reste
LGW F 199 For derknesse of the nyght, the which she dredde,
LGW F 200 Hom to myn hous ful swiftly I me spedde
LGW F 201 To goon to reste, and erly for to ryse,
LGW F 202 To seen this flour to sprede, as I devyse.
LGW F 203 And in a litel herber that I have,
LGW F 204 That benched was on turves fressh ygrave,
LGW F 205 I bad men sholde me my couche make;
LGW F 206 For deyntee of the newe someres sake,
LGW F 207 I bad hem strawen floures on my bed.
LGW F 208 Whan I was leyd and had myn eyen hed,
LGW F 209 I fel on slepe within an houre or twoo.
LGW F 210 Me mette how I lay in the medewe thoo,
LGW F 211 To seen this flour that I so love and drede;
LGW F 212 And from afer com walkyng in the mede
LGW F 213 The god of Love, and in his hand a quene,
LGW F 214 And she was clad in real habit grene.
LGW F 215 A fret of gold she hadde next her heer,
LGW F 216 And upon that a whit corowne she beer
LGW F 217 With flourouns smale, and I shal nat lye;
LGW F 218 For al the world, ryght as a dayesye
LGW F 219 Ycorouned ys with white leves lyte,
LGW F 220 So were the flowrouns of hire coroune white.
LGW F 221 For of o perle fyn, oriental,
LGW F 222 Hire white coroune was ymaked al;
LGW F 223 For which the white coroune above the grene
LGW F 224 Made hire lyk a daysie for to sene,
LGW F 225 Considered eke hir fret of gold above.
LGW F 226 Yclothed was this myghty god of Love
LGW F 227 In silk, enbrouded ful of grene greves,
LGW F 228 In-with a fret of rede rose-leves,
LGW F 229 The fresshest syn the world was first bygonne.
LGW F 230 His gilte heer was corowned with a sonne
LGW F 231 Instede of gold, for hevynesse and wyghte.
LGW F 232 Therwith me thoghte his face shoon so bryghte
LGW F 233 That wel unnethes myghte I him beholde;
LGW F 234 And in his hand me thoghte I saugh him holde
LGW F 235 Twoo firy dartes as the gledes rede,
LGW F 236 And aungelyke hys wynges saugh I sprede.
LGW F 237 And al be that men seyn that blynd ys he,
LGW F 238 Algate me thoghte that he myghte se;
LGW F 239 For sternely on me he gan byholde,
LGW F 240 So that his loking dooth myn herte colde.
LGW F 241 And by the hand he held this noble quene
LGW F 242 Corowned with whit and clothed al in grene,
LGW F 243 So womanly, so benigne, and so meke,
LGW F 244 That in this world, thogh that men wolde seke,
LGW F 245 Half hire beaute shulde men nat fynde
LGW F 246 In creature that formed ys by kynde.
LGW F 247 And therfore may I seyn, as thynketh me,
LGW F 248 This song in preysyng of this lady fre:
LGW F 249 Hyd, Absolon, thy gilte tresses clere;
LGW F 250 Ester, ley thou thy meknesse al adown;
LGW F 251 Hyd, Jonathas, al thy frendly manere;
LGW F 252 Penalopee and Marcia Catoun,
LGW F 253 Make of youre wifhod no comparysoun;
LGW F 254 Hyde ye youre beautes, Ysoude and Eleyne:
LGW F 255 My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.
LGW F 256 Thy faire body, lat yt nat appere,
LGW F 257 Lavyne; and thou, Lucresse of Rome toun,
LGW F 258 And Polixene, that boghten love so dere,
LGW F 259 And Cleopatre, with al thy passyoun,
LGW F 260 Hyde ye your trouthe of love and your renoun;
LGW F 261 And thou, Tisbe, that hast for love swich peyne:
LGW F 262 My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.
LGW F 263 Herro, Dido, Laudomia, alle yfere,
LGW F 264 And Phillis, hangyng for thy Demophoun,
LGW F 265 And Canace, espied by thy chere,
LGW F 266 Ysiphile, betrayed with Jasoun,
LGW F 267 Maketh of your trouthe neythir boost ne soun;
LGW F 268 Nor Ypermystre or Adriane, ye tweyne:
LGW F 269 My lady cometh, that al this may dysteyne.
LGW F 270 This balade may ful wel ysongen be,
LGW F 271 As I have seyd erst, by my lady free;
LGW F 272 For certeynly al thise mowe nat suffise
LGW F 273 To apperen wyth my lady in no wyse.
LGW F 274 For as the sonne wole the fyr disteyne,
LGW F 275 So passeth al my lady sovereyne,
LGW F 276 That ys so good, so faire, so debonayre,
LGW F 277 I prey to God that ever falle hire faire!
LGW F 278 For, nadde comfort ben of hire presence,
LGW F 279 I hadde ben ded, withouten any defence,
LGW F 280 For drede of Loves wordes and his chere,
LGW F 281 As, when tyme ys, herafter ye shal here.
LGW F 282 Behynde this god of Love, upon the grene,
LGW F 283 I saugh comyng of ladyes nyntene,
LGW F 284 In real habit, a ful esy paas,
LGW F 285 And after hem coome of wymen swich a traas
LGW F 286 That, syn that God Adam hadde mad of erthe,
LGW F 287 The thridde part, of mankynde, or the ferthe,
LGW F 288 Ne wende I not by possibilitee
LGW F 289 Had ever in this wide world ybee;
LGW F 290 And trewe of love thise women were echon.
LGW F 291 Now wheither was that a wonder thing or non,
LGW F 292 That ryght anoon as that they gonne espye
LGW F 293 Thys flour which that I clepe the dayesie,
LGW F 294 Ful sodeynly they stynten al attones,
LGW F 295 And kneled doun, as it were for the nones,
LGW F 296 And songen with o vois, " Heel and honour
LGW F 297 To trouthe of womanhede, and to this flour
LGW F 298 That bereth our alder pris in figurynge!
LGW F 299 Hire white corowne bereth the witnessynge. "
LGW F 300 And with that word, a-compas enviroun,
LGW F 301 They setten hem ful softely adoun.
LGW F 302 First sat the god of Love, and syth his quene
LGW F 303 With the white corowne, clad in grene,
LGW F 304 And sithen al the remenaunt by and by,
LGW F 305 As they were of estaat, ful curteysly;
LGW F 306 Ne nat a word was spoken in the place
LGW F 307 The mountaunce of a furlong wey of space.
LGW F 308 I, knelying by this flour, in good entente,
LGW F 309 Abood to knowen what this peple mente,
LGW F 310 As stille as any ston; til at the laste
LGW F 311 This god of Love on me hys eyen caste,
LGW F 312 And seyde, " Who kneleth there? " And I answerde
LGW F 313 Unto his askynge, whan that I it herde,
LGW F 314 And seyde, " Sir, it am I, " and com him ner,
LGW F 315 And salwed him. Quod he, " What dostow her
LGW F 316 So nygh myn oune floure, so boldely?
LGW F 317 Yt were better worthy, trewely,
LGW F 318 A worm to neghen ner my flour than thow. "
LGW F 319 " And why, sire, " quod I, " and yt lyke yow? "
LGW F 320 " For thow, " quod he, " art therto nothing able.
LGW F 321 Yt is my relyke, digne and delytable,
LGW F 322 And thow my foo, and al my folk werreyest,
LGW F 323 And of myn olde servauntes thow mysseyest,
LGW F 324 And hynderest hem with thy translacioun,
LGW F 325 And lettest folk from hire devocioun
LGW F 326 To serve me, and holdest it folye
LGW F 327 To serve Love. Thou maist yt nat denye,
LGW F 328 For in pleyn text, withouten nede of glose,
LGW F 329 Thou hast translated the Romaunce of the Rose,
LGW F 330 That is an heresye ayeins my lawe,
LGW F 331 And makest wise folk fro me withdrawe;
LGW F 332 And of Creseyde thou hast seyd as the lyste,
LGW F 333 That maketh men to wommen lasse triste,
LGW F 334 That ben as trewe as ever was any steel.
LGW F 335 Of thyn answere avise the ryght weel;
LGW F 336 For thogh thou reneyed hast my lay,
LGW F 337 As other wrecches han doon many a day,
LGW F 338 By Seynt Venus that my moder ys,
LGW F 339 If that thou lyve, thou shalt repenten this
LGW F 340 So cruelly that it shal wel be sene! "
LGW F 341 Thoo spak this lady, clothed al in grene,
LGW F 342 And seyde, " God, ryght of youre curtesye,
LGW F 343 Ye moten herken yf he can replye
LGW F 344 Agayns al this that ye have to him meved.
LGW F 345 A god ne sholde nat thus be agreved,
LGW F 346 But of hys deitee he shal be stable,
LGW F 347 And therto gracious and merciable.
LGW F 348 And yf ye nere a god, that knowen al,
LGW F 349 Thanne myght yt be as I yow tellen shal:
LGW F 350 This man to yow may falsly ben accused
LGW F 351 That as by right him oughte ben excused.
LGW F 352 For in youre court ys many a losengeour,
LGW F 353 And many a queynte totelere accusour,
LGW F 354 That tabouren in youre eres many a sown,
LGW F 355 Ryght after hire ymagynacioun,
LGW F 356 To have youre daliance, and for envie.
LGW F 357 Thise ben the causes, and I shal not lye.
LGW F 358 Envie ys lavendere of the court alway,
LGW F 359 For she ne parteth, neither nyght ne day,
LGW F 360 Out of the hous of Cesar; thus seith Dante;
LGW F 361 Whoso that gooth, algate she wol nat wante.
LGW F 362 And eke, peraunter, for this man ys nyce,
LGW F 363 He myghte doon yt, gessyng no malice,
LGW F 364 But for he useth thynges for to make;
LGW F 365 Hym rekketh noght of what matere he take.
LGW F 366 Or him was boden maken thilke tweye
LGW F 367 Of som persone, and durste yt nat withseye;
LGW F 368 Or him repenteth outrely of this.
LGW F 369 He ne hath nat doon so grevously amys
LGW F 370 To translaten that olde clerkes writen,
LGW F 371 As thogh that he of malice wolde enditen
LGW F 372 Despit of love, and had himself yt wroght.
LGW F 373 This shoolde a ryghtwis lord have in his thoght,
LGW F 374 And nat be lyk tirauntz of Lumbardye,
LGW F 375 That han no reward but at tyrannye.
LGW F 376 For he that kynge or lord ys naturel,
LGW F 377 Hym oghte nat be tiraunt ne crewel
LGW F 378 As is a fermour, to doon the harm he kan.
LGW F 379 He moste thinke yt is his lige man,
LGW F 380 And is his tresour and his gold in cofre.
LGW F 381 This is the sentence of the Philosophre,
LGW F 382 A kyng to kepe his liges in justice;
LGW F 383 Withouten doute, that is his office.
LGW F 384 Al wol he kepe his lordes hire degree,
LGW F 385 As it ys ryght and skilful that they bee
LGW F 386 Enhaunced and honoured, and most dere --
LGW F 387 For they ben half-goddes in this world here --
LGW F 388 Yit mot he doon bothe ryght, to poore and ryche,
LGW F 389 Al be that hire estaat be nat yliche,
LGW F 390 And han of poore folk compassyoun.
LGW F 391 For loo, the gentil kynde of the lyoun:
LGW F 392 For whan a flye offendeth him or biteth,
LGW F 393 He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth
LGW F 394 Al esely; for, of hys genterye,
LGW F 395 Hym deyneth not to wreke hym on a flye,
LGW F 396 As dooth a curre, or elles another best.
LGW F 397 In noble corage ought ben arest,
LGW F 398 And weyen every thing by equytee,
LGW F 399 And ever have reward to his owen degree.
LGW F 400 For, syr, yt is no maistrye for a lord
LGW F 401 To dampne a man without answere of word,
LGW F 402 And for a lord that is ful foul to use.
LGW F 403 And if so be he may hym nat excuse,
LGW F 404 But asketh mercy with a dredeful herte,
LGW F 405 And profereth him, ryght in his bare sherte,
LGW F 406 To ben ryght at your owen jugement,
LGW F 407 Than oght a god by short avysement
LGW F 408 Consydre his owne honour and hys trespas.
LGW F 409 For, syth no cause of deth lyeth in this caas,
LGW F 410 Yow oghte to ben the lyghter merciable;
LGW F 411 Leteth youre ire, and beth sumwhat tretable.
LGW F 412 The man hath served yow of his kunnynge,
LGW F 413 And furthred wel youre lawe in his makynge.
LGW F 414 Al be hit that he kan nat wel endite,
LGW F 415 Yet hath he maked lewed folk delyte
LGW F 416 To serve yow, in preysinge of your name.
LGW F 417 He made the book that hight the Hous of Fame,
LGW F 418 And eke the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse,
LGW F 419 And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse,
LGW F 420 And al the love of Palamon and Arcite
LGW F 421 Of Thebes, thogh the storye ys knowen lyte;
LGW F 422 And many an ympne for your halydayes,
LGW F 423 That highten balades, roundels, virelayes;
LGW F 424 And, for to speke of other holynesse,
LGW F 425 He hath in prose translated Boece,
LGW F 426 And maad the lyf also of Seynt Cecile.
LGW F 427 He made also, goon ys a gret while,
LGW F 428 Origenes upon the Maudeleyne.
LGW F 429 Hym oughte now to have the lesse peyne;
LGW F 430 He hath maad many a lay and many a thing.
LGW F 431 Now as ye be a god and eke a kyng,
LGW F 432 I, your Alceste, whilom quene of Trace,
LGW F 433 Y aske yow this man, ryght of your grace,
LGW F 434 That ye him never hurte in al his lyve;
LGW F 435 And he shal swere to yow, and that as blyve,
LGW F 436 He shal no more agilten in this wyse,
LGW F 437 But he shal maken, as ye wol devyse,
LGW F 438 Of wommen trewe in lovyng al hire lyve,
LGW F 439 Wherso ye wol, of mayden or of wyve,
LGW F 440 And forthren yow as muche as he mysseyde
LGW F 441 Or in the Rose or elles in Creseyde. "
LGW F 442 The god of Love answerede hire thus anoon:
LGW F 443 " Madame, " quod he, " it is so long agoon
LGW F 444 That I yow knew so charitable and trewe,
LGW F 445 That never yit syn that the world was newe
LGW F 446 To me ne fond y better noon than yee.
LGW F 447 If that I wol save my degree,
LGW F 448 I may, ne wol, nat werne your requeste.
LGW F 449 Al lyeth in yow, dooth wyth hym what yow leste.
LGW F 450 I al foryeve, withouten lenger space;
LGW F 451 For whoso yeveth a yifte or dooth a grace,
LGW F 452 Do it by tyme, his thank ys wel the more.
LGW F 453 And demeth ye what he shal doo therfore.
LGW F 454 Goo thanke now my lady here, " quod he.
LGW F 455 I roos, and doun I sette me on my knee,
LGW F 456 And seyde thus: " Madame, the God above
LGW F 457 Foryelde yow that ye the god of Love
LGW F 458 Han maked me his wrathe to foryive,
LGW F 459 And yeve me grace so longe for to lyve
LGW F 460 That I may knowe soothly what ye bee
LGW F 461 That han me holpe and put in this degree.
LGW F 462 But trewly I wende, as in this cas,
LGW F 463 Naught have agilt, ne doon to love trespas.
LGW F 464 For-why a trewe man, withouten drede,
LGW F 465 Hath nat to parten with a theves dede;
LGW F 466 Ne a trewe lover oght me not to blame
LGW F 467 Thogh that I speke a fals lovere som shame.
LGW F 468 They oghte rather with me for to holde
LGW F 469 For that I of Creseyde wroot or tolde,
LGW F 470 Or of the Rose; what so myn auctour mente,
LGW F 471 Algate, God woot, yt was myn entente
LGW F 472 To forthren trouthe in love and yt cheryce,
LGW F 473 And to ben war fro falsnesse and fro vice
LGW F 474 By swich ensample; this was my menynge. "
LGW F 475 And she answerde, " Lat be thyn arguynge,
LGW F 476 For Love ne wol nat countrepleted be
LGW F 477 In ryght ne wrong; and lerne that at me!
LGW F 478 Thow hast thy grace, and hold the ryght therto.
LGW F 479 Now wol I seyn what penance thou shalt do
LGW F 480 For thy trespas. Understonde yt here:
LGW F 481 Thow shalt, while that thou lyvest, yer by yere,
LGW F 482 The moste partye of thy tyme spende
LGW F 483 In makyng of a glorious legende
LGW F 484 Of goode wymmen, maydenes and wyves,
LGW F 485 That weren trewe in lovyng al hire lyves;
LGW F 486 And telle of false men that hem bytraien,
LGW F 487 That al hir lyf ne don nat but assayen
LGW F 488 How many women they may doon a shame;
LGW F 489 For in youre world that is now holde a game.
LGW F 490 And thogh the lyke nat a lovere bee,
LGW F 491 Speke wel of love; this penance yive I thee.
LGW F 492 And to the god of Love I shal so preye
LGW F 493 That he shal charge his servantz by any weye
LGW F 494 To forthren thee, and wel thy labour quyte.
LGW F 495 Goo now thy wey, this penaunce ys but lyte.
LGW F 496 And whan this book ys maad, yive it the quene,
LGW F 497 On my byhalf, at Eltham or at Sheene. "
LGW F 498 The god of Love gan smyle, and than he sayde:
LGW F 499 " Wostow, " quod he, " wher this be wyf or mayde,
LGW F 500 Or queene, or countesse, or of what degre,
LGW F 501 That hath so lytel penance yiven thee,
LGW F 502 That hast deserved sorer for to smerte?
LGW F 503 But pite renneth soone in gentil herte;
LGW F 504 That maistow seen; she kytheth what she ys. "
LGW F 505 And I answered, " Nay, sire, so have I blys,
LGW F 506 No moore but that I see wel she is good. "
LGW F 507 " That is a trewe tale, by myn hood! "
LGW F 508 Quod Love; " And that thou knowest wel, pardee,
LGW F 509 If yt be so that thou avise the.
LGW F 510 Hastow nat in a book, lyth in thy cheste,
LGW F 511 The grete goodnesse of the quene Alceste,
LGW F 512 That turned was into a dayesye;
LGW F 513 She that for hire housbonde chees to dye,
LGW F 514 And eke to goon to helle, rather than he,
LGW F 515 And Ercules rescowed hire, parde,
LGW F 516 And broght hir out of helle agayn to blys? "
LGW F 517 And I answerd ageyn, and sayde, " Yis,
LGW F 518 Now knowe I hire. And is this good Alceste,
LGW F 519 The dayesie, and myn owene hertes reste?
LGW F 520 Now fele I weel the goodnesse of this wyf,
LGW F 521 That both aftir hir deth and in hir lyf
LGW F 522 Hir grete bounte doubleth hire renoun.
LGW F 523 Wel hath she quyt me myn affeccioun
LGW F 524 That I have to hire flour, the dayesye.
LGW F 525 No wonder ys thogh Jove hire stellyfye,
LGW F 526 As telleth Agaton, for hire goodnesse!
LGW F 527 Hire white corowne berith of hyt witnesse;
LGW F 528 For also many vertues hadde shee
LGW F 529 As smale florouns in hire corowne bee.
LGW F 530 In remembraunce of hire and in honour
LGW F 531 Cibella maade the daysye and the flour
LGW F 532 Ycrowned al with whit, as men may see;
LGW F 533 And Mars yaf to hire corowne reed, pardee,
LGW F 534 In stede of rubyes, sette among the white. "
LGW F 535 Therwith this queene wex reed for shame a lyte
LGW F 536 Whan she was preysed so in hire presence.
LGW F 537 Thanne seyde Love, " A ful gret necligence
LGW F 538 Was yt to the, that ylke tyme thou made
LGW F 539 `Hyd, Absolon, thy tresses,' in balade,
LGW F 540 That thou forgate hire in thi song to sette,
LGW F 541 Syn that thou art so gretly in hire dette,
LGW F 542 And wost so wel that kalender ys shee
LGW F 543 To any woman that wol lover bee.
LGW F 544 For she taught al the craft of fyn lovynge,
LGW F 545 And namely of wyfhod the lyvynge,
LGW F 546 And al the boundes that she oghte kepe.
LGW F 547 Thy litel wit was thilke tyme aslepe.
LGW F 548 But now I charge the upon thy lyf
LGW F 549 That in thy legende thou make of thys wyf
LGW F 550 Whan thou hast other smale ymaad before;
LGW F 551 And far now wel, I charge the namore.
LGW F 552 But er I goo, thus muche I wol the telle:
LGW F 553 Ne shal no trewe lover come in helle.
LGW F 554 Thise other ladies sittynge here arowe
LGW F 555 Ben in thy balade, yf thou kanst hem knowe,
LGW F 556 And in thy bookes alle thou shalt hem fynde.
LGW F 557 Have hem now in thy legende al in mynde;
LGW F 558 I mene of hem that ben in thy knowynge.
LGW F 559 For here ben twenty thousand moo sittynge
LGW F 560 Than thou knowest, goode wommen alle,
LGW F 561 And trewe of love for oght that may byfalle.
LGW F 562 Make the metres of hem as the lest --
LGW F 563 I mot goon hom (the sonne draweth west)
LGW F 564 To paradys, with al this companye --
LGW F 565 And serve alwey the fresshe dayesye.
LGW F 566 At Cleopatre I wol that thou begynne,
LGW F 567 And so forth, and my love so shal thou wynne.
LGW F 568 For lat see now what man that lover be,
LGW F 569 Wol doon so strong a peyne for love as she.
LGW F 570 I wot wel that thou maist nat al yt ryme
LGW F 571 That swiche lovers diden in hire tyme;
LGW F 572 It were to long to reden and to here.
LGW F 573 Suffiseth me thou make in this manere:
LGW F 574 That thou reherce of al hir lyf the grete,
LGW F 575 After thise olde auctours lysten for to trete.
LGW F 576 For whoso shal so many a storye telle,
LGW F 577 Sey shortly, or he shal to longe dwelle. "
LGW F 578 And with that word my bokes gan I take,
LGW F 579 And ryght thus on my Legende gan I make.
LGW G 1 A thousand sythes have I herd men telle
LGW G 2 That there is joye in hevene and peyne in helle,
LGW G 3 And I acorde wel that it be so;
LGW G 4 But natheles, this wot I wel also,
LGW G 5 That there ne is non that dwelleth in this contre
LGW G 6 That eyther hath in helle or hevene ybe,
LGW G 7 Ne may of it non other weyes witen
LGW G 8 But as he hath herd seyd or founde it writen;
LGW G 9 For by assay there may no man it preve.
LGW G 10 But Goddes forbode but men shulde leve
LGW G 11 Wel more thyng than men han seyn with ye!
LGW G 12 Men shal nat wenen every thyng a lye
LGW G 13 For that he say it nat of yore ago.
LGW G 14 God wot a thyng is nevere the lesse so
LGW G 15 Thow every wyght ne may it nat yse.
LGW G 16 Bernard the monk ne say nat al, parde!
LGW G 17 Thanne mote we to bokes that we fynde,
LGW G 18 Thourgh whiche that olde thynges ben in mynde,
LGW G 19 And to the doctryne of these olde wyse
LGW G 20 Yeven credence, in every skylful wyse,
LGW G 21 And trowen on these olde aproved storyes
LGW G 22 Of holynesse, of regnes, of victoryes,
LGW G 23 Of love, of hate, of othere sondry thynges,
LGW G 24 Of which I may nat make rehersynges.
LGW G 25 And if that olde bokes weren aweye,
LGW G 26 Yloren were of remembrance the keye.
LGW G 27 Wel oughte us thanne on olde bokes leve,
LGW G 28 There as there is non other assay by preve.
LGW G 29 And as for me, though that my wit be lite,
LGW G 30 On bokes for to rede I me delyte,
LGW G 31 And in myn herte have hem in reverence,
LGW G 32 And to hem yeve swich lust and swich credence
LGW G 33 That there is wel unethe game non
LGW G 34 That fro my bokes make me to gon,
LGW G 35 But it be other upon the halyday,
LGW G 36 Or ellis in the joly tyme of May,
LGW G 37 Whan that I here the smale foules synge,
LGW G 38 And that the floures gynne for to sprynge.
LGW G 39 Farwel my stodye, as lastynge that sesoun!
LGW G 40 Now have I therto this condicioun,
LGW G 41 That, of alle the floures in the mede,
LGW G 42 Thanne love I most these floures white and rede,
LGW G 43 Swyche as men calle dayesyes in oure toun.
LGW G 44 To hem have I so gret affeccioun,
LGW G 45 As I seyde erst, whan comen is the May,
LGW G 46 That in my bed there daweth me no day
LGW G 47 That I n' am up and walkynge in the mede
LGW G 48 To sen these floures agen the sonne sprede
LGW G 49 Whan it up ryseth by the morwe shene,
LGW G 50 The longe day thus walkynge in the grene.
LGW G 51 And whan the sonne gynneth for to weste,
LGW G 52 Thanne closeth it, and draweth it to reste,
LGW G 53 So sore it is afered of the nyght,
LGW G 54 Til on the morwe that it is dayes lyght.
LGW G 55 This dayesye, of alle floures flour,
LGW G 56 Fulfyld of vertu and of alle honour,
LGW G 57 And evere ylike fayr and fresh of hewe,
LGW G 58 As wel in wynter as in somer newe,
LGW G 59 Fayn wolde I preysen, if I coude aryght;
LGW G 60 But wo is me, it lyth nat in my myght.
LGW G 61 For wel I wot that folk han here-beforn
LGW G 62 Of makyng ropen, and lad awey the corn;
LGW G 63 [And] I come after, glenynge here and there,
LGW G 64 And am ful glad if I may fynde an ere
LGW G 65 Of any goodly word that they han left.
LGW G 66 And if it happe me rehersen eft
LGW G 67 That they han in here freshe songes said,
LGW G 68 I hope that they wole nat ben evele apayd,
LGW G 69 Sith it is seyd in fortheryng and honour
LGW G 70 Of hem that eyther serven lef or flour.
LGW G 71 For trusteth wel, I ne have nat undertake
LGW G 72 As of the lef agayn the flour to make,
LGW G 73 Ne of the flour to make ageyn the lef,
LGW G 74 No more than of the corn agen the shef;
LGW G 75 For, as to me, is lefer non, ne lother.
LGW G 76 I am witholde yit with never nother;
LGW G 77 I not who serveth lef ne who the flour.
LGW G 78 That nys nothyng the entent of my labour.
LGW G 79 For this werk is al of another tonne,
LGW G 80 Of olde story, er swich strif was begonne.
LGW G 81 But wherfore that I spak, to yeve credence
LGW G 82 To bokes olde and don hem reverence,
LGW G 83 Is for men shulde autoritees beleve,
LGW G 84 There as there lyth non other assay by preve.
LGW G 85 For myn entent is, or I fro yow fare,
LGW G 86 The naked text in English to declare
LGW G 87 Of many a story, or elles of many a geste,
LGW G 88 As autours seyn; leveth hem if yow leste.
LGW G 89 Whan passed was almost the month of May,
LGW G 90 And I hadde romed, al the someres day,
LGW G 91 The grene medewe, of which that I yow tolde,
LGW G 92 Upon the freshe dayseie to beholde,
LGW G 93 And that the sonne out of the south gan weste,
LGW G 94 And closed was the flour and gon to reste,
LGW G 95 For derknesse of the nyght, of which she dredde,
LGW G 96 Hom to myn hous ful swiftly I me spedde,
LGW G 97 And in a lytel herber that I have,
LGW G 98 Ybenched newe with turves fresshe ygrave,
LGW G 99 I bad men shulde me my couche make;
LGW G 100 For deynte of the newe someres sake,
LGW G 101 I bad hem strowe floures on my bed.
LGW G 102 Whan I was layd, and hadde myn eyen hed,
LGW G 103 I fel aslepe withinne an hour or two.
LGW G 104 Me mette how I was in the medewe tho,
LGW G 105 And that I romede in that same gyse,
LGW G 106 To sen that flour, as ye han herd devyse.
LGW G 107 Fayr was this medewe, as thoughte me, overal;
LGW G 108 With floures sote enbrouded was it al.
LGW G 109 As for to speke of gomme, or herbe, or tre,
LGW G 110 Comparisoun may non ymaked be;
LGW G 111 For it surmountede pleynly alle odoures,
LGW G 112 And of ryche beaute alle floures.
LGW G 113 Forgeten hadde the erthe his pore estat
LGW G 114 Of wynter, that hym naked made and mat,
LGW G 115 And with his swerd of cold so sore hadde greved.
LGW G 116 Now hadde th' atempre sonne al that releved,
LGW G 117 And clothed hym in grene al newe ageyn.
LGW G 118 The smale foules, of the seson fayn,
LGW G 119 That from the panter and the net ben skaped,
LGW G 120 Upon the foulere, that hem made awhaped
LGW G 121 In wynter, and distroyed hadde hire brod,
LGW G 122 In his dispit hem thoughte it dide hem good
LGW G 123 To synge of hym, and in here song despise
LGW G 124 The foule cherl that for his coveytyse
LGW G 125 Hadde hem betrayed with his sophistrye.
LGW G 126 This was here song, " The foulere we defye,
LGW G 127 [And] [al] [his] [craft]. " [And] [some] [songen] [clere]
LGW G 128 [Layes] of love that joye it was to here,
LGW G 129 In worshipe and in preysyng of hire make;
LGW G 130 And [for] the newe blysful somers sake,
LGW G 131 [They] sungen, " Blyssed be Seynt Valentyn!
LGW G 132 [For] [on] his day I ches yow to be myn,
LGW G 133 Withoute repentynge, myn herte swete! "
LGW G 134 And therwithal here bekes gonne mete,
LGW G 135 [Yelding] honour and humble obeysaunces;
LGW G 136 And after diden othere observaunces
LGW G 137 Ryht [longing] onto love and to nature;
LGW G 138 So ech of hem [doth] [wel] to creature.
LGW G 139 This song to herkenen I dide al myn entente,
LGW G 140 For-why I mette I wiste what they mente,
LGW G 141 Tyl at the laste a larke son above:
LGW G 142 " I se, " quod she, " the myghty god of Love.
LGW G 143 Lo! yond he cometh! I se his wynges sprede. "
LGW G 144 Tho gan I loken endelong the mede
LGW G 145 And saw hym come, and in his hond a quene
LGW G 146 Clothed in real habyt al of grene.
LGW G 147 A fret of goold she hadde next hyre her
LGW G 148 And upon that a whit corone she ber
LGW G 149 With many floures, and I shal nat lye;
LGW G 150 For al the world, ryght as the dayesye
LGW G 151 Ycorouned is with white leves lite,
LGW G 152 Swiche were the floures of hire coroune white.
LGW G 153 For of o perle fyn and oryental
LGW G 154 Hyre white coroun was ymaked al;
LGW G 155 For which the white coroun above the grene
LGW G 156 Made hire lyk a dayesye for to sene,
LGW G 157 Considered ek the fret of gold above.
LGW G 158 Yclothed was this myghty god of Love
LGW G 159 Of silk, ybrouded ful of grene greves,
LGW G 160 A garlond on his hed of rose-leves
LGW G 161 Stiked al with lylye floures newe.
LGW G 162 But of his face I can not seyn the hewe,
LGW G 163 For sikerly his face shon so bryghte
LGW G 164 That with the glem astoned was the syghte;
LGW G 165 A furlong-wey I myhte hym not beholde.
LGW G 166 But at the laste in hande I saw hym holde
LGW G 167 Two firy dartes as the gleedes rede,
LGW G 168 And aungellych hys winges gan he sprede.
LGW G 169 And al be that men seyn that blynd is he,
LGW G 170 Algate me thoughte he myghte wel yse;
LGW G 171 For sternely on me he gan beholde,
LGW G 172 So that his lokynge doth myn herte colde.
LGW G 173 And by the hond he held the noble quene
LGW G 174 Corouned with whit and clothed al in grene,
LGW G 175 So womanly, so benygne, and so meke,
LGW G 176 That in this world, thogh that men wolde seke,
LGW G 177 Half hire beaute shulde men nat fynde
LGW G 178 In creature that formed is by kynde.
LGW G 179 Hire name was Alceste the debonayre.
LGW G 180 I preye to God that evere falle she fayre,
LGW G 181 For ne hadde confort been of hire presence,
LGW G 182 I hadde be ded, withouten any defence,
LGW G 183 For dred of Loves wordes and his chere,
LGW G 184 As, whan tyme is, hereafter ye shal here.
LGW G 185 Byhynde this god of Love, upon this grene,
LGW G 186 I saw comynge of ladyes nyntene
LGW G 187 In real habyt, a ful esy pas,
LGW G 188 And after hem come of wemen swich a tras
LGW G 189 That, syn that God Adam [had] mad of erthe,
LGW G 190 The thridde part of wemen, ne the ferthe,
LGW G 191 Ne wende I not by possibilite
LGW G 192 Hadden evere in this [wyde] world ybe;
LGW G 193 And trewe of love these wemen were echon.
LGW G 194 Now whether was that a wonder thyng or non,
LGW G 195 That ryght anon as that they gonne espye
LGW G 196 This flour, which that I clepe the dayesye,
LGW G 197 Ful sodeynly they stynten alle atones,
LGW G 198 And knelede adoun, as it were for the nones.
LGW G 199 And after that they wenten in compas,
LGW G 200 Daunsynge aboute this flour an esy pas,
LGW G 201 And songen, as it were in carole-wyse,
LGW G 202 This balade, which that I shal yow devyse.
LGW G 203 Hyd, Absalon, thy gilte tresses clere;
LGW G 204 Ester, ley thow thy meknesse al adoun;
LGW G 205 Hyd, Jonathas, al thyn frendly manere;
LGW G 206 Penelope and Marcia Catoun,
LGW G 207 Mak of youre wyfhod no comparisoun;
LGW G 208 Hyde ye youre beautes, Ysoude and Eleyne:
LGW G 209 Alceste is here, that al that may desteyne.
LGW G 210 Thy fayre body, lat it nat apeere,
LGW G 211 Laveyne; and thow, Lucresse of Rome toun,
LGW G 212 And Polixene, that boughte love so dere,
LGW G 213 Ek Cleopatre, with al thy passioun,
LGW G 214 Hide ye youre trouth in love and youre renoun;
LGW G 215 And thow, Tysbe, that hast for love swich peyne:
LGW G 216 Alceste is here, that al that may desteyne.
LGW G 217 Herro, Dido, Laodomya, alle in-fere,
LGW G 218 Ek Phillis, hangynge for thy Demophoun,
LGW G 219 And Canace, espied by thy chere,
LGW G 220 Ysiphile, betrayed with Jasoun,
LGW G 221 Mak of youre trouthe in love no bost ne soun;
LGW G 222 Nor Ypermystre or Adriane, ne pleyne
LGW G 223 Alceste is here, that al that may disteyne.
LGW G 224 Whan that this balade al ysongen was,
LGW G 225 Upon the softe and sote grene gras
LGW G 226 They setten hem ful softely adoun,
LGW G 227 By order alle in compas, enveroun.
LGW G 228 Fyrst sat the god of Love, and thanne this queene
LGW G 229 With the white corone, clad in grene,
LGW G 230 And sithen al the remenant by and by,
LGW G 231 As they were of degre, ful curteysly;
LGW G 232 Ne nat a word was spoken in that place
LGW G 233 The mountaunce of a furlong-wey of space.
LGW G 234 I, lenynge faste by under a bente,
LGW G 235 Abod to knowe what this peple mente,
LGW G 236 As stille as any ston, til at the laste
LGW G 237 The god of Love on me his eye caste
LGW G 238 And seyde, " Who restith there? " And I answerde
LGW G 239 Unto his axynge, whan that I hym herde,
LGW G 240 And seyde, " Sire, it am I, " and cam hym ner,
LGW G 241 And salewede hym. Quod he, " What dost thow her
LGW G 242 In my presence, and that so boldely?
LGW G 243 For it were better worthi, trewely,
LGW G 244 A worm to comen in my syght than thow. "
LGW G 245 " And why, sire, " quod I, " and it lyke yow? "
LGW G 246 " For thow, " quod he, " art therto nothyng able.
LGW G 247 My servaunts ben alle wyse and honourable.
LGW G 248 Thow art my mortal fo and me werreyest,
LGW G 249 And of myne olde servauntes thow mysseyest,
LGW G 250 And hynderest hem with thy translacyoun,
LGW G 251 And lettest folk to han devocyoun
LGW G 252 To serven me, and holdest it folye
LGW G 253 To truste on me. Thow mayst it nat denye,
LGW G 254 For in pleyn text, it nedeth nat to glose,
LGW G 255 Thow hast translated the Romauns of the Rose,
LGW G 256 That is an heresye ageyns my lawe,
LGW G 257 And makest wise folk fro me withdrawe;
LGW G 258 And thynkest in thy wit, that is ful col,
LGW G 259 That he nys but a verray propre fol
LGW G 260 That loveth paramours to harde and hote.
LGW G 261 Wel wot I therby thow begynnyst dote,
LGW G 262 As olde foles whan here spiryt fayleth;
LGW G 263 Thanne blame they folk, and wite nat what hem ayleth.
LGW G 264 Hast thow nat mad in Englysh ek the bok
LGW G 265 How that Crisseyde Troylus forsok,
LGW G 266 In shewynge how that wemen han don mis?
LGW G 267 But natheles, answere me now to this;
LGW G 268 Why noldest thow as wel [han] seyd goodnesse
LGW G 269 Of wemen, as thow hast seyd wikednesse?
LGW G 270 Was there no good matere in thy mynde,
LGW G 271 Ne in alle thy bokes ne coudest thow nat fynde
LGW G 272 Som story of wemen that were goode and trewe?
LGW G 273 Yis, God wot, sixty bokes olde and newe
LGW G 274 Hast thow thyself, alle ful of storyes grete,
LGW G 275 That bothe Romayns and ek Grekes trete
LGW G 276 Of sundry wemen, which lyf that they ladde,
LGW G 277 And evere an hundred goode ageyn oon badde.
LGW G 278 This knoweth God, and alle clerkes eke
LGW G 279 That usen swiche materes for to seke.
LGW G 280 What seith Valerye, Titus, or Claudyan?
LGW G 281 What seith Jerome agayns Jovynyan?
LGW G 282 How clene maydenes and how trewe wyves,
LGW G 283 How stedefaste widewes durynge alle here lyves,
LGW G 284 Telleth Jerome, and that nat of a fewe,
LGW G 285 But, I dar seyn, an hundred on a rewe,
LGW G 286 That it is pite for to rede, and routhe,
LGW G 287 The wo that they endure for here trouthe
LGW G 288 For to hyre love were they so trewe
LGW G 289 That, rathere than they wolde take a newe,
LGW G 290 They chose to be ded in sondry wyse,
LGW G 291 And deiden, as the story wol devyse;
LGW G 292 And some were brend, and some were cut the hals,
LGW G 293 And some dreynt for they wolden not be fals;
LGW G 294 For alle keped they here maydenhede,
LGW G 295 Or elles wedlok, or here widewehede.
LGW G 296 And this thing was nat kept for holynesse,
LGW G 297 But al for verray vertu and clennesse,
LGW G 298 And for men schulde sette on hem no lak;
LGW G 299 And yit they were hethene, al the pak,
LGW G 300 That were so sore adrad of alle shame.
LGW G 301 These olde wemen kepte so here name
LGW G 302 That in this world I trowe men shal nat fynde
LGW G 303 A man that coude be so trewe and kynde
LGW G 304 As was the leste woman in that tyde.
LGW G 305 What seyth also the epistel of Ovyde
LGW G 306 Of trewe wyves and of here labour?
LGW G 307 What Vincent in his Estoryal Myrour?
LGW G 308 Ek al the world of autours maystow here,
LGW G 309 Cristene and hethene, trete of swich matere;
LGW G 310 It nedeth nat al day thus for to endite.
LGW G 311 But yit, I seye, what eyleth the to wryte
LGW G 312 The draf of storyes, and forgete the corn?
LGW G 313 By Seynt Venus, of whom that I was born,
LGW G 314 Althogh thow reneyed hast my lay,
LGW G 315 As othere olde foles many a day,
LGW G 316 Thow shalt repente it, so that it shal be sene! "
LGW G 317 Thanne spak Alceste, the worthyeste queene,
LGW G 318 And seyde, " God, ryght of youre curteysye,
LGW G 319 Ye moten herkenen if he can replye
LGW G 320 Ageyns these poynts that ye han to hym meved.
LGW G 321 A god ne sholde not thus been agreved,
LGW G 322 But of his deite he shal be stable,
LGW G 323 And therto ryghtful, and ek mercyable.
LGW G 324 He shal nat ryghtfully his yre wreke
LGW G 325 Or he have herd the tother partye speke.
LGW G 326 Al ne is nat gospel that is to yow pleyned;
LGW G 327 The god of Love hereth many a tale yfeyned.
LGW G 328 For in youre court is many a losengeour,
LGW G 329 And many a queynte totelere accusour,
LGW G 330 That tabouren in youre eres many a thyng
LGW G 331 For hate, or for jelous ymagynyng,
LGW G 332 And for to han with you som dalyaunce.
LGW G 333 Envye -- I preye to God yeve hire myschaunce! --
LGW G 334 Is lavender in the grete court alway,
LGW G 335 For she ne parteth, neyther nyght ne day,
LGW G 336 Out of the hous of Cesar; thus seyth Dante;
LGW G 337 Whoso that goth, alwey she mot [nat] wante.
LGW G 338 This man to yow may wrongly ben acused,
LGW G 339 There as by ryght hym oughte ben excusid.
LGW G 340 Or elles, sire, for that this man is nyce,
LGW G 341 He may translate a thyng in no malyce,
LGW G 342 But for he useth bokes for to make,
LGW G 343 And taketh non hed of what matere he take,
LGW G 344 Therfore he wrot the Rose and ek Crisseyde
LGW G 345 Of innocence, and nyste what he seyde.
LGW G 346 Or hym was boden make thilke tweye
LGW G 347 Of som persone, and durste it not withseye;
LGW G 348 For he hath write many a bok er this.
LGW G 349 He ne hath not don so grevously amys
LGW G 350 To translate that olde clerkes wryte,
LGW G 351 As thogh that he of maleys wolde endyte
LGW G 352 Despit of love, and hadde hymself ywrought.
LGW G 353 This shulde a ryghtwys lord han in his thought,
LGW G 354 And not ben lyk tyraunts of Lumbardye,
LGW G 355 That usen wilfulhed and tyrannye.
LGW G 356 For he that kyng or lord is naturel,
LGW G 357 Hym oughte nat be tyraunt and crewel
LGW G 358 As is a fermour, to don the harm he can.
LGW G 359 He moste thynke it is his lige man,
LGW G 360 And that hym oweth, of verray duetee,
LGW G 361 Shewen his peple pleyn benygnete,
LGW G 362 And wel to heren here excusacyouns,
LGW G 363 And here compleyntes and petyciouns,
LGW G 364 In duewe tyme, whan they shal it profre.
LGW G 365 This is the sentence of the Philosophre,
LGW G 366 A kyng to kepe his lyges in justice;
LGW G 367 Withouten doute, that is his office.
LGW G 368 And therto is a kyng ful depe ysworn
LGW G 369 Ful many an hundred wynter herebeforn;
LGW G 370 And for to kepe his lordes hir degre,
LGW G 371 As it is ryght and skylful that they be
LGW G 372 Enhaunsed and honoured, [and] most dere --
LGW G 373 For they ben half-goddes in this world here --
LGW G 374 This shal he don bothe to pore [and] ryche,
LGW G 375 Al be that her estat be nat alyche,
LGW G 376 And han of pore folk compassioun.
LGW G 377 For lo, the gentyl kynde of the lyoun:
LGW G 378 For whan a flye offendeth hym or byteth,
LGW G 379 He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth
LGW G 380 Al esyly; for, of his genterye,
LGW G 381 Hym deyneth nat to wreke hym on a flye,
LGW G 382 As doth a curre, or elles another best.
LGW G 383 In noble corage oughte ben arest,
LGW G 384 And weyen every thing by equite,
LGW G 385 And evere han reward to his owen degre.
LGW G 386 For, sire, it is no maystrye for a lord
LGW G 387 To dampne a man withoute answere or word,
LGW G 388 And, for a lord, that is ful foul to use.
LGW G 389 And if so be he may hym nat excuse,
LGW G 390 [But] axeth mercy with a sorweful herte,
LGW G 391 And profereth hym, ryght in his bare sherte,
LGW G 392 To been ryght at youre owene jugement,
LGW G 393 Than ought a god, by short avisement,
LGW G 394 Considere his owene honour and his trespas.
LGW G 395 For syth no cause of deth lyth in this cas,
LGW G 396 Yow oughte to ben the lyghter merciable;
LGW G 397 Leteth youre yre, and beth somwhat tretable.
LGW G 398 The man hath served yow of his konnynge,
LGW G 399 And forthered [wel] youre lawe with his makynge.
LGW G 400 Whil he was yong, he kepte youre estat;
LGW G 401 I not wher he be now a renegat.
LGW G 402 But wel I wot, with that he can endyte
LGW G 403 He hath maked lewed folk to delyte
LGW G 404 To serven yow, in preysynge of youre name.
LGW G 405 He made the bok that highte the Hous of Fame,
LGW G 406 And ek the Deth of Blaunche the Duchesse,
LGW G 407 And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse,
LGW G 408 And al the love of Palamon and Arcite
LGW G 409 Of Thebes, thogh the storye is knowen lite;
LGW G 410 And many an ympne for your halydayes,
LGW G 411 That highten balades, roundeles, vyrelayes;
LGW G 412 And, for to speke of other besynesse,
LGW G 413 He hath in prose translated Boece,
LGW G 414 And Of the Wreched Engendrynge of Mankynde,
LGW G 415 As man may in Pope Innocent yfynde;
LGW G 416 And mad the lyf also of Seynt Cecile.
LGW G 417 He made also, gon is a gret while,
LGW G 418 Orygenes upon the Maudeleyne.
LGW G 419 Hym oughte now to have the lesse peyne;
LGW G 420 He hath mad many a lay and many a thyng.
LGW G 421 Now as ye ben a god and ek a kyng,
LGW G 422 I, youre Alceste, whilom quene of Trace,
LGW G 423 I axe yow this man, ryght of youre grace,
LGW G 424 That ye hym nevere hurte in al his lyve;
LGW G 425 And he shal swere to yow, and that as blyve,
LGW G 426 He shal no more agilten in this wyse,
LGW G 427 But he shal maken, as ye wol devyse,
LGW G 428 Of women trewe in lovynge al here lyve,
LGW G 429 Wherso ye wol, of mayden or of wyve,
LGW G 430 And fortheren yow as muche as he mysseyde
LGW G 431 Or in the Rose or elles in Crisseyde. "
LGW G 432 The god of Love answerede hire thus anon:
LGW G 433 " Madame, " quod he, " it is so longe agon
LGW G 434 That I yow knew so charytable and trewe,
LGW G 435 That nevere yit sith that the world was newe
LGW G 436 To me ne fond I betere non than ye;
LGW G 437 That, if that I wol save my degre,
LGW G 438 I may, ne wol, not warne youre requeste.
LGW G 439 Al lyth in yow, doth with hym what yow leste;
LGW G 440 And al foryeve, withoute lenger space.
LGW G 441 For whoso yeveth a yifte or doth a grace,
LGW G 442 Do it by tyme, his thank is wel the more.
LGW G 443 And demeth ye what he shal do therfore.
LGW G 444 Go thanke now my lady here, " quod he.
LGW G 445 I ros, and doun I sette me on my kne,
LGW G 446 And seyde thus, " Madame, the God above
LGW G 447 Foryelde yow that ye the god of Love
LGW G 448 Han maked me his wrathe to foryive,
LGW G 449 And yeve me grace so longe for to live
LGW G 450 That I may knowe sothly what ye be
LGW G 451 That han me holpen and put in swich degre.
LGW G 452 But trewely I wende, as in this cas,
LGW G 453 Naught have agilt, ne don to love trespas.
LGW G 454 For-why a trewe man, withoute drede,
LGW G 455 Hath nat to parte with a theves dede;
LGW G 456 Ne a trewe lovere oghte me nat to blame
LGW G 457 Thogh that I speke a fals lovere som shame.
LGW G 458 They oughte rathere with me for to holde
LGW G 459 For that I of Criseyde wrot or tolde,
LGW G 460 Or of the Rose; what so myn auctour mente,
LGW G 461 Algate, God wot, it was myn entente
LGW G 462 To forthere trouthe in love and it cheryce,
LGW G 463 And to be war fro falsnesse and fro vice
LGW G 464 By swich ensaumple; this was my menynge. "
LGW G 465 And she answerde, " Lat be thyn arguynge,
LGW G 466 For Love ne wol nat counterpletyd be
LGW G 467 In ryght ne wrong; and lerne this at me!
LGW G 468 Thow hast thy grace, and hold the ryght therto.
LGW G 469 Now wol I seyn what penaunce thow shalt do
LGW G 470 For thy trespas, and understond it here:
LGW G 471 Thow shalt, whil that thow livest, yer by yere,
LGW G 472 The moste partye of thy tyme spende
LGW G 473 In makynge of a gloryous legende
LGW G 474 Of goode women, maydenes and wyves,
LGW G 475 That were trewe in lovynge al here lyves;
LGW G 476 And telle of false men that hem betrayen,
LGW G 477 That al here lyf ne don nat but assayen
LGW G 478 How manye wemen they may don a shame;
LGW G 479 For in youre world that is now holden game.
LGW G 480 And thogh the lesteth nat a lovere be,
LGW G 481 Spek wel of love; this penaunce yeve I thee.
LGW G 482 And to the god of Love I shal so preye
LGW G 483 That he shal charge his servaunts by any weye
LGW G 484 To fortheren the, and wel thy labour quite.
LGW G 485 Go now thy wey, thy penaunce is but lyte. "
LGW G 486 The god of Love gan smyle, and thanne he seyde:
LGW G 487 " Wostow, " quod he, " wher this be wif or mayde,
LGW G 488 Or queen, or countesse, or of what degre,
LGW G 489 That hath so lytel penaunce yiven the,
LGW G 490 That hast deserved sorer for to smerte?
LGW G 491 But pite renneth sone in gentil herte;
LGW G 492 That mayst thow sen; she kytheth what she is. "
LGW G 493 And I answerde, " Nay, sire, so have I blys,
LGW G 494 No more but that I se wel she is good. "
LGW G 495 " That is a trewe tale, by myn hood! "
LGW G 496 Quod Love, " and that thow knowest wel, parde,
LGW G 497 Yif it be so that thow avise the.
LGW G 498 Hast thow nat in a bok, lyth in thy cheste,
LGW G 499 The grete goodnesse of the queene Alceste,
LGW G 500 That turned was into a dayesye;
LGW G 501 She that for hire husbonde ches to dye,
LGW G 502 And ek to gon to helle rather than he,
LGW G 503 And Ercules rescued hire, parde,
LGW G 504 And broughte hyre out of helle ageyn to blys? "
LGW G 505 And I answerde ayen, and seyde, " Yis,
LGW G 506 Now knowe I hire. And is this goode Alceste,
LGW G 507 The dayesye, and myn owene hertes reste?
LGW G 508 Now fele I wel the goodnesse of this wif,
LGW G 509 That bothe after hire deth and in hire lyf
LGW G 510 Hire grete bounte doubleth hire renoun.
LGW G 511 Wel hath she quit me myn affeccioun
LGW G 512 That I have to hire flour, the dayesye.
LGW G 513 No wonder is thogh Jove hire stellifye,
LGW G 514 As telleth Agaton, for hyre goodnesse!
LGW G 515 Hire white coroun bereth of it witnesse;
LGW G 516 For also manye vertues hadde she
LGW G 517 As smale flourys in hyre coroun be.
LGW G 518 In remembraunce of hire and in honour
LGW G 519 Cibella made the dayesye and the flour
LGW G 520 Ycoroned al with whit, as men may se;
LGW G 521 And Mars yaf to hire corone red, parde,
LGW G 522 In stede of rubies, set among the white. "
LGW G 523 Therwith this queene wex red for shame a lyte
LGW G 524 Whan she was preysed so in hire presence.
LGW G 525 Thanne seyde Love, " A ful gret neglygence
LGW G 526 Was it to the, to write unstedefastnesse
LGW G 527 Of women, sith thow knowest here goodnesse
LGW G 528 By pref, and ek by storyes herebyforn.
LGW G 529 Let be the chaf, and writ wel of the corn.
LGW G 530 Why noldest thow han writen of Alceste,
LGW G 531 And laten Criseide ben aslepe and reste?
LGW G 532 For of Alceste shulde thy wrytynge be,
LGW G 533 Syn that thow wost that calandier is she
LGW G 534 Of goodnesse, for she taughte of fyn lovynge,
LGW G 535 And namely of wifhod the lyvynge,
LGW G 536 And alle the boundes that she oughte kepe.
LGW G 537 Thy litel wit was thilke tyme aslepe.
LGW G 538 But now I charge the upon thy lyf
LGW G 539 That in thy legende thow make of this wif
LGW G 540 Whan thow hast othere smale mad byfore;
LGW G 541 And far now wel, I charge the no more.
LGW G 542 At Cleopatre I wol that thow begynne,
LGW G 543 And so forth, and my love so shalt thow wynne. "
LGW G 544 And with that word, of slep I gan awake,
LGW G 545 And ryght thus on my Legende gan I make.
LGW 1 580 After the deth of Tholome the kyng,
LGW 1 581 That al Egipt hadde in his governyng,
LGW 1 582 Regned his queene Cleopataras;
LGW 1 583 Tyl on a tyme befel there swich a cas
LGW 1 584 That out of Rome was sent a senatour
LGW 1 585 For to conqueren regnes and honour
LGW 1 586 Unto the toun of Rome, as was usaunce,
LGW 1 587 To han the world at hire obesaunce,
LGW 1 588 And soth to seyne, Antonius was his name.
LGW 1 589 So fil it, as Fortune hym oughte a shame,
LGW 1 590 Whan he was fallen in prosperite
LGW 1 591 Rebel unto the toun of Rome is he.
LGW 1 592 And over al this, the suster of Cesar,
LGW 1 593 He lafte hire falsly, or that she was war,
LGW 1 594 And wolde algates han another wyf,
LGW 1 595 For which he tok with Rome and Cesar stryf.
LGW 1 596 Natheles, for sothe, this ilke senatour
LGW 1 597 Was a ful worthy gentil werreyour,
LGW 1 598 And of his deth it was ful gret damage.
LGW 1 599 But love hadde brought this man in swich a rage
LGW 1 600 And hym so narwe bounden in his las,
LGW 1 601 Al for the love of Cleopataras,
LGW 1 602 That al the world he sette at no value.
LGW 1 603 Hym thoughte there nas nothyng to hym so due
LGW 1 604 As Cleopatras for to love and serve;
LGW 1 605 Hym roughte nat in armes for to sterve
LGW 1 606 In the defence of hyre and of hire ryght.
LGW 1 607 This noble queene ek lovede so this knyght,
LGW 1 608 Thourgh his desert, and for his chyvalrye;
LGW 1 609 As certeynly, but if that bokes lye,
LGW 1 610 He was, of persone and of gentillesse,
LGW 1 611 And of discrecioun and hardynesse,
LGW 1 612 Worthi to any wyght that liven may;
LGW 1 613 And she was fayr as is the rose in May.
LGW 1 614 And, for to make shortly is the beste,
LGW 1 615 She wax his wif, and hadde hym as hire leste.
LGW 1 616 The weddynge and the feste to devyse,
LGW 1 617 To me, that have ytake swich empryse
LGW 1 618 Of so many a story for to make,
LGW 1 619 It were to longe, lest that I shulde slake
LGW 1 620 Of thyng that bereth more effect and charge;
LGW 1 621 For men may overlade a ship or barge.
LGW 1 622 And forthy to th' effect thanne wol I skyppe,
LGW 1 623 And al the remenaunt, I wol lete it slippe.
LGW 1 624 Octovyan, that wod was of this dede,
LGW 1 625 Shop hym an ost on Antony to lede
LGW 1 626 Al uterly for his destruccioun,
LGW 1 627 With stoute Romeyns, crewel as lyoun;
LGW 1 628 To ship they wente, and thus I lat hem sayle.
LGW 1 629 Antonius was war, and wol nat fayle
LGW 1 630 To meten with these Romeyns, if he may;
LGW 1 631 Tok ek his red, and bothe, upon a day,
LGW 1 632 His wif and he, and al his ost, forth wente
LGW 1 633 To shipe anon, no lengere they ne stente;
LGW 1 634 And in the se it happede hem to mete.
LGW 1 635 Up goth the trompe, and for to shoute and shete,
LGW 1 636 And peynen hem to sette on with the sunne.
LGW 1 637 With grysely soun out goth the grete gonne,
LGW 1 638 And heterly they hurtelen al atones,
LGW 1 639 And from the top doun come the grete stones.
LGW 1 640 In goth the grapenel, so ful of crokes;
LGW 1 641 Among the ropes renne the sherynge-hokes.
LGW 1 642 In with the polax preseth he and he;
LGW 1 643 Byhynde the mast begynnyth he to fle,
LGW 1 644 And out ageyn, and dryveth hym overbord;
LGW 1 645 He styngeth hym upon his speres ord;
LGW 1 646 He rent the seyl with hokes lyke a sithe;
LGW 1 647 He bryngeth the cuppe and biddeth hem be blythe;
LGW 1 648 He poureth pesen upon the haches slidere;
LGW 1 649 With pottes ful of lyme they gon togidere;
LGW 1 650 And thus the longe day in fyght they spende,
LGW 1 651 Tyl at the laste, as every thyng hath ende,
LGW 1 652 Antony is schent and put hym to the flyghte,
LGW 1 653 And al his folk to-go that best go myghte.
LGW 1 654 Fleth ek the queen, with al hire purpre sayl,
LGW 1 655 For strokes, whiche that wente as thikke as hayl;
LGW 1 656 No wonder was she myghte it nat endure.
LGW 1 657 And whan that Antony saw that aventure,
LGW 1 658 " Allas, " quod he, " the day that I was born!
LGW 1 659 My worshipe in this day thus have I lorn. "
LGW 1 660 And for dispeyr out of his wit he sterte
LGW 1 661 And rof hymself anon thourghout the herte
LGW 1 662 Or that he ferther wente out of the place.
LGW 1 663 His wif, that coude of Cesar have no grace,
LGW 1 664 To Egipt is fled for drede and for destresse.
LGW 1 665 But herkeneth, ye that speken of kyndenesse,
LGW 1 666 Ye men that falsly sweren many an oth
LGW 1 667 That ye wol deye if that youre love be wroth,
LGW 1 668 Here may ye sen of wemen which a trouthe!
LGW 1 669 This woful Cleopatre hath mad swich routhe
LGW 1 670 That ther is tonge non that may it telle.
LGW 1 671 But on the morwe she wolde no lengere dwelle,
LGW 1 672 But made hire subtyl werkmen make a shryne
LGW 1 673 Of alle the rubyes and the stones fyne
LGW 1 674 In al Egypte that she coude espie,
LGW 1 675 And putte ful the shryne of spicerye,
LGW 1 676 And let the cors enbaume, and forth she fette
LGW 1 677 This dede cors, and in the shryne it shette.
LGW 1 678 And next the shryne a pit thanne doth she grave,
LGW 1 679 And alle the serpentes that she myghte have,
LGW 1 680 She putte hem in that grave, and thus she seyde:
LGW 1 681 " Now, love, to whom my sorweful herte obeyde
LGW 1 682 So ferforthly that from that blisful houre
LGW 1 683 That I yow swor to ben al frely youre --
LGW 1 684 I mene yow, Antonius, my knyght --
LGW 1 685 That nevere wakynge, in the day or nyght,
LGW 1 686 Ye nere out of myn hertes remembraunce,
LGW 1 687 For wel or wo, for carole or for daunce;
LGW 1 688 And in myself this covenaunt made I tho,
LGW 1 689 That ryght swich as ye felten, wel or wo,
LGW 1 690 As fer forth as it in my power lay,
LGW 1 691 Unreprovable unto my wyfhod ay,
LGW 1 692 The same wolde I fele, lyf or deth --
LGW 1 693 And thilke covenant whil me lasteth breth
LGW 1 694 I wol fulfille; and that shal ben wel sene,
LGW 1 695 Was nevere unto hire love a trewer quene. "
LGW 1 696 And with that word, naked, with ful good herte,
LGW 1 697 Among the serpents in the pit she sterte,
LGW 1 698 And there she ches to have hire buryinge.
LGW 1 699 Anon the nadderes gonne hire for to stynge,
LGW 1 700 And she hire deth receyveth with good cheere
LGW 1 701 For love of Antony that was hire so dere.
LGW 1 702 And this is storyal soth, it is no fable.
LGW 1 703 Now, or I fynde a man thus trewe and stable,
LGW 1 704 And wol for love his deth so frely take,
LGW 1 705 I preye God let oure hedes nevere ake! Amen.
LGW 2 706 At Babiloyne whylom fil it thus,
LGW 2 707 The whyche toun the queen Semyramus
LGW 2 708 Let dychen al aboute and walles make
LGW 2 709 Ful hye, of hard tiles wel ybake:
LGW 2 710 There were dwellyng in this noble toun
LGW 2 711 Two lordes, whiche that were of gret renoun,
LGW 2 712 And woneden so nygh, upon a grene,
LGW 2 713 That there nas but a ston-wal hem betweene,
LGW 2 714 As ofte in grete tounes is the wone.
LGW 2 715 And soth to seyne, that o man hadde a sone,
LGW 2 716 Of al that lond oon of the lustyeste.
LGW 2 717 That other hadde a doughter, the fayreste
LGW 2 718 That estward in the world was tho dwellynge.
LGW 2 719 The name of everych gan to other sprynge
LGW 2 720 By women that were neighebores aboute.
LGW 2 721 For in that contre yit, withouten doute,
LGW 2 722 Maydenes been ykept, for jelosye,
LGW 2 723 Ful streyte, lest they diden som folye.
LGW 2 724 This yonge man was called Piramus,
LGW 2 725 Tysbe hight the maide, Naso seyth thus;
LGW 2 726 And thus by report was hire name yshove
LGW 2 727 That, as they wex in age, wex here love.
LGW 2 728 And certeyn, as by resoun of hire age,
LGW 2 729 There myghte have ben bytwixe hem maryage,
LGW 2 730 But that here fadres nolde it nat assente;
LGW 2 731 And bothe in love ylyke sore they brente,
LGW 2 732 That non of alle hyre frendes myght it lette,
LGW 2 733 But pryvyly som tyme yit they mette
LGW 2 734 By sleyghte, and spoken som of here desyr;
LGW 2 735 As wry the glede and hotter is the fyr,
LGW 2 736 Forbede a love, and it is ten so wod.
LGW 2 737 This wal, which that bitwixe hem bothe stod,
LGW 2 738 Was clove a-two, ryght from the cop adoun,
LGW 2 739 Of olde tyme of his fundacioun;
LGW 2 740 But yit this clyfte was so narw and lyte
LGW 2 741 It nas nat sene, deere ynogh a myte.
LGW 2 742 But what is that that love can nat espye?
LGW 2 743 Ye loveres two, if that I shal nat lye,
LGW 2 744 Ye founden first this litel narwe clifte;
LGW 2 745 And with a soun as softe as any shryfte,
LGW 2 746 They lete here wordes thourgh the clifte pace,
LGW 2 747 And tolden, whil that they stode in the place,
LGW 2 748 Al here compleynt of love and al here wo,
LGW 2 749 At every tyme whan they durste so.
LGW 2 750 Upon that o syde of the wal stod he,
LGW 2 751 And on that other side stod Thesbe,
LGW 2 752 The swote soun of other to receyve.
LGW 2 753 And thus here wardeyns wolde they deceyve,
LGW 2 754 And every day this wal they wolde threte,
LGW 2 755 And wisshe to God that it were doun ybete.
LGW 2 756 Thus wolde they seyn: " Alas, thow wikkede wal!
LGW 2 757 Thorgh thyn envye thow us lettest al.
LGW 2 758 Why nylt thow cleve or fallen al a-two?
LGW 2 759 Or at the leste, but thou woldist so,
LGW 2 760 Yit woldest thow but ones lat us mete,
LGW 2 761 Or ones that we myghte kyssen swete,
LGW 2 762 Thanne were we covered of oure cares colde.
LGW 2 763 But, natheles, yit be we to thee holde,
LGW 2 764 In as muche as thow sufferest for to gon
LGW 2 765 Oure wordes thourgh thy lym and ek thy ston.
LGW 2 766 Yit oughte we with the been wel apayd. "
LGW 2 767 And whan these ydele wordes weren sayd,
LGW 2 768 The colde wal they wolden kysse of ston,
LGW 2 769 And take here leve and forth they wolden gon.
LGW 2 770 And this was gladly in the eve-tyde,
LGW 2 771 Or wonder erly, lest men it espyde.
LGW 2 772 And longe tyme they wroughte in this manere,
LGW 2 773 Tyl on a day, whan Phebus gan to cleere --
LGW 2 774 Aurora with the stremes of hire hete
LGW 2 775 Hadde dreyed up the dew of herbes wete --
LGW 2 776 Unto this clyft, as it was wont to be,
LGW 2 777 Com Piramus, and after com Thysbe,
LGW 2 778 And plyghten trouthe fully in here fey
LGW 2 779 That ilke same nyght to stele awey,
LGW 2 780 And to begile here wardeyns everichon,
LGW 2 781 And forth out of the cite for to goon;
LGW 2 782 And, for the feldes ben so brode and wide,
LGW 2 783 For to mete in o place at o tyde,
LGW 2 784 They sette mark here metynge sholde be
LGW 2 785 There kyng Nynus was grave under a tre --
LGW 2 786 For olde payens that idoles heryed
LGW 2 787 Useden tho in feldes to ben beryed --
LGW 2 788 And faste by this grave was a welle.
LGW 2 789 And shortly of this tale for to telle,
LGW 2 790 This covenaunt was affermed wonder faste;
LGW 2 791 And longe hem thoughte that the sonne laste,
LGW 2 792 That it nere gon under the se adoun.
LGW 2 793 This Tisbe hath so gret affeccioun
LGW 2 794 And so gret lykinge Piramus to se,
LGW 2 795 That whan she say hire tyme myghte be,
LGW 2 796 At nyght she stal awey ful pryvyly,
LGW 2 797 With hire face ywympled subtyly;
LGW 2 798 For alle hire frendes -- for to save hire trouthe --
LGW 2 799 She hath forsake; allas, and that is routhe
LGW 2 800 That evere woman wolde ben so trewe
LGW 2 801 To truste man, but she the bet hym knewe.
LGW 2 802 And to the tre she goth a ful good pas,
LGW 2 803 For love made hire so hardy in this cas,
LGW 2 804 And by the welle adoun she gan hyre dresse.
LGW 2 805 Allas! Than cometh a wilde lyonesse
LGW 2 806 Out of the wode, withoute more arest,
LGW 2 807 With blody mouth, of strangelynge of a best,
LGW 2 808 To drynken of the welle there as she sat.
LGW 2 809 And whan that Tisbe hadde espyed that,
LGW 2 810 She rist hire up, with a ful drery herte,
LGW 2 811 And in a cave with dredful fot she sterte,
LGW 2 812 For by the mone she say it wel withalle.
LGW 2 813 And as she ran hire wympel let she falle
LGW 2 814 And tok non hed, so sore she was awhaped,
LGW 2 815 And ek so glad that that she was escaped;
LGW 2 816 And thus she sit and darketh wonder stylle.
LGW 2 817 Whan that this lyonesse hath dronke hire fille,
LGW 2 818 Aboute the welle gan she for to wynde,
LGW 2 819 And ryght anon the wympel gan she fynde,
LGW 2 820 And with hire blody mouth it al torente.
LGW 2 821 Whan this was don, no lengere she ne stente,
LGW 2 822 But to the wode hire weye thanne hath she nome.
LGW 2 823 And at the laste this Piramus is come;
LGW 2 824 But al to longe, allas, at hom was he!
LGW 2 825 The mone shon, and he myghte wel yse,
LGW 2 826 And in his wey, as that he com ful faste.
LGW 2 827 His eyen to the ground adoun he caste,
LGW 2 828 And in the sond, as he byheld adoun,
LGW 2 829 He sey the steppes brode of a lyoun,
LGW 2 830 And in his herte he sodeynly agros,
LGW 2 831 And pale he wex; therwith his heer aros,
LGW 2 832 And ner he com, and fond the wimpel torn.
LGW 2 833 " Allas, " quod he, " the day that I was born!
LGW 2 834 This o nyght wol us lovers bothe sle!
LGW 2 835 How shulde I axe mercy of Tisbe,
LGW 2 836 Whan I am he that have yow slayn, allas!
LGW 2 837 My biddyng hath yow slayn, as in this cas.
LGW 2 838 Allas, to bidde a woman gon by nyghte
LGW 2 839 In place there as peril falle myghte!
LGW 2 840 And I so slow! Allas, I ne hadde be
LGW 2 841 Here in this place a furlong wey or ye!
LGW 2 842 Now what lyoun that be in this forest,
LGW 2 843 My body mote he renten, or what best
LGW 2 844 That wilde is, gnawe mote he now myn herte! "
LGW 2 845 And with that word he to the wympel sterte,
LGW 2 846 And kiste it ofte, and wep on it ful sore,
LGW 2 847 And seyde, " Wympel, allas! There is no more
LGW 2 848 But thow shalt feele as wel the blod of me
LGW 2 849 As thow hast felt the bledyng of Thisbe! "
LGW 2 850 And with that word he smot hym to the herte.
LGW 2 851 The blod out of the wounde as brode sterte
LGW 2 852 As water whan the condit broken is.
LGW 2 853 Now Tisbe, which that wiste nat of this,
LGW 2 854 But sittynge in hire drede, she thoughte thus:
LGW 2 855 " If it so falle that my Piramus
LGW 2 856 Be comen hider, and may me not yfynde,
LGW 2 857 He may me holde fals and ek unkynde. "
LGW 2 858 And out she cometh and after hym gan espien,
LGW 2 859 Bothe with hire herte and with hire yen,
LGW 2 860 And thoughte, " I wol hym tellen of my drede,
LGW 2 861 Bothe of the lyonesse and al my deede. "
LGW 2 862 And at the laste hire love thanne hath she founde,
LGW 2 863 Betynge with his heles on the grounde,
LGW 2 864 Al blody, and therwithal a-bak she sterte,
LGW 2 865 And lik the wawes quappe gan hire herte,
LGW 2 866 And pale as box she was, and in a throwe
LGW 2 867 Avisede hire, and gan hym wel to knowe,
LGW 2 868 That it was Piramus, hire herte deere.
LGW 2 869 Who coude wryte which a dedly cheere
LGW 2 870 Hath Thisbe now, and how hire heer she rente,
LGW 2 871 And how she gan hireselve to turmente,
LGW 2 872 And how she lyth and swouneth on the grounde,
LGW 2 873 And how she wep of teres ful his wounde;
LGW 2 874 How medeleth she his blod with hire compleynte;
LGW 2 875 How with his blod hireselve gan she peynte;
LGW 2 876 How clyppeth she the deede cors, allas!
LGW 2 877 How doth this woful Tisbe in this cas!
LGW 2 878 How kysseth she his frosty mouth so cold!
LGW 2 879 " Who hath don this, and who hath been so bold
LGW 2 880 To sle my leef? O spek, my Piramus!
LGW 2 881 I am thy Tisbe, that the calleth thus. "
LGW 2 882 And therwithal she lifteth up his hed.
LGW 2 883 This woful man, that was nat fully ded,
LGW 2 884 Whan that he herde the name of Tisbe cryen,
LGW 2 885 On hire he caste his hevy, dedly yen,
LGW 2 886 And doun agayn, and yeldeth up the gost.
LGW 2 887 Tysbe ryst up withouten noyse or bost,
LGW 2 888 And saw hire wympel and his empty shethe,
LGW 2 889 And ek his swerd that hym hath don to dethe.
LGW 2 890 Thanne spak she thus: " My woful hand, " quod she,
LGW 2 891 " Is strong ynogh in swich a werk to me;
LGW 2 892 For love shal yeve me strengthe and hardynesse
LGW 2 893 To make my wounde large ynogh, I gesse.
LGW 2 894 I wol thee folwe ded, and I wol be
LGW 2 895 Felawe and cause ek of thy deth, " quod she.
LGW 2 896 " And thogh that nothing, save the deth only,
LGW 2 897 Mighte thee fro me departe trewely,
LGW 2 898 Thow shalt no more departe now fro me
LGW 2 899 Than fro the deth, for I wol go with thee.
LGW 2 900 And now, ye wrechede jelos fadres oure,
LGW 2 901 We that whilom were children youre,
LGW 2 902 We preyen yow, withouten more envye,
LGW 2 903 That in o grave yfere we moten lye,
LGW 2 904 Sith love hath brought us to this pitous ende.
LGW 2 905 And ryghtwis God to every lovere sende,
LGW 2 906 That loveth trewely, more prosperite
LGW 2 907 Than evere yit had Piramus and Tisbe!
LGW 2 908 And lat no gentil woman hyre assure
LGW 2 909 To putten hire in swich an aventure.
LGW 2 910 But God forbede but a woman can
LGW 2 911 Ben as trewe in lovynge as a man!
LGW 2 912 And for my part, I shal anon it kythe. "
LGW 2 913 And with that word his swerd she tok as swythe,
LGW 2 914 That warm was of hire loves blod, and hot,
LGW 2 915 And to the herte she hireselven smot.
LGW 2 916 And thus are Tisbe and Piramus ygo.
LGW 2 917 Of trewe men I fynde but fewe mo
LGW 2 918 In alle my bokes, save this Piramus,
LGW 2 919 And therfore have I spoken of hym thus.
LGW 2 920 For it is deynte to us men to fynde
LGW 2 921 A man that can in love been trewe and kynde.
LGW 2 922 Here may ye se, what lovere so he be,
LGW 2 923 A woman dar and can as wel as he.
LGW 3 924 Glorye and honour, Virgil Mantoan,
LGW 3 925 Be to thy name! and I shal, as I can,
LGW 3 926 Folwe thy lanterne, as thow gost byforn,
LGW 3 927 How Eneas to Dido was forsworn.
LGW 3 928 In thyn Eneyde and Naso wol I take
LGW 3 929 The tenor, and the grete effectes make.
LGW 3 930 Whan Troye brought was to destruccioun
LGW 3 931 By Grekes sleyghte, and namely by Synoun,
LGW 3 932 Feynynge the hors offered unto Mynerve,
LGW 3 933 Thourgh which that many a Troyan moste sterve;
LGW 3 934 And Ector hadde, after his deth, apeered;
LGW 3 935 And fyr so wod it myghte nat been steered
LGW 3 936 In al the noble tour of Ylioun,
LGW 3 937 That of the cite was the chef dongeoun;
LGW 3 938 And al the contre was so lowe ybrought,
LGW 3 939 And Priamus the kyng fordon and nought;
LGW 3 940 And Enyas was charged by Venus
LGW 3 941 To fleen awey, he tok Ascanius,
LGW 3 942 That was his sone, in his ryght hand and fledde;
LGW 3 943 And on his bak he bar and with hym ledde
LGW 3 944 His olde fader cleped Anchises,
LGW 3 945 And by the weye his wif Creusa he les.
LGW 3 946 And moche sorwe hadde he in his mynde,
LGW 3 947 Or that he coude his felaweshipe fynde.
LGW 3 948 But at the laste, whan he hadde hem founde,
LGW 3 949 He made hym redy in a certeyn stounde,
LGW 3 950 And to the se ful faste he gan him hye,
LGW 3 951 And sayleth forth with al his companye
LGW 3 952 Toward Ytayle, as wolde his destinee.
LGW 3 953 But of his aventures in the se
LGW 3 954 Nis nat to purpos for to speke of here,
LGW 3 955 For it acordeth nat to my matere.
LGW 3 956 But, as I seyde, of hym and of Dido
LGW 3 957 Shal be my tale, til that I have do.
LGW 3 958 So longe he saylede in the salte se
LGW 3 959 Tyl in Libie unnethe aryvede he
LGW 3 960 With shipes sevene and with no more navye;
LGW 3 961 And glad was he to londe for to hye,
LGW 3 962 So was he with the tempest al toshake.
LGW 3 963 And whan that he the haven hadde ytake,
LGW 3 964 He hadde a knyght, was called Achates,
LGW 3 965 And hym of al his felawshipe he ches
LGW 3 966 To gon with hym, the cuntre for t' espie.
LGW 3 967 He tok with hym no more companye,
LGW 3 968 But forth they gon, and lafte his shipes ryde,
LGW 3 969 His fere and he, withouten any gyde.
LGW 3 970 So longe he walketh in this wildernesse,
LGW 3 971 Til at the laste he mette an hunteresse.
LGW 3 972 A bowe in hande and arwes hadde she;
LGW 3 973 Hire clothes cutted were unto the kne.
LGW 3 974 But she was yit the fayreste creature
LGW 3 975 That evere was yformed by Nature;
LGW 3 976 And Eneas and Achates she grette,
LGW 3 977 And thus she to hem spak whan she hem mette:
LGW 3 978 " Saw ye, " quod she, " as ye han walked wyde,
LGW 3 979 Any of my sustren walke yow besyde
LGW 3 980 With any wilde bor or other best,
LGW 3 981 That they han hunted to, in this forest,
LGW 3 982 Ytukked up, with arwes in hire cas? "
LGW 3 983 " Nay, sothly, lady, " quod this Eneas;
LGW 3 984 " But by thy beaute, as it thynketh me,
LGW 3 985 Thow myghtest nevere erthly woman be,
LGW 3 986 But Phebus syster art thow, as I gesse.
LGW 3 987 And if so be that thow be a goddesse,
LGW 3 988 Have mercy on oure labour and oure wo. "
LGW 3 989 " I n' am no goddesse, sothly, " quod she tho;
LGW 3 990 " For maydens walken in this contre here,
LGW 3 991 With arwes and with bowe, in this manere.
LGW 3 992 This is the reyne of Libie there ye ben,
LGW 3 993 Of which that Dido lady is and queen " --
LGW 3 994 And shortly tolde hym al the occasyoun
LGW 3 995 Why Dido cam into that regioun,
LGW 3 996 Of which as now me lesteth nat to ryme;
LGW 3 997 It nedeth nat, it were but los of tyme.
LGW 3 998 For this is al and som, it was Venus,
LGW 3 999 His owene moder, that spak with him thus,
LGW 3 1000 And to Cartage she bad he sholde hym dighte,
LGW 3 1001 And vanyshed anon out of his syghte.
LGW 3 1002 I coude folwe, word for word, Virgile,
LGW 3 1003 But it wolde lasten al to longe while.
LGW 3 1004 This noble queen that cleped was Dido,
LGW 3 1005 That whilom was the wif of Sytheo,
LGW 3 1006 That fayrer was than is the bryghte sonne,
LGW 3 1007 This noble toun of Cartage hath bigonne;
LGW 3 1008 In which she regneth in so gret honour
LGW 3 1009 That she was holden of alle queenes flour
LGW 3 1010 Of gentillesse, of fredom, of beaute,
LGW 3 1011 That wel was hym that myghte hire ones se;
LGW 3 1012 Of kynges and of lordes so desyred
LGW 3 1013 That al the world hire beaute hadde yfyred,
LGW 3 1014 She stod so wel in every wightes grace.
LGW 3 1015 Whan Eneas was come unto that place,
LGW 3 1016 Unto the mayster temple of al the toun
LGW 3 1017 Ther Dido was in hire devocyoun,
LGW 3 1018 Ful pryvyly his weye than hath he nome.
LGW 3 1019 Whan he was in the large temple come,
LGW 3 1020 I can nat seyn if that it be possible,
LGW 3 1021 But Venus hadde hym maked invysible --
LGW 3 1022 Thus seyth the bok, withouten any les.
LGW 3 1023 And whan this Eneas and Achates
LGW 3 1024 Hadden in this temple ben overal,
LGW 3 1025 Thanne founde they, depeynted on a wal,
LGW 3 1026 How Troye and al the lond destroyed was.
LGW 3 1027 " Allas, that I was born! " quod Eneas;
LGW 3 1028 " Thourghout the world oure shame is kid so wyde,
LGW 3 1029 Now it is peynted upon every syde.
LGW 3 1030 We, that weren in prosperite,
LGW 3 1031 Been now desclandred, and in swich degre,
LGW 3 1032 No lenger for to lyven I ne kepe. "
LGW 3 1033 And with that word he brast out for to wepe
LGW 3 1034 So tenderly that routhe it was to sene.
LGW 3 1035 This fresshe lady, of the cite queene,
LGW 3 1036 Stod in the temple in hire estat real,
LGW 3 1037 So rychely and ek so fayr withal,
LGW 3 1038 So yong, so lusty, with hire eyen glade,
LGW 3 1039 That, if that God, that hevene and erthe made,
LGW 3 1040 Wolde han a love, for beaute and goodnesse,
LGW 3 1041 And womanhod, and trouthe, and semelynesse,
LGW 3 1042 Whom shulde he loven but this lady swete?
LGW 3 1043 Ther nys no woman to hym half so mete.
LGW 3 1044 Fortune, that hath the world in governaunce,
LGW 3 1045 Hath sodeynly brought in so newe a chaunce
LGW 3 1046 That nevere was ther yit so fremde a cas.
LGW 3 1047 For al the companye of Eneas,
LGW 3 1048 Which that he wende han loren in the se,
LGW 3 1049 Aryved is nat fer from that cite;
LGW 3 1050 For which the gretteste of his lordes some
LGW 3 1051 By aventure ben to the cite come,
LGW 3 1052 Unto that same temple, for to seke
LGW 3 1053 The queene, and of hire socour to beseke,
LGW 3 1054 Swich renoun was there sprongen of hire goodnesse.
LGW 3 1055 And whan they hadden told al here distresse,
LGW 3 1056 And al here tempest and here harde cas,
LGW 3 1057 Unto the queen apeered Eneas,
LGW 3 1058 And openly biknew that it was he.
LGW 3 1059 Who hadde joye thanne but his meyne,
LGW 3 1060 That hadde founde here lord, here governour?
LGW 3 1061 The queen saugh that they dide hym swych honour,
LGW 3 1062 And hadde herd ofte of Eneas er tho,
LGW 3 1063 And in hire herte she hadde routhe and wo
LGW 3 1064 That evere swich a noble man as he
LGW 3 1065 Shal ben disherited in swich degre;
LGW 3 1066 And saw the man, that he was lyk a knyght,
LGW 3 1067 And suffisaunt of persone and of myght,
LGW 3 1068 And lyk to been a verray gentil man;
LGW 3 1069 And wel his wordes he besette can,
LGW 3 1070 And hadde a noble visage for the nones,
LGW 3 1071 And formed wel of braunes and of bones.
LGW 3 1072 For after Venus hadde he swich fayrnesse
LGW 3 1073 That no man myghte be half so fayr, I gesse;
LGW 3 1074 And wel a lord he semede for to be.
LGW 3 1075 And, for he was a straunger, somwhat she
LGW 3 1076 Likede hym the bet, as, God do bote,
LGW 3 1077 To som folk ofte newe thyng is sote.
LGW 3 1078 Anon hire herte hath pite of his wo,
LGW 3 1079 And with that pite love com in also;
LGW 3 1080 And thus, for pite and for gentillesse,
LGW 3 1081 Refreshed moste he been of his distresse.
LGW 3 1082 She seyde, certes, that she sory was
LGW 3 1083 That he hath had swych peryl and swich cas;
LGW 3 1084 And, in hire frendly speche, in this manere
LGW 3 1085 She to hym spak, and seyde as ye may here:
LGW 3 1086 " Be ye nat Venus sone and Anchises?
LGW 3 1087 In good feyth, al the worshipe and encres
LGW 3 1088 That I may goodly don yow, ye shal have.
LGW 3 1089 Youre shipes and youre meyne shal I save. "
LGW 3 1090 And many a gentil word she spak hym to,
LGW 3 1091 And comaunded hire messageres to go
LGW 3 1092 The same day, withouten any fayle,
LGW 3 1093 His shippes for to seke, and hem vitayle.
LGW 3 1094 Ful many a beste she to the shippes sente,
LGW 3 1095 And with the wyn she gan hem to presente,
LGW 3 1096 And to hire royal paleys she hire spedde,
LGW 3 1097 And Eneas alwey with hire she ledde.
LGW 3 1098 What nedeth yow the feste to descrive?
LGW 3 1099 He nevere beter at ese was in his lyve.
LGW 3 1100 Ful was the feste of deyntees and rychesse,
LGW 3 1101 Of instruments, of song, and of gladnesse,
LGW 3 1102 Of many an amorous lokyng and devys.
LGW 3 1103 This Eneas is come to paradys
LGW 3 1104 Out of the swolow of helle, and thus in joye
LGW 3 1105 Remembreth hym of his estat in Troye.
LGW 3 1106 To daunsynge chaumberes ful of paramentes,
LGW 3 1107 Of riche beddes, and of ornementes,
LGW 3 1108 This Eneas is led after the mete.
LGW 3 1109 And with the quene, whan that he hadde sete,
LGW 3 1110 And spices parted, and the wyn agon,
LGW 3 1111 Unto his chambres was he led anon
LGW 3 1112 To take his ese and for to have his reste,
LGW 3 1113 With al his folk, to don what so hem leste.
LGW 3 1114 There nas courser wel ybrydeled non,
LGW 3 1115 Ne stede, for the justing wel to gon,
LGW 3 1116 Ne large palfrey, esy for the nones,
LGW 3 1117 Ne jewel, fretted ful of ryche stones,
LGW 3 1118 Ne sakkes ful of gold, of large wyghte,
LGW 3 1119 Ne ruby non, that shynede by nyghte,
LGW 3 1120 Ne gentil hawtein faucoun heroner,
LGW 3 1121 Ne hound for hert or wilde bor or der,
LGW 3 1122 Ne coupe of gold, with floreyns newe ybete,
LGW 3 1123 That in the land of Libie may be gete,
LGW 3 1124 That Dido ne hath it Eneas ysent;
LGW 3 1125 And al is payed, what that he hath spent.
LGW 3 1126 Thus can this quene honurable hire gestes calle,
LGW 3 1127 As she that can in fredom passen alle.
LGW 3 1128 Eneas sothly ek, withouten les,
LGW 3 1129 Hadde sent unto his ship by Achates
LGW 3 1130 After his sone, and after riche thynges,
LGW 3 1131 Bothe sceptre, clothes, broches, and ek rynges,
LGW 3 1132 Some for to were, and some for to presente
LGW 3 1133 To hire that alle thise noble thynges hym sente;
LGW 3 1134 And bad his sone how that he shulde make
LGW 3 1135 The presenting, and to the queen it take.
LGW 3 1136 Repeyred is this Achates agayn,
LGW 3 1137 And Eneas ful blysful is and fayn
LGW 3 1138 To sen his yonge sone Ascanyus.
LGW 3 1139 But natheles, oure autour telleth us,
LGW 3 1140 That Cupido, that is the god of love,
LGW 3 1141 At preyere of his moder hye above,
LGW 3 1142 Hadde the liknesse of the child ytake,
LGW 3 1143 This noble queen enamored to make
LGW 3 1144 On Eneas; but, as of that scripture,
LGW 3 1145 Be as be may, I take of it no cure.
LGW 3 1146 But soth is this, the queen hath mad swich chere
LGW 3 1147 Unto this child, that wonder is to here;
LGW 3 1148 And of the present that his fader sente
LGW 3 1149 She thanked hym ful ofte, in good entente.
LGW 3 1150 Thus is this queen in plesaunce and in joye,
LGW 3 1151 With alle these newe lusty folk of Troye.
LGW 3 1152 And of the dedes hath she more enquered
LGW 3 1153 Of Eneas, and al the story lered
LGW 3 1154 Of Troye, and al the longe day they tweye
LGW 3 1155 Entendeden to speken and to pleye;
LGW 3 1156 Of which ther gan to breden swich a fyr
LGW 3 1157 That sely Dido hath now swich desyr
LGW 3 1158 With Eneas, hire newe gest, to dele,
LGW 3 1159 That she hath lost hire hewe and ek hire hele.
LGW 3 1160 Now to th' effect, now to the fruyt of al,
LGW 3 1161 Whi I have told this story, and telle shal.
LGW 3 1162 Thus I begynne: it fil upon a nyght,
LGW 3 1163 Whan that the mone up reysed hadde his lyght,
LGW 3 1164 This noble queene unto hire reste wente.
LGW 3 1165 She siketh sore, and gan hyreself turmente;
LGW 3 1166 She waketh, walweth, maketh many a breyd,
LGW 3 1167 As don these lovers, as I have herd seyd.
LGW 3 1168 And at the laste, unto hire syster Anne
LGW 3 1169 She made hire mone, and ryght thus spak she thanne:
LGW 3 1170 " Now, dere sister myn, what may it be
LGW 3 1171 That me agasteth in my drem? " quod she.
LGW 3 1172 " This newe Troyan is so in my thought,
LGW 3 1173 For that me thynketh he is so wel ywrought,
LGW 3 1174 And ek so likly for to ben a man,
LGW 3 1175 And therwithal so moche good he can,
LGW 3 1176 That al my love and lyf lyth in his cure.
LGW 3 1177 Have ye nat herd him telle his aventure?
LGW 3 1178 Now certes, Anne, if that ye rede it me,
LGW 3 1179 I wolde fayn to hym ywedded be;
LGW 3 1180 This is th' effect; what sholde I more seye?
LGW 3 1181 In hym lyth al, to do me live or deye. "
LGW 3 1182 Hyre syster Anne, as she that coude hire good,
LGW 3 1183 Seyde as hire thoughte, and somdel it withstod.
LGW 3 1184 But herof was so long a sermounynge
LGW 3 1185 It were to long to make rehersynge.
LGW 3 1186 But finaly, it may nat ben withstonde;
LGW 3 1187 Love wol love, for nothing wol it wonde.
LGW 3 1188 The dawenyng up-rist out of the se.
LGW 3 1189 This amorous queene chargeth hire meyne
LGW 3 1190 The nettes dresse, and speres brode and kene;
LGW 3 1191 An huntyng wol this lusty freshe queene,
LGW 3 1192 So priketh hire this newe joly wo.
LGW 3 1193 To hors is al hir lusty folk ygo;
LGW 3 1194 Into the court the houndes been ybrought;
LGW 3 1195 And upon coursers swift as any thought
LGW 3 1196 Hire yonge knyghtes hoven al aboute,
LGW 3 1197 And of hire women ek an huge route.
LGW 3 1198 Upon a thikke palfrey, paper-whit,
LGW 3 1199 With sadel red, enbrouded with delyt,
LGW 3 1200 Of gold the barres up enbosede hye,
LGW 3 1201 Sit Dido, al in gold and perre wrye;
LGW 3 1202 And she as fair as is the bryghte morwe,
LGW 3 1203 That heleth syke folk of nyghtes sorwe.
LGW 3 1204 Upon a courser stertlynge as the fyr --
LGW 3 1205 Men myghte turne hym with a litel wyr --
LGW 3 1206 Sit Eneas, lik Phebus to devyse,
LGW 3 1207 So was he fressh arayed in his wyse.
LGW 3 1208 The fomy brydel with the bit of gold
LGW 3 1209 Governeth he ryght as hymself hath wold.
LGW 3 1210 And forth this noble queen thus lat I ride
LGW 3 1211 On huntynge, with this Troyan by hyre side.
LGW 3 1212 The herde of hertes founden is anon,
LGW 3 1213 With " Hay! Go bet! Pryke thow! Lat gon, lat gon!
LGW 3 1214 Why nyl the leoun comen, or the bere,
LGW 3 1215 That I myghte ones mete hym with this spere? "
LGW 3 1216 Thus seyn these yonge folk, and up they kylle
LGW 3 1217 These bestes wilde, and han hem at here wille.
LGW 3 1218 Among al this to rumbelen gan the hevene;
LGW 3 1219 The thunder rored with a grisely stevene;
LGW 3 1220 Doun cam the reyn with hayl and slet so faste,
LGW 3 1221 With hevenes fyr, that it so sore agaste
LGW 3 1222 This noble queen, and also hire meyne,
LGW 3 1223 That ech of hem was glad awey to fle.
LGW 3 1224 And shortly, from the tempest hire to save,
LGW 3 1225 She fledde hireself into a litel cave,
LGW 3 1226 And with hire wente this Eneas also.
LGW 3 1227 I not, with hem if there wente any mo;
LGW 3 1228 The autour maketh of it no mencioun.
LGW 3 1229 And here began the depe affeccioun
LGW 3 1230 Betwixe hem two; this was the firste morwe
LGW 3 1231 Of hire gladnesse, and gynning of hire sorwe.
LGW 3 1232 For there hath Eneas ykneled so,
LGW 3 1233 And told hire al his herte and al his wo,
LGW 3 1234 And swore so depe to hire to be trewe
LGW 3 1235 For wel or wo and chaunge hire for no newe;
LGW 3 1236 And as a fals lovere so wel can pleyne,
LGW 3 1237 That sely Dido rewede on his peyne,
LGW 3 1238 And tok hym for husbonde and becom his wyf
LGW 3 1239 For everemo, whil that hem laste lyf.
LGW 3 1240 And after this, whan that the tempest stente,
LGW 3 1241 With myrthe out as they comen, hom they wente.
LGW 3 1242 The wikke fame upros, and that anon,
LGW 3 1243 How Eneas hath with the queen ygon
LGW 3 1244 Into the cave; and demede as hem liste.
LGW 3 1245 And whan the kyng that Yarbas highte it wiste,
LGW 3 1246 As he that hadde hir loved evere his lyf,
LGW 3 1247 And wowede hyre, to han hire to his wyf,
LGW 3 1248 Swich sorwe as he hath maked, and swich cheere,
LGW 3 1249 It is a routhe and pite for to here.
LGW 3 1250 But as in love, alday it happeth so
LGW 3 1251 That oon shal laughen at anothers wo.
LGW 3 1252 Now laugheth Eneas and is in joye
LGW 3 1253 And more richesse than evere he was in Troye.
LGW 3 1254 O sely wemen, ful of innocence,
LGW 3 1255 Ful of pite, of trouthe and conscience,
LGW 3 1256 What maketh yow to men to truste so?
LGW 3 1257 Have ye swych routhe upon hyre feyned wo,
LGW 3 1258 And han swich olde ensaumples yow beforn?
LGW 3 1259 Se ye nat alle how they ben forsworn?
LGW 3 1260 Where sen ye oon that he ne hath laft his leef,
LGW 3 1261 Or ben unkynde, or don hire som myscheef,
LGW 3 1262 Or piled hire, or bosted of his dede?
LGW 3 1263 Ye may as wel it sen as ye may rede.
LGW 3 1264 Tak hede now of this grete gentil-man,
LGW 3 1265 This Troyan, that so wel hire plesen can,
LGW 3 1266 That feyneth hym so trewe and obeysynge,
LGW 3 1267 So gentil, and so privy of his doinge,
LGW 3 1268 And can so wel don alle his obeysaunces,
LGW 3 1269 And wayten hire at festes and at daunces,
LGW 3 1270 And whan she goth to temple and hom ageyn,
LGW 3 1271 And fasten til he hath his lady seyn,
LGW 3 1272 And beren in his devyses, for hire sake,
LGW 3 1273 Not I not what; and songes wolde he make,
LGW 3 1274 Justen, and don of armes many thynges,
LGW 3 1275 Sende hire lettres, tokens, broches, rynges --
LGW 3 1276 Now herkneth how he shal his lady serve!
LGW 3 1277 There as he was in peril for to sterve
LGW 3 1278 For hunger, and for myschef in the se,
LGW 3 1279 And desolat, and fled from his cuntre,
LGW 3 1280 And al his folk with tempest al todryven,
LGW 3 1281 She hath hire body and ek hire reame yiven
LGW 3 1282 Into his hand, there as she myghte have been
LGW 3 1283 Of othere land than of Cartage a queen,
LGW 3 1284 And lyved in joye ynogh; what wole ye more?
LGW 3 1285 This Eneas, that hath so depe yswore,
LGW 3 1286 Is wery of his craft withinne a throwe;
LGW 3 1287 The hote ernest is al overblowe.
LGW 3 1288 And pryvyly he doth his shipes dyghte,
LGW 3 1289 And shapeth hym to stele awey by nyghte.
LGW 3 1290 This Dido hath suspecioun of this,
LGW 3 1291 And thoughte wel that it was al amys.
LGW 3 1292 For in hir bed he lyth a-nyght and syketh.
LGW 3 1293 She axeth hym anon what hym myslyketh --
LGW 3 1294 " My dere herte, which that I love most? "
LGW 3 1295 " Certes, " quod he, " this nyght my faderes gost
LGW 3 1296 Hath in my slep so sore me tormented,
LGW 3 1297 And ek Mercurye his message hath presented,
LGW 3 1298 That nedes to the conquest of Ytayle
LGW 3 1299 My destine is sone for to sayle;
LGW 3 1300 For which, me thynketh, brosten is myn herte! "
LGW 3 1301 Therwith his false teres out they sterte,
LGW 3 1302 And taketh hire withinne his armes two.
LGW 3 1303 " Is that in ernest? " quod she; " Wole ye so?
LGW 3 1304 Have ye nat sworn to wyve me to take?
LGW 3 1305 Allas, what woman wole ye of me make?
LGW 3 1306 I am a gentil woman and a queen.
LGW 3 1307 Ye wole nat from youre wif thus foule fleen?
LGW 3 1308 That I was born, allas! What shal I do? "
LGW 3 1309 To telle in short, this noble quen Dydo,
LGW 3 1310 She seketh halwes and doth sacryfise;
LGW 3 1311 She kneleth, cryeth, that routhe is to devyse;
LGW 3 1312 Conjureth hym, and profereth hym to be
LGW 3 1313 His thral, his servant in the leste degre;
LGW 3 1314 She falleth hym to fote and swouneth ther,
LGW 3 1315 Dischevele, with hire bryghte gilte her,
LGW 3 1316 And seyth, " Have mercy; let me with yow ryde!
LGW 3 1317 These lordes, which that wonen me besyde,
LGW 3 1318 Wole me distroyen only for youre sake.
LGW 3 1319 And, so ye wole me now to wive take,
LGW 3 1320 As ye han sworn, thanne wol I yeve yow leve
LGW 3 1321 To slen me with youre swerd now sone at eve!
LGW 3 1322 For thanne yit shal I deyen as youre wif.
LGW 3 1323 I am with childe, and yeve my child his lyf!
LGW 3 1324 Mercy, lord! Have pite in youre thought! "
LGW 3 1325 But al this thing avayleth hire ryght nought,
LGW 3 1326 For on a nyght, slepynge he let hire lye,
LGW 3 1327 And stal awey unto his companye,
LGW 3 1328 And as a traytour forth he gan to sayle
LGW 3 1329 Toward the large contre of Ytayle.
LGW 3 1330 Thus he hath laft Dido in wo and pyne,
LGW 3 1331 And wedded ther a lady hyghte Lavyne.
LGW 3 1332 A cloth he lafte, and ek his swerd stondynge,
LGW 3 1333 Whan he from Dido stal in hire slepynge,
LGW 3 1334 Ryght at hire beddes hed, so gan he hie,
LGW 3 1335 Whan that he stal awey to his navye;
LGW 3 1336 Which cloth, whan sely Dido gan awake,
LGW 3 1337 She hath it kyst ful ofte for his sake,
LGW 3 1338 And seyde, " O swete cloth, whil Juppiter it leste,
LGW 3 1339 Tak now my soule, unbynd me of this unreste!
LGW 3 1340 I have fulfild of fortune al the cours. "
LGW 3 1341 And thus, allas, withouten his socours,
LGW 3 1342 Twenty tyme yswouned hath she thanne.
LGW 3 1343 And whanne that she unto hire syster Anne
LGW 3 1344 Compleyned hadde -- of which I may nat wryte,
LGW 3 1345 So gret a routhe I have it for t' endite --
LGW 3 1346 And bad hire norice and hire sister gon
LGW 3 1347 To fechen fyr and other thyng anon,
LGW 3 1348 And seyde that she wolde sacryfye --
LGW 3 1349 And whan she myghte hire tyme wel espie,
LGW 3 1350 Upon the fir of sacryfice she sterte,
LGW 3 1351 And with his swerd she rof hyre to the herte.
LGW 3 1352 But, as myn auctour seith, yit thus she seyde;
LGW 3 1353 Or she was hurt, byforen or she deyde,
LGW 3 1354 She wrot a lettre anon that thus began:
LGW 3 1355 " Ryght so, " quod she, " as that the white swan
LGW 3 1356 Ayens his deth begynnyth for to synge,
LGW 3 1357 Right so to yow make I my compleynynge.
LGW 3 1358 Not that I trowe to geten yow ageyn,
LGW 3 1359 For wel I wot that it is al in veyn,
LGW 3 1360 Syn that the goddes been contraire to me.
LGW 3 1361 But syn my name is lost thourgh yow, " quod she,
LGW 3 1362 " I may wel lese on yow a word or letter,
LGW 3 1363 Al be it that I shal ben nevere the better;
LGW 3 1364 For thilke wynd that blew youre ship awey,
LGW 3 1365 The same wynd hath blowe awey youre fey. "
LGW 3 1366 But who wol al this letter have in mynde,
LGW 3 1367 Rede Ovyde, and in hym he shal it fynde.
LGW 4 1368 Thow rote of false lovers, Duc Jasoun,
LGW 4 1369 Thow sly devourere and confusioun
LGW 4 1370 Of gentil wemen, tendre creatures,
LGW 4 1371 Thow madest thy recleymyng and thy lures
LGW 4 1372 To ladyes of thy statly aparaunce,
LGW 4 1373 And of thy wordes farced with plesaunce,
LGW 4 1374 And of thy feyned trouthe and thy manere,
LGW 4 1375 With thyn obesaunce and humble cheere,
LGW 4 1376 And with thy contrefeted peyne and wo.
LGW 4 1377 There othere falsen oon, thow falsest two!
LGW 4 1378 O, often swore thow that thow woldest dye
LGW 4 1379 For love, whan thow ne feltest maladye
LGW 4 1380 Save foul delyt, which that thow callest love!
LGW 4 1381 Yif that I live, thy name shal be shove
LGW 4 1382 In English that thy sekte shal be knowe!
LGW 4 1383 Have at thee, Jason! Now thyn horn is blowe!
LGW 4 1384 But certes, it is bothe routhe and wo
LGW 4 1385 That love with false loveres werketh so;
LGW 4 1386 For they shal have wel betere love and chere
LGW 4 1387 Than he that hath abought his love ful dere,
LGW 4 1388 Or hadde in armes many a blody box.
LGW 4 1389 For evere as tendre a capoun et the fox,
LGW 4 1390 Thow he be fals and hath the foul betrayed,
LGW 4 1391 As shal the good-man that therfore hath payed.
LGW 4 1392 Al have he to the capoun skille and ryght,
LGW 4 1393 The false fox wol have his part at nyght.
LGW 4 1394 On Jason this ensaumple is wel ysene
LGW 4 1395 By Isiphile and Medea the queene.
LGW 4 1396 In Tessalie, as Guido tellith us,
LGW 4 1397 There was a kyng that highte Pelleus,
LGW 4 1398 That hadde a brother which that highte Eson;
LGW 4 1399 And whan for age he myghte unnethes gon,
LGW 4 1400 He yaf to Pelleus the governyng
LGW 4 1401 Of al his regne and made hym lord and kyng.
LGW 4 1402 Of which Eson this Jason geten was,
LGW 4 1403 That in his tyme in al that land there nas
LGW 4 1404 Nat swich a famous knyght of gentilesse,
LGW 4 1405 Of fredom, and of strengthe and lustynesse.
LGW 4 1406 After his fadres deth he bar hym so
LGW 4 1407 That there nas non that liste ben his fo,
LGW 4 1408 But dide hym al honour and companye.
LGW 4 1409 Of which this Pelleus hadde gret envye,
LGW 4 1410 Imagynynge that Jason myghte be
LGW 4 1411 Enhaunsed so and put in swich degre
LGW 4 1412 With love of lordes of his regioun,
LGW 4 1413 That from his regne he may ben put adoun.
LGW 4 1414 And in his wit a-nyght compassed he
LGW 4 1415 How Jason myghte best distroyed be
LGW 4 1416 Withoute sclaunder of his compassement,
LGW 4 1417 And at the last he tok avysement
LGW 4 1418 To senden hym into som fer contre,
LGW 4 1419 There as this Jason may destroyed be.
LGW 4 1420 This was his wit, al made he to Jasoun
LGW 4 1421 Gret chere of love and of affeccioun,
LGW 4 1422 For drede lest his lordes it espide.
LGW 4 1423 So fyl it, so as fame renneth wide,
LGW 4 1424 There was swich tydyng overal an