I. REPRINTED MATTER (part 2 of 2)
171. Tn. pit; F. pitte. 173. F. To envye; Tn. Th. vie. 175. Tn. slepte; F. slept; see 177. Th. heed; F. hed. B. Tn. I-hid; Th. yhed; F. yhedde. 176. All lay. F. Tn. bedde. 177. F. slepe; Th. Tn. slepte. 178. F. com. Tn. flyyng; F. fleynge; Th. rennyng. 179. F. Tn. O how; Th. ho ho. F. awake. 180. F. there. 181. F. Awake; lythe. 182. F. horne. Tn. B. ere; F. heere. 184. Tn. oon; F. on. F. ye; Th. eye; Tn. ei[gh]e. 185. Th. Tn. Cast; F. Caste. All ins. and after up. 191. Th. wente; F. went. F. sayede; Tn. seide. 192. F. a-brayede; Tn. abraied. 195. F. Tooke; dreynt; see Cant. Ta. B. 69. 196. F. bare. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. 197. F. wife. 199. Th. her; F. Tn. hys. F. fete; see note. 200. All hete.
201. F. sayede; wyfe. 202. F. Awake; lyfe. 203. F. there; rede. 204. I put nam; all have am. F. dede. 206. I supply look, for the sake of sense and metre; read--But good swet' hert-ë, look that ye. 207. All for suche; read at whiche. 210. F. pray; youre. 211. F. while oure. 213. All allas (for A). 214. F. deyede; Tn. deid. 215. F. sayede. Tn. swow; Th. B. swowe; F. sorowe (!). 216. F. nowe. 219. Tn. told; F. tolde. F. thynge. 220. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. F. kynge. 221. All say. Tn. wel; F. welle. 222. Tn. eueridel; F. euerydelle. 223. F. thorgh. Tn. defaute; F. defaulte. All slepe. 224. Th. F. ne had (read nad); Tn. hade. Tn. red; F. redde. All take kepe. 226. F. omits I (by mistake). 228. F. redde. 229. F. kynge. 230. Th. goddes; F. Tn. goddis.
231. Tn. red; F. redde. 233. F. thoght. 234. Tn. herd; F. herde. 235. F. goddis. 236. I supply the former for. 237. I ne = I n'. 238. F. sayede. 239. F. pley. 240. F. dey. 241. F. Thorgh defaulte. Tn. sleping; F. slepynge. 244. Tn. sum; F. som_m_e. F. ellis. F. roght; Th. Tn. rought. 245. Tn. som; F. some. 247. F. Yifte. F. abode. 248. B. on warde; rest onwarde. 251. F. yif (see l. 246). Tn. fethirbed; F. feder bedde. 252. Tn. cled; F. cledde. 253. Tn. fyn; F. fyne. Th. doutremere; Tn. dout_er_mere; F. de owter mere. 254. Tn. pilow; F. pelowe. 257, 8. F. fallys, hallys.
264. All ins. quene after goddesse. Th. Alcione; F. Tn. Alchione. 267. All wanne (!). 269. F. payede. 270. Tn. woord; F. worde. F. y-sayede. 271. Th. Tn. B. as; which F. omits. Tn. told; F. tolde. 273. Tn. lust; F. luste. F. tooke. 274. F. booke. 275. F. evene. 276. F. swevene. 277. Tn. [gh]it; F. yitte. 278. Th. trowe; F. trow; Tn. trov. 281. Th. Tn. B. he; F. ho. F. red; Th. Tn. rad (but read redde or radde). 282. F. metynge. 283. B. leste; F. lest. 285. Tn. wrot; F. wrote. 286. F. kynge. 288. Th. Suche meruayles fortuned than; F. Tn. B. omit this line.
291. F. thoght. 292. F. dawnynge. Th. there; rest om. 294. All And (for I). 295. Tn. gret; F. grete. 296. All insert my before slepe; it is not wanted. 297. F. Thorgh; swettenesse; songe. 298. Th. as; F. Tn. B. al (badly). F. amonge. 299. F. roofe. 300. All ouer al; but omit ouer. 301. All songe, song. 304. F. herde. Tn. B. som; F. so_m_me. Tn. song; F. songe (it can be singular). 305. Tn. Som; F. Som_m_e. F. high. 306. F. att. 307. F. harde; Tn. I-herd. 308. F. thynge. 309. F. soune. Th. Th. entunes; F. entewnes. 310. F. tewnes; Th. Tewnes; Tn. twnes. 311. F. herde. 313. F. Thorgh syngynge. 315. F. nowhere herde; halfe. 316. F. halfe. 318. Tn. ich; rest eche.
319. F. wrongly inserts of after out. F. notys. 320. F. throtys. 321. F. soothe. 323. F. y-glasyd. 324. F. hoole y-crasyd. 326. Tn. hoolly; F. holy. Tn. storie; F. story. 327. F. glasynge. 328. All and of king. 329. All repeat of king before Lamedon; the words were caught from l. 328. 330. All insert And eke before Of Medea. 331. All and of (for and). 332. Tn. colours; F. colouris. 334. All And; read Of. 335. Th. weren; F. were. Tn. shet; F. shette. 336. F. throgh. 337. F. bryght. 338. F. gilde; Th. B. gyldy; Tn. gilti; read gilden. 339. F. eke. F. welken; Th. Tn. welkyn. All faire. 340. F. ayre. 341. Th. atempre; F. Tn. attempre. 342. All ins. to bef. cold. F. colde; hoote. Th. nas; F. Tn. was. 343. F. welkene; Th. welkyn; Tn. walkyn. 345. F. thoght. 346. F. Tassay; horne.
347. Tn. B. hors; Th. F. horse. 348. All insert And at the beginning of the line; but read I herd-e. F. Th. goynge; Tn. goyng; after which all insert bothe (which is not wanted). 350. F. Th. speke; Tn. spake; but read speken. 355. F. huntynge. 357. I supply I. F. Tooke; forthe; went. 358. F. stent. 359. F. come; felde. 360. F. ouertoke; grete. 361. F. eke; foresterys. 362. F. lymerys. 364. Th. I; which F. Tn. omit. For at the perhaps read atte. 366. F. felowe whoo. All hunte (read hunten). 367. All answered (-id). 369. F. here fast. 370. Read goddes as god's. 373. F. didde. 374. F. huntynge fille. 375. F. fote hote. 376. F. blewe; mote.
377. F. vncoupylynge; Th. vncouplynge. 378. F. Withynne; while; herte. Th. F. founde; Tn. found; read y-founde. 380. All and so; om. so. 381. F. Tn. B. rused; Th. roused. F. staale. 383. Th. ouer-shot; F. ouershette; Tn. ouershet. Tn. hem; F. hym (wrongly). 384. Tn. on; F. vpon. Tn. defaute; F. defaulte. 386. F. Blewe. Th. Tn. forloyn; F. forleygne. Perhaps read atte for at the. 388. F. went; came. 389. F. whelpe. Th. fawned; F. Favned. F. stoode. 390. F. goode. 391. F. come. All have crepte (wrongly); read creep. 392. Tn. hade; F. had. 393. B. Hild; F. Hylde; Tn. Held. Th. heed; Tn. hed; F. hede. F. erys. 394. F. herys. 395. All haue; read han. 396. Tn. fledde; F. fled. 397. F. forthe went. 398. F. went. 399. All swete (correctly). 400. All fete; see 199. 402. Tn. bothe; F. both. 404. All made; read mad or maad. F dwellynge.
406. F. therthe; Th. the erthe. 408. F. moo; swche (sic). 409. Th. welken; F. walkene. F. sterris. 411. F. thorgh. 412. All suffre. 414. F. woode. 415. All made. 416. All nede eke. 417. F. Where there. 419. F. stoode. 420. Tn. ten; F. tene. Th. foote; F. fete; Tn. om. Th. or; F. Tn. fro other (repeated). 422. Th. Tn. B. Of; F. Or. Th. or; rest om. F. fedme; Th. fedome; Tn. fedim; read fadme. 424. Th. brode; F. Tn. bothe (wrongly). F. eke. 426. Tn. B. shadwe; F. shadewe. 427. Tn. hert; F. herte. 429. Th. fawnes; F. Tn. fovnes. F. Tn. sowres; Th. sowers. 430. Tn. wode; F. woode. 429, 430. B. doys, roys. 431. Th. squyrrels; F. sqwirels; Tn. squirels; B. squyrellys (three syllables). 432. F. high. 433. F. festys. 434. F. bestys.
435. Th. Tn. countour; F. counter (and so in l. 436). 437. F. Tn. rekene; Th. reken (caught from above); read rekened. F. figuris. 438. F. figuris. F. mowe; B. mow; Th. Tn. newe (reading doubtful). All have al ken; see note. 440. B. tell_e_; rest tel. F. thinge. 441. F. evene. 442. F. swevene. 443. All ins. right bef. wonder. 444. F. Doune; woode. 446. Th. sate; F. Tn. sete. Tn. Iturned; F. turned. 447. F. ooke. 448. Th. Tn. thought; F. thogh (!). 450. F. went. 451. Tn. fond; F. founde. 452. F. farynge. 454. All but B. insert ryght before yong. Tn. [gh]ung; F. Th. yonge. 455. All yere; read yeer. 456. All heere, here; read heer. 457. Th. blacke; F. blake. 458. Tn. bakke; F. bake. 459. F. stoode. 460. F. sawe. 461. Tn. heng; F. henge. Th. heed; Tn. hed; F. hede. 462. Tn. dedly; F. dedely.
463. Th. Tn. twelue; F. twelfe. 464. Th. Tn. selue; F. selfe. 465. Tn. pite; F. pitee. 468. All suffre; read suffren. 469. F. suche. Th. deed; F. Tn. ded. 470. Tn. pitous; B. pitouse; F. petuose. Tn. nothing; F. no thynge. Th. reed; F. Tn. red. 471. F. sayed; Tn. said. 471, 2. Tn. song; F. songe. 473. B. alone supplies it (=hit); all insert ful before wel. 475. F. grete; Tn. gret. All wone; read woon. 476. F. Ioy; none. 477, 8. Read brighte, mighte? 479. Th. deed; F. ded. After l. 479 Thynne inserts And thus in sorowe lefte me alone; it is spurious; see note. [Hence there is no l. 480.] 481. Koch supplies o. Tn. deth; F. dethe. 483. Tn. that; which F. Tn. omit. 484. F. faire. F. freshe; Tn. fressh. 485. All se; but read y-see. 486. F. goodenesse. 487. All made. Th. B. complaynte; F. complaynt. 488. F. sorwful. Th. herte; F. hert. Th. B. faynte; F. faynt. 489. F. spiritis. 490. Tn. blood; F. bloode.
491. Th. herte; F. hert. All warme. 492. Th. herte; F. hert. All harme. 493. B. wite; F. wete. All eke. 498. All insert ther before no. F. noo bloode. All is; but read was. 499. Th. lymme; B. Tn. lyme; F. hym(!). 500. B. saw; F. saugh. 501. F. Th. there; Tn. for. All sete (fete is dat. pl.). 502. F. went; stoode. 503. All spake (wrongly). 504. Th. Tn. owne; F. ovne. 506. F. Th. lyfe; Tn. life. 507. F. thought. 509. F. throgh. B. sorwe; Tn. sorov; F. sorwes. 511. Tn. lost; F. loste. 512. F. inserts the before god; Th. Tn. omit. 513. F. wrothe. 514. Th. laste; F. last. F. sothe. 515. F. stoode. 516. All did. F. hoode. 517. All had ygret; Lange proposes grette (e unelided). 519. F. wrothe. 520. F. sothe.
521. B. saw; F. sawgh. F. trewly. 522. Tn. goode; F. good. 523, 4. F. oughte, thoughte. 526. F. thamendys. 527. F. lyeth; Tn. lith. 528. F. There. All myssayde. 529. Th. goodly; F. goodely. All spake (!). Th. knyght; F. knyghte. 530. B. ben; rest be. 531. F. towgh. 532. F. sawe; aqueynt. 533. F. fonde. 535. F. thoght. 537. F. oughte. 538. F. knowynge; thoughte. 541. F. These huntys konne. 543. F. there on; dele (Tn. del). 544. Tn. Bi; Th. By; F. Be. F. oure lorde; wele (Tn. wel). 545. B. thinketh; F. thenketh. 547. F. grete. 548. Ins. good; see 714, 721. Th. Tn. if; F. yif. 550. F. wys; Th. wyse; Tn. wisse.
554. Th. al; F. alle; Tn. om. 556. B. ese; F. ease. 560. Tn. frend; F. frende. 564. All fal. 565. F. vnderstondynge lorne. 566. F. borne. 568. F. Th. ins. al (Tn. of) before the. 570. All ins. his after with. 571. All ins. no after may. 573. Th. Tn. houres; F. oures. 574. All assay. 575. B. Th. herte; F. Tn. hert. 577. F. wrechch; Tn. wrecch; Tn. wretche (for wrecche). All made. 578. F. al; Th. Tn. al the; B. all_e_ (read al-le). 579. B. all_e_; rest al. 581. All lyfe. F. loothe. 582. F. wroothe (it is plural). 583. All ins. ful after so. F. foo. 584. All That; read Thogh. F. soo.
586. For the former hit, all have him; but see line above. 587. Th. reed; F. rede. 588. F. deynge. Th. deed; F. dede. 589. F. B. Thesiphus; Tn. Tesiphus; Th. Tesyphus. (The two latter are miswritten for Cesiphus = Sesiphus). Tn. lithe; F. Th. lyeth. 591. Th. Tn. al; F. alle. Th. by; F. Tn. be. 592. Tn. hade; F. had. 594. Tn. feenli (sic); Th. F. fendely. 596. Tn. met; Th. F. mette (!); read y-met. 598. B. tell_e_; rest tel. 599. For song, F. Th. have sorowe, and Tn. has sorov, which are absurd; the reading is obviously song, the ng being altered to rowe by influence of l. 597, which the scribes glanced at. Tn. pleyny_n_g; F. pleynynge. 600. Tn. laughter; F. lawghtre. Tn. weping; F. wepynge. 601. F. thoghtys. 603. All eke. 604. Th. Tn. good; F. goode. All harme. 605. Th. playeng; F. pleynge. 606. F. sorwynge. 607. Tn. sekenes; F. sekeenesse (sic). 609. Tn. li[gh]t; F. lyghte; Th. syght. 610. Tn. wit; F. wytte. Th. Tn. nyght; F. nyghte.
611. All slepe. Tn. waking; F. wakynge. 612. Tn. fasting; F. fastynge. 614. Tn. abaved (sic); Th. F. abawed. All where so. 617. Tn. boldnes; Th. F. boldenesse. (Perhaps read y-turned.) 618. F. pleyde; Th. played; Tn. pleied. 619. F. Atte the (wrongly); Th. Tn. At the. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. 621. Tn. halt; F. Th. halte (!). 622. Tn. goth; Th. gothe; F. gethe (!). Th. halte; Tn. is halt; F. is halte. 627. Th. wrien; rest varien (!). 628. Th. Tn. monstres; F. Mowstres. Th. heed; F. Tn. hed. 629. B. filth; rest fylthe. Th. Tn. ystrowed. 630. F. worshippe. Th. Tn. floures; F. B. flourys; read flour is. 632. Tn. feith; F. feythe. 633. F. lawghynge. 634. Tn. oon; Th. F. one. Th. eye; Tn. ei[gh]; F. yghe; B. ye. F. wepynge. 635. Th. set; F. sette. 637. F. flateyrynge; Tn. flateryng. 639. Th. Tn. amyd; F. amydde. 640. Th. he; F. hyt; Tn. it.
642. F. thenvyouse; Tn. thenvious; Th. the enuyous. 644. Th. false; F. Tn. fals. 645. F. no thynge. 647. Th. Ful; rest For. F. thus she; Tn. Th. she thus. 649. Th. nat; F. Tn. not. 650. Th. false; F. Tn. fals. Th. F. thefe; Tn. knaue. 651. F. oure lorde; the sey. 652. All At the; Atte is better. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. F. pley. 653. Th. Tn. false; F. fals. 654. F. staale; toke. F. Tn. fers; Th. feers. 655. F. sawgh. B. a-waye; rest away. 656. B. pleye; Th. F. play; Tn. pley. 657. All farewel (farewell); and in l. 658. 660. All insert the after in (badly). 661. F. povne; Tn. pou_n_; Th. paune. Tn. erraunt; F. errante. 663. Tn. Athalaus. 664. Tn. ches; Th. F. chesse. 666. B. I-koude; Th. Tn. Iconde (!); F. y-konde (!); see l. 667. 667. Tn. Grek; F. Greke. Th. Pithagores; F. Tn. Pictagoras. 668. Tn. pleyd; F. pleyde.
670. Tn. thogh; Th. thoughe; F. thoght (sic). F. trewly. 671. F. holde; wysshe. 675. All eke. B. las; F. lasse; Tn. lesse. 676. F. -selfe. 677. Th. had I ben; F. as I be (wrongly). 678. F. oght. 681. All she my fers; read my fers she (Koch). All kaught, read caughte; and dranghte in ll. 682, 685. 683. Tn. wis; F. wys. 684. Th. she; F. Tn. B. he. F. tooke. 685. F. throgh; draught; lorne. 686. F. borne. 689. F. doone. 690. F. Be oure lorde; soone. 691. F. -thynge. I supply ne. 693. All For there (ther); but omit For. 694. F. ayre. 695. F. yifte. 696. F. wepynge.
699. Tn. lyth; F. lyeth. F. rekenynge. 700. Th. Tn. In; F. Inne. 701. F. levyth noe. 702. B. Tn. glade; F. glad; read gladde. 703. Th. lost; F. loste. 710. Tn. telle; F. tel. 711. Th. Tn. Thus; F. This. 712. F. myght; duelle. 713. Tn. dide, herte; F. dyd, hert. 714. Th. good; F. goode. 715. Tn. som; F. so_m_me. 721. All insert yis (or yes) before parde; which spoils both sense and metre. 722. Th. say; rest om. F. trewly. 723. Th. lost; F. loste. 726. Th. good; F. goode. 727. Tn. slowe; F. slowgh. 728. All also; read als. 729. F. Henge.
732. All the quene; omit the. All eke. 733. Tn. slow; F. slough. F. selfe. 734. I supply former a. F. foole. 735. All Ecquo. 739. Tn. slow; F. slough. F. hym-selfe. 740. All no man; but read noon. 741. Perhaps read maken. 743. F. woste; menyst. 744. Th, lost; F. loste. F. thow wenyst. 745. F. Tn. Loo she that may be; Th. Howe that may be; here she is an error for sir, and Howe that may be for how may that be; (ed. 1550 has Howe may that be). 746. All sir. F. Tn. telle; Th. tel. F. hooly. 749. F. come. Tn. sit; F. sytte. 750. F. inserts hyt after telle; which Th. Tn. omit. Th. Tn. vpon a; F. vp a; but vp is right. 751. All ins. shalt after thou; omit it (Koch). F. hooly. Tn. wit; Th. wyt; F. wytte. 752. Tn. hit; F. hitte (!). 754. F. Tn. here lo; Th. here to. Accent thér- and hér-. 755. Perhaps right should be omitted. 756. F. Hooly. 758. B. half; F. halfe; (goddes = god's).
760. Tn. wit; F. wytte. 761. F. vnderstondynge. 763. Tn. wit; F. wytte. 764. Tn. yit; F. yitte. 765. Tn. youen; F. yive. 766. F. hooly. 767, 768. Th. thral, al; F. thralle, alle. Th. wyl; F. wille. 771. All deuoutely. All insert I before prayde. Th. prayde; F. prayed. 772. Th. Tn. herte; F. hert. 773. F. plesance; see l. 767. 774. F. worshippe. 775, 6. All yere, owhere. 778. Tn. cam; F. came. 779. F. Perauenture; see l. 788. All insert moste before able. 780. F. white walle. 781. F. cachche. 783. F. Tn. Whethir; Th. Whether; read Wher (contracted form). F. portrey or peynt; Tn. purtrey or paynte. 784. Tn. queynte; F. queynt. 785. All insert ryght before so. 787. Th. Tn. conde (for coude); F. kende (for kenned). 788. All arte.
789. Tn. kam; F. came. 790. All forgate. 791. Th. chees; Tn. chese; F. ches. Tn. fyrste; F. first. All crafte (but it will not rime). 792. All lafte (wrongly); read y-laft. 793. All For-why; read For? All toke. All yonge. 795. F. no thynge. 796. F. Thorgh. Tn. knowlechynge; F. knowlachynge. 799. Tn. firste; F. first. 800. F. goode; Th. good. 801. F. Tn. flyttynge. 802. All ins. That tyme (see l. 797) bef. And. Tn. thoughte_n_; rest thoght. F. Tn. varyinge. 804. F. knewe; stoode. 805. F. came. Perhaps on (or a) should be omitted. 806. All ther that I; om. that. 808. F. euere. F. Tn. ye; Th. eye. 810. Tn. hap; F. happe. 811. F. broght; Tn. broghte. All there. 813. Tn. false; F. fals. 816. Tn. tell_e_; F. tel. 817. F. Amonge these. 818. I supply ther.
819. All lyke (like). I supply al. 821. Tn. bryght; F. bryghte. 822. Th. lyght; F. lyghte. 823. All any other planete in; see note. F. hevene. 824. F. sevene. 826. Th. Tn. Surmounted; F. Surmountede. Tn. B. all_e_; F. al. 828. All ins. of after and. F. ins. so before wel; which Th. Tn. omit. Th. Tn. set; F. sette. 829. Th. goodlyhede; F. godelyhede. All ins. and before so, probably caught from the line above. B. beseye; rest besey. 830. Th. supplies more; F. Tn. omit. All sey. 831. Th. Tn. his; F. omits. 832. Tn. as; Th. F. al. 833. Th. stedfast; F. stedfaste. 835. F. Tn. had wel herd; om. wel. 838. F. y-kaught; Th. I cought; Tn. I caughte. 839. All toke. 840. All counseyl; I propose reed. All loke. 841. Th. And; F. Tn. But (caught from l. 840). Th. Tn. herte; F. hest (wrongly). All for why; read for? 842. F. hert; Th. Tn. herte. 843. F. ovne; read owne. 844. F. beter; Th. better; Tn. bettyr; read bet. 846. Tn. B. soth; F. Th. sothe.
848. Tn. saw; F. sawgh. F. comelely; Th. comely; Tn. comly. 850. F. Lawghe; pley. 852. Th. goodly; F. goodely. 854. Tn. seyn; F. seyne. 855. All on; read upon. 856. Tn. seyn; F. seyne. (For was probably read nas.) 857. F. yelowe; broune. 858. F. Tn. thoght. Th. F. lyke; Tn. likely. Th. golde; which F. Tn. absurdly omit. 861. F. goode. 862. F. looke. 863. F. ouertwert; Tn. ouyrthwerte; Th. ouertwhart (sic). Th. beset; Tn. biset; F. besette. 864. F. Tn. drewh. F. tooke. All enerydele. 865. Tn. B. All_e_; F. Th. Al. 867. F. foolys; B. folys. 869. F. thynge. 870. F. lokynge. 873. Th. close; Tn. clos; F. cloos. 874. F. lokynge. Th. folyche. 876. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght.
877. Th. By; F. Tn. Be. 882. Th. trowe; F. Tn. trow. 883. Th. herte; Tn. hyrte; F. hert. 884. All sate. B. lyte; Tn. lite; F. litel. Th. Tn. herte; F. hert. 885. Tn. knew; F. knowe (sic). F. no thynge. 886. This line is in Th. only; Th. has knewe (twice). 887. Tn. roghte; Th. F. rought. 888. Tn. ner; F. nerre. F. was; Th. Tn. nas. 889. Th. than; Tn. then; F. that. 891. Tn. gode; Th. F. good. All folke. 893. F. wounder. 894. F. placis. 895. All But which; omit But. 898. Th. bothe; F. both. 900. All eke. B. spyritz; F. spiritis. 901. All grete a thynge. 902. Th. wyt; Tn. F. witte. 903. Th. F. comprehende; Tn. comprehend; read comprehenden. 904. Tn. seyn; F. sayn. 905. All insert white after Was, which spoils metre and story (see l. 948). F. fressh.
908. Th. Tn. certes; F. certys. 909. All faire or fayre. 910, 911. B. chief; rest chefe. Th. Tn. patron; F. patrone. 913. F. thynkyth. 914. Tn. B. all_e_; Th. F. al (it is plural). 916. I supply They; Th. Ne wolde haue; Tn. Ne sholde haue; F. Ne sholde ha. The right reading is They ne sholde have (They ne being read as They n'). 919. Th. goodly; F. goodely. 921. Th. frendly; F. frendely. 922. F. B. Vp; Th. Tn. Vpon; see l. 750. 923. Tn. B. all_e_; F. al. Tn. gode; F. goode. 924. After swere all insert wel (needlessly). Tn. rode; F. roode. 929. Th. Tn. pope; F. Pape. 930. All ins. yet after never. Th. through; F. throgh. 931. F. gretely. 932. Th. Tn. her; F. hit (sic). I supply ther (cf. l. 930); perhaps omitted, because her also ended in her. All harme. 933. F. flaterynge; word.
937. All dele. 938. All worlde; wele. 939. All fairenesse (fayrenes). 941. Th. Tn. B. sene; F. seen. Th. F. myssatte; Tn. missate. 942. All badly insert pure (dissyllabic) before flat; but smothe has two syllables. Tn. flat; Th. F. flatte. 943. All or; I read and. 944. Th. by; rest be. 946. All rounde. Th. tour; F. Tn. toure. 947. Th. good; E. goode. F. gretenesse; grete. 948. B. het; rest hete. 949. Th. right; F. ryghte. 950. All faire. Th. bright; F. bryghte. 951. All had (but it is emphatic). All wronge. 952. All longe. 953. All had. 954. Th. great; F. Tn. grete. 957. Tn. bak; F. bakke. 958. B. knyw; rest knewe. All noon other; perhaps read no maner. Tn. lak; F. lakke. 959. All insert pure (dissyllabic) after nere; but limmes is dissyllabic. 960. Tn. fer; F. ferre. F. knowynge. 961. Th. playe; F. pley. 962. Tn. liste; F. list. Th. saye; F. sey.
963. All lyke. 965. F. hathe. 969. Tn. cacche; F. cachche. Th. Tn. if; F. yif (and in l. 970). 971. All swere wel; read sweren (omitting the expletive wel). 972. All thousande. 973. F. lest. 974. B. chieff; rest chefe. Th. Tn. myrrour; F. meroure. Th. Tn. feste; F. fest. 975. Th. F. stonde; read stonden. 976. Th. that; which Tn. F. omit. 977. Tn. B. pleyd; F. pleyed. 978. F. thoght. Th. felaushyp; Tn. feliship; F. felysshyppe. 979. Tn. saw; F. sawgh. 981. Th. F. Trewly; Tn. Truly. B. ye; Th. F. eye (note the rime). 982. Th. Tn. soleyn; F. soleyne. 983. Th. lyueth; F. levyth. 984. Tn. knew; rest knowe. 985. Th. goodnesse; F. godenesse. 988. Th. Tn. if; F. yif. 989. Tn. F. seyn; Th. sayne. F. alle. 990. Tn. wit; F. wytte. Th. general; F. generalle. 991. F. hoole. 992. All wytte.
994. All And thereto; but And is needless. F. sawgh. 995. Th. Harmful; F. Harmeful. 996. For ne had perhaps read nad. 997. I transpose; all have What harme was (but harm is monosyllabic, and the line is then bad). 998. Tn. F. coude. Th. thynketh; F. thenketh. 1000. F. had hadde hyt hadde. 1001. All dele. 1002. All wele. 1003. F. al and alle. 1004. Th. principal; F. principalle. 1007. F. stedefaste. 1008. Th. Tn. B. attempre; F. atempry. 1009. Tn. knew; F. knewe. Tn. yit; F. yitte. 1010. Tn. wit; F. wytte. 1011. F. vnderstoode. 1012. F. goode. 1016. All wronge. 1019. Tn. luste; F. lust 1020. All wolde not; an error for nolde (Koch). 1022. All halfe worde.
1025. Th. F. pruyse; Tn. pruse; B. sprewse. 1027. Th. bydde; F. bid. 1028. Th. hoodlesse; F. hoodeles. All in-to; read to. 1029. B. hom; rest home. Tn. Carrynare. 1030. F. Tn. sey; Th. omits. 1032. F. Worshyppe. 1034. F. wherfore. Tn. telle; F. tel. 1035. All seyde (sayde). 1036. F. hooly. All leyde (layde). 1037. All wyfe (wife). 1038. All luste. All lyfe (life). 1039. Tn. F. happe; Th. hope. 1040. F. worldys. I substitute lisse for goddesse; see note. 1041. F. hooly hires and; Th. Tn. holy hers and; B. hooly hyres. 1042. F. oure. 1043. Th. beset; F. besette; Tn. yset. 1044. F. myght haue doo bette. 1045. Th. Tn. Bet; F. Bette. F. wele. 1046. F. hit wel sir; Th. Tn. om. hit wel. 1047. F. sire. 1048. All trewly. 1049. Th. Tn. beste; F. best. 1050. Tn. fayreste; F. fayrest. 1051. All ins. her after loked. 1052. Tn. B. all_e_; F. al.
1053. All swore; read sworen. 1054. Perhaps read nadde. 1056. F. had hadde (better hadde had). 1057. All Alcipyades. 1060. Th. Tn. Alisaundre; F. Alisaunder. ? omit al or the. 1064. Th. therto; F. Tn. to (see 1059). Th. Tn. al so; F. also as. 1066. Tn. slow; F. slough. 1067. Tn. therfor; F. ther fore. 1069. Tn. slayn; F. slayne. Th. Tn. Antilegius; F. Antylegyus. 1071. I supply hir. 1074. Tn. moste; F. most. 1075. All insert trewly after nay; we must omit it. 1075, 6. F. nowe, howe. 1077. Th. good; F. goode. F. hert. 1078. All eke. 1081. All ins. was after ever. Th. Penelope; F. Penelopee; Tn. penelapie; read Pénelóp'. 1082. All wyfe (wife).
1083: Th. beste; F. best. 1084: Tn. romayn; F. Romayne. 1088: All wherfore. 1089: F. firste. Th. sey; F. say. 1090: All yonge. I supply the. 1091: F. grete nede. 1093: F. grete. 1094: All wytte. Tn. best; F. beste. 1095: All yonge. F. childely wytte. 1097: B. beste; rest best. 1098: F. worshippe. Th. F. insert the before servyse; but Tn. omits. 1099: All coude tho; read tho coude. Tn. by; F. be. 1100: F. Feynynge. 1101: Tn. fayn; F. feyne. 1103: Tn. saw; F. sawgh. 1104: Th. warysshed; F. Tn. warshed. 1106: F. thoght. 1108: Tn. sit; Th. syt; F. sytte. Th. Tn. in; F. om. 1110: Th. out; Tn. F. oute. 1111: All trewly.
1114. All shrifte (shryfte). 1117. Tn. certes; F. certis. 1118. Tn. Achitofell; F. Achetofel. 1120. Tn. traytour; F. traytore. Tn. F. B. betraysed; Th. betrayed. 1121. Th. false; F. fals. All Genellon. 1123. Tn. rowland; F. Rowlande. 1124. All while (whyle). 1126. F. good; Tn. gode. I supply right. 1127. All tolde. B. her-; F. here-. 1128. All nede. F. Th. Tn. insert to after need; B. omits it. Tn. hit; Th. it; F. om. 1129. Tn. sawe; F. sawgh. Th. first; F. firste. 1130. Tn. telle; F. tel. 1131. Tn. her; F. hire. B. firste; rest first. 1133. All knewe (subjunctive). 1135. All eke. 1136. Tn. her-; F. here-. 1137. Tn. seyde he; F. he seyde. F. menyst. 1138. F. wenyst. 1139. Tn. los; F. losse. I supply sir. 1141. F. doon; Tn. Th. done (read y-doon). 1142. F. bathe lefte.
1143. Th. tel; F. telle. Th. al; F. alle. 1144. Th. shal; F. shalle. 1145. All say. Tn. seyd; F. seyde. 1146. Tn. leyd; F. leyde. 1147. All needlessly insert not (or nat) after hit. 1150. F. tel. 1153. Tn. herte; F. hert. 1154. Th. asterte; F. astert. 1155. Omit But for? F. ins. so before fro; Tn. Th. omit. 1158. All songe. 1159. F. Th. Tn. ins. this (B. thus) before a. F. grete dele. 1160. All wele. 1161. Th. Tn. ne; B. to; F. the (!). F. knowe (infin.); Tn. know; Th. knewe (wrongly). All the arte; perhaps read that art. 1162. Th. Lamekes; F. lamekys. Th. Tubal; F. Tuballe; Tn. B. Tuballe. 1163. B. fonde; rest founde. Th. first; F. firste. All songe. 1164. Tn. brothers; F. brothres. 1165. Th. anuelt; Tn. anuelte; F. Anuelet. Tn. doun; F. doon. 1166. F. tooke. B. fyrste; rest first. Tn. soune; F. soon. 1167. Th. of Pithagoras. 1168. Tn. fyrste; F. first. 1169. All arte.
1171. F. Algatis. 1172. F. felynge; hert 1173. Th. this; F. Tn. thus. I supply the. Tn. firste; F. first. 1174. Th. werst; Tn. F. repeat first. I supply that. 1175. All Lorde. Tn. herte; F. hert. 1178. All myght (might). 1180. All faire (fayre). 1181. All tolde. Tn. soth; F. sothe. All say. 1182. Tn. firste; F. first. All songe; all day. 1183. Tn. bethoghte; F. bethoght. 1185. F. wyst. 1186. Tn. tell_e_; F. tel. All durst. 1187. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. F. rede. 1188. All am; grammar requires nam. F. dede. 1189. Tn. if; F. yif. All sey (say), after which ryght is needlessly inserted; I omit it. Tn. soth; F. sothe. 1190. Tn. wroth; F. wrothe. 1192. All debate. 1193. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. F. brast; Th. Tn. braste (subj.). Tn. a tweyn; F. a tweyne. 1194. All at the; read atte. Tn. seyn; F. sayne. 1195. All bethoght (bethought) me. 1197. All trewly or truly. 1198. F. wyth oute; read withouten.
1201. F. nedys; Mawgree. Th. heed; F. hede. 1202. Tn. moste; F. most. All tolde. Th. deed; F. dede. 1203. Th. began; F. beganne (!). 1204. All reherse or reherce; but read rehersen. 1205, 6. All eke. Th. -al, dismal; F. Tn. -alle, dismalle. 1208. All worde. 1210. F. wordys. Tn. mysset; F. mys sette. 1212. F. quakynge. 1213. F. styntynge. 1215. Tn. wex; F. wexe. Th. reed; F. rede. 1216. F. Bowynge. Th. heed; F. hede. 1218. Tn. wit; F. witte. All maner. 1220. All sate (!). 1221. All at the; read atte. Tn. soth; F. sothe. Tn. seyn; F. seyne. 1222. Tn. herte; F. hert. Tn. agayn; F. ageyne. 1223. Th. shortly; F. shortely. Th. al; Tn. B. all_e_; F. at (!). 1226. All swore (!). 1228. F. fresshly.
1230. F. worshippe. 1231. All swore or swere(!). 1232. Th. al; F. alle. 1234. All ins. to before false. 1235. Tn. wisse; F. wysse; B. wys. 1237. All wote (!). 1238. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. 1239. All ins. ryght before as. 1242. F. wordys. 1244. Th. Al; F. Alle. 1248. Th. Troye; F. Troy. 1250. Tn. durste; F. durst. 1251. F. stale. 1253. All trewly. All nede. 1254. All hede. 1256. All fonde or founde.
1261. F. vnderstode. 1262. Th. thyng; F. Tn. B. no thynge; but no is not required by idiom or metre. All goode, gode. 1263. F. worshippe. 1264. All al (or alle) thynges; but al thing is the right idiom. Th. drede; Tn. to drede; F. dred. 1266. For And read That (Lange). 1267. All harme. 1268. Tn. knew; F. knewe. 1269. F. hooly. 1270. F. yifte. 1271. F. Savynge hir worshippe. 1273. All rynge (!). 1274. Tn. firste; F. first. Th. thyng; F. thynge. 1275. Tn. if; F. yif. Tn. herte; F. hert. 1276. Tn. Glad; F. Gladde. All nede. 1279. Tn. all_e_; F. al. 1281. All trewly (treuly). 1282. Th. Tn. B. the; which F. omits. 1284. Th. debonairly; F. debonairely. 1285. Tn. B. all_e_ (first time); the rest al. B. all_e_ (second time); rest al. 1286. F. tooke. 1289. F. Oure. Th. F. werne; Tn. weren. Th. euen; F. evene. 1290. Th. Tn. contrayre; F. contrarye.
1293. All eke. 1294. All glad. 1300. Tn. B. wex; F. waxe; Th. woxe. Th. deed; F. dede. 1302. Tn. los; F. losse. 1303. F. hadde; rest had. All lorne (!). 1304. F. Bethenke. F. herebeforne. 1305. F. menyst. 1306. F. wenyst. 1307. F. wote. 1309. Th. deed; F. ded. Tn. bi; F. be. 1310. F. youre. Tn. los; F. losse. Th. by; F. be. 1312. Read rather They gonne forth straken (or striken). 1313. Th. hart; F. Tn. herte (!). 1314. F. thoght; kynge. 1315. I supply quikly; the line is too short. 1316. All insert was after place. 1318. All longe. F. wallys. 1319. Th. Tn. By; F. Be. Th. hyl; F. Tn. hille. 1320. Th. fyl; F. Tn. fille (!).
1322. F. castell. All ins. ther before was. 1323. Th. smytte; F. Tn. smyte; read smiten (pp.). Th. houres; F. oures. 1324. F. awooke. 1325. All fonde or founde. F. lyinge. Tn. bed; F. bedde. 1326. F. booke. Tn. had red; F. hadde redde. 1327. Th. Alcyone; F. Alchione. F. kynge. 1328. F. goddys of slepynge. 1329. Tn. euyn; F. evene. 1330. Tn. Thoghte; F. Thoght. Tn. sweuyn; F. sweuene. 1331. Th. by; F. be. 1332. All put. Tn. sweuyn; F. sweuene. 1334. Tn. sweuyn; F. sweuene. COLOPHON; so in F. B.
* * * * *
IV. THE COMPLEYNT OF MARS.
The Proem.
Gladeth, ye foules, of the morow gray, Lo! Venus risen among yon rowes rede! And floures fresshe, honoureth ye this day; For when the sonne uprist, then wol ye sprede. But ye lovers, that lye in any drede, 5 Fleëth, lest wikked tonges yow espye; Lo! yond the sonne, the candel of Ielosye!
With teres blewe, and with a wounded herte Taketh your leve; and, with seynt Iohn to borow, Apeseth somwhat of your sorowes smerte, 10 Tyme cometh eft, that cese shal your sorow; The glade night is worth an hevy morow!'-- (Seynte Valentyne! a foul thus herde I singe Upon thy day, er sonne gan up-springe).--
Yet sang this foul--'I rede yow al a-wake, 15 And ye, that han not chosen in humble wyse, Without repenting cheseth yow your make. And ye, that han ful chosen as I devyse, Yet at the leste renoveleth your servyse; Confermeth it perpetuely to dure, 20 And paciently taketh your aventure.
And for the worship of this hye feste, Yet wol I, in my briddes wyse, singe The sentence of the compleynt, at the leste, That woful Mars made atte departinge 35 Fro fresshe Venus in a morweninge, Whan Phebus, with his fyry torches rede, Ransaked every lover in his drede.
The Story.
¶ Whylom the thridde hevenes lord above, As wel by hevenish revolucioun 30 As by desert, hath wonne Venus his love, And she hath take him in subieccioun, And as a maistresse taught him his lessoun, Comaunding him that never, in hir servyse, He nere so bold no lover to despyse. 35
For she forbad him Ielosye at alle, And cruelte, and bost, and tirannye; She made him at hir lust so humble and talle, That when hir deyned caste on him her yë, He took in pacience to live or dye; 40 And thus she brydeleth him in hir manere, With no-thing but with scourging of hir chere.
Who regneth now in blisse but Venus, That hath this worthy knight in governaunce? Who singeth now but Mars, that serveth thus 45 The faire Venus, causer of plesaunce? He bynt him to perpetual obeisaunce, And she bynt hir to loven him for ever, But so be that his trespas hit dissever.
Thus be they knit, and regnen as in heven 50 By loking most; til hit fil, on a tyde, That by hir bothe assent was set a steven, That Mars shal entre, as faste as he may glyde, Into hir nexte paleys, to abyde, Walking his cours til she had him a-take, 55 And he preyde hir to haste hir for his sake.
Then seyde he thus--"myn hertes lady swete, Ye knowe wel my mischef in that place; For sikerly, til that I with yow mete, My lyf stant ther in aventure and grace; 60 But when I see the beaute of your face, Ther is no dreed of deth may do me smerte, For al your lust is ese to myn herte."
She hath so gret compassion of hir knight, That dwelleth in solitude til she come; 65 For hit stood so, that ilke tyme, no wight Counseyled him, ne seyde to him welcome, That nigh hir wit for wo was overcome; Wherfore she spedde hir as faste in hir weye, Almost in oon day, as he dide in tweye. 70
The grete Ioye that was betwix hem two, Whan they be met, ther may no tunge telle, Ther is no more, but unto bed they go, And thus in Ioye and blisse I let hem dwelle; This worthy Mars, that is of knighthod welle, 75 The flour of fairnes lappeth in his armes, And Venus kisseth Mars, the god of armes.
Soiourned hath this Mars, of which I rede, In chambre amid the paleys prively A certeyn tyme, til him fel a drede, 80 Through Phebus, that was comen hastely Within the paleys-yates sturdely, With torche in honde, of which the stremes brighte On Venus chambre knokkeden ful lighte.
The chambre, ther as lay this fresshe quene, 85 Depeynted was with whyte boles grete, And by the light she knew, that shoon so shene, That Phebus cam to brenne hem with his hete; This sely Venus, dreynt in teres wete, Enbraceth Mars, and seyde, "alas! I dye! 90 The torch is come, that al this world wol wrye."
Up sterte Mars, him liste not to slepe, Whan he his lady herde so compleyne; But, for his nature was not for to wepe, In stede of teres, fro his eyen tweyne 95 The fyry sparkes brosten out for peyne; And hente his hauberk, that lay him besyde; Flee wolde he not, ne mighte him-selven hyde.
He throweth on his helm of huge wighte, And girt him with his swerde; and in his honde 100 His mighty spere, as he was wont to fighte, He shaketh so that almost it to-wonde; Ful hevy he was to walken over londe; He may not holde with Venus companye, But bad hir fleen, lest Phebus hir espye. 105
O woful Mars! alas! what mayst thou seyn, That in the paleys of thy disturbaunce Art left behinde, in peril to be sleyn? And yet ther-to is double thy penaunce, For she, that hath thyn herte in governaunce, 110 Is passed halfe the stremes of thyn yën; That thou nere swift, wel mayst thou wepe and cryen.
Now fleeth Venus un-to Cylenius tour, With voide cours, for fere of Phebus light. Alas! and ther ne hath she no socour, 115 For she ne fond ne saw no maner wight; And eek as ther she had but litil might; Wher-for, hir-selven for to hyde and save, Within the gate she fledde into a cave.
Derk was this cave, and smoking as the helle, 120 Not but two pas within the gate hit stood; A naturel day in derk I lete hir dwelle. Now wol I speke of Mars, furious and wood; For sorow he wolde have seen his herte blood; Sith that he mighte hir don no companye, 125 He ne roghte not a myte for to dye.
So feble he wex, for hete and for his wo, That nigh he swelt, he mighte unnethe endure; He passeth but oo steyre in dayes two, But ner the les, for al his hevy armure, 130 He foloweth hir that is his lyves cure; For whos departing he took gretter yre Thanne for al his brenning in the fyre.
After he walketh softely a pas, Compleyning, that hit pite was to here. 135 He seyde, "O lady bright, Venus! alas! That ever so wyde a compas is my spere! Alas! whan shal I mete yow, herte dere, This twelfte day of April I endure, Through Ielous Phebus, this misaventure." 140
Now god helpe sely Venus allone! But, as god wolde, hit happed for to be, That, whyl that Venus weping made hir mone, Cylenius, ryding in his chevauchè, Fro Venus valance mighte his paleys see, 145 And Venus he salueth, and maketh chere, And hir receyveth as his frend ful dere.
Mars dwelleth forth in his adversite, Compleyning ever on hir departinge; And what his compleynt was, remembreth me; 150 And therfore, in this lusty morweninge, As I best can, I wol hit seyn and singe, And after that I wol my leve take; And God yeve every wight Ioye of his make!
The compleynt of Mars.
The Proem of the Compleynt.
¶ The ordre of compleynt requireth skilfully, 155 That if a wight shal pleyne pitously, There mot be cause wherfor that men pleyne; Or men may deme he pleyneth folily And causeles; alas! that am not I! Wherfor the ground and cause of al my peyne, 160 So as my troubled wit may hit ateyne, I wol reherse; not for to have redresse, But to declare my ground of hevinesse.
Devotion.
¶ The firste tyme, alas! that I was wroght, And for certeyn effectes hider broght 165 By him that lordeth ech intelligence, I yaf my trewe servise and my thoght, For evermore--how dere I have hit boght!-- To hir, that is of so gret excellence, That what wight that first sheweth his presence, 170 When she is wroth and taketh of him no cure, He may not longe in Ioye of love endure.
This is no feyned mater that I telle; My lady is the verrey sours and welle Of beaute, lust, fredom, and gentilnesse, 175 Of riche aray--how dere men hit selle!-- Of al disport in which men frendly dwelle, Of love and pley, and of benigne humblesse, Of soune of instruments of al swetnesse; And therto so wel fortuned and thewed, 180 That through the world hir goodnesse is y-shewed.
What wonder is then, thogh that I besette My servise on suche oon, that may me knette To wele or wo, sith hit lyth in hir might? Therfor my herte for ever I to hir hette; 185 Ne trewly, for my dethe, I shal not lette To ben hir trewest servaunt and hir knight. I flater noght, that may wite every wight; For this day in hir servise shal I dye; But grace be, I see hir never with yë. 190
A Lady in fear and woe.
¶ To whom shal I than pleyne of my distresse? Who may me helpe, who may my harm redresse? Shal I compleyne unto my lady free? Nay, certes! for she hath such hevinesse, For fere and eek for wo, that, as I gesse, 195 In litil tyme hit wol hir bane be. But were she sauf, hit wer no fors of me. Alas! that ever lovers mote endure, For love, so many a perilous aventure!
For thogh so be that lovers be as trewe 200 As any metal that is forged newe, In many a cas hem tydeth ofte sorowe. Somtyme hir ladies will not on hem rewe, Somtyme, yif that Ielosye hit knewe, They mighten lightly leye hir heed to borowe; 205 Somtyme envyous folke with tunges horowe Depraven hem; alas! whom may they plese? But he be fals, no lover hath his ese.
But what availeth suche a long sermoun Of aventures of love, up and doun? 210 I wol returne and speken of my peyne; The point is this of my destruccioun, My righte lady, my salvacioun, Is in affray, and not to whom to pleyne. O herte swete, O lady sovereyne! 215 For your disese, wel oghte I swoune and swelte, Thogh I non other harm ne drede felte.
Instability of Happiness.
¶ To what fyn made the god that sit so hye, Benethen him, love other companye, And streyneth folk to love, malgre hir hede? 220 And then hir Ioye, for oght I can espye, Ne lasteth not the twinkeling of an yë, And somme han never Ioye til they be dede. What meneth this? what is this mistihede? Wherto constreyneth he his folk so faste 225 Thing to desyre, but hit shulde laste?
And thogh he made a lover love a thing, And maketh hit seme stedfast and during, Yet putteth he in hit such misaventure, That reste nis ther noon in his yeving. 230 And that is wonder, that so Iust a king Doth such hardnesse to his creature. Thus, whether love breke or elles dure, Algates he that hath with love to done Hath ofter wo then changed is the mone. 235
Hit semeth he hath to lovers enmite, And lyk a fissher, as men alday may see, Baiteth his angle-hook with som plesaunce, Til mony a fish is wood til that he be Sesed ther-with; and then at erst hath he 240 Al his desyr, and ther-with al mischaunce; And thogh the lyne breke, he hath penaunce; For with the hoke he wounded is so sore, That he his wages hath for ever-more.
The Brooch of Thebes.
¶ The broche of Thebes was of suche a kinde, 245 So ful of rubies and of stones Inde, That every wight, that sette on hit an yë, He wende anon to worthe out of his minde; So sore the beaute wolde his herte binde, Til he hit hadde, him thoghte he moste dye; 250 And whan that hit was his, than shulde he drye Such wo for drede, ay whyl that he hit hadde, That welnigh for the fere he shulde madde.
And whan hit was fro his possessioun, Than had he double wo and passioun 255 For he so fair a tresor had forgo; But yet this broche, as in conclusioun, Was not the cause of this confusioun; But he that wroghte hit enfortuned hit so, That every wight that had hit shuld have wo; 260 And therfor in the worcher was the vyce, And in the covetour that was so nyce.
So fareth hit by lovers and by me; For thogh my lady have so gret beaute, That I was mad til I had gete hir grace, 265 She was not cause of myn adversite, But he that wroghte hir, also mot I thee, That putte suche a beaute in hir face, That made me to covete and purchace Myn owne deth; him wyte I that I dye, 270 And myn unwit, that ever I clomb so hye.
An Appeal for Sympathy.
¶ But to yow, hardy knightes of renoun, Sin that ye be of my divisioun, Al be I not worthy to so grete a name, Yet, seyn these clerkes, I am your patroun; 275 Ther-for ye oghte have som compassioun Of my disese, and take it noght a-game. The proudest of yow may be mad ful tame; Wherfor I prey yow, of your gentilesse, That ye compleyne for myn hevinesse. 280
And ye, my ladies, that ben trewe and stable, By way of kinde, ye oghten to be able To have pite of folk that be in peyne: Now have ye cause to clothe yow in sable; Sith that your emperice, the honorable, 285 Is desolat, wel oghte ye to pleyne; Now shuld your holy teres falle and reyne. Alas! your honour and your emperice, Nigh deed for drede, ne can hir not chevise.
Compleyneth eek, ye lovers, al in-fere, 290 For hir that, with unfeyned humble chere, Was ever redy to do yow socour; Compleyneth hir that ever hath had yow dere; Compleyneth beaute, fredom, and manere; Compleyneth hir that endeth your labour; 295 Compleyneth thilke ensample of al honour, That never dide but al gentilesse; Kytheth therfor on hir som kindenesse.' 298
1. Ar. foules; Ju. fowles; T. fooles (!); Harl. floures (see l. 3); F. Tn. lovers (wrongly). F. Harl. on; Tn. in; rest of. 2. Ar. the; F. Harl. yow; Tn. Ju. you; T. your (wrongly; Thynne (1532) has yon, which, after all, is clearly right). 3. T. Ar. honoureth: F. Tn. honouren. F. the (!); rest ye. F. Tn. T. day; Ju. Harl. Ar. may (!) 4. F. Harl. sunne; rest sonne. Ar. vp risith. Ju. T. Ar. ye; F. they (!); Tn. the (!); Harl. he (!!). 5. Ar. any; F. eny. 7. F. Loo yonde; sunne; Ialosye. 8. F. blew; hert. 9. F. sent; Ar. seynt. 10. F. sum-; smert. 11. Ar. eft; Th. efte; T. efft; F. ofte. 12. Tn. Th. glade; F. glad. 13. F. foule; herd. 14. F. your; Ar. the; rest thy. F. sunne.
15. F. sange; foule. 17-19. in wrong order in F. Tn. 17. T. you; Ar. [gh]ow; Ju. ye; rest om. 19. F. this fest; rest the leste (lest, leest). 22. F. high_e_; Tn. high; rest hye. F. fest. 24. F. lest. 25. F. departyng; see l. 149. 26. F. morwnyng (see Kn. Tale, 204). 28. F. ins. hath bef. every; Tn. hat; Ju. had; rest om. 29. T. thridde; F. thrid. 35. Ju. Ar. nere; F. T. ner. F. bolde; dispise. 38. F. (only) om. him. F. calle (for talle); Harl. talle; Ju. Ar. tall; T. tal. 39. F. to cast; Ju. T. rightly omit to. 40. F. toke. 41. F. maner. 42. Ju. scourgyng; T. skowrging_e_; Ar. scurgeing; Tn. schouryng (sic); F. stering; Th. scornyng, and ed. 1561 scorni_n_g (probably a substitution). F. cher.
46. F. fair. 48. T. Ar. loven; rest loue. 49. Tn. trespas; F. trespace. T. Ar. disseuer; F. deseuer. 51. T. Ju. Tn. By; F. Be. 53. F. fast. 54. Tn. nexte; F. next. 55. Ar. our_e_-take. 56. T. preyde; F. preiede. F. faste (!); Harl. hasten; rest haste. 57. F. hertis; suete. 58. F. myschefe. 59. F. sikirly. 60. F. lyfe. 62. F. smert. 63. F. alle; hert. 64. F. grete. F. on; rest of. 66. F. stode. 67. Jn. Harl. T. Ar. ins. there after 1st him. 68. F. nyghe; witte. F. sorowe; Tn. sorow; rest wo, woo. 69. T. spedde; F. sped. T. Ar. als; rest as. F. fast; wey. 70. F. dyd; twey.
71. Ar. betuix; F. betwex; rest bytwene. 72. F. When; mette; tel. 74. F. duel. 75. F. knyghthode wel. 76. F. feyrenesse. 81. F. Throgh. 82. F. (alone) inserts ful before sturdely. 83. F. bryght. 84. Ju. Th. knockeden; Harl. knokkid_e_; Tn. knokked; F. knokken (wrongly; a copy in MS. Pepys 2006 rightly has knokkeden). 87. F. shone. 88. Tn. T. brenne; F. bren. 89. F. cely (for sely); Tn. Ju. sely. MSS. nygh dreynt; omit nygh. 92. Tn. sterte; F. stert. Tn. liste; F. lust. 95. Tn. stede; F. stid. F. twyne. 97. F. hent; hauberke; ley. 98. F. wold; myght.
99. Tn. Ju. T. throweth; F. thrwe (badly). F. helme; wyght. 101. F. fyght. 102. Ar. to-wound; Harl. to-wond; rest to-wonde. 103. Ar. he was; rest was he. 108. F. (alone) inserts thou after Art. 110. F. hert. 112. Tn. Ju. Th. nere; F. ner. 113. F. Tn. in to; Harl. to rest vn to. Ju. Cylenius; Harl. Cylenyus; Ar. Cilenius; T. Celenius; Tn. cilinius; F. cilinios. F. toure. 115. Harl. T. ne; Ar. so; rest om. 116. F. founde; saugh. 117. F. eke. 119. Harl. T. fledde; Tn. Ju. Ar. fled; F. fel. 120. F. Derke; hel. 121. F. pales; rest pas (pace). F. stode. 122. F. let; duel. 123. So all. F. wode. 124. F. wold; sene; hert blode. 125. F. myght. Harl. done hir; Ju. doo her; T. Ar. do hir; F. Tn. haue done her; read hir don. 126. Tn. roghte; Ju. Harl. Ar. rought; F. thoght (!).
128. F. myght. 129. Harl. o; T. oon; Ju. one; rest a. Tn. Ju. Harl. steyre; T. stayre; F. sterre (!). 130. F. lesse. 132. F. toke. 133. Harl. T. Thanne; F. Then. 134. F. paas. 135. F. heree. 137. F. speree. 138. F. hert. 139. T. twelfft (but read twelfte); Ju. twelfth; Harl. Ar. twelf (wrongly); F. Tn. xij. F. dayes; Tn. days; rest day (rightly). 140. F. Throgh Ielouse. 141. Read helpe god (Koch). 143. F. while. 144. Ju. Cylenius; F. Cilinius. Tn. Lt. cheuauche; F. cheuache. 145. F. Ju. Fro; Ar. From; Tn. Harl. T. For. Ar. valance; Tn. valauns; F. Valaunses; Th. (ed. 1532) Valanus (for Valauns?); Ju. balance; Harl. T. balaunce. 147. F. frende. 151. F. morwnynge. 154. Ju. Th. yeue; F. yif. F. Ioy.
TITLE. In F. Ar. Ju.; T. Complaint of mars. 156. F. pleyn. 157. F. wherfore; pleyn. 158. F. Other; rest Or. Ju. Ar. folily; F. folely. 160. F. grounde; peyn. 161. F. witte; ateyn. 163. F. grounde. 164. F. first. 166. Tn. By; F. Be. 167. F. trwe; Tn. trewe. 169. F. That (by mistake); rest To. F. excelence. 171. F. wrothe. 175. F. fredam. 179. F. Instrumentes. 181. F. thorow; worlde.
182. All but Tn. Th. om. that. T. besette; F. beset. 183. T. oone; Tn. Ar. one; F. on (twice). F. knet; Ar. knett; rest knette. 184. F. lythe. 185. F. Therfore. F. hert. Ju. Th. hette; Ar. het; F. T. hight; Tn. set; (Longleat MS. has hette). 186. F. truly. Tn. Ju. T. shal I. F. let. 187. F. truest; Tn. Ar. trewest. 188. Tn. wite; F. wete; T. wit; Ju. knowe. 191. T. thane (for than); rest omit. 192. F. harme. 193. F. compleyn. 195. F. eke. 197. Ju. Ar. sauf; T. sauff; F. Tn. safe. 200. Tn. thogh; F. tho. 201. Tn. any; F. eny. 202. Tn. many; F. mony. T. Ar. cas; F. case. 203. F. Somme; rest Somtyme. Ju. T. Ar. lady. 204. Ar. gif; rest if, yf; read yif. 205. F. ley; hede. 207. Ju. T. Th. Deprauen; Ar. Depeynen; F. Tn. Dep_ar_ten.
209. F. longe. 210. Read lov-e (e unelided). F. dovne. 213. Tn. righte; F. right. F. sauacyou_n_; rest saluacioun. 214. F. pleyn. 215. F. hert suete. F. Tn. o; Ar. and; T. and my; Ju. om. 216. F. I oght wel; Tn. I oghte wel; Ju. T. Ar. wel ought I. Ju. swowne; Ar. suoun; T. swoone; Tn. swone; F. sowne. F. swelt. 217. F. none; harme; felt. 218. Ju. fyn; rest fyne. F. sitte; T. sit. 219. T. Tn. Ju. him; Ar. thame; F. om. F. other (= or); Tn. othyr (= or); Ju. T. or. 220. F. folke. 221. F. Ioy. 222. Tn. ye; rest eye. 223. F. Ioy. 225. F. folke; fast. 226. F. shuld last. 228. F. stidfast. 229. Ju. put; Ar. puttis. 230. Tn. T. reste; F. rest. T. noon; Ar. non; Ju. none; F. om. 231. F. Iuste.
236. Tn. enmyte; F. enemyte. 237. F. lyke. 238. Tn. Ju. Bayteth; F. Bateth. Ju. hook; F. hoke. Tn. som; F. summe. 239. F. fissch; wode. F. to; rest til. 241. F. desire. 244. F. hathe. 245. F. such. 246. F. Tn. Ar. stones of; Jn. T. om. of; see Rom. Rose, 67. 247. T. Th. sette; Ar. sett; rest set. 248. Tn. wende; F. wend. 249. F. wold; hert. 250. T. hade; rest had. F. thoght. Tn. moste; F. must. 251. F. Ju. om. that. F. (only) om. his. F. shuld. 252. Ju. T. hadde; F. had. 253. Ju. sholde madde; F. shuld mad. 256. F. feir; tresore (Tn. Iuel). 259. F. wroght. Tn. Th. enfortuned; T. enfortund; F. enfortune (!). 261. F. therfore.
267. F. wroght. Ju. Ar. also; T. als; F. Tn. as. 268. F. Tn. Ju. Ar. put (for putte); T. list to putte. Tn. Ju. a; F. T. Ar. om. 269. T. Ar. to; rest om. F. coueten; Tn. Ju. coueyten; (but to covete is better). 270. F. ovne; Th. owne; Ju. T. Ar. owen. F. dethe. 271. F. ovne witte; Tn. and rest vnwit. F. clombe. 273. F. deuisioun. 274. Perhaps omit to (as T.). 276. F. Therefore; oght; somme. 278. Tn. proudest; F. pruddest. Ar. maid; rest made (for mad, pp.). 279. F. Wherfore. 280. F. Tn. compleyn; Ju. Ar. compleyne; T. compleynen. 281. Ar. trewe; F. true. 282. Ar. By; F. Be. 283. F. folke; peyn. 285. Tn. emperice; F. emperise (and in l. 288). 286. Tn. oghte; F. oght; Ar. aughten. 289. F. Negh ded.
290. F. eke. 293. Tn. Compleyneth; F. Comple_n_ (by mistake); see next line. 297. Tn. dide; Ju. dyde; rest did. T. al; Ju. all; Ar. alway; F. Tn. om. 298. Ar. sum; F. summe.
* * * * *
V. THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES.
The Proem.
The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne, Thassay so hard, so sharp the conquering, The dredful Ioy, that alwey slit so yerne, Al this mene I by love, that my feling Astonyeth with his wonderful worching 5 So sore y-wis, that whan I on him thinke, Nat wot I wel wher that I wake or winke.
For al be that I knowe not love in dede, Ne wot how that he quyteth folk hir hyre, Yet happeth me ful ofte in bokes rede 10 Of his miracles, and his cruel yre; Ther rede I wel he wol be lord and syre, I dar not seyn, his strokes been so sore, But God save swich a lord! I can no more.
Of usage, what for luste what for lore, 15 On bokes rede I ofte, as I yow tolde. But wherfor that I speke al this? not yore Agon, hit happed me for to beholde Upon a boke, was write with lettres olde; And ther-upon, a certeyn thing to lerne, 20 The longe day ful faste I radde and yerne.
For out of olde feldes, as men seith, Cometh al this newe corn fro yeer to yere; And out of olde bokes, in good feith, Cometh al this newe science that men lere. 25 But now to purpos as of this matere-- To rede forth hit gan me so delyte, That al the day me thoughte but a lyte.
This book of which I make mencioun, Entitled was al thus, as I shal telle, 30 Tullius of the dreme of Scipioun'; Chapitres seven hit hadde, of hevene and helle, And erthe, and soules that therinne dwelle, Of whiche, as shortly as I can hit trete, Of his sentence I wol you seyn the grete. 35
First telleth hit, whan Scipioun was come In Afrik, how he mette Massinisse, That him for Ioye in armes hath y nome. Than telleth [hit] hir speche and al the blisse That was betwix hem, til the day gan misse; 40 And how his auncestre, African so dere, Gan in his slepe that night to him appere.
Than telleth hit that, fro a sterry place, How African hath him Cartage shewed, And warned him before of al his grace, 45 And seyde him, what man, lered other lewed, That loveth comun profit, wel y-thewed, He shal unto a blisful place wende, Ther as Ioye is that last withouten ende.
Than asked he, if folk that heer be dede 50 Have lyf and dwelling in another place; And African seyde, 'ye, withoute drede,' And that our present worldes lyves space Nis but a maner deth, what wey we trace, And rightful folk shal go, after they dye, 55 To heven; and shewed him the galaxye.
Than shewed he him the litel erthe, that heer is, At regard of the hevenes quantite; And after shewed he him the nyne speres, And after that the melodye herde he 60 That cometh of thilke speres thryes three, That welle is of musyke and melodye In this world heer, and cause of armonye.
Than bad he him, sin erthe was so lyte, And ful of torment and of harde grace, 65 That he ne shulde him in the world delyte. Than tolde he him, in certeyn yeres space, That every sterre shulde come into his place Ther hit was first; and al shulde out of minde That in this worlde is don of al mankinde. 70
Than prayde him Scipioun to telle him al The wey to come un-to that hevene blisse; And he seyde, 'know thy-self first immortal, And loke ay besily thou werke and wisse To comun profit, and thou shalt nat misse 75 To comen swiftly to that place dere, That ful of blisse is and of soules clere.
But brekers of the lawe, soth to seyne, And lecherous folk, after that they be dede, Shul alwey whirle aboute therthe in peyne, 80 Til many a world be passed, out of drede, And than, for-yeven alle hir wikked dede, Than shul they come unto that blisful place, To which to comen god thee sende his grace!'--
The day gan failen, and the derke night, 85 That reveth bestes from hir besinesse, Berafte me my book for lakke of light, And to my bedde I gan me for to dresse, Fulfild of thought and besy hevinesse; For bothe I hadde thing which that I nolde, 90 And eek I ne hadde that thing that I wolde.
But fynally my spirit, at the laste, For-wery of my labour al the day, Took rest, that made me to slepe faste, And in my slepe I mette, as I lay, 95 How African, right in that selfe aray That Scipioun him saw before that tyde, Was comen, and stood right at my beddes syde.
The wery hunter, slepinge in his bed, To wode ayein his minde goth anoon; 100 The Iuge dremeth how his plees ben sped; The carter dremeth how his cartes goon; The riche, of gold; the knight fight with his foon, The seke met he drinketh of the tonne; The lover met he hath his lady wonne. 105
Can I nat seyn if that the cause were For I had red of African beforn, That made me to mete that he stood there; But thus seyde he, 'thou hast thee so wel born In loking of myn olde book to-torn, 110 Of which Macrobie roghte nat a lyte, That somdel of thy labour wolde I quyte!'--
Citherea! thou blisful lady swete, That with thy fyr-brand dauntest whom thee lest, And madest me this sweven for to mete, 115 Be thou my help in this, for thou mayst best; As wisly as I saw thee north-north-west, When I began my sweven for to wryte, So yif me might to ryme hit and endyte!
The Story.
This forseid African me hente anoon, 120 And forth with him unto a gate broghte Right of a parke, walled with grene stoon; And over the gate, with lettres large y-wroghte, Ther weren vers y-writen, as me thoghte, On eyther halfe, of ful gret difference, 125 Of which I shal yow sey the pleyn sentence.
Thorgh me men goon in-to that blisful place Of hertes hele and dedly woundes cure; Thorgh me men goon unto the welle of Grace, Ther grene and lusty May shal ever endure; 130 This is the wey to al good aventure; Be glad, thou reder, and thy sorwe of-caste, Al open am I; passe in, and hy the faste!'
Thorgh me men goon,' than spak that other syde, 'Unto the mortal strokes of the spere, 135 Of which Disdayn and Daunger is the gyde, Ther tree shal never fruyt ne leves bere. This streem you ledeth to the sorwful were, Ther as the fish in prison is al drye; Theschewing is only the remedye.' 140
Thise vers of gold and blak y-writen were, The whiche I gan a stounde to beholde, For with that oon encresed ay my fere, And with that other gan myn herte bolde; That oon me hette, that other did me colde, 145 No wit had I, for errour, for to chese, To entre or flee, or me to save or lese.
Right as, betwixen adamauntes two Of even might, a pece of iren y-set, That hath no might to meve to ne fro-- 150 For what that on may hale, that other let-- Ferde I, that niste whether me was bet, To entre or leve, til African my gyde Me hente, and shoof in at the gates wyde,
And seyde, 'hit stondeth writen in thy face, 155 Thyn errour, though thou telle it not to me; But dred thee nat to come in-to this place, For this wryting is no-thing ment by thee, Ne by noon, but he Loves servant be; For thou of love hast lost thy tast, I gesse, 160 As seek man hath of swete and bitternesse.
But natheles, al-though that thou be dulle, Yit that thou canst not do, yit mayst thou see; For many a man that may not stonde a pulle, Yit lyketh him at the wrastling for to be, 165 And demeth yit wher he do bet or he; And if thou haddest cunning for tendyte, I shal thee shewen mater of to wryte.'
With that my hond in his he took anoon, Of which I comfort caughte, and wente in faste; 170 But lord! so I was glad and wel begoon! For over-al, wher that I myn eyen caste, Were treës clad with leves that ay shal laste, Eche in his kinde, of colour fresh and grene As emeraude, that Ioye was to sene. 175
The bilder ook, and eek the hardy asshe; The piler elm, the cofre unto careyne; The boxtree piper; holm to whippes lasshe; The sayling firr; the cipres, deth to pleyne; The sheter ew, the asp for shaftes pleyne; 180 The olyve of pees, and eek the drunken vyne, The victor palm, the laurer to devyne.
A garden saw I, ful of blosmy bowes, Upon a river, in a grene mede, Ther as that swetnesse evermore y-now is, 185 With floures whyte, blewe, yelowe, and rede; And colde welle-stremes, no-thing dede, That swommen ful of smale fisshes lighte, With finnes rede and scales silver-brighte.
On every bough the briddes herde I singe, 190 With voys of aungel in hir armonye, Som besyed hem hir briddes forth to bringe; The litel conyes to hir pley gunne hye, And further al aboute I gan espye The dredful roo, the buk, the hert and hinde, 195 Squerels, and bestes smale of gentil kinde.
Of instruments of strenges in acord Herde I so pleye a ravisshing swetnesse, That god, that maker is of al and lord, Ne herde never better, as I gesse; 200 Therwith a wind, unnethe hit might be lesse, Made in the leves grene a noise softe Acordant to the foules songe on-lofte.
The air of that place so attempre was That never was grevaunce of hoot ne cold; 205 Ther wex eek every holsom spyce and gras, Ne no man may ther wexe seek ne old; Yet was ther Ioye more a thousand fold Then man can telle; ne never wolde it nighte, But ay cleer day to any mannes sighte. 210
Under a tree, besyde a welle, I say Cupyde our lord his arwes forge and fyle; And at his fete his bowe al redy lay, And wel his doghter tempred al the whyle The hedes in the welle, and with hir wyle 215 She couched hem after as they shulde serve, Som for to slee, and som to wounde and kerve.
Tho was I war of Plesaunce anon-right, And of Aray, and Lust, and Curtesye; And of the Craft that can and hath the might 220 To doon by force a wight to do folye-- Disfigurat was she, I nil not lye; And by him-self, under an oke, I gesse, Sawe I Delyt, that stood with Gentilnesse.
I saw Beautee, withouten any atyr, 225 And Youthe, ful of game and Iolyte, Fool-hardinesse, Flatery, and Desyr, Messagerye, and Mede, and other three-- Hir names shul noght here be told for me-- And upon pilers grete of Iasper longe 230 I saw a temple of bras y-founded stronge.
Aboute the temple daunceden alway Wommen y-nowe, of whiche somme ther were Faire of hem-self, and somme of hem were gay; In kirtels, al disshevele, wente they there-- 235 That was hir office alwey, yeer by yere-- And on the temple, of doves whyte and faire Saw I sittinge many a hundred paire.
Before the temple-dore ful soberly Dame Pees sat, with a curteyn in hir hond: 240 And hir besyde, wonder discretly, Dame Pacience sitting ther I fond With face pale, upon an hille of sond; And alder-next, within and eek with-oute, Behest and Art, and of hir folke a route. 245
Within the temple, of syghes hote as fyr I herde a swogh that gan aboute renne; Which syghes were engendred with desyr, That maden every auter for to brenne Of newe flaume; and wel aspyed I thenne 250 That al the cause of sorwes that they drye Com of the bitter goddesse Ialousye.
The god Priapus saw I, as I wente, Within the temple, in soverayn place stonde, In swich aray as whan the asse him shente 255 With crye by night, and with his ceptre in honde; Ful besily men gunne assaye and fonde Upon his hede to sette, of sondry hewe, Garlondes ful of fresshe floures newe.
And in a privee corner, in disporte, 260 Fond I Venus and hir porter Richesse, That was ful noble and hauteyn of hir porte; Derk was that place, but afterward lightnesse I saw a lyte, unnethe hit might be lesse, And on a bed of golde she lay to reste, 265 Til that the hote sonne gan to weste.
Hir gilte heres with a golden threde Y-bounden were, untressed as she lay, And naked fro the breste unto the hede Men might hir see; and, sothly for to say, 270 The remenant wel kevered to my pay Right with a subtil kerchef of Valence, Ther was no thikker cloth of no defence.
The place yaf a thousand savours swote, And Bachus, god of wyn, sat hir besyde, 275 And Ceres next, that doth of hunger bote; And, as I seide, amiddes lay Cipryde, To whom on knees two yonge folkes cryde To ben hir help; but thus I leet hir lye, And ferther in the temple I gan espye 280
That, in dispyte of Diane the chaste, Ful many a bowe y-broke heng on the wal Of maydens, suche as gunne hir tymes waste In hir servyse; and peynted over al Of many a story, of which I touche shal 285 A fewe, as of Calixte and Athalaunte, And many a mayde, of which the name I wante;
Semyramus, Candace, and Ercules, Biblis, Dido, Tisbe and Piramus, Tristram, Isoude, Paris, and Achilles, 290 Eleyne, Cleopatre, and Troilus, Silla, and eek the moder of Romulus-- Alle these were peynted on that other syde, And al hir love, and in what plyte they dyde.
Whan I was come ayen into the place 295 That I of spak, that was so swote and grene, Forth welk I tho, my-selven to solace. Tho was I war wher that ther sat a quene That, as of light the somer-sonne shene Passeth the sterre, right so over mesure 300 She fairer was than any creature.
And in a launde, upon an hille of floures, Was set this noble goddesse Nature; Of braunches were hir halles and hir boures, Y-wrought after hir craft and hir mesure; 305 Ne ther nas foul that cometh of engendrure, That they ne were prest in hir presence, To take hir doom and yeve hir audience.
For this was on seynt Valentynes day, Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make, 310 Of every kinde, that men thenke may; And that so huge a noyse gan they make, That erthe and see, and tree, and every lake So ful was, that unnethe was ther space For me to stonde, so ful was al the place. 315
And right as Aleyn, in the Pleynt of Kinde, Devyseth Nature of aray and face, In swich aray men mighten hir ther finde. This noble emperesse, ful of grace, Bad every foul to take his owne place, 320 As they were wont alwey fro yeer to yere, Seynt Valentynes day, to stonden there.
That is to sey, the foules of ravyne Were hyest set; and than the foules smale, That eten as hem nature wolde enclyne, 325 As worm, or thing of whiche I telle no tale; But water-foul sat lowest in the dale; And foul that liveth by seed sat on the grene, And that so fele, that wonder was to sene.
Ther mighte men the royal egle finde, 330 That with his sharpe look perceth the sonne; And other egles of a lower kinde, Of which that clerkes wel devysen conne. Ther was the tyraunt with his fethres donne And greye, I mene the goshauk, that doth pyne 335 To briddes for his outrageous ravyne.
The gentil faucon, that with his feet distreyneth The kinges hond; the hardy sperhauk eke, The quayles foo; the merlion that peyneth Him-self ful ofte, the larke for to seke; 340 Ther was the douve, with hir eyen meke; The Ialous swan, ayens his deth that singeth; The oule eek, that of dethe the bode bringeth;
The crane the geaunt, with his trompes soune; The theef, the chogh; and eek the Iangling pye; 345 The scorning Iay; the eles foo, the heroune; The false lapwing, ful of trecherye; The stare, that the counseyl can bewrye; The tame ruddok; and the coward kyte; The cok, that orloge is of thorpes lyte; 350
The sparow, Venus sone; the nightingale, That clepeth forth the fresshe leves newe; The swalow, mordrer of the flyës smale That maken hony of floures fresshe of hewe; The wedded turtel, with hir herte trewe; 355 The pecok, with his aungels fethres brighte; The fesaunt, scorner of the cok by nighte;
The waker goos; the cukkow ever unkinde; The popiniay, ful of delicasye; The drake, stroyer of his owne kinde; 360 The stork, the wreker of avouterye; The hote cormeraunt of glotonye; The raven wys, the crow with vois of care; The throstel olde; the frosty feldefare.
What shulde I seyn? of foules every kinde 365 That in this worlde han fethres and stature, Men mighten in that place assembled finde Before the noble goddesse Nature. And everich of hem did his besy cure Benignely to chese or for to take, 370 By hir acord, his formel or his make.
But to the poynt--Nature held on hir honde A formel egle, of shap the gentileste That ever she among hir werkes fonde, The most benigne and the goodlieste; 375 In hir was every vertu at his reste, So ferforth, that Nature hir-self had blisse To loke on hir, and ofte hir bek to kisse.
Nature, the vicaire of thalmyghty lorde, That hoot, cold, hevy, light, [and] moist and dreye 380 Hath knit by even noumbre of acorde, In esy vois began to speke and seye, Foules, tak hede of my sentence, I preye, And, for your ese, in furthering of your nede, As faste as I may speke, I wol me spede. 385
Ye know wel how, seynt Valentynes day, By my statut and through my governaunce, Ye come for to chese--and flee your way-- Your makes, as I prik yow with plesaunce. But natheles, my rightful ordenaunce 390 May I not lete, for al this world to winne, That he that most is worthy shal beginne.
The tercel egle, as that ye knowen wel, The foul royal above yow in degree, The wyse and worthy, secree, trewe as stel, 395 The which I formed have, as ye may see, In every part as hit best lyketh me, Hit nedeth noght his shap yow to devyse, He shal first chese and speken in his gyse.
And after him, by order shul ye chese, 400 After your kinde, everich as yow lyketh, And, as your hap is, shul ye winne or lese; But which of yow that love most entryketh, God sende him hir that sorest for him syketh.' And therwith-al the tercel gan she calle, 405 And seyde, 'my sone, the choys is to thee falle.
But natheles, in this condicioun Mot be the choys of everich that is here, That she agree to his eleccioun, Who-so he be that shulde been hir fere; 410 This is our usage alwey, fro yeer to yere; And who so may at this time have his grace, In blisful tyme he com in-to this place.'
With hed enclyned and with ful humble chere This royal tercel spak and taried nought; 415 Unto my sovereyn lady, and noght my fere, I chese, and chese with wille and herte and thought, The formel on your hond so wel y-wrought, Whos I am al and ever wol hir serve, Do what hir list, to do me live or sterve. 420
Beseching hir of mercy and of grace, As she that is my lady sovereyne; Or let me dye present in this place. For certes, long may I not live in peyne; For in myn herte is corven every veyne; 425 Having reward only to my trouthe, My dere herte, have on my wo som routhe.
And if that I to hir be founde untrewe, Disobeysaunt, or wilful negligent, Avauntour, or in proces love a newe, 430 I pray to you this be my Iugement, That with these foules I be al to-rent, That ilke day that ever she me finde To hir untrewe, or in my gilte unkinde.
And sin that noon loveth hir so wel as I, 435 Al be she never of love me behette, Than oghte she be myn thourgh hir mercy, For other bond can I noon on hir knette. For never, for no wo, ne shal I lette To serven hir, how fer so that she wende; 440 Sey what yow list, my tale is at an ende.'
Right as the fresshe, rede rose newe Ayen the somer-sonne coloured is, Right so for shame al wexen gan the hewe Of this formel, whan she herde al this; 445 She neyther answerde 'wel,' ne seyde amis, So sore abasshed was she, til that Nature Seyde, 'doghter, drede yow noght, I yow assure.'
Another tercel egle spak anoon Of lower kinde, and seyde, 'that shal not be; 450 I love hir bet than ye do, by seynt Iohn, Or atte leste I love hir as wel as ye; And lenger have served hir, in my degree, And if she shulde have loved for long loving, To me allone had been the guerdoning. 455
I dar eek seye, if she me finde fals, Unkinde, Iangler, or rebel any wyse, Or Ialous, do me hongen by the hals! And but I bere me in hir servyse As wel as that my wit can me suffyse, 460 Fro poynt to poynt, hir honour for to save, Tak she my lyf, and al the good I have.'
The thridde tercel egle answerde tho, Now, sirs, ye seen the litel leyser here; For every foul cryeth out to been a-go 465 Forth with his make, or with his lady dere; And eek Nature hir-self ne wol nought here, For tarying here, noght half that I wolde seye; And but I speke, I mot for sorwe deye.
Of long servyse avaunte I me no-thing, 470 But as possible is me to dye to-day For wo, as he that hath ben languisshing Thise twenty winter, and wel happen may A man may serven bet and more to pay In half a yere, al-though hit were no more, 475 Than som man doth that hath served ful yore.
I ne say not this by me, for I ne can Do no servyse that may my lady plese; But I dar seyn, I am hir trewest man As to my dome, and feynest wolde hir ese; 480 At shorte wordes, til that deth me sese, I wol ben hires, whether I wake or winke, And trewe in al that herte may bethinke.'
Of al my lyf, sin that day I was born, So gentil plee in love or other thing 485 Ne herde never no man me beforn, Who-[so] that hadde leyser and cunning For to reherse hir chere and hir speking; And from the morwe gan this speche laste Til dounward drow the sonne wonder faste. 490
The noyse of foules for to ben delivered So loude rong, 'have doon and let us wende!' That wel wende I the wode had al to-shivered. Come of!' they cryde, 'allas! ye wil us shende! Whan shal your cursed pleding have an ende? 495 How shulde a Iuge eyther party leve, For yee or nay, with-outen any preve?'
The goos, the cokkow, and the doke also So cryden 'kek, kek!' 'kukkow!' 'quek, quek!' hye, That thorgh myn eres the noyse wente tho. 500 The goos seyde, 'al this nis not worth a flye! But I can shape hereof a remedye, And I wol sey my verdit faire and swythe For water-foul, who-so be wrooth or blythe.'
'And I for worm-foul,' seyde the fool cukkow, 505 For I wol, of myn owne auctoritè, For comune spede, take the charge now, For to delivere us is gret charitè.' Ye may abyde a whyle yet, parde!' Seide the turtel, 'if hit be your wille 510 A wight may speke, him were as good be stille.
I am a seed-foul, oon the unworthieste, That wot I wel, and litel of kunninge; But bet is that a wightes tonge reste Than entremeten him of such doinge 515 Of which he neyther rede can nor singe. And who-so doth, ful foule himself acloyeth, For office uncommitted ofte anoyeth.'
Nature, which that alway had an ere To murmour of the lewednes behinde, 520 With facound voys seide, 'hold your tonges there! And I shal sone, I hope, a counseyl finde You to delivere, and fro this noyse unbinde; I Iuge, of every folk men shal oon calle To seyn the verdit for you foules alle.' 525
Assented were to this conclusioun The briddes alle; and foules of ravyne Han chosen first, by pleyn eleccioun, The tercelet of the faucon, to diffyne Al hir sentence, and as him list, termyne; 530 And to Nature him gonnen to presente, And she accepteth him with glad entente.
The tercelet seide than in this manere: Ful hard were hit to preve hit by resoun Who loveth best this gentil formel here; 535 For everich hath swich replicacioun, That noon by skilles may be broght a-doun; I can not seen that arguments avayle; Than semeth hit ther moste be batayle.'
'Al redy!' quod these egles tercels tho. 540 Nay, sirs!' quod he, 'if that I dorste it seye, Ye doon me wrong, my tale is not y-do! For sirs, ne taketh noght a-gref, I preye, It may noght gon, as ye wolde, in this weye; Oure is the voys that han the charge in honde, 545 And to the Iuges dome ye moten stonde;
And therfor pees! I seye, as to my wit, Me wolde thinke how that the worthieste Of knighthode, and lengest hath used hit, Moste of estat, of blode the gentileste, 550 Were sittingest for hir, if that hir leste; And of these three she wot hir-self, I trowe, Which that he be, for hit is light to knowe.'
The water-foules han her hedes leyd Togeder, and of short avysement, 555 Whan everich had his large golee seyd, They seyden sothly, al by oon assent, How that 'the goos, with hir facounde gent, That so desyreth to pronounce our nede, Shal telle our tale,' and preyde 'god hir spede.' 560
And for these water-foules tho began The goos to speke, and in hir cakelinge She seyde, 'pees! now tak kepe every man, And herkeneth which a reson I shal bringe; My wit is sharp, I love no taryinge; 565 I seye, I rede him, though he were my brother, But she wol love him, lat him love another!'
Lo here! a parfit reson of a goos!' Quod the sperhauk; 'never mot she thee! Lo, swich hit is to have a tonge loos! 570 Now parde, fool, yet were hit bet for thee Have holde thy pees, than shewed thy nycete! Hit lyth not in his wit nor in his wille, But sooth is seyd, "a fool can noght be stille."'
The laughter aroos of gentil foules alle, 575 And right anoon the seed-foul chosen hadde The turtel trewe, and gunne hir to hem calle, And preyden hir to seye the sothe sadde Of this matere, and asked what she radde; And she answerde, that pleynly hir entente 580 She wolde shewe, and sothly what she mente.
Nay, god forbede a lover shulde chaunge!' The turtel seyde, and wex for shame al reed; Thogh that his lady ever-more be straunge, Yet let him serve hir ever, til he be deed; 585 For sothe, I preyse noght the gooses reed; For thogh she deyed, I wolde non other make, I wol ben hires, til that the deth me take.'
Wel bourded!' quod the doke, 'by my hat! That men shulde alwey loven, causeles, 590 Who can a reson finde or wit in that? Daunceth he mury that is mirtheles? Who shulde recche of that is reccheles? Ye, quek!' yit quod the doke, ful wel and faire, 'There been mo sterres, god wot, than a paire!' 595
Now fy, cherl!' quod the gentil tercelet, Out of the dunghil com that word ful right, Thou canst noght see which thing is wel be-set: Thou farest by love as oules doon by light, The day hem blent, ful wel they see by night; 600 Thy kind is of so lowe a wrechednesse, That what love is, thou canst nat see ne gesse.'
Tho gan the cukkow putte him forth in prees For foul that eteth worm, and seide blyve, 'So I,' quod he, 'may have my make in pees, 605 I recche not how longe that ye stryve; Lat ech of hem be soleyn al hir lyve, This is my reed, sin they may not acorde; This shorte lesson nedeth noght recorde.'
'Ye! have the glotoun fild ynogh his paunche, 610 Than are we wel!' seyde the merlioun; Thou mordrer of the heysugge on the braunche That broghte thee forth, thou [rewthelees] glotoun! Live thou soleyn, wormes corrupcioun! For no fors is of lakke of thy nature; 615 Go, lewed be thou, whyl the world may dure!'
Now pees,' quod Nature, 'I comaunde here; For I have herd al your opinioun, And in effect yet be we never the nere; But fynally, this is my conclusioun, 620 That she hir-self shal han the eleccioun Of whom hir list, who-so be wrooth or blythe, Him that she cheest, he shal hir have as swythe.
For sith hit may not here discussed be Who loveth hir best, as seide the tercelet, 625 Than wol I doon hir this favour, that she Shal have right him on whom hir herte is set, And he hir that his herte hath on hir knet. This Iuge I, Nature, for I may not lyë; To noon estat I have non other yë. 630
But as for counseyl for to chese a make, If hit were reson, certes, than wolde I Counseyle yow the royal tercel take, As seide the tercelet ful skilfully, As for the gentilest and most worthy, 635 Which I have wroght so wel to my plesaunce; That to yow oghte been a suffisaunce.'
With dredful vois the formel hir answerde, My rightful lady, goddesse of Nature, Soth is that I am ever under your yerde, 640 Lyk as is everiche other creature, And moot be youres whyl my lyf may dure; And therfor graunteth me my firste bone, And myn entente I wol yow sey right sone.'
'I graunte it you,' quod she; and right anoon 645 This formel egle spak in this degree, Almighty quene, unto this yeer be doon I aske respit for to avysen me. And after that to have my choys al free; This al and som, that I wolde speke and seye; 650 Ye gete no more, al-though ye do me deye.
I wol noght serven Venus ne Cupyde For sothe as yet, by no manere wey.' Now sin it may non other wyse betyde,' Quod tho Nature, 'here is no more to sey; 655 Than wolde I that these foules were a-wey Ech with his make, for tarying lenger here'-- And seyde hem thus, as ye shul after here.
To you speke I, ye tercelets,' quod Nature, 'Beth of good herte and serveth, alle three; 660 A yeer is not so longe to endure, And ech of yow peyne him, in his degree, For to do wel; for, god wot, quit is she Fro yow this yeer; what after so befalle, This entremes is dressed for you alle.' 665
And whan this werk al broght was to an ende, To every foule Nature yaf his make By even acorde, and on hir wey they wende. A! lord! the blisse and Ioye that they make! For ech of hem gan other in winges take, 670 And with hir nekkes ech gan other winde, Thanking alwey the noble goddesse of kinde.
But first were chosen foules for to singe, As yeer by yere was alwey hir usaunce To singe a roundel at hir departinge, 675 To do Nature honour and plesaunce. The note, I trowe, maked was in Fraunce; The wordes wer swich as ye may heer finde, The nexte vers, as I now have in minde.
Qui bien aime a tard oublie.
'Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe, 680 That hast this wintres weders over-shake, And driven awey the longe nightes blake!
Seynt Valentyn, that art ful hy on-lofte;-- Thus singen smale foules for thy sake-- Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe, 685 That hast this wintres weders over-shake.
Wel han they cause for to gladen ofte, Sith ech of hem recovered hath his make; Ful blisful may they singen whan they wake; Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe, 690 That hast this wintres weders over-shake, And driven awey the longe nightes blake.'
And with the showting, whan hir song was do, That foules maden at hir flight a-way, I wook, and other bokes took me to 695 To rede upon, and yet I rede alway; I hope, y-wis, to rede so som day That I shal mete som thing for to fare The bet; and thus to rede I nil not spare. 699
EXPLICIT TRACTATUS DE CONGREGACIONE VOLUCRUM DIE SANCTI VALENTINI.
The authorities are: F. (Fairfax 16); Gg. (Gg. 4. 27, Cambridge Univ. Library); Trin. (Trinity Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19); Cx. (Caxton's edition); Harl. (Harleian 7333); O. (St. John's Coll. Oxford); Ff. (Ff. I. 6, Cambridge Univ. Library); occasionally Tn. (Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181); and others. I follow F. mainly, corrected by Gg. (and others); and note all variations from F. of any consequence.
TITLE; Gg. has--Here begynyth the parlement of Foulys; D. The _par_lement of Fowlis. 2. So F. Harl. Tn.; some transpose hard and sharp. 3. Gg. and others dredful; F. slyder. Gg. O. slit; Cx. flit (for slit); Ff. slydeth (om. so); F. slyd; Trin. fleeth. 5. Gg. (and others) with his wondyrful; F. soo with a dredeful. 7. F. Tn. wake or wynke; rest flete or synke; see 482. 9. Gg. Trin. Harl. that; which the rest omit. 10. Gg. Trin. Cx. Harl. Ff. ful ofte in bokis; F. in bookes ofte to. 11. F. ins. of after and; Gg. om. 13. F. Dar I; Gg. and others I dar. 14. F. suche; Gg. swich. 17. F. Tn. D. why; rest wherfore (wherfor).
21. Gg. faste; F. fast. Harl. radde; F. rad; Gg. redde. 22. F. seyth; Gg. sey. 24. F. feythe; Gg. fey. 26. Gg. O. as of this; Trin. Cx. Harl. Ff. of this; F. of my firste. 28. Gg. Ff. me thou[gh]te; Trin. Cx. Harl. me thought hit; F. thought me. 30. Gg. Cx. thus; F. Trin. Harl. there. Gg. and rest as I schal; F. I shal yow. 31. F. inserts the after dreme of; the rest omit. Trin. Harl. O. Scipio_u_n; F. Cipio_u_n; Gg. sothion (!). 32. F. hyt had vij; Gg. and the rest seuene It hadde. 33. Ff. therInn_e_; F. and the rest theryn (wrongly). 34. Gg. it; O. of; the rest omit. 35. Gg. seyn; F. tel; the rest sey (say). 37. F. In-to; rest In. F. Aufryke; Gg. Affrik. 39. For hit all wrongly have he; see ll. 36, 43. 40. Harl. betwix; F. betwixt. 41. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan. 42. F. on; rest in. 43. F. tolde he hym; Gg. Trin. Cx. Harl. tellith it; O. Ff. tellithe he. 44. Gg. Affrycan; F. Aufrikan. F. y-shewed; rest schewid, shewyd, &c.
46. Gg. other; Th. eyther; rest or. 49. Gg. There as Ioye is that last with outy_n_; F. There Ioy is that lasteth with-out. 50. F. inserts the after if; rest omit. 52. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan. 53. Gg. Ff. that; Trin. Cx. Harl. how; F. om. 54. Cx. Nis; Gg. Nys; F. Trin. Harl. Ff. Meneth. 55. Gg. and rest after; F. whan. Gg. Ff. gon; Harl. O. gone. 56. Cx. galaxye; F. Ff. galoxye; O. galoxie. i. watlynstrete; Harl. galorye; Trin. galry (!); Gg. galylye (!). 58. Gg. and rest the; Harl. tho; F. om. 62. T. Cx. Harl. O. That welles of musyk be (ben). 64. Gg. Ff. Tha_n_ bad he hy_m_ syn erthe was so lyte; F. Than bad he hym see the erthe that is so lite (wrongly). 65. Cx. Trin. Harl. O. ful of torment and; F. was somedel fulle; Gg. was su_m_del disseyuable and ful (!). 69. Gg. and rest schulde (schuld, shuld); F. shal. 70. F. was; rest is.
71. F. O. he; rest him. Gg. and rest to; F. om. 72. Gg. Trin. Harl. O. into that; Cx. unto that; F. to (om. that). 73. Gg. inmortal; O. Th. immortall_e_; F. and rest mortalle(!). 75. Gg. and rest not (nat, noght); F. never. 76. Gg. comyn: Cx. comen; F. come. Gg. O. to; rest into, vnto. 77. Trin. Cx. Harl. Ff. retain of after and; F. Gg. O. omit. 78. F. ins. for before to (but lawe is dissyllabic); rest om. 80. Gg. wrongly puts there for therthe; Harl. O. Ff. place alwey before in peyne; the rest are bad. 82. F. ins. hem before alle. Gg. And that for-[gh]euy_n_ is his weked dede (but dede is plural). 84. Gg. comy_n_; rest come, com. Cx. Harl. the sende his; O. sende the his; Gg. synde us; Ff. send vs; F. sende ech lover (!). 85. Harl. faylen; Cx. fayllen; F. faile; Gg. folwy_n_ (!). 87. F. Berefte; rest Berafte, Beraft. 90. F. had; Gg. hadde. 91. Harl. O. give 1st that; Trin. Cx. the; F. Ff. Gg. om. 95. After as, Gg. Trin. Harl. O. insert that; it is hardly needed. 96. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan.
102. Gg. Ft carte is; O. cart is; rest cartes or cartis. 104, 5. Gg. Harl. O. met; F. Trin. Cx. meteth. 106. Gg. Cx. O. Ff. I nat; F. not I. 107. F. redde had; Gg. hadde red; rest had red (rad). Gg. affrican; F. Aufrican. 108. F. omits made; the rest have it. 110. to-torn] F. al to torne. 111. F. roght noght; Gg. roughte nat; Cx. roght not. 112. F. Cx. ins. the after I; rest omit. 114. Trin. Cx. fyrebronde; Gg. ferbrond; F. firy bronde. 119. Gg. [gh]if; F. yeve. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. hit and; Ff. eke and; Gg. & ek; F. and to. 120. Gg. Affrican; F. Aufrikan. 122. F. and rest with; Gg. of. 124. Read weren; all were (weer). Gg. I-wrete; Th. ywritten; F. writen.
133. F. Ff. hye; the rest spede (sped). 135. F. stroke; rest strokes (strokis). 137. Cx. Harl. O. Ff. neuer tree shal. Cx. fruyt; Harl. O. fruyte; Trin. F. frute. 138. F. unto; rest to. 139. All is (ys). 140. O. Theschewing; Cx. Theschewyng; Harl. The eschuyng; F. Thescwynge (sic). 142. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. The; F. Gg. Of; Ff. On. F. Cx. a stounde (which I think is correct); Ff. astonde; (alt. to) Gg. a-stonyd; Trin. astonyed; Harl. O. astoned. 144. F. Cx. O. Ff. insert to before bolde (wrongly); Gg. Trin. Harl. om. 148. Gg. be-twixsyn; F. betwix. 149. F. y-sette; Gg. set. 150. F. That; Ff. om.; rest Ne (which would be elided). F. nor; rest ne (better). 152. Gg. and rest nyste; F. I ne wiste. Gg. and rest whether; F. wher that (perhaps rightly).
153. F. Affrikan. 156. Gg. Cx. O. to; rest omit. 158. Trin. Cx. by; Gg. bi; F. be. 159. Gg. Trin. Cx. by; F. be. 160. Gg. stat (!); for tast (taste). 162. F. Ff. om. that. 163. Gg. Harl. O. supply Yit; Cx. Yf; rest om. F. yet thou maist hyt; O. mayst thowe; rest yit mayst (may) thou. 165. F. Ff. om. for. 166. Gg. wher; rest whether. 167. Gg. Cx. tendite; F. Trin. to endite. 169. F. And with; rest om. And. 170. Gg. confort. Gg. that as; rest went in. 172. F. om. that (but over-al=ov'r-al). 173. F. Weren; rest Were. 174. Gg. O. Ff. of; F. Cx. with (from line above). 175. F. Emerawde. Gg. sothe (for Ioye, wrongly). 177. Cx. O. piler; Gg. pilere; Trin. pylor; F. Harl. peler. 178. F. box pipe tre; Gg. and rest box tre pipere (or piper). Trin. the holyn; Cx. holin; Ff. holye; Gg. O. holm; F. Harl. holme.
180. Gg. Ew; rest ewe. 183. Harl. O. blosmy; Gg. blospemy (for blossemy); Cx. blossome; Trin. blossom; F. Ff. blossomed. 185. O. that; Gg. ther; rest omit. Gg. Ff. I-now; O. I-nowe; F. ynowh. 188. Ff. That swommen; Harl. That swommyn; Gg. That swemyn; Trin. That swymen; Cx. O. That swymmen; F. And swymmynge. 192. F. That; Gg. Ff. So (error for So_m_); rest Som, Some, Som_m_e. 193. Gg. gunne; F. gunnen; rest gan, cane. 194. F. Trin. om. al. 196. Cx. Squerels; F. Squerel; rest Squyrelis (Squyrell_is_, Squerellis). 197. F. Cx. On; rest Of. Gg. Cx. O. strengis; Trin. stryngys; F. strynge. Gg. a-cord; rest accorde, acorde. 198. F. om. so. F. Gg. and (for a, wrongly); Ff. om.; rest a. 201. F. om. be; rest have it. 203. Gg. bryddis; rest foules. 205. F. ther of; rest of. 206. Gg. wex; Ff. waxed; F. growen; rest was (error for wex).
207. Trin. Cx. Harl. Ne; rest omit. 208. F. more Ioye; rest Ioye more. 209. F. No; rest Then (or Than). F. om. ne; rest (except Ff.) retain it. Trin. was (for wolde). 214. Gg. Th. wel; F. O. wille; Cx. Trin. wylle; Harl. whill_e_; see note. 215. Gg. and rest hire (hir, hyr); F. harde. F. fyle; Trin. vyle (for fyle) Harl. wyel; rest wile. 216. F. shul; rest shuld, shulde. 217. F. om. for. 221. O. doon by force; Trin. Cx. do by force; Harl. done be force; Gg. don be fore (sic); F. goo before. 222. F. Ff. Disfigured. Gg. Harl. nyl; Cx. Trin. Ff. wil; O. woll_e_; F. shal. 225. Gg. saw; F. sawgh. Gg. with outyn; Cx. Ff. with outen; F. with oute. 228. F. Ff. Trin. omit 1st and. 229. F. Ff. Trin. omit here. 230. F. pelers; rest pilers (pileris, pylors). 231. F. sawgh. F. glas; rest (except Ff.) bras or brasse. Gg. Harl. O. I-founded; Trin. enfoundyd; F. founded.
232. Gg. daunsedy_n_; F. daunced. 233. F. O. om. ther. 234. F. om. were; rest retain. 236. Gg. [gh]er be [gh]eere; Trin. Cx. Harl. yere by yere; F. fro yere to yere. 237. Trin. O. of douys; Gg. of dowis; Cx. of duues; Harl. of dofes; Ff. of dowfs; F. saugh I (sic). 238. F. Of dowves white (sic); Ff. Saw I sitte; rest Saw I syttynge. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. thousand (for hundred). 240. F. om. with. 241. Gg. and rest by hire syde (for hir besyde). 244. F. om. eek; rest retain. 246. Gg. sykys. 248. Gg. sikis. 250. Trin. Cx. flame. F. om. wel; rest retain it. 252. Gg. Cam; O. Com; F. Come; Cx. Comen; Trin. Harl. Ff. Cometh. Gg. Trin. Cx. goddesse; Harl. goddes (i. e. goddess); F. O. goddys. 253. F. sawgh. 255. Gg. swich; F. suche. 256. Trin. Cx. Ff. by; rest be.
260. Gg. priue; F. prevy. 264. F. saugh. 267. Gg. goldene; Ff. golden; F. and rest golde or gold. 271. Cx. wel couerd; Harl. wel couered; Gg. was wel keuerede; Trin. was well_e_ coueryd; F. keuered wel. 272. Harl. Trin. Ff. sotil. Trin. O. kerchyff; F. keuerchefe; Gg. couercheif; Cx. couerchef. 273. Gg. nas (for was). Gg. Harl. alone insert 2nd no (but it is wanted). 275. Trin. Cx. Bachus; rest Bacus. Gg. wyn; F. wyne. 277. F. Gg. Harl. Cipride (rightly); the rest Cupide (!); see l. 279. 278. Gg. Cx. O. two; Ff. to; F. the; Trin. Harl. om. Gg. O. Ff. folk ther (for folkes). 279. Gg. Trin. let; O. lat; Ff. lett; F. B. Cx. Harl. lete. 283. Gg. Harl. gunne; F. gonne; rest gan, can. 285. Gg. Cx. Ff. Ful (for Of).
288. Cx. O. Semiramis; Ff. Semiriamis; rest Semiramus (as in Leg. Good Women, Tisbe, l. 2). Gg. Hercules. 289. Trin. Harl. Tysbe; F. Cx. Tesbe; Gg. Thisbe. 295. F. Cx. comen; rest come. F. Ff. that; rest the. 298. Gg. that; which rest omit (though wanted). 303. F. O. wrongly insert of before Nature. 307. Gg. Trin. Cx. Ff. they; F. Harl. O. there. After were (dissyllabic) Gg. inserts al; needlessly. 308. Gg. dom; rest dome. 310. Gg. bryd (for foul); Cx. birde. 311. F. On; rest Of. Ff. thenke; rest thynke (not so well). 313. Gg. Ff. eyr (for see).
316. F. Alayne; Trin. Alen; rest Aleyn. 317. Gg. in (for of). All but Gg. Ff. needlessly insert suche before aray (caught from line below). 318. Gg. swich; F. suche. MSS. myghte, myght; but read mighten. 320. Gg. Ff. his; rest her, hir (wrongly). Cx. owen; Gg. owene; F. ovne; rest owne. 325. Gg. Cx. hem; Ff. them; O. om.; rest that. 327. Trin. vale (for dale). 330. Gg. ryal; Cx. Harl. O. rial. 338. F. om. hardy. All eke (for eek); exceptionally. 343. Trin. bood; Cx. bodword; rest bode (dissyllabic).
344. Gg. Ff. om. the. 345. Trin. chowgh; F. choghe; Cx. choughe; Harl. chowhe; Gg. O. Ff. crow (wrongly). 346. Harl. Ff. eles; Gg. O. elis; Trin. elys; F. Cx. egles (!). Trin. Harl. O. insert the before heroun; rest omit. 347. Gg. false; F. fals. Trin. Cx. lapwynk; O. lappewynk. 348. Gg. starlyng; rest stare. Gg. bewreye (but note the rime). 349. Gg. rodok. 350. Gg. orloge; F. orlogge. Gg. thorpis; F. thropes. 352. Gg. Cx. Ff. grene (for fresshe). 353. Trin. Th. flyes; Ff. bryddis; Gg. O. foulis; rest foules (fowles). But flyes is right; see Cant. Ta. I. 468, Boeth. iii. met. 7. 355. F. his; O. om.; rest hire, hir, her. 356. Gg. clothis (for fethers). 357. F. be (for by). 359. F. papiay; Gg. popyniay. 361. F. Cx. Ff. om. the. 363. Gg. The rauen wys, the crowe wit voice of care; Ff. same (omitting wys); F. and rest The rauenes and the crowes with her voys of care (badly). 367. Gg. myghtyn; F. myghte. 368. F. that; Ff. this; Harl. om.; rest the. All but Gg. Ff. ins. of bef. Nature. 369. Gg. eueriche; O. Ff. euery; F. eche (badly).
370. Gg. Benygnely; F. Benyngly (sic). 374. fonde is pt. t. subjunctive. 375. Gg. Cx. the (after and); Ff. moste; rest om. 378. Gg. bek; F. beke. 379. Ff. Cx. vicair_e_; F. vyker. 380. I insert and after light. Gg. Cx. dreye; rest drye. 381. Trin. Cx. by; F. be; Gg. with. 383. Cx. Ff. kepe (for bede). 384. Gg. ese; F. ease. 385. Gg. Ff. [gh]ow; Cx. you (for me). 386. F. Cx. Harl. insert that after how. 387. Gg. By; F. Be. 389. F. Trin. Cx. Harl. O. insert With before Your; Gg. Ff. rightly omit. 390. Gg. Cx. Ff. ordenaunce; rest gouernaunce (see l. 387). 391. F. Trin. Harl. O. let (i. e. let go); Gg. breke; Ff. suffre; Cx. lette. 393. Gg. terslet (for tercel). Gg. ful wel; F. wele. 394. Gg. ryal. 395. Gg. stel; F. stele. 396. All have formed.
411. Cx. yere by yere (for fro yeer to yere). 413. Gg. cam. 414. Gg. O. Ff. om. ful; rest retain. 415. Trin. Ff. Royall_e_; F. real; Gg. ryal. 424. Gg. I may. 426. Read al-only? 428. Gg. And if that I to hyre be founde; F. And yf I be founde to hir.
436. F. As though; rest Al be. 438. F. knette; Gg. areete; rest knytte, knyt. 439. Gg. Cx. O. Ne (for For). 445. So all. Read whan that she? 446. Gg. She neythir; Cx. Harl. O. Ff. She neyther; F. Trin. Neyther she. 450. Gg. O. Ff. shal; rest shulde, shuld. 460. Gg. that; rest omit. 462. Gg. the; Trin. Harl. ye; rest she.
463. Gg. thredde; Trin. Ff. thryd; F. thirdde. 467. F. om. Nature. 473. Gg. yeer and as (for winter and). 476. F. om. ful. 479. Gg. seyn; F. say. 480. Gg. Ff. ese; rest plese. 481. Gg. shorte; F. short. 482. Ff. hyres; F. hirse (!). 487. I supply so. Gg. hadde; F. had. 488. F. rehersen; rest reherse (reherce). 490. Gg. drow; Cx. wente; rest went (badly). 494. Cx. Harl. wil; F. wol. 495. Gg. pletynge; Trin. Cx. Harl. pletyng.
498. So Gg.; rest The goos, the duk, and the cukkowe also (wrongly; see next line). 501. F. seyde tho; rest omit tho. Gg. Ff. nys not; Trin. O. ys nat; Cx. is not; F. Harl. om. not. 503. Gg. Cx. I; rest om. 507. Gg. O. profit; rest spede. Trin. For comon spede, take the chargë now. F. Cx. Harl. O. ins. on me bef. the; Ff. ins. vpon me. Gg. tak on no (!) for take the. 510. Trin. Seyde; Cx. Said; rest Quod. 511. F. good; Cx. better (for as good); rest fayr. 514. Gg. bet; rest better. 515. Gg. entirmety_n_; F. entremete. 517. All but Gg. Cx. ins. hyt (it, yt) bef. doth. 518. Ff. vncom_m_aundet; O. vnconveyid; Gg. onquit (!); rest vncommytted. 520. Gg. om. behynde; Trin. Harl. blynde; Cx. by kynde; rest behynde. 523. F. O. Ff. for to (for to). F. delyueren; rest delyuere (deliver). F. Gg. Harl. from; rest fro.
524. Cx. charge (for Iuge). 527. Most MSS. insert the before foules; which Gg. Th. and Longleat MS. omit. 530. All but Cx. Ff. ins. to after list. 534. Trin. Th. preue; Gg. proue; F. preven. 536. Gg. swich; F. suche. 537. Gg. non by skillis; F. and rest by skilles may non (badly). 540. Cx. terselis egles. 543. Gg. ne; rest omit. 544. F. om. gon. 545. Gg. Cx. Oure; rest Oures, Ours. 549. Gg. O. hath; rest had. 551. Gg. sittyngest; rest sittynge. 553. Cx. Harl. ethe (for light).
556. Gg. O. gole; Ff. goler; Cx. golye; Ff. golee; Trin. Harl. wyltee. 558. Gg. facounde so; Ff. facounde; Cx. faconde; F. faucond. 560. F. Cx. Ff. needlessly insert to after preyd-e. 564. All but Gg. insert forth before bringe. 569. For Quod read Seyde? 570. Gg. sich (for swich); F. suche. 575. F. laughtre. 576. F. Harl. Ff. foules; Trin. fowle; Cx. fowl; O. foule; Gg. ful (!). 577. Gg. gunne; Ff. gonne; rest gan.
588. Harl. hires; Gg. hire; Cx. hers; rest hirs. Trin. Harl. om. that (perhaps rightly). 589. Gg. Cx. Ff. doke; F. duk. 590. F. Ff. shulden. 592. F. Gg. murye; rest mery. 594. Gg. O. yit; Ff. yet; rest om. 599. Gg. by; F. be (1st time). 602. Gg. Th. nat; F. neyther. 603. F. put; Gg. putte. 606. Cx. Ff. recche; F. Gg. Harl, reche; Trin. O. rek. 611. Gg. Merlioun; Trin. O. Merlyon; Cx. merlion; F. Ff. Emerlyon. 612. F. om. 1st the. Harl. heysugge; O. heysugg; Cx. heysug; Ff. haysugge; F. haysogge; Gg. heysoge; Trin. heysoke. 613. Gg. reufulles (!); Pepys rowthfull; rest rewful (!).
621. Gg. han; rest haue. Gg. Cx. the; rest hir, hyr. 623. F. cheest; Gg. chesith; Trin. cheseth; Harl. chesithe. F. han hir; Gg. hire han; Trin. hyr hafe; Cx. Harl. Ff. her haue. 626. Gg. hire this fauour; Trin. Harl. to hyr thys fauour; F. and rest thys fauour to hir. 630. Ff. ye; Harl. yee; Trin. ey; rest eye. 632. F. Gg. I (for hit). Gg. certis; rest omit. 637. All but Gg. Cx. insert hit (or it) after That or yow. Th. ben; Cx. haue ben; rest to ben (be). 641. Gg. As is a-nothir lyuis creature. O. alone ins. Like bef. As. 642. Gg. mot; rest moste (muste). 643. Gg. grau_n_tyth; rest graunte, graunt (badly). 644. Trin. Cx. Harl. I wyll yow; O. I woll [gh]ewe; F. Ff. yow wol I.
652. F. Cipride; Harl. Cypride; Ff. Sypryde; rest Cupide (cf. ll. 212, 277). 654. F. other weyes; Cx. other wayes; O. othir wey (perhaps best); Gg. othirwise; Ff. other-wyse; Trin. Harl. other (sic). 655. Gg. Harl. tho; rest om. 659. F. terceletys; Th. tercelets. 660. F. al; Gg. alle. 665. F. O. entremesse; Ff. entremeese; Th. entremes; Gg. entyrmes; Harl. entermes. 666. F. wroght; rest brought, broght. 669. F. A; Gg. But; rest And. Gg. Ioye; F. Ioy. 672. Gg. Thankynge; F. Thonkyng. Gg. queen; rest goddesse, goddes.
678. Gg. sweche (for swiche); F. suche. Th. Qui; miswritten Que in F. Cx.; Qe in Trin.; rest omit. aime; F. ayme. tard; F. tarde. Lines 680-692 only occur in Gg. Th. and Digby 181; lines 683, 684, 687-9 in O. I follow Digby 181 mainly. 680. Digb. Nowe welcome. 681. Gg. wintres wedres; Digb. wynter wedirs. 682. Gg. And; Digb. Hast. Digb. drevyn; Gg. dreuyne. Digb. nyghtis; Gg. nyghtes. 684. Digb. syngen; Fowlis. 687. Gg. O. Wele. 688. Gg. O. hem; Digb. them. 689. Digb. Full_e_ blisfully they synge and endles ioy thei make (wrongly); Gg. Ful blisseful mowe they ben when they wake; O. Th. Ful blesfull may they synge when they wake (Th. awake). 693. F. showtynge. 694. Gg. mady_n_; Ff. maden; F. made. 698. Trin. fynde (for mete). 699. Ff. nyl; Gg. nele; F. O. wol; Trin. wyll_e_; Cx. wil.
COLOPHON. So in F; Gg. has--Explicit parliamentum Auium in die sancti Valentini tentum, secundum Galfridum Chaucer; Ff. has--Explicit Parliamentum Auium; MS. Arch. Seld. B. 24 has--Here endis the parliament of foulis; Quod Galfride Chaucere; the Longleat MS. has--Here endith the Parlement of foules.
* * * * *
VI. A COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY.
I. (In seven-line stanzas.)
The longe night, whan every creature Shulde have hir rest in somwhat, as by kinde, Or elles ne may hir lyf nat long endure, Hit falleth most in-to my woful minde How I so fer have broght my-self behinde, 5 That, sauf the deeth, ther may no-thing me lisse, So desespaired I am from alle blisse.
This same thoght me lasteth til the morwe, And from the morwe forth til hit be eve; Ther nedeth me no care for to borwe, 10 For bothe I have good leyser and good leve; Ther is no wight that wol me wo bereve To wepe y-nogh, and wailen al my fille; The sore spark of peyne doth me spille.
II. (In Terza Rima; imperfect.)
[The sore spark of peyne doth me spille;] 15 This Love hath [eek] me set in swich a place That my desyr [he] never wol fulfille; For neither pitee, mercy, neither grace Can I nat finde; and [fro] my sorwful herte, For to be deed, I can hit nat arace. 20 The more I love, the more she doth me smerte; Through which I see, with-oute remedye, That from the deeth I may no wyse asterte; [For this day in hir servise shal I dye].
III. (In Terza Rima; imperfect.)
[Thus am I slain, with sorwes ful dyverse; 25 Ful longe agoon I oghte have taken hede]. Now sothly, what she hight I wol reherse; Hir name is Bountee, set in womanhede, Sadnesse in youthe, and Beautee prydelees, And Plesaunce, under governaunce and drede; 30 Hir surname eek is Faire Rewthelees, The Wyse, y-knit un-to Good Aventure, That, for I love hir, sleeth me giltelees. Hir love I best, and shal, whyl I may dure, Bet than my-self an hundred thousand deel, 35 Than al this worldes richesse or creature. Now hath nat Lovë me bestowed weel To lovë, ther I never shal have part? Allas! right thus is turned me the wheel, Thus am I slayn with loves fyry dart. 40 I can but love hir best, my swete fo; Love hath me taught no more of his art But serve alwey, and stinte for no wo.
IV. (In ten-line stanzas.)
[With]-in my trewe careful herte ther is So moche wo, and [eek] so litel blis, 45 That wo is me that ever I was bore; For al that thing which I desyre I mis, And al that ever I wolde nat, I-wis, That finde I redy to me evermore; And of al this I not to whom me pleyne. 50 For she that mighte me out of this bringe Ne reccheth nat whether I wepe or singe; So litel rewthe hath she upon my peyne.
Allas! whan sleping-time is, than I wake, Whan I shulde daunce, for fere than I quake; 55 [Yow rekketh never wher I flete or sinke;] This hevy lyf I lede for your sake, Thogh ye ther-of in no wyse hede take, [For on my wo yow deyneth not to thinke.] My hertes lady, and hool my lyves quene! 60 For trewly dorste I seye, as that I fele, Me semeth that your swete herte of stele Is whetted now ageynes me to kene.
My dere herte, and best beloved fo, Why lyketh yow to do me al this wo, 65 What have I doon that greveth yow, or sayd, But for I serve and love yow and no mo? And whylst I live, I wol do ever so; And therfor, swete, ne beth nat evil apayd. For so good and so fair as [that] ye be, 70 Hit were [a] right gret wonder but ye hadde Of alle servants, bothe goode and badde; And leest worthy of alle hem, I am he.
But never-the-les, my righte lady swete, Thogh that I be unconning and unmete 75 To serve as I best coude ay your hynesse. Yit is ther fayner noon, that wolde I hete, Than I, to do yow ese, or elles bete What-so I wiste were to [yow distresse]. And hadde I might as good as I have wille, 80 Than shulde ye fele wher it wer so or noon; For in this worlde living is ther noon That fayner wolde your hertes wil fulfille.
For bothe I love, and eek dreed yow so sore, And algates moot, and have doon yow, ful yore, 85 That bet loved is noon, ne never shal; And yit I wolde beseche yow of no more But leveth wel, and be nat wrooth ther-fore, And lat me serve yow forth; lo! this is al. For I am nat so hardy ne so wood 90 For to desire that ye shulde love me; For wel I wot, allas! that may nat be; I am so litel worthy, and ye so good.
For ye be oon the worthiest on-lyve, And I the most unlykly for to thryve; 95 Yit, for al this, [now] witeth ye right wele, That ye ne shul me from your service dryve That I nil ay, with alle my wittes fyve, Serve yow trewly, what wo so that I fele. For I am set on yow in swich manere 100 That, thogh ye never wil upon me rewe, I moste yow love, and ever been as trewe As any can or may on-lyve [here].
The more that I love yow, goodly free, The lasse fynde I that ye loven me; 105 Allas! whan shal that harde wit amende? Wher is now al your wommanly pitee, Your gentilesse and your debonairtee, Wil ye no thing ther-of upon me spende? And so hool, swete, as I am youres al, 110 And so gret wil as I have yow to serve, Now, certes, and ye lete me thus sterve, Yit have ye wonne ther-on but a smal.
For, at my knowing, I do no-thing why, And this I wol beseche yow hertely, 115 That, ther ever ye finde, whyl ye live, A trewer servant to yow than am I, Leveth [me] thanne, and sleeth me hardely, And I my deeth to you wol al forgive. And if ye finde no trewer [man than me], 120 [Why] will ye suffre than that I thus spille, And for no maner gilt but my good wille? As good wer thanne untrewe as trewe to be.
But I, my lyf and deeth, to yow obeye, And with right buxom herte hoolly I preye, 125 As [is] your moste plesure, so doth by me; Wel lever is me lyken yow and deye Than for to any thing or thinke or seye That mighte yow offende in any tyme. And therfor, swete, rewe on my peynes smerte, 130 And of your grace granteth me som drope; For elles may me laste ne blis ne hope, Ne dwellen in my trouble careful herte.
1. Sh. nightes; see l. 8. 2, 3. hir] Sh. theyre. 7. Ed. (1561) dispaired. 12. Sh. me; Ed. my. 14. All insert now before doth. 15. It seems necessary to repeat this line in order to start the series of rimes. 16. Sh. This loue that hathe me set; I omit that, and supply eek. 17. I supply he (i. e. Love).
19. Sh. and yit my; I omit yit, and supply fro. 24. Supplied to complete the rime from Compl. Mars, 189. 25. Supplied from Compl. Pite, 22, 17. 26. Supplied from Anelida, 307. 31. Sh. is eek. 32. Sh. The wyse eknytte; Ph. The wise I-knyt (corrupt?) 33. Sh. hir she; I omit she. 36. Corrupt? Perhaps read richest creature. 40. Sh. fury. 42. Read of alle his? 44. Sh. In; I read With-in. 45. I supply eek.
50. So in Anelida, 237. 54. Sh. ins. lo after is. 55. Sh. ins. lo after fere. 56, 59. Both lines are missing; supplied from Anelida, 181, 182. 57. Sh. ins. lo after lede. 68. Sh. euer do. 70. I supply that. 71. I supply a. 72. Sh. ins. of after bothe. 76. Sh. koude best; Ph. om. best. 77. Sh. noon fayner. 78. Sh. youre; read yow. 79. Sh. wist that were; om. that. Sh. your hyenesse (repeated from l. 76; wrongly); read yow distresse.
82. Sh. ins. þane before is. 83. Sh. wille; Ph. Ed. wil. 86. Sh. better. 88. Sh. leuethe; Ph. lovith. 96. I supply now. 98. Sh. ne wil (for nil). 100. Ed. (1561) has set so hy vpon your whele. 102. Sh. beon euer. 103. Sh. man can; I omit man. I supply here; the line is imperfect. 104. Sh. But the; I omit But. 113. Ed. om. a.
114. Sh. nought; read nothing. 116. Sh. whyles. 118. I supply me. 120. Sh. no trewer so verrayly; Ed. no trewer verely (false rime). 121. I supply Why. 124-133. Unique stanza, in Ph. only. 126. I supply is. 127. Ph. For wele; omit For. 129. Ph. That yow myght offenden. 132. Ph. no blisse. 133. Ph. dwelle withyn. Colophon. Ph. Explicit Pyte: dan Chaucer Lauteire (?).
* * * * *
VII. ANELIDA AND ARCITE.
THE COMPLEYNT OF FEIRE ANELIDA AND FALS ARCITE.
Proem.
Thou ferse god of armes, Mars the rede, That in the frosty country called Trace, Within thy grisly temple ful of drede Honoured art, as patroun of that place! With thy Bellona, Pallas, ful of grace, 5 Be present, and my song continue and gye; At my beginning thus to thee I crye.
For hit ful depe is sonken in my minde, With pitous herte in English for tendyte This olde storie, in Latin which I finde, 10 Of quene Anelida and fals Arcite, That elde, which that al can frete and byte, As hit hath freten mony a noble storie, Hath nigh devoured out of our memorie.
Be favorable eek, thou Polymnia, 15 On Parnaso that, with thy sustres glade, By Elicon, not fer from Cirrea, Singest with vois memorial in the shade, Under the laurer which that may not fade, And do that I my ship to haven winne; First folow I Stace, and after him Corinne.
The Story.
Iamque domos patrias, &c.; Statii Thebais, xii. 519.
Whan Theseus, with werres longe and grete, The aspre folk of Cithe had over-come, With laurer crouned, in his char gold-bete, Hoom to his contre-houses is y-come;-- 25 For which the peple blisful, al and somme, So cryden, that unto the sterres hit wente, And him to honouren dide al hir entente;--
Beforn this duk, in signe of hy victorie, The trompes come, and in his baner large 30 The image of Mars; and, in token of glorie, Men mighten seen of tresor many a charge, Many a bright helm, and many a spere and targe, Many a fresh knight, and many a blisful route, On hors, on fote, in al the felde aboute. 35
Ipolita his wyf, the hardy quene Of Cithia, that he conquered hadde, With Emelye, hir yonge suster shene, Faire in a char of golde he with him ladde, That al the ground aboute hir char she spradde 40 With brightnesse of the beautee in hir face, Fulfild of largesse and of alle grace.
With his triumphe and laurer crouned thus, In al the floure of fortunes yevinge, Lete I this noble prince Theseus 45 Toward Athenes in his wey rydinge, And founde I wol in shortly for to bringe The slye wey of that I gan to wryte, Of quene Anelida and fals Arcite.
Mars, which that through his furious course of yre, 50 The olde wrath of Iuno to fulfille, Hath set the peples hertes bothe on fyre Of Thebes and Grece, everich other to kille With blody speres, ne rested never stille, But throng now her, now ther, among hem bothe, 55 That everich other slough, so wer they wrothe.
For whan Amphiorax and Tydeus, Ipomedon, Parthonopee also Were dede, and slayn [was] proud Campaneus, And whan the wrecches Thebans, bretheren two, 60 Were slayn, and king Adrastus hoom a-go, So desolat stood Thebes and so bare, That no wight coude remedie of his care.
And whan the olde Creon gan espye How that the blood roial was broght adoun, 65 He held the cite by his tirannye, And did the gentils of that regioun To been his frendes, and dwellen in the toun. So what for love of him, and what for awe, The noble folk wer to the toune y-drawe. 70
Among al these, Anelida the quene Of Ermony was in that toun dwellinge, That fairer was then is the sonne shene; Through-out the world so gan hir name springe, That hir to seen had every wight lykinge; 75 For, as of trouthe, is ther noon hir liche, Of al the women in this worlde riche.
Yong was this quene, of twenty yeer of elde, Of midel stature, and of swich fairnesse, That nature had a Ioye hir to behelde; 80 And for to speken of hir stedfastnesse, She passed hath Penelope and Lucresse, And shortly, if she shal be comprehended, In hir ne mighte no-thing been amended.
This Theban knight [Arcite] eek, sooth to seyn, 85 Was yong, and ther-with-al a lusty knight, But he was double in love and no-thing pleyn, And subtil in that crafte over any wight, And with his cunning wan this lady bright; For so ferforth he gan hir trouthe assure, 90 That she him [trust] over any creature.
What shuld I seyn? she loved Arcite so, That, whan that he was absent any throwe, Anon hir thoghte hir herte brast a-two; For in hir sight to hir he bar him lowe, 95 So that she wende have al his herte y-knowe; But he was fals; it nas but feyned chere, As nedeth not to men such craft to lere.
But never-the-les ful mikel besinesse Had he, er that he mighte his lady winne, 100 And swoor he wolde dyen for distresse, Or from his wit he seyde he wolde twinne. Alas, the whyle! for hit was routhe and sinne, That she upon his sorowes wolde rewe, But no-thing thenketh the fals as doth the trewe. 105
Hir fredom fond Arcite in swich manere, That al was his that she hath, moche or lyte, Ne to no creature made she chere Ferther than that hit lyked to Arcite; Ther was no lak with which he mighte hir wyte, 110 She was so ferforth yeven him to plese, That al that lyked him, hit did hir ese.
Ther nas to hir no maner lettre y-sent That touched love, from any maner wight, That she ne shewed hit him, er hit was brent; 115 So pleyn she was, and did hir fulle might, That she nil hyden nothing from hir knight, Lest he of any untrouthe hir upbreyde; Withouten bode his heste she obeyde.
And eek he made him Ielous over here, 120 That, what that any man had to hir seyd, Anoon he wolde preyen hir to swere What was that word, or make him evel apayd; Than wende she out of hir wit have brayd; But al this nas but sleight and flaterye, 125 Withouten love he feyned Ielosye.
And al this took she so debonerly, That al his wille, hir thoghte hit skilful thing, And ever the lenger loved him tenderly, And did him honour as he were a king. 130 Hir herte was wedded to him with a ring; So ferforth upon trouthe is hir entente, That wher he goth, hir herte with him wente.
Whan she shal ete, on him is so hir thoght, That wel unnethe of mete took she keep; 135 And whan that she was to hir reste broght, On him she thoghte alwey til that she sleep; Whan he was absent, prevely she weep; Thus liveth fair Anelida the quene For fals Arcite, that did hir al this tene. 140
This fals Arcite, of his new-fangelnesse, For she to him so lowly was and trewe, Took lesse deyntee for hir stedfastnesse, And saw another lady, proud and newe, And right anon he cladde him in hir hewe-- 145 Wot I not whether in whyte, rede, or grene-- And falsed fair Anelida the quene.
But never-the-les, gret wonder was hit noon Thogh he wer fals, for hit is kinde of man, Sith Lamek was, that is so longe agoon, 150 To been in love as fals as ever he can; He was the firste fader that began To loven two, and was in bigamye; And he found tentes first, but-if men lye.
This fals Arcite sumwhat moste he feyne, 155 Whan he wex fals, to covere his traitorye, Right as an hors, that can both byte and pleyne; For he bar hir on honde of trecherye, And swoor he coude hir doublenesse espye, And al was falsnes that she to him mente; 160 Thus swoor this theef, and forth his way he wente.
Alas! what herte might enduren hit, For routhe or wo, hir sorow for to telle? Or what man hath the cunning or the wit? Or what man might with-in the chambre dwelle, 165 If I to him rehersen shal the helle, That suffreth fair Anelida the quene For fals Arcite, that did hir al this tene?
She wepeth, waileth, swowneth pitously, To grounde deed she falleth as a stoon; 170 Al crampissheth hir limes crokedly, She speketh as hir wit were al agoon; Other colour then asshen hath she noon, Noon other word she speketh moche or lyte, But 'mercy, cruel herte myn, Arcite!' 175
And thus endureth, til that she was so mate That she ne hath foot on which she may sustene; But forth languisshing ever in this estate, Of which Arcite hath nother routhe ne tene; His herte was elles-where, newe and grene, 180 That on hir wo ne deyneth him not to thinke, Him rekketh never wher she flete or sinke.
His newe lady holdeth him so narowe Up by the brydel, at the staves ende, That every word, he dradde hit as an arowe; 185 Hir daunger made him bothe bowe and bende, And as hir liste, made him turne or wende; For she ne graunted him in hir livinge No grace, why that he hath lust to singe;
But drof him forth, unnethe liste hir knowe 190 That he was servaunt to hir ladyshippe, But lest that he wer proude, she held him lowe; Thus serveth he, withouten fee or shipe, She sent him now to londe, now to shippe; And for she yaf him daunger al his fille, 195 Therfor she had him at hir owne wille.
Ensample of this, ye thrifty wimmen alle, Take here Anelida and fals Arcite, That for hir liste him 'dere herte' calle, And was so meek, therfor he loved hir lyte; 200 The kinde of mannes herte is to delyte In thing that straunge is, also god me save! For what he may not gete, that wolde he have.
Now turne we to Anelida ageyn, That pyneth day by day in languisshing; 205 But whan she saw that hir ne gat no geyn, Upon a day, ful sorowfully weping, She caste hir for to make a compleyning, And with hir owne honde she gan hit wryte; And sente hit to hir Theban knight Arcite. 210
THE COMPLEYNT OF ANELIDA THE QUENE UPON FALS ARCITE.
Proem.
So thirleth with the poynt of remembraunce, The swerd of sorowe, y-whet with fals plesaunce, Myn herte, bare of blis and blak of hewe, That turned is in quaking al my daunce, My suretee in a-whaped countenaunce; 215 Sith hit availeth not for to ben trewe; For who-so trewest is, hit shal hir rewe, That serveth love and doth hir observaunce Alwey to oon, and chaungeth for no newe.
(Strophe.)
1. I wot my-self as wel as any wight; 220 For I loved oon with al my herte and might More then my-self, an hundred thousand sythe, And called him my hertes lyf, my knight, And was al his, as fer as hit was right; And whan that he was glad, than was I blythe, 225 And his disese was my deeth as swythe; And he ayein his trouthe me had plight For ever-more, his lady me to kythe.
2. Now is he fals, alas! and causeles, And of my wo he is so routheles, 230 That with a worde him list not ones deyne To bring ayein my sorowful herte in pees, For he is caught up in a-nother lees. Right as him list, he laugheth at my peyne, And I ne can myn herte not restreyne, 235 That I ne love him alwey, never-the-les; And of al this I not to whom me pleyne.
3. And shal I pleyne--alas! the harde stounde-- Un-to my foo that yaf my herte a wounde, And yet desyreth that myn harm be more? 240 Nay, certes! ferther wol I never founde Non other help, my sores for to sounde. My desteny hath shapen it ful yore; I wil non other medecyne ne lore; I wil ben ay ther I was ones bounde, 245 That I have seid, be seid for ever-more!
4. Alas! wher is become your gentilesse! Your wordes ful of plesaunce and humblesse? Your observaunces in so low manere, And your awayting and your besinesse 250 Upon me, that ye calden your maistresse, Your sovereyn lady in this worlde here? Alas! and is ther nother word ne chere Ye vouchesauf upon myn hevinesse? Alas! your love, I bye hit al to dere. 255
5. Now certes, swete, thogh that ye Thus causeles the cause be Of my dedly adversitee, Your manly reson oghte it to respyte To slee your frend, and namely me, 260 That never yet in no degree Offended yow, as wisly he, That al wot, out of wo my soule quyte!
¶ But for I shewed yow, Arcite, Al that men wolde to me wryte, 265 And was so besy, yow to delyte-- My honour save--meke, kinde, and free, Therfor ye putte on me the wyte, And of me recche not a myte, Thogh that the swerd of sorow byte 270 My woful herte through your crueltee.
6. My swete foo, why do ye so, for shame? And thenke ye that furthered be your name, To love a newe, and been untrewe? nay! And putte yow in sclaunder now and blame, 275 And do to me adversitee and grame, That love yow most, god, wel thou wost! alway? Yet turn ayeyn, and be al pleyn som day, And than shal this that now is mis be game, And al for-yive, whyl that I live may. 280
(Antistrophe.)
1. Lo! herte myn, al this is for to seyne, As whether shal I preye or elles pleyne? Whiche is the wey to doon yow to be trewe? For either mot I have yow in my cheyne, Or with the dethe ye mot departe us tweyne; 285 Ther ben non other mene weyes newe; For god so wisly on my soule rewe, As verily ye sleen me with the peyne; That may ye see unfeyned of myn hewe.
2. For thus ferforth have I my deth [y]-soght, 290 My-self I mordre with my prevy thoght; For sorow and routhe of your unkindenesse I wepe, I wake, I faste; al helpeth noght; I weyve Ioy that is to speke of oght, I voyde companye, I flee gladnesse; 295 Who may avaunte hir bet of hevinesse Then I? and to this plyte have ye me broght, Withoute gilt; me nedeth no witnesse.
3. And sholde I preye, and weyve womanhede? Nay! rather deth then do so foul a dede, 300 And axe mercy gilteles! what nede? And if I pleyne what lyf that I lede, Yow rekketh not; that know I, out of drede; And if I unto yow myn othes bede For myn excuse, a scorn shal be my mede; 305 Your chere floureth, but hit wol not sede; Ful longe agoon I oghte have take hede.
4. For thogh I hadde yow to-morow ageyn, I might as wel holde Averill fro reyn, As holde yow, to make yow stedfast. 310 Almighty god, of trouthe sovereyn, Wher is the trouthe of man? who hath hit sleyn? Who that hem loveth shal hem fynde as fast As in a tempest is a roten mast. Is that a tame best that is ay feyn 315 To renne away, when he is leest agast?
5. Now mercy, swete, if I misseye, Have I seyd oght amis, I preye? I not; my wit is al aweye. I fare as doth the song of Chaunte-pleure. 320 For now I pleyne, and now I pleye, I am so mased that I deye, Arcite hath born awey the keye Of al my worlde, and my good aventure!
¶ For in this worlde nis creature 325 Wakinge, in more discomfiture Then I, ne more sorow endure; And if I slepe a furlong wey or tweye, Than thinketh me, that your figure Before me stant, clad in asure, 330 To profren eft a newe assure For to be trewe, and mercy me to preye.
6. The longe night this wonder sight I drye, And on the day for this afray I dye, And of al this right noght, y-wis, ye recche. 335 Ne never mo myn yën two be drye, And to your routhe and to your trouthe I crye. But welawey! to fer be they to fecche; Thus holdeth me my destinee a wrecche. But me to rede out of this drede or gye 340 Ne may my wit, so weyk is hit, not strecche.
Conclusion.
Than ende I thus, sith I may do no more, I yeve hit up for now and ever-more; For I shal never eft putten in balaunce My sekernes, ne lerne of love the lore. 345 But as the swan, I have herd seyd ful yore, Ayeins his deth shal singe in his penaunce, So singe I here my destiny or chaunce, How that Arcite Anelida so sore Hath thirled with the poynt of remembraunce! 350
The story continued.
Whan that Anelida this woful quene Hath of hir hande writen in this wyse, With face deed, betwixe pale and grene, She fel a-swowe; and sith she gan to ryse, And unto Mars avoweth sacrifyse 355 With-in the temple, with a sorowful chere, That shapen was as ye shal after here. 357
(Unfinished.)
The chief authorities are: Harl. (Harl. 7333); F. (Fairfax 16); Tn. (Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181); Cx.(Caxton's edition); B. (Bodley 638); Lt. (Longleat MS.). Th. = Thynne's ed. 1532. I follow F. mainly, correcting the spelling; and give selected variations. Title from F.; B. has boke for compleynt.
1. Tn. ferse; F. fers. 3. Harl. D. Cx. temple; rest temples. 6. F. songe. F. contynew; D. contynue. F. guye; Tn. gye. 7. F. I to the; Harl. Tn. D. to the I. 9. Cx. for tendyte; Harl. for to endite; rest to endyte. 11. F. Analida; Cx. Anelida; Tn. D. Annelida. 12. Harl. that; Cx. that (for which); rest om. 15. F. eke. Harl. Polymea; rest Polymya, Polymia; Th. Polymnia. 16. Harl. Cx. with; rest hath (!). Harl. Cx. sustren. 17. F. B. Cx. Cirrea; D. Cirea; Tn. Circa (wrongly).
20. Tn. ship; F. shippe. After l. 21, 3 Latin lines are quoted from Statius (see note). 23. F. folke. Cx. Cithye. 24. Harl. D. Cx. Lt. With; F. The (caught from l. 23). D. crowned; F. corovned. 25. All Home. Tn. ycome; F. he come. 27. Cx. cryeden; but rest cryden, criden. Harl. unto; rest to. Tn. wente; F. went. 28. Tn. entente; F. entent. 29. F. Harl. Beforne; Cx. Biforn; Tn. D. B. Lt. Before. Harl. duk; F. duke. Harl. inserts hie (= hy); Addit. 16165 has his; the rest wrongly omit; accent o in victórie. 31. Cx. tokening. Harl. and tokenyng of his glorie. 32. F. sene; Harl. seen. 33. Tn. many; F. mony (5 times). 35. on] Harl. Cx. and. 36. Tn. Ypolita. F. wife. 37. Harl. D. Cithea. D. hadde; Lt. hade; rest had. 39. F. chare. D. ladde; Lt. lade; rest lad. 40. Harl. ground; F. grounde. D. spradde; rest sprad. 41. Harl. Cx. the; rest omit. 42. F. Fulfilled; al.
43. D. Cx. Lt. crowned; rest corouned. 44. F. yevyng; Tn. gifeynge. 45. F. B. Let; rest Lete. 46. F. ryding; Tn. ridinge. 47. F. bring; Tn. brynge. 48. D. slye (rightly); Tn. sly; F. sley. 50. F. thro. Harl. Tn. D. furious; F. furiouse. 51. Harl. Tn. wrath; F. wrethe. 52. F. hertis. 53. F. B. Tn. insert and after Grece; which D. Lt. Harl. Cx. omit. Harl. yche othir for to kylle (a good reading). Cf. l. 56. F. eueriche. 55. D. among; F. amonge. D. bothe; F. both (but wrothe in l. 56). 56. F. eueriche. 58. Harl. Parthonopee; Cx. Parthonope; D. Partonope; Tn. Partinope; F. B. Prothonolope(!). 59. Harl. Tn. dede; F. ded. I supply was, which sense and metre require; Cx. supplies and. F. proude. 60. So F. Tn. B. Lt.; Harl. D. Cx. put wrechid (wrecchid) for wrecches. 61. Cx. hom; rest home. 62. F. stode. 66. F. helde. 70. F. folke.
72. Tn. dwellynge; F. duellyng. 73. F. sunne; Harl. Tn. D. Cx. sonne. 74. D. Through; F. Thorogh. Tn. sprynge; F. spring. 75. Tn. likynge; F. likyng. 77. Harl. Tn. D. Cx. the; F. thes. 78. twenty is written xxti in the MSS. D. olde; Cx. olde; Lt. of olde; Harl. eld; rest of elde. 79. Tn. mydell_e_; F. mydil. F. suche. 80. F. Ioy. 81. D. stedfastnesse; F. stidfastnesse. 82. F. B. both; rest hath. Harl. Th. penelope; F. and others penolope. 84. Harl. ne; rest om. Tn. myghte; F. myght. 85. I supply Arcite; line too short. F. seyne. 86. Harl. yong; F. yonge. Harl. there with all_e_ (so D. Cx. Lt.); rest therto with al. 87. F. pleyne. 88. Harl. any; F. eny. 89. D. Lt. Cx. wan; F. whan (!). 90. F. ferforthe. F. can; rest gan. 91. Th. Tn. Harl. trusteth; rest trusted; read trust. D. any; F. eny. 93. F. eny throw. 94. F. thoght; hert. 95. F. bare. 96. F. hert.
101. Harl. Tn. D.B. swore (for swoor); Cx. sware; F. sworne. 105. Tn. thenketh; F. thinketh. 106. F. fonde; suche. 107. F. B. wrongly insert both before moche; rest omit. F. B. and; rest or. 109. Harl. Cx. that; rest omit. 110. F. wiche; myght. 111. Tn. yeuen; F. yevin. 112. F. dyd her hert an ese; Harl. Cx. omit hert an; others vary. 114, 118. D. any; F. eny. 116. Tn. D. B. fulle; rest ful. 119. (See 126.) Harl. Cx. heste; rest herte, hert. 120. F. eke. Tn. Ielous; F. Ielouse. D. Cx. here (for the rime); F. her. 121. Harl. any; F. eny. F. seyde. 123. F. worde. Harl. Tn. apayde; F. apaied; D. B. apaid. 124. F. wend. Cx. brayd; Tn. breyde; F. breyed. 125. Harl. Cx. this nas; rest was. D. sleight; Cx. sleyght; F. sleght. 126. Harl. Withouten; F. With out; (and so in 119).
127. F. toke. F. B. as; rest so. 128. Harl. Tn. wille; F. wil. F. thoght. Koch proposes to omit hit. 129. All ins. she after lenger; it is not wanted. 131. F. ringe. 132. Harl. Cx. So; rest For so. Harl. Tn. entente; F. entent. 133. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 135. F. toke; kepe. 136. Harl. Cx. that; rest omit. Harl. D. Cx. reste; F. rest. 137. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. Harl. Tn. Cx. alwey; F. ay. F. slepe. 138. F. wepe. 139. Cx. fayr; F. feire. 141. D. newfangilnesse; Tn. newfangulnes; F. new fanglesse 143. F. Toke. D. sted-; F. stid-. 144. F. proude. 145. Harl. D. cladde; F. clad. 146. F. whethir. 148. F. lesse grete. 149. Harl. Cx. omit the, which F. and others insert after is. 152. Harl. Tn. firste; F. first. 154. F. founde.
156. Harl. Tn. D. couer; Cx. couere; F. coueren. 157. F. Tn. pleyn. 159, 161. All swore. 160. Harl. Tn. mente; F. ment. 161. D. Cx. theef; F. thefe. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 162. Tn. herte; F. hert. Cx. enduren; rest endure. 167. F. feir. 169. Cx. swowneth; D. sownyth; F. swoneth. 170. Harl. Tn. D. grounde; F. ground. F. dede; ston. 171. Harl. Al; rest om. Cx. Crampissheth; Lt. Crampuissheth; Tn. Crampicheth; F. cravmpysshe. 172. F. agon. 174. Harl. Noon; Cx. None; the rest insert Ne before Noon. For she speketh, all the MSS. have speketh she. 175. F. mercie; hert. 178. F. B. for; rest forth. 179. Tn. D. nothir; F. nouther. 180. F. wher; rest where. 182. Harl. nought; Cx. not (for never). Harl. D. Cx. whether; but wher is short for whether. Cf. Compt. unto Pite, 110; see note.
183. All but Harl. Cx. Th. insert up before so; see next line. 184. F. bridil. 185. F. worde. B. D. Lt. dredith; F. Tn. dred hit; Harl. Cx. drad; read dradde hit. 187. Tn. Cx. liste; Harl. lyste; F. lust. 190. Harl. Cx. vnnethe; F. vnneth. F. list. 191. All un-to; read to. 192. Cx. proud; F. proude. Harl. Cx. held; F. helde. 193. Harl. withouten; F. with out. Harl. Cx. mete; rest fee. F. B. Lt. shippe; D. ship_e_; Cx. sype; Harl. shepe (!); Tn. shep (!). 195. D. yaf; F. yafe. 196. Harl. owne; F. ovne. 197. Harl Tn. D. thrifty; F. thrifte. 198. B. here; F. her (i. e. here); Tn. D. here of; Cx. Lt. hede of. 199. Tn. Cx. liste (pt. t.); F. list. Harl. Cx. dere herte; F. her der hert. 200. All meke. 201. All kynde (kinde). F. hert. 203. Harl. Cx. he (twice); F. and others wrongly have they the 2nd time. 205. F. Tn. be; rest by. 206. F. sawe. 208. Harl. Tn. caste; F. cast. 209. Harl. owne; F. ovne. 210. Th. sente; D. Cx. sende; rest sent. F. B. omit hit; rest retain.
211. Harl. thirllethe; Cx. thirleth; F. B. thirled (!). 212. B. swerd; F. suerde. F. y-whet; B. I-whet; rest whet. 213. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl. Tn. D. blak; F. blake. 214. Harl. Cx. in. rest to; see 215. 215. Tn. B. Lt. surete; F. suerte. F. B. in to; rest in. D. Cx. a whaped; Harl. a whaaped; F. a waped. 216. Harl. for; rest om. 217. Harl. trewest; F. truest. Harl. hir; Cx. her; F. and others him (but see l. 218). 218. F. dothe. 220. Harl. any; F. eny. 221. F. hert. 223. F. B. cleped; rest called. F. hertis life. 227. Harl. D. Cx. B. plight; F. I-plyght. 229. So Tn. Harl. Cx. D; F. B. Alas now hath he left me causeles. 232. Tn. herte, pees; F. hert, pes. 233. B. caught; F. caght. Tn. D. Cx. lees; F. les.
234. F. B. me (!); rest him. 235. F. hert. 238. F. pleyn. Harl. Tn. harde; F. hard. 239. F. yafe; hert. 240. F. harme. 241. F. certis. All be founde; but be is copied in from the line above; see l. 47. 242. F. helpe. 243. Tn. desteny; F. destany. F. B. om. ful. 246. F. seide (twice.) 252. F. souereigne. 253. I supply and from Cx.; Harl. has And is there nowe neyther. 254. Lt. vouchesauf; Cx. vouchen sauf; F. vouchesafe. 256. F. certis. 257. F. B. causer (for caus-e); rest cause. 258. F. dedely. 259. F. oght. 260. Harl. Lt. slee; Tn. D. Cx. sle; F. slene. F. frende. 263. Harl. wot; F. wote.
264, 265. Harl. Cx. But for I was so pleyne, Arcyte, In all_e_ my werkes, much and lyte; and omit was in l. 266. 267. F. honor. Tn. saue; F. D. safe; Harl. Cx. sauf. 268. F. put. 269. Harl. Tn. recche; F. rek. 270. F. B. om. that. F. suerde. 271. Tn. herte; F. hert. F. thro. 272. F. suete. 274. Harl. Tn. vntrewe; F. vntrew. 275. Harl. putte; F. put. 278. Tn. D. Ff. Lt. turne; rest come. 279. Tn. Harl. Cx. D. Lt. And then shall this that now is mis ben (be); F. B. And turne al this that hath be mys to. 280. F. foryeve; Tn. foryife; Harl. 372, foryiue (rightly). 281. F. hert. Harl. seyne (gerund); F. seyn. 282. F. wheder; prey; pleyn. 284, 5, 8. F. cheyn, tweyn, peyn. 287. D. Cx. on; Harl. of; F. Tn. B. vpon. 288. D. verily; F. verrely.
290. Harl. Cx. omit this stanza. F. dethe (wrongly); rest deth. All soght, sought; read y-soght. 291. D. B. mordre; F. mo_ur_dre. 292. F. vnkyndnesse. 293. Tn. D. faste; F. fast. 296. F. avaunt. Tn. B. Lt. bet; F. bet_er_. 298. Tn. Lt. With oute; F. With out. 299. Some of the final rimes in this stanza are forced ones. F. B. shal; rest sholde (shulde). F. prey. 300. F. dethe; Harl. Cx. dye. F. foule. 301. F. mercie. Tn. gilteles; F. giltles. 302. Harl. pleyne; F. pleyn. F. lyfe. Harl. Cx. ins. that; F. and others omit. 304. Tn. D. unto; F. to. 305. F. skorne. 306. F. B. om. hit. 307. F. and others insert to before have; Tn. D. Lt. Cx. omit. 308. D. hadde; F. had. 309. F. Apprile; Harl. Aueryll. 310. F. B. yow be; rest om. be. F. stidfast. 311. F. souereigne. 312. F. slayn. 313. Tn. D. Lt. She; Harl. Sheo; rest Who. F. B. insert she before shal. 314. F. om. 1st a. 315. Is] F. this (!) 316. Harl. fleen; Cx. fle (for renne). F. lest.
317. Harl. Cx. But; rest Now. F. mercie. F. myssey (omitting e in-eye throughout, wrongly); Harl. myssaye, &c. 318. So F. B.; rest Have I ought seyd out of the weye. F. seyde. 319. Harl. Cx. half (for al). 320. F. dothe; songe. F. chaunt plure; Harl. Chaunte pleure. 321. F. pleyn. 323. F. borne. 325. Harl. Cx. nys; F. B. D. ther is no; Tn. ther nis no (too many syllables). 328. F. furlonge. F. B. other (for or); rest or. 329. F. thenketh; Tn. thynketh. 330. Tn. stant; F. stont. 331. Harl. Cx. To profren efte; D. Tn. Lt. Efte to profre; F. B. To suere yet. Tn. D. Cx. Lt. assure; F. asure. 332. F. trew; mercie. Harl. and love me til I dye; Cx. and love me til he deye. 334. F. B. this; D. Tn. suche; Harl. Cx. thilke. 335. F. reche; Tn. D. recche; and so with feche, &c. 339. F. destany; Tn. destyne (for the rime). 341. F. weyke. 343. Harl. D. Cx. yeve; F. yf; Tn. gife.
344. F. efte. Tn. Cx. putten; F. put. 347. Tn. deth; F. dethe. Tn. D. Lt. Ff. insert in; rest om. 348. Harl. Tn. destenye; D. destynye; F. destany. 349. F. Analida. F. B. to; rest so. 351. This stanza only occurs in Tn. D. Lt. Ff. Th.; I follow Tn. mainly. Tn. Annelida; wofull. 352. Tn. Lt. Ff. of; D. with. 353. D. Th. deed; rest dede. D. betwixe; Th. betwyxe; Ff. bitwixte; Tn. Lt. betwix. 354. Tn. felle; Th. fel. Ff. a swowe; Tn. a swow. 355. Lt. Th. avoweth; D. avowith; Tn. avoyth. 356. Tn. With-Inne; rest With-in. Tn. sorofulle. 357. Tn. shapyn; aftyr. shal after] Lt. Th. may plainly.
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VIII. CHAUCERS WORDES UNTO ADAM, HIS OWNE SCRIVEYN.
Adam scriveyn, if ever it thee bifalle Boece or Troilus to wryten newe, Under thy lokkes thou most have the scalle, But after my making thou wryte trewe. So ofte a daye I mot thy werk renewe, 5 Hit to correcte and eek to rubbe and scrape; And al is through thy negligence and rape.
From T. (= MS. R. 3. 20 in Trin. Coll. Library, Cambridge). It also occurs in Stowe's edition (1561).
TITLE; T. has--Chauciers wordes .a. Geffrey vn-to Adame his owen scryveyne; Stowe has--Chaucers woordes vnto his owne Scriuener.
1. T. scryveyne; byfalle. 2. T. Troylus for to; nuwe. 3. T. thy long lokkes (see note); thowe. 4. T. affter; makyng thowe wryte more truwe (see note). 5. T. offt; renuwe. 6. T. It; corect; Stowe has correcte. T. eke. 7. T. thorugh; neclygence.
* * * * *
IX. THE FORMER AGE.
A blisful lyf, a paisible and a swete Ledden the peples in the former age; They helde hem payed of fruites, that they ete, Which that the feldes yave hem by usage; They ne were nat forpampred with outrage; 5 Unknowen was the quern and eek the melle; They eten mast, hawes, and swich pounage, And dronken water of the colde welle.
Yit nas the ground nat wounded with the plough, But corn up-sprong, unsowe of mannes hond, 10 The which they gniden, and eete nat half y-nough No man yit knew the forwes of his lond; No man the fyr out of the flint yit fond; Un-korven and un-grobbed lay the vyne; No man yit in the morter spyces grond 15 To clarre, ne to sause of galantyne.
No mader, welde, or wood no litestere Ne knew; the flees was of his former hewe; No flesh ne wiste offence of egge or spere; No coyn ne knew man which was fals or trewe; 20 No ship yit karf the wawes grene and blewe; No marchaunt yit ne fette outlandish ware; No trompes for the werres folk ne knewe, No toures heye, and walles rounde or square.
What sholde it han avayled to werreye? 25 Ther lay no profit, ther was no richesse, But cursed was the tyme, I dar wel seye, That men first dide hir swety bysinesse To grobbe up metal, lurkinge in darknesse, And in the riveres first gemmes soghte. 30 Allas! than sprong up al the cursednesse Of covetyse, that first our sorwe broghte!
Thise tyraunts putte hem gladly nat in pres, No wildnesse, ne no busshes for to winne Ther poverte is, as seith Diogenes, 35 Ther as vitaile is eek so skars and thinne That noght but mast or apples is ther-inne. But, ther as bagges been and fat vitaile, Ther wol they gon, and spare for no sinne With al hir ost the cite for tassaile. 40
Yit were no paleis-chaumbres, ne non halles; In caves and [in] wodes softe and swete Slepten this blissed folk with-oute walles, On gras or leves in parfit quiete. No doun of fetheres, ne no bleched shete 45 Was kid to hem, but in seurtee they slepte; Hir hertes were al oon, with-oute galles, Everich of hem his feith to other kepte.
Unforged was the hauberk and the plate; The lambish peple, voyd of alle vyce, 50 Hadden no fantasye to debate, But ech of hem wolde other wel cheryce; No pryde, non envye, non avaryce, No lord, no taylage by no tyrannye; Humblesse and pees, good feith, the emperice, 55 [Fulfilled erthe of olde curtesye.]
Yit was not Iupiter the likerous, That first was fader of delicacye, Come in this world; ne Nembrot, desirous To reynen, had nat maad his toures hye. 60 Allas, allas! now may men wepe and crye! For in our dayes nis but covetyse [And] doublenesse, and tresoun and envye, Poysoun, manslauhtre, and mordre in sondry wyse. 64
FINIT ETAS PRIMA. CHAUCERS.
1. I. Blysful; paysyble. 2. I. poeples; Hh. peplis. 3. I. paied of the; Hh. paied with the (but omit the). I. fructes; Hh. frutes. 4. I. Whiche. 5. I. weere; Hh. were. I. Hh. owtrage. 6. I. Onknowyn. I. quyerne; Hh. qwerne. I. ek. 7. I. swych pownage. 9. I. grownd; wownded; plowh. 11. I. gnodded; Hh. knoddyd; read gniden; see note. I. I-nowh. 12. I. knewe; Hh. knew. 13. I, owt; flynt; fonde. 15. I. spices. 16. I. sawse; Hh. sause. I. galentyne; Hh. galantine. 17. I. madyr; Hh. madder. Hh. wellyd (wrongly), I. wod; Hh. woode. 18. I. knewh. I. fles; Hh. flese (for flees). I. is (for his); Hh. hys. 19. I. flessh; wyste. 20. I. knewh. Hh. was; I. is.
22. I. owt-. 23. I. inserts batails (Hh. batayllys) after No. 24. I. towres; rownde. 26. I. profyt; rychesse. 27. I. corsed; Hh. cursyd. 28. I. fyrst; Hh. first. I. dede; bysynesse. 29. I. lurkynge. Hh. derknesse; I. dirkenesse. 30. I. Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte. 31. I. cursydnesse. 32. Hh. couetyse; I. coueytyse. I. fyrst owr; browhte. 33. I. Thyse tyrau_n_tz. Both put. 34. I. inserts places (Hh. place of) after No. I. wynne. 36. I. vitayle; ek. 37. I nat (for noght); Hh. nowt. 39. I. synne. 40. I. Cyte. I. forto asayle; Hh. for to asayle. 41. Hh. were; I. was. 42. I. kanes. I. Hh. om. 2nd in; which I supply. 43. I. Sleptin; blyssed; with-owte. 44. Hh. On; I. Or. I. parfyt Ioye reste and quiete (!); Hh. parfite Ioy and quiete (!). 45. I. down. 46. I. kyd. I. surte; Hh. surt. 47. I. weere; on; -owte. 48. I. Euerych; oother.
49. I. hawberke. 50. I. lambyssh. I. poeple; Hh. pepyl. Hh. voyd; I. voyded. Hh. vice; I. vyse. 51. I. fantesye. 52. I. eche; oother. 53. I. pride. 54. I. tyranye. 55. Hh. Humblesse; I. Vmblesse. I. pes. 56. Not in the MSS.; I supply it. Koch suggests--Yit hadden in this worlde the maistrye. 57. I. Iuppiter; Hh. Iupiter. I. lykerous. 58. I. fyrst; fadyr; delicasie. 59. I. desyrous. 60. I. regne; towres. 61. Hh. men; which I. omits. 62. I. owre. 63. I. Hh. omit first And, which I supply. I. Hh. Dowblenesse. 64. I. Poyson and manslawtre; Hh. Poysonne manslawtyr. Finit, &c.; in Hh. only.
* * * * *
X. FORTUNE.
Balades de visage sanz peinture.
I. LE PLEINTIF COUNTRE FORTUNE.
This wrecched worldes transmutacioun, As wele or wo, now povre and now honour, With-outen ordre or wys discrecioun Governed is by Fortunes errour; But natheles, the lak of hir favour 5 Ne may nat don me singen, though I dye, Iay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour:' For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!
Yit is me left the light of my resoun, To knowen frend fro fo in thy mirour. 10 So muche hath yit thy whirling up and doun Y-taught me for to knowen in an hour. But trewely, no force of thy reddour To him that over him-self hath the maystrye! My suffisaunce shal be my socour: 15 For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!
O Socrates, thou stedfast champioun, She never mighte be thy tormentour; Thou never dreddest hir oppressioun, Ne in hir chere founde thou no savour. 20 Thou knewe wel deceit of hir colour, And that hir moste worshipe is to lye. I knowe hir eek a fals dissimulour: For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!
II. LA RESPOUNSE DE FORTUNE AU PLEINTIF.
No man is wrecched, but him-self hit wene, 25 And he that hath him-self hath suffisaunce. Why seystow thanne I am to thee so kene, That hast thy-self out of my governaunce? Sey thus: 'Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce That thou hast lent or this.' Why wolt thou stryve? 30 What wostow yit, how I thee wol avaunce? And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve!
I have thee taught divisioun bi-twene Frend of effect, and frend of countenaunce; Thee nedeth nat the galle of noon hyene, 35 That cureth eyen derke fro hir penaunce; Now seestow cleer, that were in ignoraunce. Yit halt thyn ancre, and yit thou mayst arryve Ther bountee berth the keye of my substaunce: And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve. 40
How many have I refused to sustene, Sin I thee fostred have in thy plesaunce! Woltow than make a statut on thy quene That I shal been ay at thyn ordinaunce? Thou born art in my regne of variaunce, 45 Aboute the wheel with other most thou dryve. My lore is bet than wikke is thy grevaunce, And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve.
III. LA RESPOUNSE DU PLEINTIF COUNTRE FORTUNE.
Thy lore I dampne, hit is adversitee. My frend maystow nat reven, blind goddesse! 50 That I thy frendes knowe, I thanke hit thee. Tak hem agayn, lat hem go lye on presse! The negardye in keping hir richesse Prenostik is thou wolt hir tour assayle; Wikke appetyt comth ay before seknesse: 55 In general, this reule may nat fayle.
LA RESPOUNSE DE FORTUNE COUNTRE LE PLEINTIF.
Thou pinchest at my mutabilitee, For I thee lente a drope of my richesse, And now me lyketh to with-drawe me. Why sholdestow my realtee oppresse? 60 The see may ebbe and flowen more or lesse; The welkne hath might to shyne, reyne, or hayle; Right so mot I kythen my brotelnesse. In general, this reule may nat fayle.
Lo, thexecucion of the magestee 65 That al purveyeth of his rightwisnesse, That same thing 'Fortune' clepen ye, Ye blinde bestes, ful of lewednesse! The hevene hath propretee of sikernesse, This world hath ever resteles travayle; 70 Thy laste day is ende of myn intresse: In general, this reule may nat fayle.
Lenvoy de Fortune.
Princes, I prey you of your gentilesse, Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne, And I shal quyte you your bisinesse 75 At my requeste, as three of you or tweyne; And, but you list releve him of his peyne, Preyeth his beste frend, of his noblesse, That to som beter estat he may atteyne. 79
Explicit.
The spelling is conformed to that of the preceding poems; the alterations though numerous are slight; as y for i, au for aw, &c. The text mainly follows MS. I. (= Ii. 3. 21, Camb. Univ. Library). Other MSS. are A. (Ashmole 59); T. (Trin. Coll. Camb.); F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); H. (Harl. 2251).
2: F. pouerte; rest poure (poore, pore, poeere). 8, 16: I. fynaly; deffye. 11: I. mochel; the rest muche, moche. 13: I. fors; thi reddowr. 17: I. stidfast chaumpyoun. 18: I. myht; thi tormentowr. 20: I. fownde thow.
21. I. the deseyte; A. T. H. om. the. 22. I. most. 23. I. knew; rest knowe. I. ek. 24. I. fynaly; the deffye. 27. H. seystow; I. seysthow. I. (only) om. to. 30. So I.; rest Thou shall not stryue. 31. I. woost thow; B. wostow; A. T. wostowe. 36. I. derkyd; rest derke (derk). T. from hir; H. from ther; A. frome theire; F. B. fro; I. for. 37. H. seestow; A. T. seestowe; I. partly erased. 43. I. Wolthow; B. Woltow. 46. I. most thow; H. thow must; the rest maystow, maisthow, maistow.
49: I. dempne; F. B. H. dampne. 50: I. maysthow; B. maistou; H. maystow. 51: I. thanke to; F. thanke yt; B. thanke it; H. thank it nat: (Lansdowne and Pepys also have thank it). 60: I. apresse; rest oppresse. 61: I. A. or; rest and. 62: I. welkne; A. B. H. welkin; F. welkene; T. sky. 63: I. brutelnesse; T. brutilnesse; F. B. H. brotelnesse; A. brittelnesse. After l. 64, a new rubric is wrongly inserted, thus: I. Le pleintif; F. B. H. Le pleintif encontre Fortune; A. The Pleyntyff ageinst Fortune; T. Thaunswer of the Lover ayenst Fortune; see note. 65: A. F. þexecucion; B. thexecucyon; I. excussyoun. I. maieste; rest magestee (mageste). 71: I. intersse (sic); (Lansd. and Pepys intresse); T. F. B. interesse; A. H. encresse.
73. I. gentilesses; the rest gentilesse. 76. In I. only; the rest omit this line. 77. A. F. B. H. And; I. T. That. I. lest; rest list (liste). At end--B. Explicit.
* * * * *
XI. MERCILES BEAUTE: A TRIPLE ROUNDEL.
I. Captivity.
Your yën two wol slee me sodenly, I may the beautè of hem not sustene, So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene.
And but your word wol helen hastily My hertes wounde, whyl that hit is grene, 5 Your yën two wol slee me sodenly, I may the beautè of hem not sustene.
Upon my trouthe I sey yow feithfully, That ye ben of my lyf and deeth the quene; For with my deeth the trouthe shal be sene. 10 Your yën two wol slee me sodenly, I may the beautè of hem not sustene, So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene.
II. Rejection.
So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne; 15 For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.
Giltles my deeth thus han ye me purchaced; I sey yow sooth, me nedeth not to feyne; So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne. 20
Allas! that nature hath in yow compassed So greet beautè, that no man may atteyne To mercy, though he sterve for the peyne. So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne; 25 For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.
III. Escape.
Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat, I never thenk to ben in his prison lene; Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.
He may answere, and seye this or that; 30 I do no fors, I speke right as I mene. Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat, I never thenk to ben in his prison lene.
Love hath my name y-strike out of his sclat, And he is strike out of my bokes clene 35 For ever-mo; [ther] is non other mene. Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat, I never thenk to ben in his prison lene; Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene. 39
Explicit.
This excellent text is from P. (MS. Pepys 2006, p. 390). I note all variations from the MS.]
1. P. Yowre two yen; but read Your yen two; for in ll., 6, II, the MS. has Your yen, &c. P. wolle sle. 2. them; read hem. 3. wondeth it thorowout (out in the margin). 4. wille. 5. Mi hertis wound while; it. 6, 7. Yo_ur_ yen, &c. 8. trouth. 9. liffe; deth. 10. deth; trouth. 11-13. Yo_ur_ yen, &c. 14. yowre. 15. nauailleth; pleyn. 16. danger.
17. deth. 18. soth; fayn. 19, 20. So hath yo_ur_, &c. 21. compased. 22. grete; atteyn. 23. peyn. 24-26. So hath yo_ur_ beaute, &c. 28. neu_er_e. 29. fre. 30. answer_e_ & sey. 32, 33. Syn I fro loue, &c. 34. I strike. 36. this is (read ther is). 37-39. Syn I fro loue, &c.
* * * * *
XII. TO ROSEMOUNDE. A BALADE.
Madame, ye ben of al beautè shryne As fer as cercled is the mappemounde; For as the cristal glorious ye shyne, And lyke ruby ben your chekes rounde. Therwith ye ben so mery and so iocounde, 5 That at a revel whan that I see you daunce, It is an oynement unto my wounde, Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce.
For thogh I wepe of teres ful a tyne, Yet may that wo myn herte nat confounde; 10 Your seemly voys that ye so smal out-twyne Maketh my thoght in Ioye and blis habounde. So curteisly I go, with lovë bounde, That to my-self I sey, in my penaunce, Suffyseth me to love you, Rosemounde, 15 Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce.
Nas never pyk walwed in galauntyne As I in love am walwed and y-wounde; For which ful ofte I of my-self divyne That I am trewe Tristan the secounde. 20 My love may not refreyd be nor afounde; I brenne ay in an amorous plesaunce. Do what you list, I wil your thral be founde, Thoghe ye to me ne do no daliaunce. 24
TREGENTIL. CHAUCER.
From MS. Rawl. Poet. 163, leaf 114.
No title in the MS. Readings. 2. mapamonde. 3. cristall. 4. chekys. 5. ioconde. 6. Reuell; se; dance. 8. Thoght (see 16); daliance. 11. semy (sic); read seemly; fynall, for final(misreading of fmal). 12. Makyth; ioy; blys. 13. curtaysly. 18. I wounde. 19. deuyne. 20. trew. 21. refreyde (with be above the line, just before it); affounde. 22. amorouse. 23. lyst; wyl. 24. daliance.
* * * * *
XIII. TRUTH.
BALADE DE BON CONSEYL.
Flee fro the prees, and dwelle with sothfastnesse, Suffyce unto thy good, though hit be smal; For hord hath hate, and climbing tikelnesse, Prees hath envye, and wele blent overal; Savour no more than thee bihove shal; 5 Werk wel thy-self, that other folk canst rede; And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.
Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse, In trust of hir that turneth as a bal: Gret reste stant in litel besinesse; 10 And eek be war to sporne ageyn an al; Stryve noght, as doth the crokke with the wal. Daunte thy-self, that dauntest otheres dede; And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.
That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse, 15 The wrastling for this worlde axeth a fal. Her nis non hoom, her nis but wildernesse: Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste, out of thy stal! Know thy contree, look up, thank God of al; Hold the hye wey, and lat thy gost thee lede: 20 And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.
ENVOY.
Therfore, thou vache, leve thyn old wrecchednesse Unto the worlde; leve now to be thral; Crye him mercy, that of his hy goodnesse Made thee of noght, and in especial 25 Draw unto him, and pray in general For thee, and eek for other, hevenlich mede; And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede. 28
EXPLICIT LE BON COUNSEILL DE G. CHAUCER.
TITLE. Gg. has--Balade de bone conseyl; F. has--Balade.
The MSS. are At. (Addit. 10340, Brit. Museum); Gg. (Camb. Univ. Library, Gg. 4. 27); E. (Ellesmere MS.); Ct. (Cotton, Cleop. D. 7); T. (Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 20); F. (Fairfax 16); and others. The text is founded on E.
2. E. Suffise. E. good; T. goode; At. Ct. thing; Gg. þyng. 4. At. blent; T. blenteþe; Gg. blyndyþ; E. blyndeth; Ct. blindeth; see note. 5. E. the. 7. T. inserts thee before shal. 8. Tempest] Harl. F. T. Peyne. 9. E. trist; the rest trust. 10. Gg. Gret reste; T. Gret rest; E. For gret reste; Ct. For greet rest; At. Mych wele. E. bisynesse; rest besynesse. 11. E. ek; agayn. 13. E. Ct. Daunt; the rest Daunte. 14. T. inserts thee before shal. 15. E. the; boxomnesse.
19. Know thy contree] Harl. F. T. Loke vp on hie. E. lok; the rest loke, looke. 20. For Hold the hye wey, Harl. F. and others have Weyve thy lust. E. the (for thee). 21. T. inserts thee before shal. 22-28. This stanza is in At. only. 22. At. þine olde wrechedenesse. 23. At. world. 24. At. Crie hym; hys hie. 25. At. þe; nou[gh]t. 26. At. Drawe; hym. 27. At. þe; eke; heuenelyche. 28. At. schal delyuere. COLOPHON: so in F.
* * * * *
XIV. GENTILESSE.
MORAL BALADE OF CHAUCER.
The firste stok, fader of gentilesse-- What man that claymeth gentil for to be, Must folowe his trace, and alle his wittes dresse Vertu to sewe, and vyces for to flee. For unto vertu longeth dignitee, 5 And noght the revers, saufly dar I deme, Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.
This firste stok was ful of rightwisnesse, Trewe of his word, sobre, pitous, and free, Clene of his goste, and loved besinesse, 10 Ageinst the vyce of slouthe, in honestee; And, but his heir love vertu, as dide he, He is noght gentil, thogh he riche seme, Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.
Vyce may wel be heir to old richesse; 15 But ther may no man, as men may wel see, Bequethe his heir his vertuous noblesse; That is appropred unto no degree, But to the firste fader in magestee, That maketh him his heir, that can him queme, 20 Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.
1. Cx. first; Harl. ffirste; Ct. firste. T. gentilesse; rest gentilnesse. 3. Cx. om. alle. 4. A. T. suwe; Harl. shew (for sewe); Cx. folowe (!). 5. Cx. vertue; dignyte. 6. Cx. not; rest nou[gh]t, nought, no[gh]te. 7. Cx. mytor; A. T. Harl. Add. mytre. Cx. crowne; dyademe. 8. Cx. rightwisnes. 9. A. Ct. Ha. pitous; Cx. pyetous. 10. Cx. besynes. 11. A. Ageinst; T. Ageynst; Cx. Agayn. Cx. om. the. Cx. honeste. 12. Cx. eyer; rest heire, heyre, eyre. 13. Cx. not; Ct. Ha. nought. Cx. though; Add. thogh. 14. Cx. mytor; crowne. 15. Cx. omits heir. Cx. holde; rest olde; but read old. 16. Cx. al; rest as. 17. Cx. eyer.
18. Cx. degre. 19. Cx. first; mageste. 20. Ct. That maketh his heires hem that hym queme (omitting can); A. That maþe his heyre him that wol him qweme; T. That makeþe heos heyres hem þat wol him qweeme; Add. That maketh his eires hem that can him queme; Cx. That makes hem eyres that can hem queme; with other variations. I follow Cx., supplying his, and putting him and heir in the singular; cf. he in l. 21. 21. Cx. crowne mytor.
* * * * *
XV. LAK OF STEDFASTNESSE.
BALADE.
Som tyme this world was so stedfast and stable That mannes word was obligacioun, And now hit is so fals and deceivable, That word and deed, as in conclusioun, Ben no-thing lyk, for turned up so doun 5 Is al this world for mede and wilfulnesse, That al is lost for lak of stedfastnesse.
What maketh this world to be so variable But lust that folk have in dissensioun? Among us now a man is holde unable, 10 But-if he can, by som collusioun, Don his neighbour wrong or oppressioun. What causeth this, but wilful wrecchednesse, That al is lost, for lak of stedfastnesse?
Trouthe is put doun, resoun is holden fable; 15 Vertu hath now no dominacioun, Pitee exyled, no man is merciable. Through covetyse is blent discrecioun; The world hath mad a permutacioun Fro right to wrong, fro trouthe to fikelnesse, 20 That al is lost, for lak of stedfastnesse.
Lenvoy to King Richard.
O prince, desyre to be honourable, Cherish thy folk and hate extorcioun! Suffre no thing, that may be reprevable To thyn estat, don in thy regioun. 25 Shew forth thy swerd of castigacioun, Dred God, do law, love trouthe and worthinesse, And wed thy folk agein to stedfastnesse. 28
Explicit.
The MSS are: Harl. (Harl. 7333); T. (Trin. Coll. R. 3. 20); Ct. (Cotton, Cleop. D. 7); F. (Fairfax 16); Add. (Addit. 22139); Bann. (Bannatyne); and others. Th. = Thynne (1532). I follow Ct. _chiefly. The title_ Balade is in F.
1. Ct. Sumtyme. Ct. F. the; Harl. T. Add. this. Ct. worlde. 2. Ct. worde. 3. Ct. nowe it; false; deseiuable. 4. Ct. worde; dede. 5. Harl. T. Beon; Add. Ar; Ct. Is; F. Ys. Ct. lyke. 6. Ct. all; worlde. 8. Ct. worlde; veriable. 9. Ct. folke; discension. 10. The MSS. have For among vs now, or For nowe a dayes; but Bann. omits For, which is not wanted. 11. Bann. Harl. T. Th. collusion; Ct. F. Add. conclusioun (but see l. 4). 12. Ct. Do; neyghburgh. 15. Ct. putte. 17. Ct. Pite. 18. Ct. Thorugh. 19. Ct. worlde. T. F. Add. Th. a; Bann. ane; Ct. om.
20. Ct. trought; F. trouthe. TITLE. T. Lenvoye to Kyng Richard; F. Harl. Th. Lenvoy. 22. Ct. honurable. 23. Ct. Cherice thi. 25. Ct. thine estaat doen; thi. 26. Ct. Shewe; swerde. 27. Ct. Drede; truthe. 28. Ct. thi; ayen. Ct. Th. add Explicit.
* * * * *
XVI. LENVOY DE CHAUCER A SCOGAN.
To-broken been the statuts hye in hevene That creat were eternally to dure, Sith that I see the brighte goddes sevene Mow wepe and wayle, and passioun endure, As may in erthe a mortal creature. 5 Allas, fro whennes may this thing procede? Of whiche errour I deye almost for drede.
By worde eterne whylom was hit shape That fro the fifte cercle, in no manere, Ne mighte a drope of teres doun escape. 10 But now so wepeth Venus in hir spere, That with hir teres she wol drenche us here. Allas, Scogan! this is for thyn offence! Thou causest this deluge of pestilence.
Hast thou not seyd, in blaspheme of this goddes, 15 Through pryde, or through thy grete rakelnesse, Swich thing as in the lawe of love forbode is? That, for thy lady saw nat thy distresse, Therfor thou yave hir up at Michelmesse! Allas, Scogan! of olde folk ne yonge 20 Was never erst Scogan blamed for his tonge!
Thou drowe in scorn Cupyde eek to record Of thilke rebel word that thou hast spoken, For which he wol no lenger be thy lord. And, Scogan, thogh his bowe be nat broken, 25 He wol nat with his arwes been y-wroken On thee, ne me, ne noon of our figure; We shul of him have neyther hurt ne cure.
Now certes, frend, I drede of thyn unhappe, Lest for thy gilt the wreche of Love procede 30 On alle hem that ben hore and rounde of shape, That ben so lykly folk in love to spede. Than shul we for our labour han no mede; But wel I wot, thou wilt answere and seye: 'Lo! olde Grisel list to ryme and pleye!' 35
Nay, Scogan, sey not so, for I mexcuse, God help me so! in no rym, doutelees, Ne thinke I never of slepe wak my muse, That rusteth in my shethe stille in pees. Whyl I was yong, I putte hir forth in prees, 40 But al shal passe that men prose or ryme; Take every man his turn, as for his tyme.
ENVOY.
Scogan, that knelest at the stremes heed Of grace, of alle honour and worthinesse, In thende of which streme I am dul as deed, 45 Forgete in solitarie wildernesse; Yet, Scogan, thenke on Tullius kindenesse, Minne thy frend, ther it may fructifye! Far-wel, and lok thou never est Love defye! 49
TITLE: so in F. and P.; Gg. has--Litera directa de Scogon per G. C. The MSS. are: Gg. (Camb. Univ. Library, Gg. 4. 27); F. (Fairfax 16); P. (Pepys 2006). Th. = Thynne (1532). I follow F. mainly.
1. F. statutez. 2. F. weren eternaly. 3. F. bryght goddis. 4. F. Mowe. 5. F. Mortale. 6. F. thys thinge. 8. F. whilome. F. yshape; Gg. it schape; P. Th. it shape. 9. F. fyfte sercle; maner. 10. F. myght; teeres; eschape. 11. F. wepith. 12. F. teeres. 14. F. cawsest; diluge. 15. Gg. Hast þu; F. Hauesthow. F. this goddis; Gg. the goddis; P. Th. the goddes. 16. F. Thurgh; thrugh. F. they (wrongly); Gg. þyn; P. thi. F. rekelnesse; P. Th. reklesnesse; Gg. rechelesnesse; see note. 17. F. P. forbede; Gg. forbodyn; Th. forbode. 18. Gg. saw; F. sawgh. 19. F. Therfore thow. Gg. Mychel-; F. Mighel-. 20. F. folke.
22. F. skorne; eke; recorde. 23. F. worde; thow. 24. F. lorde. 25. F. thow; P. Th. though. F. thy (for his, wrongly); Gg. P. his. 27. F. the. Th. our; Gg. oure; P. owre; F. youre. 28. F. hurte. Gg. P. Th. ne; F. nor. 29. F. dreed. 30. F. gilte. 31. Gg. P. hore; F. hoor. F. shappe; P. shape; Gg. schap. 32. F. folke. 33. P. shull; F. Gg. shal. Gg. P. han; F. haue. F. noo. 34. F. thow. F. wolt; Gg. wilt. 35. Gg. P. Lo olde; F. Loo tholde. F. lyste. 36. F. say; Gg. P. sey. F. soo. 37. P. help; Gg. F. helpe. F. soo. F. ryme dowteles. 38. F. Gg. to wake; P. Th. om. to. 40. F. While; yonge. Gg. putte; F. put. P. Th. her; F. hyt; Gg. it. 41. F. alle. 42. F. hys turne. 43. F. hede; Gg. hed. 45. F. dede; Gg. P. ded. 48. F. Mynne; there. 49. F. Fare; loke thow; dyffye.
N.B. All have--.i. a Windesore, and--.i. a Grenewich opposite ll. 43, 45.
* * * * *
XVII. LENVOY DE CHAUCER A BUKTON.
THE COUNSEIL OF CHAUCER TOUCHING MARIAGE, WHICH WAS SENT TO BUKTON.
My maister Bukton, whan of Criste our kinge Was axed, what is trouthe or sothfastnesse, He nat a word answerde to that axinge, As who saith: 'no man is al trewe,' I gesse. And therfor, thogh I highte to expresse 5 The sorwe and wo that is in mariage, I dar not wryte of hit no wikkednesse, Lest I my-self falle eft in swich dotage.
I wol nat seyn, how that hit is the cheyne Of Sathanas, on which he gnaweth ever, 10 But I dar seyn, were he out of his peyne, As by his wille, he wolde be bounde never. But thilke doted fool that est hath lever Y-cheyned be than out of prisoun crepe, God lete him never fro his wo dissever, 15 Ne no man him bewayle, though he wepe.
But yit, lest thou do worse, tak a wyf; Bet is to wedde, than brenne in worse wyse. But thou shalt have sorwe on thy flesh, thy lyf, And been thy wyves thral, as seyn these wyse, 20 And if that holy writ may nat suffyse, Experience shal thee teche, so may happe, That thee were lever to be take in Fryse Than eft to falle of wedding in the trappe.
ENVOY.
This litel writ, proverbes, or figure 25 I sende you, tak kepe of hit, I rede: Unwys is he that can no wele endure. If thou be siker, put thee nat in drede. The Wyf of Bathe I pray you that ye rede Of this matere that we have on honde. 30 God graunte you your lyf frely to lede In fredom; for ful hard is to be bonde. 32
Explicit.
TITLE: so in MS. Fairfax 16. Second Title from Ju.
The authorities are: F. (Fairfax 16); Th. (Thynne's edition, 1532); and a printed copy by Julian Notary (Ju.). I follow F. mainly.
2. F. ys; sothefastnesse. 3. F. worde. 4. F. noo. Ju. Th. trewe; F. trew. 5. F. therfore though; hight (Ju. hyghte). 6. F. woo. 7. F. writen; hyt noo. 8. Ju. Lest; F. Leste. 9. F. hyt. 10. F. euere. 11. F. oute. 12. F. neuere. 13. F. foole. Th. efte; F. ofte; Ju. oft. F. leuere. 15. F. woo disseuere. 16. F. noo. 17. F. yet; thow doo; take; wyfe. 19. F. thow; flessh; lyfe. 20. F. ben. F. wifes; Ju. Th. wynes.
21. F. yf; hooly writte. 22. F. the. 23. F. the. 24. F. Ju. om. to; which Th. inserts. 25. F. writte; Th. writ; Ju. wryt. 26. F. yow take; hyt. 27. F. Vnwise; kan noo. 28. F. thow; the. 29. F. wyfe; yow. 31. F. yow; lyfe. 32. F. fredam. F. harde it is; Ju. hard is; Th. foule is (omitting ful). All add Explicit.
* * * * *
XVIII. THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.
<< I. (The Lover's worthiness.)
Ther nis so hy comfort to my plesaunce, Whan that I am in any hevinesse, As for to have leyser of remembraunce Upon the manhod and the worthinesse, Upon the trouthe, and on the stedfastnesse 5 Of him whos I am al, whyl I may dure; Ther oghte blame me no creature, For every wight preiseth his gentilesse.
In him is bountee, wisdom, governaunce Wel more then any mannes wit can gesse; 10 For grace hath wold so ferforth him avaunce That of knighthode he is parfit richesse.
>> I.
Il n'est confort que tant de biens me face, Quant je ne puis a ma dame parler, Comme d'avoir temps, loisir et espace De longuement en sa valour penser, Et [de] ses doulz fais femenins recorder 5 Dedens mon cuer. C'est ma vie, par m'ame, Ne je ne truis nul homme qui me blasme, Car chascun a joye de li loer.
Il a en li bonté, beauté et grace, Plus que nulz homs ne saroit deviser. 10 C'est grant ëur quant en si pou de place Dieux a voulu tous les biens assembler.
<< Honour honoureth him for his noblesse; Therto so wel hath formed him Nature, That I am his for ever, I him assure, 15 For every wight preiseth his gentilesse.
And not-withstanding al his suffisaunce, His gentil herte is of so greet humblesse To me in worde, in werke, in contenaunce, And me to serve is al his besinesse, 20 That I am set in verrey sikernesse. Thus oghte I blesse wel myn aventure, Sith that him list me serven and honoure; For every wight preiseth his gentilesse.
II. (Disquietude caused by Jealousy.)
Now certes, Love, hit is right covenable 25 That men ful dere bye thy noble thing, As wake a-bedde, and fasten at the table, Weping to laughe, and singe in compleyning,
>> Honneur la vuelt sur toutes honnorer. Oncques ne vi si [douce et] plaisant dame De toutes gens avoir si noble femme; 15 Car chascun a joye de li loer.
Ou qu'elle soit, bien fait et mal efface. Moult bien li siet le rire et le jouer. Son cuer esbat et les autres soulace Si liement qu'on ne l'en doit blasmer. 20 De li veoir ne se puet nulz lasser. Son regart vault tous les biens d'un royaume. Il semble bien qu'elle est tres noble femme, Car chascun a joye de li loer.
II.
Certes, Amours, c'est chose convenable 25 Que voz grans biens [vous] faciez comparer: Veillier ou lit et jeuner a la table, Rire plourant et en plaignant chanter,
<< And doun to caste visage and loking, Often to chaungen hewe and contenaunce, 30 Pleyne in sleping, and dremen at the daunce, Al the revers of any glad feling.
Ialousye be hanged by a cable! She wolde al knowe through hir espying; Ther doth no wight no-thing so resonable, 35 That al nis harm in hir imagening. Thus dere abought is love in yeving, Which ofte he yiveth with-outen ordinaunce, As sorow ynogh, and litel of plesaunce, Al the revers of any glad feling. 40
A litel tyme his yift is agreable, But ful encomberous is the using; For sotel Ialousye, the deceyvable, Ful often-tyme causeth destourbing.
>> Baissier les yeux quant on doit regarder, Souvent changier couleur et contenance, 30 Plaindre en dormant et songier a la dance Tout a rebours de ce qu'on vuelt trouver.
Jalousie, c'est l'amer du deable; Elle vuelt tout veoir et escouter, Ne nulz ne fait chose si raisonnable 35 Que tout a mal ne le vueille tourner. Amours, ainsi fault voz dons acheter, Et vous donnez souvent sanz ordonnance Assez douleur et petit de plaisance, Tout a rebours de ce qu'on vuelt trouver. 40
Pour un court temps le gieu est agreable; Mais trop par est encombreux a user. Et, ja soit il a dames honnorable, A leurs amis est trop grief a porter.
<< Thus be we ever in drede and suffering, 45 In nouncerteyn we languisshe in penaunce, And han ful often many an hard meschaunce, Al the revers of any glad feling.
III. (Satisfaction in Constancy.)
But certes, Love, I sey nat in such wyse That for tescape out of your lace I mente; 50 For I so longe have been in your servyse That for to lete of wol I never assente; No force thogh Ialousye me tormente; Suffyceth me to see him whan I may, And therfore certes, to myn ending-day 55 To love him best ne shal I never repente.
And certes, Love, whan I me wel avyse On any estat that man may represente, Than have ye maked me, through your franchyse, Chese the best that ever on erthe wente. 60
>> Toudiz convient souffrir et endurer, 45 Sans nul certain languir en esperance, Et recevoir mainte male meschance, Tout a rebours de ce qu'on vuelt trouver.
III.
Amours, sachiez que pas ne le vueil dire Pour moy getter hors des amoureux las; 50 Car j'ay porté si long temps mon martire Que mon vivant ne le guerpiray pas. Il me souffist d'avoir tant de soulas Que veoir puisse la [belle et] gracieuse; Combien qu'el est [en]vers moy dangereuse, 55 De li servir ne serai jamaiz las.
Certes, Amours, quant bien droit [je] remire Les haulx estas, les moyens et les bas, Vous m'avez fait de tous les bons eslire, A mon avis, le meilleur, en tous cas. 60
<< Now love wel, herte, and look thou never stente; And let the Ielous putte hit in assay That, for no peyne wol I nat sey nay; To love him best ne shal I never repente.
Herte, to thee hit oghte y-nogh suffyse 65 That Love so hy a grace to thee sente, To chese the worthiest in alle wyse And most agreable unto myn entente. Seche no ferther, neyther wey ne wente, Sith I have suffisaunce unto my pay. 70 Thus wol I ende this compleynt or lay; To love him best ne shal I never repente.
Lenvoy.
Princess, receyveth this compleynt in gree, Unto your excellent benignitee Direct after my litel suffisaunce. 75 For eld, that in my spirit dulleth me, Hath of endyting al the soteltee Wel ny bereft out of my remembraunce; And eek to me hit is a greet penaunce, Sith rym in English hath swich scarsitee, 80 To folowe word by word the curiositee Of Graunson, flour of hem that make in Fraunce.
>> Or aime, cuer, ainsy que tu pourras; Car ja n'aras paine si doulereuse, Pour ma dame, que ne me soit joieuse; De li servir ne seray jamaiz las.
Cuer, il te doit assez plus que souffire 65 D'avoir choisy ce[lle] que choisi as. Ne quiers [or] plus royaume ne empire, Car si bonne jamaiz ne trouveras, Ne si belle par mes yeux ne verras: C'est jeunesce sachant et savoureuse. 70 Ja soit elle de m'amour desdaigneuse, De li servir ne seray jamaiz las.
TITLE: so in F. Ff. Ar.; see Notes. The MSS. are: T. (Trin. Coll. Cambridge, R. 3. 20); A. (Ashmole 59); Tn. (MS. Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16); Ff. (MS. Ff. I. 6. Camb. Univ. Library); Ar. (Arch. Seld. P. 24); P. (Pepys 2006); etc. Th.=Thynne (1532). I follow F. mainly.
1. F. high; T. A. hye (hy is better). 2. F. When; eny. 4. F. manhod; the rest have final e. 5. F. stidfastnesse. 6. F. whiles; A. whilest; rest while. 7. F. oght; Tn. oghte to. 9. F. ys bounte. F. T. A. Th. insert and after wisdom; but the rest omit it. 10. F. eny manes witte. 11. F. wolde (wrongly); Ff. wold. F. fersorthe. 12. F. p_ar_fite.
14. F. well. 16. F. preysith. 18. F. hert; grete. 19. F. werk. 21. F. sikirnesse. 22. F. oght. 25. F. certis. 26. T. A. Tn. Th. thy; F. Ff. the. 27. F. a-bed; T. A. a-bedde. 28. F. Wepinge; laugh; sing; compleynynge.
29. F. cast; the rest caste. F. lokynge. 30. F. chaunge visage (wrongly); change hewe in MS. Arch. Selden, B. 24; T. A. chaunge huwe. 31. MSS. Pley, Pleye; read Pleyne (F. Plaindre). F. dreme; T. Tn. Ff. Th. dremen. 32. F. reuerse; eny. 33. Ff. T. Ialousye; F. Ielosie. Ff. P. be; F. Th. he (!). Ialousye be] T. þaughe Ialousye wer. T. Tn. Th. by; F. be; Ff. with. 34. F. wold; thro; espyinge. 35. F. dothe. 36. F. nys harme; ymagenynge. 37. F. yevynge. 38. F. yifeth. Ff. withouten; rest withoute. 40. F. reuerse; felynge. 42. T. Ff. encomberous; F. encombrouse. F. vsynge. 43. Tn. sotell; F. subtil. F. Ielosie. 44. T. destourbing; F. derturbynge (sic).
45. F. suffrynge; P. sufferyng; T. souffering. 46. F. Ff. noun-certeyn; T. noun-certaine; A. nouncerteine. F. langvisshen. 47. F. harde. F. wrongly repeats penaunce; T. A. meschaunce. 48. F. reuerse; ony; felynge. 49. F. certys; not. 50. F. youre; ment. 51. F. be; the rest ben or been. 52. F. wil; T. A. Ff. wol. F. assent. 53. F. fors; turment. 55. F. certys. 56. F. om. ne, which T. A. P. insert; Ar. has that. Tn. inserts me before never. 57. F. certis; when. 58. F. eny estate; represent. 59. F. Tn. Then; rest Than, Thanne, Thane. T. Ff. P. maked; rest made. F. thro. 60. F. went.
61. F. hert; loke; stent. 62. P. Ielous; A. Ialous; T. Ialouse; F. Ielousie. A. putte; F. put. 63. F. peyn wille I not. 64. F. yow (for him); T. A. Tn. Ar. him (see l. 56). 65. F. Hert; the; ought ynogh. 66. F. highe; T. A. hye. T. A. Ff. Ar. thee; F. yow; Tn. you. F. sent. 67. F. al. 68. F. entent. 69. F. went. 70. F. Sithe. F. Tn. ye (for I); rest I. 71. All but Ju. (Julian Notary's edition) repeat this before lay. 72. See l. 56. 73. T. A. Pryncesse; rest Princes. F. resseyueth. 74. F. excelent benignite. 75. F. Directe aftir. 76. F. elde. 77. Tn. soteltee; F. subtilite. 78. F. nighe. 79. F. eke; grete. 80. F. ryme; englissh hat (sic) such skarsete. 81. F. worde by worde; curiosite. 82. F. floure; maken.
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XIX. THE COMPLEINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE.
To you, my purse, and to non other wight Compleyne I, for ye be my lady dere! I am so sory, now that ye be light; For certes, but ye make me hevy chere, Me were as leef be leyd up-on my bere; 5 For whiche un-to your mercy thus I crye: Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!
Now voucheth sauf this day, or hit be night, That I of you the blisful soun may here, Or see your colour lyk the sonne bright, 10 That of yelownesse hadde never pere. Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere, Quene of comfort and of good companye: Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!
Now purs, that be to me my lyves light, 15 And saveour, as doun in this worlde here, Out of this toune help me through your might, Sin that ye wole nat been my tresorere; For I am shave as nye as any frere. But yit I pray un-to your curtesye: 20 Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!
LENVOY DE CHAUCER.
O conquerour of Brutes Albioun! Which that by lyne and free eleccioun Ben verray king, this song to you I sende; And ye, that mowen al our harm amende, 25 Have minde up-on my supplicacioun!
The MSS. are: F. (Fairfax 16); Harl (Harl. 7333); Ff. (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. I.6): P. (Pepys 2006); Add. (Addit. 22139); also Cx. (Caxton's edition); Th. (Thynne, 1532). I follow F. mainly.
TITLE. So in Cx. (but with Un-to for to); F. om. empty; P. La compleint de Chaucer a sa Bourse Voide.
1. F. yow. 2. F. Complayn; Harl. P. Compleyne. 3. Harl. be; F. been. 4. Add. That; P. But; rest For. P. Add. but ye; F. Harl. but yf ye; Ff. but yif ye; Cx. Th. ye now. 5. Add. leyd; F. layde. 7. F. Beeth; ageyne; mote. 8. F. hyt; nyght. 9. F. yow; sovne. 10. F. lyke; bryght. 11. Read That of yél-ownés-se. 12. F. lyfe; hertys. 14. F. ageyne; moote. 15. P. Cx. purs; F. Add. purse. F. ben. 17. F. Oute; helpe; thurgh. 18. F. bene. 19. Harl. P. Th. any; Add. eny; Cx. ony; F. is a.
21. F. Bethe; ayen; moote. F. Lenvoy de Chaucer; Harl. P. Lenvoye; Cx. Thenuoye of Chaucer vnto the kynge. 23. F. Whiche. F. lygne; Harl. Cx. Ff. P. lyne. 24. F. Been; kynge; yow. 25. F. alle myn harme; Ff. all_e_ oure harmes; Harl. all oure harmous; P. Cx. all_e_ harmes.
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XX. Proverbs.
PROVERBE OF CHAUCER.
I
What shul thise clothes many-fold, Lo! this hote somers day?-- After greet heet cometh cold; No man caste his pilche away.