To ſchew the thus the god of loue me ſent,
That of thi ſ{er}uice no thing is content,
[Sidenote: “The God of Love is discontent with thee.]
For in his court yhoue lewith i{n} diſſpar,
And vilfully suſtenis al thi care, 88
And ſchapith no thinge of thine awn remede,
Bot clepith ay and cryith apone dede.
Yhow callith the bird{is} be morow fro thar bour{is},
Yhoue devith boith the erbis and the flour{is}, 92
And clepit hyme vnfaithful king of lowe,
Yow dewith hyme in to h{is} rigne abufe,
Yhow tempith hyme, yhoue doith thi ſelf no gud,
Yhoue are o moñ of wit al deſtitude. 96
[Sidenote: You are destitute of wit.]
Wot yhoue no{ch}t that al liwis creatwre
Haith of thi wo i{n} to h{is} hand the cwre?
[Sidenote: Though you call on trees, your lady hears not.]
And ſet yhoue clep one erbis and one treis,
Sche her{is} not thi wo, nore ȝhit ſche ſeis; 100
For none may know the dirkneß of thi tho{ch}t,
Ne blamyth h{er} thi wo ſche knowith no{ch}t.
And It is weil accordinge It be so
He ſuffir harme, that to redreß h{is} wo 104
Previdith not; for long ore he be ſonde,
Holl of his leich, that ſchewith not h{is} vound.
[Sidenote: Ovid says it is better to shew, than to conceal love.]
And of owid ye autor ſchall yhow knaw
Of lufe that ſeith, for to conſel or ſchow, 108
The laſt he clepith althir-beſt of two;
And that is ſuth, and ſal be eu{er} mo.
And loue alſo haith chargit me to ſay, 111
Set yhoue preſume, ore beleif, ye aſſay [Fol. 2b.]
Of his ſ{er}uice, as It wil ryne ore go,
Preſwme It not, fore It wil not be so;
Al magre thine a ſ{er}uand ſchal yow bee.
[Sidenote: As touching thine adversity, seek the remedy.”]
And as tueching thine adu{er}ſytee, 116
Complen and sek of the ramed, the cwre,
Ore, gif yhow likith, furth thi wo endure.”
And, as me tho{ch}t, I anſuerde aȝaiñe
[Sidenote: Then answered I:]
Thus to the byrde, in word{is} ſchort and plane: 120
“It ganyth not, as I have harde Recorde,
The ſ{er}uand for to diſput w{i}t{h} ye lord;
[Sidenote: “Love knows the reason of my wo.”]
Bot well he knowith of al my vo the quhy,
And in quhat wyß he hath me ſet, quhar I 124
Nore may I not, nore can I not attane,
Nore to hir hienes dare I not complane.”
[Sidenote: “Fool,” said the bird, “despair not;]
“Ful!” q{uo}d the bird, “lat be thi nyß diſpare,
For in this erith no lady is ſo fare, 128
So hie eſtat, nore of ſo gret empriß,
That in hire ſelf haith viſdome ore gentrice,
Yf that o wicht, that worthy is to be
Of lovis court, ſchew til hir that he 132
Seruith hire in lovis hartly wyß,
That ſchall thar for hyme hating or diſpiß.
[Headnote: SHE BIDS HIM WRITE A POEM.]
[Sidenote: the God of Love charges thee to speak out your love, or
else to write thy plaint;]
The god of love thus chargit the, at ſchort,
That to thi lady yhoue thi wo Report; 136
Yf yhoue may not, thi plant ſchall yhov vrit.
Se, as yhoue cane, be man{er} oft endit
In metir, quhich that no ma{n} haith ſuſſpek,
Set oft tyme thai contenyng gret effecc; 140
Thus one ſume wyß yhow ſchal thi wo dwclar.
And, for thir ſedulis and thir billis are
So gen{er}all, and ek ſo ſchort at lyte,
And ſwme of thai{m} is loſt the appetit, 144
[Sidenote: write, then, some treatise for her to read;]
Sum trety ſchall yhoue for yi lady ſak,
That wnkouth is, als tak one hand and mak,
Of love, ore armys, or of ſu{m} othir thing,
That may hir one to thi Reme{m}bry{n}g brynge; 148
Qwich ſoundith Not one to no hewynes, [Fol. 3.]
Bot one to gladneß and to luſteneß,
[Sidenote: one that may please her and get her thanks.]
That yhoue belevis may thi lady pleß,
To have hir thonk and be one to hir eß; 152
That ſche may wit in ſ{er}uice yhow art one.
[Sidenote: Farewell, and be merry.”]
Faire weil,” q{uo}d ſche, “thus ſchal yhow the diſpone,
And mak thi ſelf als mery as yhoue may,
It helpith not thus fore to wex al way.” 156
W{i}t{h} that, the bird ſche haith hir leif tak,
[Sidenote: Thereon I awoke, and wondered what it might mean.]
For fere of quich I can onone to wak;
Sche was ago, and to my ſelf tho{ch}t I
Quhat may yis meyne? quhat may this ſig{n}ify? 160
Is It of troucht, or of Illuſioune?
[Headnote: HE RESOLVES TO DO SO.]
Bot finaly, as in concluſioune,
Be as be may, I ſchal me not discharge,
Sen It apperith be of lovis charg; 164
And ek myne hart noñe othir biſſynes
Haith bot my ladice ſ{er}uice, as I geß;
[Sidenote: I determined to take in hand this occupation.]
Among al vther{is} I ſchal one honde tak
This litil occupatioune for hire ſak. 168
Bot hyme I pray, the my{ch}ty gode of loue,
That ſitith hie in to his ſpir abuf,
(At {com}mand of o wyß quhois viſioune
My goſt haith takin this opvnioune,) 172
That my lawboure may to my lady pleß
And do wnto hir ladeſchip ſu{m} eß,
So that my t{ra}uell be no{ch}t tynt, and I
Quhat vther{is} ſay ſetith nothing by. 176
[Sidenote: I know it will but hurt my name, when men hear my feeble
negligence.]
For wel I know that, be this world{is} fam̅e.
It ſchal not be bot hurting to my nam̅e,
Quhen that thai here my febil negligens,
That empit is, and bare of eloquens, 180
Of diſcreſſiou{n}e, and ek of Retoryk;
The metire and the cu{n}ing both elyk
So fere diſcording frome p{er}fecciou{n}e;
[Sidenote: I submit my poem to the correction of the wise;]
Q{uhil}k I ſubmyt to the correcciou{n}e 184
Of yai{m} the quhich that is diſcret {and} wyß,
And ent{er}it is of loue in the ſ{er}uice;
Quhich knouyth that no lovare dare w{i}t{h}ſtonde, [Fol. 3b.]
Quhat loue hyme chargit he mot tak one honde, 188
Deith, or defam̅, or ony man{er} wo;
And at this tyme w{i}t{h} me It ſtant ry{ch}t ſo,
[Sidenote: for I dare not oppose Love’s command.]
As I that dar makine no demande
To quhat I wot It lykith loue co{m}mande. 192
Tueching his charg{is}, as w{i}t{h} al deſtitut,
W{i}t{h}in my mynd ſchortly I conclud
For to fulfyll, for ned I mot do ſo.
[Headnote: HE THINKS OF THE STORY OF LANCELOT.]
[Sidenote: At last I thought of the story of “Lancelot of the
Lake,”]
Thane in my tho{ch}t rolling to and fro 196
Quhare that I my{hc}t ſu{m} wnkouth mat{er} fynde,
Quhill at ye laſt it fell in to my mynd
Of o ſtory, that I befor had ſene,
That boith of loue and armys can conteñ, 200
Was of o kny{ch}t clepit lancelot of ye laik,
The ſone of bane was, king of albanak;
Of quhois fame {and} worſchipful dedis
Clerk{is} in to diu{er}ß buk{is} red{is}, 204
[Sidenote: of whom I here think to write something.]
Of quhome I thynk her ſu{m} thing for to writ
At louis charge, and as I cane, endit;
Set me{n} tharin ſal by exp{er}iens
Know my conſait, and al my negligens. 208
[Sidenote: But because my ignorance cannot comprehend the French
romance,]
Bot for that ſtory is ſo paſing larg,
One to my wit It war ſo gret o charg
For to tranſlait the romans of that kny{ch}t;
It paſſith fare my cu{n}yng and my mycht, 212
Myne Ignorans may It not comp{re}hende;
[Headnote: HE BRIEFLY ENUMERATES / LANCELOT’S EARLY DEEDS.]
[Sidenote: I shall not tell how he was born;]
Quharfor thare one I wil me not depend
How he was borne, nor how his fad{er} deid
And ek his mod{er}, nore how he was denyed 216
Eft{er} thare deth, p{re}ſumyng he was ded,
[Sidenote: nor how he was nourished by the Lady of the Lake;]
Of al ye lond, nore how he fra that ſtede
In sacret wyß wnwyſt away was tak,
And nwriſt w{i}t{h} ye lady of ye lak. 220
[Sidenote: nor how he was brought to Arthur’s court,]
Nor, in his ȝouth, think I not to tell
The aue{n}tour{is}, quhich to hyme befell;
Nor how the lady of the laik hyme had
One to the court, quhare that he kny{ch}t was mad; 224
None wiſt his nome, nore how that he was tak [Fol. 4.]
By loue, and was Iwondit to the ſtak,
[Sidenote: and pierced to the heart by the beauty of Wanore
(Guinevere),]
And throuch {and} throuch perſit to ye hart,
That al his tyme he cout{h} It not aſtart; 228
For thare of loue he ent{er}it in ſ{er}uice,
Of wanore throuch the beute and franchis,
[Sidenote: for whose service he wrought many wonders;]
Throuch quhois ſ{er}uice in armys he has vro{ch}t
Mony wond{er}is, and p{er}ell{is} he has socht. 232
Nor how he thor, in to his ȝoung curage,
[Sidenote: nor how he made a vow to revenge a wounded knight,]
Hath maid awoue, and in to louis rage,
In the rewenging of o wondit kny{ch}t
That cu{m}yne was in to the court that ny{ch}t; 236
[Sidenote: who had a broken sword in his head, and a truncheon of
a broken spear in his body;]
In to his hed a brokin[T4] ſuerd had he,
And in his body alſo my{ch}t me{n} see
The tronſione of o brokine ſper that was,
Quhich no ma{n} out dedenyt to aras; 240
Nor how he haith the wapnis out tak,
And his awow apone this wis can mak,
That he ſchuld hyme Reweng at h{is} poware
One eu{er}y kny{ch}t that louith the hurtare 244
Bett{er} thane hyme, the quhich that vas Iwond.
Throw quich awoue in armys hath ben founde
[Sidenote: a vow which caused the death of many a wight warrior;]
The deth of mo{n}y wereoure ful wicht;[T5]
[Footnote T4: MS. “abrokin.”]
[Footnote T5: The MS. wrongly transposes ll. 247 and 248.]
For, fro tho wow was knowing of the kny{ch}t, 248
Thare was ful mony o paſage in the londe
By me{n} of armys kepit to withſtond
This kny{ch}t, of quhome thai ben al set afyre
Thai{m} to reweng in armys of deſir. 252
[Sidenote: or how he and Sir Kay were sent to defend the lady of
Nohalt;]
Nor how that thane in{con}tyne{n}t was ſend
He and ſ{ir} kay togidd{er} to defend
The lady of nohalt, nor how that hee
Gou{er}nit hyme thare, nore in quhat degre. 256
Nor how the gret paſing vaſſolag
He eſcheuit, thrōue the outragouß curag,
[Sidenote: or how he conquered the Sorrowful Castle;]
In conquiryng of the sorowful caſtell.
Nor how he paſſith dou{n}e in the cauis fell, 260
And furth ye keys of Inchantme{n}t bro{ch}t,
That al diſtroyt quhich that thare vas vro{ch}t.
[Sidenote: or how he rescued Sir Gawane and his nine fellows;]
Nore howe that he reſkewit ſ{ir} gawane, [Fol. 4b.]
W{i}t{h} h{is} ix falouß in to preſone tane; 264
Nore mony vthere diu{er}ß aduenture,
Quhich to report I tak not in my cwre,
[Sidenote: nor of the many “assemblies” Gawane held to find out
his name;]
Nor mony aſſemblay that gawane gart be maid
To wit h{is} name; nor how that he hyme hade 268
Wnwiſt, and hath the worſchip {and} empriß;
Nor of the kny{ch}t{is} in to mony[T6] diu{er}ß wyß
Throuch his awoue that hath thare dethis found;
[Footnote T6: We should perhaps omit “mony.”]
[Sidenote: nor of his suffering caused by love’s wound;]
Nor of the ſufferans that by louis wounde 272
He in his trawel ſufferith au{er} more;
Nor in the quenis p{rese}ns how tharfor
[Sidenote: nor how he was nearly drowned at Camelot;]
By camelot, in to that gret Revare,
He was ner dround. I wil It not declare 276
How that he was in louis hewy tho{ch}t
[Sidenote: nor how he was brought to court by Dagenet;]
By dagenet in to the court I-bro{ch}t;
Nor how the kny{ch}t that tyme he cane p{er}ſew,
[Sidenote: nor of the giants he slew at Camelot;]
Nor of the gyant{is} by camelot he ſlew; 280
Nor wil I not her tell the man{er} how
He ſlew o kny{ch}t, by nat{ur} of his wow,
[Sidenote: nor how he slew a knight of Melyholt;]
Off melyholt; nore how in to that toune
Thar came one hyme o gret confuſione 284
Of pupil {and} [of] kny{ch}t{is}, al enarmyt,
[Sidenote: and there defended himself against a crowd;]
Nor how he thar haith kepit hyme wnharmyt;
Nor of his worſchip, nor of h{is} gret prowes,
Nor his defens of armys in the pres. 288
[Sidenote: whereupon the lady of Melyhalt prayed him to yield his
sword to her; and kept him in her power.]
Nor how the lady of melyhalt y{a}t ſche
Came to the feild, and pray[i]th hyme that he
As to o lady to hir[T7] his ſuerd hath ȝold,
Nor how he was in to hir keping hold; 292
[Footnote T7: MS. “his.”]
And mony vthir nobil deid alſo
I wil report quharfor I lat ourgo.
[Sidenote: Whoever likes, might make of these things a long story.]
For quho thai{m} lykith for to ſpecyfy,
Of one of thai{m} my{ch}t mak o gret ſtory; 296
Nor thing I not of his hye renōwn
My febil wit to makin menſioune;
[Sidenote: But I think to tell of the wars between Arthur and
Galiot;]
Bot of the wer{is} that was ſcharp {and} ſtrong,
Richt p{er}ellouß, and hath enduryt long, 300
Of Arthur In defending of his lond [Fol. 5.]
Frome galiot, ſone of the fair gyonde,
That bro{ch}t of kny{ch}t{is} o paſing confluens;
[Sidenote: wherein Lancelot won renown by his defence of Arthur;]
And how lancelot of arthur{is} hol defens 304
And of the ver{is} berith the renowñ;
And how he be the wais of fortou{n}e
[Sidenote: and at last made peace between the two princes.]
Tuex the two princ{is} makith the accorde,
Of al there mortall wer{is} to concorde; 308
[Sidenote: I shall also tell how Venus rewarded him.]
And how that venus, ſiting hie abuf,
Reuardith hyme of trauell in to loue,
And makith hyme his ladice grace to have,
And thankfully his ſ{er}uice cane reſave; 312
This is the mat{er} quhich I think to tell.
Bot ſtil he mot ry{ch}t w{i}t{h} the lady duell,
Quhill tyme cu{m} eft that we ſchal of hy{m} ſpek.
[Sidenote: My summary must end for the present.]
This p{ro}ceß [now] mot cloſine beñ and ſtek; 316
And furth I wil one to my mat{er} go.
[Headnote: THE DEDICATION.]
[Sidenote: But I pray for the support of a very great poet,]
Bot first I pray, and I beſek also,
One to the moſt conpilour to ſupport,
Flour of poyet{is}, quhois nome I wil report 320
To me nor to noñ vthir It accordit,
[Sidenote: whose name I may not mention;]
In to our rymyng his nam̅ to be recordit;
For ſum ſuld deme It of preſumpſioune,
[Sidenote: for our riming is but derision, when his excellence is
remembered.]
And ek our rymyng is al bot deryſioune, 324
Quhen that reme{m}brit is his excellens,
So hie abuf that ſtant in reu{er}ans.
Ye freſch enditing of h{is} laiting toung
[Sidenote: The world knows his eloquence in inditing Latin;]
Out throuch yis world ſo wid is yroung, 328
Of eloquens, and ek of retoryk;
Nor is, nor was, nore neu{er} beith hyme lyk,
[Sidenote: and none can ever gladden the world like him:]
This world gladith of h{is} ſuet poetry.
His ſaul I blyß conſeruyt be for-thy; 332
[Sidenote: to him be the thanks for my success.]
And yf that ony lusty terme I wryt
He haith the thonk y{er}of, {and} this endit.
EXPLICIT P{RO}LOG{US}, ET INCIPIT P{RI}M{US} LIBER.
[Headnote: ARTHUR AT CARLISLE.]
[BOOK I.]
[Sidenote: When Titan, being in Aries, had apparelled the fields,]
++Quhen [that] tytan, withe his lusty heit, [Fol. 5b.]
Twenty dais In to the aryeit 336
Haith maid his courß, and all with diu{er}ß hewis
Aparalit haith the feldis and the bewis;
[Sidenote: and birds began to make their bowers;]
The bird{is} amyd the erbis {and} the flour{is},
And one the branchis, makyne gone thar bour{is}, 340
And be the morow ſinging in ther chere
Welcum to the luſty ſeſſone of the ȝere.
In to this tyme the worthi conqueroure
[Sidenote: king Arthur was at Carlisle.]
Arthure, wich had of al this worlde the floure 344
Of cheuelry auerding to his crown,
So paſing war his kny{ch}t{is} in renoune,
Was at carlill; and hapy{n}nit ſo that hee
Soiornyt well long in that faire cuntree. 348
[Sidenote: His knights, hearing of no adventure, were annoyed.]
In to whilk tyme In to the court thai heire
None awenture, for wich the knyght{is} weire
Anoit all at the abiding thare.
For-why, beholding one the ſobir ayre 352
And of the tyme the paſing luſtynes,
Can ſo thir knyghtly hart{is} to encreß,
[Sidenote: They therefore sent Sir Kay to pray the king to go to
Camelot.]
That thei ſhir kay one to the king haith ſende,
Beſeiching hyme he wold wichſaif to wende 356
To camelot the Cetee, whare that thei
Ware wont to heryng of armys day be day.
The king forſuth, heryng thare entent,
To thare deſir, be ſchort awyſment, 360
[Sidenote: The king proposed to do so on the morrow.]
Ygrantid haith; and ſo the king p{ro}ponit
And for to pas hyme one[T8] the morne diſponit.
[Footnote T8: MS. “to pas one hyme one,” with first “one”
lightly crossed out.]
[Headnote: ARTHUR’S TWO DREAMS.]
Bot ſo befell hyme [on] that nycht to meit
An aperans, the wich one to his ſpreit 364
[Sidenote: That night he dreamt that his hair all fell off;]
It ſemyth that of al his hed ye hore
Of fallith and maid deſolat; wharfore
The king therof was pensyve in his mynd,
That al the day he couth no reſting fynde, 368
[Sidenote: which made him delay his journey.]
Wich makith hyme his Iorneye to delaye.
And ſo befell apone the thrid day,
The bricht ſone, paſing in the weſt,
Haith maid his courß, and al thing goith to Reſt; 372
[Sidenote: Again he dreamt, that his bowels fell out, and lay beside
him.]
The king, ſo as the ſtory can dewyß,
He thoght aȝeine, apone the ſamyne wyß,
His vombe out fallith vith his hoil syde [Fol. 6.]
Apone the ground, {and} liging hyme beſid; 376
Throw wich anon out of his ſlep he ſtert,
Abaſit and adred in to his hart.
[Sidenote: He told the queen, who answered, “No man should respect
vain dreams.”]
The wich be morow one to the qwen he told,
And ſhe aȝeine to hyme haith anſuer ȝolde; 380
“To dremys, ſ{ir}, ſhuld no man have Reſpek,
For thei ben thing{is} weyn, of non affek.”
“Well,” q{uo}d the king, “god grant It ſo befall!”
[Headnote: HE SENDS FOR HIS CLERKS.]
[Sidenote: The king next shewed his dream to a clerk,]
Arly he roß, and gert one to hyme call 384
O clerk, to whome that al his hewynes
Tweching his drem ſhewith he expreß,
[Sidenote: who said, “Sir, such things testify nothing.”]
Wich anſuer yaf and ſeith one to the kinge;
“Shir, no Record lyith to ſuch thing; 388
Wharfor now, ſhir, I praye yow tak no kep,
Nore traiſt in to the vanyteis of slep;
For thei are thing{is} that aſkith no credens,
But cauſith of ſum maner influe{n}s, 392
Empriß of thoght, ore ſup{er}fleuytee,
Or than ſum othir caſualytee.”
[Sidenote: “Yet,” replied he, “I shall not leave it so.”]
“Ȝit,” q{uo}d the king, “I ſal no{ch}t leif It so;”
And furth he chargit meſinger{is} to go 396
Throgh al his Realm, w{i}t{h}outen more demande,
[Sidenote: He bade all the bishops and clergy come to Camelot
within twenty days.]
And bad them ſtratly at thei ſhulde comande
All the biſhopes, and makyng no delay
The ſhuld appere be the tuenty day 400
At camelot, with al thar hol clergy
That moſt expert war, for to certefye
A mat{er} tueching to his goſt be nyght;
The meſag goith furth with the l{ett}res Right. 404
++The king eft ſone, w{i}t{h}in a litill ſpace,
His Iornay makith haith frome place to place,
[Sidenote: He goes to Camelot, and finds the clerks assembled.]
Whill that he cam to camelot; and there
The clerk{is} all, as that the chargit were, 408
Aſſemblit war, and came to his preſens,
Of his deſir to viting the ſentens.
To them that war to hyme moſt ſpeciall
Furth his entent ſhauyth he al hall; 412
[Sidenote: He discloses all to the ten that are most expert,]
By whois conſeil, of the worthieſt
He cheſith ten, yclepit for the beſt,
And moſt expert and wiſeſt was ſuppoſit, 415
To qwhome his drem all hail he haith diſcloſſit; [Fol. 6b.]
The houre, the nyght, and al the c{er}cumſtans;
[Sidenote: and beseeches them to explain the dreams.]
Beſichyne them that the ſignifycans
Thei wald hyme ſhaw, that he my{ch}t reſting fynde
Of It, the wich that occupeid his mynde. 420
[Sidenote: One of them asks for nine days to advise upon the
matter.]
And one of them with[T9] al ther holl aſſent
Saith, “ſhire, fore to declare our entent
Vpone this matere, ye wil ws delay
Fore to awyſing one to the ix day.” 424
The king ther-to grantith haith, bot hee
[Sidenote: The king complies, but shuts them up in a strong place.]
In to o place, that ſtrong was and hye,
He cloſith them, whare thei may no whare get,
Vn to the day, the wich he to them set. 428
Than goith the clerk{is} ſadly to awyß
Of this mat{er}, to ſeing in what wyß
The king{is} drem thei ſhal beſt ſpecefy.
[Sidenote: The masters of astronomy fetch their books,]
And than the maiſtris of aſtronomy 432
The book{is} longyne to ther artis set;[T10]
Not was the buk{is} of arachell forget,
Of nembrot, of danȝhelome, thei two,
Of moyſes, {and} of herynes all soo; 436
[Sidenote: and calculate the disposition of the planets.]
And ſeking be ther calcolaciou{n}e
To fynd the planet{is} diſpoſiciou{n}e,
The wich thei fond ware wond{er} ewill yſet
The ſamyne nyght the king his ſweuen met. 440
[Footnote T9: MS. “saith with” (with a very slight scratch
through “saith”).]
[Footnote T10: So in MS. Read “fet.”]
[Headnote: THEY REFUSE TO EXPLAIN THEM.]
So ner the point ſocht thei have the thing,
[Sidenote: They found the matter heavy for the king, and doubted if
they should tell him so.]
Thei fond It wond{er} hewy to the king,
Of wich thing thei waryng in to were
To ſhew the king, for dreid of his danger. 444
Of ane accorde thei planly haue p{ro}ponit
No worde to ſhow, and ſo thei them diſponit.
[Sidenote: Being sent for,]
The day is cu{m}yng, and he haith fore them ſent,
Beſichyne them to ſhewing ther entent. 448
[Sidenote: they all spake, “Sir, we can find no evidence.”]
Than ſpak they all, and that of an accorde;
“Shir, of this thing we can no thing Recorde,
For we can noght fynd in til our ſciens
Tweching this mater ony ewydens.” 452
[Sidenote: “Ere we part,” quoth the king, “ye shall witness
something.”]
“Now,” q{uo}d the king, “and be the glorius lorde,
Or we depart ye ſhall ſum thing recorde;
So pas yhe not, nor ſo It ſall not bee.”
“Than,” q{uo}d the clerk{is}, “grant ws dais three.” 456
[Sidenote: He grants them three days more.]
The wich he grantid them, and but delay, [Fol. 7.]
The term paſſith, no thing wold the ſay,
Wharof the king ſtondith heuy cherith,
And to the clerk{is} his viſag ſo apperith, 460
That all thei dred them of the king{is} myght.
[Sidenote: They pray for a further delay of three days.]
Than ſaith o clerk, “s{ir}, as the thrid nyght
Ye dremyt, ſo [now] giffis ws delay
The thrid tyme, and to the thrid day.” 464
By whilk tyme thei fundyng haith the ende
Of this mater, als far as ſhal depend
To ther ſciens; yit can thei not awyß
To ſchewing to the king be ony wyß. 468
[Sidenote: They still refuse to declare their thought.]
The day is cum, the king haith them beſocht,
But one no wyß thei wald declar ther thoght;
Than was he wroth in to his ſelf and noyt,
[Sidenote: The king vows to destroy them;]
And maid his wow that thei ſhal[T11] ben diſtroyt. 472
His baronis he co{m}mandit to gar tak
Fyve of them one to the fir-ſtak,
And vther fyue be to the gibbot tone;
And the furth w{i}t{h} the king{is} charg ar gone. 476
[Sidenote: but secretly charges his knights not to harm them.]
He bad them in to ſecret wyß that thei
Shud do no harm, but only them aßey.
The clark{is}, dredful of the king{is} Ire,
And ſaw the p{er}ell of deth and of the fyre, 480
Fyve, as thei can, has grantit to record;
That vther herde and ben of ther accorde;
And al thei ben yled one to the king,
[Sidenote: They yield at last, and say,]
And ſhew hyme thus as tueching of this thing. 484
[Footnote T11: MS. “ſhat.”]
[Headnote: INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAMS.]
“Shir, ſen that we conſtrenyt ar by myght
To ſhaw that wich[T12] we knaw no thing aricht;
For thing to cum preſeruith It allan
To hyme the wich is euery thing c{er}tañ, 488
Excep the thing that til our knawleg hee
Hath ordynat of certan for to bee;
Therfor, ſhir king, we your magnificens
Beſeich It turne till ws to non offens, 492
[Sidenote: “Hold us not as liars, though it happen not as we say.]
Nor hald was no{ch}t as lear{is}, thoght It fall
Not in this mat{er}, as that we telen ſhall.”
And that the king haith grantit them, {and} thei
Has chargit one, that one this wiß ſall ſeye. 496
“Preſumyth, ſhir, that we have fundyne so;
[Sidenote: You must forego all earthly honour;]
All erdly honore ye nedis[T13] moſt for-go,
[Sidenote: and those on whom you most rely, will fail you.”]
And them the wich ye moſt affy in-tyll [Fol. 7b.]
Shal failye ȝow, magre of ther will; 500
And thus we haue in to this matere founde.”
The king, quhois hart was al wyth dred ybownd,
And aſkit at the clerk{is}, if thei fynde
By there clergy, that ſtant i{n} ony kynde 504
[Sidenote: The king asks if his destiny can be altered.]
Of poſſibilitee, fore to reforme
His deſteny, that ſtud in ſuch a forme;
If in the hewyne Is preordynat
On ſuch o wiß his honor to tranſlat. 508
The clerk{is} ſaith, “forſuth, and we haue ſene
[Sidenote: They reply, that the matter is dark.]
O thing whar-of, if we the trouth ſhal meñ,
Is ſo obſcure and dyrk til our clergye,
That we wat not what It ſhal ſignefye, 512
Wich cauſith ws we can It not furth ſay.”
“Yis,” q{uo}d the king, “as lykith yow ye may,
For wers than this can nat be ſaid for me.”
[Footnote T12: MS. “wich that.”]
[Footnote T13: MS. “nediſt;” but see l. 518.]
[Headnote: THE CLERKS GIVE MYSTERIOUS ADVICE.]