The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall. Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.846 600dpi TIFF G4 page imagesUniversity of Michigan LibraryAnn Arbor, Michigan2006AGZ8232.0001.001828 C5O ser.1 no.2 etc.

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Chaucer Society. Publications ; 1st series, no.2, 8, 16, 26, 32, 38, 50, 70Publications (Chaucer Society) ; Ser. 1, [no.] 2, 8, 16, 26, 32, 38, 50, 70The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall. Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910.x, 683 [i.e.687] 28 p. : ill. London :Published for the Chaucer Society by N. Trübner,1868-1879.An "Index of proper names and subjects to [the] Canterbury tales ... by H. Corson was published in 1911 as 1st series, no. 72. It is confined to the Ellesmere manuscript.Issued in 8 parts 1868-84.One page numbered "332-333," and extra pages 275*, 587a-b, 588a-b inserted. Leaf of corrections by Prof. Flügel dated 1907.Issued in 8 parts, 1868-84 (final t.-p. dated "1868-1879")"Drawings of the 23 tellers of the 24 Canterbury tales, copied from the Ellesmere ms...by Mr. W.H. Hooper"; also facsimiles of the 23 miniatures of the ms.

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THE Ellesmere MS OF Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

EDITED BY FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL.

LONDON : PUBLISHT FOR THE CHAUCER SOCIETY BY N. TRÜBNER & CO., 57 & 59, LUDGATE HILL. 1868-1879.

First Series.

CLAY AND TAYLOR, THE CHAUCER PRESS, BUNGAY.

GROUP A. FRAGMENT I. § 1. GENERAL PROLOGUE. ELLESMERE MS. Here bygynneth the Book of the tales of Caunterbury. WHan that Aprille with hise shoures soote The droghte of March / hath perced to the roote And bathed euery veyne / in swich licour Of which vertu / engendred is the flour Whan Zephirus eek / with his swete breeth Inspired hath / in euery holt and heeth The tendre croppes / and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram / his half[e] cours yronne¶ .i. sol in Arieto And smale foweles / maken melodye That slepen al the nyght / with open eye So priketh hem nature in hir corages Thanne longen folk / to goon on pilgrimage And Palmeres / for to seken straunge strondes To ferne halwes / kowthe in sondry londes And specially / from euery shires ende Of Engelond / to Caunturbury they wende The hooly blisful martir for to seke That hem hath holpen / whan þat they were seeke Bifil that / in that seson on a day In Southwerk / at the Tabard as I lay Redy / to wenden on my pilgrymage To Caunterbury / with ful deuout corage At nyght / were come / in to that hostelrye Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye Of sondry folk / by aventure y-falle In felaweshipe / and pilgrimes were they alle That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde The chambres and the stables weren wyde And wel we weren esed atte beste And shortly / whan the sonne was to reste So hadde I spoken / with hem everychon That I was / of hir felaweshipe anon And made forward / erly for to ryse To take oure wey / ther as I yow deuyse But nathelees / whil I haue tyme and space Er that I ferther / in this tale pace Me thynketh it acordaunt to reson To telle yow / al the condicion Of ech of hem / so as it semed me And whiche they were / and of what degree And eek in what array / that they were Inne And at a knyght / than wol I first bigynne Aknyght ther was / and that a worthy man¶ Knyght That fro the tyme / that he first bigan To riden out / he loued chiualrie Trouthe and honour / fredom and curteisie fful worthy was he / in his lordes werre And therto / hadde he riden / no man ferre As wel in cristendom / as in Hethenesse And euere / honoured for his worthynesse ¶ At Alisaundre he was / whan it was wonne fful ofte tyme / he hadde the bord bigonne Abouen alle nacions in Pruce In Lettow / hadde he reysed and in Ruce No cristen man so ofte of his degree In Gernade / at the seege eek hadde he be Of Algezir /. and riden in Belmarye At Lyeys was he / and at Satalye Whan they were wonne / and in the grete See At many a noble Armee / hadde he be At mortal batailles / hadde he been fiftene And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene In lystes thries / and ay slayn his foo This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also Somtyme / with the lord of Palatye Agayn / another hethen in Turkye And eueremoore / he hadde a souereyn prys And though þat he were worthy he was wys And of his port / as meeke as is a mayde He neuere yet / no vileynye ne sayde In al his lyf / vn to no maner wight He was a verray parfit gentil knyght ¶ But for to tellen yow / of his array His hors weren goode / but he was nat gay Of ffustian / he wered a gypon Al bismotered with his habergeon ffor he was late / ycome from his viage And wente / for to doon his pilgrymage With hym ther was his sone a yong Squier¶ Squier A louyere / and a lusty Bacheler With lokkes crulle / as they were leyd in presse Of twenty yeer of Age / he was I gesse Of his stature / he was of euene lengthe And wonderly delyuere / and of greet strengthe And he hadde been somtyme in chyuachie In fflaundres / in Artoys and Pycardie And born hym weel / as of so litel space In hope / to stonden in his lady grace Embrouded was he / as it were a meede Al ful of fresshe floures / whyte and reede Syngynge he was / or floytynge al the day He was as fressh / as in the Monthe of May Short was his gowne / with sleues longe and wyde Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde He koude songes make / and wel endite Iuste and eek daunce / and weel purtreye and write So hoote he louede / that by nyghtertale He slepte namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale Curteis he was / lowely / and seruysable And carf / biforn his fader at the table A Yeman hadde he / and seruantz namo¶ Yeman At that tyme / for hym liste ride soo And he was clad / in cote and hood of grene A sheef of pecok arwes / bright and kene Vnder his belt he bar ful thriftily Wel koude he / dresse his takel yemanly Hise arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe And in his hand / he baar a myghty bowe A not heed hadde he / with a broun visage Of woodecraft / wel koude he al the vsage Vp on his arm / he baar a gay bracer And by his syde / a swerd / and a bokeler/ And on that oother syde / a gay daggere Harneised wel / and sharpe as point of spere A Cristophere on his brest of siluer sheene An horn he bar / the bawdryk was of grene A fforster was he / soothly as I gesse Ther was also / a Nonne a PRIORESSE¶ Prioresse That of hir smylyng / was ful symple and coy Hire gretteste ooth / was but by seint Loy And she was cleped / madame Eglentyne fful weel she soong the seruice dyuyne, Entuned in hir nose / ful semeely And frenssh / she spak / ful faire and fetisly After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe ffor frenssh of Parys / was to hire vnknowe At mete / wel ytaught was she with alle She leet no morsel / from hir lippes falle Ne wette hir fyngres / in hir sauce depe Wel koude she carie a morsel / and wel kepe That no drope / ne fille vp on hire brist In curteisie was set ful muchel hir list/ Hire ouer lippe / wyped she so clene That in hir coppe / ther was no ferthyng sene Of grece / whan she dronken hadde hir draughte fful semely / after hir mete she raughte And sikerly / she was of greet desport And ful plesaunt / and amyable of port And peyned hire to countrefete cheere Of Court and to been estatlich of manere And to ben holden digne of reuerence But for to speken of hire conscience She was so charitable and so pitous She wolde wepe / if that she saugh a Mous Kaught in a trappe / if it were deed or bledde Of smale houndes / hadde she þat she fedde With rosted flessh / or Milk / and wastel breed But soore wepte she / if any of hem were deed Or if men smoot it / with a yerde smerte And al was conscience and tendre herte fful semyly / hir wympul pynched was Hire nose tretys / hir eyen greye as glas Hir mouth ful smal / and ther to softe and reed But sikerly / she hadde a fair forheed It was almoost . a spanne brood I trowe ffor hardily / she was nat vndergrowe fful fetys was hir cloke / as I was war Of smal coral / aboute hire Arm she bar A peire of bedes / gauded al with grene And ther on / heng a brooch of gold ful sheene On which / ther was first write a crowned .A. And after / Amor vincit omnia. Another Nonne / with hire hadde she¶ Nonne & .iij. preestes. That was hire Chapeleyne and preestes thre A Monk ther was / a fair for the maistrie¶ Monk/ An outridere / that louede venerie A manly man / to been an Abbot able fful many a deyntee hors / hadde he in stable And whan he rood / men myghte his brydel heere Gynglen / in a whistlynge wynd als cleere And cek as loude / as dooth þe Chapel belle Ther as this lord / was kepere of the Celle The reule of seint Maure / or of seint Beneit / By cause that it was old / and som del streit / This ilke Monk / leet olde thynges pace And heeld / after the newe world the space He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen That seith / that hunters beth nat hooly men Ne that a Monk / whan he is recchelees Is likned / til a fissh / þat is waterlees This is to seyn / a Monk out of his Cloystre But thilke text / heeld he nat worth an Oystre And I seyde / his opinion was good What sholde he studie / and make hym seluen wood Vpon a book / in Cloystre alwey to poure Or swynken with his handes, and laboure As Austyn bit / how shal the world be serued Lat Austyn / haue his owene swynk / to him reserued Therfore / he was a prikasour aright Grehoundes he hadde / as swift as fowel in flight Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare Was al his lust . for no cost wolde he spare I seigh his sleues / ypurfiled at the hond With grys / and that the fyneste of a lond And for to festne his hood vnder his chyn He hadde of gold / ywroght / a ful curious pyn A loue knotte / in the gretter ende ther was His heed was balled / þat shoon as any glas And eek his face / as it hadde been enoynt/ He was a lord ful fat / and in good poynt Hise eyen stepe / and rollynge in his heed That stemed / as a forneys of a leed His bootes souple / his hors in greet estaat Now certeinly / he was a fair prelaat He was nat pale / as a forpyned goost A fat swan loued he best of any roost His palfrey / was as broun as is a berye Affrere ther was / a wantowne and a merye,¶ ffrere A lymytour / a ful solempne man In alle the ordres foure / is noon þat kan So muchel of daliaunce / and fair langage He hadde maad / ful many a mariage Of yonge wommen / at his owene cost Vn to his ordre / he was a noble post And wel biloued / and famulier was he With frankeleyns / ouer al in his contree And [eek] with worthy wommen of the toun ffor he hadde power of confessioun As seyde hym self / moore than a Curat ffor of his ordre / he was licenciat fful swetely / herde he confession And plesaunt was his absolucion He was an esy man / to yeue penaunce Ther as he wiste / to haue a good pitaunce ffor vnto a poure ordre / for to yiue Is signe / þat a man is wel yshryue ffor if he yaf / he dorste make avaunt He wiste / that a man was repentaunt ffor many a man / so harde is of his herte He may nat wepe / al thogh hym soore smerte Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyeres Men moote yeue siluer / to the poure freres His typet was ay farsed ful of knyues And pynnes / for to yeuen yonge wyues And certeinly / he hadde a murye note Wel koude he synge / and pleyen on a rote Of yeddynges / he baar outrely the pris His nekke / whit was / as the flour delys Ther to / he strong was as a Champion He knew the Tauernes wel in al the toun And euerich Hostiler / and Tappestere Bet than a lazar / or a beggestere ffor vn to swich a worthy man as he Acorded nat / as by his facultee To haue with sike lazars Aqueyntance It is nat honeste / it may nat avance ffor to deelen / with no swich poraille But al with riche / and selleres of vitaille And ouer al / ther as profit sholde arise Curteis he was / and lowely of seruyse Ther nas no man / nowher so vertuous He was / the beste beggere in his hous . . . . .no gap in the MS. sfor thogh a wydwe / hadde noght a sho So plesaunt / was his In principio Yet wolde he haue / a ferthyng er he wente His purchas / was wel bettre than his rente And rage he koude / as it were right a whelpe In loue dayes / ther koude he muchel helpe ffor there he was nat lyk a Cloystrer With a thredbare cope / as is a poure scoler But he was lyk / a maister / or a pope Of double worstede / was his semycope That rounded as a belle / out of the presse Somwhat he lipsed / for his wantownesse To make his englissh / sweete vp on his tonge And in his harpyng. whan þat he hadde songe Hise eyen twynkled in his heed aryght As doon the sterres / in the frosty nyght This worthy lymytour / was cleped Huberd A Marchant was ther with a forked berd¶ Marchant In Motlee and hye on horse he sat Vp on his heed a fflaundryssh Beuere hat / His bootes clasped / faire and fetisly Hise resons he spak / ful solempnely Sownynge alway thencrees of his wynnyng He wolde the see were kept for any thing Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle This worthy man / ful wel his wit bisette Ther wiste no wight þat he was in dette So estatly / was he of his gouernaunce With his bargaynes / and with his cheuyssaunce ffor sothe / he was a worthy man with alle But sooth to seyn / I noot how men hym calle A Clerk ther was / of Oxenford also¶ Clerk of Oxenford, That vn to logyk / hadde longe ygo And leene was his hors as is a rake And he nas nat right fat, I vndertake But looked holwe / and ther to sobrely fful thredbare / was his ouereste courtepy ffor he hadde geten hym yet no benefice Ne was so worldly / for to haue office ffor hym was leuere / haue at his beddes heed Twenty bookes / clad in blak or reed Of Aristotle / and his Philosophie Than robes riche / or fithele / or gay sautrie But al be / that he was a Philosophre Yet hadde he / but litel gold in cofre But al þat he myghte / of his freendes hente On bookes / and his lernynge he it spente And bisily / gan for the soules preye Of hem / þat yaf hym wher with to scoleye Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede Noght o word / spak he moore than was neede And that was seyd / in forme and reuerence And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence Sownynge in moral vertu / was his speche And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche A Sergeant of the Lawe / war and wys¶ Sergeant of lawe That often hadde been at the Parvys Ther was also / ful riche of excellence Discreet he was / and of greet reuerence He semed swich / hise wordes weren so wise Iustice he was / ful often in Assise, By patente / and by pleyn commissioun ffor his science / and for his heigh renoun Of fees and robes / hadde he many oon So greet a purchasour / was nowher noon Al was fee symple to hym in effect His purchasyng / myghte nat been infect Nowher / so bisy a man as he ther nas And yet he semed / bisier than he was In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle That from the tyme / of kyng william were yfalle Ther-to / he koude endite and make a thyng Ther koude no wight / pynchen at his writyng And euery statut / koude he pleyn by rote He rood but hoomly / in a medlee cote Girt with a ceint of silk / with barres smale Of his array telle I no lenger tale. A ffrankeleyn / was in his compaignye¶ ffrankeleyn Whit was his heed / as is a dayesye Of his complexion / he was sangwyn Wel loued he by the morwe a sope in wyn To lyuen in delit was euere his wone For he was / Epicurus owene sone That heeld opinion that pleyn delit Was verray felicitee parfit An housholdere / and that a greet was he Seint Iulian was he in his contree His breed / his Ale / was alweys after oon A bettre envyned man / was neuere noon With oute bake mete / was neuere his hous Of fissh and flessh / and that so plenteuous It snewed in his hous / of mete and drynke Of alle deyntees / that men koude thynke After the sondry sesons / of the yeer So chaunged he / his mete and his soper fful many a fat partrich / hadde he in Muwe And many a Breem / and many a luce in Stuwe Wo was his Cook / but if his sauce were Poynaunt / and sharpe / and redy al his geere His table dormant in his halle alway Stood redy couered / al the longe day At sessions ther was he lord and sire fful ofte tyme / he was knyght of the shire An Anlaas / and a gipser al of silk Heeng at his girdel / whit as morne Milk / A shirreue hadde he been and Countour Was nowher / such a worthy Vauasour AN haberdasshere and a Carpenter¶ Haberdasshere¶ Carpenter A Webbe / a Dyere / and a Tapycer¶ Webbe¶ Dyere And they were clothed alle in o lyueree¶ Tapicer Of a solempne / and a greet fraternitee fful fressh and newe / hir geere apiked was Hir knyues / were chaped noght with bras But al with siluer / wroght ful clene and weel Hire girdles and hir pouches euerydeel Wel semed ech of hem / a fair burgeys To sitten in a yeldehalle / on a deys Euerich / for the wisdom þat he kan Was shaply / for to been an Alderman ffor catel hadde they ynogh and rente And eek hir wyues wolde it wel assente And elles certeyn / were they to blame It is ful fair / to been ycleped ma Dame And goon to vigilies / al bifore And haue a Mantel roialliche ybore A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones¶ Cook. To boille the chiknes with the Marybones And poudre Marchant tart and galyngale Wel koude he knowe / a draughte of London ale He koude rooste and sethe / and boille and frye Maken Mortreux / and wel bake a pye But greet harm was it / as it thoughte me That on his shyne / a mormal hadde he ffor blankmanger / that made he with the beste A Shipman was ther / wonynge fer by weste¶ Shipman ffor aught I woot / he was of Dertemouthe He rood vp on a Rouncy / as he kouthe In a gowne of faldyng to the knee A daggere / hangynge on a laas hadde he Aboute his nekke / vnder his Arm adoun The hoote somer / hadde maad his hewe al broun And certeinly / he was a good felawe fful many a draughte of wyn / had he [y-]drawe ffro Burdeuxward / whil that the Chapman sleepe Of nyce conscience / took he no keepe If þat he faught and hadde the hyer hond By water / he sente hem hoom to euery lond But of his craft / to rekene wel his tydes His stremes / and his daungers hym bisides His herberwe / and his moone / his lodemenage Ther nas noon swich / from Hulle to Cartage Hardy he was and wys / to vndertake With many a tempest / hadde his berd been shake He knew alle the hauenes / as they were ffron Gootlond to the Cape of ffynystere And euery cryke / in Britaigne and in Spayne His Barge / ycleped was the Maudelayne With vs ther was a Doctour of Phisik¶ Doctour of Phisik/ In al this world / ne was ther noon hym lik To speke of phisik / and of Surgerye ffor he was grounded in Astronomye He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel In houres / by his magyk natureel Wel koude he fortunen the Ascendent Of hise ymages / for his pacient He knew the cause / of euerich maladye Were it of hoot or cold / or moyste / or drye And where they engendred / and of what humour He was a verray parfit praktisour The cause yknowe / and of his harm the roote Anon he yaf / the sike man his boote fful redy hadde he / hise Apothecaries To sende him drogges and his letuaries ffor ech of hem / made oother for to wynne Hir frendshipe / nas nat newe to bigynne Wel knew he / the olde Esculapius And Deyscorides / and eek Risus Olde ypocras / Haly / and Galyen Serapion Razis / and Auycen Auerrois / Damascien / and Constantyn Bernard / and Gatesden / and Gilbertyn Of his diete / mesurable was he ffor it was / of no superfluitee But of greet norissyng / and digestible His studie / was but litel on the Bible In sangwyn and in pers / he clad was al Lyned with Taffata / and with Sendal And yet he was / but esy of dispence He kepte / that he wan in pestilence ffor gold in Phisik / is a cordial Therfore he louede gold in special A good wif was ther of biside Bathe¶ The goode Wif of¶ Bathe But she was som del deef and þat was scathe Of clooth makyng she hadde swich an haunt She passed hem of ypres and of Gaunt In al the parisshe / wif ne was ther noon That to the offrynge / bifore hire sholde goon And if ther dide / certeyn so wrooth was she That she was / out of alle charitee Hir couerchiefs / ful fyne weren of ground I dorste swere / they weyeden ten pound That on a sonday / weren vpon hir heed Hir hosen weren / of fyn scarlet reed fful streite yteyd / and shoes ful moyste and newe Boold was hir face / and fair and reed of hewe She was a worthy womman al hir lyue Housbondes at chirche dore / she hadde fyue Withouten oother compaignye in youthe But ther of / nedeth nat to speke as nowthe And thries / hadde she been at Ierusalem She hadde passed / many a straunge strem At Rome she hadde been and at Boloigne In Galice at Seint Iame / and at Coloigne She koude muchel / of wandrynge by the weye Gat tothed was she / soothly for to seye Vp on an Amblere / esily she sat Ywympled wel / and on hir heed an hat As brood / as is a bokeler / or a targe A foot mantel / aboute hir hipes large And on hire feet a paire of spores sharpe In felaweshipe / wel koude she laughe and carpe Of remedies of loue / she knew per chaunce For she koude of that Art the olde daunce A good man was ther of Religioun And was / a poure Person of a toun¶ Person of a toun. But riche he was / of hooly thoght and werk/ He was also / a lerned man a clerk That cristes gospel / trewely wolde preche Hise parisshens / deuoutly wolde he teche Benygne he was / and wonder diligent And in Aduersitee ful pacient And swich / he was [y-]preued ofte sithes fful looth were hym / to cursen for hise tithes But rather wolde he yeuen out of doute Vn to his poure parisshens aboute Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce He koude / in litel thyng haue suffisaunce Wyd was his parisshe / and houses fer a sonder But he ne lafte nat for reyn ne thonder In siknesse nor in meschief / to visite The ferreste in his parisshe muche and lite Vp on his feet and in his hand a staf This noble ensample to his sheepe he yaf That firste he wroghte / and afterward that he taughte Out of the gospel / he tho wordes caughte And this figure / he added eek ther to That if gold ruste / what shal Iren doo For if a preest be foul / on whom we truste No wonder is / a lewed man to ruste And shame it is / if [that] a prest take keepe A shiten shepherde / and a clene sheepe Wel oghte a preest / ensample for to yeue By his clennesse / how þat his sheepe sholde lyue He sette nat his benefice to hyre And leet his sheepe / encombred in the Myre And ran to London / vn to seint Poules To seken hym a chauntrie for soules Or with a bretherhed / to been withholde But dwelleth at hoom and kepeth wel his folde So that the wolf / ne made it nat myscarie He was a shepherde / and noght a Mercenarie And though he hooly were / and vertuous He was nat to synful man despitous Ne of his speche / daungerous ne digne But in his techyng discreet and benygne To drawen folk to heuene by fairnesse By good ensample / this was his bisynesse But it were any persone obstinat What so he were / of heigh or lough estat Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys A bettre preest I trowe / þat nowher noon ys He waiteth / after no pompe and reuerence Ne maked him a spiced conscience But cristes loore / and hise Apostles twelue He taughte / but first he folwed it hym selue With hym ther was a Plowman was his brother¶ Plowman. That hadde ylad of dong ful many a fother A trewe swynkere / and a good was he Lyuynge in pees / and parfit charitee God loued he best / with al his hoole herte At alle tymes / thogh he gamed or smerte And thanne his neighebore / right as hym selue He wolde thresshe / and ther to dyke and delue For cristes sake / for euery poure wight Withouten hire / if it lay in his myght Hise tithes / payde he ful faire and wel Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel In a Tabard he rood / vpon a Mere Ther was also / a Reue and a Millere¶ Millere. A Somnour / and a Pardoner also A Maunciple / and my self ther were namo ¶ The Millere was a stout carl for the nones Ful byg he was / of brawn / and eek of bones That proued wel / for ouer al ther he cam At wrastlynge / he wolde haue alwey the Ram He was short sholdred / brood / a thikke knarre Ther nas no dore / þat he ne wolde heue of harre Or breke it / at a rennyng with his heed His berd / as any sowe / or fox was reed And ther to brood / as though it were a spade Vp on the cope / right of his nose he hade A werte / and ther on stood a toft of herys Reed / as the brustles / of a sowes erys Hise nosethirles / blake were and wyde A swerd and a bokeler / bar he by his syde His mouth as greet was / as a greet forneys He was a Ianglere and a goliardeys And that was moost / of synne and harlotries Wel koude he stelen corn / and tollen thries And yet he hadde / a thombe of gold pardee A whit cote / and a blew hood wered he A baggepipe / wel koude he blowe and sowne And ther with al / he broghte vs out of towne A gentil Maunciple / was ther of a temple¶ Maunciple. Of which Achatours / myghte take exemple ffor to be wise / in byynge of vitaille ffor wheither that he payde / or took by taille Algate / he wayted so / in his Achaat That he was ay biforn / and in good staat Now is nat that of god a ful fair grace That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace The wisdom / of an heepe of lerned men Of maistres hadde he / mo than thries ten That weren of lawe / expert and curious Of whiche / þer weren a duszeyne in that hous Worthy to been stywardes / of rente and lond Of any lord / that is in Engelond To maken hym lyue / by his propre good In honour dettelees / but if he were wood Or lyue as scarsly / as hym list desire And able / for to helpen al a shire In any caas / þat myghte falle or happe And yet this manciple / sette hir aller cappe The Reue was / a sclendre colerik man¶ Reue. His berd was shaue / as ny as euer he kan His heer was by his erys / ful round yshorn His tope was doked / lyk a preest biforn fful longe were his legges / and ful lene ylyk a staf / ther was no calf ysene Wel koude he kepe a gerner / and a bynne Ther was noon Auditour / koude of him wynne Wel wiste he / by the droghte / and by the reyn The yeldynge / of his seed / and of his greyn His lordes sheepe / his neet his dayerye His swyn / his hors / his stoor / and his pultrye Was hoolly / in this Reues gouernyng / And by his couenant yaf the rekenyng Syn that his lord / was twenty yeer of age Ther koude no man / brynge hym in Arrerage Ther nas baillif ne hierde / nor oother hyne That he [ne] knew his sleighte and his couyne They were adrad of hym / as of the deeth His wonyng was ful faire vp on an heeth With grene trees / shadwed was his place He koude bettre than his lord purchace fful riche he was astored pryuely His lord / wel koude he plesen subtilly To yeue and lene hym / of his owene good And haue a thank / yet a gowne and hood In youthe he hadde lerned a good myster He was a wel good wrighte a Carpenter This Reue sat vp on a ful good stot That was al pomely grey / and highte Scot A long surcote of pers / vp on he hade And by his syde / he baar a rusty blade Of Northfolk was this Reue / of which I telle Biside a toun / men clepen Baldeswelle Tukked he was / as is a frere aboute And euere he rood / the hyndreste of oure route A Somonour was ther with vs in that place¶ Somonour. That hadde / a fyr reed Cherubynnes face ffor sawcefleem he was with eyen narwe As hoot he was / and lecherous as a sparwe With scaled browes blake and piled berd Of his visage / children were aferd Ther nas quyk siluer / lytarge ne brymstoon Boras / Ceruce / ne oille of Tartre noon Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte That hym myghte helpen / of the whelkes white Nor of the knobbes / sittynge on his chekes Wel loued he garleek / oynons / and eek lekes And for to drynken strong wyn / reed as blood Thanne wolde he speke / and crie as he were wood And whan þat he / wel dronken hadde the wyn Than wolde he speke no word but latyn A fewe termes hadde he / two or thre That he had lerned / out of som decree No wonder is / he herde it al the day And eek ye knowen wel / how þat a Iay Kan clepen watte / as wel as kan the pope But who so koude in oother thyng hym grope Thanne hadde he spent al his Philosophie Ay questio quid iuris / wolde he crie He was / a gentil harlot and a kynde A bettre felawe / sholde men noght fynde He wolde suffre / for a quart of wyn A good felawe / to haue his concubyn A twelf monthe / and excuse hym atte fulle And priuely / a fynch eek koude he pulle And if he foond owher / a good felawe He wolde techen him / to have noon Awe In swich caas / of the Ercedekenes curs But if a mannes soule / were in his purs ffor in his purs / he sholde ypunysshed be Purs / is the Ercedekenes helle seyde he But wel I woot / he lyed right in dede Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man [to] drede ffor curs wol slee / right as assoillyng sauith And also / war him of a Significauit/ In daunger hadde he / at his owene gise The yonge girles / of the diocise And knew hir conseil / and was al hir reed A gerland / hadde he set vp on his heed As greet / as it were for an Ale stake A bokeleer / hadde he maad him of a Cake With hym ther was / a gentil Pardoner¶ Pardoner. Of Rounciuale / his freend and his compeer That streight was comen / fro the court of Rome. fful loude he soong com hider loue to me This Somonour / bar to hym a stif burdoun Was neuere trompe / of half so greet a soun This Pardoner hadde heer / as yelow as wex But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex By ounces / henge hise lokkes þat he hadde And ther with / he hise shuldres ouerspradde But thynne it lay / by colpons oon and oon But hood for Iolitee / wered he noon For it was trussed / vp in his walet Hym thoughte / he rood / al of the newe Iet Discheuelee saue his cappe / he rood al bare Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare A vernycle hadde he sowed / vp on his cappe His walet [lay] biforn hym / in his lappe Bret ful of pardon / comen from Rome al hoot/ A voys he hadde / as smal as hath a goot/ No berd hadde he / ne neuere sholde haue As smothe it was / as it were late shaue I trowe / he were a geldyng or a mare But of his craft fro Berwyk in to Ware Ne was ther / swich another Pardoner ffor in his male / he hadde a pilwe beer Which þat he seyde / was oure lady veyl He seyde he hadde / a gobet of the seyl That seint Peter hadde / whan þat he wente Vp on the see / til Ihesu crist hym hente He hadde a croys of laton / ful of stones And in a glas / he hadde pigges bones But with thise relikes / whan þat he fond A poure person / dwellynge vp on lond Vp on a day / he gat hym moore moneye Than þat the person gat / in Monthes tweye And thus / with feyned flaterye and Iapes He made the person and the peple his Apes But trewely / to tellen atte laste He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste Wel koude he rede / a lesson or a storie But alderbest / he song an Offertorie ffor wel he wiste / whan þat song was songe He moste preche / and wel affile his tonge To wynne siluer / as he ful wel koude Therefore he song / the murierly and loude NOw haue I toold you shortly in a clause The staat tharray / the nombre and eek the cause Why þat assembled was this compaignye In Southwerk / at[MS. as] this gentil hostelrye That highte the Tabard / faste by the belle But now is tyme / to yow for to telle How that we baren vs that ilke nyght Whan we were / in that hostelrie alyght And after wol I telle / of our viage And al the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage But first I pray yow / of youre curteisye That ye narette it nat my vileynye Thogh þat I pleynly speke in this mateere To telle yow / hir wordes and hir cheere Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely ffor this ye knowen / al so wel as I Who so shal telle a tale / after a man He moote reherce / as ny as euere he kan Euerich a word / if it be in his charge Al speke he / neuer so rudeliche or large Or ellis / he moot telle his tale vntrewe Or feyne thyng . or fynde wordes newe He may nat spare / al thogh he were his brother He moot as wel / seye o word as another Crist spak hym self / ful brode in hooly writ And wel ye woot no vileynye is it Eek Plato seith / who so kan hym rede The wordes / moote be cosyn to the dede Also I prey yow / to foryeue it me Al haue I nat set folk in hir degree Heere in this tale / as þat they sholde stonde My wit is short ye may wel vnderstonde ¶ Greet chiere made oure hoost vs euerichon And to the soper / sette he vs anon And serued vs / with vitaille at the beste Strong was the wyn / and wel to drynke vs leste A semely man / oure hoost was with alle ffor to been / a Marchal in an halle A large man he was / with eyen stepe A fairer Burgeys / was ther noon in Chepe Boold of his speche / and wys and well ytaught And of manhod / hym lakked[e] right naught Eek therto / he was right a myrie man And after soper / pleyen he bigan And spak of myrthe / amonges othere thynges Whan that we / hadde maad our rekenynges And seyde thus / now lordynges trewely Ye been to me / right welcome hertely ffor by my trouthe / if that I shal nat lye I saugh nat this yeer / so myrie a compaignye Atones in this herberwe as is now ffayn wolde I doon yow myrthe / wiste I how And of a myrthe / I am right now bythoght To doon yow ese / and it shal coste noght ¶ Ye goon to Caunterbury / god yow speede The blisful martir / quite yow youre meede And wel I woot / as ye goon by the weye Ye shapen yow / to talen and to pleye ffor trewely / confort ne myrthe is noon To ride by the weye doumb as the stoon And therfore / wol I maken yow disport As I seyde erst and doon yow som confort And if yow liketh alle / by oon assent ffor to stonden / at my Iuggement And for to werken / as I shal yow seye To morwe / whan ye riden by the weye Now by my fader soule that is deed But if ye be myrie / I wol yeue yow myn heed ¶ Hoold vp youre hond withouten moore speche Oure conseil / was nat longe for to seche Vs thoughte / it was noght worth / to make it wys And graunted hym / wit outen moore auys And bad him seye his voirdit as hym leste ¶ Lordynges quod he / now herkneth for the beste But taak it nought / I prey yow in desdeyn This is the poynt to speken short and pleyn That ech of yow / to shorte with oure weye In this viage / shal telle tales tweye To Caunterburyward / I mene it so And homward / he shal tellen othere two Of auentures / that whilom han bifalle And which of yow / that bereth hym best of alle That is to seyn / that telleth in this caas Tales of best sentence / and moost solaas Shal haue a soper / at oure aller cost Heere in this place / sittynge by this post Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury And for to make yow / the moore mury I wol my self / goodly with yow ryde Right at myn owene cost and be youre gyde And who so wole / my Iuggement withseye Shal paye / al that we spenden by the weye And if ye vouche sauf / that it be so Tel me anon / with outen wordes mo And I wol erly / shape me therfore ¶ This thyng was graunted and oure othes swore With ful glad herte / and preyden hym also That he would vouche sauf / for to do so And that he / wolde been oure gouernour And of our tales / Iuge and Reportour And sette a soper / at a certeyn pris And we / wol reuled been at his deuys ¶ In heigh and lough / and thus by oon assent We been acorded / to his Iuggement And ther vp on / the wyn was fet anon We dronken / and to reste wente echon With outen / any lenger taryynge Amorwe / whan þat day / gan for to sprynge Vp roos oure hoost and was oure aller cok And gadrede vs togidre / alle in a flok And forth we riden / a litel moore than paas Vn to the wateryng of Seint Thomas And there oure hoost bigan his hors areste And seyde lordynges / herkneth if yow leste ¶ Ye woot youre foreward / and [I] it yow recorde If euen song / and morwe song accorde Lat se now / who shal telle the firste tale As euere mote I drynke / wyn or ale Who so be / rebel to my Iuggement Shal paye / for al þat by the wey is spent Now draweth cut er þat we ferrer twynne He / which þat hath the shorteste shal bigynne Sire knyght quod he / my mayster and my lord Now draweth cut / for that is myn accord Cometh neer quod he / my lady Prioresse And ye sire clerk / lat be your shamefastnesse Ne studieth noght / ley hond to euery man Anon to drawen / euery wight bigan And shortly / for to tellen as it was Were it by auenture / or sort or cas The sothe is this / the cut fil to the knyght Of which / ful blithe and glad was every wyght And telle he moste his tale / as was reson By foreward / and by composicion As ye han herd / what nedeth wordes mo An whan this goode man / saugh þat it was so As he / that wys was and obedient To kepe his foreward / by his free assent He seyde / syn I shal bigynne the game What welcome be the cut / a goddes name Now lat us ryde / and herkneth what I seye And with that word / we ryden forth oure weye And he bigan / with right a myrie cheere His tale anon / and seyde in this manere ¶ Heere bigynneth the knyghtes taleIamque domos patrias Sithice post aspera gentis presia laurigero &c. WHilom / as olde stories / tellen vs[Painting of the Knight in the margin.] Ther was a duc þat highte Theseus Of Atthenes / he was lord and gouernour And in his tyme swich a Conquerour, That gretter / was ther noon vnder the Sonne fful many a riche contree hadde he wonne That with his wysdom / and his chiualrie He conquered / al the regne of ffemenye That whilom / was ycleped Scithia And wedded[e] the queene ypolita And broghte hire hoom with hym in his contree With muchel glorie / and greet solempnytee And eek hir faire suster Emelye And thus / with victorie and with melodye Lete I this noble duc / to Atthenes ryde An al his hoost in Armes hym bisyde ¶ And certes / if it nere / to long to heere I wolde yow haue toold / fully the manere How wonnen was the regne of ffemenye By Theseus / and by his chiualrye And of the grete bataille for the nones Bitwixen Atthenes and Amazones And how asseged was ypolita The faire hardy queene of Scithia And of the feste / þat was at hir weddynge And of the tempest / at hir hoom comynge But al that thyng I moot as now forbere I haue god woot / a large feeld to ere And wayke been / the Oxen in my Plough The remenant of the tale / is long ynough I wol nat letten eek noon of this route Lat euery felawe / telle his tale aboute And lat se now / who shal the soper wynne And ther I lefte / I wol ayeyn bigynne This duc / of whom I make mencioun¶ Narratio Whan he was come / almoost vn to the toun In al his wele / and in his mooste pride He was war / as he caste his eye aside Where that ther kneled in the weye A compaignye of ladyes / tweye and tweye Ech after oother / clad in clothes blake But swich a cry / and swich a wo they make That in this world / nys creature lyuynge That herde / swich another waymentynge And of this cry / they nolde neuere stenten Til they / the reynes of his brydel henten ¶ What folk been ye / that at myn hom comynge Perturben so my feste / with criynge Quod Theseus / haue ye so greet enuye Of myn honour / þat thus compleyne and crye Or who hath yow / mysboden or offended And telleth me / if it may been amended And why / þat ye been / clothed thus in blak ¶ The eldeste lady of hem alle spak Whan she hadde swowned / with a deedly cheere That it was routhe / for to seen and heere And seyde lord / to whom ffortune hath yeuen Victorie / and as a Conqueror to lyuen Nat greueth vs / youre glorie and youre honour But we / biseken mercy and socour Haue mercy on oure wo / and oure distresse Som drope of pitee / thurgh thy gentillesse Vp on vs wrecched wommen / lat thou falle ffor certes lord / ther is noon of vs alle That she ne hath been / a duchesse / or a queene Now be we caytyues / as it is wel seene Thanked be ffortune / and hire false wheel That noon estat assureth to be weel And certes lord / to abyden youre presence Heere in the temple / of the goddesse clemence We han ben waitynge / al this fourtenyght Now help vs lord / sith it is in thy myght ¶ I wrecche / which þat wepe and crie thus Was whilom wyf / to kyng Cappaneus That starf at Thebes / cursed be that day And alle we that been in this array And maken / al this lamentacioun We losten / alle oure housbondes at that toun Whil that the seege / ther aboute lay And yet now the olde Creon weylaway That lord is now / of Thebes the Citee ffulfild of Ire / and of Iniquitee He for despit and for his tirannye To do the dede bodyes vileynye Of alle oure lordes / whiche that been slawe He hath alle the bodyes / on an heepe ydrawe And wol nat suffren hem / by noon assent Neither to been yburyed nor ybrent But maketh houndes / ete hem in despit And with that word / with outen moore respit They fillen gruf / and criden pitously Haue on vs wrecched wommen som mercy And lat oure sorwe / synken in thyn herte ¶ This gentil duc doun from his courser sterte With herte pitous / whan he herde hem speke Hym thoughte / þat his herte wolde breke Whan he saugh hem / so pitous and so maat That whilom weren / of so greet estaat And in his Armes / he hem alle vp hente And hem conforteth / in ful good entente And swoor his ooth / as he was trewe knyght He wolde doon / so ferforthly his myght Vp on the tiraunt Creon / hem to wreke That all the peple of Grece / sholde speke How Creon / was of Theseus yserued As he þat hadde / his deeth ful wel deserued And right anoon / with outen moore abood His Baner he desplayeth and forth rood To Thebesward / and al his hoost biside No neer Atthenes / wolde he go ne ride Ne take his ese / fully half a day But onward on his wey / that nyght he lay And sente anon / ypolita the queene And Emelye / hir yonge suster sheene Vn to the toun of Atthenes to dwelle And forth he rit ther is namoore to telle The rede statue of Mars / with spere and targe So shyneth / in his white baner large That alle the feeldes / glyteren vp and doun And by his Baner / born is his penoun Of gold ful riche / in which ther was ybete The Mynotaur / which þat he slough in Crete ¶ Thus rit this duc thus rit this Conquerour And in his hoost of Chiualrie the flour Til þat he cam to Thebes and alighte ffaire in a feeld / ther as he thoughte fighte But shortly / for to speken of this thyng With Creon / which þat was of Thebes kyng He faught / and slough hym manly as a knyght In pleyn bataille / and putte the folk to flyght And by assaut he wan the Citee after And rente adoun / bothe wall and sparre and rafter And to the ladyes / he restored agayn The bones / of hir housbondes that weren slayn To doon obsequies / as was tho the gyse But it were al to longe / for to deuyse The grete clamour / and the waymentynge That the ladyes made / at the brennynge Of the bodies / and the grete honour That Theseus / the noble Conquerour Dooth to the ladyes / whan they from hym wente But shortly for to telle / is myn entente ¶ Whan þat this worthy duc this Theseus Hath Creon slayn / and wonne Thebes thus Stille in that feeld / he took al nyght his reste And dide with al the contree / as hym leste ¶ To ransake in the taas / of the bodyes dede Hem for to strepe / of harneys and of wede The pilours / diden bisynesse and cure After the bataille and disconfiture And so bifel / þat in the taas they founde Thurgh girt with many a greuous blody wounde Two yonge knyghtes / liggynge by and by Bothe in oon Armes / wroght ful richely Of whiche two / Arcita highte that oon And that oother knyght / highte Palamon Nat fully quyke / ne fully dede they were But by here Cote Armures / and by hir gere The heraudes / knewe hem best in special As they þat weren / of the blood roial Of Thebes / and of sustren two yborn Out of the taas / the pilours han hem torn And han hem caried / softe vn to the tente Of Theseus / and ful soone he hem sente To Atthenes / to dwellen in prison Perpetuelly / he nolde no raunson And whan this worthy duc hath thus ydon He took his hoost and hoom he rood anon With laurer crowned / as a Conquerour And ther he lyueth / in ioye and in honour Terme of [his] lyue / what nedeth wordes mo And in a tour / in angwissh and in wo This Palamon / and his felawe Arcite ffor eueremoore / ther may no gold hem quite ¶ This passeth / yeer by yeer / and day by day Till it fil ones / in a morwe of May That Emelye / þat fairer was to sene Than is the lylie / vpon his stalke grene And fressher than the May / with floures newe ffor with the Rose colour stroof hire hewe I noot which was the fyner of hem two Er it were day / as was hir wone to do She was arisen / and al redy dight ffor May wole haue / no slogardrie a nyght The seson / priketh / euery gentil herte And maketh hym / out of his slepe to sterte And seith arys / and do thyn obseruance This maked Emelye / haue remembrance To doon honour to May / and for to ryse Yclothed was she / fressh for to deuyse Hir yelow heer / was broyded in a tresse Bihynde hir bak / a yerde long I gesse And in the gardyn / at the sonne vp riste She walketh vp and doun / and as hire liste She gadereth floures party / white and rede To make a subtil gerland for hire hede And as an Aungel / heuenysshly she soong The grete tour / þat was so thikke and stroong Which of the Castel / was the chief dongeon Ther as the knyghtes / weren in prison Of whiche I tolde yow / and tellen shal Was euene ioynant to the gardyn wal Ther as this Emelye / hadde hir pleyynge Bright was the sonne / and cleer that morwenynge And this Palamon / this woful prisoner As was his wone / bi leue of his gayler Was risen / and romed / in a chambre an heigh In which / he al the noble Citee seigh And eek the gardyn / ful of braunches grene Ther as this fresshe Emelye the sheene Was in hire walk and romed vp and doun This sorweful prisoner / this Palamoun Goth in the chambre / romynge to and fro And to hym self / compleynynge of his wo That he was born / ful ofte he seyde allas And so bifel / by auenture or cas That thurgh a wyndow / thikke of many a barre Of Iren / greet and square as any sparre He cast his eye / vpon Emelya And ther with al he bleynte and cride .A. As though he stongen were vn to the herte And with that cry / Arcite anon vp sterte And seyde cosyn myn / what eyleth thee That art so pale / and deedly on to see Why cridestow / who hath thee doon offence ffor goddes love / taak al in pacience Oure prison / for it may noon oother be Fortune / hath yeuen vs this Aduersitee Som wikke aspect / or disposicion Of Saturne / by sum constellacion Hath yeuen vs this / al though we hadde it sworn So stood the heuene / whan þat we were born We moste endure / this is the short and playn ¶ This Palamon answerde / and seyde agayn Cosyn for sothe / of this opinion Thow hast a veyn ymaginacion This prison caused me nat for to crye But I was hurt right now thurgh out myn eye In to myn herte / that wol my bane be The fairnesse / of that lady þat I see Yond in the gardyn / romen to and fro Is cause / of al my criyng and my wo I noot wher she be / womman or goddesse But Venus is it / soothly as I gesse And ther with al / on knees doun he fil And seyde Venus / if it be thy wil Yow in this gardyn / thus to transfigure Bifore me / sorweful wrecche creature Out of this prison / helpe þat we may scapen And if so be / my destynee be shapen By eterne word / to dyen in prison Of oure lynage / haue som compassion That is so lowe ybroght by tirannye And with that word / Arcite gan espye Wher as this lady / romed to and fro And with that sighte / hir beautee hurte hym so That if that Palamon / [was] wounded sore Arcite is hurt as moche as he / or moore And with a sigh / he seyde pitously The fresshe beautee / sleeth me sodeynly Of hire / that rometh / in the yonder place And but I haue / hir mercy and hir grace That I may seen hire / atte leeste weye I nam but deed / ther is namoore to seye ¶ This Palamon / whan he tho wordes herde Dispitously / he looked and answerde Wheither seistow this / in ernest or in pley? ¶ Nay quod Arcite / in ernest by my fey God helpe me so / me list ful yuele pleye ¶ This Palamon / gan knytte his browes tweye It nere quod he to thee / no greet honour ffor to be fals / ne for to be traitour To me / þat am thy cosyn and thy brother Ysworn ful depe / and ech of vs til oother That neuere for to dyen in the peyne Til þat deeth / departe shal vs tweyne Neither of vs / in loue to hyndre oother Ne in noon oother cas / my leeue brother But þat thou sholdest trewely forthren me In euery cas / as I shal forthren thee This was thyn ooth / and myn also certeyn I woot right wel / thou darst it nat withseyn Thus artow of my conseil out of doute And now / thow woldest falsly been aboute To loue my lady / whom I loue and serue And euere shal / til þat myn herte sterue Nay certes false Arcite / thow shalt nat so I loued hire first / and tolde thee my wo As to my conseil / and to my brother sworn To forthre me / as I haue toold biforn ffor which / thou art ybounden as a knyght To helpen me / if it lay in thy myght Or elles artow fals / I dar wel seyn ¶ This Arcite / ful proudly spak ageyn Thow shalt quod he / be rather fals than I And thou art fals / I telle thee outrely ffor paramour I loued hire first er thow What wiltow seyn / thou wistest nat yet now Wheither she be / a womman or goddesse Thyn is / affeccion of hoolynesse And myn is loue / as to a creature ffor which / I tolde thee myn auenture As to my cosyn / and my brother sworn I pose / that thow louedest hire biforn Wostow nat wel / the olde clerkes sawe That / who shal yeue a louere any lawe¶ Quis legem det amantibus. Loue is a gretter lawe / by my pan Than may be yeue / of any erthely man And therfore / positif lawe and swich decree Is broken al day for loue in ech degree A man moot nedes loue / maugree his heed He may nat flee it thogh he sholde be deed Al be she mayde / or wydwe / or elles wyf And eek it is nat likly al thy lyf To stonden in hir grace / namoore shal I ffor wel thou woost thy seluen verraily That thou and I / be dampned to prison Perpetuelly / vs gayneth no raunson We stryuen / as dide / the houndes for the boon They foughte al day / and yet hir part was noon Ther cam a kyte / whil they weren so wrothe And baar awey the boon / bitwixe hem bothe And therfore / at the kynges court my brother Ech man for hym self / ther is noon oother Loue if thee list for I loue and ay shal And soothly / leeue brother this is al Heere in this prison / moote we endure And euerich of vs / take his auenture GReet was the strif / and long / bitwix hem tweye If that I hadde / leyser for to seye But to theffect / it happed on a day To telle it yow / as shortly as I may A worthy duc that highte Perotheus That felawe was / to duc Theseus Syn thilke day / that they were children lite Was come to Atthenes / his felawe to visite And for to pleye / as he was won[t] to do ffor in this world / he loued no man so And he loued hym / als tendrely agayn So wel they louede / as olde bookes sayn That whan þat oon was deed / soothly to telle His felawe wente / and soughte hym doun in helle But of that storie / list me nat to write Duc Perotheus / loued wel Arcite And hadde hym knowe at Thebes yeer by yere And finally / at requeste and preyere Of Perotheus / with outen any raunson Duc Theseus / hym leet out of prison ffrely to goon / wher þat hym liste ouer al In swich a gyse / as I you tellen shal ¶ This was the forward / pleynly for tendite Bitwixen Theseus / and hym Arcite That if so were / þat Arcite were yfounde Euere in his lif / by day / or nyght or stounde In any contree / of this Theseus And he were caught it was acorded thus That with a swerd / he sholde lese his heed Ther nas / noon oother remedie ne reed But taketh his leue / and homward he him spedde Lat hym be war / his nekke lith to wedde ¶ How greet a sorwe / suffreth now Arcite The deeth he feeleth / thurgh his herte smyte He wepeth / wayleth / crieth pitously To sleen hym self / he waiteth priuely He seyde allas / that day þat he was born Now is my prison / worse than biforn Now is me shape / eternally to dwelle Nat in my purgatorie / but in helle Allas / þat euere knew I Perotheus ffor elles / hadde I. dwelled with Theseus Yfetered in his prison eueremo Thanne hadde I been in blisse and nat in wo Oonly / the sighte of hire / whom þat I serue Though þat I neuere / hir grace may deserue Wolde han suffised / right ynough for me O deere cosyn / Palamon quod he Thyn is the victorie / of this auenture fful blisfully in prison maistow dure In prison? certes nay / but in Paradys Wel hath ffortune / y-turned thee the dys That hast the sighte of hire / and I thabsence ffor possible is / syn thou hast hire presence And art a knyght a worthy and an able That som cas / syn ffortune is chaungeable Thow maist to thy desir / som tyme atteyne But I / þat am exiled and bareyne Of alle grace / and in so greet dispeir That ther nys erthe / water / fir / ne eir Ne creature / þat of hem maked is That may me heele / or doon confort in this Wel oughte I sterue / in wanhope and distresse ffarwel / my lif / my lust and my gladnesse ¶ Allas / why pleynen folk so in commune Of puruieaunce of god / or of ffortune That yeueth hem ful ofte / in many a gyse Wel bettre / than they kan hem self deuyse Som man desireth / for to han richesse That cause is of his moerdre / or greet siknesse And som man wolde / out of his prison fayn That in his hous / is of his meynee slayn Infinite harmes / been in this mateere We witen nat what [thing] we preyen heere We faren / as he that dronke is as a Mous A dronke man woot wel / þat he hath an hous But he noot which the righte wey is thider And to a dronke man / the wey is slider And certes / in this world so faren we We seken faste / after felicitee But we goon wrong ful often trewely Thus may we seyn alle / and namely I That wende / and hadde a greet opinion That if I myghte / escapen from prison Thanne hadde I been in ioye / and perfit heele That now / I am exiled fro my wele Syn þat I may nat seen you Emelye I nam but deed / ther nys no remedye ¶ Vp on that oother syde / Palamon Whan þat he wiste / Arcite was agon Swich sorwe he maketh / þat the grete tour Resouned / of his youlyng and clamour The pure fettres / on his shynes grete Weren / of his bittre salte teeres wete Allas quod he / Arcita cosyn myn Of al oure strif / god woot the fruyt is thyn Thow walkest now in Thebes at thy large And of my wo / thow yeuest litel charge Thou mayst / syn thou hast wysdom and manhede Assemblen / alle the folk / of oure kynrede And make a werre / so sharpe on this Citee That by som auenture / or som tretee Thow mayst haue hire to lady and to wyf ffor whom / þat I moste nedes lese my lyf ffor / as by wey of possibilitee Sith thou art at thy large / of prison free And art a lord / greet is thyn auauntage Moore than is myn / þat sterue here in a cage ffor I moot wepe / and wayle whil I lyue With al the wo / þat prison may me yeue And eek with peyne / þat loue me yeueth also That doubleth / al my torment / and my wo Ther with / the fyr of Ialousie vp sterte With Inne his brest and hente him by the herte So woodly / that he lyk was to biholde The Boxtree / or the Asshen dede and colde ¶ Thanne seyde he / o crueel gooddes þat gouerne This world / with byndyng of youre word eterne And writen in the table of Atthamaunt Youre parlement and youre eterne graunt What is mankynde / moore vn to you holde Than is the sheepe / þat rouketh in the folde ffor slayn is man / right as another beest And dwelleth eek / in prison and arreest And hath siknesse / and greet aduersitee And ofte tymes / gilt[e]lees pardee ¶ What gouernance / is in this prescience That gilt[e]lees / tormenteth Innocence And yet encresseth this / al my penaunce That man is bounden / to his observaunce ffor goddes sake / to letten of his wille Ther as a beest / may al his lust fulfille And whan a beest is deed / he hath no peyne But after his deeth / man moot wepe and pleyne Though in this world / he haue care and wo With outen doute / it may stonden so The answere of this / lete I to dyuynys But well I woot þat in this world greet pyne ys Allas / I se a serpent or a theef / That many a trewe man / hath doon mescheef Goon at his large / and where hym list may turne But I moot been in prison / thurgh Saturne And eek thurgh Juno / Ialous and eek wood That hath destroyed / wel ny al the blood Of Thebes / with hise waste walles wyde And venus / sleeth me on that oother syde ffor Ialousie / and fere of hym Arcite ¶ Now wol I stynte of Palamon a lite And lete hym / in his prison stille dwelle And of Arcita / forth I wol yow telle ¶ The sonne passeth / and the nyghtes longe Encressen double wise / the peynes stronge Bothe / of the louere / and the prisoner I noot which hath the wofuller mester ffor shortly for to seyn / this Palamon Perpetuelly / is dampned to prison In cheynes and in fettres / to been deed And Arcite / is exiled vpon his heed ffor euere mo / as out of that contree Ne neuere mo / he shal his lady see NOw loueres / axe I now this question Who hath the worse / Arcite / or Palamon? That oon may seen his lady / day by day But in prison / he moot dwelle alway That oother / wher hym list may ride or go But seen his lady / shal he neuere mo Now demeth as yow list ye that kan ffor I wol telle forth / as I bigan.¶ Explicit prima Pars. ¶ Sequitur pars secunda. Whan that Arcite / to Thebes comen was fful ofte a day / he swelte and seyde allas ffor seen his lady / shal he neuere mo And shortly / to concluden al his wo So muche sorwe / hadde neuere creature That is / or shal / whil þat the world may dure His slepe / his mete / his drynke / is hym biraft That lene he wexeth / and drye as is a shaft Hise eyen holwe / and grisly to biholde His hewe falow / and pale as Asshen colde And solitarie he was / and euere allone And waillynge al the nyght makynge his mone And if he herde / song or Instrument Thanne wolde he wepe / he myghte nat be stent So feble eek were hise spiritz and so lowe And chaunged so / that no man koude knowe His speche nor his voys / though men it herde And in his geere / for al the world he ferde Nat oonly / lik the loueris maladye Of Hereos / but rather lyk Manye¶ Mania Engendred / of humour malencolik Biforn his owene Celle fantastik And shortly / turned was al vp so doun Bothe habit / and eek disposicioun Of hym this woful louere daun Arcite ¶ What sholde I / al day of his wo endite Whan he endured hadde / a yeer or two This crueel torment and this peyne and woo At Thebes in his contree / as I seyde Vp on a nyght / in sleepe as he hym leyde Hym thoughte / how that the wynged god Mercurie Biforn hym stood / and bad hym to be murie His slepy yerde / in hond he bar vprighte An hat he werede / vp hise heris brighte Arrayed was this god / as I took keepe As he was / whan þat Argus took his sleepe And seyde hym thus / to Atthenes shaltou wende Ther is thee shapen / of thy wo an ende And with that word / Arcite wook and sterte Now trewely / hou soore þat me smerte Quod he / to Atthenes / right now wol I fare Ne for the drede of deeth / shal I nat spare To se my lady / that I loue and serue In hire presence / I recche nat to sterue ¶ And with that word / he caughte a greet Mirour And saugh / þat chaunged was al his colour And saugh his visage / al in another kynde And right anon / it ran hym in his mynde That sith his face / was so disfigured Of maladye / the which he hadde endured He myghte wel / if þat he bar hym lowe Lyue in Atthenes / eueremoore vnknowe And seen his lady / wel ny day by day And right anon / he chaunged his array And cladde hym / as a poure laborer And al allone / saue oonly a Squier That knew his priuetee / and al his cas Which was disgised / pourely as he was To Atthenes / is he goon the nexte way And to the court he wente vp on a day And at the gate / he profreth his seruyse To drugge and drawe / what so men wol deuyse And shortly / of this matere for to seyn He fil in office / with a Chamberleyn The which þat dwellynge was with Emelye ffor he was wys / and koude soone espye Of euery seruant which that serueth here Wel koude he / hewen wode / and water bere ffor he was yong / and myghty for the nones And ther to / he was long / and big of bones To doon / that any wight / kan hym deuyse A yeer or two / he was in this seruyse Page of the chambre / of Emelye the brighte And Philostrate / he seyde þat he highte But half / so wel / biloued a man as he Ne was ther neuere in Court of his degree He was so gentil of his condicioun That thurghout al the Court was his renoun They seyden / that it were a charitee That Theseus / wolde enhauncen his degree And putten hym / in worshipful seruyse Ther as he myghte / his vertu excercise And thus / with Inne a while / his name is spronge Bothe of hise dedes / and his goode tonge That Theseus / hath taken hym so neer That of his chambre / he made hym a Squier And gaf him gold / to mayntene his degree And eek men broghte hym / out of his contree ffrom yeer to yeer / ful pryuely his rente But honestly / and slyly he it spente That no man wondred / how þat he it hadde And thre yeer in this wise / his lif he ladde And bar hym so / in pees / and eek in werre Ther was no man / þat Theseus hath derre And in this blisse / lete I now Arcite And speke I wole / of Palamon a lite IN derknesse and horrible / and strong prison Thise seuen yeer / hath seten Palamon fforpyned / what for wo / and for distresse Who feeleth / double soor heuynesse But Palamon / that loue destreyneth so That wood out of his wit he goth for wo And eek ther to / he is a prisoner Perpetuelly / noght oonly / for a yer ¶ Who koude ryme in englyssh proprely His martirdom / for sothe it am nat I. Therfore I passe / as lightly as I may ¶ It fel / that in the seuenthe yer in May The thridde nyght as olde bookes seyn That al this storie / tellen moore pleyn Were it by auenture or / destynee As whan a thyng is shapen / it shal be That soone after the mydnyght Palamon By helpyng of a freend / brak his prison ¶ And fleeth the Citee / faste as he may go ffor he hade yeue / his gayler drynke so Of a Clarree maad / of a certeyn wyn Of Nercotikes / and Opie of Thebes fyn¶ Opium Thebaicum. That al that nyght thogh þat men wolde him shake The gayler sleepe / he myghte nat awake ¶ And thus he fleeth / as faste as euere he may The nyght was short and faste by the day That nedes cost he moot hym seluen hyde And til a groue / faste ther bisyde With dredeful foot thanne stalketh Palamon ffor shortly / this was his opinion · That in that groue / he wolde hym hyde al day And in the nyght / thanne wolde he take his way To Thebes ward / his freendes for to preye On Theseus / to helpe him to werreye And shortly / outher he wolde lese his lif Or wynnen Emelye / vn to his wyf This is theffect and his entente pleyn ¶ Now wol I turne / to Arcite ageyn That litel wiste / how ny þat was his care Til þat ffortune / had broght him in the snare The bisy larke / messager of day Salueth in hir song / the morwe gray And firy Phebus / riseth vp so brighte That al the Orient laugheth of the lighte And with hise stremes / dryeth in the greues The siluer dropes / hangynge on the leues And Arcita / that is in the court Roial With Theseus / his Squier principal Is risen / and looketh on the myrie day And for to doon / his obseruaunce to May Remembrynge / on the poynt of his desir He on a Courser / startlynge as the fir Is riden in to the feeldes / hym to pleye Out of the Court were it a myle or tweye And to the groue / of which þat I yow tolde By auenture / his wey / he gan to holde To maken hym / a gerland / of the greues Were it of wodebynde / or hawethorn leues And loude he song ayeyn the sonne shene May / with alle thy floures and thy grene Wel come be thou / faire fresshe May In hope / þat I som grene gete may And from his courser / with a lusty herte In to a groue / ful hastily he sterte And in a path / he rometh vp and doun Ther as by auenture / this Palamon Was in a bussh / that no man myghte hym se ffor soore aferd of his deeth / thanne was he No thyng ne knew he / that it was Arcite God woot he wolde haue trowed it ful lite But sooth is seyd / go sithen many yeres That feeld hath eyen / and the wode hath eres It is ful fair / a man to bere hym euene ffor al day / meeteth men at vnset steuene fful litel woot Arcite of his felawe That was so ny / to herknen al his sawe ffor in the bussh / he sitteth now ful stille ¶ Whan þat Arcite / hadde romed al his fille And songen al the roundel lustily In to a studie / he fil al sodeynly As doon thise loueres / in hir queynte geres Now in the crope / now doun in the breres Now vp / now doun / as boket in a welle Right as the friday / soothly for to telle Now it shyneth / now it reyneth faste Right so / kan geery Venus ouer caste The hertes of hir folk / right as hir day Is gereful / right so chaungeth she array Selde is the friday / al the wowke ylike ¶ Whan þat Arcite had songe / he gan to sike And sette hym doun / with outen any moore Allas quod he / that day þat I was bore How longe Iuno / thurgh thy crueltee Woltow werreyen Thebes the Citee Allas / ybroght is to confusion The blood roial / of Cadme and Amphion¶ Cadmus Of Cadmus / which þat was the firste man That Thebes bulte / or first the toun bigan And of the Citee / first was crouned kyng Of his lynage am I / and his of spryng / By verray ligne / as of the stok roial And now I am / so caytyf / and so thral That he / that is my mortal enemy I serue hym / as his squier pourely And yet / dooth Iuno me / wel moore shame ffor I dar noght biknowe myn owene name But ther as I / was wont to highte Arcite Now highte I Philostrate / noght worth a myte Allas thou felle Mars / allas Iuno Thus hath youre Ire / oure kynrede al fordo Saue oonly me / and wrecched Palamon That Theseus / martireth in prison And ouer al this / to sleen me outrely Loue hath / his firy dart so brennyngly Ystiked / thurgh my trewe careful herte That shapen was my deeth / erst than my sherte Ye sleen me / with youre eyen Emelye Ye been the cause / wherfore þat I dye Of al the remenant of myn oother care Ne sette I nat the montance of a tare So þat I koude / doon aught to youre plesaunce And with that word / he fil doun in a traunce A longe tyme / and after he vp sterte ¶ This Palamon / þat thoughte þat thurgh his herte He felte a coold swerd / sodeynliche glyde ffor Ire he quook / no lenger wolde he byde And whan þat he / had herd Arcites tale As he were wood / with face / deed and pale He stirte hym vp / out of the buskes thikke And seide Arcite / false traytour wikke Now artow hent that louest my lady so ffor whom þat I haue / al this peyne and wo And art my blood / and to my conseil sworn As I ful ofte / haue seyd thee heer biforn And hast byiaped heere / duc Theseus And falsly / chaunged hast / thy name thus I wol be deed / or elles thou shalt dye Thou shalt nat / loue my lady Emelye But I wol loue hire oonly / and namo ffor I am Palamon / thy mortal foo And though þat I no wepene haue in this place But out of prison / am astert by grace I drede noght / þat outher thow shalt dye Or thow ne shalt nat louen Emelye Chees which thou wolt or thou shalt nat asterte ¶ This Arcite / with ful despitous herte Whan he hym knew / and hadde his tale herd As fiers as leon / pulled out his swerd And seyde thus / by god þat sit aboue Nere it / þat thou art sik and wood for loue And eek þat thow no wepne hast in this place Thou sholdest neuere / out of this groue pace That thou ne sholdest dyen of myn hond ffor I defye / the seurete and the bond Which that thou seist þat I haue maad to thee What verray fool / thynk wel / þat loue is fre And I wol loue hire / mawgree al thy myght But for as muche / thou art a worthy knyght And wilnest to darreyne hire by bataille Haue heer my trouthe / tomorwe I wol nat faile With oute wityng of any oother wight That heere / I wol be founden as a knyght And bryngen harneys / right ynough for thee And chese the beste / and leue the worste for me And mete and drynke / this nyght wol I brynge Ynough for thee / and clothes for thy beddynge And if so be / that thou my lady wynne And sle me in this wode / ther I am Inne Thow mayst wel haue thy lady / as for me ¶ This Palamon answerde / I graunte it thee And thus they been departed / til amorwe Whan ech of hem / had leyd his feith to borwe O Cupide / out of alle charitee O regne / þat wolt no felawe haue with thee fful sooth is seyd / þat loue ne lordshipe Wol noght hir thankes / haue no felaweshipe Wel fynden that Arcite and Palamon Arcite is riden anon / vn to the toun And on the morwe / er it were dayes light fful priuely / two harneys hath he dight Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyne The bataille in the feeld / bitwix hem tweyne And on his hors / allone as he was born He carieth / al the harneys / hym biforn And in the groue / at tyme and place yset This Arcite / and this Palamon ben met To chaungen / gan the colour in hir face Right as the hunters / in the regne of Trace That stondeth at the gappe with a spere Whan hunted is / the leon and the bere And hereth hym / come russhyng in the greues And breketh / bothe bowes / and the leues And thynketh / heere cometh my mortal enemy With oute faile / he moot be deed / or I ffor outher / I moot sleen hym at the gappe Or he moot sleen me / if þat me myshappe So ferden they / in chaungyng of hir hewe As fer / as euerich of hem oother knewe ¶ Ther nas no good day ne no saluyng But streight with outen word / or rehersyng Euerich of hem / heelpe for to armen oother As freenly / as he were his owene brother And after that with sharpe speres stronge They foynen ech at oother wonder longe Thou myghtest wene / that this Palamon In his fightyng were [as] a wood leon And as a crueel Tigre was Arcite As wilde bores / gonne they to smyte That frothen whit as foom / for Ire wood Vp to the Anclee / foghte they in hir blood ¶ And in this wise / I lete hem fightyng dwelle And forth I wole / of Theseus yow telle The destinee / Ministre general That executeth / in the world ouer al The purueiaunce / that god hath seyn biforn So strong it is / þat though the world had sworn The contrarie of a thyng by ye or nay Yet somtyme / it shal fallen on a day That falleth nat eft with Inne a thousand yeere ffor certeinly / oure appetites heere Be it of werre / or pees / or hate / or loue Al is this reuled / by the sighte aboue ¶ This mene I now / by myghty Theseus That for to hunten / is so desirus And namely / at the grete hert in May That in his bed / ther daweth hym no day That he nys clad / and redy for to ryde With hunte and horn / and houndes hym bisyde ffor in his huntyng . hath he swich delit That it is / al his ioye and appetit To been hym self / the grete hertes bane ffor after Mars / he serueth now dyane ¶ Cleer was the day / as I haue toold er this And Theseus / with alle ioye and blis With his ypolita / the faire queene And Emelye / clothed al in grene On huntyng be they riden roially And to the groue / that stood ful faste by In which ther was an hert as men hym tolde Duc Theseus / the streighte wey hath holde And to the launde / he rideth hym ful right/ ffor thider was the hert wont haue his flight And ouer a brook / and so forth in his weye This duc . wol han a cours at hym or tweye With houndes / swiche as hym list comaunde ¶ And whan this duc was come vn to the launde Vnder the sonne he looketh / and anon He was war / of Arcite and Palamon That foughten breme / as it were bores two The brighte swerdes / wenten to and fro So hidously / that with the leeste strook It semed / as it wolde fille an ook But what they were / no thyng he ne woot This duc his courser / with his spores smoot And at a stert he was bitwix hem two And pulled out a swerd / and cride hoo Namoore / vp on peyne of lesynge of youre heed By myghty Mars / he shal anon be deed That smyteth any strook . that I may seen But telleth me / what mystiers men ye been That been so hardy / for to fighten heere With outen Iuge / or oother Officere As it were / in a lystes roially ¶ This Palamon / answerde hastily And seyde / sire / what nedeth wordes mo We haue / the deeth / disserued bothe two Two woful wrecches been we / two caytyues That been encombred / of oure owene lyues And as thou art a rightful lord and Iuge Ne yeue vs / neither mercy ne refuge But sle me first for seinte charitee But sle my felawe eek as wel as me Or sle hym first . for though thow knowest it lite This is thy mortal foo / this is Arcite That fro thy lond / is banysshed on his heed ffor which / he hath deserued to be deed ffor this is he / þat cam vn to thy gate And seyde / þat he highte Philostrate Thus hath he iaped thee / ful many a yer And thou hast maked hym thy chief Squier And this is he / that loueth Emelye ffor sith the day is come / þat I shal dye I make pleynly / my confession That I am / thilke woful Palamon That hath / thy prison broken wikkedly I am thy mortal foo / and it am I That loueth so hoote / Emelye the brighte That I wol dye / present in hir sighte Therfore I axe deeth / and my Iuwise But sle my felawe / in the same wise ffor bothe / han we deserued to be slayn ¶ This worthy duc answerde anon agayn And seyde / this is a short conclusion Youre owene mouth / by youre confession Hath dampned yow / and I wol it recorde It nedeth noght / to pyne yow with the corde Ye shal be deed / by myghty Mars the rede ¶ The queene anon / for verray wommanhede Gan for to wepe / and so dide Emelye And alle the ladyes / in the compaignye Greet pitee was it as it thoughte hem alle That euere / swich a chaunce sholde falle ffor gentil men they were / of greet estaat And no thyng but for loue was this debaat And saugh hir blody woundes / wyde and soore And alle crieden / bothe lasse and moore Haue mercy Lord / vp on vs wommen alle And on hir bare knees / adoun they falle And wolde haue kist his feet ther as he stood Til at the laste / aslaked was his mood ffor pitee / renneth soone in gentil herte And though / he first for Ire quook and sterte He hath considered / shortly in a clause The trespas of hem bothe / and eek the cause And al though þat his Ire / hir gilt accused Yet in his reson / he hem bothe excused And thus / he thoghte wel þat euery man Wol helpe hym self in loue / if that he kan And eek deliuere hym self / out of prison And eek his herte hadde compassion Of wommen / for they wepen euere in oon And / in his gentil herte / he thoughte anon And softe vn to hym self / he seyde fy s Vp on a lord / that wol haue no mercy¶ Notate domini. But been a leon / bothe in word and dede To hem / þat been in repentance and drede As wel / as to a proud despitous man That wol maynteyne / that he first bigan That lord / hath litel of discrecion That in swich cas / kan no diuision But weyeth / pride and humblesse after oon And shortly / whan his Ire / is thus agoon He gan to looken vp / with eyen lighte And spak thise same wordes / al on highte ¶ The god of loue / A benedicite How myghty / and how greet a lord is he Ayeyns his myght ther gayneth none obstacles He may be cleped a god / for hise myracles ffor he kan maken / at his owene gyse Of euerich herte / as þat hym list diuyse Lo heere this Arcite / and this Palamon That quitly weren / out of my prison And myghte / han lyued in Thebes roially And witen / I am hir mortal enemy And þat hir deth / lith in my myght also And yet hath loue / maugree hir eyen two [Y-]Broght hem hyder / bothe for to dye Now looketh / is nat that an heigh folye ¶ Who may [nat] been a fole / but if he loue Bihoold / for goddes sake þat sit aboue Se how they blede / be they noght wel arrayed Thus hath hir lord / the god of loue ypayed Hir wages / and hir fees / for hir seruyse And yet they wenen / for to been ful wyse That seruen loue / for aught that may bifalle But this is yet the beste game of alle That she / for whom they han this Iolitee Kan hem ther fore / as muche thank / as me She woot namoore / of al this hoote fare By god / than woot a Cokkow of an hare But all moot ben assayed / hoot and coold A man moot ben a fool / or yong or oold I woot it by my self / ful yore agon ffor in my tyme / a seruant was I oon And therfore / syn I knowe of loues peyne And woot hou soore / it kan a man distreyne As he / þat hath / ben caught ofte in his laas I yow foryeue / al hoolly this trespaas At requeste of the queene / þat kneleth heere And eek of Emelye / my suster deere And ye shul bothe / anon vn to me swere That neuere mo / ye shal my contree dere Ne make werre vp on me nyght ne day But been my freendes / in al that ye may I yow foryeue / this trespas euery deel And they him sworen / his axyng faire and weel And hym of lordshipe / and of mercy preyde And he hem graunteth grace / and thus he seyde TO speke / of roial lynage and richesse Though þat she were a queene or a princesse Ech of you bothe / is worthy doutelees To wedden whan tyme is doutelees I speke / as for my suster Emelye ffor whom ye haue / this strif and Ialousye Ye woot your self she may nat wedden two Atones / though ye fighten eueremo That oon of you / al be hym looth or lief/ He moot[e] pipen / in an yuy leef This is to seyn / she may nat now han bothe Al be ye neuer so Ialouse / ne so wrothe And for thy / I yow putte in this degree That ech of yow / shal haue his destynee As hym is shape / and herkneth in what wyse Lo heere your ende / of that I shal deuyse My wyl is this / for plat conclusion With outen / any repplicacion If that you liketh / take it for the beste That euerich of you / shal goon where hym leste ffrely / with outen raunson / or daunger And this day fifty wykes / fer ne ner Euerich of you / shal brynge an hundred knyghtes Armed for lystes / vp at alle rightes ¶ Al redy / to darreyne hire by bataille And this bihote I yow / with outen faille Vp on my trouthe / and as I am a knyght That wheither of yow bothe þat hath myght This is to seyn / that wheither he or thow May with his hundred / as I spak of now Sleen his contrarie / or out of lystes dryue Thanne shal I yeue / Emelya to wyue To whom þat ffortune / yeueth so fair a grace Tho lystes / shal I maken in this place And god so wisly / on my soule rewe As I shal euene Iuge been and trewe Ye shul noon oother ende / with me maken That oon of yow / ne shal be deed or taken And if yow thynketh / this is weel ysayd Seyeth youre auys / and holdeth you apayd This is youre ende / and youre conclusion ¶ Who looketh lightly now / but Palamon Who spryngeth vp for ioye / but Arcite Who kouthe telle / or who kouthe endite The ioye / þat is maked in the place Whan Theseus / hath doon so fair a grace But doun on knees / wente every maner wight And thonken hym / with al hir herte and myght And namely the Thebans often sithe And thus with good hope / and with herte blithe They taken hir leue / and homward gonne they ride To Thebes / with hise olde walles wyde¶ Explicit secunda pars ¶ Sequitur pars tercia I trowe / men wolde deme it necligence If I foryete / to tellen the dispence Of Theseus / that gooth so bisily To maken vp / the lystes roially That swich a noble Theatre / as it was I dar wel seyn / in this world ther nas The circuit / a myle was aboute Walled of stoon / and dyched al with oute Round was the shape / in manere of compaas fful of degrees / the heighte of sixty pas That whan a man / was set / on o degree He lette nat his felawe for to see ¶ Estward / ther stood a gate of Marbul whit/ Westward right swich another in the opposit ¶ And shortly to concluden / swich a place Was noon in erthe / as in so litel space ffor in the lond / ther was no crafty man That geometrie or Ars Metrik kan Ne portreitour / ne keruere of ymages That Theseus / ne yaf [hem] mete and wages The Theatre / for to maken and deuyse And for to doon / his ryte and sacrifise He Estward / hath vp on the gate aboue In worshipe of Venus goddesse of loue Doon make an Auter / and an Oratorie And on the westward / in memorie Of Mars / he maked hath right swich another That coste largely / of gold a fother And Northward / in a Touret / on the wal Of Alabastre whit and reed coral An Oratorie / riche for to see In worshipe of Dyane of Chastitee Hath Theseus doon wroght in noble wyse ¶ But yet hadde I foryeten to deuyse The noble keruyng and the portreitures The shape / the contenaunce and the figures That weren / in thise Oratories thre ¶ ffirst in the temple of Venus / maystow se Wroght on the wal / ful pitous to biholde The broken slepes / and the sikes colde The sacred teeris / and the waymentynge The firy strokes / and the desirynge That loues seruauntz / in this lyf enduren The othes / that her couenantz assuren Plesaunce and hope / desir foolhardynesse Beautee and youthe / bauderie richesse Charmes and force / lesynges flaterye Despense / bisynesse and Ialousye That wered of yelewe gooldes a gerland And a Cokkow / sittynge on hir hand ffestes / Instrumentz / caroles daunces Lust and array / and alle the circumstaunces Of loue / whiche þat I rekned haue / and rekne shal By ordre / weren peynted on the wal And mo / than I kan make of mencion ffor soothly / al the mount of Citheron Ther Venus / hath hir principal dwellynge Was shewed on the wal / in portreyynge With al the gardyn / and the lustynesse Nat was foryeten / the Porter ydelnesse Ne Narcisus the faire / of yore agon And yet the folye / of kyng Salamon ¶ And eek the grete strengthe of Ercules Thenchauntementz of Medea and Circes Ne of Turnus / with the hardy fiers corage The riche Cresus / kaytyf / in seruage Thus may ye seen / þat wysdom ne richesse Beautee ne sleighte / strengthe hardynesse Ne may with Venus / holde champartie ffor as hir list the world than may she gye Lo alle thise folk so caught were in hir las Til they for wo / ful ofte seyde allas Suffiseth heere / ensamples oon or two And though / I koude rekene a thousand mo The statue of Venus / glorious for to se Was naked / fletynge in the large see And fro the nauele doun / al couered was With wawes grene / and brighte as any glas A Citole / in hir right hand / hadde she And on hir heed / ful semely for to se A Rose gerland fressh / and wel smellynge Aboue hir heed / hir dowues flikerynge Biforn hire / stood hir sone Cupido Vp on his shuldres / wynges hadde he two And blynd he was / as it was often seene A bowe he bar / and Arwes brighte and kene ¶ Why sholde I noght / as wel eek telle yow al The portreiture / that was vp on the wal With Inne the temple / of myghty Mars the rede Al peynted was the wal / in lengthe and brede Lyk to the estres / of the grisly place That highte the grete temple of Mars in Trace In thilke colde / frosty Region Ther as Mars / hath his souereyn mansion ¶ ffirst on the wal / was peynted a forest In which ther dwelleth / neither man ne best With knotty knarry / bareyne trees olde Of stubbes sharpe / and hidouse to biholde In which ther ran / a rumbel and a swough As though a storm / sholde bresten euery bough And dounward from an hille / vnder a bente Ther stood the temple of Mars Armypotente Wroght al of burned steel / of which the entree Was long and streit and gastly for to see.i. impetus And ther out came a rage / and suche a veze That it made / al the gate for to rese The Northren lyght in at the dores shoon ffor wyndowe / on the wal ne was ther noon Thurgh which men myghten / any light discerne The dore was al / of Adamant eterne Yclenched / ouerthwart and endelong With Iren tough / and for to make it strong Euery pyler the temple to sustene Was tonne greet of Iren bright and shene ¶ Ther saugh I first the dirke ymaginyng Of felonye / and the compassyng The crueel Ire / reed as any gleede The pykepurs / and the pale drede The smylere / with the knyfe vnder the cloke The shepne / brennynge / with the blake smoke The treson / of the mordrynge in the bedde The open werre / with woundes al bibledde Contek with blody knyf and sharpe manace Al ful of chirkyng. was that sory place ¶ The sleere of hym self / yet saugh I ther His herte blood / hath bathed al his heer The nayl ydryuen / in the shode a nyght The colde deeth / with mouth gapyng vp right Amyddes of the temple / sat meschaunce With disconfort and sory contenaunce ¶ Yet saugh I woodnesse / laughynge in his rage Armed compleint out hees / and fiers outrage The careyne in the busk with throte ycorue A thousand slayn / and nat oon of qualm ystorue The tiraunt with the pray by force yraft The toun destroyed / ther was no thy[ng laft[in a later hand]] ¶ Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres The hunte strangled / with the wilde beres The sowe / freten the child right in the Cradel The Cook yscalded / for al his longe ladel ¶ Noght was foryeten / by the Infortune of Marte The Cartere / ouer ryden with his Carte Vnder the wheel / ful lowe / he lay adoun ¶ Ther were also / of Martes diuisioun The laborer / and the Bocher and the Smyth That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his Styth ¶ And al aboue / depeynted in a tour Saugh I Conquest sittynge in greet honour With the sharpe swerd / ouer his heed Hangynge / by a soutil twynes threed ¶ Depeynted was / the slaughtre of Iulius Of grete Nero / and of Antonius Al be þat thilke tyme / they were vnborn Yet was hir deth / depeynted ther biforn By manasynge of Mars / right by figure So was it shewed in that portreiture As is depeynted / in the Certres aboue Who shal be slayn / or elles deed for loue Suffiseth oon ensample in stories olde I may nat rekene hem alle though I wolde The Statue of Mars / vp vn a Carte stood Armed / and looked grym as he were wood And ouer his heed / ther shynen two figures Of sterres / that been cleped in scriptures That oon Puella / that oother Rubeus This god of Armes / was arrayed thus A wolf ther stood / biforn hym at his feet With eyen rede / and of a man he eet With soutil pencel / was depeynted this storie In redoutynge / of Mars and of his glorie NOw / to the temple / of Dyane the chaste As shortly as I kan I wol me haste To telle yow / al the descripsioun Depeynted been the walles vp and doun Of huntyng / and of shamefast chastitee ¶ Ther saugh I / how woful Calistopee Whan þat Diane / agreued was with here Was turned / from a womman to a Bere And after was she maad the loode sterre¶ Vrsa maior Thus was it peynted / I kan sey yow no ferre Hir sone is eek a sterre as men may see ¶ Ther saugh I Dane / yturned til a tree I mene nat the goddesse Diane But Penneus doughter / which þat highte Dane ¶ Ther saugh I Attheon / an hert ymaked ffor vengeance / þat he saugh Diane al naked I saugh / how þat hise houndes / haue hym caught And freeten hym / for þat they knewe hym naught ¶ Yet peynted / [was] a litel forther moor How Atthalante / hunted the wilde boor And Meleagree / and many another mo ffor which Dyane / wroghte hym care and wo ¶ Ther saugh I / many another wonder storie The whiche / me list nat drawen to memorie ¶ This goddesse on an hert ful wel hye seet With smale houndes / al aboute hir feet And vndernethe hir feet she hadde a moone Wexynge it was / and sholde wanye soone In gaude grene / hir statue clothed was With bowe in honde / and Arwes in a cas Hir eyen caste she / ful lowe adoun Ther Pluto / hath his derke regioun ¶ A womman trauaillynge / was hire biforn But for hir child / so longe was vnborn fful pitously / Lucyna / gan she calle And seyde helpe / for thou mayst best of alle Wel koude he peynten lifly / that it wroghte With many a floryn / he the hewes boghte NOw been the lystes maad / and Theseus That at his grete cost / arrayed thus The temples / and the Theatre euery deel Whan it was doon / hym lyked wonder weel But stynte I wole / of Theseus a lite And speke of Palamon / and of Arcite ¶ The day approcheth / of hir retournynge That euerich / sholde an hundred knyghtes brynge The bataille to darreyne / as I yow tolde And til Atthenes / hir couenantz for to holde Hath euerich of hem / broght an hundred knyghtes Wel armed for the werre / at alle rightes And sikerly / ther trowed many a man That neuere sithen / that the world bigan As for to speke / of knyghthod of hir hond As fer / as god hath maked see or lond Nas of so fewe / so noble a compaignye ffor euery wight that louede chiualrye And wolde his thankes / han a passant name Hath preyd / þat he myghte been of that game And wel was hym / that ther to chosen was ffor if ther fille tomorwe swich a caas Ye knowen wel / þat euery lusty knyght That loueth paramours / and hath his myght Were it in Engelond / or elles where They wolde hir thankes / wilnen to be there To fighte for a lady / benedicitee It were a lusty sighte / for to see ¶ And right so / ferden they with Palamon With hym / ther wenten knyghtes many on Som wol ben armed in an haubergeon And in bristplate / and in a light gypon And somme woln haue / a paire plates large And somme woln haue / a Pruce sheeld / or a targe Somme woln ben armed / on hir legges weel And haue an Ax / and somme a Mace of steel Ther is no newe gyse / that it nas old Armed were they / as I haue yow told Everych / after his opinion Ther maistow seen / comynge with Palamon Lygurge hym self the grete kyng of Trace Blak was his berd / and manly was his face The cercles / of hise eyen in his heed They gloweden / bitwyxen yelow and reed And lik a grifphon / looked he aboute With kempe heeris / on hise browes stoute Hise lymes grete / hise brawnes harde and stronge Hise shuldres brode / hise armes rounde and longe And as the gyse was in his contree fful hye / vpon a Chaar of gold / stood [he[in a later hand]] With foure white boles in the trays In stede of Cote Armure / ouer his harnays With nayles yelewe / and brighte as any gold He hadde a Beres skyn / colblak / for old His longe heer / was kembd / bihynde his bak As any Rauenes fethere / it shoon for blak A wrethe of gold arm greet / of huge wighte Vpon his heed / set ful of stones brighte Of fyne Rubyes / and of dyamauntz Aboute his Chaar / ther wenten white Alauntz Twenty and mo / as grete as any steer To hunten at the leon or[MS. or / or] / the deer And folwed hym / with mosel faste ybounde Colered of gold / and tourettes fyled rounde An hundred lordes / hadde he in his route Armed ful wel / with hertes stierne and stoute With Arcite / in stories as men fynde The grete Emetreus / the kyng of Inde Vp on a steede bay / trapped in steel Couered in clooth of gold / dyapred weel Cam ridynge / lyk the god of Armes Mars His Cote Armure / was of clooth of Tars Couched with perles / white and rounde and grete His sadel / was of brend gold newe ybete A Mantel [was] / vp on his shulder hangynge Brat ful of Rubyes rede / as fyr sparklynge His crispe heer / lyk rynges was yronne And that was yelow / and glytered as the sonne His nose was heigh / hise eyen bright citryn Hise lippes rounde / his colour was sangwyn A fewe frakenes / in his face yspreynd Bitwixen yelow / and somdel blak ymeynd And as a leon / he his lookyng caste Of fyue and twenty yeer / his age I caste His berd was wel bigonne for to sprynge His voys / was as a trompe thondrynge Vp on his heed / he wered of laurer grene A gerland / fressh / and lusty for to sene Vp on his hand / he bar for his deduyt An Egle tame / as any lilye whyt An hundred lordes / hadde he with hym there Al armed saue hir heddes / in al hir gere fful richely / in alle maner thynges ffor trusteth wel / þat dukes / Erles kynges Were gadered / in this noble compaignye ffor loue / and for encrees of chiualrye Aboute this kyng ther ran on euery part fful many a tame leon / and leopard And in this wise / thise lordes alle and some Been on the Sonday to the Citee come Aboute pryme / and in the toun alight ¶ This Theseus / this duc this worthy knyght Whan he had broght hem / in to his Citee And Inned hem / euerich in his degree He festeth hem / and dooth so greet labour To esen hem / and doon hem al honour That yet men weneth / þat no maner wit Of noon estaat ne koude amenden it ¶ The Mynstralcye / the seruice / at the feeste The grete yiftes / to the meeste and leeste The riche array / of Theseus paleys Ne who sat first ne last vp on the deys What ladyes fairest been / or best daunsynge Or which of hem / kan dauncen best and synge Ne who moost felyngly speketh of loue What haukes / sitten on the perche aboue What houndes / liggen in the floor adoun Of al this / make I now no mencioun But al theffect that thynketh me the beste Now cometh the point and herkneth if yow leste The sonday nyght er day bigan to sprynge Whan Palamon / the larke herde synge Al though it nere nat day / by houres two Yet song the larke / and Palamon also With hooly herte / and with an heigh corage He roos / to wenden on his pilgrymage Vn to the blisful Citherea benigne I mene Venus / honurable and digne And in hir houre / he walketh forth a paas Vn to the lystes / ther hire temple was And doun he kneleth / with ful humble cheer And herte soor / and seyde in this manere Faireste of faire / o lady myn Venus¶ The preyere of Palamon. Doughter to Ioue / and spouse of Vulcanus¶ to Venus goddesse of loue. Thow gladere / of the Mount of Citheron ffor thilke loue / thow haddest to Adoon Haue pitee / of my bittre teeris smerte And taak myn humble preyere at thyn herte Allas / I ne haue / no langage to telle Theffectes / ne the tormentz of myn helle Myn herte / may myne harmes nat biwreye I am so confus / that I kan noght seye But mercy lady bright that knowest weele My thought and seest what harmes þat I feele Considere al this / and rewe vp on my soore As wisly / as I shal for eueremoore Emforth my myght thy trewe seruant be And holden werre / alwey with chastitee That make I myn auow / so ye me helpe I kepe noght of Armes for to yelpe Ne I ne axe nat tomorwe to haue victorie Ne renoun in this cas / ne veyne glorie Of pris of Armes / blowen vp and doun But I wolde haue / fully possessioun Of Emelye / and dye in thy seruyse ffynd thow the manere / hou and in what wyse I recche nat / but it may bettre be To haue victorie of hem / or they of me So that I haue / my lady in myne Armes ffor though so be / that Mars is god of Armes Youre vertu is so greet in heuene aboue That if yow list I shal wel haue my loue ¶ Thy temple wol I worshipe eueremo And on thyn Auter / where I ride or go I wol doon sacrifice / and fires beete And if ye wol nat so / my lady sweete Thanne preye I thee / tomorwe / with a spere That Arcita / me thurgh the herte bere Thanne rekke I noght / whan I haue lost my lyf Though that Arcita / wynne hire to his wyf This is theffect and ende of my preyere Yif me my loue / thow blisful lady deere ¶ Whan the orison / was doon of Palamon His sacrifice he dide / and that anon fful pitously / with alle circumstance Al telle I noght as now / his obseruance But atte laste / the statue of Venus shook / And made a signe / wher by þat he took That his preyere / accepted was that day ffor thogh the signe / shewed a delay Yet wiste he wel / þat graunted was his boone And with glad herte / he wente hym hoom ful soone The thridde houre in-equal that Palamon Bigan / to Venus temple for to gon Vp roos the sonne / and vp roos Emelye And to the temple of Dyane gan hye Hir maydens / þat she thider with hire ladde fful redily / with hem the fyr they ladde Thencens / the clothes / and the remenant al That to the sacrifice / longen shal The hornes fulle of Meeth / as was the gyse Ther lakked noght to doon hir sacrifise ¶ Smokynge the temple / ful of clothes faire This Emelye / with herte debonaire Hir body wessh / with water of a welle But hou she dide hir ryte / I dar nat telle But it be / any thing in general And yet it were a game / to heeren al To hym þat meneth wel / it were no charge But it is good / a man been at his large ¶ Hir brighte heer was kempd vntressed al A coroune / of a grene ook / cerial Vp on hir heed was set ful fair and meete Two fyres / on the auter / gan she beete And dide hir thynges / as men may biholde In Stace of Thebes / and thise bookes olde Whan kyndled was the fyr / with pitous cheere Vn to Dyane / she spak as ye may heere Ochaste goddesse / of the wodes grene¶ The preyere of Emelye / to To whom bothe heuene and erthe and see is sene Queene of the regne of Pluto derk / and lowedyane goddesse of Maydens. Goddesse of maydens / that myn herte hast knowe fful many a yeer / and woost what I desire As keepe me / fro thy vengeance and thyn Ire That Attheon / aboughte cruelly Chaste goddesse / wel wostow þat I Desire / to ben a mayden al my lyf Ne neuere wol I be no loue ne wyf I am thow woost yet of thy compaignye A mayde / and loue huntynge and venerye And for to walken / in the wodes wilde And noght to ben a wyf / and be with childe Noght wol I knowe / the compaignye of man Now helpe me lady / sith ye may and kan ffor tho thre formes / þat thou hast in thee And Palamon / that hath swich loue to me And eek Arcite / that loueth me so soore This grace I preye thee with oute moore And sende loue and pees / bitwixe hem two And fro me / turne awey hir hertes so That al hire hoote loue / and hir desir And al hir bisy torment and hir fir Be queynt or turned / in another place And if so be / thou wolt do me no grace And if my destynee / be shapen so That I shal nedes haue oon of hem two As sende me hym / þat moost desireth me Bihoold goddesse / of clene chastitee The bittre teeris / that on my chekes falle Syn thou art mayde / and kepere of vs alle My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserue And whil I lyue / a mayde I wol thee serue ¶ The fires brenne / vp on the Auter cleere Whil Emelye / was thus in hir preyere But sodeynly / she saugh a sighte queynte ffor right anon / oon of the fyres queynte And quyked agayn / and after that anon That oother fyr was queynt and al agon And as it queynte / it made a whistlynge As doon thise wete brondes in hir brennynge And at the brondes ende / out ran anon As it were / blody dropes many oon ffor which / so soore agast was Emelye That she was wel ny mad and gan to crye ffor she ne wiste / what it signyfied But oonly for the feere / thus hath she cried And weepe / that it was pitee for to heere And ther with al / Dyane gan appeere With bowe in honde / right as an hunteresse And seyde doghter / stynt thyn heuynesse Among the goddes hye / it is affermed¶ The answere of Dyane And by eterne word / writen and confermed¶ to Emelye. Thou shalt ben wedded vn to oon of tho That han for thee / so muchel care and wo But vn to which of hem / I may nat telle ffarwel / for I ne may no lenger dwelle The fires / whiche that on myn Auter brenne Shulle thee declare / er that thou go henne Thyn auenture of loue / as in this cas And with that word / the Arwes in the Caas Of the goddesse / clateren faste and rynge And forth she wente / and made a vanysshynge ffor which / this Emelye / astoned was And seyde / what amounteth this Allas I putte me / in thy proteccion Dyane / and in thy disposicion And hoom she goth anon the nexte weye This is theffect ther is namoore to seye The nexte houre of Mars folwynge this Arcite / vn to the temple walked is Of fierse Mars / to doon his sacrifise With alle the rytes / of his payen wyse With pitous herte / and heigh deuocion Right thus to Mars / he seyde his orison Ostronge god / that in the regnes colde¶ The orison of Arcite Of Trace / honoured art and lord yholde¶ to Mars god of Armes ¶ And hast in euery regne / and euery lond Of armes / al the brydel in thyn hond And hem fortunest as thee lyst deuyse Accepte of me / my pitous sacrifise If so be that my youthe may deserue And þat my myght be worthy for to serue Thy godhede / þat I may been oon of thyne Thanne preye I thee / to rewe vp on my pyne ffor thilke peyne / and thilke hoote fir In which / thou whilom brendest for desir Whan þat thow vsedest the beautee Of faire yonge / fresshe Venus free And haddest hire / in armes at thy wille Al though thee ones / on a tyme mysfille Whan Vulcanus / hadde caught thee in his las And foond thee liggynge / by his wyf allas ffor thilke sorwe / that was in thyn herte Haue routhe as wel / vp on my peynes smerte I am yong and vnkonnynge as thow woost And as I trowe / with loue offended moost That euere was / any lyues creature ffor she / þat dooth me / al this wo endure Ne reccheth neuere / wher I synke or fleete And wel I woot er she me mercy heete I moot with strengthe / wynne hire in the place And wel I woot withouten helpe or grace Of thee / ne may my strengthe noght auaille Thanne helpe me lord / tomorwe in my bataille For thilke fyr / that whilom brente thee As wel / as thilke fyr / now brenneth me And do / that I tomorwe haue victorie Myn be the trauaille / and thyn be the glorie Thy souereyn temple / wol I moost honouren Of any place / and alwey moost labouren In thy plesance / and in thy craftes stronge And in thy temple / I wol my baner honge And alle the Armes of my compaignye And euere mo / vn to that day I dye Eterne fir / I wol biforn thee fynde And eek to this auow / I wol me bynde My beerd / myn heer / that hongeth long adoun That neuere yet / ne felte offensioun Of rasour / nor of shere / I wol thee yeue And ben thy trewe seruant whil I lyue Now lord haue routhe vp on my sorwes soore Yif me the victorie / I aske thee namoore The preyere stynt of Arcita the stronge The rynges / on the temple dore that honge And eek the dores / clatereden ful faste Of which Arcita / som what hym agaste The fyres brenden / vp on the Auter brighte That it gan / al the temple for to lighte And sweete smel / the ground anon vp yaf And Arcita / anon his hand vp haf And moore encens / in to the fyr he caste With othere rytes mo / and atte last The Statue of Mars / bigan his hauberk rynge And with that soun / he herde a murmurynge fful lowe and dym / and seyde thus / Victorie ffor which / he yaf to Mars / honour and glorie And thus with ioye / and hope wel to fare Arcite anon / vn to his In is fare As fayn as fowel / is of the brighte sonne ¶ And right anon / swich strif / ther is bigonne For thilke grauntyng in the heuene aboue Bitwixe Venus / the goddesse of love And Mars / the stierne god Armypotente That Iuppiter / was bisy it to stente Til that the pale / Saturnus the colde That knew so manye / of auentures olde ffoond / in his olde experience and art That he ful soone / hath plesed euery part As sooth is seyd / elde hath greet auantage In elde / is bothe wysdom and vsage Men may the olde at renne / and noght at rede Saturne anon / to stynten strif and drede Al be it that it is / agayn his kynde Of al this strif / he gan remedie fynde ¶ My deere doghter Venus / quod Saturne My cours / that hath so wyde for to turne Hath moore power / than woot any man Myn is the drenchyng in the see so wan Myn is the prison / in the derke cote Myn is the stranglyng and hangyng by the throte The murmure and the cherles rebellyng The groynynge / and the pryuee empoysonyng I do vengeance / and pleyn correccion Whil[es] I dwelle / in signe of the leon Myn is the ruyne / of the hye halles The fallynge / of the toures / and of the walles Vp on the Mynour / or the Carpenter I slow Sampson / shakynge the piler And myne be / the maladyes colde The derke tresons / and the castes olde My lookyng is the fader of pestilence Now weepe namoore / I shal doon diligence That Palamon / that is thyn owene knyght Shal haue his lady / as thou hast him hight Though Mars shal helpe his knyght yet nathelees Bitwixe yow / ther moot be som tyme pees Al be ye noght of o compleccion That causeth al day swich diusion I am thyn Aiel / redy at thy wille Weepe now namoore / I wol thy lust fulfille ¶ Now wol I stynten / of the goddes above Of Mars / and of Venus goddesse of love And telle yow / as pleynly as I kan The grete effect for which that I bygan¶ Explicit tercia pars ¶ Sequitur pars quarta GReet was the feeste / in Atthenes that day And eek / the lusty seson of that May Made euery wight / to been in such plesaunce That al that Monday / Iusten they and daunce And spenten it in Venus heigh seruyse But by the cause / that they sholde ryse Eerly / for to seen the grete fight Vn to hir reste / wenten they at nyght And on the morwe / whan þat day gan sprynge Of hors and harneys / noyse and claterynge Ther was in the hostelryes al aboute And to the paleys / rood ther many a route Of lordes / vp on steedes and palfreys Ther maystow seen diuisynge of harneys So vnkouth and so riche / and wroght so weel Of goldsmythrye / of browdynge / and of steel The sheeldes brighte / testeres / and trappures Gold hewen helmes / hauberkes / Cote Armures Lordes in paramentz / on hir courseres Knyghtes of retenue / and eek Squieres Nailynge the speres / and helmes bokelynge Giggynge of sheeldes / with layneres lacynge There as nede is / they weren no thyng ydel The fomy steedes / on the golden brydel Gnawynge / and faste the Armurers also With fyle and hamer prikynge to and fro Yemen on foyte / and communes many oon With shorte staues / thikke as they may goon Pypes / trompes / Nakerers / Clariounes That in the bataille / blowen blody sounes The paleys / ful of peples vp and doun Heere thre / ther ten / holdynge hir question Dyuynynge / of thise Thebane knyghtes two Somme seyden thus / somme seyde it shal be so Somme helden with hym / with the blake berd Somme with the balled / somme with the thikke herd Somme seyde / he looked grymme / and he wolde fighte He hath a sparth / of twenty pound of wighte Thus was the halle / ful of diuynynge Longe after / that the sonne gan to sprynge The grete Theseus / that of his sleepe awaked With Mynstralcie / and noyse þat was maked Heeld yet the chambre / of his Paleys riche Til that the Thebane knyghtes / bothe yliche Honured / were / in to the paleys fet Duc Theseus / was at a wyndow set Arrayed / right as he were a god in Trone The peple / preesseth thiderward ful soone Hym for to seen / and doon heigh reuerence And eek to herkne / his heste and his sentence ¶ An heraud on a Scaffold made an Oo Til al the noyse of peple was ydo And whan he saugh / the noyse of peple al stille Tho shewed he / the myghty dukes wille ¶ The lord / hath of his heih discrecion Considered / that it were destruccion To gentil blood / to fighten in the gyse Of mortal bataille / now in this emprise Wherfore / to shapen / þat they shal nat dye He wolde / his firste purpos modifye ¶ No man ther fore vp peyne of los of lyf No maner shot polax ne short[e] knyf In to the lystes sende / ne thider brynge Ne short swerd for to stoke / with poynt bitynge No man ne drawe / ne bere by his syde Ne no man shal / vn to his felawe ryde But o cours / with a sharpe ygrounde spere ffoyne if hym list on foote / hym self to were And he / that is at meschief shal be take And noght slayn / but be broght vn to the stake That shal ben ordeyned / on either syde But thider he shal by force / and there abyde ¶ And if so be / the[chi-ef-] chieftayn be take On outher syde / or elles sleen his make No lenger/ shal the turneiynge laste God spede you / gooth forth / and ley on faste With long swerd / and with Maces / fighteth youre fille Gooth now youre wey / this is the lordes will The voys of peple / touched the heuene So loude cride they / with murie steuene God saue swich a lord / that is so good He wilneth no destruccion of blood Vp goon the trompes / and the melodye And to the lystes / rit the compaignye By ordinance / thurgh out the Citee large Hanged with clooth of gold and nat with sarge ¶ fful lik a lord / this noble duc gan ryde Thise two Thebans / vp on either side And after rood / the queene and Emelye And after that another compaignye Of oon and oother / after hir degre And thus they passen / thurgh out the Citee And to the lystes / come they by tyme It nas not of the day / yet fully pryme Whan set was Theseus / ful riche and hye Ypolita the queene and Emelye And othere ladys / in degrees aboute Vn to the seettes preesseth al the route And westward / thurgh the gates vnder Marte.i. sub Marte Arcite / and eek the hondred of his parte With baner reed / is entred right anon ¶ And in that selue moment Palamon Is vnder Venus / Estward in the place With Baner whyt / and hardy chiere and face In al the world / to seken vp and doun So euene / with outen variacioun Ther nere / swiche compaignyes tweye ffor ther was noon so wys þat koude seye That any hadde / of oother auauntage Of worthynesse / ne of estaat ne age So euene were [they] chosen / for to gesse And in two renges / faire they hem dresse ¶ Whan þat hir names / rad were euerichon That in hir nombre / gyle were ther noon Tho were the gates shet and cried was loude Do now youre deuoir / yonge knyghtes proude ¶ The heraudes / lefte hir prikyng vp and doun Now ryngen trompes loude and clarioun Ther is namoore to seyn / but west and Est In goon the speres / ful sadly in arrest In gooth the sharpe spore / in to the syde Ther seen men / who kan Iuste and who kan ryde Ther shyueren shaftes / vp on sheeldes thikke He feeleth / thurgh the herte spoon the prikke Vp spryngen speres / twenty foot on highte Out gooth the swerdes / as the siluer brighte The helmes they tohewen / and toshrede Out brest the blood / with stierne stremes rede With myghty maces / the bones they tobreste He thurgh the thikkeste / of the throng gan threste Ther semblen steedes stronge / and doun gooth al He rolleth vnder foot as dooth a bal He foyneth on his feet with his tronchon And he hym hurtleth / with his hors adoun He thurgh the body is hurt and sithen ytake Maugree his heed / and broght vn to the stake As forward was right ther he moste abyde Another lad is / on that oother syde ¶ And som tyme / dooth hem Theseus to reste Hem to fresshen / and drynken if hem leste fful ofte a day / han thise Thebanes two Togydre ymet and wroght his felawe wo Vnhorsed hath / ech oother of hem tweye Ther nas no Tygre in the vale of Galgopheye Whan þat hir whelpe is stole / whan it is lite So crueel on the hunte / as is Arcite ffor Ielous herte / vpon this Palamon Ne in Belmarye / ther nys so fel leon That hunted is / or for his hunger wood Ne of his praye / desireth so the blood As Palamon / to sleen his foo Arcite The Ielous strokes / on hir helmes byte Out renneth blood / on bothe hir sydes rede ¶ Som tyme an ende / ther is of euery dede ffor er the sonne / vn to the reste wente The stronge kyng Emetreus / gan hente This Palamon / as he faught with Arcite And made his swerd / depe in his flessh to byte And by the force of twenty / is he take Vnyolden / and ydrawe vnto the stake And in the rescus / of this Palamon The stronge kyng lygurge / is born adoun And kyng Emetreus / for al his strengthe Is born out of his sadel / a swerdes lengthe So hitte him Palamon er he were take But al for noght / he was broght to the stake His hardy herte / myghte hym helpe naught He moste abyde / whan that he was caught By force / and eek by composicion ¶ Who sorweth now / but woful Palamon That moot namoore / goon agayn to fighte And whan þat Theseus / hadde seyn this sighte Vn to the folk / þat foghten thus echon He cryde / hoo namoore / for it is doon ¶ I wol be trewe Iuge / and no partie Arcite of Thebes / shal haue Emelie That by his fortune / hath hire faire ywonne Anon / ther is a noyse of peple bigonne ffor Ioye of this / so loude and heighe with alle It semed / that the lystes sholde falle What kan now faire venus doon aboue What seith she now / what dooth this queene of loue But wepeth so / for wantynge of hir wille Til that hir teeres / in the lystes fille She seyde / I am ashamed doutelees ¶ Saturnus seyde / doghter hoold thy pees Mars hath his wille / his knyght hath al his boone And by myn heed / thow shalt been esed soone The trompes / with the loude Mynstralcie The heraudes / that ful loude yolle and crie Been in hire wele / for Ioye of Daun Arcite But herkneth me / and stynteth now a lite Which a myracle / ther bifel anon ¶ This fierse Arcite / hath of his helm ydon And on a Courser / for to shewe his face He priketh endelong the large place Lokynge vpward vp on Emelye And she agayn / hym caste a freendlich eye . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. And was al his [in] chiere / as in his herte ¶ Out of the ground / a furie Infernal sterte ffrom Pluto sent at requeste of Saturne ffor which his hors / for fere gan to turne And leepe aside / and foundred as he leepe And er that Arcite / may taken keepe He pighte hym / on the pomel of his heed¶ Nota periculum. That in the place he lay / as he were deed His brest tobrosten / with his sadel bowe As blak he lay / as any cole or crowe So was the blood / yronnen in his face Anon he was / yborn out of the place With herte soor / to Theseus paleys Tho was he koruen / out of his harneys And in a bed ybrought / ful faire and blyve ffor he was yet in memorie / and alyue And alwey / criynge after Emelye ¶ Duc Theseus / with al his compaignye Is comen hoom / to Atthenes his Citee With alle blisse / and greet solempnitee Al be it that this Auenture was falle He nolde noght disconforten hem alle Men seyde eek that Arcite shal nat dye He shal been heeled / of his maladye ¶ And of another/ thyng / they weren as fayn That of hem alle / was ther noon yslayn Al were they soore yhurt and namely oon That with a spere / was thirled his brest boon To othere woundes / and to broken armes Somme hadden salues / and somme hadden charmes ffermacies of herbes / and eek saue They dronken / for they wolde hir lymes haue ffor which this noble duc as he wel kan Conforteth / and honoureth euery man And made reuel / al the longe nyght Vn to the straunge lordes / as was right Ne ther was holden / no disconfitynge But as a Iustes / or a tourneiynge ffor soothly / ther was no disconfiture ffor fallyng / nys nat but an Auenture Ne to be lad by force / vn to the stake Vnyolden / and with twenty knyghtes take O persone allone with outen mo And haryed forth / by Arm[e] / foot and too And eke his steede / dryuen forth with staues With footmen / bothe yemen and eek knaues It nas aretted hym no vileynye Ther may no man / clepen it cowardye ¶ ffor which anon / duc Theseus leet crye To stynten / alle rancour and enuye The gree / as wel of o syde as of oother And eyther syde ylik as ootheres brother And yaf hem yiftes / after hir degree And fully / heeld a feeste / dayes three And conuoyed / the kynges worthily Out of his toun / a Iournee largely And hoom wente euery man the righte way Ther was namoore / but fare wel / haue good day Of this bataille / I wol namoore endite But speke of Palamon and of Arcyte Swelleth the brest of arcite / and the soore Encreesseth at his herte / moore and moore The clothered blood / for any lechecraft Corrupteth / and is in his bouk ylaft That neither veyne blood / ne ventusynge Ne drynke of herbes / may ben his helpynge The vertu expulsif / or Animal ffro thilke vertu / cleped natural Ne may the venym / voyden ne expelle The pipes of his longes / gonne to swelle And euery lacerte / in his brest adoun Is shent with venym and corrupcion Hym gayneth neither for to gete his lif Vomyt vpward / ne dounward laxatif Al is tobrosten / thilke Regioun Nature hath now / no dominacioun And certeinly / ther Nature wol nat wirche ffare wel Phisik go ber the man to chirche This al and som / that Arcita moot dye ffor which / he sendeth / after Emelye And Palamon / that was his cosyn deere Thanne seyde he thus / as ye shal after heere ¶ Naught may / the woful spirit in myn herte Declare o point of alle my sorwes smerte To yow my lady / that I loue moost But I biquethe / the seruyce of my goost To yow / abouen euery creature Syn þat my lyf / [it] may no lenger dure Allas the wo / allas the peynes stronge That I for yow haue suffred / and so longe Allas the deeth / allas myn Emelye Allas / departynge of our compaignye Allas myn hertes queene / allas my wyf Myn hertes lady / endere of my lyf/ What is this world / what asketh men to haue Now with his loue / now in his colde graue Allone / with outen any compaignye ffare wel / my swete foo / myn Emelye And softe taak me / in youre Armes tweye ffor loue of god / and herkneth what I seye I haue heer / with my cosyn Palamon Had strif and rancour/ many a day agon ffor loue of yow / and for my Ialousye And Iuppiter / so wys my soule gye To speken / of a seruant proprely With alle circumstances trewely That is to seyn / trouthe / honour knyghthede Wysdom / humblesse / estaat and heigh kynrede ffredom / and al that longeth to that Art So Iuppiter / haue of my soule part As in this world / right now ne knowe I non So worthy to ben loued as Palamon That serueth yow / and wol doon al his lyf And if that euere / ye shul ben a wyf fforyet nat Palamon / the gentil man And with that word / his speche faille gan And from his herte / vp to his brest was come The coold of deeth / that hadde hym ouercome And yet moore ouer / for in hise Armes two The vital strengthe is lost / and al ago Oonly / the intellect with outen moore That dwelled in his herte / syk and soore Gan faillen / when the herte felte deeth Dusked hise eyen two / and failled breeth But on his lady yet caste he his eye His laste word / was mercy Emelye His spirit chaunged hous / and wente ther As I cam neuere / I kan nat tellen wher Therfore I stynte / I nam no diuinistre Of soules / fynde I nat in this Registre Ne me ne list thilke opinions to telle Of hem / though þat they writen wher they dwelle Arcite is coold / ther Mars his soule gye Now wol I speken forth of Emelye Shrighte Emelye / and howleth Palamon And Theseus / his suster took anon Swownynge / and baar hire fro the corps away What helpeth it to tarien forth the day To tellen how she weepe / bothe eue and morwe ffor in swich cas / wommen haue swich sorwe Whan þat hir housbond / is from hem ago That for the moore part they sorwen so Or ellis / fallen in swich maladye That at the laste / certeinly they dye ¶ Infinite / been the sorwes and the teeres Of olde folk / and eek of tendre yeeres In al the toun / for deeth of this Theban ffor hym ther wepeth / bothe child and man So greet a wepyng was ther noon certayn Whan Ector was ybroght / al fressh yslayn To Troye / allas the pitee þat was ther Cracchynge of chekes / rentynge eek of heer Why woldestow be deed / thise wommen crye And haddest gold ynough / and Emelye ¶ No man / myghte gladen Theseus Sauynge / his olde fader Egeus That knew / this worldes transmutacion As he hadde / seyn it / vp and doun Ioye after wo / and wo after gladnesse And shewed / hem ensamples and liknesse Right as ther / dyed neuere man quod he¶ Argumentum That he ne lyuede in erthe / in som degree Right so / ther lyuede neuer man he seyde In al this world / þat som tyme he ne deyde This world / nys but a thurghfare ful of wo And we been pilgrymes / passynge to and fro Deeth is an ende / of euery worldes soore And ouer al this / yet seyde he muchel moore To this effect ful wisely / to enhorte The peple / that they sholde hem reconforte Duc Theseus / with al his bisy cure Cast now / wher that the sepulture Of goode Arcite / may best ymaked be And eek moost honurable in his degree And at the laste / he took conclusion That ther as first Arcite and Palamon Hadden for loue / the bataille hem bitwene That in that selue groue / swoote and grene Ther as he hadde / hise amorouse desires His compleynte / and for loue hise hoote fires He wolde make a fyr / in which the office ffuneral / he myghte al accomplice And leet comande anon / to hakke and hewe The okes olde / and leye hem on a rewe In colpons / wel arrayed for to brenne Hise Officers / with swifte feet they renne And ryden anon / at his comandement And after / this / Theseus hath ysent After a beere / and it al ouer spradde With clooth of gold / the richeste / þat he hadde And of the same suyte / he cladde Arcite Vp on his hondes / hadde he gloues white Eek on his heed / a coroune of laurer grene And in his hond / a swerd ful bright and kene He leyde hym bare the visage / on the beere Ther-with he weepe / that pitee was to heere And for the peple / sholde seen hym alle Whan it was day / he broghte hym to the halle That roreth / of the criyng and the soun ¶ Tho cam this woful Theban Palamon With flotery berd / and rugged asshy heeres In clothes blake / ydropped al with teeres And passynge othere / of wepynge Emelye The rewefulleste / of al the compaignye [And] In as muche / as the seruyce sholde be The moore noble / and riche in his degree Duc Theseus / leet forth thre steedes brynge That trapped were in steel al gliterynge And couered with the armes of daun Arcite Vp on thise steedes / grete and white Ther sitten folk of whiche oon baar his sheeld Another his spere / in his hondes heeld The thridde baar with hym / his bowe Turkeys Of brend gold / was the caas / and eek the harneys And riden forth a paas / with sorweful cheere Toward the groue / as ye shul after heere The nobleste of the grekes / that ther were Vp on hir shuldres / caryeden the beere With slak paas / and eyen rede and wete Thurgh out the Citee / by the maister strete That sprad was al with blak / and wonder hye Right of the same / is the strete ywrye Vp on the right hond / wente olde Egeus And on that oother syde / duc Theseus With vessel in hir hand / of gold ful fyn Al ful of hony / Milk and blood and wyn Eek Palamon / with ful greet compaignye And after that / cam woful Emelye With fyr in honde / as was that tyme the gyse To do the office / of funeral seruyse Heigh labour/ and ful greet apparaillynge Was at the seruice / and the fyr makynge That with his grene tope / the heuen [raughte] And twenty fadme of brede / the armes straughte This is to seyn / the bowes weren so brode Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a lode But how the fyr / was maked vp on highte And eek the names / that the trees highte As ook / firre / birch / Aspe / Alder / holm / popeler Wylugh / Elm / plane / Assh / box / chasteyn / lynde / laurer Mapul / thorn / bech / hasel / Ew / whippeltre How they weren fild / shal nat be toold for me Ne hou the goddes ronnen vp and doun Disherited / of hire habitacioun In whiche they woneden / in reste and pees Nymphus / ffawnes / and Amadrides Ne hou the beestes / and the briddes alle ffledden for fere / whan the wode was falle Ne how the ground / agast was of the light That was nat wont to seen the sonne bright Ne how the fyr / was couched first with stree And thanne with drye stokkes / clouen a thre And thanne with grene wode and spicerye And thanne with clooth of gold / and with perrye And gerlandes / hangynge / with ful many a flour The Mirre / thencens / with al so greet odour Ne how Arcite / lay among al this Ne what richesse / aboute his body is Ne how that Emelye / as was the gyse Putte in the fyr / of funeral seruyse Ne how she swowned / whan men made fyr Ne what she spak ne what was hir desire Ne what Ieweles / men in the fyre caste Whan þat the fyr was greet and brente faste ¶ Ne how somme caste hir sheeld / and somme hir spere And of hire vestimentz / whiche þat they were And coppes full of wyn / and Milk and blood In to the fyr / that brente / as it were wood Ne how the grekes / with an huge route Tries riden / al the place aboute Vp on the left hand / with a loud shoutynge And thries / with hir speres claterynge And thries / how the ladyes gonne crye And how / þat lad was homward Emelye Ne how Arcite / is brent to asshen colde Ne / how that lych wake / was yholde Al thilke nyght / ne how the grekes pleye The wake pleyes / ne kepe I nat to seye Who wrastleth best naked / with oille enoynt Ne who that baar hym best in no disioynt ¶ I wol nat tellen eek how that they goon Hoom til Atthenes / whan the pley is doon But shortly to the point thanne wol I wende And maken / of my longe tale an ende By processe / and by lengthe of certeyn yeres Al styntyd is / the moornynge and the teres Of grekes / by oon general assent Thanne semed me / ther was a parlement At Atthenes / vpon certein poyntz and caas Among the whiche poyntz / yspoken was To haue with certein contrees alliance And have fully of Thebans obeissance ffor which / this noble Theseus anon Leet senden / after gentil Palamon Vnwist of hym / what was the cause and why But in hise blake clothes / sorwefully He cam / at his comandement in hye Tho sente / Theseus for Emelye Whan they were set and hust was al the place And Thesens / abiden hadde a space Er any word / cam fram his wise brest Hise eyen sette he / ther as was his lest And with a sad visage / he siked stille And after that right thus he seyde his wille The firste moeuere of the cause aboue Whan he first made / the faire cheyne of loue Greet was theffect and heigh was his entente Wel wiste he why / and what ther of he mente ffor with that faire cheyne of loue he bond The fyr / the eyr / the water and the lond In certeyn boundes / that they may nat flee That same prince / and that same moeuere quod he Hath stablissed / in this wrecched world adoun Certeyne dayes / and duracioun To al / that is engendrid in this place Ouer the which[e] day / they may nat pace Al mowe they yet tho dayes wel abregge Ther nedeth noght noon Auctoritee allegge ffor it is preeued / by experience But that me list declaren my sentence Thanne may men / by this ordre wel discerne That thilke moeuere / stable is and eterne Wel may men knowe / but it be a fool That euery part dirryueth from his hool ffor nature / hath taken his bigynnyng Of no partie / or of cantel of a thyng But of a thyng that parfit is and stable Descendynge so / til it be corrumpable And therfore / of his wise purueiaunce He hath / so wel biset his ordinaunce That speces of thynges / and progressions Shullen enduren / by successions And nat eterne / with outen any lye This maystow vnderstonde / and seen it eye Loo the ook / þat hath so long a norisshynge¶ Exemplum ffrom tyme / þat it first bigynneth sprynge And hath so long a lif / as we may see Yet at the laste / wasted is the tree ¶ Considereth eek how that the harde stoon¶ Exemplum Vnder oure feet on which we trede and goon Yit wasteth it as it lyth by the weye The brode Ryuer / somtyme wexeth dreye The grete toures / se we wane and wende Thanne may ye se / þat al this thyng hath ende ¶ Of man and womman / seen we wel also That nedeth / in oon of thise termes two This is to seyn / in youthe / or elles age He moot be deed / the kyng as shal a page Som in his bed / som in the depe see Som in the large feeld / as men may se Ther helpeth noght al goth that ilke weye Thanne may I seyn[se-yn] / al this thyng moot deye ¶ What maketh this / but Iuppiter the kyng That is prince / and cause of alle thyng Conuertynge al / vn to his propre welle ffrom which it is dirryued / sooth to telle And here agayns / no creature on lyue Of no degree / auailleth for to stryue ¶ Thanne is it wysdom / as it thynketh me To maken vertu of necessitee ¶ And take it weel / that we may nat eschue And namely / that to vs alle is due And who so gruccheth ought he dooth folye And rebel is / to hym that al may gye And certeinly / a man hath moost honour To dyen / in his excellence and flour Whan he is siker / of his goode name Thanne hath he doon / his freend ne hym no shame And gladder / oghte his freend been of his deeth Whan with honour / vp yolden is his breeth Than whan his name / apalled is for age ffor al forgeten / is his vassellage Thanne is it best as for a worthy fame To dyen / whan þat he is best of name ¶ The contrarie of al this / is wilsulnesse Why grucchen we / why haue we heuynesse That goode Arcite / of Chiualrie flour Departed is / with duetee and honour Out of this foule prison of this lyf Why grucchen heere / his cosyn and his wyf Of his wel fare / that loued hem so weel Kan he hem thank? nay god woot neuer a deel That bothe his soule / and eek hem self offende And yet they mowe / hir lustes nat amende What may I concluden / of this longe serye But after wo / I rede vs to be merye And thanken Iuppiter / of al his grace And er that we / departen from this place I rede [that] we make / of sorwes two O parfit ioye / lastynge eueremo And looketh now / wher moost sorwe is her Inne Ther wol we first amenden and bigynne Suster quod he / this is my fulle assent With all thavys / heere of my parlement That gentil Palamon / thyn owene knyght That serueth yow / with wille / herte / and myght And euere hath doon / syn þat ye first hym knewe That ye shul of your grace / vp on hym rewe And taken hym / for housbonde and for lord Leue[or Lene] me youre hond / for this is oure accord Lat se now / of youre wommanly pitee He is a kynges brother sone pardee And though he were / a poure bacheler Syn he hath serued yow / so many a yeer And had for yow / so greet Aduersitee It moste been considered / leeueth me ffor gentil mercy / oghte to passen right ¶ Thanne seyde he thus / to Palamon ful right I trowe / ther nedeth litel sermonyng To make yow / assente to this thyng Com neer / and taak youre lady by the hond Bitwixen hem / was maad anon the bond That highte matrimoigne / or mariage By al the conseil / and the Baronage ¶ And thus / with alle blisse and melodye Hath Palamon / ywedded Emelye And god / þat al this wyde world hath wroght Sende hym his loue / that it deere aboght ffor now is Palamon / in alle wele Lyuynge in blisse / in richesse and in heele And Emelye / hym loueth so tendrely And he hire / serueth so gentilly That neuere / was ther no word hem bitwene Of Ialousie / or any oother tene Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye And God saue / al this faire compaignye Amen ¶ Heere is ended the knyghtes tale. ¶ Heere folwen the wordes / bitwene the hoost and the Millere. Whan that the knyght had thus his tale ytoold In al the route / ne was ther yong ne oold That he ne seyde / it was a noble storie And worthy / for to drawen to memorie And namely the gentils euerichon Oure hoost lough / and swoor so moot I gon This gooth aright / vnbokeled is the Male Lat se now / who shal telle another tale ffor trewely / the game is wel bigonne Now telleth on sire Monk / if that ye konne Sumwhat to quite with the knyghtes tale The Millere / that for-dronken was al pale So that vnnethe / vp on his hors he sat He nolde aualen / neither hood ne hat Ne abyde no man / for his curteisie But in Pilates voys / he gan to crie And swoor by Armes / and by blood / and bones I kan a noble tale for the nones With which / I wol now quite / the knyghtes tale Oure hoost saugh / that he was dronke of ale And seyde / abyd Robyn my leeue brother Som bettre man / shal telle vs first another Abyde / and lat vs werken thriftily ¶ By goddes soule quod he / that wol nat I ffor I wol speke / or elles go my wey Oure hoost answerde / tel on a deuele wey Thou art a fool / thy wit is ouercome ¶ Now herkneth quod the Millere alle and some But first I make a protestacioun That I am dronke / I knowe it by my soun And therfore / if that I mysspeke or seye Wyte it the Ale of Southwerk I [you] preye ffor I wol telle / a legende and a lyf Bothe of a Carpenter / and of his wyf How that a clerk / hath set the wrightes cappe ¶ The Reue answerde / and seyde stynt thy clappe Lat be / thy lewed dronken harlotrye It is a synne / and eek a greet folye To apeyren any man / or hym defame And eek to bryngen wyues in swich fame Thou mayst ynogh / of othere thynges seyn ¶ This dronke Millere / spak ful soone ageyn And seyde / leue brother Osewold Who hath no wyf / he is no Cokewold But I sey nat therfore / that thou art oon Ther been ful goode wyues many oon And euere / a thousand goode / ayeyns oon badde That knowestow wel thy self / but if thou madde Why artow angry / with my tale now I haue a wyf pardee / as wel as thow Yet nolde I / for the oxen in my plogh Take vp on me / moore than ynogh As demen of my self / that I were oon I wol bileue wel / that I am noon An housbonde / shal nat been Inquisityf Of goddes pryuetee / nor of his wyf So he may fynde goddes foyson there Of the remenant nedeth nat enquere ¶ What sholde I moore seyn / but this Millere He nolde his wordes / for no man forbere But tolde his cherles tale in his manere Mathynketh / that I shal reherce it heere And ther-fore euery gentil wight I preye ffor goddes loue / demeth nat that I seye Of yuel entente / but that I moot reherce Hir tales alle / be they bettre or werse Or elles / falsen som of my mateere And therfore / who so list it nat yheere Turne ouer the leef / and chese another tale ffor he shal fynde ynowe / grete and smale Of storial thyng that toucheth gentillesse And eek moralitee / and hoolynesse Blameth nat me / if that ye chese amys The Millere / is a cherl / ye knowe wel this So was the Reue / and othere manye mo And harlotrie // they tolden bothe two Auyseth yow / putteth me out of blame And eek men shal nat maken ernest of game[Slight break in the MS.] ¶ Heere bigynneth the Millere his tale. WHilom / ther was dwellynge at Oxenford A riche gnof / that gestes heeld to bord And of his craft he was a Carpenter With hym / ther was dwellynge a poure scoler Hadde lerned Art but al his fantasye[painting of the Miller] Was turned / for to lerne Astrologye And koude / a certeyn of conclusions To demen / by Interrogacions If þat men asked hym / in certein houres Whan þat men sholde haue droghte or elles shoures Or if men asked hym / what sholde bifalle Of euery thyng / I may nat rekene hem alle ¶ This clerk was cleped / hende Nicholas Of deerne loue he koude and of solas And ther-to / he was sleigh / and ful priuee And lyk a mayden / meke for to see A chambre hadde he in that hostelrye Allone / with-outen any compaignye fful fetisly ydight with herbes swoote And he hym self / as sweete as is the roote Of lycorys / or any Cetewale His Almageste / and bookes grete and smale His Astrelabie / longynge for his Art/ His Augrym stones / layen faire a part/ On shelues / couched at his beddes heed His presse ycovered / with a faldyng reed And all aboue / ther lay a gay Sautrie On which / he made a nyghtes melodie So swetely / that al the chambre rong And Angelus ad virginem / he song And after that he song the kynges noote fful often / blessed was his myrie throte And thus / this sweete clerk his tyme spente After his freendes fyndyng and his rente ¶ This Carpenter / hadde wedded newe a wyf Which that he louede / moore than his lyf / Of xviij. yeer / she was of Age Ialous he was / and heeld hire narwe in cage ffor she was yong and wylde / and he was old And demed hym self been lik / a Cokewold He knew nat Catoun / for his wit was rude That bad / man sholde wedde his simylitude Men sholde wedden after hire estaat ffor youthe and elde / is often at debaat But sith that he / was fallen in the snare He moste endure / as oother folk his care ¶ ffair was this yonge wyf / and ther with al As any wezele / hir body / gent and smal A ceynt she werede / ybarred al of silk A barmclooth [eek] / as whit as morne Milk Vp on hir lendes / ful of many a goore Whit was hir smok / and broyden al bifoore And eek bihynde / on hir coler aboute Of colblak silk / with-Inne and eek with-oute The tapes / of hir white voluper Were of the same suyte of hir coler Hir filet brood of silk and set ful hye And sikerly / she hadde a likerous eye fful smale ypulled / were hire browes two And tho were bent / and blake as any sloo She was / ful moore blisful on to see Than is / the newe / pereionette tree And softer / than the wolle is of a wether And by hir girdel / heeng a purs of lether Tasseled with grene / and perled with latoun In al this world / to seken vp and doun There nas no man so wys / þat koude thenche So gay a popelote / or swich a wenche fful brighter / was the shynyng of hir hewe Than in the tour / the noble yforged newe ¶ But of hir song / it was / as loude and yerne As any swalwe / sittynge on a berne Ther to / she koude skippe / and make game As any kyde / or calf / folwynge his dame Hir mouth was sweete / as bragot or the Meeth Or hoord of Apples / leyd in hey or heeth Wynsynge she was / as is a ioly colt Long as a Mast and vprighte as a bolt A brooch sche baar / vp on hir loue coler As brood / as is the boos of a bokeler Hir shoes were laced / on hir legges hye She was a prymerole / a piggesnye ffor any lord / to leggen in his bedde Or yet for any good yeman to wedde NOw sire / and eft sire / so bifel the cas That on a day / this hende Nicholas ffil with this yonge wyf / to rage and pleye Whil that hir housbonde was at Oseneye As clerkes / ben ful subtile / and ful queynte And priuely / he caughte hire by the queynte And seyde ywis / but if ich haue my wille ffor deerne loue of thee / lemman I spille And heeld hire harde / by the haunche bones And seyde / lemman loue me al atones Or I wol dyen / also god me saue And she sproong / as a colt doth in the traue And with hir heed / sche wryed faste awey And seyde / I wol nat kisse thee / by my fey Why lat be quod ich / lat be Nicholas Or I wol crie / out / harrow / and allas Do wey youre handes / for your curteisye ¶ This Nicholas / gan mercy for to crye And spak so faire / and profred hire so faste That she hir loue / hym graunted atte laste And swoor hir ooth / by seint Thomas of Kent That she wol been / at his comandement Whan þat she may / hir leyser wel espie Myn housbonde / is so ful of Ialousie That but ye wayte wel / and been priuee I woot right wel / I nam but deed quod she Ye moste been ful deerne / as in this cas ¶ Nay ther of / care thee noght quod Nicholas A clerk hadde litherly / biset his whyle But if he koude / a Carpenter bigyle And thus they been / accorded and ysworn To wayte a tyme / as I haue told biforn ¶ Whan Nicholas / had doon thus euerideel And thakked hire / aboute the lendes weel He kist hire sweete / and taketh his sawtrie And pleyeth faste / and maketh melodie Thanne fil it thus / þat to the paryssh chirche Cristes / owene werkes / for to wirche This goode wyf / went on an haliday Hir forheed shoon / as bright as any day So was it wasshen / whan she leet hir werk ¶ Now was ther of that chirche a parissh clerk The which / that was ycleped Absolon Crul was his heer / and as the gold it shoon And strouted as a ffanne / large and brode fful streight and euene / lay his ioly shode His rode was reed / hise eyen greye as goos With Powles wyndow / coruen on his shoos In hoses rede / he wente fetisly Yclad he was / ful smal and proprely Al in a kirtel / of a lyght waget fful faire and thikke / been the poyntes set And ther vp on / he hadde a gay surplys As whit as is / the blosme vp on the rys A myrie child he was / so god me saue Wel koude he laten blood / and clippe and shaue And maken a chartre of lond / or Acquitaunce In twenty manere / koude he trippe and daunce After the scole / of Oxenford[e] tho And with his legges / casten to and fro And pleyen songes / on a small Rubible Ther to / he song som tyme / a loud quynyble And as wel / koude he pleye / on his giterne In al the toun / nas Brewhous ne Tauerne That he ne visited / with his solas Ther any gaylard Tappestere was But sooth to seyn / he was somdel squaymous Of fartyng / and of speche daungerous ¶ This Absolon / þat iolif was and gay Gooth with a Sencer / on the haliday Sensynge the wyues / of the parisshe faste And many a louely look / on hem he caste And namely / on this Carpenteris wyf To loke on hire / hym thoughte a myrie lyf She was so propre / and sweete and likerous I dar wel seyn / if she hadde been a Mous And he a Cat / he wold hire hente anon ¶ This parissh clerk / this ioly Absolon Hath in his herte / swich a loue longynge That of no wyf / took he noon offrynge ffor curteisie / he seyde he wolde noon The Moone / whan it was nyght / ful brighte shoon And Absolon / his gyterne hath ytake ffor paramours / be thoghte for to wake And forth he gooth / iolif and amorous Til he cam / to the Carpenteres hous A litel / after Cokkes hadde ycrowe And dressed hym vp / by a shotwyndowe That was / vp on the Carpenteris wal He syngeth in his voys / gentil and smal Now deere lady / if thy wille be I pray yow / that ye wole thynke on me fful wel acordaunt to his gyternynge This Carpenter awook / and herde synge And spak vn to his wyf / and seyde anon What Alison / herestow nat Absolon That chaunteth thus / vnder oure boures wal And she answerde hir housbonde / ther with al Yis God woot Iohn / I heere it euery del ¶ This passeth forth / what wol ye bet than weel ffro day to day / to day / this ioly Absolon So woweth hire / that hym is wo bigon He waketh / al the nyght / and al the day He kembeth hise lokkes brode / and made hym gay He woweth hire / by meenes / and brocage And swoor / he wolde been hir owene page He syngeth brokkynge / as a nyghtyngale He sente hire pyment Meeth and spiced Ale And wafres / pipyng / hoot / out of the gleede And for she was of toune / he profreth meede ffor som folk wol ben wonnen for richesse And somme for strokes / and somme for gentillesse¶ vnde Ouidius/ Ictibus Agrestis. ¶ Somtyme / to shewe his lightnesse and maistrye He pleyeth Herodes vp on a Scaffold hye But what auailleth hym / as in this cas She loueth so / this hende Nicholas That Absolon / may blowe the bukkes horn He ne hadde / for his labour but a scorn And thus / she maketh Absolon hire Ape And al his ernest turneth til a Iape fful sooth is this prouerbe / it is no lye Men seyn right thus / alwey the nye slye Maketh / the ferre leeue to be looth ffor though that Absolon / be wood or wrooth By cause / that he fer was from hire sighte This nye Nicholas / stood in his lighte NOw bere thee wel / thou hende Nicholas ffor Absolon / may waille and synge allas And so bifel it on a Saterday This Carpenter / was goon til Osenay And hende Nicholas and Alisoun Acorded been / to this conclusioun That Nicholas / shal shapen hym a wyle This sely Ialous housbonde to bigyle And if so be / the game wente aright She sholde slepen / in his arm al nyght ffor this was / his desir / and hire also And right anon / with-outen wordes mo This Nicholas / no lenger wolde tarie But dooth ful softe / vn to his chambre carie Bothe mete and drynke / for a day or tweye And to hire housbonde / bad hire for to seye If that he axed / after Nicholas She sholde seye / she nyste where he was Of al that day / she saugh hym nat with eye She trowed / that he was in maladye ffor / for no cry / hir mayde koude hym calle He nolde answere / for thyng that myghte falle ¶ This passeth forth / al thilke Saterday That Nicholas / stille in his chambre lay And eet and sleepe / or dide what hym leste Til Sonday / that the sonne gooth to reste ¶ This sely Carpenter / hath greet merueyle Of Nicholas / or what thyng myghte hym eyle And seyde / I am adrad by Seint Thomas It stondeth nat aright with Nicholas God shilde / that he deyde sodeynly This world / is now ful tikel sikerly I saugh to day / a cors yborn to chirche That now / on monday last / I saugh hym wirche ¶ Go vp quod he / vn to his knaue anoon Clepe at his dore / or knokke with a stoon Looke how it is / and tel me boldely ¶ This knaue / gooth him vp ful sturdily And at the chambre dore / whil that he stood He cride and knokked / as that he were wood What how / what do ye maister Nicholay How may ye slepen / al the longe day ¶ But al for noght he herde nat a word An hole he foond / ful lowe vp on a bord Ther as the Cat was wont In for to crepe And at that hole / he looked In ful depe And at the laste / he hadde of hym a sighte This Nicholas / sat capyng euere vp-righte As he had kiked / on the newe moone Adoun he gooth / and tolde his maister soone In what array / he saugh that ilke man ¶ This Carpenter / to blessen hym bigan And seyde / help vs seinte ffrydeswyde A man woot litel / what hym shal bityde This man is falle / with his Astromye In som woodnesse / or in som Agonye I thoghte ay wel / how that it sholde be Men sholde nat knowe / of goddes pryuetee Ye / blessed be alwey a lewed man That noght but oonly his bileue kan So ferde another clerk with Astromye He walked in the feeldes / for to prye Vp on the sterres / what ther sholde bifalle Til he was / in a Marleput yfalle He saugh nat that / but yet by seint [Thomas[later hand]] Me reweth soore / of hende Nicholas He shal be rated / of his studiyng If that I may / by Ihesus heuene kyng ¶ Get me a staf / that I may vnderspore Whil þat thou Robyn / heuest of the dore He shal / out of his studiyng as I gesse And to the chambre dore / he gan hym dresse His knaue / was a strong carl / for the noones And by the haspe / he haaf it of atones In to the floor / the dore fil anon This Nicholas / sat ay as stille as stoon And euere caped vpward in to the Eir This Carpenter / wende he were in despeir And hente hym / by the sholdres myghtily And shook hym harde / and cride spitously What Nicholay / what how / what looke adoun Awake / and thenk on Cristes passioun I crouche thee / from Elues / and fro wightes Ther-with the nyghtspel / seyde he anonrightes On foure halues / of the hous aboute And on the thresshfold / of the dore with-oute Ihesu Crist and seint Benedight Blesse this hous / from euery wikked wight ffor nyghtes uerye / the white pater noster Where wentestow / seint Petres soster ¶ And atte laste / this hende Nicholas Gan for to sike soore / and seyde allas Shal al this world / be lost eftsoones now? ¶ This Carpenter / answerde / what seystow? What thynk on god / as we doon / men þat swynke ¶ This Nicholas answerde / fecche me drynke And after / wol I speke in pryuetee Of certeyn thyng that toucheth me and thee I wol telle it noon oother man certeyn ¶ This Carpenter / goth doun / and comth ageyn And broghte / of myghty Ale a large quart And whan þat ech of hem / had dronke his part This Nicholas / his dore faste shette And doun the Carpenter / by hym he sette ¶ He seyde Iohn myn hoost lief and deere Thou shalt vp on thy trouthe swere me heere That to no wight thou shalt this conseil wreye ffor it is / cristes conseil that I seye And if thou telle man / thou art forlore ffor this vengaunce / thou shalt han therfore That if thou wreye me / thou shalt be wood Nay Crist forbede it for his hooly blood Quod tho this sely man / I nam no labbe Ne though I seye / I am nat lief to gabbe Sey what thou wolt / I shal it neuere telle To child ne wyf / by hym that harwed helle NOw Iohn quod Nicholas / I wol nat lye I have yfounde / in myn Astrologye As I haue looked / in the moone bright That now a monday next at quarter nyght Shal falle a reyn / and that so wilde and wood That half so greet was neuere Noees flood This world he seyde / in lasse than an hour Shal al be dreynt / so hidous is the shour Thus schal mankynde drenche / and lese hir lyf ¶ This Carpenter answerde / allas my wyf And shal she drenche / allas myn Alisoun ffor sorwe of this / he fil almoost adoun And seyde / is ther no remedie in this cas ¶ Why yis for gode / quod hende Nicholas If thou wolt werken / aftir loore and reed Thou mayst nat werken / after thyn owene heed ffor thus seith Salomon / that was ful trewe Werk al by conseil / and thou shalt nat rewe And if thou werken wolt by good conseil I vndertake / with-outen Mast and seyl Yet shal I sauen / hire / and thee / and me Hastow nat herd / hou saued was Noe? Whan þat oure lord / hadde warned hym biforn That al the world / with water sholde be lorn ¶ Yis quod this Carpenter / ful yoore ago ¶ Hastou nat herd / quod Nicholas also The sorwe of Noe / with his felaweshipe Er þat he myghte / brynge his wyf to shipe Hym hadde be leuere / I dar wel vndertake At thilke tyme / than alle hise wetheres blake That she hadde had a shipe / hir self allone And ther-fore / woostou what is best to doone This asketh haste / and of an hastif thyng Men may nat preche / or maken tariyng ¶ Anon go gete vs faste in to this In A knedyng trogh / or ellis a kymelyn ffor ech of vs / but loke þat they be large In whiche / we mowe swymme as in a barge And han ther-Inne / vitaille suffisant But for a day / fy on the remenant The water shal aslake / and goon away Aboute pryme / vp on the nexte day But Robyn / may nat wite of this / thy knaue Ne eek thy mayde Gille I may nat saue Axe nat why /. for though thou aske me I wol nat tellen goddes pryuetee Suffiseth thee / but if thy wittes madde To han as greet a grace / as Noe hadde Thy wyf shal I wel sauen / out of doute Go now thy wey / and speed thee heer aboute ¶ But whan thou hast for hire and thee and me Ygeten vs / thise knedyng tubbes thre Thanne shaltow hange hem / in the roof ful hye That no man / of oure purueiaunce spye And whan thou thus hast doon / as I haue seyd And hast oure vitaille / faire in hem yleyd And eek an Ax / to smyte the corde atwo Whan þat the water comth / that we may go And broke an hole / an heigh vp on the gable Vnto the gardynward / ouer the stable That we may frely / passen forth oure way Whan þat the grete shour / is goon away Thanne shal I swymme / as myrie I vndertake As dooth the white doke / after hire drake Thanne wol I clepe / how Alison / how Iohn Be myrie / for the flood wol passe anon And thou wolt seyn / hayl maister Nicholay Good morwe / I se thee wel / for it is day And thanne / shul we be / lordes al oure lyf/ Of al the world / as Noe and his wyf/ ¶ But of o thyng I warne thee ful right Be wel auysed / on that ilke nyght That we ben entred / in to shippes bord That noon of vs / ne speke nat a word Ne clepe / ne crie / but been in his preyere ffor it is / goddes owene heeste deere ¶ Thy wyf and thou / moote hange fer atwynne ffor that bitwixe yow / shal be no synne Na moore in lookyng / than ther shal in deede This ordinance is seyd / so god thee speede Tomorwe at nyght whan folk ben alle aslepe In to our knedyng tubbes / wol we crepe And sitten there / abidyng goddes grace Go now thy wey / I haue no lenger space To make of this / no lenger sermonyng Men seyn thus / sende the wise / and sey no thyng Thou art so wys it needeth thee nat to preche Go saue oure lyf / and that I the biseche ¶ This sely Carpenter / goth forth his wey fful ofte / he seith allas and weylawey And to his wyf / he tolde his pryueetee And she was war / and knew it bet than he What al this queynte cast was for to seye But nathelees / she ferde as she wolde deye And seyde allas / go forth thy wey anon Help vs to scape / or we been lost echon I am thy trewe / verray wedded wyf Go deere spouse / and help to saue oure lyf LO / which a greet thyng / is Affeccion¶ Auctor Men may dyen / of ymaginacion So depe / may impression be take This sely Carpenter / bigynneth quake Hym thynketh verraily / that he may see Noees flood / come walwynge as the see To drenchen Alisoun / his hony deere He wepeth / weyleth / maketh sory cheere He siketh / with ful many a sory swogh He gooth / and geteth hym a knedyng trogh And after that / a tubbe and a kymelyn And pryuely / he sente hem to his In And heng hem / in the roof in pryuetee His owene hand made laddres thre To clymben / by the ronges and the stalkes In to the tubbes / hangynge in the balkes And hem vitailleth / bothe trogh and tubbe With breed and chese / and good Ale in a Iubbe Suffisynge right ynogh / as for a day But er that he / hadde maad al this array He sente his knaue / and eek his wenche also Vp on his nede / to london for to go And on the Monday / whan it drow to nyght He shette his dore / with-oute candel lyght And dresseth alle thyng as it shal be And shortly / vp they clomben alle thre They sitten stille / wel a furlong way ¶ Now Pater noster / clom seyde Nicholay And clom quod Iohn / and clom seyde Alisoun This Carpenter / seyde his deuocioun And stille he sit / and biddeth his preyere Awaitynge on the reyn / if he it heere ¶ The dede sleepe / for wery bisynesse ffil on this Carpenter / right as I gesse Aboute corfew tyme / or litel moore ffor trauaille of his goost he groneth soore And eft he routeth / for his heed myslay Doun of the laddre / stalketh Nicholay And Alisoun / ful softe adoun she spedde With-outen wordes mo / they goon to bedde Ther as the Carpenter / is wont to lye Ther was the reuel / and the melodye And thus [lith] Alison / and Nicholas In bisynesse / of myrthe and of solas Til that the belle of laudes gan to rynge And freres in the Chauncel gonne synge This parissh clerk / this Amorous Absolon That is for loue alwey so wo bigon Vp on the Monday / was at Oseneye With a compaignye / hym to disporte and pleye And axed vp on cas a Cloistrer fful priuely / after Iohn the Carpenter And he drough hym a part out of the chirche And seyde I noot I saugh hym heere nat wirche Syn Saterday / I trow that he be went ffor tymber / ther our Abbot hath hym sent ffor he is wont for tymber for to go And dwellen at the grange / a day or two Or elles / he is at his hous certeyn Where that he be / I kan nat soothly seyn ¶ This Absolon / ful ioly was and light And thoghte / now is tyme wake al nyght ffor sikirly I saugh him nat stirynge Aboute his dore / syn day bigan to sprynge ¶ So moot I thryue / I shal at cokkes crowe fful pryuely / knokke at his wyndowe That stant ful lowe / vp on his boures wal To Alison / now wol I tellen al My loue longynge / for yet I shal nat mysse That at the leste wey / I shal hire kisse Som maner confort shal I haue parfay My mouth hath icched al this longe day That is a signe of kissyng atte leste Al nyght me mette eek / I was at a feeste Therfore I wol goon slepe / an houre or tweye And al the nyght thanne wol I wake and pleye Whan that the firste cok hath crowe anon Vp rist this ioly louere Absolon And hym arraieth / gay at poynt deuys But first he cheweth greyn of lycorys To smellen sweete / er he hadde kembd his heer Vnder his tonge / a trewe loue he beer ffor ther-by / wende he to ben gracious He rometh / to the Carpenteres hous And stille he stant vnder the shot wyndowe Vn to his brist it raughte / it was so lowe And softe he knokketh / with a semy soun What do ye hony comb / sweete Alisoun My faire bryd / my sweete cynamome Awaketh lemman myn / and speketh to me Wel litel thynken ye / vp on my wo That for youre loue / I swete ther I go No wonder is / thogh that I swelte and swete I moorne / as dooth a lamb after the tete Ywis lemman / I haue swich loue longynge That lik a turtel trewe / is my moornynge I may nat ete / na moore than a mayde ¶ Go fro the wyndow / Iakke fool she sayde As help me god / it wol nat be com pa me I loue another / and elles I were to blame Wel bet than thee / by Ihesu Absolon Go forth thy wey / or I wol caste a ston And lat me slepe / a twenty deuel wey ¶ Allas quod Absolon / and weylawey That trewe loue / was euere so yuel biset Thanne kys me / syn it may be no bet ffor Ihesus loue / and for the loue of me ¶ Wiltow thanne / go thy wey quod she? ¶ Ye certes lemman / quod this Absolon ¶ Thanne make thee redy quod she I come anon And vn to Nicholas / she seyde stille Now hust and thou shalt laughen al thy fille ¶ This Absolon / doun sette hym on his knees And seyde / I am lord at alle degrees ffor after this / I hope ther cometh moore Lemman thy grace / and sweete bryd thyn oore ¶ The wyndow / she vndoth / and that in haste Haue do quod she / com of and speed the faste Lest that oure Neighebores / thee espie ¶ This Absolon / gan wype his mouth ful drie Dirk was the nyght as pich / or as the cole And at the wyndow / out she pitte hir hole And Absolon / hym fil no bet ne wers But with his mouth / he kiste hir naked ers fful sauourly / er he was war of this ¶ Abak he stirte / and thoughte it was amys ffor wel he wiste / a womman hath no berd He felte a thyng al rough / and long yherd And seyde / fy allas what haue I do ¶ Tehee quod she / and clapte the wyndow to And Absolon / gooth forth a sory pas ¶ A berd a berd / quod hende Nicholas By goddes corpus / this goth faire and weel ¶ This sely Absolon / herde euery deel And on his lippe / he gan for Anger byte And to hym self / he seyde l shal thee quyte ¶ Who rubbeth now / who froteth now his lippes With dust with sond / with straw / with clooth / with chippes But Absolon / that seith ful ofte allas My soule / bitake I vn to Sathanas But me were leuere / than al this toun quod he Of this despit awroken for to be Allas quod he / allas I ne hadde ybleynt His hoote loue / was coold and al yqueynt ffor fro that tyme / that he hadde kiste hir ers Of paramours / he sette nat a kers ffor he was / heeled of his maladie fful ofte / paramours he gan deffie And weepe / as dooth a child that is ybete A softe paas / he wente ouer the strete Vn til a smyth / men cleped daun Gerueys That in his forge / smythed plough harneys He sharpeth shaar / and kultour bisily This Absolon / knokketh al esily And seyde / vndo Gerueys / and that anon ¶ What who artow? I am heere Absolon What Absolon / for Cristes swete tree Why rise ye so rathe / ey benedicitee What eyleth yow / som gay gerl god it woot Hath broght yow thus / vp on the viritoot By seinte note / ye woot wel what I mene ¶ This Absolon / ne roghte nat a bene Of al his pley / no word agayn he yaf He hadde / moore tow / on his distaf Than Gerueys knew / and seyde freend so deere That hoote kultour / in the chymenee heere As lene it me / I haue ther-with to doone And I wol / brynge it thee / agayn ful soone ¶ Gerueys answerde / certes were it gold Or in a poke / nobles alle vntold Thou sholdest have / as I am trewe smyth Ey cristes foo / what wol ye do ther-with? ¶ Ther of quod Absolon / be as be may I shal wel telle it thee / to morwe day And caughte the kultour / by the colde stele fful softe / out at the dore he gan to stele And wente / vn to the Carpenteris wal He cogheth first / and knokketh ther with al Vp on the wyndowe / right as he dide er ¶ This Alison answerde / Who is ther? That knokketh so / I warante it a theef ¶ Why nay quod he / god woot my sweete leef I am thyn Absolon / my deerelyng Of gold quod he / I haue thee broght a ryng My mooder yaf it me / so god me saue fful fyn it is / and ther-to wel ygraue This wol I yeue thee / if thou me kisse ¶ This Nicholas / was risen for to pisse And thoughte / he wolde amenden al the Iape He sholde kisse his [ers] er that he scape And vp the wyndowe / dide he hastily And out his ers / he putteth pryuely Ouer the buttok / to the haunche bon And ther with / spak this clerk this Absolon Spek sweete bryd / I noot nat where thou art ¶ This Nicholas / anon leet fle a fart/ As greet as it had been a thonder dent That with the strook he was almoost yblent And he was redy / with his Iren hoot And Nicholas / amydde ers he smoot ¶ Of gooth the skyn / an hande brede aboute The hoote kultour / brende so his toute And for the smert he wende for to dye As he were wood / for wo he gan to crye Help / water / water / help for goddes herte ¶ This Carpenter / out of his slomber sterte And herde oon crien water / as he were wood And thoughte / Allas / now comth Nowelis flood He sit hym vp / with-outen wordes mo And with his Ax / he smoot the corde atwo And doun gooth al / he foond neither to selle Ne breed ne Ale / til he cam to the Celle Vp on the floor / and ther aswowne he lay ¶ Vp stirte hire / Alison and Nicholay And criden / out and harrow in the strete The neighebores / bothe smale and grete In ronnen / for to gauren on this man That yet aswowne he lay / bothe pale and wan ffor with the fal / he brosten hadde his Arm But stonde he moste / vn to his owene harm ffor whan he spak / he was anon bore doun With hende Nicholas / and Alisoun They tolden euery man / that he was wood He was agast so / of Nowelis flood Thurgh fantasie / that of his vanytee He hadde yboght hym / knedyng tubbes thre And hadde hem hanged / in the roue aboue And þat he preyde hem / for goddes loue To sitten in the roof / par compaignye ¶ The folk gan laughen / at his fantasye In to the roof / they kiken and they cape And turned al his harm / vn to a Iape ffor / what so / þat this Carpenter answerde It was for noght no man his reson herde With othes grete / he was so sworn adoun That he was holde wood in al the toun ffor euery clerk / anonright / heeld with oother They seyde / the man was wood / my leeue broother And euery wight / gan laughen of this stryf/ Thus / swyued was / this Carpenteris wyf/ ffor al his kepyng and his Ialousye And Absolon / hath kist hir nether eye And Nicholas / is scalded in the towte This tale is doon / and god saue al the rowte ¶ Heere endeth the Millere his tale[Slight break in the MS.] ¶ The prologe / of the Reues tale WHAN folk hadde laughen / at this nyce cas Of Absolon / and hende Nicholas Diuerse folk / diuersely they seyde But for the moore part they loughe and pleyde Ne at this tale / I saugh no man hym greue But it were oonly / Osewold the Reue By-cause / he was / of Carpenteris craft A litel Ire / in his herte ylaft He gan to grucche / and blamed it a lite ¶ So theek / quod he / ful wel koude I yow quite With bleryng of a proud Milleres eye If that me liste / speke of ribaudye But ik am oold / me list no pley for Age Gras tyme is doon / my fodder is now forage This white tope / writeth myne olde yeris Myn herte is mowled also as myne heris But if I fare / as dooth an Openers ¶ That ilke fruyt / is euer leng the wers Til it be roten / in Mullok or in stree We olde men / I drede so fare we Til we be roten / kan we nat be rype We hoppen ay / whil that the world wol pype ffor in oure wyl / ther stiketh euere a nayl To haue an hoor heed / and a grene tayl As hath a leek / for thogh oure myght be goon Oure wyl / desireth folie euere in oon ffor whan we may nat doon / than wol we speke Yet in oure Asshen olde / is fyr yreke ¶ ffoure gleedes han we / whiche I shal deuyse Avauntyng liyng Anger / Coueitise Thise foure sparkles / longen vn to eelde Oure olde lemes / mowe wel been vnweelde But wyl ne shal nat faillen / that is sooth And yet ik haue alwey a Coltes tooth As many a yeer / as it is passed henne Syn that my tappe of lif / bigan to renne ffor sikerly / whan I was bore / anon Deeth drough the tappe of lyf / and leet it gon And euer sithe / hath so the tappe yronne Til that almoost al empty is the tonne The streem of lyf / now droppeth on the chymbe The sely tonge / may wel rynge and chymbe Of wrecchednesse / that passed is ful yoore With olde folk saue dotage is namoore Whan that oure hoost / hadde herd this sermonyng He gan to speke / as lordly as a kyng He seide / what amounteth al this wit What shul we speke alday of hooly writ The deuel / made a Reue for to preche And of a Soutere / Shipman or a leche Sey forth thy tale / and tarie nat the tyme Lo Depeford / and it is half wey pryme Lo Grenewych / ther many a shrewe is Inne It were al tyme / thy tale to bigynne NOw sires / quod this Osewold the Reue I pray yow alle / that ye nat yow greue Thogh I answere / and somdeel sette his howue ffor leueful is / with force force of showue¶ vim vi repellere ¶ This dronke Millere hath ytoold vs heer How that bigyled was a Carpenteer Perauenture in scorn / for I am oon And by youre leue / I shal him quite anoon Right in his cherles termes wol I speke I pray to god / his nekke mote breke He kan wel / in myn eye seen a stalke But in his owene / he kan nat seen a balke ¶ Heere bigynneth the Reues tale AT Trumpyngton / nat fer fro Cantebrigge Ther gooth a brook / and ouer that a brigge Vp on the which[e] brook / ther stant a Melle And this is verray sooth / þat I yow telle[painting of the Reve] A Millere / was ther dwellynge many a day As eny pecok he was proud and gay Pipen he koude and fisshe / and nettes beete And turne coppes / and wel wrastle and sheete And by his belt he baar a long panade And of a swerd / ful trenchant was the blade A ioly poppere / baar he in his pouche Ther was no man / for peril / dorste hym touche A Sheffeld thwitel / baar he in his hose Round was his face / and camuse was his nose As piled as an Ape / was his skulle He was a Market betere atte fulle Ther dorste no wight / hand vp on hym legge That he ne swoor / he sholde anon abegge A theef he was / of corn and eek of Mele And that a sly / and vsaunt for to stele His name was hoote / deynous Symkyn A wyf he hadde / ycomen of noble kyn The person of the toun / hir fader was With hire he yaf / ful many a panne of bras ffor that Symkyn / sholde in his blood allye She was yfostred in a Nonnerye ffor Symkyn / wolde no wyf / as he sayde But if she were / wel ynorissed and a mayde To sauen his estaat of yomanrye And she was proud / and peert as is a pye A ful fair sighte / was it vp on hem two On haly dayes / biforn hire wolde he go With his typet / [y]bounde about his heed And she cam after / in a gyte of reed And Symkyn / hadde hosen of the same Ther dorste no wight / clepen hire but dame Was noon so hardy / that wente by the weye That with hire / dorste rage / or ones pleye But if / he wolde be slayn of Symkyn With panade / or with knyf / or boidekyn ffor Ialous folk / ben perilous eueremo Algate / they wolde hire wyues wenden so And eek / for she was somdel smoterlich She was as digne / as water in a dich As ful of hoker / and of bismare Hir thoughte / þat a lady sholde hire spare What for hire kynrede / and hir nortelrie That she hadde lerned in the Nonnerie ¶ A doghter hadde they bitwixe hem two Of twenty yeer / with-outen any mo Sauynge a child / þat was of half yeer age In Cradel it lay / and was a propre page This wenche thikke / and wel ygrowen was With kamuse nose / and eyen greye as glas Buttokes brode / and brestes rounde and hye But right fair was hire heer / I wol nat lye ¶ This person of the toun / for she was feir In purpos was / to maken hire his heir Bothe of his catel / and his Mesuage And straunge / he made it of hir mariage His purpos was / for to bistowe hire hye In to som worthy blood of Auncetrye ffor hooly chirches good / moot been despended On hooly chirches blood / that is descended Therfore / he wolde his hooly blood honoure Though / that he hooly chirche sholde devoure Gret sokene / hath this Millere / out of doute With whete and Malt of al the land aboute And nameliche / ther was a greet Collegge Men clepen the Soler halle at Cantebregge Ther was hir whete / and eek hir malt ygrounde And on a day / it happed in a stounde Sik lay the Maunciple / on a maladye Men wenden wisly / that he sholde dye ffor which / this Millere / stal bothe mele and corn An hundred tyme / moore than biforn ffor ther biforn / he stal but curteisly But now / he was a theef outrageously ffor which / the wardeyn chidde and made fare But ther of / sette the Millere nat a tare He craketh boost / and swoor it was nat so ¶ Thanne were ther / yonge poure clerkes two That dwelten in this halle / of which I seye Testif they were / and lusty for to pleye And oonly / for hire myrthe and reuerye Vp on the wardeyn / bisily they crye To yeue hem leue / but a litel stounde To goon to Mille / and seen hir corn ygrounde And hardily / they dorste leye hir nekke The Millere shold nat stele hem / half a pekke Of corn by sleighte / ne by force hem reue And at the laste / the wardeyn yaf hem leue Iohn highte that oon / and Aleyn heet that oother Of o toun were they born / that highte Strother ffer in the North / I kan nat telle where ¶ This Aleyn / maketh redy al his gere And on an hors / the sak he caste anon fforth goth Aleyn the clerk / and also Iohn With good swerd / and bokeler by hir side Iohn knew the wey / hem neded no gyde And at the Mille / the sak adoun he layth Aleyn spak first / al hayl Symond yfayth Hou fares thy faire doghter / and thy wyf ¶ Aleyn welcome quod Symkyn / by my lyf And Iohn also / how now / what do ye heer ¶ Symond quod Iohn / by god nede has na peer Hym boes serue hym selne / that has na swayn Or elles / he is a fool / as clerkes sayn Oure Manciple / I hope / he wil be deed Swa werkes ay / the wanges in his heed And forthy / is I come / and eek Alayn To grynde oure corn / and carie it ham agayn I pray yow / spede vs heythen that ye may ¶ It shal be doon / quod Symkyn by my fay What wol ye doon / whil that it is in hande ¶ By God / right by the hopur wil I stande Quod Iohn / and se / how that the corn gas In Yet saugh I neuere / by my fader kyn How that the hopur / wagges til and fra ¶ Aleyn answerde / Iohn wiltow swa Thanne wil I be bynethe / by my croun And se / how þat the Mele falles doun In to the trough / that sal be my disport ffor Iohn yfaith / I may been of youre sort I is / as ille a Millere / as are ye ¶ This Millere / smyled of hir nycetee And thoghte / al this nys doon / but for a wyle They wene / þat no man may hem bigile But by my thrift / yet shal I blere hir eye ffor al the sleighte / in hir Philosophye The moore queynte crekes / that they make The moore wol I stele / whan I take In stide of flour / yet wol I yeue hem bren The gretteste clerkes / been noght wisest men As whilom to the wolf / thus spak the Mare Of al hir Art [ne] counte I noght a tare ¶ Out at the dore / he gooth ful pryuely Whan þat he saugh / his tyme softely He looketh vp and doun / til he hath founde The clerkes hors / ther as it stood ybounde Bihynde the Mille / vnder a lefsel And to the hors / he goth hym faire and wel He strepeth of the brydel / right anon And whan the hors was laus / he gynneth gon Toward the fen / ther wilde Mares renne fforth with wehee / thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne ¶ This Millere gooth agayn / no word he seyde But dooth his note / and with the clerkes pleyde Til that hir corn / was faire and weel ygrounde And whan the Mele / is sakked and ybounde This Iohn goth out and fynt his hors away And gan to crie / harrow and weylaway Oure hors is lorn / Alayn for goddes banes Stepe on thy feet com out man al atanes Allas / our wardeyn / has his palfrey lorn This Aleyn al forgat / bothe Mele and corn Al was out of his mynde / his housbondrie What whilk way is he geen / he gan to crie ¶ The wyf cam lepynge Inward with a ren She seyde allas / youre hors goth to the fen With wilde mares / as faste as he may go Vnthank come on his hand / that boond hym so And he þat bettre / sholde han knyt the reyne ¶ Allas quod Aleyn / for cristes peyne Lay doun thy swerd / and I wil myn alswa I is ful wight god waat as is a raa By god[des] herte / he sal nat scape vs bathe Why nadstow pit the Capul in the lathe Ilhayl / by god Aleyn / thou is a fonne ¶ This sely clerkes / han ful faste yronne To-ward the fen / bothe Aleyn and eek Iohn ¶ And whan the Millere / saugh þat they were gon He half a busshel / of hir flour hath take And bad his wyf / go knede it in [a] cake He seyde / I trowe the clerkes were aferd Yet kan a Millere / make a clerkes berd ffor al his Art now lat hem goon hir weye Lo wher they goon / ye lat the children pleye They gete hym nat so lightly / by my croun ¶ Thise sely clerkes / rennen vp and doun With keepe / keepe / stand / stand / Iossa warderere Ga whistle thou / and I shal kepe hym heere But shortly / til that it was verray nyght They koude nat / though they do al hir myght Hir capul cacche / he ran alwey so faste Til in a dych / they caughte hym atte laste Wery and weet as beest is in the reyn Comth sely Iohn / and with him comth Aleyn Allas quod Iohn / the day that I was born Now are we dryue / til hethyng and til scorn Oure corn is stoln / me wil vs fooles calle Bathe the wardeyn / and oure felawes alle And namely / the Millere weylaway ¶ Thus pleyneth Iohn / as he gooth by the way Toward the Mille / and bayard in his hond The Millere / sittynge / by the fyr he fond ffor it was nyght and forther myghte they noght But for the loue of god / they hym bisoght Of herberwe and of ese / as for hir peny ¶ The Millere seyde agayn / if ther be eny Swich as it is / yet shal ye haue youre part/ Myn hous is streit but ye han lerned Art Ye konne by Argumentz / make a place A myle brood / of twenty foot of space Lat se now / if this place may suffise Or make it rowm with speche / as in youre gise Now Symond / seyde Iohn / by seint Cutberd Ay is thou myrie / and this is faire answerd I haue herd seyd / man sal taa / of twa thynges Slyk as he fyndes / or taa slyk as he brynges But specially / I pray thee hoost deere Get vs som mete and drynke / and make vs cheere And we wil payen / trewely atte fulle With empty hand / men may none haukes tulle Loo heere our siluer / redy for to spende ¶ This Millere / in to toun his doghter sende ffor Ale and breed / and rosted hem a goos And boond hire hors / it sholde nat goon loos And in his owene chambre / hem made a bed With sheetes and with chalons / faire yspred Noght from his owene bed / ten foot / or twelue His doghter hadde a bed / al by hir selue Right in the same chambre / by and by It myghte be no bet and cause why? Ther was no rommer herberwe in the place They soupen / and they speke hem to solace And drynke euere / strong ale atte beste Aboute mydnyght wente they to reste ¶ Wel hath this Millere vernysshed his heed fful pale he was for-dronken / and nat reed He yexeth / and he speketh / thurgh the nose As he were / on the quakke / or on the pose To bedde he goth / and with hym goth his wyf As any Iay / she light was and Iolyf So was hir ioly whistle wel y-wet The Cradel / at hir beddes feet is set To rokken / and to yeue the child to sowke And whan þat dronken / al was in the crowke To bedde / went the doghter right anon To bedde wente Aleyn / and also Iohn Ther nas na moore / hem neded no dwale This Millere / hath so wisely bibbed Ale That as an hors / he snorteth in his sleepe Ne of his tayl bihynde / he took no keepe His wyf bar him a burdon a ful strong Men myghte hir rowtyng heere two furlong The wenche rowteth eek / par compaignye ¶ Aleyn the clerk / that herd this melodye He poked Iohn / and seyde slepestow Herdtow euere slyk / a sang er now Lo whilk a cowplyng is ymel hem alle A wilde fyr / vp on thair bodyes falle Wha herkned euere / slyk a ferly thyng Ye they sal haue / the flour of il endyng This lange nyght / ther tydes me na reste But yet nafors / al sal be for the beste ffor Iohn seyde he / als euere moot I thryue If þat I may / yon wenche wil I swyue Som esement has lawe yshapen vs ffor Iohn / ther is a lawe / that says thus That gif a man / in a point be ygreued That in another / he sal be releued Oure corn is stoln / shortly is ne nay And we han had / an il fit al this day And syn I sal haue neen amendement Agayn my los / I wil haue esement By God sale / it sal neen other bee ¶ This Iohn answerde / Alayn auyse thee The Millere / is a perilous man he seyde And gif that he / out of his sleepe abreyde He myghte doon vs / bathe a vileynye ¶ Aleyn answerde / I count hym nat a flye And vp he rist / and by the wenche he crepte This wenche lay vprighte / and faste slepte Til he so ny was / er she myghte espie That it had been / to late for to crie And shortly for to seyn / they were aton Now pley Aleyn / for I wol speke of Iohn This Iohn lith stille / a furlong wey or two And to hym self / he maketh routhe and wo Allas quod he / this is a wikked Iape Now may I seyn / that I is but an Ape Yet has my felawe / som what for his harm He has / the Milleris doghter / in his Arm He auntred hym / and has his nedes sped And I lye / as a draf sek / in my bed And when this Iape is tald another day I sal been halde a daf a cokenay I wil arise / and auntre it by my fayth Vnhardy is vnseely / thus men sayth And vp he roos / and softely he wente Vn to the cradel / and in his hand it hente And baar it softe / vn to the beddes feet ¶ Soone after this / the wyf hir rowtyng leet And gan awake / and wente hire out to pisse And cam agayn / and gan hir cradel mysse And groped heer and ther / but she foond noon Allas quod she / I hadde almoost mysgoon I hadde almoost goon / to the clerkes bed Ey benedicite / thanne hadde I foule y-sped And forth she gooth / til she the Cradel fond She gropeth / alwey forther with hir hond And foond the bed / and thoghte noght but good By cause / that the Cradel by it stood And nyste wher she was / for it was derk But faire and wel / she creepe In to the clerk And lith ful stille / and wolde han caught a sleepe With-Inne a while / this Iohn the clerk vp leepe And on this goode wyf / he leith on soore So myrie a fit hadde she nat ful yoore He priketh harde and soore / as he were mad This ioly lyf / han thise two clerkes lad Til that the thridde cok / bigan to synge ¶ Aleyn wax wery / in the dawenynge ffor he had swonken / al the longe nyght And seyde / fare weel Malyne sweete wight The day is come / I may no lenger byde But eueremo / wher so I go / or ryde I is thyn awen clerk swa haue I seel ¶ Now deere lemman quod she / go fareweel But er thow go / o thyng I wol thee telle Whan that thou wendest homward by the Melle Right at the entree / of the dore bihynde Thou shalt a Cake / of half a busshel fynde That was ymaked / of thyn owene mele Which that I heelpe / my fader for to stele And goode lemman / god thee saue and kepe And with that word / almoost she gan to wepe Aleyn vp rist / and thoughte / er þat it dawe I wol go crepen In / by my felawe And fond the Cradel / with his hand anon By God thoughte he / al wrang I haue mysgon Myn heed is toty / of my swynk to nyght That maketh me / that I go nat aright I woot wel by the Cradel / I have mysgo Heere lith the Millere / and his wyf also And forth he goth / a twenty deuel way Vn to the bed / ther as the Millere lay He wende have cropen / by his felawe Iohn And by the Millere In he creepe anon And caughte hym by the nekke / and softe he spak He seyde / thou Iohn / thou swynesheed awak ffor cristes saule / and heer a noble game ffor by that lord / that called is seint Iame As I haue thries / in this shorte nyght/ Swyued the Milleres doghter bolt vpright Whil thow hast as a Coward been agast ¶ Ye false harlot quod the Millere hast? A false traitour / false clerk / quod he Thow shalt be deed / by goddes dignitee Who dorste be so boold / to disparage My doghter / that is come / of swich lynage And by the throte bolle / he caughte Alayn And he hente hym / despitously agayn And on the nose / he smoot hym with his fest Doun ran the blody streem / vp on his brest And in the floor / with nose and mouth to-broke They walwe / as doon two pigges in a poke And vp they goon / and doun agayn anon Til that the Millere / sporned at a stoon And doun he fil / bakward vp on his wyf/ That wiste no thyng / of this nyce stryf/ ffor she was falle aslepe a lite wight With Iohn the clerk / that waked hadde al nyght And with the fal / out of hir sleepe she breyde Help hooly croys of Bromholm / she seyde In manus tuas / lord to thee I calle Awak Symond / the feend is on vs falle Myn herte is broken / help I nam but deed Ther lyth oon / vp on my wombe / and on myn heed Helpe Symkyn / for the false clerkes fighte ¶ This Iohn stirte vp / as soone as euer he myghte And graspeth by the walles to and fro To fynde a staf / and she stirte vp also And knewe the Estres / bet than dide this Iohn And by the wal / a staf she foond anon And saugh / a litel shymeryng of a light ffor at an hole / In shoon the moone bright And by that light she saugh hem bothe two But sikerly / she nyste / who was who But as she saugh / a whit thyng in hir eye And whan she gan / the white thyng espye She wende the clerk hadde wered a volupeer And with the staf / she drough ay neer and neer And wende han hit this Aleyn at the fulle And smoot the Millere / on the pyled skulle And doun he gooth / and cride harrow I dye Thise clerkes beete hym weel / and lete hym lye And greythen hem / and tooke hir hors anon And eek hire mele / and on hir wey they gon And at the Mille / yet they tooke hir cake Of half a busshel flour / ful wel ybake Thus is the proude Millere wel ybete And hath ylost / the gryndynge of the whete And payed for the soper euerideel Of Aleyn and of Iohn / þat bette hym weel His wyf is swyued / and his doghter als Lo swich it is / a Millere to be fals And therfore this prouerbe / is seyd ful sooth Hym thar nat wene wel / that yuele dooth A gylour / shal hym self bigyled be And god / þat sitteth heighe in Trinitee Saue al this compaignye / grete and smale Thus have I quyt the Millere in my tale ¶ Heere is ended the Reues tale[Slight break in the MS.] ¶ The prologe of the Cokes Tale The Cook of London / whil that the Reue spak ffor ioye him thoughte / he clawed him on the bak Ha . ha . quod he / for cristes passion This Millere / hadde a sharpe conclusion Vpon his argument / of herbergage Wel seyde Salomon / in his langage Ne brynge nat every man in-to thyn hous ffor herberwynge by nyghte is perilous Wel oghte a man / auysed for to be Whom that he broghte / in-to his pryuetee I pray to god / so yeue me sorwe and care If euere sitthe / I highte Hogge of Ware Herde I a Millere / bettre yset a werk He hadde a Iape of malice in the derk But god forbede / that we stynte heerehic And therfore / if ye vouche-sauf to heereaudire A tale of me / that am a poure man I wol yow telle / as wel as euere I kan A litel iape / that fil in oure Citee ¶ Oure hoost answerde / and seide I graunte it thee Now telle on Roger / looke that it be good ffor many a pastee / hastow laten blood And many a Iakke of Douere hastow soold That hath been / twies hoot and twies coold Of many a pilgrym / hastow cristes curs ffor of thy percely / yet they fare the wors That they han eten / with thy stubbel goos ffor in thy shoppe / is many a flye loos Now telle on / gentil Roger by thy name But yet I pray thee / be nat wroth for game A man may seye ful sooth / in game and pley ¶ Thou seist ful sooth / quod Roger by my fey But sooth pley quaad pley / as the flemyng seith And ther-fore / Herry Bailly / by thy feith Be thou na[t] wrooth / er we departen heer Though that my tale / be of an Hostileer But nathelees / I wol nat telle it yit But er we parte / ywis thou shalt be quit/ And ther with al / he lough and made cheere And seyde his tale / as ye shul after heere[Slight break in the MS.] ¶ Heere bigynneth the Cookes tale APrentys whilom dwelled / in oure Citee And of a craft of vitailliers was hee Gaillard he was / as Goldfynch in the shawe Broun as a berye / a propre short fel[a]we With lokkes blake / ykempd ful fetisly Dauncen he koude / so wel and iolily[painting of the Cook] That he was cleped Perkyn Reuelour He was / as ful of loue and paramour As is the hyve / ful of hony sweete Wel was the wenche / with hym myghte meete At euery bridale / wolde he synge and hoppe He loved bet the Tauerne than the shoppe ¶ ffor / whan ther / any ridyng was in Chepe Out of the shoppe / thider wolde he lepe Til that he hadde / al the sighte yseyn And daunced wel / he wolde nat come ayeyn And gadered hym / a meynee of his sort To hoppe and synge / and maken swich disport And ther / they setten steuene for to meete To pleyen / at the dys in swich a streete ffor in the toun / nas ther no prentys That fairer koude caste / a paire of dys Than Perkyn koude / and ther-to he was free Of his dispense / in place of pryuetee That fond his maister wel in his chaffare ffor often tyme / he foond his box ful bare ffor sikerly / a prentys Reuelour That haunteth dys / Riot or paramour His maister / shal it in his shoppe abye Al haue he / no part of the Mynstralcye ffor thefte and Riot. they been conuertible Al konne he pleye on gyterne / or Ribible Reuel and trouthe / as in a lowe degree They been ful wrothe al day / as men may see ¶ This ioly prentys / with his maister bood Til he were ny / out of his prentishood Al were he snybbed / bothe erly and late And somtyme / lad with reuel to Newegate But atte laste / his maister hym bithoghte Vp on a day / whan he his papir soghte Of a prouerbe / that seith this same word Wel bet is roten Appul / out of hoord Than þat / it rotie al the remenaunt ¶ So fareth it by a riotous seruaunt It is wel lasse harm / to lete hym pace Than he shende / alle the seruantz in the place Therfore / his maister / yaf hym Acquitance And bad hym go / with sorwe and with meschance And thus this ioly prentys / hadde his leue Now lat hym riote al the nyght / or leue And for ther is no theef / with-oute a lowke That helpeth hym / to wasten and to sowke Of that he brybe kan / or borwe may Anon he sente his bed / and his array Vn to a compier / of his owene [sort[later hand]] That louede dys / and Reuel and disport And hadde a wyf / that heeld for contenance A shoppe / and swyued for hir sustenance[22 lines & 1 leaf of the MS blank.] GROUP B. (α. FRAGMENT II.) § 1. MAN OF LAW'S HEAD-LINK. ELLESMERE MS. ¶ The wordes of the Hoost to the compaignye Ovre hoost saugh wel / that the brighte sonne The ark of his artificial day hath ronne The ferthe part and half an houre and moore And though / he were nat depe ystert in loore He wiste / it was the eighte and twentithe day Of Aprill / that is messager to May And saugh wel / that the shadwe of euery tree Was as in lengthe / the same quantitee That was the body erect that caused it And ther fore / by the shadwe / he took his wit That Phebus / which þat shoon / so clere and brighte Degrees / was fyue and fourty clombe on highte And for that day / as in that latitude It was ten at the clokke / he gan conclude And sodeynly / he plighte his hors aboute ¶ Lordynges quod he / I warne yow al this route The fourthe party of this day is gon Now for the loue of god / and of Seint Iohn Leseth no tyme / as ferforth as ye may Lordynges / the tyme wasteth nyght and day And steleth from vs / what pryuely slepynge And what thurgh necligence / in oure wakynge As dooth the streem / that turneth neuere agayn Descendynge fro the montaigne in to playn ¶ Wel kan Senec and many a philosophre Biwaillen tyme / moore than gold in cofre ffor losse of catel / may recouered be But losse of tyme / shendeth vs quod he It wol nat come agayn / with outen drede Namoore / than wole Malkynes maydenhede Whan she hath lost it in hir wantownesse Lat us nat mowlen thus in ydelnesse ¶ Sire man of lawe quod he / so haue ye blis Telle vs a tale anon / as forward is Ye been submytted / thurgh youre free assent To stonden in this cas / at my Iuggement Acquiteth yow now / of youre biheeste Thanne haue ye do youre deuoir atte leeste ¶ Hoost quod he / depardieux ich assente To breke forward / is nat myn entente Biheste is dette / and I wole holde fayn Al my biheste / I kan no bettre sayn ffor swich lawe / as a man yeueth another wight He sholde hym seluen / vsen it by right Thus wole oure text but nathelees certeyn I kan right now / no thrifty tale seyn That Chaucer / thogh he kan but lewedly On metres / and on rymyng craftily Hath seyd hem / in swich englissh / as he kan Of olde tyme / as knoweth many a man And if he haue noght seyd hem leue brother In o book / he hath seyd hem in another ffor he hath toold / of loueris vp and doun / Mo than Ouide / made of mencioun In hise epistles / that been ful olde What sholde I telle hem / syn they ben tolde ¶ In youthe / he made / of Ceys and Alcione And sitthe / hath he spoken of euerichone Thise noble wyues / and thise loueris eke Who so that wole / his large volume seke Cleped / the seintes legende of Cupide Ther may he seen / the large woundes wyde Of Lucresse / and of Babilan Tesbee The swerd of Dido / for the false Enee The tree of Phillis / for hire Demophon The pleinte of Diane / and of Hermyon Of Adriane / and of Isiphilee The bareyne yle / stondynge in the see The dreynte Leandre / for his Erro The teeris of Eleyne / and the wo Of Brixseyde / and the Ladomya The crueltee / of the queene Medea Thy litel children / hangynge by the hals ffor thy Iason / that was in loue so fals O Ypermystra / Penolopee / Alceste Youre wifhede / he comendeth with the beste ¶ But certeinly no word ne writeth he Of thilke wikke ensample of Canacee That loued / hir owene brother synfully Of swiche cursed stories / I sey fy Or ellis / of Tyro Appollonius How that the cursed kyng / Antiochus Birafte his doghter / of hir maydenhede That is / so horrible a tale for to rede Whan he hir threw / vp on the pauement And therfore he / of ful auysement Nolde neuere write / in none of his sermons Of swiche / vnkynde abhomynacions Ne I wol noon reherce / if that I may ¶ But of my tale / how shall I doon this day Me were looth / be likned doutelees To Muses / that men clepe Pierides Methamorphosios / woot what I mene But nathelees / I recche noght a bene Though I come after hym / with hawebake I speke in prose / and lat him rymes make And with that word / he with a sobre cheere Bigan his tale / as ye shal after heere ¶ The prologe of the mannes tale of lawe Ohateful harm / condicion of pouerte With thurst with coold / with hunger so confoundid To asken help / thee shameth in thyn herte If thou noon aske / so soore artow ywoundid That verray nede / vnwrappeth al thy wounde hid Maugree thyn heed / thou most for Indigence Or stele / or begge / or borwe thy despence Thow blamest crist and seist ful bitterly He mysdeparteth / richesse temporal Thy neighebore / thou wytest synfully And seist thou hast to lite / and he hath al Parfay seistow / somtyme he rekene shal Whan that his tayl / shal brennen in the gleede ffor he noght helpeth / needfulle / in hir neede ¶ Herke / what is the sentence of the wise Bet is to dyen / than haue Indigence Thy selue neighebor / wol thee despise If thou be poure / farwel thy reuerence Yet of the wise man / take this sentence Alle dayes of poure men been wikke Be war therfore / er thou come to that prikke If thou be poure / thy brother hateth thee And alle thy freendes / fleen from thee allas O riche marchauntz / ful of wele been yee O noble / o prudent folk / as in this cas Youre bagges / been nat fild with ambes as But with sys cynk / that renneth for youre chaunce At Cristemasse / myrie may ye daunce Ye seken lond and see / for yowre wynnynges As wise folk ye knowen all thestaat Of regnes / ye been fadres of tidynges And tales / bothe of pees / and of debaat I were right now / of tales desolaat Nere that a Marchant goon is many a yeere Me taughte a tale / which that ye shal heere ¶ Heere begynneth the man of lawe his tale IN Surrye whilom dwelte a compaignye[Painting of the Man of Law, on the left.] Of chapmen riche / and therto sadde and trewe That wyde where / senten hir spicerye Clothes of gold / and satyns riche of hewe Hir chaffare / was so thrifty and so newe That euery wight / hath deyntee to chaffare With hem / and eek / to sellen hem hire ware Now fil it that the maistres / of that sort Han shapen hem / to Rome for to wende Were it for chapmanhode / or for disport Noon oother message / wolde they thider sende But comen hem self to Rome / this is the ende And in swich place / as thoughte hem auantage ffor hire entente / they take hir herbergage ¶ Soiourned han thise Marchantz / in that toun A certein tyme / as fil to hire plesance And so bifel / that thexcellent renoun Of the Emperours doghter / Dame Custance Reported was / with euery circumstance Vn to thise Surryen Marchantz / in swich a wyse ffro day to day / as I shal yow deuyse ¶ This was the commune voys of every man Oure Emperour of Rome / god hym see A doghter hath / that syn the world bigan To rekene as wel / hir goodnesse as beautee Nas neuere / swich another as is shee I prey to god / in honour hire susteene And wolde she were / of all Europe the queeneEuropa est tercia pars mundi. In hire / is heigh beautee / with oute pride Yowthe / with oute grenehede / or folye To alle hire werkes / vertu is hir gyde Humblesse / hath slayn in hire al tirannye She is Mirour / of alle curteisye Hir herte / is verray chambre of hoolynesse Hir hand / Ministre of fredam for almesse And al this voys was sooth / as god is trewe But now to purpos / lat vs turne agayn Thise Marchantz / han doon fraught / hir shippes newe And whan they han / this blisful mayden sayn Hoom to Surrye / been they went ful fayn And doon hir nedes / as they han doon yoore And lyuen in wele / I kan sey yow namoore ¶ Now fil it that thise Marchantz / stode in grace Of hym / that was the Sowdan of Surrye ffor whan they cam / from any strange place He wolde / of his benigne curteisye Make hem good chiere / and bisily espye Tidynges / of sondry regnes for to leere The wondres / that they myghte seen or heere Amonges othere thynges specially Thise Marchantz / han hym toold / of dame Custance So greet noblesse / in ernest ceriously.i. ceriose That this Sowdan / hath caught so greet plesance To han hir figure / in his remembrance That all his lust and al his bisy cure Was for to loue hire / while his lyf may dure Parauenture / in thilke large book/ Which þat men clipe the heuene / ywriten was With sterres / whan that he his birthe took/ That he for loue / sholde han his deeth allas For in the sterres / clerer than is glas Is writen god woot who so koude it rede The deeth of euery man / withouten drede In sterres many a wynter / ther biforn¶ Ceptra Phorenei fratrum fratrum discordia Thebe ¶ fflammam Phetontis Deucalionis Aque ¶ In stellis Priami / species Audacia Turni ¶ Sensus Vlixeus Herculeus que vigor. Was writen the deeth / of Ector / Achilles Of Pompei Iulius / er they were born The strif of Thebes / and of Ercules Of Sampson / Turnus / and of Socrates The deeth / but mennes wittes ben so dulle That no wight kan wel rede it atte fulle ¶ This Sowdan / for his priuee conseil sente And shortly / of this matiere for to pace He hath to hem / declared his entente And seyde hem certein / but he myghte haue grace To han Custance / with-Inne a litel space He nas but deed / and charged hem in hye To shapen for his lyf / som remedye ¶ Diuerse men / diuerse thynges seyden They argumenten / casten vp and doun Many a subtil resoun / forth they leyden They speken of / Magyk and Abusion But finally / as in conclusion They kan nat seen / in that noon auantag Ne in noon oother wey saue mariage Thanne sawe they ther-Inne swich difficultee By wey of reson / for to speke al playn By cause / that ther was swich diuersitee Bitwene hir bothe lawes / that they sayn They trowe / þat no cristene prince wolde fayn Wedden his child / vnder oure lawes sweete That vs were taught by Mahoun oure prophete ¶ And he answerde / rather than I lese Custance./ I wol be cristned doutelees I moot been hires / I may noon oother chese I prey yow / hoold youre argumentz in pees Saueth my lyf / and beth noght recchelees To geten hire / that hath my lyf in cure For in this wo / I may nat longe endure ¶ What nedeth / gretter dilatacion I seye / by tretys / and Embassadrie And by / the popes mediacion And al the chirche / and al the chiualrie That in destruccion of Maumettrie And in encrees / of cristes lawe deere They been acorded / so as ye shal heere How that the sowdan / and his Baronage And alle hise liges / sholde ycristned be And he shal han / Custance / in mariage And certein gold / I noot what quantitee And heer to founden / sufficient suretee This same accord / was sworn on eyther syde Now faire Custance / almyghty god thee gyde ¶ Now wolde som men / waiten as I gesse That I sholde tellen / al the purueiance That themperour / of his grete noblesse Hath shapen / for his doghter dame Custance Wel may men knowen / þat so greet ordinance May no man tellen / in a litel clause As was arrayed / for so heigh a cause Bisshopes been shapen / with hire for to wende Lordes / ladies / knyghtes of renoun And oother folk ynogh / this is thende And notified is / thurgh out the toun That euery wight / with greet deuocioun Sholde preyen crist that he this mariage Receyue in gree / and spede this viage ¶ The day is comen / of hir departynge I seye / the woful day fatal is come That ther may be / no lenger tariynge But forthward they hem dressen / alle and some Custance / þat was with sorwe al ouercome fful pale arist and dresseth hire to wende ffor wel she seeth / ther is noon oother ende Allas / what wonder is it thogh she wepte That shal be sent / to strange nacion ffro freendes þat so tendrely hire kepte And to be bounden / vnder subieccion Of oon / she knoweth nat his condicion Housbondes been alle goode / and han ben yoore That knowen wyues / I dar say yow na moore ¶ ffader she seyde / thy wrecched child Custance Thy yonge doghter / fostred vp so softe And ye my mooder / my souerayn plesance Ouer alle thyng out taken crist on lofte Custance youre child / hire recomandeth ofte Vn to your grace / for I shal to Surrye Ne shal I neuere / seen yow moore with eye Allas / vn to the Barbre nacion I moste goon / syn that it is youre wille But crist that starf / for our sauacion So yeue me grace / hise heestes to fulfille I wrecche womman / no fors / though I spille Wommen are born / to thraldom and penance And to been / vnder mannes gouernance ¶ I trowe at Troye / whan Pirrus brak / the wal Or Ilion / brende Thebes the Citee Nat Rome / for the harm thurgh Hanybal That Romayns / hath venquysshed tymes thre Nas herd / swich tendre wepyng for pitee As in the chambre was for hire departynge But forth she moot wher so she wepe or synge ¶ O firste moeuyng / crueel firmament¶ Vnde Ptholomeus. libro io. capitulo. 8o. ¶ Primi mo|tus celi duo sunt quorum vnus est qui mouet totum semper ab Oriente in Occidentem / vno modo super orbes &c. / Item al[i]ter vero motus est qui mouet orbem stellarum currencium contra mo|tum primum / videlicet / ab Occidente in Orientem super alios duos polos, &c. With thy diurnal sweigh / that crowdest ay And hurlest al / from Est til Occident That naturelly / wolde holde another way Thy crowdyng / set the heuene in swich array At the bigynnyng of this fiers viage That crueel Mars / hath slayn this mariage Infortunat Ascendent tortuous Of which / the lord is helplees falle allas Out of his Angle / in to the derkeste hous O Mars / o Atazir / as in this cas O fieble Moone / vnhappy been thy paas Thou knyttest thee / ther thou art nat receyued Ther thou were weel / fro thennes artow weyued Imprudent Emperour / of Rome allas¶ Omnes concordati sunt / quod elecciones sint debiles nisi in diuitibus / habent enim isti licet debilitentur eorum elec|ciones radicem .i. natiuitates eorum que conforta[n]t omnem plane|tam debilem in itinere &c. Was ther / no philosophre / in al thy toun Is no tyme bet than oother / in swich cas Of viage / is ther noon eleccion Namely / to folk / of heigh condicion Noght whan a roote / is of a burthe yknowe Allas / we been / to lewed or to slowe ¶ To ship is come / this woful faire mayde Solempnely / with euery circumstance Now Ihesu crist be with yow alle she sayde Ther nys namoore / but farewel / faire Custance She peyneth hire / to make good contenance And forth / I lete hire saille / in this manere And turne I wole / agayn to my matere ¶ The mooder / of the Sowdan / welle of vices Espied hath / hir sones pleyn entente How he wol lete / hise olde sacrifices And right anon / she for hir conseil sente And they been come / to knowe what she mente And whan assembled was / this folk in feere She sette hire doun / and seyde as ye shal heere ¶ Lordes / she seyde / ye knowen euerichon How that my sone / in point is for to lete The hooly lawes / of oure Alkaron Yeuen by goddes message Makomete But oon auow / to grete god I heete The lyf shal rather / out of my body sterte Than Makometes lawe / out of myn herte What sholde vs tyden / of this newe lawe But thraldom to our bodies and penance And afterward / in helle to be drawe ffor we reneyed / Mahoun oure creance But lordes / wol ye maken assurance As I shal seyn / assentynge to my loore And I shal make vs sauf for eueremoore ¶ They sworen / and assenten euery man To lyue with hire and dye / and by hire stonde And euerich / in the beste wise he kan To strengthen hire / shal alle hise frendes fonde And she hath / this emprise ytake on honde Which ye shal heren / that I shal deuyse And to hem alle / she spak right in this wyse ¶ We shul first feyne vs / cristendom to take Coold water / shal nat greue vs but a lite And I shal / swiche a feeste and reuel make That as I trowe / I shal the Sowdan quite ffor thogh his wyf / be cristned neuer so white She shal haue nede / to wasshe awey the rede Thogh she / a font ful water / with hire lede O Sowdanesse / roote of Iniquitee¶ Auctor Virago / thou Semyrame the secounde O serpent / vnder femynynytee Lik to the serpent depe in helle ybounde O feyned womman / al that may confounde Vertu and Innocence / thurgh thy malice Is bred in thee / as nest of euery vice O Sathan enuious / syn thilke day That thou were chaced from oure heritage Wel knowestow / to wommen the olde way Thou madest Eua / brynge vs in seruage Thou wolt fordoon / this cristen mariage Thyn Instrument so weylawey the while Makestow of wommen / whan thou wolt bigile ¶ This Sowdanesse / whom I thus blame and warye Leet priuely / hire conseil goon hire way What sholde I in this tale lenger tarye She rydeth to the Sowdan / on a day And seyde hym / that she wolde reneye hir lay And cristendom / of preestes handes fonge Repentynge hire / she hethen was so longe Bisechynge hym / to doon hire that honour That she moste han / the cristen folk to feeste To plesen hem I wol do my labour The Sowdan seith / I wol doon at youre heeste And knelynge / thanketh hire of that requeste So glad he was / he nyste what to seye She kiste hir sone / and hoome she gooth hir weye¶ Explicit prima pars ¶ Sequitur pars secunda. Arryued been / this cristen folk to londe In Surrye / with a greet solempne route And hastifliche / this Sowdan sente his sonde ffirst to his mooder / and all the regne aboute And seyde / his wyf was comen oute of doute And preyde hire / for to ryde agayn the queene The honour of his regne / to susteene Greet was the prees / and riche was tharray Of Surryens and Romayns met yfeere The mooder of the Sowdan / riche and gay Recyueth hire / with also glad a cheere As any mooder / myghte hir doghter deere And to the nexte Citee / ther bisyde A softe paas / solempnely they ryde ¶ Noght trowe I / the triumphe of Iulius Of which / that Lucan maketh swich a boost Was roialler / or moore curius Than was thassemblee / of this blisful hoost But this scorpioun / this wikked goost The Sowdanesse / for all hire flaterynge Caste vnder this / ful mortally to stynge ¶ The Sowdan comth hym self soone after this So roially / that wonder is to telle And welcometh hire / with alle ioye and blis And thus / in murthe and ioye I lete hem dwelle The fruyt of this matiere / is that I telle Whan tyme cam / men thoughte it for the beste The reuel stynte / and men goon to hir reste ¶ The tyme cam / this olde Sowdanesse Ordeyned hath this feeste / of which I tolde And to the feeste / cristen folk hem dresse In general / ye bothe yonge and olde Heere may men / feeste / and roialtee bihold And deyntees mo / than I kan yow deuyse But all to deere / they boghte it er they ryse Osodeyn wo / that euere art successour¶ Nota de inopinato dolore ¶ Semper mundane leticie tristicia repentina succedit / Mundana igitur felicitas multis ama|ritudinibus est respersa / extrema gaudii luctus occupat. Audi ergo salubre consilium / In die bonorum ne immemor sis malorum. To worldly blisse / spreynd with bitternesse The ende of the ioye / of oure worldly labour Wo occupieth / the fyn of oure gladnesse Herke this conseil / for thy sikernesse Vp on thy glade day / haue in thy mynde The vnwar wo / or harm þat comth bihynde ffor soothly / for to tellen / at o word The sowdan / and the cristen everichone Been al tohewe / and stiked at the bord But it were oonly / dame Custance allone This olde Sowdanesse / cursed krone Hath with hir freendes / doon this cursed dede ffor she hir self / wolde all the contree lede Ne was Surryen noon / that was conuerted That of the conseil / of the Sowdan woot That he nas al tohewe / er he asterted And Custance / han they take anon foot hoot And in a ship / all steerelees god woot They han hir set and biddeth hire lerne saille Out of Surrye / agaynward to Ytaille A certein tresor / that she with hire ladde And sooth to seyn / vitaille greet plentee They han hire yeuen / and clothes eek she hadde And forth she sailleth / in the salte see O my Custance / ful of benignytee O Emperours yonge doghter deere He that is lord of ffortune be thy steere She blesseth hire / and with ful pitous voys Vn to the croys of Crist thus seyde she O cleere / o woful Auter / hooly croys Reed of the lambes blood / ful of pitee That wesshe the world / fro the olde Iniquitee Me fro the feend / and fro his clawes kepe That day / that I shal drenchen in the depe Victorious tree / proteccion of trewe That oonly / worthy were for to bere The kyng of heuene / with his woundes newe The white lamb / þat hurt was with the spere fflemere of feendes / out of hym and here On which / thy lymes / feithfully extenden Me helpe / and yif me myght / my lyf tamenden ¶ Yeres and dayes / fleteth this creature Thurghout the See of Grece / vn to the Strayte Of Marrok. as it was hire Auenture On many a sory meel / now may she bayte After hir deeth / ful often may she wayte Er that the wilde wawes / wol hire dryue Vn to the place / ther she shal arryue Men myghten asken / why she was nat slayn Eek at the feeste / who myghte hir body saue And I answere / to that demande agayn Who saued danyel / in the horrible Caue Ther euery wight saue he / maister and knaue Was with the leon frete / er he asterte No wight but god / that he bar in his herte God liste to shewe / his wonderful myracle In hire / for we sholde seen / his myghty werkis Crist which that is / to euery harm triacle By certeine meenes ofte / as knowen clerkis Dooth thyng for certein ende / that ful derk is To mannes wit/. that for oure ignorance Ne konne noght knowe / his prudent purueiance ¶ Now sith she was nat / at the feeste yslawe Who kepte hire / fro the drenchyng / in the see? Who kepte Ionas / in the fisshes mawe Til he / was spouted vp at Nynyuee? Wel may men knowe / it was no wight but he That kepte peple Ebrayk from hir drenchynge With drye feet thurgh out the see passynge ¶ Who bad the foure spirites of tempest That power han / tanoyen lond and see Bothe North and South / and also west and Est Anoyeth neither / see / ne land ne tree Soothly / the Comandour of that was he That fro the tempest / ay this womman kepte As wel / when she wook as whan she slepte ¶ Where myghte this womman / mete and drynke haue? Thre yeer and moore / how lasteth hire vitaille? Who fedde / the Egypcien Marie in the Caue? Or in desert? no wight but crist / sanz faille ffyue thousand folk / it was as greet meruaille With loues fyue / and fisshes two to feede God sente his foyson / at hir grete neede ¶ She dryueth forth / in to oure Occian Thurgh out oure wilde see / til atte laste Vnder an hoold / that nempnen I ne kan ffer in Northhumberlond / the wawe hire caste And in the sond / hir ship / stiked so faste That thennes wolde it noght of al a tyde The wyl of crist. was þat she sholde abyde ¶ The Constable of the Castel / doun is fare To seen his wrak and al the ship he soghte And foond / this wery womman ful of care He foond also / the tresor þat she broghte In hir langage / mercy she bisoghte The lyf / out of hire body for to twynne Hire to deliuere / of wo / that she was Inne A maner latyn corrupt / was hir speche But algates / ther by was she vnderstonde The Constable / whan hym lyst no lenger seche This woful womman / broghte he to the londe She kneleth doun / and thanketh goddes sonde But what she was / she wolde no man seye ffor foul ne fair / thogh þat she sholde deye She seyde / she was / so mazed in the see That she forgat hir mynde / by hir trouthe The Constable / hath of hire so greet pitee And eke his wyf / that they wepen for routhe She was so diligent with outen slouthe To serue and plese / euerich in that place That alle hir louen / that looken in hir face ¶ This Constable / and dame Hermengyld his wyf/ Were payens / and that contree euery where But Hermengyld / loued hire right as hir lyf And Custance / hath so longe soiourned there In orisons / with many a bitter teere Til Ihesu / hath conuerted / thurgh his grace Dame Hermengyld / Constablesse of that place In al that lond / no cristen dorste route Alle cristen folk / been fled fro that contree Thurgh Payens / that conquereden al aboute The plages of the North by land and see To Walys / fledde the Cristyanytee Of olde Britons / dwellynge in this Ile Ther was hir refut for the meene while But yet nere cristene Britons so exiled That ther nere somme / that in hir priuetee Honoured crist and hethen folk bigiled And ny the Castel / swiche ther dwelten three That oon of hem was blynd / and myghte nat see But it were / with thilke eyen of his mynde With whiche men seen / whan þat they ben blynde Bright was the sonne / as in that someres day ffor which the Constable / and his wyf also And Custance / han ytake the righte way Toward the see / a furlong wey or two To pleyen / and to romen to romen[so] to and fro And in hir walk this blynde man they mette Croked and oold / with eyen faste yshette In name of Crist cride this olde Briton Dame Hermengyld / yif me / my sighte agayn This lady / weex affrayed of the soun Lest that hir housbonde / shortly for to sayn Wolde hire / for Ihesu cristes loue han slayn Til Custance made hire boold / and bad hire wirche The wyl of Crist as doghter of his chirche ¶ The Constable / weex abasshed of that sight And seyde / what amounteth all this fare Custance answerde / sire / it is cristes myght That helpeth folk / out of the feendes snare And so ferforth / she gan oure lay declare That she the Constable / er that it were eue Conuerteth / and on Crist maketh hym bileue This Constable / was no thyng lord of this place Of which I speke / ther he Custance fond But kepte it strongly many wyntres space Vnder Alla / kyng of al Northhumbrelond That was ful wys / and worthy of his hond Agayn the Scottes / as men may wel heere But turne I wole / agayn to my mateere ¶ Sathan / that euere vs waiteth to bigile Saugh of Custance / al hire perfeccioun And caste anon / how he myghte quite hir while And made a yong knyght / þat dwelte in that toun Loue hire so hoote of foul affeccioun That verraily / hym thoughte he sholde spille But he of hire myghte ones haue his wille He woweth hire / but it auailleth noght/ She wolde do no synne / by no weye And for despit he compassed in his thoght To maken hire / on shameful deeth to deye He wayteth / whan the Constable was aweye And pryuely / vp on a nyght he crepte In Hermengyldes chambre / whil she slepte ¶ Wery / for-waked / in hire orisons Slepeth Custance / and Hermengyld also This knyght thurgh Sathans temptacions All softely / is to the bed ygo And kitte the throte / of Hermengyld atwo And leyde the blody knyf / by dame Custance And wente his wey / ther god yeue hym meschance ¶ Soone after / cometh this Constable hoom agayn And eek Alla / þat kyng was of that lond And saugh his wyf / despitously yslayn ffor which ful ofte he weep / and wroong his hond And in the bed / the blody knyf he fond By Dame Custance / allas what myghte she seye For verray wo / hir wit was al aweye ¶ To kyng Alla / was toold al this meschance And eek the tyme / and where / and in what wise That in a ship / was founden dame Custance As heer biforn / that ye han herd deuyse The kynges herte / of pitee gan agryse Whan he saugh / so benigne a creature ffalle in disese / and in mysauenture ffor as the lomb / toward his deeth is broght So stant this Innocent bifore the kyng This false knyght þat hath this treson wroght Berth hire on hond / þat she hath doon thys thyng But nathelees / ther was greet moornyng Among the peple / and seyn / they kan nat gesse That she had doon / so greet a wikkednesse ffor they / han seyn hire euere so vertuous And louynge Hermengyld / right as hir lyf/ Of this baar witnesse / euerich in that hous Saue he / þat Hermengyld / slow with his knyf/ This gentil kyng / hath caught a greet motyf Of this witnesse / and thoghte he wolde enquere Depper in this / a trouthe for to lere ¶ Allas Custance / thou hast no champion Ne fighte kanstow noght so weylaway But he / that starf for our redempcion And boond Sathan / and yet lith ther he lay So be / thy stronge champion this day ffor but if crist open myracle kithe Withouten gilt thou shalt be slayn as swithe She sit hire doun on knees / and thus she sayde Immortal god / that sauedest Susanne ffro fals blame / and thou merciful mayde Mary I meene / doghter to Seint Anne Bifore whos child / Angeles synge Osanne If I be giltlees / of this felonye My socour be / or ellis shal I dye Haue ye nat seyn / som tyme a pale face Among a prees / of hym þat hath be lad Toward his deeth / wher as hym gat no grace And swich a colour / in his face hath had Men myghte knowe / his face that was bistad Amonges alle the faces / in that route So stant Custance / and looketh hire aboute O Queenes / lyuynge in prosperitee Duchesses / and ladyes euerichone Haueth som routhe / on hire Aduersitee An Emperours doghter / stant allone She hath no wight / to whom to make hir mone O blood roial / that stondest in this drede ffer been thy freendes / at thy grete nede This Alla kyng hath swich compassioun As gentil herte / is fulfild of pitee That from hise eyen / ran the water doun Now hastily / do fecche a book quod he And if this knyght wol sweren how þat she This womman slow / yet wol we vs auyse Whom þat we wole / that shal been our Iustise A Briton book / written with Euaungiles Was fet and on this book he swoor anoon She gilty was / and in the meene whiles An hand hym smoot vpon the nekke boon That doun he fil / atones as a stoon And bothe hise eyen / broste out of his face In sighte / of euery body in that place ¶ A voys was herd / in general Audience And seyde thou hast desclaundred giltlees The doghter of hooly chirche / in heigh presence Thus hastou doon / and yet holde I my pees Of this meruaille / agast was al the prees As mazed folk they stoden euerichone ffor drede of wreche / saue Custance allone ¶ Greet was the drede / and eek the repentance Of hem / that hadden wronge suspecion Vpon / this sely Innocent Custance And for this miracle in conclusion And by Custances mediacion The kyng and many another in that place Conuerted was / thanked be cristes grace ¶ This false knyght was slayn for his vntrouthe By Iuggement of Alla hastifly And yet Custance / hadde of his deeth greet routhe And after this Ihesus of his mercy Made Alla wedden ful solempnely This hooly mayden / that is so bright and sheene And thus hath crist ymaad Custance a queene But who was woful / if I shal nat lye Of this weddyng but Donegild and na mo The kynges mooder / ful of tirannye Hir thoughte / hir cursed herte brast atwo She wolde noght hir sone had do so Hir thoughte a despit that he sholde take So strange a creature vn to his make ¶ Me list nat of the chaf / or of the stree Maken so long a tale / as of the corn What sholde I tellen / of the roialtee At mariages / or which cours goth biforn Who bloweth in the trumpe / or in an horn The fruyt of euery tale / is for to seye They ete / and drynke / and daunce / and synge and pleye They goon to bedde / as it was skile and right ffor thogh þat wyues / be ful hooly thynges They moste take / in pacience at nyght Swiche manere necessaries / as been plesynges To folk / þat han ywedded hem with rynges And leye a lite / hir hoolynesse aside As for the tyme / it may no bet bitide On hire he gat a man[altered from knaue.] childe anon And to a bisshop / and his Constable eke He took his wyf to kepe / whan he is gon To Scotlondward / his foomen for to seke Now faire Custance / that is so humble and meke So longe is goon with childe / til that stille She halt hire chambre / abidyng cristes wille The tyme is come / a man[altered from knaue.] child she beer Mauricius at the fontstoon / they hym calle This Constable / dooth forth come a Messageer And wroot vn to his kyng that cleped was Alle How that this blisful tidyng is bifalle And othere tidynges / spedeful for to seye He taketh the lettre / and forth he gooth his weye ¶ This Messager / to doon his auantage Vn to the kynges mooder rideth swithe And salueth hire ful faire in his langage Madame quod he / ye may be glad and blithe And thanketh god / an hundred thousand sithe My lady queene / hath child with outen doute To ioye and blisse / to al this regne aboute Lo heere the lettres / seled of this thyng That I moot bere / with al the haste I may If ye wol aught vn to youre sone the kyng/ I am youre seruant bothe nyght and day Donegild answerde / as now at this tyme nay But heere al nyght / I wol thou take thy reste To-morwe / wol I seye thee / what me leste ¶ This Messager / drank sadly ale and wyn And stolen were hise lettres pryuely Out of his box / whil he sleep as a swyn And countrefeted was ful subtilly Another lettre / wroght ful synfully Vn to the kyng direct of this mateere ffro his Constable / as ye shal after heere The lettre spak the queene deliuered was Of so horrible a feendly creature That in the Castel / noon so hardy was That any while / dorste ther endure The mooder was an Elf by auenture Ycomen / by charmes / or by sorcerie And euerich / hateth hir compaignye ¶ Wo was this kyng whan he this lettre had sayn But to no wight he tolde his sorwes soore But of his owene hand / he wroot agayn Wel come the sonde of crist for eueremoore To me / that am now lerned in his loore Lord / wel come be thy lust and thy plesance My lust I putte al in thyn ordinance Kepeth this child / al be it foul or feir And eek my wyf / vn to myn hoom comynge Crist whan hym list may sende me an heir Moore agreable than this / to my likynge This lettre he seleth pryuely wepynge Which to the Messager / was take soone And forth he gooth / ther is na moore to doone O Messager / fulfild of dronkenesse¶ Quid turpius ebrioso / cui fetor in ore tremor in cor|pore / qui promit stulta / prodit occulta / cuius mens alienatur / facies transformatur / nullum enim latet secretum vbi regnat ebrietas. Strong is thy breeth / thy lymes faltren ay And thou biwreyest / alle secreenesse Thy mynde is lorn / thou ianglest as a Iay Thy face is turned / in a newe array Ther dronkenesse / regneth in any route Ther is no conseil hyd / with outen doute O Donegild / I ne haue noon englissh digne Vn to thy malice / and thy tirannye And therfore / to the feend I thee resigne Lat hym enditen / of thy traitorie ffy mannysh fy / o nay by god I lye ffy feendlych spirit for I dar wel telle Thogh thou heere walke / thy spirit is in helle ¶ This Messager / comth fro the kyng agayn And at the kynges moodres1 court he lighte1[1_1 corrected.] And she was / of this Messager ful fayn And plesed hym / in al that euer she myghte He drank / and wel his girdel vnderpighte He slepeth / and he snoreth in his gyse All nyght til the sonne gan aryse Eft were hise lettres stolen euerychon And countrefeted lettres / in this wyse The king[king later] comandeth / his Constable anon Vp peyne of hangyng and on heigh Iuyse That he ne sholde / suffren in no wyse Custance / in with his Reawme for tabyde Thre dayes / and o quarter of a tyde But in the same ship / as he hire fond Hire and hir yonge sone / and al hir geere He sholde putte / and croude hire fro the lond And chargen hire / she neuer eft coome theere O my Custance / wel may thy goost haue feere And slepynge in thy dreem / been in penance Whan Donegild / cast al this ordinance ¶ This Messager / on morwe / whan he wook Vn to the Castel / halt the nexte way And to the Constable / he the lettre took And whan þat he / this pitous lettre say fful ofte he seyde / Allas and weylaway Lord crist quod he / how may this world endure So ful of synne / is many a creature ¶ O myghty god / if that it be thy wille Sith thou art rightful Iuge / how may it be That thou wolt suffren / Innocentz to spille And wikked folk / regnen in prosperitee O goode Custance / Allas so wo is me That I moot be thy tormentour or deye On shames deeth / ther is noon oother weye ¶ Wepen bothe yonge and olde / in al that place Whan þat the kyng this cursed lettre sente And Custance / with a deedly pale face The ferthe day / toward the ship she wente But nathelees / she taketh in good entente The wyl of Crist and knelynge on the Stronde She seyde lord / ay wel come be thy sonde He that me kepte / fro the false blame While I was / on the lond amonges yow He kan me kepe / from harm / and eek fro shame In salte see / al thogh I se noght how As strong as euere he was / he is yet now In hym triste I / and in his mooder deere That is to me / my seyl / and eek my steere Hir litel child / lay wepyng in hir arm And knelynge / pitously / to hym she seyde Pees litel sone / I wol do thee noon harm With that hir couerchief / ouer hir heed she breyde And ouer hise litel eyen / she it leyde And in hir Arm / she lulleth it ful faste And in to heuene / hire eyen vp she caste ¶ Mooder quod she / and mayde bright Marie Sooth is / that thurgh wommanes eggement Man kynde was lorn / and damned ay to dye ffor which thy child / was on a croys yrent Thy blisful eyen / sawe al his torment Thanne is ther / no comparison bitwene Thy wo / and any wo / man may sustene Thow sawe thy child yslayn bifore thyne eyen And yet now / lyueth my child parfay Now lady bright / to whom alle woful cryen Thow glorie of wommanhede / thow faire may Thow hauen of refut brighte sterre of day Rewe on my child / that of thy gentillesse Ruest on euery reweful in distresse ¶ O litel child / allas what is thy gilt That neuere wroghtest synne / as yet pardee Why wil thyn harde fader / han thee spilt O mercy deere Constable quod she As lat my litel child / dwelle heer with thee And if thou darst nat sauen hym for blame Yet kys hym ones / in his fadres name Ther with / she looked / bakward to the londe And seyde / fare wel housbonde routhelees And vp she rist / and walketh doun the stronde Toward the Ship / hir folweth al the prees And euere she preyeth hire child / to holde his pees And taketh hir leue / and with an hooly entente She blissed hire / and in to ship she wente Vitailled was the ship / it is no drede Habundantly / for hire ful longe space And othere necessaries / that sholde nede She hadde ynogh / heryed be goddes grace ffor wynd and weder / almyghty god purchace And brynge hire hoom / I kan no bettre seye But in the see / she dryueth forth hir weye¶ Explicit secunda pars ¶ Sequitur pars tercia Alla the kyng / comth hoom soone after this Vn to his Castel / of the which I tolde And asketh / where his wyf / and his child is The Constable / gan aboute his herte colde And pleynly / al the manere he hym tolde As ye han herd / I kan telle it no bettre And sheweth the kyng his seel and his lettre And seyde / lord / as ye comanded me Vp peyne of deeth / so haue I doon certein This Messager / tormented was til he Moste biknowe / and tellen plat and pleyn ffro nyght to nyght / in what place he had leyn And thus by wit / and sobtil enquerynge Ymagined was / by whom this harm gan sprynge ¶ The hand was knowe / that the lettre wroot And all the venym / of this cursed dede But in what wise / certeinly I noot Theffect is this / þat Alla out of drede His mooder slow / that may men pleynly rede ffor þat she traitoure was to hire ligeance Thus endeth olde Donegild with meschance The sorwe that this Alla / nyght and day Maketh for his wyf / and for his child also Ther is no tonge / that it telle may But now wol I / vn to Custance go That fleteth in the see / in peyne and wo ffyue yeer and moore / as liked cristes sonde Er that hir ship / approched vn to the londe ¶ Vnder an hethen Castel / atte laste Of which the name / in my text noght I fynde Custance / and eek hir child / the see vp caste Almyghty god / that saued al mankynde Haue on Custance / and on hir child som mynde That fallen is / in hethen hand eft soone In point to spille / as I shal telle yow soone ¶ Doun fro the Castel / comth ther many a wight To gauren on this ship / and on Custance But shortly / from the Castel / on a nyght The lordes styward / god yeue him meschance A theef / that hadde reneyed oure creance Came in to the ship allone / and seyde he sholde Hir lemman be / wher so she wolde or nolde ¶ Wo was this wrecched womman tho bigon Hir child cride / and she cride pitously But blisful Marie / heelp hire right anon ffor with hir struglyng wel and myghtily The theef fil ouer bord / al sodeynly And in the see / he dreynte for vengeance And thus hath crist vnwemmed kept Custance O foule lust of luxurie / lo thyn endeAuctor. Nat oonly / that thou feyntest mannes mynde¶ O extrema libidinis turpitudo que non solum mentem effeminat / set eciam corpus eneruat / semper sequntur dolor & penitentia post &cetera. But verraily / thou wolt his body shende Thende of thy werk or of thy lustes blynde Is compleynyng hou many oon may men fynde That noght for werk som tyme / but for thentente To doon this synne / been outher slayn or shente How may this wayke womman / han this strengthe Hire to defende / agayn this renegat O Golias / vnmesurable of lengthe Hou myghte Dauid / make thee so maat So yong and of Armure so desolaat Hou dorste he looke / vp on thy dredful face Wel may men seen / it nas but goddes grace Who yaf Iudith / corage or hardynesse To sleen hym Oloferne / in his tente And to deliueren / out of wrecchednesse The peple of god / I seye for this entente That right as god / spirit of vigour sente To hem / and saued hem / out of meschance So sente he myght and vigour to Custance ¶ fforth gooth hir ship / thurgh out the narwe mouth Of Iubaltare and Septe dryuynge alway Som tyme West and som tyme North and South And som tyme est ful many a wery day Til cristes mooder / blessed be she ay Hath shapen / thurgh hir endelees goodnesse To make an ende / of al hir heuynesse Now lat vs stynte / of Custance but a throwe And speke we / of the Romayn Emperour That out of Surrye / hath by lettres knowe The slaughtre of cristen folk / and dishonour Doon to his doghter / by a fals traytour I mene / the cursed wikked Sowdanesse That at the feeste / leet sleen both moore and lesse ffor which this Emperour / hath sent anon His senatour / with roial ordinance And othere lordes / god woot many oon On Surryens / to taken heigh vengeance They brennen / sleen / and brynge hem to meschance Ful many a day / but shortly / this is thende Homward to Rome / they shapen hem to wende ¶ This senatour / repaireth with victorie To Rome ward saillynge ful Roially And mette the ship dryuynge / as seith the storie In which Custance / sit ful pitously No thyng knew he / what she was / ne why? She was in swich array / ne she nyl seye/ Of hire estaat thogh she sholde deye He bryngeth hire to Rome / and to his wyf/ He yaf hire / and hir yonge sone also And with the senatour / she ladde hir lyf Thus kan oure lady / bryngen out of wo Woful Custance / and many another mo And longe tyme / dwelled she in that place In hooly werkes euere / as was hir grace The senatours wyf / hir Aunte was But for all that she knew hire neuer the moore I wol no lenger / tarien in this cas But to kyng Alla / which I spake of yoore That wepeth for his wyf / and siketh soore I wol retourne / and lete I wol Custance Vnder / the Senatours gouernance Kyng Alla / which that hadde his mooder slayn Vp on a day fil in swich repentance That if I / shortly / tellen shal and playn To Rome he comth / to receyuen his penance And putte hym / in the popes ordinance In heigh and logh / and Ihesu crist bisoghte fforyeue / hise wikked werkes þat he wroghte ¶ The fame anon / thurgh out the toun is born How Alla kyng / shal comen on pilgrymage By herbergeours / that wenten hym biforn ffor which / the Senatour / as was vsage Rood hym agayns / and many of his lynage As wel to shewen / his heighe magnificence As to doon / any kyng a reuerence ¶ Greet cheere / dooth this noble Senatour To kyng Alla / and he to hym also Euerich of hem / dooth oother greet honour And so bifel / that in with a day or two This Senatour / is to kyng Alla go To feste / and shortly / if I shal nat lye Custances sone / wente in his compaignye ¶ Som men wolde seyn / at requeste of Custance This Senatour / hath lad this child to feeste I may nat tellen / euery circumstance Be as be may / ther was he at the leeste But sooth is this / that at his moodres heeste Biforn Alla / durynge the metes space The child stood / lookynge in the kynges face ¶ This Alla kyng hath of this child greet wonder And to the senatour / he seyde anon Whos is that faire child / that stondeth yonder? I noot quod he / by god / and by seint Iohn A mooder he hath / but fader hath he noon That I of woot but shortly / in a stounde He tolde Alla / how that this child was founde But god woot quod this senatour also So vertuous a lyuere in my lyf Ne saugh I neuere as she / ne herde of mo Of worldly wommen / mayde ne of wyf I dar wel seyn / hir hadde leuere a knyf Thurgh out hir brest than ben a womman wikke There is no man / koude brynge hire to that prikke ¶ Now was this child / as lyke vn to Custance As possible is / a creature to be This Alla / hath the face in remembrance Of dame Custance / and ther on mused he If that the childes mooder / were aught she That is his wyf / and pryuely he sighte And spedde hym fro the table / that he myghte Parfay thoghte he / fantome is in myn heed I oghte deme / of skilful Iuggement That in the salte see / my wyf is deed And afterward / he made his Argument What woot I / if that Crist haue hyder ysent My wyf by see / as wel as he hire sente To my contree / fro thennes that she wente And after Noon / hoom with the Senatour Goth Alla / for to seen this wonder chaunce This Senatour / dooth Alla greet honour And hastifly / he sente after Custaunce But trusteth weel / hire liste nat to daunce Whan þat she wiste / wherfore was that sonde Vnnethe / vp on hir feet she myghte stonde ¶ Whan Alla saugh his wyf faire he hire grette And weep / that it was routhe for to see ffor at the firste look he on hire sette He knew wel verraily / that it was she And she for sorwe / as doumb stant as a tree So was hir herte shet in hir distresse Whan she remembred / his vnkyndenesse Twyes she swowned / in his owene sighte He weep / and hym excuseth pitously Now god quod he / and hise halwes brighte So wisly on my soule / as haue mercy That of youre harm / as giltlees am I As is Maurice my sone / so lyk youre face Elles the feend / me fecche out of this place ¶ Long was the sobbyng/ and the bitter peyne Er that / hir woful hertes myghte cesse Greet was the pitee / for to heere hem pleyne Thurgh whiche pleintes / gan hir wo encresse I pray yow alle / my labour to relesse I may nat telle hir wo / vn til to morwe I am so wery / for to speke of sorwe But finally / whan that the sothe is wist That Alla giltlees / was of hir wo I trowe / an hundred tymes / been they kist And swich a blisse / is ther bitwix hem two That saue the ioye / that lasteth eueremo Ther is noon lyk / that any creature Hath seyn or / shal / whil þat the world may dure Tho preyde she hir housbonde mekely In relief / of hir longe pitous pyne That he wolde preye / hir fader specially That of his magestee / he wolde enclyne To vouche sauf / som day with hym to dyne She preyde hym eek / he wolde by no weye Vn to hir fader / no word of hire seye ¶ Som men wold seyn / how þat the child Maurice Dooth this Message / vn to this Emperour But as I gesse / Alla was nat so nyce To hym that was / of so souereyn honour As he that is / of cristen folk the flour Sente any child / but it is bet to deeme He wente hym self / and so it may wel seeme ¶ This Emperour / hath graunted gentilly To come to dyner / as he hym bisoughte And wel rede I / he looked bisily Vp on this child / and on his doghter thoghte Alla goth to his In / and as him oghte Arrayed for this feste / in euery wise As ferforth / as his konnyng may suffise ¶ The morwe cam / and Alla gan hym dresse And eek his wyf / this Emperour to meete And forth they ryde / in ioye and in gladnesse And whan she saugh / hir fader in the strete She lighte doun / and falleth hym to feete ffader quod she / youre yonge child Custance Is now ful clene / out of youre remembrance I am youre doghter / Custance quod she That whilom / ye han sent / vn to Surrye It am I fader / that in the salte see Was put allone / and dampned for to dye Now goode fader / mercy I yow crye Sende me namoore / vn to noon hethenesse But thonketh my lord heere / of his kyndenesse ¶ Who kan / the pitous ioye / tellen al Bitwixe hem thre / syn they been thus ymette But of my tale / make an ende I shal The day goth faste / I wol no lenger lette This glade folk / to dyner they hem sette In ioye and blisse / at mete I lete hem dwelle A thousand foold / wel moore than I kan telle ¶ This child Maurice / was sithen Emperour Maad by the pope / and lyued cristenly To cristes chirche / he dide greet honour But I lete all his storie passen by Of Custance / is my tale specially In the olde Romane geestes / may men fynde Maurices lyf / I bere it noght in mynde ¶ This kyng Alla / whan he his tyme say With his Custance / his hooly wyf so sweete To Engelond / been they come the righte way Wher as they lyue / in ioye and in quiete But litel while it lasteth / I yow heete¶ A mane vsque ad vesperam mutabitur tempus / tenent tympanum & gaudent / ad sonum organi &cetera. Ioye of this world / for tyme wol nat abyde ffro day to nyght / it changeth as the tyde Who lyued euere / in swich delit o day¶ Quis vnquam vnicam diem totam duxit / in sua dileccione iocundam quem in aliqua parte diei reatus consciencie / vel impetus Ire vel motus concupiscencie non turbauerit / quem liuor Inuidie / vel Ardor Auaricie / vel tumor superbie non vex|auerit / quem aliqua iactura vel offensa / vel passio non com|mouerit &cetera. That hym ne moeued / outher conscience Or Ire / or talent or som kynnes affray Enuye / or pride / or passion / or offence I ne seye but for this ende this sentence That litel while in ioye / or in plesance Lasteth the blisse of Alla with Custance ffor deeth / that taketh / of heigh and logh / his rente Whan passed was a yeer / euene as I gesse Out of this world / this kyng Alla he hente For whom / Custance / hath ful greet heuynesse Now lat vs praye to god / his soule blesse And dame Custance / finally to seye Toward the toun of Rome / goth hir weye ¶ To Rome is come / this hooly creature And fyndeth hire freendes / hoole and sounde Now is she scaped / al hire auenture And whan þat she / hir fader hath yfounde Doun on hir knees / falleth she to grounde Wepynge for tendrenesse / in herte blithe She heryeth god / an hundred thousand sithe ¶ In vertu / and hooly almus dede They lyuen alle / and neuere a sonder wende Till deeth departed hem / this lyf they lede And fareth now weel / my tale is at an ende Now Ihesu Crist that of his myght may sende Ioye after wo / gouerne vs in his grace And kepe vs alle / that been in this place Amen. ¶ Heere endeth the tale / of the man of Lawe .[The Wife of Bath's Prologue follows in the MS.] GROUP D. FRAGMENT V. § 1. WIFE OF BATH'S PREAMBLE. ELLESMERE MS. ¶ The Prologe / of the Wyues tale of Bathe.on leaf 67 Experience / though noon Auctoritee Were in this world / were right ynogh to me To speke of wo / that is in mariage ffor lordynges / sith I .xij. yeer was of Age Ythonked be god / that is eterne on lyue Housbondes at chirche dore I haue had fyue ffor I so ofte / haue ywedded bee And alle / were worthy men in hir degree But me was toold certeyn / nat longe agoon is That sith that Crist ne wente neuere but onis To weddyng in the Cane of Galilee¶ In Cana Galilee By the same / ensample / thoughte me That I ne sholde / wedded be but ones¶ Qui enim semel iuit ad nupcias / doeuit semel esse nubendum Herkne eek / which a sharpe word for the nones Beside a welle / Ihesus god and man Spak / in repreeue of the Samaritan Thou hast yhad / fyue housbondes quod he And that man / the which þat hath now thee Is noght thyn housbonde / thus seyde he certeyn What that he mente ther by / I kan nat seyn But þat I axe / why that the fifthe man Was noon housbonde to the samaritan How manye / myghte she haue in mariage¶ Non est vxorum numerus diffinitus; Yet herde I neuere tellen in myn age Vpon this nombre diffiniciounquia secundum Paulum / Qui habent vxores sic sint tanquam non habentes Men may deuyne / and glosen vp and doun But wel I woot expres with-oute lye God bad vs / for to wexe and multiplye¶ Crescite & multiplicamini That gentil text kan I [wel] vnderstonde Eek wel I woot he seyde myn housbonde Sholde lete fader and mooder / and take me But of no nombre / mencion made he Of bigamye / or of Octogamye Why sholde men / speke of it vileynye ¶ Lo heereaudi / the wise kyng dann salomon I trowe / he hadde wyues / mo than oon As wolde god / it were leueful vn-to me To be refresshed / half so ofte as he Which yifte of God / hadde he / for alle hise wyuys No man hath swich / þat in this world alyue is God woot / this noble kyng as to my wit The firste nyght had many a myrie fit With ech of hem / so wel was hym on lyue Yblessed be god / that I haue wedded fyue Welcome the sixte / whan that euere he shal ffor sothe / I wol nat kepe me chaast in al¶ Si autem non continent/ nubant/ Whan myn housbonde / is fro the world ygon Som cristen man / shal wedde me anon ffor thanne / thapostle seith / I am free¶ Quod si dormie|rit vir eius liberata est/ cui vult nubat in Domino To wedde a goddes half where 1it liketh1[1_1 on an erasure] me He seith / to be wedded / is no synne¶ Si acceperis vxorem non peccasti / et si nupserit virgo non peccauit/ set hij qui domino se vouerunt Ita idem &c Bet is / to be wedded / than to brynne What rekketh me / thogh folk seye vileynye Of shrewed lameth / and of bigamye I woot wel / Abraham / was an hooly man¶ Melius est nubere quam vri And Iacob eek /as ferforth as I kan¶ Lameth qui primus intrauit bigamiam / sanguinarius & homicida est &c. And ech of hem / hadde wyues mo than two And many another man Also Whanne saugh ye euere / in [any] manere Age¶ Abraham trigamus That hye god / defended mariage¶ Iacob quatri|gamus By expres word / I pray you telleth me Or where / comanded he virginitee I woot as wel as ye / it is no drede Whan thapostel / speketh of maydenhede He seyde / that precept ther-of hadde he noon Men may conseille / a womman to been oon But conseillyng is nat comandement He putte it in oure owene Iuggement ffor hadde god / comanded maydenhede Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede And certein / if ther were / no seed y-sowe Virginitee / wher-of thanne sholde it growe Poul / ne dorste nat / comanden atte leeste¶ Paulus ‖ de virginibus / preceptum non habeo / consilium autem do &cetera A thyng of which his maister yaf noon heeste The dart is set vp / of virginitee Cacche who so may / who renneth best lat see¶ Inuitat ad cursum tenet in manu virginitatis brauium qui potest capere / capiat & cetera ¶ But this word / is nat taken of euery wight But ther / as god lust gyue it of his myght I woot wel / the Apostel was a mayde But nathelees / thogh / that he wroot and sayde He wolde / þat euery wight / were swich as he¶ Volo autem omnes homines esse sicut me ipsum Al nys / but conseil to virginitee And for to been a wyf / he yaf me leue Of Indulgence / so it is no repreue To wedde me / if my make dye With outen / excepcion of Bigamye Al were it good / no womman for to touche¶ Bonum est homini / mulierem non tangere He mente / as in his bed / or in his couche ffor peril is / bothe fyr and tow tassemble Ye knowe / what this ensample may resemble This is al and som / that virginitee Moore profiteth / than weddyng / in freletee ffreeltee clepe I / but if that he and she Wolde lede / al hir lyf in chastitee ¶ I graunte it wel / I haue noon envie Thogh maydenhede preferre Bigamye Hem liketh to be clene / body and goost Of myn estaat I nyl nat make no boost ffor wel ye knowe / a lord in his houshold He nath nat euery vessel / al of gold Somme been of tree / and doon hir lord seruyse God clepeth folk to hym / in sondry wyse And euerich hath of god a propre yifte¶ Vnusquisque proprium habet donum ex deo; alius quidem sic/ alius autem sic/ Som this som that as hym liketh shifte ¶ Virginitee / is greet perfeccion And continence eek with deuocion¶ Qui cantant sequentur Agnum xliiijor Millia But crist/ that of perfeccion is welle Bad nat euery wight / sholde go selle All that he hadde / and gyue it to the poore And in swich wise / folwe hym and his foore.i. steppes He spak to hem / that wolde lyue parfitly And lordynges by youre leue / that am nat I I wol bistowe / the flour of myn age In the Actes and in fruyt of mariage ¶ Telle me also / to what conclusion Were membres ymaad / of generacion And for what profit was a wight ywroght Trusteth right wel / they were nat maad for noght Glose who so wole / and seye bothe vp and doun That they were maad / for purgacioun Of vryne bothe / and thynges smale And eek to knowe / a femele from a male And for noon oother cause / sey ye no? The experience / woot wel it is noght so So that the clerkes / be nat with me wrothe I sey yis / that they beth maked for bothe This is to seye / for office and for ese Of engendrure / ther we nat god displese Why sholde men elles / in hir bookes sette That a man shal yelde / to his wyf hire dette Now wher with / sholde he make his paiement If he ne vsed / his sely Instrument ¶ Abyde quod she / my tale is nat bigonne¶ Item viri diligite vxores verecundas Nay / thou shalt drynken of another tonne Er that I go / shal sauoure wors than Ale And whan þat I / haue toold forth my tale Of tribulacion / that is in mariage Of which / I am expert in al myn age This to seyn / my self haue been the whippe Than maystow chese / wheither thou wolt sippe Of that tonne / that I shal abroche Be war of it/ er thou to ny approche ffor I shal tell ensamples / mo than ten Who so / þat wol nat be war / by othere men By hym / shul othere men corrected be The same wordes / writeth Protholomee Rede it in his Almageste / and take it there ¶ Dame / I wolde praye / if youre wyl it were Seyde this Pardoner / as ye bigan Telle forth youre tale / spareth for no man And teche vs yonge men / of youre praktike ¶ Gladly sires / sith it may yow like But yet I praye / to al this compaignye If that I speke / after my fantasye As taketh not agrief / that I seye ffor myn entente / is but for to pleye NOw sire / now wol I telle forth my tale¶ Bihoold how this goode wyf / serued hir .iij. firste housbondes whiche were goode olde men As euere / moote I drynken wyn or Ale I shal seye sooth / of tho housbondes þat I hadde As thre of hem were goode / and two were badde The thre men / were goode / and riche / and olde Vnnethe / myghte they / the statut holde In which / that they were / bounden vn-to me¶ Ierephancias quoque Atheniencium / vsque hodie / cicute sorbicione castrari Ye woot wel / what I meene of this pardee As help me god / I laughe whan I thynke How pitously / anyght I made hem swynke And by my fey / I tolde of it no stoor They had me yeuen hir gold/ and hir tresoor Thanne were they maad / vp-on a creature To purge vryne / and for engendrure ¶ But I seye noght þat euery wight is holde That hath swich harneys / as I of tolde To goon and vsen hem in engendrure They shul nat take / of chastitee no cure Crist was a mayde / and shapen as a man And many a seint sith the world bigan Yet lyued they euere / in perfit chastitee I nyl nat enuye / no virginitee Lat hem be breed / of pured whete seed And lat vs wyues / hoten barly breed And yet with barly breed / Mark telle kan Oure lord / refresshed many a man In swich estaat as god hath cleped vs¶ Ea vocacione qua vooati estis & cetera I wol perseuere / I nam nat precius In wyfhode I wol vse myn Instrument/ As frely / as my makere hath it sent If I be daungerous / god yeue me sorwe Myn housbonde shal it haue / bothe eue and morwe Whan þat hym list com forth and paye his dette An housbonde I wol haue / I nyl nat lette Which shal be / bothe my dettour / and my thral¶ Qui vxorem habet & debitor dicitur. & esse i prepucio & seruu vxoris & qui malorum seruo|rum est alligatus And haue / his tribulacion with al Vp-on his flessh / whil that I am his wyf/ I haue the power / durynge al my lyf Vp-on his propre body / and noght he Right thus / the Apostel / tolde it vn-to me¶ Et iterum seruus vxoris es / noli propter hoc habere tristiciam And bad oure housbondes / for to loue vs weel Al this sentence / me liketh euery deel¶ Item si acceperis vxorem non peccasti tribula|cionem tamen carnis habebunt huiusmodi & cetera Vp stirte the Pardoner / and that anon Now dame quod he / by god and by seint Iohn Ye been a noble prechour in this cas I was aboute / to wedde a wyf allas¶ Item vir corporis sui non habet potestatem/ set vxor What sholde I bye it on my flessh so deere Yet hadde I leuere / wedde no wyf to yeere Me neded nat / do lenger diligence To wynne hir loue / or doon hem reuerence They loued me so wel / by god aboue That I ne tolde / no deyntee of hir loue A wys womman / wol sette hire euere in oon To gete hire loue / ther as she hath noon But sith I hadde hem / hoolly in myn hond And sith / they hadde / me yeuen all hir lond What sholde I taken heede / hem for to plese But it were / for my profit and myn ese I sette hem so a werk / by my fey That many a nyght they songen weilawey The bacon / was nat fet for hem I trowe That som men han / in Essexe at Dunmowe I gouerned hem / so wel after my lawe That ech of hem / was ful blisful and fawe To brynge me / gaye thynges / fro the ffayre They were ful glad / whan I spak to hem faire ffor god it woot / I chidde hem spitously ¶ Now herkneth / hou I baar me proprely Ye wise wyues / that kan vnderstonde ¶ Thus shul ye speke / and beren hem on honde ffor half so boldely / kan ther no man Swere and lye / as kan a womman I sey nat this / by wyues þat been wyse But if it be / whan they hem mysauyse A wys wyf / if that she kan hir good Shal bere hym on hond / the Cow is wood And take witnesse / of hir owene mayde Of hir assent but herkneth how I sayde ¶ Sire olde kaynard / is this thyn array Why is / my neighebores wyf so gay She is honoured / ouer al ther she gooth I sitte at hoom / I haue no thrifty clooth What dostow / at my neighebores hous Is she so fair / artow so amorous What rowne ye with oure mayde benedicite Sire olde lecchour / lat thy Iapes be And if I haue / a gossib or a freend With-outen gilt thou chidest as a feend If that I walke / or pleye vn-to his hous Thou comest hoom / as dronken as a Mous And prechest on thy bench / with yuel preef Thou seist to me / it is a greet meschief To wedde a poure womman for costage And if she be riche / and of heigh parage Thanne seistow / it is a tormentrie To soffren hire pride / and hire malencolie And if that she be fair / thou verray knaue Thou seyst that euery holour wol hire haue She may no while / in chastitee abyde That is assailled / vp-on ech a syde ¶ Thou seyst that som folk / desiren vs / for richesse Somme for oure shape / somme for oure fairnesse And som / for she kan synge and daunce And som for gentillesse / and som for daliaunce Som for hir handes / and hir Armes smale Thus goth al to the deuel / by thy tale Thou seyst men may nat kepe a Castel wal It may so longe / assailled been ouer al ¶ And if that she be foul / thou seist that she Coueiteth euery man / that she may se ffor as a spaynel / she wol on hym lepe Til þat she fynde / som man hire to chepe Ne noon so grey goos gooth in the lake As seistow / wol been with-oute make And seyst it is an hard thyng for to welde A thyng þat no man wole his thankes helde Thus seistow lorel / whan thow goost to bedde And þat no wys man / nedeth for to wedde Ne no man / that entendeth vn-to heuene With wilde thonder dynt and firy leuene Moote / thy welked nekke be to-broke ¶ Thow seyst that droppyng houses / and eek smoke And chidyng wyues / maken men to flee Out of hir owene houses / a benedicitee What eyleth / swich an old man for to chide ¶ Thow seyst þat we wyues / wol oure vices hide Til we be fast and thanne we wol hem shewe Wel may that be / a prouerbe of a shrewe ¶ Thou seist þat Oxen / Asses / hors / and houndes They been assayd / at diuerse stoundes Bacyns / lauours / er that men hem bye Spoones and stooles / and al swich housbondrye And so been / pottes clothes / and array But folk of wyues / maken noon assay Til they be wedded / olde dotard shrewe Thanne seistow / we wol oure vices shewe ¶ Thou seist also / that it displeseth me But if that thou / wolt preyse my beautee And but thou poure alwey / vp-on my face And clepe me faire dame in euery place And but thou make a feeste / on thilke day That I was born / and make me fressh and gay And but thou do / to my norice honour And to my chambrere / with-Inne my bour And to my fadres folk / and hise allyes Thus seistow / olde barel ful of lyes ¶ And yet of oure Apprentice / Ianekyn¶ Et procurator calamistratus & cetera ffor his crispe heer / shynynge as gold so fyn And for he squiereth me / bothe vp and doun Yet hastow caught a fals suspecioun I wol hym noght / thogh thou were deed tomorwe ¶ But tel me / why hydestow with sorwe The keyes of my cheste / awey fro me It is my good / as wel as thyn pardee What wenestow / to make an ydiot of oure dame Now by that lord / that called is seint Iame Thou shalt nat bothe / thogh thou were wood Be maister / of my body / and of my good That oon thou shalt forgo / maugree thyne eyen What nedeth thee / of me / to enquere or spyen I trowe / thou woldest loke me in thy chiste Thou sholdest seye / wyf go wher thee liste Taak youre disport I wol leue no talys I knowe yow / for a trewe wyf dame Alys We loue no man / that taketh kepe / or charge Wher that we goon / we wol ben at our large ¶ Of alle men / blessed moot he be The wise Astrologien / Daun Protholome That seith this prouerbe / in his Almageste Of alle men / his wysdom is the hyeste That rekketh neuere / who hath the world in honde¶ Intra omnes alcior existit/ qui non curat in cuius manu sit mundus By this prouerbe / thou shalt vnderstonde Haue thou ynogh / what thar thee recche or care How myrily / that othere folkes fare ffor certeyn / olde dotard by youre leue Ye shul haue queynte / right ynogh at eue He is to greet a nygard / that wolde werne A man / to lighte his candle at his lanterne He shal haue / neuer the lasse light pardee Haue thou ynogh / thee thar nat pleyne thee ¶ Thou seyst also / þat if we make vs gay With clothyng and with precious array That it is peril of oure chastitee And yet with sorwe / thou most enforce thee And seye thise wordes / in the Apostles name¶ similiter & mulieres in habitu ornato cum verecundia & castitate ornent se / non in tortis crinibus aut auro aut margaritis siue veste preciosa & cetera /. Hec Paulus In habit maad / with chastitee and shame Ye wommen / shul apparaille yow quod he And noght in tressed heer / and gay perree As perles / ne with gold / ne clothes riche After thy text ne after thy Rubriche I wol nat wirche / as muchel as a gnat ¶ Thou seydest this / that I was lyk a Cat ffor who so wolde / senge a Cattes skyn Thanne wolde the Cat wel dwellen in his In And if the Cattes skyn / be slyk and gay She wol nat dwelle in house / half a day But forth she wole / er any day be dawed To shewe hir skyn / and goon a Caterwawed This is to seye / if I be gay sire shrewe I wol renne out / my borel for to shewe ¶ Sire olde fool / what eyleth thee to spyen Thogh thou preye Argus / with hise hundred eyen To be my wardecors / as he kan best/ In feith / he shal nat kepe me but lest Yet koude I make his berd / so moot I thee ¶ Thou seydest eek / that ther been thynges thre¶ eciam odiosa vxor si habeat virum bonum & cetera The whiche thynges / troublen al this erthe And þat no wight / may endure the ferthe O leeue sire shrewe / Ihesu / shorte thy lyf / Yet prechestow / and seyst and hateful wyf Yrekened is / for oon of thise meschances Been ther none othere resemblances That ye may likne / youre parables to But if/ a sely wyf / be oon of tho ¶ Thou liknest wommenes loue to helle¶ Amor illius inferno & arenti terre & incendio comparata ‖ Vnde illud & cetera To bareyne lond / ther water may nat dwelle ¶ Thou liknest it also / to wilde fyr¶ Infernus & amor mulieris & terra que non saciatur aqua & ignis non dicent satis & cetera The moore it brenneth / the moore it hath desir To consumen euery thyng þat brent wole be Thou seyst . right as wormes shendeth a tree Right so a wyf/ destroyeth hire housbond¶ Sicut in ligno vermis ita perdet virum suum vxor This knowe they / that been to wyues bonde¶ Nemo melius scire potest / quid sit vxor vel mulier / nisi ille qui passus est/ LOrdynges / right thus / as ye haue vnderstonde Baar I stifly / myne olde housbondes on honde That thus they seyden / in hir dronkenesse And al was fals / but that I took witnesse On Ianekyn / and on my Nece also O lord / the peyne I dide hem / and the wo fful giltlees / by goddes sweete pyne ffor as an hors / I koude byte and whyne I koude pleyne / thogh I were in the gilt Or elles / often tyme / hadde I been spilt Who so comth first to Mille / first grynt I pleyned first / so was oure werre y-stynt They were ful glad / to excusen hem blyue Of thyng / of which they neuere agilte hir lyue ¶ Of wenches / wolde I beren hym on honde Whan that for syk vnnethes myghte he stonde Yet tikled it his herte / for that he Wende / þat I hadde of hym so greet chiertee I swoor / þat al my walkynge out by nyghte Was / for tespye wenches þat he dighte Vnder that colour / hadde I many a myrthe ffor al swich thyng was yeuen vs in oure byrthe Deceite / wepyng spynnyng god hath yeue To wommen kyndely / whil that they may lyue And thus / of o thyng I auaunte me Atte ende / I hadde the bettre in ech degree By sleighte / or force / or by som maner thyng As by continueel murmure or grucchyng Namely / abedde / hadden they meschaunce Ther wolde I chide / and do hem no plesaunce I wolde / no lenger in the bed abyde If that I felte his Arm ouer my syde Til he / had maad / his raunson vn-to me Thanne wolde I suffre hym / do his nycetee And ther-fore / euery man / this tale I telle Wynne who so may / for al is for to selle With empty hand / men may none haukes lure ffor wynnyng wolde I al his lust endure And make me / a feyned appetit/ And yet in bacon / hadde I neuere delit That made me / that euere I wolde hem chide ffor thogh the pope / hadde seten hem biside I wolde nat spare hem / at hir owene bord ffor by my trouthe / I quitte hem word for word As helpe me / verray god omnipotent Though I right now / sholde make my testament I ne owe hem nat a word / þat it nys quit I broghte it so aboute by my wit/ That they moste yeue it vp / as for the beste Or elles / hadde we neuere been in rest ffor thogh he looked / as a wood leon Yet sholde he faille / of his conclusion ¶ Thanne wolde I seye / goode lief taak keepe How mekely / looketh Wilkyn oure sheepe Com neer my spouse / lat me ba thy cheke Ye sholde been / al pacient and meke And han / a sweete spiced conscience Sith ye so preche / of Iobes pacience Suffreth alwey / syn ye so wel kan preche And but ye do / certein we shal yow teche That it is fair / to haue a wyf in pees Oon of vs two / moste bowen doutelees And sith a man / is moore resonable Than womman is / ye moste been suffrable What eyleth yow / to grucche thus and grone Is it for ye wolde haue my queynte allone Wy taak it al / lo haue it euery deel Peter I shrewe yow / but ye loue it weel ffor if I wolde / selle my bele chose I koude walke / as fressh as is a rose But I wol kepe / it for youre owene tooth Ye be to blame / by god / I sey yow sooth ¶ Swiche manere wordes hadde we on honde Now wol I speken / of my fourthe housbonde My fourthe housbonde / was a reuelour¶ Of the con|dicione of the fourthe hous|bonde of this goode wyf/ And how she serued hym This is to seyn / he hadde a paramour And I was yong and ful of ragerye Stibourne and strong and ioly as a pye Wel koude I daunce / to an harpe smale And synge ywis / as any nyghtyngale Whan I had dronke / a draughte of sweete wyn¶ Valerius. libro. 6o capitulo 3o ‖ Metellius vxorem suam / eo quod vinum bibisset/ fuste percussam interemit/ Metellius / the foule cherl the swyn That with a staf / birafte his wyf hire lyf ffor she drank wyn / thogh I hadde been his wyf / He sholde nat han daunted me fro drynke And after wyn / on Venus moste I thynke ffor al so siker / as cold engendreth hayl A likerous mouth / moste han a likerous tayl In wommen vinolent / is no defence This knowen lecchours by experience ¶ But lord crist / whan that it remembreth me Vp-on my yowthe / and on my Iolitee It tikleth me / aboute myn herte roote Vn-to this day / it dooth myn herte boote That I haue had my world / as in my tyme But Age allas / that al wole enuenyme Hath me biraft / my beautee / and my pith Lat go fare wel / the deuel go therwith The flour is goon / ther is namoore to telle The bren as I best kan / now moste I selle But yet to be right myrie / wol I fonde Now wol I tellen / of my fourthe housbonde ¶ I seye / I hadde in herte greet despit That he / of any oother had delit But he was quit by god / and by seint Ioce I made hym / of the same wode a croce Nat of my body / in no foul manere But certein / I made folk swich cheere That in his owene grece / I made hym frye ffor Angre / and for verray Ialousye By god / in erthe I was his purgatorie ffor which I hope / his soule be in glorie ffor god it woot he sat ful ofte and song / Whan þat his shoo / ful bitterly hym wrong Ther was no wight saue god and he þat wiste In many wise / how soore I hym twiste He deyde / whan I cam fro Ierusalem And lith ygraue / vnder the roode beem Al is his tombe / noght so curyus As was the sepulcre / of hym Daryus Which that Appelles / wroghte subtilly¶ Appelles / fecit mirabile opus in tumulo Darij / vnde in Alex|andro. libro. 6o. It nys but wast to burye hym preciously Lat hym fare wel / god yeue his soule reste He is now / in his graue / and in his cheste NOw / of my fifthe housbonde wol I telle¶ Of the fifthe housbonde of this wyf / . and hou she bar hire ayens hym God lete his soule / neuere come in helle And yet was he to me / the mooste shrewe That feele I / on my ribbes al by rewe And euere shal / vn-to myn endyng day But in oure bed / he was / ful fressh and gay And ther-with-al / so wel koude he me glose Whan that he wolde han my bele chose That thogh / he hadde me bet on euery bon He koude wynne / agayn my loue anon I trowe I loued hym best for that he Was of his loue / daungerous to me We wommen han / if that I shal nat lye In this matere / a queynte fantasye Wayte what thyng we may nat lightly haue Ther after / wol we crie / al day and craue fforbede vs thyng and that desiren we Preesse on vs faste / and thanne wol we fle With daunger / oute we al oure chaffare Greet prees at Market maketh deere ware And to greet cheepe / is holde at litel prys This knoweth / euery womman that is wys ¶ My fifthe housbonde / god his soule blesse Which þat I took for loue / and no richesse He som tyme / was a clerk of Oxenford And hadde left scole / and wente at hom to bord With my gossib / dwellynge in oure toun God haue hir soule / hir name was Alisoun She knew myn herte / and eek my priuetee Bet than oure parisshe preest as moot I thee To hire / biwreyed I / my conseil al ffor hadde myn housbonde / pissed on a wal Or doon a thyng þat sholde han cost his lyf / To hire / and to another worthy wyf / And to my Nece / which þat I loued weel I wolde han toold / his conseil euery deel And so I dide / ful often god it woot That made his face / ful often reed and hoot ffor verray shame / and blamed hym self for he? Had toold to me / so greet a pryuetee ¶ And so bifel / that ones in a lente So often tymes / I to my gossyb wente ffor euere yet I loued to be gay And for to walke / in March / Auerill and May ffro hous to hous / to heere sondry talys That Iankyn Clerk and my gossyb dame Alys And I my self / in-to the feeldes wente Myn housbonde / was at London al the lente I hadde / the bettre leyser for to pleye And for to se / and eek for to be seye Of lusty folk what wiste I / wher my grace Was shapen for to be / or in what place Therfore / I made my visitacions To vigilies / and to processions To prechyng eek and to thise pilgrimages To pleyes of myracles / and to mariages And wered vpon / my gaye scarlet gytes Thise wormes / ne thise Motthes / ne thise mytes Vpon my peril / frete hem neuer a deel And wostow why? for they were vsed weel NOw wol I tellen forth / what happed me I seye / that in the feeldes walked we Till trewely / we hadde swich daliance This clerk and I / that of my purueiance I spak to hym / and seyde hym / how þat he? If I were wydwe / sholde wedde me ffor certeinly / I sey for no bobance Yet was I neuere / with-outen purueiance Of mariage / nof othere thynges eek I holde a Mouses herte / nat worth a leek/ That hath but oon hole / for to sterte to And if þat faille / thanne is al ydo ¶ I bar hym on honde / he hadde enchanted me My dame taughte me that soutiltee And eek I seyde / I mette of hym al nyght He wolde han slayn me / as I lay vp right And al my bed / was ful of verray blood But yet I hope / that he shal do me good ffor blood / bitokeneth gold / as me was taught And al was fals / I dremed of it right naught But I folwed ay / my dammes loore As wel of this / as of othere thynges moore ¶ But now sire / lat me se / what I shal seyn A / ha / by god / I haue my tale ageyn ¶ Whan þat my fourthe housbonde / was on beere I weepe algate / and made sory cheere As wyues mooten / for it is vsage And with my couerchief / couered my visage But for þat I / was purueyed of a make I wepte but smal / and that I vndertake ¶ To chirche / was myn housbonde / born a morwe With neighebores / that for hym maden sorwe And Iankyn oure Clerk / was oon of tho As help me god / whan þat I saugh hym go After the beere / me thoughte he hadde a paire? Of legges / and of feet / so clene and faire That al myn herte / I yaf vn-to his hoold He was I trowe / a twenty wynter oold And I was fourty / if I shal seye sooth But yet I hadde alwey / a coltes tooth Gat tothed I was / and that bicam me weel I hadde the prente / of seint Venus seel As help me god / I was a lusty oon And faire and riche / and yong and wel bigon And trewely / as myne housbondes tolde me I hadde the beste Quonyam myghte be ffor certes / I am al Venerien In feelynge / and myn herte is Marcien Venus me yaf my lust my likerousnesse¶ Mansor Amphorison'.19. And Mars yaf me / my sturdy hardynesse¶ Cumque in ascendente fuerint infortune turpem notam in facie pacietur ‖ In natiuitatibus mulierum cum fuerit ascendens aliqua de domibus Veneris / Marte existente in eis / vel e contrario erit mulier inpudica ‖ Idem erit/ si habuerit capricornum in ascendente ‖ He[c] Hermes in libro fiducie Am|phoriso. 24o. Myn Ascendent was Taur and Mars ther-Inne Allas / allas / þat euere loue was synne I folwed ay / myn Inclinacion By vertu / of my constellacion That made me / I koude noght withdrawe My chambre of Venus / from a good felawe Yet haue I / Martes Mark vp-on my face And also / in another priuee place ffor god so wys / be my sauacion I ne loued neuere / by no discrecion But euere / folwed myn appetit Al were he / short or long or blak / or whit I took no kepe / so that he liked me How poore he was / ne eek/ of what degree ¶ What sholde I seye / but at the Monthes ende This ioly clerk/ Iankyn þat was so hende Hath wedded me / with greet solempnytee And to hym yaf I / al the lond and fee That euere / was me yeuen ther-bifoore But afterward / repented me ful soore He nolde suffre / nothyng of my list By god / he smoot me ones on the lyst ffor þat I rente / out of his book a leef / That of the strook / myn ere wax al deef / Stibourne I was / as is a Leonesse And of my tonge / a verray Iangleresse And walke I wolde / as I had doon biforn ffrom hous to hous / al-though he had it sworn ffor which / he often tymes wolde preche And me / of olde Romayn geestes teche How he symplicius Gallus / lefte his wyf¶ Valerius. libro 6o. folio. 19o. And hire forsok / for terme of al his lyf Noght but for open-heueded / he hir say Lokynge out at his dore / vpon a day ¶ Another Romayn / tolde he me by name That for his wyf / was at a someres game With-outen his wityng he forsook hire eke And thanne wolde he / vp-on his Bible seke That ilke prouerbe / of Ecclesiaste Where he comandeth / and forbedeth faste Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute Thanne wolde he seye right/ thus / with-outen doute ¶ Who so / that buyldeth his hous / al of salwes¶ Nota. And priketh his blynde hors / ouer the falwes ¶ And suffreth his wyf / to go seken halwes¶ Ne des mulieri nequam veniam prodeundi ecclesiastici .25o. [verse 25-6] Is worthy / to been hanged / on the galwes But al for noght I sette noght an hawe Of his prouerbes / nof his olde awe Ne I wolde nat of hym corrected be I hate hym / that my vices telleth me And so doo mo / god woot of vs / than I This made hym / with me wood al outrely I nolde noght / forbere hym in no cas ¶ Now wol I seye yow sooth / by seint Thomas Why þat I rente / out of his book a leef ffor which / he smoot me so / þat I was deef ¶ He hadde a book / þat gladly nyght and day ffor his desport he wolde rede alway He cleped it Valerie / and Theofraste At which book/ he lough alwey ful faste ¶ And eek/ ther was som tyme / a clerk at Rome A Cardinal / that highte Seint Ierome That made a book agayn Iouinian In which book eek ther was Tertulan Crisippus / Trotula / and Helowys That was Abbesse / nat fer fro Parys And eek the Parables of Salomon Ouides Art and bookes many on And alle thise / were bounden / in o volume And euery nyght and day / was his custume Whan he hadde leyser / and vacacion ffrom oother / worldly / occupacion To reden on this book / of wikked wyues He knew of hem / mo legendes and lyues Than been / of goode wyues in the Bible. ffor trusteth wel / it is an impossible That any clerk wol speke good of wyues But if it be / of hooly seintes lyues Ne noon oother womman / neuer the mo Who peynted the leon / tel me who?¶ Quis pinxit leonem By god / if wommen / hadde writen stories As clerkes han / with-Inne hire oratories They wolde han writen / of men moore wikkednesse Than all the mark/ of Adam may redresse The children / of Mercurie and Venus Been in hir wirkyng ful contrarius Mercurie / loueth wysdam and science And Venus / loueth ryot and dispence And for hire diuerse disposicion Ech falleth / in otheres exaltacion¶ Vterque cadit vbi alia exaltatur And thus god woot Mercurie is desolat In Pisces / wher Venus is exaltat And Venus falleth / ther Mercurie is reysed.i. in Virgine¶ In libro Mansor primo ‖ Vniuscujusque planetarum. 4. ‖ Exaltacio illo in loco fore dicitur in quo subito patitur ab alio contrarium & cetera / Velut Mercurius in virgine que est casus veneris ‖. Alter. scilicet. Mercurius significat scientiam & philosophiam ‖. Alter vero cantus & alacritates & quicquid est sapiferum corpori Therfore no womman / of no clerk is preysed The clerk whan he is oold / and may noght do Of Venus werkes / worth his olde sho Thanne sit he doun / and writ in his dotage That wommen / kan nat kepe hir mariage But now to purpos / why I tolde thee That I was beten / for a book pardee Vp-on a nyght Iankyn þat was oure sire Redde on his book / as he sat by the fire Of Eua first that for hir wikkednesse Was al mankynde / broght to wrecchednesse ffor which crist hym self/ was slayn That boghte vs / with his herte blood agayn Lo heere expres / of womman may ye fynde That womman / was the los / of al mankynde ¶ Tho redde he me / how Sampson loste hise heres Slepynge / his lemman / kitte it with hir sheres Thurgh which treson / loste he bothe hise eyen ¶ Tho redde he me / if that I shal nat lyen Of Hercules / and of his Dianyre That caused hym / to sette hymself afyre ¶ No thyng forgat he / the sorwe and wo That Socrates / hadde with hise wyues two How Xantippa / caste pisse vp-on his heed This sely man / sat stille as he were deed He wiped his heed / namoore dorste he seyn But er þat thonder stynte / comth a reyn ¶ Of Phasifpha / that was the queene of Crete¶ Quid referam Phasifphen / Clitermistram & Eriphilem /. quarum prima delicijs fluens quippe vt Regis vxor Tauri dicitu, adpetisse concubitus. Alla occidisse virum suum ob amorem Adulterij .‖ Tercia perdidisse Amphiorax & saluti viri monile Aureum pertulisse &c ‖ Hec Metellius Marrio secundum Valerium ffor shrewednesse / hym thoughte the tale swete ffy speke namoore / it is a grisly thyng Of hire / horrible lust and hir likyng ¶ Of Clitermystra / for hire lecherye That falsly / made hire housbonde for to dye He redde it/ with ful good deuocion ¶ He tolde me eek for what occasion Amphiorax / at Thebes loste his lyf Myn housbonde / hadde a legende of his wyf / ¶ Eriphilem / that for an Ouche of gold Hath priuely / vn-to the grekes told Wher that hir housbonde / hidde hym in a place ffor which / he hadde at Thebes sory grace ¶ Of Lyma tolde he me / and of Lucye They bothe / made hir housbondes for to dye That oon for loue / that oother was for hate Lyma hir housbonde / vp-on an euen late Empoysoned hath / for þat she was his fo Lucia likerous / loued hire housbonde so That for he sholde / alwey vp-on hire thynke She yaf hym / swich a manere loue drynke That he was deed / er it were by the morwe And thus algates / housbondes han sorw ¶ Thanne tolde he me / how þat oon Latumyus Compleyned / vn-to his felawe Arrius That in his gardyn / growed swich a tree On which he seyde / how that hise wyues thre Hanged hem self for herte despitus ¶ O leeue brother / quod this Arrius Yif me a plante / of thilke blissed tree And in my gardyn / planted it shal bee ¶ Of latter date of wyues / hath he red That somme / han slayn hir housbondes in hir bed And lete hir lecchour / dighte hire al the nyght Whan that the corps / lay in the floor vp right ¶ And somme / han dryue nayles / in hir brayn Whil þat they slepte / and thus they han hem slayn ¶ Somme han hem yeue / poysoun in hire drynke He spak moore harm / than herte may bithynke And ther-with-al / he knew of mo prouerbes Than in this world / ther growen gras or herbes Bet is quod he / thyn habitacioun Be with a leoun / or a foul dragoun Than with a womman / vsynge for to chyde Bet is quod he / hye in the roof abyde Than with an angry wyf / doun in the hous They been so wikked and contrarious They haten / that hir housbondes / loueth ay He seyde / a womman cast hir shame away Whan she cast of hir smok and forther mo A fair womman / but she be chaast also Is lyk a gold ryng in a sowes nose¶ Circulus aureus in naribus Suis Mulior formosa & fatua .i. impudica Who wolde leeue / or who wolde suppose The wo / that in myn herte was and pyne ¶ And whan I saugh / he wolde neuere fyne To reden on this cursed book al nyght Al sodeynly / thre leues haue I plyght Out of his book right as he radde / and eke, I with my fest so took hym on the cheke That in oure fyr / he fil bakward adoun And he vp stirte / as dooth a wood leoun And with his fest he smoot me on the heed That in the floor / I lay / as I were deed And whan he saugh / how stille þat I lay He was agast and wolde han fled his way Til atte laste / out of my swogh I breyde O hastow slayn me / false theef I seyde And for my land / thus hastow mordred me Er I be deed / yet wol I kisse thee ¶ And neer he cam / and kneled faire adoun And seyde / deere suster Alisoun As help me god / I shal thee neuere smyte That I haue doon / it is thy self to wyte fforyeue it me / and that I thee biseke And yet eft soones / I hitte hym on the cheke And seyde theef/ thus muchel am I wreke Now wol I dye / I may no lenger speke But atte laste / with muchel care and wo We fille acorded / by vs seluen two He yaf me / al the bridel in myn hond To han the gouernance / of hous and lond And of his tonge / and his hond also And made hym brenne his book anon right tho And whan that I / hadde geten vn-to me By maistrie / al the soueraynetee And that he seyde / myn owene trewe wyf/ Do as thee lust to terme of al thy lyf Keepe thyn honour / and keepe eek myn estaat/ After that day / we hadden neuer debaat God helpe me so / I was to hym as kynde As any wyf from Denmark vn-to Ynde And also trewe / and so was he to me I prey to god / that sit in magestee So blesse his soule / for his mercy deere Now wol I seye my tale / if ye wol heere ¶ Biholde the wordes bitwene the Somonour / and the ffrere. The frere lough / whan he hadde herd al this Now dame quod he / so haue I ioye or blis This is / a long preamble of a tale And whan the Somonour / herde the frere gale ¶ Lo quod the Somonour / goddes Armes two A frere / wol entremette him euere-mo Lo goode men / a flye and eek a frere Wol falle / in euery dyssh and mateere What spekestow / of preambulacioun What amble / or trotte / or pees / or go sit doun Thou lettest oure disport in this manere ¶ Ye woltow so / sire Somonour quod the frere Now by my feith / I shal er that I go Telle of a Somonour / swich a tale or two That alle the folk/ shal laughen in this place ¶ Now elles frere / I bishrewe thy face Quod this Somonour and I bishrewe me But if I telle tales / two or thre Of freres / er I come to Sidyngborne That I shal make / thyn herte for to morne ffor wel I woot thy pacience is gon ¶ Oure hoost cride pees / and that anon And seyde / lat the womman telle hire tale Ye fare as folk / that dronken were of Ale Do dame / telle forth youre tale / and that is best ¶ Al redy sire quod she / right as yow lest If I haue licence / of this worthy frere ¶ Yis dame quod he / tel forth / and I wol heere ¶ Heere endeth the Wyf of Bathe hir Prologe / And bigynneth hir taleon leaf 76 IN tholde dayes / of Kyng Arthour Of which that Britons / speken greet honour All was this land / fulfild of ffairye The Elf queene / with hir ioly compaignye Daunced ful ofte / in many a grene mede[Painting of the Wife of Balh astride her horse] This was the olde opinion as I rede I speke / of manye hundred yeres ago But now kan no man / se none Elues mo ffor now the grete charitee / and prayeres Of lymytours / and othere hooly freres That serchen / euery lond / and euery streem As thikke / as motes / in the sonne beem Blessynge halles / chambres / kichenes / boures Citees / Burghes / Castels / hye Toures Thropes / Bernes / Shipnes / dayeryes This maketh / that ther been no ffairyes ffor ther as wont to walken was an Elf Ther walketh now / the lymytour hym self In vndermeles / and in morwenynges And seyth his matyns / and his hooly thynges As he gooth / in his lymytacioun Wommen / may go saufly vp and doun In euery bussh / or vnder euery tree Ther is / noon oother Incubus / but he And he / ne wol doon hem / but dishonour ¶ And so bifel / that this kyng Arthour Hadde in hous / a lusty Bacheler That on a day / cam ridynge fro Ryuer And happed that allone / as he was born He saugh a mayde / walkynge hym biforn Of which mayde / anon maugree hir heed By verray force / birafte hire maydenhed ffor which oppression / was swich clamour And swich pursute / vn-to the kyng Arthour That dampned was this knyght for to be deed By cours of lawe / and sholde han lost his heed Parauenture / swich was the statut tho But that the queene / and othere ladyes mo So longe preyden / the kyng of grace Til he / his lyf / hym graunted in the place And yaf hym to the queene / al at hir wille To chese / wheither / she wolde hym saue or spille ¶ The queene / thanketh the kyng with al hir myght And after this / thus spak she to the knyght Whan þat she saugh hir tyme vp-on a day Thou standest yet quod she / in swich array That of thy lyf / yet hastow no suretee I grante thee lyf / if thou kanst tellen me What thyng is it that wommen moost desiren Be war / and keepe thy nekke boon from Iren And if thou / kanst nat tellen it anon Yet shal I yeue thee leue / for to gon A twelf-month and a day / to seche and leere An answere suffisant in this mateere And suretee wol I han / er þat thou pace Thy body / for to yelden in this place WO was this knyght and sorwefully he siketh But he may nat do / al as hym liketh And at the laste / he chees hym for to wende And come agayn / right at the yeres ende With swich answere / as god wolde hym purueye And taketh his leue / and wendeth forth his weye ¶ He seketh / euery hous / and euery place Where as he hopeth / for to fynde grace To lerne / what thyng wommen louen moost But he ne koude / arryuen in no coost Wher as he myghte fynde / in this mateere Two creatures / accordynge in feere ¶ Somme seyde / wommen / louen best richesse Somme seyde honour / somme seyde Iolynesse Somme riche array / somme seyden lust abedd And ofte tyme / to be wydwe and wedde ¶ Somme seyde / þat oure hertes / been moost esed Whan that we been / yflatered and yplesed ¶ He gooth ful ny the sothe / I wol nat lye A man / shal wynne vs best with flaterye And with attendance / and with bisynesse Been we ylymed / bothe moore and lesse ¶ And somme seyn / that we louen best ffor to be free / and do right as vs lest And that no man / repreue vs of oure vice But seye þat we be wise / and no thyng nyce ffor trewely / ther is noon of vs alle If any wight / wol clawe vs on the galle That we nel kike / for he seith vs sooth Assay / and he shal fynde it þat so dooth ffor be we / neuer so vicious with-Inne We wol been holden wise / and clene of synne ¶ And somme seyn / that greet delit han we ffor to been holden stable / and eke secree And in o purpos / stedefastly to dwelle And nat biwreye thyng that men vs telle But that tale / is nat worth a rake stele Pardee we wommen / konne no thyng hele Witnesse on Myda / wol ye heere the tale ¶ Ouyde / amonges othere thynges smale Seyde / Myda hadde vnder his longe heres Growynge vp-on his heed / two Asses eres The which vice he hydde / as he best myghte fful subtilly / from euery mannes sighte That saue his wyf / ther wiste of it namo He loued hire moost and triste hire also He preyde hire / that to no creature She sholde tellen / of his disfigure ¶ She swoor him nay / for al this world to wynne She nolde do / that vileynye or synne To make hir housbonde / han so foul a name She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame But nathelees / hir thoughte þat she dyde That she so longe / sholde a conseil hyde Hir thoughte / it swal so soore / aboute hir herte That nedely / som word hire moste asterte And sith she dorste / telle it to no man Doun to a Mareys / faste by she ran Til she came there / her herte was a fyre And as a Bitore / bombleth in the Myre She leyde hir mouth / vn-to the water doun Biwreye me nat thou water with thy soun Quod she / to thee I telle it and namo Myn housbonde / hath longe Asses erys two Now is myn herte all hool / now is it oute I myghte no lenger / kepe it out of doute Heere may ye se / thogh we a tyme abyde Yet out it moot we kan no conseil hyde The remenant of the tale / if ye wol heere Redeth Ouyde / and ther ye may it leere THis knyght / of which / my tale is specially Whan that he saugh / he myghte nat come therby This is to seye / what wommen loue moost With-Inne his brest ful sorweful was the goost But hoom he gooth / he myghte nat soiourne The day was come / þat homward moste he tourne And in his wey / it happed hym to ryde In al this care / vnder a fforest syde Wher as he saugh / vp-on a daunce go Of ladyes / foure and twenty / and yet mo Toward the which daunce / he drow ful yerne In hope / that som wysdom / sholde he lerne But certeinly / er he came fully there Vanysshed was this daunce / he nyste where No creature saugh he / that bar lyf Saue on the grene / he saugh sittynge a wyf A fouler wight ther may no man deuyse Agayn the knyght this olde wyf gan ryse And seyde sire knyght / heer forth ne lith no wey Tel me / what that ye seken / by youre fey Parauenture / it may the bettre be Thise olde folk kan muchel thyng quod she ¶ My leeue mooder/ quod this knyght certeyn I nam but deed / but if that I kan seyn What thyng it is / that wommen moost desire Koude ye me wisse / I wolde wel quite youre hire ¶ Plight me thy trouthe / heere in myn hand quod she The nexte thyng that I requere thee Thou shalt it do / if it lye in thy myght And I wol telle it yow / er it be nyght ¶ Haue heer my trouthe / quod the knyght I grante ¶ Thanne quod she / I dar me wel auante Thy lyf is sauf / for I wol stonde therby Vp-on my lyf/ the queene wol seye as I Lat se / which is the proudeste of hem alle That wereth on / a couerchief/ or a calle That dar seye nay / of that I shal thee teche Lat vs go forth / with-outen lenger speche Tho rowned she / a pistel in his ere And bad hym to be glad / and haue no fere ¶ Whan they be comen to the court / this knyght Seyde / he had holde his day / as he hadde hight And redy was his answere / as he sayde fful many a noble wyf / and many a mayde And many a wydwe / for þat they been wise The queene hir-self sittynge as Iustise Assembled been / his answere for to heere And afterward / this knyght was bode appeere ¶ To euery wight / comanded was silence And that the knyght / sholde telle in Audience What thyng that worldly wommen louen best This knyght ne stood nat stille / as doth a best But to his questioun / anon answerde With manly voys / that al the court it herde ¶ My lige lady / generally / quod he Wommen desiren haue souereynetee As wel / ouer hir housbond as hir loue And for to been / in maistrie hym aboue This is youre mooste desir / thogh ye me kille Dooth as yow list I am at youre wille ¶ In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde Ne wydwe / that contraried that he sayde But seyden / he was worthy han his lyf ¶ And with that word / vp stirte the olde wyf Which that the knyght / saugh sittynge in the grene Mercy quod she my souereyn lady queene Er that youre court departe / do me right I taughte this answere / vn-to the knyght ffor which / he plighte me his trouthe there The firste thyng I wolde hym requere He wolde it do / if it lay in his myght Bifore the court / thanne preye I thee sir knyght Quod she / that thou me take vn-to thy wyf/ ffor wel thou woost that I haue kept thy lyf If I sey fals / sey nay vp-on thy fey ¶ This knyght answerde / allas and weylawey I woot right wel / that swich was my biheste ffor goddes loue / as chees a newe requeste Taak al my good / and lat my body go ¶ Nay thanne quod she / I shrewe vs bothe two ffor thogh that I be foul / oold and poore I nolde for al the metal / ne for oore That vnder erthe is graue / or lith aboue But if thy wyf I were / and eek thy loue ¶ My loue quod he? nay my dampnacion Allas / that any of my nacion Sholde euere so foule / disparaged be But al for noght thende is this / that he Constreyned was / he nedes moste hire wedde And taketh his olde wyf / and gooth to bedde ¶ Now wolden som men / seye parauenture That for my necligence / I do no cure To tellen yow / the ioye / and al tharray That at the feeste was / that ilke day To which thyng shortly answere I shal I seye / ther nas no ioye / ne feeste at al Ther nas but heuynesse / and muche sorwe ffor priuely / he wedded hire on a morwe And al day after / hidde hym as an Owle So wo was hym / his wyf looked so foule ¶ Greet was the wo / the knyght hadde in his thoght Whan he was with his wyf abedde ybroght/ He walweth / and he turneth to and fro His olde wyf / lay smylynge eueremo And seyde / o deere housbonde benedicitee ffareth euery knyght / thus with his wyf / as ye? Is this the lawe / of kyng Arthures hous? Is euery knyght of his so dangerous? I am youre owene loue / and youre wyf/ I am she / which þat saued hath youre lyf/ And certes / yet ne dide I yow neuere vnright/ Why fare ye thus with me / this firste nyght/? Ye faren lyk a man / had lost his wit What is my gilt? for goddes loue tel it And it shal been amended / if I may ¶ Amended quod this knyght? allas / nay / nay / It wol nat been amended neuere mo Thou art so loothly / and so oold also And ther-to comen / of so lough a kynde That litel wonder is / thogh I walwe and wynde So wolde god / myn herte wolde breste ¶ Is this quod she / the cause of youre vnreste? ¶ Ye certeinly quod he / no wonder is ¶ Now sire quod she / I koude amende al this If that me liste / er it were dayes thre So wel ye myghte / bere yow vn-to me Bvt for ye speken / of swich gentillesse¶ De generositate As is descended / out of old richesse That therfore / sholden ye be gentil men Swich arrogance / is nat worth an hen Looke / who that is / moost vertuous alway Pryuee and apert and moost entendeth ay To do / the gentil dedes that he kan Taak hym / for the grettest 1gentil man1[1_1 later] Crist wole / we clayme of hym oure gentillesse Nat of oure eldres / for hire old richesse ffor thogh they yeue vs / al hir heritage ffor which we clayme / to been of heigh parage Yet may they nat biquethe / for no thyng To noon of vs / hir vertuous lyuyng That made hem / gentil men ycalled be And bad vs / folwen hem in swich degree ¶ Wel kan / the wise Poete of fflorence That highte Dant speken in this sentence ¶ Lo / in swich maner rym / is Dantes tale fful selde vp riseth / by his branches smale Prowesse of man / for god of his goodnesse Wole / that of hym / we clayme oure gentillesse ffor of oure eldres / may we no thyng clayme But temporel thyng þat man may hurte and mayme ¶ Eek euery wight woot this as wel as I If gentillesse / were planted natureelly Vn-to a certeyn lynage / doun the lyne Pryuee nor apert thanne wolde they neuere fyne To doon of gentillesse / the faire office They myghte do / no vileynye or vice ¶ Taak fyr / and ber it in the derkeste hous Bitwix this / and the mount of Kaukasous And lat men / shette the dores and go thenne Yet wole the fyr / as faire lye and brenne As twenty thousand men / myghte it biholde His office natureel / ay wol it holde Vp peril of my lyf / til that it dye ¶ Heere may ye se wel / how þat genterye¶ exemplum Is nat annexed to possession Sith folk / ne doon hir operacion Alwey as dooth the fyr / lo in his kynde ffor god it woot men may wel often fynde A lordes sone / do shame and vileynye And he þat wole / han pris of his gentrye ffor he was born / of a gentil hous And hadde hise eldres / nobel and vertuous And nel hym seluen / do no gentil dedis Ne folwen his gentil Auncestre þat deed is He nys nat gentil / be he duc or Erl ffor vileyns synful dedes / make a cherl ffor gentillesse / nys but renomee Of thyne auncestres / for hire heigh bountee Which is a strange thyng to thy persone Thy gentillesse / cometh fro god allone Thanne comth / oure verray gentillesse of grace It was no thyng / biquethe vs with oure place ¶ Thenketh hou noble / as seith Valerius Was thilke / Tullius Hostillius That out of pouerte / roos to heigh noblesse Reed senek / and redeth eek Boece Ther shul ye seen expres / þat no drede is That he is gentil / that dooth gentil dedis And therfore leeue housbonde / I thus conclude Al were it / that myne Auncestres weren rude Yet may the hye god / and so hope .I. Grante me grace / to lyuen vertuously Thanne am I gentil / whan that I bigynne To lyuen vertuously / and weyue synne ANd ther as ye / of pouerte me repreeue¶ De paupertate The hye god / on whom þat we bileeue In wilful pouerte / chees to lyue his lyf And certes / euery man / mayden or wyf/ May vnderstonde / that Ihesus heuene kyng Ne wolde nat chesen vicious lyuyng¶ Seneca in epistola Glad pouerte / is an honeste thyng certeyn¶ Honesta res est leta paupertas This wole Senec and othere clerkes seyn Who so þat halt hym payd of his pouerte I holde hym riche / al hadde he nat a sherte¶ Pauper est qui eget/ eo quod non habet/ sed qu non habet nec appetit habere ille diues est/ de quo intelligitur id/ Apocalypsis .3o. dicis quia diues sum He þat coueiteth / is a pouere wight ffor he wolde han / that is nat in his myght But he þat noght hath / ne coueiteth haue Is riche / al-though ye holde hym but a knaue ¶ Verray pouerte / it syngeth proprely Iuuenal / seith of pouerte myrily The poure man / whan he goth by the weye¶ Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator / et nocte ad lumen trepi|dabit Arundinis vmbram Bifore the theues / he may synge and pleye Pouerte is hateful good / and as I gesse A ful greet bryngere / out of bisynesse¶ 2us Philosophus A greet amendere eek of sapience¶ Paupertas est odibile bonum / sanitatis mater / curarum remocio / sapientie repara|trix / possessio sine calumpnia To hym / that taketh it in pacience Pouerte is this / al-though it seme alenge Possession / that no wight wol chalenge Pouerte ful ofte / whan a man is lowe Maketh his god / and eek hym self to knowe¶ Vnde & Crates ille Thebanus ‖ Pouerte / a spectacle is / as thynketh me¶ Proiecto in mari non perno auri pondere ‖ Abite inquit pessime male cupiditates / ego vos mergam / ne ipse mergar a vobis Thurgh which he may / hise verray freendes see And therfore sire / syn þat I noght yow greue Of my pouerte / namoore ye me repreue NOw sire / of elde / ye repreue me And certes sire / thogh noon Auctoritee¶ De senectute Were in no book / ye gentils of honour Seyn / þat men sholde / an oold wight doon fauour And clepe hym fader / for youre gentillesse And Auctours / shal I fynden as I gesse NOw ther ye seye / þat I am foul and old¶ De turpitudine Than drede you noght / to been a Cokewold ffor filthe and eelde / al so moot I thee Been grete wardeyns / vp-on chastitee But nathelees / syn I knowe youre delit I shal fulfille / youre worldly appetit ¶ Chese now quod she / oon of thise thynges tweye To han me foul and old / til that I deye And be to yow / a trewe humble wyf And neuere yow displese / in al my lyf Or elles / ye wol han me yong and fair And take youre auenture / of the repair That shal be to youre hous / by cause of me Or in som oother place / may wel be Now chese your seluen / wheither þat yow liketh ¶ This knyght auyseth hym and sore siketh But atte laste / he seyde in this manere My lady and my loue / and wyf so deere I put me / in youre wise gouernance Cheseth youre self / which may be moost plesance And moost honour / to yow and me also I do no fors / the wheither/ of the two ffor as yow liketh / it suffiseth me ¶ Thanne haue I gete of yow / maistrie quod she Syn I may chese / and gouerne as me lest ¶ Ye certes wyf quod he / I holde it best ¶ Kys me quod she / we be no lenger wrothe ffor by my trouthe / I wol be to yow bothe This is to seyn / ye bothe fair and good I prey to god / þat I moote steruen wood But I to yow / be al so good and trewe As euere was wyf / syn þat the world was newe And but I be tomorn / as fair to seene As any lady / Emperice or queene That is bitwixe the Est and eke the West Dooth with my lyf / and deth / right as yow lest Cast vp the curtyn / looke how that it is ¶ And whan the knyght saugh verraily al this That she so fair was / and so yong ther-to ffor ioye / he hente hire / in hise armes two His herte bathed / in a bath of blisse A thousand tyme arewe / he gan hire kisse And she obeyed hym in euery thyng That myghte doon hym plesance or likyng ¶ And thus they lyue / vn-to hir lyues ende In parfit ioye / and Ihesu crist vs sende Housbondes meeke / yonge / fressh a bedde And grace / touerbyde hem þat we wedde And eek / I pray Ihesu shorte hir lyues That nat wol be gouerned by hir wyues And olde and angry nygardes of dispence God sende hem soone / verray pestilence ¶ Heere endeth / the Wyues tale of Bathe . ¶ The prologe of the freres tale . THis worthy lymytour / this noble frere He made alwey / a maner louryng chiere Vpon the Somonour / but for honestee No vileyns word / as yet to hym spak he But atte laste / he seyde vn-to the wyf Dame quod he / god yeue yow right good lyf Ye han heer touched / al so moot I thee In scole matere / greet difficultee Ye han seyd muche thyng right wel I seye But dame / heere as we ryde by the weye Vs nedeth nat. to speken but of game And lete / auctoritees / on goddes name To prechyng and to scole of clergye And if it lyke / to this compaignye I wol yow / of a somonour telle a game Pardee / ye may wel knowe by the name That of a Somonour / may no good be sayd I praye / þat noon of you / be yuele apayd A Somonour / is a rennere vp and doun With mandementz / for fornicacioun And is y-bet at euery townes ende ¶ Oure hoost tho spak / a sire ye sholde be hende And curteys / as a man of youre estaat In compaignye / we wol haue no debaat Telleth youre tale / and lat the Somonour be ¶ Nay quod the Somonour / lat hym seye to me What so hym list whan it comth to my lot By god / I shal hym quiten euery grot I shal hym tellen / which a greet honour It is / to be a flaterynge lymytour And of many another manere cryme Which nedeth nat rehercen for this tyme And his office / I shal hym telle ywis ¶ Oure hoost answerde / pees namoore of this And after this / he seyde vn-to the frere Tel forth youre tale / leeue maister deere ¶ Heere bigynneth the ffreres tale . WHilom ther was dwellynge / in my contree[Painting of the Friar.] An Erchedekene / a man of heigh degree That boldely / dide execucioun In punysshynge / of fornicacioun Of wicchecraft and eek of bawderye Of diffamacioun / and Auowtrye Of chirche Reues / and of testamentz Of contractes / and eek of lakke of sacramentz Of vsure / and of Symonye also But certes / lecchours dide he grettest wo They sholde syngen / if þat they were hent And smale tytheres / weren foule yshent If any persone / wolde vp-on hem pleyne Ther myghte asterte hym / no pecunyal peyne ffor smale tithes / and smal offrynge He made the peple / pitously to synge ffor er the bisshope / caughte hym with his hook They were in the Erchedeknes book/ And thanne / hadde he / thurgh his Iurisdiccion Power / to doon on hem correccion He hadde a Somonour / redy to his hond A slyer boye / was noon in Engelond ffor subtilly / he hadde his espiaille That taughte hym / wher hym myghte auaille He koude spare of lecchours / oon or two To techen hym / to foure and twenty mo ffor thogh this somonour / wood was as an hare To telle his harlotrye / I wol nat spare ffor we been / out of his correccion They han of vs no Iurisdiccion Ne neuere shullen / terme of hir lyues ¶ Peter / so been / wommen of the styves Quod the Somonour / yput out of my cure ¶ Pees with myschance / and with mysauenture Thus seyde oure hoost and lat hym telle his tale Now telleth forth / thogh þat the somonour gale Ne spareth nat / myn owene maister deere ¶ This false theef this Somonour quod the frere Hadde alwey / bawdes redy to his hond As any hauk to lure in Engelond That tolde hym / al the secree þat they knewe ffor hire acqueyntance / was nat come of newe They weren / hise approwours priuely He took hym self / a greet profit therby His maister knew nat / alwey / what he wan With-outen mandement / a lewed man He koude somne / on peyne of Cristes curs And they were glade / for to fille his purs And make hym / grete feestes atte nale And right as Iudas / hadde purses smale And was a theef right swich a theef was he His maister/ hadde / but half his duetee He was / if I shal yeuen hym his laude A theef / and eek / a Somnour / and a baude He hadde eek wenches / at his retenue That wheither / þat sir Robert or sir Huwe Or Iakke / or Rauf / or who so þat it were That lay by hem / they tolde it in his ere ¶ Thus was the wenche and he / of oon assent And he wolde fecche / a feyned mandement And somne hem to the Chapitre bothe two And pile the man / and lete the wenche go ¶ Thanne wolde he seye / freend I shal for thy sake Do striken hire / out of oure lettres blake Thee thar namoore / as in this cas trauaille I am thy freend / ther I thee may auaille Certeyn / he knew of bribryes mo Than possible is / to telle in yeres two ffor in this world / nys dogge for the bowe That kan an hurt deer / from an hool knowe Bet / than this Somnour / knew a sly lecchour Or an Auowtier / or a paramour And for that was / the fruyt of al his rente Therfore on it he sette al his entente ¶ And so bifel / that ones on a day This Somnour / euere waityng on his pray ffor to somne an old wydwe a Ribibe ffeynynge a cause / for he wolde brybe Happed / that he saugh bifore hym ryde A gay yeman / vnder a fforest syde A bowe he bar / and Arwes brighte and kene He hadde vp-on / a courtepy of grene An hat vp-on his heed / with frenges blake ¶ Sire quod this Somnour / hayl and wel atake Wel come quod he / and euery good felawe Wher rydestow / vnder this grene wode shawe? Seyde this yeman / wiltow fer to day? ¶ This Somnour hym answerde / and seyde nay Heere faste by quod he / is myn entente To ryden / for to reysen vp a rente That longeth / to my lordes duetee ¶ Artow thanne a bailly? Ye quod he / He dorste nat for verray filthe and shame Seye þat he was a somonour / for the name ¶ Depardieux quod this yeman / deere broother Thou art a bailly / and I am another I am vnknowen / as in this contree Of thyn aqueyntance / I wolde praye thee And eek of bretherhede / if þat yow leste I haue gold / and siluer in my cheste If that thee happe / to comen in oure shire Al shal be thyn / right as thou wolt desire ¶ Grantmercy quod this Somonour / by my feith Euerych in ootheres hand / his trouthe leith ffor to be sworn bretheren / til they deye In daliance / they ryden forth hir weye ¶ This Somonour / that was as ful of Iangles As ful of venym been thise waryangles And euere enqueryng vp-on euery thyng Brother quod he / where is now youre dwellyng Another day / if þat I sholde yow seche This yeman hym answerde / in softe speche ¶ Brother quod he / fer in the North contree Where as I hope / som tyme I shal thee see Er we departe / I shal thee so wel wisse That of myn hous / ne shaltow neuere mysse ¶ Now brother quod this Somonour / I yow preye Teche me / whil þat we ryden by the weye Syn þat ye been / a baillif as am I Som subtiltee / and tel me feithfully In myn office / how I may moost wynne And spareth nat for conscience ne synne But as my brother / tel me / how do ye ¶ Now by my trouthe / brother deere seyde he As I shal tellen thee / a feithful tale My wages / been ful streite and ful smale My lord is hard to me / and daungerous And myn office / is ful laborous And therfore / by extorcions I lyue ffor sothe / I take all that men wol me yeue Algate / by sleyghte / or by violence ffro yeer to yeer / I wynne al my dispence I kan no bettre telle / feithfully ¶ Now certes quod this Somonour / so fare I I spare nat to taken / god it woot But if it be / to heuy or to hoot What I may gete / in conseil priuely No maner conscience / of that haue I Nere myn extorcioun / I myghte nat lyuer Nor of swiche Iapes / wol I nat be shryuen Stomak / ne conscience / ne knowe I noon I shrewe thise shrifte-fadres euerychoon Wel be we met by god / and by seint Iame But leeue brother / tel me thanne thy name Quod this somonour / in this meene while This yeman / gan a litel for to smyle ¶ Brother quod he / wiltow / þat I thee telle I am a feend / my dwellyng is in helle And heere I ryde / aboute my purchasyng To wite / wher men wolde me yeuen any thyng My purchas / is theffect of al my rente Looke / how thou rydest for the same entente To wynne good / thou rekkest neuere how Right so fare I / for ryde I wolde right now Vn-to the worldes ende / for a preye ¶ A quod this Somonour / benedicite what sey ye? I wende / ye were a yeman trewely Ye han a mannes shape / as wel as I Han ye figure thanne determinat In helle / ther ye been in youre estat? ¶ Nay certeinly quod he / ther haue we noon But whan vs liketh / we kan take vs oon Or elles make yow seme / we been shape Som tyme / lyk a man or lyk an Ape Or lyk an Angel / kan I ryde or go It is no wonder thyng thogh it be so A lowsy Iogelour / kan deceyue thee And pardee / yet kan I moore craft than he ¶ Why quod the Somonour / ryde ye thanne or goon In sondry shape / and nat alwey in oon? ¶ ffor we quod he / wol vs swiche formes make As moost able is / oure preyes for to take ¶ What maketh yow / to han al this labour ¶ fful many a cause / leeue sire Somonour Seyde this feend / but alle thyng hath tyme The day is short and it is passed pryme And yet ne wan I no-thyng in this day I wol entende / to wynnen if I may And nat entende / hir wittes to declare ffor brother myn / thy wit is al to bare To vnderstonde / al-thogh I tolde hem thee But for thou axest why labouren we ffor som tyme / we been goddes Instrumentz And meenes / to doon hise comandementz Whan that hym list vp-on his creatures In diuers art and in diuerse figures With-outen hym / we haue no myght certayn If that hym list to stonden ther agayn And som tyme / at oure prayere / han we leue Oonly the body / and nat the soule greue Witnesse on Iob / whom that we diden wo And som tyme / han we myght of bothe two This is to seyn / of soule and body eke And somtyme / be we suffred for to seke Vp-on a man / and doon his soule vnreste And nat his soule / and al is for the beste Whan he withstandeth oure temptacioun It is / cause / of his sauacioun Al be it that it was nat oure entente He sholde be sauf but þat we wolde hym hente And som tyme / be we seruant vn-to man As to the Bisshope / Seint Dunstan And to the Apostles / seruant eek was .I. ¶ Yet tel me / quod the Somonour feithfully Make ye yow newe bodies / thus alway Of Elementz? the feend answerde nay / Som tyme we feyne / and som tyme we aryse With dede bodyes / in ful sondry wyse And speke as renably / and faire and wel As to the Phitonissa / dide Samuel And yet wol som men seye / it was nat he I do no fors / of youre dyuynytee But o thyng warne I thee / I wol nat Iape Thou wolt algates / wite how we been shape Thou shalt herafterwardes / my brother deere Come there / thee nedeth nat of me to leere ffor thou shalt by thyn owene experience Konne in a chayer / rede of this sentence Bet than Virgile / while he was on lyue Or Dant also / now lat vs ryde blyue ffor I wole / holde compaignye with thee Til it be so / that thou forsake me ¶ Nay quod this Somonour / that shal nat bityde I am a yeman / knowen is ful wyde My trouthe wol I holde / as in this cas ffor though thou were / the deuel Sathanas My trouthe wol I holde / to my brother As I am sworn / and ech of vs til oother ffor to be trewe brother / in this cas And bothe we goon / abouten oure purchas Taak thou thy part what þat men wol thee yeue And I shal myn / thus may we bothe lyue And if þat any of vs / haue moore than oother Lat hym be trewe / and parte it with his brother ¶ I graunte quod the deuel / by my fey And with that word / they ryden forth hir wey And right at the entryng of the townes ende To which this Somonour / shoope hym for to wende They saugh a Cart that charged was with hey Which þat a Cartere / droof forth in his wey Deepe was the wey / for which the Carte stood The Cartere smoot and cryde / as he were wood Hayt Brok / hayt Scot what spare ye for the stones The feend quod he / yow fecche body and bones As ferforthly / as euere were ye foled So muche wo / as I haue with yow tholed The deuel haue al / bothe hors and Cart and hey ¶ This Somonour seyde / heere shal we haue a pley And neer the feend he drough / as noght ne were fful priuely / and rowned in his ere Herkne my brother / herkne by thy feith Herestow nat how þat the Cartere seith Hent it anon / for he hath yeue it thee Bothe hey and Cart and eek hise caples thre ¶ Nay quod the deuel / god woot neuer a deel It is nat his entente / trust thou me weel Axe hym thy self if thou nat trowest me Or elles stynt a while / and thou shalt see ¶ This Cartere / taketh his hors on the croupe And they bigonne drawen and to stoupe Heyt now quod he / ther Ihesu crist yow blesse And al his handwerk bothe moore and lesse That was wel twight myn owene lyard boy I pray to god saue thee / and seint loy Now is my Cart out of the slow pardee ¶ Lo brother quod the feend / what tolde I thee Heere may ye se / myn owene deere brother The carl spak oon / but he thoghte another Lat vs go forth / abouten oure viage Heere / wynne I no thyng vp-on cariage ¶ Whan that they coomen / som-what out of towne This Somonour / to his brother gan to rowne Brother quod he / heere woneth an old rebekke That hadde almoost as lief to lese hire nekke As for to yeue / a peny of hir good I wole han .xij. pens / though þat she be wood Or I wol sompne hire / vn-to oure office And yet god woot of hire knowe I no vice But for thou kanst nat as in this contree Wynne thy cost taak heer ensample of me ¶ This Somonour / clappeth at the wydwes gate Com out quod he / thou olde virytrate I trowe thou hast som frere / or preest with thee ¶ Who clappeth seyde this wyf benedicitee God saue you sire / what is youre sweete wille? ¶ I haue quod he / of somonce a bille Vp-on peyne of cursyng looke þat thou be Tomorn / bifore the Erchedeknes knee Tanswere to the court of certeyn thynges ¶ Now lord quod she / crist Ihesu kyng of kynges So wisly helpe me / as I ne may I haue been syk / and that ful many a day I may nat go so fer quod she ne ryde But I be deed / so priketh it in my syde May I nat axe a libel / sire Somonour And answere there / by my procutour To swich thyng as men wole opposen me? ¶ Yis quod this Somonour / pay anon lat se Twelf pens to me / and I wol thee acquite I shal no profit han ther-by / but lite My maister hath the profit and nat I Com of / and lat me ryden hastily Yif me .xij. pens / I may no lenger tarye ¶ Twelf pens quod she /? now lady Seinte Marie So wisly help me god / out of care and synne This wyde world / thogh þat I sholde wynne Ne haue I nat .xij. pens with-Inne myn hoold Ye knowen wel / that I am poure and oold Kithe youre Almesse / on me poure wrecche ¶ Nay thanne quod he / the foule feend me fecche If I thexcuse / though thou shul be spilt ¶ Allas quod she / god woot I haue no gilt ¶ Pay me quod he / or by the sweete seinte Anne As I / wol bere awey thy newe panne ffor dette / which that thou owest me of old Whan þat thou madest thyn housbonde cokewold I payde at hoom / for thy correccioun ¶ Thou lixt quod she / by my sauacioun Ne was I neuere er now / wydwe ne wyf Somoned vn-to youre court in al my lyf Ne neuere I nas / but of my body trewe Vn-to the deuel / blak and rough of hewe Yeue I thy body / and my panne also ¶ And whan the deuel / herde hire cursen so Vp-on hir knees / he seyde in this manere Now Mabely / myn owene moder deere Is this youre wyl / in ernest þat ye seye? ¶ The deuel quod she / so fecche hym er he deye And panne and al / but he wol hym repente ¶ Nay olde Stot that is nat myn entente Quod this Somonour / for to repente me ffor any thyng that I haue had of thee I wolde I hadde thy smok and euery clooth ¶ Now brother quod the deuel / be nat wrooth Thy body and this panne / been myne by right Thou shalt with me to helle / yet to-nyght Where / thou shalt knowen / of oure priuetee Moore / than a maister of dyuynytee And with that word / this foule feend hym hente Body and soule / he with the deuel wente Where as that Somonours / han hir heritage And god / þat made / after his ymage Mankynde / saue and gyde vs alle and some And leue thise Somonours / goode men bicome LOrdynges / I koude han toold yow quod this frere Hadde I had leyser / for this Somnour heere After the text of Crist/ Poul / and Iohn And of oure othere doctours many oon Swiche peynes / that youre herte myghte agryse Al be it so / no tonge may it deuyse Thogh þat I myghte / a thousand wynter telle The peynes / of thilke cursed hous of helle But for to kepe vs / fro that cursed place Waketh / and preyeth Ihesu for his grace So kepe vs / fro the temptour Sathanas Herketh this word / beth war/ as in this cas The leoun sit in his awayt alway To sle the Innocent/ if that he may Disposeth ay / youre hertes to withstonde The feend / þat yow wolde make / thral and bonde He may nat tempte yow / ouer youre myght ffor crist wol be / youre champion and knyght And prayeth / þat thise Somonours hem repente Of hir mysdedes / er þat the feend hem hente? ¶ Heere endeth the ffreres tale . ¶ The prologe / of the Somonours tale .on leaf 84, back THis Somonour / in his Styropes hye stood Vp-on this frere / his herte was so wood That lyk an Aspen leef / he quook for Ire ¶ Lordynges quod he / but o thyng I desire I yow biseke / that of youre curteisye Syn ye han herd / this false frere lye As suffereth me / I may my tale telle This frere bosteth / that he knoweth helle And god it woot that it is litel wonder ffreres and feendes / been but lyte a-sonder ffor pardee / ye han ofte tyme herd telle How that a frere / vanysshed was to helle In spirit ones / by a visioun And as an Angel / ladde hym vp and doun To shewen hym / the peynes þat ther were In al the place / saugh he nat a frere Of oother/ folk / he saugh ynowe in wo Vn-to this Angel / spak the frere tho ¶ Now sire quod he / han freres swich a grace That noon of hem / shal come to this place? ¶ Yis quod this Angel / many a Millioun And vn-to Sathanas / he ladde hym doun And now hath Sathanas / seith he a tayl Brodder/ than of a Carryk/ is the sayl Hold vp thy tayl / thou Sathanas quod he Shewe forth thyn ers / and lat the frere se Where is the nest of freres / in this place And er/ þat half a furlong wey of space Right so as bees / out swarmen from an hyue Out of the deueles ers / ther gonne dryue Twenty thousand freres / in a route And thurgh-out helle / swarmeden aboute And comen agayn / as faste as they may gon And in his ers / they crepten euerychon He clapte his tayl agayn / and lay ful stille This frere / whan he hadde looke al his fille Vpon the tormentz / of this sory place His spirit god restored of his grace Vn-to his body agayn / and he awook But natheles / for fere yet he quook So was the deueles ers / ay in his mynde That is his heritage / of verray kynde God saue yow alle / saue this cursed frere My prologe / wol I ende / in this manere ¶ Heere bigynneth the Somonour his tale .on leaf 85 LOrdynges / ther is in yorkshire / as I gesse A merssh contree / called Holdernesse[Painting of the Summoner] In which / ther wente a lymytour aboute To preche / and eek to begge / it is no doute And so bifel / that on a day / this frere Hadde preched at a chirche in his manere And specially / abouen euery thyng/ Excited he the peple / in his prechyng To trentals / and to yeue for goddes sake Wher-with / men myghte hooly houses make Ther as diuine seruyce is honoured Nat ther as it is wasted and deuoured Ne ther it nedeth nat/ for to be yeue As to possessioners / that mowen lyue Thanked be god / in wele and habundaunce Trentals seyde he / deliueren fro penaunce Hir freendes soules / as wel olde as yonge Ye / whan þat they been hastily ysonge Nat for to holde a preest Ioly and gay He syngeth nat but o masse in a day Deliuereth out quod he / anon the soules fful hard it is / with flesshhook or with oules To been yclawed / or to brenne or bake Now spede yow hastily / for cristes sake And whan this frere / had seyd al his entente With / qui cum patre / forth his wey he wente ¶ Whan folk in chirche / had yeue him / what hem lest He went his wey / no lenger wolde he reste With scrippe and tipped staf/ ytukked hye In euery hous / he gan to poure and prye And beggeth mele / and chese / or elles corn His felawe hadde a staf / tipped with horn A peyre of tables / al of yuory And a poyntel / polysshed fetisly And wroote the names / alwey as he stood Of alle folk/ that yaf hym any good Asaunces / that he wolde for hem prey Yif hym a busshel whete / Malt or Reye A goddes kechyl / or a trype of chese Or elles what yow lyst we may nat cheese A goddes halfpeny / or a masse peny Or yif vs of youre brawn / if ye haue eny A dagon of youre blanket leeue dame Oure suster deere / lo heere I write youre name Bacon or beef/ or swich thyng as ye fynde ¶ A sturdy harlot/ wente ay hem bihynde That was hir hostes man / and bar a sak And what men yaf hem / leyde it on his bak And whan þat he / was out at dore anon He planed awey / the names euerichon That he biforn / had writen in his tables He serued hem / with nyfles and with fables ¶ Nay ther thou lixt thou Somonour quod the frere ¶ Pees quod oure Hoost for cristes mooder deere Tel forth thy tale / and spare it nat at al ¶ So thryue I quod this Somonour / so I shal ¶ So longe he wente hous by hous / til he Cam til an hous / ther he was wont to be Refresshed moore / than in an hundred placis Syk lay the goode man / whos the place is Bedrede vp-on a couche lowe he lay Deus hic/ quod he / o Thomas freend good day Seyde this frere / curteisly and softe Thomas quod he / god yelde yow / ful ofte Haue I / vp-on this bench / faren ful weel Heere haue I eten / many a myrie meel And fro the bench / he droof awey the cat And leyde adoun / his potente and his hat And eek his scrippe / and sette hym softe adoun His felawe / was go walked in-to toun fforth with his knaue / in-to that hostelrye Where as he shoope hym / thilke nyght to lye ¶ O deere maister / quod this sike man How han ye fare / sith þat March bigan? I saugh yow noght/ this fourtnyght or moore God woot quod he / laboured I haue ful soore And specially / for thy sauacion Haue I seyd / many a precious orison And for oure othere freendes / god hem blesse I haue to day / been at youre chirche at messe / And seyd a sermon / after my symple wit Nat al after/ the text of hooly writ/ ffor it is hard to yow / as I suppose And therfore / wol I teche yow al the glose Glosynge / is a glorious thyng certeyn ffor lettre sleeth / so as thise clerkes seyn¶ Litera oceidit & cetera There haue I taught hem to be charitable And spende hir good / ther it is resonable And there I saugh oure dame / a where is she? ¶ Yond in the yerd / I trowe þat she be Seyde this man / and she wol come anon ¶ Ey maister / wel come be ye / by seint Iohn Seyde this wyf / how fare ye hertely? ¶ The frere ariseth vp ful curteisly And hire embraceth in his Armes narwe And kiste hire sweete / and chirteth as a sparwe With his lyppes /. dame quod he right weel? As he / that is youre seruant euery deel Thanked be god / þat yow yaf soule and lyf Yet saugh I nat this day / so fair a wyf In al the chirche / god so saue me ¶ Ye / god amende defautes / sire quod she Algates / wel come be ye / by my fey Graunt mercy dame / this haue I founde alwey But of youre grete goodnesse / by youre leue I wolde prey yow / þat ye nat yow greue I wole with Thomas speke a litel throwe Thise curatz / been ful necligent and slowe To grope tendrely a conscience In shrift in prechyng is my diligence And studie / in Petres wordes / and in Poules I walke / and fisshe cristen mennes soules To yelden Ihesu crist / his propre rente To sprede his word / is set al myn entente ¶ Now by youre leue / o deere sire quod she Chideth him weel / for seinte Trinitee He is as angry / as a pissemyre Though þat he haue / al that he kan desire Though I him wrye a-nyght/ and make hym warm And on hym leye my leg outher myn Arm He groneth lyk oure boor / lith in oure sty Oother desport ryght noon of hym haue I I may nat plese hym / in no maner cas ¶ O Thomas / Ie vous dy / Thomas / Thomas This maketh the feend / this moste ben amended Ire is a thyng that hye god defended And ther-of/ wol I speke a word or two ¶ Now maister quod the wyf er þat I go What wol ye dyne /? I wol go ther-aboute ¶ Now dame quod he / Ie vous dy sanz doute Haue I nat of a capon / but the lyuere And of youre softe breed / nat but a shyuere And after that a rosted pigges heed But that I nolde / no beest for me were deed Thanne hadde I with yow hoomly suffisaunce I am a man / of litel sustenaunce My spirit hath his fostryng in the Bible The body is ay / so redy and penyble To wake / that my stomak is destroyed I prey yow dame / ye be nat anoyed Though I so freendly / yow my conseil shewe By god / I wolde nat telle it but a fewe ¶ Now sire quod she / but o word er I go My child is deed / with-Inne thise wykes two Soone after / þat ye wente out of this toun ¶ His deeth / saugh I by reuelacioun Seith this frere / at hoom in oure dortour I dar wel seyn / that er þat half an hour After his deeth / I saugh hym born to blisse In myn Avision / so god me wisse So dide our Sexteyn / and oure ffermerer That han been trewe freres / fifty yeer They may now / god be thanked of his loone Maken hir Iubilee / and walke allone And vp I roos / and al oure Couent eke With many a teare / triklyng on my cheke Withouten noyse / or claterynge of belles Te deum was oure song and no thyng elles Saue / that to crist I seyde an orison Thankynge hym / of his reuelacion ffor sire and dame / trusteth me right weel Oure orisons / been wel moore effectueel And moore we seen / of cristes secree thynges Than burel folk/ al though they weren kynges We lyue in pouerte / and in abstinence And burell folk / in richesse and despence Of mete and drynke / and in hir foul delit We han this worldes lust al in despit/ Lazar and diues / lyueden diuersly And diuerse gerdon / hadden they ther-by Who so wol preye / he moot faste and be clene And fatte his soule / and make his body leneMelius est animam saginare quam corpus We fare as seith thapostle / clooth and foode¶ Victum & vesti|tum / hiis contenti sumus & cetera Suffisen vs / though they be nat ful goode The clennesse and the fastynge of vs freres Maketh / þat crist accepteth oure preyeres ¶ Lo Moyses / fourty dayes / and fourty nyght¶ de orationibus & Ieiunijs . ffasted / er þat the heighe god of myght Spak with hym / in the mount of Synay With empty wombe / fastynge many a day Receyued he the lawe / that was writen With goddes fynger / and Elye wel ye witen In mount Oreb / er he hadde any speche With hye god / that is oure lyues leche He fasted longe / and was in contemplaunce ¶ Aaron / that hadde the temple in gouernaunce And eek/ that othere preestes euerichon In-to the temple / whan they sholde gon To preye for the peple / and do seruyse They nolden drynken / in no maner wyse No drynke / which þat myghte hem dronke make But there / in abstinence preye and wake Lest that they deyden / taak heede what I seye But they be sobre / that for the peple preye War that /· I seye namoore / for it suffiseth Oure lord Ihesu / as hooly writ deuyseth Yaf vs ensample / of fastynge and preyeres Therfore / we mendynantz / we sely freres Been wedded / to pouerte and continence To charite / humblesse / and abstinence To persecucion / for rightwisnesse To wepynge / Misericorde and clennesse And therfore may ye se / þat oure preyeres I speke of vs / we mendynantz we freres Been to the hye god / moore acceptable Than youres / with youre feestes at the table ffro Paradys first if I shal nat lye Was man out chaced / for his glotonye And chaast was man / in Paradys certeyn ¶ But herkne Thomas / what I shal seyn I ne haue no text of it/ as I suppose But I shal fynde it/ in a maner glose That specially / oure sweete lord Ihesus Spak this by freres / whan he seyde thus ¶ Blessed be they / that pouere in spirit been And so forth / al the gospel / may ye seen Wher it be likker / oure professioun Or hirs / that swymmen in possessioun ffy on hire pompe / and hire glotonye And for hir lewednesse / I hem diffye ¶ Me thynketh / they been lyk Iovinyan ffat as a whale / and walkynge as a swan Al vinolent as Botel in the spence Hir preyere / is of ful greet reuerence Whan they for soules / seye the psalm of Dauit/ Lo / but they seye / cor meum eructauit/ Who folweth / cristes gospel / and his foore? But we þat humble been / and chaast and poore Werkeris of goddes word / not Auditours Therfore / right as an hauk vp at a sours Vp springeth in-to their / right so prayeres Of charitable / and chaste bisy freres Maken hir sours / to goddes eres two Thomas Thomas / so moote I ryde or go And by that lord / þat clepid is seint Yue Nere thou oure brother / sholdestou nat thryue In our Chapitre / praye we day and nyght To crist/ þat he thee sende / heele and myght Thy body / for to weelden hastily ¶ God woot quod he / no thyng ther-of feele I As help me crist as in a fewe yeres I han spent / vp-on diuerse manere freres fful many a pound / yet fare I neuer the bet Certeyn my good / I haue almoost biset ffarwel my gold / for it is al ago ¶ The frere answerde / o Thomas dostow so? What nedeth yow / diuerse freres seche What nedeth hym / þat hath a parfit leche To sechen / othere leches in the toun? Youre inconstance / is youre confusioun Holde ye thanne me / or elles oure Couent To praye for yow / been insufficient? Thomas that Iape / nys nat worth a myte Youre maladye / is for we han to lyte A yif that Couent/ half a quarter otes A yif that Couent/ .xxiiij. grotes A yif that frere a peny / and lat hym go Nay nay Thomas / it may no thyng be so What is a ferthyng worth / parted in twelue Lo ech thyng that is oned / in it selueOmnis virtus vnita / forcior est seipsa dispersa Is moore strong than whan it is toscatered Thomas / of me / thou shalt nat been yflatered Thou woldest han oure labour al for noght The hye god / that al this world hath wroght Seith that the werkman / worthy is his hyre¶ Dignus est operarius mercede & cetera Thomas / noght of youre tresor I desire As for my self but that al oure Couent To preye for yow / is ay so diligent And for to buylden / cristes owene chirche Thomas / if ye wol lernen for to wirche Of buyldynge vp of chirches / may ye fynde If it be good / in Thomas lyf of Inde Ye lye heere / ful of Anger of Ire With which / the deuel set youre herte afyre And chiden heere / the sely Innocent Youre wyf/ that is so meke and pacient And therfore Thomas / trowe me if thee leste Ne stryue nat with thy wyf/ as for thy beste And ber this word awey / now by thy feith Touchynge this thyng lo what the wise seith ¶ With-Inne thyn hous ne be thou no leoun¶ Noli esse sicut leo in domo tua / euertens domesticos tuos op|primens subiectos tibi. To thy subgitz / do noon oppressioun Ne make thyne aqueyntances / nat for to flee And Thomas / yet eft-soones I charge thee Be war from hire / þat in thy bosom slepeth Be war/ fro the serpent/ that so slily crepeth Vnder the gras / and styngeth subtilly Be war my sone / and herkne paciently That twenty thousand men / han lost hir lyues ffor stryuyng with hir lemmans and hir wyues Now sith ye han / so hooly meke a wyf What nedeth yow Thomas / to maken stryf Ther nys ywys / no serpent so cruel What man tret on his tayl / ne half so fel As womman is / whan she hath caught an Ire Vengeance is thanne / al that they desire Ire is a synne / oon of the grete of seuene Abhomynable / vn-to the god of heuene And to hym self/ it is destruccion This euery lewed viker or person Kan seye / how Ire engendreth homycide Ire is in sooth / executour of pryde I koude of Ire seye / so muche sorwe My tale / sholde laste / til tomorwe And therfore / preye I god / bothe day and nyght An Irous man / god sende hym litel myght It is greet harm / and eek greet pitee To sette an Irous man / in heigh degree WHilom / ther was an Irous potestat/¶ de quodam potes|tate Iracundo As seith Senek that durynge his estaat Vp-on a day / out ryden knyghtes two And as ffortune / wolde that it were so That oon of hem cam hoom/ that oother noght Anon the knyght bifore the Iuge is broght That seyde thus / thou hast thy felawe slayn ffor which / I deme thee to the deeth certayn And to another knyght comanded he Go lede hym to the deeth / I charge thee And happed / as they wente by the weye Toward the place / ther he sholde deye The knyght cam / which men wenden had be deed Thanne thoughte they / it was the beste reed To lede hem bothe / to the Iuge agayn They seiden lord / the knyght ne hath nat slayn His felawe / heere he standeth hool alyue Ye shul be deed quod he / so moot I thryue That is to seyn / bothe oon / and two / and thre And to the firste knyght right thus spak he I dampned thee / thou most algate be deed And thou also / most nedes lese thyn heed ffor thou art cause / why thy felawe deyth And to the thridde knyght right thus he seith Thou hast nat doon / that I comanded thee And thus / he dide doon sleen hem alle thre Irous Cambises / was eek dronkelewe And ay delited hym / to been a shrewe And so bifel / a lord of his meynee That loued vertuous moralitee Seyde on a day / bitwene hem two right thus ¶ A lord is lost if he be vicius And dronkenesse / is eek/ a foul record Of any man / and namely in a lord Ther is ful many an eye and many an ere Awaityng on a lord / and he noot where ffor goddes loue / drynk moore attemprely Wyn maketh man / to lesen wrecchedly His mynde / and hise lymes euerichon ¶ The reuers shaltou se / quod he anon And preeue it by thyn owene experience That wyn / ne dooth to folk no swich offence Ther is no wyn / bireueth me my myght Of hand ne foot/ ne of myne eyen sight And for despit/ he drank ful muchel moore And hondred part/ than he hadde bifoore And right anon / this Irous cursed wrecche Leet/ this knyghtes sone / bifore hym fecche Comandynge hym / he sholde bifore hym stonde And sodeynly / he took his bowe in honde And vp the streng he pulled to his ere And with an arwe / he slow the child right there Now / wheither haue I / a siker hand or noon Quod he / is al my myght and mynde agon Hath wyn bireft me myne eyen sight ¶ What sholde I telle / thanswere of the knyght His sone was slayn / ther is namoore to seye Beth war therfore / with lordes how ye pleye Syngeth Placebo / and I shal if I kan But if it be / vn-to a poure man To a poure man / men sholde hise vices telle But nat to a lord / thogh he sholde go to helle LO Irous Cirus / thilke Percien How he destroyed / the ryuer of Gysen ffor that an hors of his was dreynt ther-Inne Whan þat he wente / Babiloigne to wynne He made / that the Ryuer / was so smal That wommen / myghte wade it ouer al Lo what seyde he / that so wel teche kan Ne be no felawe to an Irous man Ne with no wood man / walke by the weye Lest thee repente / ther is namoore to seye NOw Thomas leeue brother / lef thyn Ire Thou shalt me fynde / as Iust/ as is a squyre Hoold nat the deueles knyf ay at thyn herte Thyn angre dooth thee / al to soore smerte But shewe to me / al thy confession ¶ Nay quod the sike man / by Seint Symon I haue be shryuen this day / at my curat I haue hym toold hoolly al myn estat Nedeth namoore / to speken of it seith he But if me list/ of myn humylitee ¶ Yif me thanne of thy gold / to make oure cloystre Quod he / for many a Muscle / and many an oystre Whan othere men / han ben ful wel at eyse Hath been oure foode / our cloystre for to reyse And yet god woot vnnethe the fundement Parfourned is / ne of our pauement Nys nat a tyl yet/ with-Inne oure wones By god / we owen fourty pound for stones ¶ Now help Thomas / for hym that harwed helle ffor elles / moste we oure bookes selle And if ye lakke / oure predicacion Thanne goth the world / al to destruccion ffor who so wolde / vs fro this world bireue So god me saue / Thomas by youre leue He wolde bireue / out of this world the sonne ffor who kan teche / and werchen as we konne And that is nat of litel tyme quod he But syn Ennok was / or Elise Han freres been / that fynde I of record In charitee / ythanked be oure lord Now Thomas / helpe for seinte charitee And doun anon / he sette hym on his knee THis sike man / wax wel ny wood for Ire He wolde / þat the frere / had been on fire With his false dissymulacion Swich thyng as is in my possession Quod he / that may I yeuen / and noon oother Ye sey me thus / that I am youre brother ¶ Ye certes quod the frere / trusteth weel I took oure dame / oure lettre and oure seel ¶ Now wel quod he / and som what shal I yeue Vn-to youre hooly Couent whil I lyue And in thyn hand / thou shalt it haue anon On this condicion / and oother noon That thou departe it so / my leeue brother That euery frere / haue also muche as oother This shaltou swere / on thy profession With-outen fraude / or cauillacion ¶ I swere it quod this frere / by my feith And ther-with-al / his hand in his he leith Lo heer my feith / in me shal be no lak ¶ Now thanne put In thyn hand doun by my bak Seyde this man / and grope wel bihynde Bynethe my buttok ther shaltow fynde A thyng that I haue hyd in pryuetee ¶ A thoghte this frere / this shal go with me And doun his hand / he launcheth to the clifte In hope / for to fynde there a yifte And whan this sike man / felte this frere Aboute his tuwel / grope there and heere Amydde his hand / he leet the frere a fart Ther nys no capul / drawynge in a Cart That myghte haue lete a fart of swich a soun ¶ The frere vp stirte / as dooth a wood leoun A fals cherl quod he / for goddes bones This hastow for despit doon for the nones Thou shalt abye this fart if that I may ¶ His meynee / whiche that herden this affray Cam lepynge In / and chaced out the frere And forth he gooth / with a ful Angry cheere And fette his felawe / ther as lay his stoor He looked / as it were a wilde boor He grynte with his teeth / so was he wrooth A sturdy paas / doun to the lordes court he gooth Wher as woned a man / of greet honour To whom / that he was alwey confessour This worthy man / was lord of that village This frere cam / as he were in a rage Where as this lord / sat etyng at his bord Vnnethes / myghte the frere / speke a word Til atte laste / he seyde / god yow see ¶ This lord bigan to looke / and seide benedicitee What frere Iohn / what maner world is this? I trowe / som maner thyng ther is amys Ye looken / as the wode / were ful of theuys Sit doun anon / and tel me what youre grief is And it shal been amended / if that I may ¶ I haue quod he / had a despit this Day God yelde yow / adoun in youre village That in this world / is noon so poure a page That he nolde haue abhomynacioun Of that I haue receyued in youre toun And yet greueth me / no thyng so soore As that this olde cherl / with lokkes hoore Blasphemed hath / oure hooly Couent eke ¶ Now maister quod this lord / I yow biseke ¶ No maister quod he / but seruitour Thogh I haue had in scole swich honour God liketh nat that Raby men vs calle Neither in Market ne in youre large halle ¶ No fors quod he / but tel me al youre grief ¶ Sire quod he / an odious meschief/ This day bityd is / to myn ordre and me And so per consequens / in ech degree Of hooly chirche / god amende it soone ¶ Sire quod the lord / ye woot what is to doone Distempre yow noght / ye be my Confessour Ye been the salt of the erthe / and the savour ffor goddes loue / youre pacience ye holde Tel me youre grief/ and he anon hym tolde As ye han herd biforn / ye woot wel what ¶ The lady of the hous / al stille sat/ Til she had herd / what the frere sayde Ey goddes mooder quod she / blisful mayde Is ther oght elles / telle me feithfully ¶ Madame quod he / how thynke ye her-by? ¶ How that me thynketh quod she? so god me speede I seye / a cherle hath doon / a cherles dede What shold I seye / god lat hym neuere thee His sike heed / is ful of vanytee I holde hym / in a manere frenesye ¶ Madame quod he / by god I shal nat lye But I on hym / oother weyes be wreke I shal disclaundre hym / ouer al ther I speke This false blasphemour / that charged me To parte / that wol nat departed be To euery man yliche / with meschaunce ¶ The lord sat stille / as he were in a traunce And in his herte / he rolled vp and doun How hadde the cherl / this ymaginacioun? To shewe swich a probleme / to the frere Neuere erst er now / herd I of swich mateere I trowe / the deuel / putte it in his mynde In Ars Metrik shal ther no man fynde Biforn this day / of swich a question Certes / it was a shrewed conclusion That euery man / sholde haue yliche his part As of the soun / or savour/ of a fart O vile proude cherl / I shrewe his face Lo sires quod the lord / with harde grace Who herd euere of swich a thyng er now To euery man ylike / tel me how? It is an inpossible / it may nat be Ey nyce cherl / god lete thee neuere thee The rumblynge of a fart/ and euery soun Nis but of Eir reuerberacioun And euere it wasteth / litel and litel awey Ther is no man / kan demen by my fey If that it were departed equally What lo my cherl / lo yet how shrewedly Vn-to my confessour / to day he spak I holde hym certeyn / a demonyak Now ete youre mete / and lat the cherl go pleye Lat hym go honge hymself a deuel weye ¶ The wordes of the lordes Squier and his keruere / for departynge of the fart on twelue . NOW stood the lordes Squier at the bord That karf his mete / and herde word by word Of alle thynges / whiche that I haue sayd My lord quod he / beth nat yuele apayd ¶ I koude telle for a gowne clooth To yow sire frere / so ye be nat wrooth How that this fart euene delt shal be Among youre Couent if it lyked me ¶ Tel quod the lord / and thou shalt haue anon A gowne clooth / by god / and by Seint Iohn ¶ My lord quod he / whan þat the weder is fair With-outen wynd / or perturbynge of Air Lat brynge a Cartwheel in-to this halle But looke / that it haue his spokes alle Twelue spokes / hath a Cartwheel comunly And bryng me thanne .xij. freres woot ye why? For twelue is a Couent/ as I gesse The Confessour heere / for his worthynesse Shal parfourne vp / the nombre of his Couent Thanne shal they knele doun / by oon assent And to euery spokes ende / in this manere fful sadly / leye his nose shal a frere Youre noble Confessour / there god hym saue Shal holde his nose / vpright / vnder the Naue Thanne shal this cherl / with bely stif and toght As any Tabour / been hyder ybroght And sette hym on the wheel / right of this Cart Vpon the Naue / and make hym lete a fart And ye shul seen / vp peril of my lyf/ By preeue / which that is demonstratif That equally / the soun of it wol wende And eke the stynk vn-to the spokes ende Saue þat this worthy man youre Confessour By cause / he is a man of greet honour Shal haue the firste fruyt / as reson is As yet the noble vsage / of freres is The worthy men of hem / shul first be serued And certeinly / he hath it weel disserued He hath to day taught vs so muche good With prechyng in the pulpit ther he stood That I may vouche sauf / I sey for me He hadde the firste smel / of fartes three And so wolde / al the Couent hardily He bereth hym / so faire and hoolily ¶ The lord / the lady / and alle men saue the frere Seyde / þat Iankyn spak/ in this matere As wel as Euclude / or Protholomee Touchynge this cherl / they seyde subtiltee And heigh wit made hym speke / as he spak/ He nys no fool / ne no demonyak And Iankyn / hath ywonne a newe gowne My tale is doon / we been almoost at towne ¶ Heere endeth the Somonours tale . GROUP E. FRAGMENT VI. § 1. THE CLERK'S HEAD-LINK. ELLESMERE MS. ¶ Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of Oxenford. Sire clerk / of Oxenford / oure Hoost sayde ye ryde as coy / and stille / as dooth a mayde were newe spoused / sittynge at the bord This day / ne herde I / of youre tonge a word I trowe ye studie / aboute som Sophyme But Salomon seith / euery thyng hath tyme¶ pausacio ¶ ffor goddes sake / as beth of bettre cheere It is no tyme / for to studien heere Telle vs som myrie tale / by youre fey ffor what man / that is entred in a pley He nedes moot vnto the pley assente But precheth nat as freres doon in lente To make vs / for oure olde synnes wepe Ne that thy tale / make vs nat to slepe¶ pausacio ¶ Telle vs / som murie thyng/ of auentures Youre termes / youre colours / and youre figures Keepe hem in stoor / til so be that ye endite Heigh style / as whan þat men to kynges write Speketh so pleyn / at this tyme we yow preye That we may vnderstonde what ye seye¶ pausacio ¶ This worthy clerk benignely answerde Hoost quod he / I am vnder youre yerde Ye han of vs / as now the gouernance And therfore / wol I do yow obeisance As fer/ as reson axeth hardily I wol yow telle a tale / which that I? Lerned at Padwe / of a worthy clerk As preued / by his wordes and his werk He is now deed / and nayled in his cheste I prey to god / so yeue his soule reste¶ pausacio ¶ ffraunceys Pe[t]rak the lauriat poete Highte this clerk whos Rethorik sweete Enlumyned al Ytaille of poetrie As Lynyan dide / of Philosophie Or lawe / or oother Art particuler But deeth / þat wol nat dwellen heer But as it were / a twynklyng of an eye Hem bothe hath slayn / and alle shul we dye¶ pausacio ¶ But forth to tellen / of this worthy man That taughte me this tale / as I bigan¶ Est ad ytalie latus occiduum Vesulus ex ap|penini Iugis mons altissimus qui vertice nebula superans liquido sese ingerit etheri Mons suapte / nobilis natura padi ortu nobilis|simus qui latere fonte lapsus exiguo Orientem contra solem fertur &cetera I seye / that first with heigh stile he enditeth Er he / the body of his tale writeth A prohemye / in the which discryueth he Pemond / and of Saluces the contree And speketh of Apennyn / the hilles hye That been the boundes / of westlumbardye¶ pausacio ¶ And of Mount Vesulus / in special Where as the poo / out of a welle smal Taketh his firste spryngyng and his sours That Estward / ay encresseth in his cours To Emeleward / to fferrare and Venyse The which a long thyng were to deuyse And trewely / as to my Iuggement Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent Saue that he wole / conuoyen his mateere But this his tale / which that ye may heere¶ pausacio ¶ Heere bigynneth the tale of the Clerk/ of Oxenfordon leaf 92

[For the Latin side-notes to the Clerk's Tale see pp. 274-5 at the end of the Tale.]

 THer is / at the West syde of Ytaille¶ Inter cetera ad radicem Vesuli terra saluciarum vicis & Castellis. Doun at the roote / of Vesulus the colde A lusty playne / habundant of vitaille¶ grata planicies Where many a tour and toun / thou mayst biholde That founded were / in tyme / of fadres olde And many another / delitable sighte And Saluces this noble contree highte[Painting of the clerk on Horseback.] A Markys / whilom lord was of that lond As were / hise worthy eldres hym bifore And obeisant and redy to his hond Were alle hise liges / bothe lasse and moore Thus in delit he lyueth / and hath doon yoore Biloued and drad / thurgh favour of ffortune Bothe of hise lordes / and of his commune Therwith he was / to speke as of lynage The gentilleste yborn of lumbardye A fair persone and strong and yong of age And ful [of] honour/ and of curteisye Discreet ynogh / his contree for to gye Saue that in somme thynges / þat he was to blame And Walter/ was this yonge lordes name I blame hym thus / that he considereth noght In tyme comynge / what hym myghte bityde But in his lust present was al his thoght As for to hauke and hunte / on euery syde Wel ny / alle othere cures / leet he slyde And eek he nolde / and that was worst of alle Wedde no wyf / for noght þat may bifalle Oonly that point his peple bar so soore That flokmeele on a day / they to hym wente¶ Cateruatim And oon of hem / that wisest was of loore Or elles / that the lord / best wolde assente That he sholde telle hym / what his peple mente Or elles / koude he shewe wel swich mateere He to the Markys / seyde as ye shul heere ¶ O noble Markys / youre humanitee¶ Tua inquid humanitas optime Marchio Asseureth vs / to yeue vs hardinesse As ofte / as tyme is of necessitee That we to yow / mowe telle oure heuynesse Accepteth lord / now for youre gentillesse Thatid we with pitous herte / vn-to yow pleyne And lat youre eres / nat my voys desdeyne Al haue I noght to doone / in this mateere Moore than another man / hath in this place Yet for as muche / as ye my lord so deere Han alwey / shewed me / fauour and grace I dar the bettre / aske of yow a space Of Audience / to shewen oure requeste And ye my lord / to doon right as yow leste ffor certes lord / so wel vs liketh yow And al youre werk/ and euere han doon / þat we? Ne koude nat vs self deuysen how? We myghte lyuen / in moore felicitee Saue o thyng lord / if youre wille be That for to been a wedded man yow leste Thanne were youre peple / in souereyn hertes reste Boweth youre nekke / vnder that blisful yok / Of soueraynetee / noght of seruyse Which þat men clepeth / spousaille or wedlok And thenketh lord / among youre thoghtes wyse How þat oure dayes passe / in sondry wyse ffor thogh we slepe / or wake / or rome / or ryde Ay fleeth the tyme / it nyl no man abyde And thogh youre grene youthe / floure as yit In crepeth age alwey / as stille as stoon And deeth manaceth / euery age and smyt In ech estaat for ther escapeth noon And al so certein / as we knowe echoon That we shul deye / as vncerteyn / we alle? Been of that day / whan deeth shal on vs falle Accepteth thanne of vs / the trewe entente That neuere yet refuseden thyn heeste And we wol lord / if that ye wole assente Chese yow a wyf/ in short tyme atte leeste Born of the gentilleste / and of the meeste Of al this land / so that it oghte seme Honour to god and yow / as we kan deeme Deliuere vs / out of al this bisy drede And taak a wyf for hye goddes sake ffor if it so bifelle / as god forbede That thurgh youre deeth / youre lyne sholde slake And that a straunge Successour sholde take Youre heritage / o wo were vs alyue Wherfore / we pray you hastily to wyue ¶ Hir meeke preyere / and hir pitous cheere Made the Markys herte / han pitee Ye wol quod he / myn owene peple deere To that I neuere erst thoughte / streyne me I me reioysed / of my liberte That seelde tyme / is founde in mariage Ther I was free / I moot been in seruage But nathelees / I se youre trewe entente And truste vpon youre wit / and haue doon ay Wherfore / of my free wyl / I wole assente To wedde me / as soone as euere I may But ther as ye / han profred me this day To chese me a wyf / I yow relesse That choys / and prey of that profre cesse ffor god it woot that children ofte been Vnlyk hir worthy eldres hem bifore Bountee comth al of god / nat of the streen Of which / they been engendred and ybore I truste in goddes bontee / and therfore? My mariage / and myn estaat and reste I hym bitake / he may doon as hym leste Lat me allone / in chesynge of my wyf That charge / vp on my bak/ I wole endure But I yow preye / and charge vp on youre lyf What wyf that I take / ye me assure To worshipe hire / whil that hir lyf may dure In word and werk/ bothe heere and euerywheere As she / an Emperoures doghter weere And forthermoore / this shal ye swere / that ye? Agayn my choys / shul neither grucche ne stryue ffor sith / I shal / forgoon my libertee At youre requeste / as euere moot I thryue Ther as myn herte is set ther wol I wyue And but ye wole assente in this manere I prey yow / speketh namoore of this matere ¶ With hertely wyl / they sworen and assenten To al this thyng ther seyde no wight nay Bisekynge hym of grace / er that they wenten That he / wolde graunten hem a certein day Of his spousaille / as soone / as euere he may ffor yet alwey / the peple som what dredde Lest þat this Markys / no wyf wolde wedde ¶ He graunted hem a day / swich as hym leste On which / he wolde be wedded sikerly And seyde / he dide al this at hir requeste And they / with humble entente / buxomly Knelynge vp on hir knees ful reuerently Hym thonken alle / and thus they han an ende Of hire entente / and hoom agayn they wende ¶ And heer vp on / he to hise officeres Comaundeth / for the feste to purveye And to hise priuee knyghtes and squieres Swich charge yaf / as hym liste on hem leye And they / to his comandement obeye And ech of hem / dooth al his diligence To doon / vn-to the feeste reuerence¶ Explicit/ prima pars . ¶ Incipit/ secunda pars . NOght fer / fro thilke paleys honurable‖ ffuit haut procul a palacio &cetera. Ther as this Markys / shoope his mariage There stood a throope / of site delitable In which / that poure folk/ of that village Hadden hir beestes / and hir herbergage And of hire labour / tooke hir sustenance After that the erthe / yaf hem habundance Amonges thise poure folk/ ther dwelte a man Which þat was holden / pourest of hem alle But hye god / som tyme senden kan His grace / in to a litel oxes stalle Ianicula / men of that throope hym calle A doghter hadde he / fair ynogh to sighte And Grisildis / this yonge mayden highte But for to speke / of vertuous bountee Thanne was she / oon the faireste vnder sonne ffor poureliche / yfostred vp was she No likerous lust /was thurgh hire herte yronne Wel ofter / of the welle / than of the tonne She drank/ and for she wolde vertu plese She knew wel labour/ but noon ydel ese But thogh this mayde / tendre were of age Yet in the brest of hire virginitee Ther was enclosed / rype and sad corage And in greet reuerence / and charitee Hir olde poure fader/ fostred shee A fewe sheepe / spynnynge on feeld she kepte She wolde noght been ydel til she slepte And whan she homward cam / she wolde brynge Wortes / or othere herbes / tymes ofte The whiche she shredde / and seeth for hir lyuynge And made hir bed / ful harde and no thyng softe And ay she kepte / hir fadres lyf on lofte With euerich obeisaunce and diligence That child may doon / to fadres reuerence ¶ Vp on Grisilde / this poure creature fful ofte sithe / this Markys caste his eye As he / on huntyng rood parauenture And whan þat it fil / þat he myghte hire espye He noght/ with wantowne lookyng of folye Hise eyen caste on hire / but in sad wyse Vp on hir chiere / he gan hym ofte auyse Commendynge in his herte / hir wommanhede And eek hir vertu / passynge any wight Of so yong age / as wel in chiere as dede ffor thogh the peple / hadde no greet insight In vertu / he considered ful right/ Hir bountee / and disposed that he wolde Wedde hire oonly / if euere he wedde sholde ¶ The day of weddyng cam / but no wight kan Telle / what womman / that it sholde be ffor which merueille / wondred many a man And seyden / whan that they were in priuetee Wol nat oure lord / yet leue his vanytee? Wol he nat wedde / allas allas the while? Why wole he thus / hym self and vs bigile? ¶ But nathelees / this Markys hath doon make Of gemmes / set in gold and in Asure Brooches and rynges / for Grisildis sake And of hir clothyng took he the mesure By a mayde / lyk to hire stature And eek of othere aornementes alle That vn-to swich a weddyng sholde falle The time of vndren / of the same day Approcheth / that this weddyng sholde be And al the paleys / put was in array Bothe halle and chambres / ech in his degree Houses of office / stuffed with plentee Ther maystow seen / of deynteuous vitaille That may be founde / as fer as last ytaille This roial Markys / richely arrayed Lordes and ladyes / in his compaignye The whiche / that to the feeste weren yprayed And of his retenue / the bachelrye With many a soun / of sondry melodye Vn-to the village / of the which I tolde In this array / the righte wey han holde ¶ Grisilde of this / god woot ful Innocent That for hire / shapen was al this array To fecchen water at a welle is went And comth hoom / as soone as euer she may ffor wel she hadde herd seyd / that thilke day The Markys sholde wedde / and if she myghte She wolde fayn / han seyn / som of that sighte She thoghte / I wole / with othere maydens stonde¶ Vt expeditis curis alijs ad videndum domini sui sponsam cum puellis comitibus propararet/ That been my felawes / in oure dore and se The Markysesse / and therfore wol I fonde To doon at hoom / as soone as it may be The labour / which that longeth vn-to me And thanne I may / at leyser hire biholde If she this wey / vn-to the Castel holde And as she wolde / ouer hir thresshfold gon The Markys cam / and gan hire for to calle And she set doun / hir water pot anon Biside the thresshfold/ in an Oxes stalle And doun vp-on hir knes she gan to falle And with sad contenance / kneleth stille Til she had herd / what was the lordes will ¶ This thoghtful Markys / spak vn-to this mayde¶ quum Walterus cogitabundus cedens eamque compellans nomine. fful sobrely / and seyde in this manere Where is youre fader / o Grisildis he sayde And she with reuerence / in humble cheere Answerde . lord / he is al redy heere And In she gooth / with outen lenger lette And to the Markys / she hir fader fette He by the hand / thanne took this olde man And seyde thus / whan he hym hadde asyde Ianicula / I neither may ne kan Lenger / the plesance of myn herte hyde If that thou vouche sauf what so bityde Thy doghter wol I take / er þat I wende As for my wyf vn-to hir lyues ende Thou louest me / I woot it wel certeyn And art my feithful / lige man ybore And all that/ liketh me / I dar wel seyn It liketh thee / and specially therfore Tel me that poynt / that I haue seyd bifore If that thou wolt vn-to that purpos drawe To take me / as for thy sone in lawe ¶ This sodeyn cas / this man astonyed so That reed he wax abayst and al quakyng He stood / vnnethes seyde he wordes mo But oonly thus / lord quod he / my willynge? Is as ye wole / ne ayeyns / youre likynge? I wol no thyng ye be my lord so deere Right as yow lust gouerneth this mateere ¶ Yet wol I / quod this Markys softely That in thy chambre / I. and thou / and she Haue a collacion / and wostow why? ffor I wol axe / if it hire wille be To be my wyf / and reule hire after me And al this shal be doon / in thy presence I wol noght speke / out of thyn Audience ¶ And in the chambre / whil they were aboute Hir tretys / which as ye shal after heere The peple cam / vn-to the hous with oute And wondred hem / in how honeste manere And tentifly / she kepte hir fader deere But outrely / Grisildis wondre myghte ffor neuere erst ne saugh she swich a sighte No wonder is / thogh she were astoned¶ Et insolito tanti hospitis aduentu stupidam inuenit. To seen so greet a gest come in that place She neuere was / to swiche gestes woned ffor which / she looked / with ful pale face But shortly / forth this tale for to chace Thise arn the wordes / þat the Markys sayde To this benigne / verray feithful mayde ¶ Grisilde he seyde / ye shal wel vnderstonde¶ Et patri tuo placet inquid & mihi vt vxor mea sis / et credo idipsum tibi placeat/ sed habeo ex te querere & cetera. It liketh to youre fader and to me That I yow / wedde / and eek it may so stonde As I suppose / ye wol that it so be But thise demandes / axe I first quod he That sith it shal be doon / in hastif wyse Wol ye assente / or elles yow auyse I seye this / be ye redy with good herte To al my lust and that I frely may As me best thynketh / do yow laughe or smerte And neuere ye to grucche it nyght ne day And eek whan I sey ye / ne sey nat nay Neither by word / ne frownyng contenance¶ sine vlla frontis aut verbi inpugnacione. Swere this / and heere I swere yow alliance ¶ Wondrynge vp on this word / quakynge for drede¶ Nil ego vnquam sciens nedum faciam set eciam cogitabo quod contra animum tuum sit/ nec tu aliquid facies / et si me mori iusseris quod moleste feram &cetera. She seyde lord / vndigne and vnworthy? Am I / to thilke honour/ þat ye me beede But as ye wole youre self right so wol .I. And heere I swere / that neuere willyngly In werk ne thoght I nyl yow disobeye ffor to be deed / though me were looth to deye ¶ This is ynogh / Grisilde myn quod he And forth he gooth / with a ful sobre cheere Out at the dore / and after that cam she And to the peple / he seyde in this manere This is my wyf quod he / þat standeth heere Honoureth hire / and loueth hire I preye Who so me loueth / ther is namoore to seye And for that no thyng of hir olde geere¶ dehinc/ ne quid reliquiarum fortune veteris nouam inferat in domum / nudari eam iusserit/ She sholde brynge in to his hous / he bad? That wommen / sholde dispoillen hire right theere Of which thise ladyes / were nat right glad To handle hir clothes / wher Inne she was clad But nathelees / this mayde bright of hewe ffro foot to heed / they clothed han al newe Hir heris han they kembd / that lay vntressed fful rudely / and with hir fyngres smale A corone on hire heed / they han ydressed And sette hire / ful of Nowches grete and smale Of hire array / what sholde I make a tale Vnnethe the peple hire knew / for hire fairnesse Whan she translated was in swich richesse ¶ This Markys / hath hire spoused with a ryng Broght for the same cause / and thanne hire sette Vp on an hors snow whit and wel amblyng And to his paleys / er he lenger lette With ioyful peple þat hire ladde and mette Conuoyed hire / and thus the day they spende In reuel / til the sonne gan descende And shortly / forth this tale for to chace I seye / that to this newe Markysesse God hath swich fauour / sent hire of his grace That it ne semed nat by liklynesse That she was / born and fed in rudenesse As in a cote / or in an Oxe Stalle But norissed / in an Emperoures halle ¶ To euery wight/ she woxen is so deere¶ Atque apud omnes supra fidem cara & vene|rabilis facta est/ vix quod hijs ipsis qui illius originem nouerant persuaderi posset Ianicule natam esse tantus vite / tantus morum decor ea verborum grauitas atque dulcedo quibus omnium animos nexu sibi magni amoris astrinxerat / And worshipful / þat folk ther she was bore And from hire birthe / knewe hire yeer by yeere Vnnethe trowed they / but dorste han swore That she to Ianicle / of which I spak bifore She doghter were / for as by coniecture Hem thoughte / she was another creature ffor though that euere vertuous was she She was encressed / in swich excellence Of thewes goode / yset in heigh bountee And so discreet and fair of eloquence So benigne / and so digne of reuerence And koude so / the peples herte embrace That ech hire louede / that looked on hir face ¶ Noght oonly of Saluces in the toun Publiced was / the beautee of hir name But eek biside / in many a regioun If oon seide wel / another seyde the same So spradde / of hire heighe bountee the name That men and wommen / as wel yonge as olde Goon to Saluce / vpon hire to bihold Thus Walter lowely? nay / but roially¶ sic Walterus humili quidem / set/ insigni ac prospero matrimonio honestatis summa dei in pace & cetera. Wedded / with fortunat honestetee In goddes pees / lyueth ful esily At hoom / and outward / grace ynogh had he And for he saugh / that vnder heigh degree¶ quodque eximiam virtutem tanta sub inopia latitantem tam perspicaciter deprendisset/ vulgo prudentissimus habebatur. Was vertu hid / the peple hym heelde A prudent man / and that is seyn ful seelde ¶ Nat oonly this Grisildis / thurgh hir wit¶ Neque vero solers sponsa muliebria tantum ac domestica / sed vbi res posceret publica eciam subibat officia. Koude al the feet of wyfly humblenesse But eek whan that the cas required it The commune profit koude she redresse Ther nas discord / rancour / ne heuynesse In al that land / that she ne koude apese And wisely / brynge hem alle in reste and ese Though that hire housbonde absent were/ anon?¶ Viro absente / lites patrie / nobilium dis|cordias dirimens atque componens tam grauibus responsis tanta que maturitate, & Iudicij equitate vt omnes ad salutem publicam demissa celo feminam predicarent/ [MS, leaf 97, back.] If gentil men / or othere of hire contree Were wrothe / she wolde bryngen hem aton So wise / and rype wordes hadde she And Iuggementz of so greet equitee That she from heuene / sent was as men wende Peple to saue / and euery wrong tamende ¶ Nat longe tyme / after/ that this Grisild Was wedded / she a doghter hath ybore Al had hire leuere / haue born a man child Glad was this Markys / and the folk therfore ffor though a mayde child / coome al bifore She may / vn-to a man child atteyne By liklihede / syn she nys nat bareyne¶ Explicit secunda pars . ¶ Incipit tercia pars . THer fil / as it bifalleth tymes mo?¶ Ceperit vt fit interdum walterum cum iam ablactata esset infantula mirabilis quedam quam laudabilis cupi|ditas satis expertam care fidem coniugis experiendi alcius & iterum atque iterum retemptandi. Whan þat this child / had souked but a throwe This Markys / in his herte longeth so To tempte his wyf hir sadnesse for to knowe That he ne myghte / out of his herte throwe This merueillous desir/ his wyf tassaye Nedelees god woot/ he thoghte / hire for taffraye He hadde assayed hire / ynogh bifore And foond hire euere good / what neded it Hire for to tempte / and alwey / moore and moore Though som men preise it for a subtil wit/ But as for me / I seye that yuele it sit To assaye a wyf whan þat it is no nede And putten hire / in angwyssh and in drede ffor which / this Markys / wroghte in this manere He cam allone / a nyght / ther as she lay With stierne face / and with ful trouble cheere And seyde thus / Grisilde quod he that day That I yow took/ out of youre pouere array And putte yow / in estaat of heigh noblesse Ye haue / nat that forgeten as I gesse I seye Grisilde / this present dignitee In which that I haue put yow /. as I trowe? Maketh yow nat foryetful for to be That I yow took/ in poure estaat ful lowe ffor any wele / ye moot youre seluen knowe Taak heede / of euery word / that y yow seye Ther is no wight that hereth it but we tweye Ye woot youre self wel / how þat ye cam heere In to this hous / it is nat longe ago And though to me / þat ye be lief and deere Vn-to my gentils / ye be no thyng so They seyn / to hem / it is greet shame and wo ffor to be subgetz / and to been in seruage To thee / that born art/ of a smal village And namely / sith thy doghter was ybore Thise wordes / han they spoken doutelees But I desire / as I haue doon bifore To lyue my lyf with hem / in reste and pees I may nat in this caas / be recchelees I moot doon with thy doghter/ for the beste Nat as I wolde / but as my peple leste And yet god woot this is ful looth to me But nathelees / with oute youre wityng I wol nat doon / but this wol I quod he That ye to me assente / as in this thyng Shewe now youre pacience / in youre werkyng That ye me highte / and swore in youre village That day / that maked was oure mariage ¶ Whan she had herd al this / she noght ameued Neither in word / or chiere or countenance¶ Nee verbo / nec vultu &cetera ffor as it semed / she was nat agreued She seyde lord / al lyth in youre plesance My child and I / with hertely obeisance Been youres al / and ye mowe saue and spille Youre owene thyng werketh after youre wille Ther may no thyng / god so my soule saue Liken to yow / that may displese me Ne I ne desire / no thyng for to haue Ne drede for to leese / saue oonly thee /. vel yee This wyl is in myn herte / and ay shal be No lengthe of tyme / or deeth may this deface Ne chaunge my corage / to another place ¶ Glad was this Markys / of hire answeryng But yet he feyned / as he were nat so Al drery was his cheere / and his lookyng Whan þat he sholde / out/ of the chambre go Soone after this / a furlong wey or two He priuely / hath toold al his entente Vn-to a man / and to his wyf hym sente A maner sergeant was this priuee man The which þat feithful ofte / he founden hadde In thynges grete / and eek swich folk wel kan Doon execucion on thynges badde The lord knew wel / that he hym loued and dradde And whan this sergeant wiste the lordes wille In to the chambre / he stalked hym ful stille ¶ Madame he seyde / ye moote foryeue it me Though I do thyng to which I am constreyned Ye been so wys / that ful wel knowe ye That lordes heestes / mowe nat been yfeyned They mowe wel been / biwailled and compleyned But men moote nede / vn-to hire lust obeye And so wol I / ther is namoore to seye This child / I am comanded for to take And spak namoore / but out the child he hente Despitously / and gan a cheere make As though he wolde / han slayn it er he wente Grisildis / moot al suffren and consente And as a lamb / she sitteth meke and stille And leet this crueel sergeant doon his wille ¶ Suspecious / was the diffame of this man¶ suspecta viri fama Suspect his face / suspect his word also¶ suspecta facie¶ suspecta hora Suspect the tyme / in which he this bigan¶ suspecta erat oratio Allas hir doghter/ that she loued so She wende / he wolde han slawen it right tho But nathelees / she neither weepe ne syked Consentynge hire / to that the Markys lyked But atte laste / to speken she bigan And mekely / she to the sergeant preyde So as he was / a worthy gentil man That she moste kisse hire child / er þat it deyde And in hir barm / this litel child she leyde With ful sad face / and gan the child to kisse And lulled it and after gan it blisse And thus she seyde / in hire benigne voys ffare weel my child / I shal thee neuere see But sith / I thee / haue marked with the croys Of thilke fader/ blessed moote he be That for vs deyde / vp on a croys of tree Thy soule litel child / I hym bitake ffor this nyght shaltow dyen for my sake ¶ I trowe / that to a norice in this cas It had been hard / this reuthe for to se Wel myghte a mooder / thanne han cryd allas But nathelees / so sad and stidefast was she That she endured / al aduersitee And to the sergeant mekely she sayde Haue heer agayn / youre litel yonge mayde Gooth now quod she / and dooth my lordes heeste And o thyng/ wol I prey yow of youre grace That but my lord / forbad yow atte leeste Burieth this litel body / in som place That beestes ne no briddes / it to-race But he no word / wol to that purpos seye But took the child / and wente vpon his weye ¶ This sergeant cam vn-to his lord ageyn And of Grisildis wordes / and hire cheere He tolde hym point for point in short and pleyn And hym presenteth / with his doghter deere Somwhat this lord / hath routhe in his manere But nathelees / his purpos heeld he stille As lordes doon / whan they wol han hir wille And bad his sergeant that he pryuely Sholde this child / softe wynde and wrappe With alle circumstances / tendrely And carie it in a cofre / or in a lappe But vp-on peyne / his heed of for to swappe That no man sholde knowe / of his ententevnde Ne whenne / ne whider that he wente But at Boloigne / to his suster deere That thilke tyme / of Pavik was Countesse He sholde it take / and shewe hire this mateere Bisekynge hire / to doon hire bisynesse This child to fostre / in alle gentillesse And whos child that it was / he bad hym hyde ffrom euery wight/ for oght þat may bityde ¶ The sergeant gooth / and hath fulfild this thyng But to this Markys / now retourne we ffor now gooth he / ful faste ymaginyng If by his wyues cheere / he myghte se Or by hire word aperceyue / that she? Were chaunged / but he neuere hire koude fynde But euere in oon / ylike sad and kynde As glad / as humble / as bisy in seruyse¶ par alacritas atque sedalitas solitum obs[e]|quium / idem amor nulla filie mencio. And eek in loue / as she was wont to be Was she to hym / in euery maner wyse Ne of hir doghter/ noght a word spak she Noon accident for noon aduersitee Was seyn in hire / ne neuere hir doghter name Ne nempned she / in ernest / nor in game¶ Explicit tercia pars . Sequitur pars quarta . IN this estaat/ ther passed been foure yeer¶ transiuerant hoc in statu anni iiijor. dum ecce grauida &cetera. Er she with childe was / but as god wolde A man child she bar / by this Walter fful gracious / and fair for to biholde And whan that folk it to his fader tolde Nat oonly he / but al his contree merye Was for this child / and god they thanke and herye Whan it was two yeer old / and fro the brest Departed of his norice / on a day This Markys / caughte yet another lest To tempte his wyf / yet ofter if he may O nedelees / was she tempted in assay But wedded men / ne knowe no mesure Whan þat they fynde / a pacient creature ¶ Wyf quod this Markys / ye han herd er this¶ Et olim audisti populum meum egre nostrum ferre connubium & cetera. My peple / sikly berth oure mariage And namely / sith my sone yborn is Now is it worse / than euere in al oure age The murmure sleeth myn herte and my corage ffor to myne eres / comth the voys so smerte That it wel ny / destroyed hath myn herte ¶ Now sey they thus / whan Walter is agon Thanne shal / the blood of Ianicle succede And been oure lord / for oother haue we noon Swiche wordes / seith my peple out of drede Wel oughte I / of swich murmur taken heede ffor certeinly / I drede swich sentence Though they nat pleyn / speke in myn Audience I wolde lyue in pees / if that I myghte Wherfore / I am disposed outrely As I his suster/ serued by nyghte Right so thenke I / to serue hym pryuely This warne I yow / þat ye nat sodeynly Out of youre self for no wo sholde outreye Beth pacient and ther of I yow preye ¶ I haue quod she seyd thus / and euere shal I wol no thyng ne nyl no thyng certayn But as yow list naught greueth me at al Though þat my doughter/ and my sone be slayn At youre comandement this is to sayn I haue noght had no part of children tweyne But first siknesse / and after wo and peyne Ye been oure lord / dooth with youre owene thyng Right as yow list axeth no reed at me ffor as I lefte at hoom / al my clothyng Whan I first cam to yow/? right so quod she Lefte I my wyl / and al my libertee And took youre clothyng wherfore I yow preye Dooth youre plesance / I wol youre lust obeye And certes / if I hadde prescience Youre wyl to knowe / er ye youre lust me tolde I wolde it doon / with outen necligence But now I woot youre lust and what ye wolde Al youre plesance / ferme and stable I holde ffor wiste I / that my deeth / wolde do yow ese¶ ffac sen[ten]ciam tibi placere quod moriar volens moriar. Right gladly / wolde I dyen yow to plese Deth may noght make no comparisoun Vn-to youre loue / and whan this Markys say The constance of his wyf / he caste adoun Hise eyen two / and wondreth þat she may In pacience / suffre al this array And forth he goth / with drery contenance But to his herte / it was ful greet plesance ¶ This vgly sergeant/ in the same wyse That he hire doghter caughte / right so he Or worse / if men worse kan deuyse Hath hent hire sone / þat ful was of beautee And euere in oon / so pacient was she That she no chiere maade / of heuynesse But kiste hir sone / and after gan it blesse Saue this / she preyde hym / that if he myghte Hir litel sone / he wolde in erthe graue His tendre lymes / delicaat to sighte ffro foweles and fro beestes for to saue But she noon answere / of hym myghte haue He wente his wey / as hym no thyng ne roghte But to Boloigne / he tendrely it broghte This Markys / wondred euere lenger the moore Vp on hir pacience / and if that he Ne hadde soothly / knowen ther bifoore That parfitly / hir children loued she He wolde haue wend / þat of som subtiltee And of malice / or for crueel corage That she hadde suffred this with sad visage But wel he knew / that next hym self certayn She loued hir children best in euery wyse But new of wommen / wolde I axen fayn If thise assayes / myghte nat suffise What koude a sturdy housbonde moore deuyse To preeue hire wyfhod / or hir stedefastnesse And he continuynge euere in sturdinesse But ther been folk/ of swich condicion That whan they haue / a certein purpos take They kan nat stynte of hire entencion But right as they were bounden to that stake They wol nat of that firste purpos slake Right so this Markys / fulliche hath purposed To tempte his wyf/ as he was first disposed He waiteth / if by word / or contenance That she to hym / was changed of corage But neuere / koude he fynde variance She was ay oon / in herte and in visage And ay the forther / þat she was in age The moore trewe / if þat it were possible She was to hym in loue / and moore penyble ffor which it semed thus / þat of hem two Ther nas but o wyl / for as walter leste The same lust was hire plesance also And god be thanked / al fil for the beste She shewed wel / for no worldly vnreste A wyf as of hir self no thing ne sholde Wille in effect but as hir housbonde wolde ¶ The sclaundre of Walter / ofte and wyde spradde¶ ceperit sensim de Waltero decolor fama cre|b[r]escere. That of a crueel herte / he wikkedly ffor he a poure womman wedded hadde Hath mordred / bothe his children priuely Swich murmure / was among hem comunly No wonder is / for to the peples ere Ther cam no word / but þat they mordred were ffor which / where as his peple ther bifore Hadde loued hym wel / the sclaundre of his diffame Made hem / that they hym hated therfore To been a mordrere is an hateful name But nathelees / for ernest ne for game He of his crueel purpos nolde stente To tempte his wyf/ was set al his entente ¶ Whan that his doghter .xij. yeer was of age He to the court of Rome in subtil wyse Enformed of his wyl / sente his message Comaundynge hem / swiche bulles to deuyse As to his crueel purpos may suffyse How þat the pope / as for his peples reste Bad hym to wedde / another if hym leste I seye / he bad they sholde countrefete The popes bulles / makynge mencion That he hath leue / his firste wyf to lete As by the popes dispensacion To stynte rancour and dissencion Bitwixe his peple and hym / thus seyde the bulle The which / they han publiced atte fulle ¶ The rude peple / as it no wonder is Wenden ful wel / that it hadde be right so But whan thise tidynges cam to Grisildis I deeme / that hire herte was ful wo But she / ylike sad for eueremo Disposed was / this humble creature The aduersitee of ffortune al tendure Abidynge euere / his lust and his plesance To whom þat she was yeuen / herte and al As to hire verray worldly suffisance But shortly / if this storie I tellen shal This Markys / writen hath in special A lettre / in which he sheweth his entente And secreely he to Boloigne it sente To the Erl of Pavyk/ which þat hadde tho Wedded his suster/ preyde he specially To bryngen hoom agayn hise children two In honurable estaat al openly But o thyng he hym preyde outrely That he to no wight though men wolde enquere Sholde nat telle / whos children þat they were But seye / the mayden / sholde ywedded be Vn-to the Markys / of Saluce anon And as this Erl was preyd / so dide he ffor at day set he on his wey is goon Toward Saluce / and lordes many oon In riche array this mayden for to gyde Hir yonge brother/ ridynge hire bisyde ¶ Arrayed was toward hir mariage This fresshe mayde / ful of gemmes cleere Hir brother / which þat .vij. yeer was of age Arrayed eek / ful fressh in his manere And thus in greet noblesse / and with glad cheere Toward Saluces / shapynge hir iourney ffro day to day / they ryden in hir wey¶ Explicit quarta pars . ¶ Sequitur pars quinta . Among al this / after his wikke vsage This Markys yet his wyf to tempte moore To the outtreste preeue / of hir corage ffully / to han experience and loore If that she were / as stidefast as bifoore He on a day / in open audience fful boistously haþ seyd hire this sentence ¶ Certes Grisilde / I hadde ynogh plesance To han yow to my wyf /for youre goodnesse As for youre trouthe / and for youre obeisance Noght for youre lynage / ne for youre richesse But now knowe I / in verray soothfastnesse That in greet lordshipe / if I wel auyse Ther is greet seruitute / in sondry wyse I may nat doon / as euery Plowman may My peple / me constreyneth for to take Another wyf/ and crien day by day And eek the pope / rancour for to slake Consenteth it that dar I vndertake And treweliche / thus muche I wol yow seye My newe wyf is comynge by the weye Be strong of herte / and voyde anon hir place And thilke dowere / that ye broghten me Taak it agayn / I graunte it of my grace Retourneth / to youre fadres hous quod he No man / may alwey han prosperitee With euene herte / I rede yow tendure This strook of ffortune / or of auenture ¶ And she answerde agayn in pacience My lord quod she / I woot and wiste alway How þat / bitwixen youre magnificence And my pouerte / no wight kan ne may Maken comparison / it is no nay I ne heeld me neuere digne in no manere To be youre wyf / no? ne youre Chambrere And in this hous / ther ye me lady maade The heighe god / take I for my witnesse And also wysly / he my soule glaade I neuere / heeld me lady / ne maistresse But humble seruant to youre worthynesse And euere shal / whil þat my lyf may dure Abouen / euery worldly creature That ye so longe / of youre benignitee Han holden me / in honour and nobleye Where as I was / noght worthy bee That thonke I god / and yow /. to whom I preye fforyelde it yow / ther is namoore to seye Vn-to my fader/ gladly wol I wende And with hym dwelle / vn-to my lyues ende Ther I was fostred / of a child ful smal Til I be deed / my lyf ther wol I lede A wydwe clene / in body / herte and al ffor sith I yaf/ to yow my maydenhede And am youre trewe wyf/ it is no drede God shilde / swich a lordes wyf to take Another man / to housbonde / or to make And of youre newe wyf / god of his grace So graunte yow wele and prosperitee ffor I wol gladly / yelden hire my place In which that I was blisful wont to bee ffor sith it liketh yow / my lord quod shee That whilom weren / al myn hertes reste That I shal goon / I wol goon whan yow leste But ther as ye me profre / swich dowaire As I first broghte / it is wel in my mynde It were my wrecched clothes no thyng faire The whiche to me / were hard now for to fynde O goode god / how gentil and how kynde Ye semed / by youre speche / and youre visage The day / that maked was oure mariage But sooth is seyd / algate I fynde it trewe ffor in effect it preeued is on me Loue is noght oold / as whan þat it is newe But certes lord / for noon aduersitee To dyen in the cas / it shal nat bee That euere / in word or werk / I shal repente That I yow yaf myn herte in hool entente My lord ye woot / that in my fadres place Ye dide me streepe / out of my poure weede And richely / me cladden of youre grace To yow broghte I noght elles / out of drede But feith and nakednesse / and maydenhede And heere agayn / my clothyng I restoore And eek / my weddyng ryng/ for eueremore The remenant of youre Iueles redy be In with youre chambre / dar I saufly sayn Naked / out of my fadres hous quod she I cam / and naked moot I turne agayn Al youre plesance / wol I folwen fayn But yet I hope / it be nat youre entente That I smoklees / out of youre paleys wente Ye koude nat doon / so dishoneste a thyng/ That thilke wombe / in which youre children leye Sholde biforn the peple / in my walkyng/ Be seyn al bare / wherfore I yow preye Lat me / nat lyk a worm / go by the weye Remembre yow / myn owene lord so deere I was youre wyf / though I vnworthy weere Wherfore / in gerdon of my maydenhede Which þat I broghte / and noght agayn I bere As voucheth sauf / to yeue me / to my meede But swich a smok as I was wont to were.i. couere That I ther-with may wrye the wombe of here That was youre wyf / and heer take I my leeue Of yow myn owene lord / lest I yow greue ¶ The smok quod he / that thou hast on thy bak Lat it be stille / and bere it forth with thee But wel vnnethes / thilke word he spak But wente his wey / for routhe and for pitee Biforn the folk/ hir seluen strepeth she And in hir smok/ with heed / and foot / al bare Toward hir fader hous / forth is she fare ¶ The folk hire folwe / wepynge in hir weye And ffortune ay they cursen / as they goon But she fro wepyng kepte hire eyen dreye Ne in this tyme / word ne spak she noon Hir fader / that this tidynge herde anoon Curseth the day / and tyme that nature Shoope hym / to been a lyues creature ffor out of doute / this olde poure man Was euere / in suspect of hir mariage ffor euere he demed / sith that it bigan That whan the lord / fulfild hadde his corage Hym wolde thynke / it were a disparage To his estaat / so lowe for talighte And voyden hire / as soone as euer he myghte Agayns his doghter / hastiliche goth he ffor he by noyse of folk / knew hire comynge And with hire olde coote / as it myghte be He couered hire / ful sorwefully wepynge But on hire body / myghte he it nat brynge ffor rude was the clooth / and she moore of age By dayes fele / than at hire mariage ¶ Thus with hire fader / for a certeyn space Dwelleth this flour/ of wyfly pacience That neither/ by hire wordes / ne hire face Biforn the folk / ne eek in hire absence Ne shewed she / that hire was doon offence Ne of hire heighe estaat. no remembrance Ne hadde she / as by hire contenance No wonder is / for in hire grete estaat Hire goost was euere / in pleyn humylitee No tendre mouth / noon herte delicaat No pompe / no semblant of roialtee But ful of pacient benyngnytee Discreet and pridelees / ay honurable And to hire housbonde / euere meke and stable ¶ Men speke of Iob / and moost for his humblesse As clerkes whan hem list konne wel endite Namely of men / but as in soothfastnesse Though clerkes / preise wommen but a lite Ther kan no man / in humblesse hym acquite As womman kan / ne been half so trewe As wommen been / but it be falle of newe [PART VI.] ¶ ffro Boloigne / is this Erl of Pavyk come Of which the fame vp sprang to moore and lesse And in the peples eres / alle and some Was kouth eek / that a newe Markysesse He with hym broghte / in swich pompe and richesse That neuere was ther seyn / with mannes eye So noble array / in al Westlumbardye ¶ The Markys / which that shoope and knew al this Er that this Erl was come / sente his message ffor thilke / sely poure Grisildis And she with humble herte / and glad visage Nat with no swollen thoght in hire corage Cam at his heste / and on hire knees hire sette And reuerently / and wisely she hym grette ¶ Grisilde quod he / my wyl is outrely This mayden / that shal wedded been to me Receiued be / to morwe as roially As it possible is / in myn hous to be And eek / that euery wight in his degree Haue his estaat in sittyng and seruyse And heigh plesance / as I kan best deuyse ¶ I haue no wommen / suffisant certayn The chambres / for tarraye in ordinance After my lust and therfore wolde I fayn That thyn were / al swich manere gouernance Thou knowest eek of old al my plesance Thogh thyn array be badde and yuel biseye Do thou thy deuoir / at the leeste weye ¶ Nat oonly lord / that .I. am glad quod she To doon youre lust but .I. desire also Yow for to serue / and plese in my degree With outen feyntyng and shal eueremo Ne neuere / for no wele / ne no wo Ne shal the goost withInne myn herte stente To loue yow best with al my trewe entente And with that word / she gan the hous to dighte And tables for to sette / and beddes make And peyned hire / to doon al that she myghte Preyynge the chambreres / for goddes sake To hasten hem / and faste swepe and shake And she / the mooste seruysable of alle Hath euery chambre arrayed / and his halle ¶ Abouten vndren / gan this Erl alighte That with him broghte / thise noble children tweye ffor which the peple / ran to seen the sighte Of hire array / so richely biseye And thanne at erst amonges hem they seye That Walter was no fool / thogh þat hym leste To chaunge his wyf/ for it was for the beste ffor she is fairer / as they deemen alle Than is Grisilde / and moore tendre of age And fairer fruyt bitwene hem sholde falle And moore plesant. for hire heigh lynage Hir brother eek/ so faire was of visage That hem to seen / the peple hath caught plesance Commendynge now / the Markys gouernance O Stormy peple / vnsad / and euere vntrewe¶ Auctor Ay vndiscreet and chaungynge as a vane Delitynge euere / in rumbul that is newe ffor lyk the moone / ay wexe ye and wane Ay ful of clappyng deere ynogh a Iane Youre doom is fals / youre constance yuele preeueth A ful greet fool / is he / þat on yow leeueth Thus seyden sadde folk/ in that Citee Whan that the peple / gazed vp and doun ffor they were glad / right for the noueltee To han / a newe lady of hir toun Namoore of this / make I now mencioun But to Grisilde agayn / wol I me dresse And telle / hir constance / and hir bisynesse ¶ fful bisy was Grisilde / in euery thyng That to the feeste / was apertinent Right noght was she abayst of hire clothyng Thogh it were rude / and somdeel eek to-rent But with glad cheere / to the yate is she went With oother folk to greete the Markysesse And after that dooth forth hire bisynesse With so glad chiere / hise gestes she receyueth And so konnyngly / euerich in his degree That no defaute / no man aperceyueth But ay they wondren / what she myghte bee That in so poure array was for to see And koude / swich honour and reuerence And worthily / they preisen hire prudence In al this meene while / she ne stente This mayde / and eek hir brother to commende With al hir herte / in ful benyngne entente So wel / þat no man koude hir pris amende But atte laste / whan þat thise lordes wende To sitten doun to mete / he gan to calle Grisilde / as she was bisy in his halle ¶ Grisilde quod he / as it were in his pley How liketh thee my wyf/ and hire beautee? Right wel quod she my lord / for in good fey A fairer/ saugh I neuere noon than she I prey to god / yeue hire prosperitee And so hope I / that he wol to yow sende Plesance ynogh / vn-to youre lyues ende O thyng biseke I yow / and warne also¶ Vnum bona fide precor ac moneo ne hanc/ illis aculeis agites quibus alteram agitasti / namque & iunior & delicacius nutrita est/ pati quantum ego vt reor non valeret/ That ye ne prikke / with no tormentynge This tendre mayden / as ye han doon mo ffor she is fostred / in hire norissynge Moore tendrely / and to my supposynge She koude nat/ aduersitee endure As koude / a poure fostred creature ¶ And whan this Walter / saugh hire pacience Hir glad chiere / and no malice at al And he so ofte / had doon to hire [offence] And she ay sad / and constant as a wal.i. ubique Continuynge euere / hire Innocence oueral This sturdy Markys / gan his herte dresse To rewen / vp on hire wyfly stedfastnesse ¶ This is ynogh / Grisilde myn quod he Be now namoore agast ne yuele apayed I haue thy feith / and thy benyngnytee As wel / as euere womman was assayed In greet estaat. and poureliche arrayed Now knowe I goode wyf / thy stedfastnesse And hire in armes took / and gan hire kesse ¶ And she for wonder/ took of it no keepe She herde nat / what thyng he to hire seyde She ferde / as she had stert out of a sleepe Til she / out of hire mazednesse abreyde Grisilde quod he / by god that for vs deyde Thou art my wyf/ noon oother I haue Ne neuere hadde / as god my soule saue ¶ This is thy doghter / which thou hast supposed To be my wyf / that oother feithfully Shal be myn heir / as I haue ay supposed Thou bare hym / in thy body trewely At Boloigne / haue I kept hem priuely Taak hem agayn / for now maystow nat seye That thou hast lorn / noon of thy children tweye And folk / that ootherweys / han seyd of me I warne hem wel / þat I haue doon this deede ffor no malice / ne for no crueltee But for tassaye / in thee thy wommanheede And nat to sleen my children / god forbeede But for to kepe hem / pryuely and stille Til I thy purpos knewe / and al thy wille ¶ Whan she this herde / aswowne doun she falleth ffor pitous Ioye / and after hire swownynge She bothe hire yonge children / vn-to hire calleth And in hire Armes / pitously wepynge Embraceth hem / and tendrely kissynge fful lyk a mooder/ with hire salte teeres She bathed / bothe hire visage and hire heeres ¶ O which a pitous thyng it was to se Hir swownyng. and hire humble voys to heere Grauntmercy lord / that thanke I yow quod she That ye han saued me my children deere Now rekke I neuere / to been deed right heere Sith I stonde in youre loue / and in youre grace No fors of deeth / ne whan my spirit pace ¶ O tendre / o deere / o yonge children myne Youre woful mooder / wende stedfastly That crueel houndes / or som foul vermyne Hadde eten yow / but god of his mercy And youre benyngne fader / tendrely Hath doon yow kept and in that same stounde Al sodeynly / she swapte adoun to grounde And in hire swough / so sadly holdeth she Hire children two / whan she gan hem tembrace That with greet sleighte / and greet difficultee The children / from hire arm they gonne arace O many a teere / on many a pitous face Doun ran / of hem þat stooden hire bisyde Vnnethe abouten hire / myghte they abyde ¶ Walter hire gladeth / and hire sorwe slaketh She riseth vp abaysed / from hire trance And euery wight / hire ioye and feeste maketh Til she / hath caught agayn hire contenance Walter hire dooth / so feithfully plesance That it was deyntee / for to seen the cheere Bitwixe hem two / now they been met yfeere ¶ Thise ladyes / whan that they hir tyme say Han taken hire / and in to chambre gon And strepen hire / out of hire rude array And in a clooth of gold / þat brighte shoon With a coroune / of many a riche stoon Vp on hire heed / they in to halle hire broghte And ther she was / honured as hire oghte Thus hath this pitous day a blisful ende ffor euery man and womman dooth his myght This day / in murthe and reuel to dispende Til on the welkne / shoon the sterres lyght ffor moore solempne / in euery mannes syght This feste was / and gretter of costage Than was / the reuel / of hire mariage ¶ fful many a yeer / in heigh prosperitee Lyuen thise two / in concord and in reste And richely / his doghter maryed he Vn-to a lord / oon of the worthieste Of al Ytaille / and thanne in pees and reste His wyues fader/ in his court he kepeth Til that the soule / out of his body crepeth His sone / succedeth in his heritage In reste and pees / after his fader day And fortunat was eek/ in mariage Al putte he nat his wyf/ in greet assay This world is nat so strong it is no nay As it hath been / of olde tymes yoore And herkneth / what this Auctour seith therfoore ¶ This storie is seyd / nat for that wyues sholde¶ Hanc historiam stilo nunc alto retexere visum fuit/ non tum ideo vt matronas nostri temporis ad imitan|dam huius vxoris pacienciam / que inimitabilis videtur / quam vt legentes ad imitandam saltem femine constanciam excitarent/. Vt que hec viro suo prestitit/ hoc prestare d[e]o nostro audeat/ qui|libet/ vt Iacobus ait apostolus / Intemptator sit/ malorum & ipse neminem temptat/ probat tamen & sepe nos multis ac grauibus flagellis exerceri sinit/ non vt animum nostrum sciat/ quem sciuit/ antequam crearemur &cetera. ffolwen Grisilde / as in humylitee ffor it were inportable / though they wolde But for that euery wight in his degree Sholde be constant in aduersitee As was Grisilde / therfore petrak writeth This storie / which with heigh stile he enditeth ffor sith a womman / was so pacient Vn-to a mortal man / wel moore vs oghte Receyuen al in gree / that god vs sent ffor greet skile is / he preeue that he wroghte But he / ne tempteth no man / that he boghte As seith seint Iame / if ye his pistel rede He preeueth folk al day / it is no drede And suffreth vs / as for oure excercise With sharpe scourges / of Aduersitee fful ofte / to be bete in sondry wise Nat for to know oure wyl / for certes he? Er we were born / knew oure freletee And for oure beste / is al his gouernance Lat vs thanne lyue / in vertuous suffrance ¶ But o word lordynges / herkneth er I go It were ful hard / to fynde now a dayes In al a toun / Grisildis / thre or two ffor if þat they were put to swiche assayes The gold of hem / hath now so badde alayes With bras / þat thogh the coyne be fair at eye It wolde rather / breste atwo than plye ffor which heere / for the wyues loue of Bathe Whos lyf and al hire secte god mayntene In heigh maistrie / and elles were it scathe I wol with lusty herte / fressh and grene Seyn yow a song to glade yow I wene And lat vs stynte / of ernestful matere Herkneth my song that seith in this manere ¶ Lenuoy de Chaucer. Grisilde is deed / and eek hire pacience And bothe atones / buryed in Ytaille ffor which I crie / in open audience No wedded man / so hardy be tassaille His wyues pacience / in hope to fynde Grisildis / for in certein he shal faille O noble wyues / ful / of heigh prudence Lat noon humylitee / youre tonge naill Ne lat no clerk/ haue cause or diligence To write of yow / a storie of swich meruaille As of Grisildis / pacient and kynde Lest Chichiuache / yow swelwe in hire entraille ffolweth Ekko / that holdeth no silence But euere answereth / at the countretaille Beth nat bidaffed for youre Innocence But sharply / taak on yow the gouernaille Emprenteth wel this lesson in youre mynde ffor commune profit sith it may auaille Ye Archiwyues / stondeth at defense Syn ye be strong as is a greet Camaille Ne suffreth nat/ þat men yow doon offense And sklendre wyues / fieble as in bataille Beth egre / as is a Tygre yond in Ynde Ay clappeth as a Mille / I yow consaille Ne dreed hem nat doth hem no reuerence ffor though thyn housbonde / armed be in maille The arwes / of thy crabbed eloquence Shal perce his brest/ and eek his Auentaille In Ialousie / I rede eek thou hym bynde And thou shalt make hym couche as doth a quaille If thou be fair/ ther folk been in presence Shewe thou thy visage / and thyn apparaille If thou be foul / be fre of thy dispence To gete thee freendes / ay do thy trauaille Be ay of chiere / as light as leef on lynde And lat hym care and wepe / and wryng and waille APPENDIX TO GROUP E, § 2. [? Original, but rejected, End-Link to the Clerk's Tale, perhaps following l. 1162, with which the paraphrase of Petrarch's Latin ends, or l. 1169.] ¶ Bihoold the murye wordes of the Hoost. THis worthy clerk whan ended was his tale Oure hoost seyde / and swoor by goddes bones Me were leuere / than a barel ale My wyf at hoom / had herd this legende ones This is a gentil tale / for the nones As to my purpos / wiste ye my wille But thyng þat wol nat be / lat it be stille. ¶ Heere endeth the tale / of the Clerk of Oxenford ¶ The prologe of the Marchantes tale. Wepyng and waylyng care and oother sorwe I knowe ynogh / on euen and a morwe Quod the Marchant and so doon othere mo That wedded been / I trowe that it be so ffor wel I woot it fareth so with me I have a wyf/ the worste that may be ffor thogh the feend / to hire ycoupled were She wolde hym ouermacche / I dar wel swere What sholde I yow reherce in special Hir hye malice / she is a shrewe at al Ther is a long and large difference Bitwix Grisildis grete pacience And of my wyf/ the passyng crueltee Were I vnbounden / al so moot I thee I wolde neuere eft comen in the snare We wedded men / lyue in sorwe and care Assaye who so wole / and he shal fynde I seye sooth / by seint Thomas of ynde As for the moore part I sey nat alle God shilde / that it sholde so bifalle ¶ A good sire hoost / I haue ywedded bee Thise Monthes two / and moore nat pardee And yet I trowe / he that al his lyue Wyflees hath been / though þat men wolde him ryue Vn-to the herte / ne koude in no manere Tellen so muchel / sorwe / as I now heere? Koude tellen / of my wyues cursednesse ¶ Now quod our hoost. Marchant so god yow blesse Syn ye so muchel / knowen of that Art fful hertely / I pray yow telle vs part ¶ Gladly quod he / but of myn owene soore ffor soory herte / I telle may namoore ¶ Heere bigynneth the Marchantes tale. WHilom ther was dwellynge in Lumbardye A worthy knyght þat born was of Pavye In which he lyued / in greet prosperitee And sixty yeer / a wyflees man was hee And folwed ay his bodily delyt[Painting of the Merchant] On wommen / ther as was his appetyt As doon thise fooles / that been seculeer And whan that he / was passed sixty yeer Were it for hoolynesse / or for dotage I kan nat seye / but swich a greet corage Hadde this knyght to been a wedded man That day and nyght/ he dooth al that he kan Tespien / where he myghte wedded be Preyinge oure lord / to granten him þat he? Mighte ones knowe / of thilke blisful lyf That is bitwixe / an housbonde / and his wyf / And for to lyue / vnder that hooly boond With which þat first god / man and womman bond Noon oother lyf seyde he / is worth a bene ffor wedlok/ is so esy / and so clene That in this world / it is a Paradys Thus seyde this olde knyght / þat was so wys ¶ And certeinly / as sooth / as god is kyng. To take a wyf it is a glorious thyng And namely / whan a man / is oold and hoor Thanne is a wyf the fruyt of his tresor Thanne sholde he take / a yong wyf and a feir On which / he myghte / engendren hym an heir And lede his lyf in ioye and in solas Where as thise bacheleris / synge allas Whan that they fynden / any aduersitee In loue / which nys / but childyssh vanytee And trewely / it sit wel to be so That bacheleris / haue often peyne and wo On brotel ground they buylde / and brotelnesse They fynde / whan they wene sikernesse They lyue / but as a bryd / or as a beest In libertee / and vnder noon arreest Ther as a wedded man / in his estaat Lyueth a lyf blisful and ordinaat Vnder this yok of mariage ybounde Wel may his herte / in ioye and blisse habounde ffor who kan be / so buxom as a wyf Who is so trewe / and eek so ententyf To kepe hym syk and hool / as is his make ffor wele or wo / she wole hym nat forsake She nys nat wery / hym to loue and serue Thogh þat he lye bedrede / til he sterue And yet somme clerkes seyn / it nys nat so Of whiche / he Theofraste is oon of tho What force / though Theofraste liste lye Ne take no wyf quod he / for housbondrye As for to spare / in houshold thy dispence A trewe seruant dooth moore diligence Thy good to kepe / than thyn owene wyf ffor she wol clayme / half part al hir lyf And if thou be syk so god me saue Thy verray freendes / or a trewe knaue Wol kepe thee bet than she þat waiteth ay After thy good / and hath doon many a day And if thou take a wyf / vn-to thyn hoold fful lightly / maystow been a Cokewold This sentence / and an hundred thynges worse Writeth this man / ther god his bones corse But take no kepe / of al swich vanytee Deffie Theofraste / and herke me ¶ A wyf/ is goddes yifte verraily¶ Vxor est diligenda quia donum dei est ‖ Ihesus filius sirac/ domus & diuicie dantur a parentibus / a domino autem proprie vxor bona vel prudens. Alle otherere manere yiftes hardily As londes / rentes / pasture / or commune Or moebles / alle been yiftes of ffortune// dona fortune That passen / as a shadwe vpon a wal But dredelees / if pleynly speke I shal A wyf wol laste / and in thyn hous endure Wel lenger than thee list/ parauenture ¶ Mariage is / a ful greet sacrement He / which þat hath no wyf / I holde hym shent He lyueth helplees / and al desolat I speke of folk in seculer estaat And herke why / I sey nat this for noght That womman is / for mannes helpe ywroght The hye god / whan he hadde Adam maked And saugh him al allone / bely naked God of his grete goodnesse / seyde than¶ ffaciamus ei adiutorium & extracta costa de corpore Ade fecit Euam & dixit / propter hec/ relinquet homo pa|trem & matrem & adherebit &cetera et erunt duo in carne vna. Lat vs now make an helpe vn-to this man Lyk to hym self and thanne he made him Eue Heere may ye se / and heer-by may ye preue That wyf is mannes helpe / and his confort His Paradys terrestre / and his disport So buxom / and so vertuous is she They moste nedes / lyue in vnitee O flessh they been / and o flessh as I gesse Hath but oon herte / in wele and in distresse ¶ A wyf /? a Seinte marie benedicite How myghte a man / han any aduersitee That hath a wyf/ certes I kan nat seye The blisse / which þat is bitwixe hem tweye Ther may no tonge telle / or herte thynke If he be poure / she helpeth hym to swynke She kepeth his good / and wasteth neuer a deel Al that hire housbonde lust hire liketh weel She seith not ones nay / whan he seith ye Do this seith he / al redy sire seith she O blisful ordre of wedlok precious Thou art so murye / and eek so vertuous And so commended / and appreued eek That euery man / þat halt hym worth a leek / Vp on his bare knees / oughte al his lyf / Thanken his god / þat hym hath sent a wyf / Or elles preye to god / hym for to sende A wyf / to laste / vn to his lyues ende ffor thanne his lyf / is set in sikernesse He may nat be deceyued as I gesse So þat he werke / after his wyues reede . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. ¶ Lo how þat Iacob / as thise clerkes redeIacob ‖ per consilium matris sue Rebecce &cetera. By good conseil / of his mooder Rebekke Boond the kydes skyn / aboute his nekke Thurgh which / his fadres benyson he wan ¶ Lo Iudith / as the storie eek telle kanIudith / de manibus Oloferni & cetera. By wys conseil / she goddes peple kepte And slow hym Olofernus / whil he slepte ¶ Lo Abigayl / by good conseil / how sheAbigayl / per suum bonum consilium virum suum Nabal ab ira dauid liberauit. Saued hir housbonde Nabal / whan þat he? Sholde han be slayn / and looke Ester alsoEster & cetera Iudeos per bonum consilium simul cum Mardocheo in regno Assueri. By good conseil / delyuered out of wo The peple of god / and made hym Mardochee Of Assuere / enhaunced for to be ¶ Ther nys no thyng/ in gree superlatyf¶ Seneca / sicut nichil est benigna coniuge/ ita nichil crudelius est infesta muliere. As seith Senek aboue an humble wyf ¶ Suffre thy wyues tonge / as Caton bit¶ Cato / vxoris linguam si frugi est/ ferre me|mento. She shal comande / and thou shalt suffren it And yet she wole obeye of curteisye A wyf is kepere / of thyn housbondrye¶ Bona mulier fidelis custos est/ & bona domus. Wel may the sike man / biwaille and wepe Ther as ther nys no wyf / the hous to kepe I warne thee / if wisely / thou wolt wirche¶ Apostolus Paulus ad Ephesianos / diligite vxores vestras sicut christus dilexit ecclesiam & cetera. Loue wel thy wyf as crist loued his chirche If thou louest thy self thou louest thy wyf/¶ Apostolus. Ita viri debent diligere vxores suas vt corpora sua / quia qui suam vxorem diligit/ seipsum diligit/ nemo vnquam carnem suam odio habuit/ set nutrit & fouet eam /. et postea / vnusquisque suam vxorem sicut ipsum diligat. No man hateth his flessh / but in his lyf/? He fostreth it and therfore bidde I thee Cherisse thy wyf / or thou shalt neuere thee Housbonde and wyf what so men iape or pleye Of worldly folk / holden the siker weye They been so knyt ther may noon harm bityde And namely / vp on the wyues syde ffor which this Ianuarie / of whom I tolde Considered hath / inwith hise dayes olde The lusty lyf / the vertuous quyete That is in mariage hony sweete And for hise freendes / on a day he sente To tellen hem theffect of his entente With face sad / his tale he hath hem toold He seyde freendes / I am hoor and oold And almoost god woot on my pittes brynke Vp on the soule / somwhat moste I thynke I haue my body / folily despended Blessed be god / that it shal been amended ffor I wol be / certeyn a wedded man And that anoon / in al the haste I kan Vn to som mayde / fair / and tendre of age I prey yow / shapeth for my mariage Al sodeynly / for I wol nat abyde And I wol fonde / tespien on my syde To whom / I may be wedded hastily But for as muche / as ye been mo than I Ye shullen rather / swich a thyng espyen Than I / and where me best were to allyen ¶ But o thyng warne I yow / my freendes deere I wol noon oold wyf han / in no manere She shal nat passe twenty yeer certayn Oold fissh and yong flessh / wolde I haue fayn Bet is quod he / a pyk than a pykerel And bet than olde boef is the tendre veel I wol no womman / thritty yeer of age It is but benestraw / and greet forage And eek/ thise olde wydwes / god it woot They konne / so muchel craft on Wades boot So muchel broken harm / whan þat hem leste That with hem / sholde I neuere lyue in reste ffor sondry scoles / maken sotile clerkis Womman of manye scoles / half a clerk is But certeynly / a yong thyng may men gye Right as men may / warm wex with handes plye Wherfore / I sey yow pleynly / in a clause I wol noon oold wyf han / for this cause ffor if so were / þat I hadde swich myschance That I in hire / ne koude han no plesance Thanne sholde I lede my lyf in Auoutrye And streight vn-to the deuel / whan I dye Ne children / sholde I none vp on hire geten Yet were me leuere / þat houndes had me eten Than þat myn heritage sholde falle In straunge hand / and this I telle yow alle I dote nat I woot the cause why? Men sholde wedde / and forthermoore woot I Ther speketh / many a man of mariage That woot namoore of it than woot my page ffor whiche causes / man sholde take a wyf / Siththe / he may nat lyuen chaast his lyf / Take hym a wyf with greet deuocion By cause / of leueful procreacion Of children / to thonour of god aboue And nat oonly / for paramour or loue And for they sholde / leccherye eschue And yelde hir dettes / whan þat they ben due Or for that ech of hem / sholde helpen oother In meschief / as a suster shal the brother And lyue in chastitee / ful holily But sires by youre leue / that am nat I ffor god be thanked / I dar make auaunt I feele my lymes / stark/ and suffisaunt To do / al that a man bilongeth to I woot my seluen best what I may do Though I be hoor / I fare as dooth a tree That blosmeth / er þat fruyt ywoxen bee And blosmy tree / nys neither drye ne deed I feele me / nowhere hoor / but on myn heed Myn herte / and alle my lymes been as grene As laurer / thurgh the yeer / is for to sene And syn þat ye / han herd al myn entente I prey yow / to my wyl / ye wole assente Diuerse men / diuersely hym tolde Of mariage / manye ensamples olde Somme blamed it / somme preysed it certeyn But atte laste / shortly for to seyn As al day / falleth altercacion Bitwixen freendes in disputison Ther fil a stryf / bitwixe hise bretheren two Of whiche / that oon was cleped Placebo Iustinus soothly / called was that oother ¶ Placebo seyde / o Ianuarie brother¶ Placebo fful litel nede / hadde ye my lord so deere Conseil to axe / of any that is heere But þat ye been / so ful of sapience That yow ne liketh / for youre heighe prudence To weyuen / fro the word of Salomon This word seyde he / vn to vs euerychon Wirk alle thyng by conseil / thus seyde he And thanne / shaltow nat repente thee But though þat Salomon / spak swich a word Myn owene deere brother / and my lord So wysly / god my soule brynge at reste I holde / youre owene conseil is the beste ffor brother myn / of me taak this motyf I haue now been / a Court man al my lyf And god it woot though I vnworthy be I haue stonden / in ful greet degree Abouten lordes / of ful heigh estaat Yet hadde I neuere / with noon of hem debaat I neuere hem contraried trewely I woot wel / that my lord kan moore than I What that he seith / I holde it ferme and stable I seye the same / or elles thyng semblable A ful greet fool / is any conseillour That serueth any lord / of heigh honour That dar presume / or elles thenken it That his conseil / sholde passe his lordes wit Nay / lordes been no fooles by my fay Ye han youre seluen / seyd heer to day So heigh sentence / so holily and weel That I consente / and conferme euerydeel Youre wordes alle / and youre opinioun By god / ther nys no man / in al this toun Nyn Ytaille / that koude bet han sayd Crist halt hym / of this conseil ful wel apayd And trewely / it is an heigh corage Of any man / that stapen is in age To take a yong wyf by my fader kyn Youre herte hangeth / on a ioly pyn Dooth now in this matiere / right as yow leste ffor finally / I holde it for the beste Iustinus / þat ay stille sat and herde¶ Iustinus Right in this wise / he to Placebo answerde Now brother myn / be pacient I preye Syn ye han seyd / and herkneth what I seye ¶ Senek among hise othere wordes wyse Seith / þat a man oghte hym right wel auyse To whom / he yeueth his lond / or his catel And syn I oghte / auyse me right wel To whom I yeue my good / awey fro me Wel muchel moore / I oghte auysed be To whom I yeue my body / for alwey I warne yow wel / it is no childes pley To take a wyf with-outen auysement Men moste enquere / this is myn assent Wher she be wys / or sobre / or dronkelewe Or proud / or elles ootherweys a shrewe A chidestere / or wastour of thy good Or riche / or poore / or elles mannyssh wood Al be it so / that no man fynden shal Noon in this world / that trotteth hool in al Ne man ne beest/ which as men koude deuyse But nathelees / it oghte ynough suffise With any wyf/ if so were that she hadde Mo goode thewes / than hire vices badde And al this / axeth leyser / for tenquere ffor god it woot I haue wept many a teere fful pryuely / syn I haue had a wyf Preyse who so wole / a wedded mannes lyf Certein I fynde in it but cost and care And obseruances / of alle blisses bare And yet god woot my neighebores aboute And namely / of wommen many a route Seyn þat I haue / the mooste stedefast wyf And eek/ the mekeste oon / that bereth lyf But I woot best where wryngeth me my sho Ye mowe for me / right as yow liketh do Auyseth yow / ye been a man of age How that ye entren / in to mariage And namely / with a yong wyf/ and a fair By hym þat made water / erthe / and air The yongeste man / þat is in al this route Is bisy ynough / to bryngen it aboute To han his wyf allone / trusteth me Ye shul nat plesen hire / fully yeres thre This is to seyn / to doon hire ful plesance A wyf axeth / ful many an obseruance I prey yow / þat ye be nat yuele apayd ¶ Wel quod this Ianuarie / and hastow ysayd Straw for thy Senek / and for thy prouerbes I counte nat a panyer ful of herbes Of scole termes // wyser men than thow As thou hast herd / assenteden right now To my purpos / Placebo / what sey ye? ¶ I seye / it is a cursed man quod he That letteth matrimoigne sikerly And with that word / they rysen sodeynly And been assented / fully þat he sholde Be wedded / whanne hym list and where he wolde Heigh fantasye / and curious bisynesse ffro day to day / gan in the soule impresse Of Ianuarie / aboute his mariage Many fair shape / and many a fair visage Ther passeth thurgh his herte / nyght by nyght And who so tooke a Mirour/ polisshed bryght And sette it in a commune Market place Thanne sholde he se / ful many a figure pace By his Mirour / and in the same wyse Gan Ianuarie / inwith his thoght deuyse Of maydens / whiche þat dwellen hym bisyde He wiste nat / wher þat he myghte abyde ffor if þat oon / haue beaute / in hir face Another stant so / in the peples grace ffor hire sadnesse / and hire benyngnytee That of the peple / grettest voys hath she And somme were riche / and hadden badde name But nathelees / bitwixe ernest and game He atte laste / apoynted hym on oon And leet alle othere / from his herte goon And chees hire / of his owene auctoritee ffor loue is blynd al day / and may nat see And whan that he was / in his bed ybroght He purtreyed / in his herte and in his thoght Hir fresshe beautee / and hir age tendre Hir myddel smal / hire armes longe and sklendre Hir wise gouernance / hir gentillesse Hir wommanly berynge / and hire sadnesse And whan that he / on hire was condescended Hym thoughte / his choys myghte nat ben amended ffor whan þat he hym self / concluded hadde Hym thoughte / ech oother mannes wit so badde That inpossible / it were to repplye Agayn his choys / this was his fantasye Hise freendes sente he to / at his instance And preyed hem / to doon hym that plesance That hastily / they wolden to hym come He wolde abregge hir labour alle and some Nedeth namoore / for hym to go ne ryde He was apoynted / ther he wolde abyde ¶ Placebo cam / and eek hise freendes soone And alderfirst he bad hem alle a boone That noon of hem / none Argumentes make Agayn the purpos / which þat he hath take Which purpos / was plesant to god seyde he And verray ground / of his prosperitee ¶ He seyde / ther was a mayden in the toun Which þat of beautee / hadde greet renoun Al were it so / she were / of smal degree Suffiseth hym / hir yowthe / and hir beautee Which mayde he seyde / he wolde han to his wyf To lede in ese / and hoolynesse his lyf And thanked god / þat he myghte han hire al That no wight / his blisse parten shal And preyde hem / to laboure in this nede And shapen / þat he faille nat to spede ffor thanne he seyde / his spirit was at ese Thanne is quod he / no thyng may me displese Saue o thyng priketh in my conscience The which I wol reherce / in youre presence ¶ I haue quod he / herd seyd ful yoore ago Ther may no man / han parfite blisses two This is to seye / in erthe and eek in heuene ffor though he kepe hym / fro the synnes seuene And eek/ from euery branche of thilke tree Yet is ther/ so parfit felicitee And so greet ese / and lust in mariage That euere I am agast/ now in myn age That I shal lede now / so myrie a lyf So delicat with-outen wo and stryf That I shal haue / myn heuene in erthe heere ffor sith þat verray heuene / is boght so deere With tribulacion / and greet penance How sholde I thanne / þat lyue in swich plesance As alle wedded men / doon with hire wyuys Come to the blisse / ther crist eterne on lyue ys This is my drede / and ye my bretheren tweye Assoilleth me / this question I preye Iustinus / which þat hated his folye¶ Iustinus Answerde anon / right in his iaperye And for he wolde / his longe tale abregge He wolde / noon auctoritee allegge But seyde sire / so ther be noon obstacle Oother than this / god of his hygh myracle And of his hygh mercy / may so for yow wirche That er ye haue youre right of hooly chirche Ye may repente / of wedded mannes lyf In which ye seyn / ther is no wo ne stryf And elles god forbede / but he sente A wedded man / hym grace to repente Wel ofte / rather than a sengle man And therfore sire / the beste reed I kan Dispeire yow noght but haue in youre memorie Paraunter / she may be youre purgatorie She may be goddes meene / and goddes whippe Thanne shal youre soule / vp to heuene skippe Swifter/ than dooth an Arwe / out of the bowe I hope to god / her-after shul ye knowe That ther nys / no so greet felicitee In mariage / ne neuere mo shal bee That yow shal lette / of youre sauacion So that ye vse / as skile is and reson The lustes of youre wyf attemprely And þat ye plese hire nat to amorously And þat ye kepe yow eek/ from oother synne My tale is doon / for my wit is thynne Beth nat agast her-of / my brother deere But lat vs waden / out of this mateere The wyf of Bathe / if ye han vnderstonde Of mariage / which ye haue on honde Declared hath ful wel / in litel space ffareth now wel / god haue yow in his grace And with this word / this Iustyn and his brother Han take hir leue / and ech of hem of oother ffor whan they saughe that it moste be They wroghten so / by sly and wys tretee That she this mayden / which þat Mayus highte As hastily / as euere that she myghte Shal wedded be / vn-to this Ianuarie I trowe it were to longe yow to tarie If I yow tolde / of euery scrit and bond By which / þat she was feffed in his lond Or for to herknen / of hir riche array But finally / ycomen is the day That to the chirche / bothe be they went ffor to receyue the hooly sacrement fforth comth the preest with stole aboute his nekke And bad hire be lyk to Sarra and Rebekke In wysdom and in trouthe of mariage And seyde hir orisons / as is vsage And croucheth hem / and bad god sholde hem blesse And made al siker ynogh / with hoolynesse ¶ Thus been they wedded / with solempnitee And at the feeste / sitteth he and she With othere worthy folk vp on the deys Al ful of ioye and blisse is the paleys And ful of Instrumentz / and of vitaille The moste deynteuous / of all Ytaille Biforn hem / stooden Instrumentz of swich soun That Orpheus / ne of Thebes Amphioun Ne maden neuere / swich a melodye ¶ At euery cours / thanne cam loud Mynstralcye That neuere tromped Ioab / for to heere Nor he Theodomas / yet half so cleere At Thebes / whan the Citee was in doute Bacus / the wyn hem skynketh al aboute And Venus / laugheth vp-on euery wight ffor Ianuarie / was bicome hir knyght And wolde bothe / assayen his corage In libertee / and eek in mariage And with hire fyrbrond / in hire hand aboute Daunceth / biforn the bryde and al the route And certeinly / I dar right wel seyn this Ymeneus / that god of weddyng is Saugh neuere his lyf so myrie a wedded man Hoold thou thy pees / thou poete Marcian That writest vs / that ilke weddyng murie Of hire Philologie / and hym Mercurie And of the songes / that the Muses songe To smal is bothe thy penne / and eek thy tonge ffor to descryuen / of this mariage Whan tendre youthe / hath wedded stoupyng age Ther is swich myrthe / þat it may nat be writen Assayeth it youre self / thanne may ye witen If that I lye or noon / in this matiere ¶ Mayus that sit / with so benyngne a chiere Hire to biholde / it semed fairye Queene Ester / looked neuere with swich an eye On Assuer / so meke a look hath she I may yow nat deuyse / al hir beautee But thus muche of hire beautee telle I may That she was lyk/ the brighte morwe of May ffulfild / of alle beautee and plesance ¶ This Ianuarie / is rauysshed in a trance At euery tyme / he looked on hir face But in his herte / he gan hire to manace That he that nyght in Armes wolde hire streyne Harder / than euere Parys dide Eleyne But nathelees / yet hadde he greet pitee That thilke nyght offenden hire moste he And thoughte allas / o tendre creature Now wolde god / ye myghte wel endure Al my corage / it is so sharpe and keene I am agast ye shul it nat susteene But god forbede / þat I dide al my myght Now wolde god / þat it were woxen nyght And that the nyght wolde lasten eueremo I wolde / that al this peple were ago And finally / he dooth al his labour As he best myghte / sauynge his honour To haste hem fro the mete / in subtil wyse ¶ The tyme cam / that reson was to ryse And after that men daunce and drynken faste And spices / al aboute the hous they caste And ful of ioye and blisse is euery man All but a Squyer / highte Damyan Which carf biforn the knyght ful many a day He was so rauysshed / on his lady May That for the verray peyne / he was ny wood Almoost he swelte / and swowned ther he stood So soore / hath Venus hurt hym with hire brond As þat she bar it daunsynge in hire hond And to his bed / he wente hym hastily Namoore of hym / at this tyme speke [I] But there I lete hym wepe ynogh and pleyne Til fresshe May / wol rewen on his peyne Operilous fyr / that in the bedstraw bredeth¶ Auctor O famulier foo / that his seruyce bedeth O seruant traytour / false hoomly hewe Lyk to the naddre / in bosom sly vntrewe God shilde vs alle / from youre aqueyntance O Ianuarie / dronken in plesance In mariage / se how thy Damyan Thyn owene squier / and thy born man Entendeth / for to do thee vileynye God graunte thee / thyn hoomly fo tespye ffor in this world / nys worse pestilence Than hoomly foo / al day in thy presence ¶ Parfourned hath the sonne / his Ark diurne No lenger / may the body of hym soiurne On thorisonte / as in that latitude Night with his Mantel þat is derk and rude Gan ouersprede the Hemysperie aboute ffor which / departed is / this lusty route ffro Ianuarie / with thank on euery syde Hoom to hir hous / Iustily they ryde Where as they doon hir thynges / as hem leste And whan they sye hir tyne / goon to reste Soone after that this hastif Ianuarie Wolde go to bedde / he wolde no lenger tarye He drynketh Ypocras / Clarree and Vernage Of spices hoote / tencreessen his corage And many a letuarie / hath he ful fyn Swiche as the Monk daun Constantyn Hath writen / in his book de coitu To eten hem alle / he nas no thyng eschu And to hise priuee freendes / thus seyde he ffor goddes loue / as soone as it may be Lat voyden al this hous / in curteys wyse And they han doon / right as he wol deuyse Men drynken / and the trauers drawe anon The bryde / was broght a bedde / as stille as stoon And whan the bed / was with the preest yblessed Out of the chambre / hath euery wight hym dressed And Ianuarie / hath faste in Armes take His fresshe May / his Paradys his make He lulleth hire / he kisseth hire ful ofte With thilke brustles / of his berd vnsofte Lyk to the skyn of houndfyssh / sharpe as brere ffor he was shaue al newe / in his manere He rubbeth hire / aboute hir tendre face And seyde thus / allas I moot trespace To yow my spouse / and yow greetly offende Er tyme come / þat I wil doun descende But nathelees / considereth this quod he Ther nys no werkman / what so euere he be That may bothe / werke wel and hastily This wol be doon at leyser parfitly It is no fors / how longe þat we pleye In trewe wedlok / wedded be we tweye And blessed be the yok/ þat we been Inne ffor in [oure] Actes / we mowe do no synne A man / may do no synne with his wyf Ne hurte hym seluen / with his owene knyf ffor we han leue / to pleye vs by the lawe Thus laboureth he / til þat the day gan dawe And thanne he taketh a sope / in fyne clarree And vpright in his bed / thanne sitteth he And after that he sang ful loude and cleere And kiste his wyf / and made wantowne cheere He was al coltissh / ful of ragerye And ful of Iargon / as a flekked pye The slakke skyn / aboute his nekke shaketh Whil þat he sang / so chaunteth he and craketh But god woot what þat May thoughte in hir herte Whan she hym saugh / vp sittynge in his sherte In his nyght cappe / and with his nekke lene She preyseth nat his pleyyng worth a bene Thanne seide he thus / my reste wol I take Now day is come / I may no lenger wake And doun he leyde his heed / and sleepe til pryme And afterward / whan þat he saugh his tyme Vp ryseth Ianuarie / but fresshe May Heeld hire chambre / vn-to the fourthe day As vsage is / of wyues / for the beste ffor euery labour/ som tyme moot han reste Or elles / longe may he nat endure This is to seyn / no lyues creature Be it of fyssh / or bryd / or beest or man Now wol I speke / of woful Damyan That langwissheth for loue / as ye shul heere Therfore / I speke to hym in this manere ¶ I seye / o sely Damyan allas¶ Auctor Andswere to my demaunde / as in this cas How shaltow / to thy lady fresshe May Telle thy wo / she wole alwey seye nay Eek if thou speke / she wol thy wo biwreye God be thyn helpe / I kan no bettre seye ¶ This sike Damyan / in Venus fyr So brenneth / that he dyeth for desyr ffor which / he putte his lyf in auenture No lenger myghte he / in this wise endure But priuely / a penner gan he borwe And in a lettre / wroot he al his sorwe In manere of a compleynt or a lay Vn-to his faire / fresshe lady May And in a purs of sylk/ heng on his sherte He hath it put and leyde it at his herte The moone / that at Noon was thilke day That Ianuarie / hath wedded fresshe May In two of Tawr / was in to Cancre glyden So longe hath Mayus / in hir chambre byden As custume is / vn-to thise nobles alle A bryde / shal nat eten in the halle Til dayes foure / or .iij. dayes atte leeste Ypassed been / thanne lat hire go to feeste The fourthe day compleet fro Noon to Noon Whan þat/ the heighe masse was ydoon In halle / sit this Ianuarie and May As fressh / as is the brighte someres day And so bifel / how that this goode man Remembred hym / vpon this Damyan And seyde / Seynte Marie / how may this be That Damyan / entendeth nat to me Is he ay syk / or how may this bityde Hise squieres / whiche that stooden ther bisyde Excused hym / by cause of his siknesse Which letted hym / to doon his bisynesse Noon oother cause / myghte make hym tarye ¶ That me forthynketh / quod this Ianuarie He is a gentil squier / by my trouthe If that he deyde / it were harm and routhe He is as wys / discreet/ and as secree As any man / I woot of his degree And ther-to manly / and eek seruysable And for to been a thrifty man right able But after mete / as soone as euere I may I wol my self visite hym and eek May To doon hym / al the confort that I kan And for that word / hym blessed euery man That of his bountee / and his gentillesse He wolde so conforten in siknesse His squier / for it was a gentil dede Dame quod this Ianuarie / taak good hede At after Noon / ye with youre wommen alle Whan ye han been in chambre / out of this halle That alle ye / go se this Damyan Dooth hym disport/ he is a gentil man And telleth hym / that I wol hym visite Haue I no thyng but rested me a lite And spede yow faste / for I wole abyde Til that ye slepe / faste by my syde And with that word / he gan to hym to calle A Squier / that was Marchal of his halle And tolde hym certeyn thynges / what he wolde ¶ This fresshe May / hath streight hir wey yholde With alle hir wommen / vn-to Damyan Doun by his beddes syde / sit she than Confortynge hym / as goodly as she may This Damyan / whan that his tyme he say In secree wise / his purs and eek his bille In which þat he / ywriten hadde his wille Hath put in to hire hand / with-outen moore Saue þat he siketh / wonder depe and soore And softely to hire / right thus seyde he Mercy / and that ye nat discouere me ffor I am deed / if that this thyng/ be kyd This purs hath she / inwith hir bosom hyd And wente hire wey / ye gete namoore of me But vn-to Ianuarie / ycomen is she That on his beddes syde / sit ful softe He taketh hire / and kisseth hire ful ofte And leyde hym doun to slepe / and that anon She feyned hire / as that she moste gon Ther as ye woot þat euery wight moot neede And whan she of this bille / hath taken heede She rente it/ al to cloutes atte laste And in the pryuee / softely it caste Who studieth now / but faire fresshe May Adoun / by olde Ianuarie she lay That sleepe / til þat the coughe / hath hym awaked Anon he preyde hire / strepen hire al naked He wolde of hire he seyde / han som plesance And seyde / hir clothes / dide hym encombrance And she obeyeth / be hire lief or looth But lest ye precious folk / be with me wrooth How that he wroghte / I dar nat to yow telle Or wheither / þat hire thoughte it Paradys or helle But heere I lete hem / werken in hir wyse Til euensong rong and þat they moste aryse Were it by destynee / or by auenture Were it by Influence / or by nature Or constellacion / that in swich estaat The heuene / stood that tyme fortunaat Was for to putte a bille / of Venus werkes ffor alle thyng hath tyme / as seyn thise clerkes To any womman / for to gete hire loue I kan nat seye / but grete god aboue That knoweth / that noon Act is causelees He deme of al / for I wole holde my pees But sooth is this / how that this fresshe May Hath take / swich impression that day ffor pitee / of this sike Damyan That from hire herte / she ne dryue kan The remembrance / for to doon hym ese Certeyn thoghte she / whom þat this thyng displese I rekke noght / for heere I hym assure To loue hym best of any creature Though he namoore hadde than his sherte Lo pitee / renneth soone in gentil herte ¶ Heere may ye se / how excellent franchise In wommen is / whan they hem narwe auyse Som tyrant is / as ther be many oon That hath an herte / as hard / as any stoon Which wolde / han lat hym storuen in the place Wel rather / than han graunted hym hire grace And hem reioysen / in hire crueel pryde And rekke nat to been an homycide ¶ This gentil May / fulfilled of pitee Right of hire hand / a lettre made she In which she graunteth hym hire verray grace Ther lakketh noght/ oonly / but day and place Wher þat she myghte / vn-to his lust suffise ffor it shal be / right as he wole deuyse And whan she saught hir tyme vp on a day To visite this Damyan / gooth May And sotilly this lettre / doun she threste Vnder his pilwe / rede it if hym leste She taketh hym by the hand / and harde hym twiste So secrely / that no wight of it wiste And bad hym been al hool / and forth he wente To Ianuarie / whan þat he for hym sente Vp riseth Damyan / the nexte morwe Al passed was / his siknesse and his sorwe He kembeth hym / he preyneth hym and pyketh He dooth / al that his lady lust and lyketh And eek to Ianuarie / he gooth as lowe As euere dide / a dogge for the bowe He is so plesant/ vn-to euery man ffor craft is al / who so that do it kan That euery wight/ is fayn to speke hym good And fully / in his lady grace he stood Thus lete I Damyan / aboute his nede And in my tale / forth I wol procede ¶ Somme clerkes / holden that felicitee Stant in delit/ and therfore certeyn he? This noble Ianuarie / with al his myght In honeste wyse / as longeth to a knyght Shoope hym to lyue / ful deliciously His housynge / his array / as honestly To his degree / was maked as a kynges Amonges othere / of hise honeste thynges He made a gardyn / walled al with stoon So fair a gardyn / woot I nowher noon ffor out of doute / I verraily suppose That he / þat wroot the romance of the Rose Ne koude of it/ the beautee wel deuyse Ne Priapus / ne myghte nat suffise Though he be god of gardyns / for to telle The beautee of the gardyn / and the welle That stood vnder a laurer / alwey grene fful ofte tyme / he Pluto and his queene Proserpina / and al hire fairye Disporten hem / and maken melodye Aboute that welle / and daunced as men tolde ¶ This noble knyght this Ianuarie the olde Swich deyntee hath / in it to walke and pleye That he wol no wight suffren bere the keye Saue he hym self/ for of the smale wyket He baar alwey / of siluer a Clyket With which / whan þat hym leste he it vnshette And whan he wolde / paye his wyf hir dette In Somer seson / thider wolde he go And May his wyf/ and no wight but they two And thynges / whiche þat were nat doon a bedde He in the gardyn / parfourned hem and spedde And in this wyse / many a murye day Lyued this Ianuarie / and fresshe May But worldly Ioye / may nat alwey dure To Ianuarie / ne to no creature Osodeyn hape / o thou fortune Instable¶ Auctor. Lyk to the Scorpion / so deceyuable That flaterest with thyn heed / whan thou wolt synge Thy tayl is deeth / thurgh thyn enuenymynge O brotil Ioye / o sweete venym queynte O Monstre / that so subtilly kanst peynte Thy yiftes / vnder hewe of stidefastnesse That thou deceyuest bothe moore and lesse Why hastow Ianuarie / thus deceyued That haddest hym / for thy ful freend receyued And now thou hast biraft hym bothe hise eyen ffor sorwe of which / desireth he to dyen ¶ Allas / this noble Ianuarie free Amydde his lust and his prosperitee Is woxen blynd / and that al sodeynly He wepeth and he wayleth pitously And ther with al / the fyr of Ialousie Lest þat his wyf/ sholde falle in swich folye So brente his herte / that he wolde fayn That som man / bothe hym and hire had slayn ffor neither after his deeth / nor in his lyf Ne wolde he / þat she were loue ne wyf But euere lyue as wydwe in clothes blake Soul as the turtle / þat lost hath hire make But atte laste / after a Monthe or tweye His sorwe gan aswage / sooth to seye ffor whan he wiste / it may noon oother be He paciently / took his Aduersitee Saue out of doute / he may nat forgoon That he nas Ialous / eueremoore in oon Which Ialousye / it was so outrageous That neither in halle / nyn noon oother hous Nyn noon oother place / neuerthemo He nolde suffre hire / for to ryde or go But if þat he / had hond on hire alway ffor which ful ofte / wepeth fresshe May That loueth Damyan / so benyngnely That she moot outher dyen sodeynly Or elles / she moot han hym as hir leste She wayteth / whan hir herte wolde breste ¶ Vp on that oother syde Damyan Bicomen is / the sorwefulleste man That euere was / for neither nyght ne day Ne myghte he speke a word to fresshe May As to his purpos / of no swich mateere But if that Ianuarie / moste it heere That hadde an hand / vp on hire eueremo But nathelees / by writyng to and fro And priuee signes / wiste he what she mente And she knew eek / the fyn of his entente O Ianuarie / what myghte it thee auaille¶ Auctor Thogh thou myghtest se / as fer as shippes saille ffor as good is / blynd deceyued be As to be deceyued / whan a man may se ¶ Lo Argus / which þat hadde / an hondred eyen ffor al þat euere / he koude poure or pryen Yet was he blent/ and god woot so been mo That wenen wisly / that it be nat so Passe ouer is an ese / I sey namoore ¶ This fresshe May / þat I spak of so yoore In warm wex / hath emprented the clyket That Ianuarie bar / of the smale wyket By which / in to his gardyn ofte he wente And Damyan / that knew al hire entente The cliket countrefeted pryuely Ther nys namoore to seye / but hastily Som wonder / by this clyket shal bityde Which ye shul heeren / if ye wole abyde ¶ O noble Ouyde / ful sooth seystou god woot¶ Auctor. What sleighte is it/ thogh it be long and hoot That he nyl fynde it out / in som manere By Piramus / and Tesbee / may men leere Thogh they were kept ful longe streite oueral They been accorded / rownynge thurgh a wal Ther no wight / koude han founde out swich a sleighte ¶ But now to purpos / er þat dayes eighte Were passed / er the Monthe of Iuyl bifille That Ianuarie / hath caught so greet a wille Thurgh eggyng of his wyf hym for to pleye In his gardyn / and no wight but they tweye That in a morwe / vn-to this May seith he Rys vp my wyf/ my loue / my lady free The turtle voys is herd / my dowue sweete The wynter is goon / with his[his interlined in a later hand] reynes weete Com forth now / with thyne eyen columbyn How fairer been thy brestes / than is wyn The gardyn / is enclosed al aboute Com forth my white spouse / out of doute Thou hast me wounded / in myn herte / o wyf No spot of thee / ne knew I al my lyf Come forth / and lat vs taken som disport I chees thee / for my wyf and my confort ¶ Swiche olde lewed wordes vsed he On Damyan / a signe made she That he sholde go biforn / with his cliket This Damyan thanne / hath opened the wyket And In he stirte / and that in swich manere That no wight myghte it se / neither yheere And stille he sit/ vnder a bussh anon ¶ This Ianuarie / as blynd as is a stoon With Mayus in his hand / and no wight mo In to his fresshe gardyn is ago And clapte to / the wyket sodeynly ¶ Now wyf quod he / heere nys but thou and I That art the creature / that I best loue ffor by that lord / þat sit in heuene aboue Leuere ich hadde / to dyen on a knyf Than thee offende / trewe deere wyf ffor goddes sake / thenk how I thee chees Noght for no coueitise doutelees But oonly / for the loue / I had to thee And though þat I be oold / and may nat see Beth to me trewe / and I shal telle yow why? Thre thynges / certes / shal ye wynne ther by ffirst loue of Crist/ and to youre self honour And al myn heritage / toun and tour I yeue it yow / maketh chartres as yow leste This shal be doon tomorwe er sonne reste So wisly / god my soule brynge in blisse I prey yow first/ in couenat ye me kisse And though þat I be Ialous wyte me noght Ye been so depe / enprented in my thoght That whan I considere youre beautee And ther with al / the vnlikly elde of me I may nat certes / though I sholde dye fforbere / to been out of youre compaignye ffor verray loue / this is with outen doute Now kys me wyf/ and lat vs rome aboute ¶ This fresshe May / whan she thise wordes herde Benyngnely / to Ianuarie answerde But first and forward / she bigan to wepe I haue quod she / a soule for to kepe As wel as ye / and also myn honour And of my wyfhod / thilke tendre flour Which þat I haue / assured in youre hond Whan þat the preest to yow my body bond Wherfore / I wole answere / in this manere By the leue of yow / my lord so deere I prey to god / þat neuere dawe the day That I ne sterue / as foule as womman may If euere I do / vn to my kyn that shame Or elles / I empeyre so my name That I be fals / and if I do that lakke Do strepe me / and put me in a sakke And in the nexte ryuer / do me drenche I am a gentil womman and no wenche Why speke ye thus /? but men been euere vntrewe And wommen / haue repreue of yow ay newe Ye han noon oother contenance I leeue But speke to vs / of vntrust and repreeue ¶ And with that word / she saugh wher Damyan Sat in the bussh / and coughen she bigan And with hir fynger / signes made she That Damyan / sholde clymbe vp on a tree That charged was with fruyt and vp he wente ffor verraily / he knew al hire entente And euery signe / þat she koude make Wel bet than Ianuarie / hir owene make ffor in a lettre / she hadde toold hym al Of this matere / how he werchen shal And thus I lete hym sitte / vp on the pyrie And Ianuarie and May romynge myrie Bright was the day / and blew the firmament Phebus hath of gold / hise stremes doun ysent To gladen euery flour with his warmnesse He was that tyme / in Geminis as I gesse But litel / fro his declynacion Of Cancer / Iouis exaltacion And so bifel / that brighte morwe tyde That in that gardyn / in the ferther syde Pluto / that is kyng of ffairye And many a lady / in his compaignye ffolwynge his wyf / the queene Proserpyne Ech after oother / right as a lyne Whil þat she gadered / floures in the mede In Claudyan / ye may the stories rede And in his grisely Carte / he hire sette This kyng of ffairye / thanne adoun hym sette Vp on a bench of turues / fressh and grene And right anon / thus seyde he to his queene ¶ My wyf quod he / ther may no wight seye nay Thexperience / so preueth euery day The tresons / whiche þat wommen doon to man Ten hondred thousand / tellen I kan Notable / of youre vntrouthe and brotilnesse O Salomon / wys / and richest of richesse ffulfild of sapience / and of worldly glorie fful worthy been thy wordes to memorie To euery wight þat wit and reson kan Thus preiseth he yet the bountee of man ¶ Amonges a thousand men / yet foond I oon But of wommen alle / foond I noon ¶ Thus seith the kyng þat knoweth youre wikkednesse And Ihesus filius Syrak as I gesse Ne speketh of yow / but seelde reuerence A wylde fyr / and corrupt pestilence So falle vp on youre bodyes yet to nyght Ne se ye nat this honurable knyght By cause allas / that he is blynd and old His owene man / shal make hym Cokewold Lo heere he sit the lechour in the tree Now wol I graunten / of my magestee Vn-to this olde blynde worthy knyght That he shal haue ayeyn hise eyen syght Whan þat his wyf/ wold doon hym vileynye Thanne shal he knowen / al hire harlotrye Bothe in repreue of hire / and othere mo ¶ Ye shal quod Proserpyne / wol ye so? Now by my moodres sires soule I swere That I shal yeuen hire suffisant answere And alle wommen after / for hir sake That though they be / in any gilt ytake With face boold / they shulle hem self excuse And bere hem doun / that wolden hem accuse ffor lakke of answere / noon of hem shal dyen Al hadde man seyn a thyng with bothe hise eyen Yit shul we wommen / visage it hardily And wepe / and swere / and visage it subtilly So þat ye men / shul been / as lewed as gees What rekketh me / of youre Auctoritees ¶ I woot wel / that this Iew / this Salomon ffoond of vs wommen / fooles many oon But though þat he ne foond / no good womman Yet hath ther founde / many another man Wommen ful trewe / ful goode / and vertuous Witnesse on hem / þat dwelle in Cristes hous With martirdom / they preued hire constance The Romayn geestes / eek maken remembrance Of many a verray / trewe wyf also But sire ne be nat wrooth / al be it so Though þat he seyde / he foond no good womman I prey yow / take the sentence of the man He mente thus / that in souereyn bontee Nis noon / but god þat sit in Trinitee ¶ Ey for verray god / that nys but oon What make ye / so muche of Salomon What though he made a temple goddes hous What though he were / riche and glorious So made he eek / a temple of false goddis How myghte he do a thyng þat moore forbode is Pardee / as faire / as ye his name emplastre He was a lecchour / and an ydolastre And in his elde / he verray god forsook And if god ne hadde / as seith the book Yspared for his fadres sake / he sholde Haue lost his regne / rather than he wolde I sette right noght of al the vileynye That ye of wommen write / a Boterflye I am a womman / nedes moot I speke Or elles swelle / til myn herte breke ffor sithen he seyde / that we been Iangleress As euere hool / I moote brouke my tresses I shal nat spare / for no curteisye To speke hym harm / þat wolde vs vileynye Dame quod this Pluto / be no lenger wrooth I yeue it vp / but sith I swoor myn ooth That I wolde / graunten hym his sighte ageyn My word shal stonde / I warne yow certeyn I am a kyng it sit me noght to lye ¶ And I quod she / a Queene of ffairye Hir answere shal she haue I vndertake Lat vs namoore wordes heer-of make ffor sothe / I wol no lenger/ yow contrarie ¶ Now lat vs / turne agayn to Ianuarie That in the gardyn / with his faire May Syngeth ful murier / than the Papeiay Yow loue I best and shal and oother noon So longe / aboute the Aleyes is he goon Til he was come / agayns thilke pyrie Where as this Damyan / sitteth ful myrie Anheigh / among the fresshe leues grene ¶ This fresshe May / that is so bright and sheene Gan for to syke / and seyde / allas my syde Now sire quod she / for aught þat may bityde I moste han / of the peres that I see Or I moot dye / so soore longeth me To eten / of the smale peres grene Help for hir loue / þat is of heuene queene I telle yow wel / a womman in my plit May han to fruyt so greet an Appetit That she may dyen / but she of it haue ¶ Allas quod he / þat I ne had heer a knaue That koude clymbe / allas allas quod he That I am blynd / ye sire no fors quod she ¶ But wolde ye vouche sauf for goddes sake The pyrie / inwith youre armes for to take ffor wel I woot/ that ye mystruste me Thanne sholde I clymbe / wel ynogh quod she So I my foot myghte sette vpon youre bak/ ¶ Certes quod he / ther-on shal be no lak Mighte I yow helpen / with myn herte blood He stoupeth doun / and on his bak she stood And caughte hire by a twiste / and vp she gooth Ladyes / I prey yow / þat ye be nat wrooth I kan nat glose / I am a rude man And sodeynly / anon this Damyan Gan pullen vp the smok / and In he throng ¶ And whan þat Pluto / saugh this grete wrong To Ianuarie / he gaf agayn his sighte And made hym se / as wel as euere he myghte And whan þat he / hadde caught his sighte agayn Ne was ther neuere / man of thyng so fayn But on his wyf/ his thoght was eueremo Vp to the tree / he caste hise eyen two And saugh þat Damyan / his wyf had dressed In swich manere / it may nat been expressed But if I wolde / speke vncurteisly And vp he yaf / a roryng and a cry As dooth the mooder / whan the child shal dye Out helpe / allas / harrow he gan to crye O stronge lady stoore / what dostow? ¶ And she answerde / sire what eyleth yow? Haue pacience / and reson in youre mynde I haue yow holpe / on bothe youre eyen blynde Vp peril of my soule / I shal nat lyen As me was taught / to heele with youre eyen Was no thyng bet to make yow to see Than strugle with a man / vp on a tree God woot I dide it / in ful good entente ¶ Strugle quod he? ye algate In it wente God yeue yow bothe / on shames deth to dyen He swyued thee / I saugh it. with myne eyen And elles / be I hanged by the hals ¶ Thanne is quod she / my medicyne fals ffor certeinly / if that ye myghte se Ye wolde nat seyn / thise wordes vn to me Ye han som glymsyng and no parfit sighte ¶ I se quod he / as wel as euere I myghte Thonked be god / with bothe myne eyen two And by my trouthe / me thoughte he dide thee so ¶ Ye maze / maze / goode sire quod she This thank haue I / for I haue maad yow see Allas quod she / that euere I was so kynde ¶ Now dame quod he / lat al passe out of mynde Com doun my lief and if I haue myssayd God helpe me so / as I am yuele apayd But by my fader soule / I wende han seyn How that this Damyan / hadde by thee leyn And þat thy smok hadde leyn vp on his brest ¶ Ye sire quod she / ye may wene as yow lest But sire / a man / þat waketh out of his sleepe He may nat sodeynly / wel taken keepe Vp on a thyng ne seen it parfitly Til þat he be / adawed verraily ¶ Right so a man / þat longe hath blynd ybe Ne may nat sodeynly / so wel yse ffirst whan his sighte / is newe come ageyn As he þat hath / a day or two yseyn Til that youre sighte / ysatled be a while Ther may / ful many a sighte yow bigile Beth war I prey yow / for by heuene kyng fful many a man / weneth to seen a thyng And it is / al another / than it semeth He þat mysconceyueth / he mysdemeth And with that word / she leepe doun fro the tree ¶ This Ianuarie / who is glad but he He kisseth hire / and clippeth hire ful ofte And on hire wombe / he stroketh hire ful softe And to his palays / hoom he hath hire lad Now goode men / I pray yow be glad Thus endeth heere / my tale of Ianuarie God blesse vs / and his mooder Seinte Marie ¶ Heere is ended / the Marchantes tale of Ianuarie. ¶ The Prologe of the Squieres tale.on leaf 119 Ey goddes mercy / seyde oure Hoost tho Now swich a wyf/ I pray god kepe me fro Lo whiche sleightes / and subtiltees In wommen been / for ay as bisy as bees Been they / vs sely men for to deceyue And from a sooth / euere wol they weyue By this Marchauntes tale / it preueth weel But doutelees / as trewe as any steel I haue a wyf/ though þat she poure be But of hir tonge / a labbyng shrewe is she And yet she hath / an heepe of vices mo Ther-of no fors / lat alle swiche thynges go But wyte ye what in conseil be it seyd Me reweth soore / I am vn-to hire teyd ffor and I sholde / rekenen euery vice Which þat she hath / ywis I were to nyce And cause why / it sholde reported be And toold to hire / of somme of this meynee Of whom / it nedeth nat for to declare Syn wommen / konnen outen swich chaffare And eek my wit suffiseth nat ther to To tellen al / wherfore my tale is do[No break in the MS.] GROUP F. FRAGMENT VII. § 1. THE SQUIRE'S HEAD-LINK. ELLESMERE MS. ¶ Squier come neer / if it youre wille beon leaf 119 And sey somwhat of loue / for certes ye? Konnen ther on / as muche as any man ¶ Nay sire quod he / but I wol seye as I kan With hertly wyl / for I wol nat rebelle Agayn youre lust? a tale wol I telle Haue me excused / if I speke amys My wyl is good / and lo my tale is this ¶ Heere bigynneth / the Squieres tale .on leaf 119, back AT Sarray / in the land of Tartarye Ther dwelte a kyng that werreyed Russye Thurgh which ther dyde / many a doughty man This noble kyng was cleped Cambynskan[MS more like Cam|byuskan all through] Which in his tyme / was of so greet renoun That ther was / no wher in no Regioun[Painting of the Squire on Horseback.] So excellent a lord / in alle thyng Hym lakked noght that longeth to a kyng And of the secte / of which þat he was born He kepte his lay / to which þat he was sworn And ther to / he was hardy / wys and riche And pitous and Iust alwey yliche Sooth of his word / benigne and honurable Of his corage / as any Centre stable¶ Centrum circuli Yong fressh / strong and in Armes desirous As any Bacheler / of al his hous A fair persone he was / and fortunat And kepte alwey / so wel roial estat That ther was nowher / swich another man ¶ This noble kyng this Tartre Cambynskan Hadde two sones / on Elpheta his wyf Of whiche / the eldeste highte Algarsyf That oother sone / was cleped Cambalo A doghter hadde / this worthy kyng also That yongest was / and highte Canacee But for to telle yow / al hir beautee It lyth nat in my tonge / nyn my konnyng I dar nat vndertake / so heigh a thyng Myn englissh eek is insufficient I moste been / a Rethor excellent That koude hise colours / longynge for that Art If he / sholde hire discryuen euery part I am noon swich / I moot speke as I kan ¶ And so bifel / that whan this Cambynskan Hath twenty wynter / born his diademe As he was wont fro yeer to yeer I deme He leet the feeste / of his Natiuitee Doon cryen / thurgh Sarray his Citee The last Idus of March / after the yeer Phebus the sonne / ful ioly was and cleer ffor he was / neigh his exaltacion In Martes face / and in his mansion In Aries / the colerik/ hoote signe fful lusty was / the weder and benigne ffor which the foweles / agayn the sonne sheene What for the seson / and the yonge grene fful loude / songen hire affeccions Hem semed / han geten hem proteccions Agayn the swerd of wynter/ keene and coold ¶ This Cambynskan / of which I haue yow toold In roial vestiment sit on his deys With diademe / ful heighe in his paleys And halt his feeste so solempne / and so ryche That in this world / was ther noon it lyche Of which / if I shal tellen al tharray Thanne wolde it occupie a someres day And eek/ it nedeth nat for to deuyse At euery cours / the ordre of hire seruyse I wol nat tellen / of hir strange sewes Ne of hir swannes / nor of hire heronsewes Eek/ in that lond / as tellen knyghtes olde Ther is som mete / þat is ful deynte holde That in this lond / men recche of it but smal Ther nys no man / that may reporten al ¶ I wol nat taryen yow / for it is pryme And for it is no fruyt but los of tyme Vn to my firste / I wole haue my recours ¶ And so bifel / that after the thridde cours Whil þat this kyng sit thus in his nobleye Herknynge hise Mynstrals / hir thynges pleye Biforn hym at the bord / deliciously In at the halle dore / al sodeynly Ther cam a knyght vp on a steede of bras And in his hand / a brood Mirour of glas Vpon his thombe / he hadde of gold a ryng / And by his syde / a naked swerd hangyng And vp he rideth / to the heighe bord In al the halle / ne was ther spoken a word ffor merueille of this knyght hym to biholde fful bisily / ther wayten yonge and olde ¶ This strange knyght that cam thus sodeynly Al armed / saue his heed / ful richely Saleweth kyng and queene / and lordes alle By ordre / as they seten in the halle With so heigh reuerence / and obeisance As wel in speche / as in contenance That Gawayn / with his olde curteisye Though he were / comen ayeyn out of ffairye Ne koude hym nat amende with a word And after this / biforn the heighe bord He with a manly voys / seith his message After the forme / vsed in his langage With outen vice / of silable / or of lettre And for his tale / sholde seme the bettre Accordant to hise wordes / was his cheere As techeth art of speche / hem þat it leere Al be / that I kan nat sowne his stile Ne kan nat clymben / ouer so heigh a style Yet seye I this / as to commune entente Thus muche amounteth / al þat euere he mente If it so be / þat I haue it in mynde ¶ He seyde / the kyng of Arabe and of Inde My lige lord / on this solempne day Saleweth yow / as he best kan and may And sendeth yow / in honour of youre feeste By me / that am al redy at youre heeste This steede of bras / that esily and weel¶ Of the vertu/ of the steede of bras Kan in the space / of o day natureel This is to seyn / in foure and twenty houres Wher so yow lyst in droghte or elles shoures Beren youre body / in to euery place To which youre herte / wiIneth for to pace With outen wem of yow / thurgh foul or fair Or if yow lyst to fleen / as hye in the Air As dooth an Egle / whan þat hym list to soore This same steede / shal bere yow euere moore With outen harm / til ye be ther yow leste Though that ye slepen / on his bak or reste And turne ayeyn / with writhyng of a pyn He þat it wroghte / koude ful many a gyn He wayted / many a constellacion Er he / had doon / this operacion And knew ful many a seel / and many a bond ¶ This mirrour eek / þat I haue in myn hond¶ Of the vertu of the Mirour Hath swich a myght/ þat men may in it see Whan ther shal fallen / any Aduersitee Vn to youre regne / or to youre self also And openly / who is youre freend or foo ¶ And ouer al this / if any lady bright Hath set hire herte / in any maner wight If he be fals / she shal his treson see His newe loue / and al his subtiltee So openly / þat ther shal no thyng hyde Wherfore / ageyn this lusty someres tyde This Mirour/ and this ryng þat ye may see He hath sent vn to my lady Canacee hic Youre excellente doghter/ that is heereaudir ¶ The vertu of the ryng if ye wol heere¶ Of the vertu of the ryng/ Is this / that if hire lust it for to were Vp on hir thombe / or in hir purs it bere Ther is no fowel / þat fleeth vnder the heuene That she / ne shal / wel vnderstonde his steuene And knowe his menyng openly and pleyn And answere hym / in his langage ageyn And euery gras / that groweth vp on roote She shal eek knowe / and whom it wol do boote Al be hise woundes / neuer so depe and wyde ¶ This naked swerd / þat hangeth by my syde¶ Of the vertu of the swerde Swich vertu hath / þat what man so ye smyte Thurgh out his Armure / it wole hym kerue and byte Were it as thikke / as is a branched ook And what man / that is wounded with a strook Shal neuer be hool / til þat yow list of grace To stroke hym with the plat in that place Ther he is hurt / this is as muche to seyn Ye moote / with the plat swerd ageyn Strike hym in the wounde / and it wol close This is a verray sooth / with outen glose It failleth nat whils it is in youre hoold ¶ And whan this knyght hath thus his tale toold He rideth out of halle / and doun he lighte His steede / which þat shoon / as sonne brighte Stant in the court stille as any stoon This knyght is to his chambre lad anoon And is vnarmed / and vn to mete yset ¶ The presentes / been / ful roially yfet This is to seyn / the swerd and the Mirour And born anon / in to the heighe Tour With certeine officers / ordeyned therfore And vn to Canacee / this ryng was bore Solempnely / ther she sit/ at the table But sikerly / with outen any fable The hors of bras / þat may nat be remewed It stant as it were / to the ground yglewed Ther may no man / out of the place it dryue ffor noon engyn / of wyndas ne polyue And cause why?/ for they kan nat the craft And therfore / in the place / they han it laft Til þat the knyght hath taught hem the manere To voyden hym / as ye shal after heere Greet was the prees / þat swarmeth to and fro To gauren on this hors / that stondeth so ffor it so heigh was / and so brood and long So wel proporcioned / for to been strong Right as it were / a steede of Lumbardye Ther-with so horsly / and so quyk of eye As it a gentil Poilleys Courser were ffor certes / fro his tayl / vn to his ere Nature ne Art ne koude hym nat amende In no degree / as al the peple wende But eueremoore / hir mooste wonder was How þat it koude go / and was of bras It was a ffairye / as al the peple semed Diuerse folk / diuersely they demed As many heddes / as manye wittes ther been They murmureden / as dooth a swarm of Been And maden skiles / after hir fantasies Rehersynge / of thise olde poetries And seyde / that it was lyk the Pegasee¶ .i. equs Pegaseus The hors / þat hadde wynges for to flee Or elles / it was the Grekes hors Synon That broghte Troie to destruccion As men / in thise olde geestes rede ¶ Myn herte quod oon / is eueremoore in drede I trowe / som men of Armes been ther Inne That shapen hem / this Citee for to wynne It were right good / þat al swich thyng were knowe ¶ Another rowned / to his felawe lowe And seyde he lyeth / it is rather lyk An apparence / ymaad by som Magyk As Iogelours pleyen / at thise feestes grete Of sondry doutes / thus they Iangle and trete As lewed peple / demeth comunly Of thynges / þat been maad / moore subtilly Than they kan / in hir lewednesse comprehende They demen gladly / to the badder ende ¶ And somme of hem / wondred on the Mirour That born was vp / in to the hye tour Hou men myghte in it / swiche thynges se ¶ Another answerde / and seyde it myghte wel be Naturelly / by composicions Of Anglis / and of slye reflexions And seyden / þat in Rome was swich oon They speken / of Alocen and Vitulon And Aristotle / that writen in hir lyues Of queynte Mirours / and of prospectiues As knowen they / that han hir bookes herd ¶ And oother folk han wondred on the swerd That wolde percen / thurgh out euery thyng And fille in speche / of Thelophus the kyng And of Achilles / with his queynte spere ffor he koude with it bothe heele and dere Right in swich wise / as men may with the swerd Of which right now / ye han youre seluen herd They speken / of sondry hardyng of metal And speke of medicynes / ther with al And how and whanne / it sholde yharded be Which is vnknowe / algates vnto me ¶ Tho speeke they / of Canacees ryng And seyden alle / þat swich a wonder thyng Of craft of rynges / herde they neuere noon Saue þat he Moyses / and kyng Salomon Hadde a name of konnyng in swich Art Thus seyn the peple / and drawen hem apart ¶ But nathelees / somme seiden þat it was Wonder/ to maken / of fern Asshen glas And yet nys glas / nat lyk Asshen of fern But for they han / knowen it so fern Therfore / cesseth / hir Ianglyng and hir wonder ¶ As soore wondren somme / on cause of thonder On ebbe / on flood / on gossomer / and on myst And on alle thyng til þat the cause is wyst Thus Iangle they / and demen and deuyse Til þat the kyng gan fro the bord aryse Phebus / hath laft the Angle meridional And yet ascendynge / was the beest roial The gentil leon / with his Aldrian[aldiran later] Whan þat this Tartre kyng Cambynskan Roos fro his bord / ther that he sat ful hye Toforn hym gooth / the loude Mynstralcye Til he cam / to his chambre of parementz Ther as they sownen / diuerse Instrumentz That it is / lyk an heuene for to heere Now dauncen / lusty Venus children deere ffor in the fyssh / hir lady sat ful hye And looketh on hem / with a freendly eye ¶ This noble kyng is set vp in his Trone This strange knyght is fet to hym ful soone And on the daunce / he gooth with canacce Heere is the reuel / and the Iolitee That is nat able / a dul man to deuyse He moste han knowen / loue and his seruyse And been a feestlych man / as fressh as May That sholde yow / deuysen swich array ¶ Who koude telle yow / the forme of daunces So vnkouthe / and so fresshe contenaunces Swich subtil lookyng and dissymulynges ffor drede / of Ialouse mennes aperceyuynges? No man but launcelet and he is deed Therfore I passe / of al this lustiheed I sey namoore / but in this Iolynesse I lete hem / til men to the soper dresse ¶ The Styward bit Spices for to hye And eek the wyn / in al this melodye The vsshers / and the squiers been ygoon The spices and the wyn is come anoon They ete and drynke / and whan this hadde an ende Vn to the temple / as reson was they wende ¶ The seruice doon / they soupen al by day What nedeth me / rehercen hire array Ech man woot wel / þat a kynges feeste Hath plentee / to the mooste and to the leeste And deyntees / mo / than been in my knowyng At after soper/ gooth this noble kyng To seen this hors of bras / with al the route Of lordes / and of ladyes hym aboute ¶ Swich wondryng was ther on this hors of bras That syn the grete sege / of Troie was Ther as men wondreden / on an hors also Ne was ther swich a wondryng as was tho But fynally / the kyng axeth this knyght The vertu of this Courser / and the myght And preyde hym / to telle his gouernaunce ¶ This hors anoon / bigan to trippe and daunce Whan that this knyght leyde hand vp on his reyne And seyde sire / ther is namoore to seyne But whan yow list to ryden any where Ye mooten trille a pyn / stant in his ere Which I shal yow telle / bitwix vs two Ye moote nempne hym / to what place also Or to what contree / þat yow list to ryde And whan ye come / ther as yow list abyde Bidde hym descende / and trille another pyn ffor ther lith / theffect of al the gyn And he wol doun descende / and doon youre wille And in that place / he wol stonde stille Though al the world / the contrarie hadde yswore He shal nat thennes / been ydrawe nor ybore Or if yow list bidde hym thennes goon Trille this pyn / and he wol vanysshe anoon Out of the sighte / of euery maner wight And come agayn / be it day or nyght Whan þat yow list to clepen hym ageyn In swich a gyse / as I shal to yow seyn Bitwixe yow and me / and that ful soone Ride whan yow list ther is namoore to doone ¶ Enformed / whan the kyng was/ of that knyght And hath conceyued / in his wit aright The manere / and the forme / of al this thyng Thus glad and blithe / this noble kyng Repeireth to his reuel / as biforn ¶ The brydel / is / vn to the tour yborn And kept among hise Iueles / leeue and deere The hors vanysshed I noot/ in what manere Out of hir sighte / ye gete namoore of me But thus I lete / in lust and Iolitee This Cambynskan / hise lordes festeiynge Til wel ny / the day bigan to sprynge¶ Explicit prima pars . ¶ Sequitur pars secunda . The Norice of digestioun / the sleepe Gan on hem wynke / and bad hem taken keepe That muchel drynke / and labour wolde han reste And with a galpyng mouth / hem alle he keste And seyde / it was tyme to lye adoun ffor blood / was in his domynacioun Cherisseth blood / natures freend quod he They thanken hym galpynge / by two / by thre And euery wight / gan drawe hym to his reste As sleepe hem bad / they tooke it for the beste ¶ Hire dremes / shul nat been ytoold for me fful were hire heddes / of fumositee That causeth dreem / of which ther nys no charge They slepen / til that it was pryme large The mooste part but it were Canacee She was ful mesurable / as wommen be ffor of hir fader / hadde she take leue To goon to reste / soone after it was eue Hir liste nat appalled for to be Ne on the morwe / vnfeestlich for to se And slepte hire firste sleepe / and thanne awook/ ffor swich a ioye / she in hir herte took Bothe of hir queynte ryng and hire Mirour That twenty tyme / she changed hir colour And in hire sleepe / right for impression Of hire Mirour/ she hadde Avision Wherfore / er þat the sonne gan vp glyde She cleped / on hir Maistresse / hire bisyde And seyde / that hire liste for to ryse ¶ Thise olde wommen / þat been gladly wyse As hire Maistresse / answerde hire anon And seyde madame / whider wil ye goon Thus erly / for the folk/ been alle on reste ¶ I wol quod she arise / for me leste No lenger for to slepe / and walke aboute ¶ Hire Maistresse / clepeth wommen / a greet route And vp they rysen / wel an ten / or twelue Vp riseth / fresshe Canacee / hir selue As rody and bright / as dooth the yonge sonne That in the Ram / is foure degrees vp ronne Noon hyer was he / whan she redy was And forth she walketh / esily a pas Arrayed / after the lusty seson soote Lightly for to pleye / and walke on foote Nat but with fyue or sixe / of hir meynee And in a trench / forth in the park gooth she ¶ The vapour / which þat fro the erthe glood Made the sonne / to seme rody and brood But nathelees / it was so fair a sighte That it made / alle hire hertes for to lighte What for the seson / and the morwenynge And for the foweles / that she herde synge ffor right anon / she wiste what they mente Right by hir song and knew al hire entente ¶ The knotte / why þat euery tale is toold If it be taried / til that lust be coold Of hem þat han / it after herkned yoore The sauour passeth / euer lenger the moore ffor fulsomnesse / of his prolixitee And by the same reson / thynketh me I sholde / to the knotte / condescende And maken of hir walkyng soone an ende Amydde a tree / fordryed / as whit as chalk As Canacee / was pleyyng in hir walk Ther sat a ffaucon / ouer hire heed ful hye That with a pitous voys / so gan to crye That all the wode / resouned of hire cry Ybeten hath she hir self / so pitously With bothe hir wynges / til the rede blood Ran endelong the tree / ther she stood And euere in oon / she cryde alwey and shrighte And with hir beek / hir seluen so she prighte That ther nys Tygre / ne noon so crueel beest That dwelleth / outher in wode or in fforest That nolde han wept if þat she wepe koude ffor sorwe of hire / she shrighte alwey so loude ffor ther nas neuere man / yet on lyue If þat I koude / a ffaucon wel discryue That herde of swich another of fairnesse As wel of plumage / as of gentillesse Of shape / and al that myghte yrekened be A ffaucon peregryn / thanne semed she Of fremde Land / and eueremoore as she stood She swowneth now and now / for lakke of blood Til wel neigh / is she fallen fro the tree ¶ This faire kynges doghter Canacee That on hir fynger/ baar the queynte ryng Thurgh which / she vnderstood wel euery thyng That any fowel / may in his leden seyn And koude answeren hym / in his ledene ageyn Hath vnderstonde / what this ffaucon seyde And wel neigh / for the routhe / almoost she deyde And to the tree / she gooth ful hastily And on this ffaukon / looketh pitously And heeld hir lappe abrood / for wel she wiste The ffaukon / moste fallen fro the twiste Whan þat it swowned next for lakke of blood A longe while / to wayten hire she stood Til atte laste / she spak in this manere Vn to the hauk as ye shal after heere ¶ What is the cause / if it be for to telle That ye be / in this furial pyne of helle Quod Canacee / vn to the hauk/ aboue Is this for sorwe of deeth / or los of loue ffor as I trowe / thise been causes two That causeth moost a gentil herte wo Of oother harm / it nedeth nat to speke ffor ye youre self / vpon your self yow wreke Which proueth wel / that outher loue or drede Moot been encheson / of youre cruel dede Syn þat I see / noon oother wight yow chace ffor loue of god / as dooth youre seluen grace Or what may been youre helpe / for West nor Est Ne saugh I neuere er now / no bryd ne beest That ferde with hym self / so pitously Ye sle me with youre sorwe verraily I haue of yow / so greet passioun ffor goddes loue / com fro the tree adoun And as I am / a kynges doghter trewe If þat I verraily / the cause knewe Of youre disese / if it lay in my myght I wolde amenden it er þat it were nyght As wisly helpe me / the grete god of kynde And herbes / shal I right ynowe yfynde To heele with / youre hurtes hastily ¶ Tho shrighte this ffaucon / moore yet pitously Than euer she dide / and fil to grounde anon And lith aswowne deed / and lyk a stoon Til Canacee / hath in hire lappe hire take Vn 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 That pitee / renneth soone in gentil herte ffeelynge his similitude / in peynes smerte Is preued al day / as men may see As wel by werk as by Auctoritee ffor gentil herte / kitheth gentillesse I se wel / ye han of my distresse Compassion / my faire Canacee Of verray wommanly benignytee That nature / in youre principles hath yset But for noon hope / for to fare the bet But for obeye / vn to youre herte free And for to maken othere / be war by me As by the whelpe / chasted is the leon Right for that cause / and for that conclusion Whil þat I haue / a leyser and a space Myn harm / I wol confessen er I pace ¶ And euere / whil þat oon hir sorwe tolde That oother weepe / as she to water wolde Til that the ffaucon / bad hire to be stille And with a syk / right thus she seyde hir wille ¶ That I was bred / allas that harde day And fostred in a Roche / of Marbul gray So tendrely / that no thyng eyled me I nyste nat what was Aduersitee Til I koude flee ful hye / vnder the sky Tho dwelte / a Tercelet me faste by That semed welle / of alle gentillesse Al were he ful of treson / and falsnesse It was so wrapped / vnder humble cheere And vnder hewe of trouthe / in swich manere Vnder plesance / and vnder bisy peyne That I ne koude han wend / he koude feyne So depe in greyn / he dyed his colours Right as a serpent hit hym vnder floures Til he may seen / his tyme / for to byte Right so this god of loue / this ypocryte Dooth so hise cerymonyes and obeisances And kepeth in semblant alle hise obseruances That sowneth / in to gentillesse of loue As in a toumbe / is al the faire aboue And vnder is the corps / swich as ye woot Swich was the ypocrite / bothe coold and hoot And in this wise / he serued his entente That saue the feend / noon wiste what he mente Til he so longe / hadde wopen and compleyned And many a yeer / his seruice to me feyned Til that myn herte / to pitous and to nyce Al Innocent of his corouned malice ffor-ferd of his deeth / as thoughte me Vpon hise othes / and his seuretee Graunted hym loue / vp on this condicioun That eueremoore / myn honour and renoun Were saued / bothe priuee and apert This is to seyn / that after his desert I yaf hym al myn herte / and my thoght God woot and he / þat ootherwise noght And took his herte / in chaunge for myn for ay But sooth is seyd / goon sithen many a day A trewe wight and a theef thenken nat oon And whan he saugh / the thyng so fer ygoon That I hadde graunted hym / fully my loue In swich a gyse / as I haue seyd aboue And yeuen hym / my trewe herte as free As he swoor / he yaf his herte to me Anon this Tigre / ful of doublenesse ffil on hise knees / with so deuout humblesse With so heigh reuerence / and as by his cheere So lyk a gentil louere / of manere So rauysshed / as it semed for the Ioye That neuere Troilus / ne Parys of Troye Iason certes / ne noon oother man Syn Lameth was / þat alderfirst bigan To louen two / as writen folk biforn Ne neuere / syn the firste man was born Ne koude man / by twenty thousand part Countrefete / the Sophymes of his Art Ne were worthy / vnbokelen his galoche Ther doublenesse / or feynyng sholde approche Ne so koude thanke a wight / as he dide me His manere / was an heuene for to see Til any womman / were she neuer so wys So peynted he / and kembde at point deuys As wel hise wordes / as his contenance And I loued hym / for his obeisance And for the trouthe / I demed in his herte That if so were / that any thyng hym smerte Al were it neuer so lite / and I it wiste Me thoughte / I felte deeth myn herte twiste And shortly / so ferforth / this thyng is went That my wyl / was his willes Instrument This is to seyn / my wyl obeyed his wyl In alle thyng as fer as reson fil Kepynge the boundes / of my worshipe euere Ne neuere hadde I thyng so lief ne leuere As hym god woot ne neuere shal namo This lasteth lenger/ than a yeer or two That I supposed of hym / noght but good But finally / thus atte laste it stood That ffortune wolde / þat he moste twynne Out of that place / which þat I was Inne Wher me was wo / that is no question I kan nat make of it discripsion ffor o thyng dare I tellen boldely I knowe / what is the peyne of deeth ther by Swich harme I felte / for I ne myghte bileue So on a day / of me he took his leue So sorwefully eek that I wende verraily That he had felt as muche harm as I Whan þat I herde hym speke / and saugh his hewe But nathelees / I thoughte / he was so trewe And eek þat he / repaire sholde ageyn With Inne a litel while / sooth to seyn And reson wolde eek that he moste go ffor his honour / as ofte it happeth so That I made vertu / of necessitee And took it wel / syn þat it moste be As I best myghte / I hidde fro hym my sorwe And took hym by the hond / seint Iohn to borwe And seyde hym thus / lo I am youres al Beth swich / as I to yow / haue been and shal What he answerde / it nedeth noght reherce Who kan sey bet than he / who kan do werse Whan he hath al seyd / thanne hath he doon Therfore bihoueth hire / 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 hym leste Whan it cam / hym to purpos / for to reste I trowe / he hadde / thilke text in mynde That alle thyng repeirynge to his kynde Gladeth hym self thus seyn men as I gesse¶ Reditu suo singula gaudent/ Men louen of propre kynde newefangelnesse As briddes doon / that men in cages fede ffor though thou nyght and day / take of hem hede And strawe hir Cage / faire and softe as silk And yeue hem sugre / hony / breed and Milk Yet right anon / as that his dore is vppe He with his feet wol spurne adoun his cuppe And to the wode he wole and wormes ete So newefangel / been they of hire mete And louen nouelrie / of propre kynde No gentillesse of blood / may hem bynde ¶ So ferde this Tercelet allas the day Though he were gentil born / fressh and gay And goodlich for to seen / humble and free He saugh vp on a tyme a kyte flee And sodeynly / he loued this kyte so That al his loue / is clene fro me ago And hath his trouthe / falsed in this wyse Thus hath the kyte / my loue in hire seruyse And I am lorn / with outen remedie And with that word / this ffaucon gan to crie And swowned eft/ in Canacees barm ¶ Greet was the sorwe / for the haukes harm That Canacee / and alle hir wommen made They nyste / hou they myghte the ffaucon glade But Canacee / hom bereth hire in hir lappe And softely / in plastres gan hire wrappe Ther as she / with hire beek hadde hurt hir selue Now kan nat Canacee / but herbes delue Out of the ground / and make saues newe Of herbes preciouse / and fyne of hewe To heelen with this [hauk] / fro day to nyght She dooth hire bisynesse / and hire fulle myght And by hire beddes heed / she made a Mewe And couered it with veluettes blewe In signe of trouthe / that is in wommen sene And al with oute the Mewe / is peynted grene In which ther were ypeynted / alle thise false fowles As beth thise tidyues / tercelettes and Owles Right for despit were peynted hem bisyde And pyes on hem / for to crie and chyde ¶ Thus lete I Canacee / hir hauk kepyng I wol namoore as now / speke of hir ryng Til it come eft to purpos for to seyn How that this ffaucon / gat hire loue ageyn Repentant as the storie telleth vs By mediacion of Cambalus The kynges sone / of which I yow tolde But hennes forth / I wol my proces holde To speken of auentures / and of batailles That neuere yet was herd / so grete meruailles ¶ ffirst wol I telle yow / of Cambynskan That in his tyme / many a Citee wan And after wol I speke of Algarsif How that he wan Theodera to his wif ffor whom ful ofte / in greet peril he was Ne hadde he be holpen / by the steede of bras And after / wol I speke of Cambalo That faught in lystes / with the bretheren two For Canacee / er that he myghte hire wynne An ther I lefte / I wol ayeyn bigynne¶ Explicit secunda pars . ¶ Incipit pars tercia . Appollo whirleth vp / his Chaar so hye Til that the god / Mercurius hous the slye[Rest of the page blank] ¶ Heere folwen the wordes of the ffrankelyn to the Squier. and the wordes of the hoost to the ffrankelyn . IN feith Squier / thow hast thee wel yquit And gentilly / I preise wel thy wit Quod the ffrankeleyn / considerynge thy yowthe So feelyngly thou spekest sire I allowethe As to my doom / ther is noon that is heere Of eloquence / that shal be thy peere If that thou lyue / god yeue thee good chaunce And in vertu / sende thee continuaunce ffor of thy speche / I haue greet deyntee I haue a sone / and by the Trinitee I hadde leuere / than twenty pound worth lond Though it right now / were fallen in myn hond He were a man / of swich discrecion As that ye been / fy on possession But if a man / be vertuous with al I haue my sone snybbed / and yet shal ffor he to vertu / listneth nat entende But for to pleye at dees / and to despende And lese al that he hath / is his vsage And he hath leuere / talken with a page Than to comune / with any gentil wight There he myghte lerne gentillesse aright/ ¶ Straw for youre gentillesse / quod our hoost What ffrankeleyn / pardee sire wel thou woost That ech of yow / moot tellen atte leste A tale or two / or breken his biheste ¶ That knowe I wel sire / quod the ffrankeleyn I prey yow / haueth me nat in desdeyn Though to this man I speke 1a word1[1_1 in margin] or two ¶ Telle on thy tale / with outen wordes mo ¶ Gladly sire hoost quod he / I wole obeye Vn to your wyl / now herkneth what I seye I wol yow nat contrarien in no wyse As fer / as that my wittes / wol suffyse I prey to god / that it may plesen yow Thanne woot I wel / that it is good ynow¶ Explicit . [THE PROEM.] ¶ The Prologe / of the ffrankeleyns tale . THise olde gentil Britons / in hir dayes Of diuerse auentures / maden layes Rymeyed / in hir firste Briton tonge Whiche layes / with hir Instrumentz they songe Or elles redden hem / for hir plesance And oon of hem / haue I in remembrance Which I shal seyn / with good wyl as I kan ¶ But sires / by cause I am a burel man At my bigynnyng first I yow biseche Haue me excused / of my rude speche I lerned neuere Rethorik certeyn Thyng þat I speke / it moot be bare and pleyn I sleepe neuere / on the Mount of Pernaso¶ Vnde Persius ‖ fonte labra prolui caballino / nec in bicipite parnaso me memini sompniasse. Ne lerned / Marcus Tullius Scithero Colours ne knowe I none with outen drede But swiche colours / as growen in the Mede Or elles swiche / as men dye or peynte Colours of Rethoryk/ been to queynte My spirit feeleth noght of swich mateere But if yow list my tale shul ye heere ¶ Heere bigynneth / the ffrankeleyns tale / IN Armorik/ that called is Britayne[Painting of the Franklin.] Ther was a knyght / þat loued and dide his payne To serue a lady / in his beste wise And many a labour / many a greet emprise He for his lady wroghte / er she were wonne ffor she was / oon the faireste vnder sonne And eek therto / comen of so heigh kynrede That wel vnnethes / dorste this knyght for drede Telle hire his wo / his peyne / and his distresse But atte laste / she for his worthynesse And namely / for his meke obeysance Hath swich a pitee caught of his penance That pryuely / she fil of his accord To take hym / for hir housbonde and hir lord Of swich lordshipe / as men han ouer hir wyues And for to lede / the moore in blisse hir lyues Of his free wyl / he swoor hire as a knyght That neuere in al his lyf he day ne nyght Ne sholde vp on hym / take no maistrie Agayn hir wyl / ne kithe hire Ialousie But hire obeye / and folwe hir wyl in al As any louere / to his lady shal Saue / that the name of soueraynetee That wolde he haue / for shame of his degree ¶ She thanked hym / and with ful greet humblesse She seyde sire / sith of youre gentillesse Ye profre me / to haue so large a reyne Ne wolde neuere god / bitwixe vs tweyne As in my gilt were outher werre or stryf/ Sire / I wol be / youre humble trewe wyf Haue heer my trouthe / til þat myn herte breste Thus been they / bothe in quiete and in reste ¶ ffor o thyng sires / saufly dar I seye That freendes / euerych oother moot obeye If they wol longe / holden compaignye Loue / wol nat been constreyned by maistrye Whan maistrie comth / the god of loue anon Beteth hise wynges / and farewel he is gon Loue is a thyng as any Spirit free Wommen of kynde / desiren libertee And nat/ to been constreyned as a thral And so doon men / if I sooth seyen shal Looke / who þat is moost pacient in loue He is / at his auantate al aboue Pacience / is an heigh vertu certeyn ffor it venquysseth / as thise clerkes seyn Thynges / þat rigour / sholde neuere atteyne ffor euery word / men may nat/ chide or pleyne Lerneth to suffre / or elles so moot I goon Ye shul it lerne / wher so ye wole or noon ffor in this world certein / ther no wight is That he ne dooth or seith / som tyme amys Ire / siknesse / or constellacion Wyn / wo / or chaungynge of complexion Causeth ful ofte / to doon amys or speken On euery wrong a man may nat be wreken After the tyme / moste be temperance To euery wight þat kan on gouernance And therfore / hath this wise worthy knyght To lyue in ese / suffrance hire bihight And she to hym / ful wisly gan to swere That neuere / sholde ther be defaute in here ¶ Heere may men seen / an humble wys accord Thus hath she take / hir seruant and hir lord Seruant in love / and lord in mariage Thanne was he / bothe in lordshipe and seruage Seruage? nay / but in lordshipe aboue Sith he hath / bothe his lady and his loue His lady certes / and his wyf also The which / þat lawe of loue acordeth to And whan he was / in this prosperitee Hoom with his wyf / he gooth to his contree Nat fer fro Pedmark/ ther his dwellyng was Where as he lyueth / in blisse and in solas ¶ Who koude telle / but he hadde wedded be The ioye / the ese / and the prosperitee That is / bitwixe an housbonde / and his wyf A yeer and moore / lasted this blisful lyf Til þat the knyght of which I speke of thus That of kayrrud / was cleped Arueragus Shoope hym to goon / and dwelle a yeer or tweyne In Engelond / that cleped was eek Briteyne To seke in Armes / worshipe and honour ffor al his lust he sette in swich labour And dwelled there two yeer / the book seith thus ¶ Now wol I stynten / of this Arueragus And speken I wole / of Dorigene his wyf That loueth hire housbonde / as hire hertes lyf ffor his Absence / wepeth she and siketh As doon thise noble wyues / whan hem liketh She moorneth / waketh / wayleth / fasteth / pleyneth Desir of his presence / hire so distreyneth That al this wyde world / she sette at noght Hire freendes / whiche þat knewe hir heuy thoght Conforten hire / in al þat euer they may They prechen hire / they telle hire nyght and day That causelees / she sleeth hir self allas And euery confort possible in this cas They doon to hire / with all hire bisynesse Al / for to make hire / leue hire heuynesse ¶ By proces / as ye knowen euerichoon Men may so longe / grauen in a stoon Til som figure / ther Inne emprented be So longe han they conforted hire / til she Receyued hath / by hope and by reson The emprentyng of hire consolacion Thurgh which / hir grete sorwe gan aswage She may nat alwey / duren in swich rage ¶ And eek Arueragus / in al this care Hath sent hire lettres hoom / of his welfare And þat he wol come hastily agayn Or elles hadde this sorwe / hir herte slayn ¶ Hire freendes sawe / hir sorwe gan to slake And preyde hire on knees / for goddes sake To come / and romen hire in compaignye Awey to dryue / hire derke fantasye And finally / she graunted that requeste ffor wel she saugh / that it was for the beste ¶ Now stood hire Castel / faste by the See And often / with hire freendes walketh shee Hire to disporte / vp on the bank an heigh Where / as she / many a shipe and barge seigh Seillynge hir cours / where as hem liste go But thanne was that a parcel of hire wo ffor to hir self ful ofte allas seith she Is ther no shipe / of so manye as I se Wol bryngen hom my lord / thanne were myn herte Al warisshed / of hise bittre peynes smerte ¶ Another tyme / ther wolde she sitte and thynke And caste hir eyen / dounward fro the brynke But whan she saugh / the grisly Rokkes blake ffor verray feere / so wolde hir herte quake That on hire feet she myghte hire noght sustene Thanne wolde she / sitte adoun vpon the grene And pitously / in to the see biholde And seyn right thus / with sorweful sikes colde ¶ Eterne god / that thurgh thy purueiaunce Ledest the world / by certein gouernaunce In ydel as men seyn / ye no thyng make But lord / thise grisly / feendly Rokkes blake That semen rather / a foul confusion Of werk than any fair creacion Of swich a parfit wys god and a stable Why han ye wroght this werk vnresonable ffor by this werk / South / North / ne West ne Eest Ther nys yfostred / man / ne bryd ne beest It dooth no good to my wit but anoyeth Se ye nat lord / how mankynde it destroyeth An hundred thousand bodyes of mankynde Han Rokkes slayn / al be they nat in mynde Which mankynde / is so fair part of thy werk That thou it madest lyk to thyn owene merk ¶ Thanne semed it ye hadde a greet chiertee Toward mankynde / but how thanne may it bee That ye swiche meenes make / it to destroyen Whiche meenes do no good / but euere anoyen I woot wel / clerkes wol seyn as hem leste By Argumentz / that al is for the beste Though I kan / the causes nat yknowe But thilke god / that made wynd to blowe As kepe my lord / this my conclusion To clerkes lete I / al this disputison But wolde god / that alle thise Rokkes blake Were sonken in to helle for his sake Thise Rokkes / sleen myn herte for the feere Thus wolde she seyn / with many a pitous teere ¶ Hire freendes sawe / that it was no disport To romen by the see / but disconfort And shopen for to pleyen / somwher elles They leden hire / by Ryueres and by welles And eek/ in othere places delitables They dauncen / and they pleyen / at ches and tables ¶ So on a day / right in the morwe tyde Vn to a gardyn / that was ther bisyde In which / that they hadde maad hir ordinance Of vitaille / and of oother purueiance They goon and pleye hem / al the longe day And this was / in the sixte morwe of May Which May hadde peynted / with his softe shoures This gardyn / ful of leues and of floures And craft of mannes hand so curiously Arrayed hadde / this gardyn trewely That neuere / was ther gardyn of swich prys But if it were / the verray Paradys The odour of floures / and the fresshe sighte Wolde han maked / any herte lighte That euere was born / but if to greet siknesse Or to greet sorwe / helde it in distresse So ful it was / of beautee with plesance At after dyner / gonne they to daunce And synge also / saue Dorigen allone Which made alwey / hir compleint and hir moone ffor she ne saugh hym / on the daunce go That was hir housbonde / and hir loue also But nathelees / she moste a tyme abyde And with good hope / lete hir sorwe slyde ¶ Vp on this daunce / amonges othere men Daunced a squier / biforn Dorigen That fressher was / and Iolyer of array As to my doom / than is the Monthe of May He syngeth / daunceth / passynge any man That is // or was / sith þat the world bigan Ther-with he was / if men sholde hym discryue Oon / of the beste farynge man on lyue Yong/ strong right vertuous / and riche and wys And wel biloued / and holden in greet prys And shortly / if the sothe I tellen shal Vnwityng of this Dorigen at al This lusty Squier / seruant to Venus Which that ycleped was Aurelius Hadde loued hire / best of any creature Two yeer and moore / as was his auenture But neuere / dorste he tellen hire his greuance With outen coppe / he drank al his penance He was despeyred / no thyng dorste he seye Saue in his songes / somwhat wolde he wreye His wo / as in a general compleynyng He seyde he louede / and was biloued no thyng Of swich matere / made he manye layes Songes / compleintes / roundels / virelayes How that/ he dorste nat/ his sorwe telle But langwissheth / as a furye dooth in helle And dye he moste he seyde / as dide Ekko¶ Methamorposios. ffor Narcisus / that dorste nat telle hir wo In oother manere / than ye heere me seye Ne dorste he nat. to hire his wo biwreye Saue that parauenture / som tyme at daunces Ther yong folk/ kepen hir obseruaunces It may wel be / he looked on hir face In swich a wise / as man þat asketh grace But no thyng wiste she / of his entente Nathelees / it happed er they thennes wente By cause / that he was hire Neighebour And was a man / of worshipe and honour And hadde yknowen hym / of tyme yoore They fille in speche / and forthe moore and moore Vn to this purpos / drough Aurelius And whan he saugh his tyme / he seyde thus ¶ Madame quod he / by god þat this world made So that I wiste / it myghte youre herte glade I wolde that day / that youre Arueragus Wente ouer the see / that I Aurelius Hadde went ther neuere I sholde haue come agayn ffor wel I woot my seruyce is in vayn My gerdon is / but brestyng of myn herte Madame / reweth vpon my peynes smerte ffor with a word / ye may me sleen or saue Heere at youre feet/ god wolde þat I were graue I ne haue as now / no leyser moore to seye Haue mercy sweete / or ye wol do me deye ¶ She gan to looke / vp on Aurelius Is this youre wyl quod she / and sey ye thus? Neuere erst quod she / ne wiste I what ye mente But now Aurelie / I knowe youre entente By thilke god / that yaf me soule and lyf Ne shal I neuere / been vntrewe wyf In word ne werk/ as fer as I haue wit/ I wol been his / to whom þat I am knyt Taak this for fynal answere / as of me But after that in pley thus seyde she ¶ Aurelie quod she / by heighe god aboue Yet wolde I graunte yow / to been youre loue Syn I yow se / so pitously complayne Looke what day / that endelong Britayne Ye remoeue alle the Rokkes / stoon by stoon That they ne lette / shipe ne boot to goon I seye / whan ye han maad / the coost so clene Of Rokkes / that ther nys no stoon ysene Thanne wol I / loue yow best of any man Haue heer my trouthe / in al þat euere I kan ¶ Is ther noon oother grace / in yow quod he. ¶ No / by that lord quod she that maked me ffor wel I woot þat it shal neuer bityde Lat swiche folies / out of youre herte slyde What deyntee sholde a man / han in his lyf ffor to go loue / another mannes wyf That hath hir body / whan so þat hym liketh ¶ Aurelius / ful ofte soore siketh Wo was Aurelie / whan þat he this herde And with a sorweful herte / he thus answerde ¶ Madame quod he / this were an inpossible Thanne moot I dye / of sodeyn deth horrible And with that word / he turned hym anon Tho coome / hir othere freendes many oon And in the Aleyes / romeden vp and doun And no thyng wiste / of this conclusioun But sodeynly / bigonne reuel newe Til that the brighte sonne / loste his hewe ffor Thorisonte / hath reft the sonne his lyght This is as muche to seye / as it was nyght And hoom they goon / in ioye and in solas Saue oonly / wrecche Aurelius allas He to his hous is goon / with sorweful herte He seeth / he may nat fro his deeth asterte Hym semed / that he felte his herte colde Vp to the heuene / hise handes he gan holde And on hise knowes bare / he sette hym doun And in his rauyng seyde his orisoun ffor verray wo / out of his wit he breyde He nyste what he spak but thus he seyde With pitous herte / his pleynt hath he bigonne Vn to the goddes / and first vn to the sonne ¶ He seyde Appollo / god and gouernour¶ The compleint/ of Aurelius/ to the goddes and to the sonne. Of euery plaunte / herbe / tree and flour That yeuest after thy declinacion To ech of hem / his tyme and his seson As thyn herberwe / chaungeth lowe or heighe Lord Phebus / cast thy merciable eighe On wrecche Aurelie / which am but lorn Lo lord / my lady hath my deeth y-sworn With oute gilt but thy benignytee Vpon my dedly herte / haue som pitee ffor wel I woot / lord Phebus / if yow lest Ye may me helpen / saue my lady best Now voucheth sauf / þat I may yow deuyse How þat I may been holpen / and in what wyse.i. luna ¶ Youre blisful suster / Lucina the sheene That of the see / is chief goddesse and queene Though Neptunus / haue deitee in the See Yet Emperisse / abouen hym is she Ye knowen wel lord / that right as hir desir Is to be quyked / and lightned of youre fir ffor which / she folweth yow / ful bisily Right/ so / the see desireth naturelly To folwen hire / as she that is goddesse Bothe in the see / and Ryueres moore and lesse Wherfore lord Phebus / this is my requeste Do this miracle / or do myn herte breste That now next at this opposicion Which in the signe / shal be of the leon As preieth hire / so greet a flood to brynge That fyue fadme at the leeste it ouersprynge The hyeste Rokke / in Armorik / Briteyne And lat this flood / endure yeres tweyne Thanne certes / to my lady may I seye Holdeth youre heste / the Rokkes been aweye ¶ Lord Phebus / dooth this miracle for me Preye hire / she go no faster cours than ye I seye / preyeth your suster / that she go No faster cours than ye / thise yeres two Thanne shal she been / euene atte fulle alway And spryng flood / laste bothe nyght and day And but she vouche sauf / in swich manere To graunte me / my souereyn lady deere Prey hire / to synken euery Rok adoun In to / hir owene dirke Regioun Vnder the ground / ther Pluto dwelleth Inne Or neuere mo / shal I my lady wynne Thy Temple in Delphos / wol I barefoot seke Lord Phebus / se the teeris on my cheke And of my peyne / haue som compassioun And with that word / in swowne he fil adoun And longe tyme / he lay forth in a traunce ¶ His brother/ which þat knew of his penaunce Vp caughte hym / and to bedde he hath hym broght Dispeyred / in this torment and this thoght Lete I / this woful creature lye Chese he for me / wheither he wol lyue or dye Arueragus / with heele and greet honour As he / þat was / of chiualrie the flour Is comen hoom / and othere worthy men O blisful / artow now / thou Dorigen That hast thy lusty housbonde in thyne Armes The fresshe knyght the worthy man of Armes That loueth thee / as his owene hertes lyf No thyng list hym / to been ymaginatyf If any wight had spoke / whil he was oute To hire of loue / he hadde of it no doute He noght entendeth / to no swich mateere But daunceth / Iusteth / maketh hire good cheere And thus / in ioye and blisse / I lete hem dwelle And of the sike Aurelius / I wol yow telle IN langour/ and in torment furyus Two yeer and moore / lay wrecche Aurelyus Er any foot . he myghte on erthe gon Ne confort in this tyme / hadde he noon Saue of his brother / which þat was a clerk He knew of al this wo / and al this werk ffor to noon oother creature certeyn Of this matere / he dorste no word seyn Vnder his brest he baar it moore secree Than euere dide Pamphilus for Galathee¶ Pamphilus ad Galatheam / vulneror & clausum porto sub pectore telum & cetera His brest was hool / with oute for to sene But in his herte / ay was the Arwe kene And wel ye knowe / that of a Sursanure In Surgerye / is perilous the cure But men myghte touche the Arwe / or come therby His brother / weepe / and wayled pryuely Til atte laste / hym fil in remembrance That whiles he was / at Orliens in ffrance As yonge clerkes / that been lykerous To reden Artes / that been curious Seken / in euery halke / and euery herne Particuler sciences / for to lerne He hym remembred / that vpon a day At Orliens in studie / a book he say Of Magyk/ natureel / which his felawe That was that tyme / a Bacheler of lawe Al were he ther / to lerne another craft Hadde priuely / vpon his desk ylaft Which book spak muchel / of the operacions Touchynge / the eighte and twenty mansions That longen to the moone / and swich folye As in oure dayes / is nat worth a flye ffor hooly chirches feith / in oure bileue Ne suffreth noon illusion vs to greue And whan this book / was in his remembraunce Anon for ioye / his herte gan to daunce And to hym self he seyde pryuely My brother/ shal be warisshed hastily ffor I am siker / þat ther be sciences By wh[i]c[h]e / men make diuerse apparences Swiche / as thise subtile tregetours pleye ffor ofte at feestes / haue I wel herd seye That tregetours / with Inne an halle large Haue maad come In / a water and a barge And in the halle / rowen vp and doun Somtyme / hath semed come a grym leoun And somtyme floures sprynge / as in a Mede Somtyme a Vyne / and grapes white and rede Somtyme a Castel / al of lym and stoon And whan hym lyked / voyded it anoon Thus semed it to euery mannes sighte ¶ Now thanne conclude I thus / þat if I myghte At Orliens / som oold felawe yfynde That hadde / this moones mansions in mynde Or oother Magyk natureel aboue He sholde wel make / my brother han his loue ffor with an apparence / a clerk may make To mannes sighte / þat alle the Rokkes blake Of Britaigne / weren yvoyded euerichon And shippes / by the brynke comen and gon And in swich forme / enduren a wowke or two Thanne were my brother // warisshed of his wo Thanne moste she nedes / holden hire biheste Or elles / he shal shame hire atte leeste ¶ What sholde I make / a lenger tale of this Vn to his brotheres bed / he comen is And swich confort he yaf hym for to gon To Orliens / that he vp stirte anon And on his wey / forthward thanne is he fare In hope / for to been lissed of his care ¶ Whan they were come / almoost to that Citee But if it were / a two furlong or thre A yong clerk romynge by hym self they mette Which þat in latyn / thriftily hem grette And after that he seyde a wonder thyng I knowe quod he / the cause of youre comyng And er they ferther / any foote wente He tolde hem / al that was in hire entente ¶ This Briton clerk hym asked of felawes The whiche þat he had knowe / in olde dawes And he answerde hym / that they dede were ffor which / he weep ful ofte many a teere ¶ Doun of his hors / Aurelius lighte anon And with this Magicien / forth is he gon Hoom to his hous / and maden hem wel at ese Hem lakked no vitaille / þat myghte hem plese So wel arrayed hous / as ther was oon Aurelius in his lyf / saugh neuere noon ¶ He shewed hym / er he wente to Sopeer fforestes / Parkes / ful of wilde deer Ther saugh he hertes / with hir hornes hye The gretteste / that euere were seyn with eye He saugh of hem / an hondred slayn with houndes And somme with Arwes blede / of bittre woundes ¶ He saugh / whan voyded were thise wilde deer Thise ffauconers / vpon a fair Ryuer That with hir haukes / han the heron slayn ¶ Tho saugh he knyghtes / iustyng in a playn And after this / he dide hym swich plesaunce That he hym shewed / his lady on a daunce On which hym self / he daunced / as hym thoughte And whan this Maister / þat this Magyk wroughte Saugh it was tyme / he clapte hise handes two And farewel / al oure reuel was ago And yet remoeued they neuere / out of the hous Whil they saugh / al this sighte merueillous But in his studie / ther as hise bookes be They seten stille / and no wight but they thre ¶ To hym / this Maister called his Squier And seyde hym thus / is redy oure soper Almoost an houre it is I vndertake Sith I yow bad / oure soper for to make Whan that thise worthy men / wenten with me In to my studie / ther as my bookes be ¶ Sire quod this Squier / whan it liketh yow It is al redy / though ye wol right now Go we thanne soupe quod he / as for the beste This amorous folk / som tyme moote han hir reste ¶ At after soper / fille they in tretee What somme / sholde this Maistres gerdon be To remoeuen / alle the Rokkes of Britayne And eek from Gerounde / to the mouth of Sayne ¶ He made it straunge / and swoor / so god hym saue Lasse than a thousand pound / he wolde nat haue Ne gladly / for that somme he wolde nat goon ¶ Aurelius / with blisful herte anoon Answerde thus / fy on a thousand pound This wyde world / which that men seye is round ¶ I wolde it yeue / if I were lord of it This bargayn is ful dryue / for we been knyt Ye shal be payed / trewely by my trouthe But looketh now / for no necligence or slouthe Ye tarie vs heere / no lenger than to morwe ¶ Nay quod this clerk haue heer my feith to borwe ¶ To bedde is goon Aurelius / whan hym leste And wel ny / al that nyght he hadde his reste What for his labour / and his hope of blisse His woful herte / of penaunce hadde a lisse ¶ Vpon the morwe / whan þat it was day To Britaigne / tooke they the righte way Aurelius / and this Magicien bisyde And been descended / ther they wolde abyde And this was / as thise bookes me remembre The colde / frosty seson of Decembre Phebus wax old / and hewed lyk laton That in his hoote declynacion Shoon as the burned gold / with stremes brighte But now in Capricorn / adoun he lighte Where as he shoon ful pale / I dar wel seyn The bittre frostes / with the sleet and reyn Destroyed hath the grene / in euery yerd Ianus sit by the fyr / with double berd¶ Ianus biceps. And drynketh / of his bugle horn the wyn Biforn hym / stant brawen / of the tusked swyn And Nowel / crieth euery lusty man ¶ Aurelius / in al that euere he kan Dooth to his Maister / chiere and reuerence And preyeth hym / to doon his diligence To bryngen hym / out of his peynes smerte Or with a swerd / þat he wolde slitte his herte ¶ This subtil clerk swich routhe had of this man That nyght and day / he spedde hym þat he kan To wayten a tyme / of his conclusion This is to seye / to maken illusion By swich a apparence or Iogelrye I ne kan no termes / of Astrologye That she and euery wight sholde wene and seye That of Britaigne / the Rokkes were aweye Or ellis / they were sonken vnder grounde So atte laste / he hath his tyme yfounde To maken hise Iapes / and his wrecchednesse Of swich / a supersticious cursednesse Hise tables tolletanes / forth he brought fful wel corrected / ne ther lakked nought Neither his collect ne hise expans yeeris Ne hise rootes / ne hise othere geeris As been his centris / and hise Argumentz And hise proporcioneles conuenientz ffor hise equacions / in euery thyng And by his .8. speere in his wirkyng He knew ful wel / how fer Alnath was shoue¶ Alnath dicitur prima mansio lune. ffro the heed / of thilke fixe Aries aboue That in the .9. speere considered is¶ In nona spera. fful subtilly / he hadde kalkuled al this ¶ Whan he hadde founde / his firste mansion He knew the remenant by proporcion And knew the arisyng of his moone weel And in whos face / and terme and euerydeel And knew ful weel / the moones mansion Acordaunt to his operacion And knew also / hise othere obseruances ffor swiche illusions / and swiche meschances As hethen folk / vseden in thilke dayes ffor which / no lenger maked he delayes But thurgh his magik / for a wyke or tweye It semed / that alle the Rokkes were aweye ¶ Aurelius / which þat yet despeired is Wher he shal han his loue / or fare amys Awaiteth nyght and day / on this myracle And whan he knew / þat ther was noon obstacle That voyded were / thise Rokkes euerychon Doun / to hise Maistres feet he fil anon And seyde / I woful wrecche Aurelius Thanke yow lord / and lady myn Venus That me han holpen / fro my cares colde And to the temple / his wey forth hath he holde Where as he knew / he sholde his lady see And whan he saugh his tyme / anon right hee With dredful herte / and with ful humble cheere Salewed hath / his souereyn lady deere My righte lady / quod this woful man Whom I moost drede and loue as I best kan And lothest were / of al this world displese Nere it þat I for yow / haue swich disese That I moste dyen heere / at youre foot anon Noght wolde I telle / how me is wo bigon But certes / outher moste I dye or pleyne Ye sle me giltlees / for verray peyne But of my deeth / thogh þat ye haue no routhe Auyseth yow / er þat ye breke youre trouthe Repenteth yow / for thilke god aboue Er ye me sleen / by cause þat I yow loue ffor madame / wel ye woot what ye han hight Nat þat I chalange / any thyng of right Of yow my souereyn lady / but youre grace But in a gardyn yond / at swich a place Ye woot right wel / what ye bihighten me And in myn hand / youre trouthe plighten ye To loue me best god woot ye seyde so Al be / þat I vnworthy be therto Madame I speke it / for the honour of yow Moore than to saue / myn hertes lyf right now I haue do so / as ye comanded me And if ye vouche sauf / ye may go see Dooth as yow list haue youre biheste in mynde ffor quyk or deed / right there ye shal me fynde In yow lith al / to do me lyue or deye But wel I woot the Rokkes been aweye ¶ He taketh his leue / and she astonied stood In al hir face / nas a drope of blood She wende neuere / han come in swich a trappe Allas quod she / þat euere this sholde happe ffor wende I neuere / by possibilitee That swich a Monstre / or merueille myghte be It is / agayns the proces of nature And hoom she goth / a sorweful creature ffor verray feere / vnnethe may she go She wepeth / wailleth / al a day or two And swowneth / that it routhe was to see But why it was / to no wight tolde shee ffor out of towne / was goon Arueragus But to hir self/ she spak and seyde thus With face pale / and with ful sorweful cheere In hire compleynt as ye shal after heere¶ The compleynt/ of Dorigene ayeyns ffortune ¶ Allas quod she / on thee ffortune I pleyne That vnwar / wrapped hast me in thy cheyne ffor which tescape / woot I no scour Saue oonly / deeth or dishonour Oon of thise two / bihoueth me to chese But nathelees / yet haue I leuere to lese My lif/ than of my body haue a shame Or knowe my seluen fals / or lese my name And with my deth / I may be quyt ywis Hath ther nat/ many a noble wyf er this¶ 30a. Atheniensium tiranni cum Phidonem necassent/ in con|uiuio filias eius virgines ad se venire iusserunt & scortorum more nudari / ac super pauimenta patris sanguine cruentatas inpudicis gestibus ludere ‖ que paulisper dissimulato dolore cum timulentos conuiuas cernerent quasi ad requisita nature egredientes inuicem se complexē precipitauerunt in puteum vt virginitatem morte ser|uarent/ And many a mayde / yslayn hir self allas Rather / than with hir body doon trespas ¶ Yis certes / lo thise stories beren witnesse Whan .xxx. tirauntz / ful of cursednesse Hadde slayn Phidon / in Atthenes at feste They comanded / hise doghtres for tareste And bryngen hem / biforn hem in despit Al naked / to fulfille hir foul delit And in hir fadres blood / they made hem daunce Vpon the pauement god yeue hem myschaunce ffor which / thise woful maydens ful of drede Rather / than they wolde lese hir maydenhede They priuely / been stirt/ in to a welle And dreynte hem seluen / as the bookes telle They of Mecene / leete enquere and seke¶ Cum .50a. vir|gines lacedoniorum Messeni violare temptassent / . Of Lacedomye / fifty maydens eke On whiche / they wolden doon hir lecherye But was ther noon of al that compaignye That she nas slayn / and with a good entente Chees / rather for to dye than assente To been oppressed / of hir maydenhede Why sholde I thanne / to dye been in drede Lo eek / the tiraunt Aristoclides¶ Aristoclides Orcomeni tirannus adamauit vir|ginem stymphalidem que cum patre occiso ad templum diane & cetera. That loued a mayden / heet Stymphalides Whan that hir fader / slayn was on a nyght Vn to Dianes temple / goth she right And hente the ymage / in hir handes two ffro which ymage / wolde she neuere go No wight / ne myghte hir handes of it arace Til she was slayn / right in the selue place ¶ Now sith þat maydens / hadden swich despit To been defouled / with mannes foul delit Wel oghte a wyf / rather hir seluen slee Than be defouled / as it thynketh me What shal I seyn / of Hasdrubales wyf¶ Nam hasdrubalis vxor capta & incensa vrbe cum se cerneret a Romanis capienda & cetera. That at Cartage / birafte hir self hir lyf ffor whan she saugh / that Romayns wan the toun She took hir children alle / and skipte adoun In to the fyr / and chees rather to dye Than any Romayn / dide hire vileynye Hath nat Lucresse / yslayn hir self allas¶ primo ponam lucreciam / que violate pudicie nolens superuivere maculam corporis cruore deleuit/ At Rome / whan she oppressed was Of Tarquyn / for hire thoughte it was a shame To lyuen / whan she had lost hir name The seuene maydens / of Melesie also¶ Quis valet silencio preterire vij. Milesias vir|gines que Gallorum & cetera. Han slayn hem self / for drede and wo Rather than folk of Gawle / hem sholde oppresse Mo than a thousand stories / as I gesse Koude I now telle / as touchynge this mateere Whan habradate was slayn / his wyf so deere¶ Senapho in Ciri maioris scribit/ infancia oc|ciso Habradate & cetera. Hirseluen slow / and leet hir blood to glyde In habradates woundes depe and wyde And seyde my body / at the leeste way Ther shal no wight / defoulen if I may ¶ What sholde I / mo ensamples heer of sayn Sith that so manye / han hem seluen slayn Wel rather / than they wolde defouled be I wol conclude / that it is bet for me To sleen my self / than been defouled thus I wol be trewe / vn to Arueragus Or rather/ sleen my self in som manere As dide / Demociones doghter deere¶ Democionis Ariopagitarum principis virgo filia & cetera. By cause / þat she wolde nat defouled be OCedasus / it is ful greet pitee¶ Quo ore laudande sunt Cedasij filie & cetera To reden / how thy doghtren deyde allas That slowe hem self / for swich manere cas As greet a pitee was it/ or wel moore¶ Nichanor victis Thebis vnius captiue virginis superatus est. The Theban mayden / that for Nichanore Hir seluen slow / right for swich manere wo Another Theban mayden / dide right so¶ Narrant scriptores Grecie & aliam Thebanam virginem & cetera. ffor oon of Macidonye / hadde hire oppressed She with hire deeth / hir maydenhede redressed What shal I seye of Nicerates wyf¶ Quid loquar Nicerati coniugem pie impaciens iniurie viri mortem & cetera. That for swich cas / birafte hir self hir lyf / How trewe eek was / to Alcebiades¶ Alcebiades ille socra|ticus victus & cetera His loue / rather for to dyen chees Than for to suffre / his body vnburyed be Lo which a wyf / was Alceste quod sheAlcesten fabule ferunt pro marito Adameto sponte defunctam / et Penolopes pudicia Omeri carmen est [?]. What seith Omer / of goode Penalopee Al Grece / knoweth of hire chastitee Pardee / of Lacedomya / is writen thus¶ Lacedomia quoque poetarum ore cantatur oc|ciso apud Troiam Protheselao & cetera. That whan at Troie / was slayn Protheselaus No lenger/ wolde she lyue / after his day The same / of noble Porcia telle I may¶ Porcia sine Bruto viuere non potuit With oute Brutus / koude she nat lyue To whom she hadde / al hool hir herte yeue The parfit wyfhod of ArthemesieArthemesia quoque vxor Mauseoli insignis pudicijs fuisse prohibetur & cetera. Honured is / thurgh al the Barbarie O Teuta queene / thy wyfly chastiteeTeuta / Illicorum Regina & cetera. To alle wyues / may a Mirour bee The same thyng / I seye of Bilyea¶ Memorandum strato regulus. ¶ Vidi & omnes pene Barbares capitulo .xxvjo. primi. ¶ Item Cornelia & cetera. ¶ Imitentur go nupte Theanam / Cleobiliam / Gorgim[ or Gorgun] / Thymodiam / Claudias atque Cornelias / in fine libri primi. Of Rodogone / and eek Valeria ¶ Thus pleyne Dorigene / a day or tweye Purposynge euere / that she wolde deye ¶ But nathelees / vpon the thridde nyght Hoom cam Arueragus / this worthy knyght And asked hire / why that she weepe so soore And she gan wepen / euer lenger the moore ¶ Allas quod she / that euere I was born Thus haue I seyd quod she / thus haue I sworn And toold hym al / as ye han herd bifore¶ Singulas has historias & plures hanc materiam concernentes recitat beatus Ieronimus contra Iouinianum in primo suo libro capitulo .39o. It nedeth nat reherce it yow namoore ¶ This housbonde / with glad chiere in freendly wyse Answerde and seyde / as I shal yow deuyse Is ther oght elles Dorigen / but this? ¶ Nay nay quod she / god helpe me so as wys This is to muche / and it were goddes wille ¶ Ye wyf quod he / lat slepen that is stille It may be wel / parauenture yet to day Ye shul youre trouthe / holden by my fay ffor god so wisly / haue mercy vp on me I hadde wel leuere / ystiked for to be ffor verray loue / which that I to yow haue But if ye sholde / youre trouthe kepe and saue Trouthe / is the hyeste thyng þat man may kepe But with that word / he brast anon to wepe And seyde / I yow forbede / vp peyne deeth That neuere / whil thee lasteth / lyf ne breeth To no wight telle thou of this auenture As I may best I wol my wo endure Ne make / no contenance of heuynesse That folk/ of yow / may demen harm or gesse ¶ And forth / he cleped / a squier and a mayde Gooth forth anon / with Dorigen he sayde And bryngeth hire / to swich a place anon They take hir leue / and on hir wey they gon But they ne wiste / why she thider wente He nolde / no wight tellen his entente ¶ Parauenture / an heepe of yow ywis Wol holden hym / a lewed man in this That he wol putte / his wyf in Iupartie Herkneth the tale / er ye vp on hire crie She may haue bettre ffortune / than yow semeth And whan þat ye han herd the tale / demeth This squier / which þat highte Aurelius On Dorigen / that was so amorus Of auenture / happed hire to meete Amydde the toun / right in the quykkest strete As she was bown / to goon the wey forth right Toward the gardyn / ther as she had hight And he was / to the gardynward also ffor wel he spyed / whan she wolde go Out of hir hous / to any maner place But thus they mette / of auenture or grace And he saleweth hire / with glad entente And asked of hire / whiderward she wente ¶ And she answerde / half as she were mad Vn to the gardyn / as myn housbonde bad My trouthe for to holde / allas / allas ¶ Aurelius / gan wondren on this cas And in his herte / hadde greet compassion Of hire / and of hire lamentacion ¶ And of Arueragus the worthy knyght That bad hire holden / al þat she had hight So looth hym was / his wyf sholde breke hir trouthe And in his herte / he caughte of this greet routhe Considerynge / the beste on euery syde That fro his lust yet were hym leuere abyde Than doon / so heigh a cherlyssh wrecchednesse Agayns franchise / and alle gentillesse ffor which / in fewe wordes seyde he thus ¶ Madame / seyeth to youre lord Arueragus That sith I se his grete gentillesse To yow / and eek I se wel youre distresse That him were leuere han shame / and þat were routhe Than ye to me / sholde breke thus youre trouthe I haue wel leuere / euere to suffre wo Than I departe / the loue bitwix yow two I yow relesse madame / in to youre hond Quyt euery[or sirement]surement and euery bond That ye han maad to me / as heer biforn Sith thilke tyme / which þat ye were born My trouthe I plighte / I shal yow neuer repreue Of no biheste / and heere I take my leue As of the treweste / and the beste wyf/ That euere yet I knew in al my lyf/ But euery wyf/ be war of hire biheeste On Dorigene / remembreth / atte leeste Thus kan a Squier/ doon a gentil dede As wel as kan a knyght with outen drede ¶ She thonketh hym / vp on hir knees al bare And hoom / vn to hir housbonde is she fare And tolde hym al / as ye han herd me sayd And be ye siker / he was so weel apayd That it were inpossible / me to wryte What sholde I lenger / of this cas endyte ¶ Arueragus / and Dorigene his wyf In souereyn blisse / leden forth hir lyf Neuere eft ne was ther Angre hem bitwene He cherisseth hire / as though she were a queene And she was to hym / trewe for eueremoore Of thise folk / ye gete of me namoore Aurelius / that his cost hath al forlorn Curseth the tyme / þat euere he was born Allas quod he / allas that I bihighte Of pured gold / a thousand pound of wighte Vn to this Philosophre / how shal I do I se namoore / but that I am fordo Myn heritage / moot I nedes selle And been a beggere / heere may I nat dwelle And shamen / al my kynrede in this place But I of hym / may gete bettre grace But nathelees / I wole of hym assaye At certeyn dayes / yeer by yeer to paye And thanke hym / of his grete curteisye My trouthe wol I kepe / I wol nat lye ¶ With herte soor / he gooth vn to his cofre And broghte gold / vn to this Philosophre The value / of fyue hundred pound I gesse And hym bisecheth of his gentillesse To graunte hym dayes of the remenaunt And seyde maister / I dar wel make auaunt I failled neuere / of my trouthe as yit ffor sikerly / my dette shal be quyt Towardes yow / how euere that I fare To goon a begged / in my kirtle bare But wolde ye vouche sauf/ vp on seuretee Two yeer or thre / for to respiten me Thanne were I wel / for elles moot I selle Myn heritage / ther is namoore to telle This Philosophre / sobrely answerde And seyde thus / whan he thise wordes herde Haue I nat holden couenant vn to thee? ¶ Yes certes / wel and trewely quod he ¶ Hastow nat had /thy lady / as thee liketh? ¶ No no quod he / and sorwefully he siketh ¶ What was the cause / tel me if thou kan? ¶ Aurelius / his tale anon bigan And tolde hym al / as ye han herd bifoore It nedeth nat/ to yow reherce it moore ¶ He seide / Arueragus of gentillesse Hadde leuere dye / in sorwe / and in distresse Than þat his wyf / were of hir trouthe fals The sorwe of Dorigen / he tolde hym als How looth hire was / to been a wikked wyf And þat she leuere had lost that day hir lyf And þat hir trouthe / she swoor thurgh Innocence She neuere erst hadde herd speke of Apparence That made me han of hire so greet pitee And right as frely / as he sente hire me As frely / sente I hire to hym ageyn This al and som / ther is namoore to seyn ¶ This Philosophre answerde / leeue brother Euerich of yow / dide gentilly til oother Thou art a Squier / and he is a knyght But god forbede / for his blisful myght But if a clerk / koude doon a gentil dede As wel as any of yow / it is no drede ¶ Sire / I releesse thee / thy thousand pound As thou right now / were cropen out of the ground Ne neuere er now / ne haddest knowen me ffor sire / I wol nat taken a peny of thee ffor al my craft ne noght for my trauaille Thou hast ypayed wel / for my vitaille It is ynogh / and farewel haue good day And took his hors / and forth he goth his way Lordynges / this question thanne wolde I aske now Which was the mooste fre as thynketh yow Now telleth me / er that ye ferther wende I kan namoore / my tale is at an ende ¶ Heere is ended the ffrankeleyns tale GROUP C. FRAGMENT IV. § 1. THE DOCTOR'S TALE. ELLESMERE MS. ¶ Heere folweth / the Phisiciens tale on leaf 137 Ther was / as telleth Titus Liuius A knyght that was called Virginius ffulfild / of honour / and of worthynesse And strong of freendes / and of greet richesse ¶ This knyght a doghter hadde by his wyf / [Painting of the Physician] No children hadde he mo in al his lyf ffair was this mayde / in excellent beautee Abouen euery wight that man may see ffor Nature / hath with souereyn diligence Yformed hire / in so greet excellence As though she wolde seyn / lo I Nature Thus kan I forme / and peynte a creature Whan that me list who kan me countrefete Pigmalion noght / though he ay forge and bete¶ Quere in Metha|morphosios Or graue / or peynte / for I dar wel seyn Apelles Zanzis / sholde werche in veyn¶ Apelles fecit mira|bile opus in tumulo Darii / Vide in Alex|andro libro .Io. de Zanze in libro Tulij. Outher to graue / or peynte / or forge / or bete If they presumed / me to countrefete ffor he that is the formere principal Hath maked me / his vicaire general To forme and peynten erthely creaturis Right as me list and ech thyng in my cure is Vnder the Moone / þat may wane and waxe And for my werk right no thyng wol I axe My lord and I / been ful of oon accord I made hire / to the worshipe of my lord So do I / alle myne othere creatures What colour that they han / or what figures Thus semeth me / that Nature wolde seye ¶ This mayde of Age .xij. yeer was and tweye In which þat Nature / hadde swich delit ffor right as she kan peynte a lilie whit And reed a Rose / right with swich peynture She peynted hath this noble creature Er she were born / vp-on hir lymes fre Where as by right / swiche colours sholde be And Phebus dyed hath / hire treses grete Lyk to the stremes / of his burned heete And if þat excellent was hire beautee A thousand foold / moore vertuous was she In hire / ne lakked no condicion That is to preyse / as by discrecion As wel in goost as body / chast was she ffor which / she floured in virginitee With alle humylitee / and Abstinence With alle attemperaunce and pacience With mesure eek / of beryng and array Discreet she was / in answeryng alway Though she were wise Pallas dar I seyn Hir facound eek / ful wommanly a pleyn No countrefeted termes / hadde she To seme wys / but after hir degree She spak / and alle hire wordes moore and lesse Sownynge in vertu / and in gentillesse Shamefast she was / [in] maydens shamefastnesse Constant in herte / and euere in bisynesse To dryue hire / out of ydel slogardye Bacus hadde of hire mouth / right no maistrie ffor wyn and youthe / dooth Venus encresse As man in fyr / wol wasten oille or greesse And of hir owene vertu / vnconstreyned She hath ful ofte tyme syk hire feyned ffor that she wolde fleen the compaignye Where likly was / to treten of folye As is at feestes / reuels / and at daunces That been / occasions of daliaunces Swich thyng / maken children for to be To soone rype and boold / as men may se Which is ful perilous / and hath been yoore ffor al to soone / may they lerne loore Of booldnesse / whan she woxen is a wyf ¶ And ye maistresses / in youre olde lyf That lordes doghtres / han in gouernance Ne taketh of my wordes no displesance Thenketh / that ye been set in gouernynges Of lordes doghtres / oonly for two thynges Outher / for ye han kept youre honestee Or elles / ye han falle in freletee And knowen wel ynough the olde daunce And han forsaken / fully swich meschaunce ffor eueremo / therfore for Cristes sake To teche hem vertu / looke þat ye ne slake ¶ A theef of venyson / that hath forlaft His likerousnesse / and al his olde craft Kan kepe a fforest best of any man Now kepeth wel / for if ye wolde ye kan Looke wel / þat ye / vn-to no vice assente Lest ye be dampned / for youre wikke entente ffor who so dooth / a traitour is certeyn And taketh kepe / of that þat I shal seyn Of alle tresons / souereyn pestilenceNota Is / whan a wight bitrayseth Innocence ¶ Ye fadres and ye moodres / eek also Though ye han children / be it oon or two Youre is the charge / of al hir surueiance Whil þat they been / vnder youre gouernance Beth war / if by ensample / of youre lyuynge Or by youre necligence / in chastisynge That they perisse / for I dar wel seye If þat they doon / ye shul it deere abeye Vnder a shepherde / softe and necligent The wolf / hath many a sheepe and lamb to-rent . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. This mayde / of which I wol this tale expresse So kepte hir self hir neded no maistresse ffor in hir lyuyng maydens myghten rede As in a book/ euery good word or dede That longeth to a mayden vertuous She was so prudent and so bounteuous ffor which / the fame / out sprong on euery syde Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wyde That thurgh that land / they preised hire echone That loued vertu / saue Enuye allone That sory is / of oother mennes wele¶ Augustinus And glad is of his sorwe / and his vnheele The doctour / maketh this descripcioun This mayde vp-on a day / wente in the toun Toward a temple / with hire mooder deere As is / of yonge maydens the manere ¶ Now was ther thanne / a Iustice in that toun That gouernour was / of that Regioun And so bifel / this Iuge / hise eyen caste Vp-on this mayde / auysynge hym ful faste As she cam forby / ther as this Iuge stood Anon / his herte chaunged and his mood So was he caught with beautee of this mayde And to hym self / ful pryuely he sayde This mayde / shal be myn / for any man ¶ Anon the feend / in-to his herte ran And taughte hym sodeynly / þat he by slyghte The mayden / to his purpos wynne myghte ffor certes by no force / ne by no meede Hym thoughte / he was nat able for to speede ffor she was strong of freendes / and eek she Confermed was / in swich souerayn bountee That wel he wiste / he myghte hire neuere wynne As for to maken hire / with hir body synne ffor which / by greet deliberacioun He sente after a cherl / was in the toun Which þat he knew / for subtil and for boold This Iuge / vn-to this cherl / his tale hath toold In secree wise / and made hym to ensure He sholde telle it to no creature And if he dide / he sholde lese his heed Whan þat assented was / this cursed reed Glad was this Iuge / and maked him greet cheere And yaf hym yiftes / preciouse and deere ¶ Whan shapen was / al hire conspiracie ffro point to point how þat his lecherie Parfourned sholde been ful subtilly As ye / shul heere it after openly Hoom gooth the cherl / þat highte Claudius This false Iuge / that highte Apius So was his name / for this is no fable But knowen / for historial thyng notable The sentence of it sooth is out of doute This false Iuge / gooth now faste aboute To hasten his delit al that he may And so bifel / soone after on a day This false Iuge / as telleth vs the storie As he was wont sat in his Consistorie And yaf his doomes / vp-on sondry cas This false cherl / cam forth / a ful greet pas And seyde lord / if þat it be youre wille As dooth me right/ vp-on this pitous bille In which I pleyne / vp-on Virginius And if þat he wol seyn / it is nat thus I wol it preeue / and fynde good witnesse That sooth is / that my bille wol expresse ¶ The Iuge answerde / of this in his absence I may nat yeue / diffyny[ty]ue sentence Lat do hym calle / and I wol gladly heereaudire Thou shalt haue al right and no wrong heerehic ¶ Virginius / cam to wite the Iuges wille And right anon / was rad this cursed bille The sentence of it / was as ye shul heere ¶ To yow my lord / sire Apius so deere Sheweth youre poure seruant Claudius How that a knyght / called Virginius Agayns the lawe / agayn al equitee Holdeth expres / agayn the wyl of me My seruant. which þat is my thral by right Which fro myn hous / was stole vp-on a nyght Whil þat she was ful yong this wol I preeue By witnesse lord / so þat it nat yow greeue She nys his doghter nat what so he seye Wherfore / to yow / my lord the Iuge I preye yeld me my thral / if þat it be youre wille Lo / this was / al the sentence of his bille ¶ Virginius / gan vp-on the cherl biholde But hastily / er he his tale tolde And wolde haue preeued it as sholde a knyght And eek by witnessyng of many a wight That it was fals / that seyde his Aduersarie This cursed Iuge / wolde no thyng tarie Ne heere a word moore of Virginius But yaf his Iuggement and seyde thus ¶ I deeme anon / this cherl his seruant haue Thou shalt no lenger / in thyn hous hir saue Go bryng hire forth / and put hire in oure warde The cherl shal haue his thral / this I awarde ¶ And whan this worthy knyght Virginius Thurgh sentence / of this Iustice Apius Moste by force / his deere doghter yeuen Vn-to the Iuge / in lecherie to lyuen He gooth hym hoom / and sette him in his halle And leet anon / his deere doghter calle And with a face deed / as asshen colde Vpon hir humble face / he gan biholde With fadres pitee / stikynge thurgh his herte Al wolde he / from his purpos nat conuerte Doghter quod he / Virginia / by thy name Ther been two weyes / outher deeth or shame That thou most / suffre / allas þat I was bore ffor neuere / thou deseruedest wherfore To dyen / with a swerd / or with a knyf O deere doghter / endere of my lyf Which I haue fostred vp / with swich plesance That thou were neuere / out of my remembrance O doghter / which þat art my laste wo And in my lyf my laste ioye also O gemme o Chastitee in pacience Take thou thy deeth / for this is my sentence ffor loue and nat for hate / thou most be deed My pitous hand / moot smyten of thyn heed Allas / that euere Apius the say Thus hath he falsly / Iugged the to day And tolde hire al the cas / as ye bifore Han herd / nat nedeth for to telle it moore ¶ O mercy deere fader / quod this mayde And with that word / she both hir Armes layde About his nekke / as she was wont to do The teeris / bruste out of hir eyen two And seyde / goode fader shal I dye Is ther no grace / is ther no remedye ¶ No certes / deere doghter myn quod he ¶ Thanne yif me leyser / fader myn quod she My deeth for to compleyne / a litel space ffor pardee Iepte yaf his doghter grace¶ Iudicum capitulo .xj.o ffor to compleyne / er he hir slow allas‖ ffuit illo tempore Iepte Galaandes And god it woot no thyng was hir trespas But for she ran / hir fader for to see To welcome hym / with greet solempnitee And with that word / she fil aswowne anon And after/ whan hir swownyng is agon She riseth vp / and to hir fader sayde Blissed be god / that I shal dye a mayde Yif me my deeth / er that I haue a shame Dooth with youre child / youre wyl a goddes name ¶ And with that word / she preyed hym ful ofte That with his swerd / he wolde smyte softe And with that word / aswowne doun she fil Hir fader / with ful sorweful herte and wil Hir heed of smoot and by the tope it hente And to the Iuge / he gan it to presente As he sat yet in doom in Consistorie And whan the Iuge it saugh / as seith the storie He bad to take hym / and anhange hym faste But right anon / a thousand peple in thraste To saue the knyght for routhe and for pitee ffor knowen was / the false Iniquitee The peple anon / hath suspect of this thyng By manere / of the cherles chalangyng That it was / by the assent of Apius They wisten wel / that he was lecherus ffor which / vn-to this Apius they gon And caste hym in a prison right anon Ther as he slow hym self and Claudius That seruant was / vn-to this Apius And demed / for to hange vpon a tree But that Virginius / of his pitee So preyde for hym / that he was exiled And elles certes / he had been bigyled The remenant were anhanged moore and lesse That were consentant of this cursednesse Heere men may seen / how synne hath his merite Beth war / for no man woot whom god wol smyte In no degree / ne in which manere wyse The worm of conscience / may agryse Of wikked lyf though it so pryuee be That no man / woot ther-of but god and he ffor be he lewed man / or ellis lered He noot how soone / þat he shal been afered Therfore I rede yow / this conseil take fforsaketh synne / er synne yow forsake ¶ Heere endeth / the Phisiciens tale. ¶ The wordes of the Hoost to the Phisicien and the Pardoner. Ovre Hoost gan to swere / as he were wood Harrow quod he / by nayles and by blood This was a fals cherl and a fals Iustise As shameful deeth / as herte may deuyse Come to thise false Iuges / and hire Aduocatz Algate / this sely mayde / is slayn allas Allas / to deere boughte she beautee Wherfore I seye / al day / as men may see That yiftes of ffortune and of Nature Been cause of deeth / to many a creature . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. Of bothe yiftes / that I speke of now Men han ful ofte / moore for harm than prow ¶ But trewely / myn owene maister deere This is / a pitous tale for to heere But nathelees / passe ouer / is no fors I pray to god / so saue thy gentil cors And eek/ thyne vrynals / and thy Iurdones Thyn ypocras / and eek thy Galiones And euery boyste / ful of thy letuarie God blesse hem / and oure lady Seint Marie So moot I theen / thou art a propre man And lyk a prelat by Seint Ronyan Seyde I nat wel / I kan nat speke in terme But wel I woot thou doost myn herte to erme That I almoost/ haue caught a Cardynacle By corpus bones / but I haue triacle Or elles a draughte / of moyste and corny Ale Or but I heere anon / a myrie tale Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde Thou beel amy / thou Pardoner he sayde Telle vs som myrthe / or Iapes right anon ¶ It shal be doon quod he / by Seint Ronyon But first quod he / heere at this Ale stake I wol bothe drynke / and eten of a Cake ¶ And right anon / the gentils gonne to crye Nay / lat hym telle vs of no ribaudye Telle vs som moral thyng þat we may leere Som wit and thanne wol we gladly heere ¶ I graunte ywis quod he / but I moot thynke Vp-on som honeste thyng while þat I drynke ¶ Heere folweth the Prologe of the Pardoners taleon leaf 140, back ¶ Radix malorum est Cupiditas Ad Thimotheum .6o. LOrdynges quod he / in chirches / whan I preche I peyne me / to han an hauteyn speche And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle ffor I kan / al by rote that I telle My theme is alwey oon / and euere was Radix malorum est Cupiditas First I pronounce / whennes þat I come And thanne my bulles / shewe I alle and some Oure lige lordes seel / on my patente That shewe I first my body to warente That no man be so boold / ne preest ne clerk Me to destourbe / of Cristes hooly werk And after that thanne telle I forth my tales 1Bulles of popes1[1_1 nearly scratcht out of the MS] and of Cardynales Of Patriarkes / and bishoppes I shewe And in latyn / I speke a wordes fewe To saffron with my predicacion And for to stire hem / to deuocion Thanne shewe I forth / my longe cristal stones Ycrammed ful of cloutes and of bones Relikes been they / as wenen they echoon Thanne haue [I] in laton a sholder boon Which that was / of an hooly Iewes sheepe Goode men I seye / taak of my wordes keepe If that this boon / be wasshe in any welle If Cow / or Calf or Sheepe / or Oxe swelle That any worm hath ete / or worm ystonge Taak water of that welle / and wassh his tonge And it is hool anon / and forthermoor Of pokkes / and of scabbe / and euery soor Shal euery sheepe be hool / þat of this welle Drynketh a draughte / taak kepe eek what I telle ¶ If that the goode man / that the beestes oweth Wol euery wyke / er that the Cok hym croweth ffastynge drinke / of this welle a draughte As thilke hooly Iew / oure eldres taughte Hise beestes and his stoor shal multiplie ¶ And sire / also / it heeleth Ialousie ffor though a man / be falle in Ialous rage Lat maken / with this water his potage And neuere shal he moore / his wyf mystriste Though he the soothe / of hir defaute wiste Al had she / taken preestes / two or thre ¶ Heere is a Miteyn eek/ that ye may se He þat his hand wol putte in this Mitayn He shal haue / multipliyng of his grayn Whan he hath sowen / be it whete or Otes So þat he offre / pens / or elles grotes ¶ Goode men and wommen / o thyng warne I yow If any wight / be in this chirche now That hath doon synne horrible þat he? Dar nat for shame / of it yshryuen be Or any womman / be she yong or old That hath ymaked / hir housbonde Cokewold Swich folk shal haue no power ne no grace To offren / to my relikes in this place And who so fyndeth hym / out of swich fame They wol come vp / and offre on goddes name And I assoille hem / by the Auctoritee Which that by bulle / ygraunted was to me ¶ By this gaude / haue I wonne / yeer by yeer An hundred mark sith I was Pardoner I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet And whan the lewed peple / is doun yset I preche so / as ye han herd bifoore And telle / an hundred false Iapes moore Thanne peyne I me / to strecche forth the nekke And Est and West vp-on the peple I bekke As dooth a dowue / sittynge / on a berne Myne handes and my tonge goon so yerne That it is ioye / to se my bisynesse Of Auarice / and of swich cursednesse Is al my prechyng for to make hem free To yeuen hir pens / and namely vn-to me ffor myn entente / is nat but for to wynne And no thyng for correccion of synne I rekke neuere / whan they been beryed Though þat hir soules / goon a blakeberyed ffor certes / many a predicacion Comth ofte tyme / of yuel entencion Som for plesance of folk/ and flaterye To been auaunced / by ypocrisye And som for veyne glorie / and som for hate ffor whan / I dar noon oother weyes debate Thanne wol I stynge hym / with my tonge smerte In prechyng / so that he shal nat asterte To been defamed falsly / if that he? Hath trespased / to my bretheren / or to me ffor though I telle noght / his propre name Men shal wel knowe / that it is the same By signes / and by othere circumstances Thus quyte I folk that doon vs displesances Thus spitte I out my venym / vnder hewe Of hoolynesse / to semen hooly and trewe ¶ But shortly myn entente I wol deuyse I preche of no thyng but for coueityse Therfore / my theme is yet and euere was Radix malorum est Cupiditas Thus kan I preche / agayn that same vice Which þat I vse / and that is Auarice But though my self/ be gilty in that synne Yet kan I maken / oother folk to twynne ffrom Auarice / and soore to repente But that is nat/ my principal entente I preche no thyng but for coueitise Of this mateere / it oghte ynogh suffise ¶ Thanne telle I hem / ensamples many oon Of olde stories / longe tyme agoon ffor lewed peple / louen tales olde Swiche thynges / kan they wel reporte and holde What trowe ye / the whiles I may preche And wynne / gold and siluer / for I teche That I wol lyue in pouerte wilfully Nay nay / I thoghte it neuere trewely ffor I wol preche / and begge in sondry landes I wol nat do no labour/ with myne handes Ne make baskettes / and lyue therby By cause / I wol nat beggen ydelly I wol noon / of the Apostles countrefete I wol haue moneie / wolle chese and whete Al were it yeuen / of the pouereste page Or of the pouereste wydwe / in a village Al sholde hir children sterue / for famyne Nay / I wol drynke / licour of the vyne And haue a ioly wenche / in euery toun But herkneth lordynges in conclusioun ¶ Youre likyng is / that I shal telle a tale Now / haue I dronke a draughte of corny ale By god / I hope / I shal yow telle a thyng That shal by reson / been at youre likyng ffor though my self be a ful vicious man A moral tale / yet I yow telle kan Which I am wont to preche / for to wynne Now hoold youre pees / my tale I wol bigynne ¶ Heere bigynneth the Pardoners tale.on leaf 142 IN fflaundres whilom was a compaignye Of yonge folk/ that haunteden folye As Riot hasard / stywes / and Tauernes Where / as / with harpes / lutes and Gyternes They daunce / and pleyen at dees / bothe day and nyght And eten also / and drynken ouer hir myght / Thurgh which / they doon the deuel sacrifise[Painting of the Pardoner on Horseback.] With-Inne that deueles temple in cursed wise By superfluytee abhomynable Hir othes / been so grete and so dampnable That it is grisly / for to heere hem swere Oure blissed lordes body / they to-tere Hem thoughte / þat Iewes / rente hym noght ynough And ech of hem / at otheres synne lough And right anon / thanne comen Tombesteres ffetys and smale / and yonge ffrutesteres Syngeres with harpes / Baudes / wafereres Whiche been / the verray deueles Officeres To kyndle and blowe / the fyr of lecherye That is annexed vn-to glotonye The hooly writ/ take I to my witnesse That luxurie / is in wyn and dronkenesse Lo how þat dronken Looth vnkyndely‖ Nolite inebriari vino / in quo est/ luxuria Lay by hise doghtres two vnwityngly So dronke he was / he nyste what he wroghte ¶ Herodes / who so / wel the stories soghte . . . . .no spurious lines in this MS. Whan he of wyn / was repleet at his feeste Right at his owene table / he yaf his heeste To sleen the Baptist Iohn / ful giltelees ¶ Senec seith a good word doutelees¶ Seneca He seith / he kan no difference fynde Bitwix a man / that is out of his mynde And a man / which that is dronkelewe But that woodnesse / fallen in a shrewe Perseuereth lenger/ than dooth dronkenesse O glotonye / ful of cursednesse O cause first of oure confusion O original / of oure dampnacion Til Crist/ hadde boght vs / with his blood agayn Lo / how deere / shortly for to sayn Aboght was / thilke cursed vileynye Corrupt was al this world for glotonye ¶ Adam oure fader / and his wyf also ffro Paradys / to labour and to wo Were dryuen for that vice / it is no drede ffor whil þat Adam fasted / as I rede¶ Ieronimus contra Ioui|nianum ‖ Quamdiu ieiu|nauit Adam / in Paradiso fuit/ comedit & eiectus est/ statim duxit vxorem He was in Paradys / and whan þat he? Eet of the fruyt/ deffended on the tree Anon he was out cast to wo and peyne O glotonye / on thee wel oghte vs pleyne O wiste a man / how manye maladyes ffolwen of excesse / and of glotonyes He wolde been / the moore mesurable Of his diete / sittynge at his table Allas / the shorte throte / the tendre mouth Maketh þat Est and West and North and South In Erthe / in Eir / in water/ man to swynke To gete a gloton / deyntee mete and drynke Of this matiere / o Paul wel kanstow trete Mete vn-to wombe / and wombe eek vn-to mete¶ Esca ventri & venter escis. deus autem & hunc & illam destruet / Shal god destroyen bothe / as Paulus seith Allas / a foul thyng is it/ by my feith To seye this word / and fouler is the dede Whan man so drynketh / of the white and rede That of his throte / he maketh his pryuee Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee ¶ The Apostel wepyng seith ful pitously¶ Ad Philipenses capitulo .3o. Ther walken manye / of whiche yow toold haue I I seye it now wepyng with pitous voys Ther been enemys of Cristes croys Of whiche the ende is deeth / wombe is hir god O wombe / o. bely / o. stynkyng Cod ffulfilled of donge / and of corrupcioun At either ende of thee / foul is the soun How greet labour/ and cost is thee to fynde Thise Cookes / how they stampe / and streyne and grynde And turnen substaunce in-to Accident To fulfillen / al thy likerous talent Out of the harde bones knokke they The mary / for they caste noght a-wey That may go thurgh the golet softe and swoote Of spicerie / of leef / and bark and roote Shal been his sauce ymaked by delit To make hym yet a newer appetit But certes / he that haunteth swiche delices¶ Qui autem in de|licijs est viuens mortuus est Is deed / whil þat he lyueth in tho vices ¶ A lecherous thyng is wyn and dronkenesse¶ luxuriosa res vinum / et con|tumeliosa ebrietas Is ful of stryuyng and of wrecchednesse O dronke man / disfigured is thy face Sour is thy breeth / foul artow to embrace And thurgh thy dronke nose / semeth the soun As though thou seydest ay Sampsoun Sampsoun And yet god woot Sampsoun drank neuere no wyn Thou fallest/ as it were a styked swyn Thy tonge is lost/ and al thyn honeste cure ffor dronkenesse / is verray sepulture Of mannes wit and his discrecion In whom þat drynke hath dominacion He kan no conseil kepe / it is no drede Now kepe yow / fro the white and fro the rede And namely / fro the white wyn of lepe That is to selle / in ffysshstrete / or in Chepe This wyn of Spaigne / crepeth subtilly In othere wynes / growynge faste by Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee That whan a man hath dronken draughtes thre And weneth / that he be at hoom in Chepe He is in Spaigne / right at the toune of lepe Nat at the Rochele / ne at Burdeux toun And thanne wol he seye / Sampsoun Sampsoun ¶ But herkneth lordes / o word I yow preye That alle the souereyn Actes dar I seye Of victories / in the olde testament Thurgh verray god / þat is omnipotent Were doon in Abstinence / and in preyere Looketh the Bible / and ther ye may it leere ¶ Looke Attilla the grete Conquerour Deyde in his sleepe / with shame and dishonour Bledynge ay at his nose in dronkenesse A Capitayn / sholde lyue in sobrenesse And ouer al this / auyseth yow right wel What was comaunded / vn to Lamwel¶ Noli vinum dare Nat Samuel / but Lamwel seye I Redeth the Bible / and fynde it expresly Of wyn yeuyng to hem þat han Iustise Namoore of this / for it may wel suffise ANd now I haue spoken of Glotonye Now wol I yow / deffenden hasardrye¶ Of Hasardrye Hasard / is verray mooder of lesynges¶ Policratici [Ioannis Saris|buriensis] libro .1o. / Menda|ciorum & periuriarum mater est Alea. And of deceite / and cursed forswerynges Blasphemyng of crist manslaughtre and wast also Of catel and of tyme / and forthermo It is repreeue / and contrarie of honour ffor to ben holde / a commune hasardour And euer the hyer/ he is of estaat The moore / is he holden desolaat If that a Prynce / vseth hasardrye In alle gouernance and policye He is / as by commune opinion Yholde the lasse / in reputacion ¶ Stilbon / that was a wys embassadour Was sent to Corynthe / in ful greet honour ffro Lacidomye / to maken hire Alliaunce And whan he cam / hym happed[e] par chaunce That alle the gretteste / that were of that lond Pleyynge atte hasard / he hem fond ffor which / as soone / as it myghte be He stal hym hoom agayn / to his contree And seyde / ther wol I nat lese my name Ne I wol nat take on me so greet defame Yow for to allie / vn-to none hasardours Sendeth / othere wise Embassadours ffor by my trouthe / me were leuere dye Than I yow sholde / to hasardours allye ffor ye that been / so glorious in honours Shul nat allyen yow / with hasardours As by my wyl / ne as by my tretee This wise Philosophre / thus seyde hee ¶ Looke eek that the kyng Demetrius The kyng of Parthes as the book seith vs Sente him / a paire of dees of gold in scorn ffor he hadde vsed / hasard ther-biforn ffor which / he heeld his glorie / or his renoun At no value / or reputacioun Lordes may fynden / oother maner pley Honeste ynough / to dryue the day awey Now wol I speke / of othes false and grete¶ Of sweryng & forsweryng A word or two / as olde bookes trete Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable And fals sweryng is yet moore repreuable The heighe god / forbad sweryng at al¶ Nolite omnino Iurare Witnesse on Mathew / but in special Of sweryng seith the hooly Ieremye¶ Ieremie .4o. ‖. Iurabis in veri|tate in Iudicio & Iusticia Thou shalt seye sooth thyne othes and nat lye And swere in doom / and eek in rightwisnesse But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse Bihoold and se / that in the firste table Of heighe goddes heestes honurable Hou / that the seconde heeste / of hym / is this Take nat my name / in ydel or amys Lo rather he forbedeth swich sweryng Than homycide / or any cursed thyng I seye / that as by ordre / thus it stondeth This knowen / that hise heestes vnderstondeth How þat / the seconde heeste of god is that And forther ouer / I wol thee telle al plat That vengeance / shal nat parten from his hous That of hise othes / is to outrageous By goddes precious herte / and by his nayles And by the blood of Crist that is in Hayles Seuene is my chaunce / and thyn is cynk and treye By goddes Armes / if thou falsly pleye This daggere / shal thurgh-out thyn herte go This fruyt cometh / of the bicched bones two fforsweryng Ire / falsnesse / Homycide Now for the loue of Crist þat for vs dyde Lete youre othes / bothe grete and smale But sires / now wol I telle forth my tale THise Riotours thre / of whiche I telle Longe erst er prime rong of any belle Were set hem / in a Tauerne to drynke And as they sat they herde a belle clynke Biforn a cors / was caried / to his graue That oon of hem / gan callen to his knaue Go bet quod he / and axe redily What cors is this / þat passeth heer forby And looke / þat thou reporte his name weel ¶ Sire quod this boy / it nedeth neueradeel It was me toold / er ye cam heer two houres He was pardee / an old felawe of youres And sodeynly / he was yslayn to-nyght ffor-dronke / as he sat on his bench vpright Ther cam a priuee theef/ men clepeth deeth That in this contree / al the peple sleeth And with his spere / he smoot his herte atwo And wente his wey / with-outen wordes mo He hath / a thousand slayn this pestilence And maister / er ye come in his presence Me thynketh / that it were necessarie ffor to be war / of swich an Aduersarie Beth redy / for to meete hym eueremoore Thus taughte me my dame / I sey namoore By seinte Marie seyde this Tauerner The child seith sooth / for he hath slayn this yeer Henne ouer a Mile / with-Inne a greet village Bothe man and womman / child and hyne / and page I trowe / his habitacion be there To been auysed / greet wysdom it were Er that he dide a man / a dishonour ¶ Ye goddes Armes / quod this Riotour Is it swich peril / with hym for to meete? I shal hym seke / by wey and eek by strete I make auow / to goddes digne bones Herkneth felawes / we thre been al ones Lat ech of vs / holde vp his hand til oother And ech of vs / bicomen otheres brother And we wol sleen / this false traytour deeth He shal be slayn / which þat so manye sleeth By goddes dignitee / er it be nyght/ ¶ Togidres han thise thre / hir trouthes plight To lyue and dyen / ech of hem for oother As though he were / his owene yborn brother And vp they stirte / and dronken in this rage And forth they goon / towardes that village Of which the Tauerner/ hadde spoke biforn And many a grisly ooth / thanne han they sworn And Cristes blessed body / they to-rente Deeth shal be deed / if that they may hym hente ¶ Whan they han goon / nat fully half a Mile Right as they wolde / han troden ouer a stile An oold man and a poure / with hem mette This olde man / ful mekely hem grette And seyde thus / now lordes / god yow see ¶ The proudeste / of thise Riotours three Answerde agayn / what carl with sory grace Why artow / al forwrapped saue thy face? Why lyuestow so longe / in so greet age? ¶ This olde man / gan looke in his visage And seyde thus / for I ne kan nat fynde A man / though þat I walked in to ynde Neither in Citee / nor in no Village That wolde chaunge / his youthe for myn Age And therfore / moot I han myn Age stille As longe tyme / as it is goddes wille ¶ Ne deeth allas / ne wol nat han my lyf Thus walke I / lyk a restelees kaityf And on the ground / which is my moodres gate I knokke with my staf / bothe erly and late And seye / leeue mooder/ leet me In Lo how I vanysshe / flessh and blood and skyn Allas / whan shul / my bones been at reste Mooder / with yow / wolde I chaunge my cheste That in my chambre / longe tyme hath be Ye for an heyre clowt to wrappe me But yet to me / she wol nat do that grace ffor which / ful pale / and welked is my face ¶ But sires to yow / it is no curteisye To speken / to an old man vileynye But he trespasse / in word / or elles in dede In hooly writ ye may your self wel rede Agayns an oold man / hoor vpon his heed¶ coram canuto capite consurge Ye sholde arise / wherfore I yeue yow reed Ne dooth vn-to an oold man / noon harm now Namoore than þat ye wolde / men did to yow In age / if that ye so longe abyde And god be with yow / where ye go or ryde I moote go thider / as I haue to go ¶ Nay olde cherl / by god thou shalt nat so Seyde this oother hasardour anon Thou partest nat so lightly / by Seint Iohn Thou spak right/ now / of thilke traytour deeth That in this contree / alle oure freendes sleeth Haue heer my trouthe / as thou art his espye Telle where he is / or thou shalt it abye By god / and by the hooly sacrement ffor soothly / thou art oon of his assent To sleen vs yonge folk / thou false theef ¶ Now sires quod he / if þat ye be so leef To fynde deeth / turne vp this croked wey ffor in that groue / I lafte hym by my fey Vnder a tree / and there he wole abyde Noght for youre boost he wole him no thyng hyde Se ye that ook right there ye shal hym fynde God saue yow þat boghte agayn mankynde And yow amende / thus seyde this olde man And euerich / of thise Riotours ran Til he cam to that tree / and ther they founde Of floryns fyne of gold ycoyned rounde Wel ny an .viij. busshels / as hem thoughte No lenger thanne / after deeth they soughte But ech of hem / so glad was of that sighte ffor þat the floryns / been so faire and brighte That doun they sette hem / by this precious hoord The worste of hem / he spak the firste word ¶ Bretheren quod he / taak kepe what I seye My wit is greet though þat I bourde and pleye This tresor / hath ffortune vn-to vs yeuen In myrthe and Ioliftee / oure lyf to lyuen And lightly as it comth / so wol we spende Ey goddes precious dignitee / who wende To-day / that we sholde han so fair a grace But myghte this gold / be caried fro this place Hoom to myn hous / or elles vn-to youres ffor wel ye woot þat al this gold is oures Thanne were we / in heigh felicitee But trewely / by daye it may nat bee Men wolde seyn / þat we were theues stronge And for oure owene tresor/ doon vs honge This tresor / moste ycaried be by nyghte As wisely / and as slyly / as it myghte Wherfore I rede / þat Cut among vs alle Be drawe / and lat se / wher the Cut wol falle And he þat hath the Cut with herte blithe Shal renne to towne / and that ful swithe And brynge vs breed and wyn / ful priuely And two of vs / shul kepen subtilly This tresor wel / and if he wol nat tarie Whan it is nyght we wol this tresor carie By oon assent / where as vs thynketh best That oon of hem / the Cut broghte in his fest And bad hym drawe / and looke where it wol falle And it fil / on the yongeste of hem alle And forth toward the toun / he wente anon And al so soone / as that he was gon That oon spak thus / vn-to that oother Thow knowest wel / thou art my sworn brother Thy profit wol I telle thee anon Thou woost wel / that oure felawe is agon And heere is gold / and that ful greet plentee That shal departed been / among vs thre But nathelees / if I kan shape it so That it departed were / among vs two Hadde I nat doon / a freendes torn to thee? ¶ That oother answerde / I noot hou that may be He woot how that the gold is with vs tweye Wha[t sha]l we doon / what shal we to hym seye? ¶ Shal it be conseil / seyde the firste shrewe? And I shal tellen / in a wordes fewe What we shal doon / and bryngen it wel aboute ¶ I graunte quod that oother / out of doute That by my trouthe / I shal thee nat biwreye ¶ Now quod the firste / thou woost wel we be tweye And two of vs / shul strenger be than oon Looke whan þat he is set that right anoon Arys / as though thou woldest with hym pleye And I shal / ryue hym / thurgh the sydes tweye Whil that thou strogelest with hym / as in game And with thy daggere / looke thou do the same And thanne / shal al this gold / departed be My deere freend / bitwixen me and thee Thanne may we / bothe oure lustes all fulfille And pleye at dees / right at oure owene wille And thus / acorded been thise shrewes tweye To sleen the thridde / as ye han herd me seye ¶ This yongeste / which þat wente vn-to the toun fful ofte in herte / he rolleth vp and doun The beautee of thise floryns / newe and brighte O lord quod he / if so were þat I myghte Haue al this tresor / to my self allone Ther is no man / þat lyueth vnder the trone Of god / that sholde lyue so murye as I And atte laste / the feend oure enemy Putte in his thought þat he sholde poyson beye With which / he myghte / sleen hise felawes tweye ffor why / the feend foond hym in swich lyuynge That he hadde leue / hem to sorwe brynge ffor this was outrely / his fulle entente To sleen hem bothe / and neuere to repente And forth he gooth / no lenger wolde he tarie Into the toun / vn-to Apothecarie And preyde hym / þat he hym wolde selle Som poyson / þat he myghte hise rattes quelle And eek ther was / a polcat in his hawe That as he seyde / hise capons hadde yslawe And fayn he wolde / wreke hym / if he myghte On vermyn / þat destroyed hym by nyghte ¶ The Pothecarie answerde / and thou shalt haue A thyng that al so god my soule saue In al this world / ther is no creature That eten or dronken hath / of this confiture Noght/ but the montance of a corn of whete That he ne shal / his lif anon forlete Ye sterue he shal / and that in lasse while Than thou wolt goon a paas / nat but A Mile This poyson / is so strong and violent ¶ This cursed man / hath in his hond yhent This poyson in a box / and sith he ran In-to the nexte strete / vn-to a man And borwed hym / large botels thre And in the two / his poyson poured he The thridde he kepte clene / for his owene drynke ffor al the nyght/ he shoope hym for to swynke In cariynge of the gold / out of that place And whan this Riotour/ with sory grace Hadde filled with wyn / hise grete botels thre To hise felawes / agayn repaireth he ¶ What nedeth it to sermone of it moore ffor right so / as they hadde cast his deeth bifoore Right so they han hym slayn / and that anon And whan þat this was doon / thus spak that oon Now lat vs sitte and drynke / and make vs merie And afterward / we wol his body berie And with that word / it happed hym par cas To take the botel / ther the poyson was And drank and yaf his felawe drynke also ffor which anon / they storuen bothe two ¶ But certes I suppose / that Auycen Wroot neuere in no Canon / ne in no fen Mo wonder signes / of empoisonyng Than hadde thise wrecches two / er hir endyng Thus ended been / thise homycides two And eek the false empoysonere also ¶ O cursed synne / of alle cursednesse¶ Auctor O traytours homycide .o. wikkednesse O glotonye / luxurie / and hasardrye Thou blasphemour of Crist with vileynye And othes grete / of vsage / and of pride Allas mankynde / how may it bitide That to thy creatour / which þat the wroghte And with his precious herte-blood thee boghte Thou art so fals / and so vnkynde allas ¶ Now goode men / god foryeue yow youre trespas And ware yow / fro the synne of Auarice Myn hooly pardon / may yow alle warice So þat ye offre / nobles / or sterlynges Or elles siluer broches / spoones / rynges Boweth youre heed / vnder this hooly bulle Com vp ye wyues / offreth of youre wolle Youre names / I entre heer/ in my rolle anon In-to the blisse of heueue / shul ye gon I yow assoille / by myn heigh power Yow þat wol offre / as clene and eek as cleer As ye were born / and lo sires thus I preche And Ihesu crist that is oure soules leche So graunte yow / his pardon to receyue ffor that is best I wol yow nat deceyue But sires / o. word / forgat I in my tale I haue Relikes / and pardon in my male As faire / as any man in Engelond Whiche were me yeuen / by the popes[half scratcht out of the MS] hond If any of yow / wole of deuocion Offren / and han myn Absolucion Com forth anon / and kneleth heere adoun And mekely / receyueth my pardoun Or elles / taketh pardon / as ye wende Al newe and fressh / at euery Miles ende So þat ye offren / alwey newe and newe Nobles or pens / whiche þat be goode and trewe It is an honour / to euerich that is heer That ye mowe haue / a suffisant Pardoneer Tassoille yow / in contree as ye ryde ffor auentures / whiche þat may bityde Parauenture / ther may fallen / oon or two Doun of his hors / and breke his nekke atwo Looke which a seuretee / is it to yow alle That I am / in youre felaweshipe yfalle That may assoille yow / bothe moore and lasse Whan þat the soule / shal fro the body passe I rede / þat oure hoost heere shal bigynne ffor he is / moost envoluped in synne Com forth sire hoost and offre first anon And thou shalt kisse / my Relikes euerychon Ye for a grote / vnbokele anon thy purs Nay nay quod he / thanne haue I cristes curs Lat be quod he / it shal nat be so theech Thou woldest make me / kisse thyn olde breech And swere / it were a relyk of a seint Though it were / with thy fundement depeint But by the croys / which þat seint Eleyne fond[fond in a later hand] I wolde / I hadde / thy coillons in myn hond In stide of Relikes / or of seintuarie Lat kutte hem of / I wol with thee hem carie They shul be shryned / in an hogges toord ¶ This Pardoner/ answerde nat a word So wrooth he was / no word ne wolde he seye ¶ Now quod oure hoost I wol no lenger pleye With thee / ne with noon oother angry man But right anon / the worthy knyght bigan Whan þat he saugh / þat al the peple lough Namoore of this / for it is right ynough Sire Pardoner / be glad and myrie of cheere And ye sir hoost þat been to me so deere I prey yow / þat ye kisse the Pardoner And Pardoner / I prey thee / drawe thee neer And as we diden / lat vs laughe and pleye Anon they kiste / and ryden forth hir weye ¶ Heere is ended the Pardoners tale. GROUP B. (β. FRAGMENT III.) § 4. THE SHIPMAN'S TALE. ¶ Heere bigynneth the Shipmannes tale. .Elles. A Marchant whilom dwelled at Seint Denys, That riche was / for which men helde hym wys A wyf he hadde / of excellent beautee[Painting of the Shipman, on the left.] And compaignable / and reuelous was she Which is a thyng that causeth more dispence Than worth is / al the chiere and reuerence That men hem doon / at festes and at daunces Swiche salutacions / and contenaunces Passen / as dooth a shadwe vp on the wal But wo is hym / that payen moot for al The sely housbonde / algate he moste paye He moot vs clothe / and he moot vs arraye Al for his owene worship richely In which array / we daunce iolily And if þat he noght may / par auenture Or ellis / list no swich dispence endure But thynketh / it is wasted / and ylost Thanne moot another / payen for oure cost Or lene vs gold / and that is perilous ¶ This noble Marchant heeld a worthy hous ffor which / he hadde alday so greet repair ffor his largesse / and for his wyf was fair That wonder is / but herkneth to my tale Amonges alle hise gestes / grete and smale Ther was a Monk a fair man and a boold I trowe of thritty wynter he was oold That euere in oon / was comynge to that place This yonge Monk / þat was so fair of face Aqueynted was so / with the goode man Sith that / hir firste knoweliche bigan That in his hous / as famulier was he As it possible / any freend to be ¶ And for as muchel / as this goode man And eek this Monk of which þat I bigan Were bothe two / yborn in o village The Monk / hym claymeth / as for cosynage And he agayn / he seith nat ones nay But was as glad ther-of / as fowel of day ffor to his herte / it was a greet plesance Thus been they knyt with eterne alliance And ech of hem / gan oother for tassure Of bretherhede / whil þat hir lyf may dure ¶ ffree was Daun Iohn and namely of dispence As in that hous / and ful of diligence To doon plesance / and also greet costage He noght forgat to yeue the leeste page In al the hous / but after hir degree He yaf the lord / and sitthe al his meynee Whan that he cam / som manere honest thyng ffor which / they were as glad of his comyng As fowel is fayn / whan þat the sonne vp riseth Na moore of this as now / for it suffiseth But so bifel / this Marchant on a day Shoop hym / to make redy his array Toward / the toun of Brugges for to fare To byen there / a porcion of ware ffor which / he hath to Parys sent anon A Messager / and preyed hath daun Iohn That he sholde come / to Seint Denys to pleye With hym and with his wyf / a day or tweye Er he to Brugges wente / in alle wise ¶ This noble Monk of which I yow deuyse Hath of his Abbot as hym list licence By cause / he was a man / of heigh prudence And eek an Officer / out for to ryde To seen hir graunges / and hire bernes wyde And vn-to Seint Denys / he comth anon Who was so welcome / as my lord Daun Iohn Oure deere cosyn / ful of curteisye With hym broghte he a Iubbe of Maluesye And eek another / ful of fyn vernage And volatyl / as ay was his vsage And thus / I lete hem drynke and pleye This Marchant and this Monk a day or tweye ¶ The thridde day / this Marchant vp ariseth And on hise nedes / sadly hym auyseth And vp / in to his Countour hous gooth he To rekene with hym self / wel may be Of thilke yeer / how þat it with hym stood And how þat he / despended hadde his good And if þat he / encressed were or noon Hise bookes / and his bagges many oon He leith biforn hym / on his countyng bord fful riche / was his tresor and his hord ffor which ful faste / his Countour dore he shette And eek he nolde / þat no man sholde hym lette Of hise accountes / for the meene tyme And thus he sit til it was passed pryme ¶ Daun Iohn was rysen / in the morwe also And in the gardyn / walketh to and fro And hath hise thynges seyd / ful curteisly ¶ This goode wyf cam walkynge pryuely In to the gardyn / there he walketh softe And hym saleweth / as she hath doon ofte A mayde child / cam in hire compaignye Which as hir list she may gouerne and gye ffor yet vnder the yerde was the mayde O deere cosyn myn / daun Iohn she sayde What eyleth yow / so rathe for to ryse ¶ Nece quod he / it oghte ynough suffise ffyue houres for to slepe / vp on a nyght But it were / for an old appalled wight As been thise wedded men / þat lye and dare As in a fourme / sit a wery hare Were al forstraught / with houndes grete and smale But deere Nece / why be ye so pale I trowe certes / that oure goode man Hath yow laboured / sith the nyght bigan That yow were nede / to resten hastily And with that word / he lough ful murily And of his owene thought he wax al reed ¶ This faire wyf gan for to shake hir heed And seyde thus / ye god woot al quod she Nay nay cosyn myn / it stant nat so with me ffor by that god / that yaf me soule and lyf/ In al the Reawme of ffrance / is ther no wyf That lasse lust hath / to that sory pley ffor I may synge / allas and weylawey That I was born / but to no wight quod she Dar I nat telle / how that it stant with me Wherfore I thynke / out of this land to wende Or elles / of my self to make an ende So ful am I / of drede / and eek of care ¶ This Monk bigan vp on this wyf to stare And / seyde / Allas my Nece god forbede That ye / for any sorwe / or any drede ffordo youre self / but tel me of youre grief Parauenture / I yow may / in youre meschief Conseille or helpe / and therfore telleth me All youre anoy / for it shal been secree ffor on my porthors / I make an ooth That neuere in my lyf / for lief ne looth Ne shal I / of no conseil yow biwreye ¶ The same agayn / to yow quod she I seye By god / and by this Porthors I yow swere Though men me wolde / al in to pieces tere Ne shal I neuere / for to goon to helle Biwreye a word / of thyng þat ye me telle Nat for no cosynage / ne alliance But verraily / for loue and affiance Thus been they sworn / and heer vpon they kiste And ech of hem / tolde oother what hem liste ¶ Cosyn quod she / if þat I hadde a space As I haue noon / and namely in this place Thanne wolde I telle / a legende of my lyf What I haue suffred / sith I was a wyf With myn housbonde / al be he of youre kyn ¶ Nay quod this Monk by god / and by seint Martyn He is / na moore cosyn vn-to me Than is this lief þat hangeth on the tree I clepe hym so / by Seint Denys of ffrance To haue / the moore cause of Aqueyntance Of yow / which I haue loued specially Abouen alle wommen sikerly This swere I yow / on my profession Telleth youre grief / lest þat he come adoun And hasteth yow / and gooth youre wey anon ¶ My deere loue quod she / o my daun Iohn fful lief were me / this conseil for to hyde But out it moot I may namoore abyde Myn housbonde / is to me the worste man That euere was / sith þat the world bigan But sith I am a wyf it sit nat me To tellen no wight / of oure priuetee Neither a bedde / ne in noon oother place God shilde / I sholde it tellen for his grace A wyf / ne shal nat seyn of hir housbonde But al honour / as I kan vnderstonde Saue vn to yow / thus muche I tellen shal As helpe me god / he is noght worth at al In no degree / the value of a flye But yet me greueth moost his nygardye And wel ye woot þat wommen naturelly Desiren thynges sixe / as wel as I They wolde / that hir housbondes sholde be Hardy and wise / and riche and ther-to free And buxom vn to his wyf and fressh abedde But by that ilke lord / that for vs bledde ffor his honour / my self for to arraye A sonday next I moste nedes paye An hundred frankes / or ellis I am lorn Yet were me leuere / that I were vnborn Than me were doon / a sclaundre or vileynye And if myn housbonde / eek it myghte espye I nere but lost and therfore I yow preye Lene me this somme / or ellis moot I deye Daun Iohn I seye / lene me thise hundred frankes Pardee / I wol nat faille yow my thankes If that yow list to doon that I yow praye ffor at a certeyn day / I wol yow paye And doon to yow / what plesance and seruice That I may doon / right as yow list deuise And but I do / god take on me vengeance As foul / as euere hadde Genylon of ffrance ¶ This gentil Monk / answerde in this manere Now trewely / myn owene lady deere I haue quod he / on yow so greet a routhe That I yow swere / and plighte yow my trouthe That whan youre housbonde / is to fflaundres fare I wol delyuere yow / out of this care ffor I wol brynge yow / an hundred frankes And with that word / he caughte hire by the flankes And hire embraceth harde / and kiste hire ofte Gooth now youre wey quod he / al stille and softe And lat us dyne / as soone as þat ye may ffor by my chilyndre / it is pryme of day Gooth now / and beeth as trewe as I shal be ¶ Now elles / god forbede sire quod she And forth she gooth / as Iolif as a pye And bad the cookes / þat they sholde hem hye So þat men myghte dyne / and that anon Vp to hir housbonde / is this wyf ygon And knokketh / at his Countour boldely ¶ Who ther? quod he / Peter it am I.¶ qi la? Quod she / what sire / how longe wol ye faste? How longe tyme / wol ye rekene and caste? Youre sommes / and youre bookes / and youre thynges? The deuel haue part on alle swiche rekenynges Ye haue ynough pardee / of goddes sonde Com doun to day / and lat youre bagges stonde Ne be ye nat ashamed that Daun Iohn Shal fasting al this day alenge goon Lat vs heere a messe / and go we dyne ¶ Wyf quod this man / litel kanstow deuyne The curious bisynesse / that we haue ffor of vs Chapmen / al so god me saue And by that lord / þat clepid is Seint Yve Scarsly amonges .xij. ten shul thryue Continuelly / lastynge vn to oure age We may wel / make chiere / and good visage And dryue forth the world / as it may be And kepen / oure estaat in pryuetee Til we be deed / or elles that we pleye A pilgrymage / or goon out of the weye And therfore / haue I greet necessitee Vp on this queynte world tauyse me ffor eueremoore / we moote stonde in drede Of hap and ffortune / in oure chapmanhede ¶ To fflaundres / wol I go / to morwe at day And come agayn / as soone as euere I may ffor which my deere wyf I thee biseke As be to euery wight buxom and meke And for to kepe oure good / be curious And honestly / gouerne wel oure hous Thou hast ynough / in euery maner wise That / to a thrifty houshold may suffise Thee lakketh noon array / ne no vitaille Of siluer in thy purs / shaltow nat faille And with that word / his Countour dore he shette And doun he gooth / no lenger wolde he lette But hastily / a messe was ther seyd And spedily / the tables were yleyd And to the dyner / faste they hem spedde And richely / this Monk / the chapman fedde ¶ At after dyner / daun Iohn sobrely This Chapman took a-part and priuely He seyde hym thus / cosyn it standeth so That wel I se / to Brugges / wol ye go God and seint Austyn / spede yow and gyde I prey yow cosyn / wisely that ye ryde Gouerneth yow also / of youre diete Atemprely / and namely in this hete Bitwix vs two / nedeth no strange fare ffare wel cosyn / god shilde yow fro care And if þat any thyng by day or nyght If it lye in my power / and my myght That ye me wol comande in any wyse It shal be doon / right as ye wol deuyse ¶ O thyng er þat ye goon / if it may be I wolde prey yow / for to lene me An hundred frankes / for a wyke or tweye ffor certein beestes / þat I moste beye To stoore with a place þat is oures God helpe me so / I wolde it were youres I shal nat faille / surely at my day Nat for a thousand frankes a Mile way But lat this thyng be secree / I yow preye ffor yet to nyght / thise beestes moot I beye And fare now wel / myn owene cosyn deere Graunt mercy / of youre cost / and of youre cheere ¶ This noble marchant / gentilly anon Answerde / and seyde o cosyn myn Daun Iohn Now sikerly / this is a smal requeste My gold is youres / whan þat it yow leste And nat oonly my gold / but my chaffare Take what yow list god shilde þat ye spare ¶ But o thyng is / ye knowe it wel ynogh Of Chapmen / that hir moneie is hir plogh We may creaunce / whil we haue a name But goldlees for to be / it is no game Paye it agayn / whan it lith in youre ese After my myght / ful fayn wolde I yow plese ¶ Thise hundred frankes / he fette hym forth anon And priuely / he took hem to daun Iohn No wight in al this world / wiste of this loone Sauynge this Marchant / and daun Iohn alloone They drynke / and speke / and rome a while and pleye Til þat daun Iohn / rideth to his Abbeye The morwe cam / and forth this Marchant rideth To fflaundres ward / his prentys wel hym gydeth Til he cam / in to Brugges murily Now gooth this Marchant faste and bisily Aboute his nede / and byeth and creaunceth He neither / pleyeth at dees ne daunceth But as a Marchant shortly for to telle He let his lyf / and there I lete hym dwelle The sonday next this Marchant was agon To seint Denys / ycomen is Daun Iohn With crowne and berde all fressh and newe y-shaue In al the hous / ther nas so litel a knaue Ne no wight elles / þat he nas ful fayn That my lord Daun Iohn / was come agayn And shortly / right to the point for to gon This faire wyf accorded with daun Iohn That for thise hundred frankes / he sholde al nyght Haue hire in hise armes / bolt upright And this acord / parfourned was in dede In myrthe al nyght a bisy lyf they lede Til it was day / þat Daun Iohn wente his way And bad the meynee / fare wel haue good day ffor noon of hem / ne no wight in the toun Hath of daun Iohn / right no suspecioun And forth he rydeth / hoom to his Abbeye Or where hym list. namoore of hym I seye This Marchant whan þat ended was the faire To Seint Denys / he gan for to repaire And with his wyf he maketh feeste and cheere And telleth hire / that Chaffare is so deere That nedes / moste he make a cheuyssance ffor he was bounden / in a reconyssance To paye twenty thousand sheeld anon ffor which / this Marchant is to Parys gon To borwe / of certeine freendes þat he hadde A certeyn frankes / and somme with him he ladde And whan þat he was come / in to the toun ffor greet chiertee / and greet affectioun Vn to daun Iohn / he gooth hym first to pleye Nat for to axe / or borwe of hym moneye But for to wite / and seen of his welfare And for to tellen hym / of his chaffare As freendes doon / whan they been met yfeere Daun Iohn / hym maketh feeste and murye cheere And he hym tolde agayn / ful specially How he hadde wel yboght and graciously Thanked be god / al hool his marchandise Saue þat he moste / in alle maner wise Maken a cheuyssance / as for his beste And thanne / he sholde been / in ioye and reste ¶ Daun Iohn answerde / certes I am fayn That ye in heele / ar comen hom agayn And if þat I were riche / as haue I blisse Of twenty thousand sheeld / shold ye nat mysse ffor ye / so kyndely / this oother day Lente me gold / and as I kan and may I thanke yow / by god and by seint Iame But nathelees / I took vn to oure dame Youre wyf / at hom / the same gold ageyn Vpon youre bench / she woot it wel certeyn By certeyn tokenes / that I kan yow telle Now by youre leue / I may no lenger dwelle Oure Abbot wole out of this toun anon And in his compaignye / moot I goon Grete wel oure dame / myn owene Nece sweete And fare wel deere cosyn / til we meete This Marchant which þat was ful war and wys Creanced hath / and payd eek in Parys To certeyn lumbardes / redy in hir hond.i. obligacionem The somme of gold / and hadde of hem his bond And hoom he gooth / murie / as a Papeiay ffor wel he knew / he stood in swich array That nedes moste he wynne in that viage A thousand frankes / abouen al his costage ¶ His wyf ful redy / mette hym atte gate As she was wont of oold vsage algate And al that nyght in myrthe they bisette ffor he was riche / and cleerly out of dette Whan it was day / this Marchant gan embrace His wyf / al newe / and kiste hire on hir face And vp he gooth / and maketh it ful tough ¶ Namoore quod she / by god ye haue ynough And wantownely agayn / with hym she pleyde ¶ Til atte laste / this Marchant seyde By god quod he / I am a litel wrooth With yow my wyf / al-though it were me looth And woot ye why / by god as þat I gesse That ye han maad / a manere straungenesse Bitwixen me / and my cosyn daun Iohn Ye sholde han warned me / er I had gon That he yow hadde / an hundred frankes payed By redy tokene / and heeld hym yuele apayed ffor þat I to hym spak of cheuyssance Me semed so / as by his contenance But nathelees / by god oure heuene kyng I thoughte nat to axen hym no thyng I prey thee wyf / as do namoore so Telle me alwey / er that I fro thee go If any dettour / hath in myn absence Ypayed thee / lest thurgh thy necligence I myghte hym axe / a thing that he hath payed ¶ This wyf was nat afered nor affrayed But boldely she seyde / and that anon Marie / I deffie / the false Monk / daun Iohn I kepe nat of hise tokenes / neuer a deel He took me certeyn gold / that woot I wee What yuel thedam / on his Monkes snowte ffor god it woot I wende withouten doute That he hadde yeue it me / bycause of yow To doon ther-with / myn honour and my prow ffor cosynage / and eek for beele cheere That he hath had / ful ofte tymes heere But sith I se / I stonde in this disioynt I wol answere yow / shortly to the poynt ¶ Ye han mo slakkere dettours / than am I ffor I wol paye yow / wel and redily ffor day to day / and if so be I faille I am youre wyf score it vp-on my taille And I shal paye / as soone as euer I may ffor by my trouthe / I haue on myn array And nat on wast bistowed euery deel And for I haue / bistowed it so weel ffor youre honour / for goddes sake I seye As be nat wrooth / but lat vs laughe and pleye Ye shal / my ioly body / haue to wedde By god I wol nat paye yow but a bedde fforgyue it me / myn owene spouse deere Turne hiderward / and maketh bettre cheere ¶ This Marchant saugh / ther was no remedie And for to chide / it nere but greet folie Sith that the thyng may nat amended be Now wyf he seyde / and I foryeue it thee But by thy lyf ne be namoore so large Keepe bet oure good / that yeue I thee in charge Thus endeth my tale / and god vs sende Taillynge ynough / vn-to oure lyues ende Amen . ¶ Heere endeth / the Shipmannes tale . ¶ Bihoold the murie wordes of the Hoost to the Shipman and to the lady Prioresse.on leaf 152 Wel seyd by corpus dominus quod our Hoost Now longe / moote thou saille by the cost Sire gentil maister / gentil Maryneer God yeue this Monk / a thousand last quade yeer A ha felawes / beth ware of swiche a Iape The Monk putte / in the mannes hood an Ape And in his wyues eek by Seint Austyn Draweth no Monkes / moore vn to youre In ¶ But now passe ouer / and lat vs seke aboute Who shal now / telle first of al this route Another tale / and with that word he sayde As curteisly / as it had ben a mayde My lady Prioresse / by youre leue So that I wiste / I sholde yow nat greue I wolde demen / that ye tellen sholde A tale next if so were that ye wolde Now wol ye vouche sauf my lady deere ¶ Gladly quod she / and seyde as ye shal heere¶ Explicit. . ¶ The prologe of the Prioresses tale. .on leaf 152Domine dominus noster. O lord oure lord / thy name how merueillous Is in this large world / ysprad quod she ffor noght oonly / thy laude precious Parfourned is / by men of dignitee But by the mouth of children / thy bountee Parfourned is / for on the brest soukynge Somtyme / shewen they thyn heriynge Wherfore in laude / as I best kan or may Of thee / and of the lylye flour Which that the bar / and is a mayde alway To telle a storie / I wol do my labour Nat that I may / encreessen hir honour sfor she hir self / is honour and the roote Of bountee next hir sone / and soules boote O mooder mayde / o mayde mooder fre O bussh vnbrent brennynge in Moyses sighte That rauysedest doun fro the deitee Thurgh thyn humblesse / the goost þat in thalighte Of whos vertu / whan he thyn herte lighte Conceyued was / the fadres sapience Helpe me / to telle it in thy reuerence Lady / thy bountee / thy magnificence Thy vertu / and thy grete humylitee Ther may no tonge expresse / in no science ffor somtyme lady / er men praye to thee Thou goost biforn / of thy benyngnytee And getest vs / thurgh lyght of thy preyere To gyden vs / vn to thy sone so deere My konnyng is so wayk o blisful queene ffor to declare / thy grete worthynesse That I ne may / the weighte nat susteene But as a child / of twelf / monthe oold or lesse That kan vnnethe / any word expresse Right so fare I / and therfore I yow preye Gydeth my song þat I shal of yow seye¶ Explicit . ¶ Heere bigynneth the Prioresses tale. Ther was in Asye / in a greet Citee[Painting of the Prioress on the left] Amonges cristene folk / a Iewerye Sustened / by a lord / of that contree ffor foule vsure / and lucre of vileynye¶ turpe lucrum. . Hateful / to Crist and to his compaignye And thurgh the strete / men myghte ride or wende ffor it was free / and open at eyther ende A litel scole / of cristen folk ther stood Doun at the ferther ende / in which ther were Children an heepe / ycomen of cristen blood That lerned in that scole / yeer by yere Swich manere doctrine / as men vsed there This is to seyn / to syngen / and to rede As smale children doon / in hire childhede Among thise children / was a wydwes sone A litel clergeon / seuen yeer of age That day by day / to scole was his wone And eek also / where as he saugh thymage Of Cristes mooder he hadde in vsage As hym was taught to knele adoun and seye His Aue Marie / as he goth by the weye Thus hath this wydwe / hir litel sone ytaught Oure blisful lady cristes mooder deere To worshipe ay / and he forgate it naught ffor sely child / wol alday soone leere But ay / whan I remembre on this mateere Seint Nicholas / stant euere in my presence ffor he so yong to Crist dide reuerence This litel child his litel book lernynge As he sat in the scole / at his prymer He / Alma redemptoris / herde synge As children / lerned hire Anthiphoner And as he dorste / he drough hym ner and ner And herkned ay / the wordes and the noote Til he the firste vers / koude al by rote Noght wiste he / what this latyn was to seye ffor he so yong and tendre was of age But on a day / his felawe gan he preye Texpounden hym this song in his langage Or telle hym / why this song was in vsage This preyde he hym / to construe and declare fful often tyme / vpon hise knowes bare His felawe / which that elder was than he Answerde hym thus / this song I haue herd seye Was maked / of oure blisful lady free Hire to salue / and eek hire for to preye To been oure help / and socour whan we deye I kan na moore / expounde in this mateere I lerne song I kan but smal grammeere ¶ And is this song maked in reuerence Of cristes mooder seyde / this Innocent Now certes / I wol do my diligence To konne it al / er Cristemasse is went Though þat / I for my prymer shal be shent And shal be beten / thries in an houre I wol it konne / oure lady for to honoure His felawe / taughte hym homward priuely ffro day to day / til he koude it by rote And thanne / he song it wel and boldely ffro word to word to word acordynge with the note Twies a day / it passed thurgh his throte To scoleward and homward whan he wente On cristes mooder / set was his entente ¶ As I haue seyd / thurgh out the Iuerie This litel child / as he cam to and fro fful murily / wolde he synge and crie O Alma redemptoris / euere mo The swetnesse / his herte perced so Of cristes mooder / that to hire to preye He kan nat stynte / of syngyng by the weye Ovre firste foo / the serpent Sathanas¶ Auctor That hath / in Iues herte his waspes nest Vp swal / and seide / o. hebrayk peple allas Is this to yow / a thyng þat is honest That swich a boy / shal walken as hym lest In youre despit and synge of swich sentence Which is / agayn oure lawes reuerence ffro thennes forth / the Iues han conspired This Innocent out of this world to chace An homycide / ther to / han they hyred That in an Aleye / hadde a priuee place And as the child / gan forby for to pace This cursed Iew hym hente / and heeld hym faste And kitte his throte / and in a pit hym caste I seye / that in a wardrobe / they hym threwe Where as thise Iewes / purgen hire entraille O cursed folk / of Herodes al newe What may youre yuel entente yow auaille Mordre wol out certeyn / it wol nat faille And namely / ther thonour of god shal sprede The blood out crieth / on youre cursed dede ¶ O martir / sowded to virginitee Now maystow syngen / folwynge euere in oon The white lamb celestial quod she Of which / the grete Euaungelist Seint Iohn In Pathmos wroot which seith / þat they þat goon Biforn this lamb / and synge a song al newei. carnaliter That neuere fleshly / wommen they ne knewe ¶ This poure wydwe / awaiteth al that nyght After hir litel child / but he cam noght ffor which as soone / as it was dayes lyght With face pale of drede / and bisy thoght She hath at scole / and elles where hym soght Til finally / she gan so fer espie That he / last seyn was in the Iuerie With moodres pitee / in hir brest enclosed She gooth / as she were half / out of hir mynde To euery place / where she hath supposed By liklihede / hir litel child to fynde And euere / on Cristes mooder/ meeke and kynde She cride / and atte laste / thus she wroghte Among the cursed Iues / she hym soghte She frayneth / and she preyeth pitously To euery Iew / þat dwelte in thilke place To telle hire / if hir child / wente oght forby They seyde nay / but Ihesu of his grace Yaf in hir thoght inwith a litel space That in that place / after hir sone she cryde Where he was casten / in a pit bisyde O grete god / that parfournest thy laude¶ Auctor By mouth of Innocentz / lo heere thy myght This gemme of chastite / this Emeraude And eek of martirdom / the Ruby bright Ther he with throte ykoruen lay vpright He Alma redemptoris / gan to synge So loude / þat al the place gan to rynge ¶ The cristene folk / that thurgh the strete wente In coomen / for to wondre vp on this thyng And hastily / they for the Prouost sente He cam anon / with outen tariyng And herieth Crist that is of heuene kyng And eek his mooder / honour of mankynde And after that / the Iewes leet he bynde ¶ This child / with pitous lamentacion Vp taken was / syngynge his song alway And with honour/ of greet procession They carien hym / vn to the nexte Abbay His mooder swownynge / by his beere lay Vnnethe / myghte the peple þat was theere This newe Rachel / brynge fro his beere ¶ With torment and with shameful deeth echon This Prouost dooth the Iewes for to sterue That of this mordre wiste / and that anon He nolde / no swich cursednesse obserue Yuele shal he haue / þat yuele wol deserue Therfore / with wilde hors / he dide hem drawe And after that he heng hem by the lawe ¶ Vp on this beere / ay lith this Innocent Biforn the chief Auter / whil the masse laste And after that the Abbot with his Couent Han sped hem / for to burien hym ful faste And whan they / hooly water on hym caste Yet spak this child / whan spreynd was hooly water And song O Alma redemptoris mater. ¶ This Abbot which þat was an hooly man As Monkes been / or elles oghte be This yonge child / to coniure he bigan And seyde o deere child I halsen thee In vertu / of the hooly Trinitee Tel me / what is thy cause / for to synge Sith þat thy throte is kut to my semynge ¶ My throte is kut vn to my nekke boon Seyde this child and as by wey of kynde I sholde haue dyed / ye longe tyme agon But Ihesu crist / as ye in bookes fynde Wil þat his glorie / laste / and be in mynde And for the worship / of his mooder deere Yet may I synge / O Alma / loude and cleere ¶ This welle of mercy Cristes mooder sweete I loued alwey / as after my konnynge And whan þat I my lyf / sholde forlete To me she cam / and bad me for to synge This Anthephen / verraily / in my deyynge As ye han herd / and whan þat I hadde songe Me thoughte / she leyde a greyn vp on my tonge Wherfore I synge / and synge I moot certeyn In honour / of that blisful mayden free Til fro my tonge / of taken is the greyn And afterward / thus seyde she to me My litel child / now wol I fecche thee Whan þat the greyn / is fro thy tonge ytake Be nat agast I wol thee nat forsake ¶ This hooly Monk this Abbot hym meene I His tonge out caughte / and took a-wey the greyn And he yaf vp the goost ful softely And whan this Abbot hadde this wonder seyn Hise salte teeris / trikled doun as reyn And gruf he fil / al plat vp on the grounde And stille he lay / as he had leyn ybounde The Couent eek / lay on the pauement Wepynge / and heryen cristes mooder deere And after that / they ryse and forth been went And tooken awey / this martir from his beere And in a temple / of Marbul stones cleere Enclosen they / his litel body sweete Ther he is now / god leue us alle for to meete ¶ O yonge Hugh of Lyncoln slayn also With cursed Iewes / as it is notable ffor it is / but a litel while ago Preye eek / for vs / we synful folk vnstable That of his mercy / god so merciable On vs / his grete mercy multiplie ffor reuerence / of his mooder Marie Amen . ¶ Heere is ended / the Prioresses Tale . ¶ Bihoold the murye wordes of the Hoost to Chaucer .on leaf 155 WHan seyd was al this miracle / euery man As sobre was / that wonder was to se Til that oure hoost Iapen to bigan.s. Chaucer And thanne at erst he looked vp on me And seyde thus / what man artow quod he? Thou lookest as thou woldest fynde an hare ffor euere / vp on the ground / I se thee stare Approche neer / and looke vp murily Now war yow sires / and lat this man haue place He in the waast is shape / as wel as .I..i. henry Bailly This were a popet in an Arm tenbrace ffor any womman smal / and fair of face He semeth eluyssh / by his contenance ffor vn to no wight / dooth he daliance Sey now somwhat syn oother folk han sayd Telle vs a tale / of myrthe / and that anon Hoost quod I / ne beth nat yuele apayd ffor oother tale / certes kan I noon But of a rym / I lerned longe agoon.i. hoost Ye that is good quod he / now shul ye heere Som deyntee thyng me thynketh by his cheere¶ Explicit . ¶ Heere bigynneth Chaucers tale of Thopas.on leaf 155, bk [The First Fit.]

[Each third line is on the right of its couple, in the MS.]

 Listeth lordes in good entent And I wol telle verrayment Of myrthe and of solas Al of a knyght / was fair and gent In bataille / and in tourneyment His name was sire Thopas ¶ Yborn he was / in fer contree In flaundres / al biyonde the see At Poperyng in the place His fader was / a man ful free And lord he was / of that contree As it was goddes grace ¶ Sire Thopas / wax a doghty swayn Whit was his face as Payndemayn Hise lippes rede as rose His rode is lyk / scarlet in grayn And I yow telle / in good certayn He hadde / a semely nose ¶ His heer / his berd / was lyk saffroun That to his girdel raughte adoun Hise shoos of Cordewane Of Brugges / were his hosen broun His Robe / was of Syklatoun That coste many a Iane ¶ He koude hunte / at wilde deer And ride an haukyng for Riuer With grey goshauk on honde Ther-to he was / a good Archeer Of wrastlyng was ther noon his peer Ther any Ram shal stonde ¶ fful many a mayde / bright in bour They moorne for hym paramour Whan hem were bet to slepe But he was chaast and no lechour And sweete as is the Brembul flour That bereth the rede hepe And so bifel vp on a day ffor sothe / as I yow telle may Sire Thopas / wolde out ride He worth / vpon his steede gray And in his hand a launcegay A long swerd / by his side ¶ He priketh / thurgh a fair forest Ther Inne / is many a wilde best Ye bothe bukke and hare And as he priketh North and Est I telle it yow / hym hadde almest Bitidde / a sory care ¶ Ther spryngen herbes / grete and smale The lycorys and Cetewale And many a clowe gylofre And Notemuge / to putte in Ale Wheither it be moyste / or stale Or for to leye in cofre ¶ The briddes synge / it is no nay The sparhauk and the papeiay That ioye it was to heere The thrustelcok / made eek hir lay The wodedowue / vp on a spray She sang ful loude and cleere ¶ Sire Thopas fil in loue longynge Al whan he herde / the thrustel synge And pryked / as he were wood His faire steede in his prikynge So swatte / þat men myghte him wrynge His sydes / were al blood ¶ Sire Thopas eek / so wery was ffor prikyng on the softe gras So fiers was his corage That doun he leyde him in that plas To make his steede som solas And yaf hym good forage ¶ O seinte Marie benedicite What eyleth / this loue at me To bynde me so soore Me dremed / al this nyght pardee An elf queene / shal my lemman be And slepe vnder my goore ¶ An Elf queene / wol I loue ywis ffor in this world / no womman is Worthy to be my make? In towne ¶ Alle othere wommen I forsake And to an Elf queene I me take By dale and eek by downe ¶ In to his sadel / he clamb anon And priketh ouer stile and stoon An Elf queene for tespye Til he so longe / hadde riden and goon That he foond / in a pryue woon The contree of ffairye so wilde ffor in that contree was ther noon? . . . . .no gap in the MS. Neither wyf ne childe ¶ Til þat ther cam a greet geaunt His name was / sire Olifaunt A perilous man of dede He seyde child by Termagaunt / But if thou prike / out of myn haunt Anon I sle thy steede with mace ¶ Heere is / the queene of ffairye With harpe / and pipe and symphonye Dwellynge in this place ¶ The child seyde / Al so moote I thee Tomorwe / wol I meete with thee Whan I haue myn Armoure ¶ And yet I hope / par ma fay That thou shalt with this launcegay Abyen it ful sowre Thy mawe Thyn hauberk / shal I percen / if I may[all over an erasure] Er it be fully pryme of day ffor heere thow shalt be slawe ¶ Sire Thopas / drow abak ful faste This geant at hym stones caste Out of a fel staf slynge ¶ But faire escapeth sire Thopas And al it was thurgh goddes gras And thurgh his fair berynge Yet listeth / lordes / to my tale Murier than the Nightyngale I wol yow rowne How sir Thopas / with sydes smale Prikyng ouer hill and dale Is comen agayn to towne ¶ His murie men / comanded he To make hym / bothe game and glee ffor nedes / moste he fighte With a geaunt with heuedes three ffor paramour and Iolitee Of oon / that shoon ful brighte ¶ Do come he seyde / my Mynstrales And geestours / for to tellen tales Anon in myn Armynge Of Romances / that been Roiales Of Popes / and of Cardinales And eek of loue likynge ¶ They sette hym first sweete wyn And Mede eek in a Mazelyn And Roial spicerye And Gyngebreed / þat was ful fyn And lycorys and eek Comyn With sugre þat is so trye ¶ He dide / next his white leere Of clooth of lake / fyn and cleere A breech / and eek a sherte And next his sherte an Aketon And ouer that an haubergeon ffor percynge of his herte ¶ And ouer that / a fyn hawberk Was al ywroght of Iewes werk fful strong it was of plate And ouer that his cote Armour As whit as is / a lilye flour In which / he wol debate ¶ His sheeld / was al / of gold so reed And ther Inne / was a bores heed A Charbocle bisyde And there he swoor / on ale and breed How þat the geaunt shal be deed Bityde what bityde ¶ Hise Iambeux were of quyrboilly His swerdes shethe of Yuory His helm of laton bright His sadel was of Rewel boon His brydel / as the sonne shoon Or as the moone light ¶ His spere it was / of fyn Ciprees That bodeth werre / and no thyng pees The heed / ful sharpe ygrounde ¶ His steede was / al dappull gray It gooth an Ambil in the way fful softely and rounde In londe ¶ Loo lordes myne / heere is a fit If ye wol any moore of it To telle it / wol I fonde [The Second Fit.] NOw holde youre mouth par charitee Bothe knyght and lady free And herkneth to my spelle ¶ Of batailles / and of Chiualry And of ladyes / loue drury Anon I wol yow telle ¶ Men speken of Romances of prys Of Hornchild / and of Ypotys Of Beves and of sir Gy Of sir lybeux and pleyn damour But sir Thopas / he bereth the flour Of Roial Chiualry ¶ His goode Steede / al he bistrood And forth / vpon his wey he rood As sparcle / out of the bronde ¶ Vp on his Creest He bar a tour And ther Inne / stiked a lilie flour God shilde his cors fro shonde ¶ And for he was / a knyght Auntrous He nolde slepen / in noon hous But liggen in his hoode ¶ His brighte helm / was his wonger And by hym / baiteth his dextrer Of herbes fyne and goode ¶ Hym self / drank water of the well As dide the knyght sire Percyuell So worly vnder wede ¶ Til on a day ¶ Heere the Hoost stynteth Chaucer / of his tale of Thopas. Na moore of this / for goddes dignitee Quod oure hoost for thou makest me So wery / of thy verray lewednesse That also wisly / god my soule blesse Min eres aken / of thy drasty speche Now swich a Rym / the deuel I biteche This may wel / be Rym dogerel quod he ¶ Why so quod I / why wiltow lette me? Moore of my tale / than another man Syn that it is / the beste tale I kan ¶ By god quod he / for pleynly at a word Thy drasty rymyng / is nat worth a toord Thou doost noght elles / but despendest tyme Sire at o word / thou shalt no lenger ryme Lat se / wher thou kanst tellen aught in geeste Or telle in prose / somwhat at the leeste In which ther be som murthe / or som doctryne ¶ Gladly quod I / by goddes sweete pyne I wol yow telle / a litel thyng in prose That oghte liken yow / as I suppose Or elles certes / ye been to daungerous It is a moral tale vertuous Al be it take somtyme / in sondry wyse Of sondry folk as I shal yow deuyse ¶ As thus / ye woot þat euery Euaungelist/ That telleth vs / the peyne of Ihesu crist Ne seith nat alle thyng as his felawe dooth But nathelees / hir sentence is al sooth And alle acorden / as in hire sentence Al be ther / in hir tellyng difference ffor somme of hem seyn moore / and somme seyn lesse Whan they / his pitous passioun expresse I meene / of Mark Mathew / Luc and Iohn But doutelees / hir sentence is all oon ¶ Therfore lordynges alle / I yow biseche If þat yow thynke / I varie as in my speche As thus / though that I telle som what moore Of prouerbes / than ye han herd bifoore Comprehended / in this litel tretys heere To enforce with / theffect of my mateere And though I / nat the same wordes seye As ye han herd / yet to yow alle I preye Blameth me nat for as in my sentence Shul ye / nowher / fynden difference ffro the sentence / of this tretys lyte After the which / this murye tale I write And therfore / herkneth / what þat I shal seye And lat me tellen / al my tale I preye¶ Explicit . ¶ Heere bigynneth Chaucers tale of Melibee .

[There are no line-numbers or breaks between the paragraphs in the MS. Tyrwhitt's breaks are kept here to prevent slight differences in the Six Texts throwing out many lines. ‖ stands for a triangular pause-mark in the MS.]

[Ellesmere MS, on leaf 157, back.]

[2157][Painting of Chaucer on horseback.]

A Yong man called Melibeus myghty and riche / bigat vp on his wyf that called was Prudence / a doghter which that called was Sophie /.

[2158] Vpon a day bifel þat he / for his desport/ is went in to the feeldes hym to pleye / [2159] his wyf / and eek his doghter / hath he left inwith his hous / of which the dores / weren fast yshette [2160] ¶ thre of hise olde foes / han it espyed and setten laddres / to the walles of his hous / and by wyndowes been entred / [2161] and betten his wyf / and wounded his doghter with fyue mortal woundes in fyue sondry places [2162] ¶ this is to seyn / in hir feet. in hire handes /. in hir erys /. in hir nose /. and in hire mouth and leften hire for deed / and wenten awey

[2163] ¶ Whan Melibeus / retourned was in to his hous / and saugh al this meschief? he lyk a mad man rentynge his clothes / gan to wepe and crie

[2164] ¶ Prudence his wyf / as ferforth as she dorste / bisoghte hym / of his wepyng for to stynte / [2165] but nat for-thy / he gan to crie and wepen euere lenger the moore

[2166] ¶ This noble wyf Prudence / remembred hire / vpon the sentence of Ouide / in his book / that cleped is the remedie of loue ‖ where as he seith / [2167] he is a fool /¶ Ouidius / de remedio amoris. that destourbeth the mooder to wepen in the deeth of hire child / til she haue wept hir fille / as for a certein tyme [2168] ¶ And thanne / shal man doon his diligence with amyable wordes / hire to reconforte / and preyen hire of hir wepyng for to stynte [2169] ¶ ffor which reson this noble wyf Prudence / suffred hir housbonde for to wepe and crie / as for a certein space /. [2170] And whan she saugh hir tyme / she seyde hym in this wise ¶ Allas / my lord quod she / why make ye youre self for to be lyk a fool / [2171] for sothe / it aperteneth nat to a wys man / to maken swiche a sorwe / [2172] youre doghter / with the grace of god shal warisshe and escape / [2173] And al were it so / that she right now were deed? ye ne oughte nat as for hir deeth youre self to destroye [2174] ¶ Senek¶ Seneca seith / the wise man / shal nat take to greet disconfort for the deeth of his children / [2175] but certes / he sholde suffren it in pacience / as wel / as he / abideth the deeth / of his owene. propre persone

[2176] ¶ This Melibeus / answerde anon and seyde¶ Melibeus ¶ What man quod he sholde of his wepyng stente / that hath so greet a cause for to wepe? [2177] Ihesu crist¶ Qualiter Ihesus christus fleuit propter mortem lazari oure lord hym self wepte for the deeth of Lazarus hys freend [2178] ¶ Prudence answerde ‖. Certes wel I woot ‖ Attempree wepyng is no thyng deffended to hym þat sorweful is amonges folk in sorwe / but it is rather graunted hym to wepe [2179] ¶ The Apostle Paul vn-to the¶ Apostolus Pau|lus ad Romanos Romayns writeth ‖ Man shal reioyse with hem that maken ioye and wepen / with swich folk as wepen [2180] ¶ But though attempree wepyng be ygraunted / outrageous wepyng certes is deffended / [2181] Mesure of wepyng sholde be considered / after the loore þat techeth us Senek¶ Seneca [2182] ¶ Whan that thy frend is deed quod he / lat nat thyne eyen to moyste been of teeris / ne to muche drye / Al though the teeris come to thyne eyen / lat hem nat falle / [2183] And whan thou hast for-goon thy freend / do dili|gence to gete another freend / and this is moore wysdom / than for to wepe for thy freend which that thou hast lorn / for ther-Inne is no boote / [2184] And therfore / if ye gouerne yow by sapience / put awey sorwe / out of youre herte [2185] ¶ Remembre yow / þat Ihesus Syrak seith¶ Ihesus Syrak ¶ A man that is ioyous and glad in herte / it hym con|serueth florissynge in his age / But soothly / sorweful herte / maketh hise bones drye [2186] ¶ He seith eek/ thus / That sorwe in herte / sleeth ful many a man [2187] ¶ Sa|lomon ¶ Salomon seith / That right as Motthes in the shepes flees / anoyeth to the clothes / and the smale wormes to the tree / right so anoyeth sorwe to the herte / [2188] wherfore / vs oghte as wel in the deeth of oure children / as in the losse of oþere goodes temporels haue pacience

[2189] ¶ Remembre yow vp on the pacient Iob /¶ Memorandum de lob whan he hadde lost his children and his temporeel sub|stance / and in his body endured and receyued ful many a greuous tribulacion; yet seyde he thus [2190] ¶ Oure lord / [le m'a donné; nostre Seigneur] hath biraft it me / right as oure lord hath wold / right so it is doon / blessed be the name of oure lord [2191] ¶ To thise foreseide thynges / answerde Melibeus / vn to his wyf Prudence¶ Melibeus ¶ Alle thy wordes quod he been sothe / and therwith pro|fitable / but trewely / myn herte is troubled with this sorwe so greuously / that I noot what to doone [2192] ¶ Lat calle quod Prudence thy trewe freendes alle / and thy lynage /¶ Prudence whiche that been wise / telleth youre cas / and herkneth what they seye in conseillyng and yow gouerne after hire sentence [2193] ¶ Salomon seith / werk alle thy thynges¶ Salomon by conseil / and thou shalt neuer repente

[2194] ¶ Thanne by the conseil of his wyf Prudence / this Melibeus / leet callen a greet congregacion of folk/. [2195] as surgiens / Phisiciens olde folk and yonge / and somme of hise olde enemys reconsiled as by hir semblaunt to his loue / and in to his grace / [2196] and ther-with-al / ther coomen somme of hise neighebores / that diden hym reuerence / moore for drede than for loue / as it happeth ofte / [2197] ¶ Ther coomen also / ful many subtille flatereres and wise Aduocatz lerned in the lawe /

[2198] And whan this folk / togidre assembled weren / this Melibeus in sorweful wise / shewed hem his cas / [2199] and by the manere of his speche / it semed wel / that in herte / he baar a crueel Ire / redy to doon venge|ance vp on hise foes / and sodeynly desired / that the werre sholde bigynne / [2200] but nathelees / yet axed he hire conseil vpon this matiere [2201] ¶ A Surgien by licence and assent of swiche as weren wise / vp roos / and to Melibeus / seyde / as ye may heere

[2202] ¶ Sire quod he / as to vs Surgiens aperteneth / that we do to euery wight the beste that we kan / where as we been withholde / and to oure pacientz that we do no damage / [2203] wherfore it happeth many tyme and ofte / that whan twey men / han euerich wounded oother / oon same surgien heeleth hem bothe / [2204] wherfore / vn to oure Art it is nat pertinent to norice werre ne parties to supporte ‖. [2205] But certes / as to the warisshynge of youre doghter / al be it so / that she perilously be wounded / we shullen do so ententif bisynesse fro day to nyght that with the grace of god / she shal be hool and sound / as soone as is possible [2206] ¶ Almoost / right in the same wise / the Phisiciens answerden / saue that they seyden / a fewe woordes moore / [2207] That right as maladies / been cured by hir contraries ‖ right so / shul men warisshe werre by vengeance [2208] ¶ Hise neighe|bores ful of enuye / hise feyned freendes that semeden reconsiled / and hise flatereres / [2209] maden semblant of wepyng and empeireden and agreggeden muchel of this matiere in preisynge greetly Melibee / of myght / of power / of richesse / and of freendes despisynge / the power of hise Aduersaries / [2210] and seiden outrely that he anon sholde wreken hym on hise foes and bigynne werre

[2211] ¶ Vp roos thanne an Aduocat that was wys / by leue and by conseil of othere that were wise / and seide ‖. [2212] Lordynges / the nede for which we been assembled in this place / is a ful heuy thyng and an heigh matiere / [2213] by cause of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath be doon / and eek by reson of the grete damages that in tyme comynge / been possible to fallen for this same cause / [2214] and eek by reson of the grete richesse and power of the parties bothe / [2215] for the whiche resons / it were a ful greet peril to erren in this matiere [2216] ¶ wherfore / Melibeus this is oure sentence / we conseille yow abouen alle thyng. that right anon / thou do thy diligence in kepynge of thy propre persone / in swich a wise þat thou wante noon espie / ne wacche / thy persone for to saue [2217] ¶ And after that we conseille þat in thyn hous / thou sette sufficeant garnison so that they may / as wel thy body as thyn hous defende [2218] ¶ But certes / for to moeue werre / or sodeynly for to doon vengeaunce / we may nat demen / in so litel tyme / that it were profit|able /. [2219] Wherfore we axen leyser and espace / to haue deliberacion in this cas to deme / [2220] ffor the commune prouerbe seith thus ¶ He that soone deemeth. soone shal¶ Nota de Iudicibus & eorum Iudiciis repente [2221] And eek men seyn / that thilke Iuge is wys that soone vnderstondeth a matiere and Iuggeth by leyser [2222] ¶ for al be it so that alle tariyng be anoyful / algates / it is nat to repreue in yeuynge of Iuggement ne in vengeance takyng whan it is sufficeant and resonable [2223] ¶ And that shewed oure lord Ihesu crist by en|sample / for whan that the womman / that was taken in Auowtrie was broght in his presence / to knowen / what sholde be doon with hire persone / al be it so that he wiste wel hym self / what that he wolde answere / yet ne wolde he nat answere sodeynly / but he wolde haue deliberacion / and in the ground he wroot twies / [2224] and by thise causes / we axen deliberacion / and we shal thanne by the grace of god / conseille thee thyng / that shal be profitable /

[2225] ¶ Vp stirten thanne / the yonge folk atones / and the mooste partie of that compaignye scorned the olde wise men and bigonnen to make noyse / and seyden / that [2226] right so / as whil that Iren is hoot men sholden smyte / right so / men sholde wreken hir wronges / while þat they been fresshe and newe / and with loud voys / they criden werre / werre

[2227] ¶ Vp roos tho / oon of thise olde wise / and with his hand made contenaunce / that men sholde holden hem stille and yeuen hym Audience [2228] ¶ Lordynges quod he / ther is ful many a man / that crieth werre werre / that woot ful litel what werre amounteth [2229] ¶ werre at his bigynnyng hath so greet an entryng and so large / that euery wight may entre whan hym liketh / and lightly fynde werre / [2230] but certes / what ende that shal ther-of bifalle / it is nat light to knowe ‖ [2231] ffor soothly / whan þat werre is ones bigonne / ther is ful many a child vnborn of his mooder / that shal sterue yong by cause of that ilke werre / or elles lyue in sorwe / and dye in wrecchednesse ‖. [2232] And ther fore / er þat any werre bigynne / men moste haue greet conseil and greet deliberacion [2233] ¶ And whan this olde man / wende / to enforcen his tale by resons / wel ny alle atones / bigonne they to rise for to breken his tale / and beden hym ful ofte / hise wordes for to abregge / [2234] ffor soothly / he that precheth to hem / that listen nat heeren hise wordes / his sermon hem anoieth [2235] ¶ ffor Ihesus Syrak seith / that Musik in wepynge is¶ Ihesus Syrak/ anoyous thyng‖. this is to seyn ‖ As muche auailleth to speken bifore folk / to whiche his speche anoyeth / as it is to synge / biforn hym that wepeth ‖. [2236] And this wise man / saugh that hym wanted audience / and al shamefast he sette hym doun agayn [2237] ¶ ffor Salomon seith ‖ ther¶ Salomon as thou ne mayst haue noon Audience / enforce thee nat to speke [2238] ¶ I see wel quod this wise man / þat the commune prouerbe is sooth ‖ That good conseil wanteth / whan it is moost [nede]

[2239] ¶ Yet hadde this Melibeus in his conseil / many folk that priuely in his eere conseilled hym certeyn thyng. and conseilled hym the contrarie in general Audience

[2240] Whan Melibeus hadde herd / that the gretteste¶ Melibeus partie of his conseil / weren accorded þat he sholde maken werre / anoon / he consented to hir conseillyng and fully affermed hire sentence / [2241] Thanne dame Prudence /¶ Prudence whan þat she saugh / how that hir housbonde shoope hym for to wreken hym on hise foes / and to bigynne werre / she in ful humble wise / whan she saugh hir tyme / seide to hym thise wordes [2242] ¶ My lord quod she / I yow biseche as hertely as I dar and kan / ne haste yow nat to faste / and for alle gerdons / as yeueth me Audience [2243] ¶ ffor Piers Alfonce seith ¶ who so that dooth to¶ Petrus that oother good or harm / haste thee nat to quiten it. for in this wise thy freend wole abyde / and thyn enemy shal the lenger lyue in drede [2244] ¶ The prouerbe seith ‖ he hasteth wel that wisely kan abyde ‖ And in wikked haste / is no profit

[2245] This Melibee answerde vn to his wyf Prudence¶ Melibee ¶ I purpose nat quod he to werke by thy conseil / for many causes and resons ¶ ffor certes / euery wight wolde holde me thanne a fool [2246] ¶ this is to seyn / If I. for thy conseillyng wolde chaungen thynges that been ordeyned and affermed by so manye wyse [2247] ¶ Sec|oundly I seye / that alle wommen been wikke / and noon good of hem alle ¶ ffor of a thousand men seith Salomon /¶ Nota secundum Salomonem I foond a good man but certes of alle wommen / good womman foond I neuere [2248] ¶ And also certes / If I gouerned me by thy conseil / it sholde seme that I hadde yeue to thee ouer me the maistrie / and god forbede / that it so weere [2249] ¶ For Ihesus Syrak seith / that if the¶ Ihesus Syrak/ wyf haue maistrie / she is contrarious to hir housbonde [2250] ¶ And Salomon seith ¶ Neuere in thy lyf / to thy¶ Salomon wyf / ne to thy child / ne to thy freend / ne yeue no power ouer thy self ‖. ffor bettre it were / that thy children aske of thy persone / thynges that hem nedeth / than thou be thy self in the handes of thy children / [2251] ¶ And if I wolde werke by thy conseillyng? Certes / my conseillyng moste som tyme be secree / til it were tyme þat it moste be knowe and this / ne may noght be [2252. Car il est escript, la genglerie des femmes ne puct riens celler fors ce qu'elle ne scet. [2253] Apres, le philosophre dit, en mauvais conseil les femmes vainquent les hommes: et par ces raisons je ne dois point user de ton conseil. MS Reg. 19 C. vii, in Tyrwhitt, iv. 335. (See Prudence on Reasons 4 & 5, further on.)]

[2254] Whanne dame Prudence / ful debonairly and¶ Prudence with greet pacience / hadde herd / al that hir housbonde liked for to seye / thanne axed she of hym licence for to speke / and seyde in this wise [2255] ¶ My lord quod she / as to youre firste reson / certes it may lightly been answered ¶ ffor I seye / that it is no folie / to chaunge conseil ‖. whan the thyng is chaunged ¶ or elles / whan the thyng semeth / ootherweyes / than it was biforn [2256] ¶ And mooreouer I seye / that though ye han sworn and bihight to perfourne youre emprise ¶ And nathelees / ye weyue to perfourne / thilke same emprise by Iuste cause / men sholde nat seyn therfore / that ye were a lier ne forsworn [2257] ¶ ffor the book seith / þat the wise man maketh no lesyng whan he turneth his corage to the bettre [2258] ¶ And al be it so / that youre emprise be establissed and ordeyned / by greet multitude of folk / yet thar ye nat accomplice thilke ordinance / but yow like [2259] ¶ ffor the trouthe of thynges / and the profit been rather founden in fewe folk that been wise / and ful of reson / than by greet multitude of folk ther euery man crieth and clatereth / what that hym liketh ¶ Soothly / swich multitude is nat honeste [2260] ¶ As to the seconde reson /. where as ye seyn þat alle wommen been wikke? Saue youre grace / certes ye despisen alle wommen in this wyse / [car il est escript, qui tout desprist, a tous desplaist] [2261] & Senec seith / that who so wole haue sapi|ence ¶ Seneca / shal no man despise but he shal gladly / techen the science that he kan with-outen presumpcion or pride / [2262] And swiche thynges // as he nought ne kan / he shal nat been ashamed to lerne hem and enquere of lasse folk / than hym self /. [2263] And sire / that ther hath been many a good womman / may lightly be preued / [2264] ¶ ffor certes sire / oure lord Ihesu crist wolde neuere haue descended to be born of a womman / if alle wommen / hadden ben wikke / [2265] And after that for the grete bountee that is in wommen oure lord Ihesu crist whan he was risen fro deeth to lyue / appeered rather to a womman / than to hise Apostles [2266] ¶ And though that salomon seith / that he ne foond neuere womman good / it folweth nat therfore / that alle wommen ben wikke [2267] ffor though that he ne foond no good womman /. certes ful many another man / hath founden / many a womman ful good and trewe [2268] ¶ Or elles per auenture / the entente of salomon was this / that as in souereyn bounte he foond no womman / [2269] this is to seyn / that ther is no wight þat hath souereyn bountee / saue god allone / as he hym self recordeth in hys Euaun|gelie / [2270] ffor ther nys no creature so good / that hym ne wanteth somwhat of the perfeccion of god / that is his maker [2271] ¶ Youre thridde reson is this ¶ ye seyn / if ye gouerne yow by my conseil / it sholde seme that ye hadde yeue me the maistrie / and the lordshipe ouer youre persone ‖. [2272] sire saue youre grace / it is nat so ‖ ffor if it were so that no man sholde be conseilled / but oonly of hem that hadden lordshipe and maistrie of his persone / men wolden nat be conseilled so ofte ‖ [2273] ffor soothly / thilke man that asketh conseil of a purpos / yet hath he free choys / wheither he wole werke by that conseil or noon [2274] ¶ And as to youre fourthe reson ¶ ther ye seyn þat the Ianglerie of wommen hath hyd thynges that they wiste noght. As who seith / that a womman kan nat hyde that she woot [2275] ¶ sire thise wordes been vnder|stonde of wommen þat been Iangleresses and wikked / [2276] of whiche wommen / men seyn that thre thynges / dryuen a man out of his hous ¶ that is to seyn Smoke /¶ Of .iij. thynges þat dryuen a man out of his hous. droppyng of Reyn /. and wikked wyues / [2277] and swiche wommen seith Salomon / þat it were bettre dwelle¶ Salomon in desert than with a womman that is riotous [2278] ¶ And sire by youre leue / that am nat .I. / [2279] for ye haan ful ofte assayed my grete silence / and my gret pacience. ‖ And eek how wel / that I kan hyde and hele thynges / that men oghte secreely to hyde [2280] ¶ And soothly / as to youre fifthe reson / where as ye seyn / that in wikked con|seil / wommen venquisshe men ¶ god woot thilke reson stant heere in no stede [2281] ¶ ffor vnderstoond now / ye asken conseil to do wikkednesse / [2282] and if ye wole werken wikkednesse / and youre wif restreyneth thilke wikked purpos / and ouercometh yow by reson and by good conseil / [2283] certes youre wyf oghte rather to be preised / than yblamed [2284] ¶ Thus sholde ye vnder|stonde the Philosophre / that seith / In wikked conseil wommen venquisshen hir housbondes [2285] ¶ And ther as ye blamen alle wommen and hir resons ‖ I shal shewe yow by manye ensamples / that many a womman / hath ben ful good / and yet been / and hir conseils ful hoolsome and profitable [2286] ¶ Eek / som men han seyd that the conseillynge of wommen / is outher to deere / or elles to litel of pris [2287] ¶ But al be it so / þat ful many a womman is badde / and hir conseil vile and noght worth / yet han men founde / ful many a good womman / and ful discrete and wise in conseillynge [2288] ¶ Loo Iacob / by¶ Nota de Rebekka good conseil of his mooder Rebekka wan the benyson of Ysaak / his fader / and the lordshipe ouer alle hise bretheren [2289] ¶ Iudith by hire good conseil deliuered the Citee of¶ de Iudith Bethulie in which she dwelled / out of the handes of Olofernus / that hadde it biseged and wolde haue al destroyed it [2290] ¶ Abygail deliuered Nabal hir housbonde fro¶ de Abygail Dauid the kyng that wolde haue slayn hym / and apaysed the Ire of the kyng by hir wit and by hir good conseil|lyng [2291] ¶ Hester / enhaunced greetly by hir good con|seil ¶ de Hestere the peple of god / in the regne of Assuerus the kyng [2292] ¶ and the same bountee in good conseillyng of many a good womman may men telle [2293] ¶ And moore ouer / whan oure lord hadde creat Adam oure forme fader / he seyde in this wise / [2294] It is nat good / to been a man alloone / make we to hym an helpe semblable to hym self / [2295] ¶ Heere may ye se / that if that wommen were nat goode and hir conseils goode & profitable / [2296] oure lord god of heuene / wolde neuere han wroght hem / ne called hem / help of man but rather confusion of man [2297] ¶ And ther seyde oones a clerk in two vers ‖ what is bettre / than gold? Iaspre ¶ What is bettre than Iaspre? wisedoom / [2298] ¶ And what is better than wisedoom? womman ‖. And what is bettre than a good womman? no thyng [2299] ¶ And sire by manye of othre resons / may ye seen that manye wommen been goode / and hir conseils goode and profitable ‖ [2300] And therfore sire / if ye wol triste to my conseil / I shal restoore yow / youre doghter / hool and sound / [2301] And eek/ .I. wol do to yow so muche / that ye shul haue honour in this cause /

[2302] Whan Melibee hadde herd the wordes of his¶ Melibee wyf Prudence / he seyde thus [2303] ¶ I se wel that the word of Salomon is sooth ‖. he seith that wordes þat¶ Salomon been spoken discreetly by ordinaunce / been honycombes / for they yeuen swetnesse to the soule / and hoolsomnesse to the body [2304] ¶ And wyf / by cause of thy sweete wordes / and eek for I haue assayed and preued thy grete sapience / and thy grete trouthe / I wol gouerne me by thy conseil / in alle thyng /

[2305] Now sire quod dame Prudence / and syn ye¶ Prudence vouche sauf / to been gouerned by my conseil / I wol enforme yow / how ye shul gouerne youre self/ in chesynge of youre conseillours [2306] ¶ Ye shul first/ in alle youre werkes / mekely / biseken to the heighe god / þat he wol be youre conseillour /. [2307] And shapeth yow / to swich entente / that he yeue yow conseil and confort as taughte Thobie his sone [2308] ¶ At alle tymes / thou shalt blesse¶ Thobias god and praye hym / to dresse thy weyes / and looke / þat alle thy conseils been in hym for eueremoore [2309] Seint¶ Sanctus Iacobus Iame eek seith ‖. If any of yow haue nede of sapience / axe it of god [2310] ¶ And afterward / thanne shul ye taken conseil of youre [self] and examyne wel youre thoghtes / of swich thyng as yow thynketh þat is best for youre profit / [2311] And thanne shul ye dryue fro youre herte. thre¶ Of .iij. thynges þat been contra|riouse to good conseil thynges that been contrariouse to good conseil / [2312] That is to seyn / Ire / coueitise / and hastifnesse

[2313] ¶ ffirst he þat axeth conseil of hym self / certes / he moste been with-outen Ire / for manye causes / [2314] the firste is this ¶ he þat hath greet Ire and wratthe in hym self / he weneþ alwey that he may do thyng that he may nat do [2315] ¶ And secoundely / he that is Irous and wrooth / he ne may nat wel deme / [2316] and he þat may nat wel deme / may nat wel conseille [2317] ¶ The thridde is this / that he þat is Irous and wrooth as seith Senec ne may nat speke / but he blame thynges / [2318]¶ Seneca and with hise viciouse wordes / he stireth oother folk / to Angre and to Ire [2319] ¶ And eek sire / ye moste dryue coueitise out of youre herte / [2320] ffor the Apostle seith¶ Apostolus ¶ That coueitise is roote of alle harmes ‖ [2321] And trust wel / that a coueitous man ne kan noght deme ne thynke / but oonly to fulfille the ende of his coueitise / [2322] and certes / that ne may neuere been accompliced / for euere / the moore habundaunce þat he hath of richesse / the moore he desireth [2323] ¶ And sire / ye moste also / dryue out of youre herte hastifnesse / for certes / [2324] ye ne may nat deeme for the beste a sodeyn thought / that falleth in youre herte / but ye moste auyse yow on it ful ofte / [2325] ffor as ye herde biforn / The commune prouerbe is this ¶ That he þat soone deemeth / soone repenteth.

[2326] ¶ Sire / ye ne be nat alwey in lyke disposicion [2327] for certes / som thyng þat somtyme semeth to yow / that it is good for to do / Another tyme it semeth to yow the contrarie /

[2328] whan ye han taken conseil of youre self / and han deemed by good deliberacion swich thyng/ as you list best/ [2329] ¶ Thanne rede I yow / that ye kepe it/ secree / [2330] biwrey nat youre conseil to no persone / but if so be that ye wenen sikerly / that thurgh youre biwreyyng youre condicion / shal be to yow the moore profitable [2331] ¶ ffor Ihesus Syrak seith / Neither to thy¶ Ihesus Syrak/ foo ne to thy frend discouere nat thy secree ne thy folie / [2332] for they wol yeue yow Audience and lookynge / to supportacion in thy presence / and scorne thee in thyn Absence [2333] ¶ Another clerk seith / That scarsly shaltou fynden any persone / that may kepe conseil sikerly [2334] ¶ The book seith / whil þat thou kepest thy conseil in thyn herte / thou kepest it in thy prison / [2335] and whan thou biwreyest thy conseil to any wight / he holdeth thee in his snare [2336] ¶ And therfore yow is bettre to hyde youre conseil in youre herte / than praye hem / to whom ye han biwreyed youre conseil / that he wole kepen it cloos and stille [2337] ¶ ffor Seneca seith ¶ If so be /¶ Seneca þat thou ne mayst nat thyn owene conseil hyde? how darstou prayen any oother wight thy conseil sikerly to kepe [2338] ¶ But nathelees / If thou wene sikerly / þat the biwreiyng of thy conseil to a persone / wol make thy condicion to stonden in the bettre plyt/ . thanne shaltou tellen hym thy conseil in this wise [2339] ¶ ffirst thou¶ How a man shall tellen his conseil shalt make no semblant wheither thee were leuere pees or werre / or this / or that . ne shewe hym nat thy wille and thyn entente / [2340] ffor trust wel / þat comenli thise conseillours been flatereres / [2341] namely the conseillours of grete lordes / [2342] for they enforcen hem alwey / rather to speken plesante wordes / enclynynge to the lordes lust . than wordes þat been trewe or profitable [2343] ¶ And therfore / men seyn / þat the riche man hath seeld good con|seil but if he haue it of hym self [2344] ¶ And after that thou shalt considere thy freendes and thyne enemys ‖ [2345] And as touchynge thy freendes thou shalt con|sidere / wiche of hem / þat been moost feithful and moost wise / and eldest and most approued in conseillyng . [2346] And of hem shalt thou aske thy conseil / as the caas requireth

[2347] ¶ I seye / þat first / ye shul clepe to youre con|seil youre freendes that been trewe [2348] ¶ ffor Salomon¶ Salomon seith ¶ That right as the herte of a man deliteth in sauour þat is soote / right so / the conseil of trewe freendes / yeueth swetenesse to the soule; [2349] He seith also ¶ ther may no thyng be likned to the trewe freend ‖ [2350] for certes gold ne siluer / beth nat so muche worth as the goode wyl of a trewe freend [2351] ¶ And eek he seith / that a trewe freend / is a strong deffense / who so þat hym fyndeth / certes / he fyndeth a greet tresour [2352] ¶ Thanne shul ye eek considere / if that youre trewe freendes / been discrete and wise / ¶ ffor the book seith / Axe alwey thy conseil / of hem þat been wise / [2353] And by this same reson / shul ye clepen to youre conseil of youre freendes that been of age / swiche as han seyn and been expert in manye thynges / and been approued in conseillynges [2354] ¶ ffor the book seith / that in the olde men is the Sapience / and in longe tyme the prudence [2355] ¶ And Tullius seith / that grete thynges / ne been nat ay accompliced by strengthe / ne by deliuernesse of body / but by good conseil / by Auctoritee of persones and by science / the whiche thre thynges / ne been nat fieble by age / but certes / they enforcen and en|creescen day by day / [2356] And thanne / shul ye kepe this / for a general reule ¶ ffirst shul ye clepen to youre conseil / a fewe of youre freendes that been especiale / [2357] for Salomon seith ¶ Manye freendes haue thou /¶ Nota secundum Salomonem but among a thousand chese thee oon / to be thy conseil|lour / [2358] ffor al be it so / that thou first ne telle thy conseil / but to a fewe / thou mayst afterward telle it to mo folk if it be nede / [2359] but looke alwey / that thy conseillours / haue thilke thre condicions þat I haue seyd bifore / that is to seyn / that they be trewe / wise / and of oold experience [2360] ¶ And werke nat alwey in euery nede / by oon counseillour allone ¶ ffor somtyme bihooueth it to been conseilled by manye ‖ [2361] ffor Salomon seith¶ Salomon ¶ Saluacion of thynges / is / where as ther been manye conseillours

[2362] Now / sith I haue toold yow / of which folk / ye sholde been counseilled / now wol I teche yow which conseil / ye oghte to eschewe [2363] ¶ ffirst ye shul eschue the conseillyng of fooles ‖ ffor Salomon seith / taak no con|seil ¶ Salomon of a fool / for he ne kan noght conseille / but after his¶ Of conseillours þat a man oghte to eschue owene lust and his affeccion [2364] ¶ The book seith / that the propretee of a fool is this ¶ he troweth lightly harm of euery wight / and lightly troweth alle bountee in hym self [2365] ¶ Thou shalt eek eschue / the conseillyng of flatereres / swiche as enforcen hem / rather to preise youre persone by flaterye than for to telle yow / the sooth|fastnesse of thynges

[2366] ¶ Wherfore Tullius seith ¶ Amonges alle the¶ Tullius pestilences that been in freendshipe / the gretteste is flaterie / And therfore is it moore nede þat thou eschue and drede flatereres / than any oother peple [2367] ¶ The book seith / thou shalt rather drede and flee / fro the sweete wordes / of flaterynge preiseres / than fro the egre wordes of thy freend / that seith thee thy sothes ‖ [2368] Salomon seith / that the wordes of a flaterere / is a snare to chacche with Innocentz [2369] ¶ He seith also / that he þat speketh to his freend / wordes of swetnesse and of plesaunce / setteth a net biforn his feet to cacche hym [2370] ¶ And therfore seith Tullius / Enclyne nat thyne eres to flatereres / ne taaketh no conseil of the wordes of flaterye ‖. [2371] And Caton seith ¶ Auyse thee wel / and¶ Cato eschue the wordes / of swetnesse and of plesaunce [2372] ¶ And eek thou shalt eschue / the conseillyng of thyne olde enemys / that been reconsiled [2373] ¶ The book seith /. that no wight retourneth saufly / in-to the grace of his olde enemy [2374] ¶ And Isope seith / Ne trust nat to hem / to whiche thou hast had som tyme werre or enemytee / ne telle hem nat thy conseil [2375] ¶ And Seneca telleth the cause why ¶ It may nat be seith he /¶ Seneca that where greet fyr / hath longe tyme endured / that ther ne dwelleth som vapour of warmnesse [2376] And therfore seith Salomon ¶ In thyn olde foo trust neuere¶ Salomon [2377] ¶ ffor sikerly / though thyn enemy / be reconsiled and maketh thee chiere of humylitee / and lowteth to thee with his heed ne trust hym neuere [2378] ¶ ffor certes / he maketh thilke feyned humilitee / moore for his profit than for any loue of thy persone / by cause that he deem|eth / to haue victorie ouer thy persone / by swich feyned contenance / the which victorie / he myghte nat wynne / by strif or werre [2379] And Peter Alfonce seith /. Make no¶ Petrus Alfonce felawshipe / with thyne olde enemys ‖ ffor if thou do hem bountee / they wol peruerten it / in to wikkednesse [2380] And eek thou most eschue / the conseillyng of hem / that been thy seruantz and beren thee greet reuerence / for perauenture / they doon it moore / for drede than for loue [2381] ¶ And therfore / seith a Philosophre / in this¶ Philosophus wise ‖. Ther is no wight parfitly trewe / to hym þat he to soore dredeth [2382] ¶ And Tullius seith ‖ Ther nys no¶ Tullius myght so greet of any Emperour / that longe may endure / but if he haue / moore loue of the peple / than for drede [2383] ¶ Thou shalt also eschue / the conseiling of folk that been dronkelewe ‖ for they kan no conseil hyde [2384] ¶ ffor Salomon seith ‖ Ther is no priuetee / ther as¶ Salomon regneth dronkenesse [2385] ¶ Ye shul also / han in suspect the conseillyng of swich folk. as conseille yow . a thyng priuely / and conseille yow / the contrarie openly [2386] ¶ ffor Cassidorie seith /. that it is a manere sleighte to¶ Cassidorus hyndre / whan he sheweth to doon a thyng openly / and werketh priuely the contrarie [2387] ¶ Thou shalt also / haue in suspect. the conseillyng of wikked folk ‖. ffor the book seith / The conseillyng of wikked folk. is alwey ful of fraude ‖. [2388] And Dauid seith ¶ blisful is that man /¶ Dauid þat hath nat folwed / the conseilyng of sherewes [2389] ¶ Thou shalt also eschue / the conseillyng of yong folk . for hir conseil is nat rype

[2390] NOw sire / sith I have shewed yow / of which folk ye shul take youre conseil / and of which folk ye shul folwe the conseil? [2391] now wol I teche yow / how ye shal examyne youre conseil / after the doctrine of Tullius [2392] ¶ In the examynynge thanne of youre conseillour¶ how a man shal examine his conseillours after the doctrine of Tullius ye shul considere manye thynges [2393] ¶ Alderfirst thou shalt considere / þat in thilke thyng that thou purposest / and vpon what thyng thou wolt haue conseil / þat verray trouthe / be seyd and conserued / this is to seyn / telle trewely thy tale [2394] ¶ ffor he that seith fals / may nat wel be conseilled / in that cas of which he lieth [2395] ¶ And after this / thou shalt considere the thynges þat acorden to that thou purposest / for to do / by thy conseil|lours if reson accorde therto /. [2396] And eek / if thy myght may atteine ther-to / And if the moore part and the bettre part of thy conseillours acorde ther-to / or noon [2397] ¶ Thanne shaltou considere / what thyng shal folwe / after hir conseillyng. as hate / pees / werre / grace / profit or damage / and manye othere thynges [2398] ¶ Thanne / of alle thise thynges / thou shalt chese the beste / and weyue alle othere thynges [2399] ¶ Thanne shaltow considere of what roote is engendred the matiere of thy conseil / and what fruyt it may conserue and engendre [2400] ¶ Thou shalt eek considere alle thise causes / fro whennes they been sprongen [2401] ¶ And whan ye han examyned youre conseil / as I have seyd / and which partie is the bettre and moore profitable / and hast approued it by manye wise folk and olde [2402] ¶ thanne shaltou considere / it thou mayst parfourne it and maken of it a good ende [2403] ¶ ffor certes reson wol nat that any man / sholde bigynne a thyng. but if he myghte / parfourne it as hym oghte [2404] ¶ Ne no wight sholde take vp on hym so heuy a charge / that he myghte nat bere it [2405] ¶ ffor the prouerbe seith ‖. he that to muche¶ prouerbe embraceth / distreyneth litel [2406] And Caton seith¶ Cato ¶ Assay to do swich thyng. as thou hast power to doon / lest that the charge oppresse thee / so soore / that thee bihoueth / to weyue thyng that thou hast bigonne / [2407] And if so be / þat thou be in doute / wheither thou mayst parfourne a thing or noon / chese rather / to suffre than bigynne [2408] ¶ And Piers Alphonce seith ¶ If¶ Petrus Alfonce thou hast myght to doon a thyng of which thou most repente thee / it is bettre / nay than ye [2409] ¶ this is to seyn / that thee is bettre / holde thy tonge stille / than for to speke [2410] ¶ Thanne may ye vnderstonde / by strenger resons / that if thou hast power / to parfourne a werk of which thou shalt repente / thanne is it bettre / that thou suffre than bigynne [2411] ¶ wel seyn they þat defenden euery wight to assaye any thyng of which he is in doute / wheither he may parfourne it or noon ‖ [2412] And after / whan ye han examyned youre conseil / as I haue seyd biforn / and knowen wel / that ye may par|fourne youre emprise / conferme it thanne sadly til it be at an ende

[2413] NOw is it reson and tyme þat I shewe yow / whanne and wherfore / that ye may chaunge youre conseil|lours / with-outen youre repreue [2414] ¶ Soothly / a man¶ How a man may chaungen hise conseillours with-outen repreue may chaungen his purpos and his conseil if the cause cesseth / or whan a newe caas bitydeth [2415] ¶ ffor the lawe seith that vpon thynges þat newely bityden / bihoueth newe conseil [2416] ¶ And senec/ seith ‖. If thy conseil¶ Seneca is comen / to the eeris of thyn enemy chaunge thy conseil [2417] ¶ Thou mayst also chaunge thy conseil / If so be / that thou mayst fynde / that by errour / or by oother cause / harm or damage may bityde [2418] ¶ Also / if thy conseil be dishonest. or ellis cometh of dishoneste cause / chaunge thy conseil ‖. [2419] ffor the lawes seyn ¶ that alle bihestes that been dishoneste / been of no value [2420] ¶ And eek/ If so be / þat it be inpossible / or may nat goodly be parfourned or kept

[2421] ¶ And take this / for a general reule / that euery conseil þat is affermed so strongly / that it may nat be chaunged for no condicion that may bityde ¶ I seye / þat thilke conseil is wikked.

[2422] This Melibeus / whanne he hadde herd the doctrine of¶ Melibeus his wyf dame Prudence / answerde in this wyse [2423] ¶ Dame quod he as yet in to this tyme / ye han wel and couenablely taught me as in general / how I shal gouerne me in the chesynge / and in the withholdynge of my conseillours ‖ [2424] but now wolde I fayn / that ye wolde condescende in especial / [2425] and telle me / how liketh yow / or what semeth yow by oure conseillours / that we han chosen in oure present nede

[2426] My lord quod she / I biseke yow in al hum|blesse ¶ Prudence / that ye wol nat wilfully replie agayn my resons / ne distempre youre herte / thogh I speke thyng that yow displese ‖ [2427] ffor god woot that as in myn entente I speke it for youre beste / for youre honour / and for youre profite eke / [2428] And soothly I hope / that youre be|nyngnytee / wol taken it in pacience [2429] ¶ Trusteth me wel quod she / that youre conseil as in this caas ne sholde nat as to speke properly / be called a conseillyng but a mocion or a moeuyng of folye / [2430] in which conseil / ye han erred in many a sondry wise

[2431] ¶ ffirst / and forward / ye han erred in thassem|blynge of youre conseillours ‖ [2432] ffor ye sholde first haue cleped a fewe folk / to youre conseil / and after ye myghte han shewed it to mo folk / if it hadde been nede [2433] ¶ But certes / ye han sodeynly cleped to youre con|seil a greet multitude of peple ful chargeant and ful anoyous for to heere [2434] ¶ Also / ye han erred / for there as ye sholden oonly haue cleped to youre conseil youre trewe frendes olde and wise / [2435] ye han ycleped straunge folk / and yong folk. false flatereres / and enemys reconsiled / and folk / þat doon yow reuerence withouten loue [2436] ¶ And eek also / ye haue erred / for ye han broght with yow to youre conseil / Ire / coueitise / and hastifnesse / [2437] the whiche thre thinges been con|trariouse to euery conseil / honeste and profitable / [2438] the whiche thre / ye han nat anientissed or destroyed hem / neither in youre self ne in youre conseillours as yow oghte [2439] ¶ Ye han erred also / for ye han shewed to youre conseillours / youre talent and youre affeccion / to make werre anon / and for to do vengeance / [2440] they han espied by youre wordes to what thyng ye been enclyned ‖ [2441] And therfore / han they rather conseilled yow to youre talent than to youre profit [2442] ¶ Ye han erred also / for it semeth / þat it suffiseth / to han been con|seilled by thise conseillours oonly / and wiþ litel Auys / [2443] where-as in so greet and so heigh a nede / it hadde been necessarie mo conseillours / and moore deliberacion to parfourne youre emprise [2444] ¶ Ye han erred also / for ye han nat examyned youre conseil / in the forseyde manere ne in due manere as the caas requireth [2445] ¶ Ye han erred also / for ye han nat maked no diuision bitwixe youre conseillours ¶ this is to seyn / bitwixen youre trewe freendes / and youre feyned conseillours; [2446] ne ye han nat knowe the wil of youre trewe freendes / olde and wise [2447] but ye han cast alle hire wordes in an hochepot and enclyned youre herte to the moore partie / and to the gretter nombre / and there been ye condescended [2448] ¶ And sith ye woot wel þat men shal alwey / fynde a gretter nombre of fooles / than of wise men / [2449] and therfore / the conseils that been at congregacions and mul|titudes of folk. there as men take moore reward to the nombre / than to the sapience of persones / [2450] ye se wel / that in swiche conseillynges / fooles han the maistrie [2451] Melibeus answerde agayn / and seyde / I graunte wel that¶ Melibeus I haue erred ‖ [2452] but there as thou hast toold me heer|biforn / þat he nys nat to blame þat chaungeth hise con|seillours in certein caas / and for certeine Iuste causes [2453] ¶ I am al redy to chaunge my conseillours / right as thow wolt deuyse / [2454] ¶ The prouerbe seith /. that¶ Prouerbe for to do synne is mannyssh / but certes / for to perseuere longe in synne / is werk of the deuel

[2455] ¶ To this sentence answereth anon dame Pru|dence ¶ Prudence and seyde [2456] ¶ Examineth quod she youre con|seil / and lat vs see / the whiche of hem / han spoken most resonablely / and taught yow best conseil ‖. [2457] And for as muche as þat the examynacion is necessarie / lat vs bigynne at the surgiens and at the phisiciens / that first speeken in this matiere [2458] ¶ I sey yow / that the surgiens and phisiciens / han seyd yow in youre conseil discreetly / as hem oughte [2459] ¶ And in hir speche seyd ful wisely / that to the office of hem aperteneth to doon to euery wight honour and profit / and no wight for to anoye / [2460] and in hir craft / to doon greet diligence vn-to the cure of hem / whiche þat they han in hir gouern|aunce / [2461] And sire / right as they han answered wisely and discreetly / [2462] right so rede I that they been heighly and souereynly gerdoned for hir noble speche / [2463] and eek for they sholde do / the moore ententif bisynesse in the curacion of youre doghter deere ‖ [2464] ffor al be it so / þat they been youre freendes / therfore shal ye nat suffren / that they serue yow for noght / [2465] but ye oghte the rather gerdone hem and shewe hem youre largesse [2466] ¶ And as touchynge the proposicion which that the Phisiciens encreesceden in this caas / this is to seyn / [2467] that in maladies / that oon contrarie is warisshed by another contrarie /. [2468] I wolde fayn knowe / hou ye vnderstonde this text / and what is youre sentence [2469] ¶ Certes quod Melibeus / I.¶ Melibeus vnderstonde it in this wise [2470] ¶ that right as they han doon me a contrarie / right so / sholde I doon hem another ‖ [2471] ffor right as they han venged hem on me / and doon me wrong; Right so / shal I venge me vpon hem / and doon hem wrong . [2472] and thanne haue I cured oon contrarie by another

[2473] Lo. lo quod dame Prudence / how lightly is¶ Prudence euery man enclined to his owene desir / and to his owene plesaunce [2474] ¶ Certes quod she the wordes of the Phisiciens / ne sholde nat han been vnderstonden in thys wise ‖. [2475] ffor certes / wikkednesse / is nat contrarie to wikkednesse / ne vengeance to vengeaunce / ne wrong to wrong · but they been semblable [2476] ¶ And ther|fore / o vengeaunce / is nat warisshed by another venge|aunce / ne o wroong by another wroong. [2477] but euerich of hem encreesceth and aggreggeth oother [2478] ¶ But certes / the wordes of the Phisiciens / sholde been vnderstonden in this wise [2479] ¶ ffor good and wikked|nesse / been two contraries and pees and werre / venge|aunce and suffraunce / discord and accord and manye othere thynges ‖ [2480] But certes / wikkednesse / shal be warisshed by goodnesse / discord by accord / werre by pees / and so forth of othere thynges [2481] And heer-to accordeth Seint Paul the Apostle / in manye places [2482] ¶ He¶ Paulus Apos|tolus seith Ne yeldeth nat harm for harm / ne wikked speche / for wikked speche / [2483] But do wel / to hym þat dooth thee harm / and blesse hym þat seith to thee harm [2484] ¶ And in manye othere places he amonesteth pees and accord [2485] ¶ But now wol I speke to yow / of the con|seil / which þat was yeuen to yow / by the men of lawe / and the wise folk [2486] that seyden alle by oon accord / as ye han herd bifore [2487] ¶ That ouer alle thynges / ye sholde doon youre diligence to kepen youre persone / and to warnestoore youre hous [2488] ¶ And seyden also that in this caas / yow oghten for to werken ful auysely and with greet deliberacion [2489] ¶ And sire / as to the firste point. that toucheth to the kepyng of youre persone / [2490] ye shul vnderstonde / that he þat hath werre shal eueremoore / mekely and deuoutly / preyen biforn alle thynges / [2491] that Ihesus crist of his grete mercy wol han hym in his proteccion / and been his souereyn helpyng at his nede ‖. [2492] ffor certes / In this world ther is no wight that may be conseilled ne kept sufficeantly with|outen the kepyng of oure lord Ihesu crist [2493] ¶ To this sentence accordeth the prophete dauid / that seith ‖ [2494]¶ Dauid propheta If god ne kepe the Citee / in ydel waketh he that it kepeth [2495] Now sire / thanne shul ye committe / the kepyng of youre persone to youre trewe freendes / that been approued and knowe / [2496] and of hem / shul ye axen helpe / youre persone for to kepe ¶ ffor Caton seith ¶ If thou hast¶ Cato nede of help / axe it of thy freendes ‖ [2497] ffor ther nys noon so good a Phisicien / as thy trewe freend [2498] ¶ And after this / thanne shul ye kepe yow fro alle straunge folk / and fro lyeres / and haue alwey in suspect hire compaignye [2499] ¶ ffor Piers Alfonce seith ‖ Ne¶ Petrus Alfonce taak / no compaignye by the weye of straunge men but if so be þat thou haue knowe hym of a lenger tyme [2500] ¶ And if so be / that he be falle in-to thy compaignye par|auenture withouten thyn assent ./ [2501] enquere thanne / as subtilly as thou mayst of his conuersacion / and of his lyf bifore / and feyne thy wey ‖. seye that thou goost thider as thou wolt nat go / [2502] and if he bereth a spere / hoold thee on the right syde / and if he bere a swerd / hoold thee on his lift syde. [2503] ¶ And after this / thanne / shul ye kepe yow wisely from all swich manere peple as I haue seyd bifore / And hem and hir conseil eschewe / [2504] ¶ And after this / thanne shul ye kepe yow in swich manere / [2505] that for any presumpcion of youre strengthe / that ye ne dispise nat ne acounte nat the myght of youre Aduersarie / so litel / that ye lete / the kepyng of youre persone / for youre presumpcion / [2506] for euery wys man / dredeth his enemy [2507] ¶ And Salomon seith ¶ weleful is he / that of alle hath drede /¶ Salomon [2508] for certes / he that thurgh the hardynesse of his herte / and thurgh the hardynesse of hym self / hath to greet presumpcion / hym shal yuel bityde [2509] ¶ Thanne / shul ye eueremoore countrewayte embusshementz and alle espiaille [2510] ¶ ffor senec seith ¶ That the wise man /¶ Seneca he dredeth harmes / . . . . .no gap [2511] ne he ne falleth in-to perils / that perils eschueth ‖ [2512] And al be it so / þat it seme that thou art in siker place / yet shaltow alwey do thy diligence in kepynge of thy persone [2513] ¶ this is to seyn Ne be nat necligent to kepe thy persone / nat oonly / for thy gretteste enemys / but for thy leeste enemy [2514] [Car seneque dit il appartient a homme bien enseigne qui[l] doubte son petit ennemy] [2515] ¶ Ouyde¶ Ouidius seith ‖ that the litel wesele / wol slee the grete bole / and the wilde hert [2516] ¶ And the book / seith ‖ A litel thorn / may prikke a greet kyng ful soore ‖. And an hound / wol holde the wilde boor [2517] ¶ But nathelees / I sey nat thou shalt be coward / that thou doute / ther / wher as is no drede [2518] ¶ The book seith / that somme folk. han greet lust to deceyue / but yet they dreden hem to be de|ceyued [2519] ¶ Yet shaltou drede / to been empoisoned And kepe yow / from the compaignye of Scorneres [2520] ¶ ffor the book seith; with scorneres make no compaignye / but flee hire wordes as venym

[2521] ¶ Now as to the seconde point ¶ Where as youre wise conseillours conseilled yow to warnestoore youre hous / with gret diligence [2522] ¶ .I. wolde fayn knowe / how that ye vnderstonde / thilke wordes / and what is youre sentence

[2523] Melibeus answerde and seyde ¶ Certes I vnder|stande ¶ Melibeus it in this wise ¶ That I shal warnestoore myn hous / with toures / swiche as han Castelles / and othere manere edifices / and Armure and Artelries / [2524] by whiche thynges / I may my persone and myn hous so kepen and deffenden that myne enemys / shul been in drede / myn hous for to Approche

[2525] TO this sentence / answerde anon Prudence ‖.¶ Prudence Warnestooryng quod she of heighe toures and of grete edifices / [appartient aucunes fois à orgueil. [2526] L'en fait les tours et les grans édifices (Le Ménagier, i. 209)] with grete costages and with greet trauaille / and whan that they been accompliced / yet be they nat worth a stree / but if they be defended by trewe freendes that been / olde and wise [2527]¶ Nota / of the strongeste garny|sone that may be. ¶ And vnderstoond wel / that the gretteste and strongeste garnyson / that a riche man may haue / as wel to kepen his persone as hise goodes; is / [2528] that he be biloued / amonges hys subgetz and with hise neighebores [2529] ¶ ffor¶ Tullius thus seith Tullius ¶ That ther is a manere garnyson / that no man may venquysse ne disconfite / and that is / [2530] a lord to be biloued of hise Citezeins / and of his peple

[2531] NOw sire / as to the thridde point. where as youre olde / and wise conseillours seyden ¶ That yow ne oghte nat sodeynly ne hastily proceden in this nede / [2532] but that yow oghte purueyen and apparaillen yow in this caas with greet diligence and greet deliberacion [2533] ¶ trewely / I trowe that they seyden right wisely and right sooth [2534] ¶ ffor Tullius seith / In euery¶ Tullius nede / er thou bigynne it / Apparaille thee with greet diligence [2535] ¶ Thanne seye I / that in vengeance takyng In werre / in bataille / and in warnestooryng [2536] er thow bigynne / .I. rede / þat thou apparaille thee ther to / and do it with greet deliberacion; [2537] ffor Tullius seith ¶ The longe apparaillyng biforn the bataille /¶ Tullius maketh short victorie ‖. [2538] And Cassidorus seith ¶ The¶ Cassidorus garnyson is stronger / whan it is longe tyme auysed

[2539] But now lat vs speken / of the conseil that was accorded by youre neighebores / swiche as doon yow reuerence withouten loue / [2540] youre olde enemys recon|siled / youre flatereres / [2541] that conseilled yow cer|teyne thynges priuely / and openly / conseilleden yow the contrarie [2542] ¶ The yonge folk also / that conseilleden yow to venge yow / and make werre anon [2543] ¶ And certes sire / as I haue seyd biforn / ye han greetly erred / to han cleped / swich manere folk to youre conseil / [2544] which conseillours been ynogh repreued by the resons aforeseyd / [2545] but nathelees / lat vs now descende to the special ¶ Ye shuln first procede / after the doctrine of Tullius [2546] ¶ Certes / the trouthe of this matiere / or of this conseil / nedeth nat diligently enquere / [2547] for it is wel wist whiche they been / that han doon to yow this trespas and vileynye / [2548] and how manye trespassours and in what manere / they han to yow doon / al this wrong and all this vileynye [2549] ¶ And after this thanne / shul ye examyne the seconde condicion / which that the same Tullius / addeth in this matiere [2550] ¶ ffor Tullius put a thyng. which that he clepeth consentynge/this is to seyn ‖. [2551] who been they and how manye / [Et quelx ilz sont] that consenten to thy conseil / in thy wilfulnesse / to doon hastif vengeance [2552] ¶ And lat vs considere also who been they and how manye been they / and whiche been they / that consenteden to youre Aduersaries [2553] ¶ And certes / as to the firste poynt It is wel knowen / whiche folk been they / that consenteden / to youre hastif wilful|nesse / [2554] for trewely / alle tho that conseilleden yow / to maken sodeyn werre / ne been nat youre freendes [2555] ¶ Lat vs now considere / whiche been they / that ye holde so greetly youre freendes as to youre persone ‖ [2556] ffor al be it so / that ye be myghty and riche / certes / ye ne been nat but allone / [2557] for certes / ye ne han no child but a doghter / [2558] ne ye ne han bretheren ne cosyns germayns / ne noon ooþer neigh kynrede / [2559] wherfore that youre enemys for drede sholde stinte / to plede with yow / or to destroye youre persone [2560] ¶ Ye knowen also that youre richesses / mooten been dispended / in diuerse parties / [2561] and whan þat euery wight hath his part. they ne wollen taken but litel reward to v[e]nge thy deeth ‖. [2562] But thyne enemys / been thre / and they han manie children / bretheren / cosyns / and oother ny kynrede / [2563] And though so were that thou haddest slayn of hem .ijo. or .iije. yet dwellen ther ynowe to wreken hir deeth / and to sle thy persone ‖. [2564] And though so be that youre kynrede be moore siker and stedefast. than the kyn of youre aduersarie ‖ [2565] yet nathelees youre kynrede / nys but a fer kynrede / they been / but litel syb to yow / [2566] and the kyn of youre enemys been ny syb to hem / And certes / as in that hir condicion / is bet than youres [2567] ¶ Thanne / lat vs considere also / if the conseillyng of hem þat conseilleden yow / to taken sodeyn vengeance / wheither it accorde to reson; [2568] And certes / ye knowe wel nay ‖ [2569] for as by right and reson / ther may no man taken vengeance on no wight / but the Iuge that hath the Iurisdiccion of it [2570] whan it is graunted hym / to take thilke vengeance hastily or at|temprely as the lawe requireth [2571] ¶ And yet moore ouer / of thilke word / that Tullius clepeth consentynge /. [2572] thou shalt considere / if thy myght and thy power/ may consenten and suffise / to thy wilfulnesse / and to thy conseillours; [2573] And certes / thou mayst wel seyn / that nay [2574] ¶ ffor sikerly / as for to speke proprely / we may do no thyng. but oonly swich thyng as we may doon rightfully; [2575] And certes rightfully ne mowe ye take no vengeance / as of youre propre Auctoritee [2576] ¶ thanne mowe ye seen / that youre power ne consenteth nat ne accordeth nat with youre wilfulnesse [2577] ¶ Lat vs now examyne the thridde point that Tullius clepeth Consequent [2578] ¶ Thou shalt vnderstonde that the vengeance that thou purposest for to take / is the conse|quent ‖. [2579] And ther-of / folweth another vengeance / peril / and werre / and othere damages with-oute nombre / of whiche / we be nat war / as at this tyme [2580] ¶ And as touchynge the fourthe point. that Tullius clepeth en|gendrynge; [2581] thou shalt considere / that this wrong which that is doon to thee / is engendred of the hate of thyne enemys / [2582] and of the vengeance takynge / vpon that wolde engendre another vengeance / and muchel sorwe and wastynge of richesses as I seyde

[2583] ¶ Now sire / as to the point that Tullius clepeth causes / which that is the laste point. [2584] thou shalt vnderstonde / þat the wrong that thou hast receyued / hath certeine causes / [2585] whiche þat clerkes clepen Oriens and Efficiens / and Causa longinqua / and Causa propinqua /. this is to seyn / the fer cause and the ny cause [2586] ¶ The fer cause / is almyghty god / that is cause of alle thynges [2587] ¶ The neer cause / is thy thre enemys [2588] ¶ The cause Accidental / was hate [2589] ¶ The cause material / been the fyue woundes of thy doghter [2590] ¶ The cause formal / is the manere of hir werkynge that broghten laddres and cloumben in at thy wyndowes; [2591] The cause final / was for to sle thy doghter / It letted nat in as muche as in hem was [2592] ¶ But for to speken of the fer cause / as to what ende they shul come / or what shal finally bityde of hem in this caas / ne kan .I. nat deme ‖. but by coniectynge and by supposynge [2593] ¶ for we shul suppose / that they shul come to a wikked ende /. [2594] by cause / that the book¶ In libro decre|talium of decrees seith ‖. seelden or with greet peyne / been causes ybroght / to good ende / whanne they been baddely bigonne

[2595] ¶ Now sire / If men wolde axe me / why that god suffred men to do yow this vileynye; Certes / I kan nat wel answere / as for no soothfastnesse [2596] ¶ ffor thapostle seith / that the sciences and the Iuggementz of¶ Apostolus oure lord god almyghty been ful depe / [2597] ther may no man comprehende ne serchen hem suffisantly / [2598] ¶ Nathelees / by certeyne presumpcions and coniectynges / I holde and bileeue [2599] that god / which that is ful of Iustice and of rightwisnesse hath suffred this bityde by Iuste cause resonable ‖.

[2600] Thy name is Melibee / this is to seyn / a man that drynketh hony [2601] ¶ Thou hast ydronke so muchel hony of sweete temporeel richesses / and delices and hon|ours of this world / [2602] that thou art dronken / and hast forgeten / Ihesu crist thy creatour / [2603] thou ne hast nat doon to hym swich honour and reuerence as thee oughte / [2604] ne thou ne hast nat wel ytaken kepe / to the wordes of Ouide ¶ That seith ‖ [2605] vnder the hony¶ Ouidius of the goodes of the body / is hyd the venym / that sleeth the soule [2606] ¶ And salomon seith ¶ If thou hast¶ Salomon founden hony / ete of it that suffiseth / [2607] for if thou ete of it out of mesure / thou shalt spewe / and be nedy and poure / [2608] And perauenture / Crist hath thee in despit/ and hath turned awey fro thee his face and hise eeris of Misericorde [2609] ¶ And also / he hath suffred / that thou hast been punysshed in the manere that thow hast ytrespassed [2610] ¶ Thou hast doon synne / agayn oure lord crist. [2611] for certes. the .iij. enemys of man|kynde / that is to seyn / the flessh / the feend and the world /. [2612] thou hast suffred hem / entre in to thyn herte wilfully by the wyndowes of thy body / [2613] and hast nat defended thy self suffisantly agayns hire assautes / and hire temptacions / so / that they han wounded thy soule / in .v. places / [2614] this is to seyn / the deedly synnes that been entred in-to thyn herte / by thy .v. wittes ‖. [2615] And in the same manere / oure lord crist hath woold and suffred / that thy .iij. enemys been entred / in-to thyn hous by the wyndowes / [2616] and han ywounded thy doghter in the foreseyde manere

[2617] ¶ Certes quod Melibee / I se wel that ye en|force ¶ Melibee yow muchel by wordes / to ouercome me / in swich manere that I shal nat / venge me of myne enemys [2618] shewynge me the perils and the yueles / that myghten falle of this vengeance ‖ [2619] But who so wolde considere in alle vengeances the perils and yueles þat myghte sewe of vengeance takynge / [2620] a man wolde neuere take vengeance / and that were harm / [2621] for by the venge|ance takynge / been the wikked men disseuered fro the goode men [2622] ¶ And they that han wyl to do wikked|nesse / restreyne hir wikked purpos / whan they seen the punyssynge and chastisynge of the trespassours [2623] [Et a ce Respont dame prudence certes dist elle Ie t'ottroye que de vengence vient molt de maulx Et de biens; [2624] Mais vengence n'appartient pas a vn chascun fors seulement aux iuges Et a ceulx qui ont la iuridicion sur les malfaitteurs. (MS Reg. 19 C. vii, leaf 136.)] [2625] ¶ And yet seye I moore /. that right as a singuler persone / synneth / in takynge vengeance of another man ./ [2626] right so / synneth the Iuge / if he do no vengeance of hem / that it han disserued ‖ [2627] ffor Senec seith¶ Seneca thus ¶ That maister he seith is good / that proueth shrewes [2628] ¶ And as Cassidore seith ¶ A man dredeth to do¶ Cassidorus outrages / whan he woot and knoweth / that it displeseth to the Iuges / and souereyns [2629] ¶ Another seith ¶ The Iuge þat dredeth to do right. maketh men shrewes ‖. [2630] And Seint Paule the Apostle / seith in his epistle /¶ Paulus Apos|tolus ad Romanos whan he writeth vn-to the Romayns; That the Iuges beren nat the spere / with-outen cause / [2631] but they beren it to punysse the shrewes and mysdoeres / and to defende the goode men [2632] ¶ If ye wol thanne take vengeance of youre enemys / ye shul retourne / or haue youre recours to the Iuge that hath the Iurisdiccion vp-on hem / [2633] and he shal punysse hem / as the lawe axeth and requireth

[2634] A quod Melibee / this vengeance / liketh me¶ Melibee no thyng [2635] ¶ I bithenke me now and take heede / how ffortune / hath norissed me fro my childhede / and hath holpen me / to passe many a stroong paas [2636] ¶ Now wol I assayen hire trowynge with goddes helpe / that she shal helpe me / my shame for to venge

[2637] Certes quod Prudence ¶ If ye wol werke by my¶ Prudence conseil / ye shul nat assaye ffortune by no wey / [2638] ne ye shul nat lene or bowe / vnto hire after the word of Senec [2639] ¶ ffor thynges / that been folily doon / and¶ Seneca that been in hope of ffortune / shullen neuere come to good ende ‖. [2640] And as the same Senec seith ¶ The moore cleer and the moore shynyng that ffortune is / the moore brotil / and the sonner broken she is ‖ [2641] trusteth nat in hire / for she nys nat stidefast ne stable [2642] for whan thow trowest to be moost seur and siker of hire helpe she wol faille thee / and deceyue thee [2643] ¶ And where as ye seyn that ffortune hath norissed yow fro youre childhede /. [2644] I seye / that in so muchel / shul ye / the lasse truste in hire and in hir wit ‖. [2645] ffor senec¶ Seneca seith ‖ what man that is norissed by ffortune / she maketh hym a greet fool [2646] ¶ Now thanne / syn ye desire / and axe vengeance / and the vengeance / that is doon after the lawe and bifore the Iuge / ne liketh yow nat [2647] And the vengeance that is doon in hope of ffortune is peril|ous and vncertein [2648] Thanne haue ye noon oother remedie / but for to haue youre recours / vnto the souereyn Iuge that vengeth / alle vileynyes and wronges /. [2649] And he shal venge yow / after that hym self witnesseth / where as he seith ‖. [2650] leueth the vengeance to me / and I shal do it

[2651] Melibee answerde ‖. If I ne venge me nat. of¶ Melibee the vileynye that men han doon to me [2652] .I. sompne or warne hem / that han doon to me that vileynye and alle othere / to do me another vileynye [2653] ¶ ffor it is writen ¶ If thou take no vengeance of an oold vileynye / thou somp|nest thyne Aduersaries to do thee a newe vileynye [2654] ¶ And also / for my suffrance / men wolden do to me so muchel vileynye / that I myghte neither bere it ne sus|teene / [2655] and so sholde I been put and holden ouer lowe [2656] ¶ ffor men seyn / In muchel suffrynge / shul manye thynges falle vn-to thee / whiche / thou shalt nat mowe suffre

[2657] Certes quod Prudence .I. graunte yow that¶ Prudence ouer muchel suffrance nys nat good / [2658] but yet ne folweth it nat ther-of / that euery persone / to whom men doon vileynye take of it vengeance / [2659] for that aper|teneth and longeth al oonly to the Iuges / for they shul venge the vileynyes and iniuries ‖. [2660] And ther-fore / tho two Auctoritees / that ye han seyd aboue / been oonly vnderstonden in the Iuges / [2661] for whan they suffren ouer muchel the wronges and the vileynyes to be doon withouten punysshynge / [2662] they sompne nat a man al oonly / for to do newe wronges / but they comanden it [2663] ¶ Also a wys man seith / that the Iuge that cor|recteth nat the synnere comandeth and biddeth hym do synne [2664] ¶ And the Iuges and souereyns myghten in hir land so muchel suffre of the shrewes and mysdoeres / [2665] that they sholden by swich suffrance by proces of tyme / wexen of swich power and myght / that they sholden putte out the Iuges and the souereyns / from hir places / [2666] and atte laste maken hem lesen hire lordshipes

[2667] ¶ But lat vs now putte / that ye haue leue to venge yow / [2668] I seye / ye been nat of myght and power / as now to venge yow / [2669] for if ye wole maken comparison / vn-to the myght of youre Aduersaries / ye shul fynde in manye thynges / that I haue shewed yow er this / that hire condicion / is bettre than youres [2670] ¶ And therfore seye I that it is good as now / that ye suffre and be pacient

[2671] ¶ fforthermoore / ye knowen wel / that after the comune sawe / it is a woodnesse / a man / to stryue with a strenger / or a moore myghty man / than he is hym self ‖. [2672] And for to stryue with a man of euene strengthe / that is to seyn / with as strong a man as he; it is peril /. [2673] And for to stryue with a weyker man / it is folie [2674] ¶ And therfore / sholde a man flee stryuynge / as muchel as he myghte [2675] ¶ ffor Salomon seith ‖ It is a¶ Salomon greet worshipe to a man / to kepen hym fro noyse and stryf [2676] ¶ And if it so bifalle or happe / that a man of gretter myght and strengthe / than thou art. do thee grevaunce / [2677] studie / and bisye thee rather to stille / the same greuaunce / than for to venge thee ‖ [2678] ffor Senec seith ‖ That he putteth hym in greet peril / that¶ Seneca stryueth with a gretter man / than he is hym self [2679] ¶ And Caton seith / If a man of hyer estaat or degree / or¶ Cato moore myghty than thou / do thee anoy or greuance / suffre hym / [2680] for he that oones hath greued thee / another tyme / may releeue thee and helpe; [2681] ¶ Yet sette I caas / ye haue bothe myght and licence / for to venge yow / [2682] .I. seye that ther be ful manye thynges / that shul restreyne yow / of vengeance takynge / [2683] and make yow / for to enclyne to suffre / and for to han pacience / in the thynges / that han been doon to yow [2684] ¶ ffirst and foreward / if ye wole considere the defautes / that been in youre owene persone / [2685] for whiche defautes / god hath suffred yow haue this tribulacion / as I haue seyd yow heer biforn [2686] ¶ ffor the Poete seith That we oghte paciently taken the tribu|lacions¶ Poeta that comen to vs whan we thynken and consideren / that we han disserued to haue hem [2687] ¶ And Seint Gregorie seith ‖ That whan a man considereth wel the¶ Gregorius nombre of hise defautes / and of his synnes /. [2688] the peynes and the tribulacions that he suffreth / semen / the lesse vn-to hym [2689] And in as muche / as hym thynk|eth / hise synnes moore heuy and greuous / [2690] in so muche / semeth his peyne the lighter / an[d] the esier vn-to hym [2691] ¶ Also / ye owen to enclyne and bowe youre herte / to take the pacience of oure lord Ihesu crist ‖ As seith seint Peter in hise Epistles [2692] ¶ Ihesu crist he¶ Petrus in epis|tolis seith / hath suffred for vs and yeuen ensample to euery man / to folwe and sewe hym / [2693] for he dide neuere synne / ne neuere cam ther a vileynous word out of his mouþ / [2694] whan men cursed hym / he cursed hem noght. And whan men betten hym / he manaced hem noght. [2695] ¶ Also / the grete pacience / which the seintes that been in Paradys / han had in tribulacions that they han ysuffred with-outen hir desert or gilt. [2696] oghte muchel stiren yow to pacience [2697] ¶ fforther|moore / ye sholde enforce yow / to haue pacience / [2698] considerynge / that the tribulacions of this world / but litel while endure / and soone passed been and goone [2699] ¶ And the ioye that a man / seketh to haue by pacience in tribulacions / is perdurable / after that the Apostle seith in his epistle [2700] ¶ The ioye of god / he¶ Apostolus in epistola seith is perdurable / that is to seyn euerelastynge [2701] ¶ Also troweþ and bileueth stedefastly / that he nys nat wel ynorissed ne wel ytaught that kan nat haue pacience / or wol nat receyue pacience; [2702] ffor Salomon seith¶ Salomon ¶ That the doctrine and the wit of a man / is knowen by pacience [2703] ¶ And in another place he seith ¶ that he that is pacient. gouerneth hym by greet prudence [2704] ¶ And the same Salomon seith The angry and wrathful man / maketh noyses / And the pacient man atempreth hem and stilleth [2705] ¶ He seith also / It is moore worth to be pacient than for to be right strong. [2706] And he that may haue the lordshipe of his owene herte / is moore to preyse / than he that by his force or strengthe taketh grete Citees [2707] ¶ And therfore / seith Seint Iame in his Epistle ¶ That pacience / is a greet vertu of¶ Iacobus in epis|tola perfeccion

[2708] ¶ Certes quod Melibee /. I graunte yow Dame¶ Melibee Prudence / that pacience / is a greet vertu of perfeccion / [2709] but euery man may nat haue the perfeccion þat ye seken / [2710] ne I nam nat of the nombre / of right par|fite men / [2711] for myn herte / may neuere been in pees / vn-to the tyme it be venged / [2712] And al be it so that it was greet peril to myne enemys / to do me a vileynye / in takynge vengeance vp-on me /. [2713] yet tooken they noon heede of the peril / but fulfilleden / hir wikked wyl and hir corage [2714] ¶ And therfore / me thynketh men oghten nat repreue me / though I putte me in a litel peril for to venge me / [2715] And though .I. do a greet excesse / that is to seyn / that I venge oon outrage by another

[2716] A quod dame Prudence / ye seyn youre wyl /¶ Prudence and as yow liketh / [2717] but in no caas of the world / a man sholde nat doon outrage ne excesse / for to vengen hym [2718] ¶ ffor Cassidore seith ‖ That as yuele dooth¶ Cassidorus he that vengeth hym by outrage / as he that dooth the outrage ‖. [2719] And therfore / ye shul venge yow / after the ordre of right / that is to seyn by the lawe / and noght by excesse ne by outrage [2720] ¶ And also / If ye wol venge yow of the outrage of youre Aduersaries in oother manere than right comandeth / ye synnen; [2721] And therfore seith Senec ‖. That a man shal neuere vengen shrewednesse / by shrewednesse [2722] ¶ And if ye seye / that right axeth / a man to defenden violence by violence / and fightyng by fightyng? [2723] Certes / ye seye sooth whan the defense is doon anon with-outen Interualle or with-outen tariyng or delay [2724] for to deffenden hym / and nat for to vengen hym; [2725] ¶ And it bihoueth / that a man putte swich attemperance in his deffense; [2726] that men haue no cause ne matiere / to repreuen hym that deffendeth hym of excesse and outrage / for ellis were it agayn reson [2727] ¶ Pardee / ye knowen wel / that ye maken no deffense as now / for to deffende yow but for to venge yow / [2728] and so sheweth it that ye han no wyl to do youre dede attemprely ‖. [2729] And therfore / me thynketh that pacience is good ‖ ffor Salomon¶ Salomon seith ¶ That he that is nat pacient shal haue greet harm

[2730] Certes quod Melibee / I graunte yow / that¶ Melibee whan a man is inpacient and wrooth / of that þat toucheth hym noght and that aperteneth nat vn-to hym / though it harme hym / it is no wonder ‖ [2731] ffor the lawe seith ‖ That he is coupable that entremetteth or medleth / with swych thyng as aperteneth nat vn-to hym [2732] ¶ And Salomon seith ‖ That he that entremetteth hym of the¶ Salomon noyse or strif / of another man /.is lyk to hym / that taketh an hound by the eris ‖ [2733] ffor right as he that taketh a straunge hound by the eris / is outherwhile / biten with the hound [2734] Right in the same wise is it reson / that he haue harm / that by his inpacience / medleth hym / of the noyse of another man / where-as it aperteneth nat vn-to hym [2735] ¶ But ye knowen wel / that this dede / that is to seyn / my grief and my disese / toucheth me right ny ‖. [2736] And therfore / though I be wrooth and in|pacient. it is no merueille / [2737] And sauynge youre grace / I kan nat seen / that it myghte greetly harme me / though I tooke vengeaunce / [2738] for I am richer / and moore myghty than myne enemys been / [2739] And wel knowen ye / that by moneye and by hauynge grete posses|sions / been alle the thynges of this world gouerned [2740] ¶ And Salomon seith ¶ That alle thynges / obeyen to¶ Salomon' moneye /.

[2741] Whan Prudence / hadde herd hir housbonde¶ Prudence auanten hym of his richesse and of his moneye / dispreis|ynge the power of hise Aduersaries / she spak / and seyde in this wise [2742] ¶ Certes / deere sire I graunte yow that ye been riche and myghty / [2743] and that the richesses been goode / to hem þat han hem wel ygeten hem / and wel konne vsen hem ‖. [2744] ffor right as the body of a man / may nat lyuen with-oute the soule / namoore may it lyue / with-outen temporeel goodes / [2745] And for rich|esses / may a man gete hym grete freendes [2746] ¶ And therfore seith Pamphilles ¶ If a netherdes doghter seith¶ Pamphilles he / be riche / she may chesen of a thousand men / [lequel quelle veult pour mary (MS Reg. 19 C. vii, lf 140)] [2747] for of a thousand men / oon wol nat forsaken hire ne refusen hire [2748] ¶ And this Pamphilles seith also ¶ If thow be right happy /. that is to seyn / If thou be right riche / thou shalt fynde a greet nombre of felawes and freendes ‖. [2749] And if thy ffortune change / that thou wexe poure / fare|wel / freendshipe and felaweshipe / [2750] for thou shalt be al alloone with-outen any compaignye / but if it be / the compaignye of poure folk [2751] ¶ And yet seith / this Pamphilles moreouer ¶ That they that been thralle and bonde of lynage shullen been maad worthy and noble by the richesses [2752] ¶ And right so / as by richesses / ther comen manye goodes /. right so by pouerte come ther manye harmes and yueles /. [2753] for greet pouerte con|streyneth a man / to do manye yueles /. [2754] And ther|fore / clepeth Cassidore / pouerte / the mooder of Ruyne /¶ Cassidorus [2755] that is to seyn / the mooder of ouerthrowynge or fallynge doun [2756] ¶ And therfore seith Piers Alfonce ‖.¶ Petrus Alfonee Oon of the gretteste Aduersitees of this world is / [2757] whan a free man / by kynde or by burthe is constreyned by pouerte to eten the Almesse of his enemy [2758] ¶ And the same seith Innocent in oon of hise bookes ‖. he seith /¶ Innocencius that sorweful and myshappy / is the condicion of a poure beggere / [2759] for if he axe nat his mete / he dyeth for hunger /. [2760] And if he axe / he dyeth for shame / And algates necessitee constreyneth hym to axe [2761] ¶ And therfore seith Salomon ‖ That bet it is to dye / than¶ Salomon for to haue swich pouerte; [2762] ¶ And as the same Salo|mon seith ¶ Bettre it is to dye of bitter deeth than for to lyuen / in swich wise [2763] ¶ By thise resons / that I haue seid vn-to yow / and by manye othere resons that I koude seye? / [2764] I graunte yow / that richesses been goode to hem / that geten hem wel / and to hem that wel vsen tho richesses [2765] ¶ And therfore wol I shewe yow / hou ye shul haue yow / and how ye shul bere yow in gaderynge of richesses / and in what manere / ye shul vsen hem

[2766] ¶ ffirst ye shul geten hem with-outen greet desir / by good leyser sekyngly / and nat ouer hastily / [2767] ffor a man that is to desirynge to gete richesses / abaundoneth hym first to thefte / and to alle other yueles [2768] ¶ And therfore seith Salomon ¶ He that hasteth¶ Salomon hym to bisily / to wexe riche shal be noon Innocent [2769] ¶ He seith also /. that the richesse that hastily cometh to a man / soone and lightly / gooth and passeth fro a man [2770] ¶ but that richesse / that cometh litel and litel wexeth alwey and multiplieth [2771] ¶ And sire / ye shul geten richesses / by youre wit and by youre trauaille vn-to youre profit. [2772] and that with-outen wrong or harm doynge / to any oother persone [2773] ¶ ffor the lawe seith / that ther maketh no man himseluen riche / if he do harm to another wight ‖ [2774] This is to seyn / that nature deffendeth and forbedeth by right that no man make hym-self riche / vn-to the harm of another persone [2775] ¶ And Tullius seith ‖ þat no sorwe / ne no drede¶ Tullius of deeth / ne no thyng that may falle vn-to a man / [2776] is so muchel agayns nature / as a man to encressen his owene profit to the harm of another man ‖ [2777] And though the grete men and the myghty men geten richesses moore lightly than thou /. [2778] yet shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit. for thou shalt in alle wise flee ydel|nesse [2779] ¶ ffor Salomon seith /. that ydelnesse / techeth¶ Salomon a man to do manye yueles [2780] ¶ And the same Salomon seith ‖ That he that trauailleth and bisieth hym to tilien his land / shal eten breed [2781] but he that is ydel / and casteth hym to no bisynesse ne occupacion / shal falle in-to pouerte / and dye for hunger [2782] ¶ And he that is ydel and slow / kan neuere fynde couenable tyme for to doon his profit. [2783] ffor ther is a versifiour seith / that¶ Vnde versifi|cator the ydel man excuseth hym in wynter / by cause of the grete coold and in somer / by encheson of the heete ‖. [2784] ffor thise causes seiþ Caton ‖. waketh and enclyneth¶ Cato nat yow ouer muchel / for to slepe / for ouer muchel reste norisseth and causeth manye vices ‖. [2785] And therfore / seith Seint Ierome ‖. Dooth somme goodes / that the deuel /¶ Sanctus Ieron|imus which is oure enemy / ne fynde yow nat vnocupied ‖. [2786] ffor the deuel ne taketh nat lightly vn-to his werk|ynge swiche as he fyndeth occupied in goode werkes

[2787] ¶ Thanne thus / In getynge richesses / ye mosten flee ydelnesse ‖. [2788] And afterward ye shul vse the richesses / whiche ye haue geten by youre wit and by youre trauaille / [2789] in swich a manere / that men holde nat yow / to scars ne to sparynge ne to fool large / that is to seyn / ouer large a spendere / [2790] for right as men blamen an Auaricious man / by cause / of his scarsetee and chyngerie / [2791] In the same wise is he to blame that spendeth ouer largely ‖. [2792] And therfore seith Caton ¶ Vse he seith / thy richesses that thou hast geten¶ Cato [2793] in swich a manere / that men haue / no matiere ne cause / to calle thee / neiþer wrecche ne chynche / [2794] for it is a greet shame to a man / to haue a pouere herte and a riche purs [2795] ¶ He seith also / the goodes that thou hast ygeten / vse hem by mesure / that is to seyn / spende hem mesurably / [2796] for they that folily / wasten and despenden / the goodes that they han? [2797] whan they han namoore propre of hir owene / they shapen hem to take the goodes of another man [2798] ¶ I seye thanne / that ye shul fleen Auarice / [2799] vsynge youre richesses / in swich manere / that men seye nat þat youre richesses been yburyed / [2800] but þat ye haue hem in youre myght and in youre weeldynge [2801] ¶ ffor a wys man / repreueth the Auaricious man / and seith thus / in two vers [2802] ¶ Wherto and why / burieth a man hise¶ Vnde versifi|cator goodes by his grete Auarice / and knoweth wel that nedes moste he dye / [2803] for deeth is the ende of euery man / as in this present lyf [2804] ¶ And for what cause / or encheson ioyneth he hym / or knytteth he hym / so faste vn-to hise goodes / [2805] that alle hise wittes mowen nat disseueren hym / or departen hym from hise goodes / [2806] and knoweth wel / or oghte knowe / that whan he is deed / he shal no thyng bere with hym / out of this world [2807] ¶ And ther-fore seith seint Augustyn ‖ That¶ Augustinus the Auaricious man is likned vn-to helle / [2808] that the moore it swelweth / the moore desir it hath to swelwe and deuoure / [2809] And as wel / as ye wolde eschewe / to be called an Auaricious man / or chynche / [2810] as wel sholde ye kepe yow and gouerne yow / in swich a wise / that men calle yow nat fool large [2811] ¶ Therfore seith Tullius ‖. The goodes he seith of thyn hous / ne sholde¶ Tullius nat been hyd / ne kept so cloos but that they myghte been opened by pitee and debonairetee [2812] ¶ that is to seyn / to yeuen part to hem that han greet nede /. [2813] ne thy goodes / shullen nat been so opene / to been euery mannes goodes [2814] ¶ Afterward / in getynge of youre richesses / and in vsynge hem / ye shul alwey / haue thre thynges in youre herte /. [2815] that is to seyn / Oure lord god / Conscience / and good name [2816] ¶ ffirst / ye shul haue god in youre herte / [2817] and for no richesse / ye shullen do no thyng. which may in any manere displese god / that is youre creatour and makere [2818] ¶ ffor after the word of Salomon ¶ It is bettre to haue a litel good¶ Salomon with the loue of god / [2819] than to haue / muchel good and tresour / and lese the loue of his lord god [2820] ¶ And the prophete seith ‖ That bettre it is / to been a¶ Propheta good man and haue litel good and tresour / [2821] than to been holden a shrewe / and haue grete richesses [2822] ¶ And yet seye I ferthermoore / that ye sholde alwey doon youre bisynesse to gete yow richesses / [2823] so that ye gete hem with good conscience [2824] ¶ And thapostle¶ Apostoius seith ‖. that ther nys thyng in this world / of which / we sholden haue so greet ioye / as whan oure Conscience bereth vs good witnesse [2825] ¶ And the wise man seith ‖ The¶ Sapiens substance of a man is ful good / whan synne is nat in mannes conscience [2826] ¶ Afterward in getynge of youre richesses / and in vsynge of hem / [2827] yow moste haue greet bisynesse and greet diligence / that youre goode name / be alwey kept and conserued ‖. [2828] ffor salo|mon ¶ Salomon seith /. that bettre it is / and moore it auailleth a man to haue a good name / than for to haue grete richesses? [2829] And therfore / he seith in another place ¶ Do greet diligence seith Salomon / in kepyng of thy freend / and of thy goode name / [2830] for it shal lenger abide with thee / than any tresour / be it neuer so precious [2831] ¶ And certes he sholde nat be called a gentil man / that after god and good conscience / alle thynges left. ne dooth his diligence and bisynesse / to kepen his good name [2832] ¶ And Cassidore seith ¶ That it is signe of gentil¶ Cassidorus herte? whan a man loueth and desireth to han a good name [2833] ¶ And therfore seith Seint Augustyn ¶ That ther¶ Augustinus been two thynges / that arn necessarie and nedefulle / [2834] and that is good Conscience and good loos / [2835] þat is to seyn / good Conscience / to thyn owene persone inward / and good loos for thy neighebore outward /. [2836] And he that trusteth hym so muchel in his goode conscience / [2837] that he displeseth / and setteth at noght his goode name or loos / and rekketh noght though he kepe nat his goode name / nys but a crueel cherl /

[2838] Sire / now haue I shewed yow / how ye shul do in getynge richesses / and how / ye shullen vsen hem / [2839] and I se wel / that for the trust that ye han in youre richesses / ye wole moeue werre and bataille [2840] ¶ I conseille yow / that ye bigynne no werre / in trust of youre richesses / for they ne suffisen noght werres to mayn|tene [2841] ¶ And therfore / seith a Philosophre ¶ That¶ Philosophus man / that desireth / and wole algates han werre / shal neuere haue suffisaunce / [2842] for the richer that he is / the gretter despenses moste he make / if he wole haue wor|shipe and victorie [2843] ¶ And Salomon seith ‖. That the¶ Salomon gretter richesses that a man hath / the mo despendours he hath [2844] ¶ And deere sire / al be it so / that for youre richesses / ye mowe haue muchel folk [2845] yet bihoueth it nat. ne it is nat good to bigynne werre / where as ye mowe in oother manere / haue pees vn-to youre worshipe and profit [2846] ¶ ffor the victories of batailles that been in this world / lyen nat in greet nombre or multitude of the peple / ne in the vertu of man / [2847] but it lith in the wyl / and in the hand of oure lord god almyghty [2848] ¶ And therfore / Iudas Machabeus / which was goddes knyght. [2849] whan he sholde fighte agayn his aduersarie that hadde a greet nombre / and a gretter mul|titude of folk / and strenger than was this peple of Macha|bee /. [2850] yet he reconforted his litel compaignye / and seyde right in this wise [2851] ¶ Als lightly quod he / may oure lord god almyghty yeue victorie to a fewe folk as to many folk. [2852] for the victorie of a bataile comth nat by the grete nombre of peple / [2853] but it come / from oure lord god of heuene [2854] ¶ And deere sire / for as muchel / as ther is no man certein / if he be worthy / that god yeue hym victorie [ne plus que il est certain se il est digne de l'amour de Dieu (Le Ménagier, i. 226)] or naught /. After that Salomon seith / [2855] therfore / euery man sholde greetly¶ Salomon drede werres to bigynne / [2856] ¶ And by cause / that in batailles / fallen manye perils / [2857] and happeth outher while / that as soone is the grete man slayn as the litel man /. [2858] And as it is writen / in the seconde book of¶ In .ij.do libro Regum kynges The dedes of batailles been auenturouse / and no thyng certeyne / [2859] for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere as another ‖. [2860] And for ther is gret peril in werre / therfore / sholde a man flee and eschue werre / in as muchel as a man may goodly ‖. [2861] ffor Salomon¶ Salomon seith /. He that loueth peril shal falle in peril

[2862] After that Dame Prudence / hadde spoken in¶ Melibee this manere / Melibee answerde and seyde [2863] ¶ I see wel dame Prudence that by youre faire wordes / and by youre resons that ye han shewed me / that the werre liketh yow no thyng. [2864] but I haue nat yet herd youre con|seil / how I shal do in this nede

[2865] Certes quod she I conseille yow / that ye¶ Prudence accorde with youre aduersaries / and that ye haue pees with hem [2866] ¶ ffor Seint Iame seith / in hise epistles¶ Sanctus Iacobus in epistolis ¶ That by concord and pees / the smale richesses wexen grete / [2867] and by debaat and discord / the grete richesses fallen doun [2868] ¶ And ye knowen wel that oon of the gretteste and moost souereyn thyng. that is in this world / is vnytee and pees [2869] ¶ And therfore / seyde oure lord¶ Dominus Apos|tolis suis Ihesu crist to hise Apostles in this wise [.2870] ¶ wel happy and blessed been they / that louen and purchacen pees / for they been called children of god [2871] A quod Melibee /. now se I wel / that ye louen nat myn honour /¶ Melibee ne my worshipe [2872] ¶ Ye knowen wel that myne Aduersaries / han bigonnen this debaat and bryge / by hire outrage / [2873] and ye se wel that they ne requeren ne preyen me nat of pees / ne they asken nat to be reconsiled [2874] ¶ wol ye thanne / that I go and meke me and obeye me to hem and crie hem mercy?/. [2875] ffor sothe / that were nat my worshipe [2876] ffor right as men seyn / that ouer greet hoomlynesse / engendreth dispreisynge /· so fareth it by to greet humylitee or mekenesse

[2877] Thanne bigan dame Prudence / to maken sem|blant ¶ Prudence of wratthe / and seyde [2878] ¶ Certes sire / sauf youre grace / I loue youre honour and youre profit as I do myn owene / and euere haue doon / [2879] ne ye ne noon oother / syen neuere the contrarie [2880] ¶ And yit if I hadde seyd / that ye sholde han purchaced the pees / and the reconsiliacion /. I ne hadde nat muchel mystaken me / ne seyd amys /. [2881] ffor the wise man seiþ ¶ The dis|sension ¶ Sapiens / bigynneth by another man / and the reconsilyng by gynneth by thy self [2882] ¶ And the prophete seith ‖.¶ propheta fflee shrewednesse and do goodnesse / [2883] seke pees and folwe it as muchel as in thee is [2884] ¶ Yet seye I nat that ye shul rather pursue to youre Aduersaries for pees than they shuln to yow ‖. [2885] for I knowe wel / that ye been so hard-herted / that ye wol do no thyng for me [2886] ¶ And Salomon seith ‖. he that hath ouer hard an¶ Salomon herte / atte laste / he shal myshappe and mystyde

[2887] Whanne Melibee hadde herd dame Prudence¶ Melibee maken semblant of wratthe / he seyde in this wise [2888] ¶ Dame I prey yow that ye be nat displesed / of thynges that I seye [2889] for ye knowe wel that I am angry and wrooth / and that is no wonder / [2890] and they that been wrothe / witen nat wel / what they don ne what they seyn [2891] ¶ Therfore / the prophete seith ¶ That¶ propheta troubled eyen / han no cleer sighte [2892] ¶ but seyeth and conseileth me as yow liketh / for I am redy to do right as ye wol desire / [2893] and if ye repreue me of my folye / I am the moore holden / to loue yow and preyse yow [2894] ¶ ffor Salomon seith ‖. That he þat repreueth¶ Salomon hym that dooth folye / [2895] he shal fynde gretter grace than he / that deceyueth hym by sweete wordes

[2896] Thanne seide dame Prudence ¶ I make no semblant of wratthe ne Anger / but for youre grete profit [2897] ¶ ffor Salomon seith ‖. He is moore worth that re|preueth ¶ Salomon / or chideth a fool for his folye shewynge hym semblant of wratthe / [2898] than he that supporteth hym and p[r]eyseth hym in his mysdoynge and laugheth at his folye [2899] ¶ And this same Salomon / seith afterward .‖. That by the sorweful visage of a man / that is to seyn / by the sory and heuy contenance of a man / [2900] the fool correcteth and amendeth hym self

[2901] Thanne seyde Melibee ¶ I shal nat konne an|swere ¶ Melibee to so manye faire resons / as ye putten to me and shewen / [2902] seyeth shortly youre wyl and youre con|seil / and I am al redy to fulfille and parfourne it

[2903] Thanne dame Prudence / discouered al hir wyl¶ Prudence to hym / and seyde [2904] ¶ I conseille yow quod she abouen alle thynges / that ye make pees / bitwene god and yow / [2905] and beth reconsiled vn-to hym and to his grace ‖ [2906] ffor as I haue seyd yow heer biforn /. god hath suffred yow to haue this tribulacion and disese for youre synnes / [2907] And if ye do as I sey yow / god wol sende youre Aduersaries vn-to yow [2908] and maken hem fallen at youre feet redy to do youre wyl and youre com|andementz [2909] ¶ ffor Salomon seith ‖. whan the con|dicion ¶ Salomon of man is plesaunt and likynge to god /. [2910] he chaungeth the hertes of the mannes Aduersaries and con|streyneth hem / to biseken hym / of pees and of grace / [2911] and I prey yow / lat me speke with youre Aduersaries in priuee place / [2912] for they shul nat knowe / that it be of youre wyl / or youre assent. [2913] and thanne whan I knowe / hir wil and hire entente /. I may conseille yow the moore seurely

[2914] Dame quod Melibee / dooth youre wil and¶ Melibee youre likynge /. [2915] for I putte me hoolly / in youre disposicion and ordinaunce

[2916] Thanne Dame Prudence / whan she saugh the¶ Prudence goode wyl of hir housbonde / delibered and took auys in hir self. [2917] thinkinge / how she myghte brynge this nede / vn-to a good conclusion / and to a good ende /. [2918] And whan she saugh hir tyme / she sente for thise Aduersaries / to come vn-to hire in to a pryuee place / [2919] and shewed wisely vn-to hem / the grete goodes that comen of pees / [2920] and the grete har mes and perils / that been in werre / [2921] and seyde to hem / in a goodly manere /. hou that hem oughten / haue greet re|pentaunce / [2922] of the Iniurie and wrong that they hadden doon / to Melibee hir lord / and to hire / And to hire doghter

[2923] And whan they herden the goodliche wordes of Dame Prudence / [2924] they weren so supprised and rauysshed / and hadden so greet ioye of hire / that wonder was to telle [2925] ¶ A lady quod they / ye han shewed vn-to vs / the blessynge of swetnesse / after the sawe of Dauid the prophete / [2926] for the reconsilynge / which we been nat worthy to haue in no manere / [2927] but we oghte requeren it with greet contricion and humylitee / [2928] ye of youre grete goodnesse haue presented vnto vs [2929] ¶ Now se we wel / that the science and the konnynge of Salomon is ful trewe [2930] ¶ ffor he seith ‖ That sweete wordes / multiplien and encreesen freendes / and maken shrewes / to be debonaire and meeke

[2931] ¶ Certes quod they ./ we putten oure dede and al oure matere and cause / al hoolly / in youre goode wyl / [2932] and been redy to obeye to the speche and comande|ment of my lord Melibee [2933] ¶ And therfore deere and benygne lady / we preien yow and biseke yow as mekely as we konne and mowen / [2934] that it lyke vn-to youre grete goodnesse / to fulfillen in dede / youre good|liche wordes / [2935] for we consideren and knowelichen / that we han offended and greued my lord Melibee out of mesure /. [2936] so ferforth / that we be nat of power / to maken hise amendes / [2937] and therfore / we oblige and bynden vs and oure freendes / to doon al his wyl and hise comandementz ‖ [2938] ¶ but perauenture / he hath swich heuynesse / and swich wratthe to vs ward / by cause of oure offense / [2939] that he wole enioyne vs swich a peyne / as we mowe nat bere ne susteene /. [2940] and therfore noble lady / we biseke / to youre wommanly pitee / [2941] to taken swich auysement in this nede / that we / ne oure freendes / be nat desherited ne destroyed / thurgh oure folye

[2942] Certes quod Prudence / it is an hard thyng and¶ Prudence right perilous / [2943] that a man putte hym al outrely / in the arbitracion and Iuggement. and in the myght and power of hise enemys [2944] ¶ ffor Salomon seith ‖ Leeueth¶ Salomon me / and yeueth credence / to that I shal seyn ¶ I seye quod he ¶ ye peple / folk and gouernours of hooly chirche [2945] ¶ to thy sone / to thy wyf / to thy freend / ne to thy broother / [2946] ne yeue thou neuere myght ne maistrie of thy body / whil thou lyuest. [2947] ¶ Now sithen he deffendeth / that man shal nat yeuen to his broother / ne to his freend / the myght of his body? [2948] by strenger reson he deffendeth / and forbedeth a man / to yeuen hym self to his enemy [2949] ¶ And nathe|lees I conseille you / that ye / mystruste nat my lord / [2950] for I woot wel / and knowe verraily / that he is / debonaire and meeke / large / curteys / [2951] and no thyng desirous ne coueitous of good ne richesse [2952] ¶ for ther nys no thyng in this world that he desireth / saue oonly / worshipe and honour [2953] ¶ fforther-moore I knowe wel / and am right seur / that he shal no thyng doon in this nede / with-outen my conseil / [2954] And I shal so werken in this cause / that by grace of oure lord god / ye shul been reconsiled vn-to vs

[2955] Thanne seyden they / with o. voys ‖ worshipful lady we putten vs and oure goodes al fully in youre wil and disposicion / [2956] and been redy / to comen / what day þat it like vn-to youre noblesse to lymyte vs or assigne vs [2957] for to maken oure obligacion and boond as strong as it liketh vn-to youre goodnesse / [2958] that we mowe fulfille the wille of yow / and of my lord Melibee

[2959] Whan Dame Prudence / hadde herd the an|sweres ¶ Prudence of thise men / she bad hem / goon agayn priuely / [2960] and she retourned to hir lord Melibee / and tolde hym / how she foond hise Aduersaries ful repentant [2961] knowelechynge ful lowely hir synnes and trespas / and how they were redy to suffren all peyne / [2962] requirynge and preiynge hym of mercy and pitee;

[2963] Thanne seyde Melibee ¶ he is wel worthy to¶ Melibee haue pardon and foryifnesse of his synne þat excuseth nat his synne / [2964] but knowelecheth it and repenteth hym / axinge Indulgence [2965] ¶ ffor Senec / seith ‖. ther¶ Seneca is the remission and foryifnesse . where as confession is [2966] ¶ ffor Confession is neighebore to Innocence [2967] [et dit autre part: cellui est presque innocent qui a honte de son péchié et le recongnoist. (Le Ménagier, i. 231)] And therfore I assente and corforme me to haue pees / [2968] but it is good þat we do it nat with-outen the assent and wyl of oure freendes

[2969] Thanne was Prudence right glad and ioyeful /¶ Prudence and seyde [2970] ¶ Certes sire quod she ye han wel and goodly answered [2971] ffor right as by the conseil / assent and helpe of youre freendes / ye han been stired / to venge yow and maken werre? [2972] right so with|outen hire conseil / shul ye nat accorden yow / ne haue pees with youre Aduersaries [2973] ¶ ffor the lawe seith ‖ ther nys no thyng so good by wey of kynde / as a thyng to been vnbounde by hym þat it was ybounde

[2974] ¶ And thanne Dame Prudence with-outen delay or tariynge / sente anon hire messages for hire kyn and for hire olde freendes / whiche þat were trewe and wyse / [2975] and tolde hem by ordre / in the presence of Melibee al this mateere as it is abouen expressed and declared / [2976] and preyden þat they wolde yeuen hire auys and con|seil / what best were to doon in this nede [2977] ¶ And whan Melibees freendes hadde taken hire auys and deliber|acion of the forseide mateere / [2978] and hadden examyned it by greet bisynesse and greet diligence / [2979] they yaue ful conseil for to haue pees and reste / [2980] and þat Melibee / sholde receyue with good herte hise aduersaries / to foryifnesse and mercy

[2981] And whan dame Prudence hadde herd the assent of hir lord Melibee / and the conseil of hise freendes [2982] accorde with hire wille and hire entencion / [2983] she was wonderly glad in hire herte / and seyde [2984] ¶ Ther is an old prouerbe quod she seith ‖. That the¶ Prudence goodnesse þat thou mayst do this day / do it [2985] and abide nat ne delaye it nat til to morwe [2986] ¶ And therfore / I conseille þat ye sende youre messages swiche as been discrete and wise / [2987] vn-to youre Aduersaries / tellynge hem on youre bihalue / [2988] þat if they wole trete of pees and of accord / [2989] that they shape hem / with-outen delay or tariyng to comen vn-to vs / [2990] which thyng parfourned was in dede [2991] ¶ And whanne thise trespassours and repentynge folk of hire folies / that is to seyn / the Aduersaries of Melibee / [2992] hadden herd / what thise Messagers seyden vn-to hem / [2993] they weren right glad and ioyeful / and answereden ful mekely and benignely / [2994] yeldynge graces and thankynges to hir lord Melibee and to al his compaignye / [2995] and shopen hem with-outen delay to go with the Messagers and obeye to the comandement of hir lord Melibee

[2996] ¶ And right anon / they tooken hire wey to the Court of Melibee / [2997] and tooken with hem / somme of hire trewe freendes / to maken feith for hem and for to been hire borwes / [2998] and whan they were comen / to the presence of Melibee / he seyde hem thise wordes [2999] It standeth thus quod Melibee / and sooth it is /¶ Melibee that ye [3000] causelees and with-outen skile and reson [3001] han doon grete Iniuries and wronges / to me and to my wyf Prudence; and to my doghter also / [3002] for ye han entred in to myn hous by violence [3003] and haue doon swich outrage þat alle men knowen wel þat ye haue disserued the deeth / [3004] and therfore / wol I knowe and wite of yow / [3005] wheither ye wol putte the punyssement and the chastisynge / and the vengeance of this outrage / in the wyl of me / and of my wyf Prudence / or ye wol nat

[3006] Thanne / the wiseste of hem thre answerde for hem alle and seyde [3007] ¶ Sire quod he / we knowen wel / þat we been vnworthy / to comen vn-to the Court of so greet a lord and so worthy as ye been? [3008] ffor we han so greetly mystaken vs / and han offended and agilt in swich a wise / agayn youre heigh lordshipe / [3009] that trewely / we han disserued the deeth / [3010] but yet for the grete goodnesse and debonairetee þat al the world / witnesseth in youre persone / [3011] we submytten vs / to the excellence and benignitee of youre gracious lordshipe / [3012] and been redy to obeie to alle youre comandementz / [3013] bisekynge yow / that of youre merciable pitee / ye wol considere oure grete repentance and lough submyssion [3014] and graunten vs foryeuenesse of oure outrageous trespas and offense / [3015] for wel we knowe þat youre liberal grace and mercy / strecchen hem ferther in-to good|nesse / than doon oure outrageouse giltes and trespas in-to wikkednesse / [3016] al be it þat cursedly and damp|nablely / we han agilt agayn youre heigh lordshipe

[3017] Thanne Melibee / took hem vp fro the ground ful benignely [3018] and receyued hire obligacions and hir boondes by hire othes vp-on hire plegges and borwes / [3019] and assigned hem a certeyn day / to retourne vn-to his Court . [3020] for to accepte and receyue the sentence and Iuggement þat Melibee wolde comande to be doon on hem by the causes aforeseyd / [3021] whiche thynges ordeyned /. euery man retourned to his hous ‖

[3022] And whan þat dame Prudence saugh hir tyme / she freyned and axed hir lord Melibee / [3023] what vengeance / he thoughte / to taken of hise Aduersaries

[3024] To which Melibee answerde and seyde ¶ Certes¶ Melibee quod he / I thynke and purpose me fully / [3025] to des|herite hem / of al þat euere they han / and for to putte hem / in exil for euere

[3026] Certes quod dame Prudence / this were a crueel¶ Prudence sentence and muchel agayn reson / [3027] ffor ye been riche ynough and han no nede of oother mennes good / [3028] and ye myghte lightly in this wise gete yow a coueitous name / [3029] which is a vicious thyng and oghte been eschued of euery good man [3030] ffor after the sawe of the word of the Apostle /. Coueitise is roote of alle harmes /¶ Apostolus [3031] And therfore it were bettre for yow / to lese so muchel good of youre owene / than for to taken of hir good in this manere / [3032] for bettre it is to lesen with worshipe / than it is to wynne with vileynye and shame /. [3033] And eueri man oghte to doon his diligence and his bisynesse / to geten hym a good name /. [3034] And yet shal he nat oonly bisie hym in kepynge of his good name. [3035] but he shal also enforcen hym alwey / to do som thyng by which he may renouelle his good name / [3036] for it is writen / þat the olde good loos and good name of a man / is soone goon and passed / whan it is nat newed ne re|nouelled [3037] ¶ And as touchynge / þat ye seyn / ye wole exile youre Aduersaries / [3038] that thynketh me / muchel agayn reson / and out of mesure / [3039] con|sidered the power þat they han yeue yow vp-on hem self ‖. [3040] And it is writen þat he is worthy / to lesen his priuilege / þat mysuseth / the myght and the power þat is yeuen hym [3041] ¶ And I sette cas / ye myghte enioyne hem þat peyne by right and by lawe / [3042] which I trowe / ye mowe nat do /. [3043] I seye ye mighte nat putten it to execucion per-auenture / [3044] and thanne were it likly to retourne to the werre as it was biforn / [3045] And therfore / if ye wole þat men do yow obeis|ance / ye moste deemen moore curteisly / [3046] this is to seyn / ye moste yeuen moore esy sentences and Iuggementz [3047] ¶ ffor it is writen / þat he þat moost curteisly comandeth / to hym men moost obeyen / [3048] And ther|fore I prey yow þat in this necessitee / and in this nede / ye caste yow to ouercome youre herte [3049] ¶ ffor Senec¶ Seneca seith /. That he þat ouercometh his herte / ouercomeþ twies [3050] ¶ And Tullius seith ¶ Ther is no thyng so¶ Tullius comendable in a greet lord / [3051] as whan he is debon|aire and meeke / and appeseth lightly / [3052] And I. prey yow þat ye wole forbere now to do vengeance [3053] in swich a manere / þat youre goode name may be kept and conserued / [3054] and þat men mowe haue cause and mateere / to preyse yow of pitee and of mercy / [3055] and þat ye haue no cause to repente yow of thyng þat ye doon [3056] ¶ ffor Senec seith ¶ He ouercometh in an yuel¶ Seneca manere þat repenteth hym of his victorie / [3057] Wher|fore I pray yow / lat mercy been in youre mynde and in youre herte / [3058] to theffect and entente þat god almyghty haue mercy on yow in his laste Iuggement; [3059] ¶ ffor seint Iame seith in his Epistle ¶ Iuggement with|outen¶ Iacobus in epistola mercy shal be doon to hym / þat hath no mercy of another wight

[3060] Whanne Melibee hadde herd the grete skiles¶ Melibee and resons of Dame Prudence / and hire wise informacions and techynges / [3061] his herte gan enclyne to the wil of his wif considerynge hir trewe entente / [3062] and con|formed hym anon and assented fully to werken after hir conseil / [3063] and thonked god / of whom procedeþ al vertu and alle goodnesse / þat hym sente a wyf / of so greet discrecion [3064] And whan the day cam þat hise Aduer|saries sholde appieren in his presence / [3065] he spak vn|to hem ful goodly / and seyde in this wyse [3066] ¶ Al be it so / þat of youre pride / and presumpcion and folie / and of youre necligence and vnkonnynge / [3067] ye haue mysborn yow and trespassed vn-to me. [3068] yet for as muche / as I see and biholde youre grete humylitee / [3069] and þat ye been sory and repentant of youre giltes / [3070] it constreyneth me / to doon yow grace and mercy [3071] ¶ Therfore / I receyue yow / to my grace [3072] and foryeue yow outrely alle the offenses / Iniuries and wronges þat ye haue doon agayn me and myne / [3073] to this effect and to this ende / that god of his endelees mercy [3074] wole at the tyme of oure diynge foryeuen vs oure giltes that we han trespassed to hym in this wrecched world / [3075] ffor doutelees / if we be sory and repentant of the synnes and giltes whiche we han trespassed in the sighte of oure lord god / [3076] he is so free and so merci|able / [3077] that he wole foryeuen vs oure giltes [3078] and bryngen vs to his blisse / that neuere hath ende. Amen

¶ Heere is ended Chaucers tale of Melibee / and of Dame Prudence . ¶ The murye wordes of the Hoost/ to the Monk/ .on leaf 172 Whan ended / was my tale / of Melibee And of Prudence / and hire benignytee Oure hoost seyde / as I am feithful man And by that precious corpus Madrian I hadde leuere / than a barel ale That good lief my wyf / hadde herd this tale She nys no thyng / of swich pacience As was this Melibeus wyf Prudence By goddes bones / whan I bete my knaues She bryngeth me forth / the grete clobbed staues And crieth / slee the dogges euerichoon And brek/ hem / bothe bak and euery boon ¶ And if that any neighebore of myne Wol nat in chirche / to my wyf enclyne Or be so hardy / to hire to trespace Whan she comth [home] / she rampeth in my face And crieth / false coward / wrek thy wyf/ By corpus bones / I wol haue thy knyf/ And thou shalt haue my distaf and go spynne ffro day to nyght / right thus she wol bigynne Allas she seith / that euere þat I was shape To wedden a Milksope / or a coward ape That wol been ouerlad with euery wight Thou darst nat stonden by thy wyues right ¶ This is my lif but if that I wol fighte And out at dore / anon I moot me dighte Or elles I am but lost but if that I Be lik a wilde leon fool-hardy I woot wel / she wol do me slee som day Som neighebore / and thanne go my way ffor I am perilous / with knyf in honde Al be it that I dar hire nat withstonde ffor she is / byg in Armes by my feith That shal he fynde / þat hire mysdooth or seith But lat vs passe awey / fro this mateere ¶ My lord the Monk quod he / be myrie of cheere ffor ye shul telle a tale trewely Loo Rouchestre / stant heer faste by Ryde forth myn owene lord / brek nat oure game But by my trouthe / I knowe nat youre name Wher shal I calle yow / my lord daun Iohn Or daun Thomas / or elles daun Albon Of what hous be ye / by youre fader kyn I vowe to god / thou hast a ful fair skyn It is a gentil pasture / ther thow goost Thou art nat lyk a penant or a goost Vpon my feith / thou art som Officer Som worthy sexteyn / or som Celerer ffor by my fader soule / as to my doom Thou art a maister / whan thou art at hoom No poure cloystrer/ ne no Novys But a gouernour / wily and wys And therwith-al / of brawnes and of bones A wel farynge persone / for the nones I pray to god / yeue hym confusioun That first thee broghte / vn-to Religioun Thou woldest han been / a tredefowel aright Haddestow / as greet a leeue / as thou hast myght To parfourne al thy lust/ in engendrure Thou haddest bigeten / ful many a creature Allas / why werestow / so wyd a Cope God yeue me sorwe / but and I were a pope Nat oonly thou / but euery myghty man Though he were shorn / ful hye vpon his pan Sholde haue a wyf / for al the world is lorn Religioun / hath take vp al the corn Of tredyng. and we borel men been shrympes Of fieble trees / ther comen wrecched ympes . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. This maketh / that oure wyues wole assaye Religious folk for ye mowe bettre paye Of Venus paiementz / than mowe we God woot no lussheburgh payen ye But be nat wrooth / my lord for þat I pleye fful ofte in game / a sooth I haue herd seye ¶ This worthy Monk / took al in pacience And seyde I wol doon al my diligence As fer as sowneth / in-to honestee To telle yow a tale / or two / or three And if yow list to herkne hyderward I wol [yow] seyn the lyf / of seint Edward Or ellis / first Tragedies wol I telle Of whiche /I/ haue an hundred in my Celle ¶ Tragedie is to seyn / a certeyn storie As olde bookes / maken vs memorie Of hym / that stood / in greet prosperitee And is yfallen / out of heigh degree In to myserie / and endeth wrecchedly And they ben versified communely Of .vj. feet. which men clepen Exametron In prose eek / been endited many oon And eek in meetre / in many a sondry wyse Lo / this declaryng oghte ynogh suffise Now herkneth / if yow liketh for to heere But first / I yow biseeke / in this mateere Though I by ordre / telle nat thise thynges Be it of Popes / Emperours / or kynges After hir ages / as men writen fynde But tellen hem / som bifore and som bihynde As it now comth / vn-to my remembraunce Haue me excused of min ignoraunce¶ Explicit ¶ Heere bigynneth / the Monkes tale / de casibus virorum Illustrium.on leaf 173 Iwol biwaille / in manere of Tragedie[Painting of the Monk and two dogs] The harm of hem / that stoode in heigh degree And fillen so / that ther nas no remedie To brynge hem / out of hir aduersitee ffor certein / whan þat ffortune list to flee Ther may no man / the cours of hire withholde Lat no man truste / on blynd prosperitee Be war of thise ensamples / trewe and olde [Lucifer.] AT lucifer / though / he an Angel were¶ Lucifer And nat a man / at hym wol I bigynne ffor though ffortune / may noon Angel dere ffrom heigh degree / yet fel he for his synne Doun in to helle / where he yet is Inne O Lucifer/ brightest . of Angels alle Now artow sathanas / þat mayst nat twynne Out of miserie / in which þat thou art falle [Adam.] Loo Adam / in the feeld of Damyssene¶ Adam With goddes owene fynger/ wroght was he And nat bigeten / of mannes sperme vnclene And welte all Paradys / sauynge o tree Hadde neuere worldly man so heigh degree As Adam / til he for mysgouernance Was dryuen / out of hys hye prosperitee To labour and to helle / and to meschance [Sampson.] Loo Sampson / which that was Annunciat¶ Sampson By Angel / longe er his Natiuitee And was / to god almyghty consecrat And stood in noblesse / whil he myghte see Was neuere / swich another as was hee To speke of strengthe / and ther-with hardynesse But to hise wyues / toolde he his secree Thurgh which / he slow hym self / for wrecchednesse Sampson / this noble almyghty Champion With-outen wepene / saue his handes tweyne He slow / and al torente the leon Toward his weddyng walkynge by the weye His false wyf / koude hym so plese and preye Til she his conseil knew / and she vntrewe Vn-to hise foos / his conseil gan biwreye And hym forsook. and took another newe Thre hundred foxes / took Sampson for Ire And alle hir tayles / he togydre bond And sette the foxes tayles / alle on fire ffor he / on euery tayl / had knyt a brond And they brende / alle the cornes in that lond And alle hire Olyueres / and vynes eke A thousand men / he slow eek with his hond And hadde no wepene / but an Asses cheke Whan they were slayn / so thursted hym / that he Was wel ny lorn / for which he gan to preye That god wolde / on his peyne han som pitee And sende hym drynke / or elles moste he deye And of this asses cheke / that was dreye Out of a wang tooth / sprang anon a welle Of which he drank anon / shortly to seye Thus heelpe hym god / as Iudicum can telle By verray force / at Gazan / on a nyght Maugree Philistiens of that Citee The gates of the toun / he hath vp plyght And on his bak. ycaryed hem hath hee Hye on an hill / þat men myghte hem see O noble almyghty Sampson / lief and deere Had thou nat toold / to wommen thy secree In all this world / ne hadde been thy peere This Sampson / neuere Ciser drank ne wyn Ne on his heed / cam rasour noon ne sheere By precept of the Messager diuyn ffor alle hise strengthes / in hise heeres weere And fully twenty wynter yeer by yeere He / hadde of Israel the gouernance But soone / shal he wepe many a teere ffor wommen / shal hym bryngen to meschance Vn-to his lemman Dalida he tolde That in hise heeris / al his strengthe lay And falsly to hise foomen / she hym solde ¶ And slepynge in hir barm / vp-on a day She made to clippe / or shere / hise heres away And made hise foomen / al this craft espyen And whan þat they / hym foond in this array They bounde hym faste / and putten out hise eyen But er his heer/ were clipped or yshaue Ther was no boond / with which men myghte him bynde But now is he / in prison in a Caue Where as they made hym / at the Queerne grynde O noble Sampson / strongest of mankynde O whilom / Iuge in glorie and in richesse Now maystow wepen / with thyne eyen blynde Sith thou fro wele / art falle in wrecchednesse The ende of this caytyf was as I shal seye Hise foomen / made a feeste vp-on a day And made hym as a fool / biforn hem pleye And this was / in a temple of greet array But atte laste / he made a foul affray ffor he / the pilers shook / and made hem falle And doun fil Temple and al / and ther it lay And slow hym self / and eek his foomen alle This is to seyn the Prynces euerichoon And eek / thre thousand bodyes were ther slayn With fallynge / of the grete Temple of stoon Of Sampson / now wol I na moore sayn Beth war / by this ensample oold and playn That no men / telle hir conseil til hir wyues Of swich thyng as they wolde han secree fayn If þat it touche / hir lymes or hir lyues [Hercules.] Off Hercules / the souereyn Conquerour¶ Hercules Syngen hise werkes / laude and heigh renoun ffor in his tyme / of strengthe he was the flour He slow / and rafte the skyn of the leoun He of Centauros / leyde the boost adoun He Arpies slow / the crueel bryddes felle He golden Apples / refte of the dragoun He drow out Cerberus / the hound of helle He slow the crueel tyrant Busirus And made his hors / to frete hym flessh and boon He slow / the firy serpent venymus Of Acheloys hornes two / he brak oon And he slow Cacus / in a Caue of stoon He slow-the geant Antheus the stronge He slow the grisly boor / and that anon And bar the heuene / on his nekke longe Was neuere wight sith that this world bigan That slow so manye Monstres / as dide he Thurgh-out this wyde world / his name ran What for his strengthe / and for his heigh bountee And euery Reawme / wente he for to see He was so stroong þat no man myghte hym lette At bothe the worldes endes / seith Trophee¶ Ille vates Chalde|orum Tropheus In stide of boundes / he a pileer sette A lemman hadde / this noble Champion That highte Dianira / fressh as May And as thise clerkes / maken mention She hath hym sent. a sherte fressh and gay Allas this sherte / allas and weylaway Euenymed was / so subtilly with-alle That er þat he / had wered it half a day It made his flessh / al from hise bones falle But nathelees / somme clerkes hire excusen By oon þat highte Nessus that it maked Be as be may / I wol hire noght accusen But on his bak this sherte he wered al naked Til þat his flessh / was for the venym blaked And whan he saugh / noon oother remedye In hoote coles / he hath hym seluen raked ffor with no venym deigned hym to dye Thus starf / this worthy / myghty Hercules Lo / who may truste / on ffortune any throwe ffor hym þat folweth / al this world of prees Er he be war / is ofte yleyd ful lowe fful wys is he / that kan hym seluen knowe Beth war / for whan that ffortune list to glose Thanne wayteth she / her man to ouerthrowe By swich a wey / as he wolde leest suppose [Nebuchadnezzar.] The myghty trone / the precious tresor¶ Nabugo|donosor The glorious ceptre / and Roial magestee That hadde the kyng Nabugodonosor With tonge / vnnethe may discryued bee He twyes / wan Ierusalem the Citee The vessel of the temple / he with hym ladde At Babiloigne / was his souereyn see In which his glorie / and his delit he hadde The faireste children / of the blood Roial Of Israel / he leet do gelde anoon And maked ech of hem / to been his thral Amonges othere / Daniel was oon That was the wiseste child of euerychon ffor he / the dremes of the kyng expowned Where as in Chaldeye / clerk ne was ther noon That wiste / to what fyn / hise dremes sowned This proude kyng leet maken a statue of gold Sixty cubites long and seuene in brede The which ymage / he bothe yonge and oold Comanded to loute / and haue in drede Or in a ffourneys / ful of flambes rede He shal be brent that wolde noght obeye But neuere wolde assente / to that dede Daniel / ne hise yonge felawes tweye This kyng of kynges / proud was and elaat He wende / þat god that sit in magestee Ne myghte / hym nat bireue of his estaat But sodeynly / he loste his dignytee And lyk a beest / hym semed for to bee And eet hey as an Oxe / and lay ther oute In reyn / with wilde beestes walked hee Til certein tyme / was ycome aboute And lik/ an Egles fetheres / wax his heres Hise nayles / lyk a briddes clawes weere Til god relessed hym / a certeyn yeres And yaf hym wit / and thanne with many a teere He thanked god / and euere his lyf in feere Was he / to doon amys / or moore trespace And til that tyme / he leyd was on his beere He knew / that god was / ful of myght and grace [Belshazzar.] His sone / which that highte Balthasar¶ Balthasar That heeld the regne / after his fader day He by his fader / koude noght be war ffor proud he was / of herte and of array And eek / an ydolastre / he was ay His hye estaat assured hym in pryde But ffortune / caste hym doun / and ther he lay And sodeynly / his regne gan diuide A feeste he made / vn-to hise lordes alle Vp-on a tyme / and bad hem blithe bee And thanne / hise Officers gan he calle Gooth bryngeth forth / the vessels quod he Whiche that my fader / in his prosperitee Out of the temple / of Ierusalem birafte And to oure hye goddes / thanke we Of honour / that oure eldres with us lafte Hys wyf hise lordes / and hise concubynes Ay dronken / whil hire Appetites laste Out of thise noble vessels / sondry wynes And on a wal / this kyng hise eyen caste And saugh an hand Armlees / þat wroot ful fast ffor feere of which / he quook and siked soore This hand / that Balthasar so soore agaste Wroot Mane techel phares / and na moore In al that land / Magicien was noon That koude expounde / what this lettre mente But Daniel / expowned it anon And seyde kyng god to thy fader sente Glorie and honour / regne / tresour / rente And he was proud / and no-thyng god ne dradde And therfore / god greet wreche vp-on hym sente And hym birafte / the regne þat he hadde He was out cast of mannes compaignye With asses / was his habitacioun And eet hey as a beest in weet and drye Til that he knew / by grace and by resoun That god of heuene / hath domynacioun Ouer euery regne / and euery creature And thanne / hadde god of hym compassioun And hym restored / his regne and his figure Eek / thou that art his sone / art proud also And knowest alle thise thynges verraily And art rebel to god / and art his foo Thou drank eek / of hise vessels boldely Thy wyf eek and thy wenches synfully Dronke of the same vessels / sondry wynys And heryest false goddes cursedly Therfore to thee / yshapen ful greet pyne ys This hand was sent from god / that on the wal Wroot Mane techel phares / truste me Thy regne is doon / thou weyest noght at al Dyuyded is thy regne / and it shal be To Medes and to Perses [yeue] quod he And thilke same nyght this kyng was slawe And Darius / occupieth his degree Thogh he therto / hadde neither right ne lawe Lordynges / ensample / heer-by may ye take How that in lordshipe / is no sikernesse ffor whan ffortune wole a man forsake She bereth awey / his regne and his richesse And eek hise freendes / bothe moore and lesse ffor what man / þat hath freendes / thurgh ffortune Mishape / wol maken hem enemys as I gesse This prouerbe / is ful sooth and ful commune [Zenobia.] CEnobia / of Palymerie Queene¶ Cenobia As writen Persiens / of hir noblesse So worthy was in Armes / and so keene That no wight passed hire in hardynesse Ne in lynage / nor in oother gentillesse Of kynges blood of Perce / is she descended I seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesse But of hire shape / she myghte nat been amended ffrom hire childhede / I fynde that she fledde Office of wommen / and to wode she went And many a wilde hertes blood she shedde With arwes brode / that she to hem sente She was so swift / þat she anon hem hente And whan þat she was elder / she wolde kille Leons / leopardes / and Beres al to-rente And in hir Armes / weelde hem at hir wille She dorste / wilde beestes dennes seke And rennen in the montaignes al the nyght And slepen vnder the bussh / and she koude eke Wrastlen / by verray force / and verray myght/ With any yong man / were he neuer so wight Ther myghte no thyng in hir Armes stonde She kepte hir maydenhod / from euery wight To no man / deigned hire for to be bonde But atte laste / hir freendes han hire maried To Onedake / a Prynce of that contree Al were it so / that she hem longe taried And ye shul vnderstonde / how that he? Hadde swiche fantasies / as hadde shesimul But nathelees / whan they were knyt infeere They lyued / in ioye / and in felicitee ffor ech of hem / hadde oother lief and deere Saue o thyng that she wolde neuere assente By no wey / that he sholde by hire lye But ones / for it was hir pleyn entente To haue a child / the world to multiplye And also soone / as þat she myghte espye That she was nat with childe / with that dede Thanne wolde she suffre hym / doon his fantasye Eft soone / and nat but oones out of drede And if she were with childe / at thilke cast Na moore / sholde he pleyen thilke game Til fully / fourty dayes / weren past Thanne wolde she ones / suffre hym do the same Al were this Onedake / wilde or tame He gat na moore of hire / for thus she seyde It was to wyues / lecherie and shame In oother caas / if þat men with hem pleyde Two sones / by Onedake hadde she The whiche she kepte / in vertu and lettrure But now / vn-to oure tale / turne we I seye / so worshipful a creature And wys ther-with / and large with mesure So penyble in the werre / and curteis eke Ne moore labour / myghte in werre endure Was noon / though al this world men wolde seke Hir riche array / ne myghte nat be told As wel in vessel / as in hire clothyng She was al clad / in perree and in gold And eek / she lafte noght / for noon huntyng To haue of sondry tonges / ful knowyng Whan þat she leyser hadde / and for to entende To lerne bookes / was al hire likyng How she in vertu / myghte hir lyf dispende And shortly / of this proces for to trete So doghty was hir housbonde and eek she That they conquered / manye regnes grete In the Orient with many a faire Citee Apertenaunt vn-to the magestee Of Rome / and with strong hond held hem ful faste Ne neuere myghte / hir foo men doon hem flee Ay / whil that Onedakes dayes laste Hir batailles / who so list hem for to rede Agayn Sapor the kyng and othere mo And how al this proces / fil in dede Why she conquered / and what title therto And after/ of hir meschief and hire wo How þat she was / biseged and ytake Lat hym / vn-to my maister Petrak go That writ ynough of this .I vndertake Whan Onedake was deed / she myghtily The regnes heeld / and with hire propre hond Agayn hir foos / she faught so cruelly That ther nas kyng ne prynce in al that lond That he nas glad / if he that grace fond That she ne wolde / vp-on his lond werreye With hire / they made alliance by bond To been in pees / and lete hire ride and pleye The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne hym bifore / the Romayn Galien Ne dorste neuere / been so corageus Ne noon Ermyn / ne noon Egipcien Ne Surrien / ne noon Arabyen With-Inne the feeldes / that dorste with hire fighte Lest that she wolde / hem with hir handes slen Or with hir meignee / putten hem to flighte In kynges habit / wente hir sones two As heires / of hir fadres regnes alle And hermanno / and Thymalao Hir names were / as Persiens hem calle But ay ffortune / hath in hire hony galle This myghty queene / may no while endure ffortune / out of hir regne made hire falle To wrecchednesse / and to mysauenture Aurelian / whan that the gouernaunce Of Rome / cam in-to hise handes tweye He shoope / vp-on this queene to doon vengeaunce And with hise legions / he took his weye Toward Cenobie / and shortly for to seye He made hire flee / and atte last hire hente And fettred hire / and eek hire children tweye And wan the land / and hoom to Rome he wente Amonges othere thynges / that he wan Hir Chaar/ þat was with gold wroght and perree This grete Romayn / this Aurelian Hath with hym lad / for that men sholde it see Biforn his triumphe / walketh shee With gilte cheynes / on hire nekke hangynge Coroned was she / after hir degree And ful of perree / charged hire clothynge , Allas ffortune / she that whilom was Dredeful / to kynges and to Emperoures Now gaureth al the peple / on hire allas And she / that helmed was in starke shoures And wan by force / townes stronge and toures Shal on hir heed / now were a vitremyte And she that bar/ the ceptre ful of floures Shal bere a distaf / hire costes for to quyte[The modern instances which should come here, are at the end of the Tale in this MS.] [Nero.] Al though / that Nero were vicius¶ Nero As any feend that lith in helle adoun Yet he / as telleth vs Swetonius This wyde world / hadde in subieccioun Bothe Est and West North / and Septemtrioun Of Rubies / saphires / and of peerles white Were alle hise clothes / brouded vp and doun ffor he in gemmes / greetly gan delite Moore delicaat moore pompous of array Moore proud / was neuere Emperour than he That ilke clooth / þat he hadde wered o day After that tyme / he nolde it neuere see Nettes of gold threed / hadde he greet plentee To fisshe in Tybre / whan hym liste pleye Hise lustes were al lawe / in his decree ffor ffortune / as his freend / hym wolde obeye He Rome brende / for his delicasie The Senatours / he slow vp-on a day To heere / how men wolde wepe and crie And slow his brother / and by his suster lay His mooder made he / in pitous array ffor he / hire wombe slitte / to biholde Where he conceyued was so weilaway That he so litel / of his mooder tolde , No teere out of hise eyen / for that sighte Ne cam / but seyde / a fair womman was she Greet wonder is / how þat he koude / or myghte Be domesman / of hire dede beautee The wyn to bryngen hym comanded he And drank / anon / noon oother wo he made Whan myght is ioyned vn-to crueltee Allas to depe / wol the venym wade In yowthe / a maister hadde this Emperour To teche hym lettrure / and curteisye ffor of moralitee / he was the flour As in his tyme / but if bookes lye And whil this maister / hadde of hym maistrye He maked hym / so konnyng and so sowple That longe tyme it was / er tirannye Or any vice / dorste on hym vncowple This Seneca / of which that I deuyse By cause Nero / hadde of hym swich drede ffor he fro vices / wolde hym chastise Discreetly / as by word / and nat by dede Sire wolde he seyn / an Emperour moot nede Be vertuous / and hate tirannye ffor which / he in a bath / made hym to blede On bothe hise Armes / til he moste dye This Nero / hadde eek/ of acustumaunce In youthe / agayns his maister for to ryse Which afterward / hym thoughte greet greuaunce Therfore / he made hym dyen in this wise But nathelees / this Seneca the wise Chees in a Bath to dye / in this manere Rather than han / any oother tormentise And thus hath Nero / slayn his maister deere , Now fil it so / that ffortune liste no lenger The hye pryde of Nero to cherice ffor though þat he was strong yet was she strenger She thoughte thus / by god I am to nyce To sette a man / that is fulfild of vice In heigh degree / and Emperour hym calle By god / out of his sete / I wol hym trice Whan he leest weneth / sonnest shal he falle The peple roos vp-on hym on a nyght ffor his defaute / and whan he it espied Out of hise dores / anon he hath hym dight Allone / and ther he wende han ben allied He knokked faste / and ay the moore he cried The fastere shette they / the dores alle ffor drede of this / hym thoughte þat he dyed And wente his wey / no lenger dorste he calle The peple cride / and rombled vp and doun That with his erys / herde he / how they seyde Where is this false tiraunt this Neroun ffor fere / almoost out of his wit he breyde And to hise goddes / pitously he preyd ffor socour / but it myghte nat bityde ffor drede of this / hym thoughte þat he deyde And ran in-to a gardyn hym to hyde And in this gardyn / foond he cherles tweye That seten by a fyr / greet and reed And to thise cherles two / he gan to preye To sleen hym / and to girden of his heed That to his body / whan þat he were deed Were no despit ydoon / for his defame Hym self he slow / he koude no bettre reed Of which / ffortune lough / and hadde a game , [Holofernes.] Was neuere Capitayn / vnder a kyng/¶ De Oloferno That regnes mo / putte in subieccioun Ne strenger was in feeld / of alle thyng As in his tyme / ne gretter of renoun Ne moore pompous / in heigh presumpcioun Than Oloferne / which ffortune ay kiste So likerously / and ladde hym vp and doun Til þat his heed was of / er þat he wiste Nat oonly / that this world / hadde hym in Awe ffor lesynge / of richesse / or libertee But made euery man / reneyen his lawe Nabugodonosor / was god seyde hee Noon oother god / [ne] sholde adoured bee Agayns his heeste / no wight dorste trespace saue in Bethulia / a strong Citee¶ Et fecerunt filij Israel secundum quod constituerat eis sacerdos domi|ni Eliachim. [t. i. Joacim, Judith iv. 8.] Where Eliachim / a preest was of that place But taak kepe of the deeth of Oloferne Amydde his hoost he dronke lay a nyght With-Inne his tente / large as is a berne And yet for al his pompe / and al his myght Iudith a womman / as he lay vpright Slepynge / his heed of smoot and from his tente fful pryuely / she stal from euery wight And with his heed / vn-to hir toun she wente [Antiochus.] What nedeth it of kyng Anthiochus¶ De Rege An|thiocho illustri To telle / his hye Roial magestee His hye pride / hise werkes venymus ffor swich another / was ther noon as he Rede which þat he was / in Machabee And rede / the proude wordes that he seyde And why he fil / fro heigh prosperitee And in an hill / how wrecchedly he deyde , ffortune / hym hadde enhaunced so in pride That verraily / he wende he myghte attayne Vn-to the sterres / vp-on euery syde And in balance / weyen ech montayne And alle the floodes / of the see restrayne And goddes peple / hadde he moost in hate Hem wolde he sleen / in torment and in payne Wenynge / þat god ne myghte his pride abate And for that Nichanore / and Thymothee Of Iewes / weren venquysshed myghtily Vn-to the Iewes / swich an hate hadde he That he bad / greithen his Chaar ful hastily And swoor / and seyde ful despitously Vn-to Ierusalem / he wolde eft soone To wreken his Ire / on it ful cruelly But of his purpos / he was let ful soone God for his manace / hym so soore smoot With invisible wounde / ay incurable That in hise guttes / carf it so and boot That hise peynes / weren importable And certeinly / the wreche was resonable ffor many a mannes guttes / dide he peyne But from his purpos / cursed and dampnable ffor all his smert he wolde hym nat restreyne But bad anon / apparaillen his hoost And sodeynly / er he was of it war God daunted / al his pride and all his boost ffor he so soore / fil out of his Charlacerauit/ That it hise lemes / and his skyn to-tar So that he neyther/ myghte go ne ryde But in a chayer / men / aboute hym bar Al forbrused / bothe bak and syde , The wreche of god / hym smoot so cruelly That thurgh his body / wikked wormes crepte And ther-with-al / he stank horriblely That noon of al his meynee / þat hym kepte Wheither so he wook or ellis slepte Ne myghte noght for stynk of hym endure In this meschief / he wayled and eek wepte And knew god / lord of euery creature To all his hoost and to hym self also fful wlatsom was / the stynk of his careyne No man / ne myghte hym bere / to ne fro And in this stynk and this horrible peyne He starf ful wrecchedly / in a Monteyne Thus hath this Robbour / and this homycide That many a man / made to wepe and pleyne Swich gerdon / as bilongeth vn-to pryde [Alexander the Great.] The storie of Alisaundre / is so commune¶ De Alex|andro That euery wight that hath discrecioun Hath herd somwhat or al / of his ffortune This wyde world / as in conclusioun He wan by strengthe / or for his hye renoun They weren glad / for pees vn-to hym sende The pride / of man and beest / he leyde adoun Wher so he cam / vn-to the worldes ende Comparison / myghte neuere yet been maked Bitwixen hym / and another Conquerour ffor al this world / for drede of hym hath quaked He [was] of knyghthod and of fredom flour ffortune hym made / the heir of hire honour Saue wyn and wommen / no man mighte aswage His hye entente in Armes and labour So was he ful / of leonyn corage , What pris were it to hym / though I yow tolde Of Darius / and an hundred thousand mo Of kynges / princes / Erles / dukes / bolde Whiche he conquered / and broghte hem in-to wo I seye / as fer as man may ryde or go The world was his / what sholde I moore deuyse ffor though I write / or tolde yow eueremo Of his knyghthode / it myghte nat suffise Twelf yeer he regned / as seith Machabee Philippes sone of Macidoyne he was That first was kyng in Grece the contree O worthy gentil Alisandre allas That euere sholde fallen swich a cas Empoysoned / of thyn owene folk thou weere Thy sys / ffortune / hath turned in-to Aas And [yet] for thee / ne weepe she neuer a teere Who shal me yeuen teeris to compleyne The deeth of gentillesse / and of ffranchise That al the world / weelded in his demeyne And yet hym thoughte / it myghte nat suffise So ful was his corage / of heigh emprise Allas / who shal me helpe to endite ffalse ffortune / and poyson to despise The whiche two / of al this wo I wyte [Julius Cæsar.] By wisedom / manhede / and by labour¶ De Iulio Cesare ffrom humble bed / to roial magestee Vp roos he Iulius the Conquerour That wan al thoccident by land and See By strengthe of hand / or elles by tretee And vn-to Rome / made hem tributarie And sitthe of Rome / the Emperour was he Til that ffortune / weex his Aduersarie , O myghty Cesar / that in Thessalie Agayn Pompeus / fader thyn in lawe That of the Orient hadde all the Chiualrie As fer/ as þat the day bigynneth dawe Thou thurgh thy knyghthod / hast hem take and slawe Saue fewe folk / that with Pompeus fledde Thurgh which thou puttest al thorient in Awe Thanke ffortune / that so wel thee spedde ¶ But now a litel while / I wol biwaille¶ Nota de Pompeyo This Pompeus / this noble gouernour Of Rome / which that fleigh at this bataille I seye / oon of hise men / a fals traitour His heed of smoot to wynnen hym fauour Of Iulius / and hym the heed he broghte Allas Pompeye / of Thorient Conquerour That ffortune / vn-to swich a fyn thee broghte ¶ To Rome agayn / repaireth Iulius With his triumphe / lauriat ful hye But on a tyme / Brutus Cassius That euere hadde / of his hye estaat envye fful priuely / hath maad conspiracye Agayns this Iulius / in subtil wise And caste the place / in which he sholde dye With Boydekyns / as I shal yow deuyse This Iulius / to the Capitolie wente Vpon a day / as he was wont to goon And in the Capitolie / anon hym hente This false Brutus / and hise othere foon And stiked hym / with boydekyns anoon With many a wounde / and thus they lete hym lye But neuere gronte he / at no strook but oon Or elles at two / but if his storie lye , So manly / was this Iulius of herte And so wel louede / estaatly honestee That though hise deedly woundes soore smerte His Mantel / ouer hise hypes caste he ffor no man / sholde seen his priuetee And as he lay / of diyng in a traunce And wiste verraily / that deed was hee Of honestee / yet hadde he remembraunce Lucan / to thee / this storie I recomende And to Sweton / and to Valerius also That of this storie / writen word and ende How þat / to thise grete Conquerours two ffortune was first freend / and sitthe foo No man ne truste / vp-on hire fauour longe But haue hire / in awayt for euere moo Witnesse / on alle thise Conquerours stronge [Cresus.] This riche Cresus / whilom kyng of Lyde¶ Cresus Of which Cresus / Cirus soore hym dradde Yet was he caught/ amyddes al his pryde And to be brent/ men to the fyr hym ladde But swich a reyn / doun fro the welkne shadde That slow the fyr / and made hym to escape But to be war / no grace yet he hadde Til ffortune / on the galwes / made hym gape Whanne he escaped was / he kan nat stente ffor to bigynne / a newe werre agayn He wende wel / for þat ffortune hym sente Swich hape / that he escaped thurgh the rayn That of hise foos / he myghte nat be slayn And eek a sweuene / vp-on a nyght he mette Of which / he was so proud / and eek so fayn That in vengeance / he al his herte sette ,, Vp-on a tree / he was / as that hym thoughte Ther Iuppiter hym wesshe / bothe bak and syde And Phebus eek a fair towaille hym broughte To dryen hym with / and therfore wax his pryde And to his doghter / that stood hym bisyde Which þat he knew / in heigh science habounde He bad hire telle hym / what it signyfyde And she his dreem / bigan right thus expounde The tree quod she / the galwes is to meene And Iuppiter / bitokneth snow and reyn And Phebus / with his towaille so clene Tho been / the sonne bemes for to seyn Thou shalt anhanged be / fader certeyn Reyn shal thee wasshe / and sonne shal thee drye Thus warned hym / ful plat and ful pleyn His doghter / which that called was Phanye An-hanged was Cresus / the proude kyng His roial Trone / myghte hym nat auaille Tragedies / noon oother maner thyng / Ne kan in syngyng crie ne biwaille But that ffortune / alwey wole assaille With vnwar strook / the Regnes þat been proude ffor whan men trusteth hire / thanne wol she faille And couere hire brighte face / with a clowde[These 4 modern instances should follow Zenobia, p. 268.] [Peter the Cruel, of Spain.] Onoble / o. worthy Petro / glorie of Spayne¶ De Petro Rege Is|pannie Whom ffortune heeld / so hye in magestee Wel oghten men / thy pitous deeth complayne Out of thy land / thy brother made thee flee And after/ at a seege by subtiltee Thou were bitraysed / and lad vn-to his tente Where as he / with his owene hand slow thee Succedynge / in thy regne and in thy rente , The feeld of snow / with thegle of blak ther-Inne[Bertrand du Guesclin.] Caught with the lymerod / coloured as the gleede He brew this cursednesse / and al this synne The wikked nest was werker of this nede Noght Charles Olyuver / that took ay heede Of trouthe and honour / but of Armorike[Oliver de Mauny of Britanny.] Genylon Olyuer / corrupt for meede Broghte this worthy kyng in swich a brike [Peter of Cyprus.] Oworthy Petro / kyng of Cipre also¶ De Petro Rege de Cipro That Alisandre wan / by heigh maistrie fful many an hethen / wroghtestow ful wo Of which / thyne owene liges hadde envie And for no thyng but for thy Chiualrie They in thy bed / han slayn thee by the morwe Thus kan ffortune / hir wheel gouerne and gye And out of Ioye / brynge men to sorwe [Bernabo Visconti, of Milan.] Off Melan / grete Barnabo Viscounte¶ De Barnabo de Lumbardia God of delit. and scourge of Lumbardye Why sholde I nat thyn Infortune acounte Sith in estaat / thow cloumbe were so hye Thy brother sone / that was thy double allye ffor he thy Nevew was / and sone in lawe With-Inne his prison / made thee to dye But why ne how / noot I þat thou were slawe [Ugolino, Count of Pisa.] Off the Erl Hugelyn of Pyze / the langour¶ De Huge|lino Comite de Pize Ther may no tonge / telle for pitee But litel out of Pize / stant a tour In which tour/ in prison put was he And with hym / been hise litel children thre The eldeste / scarsly / fyf yeer was of Age Allas ffortune / it was greet crueltee Swiche briddes / for to putte / in swiche a Cage , Dampned was he / to dyen in that prison ffor Roger / which þat Bisshope was of Pize Hadde on hym maad / a fals suggestion Thurgh which / the peple / gan vpon hym rise And putten hym to prison / in swich wise As ye han herd / and mete / and drynke he hadde So smal / that vnnethe it may suffise And therwith-al / it was ful poure and badde And on a day / bifil / þat in that hour Whan þat his mete / wont was to be broght The Gayler shette the dores of the tour He herde it wel / but he spak right noght And in his herte / anon ther fil a thoght/ That they for hunger / wolde doon hym dyen Allas quod he / allas that I was wroght Ther-with / the teeris fillen from hise eyen His yonge sone / that thre yeer was of age Vn-to hym seyde / fader / fader // why do ye wepe Whanne wol the Gayler / bryngen oure potage Is ther no morsel breed / that ye do kepe I am so hungry / that I may nat slepe Now wolde god / that I myghte slepen euere Thanne sholde nat hunger / in my wombe crepe Ther is no thyng but breed / that me were leuere Thus day by day / this child bigan to crye Til in his fadres barm / adoun it lay And seyde / fare wel fader / I moot dye And kiste his fader/ and dyde the same day And whan the woful fader/ deed it say ffor wo / hise Armes two / he gan to byte And seyde / Allas ffortune and weylaway Thy false wheel / my wo al may I wyte Hise children wende / that it for hunger was That he hise Armes gnow / and nat for wo And seyde fader/ do nat so Allas But rather ete the flessh vp-on vs two Oure flessh thou yaf /. take oure flessh vs fro And ete ynogh / right thus they to hym seyde And after that with-Inne a day or two They leyde hem / in his lappe adoun and deyde Hym-self despeired / eek for hunger starf Thus ended is / this myghty Erl of Pize ffrom heigh estaat ffortune awey hym carf Of this Tragedie / it oghte ynough suffise Who so wol here it in a lenger wise Redeth / the grete Poete of ytaille That highte Dant. for he kan al deuyse ffro point to point. nat o word wol he faille ¶ Heere stynteth the Knyght the Monk of his tale. . ¶ Explicit Tragedia ¶ The prologue of the Nonnes preestes tale .on leaf 182 Hoo quod the knyght / good sire namoore this That ye han seyd / is right ynough ywis And muchel moore / for litel heuynesse Is right ynough / to muche folk I gesse I seye for me / it is a greet disese Where as men han been / in greet welthe and ese To heeren / of hire sodeyn fal allas And the contrarie / is ioye and greet solas As whan a man / hath ben in poure estaat And clymbeth vp / and wexeth fortunat And there abideth / in prosperitee Swich thyng is gladsom / as it thynketh me And of swich thyng. were goodly for to telle Ye quod oure hoost by seint Poules belle ye seye right sooth this Monk / he clappeth lowde He spak. how ffortune / couered with a clowde ¶ I noot neuere what/ and also of a Tragedie Right now ye herde / and pardee no remedie It is / for to biwaille / ne compleyne That þat is doon / and als it is a peyne As ye han seyd / to heere of heuynesse ¶ Sire monk. namoore of this / so god yow blesse Youre tale / anoyeth all this compaignye Swich talkyng is nat worth a boterflye ffor ther-Inne is ther/ no desport ne game ¶ Wherfore sire Monk daun Piers by youre name I pray yow hertely / telle vs somwhat elles ffor sikerly nere clynkyng of youre belles That on youre bridel hange / on euery syde By heuene kyng. that for vs alle dyde I sholde er this / han fallen doun for sleepe Al-thogh the slough / had neuer been so deepe Thanne hadde your tale / al be toold in veyn ffor certeinly / as that thise clerkes seyn Where as a man / may haue noon Audience Noght helpeth it to tellen his sentence And wel I woot the substance is in me If any thyng shal wel reported be Sir / sey somwhat of huntyng I yow preye ¶ Nay quod this Monk/ I haue no lust to pleye Now lat another telle / as I haue toold Thanne spak oure hoost with rude speche and boold And seyde / vn-to the Nonnes preest anon Com neer thou preest. com hyder thou sir Iohn Telle vs swich thyng as may oure hertes glade Be blithe / though thou ryde vp-on a Iade What thogh thyn hors / be bothe foule and lene If he wol serue thee / rekke nat a bene Looke / that thyn herte / be murie eueremo ¶ Yis sir quod he / yis hoost so moot I go But I be myrie / ywis I wol be blamed And right anon / his tale he hath attamed And thus he seyde / vn-to vs euerichon This sweete preest. this goodly man sir Iohn[8 lines blank in the MS.]¶ Explicit ¶ Heere bigynneth / the Nonnes Preestes tale of the Cok and Hen Chauntecleer and Pertelote A poure wydwe / somdel stape in Age Was whilom dwellyng. in a narwe cotage Beside a greue / stondynge in a dale This wydwe / of which I telle yow my tale Syn thilke day / that she was last a wyf/[Painting of the Nun's Priest] In pacience / ladde a ful symple lyf/ ffor litel / was hir catel and hir rente By housbondrie / of swich as god hire sente She foond hir self / and eek hire doghtren two Thre large sowes / hadde she and namo Three keen / and eek a sheep þat highte Malle fful sooty / was hir bour/ and eek hire halle In which she eet ful many a sklendre Meel Of poynaunt sauce / hir neded neuer a deel No deyntee morsel / passed thurgh hir throte Hir diete / was accordant to hir Cote Repleccion / ne made hire neuere sik / Attempree diete / was al hir phisik / And exercise / and hertes suffisaunce The goute / lette hire no-thyng for to daunce Napoplexie / shente nat hir heed No wyn ne drank / she / neither whit ne reed Hir bord was serued moost with whit and blak Milk and broun breed / in which she foond no lak Seynd Bacon / and somtyme an Ey or tweye ffor she was / as it were / a maner deye ¶ A yeerd she hadde / enclosed al aboute With stikkes / and a drye dych with-oute In which / she hadde a Cok heet Chauntecleer In al the land / of crowyng nas his peer His voys was murier/ than the murie Orgon On Messedayes / that in the chirche gon Wel sikerer/ was his crowyng in his logge Than is a Clokke / or an abbey Orlogge By nature / he crew eche Ascencioun Of the equynoxial in thilke toun ffor whan degrees fiftene weren ascended Thanne crew he / that it myghte nat been amended His Coomb was redder / than the fyn coral And batailled / as it were a Castel wal His byle was blak and as the Ieet it shoon Lyk Asure / were hise legges and his toon Hise nayles / whiter than the lylye flour And lyk the burned gold / was his colour This gentil Cok. hadde in his gouernaunce Seuene hennes / for to doon al his plesaunce Whiche were / hise sustres and his paramours And wonder lyk to hym / as of colours Of whiche / the faireste hewed / on hir throte Was cleped / faire damoysele Pertelote Curteys she was / discreet and debonaire And compaignable / and bar hyr self so faire Syn thilke day / þat she was seuen nyght oold That trewely / she hath the herte in hoold Of Chauntecleer / loken in euery lith He loued hire so / þat wel was hym therwith But swiche a ioye was it to here hem synge Whan þat / the brighte sonne / bigan to sprynge In sweete accord / My lief is faren in londe ffor thilke tyme / as I haue vnderstonde Beestes and briddes / koude speke and synge ¶ And so bifel / that in the dawenynge As Chauntecleer / among hise wyues alle Sat on his perche / that was in the halle And next hym / sat this faire Pertelote This Chauntecleer / gan gronen in his throte As man þat in his dreem / is drecched soore ¶ And whan that Pertelote / thus herde hym roore She was agast and seyde o herte deere What eyleth yow / to grone in this manere Ye been a verray sleper / fy for shame ¶ And he answerde / and seyde thus? / madame I pray yow / that ye take it nat agrief By god me thoughte / I was in swich meschief Right now / þat yet myn herte is soore afright Now god quod he / my sweuene recche aright And kepe my body / out of foul prisoun Me mette / how that I romed vp and doun With-Inne our yeerd / wheer as I saugh a beest Was lyk an hound / and wolde han maad areest Vpon my body / and han had me deed His colour/ was bitwixe yelow and reed And tipped was his tayl / and bothe hise eeris With blak / vnlyk the remenant of hise heeris His snowte smal / with glowynge eyen tweye Yet of his look. for feere almoost I deye This caused me / my gronyng doutelees ¶ Avoy quod she / fy on yow hertelees Allas quod she / for by that god aboue Now han ye lost myn herte and al my loue I kan nat loue a Coward / by my feith ffor certes / what so any womman seith We alle desiren / if it myghte bee To han housbondes / hardy wise and free And secree / and no Nygard / ne no fool Ne hym / þat is agast of euery tool Ne noon auauntour / by that god aboue How dorste ye seyn for shame / vn-to youre loue That any thyng myghte make yow aferd Haue ye no mannes herte / and han a berd ¶ Allas and konne ye been agast of sweuenys No thyng god woot / but vanitee in sweuene is Sweuenes / engendren of repleccions And ofte of fume / and of compleccions Whan humours / been to habundant in a wight ¶ Certes this dreem / which ye han met to-nyght Cometh / of greet superfluytee Of youre rede Colera pardee Which causeth folk / to dreden in hir dremes Of Arwes / and of fyre with rede lemes Of grete beestes / that they wol hem byte Of contekes and of whelpes / grete and lyte Right as the humour/ of Malencolie Causeth ful many a man / in sleepe to crie ffor feere of blake beres / or boles blake Or elles / blake deueles wole hem take ¶ Of othere humours / koude I telle also That werken many a man / in sleepe ful wo But I wol passe / as lightly as I kan LO Caton which þat was so wys a man Seyde he nat thus / ne do no fors of dremes ¶ Now sire quod she / whan ye flee fro the bemes ffor goddes loue / as taak som laxatyf Vp peril of my soule / and of my lyf I conseille yow the beste / I. wol nat lye That bothe of Colere / and of Malencolye Ye purge yow / and for ye shal nat tarie Though in this toun / is noon Apothecarie I shal my self. to herbes techen yow That shul been / for youre hele / and for youre prow And in oure yeerd / tho herbes shal I fynde The whiche han / of hire propretee by kynde To purge yow / bynethe and eek aboue fforyet nat this / for goddes owene loue Ye been ful coleryk of compleccion Ware the sonne / in his ascencion Ne fynde yow nat repleet of humours hoote. And if it do / I dar wel leye a grote That ye shul haue / a ffeuere terciane Or an Agu / that may be youre bane A day or two / ye shul haue digestyues Of wormes / er ye take youre laxatyues Of lawriol / Centaure / and ffumetere Or elles of Ellebor / that groweth there Of katapuce / or of Gaitrys beryis Of herbe yue growyng in oure yeerd ther mery is Pekke hem vp right as they growe and ete hem yn Be myrie housbonde / for youre fader kyn Dredeth no dreem / I kan sey yow namoore Madame quod he / graunt mercy of youre loore But nathelees / as touchyng Daun Catoun That hath of wysdom / swich a greet renoun Though that he bad / no dremes for to drede By god / men may / in olde bookes rede Of many a man / moore of Auctorite Than euere Caton was / so moot I thee That al the reuers seyn / of this sentence And han wel founden by experience That dremes / been significacions As wel of Ioye / as of tribulacions That folk enduren / in this lif present Ther nedeth / make of this noon Argument The verray preeue / sheweth it in dede ¶ Oon / of the gretteste Auctour / þat men rede¶ Nota de Sompnio Seith thus / þat whilom two felawes wente On pilgrimage / in a ful good entente And happed so / they coomen in a toun Wher as ther was / swich congregacioun Of peple / and eek so streit of herbergage That they ne founde / as muche as o cotage In which they bothe / myghte logged bee Wherfore / they mosten of necessitee As for that nyght departen compaignye And ech of hem / gooth to his hostelrye And took his loggyng as it wolde falle That oon of hem / was logged in a stalle ffer in a yeerd / with Oxen of the plough That oother man / was logged wel ynough As was his Auenture / or his ffortune That vs gouerneth alle / as in commune ¶ And so bifel / þat longe er it were day.i. dremed This man mette in his bed ther as he lay How þat his felawe / gan vp-on hym calle And seyde Allas / for in an Oxes stalle This nyght I shal be mordred / ther I lye Now helpe me deere brother / or I dye In alle haste / com to me he sayde ¶ This man out of his sleepe / for feere abrayde But whan that he was wakened / of his sleepe He turned hym / and took of it no keepe Hym thoughte / his dreem nas but a vanitee Thus twies / in his slepyng dremed hee And atte thridde tyme / yet his felawe Cam as hym thoughte / and seide .I am now slawe Bihoold my bloody woundes depe and wyde Arys vp erly / in the morwe tyde And at the West gate / of the toun quod he A Carte / ful of donge / ther shaltow se In Which / my body is hid / ful priuely Do thilke Carte / arresten boldely My gold caused my mordre / sooth to sayn And tolde hym euery point how he was slayn With a ful pitous face / pale of hewe And truste wel / his dreem he foond ful trewe ffor on the morwe / as soone as it was day To his felawes In / he took the way And whan þat he cam / to this Oxes stalle After his felawe / he bigan to calle ¶ The hostiler / answerde hym anon And seyde sire / your felawe is agon As soone as day / he wente out of the toun ¶ This man / gan fallen in suspecioun Remembrynge / on hise dremes / þat he mette And forth he gooth / no lenger wolde he lette Vn-to the westgate of the toun / and fond A dong Carte / as it were to donge lond That was arrayed / in that same wise As ye han herd / the dede man deuyse And with an hardy herte / he gan to crye Vengeance and Iustice / of this felonye My felawe / mordred is / this same nyght And in this Carte / heere he lith gapyng vpright I crye out on the Ministres quod he That sholden kepe / and reulen this Citee Harrow allas / heere lith my felawe slayn What sholde I moore / vn-to this tale sayn The peple out sterte / and caste the Cart to grounde And in the myddel of the dong they founde The dede man / that mordred was al newe O blisful god / that art so Iust and trewe¶ Auctor Lo / howe þat thou biwreyest mordre alway Mordre wol out / that se we day by day Mordre / is so wlatsom / and abhomynable To god / that is so Iust and resonable That he / ne wol nat/ suffre it heled be Though it abyde / a yeer / or two / or thre Mordre wol out this my conclusioun And right anon / Ministres of that toun Han hent the Carter / and so soore hym pyned And eek the hostiler / so soore engyned That they biknewe / hire wikkednesse anon And were an-hanged / by the nekke bon ¶ Heere may men seen / þat dremes been to drede And certes / in the same book / I rede Right in the nexte Chapitre after this I gabbe nat. so haue I ioye or blis Two men / that wolde han passed ouer see¶ Adhuc de sompnio ffor certeyn cause / in to a fer contree If that the wynd / ne hadde been contrarie That made hem / in a Citee for to tarie That stood ful myrie / vpon an hauen syde But on a day / agayn the euen tyde The wynd gan chaunge / and blew right as hem leste Iolif and glad / they wente vn-to hir reste And casten hem / ful erly for to saille ¶ But herkneth / to that o man / fil a greet meruaille That oon of hem / in slepyng as he lay Hym mette a wonder dreem / agayn the day Him thoughte / a man stood by his beddes syde And hym comanded / þat he sholde abyde And seyde hym thus / if thou tomorwe wende Thow shalt be dreynt my tale is at an ende ¶ He wook / and tolde his felawe what he mette And preyde hym / his viage to lette As for that day / he preyde hym to byde ¶ His felawe / that lay / by his beddes syde Gan for to laughe / and scorned him ful faste No dreem quod he / may so myn herte agaste That I wol lette / for to do my thynges I sette nat a straw / by thy dremynges ffor sweuenes / been but vanytees and Iapes Men dreme al day / of Owles / or of Apes And of many a maze / ther-with-al Men dreme of thyng þat neuere was ne shal But sith I see / that thou wolt heere abyde And thus forslewthen / wilfully thy tyde God woot it reweth me / and haue good day And thus / he took his leue / and wente his way But er þat he hadde / half his cours yseyled Noot I nat why / ne what myschaunce it eyled But casuelly / the shippes botme rente And shipe and man / vnder the water wente In sighte of othere shippes / it bisyde That with hem seyled / at the same tyde And therfore / faire Pertelote so deere By swiche ensamples olde / yet maistow leere That no man / sholde been to recchelees Of dremes / for I seye thee doutelees That many a dreem / ful soore is for to drede LO / in the lyf of seint kenelm / I rede¶ De sompnio sanc|ti kenelmi That was kenulphus sone / the noble kyng Of Mertenrike / how kenelm mette a thyng A lite er he was mordred / on a day His mordre / in his Auysion he say His Norice / hym expowned euery deel His sweuene / and bad hym for to kepe hym weel ffor traison / but he nas but .vij. yeer oold And therfore / litel tale hath he toold Of any dreem / so hooly is his herte By god / I hadde leuere than my sherte That ye hadde rad his legende / as haue I. Dame Pertelote / I sey yow trewely Macrobeus / that writ the Avision In Affrike / of the worthy Cipion Affermeth dremes / and seith þat they been Warnynge of thynges / þat men after seen ¶ And forther-moore I pray yow looketh wel¶ Adhuc de sompnijs In the olde testament of Daniel If he / heeld dremes any vanitee ¶ Reed eek of Ioseph / and ther shul ye see Wher dremes be somtyme / I sey nat alle Warnynge / of thynges / þat shul after falle ¶ Looke of Egipte / the kyng daun Pharao His Baker / and his Butiller also Wher they ne felte noon effect in dremes Who so wol seken actes / of sondry Remes May rede of dremes / many a wonder thyng ¶ Lo Cresus / which þat was of Lyde kyng Mette he nat that he sat vp-on a tree Which signified / he sholde anhanged bee ¶ Lo heere Adromacha / Ectores wyf That day / that Ector / sholde lese his lyf She dremed / on the same nyght biforn How þat the lyf of Ector / sholde be lorne If thilke day / he wente in-to bataille She warned hym / but it myghte nat auaille He wente / for to fighte natheles But he was slayn anon of Achilles But thilke tale is al to longe for to telle And eek it is ny day / I may nat dwelle Shortly I seye / as for conclusion That I shal han / of this Avision Aduersitee /. and I seye forthermoor That I ne telle / of laxatyues no stoor ffor they been venymes / I woot it weel I hem diffye / I loue hem neuer a deel ¶ Now let vs speke of myrthe / and stynte al this Madame Pertelote / so haue I blis Of o thyng god hath sent me large grace ffor whan I se / the beautee of youre face Ye been so scarlet reed / aboute youre eyen It maketh / al my drede for to dyen ffor al so siker / as In principio Mulier est hominis confusio ¶ Madame / the sentence / of this latyn is Womman is mannes Ioye / and al his blis ffor whan I feele a nyght your softe syde Al be it that I may nat on yow ryde ffor þat oure perche / is maad so narwe allas I am so ful of ioye / and of solas That I diffye / bothe sweuene and dreem And with that word / he fly doun fro the beem ffor it was day / and eke hise hennes alle And with a chuk / he gan hem for to calle ffor he hadde founde a corn / lay in the yerd Real he was / he was namoore aferd And fethered Pertelote / twenty tyme And trad as ofte / er it was pryme He looketh / as it were / a grym leoun And on hise toos / he rometh vp and doun Hym deigned nat to sette his foot to grounde He chukketh / whan he hath a corn yfounde And to hym rennen thanne / hise wyues alle Thus roial / as a prince is in an halle Leue I this Chauntecleer / in his pasture And after / wol I telle / his auenture Whan þat the Monthe / in which the world bigan That highte March / whan god first maked man Was compleet and passed were also Syn March bigan / thritty dayes and two Bifel / that Chauntecleer / in al his pryde Hise seuene wyues / walkynge by his syde Caste vp hise eyen / to the brighte sonne That in the signe of Taurus / hadde yronne Twenty degrees and oon / and som-what moore And knew by kynde / and by noon oother loore That it was Pryme / and crew with blisful steuene The sonne he seyde / is clomben vp on heuene ffourty degrees and oon / and moore ywis Madame Pertelote / my worldes blis Herkneth thise blisful briddes / how they synge And se / the fresshe floures / how they sprynge fful is myn herte / of reuel and solas But sodeynly / hym fil a sorweful cas ffor euere / the latter ende of ioye is wo God woot þat worldly ioye / is soone ago And if a Rethor / koude faire endite He in a Cronycle saufly myghte it write As for a souereyn notabilitee¶ Petrus Comestor Now euery wys man / lat him herkne me This storie / is al so trewe I vndertake As is the book / of launcelot de lake That wommen holde / in ful greet reuerence Now wol I / come / agayn to my sentence A Colfox / ful of sly Iniquitee That in the groue / hadde wonned yeres three By heigh ymaginacion / forn-cast The same nyght / thurgh-out the hegges brast In-to the yerd / ther Chauntecleer the faire Was wont and eek hise wyues to repaire And in a bed of wortes / stille he lay Til it was passed / vndren of the day Waitynge his tyme / on Chauntecleer to falle As gladly / doon thise homycides alle That in await liggen / to mordre men O false mordrour / lurkynge in thy den O newe Scariot newe Genylon ffalse dissynulour / o greek synon That broghtest Troye / al outrely to sorwe O Chauntecleer / acursed be that morwe That thou in-to that yerd / flaugh fro the bemes Thou were / ful wel ywarned by thy dremes That thilke day / was perilous to thee But what þat god forwoot moot nedes bee After the opinion / of certein clerkis Witnesse on hym / that any parfit clerk is That in scole / is greet altercacion In this mateere / and greet disputison And hath been / of an hundred thousand men But I ne kan nat bulte it to the bren As kan the hooly doctour Augustyn Or Boece / or the Bisshope Bradwardyn Wheither / that goddes / worthy forwityng Streyneth me / nedefully to doon a thyng Nedely / clepe I / symple necessitee Or elles / if free choys be graunted me To do that same thyng. or do it noght Though god forwoot it er þat it was wroght Or if his wityng. streyneth neuer a deel But by necessitee condicioneel I wil nat han to do / of swich mateere My tale is of a Cok. as ye may heere That took his conseil / of his wyf with sorwe To walken in the yerd / vpon that morwe That he hadde met that dreem / þat I of tolde Wommennes conseils / been ful ofte colde Wommannes conseil / broghte vs first to wo And made Adam / out of Paradys to go Ther as he was ful myrie / and wel at ese But for I noot to whom it myght displese If I / conseil of wommen wolde blame Passe ouer / for I seye it in my game Rede Auctours / where they trete / of swich mateere And what they seyn of wommen / ye may heere Thise been the Cokkes wordes / and nat myne I kan noon harm / of no womman diuyne Faire in the soond / to bathe hire myrily Lith Pertelote / and alle hire sustres by Agayn the sonne / and Chauntecleer so free Soong murier / than the Mermayde in the see ffor Phisiologus / seith sikerly How þat they syngen / wel and myrily ¶ And so bifel / that as he cast his eye Among the wortes / on a Boterflye He was war of this fox / þat lay ful lowe No-thyng ne liste hym thanne for to crowe But cride anon cok / cok / and vp he sterte As man / that was affrayed in his herte ffor natureelly / a beest desireth flee ffro his contrarie /. if he may it see Though he neuer erst. hadde seyn it with his eye ¶ This Chauntecleer / whan he gan hym espye He wolde han fled / but that the fox anon Seyde gentil sire / allas wher wol ye gon Be ye affrayed of me / that am youre freend Now certes / I were worse than a feend If I to yow / wolde harm / or vileynye I am nat come / your conseil for tespye But trewely / the cause of my comynge Was oonly / for to herkne how that ye synge ffor trewely / ye haue as myrie a steuene As any Aungel / that is in heuene Ther-with ye han in Musyk moore feelynge Than hadde Boece / or any þat kan synge My lord youre fader / god his soule blesse And eek youre mooder/ of hire gentillesse Han in myn hous ybeen / to my greet ese And certes sire / ful fayn wolde I yow plese ¶ But for men speke of syngyng I wol yow seye So moote I brouke wel / myne eyen tweye Saue yow / herde I neuere man yet synge As dide youre fader / in the morwenynge Certes / it was of herte / al that he song And for to make / his voys / the moore strong He wolde so peyne hym / that with bothe hise eyen He moste wynke / so loude he wolde cryen And stonden on his tiptoon / ther-with-al And strecche forth his nekke / long and smal And eek he was / of swich discrecion That ther nas / no man in no Region That hym / in song or wisedom myghte passe I haue wel rad / in daun Burnel the Asse Among hise vers / how that ther was a Cok ffor that a preestes sone / yaf hym a knok Vp-on his leg whil he was yong and nyce He made hym / for to lese his benefice But certeyn / ther nys no comparison Bitwixe / the wisedom / and discrecion Of youre fader / and of his subtiltee Now syngeth sire / for seinte charitee Lat se / konne ye youre fader countrefete ¶ This Chauntecleer / hise wynges gan to bete As man / þat koude his trayson nat espie So was he rauysshed with his flaterie Allas ye lordes / many a fals flatour Is in youre Courtes / and many a losengeour That plesen yow / wel moore by my feith Than he / that soothfastnesse / vn-to yow seith Redeth Ecclesiaste / of fflaterye Beth war ye lordes / of hir trecherye ¶ This Chauntecleer / stood hye vp on his toos Strecchynge his nekke / and heeld hise eyen cloos And gan to crowe / loude for the nones And daun Russell the fox / stirte vp atones And by the gargat hente Chauntecleer And on his bak / toward the wode hym beer ffor yet ne was ther no man / þat hym sewed ¶ O destinee / that mayst nat been eschewed Allas / þat Chauntecleer / fleigh fro the bemes Allas / his wyf / ne roghte nat of dremes And on a friday / fil al this meschaunce ¶ O Venus / that art goddesse of plesaunce Syn that thy seruant. was this Chauntecleer And in thy seruyce / dide al his poweer Moore for delit than world to multiplye Why woltestow suffre hym / on thy day to dye ¶ O Gaufred deere Maister souerayn That whan thy worthy kyng Richard was slayn With shot. compleynedest his deeth so soere Why ne hadde I now / thy sentence / and thy loore The friday for to chide / as diden ye ffor on a friday / soothly slayn was he Thanne wolde I shewe yow / how þat I koude pleyne ffor Chauntecleres drede / and for his peyne ¶ Certes / swich cry / ne lamentacion Was neuere / of ladyes maad / whan Ylion Was wonne / and Pirrus with his streite swerd Whan he hadde hent kyng Priam / by the berd And slayn hym / as seith vs Eneydos As maden / alle the hennes in the clos Whan they had seyn / of Chauntecleer the sighte But sodeynly / dame Pertelote shrighte fful louder/ than dide Hasdrubales wyf Whan þat hir housbonde / hadde lost his lyf And þat the Romayns / hadde brend Cartage She was / so ful of torment and of rage That wilfully / in-to the fyr she sterte And brende hir seluen / with a stedefast herte ¶ O woful hennes / right so criden ye As whan that Nero / brende the Citee Of Rome / cryden senatours wyues ffor þat hir husbondes losten alle hir lyues With-outen gilt this Nero hath hem slayn Now turne I wole /. to my tale agayn This sely wydwe / and eek hir doghtres two Herden thise hennes crie / and maken wo And out at dores / stirten they anon And syen the fox / toward the groue gon And bar vp-on his bak / the Cok away And cryden out harrow / and weylaway Ha. ha / the fox / and after hym they ran And eek with staues / many another man Ran Colle oure dogge / and Talbot and Gerland And Malkyn / with a dystaf / in hir hand Ran Cow and Calf and the verray hogges So fered / for berkyng of the dogges And shoutyng of the men and wommen eek · They ronne so / hem thoughte hir herte breek They yolleden / as feendes doon in helle The dokes cryden / as men wolde hem quelle The gees for feere / flowen ouer the trees Out of the hyve / cam the swarm of bees So hydous was the noyse / a benedicitee Certes / he Iakke Straw / and his meynee Ne made neuere / shoutes / half so shille Whan þat they wolden / any flemyng kille As thilke day / was maad vp-on the fox Of bras / they broghten bemes and of box Of horn / of boon / in whiche they blewe and powped And ther-with-al / they skriked / and they howped It semed / as that heuene sholde falle Now goode men / I pray yow herkneth alle Lo / how ffortune / turneth sodeynly The hope / and pryde / of hir enemy This Cok / that lay vpon the foxes bak In al his drede / vn-to the fox he spak And seyde sire / if that I were as ye Yet wolde I seyn / as wys god helpe me Turneth agayn / ye proude cherles alle A verray pestilence / vp-on yow falle Now am I come / vn-to the wodes syde Maugree youre heed / the Cox shal heere abyde I wol hym ete in feith / and that anon ¶ The fox answerde / in feith it shal be don And as he spak that word / al sodeynly This Cok / brak from his mouth delyuerly And heighe vp-on a tree / he fleigh anon And whan the fox saugh / þat he was gon ¶ Allas quod he / o Chauntecleer / allas I haue to yow quod he ydoon trespas In as muche / as I maked yow aferd Whan I yow hente / and broght in to this yerd But sire I dide it. of no wikke entente Com doun / and I shal telle yow what I mente I shal seye sooth to yow / god help me so ¶ Nay thanne quod he / I shrewe vs bothe two And first I shrewe my self / bothe blood and bones If thou bigyle me / any ofter than ones Thou shalt na moore / thurgh thy flaterye Do me to synge / and wynke with myn eye ffor he that wynketh / whan he sholde see Al wilfully / god lat him neuere thee ¶ Nay quod the fox / but god yeue hym meschaunce That is so / vndiscreet of gouernaunce That Iangleth / whan he sholde holde his pees ¶ Lo swich it is / for to be recchelees And necligent and truste on flaterye ¶ But ye / that holden / this tale a folye As of a fox / or of a Cok and Hen Taketh the moralite / goode men ffor seint Paul seith / þat al that writen is To oure doctrine / it is ywrite ywis Taketh the fruyt and lat the chaf be stille Now goode god / if that it be thy wille As seith my lord / so make vs alle goode men¶ scilicet domi|nus Archiepis|copus Cantuari|ensis And brynge vs / to his heighe blisse Amen ¶ Heere is ended / the Nonnes preestes tale . GROUP G. FRAGMENT VIII. § 1. THE SECOND NUN'S TALE. ELLESMERE MS. [THE PROEM.] ¶ The prologe of the Seconde Nonnes tale . (1) THe Ministre and the Norice / vn-to vices Which that men clepe in Englissh ydelnesse That Porter of the gate is / of delices To eschue / and by hire contrarie / hire oppresse That is to seyn / by leueful bisynesse Wel oghten we / to doon al oure entente Lest that the feend / thurgh ydelnesse vs shente (2) ffor he / that with hise / thousand cordes slye Continuelly / vs waiteth to biclappe Whan he may man / in ydelnesse espye He kan so lightly / cacche hym in his trappe Til þat a man / be hent right by the lappe He nys nat war / the feend hath hym in honde Wel oghte vs werche / and ydelnesse withstonde (3) And though men dradden / neuere for to dye Yet seen men wel / by reson doutelees That ydelnesse / is roten slogardye Of which ther neuere comth / no good nencrees And seen / þat slouthe / it holdeth in a lees Oonly to slepe / and for to ete and drynke And to deuouren / al that othere swynke (4) And for to putte vs / fro swich ydelnesse That cause is / of so greet confusion I haue heer doon / my feithful bisynesse After the legende / in translacion Right of thy glorious lif and passion Thou with thy gerland/ wroght with rose and lilie Thee meene I / mayde and mooder Cecilie (5) ANd thow / that flour of virgines art alle¶ Inuocacio ad Ma|riam. Of whom that Bernard/ list so wel to write To thee / at my bigynnyng first I call Thou confort of vs wrecches / do me endite Thy maydens deeth / that wan thurgh hire merite The eterneel lyf / and of the feend victorie As man may after / reden in hire storie (6) Thow mayde and mooder / doghter of thy sone Thow welle of mercy / synful soules cure In whom / that god for bountee / chees to wone Thow humble and heigh / ouer euery creature Thow nobledest so ferforth / oure nature That no desdeyn / the makere hadde of kynde His sone / in blood and flessh / to clothe and wynde (7) With-Inne the Cloistre blisful of thy sydis Took mannes shape / the eterneel loue and pees That of the tryne compas / lord and gyde is Whom erthe and see / and heuene out of relees Ay heryen / and thou virgine wemmelees Baar of thy body / and dweltest mayden pure The creatour / of euery creature (8) Assembled is in thee / magnificence With mercy / goodnesse / and with swich pitee That thou / that art the sonne of excellence Nat oonly / helpest hem that preyen thee But often tyme / of thy benygnytee fful frely / er that men / thyn help biseche Thou goost biforn / and art hir lyues leche (9) Now help thow meeke / and blisful faire mayde Me flemed wrecche / in this desert of galle Thynk on the womman Cananee / that sayde That whelpes eten / somme of the crommes alle That from hir lordes table / been yfalle And though that I / vnworthy sone of Eue Be synful / yet accepte my bileue (10) And for that feith is deed / with-outen werkis So for to werken / yif me wit and space That I be quit fro thennes / þat moost derk is O thou / that art so fair / and ful of grace Be myn Aduocat in that heighe place Theras with-outen ende / is songe Osanne Thow Cristes mooder / doghter deere of Anne (11) And of thy light my soule in prison lighte That troubled is / by the contagion Of my body / and also by the wighte Of erthely lust and fals affeccion O hauene of refut o saluacion Of hem / þat been in sorwe / and in distresse Now helpe / for to my werk I wol me dresse (12) Yet preye I yow / þat reden that I write fforyeue me / that I do no diligence This ilke storie / subtilly to endite ffor boþe haue I / the wordes and sentence Of hym / that at the seintes reuerence The storie wroot and folwen hire legende I pray yow / that ye wole my werk amende (13) [THE TALE.] First wolde I / the name of seinte Cecile¶ Interpretacio no|minis Cecilie / quam ponit frater lacobus lanuensis in legenda Expowne / as men may in hir storie see It is to seye in englissh / heuenes lilie ffor pure chaastnesse of virginitee Or / for she whitnesse hadde of honestee And grene of Conscience / and of good fame The soote favour lilie / was hir name (14) Or Cecilie is to seye / the wey to blynde ffor she ensample was / by good techynge Or elles Cecile / as I writen fynde Is ioyned / by a manere conioynynge Of heuene and lia / and heere in figurynge The heuene is set for thoght of hoolynesse And lia / for hire lastynge bisynesse (15) Cecile / may eek be seyd / in this manere Wantynge of blyndnesse / for hir grete light Of sapience / and for hire thewes cleere Or elles loo / this maydens name bright Of heuene and leos comth / for which by right Men myghte hire wel / the heuene of peple calle Ensample / of goode / and wise werkes alle (16) ffor leos / peple in englissh is to seye And right as men may / in the heuene see The sonne and moone / and sterres euery weye Right so men goostly / in this mayden free Syen of feith / the magnanymytee And eek the cleernesse hool / of sapience And sondry werkes / brighte / of excellence (17) And right/ so / as thise Philosophres write That heuene is swift and round / and eek brennynge Right so / was faire Cecilie the white fful swift and bisy / euere in good werkynge And round and hool / in good perseuerynge And brennynge euere / in charite ful brighte Now haue I yow declared what she highte¶ Explicit/ ¶ Here bigynneth the Seconde Nonnes tale / of the lyf of Seinte Cecile . (18) This mayden bright Cecilie / as hir lif seith[Painting of the Second Nun] Was comen of Romayns / and of noble kynde And from hir Cradel / vp fostred in the feith Of Crist and bar his gospel in hir mynde She neuere cessed / as I writen fynde Of hir preyere / and god to loue and drede Bisekynge hym / to kepe hir maydenhede (19) And whan this mayden / sholde vn-to a man Ywedded be / that was ful yong of age Which that ycleped was Valerian And day was comen / of hir marriage She ful devout and humble in hire corage Vnder hir robe of gold / that sat ful faire Hadde next hire flessh / yclad hire in an haire (20) And whil the Orgues / maden melodie To god allone / in herte thus sang she O lord / my soule / and eek my body gye Vnwemmed / lest that it confounded be And for his loue / that dyde / vp-on a tree Euery seconde / and thridde day she faste Ay biddynge / in hire orisons ful faste (21) The nyght cam / and to bedde moste she gon With hire housbonde / as ofte is the manere And pryuely / to hym she seyde anon O sweete / and wel biloued spouse deere Ther is a conseil / and ye wolde it heere Which that right fayn / I wolde vn-to yow seye So that ye swere / ye shul me nat biwreye (22) ¶ Valerian / gan faste vn-to hire swere That for no cas / ne thyng/ that myghte be He sholde neuere mo / biwreyen here And thanne at erst to hym thus seyde she I haue an Aungel / which that loueth me That with greet loue / wher so I wake or sleepe Is redy ay / my body for to kepe (23) And if he / may feelen out of drede That ye me touche // or loue in vileynye He right anon / wol sle yow with the dede And in youre yowthe / thus ye sholden dye And if that ye / in clene loue me gye He wol yow louen as me / for youre clennesse And shewen yow / his ioye and his brightnesse (24) ¶ Valerian / corrected / as god wolde Answerde agayn / if I shal trusten thee Lat me that Aungel se / and hym biholde And if that it a verray Angel bee Thanne wol I doon / as thou hast prayed me And if thou loue / another man / for sothe Right with this swerd/ thanne wol I sle yow bothe (25) Cecile answerde anon / right in this wise If that yow list. the Angel shul ye see So þat ye trowe in Crist/ and yow baptize Gooth forth / to Via Apia / quod shee That fro this toun / ne stant but Miles three And to the poure folkes / þat ther dwelle Sey hem right thus / as that I shal yow telle (26) Telle hem / that I Cecile / yow to hem sente To shewen yow / the goode Vrban the olde ffor secree thynges / and for good entente And whan that ye / Seint Vrban han biholde Telle hym the wordes / whiche þat I to yow tolde And whan þat he / hath purged yow fro synne Thanne shul ye se / that Angel er ye twynne (27) ¶ Valerian / is to the place ygon And right as hym was taught/ by his lernynge He foond this hooly / olde Vrban anon.i. latitantem Among the Seintes buryeles lotynge And he anon / with-outen tariynge Dide his message / and whan þat he it tolde Vrban for ioye / his handes gan vp holde (28) The teeris / from his eyen leet he falle Almyghty lord / o Ihesu Crist quod he Sower of chast conseil / hierde of vs alle The fruyt of thilke seed of Chastitee That thou hast sowe in Cecile / taak to thee Lo / lyk a bisy bee / with-outen gile Thee serueth ay / thyn owene thral Cecile (29) ffor thilke spouse / that she took right. now fful lyk a fiers leoun / she sendeth heere As meke / as euere / was any lamb to yow And with that word / anon ther gan appere An oold man / clad in white clothes cleere That hadde a book with lettre of gold in honde And gan / bifore Valerian to stonde (30) Valerian as deed / fil doun for drede Whan he hym saugh / and he vp hente hym tho And on his book / right thus he gan to rede O. lord. o. feith. o. god with-outen mo O. Cristendom / and fader of alle also Abouen alle / ouer alle / euerywhere Thise wordes / al with gold ywriten were (31) Whan this was rad / thanne seyde this olde man Leeuestow this thyng or no? / sey ye or nay? I leeue al this thyng / quod Valerian ffor oother thyng than this / I dar wel say Vnder the heuene / no wight thynke may Tho vanysshed this olde man / he nyste where And Pope Vrban / hym cristned right there (32) ¶ Valerian gooth hoom / and fynt Cecilie With-Inne his chambre / with an Angel stonde This Angel / hadde / of Roses and 1of lilie1[1_1 later] Corones two / the which he bar in honde And first to Cecile / as I vnderstonde He yaf that oon / and after gan he take That oother / to Valerian hir make (33) With body clene / and with vnwemmed thoght Kepeth ay wel / thise corones three ffro Paradys to yow / haue I hem broght Ne neuere mo / ne shal they roten bee Ne lese hir soote sauour / trusteth me Ne neuere wight shal seen hem with his eye But he be chaast and hate vileynye (34) And thow Valerian / for thow so soone Assentedest to good conseil also Sey what thee list and thou shalt han thy boone I haue a brother / quod Valerian tho That in this world / I loue no man so I pray yow / that my brother may han grace To knowe the trouthe / as I do in this place (35) ¶ The Angel seyde / god liketh thy requeste And bothe / with the palm of martirdom Ye shullen come / vn-to his blisful feste And with that word / Tiburce his brother coom And whan that he / the sauour vndernoom Which that the Roses / and the lilies caste With-Inne his herte / he gan to wondre faste (36) And seyde / I wondre / this tyme of the yeer Whennes / that soote sauour cometh so Of Rose and lilies / that I smelle heer ffor though I hadde hem / in myne handes two The sauour / myghte in me no depper go The sweete smel / þat in myn herte I fynde Hath chaunged me / al in another kynde (37) ¶ Valerian seyde / two corones / han we Snow white and Rose reed / that shynen cleere Whiche þat thyne eyen / han no myght to see And as thou smellest hem / thurgh my preyere So shaltow seen hem / leeue brother deere If it so be / thou wolt with-outen slouthe Bileue aright and knowen verray trouthe (38) ¶ Tiburce answerde / seistow this to me In soothnesse / or in dreem I herkne this In dremes quod valerian / han we be Vn-to this tyme / brother myn ywis But now at erst in trouthe our dwellyng is How woostow this quod Tiburce / in what wyse? Quod Valerian / that shal I thee deuyse (39) ¶ The Aungel of god / hath me trouthe ytaught Which thou shalt seen / if that thou wolt reneye The ydoles and be clene / and elles naught And of the myracle / of thise corones tweye Seint Ambrose / in his preface list to seye Solempnely / this noble doctour deere Commendeth hym / and seith in this manere (40) ¶ The palm of martirdom / for to receyue Seinte Cecile / fulfild of goddes yifte The world / and eek hire chambre / gan she weyue Witnesse / Tyburces / and Cecilies shrifte To whiche / god of his bountee wolde shifte Corones two / of floures wel smellynge And made his Angel / hem the corones brynge (41) The mayde hath broght men / to blisse aboue The world hath wist / what it is worth certeyn Deuocion of Chastitee to loue Tho shewed hym Cecile / al open and pleyn That alle ydoles / nys but a thyng in veyn ffor they been dombe / and therto they been deue And charged hym / hise ydoles for to leue (42) Who so / that troweth nat this / a beest he is Quod tho Tiburce / if þat I shal nat lye And she gan kisse his brest. that herde this And was ful glad / he koude trouthe espye This day / I take thee / for myn Allye Seyde this blisful / faire mayde deere And after that. she seyde as ye may heere (43) ¶ Lo / right so / as the loue of Crist quod she Made me thy brotheres wyf/. right in that wise Anon for myn Allyee / heer take I thee Syn that thou wolt thyne ydoles despise Go with thy brother now / and thee baptise And make thee clene / so þat thou mowe biholde The Angeles face / of which thy brother tolde (44) ¶ Tiburce answerde / and seyde brother dere ffirst tel me / whider þat I shal / and to what man? To whom quod he? com forth / with right good cheere I wol thee lede / vn-to the Pope Vrban Til Vrban? brother myn Valerian Quod tho Tiburce /. woltow me thider lede Me thynketh / that it were a wonder dede (45) Ne menestow nat Vrban / quod he tho That is so ofte / dampned to be deed And woneth in halkes / alwey to and fro And dar nat ones / putte forth his heed Men sholde hym brennen / in a fyr so reed If he were founde / or þat men myghte hym spye And we also / to bere hym compaignye (46) And whil we seken / thilke diuinitee That is yhid / in heuene pryuely Algate / ybrend in this world shul we be To whom Cecile / answerde boldely Men myghten dreden / wel and skilfully This lyf to lese / myn owene deere brother If this were lyuynge oonly and noon oother (47) But ther is bettre lif in oother place That neuere shal be lost ne drede thee noght Which goddes sone / vs tolde thurgh his grace That fadres sone / hath alle thyng ywroght And al that wroght is / with a skilful thoght The goost. that fro the fader gan procede Hath sowled hem / with-outen any drede (48) By word and by myracle / goddes sone Whan he was in this world declared heere That ther was oother lyf/ ther men may wone To whom answerde Tiburce / o suster deere Ne seydestow right now / in this manere Ther nys but o god / lord in soothfastnesse And now of three / how maystow bere witnesse (49) ¶ That shal I telle quod she / er I go Right as a man / hath sapiences three Memorie / Engyn / and Intellect also So / in beynge / of diuinitee Thre persones / may ther right wel bee Tho gan she hym / ful bisily to preche Of Cristes come / and of hise peynes teche (50) And many pointes / of his passion How goddes sone / in this world was withholde To doon mankynde / pleyn remission That was ybounde in synne and cares colde Al this thyng. she vn-to Tiburce tolde And after this / Tiburce in good entente With Valerian / to Pope Vrban he wente (51) qui. scilicet VrbanusThat thanked god / and with glad herte and light He cristned hym / and made hym in that place Parfit in his lernynge / goddes knyght And after this / Tiburce / gat swich grace That euery day / he saugh in tyme and space The Aungel of god / and euery maner boone That he god axed // it was sped ful soone (52) ¶ It were ful hard / by ordre for to seyn How manye wondres / Ihesus for hem wroghte But atte laste / to tellen short and pleyn The sergeantz / of the toun of Rome hem soghte And hem / biforn Almache the Prefect broghte Which hem opposed / and knew al hire entente And to the ymage / of Iuppiter hem sente (53) And seyde / who so wol nat sacrifise Swape of his heed / this my sentence heer Anon thise martirs þat I yow deuyse Oon Maximus / that was an Officer Of the Prefectes / and his Corniculer Hem hente / and whan he forth the Seintes ladde Hym self he weepe / for pitee that he hadde (54) Whan Maximus / had herd the Seintes loore He gat hym / of the tormentours leue And ladde hem to his hous / with-oute moore And with hir prechyng er that it were eue They gonnen / fro the tormentours to reue And fro Maxime / and fro his folk echone The false feith / to trowe in god allone (55) ¶ Cecile cam / whan it was woxen nyght With preestes / that hem cristned alle yfeere And afterward / whan day was woxen light Cecile hem seyde / with a ful stedefast cheere Now Cristes owene knyghtes / leeue and deere Cast alle awey / the werkes of derknesse And Armeth yow / in Armure of brightnesse (56) Ye han for sothe / ydoon a greet bataille Youre cours is doon / youre feith han ye conserued Gooth to the corone of lif that may nat faille The rightful Iuge / which þat ye han serued Shal yeue it yow / as ye han it deserued And whan this thyng was seyd / as I deuyse Men ledde hem forth / to doon the sacrefise (57) But whan they weren / to the place broght To tellen shortly / the conclusioun They nolde encense / ne sacrifise right noght But on hir knees / they setten hem adoun With humble herte / and sad deuocioun And losten / bothe hir heuedes in the place Hir soules wenten / to the kyng of grace (58) This Maximus / that saugh this thyng bityde With pitous teeris / tolde it anon right That he hir soules / saugh to heuene glyde With Aungels / ful of cleernesse and of light And with this word / conuerted many a wight ffor which Almachius / dide hym so bete With whippe of leed / til he the lif gan lete (59) ¶ Cecile hym toook/ and buryed hym anon By Tiburce / and Valerian softely With-Inne hire buriyng place vnder the stoon And after this / Almachius hastily Bad hise Ministres / fecchen openly Cecile / so that she myghte in his presence Doon sacrifice / and Iuppiter encense (60) .scilicet MinistresBut they conuerted / at hir wise loore Wepten ful soore / and yauen ful credence Vn-to hire word/ and cryden moore and moore Crist goddes sone / with-outen difference Is verray god / this is oure sentence That hath so good a seruant/ hym to serue This with o voys / we trowen / thogh we sterue (61) ¶ Almachius / that herde of this doynge Bad fecchen Cecile / that he myghte hire see And alderfirst. lo this was his axynge What maner womman / artow quod he? I am a gentil womman born quod she I axe thee quod he / though it thee greeue Of thy Religion / and of thy bileeue (62) ¶ Ye han bigonne / youre question folily Quod she / that wolden two answeres conclude In o demande / ye axed lewedly Almache answerde / vn-to that similitude Of whennes comth / thyn answeryng so rude? Of whennes quod she /? whan þat she was freyned Of Conscience / and of good feith vnfeyned (63) ¶ Almachius seyde / ne takestow noon heede Of my power / and she answerde hym Youre myght quod she / ful litel is to dreede ffor euery / mortal / mannes power nys But lyke a bladdre / ful of wynd ywys ffor with a nedles poynt whan it is blowe May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe (64) ¶ fful wrongfully / bigonne thow quod he And yet in wrong is thy perseuerance Wostow nat how oure myghty princes free Han thus comanded / and maad ordinance That euery cristen wight shal han penance But if that he / his cristendom withseye And goon al quit. if he wole it reneye (65) ¶ Yowre princes erren / as youre nobleye dooth Quod tho Cecile / and with a wood sentence Ye make vs gilty / and [it] is nat sooth ffor ye / that knowen wel oure Innocence ffor as muche / as we doon a reuerence To crist and for we bere a cristen name Ye putte on vs / a cryme / and eek a blame (66) But we that knowen / thilke name so ffor vertuous / we may it nat withseye Almache answerde / chees oon of thise two Do sacrifice / or cristendom reneye That thou mowe now / escapen by that weye At which / the hooly blisful faire mayde Gan for to laughe / and to the Iuge sayde (67) ¶ O Iuge / confus in thy nycetee Woltow / that I reneye Innocence To make me / a wikked wight quod she Lo / he dissymuleth heere / in Audience He stareth / and he woodeth in his Aduertence To whom Almachius / vnsely wrecche Ne woostow nat how far my myght may strecche (68) Han noght oure myghty princes / to me yeuen Ye bothe power / and Auctoritee To maken folk/ to dyen or to lyuen Why spekestow / so proudly thanne to me I speke noght / but stedfastly quod she Nat proudly / for I speke as for my syde We naten deedly / thilke vice of pryde (69) .i. audireAnd if thou drede nat a sooth to heere Thanne wol I shewe / al openly by righthic That thou hast maad / a ful gret lesyng heere Thou seyst thy Princes / han thee yeuen myght Bothe for to sleen / and for to quyken a wight Thou that ne mayst but oonly lyf bireue Thou hast noon oother power ne no leue (70) But thou mayst seyn / thy princes han thee maked Ministre of deeth / for if thou speke of mo Thou lyest for thy power is ful naked Do wey thy booldnesse / seyde Almachius tho And sacrifie to oure goddes er thou go I recche nat what wrong þat thou me profre ffor I can suffre it / as a Philosophre. (71) ¶ But thilke wronges / may I nat endure That thou spekest of oure goddes heere quod he Cecile answerde / o nyce creature Thou seydest no word / syn thou spak to me That I ne knew ther with / thy nycetee And that thou were / in euery maner wise A lewed Officer / and a veyn Iustise (72) exterioribus oculisTher lakketh no thyng. to thyne outter eyen That thou nart blynd / for thyng þat we seen alle That it is stoon / þat men may wel espyen That ilke stoon / a god thow wolt it calle I rede thee / lat thyn hand vp on it falle And taste it wel / and stoon thou shalt it fynde Syn that thou seest nat with thyne eyen blynde (73) It is a shame / that the peple shal So scorne thee / and laughe at thy folye ffor communly / men woot it wel oueral That myghty god / is in hise heuenes hye And thise ymages / wel thou mayst espye To thee / ne to hem self ne mowen noght profite ffor in effect they been nat worth a myte (74) ¶ Thise wordes / and swiche othere seyde she And he weex wrooth / and bad men sholde hir lede Hom til hir house / and in hire hous quod he Brenne hire / right in a bath of flambes rede And as he bad / right so was doon in dede ffor in a Bath / they gonne hire faste shetten And nyght and day / greet fyre they vnder betten (75) ¶ The longe nyght / and eek a day also ffor al the fyr / and eek the bathes heete She sat al coold / and feeled no wo It made hire / nat a drope for to sweete But in that Bath / hir lyf she moste lete ffor he Almachius / with a ful wikke entente To sleen hire in the Bath his sonde sente (76) Thre strokes in the nekke / he smoot hire tho The tormentour / but for no maner chaunce He myghte noght smyte / al hir nekke atwo And for ther was / that tyme an ordinaunce That no man / sholde doon men swich penaunce The ferthe strook/ to smyten softe or soore This tormentour / ne dorste do namoore (77) But half deed / with hir nekke ycoruen there He lefte hir lye / and on his wey he went The cristen folk / which that aboute hire were With sheetes / han the blood / ful faire yhent Thre dayes lyued she / in this torment And neuere cessed / hem the feith to teche That she hadde fostred / hem she gan to preche (78) And hem she yaf / hir moebles / and hir thyng And to the Pope Vrban / bitook hem tho And seyde / I axed this at heuene kyng To han respit. thre dayes and namo To recomende to yow / er that I go Thise soules lo / and þat I myghte do werche Heere of myn hous / perpetuelly a cherche (79) ¶ Seint Vrban / with hise deknes priuely This body fette / and buryed it by nyghte Among hise othere seintes / honestly Hir hous / the chirche of seinte Cecilie highte Seint Vrban halwed it / as he wel myghte In which / in to this day / in noble wyse Men doon to Crist. and to his seinte seruyse ¶ Heere is ended / the Seconde Nonnes tale . ¶ The prologe / of the Chanons yemannes tale .on leaf 196 Whan toold was al the lyf /. of seinte Cecile Er we hadde riden / fully fyue Mile At Boghton vnder Blee / vs gan atake A man / that clothed was / in clothes blake And vnder-nethe / he wered a surplys His hakeney / which þat was al pomely grys So swatte / that it wonder was to see It semed / as he had priked Miles three The hakeney eek / þat his yeman rood vpon So swatte / that vnnethe myghte it gon . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. A Male tweyfoold / vp on his croper lay It semed / that he caried lite array Al light for Somer / rood this worthy man And in myn herte / to wondren I bigan What þat he was / til that I vnderstood How that his cloke / was sowed to his hood ffor which / whan I hadde longe auysed me I demed hym / som Chanon for to be His hat heeng / at his bak / doun by a laas ffor he hadde riden / moore than trot or paas He hadde ay priked/ lik as he were wood A Clote leef / he hadde vnder his hood ffor swoot and for to kepe his heed from heete But it was ioye / for to seen hym swete His forheed dropped / as a stillatorie Were ful of Plantayne / and of Paritorie And whan that he was come / he gan to crye God saue quod he / this ioly compaignye ffaste haue I priked quod he / for youre sake By cause / that I wolde yow atake To riden / in som myrie compaignye His yeman eek was ful of curteisye And seyde sires / now in the morwe tyde Out of youre hostelrie / I saugh you ryde And warned heer / my lord and my souerayn Which / to ryden with yow / is ful fayn ffor his desport he loueth daliance ¶ ffreend / for thy warnyng god yeue thee chance Thanne seyde oure hoost. for certein / it wolde seme Thy lord were wys / and so I may wel deme He is ful iocunde also / dar I leye Can he oght telle / a myrie tale or tweye With which / he glade may this compaignye? ¶ Who sire / my lord? ye / ye with-outen lye He kan of murthe / and eek of Iolitee Nat but ynough / also sire trusteth me And ye hym knewe / as wel as do I Ye wolde wondre / how wel and craftily He koude werke / and that in sondry wise He hath take on hym /. many a greet emprise Which were ful hard / for any that is heere To brynge aboute / but they of hym it leere As hoomely / as he rit amonges yow If ye hym knewe / it wolde be for youre prow Ye wolde nat forgoon his Aqueyntaunce ffor muchel good / I dar leye in balaunce Al that I haue / in my possessioun He is a man / of heigh discrecioun I warne yow wel / he is a passyng man ¶ Wel quod oure hoost. I pray thee tel me than Is he a clerk / or noon? telle what he is ¶ Nay / he is gretter than a clerk ywis Seyde this yeman / and in wordes fewe Hoost of his craft som what I wol yow shewe ¶ I seye / my lord / kan swich subtilitee But al his craft /. ye may nat wite for me And som what helpe I yet to his wirkyng That al this ground / on which we been ridyng Til that we come / to Caunterbury toun He koude al clene / turne it vp so doun And paue it / al of siluer / and of gold ¶ And whan this yeman / hadde this tale ytold Vn-to oure hoost/ he seyde benedicitee This thyng is wonder merueillous to me Syn that thy lord / is of so heigh prudence By cause of which / men sholde hym reuerence That of his worshipe / rekketh he so lite His ouerslope / nys nat worth a myte As in effect to hym / so moot I go It is al baudy / and to-tore also Why is thy lord so sluttissh I the preye And is of power/ bettre clooth to beye If that his dede / accorde with thy speche Telle me that . and that I thee biseche ¶ Why quod this yeman? wherto axe ye me? God help me so / for he shal neuere thee But I wol nat auowe that I seye And therfore / keepe it secree I yow preye He is to wys / in feith / as I bileeue That that is ouerdoon / it wol nat preeue¶ Omne quod est nimium &cetera Aright?/ as clerkes seyn / it is a vice Wherfore in that I holde hym lewed and nyce ffor whan a man / hath ouer greet a wit fful oft hym happeth / to mysusen it So dooth my lord / and that me greueth soore God it amende / I kan sey yow namoore ¶ Ther-of no fors / good yeman / quod oure hoost Syn of the konnyng of thy lord thow woost Telle how he dooth / I pray thee hertely Syn that he is / so crafty and so sly Where dwelle ye / if it to telle be? ¶ In the suburbes / of a toun quod he Lurkynge in hernes / and in lanes blynde Where as thise robbours / and thise theues by kynde Holden / hir pryuee fereful residence As they / that dar nat shewen hir presence So faren we / if I shal seye the sothe ¶ Now quod oure hoost /. lat me telle to the Why artow / so discoloured of thy face? ¶ Peter quod he / god yeue it harde grace I am so vsed / in the fyr to blowe That it hath chaunged my colour I trowe I am nat wont/ in no Mirour to prie But swynke soore / and lerne multiplie We blondren euere / and pouren in the fir And for al that / we faille of oure desir ffor euere we lakke / of oure conclusion To muchel folk / we doon illusion And borwe gold / be it a pound or two Or ten / or twelue / or manye sommes mo And make hem / wenen at the leeste weye That of a pound / we koude make tweye Yet is it fals / but ay we han good hope It for to doon / and after it we grope But that science / is so fer vs biforn We mowen nat al though we hadden sworn It ouer-take / it slit awey so faste It wole / vs maken beggers atte laste ¶ Whil this yeman / was thus in his talkyng This Chanon drough hym neer / and herde al thyng Which this yeman spak / for suspecion Of mennes speche / euere hadde this Chanon ffor Caton seith / that he that gilty is¶ Cato. Demeth alle thyng. be spoke of hym ywis That was the cause / he gan so ny/ hym drawe To his yeman / to herknen al his sawe And thus he seyde / vn-to his yeman tho Hoold thou thy pees / and spek no wordes mo ffor if thou do / /thou shalt it deere abye Thou sclaundrest me / heere in this compaignye And eek discouerest that thou sholdest hyde ¶ Ye quod our hoost / telle on what so bityde Of al his thretyng rekke nat a myte ¶ In feith quod he / namoore I do but lyte ¶ And whan this Chanon / saugh it wolde nat be But his yeman / wolde telle his pryuetee He fledde awey / for verray sorwe and shame ¶ A quod the yeman / heere shal arise game Al that I kan / anon now wol I telle Syn he is goon / the foule feend hym quelle ffor neuere heer / wol I with hym meete ffor peny ne for pound / I yow biheete He that me broghte first vn-to that game Er that he dye / sorwe haue he and shame ffor it is / ernest to me by my feith That feele I wel / what that any man seith And yet for al my smert and al my grief ffor al my sorwe / labour / and meschief I koude neuere leue it / in no wise Now wolde god / my wit myghte suffise To tellen / al that longeth / to that Art And naþelees / yow wol I tellen part Syn that my lord is goon / I wol nat spare Swich thyng as that I knowe / I wol declare ¶ Heere endeþ þe prologe of the Chanons yemannes tale . ¶ Heere bigynneth / the Chanons yeman his tale. [THE PREAMBLE.] With this Chanon / I dwelt haue seuen yeer And of his science / am I neuer the neer Al that I hadde / I haue lost ther-by And god woot so hath many mo than I Ther I was wont to be right fressh and gay Of clothyng and of oother good array Now may I were / an hose vp-on myn heed And wher my colour / was bothe fressh and reed Now is it wan / and of leden hewe Who so it vseth / soore shal he rewe And of my swynk / yet blered is myn eye Lo / which auantage / is to multiplie That slidynge science / hath me maad so bare That I haue no good / wher þat euere I fare And yet I am endetted so ther-by Of gold / that I haue borwed trewely That whil I lyue / I shal it quite neuere Lat euery man / be war by me for euere What maner man / that casteth hym ther to If he continue / I holde his thrift ydo ffor so helpe me god / ther-by shal he nat wynne But empte his purs / and make hise wittes thynne And whan he / thurgh his madnesse and folye Hath lost his owene good / thurgh Iupartye Thanne he exciteth / oother folk / ther-to To lesen hir good / as he hym self hath do¶ Solacium miser|iorum &cetera. ffor vn-to shrewes / ioye it is and ese To haue hir felawes / in peyne and disese Thus was I / ones lerned of a Clerk Of that no charge / I wol speke of oure werk ¶ Whan we been there / as we shul excercise Oure Eluysshe craft/ we semen wonder wise Oure termes / been so clergial / and so queynte I blowe the fir / til that myn herte feynte What sholde I tellen eche proporcion Of thynges / whiche þat we werche vpon As on fyue / or sixe Ounces / may wel be Of siluer / or som oother quantitee And bisye me / to telle yow the names Of Orpyment brent bones / Iren Squames That in-to poudre / grounden been ful smal And in an erthen pot put is al And salt yput In / and also papeer Biforn thise poudres / that I speke of heer And wel ycouered / with a lampe of glas And muchel oother thyng / which þat ther was And of the pot and glasses enlutyng That of the Eyr/ myghte passe out no thyng And of the esy fir / and smart also Which that was maad / and of the care and wo That we hadden / in oure matires sublymyng And in Almalgamyng and calceniyng Of quyk/ siluer / yclept Mercurie crude ffor alle our sleightes / we kan nat conclude Oure Orpyment. and sublymed Mercurie Oure grounden litarge eek in the P[o]rfurie And ech of thise / of Ounces a certeyn Noght helpeth vs / oure labour is in veyn Ne eek oure spirites Ascencioun Ne oure matires / þat lyen al fix adoun Mowe in oure werkyng no thyng vs auaille ffor lost is / al oure labour and trauaille And al the cost/ a twenty deuel way Is lost also / which we vp-on it lay ¶ Ther is also / ful many another thyng That is / vn-to oure craft apertenyng Though I by ordre / hem nat reherce kan By cause / that I am a lewed man yet wol I telle hem / as they come to mynde Thogh I ne kan nat sette hem in hir kynde As Boole / armonyak vertgrees / Boras And sondry vessels / maad of erthe and glas Oure vrynals / and our descensories Violes / crosletz / and sublymatories Cucurbites / and Alambikes eek And othere swiche / deere ynough a leek Nat nedeth it for to reherce hem alle Watres rubifiyng and Boles galle Arsenyk / sal Armonyak and Brymstoon And herbes / koude I telle eek many oon As Egremoyne / Valerian / and lunarie And othere swiche / if that me liste tarie Oure lampes brennyng bothe nyght and day To brynge aboute / oure purpos / if we may Oure fourneys eek / of Calcinacion And of watres Albificacion Vnslekked lym / Chalk / and gleyre of an ey Poudres diuerse / asshes / donge / pisse / and cley Cered pottes / sal Peter / vitriole And diuerse fires / maad of wode and cole Sal tartre / Alkaly / and sal preparat/ And combust matires / and coagulat Cley / maad with hors / and mannes heer and oille Of Tartre / Alum glas / berme / wort and argoille Resalgar / and oure matires enbibyng And eek of oure matires encorporyng And of oure siluer citrinacion And of oure cementyng and fermentacion Oure yngottes / testes / and many mo I wol yow telle / as was me taught also The seuene spirites / and the bodies seuene By ordre / as ofte I herde my lord hem neuene ¶ The firste spirit quyk siluer called is The seconde Orpyment the thridde ywis Sal Armonyak / and the ferthe Brymstoon The bodyes seuene eek/. lo hem heere anoon ¶ Sol gold is / and Luna / siluer we threpe Mars Iren / Mercurie quyk siluer we clepe Saturnus leed / and Iuppiter is tyn And Venus Coper / by my fader kyn ¶ This cursed craft/ who so wole excercise He shal no good han / þat hym may suffise ffor al the good / he spendeth ther aboute He lese shal / ther-of haue I no doute Who that listeth / outen his folie Lat hym come forth / and lerne multiplie And euery man / that oght hath in his cofre Lat hym appiere / and wexe a Philosophre Ascauns / that craft is so light to leere Nay nay god woot al be he Monk or frere Preest or Chanon / or any oother wyght Though he sitte at his book bothe day and nyght In lernyng of this Eluysshe nyce loore Al is in veyn / and parde muchel moore To lerne a lewed man this subtiltee ffy spek nat ther-of / for it wol nat bee And konne he letterure / or konne he noon As in effect. he shal fynde it al oon ffor bothe / two / by my sauacion Concluden in multiplicacion Ylike wel / whan they han al ydo This is to seyn / they faillen bothe two Yet/ forgat I / to maken rehersaille Of watres corosif / and of lymaille And of bodies mollificacion And also / of hire induracion Oilles / Ablucions / and metal fusible To tellen al / wolde passen any Bible That owher is / wherfore as for the beste Of alle thise names / now wol I me reste ffor as I trowe / I haue yow toold ynowe To reyse a feend / al looke he neuer so rowe ¶ A nay lat be / the Philosophres stoon Elixer clept./ we sechen faste echoon ffor hadde we hym / thanne were it siker ynow But vn-to god of heuene / I make avow ffor al oure craft whan we han al ydo With al oure sleighte / he wol nat come vs to He hath maad vs spenden muchel good ffor sorwe of which / almoost we wexen wood But that good hope / crepeth in oure herte Supposynge / though we sore smerte To be releeued / by hym afterward Swich supposyng and hope / is sharpe and hard I warne yow wel / it is to seken euere That futur temps / hath maad men disseuere In trust ther-of / from al þat euere they hadde Yet of that Art they kan nat wexen sadde ffor vn-to hem / it is a bitter sweete So semeth it for nadde they but a sheete Which þat they myghte wrappe hem Inne at nyght And a brat to walken Inne by day lyght They wolde hem selle / and spenden on the craft They kan nat stynte / til no thyng be laft And eueremoore / where þat euere they goon Men may hem knowe / by smel of Brymstoon ffor al the world / they stynken as a goot Hir sauour / is so rammyssh and so hoot That though a man / a Mile from hem be The sauour wole infecte hym truste me And thus by smel / and threedbare array If þat men liste / this folk they knowe may And if a man / wole aske hem pryuely Why they been clothed / so vnthriftily They right anon / wol rownen in his ere And seyn / þat if þat they espied were Men wolde hem slee / by cause of hir science Lo / thus / this folk bitrayen Innocence Passe ouer this / I go my tale vn-to Er þat the pot be on the fir ydo Of metals / with a certeyn quantitee My lord hem tempreth / and no man but he Now he is goon / I dare seyn boldely ffor as men seyn / he kan doon craftily Algate I woot wel / he hath swich a name And yet ful oft / he renneth in a blame And wite ye how / ful ofte it happeth so The pot tobreketh / and farewel al is go Thise Metals / been of so greet violence Oure walles / mowe nat make hem resistence But if they weren wroght/ of lym and stoon They percen so / and thurgh the wal they goon And somme of hem / synke in to the ground Thus han we lost by tymes many a pound And somme are scatered / al the floor aboute Somme lepte in-to the roof with-outen doute Though þat the feend / noght in oure sighte hym shewe I trowe he with vs be / that ilke shrewe In helle / where þat he lord is and sire Nis ther moore wo / ne moore rancour ne Ire Whan that oure pot is broke / as I haue sayd Euery man chit and halt hym yuele apayd ¶ Somme seyde / it was along on the fir makyng Somme seyde nay / it was on the blowyng Thanne was I fered / for that was myn office ¶ Straw quod the thridde / ye been lewed and nyce It was nat tempred as it oghte be ¶ Nay quod the fourthe / stynt and herkne me By cause our fir / ne was nat maad of Beech That is the cause / and oother noon so theech I kan nat telle / wher-on it was along But wel I woot greet strif vs is among ¶ What quod my lord / ther is namoore to doone Of thise perils / I wol be war eft soone I am right siker/ that the pot was crased Be as be may / be ye no thyng amased As vsage is / lat swepe the floor as swithe Plukke vp youre hertes / and beeth glad and blithe ¶ The Mullok/ on an heepe / sweped was And on the floor / ycast a Canevas And al this Mullok/ in a syve ythrowe And sifted / and ypiked many a throwe ¶ Pardee quod oon / somwhat of oure metal Yet is ther heere / though þat we han nat al Al though this thyng myshapped haue as now Another tyme / it may be wel ynow Vs moste putte / oure good in auenture A Marchant pardee / may nat ay endure Trusteth me wel / in his prosperitee Somtyme his good / is drenched in the see And somtyme / comth it sauf / vn-to the londe ¶ Pees quod my lord / the nexte tyme I shal fonde To bryngen oure craft / al in another plite And but I do / lat me han the wite Ther was defaute in som what wel I woot ¶ Another seyde / the fir was ouer hoot And be it hoot or coold / I dar seye this That we concluden / eueremoore amys We faille of that / which þat we wolden haue And in oure madnesse / eueremoore we raue And whan we been / togidres euerichoon Euery man / semeth a Salomon But euery thyng which þat seineth as the gold¶ Non teneas Au|rum &cetera Nis nat gold / as þat I haue herd told Ne euery appul / that is fair to eye¶ Nec pulcrum pomum &cetera Nis nat good / what so men clappe or crye ¶ Right so / fareth it/ amonges vs He þat semeth the wiseste by Ihesus Is moost fool / whan it comth to the preef And he þat semeth trewest is a theef/ That shul ye knowe / er þat I fro yow wende By that/ I of my tale haue maad an ende¶ Explicit prima pars / Et sequitur pars secunda . [THE TALE.] Ther was / a Chanon of Religioun Amonges vs / wolde infecte al a toun Thogh it as greet were / as was Nynyuee Rome / Alisaundre / Troye / and othere three His sleighte / and his infinit falsnesse Ther koude no man / writen as I gesse Though þat he lyue myghte a thousand yeer In al this world / of falshede nas his peer ffor in hise termes / so he wolde hym wynde And speke hise wordes / in so sly a kynde Whanne he commune shal with any wight That he wol make hym doten anon right But it a feend be / as hym seluen is fful many a man / hath he bigiled er this And wole / if that he lyue may a while And yet men ride and goon ful many a Mile Hym for to seke / and haue his Aqueyntaunce Noght knowynge / of his false gouernaunce And if yow list. to yeue me Audience I wol it telle heere / in youre presence ¶ But worshipful Chanons Religious Ne demeth nat. that I desclaundre youre hous Al-though that my tale / of a Chanoun bee Of euery ordre / som shrewe is pardee And god forbede / that al a compaignye Sholde rewe / o. singuleer mannes folye To sclaundre yow / is no thyng myn entente But to correcten / that is mys I-mente This tale / was nat oonly / toold for yow But eek / for othere mo / ye woot wel how That among. cristes Apostles twelue Ther nas no traytour/ but Iudas hym selue Thanne / why sholde al the remenant haue a blame That giltlees were / by yow I seye the same Saue oonly this / if ye wol herkne me If any Iudas / in youre Couent be Remoeueth hym bitymes / I yow rede If shame / or los / may causen any drede And beeth no thyng displesed I yow preye But in this cas / herketh what I shal seye IN London / was a preest Annueleer That ther-Inne / had dwelled many a yeer Which was so plesaunt and so seruysable Vn-to the wyf / where as he was at table That she wolde suffre hym no thyng for to paye ffor bord ne clothyng wente he neuer so gaye And spendyng siluer / hadde he right ynow Ther-of no fors / I wol procede as now And telle forth my tale / of the Chanon That broghte this preest/ to confusion ¶ This false Chanon / cam vp on a day Vn-to this preestes chambre / wher he lay Bisechynge hym / to lene hym a certeyn Of gold / and he wolde quite it hym ageyn Leene me a marc quod he / but dayes three And at my day / I wol it quiten thee And if so be / that thow me fynde fals Another day / do hange me by the hals ¶ This preest hym took a marc and that as swithe And this Chanoun / hym thanked ofte sithe And took/ his leue / and wente forth his weye And at the thridde day / broghte his moneye And to the preest / he took his gold agayn Wher-of this preest was wonder glad and fayn ¶ Certes quod he / no thyng/ anoyeth me To lene a man / a noble / or two / or thre Or what thyng / were in my possession Whan he / so trewe is of condicion That in no wise / he breke wole his day To swich a man / I kan neuer seye nay ¶ What quod this Chanoun / sholde I be vntrewe? Nay that were a thyng yfallen al of newe Trouthe is a thyng that I wol euere kepe In to that day / in which that I shal crepe In to my graue / or ellis god forbede Bileueth this / as siker as the Crede God thanke I / and in good tyme / be it sayd That ther was neuere man yet yuele apayd ffor gold ne siluer / that he to me lente Ne neuere falshede / in myn herte I mente And sire quod he / now of my pryuetee Syn ye so goodlich / han been vn-to me And kithed to me / so greet gentillesse Somwhat to quyte with youre kyndenesse I wol yow shewe / if that yow list to leere I wol yow teche / pleynly the manere How I kan werken / in Philosophie Taketh good heede / ye shul wel seen at eye That I wol doon / a maistrie er I go ¶ Ye quod the preest. ye sire quod he / and wol ye so? Marie / ther-of / I pray yow hertely ¶ At youre comandement sire trewely Quod the Chanon / and ellis god forbeede ¶ Loo how this theef koude his seruice beede fful sooth it is / that swich profred seruyse Stynketh / as witnessen thise olde wyse And that ful soone / I wol it verifie In this Chanon / roote of alle trecherie That euere moore / delit hath and gladnesse Swiche feendly thoughtes / in his herte impresse How Cristes peple / he may to meschief / brynge God kepe vs / from his false dissymulynge ¶ Noght wiste this preest with whom þat he delt N[e] of his harm comynge / he no thyng felte O sely preest / o sely Innocent With coueitise / anon thou shalt be blent O gracelees / ful blynd is thy conceite No thyng/ ne artow war/ of the deceite Which that this fox / yshapen hath for thee Hise wily wrenches / thou ne mayst nat flee Wherfore to go / to the conclusion That refereth / to thy confusion Vnhappy man / anon I wol me hye To tellen thyn vnwit / and his folye And eek the falsnesse / of that oother wrecche As ferforth / as my konnyng may strecche This Chanon was my lord / ye wolden weene Sire hoost in feith / and by the heuenes queene It was another Chanon / and nat hee That kan an hundred foold moore subtiltee He hath bitrayed folkes many tyme Of his falshede / it dulleth me to ryme Euere whan þat I speke / of his falshede ffor shame of hym / my chekes wexen rede Algates / they bigynnen for to glowe ffor reednesse haue I noon / right wel I knowe In my visage / for fumes diuerse Of metals / whiche ye han herd me reherce Consumed / and wasted han my reednesse Now taak heede / of this Chanons cursednesse ¶ Sire quod he to the preest lat youre man gon ffor quyk siluer / that we hadde it anon And lat hym / bryngen Ounces two or three And whan he comth / as faste shal ye see A wonder thyng which ye saugh neuere er this ¶ Sire quod the preest it shal be doon ywis He bad his seruant. fecchen hym this thyng And he al redy / was at his biddyng And wente hym forth / and cam anon agayn With this quyk siluer / soothly for to sayn And toke thise Ounces thre / to the Chanoun And he hem leyde / faire and wel adoun And bad the seruant. coles for to brynge That he anon / myghte go to his werkynge ¶ The coles / right anon weren yfet And this Chanon / took out a Crosselet Of his bosom / and shewed it to the preest This Instrument quod he / which þat thou seest Taake in thyn hand / and put thy self ther Inne Of this quyk siluer an Ounce / and heer bigynne In the name of Crist. to wexe a philosofre Ther been ful fewe / to whiche I wolde profre To shewen hem / thus muche of my science ffor ye shul seen / heer by experience That this quyk siluer / wol I mortifye Right in youre sighte anon / I wol nat lye And make as good siluer / and as fyn As ther is any / in youre purse or myn Or elleswhere / and make it malliable And elles / holdeth me / fals and vnable Amonges folk/ for euere to appeere I haue a poudre heer / þat coste me deere Shal make al good / for it is cause of al My konnyng / which þat I to yow shewen shal Voyde youre man / and lat hym be ther oute And shette the dore / whils we been aboute Oure pryuetee / that no man vs espie Whils that we werke / in this Philosophie ¶ Al as he bad / fulfilled was in dede This ilke seruant anonright out yede And his Maister / shette the dore anon And to hire labour/ spedily they gon ¶ This preest at this cursed Chanons biddyng Vp on the fir/ anon sette this thyng And blew the fir / and bisyed hym ful faste And this Chanon / in-to the Crosselet cast A poudre noot I wher of / that it was Ymaad / ouþer of chalk or of glas Or som what elles / was nat worth a flye To blynde with the preest. and bad hym hye The coles / for to couchen al aboue The Crosselet. for in tokenyng I thee loue Quod this Chanon / thyne owene handes two Shul werche al thyng/. which shal heer be do ¶ Graunt mercy quod the preest and was ful glad And couched cole / as that Chanon bad And while he bisy was // this feendly wrecche This false Chanoun / the foule feend hym fecche Out of his bosom / he took/ a Bechen cole In which ful subtilly / was maad an hole And ther-Inne / put was of siluer lemaille An Ounce / and stopped was with-outen faille The hole with wex / to kepe the lemaille In And vnderstondeth / that this false gyn Was nat maad ther / but it was maad bifore And othere thynges / I shal tellen moore Herafterward / whiche þat he with hym broghte Er he cam there / hym to bigile he thoghte And so he dide / er þat they wente atwynne Til he had terned hym / he koude nat blynne It dulleth me / whan that I of hym speke On his falshede / fayn wolde I me wreke If I wiste how / but he is heere and there He is so variaunt / þat he abit nowhere ¶ But taketh heede / now sires for goddes loue He took this cole / of which I spak aboue And in his hand / he baar it pryuely And whils the preest couched bisily The coles / as I tolde yow er this This Chanon seyde / freend ye doon amys This is nat couched / as it oghte be But soone / I shal amenden it quod he Now lat me medle ther-with / but a while ffor of yow / haue I pitee by seint Gile Ye been right hoot. I se wel how ye swete Haue heer a clooth / and wipe awey the wete And whils þat the preest wiped his face This Chanon / took his cole with harde grace And leyde it aboue / vp on the myddeward Of the Crosselet. and blew wel afterward Til that the coles / gonne faste brenne ¶ Now yeue vs drynke / quod the Chanon thenne As swithe al shal be wel I vndertake Sitte we doun / and lat vs myrie make And whan þat / this Chanones[MS ns] Bechen cole Was brent. al the lemaille out of the hole In-to the Crosselet fil anon adoun And so it moste nedes by resoun Syn it so euene / abouen it couched was But ther-of / wiste the preest no thyng alas He demed alle the coles yliche good ffor of that sleighte / he no thyng vnderstood And whan this Alkamystre saugh his tyme Ris vp quod he sire preest. and sit by me And for I woot wel / Ingot haue I noon Gooth walketh forth and brynge vs a Chalk/ stoon ffor I wol make oon / of the same shape That is an Ingot. if I may han hape And bryngeth eek with yow / a bolle or a panne fful of water / and ye shul se wel thanne How þat oure bisynesse / shal thryue & preeue And yet for ye shul han no mysbileeue Ne wrong conceite of me / in youre Absence I ne wol nat been out of youre presence But go with yow / and come with yow ageyn The chambre dore / shortly for to seyn They opened and shette / and wente hir weye And forth with hem / they carieden the keye And coome agayn / with-outen any delay What sholde I tarien / al the longe day He took the Chalk / and shoope it in the wise Of an Ingot as I shal yow deuyse ¶ I seye / he took/ out of his owene sleeue A teyne of siluer / yuele moot he cheeue Which þat was nat / but an Ounce of weighte And taak heede now / of his cursed sleighte ¶ He shoope his Ingot in lengthe and eek in breede Of this teyne / with-outen any drede So slyly / that the preest it nat espide And in his sleue / agayn he gan it hide And fro the fir/ he took vp his mateere And in thyngot putte it with myrie cheere And in the water vessel / he it caste Whan þat hym luste / and bad the preest as faste What þat heer is / put In thin hand and grope Thow fynde shalt ther siluer as I hope [. . . . .[Not in Reg. 17 D xv, leaf210, bk. In Brit. Mus. Addit. 5140, leaf 303, back; Reg. 18 C ii, lf 171; Harl. 7333, leaf 92, col. 1, &c.] . . . . .no gap in the MS.] He putte his hand In / and took vp a teyne Of siluer fyn / and glad in euery veyne Was this preest. whan he saugh it was so Goddes blessyng and his moodres also And alle halwes / have ye sire Chanon Seyde this preest. and .I. hir malison But and ye vouche-sauf to techen me This noble craft and this subtiltee I wol be youre / in al that euere I may ¶ Quod the preest yet wol I make assay The seconde tyme / þat ye may taken heede And been expert of this / and in youre neede Another day / assaye in myn absence This disciplyne / and this crafty science Lat take another Ounce / quod he tho Of quyk siluer / with-outen wordes mo And do ther with / as ye han doon er this With that oother / which þat now siluer is ¶ This preest hym bisieth / in al þat he kan To doon / as this Chanon / this cursed man Comanded hym / and faste he blew the fir ffor to come / to theffect of his desir And this Chanon / right in the meene while Al redy was / the preest eft to bigile And for a contenance / in his hand he bar An holwe stikke / taak kepe and be war In the ende of which / an Ounce and namoore Of siluer lemaille / put was as bifore In his cole / and stopped with wex weel ffor to kepe In / his lemaille euery deel And whil this preest was in his bisynesse This Chanon / with his stikke gan hym dresse To hym anon / and his poudre caste In As he dide er / the deuel / out of his skyn Hym terve / I pray to god / for his falshede ffor he was euere fals / in thoght and dede And with this stikke / aboue the Crosselet That was ordeyned / with that false Iet/ He stired the coles / til relente gan The wex agayn the fir / as euery man? But it a fool be / woot wel it moot nede And al that in the stikke was out yede And in the crosselet hastily it fel ¶ Now good sires / what wol ye bet than wel Whan þat this preest. thus was bigiled ageyn Supposynge noght but treuthe sooth to seyn He was so glad / that I ne kan nat expresse In no manere / his myrthe and his gladnesse And to the Chanon / he profred eftsoone Body and good / ye quod the Chanon soone Though poure I be / crafty thou shalt me fynde I warne thee / yet is ther moore bihynde ¶ Is ther any coper/ her Inne seyde he? ¶ Ye quod the preest sire I trowe wel ther be ¶ Elles go bye vs som / and that as swithe Now good sire / go forth thy wey and hy the ¶ He wente his wey / and with the coper cam And this Chanon / it in hise handes nam And of that coper / weyed out but an Ounce ¶ Al to symple / is my tonge to pronounce As Ministre of my wit the doublenesse Of this Chanon / roote of alle cursednesse He semed freendly / to hem / þat knewe hym noght But he was feendly / bothe in herte and thoght It weerieth me / to telle of his falsnesse And nathelees / yet wol I it expresse To thentente / that men may be war therby And for noon oother cause trewely ¶ He putte the Ounce of Coper in the Crosselet And on the fir / as swithe he hath it set/ And caste In poudre / and made the preest/ to blowe And in his werkyng for to stoupe lowe As he dide er / and al nas but a Iape Right as hym liste / the preest he made his Ape And afterward / in the Ingot he it caste And in the panne / putte it at the laste Of the water / In he putte his owene hand And in his sleue / as ye biforn hand Herde me telle / hadde a siluer teyne He slyly tooke it out/ this cursed heyne Vnwityng this preest of his false craft And in the pannes botme / he hath it laft And in the water / rombled to and fro And wonder pryuely / took vp also The coper teyne / noght knowynge this preest And hidde it and hym hente by the breest And to hym spak and thus seyde in his game Stoupeth adoun / by god ye be to blame Helpeth me now / as a dide yow whil eer Putte In youre hand / and looketh what is theer ¶ This preest took vp / this siluer teyne anon And thanne seyde the Chanon / lat vs gon With thise thre teynes / whiche þat we han wroght To som Goldsmyth / and wite if they been ouht ffor by my feith / I nolde for myn hood But if that they were siluer/ fyn and good And that as swithe / preeued it shal bee ¶ Vn-to the Goldsmyth / with thise teynes three They wente / and putte thise teynes in Assay To fir and hamer / myghte no man seye nay But þat they weren / as hem oghte be ¶ This sotted preest. who was gladder than he Was neuere brid / gladder agayn the day Ne nyghtyngale / in the seson of May Nas neuere man / that luste bet to synge Ne lady / lustier in carolynge Or for to speke of love and wommanhede Ne knyght in Armes / to doon an hardy dede To stonden in grace / of his lady deere Than hadde this preest this soory craft to leere And to the Chanon / thus he spak and seyde ffor loue of god / that for vs alle deyde And as I may / deserue it vn-to yow What shal this receite coste / telleth now ¶ By oure lady quod this Chanon / it is deere I warne yow wel / for saue I and a frere In Engelond / ther kan no man it make ¶ No fors quod he / now sire for goddes sake What shal I paye / telleth me I preye? ¶ Ywis quod he / it is ful deere I seye Sire at o word / if that thee list it haue Ye shul paye fourty pound / so god me saue And nere the freendshipe / þat ye dide er this To me /. ye sholde paye moore y-wis ¶ This preest the somme of fourty pound anon Of nobles fette / and took hem euerichon To this Chanon / for this ilke receit Al his werkyng nas but fraude and deceit ¶ Sire preest he seyde / I kepe han no loos Of my craft / for I wolde it kept were cloos And as ye loue me / kepeth it secree ffor and men knewen / al my soutiltee By god / they wolden han so greet enuye To me / by cause / of my Philosophye I sholde be deed / ther were noon oother weye ¶ God it forbeede quod the preest/ what sey ye Yet hadde I leuere / spenden al the good Which þat I haue / or elles wexe I wood Than that ye sholden falle in swiche mescheef/ ¶ ffor youre good wyl / sire haue ye right good preef Quod the Chanon / and farwel grant mercy He wente his wey / and neuer the preest hym sy After that day / and whan þat this preest shoolde Maken assay / at swich tyme as he wolde Of this receit / farwel / it wolde nat be Lo thus byiaped / and bigiled was he Thus maketh he / his introduccion To brynge folk/ to [hir] destruccion COnsidereth sires / how þat in ech estaat Bitwixe men and gold / ther is debaat So ferforth / that vnnethe is ther noon This multiplying blent so many oon That in good feith / I trowe þat it bee The cause grettest of swich scarsetee Philosophres / speken so mystily In this craft þat men kan nat come therby ffor any wit þat men han now a dayes They mowe wel chiteren / as þat doon Ioyes[so] And in hir termes / sette hir lust and peyne But to hir purpos / shul they neuere atteyne A man may lightly lerne / if he haue aught To multiplie / and brynge his good to naught ¶ Lo / swich a lucre / is in this lusty game A mannes myrthe / it wol turne vn-to grame And empten also / grete and heuye purses And maken folk / for to purchacen curses Of hem / þat han hir good / ther-to ylent ffy for shame / they þat han been brent Allas / kan they nat flee / the fires heete Ye that it vse / I rede ye it leete Lest ye lese al / for bet than neuere is late Neuere to thryue / were to long a date Though ye prolle ay / ye shul it neuere fynde Ye been as boold as is Bayard the blynde That blondreth forth / and peril casteth noon He is as boold / to renne agayn a stoon As for to goon / bisides in the weye So faren ye / that multiplie I seye If þat youre eyen / kan nat seen aright Looke þat youre mynde / lakke noght his sight ffor though ye looken neuer so brode and stare Ye shul no thyng wynne on that chaffare But wasten / al that ye / may rape and renne Withdraweth the fir / lest it to faste brenne Medleth namoore / with that Art I mene ffor if ye doon / youre thrift is goon ful clene And right as swithe / I wol yow tellen heere What þat the Philosophres seyn in this mateere LO thus seith Arnold of the newe toun As his Rosarie / maketh mencioun He seith right thus / with-outen any lye Ther may no man / Mercurie mortifie But it be / with his brother knowlechyng How þat he / which þat first seyde this thyng Of Philosophres / fader first was hermes He seith / how þat the dragon doutelees Ne dyeth nat. but if that he be slayn With his brother/ and that is for to sayn By the dragon / Mercurie and noon oother He vnderstood / and Brymstoon by his brother That out of sol / and Luna were ydrawe And therfore seyde he / taak heede to my sawe Lat no man bisye hym / this Art for to seche But if þat he / thentencion and speche Of Philosophres / vnderstonde kan And if he do / he is a lewed man ffor this science / and this konnyng quod he Is of the secree / of the secretes pardee ¶ Also / ther was a disciple of Plato That on a tyme / seyde his maister to As his book senior / wol bere witnesse And this was his demande in soothfastnesse Telle me the name / of the priuee stoon ¶ And Plato answerde / vn-to hym anoon Take the stoon / that Titanos men name ¶ Which is that quod he? Magnasia is the same Seyde Plato / ye sire / and is it thus? This is / ignotum per ignocius What is Magnasia / good sire I yow preye? ¶ It is a water / that is maad I seye Of elementes foure quod Plato ¶ Telle me the roote / good sire quod he tho Of that water / if it be youre wille ¶ Nay nay quod Plato / certein that I nylle The Philosophres / sworn were euerychoon That they / sholden discouere it vn-to noon Ne in no book it write / in no manere ffor vn-to Crist / it is so lief and deere That he wol nat that it discouered bee But where it liketh / to his deitee Man for tenspire / and eek / for to deffende Whom þat hym liketh / lo this is the ende ¶ Thanne conclude I thus / sith þat god of heuene Ne wil nat that the Philosophres neuene How þat a man / shal come vn-to this stoon I rede vs for the beste / lete it goon ffor who so / maketh god his Aduersarie As for to werken / any thyng in contrarie Of his wil / certes neuer shal he thryue Thogh that he multiplie terme of lyue And there a poynt for ended is my tale God sende euery trewe man / boote of his bale Amen . ¶ Heere is ended the Chanons yemannes tale . GROUP H. FRAGMENT IX. § 1. THE MANCIPLE'S HEAD-LINK. ELLESMERE MS. ¶ Heere folweth the Prologe / of the Maunciples tale .on leaf 206 Woot ye nat / where ther stant/ a litel toun Which þat ycleped is Bobbe up and doun Vnder the Blee / in Caunterbury weye Ther gan oure hoost for to Iape and pleye And seyde sires / what Dun is in the Myre Is ther no man / for preyere ne for hyre That wole awake / oure felawe al bihynde A theef / myghte hym ful lightly robbe and bynde See how he nappeth / see how for Cokkes bones As he wol falle / fro his hors atones Is that a Cook of London / with meschance Do hym come forth / he knoweth his penaunce ffor he shal telle a tale / by my fey Al-though / it be nat worth a Botel hey Awake thou Cook quod he / god yeue thee sorwe What eyleth thee / to slepe by the morwe? Hastow had fleen al nyght or artow dronke? Or hastow / with som quene / al nyght yswonke? So that thow mayst nat holden vp thyn heed ¶ This Cook / þat was ful pale and no thyng reed Seyde to oure hoost. so god my soule blesse As ther is falle on me swich heuynesse Noot I nat why? þat me were leuere slepe Than / the beste galon wyn in Chepe ¶ Wel quod the Maunciple / if it may doon ese To thee sire Cook / and to no wight displese Which þat heere rideth / in this compaignye And that oure hoost/ wole of his curteisye I wol now / excuse thee / of thy tale ffor in good feith / thy visage is ful pale Thyne eyen daswen eek as that me thynketh And wel I woot / thy breeth / ful soure stynketh That sheweth wel / thou art nat wel disposed Of me certeyn / thou shalt nat been yglosed See how he ganeth / lo this dronken wight As though he wolde / swolwe vs anonright Hoold cloos thy mouth man / by thy fader kyn The deuel of helle / sette his foot ther-In Thy cursed breeth / infecte wole vs alle ffy stynkyng swyn / fy / foule moote thou falle A taketh heede sires / of this lusty man Now sweete sire / wol ye Iusten atte ffan Therto me thynketh / ye been wel yshape I trowe / that ye dronken han wyn Ape And that is / whan men pleyen with a straw And with this speche / the Cook wax wrooth & wraw And on the Manciple / he gan nodde faste ffor lakke of speche / and doun the hors hym caste Where as he lay / til þat men vp hym took This was / a fair chyuachee / of a Cook Allas / he nadde / holde hym by his ladel And er þat he / agayn were in his Sadel Ther was greet showuyng bothe to and fro To lifte hym vp / and muchel care and wo So vnweeldy / was this sory palled goost And to the Manciple / thanne spak oure hoost/ ¶ By cause / drynke / hath dominacion Vpon this man / by my sauacion I trowe / lewedly / he wolde telle his tale ffor were it wyn / or oold / or moysty Ale That he hath dronke / he speketh in his nose And fneseth faste / and eek he hath the pose ¶ He hath also / to do moore than ynough To kepen hym and his Capul out of slough And if he falle / from his capul eftsoone Thanne shal we alle / haue ynogh to doone In liftyng vp / his heuy dronken cors Telle on thy tale / of hym make I no fors ¶ But yet Manciple / in feith thou art/ to nyce Thus openly / repreue hym of his vice Another day / he wole perauenture Reclayme thee / and brynge thee to lure I meene / he speke wole / of smale thynges As for to pynchen / at thy rekenynges That were nat honeste / if it cam to preef / ¶ No quod the Manciple / that were a greet mescheef So myghte he lightly / brynge me in the snare Yet hadde I leuere / payen for the Mare Which that he rit on / than he sholde with me stryue I wol nat wratthen hym / al so moot I thryue That that/ I speke / I seyde it in my bourde And wite ye what I haue heer in a gourde A draghte of wyn / ye of a ripe grape And right anon / ye shul seen a good Iape This Cook shal drynke ther of / if þat I may Vp peyne of deeth / he wol nat seye me nay ¶ And certeynly / to tellen as it was Of this vessel / the Cook drank faste / allas? What neded hym / he drank ynough biforn And whan he hadde / pouped in this horn To the Manciple / he took the gourde agayn And of that drynke / the Cook was wonder fayn And thanked hym / in swich wise as he koude ¶ Thanne gan oure hoost to laughen wonder loude And seyde / I se wel / it is necessarie Where þat we goon / þat drynke we with vs carie ffor that wol turne / rancour and disese Tacord and loue / and many a wrong apese ¶ O Bacus / yblessed be thy name That so kanst turnen / ernest in-to game Worshipe and thank be to thy deitee Of that mateere / ye gete namoore of me Telle on thy tale / Manciple I thee preye ¶ Wel sire quod he / now herkneth what I seye ¶ Heere bigynneth the Manciples tale / of the Crowe . WHan Phebus / dwelled heere / in this world adoun[Painting of the Manciple.] As olde bookes / maken mencioun He was / the mooste lusty Bachiler In al this world / and eek the beste Archer He slow Phiton / the serpent as he lay Slepynge / agayn the sonne vpon a day And many another / noble worthy dede He with his bowe wroghte / as men may rede ¶ Pleyen he koude / on euery Mynstralcie And syngen / that it was a melodie To heeren / of his cleere voys the soun Certes / the kyng of Thebes Amphioun That with his syngyng walled that Citee Koude neuere syngen / half so wel as hee Therto he was / the semelieste man That is or was / sith þat the world bigan What nedeth it/ hise fetures to discryue ffor in this world / was noon so fair on lyue He was ther-with / fulfild of gentillesse Of honour / and of parfit worthynesse ¶ This Phebus / that was / flour of Bachilrie As wel / in fredom / as in Chiualrie ffor his desport. in signe eek of Victorie Of Phiton / so as telleth vs the storie Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe ¶ Now hadde this Phebus / in his hous a crowe Which in a Cage / he fostred many a day And taughte it speke / as men teche a Iay Whit was this Crowe / as a snow whit swan And countrefete the speche of euery man He koude / whan he sholde telle a tale Ther-with in al this world / no nyghtyngale Ne koude / by an hondred thousand deel Syngen / so wonder myrily and weel ¶ Now hadde this Phebus / in his hous a wyf / Which þat he louede / moore than his lyf/ And nyght and day / dide euere his diligence Hir for to plese / and doon hire reuerence Saue oonly / the sothe that I shal sayn Ialous he was / and wolde haue kept hire fayn ffor hym were looth / byiaped for to be And so is euery wight in swich degree But all in ydel / for it auailleth noght A good wyf / that is clene / of werk and thoght Sholde nat been kept in noon awayt certayn And trewely / the labour is in vayn To kepe a shrewe / for it wol nat bee This holde I / for a verray nycetee To spille labour / for to kepe wyues Thus writen olde clerkes / in hir lyues Bvt now to purpos / as I first bigan This worthy Phebus / dooth all that he kan To plesen hire / wenynge that swich plesance And for his manhede / and his gouernance That no man / sholde han put hym from hire grace But god it woot. ther may no man embrace As to destreyne a thyng. which þat nature Hath natureelly / set in a creature ¶ Taak any bryd / and put it in a Cage¶ Exemplum. de volucre And do al thyn entente / and thy corage To fostre it tendrely / with mete and drynke Of alle deyntees / þat thou kanst bithynke And keepe it al so clenly / as thou may Al though his Cage / of gold be neuer so gay Yet hath this brid / by twenty thousand foold Leuere in a fforest / that is rude and coold Goon ete wormes / and swich wrecchednesse ffor euere this brid / wol doon his bisynesse To escape out of his Cage / if he may His libertee / this brid desireth ay ¶ Lat take a Cat and fostre hym wel with Milk¶ Exemplum. de Murelego And tendre flessh / and make his couche of silk And lat hym seen / a Mous go by the wal Anon he weyueth / Milk / and flessh and al And euery deyntee / that is in that hous Swich appetit he hath / to ete a Mous Lo / heere hath lust his dominacion And Appetit fleemeth discrecion ¶ A she wolf / hath also / a vileyns kynde¶ Exemplum. de lupo The lewedeste wolf / þat she may fynde Or leest of reputacion / that wol she take In tyme / whan hir lust to han a make ¶ Alle thise ensamples / speke I by thise men That been vntrewe / and no thyng by wommen ffor men han euere / a likerous appetit On lower thyng to parfourne hire delit Than on hire wyues / be they neuer so faire Ne neuer so trewe / ne so debonaire fflessh is so newefangel with meschaunce That we ne konne / in no thyng han plesaunce That sowneth in-to vertu / any while ¶ This Phebus / which þat thoghte vpon no gile Deceyued was / for al his Iolitee ffor vnder hym / another hadde shee A man / of litel reputacion Nat worth to Phebus / in comparison The moore harm is / it happeth ofte so Of which ther cometh / muchel harm and wo ¶ And so bifel / whan Phebus was absent His wyf anon / hath for hir lemman sent Hir lemman? certes this is a knauyssh speche fforyeueth it me / and that I yow biseche ¶ The wise Plato seith / as ye may rede The word / moot nede accorde with the dede If men shal telle proprely a thyng The word / moot cosyn be to the werkyng I am a boystous man / right thus seye I Ther nys no difference trewely Bitwixe a wyf/ þat is of heigh degree If of hire body / dishoneste she bee And a poure wenche /? oother than this If it so be / they werke bothe amys But þat the gentile / in hire estaat aboue She shal be cleped / his lady as in loue And for that oother / is a poure womman She shal be cleped / his wenche / or his lemman And god it woot myn owene deere brother Men leyn þat oon / as lowe as lith þat oother ¶ Right so / bitwixe a titlelees tirant/ And an Outlawe / or a theef errant The same I seye / ther is no difference To Alisaundre / was toold this sentence That for the tirant is of gretter myght By force of meynee / for to sleen doun right And brennen hous and hoom / and make al playn Lo / therfore / is he cleped a Capitayn And for the Outlawe / hath but smal meynee And may nat doon / so greet an harm as he Ne brynge a contree / to so greet mescheef/ Men clepen hym / an Outlawe / or a theef / But for I am a man / noght textueel I wol noght telle / of textes neuer a deel I wol go / to my tale / as I bigan Whan Phebus wyf / had sent for hir lemman Anon they wroghten / al hire lust volage ¶ The white crowe / they heeng ay in the Cage Biheeld hire werk and seyde neuer a word And whan þat hoom was come Phebus the lord This Crowe sang / Cokkow / Cokkow / Cokkow / ¶ What bryd quod Phebus / what song syngestow? Ne were thow wont/ so myrily to synge That to myn herte / it was a reioysynge To heere thy voys / allas what song is this? ¶ By god quod he / I synge nat amys Phebus quod he / for al thy worthynesse ffor al thy beautee / and thy gentilesse ffor al thy song/ and thy Mynstralcye ffor al thy waityng blered is thyn eye With oon / of litel reputacion Noght worth to thee / in comparison The montance of a gnat/ so moote I thryue ffor on thy bed / thy wyf / I saugh hym swy & cetera¶ Nota malum quid. ¶ What wol ye moore / the Crowe anon hym tolde By sadde tokenes / and by wordes bolde How þat his wyf had doon hire lecherye Hym to greet/ shame / and to greet vileynye And tolde hym ofte / he saugh it with hise eyen ¶ This Phebus / gan aweyward for to wryen And thoughte / his sorweful herte brast atwo His bowe he bente / and sette ther-Inne a flo And in his Ire / his wyf / thanne hath he slayn This is theffect. ther is namoore to sayn ffor sorwe of which / he brak his Mynstralcie Bothe harpe / and lute / and Gyterne / and sautrie And eek he brak hise Arwes / and his bowe And after that/ thus spak he to the crowe ¶ Traitour quod he / with tonge of Scorpion Thou hast me broght/ to my confusion Allas that I was wroght / why nere I deed O deere wyf o gemme of lustiheed That were to me / so sad / and eek so trewe Now listow deed / with face pale of hewe fful giltlees / that dorste I swere ywys O rakel hand / to doon so foule amys O trouble wit o Ire recchelees That vnauysed / smyteth giltles O wantrust . ful of fals suspecion Where was thy wit and thy discrecion O euery man / be war of rakelnesse Ne trowe no thyng with-outen strong witnesse Smyt nat to soone / er þat ye witen why And beeth auysed / wel and sobrely Er ye doon / any execucion Vp on youre Ire / for suspecion Allas / a thousand folk hath rakel Ire ffully fordoon / and broght hem in the Mire Allas / for sorwe .I wol my seluen slee ¶ And to the Crowe / o false theef seyde he I wol thee quite anon / thy false tale Thou songe whilom / lyk a nyghtyngale Now shaltow false theef thy song forgon And eek thy white fetheres euerichon Ne neuere in al thy lif/ ne shaltou speke Thus shal men / on a traytour been awreke Thou / and thyn of-spryng/ euere shul be blake Ne neuere / sweete voys shul ye make But euere crie / agayn tempest and rayn In tokenynge / þat thurgh thee / my wyf is slayn And to the Crowe / he stirte / and that anon And pulled / hise white fetheres euerychon And made hym blak and refte hym al his song And eek his speche / and out at dore hym slong Vn-to the deuel / which I hym bitake And for this caas / been alle Crowes blake LOrdynges / by this ensample I yow preye Beth war / and taketh kepe what I seye Ne telleth neuere / no man in youre lyf How þat another man / hath dight his wyf / He wol yow haten / mortally certeyn Daun Salomon / as wise clerkes seyn Techeth a man / to kepen his tonge weel But as I seyde / I am noght textueel But nathelees / thus taughte me my dame My sone / thenk/ on the Crowe on goddes name My sone / keepe wel thy tonge / and keepe thy freend A wikked tonge / is worse than a feend My sone / from a feend / men may hem blesse My sone / god of his endelees goodnesse Walled a tonge / with teeth and lippes eke ffor man sholde hym auyse / what he speeke My sone / ful ofte / for to muche speche Hath many a man been spilt as clerkes teche But for litel speche / auysely Is no men shent . to speke generally My sone / thy tonge sholdestow restreyne At alle tymes / but whan thou doost thy peyne To speke of god / in honour and preyere The firste vertu sone / if thou wolt leere Is to restreyne / and kepe wel thy tonge Thus lerne children / whan þat they been yonge My sone / of muchel spekyng/ yuele auysed Ther lasse spekyng/ hadde ynough suffised Comth muchel harm / thus was me toold and taught In muchel speche / synne wanteth naught Wostow / wher-of a rakel tonge serueth Right as a swerd / forkutteth and forkerueth An Arm atwo / my deere sone right so A tonge / kutteth freendshipe al atwo A Iangler / is to god abhomynable Reed Salomon / so wys and honurable Reed Dauid in hise psalmes / reed Senekke My sone spek nat but with thyn heed thou bekke Dissimule as thou were deef / if that thou heere A Iangler /. speke of perilous mateere The flemyng seith / and lerne it if thee leste That litel Ianglyng causeth muchel rest My sone / if thou no wikked word hast seyd Thee thar nat drede / for to be biwreyd But he þat hath mysseyd / I dar wel sayn He may by no wey / clepe his word agayn Thyng that is seyd is seyd / and forth it gooth Though hym repente / or be hym leef / or looth He is his thral / to whom þat he hath sayd A tale / of which he is now yuele apayd My sone be war / and be noon Auctour newe Of tidynges / wheither they been false or trewe Wher so thou come / amonges hye or lowe Kepe wel thy tonge / and thenk vp-on the Crowe ¶ Heere is ended / the Manciples tale of the Crowe . GROUP I. FRAGMENT X. § 1. THE BLANK-PARSON LINK.

[This is really a link between some unwritten Tale and the Parson's. It has been made into the Manciple-Parson Link (or Yeoman-Parson by the Christ-Church MS) by Chaucer's copiers, though not meant for it.]

 ¶ Heere folweth the Prologe / of the Persons tale . ELLESMERE MS. BY that the Manciple / hadde his tale al ended The sonne / fro the south lyne was descended So lowe / that he ne nas nat to my sighte Degrees / nyne and twenty / as in highte Ten of the Clokke / it was tho / as I gesse ffor elleuene foot or litel moore / or lesse My shadwe was / at thilke tyme as there Of swiche feet as my lengthe parted were In sixe feet equal / of proporcion Ther with / the Moones exaltacion I meene Libra / alwey gan ascende As we / were entryng at a Thropes ende ¶ ffor which our hoost as he was wont to gye As in this caas / oure Ioly compaignye Seyde in this wise / lordynges euerichoon Now lakketh vs no tales / mo than oon ffulfilled is my sentence / and my decree I trowe / that we han herd of ech degree Almoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce I pray to god / so yeue hym right good chaunce That telleth this tale / to vs lustily ¶ Sire preest quod he / artow a vicary Or arte a person / sey sooth by thy fey Be what thou be / ne breke thou nat oure pley ffor euery man saue thou / hath toold his tale Vnbokele / and shewe vs what is in thy Male ffor trewely / me thynketh by thy cheere Thou sholdest knytte vp wel a greet mateere Telle vs a fable anon / for Cokkes bones ¶ This Person answerde / al atones Thou getest fable noon / ytoold for me ffor Paul / that writeth vn-to Thymothee¶ Paulus ad Thi|motheum. Repreueth hem / that weyueth soothfastnesse And tellen fables / and swich wrecchednesse Why sholde I sowen / draf out of my fest Whan I may sowen whete / if þat me lest ffor which I seye / if that yow list to heere Moralitee / and vertuous mateere And thanne / þat ye wol yeue me Audience I wol fayn / at Cristes reuerence Do yow plesaunce / leefful as I kan But trusteth wel / I am a Southren man I kan nat geeste / Rum / Ram / Ruf / by lettre Ne god woot rym holde I but litel bettre And therfore / if yow list I wol nat glose I wol yow telle / a myrie tale in prose To knytte vp al this feeste / and make an ende And Ihesu for his grace / wit me sende To shewe yow the wey / in this viage Of thilke parfit/ glorious pilgrymage That highte / Ierusalem celestial And if ye vouche sauf / anon I shal Bigynne vp-on my tale / for which I preye Telle youre auys / I kan no bettre seye ¶ But nathelees / this meditacion I putte it ay / vnder correccion Of Clerkes / for I am nat textueel I take but sentence / trusteth weel Therfore / I make a protestacion That I wol stonde to correccion ¶ Vp on this word / we han assented soone ffor as vs semed / it was for to doone To enden / in som vertuous sentence And for to yeue hym space and audience And bede oure hoost he sholde to hym seye That alle we / to telle his tale hym preye ¶ Oure hoost hadde the wordes for vs alle Sire preest quod he / now faire yow bifalle Sey what yow list and we wol gladly heere And with that word / he seyde in this manere Telleth quod he / youre meditacioun But hasteth yow / the sonne wole adoun Beth fructuous / and that in litel space And to do wel / god sende yow his grace¶ Explicit/ prohemium .

¶ Heere bigynneth / the Persouns tale .

[There are no paragraph-breaks in the MS, but Tyrwhitt's are kept in the print for convenience sake.]

 ¶ Ier. 6o. State super vias & videte & interrogate de viis antiquis / que sit via bona / & ambulate in ea & in|uenietis refrigerium animabus vestris &c . .

[75]

Oure sweete lord god of heuene / that no man wole perisse / but wole that we comen alle to the knoweleche of hym / and the blissful lif / that is perdurable /. [76] amonesteth vs by the prophete Ieremie / and seith in this wyse / [77] ¶ Stondeth vpon the weyes / and seeth / and axeth of olde pathes / that is to seyn / of olde sentences / which is the goode wey / [78] and walketh in that wey / and ye shal fynde refresshynge for youre soules &c [79] ¶ Manye been the weyes espirituels that leden folk / to oure Lord Ihesu Crist. and to the regne of glorie / [80] Of whiche weyes / ther is a ful noble wey / and a couenable / which may nat fayle to no man / ne to womman / that thurgh synne hath mysgoon fro the righte wey of Ierusalem celestial / [81] and this wey / is cleped Penitence / of which man sholde gladly herknen and¶ Nota de penitence enquere with al his herte / [82] to wyten what is Peni|tence / and whennes it is cleped Penitence / and in how manye maneres been the accions or werkynges of Penitence / [83] and how manye speces / ther been of Penitence / and whiche thynges apertenen and bihouen to Penitence / and whiche thynges / destourben Penitence /

[84] ¶ Seint Ambrose seith / that Penitence / is the¶ What Penitence is pleynynge of man / for gilt þat he hath doon / and na|moore to do any thyng for which hym oghte to pleyne / [85] ¶ And som doctour seith / Penitence is the wayment|ynge of man / that sorweth for his synne / and pyneth hym self for he hath mysdoon [86] ¶ Penitence / with certeyne circumstances / is verray repentance of a man that halt hym self in sorwe / and oother peyne for hise giltes / [87] And for he shal be verray penitent. he shal first biwaylen the synnes that he hath doon and stidefastly purposen in his herte / to haue shrift of mouthe / and to doon satisfaccion [88] and neuere to doon thyng. for which hym oghte moore biwayle / or to compleyne / and con|tinue in goode werkes / or elles his repentance may nat auaille /. [89] ffor as seith seint Ysidre ¶ he is a Iaper and a gabber / and no verray repentant. that eftsoone dooth thyng. for which hym oghte repente /. [90] Wepynge /¶ Nota and nat for to stynt to synne / may nat auaylle [91] ¶ But nathelees / men shal hope /. that euery tyme þat man falleth / be it neuer so ofte / þat he may arise thurgh Peni|tence / if he haue grace /. but certeinly it is greet doute ‖ [92] ffor as seith Seint Gregorie / vnnethe ariseth he out¶ Nota secundum sanctum Gregorium of synne / that is charged with the charge of yuel vsage / [93] And therfore / repentant folk / þat stynte for to synne / and forlete synne / er þat synne forlete hem / hooly chirche / holdeth hem siker of hire sauacion /. [94] And he that synneth / and verraily repenteth hym in his laste /. hooly chirche yet hopeth his sauacion / by the grete mercy / of oure lord Ihesu Crist for his repentance but tene certum taak the siker wey /

[95] ¶ And now / sith I haue declared yow / what thyng is penitence / now shul ye vnderstonde / that ther been .iij. accions of Penitence / [96] ¶ The firste accion of¶ The firste accioun of penitence Penitence is / that a man be baptized after that he hath synned ‖. [97] Seint Augustyn seith ‖ but he be penytent¶ Nota secundum sanctum Augustinum for his olde synful lyf. he may nat bigynne / the newe clene lif /. [98] for certes / if he be baptized / withouten penitence of his olde gilt he receyueth the mark of baptesme / but nat the grace / ne the remission of his synnes / til he haue repentance verray / [99] ¶ Another¶ The .ijde. accioun of penitence defaute is this that men doon deedly synne / after þat they han receyued baptesme [100] ¶ The thridde defaute¶ The .iijde. accioun of penitence is / that men fallen in venial synnes after hir baptesme / fro day to day [101] ¶ Ther of seith Seint Augustyn¶ Augustinus ¶ That penitence / of goode and humble folk /. is the penitence of euery day /species

[102] The speces of Penitence / been .iij. ¶ That oon¶ Of .iij. speces of penaunce of hem / is solempne ¶ Another is commune ¶ and the thridde is priuee [103] ¶ Thilke penance that is so|lempne ¶ Of penaunce solempne is in two maneres /. As to be put out of hooly chirche in lente for slaughtre of children / and swich maner thyng [104] ¶ Another thyng is / Whan a man hath synned openly / of which synne / the fame is openly spoken in the contree / and thanne hooly chirche by Iugge|ment destreyneth hym / for to do open penaunce / [105] ¶ Commune penaunce is / that preestes enioynen men in¶ Of commune penaunce certeyn caas / as for to goon perauenture / naked in pilgrimages / or bare foot [106] ¶ Pryuee penaunce is¶ Of priuee penaunce thilke / that men doon alday for priuee synnes / of whiche they shryue hem priuely and receyue priuee penance

[107] Now shaltow vnderstande / what is bihouely¶ What is bihouely to perfit penitence and necessarie / to verray perfit penitence /. And this stant on .iij. thynges ‖. [108] Contricioun of herte ‖. Con|fession of Mouth ¶ and Satisfaccion /. [109] ffor which / seith Seint Iohn Crisostom ¶ Penitence destreyneth a man¶ Iohannes Crisostomus to accepte benygnely euery peyne that hym is enioyned / with Contricion of herte and shrift of mouth / with satis|faccion / and in werkynge of alle manere humylitee / [110] and this is fruytful penitence agayn .iij. thynges in whiche¶ Of iii thynges in whiche we wratthe oure lord Ihesu crist / we wratthe oure lord Ihesu Crist ‖. [111] This is to seyn / by delit in thynkynge ¶ by reccheleesnesse in spekynge ‖. and by wikked synful werkynge ‖ [112] And agayns thise wikkede giltes is Penitence that may be likned vn-to a tree /¶ How penaunce may be likned to a tree.

[113] The roote of this tree / is Contricion / that hideth hym in the herte / of hym þat is verray repentant. right as the roote of a tree hydeth hym in the erthe [114] ¶ Of the roote of Contricion spryngeth a stalke that bereth braunches and leues of Confession / and fruyt of satisfaccion [115] ¶ ffor which Crist seith in his gospel /. dooth digne fruyt of¶ dominus in Euaungelio. Penitence /. for by this fruyt may men knowe this tree / and nat by the roote / that is hyd / in the herte of man / ne by the braunches / ne by the leues of Confession [116] And therfore / oure Lord Ihesu Crist / seith thus /. by the fruyt of hem / ye shul knowen hem [117] ¶ Of this¶ Of a seed þat spryngeþ of Contricioun roote eek spryngeth a seed a grace / the which seed / is mooder of sikernesse / and this seed / is egre and hoot [118] the grace of this seed / spryngeth of god thurgh re|membrance of the day of doome / and on the peynes of helle [119] ¶ Of this matere seith Salomon That in the¶ Salomoun drede of god / man forleteth his synne [120] ¶ The heete¶ Of the heete of this seede of this seed / is the loue of god / and the desiryng of the ioye perdurable [121] This heete / draweth the herte of a man to god / and dooth hym haten his synne / [122] for soothly / ther is no thyng that sauoureth so wel to a child / as the Milk of his Norice / ne no thyng moore abhom|ynable than thilke Milk whan it is medled with oother mete [123] Right so the synful man that loueth¶ Nota exemplum. his synne / hym semeth / that it is to him moost sweete of any thyng. [124] but fro that tyme / that he loueth sadly oure lord Ihesu crist. and desireth the lif perdurable / ther nys to him no thyng moore abhomynable / [125] for soothly / the lawe of god / is the loue of god / for which / Dauid the prophete seith ¶ I. haue loued thy lawe & hated¶ dauid propheta wikkednesse and hate / he that loued god / kepeth his lawe and his word [126] ¶ This tree saugh the prophete Daniel / in the Auysion of the kyng / Nabugodonosor / whan he con|seiled hym to do penitence [127] ¶ Penaunce / is the tree of lyf / to hem that it receyuen / and he þat holdeth hym in verray penitence / is blessed / after the sentence of Salomon

[128] ¶ In this penitence or contricion / man shal vn|derstonde ¶ Of .iiij. thynges / longynge to contricioun .iiij. thynges / that is to seyn / what is Contricion /. and whiche been the causes þat moeuen a man to con|tricion /. and how he sholde be contrit. / & what con|tricion / auailleth to the Soule [129] ¶ Thanne is it thus /¶ What contricioun is. þat contricion / is the verray sorwe / that a man receyueth in his herte for his synnes / with sad purpos / to shryue hym / and to do penaunce / and neueremoore to do synne / [130] and this sorwe / shal been in this manere as seith seint Bernard ¶ It shal been heuy and greuous / and ful¶ Sanctus Bernardus sharpe and poynant in herte [131] ¶ ffirst / for man hath agilt his lord / & his Creatour / and moore sharpe and poynant. for he hath agilt hys fader celestial /. [132] and yet moore sharpe and poynant. for he hath wrathed and agilt hym that boghte hym /. which with his precious blood haþ deliuered vs / fro the bondes of synne / and fro the crueltee of the deuel and fro the peynes of helle

[133] ¶ The causes that oghte moeue a man to Con|tricion ¶ Of .vj. causes þat oghten moeue a man to contricioun / been .vj. / ¶ ffirst a man shal remembre hym of hise synnes / [134] but looke he / that thilke remem|brance. ¶ The firste cause of contricioun ne be to hym no delit by no wey / but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt ¶ ffor Iob seith / synful men / doon¶ Iob werkes / worthy of Confession [135] And therfore seith Ezechie /. I. wol remembre me / alle the yeres of my lyf¶ Ezechias in bitternesse of myn herte [136] And god seith in the¶ dominus in Apocalipse Apocalipse ¶ Remembreth yow / fro whennes þat ye been falle /. for biforn that tyme þat ye synned / ye were the children of god /. and lymes of the regne of god / [137] but for youre synne / ye been woxen thral and foul / and membres of the feend / hate of Aungels / sclaundre of hooly chirche / and foode of the false serpent. perpetueel matere of the fir of helle /. [138] And yet moore foul and abhom|ynable / for ye trespassen so ofte tyme / as dooth the hound / þat retourneth to eten his spewyng /. [139] and yet be ye fouler / for youre longe continuyng in synne & youre synful vsage / for which / ye be roten in youre synne / as a beest in his dong [140] ¶ Swiche manere of¶ dominus per Ezechielem pro|phetam thoghtes / maken a man / to haue shame of his synne / and no delit. as god seith / by the prophete Ezechiel ‖. [141] ye shal remembre yow of youre weyes / and they shuln displese yow /. soothly synnes been the weyes / that leden folk to helle

¶ [142] The seconde cause that oghte make a man /¶ The .ij.de cause of contricioun to haue desdeyn of synne is this /. That as seith seint Peter /. who so that dooth synne / is thral of synne /. And¶ sanctus Petrus synne / put a man in greet thraldom ‖. [143] And ther|fore seith the prophete Ezechiel /. I. wente sorweful / in¶ Ezechiel propheta desdayn of my self/. And certes / wel oghte a man / haue desdayn of synne / and withdrawe hym / from that thraldom and vileynye /. [144] and lo / what seith Seneca¶ Seneca in this matere ‖. He seith thus /. though I wiste / that god / neither god ne man / ne sholde neuere knowe it/. yet wolde I haue desdayn / for to do synne [145] ¶ And the same Seneca also seith / .I. am born to gretter thynges /¶ Idem Seneca than to be thral to my body / or than for to maken / of my body a thral / [146] ne a fouler thral / may no man ne womman maken of his body / than for to yeuen his body to synne /. [147] al were it the fouleste cherl / or the fouleste womman that lyueth / and leest of value / yet is he thanne moore foule / & moore in seruitute /. [148] euere / fro the hyer degree that man falleth /. the moore is he thral / and moore / to god and to the world abhomyn|able / [149] ¶ O goode god / wel oghte man haue desdayn of synne / sith that thurgh synne / ther he was free / now is he maked bonde [150] ¶ And therfore / seyth Seint¶ Sanctus Augustinus Augustyn /. If thou hast desdayn of thy seruant. if he agilte / or synne /. haue thou thanne desdayn / that thou thy self / sholdest do synne /. [151] take reward of thy value / that thou ne be / to foul to thy self [152] ¶ Allas wel oghten they thanne haue desdayn to been seruauntz & thralles to synne / and soore been ashamed of hem self. [153] that god / of his endelees goodnesse / hath set hem in heigh estaat /. or yeuen hem wit / strengthe of body / heele / beautee / prosperitee / [154] and boghte hem fro the deeth / with his herte blood / that they so vnkyndely / agayns his gentilesse / quiten hym so vileynsly / to slaughtre of hir owene soules / [155] ¶ O goode god / ye wommen / that been of so greet beautee /¶ Notate vos mulieres & cauete remembreth yow / of the prouerbe of Salomon ¶ he seith /¶ Salomon [156] likneth a fair womman / that is a fool of hire body / lyk to a ryng of gold / that were in the groyn of a soughe [157] ffor right as a soughe / wroteth in euerich ordure / so wroteth hire beautee in the stynkynge ordure of synne

[158] ¶ The thridde cause / that oghte moeue a man¶ The .iij.de cause of contricioun to Contricion / is drede of the day of doome / and of the horrible peynes of helle [159] ¶ ffor as seint Ierome seith ‖.¶ Sanctus Ieronimus At euery tyme / þat me remembreth of the day of doome .I. quake /. [160] for whan I ete or drynke / or what so that I do / euere semeth me / þat the trompe sowneth in myn ere [161] Riseth vp ye that been dede / and cometh to the Iuggement [162] ¶ O goode god / muchel oghte a man / to drede swich a Iuggement/. ther as we shullen been alle / as seint Poul seith / biforn the seete of oure lord Ihesu¶ Sanctus Paulus Crist/. [163] wher as he shal make / a general con|gregacion / wher as no man may been absent/. [164] for certes / there auailleth noon Essoyne / ne excusacion [165] And nat oonly / that oure defautes shullen be Iugged /. but eek that alle oure werkes / shullen openly be knowe [166] ¶ And as seith Seint Bernard. ther ne¶ Sanctus Bernardus shal / no pledynge auaille ne sleighte /. we shullen yeuen rekenynge of euerich ydel word / [167] ther shul we han a Iuge / that may nat been deceyued ne corrupt. And why? for certes alle oure thoghtes / been discouered as to hym /. ne for preyere / ne for meede / he shal nat been corrupt [168] ¶ And therfore seith Salomon ¶ The wratthe of god /¶ Salomon . . . . .no gap in the MS. ne wol nat spare no wight /. for preyere ne for yifte /. and therfore at the day of doom / ther nys noon hope to escape [169] ¶ Wherfore as seith Seint Anselm. / fful greet¶ Sanctus Anselmus angwyssh / shul the synful folk haue at that tyme /. [170] ther shal / the stierne and wrothe Iuge sitte aboue /. and vnder hym / the horrible put of helle open to de|stroyen hym that noot biknowen hise synnes / whiche synnes / openly been shewed biforn god and biforn euery creature [171] ¶ And in the left syde / mo deueles / than herte may bithynke /. for to harye and drawe / the synful soules to the peyne of helle [172] ¶ And with Inne the hertes of folk shal be the bitynge Conscience / and with oute forth / shal be the world al brennynge /. [173] Whider shal thanne the wrecched synful man flee / to hiden hym ¶ certes he may nat hyden hym / he moste come forth and shewen hym [174] ¶ ffor certes / as seith seint Ierome /. the Erthe shal casten hym / out of hym /¶ Sanctus Ieronimus and the See also / and the Eyr also / that shal be ful / of thonder clappes and lightnynges / [175] ¶ Now soothly / who so wel remembreth hym of thise thynges / I gesse / þat his synne / shal nat turne hym in delit but to greet sorwe / for drede of the peyne of helle /. [176] And ther|fore seith Iob to god ¶ suffre lord / that .I. may a while¶ Iob ad deum biwaille / and wepe / er I go with oute returnyng. to the derke lond / couered with the derknesse of deeth / [177] to the lond of mysese and of derknesse / where as is the shadwe of deeth /. where as ther is / noon ordre / or ordinance / but grisly drede that euere shal laste [178] ¶ Loo / heere may ye seen / þat Iob preyde respit a while / to biwepe and waille his trespas / for soothly / a day of respit. is bettre than al the tresor of the world [179] ¶ And for as muche as a man / may acquiten hym self / biforn god by Penitence in this world / and nat by tresor / therfore sholde he preye to god / to yeue hym respit a while / to biwepe / and biwaillen his trespas /. [180] for certes / al the sorwe / that a man myghte make / fro the bigynnyng of the world / nys but a litel thyng at regard of the sorwe of helle / [181] ¶ The cause / why that Iob clepeth helle /¶ Why Iob clepeth helle the lond of derknesse the lond of derknesse /. [182] Vnder-stondeth / that he clepeth it londe of Erthe / for it is stable / and neuere shal faille dirk. for he that is in helle / hath defaute of light material [183] for certes / the derke light that shal come out of the fyr/ that euere shal brenne / shal turne hym al to peyne þat is in helle / for it sheweth him to the horrible deueles / that hym tormenten / [184] couered with the derknesse of deeth /. that is to seyn / that he þat is in helle / shal haue defaute of the sighte of god /. for certes / the sighte of god / is the lyf perdurable [185] ¶ The derk|nesse ¶ Of the derk|nesse of deeth of deeth / been the synnes / that the wrecched man hath / doon / whiche that destourben hym / to see the face of god / right as dooþ a derk clowde / bitwixe vs and the sonne [186] ¶ Lond of Misese / by cause that ther been¶ Of the lond of Misese .iij. maneres of defautes / agayn .iij. thynges / that folk / of this world / han in this present lyf ‖. that is to seyn honours / delices / and richesses [187] ¶ Agayns honour /¶ Of honours / delices / & richesses haue they in helle / shame and confusion [188] ffor wel ye woot that men clepen honour / the reuerence / that man doþ to man /. but in helle / is noon honour ne reuerence /. for certes / namoore reuerence shal be doon there to a kyng than to a knaue [189] ¶ ffor which god seith / by the prophete Ieremye ‖ Thilke folk / þat me despisen / shul¶ dominus per Ieremiam prophetam been in despit / [190] ¶ Honour/ is eek cleped greet lord|shipe / . . . . .no gap in the MS. and heigh|nesse / but in helle / shul they been al fortroden of deueles /. [191] And god seith /. the horrible deueles shulle goon and¶ dominus dicit / comen / vp on the heuedes of the dampned folk /. And this is for as muche / as the hyer that they were in this present lyf /. the moore shulle they been abated and defouled in helle / [192] ¶ Agayns the richesses of this world / shul¶ Agayns the richesses of this world they han mysese of pouerte / and this pouerte / shal been in foure thynges /. [193] In defaute of tresor / of which that Dauid seith ¶ The riche folk / that embraceden and oneden¶ Of defaute of tresor vnde dauid [?] al hire herte to tresor of this world / shul slepe / in the slepynge of deeth /. and no thyng ne shal they fynden in hir handes / of al hir tresor [194] ¶ And moore ouer / the myseyse of helle / shal been / in defaute of mete and¶ Of defaute of mete & drynke drinke /. [195] for god seith thus by Moyses /. They shul¶ dominus per Moysem been wasted with hunger and the briddes of helle / shul deuouren hem with the bitter deeth / and the galle of the dragon / shal been hire drynke / and the venym of the dragon / hire morsels [196] ¶ And forther ouer / hire¶ Of defaute of clothyng / myseyse / shal been in defaute of clothyng. for they shulle be naked in body / as of clothyng. saue the fyr / in which they brenne / and othere filthes / [197] and naked shul they been of soule / as of alle manere vertues / which þat is the clothyng of the soule /. Where been thanne the gaye Robes / and the smale shetes / and the softe shertes [198] ¶ Loo / what seith god of hem by the prophete ysaye.¶ dominus per Ysayam prophetam That vnder hem / shul been strawed Motthes / and hire couertures / shulle been of wormes of helle [199] ¶ And forther ouer / hir myseyse shal been / in defaute of¶ Of defaute of freendes freendes / for he nys nat poure that hath goode freendes / but there is no frend [200] for neither god ne no creature / shal been freend to hem / and euerich of hem / shal haten oother with deedly hate / [201] The sones and the doghtren / shullen rebellen / agayns fader and mooder / and kynrede agayns kynrede / and chiden and despisen / euerich of hem oother bothe day and nyght. as god seith /¶ dominus per Michaiam pro|phetam by the prophete Michias [202] ¶ And the louynge children / that whilom loueden so flesshly euerich oother / wolden euerich of hem / eten oother / if they myghte /. [203] for how sholden they loue togidre in the peyne of helle / whan they hated ech of hem oother in the prosperitee of this lyf [204] ¶ ffor truste wel / hir flesshly loue / was deedly hate / as seith the prophete Dauid ¶ who so that loueth wikked|nesse ¶ Dauid propheta ‖ Qui diligit iniquitatem / odit animam suam/ he hateth his soule /. [205] and who so hateth his owene soule / certes / he may loue noon oother wight in no manere / [206] and therfore / [in helle] is no solas / ne no freendshipe / but euere / the moore flesshly kynredes / that been in helle /. the moore cursynges / the more chid|ynges / and the moore deedly hate / ther is among hem [207] ¶ And forther ouer / they shul haue defaute of alle¶ How the dampned shul haue defaute of alle manere delices manere delices / for certes delices / been after the appetites of the .v. wittes /. as sighte /. herynge. smellynge /. sauor|ynge./ and touchynge /. [208] but in helle / hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse and of smoke. and therfore / ful of teeres /. and hir herynge / ful of waymentynge / and of gryntynge of teeth / as seith Ihesu crist. [209] hir nose|thirles shullen be ful of stynkynge stynk/. And as seith Ysaye the prophete /. hir savoryng shal be ful of bitter¶ Ysayas propheta galle /. [210] and touchynge of al hir body / ycouered with fir that neuere shal quenche / and with wormes that neuere shul dyen / as god seith / by the Mouth of¶ dominus per Ysayam Ysaye /. [211] And for as muche as they shul nat wene / that they may dyen for peyne / and by hir deeþ flee fro peyne / that may they vnderstonden by the word of Iob /.¶ Iob that seith / ther as is the shadwe of deeth [212] ¶ Certes a shadwe / hath the liknesse of the thyng. of which it is shadwe /. but shadwe is nat the same thyng of which it is shadwe [213] ¶ Right so fareth the peyne of helle / it is¶ Exemplum lyk deeth for the horrible angwissh /. and why? for it peyneth hem euere / as though they sholde dye anon / but certes / they shal nat dye [214] ¶ ffor / as seith Seint¶ sanctus Gregorius Gregorie ¶ To wrecche caytyues / shal be deeth with-oute deeth / and ende with-outen ende / and defaute with-oute failynge / [215] for hir deeth / shal alwey lyuen / and hir ende / shal eueremo bigynne / and hir defaute shal nat faille [216] ¶ And therfore / seith Seint Iohn the¶ Sanctus Iohannes Euaungelista Euaungelist /. They shullen folwe deeth / and they shul nat fynde hym /. and they shul desiren to dye / and deeth shal flee fro hem [217] ¶ And eek Iob seith / that in helle¶ Iob is noon ordre of rule /. [218] and al be it so that god hath creat alle thynges in right ordre / and no thyng/ with|outen ordre / but alle thynges / been ordeyned and nom|bred /. yet nathelees / they that been dampned / been no thyng in the ordre / ne holden noon ordre /. [219] for the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruyt [220] ¶ ffor as the prophete¶ Dauid propheta Dauid seith ¶ god shal destroie the fruyt of the erthe / as fro hem / ne water / ne shal yeve hem no moisture /. ne the Eyr no refresshyng. ne fyr no light [221] ¶ ffor as seith seint Basilie ¶ The brennynge of the fyr of this¶ Sanctus Basilius world / shal god yeuen in helle / to hem þat been dampned /. [222] but the light / and the cleernesse / shal be yeuen in heuene to hise children /. right as the goode man / yeueth flessh to hise children and bones to his houndes /. [223] And for they shullen haue noon hope to escape seith seint¶ Sanctus Iob Iob atte laste ¶ that ther shal horrour / and grisly drede / dwellen with-outen ende /. [224] Horrour / is alwey drede / of harm that is to come / and this drede shal euere dwelle in the hertes / of hem that been dampned / And therfore / han they lorn al hire hope / for .vij. causes [225] ¶ ffirst.¶ How the dampned / han lorn al hir hope for .vij. causes for god that is hir Iuge / shal be / with-outen mercy to hem /. and they may nat plese hym / ne noon of hise halwes /. ne they / ne may yeue no thyng for hir raunson /. [226] ne they haue no voys / to speke to hym /. ne they may nat fle fro peyne /. ne they haue no goodnesse in hem / that they mowe shewe to deliuere hem fro peyne [227] ¶ And therfore seith Salomon ¶ The wikked man¶ Salomon dyeth / and whan he is deed. he shal haue noon hope / to escape fro peyne [228] ¶ Who so thanne / wolde wel vn|derstande the peynes / and bithynke hym weel / that he hath deserued thilke peynes for his synnes / certes / he sholde haue moore talent to siken and to wepe /. than for to syngen and to pleye / [229] ffor as that seith Salomon /.¶ Idem Salomon Who so that hadde the science to knowe the peynes that been establissed and ordeyned for synne / he wolde make sorwe / [230] Thilke science / as seith seint Augustyn /¶ Sanctus Augustinus maketh a man / to waymenten in his herte

[231] ¶ The fourthe point that oghte maken a man¶ Of the .iiij.e to haue contricion / is the sorweful remembrance of thepoint þat oghte maken a man to haue contricioun good / that he hath left to doon / heere in erthe /. And eek the good that he hath lorn [232] ¶ soothly / the goode werkes þat he hath left /. outher they been / the goode werkes that he hath wroght. er he fel / in to deedly synne /. or elles / the goode werkes that he wroghte / while he lay in synne [233] ¶ soothly / the goode werkes that he dide / biforn that he fil in synne / been al mortefied and astoned and dulled / by the ofte synnyng ‖ [234] The othere goode werkes that he wroghte / whil he lay in deedly synne / þei been outrely dede / as to the lyf perdurable in heuene [235] ¶ Thanne thilke goode werkes / that been mortefied by ofte synnyng. whiche goode werkes he dide / whil he was in charitee /. ne mowe neuere quyken agayn / with-outen verray penitence /. [236] and ther-of seith god / by the mouth of Ezechiel ¶ That if the rightful man / re|turne ¶ dominus per Ezechielem agayn from his rightwisnesse / and werke wikked|nesse / shal he lyue? [237] nay /. for alle the goode werkes that he hath wroght ne shul neuere been in remembrance / for he shal dyen in his synne [238] ¶ And vp-on thilke Chapitre / seith seint Gregorie thus ‖. That we shulle vnder|stonde ¶ Sanctus Gregorius this principally /. [239] that whan we doon deedly synne / it is for noght thanne to rehercen / or drawen in-to memorie the goode werkes / that we han wroght biforn [240] ¶ ffor certes / in the werkynge of the deedly synne / ther is no trust to no good werk that we han doon biforn /. that is for to seyn /. as for to haue therby the lyf per|durable / in heuene /. [241] but nathelees /. the goode werkes quyken agayn and comen agayn / and helpen and auaillen / to haue the lyf perdurable in heuene / whan we han contricion /. [242] but soothly / the goode werkes that men doon / whil they been in deedly synne / for as muche / as they were doon in deedly synne. they may neuere quyke agayn / [243] ffor certes / thyng þat neuere hadde lyf. may neuere quykene / and nathelees /. al be it that they ne auaille noght /. to han the lyf perdurable. / yet auaillen they / to abregge of the peyne of helle /. or elles / to geten temporal richesse. / [244] or elles / that god wole / the rather enlumyne / and lightne the herte of the synful man / to haue repentance /. [245] and eek they auaillen / for to vsen a man to doon goode werkes / that the feend / haue the lasse power of his soule / [246] And thus the curteis lord Ihesu crist/. wole that no good werk be lost. for in somwhat it shal auaille /. [247] but for as muche / as the goode werkes that men doon / whil they been in good lyf /. been al mortefied / by synne folwynge. and eek / sith that alle the goode werkes / that men doon / whil they been in deedly synne / been outrely dede / for to haue the lyf perdurable /. [248] wel may that man that no good werk ne dooth / synge thilke newe frenshe song Iay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour [249] ¶ ffor certes / synne bireueth a man / bothe goodnesse of nature / and eek the goodnesse of grace / [250] ¶ ffor soothly / the grace of the hooly goost fareth lyk fyr/ that may nat been ydel / for fyr/ fayleth / anoon as it forleteth his wirk|ynge / and right so. grace fayleth anoon as it forleteth his werkynge / [251] then leseth the synful man the goodnesse of glorie / that oonly is bihight to goode men that labouren and werken ‖. [252] wel may he be sory thanne / that oweth al his lif to god / as longe as he hath lyued / and eek as longe as he shal lyue / that no goodnesse ne hath / to paye with his dette / to god / to whom he oweth al his lyf ‖. [253] ffor trust wel / he shal yeuen acountes / as seith seint Bernard of alle the goodes / that han be yeuen hym¶ Sanctus Bernardus in this present lyf. and how / he hath hem despended / [254] noght so muche /. that ther shal nat perisse an heer of his heed /. ne a moment of an houre / ne shal nat perisse of his tyme / that he ne shal yeue of it a rekenyng/

[255] The fifthe thyng that oghte moeue a man to¶ Of the .ve. thyng þat oghte moeue a man to contricion. contricion / is remembrance of the passion / that oure lord Ihesu crist suffred for oure synnes / [256] for as seith seint Bernard ¶ whil that .I. lyue / I shal haue remem|brance ¶ Sanctus Bernardus of the trauailles / that oure lord crist suffred in prechyng/. [257] his werynesse in trauaillyng. hise tempt|acions whan he fasted /. hise longe wakynges / whan he preyde /. hise teeres / whan that he weepe / for pitee. of good peple /. [258] the wo / and the shame / and the filthe / that men seyden to hym /. of the foule spittyng/ that men spitte in his face /. of. the buffettes / that men yauen hym /. of the foule mowes / and of / the re|preues / that men to hym seyden /. [259] of the nayles / with whiche he was nayled to the croys /. and of al the remenant of his passion that he suffred for my synnes / and no thyng for his gilt [260] ¶ And ye shul vnder|stonde ¶ how in mannes synne / is / euery manere of ordre / or ordinaunce turned vp so doun / that in mannes synne / is euery manere of ordre or ordinance / turned vp so doun [261] ¶ ffor it is sooth / that god and reson. and sensualitee / and the body of man / been ordeyned / that euerich / of thise foure thynges / sholde haue lordshipe / ouer that oother /. [262] as thus /. god sholde haue lordshipe ouer reson /. and reson ouer sensualitee /. and sensualitee ouer the body of man /. [263] but soothly / whan man synneth / al this ordre or ordinance / is turned vp so doun [264] ¶ And therfore thanne / for as muche as the reson of man / ne wol nat be subget ne obeisant to god that is his lord by right. ther|fore / leseth it the lordshipe / that it sholde haue / ouer sensualitee / and eek ouer the body of man /. [265] And why? ffor sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns reson /. and by that wey / leseth reson the lordshipe ouer sensualitee / and ouer the body /. [266] for right as reson is rebel to god / right so / is bothe sensualitee / rebel to reson / and the body also [267] ¶ And certes this disordinance and this rebellion / oure lord Ihesu crist aboghte vp-on his precious body ful deere / and herkneþ in which wise / [268] ¶ ffor as muche thanne as reson / is rebel to god? ther|fore / is man worthy to haue sorwe / and to be deed /. [269] this suffred oure lord Ihesu crist for man / after that he hadde be bitraysed of his disciple / and distreyned and bounde / so that his blood / brast out at euery nayl of hise handes / as seith seint Augustyn [270] ¶ And forther ouer /¶ Sanctus Augustinus for as muchel as reson of man / ne wol nat daunte sensu|alitee whan it may / therfore is man worthy to haue shame and this suffred oure lord Ihesu crist for man / whan they spetten in his visage [271] ¶ And forther ouer/ for as muchel thanne / as the caytyf body of man / is rebel / bothe to reson and to sensualitee / therfore is it worthy the deeth [272] ¶ And this suffred our lord Ihesu crist for man vp-on the croys / where as ther was no part of his body free / with-outen greet peyne and bitter passion [273] ¶ And al this suffred Ihesu crist þat neuere forfeted / . . . . .no gap in the MS. to muchel am I peyned for the thynges that I neuere deserued and to muche defouled / for shendshipe that man is worthy to haue [274] And ther|fore ¶ Sanctus Bernardus / may the synful man wel seye / as seith seint Bernard Acursed be the bitternesse of my synne /. for which / ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse /. [275] ffor certes / after the diuerse disconcordances of oure wikkednesses / was the passion of Ihesu crist. ordeyned in diuerse thynges / [276] as thus ¶ Certes / synful mannes soule / is bitraysed of the deuel / by coueitise of temporeel prosperitee / and scorned by deceite whan he cheseth flesshly delices / and yet is it tormented by Inpacience of aduersitee and dispeir by seruage and subieccion of synne / and atte laste / it is slayn fynally [277] ¶ ffor this disordinaunce of synful man was Ihesu crist bitraysed / and after that was he bounde that cam for to vnbynden vs / of synne and peyne / [278] thanne was he by-scorned that oonly / sholde han been honoured in alle thynges and of alle thynges [279] ¶ Thanne was his visage / that oghte be desired to be seyn of al man kynde / in which visage Aungels desiren to looke / vileynsly bispet/. [280] thanne was he scourged / that no thyng hadde agilt And finally / thanne was he crucified and slayn [281] ¶ Thanne was acompliced the word of ysaye / that seith / that he was wounded / for¶ Ysayas oure mysdedes / and defouled for oure felonies / [282] ¶ Now sith that Ihesu crist took vp-on hym self / the peyne of alle oure wikkednesses /. muchel oghte synful man wepen and biwayle / that for hise synnes goddes sone of heuene / sholde al this peyne endure [283] ¶ The sixte¶ Of the .vj.e thyng that oghte moeue a man to contricioun / thurghe hope of .iij. thynges thyng þat oghte moeue a man to contricion / is the hope of .iij. thynges /. that is to seyn / foryifnesse of synne /. and the yifte of grace / wel for to do and the glorie of heuene / with which / god shal gerdone a man for hise goode dedes / [284] ¶ And for as muche as Ihesu crist yeueth vs thise yiftes of his largesse / and of his souereyn bountee /. therfore is he cleped / Ihesus Nazarenus rex Iudeorum / [285] Ihesus / is to seyn saueour/ or sal|uacion on whom / men shul hope / to haue foryifnesse of synnes / which that [is] proprely / saluacion of synnes / [286] and therfore / seyde the Aungel to Ioseph Thou shalt¶ How the Aungel spak to Iosephe clepen his name Ihesus / that shal sauen his peple of hir synnes /. [287] And heer-of seith seint Peter /. Ther is¶ Sanctus Petrus noon oother name vnder heuene / that is yeue to any man by which / a man may be saued but oonly Ihesus ⹎ /. [288] Nazarenus / is as muche for to seye / as florisshynge / in which a man shal hope /. that he þat yeueth hym remission of synnes / shal yeue hym eek grace / wel for to do / for in the flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge /. And in foryifnesse of synnes hope of grace / wel for to do [289] ¶ I was atte dore of thyn herte seith Ihesus and cleped for to entre /. he that openeth to me / shal haue foryifnesse of synne /. [290] .I wol entre in-to hym by my grace / and soupe with hym by the goode werkes that he shal doon / whiche werkes / been the foode of god / and he shal soupe with me / by the grete ioye that I shal yeuen hym [291] ¶ Thus shal man hope /. for hise werkes of penaunce / that god shal yeuen hym his regne / as he bihooteth hym in the gospel

[292] ¶ Now shal a man vnderstonde / in which¶ How a man shal be contrit manere / shal been his contricion /. I seye / that it shal been vniuersal and total // this is to seyn A man shal be verray repentant for alle hise synnes that he hath doon in delit of his thoght. for delit is ful perilous. / [293] ffor ther been / two manere of consentynges /. that oon of hem / is¶ Of two manere of consentynges cleped consentynge of Affeccion / whan a man is moeued to do synne / and deliteth hym longe / for to thynke on that synne /. [294] and his reson aperceyueth it wel that it is synne / agayns the lawe of god / and yet his reson / refreyneth nat his foul delit or talent. though he se wel apertly / that it is / agayns the reuerence of god /. al-though his reson ne consente noght to doon that synne in dede / [295] yet seyn somme doctours / that swich delit that dwelleth longe / it is ful perilous / al be it neuere so lite / [296] ¶ And also / a man sholde sorwe namely / for al that euere he hath desired agayn the lawe of god with perfit consentynge of his reson / for ther-of is no doute / that it is deedly synne in consentynge ‖. [297] ffor certes / ther is no deedly synne /that it nas first in mannes thought. and after that in his delit /. and so forth / in-to consentynge and in-to dede /. [298] Wherfore I seye / that many men ne repenten hem neuere of swiche thoghtes and delites / ne neuere shryuen hem of it. but oonly / of the dede of grete synnes outward /. [299] wherfore I seye / that swiche wikked delites / and wikked thoghtes / been subtile bigileres / of hem that shullen be dampned [300] ¶ Moore ouer man oghte to sorwe / for hise wikkede¶ How a man oghte / to repenten hym / for hise wikkede wordes / as wel as for hise wikkede dedes wordes / as wel / as for hise wikkede dedes /. for certes / the repentance of a synguler synne and nat repente of alle hise othere synnes /. or elles repenten hym / of alle hise othere synnes / and nat of a synguler synne / may nat auaille /. [301] for certes / god almyghty is al good / and ther-fore / he foryeueth al / or elles right noght. [302] And heer-of seith seint Augustyn /. [303] that¶ Sanctus Augustinus god is enemy to euerich synnere /. and how thanne / he that obserueth o synne /. shal he haue foryifnesse of the remenaunt of hise othere synnes? nay [304] ¶ And forther ouer / contricion sholde be wonder sorweful / and ang|wissous ¶ how con|tricion / sholde be wonder sorweful /. and therfore / yeueth hym god pleynly his mercy / and therfore / whan my soule was angwissous with Inne me /. I hadde remembrance of god that my preyere myghte come to hym [305] ¶ fforther ouer / contricion moste be continueel /. and that man haue stede|fast ¶ how contricioun moste be con|tinueel purpos to shriuen hym / and for to amenden hym of his lyf /. [306] ffor soothly / whil contricion lasteth / man may euere haue hope of foryifnesse / and of this / comth hate of synne /. that destroyeth synne / boþe in him self/. and eek in oother folk. at his power ‖. [307] ffor which seith Dauid ye that louen god / hateth wikkednesse / for¶ Dauid trusteth wel / to loue god / is for to loue that he loueth / and hate that he hateth /

[308] ¶ The laste thyng that man shal vnderstonde in¶ Wherof Contricioun auailleth contricion / is this / wher-of / auayleth contricion ¶ I seye / that som tyme / contricion / deliuereth a man fro synne /. [309] of which that Dauid seith / ‖ .I. seye quod Dauid¶ Dauid that is to seyn ¶ I purposed fermely to shryue me / and thow Lord / relesedest / my synne [310] ¶ And right so as contricion auailleth noght with-outen sad purpos of shrifte / if man haue oportunitee / right so / litel worth is shrifte / or satisfaccion / with-outen contricion [311] ¶ And moore-ouer contricion / destroyeth the prison of helle /¶ How con|tricion destroyeth the prisoun of holle and maketh wayk and fieble alle the strengthes of the deueles / and restoreth / the yiftes of the hooly goost and of alle goode vertues / [312] and it clenseth the soule of synne and deliuereth the soule / fro the peyne of helle / and fro the compaignye of the deuel / and fro the seruage of synne / and restoreth it to alle goodes espirituels / and to the compaignye and communyon of hooly chirche [313] ¶ And forther ouer /. it maketh hym that whilom was¶ how con|tricioun / maketh him that whilom was sone of Ire / to be sone of grace sone of Ire / to be sone of grace /. and alle thise thynges been preued by hooly writ. [314] and therfore / he that wolde sette his entente to thise thynges / he were ful wys /. for soothly / he ne sholde nat thanne in al his lyf haue corage to synne / but yeuen his body and al his herte to the seruice of Ihesu crist /. and ther-of doon hym hommage /. [315] for sooþly / oure sweete lord Ihesu crist. hath spared vs so debonairly in our folies / that if he ne hadde pitee of mannes soule a sory song we myghten alle synge . . . . .

¶ Explicit prima pars penitentie ‖. Et sequitur secunda pars eiusdem .

[316]

THe seconde partie of Penitence / is Confession / that is signe of contricion / [317] ¶ Now shul ye vnderstonde / what is confession /. and wheither it oghte nedes / be doon or noon /. and whiche thynges been couenable to verray Confession

[318] ¶ ffirst shaltow vnderstonde / that confession / is¶ What con|fession is verray shewynge of synnes to the preest. [319] this is to seyn verray /. for he moste confessen hym / of alle the condiciouns / that bilongen to his synne / as ferforth as he kan / [320] al moot be seyd / and no thyng excused ne hyd ne forwrapped / and noght auaunte thee of thy goode werkes [321] ¶ And forther ouer/ it is necessarie to vnder|stonde / whennes that synnes spryngen / and how they encreessen and whiche they been

[322] ¶ Of the spryngynge of synnes seith seint Paul¶ Of spryngynge of synnes / secundum Paulum in this wise /. that right as by a man / synne entred first in-to this world. and thurgh that synne deeth /. Right so thilke deeth entred in-to alle men that synneden / [323] and this man was Adam / by whom / synne entred in-to this world / whan he brak the comaundementz of god. / [324] And therfore / he that first was so myghty / that he sholde nat haue dyed / bicam swich oon that he moste nedes dye wheither he wolde or noon / and al his progenye in this world that in thilke man synneden [325] ¶ Looke /¶ Of the tempta|cioun of Adam in Paradys that in thestaat of Innocence / whan Adam and Eue naked weren in Paradys / and no thyng ne hadden shame of hir nakednesse /. [326] how that the serpent that was moost wily of alle othere beestes / that god hadde maked seyde to the womman /. why comanded god to yow / ye sholde nat eten / of euery tree in Paradys? [327] The womman answerde /. Of the fruyt quod she / of the trees in Paradys / we feden vs / but sooþly of the fruyt of the tree / that is in the myddel of Paradys / god forbad vs for to ete / and nat touchen it/. lest per auenture we sholde dyen [328] ¶ The serpent seyde to the womman /. nay /. nay /. ye shul nat dyen of deeth / for sothe god woot. that what day / that ye eten ther-of /. youre eyen shul opene / and [ye] shul been as goddes / knowynge good and harm. [329] ¶ The womman thanne saugh / that the tree was good to feedyng. & fair to the eyen / and delitable to the sighte / she took of the fruyt of the tree / and eet it / and yaf to hire housbonde / and he eet and anoon the eyen of hem bothe openeden /. [330] and whan that they knewe that they were naked / they sowed of fige leues a maner of breches / to hiden hire membres [331] ¶ There may ye seen / that deedly synne / hath first suggestion of the feend /. as sheweth heere by the naddre /. And afterward. the delit of the flessh / as sheweth heere by Eue /. And after that the consentynge of reson /. as sheweth heere by Adam / [332] ffor trust wel / though so were / that the feend tempted Eue / that is to seyn the flessh / and the flessh hadde delit in the beautee of the fruyt defended /. yet certes / til that reson / that is to seyn Adam / con|sented to the etynge of the fruyt. yet stood he in thestaat of Innocence [333] ¶ Of thilke Adam / tooke we thilke synne original /. for of hym flesshly descended be we alle and engendred / of vile and corrupt mateere / [334] and whan the soule / is put in oure body. right anon / is con|tract original synne /. and that þat was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence / is afterward / bothe peyne and synne /. [335] and therfore / be we alle born / sones of wratthe and of dampnacion perdurable / if it nere baptesme that we receyuen / which bynyneth vs the culpe /. but for sothe / the peyne dwelleth with vs. as to temptacion. which peyne / highte concupiscence / [336] whan it is wrongfully disposed / or ordeyned in man /. it maketh hym coueite by coueitise of flessh / flesshly synne / by sighte of hise eyen / as to erthely thynges /. and coueitise of hynesse / by pride of herte

[337] ¶ Now as for to speken of the firste coueitise /¶ Of coueitise of Concupiscence that is Concupiscence after the lawe of oure membres / that weren lawefulliche ymaked and by rightful Iugge|ment of god [338] ¶ I seye for as muche / as man is nat obeisaunt to god that is his lord therfore / is the flessh to hym disobeisaunt thurgh Concupiscence which yet is cleped norrissynge of synne / and occasion of synne /. [339] therfore / al the while that a man hath in hym / the peyne of Concupiscence /. it is impossible / but he be tempted somtime and moeued in his flessh to synne ./ [340] and this thyng may nat faille as longe as he lyueth /. it may wel wexe fieble and faille by vertu of baptesme / and by the grace of god / thurgh penitence / [341] but fully / ne shal it neuere quenche /. that he ne shal som tyme be moeued in hym self. but if he were al refreyded by siknesse / or by malefice of sorcerie / or colde drynkes /. [342] ffor lo / what seith seint Paul ¶ the flessh coueiteth¶ Sanctus Paulus agayn the spirit/ and the spirit agayn the flessh /. they been so contrarie and so stryuen /. that a man may nat alwey doon as he wolde / [343] ¶ The same seint Paul¶ Sanctus Paulus after his grete penance / in water and in lond /. in water by nyght / and by day in greet peril / & in greet peyne /. In lond / in famyne / in thurst in coold and cloothlees and ones stoned almoost to the deeth // [344] yet seyde he / allas I caytyf man /. who shal deliuere me fro the prison of my caytyf body [345] ¶ And seint Ierome / whan he¶ sanctus Ieronimus longe tyme hadde woned in desert /where as he hadde no compaignye / but of wilde beestes / where as he ne hadde no mete but herbes / and water to his drynke / ne no bed / but the naked erthe / for which his flessh was blak as an Ethiopeen for heete / and ny destroyed for coold /. [346] yet seyde he / that the brennynge of lecherie boyled in al his body / [347] wherfore / I woot wel sykerly / that they been deceyued / that seyn / that they ne be nat tempted in hir body / [348] witnesse on Seint Iame the Apostel /.¶ Sanctus Iacobus Apostolus that seith / that euery wight is tempted in his owene con|cupiscence /. that is to seyn that euerich of vs / hath matere and occasion to be tempted of the norissynge of synne / that is in his body /. [349] And therfore seith Seint Iohn¶ Sanctus Iohannes Euaungelista the Euaungelist ‖. If that we seyn / that we beth with oute synne /. we deceyue vs selue / and trouthe is nat in vs

[350] ¶ Now shal ye vnderstonde / in what manere /¶ how synne wexeth or / encreesseth in man that synne wexeth / or encreesseth in man ¶ The firste thyng /. is thilke norissynge of synne of which I spak biforn /. thilke flesshly concupiscence /. [351] and after that/ comth the subieccion of the deuel / this is to seyn / the deueles bely / with which he bloweth in man / the fir of flesshly concupiscence /. [352] and after that a man bi|thynketh hym / wheither he wol doon or no thilke thing to which he is tempted /. [353] And thanne /. if that a man withstonde and weyue the firste entisynge of his flessh / and of the feend / thanne is it no synne / and if it so be / that he do nat so / thanne feeleth he anoon a flambe of delit. [354] and thanne is it good to be war / and kepen hym wel or elles / he wol falle anon in to consentynge of synne. / and thanne wol he do it. if he may haue tyme and place ‖. [355] And of this matere seith Moyses by¶ Moyses per demonem the deuel in this manere ¶ The feend seith / I wole chace and pursue the man / by wikked suggestion ./ and I wole hente hym by moeuynge / or stirynge of synne. / I wol departe my prise or my praye by de|liberacion / and my lust shal been accompliced in delit. I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge /. [356] ffor certes / right as a swerd departeth a thyng in two peces / right so consentynge / departeth god fro man / and thanne wol I sleen hym / with myn hand in dede of synne / thus seith the feend /. [357] for certes / thanne is a man al deed in soule /. And thus is synne Accompliced by tempt|acion by delit. and by consentynge /. and thanne is the synne / cleped Actueel

[358] ¶ ffor sothe / synne is in two maneres /. outher /¶ Of synne in two maneres venial and deedly it is venial / or deedly synne ¶ Soothly / whan man loueth any creature moore than Ihesu crist oure creatour / thanne is it deedly synne ‖. And venial synne is it. if man loue Ihesu crist lasse than hym /. [359] ffor sothe / the dede of this venial synne / is ful perilous for it amenuseth the loue / that men sholde han to god moore and moore [360] And therfore / if a man charge hym self with manye swiche venial synnes /. certes / but if so be that he som tyme descharge hym of hem by shrifte /. they mowe ful lightly amenuse in hym al the loue that he hath to Ihesu crist. [361] and in this wise / skippeth venial in-to deedly synne ffor certes the moore that a man / chargeth his soule with venial synne the moore is he enclyned / to fallen in-to deedly synne /. [362] and therfore / lat vs nat be necligent to deschargen vs of venial synnes ¶ ffor the prouerbe seith¶ prouerbium that manye smale / maken a greet [363] ¶ And herkne this ensample ‖. A greet wawe of the see comth som tyme¶ exemplum with so greet a violence / that it drencheth the shipe ¶ And the same harm dooth som tyme / the smale dropes of water/ that entren / thurgh a litel creuace in to the thurrok. and in the botme of the shipe / if men be so necligent that they / ne descharge hem nat by tyme /. [364] And therfore / al though ther be a difference bitwixe thise two causes of drenchynge /. algates / the shipe is dreynt. [365] ¶ Right so fareth it somtyme of deedly synne / and of anoyouse veniale synnes / whan they multiplie in a man so greetly / that thilke worldly thynges that he loueþ thurgh whiche he synneth venyally /. is as greet in his herte as the loue of god / or moore / [366] and therfore the loue of euery thyng. that is nat biset in god ne doon principally for goddes sake /. al though that a man loue it lasse than god / yet is it venial synne /. [367] and deedly synne / whan the loue of any thyng. wexeth in the herte of man / as muchel as the loue of god / or moore / [368] ¶ Deedly synne / as seith seint Augustyn /¶ Sanctus Augustinus is. whan a man / turneth his herte fro god / which that is verray souereyn bountee / that may nat chaunge / and yeueth his herte / to thyng that may chaunge and flitte /. [369] And certes / that is euery thyng saue god of heuene /. ffor sooth is / that if a man yeue his loue / the which þat he oweth al to god with al his herte /. vn-to a creature /. certes / as muche as he yeueth of his loue to thilke creature / so muche he bireueth fro god / [370] and ther fore dooth he synne /. for he that is dettour to god /. ne yeldeth nat to god al his dette / that is to seyn al the loue of his herte

[371] ¶ NOw sith man vnderstondeth generally / which is venial synne /. thanne is it couenable / to tellen specially of synnes / whiche that many a man per auenture / ne demeth hem nat synnes / and ne shryueth hem nat of the same thynges / and yet nathelees / they been synnes [372] ¶ Soothly / as thise clerkes writen / this is to seyn /.¶ Of manye diuerse synnes that at euery tyme that a man eteth or drynketh / moore than suffiseth to the sustenance of his body / in certein he dooth synne [373] ¶ And eek whan he speketh moore than nedeth / it is synne ¶ Eke / whan he herkneth nat be|nignely the compleint of the poure [374] ¶ Eke / whan he is in heele of body and wol nat faste whan hym oghte faste / with-outen cause resonable ¶ Eke whan he slepeth moore than nedeth /. or whan he comth by thilke encheson to late to chirche / or to othere werkes of charite [375] ¶ Eke / whan he vseth his wyf. with-outen souereyn desir of engendrure to the honour of god / or for the entente / to yelde to his wyf the dette of his body [376] ¶ Eke / whan he wol nat visite the sike and the prisoner if he may ¶ Eke / if he loue / wyf or child /. or oother worldly thyng. moore than reson requireth ¶ Eke / if he flatere or blandise / moore than hym oghte / for any necessitee [377] ¶ Eke / if he amenuse or withdrawe the Almesse of the poure ¶ Eke / if he apparailleth his mete moore deliciously / than nede is / or ete to hastily by likerous|nesse [378] ¶ Eke / if he tale vanytees at chirche / or at goddes seruice / or that he be a talker of ydel wordes / of folye / or of vileynye /. for he shal yelden acountes of it at the day of doome ‖. [379] Eke / whan he biheteth / or assureth to do thynges / that he may nat perfourne ¶ Eke / whan that he / by lightnesse or folie / mysseyeth / or scorneth his neighebore [380] ¶ Eke / whan he hath any wikked suspecion of thyng ther he ne woot of it no sooth|fastnesse ‖ [381] Thise thynges and mo with-oute nombre / been synnes / as seith seint Augustyn.

[382] ¶ NOw shal men vnderstonde / that al be it so / that noon erthely man / may eschue alle venial synnes /. yet may he restreyne hym / by the brennynge loue / that he hath to oure lord Ihesu crist. and by preyeres and confession and othere goode werkes /. so that it shal but litel greue ‖. [383] for as seith seint Augustyn ¶ If a man loue god¶ Sanctus Augustinus in swich manere / that al that euere he dooth / is in the loue of god / and for the loue of god verraily / for he brenneth in the loue of god / [384] Looke how muche that a drope of water/ that falleth in a fourneys ful of fyr anoyeth or greueth / so muche anoyeth a venial synne vn-to a man / that is perfit in the loue of Ihesu crist / [385] ¶ Men may also / refreyne venial synne / by receyuynge worthily / of the precious body of Ihesu crist ‖. [386] by receyuynge eek of hooly water/. by Almesdede /. by general confession of Confiteor at masse and at Complyn / and by blessynge of Bisshopes and of preestes and oothere goode werkes

Explicit secunda pars Penitentie . ¶ Sequitur de septem peccatis mortalibus / et eorum dependencijs circumstancijs & speciebus ¶ De Superbia .

[387] NOw is it bihouely thyng. to telle / whiche been the deedly synnes / this is to seyn / Chieftaynes of synnes /. alle they renne in o lees / but in diuerse maneres ¶ Now been they cleped Chieftaynes / for as muche as they been chief. and spryngen of alle othere synnes / [388] ¶ Of the roote / of thise .vij. synnes / thanne is pride the general roote of alle harmes /. ffor of this roote / spryngen certein braunches /. As Ire. Enuye. Accidie / or Slewthe. Auarice / or Coueitise to commune vnderstondynge /. Glotonye. and Lecherye. [389] And euerich of thise chief synnes hath hise braunches and hise twigges as shal be declared / in hire Chapitres folwynge /[no break in the MS.]

 [The Twigs of Pride.]

[390] And thogh so be that no man kan outrely telle / the nombre of twigges and of the harmes that cometh of pride /. yet wol I shewe a partie of hem / as ye shul vnderstonde [391] ¶ Ther is / Inobedience. Auauntynge. Ypocrisie. Despit. Arrogance. Inpudence. swellynge of herte. Insolence. Elacion. Inpacience. strif. Contumacie. Presumpcion. Irreuerence. Pertinacie. Veyne glorie / and many another twig that I kan nat declare [392] ¶ Ino|bedient¶ Of Inobedience is he / that disobeyeth for despit to the comande|mentz of god /. and to hise souereyns /. And to his goostly fader / [393] ¶ Auauntour is he / that bosteth of the harm /¶ Of Auauntynge or of the bountee / that he hath doon [394] ¶ Ypocrite is¶ Of Ypocrisie he / that hideth to shewe hym swich as he is /. and sheweth hym / swich as he noght is [395] ¶ Despitous¶ Of despit/ is he / that hath desdeyn of his neighebore / that is to seyn of euene cristene / or hath despit to doon that hym oghte to do [396] ¶ Arrogant is he / that thynketh /¶ Of Arrogance þat he hath thilke bountees in hym that he hath noght or weneth that he sholde haue hem / by hise desertes /. or clles / he demeth that he be that he nys nat/ [397] ¶ In|pudent¶ Of Inpudence is he /. that for his pride / hath no shame of hise synnes / [398] ¶ Swellynge of herte is /. whan a man¶ Of swellynge of herte reioyseth hym / of harm that he hath doon / [399] ¶ Inso|lent¶ Of Insolence is he /. that despiseth in his Iuggement alle othere folk/ as to regard of his value /. and of his konnyng. and of his spekyng. and of his beryng [400] ¶ Elacion is / whan¶ Of Elacioun he ne may neither suffre to haue maister ne felawe / [401] ¶ Inpacient is he /. that wol nat been ytaught ne vnder|nome¶ Of Inpacience of his vice / and by strif werreieth trouthe wityngly / and deffendeth his folye / [402] ¶ Contumax is he /. that¶ Of Contumacie thurgh his indignacion is agayns euerich auctoritee or power/ of hem that been hise souereyns [403] ¶ Pre|sumpcion¶ Of pre|sumpcioun is / whan a man vndertaketh an emprise that hym oghte nat do / or elles that he may nat do / and this is called surquidie ¶ Irreuerence is / whan men do nat¶ Of Irreuerence honour / there as hem oghte to doon / and waiten to be reuerenced [404] ¶ Pertinacie is. whan man deffendeth¶ Of Pertinacie hise folies. and trusteth to muchel in his owene wit. [405] ¶ Veyneglorie / is for to haue pompe and delit in his¶ Of veyne glorie temporeel hynesse / and glorifie hym in this worldly estaat [406] ¶ Ianglynge / is / whan men speken to¶ Of Ianglynge muche biforn folk. and clappen as a Mille / and taken no kepe what they seye /

[407] ¶ And yet is ther a priuee spece of pride / that¶ Of othere priuee speces of pride waiteth first to be salewed er he wole salewe / al be he lasse worth / than that oother is per auenture /. and eek he waiteth or desireth / to sitte / or elles to goon aboue hym in the wey / or kisse pax /. or been encensed / or goon to offryng biforn his neighebore / [408] and swiche semblable thynges / agayns his duetee per auenture / but that he hath his herte and his entente in swich a proud desir to be magnified and honoured biforn the peple

[409] ¶ Now been ther two maneres of pride /. that¶ Of two maneres of pride oon of hem / is with Inne the herte of man / and that oother is with oute /. [410] of whiche soothly thise for|seyde thynges / and mo than I haue seyd / apertenen to pride that is in the herte of man / and that othere speces of pride / been with oute /. [411] but natheles that oon of thise speces of pride / is signe of that oother. / right as the gaye leefsel atte Tauerne / is signe of the wyn that is in the Celer /. [412] and this is in manye thynges / As in speche and contenance / and in outrageous array of clothyng. [413] for certes / if ther ne hadde be no synne in clothyng Crist wolde nat haue noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke riche man in the gospel ‖. [414] And as seith Seint Gregorie ¶ That precious clothyng is cow|pable¶ Sanctus Gregorius / for the derthe of it. and for his softenesse / and for his strangenesse and degisynesse / and for the super|fluitee / and for the inordinat scantnesse of it [415] ¶ Allas / may men nat seen as in oure dayes / the synful costlewe array of clothynge /. and namely / in to muche superfluite / or elles / in to desordinat scantnesse

[416] AS to the firste synne / in superfluitee of¶ Of superfluitee & outrageous array of clothinge clothynge / which that maketh it so deere to harm of the peple /. [417] nat oonly / the cost of embrowdynge / the degise / endentynge / barrynge / owndynge / palynge / wyndynge / or bendynge / and semblable wast of clooth / in vanitee / [418] but ther is also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes /. so muche powsonynge of chisel to maken holes /. so muche daggynge of sheres / [419] forth with the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide gownes / trail|ynge / in the dong and in the Mire on horse and eek on foote / as wel / of men as of wommen /. that al thilke trailyng is verraily as in effect wasted / consumed / thred|bare / and roten with donge / rather / than it is yeuen to the poure / to greet damage of the forseyde poure folk /. [420] and that in sondry wise /. this is to seyn / that the moore that clooth is wasted / the moore it costeth to the peple for the scantnesse [421] ¶ And forther ouer / if so be / that they wolde yeuen swich powsoned and dagged clothyng to the poure folk /. it is nat conuenient to were for hire estaat ne suffisant to beete hire necessitee / to kepe hem / fro the distemperance of the firmament [422] Up-on þat oother side / to speken of the horrible¶ Of disordinat/ scantnesse of clothynge disordinat scantnesse of clothyng. as been thise kutted sloppes / or haynselyns / that thurgh hire shortnesse / ne couere nat the shameful membres of man to wikked entente [423] ¶ Allas / somme of hem shewen the boce of hir shape and the horrible swollen membres / that semeth / lik the maladie of Hirnia in the wrappynge of hir hoses / [424] and eek the buttokes of hem faren / as it were the hyndre part of a she Ape in the fulle of the Moone [425] ¶ And moore ouer / the wrecched swollen membres that they shewe / thurgh the degisynge in departynge of hire hoses in whit and reed / semeth that half hir shame|ful priuee membres weren flayne [426] ¶ And if so be that they departen hire hoses in othere colours /. as is whit and blak. or whit and blew / or blak / and reed and so forth /. [427] thanne semeth it as by variance of colour that half the partie of hire priuee membres were corrupt by the fir of seint Antony / or by Cancre / or by oother swich meschaunce [428] ¶ Of the hyndre part of hir buttokes. it is ful horrible for to see /. ffor certes / in that partie of hir body / ther as they purgen hir stynkynge ordure / [429] that foule partie shewe they to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee / the which honestitee that Ihesu crist and hise freendes obseruede / to shewen in hir lyue [430] NOw / of the outrageous array of wommen /¶ Of outrageous array of Wommen god woot that though the visages of somme of hem / seme ful chaast and debonaire / yet notifie they in hire array of Atyr likerousnesse and pride [431] ¶ I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge of man or womman / is vncouen|able / but certes the superfluitee / or disordinat scantitee of clothynge / is repreuable [432] ¶ Also / the synne of aornement or of apparaille / is in thynges that apertenen¶ Of outrageous apparaille / of thynges that to ridynge /. as / in to manye delicat horses that been hoold|en for delit. that been so faire / fatte and costlewe /. [433]apertenen to ridynge and also / to many a vicious knaue / that is sustened by cause of hem / In to curious harneys /. as in sadeles / in Crouperes / peytrels and bridles couered with precious clothyng and riche / barres and plates of gold and of siluer /. [434] for which god seith / by Zakarie the¶ dominus per zakariam prophetam prophete / I wol confounde the rideres of swiche horses [435] ¶ This folk taken litel reward of the ridynge of goddes sone of heuene / and of his harneys whan he rood vp on the Asse / and ne hadde noon oother harneys / but the poure clothes of hise disciples / ne / we ne rede nat. that euere he rood on oother beest. [436] I speke this / for the synne of superfluitee / and nat for resonable honestitee / whan reson it requireth [437] And forther/ certes pride is greetly notified in holdynge of greet meynee /¶ Of pride / in holdynge of greet meynee whan they be of litel profit or of right no profit. [438] and namely / whan that meynee / is felonous and dama|geous to the peple by hardynesse of heigh lordshipe / or by wey of Offices /. [439] ffor certes swiche lordes / sellen thanne hir lordshipe to the deuel of helle / whanne they sustenen / the wikkednesse of hir meynee [440] ¶ Or elles / whan this folk of lowe degree / as thilke that holden hostelries / sustenynge the thefte of hire hostilers / and that is / in many manere of deceites / [441] ¶ Thilke manere of folk / been the flyes that folwen the hony / or elles / the houndes / that folwen the careyne /. Swich forseyde folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes /. [442] for which / thus seith Dauid the prophete / ¶ Wikked¶ Dauid pro|pheta deeth moote come vp thilke lordshipes /. and god yeue / that they moote descenden in-to helle al doun / al doun /. for in hire houses / been iniquitees and shrewednesses / and nat god of heuene /. [443] and certes / but if they doon amende|ment. right/ as god yaf his benyson to Pharao / by the seruice of Iacob / and to Laban / by the seruice of Ioseph. / right so / god wol yeue his malison to swiche lordshipes / as sustenen the wikkednesse of hir seruauntz / but if they come to amendement [444] ¶ Pride of the table / appeereth¶ Of pride of the table eek ful ofte ./ for certes riche men been cleped to festes / and poure folk been put awey and rebuked [445] Also in excesse of diuerse metes and drynkes /. and namely /¶ Of excesse of diuerse metes and drynkes swiche manere bake metes and dissh metes brennynge of wilde fir / and peynted and castelled with papir / and semblable wast/ so that it is abusion for to thynke [446] And eek in to greet preciousnesse of vessel / and curiositee¶ Of to great preciousnesse of vessel /. and curiositee of Mynstralcye of Mynstralcie / by whiche / a man is stired the moore to delices of luxurie / [447] if so be that he sette his herte / the lasse vp-on oure lord Ihesu crist /. certeyn it is a synne / and certeinly / the delices / myghte been so grete in this caas / that man myghte lightly / falle by hem in-to deedly synne [448] The especes that sourden of pride /¶ Of the especes that sourden of pride soothly / whan they sourden of malice ymagined / auised and forncast. or elles of vsage / been deedly synnes / it is no doute /. [449] And whan they sourden by freletee vn|auysed / and sodeynly withdrawen ayeyn / al been they greuouse synnes /. I gesse / that they ne been nat deedly [450] Now myghte men axe / wher-of that pride¶ Wher-of / pride sourdeth and spryngeth sourdeth / and spryngeth and I seye / somtyme it spryngeth / of the goodes of nature / and som tyme / of the goodes of ffortune /. and som tyme / of the goodes of grace [451] ¶ Certes / the goodes of nature / stonden /¶ Of goodes of nature outher in goodes of body / or in goodes of soule [452] ¶ Certes / goodes of body / been heele of body. as¶ Of goodes of body strengthe / deliuernesse / beautee / gentries / franchise / [453] ¶ Goodes of nature of the soule / been good wit¶ Of goodes / of nature / of / the soule sharpe vnderstondynge. subtil engyn. vertu natureel. good memorie [454] ¶ Goodes of ffortune / been richesse /¶ Of goodes of ffortune hyghe degrees of lordshipes. preisynges of the peple [455] ¶ Goodes of grace / been science. power/ to suffre¶ Of goodes of grace spiritueel trauaille. benignitee. vertuous contemplacion. withstondynge of temptacion / and semblable thynges /. [456] of whiche forseyde goodes. certes it is a ful greet folye / a man to priden hym / in any of hem alle [457] NOw as for to speken of goodes of nature /. god woot that som tyme we han hem / in nature / as muche to oure damage / as to oure profit [458] ¶ As for to speken of heele of body /. certes / it passeth ful lightly / and eek it is / ful ofte encheson of the siknesse of oure soule /. for God woot the flessh / is a ful greet enemy to the soule /. and therfore / the moore that the body is hool / the moore be we in peril to falle [459] ¶ Eke / for to pride / hym in¶ Of pride / of strengthe of body his strengthe of body / it is an heigh folye /. ffor certes / the flessh coueiteth agayn the spirit /. and ay / the moore strong that the flessh is / the sorier may the soule be /. [460] and ouer al this / strengthe of body and worldly hardynesse / causeth ful ofte many a man / to peril and meschaunce [461] ¶ Eek for to pride hym of his¶ Of pride of gentrye gentrie / is ful greet folie/ for ofte tyme / the gentrie of the body / binymeth the gentrie of the soule /. and eek we ben alle / of o fader / and of o mooder /. and alle we been of o nature / roten. and corrupt. bothe riche and poure ‖. [462] ffor sothe / o manere gentrie / is for to preise / that apparailleth mannes corage with vertues and moralitees / and maketh hym cristes child. [463] for truste wel / that ouer what man þat synne hath maistrie / he is / a verray cherl to synne

[464] ¶ NOw been ther generale signes of gentillesse /.¶ Of generale signes / of / gentillesse as eschewynge of vice and ribaudye / and seruage of synne /. in word / in werk /. and contenance /. [465] and vsynge vertu / curteisye. and clennesse /. and to be liberal /. that is to seyn / large by mesure /. for thilke that passeth mesure / is folie and synne [466] ¶ Another is / to remembre hym of bountee / that he of oother folk hath receyued [467] ¶ Another is / to be benigne to hise goode subgetis ‖. wherfore seith senek ¶ ther is no thing moore¶ Seneca couenable to a man of heigh estaat /. than debonairetee and pitee [468] And therfore / thise flyes / that men¶ Nota clepeth bees /. whan they maken hir kyng. they chesen oon that hath no prikke / wherwith he may stynge [469] ¶ Another is / man to haue a noble herte / and a diligent to attayne to heighe vertuouse thynges [470] NOw certes / a man to pride hym in the goodes of grace / is eek / an¶ Of pride in the yiftes of grace outrageous folie / for thilke yifte of grace / that sholde haue turned hym to goodnesse and to medicine / turneth hym to venym and to confusion / as seith seint Gregorie [471] Certes also / who so prideth hym / in the goodes of¶ Of pride in the goodes of ffortune ffortune /. he is a ful greet fool /. for som tyme is a man a greet lord by the morwe /. that is a caytyf and a wrecche er it be nyght. [472] and somtyme / the richesse of a man / is cause of his deþ / somtyme / the delices of a man / is cause of the greuous maladye / thurgh which he dyeth [473] Certes / the commendacion of the peple / is som|tyme¶ Of commen|dacioun of the peple. / ful fals and ful brotel for to triste /. this day they preyse / tomorwe they blame / [474] god woot desir/ to haue commendacion of the peple / hath caused deeth / to many a bisy man [475] Now sith that so is / that ye han vnderstonde what is pride / and whiche been the speces of it. and whennes pride sourdeth / and spryngeth

 ¶ Remedium contra peccatum Superbie .

[476]

NOw shul ye vnderstonde which is the remedie agayns / the synne of pride /. and that is humylitee / or¶ Of humilite or mekenesse mekenesse /. [477] that is a vertu / thurgh which. a man / hath verray knoweleche of hym self. and holdeth of hym|self/ no pris ne deyntee /. as in regard of hise desertes / considerynge euere his freletee [478] NOw been ther .iij. maneres of humylitee /. as humylitee in herte /. and another¶ Of .iij. maneres of humilitee humylitee in his mouth ¶ The thridde in hise werkes [479] ¶ The humilitee in herte / is in iiij. maneres ¶ that¶ Of .iiij. maneres of humilitee in herte oon is / whan a man / holdeth hym self as noght worth biforn god of heuene ‖. Another is /. whan he ne despiseth noon oother man [480] ¶ The thridde is / whan he rekketh nat. though men holde hym noght worth ¶ The ferthe is / whan he nys nat sory of his humiliacion [481] ¶ Also the humilitee of mouth /. is in .iiij. thynges ¶ In¶ Of .iiij. thynges / of / humilitee of mouthe attempree speche ¶ And in humblesse of speche ¶ and whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth /. that he is swich / as hym thynketh that he is in his herte ¶ Another is /. whan he preiseth the bountee of another man /. and no thyng ther of amenuseth / [482] ¶ Humilitee eek in¶ Of .iiij. maneres of/ humilitee in werkes werkes is in .iiij. maneres ¶ The firste is / whan he putteth othere men biforn hym ¶ The seconde is / to chese the loweste place ouer al ¶ The thridde is / gladly to assente to conseil [483] ¶ The ferthe / is to stonde gladly / to the award of hise souereyns /. or of hym / that is in hyer degree /. certein this is a greet werk of humylitee.

 ¶ Sequitur de Inuidia .

[484]

After Pride wol I speken / of the foule synne of Enuye¶ What Enuye is secundum Philosophum et secundum Augustinum which is / as by the word of the Philosophre / sorwe / of oother mannes prosperitee /. and after the word of seint Augustyn /. it is sorwe of oother mannes wele / and ioye of othere mennes harm / [485] ¶ This synne is platly agayns the hooly /. Al be it so / that euery synne is agayns the hooly goost/. yet nathelees for as muche / as bountee / aperteneth proprely to the hooly. and Enuye comth proprely. of malice /. ther|fore it is proprely / agayn the bountee of the hooly goost [486] ¶ Now hath malice two speces /. that is to seyn¶ Of .ij.o speces of malice / and the firste / is hardnesse / of herte hardnesse of herte in wikkednesse /. or elles / the flessh of man is so blynd / that he considereþ nat. that he is in synne /. or rekketh nat that he is in synne /. which is the hardnesse of the deuel / [487] ¶ That oother¶ Of another spece of malice speche of malice / is whan a man werreyeth trouthe / whan he woot that it is trouthe /. And eek / whan he werreyeth the grace / that god hath yeue to his neighebore / and al this / is by Enuye [488] ¶ Certes / thanne is Enuye the worste synne that is /. ffor soothly / alle othere synnes been som tyme oonly / agayns o special vertu /. [489] but certes / Enuye is agayns alle vertues / and agayns alle goodnesses /. for it is sory / of alle the bountees of his neighebore / and in this manere / it is diuers from alle othere synnes [490] ¶ ffor wel vnnethe / is ther any synne / that it ne hath / som delit in itself. saue oonly Enuye / that euere hath in itself angwissh and sorwe [491] ¶ The speces of Enuye been thise / Ther is¶ Of the firste spece of Enuye first. sorwe of oother mannes goodnesse / and of his pros|peritee. / and prosperitee / is kyndely matere of Ioye/. thanne is Enuye a synne agayns kynde [492] ¶ The seconde spece of Enuye / is ioye of oother mannes harm /.¶ Of the .ij.de spece / of Enuye and that is proprely lyk to the deuel /. that euere reioyseth hym of mannes harm [493] ¶ Of thise two speces / comth bakbityng. and this synne / of bakbityng or detraccion / hath certeine speces / as thus ¶ Som man preiseth his¶ The firste spece / of bakbitynge neighebore by a wikke entente /. [494] for he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte laste ende /. alwey / he maketh a but/ atte laste ende / that is digne of moore blame /. than worth is al the preisynge [495] ¶ The seconde spece is / that if a man be good / and dooth / or seith a thing to good entente /. the bakbiter wol turne all thilke goodnesse / vp so doun / to his shrewed entente [496] ¶ The thridde is / to amenuse the bountee of his neighe|bore ¶ The .iij.de spece [497] ¶ The fourthe spece of bakbityng is this /.¶ The .iiij. spece that if men speke goodnesse of a man /. thanne wol the bakbiter seyn /. pardee /. swich a man / is yet bet than he / in dispreisynge / of hym that men preise / [498] ¶ The fifte spece is this /. for to consente gladly and herkne¶ The v.o spece gladly to the harm that men speke of/ oother folk ‖. this synne is ful greet and ay encreeseth / after the wikked entente of the bakbiter [499] After bakbityng cometh gruchchyng or Murmuracion /. and somtyme it spryngeth¶ Of grucchyng / or Murmuracioun of Inpacience agayns god /. and somtyme agayns man [500] ¶ Agayns god it is / whan a man gruccheth agayn the peynes of helle /. or agayns pouerte /. or los of catel. agayn reyn / or tempest. or elles gruccheth / that shrewes han prosperitee /. or elles / for that goode men han Ad|uersitee / [501] and alle thise thynges sholde men suffre paciently /. for they comen by the rightful Iuggement and ordinance of god [502] ¶ Som tyme comth grucching of¶ Of grucchyng/ þat comth of Auarice Auarice / as Iudas grucched agayns the Magdaleyne /. whan she enoynte / the heued of oure lord Ihesu crist. with hir precious oynement [503] ¶ This maner murmure is swich. as whan man gruccheth / of goodnesse / þat hym self dooth /. or that oother folk doon of hir owene catel [504] ¶ Som tyme comth murmure of pride /. as whan Simon¶ Of murmure þat comth of pride the Pharisee / grucchched agayn the Magdaleyne / whan she approched to Ihesu crist. and weepe at his feet for hire synnes [505] ¶ And somtyme grucchyng sourdeth of¶ Of murmure þat sourdeth of Enuye Enuye / whan men discouereth a mannes harm that was pryuee / or bereth hym on hond / thyng that is fals [506] ¶ Murmure eek / is ofte amonges seruauntz / that grucchen /¶ Of murmure amonges seruauntz whan hir souereyns bidden hem doon leueful thynges /. [507] and for as muche / as they dar nat openly withseye the comaundementz of hir souereyns / yet wol they seyn harm / and grucche and murmure priuely for verray despit / [508] whiche wordes / men clepen the deueles Pater noster / though so be that the deuel ne hadde neuere Pater noster /. but that lewed folk yeuen it swich a name [509] ¶ Som tyme / grucchyng comth of Ire / or¶ O grucchyng/ that/ cometh of Ire priue hate / that norisseth rancour in herte /. as afterward I shal declare [510] Thanne cometh eek bitternesse of¶ Of bitternesse of herte herte / thurgh which bitternesse / euery good dede of his neighebor / semeth to hym / bitter and vnsauory [511] ¶ Thanne cometh discord / that vnbyndeth alle manere¶ Of discord of freendshipe ¶ Thanne comth / scornynge of . . . . .¶ Of scornyng/ . . . . .no gap in the MS. his neighe|bor / al do he neuer so weel [512] ¶ Thanne comth /¶ Of Accusyng/ Accusynge /. as whan man seketh occasion / to anoyen his neighebor / which that is lyk / to the craft of the deuel / that waiteth / bothe nyght and day to accusen vs alle [513] ¶ Thanne comth malignitee / thurgh which a man¶ Of Malignitee anoyeth his neighebor priuely / if he may. [514] and if he noght may / algate / his wikked wil / ne shal nat wante /. as for to brennen his hous pryuely /. or empoysone / or sleen hise beestes / and semblable thynges /.

 ¶ Remedium contra peccatum Inuidie

[515] NOW wol I speke of the remedie / agayns the foule synne of Enuye / ¶ ffirst is the louynge of god principal / and louyng / of his neighebor as hym self /. for soothly / that oon ne may nat been / with-oute that oother /. [516] And truste wel / that in the name of thy neighebore /. thou shalt vnderstonde the name of thy brother ffor certes / alle we haue o fader flesshly / and o mooder / that is to seyn / Adam and Eue /. and eek o fader espiritueel / and that is god of heuene [517] ¶ Thy neighebore / artow holden for to loue and wilne hym alle¶ How a man / shal loue his neighebore goodnesse /. and therfore seith god / loue thy neighebore as thy selue / that is to seyn / to saluacion / of lyf and of soule [518] ¶ And moore ouer / thou shalt loue hym in word / and in benigne amonestynge / and chastisynge / and conforten hym / in hise anoyes / and preye for hym with al thyn herte / [519] ¶ And in dede / thou shalt loue hym in swich wise /. that thou shalt doon to hym in charitee / as thou woldest that it were doon to thyn owene persone /. [520] And therfore / thou ne shalt doon hym no damage in wikked word / ne harm in his body / ne in his catel / ne in his soule / by entissyng of wikked ensample [521] ¶ Thou shalt nat desiren his wyf ne none of hise thynges Vnderstoond eek / that in the name of neighebor / is com|prehended ¶ How in the name of neighe|bor / is compre|hended a mannes enemy his enemy [522] ¶ certes man shal louen his enemy / by the comandement of god /. and soothly / thy freend / shaltow loue in god [523] ¶ I seye / thyn enemy / shaltow loue for goddes sake / by his comande|ment ¶ ffor if it were reson þat a man sholde haten his enemy /. for sothe / god nolde nat receyuen vs to his loue / that been hise enemys [524] ¶ Agayns .iij. manere of¶ How a man shal do .iij. thynges / agayns .iij. manere of thynges that his enemy dooth to hym thynges that his enemy dooth to hym /. he shal doon .iij. thynges as thus [525] ¶ Agayns hate and rancour of herte / he shal loue hym in herte ¶ Agayns chidyng and wikkede wordes / he shal preye for his enemy ¶ And agayn wikked dede of his enemy /. he shal doon hym. bountee [526] ¶ ffor crist seith / loueth youre enemys / and preyeth for hem that speke yow harm /. and eek for hem / that yow chacen and pursewen and dooth bountee / to hem that yow haten ¶ Loo / thus comaundeth vs oure lord Ihesu crist. to do / to oure enemys /. [527] ffor soothly nature dryueth vs / to louen oure freendes /. and parfey / oure enemys / han moore nede to loue than oure freendes /. and they that moore nede haue / certes / to hem shal men doon good|nesse / [528] and certes in thilke dede / haue we remem|brance / of the loue of Ihesu crist that deyde for hise enemys /. [529] and in as muche as thilke loue / is the moore greuous to perfourne / in so muche / is the moore gretter the merite / and ther-fore the louynge of oure enemy / hath confounded / the venym of the deuel /. [530] ffor right as the deuel / is disconfited by humylitee /. right so / is he wounded to the deeth / by loue of oure enemy [531] ¶ Certes. / thanne is loue the medicine / that casteth out the venym of Enuye / fro mannes herte [532] ¶ The speces of this paas / shullen be moore largely in hir Chapitres folwynge declared . . .

 ¶ Sequitur de Ira .

[533] After Enuye / wol I discryuen the synne of Ire /. ffor soothly / who so hath enuye vpon his neighebor / anon he wole comunly fynde hym a matere of wratthe / in word / or in dede / agayns hym / to whom he hath enuye ‖. [534] And as wel comth Ire of pride / as of enuye /. for soothly / he that is proude or enuyous / is lightly wrooth

[535] ¶ This synne of Ire / after the discryuyng of seint Augustyn / is wikked wil / to been auenged / by¶ sanctus Augustinus word / or by dede /. [536] Ire after the Philosophre /. is¶ Philosophus the feruent blood of man / yquyked in his herte / thurgh which he wole harm / to hym that he hateth [537] ¶ ffor certes the herte of man by eschawfynge and moeuynge of his blood / wexeth so trouble / that he is / out of alle Iuggement of reson [538] ¶ But ye shal vnderstonde / that Ire is in two maneres / that oon of hem is good / and¶ Of Ire in two maneres that oother is wikked / [539] ¶ The goode Ire / is by Ialousie of goodnesse / thurgh which / a man is wrooth¶ Of good Ire with wikkednesse / and agayns wikkednesse /. and ther|fore seith a wys man /. that Ire is bet than pley ‖ [540]¶ Sapiens This Ire / is with debonairetee /. and it is wrooth with|outen bitternesse / nat wrooth agayns the man / but wrooth / with the mysdede of / the man /. as seith the prophete Dauid Irascimini & nolite peccare [541] NOw¶ Dauid propheta vnderstondeth / that wikked Ire / is in two maneres /¶ Of wikked Ire in ijo. maneres / and the firste / is sodeyn Ire that is to seyn / sodeyn Ire / or hastif Ire withouten auisement and consentynge of reson /. [542] the menyng and the sens of this / is / that the reson of man ne con|sente nat to thilke sodeyn Ire / and thanne it is venial [543] ¶ Another Ire is ful wikked / that comth of¶ Of Ire þat comth of felonie of herte auised & cast biforn felonie of herte auysed and cast biforn / with wikked wil / to do vengeance / and therto / his reson consenteth and soothly / this is deedly synne [544] ¶ This Ire / is so dis|plesant to god that it troubleth his hous / and chaceth the hooly goost out of mannes soule / and wasteth and de|stroyeth the liknesse of god / that is to seyn / the vertu that is in mannes soule / [545] and put in hym / the lik|nesse of the deuel and bynymeth the man fro god / that is / his rightful lord /. [546] this Ire / is a ful greet plesaunce to the deuel /. for it is the deueles fourneys / that is eschawfed / with the fir of helle ‖. [547] ffor certes / right so / as fir is moore mighty / to destroyen erthely thynges / than any oother Element. right so Ire is myghty to destroyen alle spiritueel thynges [548] ¶ Looke /. how that fir of smale gleedes that been almoost dede vnder asshen wollen quike agayn / whan they been touched with brymstoon? / right so Ire wol eueremo quyken agayn / whan it is touched / by the pride that is couered in mannes herte / [549] ffor certes / fir ne may nat comen out of no thyng. but if it were first in the same thyng natureelly / as fir / is drawen out of flyntes with steel [550] And right so / as pride is ofte tyme matere of Ire /. right so is rancour/ norice and keper of Ire [551] Ther is¶ Nota secun|dum Ysodorum a maner tree as seith sein Ysidre / that whan men maken fire of thilke tree / and couere the coles of it with Asshen soothly / the fir of it wol lasten al a yeer or moore ‖. [552] And right so / fareth it of rancour/. whan it is¶ exemplum ones conceyued in the hertes of som men certein / it wol lasten perauenture / from oon Estre day vnto another Estre day / and moore /. [553] but certes / thilke man / is ful fer fro the mercy of god / in thilke while

[554] ¶ In this forseyde deueles fourneys / ther¶ Of .iij. shrewes þat forgen alwey in the deueles fourneys forgen .iij. shrewes ‖. Pride that ay bloweth and encreesseth the fir/ by chidynge and wikked wordes [555] ¶ Thanne stant Enuye / and holdeth the hoote Iren vpon the herte of man / with a peire of longe toonges / of long rancour [556] ¶ And thanne stant the synne of contumelie / or strif and cheeste / and batereth and forgeth / by vileyns repreuynges [557] ¶ Certes / this cursed synne anoyeth bothe to the man hym self / and eek to his neighebore ¶ ffor soothly / almoost al the harm that any man dooth to his neighebore / comth of wratthe /. [558] for certes outrageous wratthe / dooth / al that euere / the deuel hym comaundeth /. for he ne spareth neither crist ne his sweete mooder/. [559] And in his out|rageous anger and Ire / allas / allas / ful many oon at that tyme / feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly / bothe of crist and of alle hise halwes [560] ¶ Is nat this a cursed vice? yis certes / Allas / it bynymeth from man his wit and his reson / and al his debonaire lif/ espiritueel / that sholde kepen his soule [561] ¶ Certes / it bynymeth eek goddes due lordshipe / and that is mannes soule / and the loue of hise neighebores ‖. It stryueth eek alday agayn trouthe /. It reueth hym / the quiete of his herte / and subuerteth his soule /

[562] Of Ire / comen thise stynkynge engendrures¶ Of the engen|drures that comen of pride ¶ ffirst hate / that is oold wratthe. discord / thurgh which a man / forsaketh his olde freend ful longe / [563] ¶ And thanne cometh werre / and every manere of wrong that man dooth to his neighebore / in body / or in catel [564] Of this cursed synne of Ire /¶ Of man|slaughtre in diuerse maneres cometh eek manslaughtre ‖. And vnderstonde wel / that homycide / that is manslaughtre / is in diuerse wise ¶ Som manere of homycide is spiritueel / and som is bodily [565] ¶ Spiritueel manslaughtre is in .vj. thynges ¶ ffirst by¶ Of .vj. thynges / þat bee / in spiritueel manslaughtre hate / as seint Iohn seith /. he that hateth his brother / is homycide / [566] ¶ homycide is eek by bakbitynge / of¶ Nota secun|dum Iohannem whiche bakbiteres seith Salomon /. that they han two¶ Salomon swerdes / with whiche / the sleen hire neighebores /. ffor soothly / as wikke is / to bynyme his good name / as his lyf [567] ¶ Homycide is eek / in yeuynge of wikked¶ Of homycide / in yeuynge of wikked conseil conseil by fraude /. as for to yeuen conseil / to areysen wrongful custumes /and taillages /. [568] of whiche seith Salomon ¶ Leon rorynge and Bere hongry / been like to the¶ Salomon crueel lordshipes / in withholdynge or abreggynge / of the shepe / or the hyre or of the wages of seruauntz /. or elles in vsures / or in withdrawynge of the Almesse of poure folk. [569] ffor which the wise man seith ¶ ffedeth hym / that¶ Sapiens almoost dyeth for honger/. for soothly / but if thow feede hym / thou sleest hym / and alle thise been deedly synnes [570] BOdily manslaughtre is / whan thow sleest him with thy¶ Of bodily man|slaughtre tonge /. In oother manere /. as whan thou comandest to sleen a man / or elles / yeuest hym conseil / to sleen a man [571] Manslaughtre in dede / is in .iiij. maneres.¶ Of man|slaughtre in dede. in ./ iiij. maneres ¶ That oon / is by lawe /. right as a Iustice dampneth hym that is coupable to the deeth. / but lat the Iustice¶ Of man|slaughtre by lawe be war/ that he do it rightfully /. and that he do it nat for delit to spille blood / but for kepynge of rightwise|nesse / [572] ¶ Another homycide / is that is doon for¶ Of homycide doon for / necessitee necessitee /. as whan o man sleeth another in his defendaunt and þat he ne may noon ootherwise escape / from his owene deeth /. [573] but certeinly / if he may escape with outen manslaughtre of his aduersarie / and sleeth hym /. he dooth synne / and he shal bere penance as for deedly synne [574] ¶ Eek/ if a man / by caas or auenture / shete¶ Of homycide / by caas or auenture an arwe / or caste a stoon / with which he sleeth a man / he is homycide [575] ¶ Eek/ if a womman by necligence /¶ Of homycide / whan a womman / ouerlith hir childe ouerlyeth hire child in hir slepyng. it is homycide and deedly synne / [576] Eek/ whan man destourbeth con|cepcion ¶ Of homycide / in destourbyng/ of the concepcion of/ a childe. of a child and maketh a womman / outher bareyne by drynkynge venenouse herbes / thurgh which / she may nat conceyue /. or sleeth a child by drynkes wilfully or elles / putteth certeine material thynges / in hire secree places / to slee the child / [577] or elles / dooth vnkyndely synne / by which man or womman shedeth hire nature / in manere or in place / ther as a child may nat be con|cei ued /. or elles / if a woman haue conceyued / and hurt hir child / and sleeth the child / yet it is homycide [578] ¶ What seye we eek/ of wommen that mordren¶ Of wommen þat mordre hir children / for worldly shame hir children for drede of worldly shame /. certes / an horrible homicide [579] ¶ Homycide is eek/ if a man ap|procheth¶ Of homycide thurghe approch|ynge of man to womman by desir of lecherie /. or elles thurgh smytynge of a womman with childe to a womman / by desir of lecherie / thurȝ which the child is perissed / or elles smyteth a womman wityngly / thurgh which she leseth hir child ‖. Alle thise been homy|cides / and horrible deedly synnes [580] Yet comen ther of Ire / manye mo synnes /. as wel / in word / as in thoght and¶ Of many mo synnes that comen of Ire in dede / as he that arretteth vpon god /. or blameth god / of thyng. of which he is hym self gilty. / or despiseth god / and alle hise halwes / as doon thise cursede hasardours in diuerse contrees ‖. [581] This cursed / synne doon they / whan they feelen in hir hertes / ful wikkedly of god / and of hise halwes [582] ¶ also / whan they treten vnreuerently¶ Of hem þat vnreuerently treten / the sacrement of the Auter the sacrement/ of the Auter / thilke synne is so greet. that vnnethe may it been releessed but that the mercy of god / passeth alle hise werkes / it is so greet and he so benigne [583] Thanne comth of Ire attry Angre /.¶ Of attry Angre whan a man / is sharpely amonested in his shrifte to for|leten his synne /. [584] thanne wole he be angry and answeren hokerly and angrily / and deffenden / or excusen his synne / by vnstedefastnesse of his flessh /. or elles he dide it for to holde compaignye with hise felawes /. or elles he seith the fend enticed hym / [585] or elles / he dide it for his youthe /. or elles / his conpleccion is so corageous / that he may nat forbere /. or elles it is his destinee / as he seith / vnto a certein age /. or elles he seith / it cometh hym of gentillesse of hise Auncestres and semblable thynges [586] ¶ Alle this manere of folk / so wrappen hem in hir synnes /. that they ne wol nat deliuere hem self /. ffor soothly / no wight / that excuseth hym wilfully of his synne / may nat been deliuered of his synne / til that he mekely biknoweth his synne? [587] After this / thanne cometh sweryng. that is expres /¶ Of sweryng/ agayn the comandement of god. and this bifalleth ofte / of anger and of Ire ‖. [588] God seith; thow shalt nat take / the name of thy lord god in veyn / or in ydel / Also oure lord Ihesu crist seith by the word of seint Mathew /.¶ Math. 6o. nolite iurare omnino . . . . .no gap in the MS. [589] Ne wol ye nat swere in alle manere. neither by heuene. for it is goddes trone. / ne by erthe /. for it is the bench of his feet. ne by Ierusalem /. for it is the Citee of a greet kyng. ne by thyn heed / for thou mayst nat make. an heer whit ne blak /. [590] but seyeth by youre word / ye / ye / and nay / nay And what that is moore / it is of yuel seith crist. [591] ffor cristes sake ne swereth nat so synfully / in dismembrynge of Crist. by soule. herte. bones. and body ¶ ffor certes / it semeth that ye thynke / that the cursede Iewes / ne dismembred nat ynough the preciouse persone of crist. but ye dismembre hym moore / [592] ¶ And if so be / that the lawe com|pelle yow to swere /. thanne rule yow / after the lawe of god in youre sweryng. as seith Ieremye .4o. co . . . . .no gap in the MS. ¶ Thou shalt kepe .iij. condicions Thou shalt swere in trouthe /.¶ Iurabis in veritate in Iudicio & in Iusticia in doom. / and in rightwisnesse ‖. [593] this is to seyn / thou shalt swere sooth /. for euery lesynge is agayns Crist. ffor crist is verray trouthe /. And thynk wel this / that euery greet swerere / nat compelled lawefully to swere /. the wounde shal nat departe from his hous / whil he vseth / swich vnleueful sweryng ‖. [594] Thou shalt sweren eek in doom / whan thou art constreyned by thy domes|man / to witnessen the trouthe [595] ¶ Eek thow shalt¶ How a man shal nat swere / for enuye / ne for fauour / ne for meede / but for rightwisnesse &c. nat swere / for enuye ne for fauour / ne for meede / but for rightwisnesse / and for declaracion of it /. to the worshipe of god / and helpyng of thyne euene cristene /. [596] And therfore / euery man that taketh goddes name in ydel /. or falsly swereth with his mouth /. or elles taketh on hym the name of crist. to be called a cristene man / and lyueth agayns Cristes luyunge and his techynge / alle they / taken goddes name in ydel / [597] ¶ Looke eek / what seint Peter seith Actuum .4o. Non est aliud nomen sub celo &c ¶ Ther¶ sanctus Petrus Actuum .4o. nys noon oother name seith seint Peter / vnder heuene yeuen to men / in which they mowe be saued /. that is to seyn / but the name of Ihesu crist [598] ¶ Take kepe eek / how that the precious name of crist /. as seith seint Paul /¶ Paulus ad Philipenses 2o. ad Philipenses .2o. In nomine Ihesu &c ¶ that in the name of Ihesu / euery / knee of heuenely creatures /. or erthely. or of helle sholden bowe /. for it is / so heigh and so worshipful / that the cursede feend in helle / sholde tremblen / to heeren it ynempned [599] ¶ Thanne semeth it that men þat sweren so horriblely / by his blessed name /. that they despise hym moore booldely / than dide the cursede Iewes / or elles the deuel / that trembleth whan he heereth his name /

[600] ¶ [N]Ow certes / sith that sweryng. but if it be lawefully doon is so heighly deffended /. muche worse is forsweryng falsly /. and yet nedelees

[601] ¶ What seye we eek/ of hem / that deliten hem¶ Of hem þat deliten hem in sweryng/. for gentrie and of vsage in sweryng and holden it a gentrie / or a manly dede to swere grete othes ‖. And what of hem / that of verray vsage ne cesse nat to swere grete othes / al be the cause nat worth a straw /. certes / it is horrible synne [602] ¶ Swerynge sodeynly with-oute auysement is eek a synne [603] But lat vs go now to thilke horrible sweryng¶ Of the sweryng/ of adiuracion & coniuracion of Adiuracion and coniuracion / as doon thise false En|chauntours / or Nigromanens / in bacyns ful of water /. or in a bright swerd. in a Cercle / or in a fir / or in a shulder boon of a sheepe /. [604] I kan nat seye / but that they doon cursedly / and damnablely agayns crist/. and al the feith of hooly chirche /

[605] ¶ What seye we of hem / that bileeuen in¶ Of hem / þat bileeuen in dyuynayles diuynailes /. as by flight or by noyse of briddes / or of beestes. or by sort/ by Geomancie. by dremes. by chirkynge of dores. or crakynge of houses. by gnawynge of rattes. and swich manere. wrecchednesse. / [606] certes / al this thyng is deffended by god / and by al hooly chirche /. ffor which they been acursed / til they come to amendement. that on swich filthe setten hire bileeue [607] ¶ Charmes¶ Of charmes for woundes / or maladie for woundes or maladie of men / or of beestes /. if they taken any effect. it be perauenture / that god suffreth it. for folk sholden yeue the moore feith / and reuerence to his name

[608] NOw wol I. speken of lesynges /. which gener|ally ¶ Of lesynges / is fals signyficacion of word / in entente / to deceyuen his euene cristene [609] ¶ Some lesynge is / of which / ther comth noon auantage to no wight ‖. And som lesynge / turneth to the ese and profit. of o man / and to disese and damage of another man [610] ¶ Another lesynge / for to sauen his lyf or his catel / [Another lesynge] comth of delit. for to lye. in which delit / they wol forge a long tale / and peynten it with alle circumstaunces where / al the ground of the tale is fals ‖. [611] som lesynge comth / for he wole sustene his word ¶ And som lesynge / comth of reccheleesnesse with-outen auisement. and sem|blable thynges

[612] Lat vs now touche / the vice of flaterynge /.¶ Of fflaterynge which ne comth nat gladly but for drede /. or for coueitise [613] ¶ fflaterye is generally wrongful preisynge ¶ fflater|eres ¶ how flatereres been the deueles norices / been the deueles norices / that norissen hise children / with Milk of losengerie ‖. [614] ffor sothe / Salomon seith.¶ Salomon that flaterie is wors than detraccion. for som tyme de|traccion maketh an hauteyn man / be the moore humble /. for he dredeth detraccion / but certes flaterye / that maketh a man / to enhauncen his herte and his contenance [615] ¶ fflatereres / been the deueles Enchauntours for¶ how flatereres / been the deueles enchauntours the make a man to wene of hym self. be lyk / that he nys nat lyk. [616] they been lyk to Iudas / that bitraysed [God / and thise flatereres bitraysen] a man / to sellen hym to hise enemy. that is to the deuel [617] ¶ fflatereres / been¶ how flatereres/ been the deueles Chapelleyns the deueles Chapelleyns / that syngen euere Placebo [618] ¶ I rekene fla[te]rie in the vices of Ire. / for ofte tyme / if o man / be wrooth with another /. thanne wole he flatere som wight. to sustene hym in his querele

[619] Speke we now / of swich cursynge / as comth¶ Of cursynge þat comth of Irous herte of Irous herte ¶ Malison generally / may be seyd euery maner power or harm ‖. swich cursynge / bireueth man fro the regne of god / as seith seint Paul /. [620] And ofte¶ Sanctus Paulus tyme / swich cursynge wrongfully / retorneth agayn / to hym þat curseth /. as a bryd that retorneth agayn / to his owene nest [621] ¶ And ouer alle thyng men oghten eschewe to cursen hire children / and yeuen to the deuel hire engendrure / as ferforth / as in hem is /. certes it is greet peril and greet synne

[622] Lat vs thanne speken of chidynge and reproche /¶ Of chidynge & reproche whiche been / ful grete woundes in mannes herte / for they vnsowen / the semes of freendshipe in mannes herte [623] ¶ ffor certes / vnnethes may a man / pleynly been accorded with hym / that hath hym openly reuyled and repreued in disclaundre /. ¶ This is / a ful grisly synne / as crist seith in the gospel /. [624] And taak kepe now. that he þat repreueth his neighebor /. outher he repreueth hym by som harm of peyne / that he hath on his body /. as Mesel / croked harlot. or by som synne that he dooth [625] ¶ Now if he repreue hym by harm of peyne / thanne turneth the repreue to Ihesu crist. for peyne is sent by the rightwys sonde of god / and by his suffrance / be it Meselrie or Maheym or maladie [626] ¶ And if he repreue hym vncharitably of synne /. as thou dronk|elewe harlot and so forth /. thanne aperteneth that/ to the reioysynge of the deuel /. that euere hath ioye / that men doon synne [627] ¶ And certes / chidynge may nat come / but out of a vileyns herte ¶ ffor after the habundance of the herte / speketh the mouth ful ofte [628] ¶ And ye shul vnderstonde that looke by any wey. whan any man shal chastise another / that he be war / from chidynge and repreuynge /. ffor trewely / but he be war he may ful lightly / quyken the fir of Angre and of wratthe / which þat he sholde quenche. and per auenture sleeth hym / which that he myghte chastise with benig|nitee [629] ¶ ffor as seith Salomon ¶ the amyable tonge is¶ Salomon the tree of lyf. that is to seyn / of lyf espiritueel /. and soothly. a deslauee tonge / sleeth the spirites of hym that repreueth / and eek of hym that is repreued [630] ¶ loo / what seith seint Augustyn ‖ ther is no thyng so lyk the¶ sanctus Augustinus deueles child /. as he / that ofte chideth ¶ Seint Paul seith¶ Sanctus Paulus eek ‖. I seruant of god / bihoueth nat to chide [631] ¶ And how þat chidynge / be a vileyns thyng bitwixe alle manere folk/. yet is it certes / moost vncouenable / bitwixe a man and his wyf /. for there is neuere reste / and therfore seith Salomon /. An hous that is vncouered¶ Salomon and droppynge /. and a chidynge wyf been lyke [632] ¶ A man that is in a droppynge hous in manye places /. though he eschewe the droppynge in o place / it droppeth on hym / in another place ¶ So fareth it by¶ Nota exemplum a chydynge wyf /. but she chide hym in o place / she wol chide hym in anoþer [633] ¶ And therfore / bettre is a morsel of breed with ioye / than an hous ful of delices with chidynge seith Salomon [634] ¶ Seint¶ Salomon Paul seith ¶ O ye wommen / be ye subgetes to youre¶ Paulus ad Colonienses .3o. housbondes / and ye men / loueth youre wyues. Ad Colonienses .3o.

[635] Afterward / speke we of scornynge. which is a¶ Of scornynge wikked synne /. and namely / whan he scorneth a man for hise goode werkes /. [636] ffor certes / swiche scorneres / faren / lyk the foule tode / that may nat endure / to smelle / the soote sauour of the vyne / whanne it florissheth [637] ¶ Thise scorneres / been partyng felawes with the deuel. / for they han ioye / whan the deuel wynneth. and sorwe whan he leseth. [638] they been Aduersaries of Ihesu crist. for they haten that he loueth. that is to seyn / saluacion of soule

[639] Speke we now of wikked conseil. for he þat¶ Of yeuyng/ of wikked conseil wikked conseil yeueth / is a traytour. / he deceyueth hym þat trusteth in hym Vt Achitofel ad Absolonem .‖. But nathelees / yet is his wikked conseil first agayn hym self /. [640] ffor as seith the wise man ./ euery fals luyunge / hath his propertee in hym self/. that he þat wole anoye another man. he anoyeth first hym self [641] ¶ And men shul vnderstonde / that man shal nat¶ Of what folk / þat a man shal eschuen to taken his conseil taken his conseil of fals folk/. ne of angry folk/ or greuous folk/ that louen specially / to muchel hir owene profit. ne to muche worldly folk namely / in conseilynge of soules

[642] NOw comth the synne of hem that sowen / and¶ Of hem that sowen and maken discorde maken discord amonges folk. which is a synne / that Crist hateth outrely /. and no wonder is ¶ ffor he deyde / for to make concord. [643] And moore shame do they to Crist. than dide they / that hym crucifiede / for god loueth bettre / that freendshipe be amonges folk. than he dide his owene body. the which that he yaf for vnitee ‖. Therfore been they likned to the deuel / that euere been aboute to maken discord

[644] NOw comth the synne of double tonge. swiche¶ Of the synne of double tonge as speken faire byforn folk/. and wikkedly bihynde. or elles / they maken semblant. as though they speeke of good entencion. or elles in game and pley and yet they speke of wikked entente

[645] NOw comth biwreying of conseil. thurgh¶ Of biwreying of conseil which/a man is defamed/.certes/vnnethe/may he restoore the damage

[646] NOw comth Manace. that is an open folye /. for¶ Of Manace he / that ofte manaceth. he threteth / moore than he may perfourne / ful ofte tyme

[647] NOw cometh ydel wordes. that is with outen¶ Of ydel wordes profit of hym that speketh tho wordes. and eek of hym / that herkneth tho wordes ¶ Or elles ydel wordes / been tho that been nedelees / or with outen entente of natureel profit ./ [648] And al be it that ydel wordes been som tyme venial synne. yet sholde men douten hem. for we shul yeue rekenynge of hem bifore god

[649] NOw comth Ianglynge. that may nat been with¶ Of Ianglynge oute synne ¶ And as seith Salomon. it is a synne of apert¶ Salomon folye /. [650] And therfore / a Philosophre seyde /. whan¶ Philosophus men axed hym / how that men sholde plese the peple: and he answerde / do manye goode werkes / and spek fewe Iangles

[651] After this / comth the synne of Iaperes / that¶ Of the synne of Iaperis. been the deueles Apes. for they maken folk to laughe at hire Iaperie / as folk doon / at the gawdes of An Ape /. Swiche Iaperes deffendeth seint Paul. [652] ¶ Looke / how that vertuouse wordes and hooly woordes conforten hem / that trauaillen / in the seruice of crist. right so conforten the vileyns wordes and knakkes of Iaperis. hem that trauaillen / in the seruice of the deuel [653] ¶ Thise been the synnes / that comen of the tonge. that comen of Ire / and of othere synnes mo .

 ¶ Sequitur remedium contra peccatum Ire .

[654]

The remedie agayns Ire. is a vertu / that men clepen Mansuetude. that is debonairetee /. and eek another vertu / þat men callen pacience / or suffrance

[655] ¶ Debonairetee / withdraweth and refreyneth¶ Of debonairetee the stirynges and the moeuynges of mannes corage in his herte. in swich manere / that they ne skippe nat out by Angre ne by Ire / [656] ¶ Suffrance / suffreth swetely / alle¶ Of Suffrance the anoyaunces and þe wronges / that men doon / to man outward [657] ¶ Seint Ierome seith thus of debonairetee.¶ Sanctus Ieronimus that it dooth noon harm to no wight ne seith. ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn. he ne eschawfeth nat agayns his reson [658] ¶ This vertu som tyme comth of nature /. ffor as seith the Philosophre. A man is a quyk¶ Philosophus thyng by nature. debonaire and tretable to goodnesse. but whan debonairetee / is enformed of grace / thanne is it the moore worth

[659] ¶ Pacience / that is another remedie. Agayns Ire.¶ Of Pacience it is a vertu that suffreth swetely euery mannes goodnesse / and is nat wrooth for noon harm / that is doon to hym [660] ¶ The philosophre seith / that pacience is thilke¶ Philosophus vertu / that suffreth debonairely alle the outrages of Aduersitee / and euery wikked word [661] ¶ This vertu / maketh a man lyk to god / and maketh hym / goddes owene deere child / as seith Crist. this vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy ¶ And therfore seith the wise man. / If thow¶ Nota secundum sapientem wolt venquysse thyn enemy / lerne to suffre / [662] And thou shalt vnderstonde / that man suffreth iiij. manere¶ Of .iiij. manere of greuances. that man suffreth in outwarde thynges. of greuances in outward thynges. agayns the whiche iiij. he moot haue / .iiij manere of paciences

[663] ¶ The firste greuance / is of wikkede wordes /.¶ The firste greuance thilke suffrede Ihesu crist. with-outen grucchyng ful paciently. whan the Iewes despised and repreued hym ful ofte [664] ¶ suffre thou therfore paciently. for the¶ Remedium wise man seith /. If thou stryue with a fool / though¶ Nota de sapiente the fool be wrooth / or though he laughe. algate / thou shalt haue no reste [665] ¶ That oother greuance¶ The .ij.de greuance outward. is to haue damage of thy catel ¶ Ther agayns¶ Remedium suffred crist ful paciently. whan he was despoyled / of al that he hadde in this lyf. and that nas but hise clothes / [666] ¶ The thridde greuance is / a man to haue harm in¶ The .iij.de greuance his body ¶ That suffred crist. ful paciently in al his¶ Remedium passion [667] ¶ The fourthe greuance /. is in outrageous¶ The .iiij.e greuance labour / in werkes. Wherfore I seye that folk/ that maken hir seruantz to trauaillen. to greuously / or out of tyme. as on haly dayes / soothly / they do greet synne [668] Heer agayns suffred Crist ful paciently / and¶ Remedium taughte vs pacience /. whan he baar vp-on his blissed shulder / the croys / vp-on which / he sholde suffren despitous deeth [669] ¶ Heere may men lerne to be pacient/. for certes noght oonly cristen men been pacient. for loue of Ihesu crist / and for gerdon / of the blisful lyf / that is perdura[b]le. but certes the olde payens that neuere were cristene / commendeden and vseden the vertu of pacience

[670] A Philosophre vp-on a tyme that wolde haue¶ Nota de in|paciencia cuius|dam Philosophi contra suum discipulum beten his disciple for his grete trespas for which he was greetly amoeued and broghte a yerde to scoure with the child. [671] and whan this child saugh the yerde. he seyde to his maister. what thenke ye do? / I. wol bete thee quod the maister for thy correccion [672] ¶ ffor sothe quod the child / ye oghten first correcte youre self /. that han lost al youre pacience / for the gilt of a child [673] ¶ ffor sothe quod the maister al wepynge thow seyst sooth / haue thow the yerde my deere sone and correcte me / for myn inpacience [674] Of pacience comth¶ how Obedience comth of pacience Obedience / thurgh which a man is obedient to Crist. and to alle hem to whiche he oghte to been obedient in Crist [675] ¶ And vnderstond wel that obedience is perfit. whan that a man dooth gladly and hastily with good herte entierly al that he sholde do [676] ¶ Obedience generally / is to perfourne the doctrine of god and of his souereyns to whiche / hym oghte to ben obeisaunt in alle rightwisnesse . . . .

 ¶ Sequitur de Accidia .

[677]

After the synne of Enuye and of Ire. now wol I speken of the synne of Accidie. for Enuye / blyndeth the herte of man and Ire troubleth a man. and Accidie maketh hym heuy thoghtful and wrawful [678] Enuye and Ire maken bitternesse in herte. which bitternesse is mooder of Accidie and bynymeth hym the loue of alle goodnesse. thanne is Accidie / the Angwissh of troubled herte And seint Augustyn seith. /¶ sanctus Augustinus it is anoy of goodnesse and ioye of harm [679] ¶ Certes this is a dampnable synne. for it dooth wrong to Ihesu crist. in as muche as it bynymeth the seruice / that men oghte doon to crist with alle diligence / as seith Salomon. /¶ Salomon [680] but Accidie / dooth no swich diligence. He dooth alle thyng with anoy / and with wrawnesse / slaknesse / and excusacion / and with ydelnesse / and vnlust. ffor which the book seith ‖. Acursed be he that dooth the seruice of god necligently [681] ¶ Thanne is Accidie /¶ Nota & caue enemy / to euerich estaat of man. for certes / the estaat of man / is in .iij. maneres [682] ¶ Outher it is / thestaat of¶ Of .iij. maneres of estates of man Innocence. as was thestaat of Adam / biforn that he fil into¶ Of thestaat/ of Innocence synne. in which estaat he was holden to wirche / as in heriynge and adowrynge of god [683] ¶ Another estaat.¶ Of thestaat/ of synful men is estaat of synful men. in which estaat men been holden to laboure in preiynge to god. for amendement of hire synnes. and that he wole graunte hem to arysen out of hir synnes / [684] ¶ Another estaat is thestaat of grace. in¶ Of thestaat of grace which estaat he is holden to werkes of penitence. and certes / to alle thise thynges is Accidie enemy and con|trarie. ffor he loueth no bisynesse at al [685] ¶ Now certes this foule swyn Accidie. is eek a ful greet enemy to the liflode of the body. for it ne hath no purueaunce agayn temporeel necessitee. for it forsleweth and for|sluggeth. and destroyeth alle goodes temporeles / by reccheleesnesse

[686] The fourthe thyng is. that Accidie is lyk to hem¶ How Accidie is lyk to hem that been in the peyne of helle that been in the peyne of helle. by cause of hir slouthe and of hire heuynesse for they that been dampned / been so bounde. that they ne may neither wel do / ne wel thynke [687] ¶ Of Accidie comth first that a man is anoyed and encombred for to doon any goodnesse. and maketh / that god hath abhomynacion of swich Accidie

[688] NOw comth slouthe. that wol nat suffre noon¶ Of the synne of slouthe hardnesse ne no penaunce. ffor soothly / Slouthe is so tendre. and so delicaat as seith Salomon / that he wol nat¶ Salomon suffre / noon hardnesse ne penaunce. and therfore / he shendeth / al that he dooth [689] ¶ Agayns this roten¶ Remedie agayn slouthe herted synne of Accidie and slouthe / sholde men exercise hem self to doon goode werkes. and manly and vertuously cacchen corage wel to doon. thynk|ynge that oure lord Ihesu crist. quiteth euery good dede / be it neuer so lite. / [690] vsage of labour / is a greet thyng. for it maketh as seith seint Bernard the¶ Nota secun|dum Bernardum laborer/ to haue stronge armes / and harde synwes. and slouthe maketh hem feble and tendre [691] Thanne comth¶ Of drede / to bigynnen anye goode werkes drede to bigynne to werke anye goode werkes. for certes / he that is enclyned to synne. hym thynketh / it is so greet an emprise / for to vndertake to doon werkes of goodnesse. [692] and casteth in his herte / that the circumstances of goodnesse been so greuouse and so chargeant for to suffre. that he dar nat vndertake / to do werkes of goodnesse / as seith seint Gregorie¶ Gregorius

[693] NOw comth wanhope. that is despeir of the¶ Of the synne of wanhope mercy of god. þat comth somtyme / of to muche out|rageous sorwe. and somtyme / of to muche drede. ymagin|ynge that he hath doon so muche synne / that it wol nat auaillen hym. though he wolde repenten hym and forsake synne /. [694] thurgh which despeir/ or drede / he abaundoneth al his herte to euery maner synne as seith seint Augustin. [695] Which dampnable synne / if that¶ Sanctus Augustinus it continue vn-to his ende / it is cleped synnyng in the hooly goost [696] ¶ This horrible synne is so perilous. that he þat is despeired ther nys no felonye / ne no synne that he douteth for to do. as sheweth wel by Iudas [697] ¶ Certes abouen alle synnes / thanne is this synne moost displesant to Crist and moost Aduersarie [698] ¶ Soothly. he that despeireth hym / is lyke the coward champion recreant . . . . .no gap in the MS. and nedelees despeired ‖. [699] Certes / the mercy of god / is euere redy to euery penitent. and is abouen alle hise werkes [700] ¶ Allas / kan a man nat bithynke hym / on the gospel of seint Luc .15. where as Crist seith /. that as wel shal¶ Luca in Euaungelio ther be Ioye in heuene vpon a synful man that dooth penitence. than vp on 90 and .19. rightful men / that . . . . .no gap in the MS. neden no penitence [701] ¶ Looke forther in the same gospel. the ioye / and the¶ In eodem Euaungelio feeste of the goode man that hadde lost his sone. whan his sone with repentance. was retourned to his fader [702] ¶ kan they nat remembren hem eek/. that as seith seint Luc .23. how that the theef that was hanged¶ Nota secundum Lucam de latrone / sus|penso cum christo bisyde Ihesu crist. seyde. Lord remembre of me. whan thow comest in to thy regne [703] ¶ ffor sothe. [seyde] Crist. I seye to thee. to day shaltow been with me in Paradys [704] ¶ Certes ther is noon so horrible synne of¶ Nota man / that it ne may in his lyf be destroyed by penitence. thurgh vertu of the passion / and of the deeth of Crist ‖. [705] Allas / what nedeth man thanne to been despeired. sith þat his. mercy / so redy is and large. / Axe and haue [706] Thanne cometh Sompnolence / that is sloggy¶ Of Sompno|lence slombrynge. which maketh a man be heuy and dul / in body and in soule. And this synne comth of Slouthe [707] And certes / the tyme that by wey of reson men sholde nat slepe. that is by [the morwe] but if ther were cause resonable. / [708] ffor soothly / the morwe tyde is moost couenable a man to seye hise preyeres / and for to thynken on god / and for to honoure god. and to yeuen Almesse to the poure. that first cometh in the name of Crist. [709] Lo what seith Salomon ¶ Who so wolde¶ Salomon by the morwe awaken and seke me / he shal fynde [710] Thanne cometh Necligence / or reccheleesnesse /¶ Of Necligence / or reccheleesnesse that rekketh of no thyng/. And how that Ignorance be mooder of alle harm. / certes Necligence is the norice [711] ¶ Necligence ne dooth no fors / whan he shal doon a thyng. Wheither he do it weel or baddely . . . . .

[712] Of the remedie of thise two synnes. as seith¶ Of the remedie ayens Necligence and recchelees|nesse. secundum Sapientem the wise man /. that he that dredeth god / he spareth nat to doon that him oghte doon /. [713] and he that loueth god / he wol doon diligence to plese god by hise werkes / and abaundone hym self with al his myght wel for to doon [714] Thanne comth ydelnesse. that is the yate of alle¶ Of ydelnesse harmes / ¶ An ydel man / is lyk to a place that hath no walles. the deueles may entre on euery syde and sheten at hym at discouert by temptacion on euery syde [715] ¶ This ydelnesse is the thurrok of alle wikked and vileyns thoghtes / and of alle Iangles / trufles / and of alle ordure [716] ¶ Certes / the heuene is yeuen to hem that wol labouren and nat to ydel folk ¶ Eek Dauid seith /¶ Dauid that they ne been nat in the labour of men ne they shul nat been whipped with men / that is to seyn in purgatorie / [717] certes thanne semeth it. they shul be tormented with the deuel in helle but if they doon penitence

[718] Thanne comth the synne that men clepen¶ Of the synne þat men clepen Tarditas Tarditas. as whan a man is to laterede / or tariynge er he wole turne to god /. and certes / that is a greet folie. He is lyk/ to hym that falleth in the dych. and wol nat arise ./ [719] And this vice / comth of a fals hope. that he thynketh / that he shal lyue longe. but that hope / faileþ ful ofte /

[720] Thanne comth lachesse. that is he / that whan he¶ Of the synne of lachesse biginneth any good werk/. anon he shal forleten it and stynten / as doon they / that han any wight to gouerne / and ne taken of hym namoore kepe anon as they fynden any contrarie or any anoy [721] ¶ Thise been the newe sheepherdes / that leten hir sheepe wityngly go renne to the wolf / that is in the breres / or do no fors of hir owene gouernance [722] of this / comth pouerte and destruccion. bothe of spiritueel / and temporeel thynges Thanne comth a manere cooldnesse / that freseth al the herte of a man /¶ Of cooldnesse of a mannes herte [723] Thanne comth vndeuocion thurgh which a man is¶ Of vndeuocioun blent as seith Seint Bernard. and hath swich langour in¶ Sanctus Bernardus soule. that he may neither rede ne singe in hooly chirche / ne heere / ne thynke of no deuocion / ne trauaille with hise handes in no good werk. that it nys hym vnsauory and al apalled [724] ¶ thanne wexeth he slough and slombry and soone wol be wrooth / and soone is enclyned to hate and to enuye [725] Thanne comth the synne of¶ Of worldly sorwe worldly sorwe. / which as is cleped tristicia. that sleeth man / as seint Paul seith / [726] ffor certes swich sorwe /¶ Sanctus Paulus werketh to the deeth of the soule and of the body also / for ther-of comth þat a man is anoyed of his owene lif. [727] wherfore swich sorwe shorteth ful ofte the lif of man. er þat his tyme be come by wey of kynde .

¶ Remedium contra peccatum Accidie .

[728]

Agayns this horrible synne of Accidie. and the branches of the same. ther is a vertu / that is called fortitudo. or strengthe / that is an affeccion / thurgh which / a man despiseth anoyouse thinges [729] ¶ This vertu is so myghty and so vigerous. that it dar withstonde myghtily and wisely kepen hym self fro perils that been wikked. and wrastle agayn the assautes of the deuel. [730] for it enhaunceth and enforceth the soule right as Accidie abateth it and maketh it fieble. / ffor this fortitudo may endure by long suffrance / the trauailles that been couenable

[731] ¶ This vertu / hath manye speces. and the firste / is cleped Magnificence. that is to seyn greet corage.¶ Of Magnanim|itee for certes ther bihoueth greet corage agains Accidie / lest that it ne swolwe the soule by the synne of sorwe / or destroye it by wanhope [732] ¶ This vertu maketh folk / to vndertake harde thynges and greuouse thynges / by hir owene wil / wesely and resonably ‖. [733] And for as muchel / as the deuel fighteth agayns a man. moore by queyntise and by sleighte. than by strengthe. therfore men shal withstonden hym by wit and by reson and by dis|crecion [734] Thanne arn ther the vertues of ffeith and¶ Of the vertues of feith and hope hope in god and in hise seintes to acheue and acomplice the goode werkes / in the whiche / he purposeth fermely to continue [735] Thanne comth seuretee / or sikernesse. and that is. whan a man / ne douteth no trauaille in tyme comynge / of the goode werkes / that a man hath bigonne [736] Thanne comth Magnificence / that is to seyn / whan¶ Of Magnificence a man dooth and perfourneth grete werkes of goodnesse and that is the ende / why that men sholde do goode werkes. for in the acomplissynge of grete goode werkes / lith the grete gerdon [737] Thanne is ther Constance. that is stablenesse of corage. and this sholde¶ Of Constaunce been in herte / by stedefast feith. and in mouth / and in berynge / and in chiere and in dede [738] Eke ther been mo speciale remedies agains Accidie in diuerse werkes /¶ Of mo speciale remedies agayns Accidie and in consideracion of the peynes of helle and of the ioyes of heuene / and in trust of the grace of the holy goost that wole yeue hym myght to perfourne his goode entente .

 ¶ Sequitur de Auaricia .

[739]

After Accidie / wol I speke of Auarice and of Coueitise / of which synne seith seint Paule¶ Sanctus Paulus that the roote of alle harmes is Coueitise. Ad Thimotheum .6o. [740] ffor soothly whan the herte of a man. is confounded in it self and troubled and that the soule / hath lost the confort of god. thanne seketh he an ydel solas of worldly thynges /

[741] Auarice / after the descripcion of seint Augustyn.¶ What Auarice is secundum Augustinum is likerousnesse in herte to haue erthely thynges. [742] ¶ Som oother folk seyn / that Auarice / is. for to purchacen manye erthely thynges. and no thyng yeue to hem that han nede / [743] ¶ And vnderstoond / that Auarice / ne stant nat oonly in lond ne catel but som|tyme / in science and in glorie. and in euery manere of outrageous thyng is Auarice and Coueitise / [744] ¶ And the difference bitwixe Auarice and Coueitise is this¶ Of the differ|ence / bitwixe Auarice and Coueitise ¶ Coueitise / is for to coueite swiche thynges as thou hast nat ‖. And Auarice / is for to withholde and kepe swiche thynges as thou hast with-oute rightful nede [745] ¶ soothly this Auarice is a synne / that is ful dampnable. for al hooly writ curseth it / and speketh agayns that vice. for it dooth wrong to Ihesu crist. [746] for it bireueth hym the loue that men to hym owen / and turneth it bakward agayns alle reson. [747] and maketh that the Auaricious man / hath moore hope in his catel / than in Ihesu crist and dooth moore obseruance in kepynge of his tresor / than he dooth to seruice of Ihesu crist. [748] And therfore seith seint Paul ad Ephesios 5o. that an Auaricious man / isPanlus ad Ephesios .5o. the thraldom of ydolatrie

[749] ¶ What difference / is bitwixe an ydolastre / and¶ Of the differ|ence bitwix an ydolastre and an auaricious man an Auaricious man? but that an ydolastre per auenture / ne hath but o Mawmet or two / and the Auaricious man hath manye. ffor certes / euery floryn in his cofre is his Mawmet/. [750] And certes the synne of Mawmettrie is the firste thyng that God deffended in the ten comaund|mentz as bereth witnesse Exodi capitulo .20o [751] ¶ Thou¶ Exodi capitulo. 20o shalt haue no false goddes bifore me / ne thou shalt make to thee no graue thyng. thus is an Auaricious man that loueth his tresor biforn god an ydolastre / [752] thurgh this cursed synne of Auarice Of Coueitise comen thise¶ Of Coueitise harde lordshipes / thurgh whiche men been distreyned by taylages / custumes and cariages / moore than hire duetee or reson is / And eek they taken of hire bonde men Amercimentz. whic[h]e myghten moore resonably ben cleped extorcions than Amercimentz [753] ¶ Of whiche Amercimentz and raunsonynge of bondemen / somme lordes stywardes / seyn that it is rightful. for as muche as a cherl / hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his lordes / as they seyn / [754] but certes thise lordshipes doon wrong that bireuen hire bonde folk. thynges that they neuere yaue hem /. Augustinus de civitate. libro. 9o. [755]¶ Augustinus de civitate. libro. 9o. ¶ Sooth is / þat the condicion of thraldom and the firste cause of thraldom is for synne genesis 9o.¶ genesis .9o.

[756] ¶ Thus may ye seen that the gilt disserueth thraldom / but nat nature /. [757] wherfore thise lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in hir lordshipes / sith that by natureel condicion they been nat lordes of thralles. but that thraldom comth first by the desert of synne [758] ¶ And forther ouer / ther as the lawe seith / that temporeel goodes of boonde folk. been the goodes of hir lordshipes. ye that is for to vnderstonde. the goodes of the Emperour / to deffenden hem in hir right. but nat for to robben hem ne reuen hem [759] ¶ And therfore seith Seneca ¶ thy prudence sholde lyue benignely with¶ Seneca thy thralles /. [760] thilke þat thou clepest thy thralles been goddes peple. for humble folk/. been cristes freendes / they been contubernyal with the lord /

[761] ¶ Thynk eek / that of swich seed as cherles spryngeth. of swich seed spryngen lordes. As wel may the cherl be saued as the lord. [762] the same deeth þat takeþ the cherl. swich deeth taketh the lord. wherfore I rede / do right so with thy cherl. as thou woldest that¶ Nota thy lord dide with thee if thou were in his plit/. [763] euery synful man / is a cherl to synne I rede thee certes that thou lord werke in swiche wise with thy cherles. that they rather loue thee than drede / [764] I woot wel ther is degree aboue degree. as reson is and skile it is that men do hir deuoir/ ther as it is due / but certes extorcions and despit of youre vnderlynges / is dampnable /

[765] ¶ And forther ouer vnderstoond wel / that thise Conquerours / or tirauntz / maken ful ofte thralles of hem that been born / of as roial blood as been they that hem conqueren / [766] ¶ This name of thraldom / was¶ Genesis ‖ Male|dictus Canaan seruus seruorum erit / fratribus suis neuere erst kowth. til that Noe seyde / that his sone Canaan sholde be thral to hise bretheren for his synne [767] What seye we thanne / of hem that pilen and doon¶ Of hem þat pilen & doon extorcions in hooly chirche extorcions in hooly chirche? / ¶ Certes / the swerd that men yeuen first to a knyght whan he is newe dubbed / signifieth / that he sholde deffenden hooly chirche / and nat robben it ne pilen it /. and who so dooth is traitour to Crist [768] ¶ And as seith seint Augustyn / they been¶ sanctus Augustinus the deueles wolues that stranglen the sheepe of Ihesu crist. and doon worse than wolues. [769] ffor soothly / whan the wolf hath ful his wombe / he stynteth to strangle sheepe. / but soothly / the pilours and destroy|ours of goddes hooly chirche / ne do nat so / for they ne stynte neuere to pile [770] NOw as I haue seyd / sith so is / that synne / was first cause of thraldom. thanne is it thus. / that thilke tyme that al this world was in synne. thanne was al this world in thraldom and subieccion [771] ¶ but certes / sith the time of grace cam / god ordeyned that som folk sholde be moore heigh in estaat and in degree. and som folk moore lough. and that euerich / sholde be serued in his estaat. . . . .no gap in MS. [772] and therfore / in somme contrees ther they byen thralles. whan they han turned hem to the feith. they maken hire thralles free out of thraldom. And therfore certes / the lord oweth to his man. that the man oweth to his lord ‖. [773] the Pope calleth hym-self seruant of the seruantz of god. / but for as muche as the estaat of hooly chirche. ne myghte nat han be / ne the commune profit myghte nat han be kept. ne pees and reste in erthe / but if god hadde ordeyned that som men hadde hyer degree and som men lower/ [774] therfore / was souereyntee ordeyned / to kepe and mayntene and def|fenden hire vnderlynges or hire subgetz in reson / as fer|forth as it lith in hire power/. and nat to destroyen hem ne confounde [775] ¶ Wherfore I seye / that thilke lordes that been lyk wolues that deuouren the possessions or the catel of poure folk wrongfully with-outen mercy or mesure / [776] they shul receyuen by the same mesure¶ Eadem mensura &c that they han mesured to poure folk/ the mercy of Ihesu crist but if it be amended [777] ¶ NOw comth deceite /¶ Of deceite / bitwixe Mar|chaunt and Marchant/ bitwixe Marchant and Marchant ¶ And thow shalt vnder|stonde that marchandise / is in manye maneres. that oon is bodily and that oother is goostly. that oon is honeste and leueful. and that oother is deshoneste and vnleueful [778] Of thilke bodily marchandise that is leueful and¶ Of bodily marchandise that is leueful & honeste honeste. is this /. that there as god hath ordeyned that a regne or a contree / is suffisant to hym self/. thanne is it honeste and leueful. that of habundaunce of this contree. that men helpe another contree that is moore nedy /. [779] And therfore / ther moote been Marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree to that oother / hire march|andises [780] ¶ That oother marchandise that men haunten with fraude and trecherie and deceite. with lesynges and false othes / is cursed and dampnable [781] Espiritueel marchandise / is proprely Symonye /.¶ Of espiritueel marchandise / that is Symonye that is ententif desir/ to byen thyng espiritueel. that is // thyng that aperteneth to the Seintuarie of god / and to cure of the soule [782] ¶ this desir/ if so be that a man do his diligence to parfournen it. al be it that his desir ne take noon effect. yet is it to hym a deedly synne / and if he be ordred / he is irreguleer [783] Certes Symonye / is cleped of Simon Magus / that wolde han¶ Of whom Symonye bereth his name boght for temporeel catel. the yifte that god hadde yeuen by the hooly goost. to seint Peter and to the Apostles ‖. [784] And therfore vnderstoond that bothe he that selleth and he that beyeth thynges espirituels / been¶ Of diuerse maneres of symonye cleped Symonyals. be it by catel. be it by procurynge / or by flesshly preyere of hise freendes / flesshly freendes / or espiritueel freendes [785] ¶ flesshly in two maneres /. As by kynrede / or othere freendes. soothly if they praye for hym that is nat worthy and able / it is Symonye. if he take the benefice. / and if he be worthy and able / ther nys noon [786] ¶ That oother manere is / whan a man or¶ Of another manere of Symonye womman preyen for folk to auauncen hem oonly / for wikked flesshly affeccion that they have vn-to the persone and that is foul Symonye [787] ¶ but certes in seruice / for which men yeuen thynges espirituels vn-to hir seruantz. it moot been vnderstonde / þat the seruice / moot been honeste / and elles nat. and eek / that it be with-outen bargaynynge. and that the persone be able. [788] for as seith Seint Damasie ¶ Alle the synnes of the¶ sanctus damasius world / at regard of this synne / arn as thyng of noght. for it is the gretteste synne that may be. after the synne of Lucifer and Antecrist. [789] for by this synne / god forleseth / the chirche and the soule that he boghte with his precious blood / by hem þat yeuen chirches to hem that been nat digne. [790] for they putten in theues that stelen the soules of Ihesu crist and destroyen his patri|moyne ‖. [791] by swiche vndigne preestes and Curates / han lewed men the lasse reuerence of the sacramentz of hooly chirche. and swiche yeueres of chirches putten out the children of Crist /. and putten in to the chirche the deueles owene sone. [792] they sellen the soules / that lambes sholde kepen to the wolf that strangleth hem /. And therfore / shul they neuere han part of the pasture of lambes / that is the blisse of heuene [793] NOw comth / hasardrie with hise apur|tenances.¶ Of hasardrye with hise apur|tenaunces as tables and Rafles. of which / comth deceite. false othes. chidynges. and alle rauynes. blasphemynge and reneiynge of god. and hate of hise neighebores. wast of goodes. mysspendynge of tyme. and somtyme man|slaughtre .‖. [794] Certes / hasardours ne mowe nat been with-outen greet synne . . . . .no gap in the MS. [795]¶ How of Auarice. comen. lesynges. fals witnesse. and false othes. Of Auarice / comen eek lesynges. thefte. fals witnesse. and false othes ‖. And yeshul vnderstonde that thise been grete synnes. and expres agayn the comaundementz of god as I haue seyd [796] ¶ ffals witnesse. is in word and eek in dede¶ Of fals witnesse ¶ In word / as for to bireue thy neighebores goode name by thy fals witnessyng. or bireuen hym his catel or his heritage. by thy fals witnessyng. whan thou for Ire / or for meede. or for enuye. berest fals witnesse / or accusest hym or excusest hym by thy fals witnesse. or elles ex|cusest thy self falsly. [797] ware yow questemongeres and Notaries ¶ Certes. for fals witnessyng was Susanna in ful gret sorwe and peyne. and many another mo / [798] ¶ The synne of thefte is eek expres agayns goddes heeste. and in¶ Of the synne of thefte two maneres / corporeel. or espiritueel. [799] [Corporeel]¶ Of thefte corporeel as for to take thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl be it by force or by sleighte. be it by Met or by mesure. [800] By stelyng eek of false enditementz vpon hym. and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel. in entente neuere to payen it agayn and semblable thynges / [801] ¶ Es|piritueel thefte / is Sacrilege. that / is to seyn / hurt|ynge ¶ Of thefte espiritueel of hooly thynges. or of thynges sacred to crist in two maneres. by reson of the hooly place. as chirches or chirche hawes. [802] for which euery vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places / may be cleped sacrilege. or euery violence in the semblable places / ¶ Also / they that withdrawen falsly / the rightes that longen to hooly chirche [803] ¶ And pleynly and generally .sacrilege. is / to reuen hooly thyng/ fro hooly place /. or vnhooly thyng out/ of hooly place. / or hooly thing out of vn|hooly place

 ¶ Releuacio contra peccatum Auaricie .

[804]

NOw shul ye vnderstonde. that the releeuynge of Auarice. is Misericorde and pitee largely taken /. And men myghten axe. why that Misericorde and pitee.¶ Of Misericorde & pitee is releeuynge of Auarice [805] ¶ Certes / the Auaricious man / sheweth no pitee ne Misericorde to the nedeful man / for he deliteth hym in the kepynge of his tresor. and nat in the rescowynge ne releeuynge of his euene cristene. and therfore speke I first of Misericorde / [806] ¶ Thanne is Misericorde / as seith the Philosophre.¶ What Miseri|corde is secundum Philosophum a vertu / by which the corage of man is stired by the mysese of hym that is mysesed /. [807] vp-on which Misericorde folweth pitee in parfournynge of charitable werkes of Misericorde [808] And certes thise thynges /¶ Of thynges / that sholde moeue a man to Misericorde moeuen a man to Misericorde of Ihesu crist. that he yaf hym self for oure gilt. and suffred deeth for Misericorde / and forgaf vs oure originale synnes. [809] and therby relessed vs fro the peynes of helle. and amenused the peynes of Purgatorie by penitence and yeueth grace wel to do / and atte laste the blisse of heuene / [810] The speces of Misericorde been. as for to lene and for to yeue /. and to foryeuen and relesse. and for to han¶ Of the speces of Misericorde pitee in herte and compassion of the meschief of his euene cristene. And eek to chastise there as nede is / [811] ¶ Another manere of remedie agayns Auarice / is¶ Of another remedie agayn Auarice resonable largesse / but soothly heere bihoueth the con|sideracion of the grace of Ihesu crist and of hise temporeel goodes / and eek of the goodes perdurables that crist yaf to vs. [812] and to han remembrance / of the deeth that he shal receyue. he noot whanne. where. ne how /. and eek that he shal forgon al that he hath. saue oonly / that he hath despended in goode werkes.

[813] ¶ But for as muche as som folk been vnmesur|able. men oughten eschue fool largesse that men¶ Of fool largesse clepen wast / [814] ¶ Certes / he that is fool large ne yeueth nat his catel / but he leseth his catel ‖. Soothly / what thyng that he yeueth for veyne glorie. as to Mynstrals and to folk /. for to beren his renoun in the world. he hath synne ther-of and noon Almesse. [815] certes he leseth foule his good. that ne seketh with the yifte of his good / no thyng but synne. [816] He is lyk/ to an hors that seketh. rather to drynken drouy or trouble water / than for to drynken water of the clere welle. / [817] And for as muchel as they yeuen. ther as they sholde nat yeuen. to hem aperteneth thilke malison / that crist shal yeuen at the day of doome / to hem / that shullen been dampned . . .

 Sequitur de gulâ

[818]

After Auarice comth Glotonye / which is expres eek agayn the comandement of god ¶ Glotonye / is¶ What Glotonye is vnmesurable Appetit to ete or to drynke / or elles to doon ynogh to the vnmesurable Appetit and desordeynee coueitise to eten or to drynke. [819] ¶ This synne cor|rumped al this world. as is wel shewed / in the synne of Adam and of Eue ¶ Looke eek / what seith seint Paul of¶ Sanctus Paulus Glotonye [820] ¶ Manye seith seint Paul goon / of whiche I haue ofte seyd to yow. and now I seye it wepynge / that been the enemys of the croys of Crist. of whiche the ende is deeth. and of whiche / hire wombe is hire god and hire glorie / in confusion of hem / that so devouren erthely thynges [821] ¶ He that is vsant / to this synne of Glotonye / he ne may no synne withstonde. he moot been in seruage of alle vices. for it is the deueles hoord / ther he hideth hym and resteth [822] ¶ This¶ Of the speces of Glotonye synne hath manye speces ¶ The firste / is dronkenesse.¶ The firste spece of Glotonye that is the horrible sepulture of mannes reson. and ther|fore / whan a man is dronken / he hath lost his reson. and this is deedly synne [823] ¶ But soothly. whan that a man is nat wont to strong drynke. and perauenture / ne knoweth nat the strengthe of the drynke. or hath feblesse in his heed. or hath trauailed. thurgh which he drynketh the moore. al be he sodeynly caught with drynke / it is no deedly synne / but venyal [824] ¶ The seconde spece of¶ The .ij.de spece of Glotonye Glotonye is. that the spirit of a man / wexeth al trouble. for dronkenesse bireueth hym the discrecion of his wit [825] ¶ The thridde spece of Glotonye. is whan a man¶ The .iij.de spece of Glotonye deuoureth his mete. and hath no rightful manere of etynge [826] ¶ The fourthe is. whan thurgh the grete habund|aunce¶ The .iiij.e spece of Glotonye of his mete. the humours in his body / been des|tempred [827] ¶ The fifthe. is foryetelnesse by to muchel¶ The .v.e spece of Glotonye drynkynge. for which somtyme a man foryeteth er the morwe. what he dide at euen. or on the nyght biforn

[828] ¶ In oother manere been distinct the speces of /¶ Of othere manere speces of Glotonye. whiche been likned to the .v. fyngres of the deueles hand. secundum sanctum Gregorium Glotonye after seint Gregorie ¶ The firste is. for to ete bi|forn tyme to ete ¶ The seconde is / whan a man get hym. to delicaat mete / or drynke [829] ¶ The thridde is. whan men taken to muche ouer mesure ¶ The fourthe is curiositee with greet entente. to maken and apparaillen his mete ¶ The fifthe is. for to eten to gredily [830] Thise been / the fyue fyngres of the deueles hand. by whiche. he draweth folk to synne . . . .

¶ Remedium contra peccatum Gule .

[831]

Agayns Glotonye is the remedie Abstinence. as seith Galien. but that holde I nat meritorie. if he do it oonly for the heele of his body ‖. seint Augustyn wole / that Abstinence be doon for vertu and¶ Augustinus with pacience [832] ¶ Abstinence he seith is litel worth /. but if a man haue good wil ther-to. and but it be enforced by pacience and by charitee. and that men doon it for godes sake. and in hope to haue the blisse of heuene

[833] ¶ The felawes of Abstinence / been. Attemper|aunce ¶ Of the felawes of Abstinence that holdeth the meene in alle thynges ¶ Eek¶ Attemperaunce shame. that eschueth alle deshonestee ¶ Suffisance / that¶ Shame¶ Suffisaunce seketh no riche metes ne drynkes. ne dooth no fors of to outrageous apparailynge of mete [834] ¶ Mesure also. that restreyneth by reson / the deslauee appetit of etynge ¶ Sobrenesse also. that restreyneth the outrage of drynke ‖¶ Sobrenesse [835] sparynge also. that restreyneth the delicaat ese to sitte longe at his mete and softely. wherfore / som folk stonden of hir owene wyl / to eten / at the lasse leyser

 ¶ Sequitur de Luxuria .

[836]

After Glotonye / thanne comth lecherie. for thise two synnes / been so ny cosyns. that ofte tyme / they wol nat departe. [837] god woot this synne is ful displesant thyng to god. ffor he seyde hym self/ do no lecherie. and therfore / he putte grete peynes agayns this synne / in the olde lawe [838] ¶ If wom|man ¶ Of diuerse Iuyses / to diuerse wommen of estaat/ for the synne of lecherye thral / were taken in this synne. she sholde be beten with staues to the deeth. And if she were a gentil womman / she sholde be slayn with stones. And if she were a bisshoppes doghter/ she sholde been brent by goddes comandement [839] ¶ fforther ouer/ by the¶ How for the synne of lecherie al the world was dreynt/ And .v. Citees brent & sonken synne of lecherie / god dreynte al the world / at the diluge. And after that he brente .v. Citees with thonder leyt and sank hem in to helle

[840] Now lat vs speke thanne / of thilke stynkynge¶ Of the synne of Auowtrie synne of lecherie that men clepe Auowtrie. of wedded folk /. that is to seyn. if that oon of hem be wedded. or elles bothe [841] ¶ Seint Iohn seith that Auowtiers¶ Nota secun|dum Iohannem shullen been in helle / in a stank brennynge of fyr and of Brymston . . . . .no gap in the MS. for the stynk of hire ordure /. [842] Certes / the brekynge of this sacrement is an horrible thyng/. it was maked of god hym self in paradys and confermed by Ihesu crist as witnesseth seint Mathew in the gospel. A man shal lete¶ Mathei. 19o. fader and mooder/ and taken hym to his wif/ And they shullen be two in o flessh [843] ¶ This sacrement bitok|neth the knyttynge togidre / of Crist and of hooly chirche. [844] And nat oonly that god forbad Auowtrie in dede. but eek he comanded that thou sholdest nat coueite thy neighebores wyf [845] ¶ In this heeste seith seint Augustyn. is forboden alle manere coueitise to doon¶ Sanctus Augustinus lecherie ¶ Lo what seith seint Mathew in the gospel. that¶ Mathei .v.to who so seeth a womman to coueitise of his lust /. he hath doon lecherie / with hire in his herte. [846] Heere may ye seen / that nat oonly. the dede of this synne is forboden. but eek the desir / to doon that synne / [847] This cursed synne anoyeth greuousliche hem that it haunten ¶ And first to hire soule. for he obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that is perdurable ‖. [848] vn-to the body. anoyeth it greuously also for it dreyeth hym. and wasteth. and shent hym. and of his blood he maketh sacrifice to the feend of helle. it wasteth his catel and his substance. [849] And certes if it be a foul thyng / a man to waste¶ Nota his catel on wommen. yet is it a fouler thyng/. whan that for swich ordure. wommen dispenden vp-on men hir catel and substance [850] ¶ This synne as seith the prophete¶ propheta bireueth man and womman hir goode fame. and al hire honour. and it is ful plesant to the deuel. for ther-by wynneth he. the mooste partie of this world ‖. [851] And right as a Marchant/ deliteth hym moost in chaffare / that he hath moost auantage of // right so deliteth the fend in this ordure.

[852] this is that oother hand of the deuel / with .v.¶ Of .v. fyngres of the deueles hande fyngres to cacche the peple to his vileynye [853] ¶ The firste fynger / is the fool lookynge of the fool womman.¶ The firste fyngre and of the fool man. that sleeth / right as the Basilicok sleeth folk by the venym of his sighte. for the coueitise of eyen / folweth the coueitise of the herte [854] ¶ The seconde fynger / is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede¶ The .ij.de fynger manere. And ther-fore seith Salomon. / That who so¶ Salomon toucheth and handleth a womman. he fareth lyk hym that handleth the Scorpion þat styngeth and sodeynly sleeth / thurgh his enuenymynge. as who so toucheth warm pych. it shent hise fyngres [855] ¶ The thridde. is¶ The .iij.de fynger foule wordes. that fareth lyk fyr. that right anon / brenneth the herte [856] ¶ The fourthe fynger / is the¶ The .iiij.e fynger kissynge. and trewely / he were a greet fool that wolde kisse the mouth of a brennynge Ouene / or of a fourneys. [857] And moore fooles been they that kissen in vileynye. for that mouth / is the mouth of helle. and namely thise olde dotardes holours. yet wol they kisse / though¶ How thise olde lecchours / been likned to houndes they may nat do and smatre hem [858] Certes / they been lyk to houndes. for an hound / whan he comth by the Roser / or by othere beautees. though he may nat pisse. yet wole he heue vp his leg / and make a con|tenance to pisse [859] And for that many man weneth.¶ Nota that he may nat synne. for no likerousnesse that he dooth with his wyf/./ Certes that opinion is fals. god woot. a man may sleen hym self/ with his owene knyf / and make hym seluen dronken of his owene tonne ‖. [860] Certes be it wyf be it child / or any worldly thyng/ that he loueth biforn god. it is his mawmet and he is an ydolastre [861] ¶ Man sholde louen his wyf/ by discrecion¶ How a man sholde louen his wyf paciently and atemprely. and thanne is she. as though it were his suster [862] ¶ The fifthe fynger of the deueles¶ The ve fynger of the deueles hande hand is the stynkynge dede of leccherie [863] ¶ Certes the .v. fyngres of Glotonie the feend put in the wombe of a man. and with hise .v. fyngres of lecherie. he gripeth hym by the reynes / for to throwen hym in to the fourneys of helle. [864] ther as they shul han the fyr and the wormes that euere shul lasten. and wepynge and wailynge / sharpe hunger and thurst. and grymnesse of deueles / that shullen al to-trede hem with-outen respit and with|outen ende [865] ¶ Of leccherie / as I seyde / sourden¶ Of diuerse speces of leccherie diuerse speces ¶ As ffornicacion / that is bitwixe man and womman / that been nat maried. and this is deedly synne and agayns nature. [866] Al that is enemy and destruccion to nature. is agayns nature [867] Parfay / the reson of a man / telleth eek hym wel / that it is deedly synne. for as muche. as god forbad leccherie. And seint Paul yeueþ hem the regne that nys dewe to no wight. but to hem that doon deedly synne [868] ANother synne¶ Of the synne. to bireue. a mayden / of hir maydenhede of leccherie. is to bireue a mayden of hir maydenhede. for he that so dooth. / certes / he casteth a mayden / out of the hyeste degree that is in this present lif. [869] and bireueþ hire thilke precious fruyt that the book clepeth the hundred fruyt I ne kan seye it noon oother weyes in englissh. but in latyn / it highte Centesimus fructus [870] ¶ Certes / he that so dooth. is cause of manye damages and vileynyes / mo than any man kan rekene. right as he som tyme is cause of alle damages that beestes don in the feeld. that breketh the hegge or the closure. thurgh which he destroyeth. that may nat been restoored. [871] ¶ ffor certes / namoore may maydenhede be re|stoored. than an Arm that is smyten fro the body may retourne agayn to wexe. / [872] She may haue mercy this woot I wel. if she do penitence. but neuere shal it be / that she nas corrupt [873] ¶ And al be it so that I haue spoken somwhat of Auowtrie. it is good to shewen mo perils that longen to Auowtrie. for to eschue that foule synne [874] Auowtrie in latyn is for to seyn. Approchynge¶ What Auowtrie is / . And of diuerse perils þat longen to Auowtrie of oother mannes bed. thurgh which / tho that whilom weren o flessh abawndone hir bodyes to othere persones [875] ¶ Of this synne / as seith the wise man folwen manye harmes ¶ ffirst brekynge of feith. and certes. in feith is the keye of Cristendom. [876] and whan that feith is broken and lorn. soothly Cristendom stant veyn and with-outen fruyt [877] ¶ This synne is eek a¶ How in Auowtrie is com|prehended thefte thefte. for thefte generally is for to reue a wight his thyng agayns his wille [878] ¶ Certes / this is the fouleste thefte that may be. whan a womman / steleth hir body from hir housbonde and yeueth it to hire holour to defoulen hire ./ and steleth hir soule fro Crist / and yeueth it to the deuel. [879] this is a fouler thefte. than for to breke a chirche and stele the chalice ‖. for thise Auowtiers breken the temple of god spiritually and stelen the vessel of grace. that is the body and the soule. for which Crist shal destroyen hem. as seith Seint Paul [880] ¶ Soothly¶ Sanctus Paulus of this thefte douted gretly Ioseph. whan that his lordes¶ Nota de Iosepho wyf preyed hym of vileynye. whan he seyde. lo my lady. how my lord hath take to me vnder my warde al that he hath in this world. ne no thyng of hise thynges is out of my power/ but oonly / ye that been his wyf. [881] And how sholde I thanne do this wikkednesse and synne so horrible agayns god / and agayns my lord? god it forbeede. Allas al to litel. is swich trouthe now y-founde [882] ¶ The thridde harm. is the filthe / thurgh which they breken the comandement of god. and defoulen the Actour of matrimoyne þat is Crist/. [883] ffor certes / in so muche as the sacrement of mariage is so noble and so digne. so muche is it gretter synne for to breken it. for god made mariage in Paradys in the estaat of Innocence to multiplye man kynde to the seruice of god. [884] and therfore. is the brekynge moore greuous. of which brekynge comen false heires ofte tyme that wrongfully ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore / wol Crist putte hem out of the regne of heuene that is heritage to goode folk [885] ¶ Of this brekynge comth eek ofte tyme. that folk vnwar / wedden or synnen with hire owene kynrede. and namely / thilke harlottes that haunten bordels of thise fool wommen. that mowe be likned to a commune gonge where as men purgen hire ordure [886] ¶ What seye we eek of Putours þat lyuen by the horrible synne of putrie.¶ Of putours that lyuen / by the puterye of wommen and constreyne wommen to yelden to hem a certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie. ye somtyme of his owene wyf/ or his child. as doon this bawdes / certes / thise been cursede synnes [887] ¶ Vnderstoond eek / that Auowtrie is set gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte and man|slaughtre. for it is / the gretteste thefte that may be. for it is thefte of body and of soule. [888] and it is lyk to homycide. for it kerueth atwo and breketh atwo / hem / that first were maked o flessh. and therfore / by the olde lawe of god they sholde be slayn. [889] but nathelees by the lawe of Ihesu crist that is lawe of pitee. whan he seyde to the womman that was founden in Auowtrie. and sholde han been slayn with stones. after the wyl of the Iewes as was hir lawe. Go quod Ihesu crist and haue na|moore wyl to synne. or wille namoore to do synne ‖ [890] Soothly / the vengeance of Auowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle but if so be / that it be destourbed by penitence [891] Yet been ther mo speces of this cursed synne. as whan that oon of hem is religious. or elles bothe.¶ Of Religious and ordred folk/ that vsen leccherye or of folk / that been entred in-to ordre. as subdekne or preest or hospitaliers. and euere the hyer that he is in ordre. the gretter is the synne [892] ¶ The thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne. is the brekynge of hire Auow of chastitee. whan they receyued the ordre ‖. [893] And forther ouer sooth is that hooly ordre. is chief of al the tresorie of god. and his especial signe and mark of chastitee. to shewe that they been ioyned to chastitee which that is moost precious lyf that is /. [894] And thise ordred folk been specially titled to god / and of the special meignee of god. for which / whan they doon deedly synne. they been / the special traytours of god and of his peple. for they lyuen of the peple ‖. . . . .no gap in the MS. [895] Preestes been Aungeles. as by the dignitee of hir mysterye /. but for sothe / seint Paul ¶ Sanctus Paulus seith /. that Sathanas transformeth hym in an Aungel of light. / [896] Soothly / the preest that haunteth deedly synne. he may be likned to the Aungel of derknesse transformed in the Aungel of light /. he semeth Aungel of light. but for sothe / he is Aungel of derknesse [897] ¶ swiche preestes been the sones of [first Belie]Helie. as sheweth in the book of Kynges. that they weren the¶ In libro Regum sones of Belial. that is the deuel ‖. [898] Belial is to seyn / with-outen Iuge. and so faren they / hem thynketh they been free and han no Iuge. namoore than hath a free bole that taketh / which Cow that hym liketh in the town. [899] so faren they by wommen. / ffor right as a free bole. is ynough for al a toun. right so is a wikked preest corrupcion ynough for al a parisshe. or for al a contree ‖. [900] Thise preestes as seith the book / ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthode to the peple. ne god ne knowe they nat. they ne holde hem nat apayd as seith the book of soden flessh that was to hem offred / but they tooke by force / the flessh that is rawe [901] ¶ Certes / so thise shrewes / ne holden hem nat apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh. with which the peple / fedden hem in greet reuerence. but they wole haue raw flessh of folkes wyues and hir doghtres. / [902] And certes / thise¶ Notate & cauete wommen that consenten to hire harlotrie / doon greet wrong to Crist and to hooly chirche / and alle halwes. and to alle soules. for they bireuen alle thise. hym that sholde worshipe Crist and hooly chirche And preye for cristene soules ‖. [903] And therfore han swiche preestes and hire lemmanes eek that consenten to hir leccherie the malison of al the court cristiene. til they come to amendement [904] The thridde spece of Auowtrie / is som tyme bitwixe¶ Of Auowtrie / bitwixe a man and his wyf/ a man and his wyf and that is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge. but oonly to hire flesshly delit /. as seith seint Ierome. [905] And ne rekken of no thyng but¶ Ieronimus that they been assembled. by cause that they been maried al is good ynough as thynketh to hem. [906] but in swich folk hath the deuel power / as seyde the Aungel Raphael¶ Angelus Raphael ad Thobiam to Thobie. for in hire assemblynge / they putten Ihesu crist out of hire herte. and yeuen hem self to alle ordure [907] The fourthe spece is. the assemblee of hem that been¶ Of the assem|blee of hem/ that/ been of o kynrede of hire kynrede. or of hem / that been of oon affynytee. or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres / or hir kynrede / han deled in the synne of lecherie / this synne / maketh hem lyk to houndes that taken no kepe to kynrede¶ Of kynrede in two maneres / outher goostly / or flesshely [908] ¶ And certes parentele is in two maneres / outher goostly or flesshly /. goostly / as for to deelen with hise godsibbes. [909] for right so as he that engendreth a child / is his flesshly fader / right so is his godfader / his fader espiritueel. for which / a womman may in no lasse synne assemblen with hire godsib / than with hire owene flesshly brother [910] The fifthe spece. is thilke abhomynable¶ The .ve. speche of leccherie synne. of which / that no man vnnethe oghte speke ne write. nathelees / it is openly reherced in holy writ ‖ [911] This cursednesse doon men and wommen in diuerse entente and in diuerse manere. but though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne. certes / hooly writ may nat been defouled. namoore / than the sonne that shyneth on the Mixne [912] Another synne aperteneth to leccherie that¶ Of the synne of Polucioun comþ in slepynge. and this synne cometh ofte / to hem that been maydenes / and eek/ to hem that been corrupt. and this synne men clepen Polucion that comth in .iij. maneres ‖. [913] Somtyme / of langwissynge of body / for the humours been to ranke / and habundaunt in the body of man ¶ Somtyme of infermetee. for the fieblesse of the vertu retentif. as phisik maketh mencion ¶ som tyme for surfeet of mete and drynke [914] ¶ And somtyme / of vileyns thoghtes. that been enclosed in mannes mynde / whan he gooth to slepe. which may nat been with-oute synne. for which men moste kepen hem wisely. or elles / may men synnen ful greously

 ¶ Remedium contra peccatum luxurie .

[915]

NOw comth the remedie agayns leccherie. and that is generally Chastitee and Continence. that re|streyneth alle / the desordeynee moeuynges / that comen of flesshly talentes. [916] And euere / the gretter merite shal he han. that moost restreyneth the wikkede eschaw|fynges of the ordure of this synne. and this is in two¶ Of chastitee in two maneres maneres. that is to seyn / chastitee in mariage and chastitee of widwehode [917] NOw shaltow vnderstonde that matrimoyne / is leefful assemblynge of man And of¶ What matri|moyne is womman / that receyuen by vertu of the sacrement the boond. thurgh which they may nat be departed in al hir lyf that is to seyn. whil that they lyuen bothe [918] This as seith the book/ is a ful greet sacrement. god maked it. as I haue seyd in Paradys. and wolde hym self. be born in mariage. [919] and for to halwen mariage. he was at a weddynge. where as he turned water in to wyn. which was / the firste miracle that he wroghte in erthe biforn hise disciples [920] ¶ Trewe effect of¶ Of trewe effect/ of mariage mariage / clenseth fornicacion and replenysseth hooly chirche of good lynage. for that is the ende of mariage. and it chaungeth deedly synne in to venial synne / bitwixe hem that been ywedded. and maketh the hertes al oon / of hem that been ywedded. as wel as the bodies. [921] verray mariage. that was establissed by god. er that synne bigan. whan natureel lawe / was in his right poynt in Paradys and it was ordeyned. that o man /¶ How o man sholde haue but o womman. And o womman but o man in mariage secun|dum Augusti|num sholde haue but o womman. and o. womman but o man. as seith Seint Augustyn by manye resons

[922] ¶ ffirst for mariage is figured / bitwixe Crist and holy chirche. And that oother is for a man / is heued of a womman. algate / by ordinaunce it sholde be so. [923] ffor if a womman / hadde no men than oon. thanne sholde she haue / moo heuedes than oon. and that were an horrible thyng biforn god. and eek / a womman / ne myghte nat plese to many folk / at oones. / And also / ther ne sholde neuere be pees ne reste amonges hem. for euerich / wolde / axen his owene thyng [924] ¶ And forther ouer / no man ne sholde knowe / his owene en|gendrure. ne who sholde haue his heritage. and the womman sholde been the lasse biloued / fro the tyme that she were / conioynt to many men

[925] NOw comth / how that a man sholde bere hym¶ How a man sholde bere him with his wyf/ with his wif / and namely in two thynges. that is to seyn / in suffrance and reuerence as shewed Crist. whan he made first womman. [926] ffor he ne made hire nat of the heued of Adam. for she sholde nat clayme to greet lordshipe [927] for ther as the womman hath the maistrie / she maketh to muche desray / ther neden none ensamples of this. the experience of day by day oghte suffise [928] ¶ Also certes / god ne made nat womman of the foot of Adam / for she ne sholde nat been holden to lowe. for she kan nat paciently suffre. but god made womman of the ryb of Adam. for womman sholde be felawe vn-to man [929] Man sholde bere hym to his wyf In feith / in trouthe / and in loue / as seith seint¶ Sanctus Paulus Paul. that a man sholde louen his wyf / as Crist loued hooly chirche /. that loued it so wel / that he deyde for it. so sholde a man for his wy[f] if it were nede

[930] ¶ Now / how that a womman / sholde be subget¶ How a womman / sholde be subget to hir housbonde / secundum Petrum & decretum to hire housbonde that telleth seint Peter. ffirst in Obedi|ence [931] ¶ And eek / as seith the decree. A womman that is wyf / as longe as she is a wyf / she hath noon Auctoritee to swere ne bere witnesse / with-oute leue of hir housbonde. that is hire lord / algate / he sholde be so by reson [932] ¶ She sholde eek/ seruen hym in alle honestee. and been attempree of hire array /. I woot wel/ that they sholde setten hire entente to plesen hir hous|bondes but nat by hire queyntise of array [933] ¶ Seint¶ Nota secun|dum sanctum Ieronimum Ierome seith / that wyues / that been apparailled in silk/ and in precious purpre. ne mowe nat clothen hem in Ihesu Crist. / What seith seint Iohn eek / in thys matere?‖ [934] Seint Gregorie eek seith. that no wight seketh¶ Sanctus Gregorius precious array. but oonly for veyne glorie / to been honoured the moore / biforn the peple ‖. [935] It is a greet folye /. a womman to haue a fair array outward / and in hir self / foul inward [936] ¶ A wyf / sholde eek be¶ How a wyf sholde be mesur|able in lookynge & in berynge &cetera mesurable in lookynge and in berynge and in lawghynge / and discreet in alle hire wordes / and hire dedes. [937] and abouen alle worldly thyng she sholde louen hire housbonde with al hire herte. and to hym / be trewe of hir body [938] ¶ so sholde an housbonde eek be to his wyf /. ffor sith that/ al the body / is the housbondes. so sholde hire herte been. or elles / ther is bitwixe hem two. as in that no parfit mariage [939] Thanne shal men vnder|stonde. ¶ How a man & his wyf/ mowen assemblen flesshely for .iij. thynges that for thre thynges / a man and his wyf flesshly mowen assemble ‖ ¶ The firste. is in entente of engen drure of children. to the seruice of god. ffor certes / that is the cause final of matrimoyne [940] ¶ Another cause is. to yelden euerich of hem to oother / the dette of hire bodies. ffor neither of hem / hath power ouer his owene body / ¶ The thridde is. for to eschewe leccherye and vileynye ¶ The ferthe / is for sothe deedly synne [941] As to the firste / it is meritorie /. the seconde also / for as seith the decree. that she hath [merite of chastitee] þat yeldeth to¶ In decreto hire housbonde the dette of hir body. ye though it be agayn hir likynge and the lust of hire herte [942] ¶ The thridde manere is venyal synne. and trewely scarsly may ther any [of] thise be with-oute venial synne / for the corrupcion and for the delit / [943] ¶ The fourthe manere is for to vnderstonde. if they assemble oonly for amorous loue / and for noon of the foreseyde causes. but for to accomplice thilke brennynge delit / they rekke neuere how ofte. soothly it is deedly synne. and yet with sorwe somme folk wol peynen hem moore to doon / than to hire appetit suffiseth

[944] The seconde manere of chastitee / is for to been¶ Of chastitee in wydwehede a clene wydewe and eschue the embracynges of man and desiren the embracynge of Ihesu crist. [945] thise been tho þat han been wyues and han forgoon hire hous|bondes. and eek wommen þat han doon leccherie and been releeued by Penitence [946] ¶ And certes. if þat a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast by licence of hir housbonde so þat she yeue neuere noon occasion þat he agilte. it were to hire a greet merite [947] ¶ Thise manere wommen þat obseruen chastitee . . . . .no gap in the MS. in clothynge and in contenance / & been abstinent in etynge. and drynkynge. in spekynge / and in dede. they been the vessel / or the boyste of the blissed Magdelene / þat fulfilleth hooly chirche of good odour [948] The thridde¶ Of chastitee in virginitee manere of chastitee is virginitee. and it bihoueth þat she be hooly in herte and clene of body / thanne is she spouse to Ihesu crist and she is the lyf of Angeles. [949] she is the preisynge of this world. and she is as thise martirs in egalitee. she hath in hire. that tonge may nat telle ne herte thynke ‖. [950] Virginitee baar oure lord Ihesu crist and virgine was hym selue

[951] Another remedie agayns leccherie. is specially /¶ Of another remedie agayns leccherye to withdrawen swiche thynges / as yeue occasion to thilke vileynye. as ese. etynge and drynkynge / for certes / whan the pot boyleth strongly /. the beste remedie is to with|drawe the fyr [952] ¶ Slepynge. longe in greet quiete. is eek a greet norice to leccherie

[953] ¶ Another remedie agayns leccherie. is / þat a¶ Another remedie agayns leccherie man or a womman eschue the compaignye of hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted. for al be it so þat the dede is withstonden. yet is ther greet temptacion ‖. [954] Soothly. a whit wal. al-though it ne brenne noght fully by stikynge of a candele. yet is the wal blak of the leyt. [955] ¶ fful ofte tyme I rede. þat no man truste in¶ Nota his owene perfeccion but he be stronger than Sampson. & hoolier than Danyel. & wiser than Salomon

[956] ¶ Now after þat I haue declared yow as I kan the seuene deedly synnes and somme of hire braunches and hire remedies; soothly if .I. koude .I. wolde telle yow the ten comandementz. [957] but so heigh a doctrine I lete to diuines. nathelees I hope to god. they been touched in this tretice euerich of hem alle

 ¶ Sequitur secunda pars Penitencie .

[958]

NOw for as muche. as the second partie of Penitence. stant in Confession of mouth / as I bigan in the firste Chapitre / I seye. seint Augustyn seithWhat synne is. secundum Augustinum [959] ¶ Synne is euery word and euery dede. and al þat men coueiten agayn the lawe of Ihesu crist. and this is for to synne. in herte. in mouth. and in dede by thy fiue wittes. that been. sighte. herynge. smellynge. tastynge /¶ Memorandum mors intrauit/ per fenestras or sauourynge. and feelynge; [960] Now is it good to vnderstonde that. þat agreggeth muchel euery synne¶ Of thynges þat agreggeth synne. and the firste is this [961] ¶ Thow shalt considere / what thow art þat doost the synne / wheither thou be male or femele. yong/ or oold. gentil or thral. free / or seruant. hool / or syk. wedded or sengle. ordred / or vnordred. wys or / fool. clerk / or seculeer. [962] if she be of thy kynrede / bodily or goostly or noon / if any of thy kynrede haue synned with hire or noon /. and manye mo thinges

[963] ¶ Another circumstaunce is this. wheither it be¶ The .ij.de circumstaunce doon in fornicacion or in Auowtrie or noon / Incest or noon /. mayden or noon. in manere of homicide / or noon. horrible grete synnes / or smale. and how longe thou hast continued in synne [964] ¶ The thridde circumstance / is¶ The .iij.de circumstaunce the place / ther thou hast do synne. wheither in oother mennes hous / or in thyn owene. in feeld or in chirche / or in chirchehawe. in chirche dedicaat / or noon. [965] for if the chirche be halwed. and man or womman spille his kynde in with that place by wey of synne or by wikked temptacion / the chirche is entredited . . . . .no gap in the MS. [966] and the preest þat dide swich a vileynye. to terme of al his lif/ he sholde namoore synge masse. and if he dide. he sholde doon deedly synne / at euery time þat he so songe masse / [967] ¶ The fourthe circumstance is. by whiche mediat|ours ¶ The .iiij.e circumstaunce / or by whiche messagers / as for enticement or for consentement to bere compaignye with felaweshipe. for many a wrecche for to bere compaignye shal go to the deuel of helle. [968] wher-fore / they þat eggen or con|senten to the synne / been parteners of the synne / and of the temptacion of the synnere.

[969] ¶ The fifthe circumstance. is / how manye tymes¶ The .v.e circumstaunce þat he hath synned / if it be in his mynde / and how ofte þat he hath falle. [970] for he þat ofte falleth in synne. he despiseth the mercy of god and encreesseth hys synne and is vnkynde to crist. and he wexeth the moore fieble to withstonde synne and synneth the moore lightly / [971] and the latter ariseth / and is the moore eschew for to shryuen hym / namely / to hym þat is his Con|fessour / [972] ffor which that folk / whan they falle agayn in hir olde folies. outher they forleten hir olde confessours al outrely. or elles they departen hir shrift in diuerse places. but soothly / swich departed shrift deserueth no mercy of god of hise synnes [973] ¶ The sixte circum|stance ¶ The .vj.e circumstaunce / is why þat a man synneth as by temptacion and if hym self procure thilke temptacion / or by the ex|citynge of oother folk. or if he synne with a womman by force / or by hire owene assent. [974] or if the womman maugree hir hed hath been afforced or noon / this shal she telle. ffor coueitise / or for pouerte. and if it was hire procurynge or noon / and swiche manere harneys [975] ¶ The seuenthe circumstance / is / in whatThe .vij.e circumstaunce manere he hath doon his synne / or how þat she hath suffred þat folk han doon to hire. [976] And the same shal the man telle pleynly with alle circumstances. and wheither he hath synned with comune bordel wommen or noon. [977] or doon his synne in hooly tymes or noon. in fast|ynge tymes or noon. or biforn his shrifte. or after his latter shrifte. [978] and hath per auenture / broken ther-fore his penance enioyned. by whos helpe and whos conseil. by sorcerie or craft. al moste be toold [979] ¶ Alle thise thynges. after þat they been grete or smale engreggen the conscience of man. And eek the preest þat is thy Iuge may the bettre been auysed of his Iuggement in yeuynge of thy penance and that is after thy contricion ‖ [980] ffor vnderstond wel þat after tyme þat a man hath defouled his baptesme by synne. if he wole come to saluacioun. ther is noon other wey / but by penitence / and shrifte and satisfaccioun [981] and namely by the two if ther be a confessour / to which he may shriuen hym / and the thridde if he haue lyf to parfournen it

[982] Thanne shal man looke and considere / þat if he wole maken a trewe and a profitable confessioun ther moste be .iiij. condicions [983] ¶ ffirst it moot been in¶ How shrift moot been sorweful sorweful bitternesse of herte. as seyde the kyng Ezechiel to¶ Nota de con|fessione Regis Ezechielis god /. I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lif in bitternesse of myn herte /. [984] this condicion of bitter|nesse ¶ How con|fessioun moste be shamefast/ hath fyue signes ¶ The firste is / þat confession moste be shamefast. nat for to couere ne hyden his synne / for he hath agilt his god and defouled his soule /. [985] And ther-of seith seint Augustyn ¶ the herte¶ Sanctus Augustinus. trauailleth for shame of his synne / and for he hath greet shamefastnesse / he is digne to haue greet mercy of god [986] ¶ Swich was the confession of the Puplican þatNota de con|fessione Publi|cani wolde nat heuen vp hise eyen to heuene / for he hadde offended god of heuene / for which shamefastnesse/ he hadde anon the mercy of god [987] ¶ And ther-of seith seint Augustyn /. that swich shamefast folk / been next foryeuenesse and remission [988] Another signe / is¶ Of humylitee in confessioun Vnde sanctus Petrus. humylitee in confessioun. of which seith seint Peter / Humbleth yow vnder the myght of god. the hond of god is myghty in confession. for ther-by / god foryeueth thee thy synnes. for he allone hath the power / [989] & this humylitee shal been in herte and in signe outward. for right as he hath humylitee to god in his herte? right so sholde he humble his body outward to the preest/ þat sit in goddes place. [990] ffor which in no manere sith þat crist is souereyn and the preest meene and mediatour bi|twixe crist and the synnere. and the synnere is the laste. by wey of reson [991] thanne sholde nat the synnere sitte as heighe as his confessour/ but knele biforn hym / or at his feet but if maladie destourbe it /. ffor he shal nat taken kepe. who sit there / but in whos place þat he sitteth ‖. [992] A man þat hath trespased to a lord and comth for to axe mercy and maken his accord. and set him doun anon by the lord / men wolde holden hym outrageous and nat worthy so soone for to haue remission ne mercy [993] ¶ The thridde signe is. how þat thy shrift sholde be ful of teeris if¶ How a mannes shrift/ sholde be ful of teeris man may / and if man may nat wepe with hise bodily eyen / lat hym wepe in herte /. [994] Swich was the confession¶ Nota de con|fessione sancti Petri / of seint Peter/ for after þat he hadde forsake Ihesu crist/ he wente out and weepe ful bitterly [995] ¶ The fourthe¶ How a man sholde nat lette for shame to shewen his con|fessioun signe is / þat he ne lette nat for shame to shewen his confession [996] ¶ swich was the confession of the Magdelene / þat ne spared for no shame of hem þat weren¶ Nota de con|fessione Marie Magdalene atte feeste for to go to oure lord Ihesu crist/ and biknowe to hym hire synnes [997] ¶ The fifthe signe is / that a man¶ How a man sholde been obeisaunt to receyue penaunce for hise synnes or a womman be obeisant to receyuen. the penaunce þat hym is enioyned for hise synnes. for certes Ihesu crist for the giltes of a man / was obedient to the deeth

[998] ¶ The seconde con[dicion] of verray confession /¶ How confes|sioun sholde been hastily doon for diuerse causes. is / þat it be hastily doon. for certes / if a man hadde a deedly wounde euere the lenger þat he taried to warisshe hym self / the moore wolde it corrupte and haste hym to his deeth and eek the wounde / wolde be the wors for to heele. [999] ¶ And right / so fareth synne / þat longe tyme is in a man vnshewed [1000] ¶ Certes a man oghte hastily shewen hise synnes for manye causes. as for drede of deeth þat cometh ofte sodenly. and no certeyn what tyme it shal be / ne in what place. and eek the drecchynge of o synne draweþ In another / [1001] and eek the lenger þat he tarieth / the ferther he is fro crist And if he abide to his laste day / scarsly may he shryuen hym / or re|membre hym of hise synnes / or repenten hym / for the greuous maladie of his deeth [1002] and for as muche as he ne hath nat in his lyf herkned Ihesu crist whanne he hath spoken. he shal crie to Ihesu crist at his laste day / and scarsly wol he herkne hym [1003] ¶ And vnderstond / that this condicion moste han foure thynges ¶ Thi shrift/ moste be purueyed bifore and auysed.¶ How a mannes shrift moste be purueyed & auysed biforn. for wikked haste dooth no profit/ and þat a man konne shryue hym of hise synnes / be it of pride or of Enuye and so forth of the speces and circumstances. [1004] and þat he haue comprehended in hys mynde the nombre and the greetnesse of hise synnes. and how longe þat he hath leyn in synne. [1005] and eek/ þat he be contrit of hise synnes. and in stidefast purpos by the grace of god neuere eft to falle in synne. and eek/ þat he drede and countrewaite hym self / þat he fle the occasions of synne to whiche he is enclyned [1006] ¶ Also / thou shalt shryue thee of alle¶ How a man shal shryue him of alle hise synnes to o man thy synnes to o man / and nat a parcel to o man and a parcel to another /. that is to vnderstonde in entente / to departe thy confession / as for shame or drede. for it nys but stranglynge of thy soule /. [1007] ffor certes Ihesu crist is entierly al good in hym nys noon inperfeccion. and therfore / outher he foryeueth al parfitly / or neuer a deel [1008] ¶ I seye nat þat if thow be assigned to the Penitancer for certein synne. þat thow art bounde to shewen hym al the remenant of thy synnes. of whiche thow hast be shryuen to thy curaat. but if it like to thee of thyn humylitee /. this is no departynge of shrifte. [1009] ne I seye nat ther as I speke of diuision of confes|sion / þat if thou haue licence for to shryue thee to a discreet and an honeste preest / where thee liketh and by licence of thy curaat. that thow ne mayst wel shryue thee to him of alle thy synnes. [1010] but lat no blotte be bihynde / lat no synne been vntoold / as fer as thow hast remem|braunce. [1011] and whan thou shalt be shryuen to thy curaat. telle hym eek alle the synnes þat thow hast doon / syn thou were last yshryuen / this is no wikked entente of diuision of shrifte

[1012] ¶ Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine con|dicions ¶ How a man sholde shryue him by his free wyl vncon|streyned / ¶ ffirst/ þat thow shryue thee by thy free wil noght constreyned. ne for shame of folk/. ne for maladie. ne swiche thynges. for it is reson þat he þat trespasseth by his free wyl. that by his free wyl / he confesse his trespas. [1013] and þat noon oother man telle his synne but he hym self. ne he shal nat nayte ne denye his synne. ne wratthe hym agayn the preest for his amonestynge to leue synne [1014] ¶ The seconde condicion. is þat thy¶ How a mannes shrift/ shal be laweful shrift be laweful. that is to seyn / that thow þat shryuest thee / and eek the preest þat hereth thy confession been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche. [1015] and þat a man / ne be nat despeired of the mercy of Ihesu crist as Caym or Iudas [1016] ¶ And eek a man moot accusen¶ How a man moot accusen him self / & noon oother/ of his owene trespas hym self / of his owene trespas and nat another / but he shal blame and wyten hym self/ & his owene malice of his synne / and noon oother. [1017] but nathelees / if that another man be occasion or enticere of his synne. or the estaat of a persone be swich / thurgh which his synne is agregged. or elles þat he may nat pleynly shryuen hym / but he telle the persone / with which he hath synned. thanne may he telle. [1018] so þat his entente / ne be nat/ to bakbite the persone / but oonly to declaren his con|fession

[1019] ¶ Thou ne shalt nat eek/ make no lesynges in¶ How a man shal make no lesynges in his confessioun thy confession / for humylitee per auenture / to seyn þat thou hast doon synnes of whiche that thow were neuere gilty [1020] ¶ ffor Seint Augustyn seith ¶ If¶ Nota secundum Augustinum thou by cause of thyn humylitee / makest lesynges on thy self /. though thow ne were nat in synne biforn / yet artow thanne in synne thurgh thy lesynges / [1021] ¶ Thou most eek shewe thy synne / by thyn owene propre¶ How a man moot shewe his synne / by his owene propre mouthe mouth / but thow be woxe dowmb / and nat by no lettre. for thow that hast doon the synne thou shalt haue the shame therfore [1022] ¶ Thow shalt nat eek¶ How a man / shal nat peynten his confessioun peynte thy confession by faire subtile wordes to couere the moore thy synne. for thanne bigilestow thy self/ and nat the preest/. thow most tellen it pleynly / be it neuere so foul ne so horrible [1023] ¶ Thow shalt eek¶ How a man shal shruyen hym to a discreet preest/ shryue thee to a preest þat is discreet to conseille. and eek thou shalt nat shryue thee for veyne glorie / ne for ypocrisye / ne for no cause / but oonly for the doute of Ihesu crist and the heele of thy soule. [1024] ¶ Thow shalt nat eek renne to the preest sodeynly to tellen hym¶ How a man shal nat renne sodeynly to shrifte. lightly thy synne / as who so telleth a Iape or a tale / but auysely and with greet deuocion ‖. [1025] And generally shryue thee ofte ‖. If thou ofte falle / ofte thou arise by confession. [1026] and though thou shryue thee ofter¶ Nota / than ones of synne / of which thou hast be shryuen. it is the moore merite? And as seith seint Augustyn / thow¶ Sanctus Augustinus. shalt haue the moore lightly relesyng/ and grace of god / bothe of synne and of peyne /. [1027] And certes oones a yeere atte leeste wey / it is laweful for to been housled. for certes oones a yeere / alle thynges renouellen

[1028] ¶ Now haue I toolde you of verray confession. that is the seconde partie of Penitence .

¶ Explicit/ secunda pars Penitencie? et sequitur tercia pars eiusdem .

[1029]

The thridde partie of Penitence. is Satisfaccion. and¶ Of .iij. manere of Almesses. that stant moost generally in Almesse. and in bodily peyne [1030] ¶ Now been ther thre manere of Almesses ¶ Contricion of Herte; where a man offreth hymself to god ¶ Another is / to han pitee of defaute of hise neighebores ¶ And the thridde is / in yeuynge of good conseil goostly and bodily / where men han nede. and namely in sustenance of mannes foode [1031] ¶ And tak [kepe] / þat a man hath nede of thise¶ Of the werkes of charitee thinges generally /. he hath nede of foode. he hath nede / of clothyng / and herberwe. he hath nede of charitable conseil and visitynge in prisone and in maladie / and sepulture of his dede body. [1032] And if thow mayst nat visite the nedeful with thy persone / visite hym by thy message and[MS. repeats thy message and] by thy yiftes. / [1033] Thise been generally almesses or werkes of charitee of hem that han temporeel richesses / or discrecion in conseilynge ¶ Of thise werkes / shaltow heren at the day of doome?

[1034] Thise Almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene propre thynges and hastily and priuely if thow mayst. [1035] but nathelees / if thow mayst nat doon it priuely. thow shalt nat forbere to doon Almesse though men seen it/ so that it be nat doon for thank of the world. but oonly for thank of Ihesu crist [1036] ¶ ffor as witnesseth Seint Mathew capitulo .vo. A Citee may nat been hyd /¶ Mathei .50. that is set on a montayne. ne men lighte nat a lanterne and put it vnder a busshel /. but men sette it on a candle|stikke to yeue light to the men in the hous./ [1037] right so shal youre light lighten bifore men. that they may seen youre goode werkes and glorifie youre fader that is in heuene?

[1038] ¶ Now as to speken of bodily peyne. it stant in¶ Of bodily penaunce preyeres / in wakynges / in fastynges / in vertuouse techinges of orisons / [1039] ¶ And ye shul vnderstonde / that orisons or preyeres / is for to seyn a pitous wyl of herte that redresseth it in god and expresseth it by word outward to remoeuen harmes and to han thynges espiritueel and durable / and somtyme temporele thynges. / of whiche orisons certes / in the orison of the Pater noster /¶ Of the orisoun of the pater noster / hath Ihesu crist enclosed moost thynges [1040] ¶ Certes it is priuyleged of thre thynges in his dignytee. for which it is moore digne than any oother preyere. for that Ihesu crist hym self maked it/ [1041] and it is short/ for it sholde be koud the moore lightly. and for to withholden it the moore esily in herte. and helpen hym self/ the ofter with the orison. [1042] and for a man sholde be the lasse wery to seyen it. and for a man may nat excusen hym to lerne it. it is so short and so esy. and for it comprehendeth in it self alle goode preyeres. / [1043] the exposicion of this hooly preyere / that is so excellent and digne I bitake to thise maistres of Theologie. saue thus muchel wol I seyn. that whan thow prayest/ that god sholde foryeue thee thy giltes / as thou foryeuest hem that agilten to thee. be ful wel war / that thow be nat out of charitee? [1044] ¶ This hooly orisoun amenuseth eek venyal synne / and therfore it aperteneth specially to penitence

[1045] This preyere / moste be trewely seyd and in verray feith. and that men preye to god ordinatly & dis|creetly & deuoutly. and alwey a man shal putten his wyl / to be subget to the wille of god [1046] ¶ This orison moste eek been seyd with greet humblesse and ful pure honestly. and nat to the anoyance of any man or womman /. It moste eek been continued with the werkes of charitee. [1047] It auayleth eek agayn the vices of the soule. for as seith seint Ierome. By fastynge / been saued the vices of the¶ Nota secundum Ieronimum. flessh / and by preyere the vertues of the soule

[1048] ¶ After this. thou shalt vnderstonde / that bodily peyne stant in wakynge. for Ihesu crist seith. waketh and preyeth that ye ne entre in wikked temptacion [1049] ¶ Ye shul vnderstanden also. that fast|ynge ¶ How fastynge stant in thre thynges. stant in thre thynges. In forberynge of bodily mete and drynke. and in forberynge of worldly Iolitee. and in for|berynge of deedly synne. this is to seyn / that a man shal kepen hym fro deedly synne with al his myght/

[1050] And thou shalt vnderstanden eek that god¶ Of .iiij. thynges þat apertenen to fastynge. ordeyned fastynge. and to fastynge appertenen .iiij. thinges. [1051] Largenesse to poure folk/./ gladnesse of herte espiritueel. nat to been angry / ne anoyed / ne grucche for he fasteth. / and also / resonable houre for to ete by mesure. that is for to seyn. a man shal nat ete in vntyme / ne sitte the lenger at his table to ete for he fasteth

[1052] ¶ Thanne shaltow vnderstonde / that bodily¶ How bodily peyne stant / in disciplyne / or techynge. peyne / stant in disciplyne or techynge / by word and by writynge / or in ensample. / Also in werynge of heyres or of stamyn / or of haubergeons on hire naked flessh for cristes sake / and swiche manere penances. [1053] but war thee wel that swiche manere penances on thy flessh / ne make thee nat or angry or anoyed of thy self/. for bettre / is to caste awey thyn heyre. than for to caste awey / the siker|nesse of Ihesu crist [1054] ¶ And therfore seith seint Paul /.¶ Sanctus Paulus Clothe yow as they that been chosen of god in herte. of Misericorde. debonairetee / suffrance / and swich manere of clothynge. of whiche Ihesu crist is moore apayed / than of heyres or haubergeons / or hauberkes?

[1055] ¶ Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of¶ Of othere diuerse maneres of disciplyne thy brest/ in scourgynge with yerdes. in knelynges. in tribulacions?. [1056] in suffrynge paciently wronges that been doon to thee. and eek/ in pacient suffrance of maladies / or lesynge of worldly catel / or of wyf/ or of child / or othere freendes

[1057] ¶ Thanne shaltow vnderstonde / whiche thynges¶ Of the thynges that destourben penaunce destourben penance. and this is in .iiij. maneres / that is. drede. shame. hope. and wanhope / that is desperacion [1058] ¶ And for to speke first/ of drede. for which he¶ ffirst of drede / demeth that he may suffre no penaunce ‖ [1059] therand of the remedie ther of/ agayns is remedie for to thynke. that bodily penance / is but short and litel at regard of the peynes of helle. that is so crueel and so long / that it lasteth with-outen ende

[1060] ¶ Now again the shame / that a man hath to¶ Of shame / and of the remedie ther of/ shryuen hym. and namely thise ypocrites / that wolden been holden so parfite / that they han no nede to shryuen hem [1061] ¶ Agayns that shame. sholde a man thynke that by wey of reson / that he þat hath nat been shamed to doon foule thinges / certes hym oghte nat been ashamed to do faire thynges / and that is confessions [1062] ¶ A man sholde eek thynke / that god seeth and woot alle hise thoghtes and alle hise werkes / to hym may no thyng been hyd ne couered [1063] ¶ Men sholden eek / remembren hem of the shame that is to come at the day of doome to hem that been nat penitent/ And shryuen in this present lyf. / [1064] ffor alle the creatures in erthe and in helle shullen seen apertly / al that they hyden in this world

[1065] ¶ Now for to speken of hope / of hem that¶ Of hope & of Surquiderie been necligent/ and slowe to shryuen hem? that stant in two maneres. [1066] that oon is þat he hopeth for to lyue longe and for to purchacen muche richesse for his delit/. and thanne he wol shryuen hym. and as he seith / hym semeth thanne tymely ynough to come to shrifte ‖ [1067] Another is Surquidrie / that he hath in cristes mercy / [1068] ¶ Agayns the firste vice. he shal thynke /¶ Remedie agayn necligent hope that oure lif is in no sikernesse. and eek that alle the richesses in this world / ben in auenture and passen as a shadwe on the wal. [1069] and as seith seint Gregorie. /¶ Sanctus Gregorius that it aperteneth to the grete rightwisnesse of god. that neuere shal the peyne stynte. of hem þat neuere wolde withdrawen hem fro synne hir thankes / but ay continue in synne. ffor thilke perpetueel wil to do synne / shul they han perpetueel peyne

[1070] ¶ Wanhope is in two maneres. the firste wan|hope ¶ Of wanhope in two maneres is in the mercy of crist ‖. that oother is / þat they thynken / þat they ne myghte nat longe perseuere in good|nesse [1071] ¶ The firste wanhope comth / of that he¶ Of the firste wanhope demeth that he hath synned so greetly and so ofte / and so longe leyn in synne / that he shal nat be saued [1072] ¶ Certes agayns that cursed wanhope sholde he¶ Remedium thynke that the passion of Ihesu crist/ is moore strong for to vnbynde / than synne is strong / for to bynde [1073] ¶ Agayns the seconde wanhope / he shal thynke /¶ Remedie / agayn the .ijde. wanhope that as ofte as he falleth. he may arise agayn by penitence / And though he neuer so longe haue leyn in synne / the mercy of crist is alwey redy to receiuen hym to mercy [1074] ¶ Agayns the wanhope / þat he demeth / that he¶ Remedie agayn the thridde wanhope sholde nat longe perseuere in goodnesse. he shal thynke / þat the feblesse of the deuel may no thyng doon / but if men wol suffren hym [1075] and eek/ he shal han strengthe of the helpe of god / and of al hooly chirche / and of the proteccion of Aungels / if hym list

[1076] ¶ Thanne shal men vnder stonde / what is the¶ What the fruyt of penance is. fruyt of penance And after the word of Ihesu crist it is the endelees blisse of heuene. [1077] ther ioye hath no contrarioustee of wo ne greuance. ther alle harmes been passed of this present lyf / ther as is the sikernesse / fro the peyne of helle. ther as is the blisful compaignye that reioysen hem eueremo euerich of otheres ioye. [1078] ther as the body of man / that whilom was foul and derk/. is moore cleer than the sonne. ther/ as the body that whilom was syk/ freele / & fieble / and mortal / is inmortal and so strong/ and so hool / that ther may no thyng apeyren it. [1079] ther as ne is / neither hunger / thurst ne coold but euery soule replenyssed with the sighte of the parfit knowynge of god [1080] ¶ This blisful regne may men purchace by pouerte espiritueel. and the glorie by lowe|nesse. the plentee of Ioye by hunger and thurst and the reste by trauaille /. and the lyf/ by mortificacion of synne?

¶ Here taketh the makere of this book/ his leue .

[1081]

NOw preye I to hem alle that herkne this litel tretys or rede that if ther be any thyng/ in it that liketh hem / that ther-of they thanken oure lord Ihesu crist. of whom procedeth al wit and al goodnesse. [1082] And if ther be any thyng that displese hem. I preye hem also that they arrette it to the defaute of myn vnkonnynge and nat to my wyl. that wolde ful fayn haue seyd bettre / if I hadde had konnynge. [1083] ffor oure boke seith / al that is writen / is writen for oure doctrine. and that is myn entente [1084] ¶ Wherfore / I biseke yow mekely for the mercy of god / that ye preye for me / that crist haue mercy on me and foryeue me my giltes. ‖ [1085] and namely of my translacions and endit|ynges of worldly vanitees / the whiche I reuoke in my re|traccions [1086] ¶ As is the book of Troilus ¶ The book also of ffame ‖ The book of the .xxv. Ladies ¶ The book of the Duchesse ¶ The book of seint Valentynes day of the parlement of briddes ‖. The tales of Caunter|bury / thilke that sownen in to synne [1087] ¶ The book of the Leon And many another book/ if they were in my remembrance / and many a song and many a leccherous lay. that crist for his grete mercy foryeue me the synne [1088] ¶ But of the translacion of Boece de consolacione / and othere bookes of Legendes of seintes / and Omelies / and moralitee / and deuocion / [1089] that thanke I oure lord Ihesu crist and his blisful mooder / and alle the seintes of heuene / [1090] bisekynge hem / þat they from hennes forth vn-to my lyues ende / sende me grace to biwayle my giltes / and to studie to the saluacion of my soule / and graunte me grace of verray penitence / con|fession and satisfaccion to doon in this present lyf / [1091] thurgh the benigne grace / of hym þat is kyng of kynges / and preest/ ouer alle preestes / that boghte vs with the precious blood of his herte / [1092] so þat I may been oon of hem at the day of doome that shulle be saued? Qui cum patre &cetera

 ¶ Heere is ended the book/ of the tales of Caunter|bury / compiled by Geffrey Chaucer / of whos soule Ihesu crist/ haue mercy Amen .[4 fly-leaves follow, more or less scribbled-on with later verses, &c. On the back of the 3rd is a list of the Tales, and on the front of the 4th is a late 15th-century copy of Chaucer's 'Truth'—"Fle fro the prees and dwelle with sothfastnesse," without the Envoy. Other lines follow this.]

APPENDIX TO GROUP A. [THE SPURIOUS TALE OF GAMELYN.] [Spurious Link.] But here of I wil passe as nowfoot And of ȝong Gamelyne I wil telle ȝow [Tale.] THe tale of ȝong Gamelyn ithen and listenyth and herkenyth a right And ȝe shul here of a doughti knyght Sire Iohn of Bondys was his name He coude of norture and of mochel game Thre sones the knyght had and with his body hem wan The eldest was a moche schrew and sone he bi-gan His bretheren loued wel here fader and of him were a-gast The eldest disserued his fader curs and h had hit at last The gode knyght his fader lyued so ȝore That deth was comyn him to and handlid him ful sore The good knyght cared sore sike þer he lay How his children shuld lyuen after his day He had ben wide where but non husbonde he was Al the londe that he hadde hit was purchas ffayn he wold it were dressed among hem alle That eche of hem hadd his part as it myght falle Tho sente he in to contre after wyse knyghtes To helpen delen his londes and dressen hem to rightes He sent hem word by lettres þai shuld hye blyue Ȝif thei wold speke with him while he was on lyue Tho þe knyghtes herden syke þat he lay Had þei no rest nother nyght no day Til þei come to him þer he lay stille On his deeþ bed to a-bide goddes wille Then seide þe good knyght sike þer he lay Lordes I ȝow warne for soth with-oute nay I may no lenger lyuen here in this stonde ffor thorugh goddes wille deth drawes me to grounde Ther nas none of hem alle þat herd hem a right That thei hadden reuthe of þat ilke knyght And seiden sire for goddes loue ne dismay ȝow nought God may done bote of bale þat is now I-wroght Than spake þe gode knyght sike þer he lay Bot of bale god may send I wot it is no nay But I byseke ȝow knyghtes for the loue of me Goth and dresseth my londes among my sones thre And for the loue of god de-lith not hem amys And forȝeteþ not Gamelyn my ȝong sone þat is Takiþ hide to that one as wel as to that other Seeld ȝe seen any heier helpen his brother Tho leten þei the knyght lyen þat was not in hele And wenten in to conseil his londis for to dele ffor to delem hem alle to oon that was her þoght And for Gamelyn was ȝongest he shuld haue noght Alle the lond þat ther was þei dalten it in two And leten Gamelyn þe ȝong with-outen lond go And eche of hem seide to oþer ful lowde His breþrin might ȝeue him lond when he good cowde When thei hadde deled the lond at her wille Thei comen to þe knyght þer he lay stille And told him a-noon how thei had wroght And the knyght ther he lay likid it right noght Than saide the knyght by seynt martyn ffor al þat ȝe haue don ȝet is þe lond myn ffor goddes loue Neighboures stondith alle stil And I wil delen my lond right after my wil Iohn my eldest sone shal haue plowes fyue That was my fadres heritage while he was on lyue And my myddlest sone fyue plowes of lond That I halpe for to gete wit my right hond And alle myn oþer purchas of londes and ledes Þat I be-quethe Gamelyn and alle my gode stedes And I be-seke ȝow good men þat law con of lond ffor Gamelyns loue þat my quest stond Thus dalt þe knyght his lond by his day Right on his deeth bed sike þer he lay And sone afterward he lei stoon stille And died whan tyme come as it was cristes wille A-none as he was dede and vnder gras grave Sone þe elder brother giled the ȝong knave He toke in to his honde his lond and his lede And Gamelyn him selue to clothen and to fede He clothed him and fedde hym yuel and eke wrothe And lete his londes for-fare and his houses bothe His parkes and his wodes and dide no thing welle And sithen he it a-bowght on his owne felle So long was Gamelyn in his brothres halle ffor þe strengest of good wille þei douteden him alle Ther was none ther-in noþer ȝong ne old That wold wrath Gamelyn were he neuer so bold Gamelyn stood on a day in his brotheris ȝerd And bi-gan with his hand to hondel his berd He þought on his landes þat lay vnsawe And his faire okes þat doune were I-drawe His parkes were broken and his dere reved Of alle his good stedes noon was him by-leued His howses were vnhiled and ful yuel dight Thoo þouȝt Gamelyn it went not a-right Afterward came his brother walking there And seide to gamelyn is oure mete ȝare Tho wrathed him Gamelyn and swore by goddes booke Thow shalt go bake thi self I wil not be thi cooke Now broþer Gamelyn how answerist þow now Thou spakest neuer suche a word as þow dost now By my feith seide Gamelyn now me thinkith nede Of alle þe harmes þat I haue I toke neuer ȝet hede My parkes ben broken and my dere by-reved Of myn armes and my stedes noght is me byleued Al þat my fader me bi-quaþ al goth to shame And þer-fore haue þou goddes curs brother by thyn name Than spake his brother þat rape was of rees Stand stille gadling and hold þi pees Þou shalt be fayn to haue þi mete and þi wede What spekest þou gadling of lond or of lede Þan seide Gamelyn þe child þat ȝyng Cristes curs mote he haue þat clepith me gadling I am no worse gadlyng ne no worse wight But borne of a lady and geten of a knyght Ne dorst he note to Gamelin neuer a fote go But clepid to him his men and seide to hem tho Goth and betith this boy and reueth him his witte And lete him lerne an other to answere me bette Then saide þe child ȝong Gamelyn Cristes curs mote þou haue brother art þou myn And ȝif I shal algate be beten a-noon Cristes curs mote þou haue but þou be that oon And anon his brother in þat grete hete Made his men to fette staffes Gamelyn to bete When euery of hem hadd a staff I-nomen Gamelyn was war þoo he seigh hem comen Tho Gamelyn sighe hem comen he loked ouer all And was warre of a pestel stood vnder þe walle Gamelyn was light and þider con he lepe And droff alle his brothers men right sone on hepe And lokid as a wild lyon. and laide on gode wone Tho his brother sei þat he by-gan to gone He fley vp in to a loft and shete þe dore faste This Gamelyn with his pestel mad hem al a-gast Some for gamelyns loue and some for eye Alle thei drowhen hem to halues þoo he gan to pleye What now seide Gamelyn euel mote ȝe thee Wil ȝe bi-gynne contik and so sone flee Gamelyn soght his broþer whider he was flow And sauhe where he lokid oute at a wyndowe Brother said Gamelyn come a litel nere And I wil teche the a play at the bokelere His brother hym answerid and seid by seint Richere While þat pestel is in thi hond I wil come no nere Brother I wil make thi pees I swere by cristes ore Cast a-way þe pestel and wrathe the nomore I moste nede saide Gamelyn wrath me at ones ffor þou wold make þi men to breke my bones Ne hadde I hadde mayn and might in myn armes To haue hem fro me thei wold haue do me harmes Gamelyn saide his brother be þou not wrothe ffor to seen the haue harme me were right lothe I ne did it noght broþer but for a fondyng ffor to loken or þou art strong and art so ȝyng Come a-doune then to me and graunt me my bone Of a thing I wil the axe and we shul saught sone Down þan come his broþer that fykel was and felle And was swith sore a-ferd of þe pestell He saide brother Gamelyn axe me þi bone And loke þou me blame but I it graunt sone Than saide Gamelyn brother I was And we shul be at one þou most graunt me this Alle þat my fadir me by-quaþ while þat he was on lyue Thou most do me it haue ȝif we shul not stryve Þat shat þou haue Gamelyn I swere by cristes ore All þat þi fader þe bi-quath þough þou woldest haue more Thi lond that lith leie wel it shal be sowe And thyn houses reised vp þat ben leide ful lowe Thus saide the knyght to Gamelyn with mouth And þought on falsenes as he wel couthe The knyght þought on treson and Gamelyn on none And went and kissed his brother and when þei were at one Alas ȝong Gamelyn no thing he ne wiste With suche false treson his brother him kyste Lynthenyth and lysteneth and holdith ȝoure tong And ȝe shul here talkyng of Gamelyn the ȝong Ther was ther be siden cried a wrastelynge And ther fore ther was sett a Ram and a Rynge And Gamelyn was in wille to wende þerto ffor to preuen his might what he coude do Brother seide Gamelyn be seint Richere Thou most lene me to nyght a litel cursere That is fressh to þe spores on for to ride I most on an Erand a litel here be side Be god saide his brother of stedes in my stalle Go and chese the þe best spare non of hem alle Of stedes and of cursers that stoden hem be side And telle me good brother whider þou wilt ride Here be side brother is cried a wrastlynge And þer fore shal be sette a ram and a rynge Moche worship it were brother to vs alle Might I þe ram and þe rynge bryngen home to þis halle A stede þer was sadeled smertly and skete Gamelyn dide a paire of spores faste on his fete He sette his fote in þe stirop the stede he by-strod And toward þe wrastlynge the yong child rood Tho Gamelyn þe yonge was riden oute at gate The fals knyght his brother loked yit after þate And bi-sought ihesu crist that is heuen kynge He mighte breke his nekke in that wrastlinge As sone as Gamelyn come ther the place was He light doun of his stede and stode on the gras And ther he herde a frankelen weylaway synge And bi-gan bitterly his handes for to wrynge Gode man seide Gamelyn whi makest þou þis fare Is ther no man that may ȝow helpen out of care Allas seide þis frankeleyn that euer was I bore ffor twei stalworth sones I wene that I haue lore A Champion is in þe place þat hath wroght me sorowe ffor he hath slayn my two sones but ȝif god hem borwe I wol ȝeue ten pound by ihesu crist and more With þe nones þat I fond a man to handle hym sore Gode man seide Gamelyn wilt þou wel done Hold myn hors while my man drawith of my shone And helpe my man to kepe my clothes and my stede And I wil in to þe place gone to loke ȝif I may spede By god seide þe frankeleyn it shal be done I wil my self be thi man to draw of thi shone And wende þou in to place ihesu criste the spede And drede not of thi clothes ne of þi gode stede Barfoot and vngirt Gamely In came Alle þat were in þe place hede of him þei name How he durste auntre him to done his myght Þat was so doughti a champion in wrastling and in fight Vp sterte þe Champion rapely a-none Toward ȝong Gamelyn he by-gan to gone And seide who is þi fader and who is þi sire ffor sothe þou art a grete fool þat þou come here Gamelyn answerid þe Champion tho Thou knew wel my fader while he couthe go Whiles he was on lyue by seint Martyn Sire Iehan of Boundis was his name and I gamelyn ffelaw seide þe Champion so mote I thyue I knew wel þi fader whiles he was on lyue And thi self gemelyn I wil þat þou it here While þou were a ȝong boy a moche schrew þou were Than seide Gamelyn and swore by cristes ore Now I am older wax þou shalt fynde me a more By god seide þe Champion wel come mote þou be Come þou ones in my hond þou shalt neuer the It was wel with-Inne the nyght and the mone shone When Gamelyn and the Champion to-gedre gon gone The Champion cast tornes to gamelyn þat was prest And gamelyn stode and bade him done his best Than seide Gamelyn to þe Champion Thou art fast aboute to bryng me a-doun Now I haue proued mony tornes of thyne Thou most he seide proue on or two of myne Gamelyn to þe Champion ȝede smertely a-none Of alle the tornes þat he couthe he shewid him but one And kest him on the lift side þat þe ribbes he brake And þerto his one arme þat ȝaf a grete crak Than seide gamelyn smertly a-none Shal it be hold for a cast or elles for none By god seide þe Champion wheþer it be He þat cometh ones in thi honde shal he neuer the Þan seide þe frankeleyn þat hadd his sones there Blessed be þou Gamelyn þat euer þou bore were The frankeleyn seide to þe Champion on hym stood hym no eye This is ȝong Gamelyn þat taght þe this pleie A-ȝen vnswared þe Champion þat liked no þing wel He is altther maister and his pleie is right felle Sithen I wrastelet first it is gone ȝore But I was neuer in my lif handeled so sore Gamelyn stode in þe place anon with-out serke And seid ȝif þer ben mo lete hem come to werke The Champion þat payned hym to wirke sore Hit semyth bi his continance þat he wil no more Gamelyn in þe place stood stille as stoon ffor to a-byde wrastlinge but þer come none Ther was noon with gamelyn þat wold wrastle more ffor he handlid þe Champion so wonderly sore Two gentil men ȝemed þe place Come to Gamelyn god ȝyue him gode grace And seide to him do on thi hosen and þi shone ffor sothe at þis tyme þis faire is done And þan seide Gamelyn so mote I wel fare I haue not ȝet haluendel sold my ware Tho seide the Champion so brok I my swere He is a fool þat ther-of bieth þou sellest it so dere Thoo seide the ffrankeleyn þat was in moche care ffelaw he seid whi lakkest þou þis ware By seynt Iame in Galys þat mony man hath soght Ȝit is it to good chepe that þou hast bought Tho þat wardeyns were of þat wrastlinge Come and brought Gamelyn þe Ramme and þe rynge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. And went with moche ioye home in þe mornynge His brother seie wher he came with þe grete route And bade shit þe gate and hold hym with-oute The porter of his lord was sore a-gaste And sterte anon to þe gate and lokkid it faste Now litheþ and listenythe boþe ȝong and old And ȝe shul here gamyn of Gamelyn þe bold Gamelyn come ther-to for to haue comyn In Than was it shet fast with a pyn Than seide Gamelyn Porter vndo þe ȝate ffor gode mannys sore stonde þer ate Than answerid þe porter and sware by goddes berd Thou ne shalt Gamelyn come in to þis ȝerde Thou lixt seid Gamelyn so broke I my chyne He smote the wiket with his foote and brake away the pyne The porter sey tho it might ne better be He sette foote on erthe and by-gan to flee By my fai seide gamelyn þat trauaile is lore ffor I am on foote as light as þou haddest it swore Gamelyn ouer toke þe porter and his tene wrake And girt him in the nekke þat þe boon to-brake And toke him by þat on arme and threw him in a welle VijC. fadame it was depe as I haue herd telle Whan Gamelyn þe ȝong þus had plaied his plaie Alle þat in þe ȝerde were drowen hem a-waye Þei dreden him ful sore for werke þat he wroghte And for þe faire companye þat he þider broghte Gamelyn ȝede to þe ȝate and lete it vp wide He lete In alle þat gon wold or ride And seide ȝe be welcome with-out any greue ffor we wil be maisters here and axe no man leue Ȝesterday I left seide ȝong Gamelyn In my brother seler fyue tonn wyne I wil not þis companye parten on twyne And ȝe wil don after me while sope is þer-Ine And ȝif my brother grucche or make foule chere Other for spence of mete and drynk þat we spend here I am oure Catour and bere oure Alther purse He shal haue for his grucching seint marie curse My broþer is a nygon I swere by cristes ore And we wil spende largely þat he hath spared ȝore And who þat make grucching þat we here dwelle He shal to þe porter in to þe draw welle Vij. dayes and vij nyght Gamelyn held his fest With moche solace was there and none chest In a litel torret his brother ley steke And sey hem wast his gode and dorst not speke Erly in a mornyng on the viij. day The gestes come to Gamelyn and wold gon her way Lordes seide Gamelyn wil ȝe so hye All þe wyn is not ȝet dronke so browke I myn eie Gamelyn in his hert was ful woo When his gestes toke her leue fro him forto go He wold þe had dwelled lenger and þei saide nay But by-taught gamelyn god and goode day Thus made Gamelyn his fest and broght it wel to end And after his gestes toke leue to wende Litheþ and listenyth and holdith ȝoure tong And ȝe shul here Gamen of Gamelyn þe ȝong Herkenyth lordinges and listeneþ a right When alle gestes were gon how Gamelyn was dight Alle the while þat Gamelyn held his mangerie His brother þought on him be wreke with his trecherie Tho Gamelyns gestes were riden and goone Gamelyn stode anone allone frend hadde he none Tho after felle sone with-In a litul stonde Gamelyn was taken and ful hard I.-bonde fforth come the false knyght out of þe solere To gamelyn his brother he ȝede ful nere And saide to gamelyn who made the so bolde ffor to stroien my store of my housholde Brother seide Gamelyn wrath the right noght ffor it is mony day gone sith it was boght ffor brother þou hast hade by seint Richere Of xv. plowes of lond þis sixtene ȝere And of alle þe bestes þou hast forþ bredde Þat my fader me by-quaþ on his deþ bedde Of alle þis sixtene ȝere I ȝeue the þe prowe ffor the mete and the drinke þat we haue spended now Than saide þe false knyght euyl mote he the Herken brother Gamelyn what I wil ȝeue the ffor of my body brother heire geten haue I none I wil make þe myn eyer I swere by seint Iohan Parfay seide gamelyn and it so be And þou þinkest as þu seist god ȝeld it the No thing wist Gamelyn of his brother gile Ther fore he him by-giled in a litul while Gamelyn seid he oo þing I the telle Tho þou threw my porter in the draw welle I swore in þat wrath and in þat grete moote That þou shuldest be bonde both hond and foote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. ffor to holden myn a-vow as I the by-hoote Brother seide Gamelyn as mote I the Þou shalt not be for-swore for þe loue of me Tho maden thei Gamelyn to sitte myght not stonde Til þei hadd him bond boþe foote and honde The fals knyght his brother of Gamelyn was a-gast And sent after feteres to feteren him fast His brother made lesinges on him þere he stode And told hem þat comen In þat Gamelyn was wood Gamelyn stood to a post bonden in þe halle Tho þat comen In loked on him alle Euere stode gamelyn euen vp right But mete ne drinke had he none noþer day ne nyght Than saide gamelyn brother by myn hals Now I haue aspied þou art a parti fals Hadde I wiste þe treson þat þou hast I-fond I wolde haue ȝeue strokes or I had be bond Gamelyn stode bond stille as any stone Two daies and two nyghtes mete hadde he none Than saide gamelyn þat stod I.-bond strong Adam spenser me þinkeþ I fast to long Adam spencer now I beseche the ffor the moche loue my fader loued the Ȝif þou may come to the keys lose me out of bond And I wil parte with the of my fre lond Þen saide adam þat was þe spencer I haue serued thi brother þis xvj. ȝere Ȝif I lete the gon out of his beure He wold say after-ward I were a traitour Adam seide Gamelyn so browke I myn hals Thou shal fynd my brother atte þe last fals Ther-fore brother Adam lose me out of bondes And I. wil parte with þe of my fre landes Vp suche forward seid Adam I-wis I wil do þerto alle þat in me is Adam seide Gamelyn as mote I the I wil holde þe couenaunt and þou wil me A-none as Adame lord to bed was gone Adam toke þe keys and lete gamelyn out a-none He vnlokked gamelyn both hondes and feete In hope of auauncement þat he him by-hete Than saide Gamelyn þanked be goddes sonde Now I am lose bothe fote and honde Hadde I now eten and dronken aright Ther is none in this hous shuld bynde me þis nyght Adam toke Gamelyn as stille as any stone And lad him into spence raply a-none And sette him to soper right in a priue stede He bade him do gladly and Adam so dede Anon as Gamelyn hadde eten wel and fyne And þerto I-dronken wel of þe red wyne Adam seid Gamelyn what is now þi rede Or I go to my brother and gird of his hede Gamelyn seide Adam it shal not be so I con teche þe a rede þat is worth þe two I wote wel for sothe þat is no nay We shul haue a mangerie right on sonday Abbotes and prioures mony here shal be And oþer men of holy chirche as I telle [þe] Þou shalt stond vp by the post as þou were hond fast And I schal leue hem vn-loke þat away þou may hem cast Whan þat þei haue eten and wasshen her hondes Þow shalt beseke hem alle to bring þe out of bondes And ȝif þei wil borow the þat were gode game Þan were þu out of prison and I oute of blame And yf eche of hem say to vs nayAnd if eche I shal do an other I swere bi þis day Thow shalt haue a gode staf and I wil haue anoþer And cristes curs haue þat oon þat faileþ þat oþer Ȝe for god seide Gamelyn I sei it for me If I faile on my syde yuel mote I the Ȝif we shul algate assoile hem of her synne Warne me brother Adam whan we schul by-gynn Gamelyn said Adam by seint charite I wil warne the by-forne whan it shal be Whan I wynke on the loke for to gone And cast away þi ffetres and come to me anone Adam saide Gamelyn blessid be thi bones Þat is a good conseil ȝeuen for þe nones Ȝif þei werne me to bring out of bondes I wil sette good strokes right on her lendes Tho þe sonday was comen and folke to þe feste ffaire þei were wel-comed both lest and meste And euere as þei at halle dore come Inne Thei cast here eyȝe on ȝong Gamelyne The fals knyght his broþer ful of trechery Alle þe gestes þat þere were at þe mangery Of Gamelyn his brother he told hem with mouthe Alle þe harme and þe shame þat he telle couthe Tho þei were I-serued of messes two or thre Than seide Gamelyn how serue ȝe me It is noght wel serued by god þat all made Þat I sitte fasting and oþer men make glade The fals knyght his brother þer as he stode Tolde alle gestes þat Gamelyn was woode And Gamelyn stode stille and answarid noght But Adams wordes he held in his thoght Tho Gamelyn gan speke deolfulli with alle To þe grete lordes þat saten in þe halle Lordes he seide for cristes passion Helpe to bring Gamelyn out of prison Than saide an Abbot sorow on his cheke He shal haue cristes curs and seint maries eke Þat þe out of pryson beggeþ or borwe But euer worth him wel þat doth the moche sorwe After þat Abbot þan spake anoþer I wold þyn heed were of þoghe þou were my broþer Alle þat þe borwe foul mote hem falle Thus þei saide alle þat were in the halle Than saide a Priour euel mote he preue It is grete sorw and care boy þou art on lyue Ow seid Gamelyn so browke I my bone Now I haue spied þat frendes haue I none Cursed mote he worth both flesshe and blood Þat euer doþ priour or Abbot any good Adam þe spencer toke vp þe clothe And loked on Gamelyn and say þat he was wrothe Adam on the pantrie litul he þoght But two gode staues to halle dore he broght Adam loked on Gamelyn and he was war anone And cast away the fetres and bi-gan to gone Tho he cam to Adam he toke þe on staf And by-gan to worche and good strokes ȝaf Gamelyn come in to þe halle and the spencer bothe And lokid hem a-boute as þei hadde ben wrothe Gamelyn spreynyþ holi water with an Oken spire That some that stod vp right fel in þe fire Þer was no lewed man þat in þe halle stoode That wold do Gamelyn any thing but goode But stoden by siden and lete hem bothe wirche ffor þei hadde ne reweth of men of holy chirche Abbot or priour Monk or chanoun That Gamelyn ouertoke anone þei ȝeden doun Ther was none of alle þat with his staf mette Þat he made hem ouer throw and quite hem his dette Gamelyn said Adam for seint charite Pay gode lyueray for þe loue of me And I wil kepe þe dore so euer here I masse Er þai ben assoiled þer shal none passe Doute the noght seide Gamelyn while we ben in fere Kepe wel þe dore and I wil wirche here Bi-stere þe gode Adam and let þer non fle And we shul telle largeli how mony þat þer be Gamelyn saide Adam do hem but goode Thei ben men of holi chirche draw of hem no blood Saue wel þe crowne and do hem no harmes But breke bothe her legges and sithen her armes Thus Gamelyn and Adam wroght right fast And plaide with the monkes and made hem agast Thider þei come riding Ioly with swaynes And home a-ȝeyn þei were lad in cartes and waynes Tho þei hadden alle I-doo þen seide a gray frere Alas sire Abbot what did we now here Tho þat we comen hider it was a cold reede Vs hadde ben better at home with water and with brede While Gamelyn made ordres of monkes and frere Euer stode his brother and made foul chere Gamelyn vp with his staff þat he wel knew And girt him in þe nek þat he ouer threw A litil a-boue þe gyrdel þe rigge bon to-brast And sette him in þe fetres þer he sat arst Sitte þer brother seide Gamelyn ffor to colen þi body as I did myn. As sucche as þei hadden wroken hem on her foon Thei askid water and wasshen a-none What some for here loue and somme for her awe Alle þe seruauntes seruet hem of the beste lawe The sherreue was þenne but fyue myle And alle was told him in a litil while How gamelyn and Adam haden don a sory res Bounden and wounden men a-ȝens the kynges pees Tho by-gan sone strif for to wake And the sherrif aboute Gamelyn forto take Now litheþ and listeneþ so god ȝeue ȝow good fyne And ȝe shul here gode game of ȝong Gamelyn ffoure and twenti ȝong men þat helden hem ful bold Come to þe shirreue and seide þat þei wolde Gamelyn and Adam fette by here fay The shirreue ȝeue hem leue soth for to say Thei hyeden fast wold þei not lynne Til þei come to þe gate þer Gamelyn was Inne Thei knokkeden on þe gate þe porter was nyghe And loked out at an hole as man that was slighe The porter hadde be-hold hem a litil while He loued wel Gamelyn and was drad of gile And let þe wyket stond ful stille And asked hem with oute what was here wille ffor alle þe grete companye þan spake but one Vndo þe gate porter and lete vs in gone Than saide þe porter so brouke I my chyn Ȝe shul saye ȝoure erant er ȝe come Ine Say to Gamelyn and Adam ȝif þeire wil be We wil speke with hem two wordes or thre ffelaw saide þe porter stande þer stille And I wend to Gamelyn to wyte his wille In went þe porter to gamelyn a-none And saide sire I warne ȝow here be comen ȝoure foon The shirreues men ben atte þe gate ffor to take ȝow both shul ȝe not scape Porter seid Gamelyn so mote I wel the I wil allowe þe þi wordes when I my tyme see Go a-geyn to þe gate and dwelle with hem a while And þou shalt se right sone porter a gile Adam seide Gamelyn loke þe to gone We haue foo men atte gate and frendes neuer one Hit ben þe Shirreues men þat hider ben comen Thei be swore to-geder þat we shal be nome Gamelyn said Adam hye the right blyue And if I faile the þis day euel mote I thryue And we shul so wel-come þe Shirreues men That some of hem shal make her beddes in þe fen At a posterne gate Gamelyn out went And a good Cartstaf in his hond hent Adam hente sone an other grete staf ffor to helpen Gamelyn and good strokes ȝaf Adam fel tweyne and Gamelyn fel thre The other sette feete on erth and by-gan to flee What saide Adam so euer here I masse I haue right good wyn drynke or ȝe passe Nay by god seide þei þi drinke is not goode It wold make mannes brayn to lien in his hoode Gamelyn stood stille and lokid him a-boute And saide þe shirreue cometh with a grete route Adam seide Gamelyn what ben now þi redes Here cometh þe sherreue and wil haue oure hedes Adam seide to Gamelyn myn rede is now þis A-bide we no lenger lest we fare amys I rede þat we to wood gone or þat we be fonde Better is þer louse þan in towne be bounde Adam toke bi the hond ȝong gamelyn And euery of hem drank a draght of wyn And after token her cours and wenten her way Tho fond þe sherreue nyst but none eye The sherreue light doune and wente in to halle And fond þe lord fetred fast with alle The shirreue vnfetered him right sone anone And sent after a leche to hele his rigge bone Late we now þe fals knyght lie in his care And take we of Gamelyn and loke how he fare Gamelyn in to þe wood stalkid stille And Adam spencer liked right ille Adam swore to Gamelyn by seint Richere Now I see it is mery to be a spencer That leuer me were keys to bere Than walken in þis wild woode my clothes to tere Adam seide Gamelyn dismay þe right noght Mony good mannys child in care is broght As thei stod talkyng bothen in ffere Adam herd talking of men and nyghe him þought þei were Tho Gamelyn vnder wood lokid a-right Seuen score of ȝong men he se wel I-dight Alle sate at þe mete compas aboute Adam seide Gamelyn now haue I no doute After bale cometh bote þorgh goddes might Me thinke of mete and drinke y haue a sight Adam loke tho vnder wode bough And tho he say mete and he was glad I-nough ffor he hoped to god to haue his dele And he was sore alonged after a gode mele As he saide þat word þe maister outlawe Sawgh Adam and Gamelyn vnder wode shawe Ȝonge men saide þe maister bi þe gode rode I am war of gestes god send vs gode Yonde ben two yonge men wel I-dight And parauenture ther ben more who so loked aright Ariseth vp yong men and fette hem to me It is good þat we witten what men thei be Vp þer sterten seuene fro þe dyner And metten wiþ gamelyn and Adam spencer Whan thei were nighe hem þan seide þat one Yeldeth vp ȝonge men ȝoure bowes and ȝoure flone Than saide Gamelyn that ȝonge was of elde Moche sorowe mote þei haue at to ȝow hem ȝelde I course none other but right my selue Thei ȝe fette to ȝow fyue þan be ȝe twelue Þo þei herde by his word that might was in his arme Ther was none of hem þat wolde don hem harme But seide to Gamelyn myldely and stille Come a-fore oure maistre and sai to him þi wille Ȝonge men saide Gamelyn bi ȝoure lewte What man is ȝour maister that ȝe with be Alle þe answerde with-oute lesinge Oure maister is crowned of outlawes kynge Adam seide Gamelyn go we in cristes name He may neither mete ne drinke werne vs for shame Ȝif þat he be hende and come of gentil blood He wil ȝeue vs mete and drinke and do vs some good Be seint Iame saide Adam what harme þat I gete I wil auenture me þat I hadde mete Gamelyn and Adam went forth in fere And þei grette þe maister that þei fonde þere Than saide þe maister kynge of owtlawes What seke ȝe ȝonge men vnder wode shawes Gamelyn answerde þe kynge with his crowne He moste nedes walke in felde þat may not walke in towne Sire we walke not here none harne to do But ȝif we mete a dere to shete þerto As men that ben hungry and mow no mete fynde And ben hard be-stad vnder wode lynde Of Gamelyn wordes þe maister hadde rewthe And seide ȝe shal haue y-nowe haue god my treuthe He bad hem sitte down for to take reste And bad hem ete and drinke and þat of þe beste As þei eten and dronken wel and fyne Than saide on to an other this is gamelyn Tho was þe maister outlawe in to conseil nome And tolde how it was gamelyn that thider was come Anone as he herde how it was be-falle He made him maister vndir him ouer hem alle With-in þe thridde wike him come tydynge To þe maister outlawe that was here kynge That he shulde come home his pees was made And of þat gode tydinge he was ful gladde Tho saide he to his ȝonge men soth forto telle Me ben comen tydinges I may no lenger dwelle Tho was Gamelyn anone with-oute tarienge Made maister outlawe and crowned her kynge Tho was Gamelyn crowned kynge of outlawes And walkid a while vnder wode shawes The fals knyght his broþer was shereue and sire And lete his brother endite for hate and for hire Tho were his bonde men sory and no thinge glad When Gamelyn her lorde wolfes hede was cried and made And sent oute of his men where þei might him fynde ffor to go seke Gamelyn vnder wode lynde To telle him tydinge the wynde was went And alle his good reued and alle his men shent Whan þei had den him founden on knees þei hem setten And a-doun with her hode and here lorde gretten Sire wrathe ȝowe noght for þe gode rode ffor we han brought ȝow tydynge but þei be not goode Now is þi brother sherreue and haþ þe baillie And hath endited þe and wolfes hede doth þe crie Allas seide Gamelyn þat euer I was so slak That I ne hadde broke his nekke þo I his rigge brak Goth greteth wel myn housbondes and wife I wil be at the next shire haue god my lyfe Gamelyn came redy to þe next shire And ther was his brother both lorde and sire Gamelyn boldeliche came in to þe mote halle And putte adoun his hood amonge þe lordes alle God saue ȝow lordinges þat here be But broke bak sherreue euel mote thu the Whi hast thou do me þat shame and velonye ffor to lete endite me and wolfeshede do me crie Tho thought the fals knyght for to ben a-wreke And lete Gamelyn most he no thinge speke Might þer be no grace but Gamelyn at þe laste Was caste in prison and fetered faste Gamelyn hath a brother that hight sire Ote As gode a knyght and hende as might gon on foote Anone ȝede a messagere to that gode knyght And tolde him al to-gidre how Gamelyn was dight . . . . .no gap in the MS. He was right sory was he no þing light And lete sadle a stede and þe way he name And to his twei breþerne right sone he came Sire saide sir Ote to the sherreue tho We ben but thre bretheren shul we neuer be mo And þou hast prisoned þe beste of vs alle Suche a nother brother euel mote him be-falle Sire ote saide þe fals knyght lat be þi cours By god for thi wordes he shal fare the wors To þe kynges prisone he is I-nome And ther he shal a-bide til þe Iustice come Parde saide sir Ote better it shal be I bid hym to mainprys þat þou graunte me Til þe next sitting of deliueraunce And late þan Gamelyn stond to his chaunce Brother in suche a forward I take him to the And by þi fadres soule þat þe bygat and me But he be redy whan þe Iustice sitte Thou shalt bere þe Iugement for al þi grete witte I graunt wel saide sir Ote þat it so be Late delyuer hym anone and take him to me Tho was Gamelin delyuered to sir Ote his brother And þat nyght dwelled þe oon with þe tother On the morwen saide Gamelyn to sir Ote þe hynde Brother he saide I mote for soth fro ȝow wynde To loke how my ȝonge men leden her lif Whether þei lyuen in Ioy or elles in strif By god seide sir Ote þat is a cold rede Now I see þat alle þe Carke schal falle on my hede ffor whan þe Iustice sitte and þou be not I-fonde I shal anone be take and in þi stede I-bonde Brother saide Gamelyn dismaie þe nyght ffor by seint Iame in Galys þat mony man hath sought Ȝif þat god almyghti hold me my lif and my witte I wil be redy whan þe Iustice sitte Than saide sir Ote to Gamelyn god shild þe fro shame Come when þou seest tyme and bryng vs out of blame Litheþ and listeneþ and hold ȝow stille And ȝe schul here how Gamelyn hadde his wille Gamelyn went vnder wood Rys And fond ther playng ȝong men of prys Tho was ȝong Gamelyn right glad I-noghe When he fonde his men vnder woode boghe Gamelyn and his men talkeden in fere And þei had gode game her maister to here His men told him of auentures þat þei had fonde And Gamelyn hem told hem a-ȝen how he was fast bonde While Gamelyn was outlaw hade he no cors Þer was no man þat for him ferd þe wors But Abbotes and Priours monk and Chanon On hem left he noght when he might hem nome While Gamelyn and his men made myrthes Ryve The fals knyght his brother euel mote he priue ffor he was fast aboute bothe day and other ffor to hire þe queste to hangen his brother Gamelyn stood on a day and be-beld The wodes and þe shawes and þe wild feld He þoght on his brother how he him by-hette That he wolde be redy whan þe Iustice sette He þoght welle he wold with-oute delay Come a-fore þe Iustice to kepen his day And seide to his ȝong men dighteþ ȝow ȝare ffor whan þe Iustice sitte we most be þere ffor I am vnder borow til þat I come And my brother for me to pryson shal be nome Be seint Iame said his ȝong men and þou rede þerto Ordeigne how it shal be and it shal be do While Gamelyn was comyng þer þe Iustice satte The fals knyght his broþer for-ȝate he not þate To hire þe men on his quest to hangen his brother Thoghe þei hadde not þe oon þei wolde haue þe tother Tho come Gamelyn fro vnder þe wode Rys And broght with him ȝong men of prys I see wel seide Gamelyn þe Iustice is sette Goo a-forn Adam and loke how it spette Adam went in to þe halle and loked all a-boute He say þer stonde lordes grete and stoute And sir Ote his brother fetered ful faste Tho wente Adam oute of halle as he were a-gast Adam seide to Gamelyn and to his felawes alle Sire Ote stant fetered in þe mote halle . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. Ȝif god ȝif vs grace wel for to doo He schal it a-bigge þat it broght þertoo Than saide Adam þat lokkes hade hore Cristes curs mote he haue þat him bond so sore And þou wilt Gamelyn do after my rede Ther is none in þe halle schal bere away his hede Adam seide Gamelyn we wil not do soo We wil sle þe giltif and late þe tother goo I wil in to þe halle and with þe Iustice speke On hem þat ben giltif I wil ben a-wreke Lete none scape at þe dore take ȝong men ȝeme ffor I wil be Iustice þis day domes to deme God spede me þis day at my new werke Adam come with me for þou shalt be my clerk His men answerden him and bade him don his best And ȝif þou to vs haue nede þou shalt fynde vs prest We wille stond with þe while þat we may dure And bute we wirken manly pay vs none hure Ȝong men saide Gamelyn so mote I wel the As trusti a mayster ȝe shal fynde me Right þere þe Iustice satte in þe halle In went Gamelyn amonges hem alle Gamelyn lete vnfetere his brother out of bond Then seide sir Ote his brother þat was hende Thou haddest Almost Gamelyn dwellet to long ffor þe quest is oute on me þat I shuld hong Brother seide Gamelyn so god ȝeue me good rest Þis day þe shul ben honged þat ben on þe quest And the Iustice bothe þat is þe Iuge man And the Shirreue bothe þorgh him it by-gan Than saide Gamelyn to þe Iustice Now is þi power done þou moste nedes rise Thou hast ȝeuen domes þat ben yuel dight I wille sitten in thi sete and dressen hem aright The Iustice sate stille and rose not a-none And Gamelyn cleued his chike bone Gamelyn toke him in his armes and nomore spake But thrw him ouer þe barre and his arme brake Dorst none to Gamelyn say but goode ffor ferd of þe company þat with-oute stoode Gamely sette him down in þe Iustice sete And sir Ote his brother by him and Adam at his fete Whan Gamelyn was sette in þe Iustice sete Herken of a bourd þat Gamelyn dide He lete feter þe Iustice and his fals brother And lete hem come to þe barre þat on with þat other Tho Gamelyn hadde þus y-done hade no rest Til he hadde enquered who was on þe quest ffor to demen his brother sir Ote for to hong Er he wiste whiche þei were him þoght ful long But as sone as Gamelyn wiste where þai were He dide hem euerychon feter in fere And bringen hem to þe barre and setten hem in rew Bi my feith said þe Iustice þe shirreue is a shrew Than seide Gamelyn to þe Iustice Thow hast ȝeue domes of the worst assise And the xij. sisoures þat weren on þe quest Thei shul ben honged þis day so haue I gode rest Than saide þe shirreue to ȝong Gamelyn Lord .I. cry the mercy brother art þou myn Ther-fore saide Gamelyn haue þou cristes curs ffor and þou were maister ȝit shuld I haue wors ffor to make short tale and noght to long He ordeyned hym a quest of his men so strong The Iustice and þe shirreue both honged hye To weyuen with þe ropes and þe wynd drye And the xij sisours sorow haue þat rewe Alle þei were hanged fast by þe nekke Thus endid þe fals knyght with his trecherie Þat euer had lad his lif in falsenes and folie He was honged by þe nekke and not by þe purs Þat was þe mede þat he hadde for his faders curse Sire Otes was eldest and Gamelyn was ȝong Wenten to her frendes and passeden to þe kyng Thei maden pees with the kyng of þe best sise The kyng loued wel sir Ote and made him Iustice And after þe kyng made Gamelyn in Est and in Weste Chief Iustice of his fre foreste Alle his wight ȝong men þe kyng for-ȝaf her gilt And sithen in gode Office þe kyng hath alle them pilt Thus wanne Gamelyn his lond and his lede And wreke him on his enemys and quite hem her mede And sire Ote his brother made him his heier And sithen wedden Gamelyn a wif gode and faier Thei lyueden to-gedre while þat crist wolde And sithen was Gamelyn grauen vnder molde And so shal we alle may þer no man fle God bring vs to þe Ioye þat euer shal be 2 THE MAN-OF-LAW—SHIPMAN LINK. Here endith the man of lawe his tale. And // next folwith the Shipman his prolog. OVre Ost vppon his stiropes / stood anoon and seide good men herkeneth euerychoon this was a thrifty tale / for the nonys Sir parisshe preste quod he / for godis bonys telle vs a tale / as was thi forward yore I se wel / that ye lernede men in lore can meche good / bi godis dignite the parson him answerde / benedicite What eyleth the man / so synfully to swere oure Ost answerde / O Iankyn be ye there I smelle a lollere in the wynde quod he Howe goodmen quod oure Ost / herkeneth me a-bide for godis digne passion for we shul han / a predicacion this lollere here / wol prechen vs somwhat nay bi godis soule / that shal he nat Seide the Shipman / here shal he not preche he shal no gospel glosen here / ne teche We leuen alle / in the grete god quod he He wolde sowen / som difficulte or sprengen Cokkel / in oure clene corn and therfore Ost / I warne the biforn my ioly body / shal a tale telle and I shal clynkyn yow / so mery a belle that I shal wakyn / al this companye but it shal not ben / of Philosophie ne phislyas / ne termes queynte of lawe ther is but litil latyn / in my mawe. Here endith the Shipman his prolog. And next fol|wyng he bigynneth his tale &c. 3. THE NUN'S PRIEST'S END-LINK.

[Camb. Univ. MS Dd. 4. 24, on leaf 195.]

 [Sire Nonnes Preest / oure hoost seide a-noon I-blissed be thy breche / & euery ston This was a murie tale / of Chauntecleer But by my trouthe / if þou were seculer Thow woldest ben a tredfoul / a right ffor if þou haue corage / as þou hast myght The were nede of hennes / as I wene Ȝa / moo than seuene tymes / seuentene Se which braunes / hath this gentil Preest So gret a nekke / & swich a large breest He loketh as a sparhauke / with hise eyen Him nedeth nat / his colour for to dyghen With brasile / ne with greyn of Portyngale Now sire / faire falle ȝow / for ȝoure tale And after that / he with ful merie chere Seide vn-to a nother / as ȝe shuln heere][Camb. Dd. 4. 24 ex|tract stops][Group G (Second Nun and Canon's Yeoman) imperfect, follows in the MS.]

The Knight.

The Miller.

The Reve.

The Cook.

The Man of Law.

The Wife of Bath.

The Friar.

The Sum'ner.

The Clerk.

The Merchant.

The Squire.

The Franklin.

The Doctor.

The Pardoner.

The Shipman.

The Prioress.

Chaucer.

Monk and Hound.

The Nun's Priest.

The Second Nun.

The Canon's Yeoman.

The Manciple.

The Parson.

THE KNYGHT.

THE MILLERE.

THE REVE.

THE COOK.

THE MAN OF LAWE.

THE WYF OF BATHE.

THE FRERE.

THE SOMONOUR.

THE CLERK OF OXENFORD.

THE MERCHANT.

THE SQUIRE.

THE FRANKLIN.

THE DOCTOR.

THE PARDONER.

THE SHIPMAN.

THE PRIORESSE.

CHAUCER.

THE MONK.

THE NONNES PREEST.

THE SECOND NUN.

THE CANON'S YEOMAN.

THE MANCIPLE.

THE PARSON.