face In sight of euery body in that place A voice was heard in generall audience That saied Thou hast disclandred guiltles The doughter of holy chirch in high presence Thus hast thou doen and yet I hold my pees Of this marueile agast was all the prees As dismaide folke they stonden euerichone For dread of wreche saue Custance alone Great was the dread and eke the repentance Of hem that hadden wrought suspection Vpon this silly innocent Custance And for this miracle in conclusion And by Custances mediation The king and many another in that place Conuerted was thanked be Gods grace This fals knight was slain for his vntroth By judgement of Alla hastily And yet Custance had of his death great roth And after this Iesus of his mercy Made Alla wedden full solemnely This holy maid that is so bright and shene And thus hath Christ made Custance a quene But who was wofull if I should not lie Of this wedding but Donegild and no mo The kings mother full of tyrannie Her thought her cursed hart brast a two She would not that her sonne had doe so Her thought a despight that he should take So straunge a creature vnto his make * He list not of the chaffe ne of the stre Make so long a tale as of the corne What should I tell of the realte Of that mariage or which course goth beforne Who bloweth in a trumpe or in a horne The fruit of euery tale is for to say They eaten and drinken daunce and play They gon to bed as it was skill and right For though that wiues been ful holy things They must take in patience a night Such manner necessaries as been pleasings To folke that han wedded hem with rings And lay a little her holinesse aside As for the time it may none other betide On her he gat a man child anone And to a bishop and to his constable eke He tooke his wife to keepe when he is gone To Scotland ward his fomen for to seke Now fair Custance that is so humble and meke So long is gone with child till that still She halt her chamber abiding Christs will The time is come a man child she bare Mauricius at fontstone they him call This constable doth forth come a messenger And wrote to his king that cleaped was Alla How that this blisfull tiding is befall And other tidings needfull for to say He takes the letter and forth goth his way This messenger to doen his auauntage Vnto the kings mother rideth swithe And salueth her full faire in his language Madame qd he ye may be glad and blithe And thanked God an hundred thousand sith My lady quaene hath a child withouten dout To joy and blisse of all this reigne about Lo here the letters sealed of this thing That I mote beare in all the hast I may Yeue ye wol ought vnto your sonne the king I am your seruaunt both night and day Donegilde answered as at this time nay But here I woll all night thou take thy rest To morrow woll I say thee what my lest This messenger dronk sadly both ale wine And stollen were his lettets priuily Out of his boxe while he slept as a swine And counterfeited was full subtilly Another letter wrought full sinfully Vnto the king direct of this mattere Fro his Constable as ye shall after here The letter spake the queene deliuered was Of so horrible a fendlishe creature That in the castle none so hardy was That any while dursten therein endure The mother was an Elfe by auenture I come by charmes or by sorcerie And euery wight hateth her companie Wo was this king when he that letter had sein But to no wight he told his sorrow sore But with his owne hand he wrote again Welcome the sonde of Christ for euermore To me that am new learned in his lore Lord welcome be thy lust and thy pleasance My lust I put all in thy ordinance Keepeth this child all be it foule or faire And eke may wife vnto mine home coming Christ when him lest may send me an heire More agreeable than this to my liking This letter he sealed priuily weeping Which to the messenger was taken sone And forth he goth there is no more to done O messenger fulfilled of dronkenesse Strong is thy breth thy limmes faltren aie And thou be wraiest all secretnesse Thy mind is sorne thou ianglist as a Iaie Thy face is tourned in a new array * There dronkennesse reigneth in any rout There nis no counsaile hid withouten dout O Donegild I ne haue non English digne Vnto thy malice and thy tirannie And therefore to the fende I thee resigne Let him enditen of thy traitrie Fie mannish fie O nay by God I lie Fie fendishe spirit for I dare well tell Though thou here walke thy spirit is in hell This messenger came fro the king againe And at the kings mothers house he light And she was of this messenger full faine And pleased him in all that euer she might He dronke and well his girdle vnder pight He sleepeth and he snoreth in his guise All night till the summe gan arise Eft were his letters stollen euerichone And counterfeited letters in this wise The king commaundeth his constable anone Vpon paine of hanging on an high iewise That he ne should suffren in no wise Custance within his realme for to abide Three daies and a quarter of a tide But in the same ship as he her fond Her and her young sonne and all her gere He should crouden and put fro the lond And charge her that she neuer eft come there O Custance well may thy ghost haue fere And sleeping in thy dreame been in pennance When Donegild cast all this ordinance This messenger on the morrow when he woke Vnto the castle halt the next way And to the Constable he the letter tooke And when that he this pitous letter sey Full oft he saied alas and welaway Lord christ qd he how may this world indure So full of sinne is many a creature O mighty God if that it be thy will Sin thou art rightful iudge how may it be That thou wolt suffer innocence to spill And wicked folke to reigne in prosperite O good Custance alas so woe is me That I mote be thy turmentour or els dey On shames death there nis none other wey Weepen both yong and old in that place When that the king this cursed letter sent And Custance with a deadly pale face The fourth day toward the ship she went But nathelesse she taketh in good intent The will of Christ kneeling in that strond She saied lord aye welcome be thy sond He that me kept fro that false blame Whiles I was on the lond amongs you He can me keepe fro harme eke fro shame In the salt sea although I see not how As strong as euer he was he is now In him trust I and in his mother dere That is
where as there is none order or ordinaunce but fearfull drede that ever shall last Lo here may you see that Iob prayed respite a while to bewepe and waile his trespasse For sothely one day of respite is better than all the treasure of this world And for as much as a man may acquite himselfe before god by penitence in this world not by treasure therefore should he pray to God to yeue him respite a while to bewepe waile his trespasse for certes all the sorow that a man might make fro yâ— beginning of the world nis but a little thing at regarde of the sorrow of hell The cause why that Iob calleth hell the londe of derkenesse understondeth that he calleth it londe or earth for it is stable and never shall faile derke For he that is in hell hath defaute of light materiall for certes the derke light that shall come out of the fire that ever shall brenne shall turn him all to pain the is in hell for it sheweth him to the horrible Diuels that him turmenteth covered with the derkenesse of death that is to say * That hee that is in hell shall have defaut of the sight of God for certes the sight of god is the life perdurable The derknes of death been yâ— sins that the wretched man hath don which that disturb him to see the face of God right as the derke cloud betwixt us and yâ— sunne Londe of misese because that there been three maner of defautes ayenst three things that folke of this world have in this present life that is to say honours delices richesse Ayenst honour have they in hell shame and confusion For well ye wote that men call honour the reverence yâ— man doth to man but in hell is none honour ne reverence For certes no more reverence shal be do there to a king than to a knave For which God sayth by the Prophet Ieremie Those folke that me dispise shal be in dispite Honour is also called great lordeship there shall no wight serve other but of harme and turment Honour is also called great dignitie and highnesse but in hell shall they be all fortroden of divels As God saith the horrible Devils shall goe and come upon the heddes of damned folke and this is for as much as the higher that they were in this present life yâ— more shall they be abated and defoiled in hell Ayenste the richesse of this world shall they have misese of poverte that shall be in four thinges In defaut of treasure Of which David saith * The rich folk that embrace knit all her hert to treasour of this world shall sleep in the sleeping of death and nothing ne shull they find in her hondes of all her tresour And moreover the misease of hell shall be in defaut of meat and drinke For God sayeth thus by Moyses * They shall bee wasted with hunger and the byrdes of hell shall devour hem with bitter death and the gall of the Dragon shall be her drinke and yâ— venum of the Dragon her morsels Also her misease shall be in defaut of clothing for they shall be naked in bodie as of clothing saue the fire in which they brenne and other filthes and naked shall they be of soule of all manner vertues which that is the clothing of the soule Where been than the gay robes the soft shetes and the small sherts Lo what sayth God of hem by the Prophet Esaie * That under hem shall bee strewed moughtes and her covertures shall bee of worms of hell Also her misease shall be in defaut of friends for he is not poor the hath good frends but ther is no frend for neither God ne no creature shall be frend to hem and ech of hem shall hate other with deadly hate The sonnes and the doughters shall rebell ayenst father and mother and kinred ayenst kinred chide and dispise each other both day and night as God sayeth by the prophet Micheas * And yâ— loving children that whilom loved so fleshly ech other would ech of hem eat other if they might * For how should they love together in the paines of hell when they hated eche other in prosperity of this life for trust well her fleshly love was deedly hate As saith yâ— Prophet David Whoso that loveth wickednesse he hateth his soul and who so hateth his own soul certes he may love none other wight in no maner And therefore in hel is no solace ne no frendship but ever the more kinredes that ben in hell yâ— more cursinges the more chidinges and the more deadly hate there is among hem Also they shall have defaut of all manner delices for certes delices ben after the appetites of the five wittes As sight hearing smelling favouring and touching But in Hell her sight shall be full of derkenesse and of smoke therefore full of teares and her hearing full of wailing and grinting of teeth As saith Iesu Christ Her nosthrilles shall bee full of stinking And as saith Esay the Prophet Her savouring shall be full of bitter gall as touching of all her bodies icovered with fire that never shall quench and with wormes that never shall die As God sayth by yâ— mouth of Esay and for as much as they shall not wene that they may die for pain and by death flye fro pain that they may understond in the wordes of Iob that saieth There is the shadow of death Certes a shadow hath likenesse of the thing of which it is shadowed but shadow is not the same thing of which it is shadowed right so fareth the pain of Hell it is like death for the horrible anguish And why For it paineth hem ever as though they shold die anon but certes they shall not die For as saith saint Greg. * To wretched caitiffes shall be death without death and end without end and defaut without fayling for her death shall alway live and her end shall ever more begin and her defaut shall not faile And therefore sayth saint Iohn the Evangelist * They shall follow death they shall not find him and they shall desire to die and death shall flie from hem And also Iob saith That in hell is no order or rule And all be it so yâ— God hath create all thing in right order and nothing without order but all things been ordred and numbred yet nathelesse they that been dampned been nothing in order ne hold none order for the earth ne shall bere hem no fruit For as the Prophet David sayth God shall destroy the fruit of the earth as for hem ne water ne shall yeve hem no moisture ne the ayre no refreshing ne fire no light For as saith saint Basilie * The brenning of yâ— fire of this world shall God yeve in hell to hem that been dampned but the light and the clearnesse shall he yeve in Heaven to his children right as good men yeve flesh to her children and
that mine herte professed whilom was For to be trewe with all my full might Onely to one the which now alas Of volunte without any trespas My accusours hath taken vnto grace And cherisheth hem my death to purchace What meaneth this what is this wonder vre Of purueyaunce if I shall it call Of god of loue that false hem so assure And trewe alas downe of the whele ben fall And yet in sothe this is the worst of all That falshed wrongfully of troth hath yâ— name And trouth a yenward of falshed beareth the blame This blind chaunce this stormy auenture In loue hath most his experience * For who yâ— doth with trouth most his cure Shall for his mede finde most offence That serueth loue with all his diligence * For who can fayne vnder lowlyhede Ne fayleth not to finde grace and spede For I loued one full long sith agone With all mine herte body and full might And to be deed my herte can not gone From his heste but hold that he hath hight Though I be banished out of her sight And by her mouth dampned that I shall dey Vnto my hest yet I will euer obey For euer sith that the world began Who so liste looke and in story rede He shall aye find that the trewe man Was put abacke whereas the falshede Yfurthered was for loue taketh none hede To slea the trew and hath of hem no charge Where as the false goeth frely at her large I take record of Palamydes The trewe man the noble worthy knight That euer loued and of his payne no relees Notwithstanding his manhood his might Loue vnto him did full great vnright For aye the bet he did in cheualrie The more he was hindred by enuie And aye the better he did in euery place Through his knighthood and busie payne The ferder was he from his ladies grace For to her mercy might he neuer attayne And to his death he coud it not refrayne For no daungere but aye obey and serue As he best coude plainly till he sterue What was the fine also of Hercules For all his conquest and his worthinesse That was of strength alone peerles For like as bookes of him list expresse He set pillers through his hye prowesse Away at Gades for to signifie That no man might him passe in cheualrie The which pillers ferre beyond Inde Be set of gold for a remembraunce And for all that was he set behinde With hem that loue list feebly auaunce For him set last vpon a daunce Against whom helpe may no strife For all his trouth he lost his life Phebus also for all his pleasaunt light When that he went here in yearth lowe Vnto the hert with Venus sight Ywounded was through Cupides bowe And yet his lady list him not to knowe Though for her loue his herte did blede She let him go and toke of him no hede What shall I say of yonge Piramus Of trewe Tristram for all his hye renowne Of Achilles or of Antonius Of Arcite or of him Palomoune What was the end of her passioune But after sorow death and then her graue Lo here the guerdon that these louers haue But false Iason with his doublenesse That was vntrewe at Colkos to Medee And Theseus roote of vnkindnesse And with these two eke the false Enee Lo thus the false aye in one degree Had in loue her lust and all her will And saue falshood there was none other skill Of Thebes eke the false Arcite And Demophon eke for his slouth They had her lust and all that might delite For all her falshood and great vntrouth Thus euer loue alas and that is routh His false lieges forthereth what he may And sleeth the trewe vngoodly day by day For trewe Adon was slaine with the bore Amidde the forest in the grene shade For Venus loue he felt all the sore But Vulcanus with her no mercy made The foule chorle had many nights glade Where Mars her knight and her man To find mercy comfort none he can Also the yonge freshe Ipomedes So lustly free as of his corage That for to serue with all his hert he ches Athalant so faire of her visage But loue alas quite him so his wage With cruell daunger plainly at the last That with the death guerdâ—nlesse he past Lo here the fine of loues seruice Lo how that loue can his seruaunts quite Lo how he can his faithfull men dispise To slea the trewe men and false to respite Lo how he doth the swerde of sorow bite In herts soch as most his lust obey To saue the false and do the trewe dey For faith nor othe worde ne assuraunce Trewe meaning awaite or businesse Still porte ne faithfull attendaunce Manhood ne might in armes worthinesse Pursute of worship nor hie prowesse In straunge land riding ne trauaile Full litell or nought in loue doth auaile Perill of death nor in see ne land Hunger ne thrust sorow ne sicknesse Ne great emprises for to take in hand Sheding of blood ne manfull hardinesse Ne oft wounding at sautes by distresse Nor in parting of life nor death also All is for nought loue taketh no heed thereto But lesings with her flatterie Through her falshede with her doublenesse With tales new and many fained lie By false semblaunt counterseit humblesse Vnder colour depaint with stedfastnesse With fraud couered vnder a pitâ—us face Accept be now rathest vnto grace And can himselfe now best magnifie With fained port and presumption They haunce her cause with false surquidrie Vnder meaning of double entention To thinke one in her opinion And say another to set himselfe aloft And hinder trouth as it is scene full oft The which thing I buy now all too deare Thanked be Venus and the god Enpide As it is seene by mine oppressed cheare And by his arrowes that sticken in my side That saue death I nothing abide Fro day to day alas the hard while When euer his dart that him list to file My wofull hert for to riue atwo For faut of mercy and lacke of pite Of her that causeth all my paine and wo And list not ones of grace for to see Vnto my trouth through her cruelte And most of all I me complaine That she hath joy to laugh at my paine And wilfully hath my death sworne All guiltlesse and wote no cause why Saue for the trouth that I had aforne To her alone to serue faithfully O god of loue vnto thee I cry And to thy blind double deite Of this great wrong I complaine me And vnto thy stormy wilfull variaunce Iment with change and great vnstablenesse Now vp now down so renning is thy chance That thee to trust may be no sikernesse I wite it nothing but thy doublenesse * And who that is an archer and is blend Marketh nothing but shooteth by wend. And for that he hath no discretion Without aduise he let his arrow go For lacke of sight and also of reason In his
called John Gower It seemeth that Chaucer was of the Inner Temple for not many Years since Master Buckley did see a Record in the same House where Geffrey Chaucer was fined two Shillings for beating a Franciscan Friar in Fleet-street Thus spending much time in the Universities France Flanders and Inns of Court he proved a singular man in all kind of Knowledge His Marriage HE matched in Marriage with a Knights Daughter of Henault called Paon de Ruet King of Arms as by this Draught appeareth taken out of the Office of the Heralds This Gentlewoman whom he married whose Name we cannot find as it may be gathered by Chaucer's own Words in his Dream was Attendant on Blanch the Dutchess in the Duke of Lancaster's House as also her Sister Katharine was or else waited on the Dutchess Maud Sister of Blanch who was married to William Duke of Bavare Earl of Henault Zeland and Holland But howsoever it was by this Marriage he became Brother-in-Law to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster as hereafter appeareth Stemma peculiare Gaufredi Chauceri Poetae celeberrimi Paganus de Rouet Hannoniensis aliter dictus Guien Rex Armorum Catherina de Rouet à priore marito Hugone Swinford Equite cognominata Swinford Quae postea renupta Johanni Gandavensi tertii Edovardi Regis filio Lancastriae Duci illi procreavit filios tres unicam filiam Gaufredus Chaucer Poeta celeber sui saeculi ornamentum ac decus ingens Altera filiarum cohaeredum Guienni Armorum Regis cujus Nomen non editur Thomas Chaucer Armiger dominus Manerii de Ewhelm in Oxoniensi Comit. William de la Pole Comes Marchio postea Dux Suffolciae Alicia unica filia haeres Thomae Chaucer ter nupta Johanni Philip. equiti deinde comiti Sarum postea Will. Com. Suff. Johannes de la Pole Dux Suffolciae Edmundus de la Pole Comes Suffolciae ultimus ex hac stirpe attinctus tempore Regis Hen. 7. Johannes Burg hershe Miles Matildis filia William Kerdeston Militis Johannes Burghershe Miles Imania filia natu maxima una haeredum Simonis Hannap vel Hanning de Comit. Glouc. Matildis filia cohaeres Johannis Burghershe Militis Margareta altera filiarum haeredum Johannis Burghershe nupta Johanni Arundel de Com. Cornubiae Johannes Arundell Hinc descendit hodiernus Johannes Arundel His Children with their Advancement IT should seem that Geffrey Chaucer had another Son besides Thomas for in the Preface to the Astrolabe writeth to one whom he calleth his little Son Lewis yet some hold opinion but I know not upon what Grounds that Thomas Chaucer was not the Son of Geffrey Chaucer but rather some Kinsman of his whom he brought up But this Pedigree by the hands of Master Glover alias Somerset that learned Antiquary as also the Report of Chronicles shew it to be otherwise Some say that in recompence of Chaucer's Service in France being sent thither Ambassador Edward the Third gave him this Maud Daughter and Heir of Sir John Burghershe Knight whom he married to Thomas Chaucer his Son to the great increase of his Living and amendment in Blood This Thomas Chaucer besides his own Inheritance of Ewelm and Dunnington Castle which M. England's most excellent Antiquiographer termeth Quondam Chauceri postea Delapolorum Castellum exiguum was divers ways preferred as out of Records in the Tower of London here we may partly see Vicesimo secundo Rich. secundi viginti Marcae datae Thomae Chaucer per ann durante vita Anno primo Henrici quarti idem donum viginti Marcarum confirmatum Thomas Chaucer primo anno Henrici sexti capitalis Pincerna Regis Angliae Thomas Chaucer Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Barkshire and Constable of Wallingford-Castle and Knaresborow Castle and the Forest of Knaresborow during Life Queen Jane Wife to Henry the Fourth the twelfth year of his Reign gave to Thomas Chaucer for his good Service Manerium de Woodstock Hannebrough Wotton Stuntesfield cum omnibus membris Hamlet suis durante vita Thomas Chaucer the last Heir male of the Chaucers and Owner of Ewelm and Dunnington Castle the Inheritance of the Chaucers lieth buried in a black Marble Tomb in a fair Chappel in the Parish-Church of Ewelm in the south side of the Quire with this Epitaph Hic jacet Thomas Chaucer Armiger quondam dominus istius villae patronus istius Ecclesiae qui obiit 18 die Mensis Novemb. Anno Dom. 1434. Matildis uxor ejus quae obiit 28 die Mensis Aprilis Anno Dom. 1436. Thomas Chaucer had one only Daughter named Alice married thrice first to Sir John Phillip Knight then to Thomas Mountacute Earl of Salisbury and the third time to William de la Pole Earl and after Duke of Suffolk who for love of his Wife and commodity of her Lands fell much to dwell in Oxfordshire and Barkshire where his Wives Lands lay Between them they had a Son called John as appeareth in the Book of the Foundation of the Hospital of Ewelm which is to be seen in Mr. Stow's Library where the Master Minister and the poor Men are enjoyned to gather themselves at appointed times about the Tomb of Thomas Chaucer and Maud his Wife Father and Mother of the Dutchess and there to say certain Prayers appointed which being ended one of them is to say openly in the English Tongue God save in Body and Soul our sovereign Lord the King my Lord William Duke of Suffolk my Lady Alice Dutchess of Suffolk his Wife our Foundress my Lord John their Son and all Christian People the Brethren answering Amen This is added because some have held that she never had Child but that the Duke had this Son by another Wife although indeed the descending of the Chaucers Lands to the Poles and after to the King might sufficiently confute them But what is it wherein some will not cavil This William and his Wife increased the Manor Place of Ewelm and builded there a Parish-Church and an Hospital called Gods-house for two Priests and thirteen poor men to be sustained for ever One of the Priests to be Master of the Alms-house and Alms people them to instruct the other Priest a School-master freely to teach the Children of the Tenants of the said Lordship their Grammar and either of them to have ten Pounds by the Year Also one of the poor men to be called Minister to present the Faults of the other to the Master and to ring their common Bell to Service and to have sixteen Pence the Week and the rest fourteen Pence To the which House they gave the Manors of Ramridge in Hampshire Conock in Wiltshire and Mersh in Buckinghamshire They also founded an Hospital at Donnington Castle J. St. This Alice Wife of Duke William surviving her Husband was after buried in the Parish Church of Ewelm on the South-side of the high Altar in a rich Tomb of Alabaster with an
or take And ye thinken this is well isaid Saith your aduise and hold you well apaid This is your end and your conclusion Who looketh lightly now but Palamon Who springeth up for ioy but Arcite Who could tell or who could rightly endite The great ioy that is made in this place When Theseus had done so fair a grace But doun on knees went euery maner wight And thanked him with all her hert and might And namely these Thebanes full many a sith And thus with good hope and hert blith They taken her leue homward gan they ride To Thebes ward with his old wals wide I trow men would deme it negligence If I foryetten to tell the dispence Of Thebes that goeth busely To maken vp the lists rially To such a noble Theatre as it was I dare well say in all this world there nas The circuit whereof a mile was about Walled with stone and diched all about Round was the shape in manner of a compas Full of degrees the hight of sixtie paas That when a man was set on one degree He letted not his fellow for to see Eastward there stood a gate of marble white Westward right such another in thopposite And shortly to conclude such a place Was none in yearth as in so little space For in the lond there nas no crafts man That Geometrie or Arithmetike can Ne purtreiture ne caruer of Images That Theseus ne gaue him meat and wages That Theatre to make and deuise And for to do his Rite and Sacrifice He Eastward hath upon the yate aboue In worship of Venus the Goddesse of loue Doe make an auter and an oratorie And on the West side in memorie Of Mars he maked such another That cost of gold largely a fother And Northward in a turret in the wall Of Alabaster white and red Corall An oratorie riche for to se In worship of Diane the Goddes of chastite Hath Theseus doe wrought in noble wise But yet had I foryetten to deuise The noble caruings and the purtreitures The shape the countenaunce and the figures That were in the oratories three First in the temple of Venus thou maiest see Wrought on the wall full pitously to behold The broken sleepes and the sighs cold The salt teares and the weimenting The fire strokes and the desiring That loues seruants in this life enduren The othes that her couenants assuren Pleasaunce and hope desire foolehardinesse Beautie and youth braudrie and richesse Charmes and sorcerie leasing and flatterie Dispence businesse and ielousie That weared of yellow golds a garland And a Cuckow sitting on her hand Feasts instruments carols and daunces Iusts and array and all the circumstaunces Of loue which I reken and reken shall By order were painted on the wall And mo than I can make of mencion For sothly all the mount of Citheron Where Venus hath her principall dwelling Was shewed on the wall in purtreing With all the ioy and the lustinesse Nought was foryetten the portresse idlenesse Ne Narcissus the faire of yore agon Ne yet the follie of king Salomon Ne yet the great strength of Hercules Thenchauntment of Medea and Circes Ne of Turnus with his hardie corage The rich Cresus caitife in seruage * Thus may you seen that wisdome ne richesse Beautie ne slight strength ne hardinesse Ne may with Venus hold champartie For as her list the world may she gie Lo all these folke so cought were in her laas Till they for wo full oft said alas Sufficeth here one example or two And though I coud reken a thousand mo The statue of Venus glorious to see Was maked fleeting in the large see And fro the nauell doune all couered was With waues grene and bright as any glas A citriole in her right hand had shee And on her hedde full semely for to see A rose garland fresh and well smelling Aboue her hedde Doues flittering Before her stood her sonne Cupido Vpon his shoulders wings had he two And blind he was as it is oft sene A bow he had and arrowes bright and kene Why should I not as well tellen all The purgatory that was thereabout ouer all Within the temple of mightie Mars the rede All painted was the wall in length and brede Like to the Estris of the grisly place That hight the great temple of Mars in Thrace In thilke cold and frostie region There Mars hath his soueraine mancion First on the wall was painted a forrest In which there wonneth nother man ne beast With knottie and knarie barrein trees old Of stubs sharpe and hidious to behold In which there was a romble and a swough As though a storme should break euery bough And downward from an hill vnder a bent There stood the temple of Mars armipotent Wrought all of burned stele of which thentre Was long and streight and gastly for to see And thereout came such a rage and a vise That it made all the gates for to rise The Northern light in at the dores shone For window on the wall was there none Throgh which men might any light discerne The dores were all of Athamant eterne Yâ—lenched ouerthwart and head long With yron tough for to maken it strong Every piller the temple to susteine Was tonne great of yron bright and shene There saw I first the dark imagining Of fellonie and eke the compassing The cruell ire red as any glede The pickpurse also and eke the pale drede The smiler with the knife under the cloke The shepen brenning with the blacke smoke The treason of the murdring in the bed The open war with wounds all be bled Conteke with bloody kniues sharp manace All full of chirking was that sorrie place The sleer of himselfe yet saw I there His heart blood hath bathed all his here The naile ydriuen in the shode on hight with cold death with mouth gaping vpright Amids of the temple sate Mischaunce With discomfort and sorrie Countenaunce Yet saw I Woodnesse laughing in his rage Armed complaint theft and fierce courage The carraine in the bush with throte ycorue A thousand slaine and not of qualme istorue The tirant with the prey by force iraft The toune destroied there was nothing ilaft Yet saw I brent the ships hoppesteres The hunter istrangled with the wild beres The Sow fretting the child in cradle * The Cooke iscalded for all his long ladle Nought was foryeten the infortune of Mart The carter ouerridden by his owne cart Vnder the wheele full low he lay adoun There were also of Marts devision The Barbour the Botcher and the Smith That forgeth sharpe swords on the stith And all aboue depainted in a tour Saw I Conquest sitting in great honour With the sharpe sword right ouer his head Hanging by a subtill twined thread Depainted was there the slaughter of Iulius Of great Nero and of Antonius All be that thilke time they were unborne Yet was her death depainted there beforne By manacing of Mars right by figure So
from us what priuely sleeping * And what through negligence in our waking As doth the streme that turneth neuer again Descending fro the mountain into the plain Well can Seneke many a Philosophre Bewailen time more than gold in cofre * For losse of cattell may recouered be But losse of time shendeth us qd he It would not come ayen withouten dread * No more than woll Malkins maidenhead When she hath lost it in her wantonnesse Let us not mowlen thus in idlenesse Sir man of Law qd he so haue I blis Tell us a tale anon as forward is Ye been submitted through your free assent To stonden in this case at my judgement Acquiteth you nowe of your behest Then haue you done your deuer at the lest Host qd he de pardeux ieo assent To breake forward is not mine intent * Bihest is debt and I woll holde faine All my behest I can no better saine * For such law as a man yeueth another He should himselfe vsen it by right Thus woll our text but nathelesse certaine wight I can right now no thrifty tale saine For that Chaucer though he can but leaudly On Metres and in rinning craftily Hath saied hem in such English as he can Of old time as knoweth many a man And if he haue not sayd hem leue brother In one booke he hath said hem in another For he hath told of louers up and doun Mo than Ouide made of mentioun In his Epistles that been full old What should I tell hem sithen they ben told In youth he made of sixe all alone And sithen he hath spoken of euerichone These noble wiues and these louers eke Who so that woll his large volume seke Cleaped the saints liues of Cupide There may he see the large wounds wide Of Lucresse and of Babylon Thisoe The swerd of Dido for the false Enee The tree of Phillis for her Demophoon The plaint of Deianire and of Hermion Of Ariadna and of Hypsiphilee The barraine Ile stonding in the see Which that dreint Liandre for Hero The teares of Helein and eke the wo Of Briseis and of Laodomia The crueltie of queene Medea The little children honging by the hals For the Iason that was of loue so fals Of Hipermistra Penelope and Alcest Your wifehood he commendeth with the best But certainely no word ne writeth he Of thilke wicke ensample of Canace That loued her owne brother sinfullie Of suche cursed stories I say fie Or els of Tyro Appoloneus How that cursed kinge Antiochus Biraft his doughter of her maidenhead That is so horrible a tale for to read When he her drew upon the pament And therefore he of full auisement Nold neuer write in none of his setmons Of such unkind abhominations Ne I woll none rehearse yef that I may But of my tale how shall I done this day Me were loth be likened doubtles To Muses that men cleaped Piriades Methamorphoseos wote what I mene But nathelesse I retche not a Bene Though I come after him with Haubake I speake in prose and let him rimes make And with that word he with a sober chere Began his tale as ye shullen after here LAdy Custance the Emperours Daughter of Rome after her marriage with the Soudan of Surrey through the Malice of the Soudans Mother suffereth great trouble and misery with her young Child Mauris but yet in the end is restored to Comfort ¶ The man of Lawes Tale. O Hatefull harme condition of pouert With thirst with cold with hunger confounded To asken helpe thee shameth in thine hert If thou non ask with need thou art so wounded That very nede vnwrappeth al thy wounds hid * Maugrie thine head thou must for indigence Or stele or beg or borow thy dispence Thou blamest Christ saiest ful bitterly He misdeparteth richesse temporall Thy neighbour thou witest sinfully And saiest thou hast too little he hath all Parfay saiest thou sometime he reken shall When that his taile shall to brenne in glede For he nought helpeth needfull in her nede Hearken what is the sentence of the wise * Better is to dien than haue indigence * Thine owne neighbour woll thee to despise If thou be poore farwell thy reverence Yet of the wise man take this sentence * All the dayes of poore men been wicke Beware therefore or thou come to the pricke If thou be poore thy brother hateth thee * And all thy friends fleech fro thee alas O rich Merchaunts full of we le be yee O noble prudent folke as in this caas Your bags been not fild with ambes aas * But with cise sink that reuneth for your chance At Christeninass mery may ye dance Ye seeken lond see for your winnings As wise folke ye knowne all the state Of reignes ye been fathers of tidings And tales many both of peace and debate I was right now of tales desolate Nere that a marchant gone many a yeare He taught a tale which ye shullen heare IN Surrey whylome dwelt a company Of chapmen rich thereto sad true That wide where senten her spicery Clothes of gold Satten rich of hew Her chafare was so thriftie and so new That euery wight hath deintie to chafare With hem and eke to sellen hem her ware Now fell it that the maisters of that sort Han shapen hem to Rome for to wend Were it for chapmanhood or for disport None other messenger would they send But comen hemself to Rome this is the end And in such place as thought hem auauntage For her intent they taken her herbigage Soiourned han these merchants in that toun Certain time as fell to her pleasance But so befell that the excellent renoun Of the emperours doughter dame Custance Reported was with euery circumstance Vnto these Surrein marchants in such wise Fro day to day as I shall you deuise This was the comen voice of euery man Our Emperour of Rome God him se A doughter hath that sithen the world began To recken as well her goodnesse as beaute Nas neuer such another as is she I pray to God in honour her susteine And would she were of all Europe the quene In her is high beautie without pride Youth without grenhed or follie To all her works vertue is her guide Humbles hath slaine in her all tyrannie She is a mirrour of all courtesie Her heart is very chamber of holinesse Her hond minister of freedome and almes And al this voice was soth as God is true But now to our purpose let vs turne ayen These marchants han don fret her ships new And when they han this blisfull maiden sein Home to Surrey been they went agein And doen her needs as they han doen yore And liuen in wealth I can say no more Now fell it that these marchants stood in grace Of him that was the Soudan of Surrie For when that they came from any strange place He would of his benigne courtesie Maken hem good cheare and busily espie
his friends fond And she hath this emprise taken in hond Which ye shall heare that I shall deuise And to hem all she spake in this wise We shal vs first faine christendom to take Cold water shall not greeue us but alite And I shall such a reuell and a feast make That as I trow I shall the Soudan quite For tho his wife be christened neuer so white She shall haue need to wash away the rede Though she a font ful of water with her lede O Soudonnesse root of iniquite Virago thou Symyram the secound O serpent vnder fememnete Like to the serpent deepe in hell ibound O faigned woman all that may confound Vertue innocence through thy mallice Is bred in thee a neast of euery vice O Sathan enuious since thilke day That thou wert chased from our heritage Well knewest thou to women the old way Thou madest Eue to bring us in seruage Thou wolt fordoen this Christen mariage * This instrument so welaway the while Make thou of women when thou wolt begile This Soudonnesse whom I blame and werie Let priuily her counsaile gone her way What should I in this tale longer tarie She rideth to the Soudon on a day And saied him that she would reny her lay And christendome of priests hondes fong Repenting her she Heathen was so long Beseeching him to doen her that honour That she might haue the christen folke to fest To pleasen hem I woll doen my labour The Soudon saith I woll doen al your hest And kneeling thanked her of that request So glad he was he nist not what to say She kist her sonne home she goth her way Arriued been these christen folke to lond In Surrey with a great solemne rout And hastily this Soudon sent his sond First to his mother and all the reigne about And saied his wife was comen out of dout And praiden hem for to riden against the quene The honour of his reigne for to sustene Great was the presse rich was the ray Of Surreyans and Romanes ymet yfere The mother of the Soudon rich and gay Receiueth her with all manner glad chere As any mother might her doughter dere Vnto the next city there beside A soft paas solemnly they all ride Nought trow I the triumph of Iulius Of which that Lucan maketh such a bost Was roialler and more curious Than was thassembling of his blisfull host But this Scorpion this wicked ghost The Soudonnesse for all her flattering Cast vnder all this mortally to sting The Soudon cometh himself soon after this So rially that wonder is to tell He welcometh her with much ioy and blis And thus in mirth and ioie I let hem dwell The fruit of euery tale is for to tell Whan time come men thought it for the best That reuel stint and men gon to rest The time come this old Soudonnesse Ordained hath the feast of which I told And to the feast christen folke hem dresse And that in the general both yong and old There may men feast and rialte behold And dainties moe than I can deuise But all to dere they bought it or they rise O Soudon wo that euer thou art successour To worldly blisse springed with bitternesse * The end of ioy is worldly labour Wo occupieth the ende of our gladnesse Herken this counsaile for thy sikernesse * Vpon thy glad day haâ—â—â— thou in minde The vnware wo or harme that cometh behinde For shortly to tellen at a word The Soudon the Christen euerichone Been all to hewe and sticken at the boord But it were onely dame Custance alone This old Soudonnesse this cursed crone Hath with her friends doen this cursed deed For she her selfe would all the country lede There was Surreien non that was conuerted That of the counsaile of the Soudon wot That he nas all to heawe er he asterted And Custance han they taken anon fotehot And in a ship all sternelesse God wot They han her set and bidden her lerne to saile Out of Surrey ayenward to Itale A certain tresour that she thither ladde And sooth to sayne vitaile great plente They han her yeuen and clothes eke she had And forth she saileth in the salt se O my Custance full of benignite O Emperours yong doughter so dere He that is lorde of fortune be thy stere She blesseth her with full pitious voice Vnto the crosse of Christ tho said she O clere O welful auter holy croice Reed of the lambes blood full of pite That wesh the world fro the old iniquite Me fro the fende and fro his clawe kepe That day that I shall drenchen in the deepe Victorious tree protection of trewe That onely worthy were for to bere The king of heauen with his woundes new The white lambe that hurt was with a spere Flemere of feendes out of him and here On which thy limmes faithfully extenden Me kepe yeue me might my life to menden Yeres and daies fleeteth this creature Through the see of Grece vnto the straite Of Marocke as it was her auenture O many a sory meale may she baite After her death full oft may she waite Or that the wilde waves would her driue Vnto the place there she should ariue Men mighten asken why she was not slayn Eke at the feast who might her body saue I answer to that demaund agayn Who saued Daniel in that horrible caue That euery wight were he master or knaue Was with the Lion frette or he asterte No wight but God that he bare in his hert God list to shew his wonderfull miracle In her for she should seen his mighty werkes Christ that is to euery harme triacle * By certain means often as knowen clerkes Doth thing for certaine end that full derke is To mans wit that for our ignorance Ne can nat know his prudent purueyance Now that she was not at the feast yslawe Who kepeth her fro the drenching in the see Who kept Ionas in the fishes mawe Till he was spouted out at Niniuee Wel may men know it was no wight but he That kept the people Ebrak from drenching With dry feet through the see passing Who hath the foure spirits of the tempest That power had both to anoy lond and see Both north and south also west and east Anoyeth neither see ne londe ne tree Southly the commaunder thereof was he That fro the tempest aye this woman kept As well whan she woke as whan she slept Wher might this woman meat drink haue Thre yere and more how lasteth her vitaile Who fed the Egyptian Mary in the caue Or in desert none but Christ sans faile Fiue thousand folk it was as great maruaile With loaues fiue and fishes two to feed God sent his foyson at her great need She driueth forth into our Occian Throughout the wide see till at the last Vnder an holde that nempne I ne can Fer in Northumberlond the waue her cast And in the sand her
ship sticked so fast That thence nolne it not of all a tyde The wil of Christ was that she should ther abide The constable of the castle doun is fare To seene this wrecke al the ship he sought And found this weary woman full of care He found also the treasure that she brought In her language mercy she besought The life out of her body for to twin Her to deliuer of wo that she was in A manner latin corrupt was her speche But algates thereby was she vnderstond The constable when him list no lenger seche This wofull woman brought he to lond She kneleth doun and thanketh Gods sond But what she was she would no man sey For foule ne faire though she shoulden dey She said she was so mased in the see That she foryate her mind by her trouth The constable of her hath so great pite And eke his wife that they weepen for routh She was so diligent withouten slouth To serue and please euerich in that place That all her louen that looken in her face The constable dame hermegild his wife Were painems that countrey euery where But Hermegild loued her right as her life And Custance hath so long soiourned there In orisons with many a bitter tere Till Iesu hath conuerted through his grace Dame Hermegild constablesse of that place In all that lond dursten no christen rout All christen folke been fled from the countre Through painims that conquered all about The plagues of the North by lond and see To Wales fled the christianite Of old Bretons dwelling in that I le There was her refute for the meane while Yet nas there neuer Christen so exiled That there nas some in her priuite honoured Christ and Heathen beguiled And nigh the castle such there dwellen three That one of hem was blind might not see * But it were with thilke eyen of his mind With which men seen after they been blind Bright was the sunne as in sommers day For which the constable and his wife also And Custance han taken the right way Toward the sea a furlong way or two To plaien and to romen to and fro And in her walke three blind men they met Crooked and old with eyen fast yshet In the name of Christ cried this blind Breton Dame Hermegild yeue me sight again This lady waxe afraied of the soun Least that her husbond shortly forto sain Would her for Iesus Christs lore haue slain Till Custance made her bold bad her werch The will of Christ as doughter of his cherch The constable woxe abashed of that sight And saied what amounteth all this fare Custance answered sir it is Christs might That helpeth folke out of the fiends snare And so ferforth she gan our law declare That she the constable ere that it was eue Conuerted and on Christ made him beleeue This constable was nothing lord of this place Of which I speake there he Custance fond But kept it strongly many a Winter space Vnder Alla king of Northumberlond That was full wise and worthy of his hond Againe the Scots as men may well here But tourne I woll againe to my mattere Sathan that euer vs waiteth to beguile Saw of Custance all her perfectioun And cast anon how he might quite her wile And made a yong knight that dwelt in the toun Loue her so hot of foule affectioun That verily him thought that he should spill But he of her once might haue his will He woeth her but it auailed nought She would doe no manner sinne by no wey And for despight he compassed in his thought To maken her on shamefull death to dey He waiteth when the Constable is away And priuily on a night he crept Into Hermgilds chamber while she slept Werie forwaked in her orisons Sleepeth Custance and Hermegilde also This knight through sathans temptations All softly is to the bed ygo And cut the throat of Hermegilde atwo And laied the bloody knife by dame Custance went his way ther God yeue him mischance Soon after cometh the constable home again And eke Alla that king was of that lond And saw his wife dispitously yslain For which he wept and wrong his hond And in the bed the bloody knife he fond By dame Custance alas what might she say For very wo her wit was all away To king Alla was told all this mischance And eke the time and where and in what wise That in a ship was founden this Custance As here before ye han heard me deuise The kings heart for pity gan agrise When he saw so benigne a creature Fall in disease and in misaduenture For as the lamb toward his deth is brought So stant this innocent beforne the king This fals knight that hath this treson wrought Bereth her in hond that she hath don this thing But nathelesse there was great mourning Emong the people and said they cannot gesse That she had done so great a wickednesse For they han seen her euer so vertuous And louing Hermegild right as her life Of this bare witnesse euerich in the hous Saue he that Hermegild slow with his knife This gentle king hath caught a great motife Of this witness thought he would enquere Deeper in this case the trouth to lere Alas Custance thou hast no champion He fight canst thou not so welaway But he that starft for our redemption And bond Sathan and yet lith there he lay So be thy strong champion this day For but if Christ on thee miracle kithe Without gilt thou shalt been slaine aswithe She set her doun on knees thus she said Immortall God that sauedest Susanne Fro fals blame and thou mercifull maid Marie I meane doughter to saint Anne Beforne whose child angels sing Osanne If I be guiltlesse of this felonie My succour be or els shall I die Haue ye not seene sometime a pale face Emong a prees of hem that hath been lad Toward his deth wheras hem get no grace And such a colour in his face hath had That men might know his face that was bistad Emongs all the faces in that rout So standeth Custance and loketh her about O Queenes liuing in prosperity Dutchesses and ye ladies euerichone Haue some routh on her aduersity An Emperors doughter stant alone She hath no wiÈt to whom to make her mone O blood roiall that stondeth in this drede Fere of been thy friends at thy greatest nede This Alla king hath suche compassioun As gentle herte is full of pyte That from his eyen ran the water doun Nowe hastely do fette a boke qd he And if this knight wol swere how that she This woman slowe yet wol we us avyse Whom that we wol shall ben our iustyse A Breton booke written with Euangeles Was fet and thereon he swore anone She guilty was and in the meane whiles An hond him smote vpon the necke bone That doune he fell atones as a stone And both his eyen brust out of his
to me my saile and eke my stere Her little child lay weeping in her arme And kneeling pitously to him she said Peace little sonne I woll do thee none harm With that her kercher off her head she braid And ouer his little eyen she it laid And in her arme she lulleth it full fast And into heauen her eyen vp the cast Mother qd she and maiden bright Marie Sooth it is that through womans eggement Mankind was lore and damned aye to die For which thy child was on crosse yrent Thy blisfull eyen saw all his turment Then is there no comparison betwene Thy wo and any wo that man may sustene Thou see thy child yslaine before thine eien And yet liueth my little child parfay Now lady bright to whom all wofull crien Thou glory of womanhead thou faire may Thou hauen of refute bright sterre of day Rew on my child of thy gentilnesse That rewest on euery rufull in distresse O little child alas what is thy guilt That neuer wroughtest sinne as yet parde Why woll thine hard father haue thee spilt O mercy dear constable qd shee As let my little child dwell here with thee And if thou darst not sauen him fro blame So kisse him once in his fathers name Therwith she looketh backward to the lond And said farewell husband routhlesse And vp she rist and walketh doune the strond Toward the ship her followeth all the prees And aye she praieth her child to hold his pees And taketh her leaue and with an holy entent She blesseth her and into the ship she went Vitailed was the ship it is no drede Habundantly for her a full long space And other necessaries that should nede She had ynow hereid by Gods grace For wind weather almighty God purchace And bring her home I can no better say But in the see she driueth forth her way Alla the king cometh home soone after this Vnto his castle of which I told And asketh where his wife and his child is The constable gan about his heart wax cold And plainely all the manner him told As ye han heard I can tell it no better And shewed the king his seale and his letter And said lord as ye commaunded me On paine of death so haue I done certain This messenger turmented was till he Must be knowne and tell plat and plain Fro night to night in what place he had lain And thus by wittie subtill enquiring Imagind was by whom this harm gan spring The hand was knowen that the letter wrot And all the venim of this cursed dede But in what wise certainely I not The effect is this that Alla out of drede His mother slow that may men plainly rede For that she traitour was to her allegeaunce Thus endeth old Donegild with mischaunce The sorrow that this Alla night and day Maketh for his child and his wife also There is no tongue that it tellen may But now woll I to Custance go That fleeteth in the sea in paine and wo Fiue yeare and more as liked Christs sonde Or that her ship approched vnto londe Vnder an heathen castle at the last Of which the name in my text I not find Custance and eke her child the sea vp cast Almighty God that saueth all mankind Haue on Custance on her child some mind That fallen is in heathen hond eftsoone In point to spill as I shall tell you soone Doun fro the castle cometh there many a wight To gauren on this ship and on Custance But shortly fro the castle on a night The lords steward God yeue him mischance A theefe that had renied our creaunce Came into the ship alone and said he should Her lemman be whether she would or nold Wo was the wretched woman tho begon Her child and she cried full pittously But blisfull Mary halpe her anon For with her strogling well and mightily The theefe fell ouer the boord all sodainly And in the see he drenched for vengeance And thus hath Christ unwemmed kept Custance * O foule lust of luxure lo thine end Nat onely that thou faintest mans mind But verily thou wolt his body shend The end of thy werke or of thy lusts blind Is complaining how many one may men find That not for werke somtime but for th entent To done this sinne been either slaine or shent How may this weak woman haue the strength Her to defend against this renegate O Golias vnmeasurable of length How might Dauid make thee so mate So young and of armure so desolate How durst he looke on thy dreadfull face Well may men seene it is but Gods grace Who yaue Iudith courage or hardinesse To slean prince Holofernes in his tent And to deliuer out of wretchednesse The people of God I say for this intent That right as God spirit and vigor sent To hem and saued hem out of mischance So sent he might and vigor to Custance Forth goth her ship through the narow mouth Of Subalter and Sept yfleeting aie Somtime West somtime North South And sometime East full many a wearie daie Till Christs mother yblessed be she aie Hath shapen through her endlesse goodnesse To make an end of all her heauinesse Explicit secunda pars sequitur pars tertia NOW let vs stint of Custance but a throw And speake we of the Romane Emperour That out of Surrey hath by letters know The slaughter of Christians and dishonour Doen to his doughter by a false traitour I meane the cursed wicked Soudonnesse That at the feast let stean both more and lesse For which this Emperour hath sent anon His senatour with roiall ordinance And other lords God wote many one On Surreians to done high vengeance They brennen slean bring hem to mischance Full many a day but shortly in the end Homeward to Rome they shapen hem to wend. This senatour repaireth with victory To Rome ward sayling full roially And met the ship driuing as saith the story In which Custance sat full pitously Nothing knew he what she was ne why She was in such array ne she nold sey Of her estate though she shoulden dey He bringeth her to Rome and to his wife He yaue her and her young sonne also And with the senatour she lad her life Thus can our lady bring out of wo Wofull Custance and many another mo And long time dwelled she in that place In holy werkes euer as was her grace The senatours wife her aunt was But for all that she knew her nere the more I woll no longer tarry in this caas But to king Alla which I spake of yore That for his wife weepeth and siketh sore I woll retourne and let I woll Custance Vnder the senatours gouernance King Alla which that had his mother slain Vpon a day fell in such repentaunce That if I shortly tell all shall and plain To Rome he cometh to receiue his penaunce And putten him in the Popes ordinaunce In high and low and Iesu Christ besought
angry wife doun in an hous They ben so wicked and so contrarious They haten that their husbonds louen aie * He saied a woman cast her shame awaie When she cast off her smock and farther mo A faire woman but she be chast also Is like a gold ring on a Sowes nose Who coud wen◠or who coud suppose The wo that in miue hart was and pine And when I saw he would neuer fine To reden on this cursed booke all night All suddainly three leaues haue I plight Out of his booke right as he radde and eke I with my fist so tooke him on the cheke That in the fire he fell backward adoun And vp he stert as doth a wood Lioun And with his fist he smote me on mine head That in the floore I lay as I were dead And when he seie how still that I lay He was agast and would haue fled away Till at the last out of my swoun I braied Oh hast thou slaine me false theefe I saied For my lond thus hast thou murdred mee Et I be dead yet woll I once kisse thee And neere he came and kneeled faire adoun And saied deere suster sweet Alisoun As helpe me God I shall thee neuer smite That I haue doen it is thy selfe to wite Foryeue it me and that I thee beseke And yet eftsoones I hit him on the cheke And saied theefe thus much am I bewreke Now woll I die I may no longer speke But at the last with mokell care and wo We fell accorded within out selues two He yafe me all the bridle in mine hond To haue the gouernaunce of hous and lond And of his tongue and of his hond also And I made hem bren his booke anon tho And when I had gotten vnto me By maistrie all the soueraignte And that he saied mine owne true wife Do as thou list the tear me of all thy life Keepe thine honour and eke mine estate After that day we had neuer debate God helpe me so I was to him as kinde As any wife fro Denmarke vnto Inde And also true and so was he to me I pray to God that sit in Majestie So blisse his soule for his mercy deare Now woll I say my tale if ye woll heare The Frere lough when he had heard all this Now dame qd he so haue I joy or blis This is a long preamble of a tale And when the Sompner herd the frere gale Lo qd this Sompner by Gods armes two A Frere woll entermete him euermo * Lo good men a Flie and eke a Frere Woll fall in euery dish and eke matere What speakest thou of preambulatioun What amble or trot either peace or sit adoun Thou lettest our disport in this mattere Ye wolt thou so sit Sompner qd the Frere Now by my fay I shall ere that I go Tell of a Sompner such a tale or two That all the folke shull laugh in this place Now do els Frere I beshrew thy face Qd. this Sompner and I beshrew mee But if I tell tales two or three Of Freres ere I come to Sitting burne That I shall make thine hart for to murne For well I wot thy patience is gone Our host cried peace and that anone And saied let the woman tell her tale Ye faren as folke that dronken been of ale So dame tell forth your tale and that is best All ready sir qd she right as you lest If I haue licence of this worthy Frere Yes dame tell forth your tale I woll it here A Batcheler of King Arthurs Court is enjoined by the Queen to tell what thing it is that Women most desire At length he is taught it by an old Woman who for that cause is enforced to marry her ¶ The wife of Bathes Tale. IN the old dayes of King Artour Of which the Bretons speaken great honour All was this lond fulfilled of Fairie The Elfe queene with hir iolly companie Daunced full oft in many a greene mead This was the old opinion as I read I speake of many an hundred yeare ago But now can no man see none elfes mo For now the great charity and prayeres Of limitours and other holy Freres That fearchen euery land and euery streame As thicke as motes in the Sunne beame Blissing hals chambers kitchens boures Cities boroughes castles and hie toures Thropes Bernes Shepens and Dairies This maketh that there been no Fairies * For there as wont to walke was an Elfe There walketh now the limitour himselfe In vndermeles and in mornings And saieth his Mattins and his holy things As he goeth in his limitatioun Women may go safely vp and doun An euery bush and vnder euery tree There nis none other incubus but hee And he ne will doen hem no dishonour And so fell it that this king Artour Had in his house a lustie batcheler That on a day came riding fro the riuer And happed that alone as he was borne He saw a maid walking him beforne Of which maid anon maugre her head By very force he beraft her maidenhead For which oppression was such clamour And such pursute vnto king Artour That damned was this knight to be dead By course of law should haue lost his head Perauenture such was the statute tho But that the Queene and other ladies mo Sa long praiden the king of his grace Till he his life graunted in that place And yaue him to the queene all at her will To chese where that she would him saue or spill The queen thanketh the king with al hir might And after this thus spake she to the knight When she sey her time on a certaine day Thou standeth yet qd she in such array That of thy life yet hast thou no surete A graunt thee thy life if thou canst tell me What thing is it that women most desiren Beware and keepe thy necke bone from yren And if thou canst not tell it me anon Yet woll I yeue thee leaue for to gon A tweluemonth and a day to seeke and lere An answere sufficient in this matere And suertie woll I haue ere that thou passe Thy body for to yelde in this place Wo was the knight and sorrowfully liketh But what he may not done all as him liketh And at last he chese him for to wend And come ayen right at the yeares end With such answer as God wold him puruay And taketh his leue wendeth forth his way He seeketh euery house and euery place Where as he hopeth for to find grace To learne what thing women louen most But he ne couth arriuen in no coost Where as he might find in this matere Two creatures according yfere Some said women loued best richesse Some said honour some said jollinesse Some said rich array some said lust a bed And oft time to been widdow and wed Some said that our heart is most yeased When that we been flatered and ypraised He goeth full me the sooth I woll not lie * A man shall
many reignes great In the Orient with many a faire cite Appertainaunt vnto the maiestie O Rome with strength held the mfull fast Ne neuer might her foemen doe her fle All the while that Odinates dayes last Her battailes who so list hem for to rede Againe Sapor the king and other mo And how all this proces fill in dede Why she conquered and her title therto And after of her mischiefe and her wo How that she was besieged and itake Let him to my maister Petrarke go That writeth ynough of this I vndertake When Odenat was dead she mightily The realmes held and with her owne honde Ayenst her foes she fought so truely That ther nas no prince ne king in all the lond But were full glad if they that grace fond That she ne should vpon his londe warrey With her they made aliaunce by bond To be in peace and let hem ride and pley The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne him beforne the Romain Galien Ne durst neuer be so coragious Ne non Armen ne non Egipcien Ne Surrien ne none Arabien Within the field that durst with her fight Lest that she would hem with her hondes sleen Or with her maine put hem to flight In kings habite wenten her sonnes two As the lawfull heires of her realmes all And Hermanno and Titamallo Her names were as Perciens hem call * But aie fortune hath in her honie gall This mightie Queene may no while endure Fortune out of her reigne made her to fall To wretchednesse and to misauenture Aurelian when that the gouernance Of Rome came into his honds twey He shope vpon this Queene to do vengeance And with his legions he tooke his way Toward Zenobia and shortly for to say He made her flie and at last her hent And fettered her and eke her children tway And wan the land home to Rome he went Emongest other things that he wan Her chair that of gold was wrought pierre This great Romaine this Aurelian Hath with him lad that for men should it see All beforne his triumph walked she With golden chaines on her necke honging Crowned she was as after he degre And full of pierre charged her clothing Alas fortune she that whilom was Dredefull to kings and to Emperours Now gaureth all the people on her alas And she that helmed was in stark stoures And wan by force townes strong and toures Shall on her head now weare autremite And she that bare the septer full of floures Shall beare a distafe her cost for to quite Nero. ALthough that Nero were as vicious As any fende that lieth full low adown Yet he as telleth vs Suetonius All this world had in subiectioun Both East and West and Septentrioun Of Rubies Saphires and of Perles white Were all his clothes broudred vp and down For he in gemmes greatly gan delite More delicate more pompous of aray More proude was neuer Emperour than he That like cloth that he had weared o day After that time he nold it neuer see Nettes of golde threde had he great plente To fish in Tiber when him list to play His lusts were as law in his degre For fortune as his friend would him obay He Rome brent for his dilicacie The Senatours he slue vpon a day To heare how her wiues would weepe crie And slow his brother and by his sister lay His mother made he in a pitous aray For he her wombe let slit to behold Where he conceiued was so welaway That he so little of his mother told No teares out of his eyen for that sight He came but saied a faire woman was she Great wonder is that he coud or might Be Domisman of her dead beaute The wine to bring him commaunded he And dranke anon none other wo he made * When might is joined vnto cruelte Alas too deepe will the venume wade In youth a maister had this Emperour To teach him lettrure and courtesie For of moralite he was the flour And in his time but if his bookes lie And whiles his maister had of him maistrie He made him so cunning and so souple That long time it was or tyrannie Or any vice durst in him encouple Senek his maister was of which I deuise Because Nero had of him such drede For he for his vices would him chastise Discreetly as by word and not by dede Sir he would say an Emperour mote nede Be vertuous and hate tyrannie For which he made him in a bathe to blede On both his armes till he must die This Nero had eke a customaunce In youth ayenst his maister to rise And afterward him thought great grevaunce Because he often would him chastise Therefore he made him to die in this wise He chose in a bathe to die in this manere Rather than to have another turmentise And thus hath Nero slaine his maister dere Now fell it so that fortune list no longer The high pride of Nero to cherishe For tho he were strong yet was she stronger She thought thus by God I am too nice To set a man that is fulfilled of vice In high degree and an Emperour him call By God out of his seat I woll him trice When he least weneth soonest shall he fall The people rose upon him on a night For his defaut and when he it aspied Out of his dores anon he hath him dight Alone and there he wend have been allied He knocked fast and aye the more he cried The faster shet they the dores all Tho wist he well he had himselfe beguiled And went his way no lenger durst he call The people cried rombled up and down That with his ears he heard how they saied Where is this false tyrant this Neroun For feare full neere out of his wit he braied And to his gods right pitously he praied For succour but it might not betide For drede of this him thought that he deid And ran into a garden him to hide And in this garden found he chorles twey Sitting by a fire great and red And to the chorles two he gan to prey To slea him and to gird off his hed That to his body when he were ded Were no despite done for his defame Himselfe he slough he could no better red Of which fortune lough had then game Holofernes WAs neuer capitaine vnder a king That reignes mo put in subjectioun Ne stronger was in field of all thing As in his time ne greater of renoun Ne more pompous in high presumptioun Than Holoferne which fortune aye kist And so licourousâ—y lad him up and doun Till that he dead was ere that he wist * Not onely that this world had of him awe For lesing of richesse and liberte But he made euery man renie his lawe Nabuchodonosor was lord saied he None other God should honoured be Ayenst his hest there dare no wight trespace Saue in Bethulia a strong cite Where Eliachem was priest of that place But take keepe of the
death of Holoferue Amid his host he dronke lay all night Within his tent large as is a berue And yet for all his pompe and all his might Iudith a woman as he lay vpright Sleeping his head off smote fro his tent Full priuely she stole from euery wight And with his head vnto her toun she went Antiochus WHat needeth it of king Antiochus To tell his high and roiall maieste His great pride and his worke venemus For soch another man nas neuer as he Redeth what that he was in Machabe And redeth the proud wordes that he seid And why he fill from his prosperite And in an hill how wretchedly he deid Fortune him had enchaunsed so in pride That verily he wend he might attain Vnto the sterres vpon euerie side And in a balaunce to wey each mountain And all the floudes of the sea restrain And Gods people had he most in hate Hem would he slea in torment and in pain Wening that God ne might his pride abate And for that Nichanore and Timothe By Iews were venquished mightily Vnto the Iewes soch an hate had he That he had greithe his chare full hasâ—ely And swore and saied full dispitously Vnto Hierusalem he would eftsone To wrecke his yre on it full cruelly But of his purpose was he let full sone God for his manace him so sore smote With inuisible wound aie incurable That in his guttes carfe so and bote That his paines was importable And certainly the wreche was reasonable For many a mans guttes did he paine But from his purpose cursed damnable For all his smert he nolde him not restrain But bade anon aparaile his host And sodainly or he then was ware God daunted all his pride and all his bost For he so sore fell out of his chare That all his limmes and his skinne to tare So that he no more might go ne ride But in a chaire men about him bare All forbruised both backe and side The wreche of God him smote so cruelly That in his bodie wicked wormes crept And therewithall he stanke so horribly That none of all his meine that him kept Whether that he woke or els slept Ne might not of him the stinke endure And in his mischief he wayled and wept And knew God Lord of euerie creature To all his host and to himselfe also Full lothsome was the stinke of his caraine No man might him beare to ne fro And in his stinke and in his horrible paine He sterfe full wretchedly on a mountaine Thus hath this robber and this homicide That many a man made to wepe and plaine Soch guerdon as belongeth to pride Alexander THe storie of Alexander is so commune That every wight that hath discretioun Hath heard somwhat or all of his fortune This wide world as in conclusioun He wan by strength and for his renoun They were glad for peace unto him send The pride of man and bost he layed adown Where so he came vnto the worlds end Comparison might yet never be maked Betwixt him and another conquerour For al this world for dread of him hath quaked He was of knighthood of freedome floure Fortune him made the heir of high honour Saue wine women nothing might assuage His high intent in armes and labour So was he full of loving courage What price wer it to him though I you told Of Darius and of an hundred thousand mo Of Princes Earles and knights bold Which he conquered and brought to wo I say as ferre as a man may ride or go The world was his with shuld I more devise For though I wrote and told you evermo Of his knighthood it might not suffice Twelve yere he raigned as I rede in Machabe Phillips sonne of Macedone he was That first was King of Grece that countre O worthy gentle Alexander alas That ever should thee fall soch a case Empoisoned of thy folke thou were * Thy sice fortune hath turned into an ace And yet for thee ne wept she never a tere Who shall yeve men teres to complaine The death of gentlenesse and of fraunchise That all the world welded in his demaine And yet him thought it might not suffice So full was his courage of high emprise Alas who shall me helpe to endite False fortune and her poyson to despise The which of all this woe I wite Iulius Cesar BY wisedome manhood and high labour From humble bed to royal Majeste Vp rose he Iulius Conquerour That all the Occident by lond and see Wan by strength of honde or else by trete And unto Rome made him tributarie And sith of Rome Emperour was he Till that fortune wexe his adversarie O mighty Cesar that in Thessaly Ayenst Pompey father thine in law That of the Orient had the chivalry As ferre as that the day beginneth to daw Then through knighthood hast take islaw Saue few folke that with Pompeius fled Through which thou put all the orient in aw Thanke fortune that so well thee ysped But now a little while I woll bewaile This Pompey this noble governour Of Rome which that fled at this battaile I say one of his men a false traitour His head off smote to win him favour Of Iulius and to him the head brought Alas Pompey of the orient conquerour That fortune vnto such a fine thee wrought To Rome againe repaireth Iulius With his triumph lauriate full hie But on a time Brutus Cassius That ever had of his high estate envie Full prively had made conspiracie Ayenst this Iulius in subtil wise And cast the place in which he should die With bodkins as I shall you deuise This Iulius unto the Capitoll went Vpon a day as he was wont to gone And in the Capitoll anon him hent This fals Brutus and his other sone And sticked him with bodkins anone With many a wound thus they let him lie But never grutched he at no stroke but one Or else at two but if his storie lie So manly was this Iulius of hart And so well loved stately honeste That tho his deadly wounds so sore smart His mantle over his hips yet cast he For no man should see his privite And as he lay in dying in a traunce And wist verily that die should he Of honestie yet had he remembraunce Lucan to thee this storie I recommend And to Sueton and Valerie also That of this storie writen word and end How that to these great conquerours two Fortune was first a friend and sith a fo * No man trust upon her favour long But have her in await for euermo Witnesse on all the conquerours strong Cresus THe rich Cresus whilom king of Lide Of which Cresus Cirus sore him drad Yet was he caught amid all his pride And to brenne men to the fire him lad But such a rain down fro the firmament shad That queint the fire and made him to scape But to beware yet no grace he had Till fortune on the gallows made him
that lasteth aie This bargaine end may never take But if that she thy peace will make And when the night is commen anon A thousand angres shall come upon To bed as fast thou wolt thee dight There thou shalt have but small delight For when thou wenest for to sleepe So full of paine shalt thou creepe Stert in thy bed about full wide And turne full oft on everie side Now downeward groffe and now upright And wallow in woe the long night Thine armes shalt thou sprede a brede As man in warre were forwerede Then shall thee come a remembraunce Of her shape and her semblaunce Where to none other may be pere And wete thou well without were That thee shall see sometime that night That thou hast her that is so bright Naked betweene thine armes there All sooth fastnesse as though it were * Thou shalt make Castles then in Spaine And dreame of joy all but in vaine And thee delighten of right nought While thou so siumbrest in that thought That is so sweete and delitable The which in sooth nis but a fable For it ne shall no while last Then shalt thou sigh and weepe fast And say deere God what thing is this My dreame is turned all amis Which was full sweet and apparent But now I wake it is all shent Now yede this merry thought away Twentie times upon a day I would this thought would come againe For it alleggeth well my paine It maketh me full of joyfull thought It sleeth me that it lasteth nought Ah Lord why nill ye me succour The joy I trow that I langour The death I would me should sio While I lye in her armes two Mine harme is hard withouten wene My great unease full oft I mene BVt would Love do so I might Have fully joy of her so bright My paine were quit me richly Alas too great a thing aske I It is but folly and wrong wening To aske so outragious a thing * And who so asketh follily He mote be warned hastely And I ne wote what I may say I am so ferre out of the way For I would have full great liking And full great joy of lasse thing For would she of her gentlenesse Withouten more me ones kesse It were to me a great guerdon Release of all my passion But it is hard to come thereto All is but folly that I do So high I have mine heart set Where I may no comfort get I wote not where I say well or nought But this I wote well in my thought That it were bette of her alone For to slint my woe and mone A looke on her I cast goodly That for to have all utterly Of another all hole the play Ah Lord where I shall bide the day That ever she shall my Ladie be He is full cured that may her see A God when shall the dauning spring To leggen thus as an angrie thing I have no joy thus here to ly When that my love is not me by * I man to lyen hath great disease Which may not sleepe ne rest in ease I would it dawed and were now day And that the night were went away For were it day I would up rise Ah slow sunne shew thine enprise Speede thee to spread thy beames bright And chase the darknesse of the night To put away the stoundes strong Which in me lasten all too long The night shalt thou continue so Without rest in paine and wo If ever thou knew of love distresse Thou shalt mowe learne in that sicknesse And thus enduring shalt thou lye And rise on morow up earlye Out of thy bed and harneis thee Er ever dawning thou maiest see All privily then shalt thou gone What whider it be thy selfe alone For raine or haile for snow for slete Theder she dwelleth that is so swete The which may fall a sleepe bee And thinketh but little upon thee Then shalt thou goe full foule aferde Looke if the gate be unsperde And waite without in woe and paine Full evill a cold in wind and raine Then shalt thou goe the dore before If thou mayest finde any shore Or hole or reft what ever it were Then shalt thou stoupe and lay to eare If they within a sleepe be I meane all save thy Ladie free Whom waking if thou mayest aspie Goe put thy selfe in jeopardie To aske grace and thee bimene That she may wete without wene That thou night no rest hast had So sore for her thou were bestad * Women well ought pitie to take Of hem that sorrowen for her sake And looke for love of that relike That thou thinke none other like For when thou hast so great anney Shall kisse thee er thou goe awey And hold that in full great deinte And for that no man shall thee see Before the house ne in the way Looke thou be gon againe er day Such comming and such going Such heavinesse and such walking Maketh lovers withouten wene Vnder her clothes pale and lene * For Love leaveth colour ne clearnesse Who loveth trew hath no fatnesse Thou shalt well by thy selfe see That thou must needs assaied bee For men that shape hem other way Falsely her ladies for to betray It is no wonder though they be fatte With false othes her loves they gatte For oft I see such loengeours Fatter than Abbots or Priours Yet with o thing I thee charge That is to say that thou be large Vnto the maid that her doth serve So best her thanke thou shalt deserve Yeue her giftes and get her grace For so thou may thanke purchace That she thee worthy hold and free Thy Ladie and all that may thee see Also her servaunts worship aie And please as much as thou maie Great good through hem may come to thee Because with her they been prive They shall her tell how they thee fand Curteous and wise and well do and And she shall preise well thee more Looke out of lond thou be not fore And if such cause thou have that thee Behoveth to gone out of countree Leave hole thine heart in hostage Till thou againe make thy passage Thinke long to see the sweet thing That hath thine heart in her keeping Now have I told thee in what wise A Lover shall doe me servise Do it then if thou wolt haue The mede that thou after craue WHen Loue all this had boden me I said him sir how may it be That Louers may in such manere Endure the paine ye haue sayd here I maruaile me wonder fast How any man may liue or last In such paine and such brenning In sorrow and thought and such sighing Aie vnreleased woe to make Whether so it be they sleepe or wake In such annoy continually As helpe me God this maruaile I How man but he were made of steele Might liue a moneth such pains to feele THe God of Loue then sayd me Friend bye the faith I owe to thee * May no man haue good but he it buy A man
Richesse or preise through his valour Provende rent or dignite Full fast iwis compassen we By what ladder he is clomben so And for to maken him downe to go With treason we woll him defame And doen him lese his good name Thus from his ladder we him take And thus his frends foes we make But word ne wete shall he none Till all his friendes been his fone For if we did it openly We might have blame readily For had he wist of our mallice He had him kept but he were nice Another is this that if so fall That there be one among vs all That doeth a good tourne out of drede We saine it is our alder dede Yea sikerly though he it fained Or that him list or that him dained A man through him avaunced be Thereof all parteners be we And tellen folke where so we go That man through vs is sprongen so And for to have of men praising We purchase through our flattering Of rich men of great poste Letters to witnesse our bounte So that man weeneth that may vs see That all vertue in vs bee And alway poore we vs faine But how so that we begge or plaine We ben the folke without leasing That all thing have without having Thus be dradde of the people iwis And gladly my purpose is this I deale with no wight but he Have gold and treasour great plente Her acquaintaunce well love I This much my desire shortly I entremete me of brocages I make peace and mariages I am gladly executour And many times a procuratour I am sometime messangere That falleth not to my mistere And many times I make enquest For me that office is nat honest To deale with other mens thing That is to me a great liking And if that ye have ought to do In place that I repaire to I shall it speden through my wit As soone as ye have told me it So that ye serve me to pay My service shall be yours alway But who so woll chastice me Anone my love lost hath he For I love no man in no gise That woll me reprove or chastise But I woll all folke vndertake And of no wight no teaching take For I that other folke chastie Woll not be taught fro my follie I Love none Hermitage more All deserts and holtes hoore And great woods everychon I let hem to the Baptist Iohn I queth him quite and him relesse Of Egipt all the wildernesse Too ferre were all my mansiouns Fro all cities and good touns My paleis and mine house make I There men may renne in openly And say that I the world forsake But all amidde I build and make My house and swim and play therein Bette than a fish doeth with his sinne OF Antichristes men am I Of which that Christ sayeth openly They have habite of holinesse And liven in such wickednesse To the copie if him talent tooke Of the Evangelistes booke There might he see by great traisoun Full many a false comparisoun As much as through his great might Be it of heat or of light The Sunne surmounteth the Moone That troubler is and chaungeth soone And the nutte kernell the shell I scorne nat that I you tell Right so withouten any gile Surmounteth this noble Evangile The word of any Evangelist And to her title they tooken Christ And many such comparisoun Of which I make no mentioun Might men in that booke find Who so could of hem have mind The vniversitie that tho was asleepe Gan for to braied and taken keepe And at the noise the head vp cast Ne never sithen slept it fast But vp it stert and armes tooke Ayenst this false horrible booke All ready battaile for to make And to the Iudge the booke they take But they that broughten the booke there Hent it anone away for feare They nolde shew it no more adele But then it kept and keepen wele Till such a time that they may see That they so strong woxen bee That no wight may hem well withstond For by that booke they durst not stond Away they gonne it for to here For they ne durst not answere By exposition no glose To that that clerkes woll appose Ayenst the cursednesse iwis That in that booke written is Now wote I nat ne I can nat see What manner end that there shall bee Of all this that they hide But yet algate they shall abide Till that they may it bette defend This trow I best woll be her end Thus Antechrist abiden we For we been all of his meine And what man that woll not be so Right soone he shall his life forgo Outward Lamben seemen we Full of goodnesse and of pite And inward we withouten fable Been greedy Wolves ravisable We enviroun both lond and see With all the world werrien wee We woll ordaine of all thing Of folkes good and her living If there be castell or cite Within that any bougerons be Although that they of Millaine were For thereof been they blamed there Or of a wight out of measure Would lene her gold and take vsure For that he is so covetous Or if he be too lecherous Or these that haunten Simonie Or Provost full of trecherie Or Prelate living iollily Or Priest that halt his quein him by Or old hoores hostillers Or other baudes or bordellers Or els blamed of any vice Of which men shoulden doen iustice By all the saints that we prey But they defend them with lamprey With luce with elis with samons With tender geese and with capons With tartes or with cheffes fat With daintie flaunes brode and flat With caleweis or with pullaile With coninges or with fine vitaile That we vnder our clothes wide Maken through our gollet glide Or but he woll doe come in hast Rae venison bake in past Whether to that loure or groine He shall have of a corde a loigne With which men shall him bind and lede To brenne him for his sinfull dede That men shull heare him crie and rore A mile way about and more Or els he shall in prison die But if he woll his friendship buy Or smerten that that he hath do More than his guilt amounteth to But and he couth through his sleight Doe maken vp a toure of height Nought rought I whether of stone or tree Or yearth or turves though it be Though it were of no vounde stone Wrought with squier and scantilone So that the toure were stuffed well With all riches temporell And then that he would vp dresse Engines both more and lesse To cast at vs by every side To beare his good name wide Such sleights I shall you yeven Barrels of wine by sixe or seven Or gold in sackes great plente He should soone delivered be And if he have no such pitences Let him studie in equipolences And let lies and fallaces If that he would deserve our graces Or we shall beare him such witnesse Of sinne and of his wretchednesse And doen his lose so wide renne That
That Philomene his wives suster might On Progne his wife but ones have a sight And she shall come to you again anon My selfe with her I will both come and gon And as my herts life I will her kepe This old Pandion this king gan wepe For tendernesse of hert for to leve His doughter gon and for to yeve her leve Of all this world he loved nothing so But at the last leave hath she to go For Philomene with salt teares eke Gan of her father grace to beseke To seene her suster that her longeth so And him enbraceth with her armes two And there also yong and faire was she That when that Tereus saw her beaute And of array that there was none her liche And yet of beautie was she to so riche He cast his fierie hert vpon her so That he woll have her how so that it go And with his wiles kneled and so praied Till at the last Pandion thus saied Now sonne qd he that art to me so dere I thee betake my yong doughter dere That beareth the key of all mine herts life And grete well my doughter and thy wife And yeve her leave sometime for to pley That she may seen me ones or I deie And sothly he hath made him riche feast And to his folke the most and eke the least That with him came yave him yefts great And him conveieth through the master streat Of Athenes and to the sea him brought And tourneth home no malice he ne thought The Ores pulleth forth the vessell fast And into Trace arriveth at the last And vp in to a Forest he her led And to a cave prively he him sped And in this darke cave if her lest Or list nought he bad her for to rest Of which her herte agrose and saied thus Where is my suster brother Tereus And therewithall she wept tenderly And quoke for feare pale and pitiously Right as y◠lambe that of y◠Wolfe is bitten Or as y◠Culver that of the Egle is smitten And is out of his claves forth escaped Yet it is aferde and a waped Lest it be hent eftsones so sate sehe But vtterly it may none other be By force hath this traitour done a deede That he hath reft her of her maidenhede Maugre her head by strength by his might Lo here a deede of men and that aright She crieth suster with full loude steven And father dere helpe me God in heven All helpeth not and yet this false thefe Hath done this Lady yet a more mischefe For feare lest she should his shame crie And done him openly a villanie And with his sweard her tong of kerfe he And in a Castell made her for to be Full prively in prison evermore And kept her to her vsage and to his store So that she ne might never more astarte O sely Philomene wo is in thine hart Huge been thy sorowes and wonder smart God wreke thee and sende thee thy bone Now is time I make an end sone This Tereus is to his wife icome And in his armes hath his wife inome And pitiously he wept and shoke his hedde And swore her that he found her suster dedde For which this selie Progne hath soch wo That nigh her sorowfull hert brake a two And thus in teares let I Progne dwell And of her suster forth I woll you tell This wofull Lady ilearned had in youth So that she worken and enbrauden couth And weaven in stole the rade vore As it of women hath be woved yore And sothly for to saine she hath her fill Of meate and drinke of clothing at her will And couthe eke rede well inough and endite But with a penne she could not write But letters can she weave to and fro So that by the yere was all ago She had woven in a stames large How she was brought fro Athens in a barge And in a cave how that she was brought And all the thing that Tereus wrought She wave it wel and wrote the storie above How she was served for her susters love And to a man a ring she yave anon And praied him by signes for to gon Vnto the queene and bearen her that clothe And by signe swore many an othe She should him yeve what she getten might This man anon vnto the quene him dight And toke it her and all the maner told And when y◠Progne hath this thing behold No worde she spake for sorow eke for rage But fained her to gon on pilgrimage To Baccus remple and in a little stound Her dombe suster sitting hath she found Weeping in the castell her selfe alone Alas the wo constraint and the mone That Progne vpon her dombe suster maketh In armes everich of hem other taketh And thus I let hem in her sorow dwell The remnaunt is no charge to tell For this is all and some thus was she served That never agilt ne deserved Vnto this cruell man that she of wist Ye may beware of men if that you list * For all be that he woll not for shame Doen as Tereus to lese his name Ne serve you as a murtherer or a knave Full little while shull ye trewe him have That wol I sain al were he now my brother But it so be that he may have another ¶ The Legende of Phillis BY prove as wel as by aucthorite That wicked fruicte commeth of a wicked tree That may ye find if that it liketh you But for this end I speake this as now To tell you of false Demophon In love a falser heard I never non But it were his father Theseus God for his grace fro soch one kepe vs Thus these women praied that it here Now to the effect tourne I of my matere Destroied is of Troie the Citee This Demopon came sayling in the see Toward Athenes to his paleis large With him came many a ship many a barge Full of folke of which full many one Is wounded sore and sicke and wo begone And they have at the siege long ilaine Behind him came a winde and eke a raine That shofe so sore his saile might not stonde Him were lever than all the world a londe So hunteth him the tempest to and fro So darke it was he could no where go And with a wave brusten was his stere His ship was rent so lowe in such manere That Carpenter could it not amende The see by night as any Torche brende For wood and posseth him vp and doun Till Neptune hath of him compassioun And Thetis Chorus Triton and they all And maden him vp a londe to fall Wherof that Phillis Lady was and Queene Lycurgus doughter fairer vnto seene Than is the floure again the bright Sonne Vnneth is Demophon to londe iwonne Weake and eke werie and his folke forpined Of werinesse and also enfamined And to the death he was almost idriven His wise folke counsaile have him yeven To seken helpe and succour of the Queene And loken what his
To maken lithe that erst was hard But as I slept me mette I was Within a temple ymade of glas In which there were mo Images Of gold standing in sundry stages In mo rich Tabernacles And with perre mo pinacles And mo curious portraitures And queint manner of figures Of gold worke then I saw euer But certainly I nist neuer Where that it was but well wist I It was of Venus redely This temple for in portreiture I saw a non right her figure Naked fleeting in a see And also on her head parde Her rose garland white and red And her combe to kembe her hed Her doues and Dan Cupido Her blind sonne and Vulcano That in his face was full browne But as I romed vp and downe I found that on the wall there was Thus written on a table of bras I woll now sing if that I can The armes and also the man That first came through his destinie Fugitife fro Troy the countrie Into Itaile with full much pine Vnto the stronds of Lauine And tho began the story anone As I shall tellen you echone First saw I the destruction Of Troy through the Greeke Sinon With his false vntrue forswearings And with his chere and his lesings Made a horse brought into Troy By which Troyans lost all her joy And after this was graued alas How Ilions castle assailed was And won and king Priamus slaine And Polites his sonne certaine Dispitously of Dan Pirrus And next that saw I how Venus When that she saw the castle brend Downe from heauen she gan discend And bad her sonne Eneas to flee And how he fled and how that he Escaped was from all the prees And tooke his father old Anchises And bare him on his backe away Crying alas and welaway The which Anchises in his hand Bare tho the gods of the land Thilke that vnbrenned were Then saw I next all in fere How Crusa Dan Eneas wife Whom that he loued all his life And her yong sonne Iulo And eke Ascanius also Fledden eke with drerie chere That it was pitie for to here And in a Forrest as they went At a tourning of a went How Crusa was ylost alas That rede not I how that it was How he her sought and how her ghost Bad him flie the Greekes host And said he must into Itaile As was his destinie sauns faile That it was pitie for to heare When her spirit gan appeare The words that she to him saied And for to keepe her sonne him praied There saw I grauen eke how he His father eke and his meine With his ships gan to saile Toward the countrey of Itaile As streight as they mighten go There saw I eke the cruell Iuno That art Dan Iupiters wife That hast yhated all thy life All the Troyan blood Ren and cry as thou were wood On Eolus the god of Winds To blowen out of all kinds So loud that he should drench Lord Lady groome and wench Of all the Troyans nation Without any of her saluation There saw I such tempest arise That euery hert might agrise To see it painted on the wall There saw I eke grauen withall Venus how ye my Lady dere Weeping with full wofull chere Praying Iupiter on hie To saue and keepe that nauie Of that Troyan Eneas Sith that he her sonne was There saw I Ioues Venus kisse And graunted was of the tempest lisse There saw I how the tempest stent And how with all pipe he went And pâ—iuely tooke a riuage Into the countrey of Carthage And on the morrow how that he And a Knight that height Achate Metten with Venus that day Going in a queint array As she had be an hunter esse With wind blowing vpon her tresse And how Eneas began to plaine When he knew her of his paine And how his Ships dreint were Or els ylost he nist where How she gan him comfort tho And bad him to Cartage go And there he should his folke find That in the sea were left behind And shortly of this thing to pace She made Eneas so in grace Of Dido Queene of that countre That shortly for to tellen she Became his loue and let him do All that wedding longeth to What should I speake it more quaint Or paine me my words to paint To speake of loue it woll not be I cannot of that faculte And eke to tellen of the manere How they first acquainted were It were a long processe to tell And ouer long for you to dwell There saw I graue how Eneas Told to Dido euery caas That him was tidde vpon the see And est grauen was how that she Made of him shortly at a word Her life her loue her lust her lord And did to him all reuerence And laid on him all the dispence That any woman might do Wening it had all be so As he her swore and hereby demed That he was good for he such seemed * Alas what harme doth apparence When it is false in existence For he to her a traitour was Wherefore she slow her selfe alas * Lo how a woman doth amis To loue him that vnknowen is For by Christ lo thus it fareth * It is not all gold that glareth For also brouke I well mine head There may be vnder goodlihead Couered many a shreud vice Therefore be no wight so nice To take a loue onely for chere Or speech or for friendly manere For this shall euery woman find That some man of his pure kind Woll shewen outward the fairest Till he haue caught that what him lest And then woll he causes find And swere how she is vnkind Or false or priuie or double was All this say I by Eneas And Dido and her nice lest That loued all to soone a guest Wherefore I woll say o prouerbe * That he that fully knoweth the herbe May safely lay it to his eie Withouten drede this is no lie But let vs speake of Eneas How he betraied her alas And left her full vnkindly So when she saw all vtterly That he would her of trouth faile And wenden from her into Itaile She gan to wring her handes two Alas qd she that me is wo Alas is euery man thus true That euery yere woll haue a new If it so long time endure Or els three parauenture And thus of one he woll haue fame In magnifying of his owne name Another for friendship sayeth he And yet there shall the third be That is taken for delite Lo or els for singular profite In such words gan complaine Dido of her great paine As me mette dreaming readily None other authour alledge woll I. Alas qd she my sweet hart Haue pitie on my sorrowes smart And slea me not go not away O wofull Dido welaway Qd. she vnto her selfe tho O Eneas what woll ye do O that your loue ne your bond That ye swore with your right hond Ne my cruell death qd she May hold you still here with me O haue ye of my death no
pite Iwis mine owne deare hert ye Know full well that neuer yet As farre as euer I had wit Agilt you in thought ne in dede O haue ye men such goodlihede In speech and neuer a dele of trouth Alas that euer had routh Any woman on a false man Now I see well and tell can We wretched women can no art For certaine for the more part Thus we been serued euerichone How sore that ye men can grone Anon as we have you receiued Certainly we been deceiued For though your loue lest a season Wait vpon the conclusion And eke how ye determine And for the more part define O welaway that I was borne For through you my name is lorne And mine acts redde and song Ouer all this land in euery tong O wicked fame for there nis Nothing so swift lo as she is O sooth is euery thing is wist Though it be couerde with the mist Eke though I might duren euer That I haue done recouer I neuer That it ne shall be said alas I shamed was through Eneas And that I shall thus judged be Lo right as she hath done now she Woll done estsoones hardely Thus say the people priuely But that is done nis not to done But all her complaint ne her mone Certaine auailed her not a stre And when she wist soothly he Was forth into his ship agone She into chamber went anone And called on her suster Anne And gan her to complaine than And said that she cause was That she first loued him alas And first counsailed her thereto But what when this was said and do She roft her seluen to the hart And deide through the wounds smart But all the manner how she deide And all the words how she seide Who so to know it hath purpose Rede Virgile in Eneidos Or the Pistels of Ouide What that she wrote or that she dide And nere it too long to endite By God I would it here write But welaway the harme and routh That hath betide for such vntrouth As men may oft in bookes rede And all day seene it yet in dede That for to thinken it tene is Lo Demophon Duke of Athenis How he forswore him falsely And traied Phillis wickedly That kings doughter was of Thrace And falsely gan his tearme pace And when she wist that he was false She hong her selfe right by the halfe For he had done her such vntrouth Lo was not this a wo and routh Eke looke how false and recheles Was to Briseida Achilles And Paris to Oenone And Iason to Hipsiphile And eft Iason to Medea And Hercules to Dianira For he left her for Iolee That made him take his death parde How false was eke Theseus That as the storie telleth vs How he betraied Adriane The deuill be his soules bane For had he laughed or yloured He must haue been all deuoured If Adriane ne had be And for she had of him pite She made him fro the death escape And he made her a full false jape For after this within a while He left her sleeping in an Isle Desart alone right in the see And stale away and let her bee And tooke her suster Phedra tho With him and gan to ship go And yet he had sworne to here On all that euer he could swere That so she saued him his life He would taken her to his wife For she desired nothing els In certain as the booke vs tels But for to excuse this Eneas Fulliche of all his great trespas The booke saith sauns faile The gods bad him go to Itaile And leauen Affrickes regioun And faire Dido and her toun Tho saw I graue how to Itaile Dan Eneas gan for to saile And how the tempest all began And how he lost his steresman Which that the sterne or he tooke keepe Smote ouer the bord as he sleepe And also saugh I how Sibile And Eneas beside an Isle To hell went for to see His father Anchises the free And how he there found Palimurus And also Dido and Deiphebus And eueriche tourment eke in hell Saw he which long is for to tell Which paines who so list to know He must rede many a row In Vergile or in Claudian Or Daunt that it tellen can Tho saw I eke all the ariuaile That Eneas had made in Itaile And with king Latin his treate And all the battailes that he Was at himselfe and his knights Or he had all iwonne his rights And how he Turnus reft his life And wan Lauina to his wife And all the maruellous signals Of the gods celestials How maugre Iuno Eneas For all her sleight and her compas Acheued all his auenture For Iupiter tooke on him cure At the prayer of Venus Which I pray alway saue vs And vs aye of our sorrowes light When I had seene all this sight In this noble temple thus Hey Lord thought I that madest vs Yet saw I neuer such noblesse Of Images nor such richesse As I see grauen in this church But nought wote I who did hem worch Ne where I am ne in what countree But now will I out gone and see Right at the wicket if I can Seene ought where stering any man That may me tellen where I am When I out of the dore came I fast about me beheld Then saw I but a large field As farre as euer I might see Without toune house or tree Or bush or grasse or eared land For all the field was but of sand As small as men may see at eye In the desart of Lybye Ne no manner creature That is yformed by nature Ne saw I me to rede or wisse O Christ thought I that are in blisse From fanton and illusion Me saue and with deuotion Mine eyen to the heauen I cast Tho was I ware lo at the last That fast by the sunne on hye As kenne might I with mine eye Me thought I saw an Egle sore But that it seemed much more Than I had any Egle yseine This is as sooth as death certaine It was of gold and shone so bright That neuer saw men such a sight But if the heauen had ywonne All new of God another sonne So shone the Egles fethers bright And somewhat downward gan it light Explicit liber primus NOw hearken euery manner man That English vnderstand can And listeth of my dreame to here For nowe at erst shall ye lere So sely and so dredefull a vision That I say neither Scipion Ne king Nabugodonosore Pharao Turnus ne Alcanore Ne metten such a dreame as this Now faire blisfull O Cipris So be my fauour at this time That ye me tendite and rime Helpeth that in Pernaso dwell Beside Elicon the clere well O thought that wrote all that I met And in the tresorie it set Of my braine now shall men see If any vertue in thee bee To tell all my dreame aright Now kithe thy engine and thy might This Egle of which I haue you told That with feathers
yong children to martire Of cruelty he left the quarele Pity he wrought and pity was his hele For thilke mans pity which he dede God was pitous and made him hole at all Siluester came and in the same stede Yaue him baptisme first in speciall Which did away the sinne originall And all his lepre it hath so purified That his pity for euer is magnified Pity was cause why this Emperour Was hole in body and in soule both And Rome also was set in thilke honour Of Christs faith so that they leue or loth Which hadden be with Christ tofore wroth Receiued were vnto Christs lore Thus shall pity be praised euermore My worthy liege lord Henry by name Which England hast to gouerne and right Men ought well thy pity to proclaime Which openliche in all the worlds sight Is shewed with the helpe of God almight To yeue vs peace which long hath be debated Whereof thy prise shall neuer be abated My lord in whome hath euer yet be found Pity without spot of violence Keepe thilke peace alway within bound Which God hath planted in thy conscience So shall the cronique of thy patience Among the saints be taken into memory To the legend of perdurable glory And to thine earthly prise so as I can Which euery man is hold to commend I Gower which am all thy liege man This letter vnto thine excellence I send As I which euer vnto my liues end Woll pray for the state of thy persone In worship of thy scepter and thy throne Not onely to my king of peace I write But to these other princes Christen all That ech of hem his owne hert endite And sease the warre or more mischeefe fall Set eke the rightfull Pope vpon his stall Keepe charity and draw pity to hand Maintaine law and so the peace shall stand Explicit carmen de pacis commendatione quod ad laudem memoriam seremssimi principis domini regis Henrici Quarti suus humilis orator Johannes Gower composuit Electus Christi pie rex Henrici fuisti Qui bene venisti cum propria regna petisti Tu mala vicistique bonis bona restituisti Et populo tristi nova gaudia contribuisti Est mihi spes lata quod adhuc per te renovata Succedent fata veteri probitare beata Est tibi nam grata gratia sponte data Henrici quarti primus regni fuit annus Quo mihi defecit visus ad acta mea Omnia tempus habent finem natura ministrat Quem virtute sua frangere nemo potest Ultra posse nihil quamvis mihi velle remansit Amplius ut scribam non mihi posse manet Dum potui scripsi sed nunc quia curva senectus Turbavit sensus scripta relinquo scholis Scribat qui veniet post me discretior alter Ammodo namque manus mea penna silent Hoc tamen in fine verborum queso meorum Prospera quod statuat regna futura Deus Explicit ¶ A Saying of Dan Iohn THere be foure thinges that maketh man foole Honour first putteth him in outrage And alder next solitary and soole The second is unweldy crooked age Women also bring men in dotage And mighty wine in many diuers wise Distempren folke which been holden wise ¶ Yet of the same THere ben four things causing great foly Honour first and vnwildy age Women and wine I dare eke specifie Make wise men fallen in dotage Wherfore by counsail of Philosophers sage In great honour learne this of me With thine estate have humilite Balade de bon consail IF it befall that God thee list visite With any tourment or adversite Thanke firste the lord and thy selfe to quite Vpon suffraunce and humilite Found thou thy quarell what ever that it be Make thy defence thou shalt have no losse The remembrance of Christ and of his crosse Explicit Of the Cuckow and the Nightingale Chaucer dreameth that he heareth the Cuckow and the Nightingale contend for excellency in singing * THE God of love and benedicite How mighty howe great a lord is he For he can make of low herts hy And of high low and like for to dy And hard herts he can maken free He can make within a little stound Of sicke folke hole fresh and sound And of hole he can make seeke He can bind and vnbinden eke That he woll have bounden or vnbound To tell his might my wit may not suffice For he can make of wise folke full nice For he may do all that he woll device And lithy folke to destroyen vice And proud herts he can make agrise Shortly all that ever he woll he may Against him dare no wight say nay For he can glad and greve whom him liketh And who that he woll he lougheth or siketh And most his might he shedeth ever in May. For every true gentle heart free That with him is or thinketh for to be Againe May now shall have some stering Or to joy or els to some mourning In no season so much as thinketh me For when they may here the birds sing And see the floures and the leaves spring That bringeth into her remembraunce A manner ease medled with grevaunce And lustie thoughts full of great longing And of that longing commeth hevinesse And thereof groweth of great sicknesse And for lacke of that that they desire And thus in May ben herts set on fire So that they brennen forth in great distresse I speake this of feeling truly If I be old and vnlusty Yet I have felt of the sicknesse through May Both hote and cold and axes every day How sore ywis there wote no wight but I. I am so shaken with the fevers white Of all this May sleepe I but a lite And also it is not like to me That any heart should sleepy be In whom that love his firy dart woll smite But as I lay this other night waking I thought how lovers had a tokening And among hem it was a commune tale That it were good to here the Nightingale Rather than the leud Cuckow sing And then I thought anon as it was day I would go some where to assay If that I might a Nightingale here For yet had I none heard of all that yere And it was tho the third night of May. And anone as I the day aspide No lenger would I in my bed abide But vnto a wood that was fast by I went forth alone boldely And held the way downe by a brooke side Till I came to a laund of white and green So faire one had I never in been The ground was green ypoudred with daisie The floures and the greues like hy All greene and white was nothing els seene There sate I downe among y◠faire flours And saw the birds trip out of her bours There as they rested hem all the night They were so joyfull of the dayes light They began of May for to done hours They coud that seruice all by rote There was
yâ— lond yâ— this monstre was slaw And line right to Thebes he gan draw Well receiued for his worthinesse For his manhood and his prowesse And for they seigh he was a seemely knight Well fauoured in euery mans sight And saw also Thebes the mighty toun Not onely they but all the regioun Were destitute of a gouernour Ayen her foon hauing no succour Hem to defend but the Queene alone Emong hemselfe making full great mone For there was none as bookes specifie The Sceptre and croune to occupie For which the Lordes all by one assent Within the toune set a parlement Shortly concluding if it might been Prudently to treate with the Queen Namely they that held hem selfe most sage To condescend by way of mariage She to be joyned to this manly knight Passing prudent and famous eke of might Most holle man as they can discerne The worthy citee to keepe and gouerne And through counsail of the lords all To their desire plainly she is fall And accorded without more tarying That of Thebes Edippus shall be king By full assent was none that sayed nay And time set ayein a certain day Emong hem selfe and finally deuised The wedding was in Thebes solempnized Full rially that needs must vnthriue Onely for he his moder tooke to wiue Vnwist of both he was of her blood And ignoraunt shortly how it stood That he toforne had his father slaw For which this wedding was against the law * And tofore God is neither faire ne good Nor acceptable blood to touch blood Which cause hath be of great confusion In many a lond and many a region Ground and root of vnhap and mischaunce The fine concluding alway with vengeaunce As men haue sein by clere experience And holy writ recordeth in sentence How Herode falsly in his life By violence tooke his brothers wife For she was fayre and pleasaunt to his sight And kept her still by force through his might Although to her title had he non And for her sake the holy man sainct Iohn For his trouth in prison lost his hedde Wherefore I rede euery man take hede VVhether so he be Lord Prince or King That he beware to eschue soch wedding Ere yâ— the swerde of vengeance him manace Lest he lese hap fortune and grace Taking ensample in all maner thing Of Edippus in Thebes crouned king All be that he wrought of ignoraunce Full derke and blind of his wofull chaunce And if vnwist that he of innocence As ye haue herde fell in soch offence For which he was punished brought low What are they worthy that her errour know And from the knot list not to absteine Of such spousaile to God and man vnclene I can not sem ne more thereof deuise Demeth your self that prudent been wise And eke Edippus haueth emong in mind Of whom the wedding like as ye may find Vnhappy was and passing odious Infortunate and eke vngracious I am werie more thereof to write The hatefull processe also to endite I passe ouer fully of entent For Imeneus was not there present Nor Lucina list not there to shine Ne there was none of the Muses nine But one accord to maken melody For there song not by heauenly armony Neyther Clio nor Caliope None of the sustren in nomber thrise three As they did when Philolaie Ascended vp high aboue the skie To be wedded this Lady vertuous Vnto her Lord the God Mercurius And as Matrician inamed de Copelle In his booke of wedding can you tell There concluding in his marriage The Poete that whilom was so sage That this Lady called Sapience Iwedded was vnto Eloquence As it sat well by heauenly purueiaunce Hem to be joyned by knot of alliaunce But both two soothly of entent At wedding in Thebes were absent That caused after great aduersity For finall end of that solempnity Was sorrow and wo and destruction Vtter ruine of this roiall toun There may no man helpe it ne succour For a time in joy though they floure The Names of the People being at the Wedding of the King Edippus and of Jocasta the Queen But at his wedding plainly for to tell Was Cerberus chief porter of hell And Herebus fader to Hatred Was there present with his holle kinred His wife also with her browes blacke And her doughters sorow for to make Hidously chered and vgly for to see Megera and Thesiphonee Alecto eke with Labour and Enuie Drede Fraude and false Tretcherie Treason Pouert Indigence and Nede And cruell death in his rent wede Wretchednesse Compleint and eke Rage Fearfull Pale Dronkenesse croked Age Cruell Mars and many a Tigre wood Brenning Ire and vnkind blood Fraternall hate deepe set in the roote Saufe onely Death that there nas no boote Assured othes at fine Vntrew All these folke were at weddyng new To make the toune desolate and bare As the story after shall declare But aie in Thebes with his walles strong Edippus reigneth many a day and long And as mine aucthor write in words plain By Iocasta he had sonnes twain Ethiocles and also Polimite And in bookes as sondry clerkes write Doughters two full goodly on to see Of which that one hight Antigonee And that other called was Imein Of her beauty inly souerein Edippus aie deuoid of warre and strife With Iocasta ledde a mery life Till fortune of her iniquity Had enuy of his prosperity For when he shone most rich in his renoun From her whele she plunged him adoun Out of his joy into sodein wo As she is wont frowardly to do And namely hem that setten her affiaunce Of hartely trust in her variaunce For when the king passing of great might Sat with the quene vpon a certain night Casuelly when his folke echone Out of chamber sodeinly were gone Ere he was ware Iocasta gan behold The carectes of his wounds old Vpon his feet emprented wonder depe Tournyng her face brest out for to wepe So secrely he might it not espie And she anon fell into a fantasie Aie on this thing musing more and more And in her bedde gan to sighen sore And when the king conceiueth her distresse He gan enquere of her heauinesse Fully the cause and thoccasion For he will wite in conclusion What her eileth and why she fared so My Lord qd she without wordes mo Percell cause of this sodein rage Is for that I in my tender age Had a Lord inamed Laius King of this toune a man right vertuous By whom I had a sonne right wonder feire Likely to been his successour and heire But bicause his Diuinours told At his birth sothly that he should If he had life by fatall destinee Slaen his fader it might none other be For which the king his fate to eschue Bad men in hast as him thought due To slea the child and haue thereof no roth And I anon bad without sloth To certain men vp pein of judgement To execute the commaundement Of the king
wholly of the toun And he right nought out of the city But liue in sile and in pouerty Concluding without fere or drede Rather than it suffer he would be dede And thus alas through her enuious strife At ende euerich lost his life At great mischief as ye shall after here But thilke time the Lords all in fere Full besily did her diligence By great auise and full high prudence To set hem in quiet and in rest Counsailyng hem plainly for the best To leue her strife of wisedome and of reason And condescend to some conclusion Which to both might most auaile And finally through her gouernaile The common Union between these two Brethren The Lordes all tho being present Haue hem brought to been of one assent Of one hert as brother vnto brother Euerich of hem to reigne after other Yeere by yeere as it commeth about So that the toun shall absent him out Fully that yeere and himself gie By his manhood and his chiualrie Haunt himself in deeds Marciall While his brother in his See riall Holdeth his Sceptre the citee to gouerne And when the yeere his cours hath run yerne And is come out he shall haue repeire To reigne in Thebes like as Lord and heire There to receiue fully his dignitee While that other voideth the citee Paciently taking his auenture Till he ayen his honour may recure Thus enterchange euery yeere they shall That one ascendeth that other hath a fall They must obey of hert and take it well Like as that one resorteth of the we le For this was holle the composicion Betwene the brethren and conuencion Fully knit vp by great auisement Tofore the Goddes by othe of Sacrament Neuer after to grutche ne to varie But accomplish shortly and not tarie Like as thaccord enrolled in the toun From poinct to poinct made mencioun But alder first by reason of his age Ethiocles had the auantage To reigne aforne and weare the croune Polimite him hasting out of toune During that yere it may none other be Whiles his brother satte in his rialte Full richely vpon Fortunes whele And rode him forth armed bright in stele This Polimite sothly as I rede Himselfe alone on a riall stede Without guide all the long day Being aferde to keepe the high way In his hert hauing suspecion To his brother of malice and treason Lest he pursue through fals vnkind blood To haue him dedde for couetise of good That he alone might haue possessioun During his life fully of the toune For which in hast hauing no felaw Polimite aside gan him withdraw By a forest joyning to the See Knowing right nought the site of yâ— countre Full of hilles and of high Mounteines Craggie Roches and but few pleines Wondre dreadfull and lothsome of passage And therewithall full of beasts rage Holding his way of hert nothing light Mate and wery till it draweth to night And all the day beholding enuiron He neither saw Castel Toure ne Toun The which thing greueth him ful sore And sodenly the see began to rore Winde and tempest hidiously tarise The raine doun bete in full grisly wise That many a beast therof was adrad And nigh for fere gan to wexe madd As it sempte by the wofull sownes Of Tigres Beres Bores and Liones Which for refute hem selfe for to saue Euerich in hast draweth vnto his Caue But Polymite in this tempest huge Alas the while findeth no refuge Ne him to shrowde saw nowhere no succour Till it was passed almost midnight hour A large space that the sterres clere The cloudes voided in heauen did appere So that this knight out of the Forest large Gan approch into the londe of Arge How Polimite first came into the Lond of Arge Seing a palaice mighty of building Of which Adrastus called was the king A lusty man rich and wondre sage And yronne was somdel into age Borne of the Isle that called is Chifon And somtime Sonne of the king Cholon And for his witte in story as is couth He chosen was in his tendre youth Of Arge to be crouned king Thiefe of all Greece be record of writing Not by descente nor succession And but alonely of free election He held of Arge the Sceptre in his hand As most worthy of all Greekes land Loued and drade for wisdome and Iustice And as the story plainly can deuise This worthy king had doughters two Passing faire and right good also It were to long her beaute to descriue Argiue and Deiphile the doughters tweine of King Adrastus And the eldest called was Argiue Deiphile ynamed the second And Adrastus like as it is found This worthy king had sonne none To succede after he be gone For which he was during all his life Triste in hert add passingly pensife But holy his trust and his hope stood By alliance of some worthy blood Brought in by mene of his doughters twein That he shal be relessed of his peine Through recomfort of some high Mariage And sothly yet full oft in his courage He troubled was by occasion Of a sweuene and of a vision The Dream of King Adrastus of a wild Boar and a fers Lion Shewed to him vpon a certein night For as him thought his inward sight While he slept by clere inspection A wild Boore and a fers Lion Possede shul these bestes in her rage His doughters two by bond of Mariage In short time within a certein day Which brought his hert in full great affray * But thing in soth that destine hath shape Here in this world ful hard it is tescape And marueilous a man to eschue his fate And Polimite of whom I spake late With the tempest bete and all bereined By grate onely the Citie hath atteined Where Adrastus full stately of degree Thilke time held his roiall see The troubled might merke and obscure Hath brought this knight only by auenture Through the Citie enclosed with a wall Vnto the palaice chief and principall Where as the king in his chambre aloft Lay in his bed and slept wonder soft Eke al his folke had her chambres take Like as Fortune parauenture had shape The selfe time because it was so late And casuely the porter at the gate As it had by right for the nones And in a porch built of square stones Full mightely enarched enuiroun Where the domes and ples of the toun Were executed and lawes of the king And there this knight without more tarying Wery and mate from his stede alight Hanging the reine in all the hast he might Vpon his arme sure him for to keepe And leid him doun and gan anon to slepe As him semed that time for the best And while that he lay thus for to rest Of auenture there came a knight riding One of the worthiest of the world liuing Curteis lowly and right vertuous As saith mine Auctour called Tideus Virous in armes and manly in werking Of his birth Sonne vnto the king Of Callidoine a lond of great
Ermin To lap hem in ayens the cold morrow After the rage of her nights sorrow To take her rest till the sonne arise And when the king in full prudent wise First of al he was not rekeles The knights herts for to sette in pees That euer after I dare 〈◊〉 it wele Ech was to other trew as any stele During her life both in word and dede Vndre a knotte bound of brotherhede And Adrastus the worthy king famous A feast made rich and plenteous To these knights himselfe thereat present And after mete full goodly he hath sent This noble king for his doughters dere Of gentillesse for to make chere To the knights come fro so ferre And like in soth as Lucifer the sterre Gladeth the morrow at his vprising So the ladies at her in comming With the stremes of her eyen clere Goodly apport and womanly manere Countenances and excellent fairenesse To all the Court broughten in gladnesse For the freshnesse of her heauenly cheres So agreable was vnto the straungeres At her entree that in especial Hem thought it like a thing celestial Enhasting hem in full knightly wise Ayenst hem goodly to arise And as they met with humble countenaunce Ful conningly did her obseruaunce Hem conueying in to her sitting place But sothely I haue leiser none ne space To reherse and put in remembraunce Holly the manere of her daliaunce It were to long for you to abide But well I wot that the god Cupide By influence of his mighty hond And the feruence of his firy brond Her meeting first fortuned hath so wele That his arowes of gold and not of stele Yperced han the knights herts tweine Through the brest with such a lusty peine That ther abode sharpe as spere or launce Depe yficched the point of remembraunce Which may not lightly rased be away And thus in joy they driue forth the day In pley and reuel for the knights sake And toward night they her chambre take At â—ue time as her fader bad And on her weie the knights hem lad Reuerently vp by many a staire Taking leue gan anon repaire To her lodging in ful stately a Toure Assigned to hem by the herbeiour And after ipices plenty and the wine In cuppes great wrought of gold full fine Without tarying to bedde straight they gon Touching her rest wheder they sleepe or non Demeth ye louers that in such maner thing By experience haue fully knowledging For it is not declared in my booke But as I find the king all night wooke Thoughtfull in hert the story specifies Musing sore and full of fantasies First aduerting the great worthinesse Of these knights and the semelinesse Her lusty youth her force and her manhode And how they were come of roial blode And this he gan to reuolue about And in his hert hauing a maner of doubt Atwene two hanging in a balance Wheder he should make an aliance Atween his doughters the knights tweine For one thing ay his heart gan constreine The remembraunce of his auision Of which aforne made is amencion Touching the Lion and the wild Bore It nedeth not to reherse it no more Casting alway in his fantasie What it might clerely signifie This darke dreame that was hid and close But on the morow Adrastus vp arose And to the Temple the right way he tooke And gan pray deuoutly on his booke To the goddes of his dreme to specifie And they him bede homward for to hie And to behold in the knights sheeldes The fell beasts painted in the fields Which shall to him be cleere inspection Full plainly making declaracion Of his dreme which he had on the night And Adrastus enhasted him full right In her sheelds wisely to behold Where that he saw as the goddes told In the sheelds hanging vpon hookes The beasts rage with her mortall crookes And to purpos like as write Bochas Polimite ful streite enbraced was In the hide of a fierce Lioun And Tideus aboue his Habergeoun A gipoun had hidous sharpe and hoor Wrought of the bristels of a wild Boore The which beasts as the story leres Were wrought and bete vpon her baneres Displaide brode whan they should fight Wherefore the king whan he had a sight At his repayre in hert was full glad And with a face full demure and sad With his lords that he about him had To the temple he the knights lad And whan they had with all circumstaunces Of Rites old done her obseruaunces Home to the Court they retourne ayein And in hall rich and well besein This worthy king of hert liberall Made a feast solempne and riall Which in deintees surely did excell But it were vein euery cours to tell Her straunge sewes and other soteltees Ne how they sat like her degrees For lacke of time I let ouerslide And after meate Adrastus took aside The knights two and like a prudent man In secree wise thus his tale he gan How Adrastus spake to the Knights in secret touching the marriage of his Daughters Sirs qd he I ne doubt it nought That it is fresh grene ay in your thought How that first by goddes ordinaunce And after next through fates purueiance And by werking of fortunes hond How ye were brought in to this lond Both tweine but now this last night Of whos comming I am full glad and light First in my selfe shortly to expresse When I consider and see the likelinesse Of your persons with the circumstaunces And holle the maner of your gouernaunces Seing full well whereto should I feigne Yee been likely hereafter to atteigne To great estate and habundance of good Through your birth and your rial blood Ye may not faile but ye haue wrong For ye are both manly and right strong And for to set your hertes more at rest My purpose is I hope for the best So that in you be no variance To make a knot as be alliance Atwene you and my doughters two Yf your herts accord we le thereto And for I am fully in despeire To succede for to haue an heire Therefore ye shall haue possession During my life of halfe my region Forth with in hond and all after my day There is no man that thereto shal say nay And sothly after when that I am graue Ech of you shall his part haue Of this kingdome as I haue prouided This is to say it shall be diuided Atwene you two euerich to be crouned Your properties be equite compouned So egaly in euery mans sight That ech of you enjoy shall his right And in your witte ye shall the lond amend And of manhood knightly it defend Ayens our enemies and our mortall foon And for the dayes passed been and goon Of my desires and my lusty youth I am full set for to make it couth That ye shall haue like mine opinioun The gouernaunce of all this Regioun To this entent me seemeth for the best Ye to gouerne and I to liue in rest Fully to follow the lust of
furious Tourning his face towards Tideus He gan abreid and at last out spake And euen thus vnto him he spake The Answer of King Ethiocles I haue great marueile qd he in my thought Of the message which that thou hast brought That my brother as thou hast expouned Desireth so in Thebes to be crowned Hauing regard to the abundaunce The great plenty and the suffisaunce That he hath now with the king of Arge That me seemeth he should little charge To haue Lordship or dominioun In the bounds of this little toun Sith he reigneth so freshly in his flours Surmounting all his predecessours By new encrease through fortunes might Wherfore in heart I am right glad light Fully trusting if I had nede To his helpe that without drede Like a brother that I should him find To me ward faithfull true and kind Supposing plainely euermore Of this reigne he set but little store Nor casteth him not for so short a while As for a yeare his brother to exile To liue in pouerry and in great distresse He will not suffer it of his high noblesse It were no token of no brother hede But a signe rather of hatrede To interrupt my possession Of this little poore Region All that he spake who so coud aduert Of very scorne rooted in his hert As hem seempt the story can you teach By the surplus soothly of his speach He might no lenger him restreine But plainely said as betwene vs tweine I meane thus Polimite and me There is no bond nor surete Ne faith ymade that may him auaile As he claimeth to yeue the gouernaile Of this city neither yeare ne day For I shall let him soothly if I may That he shall not by title of his bond Enjoy in Thebes halfe a foot of lond Let him keepe that he hath wonne For I purpose as I haue begonne To reigne in Thebes henceforth all my liue Maugre all hem that thereayen striue And in despite of his friends all Or the counsaile that him list to call Let him be sure and know this right wele His manacing I drede neuer a dele And sikerly as to my deuise It sheweth well that thou art not wise But suppressed with a manere of rage To take on thee this surquedous message And presumest to doe so high offence So boldely to speake in my presence But all in fere auaile shall right nought For the tithings that thou hast brought Shall vnto him be disencreace He better were to haue been in peace Than of folly and presumption Ayenst me to seech occasion For I liue and thereto here mine hond As I said erst he winneth here no lond While the wall of this toune may stond For plainely I doe thee to vnderstond That they shull first be beat down full low And all the toures to the earth ythrow Ere he in Thebes haue any thing ado Lo here is all retourne and say him so When Tideus saw the feruent ire Of the king with anger set on fire Full of despite and of Melancolie Conceiuing eke the great fellonie In his apport like as he were wood This worthy knight a little while stood Sad and demure ere he would ought seine But at last thus he said ayeine The knightly Answer that Tideus yaue ayeine to the King Certes qd he I conceiue of new About thee thy counsaile is vntrew I dare it saine and vow it at best Ne thou art not faithfull of thy behest Stable of thy word that thou hast said toforne But deceiuable and falsely eke forsworne And eke perjurate of thine assured oth But whether so be that thou be lefe or wroth I say thee shortly hold it for no fage All this shall tourne vnto thy damage Trist it well and in full cruell wise All Greekes lond shall vpon thee arise To be auenged and manly to redresse The great vntrouth and the high falsenesse Which yâ— thou hast ayen thy brother wrought It shall full deare after this be bought And verily indeed as thou shalt lere King Adrastus will meddle in this matere And all the Lords about him enuiron That bounden be to his subjection Princes Dukes and many a noble Knight In susteining of thy brothers right Shall on a day with spere and with shield Ayenst thee be gadred in a field Knightly to preue all by one assent That thou art fals and double of entent Of thy promise atteint and eke outrayed And leue me well it shall not be delayed But in all hast execute in deede * Like thy desert thou shalt haue thy meede For God aboue and his rightwisenesse Such open wrong shall in hast redresse And of his might all such collusion Reforme ayeine and all extortion * For this the fine Falshood shall not vaile Ayenst trouth in field to holden battaile Wrong is crooked both halt and lame And here anone in my brothers name As I that am his next allie At his querele shortly I defie Fully auised with all mine hole entent And ye Lords that been here present I you require of your worthinesse To say trouth and beare witnesse When time commeth and justly to record How your king falsely gan discord From his hest of false variaunce And thinke on how ye of faith and ligeaunce Are bound echone ye may not go therefro For to obey and serue both two This next yeare now anon following As to your lord and to your true king Polimite though he be now absent By just accord made in Parliament At your deuise which sitten here a row Engrossed was vp as it is well know And enrolled onely for witnesse In your Registers to void all falsenesse That none of you vary may of new From that I say but if he be vntâ—ew For which I rede your selfe to acquite Let no time lenger lie in respite But at ones without more tarrying Of manly force fet home your king Maugre your fone like as ye are bound And let in you no slouth be found To put him justly in possession This is my counsaile in conclusion How manly Tideus departed from the King When Tideus had his message saied Like to the charge that was on him saied As he that list no lenger there sojourne Fro the king he gan his face tourne Not astonied nor in his heart aferde But full proudely layed hond on his swerde And in dispite who was lefe or loth A sterne pace through the hall he goth Through the court and manly toke his stede And out of Thebes fast gan him spede Enhasting him till he was at large And sped him forth toward the lond of Arge Thus leaue I him riding forth a while Whiles that I retourne ayeine my stile Vnto the king which in the hall stood Emong his lords furious and wood And his heart wroth and euill apaied Of the words that Tideus had saied Specially hauing remembrance On the proud dispitous defiance Whiles that he fat in his royall See Vpon which he would auenged bee Full cruelly what that euer befall And
in his ire he gan to him call Cheefe Constable of his Chiualrie Charging him fast for to hie With all the worthy chose of his houshold Such as he knew most manfull and bold In all hast Tideus for to sue Tofore or he out of his lond remue Vp peine of life and lesing of her head Without mercy anon that he be dead How falsely Ethiocles laid an Ambushment in the way to have slain Tideus in his repair And of knights fifty were in number Mine author saith vnwarely him to comber Armed echone in maile and thicke stele And therewithall yhorsed wonder wele At o posterne forth they gonne to ride By a gein path that lay out aside Secretly that no man hem aspy Onely of treason and of fellony They hast hem forth all the long day Of cruell mallice for to stop his way Through a forest all of one assent Full couertly for tolay a bushment Vnder an hill at a strait passage To fallen on him at more auauntage The same way that Tideus gan draw At thilke mount where yâ— Sphinx was slaw He nothing ware in his opinion Of the compassed conspiration But innocent like a gentle knight Rode aye forth till it drow to night Sole by himself without companie Hauing no man him to wise or gie But at last lifting vp his hede Toward eue he gan to take hede Mid of his way right as any line Thought he saw ayenst the Moone shine Shields fresh and plates burned bright The which enuiron cast a great light Imagining in his fantasie There was treason or conspiracie Wrought by yâ— king his journey for to lette And of all that he nothing sette But well assured in his manly hert List not ones aside to diuert But kept his way his shield vpon his brest And cast his spere manly in the rest How worthy Tideus outrayed fifty Knights lying in await for to slaen him And the first platly that he mette Through the body proudly he him smette That he fell dead cheefe maister of hem all And then at ones they vpon him fall On euery paas by compasse enuiron But Tideus through his high renoun His bloody swerde let about him glide He sleeth and killeth vpon euery side In his ire and his mortall tene That meruell it was how he might so sustene Ayenst hem all on euery halfe beset But his swerde was so sharpe whet That his fomen found it full vnsoot But he alas was made light on foot By force grounded in full great distresse But of knighthood and of high prowesse Vp he rose maugre all his fone And as they came he slough hem one by one Like a Lion rampant in his rage And on this hill he found a narrow passage Which that he tooke of full high prudence And liche a Bore stonding at his defence As his fomen proudely him assaile Vpon the plein her blood he made to raile All enuiron that the soile waxe redde Now here now there as they fellen dedde That here lay one and there lay two or three So mercilesse in his crueltee Thilke day he was vpon hem found And at ones his enemy did confound Where as he stood this mighty champion Beside he saw with water tourned doun An huge stone large round and square And sodainly ere that they were ware As it had lien there for the nones Vpon his foen he rolled it at ones That ten of hem wenten vnto wracke And the remenaunt amased drew abacke For one by one they went to mischaunce Thus finally he brought to outrance Hem euerychone Tideus as bliue That none but one left of hem aliue Himselfe yhurt and ywounded kene Through his harneis bleeding on the grene The Theban knights in compas round about In the valley slaine all the whole rout Which pitously againe the Moone gape For none of hem shortly might escape But dead echone as they haue deserued Saue one except the which was reserued By Tideus of this entention To the king to make relation How his knights haue on her journey sped Euerich of hem his life left for a wed And at meeting how they haue hem borne To tellen all he assured was and sworne To Tideus full lowly on his knee By which ensample openly ye may see How Truth with little Multitude hath ever in the fine Victory of Falshood Ayens trouth falshood hath no might Figh on querels not grounded vpon right Without which may be no victory For euery man haue this in memory That great power shortly to conclude Plenty of good or great multitude Sleight or engine force or fellony Arne too feeble to hold a champarty Ayenst trouth who that list take heed For at end falshood may not speed Tendure long ye shall find it thus Record I take of worthy Tideus That arted his hond throgh troths excellence Fifty knights slough in his defence But one except as I late told Sworne and assured with his hand vphold The king tenforme how they were atteint And Tideus of bleeding was wonder feint Mate and weary and in great distresse And ouerlayd of very feeblenesse But as he might tho himselfe sustene He tooke his horse stonding on the grene Worthed vp and forth he gan to ride An easie paas with his wounds wide And soothly yet in his opinion He was alway aferde of treason But anguishous and full of busie peine He rode him forth till he did atteine Into the bounds of Ligurgus lond A worthy king and manly of his hond How Tideus all to wounded came into Ligurgus lond And he full pale onely for lacke of blood Tideus saw where a Castle stood Strong and mighty built vpon a roche Toward which fast he gan approche Conueighed thider by clearenesse of the stone That by night ayens the Moone shone On high toures with crestes Marciall And joyning almost to the wall Was a gardein little out beside Into which Tideus gan to ride Of aduenture by a gate small And there he found for to reken all A lusty Erber vnto his deuise Sweet and fresh like a Paradise Very heauenly of inspectioun And first of all he alight adoun The goodly place when that he beheld And from his necke he voided hath his sheld Drew the bridle from his horse hede Let him go and tooke no manner hede Through the garden that enclosed was Him to pasture on the soot gras And Tideus more heauy than is Ledde Vpon the hearbes greene white and redde As him thought that time for the best He layd him downe for to take his rest Of wearinesse desirous to sleepe And none await his body for to keepe And with dreames grudged euer emong There he lay till the Larke song With notes new high vp in the aire The glad morrow rody and right faire Phebus also casting vp his beames The high hils gilt with his streames The siluer dew vpon the hearbes round There Tideus lay vpon the cold ground At vprist of the shene Sunne And stoundmeale his greene
sworne of yore To his Crowne justly him restore And when they were at large out of the toun Vnto Arge they be descended doun And like her oth and her assurance As they were bound only of ligeance To him they come in full lowly wise Lowly to done what him list deuise And when he had her trouth full conceiued He hath to grace goodly hem receiued Assigning hem her place amid the hoast Assembled there from many a diuerse coast That finally in this company Ygadred was the floure of Cheualry Ychosen out of all Greekes lond The most knightly and manfull of her hond That as I trow sith the world began There was not seene so many a manly man So we le horsed with spere and with shield Togider sembled soothly in a field There men might see many strange guises Of arming new and vncouth deuises Euery man after his fantasie That if I should in order specifie Euery peece longing to armure And thereupon doe my busie cure It were in sooth almost a dayes werke And the tearmes also been so derke To rehearse hem clearely and to rime I passe ouer for lacke of time And tell I will forth of her lodging How Adrastus the noble worthy king Hath euery lord like to his degree Receiued wele within the citee And there they had like to her pleasaunce Of what needeth fulsome habundance For men and horse plenty of vitaile Commaunding that nothing ne faile That all these noble worthy werriours Both high and low and poore souldiours Yserued were of what they haue need For Adrastus presently tooke heed That it availeth a King to pay his People truely her fond Full lich a King touching her tearme day That they toforne were serued to her pay He was so free he list nothing restraine And no man had cause to complaine For hunger thrust ne for indigence But all thing ready was vnto her presence And in a Prince it is ful great repriefe To suffer his people liue at mischiefe It is ful heauy and greuous in her thought If he habound and they haue right nought He may not both possede body and hart He to be rich and seene his people smart He may the body of power wel constraine But her heart hath a full long raine Maugre his might to louen at her large * There may no King on hearts set a charge Ne hem coarten from her libertee Men saine ful often how that thought is free For which ech prince Lord and gouernour And specially ech conquerour Let him beware for all his high noblesse That bounty free dome plenty and largesse By one accord that they his bridle lede Least of his people when he hath most nede He be defrauded when he is but alone Then is too late for to make his mone But in his Court let him first deuise To exile Scarcehead and Couetise Then is likely with freedome if he ginne Loue of his people euermore to winne To reigne long in honour and contune Aye to encrease by fauour of Fortune And his enemies manly to oppresse * For loue is more than great richesse How love availeth more to a King than Gold or Riches Gold faileth oft but loue will abide For life or death by a lords side And the treasour shortly of a king Stondeth in loue aboue all thing Farewell lordship both morrow and eue Specially when loue taketh his leue And who so list it Mirrour for to make Of knightly freedome let him ensample take Of Adrastus the manly king famous So liberall and so bounteous Vnto his people at all times found Which made him strong his fomen to confound And loue only his enemies to werrey All Greece made his bidding to obey Of one accord to knightly by his side All at ones to Thebes for to ride For tauenge sith they were so strong The great injury and importable wrong Vnto his sonne and to his next allie As ye to forne haue heard me specifie But whiles Greekes rest a time in pees I will resort vnto Ethiocles Which in Thebes warely hath espied By his friends as he was certified Of the Greekes wholly the ordinaunce Her purpose eke and her purueyaunce And thereof had in heart a manner drede And first he tooke his counsaile and his rede How Ethiocles made him strong ayenst the coming of the Greeks Of the Lords and Barons of the toun And of the wisest of his regioun How he might maken resistence Manly to stonden at defence To be so strong that there were no dout And in the countries adjacent about And eke also in forreine regions He hath withhold all the champions And thereupon he sent out his espies And his friends and his next allies And all the worthy dwelling enuiroun Young fresh and lusty he gadred to the toun Maskewed his wals and his toures And stuffed hem with manly souldeours Round about he set many gonnes Great and small and some large as tonnes In his hasty passing feruent heat He spent his treasour and yaue yefts great Vnto knights and worthy men of name * And euermore to encrease his fame He yaue to lords jewels manyfold Clothes of Veluet Damaske and of gold To get him hearts soothly as I rede To helpe him now in his great nede And prudently purueyed him toforne Of flesh of fish of wine and of corne Set his Captaines early and late With full great stuff stonding at euery gate And made also by werkemen that were trew Barbicans and Bulwerkes strong and new Barreres cheines ditches wonder deepe Making his auow the city for to keepe While he liueth despite of all his fone And by his gods of mettall and of stone Full oft he swore both of hert and thought That it shall first full deare ben ybought And many a man with polax swerd knife Before this towne shall first lese his life And there shall eke many sides blede Ere that his brother possibly possede The toun in pees like as Greekes wene But at end the trouth it shall be sene Let him beware and we le toforne prouide For Adrastus on that other side For his party was not negligent But on a day held his parlement All his lords sitting enuiron To driue shorteley a pleine conclusion And vp tapoint the fine of her entent But some thought it full expedient Ere they procede to werke by thauise Of one that was full prudent and wise And circumspect in his werkes all A worthy Bishop into age fall And called was soothly by his name Amphiorax of whom the great fame How the Bishop Amphiorax was sent for to come unto the Greeks Throgh all the lands both East and South Among the Greekes passingly was couth A man in sooth of old antiquity And most accept of authority First by reason of his high estate And eke he was so fortunate And in his werkes was also secre With the gods knowing her priuite By graunt of whom as bookes specifie He had a spirit of trew prophecie And
jam monte potitus Ridet anhelantem dura ad fastigia turbam His Country THis famous and learned Poet Geffrey Chaucer Esq was supposed by Leland to have been an Oxfordshire or Barkshire Man born for so reporteth John Bale in his Catalogue of English Writers Quibusdam argumentis adducebatur Lelandus ut crederet c. Some Reasons did move Leland to think That Oxfordshire or Barkshire was his Native Country But as it is evident by his own Words in the Testament of Love he was born in the City of London for thus he writeth there Also in the City of London that is to me so dear and sweet in which I was foorth growen and more kindly Love have I to that Place than to any other in yerth as every kindly Creature hath full Appetite to that Place of his kindly Engendure and to wilne Rest and Peace in that stede to abide thilke Peace should thus there have been broken which of all wise Men is commended and desired In the Records of the Guild-Hall in London we find that there was one Richard Chaucer Vintner of London in the twenty third Year of Edward 3d. who might well be Chaucer's Father Also there was a Nun of St. Hellens in London named Elizabeth Chaucer in the first Year of Rich. 2d as it is in Record which seemeth either to have been his Sister or of his Kindred and by likelihood a Londoner born Moreover in the eighth year of the same King Geffrey Chaucer was Controller of the Custom-House in London as after out of the Records shall appear Other Dealings he had in the City as we may plainly see in the Testament of Love all which may move us to think That he was born in London His Parentage FOR his Parentage and Place of Birth although Bale termeth him Galfridus Chaucer nobili loco natus summae spei juvenis yet in the Opinion of some Heralds otherwise than his Vertues and Learning commended him he descended not of any great House which they gather by his Arms De argento rubeo colore partita per longitudiuem scuti cum benda ex transverso eisdem coloribus sed transmutatis depicta sub hac forma But this is but a simple Conjecture for honourable Houses and of great Antiquity have borne as mean Arms as Chaucer and yet his Arms are not so mean either for Colour Charge or Particion as some would make them And indeed both in respect of the Name which is French as also by other Conjectures it may be gathered That his Progenitors were Strangers But wheras some are of Opinion that the first coming of the Chaucers into England was when Qu. Isabel Wife to Edw. 2. and her Son Prince Edw. returned out of Henault into England at which time also almost 3000 Strangers came over with them as by Chronicles appeareth or some two Years after when Philip Daughter to the Earl of Henault came over to be married to Prince Edward I can by no means consent with them but rather must think That their Name and Family was of far more ancient Antiquity although by time decayed as many more had been of much greater Estate For in the days of Edw. 1. there was one John Chaucer as appeared by the Records of the Tower where it is said That the King did hear the Complaint of John Chaucer in the damage of 1000 l. There was also in the time of Hen. 3. and Edw. 1. Elias Chaucesir of whom the Records in the Exchequer have thus Edwardus Dei Gratia c. liberate de Thesauro nostro Elias Chaucesir decem solid c. with which Characters Geffrey Chaucer is written in the Records of Edw. 3. and Rich. 2. This Name was at the first a Name of Office or Occupation which afterward came to be the Name of a Family as Smith Baker Skinner and others have done In the time of King John likewise there was one named le Chaucer as appeareth by the Records of the Tower But what need I to stand upon the Antiquity or Gentry of Chaucer when the Roll of Battle Abbey affirmeth Chaucer to have come in with the Conquerour Moreover it is more likely that the Parents of Geffrey Chaucer were mere English and himself an English-man born for else how could he have come to that Perfection in our Language as to be called The first Illuminer of the English Tongue had not both he and his Parents before him been born and bred among us But what their Names were or what Issue they had otherwise than by Conjecture before given we cannot declare Now whether they were Merchants as some will have it for that in Places where they have dwelled the Arms of the Merchants of the Staple have been seen in the glass Windows or whether they were of other Calling it is not much necessary to search but wealthy no doubt they were and of good account in the Commonwealth who brought up their Son in such sort that both he was thought fit for the Court at home and to be employed for matters of State in foreign Countries His Education HIS bringing up as Leland saith was in the University of Oxford as also in Cambridge as appeareth by his own Words in his Book entituled The Court of Love and in Oxford by all likelihood in Canterbury or in Merton Colledge with John Wickliffe whose Opinions in Religion he much affected where besides his private Study he did with great diligence frequent the publick Schools and Disputations Hinc acutus Dialecticus hinc dulcis Rhetor hinc lepidus Poeta hinc gravis Philosophus ac sanctus Theologus evasit Mathematicus insuper ingeniosus erat à Johanne Sombo c. Hereupon saith Leland he became a witty Logician a sweet Rhetorician a pleasant Poet a grave Philosopher and a holy Divine Moreover he was a very skilful Mathematician instructed therein by John Some and Nicholas Lynne Friars Carmelites of Lynne and men very skilful in the Mathematicks whom he in his Book called The Astrolaby doth greatly commend and calleth them Reverend Clerks By his Travel also in France and Flanders where he spent much time in his young Years but more in the latter end of the Reign of King Rich. 2. he attained to great Perfection in all kind of Learning for so do Bale and Leland also report Circa postremos Richardi secundi annos in Galliis floruit magnamque illic ex assidua in literis exercitatione gloriam sibi comparavit Domum reversus forum Londinense Collegia Leguleiorum qui ibidem patria jura interpretantur frequentavit c. About the latter end of King Richard the Second's Days he flourished in France and got himself great Commendation there by his diligent Exercise in Learning After his Return home he frequented the Court at London and the Colledges of the Lawyers which there interpret the Laws of the Land and among them he had a familiar Friend
the causes that moove a man to contrition how hee should be contrite and what contrition auayleth to the soule Then is it thus that contrition is yâ— very sorrow that a man receiueth in his heart for his sinnes with sad purpose to shriue him and to doe pennaunce neuer more to doe sinne And this sorrow shal be in this manner as sayeth Saint Bernard * It shall be heauie and greeuous and full sharpe poinant in heart First for a man hath agilted his Lord his Creator and more sharpe and poinaunt for he hath agilted his father celestiall And yet more sharpe and poynaunt for hee hath wrathed and agilted him that boughte him that with his precious bloud hath deliuered vs fro the bondes of sinne and fro the cruelte of the deuill and from the paines of hell The causes that ought moue a man to contricion bene fixe First a man shall remembre him of his sinnes But loke that that remembraunce ne bee to him no delite by no waye but greate shame and sorowe for his sinnes For Iob sayth sinfull men done werkes worthie of confession And therefore sayeth Ezechiell * I woll remember me all the yeres of my life in the bitternesse of my herte And God saieth in the Apocalipse Remember ye from whence that ye been fall for before that time that ye sinned ye were children of God and limmes of the reigne of God But for your sinne ye ben waren thral and foule membres of the fende hate of Angels slaunder of holye churche and foode of the false Serpent perpetuall matter of the fire of hell And yet more foule and abhominable for ye trespasse so oft times as doeth an hounde that returneth ayen to eate his owne spewing yet be ye fouler for your long continuing in sinne and your sinfull vsage for which ye bee roted in your sinne as a beeste in his donge Suche manner of thoughtes make a manne to have shame of his sinne no delite As God saith by the Prophet Ezechiel * Ye shall remembre you of your ways and they shull displese you sothly Sinnes ben the waies that lede folke to Hell THe second cause that ought make a man to have disdaine of sinne is this that as saith saint Peter * Who so doth sinne is thrall of sinne and sinne putteth a manne in great thraldome And therefore saieth the prophet Ezechiell * I went sorrowfull in disdaine of my selfe Certes well ought a man have disdaine of sinne and withdrawe him fro that thraldome and villany And lo with saieth Seneke in this matter he saith thus * Though I wist that neither God ne manne should neuer know it yet would I have disdaine for to doe sinne And the same Seneke also sayeth * I am borne to greater thinge than to be thrall to my body or for to make of my body a thrall Ne a fouler thrall may no man ne woman make of his bodie than for to yeue his body to sinne all were it the foulest churle or the foulest woman that liueth and least of value yet is he then more foule and more in seruitude Euer fro the higher degree that man falleth the more is he thrall and more to God and to the world vile and abhominable O good God well ought man have great disdaine of sinne sith that through sinne there hee was free he is made bond And therefore saieth saint Augustine * If thou hast disdaine of thy seruaunt if hee offend or sinne have thou then disdaine that thou thy selfe shouldest do sinne Take regard of thine own value that thou ne bee too foule to thy selfe Alas well ought they then have disdaine to bee seruaunts and thralles to sinne and sore to be ashamed of themself that God of his endlesse goodnesse hath sette in high estate or yeue hem witte strength of bodye heale beautie or prosperitie and bought hem fro the death with his hert blood that they so vnkindly ayenst his gentlenesse quite him so villanously to slaughter of her owne soules Oh good God ye women that been of great beautie remembreth you on the prouerbe of Salomon * He saieth he likeneth a faire woman that is a foole of her bodie to a ring of gold that were worne on the groine of a sow For right as a sowe wroteth in euery ordure so wroteth she her beautie in stinking ordure of sinne THe third cause that ought meue a man to contrition is dread of the day of doome and of the horrible pains of hell For as saint Ierome sayeth * At euery time that me remembreth of the day of doome I quake For when I eate and drinke or what so that I do euer seemeth me yâ— the trompe sowneth in mine eare Riseth ye vp that been ded and cometh to the judgement O good God muche ought a manne to drede such a judgment there as we shall be all * as Saint Poule sayeth before the seat of oure Lorde Iesu Christ whereas he shal make a generall congregation whereas no man may bee absent for certes there auaileth none essoyne ne excusation and not onely that our defaults shall be judged but also that all our werkes shall openly be knowne And as sayeth saint Bernard * There ne shall no pleading auaile ne no sleight We shall yeue reckoning of euerie idle word There shall we haue a judge that may not bee deceiued ne corrupt and why For certes all our thoughts been discouered as to him ne for prayer ne for mede he shall not be corrupt And therefore saith Salomon * The wrath of God ne woll not spare no wight for prayer ne for yeft And therefore at the day of doome there is no hope to escape Wherfore as saith saint Anselme * Full great anguish shall the sinnefull folke haue at that time There shall the fiers wroth iudge sitte aboue and vnder him the horrible pitte of hell open to destroy him that must be knowe his sinnes which sinnes openly beene shewed before God before euery creature And on the left side mo Diuels than anie heart may thinke for to hale and drawe the sinfull soules to the paine of hell and within the hearts of folke shall be the biting conscience and without forth shall bee the world all brenning whither shall then the wretched sinful man flie to hide him Certes he may not hide him he must come forth and shewe him For certes as saith S. Ierom the earth shall cast him out of it and the see also and yâ— ayre that shall be ful of thonder clappes and lightnings Now sothly who so well remembreth him of these thinges I gesse that his sinne shall not turne him in delite but to great sorrowe for drede of the paine of hell And therefore saith Iob to God * suffer lord that I may a while bewaile and wepe er I goe without returning to the darke londe couered with the derkenesse of death to the londe of misese and of derkenesse whereas is the shadowe of death