Hir maistresse clepeth wommen a gret route,
And up they rysen, wel a ten or twelve;
Up ryseth fresshe Canacee hir-selve,
As rody and bright as dooth the yonge sonne, 385
That in the Ram is four degrees up-ronne;
Noon hyer was he, whan she redy was;
And forth she walketh esily a pas, (380)
Arrayed after the lusty seson sote
Lightly, for to pleye and walke on fote; 390
Nat but with fyve or six of hir meynee;
And in a trench, forth in the park, goth she.
The vapour, which that fro the erthe glood,
Made the sonne to seme rody and brood;
But nathelees, it was so fair a sighte 395
That it made alle hir hertes for to lighte,
What for the seson and the morweninge,
And for the foules that she herde singe; (390)
For right anon she wiste what they mente
Right by hir song, and knew al hir entente. 400
382. E. Hn. an; Cm. Hl. a. 386. E. Cm. foure (_rightly_); Hn. 4;
_rest_ ten.
The knotte, why that every tale is told,
If it be taried til that lust be cold
Of hem that han it after herkned yore,
The savour passeth ever lenger the more,
For fulsomnesse of his prolixitee. 405
And by the same reson thinketh me,
I sholde to the knotte condescende,
And maken of hir walking sone an ende. (400)
Amidde a tree fordrye, as whyt as chalk,
As Canacee was pleying in hir walk, 410
Ther sat a faucon over hir heed ful hye,
That with a pitous voys so gan to crye
That all the wode resouned of hir cry.
Y-beten hath she hir-self so pitously
[473: T. 10729-10763.]
With bothe hir winges, til the rede blood 415
Ran endelong the tree ther-as she stood.
And ever in oon she cryde alwey and shrighte,
And with hir beek hir-selven so she prighte, (410)
That ther nis tygre, ne noon so cruel beste,
That dwelleth either in wode or in foreste 420
That nolde han wept, if that he wepe coude,
For sorwe of hir, she shrighte alwey so loude.
For ther nas never yet no man on lyve—
If that I coude a faucon wel discryve—
That herde of swich another of fairnesse, 425
As wel of plumage as of gentillesse
Of shap, and al that mighte y-rekened be.
A faucon peregryn than semed she (420)
Of fremde land; and evermore, as she stood,
She swowneth now and now for lakke of blood, 430
Til wel neigh is she fallen fro the tree.
409. E. fordryed; Cm. fordreyed; _but_ Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. for-drye; Hl.
for-druye. 414. E. Cm. hath; _rest_ hadde (had). 416. E. Cm. omit
as. 419, 420. E. Hn. Pt. beest, forest; rest beste, foreste. 420.
E. Hn. outher; rest eyther. 421. E. Pt. she; the rest he. 423. So
Cp. Hl.; E. Hn. Cm. neuere man yet; Pt. Ln. neuere yit man.
This faire kinges doghter, Canacee,
That on hir finger bar the queynte ring,
Thurgh which she understood wel every thing
That any foul may in his ledene seyn, 435
And coude answere him in his ledene ageyn,
Hath understonde what this faucon seyde,
And wel neigh for the rewthe almost she deyde. (430)
And to the tree she gooth ful hastily,
And on this faucon loketh pitously, 440
And heeld hir lappe abrood, for wel she wiste
The faucon moste fallen fro the twiste,
When that it swowned next, for lakke of blood.
A longe while to wayten hir she stood
Till atte laste she spak in this manere 445
Un-to the hauk, as ye shul after here.
433. E. Hn. baar. 435. E. fowel. 438. Hl. rewthe; Ln. reuthe; rest
routhe.
‘What is the cause, if it be for to telle,
That ye be in this furial pyne of helle?’ (440)
Quod Canacee un-to this hauk above.
[474: T. 10764-10798.]
‘Is this for sorwe of deeth or los of love? 450
For, as I trowe, thise ben causes two
That causen moost a gentil herte wo;
Of other harm it nedeth nat to speke.
For ye your-self upon your-self yow wreke,
Which proveth wel, that either love or drede 455
Mot been encheson of your cruel dede,
Sin that I see non other wight yow chace.
For love of god, as dooth your-selven grace (450)
Or what may ben your help; for west nor eest
Ne sey I never er now no brid ne beest 460
That ferde with him-self so pitously.
Ye sle me with your sorwe, verraily;
I have of yow so gret compassioun.
For goddes love, com fro the tree adoun;
And, as I am a kinges doghter trewe, 465
If that I verraily the cause knewe
Of your disese, if it lay in my might,
I wolde amende it, er that it were night, (460)
As wisly helpe me gret god of kinde!
And herbes shal I right y-nowe y-finde 470
To hele with your hurtes hastily.’
448. E. Hn. pyne; rest peyne. 449. E. the; rest this. 452. E.
causeth; _rest_ causen. 455. E. Hn. outher; _rest_ either. 459,
460. E. Hn. Est, beest; Cp. est, best; Cm. est, beste; _rest_ este,
beste. 463. E. passioun; _rest_ compassioun. 469. E. the grete;
_rest omit_ the.
Tho shrighte this faucon more pitously
Than ever she dide, and fil to grounde anoon,
And lyth aswowne, deed, and lyk a stoon,
Til Canacee hath in hir lappe hir take 475
Un-to the tyme she gan of swough awake.
And, after that she of hir swough gan breyde,
Right in hir haukes ledene thus she seyde:— (470)
‘That pitee renneth sone in gentil herte,
Feling his similitude in peynes smerte, 480
Is preved al-day, as men may it see,
As wel by werk as by auctoritee;
For gentil herte kytheth gentillesse.
I see wel, that ye han of my distresse
[475: T. 10799-10833.]
Compassioun, my faire Canacee, 485
Of verray wommanly benignitee
That nature in your principles hath set.
But for non hope for to fare the bet, (480)
But for to obeye un-to your herte free,
And for to maken other be war by me, 490
As by the whelp chasted is the leoun,
Right for that cause and that conclusioun,
Whyl that I have a leyser and a space,
Myn harm I wol confessen, er I pace.’
And ever, whyl that oon hir sorwe tolde, 495
That other weep, as she to water wolde,
Til that the faucon bad hir to be stille;
And, with a syk, right thus she seyde hir wille. (490)
472. Hn. Cp. Pt. yet moore; E. Cm. moore yet; Hl. Ln. more. 477. Cm.
swow a-breyde. 481. E. Hl. _omit_ it. 484. E. Cm. _omit_ that.
487. E. yset; Cm. I-set; the _rest_ set, sette. 489. E. _omits_ to.
491. E. Hn. chasted; _rest_ chastysed; _I should propose to read_ is
chasted; _but authority is lacking._ 492. _So_ Hl.; _rest_ and for
that. 498. E. Hn. wille; _rest_ tille (!)
‘Ther I was bred (allas! that harde day!)
And fostred in a roche of marbul gray 500
So tendrely, that nothing eyled me,
I niste nat what was adversitee,
Til I coude flee ful hye under the sky.
Tho dwelte a tercelet me faste by,
That semed welle of alle gentillesse; 505
Al were he ful of treson and falsnesse,
It was so wrapped under humble chere,
And under hewe of trouthe in swich manere, (500)
Under plesance, and under bisy peyne,
That no wight coude han wend he coude feyne, 510
So depe in greyn he dyed his coloures.
Right as a serpent hit him under floures
Til he may seen his tyme for to byte,
Right so this god of love, this ypocryte,
Doth so his cerimonies and obeisaunces, 515
And kepeth in semblant alle his observances
That sowneth in-to gentillesse of love.
As in a toumbe is al the faire above, (510)
And under is the corps, swich as ye woot,
[476: T. 10834-10868.]
Swich was this ypocryte, bothe cold and hoot, 520
And in this wyse he served his entente,
That (save the feend) non wiste what he mente.
Til he so longe had wopen and compleyned,
And many a yeer his service to me feyned,
Til that myn herte, to pitous and to nyce, 525
Al innocent of his crouned malice,
For-fered of his deeth, as thoughte me,
Upon his othes and his seuretee, (520)
Graunted him love, on this condicioun,
That evermore myn honour and renoun 530
Were saved, bothe privee and apert;
This is to seyn, that, after his desert,
I yaf him al myn herte and al my thoght—
God woot and he, that otherwyse noght—
And took his herte in chaunge for myn for ay. 535
But sooth is seyd, gon sithen many a day,
“A trew wight and a theef thenken nat oon.”
And, whan he saugh the thing so fer y-goon, (530)
That I had graunted him fully my love,
In swich a gyse as I have seyd above, 540
And yeven him my trewe herte, as free
As he swoor he his herte yaf to me;
Anon this tygre, ful of doublenesse,
Fil on his knees with so devout humblesse,
With so heigh reverence, and, as by his chere, 545
So lyk a gentil lovere of manere,
So ravisshed, as it semed, for the Ioye,
That never Iason, ne Parys of Troye, (540)
Iason? certes, ne non other man,
Sin Lameth was, that alderfirst bigan 550
To loven two, as writen folk biforn,
Ne never, sin the firste man was born,
Ne coude man, by twenty thousand part,
Countrefete the sophimes of his art;
[477: T. 10869-10905.]
Ne were worthy unbokele his galoche, 555
Ther doublenesse or feyning sholde approche,
Ne so coude thanke a wight as he did me!
His maner was an heven for to see (550)
Til any womman, were she never so wys;
So peynted he and kembde at point-devys 560
As wel his wordes as his contenaunce.
And I so lovede him for his obeisaunce,
And for the trouthe I demed in his herte,
That, if so were that any thing him smerte,
Al were it never so lyte, and I it wiste, 565
Me thoughte, I felte deeth myn herte twiste.
And shortly, so ferforth this thing is went,
That my wil was his willes instrument; (560)
This is to seyn, my wil obeyed his wil
In alle thing, as fer as reson fil, 570
Keping the boundes of my worship ever.
Ne never hadde I thing so leef, ne lever,
As him, god woot! ne never shal na-mo.
499. E. Cm. That; _rest_ Ther. 508. MSS. trouthe, trowthe. 510. E.
I ne; Cm. I not; _rest_ no wight. 511. E. Hn. Cp. Hl. colours. 512.
hit] Hl. hut; Ln. hideth. 516. _Pronounced_ kep’th. 520. E. the;
_the rest_ this. 526. Hl. crouned; Hn. Cp. Pt. crowned; E.
coronned. 529. MSS. vp-on (_for_ on). 533. Cm. Ln. Hl. and al;
_rest omit_ al. 535. E. for myn; _rest_ of myn. 537. Hl. Pt. trew;
_rest_ trewe. 542. _All_ yaf his herte. 545. _Only_ Cm. _om._
and. 548. E. Cm. Troilus; _rest_ Iason. 551. Cm. wrytyn; _rest_
writen. 555. E. vnbokelen. 557. E. Cp. dide; Cm. dede; _rest_
did. 562. E. Cm. _omit_ so. 572. E. Hn. lief; Ln. lefe; _rest_
leef.
This lasteth lenger than a yeer or two,
That I supposed of him noght but good. 575
But fynally, thus atte laste it stood,
That fortune wolde that he moste twinne
Out of that place which that I was inne. (570)
Wher me was wo, that is no questioun;
I can nat make of it discripcioun; 580
For o thing dar I tellen boldely,
I knowe what is the peyne of deth ther-by;
Swich harm I felte for he ne mighte bileve.
So on a day of me he took his leve,
So sorwefully eek, that I wende verraily 585
That he had felt as muche harm as I,
Whan that I herde him speke, and saugh his hewe.
But nathelees, I thoughte he was so trewe, (580)
And eek that he repaire sholde ageyn
With-inne a litel whyle, sooth to seyn; 590
And reson wolde eek that he moste go
[478: T. 10906-10940.]
For his honour, as ofte it happeth so,
That I made vertu of necessitee,
And took it wel, sin that it moste be.
As I best mighte, I hidde fro him my sorwe, 595
And took him by the hond, seint Iohn to borwe,
And seyde him thus: “lo, I am youres al;
Beth swich as I to yow have been, and shal.” (590)
What he answerde, it nedeth noght reherce,
Who can sey bet than he, who can do werse? 600
Whan he hath al wel seyd, thanne hath he doon.
“Therfor bihoveth him a ful long spoon
That shal ete with a feend,” thus herde I seye.
So atte laste he moste forth his weye,
And forth he fleeth, til he cam ther him leste. 605
Whan it cam him to purpos for to reste,
I trowe he hadde thilke text in minde,
That “alle thing, repairing to his kinde, (600)
Gladeth him-self”; thus seyn men, as I gesse;
Men loven of propre kinde newfangelnesse, 610
As briddes doon that men in cages fede.
For though thou night and day take of hem hede,
And strawe hir cage faire and softe as silk,
And yeve hem sugre, hony, breed and milk,
Yet right anon, as that his dore is uppe, 615
He with his feet wol spurne adoun his cuppe,
And to the wode he wol and wormes ete;
So newefangel been they of hir mete, (610)
And loven novelryes of propre kinde;
No gentillesse of blood [ne] may hem binde. 620
So ferde this tercelet, allas the day!
Though he were gentil born, and fresh and gay,
And goodly for to seen, and humble and free,
He saugh up-on a tyme a kyte flee,
And sodeynly he loved this kyte so, 625
That al his love is clene fro me ago,
[479: T. 10941-10974.]
And hath his trouthe falsed in this wyse;
Thus hath the kyte my love in hir servyse, (620)
And I am lorn with-outen remedye!’
And with that word this faucon gan to crye, 630
And swowned eft in Canaceës barme.
585. Cp. _om._ that. 601. Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. wel seyd; Cm. I-seyd;
E. seyd. 602. E. Hn. Cm. hire; _rest_ him. 616. Hl. _has here lost
8 leaves, to_ 1. 1223. 619. E. nouelrie; _the rest have the plural,
except_ Ln. none leueres, _a corruption of_ nouelries. 620. _I
supply_ ne. 622. Hn. and fressh; _rest omit_ and. 623. E. Hn.
goodlich; _rest_ goodly. E. Pt. _om._ and _before_ humble.
Greet was the sorwe, for the haukes harme,
That Canacee and alle hir wommen made;
They niste how they mighte the faucon glade.
But Canacee hom bereth hir in hir lappe, 635
And softely in plastres gan hir wrappe,
Ther as she with hir beek had hurt hir-selve.
Now can nat Canacee but herbes delve (630)
Out of the grounde, and make salves newe
Of herbes precious, and fyne of hewe, 640
To helen with this hauk; fro day to night
She dooth hir bisinesse and al hir might.
And by hir beddes heed she made a mewe,
And covered it with veluëttes blewe,
In signe of trouthe that is in wommen sene. 645
And al with-oute, the mewe is peynted grene,
In which were peynted alle thise false foules,
As beth thise tidifs, tercelets, and oules, (640)
Right for despyt were peynted hem bisyde,
And pyes, on hem for to crye and chyde. 650
632, 633. E. Hn. Cp. barm, harm; _rest_ barme, harme. 639. E. Hn.
saues; _the rest_ salues. 642. E. hire fulle; _the rest_ al hir.
644. Slo. velowetys. 647. E. ther were ypeynted; _rest_ were
peynted. 648. E. Hn. tidyues; Ln. tideues; _rest_ tidifs. 649, 650.
_Transposed by_ Tyrwhitt. 650. And] Cp. Pt. Ln. _om._
Thus lete I Canacee hir hauk keping;
I wol na-more as now speke of hir ring,
Til it come eft to purpos for to seyn
How that this faucon gat hir love ageyn
Repentant, as the storie telleth us, 655
By mediacioun of Cambalus,
The kinges sone, of whiche I yow tolde.
But hennes-forth I wol my proces holde (650)
To speke of aventures and of batailles,
That never yet was herd so grete mervailles. 660