This balade may ful wel y-songen be, _Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

*As I have seyd erst, by my lady free;

*For certeynly, alle these mow nat suffyse

*To apperen with my lady in no wyse.

*For as the sonne wol the fyr disteyne,

*So passeth al my lady sovereyne, 275

That is so good, so fair, so debonaire;

I prey to god that ever falle hir faire!

+For, nadde comfort been of hir presence,

+I had ben deed, withouten any defence,

+For drede of Loves wordes and his chere; 280

+As, when tyme is, her-after ye shal here.

Behind this god of love, upon the grene,

+I saugh cominge of ladyës nyntene

+In real habit, a ful esy paas;

+And after hem com of women swich a traas, 285

That, sin that god Adam had mad of erthe,

The thridde part of mankynd, or the ferthe,

+Ne wende I nat by possibilitee,

Had ever in this wyde worlde y-be;

+And trewe of love thise women were echoon. 290

+Now whether was that a wonder thing or noon,

+That, right anoon as that they gonne espye

+This flour, which that I clepe the dayesye,

+Ful sodeinly they stinten alle at ones,

And kneled doun, as it were for the nones, 295

*And songen with o vois, 'Hele and honour

*To trouthe of womanhede, and to this flour

*That berth our alder prys in figuringe!

*Hir whyte coroun berth the witnessinge!'

And with that word, a-compas enviroun, 300

+They setten hem ful softely adoun.

First sat the god of love, and sith his quene

+With the whyte coroun, clad in grene;

+And sithen al the remenant by and by,

As they were of estaat, ful curteisly; 305

+Ne nat a word was spoken in the place

+The mountance of a furlong-wey of space.

I kneling by this flour, in good entente

+Abood, to knowen what this peple mente,

+As stille as any stoon; til at the laste, 310

This god of love on me his eyen caste,

And seyde, 'who kneleth ther'? and I answerde

Unto his asking, whan that I hit herde,

+And seyde, 'sir, hit am I'; and com him neer,

+And salued him. Quod he, 'what dostow heer 315

So nigh myn owne flour, so boldely?

+For it were better worthy, trewely,

A worm to neghen neer my flour than thou.'

+'And why, sir,' quod I, 'and hit lyke yow?'

+'For thou,' quod he, 'art ther-to nothing able. 320

*Hit is my relik, digne and delytable,

And thou my fo, and al my folk werreyest,

+And of myn olde servaunts thou misseyest,

+And hindrest hem, with thy translacioun,

And lettest folk from hir devocioun 325

+To serve me, and holdest hit folye

To serve Love. Thou mayst hit nat denye;

For in pleyn text, with-outen nede of glose,

+Thou hast translated the Romaunce of the Rose,

+That is an heresye ageyns my lawe, 330

+And makest wyse folk fro me withdrawe.

And of Criseyde thou hast seyd as thee liste,

That maketh men to wommen lasse triste,

That ben as trewe as ever was any steel.

*Of thyn answere avyse thee right weel; 335

For, thogh that thou reneyed hast my lay,

As other wrecches han doon many a day,

By seynt Venus, that my moder is,

If that thou live, thou shalt repenten this

So cruelly, that hit shal wel be sene!' 340

Tho spak this lady, clothed al in grene,

+And seyde, 'god, right of your curtesye,

+Ye moten herknen if he can replye

Agayns al this that ye han to him meved;

+A god ne sholde nat be thus agreved, 345

+But of his deitee he shal be stable,

And therto gracious and merciable.

*And if ye nere a god, that knowen al,

*Than mighte hit be, as I yow tellen shal;

This man to you may falsly been accused, 350

+Ther as by right him oghte been excused.

+For in your court is many a losengeour,

+And many a queynte totelere accusour,

That tabouren in your eres many a soun,

Right after hir imaginacioun, 355

To have your daliance, and for envye;

*These been the causes, and I shall nat lye.

Envye is lavender of the court alway;

+For she ne parteth, neither night ne day,

+Out of the hous of Cesar; thus seith Dante; 360

Who-so that goth, algate she wol nat wante.

_From_ B. 350, 351.

This man to yow may falsly been accused,

+Ther as by right him oghte been excused.

And eek, paraunter, for this man is nyce,

He mighte doon hit, gessing no malyce,

But for he useth thinges for to make;

Him rekketh noght of what matere he take; 365

+Or him was boden maken thilke tweye

+Of som persone, and durste hit nat with-seye;

*Or him repenteth utterly of this.

+He ne hath nat doon so grevously amis

+To translaten that olde clerkes wryten, 370

+As thogh that he of malice wolde endyten

Despyt of love, and had him-self hit wroght.

+This shulde a rightwys lord have in his thoght,

+And nat be lyk tiraunts of Lumbardye,

Than han no reward but at tirannye. 375

+For he that king or lord is naturel,

+Him oghte nat be tiraunt ne cruel,

+As is a fermour, to doon the harm he can.

+He moste thinke hit is his lige man,

*And is his tresour, and his gold in cofre. 380

+This is the sentence of the philosophre:

+A king to kepe his liges in Iustyce;

+With-outen doute, that is his offyce.

Al wol he kepe his lordes hir degree,

+As hit is right and skilful that they be 385

+Enhaunced and honoured, and most dere--

+For they ben half-goddes in this world here--

Yit mot he doon bothe right, to pore and riche,

Al be that hir estat be nat y-liche,

+And han of pore folk compassioun. 390

+For lo, the gentil kynd of the leoun!

+For whan a flye offendeth him or byteth,

+He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth

+Al esily; for, of his genterye,

+Him deyneth nat to wreke him on a flye, 395

+As doth a curre or elles another beste.

+In noble corage oghte been areste,

+And weyen every thing by equitee,

+And ever han reward to his owen degree.

+For, sir, hit is no maystrie for a lord 400

To dampne a man with-oute answere of word;

+And, for a lord, that is ful foul to use.

+And if so be he may him nat excuse,

But asketh mercy with a dredful herte,

+And profreth him, right in his bare sherte, 405

+To been right at your owne Iugement,

+Than oghte a god, by short avysement,

+Considre his owne honour and his trespas.

+For sith no cause of deeth lyth in this cas,

+Yow oghte been the lighter merciable; 410

+Leteth your yre, and beth somwhat tretable!

+The man hath served yow of his conning,

And forthred wel your lawe in his making.

'Al be hit that he can nat wel endyte,

Yet hath he maked lewed folk delyte 415

+To serve you, in preysing of your name.

+He made the book that hight the Hous of Fame,

+And eek the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse,

+And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse,

+And al the love of Palamon and Arcyte 420

+Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte;

+And many an ympne for your halydayes,

+That highten Balades, Roundels, Virelayes;

And, for to speke of other holynesse,

+He hath in prose translated Boëce, 425

+And mad the Lyf also of seynt Cecyle;

+He made also, goon sithen a greet whyl,

+Origenes upon the Maudeleyne;

+Him oghte now to have the lesse peyne;

+He hath mad many a lay and many a thing. 430

+'Now as ye been a god, and eek a king,

+I, your Alceste, whylom quene of Trace,

+I aske yow this man, right of your grace,

+That ye him never hurte in al his lyve;

+And he shal sweren yow, and that as blyve, 435

+He shal no more agilten in this wyse;

+But he shal maken, as ye wil devyse,

+Of wommen trewe in lovinge al hir lyve,

+Wher-so ye wil, of maiden or of wyve,

+And forthren yow, as muche as he misseyde 440

+Or in the Rose or elles in Creseyde.'

+The god of love answerde hir thus anoon,

+'Madame,' quod he, 'hit is so long agoon

+That I yow knew so charitable and trewe,

+That never yit, sith that the world was newe, 445

+To me ne fond I better noon than ye.

If that I wolde save my degree,

+I may ne wol nat werne your requeste;

Al lyth in yow, doth with him as yow leste.

+I al foryeve, with-outen lenger space; 450

+For who-so yeveth a yift, or doth a grace,

+Do hit by tyme, his thank is wel the more;

+And demeth ye what he shal do therfore.

+Go thanke now my lady heer,' quod he.

+I roos, and doun I sette me on my knee, 455

+And seyde thus: 'Madame, the god above

+Foryelde yow, that ye the god of love

+Han maked me his wrathe to foryive;

+And yeve me grace so long for to live,

+That I may knowe soothly what ye be 460

That han me holpe and put in this degree.

+But trewely I wende, as in this cas,

+Naught have agilt, ne doon to love trespas.

+Forwhy a trewe man, with-outen drede,

+Hath nat to parten with a theves dede; 465

+Ne a trewe lover oghte me nat blame,

+Thogh that I speke a fals lover som shame.

+They oghte rather with me for to holde,

+For that I of Creseyde wroot or tolde,

+Or of the Rose; what-so myn auctour mente, 470

+Algate, god wot, hit was myn entente

+To forthren trouthe in love and hit cheryce;

+And to be war fro falsnesse and fro vyce

+By swich ensample; this was my meninge.'

+And she answerde, 'lat be thyn arguinge; 475

+For Love ne wol nat countrepleted be

In right ne wrong; and lerne that of me!

+Thou hast thy grace, and hold thee right ther-to.

+Now wol I seyn what penance thou shalt do

+For thy trespas, and understond hit here: 480

+Thou shalt, whyl that thou livest, yeer by yere,

The moste party of thy tyme spende

+In making of a glorious Legende

+Of Gode Wommen, maidenes and wyves,

+That weren trewe in lovinge al hir lyves; 485

+And telle of false men that hem bitrayen,

+That al hir lyf ne doon nat but assayen

+How many wommen they may doon a shame;

For in your world that is now holde a game.

And thogh thee lyke nat a lover be, 490

+Spek wel of love; this penance yive I thee.

+And to the god of love I shal so preye,

+That he shal charge his servants, by any weye,

+To forthren thee, and wel thy labour quyte;

Go now thy wey, this penance is but lyte. 495

*And whan this book is maad, yive hit the quene

*On my behalfe, at Eltham, or at Shene.'

+The god of love gan smyle, and than he seyde,

+'Wostow,' quod he, 'wher this be wyf or mayde,

+Or quene, or countesse, or of what degree, 500

+That hath so litel penance yiven thee,

+That hast deserved sorer for to smerte?

+But pitee renneth sone in gentil herte;

+That maystow seen, she kytheth what she is.'

+And I answerde, 'nay, sir, so have I blis, 505

+No more but that I see wel she is good.'

+'That is a trewe tale, by myn hood,'

+Quod Love, 'and that thou knowest wel, pardee,

+If hit be so that thou avyse thee.

+Hastow nat in a book, lyth in thy cheste, 510

+The grete goodnesse of the quene Alceste,

+That turned was into a dayesye:

+She that for hir husbonde chees to dye,

+And eek to goon to helle, rather than he,

+And Ercules rescowed hir, pardee, 515

+And broghte hir out of helle agayn to blis?'

+And I answerde ageyn, and seyde, 'yis,

+Now knowe I hir! And is this good Alceste,

+The dayesye, and myn owne hertes reste?

+Now fele I wel the goodnesse of this wyf, 520

+That bothe after hir deeth, and in hir lyf,

+Hir grete bountee doubleth hir renoun!

+Wel hath she quit me myn affeccioun

+That I have to hir flour, the dayesye!

+No wonder is thogh Iove hir stellifye, 525

+As telleth Agaton, for hir goodnesse!

+Hir whyte coroun berth of hit witnesse;

+For also many vertues hadde she,

+As smale floures in hir coroun be.

+In remembraunce of hir and in honour, 530

+Cibella made the dayesy and the flour

+Y-coroned al with whyt, as men may see;

+And Mars yaf to hir coroun reed, pardee,

+In stede of rubies, set among the whyte.'

+Therwith this quene wex reed for shame a lyte, 535

+Whan she was preysed so in hir presence.

+Than seyde Love, 'a ful gret negligence

Was hit to thee, that ilke tyme thou made

*"Hyd, Absolon, thy tresses," in balade,

*That thou forgete hir in thy song to sette, 540

*Sin that thou art so gretly in hir dette,

And wost so wel, that kalender is she

*To any woman that wol lover be.

For she taughte al the craft of fyn lovinge,

+And namely of wyfhood the livinge, 545

+And alle the boundes that she oghte kepe;

+Thy litel wit was thilke tyme a-slepe.

+But now I charge thee, upon thy lyf,

+That in thy Legend thou make of this wyf,

Whan thou hast other smale y-maad before; 550

+And fare now wel, I charge thee no more.

*'But er I go, thus muche I wol thee telle,

*Ne shal no trewe lover come in helle.

*Thise other ladies sittinge here arowe

*Ben in thy balade, if thou canst hem knowe, 555

*And in thy bokes alle thou shalt hem finde;

*Have hem now in thy Legend alle in minde,

*I mene of hem that been in thy knowinge.

*For heer ben twenty thousand mo sittinge

*Than thou knowest, that been good wommen alle 560

*And trewe of love, for aught that may befalle;

*Make the metres of hem as thee leste.

*I mot gon hoom, the sonne draweth weste,

*To Paradys, with al this companye;

*And serve alwey the fresshe dayesye. 565

+'At Cleopatre I wol that thou beginne;

+And so forth; and my love so shalt thou winne.

*For lat see now what man that lover be,

*Wol doon so strong a peyne for love as she.

*I wot wel that thou mayst nat al hit ryme, 570

*That swiche lovers diden in hir tyme;

*It were to long to reden and to here;

*Suffyceth me, thou make in this manere,

*That thou reherce of al hir lyf the grete,

*After thise olde auctours listen to trete. 575

*For who-so shal so many a storie telle,

*Sey shortly, or he shal to longe dwelle.'

And with that word my bokes gan I take,

+And right thus on my Legend gan I make.

1. T. C. A. have I herd; _rest_ I have herd. F. B. P. _om._ men; _the rest

have it_. 2. F. B. (_only_) _om._ That. 5. F. T. is; _rest_ nis. 6. F. Tn.

Th. B. P. _ins. 2nd_ in _before_ helle; T. A. _om._ 8. F. seyde. 13. F.

-selfe; dooth. 14. F. sooth. 16. F. monke; all. 18. F. ben. 20. C. Yeuyn

(_for_ Yeve). 23. F. sondry. 25. F. awey; C. Tn. A. aweye. 26. F. Y-lorne;

C. I-loryn; P. I-lore. F. key; C. Tn. A. keye. 27. F. ought; thanne. 28. F.

there; noon. 29. F. though. A. Th. P. can; T. con; F. Tn. konne. 31. F.

yiue; _rest_ yeue. 33. F. hertly; Tn. Th. B. hertely; T. hertyly; A.

hertfully. 36. Tn. A. Th. month; B. P. moneth; F. monethe. 39. C. Th.

Farwel; F. Faire wel. F. boke. 40. F. thanne. F. B. suche a; T. Th. eke

thys; A. lo this; Tn. ek; P. eke a. 41. F. al. 42. F. Thanne; thise. 43. C.

Swyche; F. Suche. F. her (_for_ our); _rest_ our. 44. F. grete. 45. C.

wha_n_; F. whanne. 47. F. vppe. 48. F. floure ayein. 49. F. vprysith. 50.

_All_ sight: _read_ sighte. 52. A. all maner; Add. hit all_e_ maner; Th.

all_e_; F. Th. it al; Tn. B. it all_e_; P. it alle. 53. Tn. T. all_e_; F.

al (_wrongly_). 54. F. vertue. 55. F. faire; fressh. 57. F. hert; Tn.

herte. 61. F. evere. 64. F. Hire. 66. F. englyssh. 68. F. konnyng. 69. F.

sentment; _rest_ sentement. 70. F. case. _All_ oght, ought (_wrongly_);

_read_ oghte. 72. F. Whethir; _read_ Whe'r. 73. F. -biforne. 74. F.

makynge; corne. 79. F. fressh_e_; A. fresche; Th. fresshe. F. sayede; Tn.

said. 80. F. euele apayede; Tn. euyll_e_ a-paid. 82. F. eke; Tn. ek. 83. F.

witte; Tn. wit. 84. F. clerenesse; Tn. clernesse. 85. F. ledyth. 86. _All_

hert. F. sorwfull; dredith. 88. F. witte; Tn. wyt. F. not thing (_over

erasure_); _rest_ nothyng. 89. F. worde. F. werkes; Tn. werk_es_; T. werke;

A. werk. F. youre. Tn. bonde; F. bond. 90. Tn. honde; F. hond. 92. F. oute.

Th. B. herte; _rest_ hert. 93. F. pleyn; Tn. pleyne. 94. F. souereyn; Tn.

souereyne. 95. F. erthely; yowe. 96. A. B. in my; _rest omit 2nd_ in. 97.

F. wherfore. A. spak; F. spake. 100. Tn. Th. B. P. men; A. ma_n_; T. they;

F. _om._ F. eighe. 101. Tn. whan; F. whanne. 102. F. (_only_) _om._ al. T.

A. at ones; Tn. atones; F. attones. 103. F. trusteth (!); A. B. thrustith;

Tn. Th. P. thursteth. 104. F. fressh. 105. F. Tn. A. B. P. gledy; T. glad;

Th. gredy. 106. F. feele yet the fire. 108. F. _om._ this. 109. F. hert.

111. F. _om._ that. 112. F. Agayne. F. rede; _better_ reed, _as in_ Th.

114. F. doghtre. 115. F. dovne; knes anoon ryght. 116. F. koude. F.

fressh_e_; A. fresche. 118. Tn. T. smale; F. smal. 120. F. suetnesse. 124.

A. eke _rest omit_. F. beaute. F. (_only_) of (_for_ alle). 125. F. estate;

C. Tn. estat. 126. F. wynter. F. B. hem; _rest_ him. C. mat; Tn. maat;

_rest_ mate. 127. F. colde. 128. Th. the atempre; Tn. A. B. the attempre;

F. thatempre; P. the a-tempred. F. all_e_. 131. C. T. A. from; _rest_ of.

F. nette; C. Tn. net. 132. Tn. T. A. fouler; F. foweler. 133. F. hadde;

broode. 134. F. dispite; C. dispit. F. goode; C. good. 135. C. song; F.

songe. C. Tn. despise; F. dispise. 136. F. cherle. 138. F. hire. Tn. T. A.

fouler; C. foulere; F. foweler. 139. F. crafte; T. A. craft. 141. F. Tn. B.

in preysinge; _rest om._ in. 144. F. hire. 146. C. ches; T. chase; P.

chose; F. chees (_rightly_); _rest_ chese. 147. C. herte; F. hert. 148. F.

-alle hire. 150. F. hire othere. 151. F. Tn. on to; T. A. Th. B. vnto. 153.

F. thoo. Tn. vnkyndenesse; F. vnkyndnesse. 154. F. dooth. 156. F. Tn. B.

humblely (_trisyllabic_); T. Th. humbly. A. P. songen; T. sangen; _rest_

songe. 158. F. hire. 159. F. hire (_and elsewhere_). 161. F. thurgh. 162.

Tn. T. Th. B. P. made; F. mad. 163. F. Thurgh. 164. F. Tn. Th. P. clepe it

nat; _but_ T. A. _om._ it. T. _also om._ nat; _and_ A. _has_ that _for_

nat. 165. F. vertue. 166. Tn. A. Etic; B. Etyk; F. etike; T. Ethik. 167.

Tn. foules; F. foweles. 169. A. songen; T. songyn; F. Tn. B. songe. F. Tn.

acorde; T. acord; A. accord. 170. F. oure. F. Tn. lorde; T. A. lord. 171.

Tn. zephirus; F. Zepherus. 173. F. Hire swoote. 175. F. whiche; thoght;

myght. 176. F. Duellen. Tn. A. month; T. moneth; F. monyth. 177. Tn. sleep;

F. slepe. 178. F. A-dovne. 180. F. shoope. Tn. to a-bide; F. tabide. 181.

F. ellis. 182. Tn. dayesye; F. daysie. 183. F. B. (_only_) _transpose_ wel

_and_ men. 184. Tn. dayesie; F. daisie. 185. F. floure; A. flour. 186. T.

mot; P. may; _rest_ mote. 190. F. corne; Tn. corn. 192. F. mother (!);

_rest_ nother. 194. F. browken; her. 196. T. story; F. storye; Tn. storie.

F. swiche thinge. 197. _All_ west; _read_ weste (_as in_ MS. Add. 9832).

198. F. floure. _All_ rest; _read_ reste (_as in_ MS. Add. 9832 _and in_ l.

201). 199. Th. dredde (_rightly_); _rest_ dred. 200. Tn. hom; F. Home. Th.

spedde (_rightly_); _rest_ sped. 202. F. B. (_only_) _omit_ to. 208. F.

leyde; A. laid. 209. F. twoo. 210. Tn. medew; F. medewe; T. A. medow. 211,

212. F. (_only_) _transposes these lines_. 211. T. A. Add. so love; _rest_

love so. 212. Tn. com; Th. cam; _rest_ come. 214. Tn. habit; F. habite.

215. C. hadde; _rest_ had (_badly_). 216. C. whit; P. whyt; F. Tn. B.

white. T. coroun; C. corone; F. corwne; Tn. Th. crowne (_but_ corowne _in

ll._ 220, 223). 217 (_and_ 220). Th. florouns; Tn. floruns; F. flourouns;

B. flowrouns; _rest_ floures. 218. C. world; F. worlde. Tn. dayesie; F.

daysye. 220. P. corown; F. corovne; T. coroune; Tn. Th. B. corowne; A.

croun. 222. F. Hire. F. corovne; C. coroun (_and in l._ 223). 224. F. hire

lyke. 225. F. eke; golde. 229. F. worlde; Tn. world. 230. F. Tn. gilte; T.

A. gilt. Tn. heer; F. here; A. hair. 231. F. I stede; _rest_ In stede. F.

golde; Tn. gold. 232. F. thoght. _In_ 231, 232, _most_ MSS. _have_ wight,

bright; _but_ C. _has_ bryhte, _riming with_ syhte. 233. F. myght. 234. F.

thoght. 235. F. Twoo. 238. F. thoght; myght. 240. F. dooth; C. both (!). C.

herte; F. hert. 241. F. helde; C. held. C. the (_for_ this). 242. F.

Corowned. 244. F. _om._ wolde seke. 245. F. _imperfect; has only_ nat

fynde. C. Half hire beute schulde men; A. (_only_) _inserts_ of _after_

Half. [282. C. this; _for_ the.] [286. C. _om._ had.] [287. C. thredde. C.

Wemen ne; _for_ mankynd or.] 247. F. therfore. 248. F. songe. 249. F. Tn.

_omit_. C. Hyd absalon thynne gilte tressis clere. T. A. Th. absolon thy.

250. C. meknesse; F. mekenesse. C. adoun; F. adowne. 252. C. T. P.

Penolope. 253. C. Mak; _rest_ Make. F. youre; Tn. yo_ur_. C. wyfhod; F.

wifhode. 254. F. youre. 255. F. comith (_and in l._ 262). 257. F. tovne; C.

toun. 261. F. Tesbe; C. Tysbe; Tn. A. Th. Tisbe; T. Tisbee. F. Tn. Th. B.

P. of; C. T. A. for. C. swich; F. suche. 263. Th. Hero; MSS. Herro. C. Th.

Laodomya; _rest_ laudomia. 266. C. T. Th. bytrayed. 267. C. soun; F. sovne.

271. F. seyde; Tn. seid. 272. Tn. mow; F. Th. mowe; T. A. may. 274. F.

wole; fire. 276. F. faire; Tn. fair. 279. F. Tn. hadde; T. A. had. F. dede;

Tn. deed. 282. F. Behynde; A. Behynd. 283. F. comyng; Tn. comynge. F.

Nientene; Tn. nyentene; T. A. nyntene. 284. F. habite. 285. F. coome. F.

wymen; T. wemen; Th. B. P. women; A. wom_m_en. 286. F. hadde made. 290. F.

echon. 291. F. wheither (_pronounced_ whe'r). F. non. 293. F. daysie; Tn.

dayesie. 294. F. styten (_miswritten for_ stynten). T. at ones; F. attones.

295. F. knelede dovne. 296. T. A. hele; Tn. heele; F. heel. 297. F. The

(_for_ To); _rest_ To. 298. F. bereth. 299. F. Hire; corowne. F. beryth;

Tn. berth. 301. F. softly; Tn. softely. 303. F. corowne; C. corone. 304. F.

remenan_n_t; C. remenant. 306. F. worde. 308. F. floure. 309. F. Aboode;

Tn. Abood. 310. F. ston. F. last; C. laste. 311. F. hyse eighen. 312. F.

there. 314. F. B. (_only_) _om._ sir. C. cam; F. come. C. ner; F. nere

(_see l._ 318). 315. A. salued; F. salwed; C. salewede. C. her; F. here.

316. F. ovne floure. 317. C. A. For; _rest om._ 318. F. worme; Tn. worm; C.

werm. Tn. neer; F. ner. 319. F. sire. 321. Tn. relik; F. relyke. 322. F.

foo; folke. 323. F. servauntes; Tn. seruauntz. 324. Tn. hindrest; F.

hynderest. 325. F. folke. 326, 327. F. _om. from_ me _to_ serve. 328. F.

pleyne. 329. F. Tn. B. _om._ translated (!); _perhaps read_ translat; _but

see_ l. 425. 330. F. ayeins. 331. F. folke. 332. F. Creseyde; A. Criseide.

F. seyde; the. 335. F. the. 336. T. A. that; _rest om._ 340. Tn. wel; F.

wele. 341. F. Thoo spake. 342. F. youre. 343. A. herknen; C. herkenyn;

_rest_ herken. 348. F. alle. 349. F. Thanne myght; shalle. 350. F. mane

(!). 351. C. There; _rest_ That. F. oughte ben. 352. F. youre courte. 353.

C. Tn. queynte; F. queynt. 354. F. youre; swon (!), _for_ sown. 356. F.

youre. 357. F. Thise. 358. F. B. lauendere. 360. C. hous; F. house. 362.

F. eke parauntere. 363. F. myght. 364. F. B. (_only_) _om._ But. 367. Tn.

som; F. somme. 368. T. vttyrly; A. vtirly; F. Tn. outrely. 371. F. Tn. B.

P. And; _rest_ As. 372. F. Despite. 373. F. shoolde. 374. F. lyke

tirauntez. 376. F. kynge. F. lord ys in; _rest om._ in. 377. F. oght; C.

oughte. F. crewel; B. cruel. 378. F. harme. 379. F. leege; C. Tn. lige; Th.

T. A. B. liege. 382. F. leeges; Tn. liges; C. lygis. 384. F. hise. Th. P.

in her; _rest om._ in. 387. F. -goddys. 388. F. mote; T. A. Add. _om._

bothe; poore. 389. F. hire estaat. 390. F. poore. 391. F. loo; kynde. T. A.

leoun; F. lyoun. 392. F. offendith. 393. F. tayle. F. fle; C. Tn. A. B. P.

flye. 394. F. esely; A. esily. C. A. genterye; F. gentrye. 396. F. dooth;

best. 397. C. oghte; F. ought. F. ben arest. 399. F. Tn. Th. B. vnto;

_rest_ to. 401. C. P. or; _rest_ of. 402. C. wol; T. ryght; _rest_ ful. F.

foule. 403. C. T. A. if; _rest_ it. 404. C. _om._ But. 405. F. profereth;

P. profreth. 406. F. owen; C. Tn. owene; T. oune. 407. F. oght. 409. F.

dethe lyeth; caas. 410. _All but_ T. _wrongly insert_ to _before_ been.

412. F. kunnyng. 413. F. furthred; Tn. forthred. F. youre. 415. C. makid;

_rest_ made (_line too short_). 425. F. proce; _rest_ prose. 426. F. maade;

lyfe. 427. A. sithen; _rest_ is. F. grete. 429. F. oughte. 430. F. maade;

thinge. 431. F. be; C. A. ben. 435. A. sueren; _rest_ swere to (_less

happily_). C. T. A. as; _which the rest omit_. 436. C. T. A. no; _rest_

neuer. 437. C. T. A. he; _rest om._ F. wol. 438. F. lyfe (_but see l._

434). 439. F. wol; wyfe. 442. C. F. answerede; Th. answerde (_better_). F.

(_only_) _om._ thus. 444. C. knew; F. knewe. 445. C. sith; F. syn. F.

worlde. 446. C. T. A. fond; F. founde. 447. F. ye; _rest_ I. F. wolde; P.

Add. wold_e_; _rest_ wol, wole, woll_e_. 449. C. Th. lyth; Tn. lith; F.

lyeth. F. liste. 451. F. yifte; dooth. 454. P. her; _rest_ here. 455. F.

dovne. 457. C. Tn. T. A. Add. ye; _rest om._ 459. F. Tn. Th. B. P. _all

om._ yeve me (_wrongly_); C. T. A. _retain it_. 461. C. holpyn; Th. holpen;

_rest_ holpe. C. F. Tn. _needlessly insert_ me _after_ put. C. swich (_for_

this). 462. C. trewely; F. trewly. 466. F. oght. _All wrongly omit final_ e

_in_ oght; _and all but_ C. _wrongly insert_ to _before_ blame. 467. F.

spake; Tn. spede; _rest_ speke. 473. F. ben; C. be. 477. C. this at (_for_

that of). 478. F. holde; _all_ the. 480. C. A. and; _rest om._ T. to put

the out of were (_for_ and--here). 481. F. while; yere by yere. 482. F.

most partye. C. lyf (_for_ tyme). 484. C. goode; F. good. F. wymmen; Tn. A.

wommen; C. T. wemen. 485. F. trew. C. leuynge (_error for_ lonynge). 486.

C. false; F. fals. 487. _From_ C.; F. Tn. _omit this line_. 488. F. women;

Tn. wommen. C. Tn. A. B. P. they; F. that. 489. F. youre worlde. 490. F.

the; lovere bee. 491. C. Spek; F. Speke. 493. F. servantez; Tn. seruauntz.

495. F. Goo. C. thyn (_for_ this). 496. F. maade. 497. F. Sheene; Tn. T.

Th. Shene. 502, 503. F. _omits from_ sorer _to_ renneth. C. sorere; T. A.

sorer; _rest_ sore. C. Tn. Th. smerte. C. pete rennyth; Tn. A. pitee

renneth. F. soone. 505. C. answerde; F. answered. C. sere; F. sire; Tn.

sir. 506. F. Tn. B. Na; _rest_ No. F. moore. 508. C. T. A. that; _rest om._

511. C. Tn. grete; F. gret. 512. C. Tn. dayesye; F. daysye. 514. F. eke.

516. F. agayne. 518. F. hire. 519. C. dayes eye; F. daysie. F. owene. 520.

F. weel. 521. C. bothe; F. both. F. aftir hir deth. C. ek (_for_ in). 524.

C. dayesye; F. daysye. 526. F. hire goodenesse. 527, 529. C. coroun; F.

corowne. 527. F. berith. 528. C. hath (_badly_). 529. F. Th. florouns;

_rest_ floures. 530. F. honoure. 531. _In margin of_ F.--Cibella mater

deorum. F. maade; daysye; floure. 532. C. I-coroned; F. Y-crowned. F.

white. 533. C. corone; F. corowne. F. reede. 534. C. set; F. sette. 537. F.

Thanne. C. gret; F. grete. F. necligence. 538. F. ys (_wrongly_); _rest_

hit, it. 540. Th. forgete; F. Tn. forgate; T. A. forgat. F. songe. 542. T.

A. Add. so; _rest om._ F. shee. 543. F. bee. 544. C. taughte; F. taught. F.

crafte; Tn. T. A. craft. 545. F. wyfhode; lyvyng. 546. F. al; oght. 547. F.

witte. 548. F. the. C. lyf; F. lyfe. 549. F. legende. C. wif; F. wyfe. 550.

F. y-maade. 551. C. no more; F. namore. 552. F. goo; the. 555. F. Th. my;

_rest_ thy. 556. F. bookes. 557. F. _misplaces_ now _after_ legende; Tn.

Th. _place_ now _after_ hem. 558. F. ben; knowyng. 559. F. here; thousande

moo sittyng. 560. F. Thanne. A. that ben; T. Add. and; _rest om._ 561. Tn.

aught; F. oght. 562. F. lest; Tn. leste. 563. F. home. F. west; Tn. weste.

564. F. thise; _rest_ this. 565. F. fressh; Th. fresshe; A. fresche. 566.

F. wole. 567. F. forthe. C. Tn. shalt; F. shal. 569. F. stronge. 571. F.

Tn. A. swich; T. Th. P. suche. F. Tn. dide; T. dedyn; P. deden; Add. diden.

573. B. Suffyceth; F. Suffich (!). 574. A. lyf; F. lyfe. 575. A. listen

trete; Tn. the lasse to trete (!); Add. the lesse to trete (!); _rest_

listen for to trete (_badly; omit_ for). 576. F. storye. 578. A. word; F.

worde. 579. F. legende.

I. THE LEGEND OF CLEOPATRA.

INCIPIT LEGENDA CLEOPATRIE, MARTIRIS, EGIPTI REGINE.

After the deeth of Tholomee the king, 580

That al Egipte hadde in his governing,

Regned his quene Cleopataras;

Til on a tyme befel ther swiche a cas,

That out of Rome was sent a senatour,

For to conqueren regnes and honour 585

Unto the toun of Rome, as was usaunce,

To have the world unto her obeisaunce;

And, sooth to seye, Antonius was his name.

So fil hit, as Fortune him oghte a shame (10)

Whan he was fallen in prosperitee, 590

Rebel unto the toun of Rome is he.

And over al this, the suster of Cesar,

He lafte hir falsly, er that she was war,

And wolde algates han another wyf;

For whiche he took with Rome and Cesar stryf. 595

Natheles, for-sooth, this ilke senatour

Was a ful worthy gentil werreyour,

And of his deeth hit was ful greet damage.

But love had broght this man in swiche a rage, (20)

And him so narwe bounden in his las, 600

Al for the love of Cleopataras,

That al the world he sette at no value.

Him thoughte, nas to him no thing so due

As Cleopatras for to love and serve;

Him roghte nat in armes for to sterve 605

In the defence of hir, and of hir right.

This noble quene eek lovede so this knight,

Through his desert, and for his chivalrye;

As certeinly, but-if that bokes lye, (30)

He was, of persone and of gentilesse, 610

And of discrecioun and hardinesse,

Worthy to any wight that liven may.

And she was fair as is the rose in May.

And, for to maken shortly is the beste,

She wex his wyf, and hadde him as hir leste. 615

The wedding and the feste to devyse,

To me, that have y-take swiche empryse

Of so many a storie for to make,

Hit were to long, lest that I sholde slake (40)

Of thing that bereth more effect and charge; 620

For men may overlade a ship or barge;

And forthy to theffect than wol I skippe,

And al the remenant, I wol lete hit slippe.

Octovian, that wood was of this dede,

Shoop him an ost on Antony to lede 625

Al-outerly for his destruccioun,

With stoute Romains, cruel as leoun;

To ship they wente, and thus I let hem saile.

Antonius was war, and wol nat faile (50)

To meten with thise Romains, if he may; 630

Took eek his reed, and bothe, upon a day,

His wyf and he, and al his ost, forth wente

To shippe anoon, no lenger they ne stente;

And in the see hit happed hem to mete--

Up goth the trompe--and for to shoute and shete, 635

And peynen hem to sette on with the sonne.

With grisly soun out goth the grete gonne,

And heterly they hurtlen al at ones,

And fro the top doun cometh the grete stones. (60)

In goth the grapenel so ful of crokes 640

Among the ropes, and the shering-hokes.

In with the polax presseth he and he;

Behind the mast beginneth he to flee,

And out agayn, and dryveth him over-borde;

He stingeth him upon his speres orde; 645

He rent the sail with hokes lyke a sythe;

He bringeth the cuppe, and biddeth hem be blythe;

He poureth pesen upon the hacches slider;

With pottes ful of lym they goon to-gider; (70)

And thus the longe day in fight they spende 650

Til, at the laste, as every thing hath ende,

Antony is shent, and put him to the flighte,

And al his folk to-go, that best go mighte.

Fleeth eek the queen, with al her purpre sail,

For strokes, which that wente as thikke as hail; 655

No wonder was, she mighte hit nat endure.

And whan that Antony saw that aventure,

'Allas!' quod he, 'the day that I was born!

My worshipe in this day thus have I lorn!' (80)

And for dispeyr out of his witte he sterte, 660

And roof him-self anoon through-out the herte

Er that he ferther wente out of the place.

His wyf, that coude of Cesar have no grace,

To Egipte is fled, for drede and for distresse;

But herkneth, ye that speke of kindenesse. 665

Ye men, that falsly sweren many an ooth

That ye wol dye, if that your love be wrooth,

Heer may ye seen of women whiche a trouthe!

This woful Cleopatre hath mad swich routhe (90)

That ther nis tonge noon that may hit telle. 670

But on the morwe she wol no lenger dwelle,

But made hir subtil werkmen make a shryne

Of alle the rubies and the stones fyne

In al Egipte that she coude espye;

And putte ful the shryne of spycerye, 675

And leet the cors embaume; and forth she fette

This dede cors, and in the shryne hit shette.

And next the shryne a pit than doth she grave;

And alle the serpents that she mighte have, (100)

She putte hem in that grave, and thus she seyde: 680

'Now love, to whom my sorweful herte obeyde

So ferforthly that, fro that blisful houre

That I yow swor to been al frely youre,

I mene yow, Antonius my knight!

That never waking, in the day or night, 685

Ye nere out of myn hertes remembraunce

For wele or wo, for carole or for daunce;

And in my-self this covenant made I tho,

That, right swich as ye felten, wele or wo, (110)

As ferforth as hit in my power lay, 690

Unreprovable unto my wyfhood ay,

The same wolde I felen, lyf or deeth.

And thilke covenant, whyl me lasteth breeth,

I wol fulfille, and that shal wel be sene;

Was never unto hir love a trewer quene.' 695

And with that word, naked, with ful good herte,

Among the serpents in the pit she sterte,

And ther she chees to han hir buryinge.

Anoon the neddres gonne hir for to stinge, (120)

And she hir deeth receyveth, with good chere, 700

For love of Antony, that was hir so dere:--

And this is storial sooth, hit is no fable.

Now, er I finde a man thus trewe and stable,

And wol for love his deeth so freely take,

I pray god lat our hedes never ake! 705

EXPLICIT LEGENDA CLEOPATRIE, MARTIRIS.

N.B.--_Readings not marked with any letter are from_ F. (Fairfax MS.)

580. deth. 582. queene. 583. swich. 586. tovne. 587. worlde. C. vn-to; T.

vnder; _rest_ at. 589. oght. 591. tovne. 594. wold. 595. which. 597.

full_e_. 598. F. (_only_) this; _rest_ his. gret. 599. swich. 600. laas.

601. F. Alle; C. Tn. Al. 602. worlde; noo. 603. C. there nas to hym no

thyng so dewe; _rest_ there was no thing to him so due (_all too long_).

604. F. Tn. B. Cleopataras; _rest_ Cleopatras. 607. ek. C. lovede; F.

loved. 608. Thurgh; decert. 609. bookes. 611. _All but_ T. A. Add. _insert_

of _after_ and; _I omit it_. 612. C. lyuyn; F. leven. 613. faire. 614. F.

(_only_) _om._ for. 615. MSS. wax, wox; _read_ wex. 616. C. Tn. feste; F.

fest. 617. swich. 619. T. A. P. Add. long; _rest_ longe. C. T. A. lest; F.

lyst. 621. shippe. 622. A. Add. theffect; C. thefeect (_sic_); F. effect.

623. remenaunt. 624. woode. 625. oost. 627. Romaynes crewel. T. leou_n_; F.

lyou_n_. 628. shippe. 630. Romaynes. 631. eke; rede; booth. 632. oost

forthe went (C. wentyn). 633. stent; C. stente. 635. gooth. 637. sovne;

gooth. 638. C. Tn. heterly; A. hatirly; F. hertely. hurtelen; attones. 639.

dovne. 640. gooth. 641. C. Among; F. Amonge. 642. preseth. 643. By-hynde;

maste begyneth. 646. sayle. 647. F. A. Add. him; _rest_ hem. 648. slidre.

649. to-gedre. 651. C. Tn. laste; F. last. 652. flyght. 653. folke to-goo;

goo myght. 654. ek; queene; sayle. 655. went; thik; hayle. 656. myght. 657.

C. saw; F. saugh. 658. borne. 659. worshippe; lorne. 660. dispeyre. 661.

thurgh-. 662. went. 665. herkeneth. T. speke; _rest_ speken. 666. C. Tn.

oth; F. oothe. 667. C. Tn. wroth; F. wroothe. 668. which. 669. C. Tn.

Cleopatre; F. Cleopatrie. made. 671. C. morwe; F. morowe. 672. werknen (!).

673. Tn. rubies; F. rubees. 675. C. Tn. putte; F. put. 676. Tn. leet; C. F.

let. C. cors; F. corps (_and in l._ 677). 678. C. pet; Tn. pyt; F. pitte.

dooth. 679. C. alle; F. al. C. myghte; F. myght. 680. C. Tn. putte; F. put.

sayde. 682. ferforthely. 683. ben. 687. woo. 688. couenaunt; thoo. 689. T.

A. Th. wele; C. F. Tn. wel. 690. C. power; F. powere. 692. life; deethe.

693. couenaunt while. 694. seene. 696. C. word; F. worde. 700. C.

receyuyth; F. receveth. 704. F. (_only_) wolde. 705. oure; neuere. F. take

(!); _rest_ ake.

II. THE LEGEND OF THISBE OF BABYLON.

INCIPIT LEGENDA TESBE BABILONIE, MARTIRIS.

At Babiloine whylom fil it thus,

The whiche toun the queen Semiramus

Leet dichen al about, and walles make

Ful hye, of harde tyles wel y-bake.

Ther weren dwellinge in this noble toun 710

Two lordes, which that were of greet renoun,

And woneden so nigh, upon a grene,

That ther nas but a stoon-wal hem bitwene,

As ofte in grete tounes is the wone.

And sooth to seyn, that o man hadde a sone, 715

Of al that londe oon of the lustieste. (11)

That other hadde a doghter, the faireste,

That estward in the world was tho dwellinge.

The name of everich gan to other springe

By wommen, that were neighebores aboute. 720

For in that contree yit, withouten doute,

Maidens been y-kept, for Ielosye,

Ful streite, lest they diden som folye.

This yonge man was cleped Piramus,

And Tisbe hight the maid, Naso seith thus; 725

And thus by report was hir name y-shove (21)

That, as they wexe in age, wex hir love;

And certein, as by reson of hir age,

Ther mighte have been bitwix hem mariage,

But that hir fadres nolde hit nat assente; 730

And bothe in love y-lyke sore they brente,

That noon of alle hir frendes mighte hit lette

But prively somtyme yit they mette

By sleighte, and speken som of hir desyr;

As, wry the gleed, and hotter is the fyr; 735

Forbede a love, and it is ten so wood. (31)

This wal, which that bitwix hem bothe stood,

Was cloven a-two, right fro the toppe adoun,

Of olde tyme of his fundacioun;

But yit this clifte was so narwe and lyte, 740

It as nat sene, dere y-nogh a myte.

But what is that, that love can nat espye?

Ye lovers two, if that I shal nat lye,

Ye founden first this litel narwe clifte;

And, with a soun as softe as any shrifte, 745

They lete hir wordes through the clifte pace, (41)

And tolden, whyl that they stode in the place,

Al hir compleynt of love, and al hir wo,

At every tyme whan they dorste so.

Upon that o syde of the wal stood he, 750

And on that other syde stood Tisbe,

The swote soun of other to receyve,

And thus hir wardeins wolde they deceyve.

And every day this wal they wolde threte,

And wisshe to god, that it were doun y-bete. 755

Thus wolde they seyn--'allas! thou wikked wal, (51)

Through thyn envye thou us lettest al!

Why nilt thou cleve, or fallen al a-two?

Or, at the leste, but thou woldest so,

Yit woldestow but ones lete us mete, 760

Or ones that we mighte kissen swete,

Than were we covered of our cares colde.

But natheles, yit be we to thee holde

In as muche as thou suffrest for to goon

Our wordes through thy lyme and eek thy stoon. 765

Yit oghte we with thee ben wel apayd.' (61)

And whan thise ydel wordes weren sayd,

The colde wal they wolden kisse of stoon,

And take hir leve, and forth they wolden goon.

And this was gladly in the even-tyde 770

Or wonder erly, lest men hit espyde;

And longe tyme they wroghte in this manere

Til on a day, whan Phebus gan to clere,

Aurora with the stremes of hir hete

Had dryed up the dew of herbes wete; 775

Unto this clifte, as it was wont to be, (71)

Com Pyramus, and after com Tisbe,

And plighten trouthe fully in hir fey

That ilke same night to stele awey,

And to begyle hir wardeins everichoon, 780

And forth out of the citee for to goon;

And, for the feldes been so brode and wyde,

For to mete in o place at o tyde,

They sette mark hir meting sholde be

Ther king Ninus was graven, under a tree; 785

For olde payens that ydoles heried (81)

Useden tho in feldes to ben beried

And faste by this grave was a welle.

And, shortly of this tale for to telle,

This covenant was affermed wonder faste; 790

And longe hem thoughte that the sonne laste,

That hit nere goon under the see adoun.

This Tisbe hath so greet affeccioun

And so greet lyking Piramus to see,

That, whan she seigh her tyme mighte be, 795

At night she stal awey ful prively (91)

With her face y-wimpled subtilly;

For alle her frendes--for to save her trouthe--

She hath for-sake; allas! and that is routhe

That ever woman wolde be so trewe 800

To trusten man, but she the bet him knewe!

And to the tree she goth a ful good pas,

For love made her so hardy in this cas;

And by the welle adoun she gan her dresse.

Allas! than comth a wilde leonesse 805

Out of the wode, withouten more areste, (101)

With blody mouthe, of strangling of a beste,

To drinken of the welle, ther as she sat;

And, whan that Tisbe had espyed that,

She rist her up, with a ful drery herte, 810

And in a cave with dredful foot she sterte,

For by the mone she seigh hit wel with-alle.

And, as she ran, her wimpel leet she falle,

And took noon heed, so sore she was a-whaped.

And eek so glad of that she was escaped; 815

And thus she sit, and darketh wonder stille. (111)

Whan that this leonesse hath dronke her fille,

Aboute the welle gan she for to winde,

And right anoon the wimpel gan she finde,

And with her blody mouth hit al to-rente. 820

Whan this was doon, no lenger she ne stente,

But to the wode her wey than hath she nome.

And, at the laste, this Piramus is come,

But al to longe, allas! at hoom was he.

The mone shoon, men mighte wel y-see, 825

And in his weye, as that he com ful faste, (121)

His eyen to the grounde adoun he caste,

And in the sonde, as he beheld adoun,

He seigh the steppes brode of a leoun,

And in his herte he sodeinly agroos, 830

And pale he wex, therwith his heer aroos,

And neer he com, and fond the wimpel torn.

'Allas!' quod he, 'the day that I was born!

This o night wol us lovers bothe slee!

How sholde I axen mercy of Tisbe 835

Whan I am he that have yow slain, allas! (131)

My bidding hath yow slain, as in this cas.

Allas! to bidde a woman goon by nighte

In place ther as peril fallen mighte,

And I so slow! allas, I ne hadde be 840

Here in this place a furlong-wey or ye!

Now what leoun that be in this foreste,

My body mote he renden, or what beste

That wilde is, gnawen mote he now myn herte!'

And with that worde he to the wimpel sterte, 845

And kiste hit ofte, and weep on hit ful sore, (141)

And seide, 'wimpel, allas! ther nis no more

But thou shalt fele as wel the blood of me

As thou hast felt the bleding of Tisbe!'

And with that worde he smoot him to the herte. 850

The blood out of the wounde as brode sterte

As water, whan the conduit broken is.

Now Tisbe, which that wiste nat of this,

But sitting in her drede, she thoghte thus,

'If hit so falle that my Piramus 855

Be comen hider, and may me nat y-finde, (151)

He may me holden fals and eek unkinde.'

And out she comth, and after him gan espyen

Bothe with her herte and with her yën,

And thoghte, 'I wol him tellen of my drede 860

Bothe of the leonesse and al my dede.'

And at the laste her love than hath she founde

Beting with his heles on the grounde,

Al blody, and therwith-al a-bak she sterte,

And lyke the wawes quappe gan her herte, 865

And pale as box she wex, and in a throwe (161)

Avysed her, and gan him wel to knowe,

That hit was Piramus, her herte dere.

Who coude wryte whiche a deedly chere

Hath Tisbe now, and how her heer she rente, 870

And how she gan her-selve to turmente,

And how she lyth and swowneth on the grounde,

And how she weep of teres ful his wounde,

How medeleth she his blood with her compleynte,

And with his blood her-selven gan she peynte; 875

How clippeth she the dede cors, allas? (171)

How doth this woful Tisbe in this cas!

How kisseth she his frosty mouth so cold!

'Who hath doon this, and who hath been so bold

To sleen my leef? O spek, my Piramus! 880

I am thy Tisbe, that thee calleth thus!'

And therwith-al she lifteth up his heed.

This woful man, that was nat fully deed,

Whan that he herde the name of Tisbe cryen,

On her he caste his hevy deedly yën 885

And doun again, and yeldeth up the gost. (181)

Tisbe rist up, withouten noise or bost,

And seigh her wimpel and his empty shethe,

And eek his swerd, that him hath doon to dethe;

Than spak she thus: 'My woful hand,' quod she, 890

'Is strong y-nogh in swiche a werk to me;

For love shal yive me strengthe and hardinesse

To make my wounde large y-nogh, I gesse.

I wol thee folwen deed, and I wol be

Felawe and cause eek of thy deeth,' quod she. 895

'And thogh that nothing save the deeth only (191)

Mighte thee fro me departe trewely,

Thou shalt no more departe now fro me

Than fro the deeth, for I wol go with thee!

'And now, ye wrecched Ielous fadres oure, 900

We, that weren whylom children youre,

We prayen yow, withouten more envye,

That in o grave y-fere we moten lye,

Sin love hath brought us to this pitous ende!

And rightwis god to every lover sende, 905

That loveth trewely, more prosperitee (201)

Than ever hadde Piramus and Tisbe!

And lat no gentil woman her assure

To putten her in swiche an aventure.

But god forbede but a woman can 910

Been as trewe and loving as a man!

And, for my part, I shal anoon it kythe!'

And, with that worde, his swerd she took as swythe,

That warm was of her loves blood and hoot,

And to the herte she her-selven smoot. 915

And thus ar Tisbe and Piramus ago. (211)

Of trewe men I finde but fewe mo

In alle my bokes, save this Piramus,

And therfor have I spoken of him thus.

For hit is deyntee to us men to finde 920

A man that can in love be trewe and kinde.

Heer may ye seen, what lover so he be,

A woman dar and can as wel as he.

EXPLICIT LEGENDA TESBE.

707. tovne; queene. 710. tovne. 711. grete. 712. C. nygh; F. neigh. 714.

grette. 715. C. hadde; F. had (_so in l._ 717). 716. C. Tn. Th. of; _rest

om._ 717. Tn. doghter; F. doghtre. 718. esteward; worlde. 719. eueryche.

722. C. been; F. ben. 723. Tn. som; C. sum; F. somme. 724. C. Tn. yonge; F.

yong. 725. _All but_ C. _om._ And. Tn. A. Tisbe; C. Th. Tysbe; F. B. Tesbe;

T. Thesbe. maide. 726. C. report; F. reporte. 727. C. wex, wex; F. T. wex,

wax; Tn. wox, wax; B. wox, wox. 729. C. Tn. bitwixe; F. betwex. 730. nold.

731. booth; soore. 733. Tn. priuely; F. preuely. 734. C. sleyghte; F.

sleight. A. speken; Tn. T. Th. spaken; F. C. spoken. Tn. som; F. somme. C.

desyr; F. desire. 735. C. wry; F. Tn. wre. glede. C. fyr; F. fire. 736.

woode. 737. bitwixe; stoode. 738. a-twoo; adovne. 740. C. clyfte; F. clyft.

741. C. A. nas; _rest_ was. C. sene; F. seene. deere. 743. twoo. 745. C.

soun; F. sovne. 746. leete. 747. while. C. stode; F. stoden. 748. woo. 749.

soo. 750. F. the; _rest_ that. wale. 751. Tesbe. 752. swoote sovne. 754. C.

wal; F. walle. threete. 755. dovne. C. Tn. I-bete; F. y-bette. 756. C. Tn.

wal; F. walle. 757. Thurgh. C. Tn. al; F. alle. 758. C. nylt thou; F.

nyltow. 759. A. Th. B. leste; C. laste; F. leest. 760. let; meete. 761.

oones; myght; sweete. 762. oure. 763. the. 765. Tn. Our; F. Or (!). thurgh;

ek. 766. C. oughte; F. oght. the; apayede. 767. sayde. 768. walle. C.

kysse; F. kyssen. 769. foorth. 770. F. Alle; _rest_ And. T. A. euyn-tyde;

Th. euentyde; C. F. Tn. B. euetyde. 771. espyede. 772. C. wroughte; F.

wroght. 775. dewe. 777. F. Come; Tn. Com (_twice_). Tesbe. 778. C. fey; F.

faye. 779. steele awaye (C. awey). 780. euerychone. 781. gone. 782.

feeldes; broode. 783. meete. 786. C. Idolys; F. ydoyles. F. heriode (!).

787. thoo; feeldes; beriede. 788. C. Tn. faste; F. fast. 790. couenaunt.

792. F. (_only_) _om._ goon. 793. F. Tn. B. _om._ hath; greete. 794. F. Had

(!); _rest_ And. grete lykynge. 795. C. myghte; F. myght. 796. stale. A.

priuely; F. prevely. 802. gooth; goode paas. 803. caas. 804. a-downe. 805.

Tn. comth; F. comith. 806. woode. 807. strangelynge. 812. moone; saugh.

813. ranne. 814. tooke; hede; soore. 815. eke. T. of; _rest om._ 816. C.

sit; F. sytte 817. T. leones; F. lyonesse. 821. don. 822. woode. 824. home.

825. moone shoone; well. 826. C. weye; F. wey. C. com; F. come. 827. Hise

eighen; adovne. 828. behelde a-dovne. 829. broode. T. leoun; F. lyoune.

832. Tn. neer; C. ner; F. nere. C. Tn. com; F. come. C. fond; F. founde. C.

torn; F. torne. 833. C. born; F. borne. 834. oo; wole; boothe. 836. slayne.

837. C. as; _rest om._ 839. F. a; _rest_ as. 840. slowe. 841. yee. 843. F.

T. B. _om._ he. _All_ renten (rente, rent) _wrongly; read_ renden. 846.

_From_ C. (_which has_ wep _for_ weep); F. _om. this line_. 848. feele;

blode. 849. bledynge; Tesbe. 852. Tn. Th. conduyt; F. conduyte; C. A.

condit. 853. C. wiste nat of this; F. wyst nat this. 854. C. thoughte; F.

thought. 855. F. B. _om._ hit. 856. C. I-fynde; F. fynde. 857. ek. 858.

comith. 859. hert; eighen. 861. Booth. Tn. leonesse; F. lyonesse. 863. Tn.

Betyng; F. Betynge. helis. 866. F. Th. boxe; _rest_ box. T. wexed (_for_

wex); A. wox; Th. B. woxe; C. F. Tn. P. was (_error for_ wax). F. B. _om._

and. 868. C. herte; F. hert. 869. dedely. 870. Tesbe; heere. 873. Tn. weep;

C. wep; F. wepe. 876. C. Tn. cors; F. corps. 877. dooth; Tesbe. 878.

mouthe; colde. 879. ben; bolde. 880. leefe. C. Tn. spek; _rest_ speke

(_wrongly_). F. Tn. Th. B. _om._ my. 881. Tesbe. 884. C. Th. herde; _rest_

herd. Tesbe. 885. dedely. Tn. B. P. yen; F. eyn; _rest_ eyen. 886. dovne;

gooste. 887. vpp; booste. 888. saugh. 889. eke; swerde. 890. C. spak; F.

spake. C. myn (_for_ my); _rest_ thy (!). hande. 891. werke. 892. F.

(_only_) _puts_ me _before_ give. 894. wole; folowen deede. 895. eke. 897.

the; trewly. 898. F. shal; C. schat (!); _rest_ shalt. C. A. Th. departe

now; Tn. departe trewlie; F. T. B. now departe. 899. deth; goo. 900. F.

Ielouse; C. gelos. 901. whilome. 903. oo. T. I-fere; _which the rest omit_

(!). 904. C. T. A. brought vs to; F. vs broght (!). pitouse. 906. moore.

907. C. euere [gh]it hade; T. euer had yet; _rest omit_ [gh]it (yet). 908.

noo gentile. 909. puten. 911. Ben. 912. parte. 913. swerde. 914. warme;

hoote. 915. smoote (!). 916. Tn. T. ar; F. are; C. A. is. C. I-go; _rest_

a-goo (a go). 917. moo. 918. bookes. 919. therfore.

III. THE LEGEND OF DIDO, QUEEN OF CARTHAGE.

INCIPIT LEGENDA DIDONIS MARTIRIS, CARTAGINIS REGINE.

Glory and honour, Virgil Mantuan,

Be to thy name! and I shal, as I can, 925

Folow thy lantern, as thou gost biforn,

How Eneas to Dido was forsworn.

In thyn Eneïd and Naso wol I take

The tenour, and the grete effectes make.

Whan Troye broght was to destruccioun 930

By Grekes sleighte, and namely by Sinoun,

Feyning the hors y-offred to Minerve,

Through which that many a Troyan moste sterve; (10)

And Ector had, after his deeth, appered,

And fyr so wood, it mighte nat be stered, 935

In al the noble tour of Ilioun,

That of the citee was the cheef dungeoun;

And al the contree was so lowe y-broght,

And Priamus the king fordoon and noght;

And Eneas was charged by Venus 940

To fleen awey, he took Ascanius,

That was his sone, in his right hand, and fledde;

And on his bakke he bar and with him ledde (20)

His olde fader, cleped Anchises,

And by the weye his wyf Creusa he lees. 945

And mochel sorwe hadde he in his minde

Er that he coude his felawshippe finde.

But, at the laste, whan he had hem founde,

He made him redy in a certein stounde,

And to the see ful faste he gan him hye, 950

And saileth forth with al his companye

Toward Itaile, as wolde destinee.

But of his aventures in the see (30)

Nis nat to purpos for to speke of here,

For hit acordeth nat to my matere. 955

But, as I seide, of him and of Dido

Shal be my tale, til that I have do.

So longe he sailed in the salte see

Til in Libye unnethe aryved he,

With shippes seven and with no more navye; 960

And glad was he to londe for to hye,

So was he with the tempest al to-shake.

And whan that he the haven had y-take, (40)

He had a knight, was called Achates;

And him of al his felawshippe he chees 965

To goon with him, the contre for tespye;

He took with him no more companye.

But forth they goon, and lafte his shippes ryde,

His fere and he, with-outen any gyde.

So longe he walketh in this wildernesse 970

Til, at the laste, he mette an hunteresse.

A bowe in honde and arwes hadde she,

Her clothes cutted were unto the knee; (50)

But she was yit the fairest creature

That ever was y-formed by nature; 975

And Eneas and Achates she grette,

And thus she to hem spak, whan she hem mette.

'Sawe ye,' quod she, 'as ye han walked wyde,

Any of my sustren walke yow besyde,

With any wilde boor or other beste 980

That they han hunted to, in this foreste,

Y-tukked up, with arwes in her cas?'

'Nay, soothly, lady,' quod this Eneas; (60)

'But, by thy beaute, as hit thinketh me,

Thou mightest never erthely womman be, 985

But Phebus suster artow, as I gesse.

And, if so be that thou be a goddesse,

Have mercy on our labour and our wo.'

'I nam no goddes, soothly,' quod she tho;

'For maidens walken in this contree here, 990

With arwes and with bowe, in this manere.

This is the regne of Libie, ther ye been,

Of which that Dido lady is and queen'-- (70)

And shortly tolde him al the occasioun

Why Dido com into that regioun, 995

Of which as now me lusteth nat to ryme;

Hit nedeth nat; hit nere but los of tyme.

For this is al and som, it was Venus,

His owne moder, that spak with him thus;

And to Cartage she bad he sholde him dighte, 1000

And vanished anoon out of his sighte.

I coude folwe, word for word, Virgyle,

But it wolde lasten al to longe a whyle. (80)

This noble queen, that cleped was Dido,

That whylom was the wyf of Sitheo, 1005

That fairer was then is the brighte sonne,

This noble toun of Cartage hath begonne;

In which she regneth in so greet honour,

That she was holde of alle quenes flour,

Of gentilesse, of freedom, of beautee; 1010

That wel was him that mighte her ones see;

Of kinges and of lordes so desyred,

That al the world her beaute hadde y-fyred; (90)

She stood so wel in every wightes grace.

Whan Eneas was come un-to that place, 1015

Unto the maister-temple of al the toun

Ther Dido was in her devocioun,

Ful prively his wey than hath he nome.

Whan he was in the large temple come,

I can nat seyn if that hit be possible, 1020

But Venus hadde him maked invisible--

Thus seith the book, with-outen any lees.

And whan this Eneas and Achates (100)

Hadden in this temple been over-al,

Than founde they, depeynted on a wal, 1025

How Troye and al the lond destroyed was.

'Allas! that I was born,' quod Eneas,

'Through-out the world our shame is kid so wyde,

Now it is peynted upon every syde!

We, that weren in prosperitee, 1030

Be now disslaundred, and in swich degre,

No lenger for to liven I ne kepe!'

And, with that worde, he brast out for to wepe (110)

So tendrely, that routhe hit was to sene.

This fresshe lady, of the citee quene, 1035

Stood in the temple, in her estat royal,

So richely, and eek so fair with-al,

So yong, so lusty, with her eyen glade,

That, if that god, that heven and erthe made,

Wolde han a love, for beaute and goodnesse, 1040

And womanhod, and trouthe, and seemlinesse,

Whom sholde he loven but this lady swete?

There nis no womman to him half so mete. (120)

Fortune, that hath the world in governaunce,

Hath sodeinly broght in so newe a chaunce, 1045

That never was ther yit so fremd a cas.

For al the companye of Eneas,

Which that he wende han loren in the see,

Aryved is, nat fer fro that citee;

For which, the grettest of his lordes some 1050

By aventure ben to the citee come,

Unto that same temple, for to seke

The quene, and of her socour her beseke; (130)

Swich renoun was ther spronge of her goodnesse.

And, whan they hadden told al hir distresse, 1055

And al hir tempest and hir harde cas,

Unto the quene appered Eneas,

And openly beknew that hit was he.

Who hadde Ioye than but his meynee,

That hadden founde hir lord, hir governour? 1060

The quene saw they dide him swich honour,

And had herd ofte of Eneas, er tho,

And in her herte she hadde routhe and wo (140)

That ever swich a noble man as he

Shal been disherited in swich degree; 1065

And saw the man, that he was lyk a knight,

And suffisaunt of persone and of might,

And lyk to been a veray gentil man;

And wel his wordes he besette can,

And had a noble visage for the nones, 1070

And formed wel of braunes and of bones.

For, after Venus, hadde he swich fairnesse,

That no man might be half so fair, I gesse. (150)

And wel a lord he semed for to be.

And, for he was a straunger, somwhat she 1075

Lyked him the bet, as, god do bote,

To som folk ofte newe thing is swote.

Anoon her herte hath pitee of his wo,

And, with that pitee, love com in also;

And thus, for pitee and for gentilesse, 1080

Refresshed moste he been of his distresse.

She seide, certes, that she sory was

That he hath had swich peril and swich cas; (160)

And, in her frendly speche, in this manere

She to him spak, and seide as ye may here. 1085

'Be ye nat Venus sone and Anchises?

In good feith, al the worship and encrees

That I may goodly doon yow, ye shul have.

Your shippes and your meynee shal I save;'

And many a gentil word she spak him to; 1090

And comaunded her messageres go

The same day, with-outen any faile,

His shippes for to seke, and hem vitaile. (170)

She many a beste to the shippes sente,

And with the wyn she gan hem to presente; 1095

And to her royal paleys she her spedde,

And Eneas alwey with her she ledde.

What nedeth yow the feste to descryve?

He never beter at ese was his lyve.

Ful was the feste of deyntees and richesse, 1100

Of instruments, of song, and of gladnesse,

And many an amorous loking and devys.

This Eneas is come to Paradys (180)

Out of the swolow of helle, and thus in Ioye

Remembreth him of his estat in Troye. 1105

To dauncing-chambres ful of parements,

Of riche beddes, and of ornaments,

This Eneas is lad, after the mete.

And with the quene whan that he had sete,

And spyces parted, and the wyn agoon, 1110

Unto his chambres was he lad anoon

To take his ese and for to have his reste,

With al his folk, to doon what so hem leste. (190)

Ther nas coursere wel y-brydled noon,

Ne stede, for the Iusting wel to goon, 1115

Ne large palfrey, esy for the nones,

Ne Iuwel, fretted ful of riche stones,

Ne sakkes ful of gold, of large wighte,

Ne ruby noon, that shynede by nighte,

Ne gentil hautein faucon heronere, 1120

Ne hound, for hert or wilde boor or dere,

Ne coupe of gold, with florins newe y-bete,

That in the lond of Libie may be gete, (200)

That Dido ne hath hit Eneas y-sent;

And al is payed, what that he hath spent. 1125

Thus can this [noble] quene her gestes calle,

As she that can in freedom passen alle.

Eneas sothly eek, with-outen lees,

Hath sent un-to his shippe, by Achates,

After his sone, and after riche thinges, 1130

Both ceptre, clothes, broches, and eek ringes,

Som for to were, and som for to presente

To her, that all thise noble thinges him sente; (210)

And bad his sone, how that he sholde make

The presenting, and to the quene hit take. 1135

Repaired is this Achates again,

And Eneas ful blisful is and fain

To seen his yonge sone Ascanius.

But natheles, our autour telleth us,

That Cupido, that is the god of love, 1140

At preyere of his moder, hye above,

Hadde the lyknes of the child y-take,

This noble quene enamoured to make (220)

On Eneas; but, as of that scripture,

Be as be may, I make of hit no cure. 1145

But sooth is this, the quene hath mad swich chere

Un-to this child, that wonder is to here;

And of the present that his fader sente

She thanked him ful ofte, in good entente.

Thus is this quene in plesaunce and in Ioye, 1150

With al this newe lusty folk of Troye.

And of the dedes hath she more enquered

Of Eneas, and al the story lered (230)

Of Troye; and al the longe day they tweye

Entendeden to speken and to pleye; 1155

Of which ther gan to breden swich a fyr,

That sely Dido hath now swich desyr

With Eneas, her newe gest, to dele,

That she hath lost her hewe, and eek her hele.

Now to theffect, now to the fruit of al, 1160

Why I have told this story, and tellen shal.

Thus I beginne; hit fil, upon a night,

When that the mone up-reysed had her light, (240)

This noble quene un-to her reste wente;

She syketh sore, and gan her-self turmente. 1165

She waketh, walweth, maketh many a brayd,

As doon thise loveres, as I have herd sayd.

And at the laste, unto her suster Anne

She made her moon, and right thus spak she thanne.

'Now, dere suster myn, what may hit be 1170

That me agasteth in my dreme?' quod she.

'This ilke Troyan is so in my thoght,

For that me thinketh he is so wel y-wroght, (250)

And eek so lykly for to be a man,

And therwithal so mikel good he can, 1175

That al my love and lyf lyth in his cure.

Have ye not herd him telle his aventure?

Now certes, Anne, if that ye rede hit me,

I wolde fain to him y-wedded be;

This is theffect; what sholde I more seye? 1180

In him lyth al, to do me live or deye.'

Her suster Anne, as she that coude her good,

Seide as her thoughte, and somdel hit with-stood. (260)

But her-of was so long a sermoning,

Hit were to long to make rehersing; 1185

But fynally, hit may not been with-stonde;

Love wol love--for no wight wol hit wonde.

The dawening up-rist out of the see;

This amorous quene chargeth her meynee

The nettes dresse, and speres brode and kene; 1190

An hunting wol this lusty fresshe quene;

So priketh her this newe Ioly wo.

To hors is al her lusty folk y-go; (270)

Un-to the court the houndes been y-broght,

And up-on coursers, swift as any thoght, 1195

Her yonge knightes hoven al aboute,

And of her wommen eek an huge route.

Up-on a thikke palfrey, paper-whyt,

With sadel rede, enbrouded with delyt,

Of gold the barres up-enbossed hye, 1200

Sit Dido, al in gold and perre wrye;

And she is fair, as is the brighte morwe,

That heleth seke folk of nightes sorwe. (280)

Up-on a courser, startling as the fyr,

Men mighte turne him with a litel wyr, 1205

Sit Eneas, lyk Phebus to devyse;

So was he fresshe arayed in his wyse.

The fomy brydel with the bit of gold

Governeth he, right as him-self hath wold.

And forth this noble quene thus lat I ryde 1210

An hunting, with this Troyan by her syde.

The herd of hertes founden is anoon,

With 'hey! go bet! prik thou! lat goon, lat goon! (290)

Why nil the leoun comen or the bere,

That I mighte ones mete him with this spere?' 1215

Thus seyn thise yonge folk, and up they kille

These hertes wilde, and han hem at hir wille.

Among al this to-romblen gan the heven,

The thunder rored with a grisly steven;

Doun com the rain, with hail and sleet so faste, 1220

With hevenes fyr, that hit so sore agaste

This noble quene, and also her meynee,

That ech of hem was glad a-wey to flee. (300)

And shortly, fro the tempest her to save,

She fledde her-self into a litel cave, 1225

And with her wente this Eneas al-so;

I noot, with hem if ther wente any mo;

The autour maketh of hit no mencioun.

And heer began the depe affeccioun

Betwix hem two; this was the firste morwe 1230

Of her gladnesse, and ginning of her sorwe.

For ther hath Eneas y-kneled so,

And told her al his herte, and al his wo, (310)

And sworn so depe, to her to be trewe,

For wele or wo, and chaunge for no newe, 1235

And as a fals lover so wel can pleyne,

That sely Dido rewed on his peyne,

And took him for husband, [to been] his wyf

For ever-mo, whyl that hem laste lyf.

And after this, whan that the tempest stente, 1240

With mirth out as they comen, hoom they wente.

The wikked fame up roos, and that anon,

How Eneas hath with the quene y-gon (320)

In-to the cave; and demed as hem liste;

And whan the king, that Yarbas hight, hit wiste, 1245

As he that had her loved ever his lyf,

And wowed her, to have her to his wyf,

Swich sorwe as he hath maked, and swich chere,

Hit is a routhe and pitee for to here.

But, as in love, al-day hit happeth so, 1250

That oon shal laughen at anothers wo;

Now laugheth Eneas, and is in Ioye

And more richesse than ever he was in Troye. (330)

O sely womman, ful of innocence,

Ful of pitee, of trouthe, and conscience, 1255

What maked yow to men to trusten so?

Have ye swich routhe upon hir feined wo,

And han swich olde ensamples yow beforn?

See ye nat alle, how they been for-sworn?

Wher see ye oon, that he ne hath laft his leef, 1260

Or been unkinde, or doon her som mischeef,

Or pilled her, or bosted of his dede?

Ye may as wel hit seen, as ye may rede; (340)

Tak heed now of this grete gentil-man,

This Troyan, that so wel her plesen can, 1265

That feineth him so trewe and obeising,

So gentil and so privy of his doing,

And can so wel doon alle his obeisaunces,

And waiten her at festes and at daunces,

And when she goth to temple and hoom ageyn, 1270

And fasten til he hath his lady seyn,

And bere in his devyses, for her sake,

Noot I nat what; and songes wolde he make, (350)

Iusten, and doon of armes many thinges,

Sende her lettres, tokens, broches, ringes-- 1275

Now herkneth, how he shal his lady serve!

Ther-as he was in peril for to sterve

For hunger, and for mischeef in the see,

And desolat, and fled from his contree,

And al his folk with tempest al to-driven, 1280

She hath her body and eek her reame yiven

In-to his hond, ther-as she mighte have been

Of other lond than of Cartage a queen, (360)

And lived in Ioye y-nogh; what wolde ye more?

This Eneas, that hath so depe y-swore, 1285

Is wery of his craft with-in a throwe;

The hote ernest is al over-blowe.

And prively he doth his shippes dighte,

And shapeth him to stele a-wey by nighte.

This Dido hath suspecioun of this, 1290

And thoughte wel, that hit was al a-mis;

For in his bedde he lyth a-night and syketh;

She asketh him anoon, what him mislyketh-- (370)

'My dere herte, which that I love most?'

'Certes,' quod he, 'this night my fadres gost 1295

Hath in my sleep so sore me tormented,

And eek Mercurie his message hath presented,

That nedes to the conquest of Itaile

My destinee is sone for to saile;

For which, me thinketh, brosten is myn herte!' 1300

Ther-with his false teres out they sterte;

And taketh her with-in his armes two.

'Is that in ernest,' quod she; 'wil ye so? (380)

Have ye nat sworn to wyve me to take,

Alas! what womman wil ye of me make? 1305

I am a gentil-woman and a queen,

Ye wil nat fro your wyf thus foule fleen?

That I was born! allas! what shal I do?'

To telle in short, this noble queen Dido,

She seketh halwes, and doth sacrifyse; 1310

She kneleth, cryeth, that routhe is to devyse;

Coniureth him, and profreth him to be

His thral, his servant in the leste gree; (390)

She falleth him to fote, and swowneth there

Dischevele, with her brighte gilte here, 1315

And seith, 'have mercy! let me with yow ryde!

Thise lordes, which that wonen me besyde

Wil me destroyen only for your sake.

And, so ye wil me now to wyve take,

As ye han sworn, than wol I yive yow leve 1320

To sleen me with your swerd now sone at eve!

For than yit shal I dyen as your wyf.

I am with childe, and yive my child his lyf. (400)

Mercy, lord! have pite in your thoght!'

But al this thing availeth her right noght; 1325

For on a night, slepinge, he let her lye,

And stal a-wey un-to his companye,

And, as a traitour, forth he gan to saile

Toward the large contree of Itaile.

Thus hath he laft Dido in wo and pyne; 1330

And wedded ther a lady hight Lavyne.

A cloth he lafte, and eek his swerd stonding,

Whan he fro Dido stal in her sleping, (410)

Right at her beddes heed, so gan he hye

Whan that he stal a-wey to his navye; 1335

Which cloth, whan sely Dido gan awake,

She hath hit kist ful ofte for his sake;

And seide, 'O cloth, whyl Iupiter hit leste,

Tak now my soule, unbind me of this unreste!

I have fulfild of fortune al the cours.' 1340

And thus, allas! with-outen his socours,

Twenty tyme y-swowned hath she thanne.

And, whan that she un-to her suster Anne (420)

Compleyned had, of which I may nat wryte--

So greet a routhe I have hit for tendyte-- 1345

And bad her norice and her suster goon

To fecchen fyr and other thing anoon,

And seide, that she wolde sacrifye.

And, whan she mighte her tyme wel espye,

Up-on the fyr of sacrifys she sterte, 1350

And with his swerd she roof her to the herte.

But, as myn autour seith, right thus she seyde;

Or she was hurt, before that she deyde, (430)

She wroot a lettre anoon, that thus began:--

'Right so,' quod she, 'as that the whyte swan 1355

Ayeins his deeth beginneth for to singe,

Right so to yow make I my compleyninge.

Nat that I trowe to geten yow again,

For wel I woot that it is al in vain,

Sin that the goddes been contraire to me. 1360

But sin my name is lost through yow,' quod she,

'I may wel lese a word on yow, or letter,

Al-be-it that I shal be never the better; (440)

For thilke wind that blew your ship a-wey,

The same wind hath blowe a-wey your fey.'-- 1365

But who wol al this letter have in minde,

Rede Ovide, and in him he shal hit finde.

EXPLICIT LEGENDA DIDONIS MARTIRIS, CARTAGINIS REGINE.

N.B. _From this point onward obvious corrections in the spelling of_ MS. F.

_are unnoticed_. 928. C. _has_--In Naso and Eneydos wele [_for_ wol] I

take. 932. C. I offerede to; _rest_ offred unto. 950. C. wol (= wel); _for_

ful. 960, 961. _These two lines are in_ C. _and_ P. _only; all former

editions omit them_. 964. C. clepid; _rest_ called. 966. Tn. Th. B. tespye;

C. tespie; F. to spye; T. to spy; A. to aspye. 973. C. P. cutte; F. B.

knytte; _rest_ cutted (cuttyd, cuttit). 979. _So all_; Oon (_for_ Any)

_would read better_. 994. F. Tn. Th. B. _om._ him. 997. Tn. ner; F. Th. B.

nere; _rest_ were (wer). 1002. F. by; _rest_ for. 1003. T. P. Addit. a;

_rest om._ 1006. C. Addit. is; _rest om._ 1018. C. thus (_for_ than). 1019.

F. (_only_) _om._ large. 1024. P. F. the; _rest_ this. 1028. F. Tn. A. B.

_om._ so. 1046. T. Th. was ther yet; P. more was ther; Add. was their; A.

[gh]it was sene; _rest_ was yit (_or_ yit was). F. in (_for_ a). 1048. C.

A. P. he; _rest_ we (!). 1063. C. she hadde; A. sche had eke; P. she hedd

þo; T. Add. had she; B. had; F. and (!). 1066. F. (_only_) _om._ that he.

1072. F. Tn. Th. _om._ he. 1074. C. P. Add. he; _rest_ him. 1079. F. Tn.

Th. B. _om._ that _and_ in. 1081. F. B. mote; P. wold; _rest_ muste (must,

moost, most); _read_ moste. 1085. F. Tn. _om._ and. F. Tn. B. _repeat_ in

this manere; _rest_ as ye may here. 1091. C. massangerys; B. messagerys; A.

messinger_is_; F. Tn. messagers; _after which all but_ F. _and_ B.

_needlessly insert_ to, _or_ for to. 1094. C. Sche; _rest_ Ful (_because

they put_ beest, she _for_ beste, _as in_ C). 1107. C. T. Add. ornamentis;

_rest_ pavements (_error for_ parements, _caught from_ l. 1106). 1112. C.

For his ese and for to take. 1115. C. to iuste (_for_ the Iusting). 1117.

C. T. Add. frettid; A. P. fretted; F. B. frette; Tn. Th. fret. 1119. F. B.

rubee; _rest_ ruby. C. shynede; Tn. P. shyned; F. T. A. Th. B. shyneth.

1126. _For_ noble _all have_ honourable, _giving_ two _syllables too many;

see ll._ 1143, 1210, 1222. 1129. A. vnto; C. on to; _rest_ to. 1139. _So_

C. P.; F. Tn. Th. B. For to him yt was reported thus (_badly_). 1143. C.

holy; _rest_ noble 1144. F. T. Th. B. _om._ as. 1149. F. Tn. Th. B. _om._

ful. 1155. _All but_ C. P. _needlessly put_ for to (_for_ to) _twice_.

1159. C. T. A. P. Add. hath; _rest om._ 1160. C. now comyth the freut.

1163. F. Tn. vp-reyseth (_error for_ vp-reysed). C. A. Th. P. hadde (had);

F. Tn. B. hath. C. his; _rest_ hire (hir, her); _see note_. 1169. P. mon (=

A.S. _mán_); _rest_ mone; _read_ moon. 1171. C. slep; _rest_ dreme. 1173.

C. Me thynkith that he. 1174. C. T. P. Add. for; _rest om._ 1175. T. A. P.

therwith al; Th. therwith; C. ek thereto; F. Tn. _om._ ther. 1178. C. rede

it me; _rest om._ it. 1179. C. T. A. P. Add. wolde; F. Tn. wil; Th. wol.

1195. Add. coursers; C. B. courseris; F. Tn. Th. coursere. 1196. F. Tn. Th.

heuen (!); _rest_ houen (houyn). 1200, 1201. C. hye, wrye; F. heighe,

wreighe. 1202. C. bright (_for_ fair). 1203. A. B. P. folk; F. Tn. T. Th.

folkes; C. men. 1210. F. _om._ noble. T. thus lat; Addit. thus late; _rest_

this lady (!!). 1211. T. Add. An; A. In; _rest_ On; _see l._ 1191. 1215. T.

A. P. ones mete him; _rest_ him ones mete. 1217. C. T. A. Add. These;

_rest_ The. C. bestys wilde; T. A. P. wild bestys; _rest_ wilde hertes;

_but read_ hertes wilde. 1221. C. A. it; F. Tn. B. P. is (!). 1238. _I

propose to read_ to been; _all have_ and becom (became), _which cannot

possibly be scanned_. 1239. C. Tn. -mo; F. -mor. 1242. C. wikke fame a-ros.

1247. F. Tn. Th. B. _om. 2nd_ her. 1251. C. of; _rest_ at. 1253. T. A. Add.

he; _rest om._ 1255. F. and (_for 2nd_ of). 1258. C. T. A. Th. olde

ensamples; F. ensamples olde. 1259. C. A. how that; _rest_ how. 1267. C.

trewe; A. besy; _rest_ privy. 1268, 1269. F. Tn. Th. B. -aunce; C. T. A. P.

-aunces. 1269. C. And waytyn hire; T. Add. And plesyn hyr; Tn. A. And hir

(!); F. Th. To hir (!). 1273. C. Tn. A. Th. Not; F. B. Wot. 1275. _All but_

C. _ins._ and _before_ ringes. 1281. C. F. T. B. reame; Tn. P. ream; Th.

realme; A. regne. 1285. C. A. P. so; _rest_ thus. 1296. C. A. so sore me;

Add. sore me; _rest_ me so sore. 1298. F. Tn. B. _om._ to. 1313. C. gre;

_rest_ degree (degre). 1314. C. to-fore (_for_ to fote). 1319. C. T. A.

Add. so; _rest om._ F. now me; _rest_ me now. 1322. F. shal I yet; Tn. C.

T. A. Th. yit shall I. 1323. C. T. yeue; F. yive; Tn. yif. 1324. C. hauyth;

_rest_ haue. 1326, 1327. _The old printed editions omit these two lines._

1327. C. on to; T. A. Add. vnto; F. Tn. B. vpon. 1330. C. Thus; _rest_ And

thus. C. Tn. laft; F. lefte. 1332. C. lafte; F. lefte. 1333. F. (_only_)

_om._ her. 1337. F. Tn. B. _om._ hit. 1338. _All but_ T. A. Add. _insert_

swete _after_ O. 1339. F. Tn. Th. B. P. _om._ now. C. and brynge it of this

onreste; Tn. T. Th. P. Add. vnbynde me of this vnreste; F. B. vnbynde me of

this reste (!); A. me bynd of myn vnrest; _I follow_ Tn. T. Th. P. Add.

1345. F. Tn. Th. P. _om._ a. C. tendite; _rest_ to endite (endyte). 1346.

A. P. Add. suster; C. T. A. sistir; _rest_ sustren (!). 1347. C. T. A. P.

Add. thing; _rest_ thinges. 1351. C. Tn. rof. 1352. C. A. right; P. _om.;

rest_ yet (yit). 1353. A. Add. before that; C. F. T. Th. B. byforn or

(byforne er); P. and befor or. 1355. C. A. that; T. Add. doth; _rest om._

1356. C. A[gh]ens; A. A[gh]eynes; Tn. Ayeinste; _rest_ Ayenst. 1357. C. T.

A. Add. make I; _rest_ I make. 1359. C. T. A. P. that; _rest om._ 1360. A.

contrair; P. contrarie; C. T. contrary; _rest_ contrarious. 1363. C. T. A.

P. Add. that; _rest om._ 1366. Tn. P. who; _rest_ who so, _or_ who that.

IV. THE LEGEND OF HYPSIPYLE AND MEDEA.

INCIPIT LEGENDA YSIPHILE ET MEDEE, MARTIRUM.

PART I. THE LEGEND OF HYPSIPYLE.

Thou rote of false lovers, duk Iasoun!

Thou sly devourer and confusioun

Of gentil-wommen, tender creatures, 1370

Thou madest thy reclaiming and thy lures

To ladies of thy statly apparaunce,

And of thy wordes, farced with plesaunce,

And of thy feyned trouthe and thy manere,

With thyn obeisaunce and thy humble chere, 1375

And with thy counterfeted peyne and wo.

Ther other falsen oon, thou falsest two! (10)

O! ofte swore thou that thou woldest dye

For love, whan thou ne feltest maladye

Save foul delyt, which that thou callest love! 1380

If that I live, thy name shal be shove

In English, that thy sleighte shal be knowe!

Have at thee, Iasoun! now thyn horn is blowe!

But certes, hit is bothe routhe and wo

That love with false loveres werketh so; 1385

For they shul have wel better love and chere

Than he that hath aboght his love ful dere, (20)

Or had in armes many a blody box.

For ever as tendre a capoun et the fox,

Thogh he be fals and hath the foul betrayed, 1390

As shal the good-man that ther-for hath payed.

Al have he to the capoun skille and right,

The false fox wol have his part at night.

On Iasoun this ensample is wel y-sene

By Isiphile and Medea the quene. 1395

In Tessalye, as Guido telleth us,

Ther was a king that highte Pelleus, (30)

That had a brother, which that highte Eson;

And, whan for age he mighte unnethes gon,

He yaf to Pelleus the governing 1400

Of al his regne, and made him lord and king.

Of which Eson this Iasoun geten was,

That, in his tyme, in al that lond, ther nas

Nat swich a famous knight of gentilesse,

Of freedom, and of strengthe and lustinesse. 1405

After his fader deeth, he bar him so

That ther nas noon that liste been his fo, (40)

But dide him al honour and companye;

Of which this Pelleus hath greet envye,

Imagining that Iasoun mighte be 1410

Enhaunsed so, and put in swich degree

With love of lordes of his regioun,

That from his regne he may be put adoun.

And in his wit, a-night, compassed he

How Iasoun mighte best destroyed be 1415

Withoute slaunder of his compasment.

And at the laste he took avisement (50)

To senden him in-to som fer contree

Ther as this Iasoun may destroyed be.

This was his wit; al made he to Iasoun 1420

Gret chere of love and of affeccioun,

For drede lest his lordes hit espyde.

So fil hit so, as fame renneth wyde,

Ther was swich tyding over-al and swich los,

That in an yle that called was Colcos, 1425

Beyonde Troye, estward in the see,

That ther-in was a ram, that men mighte see, (60)

That had a flees of gold, that shoon so brighte,

That no-wher was ther swich an-other sighte;

But hit was kept alway with a dragoun, 1430

And many othere merveils, up and doun,

And with two boles, maked al of bras,

That spitten fyr, and moche thing ther was.

But this was eek the tale, nathelees,

That who-so wolde winne thilke flees, 1435

He moste bothe, or he hit winne mighte,

With the boles and the dragoun fighte; (70)

And king Oëtes lord was of that yle.

This Pelleus bethoghte upon this wyle;

That he his nevew Iasoun wolde enhorte 1440

To sailen to that lond, him to disporte,

And seide, 'Nevew, if hit mighte be

That swich a worship mighte fallen thee,

That thou this famous tresor mightest winne,

And bringen hit my regioun with-inne, 1445

Hit were to me gret plesaunce and honour;

Than were I holde to quyte thy labour. (80)

And al the cost I wol my-selven make;

And chees what folk that thou wilt with thee take;

Lat see now, darstow taken this viage?' 1450

Iasoun was yong, and lusty of corage,

And under-took to doon this ilke empryse.

Anoon Argus his shippes gan devyse;

With Iasoun wente the stronge Ercules,

And many an-other that he with him chees. 1455

But who-so axeth who is with him gon,

Lat him go reden Argonauticon, (90)

For he wol telle a tale long y-now.

Philotetes anoon the sail up-drow,

Whan that the wind was good, and gan him hye 1460

Out of his contree called Tessalye.

So long he sailed in the salte see

Til in the yle Lemnoun aryved he--

Al be this nat rehersed of Guido,

Yet seith Ovyde in his Epistles so-- 1465

And of this yle lady was and quene

The faire yonge Isiphilee, the shene, (100)

That whylom Thoas doghter was, the king.

Isiphilee was goon in her playing;

And, roming on the clyves by the see, 1470

Under a banke anoon espyed she

Wher that the ship of Iasoun gan aryve.

Of her goodnesse adoun she sendeth blyve

To witen yif that any straunge wight

With tempest thider were y-blowe a-night, 1475

To doon him socour; as was her usaunce

To forthren every wight, and doon plesaunce (110)

Of veray bountee and of curtesye.

This messagere adoun him gan to hye,

And fond Iasoun, and Ercules also, 1480

That in a cogge to londe were y-go

Hem to refresshen and to take the eyr.

The morwening atempre was and fair;

And in his wey the messagere hem mette.

Ful cunningly thise lordes two he grette, 1485

And dide his message, axing hem anoon

Yif they were broken, or oght wo begoon, (120)

Or hadde nede of lodesmen or vitaile;

For of socour they shulde no-thing faile,

For hit was utterly the quenes wille. 1490

Iasoun answerde, mekely and stille,

'My lady,' quod he, 'thanke I hertely

Of hir goodnesse; us nedeth, trewely,

No-thing as now, but that we wery be,

And come for to pleye, out of the see, 1495

Til that the wind be better in our weye.'

This lady rometh by the clif to pleye, (130)

With her meynee, endelong the stronde,

And fynt this Iasoun and this other stonde,

In spekinge of this thing, as I yow tolde. 1500

This Ercules and Iasoun gan beholde

How that the quene hit was, and faire her grette

Anon-right as they with this lady mette;

And she took heed, and knew, by hir manere,

By hir aray, by wordes and by chere, 1505

That hit were gentil-men, of greet degree.

And to the castel with her ledeth she (140)

Thise straunge folk, and doth hem greet honour,

And axeth hem of travail and labour

That they han suffred in the salte see; 1510

So that, within a day, or two, or three,

She knew, by folk that in his shippes be,

That hit was Iasoun, ful of renomee,

And Ercules, that had the grete los,

That soghten the aventures of Colcos; 1515

And dide hem honour more then before,

And with hem deled ever lenger the more, (150)

For they ben worthy folk, with-outen lees.

And namely, most she spak with Ercules;

To him her herte bar, he sholde be 1520

Sad, wys, and trewe, of wordes avisee,

With-outen any other affeccioun

Of love, or evil imaginacioun.

This Ercules hath so this Iasoun preysed,

That to the sonne he hath him up areysed, 1525

That half so trewe a man ther nas of love

Under the cope of heven that is above; (160)

And he was wys, hardy, secree, and riche.--

Of thise three pointes ther nas noon him liche;

Of freedom passed he, and lustihede, 1530

Alle tho that liven or ben dede;

Ther-to so greet a gentil-man was he,

And of Tessalie lykly king to be.

Ther nas no lak, but that he was agast

To love, and for to speke shamefast. 1535

He hadde lever him-self to mordre, and dye

Than that men shulde a lover him espye:-- (170)

'As wolde almighty god that I had yive

My blood and flesh, so that I mighte live,

With the nones that he hadde o-wher a wyf 1540

For his estat; for swich a lusty lyf

She sholde lede with this lusty knight!'

And al this was compassed on the night

Betwixe him Iasoun and this Ercules.

Of thise two heer was mad a shrewed lees 1545

To come to hous upon an innocent;

For to be-dote this queen was hir assent. (180)

And Iasoun is as coy as is a maide,

He loketh pitously, but noght he saide,

But frely yaf he to her conseileres 1550

Yiftes grete, and to her officeres.

As wolde god I leiser hadde, and tyme,

By proces al his wowing for to ryme.

But in this hous if any fals lover be,

Right as him-self now doth, right so dide he, 1555

With feyning and with every sotil dede.

Ye gete no more of me, but ye wil rede (190)

Thoriginal, that telleth al the cas.

The somme is this, that Iasoun wedded was

Unto this quene, and took of her substaunce 1560

What-so him liste, unto his purveyaunce;

And upon her begat he children two,

And drow his sail, and saw her never-mo.

A lettre sente she to him certein,

Which were to long to wryten and to sein, 1565

And him repreveth of his grete untrouthe,

And preyeth him on her to have som routhe. (200)

And of his children two, she seide him this,

That they be lyke, of alle thing, y-wis,

To Iasoun, save they coude nat begyle; 1570

And preyed god, or hit were longe whyle,

That she, that had his herte y-raft her fro,

Moste finden him to her untrewe al-so,

And that she moste bothe her children spille,

And alle tho that suffreth him his wille. 1575

And trew to Iasoun was she al her lyf,

And ever kepte her chast, as for his wyf; (210)

Ne never had she Ioye at her herte,

But dyed, for his love, of sorwes smerte.

PART II. THE LEGEND OF MEDEA.

To Colcos comen is this duk Iasoun, 1580

That is of love devourer and dragoun.

As matere appetyteth forme al-wey,

And from forme in-to forme hit passen may,

Or as a welle that were botomlees,

Right so can fals Iasoun have no pees. 1585

For, to desyren, through his appetyt,

To doon with gentil wommen his delyt, (220)

This is his lust and his felicitee.

Iasoun is romed forth to the citee,

That whylom cleped was Iaconitos, 1590

That was the maister-toun of al Colcos,

And hath y-told the cause of his coming

Un-to Oëtes, of that contre king,

Preying him that he moste doon his assay

To gete the flees of gold, if that he may; 1595

Of which the king assenteth to his bone,

And doth him honour, as hit is to done, (230)

So ferforth, that his doghter and his eyr,

Medea, which that was so wys and fair

That fairer saw ther never man with yë, 1600

He made her doon to Iasoun companye

At mete, and sitte by him in the halle.

Now was Iasoun a semely man with-alle,

And lyk a lord, and had a greet renoun,

And of his loke as real as leoun, 1605

And goodly of his speche, and famulere,

And coude of love al craft and art plenere (240)

With-oute boke, with everich observaunce.

And, as fortune her oghte a foul meschaunce,

She wex enamoured upon this man. 1610

'Iasoun,' quod she, 'for ought I see or can,

As of this thing the which ye been aboute,

Ye han your-self y-put in moche doute.

For, who-so wol this aventure acheve,

He may nat wel asterten, as I leve, 1615

With-outen deeth, but I his helpe be.

But natheles, hit is my wille,' quod she, (250)

'To forthren yow, so that ye shal nat dye,

But turnen, sound, hoom to your Tessalye.'

'My righte lady,' quod this Iasoun tho, 1620

'That ye han of my dethe or of my wo

Any reward, and doon me this honour,

I wot wel that my might ne my labour

May nat deserve hit in my lyves day;

God thanke yow, ther I ne can ne may. 1625

Your man am I, and lowly you beseche,

To been my help, with-oute more speche; (260)

But certes, for my deeth shal I nat spare.'

Tho gan this Medea to him declare

The peril of this cas, fro point to point, 1630

And of his batail, and in what disioint

He mote stande, of which no creature,

Save only she, ne mighte his lyf assure.

And shortly, to the point right for to go,

They been accorded ful, betwix hem two, 1635

That Iasoun shal her wedde, as trewe knight;

And term y-set, to come sone at night (270)

Unto her chambre, and make ther his ooth,

Upon the goddes, that he, for leef ne looth,

Ne sholde her never falsen, night ne day, 1640

To been her husbond, whyl he liven may,

As she that from his deeth him saved here.

And her-upon, at night they mette y-fere,

And doth his ooth, and goth with her to bedde.

And on the morwe, upward he him spedde; 1645

For she hath taught him how he shal nat faile

The flees to winne, and stinten his bataile; (280)

And saved him his lyf and his honour;

And gat him greet name as a conquerour

Right through the sleight of her enchantement. 1650

Now hath Iasoun the flees, and hoom is went

With Medea, and tresor ful gret woon.

But unwist of her fader is she goon

To Tessaly, with duk Iasoun her leef,

That afterward hath broght her to mescheef. 1655

For as a traitour he is from her go,

And with her lafte his yonge children two, (290)

And falsly hath betrayed her, allas!

And ever in love a cheef traitour he was;

And wedded yit the thridde wyf anon, 1660

That was the doghter of the king Creon.

This is the meed of loving and guerdon

That Medea received of Iasoun

Right for her trouthe and for her kindenesse,

That loved him better than her-self, I gesse, 1665

And lafte her fader and her heritage.

And of Iasoun this is the vassalage, (300)

That, in his dayes, nas ther noon y-founde

So fals a lover going on the grounde.

And therfor in her lettre thus she seyde 1670

First, whan she of his falsnesse him umbreyde,

'Why lyked me thy yelow heer to see

More then the boundes of myn honestee,

Why lyked me thy youthe and thy fairnesse,

And of thy tonge the infinit graciousnesse? 1675

O, haddest thou in thy conquest deed y-be,

Ful mikel untrouthe had ther dyed with thee!' (310)

Wel can Ovyde her lettre in vers endyte,

Which were as now to long for me to wryte.

EXPLICIT LEGENDA YSIPHILE ET MEDEE, MARTIRUM.

1370. A. T. Add. tender; _rest repeat_ gentil. C. _has_ tendere wemen

gentil. 1373. A. C. farced; F. Tn. Th. farsed; B. forsed; P. filled; T.

v_er_syd. 1375. P. A. thy; _rest om._ 1377. _Here_ MS. P. _ends_. 1386. C.

T. A. Th. Add. love and; F. Tn. B. and gretter. 1387. C. A. abought; _rest_

bought. C. T. A. Add. his; _rest om._ 1389. C. et (= eteth); _rest_ eteth

(etith). 1391. C. hath; _rest om._ (_badly_). 1392. C. T. Add. Al haue he;

F. Alle thof he haue. 1396. F. Tn. B. and; _rest_ as. C. Guido; T. A.

Guydo; Add. Gwydo; F. Tn. Th. B. Ouyde. 1397. F. Tn. B. knyght; _rest_ kyng

(_see l._ 1401); _see note_. 1405. _So_ C.; _rest_ Of fredom, of strength,

and of lustynesse. 1409. C. T. Add. hadde. 1418. C. To syndyn; T. Add. To

send; Tn. Th. B. That to senden; F. That to selden (!). 1427. F. Tn. Th. B.

ther; _rest_ therin. C. may se. 1433. T. Th. moche; F. muche; C. meche

othir. 1438. C. Oetes; _rest_ Otes (Otys). 1443. C. T. A. Add. a; _rest

om._ 1444. T. A. C. mightest; _rest_ myghte. 1445. C. T. bryngyn; _rest_

brynge (bring). 1448. C. T. A. Add. cost; _rest_ costes. 1449. C. _om._

And. A. ches; F. Tn. T. B. chese; Th. chose; C. Schis (!). C. A. that;

_rest om._ 1452. C. T. Add. _om._ ilke. 1457. T. A. Add. go; _rest om._ C.

ryde; _rest_ rede; _better_ reden. 1460. C. T. Add. that; _rest om._ 1463.

_All insert_ of _after_ yle (_needlessly_). Th. Lemnon; A. Lenno_u_n; C.

lenoun (_for_ l[=e]noun = le_m_noun); F. Tn. B. leono_u_n; T. Add. lenon (=

le_m_non). 1471. F. brake (!); A. bonk; _rest_ banke. 1472. _So_ C. T. A.

Add.; F. Tn. Th. B. Wher lay the shippe, that Iasoun (_no sense_). 1476. C.

F. B. hem; _rest_ him. 1481. C. A. cog; T. Add. boote; _rest_ cogge. 1483.

F. atempree. 1486. C. T. A. Add. axinge; _rest_ askynge. 1487. F. B. _om._

oght. 1489. C. T. A. Add, of; _rest om._ 1490. F. Tn. B. _omit this line_.

1498. C. endelong (_as in_ Kn. Tale); F. endlonge. 1499. C. F. Add. these

other; _rest_ this other. 1506. F. hit; C. Tn. Th. B. it; T. A. Add. they.

1512. F. Tn. Th. B. by the (_for_ by). 1519. F. (_only_) she spake moste;

Add. _om._ most. 1523. C. euyl; A. euill; _rest_ any othir (_caught from_

l. 1522). 1524. C. T. A. Add. so; _rest om._ 1525. C. T. A. Add. him;

_rest_ hyt (it). C. areysid; _rest_ reysed. 1526. C. _om._ half. 1527. C.

cape; _rest_ cope. 1536. F. A. B. Add. He; _rest_ Him (_badly_). 1538. A.

almychti; _rest om._ 1540. C. With nonys; _read_ With th' nones. 1545. T.

made; _rest omit; but sense and metre require it_. 1547. C. T. Add. assent;

B. intente (_which will not rime_); _rest_ entent (_but_ Chaucer _uses_

entente). 1548. F. Thise; B. As; _rest_ And. 1550. F. B. _om._ he. 1552. F.

B. god wolde; _rest_ wolde god. C. T. Add. I; _rest_ that I. 1559. C. T.

somme; A. text; _rest_ sothe (soth). 1564. F. Tn. Th. B. _om._ to. 1569. F.

B. (_only_) _om._ they. 1573. C. Th. Muste; F. Tn. B. Most; T. A. Myght.

1578. F. And; _rest_ Ne. 1582. F. nature; C. matier; Tn. Th. B. matire; T.

A. matyr. C. apetitith; T. Add. appetyteth; _rest_ appeteth (!). 1583. F.

Tn. Th. B. to (_for_ in-to). 1585. A. (_only_) this false; _rest om._ this.

F. Th. B. _om._ fals. (_Accent_ Right.) 1590. C. T. Iaconitos; A.

Iacomitos; F. Tn. Th. B. Iasonicos; (Latin _Iaconites_). 1593. F. Vnto tho

(!). C. Oetes; Add. Cetes; T Cytees (!); _rest_ Otes. 1599. F. Tn. B. Add.

and so feyre. 1605. C. T. Th. B. Add. as a leoun (lyoun). 1613. C. han; T.

A. Add. haue; _rest_ and (!). 1626. T. A. Th. lowly; F. louly; B. loulye;

C. louely; Tn. lowe. 1631. C. T. A. Add. And; _rest om._ F. Tn. _om._ in.

1634. C. T. A. Add. to the point right; _rest_ ryght to the poynt. 1642. C.

T. sauyth; _rest_ saued. F. B. there; _rest_ here. 1643. F. Tn. B. _omit_;

C. _has_ And here vp a nyght, &c. 1649. C. T. gat; A. gatt; Add. Th. gate;

_rest_ gete. F. B. (_only_) _om._ him. T. gret; Add. grete; A. _om.; rest_

a. C. ryth as; T. A. ryght as; Add. lyke as; _rest_ as. 1652. F. Tn. Th. B.

tresoures; C. tresor; T. A. Add. tresour. 1657. T. A. his; C. hire; _rest

om._ 1659. C. thef and (_for_ cheef). 1661. C. A. the; _rest om._ 1667. F.

(_only_) _om._ the. 1668. C. T. A. Add. ther; _rest_ neuer. 1671. C. Fyrst

of his falsenesse whan she hym vpbreyde.

V. THE LEGEND OF LUCRETIA.

INCIPIT LEGENDA LUCRECIE ROME, MARTIRIS.

Now moot I seyn the exiling of kinges 1680

Of Rome, for hir horrible doinges,

And of the laste king Tarquinius,

As saith Ovyde and Titus Livius.

But for that cause telle I nat this storie,

But for to preise and drawen to memorie 1685

The verray wyf, the verray trewe Lucresse,

That, for her wyfhood and her stedfastnesse,

Nat only that thise payens her comende,

But he, that cleped is in our legende (10)

The grete Austin, hath greet compassioun 1690

Of this Lucresse, that starf at Rome toun;

And in what wyse, I wol but shortly trete,

And of this thing I touche but the grete.

Whan Ardea beseged was aboute

With Romains, that ful sterne were and stoute, 1695

Ful longe lay the sege, and litel wroghte,

So that they were half ydel, as hem thoghte;

And in his pley Tarquinius the yonge

Gan for to iape, for he was light of tonge, (20)

And seyde, that 'it was an ydel lyf; 1700

No man did ther no more than his wyf;

And lat us speke of wyves, that is best;

Praise every man his owne, as him lest,

And with our speche lat us ese our herte.'

A knight, that highte Colatyne, up sterte, 1705

And seyde thus, 'nay, for hit is no nede

To trowen on the word, but on the dede.

I have a wyf,' quod he, 'that, as I trowe,

Is holden good of alle that ever her knowe; (30)

Go we to-night to Rome, and we shul see.' 1710

Tarquinius answerde, 'that lyketh me.'

To Rome be they come, and faste hem dighte

To Colatynes hous, and doun they lighte,

Tarquinius, and eek this Colatyne.

The husbond knew the estres wel and fyne, 1715

And prively into the hous they goon;

Nor at the gate porter was ther noon;

And at the chambre-dore they abyde.

This noble wyf sat by her beddes syde (40)

Dischevele, for no malice she ne thoghte; 1720

And softe wolle our book seith that she wroghte

To kepen her fro slouthe and ydelnesse;

And bad her servants doon hir businesse,

And axeth hem, 'what tydings heren ye?

How seith men of the sege, how shal hit be? 1725

God wolde the walles weren falle adoun;

Myn husbond is so longe out of this toun,

For which the dreed doth me so sore smerte,

Right as a swerd hit stingeth to myn herte (50)

Whan I think on the sege or of that place; 1730

God save my lord, I preye him for his grace:'--

And ther-with-al ful tenderly she weep,

And of her werk she took no more keep,

But mekely she leet her eyen falle;

And thilke semblant sat her wel with-alle. 1735

And eek her teres, ful of honestee,

Embelisshed her wyfly chastitee;

Her countenaunce is to her herte digne,

For they acordeden in dede and signe. (60)

And with that word her husbond Colatyn, 1740

Or she of him was war, com sterting in,

And seide, 'dreed thee noght, for I am here!'

And she anoon up roos, with blisful chere,

And kiste him, as of wyves is the wone.

Tarquinius, this proude kinges sone, 1745

Conceived hath her beautee and her chere,

Her yelow heer, her shap, and her manere,

Her hew, her wordes that she hath compleyned,

And by no crafte her beautee nas nat feyned; (70)

And caughte to this lady swich desyr, 1750

That in his herte brende as any fyr

So woodly, that his wit was al forgeten.

For wel, thoghte he, she sholde nat be geten

And ay the more that he was in dispair,

The more he coveteth and thoghte her fair. 1755

His blinde lust was al his covetinge.

A-morwe, whan the brid began to singe,

Unto the sege he comth ful privily,

And by himself he walketh sobrely, (80)

Thimage of her recording alwey newe; 1760

'Thus lay her heer, and thus fresh was her hewe;

Thus sat, thus spak, thus span; this was her chere,

Thus fair she was, and this was her manere.'

Al this conceit his herte hath now y-take.

And, as the see, with tempest al to-shake, 1765

That, after whan the storm is al ago,

Yet wol the water quappe a day or two,

Right so, thogh that her forme wer absent,

The plesaunce of her forme was present; (90)

But natheles, nat plesaunce, but delyt, 1770

Or an unrightful talent with despyt;

'For, maugre her, she shal my lemman be;

Hap helpeth hardy man alday,' quod he;

'What ende that I make, hit shal be so;'

And girt him with his swerde, and gan to go; 1775

And forth he rit til he to Rome is come,

And al aloon his wey than hath he nome

Unto the house of Colatyn ful right.

Doun was the sonne, and day hath lost his light; (100)

And in he com un-to a privy halke, 1780

And in the night ful theefly gan he stalke,

Whan every night was to his reste broght,

Ne no wight had of tresoun swich a thoght.

Were hit by window or by other gin,

With swerde y-drawe, shortly he comth in 1785

Ther as she lay, this noble wyf Lucresse.

And, as she wook, her bed she felte presse.

'What beste is that,' quod she, 'that weyeth thus?'

'I am the kinges sone, Tarquinius,' (110)

Quod he, 'but and thou crye, or noise make, 1790

Or if thou any creature awake,

By thilke god that formed man on lyve,

This swerd through-out thyn herte shal I ryve.'

And ther-withal unto her throte he sterte,

And sette the point al sharp upon her herte. 1795

No word she spak, she hath no might therto.

What shal she sayn? her wit is al ago.

Right as a wolf that fynt a lomb aloon,

To whom shal she compleyne, or make moon? (120)

What! shal she fighte with an hardy knight? 1800

Wel wot men that a woman hath no might.

What! shal she crye, or how shal she asterte

That hath her by the throte, with swerde at herte?

She axeth grace, and seith al that she can.

'Ne wolt thou nat,' quod he, this cruel man, 1805

'As wisly Iupiter my soule save,

As I shal in the stable slee thy knave,

And leye him in thy bed, and loude crye,

That I thee finde in suche avouterye; (130)

And thus thou shalt be deed, and also lese 1810

Thy name, for thou shalt non other chese.'

Thise Romain wyves loveden so hir name

At thilke tyme, and dredden so the shame,

That, what for fere of slaundre and drede of deeth,

She loste bothe at-ones wit and breeth, 1815

And in a swough she lay and wex so deed,

Men mighte smyten of her arm or heed;

She feleth no-thing, neither foul ne fair.

Tarquinius, that art a kinges eyr, (140)

And sholdest, as by linage and by right, 1820

Doon as a lord and as a verray knight,

Why hastow doon dispyt to chivalrye?

Why hastow doon this lady vilanye?

Allas! of thee this was a vileins dede!

But now to purpos; in the story I rede, 1825

Whan he was goon, al this mischaunce is falle.

This lady sente after her frendes alle,

Fader, moder, husbond, al y-fere;

And al dischevele, with her heres clere, (150)

In habit swich as women used tho 1830

Unto the burying of her frendes go,

She sit in halle with a sorweful sighte.

Her frendes axen what her aylen mighte,

And who was deed? And she sit ay wepinge,

A word for shame ne may she forth out-bringe, 1835

Ne upon hem she dorste nat beholde.

But atte laste of Tarquiny she hem tolde,

This rewful cas, and al this thing horrible.

The wo to tellen hit were impossible, (160)

That she and alle her frendes made atones. 1840

Al hadde folkes hertes been of stones,

Hit mighte have maked hem upon her rewe,

Her herte was so wyfly and so trewe.

She seide, that, for her gilt ne for her blame,

Her husbond sholde nat have the foule name, 1845

That wolde she nat suffre, by no wey.

And they answerden alle, upon hir fey,

That they foryeve hit her, for hit was right;

Hit was no gilt, hit lay nat in her might; (170)

And seiden her ensamples many oon. 1850

But al for noght; for thus she seide anoon,

'Be as be may,' quod she, 'of forgiving,

I wol nat have no forgift for no-thing.'

But prively she caughte forth a knyf,

And therwith-al she rafte her-self her lyf; 1855

And as she fel adoun, she caste her look,

And of her clothes yit she hede took;

For in her falling yit she hadde care

Lest that her feet or swiche thing lay bare; (180)

So wel she loved clennesse and eek trouthe. 1860

Of her had al the toun of Rome routhe,

And Brutus by her chaste blode hath swore

That Tarquin sholde y-banisht be ther-fore,

And al his kin; and let the peple calle,

And openly the tale he tolde hem alle, 1865

And openly let carie her on a bere

Through al the toun, that men may see and here

The horrible deed of her oppressioun.

Ne never was ther king in Rome toun (190)

Sin thilke day; and she was holden there 1870

A seint, and ever her day y-halwed dere

As in hir lawe: and thus endeth Lucresse,

The noble wyf, as Titus bereth witnesse.

I tell hit, for she was of love so trewe,

Ne in her wille she chaunged for no newe. 1875

And for the stable herte, sad and kinde,

That in these women men may alday finde;

Ther as they caste hir herte, ther hit dwelleth.

For wel I wot, that Crist him-selve telleth, (200)

That in Israel, as wyd as is the lond, 1880

That so gret feith in al the lond he ne fond

As in a woman; and this is no lye.

And as of men, loketh which tirannye

They doon alday; assay hem who so liste,

The trewest is ful brotel for to triste. 1885

EXPLICIT LEGENDA LUCRECIE ROME, MARTIRIS.

1681. F. B. dedes; _rest_ doinges. 1682. Addit. (12524) And; _rest om._

1685. F. B. to (_for_ and); _rest_ and. 1686. C. trewe; _rest om._ 1689. F.

Tn. Th. B. _om._ he. 1693. F. _omits this line; I give the spelling as in_

MS. T., _changing_ thyng _into_ thing. 1696, 1697. C. F. Tn. Th. B.

wroughten, thoughten; _but_ thoughten _is bad grammar_; T. A. Add. wrought,

thought. 1701. C. no; _rest om._ 1705. C. highte; Tn. hat; _rest_ hyght

(_perhaps read_ hatte). 1710. _So_ C. T. Add.; _rest_ to Rome to nyght.

1715. B. estres; C. A. estris; F. Tn. esters; T. estes (!); Th. efters

(!!). 1716. _All but_ T. Add. _needlessly insert_ ful _after_ And. 1718. C.

they gan abyde. 1720. C. Discheuele; F. Disshevely. 1721. T. Add. oure boke

seyth; C. seyth (_om._ our book); Th. saith Liui; _rest_ seyth our boke.

1725. C seith; F. sayne. 1727. C. Th. so; _rest_ to. 1728. C. sore; _rest_

to (_badly_). 1729, 1730. C. _has_--That with a swerd me thynkyth that to

myn herte It styngith me whan I thynke on that place. 1730. T. A. Add. the

sege; F. Tn. B. these (_for_ the sege); Th. this. 1731. F. my; _rest_ his

(_before_ grace). 1736. F. the (_for_ her). A. T. honestee; C. oneste; B.

heuyte (!); F. hevytee (!); Tn. Th. heuynesse. 1737. C. Emblemyschid (!).

Th. chastnesse. C. _puts_ ll. 1738-9 _after_ l. 1743. 1744. C. kiste;

_rest_ kissed. 1747. C. T. A. Add. shap; _rest_ bounte. 1749. C. nas;

_rest_ was. 1751. C. brende; B. brente; F. Tn. brent. 1752. C. is al; Th.

A. was al; _rest_ was. 1754. C. T. A. Add. that; _rest om._ 1757. F. Tn.

Th. B. On; _rest_ A. 1760. C. Thymage; _rest_ The ymage. 1763. F. T. This;

_rest_ Thus. 1764. C. A. now; _rest_ newe (new). 1766. C. Yit (_for_ That).

1770. C. _om._ But. 1773. C. T. A. alday; _rest_ alway. 1776. C. forth he

rit; A. Addit. (12524) forth he ride; F. Tn. Th. he forth right (!). 1784.

C. T. A. Add. Were hit; _rest_ Whether. 1787. F. felt; C. felte. 1793. C.

thour-out; T. thorout; A. throughout; _rest om._ out. 1795. C. T. A. Add.

point; _rest_ swerd. C. vp-on; T. opon; Tn. Th. on; _rest_ unto. 1798. C.

T. A. fynt; Add. fyndyth; _rest_ fayneth _or_ feyneth (!). C. lomb; Add.

lombe; T. A. Th. lambe; _rest_ loue (!). 1801. C. T. A. Add. that; _rest

om._ 1802. F. Add. sterte; _rest_ asterte (astert). 1804. C. T. A. Add.

seyth; _rest_ seyde. 1805. C. A. Add. he; T. tho; _rest om._ 1807. F. Tn.

Th. B. _om._ As. 1809. C. auouterye; F. avowtrye. 1811. C. T. A. Add. non

other; _rest_ not. 1815. C. at onys bothe; _rest_ bothe atones. 1816. C.

wex; B. wexe; Tn. wax; T. wexed; A. wox; F. Th. woxe. 1821. F. Tn. Th. B.

_om. 2nd_ as. C. worthi (_for_ verray). 1823. C. T. A. Add. this; _rest_

thy. 1824. C. vileyn; A. T. vileyns; Add. vilons; F. B. Tn. vilenouse; Th.

villaynous. 1825. F. Tn. Th. B. _insert_ the _after_ to. 1829. F. Tn. Th.

B. _om._ al. C. herys; A. heeres; F. heer; Tn. T. Th. B. here (heare,

heere). C. _has lost_ ll. 1836-1907. 1840. Add. made; T. maden; A. maid;

_rest_ make. 1846. _So all but_ F. Tn. B.; F. B. That nolde she suffre; Tn.

That wolde she suffren nat. 1847. T. opon; A. vpon; _rest_ vnto (_badly_).

1857. T. A. Add. she hede; _rest_ hede she. 1862. _So_ T. A. Add.; _rest_

hath by hir chaste blood. 1873. T. A. Add. as; _rest om._ 1876. T. A. Add.

for the; _rest_ in her. 1879. _All_ him-self _or_ him-selfe. 1882. F. Add.

_om._ and. 1883. F. women; _rest_ men. C. _has lost_ ll. 1836-1907.

VI. THE LEGEND OF ARIADNE.

INCIPIT LEGENDA ADRIANE DE ATHENES.

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