The Cambridge ms. Dd. 4. 24. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales, completed by the Egerton ms. 2726 (the Haistwell ms) Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall ... Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.786 600dpi TIFF G4 page imagesUniversity of Michigan LibraryAnn Arbor, Michigan2006ASH3725.0001.001828 C5O ser.1 no.95-96

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Chaucer Society. [Publications] First series. 95-96Publications (Chaucer Society) Ser. 1, [no.] 95-96.The Cambridge ms. Dd. 4. 24. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales, completed by the Egerton ms. 2726 (the Haistwell ms) Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall ... Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.Furnivall, Frederick James, ed. 1825-1910,xviii, 688 p., 2 l. 30 pl. 23 cm. London,Pub. for the Chaucer Society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.,1902.Issued in 2 parts, 1901-02. Imperfect? t.-p. of pt. 1 wanting? supplied by that of pt. II.Appended: Chaucer Society. List of members and cash accounts, 1900, 1901.

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THE Cambridge MS. Dd. 4. 24. OF Chaucer's Canterbury Tales COMPLETED BY THE EGERTON MS. 2726 (THE HAISTWELL MS).

EDITED BY FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL.

LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE CHAUCER SOCIETYBY KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., >DRYDEN HOUSE, 43, GERRARD STREET, SOHO, W. 1902

TO OUR GOOD FRIEND AND HELPER, Prof. Dr. John Koch.

First Series, XCV-XCVI.

RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, LONDON & BUNGAY.

GROUP A. FRAGMENT I. § 1. GENERAL PROLOGUE.

CAMBRIDGE MS. Dd. 4. 24 (copied by Wytton), Completed by Egerton MS. 2726 (the Haistwell MS.) from which are Lines 1-252, 505-758, 920-1170, 1502-1931, 2927-3016, etc. Its tags to final d, f, g and k are not printed.

 WHan that Aprill with his shoures soote The draught of Marche hath pershed þe roote And bathed euery veyn in swhiche licour Of soche vertue engendred is þe floure And ȝepherus eke with his swete breth Enspired hath in euery holt and heth The tendre croppes and the yonge son Hath in the Ram half his cours ron And smale foules make melody That slepe all night with open Ie So prekketh hem nature in hir corage Than longeth yt folk to go on pilgremage And Palmers for to seche straunge strondes To ferne halowes couthe in sondry londes And specially from euery shires ende Of Engelond to Caunterbury þei wende The holy blisful martir for to seke That hem hath holp when they were seke So byfyll yt þat seson on a day In southwerk at þe Tabard as I lay Redy to wende on my pilgremage To Caunterbury with full deuou[t]MS. rubd corage That night was com[e]MS. rubd in to our hostry Wele xxix in a cumpany Of diuers folk by auenture yfall In felyshipe and pilgrymes were they all And toward Caunterbury wold þei ryde The chambres and stables weren wyde And wele were we esed at the best And shortly when þe son went to rest So hade I spoke with hem euerychone That I was of her felyshippe anone And made foreward erly to aryse To take our wey as I shall you deuise But neuertheless while I haue tyme and space Er þat I in þis tale ferther pace Me thinketh yt accordyng were to reson To telle you all the condicon Of ecch of hem so as it semeth me And whiche they were and of what degre And eke of what array þei were in And at a knight þan woll I ferst begynne A Knight þere was and þat a worthy man þat fro þe tyme þat he first began To ryde out he loued chiualrye Trewth honour fredome and curtesye And there-to hade he ryden no man so ferre ffull worthy was he in his lordes werre As wele in cristendome as in hethnesse And euer honour for his worthynesse At alisaundre he was / whan it was won ffull often tymes hade he / the boorde bygon Aboue all nacions / in Spruce In lettow hade he be and in Ruce No cristen man so oft in his degre In Garnard eke at the sege hade he be In Algaryse and rydyn in Belmary At Lyaies hade he be and at Sataly When they were wonne and in þe grete se At many a noble aryve hade he bee At mortaill batailles hade he be xv And fought for our feith at Tramyssene Within þe lyestes iij· and ay sleyn his fo This ilk worthy knight hade be also Somtyme with the lord of Palacye Ageyns an other hethen in Turkye And euermore he hade a soueraigne pryse And though he were worthy he was wyse And of his port as meke as a meide He neuer yit no velany seide In all his lyf vn-to no manere wyght He was a verrey perfite gentell knight And for to telle you of his array his hors was gode but him self was nat gay Of fustyan he wered a gepon All besmotered with his habergeon ffor he was late come fro his viage And went to do his pilgremage With hym þere was his son a yong squyer A lovier and a lusty bacheler With lokkes crull as they were leyde in presse Of xx yere of age he was as I gesse Of his stature he was of even lengthe And wonderly deliuere and grete of strengthe And he hade be somtyme in chiuache In flaundres Artoys and in pycarde And born hym wele as of his litell space In hope to stonde in his lady grace Embrouded was he as yt were a mede All full of fressh floures white and rede Syngyng he was or floytyng all the day He was as fressh as ys the monthe of May Short was his goun with sleves longe and wyde Wele coude he sit an hors and feire ride he coude eke songes make and wele endite Iuste and daunce portray and eke write And so hote he loued þat by nyghtertale He slepe no more þan doth the nyghtyngale Curteys he was lowly and seruisable He carf byfore his fadre at the table Ayoman hade he and seruauntes nomo At þat tyme for hym lyst to ryde so And was all cladde in cote and hode of grene A sheef of pecok arowes bryght and shene vndre his belt he bare full thriftyly Wele coude he dresse his takle and yomanly His arowes drouped nat with fedres lowe And in his hande he bare a myghty bowe A not hede he hade with a broun visage Of wode craft wele koude he all þe vsage Vp-on his arme he bare a gay braccre And by his syde a swerde and a bokelere And on þat other syde a gay daggere Harnest wele as sharpe as pointe of spere A christofre on his brest of silver shene An horn he bare · þe baudryk was of grene A foster he was sothly as I gesse There was also a nonne a prioresse That of hir smylyng was full symple and coy hir grettest othe was but by seint Loy And she was cleped madame Eglentyne ffull wele she song the seruice devyne Entuned in hir voyse full semely And frensh she spake feire and fetysly After þe scole of Stratford at þe bowe ffor frensh of Parys was to hir vnknowe At þe mete wele taught was she with all She lete no morsell fro hir lyppes falle Ne wet hir fyngers in hir sauce depe Wele koude she cary a morsell and wele kepe That no droppe ne fell vp on hir brest In curtesye was set full moche hir lest Hir ouerlyppe wyped she so clene That in hir cuppe þere was no ferthing sene Of grece and whan she hade dronke hir draught ffull semly after hir mete she raught And sekerly she was of grete disport And full plesaunt and amiable of port And peined hir to countrefeit chere Of court for to be statelyche of manere And for to be holde digne of reuerence And for to speke of hir conscience She was so charitable and pitous She wold wepe yf þat she saw a mous Caught in a trap yf þat it were dede or bled Of smale houndes hade she þat she fedde With rosted flessh or mylk and wastell brede But sore wepte she yf ony of hem were dede Or yf men smote it with yerde smerte And all was conscience and tendre herte ffull semely hir wymple pynched was Hir nose tretise hir yen grey as glas Hir mouthe full small and þer-to softe and rede But sekerly she hade a feire forehede ffor hardely she was nat vndregrowe It was almost a span brede I trowe ffull fetyse was hir cloke as I was ware Of small corall about hir arme she bare A peire of bedes gauded all with grene And þere-on hyng a broche of gold full shene On which was first write a crowned A And after amor vincit omnia An other nonne with hir hade she That was hir Chapelyn and prestes iij A monke þere was a feire for þe maistry An outryder þat loued venery A manly man to be an Abbot able ffor many a deinty hors hade he in his stable And whan he rode men myght his bridell here Gyngelyng in a whistelyng wynde as clere And eke as loude as doth þe Chapell bell There as the lord was keper of þe sell The rewle of seint Maure or of seint Benet By-cause it was olde and somdele streyt This ilk monke lete olde thinges passe And helde after þe newe world his space He gaue nat at þat tixt a pulled hen That seith þat honnters be nat holy men Ne þat a monke whan he is recheles Ys lykned to a fyssh þat is waterles This is to seyn a monke out of his cloystre But þat tixt helde I nought worth an oystre And I seide his oppenyon was gode What shold he stody and make hym self wode Vp-on a boke in Cloystre all wey to pore Or swynke with his hondes and labore As Austyn bit ya how shall þe world be serued Lete Austyn haue his swynk to hym reserued Þerfore he was a prykasour aryght Greyhoundes he hade as swyft as foule of flyght On prekyng and huntyng for the hare Was all his lust for no thing wold he spare I sawe his sleves purfyled at þe hande With gryse and þat þe fynest of a londe And for to festyn his hode vndre his chyn He hade of gold wrought a full coryous pyn A loue knot in þe gretter ende þere was His hede was balled þat shone as ony glas And eke his face as he hade ben anoynte He was a lord full fat and in good poynte His yen stepe were and rollyng in his hede That stemed as a fourneys of a lede His botes souple his hors in grete state Now certeinly he was a feire prelate He was nought pale as a forpyned gost A fat swan loved he best of any rost His palfray was as broun as a bery Afrere þere was a wanton and a mery A lymytour and a full solempne man In þe orders iiij · ys non so wele þat can So moche of daliaunce and feire langage He hade made full many a feire mariage Of yong wommen at his owen coste Vn-to his ordre he was a noble poste ffull wele beloved and famuler was he with fraunkleyns ouer all in his contre And with worthy wommen of þe toun ffor he hadde power of confession . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. ffor swetely herde he confession And plesaunt was his absolucon he was an esy man to yeve penaunce There as he wist to haue a gode petaunce ffor vn-to a poure ordre for to geve Ys syngne þat a man ys wele shreve ffor yf he gaf he durst make auaunt He wist þat a man was repentaunt ffor many a man so herde ys of his hert He may nought wepe all þough hym sore smert Therfore in-stede of penaunce and prayers Men most yeve silver to þe poure freres His typpet / was ay farsed full of knyves And pynnes for to yeve feire wyves And certeinly he hade a mery note Wele coude he syng and pley on a rote Of yeddynges he bare outerly þe prys His nek was white as a floure delys Therto he was stronge as a champyon He knewe the tauernes wele in euery toun And euery hostiller and tapstere Better þan a laser or a beggere ffor vn-to soch a worthy man as he Accordeth noght as by his faculte To haue with seke lasers acqueyntaunce It is nought honest yt may nought auaunce ffor to dele with soch poraylle But all with ryche and sellers of vitaylle And ouer all þere profit shold aryse Curteys he was and lowely of seruyce There was no man no where so vertuous He was þe best begger in his hous . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS.[Eg. 2726 ends] ffor though a wydewe / had nouȝt a shoo[Dd. 4. 24 begins, leaf 6; leaves 1-5 gone. The tags to d, f, g, k, r, t are disregarded.] So plesant was his / In principio Ȝet wold he haue / a ferthyng or he went his purchas was wel betir / than his rent And rage he coude / as it had be a whelp In louedayes / there coude he meche help ffor there he was / nat lyke a Cloisterere with a thredbare Cope / as is a pore scolere But he was like a Maister / or a Pope Of double worstede / was his semy Cope Rounde / as any belle / ouȝt of the presse Somwhat he lisped / for his wantounesse To make his englyssh / swete on his tonge And in his harpyng / whan that he songe hys eyen twynkeled / in his hede a-right As don the sterres / in a frosty nyght This worthy lymytour / was cleped Huberd A Marchaunnt þere was / with a forked berdA Mar|chaunnt In motlee / and heye on hors he satte And on his heued / a flaundryssh beuer hatte His botes clasped / faire and fetisly His resons he spak / ful solempnely Sownyng alwey / the encres of his wynnyng He wold þe see were kepte / for any thyng By-twene Midelburgh / and Orewelle wel coude he / in eschaunges / sheldes selle This worthy man / ful wel / his wyt bysette There wyst no wyght / that he was in dette So stedefastly dede he / of his gouernance with his bargeyns / and with his cheuysance ffor sothe he was / a worthy man with alle But sothe to seyn / I ne wot how men him calle A Clerk ther was / of Oxenford also¶ A Clerk That vnto logyk / had longe I-go And lene was his hors / as it were a rake And he was nouȝt right fat / I vndertake But loked holwe / and ther-to soberly fful thredbare was his ouerest Courteby ffor he had ȝet / geten him no benefice Ne was nouȝt wordly / to haue an Office ffor him was leuer / haue / at his beddis hede Twenty bokes clad / in blak and in rede Of Aristotle / and his philosophie Than riche robes / or fethil or sautrie But al be it though / he were a Philosophre Ȝet had he but litel / gold in his coffre But al þat he / from his frendis hent On bokes and on lernyng / he it spent/ And bisily gan / for the soules pray Of hem / þat ȝaf him / wherwith to scoley Of stody tok he / most eure and hede Nouȝt a word spak he / more than was nede And þat was seide / in fourme and reuerence And short and quyk / & ful of heigh sentence Sownyng in moral vertue / was his speche And gladly wold he lerne / and gladly teche A Sergeaunt of lawe / there was / war & wys¶ A ser|geant of lawe That ful often had ben / at Pardys That was ful riche / of excellence Discrete he was / and of gret reuerence he semed swich / his wordes were so wyse Justice had he be / ful often in assise Both by patent / and pleyn comissioun ffor his science / and his heigh renoun Of fees and robes / had he many on So grete a purchasour / was nowher non Al was fee simple / to him in effect His purchasyng / myght nat ben / in suspect Nowher so besy a man . as he there nas And ȝet he semed / besiere than he was In termes had he cas / and domes alle That fro þe tyme / of kyng will / weren falle Ther-to he coude endyte / and make a thyng Ther coude no man pynche / at his writyng And euery statut / coude he / pleynly by rote He rod but homely / in a Medlee Cote Girt with a seynt of silk / with barres smale Of his array / telle I / no lengere tale Affrankeleyn þere was / in this compaignye¶ A ffran|keleyn whyt was his berd / as is the daysye Of his complexion / he was sangweyn wel loued he by the morwe / a soppe in vyn To lyue in delyt / was euere his wōne ffor he was Epiours / owen sone That held opynyon / that pleyn delit was verray / felicite parfyt An housholdere / and þat a gret was he The grettest / of al his contre his brede his ale / was alwey after one A betir wyned man / was nowher none with-oute bake mete / was neuere his hous Of fyssh and flesch / and þat so plenteuous It sewed in his hous / of mete and drynke Of alle deyntes / þat eny man coude thynke After the sondry sesons / of the ȝere So chaunged he his mete / & his sopere fful many a fat partrich / had he in mue And many a breme / & many a luce in stue wo was his coke / but if his sauce were Poynaunt and sharp / and redy al his gere his table durmaunt / in his hall alwey Stod redy couered / al the long day At the sessiones / there was he lord and sire fful often tyme / he was knyght of the shire And an Anlaas / and a Gipciere al of silk Heng at his girdil / as whyt as morwe mylk A sherewe had he be / and a Countour was nowher swich / a worthy vauasour An haberdassher / and a Carpenter¶ An Haber|dassher A webbere a dighere / and a tapicer¶ A Carpenter And they were clothed / alle in oo lyuere¶ A webbere Of a solempne / and gret fraternite¶ A Dighere fful fressh and newe / her gere pyked was¶ A Tapicer here knywes were nouȝt / chaped with bras But al with siluer / wrouȝt ful clene and wele here Girdeles / and here pouches / euerydele wel semed ich of hem / a fair Burgeys To sitte in the ȝildehalle / vp-on þe heye deys Euerych for the wysdom / that he can was shaply to be / an Alderman ffor catel hadden they I-nough and rent And eke here wyues / wold it wel assent / And ellis serteyn / they weren to blame It is ful feyr / to be cleped Madame And go to the vigiles / al byfore And haue a Mantel / rially bore A Coke they had / with hem for þe nonesA Coke To boyle the Chikenys / with the Maribones And pouder Merchaunt / tart / and Galyngale wel coude he knowe / a draught of london ale he coude / roste / sethe / boille / and frye Make Mortrewes / and wel bake a pye But gret harm was it / as thouȝt me That on his shyne / a mormal had he And blanchemangere / mad he with the best A Shipman there was / þat woned fer by west¶ A Ship|man ffor ought þat I wot / he was of Dertemouthe he rod vp-on a Rouncy / as wel as he coude In a gowne of faldyng / vn-to the knee A daggere hangyng / on a lace had he A-boute his nekke / vndir his arme a-doun The hote somer / had mad his hew al broun And serteynly / he was a good felawe fful many a draught / of wyn / had he drawe ffro Burdeusward / whiles the chapmen slepe Of nyce conscience / toke he no kepe If þat he faught / and had the heyer hand Be water he sent it home / fro euery lond But to reken wel / of his craft the tydes The stremes and the strandes hym beside is his herberwe / his mone / and his lodes manage There was non swich / from hulle in-to cartage Hardy he was / and wys / I vndertake with many a tempest / he had his berd shake He knew alle the hauenes / as they were ffro Gutlond / to the Cape de fenistre And euery Cryke / fro Bretaigne in-to Spayne his Barge was called / the Magdaleyne With vs there was / a Doctour of PhisikA Doctour of phisyk In al þis world / was non him lyk To speke of Phesik / and of surgerie ffor he was grounded / in Astronomye he kept his pacience / a ful gret dele In houres by his / magyk / naturele Wel coude he fortunen / the accident Of hise ymages / for be his pacient he knew the cause / of euery maladye wheiþer it were cold / hote / moist / or drye and wher-of it engendered / and of what humour he was a verray parfyt/ practisour The cause he knew / and of his harm the rote A-non he ȝaf / the syke man his bote fful redy had he / alle hise appoticaries To sende him draggges / and his lettuaries ffor eche of hem / mad other for to wynne her ffrenshipe / was nat newe / to bygynne wel knew he / the old Esculapius And deiscorides / and eke Rusus Olde ypocras / and Galyen Serapyoun / Raȝis / and Auyȝen Auuerrois / Dasmacien / and Costantyn Bernard / Gatisden / and Gilbertyn Of his diete / mesurable was he ffor he was / of no superfluite But of gret norisshyng / and digestible his stody was but litel / in the bible In Sangweyn / and in pers / clad with-alle lyned with taffata / and sendalle And ȝet he was but esy of dispence ffor he kept þat he wan / in the pestilence ffor gold in phisyk / is a ccordiall Therfore he loued gold / in especiall. A good wyf þere was / of beside bathe¶ the Wyf of Bathe But she was somdel def / & þat was skathe Of cloth makyng / she had swich an haunt That she passed hem / of ypris & of gaunt In all the paryssh / wyf was there non That to offryng / a-forn hire shuld gon And if there dide / serteyn so wroth was she That she was oute / of al charite Hire kerches / were of fyn ground I durst swere / they weyed doun a pound That on the Sonday / were vp-on hire hede hire hosen were / of fyn skarlet rede fful streite teyed / and shoon moist & newe Bold was hire face / and feir & rede of hewe She was a worthy womman / al hire lyue housbondes at þe chirche dore / had she had fyue With-outen other companye / in hire ȝouthe But ther-of nedeth nat / to speke of nouthe And thries had she ben / at Ierusalem She had passed / many a straunge strem At Rome had she be / and at Boloyne In Galice at Seynt Iameȝ / and at Coloyne She coude meche / of wandryng by the weye Gat-tothed was she / sothly to seye Vp-on an aumblere / esily she sat Wel I-wympled / and on hire hed an hat As brod as is / a bokeler or a targe A fote mantel / aboute hire hepes large And on hire fete / a peire of spores sharpe In felashippe / coude she / laughe & carpe The remedies of loue / she coude per chaunce ffor of þat art / she knew þe olde daunce A Good man þere was / of religion¶ A Person That was a pore Person / of a toun But riche he was / of holy thouȝt and werke He was also / a lerned man / a clerke That cristes gospel / trewely wold preche His parisshyns deuoutly / wold he teche Benygne he was / and wonder diligent And in aduersite / ful abidyng / and pacient ffor which he was preued / often sithes fful lothe were him to curse / for his tithes But rather wold he ȝeuen / with-oute doute Vn-to his pore parisshyns / a-boute Of his offryng / and eke of his substance he coude in litil / thyng / haue suffisance Wyde was his parissh / and houses fer a-sonder But he left nouȝt / for reyn ne for thonder In sekenesse and in myschef / to visite The ferthest / in his parissh / moche and lite Vp-on his feet / and in his hond a staf This noble ensaumple / to his shepe he ȝaf That first he wrouȝt / and afterward he taught Ouȝt of þe gospel / he tho wordes caught And this figure / he added eke ther-to That if gold rust / what shuld Iren do ffor if a preest be foul / on whom we trust no wonder is / a lewed man to rust And shame it is / if a preest take kepe To se a sheton shepherde / & a clene shepe[Dd. 4. 24 ends; leaves 9, 10, 11 gone] Wele aught a prest ensaumple for to yeveEgerton begins, on leaf 7 By his clennes how þat his shepe shold leve He set nought his benefice to hire And lete his shepe accombred in the mire Ne renne to london to Seint Poules To seche hym a chauntry for soules Or be with a bretherhede withhold But dwelled at home and kept wele his fold So þat þe wolf made þere no maistrye He was a shepard and not a mersonarye And though he holy were and vertuous He was nat with synfull men despitous Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne But in his speche discrete and benigne To drawen folk to heven by feirenesse By gode ensaumple þis was his besynesse But and he knewe ony person obstenate Whether he were hiegh or lowe astate Hym wold he snebbe for þe nones A better prest I trowe nowhere none ys He awayted after no pompe ne reuerence Ne made hym a spiced conscience But cristes lore and his Appostels xij He caught but furst he folowed it him selve Wyth hym þere was a plowman was his brothere That hade lad of dong many a fothere A trewe swynker and a gode was he Levyng in pees and perfite charite God loued he best with all his hole hert At all tymes þough he gained or smert And þan his neighbour right as hym selue He wold thressh and þere-to dyke and delue ffor cristes sake for euery poure wight without hire yf it lay in his might His tithes payde he full faire and wele Both of his propre swynk and of his catele In a tabard he rode vp-on a mere There was also a Reve and a millere A sompnour and a pardoner also A maunciple and myself þere was no mo The miller was a stout carle for þe nones ffull bigge he was of brawne and of bones That preueth wele for euer where he cam At the wrestellyng he wold haue þe ram He was short sholdred brode and a thik gnarre There was no dore but he yt wold lyft of barre Or breke it with rennyng with his hede His berde as ony fox . was rede And there-to brode as it were a spade Vp-on þe cop of his nose he hade A wert and þere-on stode a tuft of heirs Rede as the bristels of sow erys His nosethrilles blak were and wyde A swerde and a bokeler bare he by his syde His mouthe was as grete as a fournesse he was a Iangeler and golyardes And þat was most synne and harlottryes Wel coude he stele corne and tolle iij And yit he hade a thom of golde parde A white cote and a blewe hode wered he A bagpipe wele koude he blawe and sowne And therewith-all he brought vs out of towne Agentyll Mansiple was there of a temple Of which al[al later] catours mighten take exemple ffor to be wyse in bying of vitaill ffor whether he paide or toke by taill Alwey he wayted so in his acate That he was ay byforn and in gode state Now is nat that of god a full feire grace That soch a lewde mans witte shall passe The wysdom of an hepe of lerned men That maistres haue hade mo than iij· ten That of lawe were expert and curious Of which there were a dosen in þat hous Worthy to be stewardes of rent and londe Of ony lord that is in Ingelonde To make hym leve by his propre gode In honour douteles but yf he were wode Or lyue as skarsly as hym lyst desire And able to helpen all a shire In ony cas þat myght falle or happe And yit this manciple set her aller cappe The reve was a sklendre coloryk man his berde was shave as nygh as euer he can His here was by his eres full rounde shorn His top was dokked like a prest byforn ffull longe were his legges and full lene Like a staf there was no calf a-sene Wele koude he kepe a gerner and a byn There was none auditour coude[coude, overline] on him wyn Wele wist he by the drought and by the reyn The yeldyng of his corn and of his greyn His lordes shepe his nete his dayre His swyne his hors his stok and his pultrye Was holy in this reves gouernyng And by his couenaunt he yaf þe rekenyng Sen þat his lord was xx· yere of age There koude no man bryng him in arrerage The was no baillyf herde ne other hyne That he ne knewe her sleight and her couyne They were adradde of hym as of the dethe His wonyng was feire vp-on an hethe with grene trees shadewed was his place he koude better þan his lord purchace ffull riche he was astored priuely his lorde he koude plese full subtelly To yeue and lene hym of his owen gode And haue a thank and yit a gowne and hode This Reve satte vp-on a well gode stot All pomely grey and he hight scot lerned he hade in youth a gode meistere He was a gode wright a Carpentere A long surcote of Pers vp-on he hade And by his syde he bare a lusty blade Of Norfolk was this Reve of which I telle Beside a toun men clepe Baldeswell Tukked he was as ys a frere aboute And euer he rode þe hyndrest of þe route Asompnour was þere with vs in þat place That hade a feire rede cherubyns face ffull saussleem he was with yen narow As hote he was and licherous as a sparow With skalled browes blake and pyled berde Of his visage children were a-ferde There was neyther lytarge quiksiluer ne bremstone Borage ceruce ne oyle of tartre none Ne oynement þat wolde clense and byte That hym might help of his whelkes white Ne of þe knobbes sutyng[or 'sittyng'] in his chekes Wele loued he garlyk oynons and lekes And for to drynke stronge wyne as rede as blode Than wold he speke and crye as he were wode And whan þat he wele dronken hade the wyne Than wold he speke no worde but latyn A fewe termes hade he ij· or iij· That he hade lerned out of som decre No wonder ys he herde yt all the day And eke he knowe wele how þat a Iay Kan clepe wat as wele as kan þe pope But who so koude in other thinges hym grope Than hade he spent all his felosophie Ay questio quid Iuris wold he crye He was a gentill harlot and a kynde A better felaw shold men nowhere fynde He wold suffre for a quart of wyne A gode felaw to haue his concubyne A twelmonth and excuse hym atte full ffull priuely eke a fynche koude he pulle And yf he fonde owhere a gode felawe He wold tech hym to haue none awe In swich cas of þe Archedekenes curs But yf a mans soule heng in his purs ffor his purs he shold pyned be purs is the Erchedekenes hell quod he But wele I wote he lyeth right in dede Of cursyng ought euery gilty man to drede ffor curs will slee right as assoylyng saueth And also ware hym of a significaueth In daungere hade he at his owen gyse All the yong gerles of the diocyse And knewe her counseill and was all her rede A gerlonde he hade set vp-on his hede As grete as yt were for an ale stake A bokeler hade he made hym of a cake Wyth hym there rode a gentyll pardonere Of rouncyvale his felawe and his compere That streight was come fro the court of Rome ffull loude he song come hyder loue come This sumpnour bare to hym a styf burdon Was neuer trompe of half so grete a soun This pardoner hade here as yelowe as ony wex But smoth hang it as doth a stryke of flex By ounces hyng his lokkes that he hade And therewith his sholdres it ouersprade But thynne yt lay by culpons one and one And hode for iolyte wered he none ffor it was trussed vp in his walet hym thought he rode all of þe newe get Dyscheuele saue his cape he rode all bare With glaryng yen as hath an hare A vernicle hade he sewed on his cappe Hys walet ley byforn hym in his lappe ffret full of pardon come fro Rome all hote A voys he hade as small as hath a gote No berde hade he ne neuer shold haue Als smoth yt was as yt were newe shaue I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare But of his craft fro Berewyk vn-to Ware Ne was there soch a-nother pardonere ffor in his male he hade a pelough bere Which that he seid was our lady veill He seid he hade a gobet of the saill That seint Petir hade when he went Vp-on þe see tyll Ihesu crist hym hent he hade a croos of laton full of stones And in a glas he hade pyggesbones But which thise relikkes whan þat he fonde A poure person dwellyng vp-on londe Vp-on a day he gate hym more money Than þe person gate in monethes twey And thus with his feyned flaterye and Iapes He made þe person and the peple his Apes But trewely to telle at the last He was in chirche a noble eccliast Wele koude he rede a lesson or a story But altherbest he song an affertory ffor wele he wist whan þat song was song He most preche and wele afile his tong To wyn siluer as he wele koude Therfore he song so mery and so loude Now how I tolde you sothely in a clause The state the array the nombre and the cause Why þat assembled was this company In Suthwerk at this gentill Ostry That hight þe Tabard fast by the belle But now yt ys tyme to yow for to telle How þat we bare vs þat ilk nyght When we were in þe ostry alight And after will I telle of our viage And all the remenaunt of our pilgrymage But first I pray yow of your curtesy That ye ne arrete nat my velany Though þat I pleinly speke in this matere To telle you her wordes and her chere Ne though I speke her wordes proprely ffor this ye knowe as wele as I Who-so shall telle a tale after a man he most reherce as nygh as euer he can Euery word yf yt be in his charge Speke he neuer so rewdely ne so large Or elles he mote telle his tale vntrewe Or feyn thing or fynde wordes newe He may nought spare all-thogh yt were his brother He mote as wele sey o· worde as an other Crist spake hym self full brode in holy wryt And wele ye wote no velany ys yt Eke plato seith who-so can hym rede The wordes most be cosyn to the dede Also I pray you to forgeve it me Thogh I haue nat set folk in her degre Here in this tale as that they shold stond My wit is short ye may wele vndrestond Grete chere made our host vs euerychone And to soper set we vs anone He serued vs with vitailles at þe best Strong was the wyne and wele drynke vs lest A semely man our host was with-all ffor to ben a Marchall in an hall A large man he was with yen stepe A feirer burgeys was there nought in chepe Bold of his speche and wyse and wele taght And of manhode lakked hym right naght Eke he was therto a mery man And after soper pley he began[Eg. 2726 ends] And spak of mirthe / a-mong other thyngesDd. 4. 24 begins, leaf 12 Whan þat he had mad / oure rekenynges And seide / lo lordyngges trewely Ȝe ben to me / right welcome hertily ffor be my treuthe / if that I shal nat lye I sey nat þis ȝere / so merie a companye At ones / in this herberwe / as is nowe ffayn wold I do ȝow myrthe / & I wist howe And of a mirthe / I am ryght now be-þouȝt To don ȝow ease / and it shal cost nouȝt ¶ Ȝe gon to Caunterbury / god ȝow spede That blisful martir / quyte ȝow ȝoure mede And wel I wot / as ȝe gon by the weye ȝe shapen ȝow to talken / and to pleye ffor trewely / comfort ne mirthe is non To ride by the weye / as dom as it were a ston And þerfore wyl I / maken ȝow disport As I seide erst / and do ȝow som comfort And if ȝow like / alle be one assent To stonden / at my Iuggement And for to werken / as I shal ȝow sey To-morwe / whan ȝe riden by the wey Now be my faders soule / þat is dede But ȝe be merie / I wyl ȝeue ȝow myn hede holde vp ȝoure hondes / with-oute more speche Oure counseil was nouȝt / longe for to seche Vs þouȝt it was nat worthy / to make it nyce And graunted him / with-oute more a-vyse And bad him sey / his verdyt as him lest ¶ . lordyngges quod he / now herkeneth for the best But take it nouȝt / I prey ȝow in disdeyn This is þe poynt / to speke it short & pleyn That eche of ȝow / to short with ȝoure weye In this viage / shall telle tales tweye To Caunterburyward / I mene it so And homward / he shal telle othere two Of auentures / that whilom / han byfalle And which of ȝow / bereth him best of alle That is to seyn / that telleth in þis cas Tales / of most sentence and solas Shal haue a soper / at our alder cost Here in this place / sittyng by this post whan þat we comen a-geyn / fro Caunterbury And for to make ȝow / the more mery I wyl my self goodly / with ȝow ryde Right at myn owen cost / and be ȝoure guyde And who so wyl / my Iuggement with-sey shal paie al that we spende / by the wey And if ȝe wouchesaue / þat it be so Telle me a-non / with-oute wordes mo And I wyl erly / shape me therfore This þing was graunted / and oure othes swore with ful glad hert / and prayed him also That he wold vouchesaue / so to do And that he wolde be / oure gouernour And of our tales / Iugge and reportour And sette a soper / at a certein prise And we wyl reuled be / at his deuyse In heygh & lowe / and thus by one assent we be acorded / to his Iuggement / And ther-vp-on / the wyn was fet anon we dronkyn & to rest / wenten ichon with-outen eny lengere / tariyng ¶ . A morwe / whan þe day gan spryng Vp ros oure Ost / and was oure aller Cok And gadered vs to gedir / on a flok And forth we redyn / a litel pas vn-to the wateryng / of seynt Thomas And there oure Ost / bygan his hors arest And seide lordes / herkeneth if ȝow list Ȝe wete oure forward / if ȝe it record If euesong / and morwesong accord late se now / who shall telle þe first tale As euere mote I drynke / wyn or ale who so be rebel / to my Iuggement Shal paie for al þat is / by the weye I-spent Now draweth cutte / er we ferthere twynne ffor he þat hath the shortest / shal begynne ¶ . Sire Knyght quod he / my maister & my lord Now draweth Cutte / for this is myn accord Cometh nere quod he / my lady Prioresse And ȝe sire clerk / late be ȝoure shamefastnesse Ne studieth nought / ley hand to euery man A-non to drawe / euery wyght bygan And shortly to telle / as it was were it by auenture / or sort / or cas The soth is this / the kut fel on the knyght Of which ful glad / was euery wyght And telle he must his tale / as it was reson By forward / and by composicion As ȝe han herd / what nedeth wordes mo And whan þis good man / saugh þat it was so As he þat wys was / and obedient To kepe his forward / by his free assent And seide / sithe / I shal begynne þe game welcome be the cutte / in goddes name Now late vs ride / and herkeneth what I sey And with þat word / we redyn forth oure wey And he bygan / with right a mery chere This tale a-non / and seide on þis manere ¶ Heere bigynneth the knyghtes tale[Lines 920-1170, 1582-1931, 2927-3016 from Egerton 2726.]¶ Iamque domos patrias scithice post aspera gentis / prelia laurigero &c. Whilom there was / as olde stories tellen vs, A Duke / a worthy man that hight Theseus Of Athenes / he was lord and gouernour And in his tyme / swiche a conquerour That grettere was ther non / vnder the sonne fful many a riche contre / had he wonne what with his wysdom / and Chyualrie He conquered al the regne / of femenye That whilom cleped was / Scithia And wedded the fressh quene / ypolita And brouȝt hire hom with him / to his contre with meche glorie / and grete solempnyte And eke hire ȝonge suster / Emelye And thus with blisse / & with victorie Lete I this noble Duke / to Athenes ride And al his Ost / in armes / by his side And certes if it ne were / to longe to here I wold haue told fully / the manere How wonne was the regne / of ffemonye By Theseus / and by his cheualrie And of the grete bataille / for the nones Bytwene the Athenes / and Amasones And how assegid was / Ipolita The fair hardy Quene / of Scithia And of the fest þat was / at hire weddyng And of the temple / at hire hom commyng But al this thyng / I mot as now forbere I haue god wote / a large felde to ere And weyke be the Oxen / in my plow The remenaunt of my tale / is long I-now I wil nouȝt letten eke / non of þis route Lete euery felawe / tellen his tale a-boute And lat se now / who shal the soper wynne And there as I left / I wyl a-ȝein begynne This Duke / of which I made mencion whan he was come / almost to the toun In al his wele / and in his most pride He was ware / and cast his eye a-side where that there kneled / in the heye weye A companye of ladies / tweye and tweye Eche after other / clothed in clothes blake But swich a cry / and swich a woo they make That in þis world / is no creature leuyng That euere herd swich a-noþer / weymentyng And of this cry / they wold neuere stynt / Til they the Reyne / of his bridel hent / what folk be ȝe / that at myn hom comyng Perturbeth so my folk / with criyng Quod Theseus / haue ȝe so gret enuye Of myn honour / þat ȝe þus compleyne and crye Or who hath ȝow mysboden / or offended Do / telle me / if þat it may be amended And why ȝe be thus clothed al in blak The eldest lady of hem alle / þanne spak whan she had swowned / with a dedly chere That it was reuthe / for to sene and here And seide lord / to whom fortune / hath I-ȝeuen Victorie / and as a conquerour to leuen Nouȝt greueth vs ȝoure glorie / ne Honour But we be-seke ȝow / of mercy and socour Haue mercy on oure woo / and oure distresse[Dd. ends; leaves 14-16 gone] Some drope of pyte þurgh þy gentillesseEg. 2726 begins, leaf 12 Vp-on vs wrecched wommen lete þou falle ffor certes lord þere is none of vs all That we haue be a duchesse or a quene Now be we caytyfs as it is wele sene Thanked be fortune and hir fals whele That none astate assureth to be wele And certes lord to abide your presence Here in this temple of goddes clemence We haue be wayting all þis fourtenyght Now helpe vs lord setth it is in thy might I wrecch which þat wepe and wayll þus Whilom was wyf to kyng Capaneus That starf at Thebes cursed be the day And all we þat ben in this array And make all this lamentacion We lost all our housbondes at þat toun While þat þe sege there aboute lay And yit now the olde creon weleaway That lord is now of Thebes þe Citee ffulfilled of ire and iniquitee he for despyte and tyrannye To done the dede bodyes velanye Of all our lordes which þat ben slawe He hath all bodies on an hepe drawe And will nat suffre by none assent Neyther to be buried ne ybrent But make houndes ete hem in despite And with þat worde without more respite They fell grovelyng and cried pitously haue on vs wrecched wommen som mercy And lete our sorow synk in thyne hert This gentyll duk from his corsour stert With hert pitous whan he herde hem speke hym thoght þat his hert wold breke When he saw hem so pitous and so mate That somtyme were of so grete astate And in his armes he hem all hent And hem comforted in full gode entent And swore his oth as he was trewe knight he wold done so ferforth his might Vp-on this Tiraunt Creon hem to wreke That all þe peple of grece there-of shold speke how Creon was of Thebes serued As he þat hade full wele his deth deserued And right anone with-out more abode His baner he desplayeth and forth rode To Thebes ward and all his ost beside Ne nere Athenes wold he go ne ride Ne take his ese fully half a day But onward on his way that nyght he lay And sent anone to ypolita þe quene And Emely hir yonge suster shene Vn-to Athenes þere for to dwell And forthe he rode there is no more to telle The rede statute of Mars with spere and targe So shineth in his white baner large That all the feldes gliteren vp and doun And by his baner born was his penoun Of gold full riche in which there was ybete The manatour which þat he wan in Crete Thus rideth this duk this noble conquerour And in his ost of chiualrye þe flour Till þat he came to Thebes and alight ffeir in a felde there as he thought to fight But shortly for to speke of this thing With Creon which was of Thebes kyng He faught and slewe him manly as a knight In plein batell and put his folk to flight And by assent he wan þe Cite after And rent adoun spar wall and rafter And to the ladies he restored hath ageyn The bones of her housbondes þat were sleyn To do obsequies as was tho the gyse But it were all to long for to deuyse The grete clamour and þe grete weymentyng That the ladies made at the brennyng Of the bodies and the grete honour That Theseus this noble conquerour doth to thise ladies when they fro him went But shortly to telle is myn entent Whan þat þis worthy duk this Theseus hath Creon sleine and wonne Thebes thus Stille in þat felde he toke all night his rest And did with all þe contre as hym lest To ransake in the taas of þe bodyes dede Hym for to strype of harneys and of wede The pilours didden her besynesse and cure After the bataill and the discomfiture And so befill þat in the taas they founde Thurgh gurt with many a greuous wounde Two yong knightes liggyng by and by Both in one armes wroght full richely Of which two Arcita was þat one And þat other knight hight Palamone Noght fully quyk ne fully dede they were But by her cotearmes and by her gere The heraudes knew hem best of all As they that weren of þe blode riall Of Thebes and of two susters born Out of the taas the pilours haue hem born And han hem caried soft vn-to the tent Of theseus and full sone he hem hent And sent to Athenes to dwell in prison perpetuelly with-outen raunson And whan this worthy duk hath þus done He toke his ost and home he ryt anone with lauriell crowned as a conquerour And there he leved in ioy and honour Terme of his lyf what nedeth wordes mo And in a tourne of angwyssh and of wo Dwellen thise palamon and his felawe arcite ffor euermore there may no gold hem quite This passeth yere by yere and day by day Till it befell ones in a morow of May That Emely that feirer was to sene Then is the lilly vp-on þe stalk so grene And fressher þan þe May with floures new ffor with þe rose stroue hir hewe I note which was þe feirer of hem two Er it were day as was hir wont to do She was aresen and all redy dight ffor May woll haue no slogardrye a night That seson prykketh euery gentell hert And maketh hym out of his slepe to stert And seith arise and do thine obseruance This meyde Emelye to haue remembrance To don honour to May and for to ryse Clothed was she fressh for to deuyse Her yelow heres browded were in o tresse Behinde hir bak a yerde longe as I gesse And to the gardyn at the sonne vprest She walketh vp and doun and as hir lest She gadred floures party white and rede To make a sotell garlond for hir hede And as an Angell hevenlich she songe The toure þat was so thik and so stronge Which of þe castell was þe chief dongeon There as thise knightes were in prison Of which I told you and telle shall Was even ioynyng to þe gardyn wall There as this Emely hade hir pleying Bright was the son and clere þe mornyng And palamon þis wofull prisoner As was his wone by leve of his gayler Was risen and romed in the chambre on high In the which he all the noble Citee sigh And eke þe gardyn full of braunches grene There as this fressh Emelye the shene And was hir walke and romed vp and doun This wofull prisoner þis palamon Goth in the chambre to and fro And to him self compleynyng of his wo That he was born full oft cried he allas And so befill þat by auenture or cas That thurgh þe wyndowe thik of many a barre Of Iren grete and square as ony sparre He cast his yee vp-on Emelya And there-with-all he blent and cried A As thogh he stongen were vn-to the hert And with þat crie Arcite anone vp stert And seide Cosyn myn what eyleth the That art so pale and dedely for to see Why cridest thow who hath the don offence ffor goddes sake take it in pacience Our prison for it may none other be ffortune hath yeve vs this aduersite Som wikked aspect or disposicioun Of Saturne by som constillacioun hath yeve vs this althogh we hade sworn So stode the heven whan that we were born We most endure this is the short and plein This palamon answerd and seide agein Cosyn forsoth of þis opinion Thow hast a veyn ymaginacon This prison caused me not for to cryee But I was hurt right now þurgh myn yee In-to myn hert þat yt will my bane be The feirenes of þat lady that I se Yonder in the gardyn romyng to and fro Is cause of all my crying and my wo I ne wote whether she be a womman or a goddes But Venus I trow it be as I gesse And there-with-all on knees he fill And seid Venus yf it be thy will Now in þis gardyn thus þe to transfigure Byfore me sorowfull wrecched creature Out of this prison helpe þat we may skape And yf so be our desteny be shape By eterne worde to dey in prison Of our linage haue som compassion That is so lowe brought by tyrannye And with that worde Arcite gan aspie Where as this lady romed to and fro And with þat sight hir beaute hurt him so That yf þat palamon was wounded sore Arcite is hurt as moch or more And with þat sight he seide pitously Thy fressh beaute sleth me sodeinly Of hir þat rometh þere in yondre place And but yf I haue hir mercy and hir grace That I may seyn hir at the lest wey I am but dede there is no more to sey This palamon whan he thise wordes herd Dispitously he loked and answerd Whether seist thow this in ernest or in play Nay quod Arcite in ernest by my fay God helpe me so me lust yuell to pley This palamon gan to knytte his browes twey Yt were to the quod he no grete honour ffor to be fals and for to be a traytour To me that am þy Cosyn and þy brother Isworn full depe and ecch of vs to other That neuer for to dey in peyne Till þat the deth depart shall vs tweyne Neyther of vs in loue to hynder other Ne in none other caas my leve brother But that þou sholdest trewly forther me In euery caas as I shall forther the This was thine· othe· and myn certeyn I wote right wele þou darst it nat withseyn Thus art þou of my counseill out of dout And now þou woldest falsly bene about To loue my lady whom I loue and serue And euere shall tyll þat my hert sterue Nay certes fals Arcite thow shalt nat so I loued hir first and told the my wo As to my counseill and to my brother sworn To forther me as I haue told byforn ffor which þou art bounde as a knight To help me yf it lay in thy myght Or elles art þou fals I dare wele seyn This Arcite proudely spake ageyn Thow shalt quod he be rather fals þan I And þou art fals I telle the witterly ffor parauenture I loued hir first or thow What will þou sey þou wost it now Whether she be a womman or a goddesse Thyn is the affeccon of holynesse And myn is love as to a creature ffor which I telle the myn auenture As to my Cosyn and my brother swore I purpose þat þou lovedest hir byfore Wost þou nat wele þat olde clerkes sawe That who shall yeve lovers ony lawe Love is a gretter lawe by my pan Than be yeven may to ony erthly man And therfore posityf lawe and swich decre Is broken all day for love in ecch degre A man most love nedys maugre in his hede He may noght fle yt though he shold be dede[Eg. 2726 ends] Al be she / Mayde / wydewe / or ellis wyff/Dd. begins, leaf 17 And eke it is nouȝt likly / al thy lif/ To stonde in hire grace / no more shal I ffor wel þou wost / thy seluen verayly That þou and I / be dampned to prison Perpetuelly / vs geyneth no raunson We striue / as dide þe houndes / for þe bon That faught al day / and ȝet here part was non There cam a kyte / whyle þei were so wrothe And bar a-wey þe bon / bytwen hem bothe And þerfore / at þe kynges court / my brother Eche for him self / there is non other ¶ loue if þou list / for I loue and ay shal And sothly leue brother / this is al Here in prison / mote we endure And ech of vs / take his aventure ¶ . Gret was þe strif / and longe bytwen hem twey If þat I had leyser / for to sey But to the effect / it happed on a day To telle it ȝow / as shortly as I may A worthy Duke / that hight Parotheus That felawe was / to þis Duke theseus Syn thilk day / þat þei were children lyte was come to Athenes / his felawe to visite ffor to pley / as he was wont to do ffor in the world / he loued no man so And he loued him / as tenderly a-geyn So wele they loued / as olde bokes seyn That whanne þat on was ded / soth to telle his felawe went / & sought him doun in helle But of that story / list ne nat to wryte Duke Parotheus / loued wel Arcite And had him knowe / at Thebes ȝere by ȝere And finally at the request / and prayere Of Parotheus / with-oute ony raunsom Duke Theseus / lete him ouȝt of prison ffreely to go / where as him list ouer alle In swich a gyse / as I ȝow telle shalle This was the forward / pleynly to endite By-twene Theseus / and this Arcite That if so were / þat Arcite were founde Euere in his lyue / by day or nyght o stounde In ony contre / of this Theseus And he were caught / it was a-corded thus That with a swerd / he shulde lese hise hede There was non oþer remedy / ne rede But taketh his leue / and homward he him spedde Lat him be ware / his nekke lith to wedde So gret a sorwe / suffreth now Arcite The deth he feleth / þurugh his hert smyte he wepeth and wayleth / he crieth pytously To sle him self / he wayteth preuyly He seide allas / the day þat he was born Now is my prison wers / than biforn Now is me shape / eternely to dwelle Nought in purgatorie / but in helle Allas þat euere I knew / Parotheus ffor elles had I dwelled / with Duke Theseus ffetered in his prison / for euere mo Than had I ben in blisse / & nouȝt in woo Only the sight of hire / whom þat I serue Though þat I neuere / hire grace may deserue wold haue suffised / right I-now to me O. dere Cosyn / Palamon / quod he Thyn is the victorie / of this auenture fful blisfully in prison / maist þou endure In prison / nay certes / but in Paradys wel hath fortune / turned the the dys Thou hast the sight / of hire / & I the absence ffor possible it is / sith þou hast hire presence And art a knyght / a worthy & an able That be som cas / sithe fortune is chaungeable Thow maist to thy desyre / som tyme atteyne But I þat am exiled / and barayne Of alle grace / and in so gret dispeyre That there nys no water / ffyr / ne Eyre Ne creature / that of hem maked Is That may me hele / or do comfort in this wel ought I sterue / in wanhope & distresse ffare wel my lyf / my lust / and my gladnesse ¶ . Allas why pleyne so folk / in comune Of purueance of god / or of fortune That ȝeueth hem ful oft / in many gyse wel beter / þanne þei can / hem self deuyse Somme men desire / for to haue richesse That cause is of here mordre / or gret seknes And somme man wold / out of prison fayn That in his hous / is of his meyne slayn Infenyt harmes / ben in this matere we wot neuere / what we preisen here we faren as he / þat dronken is as a mous A dronke man wot wel / he hath an hous But he ne wot which is / þe right weye theder And to a dronke man / the weye is slyder And certes in þis world / so fare we we seke fast after / felicite But we gon wrong / ful ofte trewely Thus may we seyn alle / and namely I That wende / and had / a gret opinyon That if I myght escape / from prison Than had I ben / in ioye & parfyt hele That now am exiled / fro my wele Syn I may nouȝt se ȝow / Emelye I am but ded / þere is non oþer remedye ¶ . Vp-on þat oþer side / Palamon whan þat he wist / þat Arcite was gon Swich sorwe he maketh / þat the grete Tour Resouned of his Ianglyng / and clamour The pure feteres / on his shynes grete were of his bittere / salt teres / wete Allas quod he / Arcite Cosyn myn Of al oure strif / god wot þe fruyt is thyn Thow walkest now / in Thebes at thy large And of my woo / þou ȝeuest litel charge Thow maist / sithe þou hast / wysdom & manhode Assemble alle the folk / of oure kynrede And make a werre so sharp / on this Citee That be som auenture / or tretee Thow maist haue hire / to lady & to wyf ffor whom I must nedes / lese my lyf ffor as be weye / of possibilitee sithe þou art at þe large / of prison free And art a lord / gret is þin auauntage More þan myn / þat sterueth here in a cage ffor I mote wepe / and wayle while I leue with al the woo / þat prison may me ȝeue And eke with peyne / that loue me ȝeueth also That doubleth al my turment / and my woo ¶ . Ther-with / the fyr of ielousie vp stirte with-Inne his brest / & hent him by the herte So wodly / þat he lyke was / to be-hold To Box tree / or to asshen / dede and cold ¶ . Thanne seide he / O cruel goddes þat gouerne This world with byndyng / of ȝoure word eterne And wryte in the table / of Athamante Ȝoure parlament / and ȝoure eterne graunte what is man-kynde more / vn-to ȝow hold Than is a shepe / that rukketh in the fold ffor slayn is man / right as an other best And dwelleth eke / in prison / and arrest And hath seknes / and gret aduersitee And often tymes / giltlees parde what gouernance is / in this prescience That giltles / turmentist Innocence And ȝet encreseth this / al my penaunce That man is bounde / to his obseruance ffor goddes sake / to letten of his wylle There as a best may / al his lust fulfille And when a best is ded / he hath no peyne But after his deth / a man mote wepe & pleyne Though in þis world / he haue care and woo with-oute doute / it may stonde so The answere of þis / lete I to deuynes But wel I wot / in þis world gret peyne is ¶ . Allas / I se a serpent or a thef That many a trewe man / hath do myschef Gon at his large / & where him list may turne But I mot be in prison / thurugh saturne And eke þurugh Iuno Ielous / and eke wode That hath wel ny destroyed / al the blode Of Thebes / with his wast walles wyde And Venus sleth me / on þat other syde ffor ielousye / and feer of þis Arcite Now wyl I stynt / of Palamon a lyte And lete him in this prison stille dwelle And of Arcite / forth I wyl ȝow telle ¶ . The somer passeth / & the nyghtes longe Encresynge double wyse / the peynes stronge Bothe of the louere / and of the prisoner I ne wot which hath / the sorwefullest myster ffor shortly to seyn / this Palamon Perpetuelly / is dampned to prison In cheynes and in feteres / to be ded And Arcite is exiled / vp-on his hed ffor euere more / ouȝt of þat contre Ne neuere more / he shal his lady se Now louyers I ask ȝow / this question Who hath the werse / Arcite or Palamon That on may se his lady / day by day But in prison / mote he dwellen ay That other where him list / may ride or go But sen his lady / shal he neuere mo Now demeth as ȝow list / ȝe þat can ffor I wyl telle ȝow forth / as I began [Part II. No gap in the MS.] ¶ . Whan þat Arcite / to Thebes come was fful ofte a day / he swelte & seide allas ffor sen my lady / shal I neuere mo And shortly to concluden / al his woo So meche sorwe / had neuere creature That is or shal / while þe world may dure his slepe his mete & drynk / is him byraft That lene he wex & drye / as is a shaft His eyen holwe / and grysely to be-holde his hewe falwe / and pale / as asshen colde And solitarie he was / and euere allone And walkyng al þe nyght / makyng his mone And if he herd song / or Instrument Than wold he wepe / he myght nat stynt So feble eke were hise spirites / and so lowe And chaunged so / þat noman koude him knowe His speche ne his vois / though men yt herde And in his gere / for al the world he ferde Nouȝt only lyke / the louyers maladye Of hereos / but rather lyke Manye¶ mania Engendred / of humour / malicolyk Byforn his owen / Celle fantasyk And shortly turned / was al vp so doun Bothe habit / and eke disposicioun Of hym / this wooful louyer Arcite what shuld I al day / of hys woo endite whan he endured had / a ȝere or two Thys cruel turment / & thys peyne & woo At Thebes in his contre / as I seyde Vp-on a nyght in slepe / as he him leyde him þouȝt how þat / the wynged god Mercurie Byforn him stod / & bad him to be merie his slepy yerde / in honde he bar vp-right An hatte he wered / vp-on his heris bright Arrayed was þis god / as I tok kepe As he was / whan Argus / toke his slepe And seide him thus / to Athenes shalt þou wende There is the shapen / of thy woo an ende ¶ . And with that word / Arcite woke and stirt Now trewely / how sore þat me smert Quod he / to Athenes / right now wyl I fare Ne for the drede of deth / I wyl nat spare To se my lady / whom þat I loue and serue In hire presence / I rekke nouȝt / though I sterue And with þat word / he caught a gret Myrour And saw / þat chaunged was al his colour And saw his visage / al in an oþer kynde And right a-non / it ran him in his mynde That sithe his face / was so disfigured Of maladye / that he had endured He myght wele ȝeue / that he bare hym lowe Lyue in Athenes / eueremore vnknowe And sen his lady / wel ny day by day And right a-non / he chaunged his array And clad him / as a pore laborere And al a-lone / saue oonly a squyere That knew his preuyte / and al his cas which was disgysed / porely as he was To a Athenes is he gon / the next wey And to the court / he com on a dey And at the gate / he profred his seruyse To drugge and drawe / what men wold deuyse And shortly of this matere / for to seyn He fel in office / with a Chaumberleyn The which þat dwellyng was / with Emelye ffor he was wys / and coude sone espie Of euery seruaunt / which þat serueth hire wel coude he hewe / wode / and water bere ffor he was ȝong & myghty / for þe nones And ther-to he was long / and bygge of bones To don þat ony wyght / can him deuyse A ȝere or two / he was in this seruyse Page of the chaumbre / of Emelye the bryght And Philostrate he seide / that he hight But half so wel byloued a man / as he Ne was þere neuere in courte / of his degre he was so gentil / of condicioun That þorugh-ouȝt al þe court / was his renoun They seiden þat it were / a charite That Theseus wold / enhaunce his degre And putten him / in worshipful seruyse There as he myght / his vertue exercise And thus with-Inne a while / his name is spronge Both of his dedes / and his goode tonge That Theseus hath taken him / so nere That of his chaumbre / he mad him a squyere And ȝaf him gold / to meyntene his degree And eke men brouȝt him / ouȝt of his contre ffrom ȝere to ȝere / ful preuyly his rent But honestly & slily / he it spent That no man wondrede / how þat he it hadde And thre ȝere in this wyse / his lyf he ladde And bar him so in pees / and eke in werre There was no man / þat Theseus hath derre ¶ . And in this blisse / lete I now Arcite And speke I wyl of Palamon / a lyte In derknesse and orrible / and strong prison This seuene ȝer / hath seten Palamon ffor-pyned / what for woo / and for distresse who feleth double soor / and heuynesse But Palamon / þat loue distreyneth so That wod ouȝt of his wytte / he goth for woo And eke ther-to / he is a prisonere Perpetuelly / nought oonly for a ȝere ¶ . who coude ryme / in englyssh proprely hys martirdom / by god it am nat I Therfore I passe / as lightly as I may It fel / that in the / vij / ȝere / in May The thridde nyght / as olde bokes seyn That al this storie / tellen more pleyn were it by auenture / or destyne As whan a þing is shapen / it shal be¶ verum est That sone after the mydnyght / Palamon Be helpyng of a frende / brake his prison And fleeth the Citee / as fast as he may go ffor he had ȝeue / his Iayler drynke so Of Clarry / mad of a certeyn wyne with Nerkotikes and opye / of Thebes fyne¶ Opium The|banum That al þat nyght / þough þat men wold him shake The Iayler slep so / he myght nouȝt wake ¶ . And thus he fleeth / as fast as euere he may The nyght was short / and fast by the day That nedes cost / he must him seluen hyde And to a groue / fast there besyde with dredful fote / than walketh Palamon ffor shortly / this was his oppinyon That in þat groue / he wold him hyde al day And in the nyght / þan wold he take his wey To Thebes ward / his frendes for to pray On Theseus to helpen him / to werrey And shortly / eiþer he wold lese hise lyf On wynnen Emelye / vn-to his wyf This is þe effect / and his entent pleyn ¶ . Now wyl I turne / to Arcite a-geyn That litel wyst / how ny þat was his care Til þat fortune / had brought him in þe snare The besy larke / the messanger of day Saleweth in hir song / the morwe gray And verray Phebus / riseth vp so bryght That al þe orient / laugheth of þe light And with hise stremes / drieth in the greues The siluer dropes / hangyng on the leues And Arcite þat is / in the court rial with Theseus / the squyer principal ys rysen and loketh / on the mery day And for to don / his obseruaunce to May Remembryng on þe poynt / of his desyre[Dd. ends; leaves 21|25 gone] He on a courser stertlyng as the fireEg. 2726 begins, leaf 19, back Is ryden in-to the feldes hym to pley Out of þe court were it a myle or twey And to the groue of which that I you told By auenture his wey he gan hold To maken him a gerlond of þe greues Were it of wodebynd or hathorn leues And lowde he song ayein the son shene May with all thy floures and þy grene Welcome be þow feire fressh May In hope that I som grene gete may And from his courser with a lusty hert In-to the grove full hastely he stert And in a path he rometh vp and doun There as by auenture this palamon Was in a bussh þat no man might him se ffor sore aferde of his deth than was he No thing knewe he þat it was Arcite God wote he wold haue trowed it full lyte But soth is seide gone seth ys many yeres That felde hath yen and wode hath eres It is full feire a man to bere hym even ffor all day meteth men at vnset steven ffull litell wote Arcite of his felawe That was so ny to herken all his sawe ffor in this bussh he sitteth now full stylle Whan þat Arcite hade romed all his fylle And songen all the roundell lustely In-to a stody he felle so sodeinly As done thise louers in her queint geres Now in the crop now in the breres Now vp now doun as boket in a well Right as þe friday sothly for to tell Now yt shineth now it reyneth fast Right so caan gery venus ouer-cast The hertes of hir folk right as hir day Is geer-full right so chaungeth she array Selde is the friday all the woke lyke Whan that Arcite hade songe he gan to syke And set him doun with-outen ony more Allas quod he that day þat I was bore How longe Iuno thurgh thy cruelte Wyll þou weren Thebes the Cite Allas ybrought is to confusion The blode ryall of Cadme and amphion Of Cadmus which that was the first man That Thebes bylde or first the toun began And of þe Cite first was crowned Kyng Of his lynage am I and his of-spring By verray lyne as of the stok roiall And now I am so kaytyfd and so thrall That he that is my mortall enemy I serue him as his squier pourely And yit doth Iuno me wel more shame I dare nat byknow myn owen name But there as I was wont to hight Arcite Now hight I philostrate nat worth a mite Allas þow fell mars allas Iuno Thus hath your Ire all our lynage for-do Saue only me and wrecched Palamon That Theseus martireth in his prison And ouer all this to sle me outerly Loue hath his verry dart so brennyngly Isteked thurgh my trewe carefull hert That shapen was my dethe erst er my shert Ye sle me with your yeen Emelye Ye been the cause wherfore that I dye Of all þe remenaunt of myn other care Ne set I nat the mountance of a tare So that I koude do ought to your plesance And with that word he felle doun in a trance A long tyme and afterward he vp sterte This palamon that thoght that thurgh his hert He felt a cold swerd sodeinly glyde ffor Ire he quoke no lenger wold he byde And whan that he hade herde Arcites tale As he were wode with face dede and pale He stert hym vp out of the buskes thykke And seide Arcite fals traytour wykke Now art þou hent þow louest my lady so ffor whom that I haue all this peyn and wo And art my blode and to my counseill sworn As I full oft haue told the here byforn And hast beiaped here duk theseus And falsly chaunged hast þow þy name thus I woll be dede or elles þow shalt dye Thow shalt nat loue my lady Emelye But I woll loue hir onely and no mo ffor I am palamon thy mortall fo And þough þat I no wepen haue in this place But out of prison am stert by grace I drede nat that other þow shalt dye Or þou ne shalt nat loven Emelye Chese which þou wolt or þou shalt nat sterte This Arcite with full dispitous hert Whan he hym knewe and hade his tale herde As fers as a lyon pulled out his swerde And seide thus by god that sitteth aboue Nere it that þou art seke and wode for loue And eke that thow no wepen hast in this place Thow shuldest neuere out of this greue pace That thow ne sholdest dyen of my honde ffor I desire the seurtee and the bonde Which þat þou seist þat I haue made to the What verray fole thinke wele that loue is fre And I woll loue hir maugre all thy might But for as moch as thow art a knight And wilnest to darreyn hir by bataill Haue here my treuthe to-morowe I wyll nat fayll With-out wetyng of ony other wight That here I woll be founde as a knight And bryngen harneys righ ynough for the And chese the best and leue the werst for me And mete and drynke this night woll I bryng Ynogh for the and clothes for thy beddyng And yf so be that þow my lady wynne And sle me in the wode there I am Inne Thow maist wele haue thy lady as for me This palamon answerd and seide I graunte yt the And thus they ben departed tyll a morowe Whan ech of hem hade leyde his feythe to borowe Ocupide out of all charite O reigne þat wilt no felawe haue with the ffull soth is seide that loue ne lordship Will nat hir thankes haue no felawship Wele fynden that Arcite and palamon Arcite is ryden anone vn-to the toun And on þe morow er yt were dayes light ffull priuely ij. harneys hathe he dight Buth suffisant and mete to darreyne The bataill in the feld bitwex hem tweyne And on his hors alone as he was born he carieth all this harneys him byforn And in the grove at tyme and place yset This Arcite and palamon ben met They gan to chaunge colour in her face Right as the hunters in the reigne of trace That stonden at the gap with a spere Whan hunted is the lyon or the bere And hereth hym come russhing in the greves And breketh both bowes and the leves A thinketh here comth my mortall enemy withouten fayle he mote be dede or I ffor outher I mote sle hym at the gap Or he mot sle me yf that me myshap So ferden they in chaungyng of her hewe As fer us euerych of hem other knewe There was no gode day ne no saluyng But streight without worde or rehersyng Euerych of hem helpe to armen other As frendely as he were his owen brother And after that with sharpe speres strong They foynen ecch at other wonder long Thow myghtest wene that this palamon In his fightyng were a wode lyon And as a cruell tygre was Arcite As wylde bores gan they smyte That frothen white as fome for ire wode Vp to the Ancles fyght they in her blode And in this wyse I lete hem fightyng dwell And forthe of theseus I will you tell The desteny ministre generall That executeth in the world ouer all The purueaunce that god hath seyn byforn So stronge it is that though þe werld hade sworn The contrary of a thing by yee and nay Yit somtyme yt shall fallen on a day That falleth nat est within a Ml yere ffor certeinly our appetites here Be it of werre or pees or hate or loue All is this rewled by the sight aboue This meyne I now by mighty Theseus That for to hunten ys so desirous And namely at the grete hert in May That in his bed þere daweth hym no day That he nys cladde / and redy for to ride with hunt and horn and houndes him besyde ffor in his huntyng hath he soch delite That yt is all his ioy and appetit To ben him self the grete hertes bane And after Mars he serueth now diane Clere was the day as I haue tolde or this And Theseus with all ioy and blis With his ypolita the feir quene And Emely clothed all in grene On huntyng be they riden rially And to the groue that stode full fast by In which there was an hert as men him told Duk Theseus streight the wey hath hold And to the launde he rideth hym full right ffor theder was the hert wont haue his flight And ouer a broke and so forth on his way This duk woll haue a cours at hym or twey with soch as that hym lyst comaunde And whan this duk was com vn-to the launde Vnder the sonne he lokketh and anon He was ware of Arcite and palamon That foughten breme as it were bores two The bright swerdes wenten to and fro So hidously that with the lest stroke yt semed as yt wold felle an oke But what they were no thing he ne wote This duk his courser with the spores smote And at a stert he was bitwex hem two And pulled out a swerde and cried ho Nomore vp-on peyne of lesyng of your hede By mighty Mars he shall anone be dede That smyteth ony stroke þat I may seen But telleth me what mister men ye been That ben so hardy for to fighten here with-outen Iuge or other officere As it were in a listes roially This palamon answerd hastely And seide sire what nedeth wordes mo We han deserued the deth both two Two wofull wrecches ben we and caytyfes That ben encombred of our owen lyfes And as þou art a rightfull lord and iuge Ne yeve vs nother mercy ne refuge But sle me first for seint charitee But sle my felawe eke as wele as me Or sle hym first for thogh þou know it lyte This is thy mortall fo this is Arcite That fro thy lond is banesshed on his hede ffor which he hath deserued to be dede ffor this is he that came vn-to thy yate And seide that he hight philostrate Thus hath he iaped þe full many a yere And þou hast maked hym thy chief squiere And this is he that loueth Emely ffor seth the day is come that I shall dey I make pleinly my confession That I am thyk wofull palamon That hath thy prison broken wykkedly I am thy mortall fo and yit am I· That loueth so hote Emelye the bright That I will dien presens in hir sight Wherfore I ax deth and my iuwyse But sle my felawe in the same wyse ffor both haue we deserued to be sleyn This worthy duk answerd anone ayein And seide this is a short conclusyon your owen mouthe by your confessyon Hath dampned yow and I woll it recorde Yt nedeth nought to pyne you with the corde Ye shall be dede by mighty Mars the rede The quene anone for verry wommanhede Gan for to wepe and so did Emelye And all the ladyes in the cumpanye Grete pite was yt as yt thoght hem all That euer soch a chaunce shold fall ffor gentell men they were of grete astate And no thing but for loue was this debate And saugh her blody woundes wyde and sore And all cryden both las and more Haue mercy lord vpon vs[vs overline] wemen all And on her bare knees adoun they fall And wold haue kist his fete there as he stode Till at the last aslaked was his mode ffor pitee renneth sone in gentell herte And þough he first for Ire quoke and sterte He hath considred shortly in a clause The trespas of hem both and eke the cause And all though that his Ire her gilt accused yit in his reason he hem both excused As thus he thought wele that euery man woll help hym self in loue yf that he can And deliuere hym self out of prison And eke his hert hade compassion Of wommen for they wepen euery in one And in his gentle hert he þought anone[line by corrector] And softe vn-to hym self he seide fye Vp-on a lord that woll haue no mercy But ben a lyon both in worde and dede To hem that ben in repentaunce and drede As wele as to a proude dispitous man That woll maintene that he first bygan That lord hath litell of discrecion That in soch cas can no deuysion But weyeth pride and humbles after one And shortly whan his Ire ys thus agone He gan to loken vp with yeen light And spak thise same wordes all on hight The god of loue a benedicite How mighty and how grete a lord is he Ayeinst his might there geyneth none obstacles He may be cleped a god for his miracles ffor he kan maken at his owen gyse Of eueryche hert as that him lust deuyse Lo here this Arcite and this palamon That quikly were out of my preson And might haue leved in Thebes roially And weten þat I am her mortall enemy And that her deth lieth in my might also And yit hath loue maugre her yen two Brought hem hider both for to dye Now loketh is nat that an hie folye Who may ben a fole but yf he loue Byhold for goddes sake that sitteth aboue See how they blede be they nat wele arayed Thus hath her lord the god of loue payed Her wages and her fees for her seruice And yit they wenen for to been full wyse That seruen loue for ought that may fall But this ys yit the best game of all That she for whom they han this iolyte Konne hem þerfore[þerfore overline] as moche thanke as me She wote na more of all this hote fare By god than wote a Cokkow or an hare But all mote ben assayed hote and colde A man mote be a fole outher yong or olde I wote yt by my self full yore agone ffor in my tyme a seruaunt was I one And therfore sen I know of loves peyne And wote how sore he kan a man destreyne As he that hath be caught oft in his laas I yow foryeve all holy this trespaas At request of the quene that kneleth here And eke of Emely my suster dere And ye shall both anone vn-to me swere That neuer mo ye shall my cuntrey dere Ne make werre vp on me night ne day But be my frendes in all that ye may I you foryeve this trespase euerydele And they hym sworen his askyng feire and wele And hym of lordship and mercy preyde And hem graunteth grace and than he seyde To speke of royall lynage and richesse Though that she were a quene or a princesse Ecch of you both is worthy doutles To wedden whan tyme is but natheles I speke as for my suster Emelye ffor whom ye haue this stryfe and ielousye Ye wote your self she may nat wedden two At ones though ye fighten euermo That one of you all be hym loth or leef He mot go pype in an Ivy leef[line in margin, by corrector] This is to seyn she may nat now haue both All be you neuer so ielous ne so wrothe And for-thy I you put in this degree That ecch of you shall haue his destenye As hym is shape and herkeneth in what wyse lo here your ende of that I shall devyse My will is this for plat conclusyon With-out ony replicacyon Yf that you liketh take it for the best That euerych of you shall gone where hym lest ffrely with-outen raunsoun or daunger And this day .L. wekes fer ne ner Euerych of you shall bryng an C. knightes Armed for lystes vp at all rightes All redy to darreyne her bataill And this byhote I you withouten fayle Vp-on my trewth and as I am a knight That whether of you both that hath might This is to seyn that whether he or thow May with his .C. as I spake of now Sleen his contrarye or out of lystes dryve Than shall I yeve Emelye to wyve To whom that fortune yeveth so feire a grace The lystes shall I maken in this place And god so wysly on my soule rewe As I shall even Iuge been and trewe Ye shall none other ende with me maken Þat that one of you ne shall be dede or taken And you think that this be wele ysayde Seith your avys and holdeth yow apayde This is your ende and your conclusyon Who loketh lightly now but palamon Who spryngeth for ioy but Arcite Who kouth telle or who kouth it endite The ioy that is maked in the place Whan Theseus hath done so feire a grace But doun on knees went euery maner wight And thonked him with all her hert and might And namely the Thebans oft sythe And thus with gode hope and hert blythe They take her leve and homeward gon they ryde To Thebes with his olde walles wyde [PART III. No gap in the MS.] i trowe men wolde deme yt necgligence Yf I foryete to tellen the dispence Of Theseus that gothe so besely That maken vp the lystes roially That soch a noble teatre as yt was I dare wele seyn in this world there nas The circuite a myle was aboute Walled of stone and dyched all with-oute Rounde was the shap in manere of a compaas ffull of degrees the height of .lx. paas That whan a man was set on o degree He letted nat his felaw for to see Estward there stode a gate of marbyll white Westward right soch an other in the opposyte And shortly to concluden soch a place Was none in erthe as in so litell a space ffor in the londe there was no crafty man That geometrye or ars metryk can Ne portreyour ne kerver of ymages That Theseus ne yaf mete and wages The teatre for to maken and devyse And for to done his right and sacrifise He Estward hath vp on the gate aboue In worshippe of venus goddes of loue Done made an Awter and an oratorye And westward in memorie Of Mars he hath maked soch an other That cost largely of gold a fother And Northward in a Toret on the wall Of Alabastre white and rede corall An oratorye riche for to see In worshippe of Dyane the chastitee Hath Theseus done wrought in a noble wyse But yit hade I forgeten to deuyse The noble kervyng and the purtratures The shape the countenance and the figures That weren in thise oratories thre ffirst in the temple of venus maist þou se wroght on the wall full pitous to be-holde The broken slepes and the sighes colde The sacred teres and the weymentyng The verey strokes of the desiryng That loue seruauntes in this lyf enduren The othes that her couenauntes assuren Plesaunce and hope desire full hardynes Beaute youth bawdrye and riches Charmes and force lesynges flaterie Dispence besynes and ielousye That wered of yelow gooldes a garland And a cukkow sittyng on hir hand ffeestes instrumentes caroles daunces[Eg. ends.] Lust and array / and alle the circumstauncesDd. begins, lf 26 Of loue / which þat I rekened / and reken shalle Be ordre weren peynted / on the walle And moo than I can make of / mencion ffor sothly / al the Mount of Sytheron There venus hath / hire principal dwellyng was shewed on the wal / in portraiyng with al the gardeyn / and the lustynesse Nat was for-ȝeten / the porter Idelnesse Ne Narsisus / the faire / of ȝore a-gon Ne ȝet the folie / of kyng Salamon Ne ȝet the gret strengthe / of Hercules The enchauntement / of Medea and Circes Ne of Turnus / with the hardy fiers corage The riche Cresus / kaytif in seruage ¶ . Thus may ȝe sen / þat wysdom ne richesse Beaute ne sleight / strengthe hardynesse Ne may with venus / maken champertye ffor as hire lust / þe world þanne may she gye loo all þeise folk / so caught were in hire laas Til they for woo / ful often seid allas ¶ . Suffisith here / ensamples on or two And ȝet I koude reken / a Ml / mo The statute of venus / glorious for to se was naked / fletyng in the large see And fro the nauyl doun / al couered was with waughes grene / & bright as eny glas A Citole / in hire right hand / had she And on hire hede / ful semely for to se A Rose garlond / fressh & wel smellyng A-bouen hire hede / hire dowes flekeryng Biforn hire stod / hir sone Cupido Vp-on hise shuldres / wynges had he two And blynd he was / as it is oft sene A bowe he bar / and arwes bright & kene ¶ . why shuld I nat eke / as wel telle ȝow all The portrature / þat was vp-on the wall with-Inne the temple / of myghty Mars the rede Al peynted was the wal / in lengthe & brede lyke to the Estres / of the grisly place That hight the gret temple of Mars in Trace In thilk cold frosty / region There as Mars / hath his souereigne mansion ffirst on the wal / was peynted a forest In which there dwelleth / neiþer man ne best with knotty knarry / barreyne trees olde Of stubbes sharpe / and hedous to byholde In which there ran / a rombel in a swough As though a storme / shulde bresten euery bough And dounward from an hille / vnder a bent There stode a temple / of Mars Armypotent wrought al of borned stele / of which the entree was long and streyt / and gastly for to se ¶ And þere-ouȝt cam a rage / and swich a veȝe¶ id est impetus That it mad al the gate / for to rese The northern light / in at the dores shone ffor wyndowe on the wal / ne was þere none Thorugh which men myghten / eny light discerne The dore was al / of Athamant eterne I-clenched ouerthwert / and endlong with Iren tough / and for to make it strong Euery piller / the temple to sustene was tonne gret of Iren / bright & shene ¶ . There saw I first / the derk ymagenynge Of felonye / and al the compassynge The cruel / Ire / red as eny glede The pyke purs / and eke the pale drede The smylere with þe knyf / vnder the cloke The shippen brennyng / with the blak smoke The treson of the morderynge / in the bedde The open werre / with woundes al be-bledde Conteke with blody knyf / and sharp manace Al ful of chidyng / was this sory place The sleere of him self / ȝet saugh I there his hert blode / hath bathed al his heere The nail I-dreuen / in the shode a-nyght The colde deth / with mouth gapyng vp-right ¶ . A myddes of the temple / sat myschaunce with discomfort / & sory countenaunce Ȝet saugh I woodnes / laughyng in his rage Armed / compleynt / ouȝt-hees / & fiers outrage The careyne in þe bussh / with throte koruen A / Ml / sleyn / and nouȝt of qualme I-storuen The teraunt with the pray / by force I-raft The Toun destroied / þere was no þing I-laft Ȝet saugh I brent / the shippes hoppesteres The honte strangelid / with the wylde beres The Sowe freetyng the child / right in the Cradel The koke I-skaldede / for al his longe ladel Nouȝt was for-ȝeten / by þe infortune of Marte The Cartere ouer-ryden / with his carte Vnder the whele / ful lowe he lay a-doun There were also / of Martes deuysion The Barbour / and the Bocher / and the Smyth That forgeth sharpe swerdes / on the styth ¶ . And al aboue / depeynted in a Tour Saugh I conquest / sittyng in gret honour with the sharp swerde / ouer his hede hangyng / by a sotel. twyned threde Depeynted was the slauȝter / of Iulius Of gret Nero / and of Anthonius Alle-be þat thilke tyme / they were vnborn Ȝet was here deth / depeynted þere biforn By manassyng of Mars / right be figure So was it shewed / in that portrature As is depeynted / in the sertres a-boue who shal be slayn / or elles ded for loue Suffiseth on ensaumple / in stories olde I may nat rekken hem alle / though I wolde ¶ . The statute of Mars / vp on a carte stode Armed and loked grym / as he were wode And ouer his hed / þere shynen two figures Of stories / þat ben cleped / in scriptures That on Puella / that other Rubeus This god of armes / was a-rayed thus A wolf þere stode / biforn him at his fete with eyen rede / and of a man he ete with sotil pencelles / was depeynted þis storie In redoutyng of Mars / & of his glorie ¶ . Now to the Temple / of Diane the chaste As shortly as I can / I wyl me haste To tellen ȝow / of the discripcion Depeynted by the walles / vp and doun Of huntyng / and of shamefast chastite There saugh I / how wooful Calistope whan þat Diane / a-greued was with hire was turned fro a womman / to a Beere and aftir was she mad / þe lode sterre¶ vrsa maior Thus was it peynted / I can sey ȝow no ferre Hire sone is eke / a sterre as men may se There saugh I Dane / turned to a tre I mene nat / the goddes Diane But Penneus doughter / which þat hight Dane There saugh I Atheon / an hert I-maked ffor vengeaunce þat he saugh / Diane al naked I saw how þat hise houndes / han him caught And fretyn him / for þat þei knew him naught Ȝet peynted was / a litel forthermore how Atthalaunce / honted the wylde bore And Meleagre / and many an other moo ffor which / Diane / wrouȝt hem care and woo There saw I many a noþer / wonder story The which me list nat drawe / to memory This goddesse on an hert / ful heye sette with smale houndes / al a-boute hire fete And vndirnethe hire feet / she had a Mone waxyng it was / & shulde vanysshe sone In gaude grene / hire stature clothed was with bow in hond / and arwes in a cas hire eyen cast she / ful lowe a-doun There Pluto hath / his derke region A womman trauaillyng / was hire biforn But for hire child / so longe was vn-born fful pytously Lucyna / gan she calle And seide help / for þou maist best of alle wel coude he peynt lifly / that it wrought with many a floreyn / he the hewes bought ¶ . Now ben theise lystes mad / and Theseus That at his gret cost / arrayed thus The temples / and the teatre euery dele Whan it was don / him liked wonder wele But stynte I wyl / of Theseus a lyte And speke of Palamon / and of Arcite ¶ . The day approcheth / of here returnynge That euerych shulde / an / C / knyghtis brynge The bataylle to darreyne / as I ȝow told And to Athenes / here couenaunt for to hold hath euerych of hem / brought an / C / knyghtes wel armed for the werre / at alle rightes And sekerly / there trowed many a man That neuere sithen / þat the world bygan As for to speke / of knyghthod of here hond As fer as god hath maked / see and lond Nas of so fewe / so noble a companye ffor euerych wyght / þat loued cheualrye And wold his thankes / han a passaunt name Hath preyed þat he myght / ben of that game And wel was him / that ther-to chosen was ffor if there fel / to-morwen swich a kaas Ȝe knowen wele / that euery lusty knyght That loueth paramours / and hath his myght Were it in Engelond / or elles where They wolde here thankes / wyllen to be there To fighten for a lady / benedicite It were a lusty sight / for to se ¶ . And right so ferden they / with Palamon with him there went / knyghtes many on Some wold ben armed / in haberioun And in a breestplate / and a light Iepoun And some wold haue / a peyre plates large And some wold haue / a spruce sheld & targe And some wold ben armed / on hise legges wele And haue an Ax / & some a mace of stele There nys no newe gyse / þat it nas old Armed were they / as I haue ȝow told Euerych after / hise opynion ¶ . There maist þou se / comyng with Palamon lygurge him self / the grete kyng of Trace Blak was his berd / and manly was his face The sercles of hise eyen / in his hede They gloweden / betwix ȝelwe & rede And like a griffon / loked he a-boute with kempe heeres / on hise browes stoute hys lymes grete / hise braunes hard & strong his shuldres brode / his armes grete & long And as the gyse was / in his contre fful heye / vp on a chayer of gold / stod he with foure white Boles / in the trays In stede of Cotearmure / ouer his harneys with nayles ȝelwe / and bright as eny gold he had a beres skyn / cole blak for old his long her / was kembed behynde his bak As ony rauenes fether / it shone for blak A wrethe of gold / arme gret / of huge weyght Vp on his hede / and ful of stones bryght Of fyne Rubies / and Diamauntes Abouten his chaier / there went white alauntes Twenty and mo / as grete as ony stere To honten at the lyon / or the deere And folwed him / with mosellis faste I-bounde Colered of gold / and torettes fyled rounde An C. lordes / had he in his route Armed ful wele / with wertes sterne & stoute ¶ . with Arcita / in stories as men fynde The grete Emytrius / the kyng of Inde vp-on a steede Bay / trapped in stel Couered with a cloth of gold / dyapred wel Cam ridyng lyke the god / of armes Mars His Cotearmure / was of cloth of Tars Couched with perles / white rounde & grete his sadel was of brent gold / newe I-bete A mantelet / vp-on his shulder hangyng Bret ful of Rubies / rede as fir sparkelyng his crispe heer / lyke rynges was I-ronne And that was ȝelwe / and gletered as the sonne His nose was hey / his eyen bright Citryn His lippes rounde / his colour was sangwyn A fewe fraknes / in his face I-spreynt Betwixen ȝelwe / and somdel blak I-meynt And as a lyon / he his lokyng caste Of xxvti ȝere / his age I caste His berd was wel bygonne / for to springe his throte was as a trompe / thonderynge Vp-on his hede / he wered a loirrer grene ffressh and lusty / ffor to sene Vp-on his hand he bar / for his deduyt An Egle tame / as ony lilly whyt An C / lordes / had he with him there Alle armed saue here hedes / in al here gere fful richely / in alle manere thynges ffor trosteth wele / that Dukes Erles kynges were gadred / in this noble companye ffor loue & for encres / of chyualrye A-boute this kyng / þere ran on euery part fful many a tame lyon / and leopart ¶ . And in this wyse / þeise lordes alle and Some Ben on the Sonday / to the Cite come A-boute prime / and in the Toun a-light This Theseus þis Duke / this worthy knyght whan he had brouȝt hem / in-to his Citee And Inned euerych of hem / at his degree He festeth hem / and doth so gret labour To esen hem / and don hem all honour That ȝet man wenen / þat no mannys wytte Of none astate / ne coude amenden ytte ¶ . The mynstralsie / the seruyse at the feest The grete ȝiftes / to the most and lest The riche a-ray / of Theseus paleys Ne who sat first ne last / vp on the deys what ladies fairest ben / and best daunsynge Or which of hem / kan best daunce or synge Ne who most feynyngly / speketh of loue what haukes seten / on the perches a-boue what houndes liggen / on the flore a-doune Of al this / make I no mencion But al þe effect / that thynketh me the best Now cometh the poynt / herkeneth if ȝow lest ¶ . The Sonday nyght / or day bygan to springe whan Palamon / the lark herde synge al though it nere nat day / by houres two Ȝet song the lark / and Palamon right tho with holy hert / and hey corage He rod to wenden / on his pilgrimage Vn-to the blisseful / Sitheria benigne I mene venus / honurable and digne And in hire houre / he walketh forth a paas Vn-to the lystes / there hire temple was And doun he kneleth / and with humble chere And herte soor / he seide as ȝe shuln here Fairest of fair / O lady myn / venus Doughter to Ioue / and spouse to vulcanus Thow glader / of þe mounte of Scitheron ffor thilke loue / þou haddest / to Adoon Haue pyte / of my bytter teres smerte And take myn humble preyer / at thyn herte Allas I ne haue / no langage to telle The effect / and the turmentȝ of myn helle Myn hert may nat / myn harmes bywrye I am so sorweful / that I can nat seye But mercy lady bright / that knowest wele My thought / and seest what harmes þat I fele Considre al this / and rewe vp-on my sore As wysly / as I shal for euere more Perfourmyng be my myght / thy trewe seruaunt to be And holden werre alwey / with chastite That make I myn a-vow / so ȝe me helpe I kepe nat of armes / for to ȝelpe Ne I ne ask nouȝt to-morwe / to han victorie Ne renon in this caas / ne veyn glorie Of prys of armes / blowen vp and doun But I wold haue fully / possession¶ nota bene Of Emelie / and dye in thy seruyse ffynde þou the maner / & in what wyse I recche nat / but it may better be Than 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 Ȝoure vertu is so gret / in heuene a-boue That if ȝow list / I shal wel haue my loue Thy temple wol I worshipe / euere mo And on thyn auter / where I ride or go I wyl don sacrifise / and fires bete And if ȝe wyl nat so / my lady swete Than preye I the / to-morwe with a spere That Arcita me / thorugh þe hert bere Than rekke I nought / whan I haue lost my lif Though þat Arcita / wynne hire to his wyf This is the effect / and ende of my preyere Ȝeue me my lyf / þou blisseful lady dere ¶ . whan þat the orison / was don of Palamon His sacrifise he dide / and that a-non fful pitously / with alle the circumstaunceȝ Alle telle i nat / as now / his obseruaunceȝ But at the laste / the stature of venus shoke And made a signe / wher-by þat he toke That his prayer / accepted was that day ffor though the signe / shewed a delay Ȝet wist he wele / that graunted was his bone And with glad herte / he went him hom ful sone THe thridde houre / in-equall þat Palamon Began to venus temple / for to gon vp ros the sonne / and vp ros Emelye And to the temple of Diane / gan hye Hire maydenes / þat she thidder with hire ladde fful redily with hem / the fyr they hadde The encence / the clothes / and the remenaunt alle That to the sacrefice / longen shalle The hornes ful of mede / as was the gyse There lakked nouȝt / to don hire sacrefise Smokyng the temple / ful of clothes faire This Emelye / with herte debonaire hir body vessh / with water of a welle But how she dide / hir rite / I dar nat telle But it be ony thyng / in general And ȝete it were / a game / to heren al To him þat meneth wel / it were no charge But it is good / a man ben at his large hire bright heer was kembed / vn-tressed all A corone of a grene Oke / seriall Vp-on hire hed was set / ful fair and mete Two fires vp-on the auter / gan she bete And dide hire thynges / as men may byholde In stace of Thebes / and othere bokes olde whan kynled was the fyr / with pytous chere Vn-to Diane she spak / as ȝe may here O chast goddesse / of the wodes grene To whom / bothe heuen / erthe / and see / ys sene Quene of the regne of Pluto / Derk and lowe Goddesse of Maydenes / that myn hert hast knowe fful many a ȝere / and wost what I desire As kepe me fro thy vengeaunce / & thyn Ire That Antheon / a-bought cruelly Chaste goddesse / wel wost thow that I Desire to be a Mayden / al my lif Ne neuere wyl I be / no loue / ne wyf I am þou wost ȝet / of thy companye A Maide / and loue huntyng and venerie And for to walken / in the wodes wyld And nat to ben a wyf / & be with child Nought wol I knowe / companye of man Now help lady / sith ȝe may and kan ffor tho thre formes / that þou hast in the And Palamon / that hath swich loue to me And eke Arcite / that loueth me so sore This grace I preye the / with-oute more As send loue and pes / betwix hem two And fro me turne a-wey / here hertes so That al here hot loue / and here desire And alle here besy turmenteȝ / and here fire Be quenched / and turned / in a-nother place And if so be / þou wylt nat do me grace Of if my destenye / be I-shape so That I shal nedes haue / on of hem two As send me him / that most desireth me Byhold goddesse / of clene chastite The bitter teres / that on my chekys falle Syn þou art Mayde / and kepere of vs alle My maydenhode þou kepe / and wel conserue And while I lyue / a Mayde I wol the serue ¶ . The fires brennen / vp-on the auter clere while Emelye / was thus / in hire preyere But sodeynly she sey / a sight queynte ffor right a-non / on of the fires queynte And quyked a-geyn / and after that a-non That other fir was queynt / and al a-gon And as it queynt / it made a whistelyng As don theise wete brondes / in here brennyng And at the brondes ende / ouȝt ran a-non As it were blody dropes / many on ffor which so sore a-gast / was Emelye That she was wol ny mad / and gan to crye ffor she ne wyst / what it signified But only for the feer / thus hath she cried And wepte / þat it was pite for to here ¶ . And ther-withal / Diane gan a-pere with bowe in hond / right as an huntresse And seide doughter / stynt thyn heuynesse Among the goddes hie / it is a-fermed And by eterne word / wryten and confermed Thow shalt ben wedded / vn-to on of tho That han for the / so meche care and woo But vn-to which of hem / I may nat telle ffare wel / I may no lengere dwelle The fires which / that on myn auter brenne Shuln the declaren / er that þow go henne Thyn auenture of loue / as in this caas And with þat word / the arwes in the caas Of the goddesse / clateren faste and rynge And forth she went / and mad a vanasshynge ffor which this Emelye / astoyned was And seide / what amountith this / allas I putte me / in thyn proteccion Diane / and in thyn disposicion And hom she goth a-non / the next wey This is the effect / there is no more to sey ¶ . The next houre / of Mars / folwyng this Arcite / vn-to the temple / walked is Of fiers Mars / to don his sacrefice with alle the rightes / of his payen wyse with pitous hert / and hie deuocion O Ryght thus to Mars / he seid his orison Strong god / that in the regnes cold Of Trace / honoured art / and god I-hold And hast in euery regne / and euery lond Of armes / alle the brydeles in þin hond And hem fortunest / as the list deuyse Accepte of me / my pitous sacrifise If so be / that my ȝouthe / may deserue And þat my myght / be worthy for to serue Thyn godhed / that I may be on of thyne Than preye I the / to rewe vp-on my pyne ffor thilk pyne / and thilk hote fyre In which / þou whilom / brendest for desire whan that þou vsedest / the beaute Of fair ȝong and fressh / Venus fre And haddest hire in armes / at thy wylle Al-though the ones / on a tyme mys-felle whan Vulcanus / had caught the in his laas And fond the liggynge / by his wyf / Allas ffor thilk sorwe / that was tho in thyn hert Haue reuthe as wel / vp-on my peynes smert I am ȝong / and vnkonyng / as þou wost And as I trowe / with loue offended most That euere was ony / lyues creature ffor she þat doth me / al this woo endure Ne reccheth neuere / wheiþer I synke or flete And wel I wot / or she me mercy hete I mot with strengthe / wynne hire in the place And wel I wot / with-outen help & grace Of the / ne may my strengthe / nat a-vaille Than help me lord / to-morwe in my bataille ffor thilk fire / that whilom brent the As wele as thilk fire / now brenneth me And do þat I to-morwe / may han victorie Myn be the trauaylle / & thyn be the glorie Thy souereygne temple / wyl I most honoure Of ony place / and alwey most laboure In thy plesaunce / and in thy craftes strong And in thy temple / I wol my baner hong And alle the armes / of my companye And euere mo / vn-to that day I dye Eterne fyre / I wyl byfore the fynde And eke to this a-vow / I wyl me bynde My berd myn her / þat hangeth long a-doun That neuere ȝet felte / nor offension Of Rasour ne of shere / I wyl the ȝeue And ben thyn trewe seruaunt / whyl I lyue Now lord haue reuthe / vp-on my sorwes sore Ȝeue me the victorie / I aske the no more ¶ . The prayer stynt / of Arcita the strong The rynges of the temple dore / þat hong And eke the dores / clateren ful faste Of which Arcita / som-what him a-gaste The fires brent / vp-on the auter bryght That it gan / al the temple for to light A swete smel / a-non / þe ground vp ȝaue And Arcita a-non / his hand vp haue And more encens / in-to the fyr he cast with othere riȝtes mo / and at the last ¶ . The statute of Mars / bygan his hauberk rynge And with þat soun / he herd a murmurynge fful lowe and dym / and seide thus / victorie ffor which / he ȝaf to Mars / honour and glorie ¶ . And thus with ioye / and hope wel to fare Arcite a-non / vn-to his In is fare As fayn as foul / is of the bryght sonne And right a-non / swich a strif / þere is bygonne ffor thilke grauntyng / in þe heuene a-boue Betwix venus / the goddesse of loue And Mars / the sterne god armypotent That Iubiter was besy / it to stent Til þat the pale / Saturnus / the colde That knew so manye / of auentures olde ffond in his old experience / and art That the ful sone / hath plesed euery part As soth is seid / elde hath gret auauntage¶ Nota In elde is bothe wysdom / and vsage Men may the olde at renne / and nat at rede Saturne a-non / to stynten stryf and drede Al be it / þat it is / a-geyn his kynde Of al this strif / he can remedye fynde ¶ . My dere doughter Venus / quod Saturne My cours / that hath so wyde / for to turne Hath more powere / than wot ony man Myn is the drenchyng / in the see so wan Myn is the pryson / in the derke Cote Myn is the strangelyng / & hangyng by the throte The murmur / and the cherles rebellyng The groynyng / and the pryue enpoysenyng I do vengeaunce / and pleyn correccion While I dwelle in þe signe / of the lyon Myn is the ruyne / of the heye halles The fallyng of the Toures / and of the walles Vp-on the Mynour / or the Carpentere I slow Sampson / shakyng the pylere And myne ben / the maladyes colde The derk treson / and the castes olde My lokyng is / the fader of pestilence Now wepe no more / I shal don diligence That Palamon / þat is thyn owen knyght Shal haue his lady / as þou hast him hight This Mars / shal helpe his knyght ȝet / natheles Be-twix ȝow / there mot / be som tyme pees Al be ȝe nat / of oo compleccion That causeth al day swich deuysion I am thyn al redy / at thy wylle wepe now no more / I wol thy lust fulfille Now wol I stynt / of the goddes a-boue Of Mars and of Venus / goddesse of loue And tellen ȝow / as pleynly as I can The grete effect / for which þat I bygan [Part IV. No gap in the MS.] Gret was the fest / at Athenes that day And eke the lusty seson / of that May Made euery wyght / to ben in swich plesance That al that Monday / Iusten they and daunce And spenden it / in venus hey seruyse And by the cause / that they shulden ryse Erly for to sen / the grete sight vn-to here reest / went they at nyght And on þe morwe / whan the day gan spryng Of hors and harneys / noyse and clateryng There was / in hostryes al a-boute And to the Paleys / rod þere many a route Of lordes / vp-on stedes and palfreyes ¶ . There maist þou sen / deuysyng of harneys So vnkouth / and so riche / and wrouȝt so wele Of goldsmythrie / of browdyng and of stele The sheldes bright / testres and trappures Gold hewen helmes / hauberkes Cotearmures Lordes in parmentis / or here courseres knyghtes of retenue / and eke squyeres Naylyng the speres / and helmes bokelyng Gynggynge of sheldes / with layneres lassyng There as nede is / they were no thyng Idel The fomy steedes / on the goldene brydel Gnawyng / and faste the armures also with fyle and hamer / prykyng to and fro Ȝemen on fote / and comunes many on with shorte staues / thikke as they may gon Pipes / trompes / Nakeres Clariones That in the bataill / blowen blody sownes The paleys ful of peeple / vp and doun here thre / there /x/ holdyng here question Diuynyng of theise Thebans / knyghtes two Somme seyden thus / som seyden it shal be so Somme heldyn with him / with the blak berde Some with the balled / some with the thikke herede Somme seide he loked grym / and he wold fyght he hath a sparthe / of twenty pound of wyght Thus was the halle / ful of dyuynyng longe after the sonne / gan vp spryng ¶ . The grete Theseus / of his slep a-waked with mynstralsie / and noise þat was maked he held ȝet the chaumbres / of his paleys riche Til þat the Thebans knyghtes / bothe I-liche Houndred / weren in-to the paleys fet Duke Theseus / is at the wyndowe set Arrayed / right as he were / a god in trone The peeple preseth / thederward ful sone Hym for to sen / and don hey reuerence And eke to herken / his hest / and his sentence ¶ . An heraud on a skaffold / made an oo Til al the noyse of the peeple / was I-do And whan he saw / the peeple of noyse al stille Thus shewed he / the myghty Dukes wylle ¶ . The lord hath / of heye discrecion Considered / that it were destruccion To gentil blode / to fighten in the gyse Of mortal bataille / now in this emprise wherfore to shapen / that they shal nat deye he wol his ffirst purpos / modifie ¶ . No man þerfore / vp peyne of losse of lyf No maner shote / ne pollax / ne short knyf In-to the lystes sende / or theder bryng No short swerd for to steke / with poynt bityng Ne noman ne drawe / ne bere it by his syde Ne noman shal / vn-to his felawe ryde But oo cours / with a sharp I-grounde spere ffoyne if him list / on fote him self to were And he þat is at myschef / shal be take And nouȝt slayn / but be brouȝt vn-to þe stake That shal ben ordeyned / on eyther syde And thidder he shal by force / and there a-byde And if so falle / that the cheuenteyn be take On either syde / or elles sle his make No lengere shal / the turnayng laste God spede ȝow go forth / and ley on faste with long swerd and with mace / fighteth ȝoure fille Go now ȝoure wey / this is the lordes wylle ¶ . The voys of þe peeple / toucheth the heuene So loude crieden they / with mery steuene God saue swich a lord / þat is so good he ne wyl / no destruccion of blod ¶ Vp gon the trumpes / and the melodyeNota And to the lystes / riȝt the cumpanye By ordinaunce / þorugh-ouȝt the Citee large Honged with cloth of gold / and nat with sarge fful lyke a lord / this noble Duke gan ryde Theise two Thebans / vp-on either side And after rod the Quene / and Emelye And after that / a-nother companye Of on and other / after here degree And thus they passen / thorugh-ouȝt the Citee And to the lystes / come they be tyme It nas nouȝt of the day / ȝet fully pryme ¶ . Whan set was Theseus / ful riche and heye ypolita the Quene / and Emelye And other ladies / in degrees a-boute Vn-to the setes / preseth euery route And westward / þorugh the gates / vnder Marte Arcite / and eke the C / of his parte with baner red / is entred right a-non ¶ . And in þat selue moment / Palamon Is vnder venus / estward in the place with baner whit / & hardy chere and face In al the world / to seken vp and doun So euene / with-oute variacion There ne is / swich companyes twey ffor there was non / so wys þat koude sey That any had / of other auauntage Of worthynesse / ne of estate ne Age So euen were they / chosen for to gesse And in two renges / faire they hem dresse whan þat here names / red were euerychon That in here noumbre / gyle were þere non Tho were the gates shette / and cried was loude Do now ȝoure deuer / ȝonge knyghtes proude ¶ . The heraudes left here prekyng / vp and doun Now ryngen trompes loude / and Clarioun There nys nomore to sey / but west and Est¶ Nota In gon the speres / ful sadly in the rest In goth the sharp spore / in-to the syde Þere se men who can Iuste / and who can ryde They sheueren shaftes / vp-on sheldes thikke he feleth þorugh the hert spone / the prikke Vp springen speres / xxti fote on height Ouȝt gon the swerdes / as the siluer bright The helmes they to-hewen / and to-shrede Ouȝt brest the blod / with sterne stremes rede with myghty maces / to bons they / to-brest he þorugh the thikkest / of the throng gan threst There stomblen steedes strong / & doun goth al He rolleth vnder fote / as doth a bal He foyneth on his fet / with his tronchon And he him hurteth / with his hors a-doun he thurgh the body is hurt / and sithen take Maugre his hede / and brouȝt vn-to the stake As forward was / and þere he must a-byde A-nother lad is / on þat other syde And som tyme / doth Theseus / to reste hem / to refresshe / & drynken if hem liste ¶ . fful ofte a day / han theise Thebans two To-geder mette / and wrouȝt his felawe woo Vnhorsed hath ech other / of hem tweye There nas no Tygre / in the vale of Galgopheye whan þat hire whelp were stole / whan it is lite So cruel on the hunte / as is Arcite ffor ielous hert / vp-on this Palamon Ne in belmarie / there nys no fel lyon That hunted is / or for his honger wood Ne of his pray / desireth so the blod As Palamon / to slen his foo Arcite The ielous strokes / on here helmes byte Ouȝt ronneth blod / on both here sides rede ¶ . Somtyme an ende þere is / of euery dede ffor er the sonne / vn-to the rest went The strong kyng / Emetrius / gan hent This Palamon / as he faught with Arcite And mad his swerd depe / in his flessh to byte And by the force of xxti / is he take vnȝolden / and I-drawen / vn-to the stake And in the rescuys / of þis Palamon The strong kyng lygurge / is born a-doun And kyng Emetrius / for al his strengthe Is born ouȝt of his sadel / a swerd lengthe So hit him Palamon / er he were take But al for nought / he was brouȝt to þe stake his hardy hert / myght him help right nought he must abide / whan that he was caught By force / and eke by composicion ¶ . who sorweth now / but wooful Palamon That mot no more / gon a-geyn to fight And whan that Theseus / had seyn þis sight Vn-to the folk / that foughten thus echon He cried hoo no more / for it is don I wol be trewe Iugge / and no partie Arcite of Thebes / shal haue Emelie That by his fortune / hath hire faire I-wonne A-non there is a noyse / of peeple bygonne ffor ioye of this / so loude and hye with-alle It semed that the listes / shulde falle ¶ . what can now / fayr venus don a-boue what seith she now / what doth this Quene of loue But wepeth so / wantyng of hire wylle Til that hire teres / in the listes felle She seide / I am a-shamed douteles ¶ . Saturnus seide / doughter hold þin pes Mars hath his wylle / his knyght hath al his bone And be myn hede / þou shalt ben eesed sone The trompoures / with the loude Mynstralsye The heraudes / that ful loude / ȝelle and crye Ben in here wele / for Ioye of Daun Arcite But herkeneth now / and stynteth noyse a lite which a miracle / there fel a-non This fiers Arcite / hath of his helm don And on a Courser / for to shewe his face he preketh endlong / the large place lokyng vp-ward / vp-on this Emelye And she ageyn him cast / a frendly eye [For wommen as speketh the comune[Left out of Dd.] They folowe all þe fauour of fortune] And she was al his cher / as in his herte Ouȝt of the ground / a fire infernel sterte ffro Pluto sent / at the request of Saturne ffor which / his hors for fer / gan to turne And lepte a-side / and foundred as he lepe And er that Arcite / may taken kepe he pyght him on the pomel / of his hede That in the place / he lay as he were ded his brest to-brosten / with his sadel bowe As blak he was / as ony cole or crowe So was the blode / I-ronnen in his face ¶ . A-non he was born / ouȝt of the place With hert sore / to Theseus paleys Tho was he coruen / ouȝt of his harneys And in a bed I-brought / ful fair and blyue ffor he was ȝet / in memorie and lyue And alwey criyng / after Emelye Duke Theseus / with al his companye Is comen hom / to Athenes his Citee With all blisse / and gret solempnyte Al be it / that this auenture was falle He nolde nat / discomforten hem alle Men seide eke / Arcite shal nat deye he shal ben heled / of his maladye And of a-noþer thyng / they were as fayn That of hem alle / was non I-slayn Alle were they sore I-hurt / and namely on That with a spere was thirled / þorugh þe brest bon To oþere woundes / and to broken armes Somme hadden salue / & somme hadden charmes ffermacies of herbes / and eke saue They dronken / for þei wold here lyues haue ffor which this noble Duke / as he wel can Comforteth / and honoureth / euery man And mad reuel / al the longe nyght Vn-to the straunge lordes / as was right ¶ . Ne there was holden / non discomfityng But as a Iustes / or a turneyeng ffor sothly there was / no disconfiture ffor fallyng nys nat / but an auenture Ne to ben had by force / vn-to the stake Vnȝolden / and with / xxti / knyghtes take O persone a-lone / with-outen mo And haried forth / by arm foot and too And eke his steede / dreuen forth with staues With fotmen / bothe ȝemen & eke knaues It nas aretted him / no velanye There may no man / clepe it cowardie ¶ . ffor which a-non / Duke Theseus let crie To stynten al rancour / and Envie The gree as wele / of o side as of other And either side elyke / as others brother And ȝaf hem ȝiftes / after here degree And fully held a fest / dayes thre And conueyed the kyngis / worthily Ouȝt of his toun / a iourne largely And hom went euery man / the right wey There was no more / but fare wel haue good day Of this bataille / I wol no more endyte But speke of Palamon / and of Arcite Swelleth the brest of Arcite / and the sore Encreseth / at his hert / more and more The clotered blod / for ony lechecraft Corupteth / and is in his bouke I-laft That neither veyn blod / ne ventusyng Ne drynk of herbes / may ben his helpyng The vertue of explyf / or Animall ffor thilk vertue / cleped naturall Ne may the venym voide / ne expelle The pipes of his longen / gonen swelle And euery lacerte / in his brest a-doun [Is shent with venym and corrupcoun Him gayneth nought to gete his lyf Vomyt vpward ne donward laxatyf All is brosten þat regioun[ Left out of Dd.]] Nature hath now / no dominacion And certeynly / there nature wyl nat werche ffare wel Phisyk / go bere þe man to cherche¶ verum est This is al and som / that Arcite mot deye ffor which he sendeth / after Emelye And Palamon / that was his Cosyn dere Than seide he thus / as ȝe shuln after here ¶ . Nat may the wooful spirit / in myn hert Declare a poynt / of alle my sorwes smert To ȝow my lady / that I loue most But I quethe / the / seruyse of my gost To ȝow / a-bouen euery creature Sen that my lif / may no lengere dure Allas the woo / allas the peynes stronge¶ Nota bene That I for ȝow haue / suffred / and so longe Allas the deth / allas myn Emelye Allas departyng / of oure companye Allas myn hertes Quene / allas my wyf Myn hertes lady / endere of my lif What is this world / what asken men to haue Now with his loue / now in his cold graue [Allone with-out ony cumpany Farewele my swete farewele myn Emely And soft take me in your armes twey For the loue of god and herkeneth what I sey[ Left out of Dd.]] ¶ . I haue here with my Cosyn / Palamon had strif and rancour / many a day a-gon ffor loue of ȝow / and for my Ielousie And Iubiter / so wysly / my soule gye To speken of a seruaunt / proprely with circumstaunceȝ / all trewely That is to seyn / trewþe / honour / knyȝthede Wysdom humblesse / estate / and heigh kynrede ffreedom / and al that longeth / to that art So Iubiter haue / of my soule part As in this world right now / ne knowe I non So worthy to ben loued / as Palamon That serueth ȝow / and wel don al his lyf And if þat euere / ȝe schuln ben a wyf fforȝete nat Palamon / the gentil man ¶ . And with that word / his speche faile began ffor fro his fete / vp to his brest was come The colde of deth / that had him ouercome And ȝet more-ouer / for in his armes two The vitayll strengthe / is lost and al a-go Oonly the intellect / with-outen more That dwelleth / in his hert / seke and sore Gan faylen / whan the hert feleth deth Dusked ys hise eyen two / and faileth breth But on his lady / ȝet cast he his eye His last word / was mercy Emelye his spirit chaunged hens / & went there As I cam neuere / I kan nat tellen where Therfore I stynt / I am no diuinistre Of soules fynde I nouȝt / in this registre Ne me ne list / thilke opinions to telle Of hem / though þat þei wryten / where they dwelle Arcite is cold / there Mars his soule gye Now wol I speken forth / of Emelye ¶ . Shryghte / Emelye / and howleth Palamon And Theseus his Suster / tok a-non Swoughnyng / & bar hire / fro the corps a-way What helpeth it / to tarien forth the day To tellen how she wepte / both eue and morwe ffor in swich cas / wommen han swich sorwe Whan þat here husbondes / ben fro hem a-go That for the more part / they sorwen so Or ellis fallen / in swich a maladie That at the last / certeynly they deye ¶ . Infinite ben the sorwes / and the teeres Of olde folk / and folk of tendre ȝeres In al the Toun / for the deth / of this Theban ffor him þere wepeth / bothe child & man So gret a wepyng / was þere non certeyn Whan Ector was brought / al fressh I-slayn To Troye / allas the pyte that was there Cracchyng of chekes / rendyng eke of here Why woldest þou be ded / theise wommen crye And haddest gold I-now / and Emelye ¶ . No man myght gladen / Theseus Sauyng his old fader / Egeus That knew this worldlis / transmutacion As he had seyn it chaunge / boþe vp & doun Ioye after woo / and woo after gladnes And shewed him ensample / and lyknes Right as there deyed neuere man / quod he¶ Nota¶ Argumentum That he ne loued in erthe / in som degre Right so þere lyued neuere man / he seide In al this world / þat somtyme he ne deyede This world nys but a thurgh-feire / ful of woo And we ben pilgrimes / passyng to and froo Deth is an ende / of euery worldly sore And ouer al this / ȝet seide he meche more To this effect / ful wysly to enhorte The peeple / þat they shuld him / recomforte ¶ . Duke Theseus / with al his bysy cure Oast[for Cast] now where / that the sepulture Of goode Arcite / may best I-maked be And eke most honourable / in his degre And at the last / he tok conclusion That there as first / Arcite & Palamon hadden for loue / the bataylle hem bytwene That in the selue Groue / swete & grene There as he had / his amorous desires Hys compleynt / and for loue his hote fires he wold make a fir / in which the office ffunerall / he myght al accomplice And lete a-non comaunde / to hakke and hewe The Okes olde / and leyn hem on a rewe In culpons / wel arayed for to brenne ¶ . His officers / with swift fet they renne And ride a-non / at his comaundement And after this / Theseus hath I-sent After a Bere / and it al ouer-spredde with clothes of gold / the richest þat he hadde And of þe same seute / he clad Arcite vp-on his handes / his glowys whyte Eke on his hede / a corone of laurere grene And in his hand / a swerd ful bright and kene He leid him bare / the visage / on the bere Ther-with he wepte / that pite was to here And for the peeple / shuld sen him alle Whan it was day / he brouȝt him to þe halle That roreth of the criyng and the soun Tho cam this wooful Theaban / Palamon With flotry berd / and ruggy asshy heres In clothes blake / I-dropped al with teres And passyng othere / of wepyng / Emelye The reufullest / of al the cumpanye And in as meche / as the seruyse shuld be The more noble / and riche in his degree Duke Theseus / let forth the steedes bryng That trapped weren / in stele al gleteryng And couered with the Armes / of daun Arcite vp-on the steedes / grete and whyte There seten folk / of which on bar his shelde Another his spere / vp-on his hondes helde They bar with him / his bowe Turkeys Of brend gold was the caas / & eke the harneys And riden forth a paas / with sorweful chere Toward the Groue / as ȝe schuln after here The noblest of the Grekys / that there were Vp-on here shuldres / carieden the bere with slakke paas / and eyen rede and wete Thorugh-ouȝt the Citee / by the maister strete That spred was al with blak / and wonder hye Ryght of the same / is the strete I-wrye ¶ . Vp-on the right hand / went old Egeus And on that other side / Duke Theseus With vesseles in here handes / of gold ful fyne Al ful of hony / melk / Blod / and wyne Eke Palamon / with ful gret companye And after þat cam / wooful Emelye With fir in hand / as was þat tyme the gyse To do the offise / of ffunerall seruyce ¶ . Heigh labour / and gret apparaillyng Was at the seruice / and the fir makyng That with his grene top / the heuene laught And xxti / fadome of brede / the armes straught This is to seyn / the bowes were so brode Of stree first / there was leid mony a lode ¶ . But how the fire / was maked vp on height Ne eke the names / how the trees hight As Oke fir / Birche / Aspe / Alder / holm / Popler Arbores Wylew / Elm / Plane / Assh / Box / Chesteyn / lynde / laurer Mapul / Thorn / Beche / Hasel / Ew / Whippeltre How they were feld / shal nat be told for me ¶ . Ne how the goddes / ronnen vp and doun Disherited / of here habitacion[Dd. ends; leaf 37 gone] In which they woneden in rest and peesEg. begins, leaf 37 back nymphes fawnes and madrides Ne how the bestes and the briddes all ffledden for ferde whan whan the wode was fall Ne how the grounde agast was of the light That was nat wonte to seen the sonne bright Ne how the fire was chaunged first with stre And then dry stykkes cloven in iij· And than with grene wode and spicery And than with cloth of golde and with perry And garlandes hangyng full of many a flour The mirre Theceus with all the grete sauour Ne how Arcite lay amonge all this Ne what ricches aboute his body ys Ne how that Emelye as was the gyse put in the fire of funerall seruice Ne how the swowned whan men made the fire ne what she spake ne what was hir desire ne what Iewels men in the fire cast Whan that the fire was grete and brent faste Ne how som her sheldes and som her spere And of her vestimentes which that they were And cuppes full of mylke and wyne and blode In-to the fire than brent as yt were wode And how the grekes with an houge route Thries ryden the fire aboute Vp-on the left hande with a loude showtyng And thries with her speres clateryng And thries how the ladies gonnen crye And how that lad was homward Emelye Ne how Arcite ys brent to asshen colde Ne how þat light wake was yholde All that night ne how the grekes pleye The wake pleys ne kepe I nat to seye Who wrastelleth best naked with oyle enoynt Ne who that bare hym best in no disioynt I woll nat tellen all how they gon Hom to Athenes whan the pleye ys don But shortly to the poynte than woll I wende And maken of my longe tale an ende By processe and by length of certein yeres All stynt is the mournyng and the teres Of grekes by one generall assent Than semed me there was a parlement Among the which pointes spoken was At Athenes vp-on certein poyntes and caas To haue with certein encres aliaunce And haue fully of Thebans obeisaunce ffor which this noble Theseus anon leten sende after gentell Palamon Vnwyst of hym what was the cause and why But in his blake clothes sorowfully he cam at his comaundement in hie Tho sent Theseus for Emelye Whan they were set and hussh was all the place And Theseus abyden hath a space Er ony worde cam from his wyse brest His yeen set he there as was his list And with a sad visage he sighed styll And after þat right thus he seide his will The first mouer of the cause aboue whan he first made þe feir cheine of loue Grete was theffect and hie was his entent Wele wist he why and what there-of he ment ffor with þat feir chein of loue he bonde The fire the eyer the water and the londe In certein bondes that they may nat fle That same prince and þat mover quod he hath stabliced in this wrecched world adoun Certein dayes and duracioun To all that gendred is in this place Ouer the which day they may nat pace All mow they yit tho dayes a-brigge There nedeth none auctorite to alegge ffor yt ys preued by experience / But þat me list declaren my sentence Then men may wele by this ordre discerne That thilke mover stable ys and eterne Wele may men knowe but it be a fole That euery part is dareined from his hole ffor nature hath nat taken his begynnyng Of no party or of cantell or of a thing But of a thing that parfite is and stable Descendyng so tyll it be corumpable And therfore for his wyse purveyaunce He hath so wele byset his ordinaunce That spices of thinges and progressions Sholden enduren by successions And noght eterne withouten ony lye This maist þou vndrestonde and seyn at eye[Eg. ends] Lo the Oke / that hath / so longe a norisshyngDd. begins, leaf 38 ffro the tyme / þat it first / bygynneth to spryng¶ Nota bene And hath so longe a lyf / as ȝe may se Ȝet at the last / wasted is the tree Considereth eke / how that the harde ston Vnder oure fote / on which we ride and gon It wasteth / as it lith / by the weye The brode ryuer / somtyme waxeth drye The grete townes / se we wane and wend Than se ȝe / þat al this thyng / hath an end Of man and womman / se we wel also That nedes in on / of þeise termes two This is to seyn / in ȝouthe or ellis in age he mot be ded / the kyng / as shal a page Som in his bed / som in the depe see Som in the large feld / as ȝe moun se There helpeth nouȝt / alle gon þat ilke wey Than may I seyn / that al this thyng mot dey ¶ . What makith this / but Iubiter the kyng That is prince and cause / of alle thyng Conuertyng alle / vn-to his propre wylle ffrom which it is derreyned / soth to telle And here a-geyns / no creature on lyue Of no degree / auayleth nat for to stryue ¶ . Than is it wysdom / as it thynketh me To maken vertue / of necessite And take it wele / þat we may nat escheue And namelich / þat to vs alle / is due And who-so gruccheth ouȝt / he doth folie That rebel is to hym / þat al may gye And certeynly / a man hath most honour To dyen / in his excellence and flour Whan he is syker / of his good name Than hath he don / his frend ne him no shame And gladdere ought his frend / ben of his deth Whan þat with honour / ȝolden is his breth Than whan his name / appalled is for age ffor al forgetyn / is his vassillage Than is it best / as for a worthy fame To dyen / whan he is best of name The contrary of al this / is wylfulnesse Why grucchen we / why haue we heuynesse That good Arcite / of Chyualrie the flour Departed ys / with duete and honour Ouȝt of this foul prison / of this lyf Why grucchen heere / his Cosyn and his wyff Of his welfare / that louen him so wele Can he hem thank / nay god wot / neuere a dele That bothe his soule / and eke hem self offend And ȝet they moun / here lustes nat a-mend ¶ . What may I concluden / of this long serie But after woo / I rede vs alle be merye And thanken Iubiter / of al his grace And er we departen / from this place I rede we make / of sorwes two O parfyt Ioye / lastyng euere moo And loketh now / where most sorwe is here-Inne There wyl I first amenden / and bygynne ¶ . Suster quod he / this is my ful assent with alle the lordes here / of my parlement Tat Ientil Palamon / ȝoure owen knyght That serueth ȝow / with wyl hert & myght And euere hath don / syn first ȝe him knewe That ȝe schuln of ȝour grace / vp-on him rewe And taken him for husbonde / and for lord lene me ȝoure hand / for þis is oure acord lat se now / of ȝoure wommanly pitee he is a kyngis brotheres sone / parde And though he were / a pore bachelere Syn he hath serued ȝow / so many a ȝere And had for ȝow / so gret aduersitee It must ben considered / leueth me ffor gentil mercy / ouȝt to passen right ¶ . Than seide he thus / to Palamon the knyght I trowe there nedeth / litel sermonyng To maken ȝow assenten / to this thyng Come nere / & taketh ȝoure lady / by the hond Bytwixen hem / was mad a-non the bond That hight matrimon / or mariage By al the counseil / and the baronage ¶ . And thus with al blisse / and melodye hath Palamon I-wedded / Emelye And god þat al this world / hath wrought Sende him his loue / þat hath it dere a-bought ffor now is Palamon / in all wele leuyng in blisse / in richesse and in hele And Emelye / him loueth so tenderly And he hire serueth / so gentilly That þere was / no word / hem bytwene Of ielousie / or ony other tene Thus endeth Palamon / and Emelye And god saue al / this fair companye.¶ Amen quod Wytton; ¶ The prologe of the Millere WHan that the knyght / had thus his tale I-told In al the companye / ne was þere ȝong ne old That he ne seide / it was a noble storie And worthy for to drawen / to memorie And namely the gentiles / euerychon ¶ . Oure Host lough / and swor as mot I gon This goth a-right / vnbocled is the male Lat se now / who shal telle / a-nother tale ffor trewely / þis game is wel bygonne Now telleth ȝe sire Monke / if þat ȝe cone Som what / to quyte with / þe knyghtes tale ¶ . The Millere / þat for-dronken was / of Aleal pale So þat vn-ethe vp-on his hors he sat he nolde a-valen / neither hod ne hat Ne a-byden no man / for his curteysie But in pilates vois / he gan to crye And swor by armes / and by blod & bones I can a noble tale / for the nones With which I wol now / quyte þe knyghtes tale Oure host saw / that he was dronke of ale And seide abyde / Robyn leue brother Som betir man / shal telle vs first a-nother A-byde / and late vs werkyn / thriftily By goddes soule quod he / that wol nat I ffor I wol speke / or elles go my wey Oure host answered / telle on a dewel wey Thow art a fool / thy wyt is ouercome ¶ . Now herkeneth quod the Millere / alle & some But first I make / a protestacion That I am dronke / I knowe it be my soun And þerfore / if that I / mysspeke or sey Wyteth it the Ale / of Southwerk / I prey ffor I wol telle / a legend / or a lyf Bothe of a Carpenter / and of his wyf How þat a Clerk / hath set the wryghtes cap ¶ . The Reve answered / and seide stynt thy clap late be thyn lewed / dronken Harlotrie It is a synne / and eke a gret folie To a-peyren any man / of his defame And eke to brynge wyues / in swich name Thow maist I-now / of othere thynges seyn ¶ . This dronken Millere / spak ful sone a-geyn And seide / leue brother Oswold Who hath no wyf / he is no Cokewold But I seye nat þerfore / that þou art on There ben ful goode wyues / many on . . . . .[not in Eg. 2726] . . . . .no gap in the MS. Why art þou angry / with my tale now I haue a wyf parde / as wel as thow Ȝet nolde I / for the Oxen in my plough Taken vp-on me / more than I-nough As demen on my self / þat I were one I wol byleue wel / þat I am none An husbonde / shal nat ben inquesitif¶ Nota bene Of goddes preuyte / ne of his wyf So he may fynden / goddes foyson there Of the remenaunt / nedeth nat enquere ¶ . What shulde I more seyn / but þis Millere he nolde hise wordes / for no man for-bere But told his Cherles tale / in his manere Me a-thynketh / þat I shal / reherce it here And therfore / euery gentil wyght I pray Demeth nat / for goddes loue / that I say Of euele entent / but for I mot reherce here tales alle / al be they bet / or werce Or elles falsen / som of my matere And þerfore / wo-so list it nat / to here Turne ouer the lef / and chese a-noþer tale ffor he shal fynde I-nowe / grete & smale Of storial thyng / that toucheth gentilnesse And eke moralite / and holynesse Blameth nat me / if þat ȝe chese a-mys The Millere is a charl / ȝe knowe wel this So was the Reve eke / and othere moo And Harlotrie they tolden / bothe two A-vyseth ȝow / and put me ouȝt of blame And eke / men shuln nat make / ernest of game ¶ Heere bygynneth the Millers tale; WHilom there was dwellyng / in Oxenford A riche gnof / that gestes held to bord And of his craft / he was a Carpentere with him þere was dwellyng / a poore scolere Had lerned art / but al his fantasye was turned / for to lerne / Astrologye And koude a serteyn / of conclusions To demen / by interrogacions If þat men asked him / in certeyn houres What þat men shuld haue / drought or elles shoures Or if men asked him / what shulde by-falle Of euery thyng / I may nat rekken hem alle ¶ . This Clerk was cleped / hende Nicholas Of derne loue he coude / and of solas And ther-to he was sly / and ful preue And like a Maide / meke for to se A Chaumbre had he / in that hostelrye A-lone / with-outen ony companye fful fetisly dight / with herbes swote And he him self / as swete as is the rote Of licoris / or ony Setuale his Almageste / and bokes grete and smale his Astralabie / longyng for his art His Augryme stones / loyn faire a-pert On shelues / kouched / at his beddis hede His presse couered / with a faldyng rede And al a-boue / there lay a gay Sautrye On whiche he mad / on nyghtis melodye So swetely / þat al the chaumber rong And Angelus ad virginem / he song And after that / he song the kynges note fful often blissed / was his mery throte And thus this swete Clerk / his tyme spent After his frendis fyndyng / and his rent ¶ . This Carpenter had wedded / newe a wyf which þat he loued / more than his lyf Of xviij ȝere / she was of age Ielous he was / & held hire narwe in kage ffor she was wylde / & ȝong / and he was old And demed him self / to ben like a Cokewold he knew nat Caton / for his wyt was rude That bad men shulde wedde / here similitude Men shulde wedden / after here astate ffor ȝouthe and age / is often at debate But sithe þat he / was fallen in the snare he must enduren / as other folk / his care ¶ . ffair was this ȝong wyf / and there-with-alleNota As ony wesyl / hir body gent and smalle A Seynt she wered barred / al of sylke A barmclothe as whyte / as morwe mylke vp-on hire lendes / ful of many a goore white was hire smokke / and browded al byfore And eke behynd / on hire coler a-boute Of cole blak sylk / with-Inne & eke with-oute The tapes / of hire white volupere Were of þe same seute / of hire colere hire filet brod of sylk / and set ful hye And sekirly she hadde / a lykerous eye fful smale I-pulled / were hire browes two And tho were bent / & blake as is a slo She was ful more blisful / on to se Than is the newe / Pere-Ionet tre And softer þanne the wolle is / of a weder And by hire girdel heng / a purs of lether Tasseled with silk / and perled with latoun In al this world / to seken vp and doun There nys no man / so wys / þat coude thenche So gay a popelot / or swiche a wenche fful brightere was the shynyng / of hire hewe Than in the Tour / the noble I-forged newe But of hire song / it was as loude / and ȝerne As ony swalwe / sittyng on a berne Ther-to she coude skyp / and make game As ony kydde or calf / folwyng his dame Hire mouth was swete / as braket or the meth Or hoord of apples / leyd in hey or heth Wynsyng she was / as is a ioly colt long as a mast / and vp-right as a bolt A broche she bar / vp-on hire lowe coler As brod / as is the boos / of a bokeler hire shoes were laced / on hire legges heye She was a prymerole / a Pyggesnye ffor any lord / to leggen in his bedde Or ȝet / for ony good ȝemman / to wedde ¶ . Now sire and eft sire / so byfel the cas That on a day / þis hende Nicholas ffel with þis ȝong wyf / to rage and pleye While that hire husbond / was at Osneye As clerkis ben ful sotil / and ful queynt And preuyly / he caught hire / by the queynt And seide I-wysse / but ich haue my wylle ffor derne loue / of the lemman / I spille And held hire harde / by the haunche bones And seide lemman / loue me al at ones Or I wol deyen / also god me saue And she sprong / as a colt doth in a traue And with hire hed / she wryed fast a-wey She seyde / I wol nat kysse the / be my fey We lat be quod ich / lat be Nicholas Or I wol crie / ouȝt herrowe / and allas Do wey ȝoure handes / for ȝoure curteisie ¶ . This Nicholas / gan mercy for to crye And spak so faire / and profred him so faste That she hire loue / hym graunted at the laste And swor hire oth / by seynt Thomas of Kent That she wolde ben / at his comaundement whan þat she may / hire leiser wel a-spie Myn husbond is / so ful of Ielusye That but ȝe wayte wel / and be preue I wot right wel / I nam but ded quod she Ȝe must be ful derne / as in this cas ¶ . Nay ther-of care the nought / quod Nicholas A Clerk had litherly / byset his whyle But if he coude / a Carpenter begyle And thus they ben / acorded / and I-sworn To wayte a tyme / as I haue told byforn ¶ whan Nicholas had don this / euery deleNota bene And thakkede hire / a-boute the lendes wele he kisseth hire swete / and taketh his sautrie And pleyeth faste / and maketh melodye ¶ . Thanne fel it thus / þat to the Parissh Chirche Cristes owen werk / for to werche This good wyf went / on an haliday hire forhede shon / as bright as ony day So was it wasshen / whan she lete hir werk ¶ . Now was there of þat chirche / a parissh clerk The which / þat was I-cleped / Absolon Crool was his heer / & as the gold it shon And strotted as a fanne / large and brode fful streyt and euene / lay his ioly shode his rode was rede / his eyen grey as goos with Poules wyndowes / coruen on hise shoos In Hosen rede / he went ful fetislye I-clad he was / ful smal and proprelye Al in a kirtil / of a light vaget fful fair & thikke / ben the poyntis set And ther-vp-on / he had a gay surplice As white as is / the blosme on the rice A mery child he was / so god me saue wel coude he laten blod / & clippe and shaue And make a charter of lond / or acquietance In xxti maners / coude he tryppe and daunce After the scole / of Oxenford tho And with hise leggis / casten to and fro And pleyen song / on a smal ribible Ther-to he song som tyme / a loude quynyble And as wel coude he pley / on a geterne In al the Toun nas there / brewhous ne Tauerne That he ne vesited / with his solace There ony gaylard / tapstere was But sothe to seyn / he was somdele squeymous Of fartyng / and of speche daungerous This Absolon / that ioly was and gay Goth with a Censer / on the haliday Sensyng the wyues / of the Parissh fast And many a louely loke / on hem he cast And namely / on this Carpenteres wyf To loke on hire / him þought a mery lif She was so propre / and swete / and likerous I dar wel seyn / if she had ben a Mous And he a kat / he wold hire hent a-non This parissh Clerk / this ioly Absolon hath in his hert / swich a loue longyng That of no wyf / toke he non offryng ffor curteisie he seide / he wold non The Mone / whan it was nyght / ful bright shon And Absolon / his gytterne / hath I-take ffor paramours he þought / for to wake And forth he goth / Iolyf and amerous Til he cam / to the Carpenters hous A litel after Cokkes / had I-crowe And dressed him vp / by a shot wyndowe That was vp-on / the Carpenteres wal he syngeth in his voys / gentil and smal Now dere lady / if thy wyl be I pray ȝow / þat ȝe wol / rewe on me fful wel accordyng / to his gitternyng ¶ . This Carpenter a-woke / and herd him syng And spak vn-to his wyf / and seide a-non What Alison / herest þou nat Absolon That chaunteth thus / vnder oure boures walle And she answered hire husbond / there-with-alle Ȝis god wot Iohn / I here it euery dele This passeth forth / what wyl ȝe bet than wele ffro day to day / this Ioly Absolon So wougheth hire / that him is woo-bygon he waketh al the nyght / and al the day he kembeth hise lokkes brode / & mad him gay he wougheth hire by menes / and brocage And swor he wolde ben / hire owen page he syngeth brokkyng / as a Nyghtyngale And sent hire pyment / Meth & spiced ale And waferes pypyng hote / ouȝt of the glede And for she was of Toune / he profred mede ffor somme folk / wol be wonnen for richesse And somme for strokes / and somme for gentilnesse¶ Vnde Ouidius/ Ictibus Agrestis &c Somtyme to shewen / his lightnesse and maistrye he pleyeth heraudes / vp-on a skaffold heye ¶ . But what-availleth him / as in this cas She loueth so / this hende Nicholas That Absolon may blowe / the bukkes horn he ne had for his labour / but a skorn And thus she maketh / Absolon hire Ape And al his ernest / turneth to a Iape fful soth is this prouerbe / it is no lye Men sayn right thus / alwey the nye slye Maketh the fer leef / to be loth ffor though þat Absolon / be wood or wroth By-cause þat he fer wes / from hire sight This nye Nicholas / stod in his light ¶ . Now bere the wel / thow hende Nicholas ffor Absolon may waylle / and synge allas And so byfel it / that on a Saterday This Carpenter / was gone to Osney And hende Nicholas / and Alison Accorded ben / to this conclusion That Nicholas / shal shapen hem a wyle The sely Ielous husbonde / to begyle And if so be / the game went a-right She shulde slepe / in his arme al nyght ffor this was hire desir / and his also And right a-non / with-oute wordes moo This Nicholas / no lengere wold tarie But doth ful softe / vn-to his chaumbre carie Bothe mete and drynk / for a day or twey And to hire husbonde / bad hire for to sey If that he axed / after Nicholas She shulde seye / she nyst where he was Of al that day / she sey him nat with eye She trowed þat he was / in sum maladye ffor · for no cry / hire mayde koude him calle¶ quia · pro · he nolde answere / for thyng þat myght falle This passeth forth / al thilk Satirday That Nicholas stille / in his chaumbre lay And ete and slepe / or dede what him list Til Sonday / that þe sonne goth to rest ¶ . This sely Carpenter / hath gret merueylle Of Nicholas / or what thyng myght him eylle And seide / I am a-drad / by seynt Thomas It stondeth nat a right / with Nicholas God shilde / þat he deyed sodeynly This world is now / ful tekil sekerly I saw to-day / a cors I-born to chirche That now on monday last / I saw him werche Go vp quod he / vn-to his knaue a-non Clepe at the dore / and knokke with a ston loke how it is / and telle me boldely ¶ . This knaue goth him vp / ful sturdily And at the chaumbre dore / while þat he stode he cryed and knokked / as he were wode what how / what do ȝe / Maister Nicholay how may ȝe slepen / al the long day But al for nouȝt / he seide nat a worde An hole he fond / ful lowe vp-on the borde There as the Cat / was wont / In / for to crepe And at that hole / he loked In / ful depe And at the last / he had of him a sight This Nicholas sat euere / gapyng vp-right As he had loked / on the newe Mone A-doun he goth / and telleth his maister sone In what array / he saugh this ilke man ¶ . This Carpenter / to blissen him / bygan And seide / helpe vs / seynt ffredeswyde A man wot litel / what hym shal betyde This man is fallen / with his Astronomye In som woodnesse / or in som Agonye I thought ay wele / how that it shulde be Men shuld nat knowe / of goddis preuyte Ȝa blissed be alwey / a lewed man That nought but only / his byleue can So ferde a-nother clerk / with his Astronomye he walked in the feldes / for to prye Vp-on the sterres / what there shuld byfalle Til þat he / in a marle pyt / was falle he saw nat that / but ȝet be Seynt Thomas Me reweth sore / of hende Nicholas he shal be ratid / of his studiyng If þat I may / be Ihesus heuene kyng Get me a staf / that I may vnder pore while þat þow Robyn / heuest of the dore he shal ouȝt of his studiyng / as I gesse And to the chaumbre dore / he gan him dresse his knaue was a strong Carl / for the nones And by the haspe / he haf it of at ones In to the flore / the dore fel a-non This Nicholas sat ay as stille / as ony ston And euere he gaped vpward / in-to the Eyre This Carpentere wende / he were in dispeyre And hent him / by the shuldres / myghtyly And shoke him harde / and cried spetously what Nicholay / what how / loke a-doun A-wake / and thynk on cristes passion I crouche the from Elues / and fro wyghtes There-with the nyght spel / seide he a-non rightes On foure halues / of the hous a-boute And on the thressewold / at the dore withoute Ihesu crist / and seynt Benedyght Blisse this hous / fro euery euyl wyght ffor the nyghtesmare / the whyȝt Pater noster Where wonest thow / seynt Petres suster ¶ . And at the last / this hende Nicholas Gan for to sighe sore / and seide allas Shal al the world / be lost eftsones now This Carpenter answered / what seist þou what thynk on god / as we don men þat swynke ¶ . This Nicholas answered / fecche me a drynke And after wol I speke / in preuyte Of thyng þat toucheth / the and me I wyl telle it non other man / certeyn This Carpenter goth doun / and cometh a-geyn And brought of myghty ale / a large quart And whanne þat ech of hem / had dronken his part This Nicholas / his dore faste shette And doun the Carpenter / by him he sette And seide Iohn myn host / lef and dere Thow shalt vp-on thy treuthe / swere me heere That to no wyght / þou shalt my counseil wreye ffor it is cristes counseil / þat I seye And if þou telle ony man / þou art for-lore ffor this vengeaunce / thow shalt haue þerfore That if þou wreye me / thow shalt be wode Nay / criste for-bede it / for his holy blode Quod tho this sely man / I am non labbe Ne though I sey it / I nam nat lief to gabbe Sey what þou wyle / I shal it neuere telle To child ne wyf / by him þat harwed helle ¶ . Now Iohn quod this Nicholas / I wol nat lye I haue founden / in myn Astrologye As I haue loked / in the Mone bright That now on monday next / at quarter nyght Shall fallen a reyn / and that so wylde & wood That half so gret / was neuere Noes flod This world he seide / in lesse than an houre Shal be dreynt / so hydous is the shoure Thus shal mankynde / drenche / & lese here lif This Carpenter answered / allas my wyf And shal she drenche / allas myn Alisoun ffor sorwe of this / he fel almost a-doun And seide / is there no remedye in this cas We ȝis for gode / quod hende Nicholas If þou wilt werken / after lore and rede Thow maist nat werken / after þin owen hede ffor thus seith Salamon / þat was ful trewe werk al by counseyl / and þow shalt nat rewe And if thow werken wolt / by good counsaylle I vndertake / with-outen mast or saylle Ȝet shal I saue hire / and the and me hast þou nat herd / how saued was Noe whanne þat oure lord / had warned him biforn That al the world / with water shuld be lorn ¶ . Ȝis quod this Carpentere / ful ȝore a-go hast þou nat herd / quod Nicholas also The sorwe of Noe / with his felaweshipe Er that he myght gete / his wyf to shipe hym had be leuere / I dar wel vndertake At thilk tyme / than alle hise wetheres blake That she had had / a ship hire-self a-lone And þerfore wost þou what / is best to done This asketh hast / and of an hasty thyng Men moun nat preche / and maken tariyng A-non go gete vs fattes / in-to this Inne A knedyng trow / or ellis a kamelyne ffor ech of vs / but loke þat they be large In whiche we moun swymme / as in a barge And haue þere-Inne / vetaille sufficient But for o day / fy on the remenaunt The water shal a-slake / and gon a-wey A-boute pryme / vp-on the next day But Robyn may nat wyte of this / thy knaue Ne eke thy mayde Gille / I may nat saue Aske nat why / for though þou axe me I wol nat telle / goddis preuyte Suffiseth the / but if thyne wyttes madde To han as gret a grace / as Noe hadde Thy wyf shal I wel sauen / ouȝt of doute Go now thy wey / and spede the here a-boute But when þou hast / for hire and the and me I-geten vs / theise knedyng tubbes thre Thanne shalt þou hangen hem / in the roof ful heye That noman / of oure purueance / espie And whan þow hast don / as I haue seid And hast oure vetaille / faire in hem leyd And eke an ax / to smyte the cord a-two Whan þat the water cometh / þat we may go And breke an hole an hey / vp-on the gable Vn-to the gardeyn ward / ouer the stable That we moun freely passen / forth oure wey whanne þat the grete shour / is gon a-wey Thanne shalt þou swymme / as mery I vndertake As doth the white doke / after hire drake Than wyl I clepe / how Alison / how Iohn Be mery / for the flode / shal passe a-non And þou wolt seyn / heyl Maister Nicholay Good morwe / I se the wele / for it is day And þanne shuln we / be lordes all oure lyf Of al the world / as Noe and his wyf But of o thyng / I warne the ful right Be we a-vysed / on that ilke nyght That we ben entred / in-to shippes bord That non of vs / speke nat a word Ne clepe ne crie / but ben in his prayere ffor it is / goddis / owen heste dere Thy wyf and thow / mot hange fer a-twynne ffor that betwixe ȝow / shal be no synne No more in lokyng / than there shal in dede This ordynance is seid / so god the spede To-morwe at nyght / when men ben alle a-slepe In-to our kneding tubbes / wol we crepe And sitten there / a-bidyng goddis grace Go now thy wey / I haue no lengere space To maken of this / no lengere sermonynge Men seyn thus / sende the wyse / & sey no thynge¶ Mitte sa|pientem &c Thou art so wys / it nedeth the nought to teche Go saue oure lyf / and that I the byseche ¶ . This sely Carpenter / goth forth his wey fful ofte he seide / allas and wellawey And to his wyf / he told his preuyte And she was war / and knewe it bet than he what al þis queynt cas / was for to sey But natheles / she ferd as she wold dey And seide allas / go forth thy weye a-non help vs to skape / or we ben ded ichon I am thy trewe / verray wedded wyf Go dere spouse / and help to saue oure lyf lo whiche a gret thyng / is affeccion¶ Auctor Men moun deyen / of ymaginacion So depe / may impression be take This sely Carpenter / begynneth quake hym thynketh verraylich / that he may se Noes flode / come walwyng as the see To drenchen Alison / his hony dere he wepeth wailleth / and maketh sory chere he sigheth / with ful many a sory swough And goth & getith him / a knedyng trow And after a tubbe / and a kemelyn And preuyly he sent hem / to his In And heng hem in the roof / in preuytee his owen hand / he made laddres thre To clymben by the roumes / and the stalkes Vn-to the Tubbes / hanggyng in the balkes And hem vetailled / bothe kemelyn trow and Tubbe With bred and chese / and good ale in a Iubbe Suffisyng right I-now / as for a day But er that he / had mad al this array he sent his knaue / and eke 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-outen candel light And dressyd al thyng / as it shulde be And shortly vp they clymben alle thre They setyn stille / wel a forlong wey Now pater noster / clum seide Nicholay And clum quod Iohn / and clum seide Alison This Carpenter / seide his deuocion And stille he syt / and biddeth his prayere A-waytyng on the reyn / if he it here The dede slepe / for verrey besynesse ffel on this Carpenter / right as I gesse A-boute curfewe tyme / or litel more ffor trauaille of his gest / he groneth sore And eft he routeth / for his hede myslay Down on the laddre / stalketh Nicholay And Alison ful soft / adoun she spedde With-oute wordes mo / they gon to bedde There as this Carpenter / is wont to lye There was the reuel / and the melodye And thus lyn Alison / and Nicholas In besynesse of myrthe / and in solas Til that the belle / of laudes gan to rynge And freres in the chaunsel / gon synge ¶ . This parissh Clerk / this amerous Absolon That is for loue / alwey so woo-bygon vp-on the monday / was at Osneye with companye / him to disporte and pleye And axed vp-on cas / a cloisterere fful preuyly / after Iohn the Carpentere And he drough him a-pert / ouȝt of the chirche And seide I not / I saugh him here nat werche Sithe Satirday / I trow þat he be went ffor tymber / there oure Abbot hath him sent ffor he is wont / for tymber for to go And dwellyn at the Graunge / a day or two Or ellis he is / at his hous certeyn where that he be / I kan nat sothely seyn ¶ . This Absolon / ful Ioly was and light And thouȝt now is tyme / to wake al nyght And sekirly / I saugh him nat steryng Aboute his dore / sen day began to spring So mot I thryue / I shal at Cokkes crowe fful preuly knokken / at his wyndowe That stant ful lowe / vp-on his boures walle To Alison now / wol I tellen alle My loue longyng for ȝet / I shal nat mysse That at the leste weye / I shal hire kysse Som maner comfort / shal I haue parfay My mouth hath yched / al this long day This is a signe / of kyssyng at the lest Al nyght me mette eke / þat I was at a fest Therfore I wyl go slepe / an houre or twey And al the nyght þanne / wol I wake & pley ¶ . Whan that the first kok / hath crow a-non Vp risith this Ioly louyere / Absolon And him arrayeth gay / at poynt deuys But first he cheweth / Greynes & lycoris To smellen swete / er he had kembed his heer Vnder his tonge / a treweloue he ber¶ Nota ffor ther-by wend he / to be gracious he rometh / to the Carpenteres hous And stille he stant / vnder the shot wyndowe Vn-to his brest it raught / it was so lowe And softe he koughed / with a semy soun What do ȝe honycombe / swete Alison My fair brede / my swete Cinamome A-waketh lemman myn / and speketh to me Wol litel thenke ȝe / vp-on my woo That for ȝoure loue / I swete there I go No wonder is / though þat I swelt and swete I morne as doth a lambe / after the tete I-wysse lemman / I haue swich loue longyng That like a Turtill trewe / is my murnyng I may nat ete / no more than a mayde ¶ . Go fro the wyndowe / Iakke fool she seyde As help me god / it wol nat be compame I loue a-nother / and ellis I were to blame wel bet than the / by Ihesu Absolon Go forth thy wey / or I wol cast a ston And lete me slepe / a twenty deuel wey Allas quod Absolon / and weyllawey That trewloue was / euere / so yuel bysette Than kisse me / sithe it may be no bette ffor Ihesus loue / and for the loue of me Wylt thow thanne go thy wey / ther-with quod she Ȝa certis lemman / quod this Absolon Than make the redy quod she / I come a-non . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. This Absolon doun sette him / on his knees And seyde / I am a lord / at alle degrees ffor after this / I hope there cometh more Lemman thy grace / and swete brede thyn ore The wyndowe she vn-doth / and that in hast Haue I-don quod she / come of & spede the fast leste that oure neyghebores / the espie This Alison gan wype / his mouth ful drye Derke was the nyght / as pych or as the cole And at the wyndowe / ouȝt she put hire hole And Absolon him fel / neither bet ne wers But with his mouth / he kiste hire naked ers¶ Nota quid malum fful sauerly / er he were war of this A-bak he stirte / and þouȝt it was a-mys ffor wele he wyst / a womman had no berd he felt a thyng al row / and longe I-hered And seide fy allas / what haue I do ¶ . Te he quod she / and clapped the wyndowe to And Absolon goth forth / a sory pace A berd a berd / seide hende Nicholas By goddes corpus / this goth fair & wele This sely Absolon / herd euerydele And on his lyppe / for anger he gan to byte And to him self he seide / I shal the quyte ¶ . Who rubbeth now / who froteth now hise lippes With dust/ with sond/ with strawe/ with cloth/ with chippes But Absolon that seith / ful ofte allas My soule be-take I / vn-to Satanas But me were leuere / than al this toun quod he Of this dispyt / a-wreken for to be Allas quod he / allas I ne hadde I-blent his hote loue was cold / and al I-queynt ffor fro þat tyme / that he had kist hire ers Of paramours / ne rought he nat a kers ffor he was heled / of his maladye fful ofte paramours / he gan defye And wepe / as doth a child / þat is I-bete A soft pas he went him / ouer the strete Vn-to a smyth / men callen daun Gerueys That in his forge / smethed plough harneys he sharpeth shaare / and cultur besily This Absolon / knokketh / al esily And seide / vn-do Gerueys / and that a-non What who art þow / it am I Absolon What Absolon / what cristes swete tre Why ryse ȝe so rathe / ey benedicite What eyleth ȝow / some gay gerle god it wote hath brought ȝow thus / vp-on the veritote By seynt Note / ȝe wot wel what I mene This Absolon / ne rought nat a bene Of al his pley / no word a-geyn he ȝaf he had more thought / on his distaf Than Gerueys knew / and seide frend so dere That hote culter / in the chemyny here As lene it me / I haue there-with to done I wol bryng it the / a-geyn / ful sone Gerueys answered / certes were it gold Or in a poke / nobles al vn-told Thow shuldest haue / as I am trewe smyth Ey cristes foo / what wol ȝe do ther-wyth There-of quod Absolon / be as be may I shal wel telle it the / a-nother day And cauth the cultur / by the hote stele fful softe ouȝt at the dore / he gan to stele And went vn-to / the Carpenteres wal he kougheth first / & knokketh ther-with-al vp-on the wyndowe / right as he dede ere This Alison answered / who is there That knokketh so / I warant it is a thefe Nay nay quod he / god wot my swete lefe I am thyn Absolon / thy derlyng Of gold quod he / I haue the brouȝt a ryng My moder ȝaf it me / so god me saue fful ffyne it is / and ther-to wel I-graue This wol I ȝeue the / if thow me kysse ¶ . This Nicholas / was risen vp / to pysse He thought he wolde amende / al the Iape he shulde kysse hise ars / er that he skape And vp the wyndowe / he dide hastily And ouȝt his ers / he putteth preuyly Ouer the buttok / to the haunche bon And ther-with spak this Clerk / this Absolon Speke swete brede / I not where thow art ¶ . This Nicholas a-non / let flee a fart As gret as it had ben / a thonder dynt That with the stroke / he was almost I-blynt And he was redy / with his Iren hote And Nicholas / in the ars he smote Of goth the skyn / an hanbrede a-boute The hote cultur / brent so his toute That for the smert / he wend for to dye As he were wode / for woo he gan to crye help / water water / help for goddes hert ¶ . This Carpenter / ouȝt of his slomer stert/ And herd on crye water / as he were wode And seide allas / now cometh Noes fflode he sette him vp / with-oute wordes moo And with his ax / he smote the corde a-two And doun goth al / he fond neither to selle Brede ne Ale / tyl he cam to the Celle vp-on the flor / and there a swouȝne he lay Vp stirt hire Alison / and Nicholay And crieden ouȝt / and herrowe / in the strete The neyghebores / bothe smale and grete In ronnen / for to gawren / on this man That in swownyng lay / bothe pale and wan ffor with the fal / he broken had his arme But stonde he must / vn-to his owen harme ffor whan he spak / he was a-non born doun With hende Nicholas / and Alisoun They tolden euery man / that he was wode he was so a-gast / of Noes flode Thorugh fantasye / that of his vanyte he had brought him / knedynge tubbes thre And had hem hanged / in the rof a-boue And that he preyed hem / for goddes loue To sitten in the rof / par companye The folk gonne laughen / at his fantasye In-to the rof / they kekyn and they gape And turned al his harm / vn-to a Iape ffor what so / þat this Carpenter / answered It was for nought / no man his reson hered with othes grete / he was so sworn a-doun That he was holden wod / in al the toun ffor euery clerk / a-non right / held with other And seiden / the man was wod / my lef brother And euery wyght gan laughen / of this striffe Thus swyued was / the Carpenteres wyffe ffor al his kepyng / and his Ielousye And Absolon / hath kyssed / hire nether eye And Nicholas is skalded / in the toute This tale is don / and god saue al the routh; quod Wytton; Thus endeth the Millers tale /[No break in the MS.] on leaf 47, back & bygynneth the prologe of the Reve WHanne folk han laughen / at þis nyce cas Of Absolon / and hende Nicholas Dyuerse folk / diuersly they seyde But for the more part / they loughe & pleyde Ne at this tale / I saw no man him greue But it were oonly / Oswold the Reue By-cause he was / of Carpenteres craft A litel Ire / is / in his hert laft he gan to grocche / and blamed it a lyte So thike quod he / ful wel coude I the quyte with bleryng / of a proude Milleres eye If þat me list / to speke of rybaudye But ik am old / me list nat pleye for age Gras tyme is don / my foder is now forage This white top / wryteth myne olde ȝeres Myn hert is also / mouled / as myne heeres But if I fare / as doth an open ars That ilke fruyt / is euere lengere 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 hope alwey / while þat the world wol pipe ffor in oure wyl / there steketh euere a nayl To han an hore heer / and a grene tayl As hath a leek / for though oure myght be gon Oure wyl / desireth folye / euere in on ffor whanne we moun nat don / than wol we speke Ȝet in our asshen old / ys fire I-reke ffoure gledes han we / which I shal deuyse Auauntyng / lying / Angyr / Coueytise¶ Nota bene Theise foure sparcles / longen vn-to elde Our olde lymes / moun wel ben vn-welde But wyl ne shal faylen / that is soth And ȝet haue ik alwey / a coltyssh toth As many a ȝere / as it is passed henne Sithe that my tappe / of lyf / bygan to renne ffor sekirly / whan yk was born / a-non Deth drough the tapp of lyf / and let it gon And euere sithe / hathe so / the tappe I-ronne Til that almost / al empty is the tonne The streme of lyf / now droppeth on the chyme The sely tonge / may wel rynge & chymbe Of wrecchednesse / that passed is ful ȝore With olde folk / saue / dotage is na more ¶ . Whan þat our host / had herd this sermonyng he gan to speke / as lordly as a kynge And seide what amounteth al this wyt Why shuln we al day / speke of holy wryt The deuele mad a Reue / for to preche Or a Soutere / a shipman / or a leche Sey forth thy tale / and tary nat the tyme lo Depforde / and it is half weye pryme lo Grenewyche / there many a shrewe is Inne It were al tyme / thy tale to bygynne Now Sires / quod this Oswold the Reue I prey ȝow alle / that ȝe nat ȝow greue Though I answere / and somdel sette his howe ffor leueful is / with force / force of showe This dronken Millere / hath told vs here how that begyled was / a Carpentere Parauenture in skorne / for I am one And by ȝoure leue / I shal him quyte anone Ryght in his cherles termes / wol I speke I preye to god / his nekke mot to-breke he can wel in myn eye / sen a stalke But in his owen / he can nat sen a balke ¶ Heere bigynneth the Reues Tale; At Trompyngton / nat fer fro Caumbrygge There goth a broke / and ouer that a brygge vp-on the whiche broke / there stant a Mille And this is verray soth / that I ȝow telle A Millere was there / dwellyng many a day As any Pecok / he was proud and gay Pipe he coude and fisshe / and nettes bete And turne cuppes / & wel wrestel and shete Ay by his belt / he bar a long panade And of a sword / ful trenchaunt was the blade A Ioly poppere bar he / in his pouche There was no man for paril durst him touche A Shefeld whitel / bar he in his hose Round was his face / & kamuse was his nose As pilled as an Ape / was his skulle he was a markete betere / at the fulle There durst no wyght / hand vp-on him legge That he ne swor / he shulde a-non a-begge A thef he was / forsothe / of corn & mele And that a slye / and vsand for to stele his name was hoten / deignous Symkyn A wyf he hadde / comyn of noble kyn The parson of the toun / hire fader was With hire he ȝaf / ful many a panne of bras ffor that Symkyn / shulde in his blod a-lye She was I-fostred / in a Nonnerye ffor Symkyn nolde no wyf / as he said But she were wel norisshed / and a mayd To sauen his estate / of ȝemanrye And she was proud / and pert as a pye A ful fair sight / was it vp-on hem two On halidayes biforn hire / wold he go with his typet wounde / a-boute his hede And she cam after / in a gyte of rede And Symkyn had hosen / of the same There durst no wyght / clepen hire but dame was no so hardy / that went by the weye That with hire durst rage / or ellis pleye But if he wolde be slayn / of Symkyn with panade / or with knyf / or boydekyn ffor ielous folk / ben perilous euere mo Algate they wold / here wyues wend so And eke for she was / somdel smoterlich She was as deigne / as water in a dich So ful of hoker / and of bysmare Hire þouȝt that a lady / shuld hire spare what for hire kynrede / and hire norturye That she had lerned / in the Nonnerye ¶ . A doughter had they / bytwix hem two Of twenty ȝere / with-outen ony mo Sauyng a child / þat was of half ȝere age In cradel it lay / and was a propre page This wenche thikke / & wel I-growen was with camuse nose / and eyen greye as glas with bottokes brode / and brestes rounde & heye But right fair was hire her / I wol nat lye ¶ . The Parson of the toun / for she was fair In purpose was / to maken hire his eyr Bothe of his catel / and his mesuage And straunge he mad it / of hire mariage his purpos was / for to bystowen hire heye In-to som worthy blode / of Auncetrye ffor holy chirche good / mot ben dispended On holy chirche blod / that is descended Therfore he wolde / his holy blod honoure Though þat he / holy chirche / shuld deuoure ¶ . Gret soken had this Millere / out of doute with whete / and malt / of al the lond a-boute And namelich there was / a gret College Men clepen the Soler halle / of Caumbrygge There was here whete / & eke here malt I-grounde ¶ . And on a day / it happed in a stounde Seke lay the Maunciple / on a maladie Men wenden wysly / that he shulde deye ffor which this Millere / stal bothe mele & corn An hondred tymes more / than byforn ffor there biforn / he stale but curteisly But now he was a thef / outrageously ffor which the wardeyn chide / & made fare But þerof sette the Millere / nought a tare he craketh bost / and swor it was nat so ¶ . Thanne were there ȝonge / pore scoleres two That dwelleden in the halle / of which I sey Testyf they were / and lusty for to pley And only for here myrthe / and reuelrye vp-on on the wardeyn / besily they crye To ȝeue hem leue / but a litel stounde To go to Mille / and sen here corn I-grounde And hardily / they durst leyn here nekke The Millere shuld nat stelen hem / half a pekke Of corn / by sleight / ne by force hem reue And at the last / the wardeyn ȝaf hem leue Iohn hight þat one / & Aleyn hyght that other Of on toun were they born / that hight Strother ffer in the North / I can nat telle where This Aleyn maketh redy / al his gere And on an hors / the sakke he cast a-non fforth goth Aleyn the Clerk / & also Iohn with good swerde & bokeler / by here syde Iohn knew the weye / hem nedeth no gyde And at the last / the sakke doun he layth Aleyn spak first / al hayl Symond in fayth how fares thy fair doughter / and thy wyf ¶ . Aleyn welcome quod Symkyn / be my lyf And Iohn also / how now what do ȝe here By god quod Iohn / nede must / nede hath no pere hym byhoues to serue him self / þat has na swayn Or ellis he is a fool / as clerkes sayn Oure Maunciple I hope / he wol be dede Swa werkes ay / the wanges in his hede And forthy is I come / & eke Alayn To grynde oure corn / and carye mele a-gayn I pray ȝow spede vs hethen / what ȝe may ¶ . It shal be do quod Symkyn / be my fay What wyl ȝe don / while þat it is in hand By god / right by the hoper / wyl I stand Quod Iohn / and se how the corn gas In Ȝet saw I neuere / be my fader kyn how that the hoper / wagges tyl and fra Aleyn answered / Iohn wylt thow swa Than wyl I be by-nethe / be my croun And se how that the mele / falles doun In-tyl the trow / that shal be myn disport ffor Iohn in faith / I may be of ȝoure sort I is as ille a Myllere / as ar ȝe ¶ . This Millere smyleth / at here nycete And thought / al this nys / but for a wyle They wene þat no man / may hem begyle But be my thrift / ȝet shal I blere here eye ffor al the sleight / in here philosophie The more queynt crekes / that they make The more wol I stele / whan I take In stede of flour / ȝet wol I ȝeue hem bren The grettest Clerkes / be nat the wysest men As whilom to the wolf / thus spak the Mare Of al here art / counte I nat a tare Ouȝt at the dore / he goth ful preuyly whan þat he sawgh his tyme / softly he loketh vp and doun / til he had found The Clerkes horse / there as it stod I-bound Behynde the Mylle / vnder a lefselle And to the hors / he goth him faire & wele And strepeth of the brydel / right a-non And whan the hors was loos / he begynneth to gon Toward the fen / there wylde Mares renne And forth with we he / thorugh thikke & thenne ¶ . This Millere goth a-geyn / no word he seid But doth his note / & with the Clerkes pleyd Til that here corn / was faire & wel I-grounde And whan the Mele is sakked / & I-bounde This Iohn goth ouȝt / and fynt his hors a-wey And gan to crye herrowe / and weylawey Oure hors is lost / Aleyn / for goddes banes Step on thy fete / come of man al at anes Allas oure wardeyn / has his palfrey lorn This Aleyn / al forgat / bothe Mele and corn Al was oute of his mynde / his husbondrye what whilk weye is he gan / he gan crye The wyf cam lepyng inward / with a renne She seide allas / ȝoure hors goth to the fenne with wylde Mares / as fast as he may go Vnthank come on his hand / þat bond him so And he þat betir / shuld han knyt the reyne Allas quod Iohn / Aleyn for cristes peyne lay doun thy swerd / and I wyl myn alswa I is ful wyght / god wayt as is a raa By goddes hert / he shal nat skape vs bathe Why ne had thow put / the capul in the lathe Il hayl / by god Aleyn / thow is a fonne ¶ . Theise sely Clerkes / han ful fast I-ronne Toward the fen / bothe Aleyn & Iohn And whanne the Millere saw / þat they weren gon he half a busshel / of here flour hath take And bad his wyf / go knede it in a kake he seide I trowe / the Clerkes ben a-ferd Ȝet can a Millere / make a Clerkes berd ffor al his art / ȝa lat hem gon here wey lo where they go / ȝe late the children pley They get him nat / so lightly / be my croun Theise sely Clerkes / rennen vp and doun with kepe kepe / stand stand / Iossa warderere Ga / whistel thow / and I shal kepe him here But shortly / til it was verray nyght They coude nat / though they dede al here myght here capel cacche / he ran alwey so fast Til in a diche / they cached him at the last Wery and wete / as beest is in the reyn Cometh sely Iohn / & with him cometh Aleyn ¶ . Allas quod Iohn / that day that I was born Now are we dreuyn til hethyng / and to skorn Oure corn is stole / men wyl vs fonnes calle Bothe the wardeyn / and our felawes alle And namely the Millere / weylawey Thus playneth Iohn / as he goth by the wey Toward the Mille / and bayard in his hond The Millere sittyng by the fyr / he fond ffor it was nyght / and ferthere myght þei nought But for the loue of god / they him bysought Of herberwe & of ease / as for here peny ¶ . The Millere seide a-geyn / if here be eny Swich as it is / ȝet shuln ȝe han ȝoure part Myn hous is streyt / but ȝe han lerned art Ȝe conne by argumenteȝ / maken a place A myle brod / of twenty fote of space late se now / if this place may suffice Or make it roume / with speche / as is ȝoure gyse ¶ . Now Symond seide this Iohn / by Seynt Cutberd Ay is thow mery / and þat is feir answerd I haue herd sey / men sal ta / of twa thynges Slike as he fyndes / or ta slike as he brynges But specialy / I pray the Host dere Gar vs haue mete and drynk / & make vs chere And we sal paie trewely / at the fulle With empty hand / men moun na haukes tulle lo here oure siluer / redy for to spende ¶ . This Millere / to the toun / his doughter sende ffor ale and brede / and rosted hem a goos And bond here hors / it shulde no more go loos And in his owen chaumbre / hem mad a bed With shetes / and with chalons / faire I-spred Nat fro his owen bed / ten fote or twelue His doughter had a bed / al by hire selue Right in þe same chaumbre / by and by It myght be no bet / and cause why There was no roumere herberwe / in the place They soupen / and they speken of solace And drynken euere strong ale / at the best Aboute mydnyght / went they to rest ¶ . Wel hath this Millere / vernysshed his hede fful pale he was / for-dronke / and nat rede he ȝesketh / and he speketh thorugh the nose As he were on the quak / or on the pose To bedde he goth / & with him goth his wyf As ony Iay / she light was and iolyf So was hire ioly whistel / wel I-wette The cradel at hire beddes fete / is shette To rokken / and to ȝeue the child souke And whan þat dronken al was / in the crouke To bedde went the doughter / right a-non To bedde goth Aleyn / and also Iohn There was nomore / hem nedeth no dwale This Millere hath so wysely / bybed ale That as an hors / he snorteth in his slepe Ne of his tayl behynde / he toke no kepe His wyf bar him a burdon / a ful strong Men myght here routyng heren / a furlong The wenche routed eke / par compaignye ¶ . Aleyn the Clerk / that herd this melodye He poked Iohn / and seide slepes thow Herd thow euere slike a sang / or now Lo slike a complyng / is ymell hem alle A wylde fyr / on theire bodies falle Wha herd euere / slike a ferly thyng Ȝe they sal haue / the flour of euele endyng This lang nyght / ne tydes me na rest But ȝet na force / al sal be for the best ffor Iohn seide he / as euere mot I thryue If þat I may / ȝone lasse wol I swyue Som easement / has lawe shapen vs ffor Iohn there is a lawe / that seith thus That gyf a man / in a poynt be greued That in a-nother / he shal be releued Oure corn is stolen / sothly it is na nay And we han had / an ylle fyt this day And syn I sal haue / nan amendement Agayn my losse / I wyl haue an easement By goddes saule / it sal nan other be ¶ . This Iohn answered / Aleyn a-vyse the The Millere is a parlious man / he seide And gyf that he / ouȝt of his slepe breyde he myght do vs bathe / a velanye Aleyn answered / I counte him nat a flye vp he rist / and by the wenche he crepte This wenche lay vp-right / & faste slepte Til he so ny was / er she myght a-spye That it had ben to late / for to crye And shortly for to seyn / they were at on Now pley Aleyn / for I wyl speke of Iohn ¶ . This Iohn lith stille / a forlong wey or two And to him self / he maketh reuthe and woo Allas quod he / this is / a wykked Iape Now may I sey / that I is but an Ape Ȝet has my felawe / somwhat for his harm he has the Milleres doughter / in his arm he auntred him / and has his nedes spedde And I ly as a drafsakke / in my bedde And whan this iape / is tald another day I sal be halden a daffe / a Cokenay I wyl aryse / and auntre it be my feith vnhardy / is vnsely / thus men seith And vp he roos / and softly he went Vn-to the cradel / and in his hand it hent And bar it softe / vn-to his beddes fete ¶ . Sone after this / the wyf hire routyng lete And gan a-wake / and went hire ouȝt to pisse And cam a-geyn / and gan hire cradel mysse And groped here and there / and she fond non Allas quod she / I had almost mysgon I had almost gon / to the Clerkes bedde Ey benedicite / than had I foule spedde And forth she goth / til she the cradil fonde She gropeth alwey / ferthere with hire honde And fond the bed / and þouȝt nat but good By-cause that the cradil / by it stod And nyst where she was / for it was derke And faire & wele / she crepte in by the clerke And lith ful stille / and wold han caught a slepe with-Inne a while / this Iohn the Clerk vp lepe And on this goode wyf / he leyd on sore So mery a fit / ne had she nat ful ȝore he pryketh hard / and depe / as he were mad This ioly lyf / han theise two Clerkes lad Til þat the .iij. Cok / bygan to synge ¶ . Aleyn wex wery / in the morwenynge ffor he had swonken / al the longe nyght And seide / fare wel Malkyn / swete wyght The day is come / I may no lengere byde But euere more / where so I go or ryde I is thyn owen Clerk / so haue I seele ¶ . Now dere lemman quod she / go fare wele But er thow go / o thyng I wyl the telle Whan that þou wendest homward / by the Mille Right at the entre / of the dore behynde Thow shalt a cake / of a busshel fynde That was I-maked / of thyn owen Mele which þat I halpe / my sire for to stele And good lemman / god the saue & kepe And with that word / almost he gan to wepe ¶ . Aleyn vp ryst / and thought er þat it dawe I wyl go crepe in / be my felawe And fond the cradil / at his hand a-non By god quod he / al wrang I had mysgon Myn hed is toty / of my swynk to-nyght That makes me / that I go nat aright I wat wel by the Cradel / I haue mysgaa he lyes the Millere / and his wyf alswa ¶ . And forth he goth / a twenty deuele way Vn-to the bedde / þere as the Millere lay he wend han cropen / by his felawe Iohn And by the Millere / In he crepe a-non And caught him by þe nekke / and softe he spake He seide thow Iohn / þow swyneshede a-wake ffor cristes soule / and here a noble game ffor by that lord / that called is Seynt Jame As I haue thries / in this short nyght Swyued the Milleres doughter / bolt vp-right While thow hast / as a coward / ben a-gast ¶ . Ȝe fals harlot / quod the Millere hast A fals traytour / fals Clerk quod he Thow shalt be ded / by goddis dignyte Who durst be so bold / to disparage My doughter / þat is come / of swich lynage And by the throte bolle / he caught Aleyn And he hent him / dispetously a-geyn And on the nose / he smot him with his fist Doun ran the blody strem / vp-on his brest And in the flore / with nose & mouth to-broke They walwen / as don / tweyne pygges in a poke And vp they gon / and doun a-geyn a-non Til þat the Millere / spurned at a ston And doun he fel bakward / vp-on his wyf That wyst no thyng / of this nyce stryf ffor she was falle a-slepe / a litel wyght with Iohn the Clerk / that waked had al nyght And with the fal / out of hire slepe she breyde help holy croys of Bromholme / she seide In manus tuas / lord to the I calle A-wake Symkyn / the fend is on me falle Myn hert is broken / help I nam but dede There lith vp-on my wombe / & on myn hede help Symkyn / for the fals Clerkes fight ¶ . This Iohn stirt vp / als fast as euere he myght And gropeth by the walles / to and fro To fynde a staf / and she stert vp also And knew the estres / bet þanne dide this Iohn And by the wal / a staf she fond a-non And saw a litel slemeryng / of a light ffor at an hole / in shon the Mone bright And by þat light / she saw hem bothe two But sekerly she nyst / who was who But as she saw / a whit þing in hire eye And whan she gan / this white þing aspie She wende the Clerk / had wered a volupere And with the staf / she drow ay nere & nere And wend han hit / this Aleyn at the fulle And smot the Millere / on the pyled skulle That doun he goth / and cried Harrow I dye Theise Clerkes / bete hym wele / and lete him lye And ordeyned hem / and toke here hors a-non And eke here mele / and on here weye they gon And at the Mille / ȝet they toke here cake Of half a busshel flour / ful wel I-bake ¶ . Thus is the proud Millere / wel I-bete And hath I-lost / the gryndyng of the whete And paid for þe sopere / euerydele Of Aleyn and of Iohn / þat beten him wele his wyf is swyued / and his doughter als lo / swich it is / a Millere to be fals And þerfore / this prouerbe / is seid ful soth hym thar nat wene wel / that euele doth A gylour / shal him-self / begyled be And got þat sitteth heye / in mageste Saue al this companye / grete and smale Thus haue I quyt the Millere / in my tale¶ quod the Reve ¶ Thus endeth the Reues Tale /[No break in the MS.] & bigynneth the prologe of the Cook The Cok of london / while the Reve spak ffor ioye him þought / he clawed him on the bak A ha quod he / for cristes passion This Millere hadde / a sharp conclusion Vp-on this argument / of herberwegage wel seide Salamon / in his langage Ne bryng nat euery man / in-to thyn hous ffor herberwyng by nyght / is parlyous Wel ought a man / avysed for to be Whom that he brought / in-to his preuyte I preye to god / so ȝeue me sorwe and care If euere sithe / I hight hogge of ware Herde I a Millere / bettir sette a-werke He hedde a iape of Malice / in the derke But god forbede / that we stynten here And therfore / if ȝe wouchensaf to here A tale of me / that am a pore man I wol ȝow telle / as wel as euere I can A litel iape / that fel in oure Citee ¶ . Oure host answered / and seide / I graunte it the Now telle on Roger / and loke þat it be good ffor many a paste / hast thow laten blod And many a Iakke of Dover / hast thow sold That hath ben twyes hot / & twyes cold Of many a pilgrym / hast thow cristes curs ffor of thy parselee / ȝet they fare the wers That they han eten / in thy stobel goos ffor in thy shoppe / is many a flye loos Now telle on gentil Roger / be thy name But ȝet I preye the / be nat wroth for game And man may sey ful soth / in game and pleye ¶ . Thow seist ful soth / quod Roger / be my feye But swhich pley / quade pley / as the fflemmyng seith And þerfore herry Bailly / be thy feith Be thow nat wroth / er we departe heere Though that my tale / be of an hostelere But natheles / I wol nat telle it ȝet But er we parte / I-wysse þou shalt be quyt And ther-with-alle / he lough & made chere And seide his tale / as ȝe shuln after here[No break in the MS.] ¶ The Cookes Tale A Prentys whilom / dwelled in oure Citee Of a craft / of vetayleres was he And Gaillard was he / as a Goldffynch in þe shawe Broun as a Bery / a propre short felawe With lokkes blake / kembed ful fetisly Daunce he koude / so wel and iolyly That he was cleped / Perkyn reuelour he was as ful of loue / and paramour As is the hyue / ful of hony swete Wel was the wenche / with him myght mete At euery brydale / wold he synge and hoppe He loued bet the tauerne / þan the shoppe ffor whan there ony ridyng was in Chepe Out of the shoppe / thider wold he lepe Til þat he had / al the sight I-seyn And daunced wele / he nolde nat come ageyn And gadred him a meyne / of his sort To hoppe & synge / and make swich disport And there they setten steuene / for to mete To play at the dys / in swich a strete ffor in the Toun / nas there no Prentys That fairere coude kast / a peyre of Dys Than Perkyn coude / and ther-to he was free Of hys dispence / in place of preuyte That fond his Maister wel / in his chaffare ffor oft tyme he fond / his box ful bare ffor sothly / a Prentys a Reuelour That haunteth Dys / riot / & Paramour his maister shal it / in his shoppe a-bye Al haue he no part / of the Mynstralsye ffor theft and riot / they ben conuertible Al can he pleye / on gyterne or ribible Reuel and trouthe / as in a lowe degre They ben ful wrothe / al day / as men may se ¶ . This ioly Prentis / with his maister stode Til he was ny / out of his Prentyshode Al were he snybbed / bothe erly and late And somtyme lad / with reuel to Newgate But at the last / his Maister him bythought Vp-on a day / whan he his paper sought Of a prouerbe / that seith this same word Wel bet is roten Appel / out of hord Than that he rote / al the remenaunt So fareth it / by a riotous seruaunt It is ful lasse harm / to late him passe Than he shende alle / the seruauntes in the place Therfore his Maister / ȝaf him acquietance And bad him go / with sorwe / & with meschaunce And thus this ioly Prentys / had his leue Now late him riote / al the nyght / or leue And for there nys no thef / with-oute a louke That helpeth him / to wasten and to souke Of that he bribe can / or borwe may A-non he sent his bed / and his array Vn-to a Compere / of his owen sorte That loued Dys / ryot and desporte And had a wyf / þat held for countenaunce A shoppe / and swyued for hire sustenaunce[Rest of page blank.] ¶ Sic desinit fabula Coci / (Man of Law's Head-Link.) et Incipit prologus Legis periti; Oure Host saw wel / þat the bright sonne The ark of his artificiale day / hath ronne The ferthe part / and half an oure & more And thought he were not / depe I-stert in lore He wist it was / the eight and twenty day Of Aprill / that is messanger vn-to May And saw wel / þat the shadewe of euery tree was as in lengthe / the same quantite That was the body erecte / that causet it And þerfore by the shadewe / he tok his wyt That phebus / which þat shone / so clere and bright Sixe degrees was fyue & fourty clombe on height And for that day / as in that latitude It was ten of the clok / he gan conclude And sodeynly he plight / his hors a-boute lordynggis quod he / I warne ȝow alle this route The ferthe partie of this day / is gon Now for the loue of god / & of Seynt Iohn leseth no tyme / as ferforth as ȝe may lordyngges the tyme wasteth / nyght & day And steleth from vs / what preuyly slepynge And what þorugh negligence / in our wakynge As doth the strem / that turneth neuere a-geyn Descendyng fro the mounteyn / in-to a pleyn Wel can Senek / and many a Philosophre Bywaylen tyme / more than gold in coffre ffor losse of catel / may recouered be But losse of tyme / shendeth vs quod he It wyl not comen a-geyn / withouten drede No more than wyl / Malkyns maydenhede Whan she hath lost it / in hire wantounesse lat vs nought mowlen thus / in Idelnesse Sire man of lawe quod he / so haue ȝe blisse Tells vs a tale a-non / as forward isse Ȝe ben submytted / thurgh ȝoure free assent To stonden in this cas / at my Iugement Acquiteth ȝow now / of ȝoure byhest Than han ȝe don / ȝoure deuer at the lest host quod he / de par dieux iche assent To breke forward / is not myn entent Byhest is dette / and I wol holde fayne Al my behest / I can no betre sayne ffor swich lawe as a man ȝeueth / a-noþer wyght he shulde him selue vsen it / be right Thus wyl oure text / but natheles certeyn I can right now / no thrifty tale seyn But Chaucer / though he can but lewedly On meetris / and on rymyng craftily hath seid hem / in swich englissh as he can Of olde tyme / as knoweth many a man And if he haue nouȝt seid hem / leue brother In a boke / he hath seid hem / in a-nother ffor he hath told of louyers / vp and downe Moo than Ouyde made of / mencione In hise epistles / than ben ful olde What shulde I telle hem / syn they ben tolde In ȝouthe he made / of Ceys and Alcione And sithen hath he spoken / of euerychone Theise noble wyues / and theise louyers eke Who so þat wyl / his large volume seke Cleped the Seyntes legende / of cupide There may he sen / the large woundes wyde Of lucresse / and of babilan Tesbe The swerd of Dido / for the fals Ene The tree of phillis / for hir demophon The pleynte of Diane / and of Hermyon Of Adriane / and Isiphilee The baraigne Isle / stondyng in the see The dreynte leandre / for his erro And teeres of Eleyne / and eke the woo Of Brixseide / and of the ladomya The cruelte / of the Quene Medea Thy litel children hangynge / by the hals ffor thy Ioson / that was of loue so fals Of Parmystre / Penelape Alceste Ȝoure wyfhode / ȝe comende with the beste But certeynly / no word wryteth he Of thilke wykked ensaumple / of Canacee That loued hire owen brother / synfully Of swiche cursed stories / I seye fy Or ellis of Tiro / Appollonius how þat the cursed kyng / Antiochus Biraft hire doughter / of hire maydenhede That is so horrible a tale / for to rede Whan he hire threwe / vp-on the paument And therfore he / of ful auysement Nolde neuere wryte / in none of hise sermouns Of swich vnkynde / abhominacions Ne I wyl noon reherce / if þat I may But of my tale / how shal I don this day Me were loth / be likned doutelees To muses / þat men clepe pierides Methamorphosios / woot what I mene But natheles / I recche not a bene Though I come after him / with hawe bake I speke in prose / and lat him rymes make And with that word / he with a sober chere Bygan his tale / as ȝe shuln after here ¶ Hic finitur prologus legis periti /[No break in the MS.] et incipit fabula eiusdem; O Hateful harme / condicione of pouerte with thrust with cold / with honger so confounded To asken helpe / the shameth in thyn herte If thow noon aske / so sore art þow I-wounded That verray nede / vnwrappeth alle thy wounde hid Maugre thyn heede / thow must for indigence Or stele or begge / or borwe thyn dispence ¶ Thow blamest crist / and seist ful bitterly he mysdeparteth / ricchesse temporal Thy neyghebore / thow wytest synfully And seist þou hast to lite / and he hath al Parfey seist þou / sumtyme he rekne shal Whan þat his taylle / shal brennen in the glede ffor he nought helpeth / nedeful in here nede ¶ Herkeneth what is the sentence / of the wyse Bette is to deyen / than haue indigence Thy selue neyghebore / wyl the despise If thow be pore / fare wel thy reuerence Ȝet if the wyse man / take this sentence Alle the dayes of poore men / ben wykke Be war þerfore / er þou come to þat prikke ¶ If þou be pore / thy brother hateth the And alle thyne frendes / flen fro the / allas O riche marchaunteȝ / ful of wele ben ȝe O noble o prudent folk / as in this cas Ȝoure bagges be nouȝt filled / with aumbes-as But with sys synk / þat renneth for ȝoure chaunce At Cristemasse / merie may ȝe daunce ¶ Ȝe seken lond and see / for ȝoure wynnynges As wyse folk ȝe knowen / alle the estat Of regnes / ȝe ben fadres of tidynges And tales / both of pees and of debat I were right now / of tales desolat Ner that a Marchaunt / gon is many a ȝere Me taught a tale / which þat ȝe shal here [PART I.] ¶ In Surrye whilom / dwelled a companye Of chapmen riche / and ther-to sad & trewe That wyde where / senten here spicerye Clothes of gold / of satyn / riche of hewe here chaffare was so thrifty / & so newe That euery wyght / hath deynte to chaffare With hem / & eke to sellen hem here ware ¶ Now fel it / þat the maistres of þat sorte Han shapen hem / to Rome for to wende Were it for chapmanhod / or for disport Non other message / wold they thidder sende But comen hem selue / to Rome / this is the ende And in swich place / as thought hem auauntage ffor here entente / they take here herbergage ¶ Soiourned han theise Marchauntȝ / in that toun A certayne tyme / as fel to here plesaunce And so byfel / that the excellent renoun Of the Emperoures doughter / Dame Custaunce Reported was / with euery circumstaunce Vn-to theise Surryen Marchauntȝ / in swich a wyse ffro day to day / as I shal ȝow deuyse ¶ This was the comune voys / of euery man Oure Emperoure of Rome / god him se A doughter hath / that syn the world bygan To rekne as wel hire goodnesse / as beaute Nas neuere swich a-nother / as is she I preye to god in honour / hire sustene And wolde she were / of al Europe the Quene¶ Europa est tercia pars mundi ¶ In hire is heigh beaute / with-outen pride Ȝouthe with-outen greenheede / or of folye To alle hire werkes / vertu is hire gyde Humblesse hath slayn in hire / al tirannye She is myrour / of al curteisye hir herte is verrey chaumbre / of holynesse hir / and Ministre / of freedom / for almesse ¶ And al this voys was soth / as god is trewe But now to purpos / lat vs turne a-gayne Theise Marchauntȝ han don fraught/ here sheppes newe And whan they han / this blisful mayden sayne Hom to Surrye / ben they went ful fayne And don here nedes / as they han don ȝore And lyuen in wele / I can sey ȝow no more ¶ Now fel it / that theise Marchauntȝ stoden in grace Of hym þat was / the Soudon of Surrie That whan they come / fro any straunge place he wolde of his benygne / curteisie Make hem good cheer / and bisily aspie Tidynges / of sondry regnes for to lere The wondres that they / myght seen or here ¶ Amonges othere thynges specially Theise Marchauntȝ han him told / of Dame Custaunce So greet noblesse / in ernest ceriously That this Soudan hath caught / so gret plesaunce To han hire figure / in his remembraunce That al his lust / and his besy cure was for to loue hire / while his lif may dure ¶ Parauenture / in thilke large boke which þat men clepe / the heuene / I-wryten was with sterres / whan that he his birthe toke That he for loue / shulde han his deth allas ffor in the sterres clerere / than is glas I-wryten is[is overline, later] god wot / who so coude it rede The deth of euery man / with-outen drede ¶ In sterres / many a wynter there biforn¶ Ceptra phoronei fratrum discordia thebe fflammam phetontis deucalionis aque. In stellis priami species audacia turni sensus vlixeus herculeus que vigor &c. was wretyn the deth / of Ector Achilles Of pompey Iulyus / er they were born The strif of Thebes / and of Hercules Of Sampson / Turnus / and of Socrates The deth / but mennes wyttes ben so dulle That no wyght can wel rede it / at the fulle ¶ This Soudan / for his pryue counseil sent And shortly of this mater / for to pace he hath to hem declared / his entent And seide hem certeyn / but he myght han grace To haue Custaunce / with-inne a litel space he nas but dede / and charged hem in hye To shapen for his lyf / som remedye ¶ Diuerse men / diuerse thynges seiden They Argumentȝ cast / vp and doun Many a subtile reson / forth they leiden They spoken of magyk / and of abusione But finally / as in conclusione Thei can nat sen / in that non auauntage As in none other wey / saue in mariage ¶ Than saw they þere-Inne / swich difficulte By weye of reson / for to speke al pleyne By cause that there was / swiche diuersite Bytwene here bothe lawes / that they seyne They trowe that no cristene prince / wolde feyne wedden his childe / vn-to our lawes swete That vs was taught / by Mahoum oure prophete ¶ And he answered / rather than I lese Custaunce / I wol be cristened doutelesse I mot ben hires / I may noon other chese I prey ȝow / holde ȝoure argumenteȝ in pes Saueth my lyf / and beth nought reccheles To getyn hire / that hath my lyf in cure ffor in this woo / I may not longe endure ¶ what nedeth grettere / dilatacione I seye be tretys / and embassatrye And by the Popes / mediacione And alle the chirche / and al the chyualrie That in destruccione / of maumentrie And in encresse / of cristes lawe dere They ben accorded / so as ȝe shuln here ¶ how þat the Soudan / and his baronage And alle hise lieges / shulde I-cristened be And he shal haue Custaunce / in mariage And certeyne gold / I not what quantite And her to founden / sufficeant seurte This same accord / was sworn on either syde Now fair Custaunce / almyghty god the gyde ¶ Now wolde summe men / wayten as I gesse That I shulde tellen / al the purueance That the Emperour / of his grete noblesse hath shapen for his doughter / Dame Custaunce wel may men knowen / that so grete ordinaunce May no man telle / in a litel clause As was arrayed / for so heygh a cause ¶ Bisshopes ben shapen / with hire for to wende lordes ladies / knyghtes of renoune And othere folk I-nowe / this is the ende And notified is / thurgh-ouȝt the toun That euery wyght / with gret deuocion Shulde preyen crist / that he this mariage Receyue in gree / and spede this viage ¶ The day is comen / of here departynge I say the wooful day / fatal / is come That there may be / no lengere tariynge And forthward they hem dressen / alle & some Custaunce that was / with sorwe al ouercome fful pale arist / and dressith hire to wende ffor wel she seth / þere is noon other ende ¶ Allas what wonder is it / though she wepte That shal be sent / to straunge nacione ffro frendes / þat so tenderly hire kepte And to be bounde / vnder subieccione Of oon / she knoweþ nouȝt / his condicione housbondes ben alle goode / and han ben ȝore That knowen wyues / I dar sey ȝow no more ¶ ffader she seide / thy wrecched child Custaunce Thy ȝonge doughter / fostred vp so softe And ȝe my moder / my souereigne plesaunce Ouer alle thynge / out-take crist on loft Custaunce ȝoure child / hire recomaundeth oft vn-to ȝoure grace / for I shal to Surrye Ne shal I neuere / sen ȝow more with eye ¶ Allas vn-to the barbre / nacione I must goon / syn that it is ȝoure wylle But crist that starf / for oure sauacione So ȝeue me grace / hise hestes to fulfille I wrecched womman / no fors though I spille Wommen arn born / to thraldom & penaunce And to ben / vnder mannes gouernance ¶ I trowe at Troye / whan Pirrus brak the wal Or ylyon brende / Thebes the Citee Ne at Rome / for the harme thurgh hanybal That Romeyns han venquyssed / tymes three Nas herd / swich tendre wepynge / for pitee As in the chaumbre was / for hire departynge But forth she moot / wheiþer so she wepe or synge ¶ O first meeuing / cruel firmamentVnde Ptholomeus libro 1o / capitulo .xo. primi motus celi / duo sunt / quorum vnus est / qui mouet totum semper / ab oriente in occidentem / vno modo super orbes &c. Item aliter vero motus est / qui mouet orbem stellarum currencium contra motum primum / videlicet ab occidente in orientem super alios duos polos &c. With thy dyurnal sweigh / that crowdest ay And hurlest alle / fro Est til occident That naturelly wolde holde / a-nother wey Thy crowdyng sette the heuene / in swich array At the begynnynge / of this fiers viage That cruel Mars / hath slayn this mariage ¶ Infortunat ascendent tortuous Of which the lord / is helplees falle allas Ouȝt of his angle / in-to the derkest hous O Mars. o Athasir / as in this cas O feble Mone / vnhappy ben thy paas Thow knyttest the / there þou art nought receyued There þou were wel / fro thens art þou weyued ¶ Imprudent Emperour / of Rome / allas¶ Omnes concordati sunt quod elecciones sint debiles nisi in diuitibus habent enim isti licet debilitentur eorum elecciones radicem. id est . natiuitates eorum que confortat omnem planctam debilem in itinere &c. Was þere no philosophre / in al thy toune Is no tyme bet than other / in swich a caas Of viage / is þere noon eleccione Namely to folk / of heigh condicione Nought whan a root / is of birthe I-knowe Allas we ben to lewed / or to slowe ¶ To shippe is brought / this wooful fair mayde Solempnely / with euery circumstaunce Now ihesu crist / be with ȝow alle she sayde There nys namore / but fare-wel fair Custaunce She peyneth hire / to make good countenaunce And forth I lete hire seyle / in this manere And turne I wyl a-geyn / to my matere ¶ The moder of the Soudan / welle of vices A-spied hath / hire sones pleynt entent How he wolde lete / his olde sacrifys And right a-noon / she for hire counseil sent And they ben come / to knowe what she ment/ And whan assembled was / this folk in fere She sette hire doun / and seyde as ȝe shuln here ¶ lordes she seide / ȝe knowen euerychone How that my sone / in poynt is for to lete The holy lawes / of oure Alkarone Ȝouen by goddes messanger / Macamete But oon a-vow / to grete god I hete The lif shal rather / out of my body stert Er Macametes lawe / out of myn hert ¶ what shulde vs tiden / of this newe lawe But thraldome to oure bodies / and penaunce And afterward in helle / to ben drawe ffor we reneyed Mahoun / oure creaunce But lordes wol ȝe maken / asseuraunce As I shal seyn / assentyng to my loore And I shal make vs saf / for euere more ¶ They sworn & assentyn / euery man To liue with hire & deye / & by hire stonde And euerich / in the best wyse / he can To strengthe hire / shal alle hise frendes fonde And she hath this emprise / I-take on honde which ȝe shal heren / that I shal deuyse And to hem alle / she spak right in this wyse ¶ we shuln first feyne vs / cristendome to take Cold water shal nouȝt greue vs / but a lite And I shal swich a feest / and reuel make That as I trowe / I shal the Soudan quyte ffor though his wyf be cristened / neuere so whyte She shal haue nede / to wasshe a-wey the rede Though she a fontful water / with hire lede ¶ O Soudanesse / roote of iniquite Virago thow semirame / the secounde / O serpent / vnder femynynytee like to the serpent / depe in helle I-bounde O feyned womman / al that may confounde Vertue and innocence / thurgh thy malice Is bred in the / as neste of euery vyce ¶ O Sathan enuyous / syn thilke day That thow were chased / from oure heritage wel knowest þou / to wommen the olde way Thow madest Eue / brynge vs in seruage Thow wylt for-don / this cristene mariage Thyn instrument / so welawey the whyle Makest þou of wommen / whan þou wylt begyle ¶ This Soudanesse / whom I thus blame & warye leet pryuyly hire counseil / gon here way what shulde I in this tale / lengere tary She rideth to the Soudan / on a day And seide him that she wolde / reneye hire lay And cristendome / of prestes handes fonge Repentynge hire / she hethene was so longe ¶ Bysechyng him / to don hire that honour That she must han / the cristene folk to fest To plesen hem / I wyl do my labour The Soudan seith / I wyl don at ȝoure hest And knelynge thanketh hire / of that request So glad was he / he nyst what to seye She kist hire sone / and hom she goth hire weye ¶ Desinit prima pars[in margin] ¶ Incipit secunda pars[in margin] ¶ Aryued ben / theise cristene folk to londe In Surrye / with a gret solempne route And hastilich this Soudan / sent his sonde ffirst to his moder / and al the regne a-boute And seide / his wyf was comen / out of doute And preyede hire for to ride / a-geyne the Quene The honour of his regne / to sustene ¶ Greet was the prees / and riche was the Arraye Of Surreyens and Romayns / mette I-feere The moder of the Soudan / riche and gay Receyueth hire / with al so glad a chere As any moder myght / hire doughter deere And to the next Citee / there beside A softe paas / solempnely they ride ¶ Nought trowe I / the triumphe of Iulius Of which that lucan / maketh swich a boost Was reallere / or more curious Than was the assemble / of this blisful oost But this scorpion / this wykked gost The Soudanesse / for al hire flaterynge Cast vnder this / ful mortally to stynge ¶ The Soudan cometh him selue / sone after þis So really / that wonder is to telle he welcometh hire / with alle ioye & blisse And thus in myrthe & ioye / I lat hem dwelle The fruyt of this mater / is that I telle Whan tyme come / men thouȝt it for the best That reuel stynt / and men gon to here rest ¶ The tyme come / this olde Soudanesse Ordeyned had this fest / of whiche I tolde And to the feest / cristen folk hem dresse In general / ȝe bothe ȝonge and olde here moun men feest / and realte beholde And deyntees moo / than I can ȝow deuyse But al to dere / they bought it er they ryse ¶ O sodeyn woo / that euere art successour¶ Nota de inopinato dolore ¶ Semper mundane leticie tristicia repentina succedit / Mundana igitur felicitas multis amari|tudinibus est repersa . extrema gaudii luctus occupat Audi ergo salubre consilium in die bonorum ne immemor sis malorum; To worldly blisse / spreynde with bitternesse The ende of the ioye / of oure worldly labour woo / occupieth the fyn / of oure gladnesse herkene this counseil / for thy sekirnesse vp-on thy glad day / haue in thy mynde The vnwar woo / or harm / þat cometh behynde ¶ ffor shortly to tellen / at a word The Soudan / & the cristene euerichone Ben al to-hewe / and stiked at the bord But it were oonly / dame Custaunce allone This olde Soudanesse / cursed crone hath with hire frendes / doon this cursed dede ffor she hire selue wolde / al the contree lede ¶ Ne was Surryen noon / that was conuerted That of the counseil / of the Soudan woot That he nas al to-hewe / er he a-sterted And Custaunce han they take / a-none foot hoot And in a shippe / al steereles god woot/ They han hire sette / and bidden hire lerne saile Out of Surrie / ageynward to Itaile ¶ A certeyn tresore / that she thidder ladde And sothe to seyn / vitaille gret plentee They han hire ȝeuen / & clothes eke she hadde And forth she seileth / in the salt See O my Custaunce / ful of benignytee O Emperoures / ȝonge doughter deere he þat is lord ouer fortune / be thy steere ¶ She blissed hire / and with ful pitous vois Vn-to the Croos of crist / thus seide she O cleer / o welful auter / holy croys Reed of the lambes blood / ful of pitee That wesshe the world / fro þe olde iniquite Me fro the fende / and fro his clawes kepe That day þat I shal drenchen / in the depe ¶ Victorious tree / proteccione of trewe That oonly worthy were / for to bere The kyng of heuene / with hise woundes newe The whit lamb þat hurt was / with a spere fflemer of feendes / out of him and heere On which thy lymes / feithfully extenden Me kepe / and ȝeue me myght / my lif to amenden ¶ Ȝeres and dayes / fleetith this creature Thurgh-out the see / of Grece / vn-to the strayte Of Marrok / as it was hire auenture O many sory meel / now may she bayte After hire deth / ful often may she wayte Er that the wylde wawes / wyln hire dryue Vn-to the place / there she shal arryue ¶ Men myght asken / why she was nouȝt slayne Eke atte feest / whoo myght hire body saue And I answere / to that demaunde a-gayne Who saued Danyel / in the horrible caue There euery wyght saw he / maister and knaue Was with the leoun / freet / er he a-sterte No wyght but god / that he bar in his herte ¶ God list to shewe / his wonderful myracle In hire / for we shulde / seen his mighty werkes Crist which þat is / to euery harm triacle By certeyn menes oft / as knowen clerkes Doth thyng for certeyn ende / that ful derk is To mannes wyt / that for oure ignoraunce Ne konne nought knowe / his prudent purueaunce ¶ Now sithe she was nought / at the feest I-slawe Who kepte hire fro the drenchynge in the See Who kepte Ionas / in the fysshes mawe Til he was spouted vp / at Nynyuee wel may men knowe / it was no wyght but hee That kepte peeple Ebrayk / fro here drenchynge With drye feet / thurgh-out the see passynge ¶ Who bad the foure spiriteȝ / of tempest That power han / to anoyen lond and see Bothe North and south / and also west and Est Anoyeth neither see / ne lond ne tree Sothely the comaundour / of that was he That fro the tempest / ay this womman kepte As wel whan she wook / as whan she slepte ¶ Where myght this womman / mete & drynk haue Thre ȝer & more / how lasteth hire vetaille who fedde the egipciene Marye / in the caue Or in desert / no wyght but crist saunȝ faille ffyue thousand folk / it was as gret meruaylle With loues fyue / and fisshes two to fede God sent his foyson / at here grete nede ¶ She dryueth forth / in to oure occeane Thurgh-out oure wylde see / til at the laste Vnder an hold / that nempnen I ne can ffer in Northumberlond / the wawe hire caste And in the sond / hire ship stiked so faste That thens wold it nought / of al a tyde The wyl of criste was / that she shulde a-byde ¶ The Constable of the Castel / doun is fare To sen his wrek / and al the ship he sought And fond this wery womman / ful of care he fond also / the tresor þat she brought In hire langage / mercy she bysought The lyf out of hire body / for to twynne hire to delyuere of woo / that she was Inne ¶ A maner latyn corupt / was hire speche But algates ther-by / was she vnderstonde The Constable whan him list / no lengere seche This wooful womman / brought he to the londe She kneleth doun / and thanketh goddes sonde But what she was / she wold noman say ffor foule ne fayr / though that she shulde deye ¶ She seide she was / mased in the See That she forgat / hir mynde be hire trouthe The Constable hath of hire / so gret pitee And eke his wyf / that þei wepen for routhe[Dd. ends; leaves 60, 61 gone.] She was so diligent withouten sleuthEgerton 2726 begins, leaf 71 To serue and plese euerycch in that place That all hir loven that loken in hir face ¶ This Constable and Dame Hermengild his wif Weren payens / and þat cuntre euery where But Hermengild loued hir right as hir lyf And Custaunce hath so long soiourned þere In orisons with many a bitter tere Till Ihesu hath conuerted thurgh his grace Dame Hermengild Constablesse of that place ¶ In all that lond no cristen durst route All cristen folk ben fledde from þat contree Thurgh payens that conquered all about/ The plages of the North by lond and see To Wales fledde the cristianite Of old bretons dwellyng in this Ile There was her refute for þe mene while ¶ But yitte nere cristen bretons so exiled That there nere som / that in her preuetee Honoured Crist / and hethen folk begiled And nye the Castell / soch þer dwellen .iij. That one of hem was blynd and myght nat see But it were with thilk eyen of his mynd With which men seen / whan that þey be blynd ¶ Bright was the son / as in that somers day ffor which the constable and his wyf also And Custaunce han take the right way Toward the see / a furlong way or two To playen and to romen to and fro And in her walk this blynd man þey mette Croked and old with eyen fast yshette ¶ IN name of crist kried this blynd bretoun Dame Hermengild / yeve me my sight ageyn This lady waxe affraied of þe soun Lest that hir husbond / shortly for to seyn Wold hir for Ihesu cristes loue haue sleyn Till Custaunce made hir bold / and bad hir wirche The will of Crist / as doughter of his chirche ¶ THe Constable wax abasshed of that sight/ And seid what amounteth all this fare Custaunce answerd / sire it is Cristes myght That helpeth folk / out of the fendes snare And so ferforth / she gan our lay declare That she the Constable / or that it was eve Conuerteth / and on Crist maketh him byleve ¶ The Constable was no thyng lord of this place Of which I speke / there as he Custaunce fonde But kept it strongly many a wynters space Vnder Alla kyng of all Northumberlond That was full wys and worthy of his honde Agayn þe Scottes as men may well here But turne I woll ageyn to my matere ¶ Sathan that vs waiteth ever to begile Saugh of Custaunce all her perfeccion And cast anon how he myght quyte hir while And made a yong knyght / that dwelt in the toun Love hir so hote of foule affeccion That verrely hym thought / he shold spill But he of hir myght ones haue his will ¶ He woweth hir but it availeth nought She wold do no synne by no wey And for despit he compassed in his thought To make hir on shames deth to deye He waiteth whan the Constable was awey And prively vpon a nyght he crepte In Hermyngildes chambre while she slepte ¶ Wery for-waked in her orisons Slepeth Custaunce and Hermyngild also This knyght thurgh Sathanas temptacions All softly is to the bed ygoo And kutte the throte of Hermyngild a-two And leid the blody knyf by Dame Custaunce And went his wey / ther god yeve him meschaunce ¶ Sone after comth this constable home agayn And eke Alla that kyng was of þat lond And saugh his wyf dispitously slayn ffor which full oft he wepe / and wrong his honde And in the bedde / the blody knyf he fonde / By Dame Custaunce / allas what myght he sey ffor verrey woo / his witte was all awey ¶ To kyng Alla was told all this myschaunce And eke the tyme and where / and in what wise That in ship was found this Custaunce As ye han here-beforn herd devise The kynges hert of pitee gan agrise Whan he saugh / so benigne a creature ffall in disese and mysauenture ¶ ffor as the lombe toward his deth is brought/ So stant this Innocent byfore this kyng This fals knyght that hath this treson wrought/ Bereth hir on honde þat she hath don this thing But natheles ther was grete morenyng Among / the peple / and seyn þey can nat gesse Þat she hade don so grete a wikkednesse ¶ ffor they han seen hir euere so vertuous And lovyng Hermengild right as hir lyf Of this bare witnes / euerycch in that hous Saue he þat Hermengild slough with his knyf This gentill kyng hath caught a grete motyf Of thise witnes / and thought he wold enquere Depper in this mater / a trowth for to bere ¶ Allas Custaunce þou hast no champion Ne fight canst þou nought so wele a wey But he þat starf for our redempcon And bond Sathan and lyeth there he lay So be thy strong Champion this day ffor but Crist open myracle kythe withouten gilt þou shalt be slayn as swythe / ¶ She sette hir doun on knees / and thus she seid. Inmortall god that savedest Susanne ffrom fals blame / and þou mercifull meid. Marie I mene doughter to Seint Anne Byfore whoos child Aungels syng Osanne Yf I be giltles of this felonye My socour be or elles shall I dye ¶ Haue ye nat seen somtyme a pale face Among a prees / of hym þat hath be lad Toward his deth where as hym gate no grace And soch a colour in his face hath hade Men myght knowe his face / that was bestade Among all the faces in that route So stant Custaunce / and loketh hir about ¶ O queenes lyuyng in prosperitee Duchesse / and ye ladies euerychone Haueth som rewth of her aduersitee An Emperous doughter stant all alone She hath no wight to whom to make hir mone O blode riall that stondeth in this drede ffer ben thy frendes at thy grete nede ¶ This Alla kyng hath soch compassion As gentle hert is fulfilled of pitee That from his eyen ran þe water doun Now hastely do fecche a boke koth he And yf this knyght woll swere how þat she This womman slough yitte woll we vs avise Whom that we woll that shall be our Iustise ¶ A breton boke writen with Ewangeles was fette / and on this boke he sware anon She gilty was / and in the mene whiles An hand hym smote / vp-on the nek boon That doun he fell at ones as a stoon And both his yen brast out of his face In sight of euery body in that place ¶ A voys was herd in generall audience And seid þou hast disclaundred giltlees The doughter of holy chirch in high presence Thus haast þou doon / and yitte hold I my pece Of this mervaill agast was all the prece As mased folk þey stoden euerychone ffor drede of wreche saue Custaunce allone ¶ Grete was the drede / and eke þe repentaunce Of hem that haden wrong suspescion Vp-on this sely Innocent Custaunce And for this mater in conclusion And by Custaunce mediacion The kyng and many another in þat place Conuerte' was thanked be Cristes grace ¶ This fals knyght was slayn for his vntreuth By Iugement of Alla hastely And yitte Custaunce hade of his deth grete reuth And after this Ihesu of his mercy Made Alla wedden full solempnely This holy maiden / that is so bright and shene And thus hath crist ymade Custaunce a quene ¶ But who was woofull yf I shall nat lye Of this weddyng but Donegild and no moo The kynges moder full of tyrannye Hir thought hir cursed hert brast a-two She wold nat hir son hade doon so Hir thought a despit / that he shold take So straunge a creatue / vn to-his make ¶ Me list nat of the chaffe ne of the stree Maken so long a tale as of the corn What shold I tell of þe rialtee At the mariage / or which cours goth byforn Who bloweth in a trump or in an horn The fruyt of euery tale is for to sey They ete / drank / daunce syng and pley. ¶ They goon to bed / as it was skill and right/ ffor though þat wyfes ben full holy thynges They most take in pacience at nyght[Egerton ends] Swiche maner necessaries / as ben plesyngesDd. beginsleaf 62 To folk / that han I-wedded hem / with rynges And ley a lite / here holynesse a-syde As for the tyme / it may no bet betide ¶ On hire he gat / a knaue child a-noone And to a Busshop / and his Constable eke he tok his wyf to kepe / whan he is gone To Scotlondward / his foomen for to seke Now fair Custaunce / þat is so humble & meke So longe is goon with childe / to that stille She halt hire chaumbre / abidynge cristes wylle ¶ The tyme is come / a knaue child she beer Mauricius at the fontstone / they him calle This Constable / doth forth come / a messanger And wroot vn-to his kynge / þat cleped was Alle how that this blisful tidynge / is byfalle And othere tidyngges / spedeful for to seye he hath the lettre / and forth he goth his weye ¶ This messanger / to doon hise auauntage Vn-to the kynges moder / rideth swithe And salueth hire faire / in his langage Madame quod he / ȝe may be glad and blithe And thanketh god / an hundred thouȝsand sithe My lady Queene hath child / withoute doute To ioye & blisse / to al this regne a-boute ¶ lo heere the lettres / seeled of this thynge That I moot beere / with al the hast I may If ȝe wol aught / vn-to ȝoure sone the kynge I am ȝoure seruaunt / bothe nyght and day Donegilde answered / as now at this tyme / nay But heere al nyght / I wol thow take thy reest To-morwe wol I sey thee / what me leest ¶ This messanger drank sadly / Ale and wyne And stolen were hise lettres / preuyly Out of his box / while he slepe / as a swyne And countrefeted was / ful subtilly A-nother lettre / wrought ful synfully Vn-to the kynge / directe of this mateer ffro his Constable / as ȝe shuln after heer ¶ The lettre spak / the Queene delyuered was Of so horrible / a feendliche creature That in the Castel / noon so hardy was That any while / durst there endure The moder was an Elf / be auenture I-comen be charmes / or by sorcerie And euerich man hateth / hire companye ¶ Woo was this kyng / whan he this lettre had sayn But to no wyght he tolde / hise sorwes soore But of his owen hond / he wroot a-gayn Welcome the sonde of Crist / for euere more To me that am now / lerned in his loore lord welcome be thy lust / and thy plesaunce My lust I putte / al in thyn ordinaunce ¶ Kepeth this child / al be it foul or feyre And eke my wyf / vn-to myn hoom comynge Crist whan him list / may sende me an Eyr Moore agreable / than this / to my likynge This lettre he seeleth / pryuely wepynge Which to the messanger / was take soone And forth he goth / there is no more to done ¶ O Messanger fulfilled / of drunkenesse¶ Quid turpius ebrioso / cui fetor in ore. tremor in corpore. qui promit stulta. prodit occulta. cui mens alienatur. facies trans|formatur nullum enim latet secretum / vbi regnat ebrietas; Stronge is thy breeth / thy lymes faltren ay And thow bywreyest / alle secrenesse Thy mind is lorn / þou ianglest as a Iay Thy face is turned / in a newe a-ray There dronkenesse regneth / in any route There is no counseil hid / with-outen doute ¶ O Donegild / I ne haue / noon englissh digne vn-to thy malice / and thy tyrannye And þerfore to the feild / I the resigne lat hym endyten / of thy traytorie ffy mannyssh fy / o nay be god I lye ffy feendly spirit / for I dar wel telle Though þou heere walk / thy spirit is in helle ¶ This messanger cometh / fro the kyng a-gayn And at the kynges modres court / he light And she was of this messanger / ful fayn And pleesed him / in al that euere she myght he drank / and wel his girdel vnderpight he slepeth and he snorteth / in his gyse Al nyght / to the sonne gan aryse ¶ Eft weere hise lettres / stolen euerychone And countrefeted lettres / in thys wyse The kyng comaundeth / his Constable a-noon vp peyne of hangynge / and on hey Iuyse That he ne shulde suffren / in no wyse Custaunce with-Inne his regne / for to abide Three dayes / and o quarter of a tyde ¶ But in the same ship / as he hire fonde hire and hire ȝonge sone / and al hire gere He shulde putte / and croude hire fro the londe And charge hire / she neuere eft come there O my Custaunce / wel may thy goost haue feere And slepynge in thy dreem / ben in penaunce Whan Donegild cast / al this ordinaunce ¶ This Messanger on morwe / whan he woke vn-to the Castel / al the next way And to the Constable / he the lettre tooke And whan that he / this pytous lettre say fful ofte he seide allas / and weilawey 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 wylle Sithe þou art rightful Iuge / how may it be That þow wolt suffren / Innocenteȝ to spille And wykked folk regnen / in prosperitee O goode Custaunce / allas so woo is me That I mot be thy turmentour / or deye On shames deeth / there is noon other weye ¶ Wepen bothe ȝonge & olde / in al that place Whan that the kynge / this cursed lettre sente And Custaunce / with a deedly pale face The fierthe day / toward hire ship she went But nathelees / she taketh in good entent The wyl of Crist / and kneled on the stronde She seide lord / ay welcome be thy sonde ¶ He that me kepte / fro the fals blame Whyl I was on the lond / a-monges ȝow he can me kepe / fro harme & eke fro shame In salt see / al-though I se nought how As stronge as euere he was / he is ȝet now In him troost I / and in his moder deere That is to me my seyl / and eke my steere ¶ hire litel child / lay wepyng in hire arme And knelynge pytously / to him she seyde Pees litel sone / I wol do the noon harme With þat hire couerchief / ouer hire hede she brayde And ouer his litel eyen / she it leyde And in hire arm / she lulleth it ful fast And in-to heuene / hire eyen vp she cast ¶ Moder quod she / and mayde bright Marie Soth is / that thurgh wommannes eggement Mankynde was lorn / and dampned ay to deye ffor whiche thy child / was on þe croys I-rent Thy blisseful eyen / saw al this turmont Thanne is there / no comparisone bytwene Thy woo / and any woo / man may sustene ¶ Thow saw thy child I-slayn / biforn thyne eyen And ȝet now lyueth / my litel child parfay Now lady bright / to whom alle wooful cryen Thow glorie of wommanhode / þou faire may Thow hauene of refuyt / bright sterre of day Rewe on my childe / that of thy gentillesce Rewest on euery reuful / in distresse ¶ O litel child / allas what is thy gilt That neuere wroughtest synne / as ȝet pardee Why wyl thyn fader / han the spilt O mercy deere Constable / quod she As lat my litel child / dwelle heere with the And if þou darst nouȝt / sauen him fro blame So kisse him oones / in his fadres name ¶ There-with she loked bakward / to the londe And seide farewel husbonde / routhelees And vp she rist / and walketh doun the stronde Toward the ship / hire folweth al the prees And euere she preyeth / hire child / to hold his pees And takith hire leue / and with an hol entent She blissed hire / and in-to shipe she went ¶ Vetailled was the ship / it is no drede habundauntly / for hire / ful longe space And othere necessaries / that shulde nede She had I-now / heried be goddes grace ffor wynd & weder / almyghty god purchace And brynge hire home / I kan no betyr seye But in the See / she dryueth forth hire weye [PART III.] Alla the kyng / cometh hom sone after this¶ Tercia pars. vn-to his Castel / of the whiche I tolde And asketh where his wyf / and his child is The Constable gan / a-boute his hert colde And pleynly al the maner / he him tolde As ȝe han herd / I kan telle it no bettre And sheweth the kyng / his seel & his lettre ¶ And seide / lord / as ȝe comaunded me vp peyne of deeth / so haue I doon certeyne This Messanger turmented was / til he Most byknowe / and tellen plat and pleyn ffro nyght to nyght / in what place he had leyn And thus by wytte / and subtil enquerynge Imagyned was / by whom this harm gan sprynge ¶ The hond was knowe / that the lettre wroot And al the venym / of this cursed dede But in what wyse / certeynly I not The effect is this / that Alla oute of dreede his moder slough / that moun men pleynly reede ffor that she traytour was / to hire ligeaunce Thus endith Donegild / with myschaunce ¶ The sorwe that this Alla / nyght and day Maketh for his wyf / and for his child also There is no tonge / that it telle may But now wol I / vn-to Custaunce go That fleteth in the See / in peyne and woo ffyue ȝer and more / as lyked cristes sonde That hire ship approched / vn-to the londe ¶ vnder an hethen Castel / at the last Of which the name / in my text / nouȝt I fynde Custaunce and eke hire child / the see vp cast Almyghty god / that saued al mankynde haue oon Custaunce / & on hire child sum mynde That fallen is / in hethen hand eft-sone In poynt to spille / as I shal telle ȝow sone ¶ Doun fro the Castel / cometh there many a wyght To gauren on this ship / and on Custaunce But shortly from the Castel / on a nyght The lordes styward / god ȝeue him myschaunce A theef þat had reneyed / oure creaunce Come in-to the ship allone / and seid he shulde hire lemman be / wheiþer so she wolde or nolde ¶ Woo was this wrecched womman / thoo bygon hire child cryed / and she cryed pitously But blisful Mary halp / hire right a-noon ffor with here strogelyng / wel and myghtily The thef fel ouer bord / al sodeynly And in the See he dreynt / for vengeaunce And thus hath Crist / vnwemmed kept Custaunce ¶ O foule lust of luxurie / lo thyn ende¶ O extrema libidinis turpitudo que non solum mentem effeminat / set eciam corpus eneruat / semper secuntur dolor & penitencia post &c. Nat oonly that þou feyntest / mannes mynde But verraily thow wold / his body shende The ende of thy werk / or of thy lustes blynde Is compleynynge / how many oon / may men fynde That nought for werk / sumtyme but for the entent To doon this synne / ben outher slayn or shent ¶ How may this weyke womman / han this strengthe hire to defende / a-geyn this renegat O Golias / vn-mesurable of lengthe How myght Dauyd / make the so mat So ȝonge / and of armure so desolat How durst he loke / vp-on thy dreedful face Wel may men seen / it was but goddes grace ¶ Who ȝaf Iudith / corage or hardynesse To slen him Olyfern / in his tent And to delyueren out / of wrechednesse The peeple of god / I sey for this entent That right as god / spirit / of vigour sent To hem / and saued hem / out of meschaunce So sent he myght and vigour / to Custaunce ¶ fforth goth hir ship / thurghout the narugh mouth Of Iubaltare and Septe / dryuyng alway Sumtyme west / & sumtyme North & South And sumtyme Est / ful many a wery day Til Cristes moder / blessed be she ay hath shapen thurgh / hire endlees goodnesse To make an ende / of al hire heuynesse ¶ Now lat vs stynt / of Custaunce but a throwe And speke of the Romayn / Emperour That out of Surrye / hath by lettres knowe The slaughtre of Cristene folk / and dishonour Doon to his doughter / by a fals traytour I mene the cursed wykked / Soudanesse That at the feest / let sleen bothe moore & lesse ¶ ffor which this Emperour / hath sent a-noon his senatour / with roial ordinaunce And othere lordes / god woot many oon On Surryens / to taken heigh vengeaunce They brennen / sleen / and brynge hem to meschaunce fful many a day / but shortly this is the ende homward to Rome / they shepen hem to wende ¶ This senatour / repaireth with victorie To Romeward / seillynge ful roially And mette the ship dryuyng / as seith the storie In which Custaunce sitteth / ful pytously No thyng knew he / what she was / ne why She was in swich aray / ne she nyl sey Of hire estate / though she shulde dey ¶ He bryngeth hire to Rome / and to his wyf he ȝaf hire / and hire ȝonge sone also And with the senatour / she lad hire lif Thus can oure lady / bryngen out of woo Wooful Custaunce / and many a-nother moo And longe tyme dwelled she / in that place In holy werkes euere / as was hire grace ¶ The senatours wyf / hire Aunte was But for al that / she knew hire neuere the moore I wyl no lengere tary / in this caas But to the kyng Alla / which I spak of ȝore That wepeth for his wyf / and sygheth sore I wyl returne / and lete I wyl Custaunce vnder the Senatours / gouernaunce ¶ Kyng Alla / which / þat hath / his moder slayn vp-on a day fel / in swich repentaunce That if I shortly tellen shal / and pleyn To Rome he cometh / to resceyue his penaunce And putte him / in the Popes ordinaunce In heigh and low / and ihesu crist bysought ffor-ȝeue hise wykked werkes / that he wrought ¶ The fame a-noon / thurgh-out the toun is born how Alla kyng / shal come on pilgrymage By herbegours / that wenten him byforn ffor which the Senatour / as it was vsage Rood him a-ȝein / and many of his lynage As wel to shewen / his heigh magnificence As to doon / any kyng / a reuerence ¶ Gret cher maketh / this noble Senatour To kyng Alla / and he to hym also Eueryche of hem / doth other gret honour And so byfell / that with-inne a day or twoo This Senatour is / to kyng Alla goo To feeste / and shortly / if I shal nat lye Custaunces sone / went in his companye ¶ Somme men wold seyn / that at the request of Custaunce This senatour hath lad / this child to feste I may nat tellen / euery circumstaunce Be as be may / there was he at the leste But soth is / that / at his modres heeste Byforn Alla / duryng the metes space The child stood / lokyng in the kynges face ¶ This Alla kyng / hath of the child greet wonder And to the Senatour / he seide a-noon Whoos is this fair child / that stondeth ȝonder I not quod he / by god / and by seynt Iohn A moder he hath / but fader hath he noon That I of woot / but shortly in a stounde he told Alla / how that child was founde ¶ But god woot / quod this senatour also So vertuous a lyuere / in al my lyf Ne saw I neuere / as she / ne herd of moo Of worldly wommen / mayden ne of wyf I dar wel seyn / hire had leuere a knyf Thurgh-out hire breest / than be a womman wykke There is no man / coude bryng hire to that prykke ¶ Now was this child / as lyke vn-to Custaunce As possible is / a creature for to be This Alla hath the face / in remembraunce Of Dame Custaunce / and ther-oon mused he If that the childes moder / were ought she That is his wyf / and preuyly he sight And sped him fro the table / that he myght ¶ Parfoy thought he / fantom is in myn heede I ought deme / of skylful Iugement That in the salt See / my wife is dede And afterward he mad / his argument What woot I / if that Crist haue hidder sent My wyf by See / as wel as he hire lent To my contree / from thens that she went ¶ And after noon / hom with the senatour Gooth Alla / for to seen this wonder chaunce This Senatour doth Alla / greet honour And hastily he sent / after Custaunce But trosteth wel / hire list nat to daunce Whan þat she wyst / wherfore / was that sond vn-ethe vp-oon hire feet / she myght stond ¶ Whan Alla saugh his wyf / faire he hire grette And wepte / þat it was / reuthe for to se ffor at the first looke / he on hire sette he knew wel weraily / that it was she And she for sorwe / as dombe stant / as tree So was hire hert shette / in hir distresse Whan she remembred / his vnkyndenesse ¶ Twyes she swoughned / in his owen sight he wepeth / and him excuseth pitously Now god quod he / and his halwes bright So wysly oon my soule / as haue mercy That of ȝoure harm / as giltlees am I As is Maurice my sone / like ȝoure face Elles the fend / me fecche out of this place ¶ Longe was the sobbyng / and the bittere peyne Er that here wooful hertes / myghten sese Greet was the pitee / for to heere hem pleyn Thurgh which pleyntes / gan here woo encrese I prey ȝow Alla / my labour to relese I may not telle my woo / vn-til to-morwe I am so wery / for to speke of sorwe ¶ But finally / whan the sothe is wist That Alla / giltlees was / of hire woo I trowe an / C / tymes / ben they kist And swich a blisse is there / be-twix hem two That saue the ioye / that lasteth euere moo There is noon lyke / that any creature Hath seen / or shal / while the world may endure ¶ Tho preyede she hire housbonde / mekely In releef / of hire longe / pytous peyn That he wold prey hire fader / specialy That of his mageste / he wold enclyn To vouchesaf / som day / with him to dyne She preyed him eke / he wold by no wey vn-to hire fader / no word of hire sey ¶ Somme men wold seyn / how that the child Maurice Dooth this message / vn-to this Emperour But as I gesse / Alla was nouȝt so nyce To hym that was / of so soleyn honour As he that is / of Cristene folk the flour Sent ony child / but it is bete to deme He went him self / and so it may wel seme ¶ This Emperour / hath graunted / gentilly To come to dyner / as he him bysought And wel reede I / he loked besily vp-on this child / and on his doughter þought Alla gooth to his Inne / and as him ought Arrayed for this feeste / in euery wyse As ferforth / as his conyng may suffise ¶ The morwe cam / and Alla gan him dresse And eke his wyf / this Emperour to mete And forth they ryde / in ioye and in gladnesse And whan she saw / hire fader in the strete She light doun / and fallith him to fete ffader quod she / ȝoure ȝong child Custaunce Is now ful clene / out of ȝoure remembraunce ¶ I am ȝoure doughter / Custaunce / quod she That whilom / ȝe han sent / in-to Surrye It am I fader / that in the salt See Was put allone / and dampned for to deye Now good fader / mercy I ȝow crye Send me nomore / vn-to noon hethenes But thanketh my lord / heere / of his kyndnes ¶ Who can the pytous / ioye / tellen alle Be-twixe hem three / syn they be thus I-mette But of my tale / make an ende I shalle The day gooth fast / I wyl no lengere lette This glad folk / to dyner they hem sette In ioye & blisse / at mete I lete hem dwelle A / Ml / fold / moore than I can telle ¶ This child Maurice / was sithen Emperour Mad by the Pope / and lyued cristenly To cristes chirche / he dide gret honour But I lete al / this story passen by Of Custaunce is my tale / specialy In the olde Romayne gestes / moun men fynde Maurices lyf / I bere it nat in mynde ¶ The kyng Alla / whan he his tyme sey With his Custaunce / his holy wyf so swete To Englond ben they come / the right wey¶ A mane vsque ad vesperam mutabitur tempus / tenent tympanum & gaudent ad sonum organi &c. Wheere as they lyue / in ioye and in quiete But litel while it lasteth / I ȝow hete Ioye of this world / for tyme wol nat a-byde ffro day to nyght / it chaungeth as the tyde ¶ Who leued euere / in swich delyt / oo / day¶ Quis vnquam vnicam diem totam duxit in sua dileccione iocundam / quem in aliqua parte dici / reatus consciencie viz. / impetus / ire / vel motus concupiscencie non turbauerit // quem liuor vel ardor auaricie vel tumor superbie non vexauerit quem aliqua iactura vel offensa vel passio non commouerit &c. That him ne meeued / other conscience Or ire / or talent / or som maner affray Enuye / or pryde / or passion / or offence I ne seye / but for this ende / this sentence That litel while / in ioye or in plesaunce lasteth the blisse / of Alla / with Custaunce ¶ ffor deth that taketh / of hey & lowe his rente Whan passed was a ȝere / euene as I gesse Out of this world / this kyng Alla he hente ffor whom Custaunce / hath ful gret heuynesse Now lat vs preye to god / his soule blisse And Dame Custaunce / fynaly to seye Toward the toun of Rome / gooth hire weye ¶ To Rome is come / this holy creature And fyndeth hire frendes / hole and sounde Now is she skaped / al hire auenture And whan that she / her fader / hath I-founde Doun on hire knees / falleth she to grounde Wepynge for tendirnesse / in hert blithe She herieth god / an hundred thousand sithe ¶ In vertue & holy / almes dede They lyuen alle / and neuere a-sonder wende Til deeth departeth hem / this lif they lede And fareth now wel / my tale is at an ende Now ihesu crist / that of his myght may sende Ioye after woo / gouerne vs / in his grace And kepe vs alle / that ben in this place.¶ Amen quod wytton. ¶ Hic finitur fabula legis periti / ¶ Incipit prologus vxoris de Batheon leaf 67 Experience / though noon auctoritee Were in this world / is right I-now for me To speken of woo / that is in mariage ffor lordynges / syn I twelue ȝer was of age Thanked be god / that is eterne on lyue husbondes at the chirche doore / haue I had fyue If I so often myght / han wedded be And alle weren worthy men / in here degree But me was told / nought longe agon is That sithen Crist / ne went neuere but oonys To weddyng / in the Cane of Galilee That by the same ensaumple / taught he me That I ne wedded / shuld be but ones loo herkene which / a sharp word / for the nones Beside a welle / ihesus god and man Spak in repreue / of the Samaritan Thow hast I-had / fyue husbondes quod he And that ilke man / which that now hath the Is nat thyn husbonde / thus seide he certeyn What that he ment ther-by / I can nought seyn But that I aske why / that the fifte man Was noon husbonde / to the Samaritan how many myght she haue / in mariage Ȝet herd I neuere / tellen in myn age vp-on this noumbre / diffinicion Men may deuyne / and glosen vp and doun But wel I woot / expresse / with-outen lye God bad vs for to wexe / and multiplie That gentil text / can I wel vnderstonde Eke wel I woot he seide / þat myn husbonde Shuld leete fader and moder / and take to me But of no noumbre / mencione mad he Of Bygamye / or of Octogamye Why shulde men thanne / speke of it velanye loo heere the wyse kyng / Salamon I trowe he hadde / wyues moo than oon As wolde god / it leueful were to me To be refresshed / half so ofte as he Which a ȝift of god / had he for alle his wyues No man hath swich / þat now on lyue is God wot this noble kyng / as to my wytte The first nyght / had many a mery fitte With ech of hem / so wel was him on lyue Blessed be god / that I haue wedded fyue Of whiche / I haue pyked out the beste[6 spurious lines] Bothe of here nether purs / and of here cheste Diuerse scoles / maken parfyt[over 'diuerse werkes' dotted out] clerkes And diuerse practyk in many[a dotted out] sondry werkes Maken / the werkman parfyt[man dotted out] / sekirly Of fyue husbondes scoleiyng / am I Welcome the sixte / whan þat euere he shal ffor syn I wol nat kepe me / chast in al Whan myn husbonde / is fro the world goon Sum cristene man / shal wedde me a-noon ffor thanne the Apostle / seith þat I am free To wedde a goddes halue / where it liketh me he seith / that to be wedded / is no synne Bet is to be wedded / than brynne What rekketh me / though folk sey vylenye Of shrewed lameth / and his bygamye I woot wel Abraham / was an holy man And Iacob eke / as fer as euer y can And ich of hem had wyues / moo than twoo And many a-nother / holy man also Wheere can ye seen / in any maner age That heye god defended / mariage By expresse word / I prey ȝow telleth me Or where comaunded he / virginite I woot as wel as ȝe / it is no drede The Appostel whan he speketh / of maydenhede he seide that precept / had he ther-of noon Men moun counseile / a womman to ben oon But counseillynge / is no comaundement He putte it / in oure owen Iugement / ffor had god comaunded / maydenheede Than had he dampned / weddyng with the dede And certes if there were / no seede I-sowe virginite than / wher-of shuld it growe Poule durst nat comaunden / at the leste A thyng of which / his maister ȝaf noon heeste The dart is sette vp / for virginitee Cacche who so may / who renneth best lat se But this word is nat take / of euery wyght But there as god wol ȝeue it / of his myght I wot wel that the Appostel / was a mayde But nathelees / though that he wroot or sayde he wolde þat euery wyght / were swich as he Al nys but counseille / to virginitee And for to be a wyf / he ȝaf me leeue Of indulgence / so is noon repreeue To wedde me / if that my make deye With·oute excepcione / of bygamye Al were it good / no womman for to touche he ment in his bed / or in his couche ffor peril is / bothe tow and fyr / to assemble Ȝe knowe what this ensaumple / may resemble This is al and sum / he held virginitee More parfyt / than weddynge in freeletee ffreeltee clepe I / but if that he and she Wold here lyues lede / al in chastitee I graunte it wel / I haue noon envye Though maydenhede / preferre bygamye It liketh hem to be clene / in body and goost Of myn estat / I wol nat maken boost ffor wel ȝe knowe / a lord in his houshold Ne hath nat euery vessel / al of gold Summe ben of tree / and don here lord seruyse God clepeth folk / to hym in sundry wyse And euerich hath of god / a propre ȝifte Som this / som that / as þat him liketh shifte virginite is / a gret perfeccion And continence eke / with deuocion But crist / that of perfeccion / is welle Ne bad nat euery wyght / he shuld selle Al þat he had / and ȝeue it to the poore And in swich wyse / folwe him and his foore he spak to hem / that wold leue parfitly And lordynges be ȝoure leeue / that am not I I wol bestowe / the flour of al myn age In the actes / and in the fruyt of mariage Telle me also / in what conclusione Were membres made / of generacione And of so parfyt wyse / a wyght I-wrought Trosteth right wel / they were nat made for nought Glose who so wele / and sey bothe vp and doun That they weren I-made / for purgacione Of vryne / and oure bothe thynges smale Weren eke to knowe / a femele fro a male And for noon other cause / sey ȝe noo The experience wot wel / it is nat so So that the Clerkes / be nat with me wroth I seye this / that they maked be / for bothe This is to seyn / bothe for office & for ease Of engendure / there we nat god displeese Why shulde men ellis / in here bookes sette That men shal ȝelde / to his wyf hire dette Now wher-with shuld he make / his paiement If that he ne vsed / his seely Instrument Than were they made / vp-oon a creature To purge vryne / and eke for engendrure But I sey nought / that euery wyght is holde That hath swich harneys / as I to ȝow tolde To gon and vsen hem / in engendrure Than shulde men take / of chastitee no cure Crist was a mayde / and shapen as a man And many a Seynt / sithe þat the world bygan Ȝet lyued they euere / in parfyt chastitee I nyl envye / no virginitee Lat hem be breed / of pured whete seede And lat vs wyues / hote barly breede And ȝet with barly breed / Mark telle can Oure lord ihesu / refresshed many a man In swich estat / as god hath cleped vs I wol perseuere / I nam nat precious In wyfhode wyl I vse / myn Instrument As freely as my makere / hath it sent If I be daungerous / god ȝeue me sorwe Myn husbonde shal it haue / bothe eue & morwe Whan that him liste / come forth & paie his dette An husbonde wol I haue / I wol nat lette Which shal be bothe / my dettour and my thral And haue his tribulacion / with-al Vp-on his fleessh / while that I am his wyf I haue the power / duryng al my lyf vp-on his propre body / and nat he Right thus the Apostel / told it vn-to me And bad oure husbondes / for to loue vs wele Al this sentence / me liketh euerydele ¶ . vp sterte the Pardoner / and that a-noon Now dame quod he / by god & by Seynt Iohn Ȝe ben a noble prechour / in this caas I was aboute to wedde a wyf / Allas What shulde I bye it / on my flessh so deere Ȝet had I leuere / wedde noon to ȝere A-byde quod she / my tale is nat bygonne Nay þou shalt drynken / of a-nother tonne Er that I go / shal sauer wers than Ale Whan that I haue told the / forth my tale Of tribulacione / that is in mariage Of which I am expert / in al myn age This is to seyn / my self hath ben the whippe Than maist þou chese / whider þat thow wylt sippe Of thilk Tonne / that I wyl a-broche By war of it / or þou to ny approche ffor I shal telle ensaumples / moo than ten Who so that nyl / be war / by othere men By him shuln othere men / corrected be Theise same wordes / wryteth Protholomee¶ Qui per alios non corigitur Rede in his Almagest / and take it thereAlii per ipsum cori|gentur Dame I wold preye ȝow / if ȝoure wyl were Seide this Pardoner / as ȝe bygan Telleth forth ȝoure tale / & spareth for no man And techeth vs ȝonge men / of ȝoure practike Gladly quod she / syn that it may ȝow lyke But that I praye / to alle this companye If that I speke / after my fantasye As taketh it nought a gref / of that I seye ffor myn entent is nat / but for to pleye Now Sires than shal I / tellen ȝow forth my tale As euere mot I / drynken wyn or Ale I shal seye soth / the husbondes that I had As thre of hem weren goode / & twoo weren bad The thre of hem weren goode / and riche & olde Vn-ethe myghten they / the statut holde In which that they were bounden / vn-to me Ȝe wot wel what I mene / of this pardee As god helpe me / I laughe whan that I thynke how pitously a nyght / I made hem swynke But be my fey / I tolde of it no store They had me ȝeuen / here lond and here tresore Me neded nat / do lengere diligence To wynne here loue / or do hem reuerence They loued me so wel / by god a-boue That I ne told / no deynte of here loue A wys womman / wyl besy hire euere in oon To geten hire loue / there as she hath noon But syn I had hem / holly in myn hand And syn that they / had ȝeue me al here land what shulde I take kepe / hem for to pleese But if it were for my profyt / and myn eese I sette hem so a werk / be my fey That many a nyght / they songen weylawey The bacon was nat fet / for hem as I trowe That summe men han in Essex / at Donmowe I gouerned hem so wel / after my lawe That iche of hem / ful blisful was and fawe To brynge me gay thynges / fro the feyre They were ful glad / when I spak to hem fayre ffor god it woot / I chidde hem spitously Now herkeneth how / I bar me proprely Ȝe wyse wyues / that can vnderstonde Thus shuld ȝe speke / & bere hem wrong on honde ffor half so boldly / there can no man Sweren and lyen / as a womman can¶ Verum est I sey nat this / be wyues that ben wyse But if it be / whan they hem mys a-vyse A wys wyf shal / if that she can hire good Bere him on honde / that the kow is wood And take wytnesse / of hire owen mayde Of hire assent / but herkeneth how I sayde Sire olde kaynard / is this thyn array why is my neyghebores wyf / so gay She is honoured / ouer alle there she goth I sitte at hom / I haue no thrifty cloth what dost thow / at my neyhebores hous Is she so fair / art thow so amerous what rovne ȝe with oure mayden / benedicite Sire olde lecchour / late thyne iapes be [An]d if that I haue / a gosship or a freende [wit]houten gilt / ȝe chiden as a fende If that I walke or rome / vn-to hir hous Thow comest hom / as dronken as a Mous And prechest on thy benche / with euele preef Thow seist to me / it is a gret myschief To wedde a poore womman / for costage And if that she be riche / of heigh parage Than seist thow / that it is a turmentrie To suffre hire pride / and hire malacolie And if that she be fair / thow verray knaue Thow seist that euery holour / wol hire haue She may no while / in chastite a-byde That is assayled / vp-on eche a syde Thow seist somme folk / desiren vs for richesse Somme for oure shap / and somme for oure fairnesse And sum for she can / either synge or daunce And sum for gentilnesse / and daliaunce Sum for hire hondes / and hire armes smale Thus goth al to the deuele / by thy tale Thow seist men moun nat kepe / a castel wal It may so longe / assailed ben / ouer al And if that she be foul / thow seist that she Coueyteth euery man / that she may se ffor as a spaynel / she wol on him lepe Til that she fynde sum man / hire to chepe Ne noon so grey goos / goth there in the lake As seist þou / wyl be with-outen a make And seist it is / an hard thyng for to welde A thyng þat no man wyl / his thankes helde Thus seist þou lorel / whan thow gost to bedde And that no wyse man / nedeth for to wedde Ne no man that entendeth / vn-to heuen with wylde thundir dynt / and firy leuen Mote thy welked nekke / be to-broke Thow seist that droppyng houses / & eke smoke And chidyng wyues / maken men to flee Out of hire owen houses / a benedicite what eilith swich an olde man / to chide Thow seist we wyues / wyln oure vices hide Til we be fast / and thanne we wol hem shewe wel may this be / a prouerbe of a shrewe Thow seist that Oxen / Assen / Hors and houndes They ben assayed / at diuerse stoundes Basyns / lauours / or that men hem bye Spones stoles / and al swiche husbondrye And so ben pottes / clothes and array But men of wommen / maken noon assay Til they ben wedded / olde doted shrewe And thanne seist þou / we wol oure vices shewe Thow seist also / that it displeseth me But if þat þou wylt preyse / my beaute And but thow poure / alwey vp-on my face And clepe me fair dame / in euery place And but thow make a feest / on thilke day That I was born / and make me fressh and gay And but thow do / to my norice honour And to my chaumberer / with-Inne my boure And to my fadres folk / and hise allies Thus seist þou olde barel / ful of lyes And ȝet of oure Apprentys / Iankyn ffor his crispe heer shynynge / as gold fyn And for he squyereth me / vp and doun Ȝet hast þou caught / a fals suspecion I wol him nought / though þou were ded to-morwe But telle me þis / why / hidest thow with sorwe The keyes of thy chest / a-wey fro me It is my good / as wel as thyn / parde what wenest thow / to make an Idiote of oure dame Now by that lord / that cleped is Seynt Iame Thow shalt nat bothe / though þat þou were wood Be maistre of my body / and of my good That oon þou shalt for-gon / maugre thyne eyen what nedeth the of me / to enqueren & spyen I trowe þou woldest lokke me / in thy cheste Thow shuldest seye good wyf / go where the liste Taketh ȝoure disport / I wol nat leue no tales I knowe ȝow for a trewe wyf / dame Alys we loue no man / thak taketh kep on charge where þat we goo / we wol be at oure large Of alle men / I-blessed mot he be The wyse Astrologien / Dan Protholomee That seith this prouerbe / in his almagest Of alle men / his wysdom is heyest That rekketh nat / who hath the world in honde By this prouerbe / þou shalt vnderstonde haue thow I-now / what thar the rekke or care how merily / that othere folkes fare ffor certes olde dotard / be ȝour leue Ȝe shuln haue queynte right I-now / at eeue He is to gret a nygard / that wol werne A man to light a candele / at his lanterne he shal haue / neuere the lasse light / pardee haue thow I-now / the thar nat pleyne thee Thow seist also / if that we make vs gay with clothynge / or with precious array That it is perile / of oure chastitee And ȝet with sorwe / þou must enforce the And seyn theise wordes / in the Aposteles name In habyt mad / with chastite and shame Ȝe wommen / shulde apparaille ȝow quod he And nat in tressed heer / and riche perre Ns[? for Ne] peerles ne gold / ne clothes riche After thy text / ne after thy rubriche I wol nat werche / as meche as doth a gnat Thow seist als / I walke out lyke a kat ffor who so wolde senge / the Cattes skyn Than wold the kat / dwellen in his In And if the kattes skyn / be slyke and gay She wol nat dwelle / in house half a day But forth she wol / or any day be dawed To shewe hire skyn / & go on Caterwawed This is to seyn / if I be gay sire shrewe I wol renne out / my borel for to shewe Sire olde foole / what helpeth the to aspyen Though thow preye Argus / with his hundred eyen To be my wardecors / as he can best In feith he shal nat kepe me / but me list Ȝet coude I make his berd / also mote I thee Thow seidest eke / þat there ben thynges three The whiche thynges / troublen al this erthe And that no wyght / may endure the ferthe O leue sire shrewe / Ihesus short thy lyf Ȝet precest þou and seist / an hateful wyf I-rekened is / for oon of theise meschaunces Beth there noone othere / resemblaunces That ȝe may likne / ȝoure Parables to But if a seely wyf / be on of thoo Thow likenest eke / wommanes loue to helle To bareyn lond / there water may nat dwelle Thow likenest it also / to wylde fyre The more it brenneth / the more it hath desire To consume euery thyng / that wol brent be Thow seist right as wormes / shenden a tree Right so a wyf / destroyeth hire husbonde This knowen they / that ben to wyues bonde Lordynges / right thus / as ȝe han vnderstonde Bar I stifly / myn olde husbondes on honde That thus they seiden / in here dronkenesse And al was fals / but that I tok wytnesse On Iankyn / and on my nece also O lord the peyne / I did hem and the woo fful giltlees / by goddes swete pyne ffor as an hors / I coude byte and whyne I coude pleyne / and I was in the gilt Or elles often tyme / I had ben spilt who so that first cometh to the Mylle / first he grynt I pleyned first / so was oure werre I-stynt They weren ful glad / to excuse hem ful blife Of thyng / of whiche / they gilten neuere in here lyue Of wenches / wold I beren hem on honde whan that for seke / they myght vnethes stonde Ȝet tikeled I his hert / for that he wende / that I of him had / so gret chierte I swor that al my walkyng / out be nyght was for to aspien / wenches that he dight vnder that colour / had I many a myrthe ffor al swich wyt / is ȝeuen vs in oure birthe Disceite / wepyng / spynnyng / god hath ȝeuen To womman kyndely / while that they moun lyuen And thus of on thyng / I auaunt me At the ende / I had the beter / in ich degree Be sleight or force / or sum maner thyng As by contenuel murmur / and grucchyng Namely a bedde / there had they myschaunce There wold I chide / and do hem no plesaunce I wold no lengere / in the bed a-byde If that I felt / his arme al ouer my syde Til that he had mad / his raunson vn-to me Than wold I suffren him / to doon his nycete And þerfore to euery man / this tale I telle Wynne who so may / for all is for to selle with empty hond / men moun noone haukes lure ffor wynnynge wold I / al his lust endure And make me / a feyned appetit And ȝet in bacoun / had I neuere delit That made me / þat euere I wold hem chide ffor though the pope / had siten hem beside I wold nat spare hem / at here owen bord ffor be my trouthe / I quyt hem word for word As help me verray god / omnipotent Though I right now / shulde make my testament I owe hem nat a word / that it nys quytte I brought it so a-boute / be my wytte That they must ȝeue it vp / for the best Or elles had we neuere / ben in rest ffor though he loked / as a wod lyon Ȝet shulde he faile / of his conclusion Than wold I sey / good lef take kepe how mekely loketh / wylkyn oure shepe Come neer my spouse / lat me ba thy cheke Ȝe schulden be / al pacient and meke And han a swete / spiced conscience Sithe ȝe so preche / of Iobes pacience Suffreth al-wey / syn ȝe so wel can preche And but ȝe do / certeyn we shuln ȝow teche That it is fair / to han a wyf in pees Oon of vs two / must bowen doutelees And sithe a man / is more resonable Than womman is / ȝe must ben suffrable what eyleth ȝow / to grucche thus and grone It is for ȝe wolde / han my queynte allone we take it al / lo haue it euerydele Petir I shrewe ȝow / but ȝe loue it wele ffor if I wolde selle / my beal chose I coude walke / as fressh as any Rose But I wol kepe it / for ȝoure owen toth Ȝe be to blame / by god I seye ȝow soth Swiche maner wordes / had we on honde Now wol I speke / of my first husbonde ¶ My first husbonde / was a reuelour That is to seyn / he had a paramour And I was ȝong / and ful of ragerie Stiburne and strong / and ioly as a Pye Tho coude I daunce / to an harp smale And synge I-wysse / as any nytynggale whan I had dronke / a draught of swete wyn Metellius the foul cherl / the swyn That with a staf / byreft his wyf hir lif ffor she drank wyn / though I had ben his wyf he shulde nat han daunted / me fro drynke And after wyn / on venus must I thynke ffor also siker / as cold engendereth hail A likerous mouth / must han a likerous tail In womman vynolent / is no diffence This knowen lecchours / be experience But lord crist / whan that it remembreth me Vp-on my ȝouthe / and on my Iolyte It tikeleth me / a-boute myn hert rote Vn-to this day / it dooth myn hert bote That I haue had my world / as in my tyme But age allas / that al wyl envenyme hath me byraft / my beaute and my pith late go fare wel / the deuele goo there-with The flour is goon / there is no more to telle The bren as I beest can / now mot I selle But ȝet to be right merye / wol I fonde ¶ . Now forth to telle of my secund husbonde I sey I had / in hert greet despit That he of any other / had delit But he was quyt / be god and be Seynt Ioce I mad him of the same wode / a Croce Nat of my body / in no foule manere But certeynly / I made folk swich chere That in his owen grees / I mad him frie ffor anger / and for verrey Ielusie By god / in erthe / I was his purgatorie ffor whiche I hope / his soule be in glorie ffor god it woot / he sat ful ofte and songe whan that his shoo / ful bitterly him wronge ffor there was no wyght / saue god and he þat wyst In manye wyses / how sore I him twist he deyed whan I come / fro Ierusalem And lith in graue / vnder the roode Bem Al is his toumbe / nought so curious As was the sepulcre / of him Darius whiche that Appollus / wrought so sotelly It nys but waast / to bery him preciously lat him fare wel / god ȝeue his soule good reest he is now in his graue / and ded in his chest ¶ Now of my thridde husbonde / wol I telle God lat his soule / neuere come in helle And ȝet was he to me / the moost shrewe That fele I now 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 there-with also / wel coude he me gloose¶ Nota whan that he wolde / han my beal chose That though he had / me bete on euery bon he coude wynne / my loue a-geyn a-noon I trowe I loued him best / for that he was of his loue / daungerous vn-to me we wommen han / if that I shal nat lye In this mater / a queynt fantasie Wayte what thyng / we may nat lightly haue Ther-after wyl we crye al day / and craue fforbede vs thyng / and that desiren we¶ Nota Presse on vs fast / and than wol we flee with daunger outer we / al oure chaffare Greet prees at market / maketh dere ware And to gret chep / is holden at litel pris This knoweth euery womman / that is wys ¶ . My ferthe husbonde / god his soule blisse which that I took / for loue & no richesse he somtyme was / a clerk of Oxenforde And had left scole / and went at hom to borde with my gossyp / dwellynge in oure toun God haue hire soule / hire name was Alison She knew myn hert / and al my preuytee Bet than oure parissh preest / so mot I the To hire be-wreyed I / my counseil al ffor had myn husbonde / pissed on a wal Or don a thyng / that shuld han cost his lif To hire / and to a-nother worthy wyf And to my Nece / whiche that I loued wel I wold han told / his counseil euerydel And so I dide ful often / god it woot That mad his face / ful often red and hoot ffor verray shame / and blamed him-self for he had told to me / so gret a preuytee And so byfel / that ones in a lente So often tymes / I to my gossip wente ffor euere ȝet / I loued to be gay And for to walke / in March / Aprill & May ffro hous to hous / to here sondry tales That Iankyn Clerk / & my gossip dame Ales And I my selue / in-to the feeldes went Myn husbonde was at london / al that lent I had the betir leiser / for to pleye And for to se / and eke for to be seye Of lusty folk / what wyst I / where my grace was shapen for to be / or in what place Therfore made I / my visitasions To vigiles / and to processions To prechynge eke / and to theise pilgrimages To pleyes of miracles / and of mariages And wered vp-on / my gay skarlet gytes Theise wormes / ne theise mothes / ne theise mytes vp-on my paraille / frette hem neuere a del And wost þou why / for they were vsed wel ¶ . Now wol I telle forth / what happed me I seye that in the feldes / walked we Til trewely we had / swich daliaunce This clerk and I / that of my purueaunce I spak to him / and seide how that he If I were wydewe / he shulde wedde me ffor certeynly I seye / for no bobaunce Ȝet was I neuere / with-outen purueaunce Of mariage / ne of othere thynges eke I hold a mouses hert / nat worth a leke That hath but on hole / for to stirte to And if that fayle / than is al I-do I bar him on honde / he had enchaunted me My dame taught me / that sotilte And eke I seide / I mette of him al nyght he wolde han slayn me / as I lay vp right And al my bed / was ful of verray blod But ȝet I hope / that ȝe shuln do me good ffor blod bytokeneth gold / as me was taught And al was fals / I dremed of it right nought But as I folwed ay / my dames loore As wel of that / as of othere thynges more But now sire late me sen / what I shuld seyn A ha by god / I haue my tale a-geyn ¶ . Whan that my fierthe husbonde / was on beere I wep algate / and mad sory chere As wyues moton / for it is the vsage And with my kercheue / I couered my visage But for that I was purueiede / of a make I wepte but smale / and that I vndertake To chirche was myn husbonde / born a-morwe with neyghebores / that for him maden sorwe And Iankyn oure clerk / was oon of thoo As helpe me god / whan that I saw him goo After the beere / me thought he had a peire Of legges and of feet / so clene and so feire That al myn hert / I ȝaf vn-to his holde I trowe he was / a twenty wynter olde And I was fourty / if I shal sey the sothe But ȝet I had alwey / a coltyssh tothe Gat-tothed I was / and that be-cam me wele I had the prente / of seynt venus seele As help me god / I was a lusty oon And fair and riche / and ȝonge / and wel bygon And trewely / as myne husbondes tolde me I had the best quoniam / that myght be¶ Nota ffor certes I am / al venerien In feelyng / and myn hert is Marcien Venus me ȝaf my lust / my likerousnesse And Mars ȝaf me / my sturdy hardynesse Myn ascendent was Taur / and Mars þere-Inne Allas allas / that euere loue was synne I folwed alwey / myn inclynacione By vertue / of myn Constellacione That made me / I coude nat with-drawe My chaumbre of venus / fro a good felawe Ȝet haue I Mars merk / vp-on my face And also / in a-nother pryue place ffor god so wysely / be my sauacion I loued neuere / by no discrecion But euere folwed / myn appetit Al were he short / long blak or whiȝt I toke no kepe / so that he liked me how poore he was / ne eke of what degree ¶ . what shulde I seye / but at the monthes ende This ioly Clerk / Iankyn þat was so hende hath wedded me / with greet solempnytee And to him ȝaf I / al the lond and fee That euere was me ȝeuen / there-byfore But afterward / me repented ful sore he nolde suffre / no thyng of my list By god he smot me / oonys with his fist On the cheke / for þat I rent / out of his book a leef That of the stroke / myn ere wex al deef Stiburne I was / as is a leonesse And of my tonge / a veray Iangeleresse And walke I wold / as I had don byforn ffrom hous to hous / al-though he had it sworn ffor whiche / he often tymes wold preche And me of olde Romayne gestes / teche how he / simplicius Gallus / laft his wyf And hire forsoke / for terme of al his lyf nought but for openheded / he hire say Lokyng out at his dore / vp-on a day A-nother Romayne / told he me by name That for his wyf / was at a Someres game with-outen his wetyng / he forsoke hire eke And than wold he / vp-on his bible seke That ilke prouerbe / of ecclesiaste where he comaundeth / & forbedeth faste Man shal nat suffre his wyf / go royle a-boute Than wold he sey right thus / withoute doute who-so that bildeth his hous / al of salwes¶ Nota And priketh his blynd hors / ouer the falwes And suffreth his wyf / to seken halwes Is worthy to ben hanged / on the galwes But al for nought / I sette nought an hawe Of hise prouerbes / ne of his olde lawe Ne I wold nat of him / corrected be I hate him / that my vices telleth me And so don moo of vs / god wot / than I This mad him with me wood / al vtterly I wold nat forbere him / in no cas Now wyl I sey ȝow soth / by Seynt Thomas why that I rent out / of his book a leef ffor whiche he smot me so / that I was deef he had a bok / that gladly nyght and day ffor his desport / he wold it rede alway he cleped it valerie / and Theofaste At which book / he lough alwey ful fast And eke there was somtyme / a Clerk at Rome A Cardynale that hight / Seynt Ierome That mad a book / a-geyn Iovynyan In whiche book eke / there was Terculan Crisippus / Tortula / and Helowys That was Abbesse / nat fer fro Parys And eke the parobles / of Salamon Ouydes art / and bookes many oon And alle theise were bounden / in o volume And euery nyght & day / was his custume Whan he had leiser / and vacacione ffrom other worldly / occupacione To redyn in this book / of wykked wyues he knew of hem / moo legendes & lyues Than ben of goode wyues / in the bible ffor trosteth wel / it is an inpossible That any Clerk / wyl speke good of wyues But if it be / of holy Seyntes lyues Ne of noone othere wommen / neuere the moo Who peynted the lyon / telle me who By god if a womman / had wryten stories As Clerkes han / with-Inne here oratories They wold han wretyn of men / more wykkednesse Than al the mark of Adam / may redresse The children of Mercurie / and of Venus Ben in here werkyng / ful contrarious Mercurie loueth wysdom / and science And venus loueth riot / and despence And for here dyuers / disposicion Eche fayleth / in others exaltacion As thus / god woot / Mercurie is desolate In pisses / whan venus is exaltate And venus falleth / there Mercurie is reised Therfore no womman / of no Clerk is preysed The Clerk whan he is old / & may nat do Of venus werkes / worth his olde shoo Than syt he doun / and wryteth in his dotage That wommen conne nout kepen / here mariage But now to purpos / why I tolde the That I was beten / for a book parde Vp-on a nyght / Iankyn that was oure Sire Red on his book / as he sat by the fyre Of Eue first / that for hire wykkednesse Was al mankynde brought / to wrechednesse ffor which that ihesu crist / him self was slayn That bought vs / with his hert blod a-gayn loo heere expres of wommen / may ȝe fynde That womman was the losse / of al mankynde Tho redde he me / how Sampson loost hise heeres Slepynge his lemman / kytte hem with hire sheres Thurgh which treson / lost he bothe hise eyen Tho redde he me / if that I shal nat lyen Of Hercules / and of Dyanyre That caused him / to sette him self a-fyre Nothyng for-gat he / the care and the woo1 That Socrates had / with hise wyues twoo how Exantipa / cast pisse vp-on hise bed This sely man sat stille / as he were ded he wypte his hed / no more durst he seyn But er that the thonder stynt / cometh reyn Of Phasipha / that was the Quene of Creete ffor shrewednesse him thought / the tale swete ffy speke no more / it is a grisly thyng Of hire horrible lust / & hire lykyng Of Clithermystra / for hire lecherie That falsly mad hire husbonde / for to deye He red it / with ful good deuocion he told me eke / for what occasion Amphiorax at Thebes / lost his lyf Myn husbond had a legend / of his wyf Exiphilem / that for an ouche of gold hath preuyly / vn-to the grekes I-told Where that hire husbonde / hid him in a place ffor which he had / at Thebes sory grace Of lyma told he me / and of lucye They bothe maden / here husbondes for to deye That on for loue / that other was for hate lyma / hire husbonde / vp-on an euen late Enpoysoned hath / for that she was his foo lucya lykerous / loued hire husbond so That for he shuld alwey / vp-on hire thynke She ȝaf him swich / a maner loue drynke That he was ded / er it were by the morwe And thus algates / husbondes han sorwe Than told he me / how on lathimyus Compleyned / vn-to his felawe / Arryus That in his gardeyn / growed swich a tree On which he seide / how that hise wyues three honged hem self / for hertes dispetous O lef brother / quod this Arryus Ȝeue me a plante / of thilk blissed tre And in myn gardeyn / planted shal it be Of lattere date / of wyues hath he red That some han slayn / here husbondes in here bed And let hire lecchour / dight hire al the nyght While that the cors / lay in the floor vp-right And some han dreuyn nayles / in here brayne While that they slep / & thus they han hem slayne Some han ȝeuen hem poyson / in here drynke he spak more harm / than hert may be-thynke And ther-with-al / he knew of moo prouerbes Than is this world / groweth gras or Erbes Bet is quod he / thyn habitacion Be with a lyon / or a foul dragon Than with a womman / vsyng for to chide Bet is quod he / hie in the roof a-byde Than with an angry womman / doun in the hous They ben so wykked / and so contrarious¶ Nota They haten / that here husbondes louen ay he seide a womman / kast hire shame a-way Whan she cast of hire smok / and forthere-moo A fair womman / but she be chast also Is lyke a gold ryng / in a sowes nose Who wold wene / or who wold suppose The woo that in myn hert was / & the pyne And whan I saw / he wolde neuere fyne To reden on this cursed book / al nyght Al sodeynly / three leeues haue I plight Out of his booke / right as he radde / & eke I with my fist / so toke him on the cheke That in our fyr / he fel bakward a-doun And he vp stirt / as doth a wood lyon And with his fist / he smot me on the hede That in the floor / I lay as I were dede And whan he saw / how stille that I lay he was a-gast / and wold han fled a-way Til at the last / out of my swough I brayde O hast þou slayn me / fals theef I sayde And for my lond / thus hast þou mordred me Or I be ded / ȝet wole I kysse the And ner he com / and kneled faire a-doun And seide deere Suster / Alisoun As helpe me god / I shal the neuere smyte That I haue doon / it is thy self to wyte fforȝeue it me / and that I the byseke And ȝet eftsones / I hitte him on the cheke And seide thef / thus meche am I a-wreke Now wol I dye / I may no lengere speke But at the last / with mechil kare & woo We fel accorded / be oure seluen twoo he ȝaf me al the brydel / in myn honde To han the gouernaunce / of hous & londe And of his tonge / and of his hond also And mad him brenne his book / a-noon right thoo And whanne that I had getyn vn-to me Be maistrye / al the Soueraynte And that he seide / myn owen trewe wyf Do as the list / the terme of al thy lyf Kepe thyn honour / & kepe eke myn estate And after that day / we hadden neuere debate God help me so / I was to him as kynde As any wyf / fro Denmark vn-to Inde And also trewe / and so was he to me I preye to god / that sitteth in mageste So blisse his soule / for his mercy deere Now wol I seyn my tale / if ȝe wyln heere ¶ Heere maketh the ffrere an interempcion of the wyues tale[in margin] ¶ . The ffrere lough / whan he had herd al this Now dame quod he / so haue I ioye or blys This is a long preamble / of a tale And whan the sompnour / herd the ffrere gale¶ The Sompnour speketh to þe ffrere loo quod the sompnour / for goddes armes two A ffrere wyl entermente him / euere moo loo goodmen / a flye and eke a ffrere Wol falle in euery dissh / and eke matere What spekest thow / of preambulacion What aumble or trotte / or pes / or go sitte doun Thow lettest oure disport / in this manere ¶ Ȝe wilt þou so Sompnour / quod the ffrere Now be my feith / I shal er that I goo Telle of Sompnoures / swich a tale or twoo That alle folk / shuln laughen / in this place Now elles ffrere / I be-shrewe thyn face Quod the Sompnour / and I be-shrewe me But if I telle tales / two or three Of ffreres / or þat I come to Sydyngburne That I shal make / thyn hert for to morne ffor wel I wot / thy pacience is a-gon ¶ Oure host cried pees / and that a-noon And seide / late the womman telle hire tale Ȝe fare as folk / that dronken ben of Ale Do dame / telle forth ȝoure tale / & that is best Al redy sire quod she / right as ȝow list If I haue lycence / of this worthy ffrere Ȝis dame quod he / tell forth / & I wyl here ¶ Hic desinit prologus / et incipit fabula Vxoris de Batheon leaf 76, back In the olde dayes / of kyng Arthour Of which that Bretons speken / gret honour Al was this lond / fulfilled of fairie The Elf Quene / with hire ioly companye Daunced ful ofte / in many a grene mede This was the olde oppynyon / as I rede I speke of manye / hundred ȝeres a-go But now can no man / se noone Elues moo ffor now the gret charite / and preyeres Of lymytours / and other holy ffreres That serchen euery lond / and euery streme As thikke as motes / in the Sonne beme Blissyng Halles / chaumbres / kychenes / boures Citees / Burghes / Castelles / heye Toures Thropes / Bernes / Shepenes / Deyries This maketh that there ben / no fayeries ffor there as wont / to walken was an Elf There walketh now / the lymytour him-self In vndermeles / and in morwenynges And seith hise matynes / & his holy thynges As he goth / in his lymytacion wommen moun go now / safly vp & doun In euery bussh / and vnder euery tree There is noon other / Incubus but he And he ne wyl do hem / but dishonour ¶ And so byfel / that this kyng Arthour had in his hous / a lusty bacheler That on a day / cam ridyng fro ryuer And happed that allone / as he was born he saw a mayde / walkyng him byforn Of whyche mayde / a-noon maugre hire hede By verray force / byraft hire maydenhede 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 shuld han loost his heed Parauenture / swich was the statute thoo But that the Quene / and othere ladies moo So longe preyeden / the kyng of grace Til he his lyf / him graunted in the place And ȝaf him to the Quene / al at hire wylle To chese wheither she wolde / him saue or spille The Quene thanketh the kyng / with al hire myght And aftir this / thus spak she to the knyght Whan that she saw hire tyme / vp-on a day Thow stondest ȝet quod she / in swich array That of thy lif / ȝet hast þou non seurte I graunte the lif / if thow canst telle me what thyng is it / that wommen most desiren Be war / & kepe thyn nekke bon / from Iren And if þou canst nat / telle it me a-noon Ȝet wol I ȝeue the / leue for to goon A twelwemoneth & a day / to seche & leere An answere sufficeant / in this matere And seurte wol I haue / er that thow pace Thy body for to ȝelden / in this place Wo was this knyght / and sorwefully he syketh But what / he may nat do / al as him liketh And at the last / he ches him for to wende And come a-geyn / right at the ȝeres ende with swich answere / as god him wold purueye And taketh his leue / and wendeth forth his weye he seketh euery hous / and euery place where as he hopeth / for to fynden grace To lerne what thyng / wommen louen moost But he ne coude / aryuen in no coost where as he myght fynde / in this matere Two creatures / accordynge in fere Some seyden / wommen louen best richesse Some seiden honour / some seyden Iolynesse Some seiden riche aray / some seiden lust a-bedde And ofte tymes to be wydewe / and wedde Some seiden that oure hert / is most eased whan that we ben / I-flatered / and I-plesed he goth ful ny the sothe / I wol nat lye A man shal wynne vs best / with flaterie And with attendaunce / and besynesse Ben we I-lymed / bothe more & lesse And some seyn / that we louen best ffor to be free / & do right as vs list And that no man / repreeue vs / of oure vice But seye / þat we ben wyse / & no thyng nyce ffor trewely / there is noon of vs alle If ony wyght / wyl clawe vs on the galle That we nyl kyke / for he seith vs soth Assay / and he shal fynde it / þat so doth ffor be we neuere / so vicious with-Inne we wol be holden / wys / and clene of synne And some seiden / that gret delyt han we ffor to be holden stable / and eke secree And on a purpos / stedfastly to dwelle And nought be-wreye thyng / that men vs telle But that tale is nought worth / a rake stele Parde / we wommen / conne no thyng hele wytnesse on Myda / wol ȝe here the tale Ouyde a-monges / othere thynges smale Seide / Myda had / vnder his longe heeres Growyng vp-on his hed / two asses eres The which vice he hid / as he best myght fful sotilly / fro euery mannes sight That saw his wyf / there wyst of it no moo he loued hire most / and trosted hire also he preyede hire / that to no creature She shulde tellen / of his disfigure She swor him nay / for al this world to wynne She nolde do / that velanye or synne To make hire husbonde / han so foul a name She nolde nat telle it / for hire owen shame But natheles / hire thought right that he deyed That she so longe / shulde a counseil hide Hire thought it swal / so sore a-boute hire hert That nedely som word / hire must a-stert And sithe she durst nat / telle it to no man Doun to a Mareys / fast by / she ran¶ Nota bene Til she come there / hire hert was a-fyre And as a bytore / bumbleth in the myre She leid her mouth / vn-to the water doun Bewreye me nat / thow water with thy soun Quod she / to the I telle it and no moo Myn husbonde hath long / asses Eres twoo Now is myn hert al hol / now is it oute I myght no lengere kepe it / out of doute here may ȝe se / though we a tyme a-byde Ȝet out it must / we conne no counseil hide¶ Verum est The remenaunt of the tale / if ȝe wol here Redeth Ouyde / and there ȝe may it lere ¶ This knyght of whiche / my tale is specially whan that he saw / he myght nought come therby This is to seyn / what wommen louen most with-Inne his breest / ful sorweful was the goost But hom he goth / he myght nat soiourne The day was comen / þat homward must he turne And in his wey / as happed him to ride In al his care / vnder a fforest side Where-as he sey / vp-on a daunce goo Of ladyes foure and twenty / and ȝet moo Toward the which daunce / he drow ful ȝerne In hope that he / sum wysdom shulde lerne But certeynly / er he cam fully there I-vanysshed was this daunce / he nyst where No creature saw he / that bar lyf Saue oon the grene / he saw sittyng a wyf A foulere wyght / there may no man deuyse A-geyn the knyght / this olde wyf gan aryse And seide / sire knyght / here forth ne lith no wey Telle me / what that ȝe seken / be ȝoure fey Parauenture / it may the bettir be Theise olde folk / conne mechil thyng[thyng over good dotted out] quod she My leue Moder / quod this knyght certeyn I nam but ded / but if that I can seyn what thyng it is / that womman most desire Coude ȝe me wysse / I wolde wel quyte ȝour hire Plyght me thy trouthe / here in myn hond quod she The nexte thyng / that I requere the Thow shalt it do / if it be in thy myght And I wyl telle it ȝow / er it be nyght Haue here my trouthe / quod the knyght I graunte Than quod she / I dar me wel a-vaunte Thy lif is saf / for I wol stonde ther-by Vp-on my lif / the Quene wol seye as I lat se / which is the pruddest / of hem alle That wereth on / a kerchef or a calle That dar say nay / of that I shal the teche lat vs go forth / with-outen lengere speche Tho rovned she / a pistel in his eere And bad him to be glad / & haue no fere ¶ Whan they ben comen / to the court / this knyght Seyde / he had hold his day / as he had hight And redy was his answere / as he seide fful many a noble wyf / & many a mayde And many a wydewe / for that they ben wyse The Quene hire self / sittynge as Iustise Assembled been / his answere for to here And afterward / this knyght was bode appere To euery wyght / comaunded was silence And that the knyght / shulde telle in audience What thyng / that worldly wommen / louen best This knyght ne stod nat stille / as doth a best But to this question / a-noon answerede with manly voys / that al the courte it herde My liege lady / generally quod he wommen desiren / to han soueraignete As wel ouer hire husbonde / as hire loue And for to ben / in maistrie him a-boue This is ȝoure most desire / though ȝe me kille Doth as ȝow list / I am here at ȝoure wylle ¶ In al the courte / ne was there wyf ne mayde Ne wydewe / that contraried that he sayde But seiden he was worthy / to haue his lyf And with that word / vp stirt this olde wyf which that the knyght saw / sittyng on the grene Mercy quod she / my souereyne lady Quene Er that ȝoure courte departe / do me right I taught this answere / vn-to the knyght ffor which he plight me / his trouthe there The first thyng / that I wolde him requere he wolde it do / if it lay in his myght Byfore this courte / than preye I the sire knyght Quod she / that þou me take vn-to thy wyf ffor wel thow wost / that I haue kept thy lif If I sey fals / sey nay vp-on thy fey ¶ This knyght answered / allas and weilawey I wot right wel / þat swich was myn byheste ffor goddes loue / as chese a newe requeste Take al my good / and late my body goo Nay thanne quod she / I shrewe vs bothe twoo ffor though that I be foul / old and pore I nold for al the metal / ne for ore That vnder erthe is graue / or lith a-boue But if thy wyf I were / and eke thy loue ¶ My loue quod he / nay my dampnacione Allas that ony / of my nacione Shulde euere so foule / desparaged be But al for nought / the end is this / that he Constreyned was / he nedes must hire wedde And taketh this old wyf / & goth to bedde Now wolde somme men seyn / parauenture That for my negligence / I do no cure To telle ȝow the ioye / and al the array That at the fest was / that ilke day To which thyng / shortly answeren I shal I seye there was no feest / ne ioye at al There nas but heuynesse / and mechel sorwe ffor preuyly he wedded hire / on the morwe And al day after / hid him as an Owle So woo was him / his wyf loked so foule Gret was the woo / the knyght had in his thought whan he was with his wyf / abedde I-brought he walueth / and he turneth to and froo This olde wyf / lay smylyng euere moo And seide / o dere husbonde benedicite ffareth euery knyght thus / with his wyf as ȝe Is this the lawe / of kyng Arthoures hous Is euery knyght of his / thus daungerous I am ȝoure owen loue / & eke ȝoure wyf I am she / which þat saued hath ȝoure lyf And certes / ȝet ne dide I ȝow / neuere vnright Why fare ȝe thus with me / this first nyght Ȝe faren like a man / had lost his wytte what is my gilt / for goddes loue telle itte And it shal ben amended / if I may Amendid / quod this knyght / allas nay nay It wol not ben amended / neuere moo Thow art so lothly / and so old also And ther-to comen / of so lowe a kynde That lytel wonder is / though I walwe & wynde So wolde god / myn hert wold brest Is this quod she / the cause of ȝoure vnrest Ȝee certeynly quod he / no wonder is Nowe sire quod she / I coude amende al this If that me list / er it were dayes three So wel ȝe myght bere ȝow / vn-to me ¶ But for ȝe speken / of swich gentilnesse¶ Nota causas generositatis As is descendid / out of olde richesse That therfore ȝe shulden / ben gentilmen Swich arrogance / is nat worth an hen¶ arrogance is pride loke who that is most / vertuous al-wey Preue and apert / and most entendeth ay To do the gentil dedis / that he can¶ Nota verissimam causam generosi|tatis Take him for the grettist / gentil man Crist wol we clayme of him / our gentilnesse Nought of our eldres / for here old richesse ffor though they ȝeue vs / al here heritage ffor which we cleyme / to be of hey parage Ȝet may they nat be-quethe / for no thyng To noon of vs / here vertuous leuyng That mad hem gentil men / called to be And bad vs folwen hem / in swich degree wel can the wys Poete / of fflorence That hight Dant / speken of this sentence lo in swych maner ryme / is Dantes tale fful seld vp riseth / by his braunches smale Prowesse of man / for god of his goodnes wol / that of him we clayme / oure gentilnes ffor of oure auncestres / mow we no thyng clayme But temporal thyng / that man may hurt & mayme Euery wyght wot this / as wel as I If gentilnesse were plaunted / naturelly vn-to a certeyn lynage / doun the lyne Pryue and apert / than wold they neuere fyne To don of gentilnesse / the fair office They myght do / no velanye or vice Tak fir & bere it / in the derkest hous Betwix this / and the Mount of Caukasous¶ Exemplum And lete men shette the dores / & go thenne Ȝet wol the fyr / as faire lye and brenne As twenty thousand men / myght it byholde his office naturel / ay wol it holde vp peril of my lif / til that it deye here may ȝe se wel / how that gentrie Is nat annexed / to possessione Sith folk ne doon / here operacione Alwey as doth the fir / lo in his kynde ffor god it wot / men moun wel often fynde A lordes sone do shame / and velanye And he that wol han / prys of his gentrye ffor he was born / of a gentil hous And had hise auncestres / noble and vertuous And nyl him seluen / do no gentil dedes Ne folwe his gentil auncetrye / that ded is he is nat gentil / be he Duke or Erl ffor vyleyns synful dedes / maken a Cherl ffor gentilnesse / nys but renounee Of thyn Auncestres / for here heye bounte which is a straunge thyng / to thy persone Thy gentilnesse cometh / fro god allone Thanne cometh oonly / our gentilnesse of grace It was no thyng be-quethed vs / with oure place Thynketh how noble / as seith valerius was thilke Tullius / hostilius That out of pouerte roos / to heygh noblesse Redeth Senek / and redeth eke Boece There shul ȝe sen expresse / that no dred is That he is gentil / that doth gentil dedis¶ Nota bene And therfore leue husbonde / I thus conclude Al were it / that myne Auncestres weren rude Ȝet may the heye god / and so hope I Graunte me grace / to lyuen vertuously Than am I gentil / whan that I begynne To lyuen vertuously / and weyven synne ¶ And there as ȝe / of pouerte me repreeue¶ Nota de pau|pertate The heye god / on whom that we byleue In wylful pouert / ches to leue his lyf And certes euery man / Mayden or wyf May vnderstonde / that Ihesus heuene kyng Ne wold nat chese / a vicious lyuyng Glad pouerte / is an honest thyng certeyn This wol Senek / and othere clerkes seyn who-so that halt him paid / of his pouerte I holde him riche / al had he nought a shert he that coueyteth / is a pore wyght ffor he wold han / that is nought in his myght But he that nought hath / ne coueyteth to haue Is riche / al-though ȝe hold him but a knaue verray synne pouerte / is proprely Iuuenal speketh / of pouerte merily The pore man / whan he goth by the wey Byfore the theues / he may synge & pley Pouerte is hateful good / and as I gesse A ful greet bryngere / out of besynesse A gret amendere eke / of sapience To him that taketh it / in pacience Pouerte is this / al-though it seme alenge Possession / that no wyght wol chalenge Pouerte ful often / whan a man is lowe¶ Nota bene Maketh his god / and eke him self to knowe Pouerte / a spectakil is / as thynketh me Thurgh which he may / his verray frendes se And þerfore sire / syn that I nouȝt ȝow greue Of my pouerte / no more ȝe me repreeue Now sire / of elde ȝe repreeue me And certes sire / though non auctorite were in no book / ȝe gentiles of honour Seyn / þat men shulde / an olde wyght do fauour And clepe him fader / for ȝoure gentilnesse And auctoures shal I fynden / as I gesse Now there as ȝe seyn / þat I am foul and old Than drede ȝow nought / to ben a Cokewold ffor filthe and elde / also mot I the Ben grete wardeyns / vp-on chastite But neueretheles / syn I knowe ȝoure delite I shal fulfille / ȝoure worldly appetite Chese now quod she / on of theise thynges twey To han me foul and old / til that I dey And be to ȝow / a trewe humble wyf And neuere ȝow displese / in al my lyf Or ellis ȝe wyl han me / ȝong and faire And take ȝoure auenture / of the repaire That shal be to ȝoure hous / by-cause of me Or in som other place / it may wel be Now chese ȝoure self / wheiþer that ȝow liketh This knyght auyseth him / & sore syketh But at the last / he seide in this manere My lady & my loue / and wyf so dere I putte me / in ȝoure wyse gouernaunce Cheseth ȝoure self / which may be most plesaunce And most honour / to ȝow and me also I do no force / wheither of the two ffor as ȝow liketh / it suffiseth me Then haue I get of ȝow / the maistrye quod she Syn I may chese / and gouerne as me list Ȝe certes wyf quod he / I holde it the best Kisse me quod she / we be no lengere wrothe ffor be my trouthe / I shal be to ȝow bothe This is to seyn / ȝe bothe fair and good I preye to god / that I mot steruen wood But I to ȝow / be also good and trewe As euere was wyf / sithe þat the world was newe And but I be to-morwe / as fair to sene As any lady / Emperesse or Quene That is be-twix the Est / & eke the west Do with my lif and deth / right as ȝow list Cast vp the curtyn / loke how that it is And whan þat the knyght / saw verreyly al this That she so fair was / & so ȝong ther-to ffor ioye he hent hire / in hise armes two his hert bathed / in a bath of blisse A thousand tymes a rowe / he gan hire kysse And she obeyed him / in euery thyng That myght don him plesaunce or likyng And thus they leue / vn-to here lyues ende In parfyt ioye / and ihesu crist vs sende husbondes meke / ȝonge and fressh abedde And grace to ouer-byde hem / that we wedde And eke I preye ihesu / shorte here lyues That nought wyl be gouerned / by here wyues And olde and angry / nygardes of despence God sende hem sone / verray pestilence ¶ Hic desinit fabula Vxoris de Bathe Et incipit prologus fratrison leaf 81 THis worthy Lymytour / this noble frere he make alwey / a maner louryng chere vp-on this Sompnour / but for honeste No vyleyns word / to him as ȝet spak he But at the laste / he seide vn-to the wyf Dame quod he / god ȝeue ȝow right good lyf Ȝe han here touched / also mot I the In scole mater / a greet difficultee Ȝe han seide meche thyng / right wel I seye But Dame / here as we riden / by the weye vs nedeth nought to speken / but of game Ane lete auctorites be / a goddes name To prechynge and to scole / of clergie And if it like / vn-to this compaignye I wyl ȝow of a Sompnour / telle a game Parde ȝe may wel knowen / by the name That of a Sompnour / may no good be seide I preye that noon of ȝow / be euele a-payde A Sompnour is a rennere / vp and doun With maundementeȝ / for ffornicacion And is I-bete / at euery tounes ende ¶ Oure host tho spak / a sire ȝe shuld ben hende And curteys / as a man of ȝoure estat In compaignye / we wyln haue noon debat Telleth ȝoure tale / and late the Sompnour be Nay quod the Sompnour / late him sey to me What so him list / whan it cometh to my lot By god I shal him quyten / euery grot I shal him telle / which a gret honour It is to be / a flateryng lymytour And eke / of ful many a-nother crime Which nedeth nat / to rehercen at this tyme And his office / I shal him telle I-wys ¶ Oure host answered / pees nomore of this And after this / he seide vn-to the ffrere Telleth forth ȝoure tale / myn owen maister dere ¶ Incipit fabula fratrison leaf 81, back WHilom there was dwellyng / in my contree An Archedekene / a man of hey degree That boldely / dede / execucion In punysshyng / of fornicacion Of wychecraft / and eke of baudrye Of diffamacion / and aduoutrye Of chirche Reues / and of testamentes Of Contractes / and of lak of Sacramentes Of Vsurie / and of Symonye also But certis lecchours / dide he grettest woo They shulden synge / if that they were hent And smale titheres / weren foule I-shent If ony Persone / wold vp-on hem pleyne There myght a-stert him / no pecunyal peyne ffor smale tithes / and for smale offrynge he mad the peeple / pytously to synge ffor er the Busshop / caught hem with his hoke They weren / in the Archedekenes boke And than had he / thurgh his Iurisdiccion Power / to don on hem correccion he had a sompnour / redy to his hond A Slier boy / was noon in Engelond ffor sotilly he had / his espialle That taught him wele / where it myght availle he coude spere / of lecchoures oon or twoo To techen him / to foure and twenty moo ffor though this sompnour / wod were as an hare To telle hise harlotrie / I wyl nat spare ffor we ben out / of here correccion They han of vs / no Iurisdiccion Ne neuere shuln / terme of al here lyues Peter so ben the wommen / of the styues Quod the sompnour / I put out of our cure Pees with myschaunce / and with mysauenture Thus seide oure host / and late him telle his tale Now telleth forth / and lat the Sompnour gale Ne spareth nought / myn owen maister deere This fals thef / this Sompnour / quod the frere had alwey / Baudes / redy to his hond As ony hauke / to lure in Engelond That told him al the secree / that they knewe ffor hire acqueyntaunce / was nat comen of newe They weren hise approwoures / preuyly he tok him self / a gret profyt ther-by his maister knew nat alwey / what he wan With-outen maundement / a lewed man he coude sompne / vp peyne of cristes curs And they were Inly glad / for to fille his purs And make him greete festis / at the nale And right as Iudas / had purses smale And was a thef / right swich a thef was he his maister had but half / his duete he was / if I shal ȝeuen him his lavde A thef / and eke a sompnour / and a baude he had eke wenchis / at his retynew That wheither sire Robert / or sire Heughe Or Iohn or Raf / or who-so that it were That lay by hem / they told it in his eere Thus was the wenche / and he of oon assent And he wold fecche / a feyned maundement And sompne hem to chapetle / bothe two And pille the man / and late the wenche go Than wold he sey frend / I shal for thy sake Do strike the out / of oure lettres blake The thar no more / as in this cas trauaille I am thy frend / there I may the auaille Certeyn he knew / of bryboures moo Than possible is / to telle in ȝeres twoo ffor in this world / nys dogge for the bowe That can an hurt deer / from an hol bet knowe Than that this Sompnour / knew a sly lechour Or on aduouter / or a Paramour And for that was the fruyt / of al his rente Therefore on it he sette / al his entente And so byfel / that ones vp-on a day This sompnour euere / waytyng on his pray Rod for to sompne / an old wyf orrible ffeynyng a cause / for he wold hire brydle And happed that he saw / byforn him ryde A gay ȝoman / vnder a forest syde A bowe he bar / and arwes bryght and kene he had vp-on / a courteby of Grene An hat vp-on his hed / with frenges blake Sire quod this sompnour / heyl and wel a-take Welcome quod he / and euery good felawe Whider ridest þou / vnder this grene wode shawe Seide this ȝoman / wylt þou fer to-day This sompnour answered / and seide nay heere fast by quod he / is myn entent To riden / for to reysen vp / a rent That longeth to my lordes / duete A / art thow thanne a bayly / ȝe quod he he durst nat for verray velanye / and shame Sey that he was a sompnour / for the name Depardeux quod this ȝoman / dere brother Thow art a Bailly / and I am a-nother I am vnknowen / as in this contree Of thyn acqueyntaunce / I wold preye the And eke of brotherhede / if that thow list I haue gold and siluer / in my chest If that the happed / to come in-to our shire Al shal be thyn / right as thow wolt desire Graunt mercy quod this Sompnour / be my feith Euerych in otheres hand / his trouthe leith ffor to be sworn bretheren / til that they deye In daliaunce they reden forth / and pleye This sompnour which þat was / as ful of Iangles As ful of venym ben / theise wariangles And euere enqueryng / vp-on euery thyng Brother quod he / where is now / ȝoure dwellyng Another day / if that I shuld ȝow seche This ȝeman him answered / in softe speche Brother quod he / fer in the North contree Where as I hope / somtyme I shal the se Er we departe / I shal the so wel wysse That of myn hous / ne shalt þou neuere mysse Now Brother quod this Sompnour / I ȝow preye Teche me / whil we riden by the weye Syn that ȝe ben / a Bailly / as am I Som sotiltee / and telle me feithfully In myn office / how that I may most wynne And spareth nat / for conscience or for synne But as my brother / tell me how do ȝe Now be my trouthe / dere brother seyde he As I shal tellen the / a feithful tale My wages ben ful streyte / and eke ful smale My lord is hard to me / and daungerous And myn office / is ful laborious And therefore / by extorcions I lyue ffor-sothe I tak / al that men wol me ȝeue Algate by sleighte / or by violence ffro ȝere to ȝere / I wynne al my dispence I can no betir tellen / feithfully ¶ Now certis quod this Sompnour / so fare I I spare nat to take / god it wot But if it be to heuy / or to hot What I may gete / in counseil preuyly No manere conscience / of that haue I Ner myn extercion / I might nat lyuen Ne of swich Iapes / wol I nat be shreuen Stomak ne conscience / knowe I noon I shrewe theise shriftefaderes / euerychon Wel be we mette / by god & by Seynt Iame But leue brother / telle me thy name Quod this Sompnour / right in this mene while This ȝeman gan / a litel for to smyle Brother quod he / wylt þou that I the telle I am a fende / my dwellyng is in helle And here I ryde / a-boute my purchasyng To wete / where men wold me ȝeue / ony thyng My purchas is the effect / of al my rent loke how thow ridest / for the same entent To wynne good / thow rekkest neuere how Ryght so fare I / for ride wold I now Vn-to the worlddes ende / for a preye ¶ A quod this Sompnour / benedicite what ȝe seye I wende ȝe were / a ȝeman trewely Ȝe han a mannes shap / as wel as I han ȝe thanne a figure / determinate In helle there ȝe ben / in ȝoure estate Nay certeynly quod he / there han we noone But whan vs liketh / we can take vs one Or ellis make ȝow seme / we ben shape Somtyme lyke a man / or lyke an Ape Or lyke an Aungel / can I ride or go It is no wonder thyng / though it be so A lousy Iogelour / can disceyue the And parde ȝet can I / moore craft than he Why quod this Sompnour / ride ȝe than or gon In sondry shap / and nat alwey in oon ffor we quod he / wyln vs swich formes make As most able is / our preyes for to take What maketh ȝow / to han al this labour fful many a cause / leue sire Sompnour Seide this fende / but al thyng hath tyme The day is short / and it is passed pryme And ȝet ne wan I / no thyng in this day I wol entende / to wynnyng if I may And nat entende / oure wyttes to declare ffor brother myn / thy wyt is al to bare To vnderstonde / al-though I told hem thee But for thow axest / why laboren we ffor somtyme we ben / goddis Instrumentis And meenes to do / his comaundementis Whan that him list / vp-on his creaturis In diuerse actes / and in dyuers fyguris With-outen him / we han no myght certayne If that him list / to stonden there a-gayne And somtyme at oure preyer / han we leue Oonly the body / and nat the soule greue Wytnesse on Iob / whom that we dedyn woo And somtyme han we myght / of bothe twoo This is to seyn / of soule and body eke And somtyme be we / suffred for to seke Vp-on a man / and do his soule vnrest And nat his body / and al is for the best Whan he withstondeth / our temptacion It is the cause of his / saluacion Al be it / that it was / nat oure entente he shulde be saf / but that we wold him hente And somtyme be we / seruaunt vn-to man As to the Erchebusshop / seynt Dunstan And to the Apostles / seruaunt eke was I ¶ Ȝet telle me quod the sompnour feithfully Make ȝe ȝow newe bodyes / thus alwey Of Elementis / the fend answered nay Sumtyme we feyne / and sumtyme we aryse With dede bodyes / in ful sondry wyse And speke as renably / and faire and wel As to Phitonissa / dide Samuel And ȝet wyl somme men seyn / it was nat he I do no force / of ȝoure dyuynyte But of o thyng I warne the / I wol nat Iape Thow wolt algates wete / how we be shape Thow shalt here afterward / my brother deere Come there / the nedeth nat of me to lere ffor þou shalt / be thyn owen experience Come in a chayer / rede al this sentence Bette than virgile / while he was on lyue Or Dant also / nowe late vs ride blyue ffor I wyl holde / companye with the Til it be so / that thow forsake me ¶ Nay quod this sompnour / that shal nat betide¶ Sompnour I am a ȝeman / that knowen is ful wyde My trouthe wol I holde / as in this caas ffor though thow were / the deuele Sathanas My trouthe wyl I holde / to the my brother As I haue sworn / and ech of vs to other ffor to be trewe bretheren / as in this cas And bothe we gon / a-bouten oure purchas Take thow thy part / what þat men wol the ȝeue And I shal myn / thus may we bothe leue And if that any of vs / haue more than other Lat him be trewe / and part it with his brother ¶ I graunte quod the Deuele / be my fey And with that word / they ryden forth here wey And right at the entryng / of the tounes ende To which this sompnour / shop him for to wende They saw a cart / that charged was with hey Which that a Cartere / drof forth in his wey Depe was the weye / for which the cart stode This Cartere smot / and cried as he were wode hayt Brok hayt Skot / what spare ȝe for the stones The fend quod he / ȝow fecche body and bones As ferforth / as euere were ȝe foled So mechil woo / as I haue with ȝow tholed The deuele haue al / bothe hors Cart and hey ¶ This sompnour seide / here shuln we han a pley And nere the fend he drow / as nought ne were fful pryuely / and rovned in his Eere herkene my brother / herken be thyn feith herest thow nat how / that the Cartere seith hent it a-noon / for he hath ȝeue it the Bothe hey and cart / and eke hise caples three Nay quod the deuele / god wot neuere a dele It is nat his entent / trost me wele Aske him thy selue / if þou nat trowest me Or ellys stynt a while / and þou shalt se This Cartere takkith his hors / on the croupe And they bygonne / to drawen & to stoupe hayt now quod he / there ihesu crist ȝow blisse And al his handwerk / bothe more & lesse That was wel twyt / my owen lyard boy I preye to god saue thy body and Seynt Loy Now is my Cart / out of the slow parde loo brother quod the fend / what told I the here may ȝe se / myn owen dere brother The charl spak oo thyng / but he thouȝt a-nother late vs go forth / a-bouten oure vyage heere wynne I no-thyng / vp-on this cariage Whan that they comen / som-what out of toune This Sompnour to his brother / gan to roune Brother quod he / here woneth an olde rebekke That had almost / as lef to lese hire nekke As for to ȝeue / a peny of hire good I wol haue twelue pans / though þat she be wood Or I wyl somoune hire / vn-to oure office And ȝet god wot / of hire knowe I no vice But for þou canst not / as in this contree Wynne thy cost / take here ensaumple of me This sompnour clappeth / at the wydewes gate Come out quod he / thow old / very trate I trowe þou hast / some ffrere or prest with the Who clappeth there / seith this wyf / benedicite God saue ȝow sire / what is ȝoure swete wylle I haue quod he / of somouns here a bille vp peyne of cursynge / loke that thow be To morwe byfore / the Archedekenes kne To answere vn-to the courte / of certeyne thynges Now lord quod she / crist ihesu / kyng of kynges So wysly help me / as I ne may I haue ben seeke / and that ful many a day I may nat go quod she / so fer / ne ryde But I be ded / so pryketh it in my syde May I nat aske / a libel sire sompnour And answere there / be my procuratour To swiche thyng / as men wold appose me Ȝis quod this sompnour / paye a-noon lat se Twelue pens to me / and I wol the acquyte I shal no profyt han ther-by / but lyte My Maister hath the profyt / and nat I Come of / and late me ryden / hastily Ȝeue me twelue pans / I may no lengere tarye Twelue pens quod she / now lady Seynt Marye So wysly help me / out of care and synne This wyde world / though þat I shuld it wynne Ne haue I nat twelue pans / with-Inne myn holde Ȝe knowen wel / that I am pore and olde Kythe ȝoure almesse / on me pore wrecche Nay thanne quod he / the foule fend me fecche If I the excuse / though thow shuldest be spilt Allas quod she / god wot I haue no gilt Paie me quod he / or by the swete Seynt Anne As I wol bere a-wey / thy newe panne ffor dette / which þou owest me of olde Whan þou madest thyn husbonde / Cokewolde I paid at hom / for thyn correccion ¶ Thow lixt quod she / be myn saluacion Ne was I neuere or now / wydewe ne wyf Somound vn-to ȝoure court / in al my lyf Ne neuere I nas / but of my body trewe vn-to the deuele blak / & row of hewe Ȝeue I thy body / and my panne also And whanne the deuele / herd hire cursen so Vp-on hire knees / he seide in this manere Now Mabily / myn owen moder deere Is this ȝoure wylle in ernest / that ȝe seye The deuele quod she / so fecche him or he deye And panne and al / but he wol him repente Nay olde stot / that is nat myn entente Quod this sompnour / for to repente me ffor ony thyng / that I haue had of the I wold I had thy smok / and euery cloth Now brother quod the deuele / be nat wroth Thy body and this panne / ben myn be right Thow shalt to helle / with me / ȝet to-nyght There thow shalt knowen / of oure pryuete More than a Maister / of dyuynyte And with that word / this foul fend him hente Body and soule / he with the deuele wente Where as theise Sompnoures / han here heritages And god that made / aftir his Image Man-kynde saue / and gyde / vs alle and some And leue this sompnour / good man to bycome ¶ lordynggis I coude haue told ȝow / quod this ffrere had I had lesyer / for this sompnour heere After the tixt of crist / Poule and Iohn And of oure othere doctoures / many oon Swiche peynes / that ȝoure hertes myght a-gryse Al be it so / no tonge may it deuyse Though that I myght / a thousand wynter telle The peynes of that cursed hous / in helle But for to kepe vs / fro that cursed place Waketh and preyeth / ihesu for his grace So kepe vs / fro the temptour Sathanas herkeneth this word / by-war as in this cas The lyon sitteth / in his wayte alwey To slee the Innocent / if that he may Disposeth ay ȝoure hertis / to withstonde The fend / that ȝow wol make / thral & bonde he may nat tempten ȝow / ouer ȝoure myght ffor crist wol be ȝoure champion / & ȝoure knyght And preyeth that theise Sompnours / hem repent Of here misdedis / or that the fend hem hent ¶ Hic desinit fabula fratris / Et incipit prologus Summonitorison leaf 84, back This Sompnour / in hise stiropes heye stode Vp-on this frere / his hert was so wode That like an Aspen lef / he quok for ire lordynggis quod he / but o thyng I desire I ȝow byseche / that of ȝoure curteisye Syn ȝe han herd / this fals frere lye As suffreth me / I may my tale telle This frere bosteth / that he knoweth helle And god it woot / that is but litel wonder ffreres and fendes / ben but lite asonder ffor parde / ȝe han ofte tyme herd telle how that a frere / rauysshed was to helle In spirit oones / by a vysion And as an Aungel / led him vp and doun To shewen him / the peynes that there were In al that place / saw he nat a frere Of othere folk / he saw I-nowe in woo vn-to this Aungel / spak this frere thoo ¶ Now sire quod he / han freres swich a grace That noone of hem / shal comen in this place Ȝis quod this Aungel / many a mylioun And vn-to Sathanas / he led him doun And now hath Sathanas / seith he / a tayle Braddere than of a Caryk / is the sayle hold vp thy tayl / thow sathanas quod he Shewe forth thyn Ars / and late the frere se Where is the nest / of freres in this place And er that half a furlong weye / of space Right so as Bees / out swarmen of an hyue Out of the Deueles Ars / they gonne dryue Twenty thousand freres / on a route And thurgh-out helle / they swarmed al a-boute And comen a-geyn / as fast as they moun gon And in his Ars / they crepten euerychon he clapte his tayl a-geyn / & lay full stille This frere / whan he loked had / his fille vp-on the turmentes / of this sory place His spirit / god restored / of his grace vn-to his body a-ȝein / and he a-woke But natheles / for feer / ȝet he quoke So was the deueles ars / ay in his mynde That is hise Eritage / of verrey kynde God saue ȝow alle / saue this cursed ffrere My prolog wol I ende / in this manere ¶ Hic desinit prologus / Et incipit fabulaon leaf 85 Lordyngges there is / in ȝorkshire as I gesse A mersshy contre / called Holdernesse In which there wente / a lymytour a-boute To preche and eke to begge / it is no doute And so byfel / that on a day this frere Had preched at a chirche / in his manere And specially / a-bouen euery thynge Excited he the peeple / in his prechynge To trentales / and to ȝeuen for goddis sake Where-with men myght / holy houses make There as diuine seruyse / is honoured Nat there as it is wasted / and deuoured Ne there it nedeth nat / for to be ȝeue As to possessioneres / that moun lyue Thanked be god / in wele and habundaunce Trentals quod he / delyueren fro penaunce here frendes soules / as wel old as ȝonge Ȝa / whan that they ben / hastily I-songe Nat for to holden a prest / Ioly and gay he syngeth nat / but oo masse on a day Delyuereth out a-non quod he / the soules fful hard it is / with flesshoke / or with owles To ben I-clawed / or to brenne or bake Now spede ȝow hastily / for cristes sake And whan this frere / had seid al his entente With Qui cum patre / forth his weye he wente ¶ Whanne folk in chirche / had ȝeuen him what hem list he went his wey / no lengere wold he rest With skrippe and tipped staf / I-tukked heye In euery hous / he gan to poore and prye And begged mele and chese / or ellis corn his felawe had a staf / typped with horn A peyre of tables / al of yuory And a poyntel / polysshed fetisly And wrot the names alwey / as he stode Of alle folk / that ȝaf hem any good A-scaunce that he wold / for hem preye Ȝeue vs a busshel whete / malt or reye A goddis kechel / or a tryp of chese Or ellis what ȝow list / we moun nat chese A goddis halpeny / or a masse peny Or ȝeue vs of ȝoure brawne / if ȝe haue eny A dagon of ȝoure blanket / lef dame loo deere suster / heere wryte I ȝoure name Bacon or Beef / or swich thyng as ȝe fynde ¶ A sturdy harlot / went hem ay behynde That was here hostis man / and bar a sak And that men ȝaf hem / leide it on his bak And whan that he was / out at the dore / a-noon he planed a-wey / the names euerychon That he byforn had wretyn / in his tables he serued hem with nyfles / and with fables ¶ Nay there thow lixt / thow Sompnour quod the frere Pees quod oure host / for cristes moder deere Telle forth thy tale / and spare it nat at al So thryue I quod this sompnour / so I shal So longe he went / fro hous to hous / til he Cam to an hous / there he was wont to be Refresshed moore / than in an hundred places Seke lay the bonde man / whos the place is Bedred vp-on a couche / lowe he lay Deus hic quod he / O Thomas frend good day Seide this frere / curteisly and softe Thomas quod he / god ȝelde ȝow / ful ofte haue I vp-on this benche / faren ful wele heere haue I eten / ful many a mery mele And fro the benche / he drof a-wey the cat And leide a-doun his potent / and his hat And eke his skrippe / and sette him softe a-doune his felawe was gon / walked in to toune fforth-with his knaue / in-to that hostelrye Where as he shop him / thilke nyght to lye O deere maister / quod this syke man how han ȝe faren / syn that Marche bygan I saw ȝow nat / this fourtene nyght or more God wot quod he / laboured haue I sore And specially / for thy saluacione haue I seid / many a precious orisone And for oure oþere frendis / god hem blisse I haue to-day ben / at ȝoure chirche at messe And seid a sermoun / to my symple wytte Nat al after the text / of holy wrytte ffor it is hard to ȝow / as I suppose And therfore wol I telle ȝow / al the glose Glosyng / is a ful glorious thyng / certeyn ffor lettre sleeth / so as we clerkes seyn There haue I taught hem / to be charitable And spende here good / there it is resonable And there I saw oure dame / a where is she Ȝonder in the ȝerd / I trowe that she be Seyde this man / and she wyl come a-noon ¶ Ey Maister welcome be ȝe / be Seynt Iohn Seide this wyf / how fare ȝe hertily The frere a-riseth vp / ful curteisly And hire embraceth / in his armes narwe And kist hire swete / and chirketh as a sparwe With hise lippes / dame quod he right wel As he that is ȝoure seruaunt / euerydel Thanked be god / þat ȝow ȝaf soule and lyf Ȝet saw I nat this day / so fair a wyf In al the chirche / god so saue me Ȝe god amende defautes / sire quod she Algates wolcome be ȝe / be my fay Graunt mercy dame / this haue I founde alway But of ȝoure greet goodnesse / be ȝoure leeue I wolde preye ȝow / that ȝe nat ȝow greeue I wol with Thomas / speke a litel throwe Theise curatours / ben so negligent / and slowe To gropen tenderly / a conscience In shrift / in prechynge / is my diligence And studye / in Petres wordes / and in Poules I walke and fisshe / mennes soules To ȝelden ihesu crist / his propre rent To sprede his word / is sette al myn entent ¶ Now be ȝoure leue / deere sire quod she Chideth him wele / for seynt charite he is as angry / as a Pissemyre Though that he haue / al that he can desire Though I him wrye a nyght / & make him warme And ouer him leye / my legge and eke myn arme he groneth lyke oure Boor / lith in oure sty Other disport of him / right noon haue I I may nat pleese him / in no maner caas O Thomas ieo vous dye / Thomas Thomas This maketh the fend / this must ben amended Ire is a thyng / that heye god defended And ther-of wol I speke / a word or twoo Now maister quod the wyf / or that I goo What wol ȝe dyne / I wol go ther-aboute Now dame quod he / now ieo vous die saunȝ doute haue I nat of a Capone / but the lyuere And of ȝoure white bred / no but a shyuere And after that / a rosted pygges hede But that I nolde for me / no beest were dede Than had I with ȝow / homly sufficeaunce I am a man / of litel sustenaunce My spirit hath his fostrynge / in the bible My body is ay so redy / & so penyble To wake / that my stomak is destroyed I preye ȝow dame / that ȝe be nat a-noyed Though I so frendly / ȝow my counseil shewe By god I nold han told it / but a fewe ¶ Now sire quod she / but a word or I goo My child is deed / with-inne theise wekes twoo Sone after that ȝe went / out of this Toun ¶ his deth saw I / by reuelacion Seide this ffrere / at hom in oure dortour I dar wel seyn / that or half an houre Aftir his deeth / I saw him born to blisse In myn auysione / so god me wysse So dide oure sexteyn / and oure ffermerer That han ben trewe freres / fifty ȝere They moun now / god by thanked of his loue Maken here Iubilee / and walken allone And vp I roos / and al our couent eke With many a teer / trillynge on my cheke With-outen noyse / and clateryng of belles Te Deum / was oure song / & nothyng elles Saue that to Crist / I bad an orison Thankynge him / of my reuelacion ffor sire and dame / trosteth me right wele Oure orisons ben more / effectuele And more we sen / of Cristes secree thynges Than borel folk / al-though that they ben kynges We lyue in pouert / and in abstinence And borel folk / in rychesse and in despence Of mete and drynk / and in here foule delyt We han this worldlis list / al in despyt Laȝar and Dyues / lyueden dyuersly And dyuers guerdoun / hadden ther-by Who so wol preye / he must fast and be clene And fatte his soule / and make his body leene We fare as seith the Appostel / cloth and food Suffiseth vs / though they be nat ful good The clennesse and the fastynge / of vs ffreres Maketh that Crist / accepteth oure preyeres loo Moyses / fourty dayes and fourty nyght ffasted / er that god ful of myght Spak with him / in the mounte of Synay With empty wombe / of fastynge many a day Receyued he the lawe / that was wryten With goddes fynger / and Ely wel ȝe wyten In Monte Oreb / or he had any speche With heye god / that is oure lyues leche he fasted longe / and was in contemplaunce Aron that had / the temple in gouernaunce And eke the othere prestis / euerychone In-to the temple / whan they shuld gone To preyen for the peeple / and do seruyse They nolde drynken / in no maner wyse No drynk / which that myght hem dronken make But there in abstinence / preye and wake leest that they dedyn take hede / what I seye But they be sobre / that for the peeple preye War that / I sey no more / for it suffiseth Oure lord ihesu / as holy wryt deuyseth Ȝaf vs ensaumple / of fastynge and preyeres Therfore we mendyuauntȝ / we sely freres Ben wedded to pouert / and to contynence To charite humblesse / and Abstinence To persecucione / for rightwysnesse To wepynge / misericorde / and clennesse And therfore moun ȝe se / that oure preyeres I speke of vs / we mendyuauntȝ / we freres Ben to the heye god / more acceptable Than ȝoures / with ȝoure feestes / at the table ffro Paradys first / if I shal nat lye Was man out chased / for his glotonye And chast was man / in paradys certeyne But herkene now Thomas / that I shal seyne I haue no text of it / as I suppose But I shal fynde / in a maner glose That specially / oure swete lord Ihesus Spak this by freres / whan he seide thus Blissed be they / that poere in spirit bene And so forth / al the gospel / may ȝe sene Wheither it be lykere / oure professione Or heres / that swymmen / in possessione ffy on hire pompe / and on here glotonye And of here lewednesse / I hem diffye Me thynketh they ben lyke / to Iouynyan ffat as a whale / and walken as a swan Al vynolent / as a botle in the spence here preyere is / ful greet reuerence Whan they for soules / seyn the psalme of Dauyd loo buf they seyn / Cor meum eructauit Who folweth Cristes gospel / and here fore But we that humble ben / and chaast and poore Werkers of goddis word / nat auditours Therfore right as an hauke / vp-on a sours vp spryngeth in-to the Eyr / right so preyeres Of charitable and chaast / bisy freres Maken here sours / to goddis Eres twoo Thomas Thomas / so mot I ride or goo And be that lord / that cleped is seynt Iue Nere thow oure brother / shuldest þou neuere thryue In oure chapitre / preye we day and nyght To Crist / that he sende the / hele and myght Thy body / for to welden hastily God wot quod he / no thyng ther-of fele I As helpe me god / as I in fewe ȝeres haue spended / vp-on many dyuers freres fful many a pound / ȝet fare I neuere the bette Certeyn my good / haue I almost bysette ffarewel my gold / for it is al a-go The frere answered / o Thomas dost þou so What nedeth the / dyuerse freres seche What nedeth him / that hath a parfyt leche To sechen othere leches / in tovne Ȝoure inconstaunce / is ȝoure confusione holde ȝe thanne me / and eke al oure couent To preye for ȝow / be insufficient Thomas that iape / is nat worth a myte Ȝoure maladye is / for we han to lyte A / ȝeue that Couent foure and twenty grotes A / ȝeue that Couent / half a quarter Otes A / ȝeue that ffrere / a peny and lat him goo Nay nay Thomas / it may no thyng be soo What is a ferthyng / worth / parted on twelue Loo / ech thyng that is oned / in him selue Is more strong / than whan it is I-skatered Thomas of me / thow shalt nat ben I-flatered Thow woldest han oure labour / half for nought The heye god / that al this world hath wrought Seith that the werkman / is worth his hyre Thomas nat of ȝoure tresore / I desire As for my selue / but that al oure Couent To preye for ȝow / ben ay so diligent And for to holden / Cristes owen chirche Thomas if ȝe wyln lerne / for to werche Of beldynge / vp-on chirches / may ȝe fynde If it be good / in Thomas lyf of Ynde Ȝe lyn here ful of anger / and of Ire With which the deuele / setteth ȝoure hert a-fyre And chiden heere / the sely Innocent Ȝoure wyf / that is so meke and pacient And therfore Thomas / trowe me if þou lest Ne stryue nat with thy wyf / as for the best And bere this word a-wey / now be thy feyth Touchyng swich thyng / lo what the wyseman seith With-Inne thyn hous / ne be þou no lyon To thyne suggettȝ / do non oppression Ne make thyn acqueyntaunce / nat to flee And Thomas / ȝet eftsones charge I the Be war from hire / that in thy bosom slepeth War froo the serpent / that so slyly crepeth vnder the gras / and styngeth sotilly Be war my sone / and herkene paciently That twenty thousand men / han lost here lyues ffor stryuyng with here lemmans / and here wyues Now syn ȝe han / so holy meeke a wyf What nedeth ȝow / Thomas to maken strif Ther nys I-wysse / no serpent so cruelle Whan a man tret vp-on his tail / ne half so felle As womman is / whan she hath caught an Ire vengeaunce is thanne / al that they desire Ire is a synne on[on, of, overline, later.] / of the greete of[on, of, overline, later.] seuene Abhominable / to the god of heuene And to him self / it is destruccione This euery lewed vyker / or Persone Gan seyn / how Ire / engendreth homycide Ire is in soth / executour of pryde I coude of Ire / seyn so mechil sorwe My tale shuld laste / til to-morwe And þerfore preye I god / bothe day & nyght An Irous man / god sende him litel myght It is gret harm / and certes greet pitee To sette an Irous man / in heye degree ¶ Whilom there was / an Irous potestate As seith Senek / that duryng his estate vp-on a day / out redyn knyghtes twoo And as fortune wolde / that it was so That oon of hem cam hom / that othir nought A-noon the knyght / byfore the Iuge is brought That seide thus / thow hast thy felawe slayne ffor which I deme the / to the deth certayne And to a-nother knyght / comaunded he Go lede him to the deth / I charge the And happed as they wenten / by the weye Toward the place / there he shuld deye The knyght cam / which þat men wenden / had ben ded Than thoughten they / it were the best red To lede hem bothe / to the Iuge a-geyne They seiden lord / the knyght ne hath nat slayne his felawe / heere he stant / hool a-lyue ¶ Ȝe shuln be deede quod he / so mote I thryue This is to seyn / bothe on two and three And to the first knyght / right thus spak he I dampned the / thow must algate be deed And thow also / must nedes lese thyn hed ffor thow art cause / why thy felawe dyeth And to the thridde knyght / right thus he seith Thow hast nat do / that I comaunded the And thus he dide / do slee hem alle three ¶ Irrous Cambises / was thus eke dronkelewe And ay delited him / to ben a shrewe And so byfel / a lord of his meyne That loued vertuous / moralite Seide on a day / betwix hem two right thus A lord is lost / if he be vicious And dronkenesse eke / is a foul recorde Of any man / and namely in a lorde There is ful many an eye / & many an ere A-waytynge on a man / he wot nat where ffor goddis loue / drynketh more attemprely Wyn maketh a man / to leese wrecchedly hys mynde / & eke hise lymes euerychone ¶ The reuers shalt thow se / quod he a-none And preeue it / be thyn owen experience That wyn ne doth to folk no swich offence There is no wyn / byreueth me my myght Of hond ne foot / ne of myn eyen sight And for despyt / he drank ful mechel more An hundred part / than he had don byfore And right anon / this Irrous cursed wrecche This knyghtis sone / let byfore him fecche Comaundynge him / he shulde byfore him stonde And sodeynly / he tok his bowe in honde And vp the stryng / he pulleth to his Ere And with an arwe / he slow the child right there Now wheither haue I / a syker hand or noone Quod he / is al my myght / and mynde a-gone hath wyn byreued me / myn eyen sight What shulde I telle / the answere of the knyght His sone was slayn / there nys no more to seye By war therfore / with lordes how ȝe pleye Syngeth Placebo / and I shal if I can But if it be / vn-to a pore man To a pore man / men shulde hise vices telle But nat to a lord / though he shulde go to helle ¶ loo / Irrous Cirus / thilk percien How destroyed he / the ryuer of Gysen ffor that an hors of his / was dreynt there-Inne Whan that he went / Babylon to wynne he made that the Ryuer / was so smal That wommen myght / wade it oueral lo / what seide he / that so wel teche can Ne be no felawe / to non Irous man Ne with no wood man / walke by the weye lest the repente / I wol no forthere seye Now Thomas leue brother / leeue thyn Ire Thow shalt me fynde / as Iust as is a squire holde nat the deuelis knyf / ay at thyn herte Thyn anger doth the / al to sore smerte But shewe to me / al thyn confessione Nay quod this seke man / be seynt Symon I haue ben shreue this day / at myn curat I haue him told / holly al myn estat It nedeth no more / to speke of it seith he But if me liste / of myn humylitee ¶ Ȝeue me thanne of thy good / to make oure cloistre Quod he / for many a muscle and many an Oistre Whan other men / han ben ful wel at eese hath ben oure fode / our cloistre for to reise And ȝet god woot / vnethe the fundament Parfourmed is / ne of oure pauement Is nat a tyle ȝet / with-Inne oure wones By god we owen / fourty pound for stones Now help Thomas / for him þat harwed helle Or elles mote we / oure bookes selle And if þou lakke / oure predicacion Than goth the world / al to destruccion ffor who so fro this world / wold vs byreue So god me saue Thomas / be ȝoure leeue he wold byreue / out of this world the Sonne ffor who can teche and worken / as we conne And that is nat / of lytel tyme quod he But sithe Ely was / and Helysee han freres ben / that fynde I of recorde In charitee / I-thanked be oure lorde Now Thomas help / for seynt charitee And doun a-noon / he sette him on his knee ¶ This syke man / wex ny wood / for Ire he wolde that the frere / had ben a-fire With his fals / dissimulacione Swich thyng as is / in myn possessione Quod he / that may I ȝeue ȝow & noon other Ȝe seye me thus / how that I am ȝoure brother ¶ Ȝa certes quod the frere / trosteth wel I toke oure dame / the lettre of oure seal ¶ Now wel quod he / & sumwhat shal I ȝeue vn-to ȝoure Holy Couent / whil I lyue And in thyn hand / þou shalt it han a-noone On this condicione / and other noone That þou departe it / so / my dere brother That euery frere / haue as meche as other Thus shalt þou swere / on thy professione With-outen fraude / or cauellacione ¶ I swere it quod the frere / vp-on my feith And ther-with-al / his hond in his he leith loo heere my feith / in me shal be no lak ¶ Thanne put thyn hand / adoun right be my bak Seide this man / and grope wel behynde By-nethe my buttok / there shalt þou fynde A thyng that I haue / hid / in preuytee ¶ A thought this frere / that shal go with me And doun his hand / he launched to the clift In hope / for to fynde there / a ȝift ¶ And whan this syke man / felt this frere Aboute his towel / gropen heere and there Amydde his hand / he leet the frere a fart There is no capel / drawyng in a cart That myght han leet a fart / of swich a soun ¶ The frere vp stirt / as doth a wood lyon A fals cherl quod he / for goddis bones This hast þou for despyt / don for the nones Thow shalt a-bye / this fart if I may his meyne / which / þat herden swich a fray Comen lepyng In / and chased out the frere And forth he goth / with a ful angry chere And fette his felawe / there as lay his stoor he loked as he were / a wylde Boor And grynt with the teth / so was he wroth A sturdy paas / doun to the courte he goth Where as there woned / a man of gret 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 vnethe myght the frere / speke a word Til at the laste / he seide god ȝow se This lord gan loke / and seide benedicite What frere Iohn / what maner world is this I se wel that sum thyng / there is amys Ȝe loken as the wode / were ful of theues Sitte doun a-noon / and telle me / what ȝoure gref is And it shal ben amended / if I may I haue quod he had / a despyt to-day God ȝelde it ȝow / a-doun in ȝoure village That in this world / there nys so poere a page That he nold han / abhominacion Of that I haue resseyued / in the toun And ȝet ne greueth it me / half so sore As that the olde charl / with lokkes hore Blasfemed hath / oure holy couent eke ¶ Now Maister quod this lord / I ȝow byseke No Maister sire quod he / but seruytour Though I haue had / in scole that Honour God lyketh nat / that Raby men vs calle Neither in market / ne in ȝoure large halle No fors quod he / but telle me al ȝoure greef Sire quod this frere / an odious meschef This day be-tid is / myn order and me And so par consquens / in ich degree Of holy chirche / god amende it sone Sire quod the lord / ȝe wot what is to done Distempre ȝow nat / ȝe be my confessour Ȝe be the salt of the erthe / and the sauour ffor goddes loue / ȝour pacience now holde Telle me ȝoure greef / and he a-noon him tolde As ȝe han herd byforn / ȝe wot wel what The lady of the hous / ay stille sat Til she had herd / what the frere seide Ey goddis moder quod she / blisseful mayde Is there ought elles / telle me feithfully Madame quod he / how thynketh ȝow ther-by how þat me thynketh quod she / so god me spede I seye a cherl / hath doon a cherles dede What shulde I sey / god late him neuere thee his syke hede / is ful of vanytee I holde him / in a maner fransye Madame quod he / by god I shal nat lye But I on other wyse / may be wreke I shal deffame him / ouer al where I speke The fals blasfemour / that charged me To parte / that wyl nat / departed be To euery man I-liche / with meschaunce The lord sat stille / as he were in a traunce And in his herte / he rolleth vp and doun how that this cherl had / ymaginacioun To shewe swich a probleme / to the frere Neuere erst er now / ne herd I swich matere I trowe the deuele / put it in his mynde In ars metryk / shal there no man fynde By-forn this day / of swich a question Who shulde make / a demonstracion That euery man / shuld han lyke his part As of a soun / or of a sauour of a fart O nyce proud cherl / I shrewe his face lo sires quod the lord / with harde grace Who euere herde / of swich a thyng or now[in another hand.] To euery man I-lyke / telleth me how It is an impossible / it may nat be Ey nyce cherl / god late him neuere the The rumblynge of a fart / and euery soune Nis but of eyre / reuerberacione And there it wasteth / litel and litel a-wey There nys no man / can deme be my fey If that it were / departed equally What lo my cherl / lo ȝet how shrewedly vn-to my confessour / to-day he spak I holde him certeyn / a demonyak Now ete ȝoure mete / and late the cherl go pleye lat him go hange him self / a deuel weye[The Solution of the "Probleme" by the Lord's Squire. No break in the MS.] ¶ Now stod the lordes squyer / at his bord That carf his mete / and herd word by word Of al this thyng / of which I haue ȝow seyde My lord quod he / be ȝe nat euele a-paide I coude telle / for a gowne cloth To ȝow sire frere / so ȝe be nat wroth how that this fart / shulde euene deled be Amonge ȝoure Couent / if it lyked me Telle quod the lord / & thow shalt haue a-noon A govne cloth / by god and by Seynt Iohn My lord quod he / whan that the wedir is fayre With-outyn wynd / or pertourbyng of eyre[in another hand.] lat brynge a Carte whel / heere in-to this halle But loke that it haue / his spokes alle Twelue spokes hath a cart whel / comounly And brynge me þanne twelue freres / wete ȝe why ffor threttene / is a couent / as I gesse Ȝoure confessoure heere / for his worthynesse Shal perfourme vp / the noumbre of this Couent Than shuln they knele a-doun / by oon assent And to euery spokes ende / in this manere fful sadly leyn his nose / shal a frere Ȝoure noble confessour / there god him saue Shal holde his nose vp-right / vnder the naue Than shal this cherl / with bely stif and tought As any tabour / hedir ben I-brought And sette him on the whel / right of this cart vp-on the naue / and make him late a fart And ȝe shuln sen / vp perill of my lif By preeue / which that is / demonstratif That equally / the sovne of it / wyl wende Ad eke the stynk / vn-to the spokes ende Saue that this worthy man / ȝoure confessour Bycause he is a man / of gret Honour Shal han the first fruyt / as reson is The noble vsage of freres / ȝet is this The worthy men of hem / shuln first be serued And certeynly / he hath it wel deserued he hath to-day taught vs / so mechil good With prechynge in the pulpyt / there he stod That I may vouche-saf / I seye for me he had the first smel / of fartes three And so wold al his Couent / hardily he bereth him so fayre / and so holily ¶ The lord the lady / and eche man saue the frere Seyden that Iankyn / spak in this matere As wel as Euclide / or protholome Towchynge the cherles / they seyden sotiltee An hey wyt / made him speke / as he spak he nys no fool / ne noo demonyak And Iankyn hath I-wonne / a newe Govne My Tale is doon / we ben almost at Tovne¶ quod Wyttoñ ¶ Hic finitur fabula Summonitoris / & incipit prologus clerici de Oxonia[This was set from Dr. W. Aldis Wright's very accurate quarto print, but has been collated again with the MS.—F.] Sire Clerk of Oxenford / oure Host sayde Ȝe ride as stille and coy / as dooth a mayde Were newe spoused / syttynge at the bord This day ne herd I / of ȝoure tonge a word I trowe ȝe studye / a-bouten som Sophyme But Salamon seith / þat euery thyng hath tyme For goddis sake / as beth of betre cheere It is no tyme / for to studyen heere Telle vs som mery tale / be ȝoure feye For what man / that is entred / in a pleye He nedes must / vn-to the pley assent But preecheth nat / as freres don in lent To maks vs / for oure olde synnes wepe Ne that thy tale / make vs nat to slepe Telle vs sum merymery added above the line.—W. thyng / of auentures Ȝoure termes / ȝoure coloures / and figures Kepe hem in stoor / til so be / þatþt added above.—W. ȝe endite Heye stile / as whan þat men / to kynges wryte Spekith so pleyn / at this tyme / we ȝow preye That we moun vnderstonde / what that ȝe seye ¶ This worthy Clerk / benygnely answered Host quod he / I am vnder ȝoure ȝerde Ȝe han of vs / as now / the gouernaunce And therfore wold I do ȝow / obeisaunce As fer as reson axeth / hardily I wold ȝow telle a tale / which that I lerned at Padowe / of a worthy Clerk As proued be his wordes / and his werk he is now deed / and nayled in his cheste I preye to god / so ȝeue his soule reste Fraunceys Petrak / the laureat poete hyght this Clerk / whos Retoryk swete Enlumyned al Itaille / of Poetrye As lynyan dide / of Philosophye Or lawe / or other art particuler But deth that wol nat / suffren vs / dwellen heer But as it were / a twynkelynge of an eye hem bothe hath slayne / and alle shuln we deye But forth to tellen / of this worthy man That taught me this tale / as I began I seye / that first / he with heyehis corrected into heye.—W. stile enditeth Or he the dety / of his tale wryteth A probleme / in the whiche / descryueth he Pemond and of Saluces / the contree And spekith of Appenym / the hilles heye That ben the boundes / of westlumbardye And of Mount vesulus / in speciale Where as the Poo / out of a welle smalle Taketh his first spryngynge / and his sourscours corrected into sours.—W. That Estward ay / encresith in his cours To EmelieEmele corrected into Emelie.—W. ward / To fferaro and venyse The which a long thyng were / to deuyse And trewely / as to my Iugement Me thynketh it a thyng / impartinent Saue he wole conueyen / his matere But this is the tale / which þat ȝe moun heere. ¶ Hic desinit prologus / et incipit fabula Clerici de Oxonia; There is right at the west side / of ytaille¶ Inter cetera ad radicem vesuli terra Saluciarum vicis & Castellis. Doun at the rote / of vesulus the colde A lusty pleyn / habundaunt of vytaille¶ Grata planicies Where many a Toun & Tour / þou mayst byholde That founded were / in tyme of fadres olde And many a-nother / delitable syght And Saluces / this noble contree hyght ¶ A Markys whylom / lord was of that londe As were his worthy elderes / him byfore And obeissant / ay redy to his honde Were alle hise lieges / bothe lesse and more Thus in delyt he lyueth / and hath doon ȝore Byloued and dred / thurgh fauour of fortune Bothe of his lordes / & of his Comune ¶ There-with he was / to speken of lynage The gentillest I-born / of lumbardye A fair persone and strong / and ȝong of age And ful of honour / and curteysye Discret I-now / his contree for to gye Saue in somme thynges / he was to blame And WalterOriginally Waulter, but the 'u' is erased.—W. / was this ȝong lordes name ¶ I blame him thus / that he considered nought In tyme comyng / what myght him betyde But on his lust present / was al his thought As for to hauke and hunte / on euery syde Wel ny / alle othere cures / leet he slide And eke he nolde / and that was werst of alle Wedde no wyf / for nought that myght byfalle ¶ Only that poynt / his peeple bar so sore That flokmele on a day / to him they wentcateruatim And oon of hem / that wysest was of lore Or elles / that the lord best / wolde assent That he shulde telle him / what the peeple ment Or elles coude he shewe wel / swich mateer he to the Markys seyde / as ȝe shuln heere ¶ O noble Markys / ȝoure humanyte¶ tua inquid Humanitas op|time Marchio; Assureth vs / and ȝeueth vs hardynesse As ofte / as tyme is / of necessite That we to ȝow mow telle / oure heuynesse Accepteth lord / thanne of ȝoure gentilnesse That if we / with pytous hert / vn-to ȝow pleyne And lete ȝoure Eeres / nat my voys desdeyne ¶ Al haue I nat to done / in this matere More than a-nother man / hath in this place Ȝet for-as-meche / as ȝe / my lord so deere han alwey shewed me / fauour and grace I dar the betre / aske of ȝow a space Of audience / to shewen oure request And ȝe my lord / to don right as ȝow list ¶ For certes lord / so wel vs lyketh ȝow And alle ȝoure werke / and euere han don / that we Ne coude nat / oure self / deuysen how We myghten lyuen / in more felicite Saue o thyng lord / if it ȝowre wylle be That for to be / a wedded man / ȝow list Than were ȝoure peeple / in souerayne hertis rest ¶ Boweth ȝoure nekke / vnder that blisseful ȝok Of Souereyntee / nought of seruyse Which that men clepen / spousaile or wedlak And thynketh lord / a-mong ȝoure thoughtes wyse how that oure dayes / passe in sondry gyse For though we slepe or wake / or rome or ryde Ay fleeth the tyme / it wyl no man a-byde ¶ And though ȝoure grene ȝouthe / floure as ȝet In crepeth age alwey / as stille as ston And deth manaceth euere age / and smyt In ech estate / for there eskapeth noon. And also certeyn / as we knowen echon That we shuln deye / and vncerteyne we alle Ben of that day / whan deth shal on vs falle ¶ Accepteth thanne of vs / the trewe entent That neuere ȝet / refuseden ȝoure heeste And we wyln lord / if that ȝe wyln assent Chese ȝow a wyf / in short tyme at the leste Born of the gentillest / and of the meste Of al this lond / so that it ought seme honour to god and ȝow / as we can deme ¶ Delyuere vs out / of al this besi drede And take a wyf / for heye goddis sake For if it so byfel / as god for-bede That thurgh ȝoure deth / ȝoure lynage shuld slake And that a straunge successour / shuld take Ȝoure heritage / O woo were vs on lyue Wherfore we preye ȝow / hastily to wyue ¶ Here meke preyere / and here pytous chere Made the Markys hert / hane pytee Ȝe wyln quod he / myn owen peeple deere To that I neuere erst thought / streyne me I me reioysed / of my liberte That selde tyme / is founde in mariage Ther I was free / I must ben in seruage ¶ But nathelees / I see ȝoure trewe entent And troste vp-on ȝoure wyt / and haue don ay Wherfore of my free wyl / I wol assent To wedde me / as sone as euere I may But there as ȝe han / profred me to-day To chese me a wyf / I ȝow relesse That choys / and prey ȝow / of that profre cese ¶ For god it wot / that children often been Vnlyke / here worthy elders / hem byfore Bounte cometh al of god / nat of the streen Of which / they ben I-gendred / and I-bore I troste in goddis bounte / and therfore My mariage / and myn estat and reste I hym bytake / he may do as him leste ¶ lat me a-lone / in chesyng of my wyf That charge vp-on my bak / I wol endure But I ȝow preye and charge / vp-on ȝoure lyf That what wyf that I take / ȝe me assure To worshipe hire / whyle that hire lyf may dure In word and werk / bothe heere and euerywhere As she an Emperoures doughter / were ¶ And forthermore / this shuln ȝe swere / that ȝe A-geyn my choys / shuln neuere grucche ne stryue For syn I shal for-go / my libertee At ȝoure request / as euere mot I thryue There as myn hert is sette / there wol I wyue And but ȝe wyln assent / in swich manere I preye ȝow / speketh no more / of this matere ¶ With hertly wyl / they sworn and assenten To al this thyng / there seide no wyght nay Bysekyng him of grace / or þat they wenten That he wolde graunte hem / a certeyn day Of his spousaille / as sone as euere he may ffor ȝet alwey / the peeple sumwhat dreddedrede in MS. corrected into dredde.—W. lest that the Markys / no wyf wold wedde ¶ he graunted hem a day / swich as him list On which he wolde / be wedded sekerly And seide / he dide al this / at here request And they with humble entent / ful buxumly Knelyng vp-oon here knees / ful reuerently hym thanken alle / and thus they han an ende Of here entent / and hom a-geyn they wende ¶ And heere-vp-on / he vn-to hise officers Comaundeth / for the feest to purueye And to his pryue knightis / and Squyers Swich charge ȝaf / as him list on hem leye And they / to his comaundement / obeye And ech of hem dooth / al his diligence To don vn-to the feest / reuerence ¶ Prima pars [in margin: no break in MS.] ¶ Incipit pars Secunda [in margin: no break in MS.] Nought fer / fro thilke paleys / honurable¶ ffuit haut procul a palacio &c. Where-as the Markys / shop his mariage There stod a Thrope / of syght delitable In which / that poore folk / of that village hadden here beestes / and here herbergage And of here labour / token here sustenaunce After that the erthe / ȝaf hem habundaunce ¶ A-monges theise poore folk / there dwelt a man Which that was holden / poorest of hem alle But heye god / somtyme sende can his grace / in-to a litel Oxes stalle Ianycola / men of that Throp him calle A doughter had he / fair I-now to sight And Grysildes / this ȝonge mayden hight ¶ But for to speke / of vertuous beaute Than was she oon / of the fayrest vnder Sonne fful poorely / I-fostred vp / was she No lykerous lust / was in hire hert I-ronne Wel oftere of the welle / than of the Tonne She dranke / and for she wolde vertu plese She knew wel labour / but noon Idel eese ¶ But though this Mayde / tendre were of age Ȝet in the breest / of hire virgynytee There was enclosed / ripe and sad corage And in gret reuerence / and charitee hire olde poore fader / fostred she A fewe shepe / spynnyng on the feld / she kepte She wolde nought / ben Idel / til she slepte ¶ And whan she homward cam / she wolde brynge Wortes / or other Erbes / tymes ofte The which she shredde / and seth for here lyuynge And mad hire bed ful hard / and no thyng softe And ay she kepte / hire fadres lyf on lofte with euery obeisaunce / and diligence That child may don / to fadres reuerence ¶ Vp-on Grisilde / this poore creature fful often sithes / this Markys sette his eye As he on huntyng rod / perauenture And whan it fel / that he myght hire a-spye he nought / with wantoun lokyng / of folye his eyen cast on hire / but in sad wyse vp-on hir chere / he wold him oft avyse ¶ Commendynge in his hert / hire wommanhede And eke hire vertue / passyng any wyght Of so ȝonge age / as wel in cheer as dede ffor though the peeple / haue no gret insyght In vertue / he considered ful right hire bounte / and disposed that he wolde wedde hire oonly / if euere he wedde shulde ¶ The day of weddynge cam / but no wyght can Telle what womman / that it shulde be ffor which meruayle / wondreth many a man And seyden / whan they weren / in preuyte wyl nat oure lord / ȝet leuen his vanyte wyl he nat wedde / allas allas the whyle why wyl he thus / hym self / and vs begyle ¶ But nathelees this Markys / hath don make Of gemmes / sette in gold / and in Asure Broches and rynges / for Grisildes sake And of hire clothynge / toke he the mesure Of a mayden / lyke / vn-to hire stature And eke of othere / ornamentis alle That vn-to swich a weddynge / shulde falle ¶ The tyme of vnderne / of the same day Approcheth / that this weddynge / shulde be And al the paleys / put was in a-ray Bothe halle and chaumbres / eche in his degree houses of office / stuffed with plentee There maist þou se / of deynteuous vetaille That may be founde / as fer as lasteth ytaille ¶ This ryal Markys / richely arayed lordes and ladyes / in his companye The which / vn-to the feest / were I-preyed And of his retenue / the bachelerye With many a soun / of sondry melodye vn-to the village / of the which I tolde In this array / the right weye they holde ¶ Grisilde of this / god wot ful Innocent That for hire shapen was / al this array To fecchen water / at a welle is went And cometh hom / as sone as euere she may For wel she had herd sey / that thilke day The Markys shuld wedde / and if she myght She wolde fayn han sen / som of that sight ¶ She thought I wyl / with othere Maydenes stonde¶ Vt expeditis curis aliis ad videndum domini sui sponsam cum puellis comitibus prepararet; That ben myne felawes / in oure dore and se The Markysesse / and therfore wol I fonde To do at hom / as sone as it may be The labour / which that longeth vn-to me And thanne I may / at leyser hire byholde If she this weye / vn-to the Castel holde ¶ And as she wolde / ouer the threswold gon The Markys cam / and gan hire for to calle And she sette doun / hire watir pot a-noon Beside the threswold / in an oxes stalle And doun vp-on hire knees / she gan to falle And with sad countenaunce / knelith stille Til she had herd / what was the lordis wylle ¶ This thoughtful Markys / spak vn-to this mayde¶ Quam Walterus cogitabundus incedens eamque compellans nomine; fful soberly / and seide in this manere Where is ȝoure fader / Grisildis he seyde And she with reuerence / in humble cheere Answered / lord / he is al redy heere And In she goth / with-outen lengere lette And to the Markys / she hire fader fette ¶ he by the hond / than toke this poore man And seide thus / whan he him had a-syde Ianycula / I neyther may ne can lengere the plesaunce / of myn hert hyde If that thow vouchesaf / what so betyde Thy doughter wol I take / er that I wende As for my wyf / vn-to hire lyues ende ¶ Thow louest me / that wot I wel certeyn And art my feithful leige man / I-bore And al that lyketh me / I dar wel seyn It lyketh the / and specially therfore Telle me that poynt / that I haue seid byfore If that thow wylt / vn-to that purpos drawe To take me / as for thyn sone in lawe ¶ This sodeyn caas / the man a-stoyned so That red he wex a-baist / and al quakynge he stod / vnethe seide he wordes moo But oonly thus / lord quod he my wyllynge Is as ȝe wole / ne a-ȝeyns ȝoure likynge I wyl no thyng / myn owen lord so deere Ryght as ȝow lyst / gouerneth this matere ¶ Ȝet wol I / quod this Markys softly That in thy chaumbre / I and thow and she haue a colacione / and wost thow why ffor I wol aske / if it hire wyl be To be my wyf / and reule hire after me And al this shal be don / in thy presence I wol nat speke / out of thyn audyence ¶ And in the Chaumbre / while they were a-boute here tretee / which as ȝe shuln after heere The peeple cam / in-to the hous with-oute And wondred hem / in how honest manere Ententifly / she kept hire fader dere But vtterly / Grisildis wondir myght ffor neuere erst / ne saw she / swich a sight ¶ No wonder is / though that she were a-stoned¶ Et insolito tanti hospitis aduentu stupidam inuenit; To se so gret a gest / come in-to that place She neuere was / to swich gestes woned ffor which she loked / with ful pale face But shortly / forth / this matere for to chace Theise arn the wordes / that the Markys seyde To this benygne / verray feithful Mayde ¶ Grisilde he seide / ȝe shuln wel vnderstonde¶ Et patri tuo placet inquid & mihi vt vxor mea sis / & credo idipsum tibi placeat set habeo ex te querere & c'; It lyketh to ȝoure fader / and to me That I ȝow wedde / and eke it may so stonde As I suppose / ȝe wol that it so be But this demaunde / aske I first quod he That syn it shal be don / in hasty wyse Wol ȝe assent / or ellis ȝow a-vyse ¶ I seye this / be ȝe redy with good hert To al my lust / and that I freely may As me best thynketh / do ȝow laughe or smert And neuere ȝe toto inserted above the line.—W. grucche it / nyght ne day¶ Nota bene¶ Sine vlla frontis aut verbi inpugnacione; And eke whan I sey ȝa / ȝe sey nat nay Neither be word / ne frounyng countenaunce Swere this / and heere I swere oure alliaunce ¶ Wondrynge vp-on this thyng / quakyng for drede She seyde / lord / vn-digne and vnworthy¶ Nil ego vnquam sciens ne dum faciam set eciam cogitabo quod contra animum tuum sit / nec tu aliquid facies & si me mori iusseris quod moleste feram; Am I / to thilke honour / that ȝe me bede But as ȝe wol ȝoure self / right so wol I And heere I swere / that neuere wyllyngly In werk ne thought / I nyl ȝow disobeye ffor to be deed / though me were loth to deye ¶ This is I-now / Grisilde myn quod he And forth he gooth / with a ful sobre cheer Out at the dore / and after that cam she And to the peeple he seide / in this manere This is my wyf quod he / that stondeth heere Honoureth hire / and loueth hire I preye Who so me loueth / there is no more to seye ¶ And for that no thyng / of hire olde gere¶ De hinc ne quid reliquiarum fortune veteris nouam inferat / in domum nudari eam iussit; She shulde brynge / in-to his hous / he bad That wommen shulde / dispoylen hire right there Of which theise ladyes / weren no thyng glad To handle hire clothes / where-Inne she was clad But nathelees / this mayden bright of hewe ffro foot to hede / they clothed han al newe ¶ Hire heres they kemed / that leyn vntressed fful rudely / and with here fyngeris smale A corone on hire hede / they han I-dressed And sette hire ful / of Ouches grete & smale Of hire array / what shulde I make a tale vnethe the peeple hire knew / for hire fairnesse Whan she transmeeuyd was / in swich richesse ¶ This Markys / hath hire spoused / with a rynge Brought for the same cause / and thanne hire sette vp-on an hors / snow whyte / & wel aumblynge And to his Paleys / er he lengere lette With ioyeful peeple / that hire lad and mette Conveyed hire / and thus the day they spende In reuel / tyl the Sonne gan descende ¶ And shortly forth / this mater for to chace I seye / that to this newe / Markysesse God hath swich fauour sent hire / of his grace That it ne semed nought / by lyknesse That she was born and fed / in rudenesse As in a Cote / or in an Oxes stalle But norisshed / in an Emperoures halle ¶ To euery wyght / she wexen is so deere¶ Atque apud omnes supra fidem cara 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 / that folk there she was bore And from hire birthe / knewen hire ȝere by ȝere vnethe trowed they / but durst han swore That to Ianicle / of which I spak byfore She doughter were / for as by coniecture hem thought she was / a-nother creature ¶ ffor though that euere / vertuous was she She was encresed / in swich excellence Of thewes goode / I-sett in hey bounte And so discreet / and fair of eloquence So benygne / and so digne of reuerence And coude so / the peeples hertes embrace That ech hire loueth / that loked in hire face ¶ Nat oonly of Saluces / in the toun Publisshed was / the bounte of hire name But eke beside / in many a Region If on seith wel / a-nother seith the same So spredeth / of hire heye bounte / the fame That men & wommen / as wel ȝonge as olde Gon to Saluces / vp-on hire to byholde ¶ Thus Walter lowely / nay but really¶ Sic Walterus humili quidem set insigni ac pro|spero matrimonio honestatis summa dei in pace & c':— Wedded / with fortunat honestete In goddis pees / lyueth ful esily At hom / and grace I-now outward had he And for he saw / that vnder lowe degree¶ Quodque eximiam virtutem tanta sub inopia latitantem tam perspicaciter deprendisset vulgus prudentissimus habebatur; Was often vertue hid / the peeple him helde A prudent man / and that is sen ful selde ¶ Nat oonly this Grisildis / thurgh hire wytte¶ Neque vero solers sponsa muliebria tantum ac domestica set vbi res posceret publica eciam subibat officia:— Coude al the feet / of wyfly humblenesse But eke whan that the cass / requered ytte The comune profyt / coude she redresse There nas discord / rancour ne heuynesse In al that lond / that she ne coude appese And wysely brynge hem alle / in reste and ease ¶ Though that hire husbonde / absent were or noon If gentil men / or othere of the contree¶ viro absente lites patrie nóbilium discordias dirimens atque componens tam grauibus responsis tantaque matu|ritate & iudicii equitate vt omnes ad salutem publicam demissam celo feminam predicarent:— Weren wrothe / she wolde brynge hem at oon So wyse / and ripe wordes / had she And Iuggementȝ / of so grete equyte That she from heuene / sent was / as men wende Peeple to saue / and euery wrong to amende ¶ Nought longe tyme after / that this Grisilde Was wedded / she a doughter hath I-bore Al had hire leuere / han born a knaue childe Glad was this Markys / and his folk therfore ffor though a mayden child / come al byfore She may vn-to a knaue child / atteyne Be lyklihede / syn she nys nat bareyne ¶ Secunda pars [in margin: no break in MS.] ¶ Incipit pars tercia [in margin: no break in MS.] ¶ There fel / as it byfalleth tymes moo¶ Ceperit ut fit interdum Walterum cum iam ab|lactata esset infantula mirabilis quedam quam laudabilis cupiditas satis expertamapertam corrected to expertam.—W. care fidem coniugis experiendi alcius & iterum atque iterum retemptandi:— Whan that this child / hath souked but a throwe This Markys in his hert / longeth so To tempte his wyf / hire sadnesse for to knowe That he ne myght / out of his hert throwe This merueillous desir / his wyf to assaye Nathelees god wot / he thought hire for to affraye ¶ he had assayed hire / I-now byfore And fond hire euere good / what nedeth it hire for to tempte / and alwey more and more But as for me I seye / that euyl it sitte Though summe men preyse it / for a sotil wyt To assaye a wyf / whan that it is no nede And putten hire / in angwyssh and in drede ¶ ffor which this Markys / wrought in this manere he cam a nyght a-lone / there as she lay With sterne face / and with ful trouble cheere And seide thus / Grisilde quod he / that day That I ȝow toke / out of ȝoure poore array And putte ȝow in estat / of heigh noblesse Ȝe han it nat forgeten / as I gesse ¶ I seye Grisilde / this present dignitee In which that I haue put ȝow / as I trowe Maketh ȝow nat / forgeteful for to be That I ȝow toke / in poore estat / ful lowe For any wele / ȝe mot ȝoure seluen knowe Take hede / of euery word / that I ȝow seye There nys no wyght / that herith it but we tweye ¶ Ȝe wot ȝoure self wel / how that ȝe cam heere In-to this hous / it is nat longe a-goo And though to me / that ȝe be leef and deere Vn-to my gentiles / ȝe be no thyng soo They seyn to hem / it is gret shame and woo For to be suggettes / and ben in seruage To the / that born art / of a smal lynage ¶ And namely / sithe thy doughter was I-bore Theise wordes han they spoken / doutelees But I desire / as I haue don byfore To lyue my lif with hem / in reste and pees I may nat in this caas / be rechelees I mot don with thy doughter / for the beste Nat as I wolde / but as myne gentiles liste ¶ And ȝet god wot / this is ful loth to me But nathelees / with-outen ȝoure wetynge I wyl nat don / but this wol I quod he That ȝe to me assenten / as in this thynge Shewe now ȝoure pacience / in ȝoure werkynge That ȝe me hight / and swor in ȝoure village That day that maked was / oure mariage ¶ Whan she had herd al this / she nought a-meeued Neither in word / chere ne countenaunce¶ Nec verbo mota nec vultu For as it semed / she was nought a-greued She seide lord / al lith in ȝoure plesaunce My child and I / with hertly obeysaunce Ben ȝoures alle / and ȝe moun saue or spille Ȝoure owen thyng / werketh after ȝoure wylle ¶ There may no thyng / so god my soule saue lykyng to ȝow / that may displese me Ne I desire / no thyng for to haue Ne drede for to lese / saue oonly ȝe This wyl is in myn hert / and ay shal be No lengthe of tyme / or deth / may this deface Ne chaunge my corage / to a-nother place ¶ Glad was this Markys / of hire answerynge But ȝet he feyned / as he were nat so Al drery was his chere / and his lokynge Whan that he shulde / out of the chaumbre goo Sone after this / a furlonge weye or twoo he preuyly hath told / al his entente Vn-to a man / and to his wyf him sente ¶ A maner of a Sergeaunt / was this pryue man The which he feithful / often founden had In thynges greete / and eke swich folk wel can Don execucion / on thynges badde The lord knew wel / that he him loued and dradde And whan this sergeaunt / knew his lordes wylle In-to the chaumbre / he stalketh him ful stille ¶ Madame he seide / ȝe mot for-ȝeue it me Though I do thyng / to which I am constreyned Ȝe ben so wys / that right wel knowen ȝe That lordes hestes / moun nat ben feyned They moun wel ben beweilled / or compleyned But men must nedes / to here lust obeye And so wol I / there nys no more to seye ¶ This child am I / comaunded for to take And spak no more / but out the child he hent Dispetously / and gan a cher make As though he wolde / han slayn it / or he went Grisildis mot al suffre / and al consent And as a lomb / she sitteth meke and stille And leet this cruel Sergeaunt / don his wille ¶ Suspecious was the diffame / of this man¶ Suspecta viri fama / Suspecta facies suspecta hora / suspecta erat oracio: Suspect his face / suspect his word also Suspect the tyme / in which he this bygan Allas hire doughter / that she loued so She wende he wolde / han slayn it right thoo But natheless / she neither wep ne syked Conformynge hire / to that the Markys lyked ¶ But at the laste / to speken she bygan And mekely she / to the sergeaunt preyede So as he was / a worthy gentil man That she must kysse hire child / er that it deyede And in hire arm / this litel child she leyde With ful sad face / and gan the child to blisse And lulled it / and after gan it kysse ¶ And thus she seide / in hire benygne vois Fare wel my child / I shal the neuere se But sithe I haue the marked / with the crois Of thilke fader / I-blissed mot thow be That for vs deyed / vp-on a cros of tree Thy soule litel child / I him betake For this nyght / shalt þou dyen for my sake ¶ I trowe that to a Norice / in this caas It had ben hard / this reuthe for to se Wel myght a moder thanne / han cried allas But nathelees / so sad and stedefast was she That she endured / al aduersitee And to the Sergeaunt / mekely she seyde haue heere a-geyn / ȝoure litel ȝong mayde ¶ Goth now quod she / and doth my my lordes heste But o thyng wold I preye ȝow / of ȝoure grace That but my lord / forbad ȝow at the leste Berieth this litel body / in sum place That beestes ne no briddes / it to-race But he no word / wolde to the purpos seye But toke the child / and went vp-on his weye ¶ This Sergeaunt cam / vn-to his lord a-geyn And of Grisildis wordes / and of hire chere he told him poynt for poynt / in short and pleyn And him presenteth / with his doughter dere Sumwhat this lord / hath reuthe in his manere But nathelees / his purpos held he stille As lordes don / whan they wyln han here wille ¶ And bad this Sergeaunt / that he preuyly Shulde this child ful softe / wynde and wrappe With alle the circumstaunceȝ / tenderly And carie it in a coffre / or in a lappe But vp-on peyne / his hede of for to swappe That no man shulde knowe / of this entent Ne whens he cam / ne whider that he went ¶ But at Boloigne / to his Suster deere That thilke tyme / of Pauyk was Contesse he shuld it take / and shewe hire this matere Bysekyng hire / to don hire besynesse This child to fostren / in al gentilnesse And whos child that it was / he bad hire hyde From euery wyght / for ought that may betide ¶ The Sergeaunt goth / and hath fulfilled this thyng But to the Markys / now retourne we For now goth he / ful fast ymaginyng If by his wyues chere / he myght se Or by hire word / a-perceyue that she Were chaunged / but he neuere coude hire fynde But euere in oon / I-lyke / sad and kynde ¶ As glad as humble / as bysy in seruyce¶ par alacritas atque sedulitas solitum ob|sequium idem amor nulla filie mencio: And eke in loue / as she was wont to be Was she to him / in euery maner wyse Ne of hire doughter / nought a word spak she Noon accident / for noon aduersite Was seen in hire / ne neuere hire doughter name Ne nempned she / in ernest ne in game ¶ Tercia pars desinit [in margin: no break in MS.] Et Incipit pars .4ta. [in margin: no break in MS.] ¶ In this estate / there passed ben foure ȝere¶ Transiuerant hoc in statu anni. 4. dum ecce grauida & c' / Er she with childe was / but as god wole A knaue child she bar / be this wautere fful gracious / and fair for to beholde 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 & herye ¶ Whan it was two ȝer olde / and fro the breste Departid of his norice / vp-on a day This Markys caught ȝet / a-nother lyste To tempte his wyf / ȝet oftere if he may O nedlees / was she tempted in assay But wedded men / ne knowe no mesure¶ Nota Whan that they fynde / a pacient creature ¶ Wyf quod this Markys / ȝe han herd or this¶ Et olim ait audisti populum meum egre nostrum ferre connubium & c' My peeple sekerly / beren oure mariage And namely / sithen my sone / I-born is Now is it werse / than euere in al oure age The murmur sleeth myn herte / & myn corage For to myn Eres / cometh the voys so smerte That it wol ny / destroyed hath myn herte ¶ Now sey they thus / whan wauter is a-goon Than shal the blode / of Ianicle succede And be oure lord / for other han we noon Swich wordes seyn my peeple / it is no drede Wel ought I / of swich murmur / take hede For certeynly / I drede / swich sentence Though they nouȝt pleyne & speke / in myn audience ¶ I wolde lyue in pees / if that I myght Wherfore / I am disposed / vtterly As I his Suster / serued be nyght Right so thynke I / to serue him preuyly This warne I ȝow / for ȝe nat sodeynly Out of ȝoure selue / for no woo shulde outraye Beth pacient / and ther-of I ȝow preye ¶ I haue quod she / seid thus / and euere shal I wol no thyng / ne nyl no thyng certeyn But as ȝow list / nought greueth me at al Though that my doughter / & my sone be slayn At ȝoure comaundement / that is to slayn[sic] I haue nought had no part / of children tweyne But first sykenesse / and after woo and peyne ¶ Ȝe be my lord / doth with ȝoure owyn thynge Right as ȝow list / asketh no reed of me For as I left at home / al my clothynge Whan I first cam to ȝow / right so quod she Lefte I my wylle / and my liberte And toke ȝoure clothynge / wherfore I ȝow preye Doth ȝoure plesaunce / I wol ȝoure lust obeye ¶ And certes if I had had / prescience¶ Fac senciam tibi placere quod moriar volens moriar Ȝoure wyl to knowe / or ȝe ȝoure lust me tolde I wold it don / with-outen negligence But now I wot ȝoure lust / and what ȝe wolde Al ȝoure plesaunce / ferme and stable I holde For wyst I / that my deth / myght do ȝow eese Right gladly wold I deye / ȝow to please ¶ Deth may nat make / no comparisone Vn-to ȝoure loue / and whan this Markys say The constaunce of his wyf / he cast a-doune hise eyen two / and wondreth that she may In pacience suffre / al this array And forth he goth / with drery countenaunce But to his herte / it was right gret plesaunce ¶ This vgly Sergeaunt / in the same wyse That he hire daughter caught / right so he Or werse / if men can werse deuyse hath hent hir sone / that ful was of beaute And euere in oone / so pacient was she That she no chere made / of heuynesse But kyst hire sone / and after gan him blisse ¶ Saue this she preyed him / if that he myght hire lytel sone / he wolde in erthe graue hise tendre lymes / delicat to sight ffro foules and fro bestes / for to saue But she noon answere / of him myght haue He went his wey / as him no thyng ne rought But to Boloigne / he it tenderly brought ¶ This Markys wondreth / euere lengere the more Vp-on hire pacience / and if that he Ne had sothly / knowen ther byfore That parfytly / hire children loued she he wolde han wende / that of som sotiltee And of malice / or for cruel corage That she had suffred this / with sad visage ¶ But wel he knew / that next him self certeyn She loued hire children best / in euery wyse But now of wommen / wold I asken fayn If theise assayes / myght nat suffise What coude a sturdy husbonde / more deuyse To preue hire wyfhode / and hire stedfastnesse And he contynuynge / euere in sturdynesse ¶ But there be folk / of swich condicion That whan they han / a certeyn purpos take They conne nat stynt / of here entencion But right as they were bounden / vn-to a stake They wyl nat / of that first purpos slake Right so this Markys / fullich hath purposed To tempte his wyf / as he was first disposed ¶ He wayteth / if by word / or countenaunce That she to him / was chaunged of corage But neuere coude he fynde / variaunce She was ay oon / in hert and in visage And ay the ferthere / that she was in age The more trewe / if that it were possible She was to him / in loue / and more penyble ¶ For which it semed thus / that of hem two There nas but oo wyl / for as Walter lest The same lust / was hire pleasaunce also And god by thanked / as fel for the best She shewed wel / for no worldly vnrest A wyf as of hire self / no thyng ne shulde Wyln in effect / but as hire husbonde wolde ¶ The sclaunder of Wautere / ofte and wyde sprad That of cruel herte / he wykkedly For he / a pore womman / wedded had hath mordred / bothe hise children preuyly Swich murmur / was a-mong hem comounly No wonder is / for to the peeples Ere There cam no word / but that they mordred were ¶ For which / there as his peeple ther byfore¶ Ceperit sen|sum de Waltero decolor fama crebescere:— had loued him wel / the sclaunder of his defame Mad hem / that they him hated therfore To ben a mortherere / is an hateful name But nathelees / for ernest or for game he of his cruel purpos / nold he stynt To tempte his wyf / was sette al his entent ¶ Whan that his doughter / twelue ȝer was of age he to the courte of Rome / in subtyl wyse Enformed of his wyl / sent his message Comaundyng hem / swich bulles to deuyse As to his cruel purpos / may suffise How that the Pope / as for his peeples reest Bad him to wedde / a-nother if him list ¶ I sey he bad / they shulde countrefete The Popes bulles / makyng mencion That he hath leue / his first wyf to lete As by the Popes / dispensacion To stynte rancour / and discencion Be-twix his peeple & him / thus seide the bulle The which they han / publisshed at the fulle ¶ The[The, as, corrected in later hand.—W.] rude peeple / as[The, as, corrected in later hand.—W.] it no wondir is Wende ful wele / that it had ben right so But whanne theise tidynggis / comen to Grisildis I deme / that hire herte / was ful woo But she e-lyke sad / for euere moo Disposid was / this humble creature The aduersite of fortune / al to endure ¶ A-bidyng euere his lust / and his plesaunce To whom that she was ȝeuen / hert and al As to hire verray worldly / suffisaunce But shortly / if I this story / tellen shal This Markys / wryten hath in special A lettre / in which he sheweth / his entent And secretly / he to Boloigne / it sent ¶ To the Erl of Pauyk / which that hadde tho Wedded his Suster / preyed he specially To bryngen hom a-geyn / hise children two In honurable estat / al openly But oo thyng he him preyed / vtterly That he to no wyght / though men wolde enquere Shulde nat telle / whos children that they were ¶ But seyn that the mayden / shulde wedded be Vn-to the Markys / of Saluce a-noon And as this Erl was preyed / so dide he For at the day sette / he on his wey is gon And forth he rod / ful fast a-noon Toward Saluce / this Mayde for to gyde hire ȝonge brother / ridyng hire besyde ¶ Arrayed was / toward hire mariage This fressh May / ful of gemmes clere Hire brother which / that Seuene ȝer was of age Arayed eke ful fressh / in his manere And thus in gret noblesse / and with glad chere Toward Saluces / shapyng here Iourney Fro day to day / they ryden in here wey¶ Explicit quarta pars [in margin: no break in MS.] ¶ Incipit pars quinta: [in margin: no break in MS.] ¶ A mong al this / after his wykked vsage This Markys / ȝet his wyf to tempte more To the outrest preue / of hire corage ffully / to haue / experience and lore If that she were / as stedefast as byfore he on a day / in open audience fful boistously / hath seid hire / this sentence ¶ Certes Grisilde / I had I-now plesaunce To haue ȝow to my wyf / for ȝoure goodnesse As for ȝoure trouthe / and for ȝoure obeysaunce Nought for ȝoure lynage / ne for ȝoure richesse But now knowe I / in verray sothfastnesse That in gret lordship / if I me wel auyse There is gret seruitute / in sondry wyse ¶ I may nat do / as euery plowman may My peeple constreyneth me / to take A-nother wyf / and crien day be day And eke the Pope / rancour / for to slake Consenteth it / that dar I vndertake And trewely / thus meche / I wyl ȝow sey My newe wyf / is comyng by the wey ¶ Be strong of hert / and voide a-noon hire place And thilke dower / that ȝe broughten me Take it a-geyn / I graunt it of my grace Returneth to ȝoure fadres hous / quod he Noman may alwey / haue prosperite With euen hert / I rede ȝow to endure The stroke of fortune / or of auenture ¶ And she a-geyn answered / in pacience My lord quod she / I wot and wyst alwey how that bytwene / ȝoure magnificence And my pouerte / no wyght ne can ne may Maken comparison / it is no nay I ne held me neuere digne / in no manere To be ȝoure wyf / ne ȝoure chaumbrere ¶ And in this hous / there ȝe me lady made The heye god take I / for my wytnesse And also wysly / he my soule glade I neuere held me lady / ne maistresse But humble seruaunt / to ȝoure worthynesse And euere shal / while þat my lyf may dure A-bouen euery / worldly creature ¶ That ȝe so longe / of ȝoure benignite han holden me / in honour and nobley Where as I was / nought worthy for to be That thanke I god / and ȝow / to whom I prey ffor-ȝelde it ȝow / there is no more to sey Vn-to my fader / gladly wol I wende And with him dwelle / vn-to my lyues ende ¶ There I was fostered / of a child ful smal Til I be dede / my lyf there wol I lede A wydewe clene / in body hert and al And sithe I ȝaf to ȝow / my maydenhede And am ȝoure trewe wyf / it is no drede God shilde / swich a lordes wyf / to take A-nother man / to husbonde or to make ¶ And of ȝoure newe wyf / god of his grace So graunte ȝow welthe / and prosperite ffor I wol gladly / ȝelden hire my place In which that I was / blisful wont to be For sithe it liketh ȝow / my lord quod she That whilom weren / al myn hertis rest That I shal gon / I wyl go whan ȝow list ¶ But there as ȝe me profre / swich doware As I first brought / it is wel in my mynde It were my wreched clothes / no thyng faire The which to me / were hard now for to fynde O goode god / how gentyl and how kynde Ȝe semed by ȝoure speche / and ȝoure vysage The day / that maked was / oure mariage ¶ But soth is seid / algate I fynde it trewe For in effect / it preued is on me loue is nought old / as whan that it is newe But certes lord / for noon aduersitee To deye in this cas / it shal nat be That euere in word or werk / I shal repent That I ȝow ȝaf myn hert / in hole entent ¶ My lord ȝe wot / that in my fadres place Ȝe dide me stripe / out of my poore wede And richely me elad / of ȝoure grace To ȝow brought I nat ellis / out of drede But filthe and nakednesse / and maydenhede And heere a-geyn / my clothyng I restore And eke my weddyng ryng / for eueremore ¶ The remenaunt of ȝoure Ioweles / redy be With-inne ȝoure chaumbre / I dar it safly seyn Naked out of my fadres hous / quod she I cam / and naked mot I turne a-geyn Al ȝoure plesaunce / wold I folwe feyn But ȝet I hope / it be nat ȝoure entent That I smokles / out of ȝoure paleys went ¶ Ȝe coude nat do / so dishonest a thyng That thilke wombe / in which ȝoure children ley Shulde byforn the peeple / in my walkyng Be seyn al bare / wherfore I ȝow prey late me nat lyke a worme / go by the wey Remembre ȝow / myn owen lord so dere I was ȝoure wyf / though I vnworthy were ¶ Wherfore in guerdone / of my maydenhede Which that I brought / and nought a-geyn I bere As vouchesaf / to ȝeue me to my mede But swich a smok / as I was wont to were That I there-with may wrye / the wombe of hire[Corrected from heere.—W.] That was ȝoure wyf / and here I take my leue Of ȝow myn owen lord / leste I ȝow greue ¶ The smok quod he / that þou hast on thy bak lat it be stille / and bere it forth with the But wel vnethes / thilke word he spak But went his wey / for reuthe and for pite Byforn the folk / hire seluen stripeth she And in hire smok / with foot and hede al bare Toward hire fadres hous / forth[Above the line.—W.] is she fare ¶ The folk hire folwen / wepyng in here wey And fortune ay / they cursen / as they gon But she fro wepyng / kepeth hire eyen drey Ne in this tyme / word ne spak she noon hire fader / that this tidyng / herd a-noon Cursed the day / and tyme / that nature Shop him to ben / a lyues creature ¶ For out of doute / this olde poore man Was euere in suspect / of hire mariage For euere he demed / sithe that it bygan That whan the lord / fufilled had his corage hym wolde thynke / it were a disperage To his estate / so lowe for to light And voyden hire / as sone as euere he myght ¶ A-geyns his doughter / hastily goth he For he by noyse of folk / knew hire comyng And with hire olde cote / as it myght be he couered hire / ful sorwefully wepyng But oon hire body / myght he it nat bring For rude was the cloth / and she more of age Be dayes feele / 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 Byforn the folk / ne eke in here absence Ne shewed she / that hire was don offence Ne of hire heye estate / no remembraunce Ne had she / as by hire countenaunce ¶ No wonder is / for in hire gret estate hire goost was euere / in pleyn humylite No tendre mouth / non hert delicate No pompe / no semblaunt of ryalte But ful of pacient benygnyte Discrete / and prydles / ay honurable And to hire husbond / ay meke and stable ¶ Men speken of Iob / and most for his humblesse As clerkis whan hem list / konne wel endite Namely of men / but as in sothfastnesse Though Clerkis preyse wommen / but a lite There can no man / in humblesse him a-quyte As women konne / ne konne be half so trewe¶ Nota bene As wommen ben / but it be falle of newe [PART VI. No break in the MS.] ¶ Fro Boloigne / is this Erl of Pauyk come Of which the fame / vp sprong / to more and lesse And in the peeples Eres / alle and some Was couth eke / that a newe markysesse he with him brought / in swich pompe & richesse That neuere was there seyn / with mannes eye So noble aray / in al West lumbardye ¶ The Markys / which that shope / & knew al this Er that this Erl was come / sent his message For thilke sely / poore Grisildis And she with humble hert / and glad visage Nat with no swollen thought / in hire corage Cam at his heste / and oon hir knees hire sette And reuerently / and wysly she him grette ¶ Grisilde quod he / my wyl is outerly This mayden / that shal wedded be to me Resceyued be to-morwe / as ryally As yt possible is / in myn hous to be And eke that euery wyght / in his degree haue his estate / in syttyng and in seruyse And hey plesaunce / as I can best deuyse ¶ I haue no womman / sufficient certeyn The chaumbres to araye / in ordinaunce After my lust / and therfore wold I feyn That thyn were / al swich maner gouernaunce Thow knowest eke / of olde al my plesaunce Though thyn a-ray be badde / and euel be-seye Do thow thyn deuer / at the leste weye ¶ Nat oonly lord / that I am glad quod she To do ȝoure lust / but I desire also Ȝow for to serue / and pleese in my degree With-outen feyntyng / and shal euere moo Ne neuere for no wele / ne no woo Ne shal the goost / with-Inne myn hert stynt To loue ȝow best / with al myn trewe entent ¶ And with that word / she gan the hous to dight And tables for to sette / and beddes make And peyned hire / to don al that she myght Preying the chaumbreres / for goddis sake To hasten hem / and faste swepe and shake And she the most / seruysable of alle hath euery chaumbre arayed / and his halle ¶ A-bouten the vnderne / gan this Erl a-light That with him brought / theise noble children twey ffor which the peeple / ran to se the sight Of here aray / so richely be-sey And thanne at arst / a-monges hem they sey That Walter was no fool / though that him list To chaunge his wyf / for it was for his best ¶ ffor she is feyrere / as they demen alle Than is Grisilde / and more tendre of age And fairere fruyt / bytwen hem shuld falle And more plesaunt / for hire heigh lynage hire brother eke / so fayr was of vysage That hem to seen / the peeple hath caught plesaunce Commendyng now / the Markys gouernaunce ¶ O stormy peeple / vn-sad / and euere vntrewe¶ Auctor Ay vndiscret / and chaungyng as a fane Delityng euere / in rumbul that is newe ffor lyke the Mone / ay waxeth he and wane Ay ful of clappyng / dere I-now a Iane Ȝoure dome is fals / ȝoure constaunce euele preueth A ful gret fool is he / that oon ȝow leueth ¶ Thus seiden sadde folk / in that Citee Whan that the peeple / gased vp and doun ffor they were glad / right for the nouelte To han a newe lady / of here toun No more of this / make I now mencion But to Grisilde a-geyn / I wol me dresse And telle hire constaunce / and hire besynesse ¶ fful besy was Grisilde / in euery thyng That to the fest / was pertynent Right nought was she a-bayst / of hire clothyng Though it were rude / and somdele eke to-rent But with glad chere / to the ȝate is she went With othere folk / to grete the Markysesse And after that / doth forth hire besynesse ¶ With so glad chere / hise gestes she resceyued And so konyngly / euerich in his degree That no defaute / no man perceyued But ay they wondren / what she be That in so poore aray / was for to se And coude swich honour / and reuerence And worthily they preisen / hire prudence ¶ In all this mene while / she ne stynt This Mayde / and eke hire brother / to comende With al hire herte / in ful benigne entent So wel / that noman coude / hire pris amende But at the last / whan that theise lordes wende To setten hem doun to mete / he gan to calle Grisilde / as she was besy / in the halle ¶ Grisilde quod he / as it were in his pley how lyketh the my wyf / and hire beaute Right wel quod she / my lord / for in good fey A fairere saw I neuere noon / than she I preye to god / ȝeue hire prosperite And so hope I / that he wyl to ȝow send Plesaunce I now / vn to ȝoure lyues end ¶ O thyng byseke I ȝow / and warne also¶ Vnum bona fide precor ac moneo ne hanc illis aculeis agites quibus alter|am agitasti namque & iunior & delicaci|us nutrita est / pati quantum ego vt re|or non valeret:— That ȝe ne pryke / with no turmentynge This tendre Mayde / as ȝe han don moo ffor she is fostred / in hire norisshynge More tenderly / and to my supposynge She coude nat / aduersite endure As coude a poore / fostred creature ¶ And whan this Walter / saugh hire pacience hire glad chere / and no malice at al And he so oft / had don to hire offence And she ay sad / and constaunt as a wal Contenuyng euere / hire Innocence ouer al This sturdy Markys / gan his hert dresse To rewe vp-oon hire wyfly / stedfastnesse ¶ This is I-now / Grisilde myn quod he Be now nomore a-gast / ne euele apayd I haue thy feith / and thyn benygnytee As wel as euere womman / was assayed In gret a-stat / and poorely arrayed Now knowe I deere wyf / thy stedfastnesse And hire in armes toke / and gan hire kysse ¶ And she for wonder / toke of it no kepe She herde nat / what thyng he to hire seyde She ferd as she had stirt / out of a slepe Tyl she / out of hire Masednesse / a-breyde Grisilde quod he / by god that for vs deyde Thow art my wyf / noon other I haue Ne neuere had / as god my soule saue ¶ This is thy doughter / which þou hast supposed To be my wyf / that other feithfully Shal be myn Eyr / as I haue ay disposed Thow bar him / in thy body trewely At Boloigne / haue I kept hem preuyly Take hem a-geyn / for now maist þou nat sey That thow hast lorn / noone of þine children twey ¶ And folk that other wyse / han seyd on me I warne hem wele / that I haue don this dede ffor no malice / ne for no cruelte But for to assaye / in the / thy wommanhede And nat to slen myne children / god forbede But for to kepen hem / preuyly and stille Til I thy purpos knew / and al thy wylle ¶ Whan she this herd / on swouȝne doun she falleth For pytous ioye / and aftir hire swownyng She / bothe hire ȝonge children / vn-to hire calleth And in hire armes / pytously wepyng Embracede hem / and tenderly kyssing fful lyke a Moder / with her salte teres She bathed bothe here visage / and here heres ¶ O which a pytous thyng / it was to se hire swownyng / and hire humble voys to heere Graunt mercy lord / god thanke it ȝow quod she That ȝe han saued me / myne children dere Now rekke I neuere / to be ded right heere Sithe I stonde / in ȝoure loue / and in ȝoure grace No force of deth / ne whan my spirit pace ¶ O tendre o dere / o ȝonge children myne Ȝoure wooful Moder / wend stedfastly That cruel houndes / or som foule venyme had eten ȝow / but god of his mercy And ȝoure benigne fader / tenderly hath don ȝow kepe / and in that same stounde Al sodeynly / she fel a-doun to grounde ¶ And in hire swough / so sadly holdeth she hire children two / whan she gan hem embrace That with gret sleight / and gret difficulte The children / from hire arm / they gonne race O many a teere / many a pytous pace Doun ran of hem / that stoden hire beside Vnethe a-boute hire / myght they a-byde ¶ Walter hire gladeth / and hire sorwe slaketh Sche ryseth vp / a-basshed / from hire traunce And euery wyght / hire ioye / and feste maketh Til she hath caught / a-geyn / hire countenaunce Walter hire doth / so feithful plesaunce That it was deynte / for to se the chere Bytwen hem two / syn they ben met in fere ¶ Theise ladyes / whan that they / here tyme sey han taken hire / and in-to chaumbre gon And stripen hire / out of hire rude aray And in a cloth of gold / that bright shon With a Corone / of many a riche ston Vp-on hire hede / they in-to halle hire brought And there she was honoured / as hire ought ¶ Thus hath this pytous day / a blisful ende ffor euery man & womman doth his myght This day / in myrthe and reuel / to spende Til on the walkene / shon the sterres light ffor more solempne / in euery mannes sight This feste was / and grettere of costage Than was the reuel / of hire mariage ¶ fful many a ȝere / in heigh prosperitee lyuen theise two / in concord and in reest And richely his doughter / maryed he Vn-to a lord / oon of the worthiest Of al Itayle / and thanne in pees and rest his wyues fader / in his court he kepeth Til that the soule / out of his body crepeth ¶ His sone succedith / in his heritage In reste and pees / after his faderes day And fortunat was eke / in mariage Al put he nat his wyf / in gret assay This world is nat so strong / it is no nay As it hath ben / in olde tymes ȝore And herkeneth / what this Auctor / seith therfore ¶ This storie is seid / nat for that wyues shulde ffolwe Grisilde / as in humilitee ffor it were importable / though they wold But for that euery wyght / in his degree¶ Hanc Historiam stilo nunc alto retexere visum fuit non tum ideo vt matronas nostri temporis ad imitandam huius vxoris pacienciam que mihi inimitabilis videtur quam vt legentes ad imitandam saltem femine constanciam excitarentur vt quod hec viro suo prestitit / hoc prestare deo nostro audeat quilibet vt Iacobus ait Apostolns / Intemptator sit malorum & ipse neminem temptat / pro|bat tamen & sepe nos multis ac grauibus flagellis exerceri sinit non vt animum nostrum sciat quem sciuit antequam crearemur & c': Shulde be constaunt / in aduersitee As was Grisilde / therfore Petrak wryteth This storie / which with heye stile / he endyteth ¶ ffor sithe a womman / was so pacient Vn-to a mortal man / wel more we[Above the line.—W.] ought Resceyuen al in gree / that god vs sent ffor gret skyl is / he preeue that he wrought But he ne tempteth no man / that he bought As seith Seynt Iame / if ȝe his pistel rede he preeueth folk al day / it is no drede ¶ And suffreth vs / as for oure exercise With sharpe skorges / and aduersitee fful oft to be bete / in sondry wyse Nat for to knowe / oure wyl / for certis he Er we were born / knew al oure freeletee And for oure best / is al his gouernaunce lat vs thanne lyne / in vertuous suffraunce ¶ But oo word lordynggis / herkeneth or I go It were ful hard / to fynde now a dayes In al a Toun / Grisildis thre or twoo ffor if þat thay were put / to swich assayes The gold of hem / hath now so bad a-layes With bras / that though the coyne / be fair at eye It wolde rather breste a two / than plye ¶ ffor which here / for the wyues loue of Bathe Whos lyf / and al hire secte / God mayntene In heigh maistrie / and elles were it skathe I wol with lusty hert / fressh and grene Seyn ȝow a song / to glade ȝow I wene And late vs stynt / of ernestful matere Herkeneth my song / that seith in this manere GRisilde is ded / and eke hire pacience And bothe at ones / I-beried in Itaylle ffor which I crie / in open audience No wedded man / so hardy be / to assaylle his wyues pacience / in trost to fynde Grisildis / for in certeyn he shal fayle ¶ O noble wyues / ful of heigh prudence¶ Auctor lat noon humilite / ȝoure tonges nayle Ne late no Clerk / haue cause or diligence To wryte of ȝow / a storie of swich meruaille As of Grisilde / pacient and kynde lest Chechiuache / ȝow swelwe / in hire entraille ¶ ffolweth Ekko / that holdeth noon silence But euere answereth / at the counter taille Beth nat be-daffed / for ȝoure Innocence But sharply taketh on ȝow / the gouernaille Emprenteth wel / this lesson / in ȝoure mynde ffor comune profyt / sithe it may a-vaille ¶ Ȝe Archewyues / stondeth ay at defence Syn ȝe ben stronge / as is a gret Camaille Ne suffreth nat / that men ȝow do offence And sklendre wyues / feble as in bataille Beth egre / as a Tygre is be-ȝonde in Inde Ay clappeth as a Mille / I ȝow counsaille ¶ Ne drede hem nat / doth hem no reuerence For though thyn husbonde / armed be in maille The arwes of thyn crabbed / eloquence Shal perse his brest / and eke his auentaille In ielousye / I rede eke thow him bynde And þou shalt make him couche / as doth a quaille ¶ If thow be fair / there folk ben in presence Shewe thow thy vysage / and thyn apparaille If thow be foule / be free of thyn dispence To gete the frendes / ay do thyn trauaille Be ay of chere as light / as lef on lynde And late him care / wepe / wrynge / and waille ¶ This worthy Clerk / whan ended was his tale Oure host seyde / and swor by goddes bones Me were leuere / than a Barel of ale My wyf at hom / had herd this legend ones This is a gentil tale / for the nones As to my purpos / wyst ȝe my wylle But thyng that wol nat be / lat it be stille ¶ Sic desinit fabula Clerici / & incipit prologus of the Marchaunton leaf 105, back Wepyng and waylyng / care and other sorwe I knowe I-now / on Euen and on morwe Quod the Marchaunt / and so don othere moo That wedded ben / I trowe that it be so fful wel I wot / it fareth so by me I haue a wyf / the werste that may be For though the fend / to hire I-coupled were She wolde him ouer-macche / I dar wel swere what shulde I ȝow reherce / in special hire heye malice / she is a shrewe with-al There is a long / and a large difference Be-twix Grisildis / grete pacience And of my wyf / the passyng cruelte were I vnbounden / also mot I the I wolde neuere eft / comen in the snare we wedded men / lyue in sorwe and care Assay who-so wyl / and he shal fynde That I seye soth / be seynt Thomas of Inde As for the more part / I.seye nat alle God shilde that it shulde / so byfalle A goode sire hoost / I haue I-wedded be Theise Monthes two / and more nat parde And ȝet I trowe / that he that al his lyue wyflees hath ben / though that men wold him ryue vn-to the hert / ne coude in no manere Tellen so meche sorwe / as I now here Coude tellen / of my wyues cursidnes Now quod oure host / Marchaunt so god ȝow blis Syn ȝe so mechil knowen / of that art fful hertily I pray ȝow / telle vs part Gladly quod he / but of myn owen sore ffor sory hert / I telle may no more ¶ Incipit fabula Mercatoris WHilom there was dwellyng / in Lumbardie A worthy knyght / that born was of Pauye In which he leued / in gret prosperite And Sexty ȝere / a wyfles man was he And folwed ay / his bodily delyt On wommen / there as was his appetit As don theise fooles / that ben seculere And whan that he was passed / sexty ȝere Were it for holynesse / or for dotage I can nat sey / but swich a gret corage had this knyght / to ben a wedded man That day and nyght / he doth al that he can To spye / where he myght / wedded be Preying oure lord / to graunte him that he Myght ones knowe / of thilk blisful lyf That is bytwix / an husbonde and his wyf And for to lyue / vnder that holy bond with which / that first / god / man and womman bond Noon other lyf seide he / is worth a bene ffor wedlak is so esy / and so clene That in this world / it is a Paradyse Thus seyde this olde knyght / that was so wyse And certeynly as soth / as god is kyng To take a wyf / it is a glorious thyng And namely whan a man / is old and hore Than is a wyf / the fruyt of his tresore Than shuld he take / a ȝong wyf and a feyre Of which he myght / engender him an Eyre And lede his lyf / in Ioye and solace where alle theise bacheleres / syngen allas whan that they fynd / any aduersitee In loue / which is but childissh vanyte And trewely it syt wel / to be so That bacheleres / han oft tyme peyne and woo On brotel ground / they bilde / and brothilnesse They fynde / whan they wene sekernesse They lyue but as a bird / or as a beest In liberte / and vnder noon a-reest There as a wedded man / in his estate lyueth a lyf blisseful / and ordinate vnder this ȝok / of mariage I-bounde wel may his hert / in Ioye and blisse habounde ffor who can be / so buxum as a wyf¶ Nota bene who is so trewe / and eke so ententyf To kepe him syke and hole / as is his make ffor wel or woo / she wyl him nat forsake She nys nat wery / him to loue and serue Though that he lye / bedrede / til he sterue And ȝet somme Clerkes seyn / it is nat so Of which / Theofaste / is on of thoo what force / though Theofaste list lye Ne take þou no wyf quod he / for husbondrye As for to spare / in houshold thyn dispence A trewe seruaunt / doth more diligence Thy good to kepe / than thyn owen wyf ffor she wyl cleyme half part / al hire lyf And if þou be syke / so god me saue Thyne verray frendes / or a trewe knaue wyln kepe the bet / than she that wayteth ay After thy good / and hath don many a day And if thow take a wyf / of heye lynage She shal be hauteyn / and of gret costage Theise sentences / and an hondred thynges worse wryteth this man / there god his soule curse But take no kepe / of all swich vanyte Diffye Theofaste / and herkene to me A wyf is goddis ȝifte / verraylyvxor est diligenda / quia donum dei est / Ihesus filius Sirac / domus & diuicie dantur a parentibus / a domino autem proprie / vxor bona vel prudens:—Dona fortune. Alle othere manere ȝiftes / hardily As / londes / Rentes / Pasture or Comune Or mebles / alle ben ȝiftes of fortune That passen / as a shadewe on a wal But drede nat / if pleynly speke I shal A wyf wol last / and in thyn hous endure¶ verum wel lengere / than the list perauenture Mariage is / a ful gret sacrament he that hath no wyf / I holde him shent he lyueth helpelees / and al dissolate I speke of folk / in seculer estate And herkene why / I seye nat this for nought That womman is / for mannes help I-wrought The heye god / whan he had Adam maked And saw him a-lone / bely naked God of his gret goodnes / seide thanffaciamus ei adiutorium et extracta costa de corpore Ade fecit Euam & dixit propter hec relinquet homo patrem et matrem et adherebit &c. et erunt duo in carne vna:— Lat vs now make / an helpe vn-to this man lyke to him self / and thanne he mad him Eue here may ȝe se / and heere-by may ȝe preeue That wyf is mannes help / and his comfort his paradise terrestre / and his disport So buxum / and so vertuous is she They must nedes / lyue in vnite O flessh they ben / and oo flessh as I gesse hath but on hert / in wele and in distresse A wyf / a Seynt Mary benedicite how myght a man / han ony aduersite That hath a wyf / certes I can nat sey The blisse ther is / be-twix hem twey There may no tonge telle / or herte thynke if he be poore / she helpeth him to swynke¶ or to drynke She kepeth his good / and wasteth neuere a dele Al that hire husbonde lust / hire liketh wele She seith nat ones nay / whan she seith ȝe Do this seith he / al redy sire seith she O blisseful ordre of wedlak / preciouse Thow that art so mery / and eke so vertuouse And so comended / and approued eke That ony man / þat holdith him worth a leke vp-oon his bare knees / ought al his lyf Thanke his god / that him hath sent a wyf Or ellis preye to god / hym for to sende A wyf / to laste / vn-to his lyues ende ffor than his lyf / is sette in sekernes he may nat be / disseyued as I gesse So that he werke / after his wyues rede Than may he boldely / bere vp his hede They ben so trewe / and ther-with-al so wyse ffor which / if þou wylt werke / as the wyse Do alwey / so as wommen wol the rede Lo how þat Iacob / as theise Clerkes rede¶ Iacobus enim per consilium matris sue Rebecce &c. By good counseil / of his Moder rebekke Bond the kydes skyn / a-boute his nekke ffor which / his fadres benyson he wan Lo Iudyth / as the story eke telle can¶ Iudit &c. de manibus Oloferni. Be wys counseil / she goddis peeple kepte And slough him / Olofernus / while he slepte lo Abygall / by good counseil / how she¶ Et Abigail per suum bonum consilium virum suum Nabal ab ira dau[i]t liberauit. Saued hire husbonde / Nabal / whan that he Shulde haue be slayn / and loke Ester also¶ Ester &c. Iudeos per bonum consilium simul cum Mardocheo in regno assuri &c. By good counseil / delyuered out of woo The peeple of god / and mad him Mardochee Of Assuer / enhaunced for to be There nys no thyng / in gree superlatyf As seith Senek / a-boue an humble wyf¶ Seneca / sicut nihil est superius benigna coniuge / ita nihil est crudelius infesta muliere:— Suffre thy wyues tonge / as Caton byt She shal comaunde / and þou shalt suffren it¶ Cato / vxoris linguam si frugi est ferre memento:— And ȝet she wyl obeye / of curteisye A wyf is kepere / of thyn husbondrye wel may the syke man / bywaylle and wepe There as nys no wyf / the hous to kepe I warne the / if wysely þou wolt werche¶ Bona mulier / fidelis custos est & bona domus:— loue wel thy wyf / as crist loued his chirche If þou loue thy self / thow louest thy wyf¶ Apostolus Paulus ad Ephesianos. Diligite vxores vestras sicut Christus dilexit ecclesiam &c. Noman hateth his flessh / but in his lyf he fostreth it / and therfore bidde I theApostolus / ita viri debent diligere vxores suas ut cor|pora sua quia qui suam vxorem diligit seipsum diligit nemo vnquam carnem suam odio habuit set nutrit & fouet eam / & postea vnus|quisque suam vxorem sicut se ipsum diligat:— Chere thy wyf / or thow shalt neuere thee husbonde or wyf / what so men iape or pleye Of worldly folk / holden the sekyr weye They ben so knyt / there may noon harm betide And namely vp-oon the wyues syde ¶ This olde knyght Ianuare / of which I tolde Considered hath / with-Inne his dayes olde The lusty lyf / the vertuouse quiete That is in mariage / hony swete And for hise frendes / oon a day he sent To tellen hem / the effect / of his entent with face sad / this tale he hath hem told he seide frendes / I am hore and old And almost god wot / oon pittis brynke vpon my soule / somwhat must I thynke I haue my body / fouly dispended Blissed be god / that it shal be amended And that a-noon / in al the hast that I can ffor I wol be certeyn / a wedded man vn-to sum maide / fair and tendre of age I preye ȝow shapeth / for my mariage Al sodeynly / for I wol nat a-bide And I wyl fond / to spien of my syde To whom I may be wedded / hastily But for-as-meche / as ȝe ben moo than I Ȝe shuln rather / swich a thyng a-spien Than I / and where / me best were to allien But oo thyng warne I ȝow / my frendes deere I wol noon old wyf haue / in no manere She shal not passe / sextene ȝer certeyn Olde fyssh and ȝonge flessh / wolde I haue fayn Bet quod he is a Pyke / than a Pykerell And bet than olde Beef / is the tendre vell I wol no womman / thretty ȝer of age It is but benstraw / and gret forage And eke theise olde wydewes / god it wot They knowe so meche craft / on wades bot So meche broken harm / whan hem liste That with hem / shuld I neuere lyue in reste ffor sondry scoles / maken subtil clerkes A womman of many scoles / half a clerk is But certeynly / a ȝonge thyng / moun men gye Right as men moun warme wex / with hondis plye Wherfore I seye ȝow / pleynly in a clause I wol noon olde wyf haue / right for this cause ffor if so were / I had swich myschaunce That I in hire / coude haue no plesaunce Than shuld I lede my lyf / in avoutree And streight go to the deuel / whan I deye Ne children shulde I noone / vp-oon hire geten Ȝet were me leuere / houndes had me eten Than that myn heritage / shulde falle In straunge hand / and this I telle ȝow alle I doute nought / I wot the cause why Men shulde wedde / and forthermore wot I There speketh many man / of mariage That wot no more of it / than wot my page ffor which causes / man shulde take a wyf If he ne may nat / lyue chast his lyf Take him a wyf / with gret deuocion By cause of leueful / procreacion Of children / to honour of god a-boue And nat oonly / for paramour or loue And for they shuld / lecherie eschue And ȝelde here dettes / whan that it is due Or for that eche of hem / shulde helpen other In myschief / as a suster shal the brother And lyue in chastite / ful holily But sires be ȝoure leue / that am nat I ffor god be thanked / I dar mak a-vaunt I fele myne lymes stark / and sufficeaunt To do al that a man / bylongeth to I wot my self best / what I may do Though I be hore / I fare as doth a tree That blomyth / er þat fruyt I-wexen be A blosmy tree / nys neither drye ne dede I fele me nowher hore / but oon myn hede My herte and alle myne lymes / ben as grene As laurell thurgh the ȝere / is for to sene And syn that ȝe / han herd al myn entent I preye ȝow to my wyl / ȝe wyln assent Dyuerse men / diuersly him told Of mariage / manye ensaumples old Some blamed it / some preised it certeyn But at the laste / shortly for to seyn As al day falleth / altercacion Betwixe frendes / in disputacion There fel a strif / be-twix hise bretheren two Of which / þat on / was cleped / Placebo Iustinus sothly / called was that other Placebo seide / o Ianuare brother fful litel nede / had ȝe my lord so deere Counseil to aske / of ony that is heere But that ȝe ben / so ful of sapience That ȝow ne lyketh / for ȝoure heygh prudence To wyue fro the word / of Salamon This word seide he / vn-to vs euerychon Werk al thyng be counseil / thus seide he And thanne shalt þou nat / repente the But though that Salamon / spak swich a word Myn owen dere brother / and my lord So wysly god my soule / brynge at rest I holde ȝoure owen counseil / is the best ffor brother myn / of me take this motyf I haue now ben / a courte man al my lyf And god it wot / though I vnworthy be I haue stonden / in ful gret degree Aboue lordes / of ful heigh astate Ȝet had I neuere / with noon of hem debate I neuere hem contraried / trewely I wot wel that my lord / can more than I What that he seith / I holde it ferme and stable I seye the same / or ellis thyng semblable A ful gret fool / is ony counseillour That serueth any lord / of heigh honour That dar presume / or ellys thynken it That his counseil / shulde passe his lordes wyt Nay / lordes be none fooles be my fay Ȝe han ȝoure self / seid heere to-day So heigh sentence / so holily and so wele That I consente / and conferme euerydele Ȝoure wordes alle / and ȝoure opynyon By god there nys man / in al this toun Ne in ytaille / coude bet haue I-seyd Crist halt hym / of this counseille ful wel paid And trewely it is / an heigh corage Of ony man / that stopen is in age To take a ȝong wyf / be my fader kyn Ȝoure hert hangeth / oon a Ioly pyn Doth now in this matere / right as ȝow lyst ffor ffynally / I holde it for the best ¶ Iustinus that ay stille sat / and herde Right in this wyse / he to Placebo answerde Now brother myn / be pacient I pray Syn ȝe han seid / and herkene what I sey Senek / amongis hise othere wordes wyse Seith / that a man / ought him right wel avyse To whom hem ȝeueth his lond or his Catel And syn I ought / a-vyse me right wel To whom I ȝoue / my good a-wey fro me Wel meche more I ought / avysen me parde To whom I ȝeue my body / for alwey I warne ȝow wele / it is no childes pley To take a wyf / with-outen avysement Men must enquere / this is myn assent Wheiþer she be wys / and sobre / or dronkelewe Or proud / or ellis / other weyes a shrewe A chidere / or a wastour of thy good Or riche or poore / or ellis mannyssh wood Al be it so / that no man fynden shal Noon in this world / that trotteth hool in al Ne man ne best / swich as men coude deuyse But natheles / it ought I-now suffise With any wyf / if so were that she had Moo goode thewes / than hire vices bad And al this askith leyser / for to enquere ffor god it woot / I haue wept many a tere fful preuyly / syn that I hadde a wyf Preyse who so wyl / a wedded mannys lyf Certeyn I fynde in it / but cost and care And obseruaunces / of alle blisses bare And ȝet god wot / myne neyghebores aboute And namely of wommen / many a route Seyn / that I haue / the most stedefast wyf And eke the mekest / on that berith lyf But I wot best / where wryngeth me my sho Ȝe moun for me / right as ȝow liketh do Auyseth ȝow / ȝe ben a man of age how that ȝe entren / in-to mariage And namely / with a ȝong wyf and a fair Be him that made / water / Erthe / and Eyr The ȝongest man that is / in al this route Is besy I-now to bryngen it a-boute To han his wyf a-lone / trosteth me Ȝe shuln nat plese hire / fully ȝeres thre That is to seyn / to don hire ful plesaunce A wyf asketh / ful many an obseruaunce I pray ȝow / that ȝe be nat / euele a-paid ¶ Wel quod this Ianuarie / and hast þou seid Straw for thy Senek and for thyne prouerbes I counte it nat a panyere ful of herbes Of scole termes wysere men than thow As þou hast herd / assentyd right now To my purpos / Placebo what seye ȝe I seye it is a cursed man / quod he That lettith matrimoyne / sekerly And with that word / they resyn sodeynly And ben assentid fully / that he shulde Be wedded / whan him list / and where he wolde heigh fantasie / and curious besynesse ffro day to day / gan in the soule impresse Of Ianuarie / a-boute his mariage Many fair shap / and many a fair visage There passeth thurgh his hert / nyght be nyght As who toke a Myrour / polysshed bryght And sette it / in a comune / Market place Than shuld he se / ful many a fygure pace By his Mirour / and in this same wyse Gan Ianuarie / with-Inne his þouȝt deuyse Of maydenes / which that dwelt him beside he wyst nought where / that he myght a-byde ffor if that on / haue beaute in hire face Another stondeth so / in the peeples grace ffor hire sadnes / and hire benignitee That of the peeple / the grettest voys hath she And somme were riche / and had a bad name But natheles / betwixt ernest and game he at the last / a-poynteth him oon one And lete alle othere / from his hert gone And chesith hire / of his owen auctorite ffor loue is blynde / al day / and may nat se And whan that he was / in his bed brought he portrayed in his hert / and in his thought hire ffressh beaute / and hire age tendre¶ Nota hire mydel smal / and hire armes sklendre hire wys gouernaunce / hire gentilnesse hire wommanly beryng / and hire sadnesse And whan that he / on hire was condescended hym thought his choys / myght nat ben amended ffor whan þat he him self / concluded had him thought / eche other mannys wyt so bad That inpossible it were / to replie Ageyn his choise / this was his fantasie hise frendes sent he to / at his instaunce And preyed hem / to do him that plesaunce That hastily they woldyn / to him come he wold a-quyt here labour / al and some Nedith it no more / for him to go ne ride he was a-poynted / there he wold a-byde Placebo cam / and eke hise frendes sone And alderfirst / he bad hem alle a boone That noone of hem / noone argumentez make Ageyn the purpos / which þat he hath take Which purpos / was plesyng to god / seide he And verray ground / of his prosperite he seide there was / a mayden in the toun Which that of beaute / had gret renoun Al were it so / she were of smal degree Suffiseth hym / hire ȝouthe and hire beaute Which maide he seide / he wolde han to his wyf To leade in ease and holynesse / his lyf And thanke god / that he myght haue hire al That no wyght / his blisse parten shal he preyed hem / to laboure in this nede And shape that he / faille nat to spede ffor than he seide / his spirit was at ease Than is quod he / no thyng may me displese Saue o thyng / prykketh in my conscience The which I wol reherce / in ȝoure presence I haue quod he herd seid / ful ȝore a-go There may no man haue / parfyt blisses two This is to seyn / in erthe and eke in heuene ffor though he kepe him / fro the sinnes seuene And eke from euery braunche / of thilke tree Ȝet is there / so parfyt felicite And so gret ese / and lust in mariage That euere I am agast / now in myn age That I shal lede now / so mery a lyf So delicat / with-outen woo and strif That I shal haue / myn heuene in erthe heere ffor sithe that verray heuene / is bought so dere With tribulacions / and gret penaunce how shuld I than / that lyue in swich plesaunce As alle wedded men / don with here wyues Come to the blisse / there crist eterne / oon lyue ys This is my drede / and ȝe myne bretheryn twey Assoyleth me / this question / I prey Iustinus / which that hated his foly Answered a-noon / right in his iapery And for he wold / his longe tale a-bregge he wold noon auctorite / allege But seide sire / so there be noon obstacle Othere than this / god of his heye myracle And of his mercy / may so for ȝow werche That er ȝe han / ȝoure rightis of holi chirche Ȝe may repent / of wedded mannys lyf In which ȝe seyn / there nys no woo ne strif And elles god forbede / but he sent A wedded man / hym grace to repent Wel oft rather / than a sengle man And þerfore sire / the best red that I can Despeire ȝow nought / but haue in ȝoure memorie Parauenture she may / be ȝoure purgatorie She may be goddis meene / and goddis whip Than shal ȝoure soule / vp to heuene skip Swiftere than an arwe / doth out of a bowe I hope to god / here-after shuln ȝe knowe That there nys noon / so gret felicite In mariage / ne neuere more shal be That ȝow shal lette / of ȝoure sauacion So that ȝe vse / as skyl is and reson The lustes of ȝoure wyf / attemprely Take hem nat ofte / but mesurabely And that ȝe kepyn ȝow / eke / from other synne My tale is don / for my wyt is thynne Beth nat a-gast / here-of / my brother dere But late vs waden / out of this matere The wyf of Bathe / if ȝe han vnderstonde Of mariage / which we han oon honde Declared / hath / ful wel in litel space ffareth now wel / god haue ȝow in his grace ¶ And with that word / this Iustinus & his brother han tan here leue / and ech of hem of other ffor whan they saugh / that it must nedes be They wroughten so / by sleyte and wys tretee That she this Mayde / which that Mayus hight As hastily / as euere that she myght Shal wedded be / vn-to this Ianuarie I trowe it were / to longe ȝow to tarie If I ȝow told / of euery script and bond By which that she / was feffed in his lond Or for to rekken / of hire riche a-ray But finally / I-comen is that day That to the chirche / bothe be they went ffor to resceyue / the holy sacrament fforth cometh the prest / with stole a-boute his nekke And bad hire be lyke / Sarra and Rebekke In wysdom / and in trouthe of mariage And seide hise orisouns / as is vsage And crouched hem / and bad god shuld hem blis And mad al seker I-now / with holynes THus ben they wedded / with solempnyte And at the fest sitteth / he and she With othere worthy folk / vp-oon the deys Al ful of ioye and blisse / is the paleys And ful of Instrumenteȝ / and of vetaille The most deynteuous / of al ytaille Byforn hem were there / Instrumentes of swich soun That Orpheus / nor Thebes Amphioun Ne maden neuere / swich a melody At euery cours / than cam loud Mynstralsy That neuere tromped / Ioab / for to here Ne he Theodomas / half so clere At Thebes / whan the Citee was in doute Bacus / the wyn / hem shynketh al a-boute And venus laugheth / vp-oon euery wyght ffor Ianuarie / was bycome hire knyght And wolde both assayen / his corage In liberte / and eke in mariage And with hire fyrbrond / in hire hand aboute Daunceth byforn the Bryde / and al the route And certeynly / I dar wel seyn this That Ymeneus / which god of weddyng is Saw neuere his lyf / so merye a wedded man holde þou thy pees / thow Poete Marcian That wrytest vs / that ilke weddyng mery Of hire philosophie / and hym Marcury And of the songes / that the Muses song To smal is bothe thy penne / and eke thy tong ffor to discryuen / of this mariage whan tendre ȝouthe / hath wedded stoupyng age There is swich myrthe / that it may nat be wretyn Assayeth it ȝoure self / than may ȝe wetyn If that I lye / or noon / in thys matere Mayus that syt / with so benigne a chere hire to byholde / it semed feyrie Quene Ester / loked neuere with swich an eye On Assure / so meke a loke hath she I may ȝow nat deuyse / al hire beaute But thus muche / of hire beaute / tellen I may That she was lyke / the bright morwe of May ffulfilled of al beaute / and plesaunce This Ianuarie / is rauysshed / in a traunce At euery tyme / he loked oon hire face But in his hert / to gan hire to manace That he that nyght / in armes wolde hire streyne Hardere / than euere Parys / dide Elyne But nathelees / ȝet had he gret pitee¶ Nota bene That thilke nyght / offende hire must he And thought allas / o tendre creature Now wolde god / ȝe myght wel endure Al my corage / it is so sharp and kene I am a-gaast / ȝe shuln it nat sustene But god forbede / that I dide al my myght Now wolde god / that it were wexin nyght And that the nyght / wolde lasten euere moo I wolde / that al this peeple / were a-go And finally / he doth al his labour As he best myght / sauyng his honour To hast hem fro the mete / in subtil wyse The tyme cam / that reson was to ryse And after that / men daunce / and drynke fast And spices / al a-boute the hous / they cast And ful of ioye and blisse / is euery man Al but a Squyere / hyght Damyan which carf byforn the knyght / ful many a day he was so rauysshed / oon his lady / May That for the verray peyne / he was ny wood Al-most he swelt / and swoughned as he stood So sore hath venus hurt him / with hire bronde As that she bar it / daunsyng in hire honde And to his bed / he went him hastily No more of him / at this tyme speke I But there / I lete him wepe I-now / and pleyne Til fresshe May / wol rewen oon his peyne O perilous fire / that in the bedstrawe bredeth¶ Auctor O famulere foo / that his seruyce bedeth O seruaunt traytour / fals homly hewe lyke to the Naddere / in bosom sly vntrewe God shilde vs alle / from ȝoure acqueyntaunce O Ianuarie / dronken in plesaunce In mariage / se how thy Damyan Thyn owen squyer / and thy born man Entendeth / for to do the velanye God graunt the / thyn homely foo / to spye ffor in this world / nys werse pestilence Than homely foo / al day in thy presence Parfourmed hath the Sonne / his Ark diurne No lengere may / the body of him soiourne On the orison / as in that latitude Night with his mantel / that is derk and rude Gan ouer-sprede / the Emysperye a-boute ffor which / departed is / this lusty route ffor Ianuarie / with thank oon euery syde Hom to here hous / lustily they ryde where as they don / here thynges as hem list And whan they saw here tyme / go to rest ¶ Sone after that / this hasty Ianuarie wold go to bedde / he wold no lengere tarie he drynketh / Ypocras / Clarre and Vernage Of spices hote / to encresen his corage And many a letuarie / had he ful fyne Swich as the cursed Monk / Daun Constantyne hath wryten in his bok / de Coitu To ete hem alle / he was no thyng eschue And to hise pryue frendes / thus seide he ffor goddis loue / as sone as it may be lat voyden al this hous / in curteys wyse And they han don / right as he wol deuyse Men drynken / and the trauers drawen a-noon The bryde was brought / abedde / as stille as a ston And whan the bed / was with the prest I-blissed Out of the chaumbre / hath euery wyght him dressed And Ianuarie / hath fast in armes take his fressh May / his paradyse his make he lulleth hire / he kisseth hire ful ofte with thikke bristelis / of his berd / vn-softe lyke to the skyn / of houndes fissh / sharp as a brere ffor he was shaue / al newe / in his manere he rubbeth hire / a-boute hire tendre face And seide thus / allas / I mot trespace To ȝow my spouse / and ȝow gretly offende Er tyme come / that I wol doun descende But natheles / considereth this quod he There nys no werkeman / what so euere he be That may bothe werke wel / and hastily This wyl be don at leyser / parfytly It is no force / how longe that we pleye In trewe wedlake / coupled be we tweye And blissed be the ȝok / that we ben Inne ffor in actes / we moun do no synne A man may do no synne / with his wyf Ne hurte himself / with his owen knyf ffor we han leue / to pleye / as by the lawe Thus labureth he / til that the day gan dawe And thanne he taketh a soppe / in fyn Clarre And vp-right in his bed / than sitteth he And after that / he song ful loude and clere And kissed his wyf / and mad wantoun chere he was al coltyssh / ful of ragerye And ful of Iergon / as a flekked pye The slak skyn / a-boute his nekke shaketh While that he song / so chaunteth he and craketh And god wot / what that May / thought in hire hert Whan she him saw / vpsittyng in his shert In his nyght-cappe / and with his nekke lene She preyseth nat / his pleiyng worth a bene Than seide he thus / my reste wol I take Now day is come / I may no lengere wake And doun he leid his hede / and slepe til prime And afterward / whan that he saw his tyme vp riseth Ianuarie / but fresshe May held hire chaumbre / vn-to the ferthe day As vsage is / of wyues / for the beste ffor euery labour sumtyme / mote haue reste Or ellis 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 wooful Damyan That langwyssheth for loue / as ȝe shuln heere Therfore I speke to him / in this manere I seide / o seely Damyan / allas¶ Auctor Answere to myn demaunde / as in this cas how shalt þou / to thy lady fressh may Telle thy woo / she wyl alwey sey nay Eke if þou speke / she wyl thy woo be-wrey God be thyn helpe / I can no betyr sey This syke Damyan / in venus fyre So brenneth / that he deyeth for desyre ffor which he put his lyf / in auenture No lengere myght he / in this wyse endure But preuyly a pennere / gan he borwe And in a lettre wrot he / al his sorwe In manere of a compleynt / or a lay Vn-to this fair / fressh May And in a purs of sylk / heng oon his sherte he hath it put / and leide it at his herte The Mone that at noon / was that ilke day That Ianuarie hath wedded / fressh May In two of Taure / was in-to Cancre glyden So longe hath Mayus / in hire chaumbre abeden As custume is / vn-to theise nobles alle A bryde shal nat / eten in the halle Til dayes foure / or thre dayes at the lest Passed ben / than late hire go to feest The ferthe day complet / fro noon to noon whan that the heye masse / was I-don In halle syt this Ianuarie / and May As fressh as is / the bright Somers day And so byfel / how that this goode man Remembred him / vp-oon this Damyan And seide / Seynt Marie / how may it be That Damyan / entendeth nat to me Is he ay syke / or how may it betyde his squyers / which that stoden / þere beside Excused him / by-cause of his syknes which letted him / to don his besynes Noon other cause / myght make him tarie That me forthynketh / quod this Ianuarie he is a gentil Squyer / be my trewthe If that he deyed / it were harm and reuthe he is as wys / discrete / and as secree As ony man I knowe / of his degree And ther-to manly / and eke seruysable And for to be a man / thrifty and able But after mete / as sone as euere I may I wyl my self / vysyte him / and eke May To don him al the comfort / that I can And for that word / him blissed euery man That of his bounte / and his gentilnesse he wolde so comfort / in sekenesse his Squyer / for his gentil dede Dame quod this Ianuarie / take good hede At after mete / ȝe with ȝoure wommen alle whan ȝe han ben in chaumbre / out of this halle That alle ȝe gon / to se this Damyan Doth him disport / he is a gentil man And tellith him / that I wyl him visite haue I no thyng / but rested me a lyte And spede ȝow fast / for I wyl a-byde Til that ȝe slepe / fast be my syde And with that word / he gan to him calle A Squyer / that was Marchal / of his halle And told him certeyne thynges / that he wolde This fressh May / hath streyt / hire weye holde with alle hire wommen / vn-to Damyan Doun by hise beddis syde / sytte she than Comfortynge him / as goodly as she may This Damyan / whan he his tyme sey In secrete wyse / his purs and eke his bylle In which that he wryten had / his wylle hath put in-to hire hond / with-outen more Saue that he sigheth / wonder depe and sore And softly to hire / right thus seide he Mercy / and that ȝe nought bewreye me ffor I am ded / if that thyng be kydde This purs / she with-Inne hire bosom / hidde And went hire wey / ȝe gete no more of me But vn-to Ianuarie / a-geyn comen is she That oon his beddis syde / sat ful softe And takith hire / and kysseth hire ful ofte And leid him doun to slepe / and that a-noon She feyned hire / as though she must gon There as ȝe wote / that euery wyght must nede And whan she of this bille / hath taken hede She rent it al to peces / at the last And in the preeue / softely it cast ¶ who stodieth now / but fair fresshe May A-doun / by olde Ianuarie / she lay That slepe / til the coughe hath him waked A-noon he preyed hire / to strepen hire al naked he wold of hire he seide / haue som plesaunce And seide / hire clothes / dide him combraunce And she obeyeth him / be hire leef or loth But lest that precious folk / be with me wroth how that he wrought / I dar nat to ȝow telle Or wheither hire thought yt / paradys or helle But heere I lete hem / werken in here wyse Til Euene song rong / and that they must a-ryse were it by destenye / or by auenture were it by enfluence / or by nature Or constellacion / that in swich estate The heuene stod / in that tyme fortunate was / for to putte a bille / of venus werkes ffor al thyng hath tyme / as seyn theise clerkes To euery womman / for to gete hire loue I can nought seye / but grete god a-boue That knoweth that noon acte / is causelees he deme of alle / for I wol holde my pees But soth is this / how that this fressh May hath take swich impression / that day Of pitee / of this syke Damyan That fro hire hert / she ne dryue can The remembraunce / for to don him eese Certeyne thought she / whom that this þing displese I rekke nought / for heere I him assure To loue him best / of ony creature Though he no more had / than his sherte lo pitee / renneth sone / in gentil herte Heere may ȝe se / how excellent fraunchise In womman is / whan they hem narwe a-vyse Som tyraunt is / as there be many oone That hath an herte / as hard as ony stone which wold han lete him / sterue in the place wel rather / than haue graunt him hire grace And hem reioysen / in here cruel pride And rekke nat / to ben an homycide This gentil Mayus / fulfilled of pitee Right of hire hond / a lettre maketh she In which she graunted him / hire verray grace There lakketh nought / oonly / but day and space There as she myght / vn-to his lust suffice ffor it shal be / right as he wol deuyse And whan she saw hire tyme / vp-oon a day To visite this Damyan / goth this May And softly this lettre / doun she threst vnder his Pilewe / rede it if him list She taketh him by the hond / and hard him twist So secrely / that no wyght it wyst And bad him be al hole / and forth she went To Ianuarie / whan that he for hire sent vp risith Damyan / the next morwe Al passed is / his syknes / and his sorwe he kembeth / he proyneth him / and pyketh he doth / al that his lady lust / and lyketh And eke to Ianuarie / he goth as lowe As euere dide a dogge / for the bowe he is so plesaunt / to euery man ffor craft is al / who so that do yt can That euery wyght is fayn / to speke him good And fully / in hise ladies grace / he stod Thus lete I Damyan / a-boute his nede And in my tale / forth I wyl procede ¶ Some Clerkys holden / that felicite Stant in delite / and therfore certeyne he This noble Ianuarie / with al his myght In honest wyse / as longeth to a knyght shope him to lyue / ful deliciously his housyng is arrayed / as honestly To his degree / was maked / as a kynges Amonges othere / of hise honest thynges he mad a gardeyne / walled al with stone A fairere gardeyne / what I no wher noone ffor out of doute / I verraily suppose That he that wrot / the Romauns of the Rose Ne coude of it / the beaute wel deuyse Ne Priapus / myght nought suffise Though he be god / of gardeynes for to telle The beaute of the gardeyn / and the welle That stod vnder a laurer / alwey grene fful ofte tyme he / Pluto and his Quene Proserpina / and al hire feyree Disporten hem / and maken melodee A-boute that welle / and daunsyng as men told ¶ This noble knyght / Ianuarie the old Swich deynte hath / in it to walke and pley That he wol suffre / no wyght bere the key But he him self / for of the smal wyket he bar alwey / of siluere / a cleket With whiche / whan that him liste / he it vnshette And whan he wold pay / his wyues dette In somer seson / thider wold he go And May his wyf / and no wyght but they two And thynges / which / that were nat don abedde he in the gardeyn / parfourmed hem / and spedde And in this wyse / ful many a mery day lyueth this Ianuarie / and this fressh May ¶ But worldly ioye / may nought alwey endure To Ianuarie / ne to no creature O sodeyne hap / o thow fortune vnstable lyke to the Skorpion / so disceyuable That flaterest with thyn hede / whan þou wylt stynge Thy tail is deth / thurgh thyn envenemynge O brotel ioye / o swete venym queynte O monstre / that so sotelly / canst peynte Thy ȝiftes / vnder hewe of stedfastnes That thow disceyuest / bothe more and lesse Why hast þou / Ianuarie / thus disceyued That haddest him / for thy ful frend resceyued And now þou hast byreft him / bothe his eyen ffor sorwe of which / he desireth to deyen Allas this noble Ianuarie / the free Amydde hise lust / and his prosperitee Is woxen blynd / and that al sodeynly he wepeth / he weyleth also / pitously And there-with-al / the fire of Ielousie leste that his wyf / shulde falle in som folie So brent his hert / that he wolde fayn That som man / bothe hire and him had slayn ffor neither after his deth / ne in his lyf Ne wolde he / þat she were / no loue ne wyf But euere lyue as a wydewe / in clothes blake Shu as the Turtyl / that lost hath hire make But at the last / after a moneth or twey his sorwe gan to a-swage / soth to sey ffor whan he wyst / it myght noon other be he paciently took / his aduersitee Saue out of doute / he may nat forgon That he nas ielous / euere more in on Which ielousie / it was so outrageous That neither in Halle / ne in non oþer hous Ne in non other place / neuere the moo he nolde suffre hire / for to ryde ne goo But if he had hond / on hire alwey ffor which ful ofte / wepeth fressh May That loueth Damyan / so benygnely That she mot either deyen / sodeynly Or ellis she mot han him / as hire list She wayteth whanne / hire hert wold brest ¶ vp-on that other syde / Damyan Bycomen is / the sorwefullest man That euere was / for neither nyght ne day Ne myght he speke / a word / to fressh May As to his purpos / of no swich matere But if that Ianuarie / must it heere That had an hand / vp-on hire / euere moo But natheles / be wrytyng to and froo And pryue signes / wyst he what she ment And she knewe eke / the fyn of his entent ¶ O Ianuarie / what myght it the a-vaille Though þou myght seen / as fer as shippes seylle ffor as good is blynd / disceyued be As ben disceyued / whan a man may se lo Argue / which that had / an hondred eyen ffor al that euere he coude / poure or preyen Ȝet was he blynd / as god wot so ben moo That wenen wysely / that it be nat so Passe ouer / is an ease / I sey no more This fressh May / that I spak of bifore In warme wex / hath enprented the cliket That Ianuarie bar / of the smal wyket By which / in-to his gardeyn / oft he went And Damyan that knew / al hire entent The cliket countrefetet / preuyly There is nomore to seye / but hastily Som wonder by this cliket / shal betide Which ȝe shuln heren / if ȝe wiln a-bide ¶ O noble Ouyde / ful soth seist þou god wot What sleithe is it / though it be long and hot That loue nyl fynde it out / in som manere By Priamus and Tisbe / may ȝe leere Though they were kept ful longe / and streite ouer alle They ben accorded / rounyng thurgh a walle There no wyght coude han founde out / swich a sleight But now to the purpos / or that deyes eight were passed / er that the monthe of Iull / byfelle That Ianuarie hath caught / so gret a wylle Thurgh eggyng of his wyf / him for to pley In his gardeyn / and no wyght but they twey That in a morwe / vn-to this May seith he Ryse vp my wyf / my loue / my lady free The turtles voys is herd / my dowe so swete The wynter is gon / with hise reynes wete Come forth now / with thyne eyne Columbyne how meche fairere / ben thyne brestes / than is wyne The gardeyn is enclosed / al a-boute Come forth my swete spouse / for out of doute Thow hast we wounded / in myn hert / O wyf No spot ne knowe I in the / in al my lyf Come forth / and late vs taken / oure disport I chese the for my wyf / and my comfort Swiche olde / lewede wordes / vsed he On Damyan / a signe mad she That he shulde go byforn / with his clyket This Damyan / than hath opened the wyket And in he stirt / and that in swich manere That no wyght / myght him se / neither heere And stille he syt / vnder a bussh a-noon This Ianuarie / as blynd as ony ston With Mayus in his hond / and no wyght moo In-to this fressh gardeyn / is a-goo And claped to / the wyket / sodeynly Now wyf quod he / here is but ȝe and I Thow art the creature / that I best loue ffor be that lord / that syt in heuene a-boue leuer I had to deyen / on a knyf Than the offende / trewe dere wyf ffor goddis sake / thynk how I the ches Nought for no coueitise / douteles But oonly for the loue / I had to the And though that I be olde / and may nat se Beth to me trewe / and I wyl telle ȝow why Thre thynges certes / shuln ȝe wynne ther-by ffirst / loue of Crist / and to ȝoure self / honour And al myn heritage / bothe toun and tour I ȝeue it ȝow / maketh chartres as ȝow list This shal be don / to-morwe or the sonne rist So wysly god my soule / brynge in-to blysse I preye ȝow first / in couenaunt ȝe me kisse And though I be ielous / wyte me nought Ȝe ben so depe / enprented in my thought That whan I considre / ȝoure beaute And ther-with-al / the vnlikly age of me I may nought certes / though I shulde deye ffor-bere to ben / oute of ȝoure companye ffor verray loue / this is with-outen doute Now kisse we wyf / and late vs rome aboute ¶ This fresshe May / whan she theise wordes herd Benygnely / to Ianuarie she answerd But first and forward / she bygan to wepe ¶ I haue quod she / god wot / a soule to kepe As wel as ȝe / and also myn honour And of my wyfhod / thilke tendre flour Which that I haue assured / in ȝoure hond Whan that the prest / to ȝow my body bond Wherfore I wyl answere / in this manere By the leue of ȝow / that ben my lord so dere I preye to god / that neuere dawe the day That I ne sterue / as foule as a womman may If euere I do / vn-to my kyn / that shame Or ellis if that I / enpeire so my name That I be fals / and if I do that lak Do stripe me / and put me in a sak And in the nexte Ryuer / do me drenche I am a gentil womman / and no wenche Why speke ȝe thus / but men ben euere vntrewe And wommen han of ȝow / repref ay newe Ȝe conne noon other countenaunce / I leue But speke to vs / as of vntrust and repreue And with that word / she saw where Damyan Sat in a Bussh / and coughe she bygan And with hire fynger / a signe mad she That Damyan shulde / clymbe vp oon a tree That charged was / with fruyt / and vp he went ffor verraily he knew / al hire entent And euery signe / that she coude make Wel betir than Ianuarie / hire owen make ffor in a lettre / she had told him alle Of this matere / how he werken shalle And thus I lete him sitte / vp-oon this Perie And Ianuarie and May / romyng ful merye ¶ Bright was the day / and blew the firmament Phebus hath of gold / hise stremes doun sent That gladen euery flour / with hise warmnes he was that tyme / in gemine · as I gesse But litel from his / declinacion Of Cancer / Iouis exaltacion And so byfel / in that bright morwe tyde That in that gardeyn / in the ferther syde Pluto that is kyng / of fayrie And many a lady / in his companye ffolwyng his wyf / the Quene of Proserpyne Ech after other / as right as a lyne While that she gadered / floures in the mede In Claudian / ȝe moun the stories rede how in his grisly Cart / he hire fette ¶ The kyng of fayrie / doun him sette vp-on a benche / of torues faire and grene And right a-noon / thus seide he to the Quene Now wyf quod he / there may no wyght sey nay The experience / so preeueth it euery day The treson / which that womman doth to man Ten hondred thouȝsand / wel tellen I can Notable / of ȝoure vntrewthe / and brotilnes O noble Salamon / rychest of Ryches ffulfilled of sapience / and of worldly glorie fful worthy ben thyne wordes / to memorie To euery wyght / that wyt and reson can Thus preiseth he ȝet / the bounte of man Among a thouȝsand men / ȝet fond I one But of wommen alle / ȝet fond I noone Thus seith the kyng / that knoweth ȝoure wykkednes And Ihesus filius Sirac / as I gesse Ne speketh of ȝow / but selde reuerence A wylde fyre / and corupte pestilence So fal vp-oon ȝoure bodyes / ȝet to-nyght Ne se ȝe nought / this honurable knyght Bycause allas / that he is blynd and old his owen man / shal make him cokewold lo where he syt / the lechour oon the tree Now wol I graunte / of my mageste Vn-to this olde / blynde / worthy knyght That he shal haue / a-ȝein / his eyen sight And whan that his wyf / wold don him velanye Than shal he knowe / al hire harlotrye Bothe in repreef of hire / and othere moo ¶ Ȝee shal quod Proserpyne / wyl ȝe so Now be my modres soule / sire I ȝow swere That I shal ȝeuen hire / sufficeaunt answere¶ verum quidem And alle wommen after / for hire sake That though they be / in ony gilt take with face bold / they shuln hem self excuse And beren hem doun / that wolden hem accuse¶ Nota bene ffor lakke of answere / noon of hem shal deyen Al had a man / sen a thyng / with hise eyen Ȝet shuln we wommen / visage it hardily And wepe and swere / and chide sotelly So that ȝe men / shuln ben as lewed as gees what rekketh me / of ȝoure auctorites I wot wel / that this Iew / this Salamon ffond of vs wyues / fooles / many on But though that he fond / no good womman Ȝet hath there founden / many a-nother man wommen ful trewe / ful goode and vertuous wytnesse of hem / that dwellen / in cristis hous with martirdom / they preeued heere constaunce The Romayns Iestes / eke / make remembraunce Of many a verrey / trewe wyf / also But sire be not wroth / al be it so Though that he seide / he fond no trewe womman I prey ȝow take this sentence / as I telle can She ment thus / that in soueraigne bounte Nis noon but god / neither he ne she Ey for verrey god / that nys but one what make ȝe so meche / of Salamone what though he mad a temple / goddis hous what though he were riche / and glorious So mad he a temple eke / of fals goddis who myght don a thyng / that more for-boden is Pardee / as fair as ȝe / his name plaistre he was a lecchour / and an ydolatre And in his elde / he verray god forsoke And if that god ne hadde / as seith the boke Spared him / for his fadres sake / he shulde haue lost his regne / rather than he wolde I sette nought / of al the velanye That he of wommen wrot / a botirflye I am a womman / nedes must I speke Or ellis swelle / til myn hert breke ffor sithe he seide / that we ben iangelers As euere hole mote I / brouke my tresses I shal nat spare / for no curteisie To speke him harm / that wolde vs velanye Dame quod this Pluto / be no lengere wroth I ȝeue it vp / but sithe I swor myn oth That I wolde graunt him / his sight a-ȝeyne my word shal stonde / I warne ȝow certeyne I am a kyng / it syt me nought to lye And I quod she / a Quene of fayrie hire answere shal she haue / I vndertake lat vs no moo wordes / here-of make for sothe I wyl no lengere / ȝow contrarie ¶ Now late vs turne aȝein / to Ianuarie That in the gardeyn / with hise fair May Syngeth ful meriere / than the Popyngay Ȝow loue I best / and shal / and other noon So longe a-boute the Aleys / is he gon Til he was come a-geyn / to thilke perye where as this Damyan / sitteth ful merye And heygh / a-mong theise fressh leues grene This fressh May / that is so bright and shene Gan for to sighe / and seide allas my syde Now sire quod she / for ought that may betide I must haue on of the peeres / that I se Or I mot deye / so sore longeth me To eten / of the smale peeres grene helpe for hire loue / that is heuene Quene I telle ȝow wel / a womman in my plight May haue to fruyt / so gret an appetit That she may deyen / but she it haue Allas quod he / that I haue here no knaue That coude clymbe / allas allas quod he ffor I am blynde / ȝe sire no force quod she But wolde ȝe vouchesaf / for goddis sake The Perie / with-Inne ȝoure armes / for to take fful wel I wote / that ȝe mystrosten me Than shulde I clymbe / wel I-now quod she So I my fote / may sette vp-oon ȝoure bak Certes quod he / ther-of shal be no lak Myght I ȝow helpen / with myn hert blode he stouped doun / and she vp-on his bak stode And caught hire by a twist / and vp she goth Ladyes I pray ȝow / that ȝe be nat wroth I can nat glose / I am a rude man And sodeynly a-noon / this Damyan Gan pullen vp the smok / and in he thronge And whan that Pluto / saw this grete wronge To Ianuarie / he ȝaf a-noon his sight That he thanne / right wel / se myght And whan þat he / had caught his sight a-geyn Ne was there neuere man / of thyng so feyn But oon his wyf / his thought was euere moo vp-oon the tree / he cast hise eyen two And saw that Damyan / hys wyf had dressed In swich manere / it may nought ben expressed But if I wold speke / vncurteislye And vp he ȝaf a rooryng / and a crye As doth the Moder / whan the child shal deye Out / help / allas / harrow / he gan to crye O stronge lady / store / what dost thow And she answered / sire / what eyleth ȝow haue pacience and reson / in ȝoure mynde I haue ȝow holpe / of bothe ȝoure eyen blynde vp perile of my soule / I shal nat lyen As me was taught / to helen with ȝoure eyen was no thyng betir / for to make ȝow se Than strogle with a man / vp-oon a tree God wot I dide it / in ful good entent Strogle quod he / ȝa algate In it went God ȝeue ȝow bothe / oon shames deth to deyen he swyued the / I saw it with myne eyen And elles be I hanged / by the hals And thanne is quod she / my medycyne fals ffor certeynly / if that ȝe myght se Ȝe wolde nat seye / theise wordes vn-to me Ȝe han som glemeryng / and no parfyt sight I se quod he / as wel as euere I myght Thanked be god / with bothe myne eyen twoo And be my trewthe / me thouȝt he dide the so ¶ Ȝa mase mase / good sire quod she This thank haue I / for I made ȝow se Allas quod she / that euere I was so kynde Now dame quod he / late al passe out of mynde Come a-doun my leef / and if I haue mysseyd God help me so / as I am euele a-payd But be my fadres soule / I wende haue sen how that this Damyan / had by the leyn And that thy smok / had leyn vp-oon thy brest Ȝa sire quod she / ȝe moun seyn as ȝow lest But sire / a man / that waketh out of his slepe he may nat so sodeynly / take kepe vp-oon a thyng / ne seyn it so parfitly That til he be a-waked / verrayly Right so a man / þat long hath blynd I-be Ne may nought sodeynly / so wel se ffirst / whan his sight / is newe comyn a-geyn As he that hath a day / or tweyne seyn Til that ȝoure sight / be satled a while There may ful many a sight / ȝow begyle Beth war I preye ȝow / for by heuene kyng fful many a man weneth / to seyn a thyng And it is al a-nother / than it semeth he that mys conceyueth / mys demeth And with that word / she lepe doun fro the tree This Ianuarie / who is glad but he he kissith hire / and clippeth hire ful ofte And oon hire wombe / he streked hire ful softe And to his Paleys / hom he hath hire ladde Now goode men / I preye ȝow alle beth gladde Thus endeth heere my tale / of Ianuarie God blisse vs alle / and oure lady Seynt Marie¶ Amen; ¶ Sic desinit fabula Mercatoris / Et incipit prologus Armigerion leaf 119 EY goddis mercy / seide oure hoost tho Now swich a wyf / I preye god kepe me fro lo swich sleightes / and subtilitees In wommen ben / for ay as besiens bees Ben they / vs sely men for to deceyue And froo a soth / euere wyl they weyue By this Marchauntes tale / it preueth wel But doutelees / as trewe as any stel I haue a wyf / though that she pore be But of hire tonge / a labbyng shrewe is she And ȝet she hath an hepe / of vices moo Ther-of no fors / lat alle suche thynges goo But wyte ȝe what / in counseile be it seyde Me reweth sore / I am vn-to hire teyde ffor and I shuld rekene / euery vyce Which that she hath / I-wys I were to nyce And cause why / it shulde reported be And tolde to hire / of some of this meyne Of whom it nedeth nat / for to declare Syn wommen connen oute / such chaffare And eke my wyt / suffiseth nat ther-to To tellen al / wherfore my tale is do

Squyere come ner / if it ȝoure wylle beon leaf 119, back And seye som-what of loue / for certes ȝe Konen ther-oon / as meche as any man Nay sire quod he / but swich thyng as I can With hertly wylle / for I wil nought rebelle A-geyn ȝoure lust / a tale wol I ȝow telle haue me excused / if I speke amys My wyl is good / and lo my tale is this ¶ Sic desinit prologus & Incipit fabula Armigerion leaf 119, back At Sarray / in the lond of Tartarye There dwelled a kyng / that werred Russye Thorugh which there deyed / many a doughty man This noble kyng was cleped / Cambyuscan Which in his tyme / was of so gret renoun That ther was nowher / in no region So excellent a lord / of al thyng him lakked no thyng / that longeth to a kyng As of the secte / of which that he was born he kept his lay / to which that he was sworn And ther-to he was hardy / wys and riche And pitous and Iust / alwey I-liche Sooth of his word / benygne and honurable A[n]d of his corage / alwey sad and stable Ȝong fressh and strong / in armes desirous As any bacheler / of al his hous A faire persone he was / and fortunat And kept alwey so wel / Real estat That there nas no-wher / such an-other man ¶ This noble kyng / this Tartre Cambiuscan hadde two sones / on Elfeta his wyf Of which the eldest hight / Algarsyf That other sone / was called Camballo A doughter hadde / this worthy kyng also That ȝongest was / and hight Canacee But for to telle ȝow / al hire beaute It lith nought in my tonge / or my konnynge I dar nought vndertake / so heigh a thynge Myn englyssh eke is / insufficient It must ben a Rethor / excellent That coude hise colours / longyng for that art If he shulde hire discryuen / euery part I nam noon suche / I mot speke as I can And so byfel / that whan this Cambiuscan hadde twenty wynter / born his Diademe As he was wont / fro ȝere to ȝere I deme he lete the feste / of his Natiuitee Do crien thurgh-out Sarray / his Citee The last ydus of March / after the ȝer Phebus the Sonne / ful iolyf was and cler ffor he was ney / his exaltacion In martes face / & in his mancion In Aries / the coleryk hote signe fful lusty was the wedir / & benygne ffor which the foules / ageyn the sonne shene What for the seson / & the ȝonge greene fful loude songen / in here affeccions hem semed haue geten hem / proteccions Ageyns the swerd of wynter / kene & colde This Cambiuscan / of which I haue ȝow tolde In real vestiment / syt on his deys With Diademe ful heigh / in his paleys And halt his feste / so solempne & so riche That in this world / ne was þere noon it liche Of which / if I shal tellen / al the array Than wold it occupie / a someres day And eke it nedeth nat / for to deuyse At euery cours / the ordre of here seruyse I wyl nought tellen / of here straunge sewes Ne of here swannes / ne here heronsewes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. I wyl nought tarien ȝow / for it is pryme And for it is no fruyt / but losse of tyme vn-to my first / I wyl haue myn retours And so byfel after / the thridde cours whil that this kyng syt thus / in his nobleye Herkenyng his mynstralles / here thynges pleye Biforn him at the bord / deliciously In at the halle dore / al sodeynly There cam a knyght / vp-on a steede of Bras And in his hand / a brode Myrour of glas Vp-on his thombe / he hadde of gold a ryng And by his syde / a naked swerd hangyng And vp he rideth / vn-to the heigh bord In al the halle / ne was there spoke a word ffor merueille of this knyght / him to byholde fful bisily they wayten / ȝonge and olde ¶ This straunge knyght / that cam thus sodeynly Al armed saue his hed / ful richely Salueth kyng and Quene / and lordes alle By ordre / as they setyn / in the halle With so heigh reuerence / and obeisaunce As wel in speche / as in his countenaunce That Gawayn / with his olde curteisye Though he were come a-geyn / out of fairye Ne coude him nought amende / with a word And after this / bifore the heigh bord he with a manly voice / seide his message After the fourme vsed / in his langage With-outen vice of silable / or lettre And for his tale / shulde seme the bettre Accordant to his wordes / was his chiere As techeth art of speche / hem that it lere Al be it / that I can nought / sowne his stile Ne can nought clymben / ouer so heigh a stile Ȝet sey I this / that as to comune entent Thus meche amounteth / al þat euere he ment If it so be / that I haue it in mynde ¶ He seide the kyng of Arabe / and of Ynde My lige lord / on this solempne day Salueth ȝow / as he best can and may And sendeth ȝow / in honour of ȝoure feste By me / that am al redy / at ȝoure heste This steede of Bras / that esily and wel Can in the space / of oo day naturel That is to seyn / in foure and twenty houres Where-so ȝow list / in drought or ellis shoures Beren ȝoure body / in-to euery place To which ȝoure herte wylneth / for to pace With-outen wem of ȝow / thurgh foule and fair Or if ȝow list / to fleighe as heigh in the eyr As doth an Egle / whan him list to sore This same Steede / shal bere ȝow eueremore With-outen harm / til ȝe be there ȝow list Though that ȝe slepen / on his bak & rest And turne ageyn / with writhyng of a pyn he that it wrought / he coude many a gyn he wayted many / a constellacion Or he had don / this operacion And knew ful many / a sel / & many a bonde ¶ This Mirour eke / that I haue in myn honde hath swich a myght / that men moun in it se Whan there shal fallen / any aduersitee vn-to ȝoure regne / or to ȝoure self also And openly / who is ȝoure frend or foo And ouer al this / if any lady bright hath set hire herte / on any maner wyght If he be fals / she shal his treson see his newe loue / and al his subtiltee So openly / there shal no thyng hyde Wherfore / a-geyns this lusty someres tyde This Myrour & this Ryng / that ȝe may se he hath sent / to my lady Canacee Ȝoure excellente doughter / that is here The vertu of the Ryng / if ye wiln heere Is this / that if hire list / it / for to were vp-on hire thombe / or in hire purs it bere There nys no foule / that flieth vnder the heuene That she ne shal wel / vnderstonde his steuene And knowe his menyng / openly and pleyn And answere him / in his langage ageyn And euery gras / that groweth vp-on rote She shal eke knowe / & whom it wol do bote Al ben hise woundes / neuere so depe & wyde ¶ This naked swerd / that hangeth be my syde Swich vertu hath / that what man þat ȝe smyte Thurgh-out his armure / it wil kerue & byte Were it as thikke / as is a braunched ook And what man þat is wounded / with the strok Shal neuere be hol / til that ȝow list of grace To stroke him with the plat / in thilke place There he is hurt / this is so meche to seyn Ȝe mote with the plat swerd / a-geyn Stroke him in the wounde / and it wol close This is a verray soth / with-outen glose It failleth not / whil it is in ȝoure wolde ¶ And whan this knyght / hath thus his tale I-tolde he rideth out of halle / and doun he light his Steede which that shone / as sonne bright Stant in the courte / as stille as ony ston This knyght is to his chaumber / lad a-non And is vnarmed / and to mete I-sette The presentes / ben ful richelich I-fette This is to seyn / the swerd and the Mirour And born a-non / vn-to the heigh Tour With certeyne officers / ordeyned therfore And to Canacee / the Ryng is bore Solempnely / there she sat at the table But sekerly / with-outen any fable The hors of Bras / that can nought be remewed Is stant as it were / to the ground I-glewed There may no man / out of that place it dryue ffor non engyne / of wyndas or polyue And cause why / for they conne nought the craft And therfore in the place / they han it laft Til that the knyght / hath taught hem the manere To voiden him / as ȝe shuln after here ¶ Greet was the prees / that swarmeth to and froo To gauren on this hors / that stondeth so ffor it so heigh was / & so brode and longe So wel proporcioned / for to be stronge Right as it were a Steede / of lumbardie There-with so horsly / and so quyk at eye As it a gentil poleis / courser were ffor certes from his taille / vn-to his ere Nature ne art / ne coude him nought amende In no degree / as al the peple wende But euere moo / here moost wondre was how that it coude gon / & was of bras It was a fayrie / as the peeple semed Diuerse folk / diuersely han demed As many hedes / as many wyttes ben They mormered / as doth a swarm of been And maden skyles / after here fantasies Rehersyng / of this olde poetries And seiden it was like / the pegaseeid est equus pe|gaseus / percius 4to The hors that hadde / wenges for to flee Or ellis it was / the Grekes hors sinon That brought Troye / to destruccion As men moun / in theise old gestes rede Myn herte quod on / is eueremo in drede I trowe some men of armes / ben there-Inne That shapen hem / this Citee for to wynne It were right good / that al such thyng were knowe An other rouned / to his felawe lowe And seide he lyeth / for it is rather lyk An apparence I-made / by some magyk As iogeloures pleyen / at thise grete Of sondry doutes / thus they Iangle & trete As lewede peeple demen / comunely Of thynges that ben made / more subtily Than they can / in here lewednes comprehende They demen gladly / to the baddere ende ¶ And some of hem wondred / on the Mirour That born was vp / vn-to the maister Tour how men myght in it / swich thynges se Another answered & seide / it myght wel be Naturely / by composicions Of anglys / and of sligh reflexions And seiden / that in Rome / was swich on They spoken of Alocen / and vitulon Of Aristotle / that wretyn in here lyues Of queynt Miroures / and of perspectyues As knowen they / that han here bokes herd And other folk / han wondred on the swerd That wolde percen / thurgh-out euery thyng And feln in speche / of Thelephus the kyng And of Achilles / for his queynt spere ffor he coude with it / bothe hele and dere Right in swich gise / as men moun with the swerd Of which right now / ȝe han ȝoure seluen herd They speken of sondry hardyng / of metal And speken of medicynes / ther-with-al And how & whanne / it shulde I-harded be Which is vnknowe / algates vn-to me Tho speken they / of Canaces ryng And seiden alle / that swich a wonder thyng Of craft of Rynges / herd they neuere non Saue that he Moyses / and kyng Salamon hadden a name of konnyng / in swich art Thus seith the peeple / & drawen hem a-part But nathelees some seiden / that it was Wonder to make / of ffern asshen / glas And ȝet is glas / nought lyke asshen of fern And for they han I-knowen it / so fern Therfore cesseth here iangelyng / & here wonder As sore wonder some / on cause of thonder On ebbe on flode / on gossomer & on myst And on alle thynge / til þat the cause is wist Thus iangle they / & demen & deuyse Til that the kyng / gan fro the bord arise ¶ Phebus hath lost / the angle mediornal And ȝet ascendyng / was the best roial The gentil leon / with his aldiran Whan that this tartre kyng / Cambyuscan Ros fro his bord / there as he sat ful heye Bifore him goth / the loude mynstralcye Til he come to his chambre / of parementȝ There as there sounen / diuerse Instrumentȝ That it is like an heuene / for to here Now dauncen lusty venus / children dere ffor in the ffissh / here lady sat ful heye And loketh on hem / with a frendlich eye This noble kyng / is set vp-on his Trone This straunge knyght / is to him fet ful sone ¶ And on the daunce he goth / with Canacee here is the reuel / and the Iolitee That is nat able / a dul man to deuyse he must han knowen loue / and his seruyse And ben a feestlich man / as fressh as May That shulde ȝow deuysen / swich a-ray who coude telle ȝow / the fourrme of daunces So vncouth / and swich fressh countenaunces Swich subtil lokyng / and dissimulynges ffor drede / of gelous mennes / aparceyuynges Noman but launcelot / and he is ded Therfore I passe / of al this lustied I sey no more / but in this Iolynesse I lete hem / til men to the Soper dresse The Styward / bit spices for to hye And eke the wyn / and al this melodye The vsshers / and the Squyery is gon The spices and the wyn / is come anon They ete & drynke / and whan this had an ende vn-to the temple / as reson was / they wende ¶ The seruyse don they / & soupen al be day what nedeth to ȝow / rehercen here / here array Eche man wot wel / that a kynges fest Hath plentee to the meest / and to the leest And deyntes moo than ben / in my knowyng At after soper / goth this noble kyng To sen this hors / of Bras / with al a route Of ladyes / and of lordes / him a-boute ¶ Swich wondryng was there / on this hors of Bras That syn the gret assege / of Troie was There as men wondred / on an hors also Ne was there swich a wondryng / as was tho But fynaly / the kyng axed the knyght The vertu of this courser / and the myght And preyed him to telle / his gouernaunce This hors a-non / gan for to trippe & daunce whan that the knyght / leid hand vp-on his reyne And seide sire / there nys no more to seyne But whan ȝow list / to riden any where Ȝe moten trille a pyn / stant in his Ere which I shal tellen ȝow / betwixe vs two Ȝe moten nempne him / to what place also Or to what contre / that ȝow list to ryde And whan ȝe come there / as ȝow list abide Bid him decende / and trille an other pyn ffor þere-Inne lith the effect / of al the gyn And he wol doun decende / & don ȝoure wille And in that place / he wol abyden stille Though al the world / the contrarie had swore he shal nat thens be drawe / ne be bore Or if ȝow list / to bidde him / thens gon Trille this pyn / & he wol vanysshe a-non Out of the sight / of euery manere wyght And come a-geyn / be it day or nyght whan that ȝow list / to clepen him a-geyn In swich a gyse / as I shal to ȝow seyn Betwixen ȝow & me / & that ful sone Ryde whan ȝow list / there is no more to done ¶ Enformed whan the kyng was / of this knyght And hath conceyued / in his wyt a-right The manere & the fourme / of al this thyng fful glad and blithe / this noble lusty kyng Repaireth to his reuel / as byforn The brydel is / in-to the Tour I-born And kept among his Iueles / lief & deere The hors vanysshed / I not in which manere Out of here sight / ȝe gete no more for me But thus I leete / in lust and Iolitee This Cambyuscan / his lordes festeiynge Til wel neygh / the day bygan to springe ¶ Explicit prima pars[In margin. No break in MS.] [PART II.] The norice of digestion / the sleep Gan on hem wynke / & bad hem taken kep That mechel drynk & labour / wyl haue rest And with a galpyng mouth / hem alle he kest And seide that it was tyme / to lye a-doun ffor blod was / in his dominacion Cherisheth blood / natures frend quod he They thanked him galpyng / by two by three And euery wyght / gan drawe him to his rest As sleep hem bad / they toke it for the best here dremes shuln nat now / ben tolde for me fful were here hedes / of fumositee That causeth dreem / of which there is no charge They slepe / til that it was / prime large The moste parte / but it were Canacee She was ful mesurable / as wommen be ffor of hire fader / had she taken leue To gon to rest / sone after it was eue hire list nat appalled / for to be Ne on the morwe / vnfestliche for to se And slept hire first sleep / & thanne a-woke ffor swich a ioie / she in hire hert toke Bothe of hire queynt Ryng / & hire Mirour That twenty tyme / she chaunged hire colour And in hire sleep / right for the inpression Of hire Mirour / she had a vision wherfore / er that the sonne / gan vp glyde She cleped vp-on hire Maistres / hire beside And seide / that hire list for to ryse Theise olde wommen / that ben gladly wyse As is hire Maistresse / answered a-non And seide Madame / whider wolde ȝe gon Thus erly / for the folk ben alle in rest I wil quod she arrisen / for me lest No lengere for to slepe / and walke a-boute hire Maistresse clepeth wommen / a gret route And vp they risen / wel an ten or twelue vp riseth fressh Canacee / hire selue As rody and bright / as doth the ȝonge Sonne That in the Ram / is foure degrees vp ronne Non heighere was he / whan she redy was And forth she walketh / esily a paas Arrayed after the lusty seson / swote lightly for to pleye / & walke on foote Nat but with fyue or sexe / of hire meyne And in a trenche / forth in the Park goth she ¶ The vapor / which / that from the erthe glode Made the Sonne to seme / rody and brode But nathelees it was / so fair a sight That it made alle here hertes / for to light What for the Seson / & the morwenyng What for the foules / that she herd syng ffor right a-non / she wist what they ment Right by here song / & knew al here entent ¶ The knotte why / that euery tale is told If it be taried / til the lust be cold Of hem / that after it / han herkened ȝore The sauour passeth / euere lengere the more ffor fulsumnesse / of his prolixitee And by this same reson / thynketh me I shulde vn-to the knot / condescende And maken of here walkyng / sone an ende ¶ Amydde a tree ful drye / as white as chalk As Canace was pleiyng / in hire walk There sat a faucon / ouer hire hed ful heye That with a pitous voice / so gan to crye That al the wode / resouned of hire cry I-betyn had she hire self / so pitously with bothe hire wenges / til the red blod Ran endelong the tree / there as she stood And euere in on alwey / she cried and shright And with hire beek / hire seluen she so twight That there nas tygre / ne so cruel beste That dwelleth either in wode / or in foreste That nolde han wept / if that he wepe coude ffor sorwe of hire / she shright alwey so loude ¶ ffor þere was neuere ȝet / no man a-lyue If that I coude / a faucon wel discryue That herd of swich an other / of fairnesse As wel of plumage / as of gentilnesse Of shap / of al that myght I-rekened be A faucon peregryn / than semed she Of fremd land / and eueremo there she stod She swoughned now and now / for lakke of blood Til wol ny is she fallen / fro the Tree This faire kynges doughter / Canacee That on hire fyngre / bare the queynt Ryng Thurgh which / she vnderstod wel / euery thyng That any foul / may in his ledne seyn And coude answere him / in his ledne a-geyn hath vnderstonden / what this faucon seide And wel neigh for the routhe / almest she deiede And to the tree / she goth ful hastily And on this faucon / loketh pytously And held hire lappe a-brod / for wel she wiste The faucon must fallen / fro the twiste when that it swoughneth next / for lak of blood A longe while / to wayten hire she stood Til at the laste / she spak in this manere vn-to the hauke / as ȝe shuln after heere what is the cause / if that it be to telle That ȝe ben / in this furyal peyne of helle Quod Canacee / vn-to this hauke a-boue Is this for sorwe of deth / or losse of loue ffor as I trowe / theise ben causes two That causen moost / a gentil herte woo Of other harm / it nedeth nat to speke ffor ȝe ȝoure self / vp-on ȝoure self ȝow wreke which preeueth wel / that either Ire or drede Mote ben encheson / of ȝoure cruel dede Syn that I se / noon other wyght / ȝow chace ffor loue of god / as doth ȝoure seluen grace Or what may ben ȝoure helpe / for west north est Ne saw I neuere or now / no bryd nor beest That ferde with him self / so pitously Ȝe slee me with ȝoure sorwe / verreyly I haue of ȝow / so gret compassion ffor goddes loue / come fro the tree a-doun And as I am / a kynges doughter trewe If that I verreyly / the causes knewe Of ȝoure dissese / if it lay in my myght I wolde amende it / or that it were nyght As wisly helpe me / gret god of kynde And herbes shal I / right I-nowe fynde To hele with ȝoure hurtes / hastily Tho shright this faucon / ȝet more pitously Than euere she dide / & fel to grounde anon And lith a-swoughne / as ded as lith a ston Til Canacee / hath in hire lappe / hire take In-to that tyme / she gan of swough a-wake And after that / she of swouȝnyng gan a-breyde Right in hire haukes ledne / thus she seide ¶ That pitee renneth sone / in gentil herte ffelyng his similitude / in peynes smerte Is preeued al day / as men moun it se As wel by werk / as by auctoritee ffor gentil herte / kitheth gentillesse I se wel ȝe han / of my distresse Compassion / my faire Canacee Of verray wommanly / benygnetee That nature / in ȝoure principiis hath set But for non hope / for to fare the bet But for to obeye / vn-to ȝoure herte free And for to maken othere / I-war by me As by the whelp / is chastised the leon Right for that cause / and that conclusion whil that I haue a leiser / and a space Myn harm I wil confessen / or I pace And whil that oon / hire sorwe tolde That other wep / as she to water wolde Til that the faucon / bad hire to be stille And with a syke / right thus she seide hire wylle ¶ There I was bred / allas that ilke day An forstred in a roche / of marbel gray So tenderly / that no thyng eyled me I nyst nat / what was aduersitee Til I coude flee / ful heigh vnder the sky Tho dwelled a Tercelet / me fast by That semed welle / of al gentillesse Al were he ful of treson / & falsnesse It was so wrapped / vnder humble chere And vnder hew of trouthe / in such manere vnder plesaunce / & vnder besy peyne That no wyght wold han wend / he coude feyne So diep in greyn / he dyed hise colours Right as a serpent / hideth vnder floures Til he may sen his tyme / for to byte Right so / this god of loues ypocrite Doth his sermouns / and obeisaunces And kepeth in semblaunt / alle his obseruaunces That sovneth in-to gentillesse / of loue As on a Toumbe / is al the fair a-boue And vnder is the cors / swich as ȝe wote Swich was this ypocrite / bothe cold and hote And in this wyse / he serued his entente That saue the fend / noon wist what he ment Til he so longe had weped / and compleyned And many ȝere / his seruyse to me feyned Til that myn herte / to pitous & to nyce Al Innocent / of his crowned malice So fered of his deth / as thought me vp-on hise othes / and on his seurtee Graunted him loue / on this condicion That euere mo / myn honour & renoun were saued / bothe pryue and apert This is to seyn / that after his desert I ȝaf him al myn hert / & al my thought God wot and he / that other weyes nought And toke his herte / in chaunge of myn for ay But soth is seide / gon sithen many a day A trewe wyght and a thef / thynke nat on ¶ And whan he sey the thyng / so fer I-gon That I had graunted him / fully my loue In swich a gyse / as I haue seid a-boue And ȝeuen him / my trewe herte / as free As he swore / that he ȝaf his herte to me A-non this Tigre / ful of doublenesse ffel on his knees / with so deuout humblesse with so heigh reuerence / as by his chere So like a gentil louere / of manere So rauysshed / as it semed for the ioye That neuere Iason / or Paris of Troye Iason certes / ne non other man Syn lameth was / that alderfirst bygan To louen two / as wryten folk byforn Ne neuere syn / the first man was born Ne coude man / by twenty thousand parte Countrefete the sophimes / of his arte Ne were worthy / don bokelyn his galoche There doublenesse or feynyng / shulde approche Ne so coude thanke a wyght / as he did me his manere was an heuene / for to se To any womman / were she neuere so wys So peynted he and kempt / at poynt deuys As wel hise wordes / as his countenaunce And so loued him / for his obeisaunce And for the trouthe / I demed in his herte That if so were / that any thyng him smerte Al were it neuere so lite / and I it wiste Me thought I felt deth / myn herte twiste And shortly so ferforth / this thyng is wente That my wyl was / his willes Instrumente This is to seyn / my wyl obeyed his wille In alle thynge / as fer as reson fille kepyng the boundes / of my worship euere Ne neuere hadde I thyng / so lief ne leuere As hym god woot / ne neuere shal no moo This last lengere / than a ȝer or twoo That I supposed of him / nought but good But fynally / thus at the laste it stod That fortune wolde / that he must twynne Out of that place / which that I was Inne where me was woo / that is no question I can nat make of it / discripcion ffor oo thyng dar I tellen / boldely I knowe what is the peyne of deth / ther-by Swich harm I felt / for he ne myght byleue So on a day of me / he tok his leue So sorweful eke / that I wende verreily That he had felt / as muchel harm as I whan that I herd him speke / & saugh his hewe But natheles I thought / he was so trewe And eke that he repeire / shulde a-geyn with-Inne a litel tyme / soth to seyn And reson wolde eke / that he must go ffor his honour / as often happeth so That I made vertu / of necessite And toke it wel / syn that it must be As I best myght / I hidde fro him my sorwe And tok him by the hand / Seynt Iohn to borwe And seide him thus / I am ȝowres al Beth swich as I to ȝow / haue ben & shal what he answered / it nedeth nat reherce who can seyn bet / than he / and don werse whan he hath al wel seid / than hath he don Therfore byhoued hire / a ful long spon That shal ete with the fend / thus herd I seye So at the laste / he must forth his weye And forth he fleeth / til he come þere him luste ¶ Whan it come him to purpos / for to reste¶ reditu suo sin|gula gaudent; I trowe that he hadde / thilke text in mynde That al thyng / repairyng to his kynde Gladeth him self / thus seyn men as I gesse Men louen of propre kynde / newfangelnesse As briddes don / that men in kages fede ffor though thow nyght & day / take of hem hede And strowe here cage / as faire & softe as sylk And ȝeue hem sugre / hony bred and mylk Ȝet right a-non / as that his dore is vppe he with his feet / wol spurne doun his cuppe And to the wode he wole / & wormes ete So newefongel ben they / of here mete And louen nouelries / of propre kynde No gentillesse of blod / ne may hem bynde So ferde this Tercelet / allas that day Though he were gentil born / & fressh & gay And goodlich for to sen / and humble and free he sey vp-on a tyme / a kyte flee And sodeynly / he loued / this kyte so That al his loue / is clene fro me a-go And hath his trouthe I-falsed / in this wyse Thus hath the kyte my loue / in hire seruyse And I am born / with-outen remedie And with that word / this faucon gan to crie And swoughned eft / in Canacees barm ¶ Gret was the sorwe / for the haukes harm That Canacee / & alle hire wommen made They nyste how they myghte / the faucon glade But Canacee hom bereth hire / in hire lappe And softly in plaistris / gan hire wrappe There as she with hire hook / had hurt hire selue Now can nat Canacee / but herbes delue Out of the ground / and make salues newe Of herbes preciouse / and fyne of hewe To helen with this hauke / fro day to nyght She doth hire besynesse / with al hire myght And by hire beddes hed / she mad 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 were peynted / alle theise false foules As ben theise Tidifs / Tercellettes and Oules Right for despit / were peynted hem be-side And Pies on hem / for to crie and chide That lete I Canacee / hire hauke kepyng I wol no more as now / speke of hire Ryng Til it come eft to purpos / for to seyn how that this faucon / gat hire loue a-geyn Repentaunt / as the story telleth vs By mediacion / of Kambalus The kynges sone / of which that I ȝow tolde But hens-forth / I wol my processe holde To speke of auentures / and of batailles That neuere ȝet was herd / so greete meruailles ffirst wol I telle ȝow / of Cambyuscan That in his tyme / many a citee wan And after wol I speke / of Algerlif how that he wan / Theodera to his wif ffor whom ful ofte / in gret perile he was Ne had he ben holpen / by the Steede of Bras And after wol I speken / of Kambalo That faught in listes / with the bretheren two ffor Canacee / or that he myght hire wynne And there I lefte / I wil aȝein begynne ¶ Here endith the Squyeres tale / as meche as Chaucer made.[the rest of leaf 127 & back, blank; leaf 128 gone.] ¶ Explicit secunda pars & incipit prologus Clerici OxonieEg. 2726, on leaf 147 In feiþ Squyer / þu hast þe wele y-quytte And gentilly / I preise wele thy witte Koþ þe ffrankeleyn / consideryng þy youthee So felyngly þou spekest / sir I the alough þe As to my dome / þere is none that is here Of elloquence / þat shall be þy pere Yf þat þou lyve / god yeue þe gode chaunce And in vertue / send the contynuaunce For of thy speche / I haue grete deynte I haue a son / and by þe Trinitee I hade leuer / þan .xx.li. worþ lond Though it right now / were fall in myn hond He were a man / of soch discrescioun As þat ye ben / fye on possessioun But yf a man / be vertuous withall / I haue my son subbed / and yitte shall ffor he to vertue / listeth nat to entende But for to pley at Dys / and dispende And lese all þat he hath / is his vsage And he hath leuer / talken with a page Than to commoun / with ony gentle wight/ Where he myght lerne / gentilnes aright/ Strawe for gentilnes / koth our Hoost/ What ffrankeleyn / parde sir wele þou wost That ecch of you / mot tellen atte leest A tale or two / or breke his heest That knowe I wele sir / koth þe ffrankeleyn I pray you haueth me nat / in disdeyn Though to this man / I speke a word or two Tell on thy tale without / wordes mo / Gladly sir hoost koth he / I woll obeye Vn-to your will / now herkeneth what I seye I woll you nat contrarie in no wise As fer þat / all my wittes wollen suffise I pray to god / þat it may plesen you Than wote I wele / þat it is gode ynow Hic desinit prologus de ffrankeleyn & Incipit fabula sua de Rokkes de BretayneEg. 2726, on leaf147, bk. Thise old gentle Bretons / in her dayes Of diuers auentures / maden layes Romaunced in her first bretons tung Which laies / with her Instrumentes þey song Or els reden hem / for her plesaunce And one of hem / haue I in remembraunce Which I shall seyn / with gode will / as I can But sires / by-cause I am a borell man At my begynnyng/ first I you beseche Haue me excused of my rude speche I lerned neuer retoryk certeyn Thyng þat I speke / mot be bare and pleyn I slepe neuere on the mount of parnaso Ne lerned neuer Marcus Tullyus Sythero Colours ne knowe I noon / without drede But soch colours / þat growen in the mede Or els soch as men dye / or peynt/ Colours of Rethoryk/ ben to me queynt/ My spirit feleth nat of soch matere But yf you list/ my tale shull ye here [THE TALE.] IN Amoryk/ þat called is Bretayne There was a knyght / þat loued and did his peyne To serue a lady / in his best wise And many a labour / many a grete emprise He for his lady wrought/ or she were won ffor she was one / þe fairest vnder son And eke þere-to come / of so high kynrede That well vnethes/ durst þis knyght for drede Tell hir his wo / his peyn / and his distresse But at þe last / she for his worthynesse And namely / for his meke obeysaunce Hath soch a Pite caught/ of his penaunce That priuely / she fell of his accorde To take hym / for hir housbond and hir lord Of soch lordshipe / as men / han of her wyfes And for to lede the more in blys / her lyfes Of his free will / he swore hir / as a knyght That neuer in all his lyue / he day ne night Ne shold vp-on hym take / no maistrie Ageyn hir will / ne kithe hir ielousye But hir obeye / and folow hir will/ in all As ony louer / vn-to his lady shall/ Saue þat the name of soueraintee That wold he haue / for shame of his degree She thanked hym and with full grete Humblesse[Eg. ends] She seide sire / sithe of ȝoure gentillesseDd. 4. 24, leaf 129 Ȝe profre me / to haue so large a reyne Ne wolde neuere god / bytwixte vs tweyne As in my gilt / were either werre or strif Sire / I wil be ȝoure humble / trewe wyf haue here my trouthe / til that myn herte breste Thus ben they bothe / in quiete and in reste ¶ ffor oo thyng sires / safly dar I seye That frendes / euerich other / mot obeye If they wiln longe / holden compaignye loue wol nat be constreyned / by maistrye Whan maistre cometh / god of loue a-noon Beteth hise wynges / and fare-wel he is gon loue is a thyng / as any spirit free Wommen of kynde / desiren libertee And nat to be constreyned / as a thral And so doon men / If I sooth seyn / shal loke who that most / is pacient in loue he is at his auauntage / al a-boue Pacience / is an heigh vertu / certeyn ffor it venquyssheth / alle theise clerkes seyn Thynges / that rigour shulde neuere ateyne ffor euery word / men moun nat chide or pleyne Lerneth to suffre / or elles so mot I gon Ȝe shuln it lerne / wheiþer so ȝe wol or noon ffor in this world certeyn / there no wyght is That he ne doth or seith / somtyme amys Ire / sykenesse / or constellacion Wyn / woo / or chaungyng of complexion Causeth ful ofte / to don a-mys or spekyn On euery wrong / a man may nat be wrekyn After the tyme / must be temperaunce To euery wyght / that can on gouernaunce And therfore hath / this wys worthy knyght To lyue in ease / suffraunce hire behight And she to him / ful wysly gan to swere That neuere shulde there be / defaute in hire ¶ heere moun men sen / an humble wys accord Thus hath she take hire seruaunt / & hire lord Seruaunt in loue / and lord in mariage Thanne was he / bothe in lordshipe / & seruage Seruage nay / but in lordshipe a-boue Sithe he hath bothe / his lady and his loue His lady certes / and his wyf also To which / that lawe of loue / accordeth to And whan he was / in this prosperitee hoom with his wyf / he gooth to his contree Nat fer fro Pedmarke / there his dwellyng was Where as he lyueth / in blisse and in solas ¶ Who coude telle / but he had wedded be The ioye / the ese / and the prosperitee That is bytwixte / an husbonde / and his wyf A ȝere and more / lasteth this blisful lif Til that the knyght / of which I speke of thus That of kairud / was cleped Arueregus Shoope him to gon / and dwelled a ȝere or tweyne In Engelond / that cleped was eke Bretaigne To seke in armes / worshipe and honour ffor al his lust / he sette in swich labour And dwelled there / the ȝere / the book seith thus ¶ Now wol I stynten / of this Arueragus And speken I wol / of Dorigen his wif That loueth hire husbonde / as hire hertes lyf ffor his absence / wepeth she and syketh As doon theise noble wyues / whan hem liketh She morneth / waketh / wayleth / fasteth / pleyneth Desire of his presence / hire so destreyneth That al this wyde world / she sette at nought hire frendes / which that knewe / hire heuy thought Conforten hire / in al that euere they may They prechen hire / they tellen hire / nyght & day That causelees / she sleth hire self / allas And euery confort / possible in this cas They don to hire / with al here besynesse Al for to make hire leue / hire heuynesse ¶ By processe / as ȝe knowen euerychon Men moun so longe / grauen in a ston Til som figure / ther-Inne empreynted be So longe han they / conforted hire / til she Receyued hath / by hope and by reson The empryntynge / of hire consolacion Thurgh which / hire gret sorwe / gan a-swage She may nat alwey duren / in swich rage ¶ And eke Arueragus / in al this care hath sent hire lettres hom / of his welfare And that he wol come hastily / a-geyn Or elles had this sorwe / hire hert slayn ¶ hire frendes saugh / hire sorwe gan to slake And preyeden hire on knees / for goddes sake To come and romen hire / in compaignye Awey to dryue / hire derk fantasie And finally she graunted / that requeste ffor wel she saugh / that it was for the beste ¶ Now stood hire Castel / fast by the see And often with hire frendes / walketh she hire to disporte / vp-on the banke an heigh Where-as she many a ship / and barge seigh Seylyng here cours / where as hem list to goo But thanne was that / a parcel of hire woo ffor to hire self / ful ofte allas seith she Is there no ship / of so manye as I se Wil bryngen hom my lord / thanne were myn herte Al warisshed / of hise bittre peynes smerte ¶ A-nother tyme / there wold she sitte and thynke And cast hire eighen / dounward fro the brynke But whan she seigh / the grisly Rokkes blake ffor verrey fere / so wold hire hert quake That on hire feet / she myght hire nought sustene Than wolde she sitte a-doun / vp-on the grene And pitously / in-to the See byholde And seyn right thus / with sorweful sikes colde Eterne god / that thurgh thy purueaunce ledest the world / by eterne gouernaunce In ydel as men seyn / ȝe no thyng make But lord theise grisly / fendly rokkes blake That semen rather / a foul confusion Of werk / than any fair / creacioun Of swich a parfyt wys god / and a stable Why han ȝe wrought this werk / vn-resonable ffor by this werk / South / North / West ne Est Ther nys I-fostred no man / ne bryd ne beest It dooth no good / to my wytte / but annoyeth Se ȝe nat lord / how mankynde it destroyeth An hundred thouȝsand bodyes / of man-kynde han Rokkes slayn / al be they nought in mynde Which mankynde is so faire / a part of thy werke That thow it madest / like to thyn owen merke Thanne semed it / ȝe had a gret chierte Toward mankynde / but how thanne may it be That ȝe swich menes make / it to destroyen Which menes do no good / but euere annoyen I wot wel / clerkes wiln seyn as hem lest By argumenteȝ that al is for the best Though I ne can the causes / nought I-knowe But thilke god / that made wynd to blowe As kepe my lord / this is myn conclusion To clerkes lete I / al disputisioun But wolde god / that alle theise Rokkes blake Were sonken in-to helle / for his sake Theise Rokkes slen myn herte / for the fere Thus she seide / with many a pytous tere hire frendes saugh / that it was no disport To romen by the See / but discomfort And shopen for to pleyen / som-wher elles They leddyn hire by Ryuers / and by welles And eke in othere places / delitables They dauncen / and they pleyen at chesse / and tables ¶ So on a day / right in the morwe tyde vn-to a gardeyn / that was there beside In which they had mad / here ordinaunce Of vitaille / and of other purueaunce They gon and pleye hem / al the longe day And this was on the sexte morwe / of May Which May had peynted / with his softe shoures This gardeyn ful of leues / and of floures And craft of mannys hand / so curiously Arrayed had this gardeyn / trewely That neuere was there gardyn / of swich a prys But if it were / the verray Paradys The odour of floures / and the fressh sight Wolde han maked / any hert light That euere was born / but if to gret sykenesse Or to gret sorwe / helde it in destresse So ful it was of beaute / with plesaunce At after dyner / gonne they to daunce And synge also / saue Dorigen allone Which made alwey / hire compleynt and hire mone ffor she ne saugh him / on the daunce goo That was hire husbonde / and hire loue also But nathelees / she must a tyme a-byde And with good hope / late hire sorwe slyde ¶ Vp-on this daunce / amonges othere men Daunced a Squyer / byfore Dorigen That fresshere was / and Ioliere of array As to my doom / than is the monthe of May he syngeth / daunceth / passyng any man That is / or was / sithe that the world bygan There-with he was / if men shulde him discryue On of the best faryng man / on lyue Ȝong / strong / right vertuous / and riche and wys And welbyloued / and holden in gret prys And shortly / if the sothe / I tellen shal vnwetyng of this / Dorigen at al This lusty squyere / seruaunt to venus Which that I-cleped was / Aurelius hadde loued hire best / of any creature Two ȝere and more / as was his auenture But neuere durst he tellen hire / his greuaunce With-outen cuppe he drank / al his penaunce he was dispeyred / nothyng durst he seye Saue in hise songes / somwhat wolde he wreye his woo / as in a gentil compleynyng he seide he loued / and was byloued no thyng Of which matere / made he many layes Songes / compleyntes / roundels / virelayes how that he durst nat / his sorwe telle But languyssheth / as a fire doth in helle And deye he must / he seide / as dide Ekko ffor Narcisus / that durst nat telle hire wo In othere manere / than ȝe heere me seye Ne durst he nat to hire / his woo bewreye Saue that perauenture / somtyme at daunces There ȝonge folk kepen / here obseruaunces It may wel be / he loked on hire face In swych a wyse / as man that asketh grace But no thyng wist she / of his entent Nathelees it happed / er they thens went Bycause that he was / hire neighebour And was a man of worshipe and honour And hadde I-knowen him / of tyme ȝore They fel in speche / and forth more and more vn-to that purpos / drough Aurelius And whan he saw his tyme / he seide thus ¶ Madame quod he / by god that this world made If that I wiste / it myght ȝoure hert glade I wolde that day / that ȝour Arueragus Went ouer the see / that I Aurelius hadde went / there neuere I shulde haue come ageyn ffor wel I woot / my seruyse is in veyn My gerdon is / but brestyng of myn herte Madame / reweth vp-on / my peynes smerte ffor with a word / ȝe moun me slen or saue Heere at ȝoure feet / god wolde that I were graue I ne haue as now / no leiser more to seye haue mercy swete / or ȝe wol do me deye ¶ She gan to loke vp / on Aurelius Is this ȝoure wil quod she / and seye ȝe thus Neuere erst quod she / ne wist I what ȝe mente But now Aurelie / I knowe ȝoure entente By thilke god / that ȝaf me soule and lyf Ne shal I neuere ben / an vntrewe wyf In word ne werk / as fer as I haue wit I wol ben his / to whom that I am knyt Take this for fynal answere / as of me But after that in pley / thus seide she ¶ Aurelie quod she / by heigh god a-boue Ȝet wolde I graunte ȝow / to ben ȝoure loue Syn I ȝow se / so pitously compleigne loke what day / endelong Britaigne Ȝe remoue alle the Rokkes / ston by ston That they ne lette ship / ne bot to gon I seye whan ȝe han mad / the coost so clene Of Rokkes / that there nys no stoon I-sene Thanne wol I loue ȝow best / of any man haue heere my trouthe / in al that euere I can ¶ Is there non other grace in ȝow / quod he No by that lord quod she / that maked me ffor wel I wot / that it shal neuere betide late swich folies / from ȝoure herte slide What deynte / shulde a man han / in his lyf ffor to go loue / another mannes wyf That hath hire body / whan so þat him liketh Aurelius ful ofte / sore siketh ¶ Woo was Aurelie / whan that he this herde And with a sorweful hert / he thus answerde Madame quod he / this were an inpossibile Thanne moot I deye / of sodeyn deth possible And with that word / he turned him a-noon Tho come hire othere frendes / many oon And in the Aleyes / romeden vp and doun And nothyng wisten / of this conclusion But sodeynly bygonne / reuel newe Til that the bright sonne / lost his hewe ffor thorisonte hath reft / the sonne his light This as meche to seye / as it was nyght And hoom they gon / in Ioye and in solas Saue oonly / wrecched Aurelius / Allas He to his hous is gon / with sorweful herte he seeth he may nat / froo his deeth a-sterte hym semed that he felt / his hert colde vp to the heuene / hise hondes he gan holde And on hise knees bare / he sette him doun And in his rauyng / seide his orisoun ffor werray woo / out of his wyt he breide he nyste what he spak / but thus he seide With pitous herte / his pleynt hath he bygonne vn-to the goddes / and first vn-to the Sonne ¶ he seide Apollo / god and gouernour Of euery plaunte / herbe / Tree and flour That ȝeuest after / thy declynacion To eche of hem / his tyme and his sesoun As thyn herberwe chaungeth / lowe or heighe lord Phebus / cast thy mercyable eye On wrecched Aurelie / which that am but lorn loo lord my lady / hath my deth I-sworn With-outen gilt / but thyn benygnetee vp-on my dedly hert / haue some pitee ffor wel I woot / lord Phebus / if ȝow list Ȝe moun me helpen / saue my lady best Now vouche-saf / that I may ȝow deuyse how that I may be holpen / and in what wyseid est lina ¶ Ȝoure blisful suster / lucyna the shene That of the see / is chief goddes and quene Though Neptunus / haue deitee in the see Ȝet emperesse a-bouen him / is she Ȝe knowen wel lord / that right as hire desire Is to be quyked and lighted / of ȝoure fyre ffor which she folweth ȝow / ful besily Right to the see / desireth naturely To folwen hire / as she that is goddesse Bothe in the See / and Ryuers more and lesse Wherfore lord Phebus / this is my requeste Do this myracle / or do myn herte breste That now next / at this apposicioun which in the signe shal be / of the leoun As preieth hire / so gret a flood to brynge That fyue fadme at the leste / it ouer springe The heieste Rokke / in armoryk Brytayne And late this flode / endure ȝeres tweyne Thanne certes to my lady / may I seye haldeth ȝoure heste / the Rokkes ben a-weye ¶ lord Phebus / do this myracle for me Preye hire she go / no fastere cours than ȝe I seye / preieth ȝoure suster that she goo No faster cours than ȝe / theise ȝeres twoo Thanne shal she ben euene / at the fulle alwey And spryng flood lastynge / bothe nyght and day And but she vouche-saf / in swich manere To graunte me / my souereigne lady deere Preye hire to synken / euery Rokke a-doun In-to hire owen derk / region vnder the ground / there pluto dwelleth Inne Or neuere moo shal I / my lady wynne Thy temple in delphos / wol I barfot seke lord Phebus / se the teeres on my cheke And of my peyne / haue som compassion And with that word / in sorwe he fel a-doun And longe tyme he lay forth / in a traunce ¶ his brother which that knew / of his penaunce vp caughte him / and to bedde he hath him brought Dispeired in this turment / and this thought late I this wooful creature / lye Chese he for me / wheiþer he wil lyue or dye ¶ Arueragus with hele / and gret honour As he that was / of Chyualrie the flour Is comen hom / and othere worthy men O bli[s]ful artow now / thow Dorigen That hast thy lusty housbonde / in thyne armes The fresshe knyght / the worthy man of armes That loueth the / as his owne hertes lyf No thyng list him / to ben ymagnityf If any wyght had spoke / whil he was oute To hire of loue / he ne hadde of it / no doute he nought entendeth / to no swich matere But daunceth / Iusteth / maketh hire good chere And thus in ioye and blisse / I late hem dwelle And of the seke Aurelius / wol I telle ¶ In langour / and in turment furious Two ȝere and more / lay wrecched Aurelius Er any foot / he myght on erthe goon Ne comfort in this tyme / had he noon Saue of his brother / which that was a clerk he knew of al this woo / and al this werk ffor to noon other creature / certeyn Of this matere / he durst no word seyn vnder his brest / he bare it more secree Than euere dide Pamphilus / for Galathee his brest was hole / with-oute for to sene But in his herte / ay was the arwe kene And wel ȝe knowe / that of a sursanure In surgerie / is perilous the cure But men myght touche the arwe / or come ther-by his brother weep / and wailed preuyly Til at the laste / him fel in remembraunce That whiles he was / at Orleens in fraunce As ȝonge clerkes / that ben likerous To reden artes / that ben curious Seken in euery halke / and euery herne Particulere sciences / for to lerne he him remembred / that vp-on a day At Orliens / in studie / a book he say Of magyk naturel / which his felawe That was that tyme / a bacheler of lawe Al were he there / to lerne a-nother craft hadde preuely / vp-on his deske I-laft Which book spak muchel / of the operaciouns Touchyng the xxviijty mansciouns That longeth to the mone / and swich folie As in our dayes / is nat worth a flie ffor holichirche feith / in oure byleue Ne suffreth noon illusion / vs to greue And whan this book / was in his remembraunce A-noon for ioye / his herte gan to daunce And to him self / he seide priuely My brother shal be warisshed / hastily ffor I am syker / that there be sciences By which men make / dyuerse apparences Swich as theise subtile tregetoures / pleye ffor ofte atte festes / haue I wel herd seye That Tregetours / with-Inne an halle large han made come in / a water and a barge And in the halle / rowen vp and doun Some tyme hath semed come / a grym leoun And somtyme floures springe / as in a Mede Somtyme a vyne and grapes / white & reede Somtyme a castel / al of lyme and ston And whan him lyked / voided it a-noon Thus semed it / to euery mannes sight Now thanne conclude I thus / that if I myght At Orliens / some olde felawe I-fynde That hadde this mones mansiouns / in mynde Or other magyk / naturel a-boue he shulde wel make my brother / haue his loue ffor with an apparence / a Clerk may make To mannes sight / that alle the Rokkes blake Of Britaygne / were I-voided euerychon And shippes by the brynke / come and gon And in swich fourme / endure / a day or two Thanne were my brother warisshede / of his woo Thanne must she nedes holden / hire byheste Or elles he shal shame hire / atte the leste ¶ What shulde I make / a lengere tale of this vn-to his brothers bed / he comen is And swich confort / he ȝaf him for to gon To Orliens / that he vp stirte a-noon And on his wey forthward / thanne is he fare In hope for to ben lissed / of his care ¶ Whan they were come / almoost to that Citee But if it were / a two forlong or three A ȝonge Clerk romyng / by him self / they mette Which that in latyn / thriftily hem grette And after that he seide / a wonder thyng I knowe quod he the cause / of ȝoure comyng And er they ferthere / any foote wente he told hem al that was / in here entente ¶ This Britoun Clerk / him asked of felawes The which that he had knowe / in olde dawes And he answered him / that they deede were ffor which he wep ful ofte / many a teere Doun of his hors / Aurelius light a-noon And with this Magicien / forth he is goon hom to his hous / and maden hem wel att ese hem lakked no vitaille / that myght hem plese So wel arrayed hous / as there was oon Aurelius in his lyf / saw neuere noon he shewed him / er he wente to soupere fforestes Parkes / ful of wylde dere There saw he hertes / with here hornes heye The grettest / that euere was seyn / with eye he saw of hem / an hundred slayn with houndes And some with arwes blede / of bittere woundes ¶ he saw whan voided were / the wilde deere Theise faucons / vp-on a fair Ryuere That with here haukes / han the heroun slayn Tho saw he knyghtes / Iustyng in a pleyn And after this / he dide him swich plesaunce That he him shewed / his lady on a daunce On which him self he daunced / as him thought And whan this Maister / that this Magyk wrought Saw it was tyme / he clapt hise handes two And fare wel / al oure reuel was a-goo And remeeued they neuere / out of the hous While they saugh / al this sight merueillous But in his studie / there as hise bookes bee They seten stille / but no wyght / but they three To him this maister called / his squyere And seide him thus / is redy oure soupere Almost an houre it is / I vndertake Sithe I ȝow bad / oure souper for to make Whan that theise worthy men / wenten with me In-to my studie / there as my bookes be ¶ Sire quod this squyere / whan that it lyketh ȝow It is al redy / though ȝe wol right now Go we thanne soupe / quod he / for the beste Theise amerous folk / somtyme mot han here reste ¶ At after souper / fel they in tretee What somme / shulde this maistres / gerdoun be To remeeuen alle the Rokkes / of Brytaigne And eke from gerounde / to the mouth of sayne he mad it straunge / and swor so god him saue lasse than a thouȝsand pound / he wolde nat haue Ne gladly for that somme / he wolde nat gon Aurelius / with blisful herte a-noon Answered thus / fy on a thousand pound This wide world / which that men seye is round I wolde it ȝeue / if I were lord of it This bargeyn is ful dreue / for we ben knyt Ȝe shal be paid trewely / by my trouthe But loketh now / for no necligence / or slouthe Ȝe tarie vs heere / no lengere than to-morwe Nay quod this Clerk / haue heere my feith to borwe To bedde is gon Aurelius / whan him leste And wel ny al that nyght / he had his reste What for his labour / and his hope of blisse his wooful herte / of penaunce had a lisse ¶ vp-on the morwe / whan that it was day To Britaigne toke they / the right way Aurelius / and this Magicien byside And ben descended / there they wolde a-byde And this was / as theise bookes me remembre The colde frosty sesoun / of Decembre ¶ Phebus wex old / and hewed like latoun That in his hote / declinacioun Shoon / as the burned gold / with stremes bright But now in Capricorn / a-doun he lyght Where-as he shon ful pale / I dar wel seyn The bittre frostes / with the sleet and reyn Destroyed hath the grene / in euery ȝerd¶ Ianus biceps Ianus syt by the fyre / with double berd And drynketh of his bugle horn / the wyn Biforn him stant Brawn / of the tusked swyn And nowel crieth / euery lusty man ¶ Aurelius / in al that euere he can Doth to this Maister / chiere and reuerence And preieth him / to doon his diligence To bryngen him / out of hise peynes smerte Or with a swerd / that he wold slitte his herte ¶ This subtil clerk / swich routhe had of this man That nyght and day / he spedde him that he can To wayten a tyme / of his conclusioun This is to seyn / to make illusioun By swich an apparence / or Iogelrie I ne can no termes / of Astrologie That she and euery wyght / shulde wene and seye That of Brytaigne / the Rokkes were a-weye Or elles they were sonken / vnder grounde So at the laste / he hath his tyme I-founde To make his Iapes / and his wrechednesse Of swich a supersticies / cursednesse his tables tolletanes / forth he brought fful wel corrected / ne there lakked nought Neither his collect / ne his expans ȝeres Ne hise rootes / ne hise othere geres As ben hise centris / and hise argumenteȝ And hise proporcionelles / conuenienteȝ ffor hise equaciouns / in euery thyng And by hise eighte spere / in his werkyng he knew ful wel / how fer alnath was shoue ffro the hed / of thilk fixe Aries a-boue That in the .ix. spere / considered is fful subtilly / he kalculed al this Whan he had founde / his first mansioun he knewe the remenaunt / by proporcioun And knew the arisyng / of his Mone wel And in whos face and terme / and euerydel And knewe ful wele / the Mones mansioun Acordaunt / to his operacioun And knew also / hise othere obseruaunces ffor which illusions / and swich meschaunces As hethen folk vseden / in thilke dayes ffor which no lengere / maketh he delayes But thurgh his Magyk / for a weke or tweye It semed / that alle the Rokkes / were aweye ¶ Aurelius / which that ȝet / despayred is Wheither he shal han his lyf / or fare amys A-wayteth nyght and day / on this myracle And whan he knew / that there was noon obstacle That voided were theise Rokkes / euerychon Doun to his maistres feet / he fel a-noon And seide / I wooful wrecched Aurelius Thank ȝow lord / and lady myn / venus That me han holpen / for my cares colde And to the Temple / his weye / forth hath he holde Where as he knew / he shulde his lady se And whan he saugh his tyme / a-noon right he With dredful herte / and with humble chere Salued hath / his souerayn lady dere ¶ My rightful lady / quod this wooful man Whom I moost drede and loue / as I best can And lothest were / of al this world / displese Nere it that I / for ȝow haue swich dissese That I must deyen heere / at ȝoure foot a-noon Nought wolde I telle / how me is woo-bygon But certes / either must I dye or pleyne Ȝe sleen me giltlees / for verray peyne But of my deth / though that ȝe haue no routhe A-vyseth ȝow / er that ȝe breke ȝoure trouthe Repenteth ȝow / for thilke god a-boue Or ȝe me sleen / by-cause that I ȝow loue ffor Madame wel ȝe woot / what ȝe han hight Nat that I chalenge / any thyng of right Of ȝow / my souerayn lady / but ȝoure grace But in a gardeyn ȝonder / at swich a place Ȝe wot right wel / what ȝe behighten me And in myn hond / ȝoure treuthe plight ȝe To loue me best / god wot ȝe seide so Al be / that I vnworthy am ther-to Madame / I speke it for the honour of ȝow More than to saue / myn hertes lyf right now I haue do so / as ȝe comaunded me And if ȝe vouchesaf / ȝe may go se Doth as ȝow list / haue ȝowre bihest in mynde ffor quykke or ded / right there ȝe shal me fynde In ȝow lith al / to do me lyue or deye But wel I woot / the Rokkes ben a-weye he taketh his leue / and she astoned stode In al hire face / nas a drope of bloode She wend neuere han come / in swich a trappe ¶ Allas quod she / that euere this shulde happe ffor wende I neuere / by possibilitee That such a moastre / or merueille myght be It is a-geyns / the processe of nature And hom she goth / a sorweful creature ffor verrey fere / vnethe may she goo She wepeth weyleth / al a day or two And swoughneth / that it reuthe was to se But why it was / to no wyght told she ffor ought of toune / was goon Arueragus But to hire self she spak / and seide thus With face pale / and with ful sorweful chere In hire compleynte / as ȝe shuln after heere Allas quod she / oon the fortune / I pleyne That vnwar / wrapped hast me / in thy cheyne ffro which to escape / woot I no socoure Saue oonly deth / or ellis dishonoure¶ ȝo . Athenientium tiranni cum phidonem ne|cassent in conuiuio filias eius virgines ad se venire iusserunt & scortorum more nudari / Ac super pauimenta patris sanguine cruen|tatas inpudicis gestibus ludere / que paulisper dissimulato dolore cum temulentos conuiuas cernerent quasi ad requisita nature egredi|entes inuicem se complexere precipitauerunt in puteum vt virgini|tatem morte seruarent; Oon of theise two / bihoueth me to chese But nathelees / ȝet haue I leuere to lese My lyf / than of my body haue a shame Or knowe my seluen false / or lese my name And with my deth / I may be quyte I-wys hath there nat / many a noble wyf er this And many a mayde / I-slayn hire self / allas Rather than with hire body / do trespas ¶ Ȝis certes / lo þeise stories beren wytnesse Whan thretty Tyraunteȝ / ful of cursednesse had slayn Phidon / in Athenes atte feste They comaunded his doughtren / fort arreste And bryngen hem biforn him / in despit Al naked / to fulfille here foule delit And in here fadres blod / they mad hem daunce Vp-on the pauement / god ȝeue hem myschaunce ffor which theise wooful maydenes / ful of drede Rathere than they wold lese / here maydenhede They pryuely ben stirt / in-to a welle And dreynt hem seluen / as the bookes telle ¶ They of Metene / lete enquere and seke Of lacedomye / fifty maydenes eke On which they wolden doon / here lecherie But was there noon / of al that companye That she nas slayn / and with a good entente Ches rather for to deye / than assente To ben oppressed / of here maydenhede Why shulde I thanne to dye / ben in drede lo eke the Tiraunt / Aristoclides That loued a mayden / hight Stymphalides Whan that hire fader / slayn was / on a nyght Vn-to Dianes temple / gooth she right¶ Iouinianum And hente the ymage / in hire handes twoo ffro which ymage / wold she neuere goo¶ Singulas has historias & plures hanc materi|am concernentes recitat Beatus Ieronimus contra Iouinianum in primo suo libro cap. 39. ¶ No wight ne myght / hire handes of it arrace Til she was slayn / right in the selue place Now sithe that maydenes / hadden swich despit To ben defouled / with mannes foule delit Wel ought I wyf / rather my seluen slee Than be defouled / as it thynketh me What shal I seyn / of Hasterubales wyf That at Cartage / byrafte hire selue hire lif ffor whan she saw / that Romeyns wan the Toun She took hire children alle / and skipte a-doun In-to the fire / and ches rathere to deye Than any Romayn / dide hire velanye ¶ hath nat lucresse / I-slayn hire self allas At Rome / whan she oppressed was Of Tarquyn / for hire thoughte it was a shame To lyuen / whan she had lost hire name ¶ The Seuene Maydenes / of Melesie also han slayn hem self / for verrey drede and woo Rather than folk of Sawle / hem shulde oppresse moo than a thousand stories / as I gesse Coude I now telle / as touchyng this matere ¶ Whan habradate was slayn / his wyf so deere hire seluen slow / and leet hire blood to glide In habradeces woundes / depe and wyde And seide my body / atte þe leste weye There shal no wyght defoulen / if I maye What shulde I moo ensaumples / here-of sayn Sithe that so manye / han hem seluen slayn Wel rathere than they wolde / defouled be I wol conclude / that it is bet for me To sleen my self / than be defouled thus I wol be trewe / vn-to Arueragus Or rather slee my self / in some manere As dide Democienis / doughter dere By-cause that she wolde nought / defouled be ¶ O Cedasus / it is ful greet pitee To reden how thyne doughtren deyeden / allas That slowen hem self / for suche manere cas ¶ As greet pitee was it / or wel more The Theban Mayden / that for Nichamore hire seluen slough / right for such manere woo ¶ An-other Theban mayden / did right so ffor oon of Macedoigne / had hire oppressed She with hire deth / hire maydenhod redressed ¶ What shal I seyn / of Nycerates wyf That for such cas / byrefte hir self hir lyf ¶ how trewe eke was / Alcebiades his loue / that rathere for to dyen chees Than for to suffre his body . vnberied be ¶ loo which a wyf / was Alceste quod she ¶ What seith Omere / of goode Penelopee Al grece knoweth / of hire chastitee ¶ Parde of laodomia / is wryten thus That whan at Troie / was slayn Protheselaus No lengere wolde she lyue / after his day ¶ The same of noble Portia / telle I may With-oute Brutus / coude she nat lyue To whom she had al hool / hire herte ȝyue ¶ The parfyt wyfhod / of Arthemesye honoured is / thorugh al the Barbarye ¶ O Theuta Quene / thy wyfly chastitee To alle wyues / may a myrour be . . . . .no gap in the MS: these lines . . . . .known only in Ellesmere MS. Thus pleyned Dorigen / a day or tweye Purposyng euere / that she wolde deye But nathelees / vp-on the thridde nyght hoom come Arueragus / this worthy knyght And axed hire / why that she wepe so sore And she gan wepen / euere the lengere the more Allas quod she / that euere was I born Thus haue I seide quod she / thus haue I sworn And told him al / as ȝe han herd byfore It nedeth nat / reherce it ȝow no more ¶ This housbond with glad chere / and frendly wyse Answered & seide / as I shal ȝow deuyse Is there out elles / Dorigen but this Nay nay quod she / god help me so as wys This is to meche / and it were goddis wylleleaf 137 gone Ye wyf koth he / let slepen that is still It may be wele / perauenture yitte to-day ye shull your trouth hold by my fay ffor god so wisly / haue mercy vpon me I hade wele leuer / stikked for to be For verray loue / which that I to you haue But yf / ye shold your trouth / kepe and save Trouth is the hiest thyng / þat man may kepe But with þat word he brast anon to wepe And seid / I you forbede vp-on peyn of deth That neuer while you / lasteth lyf or breth To no wight/ tell þou of this auenture As I may best/ I woll my wo endure Ne make no countenaunce / of hevynes That folk of you / mow deme harme or gesse And forth he cleped a squyer / and a meid Goth forth anon / with Dorigen he seid And bryng hir / to soch a place anoon They take her leue / and on her wey þey gon But þey ne wist/ why she theder went He nold no wight/ tell his intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS.: these lines . . . . .known only in the Ellesmere MS. This Squyer / which þat hight Aurelius On Dorigen / that was so amerus Of auenture / happed hir to mete Amyd the toun / right in þe quykkest strete And she was boun / to go the wey forth right/ Toward the gardyn / there as she hade hight/ And he was to þe / gardynward also ffor wele he spied / whan she wold go Out of hir hous / to ony maner place But þus þey mette / of auenture or grace And he salueth hir / with gode intent And axed of hir / whider-ward she went/ And she answerd / half as she were mad Vn-to the gardyn as myn housbond bad My trouth for to hold / Allas Allas Aurelius gan wonder / on þis caas And in his hert/ hade grete compassioun Of hir / and hir lamentacioun And of Arueragus / þe worthy knyght That bade hir hold / all þat she hade hight So loth hym was / his wif / shold breke hir treuth And in his hert / he caught of þis grete reuth Consideryng/ þe best / on euery side That from his lust / yitte leuer were hym bide Than don so heigh / a / cherlyssh wrecchednes Ayeinst / fraunchise / and all gentilles ffor which in fewe wordes / seid he þus Madame seith to your lord / Arueragus That seth I se / his grete gentilles To you / and eke / I se wele / your distres That hym were leuer haue shame / and þat were reuth Than ye to me / shold breke þus your treuth I haue wele leuer euer to suffre wo Than I depart the love / bitwene you two I you relese madame / in-to your honde Quyte euery surement/ And euery bonde That ye han made / to me / as here-byforn Seth thylk tyme / which þat ye were born My trouth I plight/ I shall you neuer repreue Of no byhest/ and here I take my leue As of þe truest / and þe best wyf That euer yitte / I knew in all my lyf But euery wyf / be ware / of hir byhest On Dorigen / remembreth atte lest Thus can a Squyer don a gentle dede As wele / as can a knyght without drede She thanketh hym / vpon her knees bare And home to hir housbond / is she fare And told hym all / as ye han herd me seid And be ye siker / he was so wele appeid That it were impossible / me to write What shold I lenger / of þis caas endite Arueragus / and Dorigen his wyf In souerayn blys / leden forth her lyf Neuer eft / was þere angre / hem bitwene He cherissheth hir / right as she were a quene And she was to hym true / for euermore Of thise .ij. folk / ye gete of me no more Aurelius / þat his cost / hath all forlorn Curseth the tyme / þat euer was he born Allas koth he / allas that I behight Of pured gold a Ml. pound of wight Vn-to this Philisophre / how shall I do I sey no more / but þat I am fordo Myn heritage mot I nedes sell And ben a begger / here may I nat dwell/[Eg. ends] And shamen al my kynrede / in this place But I of hym / myght gete bettre grace But nathelees / I wyl of hym assaye At certeyne dayes / ȝere by ȝere to paye And thanke him / of his grete curteisie My trouthe wil I kepe / I wyl nought lye ¶ With herte sore / he gooth vn-to his coffre And brought gold / vn-to his Philosophre The value of fyue hundred pound / I gesse And him bisecheth / of his gentillesse To graunt him dayes / of the remenaunt And seide Maister / I dar wel make auaunt I failled neuere / of my trouthe / as ȝet ffor sikerly my dette / shal be quyt Towardes ȝow / how euere that I fare To goon a begged / in my kirtel bare But wolde ȝe vouche-sauf / vp-on seuretee Two ȝere or thre / for to respiten me Thanne were I wel / for elles mot I selle Myn heritage / ther nys na more to telle ¶ This Philosophre / sobrely answerde And seide thus / whan he theise wordes herde haue I nat holden / couenaunt vn-to the ¶ Ȝis certes / wel and trewely / quod he hast thow nat had thy lady / as the liketh ¶ No no quod he / and sorwefully he syketh What was the cause / telle me if thow can ¶ Aurelius his tale / a-noon bygan And told him al / as ȝe han herd bifore It nedeth nat to ȝow / reherce it more ¶ he seide Arueragus / of gentillesse hadde leuere dye / in sorwe and in distresse Than that his wyf / were of hir trouthe fals The sorwe of Dorigene / he told him als how loth hire was / to ben a wykked wyf And that she lost had leuere / that day / hir lyf And that hir trouthe / she swor of Innocence She neuere erst / had herd speke / of apparence That mad him han of hire / so gret pitee And right as freely / as he sent hir me [MS. torn] sent I hire / to him a-geyn [MS. torn] some / ther nys na more to seyn [MS. torn] hre / answerd leue brother [MS. torn] dide gentilly to other Thow art a Squyer / and he is a knyght But god forbede / for his blisful myght But if a Clerk / coude doon a gentil dede As wel as any of ȝow / it is no drede ¶ Sire I relesse the / thy thousand pound As thow right now / were cropen out of the ground Ne neuere er now / ne haddest knowen me ffor sire / I wol nat take / a peny of the ffor al my craft / ne nought for my trauaille Thow hast I-paid wel / for my vitaille It is I-now / and farewel haue good day And toke his hors / & forth he goth his wey lordynges this question / than wil I axe now Which was the moost free / as thynketh ȝow Now telleth me / or that ȝe ferthere wende I can namore / my tale is at an ende¶ Amen. Here endeth the ffrankeleyns tale; on leaf 138, back& bigynneth the Phisiciens tale with-oute a Prologe; There was as telleth Titus liuius A knyght / that called was virginius ffulfild of honour / and of worthynesse And strong of frendes / and of gret richesse This knyght a doughter hadde / by his wyf No children hadde he moo / in al his lyf ffair was this mayde / in excellent beautee Abouen euery wyght / that man may se ffor nature hath / with souereyne diligence I-formed hire / in so gret 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 nought / though he ay forge and bete¶ Quere in Methamor|phosios Or graue / or peynte / for I dar wel seyn Appelles ȝanȝis / shulde werche in veyn¶ Appelles fecit mira|bile opus in tumulo darii . vide in Alexandri libro 6o de ȝanȝi in libro Tulii Outher to graue / or peynte / or forge / or bete If they presumeden / me to countrefete ffor he that is / the fourmere principal hath maked me / his vicaire general To forme / and peynten / erthely creaturis Right as me list / and ech thyng in my cure[MS. torn] vnder the moone / that may wane and waxe And for my werk / right no thyng wol I axe My lord and I / ben 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 / twelue ȝer was and tweye In which that nature / hadde swich delit ffor right as she kan peynte / a lilye whit And reed as Rose / right with swich peynture She peynted hath / this noble creature Er she were born / vp-oon hire lymes free Where as by right / swich coloures shulde bee And Phebus dyed hath / hire tresses grete lyke to the stremes / of his burned hete And if that excellent / was hir beaute A thousand fold / moore vertuous was she In hire ne lakked / no condicion That is to preyse / as by discrecion As wel in goost as body / chaast was she ffor which she floured / in virginite With alle humylite / and abstinence With alle attemperance / and pacience With mesure eke / of berynge and array Discret she was / in answerynge alwey Though she were wys Pallas / dar I seyn hire facounde eke / ful wommanly and pleyn Noo countrefeted termes / had she To seme wys / but after hire degree She spak / and alle hire wordes more & lesse Sovnyng in vertu / and in gentillesse Shamefast she was / in maydens shamefastnesse Constant in herte / and euere in bisinesse To dryue hir out / of ydel slogardye Bacus had of hir mouth / right no maistrie ffor wyn and ȝouthe / dooth venus encrees As men in fyr / wol casten oille or grees And of hire owene vertu / vnconstreyned She hath ful ofte tyme syke / hir feyned ffor that she wolde fleen / the compaignye where likly was / to treten of folye As is at festes / reuels / and at daunces That ben occasiouns / of daliaunces Swich thyng / maken children for to be To sone rype / and bold as men moun se Which is ful perilous / and hath be ȝoore ffor al to sone / moun they lerne loore Of boldnesse / whan she woxen is a wyf ¶ And ȝe maistresses / in ȝoure olde lyf That lordes doughtres / han in gouernaunce Ne taketh of my wordes / no displesaunce Thenketh that ȝe ben set / in gouernynges Of lordes doughtres / oonly for two thynges Outher for ȝe han kept / ȝoure honeste Or elles ȝe han falle / in freelete And knowen wel I-now / the olde daunce And han forsaken fully / swich meschaunce ffor euere moo / therfore for cristes sake To teche hem vertu / loke that ȝe ne slake ¶ A thef of venyson / that hath for-laft his likerousnesse / and al his olde craft kan kepe a forest / best of any man Now kepeth wel / for if ȝe wole ȝe kan loke wel that ȝe / vn-to no vice assente leest ȝe be dampned / for ȝowre wykke entente ffor who so doth / a traytour is certeyn And taketh kepe / of that that I shal seyn Of alle treson / souerayn pestilence Is whan a wyght bitraiseth / Innocence Ȝe fadres and ȝe modres / eke also Though ȝe han children / be it on or moo Ȝoure is the charge / of al hir surueaunce Whil that they ben / vnder ȝoure gouernaunce Beth war / if be ensaumple of ȝoure lyuynge Or by ȝoure necligence / in chastisynge That they perisshe / for I dar wel seye If that they doon / ȝe shul it deere a-beye vnder a Shepherde / soft and necligent The wolf / hath many a sheep and lamb to-rent Suffiseth on ensample / now as heere ffor I moot turne a-geyn / to my matere ¶ This mayde / of which / I wol this tale expresse So kept 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 bountevous ffor which the same out sprong / on euery syde Bothe of hir beaute / and hire bounte wyde That thurgh that lond / they preised hir echone That loued Vertu / saue Envye allone That sory is / of oother mennes wele¶ Augustinus And glad is of his sorwe / and his vnhele The doctour / makith this discripcioun This mayde vp-on a day / went in the toun Toward a temple / with hir moder deere As is of ȝonge maydens / the manere ¶ Now was there thanne / a Iustice in that toun That gouernour was / of that Regioun And so bifel / this Iuge / his eyen caste vp-on this mayde / auysynge him ful faste As she coom forby / there as this Iuge stod A-noon his herte chaunged / and his mood So was he caught / with beaute of this mayde And to him self / ful pryuely he sayde This mayde shal be myn / for any man A-noon the fend / in-to his herte ran And taughte him sodeynly / that he by sleighte The mayden to his purpos / wynne myghte ffor certes by no force / ne by no mede him thoughte he was nat able / for to spede ffor she was strong of frendes / and eke she Confermed was / in swich souerayn bounte That wel he wiste / he myght hir neuere wynne As for to make hir / with hir body synne ffor which / by greet deliberacioun he sent after a cherl / was in the toun Which that he knew / for subtil and for bold This Iuge vn-to this cherl / his tale hath told In secree wyse / and maad him to ensure he shulde telle it / to no creature And if he dide / he shulde leese his hed Whan that assented was / this cursed reed Glad was this Iuge / and maked him gret chere And ȝaf him ȝiftes / preciouse and deere ¶ Whan shapen was / al here conspiracye ffro poynt to poynt / how that his lecherye Parfourmed shulde ben / ful subtilly As ȝe shuln heere it / after openly ¶ hom goth the cherl / that hight Claudyus This fals Iuge / that hight Apius So was his name / for this is no fable But knowen for historial thyng / notable The sentence of it / soth is out of doute This fals Iuge / goth now fast a-boute To hasten his delyt / al that he may And so byfel / sone after on a day This fals Iuge / as telleth vs the storie As he was wont / sat in his Consistorie And ȝaf his domes / vp-on sondry cas This fals Cherl cam forth / a ful gret pas And seide lord / if that it be ȝoure wille As doth me right / vp-on this pitous bille In which I pleyne / vp-on virginius And if that he wol seyn / it is nat thus I wol it preeue / and fynde good wytnesse That sooth is / that my bille / wol expresse ¶ This Iuge answered of this / in his absence I may nat ȝeue / diffynytif sentence lat do him calle / and I wol gladly heereid est audire Thow shalt haue al right / and no wrong hereid est hic ¶ virginius cam to wyte / the Iuges wille And right anon was red / this cursed bille The sentence of it / was as ȝe shuln heere ¶ To ȝow my lord sire Apius / so dere Sheweth ȝoure pore seruaunt Claudius how that a knyght / called virginius Ageyns the lawe / a-geyn al equytee holdeth expres / a-geyn the wyl of me My seruaunt / which that is my thral by right Which fro myn hous / was stolen vp-on a nyght Whil that she was ful ȝong / this wyl I preeue By witnesse lord / so that it nat ȝow greue She nys his doughter nat / what so he seye Wherfore to ȝow my lord / the Iuge / I preye Ȝelde me my thral / if that it be ȝoure wille lo this was al / the sentence / of his bille virginius gan / vp-on the thral biholde But hastily / or he his tale tolde And wolde haue preued it / as shulde a knyght And eke by wytnessynge / of many a wyght That al was fals / that seide his aduersarie This cursed Iuge / wolde no thyng tarie Ne heere a word more / of virginius But ȝaf his Iugement / and seide thus ¶ I deme anoon this cherl / his seruaunt haue Thow shalt no lengere / in thyn hous hir saue Go brynge hire forth / and put hire in oure warde The cherl shal han his thral / this I awarde ¶ And whan this worthy knyght / virginius Thurgh sentence / of this Iustice Apius Muste by force / his deere doughter ȝiuen vn-to the Iustice / in lecherye to lyuen he goth him hom / and sette him in his halle And leet a-noon / his deere doughter calle And with a face deed / as asshen colde vp-on hire humble face / he gan biholde With fadres pitee / stikynge thurgh his herte Al wolde he / from his purpos nat conuerte ¶ Doughter quod he / virginia by thy name There ben two weyes / either deth or shame That thow must suffre / allas that I was bore ffor neuere thow deseruedest / wherfore To dyen with a swerd / or with a knyf O deere doughter / endere of my lyf Which I haue fostred vp / with swich plesaunce That thow were neuere / out of myn remembraunce O doughter / which that art / my laste woo And in my lif / my laste ioye also O gemme of chastitee / in pacience Take thow thy deth / for this is my sentence ffor loue / and nat for hate / thow must be ded My pitous hand / moot smyten of thyn hed Allas / that euere Apius the say Thus hath he falsly / Iuged the to-day And told hire al the cas / as ȝe bifore han herd / nat nedeth it / to telle it more ¶ O mercy deere fader / quod this mayde And with that word / she bothe hir armes leyde A-boute his nekke / as she was wont to doo The teeris borst out / of hire eighen two And seide / goode fader / shal I dye Is there no grace / is þere no remedye ¶ No certes / deere doughter myn quod he ¶ Than ȝif me leiser / fader myn quod she My deth for to compleyne / a litel space ffor pardee / Iepte ȝaf his doughter grace¶ Iudicum capitulo xio fuit illo tempore ffor to compleyne / er he hir slow / allasIepte Galaandes And god it woot / no thyng was hir trespas But for she ran / hir fader first to se To welcome him / with gret solempnytee And with that word / she fel a swoughne a-non And after / whan hire swoughnyng is a-gon She riseth vp / and to hire fader seide Blissed be god / that I shal dye a mayde Ȝif me my deth / er that I haue a shame Doth with ȝoure child / ȝoure wil / a goddes name And with that word / she preieth him ful ofte That with his swerd / he shulde smyte softe And with that word / a swoughne doun she fil hire fader / with ful sorweful herte / and wil hir hed of smote / and by the top it hente And to the Iuge / he gan it to presente As he sat ȝet / in doom Consistorie And whan the Iuge it saw / as seith the storie he bad to take him / and an-hange him faste But right a-noon / a thousand peeple in thraste To saue the knyght / for routhe and for pitee ffor knowen was / this fals Iniquitee ¶ The peeple a-noon / hadden suspect in this thyng By manere of the cherles / chalangyng That it was by the assent / of Apius They wisten wel / that he was lecherous ffor which / vn-to this Apius they gon And cast him in a prison / right a-noon Where as he slow him self / and Claudyus That seruaunt was / vn-to this Apius Was demed for to hange / vp-on a tree But that virginius / of his pitee So preyed for him / that he was exiled And elles certes / had he ben bigyled The remenaunt were an-hanged / moore and lesse That were consentant / of this cursednesse ¶ heere moun men sen / 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 a-gryse Of wykked lyf / though it so pryue be That no man wot ther-of / but god and he ffor he be lewed man / or elles lered he noot howe sone / that he shal ben a-fered Therfore I rede ȝow / this counsel take fforsaketh synne / er synne ȝow forsake ¶ Here endeth the Phisiciens tale / on leaf 141, back& bigynneth the prologe of the Pardonere Oure Hoost bygan to swere / as he were wood harrowe quod he / by nayles and by blood This was a fals cherl / a false Iustise As shameful deeth / as herte kan deuyse Come to theise Iuges / and here Aduocates Algate this sely mayde / is slayn / allas Allas / to dere a-bought she hire beaute Wherfore I seye alday / that men moun se That ȝiftes of fortune / and of nature Ben cause of deeth / to many a creature . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. Of bothe ȝiftes / that I speke of now Men han ful ofte / more for harm than prow ¶ But trewely / myn owyn Maister deere This is a pitous tale / for to heere But nathelees / passe ouer / is no fors I preye to god / so saue thy gentil cors And eke thyne vrynals / and thyne Iurdones Thyn ypocras / and eke thy Galiones And euery boiste / ful of thy letuarie God blisse hem / and oure lady Seynt Marie So mote I then / thow art a propre man And lyke a prelat / by Seynt Ronyan Seyde I nat wel / I kan nat speke in terme But wel I woot / thow doost myn herte to erme That I almost haue caught / a Cardynacle By Corpus bones / but I haue tryacle Or elles a draught of moiste / and corny ale Or but I heere a-noon / a murie tale Myn herte is loste / for pitee of this mayde Thow beal amy / thow Pardoner he sayde Telle vs sum myrthe / of Iapes right a-noon ¶ It shal be don quod he / by Seynt Ronyon But first quod he / heere at this Ale-stake I wol bothe drynke and eten / of a Cake But right a-noon / theise gentils gonne to crie Nay lat him nat telle vs / of no ribaudie Telle vs som moral thyng / that we may lere Some wyt / and thanne wol we gladly heere I graunte I-wys quod he / but I must thynke vp-on som honest thyng / whil that I drynke ¶ Radix omnium malorum est Cupiditas; Ad Thymotheum .6o.on leaf 142 ¶ The Perdoners owyn Prologe Lordynges quod he / in chirches whan I preche I peyne me to haue / an hauteyn speche And rynge out / as round / as gooth a belle ffor I can al by rote / that I telle ffirst I pronounce / whennes that I come And thanne myne Bulles shewe I / alle and some Oure liege lordes seel / on my patente I shewe first / my body to warente That no man be so bold / ne preest ne Clerk Me to distourbe / of Cristes holy werk And after that / than telle I forth my tales Bulles of Popes / and of Cardynales Of Patriarkes / and of Busshopes I shewe And in latyn speke I / wordes fewe To Saffron with / my predicacioun In euery village / and in euery toun This is my Teme / and shal / and euere was Radix malorum / est Cupiditas Thanne shewe I forth / my longe cristal stones I-crammed ful of cloutes / and of bones Relikes ben they / as wenen they ichon Thanne haue I in a loton / a shulder bon Which that was / of an holy Iewes sheep Goode men I seye / take of my wordes keep If that this bon / be wasshe in any welle If Cow or Calf or Oxe / or sheep swelle That any worm hath ete / or worm I-stonge Take water of that welle / and wasshe his tonge And it is hool a-noon / and forthere more Of pokkes and of Scabbe / and euery sore Shal euery sheep be hool / that of this welle Drynketh a draughte / take kepe eke what I telle If that the goode man / that the bestes oweth Wol euery wyke / er that the Cok him croweth ffastyng drynken / of this welle a draughte As thilke holy Iew / our eldres taughte his bestes and his stoor / shal multiplie And sire also / it heleth Ialousie ffor though a man be falle / in Ialous rage lat maken with this water / his potage And neuere shal he more his wyf mys-triste Though he the sothe / of hire defaute wiste Al hadde she taken Preestes / two or thre ¶ heere is a Miteyn eke / that ȝe may se He that his hond / wol putte in this Mitayn he shal haue multipliyng / of his grayn Whan he hath sowen / be it whete or Otes So that he offre pens / or ellis grotes Goode men & wommen / oo thyng warne I ȝow If any wight / be in this chirche now That hath don synne horrible / that he Dar nat for shame / of it I-shryuen be Or any womman / be she ȝong or old That hath I-maked / hire housbonde Cokewold Swich folk shuln haue / no power ne no grace To offren to my relikes / in this place And who so fyndeth him / out of swich blame They wol come vp / and offre a goddis name And I assoille him / by the auctoritee Which that by bulle / I-graunted was to me ¶ By this gaude / haue I wonne ȝer by ȝer An hundred mark / sithe I was Pardoner I stonde like a Clerk / in my pulpet And whan the lewede peeple / is doun I-set I preche so / as ȝe han herd bifore And telle an hundred / false iapes more Thanne peyne I me / to strecche forth the nekke And Est and west / vp-on the peeple I bekke As doth a dowue / sittyng on a berne Myn handes and my tonge / goon so ȝerne That it is ioye / to seen my besynesse Of auarice / and of swich cursednesse Is al my prechyng / for to make hem free To ȝeue here 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 that they ben beryed Though that here soules / gon a blakeberyed ffor certes / many a predicacion Cometh ofte / of yuel entencion Som for plesaunce of folk / and flaterie To ben a-vaunced / by ypocrisye And som for veyn glorie / and som for hate ffor whan I dar / noon other weyes debate Thanne wol I stynge him / with my tonge smerte In prechyng / so that he / shal nat a-sterte To ben defamed falsly / if that he hath trespased / to myne bretheren or to me ffor though I telle nought / his propre name Men shuln wel knowe / that it is the same By signes / and by othere circumstaunces Thus quyte I folk / that doon vs displesaunces Thus spitte I out my venym / vnder hewe Of holynease / to semen holy and trewe But shortly / myn entente I wol deuyse I preche of no thyng / but for coueytise Therfore my teme is ȝet / and euere was Radix malorum / est cupiditas ¶ Thus can I preche / ageyn that same vice Which that I vse / and that is Auarice But though my self / be gilty in that synne Ȝet kan I maken / othere folk to twynne ffrom Auarice / and sore to repente But that is nat / my principal entente I preche no thyng / but for coueitise Of this matere / it oughte I-now suffise ¶ Thanne telle I hem / ensaumples many oon Of olde stories / longe tyme a-goon ffor lewede peeple / louen tales olde Swich thynges konne they / wel reporte & holde What trowe ȝe / that whiles I may preche And wynne gold and siluer / for I teche That I wol lyue / in pouertee wilfully Nay nay / I thought it neuere trewely ffor I wol preche / and begge in sondry londes I wol nought do no labour / with myne hondes Ne make baskettes / and lyue ther-by By cause / I wol nat beggen ydelly I wol noone of the Apostles / countrefete I wol haue moneye / wolle / Chese and whete Al were it ȝeuen / of the poorest page Or of the poorest wydewe / in a village Al shulde hire children sterue / for famyne Nay I wol drynke licour / of the vyne And haue a ioly wenche / in euery toun But herkeneth lordynges / in conclusioun Ȝoure likyng is / that I shall telle a tale Nowe haue I dronke / a draughte of corny Ale By god I hope / I shal ȝow telle a thyng That shal by reson / ben at ȝoure likyng ffor though my self / be a ful vicious man A moral tale / ȝet I ȝow telle can Which I am wont to preche / for to wynne Now holde ȝoure pees / my tale I wol bigynne ¶ Et nunc narrat fabulam suamin margin of leaf 143, back IN fflaundres whilom / was a compaignye Of ȝonge folk / that haunteden folye As ryot hasard / Stewes and Tauernes where-as with harpes / lutes and Gyternes They daunce / and pleyen atte dees / bothe day & nyght And ete also / and drynken ouer here myght Thurgh which they doon / the deuele sacrifice with-Inne that deueles temple / in cursid wyse By superfluitee / abhominable here othes ben so grete / and so dampnable That it is grisly / for to here hem swere Oure blissed lordes body / they to-teere hem thoughte / that Iewes rent him nought I-now And ech of hem / at otheres synne low And right a-noon / than comen Tombesterys ffetise and smale / and ȝonge ffrutesterys Syngeris with harpes / Baudes / wafererys which ben / the verray deueles officeris To kyndele and blowe / the fir of lecherie That is annexed / vn-to Glotonye The holy wryt take I / to my wytnesse That luxurye / is in wyn / and dronkenesse¶ Nolite inebriare vino quo est luxuria: ¶ lo how that dronken Loth / vnkendely lay by hise doughtres two / vn-wetyngly So dronke he was / he nyste what he wroughte Herodes / who so wel / the stories soughte . . . . . . . . . .no spurious lines in this MS. whan he of wyn / was replet at his feste Right at his owne table / he ȝaf his heste To slen the Baptist Iohn / ful giltelees Senek seith a good word / doutelees he seith / he can no difference fynde Bitwix a man / that is out of his mynde And a man / which that is dronkelewe But that woodnesse / I-fallen in a shrewe Perseuereth lengere / than doth dronkenesse O Glotonye / ful of cursednesse O cause first / of oure confusion O original / of our dampnacion Til Crist had bought vs / with his blod a-geyn lo howe deere / shortly for to seyn A-bought was / thilke cursed vilenye Corrupt was al this world / for glotonye Adam oure fader / and his wyf also ffro Paradys / to labour and to woo Were dryuen / for that vice / it is no drede ffor whil that Adam fasted / as I rede he was in Paradys / and whan that he¶ Ieronimus contra Io|uinianum // Quam|diu ieiunauit adam / in paradiso fuit / co|medit & eiectus est statim duxit vxorem: Ete of the fruyt / defended / on a tree A-noon he was out cast / to woo & peyne O glotonye / on the wel ought vs pleyne O wiste a man / how many maladies ffolwen of excesse / and of glotonyes he wolde ben / the more mesurable Of his diete / sittyng at his table Allas the shorte throte / the tendre mouth Maketh that Est and west / & North & south In Erthe in Eyr in water / man to swynke To gete a gloton / deyntee mete and drynke Of this matere / o Poule / wel kanstow trete Mete vn-to wombe / & wombe eke 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 worde / and foulere 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 Apostle wepyng / seith ful pitously¶ Ad Philipenses cao 3o. There walken manye / of which ȝow told haue I. I seye it now wepyng / with pitous vois There ben enmys / of Cristes crois Of which the ende is deth / wombe is here god O wombe o bely / o stynkyng Cod ffulfild of donge / and of corrupcioun At either ende of thee / foule is the soun how gret labour and cost / is the to fynde Theise Cookes / how they stampe & streyne & grynde To tornen substaunce / in-to Accident To fulfille / al thy lykerous talent Out of the harde bones / knokke they The mary / for they caste nought a-wey That may goo thurgh the golet / softe and swote Of spicerie / of leef of bark and roote Shal ben his sause / I-maked be delyt To maken him ȝet / a newere appetit But certes / he that haunteth / swich delices¶ Qui autem in deliciis est viuens mortuus est; Luxuriosa res vi|num & contume|liosa ebrietas:— Is ded / whil that he lyueth in tho vices ¶ A lecherous thyng is wyn / and dronkenesse Is ful of stryuyng / and of wrecchednesse O dronke man / disfigured is thy face Sour is thy breth / foul artow to embrace And thurgh thy dronke nose / semeth the soun As though thow seidest ay / Sampson Sampson And yet god woot / Sampson drank neuere no wyn Thou fallest / as it were / a stiked swyn Thy tonge is lost / and al thyn honest cure ffor dronkenesse / is verray sepulture Of mannys wyt / and his discrecion In whom that drynke / hath dominacion he kan no counseil kepe / it is no drede Now kepe ȝow 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 wyne of Spaigne / crepeth subtelly In othere wynes / growyng faste by Of which there riseth / swich fumositee That whan a man / hath dronken draughtes three And weneth that he be / at hom in Chepe he is in spaigne / right at the Toun of lepe Nat at the Rochel / ne at Burdeux Toun And thanne wol he seye / Sampson Sampson ¶ But herkneth lordynges / o word I ȝow preye That alle the souereyne actes / dar I seye Of victories / in the olde testament Thurgh verray god / that is omnipotent were don in abstinence / and in preyere loketh the Bible / and there ȝe moun it lere loke Attilla / the grete conquerour Deyede in his slep / with shame & dishonour Bledyng ay at his nose / in dronkenesse A Capitayn shulde lyue / in sobrenesse And ouer al this / a-vyseth ȝow right wel what was comaunded / vn-to lamwel Nat Samuel / but lamwel sey I Redeth the Bible / and fynde it expresly Of wyn ȝeuyng / to hem that han Iustise¶ Noli vinum dare &c. Na more of this / for it may wel suffise ¶ And now that I haue spoken / of Glotonye Now wol I ȝow defenden / hasardrye hasard / is verray moder of lesynges¶ Policraticorum libro 1o. Mendaciorum & periuriarum mater est alea:— And of deceyte / and cursed forswerynges Blasphemynge of Crist / manslaughtre and wast also Of catel and of tyme / and forther moo It is repreue / and contrarie of honour ffor to ben holde / a comune hasardour And euere the heyer / he is of estat The more is he holden / desolat If that a Prynce / vseth hasardrye In alle gouernaunce / and policye he is / as by comune opinion I-holde the lasse / in reputacion ¶ Stilbon / that was a wys embassadour was sent to Corynthe / in ful gret honour ffro lacedomye / to maken here alliance And whan he cam / him happed per chaunce That alle the gretteste / that were of that lond Pleiyng atte hasard / he hem fond ffor which / as sone as it myght be he stal him hom a-geyn / to his contre And seide / there wyl I nat lese my name Ne wyl nat take on me / so gret defame Ȝow for to allie / vn-to noone hasardoures Sendeth othere wyse / embassadoures ffor by my trouthe / me were leuere dye Than I ȝow shulde / to hasardoures allye ffor ȝe that ben / so glorious in honours Shuln nat allye ȝow / with hasardours As by my wyl / ne as be myn tretee This wys Philosophre / thus seide he loke eke / that to the kyng Demetrius The kyng of Parthe / as the boke seith vs Sent him a peyre of dys of gold / in skorn ffor he had vsed hasard / there biforn ffor which he held his glorie / or his renoun At no value / or reputacioun lordes moun fynde / othere manere pleye honest I-now / to dryue the day a-weye ¶ Now wyl I speke / of othes false and grete A word or two / as olde bokes trete Gret sweryng is a thyng / abhomynable And false sweryng is ȝet / more repreuable The heigh god / forbad sweryng at al¶ Nolite iurare om|nino / Mathei .5o. Wytnesse on Mathew / but in special Of sweryng seith / the holy Ieremye¶ Ieremie 4o. iura|bis in veritate in iudicio & ius|ticia:— Thow shalt swere soth thyne othes / & nat lye And swere in doom / and eke in rightwysnesse But Idel sweryng / is a cursednesse Byholde and se / that in the first table Of heigh goddes hestes / honourable How that the secund hest of him / is this Take nat myn name in ydel / or amys Lo rathere he forbedeth / swich sweryng Than homicide / or many a cursed thyng I seye / that as by ordre / thus it standith This knowen they / that hise hestes vndirstondith how that the secunde heest of god / is that And forthere ouere / I wol the telle al plat That vengeaunce / shal nat parten / fro his hous That of hise othes / is to outrageous By goddes precious herte / and by his nayles And by the blod of Crist / that is in hayles Seuene is my chaunce / and thyn synk and treye By goddes armes / if thow falsely pleye This dagger shal / thurgh-out thyn herte goo This fruyt cometh / of the becched bones two fforsweryng / Ire / falsnesse / homycyde Now for the loue of Crist / that for vs dyede lete ȝoure othes / bothe grete and smale But Sires / now wol I telle forth my tale ¶ Theise riotoures thre / of which I telle longe erst or pryme rong / of any belle weren set hem in a Tauerne / to drynke And as they sat / they herde a belle clynke Byforn a cors / was caried to his graue That on of hem / gan callen to his knaue Go bet quod he / and axe redily what cors is this / that passeth heere forby And loke that thow / reporte his name wel Sire quod this boy / it nedeth neuere a del ¶ It was me told / or ȝe come heere / two houres he was parde / an olde felawe of ȝoures And sodeynly / he was I-slayn to-night ffor-dronke as he sat / on his benche vp-right Ther come a pryue thef / men clepen deth That in this contree / al the peeple sleeth And with his spere / he smot his herte a-twoo And went his wey / with-oute wordes moo he hath a thousand slayn / this pestilence And maister or ȝe come / in his presence Me thynketh that it were / necessarie ffor to be war / of swich an aduersarie Beth redy for to mete him / eueremoore Thus taught me my dame / I sey no more ¶ By Seynt Marie / seide this Tauernere The child seith soth / for he hath slayn this ȝere Hens ouer a myle / with-Inne a gret vilage Bothe man and womman / child / hyne and page I trowe / his habitacion be there To ben a-vysed / gret wysdom it were Or that he dede a man / a deshonour Ȝa goddis armes / quod this riotour Is it swich perile / with him for to mete I shal him seke / by weye and eke by strete I make a vow / to goddes digne bones herkeneth felawes / we thre ben alle oones lat eche of vs / hold vp his hand to other And eche of vs / bycome others brother And we wol slen / this false traytour deth he shal be slayn / he that so manye sleth By goddes dignite / or it be nyght Togyderes han theise thre / here troughthes plight To lyue and dyen / eche of hem for other As though he were / his owne I-bore brother And vp they stirte / al dronken in this rage And forth they gon / towardes that vilage Of which the Tauernere / had spoke biforn And many a grisly oth / than han they sworn And Cristes blissed body / they to-rent Deth shal be ded / if that they moun him hent ¶ whan they han gon / nat fully half a myle Right as they wolde / han treden ouer a stile An olde man / and a pore wight / hem mette This olde man / ful mekely hem grette And seide thus / now lordes god ȝow se The proudest / of theise riotours thre Answerde a-geyn / what karle with sory grace Why artow al for-wrapped / saue thy face Why lyuest thow so longe / in so gret age This olde man gan loke / in his visage And seide thus / for I ne can nat fynde A man / though that I walked in-to ynde Neither in Citee / ne in no vilage That wolde chaunge his ȝouthe / for myn age And therfore mote I / han myn age stille As longe tyme / as it is goddes wille Ne deth allas / ne wol nat han my lyf Thus walke I / like a restles caytif And on the ground / which is my modres gate I knokke with my staf / bothe erly and late And seye leue moder / lete me In Lo how I vanysshe / flessh / blood and skyn Allas whan shuln myne bones / ben at reste Moder with ȝow / wolde I chaunge my cheste That in my chaumbre / longe tyme hath be Ȝa for an heire clout / to wrappe Inne me But ȝet to me / she wol nat do that grace ffor which ful pale / and welked is my face But sires to ȝow / it is no curteisie To speken to an olde man / veleynye But he trespace in word / or elles in dede In holy wryt / ȝe moun ȝour self wel rede A-geyns an olde man / hoor vp-on his hed¶ Coram camite capite consurge Ȝe shulde a-ryse / wherfore I ȝeue ȝow red Ne doth vn-to an old man / noon harm now Nomore than that ȝe wolde / a man dide ȝow In age / if that ȝe so longe a-byde And god be with ȝow / where ȝe go or ryde I mot go thider / as I haue to goo Nay olde cherle by god / thow shalt nat so Seide this other hasardour / a-noon Thow partest nat so lightly / by Seynt Iohn Thow spake right now / of thilke traytour deth That in this contre / alle oure frendes sleth haue heere my trouthe / as thow art his espie Telle where he is / or thow shalt it a-bye By god / and by the holy sacrement ffor sothly thow art / on of his assent To slen vs ȝonge folk / thow false thef Now sires quod he / if that ȝow be so lef To fynde deth / turne vp / this croked wey ffor in that Groue / I lefte him be my fey Vnder a tree / and there he wol a-byde Nat for ȝour bost / he wol him no thyng hyde Se ȝe that Oke / right there ȝe shuln him fynde God saue ȝow / that bought a-geyn man-kynde And ȝow amende / thus seide this olde man And euerich of theise riotours / ran Til he come to that tree / and there fey found Of floreyns fyn / of gold I-koyned round Wel ny an eighte Busshels / as hem thought No lengere thanne / after deth they sought But ech of hem / so glad was of the sight ffor that the floreyns / ben so faire and bright That doun they sette hem / by this precious horde The werste of hem / he spak the first word Bretheren quod he / take kepe what that I seye My wyt is gret thought / that I bourde and pleye This tresour hath fortune / vn-to vs ȝeuen In mirthe and Iolifte / oure lif to lyuen And lightly as it cometh / so wol we spende Ey goddes precious dignite / who wende To-day / that we shuld han / so fair a grace But myght this gold / be caried fro this place hoom to myn hous / or ellis vn-to ȝoures ffor wel ȝe wot / that al this gold is oures Thanne were we / in heigh felicite But trewely by day / it may nat be Men wolde seyn / that we were theues stronge And for our owen tresour / don vs honge This tresor / must I-karied be / by nyghte As wysly and as sleighly / as it myghte Wherfore I rede / that kut a-mong vs alle we drawe / and lat se / where the kut wol falle And he that hath the kut / with herte blithe Shal renne to Tovne / and that ful swithe And brynge vs bred and wyn / ful preuyly And twoo of vs / shal kepe ful subtily This tresor wel / and if he wol nat tarie whan it is nyght / we wol this tresor karie By oon assent / where-as vs thynketh best That oon of hem / the kut brought in his fist And bad hem drawe / and loke where it wold falle And it fel on the ȝongest / of hem alle And forth toward the toun / he went a-noon And also sone / as that he was a-goon That oon of hem spak thus / vn-to the other Thow knowest wel / thow art my sworn brother Thy profyt / wol I telle the a-noon Thou wost wel / that oure felawe is a-goon And heere is gold / and that ful gret plentee That shal departed ben / a-mong vs three But nathelees / if I can shape it so That it departed were / a-mong vs two had I nat doon / a frendes turn to the That other answered / I not how that may be he woot that the gold / is with vs tweye What shuln we doon / what shuln we to him seye Shal it be counseil / seide the first shrewe And I shal telle it / in wordes fewe What we shuln don / and brynge it wel a-boute I graunte quod that other / oute of doute That be my trouthe / I wol the nat bewreye Now quod the first / thow woost wel we ben tweye And twoo of vs / shuln strengere ben than on loke whan that he is set / that right a-noon Arise / as though thow woldest / with him pleye And I shal ryue him / thurgh the sydes tweye Whil that thow stroglest with him / as in game And with thy daggere / loke thow do the same And thanne shal al this gold / departed be My dere frend / be-twix me and the Than moun we bothe / our lustes al fulfille And pleye at dys / right at oure owne wille And thus acorded / ben theise shrewes tweye To slen the thridde / as ȝe han herd me seye ¶ This ȝongest / which that went to the toun fful ofte in herte / he rolleth vp and doun The beawte of theise ffloreyns / newe and bright O lord quod he / if so were that I myght haue al this tresour / to my self allone There is no man / that lyueth vnder the trone Of god / that shulde lyue so merye as I And atte the laste / the fend oure enemy Putte in his thought / that he shulde poyson beye with which he myght slen / his felawes tweye ffor why / the fend fond him / in swich lyuyng That he had leue / him to sorwe bryng ffor this was outrely / his ful entente To slen hem bothe / and neuere to repente ¶ And forth he goth / no lengere wold he tarie In to the toun / vn-to a potecarie And preyed him / that he him wolde selle Som poison / that he myght his rattes quelle And eke there was a polkat / in his hawe That as he seide / his capouns had I-slawe And fayn he wolde wreke him / if he myght On vermyn / that destroyed him by nyght The Potecarie answered / and thow shalt haue A thyng / that also god my soule saue In al this world / there is no creature That ete or dronke hath / of this confiture Nat but the mountaunce / of a corn of whete That he ne shal / his lyf a-non for-lete Ȝa sterue he shal / and that in lasse while Than thow wolt gon a pase / nat but a myle The poyson is so strong / and violent This cursed man / hath in his hand I-hent This poyson in a box / and sithe he ran In-to the nexte strete / vn-to a man And borwed him / large botelles thre And in the two / hise poyson poured he The thridde he kept clene / for his drynke ffor al the nyght / he shop him for to swynke In cariyng of the gold / out of that place And whan this Riotour / with sory grace had filled with wyn / hise grete botelles thre To hise felawes / a-geyn repaireth he What nedeth it / to sermone of it more ffor right as they had cast / his deth bifore Right so they han him slayn / and that a-noon And whan that this was don / thus spak that oon Now late vs sitte and drynke / and make vs merie And afterward / we wyln his body berie And with that word / it happed him percaas To take the botel / there the poyson was And drank / and ȝaf his felawe drynke also ffor which a-noon / they storuen bothe two But certes I suppose / that Auycen wroot neuere in no canon / ne in no fen Moo wonder signes / of empoysonyng Than hadde theise wrecches two / or here endyng Thus ended ben / theise homycydes twoo And eke the false empoysonere / also O cursed synne / of alle cursednesse O traytours homycyde / O wykkednesse O glotonye / luxurie / and hasardye Thow blasfemour / of crist / with vilenye And othes grete / of vsage and of pride Allas mankynde / how may it betyde That to thy creature / which that the wroughte And with his precious hert blod / the boughte Thow art so fals / and so vnkynde allas Now goodemen / god for-ȝeue ȝow ȝoure trespas And ware ȝow fro the synne / of Auarice Myn holy pardon / may ȝow alle waryce So that ȝe offre nobles / or starlynges Or elles / siluer / broches / spones / Rynges Boweth ȝoure hed / vnder this holy bulle Come vp ȝe wyues / and offrith of ȝoure wolle Ȝoure names I entre / heere in my rolle a-noon In-to the blisse of heuene / shuln ȝe gon I ȝow assoile / be myn heigh powere Ȝe that wyln offre / as clene and eke as clere As ȝe were born / and loo sires thus I preche And Iesu Crist / that is oure soules leche So graunte ȝow / his pardon to resseyue ffor that is best / I wol ȝow nat disseyue But sires a word / forgat I in my tale[4-line initial in MS.] I haue Relikes / and pardon in my male As faire / as any man / in Engelond Which were me ȝeuen / by the Popes hond If any of ȝow / wol of deuocioun Offryn / and han myn absolucioun Come forth a-noon / and knelith heere a-doun And mekely receyueth / myn pardoun Or elles takith pardoun / as ȝe wende Al newe and fressh / at euery myles ende So that ȝe offren alwey / newe and newe Nobles or pans / which that ben goode & trewe It is an honour / to euerych that is heere That ȝe moun haue / a suffisaunt Pardonere To assoile ȝow / in contre as ȝe ride ffor auentures / which that moun betide Perauenture there moun falle / on or two Doun of his hors / & breke his nekke a-two loke which a seurte / is it to ȝow alle That I am in ȝoure felaweshipe I-falle That may assoile ȝow / bothe more and lasse whan that the soule / shal fro the body passe I rede that oure hoost / shal begynne ffor he is moost envoluped / in synne Come forth sire hoost / and offre first a-noon And thow shalt kisse / the relykes euerychon Ȝa for a grote / vn-bokle a-noon thy purs Nay nay quod he / thanne haue I Cristes curs lat be quod he / it shal nat be so thiche Thow woldest make me kisse / thyne olde breche And swere it were a Relyke / of a seynt Though it were with thy foundement / depeynt But by the Croys / which that Seynt Elyne fonde I wolde I hadde / thyn coylouns in myn honde In stede of relikes / or of seyntuarie lat cut hem of / I wil the helpe hem carie They shuln be shryued / in an hogges tord This pardoner answered / nat a word So wroth he was / no word ne wold he seye Now quod oure hoost / I wol no lengere pleye With the / ne with noon other angry man But right a-noon / the worthy knyght bygan Whan that he saw / that al the peeple low No more of this / for it is right I-now Sire pardonere be glad / and mery of chere And ȝe sire hoost / that ben to me so dere I preye ȝow that ȝe kisse / the Pardonere And Pardonere I preye the / drawe the nere And as we diden / lat vs laughe and pleye A-noon they kisten / & reden forth here weye[Leaf 150 blank, except for some later scribble. By cawse thys booke ys off gret fobsais hylys, mengled with lyke pastimes, but for no wyse men, but ffor Iaks & boyes; by cawse it ys all off knaues & toyes Wyllyam pully ys my name & he Wyllyam pully ys (caricature of a man holding a long snake in his left hand).] ¶ Here bigynneth the Shipmans tale / next folwyng the Pardoner AMarchaunt whilom dwelled / at seynt Denys That riche was / for which men helde him wys A wyf he hadde / of excellent beaute And compaignable / and reuelous was she Which is a thyng / that causeth more dispence Than worth is / al the chere and reuerence That men hem doon / at festes and at daunces Swich salutacions / and countenaunces Passen / as doth a shadewe / vp-on the wal But woo is him / that paien moot for al The sely housbond / algate he mot paie he moot vs clothe / and he moot vs arraie Al for his owene worshipe / richely In which array / we dauncen iolily And if that be nought may / perauenture Or elles lust nat / swich dispence endure But thynketh / it is wasted and I-lost Thanne moot another / paien for oure cost Or leue vs gold / and that is perilous This noble Marchaunt / held a worthy hous ffor which he hadde alday / so gret repair ffor his largesse / and for his wyf was fair That wonder is / but herkeneth to my tale Amonges alle theise gestes / grete and smale There was a Monk / a fair man and a bold I trowe a thretty wynter / he was old That euere in oon / was drawyng to that place This ȝonge Monk / that was so fair of face Aqueynted was so / with the goode man Sithe that here first / knewelich / bygan That in his hous / as familier was he As it is possible / any frend to be And for as mechel / as this goode man And eke this Monk / of which that I bigan Were bothe two I-born / in oo village The Monk him cleymeth / as for cosynage And he ageyn / he seith nat oones nay But was as glad ther-of / as foule of day ffor to his herte / it was a gret plesaunce Thus ben they knyt / with eterne alliaunce And eche of hem / gan other for to assure Of bretherhede / while that here lif may dure ¶ ffree was daun Iohn / and namely of dispence As in that hous / and ful of diligence To doon plesaunce / and also gret costage he nought for-gat / to ȝeue the leest page In al that hous / but after here degree he ȝaf the lord / and sithen al his meyne Whan that he coom / som manere honest thyng ffor which they were as glad / of his comyng As foule is fayn / whan that the sonne vp risith No more of this as now / for it suffisith ¶ But so byfel / this Marchaunt on a day Shope him / 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 shulde come / to Seynt Denys and pleye With him and with his wyf / a day or tweye Er he to Brugges wente / in alle wyse ¶ This noble monk / of which I ȝow deuyse hath of his Abbot / as him list / licence By-cause he was a man / of heigh prudence And eke an officere / out for to ride To sen here graunges / and here Bernes wyde And vn-to seynt Denys / he cometh a-non who was so welcome / as my lord Daun Iohn Oure dere Cosyn / ful of curtesie With him broughte he / a Iubbe of Maluesie And eke a-nother / ful of fyn vernage And volatil / as ay was his vsage And thus / I lete hem / ete and drynke / and pleye This Marchaunt and this Monk / a day or tweye ¶ The thridde day / this Marchaunt vp arisith And on hise nedes / sadly him auysith And vp in-to his Countour hous / goth he To rekene with him self / wel may be Of thilke ȝer / how that it with him stod And how that he / dispended had his good And if that he / encressed were or noon hise bookes / and hise bagges many oon he leith biforn him / on his countyngbord fful riche was his tresor / and his hord ffor which ful faste / his countour dore he shette And eke he nolde / that noman shulde him lette Of hise acountes / for the mene tyme And thus he sit / til it was passed prime Daun Iohn was risen / in the morwe also And in the Gardyn / walketh to and froo And hath hise thynges seid / ful curteisly ¶ This goode wyf cam walkyng / preuyly In-to the Gardyn / there he walketh softe And him salueth / as she hath don ofte A maide child / cam in hire compaignye Which as hire liste / she may gouerne and gye ffor ȝet vnder the ȝerde / was the mayde O deere Cosyn myn / daun Iohn she seyde What eileth ȝow / so rathe for to rise ¶ Nece quod he / it oughte I-now suffise ffyue houres for to slepe / vp-on a nyght But it were / for an old / appalled wyght As ben theise wedded men / that lye and dare As in a fourme / syt a wery hare wete al forstraught / with houndes grete and smale But deere nece / why be ȝe so pale I trowe certes / that oure goode man hath ȝow laboured / sith the nyght bigan That ȝow were nede / to resten hastily And with that word / he low ful merily And of his owne thought / he wex al reed ¶ This faire wyf / gan for to shake hire hed And seide thus / Ȝa god wot al quod she Nay Cosyn myn / it stant nat so with me ffor by that god / that ȝaf me soule and lyf In al the Reame of ffraunce / is there no wyf That lasse lust hath / to that sory pley ffor I may synge allas / and weylawey That I was born / but to no wyght quod she Dar I nat telle / how that it stant with me Wherfore I thynke / out of this lond to wende Or elles / of my self / to make an ende So ful am I of drede / and eke of care ¶ This monk bigan / vp-on this wyf to stare And seide allas my Nece / god forbede That ȝe for any sorwe / or any drede ffor-do ȝoure self / but telle me ȝoure grief Parauenture / I may in ȝoure myschief Counseile or helpe / and therfore telleth me Al ȝoure anoye / for it shal ben secree ffor on my Portos / I make an oth That neuere in my lyf / for lief ne looth Ne shal I of no counseile / ȝow bewreye ¶ The same ageyn quod she / to ȝow I seye By god and by this Portos / I swere Though men me wolde / al in peces tere Ne shal I neuere / for to gon to helle Bywreye a word / of thyng that ȝe me telle Nought for no Cosynage / ne alliaunce But verrayly for loue / and affiaunce ¶ Thus ben they sworn / and here-vp-on they kiste And eche of hem / told other what hem liste Cosyn quod she / if that I hadde a space As I haue noon / and / namely in this place Thanne wolde I telle / a legende of my lif What I haue suffred / sithe I was a wyf with myn housbonde / al be he ȝoure Cosyn ¶ Nay quod this Monk / by god and Seynt Martyn he is no more / Cosyn vn-to me Than is this lef / that hangeth on the tre I clepe him so / by Seynt Denys of ffraunce To han the more cause / of aqueyntaunce Of ȝow / which I haue loued specialy Abouen alle wommen / sikerly This swere I ȝow / on my professioun Telleth ȝoure grief / lest that he come a-doun And hasteth ȝow / and goth a-wey a-noon ¶ My dere loue quod she / o myn Daun Iohn fful lief were me / this counseil for to hide But out it mot / I may no lengere a-bide Myn husbonde is to me / the werst man That euere was / sithe that the world bygan But sithe I am a wif / it syt nat me To tellen no wyght / of oure pryuyte Neither a-bedde / ne in noon other place God shilde I shulde it telle / for his grace A wif ne shal nat seyn / of hire housbonde But al honour / as I can vnderstonde Saue vn-to ȝow / thus meche I tellen shal As helpe me god / he is nought worth at al In no degree / the value of a flye But ȝet me greueth moste / his nygardye And wel ȝe wot / that wommen naturely Desiren thynges / sexe / as wel as I They wolden that here / housbondes / shulden be hardy and wyse / and riche / and ther-to free And buxome vn-to his wyf / and fressh a-bedde But by that ilke lord / that for vs bledde ffor his honour / my self for to arraye A Sonday next / I mot nedes paye An hundred ffrankes / or elles am I lorn Ȝet were me leuere / that I were vnborn Than me were don a sclaundre / or vyleynye And if myn housbonde eke / myght it espie I nere but lost / and therfore I ȝow preye lene me this somme / or elles mot I deye Daun Iohn I seye / lene me this hondred frankes Parde / I wyl nought fayle ȝow / my thankes If that ȝow list / to don that I ȝow preye ffor at a certeyn day / I wol ȝow paye And do to ȝow / what plesaunce & seruyse That I may don / right as ȝow list deuyse And but I do / god take on me vengeaunce As foul as euere had / Geneloun of ffraunce ¶ This gentil Monk / answered in this manere Now trewely / myn owen lady deere I haue quod he on ȝow / so gret a routhe That I ȝow swere / & plight ȝow my trouthe That whan ȝoure housbonde / is to flaundreȝ fare I wol delyuere ȝow / out of this care ffor I wol brynge ȝow / an hondred ffrankes And with that word / he caught hire by the flankes And hire embraceth hard / and kist hire oft Goth now ȝoure wey quod he / al stille and soft And lat vs dyne / as sone as that ȝe may ffor by my Chilyndre / it is prime of day Goth now & beth as trewe / as I shal be ¶ Now elles god forbede / Sire quod she And forth she goth / as Ioly as a Pie And bad the Cokes / that they shulde hem hye So that men myght dyne / and that a-noon vp to hire husbonde / is this wyf I-gon And knokkith at his Countour dore / boldly Who is there quod he / Petir it am I¶ qy la Quod she / what sire how longe wol ȝe faste how longe tyme / wil ȝe rekne and caste Ȝoure sommes / & ȝoure bokes / & ȝoure thynges The deuele haue part / on alle swich rekenynges Ȝe han I-now parde / of goddis sonde Come doun to-day / and late ȝoure bagges stonde Ne be ȝe nat a-shamed / that Daun Iohn Shal fastynge al this day / elenge goon What late vs heere a masse / and go we dyne Wyf quod this man / litel canstow deuyne The curious besynesse / that we haue ffor of vs chapmen / also god me saue And by that lord / that cleped is Seynt Yue Scarsly a-monges twewe / ten shuln thryue Contynuely lastyng / vn-to oure age We moun wel make chiere / and good visage And dryue forth the world / as it may be And kepen oure estat / in pryuetee Til we be ded / or elles that we pleye A Pilgrimage / or gon out of the weye And therfore haue I / gret necessite vp-on this queynt world / to auyse me ffor euere mot we / stonde in drede Of hap and fortune / in oure chapmanhede To fflaundres wol I go / to morwe at day And come ageyn as sone / as euere I may ffor which my deere wyf / I the byseke As be to euery wyght / buxome & meke And for to kepe oure good / be curious And honestly gouerne wel / our hous Thow hast I-now / in euery manere wyse That to a thrifty houshold / may suffise The lakketh noon array / ne no vitaille Of siluer in thy purs / shaltow not faille And with that word / his Countour dore he shette And doun he goth / no lengere wold he lette But hastily / a masse / was there seyde And spedily the tables / were I-leyde And to the dynere / faste they hem spedde And richely this monk / the Chapman fedde ¶ At after dyner / Daun Iohn sobrely This Chapman toke a-part / and preuyly he seid him thus / Cosyn it stondith so That wel I se / to Brugges wyl ȝe go God and seynt Austyn / spede ȝow and gyde I preye ȝow Cosyn / wysely that ȝe ride Gouerneth ȝow also / of ȝoure dyete Atemprely / and namely in this hete By-twixt vs two / nedeth no straunge fare ffare wel Cosyn / god shilde ȝow from care And if that any thyng / by day or nyght If it be in my power / and my myght That ȝe me wol comaunde / in any wyse It shal be don / right as ȝe wol deuyse But oo thyng or that ȝe gon / if it may be I wolde preye ȝow / for to lene me An hondred ffrankes / for a weke or tweye ffor certeyne bestes / that I must beye To store with a place / that is oures God helpe me so / I wolde it were ȝoures I shal nat faile surely / of my day Nat for a thousand frankes / a myle way But lat this thyng be secree / I ȝow preye ffor ȝet to nyght / theise bestes mot I beye And fare now wel / myn owen Cosyn deere Graunt mercy of ȝoure cost / and of ȝoure chere ¶ This noble Marchaunt / gentilly a-noon Answered and seide / o Cosyn myn / Daun Iohn Now sekirly / this is a smal request My gold is ȝoures / whan that it ȝow lest And nat oonly my gold / but my chaffare Take what ȝow lest / god shilde that ȝe spare But o thyng is this / ȝe knowen it wel I-now Of chapmen / that here moneye is here plow We moun creaunce / whil we han a name But goldlees for to ben / it is no game Paie it a-geyn / whan it lith in ȝoure ese After my myght / ful fayn wyl I ȝow plese Theise hondred frankes / he fette forth a-noon And priuely he toke hem / to Daun Iohn No wight in al this world / wist of this lone Sauyng this Marchaunt / and Daun Iohn allone They drynke and speke / & rome awhile and pleye Til that Daun Iohn / rideth to his Abbeye ¶ The morwe cam / and forth this Marchaunt rideth To fflaundres ward / his prentys wel him gydeth Til he come in-to Brugges / merily Now goth this Marchaunt / faste and bisily A-boute hise nedes / and byeth and creaunceth he neither pleyeth atte dees / ne daunceth But as a Marchaunt / shortly for to telle he ledeth his lyf / and there I lete him dwelle ¶ The Sonday next the Marchaunt was a-gon To Seynt Denys / I-comen is Daun Iohn With crovne and berd al fressh / and newe I-shaue In al the hous / there nas so litel a knaue Ne no wight elles / that he nas ful fayne That my lord Daun Iohn / was come a-gayne And shortly to the poynt / right for to gon This faire wyf acorded / with Daun Iohn That for this hondred frankes he shulde al nyght haue hire in hise armes / bolt vp-right And this a-cord / performed was in dede In myrthe al nyght / a besy lif they lede Til it was day / that Daun Iohn went his way And bad the meyne / fare wel haue good day ffor noon of hem / ne no wight in the toun hath of Daun Iohn / right no suspeccioun And forth he rideth home / to his Abbeye Or where him list / no more of him I seye ¶ This Marchaunt / whan that ended was the feire To Seynt Denys / he gan for to repeire And with his wyf / he maketh feste and chere And telleth hire / that chaffare is so dere That nedes must he make / a cheuysaunce ffor he was bounde / in a reconysaunce To paie twenty thousand sheldes / a-noon ffor which this Marchaunt / is to Parys gon To borwe of certeyne frendes / that he hadde A certeyne frankes / & some with him he ladde And whan that he was come / in-to the Toun ffor gret chierte / and gret affeccion Vn-to Daun Iohn / he first goth him to pleye Nat for to axe / or borwe of him moneye But for to wyte / and sen of his welfare And for to tellen him / of his chaffare As frendes doon / when they ben met I-fere Daun Iohn him maketh feest / and mery chiere And he him told ageyn / ful specialy how he had wel I-bought / and graciously Thanked by god / al hool his marchandise Saue that he must / in al manere of wyse Maken a cheuysaunce / as for his beste And thanne he shulde / ben in ioye & reste Daun Iohn answerde / certes I am fayn That ȝe in hele / ar comen hom a-geyn And if that I were riche / as haue I blisse Of twenty thousand sheldes / shuld ȝe nat mysse ffor ȝe so kyndely / this other day lent me gold / and as I can and may I thanke ȝow by god / and by Seynt Iame But nathelees / I toke vn-to our dame Ȝoure wyf at hom / the same gold a-geyn vp-on ȝoure benche / she wot it wel certeyn By certeyne tokenes / that I can ȝow telle Now by ȝoure leeue / I may no lengere dwelle Oure Abbot wyl out / of this toun a-noon And in his compaignye / mot I gon Grete wel oure dame / myn owne nece swete And fare wel dere Cosyn / til we mete This Marchaunt / which that was / ful war & wys Creaunced hath / and paied eke in Parys To certeyn lumbardes / redy in here hond The somme of gold / and gat of hem his bond¶ id est obli|gacionem And home he goth mirie / as a Popingay ffor wel he knew / he stod in swich array That nedes must he wynne / in that viage A thousand frankes / a-boue al his costage his wyf ful redy mette him / atte gate As she was wont / of olde vsage algate And al that nyght / in myrthe they ben sette ffor he was riche / and clerely out of dette ¶ Whan it was day / this Marchaunt gan embrace his wyf al newe / and kist hire on hire face And vp he goth / and maketh it ful tough Nomore quod she / by god ȝe han I-now And wantounly a-geyn / with him she pleide Till atte laste / this Marchaunt seide By god quod he / I am a litel wroth With ȝow my wyf / al-though it me be loth And wot ȝe why / by god as that I gesse That ȝe han made / a manere straungenesse Bitwixen me / and my Cosyn / Daun Iohn Ȝe shulde han warned me / or I had gon That he ȝow hadde / an hondred frankes paid By redy tokene / and held him euele a-paid ffor that I to him spak / of cheuysaunce Me semed so / as by his countenaunce But nathelees / by god oure heuene kyngleaf 155 gone [I thought to aske of hym / no thing/Egerton, on leaf 176 I pray the wyf / ne do no more soo / Tell me all-wey / or that I from the go Yf ony dettour / hath in myn absence Y-paied the / lest thurgh thy necligence I myght hym axe / a thyng / that he hath payed. This wyf / was nat / afferd / ne affrayed. But boldely she seid / and that anon Marie I defye the fals monk dan Iohn I kepe nat of his tokenes / neuere a dele He toke me certein gold / this wote I wele What euyll thedom / on his monkes snoute For god it wote / I wend withouten doute That he had yeve / it me / by cause of you / To don there-with myn honour / and my prow For Cosinage / and eke for bele chere That he hath hade / full of tymes here But setth I se / I stonde in this disioynt/ I woll you answere / shortly to þe poynt/ Ye han mo slakker dettours / þan am I For I woll paye you / wele and redily From daye to daye / and yf so be I faile I am your wyf / score it vp on my taill/ And I shall paye / as sone / as euere I may For by my trouth / I haue on myn array And nat on wast bestowed euery dele And for I haue bestowed it so wele For your honour / for goddes sake I sey As beth nat wroth / but let vs laugh and pley Ye shull my ioly body / han to wedd By god I woll nat paye you but a-bedde Foryeve it me / myn owen spouse dere Turne hiderward / and maketh better chere This Merchaunt sawe / ther was no remedye And for to chide / it were but folye Seth that the thyng/ may nat amended be Now wyf he seid/ and I foryeve it the But by thy lyf/ ne be no more so large Kepe bet thy gode / this yeve I the in charge Thus endeth my tale / and god vs send. Taillyng ynough / vn-to our lyves end. Here endeth the Shipmannes tale and the Hoost begynneth to speke Wele seid by Corpus Dominus / koth our Hoost/. Now long mot þou saill/ by the coost/ Sire gentill Maister / gentill Marynere God yeve the Monk / a thousand last quadyere A ha felawes / beth ware / of soch a iape The monk put / in the mannes hode an ape And in his wyfes eke / by seint Austyn Draweth monkes no more vn-to your in But now passe ouere / and let vs seke about/ Who shall now tell first/ of all this rout/ Another tale / and with that worde he seid. As curteisly / as it hade ben a meid. My lady Prioresse / by your leue So that I wist/ I shold you nat agreve I wold deme / that ye tellen shold A tale next/ yf so were that ye wold Now woll ye vouche it saaf/ my lady dere Gladly koth she / and seid as ye shull here Here begynneth þe Prioresse prolog of Dominus dominus noster[No gaps in the MS. between the stanzas.] ¶ O Lord our lord / thy name / How merveilous Is in this large world ysprad koth she For nat onely thy laude / precious Perfourmed is / by men of dignitee But by the mouth of children thy bountee Perfourmed is / for on the brest soukyng Som tyme / shewen they / thyn herying ¶ Wherfore in laud / as I best can or may Of the / and of the white lilly flour Which that the bare / and is a maide all-way To tell a storie I woll do my labour Nought that I may encrece hir honour For she hir-self/ is honour and þe rote Of bounte next hir son / and soules bote ¶ O moder maide / o maide moder free O bussh vnbrent/ brennyng in Moises sight/. That ravysshedest doun / from the deitee Thurgh thyn humblesse / the gost þat in the light/ Of whos vertue / whan he thy goost light/ Conceyued was / the faders sapience Helpe me to tell it/ in thy reuerence][Eg. 2726 ends] Lady thyn bountee / thyn magnificence Thy vertu / and thyn gret humylitee There may no tonge expresse / in no science ffor som tyme lady / or men preyen to the Thow gost biforn / of thyn benygnytee And getest vs the light / of thyn preyere To gyden vs / vn-to thy sone so deere ¶ My konnyng is so weyke / o blisful Quene ffor to declare / thyn gret worthynesse That I ne may / the weight nat sustene But as a child / of twelmoneth old or lasse That can vnethe / any word expresse Right so fare I / & therfore I ȝow preye Gydeth my song / that I shal of ȝow seye ¶ Here bigynneth the Prioresse hire Tale There was in Assye / in a gret Citee A-monges cristene folk / a Iewerie Sustened by a lord / of that contree ffor foul vsure / and lucre of vilenyeturpe lucrum Hateful to crist / and to his compaignye And thurgh this strete / men myght ride or wende ffor it was free / and open at either ende ¶ A litel scole / of cristene folk there stode Doun atte ferthere ende / in which there were Children an hep / I-comen of cristene blode That lerned in that scole / ȝer by ȝere Swich manere doctrine / as men vsed there This is to seyn / to syngen and to rede As smale children doon / in here childhede ¶ A-monges theise children / was a wydewes sone A litel clergeoun / seuene ȝer of age That day by day / to scole was his wone And eke also / where as he sey the ywage Of cristes moder / had he in vsage As him was taught / to knele adoun and seye his Aue marie / as he goth by the weye ¶ Thus hath this wydewe / hire litel sone I-taught Oure blisseful lady / cristes moder deere To worshipe ay / and forgat it nought ffor sely child / wil alwey sone lere But ay whan I remembre / on this matere Seynt Nicholas stant euere / in my presence ffor he so ȝong / to criste dide reuerence ¶ This litel child / his litel bok lernynge As he sat in the scole / at his prymer he Alma redemptoris / herde synge As children lerned / here Antiphoner And as he durste / he drow him ner & ner And herkened ay the wordes / & the note Til he the first vers coude / al by rote ¶ Nat wist he / what this latyn was to seye ffor he so ȝong / and tendre was of age But on a day / his felawe gan he preye To expounden him this song / in his langage Or telle him why this song / was in vsage This preyed he him / to construen and declare fful ofte tyme / vp-oon his knees bare ¶ His felawe / which / that eldere was than he Answered him thus / this song I haue herd seye Was maked / of oure blisseful lady free Hire to salue / and eke hire for to preye To ben oure help / and socour whan we deye I can no more expounde / in this matere I lerne song / I can but smal gramere ¶ And is this song / maked in reuerence Of cristes moder / seide this Innocent Now certes / I wol do my diligence To conne it al / or cristemasse be went Though that I / for my primer / shal be shent And shal be betyn / thries in an houre I wol it conne / oure lady for to honoure ¶ his felawe taught him homward / pryuely ffro day to day / til he coude it by rote And thanne / he song it wel and boldly ffor word to word / a-cordyng with the note Twyes a day / it passed thurgh his throte To scoleward & homward / whan he wente On Cristes moder / set was his entente ¶ As I haue seid / thurgh-out the Iuerye This litel child / as he come to and froo fful myrily wold he synge / and crie O Alma redemptoris / euere moo The swetnesse his herte / perced so Of cristes moder / that to hire to preye he can nat stynt / of syngynge by the weye ¶ Oure first foo / the serpent Sathanas That hath in Iewes herte / his waspes nest Vp swal and seide / o Hebrayk peeple allas Is this to ȝow a thyng / that is honest That swich a boy / shal walken as him lest In ȝoure despit / and synge of swich sentence Which is a-geyns / oure lawes reuerence ¶ ffro thens-forth / the Iewes han conspired This Innocent / out of this world to chace An homycyde / ther-to han they hyred That in an aleye / had a pryue place And as the child / gan forby for to pace This cursed Iew / him hente / and helde him fast And kyt his throte / and in a pyt him cast ¶ I seye that in a wardrope / they him threwe Where as theise Iewes / purgen here entraille O cursed folk / of herodes al newe what may ȝoure euele entent / ȝow a-vaille¶ legamus apocalipsim Iohannis & ibi reperi|mus agnum super montem syon & cum illo cxliiijor milia signatorum &c. qui cantant canticum nouum &c. Isti sunt qui cum mulieri|bus se non coinquinauerunt virgines autem permanserunt / hii sunt qui secuntur agnum quocunque vadit &c. Mordre wol out / certeyn it wol nat faille And namely there / as the honour / of god / shal sprede The blod out crieth / on ȝoure cursed dede ¶ O martir souded / to virginite Now maistow syngen / & folwen euere in oon The white lamb / celestial quod she Of which the gret Ewangelist seynt Iohn In pathmos wrot / which seith / that they that gon Biforn this lamb / & synge a song al newe That neuere flesshly wommen they ne knewei. e. carnaliter ¶ This pouere wydewe / a-waiteth al that nyght After hire litel child / but he cam nought ffor which as sone / as it was dayes light With face pale of drede / and bisy thought She hath atte scole / and elles where him sought Til finaly / she gan so fer a-spie That he last seyn was / in the Iuerie ¶ With modres pitee / in hire brest enclosed She gooth as she were half / out of hire mynde To euery place / where she hath supposed By lyklied / hire litel child to fynde And euere on cristes moder / meke and kynde She criede and at the laste thus she wroughte Amonges the cursed Iewes / she him soughte ¶ She freyneth and she preyeth / pitously To euery Iew / that dwelled in thilke place To telle hire if hire child / went ought for-by They seiden nay / but ihesu of his grace Ȝaf in hire thought / with-Inne a litel space That in that place / after hire sone she criede Where as he was casten / in a pyt byside ¶ O grete god / that performest thy laude By mouth of Innocentes / lo here thy myght This gemme of chastite / this Emeraude And eke of Martirdom / the rubie bryght There he with throte / I-koruen / lay vpright he Alma redemptoris / gan to synge So loude / that al the place / gan to rynge ¶ The cristene folk / that thurgh the strete wente In comen / for to wondre vp-oon this thyng And hastifly / they for the Prouost sente he com a-noon / with-outen tariyng And herieth crist / that is of heuene kyng And eke his moder / honour of mankynde And after that / the Iewes let be bynde ¶ This child with pitous lamentacion vp taken was / syngyng his song alwey¶ De puero qui cantauit de gloriosa virgine. And with the honour / of gret procession They carien him / vn-to the next abbey his moder swoughnyng / by his bere lay vn-ethe myght the peeple / that was there This newe Rachel / bryngen froo his bere¶ Rachel plorans filios suos & noluit conso|lari &c. ¶ With turment / and with shameful deth echon This Prouest / doth the Iewes for to sterue¶ De maria quicquit puer sciuit / cantum enu|triuit / maternam inopiam hunc Iudeus nequam strauit domo sua quem humauit diram per inuidiam Mater querens / hunc vocauit / hic in terra recantauit / solita preconia // Puer liber mox exiuit mortis reos lex puniuit / Iudeos & cetera. That of this morder wist / & that a-noon he nolde no swich cursednesse / obserue Iuel shal haue / that euel wol deserue Therfore with wilde hors / he dede hem drawe And after that / he heng hem by the lawe ¶ Vp-on this bere / ay lith this Innocent Biforn the chef auter / while the masse laste And after that / the Abbot with his couent han sped hem / to burien him ful faste And whan they haly water / on him kaste Ȝet spak this child / whan spreynt was the hali water And sang / O Alma redemptoris mater ¶ This Abbot / which that was / an holy man As monkes ben / or elles oughten be This ȝonge child / to coniure he bigan And seide / o dere child / I halse the In vertu / of the holy Trynyteleaf 158gone [Tell me what is thy cause for to syngEgerton 2726, on leaf179, back Seth þat thy throte is kut / to my semyng ¶ My throte is kut / vn-to my nek bone Seid this child and as by weye of kynd. I shold haue died / ye long tyme agone But Ihesu Crist / as ye in bokes fynd. woll that his glorie last / and be in mynd. And for the worshipe of his moder dere Yitte may I syng / o Alma loude and clere ¶ This well of mercy / cristes moder swete I loued all wey / as after my kunnyng And whan that I / my lyf shold forlete To me she cam / and bad me for to syng/ This antym verrely in my dying/. As ye han herd / and whan þat I hade song Me thought she leid a greyn / vp on my tong /. ¶ Wherfore I syng/ and syng I mot certeyn In honour / of that blisfull maiden free Till from my tung / of taken is þe corn And after that / this seid she to me My litle child/ now woll I fecche the Whan that the greyn / is from thy tung ytake Be nat agast/ I woll the nat forsake ¶ This holy monk/ this Abbot / hym mene I. His tung out caught/ and toke awey þe greyn And he yave vp the gost / full softely And whan this Abbot / hade this wonder seyn His salt teres/ trykled doun as reyn And gruff he fell all plat / vp-on þe ground And still he lay / as he hade leyn ybound. ¶ The Couent eke / lay vp-on tha pament/ wepyng/ and herien cristes moder dere And after that/ they rise / and forth ben went/ And toke awey / this martir / from his bere And in a toumbe / of marbell stones clere Enclosen they / this litle body swete There he is now / god lene vs for to mete ¶ O yong Hugh of Lyncoln slayn also with cursed Iewes / as it is notable ffor it is but a litle while agoo Pray eke for vs / we synfull folk vnstable That of his mercy / god so merciable On vs his grete mercy / multiplie ffor the reuerence / of his moder marie / Amen / Hic desinit fabula Priorisse / & incipit/ prologus de Sir Thopas per Chaucer narratus WHan seid was this myracle / euery man As sobre was / that wonder was to se Till that our hoost / Iape to began And than at erst/ he loked vp-on me / And seid thus / what man art þou koth he Thow lokest / as þou woldest fynd an hare ffor ever vp-on the ground I se the stare ¶ Approche nere / and loke vp merely Now ware þou sirs / and let þis man haue place He in the waste / was shape as wele as I. This were a popet/ in an arme to enbrace ffor ony womman small / and feire of face Hym semeth elvissh / by his countenaunce ffor vn-to no wight / doth he daliaunce ¶ Sey þou now somwhat/ sen other folk han seid. Tell vs a tale of merth / and þat anon Hoste koth he / ne beth nat/ euyll appayed. ffor other tale certes / kan I none But of a Ryme / I lerned long agone Ye / that is gode koth he / now shull we here Som deyntous thyng/ me thynketh/ by his chere Hic desinit prologus de Chaucers et incipit fabula sua de Sir Thopas [Fit I.][Each third line is on the right of its couple, in the MS.] Listeneth lordynges / in gode intent/ And I woll tell verament Of merth and of solace All of a kyng was / faire and gent/ In bataill and in turnement His name was Sir Thopace Yborn he was / in fer cuntre In flaundres all by-yond þe se At Poperyng in the place His fader was a man full fre And lord he was / of þat cuntre As it was goddes grace Sir Thopas wax / a doughti swayn white was his face / as payndemayn His lippes rede as nose His rode is like / Scarlet in greyn And I you tell / in gode serteyn He hade a semely nose His here his berd was like saffron That to his girdle raught adoun His shone of Cordwane Of brugges were his hosen broun His robe was of Syklatoun That cost many a Iane He coude hunt at wild dere And ride an haukyng by Ryvere with grey goshauke / on honde There-to he was / a grete Archere Of wrastlyng / was þer noon his pere There ony Ram shold stonde ffull many a maide bright in bour They mourne / for his paramour whan hem were bet/ to slepe][Eg. 2726 ends] But he was chast and no lechour And swete as is the brambel flour That bereth the red hepe And so it fel vp-on a day ffor sothe as I ȝow telle may Sire Thopas wold out ride he worth vp-on his steede gray And in his hond a launce gay A long swerd by his side he pryketh thurgh a fair forest Ther-Inne is many a wylde best Ȝa bothe Buk and hare And as he priketh North and Est I telle it ȝow him had almest bitidde a sory kare There springen erbes grete & smale The lycoris and the cetewale And many a clowe gylophre And Notemuge to putte in ale Wheither it be moyst or stale Or for to leyn in coffre The briddes songen it is no nay The Sparhauk and the Popyngay That ioye it was to heere The thrustelcok mad eke hire lay The wode-dowe vp-on a spray she sang ful loude & clere Sire Thopas fel in loue longyng Al whan he herd / the thrustel syng & pryked as he were wood his fair steede in his prekyng So swatte / þat men myght him wryng his sides were al blod Sire Thopas eke so wery was ffor prikyng on the softe gras So fiers was his corage That doun he leid him in that place To make his steede som solace and ȝaf him good forage O Seynte Mary benedicite What eyleth this loue at me To bynde me so sore Me dremed al this nyght parde An Elf Quene shal my lemman be And slepe vnder my gore An Elf Quene wil I loue I-wys ffor in this world no womman is worthy to be my make // In towne Alle othere wommen I forsake And to an Elf Quene I me take by dale and eke by downe In-to his sadel he clom a-noon And priketh ouer stile and ston An Elf Quene for to espie Til he so longe hath ryde & gon That he fond in a pryue won The contreye of fairie So wylde ffor in that contrey was þere noon That to him durst ride or gon Neither wyf ne childe Til that þere com a gret geaunt his name was sire Olifaunt a parilous man of dede he seide child by Termagaunt But if thow prike out of myn haunt Anoon I slee thyn steede // With Mace heere is the Quene of fairye With harpe & pipe & symphonye Dwellyng in this place The child seide also mot I the To-morwe wol I mete the Whan I haue myn Armoure And ȝet I hope par ma fay That þou shalt with this launce gay abyen it ful soure Thy mawe I shal perce if I may Or it be fully prime of day ffor heere thow shalt be slawe Sire Thopas drow a-bak ful faste This Geaunt at him stones caste Out of a fel staf slynge But faire a-skapith child Thopas And al it was thurgh goddes gras And thurgh his fair berynge Ȝet listeneth lordes to my tale Meriere than the Nyghtyngale I wol ȝow rowne how sire Thopas with sydes smale Prykyng ouer hil and dale Is come a-geyn to towne his merie men comaunded he To make him bothe game & gle ffor nedes must he fighte With a Geaunt with hedes thre ffor paramour and Iolite Of on that shon ful brighte Do come he seide my Mynestrales And gestoures for to telle tales A-non in myn armyng Of romaunces that ben reals Of Popes and of Cardynales And eke of loue longyng They fette him first swete wyn And Mede eke in a Maselyn And real spicerie Of gyngerbred that was ful fyn And lycoris and eke Comyn with sugre þat is trie he dede next his white ler Of cloth of lake fyn & cler A breche & eke a sherte And next his shert an Aketon And ouer that an haberion ffor percyng of his herte And ouer that a fyn hauberk Was al I-wrought of Iewes werk fful strong it was of plate And ouer that his cote armour As white as is a lilie flour In which he wol debate his sheld was al of gold so red And þere Inne was a Bores hed A charbocle be his syde And þere he swor on ale & bred how that the Geaunt shal be ded bityde what bytyde hise Iambeus were of quyrbuly his swerd shede of yuory helme of laton bright His sadel was of rewel bon his brydel as the sonne shon Or as the Mone light his spere was of fyn Cypres That bodeth werre & no thyng pes the hed ful sharp I-grounde his steede was al appel gray It goth an aumble in the wey fful softly & rounde In londe loo lordes myn heere is a fyt If ȝe wyln any more of it To telle it I wol fonde [The Second Fit.] ¶ Now holde ȝoure mouth par charite Bothe knyght and lady free and herkeneth to my spelle Of bataille and of cheualry And of ladies loue drury A-noon I wol ȝow telle Men speken of romaunces of pris Of horn Child and of ypotis Of Beus and Sire Guy Of sire libeus and pleyndamour But sire Thopas he bereth the flour Of real Chyualrie his good steede al he bystrod And forth vp-on his weye he woldrod As sparcle out of the brond Vp-on his creste he bar a Tour And þere-Inne stiked a lilye flour god shilde his cors fro shonde And forth he was knyght Auntrous he nolde slepen in noon hous But lyggen in his hode his bright helm was his wonger And by him baiteth his destrer Of Erbes fyve & goode him self drank water of the welle As dede the knyght sire Parcyuelle so worthy vnder wede; Til on a day ¶ No more of this / for goddes dignytee Quod oure hoost / for thow makest me So wery / of thyn verray lewednesse That also wysly / god my soule blisse Myne Eres aken / of thy drasty speche Now swich a ryme / the deuele I be-teche This may wel be ryme dogerell / quod he ¶ Why so quod I / why woltow lette me More of my tale / than another man Syn that it is / the best ryme I can ¶ By god quod he / for pleynly at a word Thy drasty rymyng / is nat worth a tord Thow doost nat elles / but despendest tyme Sire at o word / thow shalt no lengere ryme lat se / wher thow kanst tellen ought in geste Or tellen in prose / somwhat atte leste In which there be som myrthe / or som doctrine ¶ Gladly quod I / by goddes swete pyne I wol ȝow telle / a litil thyng in prose That oughte like ȝow / as I suppose Or elles certes / ȝe be to daungerous It is a moral tale / vertuous Al be it told / somtyme / in sondry wyse Of sondry folk / as I shal ȝow deuyse As thus / ȝe wot that euery Euaungelist That telleth vs / the peyne of Ihesu crist Ne seith nat alle thyng / as his felawe doth But nathelees / his sentence is al soth And alle accorden / as in here sentence Al be there / in here tellyng difference ffor somme of hem seyn more / & some sey lasse Whan they / his pitous passion expresse I mene of Mark / Mathew / luke and Iohn But doutelees / here sentence is al oon Therfore lordyngges alle / I ȝow byseche If ȝow thynke I varie / as in my speche As thus / though that I telle / somwhat more Of prouerbes / than ȝe han herd bifore Comprehended / in this litel tretys heere To enforce with / the effect of my matere And though I nat / the same wordes seye As ȝe han herd / ȝet to ȝow alle I preye Blameth me nought / for as in my sentence Shuln ȝe no wher / fynden / difference ffro the sentence / of this tretys lite After the which / this mery tale I wryte And þerfore herkeneth / what that I shal seye And lat me tellen al my tale / I preye ¶ Here endeth Chaucers tale of Thopas / & the Prologe of Melibeus And heere bigynneth the Tale of Melibeus:

[2157]

Aȝong man called Melibeus myghty and riche / bygat vp-on his wyf / that called was Prudence / a doughter / which that called was Sophie / [2158] Vp-on a day bifel / that he for his disport / is went in-to þe feldes / him to pleye / [2159] his wyf & eke his doughter hath he laft, with-Inne his hous / of which the dores / weren fast I-shette / [2160] three of his olde foos / han it espied / and setten laddres / to the walles of his hous / and by wyndowes ben entred / [2161] & beten his wyf / and wounded his doughter / with fyue mortal woundes / in fyue places sondry / [2162] this is to seyn / in hire feet / in hire handes / in hire Erys / in hire Nose / and in hire mouth / and leften hire for ded / and wenten a-wey.

[2163] ¶ Whan Melibeus / retorned was in-to his hous / and sey al this mischief / he like a mad man / rendynge hise clothes / gan to wepe & crye

[2164] ¶ Prudence his wyf / as ferforth as she dorste / bisoughte him / of his wepyng for to stynte / [2165] but nat for-thy / he gan to crie and wepyn / euere lengere the more //

[2166] This noble wyfe Prudence / remembred hire vp-on the sentence of Ouyde in his book / that cleped is / the¶ Ouidius de re|medio amoris remedie of loue / where as he seith / [2167] he is a fool that destourbeth the moder to wepe in the deth of hire child / til she haue wept hire fille / as for a certeyn tyme / [2168] and thanne shal man don his diligence / with amyable wordes hire to reconforte / and preye hire / of hire wepyng for to stynte / [2169] for which reson / this noble wyf Prudence / suffred hire housbond for to wepe and crye / as for a certeyn space / [2170] And whan she say hire tyme / she seide to him in this wyse / Allas my lorde quod she / why make ȝe ȝoure self / for to be like a fool / [2171] for sothe / it apparteneth nat to a wys man / to maken swich a sorwe / [2172] ȝoure doughter / with the grace of god / shal warisshe and escape / [2173] and al were it so / that she right now were ded / ȝe ne ought nat / as for hire deth / ȝoure self to destroye / [2174] Senec¶ Seneca seith / the wyse man shal nat take to gret discomfort / for the deth of hise children / [2175] but certes he shulde suffren it in pacience / as wel / as he abideth the deth / of his owene propre persone

[2176] ¶ This Melibeus answered a-noon & seide / what man quod he shulde of his wepyng stynte / that hath so gret a cause for to wepe [2177] ¶ Ihesu Crist¶ Qualiter ihesus christus fleuit propter mortem laȝari oure lord / him self wepte / for the deth of laȝarus his frend. [2178] Prudence answered / Certes wel I wot attempree wepyng is no thyng defended to him that sorweful is / amonges folk in sorwe / but it is rathere graunted him to wepe [2179] ¶ The Apostle Poule / vn-to the¶ Apostolus ad romanos Romayns wryteth / Man shal reioise / with hem that maken ioye / And wepen with swich folk as wepyn / [2180] But though attempre wepyng / be I-graunted / outrageous wepyng / certes is defended / [2181] Mesure of wepyng / shulde be considered / after the loore that techeth vs Senek / [2182] whan that thy frend is ded quod he / lat nat thyne eyen to moiste ben of teeres / ne to meche drye / al-though the teeris / come to thyne eyen / lat hem nat falle; [2183] And whan thow hast for-gon thy frend / do dili|gence / to gete a-geyn a-nother frend / and this is more wysdom / than for to wepe / for thy frend / which that þou hast lorn / for there-Inne is no bote / [2184] And þerfore if ȝe gouerne ȝow by sapience / put a-wey sorwe out of ȝoure herte. [2185] ¶ Remembre ȝow that Ihesus Syrak seith / a man that is ioyous in herte and glad / it him con|seruyth florisshyng in his age / but soothly . . [2186] no gap in Dd., or the 4 Hodson MSS., or in Eg. 2726, lf. 183 at foot sorwe in herte sleeth ful many a man [2187] ¶ Sa|lamon seith / that right as moththes in the shepes flees / a-noyen to the clothes / and the smale wormes to the tree; right so anoyeth sorwe to the herte [2188] ¶ Wherfore vs oughte as wel in the deth of oure children / as in the losse of oure goodes temporeles / haue pacience.

[2189] ¶ Remembre ȝow vp-on the pacient Iob / whan he hadde lost his children / and his temporel sub|staunce / and in his body endured and receyued ful many a greuous tribulacion / ȝet seide he thus / [2190] Oure lord hath ȝeue it me / Oure lord hath biraft it me / right as oure lord hath wold / right so is it don / I-blissed be the name of oure lord [2191] ¶ To theise forseide thyngis answered Melibeus vn-to his wyf ¶ Prudence / Alle thyne wordes quod he ben sothe and þer-to pro|fitable / but trewely myn herte is troubled / with this sorwe so greuously / that I not what to done [2192] ¶ lat calle quod Prudence thyne trewe frendes alle / and thy lynage / which that ben wyse / telleth ȝoure caas / and herkeneth what they seye in counseillynge / and ȝow gouerne after here sentence [2193] ¶ Salamon seith: werke all thynges by counseille / and þou shalt neuere repente

[2194] ¶ Thanne by the counseil of his wyf Prudence; this Melibeus / let callen a gret congregacion of folk / [2195] as surgiens / Phisiciens / olde folk and ȝonge / and some of hise old enemyes reconsiled / as bi here semblaunt / to his loue / and in-to his grace / [2196] and ther-with-al / ther comen somme of his neyghbores / that diden him reuerence / more for drede than for loue / as it happeth ofte [2197] ¶ Ther comen also ful many subtile flaterers and wyse aduocatȝ lerned in the lawe /

[2198] And whan this folk togydre assembled weren / This Melibeus in sorweful wyse / shewed hem his cas / [2199] And by the manere of his speche / it semed that in herte he bar a crewel Ire / redy to don venge|aunce vp-oon his foos / & sodeynly desired / that the werre shulde bigynne / [2200] but nathelees / ȝet axid he his counseil vp-oon this matere / [2201] A surgien by licence and assent of swich as weren wyse / vp roos / and vn-to Melibeus / seide / as ȝe moun heere /

[2202] Sire quod he / as to vs Surgiens apparteneth / that we do to euery wyght the beste that we kan / where as we ben with-holde / and to our pacientȝ / that we do no damage / [2203] wherfore it happeth many tyme and ofte / that whan twey men han euerych wounded other / O same surgien heleth 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 ȝoure doughter / al be it so / that she parllously be wounded / we shuln do so ententyf besinesse / fro day to nyght / that with the grace of god / she shal be hool & sound / as sone as is possible [2206] ¶ Almost right in the same wyse the Phisiciens answerden / saue that they seiden a fewe wordes more / [2207] that right as maladies ben cured / by here contraries / right so shal man warisshe werre / by vengeaunce [2208] ¶ hise Neygh|bores ful of Envie / hise feyned frendes / that semed reconsiled / hise flatereres [2209] maden sembant of wepyng and empeired and aggregged mechel of this matere / in preisyng gretly Melibee / of myght / of power of richesse and of frendes / despisyng the power of hise aduersaries [2210] and seiden outrely / that he a-noon / shulde wreke him on his foos / and bigynne werre

[2211] ¶ vp ros thanne / an aduocat that was wys by leue and by counseil / of othere that were wyse / And seide / [2212] lordynges the nede / for the which we ben assembled in this place / is ful heuy thyng / & an heigh matere [2213] by cause of the wrong and of the wykkednesse that hath be doon / and eke by reson of the grete damages / that in tyme comynge ben possible to fallen / for the same cause / [2214] and eke bi reson of the gret richesse and power of the parties bothe / [2215] for the which resons / it were a ful gret perile to erren in this matere / [2216] wherfore Melibeus / þis is oure sentence / we counseille ȝow a-bouen alle thyng / that riȝt a-noon þou do thy diligence in kepyng of thy propre persone / in swich a wyse / that þou ne wante noon espie ne wacche / thy body for to saue [2217] ¶ And after that we counseille / that in thyn hous thow sette suffisaunt garnyson / so that they moun / as wel thy body as thyn hous defende [2218] ¶ But certes for to meeue werre / ne sodeynly for to doon vengeaunce / we moun nat deme in so litel tyme / that it were profit|able / [2219] wherfore we axen leiser and espace to haue deliberacion / in this cas to deme / [2220] for the comune prouerbe seith this / he that sone demeth; soone shal repente / [2221] And eke men seyn / that thilke Iuge is wys / that sone vnderstondeth a matere / and Iuggeth by leyser / [2222] for al be it so / that al tariyng be a-noyful / algates it is nat to repreeue in ȝeuyng of Iugement ne in vengeaunce takyng / whan it is suffisaunt and resonable / [2223] And that shewed oure lord Ihesu crist by en|sample / for whan that the womman that was taken in aduoutrie / was brought in his presence to knowen what shulde be don with hire persone / al be it / that he wist wel him self / what that he wolde answere / ȝet ne wolde he nat answere sodeynly / but he wolde haue deliberacion / And in the ground he wroot twies / [2224] and by theise causes we axen deliberacion / and we shuln thanne by the grace of god / counseille the thyng / that shal be profitable

[2225] ¶ vp stirte thanne / the ȝonge folk atones / and the most partie of that compaignye / han skorned þeise olde wyse men / and bygonnen to make noyse / and seiden / that [2226] right so / as whil that Iren is hoot / men shulde myte / right so men shuln do wreken here wronges / whils that they ben fresshe & newe / And with loude vois / they cryden / werre / werre /

[2227] vp roos tho / oon of theise olde wyse / & with his hond mad countenaunce / þat men shulde holde hem stille / & ȝeue him audience [2228] ¶ lordynges quod he / there is ful many a man that crieth werre / werre / þat wot ful litel what werre amounteth / [2229] werre at his bigynnyng hath so gret an entryng / & so large / þat euery wight may entre whan him liketh & lightly fynde werre / [2230] But certes to what ende / that shal þerof bifalle / it is nat light to knowe / [2231] for sothly / whan þat werre / is ones bygonne / there is ful many a child vn-born of his moder that shul sterue ȝong / by cause of thilke werre / or elles lyue in sorwe / & dye in wrecchednesse / [2232] And therfore / er that any werre be bigonne / men must haue gret counseil / & gret deliberacion / [2233] & whanne this olde man wende to enforce his tale by resouns / wel ny alle attones bigonne they to ryse / for to breken his tale / & beden him ful ofte / hise wordes for to a-bregge / [2234] for sothly he that precheth to hem / that listen nat heren his wordes / his sarmoun hem anoyeth [2235] ¶ ffor Ihesus Syrak seith / That Musyk in wepyng / is a noyous thyng / This is to seyn / as muche auailleth to speken biforn folk / to which his speche a-noyeth / as it is to synge biforn him þat wepeth [2236] ¶ And whan this wys man sey / þat him wanted audience / Al shamefast / he sette him doun a-geyn / [2237] for Salamon seith / þere as thow ne maist haue noon audience / enforce the nat to speke / [2238] I se wel quod this wyse man / þat the comune prouerbe is soth / þat good counseil wanteth / whan it is most nede.

[2239] ¶ Ȝet had this Melibeus in his counseil / many folk / that priuely in his Ere / counseilled him certeyn thyng / and counseilled him the contrarie in general audience.

[2240] ¶ whan Melibeus had herd / that the grettest / partie of his counseil / were acorded / that he shulde make werre / a-noon he consented to here counseillynge / & fully affermed here sentence [2241] ¶ Thanne Dame Prudence / whan that she sey / how þat hire housbonde shop him / for to wreke him oon his foos / and to bigynne werre / she in ful humble wyse / whan she sey hire tyme / seide him theise wordes [2242] ¶ My lord quod she / I ȝow byseche / as hertily as I dar & kan / ne haste ȝow nat to faste / and for alle gerdouns / as ȝif me audience / [2243] ¶ ffor Piers Alfonse seith / who-so that doth to the outher good or harm / haste the nat to quyte it / for in this wyse / thy frend wol a-bide / & thyn enemy / shal the lengere lyue in drede [2244] ¶ The prouerbe seith he hasteth wel / that wysly kan a-byde / And in wykked hast / is no profyt /

[2245] This Melibe answered vn-to his wyf / Prudence / I purpose nat quod he / to werkyn by thy counseil / for many causes & resons / ffor certes euery wight / wold holde me thanne a fool / [2246] this is to seyn; If I for thy counseillyng / wolde chaunge thynges / that [Dd. 4. 24, leaf 163gone. Egerton 2726, on leaf184, back.][ben ordeined and affermed by so many wise / [2247] Sec|undly I seye / that all wommen ben wykke / and none gode of hem all / for of a thousand men seith Salamon I fonde o gode man but certes of all wommen / gode womman fond I neuer / [2248] And also certes yf I gouerned me by thy counseill / it shold seme / that I hade yeve to the ouer me the maistrie / And goddes forbode þat it so were / [2249] ffor Ihesus Syrac seith / Yf the wyf haue maistrie she is contrarious to the housbond [2250] And Salamon seith / neuere in thy lyve / to thy wyf ne to thy child / ne to thy frende / ne yeve no power ouer thy self for better it were / that thy children / axen of thy persone thynges that hem nedeth þan þou see thy self in the hondes of thy children / [2251] And also if I wold werk by thy counseill certes my counceill / most som tyme be secree / till it were tyme / þat it most be knowe / and this may nat be / . . . . .no gap in this MS. or in any of the four Hodson MSS.

[2254] Whan Dame Prudence full debonairly and with grete pacience / hade herd / all that hir housbond liked for to sey þan axed she of hym licence / for to speke / and seid in this wise / [2255] My lord koth she as to your first reson / it may lightly be answerd / for I seye / that it Is no folye to chaunge counseill whan the thyng / is chaunged / or elles whan þe þyng semeth other wise / than it was byforn [2256] And more ouere I seye / that though ye han [sworn[Hod. 39.]] and behight to perfourme your emprise / and natheles ye wene to fulfyll and perfourme thilk same emprise / by Iust cause men shold nat seye therfore / þat ye were a lyer ne forsworn / [2257] for the boke seith the wise man maketh no lesyng / whan He turneth his corage / in-to the better / [2258] And all be it so / that your emprise / be establysshed and ordeyned / by grete multitude of folk / yitte dare you nat / accomplice / thilk ordenaunce but you like / [2259] for the trouth of thynges / and þe perfite ben rather founde in fewe folk / that ben wise / and full of reson / than by grete multitude of folk / there euery man crieth and clatereth what that him lyketh / Sothly soch multitude is nat honestee / [2260] And to the secunde reson / where as ye seyn / that all wommen ben wyk / Saue your grace / certes ye despise all wommen in this wise / and he that all despiseth / all displeseth as seith the boke / [2261] And Senec seith who so woll haue sapi|ence / shall no man dispreise / but he shall gladly teche the science þat he can without presumpcon of pride / [2262] And soch thynges as he nat can / he shall nat be ashamed to lerne hem and enquere of lesse folk than hym self / [2263] And sire that there hath be many a gode womman / may lightly be preved [2264] ffor certes sire / our lord Ihesu Crist wold neuere haue discended / to be born of a womman / yf all wommen hade ben wykke / [2265] And after that / for the grete bountee / þat is in womman / our lord Ihesu Crist / whan he was risen from deth to lyf / appered rather to a womman than to his Apostles / [2266] And though that Salamon sey / that he ne fonde [neuer woman good / it folowith not þerfor þat all women be wik [2267] ffor þough þat he fond / neuer[Hodson 39, leaf 130; not in the other 3 Hodson MSS.]] no gode womman / certes many another man hath founde / many a womman full gode and true / [2268] Or elles perauenture / the entente of Salamon was this / þat as in souerayn bountee he fonde no womman / [2269] this is to seyn / that there is no wight þat hath souerayn bountee / save god allone / as he hym self recordeth / in His Euaun|gelie / [2270] for there nys no creature so gode / that hym ne wanteth som what of the perfeccion of god / þat is his maker / [2271] Your thirde reson is this / ye seyn þat yf ye gouerne you / by my counseill / it shold seme / that ye hade yeve me / the maistrie and the lordshipe ouer your persone / [2272] Sire save your grace / it is nat so / for yf so were / that no man shold be counseilled but onely of hem / that hade lordshipe and maistrie of his persone / men wold nat be counceilled so oft / [2273] for sothely þat man that axeth counseill of a purpose / yitte hath he free choise / whether he woll werk by that counseill / or noo / [2274] And as to you / serche reson / there ye seyn that the Iangelrie of wommen / kan hide thynges þat þey wote nought / as who seith / that a womman kan nat hide / that she wote / [2275] Sire þise wordes ben vnder|stonde / of wommen þat ben Iangelers and wykked [2276] Of which Wommen men seyn / that .iij. thynges dryven a man out of his hous / þat is to sey Smoke / Droppyng of Reyn / and Wykked wyfes [2277] and of soch wommen seith Salamon / that it were better dwelle in desert / þan with a womman that /Is riotous [2278] And sire by your leve / that am nat I / [2279] for ye han full oft / assaied my grete scilence / and my grete pacience / and eke how wele / that I can hide and hele thynges that mendoon / and right secrely to hide / [2280] And sothly as to your fyfte reson / where as ye seyn / that in wykked coun|seill wommen venquessh men // God wote þat reson / stant here in no stede / [2281] ffor vnderstonde now / Ye axen counseill to do wykkednesse / [2282] and yf ye woll werke wykkednes and your wyf rstreyneth you þat wykked purpoos / and ouercommeth you by reson and by gode counseill / [2283] Certes your Wyf ought rather to be praised þan yblamed [2284] Thus shold ye vnder|stonde the Philiȝophre þat seith / In wykked counceill wommen venquesshen her housbondes [2285] And there as ye blame all wommen and her resons I shall shewe by many ensaumples / that many a womman hath ben full gode / and yitte ben / and her counseils holsom and profitable / [2286] Eke som men han seid. þat the counseillyng of wommen is outher to dere / or els to litell of price / [2287] but all be it so / that full many a womman / is badde / and hir counseill vyle and nought worth / yitte han men founde full many a gode womman and full discrete / and full wise / in counseillyng [2288] Loo Iacob by gode counceill of his moder Rebecca / wan the beneson of Isaak his fader / and þe lordshipe ouer all his brethern / [2289] Iudyth by hir gode counseill deliuered / þe Cites of Bethulee in which she dwelled out of the hondes of Olofernus] [Eg. 2726 ends. Dd. 4. 24, leaf 164.]that had it biseged / and wolde it al destroye [2290] ¶ Abigail delyuerede Nabal hire housbonde fro Dauyd the kyng / that wolde han slayn him / & apaised the Ire of the kyng / by hire wyt / and by hire good coun|seillyng [2291] ¶ Hester by hire counseil / enhaunced gretly the peeple of god / in the regne / of Assureus the kyng / [2292] And þe same bountee in good counseillyng / of many a good womman / moun men telle [2293] ¶ And more|ouer / whan that oure lord / had creat Adam oure forme fader / he seide in this wyse / [2294] It is nat good / to be a man allone / make we to him an helpe / semblable to him self / [2295] heere moun ȝe se / that if that wommen weren nat goode / & here counseil good & profitable / [2296] oure lord god of heuene / wolde neither han wrought hem / ne called hem helpe of man / but rathere confusion of man / [2297] & there seide oones a Clerk in two vers what is bettre than gold; Iaspre / what is bettre than Iaspre; wysdom / [2298] & what is bettre than wysdom; womman / and what is bettre than good womman; no þing / [2299] And sire / by manye of othere resons / moun ȝe sen / þat many wommen ben goode / & here counseil good & profitable [2300] ¶ And þerfore sire If ȝe wole troste to my counseil / I shal restore ȝow ȝoure doughter hool & sound / [2301] & I wol don to ȝow so muche / that ȝe shuln haue honoure in this cause.

[2302] ¶ Whan Melibe had herd the wordes of his wyf Prudence / he seide thus / [2303] I se wel / that the word of Salamon is soth / he seith þat wordes þat ben spoken discretly by ordynaunce / ben honycombes / for they ȝeuen swetnesse to the soule / & holsumnesse to the body / [2304] And wyf / by cause of thyne swete wordes / & eke for I haue assaied / & preeued thy grete sapience / & thy gret trouthe / I wol gouerne me by thy counseil / in alle thyng

[2305] ¶ Now sire quod Dame Prudence / & syn ȝe vouchesaf / to be gouerned by my counseil / I wol enforme ȝow / how ȝe shuln gouerne ȝoure self / in chesyng of ȝoure counseillours / [2306] ȝe shuln first in alle ȝoure werkes / mekely byseken / to the heigh god / that he wol be ȝoure counseillour / [2307] And shapeth ȝow to swich entente that he ȝeue ȝow counseil & comfort / as taughte Tobye his sone [2308] At alle tymes / þou shalt blisse god / & preye him to dresse thyne weyes / & loke þat alle thyne counseils / ben in him for euere-moore // [2309] ¶ Seynt Iame eke seith / If any of ȝow haue nede of sapience axe it of god / [2310] and afterward / thanne shuln ȝe take counseil / in ȝoure self/ and examyne wel ȝoure thoughtes / of swich thynges / as ȝow thynketh / that is best for ȝoure profyt / [2311] And thanne shuln ȝe dryue fro ȝoure herte / thre thynges / þat ben contrarious to good counseil / [2312] that is to seyn; Ire / Coueitise / & hastynesse

[2313] ¶ ffirst he that axeth counseil of him self / certes he muste ben withouten Ire / for manye causes / [2314] the firste is this / he þat hath gret Ire and wrathe in him self / he weneth alwey / þat he may do thyng / þat he may nat do / [2315] And secoundly / he that is Irous & wroth / he ne may nat wel deme / [2316] And he that may nat wel deme / may nat wel counseille / [2317] The thridde is this / that he þat is Irous & wroth / as seith Senek / ne may nat speke / but blameful thynges / [2318] and with hise vicious wordes / he stereth oþere folk / to angre & to Ire [2319] ¶ And eke sire / ȝe muste dryue coueitise out of ȝoure herte / [2320] for the Apostle seith / þat coueitise is the rote of alle harmes / [2321] And trosteth wel / þat a coueitous man / ne kan nat deme / ne thenke / but oonly to fulfille the ende of his coueitise / [2322] & certes þat ne may neuere ben acomplised / ffor euere the more habundaunce þat he hath of richesse / the more he desireth [2323] ¶ And sire ȝe muste also dryue out of ȝoure herte / hastifnesse / for certes [2324] ȝe ne moun nat deme for the beste / a sodeyn thouȝt / þat falleth in ȝoure herte / But ȝe muste avyse ȝow on it ful ofte / [2325] for as ȝe herde here biforn / the comune prouerbe is this / that he þat sone demeth / sone repenteth /

[2326] Sire / ȝe ne be nat alwey / in like disposicion / [2327] for certes som thyng / þat somtyme semeth to ȝow / þat it is good for to doo / A-nother tyme / it semeth to ȝow the contrarie /

[2328] whan ȝe han taken counseil vn-to ȝoure self / And han demed by good deliberacion / swich thyng as ȝow semeth best [2329] ¶ Thanne rede I ȝow / þat ȝe kepe it secree / [2330] by-wreye nat ȝoure counseil to no persone / but if so be / þat ȝe wenen sikerly / þat thurgh ȝoure bywreiynge / ȝoure condicion shal ben to ȝow more profitable / [2331] ffor Ihesus Syrak seith / Neyther to thy foo / ne to thy frend / diskeure nat thi secree / ne þi folie / [2332] for they woln ȝeue ȝow audience & lokyng & supportacion in thy presence / & skorne the in thyn absence [2333] ¶ A-nother clerk seith / þat skarsly shalt þou fynden any persone / þat may kepe thy counseil secrely [2334] ¶ The book seith / whil þat þou kepest thy counseil in thyn herte / þou kepest it in thy prison / [2335] And whan þou bewreyest thy counseil / to any wight / he holdeth the in his snare / [2336] & þerfore ȝow is bettre / to hide ȝoure counseil in ȝoure herte / than preye him to whom ȝe han by-wreyed ȝoure counseil / þat be wol kepe it clos & stille [2337] ¶ ffor Seneca seith / If so be /¶ Nota þat þou ne maist nat / thyn owen counseil hide / how darstow preyen / any oþer wight / thyn counseil secrely to kepe [2338] ¶ But nathelees / if þou wene sikerly / þat thy biwreiyng of þi counseil to a persone / wol make thy condicion / to stonden in the bettre pliȝt / thanne shalt þou telle him thy counseile in this wyse [2339] ¶ ffirst þou shalt make no semblaunt / wheiþer the were leuere pees or werre / or this / or that / ne shewe him nat thy wil / and thyn entente / [2340] for troste wel / þat comunely theise counseillours ben flatereres / [2341] namely the counseillours of grete lordes / [2342] ffor they enforcen hem alwey / rather to speken plesaunte wordes / enclynyng to the lordes lust / than wordes / that ben trewe or profitable / [2343] & þerfore men seyn / þat þe riche man hath selde good coun|seil / but if he haue it of him self / [2344] And after þat / þou shalt considre þine frendes / & thyne enemys / [2345] And as touchyng thy frendes / þou shalt con|sidre which of hem ben most feithful / & most wyse / & eldest & most appreued in counseillyng / [2346] And of hem shalt þou axe thy counseil / as the cas requireth.

[2347] ¶ I seye / þat first ȝe shuln clepe to ȝoure coun|seil / ȝoure frendes that ben trewe / [2348] ffor Salamon seith / þat for right as the herte of a man / deliteth in sauour¶ Nota þat is swote / right so the counseil of trewe frendes / ȝeueth swetnesse to the soule // [2349] he seith also / there may no thyng / be likned to þe trewe frend / [2350] for certes / gold ne siluer ben nat so meche worth as the good wil / of a trewe frend // [2351] And eke he seith / that a trewe frend / is a strong defence / who-so þat it fyndeth / certes he fyndeth a gret tresor [2352] ¶ Thanne shuln ȝe eke considre / if þat ȝoure trewe frendes / ben discrete & wyse / for the book seith / Axe alwey thy counseil of hem / þat ben wyse / [2353] & by this same reson / shuln ȝe clepen to ȝoure counseil of ȝoure frendes þat ben of age / swich as han seyn / & ben expert in manye thynges / & ben appreued in counseillynges [2354] ¶ ffor the book seith / in olde men is al the sapience / & in longe tyme the prudence [2355] ¶ And Tullyus seith / þat grete þinges ne ben ay acomplissed by strengthe / ne be delyuernesse of body / but by good counseil / by auctorite of persones & by science // The which thre thynges / ne ben nat fieble by age / but certes þei enforcen / & en|cresen day by day / [2356] & thanne shuln ȝe kepe this / for a general reule // ffirst ȝe shuln clepe to ȝoure counseil a fewe of ȝoure frendes þat ben especiale [2357] ¶ ffor Salamon seith / many frendes haue þou / but a-mong a thousand / chese the oon / to be thy counseil|lour / [2358] for al it so be / þat þou first ne telle thy counseil / but to a fewe / þou maist afterward / telle it to moo folk / if it be nede / [2359] but loke alwey / þat þine counseillours haue thilke thre condicions / þat I haue seid bifore / þat is to seye; þat they be trewe / wyse / & olde experience / [2360] and werk nat alwey in euery nede / by oo counseillour allone / for somtyme bihoueth it to be counseiled by manye /// [2361] ffor Salamon seith / Saluacion of thynges / is where as þere ben many counseillours.

[2362] ¶ Now sithe þat I haue told ȝow / of which folk / ȝe shulde be counseilled / now wol I teche ȝow / which counseil ȝe oughte eschue [2363] ¶ ffirst ȝe shuln eschue / þe counseil of fooles ¶ ffor Salamon seith / take no coun|seil of a fool / for he ne can nat counseille / but after his owen lust / & his affeccion / [2364] the book seith / the proprete of a fool / is this; he troweth lightly harm / of euery wight & lightly troweth al bounte / in him self [2365] ¶ Thow shalt eke eschue the counseillyng of alle flatereres / swich as enforcen hem / rathere to preysen ȝoure persone / by flaterye / than for to telle ȝow / the soth|fastnesse of thynges /.

[2366] ¶ wherfore Tullyus seith / A-mong alle þe pestilences þat ben in frendshipe / the grettest is flaterie / And þerfore it is more nede / þat þou eschue & drede flatereres / than any other peeple // [2367] The book seith / þou shalt rathere / drede & flee / fro the swete wordes of flateryng preysers / than fro the egre wordes of thy frend / þat seith the thyne sothes [2368] ¶ Salamon seith / þat þe wordes of a flaterere / is a snare / to cacchen Innocenteȝ / [2369] he seith also / þat he þat speketh to his frend / wordes of swetnesse / & of plesaunce / setteth a nette biforn his feet to cacchen him [2370] ¶ And þerfore seith Tullyus // Enclyne nat thyne Eres to flatereres / ne take no counseil / of wordes of flaterye [2371] ¶ and Caton seith ¶ Auyse the wel / þou shalt eschue / wordes of swetnesse & of plesance / [2372] And eke þou shalt eschue the counseillyng of thyne olde enemys / that ben reconsiled [2373] ¶ The book seith / þat no wight retourneth safely / in-to the grace / of his old enemy [2374] ¶ And ysope seith / Ne¶ Nota trust nat to hem / to which þou hast had somtyme werre / or enemytee / ne telle hem nat thy counseil / [2375] And Seneca telleth the cause why / It may nat be / seith he / þat where as gret fyr / hath longe tyme endured / þat þere ne dwelleth som vapour / of warmnesse // [2376] And þerfore seith Salamon ¶ In þin olde ffoo / trost neuere / [2377] for sikerly / though þin enemy be reconsiled / & makeþ þe chere of humilitee / & louteth to the with his hed / ne trost him neuere / [2378] ffor certes / he maketh thilke feyned humilitee / more for his profyt / than for any loue of thy persone / by cause þat he dem|eth to haue victorie ouer þi persone / by swich feyned countenance / þe which victorie / he myght nat haue by strif of werre [2379] ¶ And Peter Alfonce seith / Make no felaweshipe with thyne olde enemys / for if þou do hem bounte / they wol peruerten it / in-to wykkednesse / [2380] And eke þou must eschue / the counseillyng of hem / þat ben þine seruantȝ / & beren the gret reuerence / for parauenture they seyn it more for drede / þan for loue / [2381] And þerfore seith a Philosophre in this wyse / There is no wyght parfytly trewe / to him / þat he sore dredeth [2382] ¶ and Tullius seith / þere nys no¶ Nota myght so gret of any Emperour / þat longe may endure / but if he haue more loue of the peeple / than drede [2383] ¶ þou shalt also eschue / þe counseillyng of folk þat ben dronkelewe / for they ne can / no counseil hide [2384] ¶ ffor Salamon seith / þere is no priuetee / ther as regneth dronkenesse [2385] ¶ ȝe shuln also han in suspect / þe counseillyng of swich folk / as counseille ȝow a thyng priuely / & counseille ȝow the contrarie openly [2386] ¶ ffor Cassidorie seith / þat it is a manere sleighte / to hyndree / whan he sheweth to don a thyng openly / & werk priuely the contrarie [2387] ¶ Thow shalt also haue in suspect / þe counseillyng of wykked folk / no gap in Dd., the 4 Hodson MSS., or Eg. for here counseil is alwey / ful of fraude [2388] ¶ And Dauid seith / Blisful is þat man / þat hath nat folwed / the counseillyng of shrewes [2389] ¶ Thow shalt also eschue / the counseillyng of ȝonge folk / for here counseil is nat ripe.

[2390] ¶ Now sire / sithe I haue shewed ȝow / of which folk / ȝe shullen no gap in Dd., the 4 Hodson MSS., or Eg. folwe þe counseil [2391] ¶ Now wol I teche ȝow / how ȝe shuln examynen ȝoure counseil / after the doctrine of Tullius [2392] ¶ In the examynynge thanne of ȝoure counseillour / ȝe shuln considre manye thynges [2393] ¶ Alderferst þou shalt considre / þat in thilke þing / þat þou purposest / & vp-oon what thyng / þou wolt haue counseil / þat verray trouthe be seid & conserued / this is to seyn; telle trewely thy tale / [2394] ffor he þat seith fals / may nat wel be counseilled in þat cas / of which he lyeth [2395] ¶ And after this / þou shalt considre þe thynges / þat acorden to that þou purposest for to do / be thyne counseil|lours / if resoun acorde þer-to / [2396] and eke if thy myght / may attenye þer-to / And if the more part / & the bettre part of þine counseillours / acorde þer-to or no // [2397] Thanne shalt þou considre / what thyng shal folwe of þat counseillyng / as hate / pees / werre / grace / profyt / or damage / & manye oþere þinges [2398] And in alle theise thynges / þou shalt chese the beste / And weyue alle othere thynges [2399] ¶ Thanne shaltow considere / of what roote is engendred / þe matere of thy counseil / & what fruyt it may conceyue & engendre [2400] ¶ Thow shalt eke considre / alle theise causes / from whennes they ben sprongen / [2401] And whan ȝe haue examyned ȝoure counseil / as I haue seid / & which partie is the bettre / & more profitable And han appreued it / by manye wyse folk & olde / [2402] than shaltow considere / if þou maist performe it / & maken of it a good ende / [2403] ffor certes / resoun wol nat / þat any man shulde bygynne a thyng / but if he myghte performe it / as him oughte / [2404] Ne no wight shulde take vp-oon him so heuy charge / þat he myght nat beren it [2405] ¶ ffor þe prouerbe seith; he þat to muche embraceth / distreyneth litel [2406] ¶ and Caton seith; Assay to do swich thyng / as þou hast power to don / lest þat the charge / oppresse the so sore / þat the byhoueth to weyue thyng / þat þou hast bygonne / [2407] And if so be / þat þou be in doute / wheither þou maist performe a thyng or noo / ches rather to suffre / þan bigynne [2408] ¶ And Peter Alfonse seith; If þou hast myght to doon a thyng / of which þou must repente / it is bettre / nay / than ȝa / [2409] this is to seyn; þat the is bettre to holde thy tonge stille / than for to speke [2410] ¶ Thanne moun ȝe vnderstonde / by strengere resons / þat if thow hast power to performe a werk / of which þou shalt repente / thanne is the bettre / þat þou suffre / þan bigynne / [2411] wel seyn they / þat defenden euery wight / to assaye a thyng / of which he is in doute / wheiþer he may performe it / or no [2412] ¶ And after / whan ȝe han examyned ȝoure counseil / as I haue seid biforn / & knowen wel / þat ȝe moun per|forme ȝoure emprise / conferme it thanne sadly / til it be at an ende.

[2413] ¶ Now is it reson & tyme / þat I shewe ȝow / whanne & wherfore / þat ȝe moun chaunge ȝoure counseil|lours / with-oute ȝoure repreue [2414] ¶ Sothly a man may chaunge his purpos / & his counseil if the cause ceseth / or whan a newe cas bitydeth / [2415] for the lawe seith / vp-on thynges þat newely bityden / bihoueth newe counseil; [2416] And Seneca seith; If thy counseil is comen / to the Eris of þin enemy / chaunge thy counseil [2417] ¶ Thow maist also chaunge thy counseil if so be / þat þou fynde / þat by errour / or by other cause / harm or damage / may bitide / [2418] Also if thy counseil be dishoneste / or elles cometh of dishoneste / cause / chaunge thy counseil / [2419] ffor the lawes seyn / þat alle byhestes / þat ben dishoneste / ben of no value / [2420] And eke if so be / þat it be inpossible / or may nat goodly be performed or kept /

[2421] And take this for a general reule ¶ That euery counseil / þat is affermed so strongly / þat it may nat be chaunged / for no condicion þat may betide I seye / þat thilke counseil is wykked.

[2422] ¶ This Melibeus / whan he had herd the doctrine / of his wyf Dame Prudence / Answered in this wyse [2423] ¶ Dame quod he / as ȝet in-to this tyme / ȝe han wel & couenably taught me / as in general / how I shal gouerne me / in þe chesyng / & in the withholdyng of my counseillours / [2424] But now wolde I fayn / þat ȝe wolde condescende in special / [2425] & telle me how liketh ȝow / or what semeth ȝow / by oure counseillours / þat we han chosen in our present nede.

[2426] ¶ My lord quod she / I biseke ȝow in alle hum|blesse / þat ȝe wol nat wilfully / replie a-geyn my resons / ne distempre ȝoure herte / though I speke thyng / þat ȝow displese / [2427] ffor god wot / þat as in myn entente / I speke it for ȝoure beste / for ȝoure honour / & for ȝoure profyte eke / [2428] And sothly I hope / þat ȝoure be|nygnytee wil taken it in pacience [2429] ¶ Trusteth me wel quod she / þat ȝoure counseil as in this cas / ne shulde nat / as to speke proprely / be called a counseillyng / but a mocion or a meeuyng of folie / [2430] in which counseil / ȝe han erred / in many a sondry wyse.

[2431] ¶ ffirst & forward ȝe han erred in the assem|blyng / of ȝoure counseillours / [2432] for ȝe shulde first / han cleped a fewe folk to ȝoure counseil / & after ȝe myghte han shewed it / to mo folk / if it hadde be nede / [2433] But certes ȝe han sodeynly cleped to ȝoure coun|seil a gret multitude of peeple ful chargeant / & ful a-noyous for to heere [2434] ¶ Also ȝe han erred / for þere as ȝe shulde oonly han cleped to ȝoure counseil / ȝoure trewe frendes / olde & wyse [2435] ȝe han I-cleped straunge folk / ȝonge folk / false flatereres / & enemys reconsiled / & folk þat doon ȝow reuerence / with-outen loue [2436] ¶ And eke also ȝe han erred / for ȝe han brought with ȝow to ȝoure counseil / Ire / Coueitise / and hastifnesse / [2437] the which thre thynges ben con|trarious to euery counseil / honest & profitable / [2438] the which thre thynges / ȝe ne han natanientissed or destroyed hem / neither in ȝoure self / ne in ȝoure counseillours / as ȝow oughte [2439] ¶ Ȝe han erred also / for ȝe han shewed to ȝoure counseillours / ȝoure talent & ȝoure affeccion / to make werre a-noon / & for to do vengeaunce / [2440] they han espied by ȝoure wordes / to what thyng ȝe han enclyned / [2441] & þerfore han þei counseilled ȝow / rather to ȝoure talent / than to ȝoure profit [2442] ¶ ȝe han erred also for it semeth þat ȝow suffiseth / to han ben coun|seiled by theise counseillours oonly / & with litel a-vys / [2443] where-as in so gret / & so heigh a nede / it hadde ben necessarie / mo counseillours & more deliberacion to performe ȝoure emprise [2444] ¶ Ȝe han erred also / for ȝe han nat examyned ȝoure counseil / in the forseide manere / ne in due manere as the cas requyreth [2445] ¶ ȝe han erred also / for ȝe han maked / no diuision / bitwixe ȝoure counseillours / this is to seyn; bitwixe ȝoure trewe frendes / & ȝoure feyned counseillours / [2446] ne ȝe han nat knowe / þe wil of ȝoure trewe frendes / olde & wyse / [2447] but ȝe han cast alle here wordes in an hochepot / And enclyned ȝoure herte / to the more part / & to the grettere noumbre / & there be ȝe condescended / [2448] And sithe ȝe wot wel / þat men shuln alwey fynde / a grettere nombre of fooles / than of wyse men / [2449] And þerfore þe counseilles þat ben at congregacions & mul|titudes of folk / there as men take more reward to the noumbre / than to the sapience of persones / [2450] ȝe se wel þat in swich counseillynges / fooles han the maistrie [2451] ¶ Melibeus answerde a-geyn / & seide / I graunte wel þat I haue erred / [2452] but there as þou hast told me heere biforn / þat he nys nat to blame / þat chaungeth his coun|seillours in certeyn cas / & for certeyn iuste causes [2453] ¶ I am al redy to chaunge my counseillours / right as þou wolt deuyse [2454] ¶ The prouerbe seith / ffor to do synne is mannyssh.i. humanum / but certes for to perseuere longe in synne / is werke of the deuele.

[2455] ¶ To this sentence / answered a-noon Dame Pru|dence / and seide / [2456] Examyneth quod she / ȝoure coun|seil / and lat vs se / the which of hem / han spoken most resonably / and taught ȝow best counseil / [2457] And for as muche / as that þe examinacion is necessarie / lat vs bigynne / at the Surgiens & at the phisiciens / þat first speken in this matere / [2458] I seye / þat Surgiens and phisiciens / han seid ȝow in ȝoure counseil / discretly / as hem oughte [2459] And in here speche / seiden ful wysly / that to the office of hem apperteneth / to don to euery wight / honour & profyt / & no wyght for to anoye / [2460] And after here craft / to don gret diligence / vn-to þe cure of hem / which þat þei han in here gouern|aunce / [2461] And sire right as þei han answered wysly & discretly / [2462] right so rede I þat þei be heighly & souereynly gerdoned / for here noble speche / [2463] And eke for þei shullen do / the more ententif bisinesse / in the curacion of þi doughter deere [2464] ¶ ffor al be it so / þat þei ben ȝoure frendes / þerfore shuln ȝe nat suffren / þat þei serue ȝow for nought / [2465] but ȝe oughte rathere gerdone hem / & shewe hem ȝoure largesse [2466] ¶ And as touchyng the preposicion / which þat the Phisiciens / encresceden in this cas this is to seyn; [2467] þat in maladies / that a contrarie is warisshed / by another contrarie / [2468] I wolde fayn knowe / how ȝe vnderstonde þilke text / & what is ȝoure sentence [2469] ¶ Certes quod Melibeus / I vnderstonde it / in this wyse / [2470] þat right as þei han don me a contrarie / riȝt so shulde I don hem a-nother / [2471] ffor right as they / han venged hem oon me / & don me wrong / right so shal I venge me vp-oon hem & don hem wrong / [2472] And thanne haue I cured a contrarie / by a-nother //

[2473] lo Lo quod Dame Prudence / how lightly is euery man enclyned / to his owene desire / and to his owene plesance [2474] ¶ Certes quod she / þe wordes of the phisiciens / ne shulden nat han ben vnderstonden in that wise [2475] ¶ ffor certes wykkednesse is not contrarie to wykkednesse / ne vengeance to vengeance / ne wrong to wrong / but þei ben semblable [2476] ¶ And þer|fore a vengeance is nat warisshed / by a-noþer venge|ance / ne a wrong by a-nother wrong / [2477] but euerych of hem / encresceth & aggreggeth other. [2478] ¶ But certes the wordes of the phisiciens / shulden ben vnderstonde in this wyse / [2479] ffor good & wykked|nesse / ben two contraries / And pees & werre / venge|ance & suffraunce / discord & acord / & manye othere thynges [2480] ¶ But certes wykkednesse / shal be warisshed / by goodnesse / discord by a-cord / werre by pees / & so forth of othere thynges [2481] ¶ And here-to acordeth seynt Poule the Apostle in many places / [2482] he seith / ne ȝeldeth nat harm for harm / ne wykked speche for wykked speche / [2483] but do wel to him / þat doth to the harm / & blisse him þat seith to the harm [2484] ¶ And in manye othere places / he amonesteth pees & acord [2485] ¶ But now wil I speke to ȝow / of þe coun|seil / which þat was ȝeuen to ȝow / by the men of lawe / & the wise folk / [2486] þat seiden alle by oon acord as ȝe han herd bifore [2487] ¶ That ouer alle thynges / ȝe shuln do ȝoure diligence / to kepe ȝoure persone / & to warnestore ȝoure hous / [2488] And seiden also / þat in this cas / ȝow oughte for to werke ful auysely / & with gret deliberacion [2489] ¶ And sire as to the first poynt / þat toucheth to the kepyng / of ȝoure persone / [2490] ȝe shuln vnderstonde / þat he þat hath werre / shal euere more deuoutly & mekely preyen biforn alle thynges / [2491] þat Ihesus crist of his mercy / wil han him / in his proteccion / & ben his souereyn helpyng at his nede / [2492] for certes in this world / þere is no wight / þat may be counseilled ne kept sufficeantly / with|oute the kepyng of oure lord ihesu crist [2493] ¶ To this sentence / acordeth / the prophete Dauid / þat seith / [2494] If god ne kepe þe Citee / in Idel waketh he / þat kepeth it [2495] ¶ Now sire / than shuln ȝe committe the kepyng of ȝoure persone / to ȝoure trewe frendes / þat ben appreued and I-knowe / [2496] & of hem shuln ȝe axen helpe / ȝoure persone for to kepe / ffor Caton seith / if þou hast nede of helpe / axe it of thyne frendes / [2497] ffor þere nys noon so good a phisicien / as thy trewe frend [2498] ¶ And after this / thanne shuln ȝe kepe ȝow / fro alle straunge folk / & fro lyeres / & haue alwey in suspect here compaignye / [2499] ffor Piers Alfonce seith / Ne take no compaignye by the weye of a straunge man / but if so be / þat þou haue knowe him of a lengere tyme [2500] / And if so be / þat he falle in-to thy compaignye / par|auenture / withouten thyn assent / [2501] enquere thanne as subtilly as þou maist / of his conuersacion / & of his lyf byfore ¶ And feyne thy wey sey þat þou wolt go thider / as þou wolt nat go / [2502] and if he bereth a spere / hold the oon the right syde / & if he bere a swerd / holde the oon his lift syde / [2503] And after this / than shuln ȝe kepe ȝow wysely / from alle swich manere peeple / as I haue seid bifore And hem & here counseile eschue [2504] ¶ and after þis / þanne shuln ȝe kepe ȝow in swich manere / [2505] þat for any presumpcion of ȝoure strengthe / þat ȝe ne dispise nat / ne attempte nat the myght of ȝoure aduersarie / so lite / þat ȝe lete the kepyng of ȝoure persone / for ȝoure presumpcion / [2506] for euery wys man / dredeth his enemy / [2507] And Salamon seith; welful is he / that of alle hath drede / [2508] ffor certes / he that thurgh the hardynesse of his herte / & thurgh the hardynesse of him-self / hath to gret presumpcion / him shal yuel bitide // [2509] Thanne shuln ȝe euere mo / countrewayte emboyssementȝ / & alle espialle / [2510] ffor Senek seith / þat the wyse man / þat dredeth harmes / escheweth harmes / [2511] ne he ne falleth in-to perils / þat perils eschueth [2512] ¶ And al be it so / þat it seme / þat þou art in syker place / ȝet shaltow alwey / do þi diligence / in kepyng of thy persone / [2513] this is to seyn; ne be nat necligent to kepe thy persone / nat oonly fro thyne grettest enemys / but fro thy leste enemy [2514] ¶ Senek seith / a man þat is wel a-vised / he dredeth his leste enemy [2515] ¶ Ouyde seith / þat the litel wesele / wol slee the gret bole / & þe wylde hert [2516] ¶ And þe book seith / A litel thorn / may prikke a kyng ful sore / & an hound / wil holde the wilde Boor // [2517] But nathelees / I seye nat / þou shalt be so coward / þat þou doute there / where as is no drede [2518] ¶ The book seith / þat somme folk han gret lust to deceyue / but ȝet they dreden hem / to be de|ceyued / [2519] ¶ ȝet shaltow drede to be empoysened / & kepe the fro the compaignye of skorneres [2520] / ffor the book seith / with scorners make no compaignye / but flee here wordes / as venym

[2521] ¶ Now as to the secund poynt / where as ȝoure wyse counseillours/counseilled ȝow/to warnestore ȝoure hous/ with gret diligence / [2522] I wolde fayn knowe / how þat ȝe vnderstode thilke wordes / & what is ȝoure sentence

[2523] ¶ Melibeus answerde & seide / Certes I vnder|stonde it / in þis wyse / þat I shal warnestore myn hous / with toures / swich as han Castelles / & othere manere edifices / & armure / & artelries / [2524] by which thynges / I may my persone & myn hous / so kepen & defenden / þat myne enemys / shuln ben in drede / myn hous for to approche.

[2525] ¶ To this sentence / answerde a-noon Prudence; warnestoryng quod she / of heighe Toures / & of grete edifices / . . . . .[2526] no gap in Dd. or Eg., or in any of the four Hodson MSS. with grete costages / & with gret trauaille / And whan þat they ben acompliced / ȝet be they nat worth a stree / but if þei ben defended / by trewe frendes / þat ben bolde & wyse / [2527] And vnderstonde wel / þat the grettest & strongeste garneson / þat a riche man may haue / as wel to kepen his persone / as hise goodes / is / [2528] þat he be biloued with his subgetȝ / & with his neyghebores [2529] ¶ ffor thus seith Tullius; That þere is a manere garneson / þat no man may venquisse ne discomfite / & that is [2530] a lord / to be biloued of hise Citeȝeins / & of his peeple

[2531] ¶ Now sire as to the thridde poynt / where as ȝoure olde & wyse counseillours seiden / þat ȝow ne oughte nought sodeinly ne hastily proceden in this nede / [2532] but þat ȝow oughte purueyen & appareilen ȝow in this cas / with gret diligence / & gret deliberacion / [2533] trewely I trowe / þat they seiden right wysely / & right soth [2534] ¶ ffor Tullius seith / In euery nede / er þou bigynne it / apparaile the wiþ gret diligence [2535] ¶ Thanne seye I / þat in vengeance takyng / in werre in bataille / and in warnestoryng / [2536] er þou bigynne / I rede þat þou apparaile the þer-to / and do it / with gret deliberacion [2537] ¶ ffor Tullius seith; þat longe apparailyng biforn the bataille / maketh short victorie [2538] / And Cassidorus seith; the garneson is strengere / whan it is longe tyme a-vysed

[2539] ¶ But now lat vs speken / of þe counseil þat was acorded by ȝoure neyghebores / swich as don ȝow reuerence / withouten loue / [2540] ȝoure olde enemys recon|siled / ȝoure flatereres / [2541] þat counseileden ȝow cer|teyne thynges priuely / & openly counseiled ȝow the contrarie; [2542] The ȝonge folk also / þat counseileden ȝow / to venge ȝow & make werre a-noon / [2543] And certes sire as I haue seid biforn / ȝe han gretly erred / to han cleped swich manere folk / to ȝoure counseil / [2544] which counseillours / ben y-now reproued by the resons aforseid [2545] ¶ But natheles / lat vs now descende to the special ¶ ȝe shuln first proceden after the doctrine of Tullius; [2546] Certes the trouthe of this matere or of this counseil / nedeth nat diligently enquere / [2547] for it is wel wist / which they ben / þat han don to ȝow this trespas & vyleynye / [2548] & how manye trespassours / & in what manere they han don to ȝow / al this wrong / & al this vileynye / [2549] And after this / thanne shuln ȝe examyne / the secund condicion / which þat the same Tullius addeth in this matere / [2550] ffor Tullius put a thyng/which þat he clepeth/consentynge / This is to seyn; [2551] who ben they & which ben they / & how manye/þat consentyn to thy counseil in thy wilfulnesse/ to do hastif vengeaunce / [2552] And lat vs considre also / who ben they / & how manye ben they / & which ben they þat consenteden to ȝoure aduersaries [2553] ¶ And certes as to the firste poynt it is wel knowen / which folk ben they / þat consenteden to ȝour wilful|nesse / [2554] ffor trewely alle tho / þat counseileden ȝow / to maken sodeyn werre / ne ben nat ȝoure frendes [2555] ¶ lat us now considre which ben they / þat ȝe holde so gretly ȝoure frendes / as to ȝoure persone / [2556] for al be it so / þat ȝe be myghty and riche / certes ȝe ne ben but allone // [2557] ffor certes ȝe ne han no child / but a doughter / [2558] ne ȝe ne han bretheryn / ne Cosyns germayns / ne noon other ny kynrede / [2559] wherfore þat ȝoure enemys / for drede / shulde stynte to plede with ȝow / or destroye ȝoure persone [2560] ¶ ȝe knowen also / þat ȝoure richesses moten ben dispended in diuerse parties / [2561] & whan þat euery wight / hath his part / they ne wolden taken / but litel reward to venge thy deth [2562] ¶ But thyne enemys ben iije / & they han manye children / bretheryn / Cosyns / & othere ny kynrede / [2563] & though so were / þou haddest slayn of hem/two or thre / ȝet dwellen þere I-nowe / to wreken here deth / & to slee thy persone [2564] ¶ And though so be / þat ȝoure kynrede be more & stedefast than the kyn of ȝoure aduersarie / [2565] ȝet natheles / ȝoure kynrede / nys but a fer kynrede / they ben but litel sibbe to ȝow [2566] ¶ And the kyn of ȝoure enmys ben ny sibbe to hem / And certes as in þat / here condicion is bet þanne ȝoures [2567] ¶ Thanne lat vs considre also / if þe counseillyng of hem / þat counseileden ȝow / to taken sodeyn vengeaunce / wheither it acorde to reson / [2568] And certes ȝe knowe wel nay / [2569] ffor as by right & reson þere may no man taken vengeance on no wight / but the Iuge þat hath the Iurisdiccion of it / [2570] whan is it I-graunted him / to take thilke vengeance / hastily or at|temprely / as the lawe requyreth / [2571] And ȝet more ouer / of thilke word / that Tullius clepeth consentynge / [2572] þou shalt considre / if thy myght & thy powere may consente and suffise to thy wylfulnesse / & to thy counseillours / [2573] And certes þou maist wel seyn / þat nay / [2574] for sikerly / as for to speke proprely / we moun do no thyng / but oonly swich thyng / as we moun don rightfully / [2575] And certes / rightfully / ne mowe ȝe take no vengeance / as of ȝoure propre auctorite [2576] ¶ Thanne mowe ȝe sen / þat ȝoure power ne consenteth nat / ne acordeth nat to ȝoure wilfulnesse [2577] Lat vs now examyne / the thridde poynt / þat Tullius clepeth Consequent [2578] ¶ Thow shalt vnderstande / þat the vengeance þat þou purposest for to take / is the conse|quent / [2579] & ther-of folweth a-nother vengeance / perile & werre / & oþere damages / withoute noumbre / of which we ben nat war / as at this tyme [2580] ¶ And as touchyng the ferthe poynt / þat Tullius clepeth engendrynge [2581] þou shalt considre / þat this wrong / which þat is doon to the / is engendred / of the hate of thyne enemys / [2582] & of the vengeance takyng / vp-on þat / wolde engendre a-nother vengeance & muchel sorwe / & wastynge of richesses / as I seide

[2583] ¶ Now sire / as to þe poynt / þat Tullius clepeth causes / which þat is the laste poynt / [2584] þou shalt vnderstonde / no gap in Dd. or Eg., or Hodson MSS. it hath certeyne causes / [2585] which þat menclerkes clepen Oriens / and Efficiens / & causa longinqua / & causa propinqua / this is to seyn; the fer cause & the ny cause / [2586] the fer cause / is / almyghty god / þat is cause of alle thynges / [2587] the ner cause / is thyne thre enemys / [2588] the cause accidental / was hate / [2589] the cause material / ben the ffyue woundes of thy doughter / [2590] the cause formal / is the manere of hire werkynge þat brouȝten laddres / & clomben In at thy wyndowes / [2591] the cause fynal / was / for to slee thy doughter / it letted nat in as muche / as in hem was / [2592] But for to speke of the fer cause / as to what ende they shuln come or what shal finaly bitide of hem in this cas ne can I nat deme / but by coniectynge & by supposynge / [2593] ffor we shuln suppose / þat þei shuln come to a wykked ende / [2594] by-cause þat þe book of Decrees seith¶Selden or with gret peyne/ben causes I-brought to good ende / whan þei ben badly bigonne

[2595] ¶ Now sire if men wolde axen me / why þat god suffred men / to do ȝow þis vilenye; Certes I can nat wel answere / as for no sothfastnesse / [2596] for the Apostle seith; þat þe sciences & the Iugementȝ of oure lord god almyghty ben ful depe / [2597] þere may no man comprehende ne serchen hem suffisauntly [2598] ¶ Nathelees by certeyne presumpcions & coniectynges I holde & bileue / [2599] þat god which þat is ful of Iustice / & of rightwysnesse hath suffred þis bitide / by Iuste cause resonable //

[2600] Thy name is Melibe / this is to seyn / a man þat drynketh hony / [2601] þou hast dronke so muche hony of swete temporel richesses / & delices & honoures of this world / [2602] þat þou art dronken / & hast forgeten Ihesu crist þi creature / [2603] þou ne hast nat don to him swich honour & reuerence / as the oughte / [2604] ne þou ne hast wel I-taken kepe / to the wordes of Ouyde / þat seith [2605] vnder the hony¶ Nota & caue of the goodes of the body / is hid the venym þat sleeth the soule // [2606] And Salamon seith; If þou hast founden hony ete of it / þat suffiseth; [2607] for if þou ete of it / out of mesure / þou shalt spewe & be nedy & poure / [2608] & parauenture Crist hath the in despit / & hath turned a-wey fro the his face & hise Eres of misericorde / [2609] and also he hath suffred / þat þou hast ben punysshed / in the manere þat þou hast I-trespasced [2610] ¶ Thow hast don synne / ageyn oure lord Crist / [2611] ffor certes / the thre enemys of mankynde / þat is to seyn; þe flessh / the fend / & the world / [2612] þou hast suffred hem / entre / in-to thyn herte / wilfully / by the wyndowes of thy body / [2613] & hast nat defended þi self / suffisauntly ageyns here assautes / & here temptacions / so þat they han wounded thy soule / in fyue places / [2614] this is to seyn; the dedly synnes / þat ben entred in-to thyn herte / by thyne ffyue wyttes / [2615] And in þe same manere / oure lord crist hath wold & suffred / þat thyne thre enemys / ben entred in-to thyn hous / by the wyndowes / [2616] & han I-wounded thy doughtere in the forseid manere

[2617] ¶ Certes quod Melibe / I se wel þat ȝe en|force ȝow muchel / by wordes to ouercomen me in swich a manere / þat I shal nat venge me of myne enemys / [2618] shewynge me the perils & the yueles þat myghten falle of þis vengeaunce // [2619] But who so wolde considere / in alle vengeaunces / the periles & yueles / þat myghten sewe of vengeaunce takynge / [2620] a man wold neuere take vengeaunce / & þat were harm / [2621] for by the venge|aunce takynge / ben the wykked men disseuered fro the goode men / [2622] And they þat han wil / to do wykked|nesse / restreynen here wikked purpos / whan they sen the punysshynge and the chastisynge of the trespassours

[2623] . . . . . . . . . .no gap in Dd. or Eg., or in any of the four Hodson MSS. [2625] ¶ And ȝet seye I more / þat right as a singuler persone synneth / in takyng vengeaunce of anoþer man / [2626] right so synneth the Iuge / If he do no vengeaunce of hem þat it han disserued [2627] ¶ ffor Senek seith; thus / þat maister he seith is god / þat proueth shrewes [2628] ¶ and Cassidore seith A man dredeth to do outrages / whan he woot & knoweth / þat it displeseth to the Iuges & soueryns / [2629] And another seith; The¶ Nota Iuge þat dredeth to do right / maketh men shrewes [2630] ¶ and Seynt Poule þe Apostle seith in his epistle / whan he wryteth vn-to Romayns; That the Iuges beren nat the spere withouten cause / [2631] but þei beren it / to punysshe the shrewes & mysdoers / & for to de|fende the goode men [2632] ¶ If ȝe wyln thanne take venge|aunce of ȝoure enemys/ȝe shuln retourne or haue ȝoure recours/ to the Iuge þat hath the Iurisdiccion vp-on hem / [2633] and he shal punysshe hem / as the lawe axeth & requyreth

[2634] ¶ A quod Melibe; This vengeaunce liketh me no thyng / [2635] I bithenke me now & take hede / how fortune hath norisshed me fro my childhode / & hath holpen me to passe many a strong paas [2636] ¶ Now wol I assayen hire trowynge / with goddes help / þat she shal helpe me / my shame for to venge

[2637] ¶ Certes quod Prudence / if ȝe wol werke by my counseil ȝe shuln nat assaie fortune by no wey / [2638] ne ȝe ne shuln nat lene or bowe vn-to hire / after the word of Senek [2639] ¶ ffor thynges þat ben folily doon / and tho þat ben doon in hope of fortune/shuln neuere come to good ende [2640] ¶ And as the same Senek seith; The more cler / & the more shynynge þat fortune is / the more brotel & the sonner broke she is / [2641] trusteth nat in hire / for she nys nat stedefast ne stable / [2642] for whan þou trowest to be moost syker & seure of hire helpe / she wol faile & deceyue the [2643] ¶ And where as ȝe seyn / þat fortune hath norisshed ȝow / fro ȝowre childhod / [2644] I seye / in so muchel / shuln ȝe the lasse / truste in hire and in hire wyt [2645] ¶ For Senek seith; what man þat is norisshed by fortune / she maketh¶ Nota him a greet fool [2646] ¶ Now thanne / syn ȝe desire / & axe vengeaunce / & the vengeaunce þat is don / after the lawe / & bifore the Iuge / liketh ȝow nat / [2647] And the vengeaunce þat is doon in hope of fortune / is peril|ous & vncerteyn / [2648] thanne haue ȝe noon oþer remedie / but for to haue ȝoure recours vn-to the souereigne Iuge / þat vengeth alle vyleynyes & wronges / [2649] & he shal venge ȝow / after þat him self witnesseth ¶ where as he seith / [2650] leueth the vengeaunce to me / & I shal do it /

[2651] Melibeus answerde / If I ne venge me nat of the vyleynye þat men han don to me / [2652] I sompne or warne hem / þat han doon to me vyleynye / and alle othere / to do me a-nother vyleynye [2653] for it is wryten / If þou take no vengeaunce / of an olde vileynye / þou somp|nest þine aduersaries / to do the a new vileynye / [2654] And also for my suffraunce / men wolden do me / so muche vileynye þat I myght neither bere it / ne sus|tene / [2655] And so shulde I ben put & holden ouer lowe [2656] ¶ffor somme men seyn/In muchel suffrynge shuln manye thynges falle vn-to the / which þou shalt nat mowe suffre

[2657] ¶ Certes quod Prudence / I graunte ȝow wel / þat ouer muchel suffraunce / is nat good / [2658] but ȝet ne folweth it nat þerof / þat euery persone / to whom men don vileynye / take of it vengeaunce / [2659] for þat aper|teneth & longeth al oonly to the Iuges / ffor þei shuln venge the vileynyes & iniuries / [2660] and þerfore þo two auctoritees / þat ȝe han seid a-boue / ben oonly vnderstonden in the Iuges [2661] ¶ ffor whan they suffren / ouer muchel the wronges and vileynyes to be doon / withouten punysshynge / [2662] they sompne nat a man al oonly / for to do newe wronges / but þei comaunden it [2663] ¶ Also as a wys man seith / þat the Iuge / þat cor|recteth nat the synnere / comaundeth & biddeth him / do synne [2664] ¶ And þe Iuges & souereynes myghten in here hand / so muche suffre of the shrewes & mysdoeris / [2665] þat they shulden by swich suffraunce by proces of tyme / wexen of swich power & myght / þat they shulde putte out the Iuges & the souereyns / from here places / [2666] & atte laste / maken hem lese here lordshippes

[2667] ¶ But now / lat vs now putte / þat ȝe haue leue to venge ȝow / [2668] I seye / ȝe be nat of myght & power / as now / to venge ȝow / [2669] ffor if ȝe wol maken comparison / vn-to the myght of ȝoure aduersaries ȝe shuln fynde in many thynges / þat I haue shewed ȝow er this / þat here condicion / is bettre then ȝoures / [2670] And þerfore seye I / þat it is good as now / þat ȝe suffre / & be pacient

[2671] ¶ fforthermore ȝe knowen wel / þat after the comune sawe / it is a woodnesse / a man to stryue with a strengere / or a more myghty man than he is him self / [2672] And for to stryue with a man / of euene strengthe / þat is to seyn; with as stronge a man as he is / it is peril / [2673] & for to stryue with a weykere man / it is folye / [2674] And þerfore shulde a man / fle stryuynge / as muchel as he myghte [2675] ¶ ffor Salamon seith; It is a gret worship to a man / to kepe him from noyse & stryf [2676] ¶ And if it so happe / þat a man of grettere myght & strengthe / than þou art / do the greuaunce / [2677] studie and bisie the rather to stille the same greuaunce / than for to venge the [2678] ¶ ffor Senek seith; þat he putteth him in a gret peril / þat stryueth with a grettere man / þan he is him self [2679] ¶ And Caton seith; If a man of heigher estat or degree / or more myȝty than þou / do the anoye or greuaunce; suffre him / [2680] for he þat oones hath greued the / may another tyme releue the & helpe / [2681] ȝet sette I kas / ȝe haue bothe myght & licence / for to venge ȝow / [2682] I seye / þat þere be ful manye thynges / þat shuln restreyne ȝow of vengeaunce takynge / [2683] & make ȝow for to enclyne to suffre / & for to han pacience / in þe wronges / þat han ben doon to ȝow [2684] ¶ ffirst and forward / if ȝe wol considre þe defautes / þat ben in ȝoure owene persone / [2685] for which defautes / god hath suffred ȝow haue þis tribulacion / as I haue seid ȝow heere biforn [2686] ¶ ffor the Poete seith / þat we oughten paciently / taken the tribu|lacions / þat comen to vs / whan þat we consideren / & thynken þat we han desserued to haue hem [2687] ¶ And Seynt Gregorie seith; þat whan a man considereth wel the noumbre / of hise defautes / & of his synnes / [2688] þe peynes & the tribulacions þat he suffreth / semen the lesse vn-to him / [2689] And in as muche as him thynk|eth hise synnes mor heuy & greuous / [2690] in so muche / semeth his peyne / the lightere & the esiere vn-to him [2691] ¶ Also ȝe owen to enclyne / & bowe ȝoure herte / to take the pacience of oure lord ihesu crist / as seith seynt Peter in hise epistles [2692] ¶ Ihesu crist he seith hath suffred for vs / & ȝeuene ensaumple to euery man / to folwe & sewe him [2693] for he dide neuere synne / ne neuere cam there / a vileyns word / out of his mouth / [2694] whan men cursed him / he cursed hem nought / And whan men betyn him / he manaced hem nought [2695] ¶ Also gret pacience / which / seyntes þat ben in Paradys / han had in tribulacions / þat þei han suffred / with-outen here desert or gilt / [2696] oughte muchel stire ȝow to pacience [2697] ¶ fforþer|more ȝe shulde enforce ȝow / to haue pacience / [2698] considerynge þat the tribulacions of this world / but litel while endure / & soone passed ben / & gon / [2699] & the ioye / þat a man seketh to haue / by pacience in tribulacions / is perdurable / after þat Thapostle seith in his Epistle / [2700] The ioye of god he seith / is perdurable / þat is to seyn; euere lastynge [2701] ¶ Also troweth & bileueth stedfastly / þat he nys nat wel I-norisshed / ne wel I-taught/þat kan nat haue pacience / or wol nat receyue pacience [2702] ¶ ffor Salamon seith; the doctrine & wyt of a man / is knowen by¶ Nota pacience [2703] ¶ And in a-nother place he seith / þat he þat is pacient / gouerneth him bi gret prudence [2704] ¶ And the same Salamon seith; the angry man & wrathful / maketh noyses / And the pacient man / attempreth him & stilleth; [2705] he seith also; It is more worth to be pacient / than for to be right strong [2706] ¶ And he þat may haue the lordshipe / of his owne herte;¶ Nota is more to preise / than he þat by his force or strengthe / taketh grete Citees [2707] ¶ And þerfore seith seynt Iame in his Epistle / that pacience / is a great vertu of perfeccion. [2708]

¶ Certes quod Melibe / I graunte ȝow Dame Prudence / þat pacience is a gret vertu of perfeccion / [2709] but euery man may nat haue / the perfeccion þat ȝe seken / [2710] ne I am nat of the noumbre / of the right per|fit men / [2711] for myn herte may neuere be in pees / vn-to the tyme / it be venged / [2712] And al be it so / þat it was gret perile to myne enemys / to do me a vileynye / in takynge vengeaunce vp-oon me / [2713] ȝet token þei noon hede of the perile / but fulfilleden here wykked wyl & here corage [2714] ¶ And þerfore me thynketh / men oughten nat repreue me / though I putte me / in a litel perile / for to venge me / [2715] And though I do a gret excesse / þat is to seyn; þat I venge oon outrage by another.

[2716] ¶ A quod Dame prudence / ȝe seyn ȝoure wil / and as ȝow liketh / [2717] But in no cas of the world / a man shulde nat don outrage ne excesse / for to vengen him [2718] ¶ ffor Cassidore seith; As yuele doth he / þat vengeth him by outrage / as he þat doth þe outrage / [2719] And þerfore ȝe shuln venge ȝow / after the ordre of right / þat is to seyn; by the lawe / & nat bi excesse ne by outrage [2720] ¶ And also if ȝe wol venge ȝow of the outrage of ȝoure aduersaries / in other manere than right comaundeth / ȝe synnen [2721] ¶ And þerfore seith Senek; þat a man shal neuere venge shrewednesse by shrewednesse / [2722] And if ȝe seye / þat right axeth / a man to defende violence / by violence / & fightyng by fightyng [2723] ¶ Certes ȝe seye soth / whan the defence is doon a-noon / with-outen interualle / or with-outen tariynge / or delay [2724] for to defende him / and nat for to venge / [2725] And it bihoueth / þat a man putte swich attemperaunce in his defence / [2726] þat men haue no cause ne matere / to repreue him þat defendeth him of excesse & outrage / for elles were it a-geyn reson [2727] ¶ Parde ȝe knowen wel / þat ȝe maken no deffence as now / for to deffende ȝow / But for to venge ȝow / [2728] And so sewith it / þat ȝe han no wyl to do ȝoure dede attemprely / [2729] And þerfore me thynketh / þat pacience is good ¶ ffor Salamon seith; þat he that is nat pacient shal haue gret harm. [2730]

¶ Certes quod Melibe / I graunte ȝow / þat whan a man is inpacient & wrooth / of þat that toucheth him nat / & that aperteneth nat vn-to him / though it harme him / it is no wonder; [2731] ffor the lawe seith; þat he is coupable / þat entremeteth or medleth with swich thyng / as aparteneth nat vn-to him [2732] ¶ And Salamon seith; þat he that entremeteth of noise / or strif / of a-nother man / is like to him / þat taketh an hound by the erys / [2733] ffor right as he þat taketh a straunge hound by the erys / is other while biten / with the hound / [2734] right in the same wyse is it resoun / þat he haue harm / þat by his impacience / medleth him of the noise of a-nother man / where as it aparteneth nat vn-to him / [2735] But ȝe knowe wel þat this dede / þat is to seyn; my grief & my dissese toucheth me right ny [2736] ¶ And þerfore þough I be wroth and in|pacient / it is no merueille / [2737] & sauynge ȝoure grace / I kan nat se þat it myght gretly harm me / though I took vengeaunce // [2738] ffor I am richere & more myghty / than myne enemys ben / [2739] And wel knowen ȝe / þat by moneye / and by hauynge grete posses|siouns ben alle the thynges / of this world / gouerned [2740] ¶ And Salamon seith; þat alle thynges obeyen to moneye.

[2741] ¶ whan Prudence had herd hire housbonde auaunte him of his richesse & of his moneye / despreys|yng the power of hise aduersaries / Spak & seide in this wyse / [2742] Certes deere sire I graunte ȝow / þat ȝe ben riche & myghty / [2743] and þat the richesses ben good to hem / that han wel I-geten hem / & þat wel konne vsen hem [2744] ¶ ffor right as the body of a man / may nat lyue with-outen soule / no moore may it lyue / withouten temporel goodes / [2745] & by rich|esses may a man gete him grete frendes // [2746] and þerfore seith Pamphilles; I a natherdes doughter he seith be riche / she may chese of a thousand men / which she wol take to hire housbonde / [2747] for of a thousand men / oon wol nat forsaken hire ne refusen hire [2748] ¶ And this Pamphilles seith also / If þou be right happy / þat is to seyn; if þou be right riche / þou shalt fynden a gret noumbre of felawes & frendes [2749] ¶ And if thy fortune chaunge þat þou wexe poore / fare¶ Nota wel frendshipe & felaweshipe // [2750] ffor þou shalt be al allone / withouten any compaignye / but if it be the compaignye of poore folk [2751] ¶ And ȝet seith this Pamphilles more-ouer; That they þat ben thralle & bonde of lynage / shuln be mad worthy & noble / by the richesses / [2752] & right so as by richesses / þere comen manye goodes / right so by pouerte / come there manye harmes & yueles / [2753] for gret pouertee con|streyneth a man to do many yueles [2754] ¶ And þer|fore clepeth] Cassidore / pouertee / the moder of ruyne / [2755] þat is to seyn; the moder of ouerthrowyng or fallyng doun [2756] ¶ And þerfore seith Piers Alfonce; Oon of the gretteste aduersitees of this world / [2757] is / whan a freeman by kynde or of birthe / is constreyned by pouertee / to eten the almesse of hise enemy [2758] ¶ And þe same seith Innocent / in oon of hise bookes he seith þat sorweful & myshappy is the condicion of a poore beggere / [2759] for if he axe nat his mete / he dyeth for hungere / [2760] And if he axe / he dyeth for shame / & algates necessite constreyneth him to aske [2761] ¶ And þerfore seith Salamon; þat bettre it is to dye than for to haue swich pouerte / [2762] And as the same Sala|mon seith; Bettre it is to dye of bitter deth / than for to lyuen in swich wyse / [2763] by theise resons þat I haue seid vn-to ȝow / & by manye othere resons þat I koude seye [2764] I graunte ȝow / þat richesses ben goode to hem / þat geten hem wel / and to hem þat wel vsen tho richesses [2765] ¶ And þerfore wol I shewe ȝow / how ȝe shuln haue ȝow / & how ȝe shuln bere ȝow / in gaderyng of ȝoure rychesses / & in what manere ȝe shuln vsen hem.

[2766] ¶ ffirst ȝe shuln geten hem / withouten gret desir / by good leyser / sekyngly and nat ouer hastifly / [2767] for a man þat is to desiryng to gete richesses aboundeneth him first to thefte / & to alle othere yueles [2768] ¶ And þerfore seith Salamon; he þat hasteth him to bisily to wexe riche / shal be noon Innocent [2769] ¶ he seith also; þat the richesse þat hastily comeþ to¶ Nota a man / sone & lightly passeth & gooth from a man / [2770] But þat richesse þat cometh litel & litel / wexeth alwey & multiplieth // [2771] And sire ȝe shullen gete richesses by ȝoure wyt & by ȝoure trauaille vn-to ȝoure profit / [2772] & that withouten wronge / or harm doynge to any other persone / [2773] for the lawe seith / there maketh no man him self riche / if he do harm to a-nother wight / [2774] this is to seyn; that nature defendeth & forbedeth by right / þat no man make him self riche / vn-to the harm of another persone / [2775] And Tullius seith; þat no sorwe / ne no drede of deth / ne no thyng þat may falle vn-to a man / [2776] is so muchel a-geyns nature as a man to encreese his owne profit / to harm of another man [2777] And though the grete men & the myghty men geten richesses moore lightly / than þou / [2778] ȝet shalt þou nat be Idel ne slow / to do þi profit / for þou shalt in alle wyse / flee ydelnesse [2779] ¶ ffor Salamonseith; þat ydelnesse techeth a man / to do manye yueles [2780] ¶ And the same Salamon seith; þat he that trauailleth & bisieth him to tilien his land / shal ete breed / [2781] But he þat is ydel / & casteth him to no bysinesse ne occupacion / shal falle in-to pouertee and dye for hunger / [2782] and he þat is ydel and slow / kan neuere fynde couenable tyme for to do his profit [2783] ¶ ffor þere is a versifiour seith; þat the ydel man excuseth him in wynter / by-cause of the grete cold / and in somer / by encheson of the hete [2784] ¶ ffor þeise causes seith Caton; waketh & enclyneth ȝow nat / ouer muchel to slepe / for ouer muchel reste / norissheth & causeth many vices [2785] ¶ And þerfore seith seynt Ierome; Dooth somme goode dedes þatthe deuele which is ȝoure enemy / ne fynde ȝow nat / vn-ocupied / [2786] for the deuele ne taketh nat lightly vn-to his werk|ynge / swich as he fynt ocupied in goode werkes

[2787] ¶ Thanne thus / In getyng richesses / ȝe musten flee ydelnesse / [2788] And afterward / ȝe shuln vsen the richesses / which ȝe han geten / by ȝoure wit / & by ȝoure trauaille [2789] in swich a manere / þat men holde ȝow nat to skars / ne to sparynge / ne ful large / þat is to seyn; ouer large a spendere / [2790] ffor right as men blamen / an auaricious man by-cause of his scarsitee & chyncherie / [2791] in the same wyse is he to blame þat spendeth ouer largely [2792] ¶ And þerfore seith Caton; vse he seith thy richesse / þat þou hast I-geten [2793] in swich a manere / þat men haue no matere ne cause to calle the / neiþer wrecche ne chynche / [2794] for it is a gret shame to a man / to haue a poore herte & a riche purs [2795] he seith also / þe goodes þat þou hast I-geten / vse hem by mesure / that is to seyn; spende mesurably [2796] for they that folily wasten / & despenden the goodes þat þei han [2797] whan they han no more propre of here owne / they shapen hem to take the goodes of another man / [2798] I seye thanne / that ȝe shuln flee auarice / [2799] vsynge ȝoure richesses in swich manere / þat men seyn nat / þat ȝoure richesses ben I-buried / [2800] but þat ȝe haue hem in ȝoure myght / and in ȝoure weldynge / [2801] ffor a wys man repreueth the auaricious man / & seith thus in two vers [2802] ¶ where-to & why burieth a man hise goodes by his gret auarice / & knoweth wel / þat nedes must he dye / [2803] ffor deth is the ende of euery man / as in this present lyf / [2804] And for what cause or encheson ioyneth he him / or knytteth he him so faste / vn-to hise goodes / [2805] that alle hise wyttes moun nat disseueren him / or departen him from hise goodes / [2806] And he knoweth wel / or oughte knowe / þat whan he is ded / he shal no thyng bere with him / out of þis world [2807] ¶ And þerfore seith Seynt Austyn; þat the Auaricious man is likned vn-to helle / [2808] þat þe moore it swolweth / the moore desir it hath to swolwe & deuoure / [2809] And as wel as ȝe wolde eschue to be called an auaricious man or chynche / [2810] as wel shulde ȝe kepe ȝow / and gouerne ȝow in swich a wyse / þat men calle ȝow ffoollarge [2811] ¶ Therfore seith Tullius / the goodes of thyn hous / ne shulde nat ben hid ne kept so cloos / but that they myghte ben opened by pitee and debonairetee / [2812] þat is to seyn; to ȝeue hem part þat han gret nede / [2813] ne thyne goodes shulden nat ben so open to be euery mannes goodes [2814] ¶ Afterward in getyng of ȝoure richesses / and in vsynge of hem / ȝe shuln alwey haue thre thynges in ȝoure herte / [2815] þat is to seyn; oure lord god / Conscience / & good name [2816] ¶ ffirst ȝe shuln haue god in ȝoure herte / [2817] & for no richesse ȝe shuln do no-thyng / which may in any manere displese god / þat is ȝoure creature & makere [2818] ¶ ffor after the word of Salamon; It is bettre to haue a litel good / with loue of god / [2819] than to haue muchel good / & lese the loue of his lord god [2820] ¶ And the prophete seith; þat bettre it is / to ben a good man / & haue litel good & tresor / [2821] than to be holden a shrewe / & haue gret richesses [2822] ¶ And ȝet I seye forþermore / þat ȝe shulden alwey do ȝoure bysynesse / to gete ȝow richesses / [2823] so þat ȝe gete hem with good conscience // [2824] And the Apostle seith; þat there nys thyng in this world of which we shulden haue so gret ioye / as whan oure conscience bereth vs good witnesse [2825] ¶ And the wyse man seith; the substaunce of a man is ful good / whan synne is nat / in mannes conscience [2826] ¶ Afterward in getynge of ȝoure richesses / and in vsynge of hem / [2827] ȝow muste haue gret bisynesse / & gret diligence / þat ȝoure good name / be alwey kept & conserued // [2828] ¶ ffor Sala|mon seith; þat bettre it is / & more it auaileth a man to haue a good name / than for to haue grete richesses [2829] ¶ And þerfore he seith in another place; Do gret¶ Nota diligence seith Salamon in kepyng of thy frend / & of thy good name [2830] for it shal lengere abide with the / than any tresor / be it neuere so precious / [2831] And certes he shulde nat be called a gentil man þat after god & good conscience alle thynges left / ne dooth his diligence & bisynesse to kepen his good name [2832] ¶ And Cassidore seith; þat is a signe of a gentil herte / whan a man loueth & desireth / to haue a good name [2833] ¶ And þerfore seith Seint Austyn / that þere ben two thynges / þat arn necessarie & nedefulle [2834] & þat is good conscience / & good loos / [2835] þat is to seyn; good conscience to thyn owne persone inward / And good loos / for thy neighbore outward / [2836] And he þat him so muchel in his good conscience [2837] trosteth þat he displeseth & setteth at nought his good name / or loos / & rekketh nat / though he kepe nat his good name / nys but a cruel cherl

[2838] ¶ Sire now haue I shewed ȝow / how ȝe shulden do in getyng richesses / & how ȝe shuln vsen hem / [2839] And I se wel þat for the trust / þat ȝe han in ȝoure richesses / ȝe wyln meeue werre & bataille / [2840] I coun|seille ȝow / þat ȝe bigynne no bataille ne werre / in trust of ȝoure richesses / for they ne suffisen nought werres to mayn|tene [2841] ¶ And þerfore seith a Philosophre; þat man þat desireth & wol algates han werre / shal neuere haue suffisaunce / [2842] for the richere þat he is / þe grettere despences must he make / if he wol haue wor|ship & victorie [2843] ¶ And Salamon seith; þat the grettere richesses þat a man hath / the moo despendours he hath [2844] ¶ And deere sire / al be it so / þat for ȝoure richesses / ȝe moun haue muchel folk / [2845] ȝet bihoueth it nat / ne it is nat good to bigynne werre / where as ȝe moun in othere manere / haue pees vn-to ȝoure profit / [2846] for the victorie of batailles / þat ben in þis world / lith nat in gret noumbre / or multitude of peeple / ne in the vertu of man / [2847] but in lith in the wil & in the hand of oure lord god almyghty [2848] ¶ And þerfore Iudas Machabeus / which was goddes knyght / [2849] whan he shulde fighte a-geyn his aduersarie þat hadde a gettere noumbre / & a grettere mul|titude of folk & strengere / than was the peeple of this Macha|bee / [2850] ȝet he reconforted his litel compaignye / & seide right in this wyse [2851] ¶ As lightly may oure lord god almyghty / Ȝeue victorie to fewe folk / as to manye folk / [2852] for the victorie of a bataille / cometh nat by þe gret noumbre of peeple / [2853] but it cometh from oure lord god of heuene [2854] ¶ And deere sire / for as muchel / as þer is no man certeyn / if it be worthy / þat god ȝeue him victorie . . . . .no gap in Dd. or in any of the 4 Hodson MSS. or nought // After þat Salamon seith; [2855] þerfore euery man shulde / gretly drede werres to bigynne / [2856] and by-cause þat in batailles fallen manye perils / [2857] and it happeth outher|while / þat as sone is the grete man slayn / as the litel man [2858] ¶ And as it is I-wryten / in the secund book of kynges; the dedes of batailles ben auenturouse / and no thynge certeyne [2859] ¶ for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere / as a-noþer [2860] And for þere is gret peril in werre / þerfore shulde a man flee / and eschue werre / in as muchel / as a man may / goodly [2861] ¶ ffor Salamon seith; he þat loueth peril / shal falle in perile /

[2862] ¶ After þat Dame Prudence had spoken in this manere // Melibe answered and seide [2863] ¶ I se wel Dame Prudence / that be ȝoure faire wordes / & by ȝoure resons þat ȝe han shewed me / þat the werre liketh ȝow no thyng [2864] / but I haue nat ȝet herd ȝour coun|seil / how I shal do in this nede

[2865] ¶ Certes quod she / I counseile ȝow / þat ȝe acorde with ȝoure aduersaries / & þat ȝe haue pees with hem // [2866] ffor seint Iame seith in hise Epistles; þat by concord and pees / þe smale richesses wexen grete / [2867] & by discord and debate / the grete richesses fallen doun [2868] ¶ And ȝe knowen wel / þat oon of the gretteste and moost souereyn thynges / þat is in this world / is vnyte and pees [2869] ¶ And þerefore seide oure lord Ihesu Crist to hise Apostlees / in this wyse / [2870] wel happy & blissed be they / þat louen & purchasen pees / for they ben called / children of god [2871] ¶ A quod Melibee / now se I wel / þat ȝe louen nat myn honour / ne my worshipe [2872] Ȝe knowen wel / þat myne aduersaries / han bigonne this debat & bryge / by here outrage [2873] & ȝe se wel / þat þei ne requeren / ne preye me nat of pees / ne they asken nat to be reconsiled / [2874] wol ȝe thanne þat I go & meke me & obeye me to hem / & crie hem mercy; [2875] ffor sothe þat were nat my worshipe / [2876] ffor right as men seyn / þat ouer greet homlynesse / engendreth dispreisynge / so fareth it / by to greet humylitee / or mekenesse

[2877] ¶ Thanne bygan Dame Prudence / to maken sem|blant of wratthe / & seide / [2878] Certes sire / sauf ȝoure grace / I loue ȝoure honour / and ȝoure profit / as I do myn owene / & euere haue doon / [2879] ne ȝe / ne noon other / seyn neuere the contrarie / [2880] And if I had seid / þat ȝe shulde han purchased the pees / & the reconsiliacion / I ne hadde nat muchel mystake me / ne seid amys [2881] ¶ ffor the wyse man seith; The dis|sencion bigynneth by another man / and the reconsilynge bigynneth by thy self [2882] ¶ And the prophete seith; fflee shrewednesse / & do goodnesse / [2883] seke pees & folwe it / as muchel as in the is [2884] ¶ Ȝet seie I nat / þat ȝe shuln rathere pursue to ȝoure aduersaries for pees / than they shuln to ȝow / [2885] ffor I knowe wel / that ȝe ben so hard herted / þat ȝe wol do noo thyng for me [2886] ¶ And Salamon seith; þat he þat hath ouer hard an herte / atte laste / he shal myshappe & mystide //

[2887] whan Melibee had herd Dame Prudence / make semblaunt of wrathe / he seide in thys wyse [2888] ¶ Dame I preye ȝow / þat ȝe be nat displesed / of thynges þat I seye / [2889] for I knowe wel / þat I am angry & wrooth / & þat is no wonder / [2890] & they þat ben wrothe / witen nat wel / what they doon / ne what they seyn [2891] ¶ Therfore the prophete seith; troubled eyen / han noo cleer sighte; [2892] But seith & counseileth me as ȝow liketh / for I am redy to doo / right as ȝe wol desire / [2893] And if ȝe repreeue me of my folie / I am the more holden / to loue ȝow & to preise ȝow [2894] ¶ ffor Salamon seith; þat he that repreueth him / þat doth folie / [2895] he shal fynde grettere grace / than he / þat deceyueth him by swete wordes

[2896] ¶ Thanne seide Dame Prudence / I make no semblaunt of wrathe ne of angir / but for ȝoure grete profit [2897] ¶ ffor Salamon seith; he is more worth / þat re|preueth or chideth a fool for his folie / shewynge him semblaunt of wrathe / [2898] than he þat supporteth him & preiseth him / in his mysdoynge & laugheth at his folie [2899] ¶ And this same Salamon seith; afterward; þat by the sorweful visage of a man / þat is to seyn; by the sory & heuy countenaunce of a man / [2900] the fool correcteth & amendeth him self

[2901] ¶ Thanne seide Melibee / I shal nat konne an|swere ȝow / vn-to so manye faire resons / as ȝe putten to me & shewen / [2902] Seith shortly ȝoure wil and ȝoure coun|seil / and I am al redy / to fulfille & performe it /

[2903] Thanne Dame Prudence / discouered al hire wil to him / & seide / [2904] I counseille ȝow quod she a-bouen alle thynges / þat ȝe make pees bitwene god & ȝow / [2905] & beth reconsiled vn-to him / & to his grace / [2906] ffor as I haue seid ȝow heere biforñ / god hath suffred ȝow / to haue this tribulacion & dissese for ȝoure synnes / [2907] And if ȝe do as I seye ȝow / god wol sende ȝoure aduersaries vn-to ȝow / [2908] & make hem falle at ȝoure feet / redy to do ȝoure wyl & ȝoure com|aundementȝ [2909] ¶ ffor Salamon seith; whan the con|dicion of man / is plesaunt & likyng to god / [2910] he chaungeth the hertes of the mannes aduersaries / & con|streyneth hem / to biseken him of pees & of grace / [2911] I preye ȝow late me speke with ȝoure aduersaries in pryue place / [2912] ffor they shuln nat knowe / þat it be of ȝoure wil / or ȝour assent / [2913] And thanne / whan I knowe here wil & here entent / I may counseille ȝow / the moore seurly.

[2914] ¶ Dame quod Melibe / doth ȝoure wil & ȝoure likynge / [2915] for I putte me holly / in ȝoure disposicion and ordinaunce

[2916] ¶ Thanne Dame Prudence / whan she sey / the good wil of hire housbonde / deliuered vn-to hire / & tok auysin hire self / [2917] thynkynge how she myghte brynge this nede / vn-to good ende / [so also in Eg. 2726, lf. 195] [2918] And whan she sey hire tyme / she sente for þeise aduersaries / to come vn-to hire in-to a pryue place / [2919] & shewed wysely vn-to hem the grete goodes þat comen of pees / [2920] & the gret harmes and perils / þat ben in werre / [2921] and seide to hem in goodly manere / how þat hem oughten haue gret re|pentaunce / [2922] of the iniuries and wronges þat they hadden doon to Melibe hire lord / & vn-to hire & to hire doughter

[2923] ¶ And whan they herden / the goodly wordes of Dame Prudence / [2924] they weren so supprised and rauysshed & hadden so gret ioye of hire / þat wonder was to telle [2925] ¶ A lady quod they / ȝe han shewed vn-to vs / the blissynge of swetnesse / after the lawe of Dauid the prophete / [2926] for the reconsilynge which we be nat worthy to haue / in no manere / [2927] but we oughten requeren it / with gret contrition & humilitee / [2928] ȝe of ȝoure grete goodnesse / haue presented vn|to vs [2929] ¶ Now se we wel / þat the science & the kon|nynge of Salamon is ful trewe / [2930] ffor he seith / þat swete wordes multiplien & encressen frendes / and maken shrewes to be debonaire & meke

[2931] ¶ Certes quod þei / we putten oure dede / and al oure matere & cause / al holly in ȝoure good wyl / [2932] and ben redy to obeye / vn-to the speche / and comaunde|ment / of my lord Melibe / [2933] And þerfore / deere & benygne lady / we preye ȝow & biseke ȝow / as mekely as we konne & moun / [2934] that it like vn-to ȝoure gret goodnesse / to fulfille in dede ȝoure good|ly wordes / [2935] ffor we consideren & knowelichen / þat we han offended / & greuyd my lord Melibe / out of mesure / [2936] so ferforth / þat we ben nat of power / to maken his amendes / [2937] And þerfore we oblige vs / & bynde vs & our frendes / for to do all his wil & hise comaundementȝ / [2938] but perauenture / he hath swich heuynesse / & swich wrathe to vs-ward / by-cause of oure offence [2939] þat he wol enioyne vs swich a peyne / as we moun nat bere / ne sustene / [2940] And þerfore noble lady / we biseke / to ȝoure wommanly pitee / [2941] to taken swich a-vysement in this nede / þat we ne oure frendes / ben nat desherited & destroyed thurgh oure folie

[2942] ¶ Certes quod Prudence / it is an hard thyng and right perilous / [2943] þat a man putte him al outrely in the arbitracion & Iuggement / & in the myght & powere of hise enemys // [2944] ffor Salamon seith; leeueth me / & ȝeueth credence / to þat that I shal seyn / I seye quod he / ȝe peeple folk / & gouernours of holy chirche / [2945] to thy sone / to thy wyf / to thy frend / ne to thy brother / [2946] ne ȝeue þou neuere myght ne maistrie of þi body / whil þou lyuest [2947] ¶ Now sithen he defendeth / þat man shulde nat ȝeue / to his brother / ne to his frend / the myght of his body; [2948] by a strengere reson / he deffendeth and forbedeth a man / to ȝeue him self to his enemy / [2949] And nathe|lees I counseille ȝow / þat ȝe mystruste nat my lord / [2950] ffor I woot wel & knowe verraily / þat he is debonaire & meke / large / Curteys / [2951] & no thyng desirous ne coueitous of good ne richesse / [2952] ffor there nys no thyng in this world þat he desireth / saue oonly worshipe & honour [2953] ¶ fforþermore I knowe wel / & am right sure / þat he shal no thyng do in this nede / withouten my counseil / [2954] and I shal so werken in this cause / þat by þe grace of oure lord god / ȝe shuln be reconsiled vn-to vs /

[2955] ¶ Thanne seiden they with o vois; worshipful lady / we putten vs / and oure goodes / al fully in ȝoure wyl / & disposicion / [2956] & ben redy to come what day þat it lyke / vn-to ȝoure noblesse / to lymyte vs / or assigne vs [2957] for to make oure obligacions and bond as strong as it liketh vn-to ȝoure goodnesse / [2958] þat we moun fulfille the wyl of ȝow / & of my lord Melibe

[2959] ¶ Whan Dame Prudence had herd the an|sweres of theise men she bad hem go a-geyn priuely / [2960] and she retourned to hire lord Melibe / & told him how she fond hise aduersaries ful of repentaunt / [2961] knowlechynge ful lowely here synnes & trespas / and how they weren redy to suffren al peyne / [2962] requerynge & preiynge him / of mercy & pitee

[2963] ¶ Thanne seide Melibe / he is wel worthy to haue pardoun & forȝefnesse of his synne / that excuseth nat his synne / [2964] but knowlecheth & repenteth him / axynge indulgence // [2965] ¶ ffor Senek seith; there is the remission & forȝefnesse / where as the confession is / [2966] ffor Confession is neyghbore to Innocence / [2967] . . . . .no gap in this MS. or in any of the 4 Hodson MSS. And þerfore I assente / and conferme me to haue pees / [2968] but it is good / þat we do it nat with-outen thassent & wil / of oure frendes

¶ [2969] Thanne was Prudence right glad & ioyeful / & seide / [2970] Certes sire quod she / ȝe han wel & goodly answered; [2971] ffor riȝt as by the counseil / assent & helpe of ȝoure frendes / ȝe han be stired to venge ȝow / and make werre / [2972] Right so with|outen here counseil / shul ȝe nat a-corde ȝow / ne haue pees with ȝoure aduersaries / [2973] ffor the lawe seith; þere nys no thyng so good / by weye of kynde / as a thyng to ben vnbounde / by him þat it was I-bounde

[2974] ¶ And þanne Dame Prudence with-outen delay or tariynge / sent a-noon hire messageres for hire kyn and for hire olde frendes / which þat were trewe and wyse [2975] & told hem by ordre in the presence of Melibe / al this matere as it is a-boue expressed & declared / [2976] & preyed hem / þat they wolde ȝeue here auys & coun|seil / what were best to do in this nede [2977] ¶ And whan Melibeus frendes / hadden taken here auys & deliber|acion of the forseid matere / [2978] & hadden examyned it / by gret bysynesse & gret diligence; [2979] they ȝouen ful counseil for to haue pees & reste [2980] & that Melibe shulde resseyue with good herte hise aduersaries / to forȝifnesse & mercy

[2981] ¶ And whan Dame Prudence had herd the assent of hire lord Melibe & the counseil of hise frendes [2982] acord / with hire wyl & hire entencion / [2983] she was wonderly glad in hire herte / and seide / [2984] There is an olde prouerbe quod she / seith; þat the goodnesse þat þou maist do this day / do it [2985] and a-bide nat / ne delay it nat til to-morwe / [2986] And þerfore I counseille / þat ȝe sende ȝoure messageres / swich as ben discrete & wyse / [2987] vn-to ȝoure aduersaries / tellynge hem on ȝoure bihalue / [2988] þat if they woln trete of pees & of a-cord / [2989] þat they shape hem withouten delay or tariynge / to come vn-to vs / [2990] which thyng perfourmed was in dede // [2991] And whan theise trespassours & repentynge folk of here folies / þat is to seyn; the aduersaries of Melibe / [2992] hadden herd what theise Messageres seiden vn-to hem / [2993] they weren right glad & ioyeful / and answerden ful mekely & benygnely / [2994] ȝeldynge graces and thankynges to here lord Melibe / & to al his compaignye [2995] & shopen hem withouten delay / to go with the Messagers & obeye / to the comaundement of here lord Melibe /

[2996] And right a-noon þei token here weye to the court of Melibe / [2997] & token with hem somme of here trewe frendes / to make feith for hem / and for to ben here borwes [2998] ¶ And whan they were come to the presence of Melibe / he seide hem theise wordes [2999] ¶ It stant thus quod Melibe / & sooth it is / that ȝe [3000] causeles & withouten skyle & resoun / [3001] han doon grete Iniuries & wronges to me and to my wyf Prudence / and to my doughter also / [3002] for ȝe han entred in-to myn hous by violence / [3003] and haue don swich outrage þat alle men knowen wel / that ȝe han deserued the deth / [3004] & þerfore wol I knowe & wite of ȝow / [3005] wheither ȝe wol putte þe punysshynge & chastisynge / & the vengeaunce of this outrage in the wil of me & of my wyf / or ȝe wol nat.

[3006] ¶ Thanne the wysest of hem thre / answered for hem alle / and seide / // [3007] ¶ Sire quod he / we knowen wel / þat we ben vnworthy / to come to the court of so gret a lord / & so worthy as ȝe ben / [3008] ffor we han so gretly mystaken vs / & han offendid & a-gilt in swich a wyse ageyn ȝoure heye lordship / [3009] þat trewely we han deserued the deeth / [3010] But ȝet for the grete goodnesse & debonairetee / þat al the world wytnesseth of ȝoure persone / [3011] we submitten vs to the excellence & benygnytee of ȝoure gracious lordshipe / [3012] & ben redy to obeye /to alle ȝoure comaundementes / [3013] bysekynge ȝow / þat of ȝoure merciable pitee / ȝe wol considere oure grete repentaunce & lowe submission / [3014] & graunte vs forȝeuenesse of oure outrageous trespas & offence / [3015] ffor wel we knowen / þat ȝoure liberal grace & mercy / strecchen hem for-þere in-to good|nesse / than doon oure outrageous giltes & trespas in-to wykkednesse / [3016] al be it that cursedly & damp|nablely / we han a-gilt a-geyn ȝoure heye lordshipe

[3017] ¶ Thanne Melibe tok hem vp fro the ground ful benygnely [3018] & receyued here obligacions and here bondes / by here oothes vp-on here plegges & borwes / [3019] and assigned hem a certeyn day / to retourne vn-to his court / [3020] for to accept & receyue the sentence & Iugement / þat Melibe wolde comaunde to be doon on hem / by þe causes a-fore-seid / [3021] which thynges or|deyned / euery man retourned to his hous.

[3022] ¶ And whan þat dame Prudence saw hire tyme / she freyned & axed hire lord Melibe / [3023] what vengeaunce he thoughte to taken of hise aduersaries

[3024] ¶ To which / Melibe answered and seide ¶ Certes quod he / I thynke & purpose me fully / [3025] to dis|herite hem / of al þat euere they han / & for to putte hem in exile for euere

[3026] ¶ Certes quod Dame Prudence / this were a cruel sentence / and muchel a-geyn reson / [3027] for ȝe ben riche I-now / and han no nede / of othere mennes good / [3028] & ȝe myght lightly in this wyse / gete ȝow a coueytous name / [3029] which is a vicious þing & oughte ben eschewed of euery good man / [3030] for after the sawe of the word of thapostle ¶ Coueytise is rote of alle harmes [3031] and þerfore it were bettere for ȝow / to lese muchel good of ȝoure owene / than for to take of here good in this manere / [3032] for bettere it is / to lese good with wor|ship / thanne it is / to wynne good with vyleynye & shame / [3033] And euery man oughte to do his diligence & his bysy|nesse to gete him a good name / [3034] & ȝet shal he nat oonly / bisye him / in kepynge his good name / [3035] but he shal also enforcen him alwey to do som thyng / by which he may renouelle his good name / [3036] ffor it is wryten; þat þe olde good loos / or good name of a man / is sone goon & passed / whan it is nat newed / ne re|nouelled [3037] ¶ And as touchynge þat ȝe seyn / ȝe wol exile ȝoure aduersaries / [3038] þat thynketh me muchel a-geyn reson / & out of mesure / [3039] con|sidered the power þat they han ȝeuen ȝow / vp-oon hem self [3040] ¶ And it is wryten / þat he is worthy to leese his priuylege / þat mys-vseth the myght & the power / þat is ȝeue him [3041] ¶ And I sette cas / ȝe myghte enioyne hem þat peyne / by right & by lawe / [3042] which I trowe ȝe mowe nat do / [3043] I seye ȝe myghte nat putte it to execucion perauenture / [3044] and thanne were it likly to retourne to the werre / as it was biforn / [3045] and þerfore / if ȝe wole þat men do ȝow obeis|aunce / ȝe muste deme more curteisly / [3046] this is to seyn; ȝe muste ȝeue more esy sentences & Iuggementȝ [3047] ¶ ffor it is wryten / þat he that most curteisly comaundeth / to him men muste obeyen [3048] ¶ And þer|fore I preye ȝow / þat in this necessitee & in this nede / ȝe caste ȝow to ouercome ȝoure herte [3049] ¶ ffor Senek seith; that he þat ouercometh his herte / ouercometh twyes / [3050] And Tullius seith; þere is no thyng so comendable in a gret lord / [3051] as whan he is debon|aire & meke / and appeiseth him lightly / [3052] And I preye ȝow / þat ȝe wol for-bere now / to do vengeaunce [3053] in swich manere / þat ȝoure good name / may be kept and concerued / [3054] And þat men moun haue cause & matere / to preise ȝow of pitee & of mercy [3055] / and that ȝe haue no cause / to repente ȝow of thyng þat ȝe doon [3056] ¶ ffor Senek seith; he ouercometh in al yuel manere/þat repenteth him nought of his victorie/[3057] wher|fore¶ Nota I preye ȝow / lat mercy be in ȝoure herte / [3058] to the effect & entente / that god al-myghty haue mercy on ȝow / in his laste Iuggement / [3059] . . . . .no gap in Dd. or the Hodson MSS. with|oute mercy shal be do to him / þat hath no mercy of a-nother wyght

[3060] ¶ whan Melibe had herd / the grete skyles & resons of Dame Prudence / & hire wyse informacions and techynges / [3061] his herte gan enclyne to the wyl of his wyf / considerynge hire trewe entente / [3062] en|forced him a-noon & assented fully to werken after hire counseil / [3063] & thanked god / of whom procedeth al vertu / & al goodnesse / þat him sente a wyf / of so gret discrecion [3064] ¶ And whan the day cam / þat hise aduer|saries shulde appere in his presence / [3065] he spak vn|to hem ful goodly / and seide in this wyse [3066] ¶ Al be it so / þat of ȝoure pride and hey presumpcion and folye / & of ȝoure neclygence / & vnkunnynge [3067] ȝe haue mys-born ȝow / & trespaced vn-to me / [3068] ȝet for as muchel / as I se & byholde ȝoure grete humylitee / [3069] & that ȝe ben sory & repentaunt of ȝoure giltes / [3070] it constreyneth me / to do ȝow grace & mercy / [3071] wherfore I receyue ȝow in-to my grace / [3072] & forȝeue ȝow outrely / alle the offences Iniuries and wronges þat ȝe haue doon a-geyn me & myne / [3073] to this effect & to this ende / þat god of hise endeles mercy / [3074] wole at the time of oure deyynge / for-ȝeue vs oure giltes / þat we han trespaced to him in this wrecched world / [3075] for doutelees / if we be sory and repentaunt of the synnes & giltes which we han trespasced inne / in the sighte of oure lord god / [3076] he is so free & so mercy|able / [3077] þat he wole for-ȝeuen vs oure giltes / [3078] and bryngen vs to the blisse / that neuere hath ende; Amen;

Here is ended Chaucers tale of Melibe; & bygynneth the Prologe of the Monkes tale; WHan ended was my tale / of Melibe And of Prudence / & hire benygnetee Oure Host seide / as I am a feithful man And by þat precious corpus / Madrian I had leuere / than a barel ale That goodleef my wyf / had herd this tale She nys no-thyng / of swich pacience As was this Melibeus wyf / Prudence By goddes bones / whan I bete myne knaues She bryngeth me / the grete clobbed staues And cryeth / slee the dogges euerychon And breke hem bothe bak / & euery bon And if þat any neyghebore of myne Wol nat in chirche / to my wyf enclyne Or be so hardy / to hire to trespace whan she cometh hom / she raumpeth in my face And crieth fals coward / wreke thy wyf By corpus bones / I wyl haue thy knyf And þou shalt haue my distaf / & go spynne ffro day to nyght / right thus she wol bigynne Allas she seith / þat euere that I was shape To wedde a mylk-soppe / or a coward ape That wol ben ouer-ladde / with euery wyght Thow darst nat stonde / by thy wyues right This is my lif / but if that I wol fight And out atte dore a-noon / I mot me dight Or elles I am but lost / but if that I Be like a wylde lyon / fool hardy I wot wel / she wol do me slee / some day Some neighebore / and thanne go my way ffor I am perilous / with knyf in honde Al be it / that I dar nat / hire withstonde ffor she is bygge in armes / be my feith That shal he fynde / þat hire mysdooth or seith But late vs passe a-wey / fro this matere My lord the Monk / quod he / be mery of chere ffor ȝe shuln telle a tale / trewely loo Rouchestre stant heere / fast by Ride forth myn owne lord / breke nat our game But by my trouthe / I knowe nat ȝoure name wheiþer shal I calle ȝow / my lord Daun Iohn Or Daun Thomas / or elles daun Albon Of what hous be ȝe / by ȝoure fader kyn I vow to god / þou hast a ful fair skyn It is a gentil pasture / there þou goost Thow art nat like a penaunt / or a goost Vp-on my feith / þou art som officer Som worthy Sexteyn / or som Celerer ffor by my fadres soule / as to my dome þou art a maister / whan þou art at home No poore Cloistrer / ne no nowys But a gouernour / wyly and wys And there with al / of braunes & of bones A wel faryng persone / for the nones I preye to god / ȝeue him confusion That first the brought / vn-to Religion Thow woldest han ben / a tredfoul a-right hadestow as gret a leue / as þou hast myght To perfourme thy lust / in engendrure Thow haddest bygeten / ful many a creature Allas / why werest þou / so wyde a cope God ȝeue me sorwe / but and I were Pope Nat oonly þou / but euery myghty man Though he were shore ful heye / vp-oon his pan Shulde haue a wyf / for al the world is lorn Religion hath take vp / al the corn Of tredynge / & we borel men ben shrympes Of feble trees / there come wrecched ympes This maketh þat oure Eyres / ben so sklendre And fieble / þat they moun nat wel engendre This maketh þat oure wyues / woln assaie Religious folk / for they moun bettre paie Of Venus paiementȝ / than moun we God wot / no lusshburgh / payen ȝe But be nat wroth my lord / though þat I pleye fful ofte in game / a sooth I haue herd seye ¶ This worthy Monke / toke al in pacience And seide / I wol doon al my diligence As fer as sovneth / in-to honestee To telle ȝow a tale / or two or three And if ȝow list / to herken hiderward I wyl ȝow seyn / the lif of Seynt Edward Or elles first / tragedies wel I telle Of which I haue an .C. in my celle Tragedy is to seyn / a certeyn storie As olde bookes maken / memorie Of him þat stood / in gret prosperitee And is I-fallen / out of heigh degree In-to Miserie / and endeth wrecchedly And they ben versified / comunly Of sexe feet / which men clepen exametron In prose eke / ben endited many oon And eke in metre / in many a sondry wyse loo this declaryng / ought I-now suffise Now herkeneth / if ȝow liketh for to heere But first I ȝow byseke / in this matere Though I be ordre / telle nat theise thynges Be it of Popes, Emperours or kynges After here ages / as men writen fynde But telle hem some bifore / & some bihynde As it now cometh / vn-to my remembraunce haue me excused / of myn ignoraunce Heere endeth þe prologe & bigynneth þe Monkes tale / þat is titled de casibus virorum Illustrium; Chaucer. Iwol be-wayle / in manere of tragedie The harm of hem / þat stoden in hey degree And fellen so / þat þere was no remedie To brynge hem out / of here aduersitee ffor certeyn / whan þat fortune list to flee There may no man / the cours of hire with-holde lat no man truste / on blynd prosperitee Be war / by theise ensamples / trewe & olde [Lucifer.] ¶ At lucifer / though he an Aungel were¶ Lucifer And nat a man / at him I wol bygynne ffor though fortune may / non Aungel dere ffrom heigh degree / ȝet fel he for his synne Doun in-to helle / where as he ȝet is Inne O lucifer brightest / of Aungelis alle Now artow Sathanas / þat maist nat twynne Out of miserie / in which þat þou art falle [Adam.] ¶ Loo Adam / in the feld of Damyssene¶ Adam with goddes owne fynger / wrought was he And nat bigeten / of mannes sperme vnclene And welte al Paradys / sauynge o tree hadde neuere worldly man / so heigh degree As Adam / til he for mysgouernaunce was dryuen out / of his heye prosperitee To laboure & to helle / and to meschaunce [Sampson.] ¶ Loo Sampson / which þat was / Anunciat¶ Sampson By the Aungel / longe / or his natyuyte And was to god almyghty / consecrat And stod in noblesse / whil he myght se was neuere such a-nother / as was he To speke of strengthe / & ther-with hardynesse But to hise wyues / told he his secree Thurgh which he slow himself / for wrecchednesse ¶ Sampson / this noble / almyghty champion with-outen wepene / saue hise handes tweye he slow / and al to-rent the leon Toward his weddyng / walkyng by the weye his fals wyf / coude him so plese and preye Til she his counseille knew / and she vntrewe vn-to hise foos / his counseille gan bywreye And him forsoke / and toke a-nother newe ¶ Thre hondred foxes / toke Sampson for Ire And alle here tayles / he to-gidre bond And sette the foxes tailles / alle on fire ffor he on euery taille / had knyt a brond And they brente alle the cornes / in þat lond And alle here Olyuerys / & vynes eke A thousand men / he slow eke with his hond And had no wepene / but an asses cheke ¶ Whan they were slayn / so thursted him / þat he was wel ney lorn / for which he gan to preye That god wolde on his peyne / han som pitee And sende him drynk / or elles most he deye And of this Asses cheke / that was dreye Out of a wang toth / sprang a-noon a welle Of which he drank I-now / shortly to seye Thus halp him god / as Iudicum can telle ¶ By verrey force / at Gaȝan on a nyght Maugree the Philistiens / of that Citee The gates of the Toun / he hath vp plight And oon his back / I-caried hem hath he heigh on an hil / where as men myght hem se O noble almyghty / Sampson lief and dere had þou nat tolde / to wommen thy secree In al this world / ne hadde ben thy pere ¶ This Sampson / neuere / sither drank ne wyn Ne on his hed cam rasour noon / ne shere By precept / of the Messager / dyuyn ffor alle hise strengthes / in hise heres were And fully twenty wynter / ȝere by ȝere he hadde of Israel / the gouernaunce But sone shal he wepe / many a tere ffor wommen shuln him brynge / to myschaunce ¶ vn-to his lemman Dalida / he tolde That in hise heeris / al his strengthe lay And falsly vn-to his foomen / she him solde And slepynge in hire barm / vp-oon a day She made to clippe or shere / his heere a-way And made hise foomen / al this craft espien And whan þat they him fond / in this array They bounde him fast / & putten out hise eyen ¶ But or his her was clipped / or I-shaue There was no bond / with which men myght him bynde But now is he in prison / in a caue Where as they made him / atte querne grynde O noble Sampson / strengest of mankynde O whilom Iuge in glorie / and in richesse Now maistow wepen / with thyne eyen blynde Sithe þou fro wele / art falle in wrecchednesse ¶ The ende of this caityf / was as I shal seye his foomen maden a feste / vp-on a day And maden him as here fool / bifore hem pleye And this was in a temple / of gret array But atte laste / he mad a foul affray ffor he two pilers shoke / & made hem falle And doun fel temple & al / and there it lay And slow himself / & eke his foomen alle ¶ This is to seyn / the Princes euerychon And eke thre thousand bodies / were there slayn with fallyng of the gret temple / of ston Of Sampson / now wol I no more sayn Beth war by this ensample / old and playn That no men telle here counseil / to here wyues Of swich thyng / as they wolde han secree fayn If þat it touche / here lymes / or here lyues [Hercules.] ¶ Of hercules / the Souereigne conquerour¶ Hercules Syngyn hise werkes laude / & heigh renoun ffor in his tyme / of strengthe he was the flour he slow & raft the skyn / fro the leoun he of Centaures / leide the boost a-doun he Arpies slow / the cruel briddes felle he goldene Apples reft / of the dragoun he drow out Cerberus the hound / of helle ¶ he slow the cruel tyraunt / Busirus And mad his hors / to frete him flessh & bon he slow the firy serpent / venimus Of Achilois hornes two / he brak oon And he slow Cakus / in a kaue of ston he slow the Geaunt / Anthous the stronge he slow the grisly Boor / and that a-noon And bar the heuene / on his nekke long¶ id est diu ¶ was neuere wight / sithe þat the world bigan That slow so manye monstres / as dide he Thurgh-out this wyde world / his name ran what for his strengthe / & for his heigh bounte And euery rewme / went he for to se he was so stronge / þat no man myght him lette At bothe the worldles endes / seith Trophee¶ Ille vates chalde|orum tropheus. In stide of boundes / he a piler sette ¶ A lemman hadde / this noble champion That hight Dyanira / as fressh as May And as theise Clerkes / maken mencion She hath him sent a shert / fressh and gay Allas this sherte / allas & weyleway Envenymed was / so sotilly with-alle That or þat he had wered it / half a day It made his flessh / al from his bones falle ¶ But nathelees / some clerkes hire excusen By oon þat hight nessus / that it maked Be as be may / I wol hire nought accusen But oon his bak / the shert he wered al naked Til þat his flessh / was for the venym blaked And whan he sey / noon other remedye In hote coles / he hath him seluen raked ffor with no venym / deigned him to dye ¶ Thus starf / this worthy myghty Hercules loo / who may troste / on fortune any throwe ffor him þat folweth / al this world of prees Or he be war / is oft I-leid ful lowe fful wys is he / that can him seluen knowe Beth war / for whan þat fortune list to glose Thanne wayteth she / hire man to ouerthrowe By suche a wey / as he wolde leest suppose [Nebuchadnezzar.] ¶ The myghty trone / the precious tresor¶ Nabugodonosor The gloriouse ceptre / and real maiestee That hadde the kyng / Nabugodonosor with tonge vnethe / may descryued be he twies wan Ierusalem / the Citee The vesselles of the temple / he with him ladde At Babiloyne / was his souereyne see In which his glorie / and his delit he hadde ¶ The fairest children / of the blood real Of Israel / he let do gelde a-noon And maked eche of hem / to ben his thral A-monges othere / Danyel was oon That was the wysest child / of euerychon ffor he the dremes / of the kyng expouned where as in Chadeie / clerk ne was þere noon That wist to what fyn / hise dremes souned ¶ This proude kyng / let make a statue of gold Sexti cubites long / & seuene in brede To which ymage / he bothe ȝong and old Comaunded to loute / and haue in drede Or in a furneys / ful of flaumbes rede he shal be brent / þat wolde nought obeye But neuere wolde assent / to that dede Danyel / ne his ȝonge felawes tweye ¶ This kyng of kynges / proud was & elat he wende that god / þat sit in mageste Ne myght him nat byreue / of his estat But sodeynly / he loost his dignetee And like a beest / him semed for to be And ete hey as an oxe / & lay there oute In reyn with wylde beestes / walked he Til certeyne tyme / was I-come a-boute ¶ And like an Egles fetheres / wex his heres His nayles lyke / a briddes clawes were Til god relesed him / a certeyne ȝeres And ȝaf him wyt / & thanne with many a tere he thanked god / & euere his lyf in fere was he / to don amys / or more trespace And til þat tyme / he leyd was oon his bere he knew þat god / was ful of myght & grace [Belshazzar.] ¶ his sone / which þat hight / Balthasar¶ Balthasar That helde the regne / after his fadres day he by his fader / coude nought by war ffor proud he was of herte / & of array And eke an ydolastre / was he ay his heigh estat / assured him in pride But fortune kest him doun / & þere he lay And sodeynly his regne / gan dyuyde ¶ A feste he made / vn-to his lordes alle vppon a tyme / & made hem blithe be And thanne his officers / gan he calle Goth bryngeth forth / the vesseles quod he which þat my fader / in his prosperitee Out of the temple of Ierusalem / biraft And to oure heighe goddes / thanke we Of honour þat oure eldres / with vs laft ¶ His wyf / his lordes / & hise concubynes Ay dronken / while here appetites laste Out of þeise noble vesseles / sondry wynes And oon a wal / this kyng his eyen caste And sey an hand / armlees / þat wroot ful faste ffor fere of which / he quoke & siked sore This hand þat Balthasar / so sore a-gaste wroot / mane techel phares / & no more ¶ In al þat lond / Magicien was noon That coude expoune / what þis lettre mente But Danyel / expouned it a-noon And seide kyng / god to thy fader sente Glorie & honour / regne / tresor / Rente And he was proud / & nothyng god ne dradde And þerfore / god / gret wreche vp-oon him sente And him bireft / the regne that he hadde ¶ He was out cast / of mannes compaignye with Asses / was his habitacion And ete hey as a beest / in wete & drye Til þat he knew by grace / & by reson That god of heuene / hath domynacion Ouer euery regne / and euery creature And þanne had god / of him compassion And him restored his regne / & his figure ¶ Eke þou þat art his sone / art proud also And knowest alle þeise thynges / verrely And art rebel to god / and art his foo Thow drank eke of hise vessels / boldely Thy wyfe eke / and þine wenches synfully Dronke of the same vesselles / sondry wynes And heriest false goddes / cursedly Therfore to the / I-shapen / ful gret peyne is ¶ This hand was sent fro god / þat oon the wal wroot / Mane thechel phares / truste me Thy regne is don / þou weyest nought at al Dyuyded is thy regne / and it shal be To Medes and Perses / I-ȝeuen quod he And thilke same nyght / this kyng was slawe And Darius occupieth his degree Though he þer-to had / neiþer right ne lawe ¶ Lordynges ensample / her-by moun ȝe take how þat in lordship / is no sykernesse ffor whan fortune / wil a man forsake She bereth a-wey his regne / & his richesse And eke hise frendes / bothe more & lesse ffor what man þat hath frendes / thurgh fortune Mishap / wyl mak hem enemys / I gesse This prouerbe is ful soth / & ful comune [Zenobia.] ¶ Cenobia / of Palymerie Quene¶ Cenobia As wryten Persiens / in here noblesse So worthy was in armes / & so kene That no wight passed hire / in hardynesse Ne in lynage / ne in other gentillesse Of kynges blod of Perce / is she descended I sey nat / þat she had / moost fairestnesse But of hire shap / she myght nat ben amended ¶ ffrom hire childhode / I fynde þat she fledde Office of wommen / and to wode she went And many a wylde hertes blood / she shedde With arwes brode / þat she to hem sente She was so swift / þat she a-noon hem hente And whan þat she was eldre / she wolde kille Leones / lepardes / and Beres al-to-rente And in hire armes / welde hem at hire wille ¶ She durste / wilde Bestes dennes / seke And rennen in the Mountaignes / al the nyght And slepe vnder the Bussh / & she coude eke wrastlen by verrey force / and verry myght with any ȝonge man / were he neuere so wyght There myght no thyng / in hire armes stonde She kept hire maydenhode / from euery wight To no man deigned hire / for to be bonde ¶ But atte laste / hire frendes han hire maried To Onedake / a Prince of that contree Al were it so / þat she hem longe taried And ȝe shuln vnderstonde / how that he hadde suche fantasies / as hadde she But nathelees / whan they were knytte in fere¶ id est simul They lyued in ioye / and in felicitee ffor ech of hem had other / lief & dere ¶ Saue oo thyng / þat she wolde neuere assent By no wey / þat he shulde by hire lye But oones / for it was hire pleyn entent To haue a child / the world to multiplie And also sone / as þat she myght espie That she was nat with childe / with þat dede Thanne wold she suffre him / done his fantasie Eft sone / and nat but ones / out of drede ¶ And if she were with childe / at thilke kast No more shulde he pleyen / thilke game Til fully fourty dayes / weren past Thanne wolde she ones suffre him / do the same Al were this Onedake / wylde or tame he gat no more of hire / for thus she seide It was to wyues / leccherie and shame In other cas / if that men with hem pleide ¶ Two sons / by this Onedak / had she The which she kept in vertu / and lettrure But now / vn-to oure tale / turne we I sey / so worshipful a creature And wys ther-with / & large with mesure So penyble in the werre / & curteis eke Ne more labour myght / in werre endure Was none / though al this world men shulde seke ¶ hire riche aray / ne myght nat be tolde As wel in vessel / as in hire clothynge She was al clad / in perry / and in golde And eke she left nought / for non huntynge To haue of sondry tonges / ful knowynge whan þat she leiser hadde / & for to entende To lerne bookes / was al hire likynge how she in vertu / myght hire lyf despende ¶ And shortly / of this storie / for to trete So doughty was hire housbond / & eke she That they conquered / many regnes grete In the orient / with many a fair Citee Appertenaunt / vn-to the Magestee Of Rome / & with strong hond / held hem ful faste Ne neuere myght here foomen / don hem flee Ay / whil that Onedakes dayes / laste ¶ Here batailles / who so list hem for to rede Ageyn Sapor the kyng / & othere moo And how þat al this processe / fel in dede why she conquered / & what title þer-to And after of hire myschef / & hire woo How þat she was byseged / and I-take lat him / vn-to my Maister / Petrak go That wryt I-now / of this / I vndertake ¶ Whan Onedake was ded / she myghtily The Regnes helde / & with hire propre honde Ageyns hire foos / she faught so cruelly That there nas kyng / ne Prince / in al þat lond That he nas glad / if he þat grace fond That she ne wolde / vp-on his land verreye with hire they made / alliaunce / by bonde To ben in pees / and lete hire ride & pleye ¶ The Emperour of Rome / Claudyus Ne him biforn / the Romayn Galien Ne dursten neuere / ben so corageous Ne noon Ermyn / ne noon Egipcien Ne Surrien / ne non Arrabien with-Inne the feldes / that durst with hire fight leest þat she wolde hem / with hire handes slen Or with hire meyne / putten hem to flight ¶ In kynges habite / wente hire sones two As Eyres / of here fadres Regnes alle And Heremanno and Thymalao here names were / as Persiens hem calle But ay fortune hath / in hire hony / galle This myghty Quene / may no while endure ffortune / out of hire regne / mad hire falle To wrecchednesse / and to mysauenture ¶ Aurelian / whan that the gouernance Of Rome / come in-to handes tweye he shope vp-on this Quene / to do vengeaunce And with hise legions / he toke his weye Toward Cenobie / & shortly for to seye he mad hire flee / and atte laste hire hente And fettred hire / and eke hire children tweye And wan the lond / & home to Rome he wente ¶ Amonges othere thynges / þat he wan hire Char / that was / with gold wrought / & perre This gret Romayn / this Aurelian hath with him ladde / for þat men shulde it se Biforn his Triumphe / walketh she with gilt cheynes / on hire nekke hangynge Corovned was she / as after hire degree And ful of Perre / charged hire clothynge ¶ Allas fortune / she that whilom was Dredful to kynges / and to Emperoures Now gaureth al the peeple / on hire / allas And she þat helmed was / in stark stoures And by force / wan Tovnes stronge / and Toures Shal on hire hed now / were a vitrymyte And she þat bar the Ceptre / ful of floures Shal bere a distaf / hire cost for to quyte[In the MS. lines 3653-3956 come here.] [Peter the Cruel, of Spain.][In the MS. lines 3565 to 3652 come after line 3956.]on leaf 186, back ¶ O noble / o worthy Petre / glorie of spayne¶ Petro whom fortune helde / so heigh in mageste wel oughten men / thy pytous deth compleyne Out of thy lond / thy brother mad the flee And after at a Sege / by sotiltee . . . . .a line blank in the MS. where as he / with his owen hand slow the Succedyng in thy regne / & in thy rente ¶ The felde of snow / with the Egle of blak þere-Inne kaught with the lyme rod / coloured as the glede he breweth this cursednesse / & al this synne The wykked nest / was wirker of this nede Nought Charles / Olyuer / þat toke ay hede Of trouthe & honour / but of Armorike Genylon / Olyuer / corrupt for mede Brought this worthy knyght / in swich a brike [Peter of Cyprus.] ¶ O worthy Petro / kyng of Cipre also¶ Petro That Alisaundre wan / by heigh maistrie fful many an hethen / wroughtestow ful woo Of which thyne owne lieges / hadden envye And for no thyng / but for thy Chyualrie They in thy bed / han slayn the by the morwe Thus kan fortune / hire whel gouerne & gye And out of ioye / brynge men to sorwe [Bernabo Visconti, of Milan.] ¶ Of Melan / gret Barnabo / viscounte¶ Barnabo God of delit / and skourge of lumbardie Why shulde I nought / thyn Infortune Acompte Sithe in estat / þou clombe were so heighe Thy brothers sone / þat was thy double allye ffor he thy nevew was / & sone in lawe with-Inne his prison / made the to dye But why / ne how not I / þat þou were slawe [Ugolino, Count of Pisa.] ¶ Of the Erl Hugelyn / of Piȝe the langour¶ Hugelyn There may no tonge tellen / for pitee But litel out of Piȝe / stant a Tour In which Tour / in prison put was he And with him ben / hise litel children three The eldest skarsely / fyue ȝer was of age Allas fortune / it was gret crueltee swich Briddes / for to putte / in swich a cage ¶ Dampned was he / to dye in þat prison ffor Roger / which þat Busshop was / of Piȝe had on him mad / a fals suggestion Thurgh which the peeple / gan vp-oon him rise And putten him to prison / in swich wyse As ȝe han herd / & mete & drynk he hadde So smal / that wel vnethe / it may suffise And ther-with-al / it was ful poore & badde ¶ And oon a day bifel / that in that houre whan þat his mete / wont was to be brought The Gayler shette the dores / of the Tour he herd it wel / but he spak right nought And in his herte / a-noon þere fel a thought That they for honger / wolde don him dyen Allas quod he / allas þat I was wrought There-with the teres / fellen from hise eyen ¶ his ȝonge sone / þat thre ȝer was of age vn-to him seide / fader / fader / why do ȝe wepe whan wyl the gailler / bryngen oure potage Is þere no mussel bred / that ȝe do kepe I am so hungry / that I may nat slepe Now wolde god / þat I myght slepen euere Thanne shulde nought hunger / in my wombe crepe There is no thyng but bred / þat me were leuere ¶ Thus day by day / this child bygan to crie Til in his his fadres barm / a-doun it lay And seide / fare wel fader / I mot dye And kist his fader / & dyed the same day And whan the wooful fader / ded it say ffor woo / hise armes two / he gan to byte And seide allas fortune / and weylaway Thy false whel / my woo al may I wyte ¶ Hise children wend / þat it for hunger was That he hise armes gnow / & nat for woo And seiden fader / do nat so allas But rathere ete the flessh / vp-oon vs two Oure flessh þou ȝaf vs / take oure flessh vs froo And ete I-now / right thus / þei to him seide And after þat / with-Inne a day or two The leide hem in his lappe a-doun / & deide ¶ him-self dispeired eke / for hunger starf Thus ended is / this myghty Erl of Pise ffrom heigh estat / fortune a-way him karf Of this tragedye / it ought I-now suffise who so wol heere it / in a lengere wyse Redeth the grete Poete / of ytaille That hight Daunt / for he can it al deuyse ffro poynt to poynt / nat oo word wil he faille[In the MS. lines 3957, etc., follow here.] [Nero.][In the MS. lines 3653 to 3956 follow after line 3564.] ¶ Al-though tha[t] Nero / were vicious¶ De Nerone As any fend / þat lith ful lowe a-doun Ȝet he / as telleth vs / Swetoneus This wilde world / had in subieccion Both Est and West / North & semptrion Of Rubies saphires / & of Perles white were alle hise clothes breided / vp & doun ffor he in gemmes / gretly gan delite ¶ More delicat / more pompous of array More proud / was neuere Emperour / than he That ilke cloth / þat he had wered oo day After þat tyme / he nolde it neuere see Nettes of gold thred / had he gret plentee To fisshe in Tybre / whan him liste pleye hise lustes were as lawe / in his degree ffor fortune as his frend / him wolde obeye ¶ he Rome Brende / for his delicasie The senatours he slew / vp-on a day To here how þat men / wolde wepe & crye And slow his brother / & by his suster lay his Moder mad he / in pitous array ffor he hire wombe slitte / to be-holde where he conceyued was / so weylaway That he so litel / of his moder tolde ¶ No tere / ouȝt of his eyen / for þat sighte Ne com / but seide / a fair womman was she Gret wonder is / how þat he coude or myghte Be domesman / of hire dede beaute The wyn to bryngen him / comaunded he And drank a-noon / non oþer woo he made whan myght is ioyned / vn-to crueltee¶ Nota Allas to depe / wol the venym wade ¶ In ȝouthe / a maister / had this Emperour To teche him lettrure / and curteisie ffor of moralitee / he was the flour As in his tyme / but if bookes lye And whil this maister / had of him maistrie he maked him so konnynge / & so souple That longe tyme it was / þat or tyrannye Or any vice durste / in him vncouple ¶ This Seneka / of which that I deuyse By-cause Nero hadde of him / swich drede ffor he fro vices / wolde him ay chastise Discretly as by word / and nat be dede Sire wolde he seyn / an Emperour mot nede Be vertuous / and hate tirannye ffor which / he in a bath / made him to blede On bothe hise armes / til he muste dye ¶ This Nero had eke / of a Custemaūnce In ȝouthe / a-geyns his maister / for to ryse which afterward / him þoughte a gret greuaunce Therfore he made him dyen / in this wyse But nathelees / this Seneka / this wyse Ches in a bathe / to dye in this manere Rathere than han / a-nother turmentrie And thus hath Nero / slayn / his maister dere ¶ Now fel it so / that fortune list no lengere The heye pride / of Nero to cherice ffor though þat he was strong / ȝet was she strengere She thoughte thus / by god I am to nyce To sette a man / that is fulfilled of vice In hey degree / and Emperour him calle By god / out of his Sete / I wol him trice whan he leest weneth / sonest shal he falle ¶ The peeple roos vp-on him / on a nyght ffor his defaute / and whan he it espied Out at his doores / a-noon he hath him dight Allone / and there he wende / han ben allied he knokked faste / and ay the more he cried The fastere shette they / here doores alle Tho wiste he wel / he hadde him self mys-gyed And went his wey / no lengere durst he calle ¶ The peeple criede / and rombled vp & doun That with hise Eres / herd he how they seide Where is this fals tyraunt / this Neron ffor fere almost / out of his wyt he breide And to hise goddes / pitously he preyde ffor socour / but it myght nought betide ffor drede of this / him þought þat he deyde And ran in-to a Gardyne / him to hide ¶ And in this Gardyne / fond he cherles tweye That setyn by a fir / gret and red And to theise cherles / he gan to preye To slen him / & to girden of his hed That to his body / whan þat he were ded were no despite I-don / for his deffame him self he slow / he coude no bettre red Of which / fortune lough / & hadde a game [Holofernes.] ¶ was neuere capitaigne / vnder a kyng¶ De Oliferno That Regnes moo / putte in subieccioun Ne strengere was in feld / of alle thyng As in his tyme / ne gretter of renoun Ne more pompous / in heigh presumpcion Than Olyferne / which fortune ay kiste So lykerously / & ladde him vp & doun Til that his hed was of / or that he wiste ¶ Nat oonly þat this world / had him in awe ffor lesynge of richesse / or libertee But made euery man / reneye his lawe Nabugodonosor / was god / seide he Noon other god / shulde adhoured be Ageyns this hest / no wyght dar trespace Saue in Bethulya / a strong Citee¶ Et fecerunt filii Israell secundum quod constituerat eis sacerdos domi|ni Eliachim; where Eliachym / a Preest was / of þat place ¶ But take kepe of the deth / of Oliferne A-mydde his oost / he dronke lay a nyght with-Inne his tent / large as is a berne And ȝet for al his pompe / & al his myght Iudith a womman / as he lay vp-right Slepynge / his hed of smote / & from his tente fful pryuyly she stal / from euery wyght And with his hed / vn-to hire toun she wente [Antiochus.] ¶ what nedeth it / of king Anthiocus¶ De Anthioco illustri To telle / his heygh / real mageste his heigh pride / his werkes venimus ffor swich a-nother was þere noon / as he Rede which that he was / in Machabe And rede the proude / that he seide And why he fel / fro heigh prosperite And in an hil / how wrecchedly he deyde ¶ ffortune him hadde / enhaunced so in pride That verreyly / he wende he myghte atteyne Vn-to the sterres / vp-on euery syde And in balaunce weyghen / ech mounteigne And alle the floodes / of the see / restreyne And goddes peeple / had he moost in hate Hem wolde he sleen / in turment and in peyne wenyng þat god ne myghte / his pride abate ¶ And for þat Nichanor / and Thimothe with Iewes were / venquysshed myghtily Vn-to the Iewes / swich an hate had he That he bad / Greithe his Char / ful hastily And swor and seide / ful dispitously Vn-to Ierusalem / he wolde eft sone To wreke his Ire on hit / ful crewelly But of his purpos / he was lette ful sone ¶ God for his manace / him so sore smote With invisible wounde / ay incurable That in hise guttes / karf it so & bote That hise peynes / weren inportable And certeynly the wrecche / was vnresonnable ffor many a mannes guttes / did he peyne But from his purpos cursed / and dampnable ffor al his smert / he wolde him nat restreyne ¶ But bad a-noon / apparailen his oost And sodeynly / or he was of it war God daunted al his pride / and al his boost ffor he sore fil / out of his Char That it hise lymes / & his skin to-tar.id est lacerauit. So þat he neither / myght go ne ryde But in a Char / men a-boute him bar Al forbrused / bothe bak and syde ¶ The wreche of god / him smote so cruelly That thurgh his body / wykked wormes crepte And ther with al / he stank so horribly That noone of alle his meyne / þat him kepte Wheither so he woke / or elles slepte Ne myght nought the stynk / of him / endure In this myschief / he wayled and eke wepte And knew god / lord / of euery creature ¶ To al his oost / & to him self also fful wlatsom was the stynk / of his careyne No man ne myght him bere / to ne froo And in this stynk / & this orrible peyne he starf ful wrecchedly / in a Mounteigne Thus hath this robbour / & this homycide That many a man / made / to wepe & pleyne Swich gerdoun / as bilongeth vn-to pride [Alexander the Great.] ¶ The storie of Alexandre / is so comune¶ De Alex|andro. That euery wyght / þat hath discrecion hath herd somwhat / or al / of his fortune This wyde world / as in conclusion he wan by strengthe / or for his heigh renoun They were glad / for pees / vn-to him sende The pride of man and beest / he leide a-doun where so he come / vn-to the worldles ende ¶ Comparison / myght neuere ȝet be maked Bitwix him / and another Conquerour ffor al this world / for drede of him hath quaked he of knyghthode / and of fredome flour ffortune him maked / the Eyr of hire honour Saue wyn & wommen / no thyng myght a-swage his heigh entent / in armes and labour So was he ful / of leonyn corage ¶ what prys were it to him / though I ȝow tolde Of Darius / and an hundred thousand moo Of kynges / Princes / Dukes / Erles bolde which he conquered / & brought hem in-to woo I seye / as fer / as man may ride or go The world was his / what shulde I more deuyse ffor though I wryte / or told ȝow euere moo Of his knyghthode / it might nat suffise ¶ xij ȝer he regned / as seith Machabe Philippus sone / of Macedoyne he was That first was kyng / in Grece / the Contre O worthy gentil Alisandre / allas That euere shulde fallen / swich a kas Empoysenned / of thyne owen folk / þou were thy Sys fortune / hath turned in-to as And for the / ne wep she neuere / a teere ¶ who shal me ȝeue teres / to compleyne The deth of gentillesse / & of fraunchise That al this world welded / in his demeyne And ȝet him thoughte / it myghte nat suffise So ful was his corage / of hey emprise Allas who shal me helpe / to endyte ffalse fortune / & poyson to despise The which two / of al this woo / I wyte [Julius Cæsar.] ¶ By wysdom / manhed / and by gret labour¶ De Iulio Cesare ffram humble bedde / to real magestee vp ros he / Iulius / the Conquerour That wan al thoccident / by lond and see By strengthe of hond / or elles by tretee And vn-to Rome / made hem tributarie And sithe of Rome / the Emperour was he Til þat fortune / wex his aduersarie ¶ O myghty Cesar / that in Thessalie Ageyns Pompeus / fader thyn in lawe That of the Orient / had al the Chyualrie As fer as þat the day / bigynneth dawe Thow thurgh thy knyghthode / hast hem take & slawe Saue fewe folk / that with Pompeus fledde Thurgh which þou puttest / al thorient in awe Thanke fortune / that so wel the spedde ¶ But now a litel while / I wyl bywayle This Pompeus / this noble gouernour Of Rome / which þat fley at this bataille I seye / oon of his men / a fals traitour his hed of smot / to wynnen him fauour Of Iulius / and him the hed he brought Allas Pompeie / of thorient Conquerour That fortune / vn-to swich a fyn / the brought ¶ To Rome a-geyn / repaireth Iulius with his triumphe / lauriat ful heye But on a tyme / Brutus Cassius That euere hadde / of his hey estat / envye fful priuyly / hath made / Conspiracie Ageyns this Iulius / in sotile wyse And cast the place / in which he shulde deye with boydekyns / as I shal ȝow deuyse ¶ This Iulius / to the capitolie wente vp-on a day / as he was wont to gon And in the Capitolie / a-noon him hente This false Brutus / & hise othere foon And stryked him / with Boydekyns / a-noon with many a wounde / & thus they lete him lye But neuere grunt he / at no stroke / but oon Or elles at two / but if his storie lye ¶ So manly was this Iulius / of herte And so wel loued / estatly honeste That though hise dedly woundes / so sore smerte his mantel ouer hise hipes / caste he ffor no man shulde sen / his pryuete And as he lay of deyinge / in a traunce And wist verreily / that ded was he Of honeste / ȝat had he / remembraunce ¶ Lucan to the / this storie I recomende And to Sweton / and to valerius also That of the storie / wryten word and ende how þat theise grete / Conquerours two ffortune was first frend / and sithe a foo No man ne truste / vp-oon hire fauour longe But haue hire in a-wayte / for euer mo wytnesse on alle / theise Conquerours stronge [Cresus.] ¶ This riche Cresus / whilom kyng of lyde¶ Cresus Of whiche / Cresus Cirus / sore him drawe Ȝet was he kaught / a-myddes al his pride And to be brent / men to the fyr him ladde But such a reyn / down fro the walken shadde That it slow the fyr / & made to him escape But to be war / no grace ȝet he hadde Til fortune / on the galwes / made him gape ¶ Whan he eskaped was / he gan nat stynte ffor to begynne / a newe werre a-geyn he wende wel / for þat fortune him sente Swich hap / þat he eskaped thurgh the reyn That of his foos / he myghte nat be slayn And eke a sweuene / vp-oon a nyght he mette Of which he was so proud / & eke so fayn That in vengeaunce / he al his herte sette ¶ Vp-oon a tree he was / as þat him thoughte where Iupiter him wessh / bothe bak & syde And Phebus eke / a fair towayl him broughte To drye him with / & her-for wex his pride And to his doughter / þat stod him beside which þat he knew / in hey science habounde he bad hire telle him / what it signyfiede And she his drem / bygan right thus expounde ¶ The tree quod she / the galwes is to mene And Iuppiter bitokeneth / Snow & reyn And Phebus / with his towayle so clene Tho ben the Sonnes stremes / for to seyne Thow shalt an-hanged be / fader certeyne Reyn shal the wasshe / & sonne shal the drye Thus warned him ful plat / & ful pleyne his doughter / which þat called was / Phanye ¶ An-hanged was Cresus / the proude kyng His real trone / myght him nought a-vaille Tragedi es / noon other maner thyng Ne can in syngynge / crie ne bywaille But for þat fortune / alday wol assaille with vnwar strok / the Regnes þat ben proude ffor whan men trosten hire / than wyl she faille And keuere hire bright face / with a cloude[In the MS. lines 3565 to 3652 follow here.] ¶ Here endeth the Monkes Tale / de casibus virorum Illustrium[This colophon and lines 3957, etc., come after line 3652 in the MS. at the foot of page 1 of leaf 187.] Here bigynneth the Prologe of the Nonnes Prest / HOo quod the knyght / good sire no more of this That ȝe han seid / is right I-now I-wys And mochel more / for litel heuynesse Is right I-now / for mechil folk I gesse I seye for me / it is a gret dissese where as men han ben / in gret welthe & ese To heren of here sodeyn fal / allas And the contrarie is ioye / & gret solas As whan a man hath ben / in poure estat And clymbeth vp / and wexeth fortunat And there abydeth / in prosperitee Swich thyng is gladsom / as it thynketh me And of swich thyng / were goodly for to telle ȝa quod oure hoost / by seynt Poules belle ȝe seye right soth / this Monke he clappeth loude he spak how fortune / couered was with a cloude I not neuere what / and als of a tragedie Right now ȝe herde / and parde no remedie Is it / for to be-wayllen / ne compleyne Thatid quod þat is don / and als it is a peyne As ȝe han seide / to heere of heuynesse Sire Monke no more of this / so god ȝow blisse Ȝoure tale a-noyeth / al this compaignye Swich thyng is nat worth / a boterflye ffor þere-Inne is ther[? MS. cher] / no disporte ne game wherfore sire Monke / o daun Piers by thy name I preye ȝow hertily / telle vs som-what elles ffor sikerly / nere clynkyng of ȝoure belles That oon ȝoure bridel hange / oon euery syde By heuene kyng / þat for vs alle dyde I shulde er this / haue fallen doun for slepe Al-though the slough / had neuere ben so depe Thanne had ȝoure tale / al ben tolde in veyn ffor certeynly / as þat theise Clerkes seyn where as a man / may haue noon audience Nat helpeth it / to tellen his sentence And wel I woot / the substaunce is in me If any thyng / shal wel reported be Sire seye somwhat / of huntyng I ȝow preye ¶ Nay quod this Monke / I haue no lust to pleye Now lat a-nother telle / as I haue tolde Thanne spak oure hoost / with rude speche & bolde And seide vn-to the Nonnes preest / a-noon[Dd. 4. 24 leaf 188 gone.] [Com nere þou preest/ com hider þou sir IohnEgerton 2726, on leaf 209 Tell vs soch thyng/ as may our hertes glade Be blythe / þough þou ride / vp-on a Iade / What þough thyn hors / be both foule and lene Yf he woll serue the rek nat a bene/. loke that thyn hert be mery euermoo/ Yis sir koth he / yis hoost so mot I goo/ But I be mery / I-wis I woll be blamed And right anoon his tale he hath attamed And þus he seid / vn-to vs euerychone This swete preest/ this godely man sir Iohn Here endeth the prologe of þe Nonnes preest/ and begynneth his tale of þe Cok and þe HenEg. 2726, on leaf 209 Apoure widowe / somdele stope in age / was whilom dwellyng in a narow cotage Beside a grove stondyng/ in a dale This widow / of which I tell you my tale Sen thilk day þat she was laft a wyf In pacience ledde a symple lyf ffor litle was hir catell and hir rent By housbondry / of which as god hir sent She fonde hir self and eke doughtren two iij large sowes hade she / and no mo / Thre keen / and eke a Shepe that hight Mall ffull soty was hir boure / and eke hir hall In which she ete / full many a sklendre mele Of poynaunt sauce / knewe she neuer a dele/ No deyntee mossell / passed þurgh hir throte Hir diette was accordyng / to hir cote Replexion ne made hir neuer sike Attempre diet / was all hir phisike/ And exersice / and hertly suffisaunce/ The goute letted hir nought for to daunce No wyn drank she / neither white ne rede/ Ne apoplexie shent nat hir hede/ hir borde was serued most / with white and blak Mylk / and broun brede / in which she fonde no lak Seynd Bacon and som tyme an eye or tweye ffor she was / as it were / a maner deye A yerd she hade / enclosed all about with stykkes / and a drie diche without In which she hade a Cok hight Chauntcleer In all þat lond/ of crowyng/ nas his peer His vois was merier / þan þe mery orgon On masdaies / þat in chirche goon wele sikerer was his crowyng in his logge Than is a clok/ or ony Abbeyes orlogge By nature he knewe ecch assencion Of the equynoxiall / in þat toun ffor whan degrees .xv. were assended. Than crue he / þat it myght nat be amended His combe / was redder / þan þe fyn corall And bateld / as it were a Castell wall His bill was blak / and as þe geet it shone like asure were his legges / and his tone His nailes whitter þan þe lilly flour And like the burned gold was his colour This gentill Cok / hade in his gouernaunce .vij. hennes for to do all his plesaunce which weren his susters / and his paramours And wonder like to him / as of colours Of which / þe fairest hewed on hir throte Was cleped faire damysell Partelote / He fethered hir / an hundred tyme a day And she hym pleseth / all þat euer she may Curteys she was / discrete and debonair[? spurious] And compynable / and bare hir self so fair[? spurious] Sen thilk day / þat she was .vij. nyght old That truely she hath / þe hert/ in hoold Of Chauntecleer / loken in euery lyth He loued hir so / þat wele was hym þere-with/ Bot soch a Ioye was it / to here hem syng whan þat þe bright son / gan to spryng In swete accorde / my lief is fair in lond ffor thilk tyme / as I have vnderstond Bestes and birdes / kouden speke and syng And so byfell / that in a dawenyng As Chauntcleer / amonges his wyfes all Sat on his perche / þat was in þe hall And next hym sate / þis feir partelote This Chauntcleer gan grone in his throte / As man þat is in dreme / drecched sore And whan þat Partelote / þus herd hym rore / She was a-gaast and seid hert dere][Egerton 2726 ends] what eyleth ȝow to grone / in this manere ȝe ben a verrey slepere / fy for shame And he answerde / and seide thus / Madame I preye ȝow / that ȝe take it nat a grief By god me mette / I was in swich meschief Right now / þat ȝet myn herte / is sore a-fright Now god quod he / my sweuene recche a-right And kepe my body / out of foule prisoun ¶ Me mette how that I romed / vp and doun¶ Dreem with-Inne oure ȝerd / where as I saugh a beest was lyke an Hound / & wolde han mad a-reest vp-on my body / and an had me deed his colour was bitwexe / ȝelew and reed And tipped was his tail / & bothe hise Erys with blak / vnlike the remenaunt of hise heris his snoute was smal / with glowyng eyen tweye Ȝet for his look / for fere al-moost I deye This caused me / my gronyng doutelees ¶ A voy quod she / fy oon ȝow hertelees Allas quod she / for by þat god a-boue Now han ȝe loost myn herte / & al my loue I can nought loue a Coward / by my feith ffor certes / what so any womman seith we alle desyren / if it myght be To han an housbonde / hardy wys & free And secree / & no nygard / ne no fool Ne him þat is a-gast / of euery tool Ne noon auentour / by þat god a-boue how dursten ȝe for shame / seye to ȝoure loue That any thyng / myght make ȝow a-ferd han ȝe no mannes herte / and han a berd Allas / and konne ȝe ben a-gast of sweuenys No thyng god wot / but vanytee in sweuene is Sweuenes ben engendred / of replexiouns And ofte of fume / and of complexiouns Whan humours ben to habundaunt / in a wyght Certes this drem / which ȝe han met to-nyght Cometh of the gret / superfluytee Of ȝoure rede Colera / parde which causeth folk / to dredyn in here dreemes Of arwes and of fyr / with rede lemes Of rede beestes / that they wol hem byte Of contekes and of waspes / grete and lyte Right as the humour / of malencolie Causeth many a man / in sleep to crie ffor fere of Blake Beres / or Booles blake Or elles blake deueles / þat wole hem take Of othere humours / coude I telle also That werken many a man / is sleep ful woo But I wol passe / as lightly as I can lo Caton which / þat was so wys a man Seide ne nat thus / ne do no fors of dremes Now sire quod she / whan we flee fro theise bemes ffor goddes loue / as take som laxatyf vp peril of my soule / and of my lyf I counseil ȝow the beste / I wol nat lye That bothe of colour / and of malencolie ȝe purge ȝow / and for ȝe shuln nat tarie Though in this toun / is noon Appotocarie I shal my self / to herbes techen ȝow That shal be for ȝoure ese / & for ȝoure prow And in oure ȝerd / the Erbes shal I fynde The which han / of here proprete / by kynde To purgen ȝow bynethe / and eke a-boue Sire forȝete nat this / for goddes loue ȝe ben ful colerik / of complexioun war that the sonne / in his assencioun Ne fynde ȝow nat / replet / of humours hote And if it do / I dar wel leye a grote That ȝe shuln han / a feuere terciane Or an agu / which þat may be ȝoure bane A day or two / ȝe shuln han degestyues Of wormes / or ȝe take ȝoure laxatyues Of lauriol / centaure / and fumetere Or elles of ellebor / that groweth there Of Catapuce / or of gait-Rys beries Of herbe yue / growyng in oure ȝerd / þere merie is Pikke hem right as they growe / and ete hem In Beth merie housbonde / for ȝoure fader kyn Dredeth no dreem / I can sey ȝow no more ¶ Madame quod he / graund mercy of ȝoure lore But nathelees / as touchyng daun Catoun That hath of wysdom / swich a gret renoun Though þat he bad / no dremes for to drede By god men moun / in olde bookes rede Of many a man / more of auctoritee Than euere Catoun / was / so moot I the That al the reuers seyn / of his sentence And han wel founden / by experience That dremes ben / significaciouns As wel of ioye / as tribulaciouns That folk enduren / in this lyf present There nedeth make of this / noon argument The verray preeue / sheweth it in dede Oon of the grettest auctour / that men rede¶ Tullius Seith thus / þat whilom tweye felawes wente On pilgrimage / in a ful good entente And happed so / þat they cam in a toun where there was swich / a congregacioun Of peeple / and eke so streyt / of herbergage That they ne founde / as moche as a cotage In which they myght / I-logged be wherfore they musten / of necessite As for þat nyght / departen compaignye And ech of hem gooth / to his hostelrie And took his loggynge / as it wolde falle That oon of hem was logged / in a stalle ffer in a ȝerd / with Oxen of the plow That oþer man was logged / wel y-now As was his auenture / or his fortune That vs gouerneth / as in comune ¶ And so bifel / þat longe or it was day This man mette in his bed / þere as he lay how þat his felawe / gan vp-oon him calle And seide allas / for in an Oxes stalle This nyght I shal be mordred / þere I lye Nowe helpe me dere brother / or I dye In alle haste / come to me he seyde This man out of his sleep / for fere abreyde But whan þat he was wakned / of his sleep he turned him / & took of this no keep him thought his dreem / nas but a vanytee Thus twyes in his sleep / dremed he And at the thridde tyme / ȝet his felawe Cam as him þought / & seide / I am now slawe Byholde my bloody woundes / depe & wyde Arys vp erly / in the morwe tyde And at the west gate / of the Toun quod he A carte ful of donge / þere shalt þou se In which my body is hid / ful preuyly Do thilke carte aresten / boldly My gold caused my mordre / soth to seyn And told him euery poynt / how he was slayn with a ful pytous face / pale of hewe And trosteth wel / this dreem he fond ful trewe ffor oon the morwe / as sone as it was day To his felawes In / he took his way And whan þat he cam / to this Oxes stalle After his felawe / he bygan to calle The hostiler answered him / a-noon And seide sire / ȝoure felawe is a-gon As sone as day / he went out of the Toun This man gan fallen / in suspeccioun Remembryng on hise dreemes / þat he mette And forth he gooth / no lengere wold he lette vn-to the west gate of the toun / and fond A dong cart / went for to donge lond That was arrayed / in the same wyse As ȝe han herd / the dede man deuyse And with an hardy herte / he gan to crie vengiaunce and iustice / of this felonye My felawe murdred is / this same nyght And in this Carte he lith / gapyng vp-right I crie out on the Ministres / quod he That shulden kepe & reule / this Citee Harrow allas / heere lith my felawe slayn what shulde I more / vn-to this tale seyn The peeple out stirte / & cast the cart to grounde And in the myddel of the donge / they founde The dede man / þat murdrid was al newe ¶ O blisful god / þat art so iust and trewe loo how þat þou bywreyest / murdre alway Murdre wol out / that se we day by day Murdre is so wlatsom / & abhomynable To god / that it so iust and resonable That he ne wol nat suffre it / heled be Though it abyde / a ȝer or two or three Murdre wol out / this is my conclusioun And right a-noon / Mynistres of the toun hant hent the Carter / and so sore him pyned And eke the Hosteler / so sore engyned That þei be-knew / here wykkednesse a-noon And were an-hangid / by the nekke boon Heere moun men se / that dreemes be to drede And certes in the same book / I rede Right in the next chapitre / after this I gabbe nat / so haue I ioye or blys ¶ Two men / þat wolde han passed ouer the see ffor certeyn cause / in-to fer contree If þat the wynd / ne had be contrarie That made hem in a Citee / for to tarie That stood ful merye / vp-oon an hauene syde But on a day / a-geyn the Eue tyde The wynd gan chaunge / & blew right as hem leste Iolyf and glad / they went vn-to here reste And casten hem ful erly / for to seyle But to that oo man / fel in gret merveille ¶ That oon of hem / in slepynge as he lay him mette a wonder dreem / a-geyn the day him þought a man stood / by his beddes syde And him comaunded / that he shulde a-byde And seide him thus / if þou to-morwe wende Thow shalt be dreynt / my tale is at an ende he wook & told his felawe / what he mette And preyed him / his viage to lette As for that day / he preyed him to abyde his felawe that lay / by his beddes syde Gan for to laughe / & skorned him ful faste No dreem quod he / may so myn herte agaste That I wol lette / for to do myne thynges I sette nat a strawe / by my dremynges ffor sweuenes ben but vanitees / & iapes Men dreme alday / of Oules & of Apes And eke of many a mase / ther-with-al Men dreme of thyng / þat neuere was ne shal But sithe I se / þat þou wolt heere abide And thus forsleuthen / wilfully thy tyde God woot it reweth me / and haue good day And thus he took his leue / & went his way But or that he / had half his cours I-seyled Noot I nat why / ne what meschaunce it eyled But casuely / the shippes bottum rente And ship & man / vnder the water wente In sight of othere shippes / it by-syde That with hem seyled / at the same tyde And þerfor / faire Partelote so deere By swiche ensamples olde / maist þou leere That noman shulde be / to rechelees Of dreemes / for I sey the doutelees That many a dreeme / ful sore is for to drede ¶ loo in the lyf of seynt Kenhelm / I rede¶ De Rege Kenulpho That was kenulphus sone / the noble kyng Of Mertenrike / how kenelm mette a thyng A lite or he was mordred / on the day his mordre / in his auysion he say his Norice / him expouned euerydel his sweuene / & bad him for to kepe him wel ffro tresoun / but he nas but seuene ȝer old And þerfore / litel tale hath he told Of any dreem / so holy was his herte By god I hadde leuere / than my sherte That ȝe had red his legende / as haue I Dame Partelote / I seye ȝow trewely Macrobeus / that wryt the auysioun In Affrike / of the worthy Cipioun Affermeth dreemes / & seith þat they ben Warnynge of thynges / that men after sen ¶ And forþermore / I preye ȝow loketh wel In the olde testament / of Danyel If he helde dreemes / any vanytee ¶ Rede eke of Ioseph / & þere shuln ȝe see where dreemes ben somtyme / I seye nat alle warnyng of thynges / þat shuln after falle loke of Egipte / the kyng Daun pharaoo his Bakere / and his Boteler also wher they ne felt / noon effecte in Dreemes who so wol seke actes / of sondry Remes May rede of Dreemes / many a wondir thyng lo Cresus / which þat was / of lyde kyng Mette he nat / that he sat vp-oon a tree which signyfied / he shulde an-hanged be ¶ lo heere Andremacha / Ectoris wyf That day þat Ector / shulde lese his lif She dreemed / on the same nyght byforn how þat the lyf of Ector / shulde be lorn If thilke day he went / in-to bataille She warned him / but it myght nat a-vaille he went for to fight / nathelees But he was slayn a-noon of Achilles But thilke tale / is al to long to telle And eke it is ny day / I may nat dwelle Shortly I seye / as for conclusion That I shal han / of this auisioun Aduersitee / and I seye forthermoore That I ne telle / of laxatyues no store ffor they ben venemous / I woot it wel I hem deffye / I loue hem neuere a del ¶ Now late vs speke of myrthe / & sthynte al this Madame Partelote / so haue I blis Of oo thyng / god hath sent me / large grace ffor whan I se the beaute / of ȝoure face Ȝe ben so scarlet reed / a-boute ȝoure eyen It maketh al my drede / for to dyen [For as siker / as In principio[Egerton 2726, on leaf 213, bk. Not in Dd. 4. 24.] Mulier est Hominis confusio Madame þe sentence of þis latyn is womman is all my Ioye / and blis] And whan I fele a-nyght / ȝoure softe syde Al be it / that I may nat / on ȝow ryde ffor þat oure perche / is maad so narwe allas I am so ful of ioye / and of solas That I deffye / bothe sweuene and dreem And with that word / he fley doun fro the beem ffor it was day / and eke his hennes alle And with a chukke / he gan hem for to calle ffor he had founde a corn / lay in the ȝerd Real he was / he was no more a-ferd he fethered Pertelote / twenty tyme And tradde hire eke / as oft / er it was prime he loketh as it were / a grym leoun And on his toos / he rometh vp & doun him deyned nat to sette / his foot to grounde And chukketh / whan he hath / a corn I-founde And to him rennen thanne / his wyues alle Thus real / as a prince is / in his halle leue I this Chaunteclere / in his pasture And after wol I telle / his auenture ¶ Whan þat the monthe / in which the world bygan¶ Nota That highte Marche / whan god first maked man was complet / and I-passed were also Syn March bygan / thretty dayes & twoid est secundo die¶ Maii Bifel that Chauntecler / in al his pride his wyues seuene / walking him beside Caste vp his eyen / to the bright Sonne That in the signe of Taurus / hadde ronne Twenty degrees and oon / and somwhat more he knew by kynde / and by noon oþer loore That it was prime / and krew with blisful steuene The sonne he seide / is clomben vp on heuene ffourtyid est .xl degrees and oon / and more I-wys Madame Pertelote / my worldlis blys herkeneth theise blisful bryddes / how they synge And se the fresshe floures / how they sprynge fful is myn herte / of reuel and solas But sodeynly him fel / a sorweful caas ffor euere the lattere ende / of ioye / is woo¶ Nota Salamon God woot þat worldly ioye / is sone a-go And if a Rethor / coude faire endite he in a cronycle saufly / myght it wryte As for a souereyn / notabilitee Now euery wys man / lat him herkne me This storie is also trewe / I vndertake As is the book / of launcelot de lake That wommen holde / in ful gret reuerence Now wol I turne ageyn / to my sentence ¶ A Colfox ful of sly iniquytee That in the groue had woned / ȝeres three By hey ymaginacion / fore-cast The same nyght / thurgh-out the hegges brast In-to the ȝerd / there Chaunteclere the faire was wont / and eke his wyues to repaire And in a bed of wortes / stille he lay Til it was passed / vnderne of the day waytyng his tyme / on Chauntecleer to falle As gladly doon / theise homycides alle That in a-wayt liggen / to murdre men O false mordrour / liggyng in thy den O new scaryot / newe Gaenyloir ffals dissimilour / o greek Synoir That broughtest Troye / al vttirly to sorwe O Chaunteclere / accursed be the morwe That þou in-to þat ȝerd / flaugh / fro the beemes Thow were ful wel I-warned / by thy dreemes That thilke day / was perilous to thee But what þat god for-woot / mot nedes bee After the opynyoun / of certeyn clerkes wytnesse oon him / þat any parfyt Clerk is That in Scole / is gret altricacioun In this matere / and gret disputisioun And hath ben / of an hundred thousand men But I ne kan nat / bulte it to the bren As can the holy Doctour / Augustyn Or Boyce / or the Bysshop Bradwardyn wheither þat goddis worthy / fore-wetyng Streyneth me needly / for to doon a thyng Needly / clepe I / symple necessitee Or ellis if free chois / be grauntid me To doo þat same thyng / or do it nought Though god forn-woot it / or þat it was wrought Or if his wityng / streyneth neuere a del But by necessite / condicionel I wole nat han to done / of swich matere My tale is of the Cok / as ȝe may heere That took his counseil / of his wyf / with sorwe To walken in the ȝerd / vp-oon þat morwe That he had mette þat dreem / þat I ȝow tolde Wommens counseils / ben ful often colde Wommannes counseil / brought vs first to woo And made Adam / fro Paradys to goo There as he was ful merie / & wel at ese But for I not to whom / it myght displese If I counseil of wommen / wolde blame Passe ouer / for I seide it in my game Rede auctoures / ther they trete of swich matere And what they seyn of wommen / ȝe moun heere Theise ben the Cokkes wordes / & nat myne I kan noon harm / on no womman deuyne ¶ ffaire in the sond / to bathe myrily lith Pertelote / and hire sustres by Ageyne the sonne / and Chauntecler so free Sang meriere / than the Mermayde in the see ffor Phisiologus / seith sikirly how þat they syngen wel / and merily ¶ And so bifel / as þat he cast his eye A-mong the wortes / on a boterflye he was war of this fox / þat lay ful lowe No thyng / ne liste him thanne / for to crowe But cried a-noon / Kok / Cok / & vp he stirte As man þat was affraied / in his herte ffor naturely / a beest desireth flee ffrom his contrarie / if þat he may it se Though he neuere erst / had seen it / with his eye This Chauntecleer / whan he gan him espye He wolde han fled / but that the fox a-noon Seide / gentil sire allas / whider wol ȝe goon Be ȝe affrayed of me / that am ȝoure freend Now certes / I were worse than a feend If I to ȝow wolde harm / or vylanye I nam nat come / ȝoure counseil for to espie But trewely the cause / of my comyng was oonly for to herken / how þat ȝe syng ffor trewely ȝe han / as merie a steuene As any Aungel hath / þat is in heuene Ther-with ȝe han in Musyke / more felynge Than had Boice / or any þat can synge My lord ȝoure fader / god his soule blisse And eke ȝoure moder / of hire gentillesse han in myn hous I-ben / to my gret ese And certes sire / ful fayn wolde I ȝow plese But for men speke of syngynge / I wol seye So mote I brouke wel / myne eyen tweye Saue ȝe / I ne herd neuere / man so synge As dede ȝoure fader / in the morwenynge Certes it was of herte / al that he song And for to make his voys / the more strong he wolde so peyne him / þat with bothe hise eyen he muste wynke / so loude he wolde cryen And stonden on his tippton / ther-with-al And strecche forth his nekke / long & smal And eke he was / of swich discrecioun That þere nas noman / in no regioun That him in song or wysdam / myghte passe I haue wel red / in Daun Burnel the Asse Among his vers / how þat þere was a Cok That for a Preestes sone / ȝaf him a knok Vp-on his leg / whil he was ȝong & nyce He made him for to lese / his benefice But certyn þere is / no comparisoun Betwix the wysdom / & discrecioun Of ȝoure fader / and of his subtilitee Now syngeth sire / for seynt Charitee ¶ lat se / kan ȝe ȝoure fader countrefete This Chauntecler / his wenges gan to bete As man þat coude / his treson nat espie So was he rauysshed / with his flaterie Allas ȝe lordes / many a fals flaterour Is in ȝour court / and many a losengeour That plesen ȝow wel more / be my feith Than he that soothfastnesse / vn-to ȝow seith Redeth Ecclesiast / of flaterie Beth war ȝe lordes / of here trecherie ¶ This Chauntecler stod hye / vp-oon his toos Strecchynge his nekke / & held hise eyen cloos And gan to crowe loude / for the nones And daun Russel the fox / stirt vp at ones And by the gargat / hente Chauntecler And on his bak / vn-to the wode him beer ffor ȝet ne was þere no man / þat him sewid O destynee / þat may nat ben eschewed Allas that Chauntecler / fley fro the beemes Allas his wyf / ne roughte nat / of dreemes And on a friday / fel al this meschaunce ¶ O venus / þat art goddesse of plesaunce Syn þat thyn seruaunt / was this Chauntecleer And in thy seruyce / dyd al his power More for delyt / than world to multiplie Why woltow suffre him / on thy day to dye ¶ O Gaufreed / deere Maister souereyn That whan thy worthy kyng / Richard was slayn with shot compleynedest / his deeth so sore why ne had I now / thy science & thy lore The friday for to chide / as deden ȝe ffor on a friday soothly / slayn was he Than wolde I shewe how / þat I coude pleyne ffor Chauntecleres drede / & for his peyne Certes swich cry / ne lamentacion was neuere of ladies mad / whan ylion was wonne / & Pirrus with his streite swerd whan he had hente / kyng Priamus by the berd And slayn him / as seith vs Eneydes As maden alle the hennes / in the cloos whan they had seyn / of Chauntecleer the sighte But souereynly / Dame Pertelote shrighte fful loudere / than dede / hasdrubales wyf whan þat hire housbonde / hadde I-lost his lyf And þat the Romaynes / hadden brent Cartage She was so ful of turment / and of rage That wilfully / in-to the fyr she stirte And brent hire seluen / with a stedfast herte ¶ O wooful hennes / right so cryden ȝe As whan þat Nero / brente the Citee Of Rome / criden Senatoures wyues ffor þat here housbondes / losten alle here lyues with-outen gilt / this Nero hath hem slayn ¶ Now wol I turne / vn-to my tale a-geyn The sely wydewe / and eke hire doughtren two herden theise hennes crie / and maken woo And out at the dores / stirten they a-noon And seye the fox / to-ward the groue goon And bar vp-on his bak / the Cok a-way And criden out harrowe / & weylaway ha ha the fox / and after him they ran And eke with staues / many a-nother man Ran Colle oure dogge / and Talbot & gerland And Malkyn with a distaf / in hire hand Ran kow and kalf / and eke the verray hogges So feered for the berkyng / of the dogges And showtyng of the men / and wommen eke They ronne so / hem thought here hertes breke They ȝelleden as fendes / don in helle The Dokes criden / as men wolde hem quelle The Gees for fere / flowen ouer the trees Out of the hyue / kom the swarme of bees So hidous was the noise / A benedicitee Certes he Iakke straw / & his meyne Ne maden neuere shoutes / half so shille whan þat they wolden / any flemmyng kylle As thilke day was maad / vp-on the fox Of Bras they broughten beemes / & of Box Of horn / of Boon / in which they blew & pouped And þere-with-al / they shrykeden & they houped It semed / as that heuene shulde falle Now goode men I prey ȝow / herkeneth alle lo how fortune / turneth sodeynly The hope & pride eke / of hire enemy This Cok þat lay / vp-oon the foxes bak In al his drede / vn-to the fox he spak And seide sire / if I were as ȝe Ȝet wolde I seyn / as wys god helpe me Turneth a-geyn / ȝe proude Cherles alle A verrey pestilence / vp-oon ȝow falle Now I am comen vn-to the wodes syde Maugree ȝoure hed / the Cook shal heere abide I wol him ete in feith / and that a-noon The fox answered / in feith it shal be doon And as he spak þat word / al sodeynly The Cok brak from his mouth / delyuerly And hye vp-on a tree / he flaw a-noon And whan the fox saw / þat the Cok was gon Allas quod he / o chaunteclere allas I haue to ȝow quod he / I-don trespas In as meche / as I maked ȝow afferd whan I ȝow hente / & brought in-to this ȝerd But sithe I dede it / in no wykke entente Come doun / & I shal telle ȝow what I mente I shal sey soth to ȝow / god helpe me so Nay / thanne quod he / I shrewe vs bothe two And first I shrewe my self / bothe blode & bones If þou begile me / oftere than ones Thow shalt no more / thurgh thy flaterie Do me to synge / & wynke with myn eye ffor he þat wynketh / whan he shulde see Al wilfully / god lat him neuere thee Nay quod the fox / but god ȝeue him meschaunce That is so vndiscret / of gouernaunce That iangleth / whan he shulde holde his pees lo which it is / for to be rechelees And necligent / and troste on flaterie But ȝe þat holden this tale / of folie As of a fox / or of a Cok / or hen Taketh the moralitee / goode men ffor seynt Poule seith / þat al þat wryten is To oure doctrine / it is I-wryte I-wys Taketh the fruyt / & lat the chaf be stille Now goode god / if þat it be thy wylle As seith my lord / so make vs alle goode men¶ Kantuar' An brynge vs to his blisse / Amen 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 seuen tymes / seuentene Se which braunes / hath this gentil Preest So gret a nekke / & swich a large breest he loketh as a Sperhauke / 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 Heere endeth the Tale of the Nonnes Preest / GROUP G. FRAGMENT VIII. § 1. THE SECOND NUN'S TALE. [THE PROEM.] & bigynneth the Secund Nonnes Tale of Seynt Cecile / with-oute a Prologe;on leaf 195, back (1) THe ministre / and the Norice vn-to vices which þat men clepen / in Englissh / ydelnesse That porter at the gate is / of delices To eschuen / & by hire contrarie / hire oppresse That is to seyn / by leueful bysinesse Wel oughte we / to don al oure entente leest þat the fend / thurgh ydelnesse vs hente (2) ¶ ffor he þat with his thousand cordes / slye Continuely vs wayteth / to biclappe whan he may man / in ydelnesse espie he can so lightly / cacche him in his trappe Til þat a man be hent / right by the lappe he nys nat war / the fend hath him in honde wel oughte vs werche / & ydelnesse with-stonde (3) ¶ And though men dradden / neuere for to dye Ȝet se men wel / by resōn doutelees That ydelnesse is roten / slogardrye Of which þere neuere cometh / no good ne encrees And syn that slouthe / hire holdeth in a lees Oonly for to slepe / and ete and drynke And to deuouren / al þat othere swynke (4) ¶ And for to putte vs / from swich ydelnesse That cause is / of so gret confusion I haue heere doon / my feithful bysynesse After the legende / in translacion Right of thy glorious lyf / and passion Thow with thy gerland / wrought of Rose & lilie The mene I / mayde & martir / seynt Cecilie (5) ¶ And þou that flour / of virgines art alle¶ Inuocacio ad Mariam Of whom þat Bernard / list so wel to wryte To the / at my bygynnyng / I first calle Thow confort of vs wrecches / do me endite Thy maydenes deth / þat wan thurgh hire merite The eternal lyf / and ouer the fend victorie As man may after reden / in hire storie (6) ¶ Thow mayde & moder / doughter of thy sone Thow welle of mercy / synful soules cure In whom / þat god of bountee / chees to wone Thow humble & heygh / ouer euery creature Thow nobledest so ferforth / oure nature That no disdeyn / the makere hadde of kynde his sone in blood & flessh / to clothe & wynde (7) ¶ with-Inne the cloistre blisful / of thy sydes Took mannes shap / the eternal loue & pees That of the Tryne compas / lord and gyde is whom erthe and see / & heuene / out of relees Ay heryen / and þou virgine wemmelees Baar of thy body / & dwelledest mayde pure The creatour / of euery creature (8) ¶ Assembled is / in the magnificence with mercy / goodnesse / & swich pitee That þou þat art the Sonne / of excellence Nat oonly helpest hem / þat preyen the But ofte tyme / of thy benignytee fful freely / er that men / thyn helpe byseche Thow goost biforn / and art here lyues leche (9) ¶ Now helpe / þou meke & blisful / faire mayde Me flemed wrecche / in this desert of galle Thynke on the womman Cananee / that seide That whelpes eten / somme / of the crommes alle That from hire lordes table / ben I-falle And though that I / vnworthy / sone of Eue Be synful / ȝet accepte my byleue (10) ¶ And for þat feith / is deth / with-outen werkes So for to werkyn / ȝeue me wyt & space That I be quyt from thens / þat moost derk is O þou that art so fair / and ful of grace Be myn aduocate / in that heigh place There as with-outen ende / is songe Osanne Thow Cristes moder / doughter deere of Anne (11) ¶ And of thy light / my soule in prison lighte That troubled is / by the cogitacion Of my body / and also by the wighte Of erthely lust / and fals affeccion O hauene of refuyt / o sauacion Of hem / þat ben in sorwe / & in distresse Now helpe / for to my werke / I wol me dresse (12) ¶ Ȝet preye I ȝow / that reden that I wryte fforȝeue me / that I do no diligence This ilke storie / subtilly to endite ffor bothe haue I / the wordes & sentence Of him / that at the seyntes reuerence The storie wrot / and folwen hire legende And preye ȝow / þat ȝe wole my werk amende (13) [THE TALE.] ¶ ffirst wolde I ȝow / the name of Seynt Cecelie¶ Interpretacio nominis Cecilie quam ponit frater Iacobus Ianuensis in legenda aurea; Expoune / as men moun in hire storie se It is to seyn on englissh / heuenes lilie ffor pure chastnesse / of virginite Or for she whitnesse hadde / of honestee And grene of conscience / and of good fame The swote sauour / lilie was hire name (14) ¶ Or Cecile is to sayn / the weye to blynde ffor she ensaumple was / by good techynge Or ellis Cecile / as I wretyn fynde Is ioyned / by a maner / conioynynge Of heuene and lia / and here in figurynge The heuene is set / for thought of holynesse And lia / for hire lastynge bysinesse (15) ¶ Cecile / may eke be seid / in this manere wantyng of blyndnesse / for hire grete light Of sapience / and for hire thewes clere Or ellis lo / this maydenes name bright Of heuene and leos / cometh / for which by right Men myghte hire wel / the heuene of peeple calle Ensample of good / and wyse werkes alle (16) ¶ ffor leos peeple / in englissh is to seye And right as men moun / in the heuene se The Sonne & Moone / and sterres euery weye Right so / men goostly / in this mayden free Seyen of feith / the magnanymytee And eke the clernesse / hol of sapience And sondry werkes / brighte of excellence (17) ¶ And right so / as theise philosophres wryte That heuene is swift / & round / & eke brennynge Right so was faire Cecile / the white fful swift & bysy / euere in good werkynge And round and hool / in good perseuerynge And brennyng euere / in Charite ful brighte Now haue I ȝow declared / what she highte (18) ¶ This mayden bright / Cecile / as hire lif seith¶ Gregorius in regis|tro libro 10 / ad Eulogium patriar|cham scribit Iudi|camus preterea / quia grauem hic interpretum diffi|cultatem patimur dum enim non sunt qui sensum de sen|su exprimant set transferre semper verborum proprie|tatem velunt / om|nem dictorum sen|sum confundunt &c'. was come of Romayns / & of noble kynde And from hire Cradel / vp-fostred in the feith Of Crist / and bar his gospel in hire mynde She neuer cessed / as I wryten fynde Of hire preyere / and god to loue & drede Bysekynge him to kepe / hire maydenhede (19) ¶ And whan this mayden shulde / vn-to a man I-wedded be / that was ful ȝonge of age which þat I-cleped was / valerian And day was comen / of hire mariage She ful deuout and humble / in hire corage vnder hire robe of gold / þat sat ful faire had next hire flessh / I-clad hire in an hayre (20) ¶ And whil þat the Orgenes / maden melodye To god allone / in hire herte thus song she O lord my soule / and eke my body gye vnwemmed / lest þat I confounded be And for his loue / þat deyde vp-on the tree Euery secunde / & thridde day she faste Ay biddyng / in hire orisouns ful faste (21) ¶ The nyght cam / & to bedde must she goon with hire housbonde / as ofte is the manere And pryuely / to him / she seide a-noon O swete / and wel biloued / spouse deere There is a counseil / & ȝe wolde it heere which þat right fayn / I wolde vn-to ȝow seye So that ȝe swere / ȝe shuln it nat biwreye (22) ¶ Valerian gan faste / vn-to hire swere That for no caas / ne thyng þat myghte be He shulde neuere moo / bywreyen hire And thanne at erst / to him seide she I haue an Aungel / which þat loueth me That with gret loue / where so I wake or slepe Is redy ay / my body for to kepe (23) ¶ And if that he may felen / out of drede That ȝe me touche / or loue in vileynye he right a-non / wol sleen ȝow with the dede And in ȝoure ȝouthe / thus ȝe shulden dye And if that ȝe / in clene loue me gye He wol ȝow loue as me / for ȝoure clennesse And shewe to ȝow his ioye / & his brightnesse (24) ¶ This valerian / corrected as god wolde Answerde ageyn / if I shal trosten the lat me that Aungel seen / & him biholde And if that it / a verray Aungel be Than wol I doon / as þou hast preyed me And if þou loue / a-nother man forsothe Right with this swerd / than wol I slee ȝow bothe (25) ¶ Cecile answerde a-noon / right in this wyse If that ȝow list / the Aungel shuln ȝe se So that ȝe trowe on Crist / & ȝow baptiȝe Goth forth / to via apia / quod she That fro this toun / ne stant but myles three And to the pouere folkes / þat there dwellen Sey hem right / as that I shall ȝow tellen (26) ¶ Tolle hem that I Cecile / ȝow to hem sent To shewen ȝow / the goode vrban the olde ffor secree nedes / and for good entente And whan þat ȝe / seynt vrban han biholde Telle him tho wordes / which I to ȝow tolde And whan that he / hath purged ȝow fro synne Than shuln ȝe sen þat Aungel / er we twynne (27) ¶ This valerian / is to the place goon And right as he was taught / by hys lernynge he fond this holy vrban / a-noon A-mong the seyntes buriels / lotyngeid est latitantem And he a-noon / with-outen tariynge Dide his message / and whan that he it tolde vrban for ioye / his handes gan vp holde (28) ¶ The teeres from his eyen / leet he falle Almyghty lord / o Ihesu Crist quod he Sowere of chast counseil / hierde of vs alle The fruyt of thilke seed / of Chastitee That þou hast sowe in Cecile / take to the lo lyke a bisy bee / with-oute gyle The seruyth ay / thyn owen thral Cecile (29) ¶ ffor thilke spouse / that she tok but now fful lyke a fiers leon / she sendith heere As meke / as euere was any lamb to ȝow And with þat word / a-noon there gan appere An olde man / clad in white clothes clere That hadde a book / with lettre of gold in honde And gan biforn Valerian / to stonde (30) ¶ Valerian as ded / fel doun for drede whan he him say / & he vp hente him tho And oon his book / right thus he gan to rede O lord / of o feith / o god / with-oute moo O cristendom / and fader of alle also Abouen alle / & ouer alle / euery where Theise wordes / alle with gold / I-wretyn were (31) ¶ whan this was red / than seide this olde man leeuest þou this thyng or no / sey ȝa or nay I leue alle thyng / quod valerian ffor sother thyng than this / I dar wel say vnder the heuene / no wyght thynke may Tho vanysshed this olde man / he nyste where And Pope vrban / him cristened right there (32) ¶ Valerian goth hoom / and fynt Cicilie with-Inne his Chaumbre with an Aungel stond This Aungel hadde of Roses / and of lilie Corounes two / the which he bar in honde And first to Cecile / as I vnderstonde he ȝaf that oon / and after gan he take That other / to valerian hire make (33) ¶ with body clene / and with vnwemmed thought kepeth ay wel / theise corones quod he ffro Paradys to ȝow / haue I hem brought Ne neuere moo / ne shuln they roten be Ne lese here swote sauour / trusteth me Ne neuere wyght / shal sen hem with his eye But he be chaast / and hate vylenye (34) ¶ And thow valerian / for thow so sone Assentedest / to good counseil also Sey what the list / & þou shalt han thy boone I haue a brother / quod valerian tho That in this world / I loue no man so I preye ȝow / þat my brother may haue grace To knowe the trouth / as I do in this place (35) ¶ The Aungel seide / god liketh thy requeste And bothe with the palme / of martirdoom Ȝe shuln come / vn-to his blisful reste And with that word / Tiburce his brother coom And whan that he / the sauour vndernoom which that the Rooses / & the lilies caste with-Inne his herte / he gan to wondre faste (36) ¶ And seide I wondre / this tyme of the ȝere whennes that swote sauour / cometh so Of Rose and lilies / that I smelle heere ffor though I hadde hem / in myn hondes two The sauour myghte in me / no deppere goo The swete smel / þat in myn herte I fynde hath chaunged me / al in a-nother kynde (37) ¶ Valerian seide / two corounes han we Snow white / & Rose reed / þat shynen clere which þat thyne eyen / han no myght to se And as þou smellest hem / thurgh my preyere So shaltow sen hem / leue brother deere If it so be / þou wolt with-outen slouthe Byleeue aright / & knowen verray trouthe (38) ¶ Tiburce answerde / seist þou this to me In soothnesse / or in dreem / I herkne this In dremes quod valerian / haue we be Vn-to this tyme / brother myn I-wys But now at erst / in trouthe / oure dwellyng is how wostow this quod Tiburce / in what wyse Quod valerian / that shal I the deuyse (39) ¶ The Aungel of god / hath me the trouthe I-taught which þou shalt seen / if þat þou wolt reneye The ydoles and be clene / and ellis naught And of the myracle / of theise corones tweye Seynt Ambrose / in his preface list to seye Solempnely / this noble doctour deere Commendeth it / and seith in this manere (40) ¶ The palme of martirdom / for to receyue Seynt Cecile / fulfild of goddes ȝifte The world and eke hire chaumbre / gan she weyue wytnesse Tiburces / and Cecilies shrifte To which / god of his bountee wolde shifte Corones two / of floures wel smellynge And made his Aungel / hem the corones brynge (41) ¶ The mayde hath brought hem / to blisse a-boue The world hath wist / what it is worth certeyn Deuocion of Chastitee / to loue Tho shewed him Cecile / al open & pleyn That alle ydoles / nys but a thyng in veyn ffor they ben doumbe / & þer-to they ben deeue And charged him / his ydoles for to leeue (42) ¶ who so þat troweth nat this / a beest he is Quod tho Tiburce / if that I shal nat lye And she gan kisse his breest / that herde this And was ful glad / he coude trouthe espye This day / I take the / for myn allye Seide this blisful / faire mayde deere And after þat she seide / as ȝe moun heere (43) ¶ lo / right so / as the loue of Crist / quod she Made me thy brothers wyf / right in that wyse A-noon for myn allye / heere take I the Syn þat þou wolt / thyne ydoles despise Go with thy brother now / and the baptise And make the clene / so þat þou nowe byholde The Aungels face / of which thy brother tolde (44) ¶ Tiburce answerde / and seide Brother deere ffirst telle me / whider þat I shal / & to what man To whom quod he / come forth with right good cheere I wol the lede / vn-to the Pope vrban To 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 thoo That is so ofte dampned / to be ded And woneth in halkes / alwey to and froo And dar nat oones / putte forth his hed Men shulde him brennen / in a fyr so red If he were founde / or þat men myght him spie And we also / to bere him compaignye (46) ¶ And whil we sekyn / thilke diuinitee That is I-hid / in heuene pryuely Algate I-brent in this world / shuln we be To whom Cecile answerde / boldely Men myghten dredyn wel / and skylfully Thys lyf to lese / my owne deere brother If this were lyuyng oonly / & noon other (47) ¶ But there is better lyf / in other place That neuere shal be lost / ne drede the nought which goddes sone / vs tolde / thurgh his grace That fadres sone / hath alle thynges wrought And al þat wrought is / with a skilful thought The goost þat fro the fader / gan procede hath sowled hem / with-outen any drede (48) ¶ By word & by myracle / he goddes sone Whan he was in this world / declared heere That þere was other lyf / þere man may wone To whom answerde Tiburce / o suster deere Ne seydestow right now / in this manere There nas but o god / lord in soothfastnesse And now of three / how maistow bere wytnesse (49) ¶ That shal I telle quod she / er I go Right as a man / hath sapiences three Memorie / engyn / and Intellect also So in oo beyng / of diuinitee Thre persones / may there / right wel be Tho gan she him / ful bisily to preche Of Cristes sone / and of his peynes teche (50) ¶ And manye poyntes / of his passion how goddes sone / in this world was withholde To doon mankynde / playn remyssion That was I-bounde / in synne / & 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) ¶ That thanked god / & with glad herte & lightqui sanctus vrbanus he cristned him / and mad him in that place Parfyt in his lernynge / goddes knyght And after this / Tiburce gat swich grace That euery day / he sey in tyme and space The Aungel of god / and euery maner boone That he god axed / it was sped ful soone (52) ¶ It wer ful hard / by ordre for to seyn[Leaves 200 and 201 are transposed in the MS.] how manye wondres / Ihesus for hem wroughte But at the laste / to tellen short and pleyn The sergeaunteȝ of the Toun of Rome / hem soughte And hem / biforn Almache the prefect / broughte which hem opposed / and knew al here entente And to the ymage / of Iubiter / hem sente (53) ¶ And seide / who so wol nought do sacrifise Swap of his hed / this is myn sentence heere A-noon theise martirs / that I ȝow deuyse Oon Maximus / that was an officere Of the prefectes / and his cornyculere hem hente / & whan he forth / the seyntes ladde him self he wep / for pitee þat he hadde (54) ¶ Whan Maximus had herd / the seyntes loore he gat him / of the Turmentours leue And hadde hem to his hous / with-oute more And with here prechyng / er þat it were eue They gonnen fro turmentours / to reue And fro Maxime / and fro his folk echone The fals feith / to trowe in god allone (55) ¶ Cecile cam / whan it was woxen nyght With Preestes / þat hem cristened alle I-feere And afterward / whan day was woxen light Cecile him seide / with a ful stedfast cheere Now Cristes owne knyghtes / leeue & deere Cast al a-wey / the werkes of derknesse And armeth ȝow in armes of brightnesse (56) ¶ Ȝe han forsothe / I-don a gret bataille Ȝoure cours is don / ȝoure feith haue ȝe conserued Goth to the corone of lyf / þat may nat faile The rightful Iuge / which that ȝe han serued Shal ȝeue it ȝow / as ȝe han it deserued And whan this thyng / was seid / as I deuyse Men ledde hem forth / to don the sacrifise (57) ¶ But whan they weren / to the place brought To tellen shortly / the conclusioun They nolde encence / ne sacrifise right nought But on here knees / they setten hem a-doun With humble herte / and sad deuocion And losten bothe here heuedes / in the place here soules wenten / to the kyng of grace (58) ¶ This Maximus / that sey this thyng betide with pitous teeres / tolde it a-noon right That he here soules saw / to heuene glide with Aungeles / ful of cleernesse / and of light And with his word / conuerted many a wyght ffor which / Almachius / dide him so to-bete with whippe of leed / til he his lyf gan lete (59) ¶ Cecile him took / and buried him a-noon By Tiburce / and Valerian softly With-Inne hire buriynge place / vnder the stoon And after this / Almachius hastily Bad hise Mynystres / fecchen openly Cecile / so þat she myghte in his presence Doon sacrifise / and Iubiter encence (60) ¶ But they conuerted / at hire wyse loore Wepten ful sore / and ȝauen ful credence vn-to hire word / and cryden moore & moore Crist goddes sone / with-outen difference Is verray god / this is al oure sentence That hath so good a seruaunt / him to serue This / with o vois / we trowen / though we sterue (61) ¶ Almachius / that herde of this doynge Bad fecchen Cecile / þat he myghte hire se And alderfurst lo / this was his axynge What maner womman / artow quod he I am a gentil womman / born / quod she I axe the quod he / though it the greeue Of thy religion / and of thy byleue (62) ¶ Why thanne bygan / ȝoure question folily Quod she / þat woldest two answeres conclude In oo demaunde / ȝe axed lewedly Almache answerde / vn-to þat similitude Of whennes cometh / thyn answeryng so rude Of whennes quod she / whan þat she was freyned Of Conscience / and of good feith vnfeyned (63) ¶ Almachius seide / ne takestow noon heede Of my power / and she answerde him this Ȝoure myght quod she / ful litel is to drede ffor euery mortal mannes power / nys But like a bladdre / ful of wynd I-wys ffor with a nedles poynt / whan it is blowe May al the boost of it / be leid ful lowe (64) ¶ fful wrongfully / bygonne þou quod he And ȝet in wrong / is al thy perseueraunce[Leaves 200 and 201 are transposed in the MS.] Wostow nat how / oure myghty Princes free Ben thus comaunded / and mad ordinaunce That euery cristene wyght / shal han penaunce But if that he / his cristendom with-seye And goon al quyt / if he wol it reneye (65) ¶ Ȝoure princes erren / as ȝoure nobleye dooth Quod tho Cecile / and with a wood sentence Ȝe make vs gilty / and is nat sooth ffor ȝe þat knowen wel / oure Innocence ffor as muche / as we doon a reuerence To crist / and for we bere a cristene name Ȝe put on vs a cryme / and eke a blame (66) ¶ But we þat knowen / thilke name so ffor vertuous / we moun it nought with-seye Almache answerde / chees on of theise twoo Do sacrifise / or cristendom reneye That þou mowe now / escapen by that weye At which / this holy blisful / faire mayde Gan for to laughe / and to the Iuge she seide (67) ¶ O Iuge confus / in thy nycetee Woltow / þat I reneye / Innocence To maken me / a wykked wight / quod she lo he dissimuleth here / in audience He stareth and wodeth / in his aduertence To whom Almachius seide / vnsely wrecche Ne wostow nat / how fer my myght may strecche (68) ¶ Han nought oure myghty princes / to me ȝeuen Ȝa / bothe power / and auctoritee To maken folk / to dyen or to lyuen Why spekestow so proudly / thanne to me I speke nought / but stedfastly quod she Nat proudly / for I seye as for my syde We haten dedly / thilke vice of pride (69) ¶ And if þou drede nought / a soth for to heere Thanne wol I shewe / al openly by right That þou hast mad / a ful gret lesyng heere Thow seist / thyne princes / han the ȝeuen myght Bothe for to sleen / and for to quyken a wight Thow þat ne maist / but oonly lyf byreue Thow hast noon other power / ne no leue (70) ¶ But þou maist seyn / thyne princes han the maked Ministre of deth / for if thow speke of moo Thow liest / for thy power is ful naked Do wey thyn boldenesse / seide Almachius tho And do sacrifise to our goddes / er þou go I recche nat what wrong / þat thow me profre ffor I can suffre it / as a Philosophre (71) ¶ But thilke wronges / may I nat endure That þou spekest / of oure goddes heere quod he Cecile answerde / o nyce creature Thow seidest no word / syn þou spake to me That I ne knew there-with / thy nycetee And that þou were / in euery maner wyse A lewed officere / a veyn Iustise (72) ¶ There lakketh no thyng / to thyne vttere eyen¶ exteriori|bus oculis That þou nart blynd / for þing þat we sen alle That is a ston / þat men moun wel espien That ilke a ston / a god þou wolt it calle I rede the / lat thyn hond / vp-on it falle And taste it wel / & ston þou shalt it fynde Syn þat þou seest nat / with thyne eyen blynde (73) ¶ It is a shame / that the peeple shal So scornen the / and laughe at thyn folie ffor comunly / men woot it wel ouer al That myghty god is / in his heuenes hye And theise ymages / wel þou maist espie To the / ne to hem self / moun nat profite ffor in effect / they be nat worth a myte (74) ¶ Theise and swich othere / seide she And he wex wroth / & bad men shulde hire lede hoom til hire hous / and in hire hous quod he Brenne hire / right in a bathe / with flaumbes rede And as he bad / right so was done the dede ffor in a bathe / they gonne hire faste shetten And nyght and day / gret fyr they vnder betten (75) ¶ The longe nyght / and eke a day also ffor al the fyr / and eke the bathes hete She sat al cold / and feled no woo It made hire nat / a drope for to swete But in that bath / hire lif she muste lete ffor he Almachius / with a ful wykke entente To slen hire in the bath / his sonde sente (76) ¶ Thre strokes in the nekke / he smot hire tho The turmentour / but for no maner chaunce he myght nat smyte / al hire nekke a two And for þere was that tyme / an ordinaunce That no man / shulde do man / swich penaunce The ferthe strok to smyten / soft or soore This turmentour / ne durste do no more (77) ¶ But half ded / with hire nekke I-koruen there he lefte hire lye / and on his wey is went The cristene folk / which þat a-boute hire were with shetes / han the blod ful faire I-hent Three dayes lyued she / in this turment And neuere cessed / hem the feith to teche That she had fostred / hem / she gan to preche (78) ¶ And hem she ȝaf / hire meebles & hire thyng And to the Pope vrban / bytok hem tho And seide / I axed this of heuene kyng To haue respit / three dayes and no moo To recomende to ȝow / er that I go Theise soules lo / and that I myght do werche heere of myn hous / perpetuelly a chirche (79) ¶ Seynt vrban / with hise dekenes priuely The body fette / and buryed it by nyghte A-mong hise othere seyntes / honestly hire hous / the Chirche of seynt Cecile highte Seynt vrban halwed it / as he wel myghte In which / in-to this day / in noble wyse Men don to Crist / and to his seynt seruyse¶ Amen. Heere endeth the Secund Nonnes tale; & bigynneth the Prologe of the Chanouns ȝeman; WHan that told was / the lyf of seynt Cecile Er we had riden fully / fyue myle At Boughton vnder blee / vs gan a-take A man / þat clothed was / in clothes blake And vndernethe he wered / a surplys his hakeney / which þat was / al pomely grys So swat / that it wonder was to se It semed / as he had pryked / myles three Aboute the peyntrel / stod the fome ful hye he was of fome / al flekked as a Pye The hakeneye eke / þat his ȝeman rod vp-oon So swatte / that vnethe myght it gon A male tweyfold / vp-on his croper lay It semed that he caried / litel array Al light for somer / rod this worthy man And in myn herte / to wondre I began What that he was / til that I vnderstode how þat his cloke / was sowed to his hode ffor which / whan I had longe a-vysed me I demed him som Chanoun / for to be his hat heng at his bak / doun by a lace ffor he had riden more / than trot or pace he had ay / priked / lyke as he were wood A clote leef he hadde / vnder his hood ffor swete / and for to kepe / his hed from hete But it was ioye / for to sen him swete his forhe[de] dropped / as a stillatorie were ful of plaunteyn / and of peritorie And whan þat he was come / he gan to crie God saue quod he / this ioly compaignye ffast haue I pryked quod he / for ȝoure sake By cause / that I wolde / ȝow a-take To ryden in the same / myrie compaignye his ȝeman was eke / ful of curteisie And seide sir[s][a hole in the MS.] / now in the morwe tyde Out of ȝoure hostelrie / I saw ȝow ride And warned heere my lord / & my souerayn which that to riden with ȝow / is ful fayn ffor his disport / he loueth daliaunce ¶ ffrend for thy warnynge / god ȝeue the good chaunce Thanne seide oure hoost / for certeyn it wolde seme Thy lord were wys / and so I may wel deme he is ful iocunde / also dar I leye Can he ought telle / a mery tale or tweye with which he glade may / this compaignye who sire my lord / ȝa ȝa with-outen lye he can of myrthe / and eke of iolytee Nat but I-now / also sire trusteth me And ȝe him knew / as wel as do I Ȝe wolde wondre / how wel and craftily he coude werke / and that in sondry wyse He hath take on him / many a gret emprise which were ful hard / for any þat is heere To brynge a-boute / but they of him it lere As homly as he ryt / a-monges ȝow If ȝe him knewe / it wolde be for ȝoure prow Ȝe wolde nat forgon / his acqueyntaunce ffor mechel good / I dar leye in balaunce Al that I haue / in my possession he is a man / of heigh discresion I warne ȝow wel / he is a passyng man wel quod oure hoost / I preye the telle me than Is he a Clerk or noon / telle what he is Nay / he is grettere than a Clerk / I-wys Seide this ȝeman / and in wordes fewe Hoost of his craft / som-what I wol ȝow shewe I seye my lord can / suche sotiltee But al his craft / ȝe moun nat wyte of me And som-what helpe I ȝet / to his werkyng That al this grounde / on which we ben ridyng Til that we come / to Caunterbury Toun he coude al clene / turnen vp so doun And paue it al of siluer / and of golde And whan this ȝeman / had this tale I-tolde Vn-to oure host / he seide benedicite This thyng / is wonder merueillous / to me Syn þat thy lord / is of so heigh prudence By cause of which / men shulde him reuerence That of his worship / reweth he so lite his ouer sloppe / nys nought worth a myte As in effect / to him / so mot I go It is al baudy / and tore also Why is thy lord so sluttissh / I the preye And is of power / bettre cloth to beye If that his dede / acorded with thy speche Telle me that / and I the biseche ¶ Why quod this ȝeman / wher-to aske ȝe me God helpe me so / for he shal neuere the But I wol nat a-vowe / that I seye And þerfore kepe it secree / I ȝow preye he is to wys in feith / as I bileue That þat is ouer doon / It wol nat preue¶ Omne quod est nimium &c' A-right / as Clerkes seyn / it is a vyce werfore in that / I holde him lewed and nice ffor whan a man hath / ouer gret a wit fful ofte him happeth to mys-vsen it So doth my lord / and that me greueth sore God it amende / I can sey no more ¶ Ther-of no fors / good ȝeman / quod oure hoost Syn of the conynge of thy lord þou woost Telle how he doth / I preye the hertly Syn that he is / so crafty / and so sly Where dwelle ȝe / if it to telle be In the subarbes of a Toun / quod he lurkynge in hernes / and in lanes blynde Where as theise robbours / & theise theues by kynde holden here pryue / ferful residence As they that durn nat shewen / here presence So faren we / if I shal seye the sothe Ȝet quod oure hoost / lat me talke to the Why artow so discoloured / of thy face Peter quod he / god ȝeue it harde grace I am so vsed / in the fir to blowe That it hath chaunged / my colour I trowe I nam nat wont / in no myrour to prye But swynke sore / and lerne multiplie we blundren euere / and pouren in the fyre And for al that / we faille of oure desire ffor euere we lakke / oure conclusion To mechel folk / we don illusion And borwe gold / be it a pound or two Or ten or twelue / and manye sommes moo And maken hem wenen / atte leest weye That of a pound / we coude make tweye Ȝet is it fals / and ay we han good hope It for to doon / and after it we grope But that science / is so fer vs biforn We moun nat / al-though we hadden sworn It ouer take / it slit a-wey so faste It wol vs make beggers / atte laste Whil this ȝeman was thus / in this talkyng This Chanoun drow him nere / & herd al thyng Which this ȝeman spak / for suspecion Of mennes speche / euere hadde this Chanon ffor Caton seith / that he that gilty is Demeth al thyng / be spoke of him I-wys That was the cause / he gan so ney him drawe To his ȝeman / to herken al his sawe And thus he seide / vn-to his ȝeman thoo holde þou thy pees / & speke no wordes moo ffor if þou do / thow shalt it dere a-bye Thow sclaundrest me heere / in this companye And eke discouerest / þat þou shuldest hide Ȝa quod oure hoost / telle on what so betide Of al his thretenynge / rekke nat a myte In feith quod he / no more I do but lyte And whan this Chanon saw / it wolde nat be But his ȝeman / wolde telle / his pryuete he fledde a-wey / for verrey sorwe & shame A quod the ȝeman / heere shal rise a game Al that I can / a-noon I wol ȝow telle Syn he is gon / the foule fend him quelle ffor neuere heere-after / wyl I with him mete ffor peny ne for pound / I ȝow byhete he þat me brought first / vn-to that game Er that he dye / sorwe haue he & shame ffor it is ernest to me / be my feith [So shall he fynd forsoth þat it assayeth.]"deficit versus" Dd. And ȝet for al my smert / & al my grief ffor al my sorwe / labour / & meschief I coude neuer leue it / in no wyse Nowe wolde god my wyt / myght suffise To tellen al / þat longeth to that art And nathelees / ȝow wil I tellen part Syn þat my lord is gon / I wyl nat spare Swich thyng as that I knowe / I wil declare Heere endeth the prologe of the Chanons Ȝeman / [THE PREAMBLE.] and bygynneth his tale of Multiplicacion; With this Chanon / I dwelt haue seuene ȝere And of his science / am I neuere the nere Al that I had / I haue lost ther-by And god wot / so han many moo than I There I was wont / to be right fressh and gay Of clothynge / and of othere good array Now may I were / an hose / vp-on myn hed And where my colour was / bothe fressh & red Now is it wan / and of a leden hewe Who so it vseth / sore shal he rewe And of my swynk / ȝet blered is myn eye lo which a vauntage is / to multiplie That slydyng science / hath me mad so bare That I haue no good / where so euere I fare And ȝet I am endetted so / ther-by Of gold / that I haue borwed / trewely That whil I lyue / I shal it quyte neuere lat euery man / be war by me / for euere What maner man / þat casteth him ther-to If he continue / I holde his thrift I-do ffor so helpe me god / þer-by shal he nat wynne But empte his purs / & make his wittes thynne And whan he thurgh his madnesse / & folye hath loost his owne good / thurgh Iupartie Thanne he exciteth / othere folk ther-to To lese here good / as he him self hath do ffor vn-to shrewes / ioye it is and ese To haue here felawes / in peyne & dissese Thus was I ones lerned / of a Clerk Of that / no charge / I wil speke of oure werk ¶ Whan we ben there / as we shuln excersise Oure eluyssh craft / we semen wonder wyse Oure termes ben so clergeal / and queynte I blowe the fyr / til that myn hert feynte What shulde I telle / eche proporcion Of thynges / which that we / werche vp-on As on fyue / or sexe vnces / may wel be Of siluer / or sum other quantitee And bisie me / to telle ȝow the names Of Orpement / brent bones / Iron squames That in-to poudre / grounden be ful smal And in an erthene pot / how put is al And salt I-put In / and also papere Biforn these poudres / þat I speke of heere And wel I-couered / with a laumpe of glas And meche other thyng / which þat þere was As of the pot / and glasses enlutynge That of the eyr / myght passe out no thynge And of the esy fyr / and smert also which þat was made / & of the care and woo That we hadde / in oure maters sublymyng And in amalgamyng / and calcenyng And of quyk siluer / I-cleped Mercurie crude ffor alle oure sleightes / we can nat conclude Oure Orpement / and sublimed Mercurie Oure grounden litarge eke / on the porfurie And eche of theise / vnces a certeyne Nat helpeth vs / oure labour is in veyne Ne eke oure spirites / ascencion Ne oure maters / þat lyn al fix a-doun Moun in oure werkynge / no thyng vs a-vaille ffor loost is al oure labour / & trauaille And al the cost / a twenty deuel weye Is loost also / which we vp-on it leye There is also / ful many a-nother thyng That is vn-to oure craft / appertenyng Though I be ordre / hem nat reherce can By cause that I am / a lewed man Ȝet wole I telle hem / as they come to mynde Though I ne can nat / sette hem in here kynde As Bole Armonyak / verdegres / Boras And sundry vesselles / mad of erthe & glas Oure Vrinales / and oure descensories Violes / crosletȝ / and sublimatories Cucurbitȝ / and alambikes eke And othere suche / dere I-now a-leke Nat nedeth it / for to reherce hem alle Watres rubifyng / and Booles galle Arsenyk / salarmonyak / and Brymston And Erbes coude I telle eke / many oon As Egremoyne / Valerian / and lymarie And othere swich / if þat me list tarie Oure laumpes brenne / bothe nyght & day To brynge a-boute oure purpos / if we may Oure fourneys eke of calcinacion And of watres / albificacion Vnslekked lym / Chalk / and gleir of an ey Poudres diuerse / asshes / donge / pisse / & cley Sered pottes / salpetir vitriole And diuerse fyres made / of wode & cole Sal tartre / Alkaly / and salt preparat And combust matiers / and coagulat Cley / mad with hors & mannes her / & oyle Of Tartre / Alumglas / Berm / wort / and Argule Rysalger / and oure matiers embityng And eke of oure matiers / encorporyng And of oure siluer / citrynacion And of cementynge / and fermentacion Oure Ingottes / testes / & manye moo I wil ȝow telle / as was me taught also The foure spiriteȝ / & the bodies seuene By ordre / as ofte I herd my lord nemene The first spirit / quyk siluer called is The secund Orpement / the thridde I-wys Sal Armonyak / and the ferthe Bremston The bodyes seuene eke / lo hem heere a-noon Sol / gold is / and Luna siluer we threpe Mars Iren / Mercurie quyksiluer we clepe Saturnus led / and Iuppiter is Tyn And venus Coper / by my fader kyn This cursed craft / who so wil excersise He shal no good haue / þat him may suffise ffor al the good / he spendeth there-a-boute he lese shal / ther-of haue I no doute who so þat listeth outren / his folie lat him come forth / and lerne multiplie And euery man / þat hath ought in his cofre lat him appiere / and wexe a Philosophre Ascauns that craft / is so light to lere Nay nay god wot / al be he Monke or frere Preest or Chanon / or any other wyght Though he sitte at his book / bothe day & nyght / In lernynge / of this eluyssh / nyce lore Al is in veyn / and perde mechel more To lerne a lewed man / this subtilitee ffy / spek nat ther-of / for it wil nat be And cone he letterure / or cone he noon As in effect / he shal fynde it al oon ffor bothe two / by my sauacion Concluden / in multiplicacion I-like wel / whan they han al I-do This is to seyn / they faillen bothe two Ȝet forgat I / to make rehersail Of watres Corosif / and of lymail And of bodies / mollificacion And also / of here induracion[The rest of Dd. 4. 24 is gone.] [Oyles ablucions / and metall fusibleEg. 2726, on leaf228 To telle all/ wold passe ony byble That ougher is / wherfore as for þe best Of all thise names / now woll I me rest ffor as I trowe / I haue yow told ynough To reise a feend / all loke he neuer so rough A nay let be / the Philizophres stone Elixer cleped / we sechen fast ecchone ffor hade we hym / þan were we seker ynow But vn-to god of heuen I make a vow ffor all our craft/ whan we haue all do And all our sleight/ he woll nat com vs to He hath ymade vs spenden mochell gode ffor sorow of which / all-most we wexen wode But that gode hope / krepeth in our hert Supposing euere / þough we sore smert To be releued / by hym afterwarde Soch supposyng / and hope is sharpe and harde I warne you wele / it is to sechen euere That futer tens / hath made men disceuere In trust there-of / from all that euer þey hadde Yitte of þat art/ þey can nat wexen sadde ffor vn-to hem / it is / a bitter sweete So semeth it / for ne hade þey but a shete Which þat þey myght / wrape hem in at nyght And a brat / to walk in / by day-light They wold hem sell / and spenden on þis craft They con nat stynt/ tyll no thyng be laft And euermore / where þat euere they goon Men mow hem knowe / by smell of brymstoon ffor all the world / þey stynken as þe goot Her sauour is so / rammyssh and so hoot That though a man / a myle from hem be The savour woll enfecte hem / trusteth me As thus by smell / and thredebare array Yf that men lust / this folk they knowen may And yf a man / woll aske hem priuely Why they ben clothed so vnthriftely They right anoon woll rownen in his ere And seyn / yf þey espied were Men wold hem slee / by-cause of her science lo thus this folk/ betrayen Innocence Passe ouere this / I go my tale vn-too On that our pot/ be on the fire ydoo Of metals / with a certeyn quantitee My lorde hem tempreth / and no man but he Now he is goon I dare sey boldely ffor as men seyn / he can do craftely Algate I wote wele / he hath soch a name and yitte full oft he renneth in a blame And wote ye how / full oft it happeth so The pot to-breketh / and fare-wele all is goo / Thise metals ben / of so grete violence Our walles mow nat make hem resistence But yf they weren wrought of lyme and stoon They percen so / and thurgh the wall þey goon And som of hem / synk in-to the ground Thus han we lost / by tymes / many a pound And som arn skatered / all the flore about/ Som lepe in-to the roof / withouten dout/ Though þat the fende / nat in our sight hym shewe I trowe he with vs be / that ylk shrewe In hell / where he lorde is and syre Nys ther more woo / ne more rancour / ne Ire Whan þat our pot / is broke / as I haue seid Euery man chitte / and halt hym evill appayed Som seyn / it was long on the fire makyng Som seiden nay / it was on the blowyng Than was I ferde / for that was myn office Strawe koth the thirde / ye be leude and nyce It was nat tempred / as it was wont to be Nay koth the feerth stynt/ and herken me By cause / our fire was nat made of beche That is the cause / and none other syth eche I can nat tell / where-on it was long But wele I wote grete stryf / is vs among What koth my lord / there nys no more to doon Of thise perels / I woll be ware eft-soon I am right seker / þat þe pot war crased Be as be may / be ye no thing amased As vsage is / let swepe þe flore as swythe Pluk vp your hertes / and beth glad and blythe The mullok/ on an hepe / ysweped was And on the flore yeast/ a Canvas And all this mullok/ in a seue I-throwe And syfted and ypiked / many a throwe Parde koth one / somwhat of our metall Yitte is ther here / þough þat we han nat all and though this thyng / myshapped haue as now Another tyme / it may be wele ynow Vs most put our gode / in auenture A Merchaunt parde / may nat ay endure / Trusteth wele me / in his prosperitee Som tyme his gode / is drowned in the see And som tyme / comth it sauf vn-to the lond Pees koth my lord / þe next tyme I woll fond To bryng our Craft/ all in another plite And but I doo / let me han the wyte There was defaute / in somwhat/ wele I wote Another seid / the fire was to hote But be it hote or cold / I dare sey this That we concluden euermore amys We faill of that / which þat we wold haue And in our madnes / euermore we raue And whan we ben / togiders euerychoon Euery man semeth / a Salamon But euery thyng which þat shyneth as þe goold Nys nat goold / as I haue herd toold Ne euery appull / þat is faire at yie Ne is nat gode / what so we clap or crye Ryght so lo / fareth it amonges vs He þat semeth the wisest/ by Ihesus Is most fool / whan it comth to þe preef And he þat semeth truest/ is a theef/ That shull ye knowe / or þat I from you wende Be that I of my tale / haue made an ende[No break in the MS.] [THE TALE.] [There was a Chanon of religion Amonges vs / wold infect all a toun Though it as grete were / as was Nynyvee Rome Alisaundre Troye / and other thre His sleightes / and his infinyte falsnesse There coude no man writen / as I gesse Though that he lyve myght a thousand yere In all this world of falshede / nas his pere ffor in his termes / he so woll hym wynde And speke his wordes / in so slye a kynde Whan he common shall / with ony wyght That he woll make doten / anoon ryght But it a feend be / as hym-seluen is ffull many a man / hath he begiled or this And woll / yf þat he lyve may a while And yitte men ride and goon / full many a myle / Hym for to seke / and haue his aqweyntaunce Nat knowyng of his fals gouernaunce And yf ye lyst / to yeve me audience I woll it tell here / in your presence But worshipfull Chanons religious Ne demeth nat / þat I sklaundre your hous all-though that my tale / of a chanon be Of euery ordre som shrewe is pardee And god forbede / þat all a companye Shold folow a singler mannes folye To sclaundre you / is no thing myn intent/ But to correcten / þat is mys yment This tale / was nat onely / told for yow But eke for other moo / yee wote wele how That among cristes Apostles .xij. There was no traytour / but Iudas hym selue Than why shold / þe remenaunt han a blame That giltles were / by you sey I þe same Saue onely this / yf ye woll herken me Yf ony Iudas / in your Couent be Remeveth hym be tymes I yow rede Yf shame or loos / may causen ony drede And be no thyng/ dysplesed I you prey But in this caas / herkeneth wat I shall sey In london was a preest / annielere That there-in dwelled had / many a yere Which was so plesaunt/ and so seruysable vn-to the wyf where / as he was at þe table That she wold suffre hym / no thing for to pay ffor borde ne clothyng went he neuer so gay And spendyng siluer / hade he right ynow There-of no force / I woll procede as now And tell forth my tale of the Chanon That brought this preest/ to confusion This fals Chanon / cam vp-on a day vn-to the prestes Chambre where he lay Bysechyng hym / to lene hym a certein Of gold / and he wold qwyte it hym ayein leene me a mark / but dayes thre And at my day / I woll it qwyten thee / And yf so be / þou fynde me fals Another day / hang me by the hals The preest hym toke / a mark/ and that as swythe And þis Chanon hym thanked often sythe And toke his leve / and went forth his weye And at þe iij.de day / brought his moneye And to this preest/ he toke this gold agein Where-of this preest/ was wonder glad and feyn Certes koth he / no thing noyeth me To lene a man a noble / or .ij. or .iij. Or what thyng/ were in my possession Whan he so trewe is / of condicion That in no wise / he breke woll his day To soch a man / I can neuere sey nay What koth this Chanon shold I be vntrewe Nay that were thyng/ yfall/ all of newe Treuth is a thyng/ that I woll euere kepe / In-to that day / in which þat I shall krepe In-to my grave / and elles god forbede Byleueth this / as seker as your crede God thank I. and in gode tyme be it seid That there was neuer man yitte euyll appayed ffor gold ne siluer / þat he to me lent Ne neuere falshede / in myn hert I-ment And sir koth he / now of my pryvytee Sen ye so godely / han ben vn-to me And kythed to me / so grete gentillesse/ Som-what / to quyte with your kyndenesse I woll yow shewe / yf þat yow list lere I woll yow teche pleynly the manere How I can werken / in philisophie Taketh gode hede / ye shull wele seen at yie That I woll don a maistrie or I goo ya koth þe prest / yee sir and woll ye soo Marie there-of I pray yow hertly at your commaundement sir truely koth þe Chanon / and elles god forbede Lo how þis þeef cowde his seruice bede ffull soth it is / þat soch profred seruice Stynketh / as witnessen þise old wise And that full sone / I woll it vercifie In this Chanon / rote of all trecherie That euermore delite hath / and gladnesse Soch fendly thoughtes / in his hert empresse How Cristes peple / he may to myschief bryng God kepe vs from his fals dissimulyng Nat wist this preest / with whom þat he delt Ne of his harme commyng / he no thyng felt O sely preest/ o sely Innocent/ With Couetise anoon / þou shalt be blent/ O graceles / full blynd is thy conseyt/ No thyng / ne art þou ware of the disceyt/ Which that this fox / yschapen hath to þe His wily wrenches / þou ne maist nat flee Wherfore to go / to the conclusion That referreth to thy confusion Vnhappy man / anone I woll me hye To tell thyn vnwitte / and thy folye and eke þe falsnesse of þat other wrecche As ferforth / as that my connyng / woll strecche This Chanon / was my lord ye wold wene Sir hoost/ in feith / and by þe hevenes quene It was another Chanon / and nat he That can an hundred fold more subteltee He þat hath betrayed folkes many tyme Of his falsnesse it dulleth me to ryme Ever whan that I speke of his falshede ffor shame of hym my chekes / wexen rede Algates they begynne for to glowe ffor redness / haue I. noon / right wele I knowe In my visage / for fumes diuerse Of metals / which ye han herd me reherce Consumed and wasted han my rednesse Now take hede / of this Chanons cursednesse Sir koth the Chanon / let your man goon ffor qwyk-siluer / þat we it hade anoon And let hym bryng ounces / ij. or .iij. And whan he comth as fast shull ye see A wonder thyng / which ye sawe neuere or this Sir koth the preest/ it shall be don ywis He bade his seruaunt / fecch hym this thyng/ And he all redy was / at his biddyng/ And went hym forth / and cam anon ayein With his qwyk-sylver shortly for to seyn And toke thise ounces. thre / to the Chanon And he hem leid faire and well adoun And bade the seruaunt/ coles for to bryng/ That he anoon myght / go to his werkyng/ The coles right anoon weren yfette And this Chanon toke out/ a Crosselette Of his bosom / and shewed it to þe preest/ This Instrument / koth he which þat þou seest Take in thyn honde / and put thy self/ þere-in Of this qwyk-siluere an ounce / and there begyn In þe name of Crist / to wex a Philiȝophre There ben full fewe / which þat I wold profre To shewe hym thus moch/ of my science ffor ye shull se here / by experience That this qwyk-syluer / I shall now mortefye / Right in your sight anoon withouten lye And make it as gode siluer / and as fyne As þere is ony / in your purs and myne Or elles where / and make it mallable And elles holdeth me fals / and vnable Amonges folk / for euere to appiere I haue a poudre here / þat cost me dere Shall make all gode / for it is cause of all My kunnyng / which I to you shewe shall voyde your man / and let hym be there out/ and shette þe dore / whiles we ben about/ Our pryvitee / þat no man vs espie Whiles þat we werk/ in þis Philosophie all as he bad fulfilled was in dede This ylk seruaunt/ anon right/ out yede And his maister shette þe dore anoon And to her labour spedely they goon This preest/ at þis cursed chanons biddyng vpon þe fire / anon set this thyng And blewe þe fire / and besied hym full fast/ And þis Chanon / in-to the Crosselet cast/ A poudre / note I where-of / it was Ymade / outher of chalk / outher of glas Or som-what elles / was nat worth a flie To blynd with the preest / and bad hym hie The coles for to couchen all aboue The Crosselet/ for in tokenyng & the loue koth this Chanon / þyn owen handes two Shull werche all thyng/ þat shall here be do / Graunt mercy koth the preest/ and was full glad And couched cole / as þat þe chanon bad And while he besy was / this sely wrecche This fals Chanon / þe foule fende hym fecche Out of his bosom / toke a bechen cole In which full subtelly / was made an hole And there-in put was/ of siluere lemaill An ounce / and stopped was withouten faill This hole with wexe to kepe þe lemaill in And vnderstondeth / þat þis fals gyn was nat made there / but it was made byfore And other thynges / that I shall tell more Here-afterward / which þat he/with hym brought Or he cam there / hym to begile he thought/ And so he did or þat þey were atwynne Tyll þat he hade / terued hym / coude he nat blyn It dulleth me / whan þat I of hym speke Of his falshede / fayn wold I me wreke Yf I wist how / but he is here and there He is so variaunt/ he abytte nowhere But taketh hede / now sirs / for goddes love He toke his cole / of which I spake above And in his hande / he bare it priuelye And whiles þe preest / couched beselye The coles / as I told you / or this This Chanon seid frend / ye don amys This is nat couched / as it ought to be But sone I shall amenden it/ koth he Now let me medle there-with / but a while ffor of yow haue I pitee / by seint Gyle Ye ben right hote / I se wele how ye swete Haue here a cloth / and wipe awey þe wete And whiles that the preest/ wyped his face This Chanon toke his cole / with sory grace And leid it aboue / vp-on þe mydward vp-on the Crosselet/ and blew wele afterward Tyll that þe coles / gan fast brenne Now yeve vs drynk/ koth þe Chanon thenne As swythe / all shall be wele I vndertake Sitte we doun / and let vs mery make And whan that this Chanons / bechen cole was brent/ all þe lemaill/ out of þe hole In-to þe Croselet / fell anoon adoun And so it most nedes be / by resoun Sen it so even aboue / it couched was But there-of wist þe preest/ no-thyng allas / He demed all coles eliche gode ffor of þat sleight/ he no-thing vnderstode And whan this / Alcamistre sawe his tyme Rise vp koth he sir preest/ and sit by me And for I wote wele Ingot/ haue we noon Goth forth/ walketh / and bryng vs a chalk stoon ffor I woll make / of þe same shappe That is an yngot / yf I may haue happe And bryngeth eke with you / a bolle or a pan ffull of water / and ye shull see wele þan How þat our besynesse / shall thryve or preeve And yitte for ye shull haue no mysbyleve Ne wrong conceyt of me in your absence I ne woll nat bene out/ of your presence But go with you and com with yow ayein The Chambre dore / shortly for to seyn They opened and shette / and went her weye And forth with hem þey carieden þe keye / And commen ayein without delay What shold I tarien / all þe long day He toke the chalk / and shope it in þe wise Of an Ingot/ as I shall yow devise I sey he toke out of his owen sleve A teyne of siluer euyll mot he cheve Which þat ne was / but an vnce of weight/ And taketh hede now of his cursed sleight/ He shoope his Ingotte / in lenth / and in brede Of this teyne / without ony drede So sliely þat the preest/ it nat espied And in his sleve ayein / he gan it hied And from the fire / he toke vp his matere And in þe Ingot put/ it with mery chere And in the watery vessell / he it cast/ Whan that hym lyst/ and bade þe preest as fast/ What there is / put in thyn hande and groope Thow fynd shalt there / silver as I hoope . . . . . . . . . .no gap in the MS. He put his hand in / and toke vp a teyne Of silver fyn / and glad / in euery veyne Was this preest/ whan he sawe it was so Goddes blessyng/ and his moders also And all halowes / haue ye sir Chanon Seid this preest/ and I her malison But and ye vouchesauf / to techen me This noble craft/ and this subteltee I woll be your / in all þat euer I may Koth the Chanon / yitte woll I make assay The secund tyme / þat ye mow taken hede And ben expert/ of this / and in your nede Another day assay / in myn absence This disciplyne / and þis crafty science let take another ounce / koth he tho Of qwyk-siluere / with-out wordes mo And do there-with / as ye haue don or this with þat other / which þat now siluer is This preest hym besieth in all þat he can To don as þis Chanon / this cursed man Commaunded hym / and fast blew the fire ffor to com to theffect / of his desire And þis Chanon / right in þe mene while All redy was / this preest/ efte to begyle And for a a countenaunce / in his hande he bare An holowen styk / take kepe and beware In þe ende of which / an once and no more Of siluer lemaill / put was / as byfore Was in his cole / and stopped with wex wele ffor to kepe in his lemaill euery dele. And while this preest/ was in his besynesse This Chanon with his styk/ gan hym dresse / To hym anon / and his poudre cast in / As he dyd ere / þe devyll out of his skyn Hym terne / I pray to god for his falshede ffor he was fals / in euery thyng/ and dede And with his styk/ aboue þe Crosselet/ That was ordeyned / with þat fals get/ He stered the coles / till relent gan The wexe ayeinst the fire / as euery man But it a fole be / wote wele þat it mot nede And all þat in the styk/ was out yede And in þe Crosselette hastely fell/ Now gode sirs / what woll ye bet þan well Whan þat þis preest/ was þus begiled ayein Supposyng nat but trouth / þe soth to seyn He was so glad / þat I can nat expresse In no manere / his merth/ and his gladnesse And to þe Chanon / he profred eftsone Body and gode / ya koth þe Chanon sone Though I pore be / crafty þou shalt me fynd I warne the yitte / is there more behynd Is there ony Coper / here-in seid he Ye koth the preest/ I trowe well there be Elles go by vs som / and þat as swythe Now sir go þy wey / and hie the blythe He went his way / and with the coper cam And þis Chanon it / in his handes nam And of that Coper weyed out but an ounce all to symple is my tung/ to pronounce As mynystre of my wit / þe doublenesse Of this Chanon / rote of all cursednesse He semed frendly to hem / þat knewe hym nought/ But he was fendly / both in hert and thought/ It werieth me / to tell of his falnesse And natheles yitte woll I it expresse To thentent/ that men mow be ware there-by And for noon other cause truely He put the ounce of Coper in þe Crosselet/ And on the fire / as swythe he hath it set/ And cast in poudre / and made the preest to blowe/ And in his werkyng/ for he stowped lowe As he did ere / and all nas but a Iape Right as hym list/ the preest/ he made his ape And afterward in þe Ingotte / he it cast/ And in the pan / put it at the last/ With the water / and in he put his owen hand. And in his sleue / as ye byforehand Herd me tell / hade a siluer teyne He slyely toke it out/ þis cursed hyne vnwetyng this prest/ of his fals craft/ And in þe pannes botom / he hath it laft/ And in the water / rombled to and froo And wondir priuely toke vp also The Coper Teyne / nat knowyng þis preest/ And hid it / and hym hent by the brest/ And to hym spake / and thus seid in his game Stoupeth adoun / by god ye be to blame Helpeth me now / as I did yow whilere Put in your hande / and loke what is there This preest/ toke vp þis siluer teyne anoon And than seid the Chanon let vs goon With thise iij. teynes / which þat we han wrought/ To som goldsmyth / and wete yf they ben ought/ ffor by my feith / I nold / for myn hode But yf þat þey were siluer fyn and gode And þat as swythe / preued shall it be Vn-to þe goldsmyth with thise teynes .iij. They went/ and put thise teynes in assay To fire and hamer / myght no man sey nay But þat þey weren / as hem ought to be This sotted preest/ whoo was gladder þan he Was neuer bird gladder / ayeinst the day Ne nyghtyngale / in the seson of May Was neuer noon / þat list bet to syng Ne lady lustier / in karolyng Or for to speke of loue / and wommanhede Ne knyght in armes / don a doughty dede To stonde in grace / of his lady dere Than hade this preest/ þis sory craft to lere / And to this Chanon / thus he spake and seid. ffor the loue of god / that for vs all deid. And as I may deserue it vn-to yow What shall this resceit cost/ telleth now By our lady koth this Chanon it is dere I warn yow wele / for save I and a frere In Engelond / there can no man it make No force koth he / now sir for goddes sake what shall I paye / telleth me I pray I-wys koth he / it is full dere I say Sir at a worde / yf þat the list it haue ye shull paye .xl. li. so god me save And ner the frenshippe / þat ye did or this To me ye shold paye more ywys This prest / þe som of .xl. li. anoon Of nobles fette / and toke hem euerychoon To this Chanon / for this ylk resceyt/ All his werkyng/ nas but fraude and disceyt/ Sir preest he seid / I kepe haue no loos Of my Craft/ for I wold/ it kept were cloos And as ye loue me / kepeth it secree ffor and men knewe / all my subteltee By god þey wold haue so grete envye To me / by cause of my philosophie I shold be dede / there were noon other weye God it forbede koth þe preest / what ye seye yitte hade I leuer spenden / all þe gode Which þat I haue / and elles were I wode / Than that ye shold fall / in soch myschief ffor your gode will / sir haue ye right gode preef koth the Chanon / and fare well graunt mercy He went his wey / and neuere þe preest hym sye After þat day / and whan þat þis preest shoold. Maken assay at soch tyme / as he wold. Of this resceit fare wele / it wold nat be Lo thus beiaped and begiled was he Thus maketh he / his Introduccion To bryng folk/ to her destruccion Considereth sirs / how þat in ecch astate Bitwene men and gold there is debate/ So ferforth/ so that vnneth is there noon This multeplying blynt so many oon That in gode feyth / I trowe þat it be The cause grettest/ of soch skarstee As men reccorde / many mo than I. Philisophres speken so mystely In this Craft/ þat men han now a dayes They mow wele chittren / as þat doon Iayes And in her termes sette her lust and peyne But to her purpoos / shull þey neuere atteyne A man may lightly lerne / yf he haue ought/ To multiplye / and bryng his gode to nought/ Lo soch a lucre it is / in this lusty game A mans merth / it woll turne vn-to grame And empten also / grete and hevy purses And maken folk / for to purchacen curses Of hem that han her gode / þere-to ylent/ ffy for shame / þey þat han be brent Allas can þey nat flee / þe fires hete Ye þat it vse / I rede ye it lete lest ye lese all/ for bet þan neuere / is late Neuer to thryve / were to long a date Though ye proll ay / ye shull it neuere fynde Ye ben as bold as is bayard the blynde That blundreth forth / and perell casteth noon He is as bold to renne ayeinst a stoon As for to go beside / in the hie weye So faren ye that multiplie I seye Yf þat your yien kon nat seen aright/ loke þat your mynd / lak nat his sight/ ffor though ye loke neuere so brode and stare Ye shull no thyng wyn / on þat chaffare But wasten all þat ye mow rappe and renne withdrawe the fyre / lest it to fast brenne Medleth no more with þat arte I mene ffor yf ye do / your thryft is goon full clene And right as swythe / I woll yow tellen here What that the Philisophres seyn in þis matere Lo thus seith Arnold of the newe toun As his Rosarie / maketh mension He seyth right thus without ony lye There may no man Mercurie mortefye But it be with his brothers knowleccheyng/ How þat he / which that first seid this thyng/ Of philisophres / fader was Hermes He seith how that the Dragon doutles Ne dyeth nat/ but yf that he be slayn with his brother / and þat is for to seyn By the dragon Mercurie / and noon other He vnderstode / and brymstone by his brother That out of Sol and luna / were ydrawe And therfore seid he / take hede to my sawe Let no man besy hym / þis arte for to seche But yf that / þe entencion and speche/ Of Philisophres / vnderstonde can And yf he do / he is / a lewde man ffor this science / and this cunnyng koth he Is of the secree / of secretes pardee Also þere was a disciple of Plato That on a tyme / seid his maister to As his boke senior woll bere witnesse And this was his demaund/ in sothfastnesse Tell me þe name of þe priue stoon And Plato answerd vn-to hym anoon Take a stone / that Tytanus men name Which is that koth he / magnasia is þe same Seid plato / ya sir / and is it thus This is ignotum per ignocius What is magnasia / gode sir I you prey Is it a water / þat is made I sey Of elymentes .iiij. koth plato Tell me þe rote gode sir koth he þe Of that water / yf it be your will / Nay nay koth Plato / certeyn þat I nyll The philisophres sworn were euerychoon That þey shold discouere it in-to noon Ne in no boke it write in no manere ffor vn-to crist/ it is so leef and dere That he woll nat/ þat it discouered be But where it lyketh / to his deytee / Men for to espire / and eke for to defende Whom þat hym lyketh / lo this is the ende Than conclude I thus / sen þat god of heven Ne woll nat þat philisophres neven How that a man / shall com vn-to this stone I rede vs for þe best/ let it gone ffor who so maketh god his aduersarie As for to werk ony thyng in contrarie Of his will/ neuer shall he thryue Though he multeplye terme of his lyve And there appoynt/ for ended is my tale God send euery true man bote of his bale / Hic desinit fabula seruientis Canonici GROUP H. FRAGMENT IX. § 1. THE MANCIPLE'S HEAD-LINK. et incipit prologus Mancipuly[Egerton 2726, on leaf 236 Wot ye nat where / þere stant a litle toun Which þat cleped is / bob vp and doun Vnder the blee / in Caunterbury weye There gan our hoost / for to iape and pleye And seid sires what don is in the myre There is no man for prayer ne for hyre That woll awake / our felawes arn behynde A theef myght full lightly robbe and bynde Se how he nappeth / see for goddes bones That he woll fall from his hors at ones Is þat a coke of london / with meschaunce Do hym com forth/ he knoweth his penaunce ffor he shall tell a tale by my fay all-þough it be nat worth a botell hay Awake þou koke sit vp / god yeue þe sorow What ayleth the to slepe by þe morow Hast þou had fleen all nyght or art þou dronk/ Or haast þou with som quene / all nyght yswonk/ So that þou maist nat / hold vp þyn hede This Cook þat was pale and no þing rede Seid to our hoost/ as god my soule blesse As there is fall on me / soch heuynesse Note I nat why / but me were leuer slepe Than the best galon wyn / þat is in chepe Well koth þe maunciple / yf I may do ese To the Sir Cook/ and no wight displese Which that here rideth / in this company And our hoost wold of his curtesy I wold as now excuse þe of þy tale ffor in gode feith/ þy visage is full pale Thyn yien dasen eke / as me thynketh And wele I wote / thy breeth full foule stynketh That sheweth wele / þou art nat wele disposed Of me certeyn þou shalt nat/ be glosed. See how he yaneth / see þis drunken wight/ As though he wold swalow vs anoon ryght/ Hold cloos þy mouth/ for thy fader kyn The deuell of hell / set his fote there-in Thy cursed breth / effecte woll vs all/ ffy stynkyng Swyn / foule mot þe fall/ A taketh hede sirs / of this lusty man Now swete sir / woll ye iust at þe fan There-to me thynketh/ ye ben right wele yshape I trowe ye drunk haan / wyn of ape And þat is whan men pleye with a strawe And with his speche / þe Cooke wax angrye and wrawe And on þe maunciple gan to nodde fast/ ffor lak of speche / and doun þe hors hym cast/ where as he lay / tyll þat hym men vptoke This was a faire Chyuache of a Cooke Allas þat he hade nat/ hold hym by his ladle And or þat he ayein were / in his sadle There was grete shovyng to and froo To lyft hym vp / and moch care and woo So vnweldy / was þis sory palled goost/ And to þe Maunciple / þan spake our hoost/ By cause that drynk hath dominacion vp-on this man / by my savacion I trowe he leudly / tell woll his tale ffor were it wyn / or strong musty ale That he drank/ he speketh in his nose He snuffeth fast/ and eke he hath the pose He hath also to do more than ynough To kepe hym / in his sadle out of þe slough And yf he fall from his caple eft sone Than shull we all han ynough to done In lyftyng vp / his hevy drunken cors / Tell on thy tale / of hym make I no fors But yitte Maunciple / in feith þou art to nyce Thus openly / to repreve hym / of his vyce Another day / he woll perauenture Reclayme the / and bryng þe to lure I mene / he speke woll / of smale thynges/ And for to pynchen / at thy rekenynges That were nat honest / yf it cam to preef koth þe Maunciple / þat were a grete myschief So myght he lyghtly / bryng me in þe snare Yitte hade me leuer / pay for þe mare which þat he rytte on / þan he shold with me stryue I woll nat wratth hym / as mot I thryue That / þat I spake / I seid it in my bourde And wete ye what/ I have here in my gourde A draught of wyn / it is / of a ripe grape And right anoon / ye shull se a gode iape This Coke shall drynk/ þere-of yf I may vp peyne of deth / he woll nat sey me nay And certenly to tell as it was Of this vessell / þe Cooke / drank fast allas what nedeth it / he drank ynough byforn And whan he hade pouped / in his horn To the Maunciple / he toke þe gourde agayn And of that draught / þe Cook was wonder fayn And thanked hym / in soch wise as he coude Than gan our hoost / to laugh wonder loude And seid I se wele / it is necessarie Where þat we goo / gode drynk with vs to carie ffor þat woll turne rancour and disese To accorde and loue / and many a rancour pese O þou Bacus / blessed be thy name That so canst turne / ernest in-to game Worshipe and thank be / vn-to thy deitee Of that mater ye gete no more for me Tell on thy tale Maunciplie I the prey Wele sir koth he / now herken what I sey Hic desinit prologus Mancipij et Incipit fabula sua de la CroweEgerton 2726, on leaf237, back WHan Phebus was dwellyng in erth adoun As old bokes maken mensyoun He was þe most/ lusty bachelere In all this world / and eke þe best Archiere He slough anoon þe serpent Phiton as he lay Slepyng ayeinst þe son / vp-on a mery day And many another noble / worthy dede He with his bowe wrought / as men mow rede Pleyen he coude / on euery mynstralsye And syngen þat it was a melodye To heren of his clere voice the soun Certes the kyng of Thebes Amphyoun That with his syngyng walled þat Citee Coude neuere syngen half so wele as hee There-to he was / the semeliest man Thas is or was / sen þat þe world began What nedeth it / his fetures to discryve ffor in this world / was noon so faire on lyve He was there-with fulfilled of gentillesse Of honour / and of perfite worthynesse This Phebus / that was flour of bachelrye As wele in fredom / as in Chiualrye ffor his desport/ in signe of victorie O Phiton / so as telleth vs þe storie Was wont to bere in his hande a bowe Now hade þat Phebus in his hous a crowe Which in a cage / he fustred many a day And taught it speke / as þat men teche a Iay White was this Crowe / as is a snowe-white swan And countrefete þe speche of euery man He coude / whan he shold tell a tale There-with in all þis werld / no nyghtyngale Ne cowde by an hundred thousand dele Syngen so wonder merely and wele Now had this Phebus / in his hous a wyf/ Which that he loved more than his lyf/ And nyght and day / dyd ever his diligence Hir for to plese / and doon hir reuerence Save onely / yf the soth / that I shall seyn Ielous he was / and wold haue kept hir feyn ffor hym were loth byiaped / for to be And so is euery wight / in soch degree But all for nought / for it availeth nought/ A gode wyf / þat is clene / of werk and thought/ Shold nat be kept / in noon awaite certein And truely / the labour is in veyn To kepe a shrewe for it woll nat be. This hold I. for a verray nycetee To spille labour / for to kepe wyves Thus writen old clerkes in her lyves But now to purpos / as I first began This worthy Phebus / doth all þat he can To plese hir / wenyng þat soch plesaunce And for his manhode / and his gouernaunce That no man shold / haue put hym from his grace But god it wote / there may no man embrace As to destreyne / a thyng/ which þat nature Hath naturelly / sette in a creature Take ony bird / and put it in a kage And do all thyn intent / and þy corage To fustre it tenderly / with mete and drynk/ Of all deyntees / þat þou canst bethynk/ And kepe it as clenly / as þou may All-though his cage of gold be neuere so gay Yitte hade this bird by .xx. thousand fold leuer in a fforest/ þat is rude and cold Goo ete wormes / and soch wrecchednesse ffor euere þis bird woll don his besynesse To escape out of his cage yf þat he may His libertee / this bird desireth ay Let take a Cat / and fostre hym well with mylk/ And tendre flessh / and make his couche of sylk/ And let hym seen a mous / go by the wall / Anoon he weyueth mylk/ and flessh and all And euery deyntee / that is in that hous Soch apetyte hath he / to ete the mous lo here hath lust/ his dominacion And appetite / flemeth discrecion A she wolf hath also / a velens kynd The lewdest wolf/ þat she may fynd Or leest of reputacion / þat woll she take In tyme whan þat hir list to han a make All thise ensaumples / speke I. by thise men That ben vntrewe / but no thyng by wommen ffor men han euere / a likerous appetite On lower thyng / to perfourme her delite Than on her wyfes / ben þey neuere so feire Ne neuere so true / ne so deboneire fflessh is so newe fangell/ with meschaunce That we ne con / in no thyng haue plesaunce That sowneth in-to vertue ony while This Phebus / which þat þough vp-on no gyle Disceyued was / for all his iolytee ffor vnder hym / another hade she A man of litle reputacion Nat worth to Phebus in comparison The more harme is / it happeth often so Of which there comth / mochell harme and woo And so byfell / whan Phebus was absent/ His wyf anoon / hath for hir lemman sent/ Hir lemman sertes / þis is a knavyssh speche fforyeue it mee / and þat I you beseche The wise Platoo / seith as ye mow rede The worde mot/ nede accorde with þe dede Yf men shull proprely / tell a thyng/ The worde mot Cosyn be / to þe werkyng/ I am a boystous man / right thus sey .I. There nys / noon other difference / truly Bitwene a wyf/ þat is of hye degree Yf of hir body / dishonest she bee And a pouere wenche other þan this/ Yf so be þe werken both amys/ But that the gentile / in estate aboue She shall be cleped his lady / as in love And for that other is a poure womman She shall be cleped his wenche / or his lemman And god it wote / myn owen dere brother Men leyn þat one / as lowe / as lith þat other Right so bitwene / a titeles tyraunt/ And an outlawe / or a theef erraunt/ The same I sey / there is no difference To Alisaundre / told was this sentence That for the tyraunt/ is of gretter myght By force of meynee / for to slee doun ryght/ And bren hous and home / and make all pleyn Lo therefore is he cleped a Capiteyn And for the Outlawe hath / but small meynee And may nat do / so grete an harme as hee Ne bryng a cuntree / to so grete myschief/ Men clepe hym an outlawe / or a theef/ But for I am a man / nat Textuele I woll nat tell of textes neuer a dele I woll go to my tale / as I began Whan phebus wyf / hade sent for hir lemman And they wroughten / all her lust volage The white crowe / þat hyng ay in þe kage Byheld her werk/ and seid neuer a word And whan þat home was com / Phebus þe lord. The crowe sang Cukkow Cukkow Cukkow What bird koth Phebus / what song syngest þou Ne were þou wont so merely / to syng That to my hert it was a reioysyng To here þy voice / allas what song is this / By god koth he I syng nat amys Phebus koth he / for all þy worthynesse ffor all þy beautee / and þy gentillesse ffor all þy song / and all þy mynstralcye ffor all þy waytyng / blered is thyn yie With one of litle reputacion Nat worth to the in comparison The mountaunce of a gnatte so mot I thryve ffor on thy bedde / þy wyf I sawe hym swyve / What woll ye more / þe crowe anoon hym told By sadde tokenes / and by wordes bold How þat his wyf / hade don hir leccherie Hym to grete shame / and to grete velanye And told hym eft / he saw it with his yien This Phebus / gan a-way-ward for to wrien And thought his sorowfull hert brast a two His bowe he bent/ and sette there in a floo And in his Ire / his wyf / þan hath he slayn This is theffect / there is no more to sayn ffor sorow of which / he brake his mynstralsye Both harpe and leute / gytern and sautrye And eke he brake his arowes / and his bowe / And after þat þus spake he to the Crowe Traytour koth he / with tung of Scorpion Thow hast me brought / to my confusion Allas þat I was wrought / why nere I dede O dere wyf / gemme / of lustihede That were to me so sad / and eke so trewe Now lyst / þou dede / with face pale of hewe ffull giltles / þat durst I swere y-wis / O racle hond to don so foule a mys O trouble witte / o Ire reccheles That vnavised / smytest gyltles O wan-trust / full of fals suspecion Where was thy witte / and þy discrecon O euery man be ware of rakelnesse Ne trowe no thing / without strong witnesse Smyte nat so sone / or þat ye weten why But beeth avised / well and soberly Or ye don / ony execucion Vp-on your Ire / for suspecion Allas a thousand folk han / for racle Ire ffully fordone or brought hem in þe myre Allas for sorow / I woll my self slee And to the Crowe / o fals theef seid he I woll þe qwyte anoon / þy fals tale Thow song whilom like a nyghtyngale Now shalt þou fals theef þy song forgone And eke thy white fethers euerychone / Ne neuer in all thy lyf / ne shalt þou speke / Thus shull men / on a traytour ben a-wreke Thow and þyn of-spryng / ever shull be blake Ne neuer swete noise / shull ye make But euer crie ayeinst / tempest and reyn In tokenyng / þat þurgh þe / my wyf is sleyn And to þe Crowe he stirt / and þat anoon And pulled his white fethers of euerychoon And made hym blak/ and reft hym all his song And eke his speche / and out at the dore hym slong Vn-to þe devill / which I hym betake And for this caas / ben all crowes blake / Lordynges by this ensaumple I you preye Beth ware and taketh kepe / what þat ye seye Ne telleth never no man / in all your lyf/ How þat another man / hath dyght his wyf / He woll you hate / mortally certeyn Daun Salamon / as wise clerkes seyn Techeth a man / to kepe his tung well/ But as I seid I am nat textewell / But natheles / þus taught my dame My son thynk/ on þe crowe/ a goddes name/ My son kepe wele thy tung/ and kepe thy frende A wykked tung/ is wers þan a feende My son from a fend / men mow hem blesse My son / god of his endlees godenesse Walleth a tung with teeth / and lyppes eke ffor a man shold hym avise / what he speke My son full oft/ for to moch speche Hath many a man ben spylt/ as clerkes teche But for litle speche / avisely Is no man shent/ to speke generally My son þy tung/ sholdest þou restreyne at all tymes / but whan þou dost þy peyne To speke of god / in honour and prayere The first vertue son yf þou wolt lere Is to restreyne / and kepe wele þy tung Thus lerne children / whan þat þey be yong/ My sone of mochell spekyng evill avised There lesse spekyng hade / ynough suffised. Comth moch harme / thus was me told and taught/ In mochell speche / synne ne wanteth nat/ Wost þou nat/ where-of a racle tung serueth Right as a swerd for-kytteth / and kerueth/ An arme a two / my dere son right so A tung kytteth / frendship all a two A iangeler is to god abhomynable Rede Salamon / so wise and honourable Rede Dauid in his psalmes / rede Senek My son speke nat/ but with thyn hede þou bek/ Dissimule as þou were deef/ yf þat þou here A iangeler speke / of parlious matere The flemmyng seith/ and lerne it/ yf the lest/ That litle ianglyng causeth moch rest/ My son / yf þou no wykked word hast seid The dare nat drede / for to be bewreid But he þat hath mysseyde / I dare wele seyn He may by no waye / clepe his worde ageyn Thyng þat is seid / is seid / and forth it goth Though hym repent/ or be him leef or loth He is his thrall / to whom þat he hath seid A tale/ of which/ he is now evill appayed My son be ware / and be noon auctor newe Of tidynges whether þey be fals or trewe Where-so þou com / amonges hie or lowe Kepe well þy tung/ and thynk vpon þe crowe/. Hic desinit fabula Mancipij de la 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.]

 & Incipit prologus Rectoris fabuleEgerton 2726, on leaf240, back By that þe Maunciple / hade his tale ended. The son from þe South lyne/ was discended. So lowe that he nas nat/ to my sight/ Degrees .ix. / and .xxty of hight/ x. of þe Clok / it was tho as I gesse ffor .xj. fote / and litle more/ or lesse My shadow was / at thilk tyme as there Of soch fete / as my length parted were In .vj fete equall / of proporcion There-with the mones exaltacion I mene libra / all-wey gan ascende As we were entryng/ at a thorpes ende ffor which our hoost/ as he was wont to gye As in this caas / our ioly company Seid in this wise / lordynges euerychone Now lakketh vs no tales moo þan one ffulfilled is my sentence / and my decree I trowe þat we han herde in ecch degree All-most fulfilled is / all myn ordenaunce I pray to god / so yeue hym right gode chaunce That telleth/ this tale to vs lustely Sir preest koth he / art þou a vicary Or art þow parson / sey soth be thy fey Be what þou be / ne breke þou nat our pley ffor euery man saue þou / hath told his tale Vnbokle and shewe vs / what is in þy male ffor truely me thynketh / by þy chere Thow sholdest knytte vp wele a grete matere Tell vs a fable anon / for goddes bones This parson answerd / all at ones Thow getest/ fable noon ytold for me ffor Poule þat writeth vn-to Tymothe Repreven hem / þat weyven sothfastnesse And tellen fables / and soch wrecchednesse Why shold I sowe draf/ out of my fyst/ Whan I may sowe whete / yf þat me lyst/ ffor which I sey / þat yf þou list to here Moralitee/ and vertuous matere And þan / that ye woll yeue me audience I woll fayn / at cristes reuerence Do yow plesaunce leefull/ as I can But trusteth wele / I am a sothern man I can nat geest/ rom / ram / ruf by lettre Ne god wote / ryme hold I but litle better And therfore yf þou list/ I woll nat glose I woll yow tell a mery tale in prose To knytte vp all þis feest/ and make an ende And Ihesu for his grace / witte me sende/. To shewe yow / þe weye in this viage Of thylk perfyte glorious pilgrymage That hight Ierusalem celestiall/ And yf ye vouchesauf/ anoon I shall/ Begynne vp-on my tale / for which I prey Tell your avice / I can no better sey But natheles / this meditacion I put it ay / vnder correccion Of clerkes / for I am nat textuell/ I take but þe sentence / trusteth well Therefore I make / a protestacion That I woll stond / to correccion Vp-on this worde / we han assented sone ffor as vs semed / it was to done To enden / in som vertuous sentence And for to yeve hym / space / and audience And bad our hoost/ he shold to hym sey That all we / to tell his tale hym prey Our hoost/ hade þe wordes / for vs all Sir prest koth he / now faire yow byfall Sey what yow list/ and we woll gladly here And with þat worde / he seid in þis manere Telleth koth he your meditacon But hasteth yow / þe son / woll adoun Beth fructuous / and þat in litle space And to do wele/ god send yow his grace Hic desinit prologus Rectoris/ et incipit fabula SuA.[There are no paragraph-breaks in the MS, but Tyrwhitt's are kept in the print for convenience sake.]

[75]

Our swete lord of heven / that no man woll peryssh/ but woll þat þey com all to the knowlecche of hym / and to the blisfull lyf that is perdurable / [76] Amonesteth vs / by the prophete Ieremye / and seith in this wise / [77] Stondeth vp-on the weyes / and seeth / and axeth of old pathes / that is to seye of old sentences / which is the gode weye / [78] and walketh in that weye / and ye shull fynde / refresshyng for your soules &c / [79] Many ben the weyes espirituels / that leden folk / to our lord Ihesu Crist / and to þe reigne of glorie / [80] of which weyes / there is a full noble weye / and a couenable which may nat fayle / to man / ne to womman þat þurgh synne hath mysgone / from the right weye / of Ierusalem celestiall / [81] And this weye is cleped Penitence / of which man/ shold gladly herken / and enqweren / with all his hert/ [82] to weten what is Pen|itence / and whennes it is cleped Penitence / and in how many maners / ben þe accions of werkynges of Penitence [83] and how many spices there ben of penitence / and which thynges appertenen / and byhoven to Penitence/ and which thynges distourben Penitence /

[84] Seint Ambrose seith / that Penitence is / the pleynyng of a man / for the gylt/ that he hath done / and no more to do / ony thyng for which hym ought to pleyn / [85] And som doctour seith / Penitence is the wayment|yng of a man / þat soroweth for his synne / and pyneth hym self/ for he hath mysdoon / [86] Penitence / with certein circumstaunces / is verray repentaunce of a man / that halt hym / self in sorow / and other peyne for his gyltes / [87] and for he shall be verray penitent/ he shall first bewail the synnes that he hath doo / and stedfastly purposen / in his hert/ to haue shryft/ of mouth / and to don satisfaccion / [88] and neuer to do thyng for which hym ought more bewayle / or to compleyn / and to con|tynue in gode werkes / or elles his repentaunce may nat / availl/ [89] ffor as seyth Seint Isidre / he is a Iaper and a gabber/ and no verray repentant/ þat eft sone doth thyng/ for which hym ought repent/ [90] wepyng/ and nat for to stynt to synne / may nat availl/ [91] But natheles / men shull hope / þat euery tyme / that man falleth/ be it neuer so oft / that he may arise / þurgh peni|tence / yf he haue grace / but certenly / it is grete doute / [92] for as seith Gregorie / vnneth ariseth he out of synne / þat is charged with the charge of evill vsage / [93] and therfore repentyng folk/ þat stynt for to synne / and forlete synne / or synne forlete hem / holy chirche halt hem seker of her savacon / [94] And he þat synneth / and verrely repenteth hym / in his last day/ holy chirche / yitte hopeth his savacon / by þe grete mercy of our lord Ihesu Crist/ for his repentaunce / but take the seker weye/

[95] and now seth / I haue declared yow / what thyng is penitence / now shull ye vnderstonde / þat þere ben .iij. accions of Penitence / [96] The first is / that a man be baptised / after that he hath synned. [97] Seint Austyn seith / but he be penitent / for his old synfull lyf/ he may nat begynne the newe clene lyf/ [98] ffor certes yf he be baptised with-outen penitence of his old gylt/ he resceyueth the mark/ of baptisme / but nat þe grace / ne the remyssions of his synnes / till he haue verray repentaunce / [99] Another defaute is this / þat men doon dedely synne / after that they han resceyued baptisme / [100] The .iijde defaute is this/ that men fallen/ in venyall synnes/ after her baptisme from day to day / [101] There-of seith Austyn / þat Penitence of gode and humble folk/ is the penitence of euery day /

[102] The spices of Penitence ben .iij. / that one of hem is solempne / another commune / and the thirde is pryvee / [103] thylk penaunce þat is so|lempne / is in ij. maners / as to be put out/ of holy chirche / for slaughter of children / and soch / maner thyng/ [104] Another thyng is / whan man hath synned openly / of which synne / þe fame is openly spoken / in þe cuntree and than holy chirche by Iuge|ment distreyneth hym / for to don open penaunce / [105] Commune penaunce is þat prestes enIoynen men / in certein caas as for to go perauenture / naked in pilgrymages / or bare-fote / [106] Pryvee penaunce is thylk/ that men doon / all day for pryve synnes / of which we shryue vs priuelye and resceyve pryvee penaunce /

[107] Now shalt þou vnderstond what is behovely / and necessarie to verray perfite penitence / and þis stant on .iij. thynges / [108] Contricion of hert/ Con|fession of mouth / and Satisfaccion / [109] ffor which seith Seint Iohn Crisostomus / Penitence distreyneth man / to accepte / benignely euery peyne / þat hym is enIoyned / with contricion of hert/ and shryft of mouth/ with satis|faccion / and in werkyng of all maner humylitee/ [110] and this is fruytfull penitence/ Ayeinst/ .iij. thynges/ in which we wrath our lord Ihesu Crist / [111] þis is to sey / by delite in thynkyng/ by rechelesnesse in spekyng/ by wykked synfull werkyng/ [112] And ayeinst thise wykkyd gyltes/is Penitence þat may be lykkened vn-to a tree/

[113] þe rote of this tree / is contricion / þat hideth hym in the hert // of hym / þat is verray repentaunt/ right as þe rote of a tree / hydeth hym in the erthe. [114] Of the rote of Contricion / spryngeth a stake / that bereth braunches and leves of Confession / and fruyt of Satisfaccion / [115] ffor which Crist seith in his gospell/ doth digne fruyt/ of Penitence/for by this fruytmow men vnderstonde/and knowe this tree / and nat by the rote þat is hydde in þe hert / of man/ ne by þe braunches / ne the leves / of confession / [116] and þerfore our lord Ihesu Crist seith thus / by the fruyt of hem ye shull knowe hem [117] Of this rote eke spryngeth / a seede of grace the which is moder of sekirnesse / and in this sede / is egre and hote [118] þe grace of this sede / spryngeth of god / þurgh re|membraunce on þe day of dome / and on þe peynes of hell / [119] Of this mater seyth / Salamon that in the drede of god / man forlete[t]h his synne [120] The hete of þis seede / is þe love of god / and þe desiryng/ of þe Ioye perdurable [121] This hete draweth the hert of a man to god / and doth hym hate his synne / [122] for sothely / there is no thing/ þat savoureth so wele to a child / as the mylk of his Norice/ne no thing is to hym more abhom|ynable / than thilk mylk / whan it is medled with other mete/ [123] Ryght so þe synfull man þat loueth his synne / hym semeth þat it is most swete to hym / of ony thyng/ [124] but from þat tyme / þat he loueth sadly / our lord Ihesu Crist/ and desireth the lyf perdurable / there nys to hym / no thyng more abhomynable / [125] ffor / sothly the lawe of god / is the love of god / ffor which Dauid þe prophete seith I haue loved thy lawe / and hated wykkednesse /and hate /he þat loveth god/kepeth his lawe/ and his/ worde/[126] This tree sawe þe prophete Danyell in sperit/ vp-on the avision/ of Nabogodonosor/ whan he coun|ceilled / hym to do penitence / [127] Penaunce is the tree of lyf to hem þat it resceyven/ and he þat holdeth hym / in verrey Penitence / is blissed after the sentence / of Salamon

[128] In this Penitence and contricion / man shall vn|derstonde / .iiij. thynges þat is to sey / what is contricion / and which ben þe causes / þat meven a man to con|tricion / and how he shall be contrite / and what con|tricion availeth to the soule / [129] Than is it thus / þat contricion / is þe verray sorow / þat a man resceyueth in his hert / for his synnes / with sad purpoos / to shryve hym and to do penaunce / and neuer more to do synne / [130] and þis sorow shall ben in this maner / as seith Seint Bernard / it shall be hevy and grevous and full sharpe and poynant/ in hert/ [131] ffirst for man hath agylt his lord and his creatour / And more sharpe and poynant/ for he hath agilt his fader celestiall / [132] And yitte more sharpe and poynant/ for he hath wratthed and agilt/ ayeinst hym / that bought hym / þat with his precious blode hath deliuered vs / from þe bondes of synne / and from þe crueltee of the devill/ and from þe peynes of hell/

[133] The causes that oughten meve a man to con|tricion / ben .vj. ffirst a man shall remembre hym/ of his synnes / [134] but loke he / that thylk remem|braunce / ne be to hym no delite / by no weye / but grete shame and sorow / for his gylt / ffor Iob seith / synfull / men doon werkes / worthy of confusion / [135] and therfore seith Ezechie I woll remembre me all the yeres of my lyf / in bitternesse / of myn hert / [136] And our lord seith / in the Appocalypes / Remembre yow from whens / þat ye ben falle / for byfore that tyme / that ye synned / ye weren the children of god / . . no gap in the MS. [137] but for your synne / ye ben wexen thrall and foull / and menbres of the feend / hate of aungels / sclaundre of holy chirche/ and fode of þe fals serpent/ perpetuell mater of the fire of hell/ [138] And yitte more foule and abhom|ynable for ye trespasen so oft tyme/ as doth þe hound / þat retourneth to ete his spewyng/ [139] and yitte be ye fouler ffor your long contynuyng in syn and your synfull vsage / for which ye ben roten in your synne / as a beste in his dung/ [140] Soch maner of thoughtes / maketh man have shame of his Syn/ and no delite / As god seith / by the prophete Ezechiel [141] ye shull remembre yow / of your weyes / and they shull displese yow / Sothely synnes / ben the weyes / that leden folk to hell/

[142] The secunde cause / that ought make a man to haue disdeyne of synne / is this / That as seyth Seint Petir / who-so þat doth synne / is thrall of synne / and synne putteth a man / in grete thraldom [143] And ther|fore seith the prophete Ezechiel / I went sorowfull in dysdeyn of my self / and certes wele ought a man haue disdeyn of synne / and withdrawe hym from that thraldom / and velanye / [144] And loo what seith Senek / in this mater / he seith thus / þough I wost/ þat neyther god ne man / ne shold neuer knowe it / yitte wold I have disdeyn for to do synne / [145] And þe same Seneca seith / Also þat I am born to gretter thyng than to bee thrall to my body / or than/ for to maken of my body a thrall/ [146] Ne a fouler thrall / may no man/ ne womman/ maken of his body / þan for to yeve his body to synne / [147] all were it þe foulest/ cherle / or the foulest womman / that lyueth and leest of value / yitte is he þan more foule / and more in seruitute / [148] euere from þe hier degree / þat man falleth / the more is he thrall/ and more to god vile / and to þe world abhom|ynable / [149] O god wele ought man haue disdeyn / of synne seth þat þurgh synne / þere as he was free / now is he maked bonde / [150] And therfore seith seint Austeyn / yf þow have disdeyn of thy seruaunt yf he agylt/ or synne/ have þou þan disdeyn/ þat þou sholdest do synne [151] take reward of thy value / þat þou ne be / to foule to thy self / [152] Allas wele oughten they than haue disdeyn / to be seruauntes and thralles to synne / and sore ben a-shamed of hem self/ [153] þat god of his endles godenes / hath sette hem in hie astate / or yeve hem witte / strength of body / heale / beaute / prosperitee / [154] and bought hem from þe deth / with his hert blode / that they so vnkyndely ayenst his gentillesse / quyten hym so veleynsly / to the slaughter of her owen soules / [155] O gode god ye wommen þat ben of so grete beautee / remembreth yow / of the proverbe of Salamon he saith [156] lykkeneth a faire womman þat is foule of hir body / lyke to a ryng of gold / þat were in the groyne / of a sowe [157] right so / as a sow wroteth in euery ordur so wroteth she hir beautee / in styngyng synne /

[158] The thirde cause / that ought meue a man / to contricion / is drede of the daye of Dome / and of the horrible peynes of hell / [159] for as seith Seint Ierom / At euery tyme / that we remembreth / of the day of dome I qwake / [160] for whan I ete or drynk/ or what so þat I do / euer semeth me / þat þe trumpe sowneth in myn ere / [161] Rise ye vp that ben dede and comth to the iugement/ [162] O gode god mochell ought a man / to drede soch a Iugement/ there as we shull ben all / As Seint Poule seith byfore the sete of our lord Ihesu Crist / [163] where as he shall make a generall/ Con|gregacion / where as no man may be / absent / [164] for certes / ther ne availeth noon essoyen / ne excusacon / [165] and nat onely / that our defautes / shull be iuged / but eke that all our werkes / shull openly ben knowe / [166] And as seith Seint Bernard / there ne shall no pledyng availl/ ne sleight/ we shull yeve rekenyng/ of euery ydell worde / [167] there shull we han a iuge / that may nat be disceyved / ne corrupt/ and therfore certes all our thoughtes be discouered as to hym / ne for prayer ne for mede / he shall nat be corrupt/ [168] And therfore seith Salamon / the wrath of god / . . . . .no gap in the MS. ne woll nat spare no wight/ for prayer ne for yifte / and therfore / at the day of dome / there nys noon hope to escape/ [169] wherfore as seith / seint Anselme / full grete angwyssh shull the synfull folk have / at that tyme / [170] there shall þe stierne and wroth Iuge / sitte above / and vnder hym / the horrible pitte of hell open to de|stroye hym / þat mot be-knowe his synnes / which synnes openly ben shewed byfore god / and byfore euery creature / [171] and in þe left side / mo devels þan hert may bethynk/ for to harye and drawe / þe synfull soules / to the peyne of hell/ [172] and with|in þe hertes of folk/ shall be þe bityng conscience and without forth/ shall/ be the world all brennyng/ [173] whider shall the wrecched synfull man flee than / to hide hym / certes he may nat hide hym / he most com forth / and shewe hym / [174] ffor certes as seith Seint Ierom The erthe shall cast hym out of hym / and the see also / And the heyre also / þat shall be full of thunder clappes / and lightenynges [175] Now soth-ly / who-so woll remembre of thise thynges / I gesse þat his synne shall turne hym / in no delite / but to grete sorow / fer drede of þe peyne of hell / [176] And ther|fore seith Iob / to god / suffre lord / that I may a while bewaile and wepe / or that I go / without retournyng to þe derk lond / couered with the derknesse of deth / [177] to þe lond of mysease / and of derknesse / where as is the shadow of deth / where as there is noon ordre ne ordenaunce / but grisly drede / þat euere shall last / [178] Lo here mow ye see / þat Iob prayed respite a while / to bewepe and waile his trespas ffor sothly a day of / respite / is better þan all the tresour of þis world. [179] and for-asmoch / as a man may acquyte hym self/ byfore god / by penitence / in this world and nat by tresour / therfore shold he pray to god / to yeve hym respite a while to bywepe and wayle his trespaces [180] ffor certes the sorow that a man myght/ make from the begynnyng of the world / nys nat but a litle thyng/ at regarde / of the sorow / of hell [181] the cause why / that Iob clepeth hell / the lond of derknesse / [182] vnderstondeth þat he clepeth it lond or erthe / for it is stable / and neuer shall/ faill/ derknesse / for he that is in hell / hath defaute of light materiall / [183] ffor certes the derk light/ that shall / com out of the fire / that euer shall brenne / shall turne hym all to peyn / that is in hell/ for it showeth Hym to the horrible devels þat hym turmenten [184] couered with þe derknesse of deth / that is to sey / that he / that is in hell/ shall have defaute of the sight of god / for certes the sight of god / is the lyf perdurable [185] the derk nesse of deth / ben the synnes / that the wrecched man hath don / which þat distourben hym / to se the face of god / Right as a derk cloude / bitwene vs and þe son / [186] lond of mysease / by cause that there ben .iij. maners of defautes ayeinst .iij. thynges / that folk of this world han / in this present lyf/ that is to sey / honoures / delices / and ricchesses / [187] Ayeinst honour haue they in hell/ shame and confusion / [188] for wele ye wote / that men clepen honour / the reuerence þat man doth to man / but in hell is noon Honour ne reuerence / ffor certes no more reuerence / shall be don there to a kyng þan to a knaue / [189] ffor which god seith / by þe prophete Ieremye / þe folk þat men despisen / shull ben in despyte / [190] Honour is eke cleped grete lord|shipe There shall no wight serue other / but of harme and turnement/ Honour is eke cleped grete dignitee and hy|nesse / but in hell they shull ben all fortroden of deuels / [191] as god seith the horrible deuels / shull goon and com vpon the hedes of dampned folk/ and this is / for-asmoch/ as the hyer that they were / in this present lyf/ the more shull þey ben abated and defouled in hell / [192] Ayeinst the richesse of this world / shull they haue mysease of pouertee / and this pouertee shall be in .iiij. thynges / [193] In defaute of tresour / of which that Dauid seith / the Riche folk/ that embraceden and oneden all her hert/ to tresour of this world / shullen slepe / in the slepyng of deth / and no thyng shull they fynden in her hondes / of all her tresour / [194] And more-ouere the mysease of hell/ shall be in defaute of mete and drynk/ [195] ffor thus seith our lord by Moises / þey shull ben wasted with hunger / and the birdes of hell / shull devoure hem with bitter deth / and the gall of the dragon / shall ben her drynk / and þe venym of the dragon her morsels / [196] and ferther-ouere / her mysese / shall be in defaute of clothyng/ for they shull be naked in body / as of clothyng save þe fire / in which they brenne / and other fylthes / [197] and naked shull they ben of soule / and of all maner vertues which that is / þe clothyng of þe soule where ben þan the gaye Robes / and þe soft shetes / and þe smale shertes / [198] lo what seith god of heven / by þe prophete Ysaie þat vnder hem shull ben strawed mothes and her couertours / shull ben of wormes of hell/ [199] and ferther-ouer her mysease / shall be in defaute of frendes / for he is nat pore þat hath gode frendes / but þere is no frende [200] ffor neyther god / ne no creature / shall ben frende to hem / And euerycch of hem / shall hate other with dedely hate / [201] The sonnes and þe doughtren shull rebellen / ayeinst fader and moder / and kynrede ayeinst kynrede and chiden and despisen / euerycch of hem other / both day and nyght/ As god seith by the prophete Michias / [202] And the lovyng children / þat whilom loued so flesshly euerycch other / wolden euerycch of hem eten other / yf they myght/ [203] for how shold þey loven hem to-geder / in þe peyne of hell/ whan þey haten euerycch other / in þe prosperitee of this lyf / [204] ffor trust wele / her flesshly loue / was dedely hate / as seith the prophete Dauid / who-so loveth wykked|nesse / hateth his soule / [205] and whoso hateth his owen soule / certes he may love noon other wyght/ in no maner / [206] And therfore / in hell / is no solace ne no frendshipe / but euer the more / the flesshly kynredes / þat ben in hell/ the more cursynges þe more chid|ynges / and the more dedely hate þere is / among hem / [207] and ferther ouer / þey shull haue defaute of all maner delices / ffor certes delices / ben after the appetites / of the .v. wittes / as sight / heryng Smellyng/ Savour|yng/ and touchyng/ [208] but in hell / her sight shall be full of derknesse / and of smoke / and her yien full of teres / and her heeryng full of waymentyng/ and gnastyng of teeth / As seith Ihesu Crist/ [209] her nose|thirles shull ben full of styngyng stenche / And as seith Ysaie þe prophete her savouryng / shall be full of bitter gall/ [210] and touchyng/ of all her body ycouered with fire / þat neuer shall qwenche / and with wormes þat neuer shall dyen / as god seith / by the mouth of Ysaie / [211] and for asmoch/ as þey shull nat wene / þat þey mow dyen for peyne / and by her deth flee from peyne / þat mow þey vnderstonde / in þe worde of Iob / þat seith / there is þe shadow of deth / [212] Certes a shadow / hath þe lyknes of the thyng/ of which it is shadowed . . . . .no gap in the MS. [213] right so fareth the peyne of hell / it is lyke deth / for the horrible Angwyssh / and why / for it peyneth hem ever as though men shuld dyen anoon / but certes they shull nat dye / [214] ffor as seith seint Gregorie / to wrecched kaytyfs / shall be deth without deth / and ende without ende / and defaute without faylyng/ [215] ffor her deth shall all-weye lyven / and her ende shall euermore begynne / and her defaute / shall nat fayle / [216] And therfore seith Seint Iohn the Euaungelist þey shull folow deth / and þey shull nat fynde hym / and they shull desire to deye / and deth shall flee from hem [217] / And eke Iob seith / that in hell is noon ordre / of rewle/ [218] and all-be-it so / þat god hath create all thynges in right ordre / and no thyng with|out ordre but all thinges ben ordeyned and nom|bred / yitte natheles þey that ben dampned / ben no thing in ordre / ne holden noon ordre / [219] ffor þe erthe ne shall bere hem / no fruyt / [220] ffor as þe prophete Dauid seith / god shall destroye the fruyt of the erthe / as from hem / ne water ne shall yeve hem no moistre / ne the eyre no refresshyng/ ne fire no light/ [221] ffor as seith seint Basilie / the brennyng/ of the fire of this werld shall god yeve in-to hell to hem þat ben dampned / [222] but þe light/ and þe clerenesse shall be yoven in|to heven / to his children / Right as the gode man yeveth fflessh to his children / and bones to his houndes / [223] And for þey shull haue none hope to escape / seith Seint Iob / atte last / þat þere horrour / and grisly drede dwell without ende / [224] horrour is all-wey drede of harme þat is to com / and þis drede shall euer dwell in the hertes of hem / þat ben dampned and therfore han þey lorn / . .no gap for .vij. causes [225] ffirst for god / þat is her iuge shall be without mercy to hem / and þey mow nat plese hym / ne noon of his halowes / ne þey ne mow yeve no thyng for her raunsom / [226] ne þey haue no voice to speke to hym / ne þey may nat flee from peyne / . . . . .no gap in the MS. [227] And þerfore seith Salamon / þe wykked man deyeth / and whan he is dede / he shall have no hope to escape from peyne / [228] who-so than wold wele vn|derstonde / þe peynes / and bethynk hym wele / þat he hath deserued þylk peynes / for hys synnes / certes he shold haue more talent/ to syghen and to wepe / þan for to syng and to pleye / [229] ffor as seith þe same Salamon who so þat hade þe science to knowe þe peynes þat ben stablysshed and ordeyned for synne / he wold make sorow [230] thilk science / as seith Seint Austyn makeþ a man to wayment/ in his hert/

[231] The ferth poynt þat ought make a man / haue contricion / is þe sorowfull remembraunce of the gode / þat he hath left to don here in erthe / and eke þe gode þat he hath lorne / [232] sothely þe gode werkes / þat he hath left / eyther þey ben the gode werkes / þat he wrought/ or he fell in-to dedely synne or els þe gode werkes / þat he wrought/ while he laye in synne / [233] sothly þe gode werkes / þat he dyd byfore / þat he fell in synne / ben all mortefied and astoned and dulled / by the oft synnyng/ [234] That oþere gode werkes / þat he wrought while he lay in synne / þey ben vttrely dede / as to lyf perdurable in heuen / [235] Than thilk gode werkes þat ben mortefied / by oft synnyng/ which gode werkes he did whiles he was in charitee / ne mow neuer qwyk ayein / without verrey penitence [236] And þerfore seith god / by þe mouth of Ezechiell / þat yf þe rightfull man re|turne ayein / from his rightwosnesse / and werk wykked|nesse / shall he lyve [237] nay / for all þe gode werkes þat he hath wrought/ ne shull neuere ben in remembraunce / for he shall deye in his synne / [238] And vp-on þat chapitre seith Seint Gregorie thus / þat we shull vnder|stonde this principally [239] þat whan we doon[MS. repeats: principally / þat whan we don] dedely synne / it is for nought / þan for to reherce / or drawe in-to memorie þe gode werkes þat we han wrought/ byfore/ [240] for certes in þe werkyng of þe dedely synne / þere is no trust/ to no gode werk/ þat we haue doon byforne/ þat is to seye / as for to haue þer-by þe lyf per|durable / in heven / [241] . . . . .no gap in the MS. whan we haue contricion / [242] but sothely þe gode werkes þat men doon while þey ben in dedely synne / for as moch as þey were doon in dedely synne þey mow neuer qwyk Ayein / [243] for certes thyng þat neuere had lyf/ may neuer qwykken And natheles all be it so / þey ne availlen nat/ to haue þe lyf perdurable yitte availlen they to abregge / þe peyne of hell / or elles to gete temperall richesse [244] or elles þat god woll the rather enlumyne and light the hert / of the synfull man / to / haue repentaunce / [245] and eke þey availen for to vse a man to do gode werkes / þat þe fende haue þe lesse power of his soule / [246] And thus the curteys lord Ihesu crist / ne woll þat no gode werk be lost/ for in som what/ it shall availl / [247] But for as|moch / as þe gode werkes þat men doon / while þey ben in gode lyf ben all mortefied by synne folowyng/ And eke seith þat all þe gode werkes / þat men don while þey ben in dedely synne / ben all vtterly dede / as for to haue the lyf perdurable / [248] wele may þat man/ þat no gode werk ne doth / syng þe newe fressh song/ Iay tout perdu mon temps / & mon labour / [249] ffor certes synne byreveth a man both godenes of nature / and eke þe godenesse of grace / [250] for sothly the grace of þe holy goost fareth lyke fire / þat may nat be ydle ffor fire fayleth anoon as it forleteth his werk|yng/ and right so grace faileth anoon / as it forleteth his werkyng/ [251] than leseth þe synfull man þe godenes of glorie þat onely is behight to gode men / þat labouren and werken / [252] wele may he be sory than / þat oweth all his lyf to god / as long as he hath lyved and eke as long as he shall lyve / þat no godenes ne hath to paye with his dette/ to god / to whom he oweth all his lyf / [253] for trust wele he shall yeue accountes / as seith Seint Barnard of all þe godes þat han be yoven hym in þis present lyf/ and how he hath hem dispended [254] nat so moch þat þere shall nat perissh and here/ of his hede ne a moment of an houre / ne shall nat peryssh/ of his tyme þat he ne shall yeue of it a rekenyng/

[255] The .vte. thyng þat ought meve a man to contricion is remembraunce of þe passion þat our lord Ihesu Crist suffred for our synnes / [256] ffor as seith seint Bernard while þat I lyve / I shall haue remem|braunce/ of þe travailes þat our lord Ihesu Crist suffred in prechyng / [257] his werynesse in trauaillyng his tempt|aciouns whan he fasted / his long wakynges / whan he prayed / his teres whan he wept/ for pitee of / gode peple / [258] þe wo and the shame / And þe filth þat men seiden to hym / of þe foule spettyng/ þat men spette in his face / of the buffettes þat men yave hym / of the foule mowes and of the foule re|preves þat men to hym seyden / [259] of the nayles / with which he was nayled to the crosse / and of all þe remenaunt of his passion þat he suffred for oure synnes / and no thyng for his gylt/ [260] And ye shull vnder|stonde that in man is euery maner of ordre or ordenaunce turned Vp-so-doun / [261] for it is soth / þat god and reson / and sensualitee / and þe body of a man / ben ordeyned / þat euerycch of thise .iiij. thynges shold haue lordshipe ouer þat other / [262] as thus god shold haue lordshipe ouere reson / and reson ouere sensualitee / and sensualitee ouer þe body of man / [263] But sothly whan man synneth/ all þis ordre or ordynaunce is turned vp-so-doun / [264] and þerfore þan for asmoch as reson of man ne woll nat be subiette ne obeisant to god / þat is his lord by right / þer|fore leseth it þe lordshipe þat it shold haue ouer sensualite / and eke ouer þe body of man / [265] and why for sensualite rebelleth ayeinst reson / and by þat weye leseth reson þe lordshipe ouer sensualitee / and ouere þe body / [266] for right as reson is rebell to god / right so is both sensualitee rebell to reson / and to þe body also / [267] And certes this dysordinaunce and this rebellion / Our lord Ihesu Crist abought vp-on his precious body full dere / And herkeneth in which wise / [268] ffor-asmoch / þan as reson is rebell to god þer|fore is man worthy to haue sorow and to be dede / [269] This suffred our lord Ihesu Crist for man / after þat he hade be betrayed of his disciple / and distreyned and bound so that his blode brast out / at euery naill of his hondes / as seith Seint Austyn / [270] and ferther-ouer / for-asmoch as reson of man / ne woll nat daunte his sensu|alitee whan it may / therfore is man worthy to haue shame / And þis suffred our lord Ihesu Crist for man / whan þey spette in his visage / [271] And ferther ouere for-as|moch þan / as þe kaytyf body of man / is rebell both to reson and to sensualitee / Therfore is it worthy the deth / [272] And þis suffred our lord Ihesu Crist/ for man vpon þe crosse / where as there was no parte of his body free / without grete peyne and bitter passion / [273] and all this suffred Ihesu Crist/ þat neuer forfayted . . . . .no gap in the MS. to mochell am I peyned for þe thynges that I neuer disserued / and to moch defouled for shenshippe þat man is worthy to haue / [274] And ther|fore may the synfull man wele sey / as seith Seint Bernard / accursed be the bitternesse of my synne / for which þere most be suffred so moche bitternesse / [275] ffor certes after the diuers discordaunces / of our wikkednesses / was þe passion of Ihesu Crist ordeyned in diuers thynges [276] as thus / Certes synfull mannes soule is betrayed of the devill/ by Couetise of temperall prosperitee/ and scorn|ed by disceyte whan he cheseth flesshly delices / and yitte it is turmented by Inpacience / of aduersitee / and by espyte / by seruage / and subieccion of synne / and at þe last it is slayn fynally / [277] for this disordinaunce of synfull man was Ihesu Crist betrayed / and after þat was he bounde / þat cam for to vnbynde vs of synne / and of peyne / [278] than was he bescorned þat onely shold be honoured in all thynges / and of all thynges / [279] þan Was his Visage / þat ought to be desired to be seen / of all mankynde in which visage / Aungels desire to loke / veleynsly bespette / [280] þan was he scourged / þat no thing hade agylt/ and finally þan was he crucefied and slayn / [281] than was accompliced þe worde of Ysaye / he was wounded for our mysdedes / and defouled by our felonyes [282] Now seth þat Ihesu Crist toke vp-on hymself / þe peyne of all our wykkednesse / mochell ought synfull man wepe and bewaile / þat for his synnes / goddes son of heven / shold all this peyne endure / [283] The .vj.te thyng þat ought meve a man to contricion / is the hope of thre thynges / þat is to seye fforyevenesse of synne / and þe yifte of grace / wele for to do / and the glorie of heuen / with which god shall gwerdon man for his gode dedes [284] and for-asmoch / as Ihesu crist yeveth vs / thise yiftes / of his largenesse and for his soueraigne bountee / therfore is he cleped Ihesus Nazarenus rex Iudeorum [285] Ihesus is to sey Savyour or sav|acion / of whom men shull hope to haue foryevenesse / of synnes / which þat is proprely sauacion of synnes [286] And therfore seid þe Aungell to Ioseph/ thow shall klepe hyis name Ihesus / þat / shall saven his peple of her synnes / [287] And here-of seith Seint Petir þere is noon other name vnder heven / þat is youen to ony man / by which a man may be saued but onely Ihesus / [288] Nazarenus is asmoch for to sey / as florisshyng / in which a man shall hope / þat he þat yeveth hym remyssion / of synnes / shall yeve hym eke grace well to doo for in þe flour is hope of fruyt/ in tyme commyng/ and in foryeuenesse of synne / hope of grace / well to do / [289] I was at þe dore of þyn hert/ seith Ihesus / and cleped for to entre / he þat openeth to me shall haue foryevenesse of synne / [290] I woll entre In-to him by my grace / and soupe with hym by the gode werkes / þat he shall do / which werkes ben þe fode of god / and he shall soupe with me / by þe grete ioye / þat I shall yeue hym / [291] þus shall man hope for his werkes of penaunce / þat god shall yeve hym his reigne as he byhoteth hym in his gospell/

[292] Now shall man vnderstonde / in which maner shall be his contricion / I sey þat it shall be vnmesurable and totall / þis is to sey a man shall be verray repentaunt/ for all his synnes / þat he hath doon / in delite of his thought/ for delite is full parlious / [293] ffor there ben two maner of consentynges / þat one of hem is cleped consentyng of affeccion / whan a man is meved to do synne / and than delyteth hym longe for to thynk on þat synne / [294] and his reson apperceyueth it wele / þat it is synne ayeinst þe lawe of god / And yitte his reson / refreyneth nat his foule delite / or talent/ þough he se wele / apertely / þat it is ayeinst þe reuerence of god all-though his reson / ne consent nat to do þat synne in dede / [295] yit/ seyn som doctours / þat soch delite þat dwelleth long it is Full parlious / all-be-it neuer so lite / [296] And also a man shold sorow namely for all þat euer he hath desired / ayeinst the lawe of god / with perfite consentyng of his reson / for there-of is no doute / þat it is dedely synne in consentyng/ [297] ffor certes there is no dedely synne / þat it is ferst in mannes thought/ and after þat in his delite/ and so forth in-to consentyng / and in-to dede / [298] wherfore I sey þat many men / ne repent hem neuer of soch þoughtes and delites ne neuer shryven hym of it / but onely of þe dede / of grete synnes outward. [299] wherfore I seye / þat soch wykked delites / and wykked thoughtes ben subtell begylers / of hem þat shull be dampned / [300] More-ouer man ought to sorowen / for his wykked wordes / as wele as his wykked dedes / for certes the repentaunce of a singuler synne / and nat repentant of all his other synnes / or els repent hym of all his other synnes / and nat of a synguler synne / may nat availl [301] ffor certes god all-myghty is all gode / and þerfore / eyther he foryeueth all / or els right nought/ [302] And here-of Seith seint Austyn I wote certeinlye / [303] þat god is enemye to euery synner / and how þan / he þat obserueth oo synne / shall he haue foryevenesse of þe remenaunt/ of his other synnes / nay / [304] And ferther|ouer contricion shold be wonder sorowfull / and ang|wyssious / And þerfore yeveth hym god pleinly his mercy / And þerfore whan my soule was angwyssious within me / I hade remembraunce of god / þat my prayer myght com to hym / [305] ffertherouere contricion most be contynuell / and þat man haue sted|fast purpoos to shryve hym / and for to amend hym / of his lyf/ [306] ffor sothely while contricion lasteth / man may ever haue hope of foryevenesse / of þis comth hate of synne / þat destroyeth synne / both in hym self and eke in other folk/ at his power [307] ffor which seith Dauid / ye þat louen god / hateth wykkednesse / for trusteth wele / to loue god is for to loue þat he loveth/ and hate þat he hateth /

[308] The last þyng þat men shull vnderstonde in contricion is this / whereof avayleth contricion I sey þat som tyme contricion deliuereth man from synne [309] of which þat Dauid seith / I sey koth Dauid / þat is to sey I purposed me fermely to shryve me / and þow lord relesedest my synne / [310] And right so as contricion avayleth nat/ without sad purpoos of shryft/ yf a man haue oportunitee right so / litle worth is shrift/ or satisfaccon without contricion [311] And more-ouer contricion destroyeth / þe prison of hell / and maketh weyke and feble / all the strengthes of þe devill/ and restoreth þe yiftes of þe holy goost/ and of all gode vertues / [312] and it clenseth þe soule of synne / and deliuereth þe soule from þe peyne of hell and from the companye of the devill/ and from þe seruage of synne / and restoreth it to all godes espirituels / and to þe companye and Comunion of holy chirche / [313] And ferther ouer it maketh hym / þat whilom was son of Ire / to be son of grace / and all thise thynges / ben preued by holy writte/ [314] And therfore he þat woll sette his intent/ to thise þynges / he were full wise / for sothely / he ne shold nat than / in all his lyf / haue corage to synne / but yeue his body / and all his hert to þe seruice of Ihesu Crist/ and þere-of do hym homage / [315] ffor sothely our swete lord Ihesu Crist hath spared vs / so debonairlye / in our folies / þat yf he ne hade pitee of mannes soule / a sory song we myght all synge

Explicit prima pars Penitencle Et sequitur secunda pars eiusdem

[316]

THe Secunde partie of Penitence is Confession / þat is signe of Contricion / [317] Now shull ye vnderstonde what is confession and whether it aught nedes be doon / or noon / and which þinges ben couenable to verray confession /

[318] ffirst shalt þou vnderstonde / þat confession is verray shewyng of synnes to þe preest/ [319] þis is to sey verray / for he most confessen hym of all the condicions / þat longen to his syn as ferforth as he can / [320] all mot be seid / and no thyng excused ne hidde ne forwrapped And nought avaunt the of þy gode werkes / [321] And ferther ouer it is necessarie to vnder|stonde / Whens þat synnes spryngen and how þey encrecen / And which þey ben /

[322] Of þe spryngyng of synnes seith Seint Poule / in þis wise / þat right as by a man / synne entred first in-to þis world / and þurgh þat synne deth / right so þylk deth entred in-to all men þat synnedden / [323] And þis man was Adam. by whom synne entred in-to this world / Whan he brake þe commaundementes of god [324] And þerfore he þat was so myghty þat he shold nat haue deyed bycam soch one / þat he most nedes deye / whether he wold or noon / and all his progenye in þis world / þat in þat man synned / [325] loke in þe state of Innocence / Whan Adam and Eve naked weren in Paradys / and no thing ne hadden shame / of her nakednesse / [326] how þat þe serpent þat was moost wilye of all other bestes þat god hade make / seid to þe womman why commaunded god to you / þat ye shuld nat ete of euery tree in paradys / [327] The womman answerd of þe fruyt koth she of þe trees of Paradys / we feden vs but sothely of the fruyt of the tree / þat is in þe myddle of Paradys / god forbad vs for to ete / ne nat touchen it / lest perauenture we sholden dye / [328] The serpent seid to þe womman nay nay / ye shull nat deye of deth / forsoth god wote / þat what Day þat ye eten there-of / your yien shull open / and ye shull seen / and ben as goddes / knowyng gode and harme / [329] þe womman þan sawe / þat þe tree was gode to fedyng / and faire to þe yie / and delectable to sight/ she toke of the fruyt of þe tree / and ete it/ and yaue to hir housbond / and he ete / and anon þe yien of hem both opened / [330] and whan þat þey knewe þat þey were naked / þey sewed of fyke leues / a maner of breches / to hide her membres [331] There mow ye see / þat dedely synne hath first suggestion of the fend / as sheweth here by þe adder / and afterward þe delite of the flessh / as sheweth here by Eve / and after þat þe consentyng of reson as sheweth here by Adam / [332] for trusteth wele / þough so were / þat he tempted Eve / þat is to sey / þe flessh / and þe flessh hade delite in þe beaute of þe fruyt dyffended / yitte certes tyll þat reson / þat is to seye Adam con|sented to the etyng of þe fruyt/ yitte stode þey in the state of Innocence / [333] Of that / Adam toke we thilk synne originall/ for of hym flesshly dissended be we all/ and engendred of vyle / and corrupt mater / [334] and whan þe soule is put in our body / right anon is con|tract originall synne / and þat / þat was erst / but onely peyne of concupicence / is afterward both peyne and synne [335] And þerfor be we all born sones of wratth and of dampnacion / perdurable / yf it nere baptisme / þat we resceyuen / which benymmeth vs þe culpe / but for|soth þe peyne dwelleth with vs / as to temptacion / which peyne hyght concupiscence / [336] no gap in the MS. whan it is wrongfully vsed disposed or ordeyned in man / yt maketh hym coueyte by coueytice of flessh / flesshly synne by sight of his yien / as to erthely thynges / and eke couetise of hyenesse / by pride of hert/

[337] Now as to speke of þe first couetice / þat is concupicence / after þe lawe of our membres þat were lawfully ymaked and by rightfull Iuge|ment of god / [338] I sey for-asmoch as man is nat obeisant to god / þat is his gode lord þerfore is the flessh to hym disobeisant/ þurgh concupiscence / which yitte is cleped Norisshyng of synne / . . . no gap in the MS. [339] therfore all þe while þat a man hath in hym þe peyne of concupiscence / It is impossible / but he be tempted som tyme / and meved in his flessh to synne / [340] and þis thyng may nat faill as long as he lyveth/ it may wele wexe feble / and faill by vertue of baptysme / and by þe grace of god / þurgh Penitence / [341] but fully shall it neuer quenche / þat he ne shall som|tyme / be meued in hym self/ but yf he were refreyned by sekenesse or malifice or sorcerie or cold drynkes / [342] ffor lo what seith Seint Poule / þe flessh coueyteth ayeinst þe sperit/ and the sperit ayeinst þe flessh / þey ben so contrarie / no gap in the MS. þat a man may nat all-wey do as he wold / [343] The same seint Poule seith / after his grete penaunce in water and in londe / in water by nyght / and by day in grete peryll/ and in grete peyne / In londe in famyn and thirst / and cold and clothlees / and ones stoned all-moost to þe deth / [344] yitte seid I. allas I caytif man / who shall Deliuere me from the prison of my kaytif body / [345] And seint Ierom seith/ whan he long tyme hade wonned in desert/ where as he hade no companye / but of wild bestes / where as he ne hadde no mete / but herbes / and water to his drynk/ ne no bed but the naked erthe / for which his flessh was blak / as an Ethiopien for hete / and nye destroyed for cold / [346] yitte seid he / þat þe brennyng of lecherie boyled in all his body / [347] wherfore I wote wele sekerly / þat þey ben disceyued þat seyen / þat they be nat tempted in her body [348] witnesse of Seint Iame þe Apostle / þat seith / þat euery wight is tempted in his owen con|cupyscence / þat is to sey / þat euerycch of vs hath mater and occasion / to be tempted of þe norisshyng of synne / þat is in his body [349] And therfore seith Seint Iohn þe Euaungelist / yf þat we sey / þat we be without synne we disceyue our self and trouth is nat in vs /

[350] Now shull ye vnderstonde / in what maner synne wexeth or encreseth in a man / The first thyng is / þe norisshyng of synne of which I spake biforn / thilk flesshly concupiscence / [351] And after þat þe suggestion of the devill / þat is to sey / þe devels bely / with which he bloweth in a man þe fire of flesshly concupiscence [352] and after that / A man be|þynketh hym / whether he woll do or noo þat þyng/ to which he is tempted / [353] and þan yf þat a man withstonde and weyue / þe first entisynges of his flessh and of þe fend þan is it no synne / And yf so be þat he do nat so / þan feleth he anon a flame of delite / [354] and þan is it gode to be ware and kepe hym wele / or elles he woll fall anon / in-to consentyng of synne / and þan woll he do it yf he haue tyme and place [355] And of þis mater seith Moises by þe devyll in this maner / the fende seith I woll chace and pursue man / by wyk suggestion / and I woll hent hym / by þe mevyng or steryng of synne / and I woll parte my prayes or my praye by de|liberacon / and my lust shall be accomplised in delite / I woll drawe my swerde in consentyng [356] for certes right as a swerd departed a thyng in two peces / Right so / consentyng departeth god from man / and þan woll I slee hym with myn hond in dede of synne / thus seith the fende [357] ffor certes þan is a man all dede in soule and þus is synne accompliced by delite and consentyng / and þan is þe synne cleped actuell /

[358] fforsoth synne is in two maners either it is veniall or dedely synne / sothely whan man loveth ony creature / more þan Ihesu Crist our Creatour þan is it dedely synne / And veniall synne is yf man loue Ihesu Crist lesse þan hym ought/ [359] fforsoth þe dede of þis synne is full perlious / for it amenuseth þe love þat men shold haue to god more and more [360] And therfore yf a man charge hym self / with many soch veniall synnes / certes but yf so be / þat he sone or som|tyme discharge him of hem by shryft of mouth/ þey mow full lightly amenuse in hym / all þe love þat he hath to Ihesu Crist/ [361] And in this wise skyppeth veniall / in-to dedely synne ffor certes the more þat a man chargeth his soule with veniall synnes The more is he enclyned to fall in dedely synne / [362] And therfore let vs nat be necligent to descharge vs of veniall synnes / for þe prouerbe seith þat many smale maken a grete / [363] And herken this ensaumple / A grete wawe of þe see comth somtyme with so grete a violence þat it drencheth the shippe And þe same harme doth somtyme þe smale dropes of water/ þat entren þurgh a litle crevice / in-to þe thurrok/ and in þe botom of the shippe / yf men be so necligent/ þat men ne discharge bem nat by tyme [364] And therfore all-þough þere be a difference bitwene thise two causes of drenchyng / all-gates þe shippe is dreynt/ [365] Right so fareth it som tyme of dedely synne / and of Anoyous veniall synnes / whan they multeplie in a man so gretely / þat þylk worldly thynges / þat he loueth / þurgh which he synneth venially / is as grete in his hert/ as þe loue of god or more / [366] And þerfore þe loue of euery thyng þat is nat byset in god/ ne doon principally for goddes sake / all-þough þat a man love it lesse þan god / yitte is it veniall synne / [367] And dedely synne is whan þe love of ony thyng weyeth in þe hert of man / as moch as þe love of god / or more [368] Dedely synne / as seith seint Austyn / is whan a man turneth his hert from god / which þat is verray souerayn bountee þat may nat chaunge / and yeveth his hert to thyng þat may chaunge and flytte / [369] and certes þat is euery þyng save god of heuen / fforsoth is þat yf a man yeve his loue / which þat he oweth all to god / with all his hert vn-to a creature / Certes as moch of his love / as he yeueth to thylk creature / so moch he byreveth from god / [370] And þer|fore doth he synne / for he þat is dettour to god / ne yeldeth nat to god all his dette / þat is to sey all þe love of his hert /

[371] Now seth man vnderstondeth generally / which is veniall synne / þan is it couenable / to tellen specially of synnes which þat many a man perauenture / ne demeth hem nat synnes / ne shryueth hem nat of the same thynges / And yitte natheles / þey ben synnes / [372] sothly as thise clerkes writen / þis is to sey / þat at euery tyme þat man eteth or drynketh / more than suffyseth to þe sustenaunce of his body / in certein he doth synne / [373] . . . . .no gap in the MS. Eke whan he herkeneth nat be|nyngnely the compleynt of the pore [374] Eke whan he is in hele of body / and woll nat fast whan oþer folk fast/ without cause resonable / Eke whan he slepeth more þan nedeth or whan he comth by thilk encheson to late to chirche / or to other werkes of charitee // [375] Eke whan he vseth his wyf without soueraigne desire of engendrure to the honour of god or for thentent / to yeld to his wyf þe dette of his body / [376] / Eke whan he woll nat visite þe seke / and þe prisoner yf he may Eke yf he loue wyf or child or other worldly thyng more þan reson requyreth / Eke yf he flater or blaundyse / more than hym ought/ for ony necessitee / [377] Eke yf he amenuse or withdrawe the almesse of þe pore / Eke yf he apparayleth his mete more deliciously þan nede is/ or ete to hastely by Likerous|nesse / [378] Eke yf he tale Vanitees at chirche / or at goddes seruice / or þat he be a talker of ydell wordes / of foly or of velanye / for he shall yeld accountes þere-of at þe daye of dome [379] Eke whan he byheteth or assureth to do þynges / þat he may nat perfourme / Eke whan þat he by sleightes or folye / myseseth or scorneth his neighbour / [380] Eke whan he hath ony wykked suspession of thyng / whan he woteth of it no soth|fastnesse / [381] Thise synnes and mo without nombre / ben synnes / As seith seint Austyn /

[382] Now shull men vnderstonde þat all-be-it so / þat noon erthely man may eschew all veniall synnes yitte may he refreyne hym / by the brennyng loue / þat he hath to our lord Ihesu Crist / and by prayer and confession / and other gode werkes / so þat it shall but litle greve / [383] ffor as seith Seint Austyn / yf a man love god in soch a maner þat all þat euer he doth / is in þe love of god / or for the loue of god / . . . . .no gap in the MS. [384] loke how moch þat a drope of water þat falleth in a furneys full of fire / annoyeth and greveth So moch anoyeth a veniall synne / vn-to a man þat is perfite in þe love of Ihesu Crist/ [385] Men mow also refreyne veniall synne / by resceyvyng worthely þe precious body of Ihesu Crist/ [386] by resceyuyng eke of holy water / and almesse dede / by generall confession / of confiteor at Masse and at Complyn / and by blessynges of bisshopes / and of Prestes and of other gode werkes ./.

Sequitur de Septem peccatis mortalibus & eorum dependenciis circumstanciis & speciebus

[387]

NOW is it byhouely thyng to tell which ben dedely synnes that is to sey Cheveteyns for-asmoch as þey renne in oo lees but in diuers maners / Now ben they cleped Chefteynes for-asmoch as þey ben chief / and spryngen of all other synnes / [388] Of þe rotes of thise .vij. synnes / than is Pride þe generall rote of all harmes for of þis rote spryngen certein braunches / as Ire Envye Accidie or Slouth Auarice or Couetise to common vnderstondyng Glotonye / and lecherie / [389] And euerycch of thise thynges / and synneshath his braunches and his twygges as shall be declared in her chapitres folowyng / no break in the MS.

 [The Twigs of Pride.]

[390] And þough so be þat no man can vttrely tell / þe nombre of twigges / and of the harmes þat commen of pride yitte woll I shewe a partie of hem / as ye shull vnderstonde [391] There is Inobedyence / Auauntyng/ Ypocrisie / Despite / Arrogaunce / Inprudence / Swellyng of hert / Insolence / Elacion / Inpacience / Stryf / Contumasye / Presumpcion / Inreuerence / Vayneglorie / and many another twyg / þat I can nat declare / [392] Ino|bedient is he / þat disobeyeth for despite / to þe commaunde|mentes Of god / and to his soueraignes / and to his gostely fader [393] Auauntour is he þat bosteth of the harme or of the bountee that he hath don / [394] Ypocrisie / he is an Ypocrite þat hideth to showe hym soch as he is / and sheweth hym / soch as he nought is / [395] Dispytous is he / þat hath disdeyne / of his neighbore / þat is to sey of his even cristen / or hath despite to doon / þat hym yight to do / [396] Arrogant is he þat thynketh / þat he hath thilk bountees in hym þat he hath nat/ or weneth þat he shold have hem / by his desertes / or elles he demeth / þat he be / þat he is nat/ [397] In|prudent is he / þat for his pride / hath no shame of his synnes / [398] Swellyng of hert is / whan man reioyseth hym of harme / þat he hath doon / [399] Inso|lent is he þat despiseth in his Iugement all other folk/ as to regarde of his value / and of his connyng and of his spekyng/ and of his heryng [400] Elacion is whan he ne may neither suffre to haue maister ne felawe / [401] Inpacient is he þat woll nat be ytaught/ ne vnder|nom of his vice / and by stryf werieth truth / wetynglye / and defendeth his folye / [402] Contumax is he / þat þurgh his Indignacion / is ayeinst euerycch auctoritee / or power of hem / þat ben his soueraignes / [403] Pre|sumpcion is whan a man vndertaketh an emprise/ þat hym ought nat to do / or els þat he may nat do / and þis is calld surquydre / Inreuerence is whan men doon nat honour / þere as hem ought to do / and wayten to be reuerenced [404] Pertinacie is / whan man diffendeth his folie / and trusteth to moch to his owen witte / [405] Vaynglorie / is for to haue pompe and delite / in þis temporell hyenesse / and glorifie hem in this worldly astate / [406] Ianglyng is whan men speken to moch byfore folk/ and clappen as a myll/ and taken no kepe what þey seyen.

[407] And yitte is there a pryve spice of Pride / þat wayteth first for to be salowed / or he wold salow / all be he lesse worthy þan þat oþer is peraventur And eke he waiteth or desireth to sitte or elles to go above hym in þe weye or kysse pax / or ben ensensed or gon to offryng byfore his neighbour [408] and semblable thynges ayeinst his duete perauenture / but he þat hath his hert / and his intent in soch a proude desire / to be magnyfied and honoured byfore þe peple

[409] Now ben there two maners of Pride / þat one of hem is within the hert of man / and þat oþer is without / [410] of which sothly þise for|seid thynges / and mo þan I haue seid ben apperteynent to Pride / þat is in þe hert of man And þe other spices of pride ben without / [411] but natheles þat one of thise spices of pride is signe of þat other Right as þe gay levesell / at the Taverne is signe of þe wyne / þat is in þe seler / [412] and þis is in many thynges / As in speche and countenaunce and in outrageous array of clothyng/ [413] ffor certes yf þere hadde be no syn in clothyng/ crist wold nat so sone / haue noted and spoke of þe clothyng of þe riche man in þe gospell / [414] And as seith Seint Gregorie / þat precious clothyng is coul|pable for the derth of it / and for his softnesse And for his straungenesse and disgesynesse / and for the super|fluytee or for þe inordinate scantnesse of it/ [415] Allas may man nat see / as in our dayes / þe synfull costlewe array of clothyng/ and namely in to moch superfluytee / or els in to disordinate scantnesse/

[416] As to þe first synne / in superfluite of clothyng/ which þat maketh it so dere / to harme of the peple [417] nat onely þe cost of enbrowdyng the desgise of endentyng or barryng oundyng palyng wyndyng or bendyng and semblable wast of cloth in vanytee / [418] But þere is also þe costlewe furryng in her gownes so moch pounsonyng of chisell to make holes / and so moch daggyng of sheres / [419] forth-with þe superfluytee in length of þe forseid gownes trayl|yng in the dung / and in the myre / on hors and eke on fote / as wele of man as of womman / þat all thilk traillyng is verrey wasted consumed threde|bare and roten with dunge / rather þan it yeven to the poure to grete damage of þe forseid poure folk/ [420] And þat in sondrye wise / þis is to sey / þat þe more that cloth is wasted þe more mot it cost to þe peple for scarsenesse [421] And ferther ouer yf so be þat þey wolden yeve soch pounsoned and dagged clothyng / to þe poure folk it nys nat conuenient to were for her astate / ne sufficiant to bote her necessitee / to kepe hem from the dystemperaunce of the firmament / [422] On þat other side to speke of þe orible and disord|inate scantnesse / of clothyng/ As ben thise cutted sloppes / and hanselyns / þat þurgh her shortnesse þey kever nat the shamefull membres of man / to wykked intent/ [423] Allas som of hem shewen þe boce of her shappe and þe orrible swollen membres / þat semeth like þe maladye of Hirnya / in þe wrappyng of her hoses / [424] and eke the buttokkes of hem faren as it were þe hynder part of a shee ape / in the full of the mone / [425] And moreouer þe wrecched swollen membres / þat þey shewe þurgh disgysyng and departyng of her hosen in white & rede semeth þat half her priue shame|full membres weren flayn / [426] And yf so be þat þey depart her hoses in other colours / as is white and blewe / or white and blak / or blak and rede / and so forth / [427] þan semeth it / as by variaunce of colours / þat half the partie of her pryvee membres / ben corrupt/ by the fire of Seint Antony or by Cancre / or other soch meschaunce / [428] Of the hynder part of her buttokkes it is full horrible for to see / ffor certes in þat partie of her body / þere as þey purgen her stynkyng ordre / [429] þat foule partie shewe they / to þe peple proudely in despite of honestee / which honestee / þat Ihesu Crist and his frendes obserued to shewe in her lyve / [430] Now as of þe array outrageous of wommen god wote þat þough þe visages of som of hem seme full chaste and debonaire / yitte notifie þey in her array of atyre / likerousnesse and pride [431] I sey nat / þat dishonestee in clothyng of man or womman is vncouen|able but certes þe superfluytee / and disordinate scantnesse . . .no gap is reprevable/ [432] Also þe synne of hournement or of apparaill/ is in thynges þat appertenen to ridyng/ As in to many delycate horses / þat ben holden for delite / þat ben so faire fat and costlewe / [433] And also by many a vicious knave / þat is sustened by cause of hem / In to curious harneys / as in sadles / in Cropers / Paytrels / and bridles / couered with precious clothyng/ and riche barres and plates of gold and of siluer / [434] for which god seith by Zakarye þe prophete / I woll confounde þe riders of soch horses / [435] Thise folk taken litle rewarde / of þe ridyng of goddes son of heuen and of his harneys . . . . .no gap in the MS. but þe pore clothes of his disciples / Ne we rede nat þat euer he rode on other beest / [436] I speke this for þe synne of superfluytee / and nat for resonable honestee whan reson requyreth it/ [437] And ferther-ouer certes Pride is gretely notified / in holdyng of grete meyne / whan þey ben of litle profite / . . no gap in the MS. [438] and namely whan þat meyne is felonous and damage|ous to þe peple / by hardynesse of hie lordshippe or by wey of offices / [439] for certes soch lordes sellen þan / her lordshippes to þe devill of hell/ whan they sustene þe wykkednesse of her meynee / [440] Or elles whan thise folk of lowe degree as thilk þat holden hostillers / sustenaunt the theft of her Ostillers / and þat is in maner of deceytes / [441] Thilk maner of folk ben þe flies þat folowen þe hony / or elles þe houndes þat folowen þe careyn soch forseid folk stranglen spiritually her lordshippes [442] for which þus seith Dauid þe prophete wykked Deth mot com vp thilk lordshipes / and god yeve þat þey mow discende in-to hell/ all doun / for in her houses ben iniquytees / and shrewednesse / and nat god of heuen / [443] and certes but yf þey don amende|ment/ Right as god yaaf his beneson to kyng Pharao by þe seruice of Iacob / and to laban by the seruice of Ioseph / right so god woll yeve his malison / to soch lordshipes as sustene þe wykkednesse of her seruauntes / but they com to amendement/ [444] Pride of the table appereth eke full ofte / for certes riche men ben cleped to festes / and poure folk ben pntte aweye / and rebuked [445] Also in excesse of diuers metes and drinkes and namely soch maner bakemetes and dysshmetes brennyng of wild fire and peynted and castelled with paper / and semblable wast/ So þat it is Abbucion for to thynk/ [446] And eke in to grete preciousnesse of vessell and curiositee of mynstralcie / by which a man is stered þe more to delices of luxurie / [447] yf so be he sette his hert þe lasse vp-on / our lord Ihesu Crist/ certein it is a synne / And certeinly the delices myght ben so grete in this caas / þat man myght lightly fall by hem in-to dedely synne / [448] And whan þey surden by frealtee vnavised of malice ymagened avised and forcast/ or elles of vsage / ben dedely synnes / it is no doute / [449] And whan þey surden by frealtee vn|avised sodenly withdrawe ayein / all be þey greuous synnes / I gesse that they ben nat dedely / [450] Now myght men axe where-of þat Pride surdeth and spryngeth And I sey somtyme it spryngeth of þe godes of nature / And somtyme of þe godes of fortune And somtyme of the godes of grace / [451] Certes the godes of Nature . . . . .[452] . . . . .no gap in the MS. ben hele of body / As strength / delyvernesse / beautee / Gentries / ffraunchise [453] Godes of nature of the soule ben / gode witte / Sharpe vnderstondyng / subtle engyne / vertue naturell/ gode memorie / [454] . . . . .no gap in the MS. [455] Godes of grace ben / Science / pouere to suffre Spirituall trauaill / benignitee / vertuous contemplacion / . . . . .no gap in the MS. and semblab þynge [456] Of which forseid godes / certes it is a full grete folie / a man to pride him in ony of hem all / [457] Now as for to speke of godes of nature / god wote þat somtyme we haue in nature as moch to our Damage as to our profite / [458] As for to speke of hele of body / certes it passeth full lightly / and eke it is full oft / encheson of sekenesse / of our soule / . . . . .no gap in the MS. And þerfore þe more þat þe body is hole / the more we ben in peraill to fall / [459] Eke for to Pride hym in his strength of body / it is an hie folye ffor certes the flessh coueiteth ayeinst the sperit / And ay the more strong þat þe flessh is / þe sorier may þe soule be / [460] And ouere all þis / strength of body and worldly hardynesse causeth full oft many a man to perill and myschaunce / [461] Eke for to Pride him of his gentrie / is a full grete folye / for oft tyme the gentrie of his body begynneth the gentrie of the soule / and eke we ben all of o fader and of o moder and all we ben of oo nature / roten and corrupte / both riche and poure [462] fforsoth oo maner gentrie is for to preise / þat apparaileth a mannes corage with vertues and moralitees/ and maketh hym cristes child [463] ffor trust wele þat ouer what man / þat synne hath maistrie / he is a verray cherll to synne /

[464] Now ben þere generall signes of gentilnesse / as eschewyng of vice and ribawdrie / and seruage of synne / in worde / in werk / and countenaunce [465] and vsyng vertue / curtesye / and clennesse / and to be liberall / þat is to sey large by mesure / for thilk þat passeth mesure / is folie and synne [466] Another is to remembre hym of bountee / þat he of other folk hath resceyued [467] Another is to be benigne to his gode subiettes wherfore seith Senek / þere is no thing more conuenable / to a man of hie astate / þan debonairtee and pitee / [468] And therfore thise flies / that men clepen Bees / whan þey make her kyng/ þey chesen one þat hath no prikke / where-with he may styng [469] Another a man to haue a noble hert and a diligent/ to atteyne to hie vertuous thynges / [470] Now certes a man to pride hym in the godes of grace is eke an outrageous folye / for thilk yiftes of grace / þat shold haue turned hym to godenesse / and to medicyne / turneth hym to venym / and to confusion As seith Seint Gregorie / [471] Certes also who so prideth hym in þe godes of fortune / he is a grete fool / for somtyme / is a man a grete lord by þe morow þat is a caytyf and a wrecche or it be nyght/ [472] And somtyme þe richesse of a man is cause of his deth / Somtyme þe delices of a man is cause of greuous maladye / þurgh which he dieth/ [473] Certes þe commendacon of þe peple is oft full fals and full brotle/ for to trust / This daye þey preise / To-morow they blame / [474] God wote / desire to haue commendacion eke of þe peple hath caused deth/ to many a besy man / [475] Now seth þat so is / þat ye haue vnderstonde / what is Pride / and which ben the Spices of it/ and whan Pride sourdeth and spryngeth.;.

 Hic tractus Superbie desinit / & remedium eiusdem Hic Incipit/.

[476]

Now shull ye vnderstonde which is þe Remedye ayeinst þe synne of pride / and þat is humylitee / or mekenesse / [477] þat is a vertue þurgh which a man hath verrey knowlecche of hym-self/ and holdeth him|self no pris ne deyntee / as in regarde of his dissertes consideryng euer his frealtee / [478] Now ben there .iij. maners of humylitee / as humylitee in hert/ Another humylitee in his mouth / the thirde in his werkes / [479] the humylitee in hert / is in .iiij. maners / þat one is / whan a man holdeth hym-self as nought worthy by-fore god of heven / Another is whan he despiseth noon other man / [480] the thirde is / whan he ne rekketh nat / þough men hold hym nought worth / the ferthe is / when he is nat sory of his humyliacion [481] And þe humilitee of mouth is in .iiij. thynges / In attempre speche / and in humblesse of speche / and whan he beknoweth with his / owen mouth / þat he is soch as hym thynketh / þat he is in hert / Another is whan he preiseth the bountce of another man / and no thyng þere-of amenuseth [482] humylitee Eke in werkes is / in iiij. maners / þe first is whan he putteth other men byfore / þe secund is to chese the lowest place ouerall / þe iijde. is to assent gladly to gode counseill / [483] the ferthe is to stonde gladly to þe awarde of his soueraignes / or of hym / þat is in hier degree / certein þis is a grete werk of humylitee.

 Hic desinit Remedium Superbie / & tractus Incipit hic Inuidie/.

[484]

After Pride I woll speke of the foule synne of Envye which that is as by the worde of þe Philisophre Sorow of other Mannes prosperitee And after the worde of Seint Austyn it is sorow of oþere mennes wele / and Ioye of other mennes harme / [485] This foule synne is platly ayeinst the holy goost / yit natheles / ffor-asmoch as bounte perteneth proprely to þe holy goost / and Envye comth proprely of malice þer|fore it is proprely ayeinst the bountee of the holy goost / [486] Now hath malice .ij. spices / þat is to sey hardynesse of hert / in wikkednesse / or els þe flessh of man is so blynd þat he considereth nat / þat he is in synne / or rekketh nat þat he is in synne / which is þe hardnesse of þe deuell / [487] That other spice of malice is whan þat a man werryeth trouth / and eke whan þat he wote That it is trouth / and eke whan þat he werrieth þe grace / þat god hath yeve to his neighbour / and all this is by Envye / [488] Certes þan is Envye þe werst synne þat is / for sothely all other synnes / ben somtyme onely ayeinst o speciall vertue / [489] But certes Envye is ayeinst all vertues / and ayeinst all godenesse / for it is sorie / of all þe bountees of his neighbour / and in þis maner it is diuers from all other synnes / [490] ffor wele vnneth is þere ony synne þat it ne hath som delite in it self / save onely Envye / þat euere hath in it self / angwyssh and sorow / [491] The spices of Envye ben thise / þere is first sorow / of other mannes godenesse and of his pros|peritee / and prosperite is kyndly mater of ioye / Than is Envye a synne ayeinst kynde / [492] The secunde spice of Envie / is ioye of other mannes harme / and þat is proprely like to the devill / þat euere reioyseth hym / of mannes harme / [493] Of thise .ij. spices comth bakbytyng / And this synne of bakbityng or detraccion / hath certeyn spices as þus Som man prayseth / by a wykked intent / [494] for he maketh all-weye a wykked knotte / at þe last ende . . . . .no gap in the MS. þat is digne of more blame / þan worth is all the preisyng / [495] The secunde spice is / þat yf a man be gode / or doth or seith a thyng to gode intent / the bakbiter woll turne all thilk godenesse vp so doun / to his shrewed intent / [496] The thirde is to amenuse þe bounte of his neigh|bore [497] The ferthe spice of bakbityng is þis / þat yf men speke godenesse of a man[MS. wrongly inserts, from the next line, in dispreysyng of hym] þan woll þe bakbiter sey / Parfaye yitte soch a man is bet þan he / in dispreisyng of hym / þat men praise / [498] The fyfte spice is þis for to consent gladly / and herken gladly to þe harme / þat men speke of oþere folk / This synne is full grete / and ay encreceth / after þe wykked intent of þe bakbyter / [499] After bakbytyng comth grucchyng or murmuracion / and som tyme it spryngeth of Inpacience / ayeinst god / and somtyme ayeinst man / [500] Ayeinst god is it / whan a man gruccheth / ayeinst peyne of hell or ayeinst pouertee / or losse of catell / or ayeinst Reyn / or tempeste / or elles gruccheth þat shrewes han prosperitee / or elles þat gode men han ad|uersitee / [501] And all thise thynges / shold men suffre paciently / ffor þey com by the rightfull Iugement and ordynaunce of god / [502] Somtyme comth grucchyng of Auarice / as Iudas grucched ayeinst the Magdaleyn / whan she anoynted the hede of our lord Ihesu Crist / with hir precious oynement / [503] this manere murmur is soch / as whan man gruccheth / of godenes / þat hym self doth or þat other folk don of her owen catell / [504] Somtyme comth murmur of Pride / as whan Symon the Pharisee / grucched ayeinst þe Magdaleyne whan she approched to Ihesu Crist / and wept at his fete for hir synnes [505] And somtyme it sourdeth of Envye / whan men discoueren a mannes harme / þat was priue / and bereth hym on honde thyng þat is fals / [506] Murmur is eke oft amonges seruauntes / þat grucchen whan her soueraignes bidden hem to do thynges leefull / [507] And for-asmoch as þey Dare nat openly / withsey the commaundementes of her soueraignes / yitte woll þey seyen harme and grucche and murmur priuelye / ffor verray despite [508] which wordes men clepen the devels pater noster / þough so be / þat þe devyll ne hade neuer pater noster / but þat lewed folk yeven it soch a name / [509] somtyme it / comth of Ire or pryve hate / þat norissheth Rancour in hert / as afterward I shall declare / [510] Than comth eke bitternesse in hert / þurgh which bitternesse euery gode dede of his neighbour / semeth to hym bitter and vnsauerye / [511] Than comth discorde and vnbyndeth all maner of frenshippe / Than comth scornyng of . . . . .no gap in the MS. his neigh|bour / all do he neuere so wele / [512] þan comth accusyng / as whan man seketh occasion to anoyen his neighbour which þat is like the Craft of the devell / þat wayteth both nyght and day to accuse vs all/ [513] Than comth malignytee / þurgh which a man anoyeth his neighbour priuelye yf he may / [514] and yf he ne may / all-gate his wykked will ne shall nat want/ as for to brenne his hous priuelye / or enpoysen / or slee his bestes / and semblable thynges./.

 Hic Inuidie tractus desinit / & Remedium inde hic Incipit/.

[515]

Now woll I speke / of þe remedye ayeinst this foule synne of Envie / first is the love of god principall/ and lovyng of his Neighbore as hym self / for sothly þat one may nat be without þat oþer [516] and trust wele / þat in þe name of thy neighbour / þou shalt vnderstonde the name of thy brother ffor certes all we han oo fader flesshly and oo moder / þat is to sey Adam and Eve / and eke oo fader spirituell / and þat is god of heuen [517] Thy neighbour art þou hold to love / and will all godenes And þerfore seith god / love thy neighbour as þy self / þat is to sey to savacon both of lyf and soule / [518] And more-ouer þou shalt love hym in worde and in benygne amonestyng/ and chastizyng/ and comforte hym in his anoyes / and praye for hym with all thyn hert / [519] And in dede þou shalt love hym in soch wise / þat þou shalt do to hym in charitee / as þou woldest / þat it were don to thyn owen persone / [520] and therfore þou ne shalt do to hym no damage in wykked wordes / ne harme in his body / ne in his catell ne in his soule / by entisyng of wikked ensaumple / [521] þou ne shalt nat desire his wyf/ ne noon of his thynges / vnderstonde eke þat in þe name of neighbour is com|prehended his enemy [522] Certes man shall love his enemye by the commaundement of god / And sothely thy frend shalt þou love in god [523] I sey thyn enemy for goddes sake / by his commaunde|ment / for yf it were reson / þat man shold hate his enemye / forsoth god nold nat resceyve vs to his love / þat ben his enemyes [524] Ayeinst .iij. maner of wronges / þat his enemye doth to hym / he shall do thre thynges as þus / [525] Ayeinst hate/ [: Ayeinst hate repeated.]and rancour of Hert / he shall love hym in Hert/ Ayeinst chidyng and wykked wordes / he shall praye for his enemye/ Ayeinst þe wykked dede of his enemye / he shall don hym bountee/ 526] ffor Crist seith loveth your enemyes and prayeth for hem þat speke you harme / and eke for hem / þat you chasen and pursuen / and doth bountee to hem / þat you haten / lo thus commaundeth vs our lord Ihesu Crist to do to our enemyes / [527] fforsoth Nature dryveth vs to love our frendes / and parfeye our enemyes han more nede to love / þan our frendes / and þey þat more nede han / certes to hem shollen men do gode|nesse / [528] and certes in thilk dede / have we remem|braunce of the love of Ihesu Crist / that deyed for his enemyes / [529] And in-asmoch as thilk loue / is þe more greuous to perfourme / So moch is the more grete the merite And þerfore the lovyng of our enemye hath confounded the venym of þe devyll [530] for right as þe devill / is discomfited by humylitee / right so is he wounded to the deth/ by love of our Enemye / [531] Certes þan is loue the medecyn that casteth out the venym of Envye from mannes hert/ [532] þe spices of this pace shull be more largely declared in her chapitres folowyng./.

 Hic Remedium Inuidie desinit & tractus Ire Incipit /.

[533]

After Envye woll I descryve þe synne of Ire for sothly who-so þat hath Envye vp-on his neighbour / anone he woll comunely fynde hym a mater of wrath / in worde or in dede / ayeinst hym / to whom he hath envye [534] And as wele comth Ire of Pride / as of Envye ffor sothly / he þat is proude or envyous / is lightly wroth /

[535] this synne of Ire After the discryvyng of Seint Austyn / is wikked will to be avenged by worde or by dede [536] Ire after the Philisophre is the feruent blode of a man yqwyked in his hert/ þurgh which he wold harme to hym þat he hateth/ [537] ffor certes the hert of man by eschawfyng and mevyng of his blode wexeth so trouble / þat he is out of all Iugement of reson / [538] But ye shull vnderstonde/ þat Ire is in two maners / þat one of hem is gode / and þat oþer is wykked / [539] The gode Ire is / by ielousye of godenesse / þurgh which a man is wroth / with wikkednesse / and ayeinst wykkednesse And þer|fore seith a wise man / þat Ire is bet þan pley / [540] this Ire is with Debonairtee and it is wroth with|out bitternesse / nat wroth ayeinst the man / but wroth with þe mysdede / of the man / as seith the prophete David Irascimini & nolite peccare / [541] Now vnderstondeth þat wikked Ire is in two maners þat is to sey soden Ire / or hasty Ire / without avisement/ and consentyng of reson [542] The menyng and þe sence of this / is / þat þe reson of a man ne con|sent nat / to thilk soden Ire / and than is it venyall / [543] Another Ire is full wykked þat comth of ffelonye / of hert avised and cast byforn With Wykked will to do Vengeaunce / and there-to his reson consenteth / and sothly this is dedely synne [544] This Ire is so dis|plesaunt to god þat it troubleth his hous / and chaseth the holy goost/ out of mannes soule and wasteth and de|stroyeth / the liknesse of god that is to sey / the vertue that is in mannes soule [545] and putteth in hym the lyk|nesse of the devyll/ and benymmeth the man from god / that is his rightfull lord / [546] This Ire is a full grete plesaunce to þe devill / for it is the devels fourneis / þat is enchaufed with the fire of hell / [547] ffor certes right so / as fire is most myghty to destroye all erthelye thynges / . . . . .no gap in the MS. [548] loke how that fire of smale gledes / þat ben almost dede vnder asshen wollen qwyk ayein whan they be touched with brymstone / Right so woll Ire euermore qwyk ayein whan it is touched by the pride þat is couered in mannes hert/ [549] ffor certes fire ne may nat com out of nothing/but yf it were first naturely in the same thyng/ as fire is drawen out of flyntes with steell / [550] And right so as Pride is oft tyme mater of Ire / right so is rancour norice and keper of Ire [551] There is a maner tree / as seith Seint Isidre / þat whan men maken fire of that tre / and couere the coles of it with asshen / sothely the fire of it woll lasten all a yere or more/ [552] and right so fareth it / of Rancour whan it is ones conceyued in the hertes of som men / certein it woll last perauenture from o Ester day vn-till another Ester day and more / [553] but certes thilk man is full fer from the mercy of god all þat while /

[554] In þis forseid devels fourneys þere forgen thre Shrewes / Pride þat ay bloweth and encreseth the fire by chidyng and wikked wordes / [555] Than stant Envye and holt þe hote Iren vpon the hert of man with a peire of long tonges / of long Rancour / [556] And than stant / the Syn of Contwmelie or Stryf / and cheste and batereth and forgeth by veleyns reprevynges / [557] Certes this cursed synne anoyeth both in the man hymself and eke to his neighbour / for sothly all-most / all the harme þat ony man doth / to his neighbour cometh of wratth / [558] for certes outrageous wratth / doth all þat euer the devill hym commaundeth for he ne spareth neither Crist / ne his swete moder / [559] and in his out|rageous angre and Ire / allas allas / full many oon / at þat tyme / feleth in his hert full wikkedly / both of Crist / and eke of all his halowes / [560] Is nat þis a cursed vice / yis certes / allas it benymmeth from man his witte / and his reson and all his debonair lyf / spirituell/ þat shold kepen his soule / [561] Certes it benymmeth eke goddes due lordshippe / and þat is mannes soule / and the love of his neighbores / it stryueth eke all day ayeinst trouth / it reveth hym þe quyete of his hert / and subuerteth his soule /

[562] Of Ire commen stynkyng engendrures ffirst hate / þat is old wratth / Discorde / þurgh which a man forsaketh his old frende / full longe / [563] and than comth Werr and euery manere Wrong þat man doth / to his neighbour / in body or in catell / [564] Of this cursed synne of Ire / comth manslaughter And vnderstonde Wele þat Homycide is manslaughter in diuers Wise / Som manere of homicide is spirituell / and som is bodely [565] Spirituell manslaughter is in .vj. thynges / first by hate / as seint Iohn seith / he þat hateth his brother / is an homicide / [566] Homycide is eke by bakbityng/ of which bakbiters seith Salamon þat þey han two swerdes / with which they sleen her neighbores ffor sothly / as wykked is to benym hym his gode name as his lyf / [567] Homycide is eke in yevyng of wikked counseill by fraude / as for to yeve counseill to areyse wrongfull custumes and taliages [568] Of which seith Sala|mon / lyon roryng / and bere hungrie / ben like to þe cruell lordshippes in which holdyng or abreggyng of the shepe / of the hire / or of the wages of seruauntes / or els in vsure / or in with-drawyng of the almesse of pore folk/ [569] ffor which the wise man seith / ffedeth hym that all-most deyeth for hunger / ffor sothly / but yf þou fede him þou sleest hym / and all thise ben dedely synnes / [570] Bodely manslaughter is whan þou sleest hym with thy tung / in other maner / as whan þou commaundest to slee a man / or yevest hym counceill to slee a man / [571] Manslaughter in dede is in .iiij. maners / þat one is by lawe / right as a Iustice dampneth hym þat is coulpable to the deth / but let the Iustice be ware / þat he do it rightfully/ and þat he do it nat for delite to spill blode but for kepyng of rightwo|nesse [572] Another homicide is don for necessitee/ as whan a man sleeth another in his diffendant/ and þat he ne may escape non oþer wise from his owen deth/ [573] But certainlye yf he may escape with|out slaughter of his aduersarie and sleeth hym / he doth synne / and he shall bere penaunce as for dedely synne / [574] Eke yf a man / by caas or auenture shete an arow or cast a stone with which he sleeth a man he is an homycide / [575] Eke yf a womman by necligence ouerlie hir child in hir slepyng / it is homycide and dedely synne/ [576] Eke whan man distourbeth con|cepcion of a child and maketh a womman eyther bareyn by drynkyng of venemouse herbes þurgh which she may nat conceyue/ or sleeth a child by drynkes or els putteth certen materiall thynges in hir secre places / to slee the child [577] or els doth vnkyndely synne / by which man or womman shedeth her nature in maner or in place / þere as a child may nat be con|ceyued / or els and yf a womman haue conceyued and hurte hir self / and sleeth the child / yitte is it homicide / [578] what sey we eke / of wommen þat mordren her children / ffor drede of worldly shame/ certes it is an horrible homicide/ [579] Homycide is eke / yf a man ap|proche to a womman by desire of lecherie / þurgh which þe child is perisshed / or elles smyt a womman wetyngly / þurgh which she leseth her childe All þise ben homy|cides/ and horrible dedely synnes / [580] Yitte comth ther of Ire many no synnes / as wele in worde as in thought / and in dede / as he þat arretteth / vp-on god or blameth god of þing/ of which he is him Self gilty or despiseth god / and all his halowes / as don thise cursed hasardours / in diuers cuntrees / [581] This cursed synne doon þey whan þey felen in her hert full wikkedly of god and his halowes [582] Also whan þey treten vnreuerently þe sacrament of the auter/ þat synne is so grete/ þat vnneth it may be relesed / but that the mercy of god passeth all his werkes / it is so grete / and he so benigne / [583] Than comth of Ire / Attrye angre / whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte / to for|lete synne/ [584] þan woll he be angry and answere hokerly and angrelye / or defende or excuse his synne / by vnstedfastnesse of his flessh / or els he did it / for to hold companye with his felawes / or elles he seith / the fend enticed hym / [585] or els he did it / for his youth / or els his complexion is so corageous / þat he ne may nat forbere or els it is destenye as he seith/ vn-to a certein age / or els he seith it comth hym of his gentillesse of his Auncetres / and semblable thynges / [586] All þise maner of folk / so wrappen hem in her synnes / þat þey ne woll deliuere hem self/ ffor sothly no wight/ þat excuseth hym wilfully of his synne / may nat be deliuered of his synne / till þat he mekely beknowe his synne [587] After this than comth sweryng/ þat is expresse ayeinst the commaundement of god / and þis befalleth oft of angre and of Ire / [588] God seith þou shalt nat take / the name of thy lord god / in veyne / or in Idle / Also our lord Ihesu Crist seith / by the worde of Seint Mathewe / . . . . .no gap in the MS. [589] ne woll þou nat swere in all maner / neither by heven / for it is goddes Trone / ne by erthe / for it is þe benche of his fete / ne by Ierusalem / for it is the Citee of a grete kyng/ ne by thyn hede / for þou maist nat make an here white ne blak/ [590] But seith by your word. ye ye / nay nay / and what þat is more is of evill / þus seith Crist/ [591] ffor Cristes sake / ne swereth nat so synfully in dysmembryng of Crist/ by soule / hert/ bones and body / for certes it semeth / that ye thynk þat þe cursed Iewes / ne dismembred nat ynough / þe precious persone of Crist/ but ye dismembre hym more [592] And yf so be þat þe lawe com|pell yow to swere / þan shull ye rewle you / after the lawe of god / in your sweryng / As seith Ieremye / . . . . .no gap in the MS. þou shalt kepe .iij. condicions/ þou shalt swere in trouth / in dome / and in rightwosnesse [593] this is to sey þou shalt swere soth / for euery lesyng is ayeinst Crist / for Crist is verray trouth / and þynk wele this / þat euery grete swerer nat compelled lawefully to swere / þe wound shall nat departe from his hous / while he vseth soch sweryng/ [594] Thow shalt swere eke in dome. whan þou art constreyned by the domes|man / to witnesse the trouth [595] Eke þou shalt nat swere for envye / ne for fauour / ne for mede but for rightwosnesse / for declaracon of it/ to þe worshippe of god / and helpyng of thyn even cristen / [596] And þerfore euery man / þat taketh goddes name in Idle / or falsly forswereth with his mouth / or els taketh on him The name of Crist to be called a Cristen man / and lyveth ayeinst cristes lyvyng/ and his techyng/ All they taken goddes name in ydle / [597] loke eke what seith Seint Petir Actuum 4o / Non est aliud nomen sub celo &c / There is non other name seith Seint Petir / vnder heuen / to men / in which þey mow be saved / þat is to sey / but in the name of Ihesu Crist / [598] Take kepe eke / how þat / þe precious name of Ihesu Crist / as seith Seint Poule / . . . . .no gap in the MS. In þe name of Ihesu / euery knee of hevenly creatures / or erthely / or of hell / shold bowe / ffor it is so hye / and so worshipfull/ þat þe cursed fend in hell/ shold tremble for to here it named / [599] þan semeth it / þat men þat sweren so horriblye / by his blessed name / þat they despise it more boldely / þan dyd the cursed Iewes / or elles the devill þat trembleth / whan he hereth his name /

[600] Now certes seth þat sweryng/ but yf it be lawefully doon / is so hiely defended / moch wers is for-sweryng falsly / and yitte natheles /

[601] what sey we / eke of hem no gap in the MS. in sweryng / þat hold it as a gentrie or a manly dede to swere grete othes / . . . . .no gap in the MS. all be the cause nat worth A strawe / Certes this is horrible synne / [602] Sweryng eke without avisement / is eke a Synne / [603] But let vs go now / to that horrible sweryng of Adiuracion and coniuracion as don thise fals en|chauntours or Nygromaunciens / in basyns full of water / or in a bright swerd / or in A Circle/or in a fire / or in the sholder bone of a shepe / [604] I can nat sey but þat þey don cursedly and dampnablye / ayeinst Crist/ and all þe feyth of holy chirche /

[605] what seye we by hem / þat beleven on dyvynailles as by flight/ or by noise of birdes / or of bestes / or by sorte of Geomancye / by dremes / by chirkyng of dores / or crakkyng of howses / by gnawyng of Rattes / and soch maner of wrecchednesse / [606] certes all this thyng is defended by god / and by holy chirche / for which þey ben accursed till they com to amendement/ þat on soch fylth setten her byleve [607] Charmes for woundes or maladye / of men / or of bestes / yf they taken ony effectes it may be perauenture / þat god suffreth it / for folk shold yeve þe more feith / and reuerence to his name /

[608] Nowe woll I speke of lesynges / which gener|ally is fals signifiaunce of worde / in entent/ to disceyve his even Cristen / [609] Som lesyng is of which þere comth noon auauntage to no wight / And som lesyng turneth to the ease / and profite of o man and to damage of another man / [610] Another lesyng / for to saven his lyf / or his catell / þat comth / of delite for to lye / in which delite þey wollen forge a long tale / and peynte yt / with all þe circumstaunces where as all þe ground of the tale is fals / [611] Som lesyng comth for he wold sustene his worde / Som lesyng comth of rechelesnesse without avisement / and sem|blable thynges /

[612] let vs now touche the vice of flateryng/ which ne comth gladly / but for drede / or for Covetise / [613] fflatery is generally wrongfull preisyng/ fflater|ers ben the devels Norices that norisshen his children with mylk of losengrye / [614] fforsoth Salamon seith þat flaterie is wers than detraccion / for somtyme de|traccion maketh an hawteyn man / be the more humble / for he dredeth detraccion / but certes flaterie / þat maketh an hauteyn man in hert/ and countenaunce / [615] fflaterers ben the devels enchauntours ffor þey make a man to wene of hym self belike þat he is nat like [616] they ben like Iudas / þat betrayeth . . . . .no gap in the MS. a man to sell hym to his enemye þat is the devyll/ [617] fflaterers ben the devels Chapellyng þat syngen euere Placebo / [618] I reken flaterie / in the vices of Ire for oft tyme yf o man be wroth with another / þan woll he flater som wight to sustene him in his quarell /

[619] Speke we now of soch cursyng/ as comth of Irous hert/ Malison generally may be seid / euery maner power of harme / soch cursyng byreveth man from þe reigne of god As seith Seint Poule / [620] and oft tyme soch cursyng wrongfully retourneth / ayein to hym / þat curseth as a bird þat retourneth ayein to his owen nest/ [621] And ouer all thyng men ought eschewe to curse her children / and yeven to þe devill her engendrure/ as ferforth / as in hym is / certes it is grete perill and grete synne /

[622] Let vs than speke of chidyng and repreef/ which ben full grete woundes in mannes hert/ . . . . .no gap in the MS. [623] for certes vnnethes may a man pleinlye be accorded with hym / þat hath hym openly reviled and repreved and disclaundred / this is a full grisly synne / as crist seith in the gospell / [624] and take kepe now / þat he þat repreveth his neighbour/ eyther he repreueth hym by som harme of peyne / þat he hath on his body / as Mesell / Croked Harlot / on by som synne þat he doth / [625] Now yf he repreue hym by harme of peyne / þan turneth the repreef to Ihesu Crist/ for peyne is sent by ryghtwys sonde of god / and by his suffraunce / be it meselrie / or mahayme or maladye / [626] And yf he repreue hym vncharitablye of synns / as þou drunk|lewe Harlot/ and so forth / þan apperteneth þat / to þe reioisyng of þe devyll / þat euere hath ioye / þat men doon synne / [627] And certes chidyng may nat com / but out of a veleyns hert/ for after the habundaunce of the hert/ speketh þe mouth full oft/ [628] And ye shull vnderstonde / þat loke by ony weye whan ony man / shall chastise another / þat he be ware from chidyng/ or reprevyng/ ffor truly but he be ware / he may full lightly qwyk þe fire of Angre and of wratth / þat he shold qwenche and perauenture sleeth hym / þat he myght chastise with benig|nytee [629] ffor as seith Salamon / the Amyable tung / is the tree of lyf / þat is to sey lyf spirituell/ And sothly a dislaue tung sleeth þe sperit of hym that repreveth / and eke of hym þat is repreued [630] loo what seith Seint Austyn / ther is no thing so like the devels child / as he þat oft chideth Seint Poule seith eke / I seruaunt of god byhoueth nat to chide [631] And though þat chidyng be a veleyns thyng bitwene all manere folk/ yitte is it certes most vncouenable / bitwene a man and his wyf / for þere is neuer rest/ And therfore seith Salamon / An hous þat is vncouered and droppyng and a chidyng[MS. repeats and a chidyng]/ wyf / ben like [632] a man þat is in a droppyng hous / in many places / þough he eschew the droppyng in oo place it droppeth on hym in another place / So fareth it by a chidyng wyf/ but she chide hym in oo place / she woll chide him / in another / [633] and therfore better is A morsell brede with ioye / þan an hous full of delices / with chidyng/ seith Salamon / [634] Seint Poule seith / O ye Wommen / be ye subiectes to your housbondes / as byhoueth in god / and ye men loueth your wyfes / Ad Colonisences 3o.

[635] Afterward speke we of scornyng/ which is a wykked synne And namely whan he skorneth a man for his gode werkes / [636] ffor certes soch scorners / faren like the foule tode / þat may nat endure / to smell the swete sauour / of the vyne whan it florissheth / [637] þe scorners ben partyng felawes with the devyll/ for þey han Ioye whan þe devyll wynneth / and sorow whan he leseth / [638] they ben aduersaries of Ihesu Crist/ for they haten þat he loueth / þat is to sey sauacion of soule /

[639] Speke we now of wykked counseill / for he þat wikked counseill yeveth is a traytour / for he disceyueth / hym þat trusteth hym / . . .no gap in the MS. But natheles yitte is his wykked counseill/ first ayeinst hym self/ [640] . . . . .no gap in the MS. þat he þat woll anoye another man / he anoyeth first hym self/ [641] And men shull vnderstonde þat man shall nat take his counseill of fals folk/ ne of angrye folk or greuous / folk/ þat loven specially to moch her owen profite / ne to moch worldly folk/ namely in counseillyng of soules /

[642] Now comth þe Synne of hem / þat sowen and maken discorde amonges folk/ which is a synne/ þat Crist hateth vtterly / and no wonder is / for he dyed to make concorde / [643] And more shame do they to crist/ þan dyd þey þat hym crucefied / for god loueth better / þat frendshippe be amonges folk/ þan he did his owen body / which þat he yaaf for vnytee / þerfore ben þey lykned to þe devyll/ þat euer is about to make discorde

[644] Now comth þe synne of double tung / soch as speken faire byfore folk/ and wikkedly behynde / or elles they make semblant/ As though þey speke of gode intencion / or elles in game and pleye / and yitte they speke of wykked intent /

[645] Now comth bywreying of Counseill thurgh which a man is defamed / certes vnethe may he restore þe damage

[646] Now comth manace / þat is an open folye / for he þat oft manaceth he threteth more þan he may perfourme / full ofte tyme

[647] Now comth ydell wordes / þat is without profite of hym / þat speketh the wordes / and eke of hym / þat herkeneth the wordes / or elles ydell wordes / ben tho þat ben nedeles or elles withouten intent / of naturell Profite / [648] and all be it þat ydell wordes / ben som|tyme veniall synne / yitte shull men doute hem / for we shull yeve rekenyng of hem byfore god /

[649] Now Now comth Iangelyng þat may nat be with|outen synne / As seith Salamon it is a signe of pert folye / [650] And therfore A philiȝophre seid whan men axed how þat men shold plese þe peple / and he answerd Do many gode werkes / and speke fewe iangles /

[651] After this comth the synne of Iapers / þat ben the devels Apes / for þey make folk to laugh at her Iaperye / as folk don at þe gawdes of ape / Soch iapes defendeth Seint Poule / [652] Loke How þat vertuous wordes and holy comforten hem þat trauaillen in the seruice of Crist / right so comforten the veleyns wordes and knakkes of Iapers hem þat travaillen in þe seruice of the devill / [653] þise ben the synnes þat commen of the tunges þat commen of Ire / and other synnes moo.

 Hic Ire tractus desinit / & remedium eiusdem Incipit/.

[654]

THe Remedye ayeinst Ire / is a vertue þat men clepen Mansuetude þat is debonairtee / and eke another vertue / þat men callen Pacience or suffraunce /

[655] Debonairtee withdraweth / and restreyneth / þe sterynges of þe meuynges of mannes corage in his hert/ in soch maner þat þey ne skippe nat out by angre ne bi Ire / [656] Suffraunce suffreth swetely all the anoysaunces / and þe wronges / þat men doon to man outward/ [657] Seint Ierom seith thus of debonairtee / þat it dooth noon harme to no wight/ ne seith ne for noon harme / þat men doon or seyn / he ne eschaufeth nat his reson [658] This vertue somtyme comth of nature / for as seith the Philosophre / A man is a qwyk thyng / by nature debonaire and tretable to godenesse But whan debonairtee is enfourmed of grace / þan is it þe more worth /

[659] Pacience / þat is another Remedye / ayeinst Ire / for it is a vertue þat suffreth swetely / euery mannes godenesse/ and nat wroth / for noon harme / þat is don to hym / [660] The Philosophre seith / þat Pacience ys thilk vertue / þat suffreth / debonairlye all the outrages of aduersitee / and euery wykked worde / [661] this vertue maketh a man lyke to god / and maketh hym goddes owen dere child / as seith Crist / this vertue discomfyteth thyn enemy And therfore seith the wise man yf þou wolt venqwyssh þyn enemy lerne to suffre [662] And þou shalt vnderstonde / þat man suffreth .iiij. maner of thynges / and greuaunces / ayeinst þe which .iiij. he most have .iiij. maner of Paciences /

[663] The first greuaunce is / of wykked wordes tho suffred Ihesu Crist / without grucchyng full paciently / whan the Iewes despised hym / and repreued hym full ofte / [664] suffre þou þerfore paciently ffor the wise man seith/ yf þou stryve with a fooll/ þough þe fole be wroth or þough he laugh / all gate þou shalt haue no rest / [665] þat other greuaunce Outward is to haue damage of thy catell/ þere ayeinst suffred crist full paciently / whan he was despoyled of all that he hadde in this lyf/ and that nas but his clothes / [666] The thirde greuaunce is / a man to haue harme in his body þat suffred Crist full paciently in all his passion / [667] The ferthe grevaunce is in outrageous labour in werkes / wherfore I seye þat folk þat maken her seruauntes to travaillen to greuously or out of tyme / as on holidayes / sothly they doon grete synne / [668] here ayeinst suffred Crist full paciently / and taught vs pacience / whan he bare vp-on his blissed sholder the crosse / vp-on which he suffred dispitous deth/ [669] Here men mow lerne to be pacient/ for certes nat onely cristen men ben pacient/ for þe love of Ihesu Crist / and for the gwerdon / of þe blisfull lyf / þat is perdurable / But certes þe old Payens / þat neuer were cristen commendeden and vseden þe vertue of pacience /

[670] A Philosophre vp-on a tyme þat wold haue bette his disciple / for his grete trespace / for which he was gretely ameved / and brought a yerde to skoure the childe / [671] and whan þe child sawe the yerd / he seid to his maister / what thynk ye to doo / I woll bete the koth þe maister / for thy correccion / [672] forsoth koth the child / ye ought first correcte your self/ þat han lost all your Pacience for the gilt of a childe / [673] forsoth koth þe maister all wepyng/ þou seyst soth/ haue þou the yerde my dere son and correcte me / for myn Inpacience / [674] Of Pacience comth Obedience þurgh which a man is obedient to Crist/ and to all hem / the which he ought to be obedyent too / [675] And vnderstonde well þat obedience is perfite / whan þat a man doth gladly and hastely with gode hert entierly / all þat he shold do / [676] Obedience generally / is to perfourme hastely the doctrine of god / and of his soueraignes to which hym ought to be obeysant/ in all rightwosnesse /.

 Hic Remedium contra Ire peccatum desinit & tractus Accidie Incipit.

[677]

After the synnes of Envye and Ire / now woll I speke of the synne of Accidie / for Envye blyndeth þe hert of man / and Ire troubleth a man / and Accidie maketh hym hevy / þoughtfull and wrawe [678] Envye and Ire maken bitternesse in hert/ which bitternesse is moder of Accidie/and benymmeth/hym þe loue of all godenesse / Than is Accidie the Angwyssh of troubled hert / And seint Austyn seith it is anoye of godenesse / and anoye of harme [679] Certes this is a dampnable synne for it doth wrong to Ihesu Crist/ in asmoch as it benymmeth the seruice / þat men doon to Crist / with all diligence As seith Salamon / [680] But Accidie doth no soch diligence / he doth all thyng with anoye / and with wrawenesse / slaknesse and excusacion / and with ydelnesse and vnlust/ for which the boke seith A-cursed be he / that doth þe ser|uice of god necligently / [681] þan is Accidie enemye To euery astate of man / for certes the blotch in MS. man / is in .iij. maners [682] The first astate that is is the astate of Innocence / as was the state of Adam byfore þat he fell in-to synne / in which astate / he was holden to werche as in heryng and adhouryng of god / [683] Another astate is the astate of synfull men/in which astate/men ben holden to labour in praying to god / for amendement of her synnes / and þat he woll graunt hem / to rise out of her synnes / [684] Another estate is / thestate of grace / in which astate / he is hold to do werkes of Penitence / And certes to all thise thynges / is Accidie enemye and con|trarie / for he loueth no besynesse at all/ [685] Now certes þis foule synne Accidye is eke a full grete enemye / to þe lyflode of þe body for it ne hath / no purveaunce ayeinst temporell necessitee / for it forsleutheth and for|sluggeth and destroyeth all godes temporels by rechelesnesse

[686] The .iiijth thyng is þat Accidie[The MS. repeats þat Accidie] / is like hem þat ben in þe peyne of hell / by cause of her sleuth / and of her hevynesse / for þey þat ben Dampned ben so bound / þat þey mow neither wele do / ne wele þynk [687] Of Accidie comth first / þat a man is anoyed / and encombred for to do ony godenesse / and maketh þat god hath abhominacon of soch Accidie /

[688] Now comth Slouth þat woll nat suffre noon Hardnesse / ne no penaunce for sothly Slouth is so tender and so delicate / as seith Salamon / þat he woll nat suffre noon Hardnesse ne penaunce / and þerfore he shendeth all þat he doth [689] Ayeinst þis roten and hurted synne of Accidie and slouth shold men exercise hem self/andvse hem self/to do godewerkes and manly and vertuously / cacchen corage well to doo / thynk|yng þat our lord Ihesu Cryst qwyteth euery gode dede/ be it neuer so litle / [690] vsage of labour is a grete thyng/ for it maketh/ as seith Seint Bernard / the laborer to have strong Armes / and harde senewes / And slouth maketh hym feble and tendre [691] Than comth drede to begynne to werke ony gode werkes / for certes / he that is enclyned to synne / hym thynketh it is so grete an emprise / for to vndertake to do werkes of godenes / [692] and casteth in his hert / þat þe circumstaunces of godenesse ben so greuous / and so chargeant for to suffre / þat he dare nat vndertake / to do werkes of godenesse / as seith Seint Gregorie /

[693] Now comth wanhope þat is dispeire of the mercy of god þat comth somtyme of to moch out|rageous sorow / and som tyme of to moch drede / ymagen|yng þat he hath doon so moch synne / þat it wold nat availl/ þough he wold repent hym and forsake synne / [694] thurgh which Dispeire or drede he haboundeneth all his hert/to euery maner synne/ as seith Seint Austyn / [695] which dampnable synne / yf þat it contynue vn-to his lyves ende / it is cleped synne in the hooly goost / [696] This horrible synne is so perlious / þat he þat is dispeired / þere nys no felonye ne no synne / þat he douteth for to doo. As shewed wele by Iudas / [697] Ce[ink gone]ve all synnes / þan is this synne most displesant to Crist/ and moost [aduer]sarie / [698] Certes he that dispeyreth hym is like the Coward Champion/ recreant/ þat seith creaunt withouten nede Allas Allas nedeles is he recreaunt/ and nedeles dispeirant / [699] Certes þe mercy of god is euer redy / to the penitent / and is aboven all his werkes / [700] Allas can nat a man bethynk hym / on the gospell of Seint Luke .15. where as Crist seith/ þat aswele shall there be ioye in heven / vp-on a synfull man þat doth Penitence / þan vp-on .90. and .9. rightfull men / þat . .no gap in the MS. neden no Penitence / [701] loke ferther in the same gospell/ þe ioye and the feest / of þe gode man / þat hade lost his son / whan his son with repentaunce was retourned to his fader/ [702] kan they nat eke remembre hem / þat as seith Seint luke 23o. how þat þe theef þat was hanged beside Ihesu Crist/ seid lord remember the of me / whan þou comst in-to thy reigne / [703] forsoth seid Crist/ I sey to þe to day / shalt þou be with me in paradys / [704] Certes þere is noon so horrible a synne of man / þat it ne may in his lyf / be destroyed by penitence / þurgh vertue of the passion / and of þe deth of Crist/ [705] Allas what nedeth man þan / to be dispeyred / seth þat his mercy so redy is / and large / axe and haue / [706] Than comth Sompnolence / þat is sluggy slombryng/ which maketh a man be hevy / and dulle in body and soule / and þis synne comth of slouth / [707] and certes the tyme / þat by weye of reson / man shold nat slepe / þat is by þe morow but yf there were cause resonable / [708] for sothly in the morowtide / is most couenable / a man to seye his prayers / and for to thynk on god / and to honour god / and to yeve almesse to the pore / þat first comth in þe name of Crist/ [709] loo what seith Salamon / who-so woll by þe morow awake and seke me he shall fynde me [710] Than comth Necligence / or Rechelesnesse þat rekketh of no thing/ And how þat ignoraunce is moder of all harme Certes Necligence is the Norice / [711] Necligence ne doth no force / whan he shall do a thyng / whether he do it wele or badly

[712] Of Remedie of þise two synnes / as seith þe wise man / þat he þat dredeth god / he spareth nat to do / þat hym ought to do / [713] And he that loueth god / he woll do dyligence to please god / by his werkes / and abunden hym self/ with all his myght wele for to doo / [714] Than comth Ydelnesse / þat is þe yate of all harmes An ydell man is like a place / þat hath no walles / þere as deuels now entren on euery side / or shete at hym / at discouert by temptacon on euery side / [715] This ydelnesse is þe thurrok / of all wikked and veleyns thoughtes / and of all iangles / trifles / and of all ordre / [716] Certes þe heven is yeven to hem / þat woll labouren and nat to ydle folk / Eke Dauid seith / þey ne be nat in the labour of men / ne they ne shull nat ben whipped with men / þat is to sey in Purgatorie [717] Certes þan semeth it that they shull ben turmented with the devill in hell / but yf þey Do Penitence

[718] Than comth the Synne þat men clepen Traditas / as whan a man is to latered or tariyng/ or he woll turne to god / and certes þat is a grete folye / he is like hym / þat falleth in þe dyche / and woll nat arise / [719] and this vice comth of fals hope þat he thynketh / þat he shall lyve long / but þat hope fayleth full ofte

[720] Than comth Lacchesse / þat is he / þat whan he begynneth ony gode werk/ anone he shall forlete it/ and stynt/ as don þey / þat han ony wyght / to gouerne and ne taken of hem no more kepe / anone as they fynden / ony contrarie / or ony anoye [721] Thise ben þe new Sheperdes / þat leten her shepe wetyngly go renne / to þe wolf / þat is in the breres / or do no force of her owen gouernaunce / [722] Of this comth Pouertee and destruccion / both of spirituell / and temperell thynges Than comth a maner coldenesse / þat fressheth at þe hert of man [723] Than comth vndeuocion / thurgh which a man is blent/ as seith Seint Barnard / and hath soch langour in soule / þat he may neither rede ne syng in holy chirche / ne here ne thynk of no deuocion ne travaill with his hondes in no gode werke / þat it nys to hym vnsauerie / and all appalled [724] þan wexeth he slowe / and slombrye / and sone wold he wroth and sone is enclyned to hate / and to envye [725] Than comth the synne of worldly sorow / soch as is cleped Tristicia þat sleeth man / as seith seint Poule / [726] ffor certes soch sorow werketh to the deth of þe soule / and of the body / Also ferther / of þat comth / þat a man is anoyed of his owen lyf / [727] Wherfore soch sorow shorteth full ofte the lyf of man / or þat his tyme be com / by weye of kynde /.

Hic tractus Accidie desinit & Remedium eiusdem Incipit/.

[728]

A Yeinst this horrible Synne of Accidie / and þe braunches of the same / there is a vertue þat is called ffortitudo or Strength / þat is an affeccion / þurgh which a man despiseth annoyous þynges / [729] this vertue is so myghty and so vigorous þat it dare withstonde myghtely and wisely kepe hym self / from perels / þat ben wykked and wrastle ayeinst the assawtes of the devell / [730] for it enhaunceth and enforceth the soule Right as Accidie abateth it / and maketh it feble ffor this ffortitudo may endure by long suffraunce / þe travailles þat ben couenable /

[731] This vertue hath many spices / The first is Magnanimitee / þat is to sey / grete corage ffor certes þere behoveth grete corage ayeinst Accidie / lest þat it ne swolow the soule by þe synne of sorow or destroye it / by wanhope / [732] this vertue maketh folk vndertake harde thynges / and greuous thynges / by her owen will/ wisely and resonablye / [733] And for|asmoch as the devill fyghteth / ayeinst a man More by qweyntise and by sleight/ þan by strength/ þerfore shall man withstonde hym / by witte and by reson / and by dis|crecion / [734] þan are the vertues of feith and hope in god / and in his seyntes / to atteyne and accomplice the gode werkes in the which he purposeth fermely to contynue / [735] Than comth sewertee / or sekernesse / and þat is whan a man ne douteth no travaile / in tyme commyng / of þe gode werkes / þat a man hath bygon / [736] Than comth magnificence / þat is to sey / whan a man doth and perfourmeth grete werkes of godenesse / and that is the ende / why that men shold do gode werkes / for in the accomplisyng of grete gode werkes / lyth the grete gwerdon / [737] Than is þere Constaunce that is stablenesse of corage / and þis shold be in hert/ by stedfast feith and in mouth and in beryng / and in chere and in dede / [738] Eke þer ben moo speciall remedies ayeinst Accidie in diuers werkes and in consideracions of the peynes of hell / and of þe Ioyes of heven / and in þe trust of þe grace / of þe holy goost/ þat woll yeve hym myght to perfourme his gode Intent/.

 Hic Remedium Accidie desinit / & tractus Auaricie Incipit/.

[739]

After Accidie woll I speke of Auarice and of Covetise / Of which synne seith Seint Poule / þat þe Rote of all harmes is Couetise / ad thumotheum 6° [740] for sothly whan þe hert of man is confounded in it self/ and trouble / and þat þe soule hath lost þe comforte of god / þan seketh he an ydle place of worldly thynges /

[741] Auarice after þe discripcion of Seint Austyn is a lykerousnesse in hert to haue erthely thynges / [742] Som other folk seyn þat Auarice / is for to purchace many erthely thynges / and no þing yeve to hem þat han nede [743] And vnderstonde þat Auarice / ne stant nat onely by lond ne cattell/ but som tyme in science and in glorie / and in euery maner of outrageous thyng/ is Auarice and Covetice / [744] And þe difference bitwene Auarice and Couetice is þis / Couetyce is to coveit soch thynges as þou hast nat and Auarice is for to withhold and kepe / soch þynges as þou hast / without rightfull nede / [745] sothly þis Auarice is a synne / þat is full dampnable for all holy writte curseth it / and speketh ayeinst þat vice / for it doth wrong to Ihesu Crist / [746] for it byreveth hym þe love / þat men to hym owen / and turneth it bakward ayeinst/ all reson / [747] and maketh þat þe Auaricious man / hath more hope in his catell / þan in Ihesu Crist and doth more obseruaunce / in kepyng of his tresour / þan he doth to þe seruice of Ihesu Crist / [748] And therfore seith Seint Poule ad Ephesios .io. þat an Avaricious man / is þe thraldom of Idolatrie /

[749] what difference Is bitwene an Ydolastre and an Auaricious man / but that an ydolastre perauenture / ne hath but o Mawmet or two / and the Auaricious man hath manye / ffor certes euery ffloreyn in his coffre / is his mawemet / [750] And certes þe synne of Mawmettrye / is þe first thyng / þat god defended in þe .x commaunde|mentes / as bereth witnesse in Exodye co 20°. [751] þou shalt haue no fals goddes byfore me / ne þou shalt make to the / no grave thyng / þus is an Auaricious man / þat loveth his tresour byfore god / an ydolastre [752] þurgh this cursed synne of Auarice Of Covetise commen thise harde lordshipes þurgh which men ben distreyned by taillages / Custumes and cariages more þan her duetee / or reson is / and eke take þey of her bonde men amercimentes which myghten more resonablye be cleped extorcions than mercimentes [753] Of which mercymentes and rawnsomyng of bonde men Som lordes Stewardes seyn / þat it is rightfull for-asmoch as a Cherle hath no temperell/ thyng/ þat it ne is / his lordes / as þey seyn [754] But certes þise lordshipes don wrong þat by-reven her bonde folk/ thynges þat þey neuer yaaf hem / Augustinus de lio. 9°. [755] Soth is / þat the condicion of thraldom / and þe first cause of thraldom. is for synne Genesis 9°.

[756] þus now ye see / that þe gylt / deserued thraldom / but nat nature / [757] wherfore thise lordes / ne shold nat mochell glorifye hem in her lordshippe seth that by naturell condicion / þey be nat lordes ouer thralles / but þat thraldom comth first/ by þe deserte of synne [758] And ferther ouer / þere as þe lawe seith/ þat temperell godes of bonde folk/ ben þe godes of her lordshipes / ye þat is for to vnderstonde þe godes of the Emperour to defenden hem in her right/ but nat for to robben hem / ne reve hem [759] And therfore seith Seneca Thy Prudence shold lyve benignely with thy thralles / [760] þoo þat þou clopest / þy thralles ben goddes peple / for humble folk/ ben Cristes frendes / þey ben contubernyall/ with the lord /

[761] thynk eke þat of soch seed as cherles spryngen of soch seed spryngen lordes / as wele may þe Charle be saved as the lord / [762] the same deth / þat taketh þe Cherll/ soch deth taketh þe lord Wherfore I rede / do right so with thy Cherll/ as þou woldest þat þy lord did with the / yf þou were in his plite / [763] Euery synfull man is a cherl to synne / I rede þe certes / þat þou lord werke in soch wise with thy cherles þat þey rather love the and drede þe / [764] I wote wele there is degree aboue degree / as reson is / and skyll/ is / þat men doon her devoir þere as it is due But certes extorcions and despite of your vnderlynges / is dampnable /

[765] And ferther ouer vnderstonde wele þat conquerours or tyrauntes / maken full oft thralles / of hem þat ben born of as riall blode as ben þey þat hem conqweren [766] This name of Cherldam was neuer erst couth till þat Noe seid / þat his son Chayme shold be thrall to his brethern / for his synne / [767] What sey we þan of hem / þat pelen and don extorcions / to holy chirche / Certes the swerd þat men yeven first to a knyght/ whan he is newe dubbed signefyeth / þat he shold defende holy chirche / and nat robbe it / ne pyl it / and who so doth is traytour to Crist/ [768] and as seith Seint Austyn / þey ben þe devels wolfes / þat stranglen þe shepe of Ihesu Crist/ and don wers þan wolves [769] for sothly whan a woolf/ hath full his wombe / he stynteth to strangle shepe / But sothly the pylours and destroy|ers of holy chirche godes / ne do nat soo / for they ne stynt neuer to pill/ [770] Now as I haue seid / seth so is / þat synne was first cause of thraldom / þan is it thus / þat thylk tyme þat all þe world was in synne / þan was all the world in thraldom / and subieccion [771] But certes seth the tyme of grace cam / god ordeyned þat som folk / shold be more hye in estate and degree / and som folk more lowe / and þat euerycch shold be serued in his astate / . . no gap in MS. [772] and therfore in som cuntrees / þere þey ben thralles / whan þey han turned hem to þe feith þey make her thralles free / out of thraldom / and þerfore certes / þe lord oweth to his man / þat þe man oweth to his lord / [773] The pope calleth hym seruaunt of the seruauntes of god / but for-asmoch as the state of holy Chirche / ne myght nat have be / ne the commune profite / ne myght nat have be kept / ne pees and rest/ in erth / but yf god hade ordeyned þat som man hade hyer degree / and som man lower [774] þerfore was souerayntee was ordeyned to kepe and mayntene and de|fend her vnderlynges / or her subiectes / in reson / as fer|forth as lyeth in her power and nat to destroye hem ne confound / [775] wherfore I sey / þat þoo lordes / þat ben like wolfes þat devouren the possessions / or the catell / of poure folk wrongfully withouten mercy or mesure/ [776] þey shull resceyue by the same mesure / þat þey han mesured to poure folk/ the mercy of Ihesu Crist / but yf it be amended / [777] Now comth disceite bitwene merchaunt and merchaunt/ and þou shalt vnder|stonde / þat merchandise is in many maners / þat one is bodely and þat other is gostely / þat one honest and leefull / and þat other dishonest / and vnlieffull / [778] Of þat merchandise / þat is lieffull and honest / is this / þat there as god hath ordeyned þat a regne or a cuntree / is suffisant to hymself/ þan is honest and lieffull/ þat of habundaunce of þis Contre þat men help another contree / þat is more nedy [779] And þerfore þer mot be merchauntes / to bryng from þat oo contree to þat other her merch|andise / [780] That other merchaundise / þat men haunt/ with fraude and trecherie / and disceyte with lesynges / and fals othes is cursed and dampnable / [781] Espirituel merchandise / is proprely Symonye þat is ententyf desire / to bye thyng espirituell/ þat is thyng that apperteneth to the Sentuarie of god / and to Onre of þe soule [782] þis desire / Yf so be / þat a man do his diligence / to perfourme it/ all be it/ þat his desire take noon effecte / yitte is it to hym a dedely synne / and yf he be ordred He is irregulere / [783] Certes Symonye is cleped of Symond Magus / þat wold have bought for temperell gode / þe yift þat god hade yeven by þe holy goost to seint Petir / and to the Appostles / [784] And therfore vnderstonde / þat both he / þat selleth and he þat byeth / thynges espirituels / ben cleped Symonyales / be it by catell/ be it by procuryng / or by flesshly prayer / of his frendes / flesshly frendes or spirituell frendes / [785] flesshly in two maners as by kynrede or other frendes / sothly yf þey pray for hem / þat is nat worthy and able / it is Simonye / yf he take the benefice / and yf he be worthy and able / þere is none [786] That other maner is whan men or wommen / prayen for folk to avauncen hem onely / for wykked flesshly affeccion / þat þey han to the persones / and þat is foule Symonye / [787] But certes in seruice / for which men yeven thyng espirituell/ vn-to her seruauntes it mot be vnderstonde þat þe seruice mot ben honest / and elles nat/ and eke þat it be without bargeynyng / and þat þe persone be able / [788] ffor as seith Seint Damasie / all þe synnes of þe world at regarde of þis synne arn as a thyng of nought / for it is the grettest synne / þat may be / after ye synne of lucifere / and of Antecrist / [789] for by this synne / god forleseth þe Chirche / and þe soule / þat he bought with his precious blode / by hem þat yeven chirches to hem / þat ben nat digne / [790] for þey put in þefes þat stelen þe soules of Ihesu Crist / and destroyen his patri monye / [791] by soch vndigne prestes and curates / han lewde men þe lesse reuerence / of þe sacramentes of holy chirche / And soch yevers of chirches putten out / the children of Crist / and putten in the devels owen son/ [792] þey sellen the soules þat lambes shold kepen / to þe wolf þat strangleth hem / and þerfore shull þey neuer haue parte / of þe pasture of lambes þat is the blys of heuen / [793] Now comth hasardrye with his appur|tenaunces as tables and raafles / of which comth disceite / fals othes / chidynges and all ravynes / blasfemyng and reneying / of god / and hate of his neighbours / wast of godes / myspendyng oft tyme / and somtyme man|slaughter [794] Certes hasardours ne mow nat be / without grete synne / . . . no gap in MS. [795] Of Auarice commen lesynges / theft / and fals witnesse / and fals oþes And ye shull vnderstonde / þat þise ben grete synnes / and expresse ayeinst þe commaundementes/of god/as I haue seid [796] ffals witnesse is in worde / and eke in dede / In worde / as for to byreve þy neighbours gode name by fals witnessyng/ or byreve hym / his catell/ or his heritage / by þy fals witnessyng/ whan þou for Ire / or for mede / or for envye / berest fals witnesse / or els ex|cuseth þy self falsly / [797] ware yow qwest-mongers and Notaries / Certes for fals witnessyng was Susanna in full grete sorow and peyne / and many other moo/. [798] The synne of theft/ is eke expresse / ayeinst goddes heest/ in .ij. maners corporell or spirituell [799] [Corporell] as for to take thy neighbours catell/ ayeinst his will/ be it by force or by sleight/ be it by mete or by mesure / [800] By stelyng eke of fals endytementes / vp-on hym / and in borowyng eke of thy neighbours catell/ in entent neuere to paye / and semblable thynges / [801] Es|pirituell thynges / to stele; is sacrilegge / þat is to sey hurt|yng of holy thynges / or of thynges sacred to crist/ in two maners by reson of the holy place as chirches or chirchehawes [802] ffor which euery vileyns synne / þat men doon / in soch places / may be cleped sacrilegge / or euery violence / in the semblable places / Also they that with-drawen the rightes þat longen to holy chirche / [803] And pleinly and generally sacrilegge is to reve holy thyng from holy place / or vnholy þyng out of holy place / or holy thyng out of vn|holy place /.

 Hic Auaricie tractus desinit / & Remedium eiusdem Incipit/.

[804]

Now shull ye vnderstonde / þat þe Releuyng of Auarice is misericorde and pitee largely taken And men myght axe why / þat misericorde and pitee is relevyng of Auarice [805] Certes þe Auarous man sheweth no pitee ne misericorde / to þe nedefull man / for he deliteth hym / in the kepyng of his tresour and nought in the reskewyng ne relevyng of his even cristen / And therfore speke .I first of mysericorde / [806] . . . no gap in MS. as seith the Philosophre / a vertue / by which þe corage of a man is stered by the mysease of hym / þat is myseased [807] vpon which misericorde foloweth pitee in perfourmyng of charitable werkes / of misericorde [808] and certes thise meven men / to misericorde of Ihesu Crist / þat yafe hym self for our gilt / and suffred deth/ for misericorde / and foryave vs our originall synnes [809] and thereby relesed vs / from þe peyne of hell/ and amenused the peynes of Purgatorie by Penitence / and yeveth grace wele to do / and at the last the ioye of heuen [810] The spices of misericorde ben as for to love and for to yeve / and to foryeve and relees / and for to haue pitee in hert/ and compassion of the myschief of his even cristen / and eke chastise þere as nede is / [811] Another maner of remedy ayeinst Auarice is resonable largesse / but sothly here byhoueth/ þe con|sideracion of the grace of Ihesu Crist / and of his temperell godes / and eke of þe godes perdurables / þat Crist yave vs / [812] and eke to haue remembraunce of þe deth þat he shall resceyve he note whan / and eke þat he shall forgoo all that he hath/ save onely þat he hath dispended in gode werkes /

[813] But for-asmoch / as som folk / ben mesur|able / men ought eschewe foollargesse þat men clepen waste / [814] Certes He þat is fool-large / he yeveth nat his catell/ but he leseth his catell sothly / what thyng that he yeveth / for veyne glorie / as to mynstrals / and to folk to bere his renoun / in þe world he hath synne and noon almesse [815] Certes he leseth foule his gode / þat he seketh with þe yift of his gode no þyng but synne / [816] he is like an hors / þat rather seketh to drynk drovy water or trouble þan for to drynk water of þe clere well/ [817] And for-asmoch/ as þey yeven þere as þey shold nat yeven / to hem apperteneth þe malison / þat crist shall yeve at þe day of dome / to hem þat shull be dampned.·.

 Hic Auaricie Remedium desinit & tractus Gule nunc Incipit /.

[818]

AFter Auarice comth Glotonye / which is expresse ayeinst the commaundement of god / Glotonye is vnmesurable appetite to ete / or drynk / or elles to do ynough to vnmesurable appetite or disordeyne Couetise / to ete or to drynk / [819] þis synne cor|rumpeth all þis werld as is wele shewed / in the synne of Adam / and of Eve / lo eke what seith seint Poule of Glotonye / [820] many seith seint Poule goon / of which I haue oft seid to yow / and now I sey yitte wepyng/ to hem þat ben þe enemyes of þe crosse / of Crist / Of which þe ende is deth / and of which/ her wombe is her god and her glorie in confusion of hem / þat so deuouren erthely þynges [821] He þat is vsant to this synne of glotonye he ne may no synne withstonde he mot be in seruage to all vices / for it is the devels horde / þere he hideth hym and resteth / [822] this synne hath many spices / þe first is dronkenesse þat is þe horrible sepulture of mannes reson / and þer|fore whan a man is drunken / he hath lost his reson / and this is dedely synne / [823] But sothly whan þat a man is nat wont / to stronge drynk / and perauenture ne knoweth nat / the strength of þe drynk / or hath feblenesse in his hede / or haue travailled þurgh which he drynketh þe more / all be he sodenly caught with drynk it is no dedely synne / but veniall/ [824] The secunde spice of glotonye is / þat þe sperit of a man / wexeth all trouble / for dronkenesse/and byreveth hym the discrescion of his witte / [825] The iijde. spice of Glotonye is/ whan a man devoureth his mete / and hath no maner of rightfull etyng / [826] The iiijth is whan thurgh þe grete habund|aunce of his mete / þe humours in his body ben dis|tempered [827] The fyfte is foryetefulnesse / by to moch drynkyng for which som tyme a man / forgeteth or þe morow what he did at even or on the nyght byfore

[828] In oþer maners ben distynct / þe spices of Glotonye after Seint Gregorie / þe first is for to ete by|fore tyme to ete / þe secund is whan a man gete hym to delicate mete or drynk / [829] the thirde is whan men taken to moch ouere mesure / The iiijth is Curiositee with grete Intent/ to make and apparaill/ his mete / The fyfthe is / for to ete to gredely [830] Thise ben the fyngers / of the devels Hand / by Which he draweth folk to synne /.

Hic tractus Gule desinit / et Remedium eiusdem Incipit/.

[831]

Ayeinst Glotonye is the Remedye of Abstinence / as seith Galyen but þat hold I nat meritorye / yf he do it onely / for hele of þe body Seint Austyn woll þat Abstinence be don / for vertue / and with pacience [832] Abstinence is litle worth / but yf a man haue gode wille there-to / and but it be enforced by Pacience / and by charitee / and þat men doon it for goddes sake / and in hope to haue the blysse of heven /

[833] The felawes of Abstinence ben attemper|aunce þat holdeth the meynee / in all thynges / Eke Shame that escheweth all dishonestee / Suffisaunce þat seketh no riche metes ne drynkes ne doth no fors of to outrageous apparaylyng of mete / [834] Mesure also / þat restreyneth by reson þe dislaue appetite of etyng/ Sobernesse also þat restreyneth þe outrage of drynk / [835] Sparyng also / þat restreyneth þe delicate case to sitte long at his mete and softly wherfore som folk stonden of her owen will / to ete at lesse leiser ./.

 Hic Remedium Gule desinit / & tractus Luxurie Incipit

[836]

After Glotonye than comth lecherie / for þise two synnes ben so nye Cosyns / þat oft tyme þey woll nat departe / [837] god wote þis / synne / is full displesant thyng to god / for he seid hym|self / do no lecherie / and therfore he put grete peynes / ayeinst this synne / in þe old lawe [838] yf a wom|man thrall were and taken in this synne / she shold be beten with staves to þe deth / And yf she were a gentill womman she shold be slayn with stones And yf she were a bisshoppes doughter / she shold be brent by goddes commaundement / [839] fferther-ouer by the synne of lecherie / god dreynt all the world at the deliuye and after þat he brent .v. Citees / with þonder leyte / and sonke hem in-to hell/

[840] Now let vs speke than of þat stynkyng synne of lecherie / þat men clepen Avoutree of wedded folk/ þat is to seye / yf þat one of hem be wedded or elles both / [841] Seint Iohn seith þat Avouterers shull ben in hell in a stynk brennyng of fire / and of brymstone / in fire for her lecherie / in brymstone for þe stynk of her ordre [842] Certes þe brekyng of this sacrament / is an horrible thyng / it was made of god hym-self in Paradys / and confermed by Ihesu Crist / as witnesseth Seint Mathew in the gospell / A man shall lete fader and moder / and take him to his wyf / and they shull be two in oo flessh / [843] þis sacrament bytoken|eth the knettyng to-geder of Crist/ and of holy Chirche [844] and nat onely þat / God forbade Aduoutre in dede / but eke he commaunded þat þou sholdest nat coueyte thy neighbours wyf/ [845] In this Heste seith seint Austyn / is forbode all maner Couetise / to do lecherie lo what seith Seint Mathewe in þe gospell/ that who-so seeth a womman / to Couetise of his lust/ he hath don lecherie with hir in his hert / [846] Here now ye se / þat nat onely / the dede of þis synne is forboden / but eke the desire / to do þat synne / [847] This cursed synne anoyeth greuously hem / þat it haunten / and first to her soule / for he obligeth it to synne / and to peyne of deth / þat is perdurable / [848] vn-to þe body / anoyeth it greuously / for it drieth hym / and wasteth hym / and shent hym/. and of his blode he maketh sacrifice to the feend of hell/ it wasteth eke his catell/ and his substaunce/ [849] And certes yitte / yfit be a foule thyng/ a man to waste his catell on wommen / yitte / it is a fouler thyng/ whan þat for soch þyng wommen dispenden vp-on men her catell and substaunce / [850] this synne as seith the prophete byreveth man and womman / her gode fame / and all her honour / and it is full plesaunt to þe devell/ for þere-by wynneth he / þe most partie of this world [851] And right as a Merchaunt / deliteth hym moost in chaffare / þat he hath most auauntage of / right so the fende deliteth in this ordure /

[852] þis is that other hande of the devill with .v. fyngers to cacche the peple to his velanye / [853] The first fynger is / þe foole lokyng on the foole womman / and of þe fool man þat sleeth right as the Basilicok / sleeth folk by the venymous lokyng/ for the Couetise of yien folowen þe Covetise / of þe hert/ [854] The secund fynger is þe veleyns touchyng/ in wikked maner And therfore seith Salamon þat who-so toucheth and handleth a womman / he fareth like hym þat handleth the Scorpion / þat styngeth and sodenly sleeth þurgh his envemenyng / And who-so toucheth warme pycche / it shent his fyngers / [855] The thirde is foule wordes / þat fareth lyke fire / þat right anone brenneth þe hert/ [856] The .iiijth is the kissyng/ and truely he were a grete fole / þat wold kisse the mouth of a brennyng oven / or of a fourneys / [857] And more fooles ben þey þat kissen in velanye / for þat mouth / is the mouth of hell/ And namely thise old dotardes / holours yitte woll they kisse / þough þey may nought do ne smater hem. [858] Certes þey ben like to houndes / ffor an hound whan he comth by þe roser / or by other beautees / þough he may nat pisse / yitte woll he heue vp his legge / and make a coun|tenaunce to pisse / [859] And for þat many man weneth þat he may nat synne for no likerousnesse þat he doth with his wyf / Certes þat Opynyon is fals / god wote a man may slee hym-self / with his owen knyf / and make hym self dronken of his owen ton / [860] Certes be it wyf/ be it child / or ony worldly thyng That he loveth byfore god / it is Mawmette / and he is an Ydolastre [861] Man shold loue his wyf by discrecion paciently and attemprely / and þan is she / as though it were his suster [862] The .vta. fynger of the devels hande is the stynkyng dede of lecherie [863] Certes the .v. fyngers of glotonye / þe fende put in the wombe of man / and with his .v. fyngers of lecherie /. he grypeth hym by the Reines / for to throwe hym / in-to the fourneys of hell / [864] there as þey shull haue the fire and the wormes / þat euere shull lasten and wepyng and waylyng/ sharpe hunger and therst/ grymlynesse of devels / þat shall all to-trede hem / without respite and with|outen ende / [865] Of lecherie as I seid surden diuers spices / as fornicacion / þat is bitwene man and womman / þat ben nat maried and this is dedely synne / and ayeinst nature / [866] All þat is enemye and destruccion to nature / is ayeinst nature [867] Perfay the Reson of a man / eke telleth hym wele / þat it is dedely synne for-asmoch as god forbade lecherie / And seint Poule seith Yeveth hem the reigne / þat nys due to no wight/ but to hem þat don dedely synne / [868] Another synne of lecherie is / for to byreve a maide of hir maydenhede / for he þat so doth / Certes he casteth a maiden out of the hiest degre þat is in this present lyf/ [869] and byreveth hir þat precious fruyt/ þat the boke clepeth þe hundred-fold fruyt / I ne can sey it non otherwise in englyssh / but in latyn it hight Centesimus fructus / [870] Certes he þat so doth / is cause of many damages / and velanyes moo þan ony man can reken / Right as he som tyme is cause of all damage / þat bestes don in the fold / þat breken the hegge or the closure / þurgh which he destroyeth þat may nat be restored / [871] ffor certes no more may maydenhode be re|stored þan an arme / þat is smyten from the body may retourne ayein to wexe [872] She may haue mercy this wote I wele / yf she do Penitence / but neuer shall it be / þat she nas corrupte [873] And all be it so / þat I haue spoke som what of Auoutrie / it is gode to shewe mo perels þat longen to Auoutrie for to eschewe þat foule synne [874] Auoutrie in latyn is for-to seye / Approchyng of other mannes / þurgh which thoo that whilom* weren oo flessh Abundaunce her bodyes to other persones* [875] Of this synne as seith the wise man folowen many harmes ffirst brekyng of feith/ And certes in feith / is the keye of Cristendom / [876] And whan þat feith is broken and lorn sothly Cristendom stant veyne / and without fruyt / [877] This synne is eke a theef/ for theft generally is for to reve a wight his þyng ayeinst his will/ [878] Certes þis is þe foulest theft/ þat may be / whan a womman steleth her body from hir housbond and yeveth it to hir holour / to defoule hir / and steleth hir soule from Crist/ and yeueth it to þe devill [879] This is a fouler theft/ þan for to breke a chirche / and stele the Chalice ffor thise Auoutries breken þe temple of god/ spirituelly and stelen The vessell of grace / þat is the body and the soule / for which Crist shall destroye hem / as seith Seint Poule / [880] Sothly of this theft douted gretely Ioseph / whan that his lordes wyf/ prayed hym / of velanye / whan he seid. Lo my lady / how my lord hath take to me / vnder my warde / all þat he hath / in this world. ne no thing of his thynges / is out of my power but onely ye / þat ben his wyf / [881] And how shold I than do this wikkednesse / and synne so horribely ayeinst god and ayeinst my lorde / god it forbede / Allas all to lite / is soch trouth now yfound. [882] The thirde harme is the filth / thurgh which þey breken þe commaundement of god / and defoulen the Auctor of his matrimonye / þat is crist/ [883] for certes in so moch/ as the sacrament of mariage / is so noble and so digne / so moch is it grete synne for to breke it / ffor god made mariage in paradys in the state of Innocence to multiplie mankynde / to the seruyce of god / [884] and therfore is þe brekyng more greuous / of which brekyng comen fals heires oft tyme / þat wrongfully occupien folkes heritage / and therfore woll crist put hem out of the regne of heuen / þat is heritage to gode folk/ [885] Of this brekyng comth eke oft tyme / þat folk vnware wedden or synnen / with her owen kynne / and namely thoo harlottes / þat haunten bordels of þise fool wommen /þat mowen be lykkened to a commune gonge / where as men purgen her ordure / [886] what sey we eke of Putours / þat lyven by þe horrible synne of Puterie / and constreyne wommen / to yeld hem a certein rent/ of her bodely Puterye / ye somtyme[MS. repeats of his bodely puterye / ye som tyme] of his owen wyf / or his child / as don thise baudes / Certes thise ben cursed synnes / [887] vnderstonde eke / þat auoutrie is sette in the .X. commaundementes / bitwene theft and man|slaughter / for it is the grettest theft þat may be / for it is theft of body and soule [888] and it is like homicide for it kerveth a two / and breketh a twoo / hem that first were maked oo flessh / And þerfore by þe old lawe of god they shold be slayn with stones / [889] Butnatheles by þe lawe of Ihesu Crist / þat is lawe of pitee / whan he seid to the womman / þat was founde in auoutrie / and shold haue be slayn / with stones / after the will of the Iewes / as was her lawe / Go koth Ihesu Crist / and haue no more will to synne / or will no more to do synne / [890] Sothly the vengeaunce of Auoutrie is awarded to the peynes of hell/ but yf it be distourbed by Penitence [891] yitte ben there mo spices of this cursed synne / as whan þat oon [of] hem is religious / or elles both/ or of folk þat ben entred in-to ordre / as subdeken or preest/ or hospitilers / And euere the hier þat he is in ordre the gretter is the synne [892] The thynges þat gretely aggreggen her synne is the brekyng of her avow / of chastitee / whan he hath resceyued þe ordre / [893] And ferther-ouer soth it is / þat holy ordre / is chief / of all tresorie / Of god / and his especiall signe / and mark of chastitee / to shewe þat þey ben ioyned to chastitee which þat is most precious lyf þat is / [894] And þise ordred folk / ben specially titled to god / and of the speciall meynee of god / for which whan þey don dedely synne / þey ben especiall traytours of god / and of his peple / for þey lyuen of the peple / to praye for the peple / and while þey ben soch traytours / her prayer avayleth nat to the peple [895] Prestes ben Aungels / as by the dignitee / of her misterie / But forsoth seint Poule / seith þat Sathanas transfourmeth / hym in Aungell of light/ [896] sothly the preest þat haunteth dedely synne / he may be lykkened to the Aungell of derknesse / transfourmed the Aungell of light/ he semeth Aungell of light / but forsoth he is Aungell of derknesse / [897] Soch prestes ben the son of Belie / as sheweth in the boke of kynges / þat they weren the sonnes of Beliall/ þat is the devill / [898] Beliall is to sey without Iuge / and so faren they hem þynken þey ben free / and han no Iuge / no more þan hath a free Bole / þat taketh soch a Cow / as hym liketh in the toun / [899] So faren þey by wommen / for right as a free Bole / is ynough for all a toun / Right so is a wikked prest/ corrupcion ynough for all a paryssh / or for all a cuntree [900] Thise prestes as seith the boke ne kon nat þe misterie of presthode / shewe to þe peple ne god þey knowe nat / þey hold hem nat appayed as seith þe boke of soch flessh þat was to hem offred / but they toke by force þe flessh þat is rawe / [901] certes so thise old shrewes ne hold hem nat appayed of rosted flessh/ and sode flessh with which the peple feden hem / in grete reuerence but þey woll haue rawe flessh of folkes wyfes / and her doughters [902] And certes thise wommen þat consenten to her harlotrye / don grete wrong to Crist/ and to holy chirche / and all halowes / and to all soules / for þey byreve hym / all þise þat shold worshippe Crist/ and holy chirche / and praye for Cristen soules / [903] And þerfore han soch prestes and her lemmans eke / þat consenten to her lecherie / þe malison of all Cristen court/ till þey com to amendement/ [904] The thirde spice of Auoutrie is somtyme bitwene a man and his wyf / and þat is whan þey make no rewarde in her assemblyng/ but onely to her flesshly delite as seith Seint Ierom [905] and rekken nat/ of no thyng/ but þat þey ben assembled / by cause / þat þey ben maried/ all is gode ynough þynketh to hem / [906] but in soch folk / hath þe devill power / As seid þe Aungell Raphael to Thobye / for in her assemblyng / þey putten Ihesu Crist out of her hert/ and yeven hem self to all ordure / [907] The .iiijth spice is / þe assemble of hem þat ben of her kynrede / or of hem þat ben of one affinitee / or elles with hem / with which her faders / or her kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie / This synne maketh hem like to houndes / þat taken no kepe to kynrede [908] and certes parentele is in Two maners either gostely or flesshly / gostely as for to delen with her gossibbes / [909] for right so as he þat engendreth a child is his flesshly fader right so is his godfader his espirituell/ for which a womman / may in no lesse synne / assemble with her gossipe / þan with hir owen flesshly broþere [910] The vte spice / is þat habhominable synne / of which þat no man vnneth ought speke ne write / Natheles it is openly reherced in holy writte / [911] this cursednesse doon men and wommen in diuers intent / and in diuers maner / But þough þat holy writte speke of horrible synne / certes holy writte / may nat be defouled no more þan þe son þat shyneth on þe myxene / [912] Another synne / apperteneth to lecherie / þat comth in slepyng and þis synne comth oft to hem þat ben maydens / and eke to hem þat ben corrupte / and this synne men clepen Polucion / þat comth in .iij. maners / [913] som tyme of langwysshyng of body / for the humours ben to rank/ and to habundant in þe body of man / Som tyme for Infirmitee / for the feblenesse of þe vertue retentyf/ as phisik maketh mension Somtyme for surfet / of mete and drynk / [914] and somtyme of veleyns þoughtes / that ben enclosed in mannes mynd / whan he goth to slepe / which may nat be without synne ffor which men most kepe hem wisely / or elles mow men synne full greuously. /

 Hic tractus Luxurie desinit & Remedium eiusdem Hic Incipit ./.

[915]

Now comth the Remedie ayeinst lecherie / and þat is generally Chastite and continence / þat re|streyneth all þe disordeyne mevynges þat commen of flesshly talentes [916] and euer the gretter merite shall he haue / þat moste restreyneth the wykked chauf|ynges or ordure of this synne / and this is in two maners / þat is to sey Chastitee of mariage and chastitee of wydowhode [917] Now shalt þou vnderstonde / þat matrimonye is leefull assemblyng of man / and of womman / þat resceyuen by vertue of the sacrament/ þe bonde þurgh which þey mow nat be departed / in all her lyf / þat is to sey / while þat they lyven / both/ [918] þys as seith the boke / is a full grete sacrament/ god made it in Paradys as I haue seid byfore / and wold hym self/be born in mariage / [919] And for to halowen mariage / he was at a weddyng / where as He turned water in-to wyne / which was þe first myracle / þat he wrought in erthe byfore his disciples / [920] Trewe effecte of mariage clenseth ffornicacion / and replenyssheth / holy chirche / of gode lynage for þat is the ende of mariage / and it chaungeth dedely synne in-to veniall synne / bitwene hem / þat ben ywedded / and maketh þe hertes all one of hem þat ben wedded / as wele as the bodies / [921] þis Is Verray mariage / that was establysshed by god / or that synne bygan whan naturell lawe was / in his right poynt in Paradys/ and it was ordeyned þat no man shold have but oo womman / and oo womman but oo man / As seith Seint Austyn by many resons /

[922] ffirst for mariage is first figured bitwene Crist and holy chirche / And þat oþer is for a man is hede of a womman / all-gate by ordynaunce it shoold be soo / [923] for yf a womman hade mo men þan oon / þan shold she haue mo hedes þan oon / and þat were an horrible thyng byfore god / and eke a womman ne myght nat plese to many folk at ones / And also þere ne shold neuer be pees ne rest amonges hem / for euerycch wold axe his owen thyng / [924] And ferther-ouere / no man ne shold knowe / his owen en|gendrure / ne who shold haue his heritage / and þe womman shold be the lesse beloved from þe tyme þat she were conioynte to many men /

[925] Now comth how þat a man shold bere him with his wyf / and namely in two thynges / þat is to seye in suffraunce / and reuerence as shewed Crist / whan he made first womman [926] for he ne made hir nat / of the heved of Adam / for she shold nat clayme to grete lordshipe / [927] for there as þe womman hath the maistrie / she maketh to moch disraye There neden noon ensaumples / of this / þe experience of day by day ought suffice / [928] Also certes god ne made nat/ womman of the fote of Adam / for she ne shold nat be holden to lowe / for she can nat paciently suffre / But god made womman of the ribbe of Adam / for womman shold be felawe vn-to man / [929] Man shold bere hym to his wyf/ in feith in trouth / and in love / as seith Seint Poule / þat a man shold love his wyf / as crist loved holy chirche / he loved it so wele / þat he dyed for it / so shold a man for his wyf / yf it were nede /

[930] Now how þat a womman shold be subgette to hir housbond þat telleth Seint Petir / in obedi|ence / [931] and eke as seith þe decree / A womman þat is wyf / as long as she is a wyf / she hath noon auctoritee to swere ne to bere witnesse / without leve of hir housbond / þat is hir lorde allgate he shold be soo by reson / [932] She shold eke serue hym in all honestee and ben attempre of hir array / I wote wele / þey shold sette her intentes to plese her hous|bondes / but nat by her qweyntise of arraye [933] Seint Ierom seith / þat wyfes þat ben apparayled in silk/ and in precious purpure / ne mow nat clothen hem in Ihesu Crist / loke what seith Seint Iohn eke in this mater [934] Seint Gregorie eke seith / þat no wight seketh precious array / but onely for vayneglorie to ben honoured the more byfore the peple / [935] it is a grete folie / a womman to haue a faire array outward / and in hir self foule inward [936] A wyf shold eke be mesurable in lokyng/ and in beryng/ and in laughyng/ and discrete in all her wordes and hir dedes / [937] and aboue all worldly thyng she Shold loue Hir housbond with all hir hert/ and to hym to be true of hir body [938] so shold an housbond eke be to his wyf/ for seth þat all the bodye is þe housbondes so shold hir hert ben / or elles þere is bitwene hem two / as in þat no perfite mariage / [939] Than shull men vnder|stonde / þat for thre thynges/ A man and his wyf / flesshly mowen assemble / The first is in intent/ of engen|drure of children to the seruice of god / ffor certes þat is þe cause fynall of matrimonye / [940] Another cause is to yelden euerycch of hem to other / þe dette of his body / for neither of hem / hath power of his owen body The .iij.de is to eschewe lecherie and velanye The iiijth is forsoth dedely synne [941] As to þe first/ it is meritorie / the secunde also / for as seith the decree / þat he hath merite of chastitee / þat yeldeth to her housbond þe dette of hir body / ye þough it be ayeinst hir likyng and þe lust of hir hert/ [942] . . . . .no gap in the MS. And truely scarsly may ony of thise be / without veniall synne for þe corrupcon and for the delite [943] The .iiij.th maner is for to vnderstonde / as is they assemblen onely for amerous love / and for none of þe forseid causes / but for to complyssh þylk brennyng delite / þey rek neuer how oft/ sothly it is dedely synne / and yitte with sorow / som folk woll peyne hem more to do / þan to her appetite suffiseth /

[944] The secunde maner of Chastitee / is for to ben a cleen wydow / and eschewe thembrasynges of man / and desiren thembrasyng of Ihesu Crist / [945] þise ben thoo / þat haan been wyfes and han forgoon her hous|bondes / and eke wommen þat haan doon lecherie / and ben releved by Penitence / [946] And certes yf þat a wyf coude kepe hir all chaast / by licence of hir housbond / so þat she yave neuer occasion / þat he agilt/ it were to hir a grete meryte/ [947] Thise manere wommen þat obseruen chastitee / . . . . .no gap in the MS. in clothyng and countenaunce / Abstinent in etyng and drynkyng/ in spekyng and in dede And þan is she þe vessell or the booyst/ of the blissed magdalene / þat fulfilleth holy chirche full of gode odour [948] The thirde maner of chastitee / is virginitee / and hit byhoueth þat she be holy in hert/ and clene of body / þan is shee spouse to Ihesu Crist/ and she is þe lyf of Aungels / [949] she is þe preysyng of this world. and she is as thise martirs / in egalitee / she hath in hir þat tung may nat tell/ [950] virginite bare our lord Ihesu Crist/ and virgyn was hym-self /

[951] Another Remedye ayeinst lecherie is specially to withdrawe soch thynges / as yeven occasion to thilk veulanye as ese / etyng/ and drynkyng/ for certes whan þe pot boyleth strongly / the best remedye is to with|drawe þe fire [952] Slepyng long in grete quyete is eke a grete Norice to lecherie /

[953] Another remedye is ayeinst lecherie þat a man or a womman eschewe the companye of hem / by which he douteth to be tempted / for all be it so / þat þe dede be withstonden yitte is þere grete temptacon / [954] Sothly a white wall/ all-þough it Ne wenne nat fully / by stikkyng of a candell/ yitte is þe wall blak of the leyte / [955] full oft tyme / I rede þat no man trust in his owen perfeccion but he be strenger þan Sampson / or holyer than David and wiser than Salamon /

[956] Now after þat I haue declared yow as I can / the vij. dedely synnes / and som of her braunches / and her remedyes Sothly yf I coude I wold tell you / þe .x. commaundementes [957] but so hie a doctryne I lete to dyvynes / Natheles I hope to god / þey ben touched in this tretyce euerycch of hem all/.

 Hi[c] Sequitur secunda pars Penitence. /:

[958]

Now for asmoch / as the secunde partie of Penitence stant in confession of mouth / as I began in the Chapitre I sey Seint Austyn seith [959] Synne is euery worde and euery dede and all þat men coveiten / ayeinst þe lawe of Ihesu Crist / And þis is for to synne / in hert in mouth and in dede by the .v. wittes / þat ben/ sight/ heryng/ smellyng tastyng or savouryng/ and felyng/ [960] Now it is gode to vnderstonde þat / þat agreggen mochell euery synne / [961] þou shalt consider what þou art/ þat doost the synne / whether þou be male or female yong or olde / gentill or thrall/ free or seruaunt / hoole or sike / wedded or sengle ordred or vnordred wise or fooll/ Clerk or seculer [962] yf she be of thy kynrede / bodely or gostely or noo / yf ony of thy kynrede haue synned with hir or noon / and many thynges /

[963] That other circumstaunce is this wheþer it be doon in fornycacion or in auoutrie or noon / incest / or noon Mayde or noon / in maner of homicide or noon / horrible grete synnes or smale and how long þou haast contynued in synne / [964] The thirde circumstaunce is the place where þou haast done synne / whether in other mennes houses or in thyn owen / in feeld or in chirche / or in chirche hawe / in chirche dedicat/ or noon / [965] for yf the chirche be halowed / and man or womman spilt his kynde within þat place by weye of synne or by wikked temptacion þe chirche is entredyted / . . . . .no gap in the MS. [966] and yf he were a preeet / þat did soch a velanye / to terme of all his lyf / he shold no more synge masse / and yf he did / he shold do dedely synne / at euery tyme þat he song masse / [967] The .iiijth circumstaunce is / by soch media|tours / as by messagers / as for enticement/ or for consentment/ to bere companye with felaushipe / ffor many a wrecche for to bere companye / woll goo to the devill of hell / [968] for þey þat eggen or con|senten to the synne / ben partiners of the synne / and of þe dampnacion of the synner

[969] The .vte. . .no gap is / how many tymes / þat he hath synned. yf it be in his mynde / and how oft þat he hath fall / [970] for he þat ofte falleth in synne / he despiseth the mercy of god / and encreceth his synne / And is vnkynde to Crist/ and he wexeth the more feble to withstonde synne and synneth the more lightly / [971] and the latter ariseth / and is the more eschewe for to shryve hym / and namely to hym þat is his Con|fessour [972] ffor which þat folk/ whan they fall ayein / in her old folies / eyther þey forleten her old Confessours all vttrely / or elles they departen her shryft / in diuers places But sothly soch departed shryft/ deserueth no mercy of god / of his synnes / [973] The sexte circum|staunce is / why / þat a man synneth / as by temptacion / and hymself procure thilk temptacion / or by the ex|cityng of other folk / or yf he synne with a womman / by force / or by hir owen assent / [974] or yf þe womman maugre hir hede hath be aforced or noon / this shall she tell / for couetise or for pouertee / and yf it was hir procuryng or noon / and soch manere harneys [975] The .vijth. Circumstaunce is in what maner he hath doon his synne / or how þat she hath suffred þat folk han doon to hir / [976] and þe same shall man tell pleinly all circumstaunces / and whether he hath synned with commune bordell wommen or noon / [977] or doon his synne in holy tymes or noon / In fast|yng tyme or noon / or byfore his shryft/ or after his latter shryft/ [978] and hath perauenture broken therfore his penaunce enioyned by whoos help / and whoos counseill/ by sorcerie or Craft/ all most be tolde / [979] all thise thynges / after þat þey ben grete or smale / engreggen the conscience of man / And eke the preest/ þat is thy Iuge may þe better ben avised of his Iugement/ in yevyng of þy penaunce / and þat is after thy contricion [980] ffor vnderstonde wele þat after the tyme þat a man hath defouled his baptisme / by synne / yf he woll com to savacion / þere is noon other weye / but by Penitence and shrift/ and by satisfaccion / [981] and namely by the two / yf there be a Confessour to which he may shryue hym / and þe thirde / yf he may lyve to perfourme it /

[982] þan shull men loke and consider / þat yf he woll make a trewe and a profitable confession / þere most be .iiij. condicions [983] ffirst it mot bee in sorowfull bitternesse / of hert/ as seid the kyng Ezechiell / to god / I woll/ remembre me all the yeres of my lyf / in bytternesse of myn hert / [984] þis condicion of bitter|nesse hath .v. signes / þe first is þat confession most be shamefast/ nat for to keuer ne hide his synne but for he hath agylt his god / and defouled his soule / [985] And here-of Seith Seint Austyn þe hert trauaileth / for shame of his synne and for he hath a grete shamefastnesse he is digne to haue grete mercy of god / [986] soch was þe confession of the Publican / þat wold nat heve vp his yien to heven / for he hade offended god of heven / ffor which shamefastnesse / he hade anoon / the mercy of god / [987] And þerfore seith Seint Austyn / þat soch shamefast folk / be next foryevenesse and remission / [988] That other signe is humilitee / of Confession of which Seith Seint Petir / humbleth you vnder þe myght of god / þe hond of god is myghty in confession / for there-by god foryeveth þe þy synnes / for he allone hath the power / [989] and this humilitee shall ben in hert/ . . . . .no gap in the MS. right so shold he humble his body outward to the preest/ þat sitteth in goddes place / [990] for which in no maner seth þat Crist is soueraigne / and þe preest mene and mediatour / bi|twene Crist and þe synner it is þe last by weye of reson / [991] þan shold nat þe synner sitte as hie as his confessour / but knele byfore hym / or at his fete / but yf maladye destourbed it/ for he shall nat take kepe whoo sitte þere / but in whoos place þat he sitteth/ [992] A man þat hath trespaced to a lorde / and cam for to axe mercy / and maken his accorde / and he sette hym doun anoon by the lord men wold hold hym outrageous / and nat worthy so sone for to haue remission / ne mercy / [993] The thirde signe is / þat þe shrift shold be full of teres / yf men myght/and yf þey mow nat wepe with her bodely yien/ let hem wepe in hert/ [994] Soch was þe confession of Seint Petir / for after þat he hadde forsake Ihesu Crist/ he went out and wept full bitterly [995] The .iiijth. signe is / þat he ne lette nat for his shame to shewe his confession [996] soch was þe confession of þe magdalene þat ne spared for no shame of hem / þat weren at þe feest/ for to goo to our lord Ihesu Crist/ and byknowe to hym hir synne. [997] The .vte. signe is þat a man or womman / be obeysant/ to resceyue the penaunce / þat hym is enioyned. for certes Ihesu Crist / for þe gilt of oo man / was obedient to the deth

[998] The secunde condicion of verray confession is þat it be hastely doon / for certes yf a man hade a dedely wound euer þe lenger þat he tarieth to warissh hym-self/ þe more wold it corrupte / and haste hym to his deth / and eke þe wound wold be þe wors for to hele / [999] and right so fareth synne þat long tyme is in a man vnshewed. [1000] Certes a man ought hastely shewe his synnes for many causes / as for drede of deth / þat comth oft sodenly and at no certeyn / what tyme it shall / be / ne in what place and eke þe drecchyng of oo synne draweth in another / [1001] and eke þe lenger þat he tarieth þe ferther he is from Crist/ And yf he abide till his last daye / scarsly may he shryve hym / or re|membre hym of his synnes / or repente for þe greuous maladye / of his deth [1002] And for-asmoch as he ne hath nat in his lyf herkened Ihesu Crist/ whan he hath spoken / he shall crye to Ihesu Crist at his last day / and scarsly woll he herken hym / [1003] And vnderstonde þat þis condicion most have .iiij. thynges / thy shryft most be purveid byfore / And avised for wikked haast do no perfite / and þat a man kon shryve hym of his synnes / be it of Pride or of Envye / and so forth with þe spices and þe circumstaunces/[1004] and þat he haue comprehended in his mynde / þe nombre and þe gretnesse of his synne / and how long þat he hath/ lyen in synne / [1005] and eke þat he be contrite of his synnes / and in stedfast purpose / by þe grace of god / neuere eft to fall in synne / and eke þat he drede and countre-waite hym-self þat he flee the occasions of synne / to which he is enclyned / [1006] Also þou shalt shryve the of all thy synnes / to oo man / and nat a parcell to oo man / and a parcell to anoþere þat is to vnderstonde / in entent to departe thy confession / and for shame or drede / for it nys nat but stranglyng of þy soule / [1007] for certes Ihesu Crist is entierly all gode / in hym is noon inperfeccion and þerfore he foryeueth all perfitely / or neuer a dele / [1008] I sey nat þat yf þou be assigned to þy penytauncer / for certein synne / þat þou art bound to shewe hym / all þe remenaunt of thy synnes of which þou hast ben shryven of thy curate / but yf it like the of thyn humilitee / þis is no departyng of shrift / [1009] ne I ne sey nat/ þere as I speke of diuision / of confes|sion / þat yf þou haue licence for to shryve the to a discrete and an honest preest/ where the liketh / and by licence eke of thy curate / þat þou ne maist wele shryve the to hym / of all thy synnes / [1010] but let no blotte be behynde / let no synne be vntold as fer as þou haast remem|braunce / [1011] And whan þou shalt be shryven to þy curate / tell hym eke all thy synne / þat þou haast doon / sen þou were last yshryven / this is no wikked intent of diuision of shryft/

[1012] Also þe verray shryft/ axeth certeins con|dicions / ffirst þat þou shryve the by thy free will / nat constreyned ne for shame of folk/ ne for maladye / ne soch thynges / for it is reson þat he that trespasseth / by his free will / he most by his free will confesse his trespace / [1013] noon other man shall tell / his synne / but he hym-self / ne he shall nay it / or denye his synne ne wratth hym ayeinst the preest/ for his ammonestyng to lete synne [1014] The secunde condicion is þat thy shryft be lawe-full þat is to sey / þat þou þat shryvest the / and eke the preest þat hereth thy confession be verrely In the feith of holy chirche [1015] and þat a man ne be nat dispeired of þe mercy of Ihesu Crist/ as Cayme or Iudas / [1016] and eke a man mot accuse hym-self of his owen trespace / and nat another but he shall blame and wite hym-self / and his owen malice of his synne and noon other / [1017] But natheles / yf þat another be occasion of his synne or the state of a persone be soch þurgh which he hath synned and þat his synne is agregged or els þat he may nat pleinly shryve hym / but he tell þe persone with which he hath synned / þan may he tell it [1018] so / þat his intent be nat to bakbite the persone but onely to declare his con|fession /

[1019] þou ne shalt nat eke make no lesynges / in thy Confession / for humilitee perauenture to seye / þat þou haast do synnes / of which þou were neuer gilty [1020] ffor seint Austyn seith yf þou by cause of humylitee makest lesynges / on thy self/ þough þou ne were nat in synne byfore yitte art þou in synne / þurgh þy lesynges / [1021] þou most eke shewe thy synne / by thyn owen propre mouth / but þou be woxe doumbe / and nat by no lettre / for þou þat hast doon þe synne / þou shalt haue the shame / [1022] Thow shalt nat eke paynt thy confession / by faire subtile wordes / to kouere þe more thy synne for þan begilest þou þy-self / and nat þe preest/ þou most tell it platly / be it neuer so foule / ne so horrible / [1023] þou shalt eke shryve the to a preest/ þat is discrete to counceill the / and eke þou shalt nat shryve the for vaynglorie ne for Ypocrisie / ne for no cause / but onely for the doute of Ihesu Crist / and the hele of thy soule / [1024] thow shalt nat eke renne to the preest sodenlye / to tell hym lightly thy synne / And who-so telleth a Iape or a tale but avisely and with grete deuocion / [1025] and generally shryve the oft / yf þou oft falle / oft yf þou arise by confession / [1026] and þough þou shryve þe ofter þan ones of syn of which þow hast be shryven it is the more merite And as seith Seint Austyn / þou shalt haue the more lightly releesyng / and grace of god both of synne and of peyne / [1027] and certes ones a yere / at þe leste weye / it is lawefull / for to be housled for sothly all thynges ones a yere renovellen /

[1028] Now have I told of verrey confession / þat is þe secunde partie of Penitence /[no break in the MS.]

[1029] The thirde partie of penitence is Satisfaccion and þat stant most generally in almesse / and in bodely peyne / [1030] Now ben there thre maner of Almesse Contricion of hert/ where a man offreth hym-self to god / Another is / to haue pitee of the defaute of his neighbours The thirde is in yevyng gode counceill / both gostely and bodely / where men han nede / and namely in sustenaunce of mannes fode / [1031] And take þat a man þat he hath nede of / Of thise thynges generally he hath nede / of fode he hath nede / clothyng and herborow / he hath nede of charitable counseill / and visityng in prison and maladye / and sepulture of his dede bodye / [1032] And yf þou maist nat visite the nedefull / with thy persone visite hym by thy message / and thy yiftes / [1033] Thise ben generall almesses or werkes of charitee of hem that ben riche in temperall richesse / or discrecion in counseillyng of thise werkes shalt þou heren / at the daye of dome /

[1034] Thise almesses shalt þou doo of thyn owen propre thynges / and hastely and priuely yf þou maist/ [1035] But natheles yf þou maist nat do priuely þou shalt nat forbere to do almesse / þough men se it/ so þat it be nat doon for thank of the world but onely for thank of Ihesu Crist/ [1036] for witnesseth Seint Mathew capitulo 5o A citee may nat be hide / þat is sette on a mountayne / Ne men light nat a lanterne and put it vnder a busshell but men sette it on a Candel|stykke / to light the men in þe hous / [1037] Ryght so shall your light / lyghten byfore men / þat þey mow see your gode werkes / and glorifye your fader þat is in heven

[1038] Now as to speke of bodely peyne / it stant in prayers in wakynges in fastynges in vertuous techynges or orisons / [1039] ye shull vnderstonde / þat orisons or prayers / is for to seye / a pitous will of hert/ þat redresseth it in god / and expresseth it by worde outwarde to remeve harmes / and to haue thynges espirituell and durable / and somtyme temperell thynges / of which orisons / certes in the Orison of the Pater noster hath Ihesu Crist enclosed most thynges [1040] Certes privyleged it is of the thynges in his dignytee / for which it is more digne than ony prayer / for þat Ihesu Crist hym self made it/ [1041] and it is short/ for it shold be couthe more lightly / and for to withholde it/ more esely in hert/ and help hym self þe ofter with the orison / [1042] and for a man shold be þe lasse werie to seye it / and for a man / may nat excuse hym to lerne it/ it is so short / and so esy / and for it comprehendeth in it self all gode prayers [1043] The exposicion of this holy prayer / þat is so excellent and digne I betake to the maisters of Theologie / save þus moch woll I sey / þat whan þou prayest / þat god shold foryeve the thy giltes / as þou foryeuest/ hem þat agylten to the / be full wele ware / þat þou ne be nat out of charitee / [1044] This holy orison amenuseth eke veniall synne / and þerfore it apperteneth specially to Penitence /

[1045] this prayer most be truely seid and in verrey feith and þat men praye to god ordinatelye and dis|cretely and deuoutly / and all-weye a man shall putte his wille to be subgette to þe will of god. [1046] this orison most eke be seide with grete humblesse and full pure honestly and nat to the anoysaunce of ony man or womman / it most eke be contynued with the werkes of charitee / [1047] it auayleth / ayeinst þe vices of þe soule ffor as seith Seint Ierom by fastyng ben salved þe vices of þe flessh and by prayer / the vices of the soule

[1048] After this þou shalt vnderstonde / þat bodely peyne stant in wakyng for Ihesu Crist seith waketh and prayeth/ þat ye ne entre in wykked temptacion / [1049] ye shull vnderstond þat fast|yng stant also in thre thynges / in forberyng of bodely mete and drynk and in forberyng of worldly iolitee / and in for|beryng of dedely synne / þis is to sey þat a man shall kepe hym from dedely synne with all his myght /

[1050] And þou shalt vnderstonde eke / þat god ordeyned fastynges / and to fastyng appertenen iiij. thynges / [1051] largenesse to poure folk / gladnesse of hert spirituell/ nat to be angrye ne anoyed ne grucche for he fasteth and also resonable houre for to ete by mesure / þat is for to seye / a man shold nat ete in vntyme / ne sitte the lenger at his table to ete for he fasteth

[1052] Than shall þou vnderstonde / þat bodely peyne stant in disciplyne or techyng by worde or by writyng or in ensaumple also in weryng of heires or of stamyn or of habergeons on her naked flesshffor Cristes sake / and soch manere of penaunces [1053] But ware þe wele þat soch maner penaunces / on thy flessh ne make nat thyn hert bitter or angrye / or anoyed of thy self / for better is to cast awey þyn heire þan for to cast aweye[MS. repeats the heire þan for to cast awaye, but draws a line under it.] the swet|nesse of Ihesu Crist [1054] And therfore seith Seint Poule / Clothe yow as þey þat ben chosen of god / in hert of misericorde / debonairtee suffraunce / and soch maner of clothyng of which Ihesu Crist is most appayed þan of his heyres or habergeons or hawberkes /

[1055] Than is disciplyne eke in knokkyng of þy brest/ in scourgyng with yerdes / in knelynges in tribulacions / [1056] in suffryng paciently wronges / þat ben don to hym / and eke in pacient suffraunce of maladyes / or lesyng of worldly catell/ or of wyf / or of child / or other frendes /

[1057] Than shalt þou vnderstonde which þynges destourben penaunce and þis is in .iiij. maners / þat is drede shame hope and wanhope / þat is desperacion [1058] And for to speke first of drede for which he weneth þat he may suffre no penaunce / [1059] there|ayeinst is remedye / for to thynk þat bodely penaunce is but shorte and litle / at regarde of þe peyne of hell/ þat is cruell and so long / þat it lasteth withouten ende /

[1060] Now ayeinst the Shame / þat a man hath to shryve hym / and namely thise Ypocrites þat wold be holden so perfite / þat þey haue no nede to shryve hem [1061] ayeinst/ þat shame shold a man þynk þat by weye of reson þat he þat hath nat ben a-shamed to do foule thynges Certes hym ought nat be ashamed to do faire thynges and þat is confessions / [1062] A man shold eke thynk / þat god seeth and woteth all thing þy thoughtes and all thy werkes / to hym may no thing be hidde / ne covered [1063] Men shold eke remembre hem of þe shame þat is to com / at þe day of dome to hem þat ne be nat penitent and shryven in this present lyf [1064] ffor all þe creatures in erthe and in hell shull seen appertely all þat he hideth in this world

[1065] Now for to speke of þe hope of hem / þat ben necligent/ and slowe to shryve hem / it stant in two maners [1066] þat one is / þat he hopeth/ for to lyve long/ and for to purchace moch ricchesse for his delite / and þan he woll shryue hym and as he seith/ he may as hym semeth þan tymely ynough / com to shryft/ [1067] Another is of Surquydrie þat he hath in cristes mercy / [1068] ayeinst þe first vice he shall thynk þat our lyf is in no sekirnesse / and eke þat all ther richesse in þis world ben in auenture / and passen as a shadow on a wall / [1069] And as seith Seint Gregorie / þat it apperteneth to þe rightwosnesse of god / þat neuer shall þe peyne stynt of hem þat neuer wold withdrawe hem / from synne her thankes / but ay contynue in synne / for thylk perpetuell will/ to do synne shull þey han perpetuell peyne /

[1070] Wanhope is in two maners / þe first wan|hope is / in þe mercy Of Crist / that other is þat þey thynken / þat þey myght nat long perseuere in gode|nesse / [1071] the first wanhope comth comth of þat he demeth/ þat he hath synned so gretely and so oft/ and so long lyen in synne / þat he shall nat be saved [1072] Certein ayeinst þat cursed wanhope shold he þynk þat þe passion of Ihesu Crist/ is more strong/ for to vnbynde / þanne synne is strong for to bynde / [1073] Ayeinst the secund wanhope / he shall thynk þat as oft / as he falleth/ he may arise ayein by penitence / and þough he neuere so long haue leye in synne / þe mercy of crist / is all-wey redy to resceyue him to mercy / [1074] Ayeinst þe wanhope þat he demeth/ þat he shold nat long perseuere in godenesse / he shall thynk/ þat þe feblenesse of the devyll may no þyng don / but men woll suffre hym/[1075] And eke he shall have strength of the helpe of god / and of all holy chirche / and of þe proteccion of Aungels / yf hym list/

[1076] Than shull men vnderstonde what is þe fruyt of penaunce and after the worde of Ihesu Crist/ it is the endeles blysse of heven / [1077] þe ioye hath no contraritee of woo ne greuaunce / þere all harmes ben passed of this present lyf / þere as is the sekirnesse / from the pyne of hell/ there as is the blisfull companye / þat reioysen hem euermoo euerycch of others ioye [1078] there as the bodye of man þat whilom was foule and derk/ is more clere þanne þe sonne / þere as þe body þat whilom was seke frele and feble and mortall/ is ymmortall/ and so strong/ and so hole / þat þere may no thing appeire it/ [1079] there as ne is neither hunger thirst ne colde / But euery soule replenysshed with the sight of þe perfite knowyng of god [1080] This blisfull/ regne mow men purchace by pouertee espirituell/ and þe glorie by lowe|nesse the plentee of Ioye / by hunger and therst/ and þe rest by trauaill/ and the lyf by deth and mortificacion of synne ./.

Here the maker taketh His Leue /

[1081]

Now pray I to hem all / þat herken this litle tretice/ or reden þat yf there be ony thyng in it / þat liketh hem that þere-of þey thanken our lord Ihesu Crist / of whom procedeth all witte / and all godenesse / [1082] and yf þere be ony thyng þat displese hem I praye hem also arette it/ to the defaute of myn vnkonnyng / and nat to my will þat wold fayn haue seid better yf I hade connyng / [1083] for our boke seith/ all that is writen / is writen for our doctryne and þat is myn entent/ [1084] wherfore I beseche you mekely for þe mercy of god þat ye praye for me / þat crist haue mercy on me / and foryeve me my giltes [1085] and namely for my translacions and of enditynges of worldly vanitees[The old MS. ends here; the rest of the text is in an 18th century hand.Perhaps from MS. Laud K 50, from which the Tale of Gamelyn, in 8 leaves, was copied by the 18th century hand, and put into this Egerton MS. as leaves 56-63.] the which I revoke in my Retraxions [1086] As is the Book of Troylus, the Boke also of Fame, the Boke of ye 25 Ladies, the Boke of the Duchesse, the Boke of Seint Valentyns day, of the Parlement of Briddes, the Tales of Cauntor|bury, thilke that sownen in-to Synne, [1087] the Boke of the Leon, & many other Bokes if thei wer in my remembrance. And many a Song, & many a lecherous lay. Criste for his mercy forgiffe ye Synne. [1088] But of ye Translacion of Boece de Consolacion, of other Bokes of Legendes of Seintes, and Omelies, and Moralite and Devocion, [1089] that thank I our Lord Ihesu Criste and his blessid Mother and all the Seintes of Heven, [1090] beseke hem that thei fro henes forth on to my Lyves end send me grace to be-weale my Giltes, and to stodien to the Savacion of my Soule, and greaunte me spase of veray penitence, con|fession and satisfaccion, to don in this present Liffe, [1091] thorow the benigne grace of him that is Kynge of Kyngs and Prest of all Prests, that bough[t] us with the precious blod of his hert, [1092] So that I mot be on of hem at the day of Dome that shulbe saved.

Deo Gracias. here endith the Canterbury Tales compiled by Geffrey Chaucer, of whose soule Ihesu Crist haue mercy. Amen.[in red ink]

2. The Hymn of Chaucer's Oxford Clerk, NICHOLAS, "ANGELUS AD VIRGINEM." (Miller's Tale, Group A. l. 3216, p. 92, abuv.) THE LATIN ORIGINAL: 'ANGELUS AD VIRGINEM'

ENGLISHT (rymes ababcc, dde, cec). Arundel MS. 248, leaf 154. Ab. 1250-60, A.D. 1 Gabriel fram evene king sent to þe maide swete, broutee is an overline insertion. In lines 3, 4, 26, 28, 53, 60, &c. the 'þ' of þe, þire, þie, þerde, &c. stands for 'h'. þire blisful tiding, And faire þe gan hire greten: "Heil be þu, ful of grace arith! "for godes sone, þis evene lith, "A later overline 'so' is before 'for'; but the line should be only 2 measures.for mannes louen, "wile man bicomen, "and taken "fles of þe, maiden brith, "ma[n]ken fre for to maken "of senne and deules mith." 2 Mildeliche im gan andsweren þe milde maiden þanne: 'wiche wise sold ichs beren child with-huten manne?' Þangle seide, "ne dred te nout! "þurw þoligast sal ben iwrout "þis ilche þing, "warof tiding "ichs bringe: "al manken wrth ibout "þur þi swete chiltinge, "and hut of pine ibrout." 3 Wan þe maiden understud, and þangles wordes þerde, mildeliche, with milde mud, to þangle þie andswerde: 'Hure lordes þenmaiden iwis 'ics am, þat her abouen is; 'aneftis me 'fulfurthed be 'þi sawe, 'þat ics, sithen 'h' is an overline insertion.his wil is, 'maiden, with-huten lawe, 'of moder haue þe blis.' 4 Þangle wente a-wei mid þan, al hut of hire sichte; and'and' underdotted and struck through: but see '&' in Latin, st. 4, l. 2. þire wombe arise gan, þurw þoligastes mithe; in hire was crist biloken anon, suth god, soth man, ine fleas and bon; and of hir fleas iboren was at time, war-þurw us kam god won, þe bout us hut of pine, and let im for us slon.The 'n' is a taild final n, like a y. 5 Maiden moder makeles, of milche ful ibunden, Bid for hus, im þat þe ches, at wam þu grace funde, þat þe forgiue hus senne and wrake, and clene of euri gelt us make, and eune blis, wan hure time is to steruen, hus giue, for þine sake, him so her for to seruen, þat þe us to him take.