MSS. AT OXFORD.

F. (Fairfax 16) is a valuable MS.; not only does it contain as many as

sixteen of these Minor Poems, but it is a fairly written MS. of the

fifteenth century. The spelling does not very materially differ from that

of such an excellent MS. as the Ellesmere MS. of the Canterbury Tales,

excepting in the fact that a great number of final _e_'s are added in wrong

places, and are dropped where they are required. This is a matter that can

be to a large extent rectified, and I have endeavoured to do so, taking it

in many instances as the standard text. Next to this misuse of final _e_'s,

which is merely due to the fact that it was written out at a time when the

true use of them was already lost, its most remarkable characteristic is

the scribe's excessive love of the letter _y_ in place of _i_; he writes

_hyt ys_ instead of _hit is_, and the like. In a great number of instances

I have restored _i_, where the vowel is short. When the text of the Fairfax

MS. is thus restored, it is by no means a bad one. It also contains fair

copies of many poems by Hoccleve and Lydgate, such as the former's _Letter

of Cupide_[242], and the latter's _Complaint of the Black Knight_, _Temple

of Glass_, and _Balade against Women's Doubleness_, being the very piece

which is introduced into Stowe's edition, and is numbered 45 above (see p.

33). We are also enabled, by comparing this MS. with MS. Harl. 7578, to

solve another riddle, viz. why it is that Chaucer's Proverbs, as printed in

Morris's and Bell's editions, are followed by two 7-line stanzas which have

nothing whatever to do with them. In MS. Harl. 7578 these two stanzas

immediately _follow_, and MS. F. immediately _precede_ Chaucer's Proverbs,

and therefore were near enough to them to give an excuse for throwing them

in together. However, both these stanzas are by Lydgate, and are mere

fragments[243]. The former of them, beginning 'The worlde so wide, thaire

so remuable,' really belongs to a poem of 18 stanzas, printed in

Halliwell's edition of Lydgate's Minor Poems (Percy Soc.), p. 193. The

latter of them, beginning 'The more I goo, the ferther I am behinde,'

belongs to a poem of 11 stanzas, printed in the same, p. 74. Perhaps this

will serve as a hint to future editors of Chaucer, from whose works it is

high time to exclude poems _known_ to be by some other hand.

In this MS. there is also a curious and rather long poem upon the game of

chess; the board is called the _cheker_, and the pieces are the _kyng_, the

_quene or the fers_ (described on fol. 294), the _rokys_ (_duo_ _Roci_),

the _knyghtys_, the _Awfyns_ (_duo alfini_), and the _povnys_ (_pedini_).

This is interesting in connection with the _Book of the Duchess_; see note

to l. 654 of that poem. The author tells us how 'he plaid at the chesse,'

and 'was mated of a Ferse.'

B. (Bodley 638) is very closely related to MS. F.; in the case of some of

the poems, both must have been drawn from a common source. MS. B. is not a

mere copy of F., for it sometimes has the correct reading where F. is

wrong; as, e.g. in the case of the reading _Bret_ in the _House of Fame_,

l. 1208. It contains seven of these Minor Poems, as well as _The boke of

Cupide god of loue_ (_Cuckoo and Nightingale_), Hoccleve's _Lettre of

Cupide god of loue_, Lydgate's _Temple of Glass_ (oddly called _Temple of

Bras_ (!), a mistake which occurs in MS. F. also), his _Ordre of Folys_,

printed in Halliwell's Minor Poems of Lydgate, p. 164, and his _Complaint

of the Black Knight_, imperfect at the beginning.

A. (Shirley's MS. Ashmole 59) is remarkable for containing a large number

of pieces by Lydgate, most of which are marked as his. It corroborates the

statement in MS. F. that he wrote the _Balade against Women's Doubleness_.

It contains the whole of Scogan's poem in which Chaucer's _Gentilesse_ is

quoted: see the complete print of it, from this MS., in the Chaucer

Society's publications.

Another poem in this MS. requires a few words. At the back of leaf 38 is a

poem entitled 'The Cronycle made by Chaucier,' with a second title to this

effect:--'Here nowe folowe the names of the nyene worshipfullest Ladyes

that in alle cronycles and storyal bokes haue beo founden of trouthe of

constaunce and vertuous or reproched (_sic_) womanhode by Chaucier.' The

poem consists of nine stanzas of eight lines (in the ordinary heroic

metre), and is printed in Furnivall's Odd Text of Chaucer's Minor Poems,

Part I. It would be a gross libel to ascribe this poem to Chaucer, as it is

very poor, and contains execrable rimes (such as _prysoun_, _bycome_;

_apply-e_, _pyte_; _thee_, _dy-e_). But we may easily see that the title is

likely to give rise to a misconception. It does not really mean that the

_poem itself_ is by Chaucer, but that it gives a brief epitome of the

'Cronicle made by Chaucier' of 'the nyene worshipfullest Ladyes.' And, in

fact, it does this. Each stanza briefly describes one of the nine women

celebrated in Chaucer's Legend of Good Women. It is sufficient to add that

the author makes a ludicrous mistake, which is quite enough to acquit

Chaucer of having had any hand in this wholly valueless production; for he

actually addresses 'quene Alceste' as sorrowing for 'Seyse her husbande.'

_Seyse_ is Chaucer's _Ceyx_, and _Alceste_ is the author's comic

substitution for _Alcyone_; see Book of the Duchess, l. 220. This is not a

fault of the scribe; for _Alceste_ rimes with _byheste_, whereas _Alcione_

does not. I much suspect that Shirley wrote this poem _himself_. His

verses, in MS. Addit. 16165, are very poor.

TN. (Tanner 346) is a fair MS. of the 15th century, and contains, besides

six of the Minor Poems, the _Legend of Good Women_, Hoccleve's _Letter of

Cupid_ (called _litera Cupidinis dei Amoris directa subditis suis

Amatoribus_), the _Cuckoo and Nightingale_ (called the _god of loue_),

Lydgate's _Temple of Glas_ and _Black Knight_, &c. One of them is the

Ballad no. 32 discussed above (p. 40). At fol. 73 is a poem in thirteen

8-line stanzas, beginning 'As ofte as syghes ben in herte trewe.' One

stanza begins with these lines:--

'As ofte tymes as Penelapye

Renewed her werk in the _raduore_,' &c.

I quote this for the sake of the extremely rare Chaucerian word spelt

_radevore_ in the Legend of Good Women. The same line occurs in another

copy of the same poem in MS. Ff., fol. 12, back.

AR. (Arch. Seld. B. 24) is a Scottish MS., apparently written in 1472, and

contains, amongst other things, the unique copy of the _Kingis Quair_, by

James I. of Scotland. This is the MS. wherein the scribe attributes pieces

to Chaucer quite recklessly: see p. 47. It is also the authority for the

pieces called _Prosperity_ and _Leaulte vault Richesse_. Here, once more,

we find the _Letter of Cupid_ and the _Cuckoo and Nightingale_; it is

remarkable how often these poems occur in the same MS. It also contains

_Troilus_ and the _Legend of Good Women_.

D. (Digby 181) contains, besides two of the Minor Poems, an imperfect copy

of Troilus; also the _Letter of Cupid_ and _Complaint of the Black Knight_.

At fol. 52 is a piece entitled 'Here Bochas rep_re_uyth hem that yeue hasti

credence to eu_er_y reporte or tale'; and it begins--'All-though so be in

eu_er_y maner age'; in nineteen 7-line stanzas. This is doubtless a part of

chapter 13 of Book I. of Lydgate's _Fall of Princes_.

R. (Rawlinson, Poet. 163) contains a copy of Chaucer's _Troilus_, followed

by the _Balade to Rosemounde_. Both pieces are marked 'Tregentyll' or

'Tregentil' to the left hand, and 'Chaucer' to the right.

§ 16. CAMBRIDGE MSS.

FF. (Ff. 1. 6) contains, besides five of the Minor Poems, many other

pieces. One is a copy of _Pyramus and Thisbe_, being part of the Legend of

Good Women. There are four extracts from various parts of Gower's

_Confessio Amantis_; the _Cuckoo and Nightingale_ and _Letter of Cupid_;

the Romance of _Sir Degrevaunt_; _La Belle Dame sans Merci_. Some pieces

from this MS. are printed in Reliquiae Antiquae, i. 23, 169, 202; and two

more, called _The Parliament of Love_ and _The Seven Deadly Sins_, are

printed in Political, Religious, and Love Poems, ed. Furnivall (E. E. T.

S.), pp. 48, 215. We also find here a copy of Lydgate's _Ballad of Good

Counsail_, printed in the old editions of Chaucer (piece no. 40; see above,

p. 33).

GG. (Gg. 4. 27) is the MS. which contains so excellent a copy of the

Canterbury Tales, printed as the 'Cambridge MS.' in the Chaucer Society's

publications. Four leaves are lost at the beginning. On leaf 5 is Chaucer's

_A. B. C._; on leaf 7, back, the _Envoy to Scogan_; and on leaf 8, back,

Chaucer's _Truth_, entitled _Balade de bone conseyl_. This is followed by a

rather pretty poem, in 15 8-line stanzas, which is interesting as quoting

from Chaucer's _Parliament of Foules_. Examples are: '_Qui bien ayme tard

oublye_' (l. 32; cf. P. F. 679): 'The fesaunt, scornere of the cok Be

nihter-tyme in frostis colde' (ll. 49, 50; cf. P. F. 357); 'Than spak the

frosty feldefare' (l. 89; cf. P. F. 364). Line 41 runs--'Robert redbrest

and the wrenne'; which throws some light on the etymology of _robin_. This

valuable MS. also contains _Troilus_ and the _Legend of Good Women_, with

the unique earlier form of the Prologue; _The Parlement of Foules_; and

Lydgate's _Temple of Glas_. At fol. 467 is a _Supplicacio amantis_, a long

piece of no great value, but the first four lines give pretty clear

evidence that the author was well acquainted with Chaucer's Anelida, and

aspired to imitate it.

'Redresse of sorweful, O Cytherea,

That w_i_t_h_ the stremys of thy plesau_n_t hete

Gladist the cuntreis of al Cirrea,

Wher thou hast chosyn thy paleys and thy sete.'

It seems to be a continuation of the _Temple of Glas_, and is probably

Lydgate's own.

HH. (Camb. Univ. Lib. Hh. 4. 12) contains much of Lydgate, and is fully

described in the Catalogue.

P. (Pepys 2006) consists of 391 pages, and contains Lydgate's _Complaint of

the Black Knight_, and _Temple of Glass_, part of the _Legend of Good

Women_, the _A. B. C._, _House of Fame_, _Mars and Venus_ (two copies),

_Fortune_, _Parlement of Foules_, _The Legend of the Three Kings of

Cologne_, _The War between Caesar and Pompey_, _a Translation of parts of

Cato_, _the Tale of Melibeus_ and _Parson's Tale_, _Anelida_, _Envoy to

Scogan_, _A. B. C._ (again), _Purse_, _Truth_, and _Merciless Beauty_.

TRIN. (Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19) not only contains two of the Minor

Poems, but a large number of other pieces, including the _Legend of Good

Women_ and many of Lydgate's Poems. In particular, it is the source of most

of Stowe's additions to Chaucer: I may mention _The Craft of Lovers_, dated

1448 in the MS. (fol. 156), but 1348 in Stowe; the _Ten Commandments of

Love_, _Nine Ladies worthy_, _Virelai_ (fol. 160), _Balade_ beginning _In

the seson of Feuerer_ (fol. 160), _Goddesses and Paris_ (fol. 161, back),

_A balade plesaunte_ (fol. 205), _O Mossie Quince_ (fol. 205), _Balade_

beginning _Loke well aboute_ (fol. 207); and _The Court of Love_; see the

pieces numbered 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 59, (p. 33). The piece

numbered 41 also occurs here, at the end of the _Parliament of Foules_, and

is headed 'Verba translatoris.' One poem, by G. Ashby, is dated 1463, and I

suppose most of the pieces are in a handwriting of a later date, not far

from 1500. It is clear that Stowe had no better reason for inserting pieces

in his edition of Chaucer than their occurrence in this MS. to which he had

access. If he had had access to any other MS. of the same character, the

additions in his book would have been different, and _The Court of Love_

would never have been 'Chaucer's.' Yet this is the sort of evidence which

some accept as being quite sufficient to prove that Chaucer learnt the

language of a century after his own date, in order to qualify himself for

writing that poem.

§ 17. LONDON MSS.

AD. (MS. Addit. 16165). One of Shirley's MSS., marked with his name in

large letters. It contains a copy of Chaucer's _Boethius_; Trevisa's

translation of the gospel of _Nichodemus_; the _Maistre of the game_ (on

hunting); the _Compleint of the Black Knight_ and the _Dreme of a Lover_,

both by Lydgate. The latter is the same poem, I suppose, as _The Temple of

Glas_. It is here we learn from Shirley that the _Complaint of the Black

Knight_ is Lydgate's. Not only is it headed, on some pages, as 'The

complaynte of a knight made by Lidegate,' but on fol. 3 he refers to the

same poem, speaking of it as being a complaint--

'al in balade[244],

That daun Iohan of Bury made,

Lydgate the Munk clothed in blakke.'

Here also we find two separate fragments of _Anelida_[245]; the two stanzas

mentioned above (p. 52, l. 20), called by Shirley 'two verses made in wyse

of balade by Halsham, Esquyer'; Chaucer's _Proverbs_; the poem no. 45 above

(p. 33), attributed in this MS. to Lydgate; &c. At fol. 256, back, is the

_Balade of compleynte_ printed in this volume as poem no. XXIII.

ADD. (MS. Addit. 22139). This is a fine folio MS., containing Gower's

_Confessio Amantis_. At fol. 138 are Chaucer's _Purse_, _Gentilesse_, _Lak

of Stedfastnesse_, and _Truth_.

AT. (MS. Addit. 10340). Contains Chaucer's _Boethius_ (foll. 1-40); also

_Truth_, with the unique _envoy_, and the description of the 'Persone,'

from the Canterbury Tales, on fol. 41, recto[246].

CT. (MS. Cotton, Cleopatra, D. 7). The Chaucer poems are all on leaves 188,

189. They are all ballads, viz. _Gentilesse_, _Lak of Stedfastness_,

_Truth_, and _Against Women Unconstaunt_. All four are in the same hand;

and we may remark that the last of the four is thus, in a manner, linked

with the rest; see p. 58, l. 5, p. 26, l. 29.

H. (MS. Harl. 2251). Shirley's MS. contains a large number of pieces,

chiefly by Lydgate. Also Chaucer's _Prioresses Tale_, _Fortune_ (fol. 46),

_Gentilesse_ (fol. 48, back), _A. B. C._ (fol. 49), and _Purse_ (fol. 271).

The _Craft of Lovers_ also occurs, and is dated 1459 in this copy. Poem no.

56 (p. 34) also occurs here, and is marked as Lydgate's. We also see from

this MS. that the first four stanzas of no. 52 (p. 33) form part of a poem

on the _Fall of Man_, in which _Truth_, _Mercy_, _Righteousness_, and

_Peace_ are introduced as allegorical personages. The four stanzas form

part of Mercy's plea, and this is why the word _mercy_ occurs ten times. At

fol. 153, back (formerly 158, back), we actually find a copy of Henry

Scogan's poem in which Chaucer's _Gentilesse_ is _not_ quoted, the

requisite stanzas being entirely omitted. At fol. 249, back, Lydgate quotes

the line 'this world is a thurghfare ful of woo,' and says it is from

Chaucer's 'tragedyes.' It is from the Knightes Tale, l. 1989 (A 2847).

HA. (Harl. 7578). Contains Lydgate's _Proverbs_; Chaucer's _Pite_ (fol. 13,

back), _Gentilesse_ and _Lak of Stedfastnesse_ (fol. 17), immediately

followed by the _Balade against Women unconstaunt_, precisely in the place

where we should expect to find it; also Chaucer's _Proverbs_, immediately

followed by the wholly unconnected stanzas discussed above; p. 52, l. 20.

At fol. 20, back, are six stanzas of Chaucer's _A. B. C._

HARL. (MS. Harl. 7333). This is a fine folio MS., and contains numerous

pieces. At fol. 37, recto, begins a copy of the Canterbury Tales, with a

short prose Proem by Shirley; this page has been reproduced in facsimile

for the Chaucer Society. At fol. 129, back, begins the _Parliament of

Foules_, at the end of which is the stanza which appears as poem no. 41 in

Stowe's edition (see p. 33). Then follow the _Broche of Thebes_, i. e. the

_Complaint of Mars_, and _Anelida_. It also contains some of the _Gesta

Romanorum_ and of Hoccleve's _De Regimine Principum_. But the most

remarkable thing in this MS. is the occurrence, at fol. 136, of a poem

hitherto (as I believe) unprinted, yet obviously (in my opinion) written by

Chaucer; see no. XXII. in the present volume. Other copies occur in F. and

B.

SH. (MS. Harl. 78; one of Shirley's MSS.). At fol. 80 begins the _Complaint

to Pity_; on fol. 82 the last stanza of this poem is immediately followed

by the poem here printed as no. VI; the only mark of separation is a

star-like mark placed upon the line which is drawn to separate one stanza

from another. At the end of fol. 83, back, l. 123 of the poem occurs at the

bottom of the page, and fol. 84 is gone; so that the last stanza of 10

lines and the ascription to Chaucer in the colophon do not appear in this

MS.

MS. Harl. 372. This MS. contains many poems by Lydgate. Also a copy of

_Anelida_; followed by _La Belle Dame sans mercy_, 'translatid out of

Frenche by Sir Richard Ros,' &c.

MS. Lansdowne 699. This MS. contains numerous poems by Lydgate, such as

_Guy of Warwick_, the _Dance of Macabre_, the _Horse, Sheep, and Goose_,

&c.; and copies of Chaucer's _Fortune_ and _Truth_.

§ 18. I. A. B. C.

This piece was first printed in Speght's edition of 1602, with this title:

'Chaucer's A. B. C. called _La Priere de Nostre Dame_: made, as some say,

at the Request of Blanch, Duchesse of Lancaster, as a praier for her priuat

vse, being a woman in her religion very deuout.' This is probably a mere

guess, founded on the fact that Chaucer wrote the Book of the Duchess. It

cannot be literally true, because it is not strictly 'made,' or composed,

but only translated. Still, it is just possible that it was _translated_

for her pleasure (rather than use); and if so, must have been written

between 1359 and 1369. A probable date is about 1366. In any case, it may

well stand first in chronological order, being a translation just of that

unambitious character which requires no great experience. Indeed, the

translation shews one mark of want of skill; each stanza begins by

following the original for a line or two, after which the stanza is

completed rather according to the requirements of rime than with an

endeavour to render the original at all closely. There are no less than

thirteen MS. copies of it; and its genuineness is attested both by Lydgate

and Shirley.[247] The latter marks it with Chaucer's name in the Sion

College MS. Lydgate's testimony is curious, and requires a few words of

explanation.

Guillaume De Deguilleville, a Cistercian monk in the royal abbey of

Chalis[248], in the year 1330 or 1331[249], wrote a poem entitled

_Pèlerinage de la Vie humaine_. Of this there are two extant English

translations, one in prose and one in verse, the latter being attributed to

Lydgate. Of the prose translation[250] four copies exist, viz. in the MSS.

which I call C., Gl., Jo., and L. In all of these, Chaucer's A. B. C. is

inserted, in order to give a verse rendering of a similar prayer in verse

in the original. Of Lydgate's verse translation there is a copy in MS.

Cotton, Vitell. C. xiii. (see foll. 255, 256); and when he comes to the

place where the verse prayer occurs in his original, he says that, instead

of translating the prayer himself, he will quote Chaucer's translation,

observing:--

'My mayster Chaucer, in hys tyme,

Affter the Frenchs he dyde yt ryme.'

Curiously enough, he does not do so; a blank space was left in the MS. for

the scribe to copy it out, but it was never filled in[251]. However, it

places the genuineness of the poem beyond doubt; and the internal evidence

confirms it; though it was probably, as was said, quite an early work.

In order to illustrate the poem fully, I print beneath it the French

original, which I copy from the print of it in Furnivall's _One-text Print

of Chaucer's Minor Poems_, Part I. p. 84.

It is taken from Guillaume De Deguilleville's _Pèlerinage de l'Ame_, Part

I, _Le Pèlerinage de la Vie humaine_. Edited from the MS. 1645, Fonds

Français, in the National Library, Paris (A), and collated with the MSS.

1649 (B), 376 (C), and 377 (D), in the same collection, by Paul Meyer. I

omit, however, the collations; the reader only wants a good text.

Chaucer did not translate the last two stanzas. I therefore give them

_here_.

'Ethiques[252] s'avoie leü,

Tout recordé et tout sceü,

Et après riens n'en ouvrasse

Du tout seroie deceü. 280

Aussi con cil qui est cheü,

En sa rois et en sa nasse.

Vierge, m'ame je claim lasse,

Quar en toy priant se lasse

Et si ne fait point son deü.

Pou vault chose que je amasse;

Ma priere n'est que quasse

S'a bien je ne sui esmeü.

'Contre[253] moy doubt que ne prie

Ou que en vain merci ne crie. 290

Je te promet amandement;

Et pour ce que je ne nie

Ma promesse, je t'en lie

L'ame de moy en gaigement;

Puis si te pri finablement

Que quant sera mon finement

Tu ne me defailles mie:

Pour moy soies au jugement

Afin que hereditablement

J'aie pardurable vie. AMEN.' 300

MS. C. affords, on the whole, the best text, and is therefore followed, all

variations from it being duly noted in the footnotes, except (occasionally)

when _i_ is put for _y_, or _y_ for _i_. The scribes are very capricious in

the use of these letters, using them indifferently; but it is best to use

_i_ when the vowel is short (as a general rule), and _y_ when it is long.

Thus, _it is_ is better than _yt ys_, and _wyse_ than _wise_, in order to

shew that the vowel is long in the latter case. I also use _y_ at the end

of a word, as usual; as in _lady_, _my_. When the spelling of the MS. is

thus slightly amended, it gives a fair text, which can easily be read with

the old and true pronunciation.

We may roughly divide the better MSS. into two sets, thus: (_a_) C. Gl. L.

Jo.; (_b_) F. B. Gg. The rest I have not collated. See Koch, in Anglia, iv.

b. 100.

The metre of this poem is worthy of notice. Chaucer uses it again, in the

_Former Age_ (IX), _Lenvoy to Bukton_ (XVII), and in the _Monkes Tale_.

More complex examples of it, with repeated rimes, are seen in the _Balade

to Rosemounde_ (XII), _Fortune_ (X), and _Venus_ (XVIII). See also the two

stanzas on p. 47.

§ 19. II. THE COMPLEYNT UNTO PITE.

The word _compleynt_ answers to the O. F. _complaint_, sb. masc., as

distinguished from O. F. _complainte_, sb. fem., and was the technical

name, as it were, for a love-poem of a mournful tone, usually addressed to

the unpitying loved one. See Godefroy's Old French Dictionary[254]. Dr.

Furnivall's account of this poem begins as follows: 'In seventeen 7-line

stanzas: 1 of Proem, 7 of Story, and 9 of Complaint, arranged in three

Terns [sets of three] of stanzas; first printed by Thynne in 1532.... The

poem looks not easy to construe; but it is clearly a Complaint _to_ Pity,

as 5 MSS. read, and not _of_ Pity, as Shirley reads in MS. Harl. 78. This

Pity once lived in the heart of the loved-one of the poet.... But in his

mistress's heart dwells also Pity's rival, Cruelty; and when the poet,

after waiting many years[255], seeks to declare his love, even before he

can do so, he finds that Pity for him is dead in his mistress's heart,

Cruelty has prevailed, and deprived him of her.' His theory is, that this

poem is Chaucer's earliest original work, and relates to his own feelings

of hopeless love; also, that Chaucer was not married till 1374, when he

married his namesake Philippa Chaucer[256]. If this be so, a probable

conjectural date for this poem is about 1367. I have remarked, in the note

to l. 14, that the allegory of the poem is somewhat confused; and this

implies a certain want of skill and clearness, which makes the supposition

of its being an early work the more probable[257]. It is extremely

difficult to determine to what extent the sentiments are artificial. If a

French poem of a similar character should one day be found, it would not be

very surprising. Meanwhile, it is worth observing that the notion of

personifying _Pity_ is taken from Chaucer's favourite author Statius; see

the _Thebaid_, bk. xi. 458-496, and compare the context, ll. 1-457. It is

this which enables us to explain the word _Herenus_ in l. 92, which is an

error for _Herines_, the form used by Chaucer to denote the _Erinnyes_ or

Furies[258]. The _Erinnyes_ are mentioned in Statius, _Theb._ xi. 345 (cf.

ll. 58, 60, 383); and Statius leads up to the point of the story where it

is an even chance whether there will be peace or war. The Furies urge on

the combatants to war; and at this crisis, the only power who can overrule

them is _Pietas_, personified by Statius for this express purpose (ll. 458,

465, 466). The struggle between Pity and Cruelty in Chaucer's poem is

parallel to the struggle between Pietas and the fury Tisiphone as told in

Statius. Pity is called _Herines quene_, or queen of the Furies, because

she alone is supposed to be able to control them. See my notes to ll. 57,

64, and 92.

The poem is extant in nine MSS. It is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in

MS. 'Sh.,' and the internal evidence confirms this. There is a fairly good

copy in MS. F., on which my edition of it is based. There is, further, an

excellent _critical edition_ of this poem by Prof. Ten Brink, in _Essays on

Chaucer_, Part II, p. 170 (Chaucer Soc.); this I carefully consulted after

making my own copy, and I found that the differences were very slight. The

least valuable MSS. seem to be Ff., Ph., and Lt. Omitting these, the MSS.

may be divided into three sets, viz. A, Ba, and Bb, the two last going back

to a common source B. These are: (A.)--Sh. Ha.; (Ba.)--F. B.; (Bb.)--Tn.

Trin. See Koch, in Anglia, iv. b. 96.

In this poem we have the earliest example, in English, of the famous 7-line

stanza.

§ 20. III. THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESSE.

Here we are on firm ground. The genuineness of this poem has never been

doubted. It is agreed that the word _Whyte_ in l. 948, which is given as

the name of the lady lately dead, is a translation of _Blanche_, and that

the reference is to the wife of the Duke of Lancaster (John of Gaunt), who

died Sept. 12, 1369, at the age of twenty-nine, her husband being then of

the same age. As the poem would naturally be written soon after this event,

the date must be near the end of 1369. In fact, John of Gaunt married again

in 1372, whereas he is represented in the poem as being inconsolable.

Chaucer's own testimony, in the Legend of Good Women, l. 418, is that he

made 'the deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse'; and again, in the Introduction

to the Man of Law's Prologue, l. 57, that 'In youthe he made of Ceys and

Alcion.' In 1369, Chaucer was already twenty-nine years of age (taking the

year of his birth to be 1340, not 1328), which is rather past the period of

youth; and the fact that he thus mentions 'Ceys and Alcion' as if it were

the name of an independent poem, renders it almost certain that such was

once the case. He clearly thought it too good to be lost, and so took the

opportunity of inserting it in a more ambitious effort. The original 'Ceys

and Alcion' evidently ended at l. 220; where it began, we cannot say, for

the poem was doubtless revised and somewhat altered. Ll. 215, 216 hint that

a part of it was suppressed. The two subjects were easily connected, the

sorrow of Alcyone for the sudden and unexpected loss of her husband being

the counterpart of the sorrow of the duke for the loss of his wife. The

poem of 'Ceys and Alcion' shews Chaucer under the influence of Ovid, just

as part of his Complaint to Pity was suggested by Statius; but in the later

part of the poem of the Book of the Duchesse we see him strongly influenced

by French authors, chiefly Guillaume de Machault and the authors of Le

Roman de la Rose. His familiarity with the latter poem (as pointed out in

the notes) is such as to prove that he had already been previously employed

in making his translation of that extremely lengthy work, and possibly

quotes lines from his own translation[259].

The relationship between the MSS. and Thynne's edition has been

investigated by Koch, in _Anglia_, vol. iv. Anzeiger, p. 95, and by Max

Lange, in his excellent dissertation entitled _Untersuchungen über

Chaucer's Boke of the Duchesse_, Halle, 1883. They both agree in

representing the scheme of relationship so as to give the following result:

{ [beta] ---- Thynne.

[alpha] ---- {

{ [gamma] ---- { Tanner MS.

{

{ { Fairfax MS.

{ [delta] ---- {

{ Bodley MS.

Here [alpha] represents a lost original MS., and [beta] and [gamma] are

lost MSS. derived from it. Thynne follows [beta]; whilst [gamma] is

followed by the Tanner MS. and a lost MS. [delta]. The Fairfax and Bodley

MSS., which are much alike, are copies of [delta]. The MS. [gamma] had lost

a leaf, containing ll. 31-96; hence the same omission occurs in the three

MSS. derived from it. However, a much later hand has filled in the gap in

MS. F, though it remains blank in the other two MSS. On the whole, the

authorities for this poem are almost unusually poor; I have, in general,

followed MS. F, but have carefully amended it where the other copies seemed

to give a better result. Lange gives a useful set of 'Konjecturen,' many of

which I have adopted. I have also adopted, thankfully, some suggestions

made by Koch and Ten Brink; others I decline, with thanks.

This poem is written in the common metre of four accents, which was already

in use before Chaucer's time, as in the poem of Havelok the Dane, Robert of

Brunne's Handling Synne, Hampole's Pricke of Conscience, &c. Chaucer only

used it once afterwards, viz. in his House of Fame. It is the metre

employed also in his translation (as far as we have it) of the French

_Roman de la Rose_.

§ 21. IV. THE COMPLEYNT OF MARS.

Lydgate tells us that this poem is Chaucer's, referring to it as containing

the story of 'the broche which that Vulcanus At Thebes wrought,' &c.

Internal evidence clearly shews that it was written by the author of the

_Treatise on the Astrolabie_. In MS. Harl. 7333, Shirley gives it the title

'The broche of Thebes, as of the love of Mars and Venus.' Bale oddly refers

to this poem as _De Vulcani veru_, but _broche_ is here an ornament, not a

spit. With the exception of two lines and a half (ll. 13-15), the whole

poem is supposed to be sung by a bird, and upon St. Valentine's day. Such a

contrivance shews a certain lack of skill, and is an indication of a

comparatively early date. The poem begins in the ordinary 7-line stanza,

rimed _a b a b b c c_; but the Complaint itself is in 9-line stanzas, rimed

_a a b a a b b c c_, and exhibits a considerable advance in rhythmical

skill. This stanza, unique in Chaucer, was copied by Douglas (_Palace of

Honour_, part 3), and by Sir D. Lyndesay (_Prol. to Testament of Papyngo_).

At the end of the copy of this poem in MS. T., Shirley appends the

following note:--'Thus eondethe here this complaint, whiche some men sayne

was made by [i. e. with respect to] my lady of York, doughter to the kyng

of Spaygne, and my lord huntingdon, some tyme Duc of Excestre.' This

tradition may be correct, but the intrigue between them was discreditable

enough, and would have been better passed over in silence than celebrated

in a poem, in which Mars and Venus fitly represent them. In the heading to

the poem in the same MS., Shirley tells us further, that it was written to

please John of Gaunt. The heading is:--'Loo, yee louers, gladethe and

comfortethe you of thallyance etrayted[260] bytwene the hardy and furyous

Mars the god of armes and Venus the double [i. e. fickle] goddesse of loue;

made by Geffrey Chaucier, at the comandement of the reno_m_med and

excellent Prynce my lord the Duc Iohn of Lancastre.' The lady was John of

Gaunt's sister-in-law. John of Gaunt married, as his second wife, in 1372,

Constance, elder daughter of Pedro, king of Castile; whilst his brother

Edmund, afterwards duke of York, married Isabel, her sister. In Dugdale's

Baronage, ii. 154, we read that this Isabel, 'having been somewhat wanton

in her younger years, at length became a hearty penitent; and departing

this life in 1394, was buried in the Friers Preachers at Langele,' i. e.

King's Langley in Hertfordshire; cf. Chauncy's _Hertfordshire_, p. 455;

Camden's _Anglica_, p. 350. It is possible that Chaucer addressed his Envoy

to the Complaint of Venus to the same lady, as he calls her 'Princess.'

Mars is, accordingly, intended to represent John Holande, half-brother to

Richard II, Earl of Huntingdon, and afterwards Duke of Exeter. He actually

married John of Gaunt's daughter, Elizabeth, whose mother was the Blaunche

celebrated in the Book of the Duchess.

If this tradition be true, the date of the poem must be not very many years

after 1372, when the Princess Isabel came to England. We may date it,

conjecturally, about 1374. See further in Furnivall's _Trial Forewords_,

pp. 78-90. I may add that an attempt has been made to solve the problem of

the date of this poem by astronomy (see _Anglia_, ix. 582). It is said that

Mars and Venus were in conjunction on April 14, 1379. This is not wholly

satisfactory; for Chaucer seems to refer to the 12th of April as the time

of conjunction. If we accept this result, then the year was 1379. The date

1373-9 is near enough.

The poem is remarkable for its astronomical allusions, which are fully

explained in the notes. The story of Mars and Venus was doubtless taken

from Ovid, _Metam._ iv. 170-189. The story of the brooch of Thebes is from

Statius, ii. 265, &c.; see note to l. 245.

I shall here add a guess of mine which possibly throws some light on

Chaucer's reason for referring to the brooch of Thebes. It is somewhat

curious that the Princess Isabel, in a will made twelve years before her

death, and dated Dec. 6, 1382, left, amongst other legacies, 'to the Duke

of Lancaster, a _Tablet of Jasper which the King of Armonie gave her_'; see

Furnivall's _Trial Forewords_, p. 82. Here _Armonie_ means, of course,

Armenia; but it is also suggestive of _Harmonia_, the name of the first

owner of the brooch of Thebes. It seems just possible that the brooch of

Thebes was intended to refer to this tablet of jasper, which was doubtless

of considerable value and may have been talked about as being a curiosity.

MSS. F. Tn. and Lt. are much alike; the rest vary. I follow F. mainly, in

constructing the text.

§ 22. V. THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES.

This poem is undoubtedly genuine; both Chaucer and Lydgate mention it. It

is remarkable as being the first of the Minor Poems which exhibits the

influence upon Chaucer of Italian literature, and was therefore probably

written somewhat later than the Complaint of Mars. It is also the first of

the Minor Poems in which touches of true humour occur; see ll. 498-500,

508, 514-6, 563-575, 589-616. Dr. Furnivall (_Trial Forewords_, p. 53)

notes that the MSS. fall into two principal groups; in the first he places

Gg., Trin., Cx., Harl., O., the former part of Ff., (part of) Ar., and the

fragments in Hh. and Laud 416; in the second he places F., Tn., D., and the

latter part of Ff. Lt. also belongs to the second group. See further in

_Anglia_, vol. iv. Anzeiger, p. 97. The whole poem, except the Roundel in

ll. 680-692, is in Chaucer's favourite 7-line stanza, often called the

ballad-stanza, or simply _balade_ in the MSS.

The poem itself may be roughly divided into four parts. The first part, ll.

1-84, is mainly occupied with an epitome of the general contents of

Cicero's Somnium Scipionis. The second part, ll. 85-175, shews several

instances of the influence of Dante, though the stanza containing ll.

99-105 is translated from Claudian. The third part, ll. 176-294, is almost

wholly translated or imitated from Boccaccio's Teseide. And the fourth

part, ll. 295 to the end, is occupied with the real subject of the poem,

the main idea being taken, as Chaucer himself tells us, from Alanus de

Insulis. The passages relating to the _Somnium Scipionis_ are duly pointed

out in the notes; and so are the references to Dante and Claudian. The

history of the third and fourth parts requires further explanation.

We have already seen that Chaucer himself tells us, in the Prol. to the

Legend, 420, that he made--'al the love of Palamon and Arcyte Of Thebes,

thogh the story is knowen lyte.' (N.B. This does not mean that _Chaucer's_

version of the story was 'little known,' but that _Boccaccio_ speaks of the

story as being little known--'che Latino autor non par ne dica'; see note

to Anelida, l. 8.) Now, in the first note on _Anelida and Arcite_, it is

explained how this story of Palamon and Arcite was necessarily translated,

more or less closely, from Boccaccio's Teseide, and was doubtless written

in the 7-line stanza; also that fragments of it are preserved to us (1) in

sixteen stanzas of the Parliament of Foules, (2) in the first ten stanzas

of Anelida, and (3) in three stanzas of Troilus. At a later period, the

whole poem was re-written in a different metre, and now forms the Knightes

Tale. The sixteen stanzas here referred to begin at l. 183 (the previous

stanza being also imitated from a different part of the _Teseide_, bk. xi.

st. 24), and end at l. 294. Chaucer has somewhat altered the order; see

note to l. 183. I here quote, from Furnivall's _Trial Forewords_, pp.

60-66, a translation by Mr. W. M. Rossetti, of Boccaccio's _Teseide_, bk.

vii. stanzas 51-66; and I give, beneath it, the Italian text, from an

edition published at Milan in 1819. This passage can be compared with

Chaucer's imitation of it at the reader's leisure.

I note, beforehand, that, in the first line of this translation, the word

_whom_ refers to _Vaghezza_, i. e. Grace, Allurement; whilst _she_ is the

prayer of Palemo, personified.

_Tes._ vii. stanzas 51-60; cf. _Parl. Foules_, ll. 183-259.

<<

'With whom going forward, she saw that [i. e. Mount Cithaeron]

In every view suave and charming;

In guise of a garden bosky and beautiful,

And greenest, full of plants,

Of fresh grass, and every new flower;

And therein rose fountains living and clear;

And, among the other plants it abounded in,

Myrtle seemed to her more than other.

>>

Colla quale oltre andando vide quello

Per ogni vista soave ed ameno,

A guisa d'un giardin fronzuto e bello

E di piante verdissimo ripieno,

D'erbetta fresca e d'ogni fior novello;

E fonti vive e chiare vi surgieno,

E in fra l'altre piante, onde abbondava,

Mortine più che altro le sembrava.

<<

'Here she heard amid the branches sweetly P. F. 190.

Birds singing of almost all kinds:

Upon which [branches] also in like wise

She saw them with delight making their nests.

Next among the fresh shadows quickly

She saw rabbits go hither and thither,

And timid deer and fawns,

And many other dearest little beasts.

>>

Quivi sentì pe' rami dolcemente

Quasi d'ogni maniera ucce' cantare,

Sopra de' quali ancor similemente

Gli vide con diletto i nidi a fare:

Poscia fra l'ombre fresche prestamente

Vidi conigli in qua e in là andare,

E timidenti cervi e cavrioli,

E molti altri carissimi bestiuoli.

<<

'In like wise here every instrument P. F. 197.

She seemed to hear, and delightful chaunt:

Wherefore passing with pace not slow,

And looking about, somewhat within herself suspended

At the lofty place and beautiful adornment

She saw it replete in almost every corner

With spiritlings which, flying here and there,

Went to their bourne. Which she looking at,

>>

Similemente quivi ogni stromento

Le parve udire e dilettoso canto;

Onde passando con passo non lento,

E rimirando, in sè sospesa alquanto

Dell' alto loco e del bell' ornamento;

Ripieno il vide quasi in ogni canto

Di spirite', che qua e là volando

Gieno a lor posta; a' quali essa guardando,

<<

'Among the bushes beside a fountain P. F. 211.

Saw Cupid forging arrows--

He having the bow set down by his feet;

Which [arrows when] selected his daughter Voluptas

Tempered in the waves. And settled down

With them was Ease [_Ozio_, Otium]; whom she saw

That he, with Memory, steeled his darts

With the steel that she [Voluptas] first tempered.

>>

Tra gli albuscelli ad una fonta allato

Vide Cupido a fabbricar saette,

Avendo egli a' suoi piè l'arco posato,

Le qua' sua figlia Voluttade elette

Nell' onde temperava, ed assettato

Con lor s'era Ozio, il quale ella vedette,

Che con Memoria l'aste sue ferrava

De' ferri ch' ella prima temperava.

<<

'And then she saw in that pass Grace [_Leggiadria_], P. F. 218.

With Adorning [_Adornezza_] and Affability,

And the wholly estrayed Courtesy;

And she saw the Arts that have power

To make others perforce do folly,

In their aspect much disfigured.

The Vain Delight of our form

She saw standing alone with Gentilesse.

>>

E poi vide in quel passo Leggiadria

Con Adornezza ed Affabilitate,

E la ismarrita in tutto Cortesia,

E vide l'Arti ch' hanno potestate

Di fare altrui a forza far follia,

Nel loro aspetto molto isfigurate:

Delia immagine nostra il van Diletto

Con Gentilezza vide star soletto.

<<

'Then she saw Beauty pass her by, P. F. 225.

Without any ornament, gazing on herself;

And with her she saw Attraction [_Piacevolezza_] go,--

She [the prayer] commending to herself both one and other.

With them she saw standing Youth,

Lively and adorned, making great feast:

And on the other side she saw madcap Audacity

Going along with Glozings and Pimps.

>>

Poi vide appresso a sè passar Bellezza

Sanz' ornamento alcun sè riguardando,

E vide gir con lei Piacevolezza,

E l'una e l'altra seco commendando,

Vide con loro starsi Giovinezza

Destra ed adorna, molto festeggiando:

E d'altra parte vide il folle Ardire

Con Lusinghe e Ruffiani insieme gire.

<<

'In mid the place, on lofty columns, P. F. 232.

She saw a temple of copper; round which

She saw youths dancing and women--

This one of them beautiful, and that one in fine raiment,

Ungirdled, barefoot, only in their hair and gowns,

Who spent the day in this alone.

Then over the temple she saw doves hover

And settle and coo.

>>

In mezzo il loco sur alte colonne

Di rame vide un tempio, al qual d'intorno

Danzanti giovinetti vide e donne,

Qual d'esse bella, e qual d'abito adorno,

Iscinte, iscalze, in capei soli e'n gonne,

Che in questo solo disponeano il giorno:

Poi sopra il tempio vide volitare

E posarsi colombe e mormorare.

<<

'And near to the entry of the temple P. F. 239.

She saw that there sat quietly

My lady Peace, who a curtain

Moved lightly before the door.

Next her, very subdued in aspect,

Sat Patience discreetly,

Pallid in look; and on all sides

Around her she saw artful Promises.

>>

E all'entrata del tempio vicina

Vide che si sedava pianamente

Monna Pace, la quale una cortina

Movea innanzi alla porta lievemente;

Appresso a lei in vista assai tapina

Pacienza sedea discretamente;

Pallida nell' aspetto, e d'ogni parte

Intorno a lei vide Promesse ad arte.

<<

'Then entering the temple, of Sighs P. F. 246.

She felt there an earthquake, which whirled

All fiery with hot desires.

This lit up all the altars

With new flames born of pangs;

Each of which dripped with tears

Produced by a woman cruel and fell

Whom she there saw, called Jealousy

>>

Poi dentro al tempio entrata, di sospiri

Vi senti un terremoto, che girava

Focoso tutto di caldi disiri:

Questi gli altari tutti alluminava

Di nuove fiamme nate di martiri,

De' qua' ciascun di lagrime grondava,

Mosse da una donna cruda e ria,

Che vide lì, chiamata Gelosia:

<<

'And in that [temple] she saw Priapus hold P. F. 253.

The highest place--in habit just such as

Whoever would at night see him

Could [do] when, braying, the animal

Dullest of all awoke Vesta, who to his mind

Was not a little--towards whom he in like guise

Went: and likewise throughout the great temple

She saw many garlands of diverse flowers.'

>>

Ed in quel vide Priapo tenere

Più sommo loco, in abito tal quale

Chiunque il volle la notte vedere

Potè, quando ragghiando l'animale

Più pigro destò Vesta, che in calere

Non poco gli era, in vêr di cui cotale

Andava; e simil per lo tempio grande

Di fior diversi assai vide grillande.

_Tes._ vii. 61, 62; cf. _P. F._ 281-294.

<<

'Here many bows of the Chorus of Diana P. F. 281.

She saw hung up and broken; among which was

That of Callisto, become the Arctic

Bear. The apples were there of haughty

Atalanta, who was sovereign in racing;

And also the arms of that other proud one

Who brought forth Parthenopaeus,

Grandson to the Calydonian King Oeneus.

>>

Quivi molti archi a' Cori di Diana

Vide appiccati e rotti, in tra quali era

Quel di Callisto fatta tramontana

Orsa; le pome v'eran della fiera

Atalanta che 'n correr fu sovrana;

Ed ancor l'armi di quell' altra altiera

Che partorì il bel Partenopeo

Nipote al calidonio Re Eneo.

<<

'She saw there histories painted all about; P. F. 288.

Among which with finer work

Of the spouse of Ninus she there

Saw all the doings distinguished; and at foot of the mulberry-tree

Pyramus and Thisbe, and the mulberries already distained;

And she saw among these the great Hercules

In the lap of Iole, and woeful Biblis

Going piteous, soliciting Caunus.'

>>

Videvi storie per tutto dipinte,

In tra le qua' con più alto lavoro

Della sposa di Nino ivi distinte

L'opere tutte vide; e a piè del moro

Piramo e Tisbe, e già le gelse tinte:

E'l grand' Ercole vide tra costoro

In grembo a Jole, e Bibli dolorosa

Andar pregando Cauno pietosa.

_Tes._ vii. 63-66; cf. _P. F._ 260-280.

<<

'But, as she saw not Venus, it was told her P. F. 260.

(Nor knew she by whom)--"In secreter

Part of the temple stays she delighting.

If thou wantest her, through that door quietly

Enter." Wherefore she, without further demur,

Meek of manner as she was,

Approached thither to enter within,

And do the embassy to her committed.

>>

Ma non vedendo Vener, le fu detto,

Nè conobbe da cui: 'In più sagreta

Parte del tempio stassi ella a diletto:

Se tu la vuoi, per quella porta, cheta

Te n'entra': ond' essa, sanza altro rispetto,

In abito qual era mansueta,

Là si appressò per entrar dentro ad essa,

E l'ambasciata fare a lei commessa.

<<

'But there she, at her first coming, P. F. 261.

Found Riches guarding the portal--

Who seemed to her much to be reverenced:

And, being by her allowed to enter there,

The place was dark to her at first going.

But afterwards, by staying, a little light

She gained there; and saw her lying naked

On a great bed very fair to see.

>>

Ma essa lì nel primo suo venire

Trovò Richezza la porta guardare;

La qual le parve assai da riverire;

E lasciata da lei quiv'entro entrare,

Oscuro le fu il loco al primo gire;

Ma poca luce poscia nello stare

Lì prese, e vide lei nuda giacere

Sopra un gran letto assai bella a vedere.

<<

'But she had hair of gold, and shining P. F. 267.

Round her head without any tress.

Her face was such that most people

Have in comparison no beauty at all.

The arms, breast, and outstanding apples,

Were all seen; and every other part with a

Texture so thin was covered

That it shewed forth almost as [if] naked.

>>

Ma avie d'oro i crini e rilucenti

Intorno al capo sanza treccia alcuna:

Il suo viso era tal che le più genti

Hanno a rispetto bellezza nissuna:

Le braccia, il petto e le poma eminenti

Si vedien tutte, e ogni altra parte d'una

Testa tanto sottil si ricopria,

Che quasimente nuda comparia.

<<

'The neck was fragrant with full a thousand odours. P. F. 274.

At one of her sides Bacchus was seated,

At the other Ceres with her savours.

And she in her hands held the apple,

Delighting herself, which, to her sisters

Preferred, she won in the Idean vale.

And, having seen all this, she [the prayer] made her request,

Which was conceded without denial.'

>>

Olíva il collo ben di mille odori:

Dall' un de' lati Bacco le sedea,

Dall' altro Ceres cogli suoi savori:

Ed essa il pomo per le man tenea,

Sè dilettando, il quale alle sorori

Prelata vinse nella valle Idea:

E tutto ciò veduto posse il prego,

Il qual fu conceduto senza niego.

At l. 298 we are introduced to a queen, who in l. 303 is said to be the

noble goddess Nature. The general idea is taken from Aleyn's _Pleynt of

Kynde_ (l. 316), i. e. from the _Planctus Naturae_ of Alanus de Insulis;

see note to l. 298 of the poem. I here quote the most essential passage

from the Anglo-Latin Satirical Poets, ed. T. Wright, ii. 437. It describes

the garment worn by the goddess Nature, on which various birds were

represented. The phrase _animalium_ _concilium_ may have suggested the name

given by Chaucer to our poem. But see the remark on p. 75, l. 21.

'Haec autem [vestis] nimis subtilizata, subterfugiens oculorum

indaginem, ad tantam materiae tenuitatem advenerat, ut ejus aerisque

eandem crederes esse naturam, in qua, prout oculis pictura

imaginabatur, _animalium_ celebratur _concilium_. Illic _aquila_, primo

juvenem, secundo senem, induens, tertio iterum reciprocata priorem, in

Adonidem revertebatur a Nestore. Illic _ancipiter_ (_sic_), civitatis

praefectus aeriae, violenta tyrannide a subditis redditus exposcebat.

Illic _milvus_, venatoris induens personam, venatione furtiva larvam

gerebat ancipitris. Illic _falco_ in _ardeam_ bellum excitabat civile,

non tamen aequali lance divisum. Non enim illud pugnae debet

appellatione censeri, ubi tu pulsas, ego vapulo tantum. Illic

_struthio_, vita seculari postposita, vitam solitariam agens, quasi

heremita factus, desertarum solitudines incolebat. Illic _olor_, sui

funeris praeco, mellitae citherizationis organo vitae prophetabat

apocopam. Illic in _pavone_ tantum pulcritudinis compluit Natura

thesaurum, ut eam postea crederes mendicasse. Illic _phoenix_, in se

mortuus, redivivus in alio, quodam Naturae miraculo, se sua morte a

mortuis suscitabat. Illic _avis concordiae_ (_ciconia_) prolem

decimando Naturae persolvebat tributum. Illic _passeres_ in atomum

pygmeae humilitatis relegati degebant, _grus_ ex opposito in giganteae

quantitatis evadebat excessum.

'Illic _phasianus_, natalis insulae perpessus angustias, principum

futurus deliciae, nostros evolabat in orbes. Illic _gallus_, tanquam

vulgaris astrologus, suae vocis horologio horarum loquebatur

discrimina. Illic _gallus silvestris_, privatioris galli deridens

desidiam, peregre proficiscens, nemorales peragrabat provincias. Illic

_bubo_, propheta miseriae, psalmodias funereae lamentationis

praecinebat. Illic _noctua_ tantae deformitatis sterquilinio

sordescebat, ut in ejus formatione Naturam crederes fuisse somnolentam.

Illic _cornix_, ventura prognosticans, nugatorio concitabatur garritu.

Illic _pica_, dubio picturata colore, curam logices perennebat

insomnem. Illic _monedula_, latrocinio laudabili reculas thesaurizans,

innatae avaritiae argumenta monstrabat. Illic _columba_, dulci malo

inebriata Diones, laborabat Cypridis in palaestra. Illic _corvus_,

zelotypiae abhorrens dedecus, suos foetus non sua esse pignora

fatebatur, usque dum comperto nigri argumento coloris, hoc quasi secum

disputans comprobat. Illic _perdix_ nunc aeriae potestatis insultus,

nunc venatorum sophismata, nunc canum latratus propheticos abhorrebat.

Illic _anas_ cum _ansere_, sub eodem jure vivendi, hiemabat in patria

fluviali. Illic _turtur_, suo viduata consorte, amorem epilogare

dedignans, in altero bigamiae refutabat solatia. Illic _psittacus_ cum

sui gutturis incude vocis monetam fabricabat humanae. Illic

_coturnicem_, figurae draconis ignorantem fallaciam, imaginariae vocis

decipiebant sophismata. Illic _picus_, propriae architectus domunculae,

sui rostri dolabro clausulam fabricabat in ilice. Illic _curruca_,

novercam exuens, materno pietatis ubere alienam cuculi prolem adoptabat

in filium; quae tamen capitali praemiata stipendio, privignum

agnoscens, filium ignorabat. Illic _hirundo_, a sua peregrinatione

reversa, sub trabe nidi lutabat hospitium. Illic _philomena_,

deflorationis querelam reintegrans, harmoniaca tympanizans dulcedine,

puritatis dedecus excusabat. Illic _alauda_, quasi nobilis citharista,

non studii artificio, sed Naturae magisterio, musicae praedocta

scientiam, citharam praesentabat in ore.... Haec animalia, quamvis

illic quasi allegorice viverent, ibi tamen esse videbantur ad

litteram.'

As to the date of this poem, Ten Brink (_Studien_, p. 127) shews that it

must have been written later than 1373; and further, that it was probably

written earlier than Troilus, which seems to have been finished in 1383. It

may therefore have been written in 1382, in which case it may very well

refer to the betrothal (in 1381) of King Richard II to Queen Anne of

Bohemia. See, on this subject, Dr. Koch's discussion of the question in

Essays on Chaucer, p. 407, published by the Chaucer Society. Prof. Ward

(who follows Koch) in his Life of Chaucer, p. 86, says:--'Anne of Bohemia,

daughter of the great Emperor Charles IV., and sister of King Wenceslas,

had been successively betrothed to a Bavarian prince and to a Margrave of

Meissen, before--after negotiations which, according to Froissart, lasted a

year[261]--her hand was given to young King Richard II. of England. This

sufficiently explains the general scope of the _Assembly of Fowls_, an

allegorical poem written on or about St. Valentine's Day, 1381[262]--eleven

months or nearly a year after which date the marriage took place[263].'

I here note that Lydgate's _Flour of Curtesie_ is a palpable imitation of

the _Parliament of Foules_; so also is the earlier part of his _Complaint

of the Black Knight_.

On the other hand, it is interesting to find, in the Poésies de Marie de

France, ed. Roquefort, Paris, 1820, that Fable 22 (vol. i. p. 130) is

entitled:--'Li parlemens des Oiseax por faire Roi.' In this fable, the

Birds reject the Cuckoo, and choose the Eagle as king.

§ 23. VI. A COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY.

We may fairly say that this poem is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley, since

in MS. Harl. 78 it is copied out by him as if it were a continuation of the

Complaint to Pity, and the pages are, throughout, headed with the

words--'The Balade of Pytee. By Chauciers.' Stowe implies that he had seen

more than one MS. copy of this poem, and says that 'these verses were

compiled by Geffray Chauser,' for which he may have found authority in the

MSS.[264] Moreover, the internal evidence settles the matter. It is evident

that we have here a succession of metrical experiments, the last of which

exhibits a ten-line stanza resembling the nine-line stanza of his Anelida;

in fact, we here have that Complaint in a crude form, which was afterwards

elaborated; see the references, in the Notes, to the corresponding passages

in that poem. But a very great and unique interest is attached to lines 16

to 43. For here we have the _sole_ example, in English literature of that

period, of the use of _terza rima_, obviously copied from Dante; and

Chaucer was the only writer who then had a real acquaintance with that

author. I know of no other example of the use of this metre before the time

of Lord Surrey and Sir Thomas Wiat, when Englishmen once more sought

acquaintance with Italian poetry. Consequently, we have here the pleasure

of seeing how Chaucer handled Dante's metre; and the two fragments here

preserved shew that he might have handled it quite successfully if he had

persevered in doing so.

It is to be regretted that Shirley's spelling is so indifferent; he was

rather an amateur than a professional scribe. Some of his peculiarities may

be noticed, as they occur not only here, but also in the two last pieces,

nos. XXII. and XXIII. He constantly adds a final _e_ in the wrong place,

producing such forms _fallethe_, _howe_, _frome_, and the like, and drops

it where it is necessary, as in _hert_ (for _herte_). He is fond of _eo_

for _ee_ or long _e_, as in _beo_, _neodethe_. He writes _ellas_ for

_allas_; also _e_ in place of the prefix _y-_, as in _eknytte_ for

_y-knit_. This last peculiarity is extremely uncommon. I have removed the

odd effect which these vagaries produce, and I adopt the ordinary spelling

of MSS. that resemble in type the Ellesmere MS. of the Canterbury Tales.

This piece exhibits three distinct metres, viz. the 7-line stanza, terza

rima, and the 10-line stanza. Of the last, which is extremely rare, we have

here the earliest example. Lines 56 and 59 are lost, and some others are

imperfect.

§ 24. VII. ANELIDA AND ARCITE.

The genuineness of this poem is obvious enough, and is vouched for both by

Lydgate and Shirley, as shewn above. It is further discussed in the Notes.

I may add that Lydgate incidentally refers to it in his _Complaint of the

Black Knight_, l. 379:--'Of Thebes eke the false Arcite.' Much later

allusions are the following:--

'There was also Annelida the queene,

Upon Arcite how sore she did complaine';

_Assembly of Ladies_, l. 465.

...... 'and the weimenting

Of her Annelida, true as turtle-dove

To Arcite fals.'

_Court of Love_, l. 233.

The first three stanzas are from Boccaccio's _Teseide_, as shewn in the

Notes; so also are stanzas 8, 9, and 10. Stanzas 4-7 are partly from

Statius. The origin of ll. 71-210 is at present unknown. It is difficult to

date this poem, but it must be placed after 1373, because of its quotations

from the _Teseide_, or rather from Chaucer's own _Palamon and Arcite_. The

mention of 'the quene of Ermony' in l. 72 suggests that Chaucer's thoughts

may have been turned towards Armenia by the curious fact that, in 1384, the

King of Armenia came to England about Christmas time, stayed two months,

and was hospitably entertained by King Richard at Eltham; see Fabyan's

_Chronicles_, ed. Ellis, p. 532. At an earlier time, viz. in 1362,

Walsingham says that some knights of Armenia appeared at a tournament in

Smithfield. In the Transactions of the Cambridge Philological Society, May

13, 1886, there is a short paper by Prof. Cowell, from which we learn that

Mr. Bradshaw believed the name of _Anelida_ to be identical 'with Anáhita

([Greek: Anaitis]), the ancient goddess of Persia and Armenia.... He

supposed that Chaucer got the name _Anelida_ from a misreading of the name

_Anaetidem_ or _Anaetida_ in some Latin MS., the _t_ being mistaken for

_l_.' We must remember that _Creseide_ represents a Greek _accusative_ form

[Greek: Chrusêida], of which the gen. [Greek: Chrusêidos] occurs in Homer,

_Il._ i. 111; and perhaps the form _Dalida_ (for Dalilah) in the Septuagint

is also due to association with Greek accusatives in [Greek: -ida]. The

genitive _Anaetidos_ occurs in Pliny, xxxiii. 4; in Holland's translation

of Pliny, ii. 470, she appears as 'the goddesse _Diana_ syrnamed

_Anaitis_.' It may be as well to explain to those who are unaccustomed to

MSS. of the fourteenth century, that it was then usual to write _e_ in

place of _ae_ or _æ_, so that the name would usually be written, in the

accusative case, _Anetida_. This suggests that _Anelida_ should be spelt

with but one _n_; and such is the practice of all the better MSS.

It remains to be added that one source of the part of the poem called the

_Complaint_ (ll. 211-350) is the piece printed in this volume as no. VI.

That piece is, in fact, a kind of exercise in metrical experiments, and

exhibits specimens of a 10-line stanza, resembling the nine-line stanza of

this Complaint. Chaucer seems to have elaborated this into a longer

Complaint, with additional varieties in the metre; and then to have written

the preceding story by way of introduction. One line (vi. 50) is repeated

without alteration (vii. 237); another (vi. 35) is only altered in the

first and last words (vii. 222). Other resemblances are pointed out in the

Notes.

It is also worth while to notice how the character of the speaking falcon

in the second part of the Squire's Tale is precisely that of Anelida. The

parallel lines are pointed out in the Notes. The principal MSS. may be thus

grouped: Aa.--F. B. Ab.--Tn. D. Lt. B.--Harl. Cx. Here A and B are two

groups, of which the former is subdivided into A_a_ and A_b._ See Koch, in

_Anglia_, iv. b. 102.

§ 25. VIII. CHAUCER'S WORDES UNTO ADAM.

This is evidently a genuine poem, written by the author of the translation

of Boethius and of the story of Troilus.

§ 26. IX. THE FORMER AGE.

First printed in 1866, in Morris's Chaucer, from a transcript made by Mr.

Bradshaw, who pointed out its genuineness. It is ascribed to Chaucer in

both MSS., and belongs, in fact, to his translation of Boethius, though

probably written at a later date. In MS. I. the poem is headed:--'Chawc_er_

vp-on this fyfte met_ur_ of the second book.' In MS. Hh., the colophon is:

'Finit Etas prima: Chaucers.' Dr. Koch thinks that the five poems here

numbered IX. X. XIII-XV. 'form a cyclus, as it were, being free

transcriptions of different passages in Boethius' _Consolatio

Philosophiae_.' There is, in fact, a probability that these were all

written at about the same period, and that rather a late one, some years

after the prose translation of Boethius had been completed; and a probable

date for this completion is somewhere about 1380.

Both MS. copies are from the same source, as both of them omit the same

line, viz. l. 56; which I have had to supply by conjecture. Neither of the

MSS. are well spelt, nor are they very satisfactory. The mistake in riming

l. 47 with l. 43 instead of l. 45 may very well have been due to an

oversight on the part of the poet himself. But the poem is a beautiful one,

and admirably expressed; and its inclusion among the Minor Poems is a

considerable gain.

Dr. Furnivall has printed the Latin text of Boethius, lib. ii. met. 5, from

MS. I., as well as Chaucer's prose version of the same, for the sake of

comparison with the text of the poem. The likeness hardly extends beyond

the first four stanzas. I here transcribe that part of the prose version

which is parallel to the poem, omitting a few sentences which do not appear

there at all; for the complete text, see vol. ii.

'Blisful was the first age of men. They helden hem apayed with the metes

that the trewe feldes broughten furthe. They ne distroyede nor deceivede

not hem-self with outrage. They weren wont lightly to slaken hir hunger at

even with acornes of okes. [_Stanza 2._] They ne coude nat medly[265] the

yifte of Bachus to the clere hony; that is to seyn, they coude make no

piment nor clarree. [_Stanza 3._] ... they coude nat deyen whyte

fleeses[266] of Serien contree with the blode of a maner shelfisshe that

men finden in Tyrie, with whiche blode men deyen purpur. [_Stanza 6._] They

slepen hoolsum slepes upon the gras, and dronken of the renninge wateres

[_cf._ l. 8]; and layen under the shadwes of the heye pyn-trees. [_Stanza

3, continued._] Ne no gest ne no straungere ne carf yit the heye see with

ores or with shippes; ne they ne hadde seyn yit none newe strondes, to

leden marchaundyse in-to dyverse contrees. Tho weren the cruel clariouns

ful hust[267] and ful stille.... [_Stanza 4._] For wherto or whiche

woodnesse of enemys wolde first moeven armes, whan they seyen cruel

woundes, ne none medes[268] be of blood y-shad[269]?... Allas! what was he

that first dalf[270] up the gobetes[271] or the weightes of gold covered

under erthe, and the precious stones that wolden han ben hid? He dalf up

precious perils; ... for the preciousnesse of swiche thinge, hath many man

ben in peril.'

The metre is the same as that of the ABC.

§ 27. X. FORTUNE.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. A. and T.; also marked as

Chaucer's in MSS. F. and I. In MS. I., this poem and the preceding are

actually introduced into Chaucer's translation of Boethius, between the

fifth metre and the sixth prose of the second book, as has been already

said. The metre is the same as that of the ABC and The Former Age, but the

same rimes run through three stanzas. The Envoy forms a 7-line stanza, but

has only two rimes; the formula is _ababbab_. For further remarks, see the

Notes.

§ 28. XI. MERCILES BEAUTE.

The unique copy of this poem is in MS. P[272]. It is the last poem in the

MS., and is in excellent company, as it immediately follows several other

of Chaucer's genuine poems[273]. This is probably why Bp. Percy attributed

it to Chaucer, who himself tells us that he wrote 'balades, _roundels_,

virelayes.' It is significant that Mätzner, in his _Altenglische

Sprachproben_, i. 347, chose this poem alone as a specimen of the Minor

Poems. It is, in fact, most happily expressed, and the internal evidence

places its authenticity beyond question. The three roundels express three

'movements,' in the poet's usual manner; and his mastery of metre is shewn

in the use of the same rime in _-en-e_ in the first and third roundels,

requiring no less than _ten_ different words for the purpose; whilst in the

second roundel the corresponding lines end in _-eyn-e_, producing much the

same effect, if (as is probable) the old sounds of _e_ and _ey_ were not

very different. We at once recognise the Chaucerian phrases _I do no fors_

(see Cant. Ta. D 1234, 1512), and _I counte him not a bene_ (see Troil. v.

363).

Very characteristic is the use of the dissyllabic word _sen-e_ (l. 10),

which is an adjective, and means 'manifest,' from the A. S. _geséne_,

(_gesýne_), and not the past participle, which is _y-seen_. Chaucer rimes

it with _clen-e_ (Prol. to C. T. 134), and with _gren-e_ (Kn. Tale, A

2298). The phrase _though he sterve for the peyne_ (l. 23) reminds us of

_for to dyen in the peyne_ (Kn. Ta. A 1133).

But the most curious thing about this poem is the incidental testimony of

Lydgate, in his Ballade in Commendacion of our Ladie; see poem no. 26

above, discussed at p. 38. I here quote st. 22 in full, from ed. 1561, fol.

330:

'Where might I loue euer better beset

Then in this Lilie, likyng to beholde?

That lace of loue, the bonde so well thou knit,

That I maie see thee, or myne harte colde,

And or I passe out of my daies olde,

Tofore [thee] syngyng euermore vtterly--

_Your iyen twoo woll slea me sodainly_.'

I ought to add that this poem is the only one which I have admitted into

the set of Minor Poems (nos. I-XX) with incomplete external evidence. If it

is not Chaucer's, it is by some one who contrived to surpass him in his own

style. And this is sufficient excuse for its appearance here.

Moreover, Lydgate's testimony _is_ external evidence, in a high degree.

Even the allusion in l. 27 to the Roman de la Rose points in the same

direction; and so does Chaucer's statement that he wrote roundels.

Excepting that in the Parl. of Foules, ll. 680-692, and the three here

given, no roundels of his have ever been found[274].

§ 29. XII. TO ROSEMOUNDE.

This poem was discovered by me in the Bodleian Library on the 2nd of April,

1891. It is written on a fly-leaf at the end of MS. Rawlinson Poet. 163,

which also contains a copy of Chaucer's Troilus. At the end of the

'Troilus' is the colophon: 'Here endith the book of Troylus and of

Cresseyde.' This colophon is preceded by 'Tregentyll,' and followed by

'Chaucer.' On the next leaf (no. 114) is the Balade, without any title, at

the foot of which is 'Tregentil'----'Chaucer,' the two names being written

at a considerable distance apart. I believe 'Tregentil' to represent the

name of the scribe[275]. In any case, 'Chaucer' represents the name of the

author. It is a happy specimen of his humour.

§ 30. XIII. TRUTH.

This famous poem is attributed to Chaucer in MS. F., also (thrice) by

Shirley, who in one of the copies in MS. T. (in which it occurs _twice_)

calls it a 'Balade that Chaucier made on his deeth-bedde'; which is

probably a mere bad guess[276]. The MSS. may be divided into two groups;

the four best are in the first group, viz. At., E., Gg., Ct., and the rest

(mostly) in the second group. Those of the first group have the readings

_Tempest_ (8), _Know thy contree_ (19), and _Hold the hye wey_ (20); whilst

the rest have, in the same places, _Peyne_ (8), _Look up on hy_ (19), and

_Weyve thy lust_ (20). It is remarkable that the Envoy occurs in MS. At.

_only_. It may have been suppressed owing to a misunderstanding of the word

_vache_ (cow), the true sense of which is a little obscure. The reference

is to Boethius, bk. v. met. 5, where it is explained that quadrupeds _look

down_ upon the earth, whilst man alone _looks up_ towards heaven; cf. _lok

up_ in l. 19 of the poem. The sense is therefore, that we should cease to

look down, and learn to look up like true men; 'only the linage of man,'

says Chaucer, in his translation of Boethius, 'heveth heyeste his heye

heved[277] ... this figure amonesteth[278] thee, that axest the hevene with

thy righte visage, and hast areysed thy fore-heved to beren up a-heigh thy

corage, so that thy thoght ne be nat y-hevied[279] ne put lowe under fote.'

§ 31. XIV. GENTILESSE.

It is curious that this Balade not only occurs as an independent poem, as

in MSS. T., Harl., Ct., and others, but is also quoted bodily in a poem by

Henry Scogan in MS. A. It is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. T.

and Harl.; and still more satisfactory is the account given of it by

Scogan. The title of Scogan's poem is:--'A moral balade made by Henry

Scogan squyer. Here folowethe nexst a moral balade to my lorde the Prince,

to my lord of Clarence, to my lord of Bedford, and to my lorde of

Gloucestre; by Henry Scogan, at a souper of feorthe merchande (_sic_) in

the vyntre in London, at the hous of Lowys Iohan.' It is printed in all the

old editions of Chaucer; see poem no. 33, p. 32. Scogan tells us that he

was 'fader,' i. e. tutor, to the four sons of Henry IV.

above-mentioned[280]. His ballad is in twenty-one 8-line stanzas, and he

inserts Chaucer's _Gentilesse_, distinguished by being in 7-line stanzas,

between the 13th and 14th stanzas of his own work. He refers to Chaucer in

the 9th stanza thus (in MS. A.):--

'My maistre Chaucier, God his soule have,

That in his langage was so curyous,

He saide that the fader, nowe dede and grave,

Beqwathe no-thing his vertue with his hous

Un-to his sone.'

This is a reference to ll. 16, 17 of Chaucer's poem. Again, in his 13th

stanza, he says:--

'By auncetrye thus may yee no-thing clayme,

As that my maistre Chaucier dothe expresse,

But temporell thing, that man may hurte and mayme;

Thane is gode stocke of vertuous noblesse;

And, sithe that he is lord of blessednesse

That made us alle, and for mankynde that dyed,

Folowe his vertue with full besynesse;

And of this thinge herke howe my maistre seyde.'

He here refers to lines 15-17, and lines 1-4 of Chaucer's poem; and then

proceeds to quote it in full. Having done so, he adds:--

'Loo, here this noble poete of Brettayne

Howe hyely he, in vertuouse sentence,

The losse [MS. lesse] in youthe of vertue can compleyne.'

Scogan's advice is all good; and, though he accuses himself of having

misspent his youth, this may very well mean no more than such an expression

means in the mouth of a good man. He is doubtless the very person to whom

Chaucer's 'Lenvoy a Scogan' was addressed, and Chaucer (l. 21) there gives

him an excellent character for wisdom of speech. Accordingly, he is not to

be confused with the Thomas Scogan or Scogin to whom is attributed an idle

book called 'Scoggins Iests,' which were said to have been 'gathered' by

Andrew Boord or Borde, author of the Introduction of Knowledge[281]. When

Shakespeare, in 2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 33, says that Sir John Falstaff broke

Scogan's head, he was no doubt thinking of the supposed author of the

jest-book, and may have been led, by observation of the name in a

black-letter edition of Chaucer, to suppose that he lived in the time of

Henry IV. This was quite enough for his purpose, though it is probable that

the jester lived in the time of Edward IV.; see Tyrwhitt's note on the

Envoy to Scogan. On the other hand, we find Ben Jonson taking his ideas

about Scogan solely from Henry Scogan's poem and Chaucer's Envoy, without

any reference to the jester. See his Masque of the Fortunate Isles, in

which Scogan is first described and afterwards introduced. The description

tells us nothing more than we know already.

As for Lewis John (p. 82), Tyrwhitt says he was a Welshman, 'who was

naturalised by Act of Parliament, 2 Hen. V., and who was concerned with

Thomas Chaucer in the execution of the office of chief butler; _Rot. Parl._

2 Hen. V. n. 18.'

Caxton's printed edition of this poem seems to follow a better source than

any of the MSS.

§ 32. XV. LAK OF STEDFASTNESSE.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. Harl. and T., and sent to King

Richard at Windsor, according to the same authority. The general idea of it

is from Boethius; see the Notes. Shirley refers it to the last years of

Richard II., say 1397-9. We find something very like it in Piers Plowman,

C. iv. 203-210, where Richard is told that bribery and wicked connivance at

extortion have almost brought it about--

'That no lond loveth the, and yut leest thyn owene.'

In any case, the date can hardly vary between wider limits than between

1393 and 1399. Richard held a tournament at Windsor in 1399[282], which was

but thinly attended; 'the greater part of the knights and squires of

England were disgusted with the king.'

Of this poem, MS. Ct. seems to give the best text.

§ 33. XVI. LENVOY A SCOGAN.

This piece is attributed to Chaucer in all three MSS., viz. F., P., and

Gg.; and is obviously genuine. The probable date of it is towards the end

of 1393; see the Notes.

For some account of Scogan, see above (p. 83).

§ 34. XVII. LENVOY A BUKTON.

This piece is certainly genuine. In MS. F., the title is--'Lenvoy de

Chaucer a Bukton.' In Julian Notary's edition it is--'Here foloweth the

counceyll of Chaucer touching Maryag, &c. whiche was sente te (_sic_)

Bucketon, &c.' In all the other early printed editions it is inserted

_without any title_ immediately after the Book of the Duchess.

The poem is one of Chaucer's latest productions, and may safely be dated

about the end of the year 1396. This appears from the reference, in l. 23,

to the great misfortune it would be to any Englishmen 'to be take in

Fryse,' i. e. to be taken prisoner in Friesland. There is but one occasion

on which this reference could have had any point, viz. during or just after

the expedition of William of Hainault to Friesland, as narrated by

Froissart in his Chronicles, bk. iv. capp. 78, 79. He tells that William of

Hainault applied to Richard II. for assistance, who sent him 'some

men-at-arms and two hundred archers, under the command of three English

lords[283].' The expedition set out in August, 1396, and stayed in

Friesland about five weeks, till the beginning of October, when 'the

weather began to be very cold and to rain almost daily.' The great danger

of being taken prisoner in Friesland was because the Frieslanders fought so

desperately that they were seldom taken prisoners themselves. Then 'the

Frieslanders offered their prisoners in exchange, man for man; but, when

their enemies had none to give in return, they put them to death.' Besides

this, the prisoners had to endure all the miseries of a bad and cold

season, in an inclement climate. Hence the propriety of Chaucer's allusion

fully appears. From l. 8, we learn that Chaucer was now a widower; for the

word _eft_ means 'again.' His wife is presumed to have died in the latter

part of 1387. We should also observe the allusion to the Wife of Bath's

Tale in l. 29.

§ 35. XVIII. THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.

This poem is usually printed as if it formed part of the Complaint of Mars;

but it is really distinct. It is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley both in

MS. T. and in MS. A. It is not original, but translated from the French, as

appears from l. 82. Shirley tells us that the author of the French poem was

Sir Otes de Graunson, a worthy knight of Savoy. He is mentioned as

receiving from King Richard the grant of an annuity of 126l. 13s. 4d. on 17

Nov. 1393; see Furnivall's _Trial Forewords_, p. 123. The association of

this poem with the Complaint of Mars renders it probable that the Venus of

this poem is the same as the Venus of the other, i. e. the Princess Isabel

of Spain, and Duchess of York. This fits well with the word _Princess_ at

the beginning of the Envoy; and as she died in 1394, whilst Chaucer, on the

other hand, complains of his advancing years, we must date the poem about

1393, i. e. just about the time when Graunson received his annuity.

Chaucer, if born about 1340, was not really more than 53, but we must

remember that, in those days, men often aged quickly. John of Gaunt, who is

represented by Shakespeare as a very old man, only lived to the age of 59;

and the Black Prince died quite worn out, at the age of 46. Compare the

notes to ll. 73, 76, 79, and 82.

Much new light has lately been thrown upon this poem by Dr. A. Piaget, who

contributed an article to _Romania_, tome xix., on 'Oton de Granson et ses

Poésies,' in 1890. The author succeeded in discovering a large number of

Granson's poems, including, to our great gain, the three Balades of which

Chaucer's 'Compleynt of Venus' is a translation. I am thus enabled to give

the original French beneath the English version, for the sake of

comparison.

He has also given us an interesting account of Granson himself, for which I

must refer my readers to his article. It appears that Froissart mentions

Granson at least four times (twice in bk. i. c. 303, A.D. 1372, once in c.

305, and once in c. 331, A.D. 1379), as fighting on the side of the

English; see Johnes' translation. He was in Savoy from 1389 to 1391; but,

in the latter year, was accused of being concerned in the death of Amadeus

VII., count of Savoy, in consequence of which he returned to England, and

in 1393 his estates in Savoy were confiscated. It was on this occasion that

Richard II. assigned to him the pension above mentioned. With the hope of

clearing himself from the serious charge laid against him, Granson fought a

judicial duel, at Bourg-en-Bresse, on Aug. 7, 1397, in which, however, he

was slain.

Now that we have the original before us, we can see clearly, as Dr. Piaget

says, that Chaucer has certainly not translated the original Balades 'word

for word' throughout. He does so sometimes, as in ll. 27, 28, 30, 31, in

which the closeness of the translation is marvellous; but, usually, he

paraphrases the original to a considerable extent. In the first Balade, he

has even altered the general motive; in the original, Granson sings the

praises of his lady; in Chaucer, it is a lady who praises the worthiness of

her lover.

It also becomes probable that the title 'The Compleynt of Venus,' which

seems to have been suggested by Shirley, is by no means a fitting one. It

is not suitable for Venus, unless the 'Venus' be a mortal; neither is it a

continuous 'Compleynt,' being simply a linking together of three separate

and distinct Balades.

It is clear to me that, when Chaucer added his Envoy, he made the

difficulties of following the original 'word by word' and of preserving the

original metre his excuse; and that what really troubled him was the

difficulty of adapting the French, especially Balade I., so as to be

acceptable to the 'Princess' who enjoined him to translate these Balades.

In particular, he evidently aimed at giving them a sort of connection, so

that one should follow the other naturally; which accounts for the changes

in the first of them. It is significant, perhaps, that the allusion to

'youth' (F. _jeunesce_) in l. 70 is entirely dropped.

On the whole, I think we may still accept the theory that this poem was

written at the request (practically, the command) of Isabel, duchess of

York, the probable 'Venus' of the 'Compleynt of Mars.' Chaucer seems to

have thrown the three Balades together, linking them so as to express a

lady's constancy in love, and choosing such language as he deemed would be

most acceptable to the princess. He then ingeniously, and not without some

humour, protests that any apparent alterations are due to his own dulness

and the difficulties of translating 'word for word,' and of preserving the

rimes.

In l. 31, the F. text shews us that we must read _Pleyne_, not _Pleye_ (as

in the MSS.). This was pointed out by Mr. Paget Toynbee.

§ 36. XIX. THE COMPLEINT TO HIS PURSE.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley, in MS. Harl. 7333; by Caxton; by the

scribes of MSS. F., P., and Ff.; and by early editors. I do not know on

what grounds Speght removed Chaucer's name, and substituted that of T.

Occleve; there seems to be no authority for this change. I think it highly

probable that the poem itself is older than the Envoy; see note to l. 17.

In any case, the Envoy is almost certainly Chaucer's latest extant

composition.

§ 37. XX. PROVERBS.

Attributed to Chaucer in MSS. F. and Ha.; see further in the Notes. From

the nature of the case, we cannot assign any probable date to this

composition. Yet it was, perhaps, written after, rather than before, the

Tale of Melibeus.

§ 38. XXI. AGAINST WOMEN UNCONSTAUNT.

For the genuineness of this Balade, we have chiefly the internal evidence

to trust to; but this seems to me to be sufficiently strong. The Balade is

perfect in construction, having but three rimes (_-esse_, _-ace_, _-ene_),

and a refrain. The 'mood' of it strongly resembles that of Lak of

Stedfastnesse; the lines run with perfect smoothness, and the rimes are all

Chaucerian. It is difficult to suppose that Lydgate, or even Hoccleve, who

was a better metrician, could have produced so good an imitation of

Chaucer's style. But we are not without strong external evidence; for the

general idea of the poem, and what is more important, the whole of the

refrain, are taken from Chaucer's favourite author Machault (ed. Tarbé, p.

56); whose refrain is--'En lieu de bleu, Damë, vous vestez vert.' Again,

the poem is only found in company with other poems by Chaucer. Such

collocation frequently means nothing, but those who actually consult[284]

MSS. Ct. and Ha. will see how close is its association with the Chaucerian

poems in those MSS. I have said that it occurs in MSS. F., Ct., and Ha. Now

in MS. Ct. we find, on the back of fol. 188 and on fol. 189, just four

poems in the same hand. These are (1) Gentilesse; (2) Lak of Stedfastnesse;

(3) Truth; and (4) Against Women Unconstaunt. As three of these are

admittedly genuine, there is evidence that the fourth is the same. We may

also notice that, in this MS., the poems on Lak of Stedfastnesse and

Against Women Unconstaunt are not far apart. On searching MS. Ha. (Harl.

7578), I again found three of these poems in company, viz. (1) Gentilesse;

(2) Lak of Stedfastnesse; and (3) Against Women Unconstaunt; the last

being, in my view, precisely in its right place. (This copy of the poem was

unknown to me in 1887.)

§ 39. XXII. AN AMOROUS COMPLAINT.

Whilst searching through the various MSS. containing Minor Poems by Chaucer

in the British Museum, my attention was arrested by this piece, which, as

far as I know, has never before been printed. It is in Shirley's

handwriting, but he does not claim it for Chaucer. However, the internal

evidence seems to me irresistible; the melody is Chaucer's, and his

peculiar touches appear in it over and over again. There is, moreover, in

the last stanza, a direct reference to the Parliament of Foules[285].

I cannot explain the oracular notice of time in the heading; even if we

alter _May_ to _day_, it contradicts l. 85, which mentions 'seint

Valentines day.' The heading is--'And next folowyng begynnith an amerowse

compleynte made at wyndesore in the laste May tofore Nouembre' (_sic_). The

date is inexplicable[286]; but the mention of locality is interesting.

Chaucer became a 'valet of the king's chamber' in 1367, and must frequently

have been at Windsor, where the institution of the Order of the Garter was

annually celebrated on St. George's Day (April 23). Some of the

parallelisms in expression between the present poem and other passages in

Chaucer's Works are pointed out in the Notes.

This Complaint should be compared with the complaint uttered by Dorigen in

the Cant. Tales, F. 1311-1325, which is little else than the same thing in

a compressed form. There is also much resemblance to the 'complaints' in

Troilus; see the references in the Notes.

Since first printing the text in 1888, I found that it is precisely the

same poem as one extant in MSS. F. and B., with the title 'Complaynt

Damours.' I had noticed the latter some time previously, and had made a

note that it ought to be closely examined; but unfortunately I forgot to do

so, or I should have seen at once that it had strong claims to being

considered genuine. These claims are considerably strengthened by the fact

of the appearance of the poem in these two Chaucerian MSS., the former of

which contains no less than _sixteen_, and the latter _seven_ of the Minor

Poems, besides the Legend and the Hous of Fame.

In reprinting the text in the present volume, I take occasion to give all

the more important results of a collation of the text with these MSS. In

most places, their readings are inferior to those in the text; but in other

places they suggest corrections.

In MS. F. the fourth stanza is mutilated; the latter half of lines 24-28 is

missing.

In B., below the word _Explicit_, another and later hand has scrawled 'be

me Humfrey Flemy_ng_.' 'Be me' merely means--'this signature is mine.' It

is a mere scribble, and does not necessarily relate to the poem at all.

The readings of F. and B. do not help us much; for the text in Harl., on

the whole, is better.

It is not at all improbable that a better copy of this poem may yet be

found.

§ 40. XXIII. BALADE OF COMPLEYNT.

This poem, which has not been printed before, as far as I am aware, occurs

in Shirley's MS. Addit. 16165, at fol. 256, back. It is merely headed

'Balade of compleynte,' without any note of its being Chaucer's. But I had

not read more than four lines of it before I at once recognised the

well-known melodious flow which Chaucer's imitators (except sometimes

Hoccleve) so seldom succeed in reproducing. And when I had only finished

reading the first stanza, I decided at once to copy it out, not doubting

that it would fulfil all the usual tests of metre, rime, and language;

which it certainly does. It is far more correct in wording than the

preceding poem, and does not require that we should either omit or supply a

single word. But in l. 20 the last word should surely be _dere_ rather than

_here_; and the last word in l. 11 is indistinct. I read it as _reewe_

afterwards altered to _newe_; and _newe_ makes very good sense. I may

notice that Shirley's _n_'s are very peculiar: the first upstroke is very

long, commencing below the line; and this peculiarity renders the reading

tolerably certain. Some lines resemble lines in no. VI., as is pointed out

in the Notes. Altogether, it is a beautiful poem, and its recovery is a

clear gain.

§ 41. CONCLUDING REMARKS.

I regret that this Introduction has run to so great a length; but it was

incumbent on me to shew reasons for the rejection or acceptance of the very

large number of pieces which have hitherto been included in editions of

Chaucer's Works. I have now only to add that I have, of course, been

greatly indebted to the works of others; so much so indeed that I can

hardly particularise them. I must, however, mention very gratefully the

names of Dr. Furnivall, Professor Ten Brink, Dr. Koch, Dr. Willert, Max

Lange, Rambeau, and various contributors to the publications of the Chaucer

Society; and though I have consulted for myself such books as Le Roman de

la Rose, the Teseide, the Thebaid of Statius, the poems of Machault, and a

great many more, and have inserted in the Notes a large number of

references which I discovered, or re-discovered, for myself, I beg leave

distinctly to disclaim any merit, not doubting that most of what I have

said may very likely have been said by others, and said better. Want of

leisure renders it impossible for me to give to others their due meed of

recognition in many instances; for I have often found it less troublesome

to consult original authorities for myself than to hunt up what others have

said relative to the passage under consideration.

I have relegated Poems no. XXI., XXII., and XXIII. to an Appendix, because

they are not expressly attributed to Chaucer in the MSS. Such evidence has

its value, but it is possible to make too much of it; and I agree with Dr.

Koch, that, despite the MSS., the genuineness of no XX. is doubtful; for

the rime of _compas_ with _embrace_ is suspicious. It is constantly the

case that poems, well known to be Chaucer's, are not marked as his in the

MS. copies; and we must really depend upon a prolonged and intelligent

study of the internal evidence. This is why I admit poems nos. XXI-XXIII

into the collection; and I hope it will be conceded that I am free from

recklessness in this matter. Certainly my methods differ from those of John

Stowe, and I believe them to be more worthy of respect.

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