_Proem._
So thirleth with the poynt of remembraunce,
The swerd of sorowe, y-whet with fals plesaunce,
Myn herte, bare of blis and blak of hewe,
That turned is in quaking al my daunce,
My suretee in a-whaped countenaunce; 215
Sith hit availeth not for to ben trewe;
For who-so trewest is, hit shal hir rewe,
That serveth love and doth hir observaunce
Alwey to oon, and chaungeth for no newe.
(_Strophe._)
1. I wot my-self as wel as any wight; 220
For I loved oon with al my herte and might
More then my-self, an hundred thousand sythe,
And called him my hertes lyf, my knight,
And was al his, as fer as hit was right;
And whan that he was glad, than was I blythe, 225
And his disese was my deeth as swythe;
And he ayein his trouthe me had plight
For ever-more, his lady me to kythe.
2. Now is he fals, alas! and causeles,
And of my wo he is so routheles, 230
That with a worde him list not ones deyne
To bring ayein my sorowful herte in pees,
For he is caught up in a-nother lees.
Right as him list, he laugheth at my peyne,
And I ne can myn herte not restreyne, 235
That I ne love him alwey, never-the-les;
And of al this I not to whom me pleyne.
3. And shal I pleyne--alas! the harde stounde--
Un-to my foo that yaf my herte a wounde,
And yet desyreth that myn harm be more? 240
Nay, certes! ferther wol I never founde
Non other help, my sores for to sounde.
My desteny hath shapen it ful yore;
I wil non other medecyne ne lore;
I wil ben ay ther I was ones bounde, 245
That I have seid, be seid for ever-more!
4. Alas! wher is become your gentilesse!
Your wordes ful of plesaunce and humblesse?
Your observaunces in so low manere,
And your awayting and your besinesse 250
Upon me, that ye calden your maistresse,
Your sovereyn lady in this worlde here?
Alas! and is ther nother word ne chere
Ye vouchesauf upon myn hevinesse?
Alas! your love, I bye hit al to dere. 255
5. Now certes, swete, thogh that ye
Thus causeles the cause be
Of my dedly adversitee,
Your manly reson oghte it to respyte
To slee your frend, and namely me, 260
That never yet in no degree
Offended yow, as wisly he,
That al wot, out of wo my soule quyte!
¶ But for I shewed yow, Arcite,
Al that men wolde to me wryte, 265
And was so besy, yow to delyte--
My honour save--meke, kinde, and free,
Therfor ye putte on me the wyte,
And of me recche not a myte,
Thogh that the swerd of sorow byte 270
My woful herte through your crueltee.
6. My swete foo, why do ye so, for shame?
And thenke ye that furthered be your name,
To love a newe, and been untrewe? nay!
And putte yow in sclaunder now and blame, 275
And do to me adversitee and grame,
That love yow most, god, wel thou wost! alway?
Yet turn ayeyn, and be al pleyn som day,
And than shal this that now is mis be game,
And al for-yive, whyl that I live may. 280
(_Antistrophe._)
1. Lo! herte myn, al this is for to seyne,
As whether shal I preye or elles pleyne?
Whiche is the wey to doon yow to be trewe?
For either mot I have yow in my cheyne,
Or with the dethe ye mot departe us tweyne; 285
Ther ben non other mene weyes newe;
For god so wisly on my soule rewe,
As verily ye sleen me with the peyne;
That may ye see unfeyned of myn hewe.
2. For thus ferforth have I my deth [y]-soght, 290
My-self I mordre with my prevy thoght;
For sorow and routhe of your unkindenesse
I wepe, I wake, I faste; al helpeth noght;
I weyve Ioy that is to speke of oght,
I voyde companye, I flee gladnesse; 295
Who may avaunte hir bet of hevinesse
Then I? and to this plyte have ye me broght,
Withoute gilt; me nedeth no witnesse.
3. And sholde I preye, and weyve womanhede?
Nay! rather deth then do so foul a dede, 300
And axe mercy gilteles! what nede?
And if I pleyne what lyf that I lede,
Yow rekketh not; that know I, out of drede;
And if I unto yow myn othes bede
For myn excuse, a scorn shal be my mede; 305
Your chere floureth, but hit wol not sede;
Ful longe agoon I oghte have take hede.
4. For thogh I hadde yow to-morow ageyn,
I might as wel holde Averill fro reyn,
As holde yow, to make yow stedfast. 310
Almighty god, of trouthe sovereyn,
Wher is the trouthe of man? who hath hit sleyn?
Who that hem loveth shal hem fynde as fast
As in a tempest is a roten mast.
Is that a tame best that is ay feyn 315
To renne away, when he is leest agast?
5. Now mercy, swete, if I misseye,
Have I seyd oght amis, I preye?
I not; my wit is al aweye.
I fare as doth the song of _Chaunte-pleure_. 320
For now I pleyne, and now I pleye,
I am so mased that I deye,
Arcite hath born awey the keye
Of al my worlde, and my good aventure!
¶ For in this worlde nis creature 325
Wakinge, in more discomfiture
Then I, ne more sorow endure;
And if I slepe a furlong wey or tweye,
Than thinketh me, that your figure
Before me stant, clad in asure, 330
To profren eft a newe assure
For to be trewe, and mercy me to preye.
6. The longe night this wonder sight I drye,
And on the day for this afray I dye,
And of al this right noght, y-wis, ye recche. 335
Ne never mo myn yën two be drye,
And to your routhe and to your trouthe I crye.
But welawey! to fer be they to fecche;
Thus holdeth me my destinee a wrecche.
But me to rede out of this drede or gye 340
Ne may my wit, so weyk is hit, not strecche.
_Conclusion._
Than ende I thus, sith I may do no more,
I yeve hit up for now and ever-more;
For I shal never eft putten in balaunce
My sekernes, ne lerne of love the lore. 345
But as the swan, I have herd seyd ful yore,
Ayeins his deth shal singe in his penaunce,
So singe I here my destiny or chaunce,
How that Arcite Anelida so sore
Hath thirled with the poynt of remembraunce! 350
_The story continued._
Whan that Anelida this woful quene
Hath of hir hande writen in this wyse,
With face deed, betwixe pale and grene,
She fel a-swowe; and sith she gan to ryse,
And unto Mars avoweth sacrifyse 355
With-in the temple, with a sorowful chere,
That shapen was as ye shal after here. 357
(_Unfinished._)
_The chief authorities are_: Harl. (Harl. 7333); F. (Fairfax 16); Tn.
(Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181); Cx.(Caxton's edition); B. (Bodley 638); Lt.
(Longleat MS.). Th. = Thynne's ed. 1532. _I follow_ F. _mainly, correcting
the spelling; and give_ selected _variations._ _Title from_ F.; B. _has_
boke _for_ compleynt.
1. Tn. ferse; F. fers. 3. Harl. D. Cx. temple; _rest_ temples. 6. F. songe.
F. contynew; D. contynue. F. guye; Tn. gye. 7. F. I to the; Harl. Tn. D. to
the I. 9. Cx. for tendyte; Harl. for to endite; _rest_ to endyte. 11. F.
Analida; Cx. Anelida; Tn. D. Annelida. 12. Harl. that; Cx. that (_for_
which); _rest om._ 15. F. eke. Harl. Polymea; _rest_ Polymya, Polymia; Th.
Polymnia. 16. Harl. Cx. with; _rest_ hath (!). Harl. Cx. sustren. 17. F. B.
Cx. Cirrea; D. Cirea; Tn. Circa (_wrongly_).
20. Tn. ship; F. shippe. _After_ l. 21, 3 Latin lines are quoted from
Statius (see note). 23. F. folke. Cx. Cithye. 24. Harl. D. Cx. Lt. With; F.
The (_caught from_ l. 23). D. crowned; F. corovned. 25. _All_ Home. Tn.
ycome; F. he come. 27. Cx. cryeden; _but rest_ cryden, criden. Harl. unto;
_rest_ to. Tn. wente; F. went. 28. Tn. entente; F. entent. 29. F. Harl.
Beforne; Cx. Biforn; Tn. D. B. Lt. Before. Harl. duk; F. duke. Harl.
_inserts_ hie (= hy); Addit. 16165 _has_ his; _the rest wrongly omit_;
_accent_ o _in_ victórie. 31. Cx. tokening. Harl. and tokenyng of his
glorie. 32. F. sene; Harl. seen. 33. Tn. many; F. mony (_5 times_). 35. on]
Harl. Cx. and. 36. Tn. Ypolita. F. wife. 37. Harl. D. Cithea. D. hadde; Lt.
hade; _rest_ had. 39. F. chare. D. ladde; Lt. lade; _rest_ lad. 40. Harl.
ground; F. grounde. D. spradde; _rest_ sprad. 41. Harl. Cx. the; _rest
omit_. 42. F. Fulfilled; al.
43. D. Cx. Lt. crowned; _rest_ corouned. 44. F. yevyng; Tn. gifeynge. 45.
F. B. Let; _rest_ Lete. 46. F. ryding; Tn. ridinge. 47. F. bring; Tn.
brynge. 48. D. slye (_rightly_); Tn. sly; F. sley. 50. F. thro. Harl. Tn.
D. furious; F. furiouse. 51. Harl. Tn. wrath; F. wrethe. 52. F. hertis. 53.
F. B. Tn. _insert_ and _after_ Grece; _which_ D. Lt. Harl. Cx. _omit_.
Harl. yche othir for to kylle (_a good reading_). Cf. l. 56. F. eueriche.
55. D. among; F. amonge. D. bothe; F. both (_but_ wrothe _in_ l. 56). 56.
F. eueriche. 58. Harl. Parthonopee; Cx. Parthonope; D. Partonope; Tn.
Partinope; F. B. Prothonolope(!). 59. Harl. Tn. dede; F. ded. _I supply_
was, _which sense and metre require_; Cx. _supplies_ and. F. proude. 60.
_So_ F. Tn. B. Lt.; Harl. D. Cx. _put_ wrechid (wrecchid) _for_ wrecches.
61. Cx. hom; _rest_ home. 62. F. stode. 66. F. helde. 70. F. folke.
72. Tn. dwellynge; F. duellyng. 73. F. sunne; Harl. Tn. D. Cx. sonne. 74.
D. Through; F. Thorogh. Tn. sprynge; F. spring. 75. Tn. likynge; F. likyng.
77. Harl. Tn. D. Cx. the; F. thes. 78. twenty _is written_ xxti _in the_
MSS. D. olde; Cx. olde; Lt. of olde; Harl. eld; _rest_ of elde. 79. Tn.
mydell_e_; F. mydil. F. suche. 80. F. Ioy. 81. D. stedfastnesse; F.
stidfastnesse. 82. F. B. both; _rest_ hath. Harl. Th. penelope; F. _and
others_ penolope. 84. Harl. ne; _rest om._ Tn. myghte; F. myght. 85. _I
supply_ Arcite; _line too short._ F. seyne. 86. Harl. yong; F. yonge. Harl.
there with all_e_ (_so_ D. Cx. Lt.); _rest_ therto with al. 87. F. pleyne.
88. Harl. any; F. eny. 89. D. Lt. Cx. wan; F. whan (!). 90. F. ferforthe.
F. can; _rest_ gan. 91. Th. Tn. Harl. trusteth; _rest_ trusted; _read_
trust. D. any; F. eny. 93. F. eny throw. 94. F. thoght; hert. 95. F. bare.
96. F. hert.
101. Harl. Tn. D.B. swore (_for_ swoor); Cx. sware; F. sworne. 105. Tn.
thenketh; F. thinketh. 106. F. fonde; suche. 107. F. B. _wrongly insert_
both _before_ moche; _rest omit_. F. B. and; _rest_ or. 109. Harl. Cx.
that; _rest omit_. 110. F. wiche; myght. 111. Tn. yeuen; F. yevin. 112. F.
dyd her hert an ese; Harl. Cx. _omit_ hert an; _others vary_. 114, 118. D.
any; F. eny. 116. Tn. D. B. fulle; _rest_ ful. 119. (_See_ 126.) Harl. Cx.
heste; _rest_ herte, hert. 120. F. eke. Tn. Ielous; F. Ielouse. D. Cx. here
(_for the rime_); F. her. 121. Harl. any; F. eny. F. seyde. 123. F. worde.
Harl. Tn. apayde; F. apaied; D. B. apaid. 124. F. wend. Cx. brayd; Tn.
breyde; F. breyed. 125. Harl. Cx. this nas; _rest_ was. D. sleight; Cx.
sleyght; F. sleght. 126. Harl. Withouten; F. With out; (_and so in_ 119).
127. F. toke. F. B. as; _rest_ so. 128. Harl. Tn. wille; F. wil. F. thoght.
Koch _proposes to omit_ hit. 129. _All ins._ she _after_ lenger; _it is not
wanted_. 131. F. ringe. 132. Harl. Cx. So; _rest_ For so. Harl. Tn.
entente; F. entent. 133. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 135.
F. toke; kepe. 136. Harl. Cx. that; _rest omit_. Harl. D. Cx. reste; F.
rest. 137. Tn. thoghte; F. thoght. Harl. Tn. Cx. alwey; F. ay. F. slepe.
138. F. wepe. 139. Cx. fayr; F. feire. 141. D. newfangilnesse; Tn.
newfangulnes; F. new fanglesse 143. F. Toke. D. sted-; F. stid-. 144. F.
proude. 145. Harl. D. cladde; F. clad. 146. F. whethir. 148. F. lesse
grete. 149. Harl. Cx. _omit_ the, _which_ F. _and others insert after_ is.
152. Harl. Tn. firste; F. first. 154. F. founde.
156. Harl. Tn. D. couer; Cx. couere; F. coueren. 157. F. Tn. pleyn. 159,
161. _All_ swore. 160. Harl. Tn. mente; F. ment. 161. D. Cx. theef; F.
thefe. Harl. Tn. wente; F. went. 162. Tn. herte; F. hert. Cx. enduren;
_rest_ endure. 167. F. feir. 169. Cx. swowneth; D. sownyth; F. swoneth.
170. Harl. Tn. D. grounde; F. ground. F. dede; ston. 171. Harl. Al; _rest
om._ Cx. Crampissheth; Lt. Crampuissheth; Tn. Crampicheth; F. cravmpysshe.
172. F. agon. 174. Harl. Noon; Cx. None; _the rest insert_ Ne _before_
Noon. _For_ she speketh, _all the_ MSS. _have_ speketh she. 175. F. mercie;
hert. 178. F. B. for; _rest_ forth. 179. Tn. D. nothir; F. nouther. 180. F.
wher; _rest_ where. 182. Harl. nought; Cx. not (_for_ never). Harl. D. Cx.
whether; _but_ wher _is short for_ whether. Cf. Compt. unto Pite, 110; _see
note_.
183. _All but_ Harl. Cx. Th. _insert_ up _before_ so; _see next line_. 184.
F. bridil. 185. F. worde. B. D. Lt. dredith; F. Tn. dred hit; Harl. Cx.
drad; _read_ dradde hit. 187. Tn. Cx. liste; Harl. lyste; F. lust. 190.
Harl. Cx. vnnethe; F. vnneth. F. list. 191. _All_ un-to; _read_ to. 192.
Cx. proud; F. proude. Harl. Cx. held; F. helde. 193. Harl. withouten; F.
with out. Harl. Cx. mete; _rest_ fee. F. B. Lt. shippe; D. ship_e_; Cx.
sype; Harl. shepe (!); Tn. shep (!). 195. D. yaf; F. yafe. 196. Harl. owne;
F. ovne. 197. Harl Tn. D. thrifty; F. thrifte. 198. B. here; F. her (i. e.
_here_); Tn. D. here of; Cx. Lt. hede of. 199. Tn. Cx. liste (_pt. t._); F.
list. Harl. Cx. dere herte; F. her der hert. 200. _All_ meke. 201. _All_
kynde (kinde). F. hert. 203. Harl. Cx. he (_twice_); F. _and others wrongly
have_ they _the 2nd time_. 205. F. Tn. be; _rest_ by. 206. F. sawe. 208.
Harl. Tn. caste; F. cast. 209. Harl. owne; F. ovne. 210. Th. sente; D. Cx.
sende; _rest_ sent. F. B. _omit_ hit; _rest retain_.
211. Harl. thirllethe; Cx. thirleth; F. B. thirled (!). 212. B. swerd; F.
suerde. F. y-whet; B. I-whet; _rest_ whet. 213. Tn. herte; F. hert. Harl.
Tn. D. blak; F. blake. 214. Harl. Cx. in. _rest_ to; _see_ 215. 215. Tn. B.
Lt. surete; F. suerte. F. B. in to; _rest_ in. D. Cx. a whaped; Harl. a
whaaped; F. a waped. 216. Harl. for; _rest om._ 217. Harl. trewest; F.
truest. Harl. hir; Cx. her; F. _and others_ him (_but see_ l. 218). 218. F.
dothe. 220. Harl. any; F. eny. 221. F. hert. 223. F. B. cleped; _rest_
called. F. hertis life. 227. Harl. D. Cx. B. plight; F. I-plyght. 229. _So_
Tn. Harl. Cx. D; F. B. Alas now hath he left me causeles. 232. Tn. herte,
pees; F. hert, pes. 233. B. caught; F. caght. Tn. D. Cx. lees; F. les.
234. F. B. me (!); _rest_ him. 235. F. hert. 238. F. pleyn. Harl. Tn.
harde; F. hard. 239. F. yafe; hert. 240. F. harme. 241. F. certis. _All_ be
founde; _but_ be _is copied in from the line above; see_ l. 47. 242. F.
helpe. 243. Tn. desteny; F. destany. F. B. _om._ ful. 246. F. seide
(_twice_.) 252. F. souereigne. 253. _I supply_ and _from_ Cx.; Harl. _has_
And is there nowe neyther. 254. Lt. vouchesauf; Cx. vouchen sauf; F.
vouchesafe. 256. F. certis. 257. F. B. causer (_for_ caus-e); _rest_ cause.
258. F. dedely. 259. F. oght. 260. Harl. Lt. slee; Tn. D. Cx. sle; F.
slene. F. frende. 263. Harl. wot; F. wote.
264, 265. Harl. Cx. But for I was so pleyne, Arcyte, In all_e_ my werkes,
much and lyte; _and omit_ was _in_ l. 266. 267. F. honor. Tn. saue; F. D.
safe; Harl. Cx. sauf. 268. F. put. 269. Harl. Tn. recche; F. rek. 270. F.
B. _om._ that. F. suerde. 271. Tn. herte; F. hert. F. thro. 272. F. suete.
274. Harl. Tn. vntrewe; F. vntrew. 275. Harl. putte; F. put. 278. Tn. D.
Ff. Lt. turne; _rest_ come. 279. Tn. Harl. Cx. D. Lt. And then shall this
that now is mis ben (be); F. B. And turne al this that hath be mys to. 280.
F. foryeve; Tn. foryife; Harl. 372, foryiue (_rightly_). 281. F. hert.
Harl. seyne (_gerund_); F. seyn. 282. F. wheder; prey; pleyn. 284, 5, 8. F.
cheyn, tweyn, peyn. 287. D. Cx. on; Harl. of; F. Tn. B. vpon. 288. D.
verily; F. verrely.
290. Harl. Cx. _omit this stanza_. F. dethe (_wrongly_); _rest_ deth. _All_
soght, sought; _read_ y-soght. 291. D. B. mordre; F. mo_ur_dre. 292. F.
vnkyndnesse. 293. Tn. D. faste; F. fast. 296. F. avaunt. Tn. B. Lt. bet; F.
bet_er_. 298. Tn. Lt. With oute; F. With out. 299. _Some of the_ final
rimes _in this stanza are_ forced _ones_. F. B. shal; _rest_ sholde
(shulde). F. prey. 300. F. dethe; Harl. Cx. dye. F. foule. 301. F. mercie.
Tn. gilteles; F. giltles. 302. Harl. pleyne; F. pleyn. F. lyfe. Harl. Cx.
_ins._ that; F. _and others omit_. 304. Tn. D. unto; F. to. 305. F. skorne.
306. F. B. _om._ hit. 307. F. _and others insert_ to _before_ have; Tn. D.
Lt. Cx. _omit_. 308. D. hadde; F. had. 309. F. Apprile; Harl. Aueryll. 310.
F. B. yow be; _rest om._ be. F. stidfast. 311. F. souereigne. 312. F.
slayn. 313. Tn. D. Lt. She; Harl. Sheo; _rest_ Who. F. B. _insert_ she
_before_ shal. 314. F. _om. 1st_ a. 315. Is] F. this (!) 316. Harl. fleen;
Cx. fle (_for_ renne). F. lest.
317. Harl. Cx. But; _rest_ Now. F. mercie. F. myssey (_omitting_ e _in_-eye
_throughout, wrongly_); Harl. myssaye, &c. 318. _So_ F. B.; _rest_ Have I
ought seyd out of the weye. F. seyde. 319. Harl. Cx. half (_for_ al). 320.
F. dothe; songe. F. chaunt plure; Harl. Chaunte pleure. 321. F. pleyn. 323.
F. borne. 325. Harl. Cx. nys; F. B. D. ther is no; Tn. ther nis no (_too
many syllables_). 328. F. furlonge. F. B. other (_for_ or); _rest_ or. 329.
F. thenketh; Tn. thynketh. 330. Tn. stant; F. stont. 331. Harl. Cx. To
profren efte; D. Tn. Lt. Efte to profre; F. B. To suere yet. Tn. D. Cx. Lt.
assure; F. asure. 332. F. trew; mercie. Harl. and love me til I dye; Cx.
and love me til he deye. 334. F. B. this; D. Tn. suche; Harl. Cx. thilke.
335. F. reche; Tn. D. recche; _and so with_ feche, &c. 339. F. destany; Tn.
destyne (_for the rime_). 341. F. weyke. 343. Harl. D. Cx. yeve; F. yf; Tn.
gife.
344. F. efte. Tn. Cx. putten; F. put. 347. Tn. deth; F. dethe. Tn. D. Lt.
Ff. _insert_ in; _rest om._ 348. Harl. Tn. destenye; D. destynye; F.
destany. 349. F. Analida. F. B. to; _rest_ so. 351. _This stanza only
occurs in_ Tn. D. Lt. Ff. Th.; _I follow_ Tn. _mainly_. Tn. Annelida;
wofull. 352. Tn. Lt. Ff. of; D. with. 353. D. Th. deed; _rest_ dede. D.
betwixe; Th. betwyxe; Ff. bitwixte; Tn. Lt. betwix. 354. Tn. felle; Th.
fel. Ff. a swowe; Tn. a swow. 355. Lt. Th. avoweth; D. avowith; Tn. avoyth.
356. Tn. With-Inne; _rest_ With-in. Tn. sorofulle. 357. Tn. shapyn; aftyr.
shal after] Lt. Th. may plainly.
* * * * *