| 1 |
God turne us every dreem to gode! |
| 2 |
For hit is wonder, be the rode, |
| 3 |
To my wit, what causeth swevens |
| 4 |
Either on morwes, or on evens; |
| 5 |
And why the effect folweth of somme, |
| 6 |
And of somme hit shal never come; |
| 7 |
Why that is an avisioun, |
| 8 |
And this a revelacioun, |
| 9 |
Why this a dreem, why that a sweven, |
| 10 |
And nat to every man liche even; |
| 11 |
Why this a fantom, these oracles, |
| 12 |
I noot; but who-so of these miracles |
| 13 |
The causes knoweth bet than I, |
| 14 |
Devyne he; for I certeinly |
| 15 |
Ne can hem noght, ne never thinke |
| 16 |
To besily my wit to swinke, |
| 17 |
To knowe of hir signifiaunce |
| 18 |
The gendres, neither the distaunce |
| 19 |
Of tymes of hem, ne the causes, |
| 20 |
For-why this more than that cause is; |
| 21 |
As if folkes complexiouns |
| 22 |
Make hem dreme of reflexiouns; |
| 23 |
Or ellis thus, as other sayn, |
| 24 |
For to greet feblenesse of brayn, |
| 25 |
By abstinence, or by seeknesse, |
| 26 |
Prison, stewe, or greet distresse; |
| 27 |
Or elles by disordinaunce |
| 28 |
Of naturel acustomaunce, |
| 29 |
That som man is to curious |
| 30 |
In studie, or melancolious, |
| 31 |
Or thus, so inly ful of drede, |
| 32 |
That no man may him bote bede; |
| 33 |
Or elles, that devocioun |
| 34 |
Of somme, and contemplacioun |
| 35 |
Causeth swiche dremes ofte; |
| 36 |
Or that the cruel lyf unsofte |
| 37 |
Which these ilke lovers leden |
| 38 |
That hopen over muche or dreden, |
| 39 |
That purely hir impressiouns |
| 40 |
Causeth hem avisiouns; |
| 41 |
Or if that spirites have the might |
| 42 |
To make folk to dreme a-night |
| 43 |
Or if the soule, of propre kinde |
| 44 |
Be so parfit, as men finde, |
| 45 |
That hit forwot that is to come, |
| 46 |
And that hit warneth alle and somme |
| 47 |
Of everiche of hir aventures |
| 48 |
Be avisiouns, or by figures, |
| 49 |
But that our flesh ne hath no might |
| 50 |
To understonden hit aright, |
| 51 |
For hit is warned to derkly; -- |
| 52 |
But why the cause is, noght wot I. |
| 53 |
Wel worthe, of this thing, grete clerkes, |
| 54 |
That trete of this and other werkes; |
| 55 |
For I of noon opinioun |
| 56 |
Nil as now make mensioun, |
| 57 |
But only that the holy rode |
| 58 |
Turne us every dreem to gode! |
| 59 |
For never, sith that I was born, |
| 60 |
Ne no man elles, me biforn, |
| 61 |
Mette, I trowe stedfastly, |
| 62 |
So wonderful a dreem as I |
| 63 |
The tenthe day dide of Decembre, |
| 64 |
The which, as I can now remembre, |
| 65 |
I wol yow tellen every del, |
| |
| |
The Invocation |
| |
| 66 |
But at my ginninge, trusteth wel, |
| 67 |
I wol make invocacioun, |
| 68 |
With special devocioun, |
| 69 |
Unto the god of slepe anoon, |
| 70 |
That dwelleth in a cave of stoon |
| 71 |
Upon a streem that cometh fro Lete, |
| 72 |
That is a flood of helle unswete; |
| 73 |
Besyde a folk men clepe Cimerie, |
| 74 |
Ther slepeth ay this god unmerie |
| 75 |
With his slepy thousand sones |
| 76 |
That alway for to slepe hir wone is -- |
| 77 |
And to this god, that I of rede, |
| 78 |
Prey I, that he wol me spede |
| 79 |
My sweven for to telle aright, |
| 80 |
If every dreem stonde in his might. |
| 81 |
And he, that mover is of al |
| 82 |
That is and was, and ever shal, |
| 83 |
So yive hem Ioye that hit here |
| 84 |
Of alle that they dreme to-yere, |
| 85 |
And for to stonden alle in grace |
| 86 |
Of hir loves, or in what place |
| 87 |
That hem wer levest for to stonde, |
| 88 |
And shelde hem fro poverte and shonde, |
| 89 |
And fro unhappe and eche disese, |
| 90 |
And sende hem al that may hem plese, |
| 91 |
That take hit wel, and scorne hit noght, |
| 92 |
Ne hit misdemen in her thoght |
| 93 |
Through malicious entencioun. |
| 94 |
And who-so, through presumpcioun, |
| 95 |
Or hate or scorne, or through envye, |
| 96 |
Dispyt, or Iape, or vilanye, |
| 97 |
Misdeme hit, preye I Iesus god |
| 98 |
That (dreme he barfoot, dreme he shod), |
| 99 |
That every harm that any man |
| 100 |
Hath had, sith that the world began, |
| 101 |
Befalle him therof, or he sterve, |
| 102 |
And graunte he mote hit ful deserve, |
| 103 |
Lo! with swich a conclusioun |
| 104 |
As had of his avisioun |
| 105 |
Cresus, that was king of Lyde, |
| 106 |
That high upon a gebet dyde! |
| 107 |
This prayer shal he have of me; |
| 108 |
I am no bet in charite! |
| 109 |
Now herkneth, as I have you seyd, |
| 110 |
What that I mette or I abreyd. |
| |
| |
The Dream |
| |
| 111 |
Of Decembre the tenthe day, |
| 112 |
Whan hit was night, to slepe I lay |
| 113 |
Right ther as I was wont to done, |
| 114 |
And fil on slepe wonder sone, |
| 115 |
As he that wery was for-go |
| 116 |
On pilgrimage myles two |
| 117 |
To the corseynt Leonard, |
| 118 |
To make lythe of that was hard. |
| 119 |
But as I sleep, me mette I was |
| 120 |
Within a temple y-mad of glas; |
| 121 |
In whiche ther were mo images |
| 122 |
Of gold, stondinge in sondry stages, |
| 123 |
And mo riche tabernacles, |
| 124 |
And with perre mo pinacles, |
| 125 |
And mo curious portreytures, |
| 126 |
And queynte maner of figures |
| 127 |
Of olde werke, then I saw ever. |
| 128 |
For certeynly, I niste never |
| 129 |
Wher that I was, but wel wiste I, |
| 130 |
Hit was of Venus redely, |
| 131 |
The temple; for, in portreyture, |
| 132 |
I sawgh anoon-right hir figure |
| 133 |
Naked fletinge in a see. |
| 134 |
And also on hir heed, parde, |
| 135 |
Hir rose-garlond whyt and reed, |
| 136 |
And hir comb to kembe hir heed, |
| 137 |
Hir dowves, and daun Cupido |
| 138 |
Hir blinde sone, and Vulcano, |
| 139 |
That in his face was ful broun. |
| 140 |
But as I romed up and doun, |
| 141 |
I fond that on a wal ther was |
| 142 |
Thus writen, on a table of bras: |
| 143 |
'I wol now singe, if that I can, |
| 144 |
The armes, and al-so the man, |
| 145 |
That first cam, through his destinee, |
| 146 |
Fugitif of Troye contree, |
| 147 |
In Itaile, with ful moche pyne, |
| 148 |
Unto the strondes of Lavyne.' |
| 149 |
And tho began the story anoon, |
| 150 |
As I shal telle yow echoon. |
| 151 |
First saw I the destruccioun |
| 152 |
Of Troye, through the Greek Sinoun, |
| 153 |
That with his false forsweringe, |
| 154 |
And his chere and his lesinge |
| 155 |
Made the hors broght into Troye, |
| 156 |
Thorgh which Troyens loste al hir Ioye. |
| 157 |
And after this was grave, allas! |
| 158 |
How Ilioun assailed was |
| 159 |
And wonne, and King Priam y-slayn, |
| 160 |
And Polites his sone, certayn, |
| 161 |
Dispitously, of dan Pirrus. |
| 162 |
And next that saw I how Venus, |
| 163 |
Whan that she saw the castel brende, |
| 164 |
Doun fro the hevene gan descende, |
| 165 |
And bad hir sone Eneas flee; |
| 166 |
And how he fledde, and how that he |
| 167 |
Escaped was from al the pres, |
| 168 |
And took his fader, Anchises, |
| 169 |
And bar him on his bakke away, |
| 170 |
Cryinge, 'Allas, and welaway!' |
| 171 |
The whiche Anchises in his honde |
| 172 |
Bar the goddes of the londe, |
| 173 |
Thilke that unbrende were. |
| 174 |
And I saw next, in alle this fere, |
| 175 |
How Creusa, daun Eneas wyf, |
| 176 |
Which that he lovede as his lyf, |
| 177 |
And hir yonge sone Iulo, |
| 178 |
And eek Ascanius also, |
| 179 |
Fledden eek with drery chere, |
| 180 |
That hit was pitee for to here; |
| 181 |
And in a forest, as they wente, |
| 182 |
At a turninge of a wente, |
| 183 |
How Creusa was y-lost, allas! |
| 184 |
That deed, but noot I how, she was; |
| 185 |
How he hir soughte, and how hir gost |
| 186 |
Bad him to flee the Grekes ost, |
| 187 |
And seyde he most unto Itaile, |
| 188 |
As was his destinee, sauns faille; |
| 189 |
That hit was pitee for to here, |
| 190 |
Whan hir spirit gan appere, |
| 191 |
The wordes that she to him seyde, |
| 192 |
And for to kepe hir sone him preyde. |
| 193 |
Ther saw I graven eek how he, |
| 194 |
His fader eek, and his meynee, |
| 195 |
With his shippes gan to sayle |
| 196 |
Toward the contree of Itaile, |
| 197 |
As streight as that they mighte go. |
| 198 |
Ther saw I thee, cruel Iuno, |
| 199 |
That art daun Iupiteres wyf, |
| 200 |
That hast y-hated, al thy lyf, |
| 201 |
Al the Troyanisshe blood, |
| 202 |
Renne and crye, as thou were wood, |
| 203 |
On Eolus, the god of windes, |
| 204 |
To blowen out, of alle kindes, |
| 205 |
So loude, that he shulde drenche |
| 206 |
Lord and lady, grome and wenche, |
| 207 |
Of al the Troyan nacioun, |
| 208 |
Withoute any savacioun. |
| 209 |
Ther saw I swich tempeste aryse, |
| 210 |
That every herte mighte agryse, |
| 211 |
To see hit peynted on the walle. |
| 212 |
Ther saw I graven eek withalle, |
| 213 |
Venus, how ye, my lady dere, |
| 214 |
Wepinge with ful woful chere, |
| 215 |
Prayen Iupiter an hye |
| 216 |
To save and kepe that navye |
| 217 |
Of the Troyan Eneas, |
| 218 |
Sith that he hir sone was. |
| 219 |
Ther saw I Ioves Venus kisse, |
| 220 |
And graunted of the tempest lisse. |
| 221 |
Ther saw I how the tempest stente, |
| 222 |
And how with alle pyne he wente, |
| 223 |
And prevely took arrivage |
| 224 |
In the contree of Cartage; |
| 225 |
And on the morwe, how that he |
| 226 |
And a knight, hight Achatee, |
| 227 |
Metten with Venus that day, |
| 228 |
Goinge in a queynt array, |
| 229 |
As she had ben an hunteresse, |
| 230 |
With wind blowinge upon hir tresse; |
| 231 |
How Eneas gan him to pleyne, |
| 232 |
Whan that he knew hir, of his peyne; |
| 233 |
And how his shippes dreynte were, |
| 234 |
Or elles lost, he niste where; |
| 235 |
How she gan him comforte tho, |
| 236 |
And bad him to Cartage go, |
| 237 |
And ther he shulde his folk finde |
| 238 |
That in the see were left behinde. |
| 239 |
And, shortly of this thing to pace, |
| 240 |
She made Eneas so in grace |
| 241 |
Of Dido, quene of that contree, |
| 242 |
That, shortly for to tellen, she |
| 243 |
Becam his love, and leet him do |
| 244 |
That that wedding longeth to. |
| 245 |
What shulde I speke more queynte, |
| 246 |
Or peyne me my wordes peynte, |
| 247 |
To speke of love? hit wol not be; |
| 248 |
I can not of that facultee. |
| 249 |
And eek to telle the manere |
| 250 |
How they aqueynteden in-fere, |
| 251 |
Hit were a long proces to telle, |
| 252 |
And over long for yow to dwelle. |
| 253 |
Ther sawgh I grave how Eneas |
| 254 |
Tolde Dido every cas, |
| 255 |
That him was tid upon the see. |
| 256 |
And after grave was, how shee |
| 257 |
Made of him, shortly, at oo word, |
| 258 |
Hir lyf, hir love, hir luste, hir lord; |
| 259 |
And dide him al the reverence, |
| 260 |
And leyde on him al the dispence, |
| 261 |
That any woman mighte do, |
| 262 |
Weninge hit had al be so, |
| 263 |
As he hir swoor; and her-by demed |
| 264 |
That he was good, for he swich semed. |
| 265 |
Allas! what harm doth apparence, |
| 266 |
Whan hit is fals in existence! |
| 267 |
For he to hir a traitour was; |
| 268 |
Wherfor she slow hir-self, allas! |
| 269 |
Lo, how a woman doth amis, |
| 270 |
To love him that unknowen is! |
| 271 |
For, by Crist, lo! thus hit fareth; |
| 272 |
'Hit is not al gold, that glareth.' |
| 273 |
For, al-so brouke I wel myn heed, |
| 274 |
Ther may be under goodliheed |
| 275 |
Kevered many a shrewed vyce; |
| 276 |
Therfor be no wight so nyce, |
| 277 |
To take a love only for chere, |
| 278 |
For speche, or for frendly manere; |
| 279 |
For this shal every woman finde |
| 280 |
That som man, of his pure kinde, |
| 281 |
Wol shewen outward the faireste, |
| 282 |
Til he have caught that what him leste; |
| 283 |
And thanne wol he causes finde, |
| 284 |
And swere how that she is unkinde, |
| 285 |
Or fals, or prevy, or double was. |
| 286 |
Al this seye I by Eneas |
| 287 |
And Dido, and hir nyce lest, |
| 288 |
That lovede al to sone a gest; |
| 289 |
Therfor I wol seye a proverbe, |
| 290 |
That 'he that fully knoweth therbe |
| 291 |
May saufly leye hit to his ye'; |
| 292 |
Withoute dreed, this is no lye. |
| 293 |
But let us speke of Eneas, |
| 294 |
How he betrayed hir, allas! |
| 295 |
And lefte hir ful unkindely. |
| 296 |
So whan she saw al-utterly, |
| 297 |
That he wolde hir of trouthe faile, |
| 298 |
And wende fro hir to Itaile, |
| 299 |
She gan to wringe hir hondes two. |
| 300 |
'Allas!' quod she, 'what me is wo! |
| 301 |
Allas! is every man thus trewe, |
| 302 |
That every yere wolde have a newe, |
| 303 |
If hit so longe tyme dure, |
| 304 |
Or elles three, peraventure? |
| 305 |
As thus: of oon he wolde have fame |
| 306 |
In magnifying of his name; |
| 307 |
Another for frendship, seith he; |
| 308 |
And yet ther shal the thridde be, |
| 309 |
That shal be taken for delyt, |
| 310 |
Lo, or for singular profyt.' |
| 311 |
In swiche wordes gan to pleyne |
| 312 |
Dido of hir grete peyne, |
| 313 |
As me mette redely; |
| 314 |
Non other auctour alegge I. |
| 315 |
'Allas!' quod she, 'my swete herte, |
| 316 |
Have pitee on my sorwes smerte, |
| 317 |
And slee me not! go noght away! |
| 318 |
O woful Dido, wel away!' |
| 319 |
Quod she to hir-selve tho. |
| 320 |
'O Eneas! what wil ye do? |
| 321 |
O that your love, ne your bonde, |
| 322 |
That ye han sworn with your right honde, |
| 323 |
Ne my cruel deeth,' quod she, |
| 324 |
"May holde yow still heer with me! |
| 325 |
O, haveth of my deeth pitee! |
| 326 |
Y-wis, my dere herte, ye |
| 327 |
Knowen ful wel that never yit, |
| 328 |
As fer-forth as I hadde wit, |
| 329 |
Agilte I yow in thoght ne deed. |
| 330 |
O, have ye men swich goodliheed |
| 331 |
In speche, and never a deel of trouthe? |
| 332 |
Allas, that ever hadde routhe |
| 333 |
Any woman on any man! |
| 334 |
Now see I wel, and telle can, |
| 335 |
We wrecched wimmen conne non art; |
| 336 |
For certeyn, for the more part, |
| 337 |
Thus we be served everichone. |
| 338 |
How sore that ye men conne grone, |
| 339 |
Anoon as we have yow receyved! |
| 340 |
Certeinly we ben deceyved; |
| 341 |
For, though your love laste a sesoun, |
| 342 |
Wayte upon the conclusioun, |
| 343 |
And eek how that ye determynen, |
| 344 |
And for the more part diffynen. |
| 345 |
'O, welawey that I was born! |
| 346 |
For through yow is my name lorn, |
| 347 |
And alle myn actes red and songe |
| 348 |
Over al this lond, on every tonge. |
| 349 |
O wikke Fame! for ther nis |
| 350 |
Nothing so swift, lo, as she is! |
| 351 |
O, sooth is, every thing is wist, |
| 352 |
Though hit be kevered with the mist. |
| 353 |
Eek, thogh I mighte duren ever, |
| 354 |
That I have doon, rekever I never, |
| 355 |
That I ne shal be seyd, allas, |
| 356 |
Y-shamed be through Eneas, |
| 357 |
And that I shal thus Iuged be -- |
| 358 |
'Lo, right as she hath doon, now she |
| 359 |
Wol do eftsones, hardily;' |
| 360 |
Thus seyth the peple prevely.' -- |
| 361 |
But that is doon, nis not to done; |
| 362 |
Al hir compleynt ne al hir mone, |
| 363 |
Certeyn, availeth hir not a stre. |
| 364 |
And when she wiste sothly he |
| 365 |
Was forth unto his shippes goon, |
| 366 |
She in hir chambre wente anoon, |
| 367 |
And called on hir suster Anne, |
| 368 |
And gan hir to compleyne thanne; |
| 369 |
And seyde, that she cause was |
| 370 |
That she first lovede Eneas, |
| 371 |
And thus counseilled hir therto. |
| 372 |
But what! when this was seyd and do, |
| 373 |
She roof hir-selve to the herte, |
| 374 |
And deyde through the wounde smerte. |
| 375 |
But al the maner how she deyde, |
| 376 |
And al the wordes that she seyde, |
| 377 |
Who-so to knowe hit hath purpos, |
| 378 |
Reed Virgile in Eneidos |
| 379 |
Or the Epistle of Ovyde, |
| 380 |
What that she wroot or that she dyde; |
| 381 |
And nere hit to long to endyte, |
| 382 |
By god, I wolde hit here wryte. |
| 383 |
But, welaway! the harm, the routhe, |
| 384 |
That hath betid for swich untrouthe, |
| 385 |
As men may ofte in bokes rede, |
| 386 |
And al day seen hit yet in dede, |
| 387 |
That for to thenken hit, a tene is. |
| 388 |
Lo, Demophon, duk of Athenis, |
| 389 |
How he forswor him ful falsly, |
| 390 |
And trayed Phillis wikkedly, |
| 391 |
That kinges doghter was of Trace, |
| 392 |
And falsly gan his terme pace; |
| 393 |
And when she wiste that he was fals, |
| 394 |
She heng hir-self right by the hals, |
| 395 |
For he had do hir swich untrouthe; |
| 396 |
Lo! was not this a wo and routhe? |
| 397 |
Eek lo! how fals and reccheles |
| 398 |
Was to Breseida Achilles, |
| 399 |
And Paris to Enone; |
| 400 |
And Iason to Isiphile; |
| 401 |
And eft Iason to Medea; |
| 402 |
And Ercules to Dyanira; |
| 403 |
For he left hir for Iole, |
| 404 |
That made him cacche his deeth, parde. |
| 405 |
How fals eek was he, Theseus; |
| 406 |
That, as the story telleth us, |
| 407 |
How he betrayed Adriane; |
| 408 |
The devel be his soules bane! |
| 409 |
For had he laughed, had he loured, |
| 410 |
He moste have be al devoured, |
| 411 |
If Adriane ne had y-be! |
| 412 |
And, for she had of him pitee, |
| 413 |
She made him fro the dethe escape, |
| 414 |
And he made hir a ful fals Iape; |
| 415 |
For aftir this, within a whyle |
| 416 |
He lefte hir slepinge in an yle, |
| 417 |
Deserte alone, right in the see, |
| 418 |
And stal away, and leet hir be; |
| 419 |
And took hir suster Phedra tho |
| 420 |
With him, and gan to shippe go. |
| 421 |
And yet he had y-sworn to here, |
| 422 |
On al that ever he mighte swere, |
| 423 |
That, so she saved him his lyf, |
| 424 |
He wolde have take hir to his wyf; |
| 425 |
For she desired nothing elles, |
| 426 |
In certein, as the book us telles. |
| 427 |
But to excusen Eneas |
| 428 |
Fulliche of al his greet trespas, |
| 429 |
The book seyth, Mercurie, sauns faile, |
| 430 |
Bad him go into Itaile, |
| 431 |
And leve Auffrykes regioun, |
| 432 |
And Dido and hir faire toun. |
| 433 |
Tho saw I grave, how to Itaile |
| 434 |
Daun Eneas is go to saile; |
| 435 |
And how the tempest al began, |
| 436 |
And how he loste his steresman, |
| 437 |
Which that the stere, or he took keep, |
| 438 |
Smot over-bord, lo! as he sleep. |
| 439 |
And also saw I how Sibyle |
| 440 |
And Eneas, besyde an yle, |
| 441 |
To helle wente, for to see |
| 442 |
His fader, Anchises the free. |
| 443 |
How he ther fond Palinurus, |
| 444 |
And Dido, and eek Deiphebus; |
| 445 |
And every tourment eek in helle |
| 446 |
Saw he, which is long to telle. |
| 447 |
Which who-so willeth for to knowe, |
| 448 |
He most rede many a rowe |
| 449 |
On Virgile or on Claudian, |
| 450 |
Or Daunte, that hit telle can. |
| 451 |
Tho saw I grave al tharivaile |
| 452 |
That Eneas had in Itaile; |
| 453 |
And with King Latine his tretee, |
| 454 |
And alle the batailles that he |
| 455 |
Was at him-self, and eek his knightes, |
| 456 |
Or he had al y-wonne his rightes; |
| 457 |
And how he Turnus refte his lyf, |
| 458 |
And wan Lavyna to his wyf; |
| 459 |
And al the mervelous signals |
| 460 |
Of the goddes celestials; |
| 461 |
How, maugre Iuno, Eneas, |
| 462 |
For al hir sleighte and hir compas, |
| 463 |
Acheved al his aventure; |
| 464 |
For Iupiter took of him cure |
| 465 |
At the prayere of Venus; |
| 466 |
The whiche I preye alwey save us, |
| 467 |
And us ay of our sorwes lighte! |
| 468 |
Whan I had seyen al this sighte |
| 469 |
In this noble temple thus, |
| 470 |
'A, Lord!' thoughte I, 'that madest us, |
| 471 |
Yet saw I never swich noblesse |
| 472 |
Of images, ne swich richesse, |
| 473 |
As I saw graven in this chirche; |
| 474 |
But not woot I who dide hem wirche, |
| 475 |
Ne wher I am, ne in what contree. |
| 476 |
But now wol I go out and see, |
| 477 |
Right at the wiket, if I can |
| 478 |
See o-wher stering any man, |
| 479 |
That may me telle wher I am.' |
| 480 |
When I out at the dores cam, |
| 481 |
I faste aboute me beheld. |
| 482 |
Then saw I but a large feld, |
| 483 |
As fer as that I mighte see, |
| 484 |
Withouten toun, or hous, or tree, |
| 485 |
Or bush, or gras, or ered lond; |
| 486 |
For al the feld nas but of sond |
| 487 |
As smal as man may see yet lye |
| 488 |
In the desert of Libye; |
| 489 |
Ne I to maner creature, |
| 490 |
That is y-formed by nature, |
| 491 |
Ne saw, me for to rede or wisse. |
| 492 |
'O Crist,' thoughte I, 'that art in blisse, |
| 493 |
Fro fantom and illusioun |
| 494 |
Me save!' and with devocioun |
| 495 |
Myn yen to the heven I caste. |
| 496 |
Tho was I war, lo! at the laste, |
| 497 |
That faste be the sonne, as hye |
| 498 |
As kenne mighte I with myn ye, |
| 499 |
Me thoughte I saw an egle sore, |
| 500 |
But that hit semed moche more |
| 501 |
Then I had any egle seyn. |
| 502 |
But this as sooth as deeth, certeyn, |
| 503 |
Hit was of golde, and shoon so bright, |
| 504 |
That never saw men such a sighte, |
| 505 |
But-if the heven hadde y-wonne |
| 506 |
Al newe of golde another sonne; |
| 507 |
So shoon the egles fethres brighte, |
| 508 |
And somwhat dounward gan hit lighte. |
| |
| |
Explicit liber primus. |
| |
Proem. |
| |
| 509 |
Now herkneth, every maner man |
| 510 |
That English understonde can, |
| 511 |
And listeth of my dreem to lere; |
| 512 |
For now at erste shul ye here |
| 513 |
So selly an avisioun, |
| 514 |
That Isaye, ne Scipioun, |
| 515 |
Ne King Nabugodonosor, |
| 516 |
Pharo, Turnus, ne Elcanor, |
| 517 |
Ne mette swich a dreem as this! |
| 518 |
Now faire blisfull, O Cipris, |
| 519 |
So be my favour at this tyme! |
| 520 |
And ye, me to endyte and ryme |
| 521 |
Helpeth, that on Parnaso dwelle |
| 522 |
By Elicon the clere welle. |
| 523 |
O Thought, that wroot al that I mette, |
| 524 |
And in the tresorie hit shette |
| 525 |
Of my brayn! now shal men see |
| 526 |
If any vertu in thee be, |
| 527 |
To tellen al my dreem aright; |
| 528 |
Now kythe thyn engyne and might! |
| |
| |
The Dream. |
| |
| 529 |
This egle, of which I have yow told, |
| 530 |
That shoon with fethres as of gold, |
| 531 |
Which that so hye gan to sore, |
| 532 |
I gan beholde more and more, |
| 533 |
To see hir the beautee and the wonder; |
| 534 |
But never was ther dint of thonder, |
| 535 |
Ne that thing that men calle foudre, |
| 536 |
That smoot somtyme a tour to poudre, |
| 537 |
And in his swifte coming brende, |
| 538 |
That so swythe gan descende, |
| 539 |
As this foul, whan hit behelde |
| 540 |
That I a-roume was in the felde; |
| 541 |
And with his grimme pawes stronge, |
| 542 |
Within his sharpe nayles longe, |
| 543 |
Me, fleinge, at a swappe he hente, |
| 544 |
And with his sours agayn up wente, |
| 545 |
Me caryinge in his clawes starke |
| 546 |
As lightly as I were a larke, |
| 547 |
How high I can not telle yow, |
| 548 |
For I cam up, I niste how. |
| 549 |
For so astonied and a-sweved |
| 550 |
Was every vertu in my heved, |
| 551 |
What with his sours and with my drede, |
| 552 |
That al my feling gan to dede; |
| 553 |
For-why hit was to greet affray. |
| 554 |
Thus I longe in his clawes lay, |
| 555 |
Til at the laste he to me spak |
| 556 |
In mannes vois, and seyde, 'Awak! |
| 557 |
And be not so a-gast, for shame!' |
| 558 |
And called me tho by my name, |
| 559 |
And, for I sholde the bet abreyde -- |
| 560 |
Me mette -- 'Awak,' to me he seyde, |
| 561 |
Right in the same vois and stevene |
| 562 |
That useth oon I coude nevene; |
| 563 |
And with that vois, soth for to sayn, |
| 564 |
My minde cam to me agayn; |
| 565 |
For hit was goodly seyd to me, |
| 566 |
So nas hit never wont to be. |
| 567 |
And herewithal I gan to stere, |
| 568 |
And he me in his feet to bere, |
| 569 |
Til that he felte that I had hete, |
| 570 |
And felte eek tho myn herte bete. |
| 571 |
And tho gan he me to disporte, |
| 572 |
And with wordes to comforte, |
| 573 |
And sayde twyes, 'Seynte Marie! |
| 574 |
Thou art noyous for to carie, |
| 575 |
And nothing nedeth hit, parde! |
| 576 |
For al-so wis god helpe me |
| 577 |
As thou non harm shalt have of this; |
| 578 |
And this cas, that betid thee is, |
| 579 |
Is for thy lore and for thy prow; -- |
| 580 |
Let see! darst thou yet loke now? |
| 581 |
Be ful assured, boldely, |
| 582 |
I am thy frend.' And therwith I |
| 583 |
Gan for to wondren in my minde. |
| 584 |
'O god,' thoughte I, 'that madest kinde, |
| 585 |
Shal I non other weyes dye? |
| 586 |
Wher Ioves wol me stellifye, |
| 587 |
Or what thing may this signifye? |
| 588 |
I neither am Enok, ne Elye, |
| 589 |
Ne Romulus, ne Ganymede |
| 590 |
That was y-bore up, as men rede, |
| 591 |
To hevene with dan Iupiter, |
| 592 |
And maad the goddes boteler.' |
| 593 |
Lo! this was tho my fantasye! |
| 594 |
But he that bar me gan espye |
| 595 |
That I so thoghte, and seyde this: -- |
| 596 |
'Thou demest of thy-self amis; |
| 597 |
For Ioves is not ther-aboute -- |
| 598 |
I dar wel putte thee out of doute -- |
| 599 |
To make of thee as yet a sterre. |
| 600 |
But er I bere thee moche ferre, |
| 601 |
I wol thee telle what I am, |
| 602 |
And whider thou shalt, and why I cam |
| 603 |
To done this, so that thou take |
| 604 |
Good herte, and not for fere quake.' |
| 605 |
'Gladly,' quod I. -- 'Now wel,' quod he: -- |
| 606 |
'First I, that in my feet have thee, |
| 607 |
Of which thou hast a feer and wonder, |
| 608 |
Am dwellinge with the god of thonder, |
| 609 |
Which that men callen Iupiter, |
| 610 |
That dooth me flee ful ofte fer |
| 611 |
To do al his comaundement. |
| 612 |
And for this cause he hath me sent |
| 613 |
To thee: now herke, by thy trouthe! |
| 614 |
Certeyn, he hath of thee routhe, |
| 615 |
That thou so longe trewely |
| 616 |
Hast served so ententifly |
| 617 |
His blinde nevew Cupido, |
| 618 |
And fair Venus goddesse also, |
| 619 |
Withoute guerdoun ever yit, |
| 620 |
And nevertheles has set thy wit -- |
| 621 |
Although that in thy hede ful lyte is -- |
| 622 |
To make bokes, songes, dytees, |
| 623 |
In ryme, or elles in cadence, |
| 624 |
As thou best canst, in reverence |
| 625 |
Of Love, and of his servants eke, |
| 626 |
That have his servise soght, and seke; |
| 627 |
And peynest thee to preyse his art, |
| 628 |
Althogh thou haddest never part; |
| 629 |
Wherfor, al-so god me blesse, |
| 630 |
Ioves halt hit greet humblesse |
| 631 |
And vertu eek, that thou wolt make |
| 632 |
A-night ful ofte thyn heed to ake, |
| 633 |
In thy studie so thou wrytest, |
| 634 |
And ever-mo of love endytest, |
| 635 |
In honour of him and preysinges, |
| 636 |
And in his foIkes furtheringes, |
| 637 |
And in hir matere al devysest, |
| 638 |
And noght him nor his folk despysest, |
| 639 |
Although thou mayst go in the daunce |
| 640 |
Of hem that him list not avaunce. |
| 641 |
'Wherfor, as I seyde, y-wis, |
| 642 |
Iupiter considereth this, |
| 643 |
And also, beau sir, other thinges; |
| 644 |
That is, that thou hast no tydinges |
| 645 |
Of Loves folk, if they be glade, |
| 646 |
Ne of noght elles that god made; |
| 647 |
And noght only fro fer contree |
| 648 |
That ther no tyding comth to thee, |
| 649 |
But of thy verray neyghebores, |
| 650 |
That dwellen almost at thy dores, |
| 651 |
Thou herest neither that ne this; |
| 652 |
For whan thy labour doon al is, |
| 653 |
And hast y-maad thy rekeninges, |
| 654 |
In stede of reste and newe thinges, |
| 655 |
Thou gost hoom to thy hous anoon; |
| 656 |
And, also domb as any stoon, |
| 657 |
Thou sittest at another boke, |
| 658 |
Til fully daswed is thy loke, |
| 659 |
And livest thus as an hermyte, |
| 660 |
Although thyn abstinence is lyte. |
| 661 |
'And therfor Ioves, through his grace, |
| 662 |
Wol that I bere thee to a place, |
| 663 |
Which that hight THE HOUS OF FAME, |
| 664 |
To do thee som disport and game, |
| 665 |
In som recompensacioun |
| 666 |
Of labour and devocioun |
| 667 |
That thou has had, lo! causeles, |
| 668 |
To Cupido, the reccheles! |
| 669 |
And thus this god, thorgh his meryte, |
| 670 |
Wol with som maner thing thee quyte, |
| 671 |
So that thou wolt be of good chere. |
| 672 |
For truste wel, that thou shalt here, |
| 673 |
When we be comen ther I seye, |
| 674 |
Mo wonder thinges, dar I leye: |
| 675 |
Of Loves folke mo tydinges, |
| 676 |
Both soth-sawes and lesinges; |
| 677 |
And mo loves newe begonne, |
| 678 |
And longe y-served loves wonne, |
| 679 |
And mo loves casuelly |
| 680 |
That been betid, no man wot why, |
| 681 |
But as a blind man stert an hare; |
| 682 |
And more Iolytee and fare, |
| 683 |
Whyl that they finde love of stele, |
| 684 |
As thinketh hem, and over-al wele; |
| 685 |
Mo discords, mo Ielousyes, |
| 686 |
Mo murmurs, and mo novelryes, |
| 687 |
And mo dissimulaciouns; |
| 688 |
And feyned reparaciouns; |
| 689 |
And mo berdes in two houres |
| 690 |
Withoute rasour or sisoures |
| 691 |
Y-maad, then greynes be of sondes; |
| 692 |
And eke mo holdinge in hondes, |
| 693 |
And also mo renovelaunces |
| 694 |
Of olde forleten aqueyntaunces; |
| 695 |
Mo love-dayes and acordes |
| 696 |
Then on instruments ben cordes; |
| 697 |
And eke of loves mo eschaunges |
| 698 |
Than ever cornes were in graunges; |
| 699 |
Unnethe maistow trowen this?' -- |
| 700 |
Quod he. 'No, helpe me god so wis!' -- |
| 701 |
Quod I. 'No? why?' quod he. 'For hit |
| 702 |
Were impossible, to my wit, |
| 703 |
Though that Fame hadde al the pyes |
| 704 |
In al a realme, and al the spyes, |
| 705 |
How that yet she shulde here al this, |
| 706 |
Or they espye hit.' 'O yis, yis!' |
| 707 |
Quod he to me, 'that can I preve |
| 708 |
By resoun, worthy for to leve, |
| 709 |
So that thou yeve thyn advertence |
| 710 |
To understonde my sentence. |
| 711 |
'First shalt thou heren wher she dwelleth, |
| 712 |
And so thyn owne book hit telleth; |
| 713 |
Hir paleys stant, as I shal seye, |
| 714 |
Right even in middes of the weye |
| 715 |
Betwixen hevene, erthe, and see; |
| 716 |
That, what-so-ever in al these three |
| 717 |
Is spoken, in privee or aperte, |
| 718 |
The way therto is so overte, |
| 719 |
And stant eek in so Iuste a place, |
| 720 |
That every soun mot to hit pace, |
| 721 |
Or what so comth fro any tonge, |
| 722 |
Be hit rouned, red, or songe, |
| 723 |
Or spoke in seurtee or in drede, |
| 724 |
Certein, hit moste thider nede. |
| 725 |
'Now herkne wel; for-why I wille |
| 726 |
Tellen thee a propre skile, |
| 727 |
And worthy demonstracioun |
| 728 |
In myn imagynacioun. |
| 729 |
'Geffrey, thou wost right wel this, |
| 730 |
That every kindly thing that is, |
| 731 |
Hath a kindly stede ther he |
| 732 |
May best in hit conserved be; |
| 733 |
Unto which place every thing, |
| 734 |
Through his kindly enclyning, |
| 735 |
Moveth for to come to, |
| 736 |
Whan that hit is awey therfro; |
| 737 |
As thus; lo, thou mayst al day see |
| 738 |
That any thing that hevy be, |
| 739 |
As stoon or leed, or thing of wighte, |
| 740 |
And ber hit never so hye on highte, |
| 741 |
Lat goo thyn hand, hit falleth doun. |
| 742 |
'Right so seye I by fyre or soun, |
| 743 |
Or smoke, or other thinges lighte, |
| 744 |
Alwey they seke upward on highte; |
| 745 |
Whyl ech of hem is at his large, |
| 746 |
Light thing up, and dounward charge. |
| 747 |
'And for this cause mayst thou see, |
| 748 |
That every river to the see |
| 749 |
Enclyned is to go, by kinde. |
| 750 |
And by these skilles, as I finde, |
| 751 |
Hath fish dwellinge in floode and see, |
| 752 |
And trees eek in erthe be. |
| 753 |
Thus every thing, by this resoun, |
| 754 |
Hath his propre mansioun, |
| 755 |
To which hit seketh to repaire, |
| 756 |
As ther hit shulde not apaire. |
| 757 |
Lo, this sentence is knowen couthe |
| 758 |
Of every philosophres mouthe, |
| 759 |
As Aristotle and dan Platon, |
| 760 |
And other clerkes many oon; |
| 761 |
And to confirme my resoun, |
| 762 |
Thou wost wel this, that speche is soun, |
| 763 |
Or elles no man mighte hit here; |
| 764 |
Now herkne what I wol thee lere. |
| 765 |
'Soun is noght but air y-broken, |
| 766 |
And every speche that is spoken, |
| 767 |
Loud or privee, foul or fair, |
| 768 |
In his substaunce is but air; |
| 769 |
For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke, |
| 770 |
Right so soun is air y-broke. |
| 771 |
But this may be in many wyse, |
| 772 |
Of which I wil thee two devise, |
| 773 |
As soun that comth of pype or harpe. |
| 774 |
For whan a pype is blowen sharpe, |
| 775 |
The air is twist with violence, |
| 776 |
And rent; lo, this is my sentence; |
| 777 |
Eke, whan men harpe-stringes smyte, |
| 778 |
Whether hit be moche or lyte, |
| 779 |
Lo, with the strook the air to-breketh; |
| 780 |
Right so hit breketh whan men speketh. |
| 781 |
Thus wost thou wel what thing is speche. |
| 782 |
'Now hennesforth I wol thee teche, |
| 783 |
How every speche, or noise, or soun, |
| 784 |
Through his multiplicacioun, |
| 785 |
Thogh hit were pyped of a mouse, |
| 786 |
Moot nede come to Fames House. |
| 787 |
I preve hit thus -- tak hede now -- |
| 788 |
Be experience; for if that thou |
| 789 |
Throwe on water now a stoon, |
| 790 |
Wel wost thou, hit wol make anoon |
| 791 |
A litel roundel as a cercle, |
| 792 |
Paraventer brood as a covercle; |
| 793 |
And right anoon thou shalt see weel, |
| 794 |
That wheel wol cause another wheel, |
| 795 |
And that the thridde, and so forth, brother, |
| 796 |
Every cercle causinge other, |
| 797 |
Wyder than himselve was; |
| 798 |
And thus, fro roundel to compas, |
| 799 |
Ech aboute other goinge, |
| 800 |
Caused of othres steringe, |
| 801 |
And multiplying ever-mo, |
| 802 |
Til that hit be so fer ygoo |
| 803 |
That hit at bothe brinkes be. |
| 804 |
Al-thogh thou mowe hit not y-see, |
| 805 |
Above, hit goth yet alway under, |
| 806 |
Although thou thenke hit a gret wonder. |
| 807 |
And who-so seith of trouthe I varie, |
| 808 |
Bid him proven the contrarie. |
| 809 |
And right thus every word, y-wis, |
| 810 |
That loude or privee spoken is, |
| 811 |
Moveth first an air aboute, |
| 812 |
And of this moving, out of doute, |
| 813 |
Another air anoon is meved, |
| 814 |
As I have of the water preved, |
| 815 |
That every cercle causeth other. |
| 816 |
Right so of air, my leve brother; |
| 817 |
Everich air in other stereth |
| 818 |
More and more, and speche up bereth, |
| 819 |
Or vois, or noise, or word, or soun, |
| 820 |
Ay through multiplicacioun, |
| 821 |
Til hit be atte House of Fame; -- |
| 822 |
Tak hit in ernest or in game. |
| 823 |
'Now have I told, if thou have minde, |
| 824 |
How speche or soun, of pure kinde, |
| 825 |
Enclyned is upward to meve; |
| 826 |
This, mayst thou fele, wel I preve. |
| 827 |
And that the mansioun, y-wis, |
| 828 |
That every thing enclyned to is, |
| 829 |
Hath his kindeliche stede: |
| 830 |
That sheweth hit, withouten drede, |
| 831 |
That kindely the mansioun |
| 832 |
Of every speche, of every soun, |
| 833 |
Be hit either foul or fair, |
| 834 |
Hath his kinde place in air. |
| 835 |
And sin that every thing, that is |
| 836 |
Out of his kinde place, y-wis, |
| 837 |
Moveth thider for to go |
| 838 |
If hit a-weye be therfro, |
| 839 |
As I before have preved thee, |
| 840 |
Hit seweth, every soun, pardee, |
| 841 |
Moveth kindely to pace |
| 842 |
Al up into his kindely place. |
| 843 |
And this place of which I telle, |
| 844 |
Ther as Fame list to dwelle, |
| 845 |
Is set amiddes of these three, |
| 846 |
Heven, erthe, and eek the see, |
| 847 |
As most conservatif the soun. |
| 848 |
Than is this the conclusioun, |
| 849 |
That every speche of every man, |
| 850 |
As I thee telle first began, |
| 851 |
Moveth up on high to pace |
| 852 |
Kindely to Fames place. |
| 853 |
'Telle me this feithfully, |
| 854 |
Have I not preved thus simply, |
| 855 |
Withouten any subtiltee |
| 856 |
Of speche, or gret prolixitee |
| 857 |
Of termes of philosophye, |
| 858 |
Of figures of poetrye, |
| 859 |
Or colours of rethoryke? |
| 860 |
Pardee, hit oghte thee to lyke; |
| 861 |
For hard langage and hard matere |
| 862 |
Is encombrous for to here |
| 863 |
At ones; Wost thou not wel this?' |
| 864 |
And I answerde, and seyde,'Yis.' |
| 865 |
'A ha!' quod he, 'lo, so I can, |
| 866 |
Lewedly to a lewed man |
| 867 |
Speke, and shewe him swiche skiles, |
| 868 |
That he may shake hem by the biles, |
| 869 |
So palpable they shulden be. |
| 870 |
But tel me this, now pray I thee, |
| 871 |
How thinkth thee my conclusioun?' |
| 872 |
Quod he. 'A good persuasioun,' |
| 873 |
Quod I, 'hit is; and lyk to be |
| 874 |
Right so as thou hast preved me.' |
| 875 |
'By god,' quod he, 'and as I leve, |
| 876 |
Thou shalt have yit, or hit be eve, |
| 877 |
Of every word of this sentence |
| 878 |
A preve, by experience; |
| 879 |
And with thyn eres heren wel |
| 880 |
Top and tail, and everydel, |
| 881 |
That every word that spoken is |
| 882 |
Comth into Fames Hous, y-wis, |
| 883 |
As I have seyd; what wilt thou more?' |
| 884 |
And with this word upper to sore |
| 885 |
He gan, and seyde, 'Be Seynt Iame! |
| 886 |
Now wil we speken al of game.' -- |
| 887 |
'How farest thou?' quod he to me, |
| 888 |
'Wel,' quod I. 'Now see,' quod he, |
| 889 |
'By thy trouthe, yond adoun, |
| 890 |
Wher that thou knowest any toun, |
| 891 |
Or hous, or any other thing. |
| 892 |
And whan thou hast of ought knowing, |
| 893 |
Loke that thou warne me, |
| 894 |
And I anoon shal telle thee |
| 895 |
How fer that thou art now therfro.' |
| 896 |
And I adoun gan loken tho, |
| 897 |
And beheld feldes and plaines, |
| 898 |
And now hilles, and now mountaines, |
| 899 |
Now valeys, and now forestes, |
| 900 |
And now, unethes, grete bestes; |
| 901 |
Now riveres, now citees, |
| 902 |
Now tounes, and now grete trees, |
| 903 |
Now shippes saillinge in the see. |
| 904 |
But thus sone in a whyle he |
| 905 |
Was flowen fro the grounde so hye, |
| 906 |
That al the world, as to myn ye, |
| 907 |
No more semed than a prikke; |
| 908 |
Or elles was the air so thikke |
| 909 |
That I ne mighte not discerne. |
| 910 |
With that he spak to me as yerne, |
| 911 |
And seyde: 'Seestow any toun |
| 912 |
Or ought thou knowest yonder doun?' |
| 913 |
I seyde, 'Nay.' 'No wonder nis,' |
| 914 |
Quod he, 'for half so high as this |
| 915 |
Nas Alexander Macedo; |
| 916 |
Ne the king, dan Scipio. |
| 917 |
That saw in dreme, at point devys, |
| 918 |
Helle and erthe, and paradys; |
| 919 |
Ne eek the wrecche Dedalus, |
| 920 |
Ne his child, nyce Icarus, |
| 921 |
That fleigh so highe that the hete |
| 922 |
His winges malt, and he fel wete |
| 923 |
In-mid the see, and ther he dreynte, |
| 924 |
For whom was maked moch compleynte. |
| 925 |
'Now turn upward,' quod he, 'thy face, |
| 926 |
And behold this large place, |
| 927 |
This air; but loke thou ne be |
| 928 |
Adrad of hem that thou shalt see; |
| 929 |
For in this regioun, certein, |
| 930 |
Dwelleth many a citezein, |
| 931 |
Of which that speketh dan Plato. |
| 932 |
These ben the eyrish bestes, lo!' |
| 933 |
And so saw I al that meynee |
| 934 |
Bothe goon and also flee. |
| 935 |
'Now,' quod he tho, 'cast up thyn ye; |
| 936 |
See yonder, lo, the Galaxye, |
| 937 |
Which men clepeth the Milky Wey, |
| 938 |
For hit is whyt: and somme, parfey, |
| 939 |
Callen hit Watlinge Strete: |
| 940 |
That ones was y-brent with hete, |
| 941 |
Whan the sonnes sone, the rede, |
| 942 |
That highte Pheton, wolde lede |
| 943 |
Algate his fader cart, and gye. |
| 944 |
The cart-hors gonne wel espye |
| 945 |
That he ne coude no governaunce, |
| 946 |
And gonne for to lepe and launce, |
| 947 |
And beren him now up, now doun, |
| 948 |
Til that he saw the Scorpioun, |
| 949 |
Which that in heven a signe is yit, |
| 950 |
And he, for ferde, loste his wit, |
| 951 |
Of that, and leet the reynes goon |
| 952 |
Of his hors; and they anoon |
| 953 |
Gonne up to mounte, and doun descende |
| 954 |
Til bothe the eyr and erthe brende; |
| 955 |
Til Iupiter, lo, atte laste, |
| 956 |
Him slow, and fro the carte caste. |
| 957 |
Lo, is it not a greet mischaunce, |
| 958 |
To lete a fole han governaunce |
| 959 |
Of thing that he can not demeine?' |
| 960 |
And with this word, soth for to seyne, |
| 961 |
He gan alway upper to sore, |
| 962 |
And gladded me ay more and more, |
| 963 |
So feithfully to me spak he. |
| 964 |
Tho gan I loken under me, |
| 965 |
And beheld the eyrish bestes, |
| 966 |
Cloudes, mistes, and tempestes, |
| 967 |
Snowes, hailes, reines, windes, |
| 968 |
And thengendring in hir kindes, |
| 969 |
And al the wey through whiche I cam; |
| 970 |
'O god,' quod I, 'that made Adam, |
| 971 |
Moche is thy might and thy noblesse!' |
| 972 |
And tho thoughte I upon Boece, |
| 973 |
That writ, 'a thought may flee so hye, |
| 974 |
With fetheres of Philosophye, |
| 975 |
To passen everich element; |
| 976 |
And whan he hath so fer y-went, |
| 977 |
Than may be seen, behind his bak, |
| 978 |
Cloud, and al that I of spak.' |
| 979 |
Tho gan I wexen in a were, |
| 980 |
And seyde, 'I woot wel I am here; |
| 981 |
But wher in body or in gost |
| 982 |
I noot, y-wis; but god, thou wost!' |
| 983 |
For more cleer entendement |
| 984 |
Nadde he me never yit y-sent. |
| 985 |
And than thoughte I on Marcian, |
| 986 |
And eek on Anleclaudian, |
| 987 |
That sooth was hir descripcioun |
| 988 |
Of al the hevenes regioun, |
| 989 |
As fer as that I saw the preve; |
| 990 |
Therfor I can hem now beleve. |
| 991 |
With that this egle gan to crye: |
| 992 |
'Lat be,' quod he, 'thy fantasye; |
| 993 |
Wilt thou lere of sterres aught?' |
| 994 |
'Nay, certeinly,' quod I, 'right naught; |
| 995 |
'And why? for I am now to old.' |
| 996 |
'Elles I wolde thee have told,' |
| 997 |
Quod he, 'the sterres names, lo, |
| 998 |
And al the hevenes signes to, |
| 999 |
And which they been.' 'No fors,' quod I. |
| 1000 |
'Yis, pardee,' quod he; 'wostow why? |
| 1001 |
For when thou redest poetrye, |
| 1002 |
How goddes gonne stellifye |
| 1003 |
Brid, fish, beste, or him or here, |
| 1004 |
As the Raven, or either Bere, |
| 1005 |
Or Ariones harpe fyn, |
| 1006 |
Castor, Pollux, or Delphyn, |
| 1007 |
Or Atlantes doughtres sevene, |
| 1008 |
How alle these arn set in hevene; |
| 1009 |
For though thou have hem ofte on honde, |
| 1010 |
Yet nostow not wher that they stonde.' |
| 1011 |
'No fors,' quod I, 'hit is no nede; |
| 1012 |
I leve as wel, so god me spede, |
| 1013 |
Hem that wryte of this matere, |
| 1014 |
As though I knew hir places here; |
| 1015 |
And eek they shynen here so brighte, |
| 1016 |
Hit shulde shenden al my sighte |
| 1017 |
To loke on hem.' 'That may wel be,' |
| 1018 |
Quod he. And so forth bar he me |
| 1019 |
A whyl, and than he gan to crye, |
| 1020 |
That never herde I thing so hye, |
| 1021 |
'Now up the heed; for al is wel; |
| 1022 |
Seynt Iulyan, lo, bon hostel! |
| 1023 |
See here the Hous of Fame, lo! |
| 1024 |
Maistow not heren that I do?' |
| 1025 |
'What?' quod I. 'The grete soun,' |
| 1026 |
Quod he, 'that rumbleth up and doun |
| 1027 |
In Fames Hous, full of tydinges, |
| 1028 |
Bothe of fair speche and chydinges, |
| 1029 |
And of fals and soth compouned. |
| 1030 |
Herke wel; hit is not rouned. |
| 1031 |
Herestow not the grete swogh?' |
| 1032 |
'Yis, pardee,' quod I, 'wel y-nogh.' |
| 1033 |
'And what soun is it lyk?' quod he. |
| 1034 |
'Peter! lyk beting of the see,' |
| 1035 |
Quod I, 'again the roches holowe, |
| 1036 |
Whan tempest doth the shippes swalowe; |
| 1037 |
And lat a man stonde, out of doute, |
| 1038 |
A myle thens, and here hit route; |
| 1039 |
Or elles lyk the last humblinge |
| 1040 |
After the clappe of oo thundringe, |
| 1041 |
Whan Ioves hath the aire y-bete; |
| 1042 |
But hit doth me for fere swete.' |
| 1043 |
'Nay, dred thee not thereof,' quod he, |
| 1044 |
'Hit is nothing wil byten thee; |
| 1045 |
Thou shalt non harme have, trewely.' |
| 1046 |
And with this word bothe he and I |
| 1047 |
As nigh the place arryved were |
| 1048 |
As men may casten with a spere. |
| 1049 |
I niste how, but in a strete |
| 1050 |
He sette me faire on my fete, |
| 1051 |
And seyde, 'Walke forth a pas, |
| 1052 |
And tak thyn aventure or cas, |
| 1053 |
That thou shalt finde in Fames place.' |
| 1054 |
'Now,' quod I, 'whyl we han space |
| 1055 |
To speke, or that I go fro thee, |
| 1056 |
For the love of god, tel me, |
| 1057 |
In sooth, that wil I of thee lere, |
| 1058 |
If this noise that I here |
| 1059 |
Be as I have herd thee tellen, |
| 1060 |
Of folk that doun in erthe dwellen, |
| 1061 |
And cometh here in the same wyse |
| 1062 |
As I thee herde or this devyse; |
| 1063 |
And that ther lyves body nis |
| 1064 |
In al that hous that yonder is, |
| 1065 |
That maketh al this loude fare?' |
| 1066 |
'No,' quod he, 'by Seynte Clare, |
| 1067 |
And also wis god rede me! |
| 1068 |
But o thinge I wil warne thee |
| 1069 |
Of the which thou wolt have wonder. |
| 1070 |
Lo, to the House of Fame yonder |
| 1071 |
Thou wost how cometh every speche, |
| 1072 |
Hit nedeth noght thee eft to teche. |
| 1073 |
But understond now right wel this; |
| 1074 |
Whan any speche y-comen is |
| 1075 |
Up to the paleys, anon-right |
| 1076 |
Hit wexeth lyk the same wight, |
| 1077 |
Which that the word in erthe spak, |
| 1078 |
Be hit clothed red or blak; |
| 1079 |
And hath so verray his lyknesse |
| 1080 |
That spak the word, that thou wilt gesse |
| 1081 |
That hit the same body be, |
| 1082 |
Man or woman, he or she, |
| 1083 |
And is not this a wonder thing?' |
| 1084 |
'Yis,' quod I tho, 'by hevene king!' |
| 1085 |
And with this worde, 'Farwel,' quod he, |
| 1086 |
'And here I wol abyden thee; |
| 1087 |
And god of hevene sende thee grace, |
| 1088 |
Som good to lernen in this place,' |
| 1089 |
And I of him took leve anoon, |
| 1090 |
And gan forth to the paleys goon. |
| |
| |
Explicit liber secundus. |
| |
Invocation. |
| |
| 1091 |
O god of science and of light, |
| 1092 |
Apollo, through thy grete might, |
| 1093 |
This litel laste book thou gye! |
| 1094 |
Nat that I wilne, for maistrye, |
| 1095 |
Here art poetical be shewed; |
| 1096 |
But, for the rym is light and lewed, |
| 1097 |
Yit make hit sumwhat agreable, |
| 1098 |
Though som vers faile in a sillable; |
| 1099 |
And that I do no diligence |
| 1100 |
To shewe craft, but o sentence. |
| 1101 |
And if, divyne vertu, thou |
| 1102 |
Wilt helpe me to shewe now |
| 1103 |
That in myn hede y-marked is -- |
| 1104 |
Lo, that is for to menen this, |
| 1105 |
The Hous of Fame for to descryve -- |
| 1106 |
Thou shalt see me go, as blyve, |
| 1107 |
Unto the nexte laure I see, |
| 1108 |
And kisse hit, for hit is thy tree; |
| 1109 |
Now entreth in my brest anoon! |
| |
| |
The Dream. |
| |
| 1110 |
Whan I was fro this egle goon, |
| 1111 |
I gan beholde upon this place. |
| 1112 |
And certein, or I ferther pace, |
| 1113 |
I wol yow al the shap devyse |
| 1114 |
Of hous and site; and al the wyse |
| 1115 |
How I gan to this place aproche |
| 1116 |
That stood upon so high a roche, |
| 1117 |
Hyer stant ther noon in Spaine. |
| 1118 |
But up I clomb with alle paine, |
| 1119 |
And though to climbe hit greved me, |
| 1120 |
Yit I ententif was to see, |
| 1121 |
And for to pouren wonder lowe, |
| 1122 |
If I coude any weyes knowe |
| 1123 |
What maner stoon this roche was; |
| 1124 |
For hit was lyk a thing of glas, |
| 1125 |
But that hit shoon ful more clere; |
| 1126 |
But of what congeled matere |
| 1127 |
Hit was, I niste redely. |
| 1128 |
But at the laste espyed I, |
| 1129 |
And found that hit was, every deel, |
| 1130 |
A roche of yse, and not of steel. |
| 1131 |
Thoughte I, 'By Seynt Thomas of Kent! |
| 1132 |
This were a feble foundement |
| 1133 |
To bilden on a place hye; |
| 1134 |
He ought him litel glorifye |
| 1135 |
That her-on bilt, god so me save!' |
| 1136 |
Tho saw I al the half y-grave |
| 1137 |
With famous folkes names fele, |
| 1138 |
That had y-been in mochel wele, |
| 1139 |
And hir fames wyde y-blowe. |
| 1140 |
But wel unethes coude I knowe |
| 1141 |
Any lettres for to rede |
| 1142 |
Hir names by; for, out of drede, |
| 1143 |
They were almost of-thowed so, |
| 1144 |
That of the lettres oon or two |
| 1145 |
Was molte away of every name, |
| 1146 |
So unfamous was wexe hir fame; |
| 1147 |
But men seyn, 'What may ever laste?' |
| 1148 |
Tho gan I in myn herte caste, |
| 1149 |
That they were molte awey with hete, |
| 1150 |
And not awey with stormes bete. |
| 1151 |
For on that other syde I sey |
| 1152 |
Of this hille, that northward lay, |
| 1153 |
How hit was writen ful of names |
| 1154 |
Of folk that hadden grete fames |
| 1155 |
Of olde tyme, and yit they were |
| 1156 |
As fresshe as men had writen hem there |
| 1157 |
The selve day right, or that houre |
| 1158 |
That I upon hem gan to poure. |
| 1159 |
But wel I wiste what hit made; |
| 1160 |
Hit was conserved with the shade -- |
| 1161 |
Al this wrytinge that I sy -- |
| 1162 |
Of a castel, that stood on hy, |
| 1163 |
And stood eek on so cold a place, |
| 1164 |
That hete mighte hit not deface. |
| 1165 |
Tho gan I up the hille to goon, |
| 1166 |
And fond upon the coppe a woon, |
| 1167 |
That alle the men that ben on lyve |
| 1168 |
Ne han the cunning to descryve |
| 1169 |
The beautee of that ilke place, |
| 1170 |
Ne coude casten no compace |
| 1171 |
Swich another for to make, |
| 1172 |
That mighte of beautee be his make |
| 1173 |
Ne be so wonderliche y-wrought; |
| 1174 |
That hit astonieth yit my thought, |
| 1175 |
And maketh al my wit to swinke |
| 1176 |
On this castel to bethinke. |
| 1177 |
So that the grete craft, beautee, |
| 1178 |
The cast, and curiositee |
| 1179 |
Ne can I not to yow devyse, |
| 1180 |
My wit ne may me not suffyse. |
| 1181 |
But natheles al the substance |
| 1182 |
I have yit in my remembrance; |
| 1183 |
For-why me thoughte, by Seynt Gyle! |
| 1184 |
Al was of stone of beryle, |
| 1185 |
Bothe castel and the tour, |
| 1186 |
And eek the halle, and every bour, |
| 1187 |
Withouten peces or Ioininges, |
| 1188 |
But many subtil compassinges, |
| 1189 |
Babewinnes and pinacles, |
| 1190 |
Imageries and tabernacles, |
| 1191 |
I saw; and ful eek of windowes, |
| 1192 |
As flakes falle in grete snowes. |
| 1193 |
And eek in ech of the pinacles |
| 1194 |
Weren sondry habitacles, |
| 1195 |
In whiche stoden, al withoute -- |
| 1196 |
Ful the castel, al aboute -- |
| 1197 |
Of alle maner of minstrales, |
| 1198 |
And gestiours, that tellen tales |
| 1199 |
Bothe of weping and of game, |
| 1200 |
Of al that longeth unto Fame. |
| 1201 |
Ther herde I pleyen on an harpe |
| 1202 |
That souned bothe wel and sharpe, |
| 1203 |
Orpheus ful craftely, |
| 1204 |
And on his syde, faste by, |
| 1205 |
Sat the harper Orion, |
| 1206 |
And Eacides Chiron, |
| 1207 |
And other harpers many oon, |
| 1208 |
And the Bret Glascurion; |
| 1209 |
And smale harpers with her glees |
| 1210 |
Saten under hem in sees, |
| 1211 |
And gunne on hem upward to gape, |
| 1212 |
And countrefete hem as an ape, |
| 1213 |
Or as craft countrefeteth kinde. |
| 1214 |
Tho saugh I stonden hem behinde, |
| 1215 |
A-fer fro hem, al by hemselve, |
| 1216 |
Many thousand tymes twelve, |
| 1217 |
That maden loude menstralcyes |
| 1218 |
In cornemuse and shalmyes, |
| 1219 |
And many other maner pype, |
| 1220 |
That craftely begunne pype |
| 1221 |
Bothe in doucet and in rede, |
| 1222 |
That ben at festes with the brede; |
| 1223 |
And many floute and lilting-horne, |
| 1224 |
And pypes made of grene corne, |
| 1225 |
As han thise litel herde-gromes |
| 1226 |
That kepen bestes in the bromes. |
| 1227 |
Ther saugh I than Atiteris, |
| 1228 |
And of Athenes dan Pseustis, |
| 1229 |
And Marcia that lost her skin, |
| 1230 |
Bothe in face, body, and chin, |
| 1231 |
For that she wolde envyen, lo! |
| 1232 |
To pypen bet than Apollo. |
| 1233 |
Ther saugh I famous, olde and yonge, |
| 1234 |
Pypers of the Duche tonge, |
| 1235 |
To lerne love-daunces, springes, |
| 1236 |
Reyes, and these straunge thinges. |
| 1237 |
Tho saugh I in another place |
| 1238 |
Stonden in a large space, |
| 1239 |
Of hem that maken blody soun |
| 1240 |
In trumpe, beme, and clarioun; |
| 1241 |
For in fight and blood-shedinge |
| 1242 |
Is used gladly clarioninge. |
| 1243 |
Ther herde I trumpen Messenus, |
| 1244 |
Of whom that speketh Virgilius. |
| 1245 |
Ther herde I Ioab trumpe also, |
| 1246 |
Theodomas, and other mo; |
| 1247 |
And alle that used clarion |
| 1248 |
In Cataloigne and Aragon, |
| 1249 |
That in hir tyme famous were |
| 1250 |
To lerne, saugh I trumpe there. |
| 1251 |
Ther saugh I sitte in other sees, |
| 1252 |
Pleyinge upon sondry glees, |
| 1253 |
Whiche that I cannot nevene, |
| 1254 |
Mo then sterres been in hevene, |
| 1255 |
Of whiche I nil as now not ryme, |
| 1256 |
For ese of yow, and losse of tyme: |
| 1257 |
For tyme y-lost, this knowen ye, |
| 1258 |
By no way may recovered be. |
| 1259 |
Ther saugh I pleyen Iogelours, |
| 1260 |
Magiciens and tregetours, |
| 1261 |
And phitonesses, charmeresses, |
| 1262 |
Olde wicches, sorceresses, |
| 1263 |
That use exorsisaciouns, |
| 1264 |
And eek thise fumigaciouns; |
| 1265 |
And clerkes eek, which conne wel |
| 1266 |
Al this magyke naturel, |
| 1267 |
That craftely don hir ententes, |
| 1268 |
To make, in certeyn ascendentes, |
| 1269 |
Images, lo, through which magyk |
| 1270 |
To make a man ben hool or syk. |
| 1271 |
Ther saugh I thee queen Medea, |
| 1272 |
And Circes eke, and Calipsa; |
| 1273 |
Ther saugh I Hermes Ballenus, |
| 1274 |
Lymote, and eek Simon Magus. |
| 1275 |
Ther saugh I, and knew hem by name, |
| 1276 |
That by such art don men han fame. |
| 1277 |
Ther saugh I Colle tregetour |
| 1278 |
Upon a table of sicamour |
| 1279 |
Pleye an uncouthe thing to telle; |
| 1280 |
I saugh him carien a wind-melle |
| 1281 |
Under a walsh-note shale. |
| 1282 |
What shuld I make lenger tale |
| 1283 |
Of al the peple that I say, |
| 1284 |
Fro hennes in-to domesday? |
| 1285 |
Whan I had al this folk beholde, |
| 1286 |
And fond me lous, and noght y-holde, |
| 1287 |
And eft y-mused longe whyle |
| 1288 |
Upon these walles of beryle, |
| 1289 |
That shoon ful lighter than a glas, |
| 1290 |
And made wel more than hit was |
| 1291 |
To semen, every thing, y-wis, |
| 1292 |
As kinde thing of fames is; |
| 1293 |
I gan forth romen til I fond |
| 1294 |
The castel-yate on my right hond, |
| 1295 |
Which that so wel corven was |
| 1296 |
That never swich another nas; |
| 1297 |
And yit hit was by aventure |
| 1298 |
Y-wrought, as often as by cure. |
| 1299 |
Hit nedeth noght yow for to tellen, |
| 1300 |
To make yow to longe dwellen, |
| 1301 |
Of this yates florisshinges, |
| 1302 |
Ne of compasses, ne of kervinges, |
| 1303 |
Ne how they hatte in masoneries, |
| 1304 |
As, corbetz fulle of imageries. |
| 1305 |
But, lord! so fair hit was to shewe, |
| 1306 |
For hit was al with gold behewe. |
| 1307 |
But in I wente, and that anoon; |
| 1308 |
Ther mette I crying many oon, -- |
| 1309 |
'A larges, larges, hold up wel! |
| 1310 |
God save the lady of this pel, |
| 1311 |
Our owne gentil lady Fame, |
| 1312 |
And hem that wilnen to have name |
| 1313 |
Of us!' Thus herde I cryen alle, |
| 1314 |
And faste comen out of halle, |
| 1315 |
And shoken nobles and sterlinges. |
| 1316 |
And somme crouned were as kinges, |
| 1317 |
With crounes wroght ful of losenges; |
| 1318 |
And many riban, and many frenges |
| 1319 |
Were on hir clothes trewely. |
| 1320 |
Tho atte laste aspyed I |
| 1321 |
That pursevauntes and heraudes, |
| 1322 |
That cryen riche folkes laudes, |
| 1323 |
Hit weren alle; and every man |
| 1324 |
Of hem, as I yow tellen can, |
| 1325 |
Had on him throwen a vesture, |
| 1326 |
Which that men clepe a cote-armure, |
| 1327 |
Enbrowded wonderliche riche, |
| 1328 |
Al-though they nere nought y-liche. |
| 1329 |
But noght nil I, so mote I thryve, |
| 1330 |
Been aboute to discryve |
| 1331 |
Al these armes that ther weren, |
| 1332 |
That they thus on her cotes beren, |
| 1333 |
For hit to me were impossible; |
| 1334 |
Men mighte make of hem a bible |
| 1335 |
Twenty foot thikke, as I trowe. |
| 1336 |
For certeyn, who-so coude y-knowe |
| 1337 |
Mighte ther alle the armes seen |
| 1338 |
Of famous folk that han y-been |
| 1339 |
In Auffrike, Europe, and Asye, |
| 1340 |
Sith first began the chevalrye, |
| 1341 |
Lo! how shulde I now telle al this? |
| 1342 |
Ne of the halle eek what nede is |
| 1343 |
To tellen yow, that every wal |
| 1344 |
Of hit, and floor, and roof and al |
| 1345 |
Was plated half a fote thikke |
| 1346 |
Of gold, and that nas no-thing wikke, |
| 1347 |
But, for to prove in alle wyse, |
| 1348 |
As fyn as ducat in Venyse, |
| 1349 |
Of whiche to lyte al in my pouche is? |
| 1350 |
And they wer set as thikke of nouchis |
| 1351 |
Fulle of the fynest stones faire, |
| 1352 |
That men rede in the Lapidaire, |
| 1353 |
As greses growen in a mede; |
| 1354 |
But hit were al to longe to rede |
| 1355 |
The names; and therfore I pace. |
| 1356 |
But in this riche lusty place, |
| 1357 |
That Fames halle called was, |
| 1358 |
Ful moche prees of folk ther nas, |
| 1359 |
Ne crouding, for to mochil prees. |
| 1360 |
But al on hye, above a dees, |
| 1361 |
Sitte in a see imperial, |
| 1362 |
That maad was of a rubee al, |
| 1363 |
Which that a carbuncle is y-called, |
| 1364 |
I saugh, perpetually y-stalled, |
| 1365 |
A feminyne creature; |
| 1366 |
That never formed by nature |
| 1367 |
Nas swich another thing y-seye. |
| 1368 |
For altherfirst, soth for to seye, |
| 1369 |
Me thoughte that she was so lyte, |
| 1370 |
That the lengthe of a cubyte |
| 1371 |
Was lenger than she semed be; |
| 1372 |
But thus sone, in a whyle, she |
| 1373 |
Hir tho so wonderliche streighte, |
| 1374 |
That with hir feet she therthe reighte, |
| 1375 |
And with hir heed she touched hevene, |
| 1376 |
Ther as shynen sterres sevene. |
| 1377 |
And ther-to eek, as to my wit, |
| 1378 |
I saugh a gretter wonder yit |
| 1379 |
Upon hir eyen to beholde; |
| 1380 |
But certeyn I hem never tolde; |
| 1381 |
For as fele eyen hadde she |
| 1382 |
As fetheres upon foules be, |
| 1383 |
Or weren on the bestes foure |
| 1384 |
That goddes trone gunne honoure, |
| 1385 |
As Iohn writ in th'Apocalips. |
| 1386 |
Hir heer, that oundy was and crips, |
| 1387 |
As burned gold hit shoon to see. |
| 1388 |
And sooth to tellen, also she |
| 1389 |
Had also fele up-stonding eres |
| 1390 |
And tonges, as on bestes heres; |
| 1391 |
And on hir feet wexen saugh I |
| 1392 |
Partriches winges redely. |
| 1393 |
But, lord! the perrie and the richesse |
| 1394 |
I saugh sitting on this goddesse! |
| 1395 |
And, lord! the hevenish melodye |
| 1396 |
Of songes, ful of armonye, |
| 1397 |
I herde aboute her trone y-songe, |
| 1398 |
That al the paleys-walles ronge! |
| 1399 |
So song the mighty Muse, she |
| 1400 |
That cleped is Caliopee, |
| 1401 |
And hir eighte sustren eke, |
| 1402 |
That in hir face semen meke; |
| 1403 |
And evermo, eternally, |
| 1404 |
They songe of Fame, as tho herde I: -- |
| 1405 |
'Heried be thou and thy name, |
| 1406 |
Goddesse of renoun and of fame!' |
| 1407 |
Tho was I war, lo, atte laste, |
| 1408 |
As I myn eyen gan up caste, |
| 1409 |
That this ilke noble quene |
| 1410 |
On hir shuldres gan sustene |
| 1411 |
Bothe tharmes and the name |
| 1412 |
Of tho that hadde large fame; |
| 1413 |
Alexander, and Hercules |
| 1414 |
That with a sherte his lyf lees! |
| 1415 |
Thus fond I sitting this goddesse, |
| 1416 |
In nobley, honour, and richesse; |
| 1417 |
Of which I stinte a whyle now, |
| 1418 |
Other thing to tellen yow. |
| 1419 |
Tho saugh I stonde on either syde, |
| 1420 |
Streight doun to the dores wyde, |
| 1421 |
Fro the dees, many a pileer |
| 1422 |
Of metal, that shoon not ful cleer; |
| 1423 |
But though they nere of no richesse, |
| 1424 |
Yet they were maad for greet noblesse, |
| 1425 |
And in hem greet and hy sentence, |
| 1426 |
And folk of digne reverence, |
| 1427 |
Of whiche I wol yow telle fonde, |
| 1428 |
Upon the piler saugh I stonde. |
| 1429 |
Alderfirst, lo, ther I sigh, |
| 1430 |
Upon a piler stonde on high, |
| 1431 |
That was of lede and yren fyn, |
| 1432 |
Him of secte Saturnyn, |
| 1433 |
The Ebrayk Iosephus, the olde, |
| 1434 |
That of Iewes gestes tolde; |
| 1435 |
And bar upon his shuldres hye |
| 1436 |
The fame up of the Iewerye. |
| 1437 |
And by him stoden other sevene, |
| 1438 |
Wyse and worthy for to nevene, |
| 1439 |
To helpen him bere up the charge, |
| 1440 |
Hit was so hevy and so large. |
| 1441 |
And for they writen of batailes, |
| 1442 |
As wel as other olde mervailes, |
| 1443 |
Therfor was, lo, this pileer, |
| 1444 |
Of which that I yow telle heer, |
| 1445 |
Of lede and yren bothe, y-wis, |
| 1446 |
For yren Martes metal is, |
| 1447 |
Which that god is of bataille; |
| 1448 |
And the leed, withouten faille, |
| 1449 |
Is, lo, the metal of Saturne, |
| 1450 |
That hath ful large wheel to turne. |
| 1451 |
Tho stoden forth, on every rowe, |
| 1452 |
Of hem which that I coude knowe, |
| 1453 |
Thogh I hem noght be ordre telle, |
| 1454 |
To make yow to long to dwelle. |
| 1455 |
These, of whiche I ginne rede, |
| 1456 |
Ther saugh I stonden, out of drede: |
| 1457 |
Upon an yren piler strong, |
| 1458 |
That peynted was, al endelonge, |
| 1459 |
With tygres blode in every place, |
| 1460 |
The Tholosan that highte Stace, |
| 1461 |
That bar of Thebes up the fame |
| 1462 |
Upon his shuldres, and the name |
| 1463 |
Also of cruel Achilles. |
| 1464 |
And by him stood, withouten lees, |
| 1465 |
Ful wonder hye on a pileer |
| 1466 |
Of yren, he, the gret Omeer; |
| 1467 |
And with him Dares and Tytus |
| 1468 |
Before, and eek he Lollius, |
| 1469 |
And Guido eek de Columpnis, |
| 1470 |
And English Gaufride eek, y-wis; |
| 1471 |
And ech of these, as have I Ioye, |
| 1472 |
Was besy for to bere up Troye. |
| 1473 |
So hevy ther-of was the fame, |
| 1474 |
That for to bere hit was no game. |
| 1475 |
But yit I gan ful wel espye, |
| 1476 |
Betwix hem was a litil envye. |
| 1477 |
Oon seyde, Omere made lyes, |
| 1478 |
Feyninge in his poetryes, |
| 1479 |
And was to Grekes favorable; |
| 1480 |
Therfor held he hit but fable. |
| 1481 |
Tho saugh I stonde on a pileer, |
| 1482 |
That was of tinned yren cleer, |
| 1483 |
That Latin poete, dan Virgyle, |
| 1484 |
That bore hath up a longe whyle |
| 1485 |
The fame of Pius Eneas. |
| 1486 |
And next him on a piler was, |
| 1487 |
Of coper, Venus clerk, Ovyde, |
| 1488 |
That hath y-sowen wonder wyde |
| 1489 |
The grete god of Loves name. |
| 1490 |
And ther he bar up wel his fame, |
| 1491 |
Upon his piler, also hye |
| 1492 |
As I might see hit with myn ye: |
| 1493 |
For-why this halle, of whiche I rede |
| 1494 |
Was woxe on highte, lengthe and brede, |
| 1495 |
Wel more, by a thousand del, |
| 1496 |
Than hit was erst, that saugh I wel. |
| 1497 |
Tho saugh I, on a piler by, |
| 1498 |
Of yren wroght ful sternely, |
| 1499 |
The grete poete, daun Lucan, |
| 1500 |
And on his shuldres bar up than, |
| 1501 |
As highe as that I mighte see, |
| 1502 |
The fame of Iulius and Pompee. |
| 1503 |
And by him stoden alle these clerkes, |
| 1504 |
That writen of Romes mighty werkes, |
| 1505 |
That, if I wolde hir names telle, |
| 1506 |
Al to longe most I dwelle. |
| 1507 |
And next him on a piler stood |
| 1508 |
Of soulfre, lyk as he were wood, |
| 1509 |
Dan Claudian, the soth to telle, |
| 1510 |
That bar up al the fame of helle, |
| 1511 |
Of Pluto, and of Proserpyne, |
| 1512 |
That quene is of the derke pyne. |
| 1513 |
What shulde I more telle of this? |
| 1514 |
The halle was al ful, y-wis, |
| 1515 |
Of hem that writen olde gestes, |
| 1516 |
As ben on trees rokes nestes; |
| 1517 |
But hit a ful confus matere |
| 1518 |
Were al the gestes for to here, |
| 1519 |
That they of write, and how they highte. |
| 1520 |
But whyl that I beheld this sighte, |
| 1521 |
I herde a noise aprochen blyve, |
| 1522 |
That ferde as been don in an hyve, |
| 1523 |
Agen her tyme of out-fleyinge; |
| 1524 |
Right swiche a maner murmuringe, |
| 1525 |
For al the world, hit semed me. |
| 1526 |
Tho gan I loke aboute and see, |
| 1527 |
That ther come entring in the halle |
| 1528 |
A right gret company with-alle, |
| 1529 |
And that of sondry regiouns, |
| 1530 |
Of alleskinnes condiciouns, |
| 1531 |
That dwelle in erthe under the mone, |
| 1532 |
Pore and ryche. And also sone |
| 1533 |
As they were come into the halle, |
| 1534 |
They gonne doun on knees falle |
| 1535 |
Before this ilke noble quene, |
| 1536 |
And seyde, 'Graunte us, lady shene, |
| 1537 |
Ech of us, of thy grace, a bone!' |
| 1538 |
And somme of hem she graunted sone, |
| 1539 |
And somme she werned wel and faire; |
| 1540 |
And somme she graunted the contraire |
| 1541 |
Of hir axing utterly, |
| 1542 |
But thus I seye yow trewely, |
| 1543 |
What hir cause was, I niste. |
| 1544 |
For of this folk, ful wel I wiste, |
| 1545 |
They hadde good fame ech deserved, |
| 1546 |
Althogh they were diversly served; |
| 1547 |
Right as hir suster, dame Fortune, |
| 1548 |
Is wont to serven in comune. |
| 1549 |
Now herkne how she gan to paye |
| 1550 |
That gonne hir of hir grace praye; |
| 1551 |
And yit, lo, al this companye |
| 1552 |
Seyden sooth, and noght a lye. |
| 1553 |
'Madame,' seyden they, 'we be |
| 1554 |
Folk that heer besechen thee, |
| 1555 |
That thou graunte us now good fame, |
| 1556 |
And let our werkes han that name; |
| 1557 |
In ful recompensacioun |
| 1558 |
Of good werk, give us good renoun.' |
| 1559 |
'I werne yow hit,' quod she anoon, |
| 1560 |
'Ye gete of me good fame noon, |
| 1561 |
By god! and therfor go your wey.' |
| 1562 |
'Alas,' quod they, 'and welaway! |
| 1563 |
Telle us, what may your cause be?' |
| 1564 |
'For me list hit noght,' quod she; |
| 1565 |
'No wight shal speke of yow, y-wis, |
| 1566 |
Good ne harm, ne that ne this.' |
| 1567 |
And with that word she gan to calle |
| 1568 |
Hir messanger, that was in halle, |
| 1569 |
And bad that he shulde faste goon, |
| 1570 |
Up peyne to be blind anoon, |
| 1571 |
For Eolus, the god of winde; -- |
| 1572 |
'In Trace ther ye shul him finde, |
| 1573 |
And bid him bringe his clarioun, |
| 1574 |
That is ful dyvers of his soun, |
| 1575 |
And hit is cleped Clere Laude, |
| 1576 |
With which he wont is to heraude |
| 1577 |
Hem that me list y-preised be: |
| 1578 |
And also bid him how that he |
| 1579 |
Bringe his other clarioun, |
| 1580 |
That highte Sclaundre in every toun, |
| 1581 |
With which he wont is to diffame |
| 1582 |
Hem that me list, and do hem shame.' |
| 1583 |
This messanger gan faste goon, |
| 1584 |
And found wher, in a cave of stoon, |
| 1585 |
In a contree that highte Trace, |
| 1586 |
This Eolus, with harde grace, |
| 1587 |
Held the windes in distresse, |
| 1588 |
And gan hem under him to presse, |
| 1589 |
That they gonne as beres rore, |
| 1590 |
He bond and pressed hem so sore. |
| 1591 |
This messanger gan faste crye, |
| 1592 |
'Rys up,' quod he, 'and faste hye, |
| 1593 |
Til that thou at my lady be; |
| 1594 |
And tak thy clarions eek with thee, |
| 1595 |
And speed the forth.' And he anon |
| 1596 |
Took to a man, that hight Triton, |
| 1597 |
His clariouns to bere tho, |
| 1598 |
And leet a certeyn wind to go, |
| 1599 |
That blew so hidously and hye, |
| 1600 |
That hit ne lefte not a skye |
| 1601 |
In al the welken longe an brood. |
| 1602 |
This Eolus no-wher abood |
| 1603 |
Til he was come at Fames feet, |
| 1604 |
And eek the man that Triton heet; |
| 1605 |
And ther he stood, as still as stoon. |
| 1606 |
And her-withal ther com anoon |
| 1607 |
Another huge companye |
| 1608 |
Of gode folk, and gunne crye, |
| 1609 |
'Lady, graunte us now good fame, |
| 1610 |
And lat our werkes han that name |
| 1611 |
Now, in honour of gentilesse, |
| 1612 |
And also god your soule blesse! |
| 1613 |
For we han wel deserved hit, |
| 1614 |
Therfore is right that we ben quit.' |
| 1615 |
'As thryve I,' quod she, 'ye shal faile, |
| 1616 |
Good werkes shal yow noght availe |
| 1617 |
To have of me good fame as now. |
| 1618 |
But wite ye what? Y graunte yow, |
| 1619 |
That ye shal have a shrewed fame |
| 1620 |
And wikked loos, and worse name, |
| 1621 |
Though ye good loos have wel deserved. |
| 1622 |
Now go your wey, for ye be served; |
| 1623 |
And thou, dan Eolus, let see! |
| 1624 |
Tak forth thy trumpe anon,' quod she, |
| 1625 |
'That is y-cleped Sclaunder light, |
| 1626 |
And blow her loos, that every wight |
| 1627 |
Speke of hem harm and shrewednesse, |
| 1628 |
In stede of good and worthinesse. |
| 1629 |
For thou shalt trumpe al the contraire |
| 1630 |
Of that they han don wel or faire.' |
| 1631 |
'Alas,' thoughte I, 'what aventures |
| 1632 |
Han these sory creatures! |
| 1633 |
For they, amonges al the pres, |
| 1634 |
Shul thus be shamed, gilteles! |
| 1635 |
But what! hit moste nedes be.' |
| 1636 |
What did this Eolus, but he |
| 1637 |
Tok out his blakke trumpe of bras, |
| 1638 |
That fouler than the devil was, |
| 1639 |
And gan this trumpe for to blowe, |
| 1640 |
As al the world shulde overthrowe; |
| 1641 |
That through-out every regioun |
| 1642 |
Wente this foule trumpes soun, |
| 1643 |
As swift as pelet out of gonne, |
| 1644 |
Whan fyr is in the poudre ronne. |
| 1645 |
And swiche a smoke gan out-wende |
| 1646 |
Out of his foule trumpes ende, |
| 1647 |
Blak, blo, grenissh, swartish reed, |
| 1648 |
As doth wher that men melte leed, |
| 1649 |
Lo, al on high fro the tuel! |
| 1650 |
And therto oo thing saugh I wel, |
| 1651 |
That, the ferther that hit ran, |
| 1652 |
The gretter wexen hit began, |
| 1653 |
As doth the river from a welle, |
| 1654 |
And hit stank as the pit of helle. |
| 1655 |
Alas, thus was hir shame y-ronge, |
| 1656 |
And giltelees, on every tonge. |
| 1657 |
Tho com the thridde companye, |
| 1658 |
And gunne up to the dees to hye, |
| 1659 |
And doun on knees they fille anon, |
| 1660 |
And seyde, 'We ben everichon |
| 1661 |
Folk that han ful trewely |
| 1662 |
Deserved fame rightfully, |
| 1663 |
And pray yow, hit mot be knowe, |
| 1664 |
Right as hit is, and forth y-blowe.' |
| 1665 |
'I graunte,' quod she, 'for me list |
| 1666 |
That now your gode werk be wist; |
| 1667 |
And yet ye shul han better loos, |
| 1668 |
Right in dispyt of alle your foos, |
| 1669 |
Than worthy is; and that anoon: |
| 1670 |
Lat now,' quod she, 'thy trumpe goon, |
| 1671 |
Thou Eolus, that is so blak; |
| 1672 |
And out thyn other trumpe tak |
| 1673 |
That highte Laude, and blow it so |
| 1674 |
That through the world hir fame go |
| 1675 |
Al esely, and not to faste, |
| 1676 |
That hit be knowen atte laste.' |
| 1677 |
'Ful gladly, lady myn,' he seyde; |
| 1678 |
And out his trumpe of golde he brayde |
| 1679 |
Anon, and sette hit to his mouthe, |
| 1680 |
And blew hit est, and west, and southe, |
| 1681 |
And north, as loude as any thunder, |
| 1682 |
That every wight hadde of hit wonder, |
| 1683 |
So brode hit ran, or than hit stente, |
| 1684 |
And, certes, al the breeth that wente |
| 1685 |
Out of his trumpes mouthe smelde |
| 1686 |
As men a pot-ful bawme helde |
| 1687 |
Among a basket ful of roses; |
| 1688 |
This favour dide he til hir loses. |
| 1689 |
And right with this I gan aspye, |
| 1690 |
Ther com the ferthe companye -- |
| 1691 |
But certeyn they were wonder fewe -- |
| 1692 |
And gonne stonden in a rewe, |
| 1693 |
And seyden, 'Certes, lady brighte, |
| 1694 |
We han don wel with al our mighte; |
| 1695 |
But we ne kepen have no fame. |
| 1696 |
Hyd our werkes and our name, |
| 1697 |
For goddes love! for certes we |
| 1698 |
Han certeyn doon hit for bountee, |
| 1699 |
And for no maner other thing.' |
| 1700 |
'I graunte yow al your asking,' |
| 1701 |
Quod she; 'let your werk be deed.' |
| 1702 |
With that aboute I clew myn heed, |
| 1703 |
And saugh anoon the fifte route |
| 1704 |
That to this lady gonne loute, |
| 1705 |
And doun on knes anoon to falle; |
| 1706 |
And to hir tho besoughten alle |
| 1707 |
To hyde hit gode werkes eek, |
| 1708 |
And seyde, they yeven noght a leek |
| 1709 |
For fame, ne for swich renoun; |
| 1710 |
For they, for contemplacioun |
| 1711 |
And goddes love, hadde y-wrought; |
| 1712 |
Ne of fame wolde they nought. |
| 1713 |
'What?' quod she, 'and be ye wood? |
| 1714 |
And wene ye for to do good, |
| 1715 |
And for to have of that no fame? |
| 1716 |
Have ye dispyt to have my name? |
| 1717 |
Nay, ye shul liven everichoon! |
| 1718 |
Blow thy trumpe and that anoon,' |
| 1719 |
Quod she, 'thou Eolus, I hote, |
| 1720 |
And ring this folkes werk by note, |
| 1721 |
That al the world may of hit here.' |
| 1722 |
And he gan blowe hir loos so clere |
| 1723 |
In his golden clarioun |
| 1724 |
That through the world wente the soun, |
| 1725 |
Also kenely, and eek so softe; |
| 1726 |
But atte laste hit was on-lofte. |
| 1727 |
Thoo com the sexte companye, |
| 1728 |
And gonne faste on Fame crye. |
| 1729 |
Right verraily, in this manere |
| 1730 |
They seyden: 'Mercy, lady dere! |
| 1731 |
To telle certein, as hit is, |
| 1732 |
We han don neither that ne this, |
| 1733 |
But ydel al our lif y-be. |
| 1734 |
But, natheles, yit preye we, |
| 1735 |
That we mowe han so good a fame, |
| 1736 |
And greet renoun and knowen name, |
| 1737 |
As they that han don noble gestes, |
| 1738 |
And acheved alle hir lestes, |
| 1739 |
As wel of love as other thing; |
| 1740 |
Al was us never broche ne ring, |
| 1741 |
Ne elles nought, from wimmen sent, |
| 1742 |
Ne ones in hir herte y-ment |
| 1743 |
To make us only frendly chere, |
| 1744 |
But mighte temen us on bere; |
| 1745 |
Yit lat us to the peple seme |
| 1746 |
Swiche as the world may of us deme, |
| 1747 |
That wimmen loven us for wood. |
| 1748 |
Hit shal don us as moche good, |
| 1749 |
And to our herte as moche availe |
| 1750 |
To countrepeise ese and travaile, |
| 1751 |
As we had wonne hit with labour; |
| 1752 |
For that is dere boght honour |
| 1753 |
At regard of our grete ese. |
| 1754 |
And yit thou most us more plese |
| 1755 |
Let us be holden eek, therto, |
| 1756 |
Worthy, wyse, and gode also, |
| 1757 |
And riche, and happy unto love. |
| 1758 |
For goddes love, that sit above, |
| 1759 |
Thogh we may not the body have |
| 1760 |
Of wimmen, yet, so god yow save! |
| 1761 |
Let men glewe on us the name; |
| 1762 |
Suffyceth that we han the fame.' |
| 1763 |
'I graunte,' quod she, 'by my trouthe! |
| 1764 |
Now, Eolus, with-outen slouthe. |
| 1765 |
Tak out thy trumpe of gold, let see, |
| 1766 |
And blow as they han axed me, |
| 1767 |
That every man wene hem at ese, |
| 1768 |
Though they gon in ful badde lese.' |
| 1769 |
This Eolus gan hit so blowe |
| 1770 |
That through the world hit was y-knowe. |
| 1771 |
Tho come the seventh route anoon, |
| 1772 |
And fel on knees everichoon, |
| 1773 |
And seyde, 'Lady, graunte us sone |
| 1774 |
The same thing, the same bone, |
| 1775 |
That ye this nexte folk han doon.' |
| 1776 |
'Fy on yow,' quod she, 'everichoon! |
| 1777 |
Ye masty swyn, ye ydel wrecches, |
| 1778 |
Ful of roten slowe tecches! |
| 1779 |
What? false theves! wher ye wolde |
| 1780 |
Be famous good, and no-thing nolde |
| 1781 |
Deserve why, ne never roughte? |
| 1782 |
Men rather yow to-hangen oughte! |
| 1783 |
For ye be lyk the sweynte cat, |
| 1784 |
That wolde have fish; but wostow what? |
| 1785 |
He wolde no-thing wete his clowes. |
| 1786 |
Yvel thrift come to your Iowes, |
| 1787 |
And eek on myn, if I hit graunte, |
| 1788 |
Or do yow favour, yow to avaunte! |
| 1789 |
Thou Eolus, thou king of Trace! |
| 1790 |
Go, blow this folk a soo grace,' |
| 1791 |
Quod she, 'anoon; and wostow how? |
| 1792 |
As I shal telle thee right now; |
| 1793 |
Sey: "These ben they that wolde honour |
| 1794 |
Have, and do noskinnes labour, |
| 1795 |
Ne do no good, and yit han laude; |
| 1796 |
And that men wende that bele Isaude |
| 1797 |
Ne coude hem noght of love-werne; |
| 1798 |
And yit she that grint at a querne |
| 1799 |
Is al to good to ese hir herte."' |
| 1800 |
This Eolus anon up sterte, |
| 1801 |
And with his blakke clarioun |
| 1802 |
He gan to blasen out a soun, |
| 1803 |
As loude as belweth wind in helle. |
| 1804 |
And eek therwith, the sooth to telle, |
| 1805 |
This soun was al so ful of Iapes, |
| 1806 |
As ever mowes were in apes. |
| 1807 |
And that wente al the world aboute, |
| 1808 |
That every wight gan on hem shoute, |
| 1809 |
And for to laughe as they were wode; |
| 1810 |
Such game fonde they in hir hode. |
| 1811 |
Tho com another companye, |
| 1812 |
That had y-doon the traiterye, |
| 1813 |
The harm, the gretest wikkednesse |
| 1814 |
That any herte couthe gesse; |
| 1815 |
And prayed hir to han good fame, |
| 1816 |
And that she nolde hem doon no shame, |
| 1817 |
But yeve hem loos and good renoun, |
| 1818 |
And do hit blowe in clarioun. |
| 1819 |
'Nay, wis!' quod she, 'hit were a vyce; |
| 1820 |
Al be ther in me no Iustyce |
| 1821 |
Me listeth not to do hit now, |
| 1822 |
Ne this nil I not graunte you.' |
| 1823 |
Tho come ther lepinge in a route, |
| 1824 |
And gonne choppen al aboute |
| 1825 |
Every man upon the croune, |
| 1826 |
That al the halle gan to soune, |
| 1827 |
And seyden: 'Lady, lefe and dere |
| 1828 |
We ben swich folk as ye mowe here. |
| 1829 |
To tellen al the tale aright, |
| 1830 |
We ben shrewes, every wight, |
| 1831 |
And han delyt in wikkednes, |
| 1832 |
As gode folk han in goodnes; |
| 1833 |
And Ioye to be knowen shrewes, |
| 1834 |
And fulle of vyce and wikked thewes; |
| 1835 |
Wherfor we prayen yow, a-rowe, |
| 1836 |
That our fame swich be knowe |
| 1837 |
In alle thing right as hit is.' |
| 1838 |
'I graunte hit yow,' quod she, 'y-wis. |
| 1839 |
But what art thou that seyst this tale, |
| 1840 |
That werest on thy hose a pale, |
| 1841 |
And on thy tipet swiche a belle!' |
| 1842 |
'Madame,' quod he, 'sooth to telle, |
| 1843 |
I am that ilke shrewe, y-wis, |
| 1844 |
That brende the temple of Isidis |
| 1845 |
In Athenes, lo, that citee.' |
| 1846 |
'And wherfor didest thou so?' quod she. |
| 1847 |
'By my thrift,' quod he, 'madame, |
| 1848 |
I wolde fayn han had a fame, |
| 1849 |
As other folk hadde in the toun, |
| 1850 |
Al-thogh they were of greet renoun |
| 1851 |
For hir vertu and for hir thewes; |
| 1852 |
Thoughte I, as greet a fame han shrewes, |
| 1853 |
Thogh hit be but for shrewednesse, |
| 1854 |
As gode folk han for goodnesse; |
| 1855 |
And sith I may not have that oon, |
| 1856 |
That other nil I noght for-goon. |
| 1857 |
And for to gette of Fames hyre, |
| 1858 |
The temple sette I al a-fyre. |
| 1859 |
Now do our loos be blowen swythe, |
| 1860 |
As wisly be thou ever blythe.' |
| 1861 |
'Gladly,' quod she; 'thou Eolus, |
| 1862 |
Herestow not what they prayen us?' |
| 1863 |
'Madame, yis, ful wel,' quod he, |
| 1864 |
And I wil trumpen hit, parde!' |
| 1865 |
And tok his blakke trumpe faste, |
| 1866 |
And gan to puffen and to blaste, |
| 1867 |
Til hit was at the worldes ende. |
| 1868 |
With that I gan aboute wende; |
| 1869 |
For oon that stood right at my bak, |
| 1870 |
Me thoughte goodly to me spak, |
| 1871 |
And seyde, 'Frend, what is thy name? |
| 1872 |
Artow come hider to han fame?' |
| 1873 |
'Nay, for-sothe, frend!' quod I; |
| 1874 |
I cam noght hider, graunt mercy! |
| 1875 |
For no swich cause, by my heed! |
| 1876 |
Suffyceth me, as I were deed, |
| 1877 |
That no wight have my name in honde. |
| 1878 |
I woot my-self best how I stonde; |
| 1879 |
For what I drye or what I thinke, |
| 1880 |
I wol my-selven al hit drinke, |
| 1881 |
Certeyn, for the more part, |
| 1882 |
As ferforth as I can myn art.' |
| 1883 |
'But what dost thou here than?' quod he. |
| 1884 |
Quod I, 'that wol I tellen thee, |
| 1885 |
The cause why I stonde here: -- |
| 1886 |
Som newe tydings for to lere: -- |
| 1887 |
Som newe thinges, I not what, |
| 1888 |
Tydinges, other this or that, |
| 1889 |
Of love, or swiche thinges glade. |
| 1890 |
For certeynly, he that me made |
| 1891 |
To comen hider seyde me, |
| 1892 |
I shulde bothe here and see, |
| 1893 |
In this place, wonder thinges; |
| 1894 |
But these be no swiche tydinges |
| 1895 |
As I mene of.' 'No?' quod he, |
| 1896 |
And I answerde, 'No, pardee! |
| 1897 |
For wel I wiste, ever yit, |
| 1898 |
Sith that first I hadde wit, |
| 1899 |
That som folk han desyred fame |
| 1900 |
Dyversly, and loos, and name; |
| 1901 |
But certeynly, I niste how |
| 1902 |
Ne wher that Fame dwelte, er now; |
| 1903 |
Ne eek of hir descripcioun, |
| 1904 |
Ne also hir condicioun, |
| 1905 |
Ne the ordre of hir dome, |
| 1906 |
Unto the tyme I hider come.' |
| 1907 |
'Whiche be, lo, these tydinges, |
| 1908 |
That thou now thus hider bringes, |
| 1909 |
That thou hast herd?' quod he to me; |
| 1910 |
'But now, no fors; for wel I see |
| 1911 |
What thou desyrest for to here. |
| 1912 |
Com forth, and stond no longer here, |
| 1913 |
And I wol thee, with-outen drede, |
| 1914 |
In swich another place lede, |
| 1915 |
Ther thou shalt here many oon,' |
| 1916 |
Tho gan I forth with him to goon |
| 1917 |
Out of the castel, soth to seye. |
| 1918 |
Tho saugh I stonde in a valeye, |
| 1919 |
Under the castel, faste by, |
| 1920 |
An hous, that Domus Dedali, |
| 1921 |
That Laborintus cleped is, |
| 1922 |
Nas maad so wonderliche, y-wis, |
| 1923 |
Ne half so queynteliche y-wrought. |
| 1924 |
And evermo, so swift as thought, |
| 1925 |
This queynt hous aboute wente, |
| 1926 |
That never-mo hit stike stente. |
| 1927 |
And ther-out com so greet a noise, |
| 1928 |
That, had hit stonden upon Oise, |
| 1929 |
Men mighte hit han herd esely |
| 1930 |
To Rome, I trowe sikerly. |
| 1931 |
And the noyse which that I herde, |
| 1932 |
For al the world right so hit ferde, |
| 1933 |
As doth the routing of the stoon |
| 1934 |
That from thengyn is leten goon. |
| 1935 |
And al this hous, of whiche I rede, |
| 1936 |
Was made of twigges, falwe, rede, |
| 1937 |
And grene eek, and som weren whyte, |
| 1938 |
Swiche as men to these cages thwyte, |
| 1939 |
Or maken of these paniers, |
| 1940 |
Or elles hottes or dossers; |
| 1941 |
That, for the swough and for the twigges, |
| 1942 |
This hous was also ful of gigges, |
| 1943 |
And also ful eek a chirkinges, |
| 1944 |
And of many other werkinges; |
| 1945 |
And eek this hous hath of entrees |
| 1946 |
As fele as of leves been on trees |
| 1947 |
In somer, whan they grene been; |
| 1948 |
And on the roof men may yit seen |
| 1949 |
A thousand holes, and wel mo, |
| 1950 |
To leten wel the soun out go. |
| 1951 |
And by day, in every tyde, |
| 1952 |
Ben al the dores open wyde, |
| 1953 |
And by night, echoon unshette; |
| 1954 |
Ne porter ther is non to lette |
| 1955 |
No maner tydings in to pace; |
| 1956 |
Ne never reste is in that place, |
| 1957 |
That hit nis fild ful of tydinges, |
| 1958 |
Other loude, or of whispringes; |
| 1959 |
And, over alle the houses angles, |
| 1960 |
Is ful of rouninges and of Iangles |
| 1961 |
Of werre, of pees, of mariages, |
| 1962 |
Of reste, of labour, of viages, |
| 1963 |
Of abood, of deeth, of lyfe, |
| 1964 |
Of love, of hate, acorde, of stryfe, |
| 1965 |
Of loos, of lore, and of winninges, |
| 1966 |
Of hele, of sekenesse, of bildinges, |
| 1967 |
Of faire windes, of tempestes, |
| 1968 |
Of qualme of folk, and eek of bestes; |
| 1969 |
Of dyvers transmutaciouns |
| 1970 |
Of estats, and eek of regiouns; |
| 1971 |
Of trust, of drede, of Ielousye, |
| 1972 |
Of wit, of winninge, of folye; |
| 1973 |
Of plentee, and of greet famyne, |
| 1974 |
Of chepe, of derth, and of ruyne; |
| 1975 |
Of good or mis governement, |
| 1976 |
Of fyr, of dyvers accident. |
| 1977 |
And lo, this hous, of whiche I wryte, |
| 1978 |
Siker be ye, hit nas not lyte; |
| 1979 |
For hit was sixty myle of lengthe; |
| 1980 |
Al was the timber of no strengthe, |
| 1981 |
Yet hit is founded to endure |
| 1982 |
Whyl that hit list to Aventure, |
| 1983 |
That is the moder of tydinges, |
| 1984 |
As the see of welles and springes, -- |
| 1985 |
And hit was shapen lyk a cage. |
| 1986 |
'Certes,' quod I, 'in al myn age, |
| 1987 |
Ne saugh I swich a hous as this.' |
| 1988 |
And as I wondred me, y-wis, |
| 1989 |
Upon this hous, tho war was I |
| 1990 |
How that myn egle, faste by, |
| 1991 |
Was perched hye upon a stoon; |
| 1992 |
And I gan streighte to him goon, |
| 1993 |
And seyde thus: 'I preye thee |
| 1994 |
That thou a whyl abyde me |
| 1995 |
For goddes love, and let me seen |
| 1996 |
What wondres in this place been; |
| 1997 |
For yit, paraventure, I may lere |
| 1998 |
Som good ther-on, or sumwhat here |
| 1999 |
That leef me were, or that I wente.' |
| 2000 |
'Peter! that is myn entente,' |
| 2001 |
Quod he to me; 'therfor I dwelle; |
| 2002 |
But certein, oon thing I thee telle, |
| 2003 |
That, but I bringe thee ther-inne, |
| 2004 |
Ne shalt thou never cunne ginne |
| 2005 |
To come in-to hit, out of doute, |
| 2006 |
So faste hit whirleth, lo, aboute. |
| 2007 |
But sith that Ioves, of his grace, |
| 2008 |
As I have seyd, wol thee solace |
| 2009 |
Fynally with swiche thinges, |
| 2010 |
Uncouthe sightes and tydinges, |
| 2011 |
To passe with thyn hevinesse; |
| 2012 |
Suche routhe hath he of thy distresse, |
| 2013 |
That thou suffrest debonairly -- |
| 2014 |
And wost thy-selven utterly |
| 2015 |
Disesperat of alle blis, |
| 2016 |
Sith that Fortune hath maad a-mis |
| 2017 |
The fruit of al thyn hertes reste |
| 2018 |
Languisshe and eek in point to breste -- |
| 2019 |
That he, through his mighty meryte, |
| 2020 |
Wol do thee ese, al be hit lyte, |
| 2021 |
And yaf expres commaundement, |
| 2022 |
To whiche I am obedient, |
| 2023 |
To furthre thee with al my might, |
| 2024 |
And wisse and teche thee aright |
| 2025 |
Wher thou maist most tydinges here; |
| 2026 |
Shaltow anoon heer many oon lere.' |
| 2027 |
With this worde he, right anoon, |
| 2028 |
Hente me up bitwene his toon, |
| 2029 |
And at a windowe in me broghte, |
| 2030 |
That in this hous was, as me thoghte -- |
| 2031 |
And ther-withal, me thoughte hit stente, |
| 2032 |
And no-thing hit aboute wente -- |
| 2033 |
And me sette in the flore adoun. |
| 2034 |
But which a congregacioun |
| 2035 |
Of folk, as I saugh rome aboute |
| 2036 |
Some within and some withoute, |
| 2037 |
Nas never seen, ne shal ben eft; |
| 2038 |
That, certes, in the world nis left |
| 2039 |
So many formed by Nature, |
| 2040 |
Ne deed so many a creature; |
| 2041 |
That wel unnethe, in that place, |
| 2042 |
Hadde I oon foot-brede of space; |
| 2043 |
And every wight that I saugh there |
| 2044 |
Rouned ech in others ere |
| 2045 |
A newe tyding prevely, |
| 2046 |
Or elles tolde al openly |
| 2047 |
Right thus, and seyde: 'Nost not thou |
| 2048 |
That is betid, lo, late or now?' |
| 2049 |
'No,' quod the other, 'tel me what;' -- |
| 2050 |
And than he tolde him this and that, |
| 2051 |
And swoor ther-to that hit was sooth -- |
| 2052 |
'Thus hath he seyd,'-- and 'Thus he dooth' -- |
| 2053 |
'Thus shal hit be,' -- 'Thus herde I seye' -- |
| 2054 |
'That shal he found' -- 'That dar I leye:' -- |
| 2055 |
That al the folk that is a-lyve |
| 2056 |
Ne han the cunning to discryve |
| 2057 |
The thinges that I herde there, |
| 2058 |
What aloude, and what in ere. |
| 2059 |
But al the wonder-most was this: -- |
| 2060 |
Whan oon had herd a thing, y-wis, |
| 2061 |
He com forth to another wight, |
| 2062 |
And gan him tellen, anoon-right, |
| 2063 |
The same that to him was told, |
| 2064 |
Or hit a furlong-way was old, |
| 2065 |
But gan somwhat for to eche |
| 2066 |
To this tyding in this speche |
| 2067 |
More than hit ever was. |
| 2068 |
And nat so sone departed nas |
| 2069 |
That he fro him, that he ne mette |
| 2070 |
With the thridde; and, or he lette |
| 2071 |
Any stounde, he tolde him als; |
| 2072 |
Were the tyding sooth or fals, |
| 2073 |
Yit wolde he telle hit nathelees, |
| 2074 |
And evermo with more encrees |
| 2075 |
Than hit was erst. Thus north and southe |
| 2076 |
Went every word fro mouth to mouthe, |
| 2077 |
And that encresing ever-mo, |
| 2078 |
As fyr is wont to quikke and go |
| 2079 |
From a sparke spronge amis, |
| 2080 |
Til al a citee brent up is. |
| 2081 |
And whan that was ful y-spronge, |
| 2082 |
And woxen more on every tonge |
| 2083 |
Than ever hit was, hit wente anoon |
| 2084 |
Up to a windowe, out to goon; |
| 2085 |
Or, but hit mighte out ther pace, |
| 2086 |
Hit gan out crepe at som crevace, |
| 2087 |
And fleigh forth faste for the nones. |
| 2088 |
And somtyme saugh I tho, at ones, |
| 2089 |
A lesing and a sad soth-sawe, |
| 2090 |
That gonne of aventure drawe |
| 2091 |
Out at a windowe for to pace; |
| 2092 |
And, when they metten in that place, |
| 2093 |
They were a-chekked bothe two, |
| 2094 |
And neither of hem moste out go; |
| 2095 |
For other so they gonne croude, |
| 2096 |
Til eche of hem gan cryen loude, |
| 2097 |
'Lat me go first!' -- 'Nay, but let me! |
| 2098 |
And here I wol ensuren thee |
| 2099 |
With the nones that thou wolt do so, |
| 2100 |
That I shal never fro thee go, |
| 2101 |
But be thyn owne sworen brother! |
| 2102 |
We wil medle us ech with other, |
| 2103 |
That no man, be he never so wrothe, |
| 2104 |
Shal han that oon of two, but bothe |
| 2105 |
At ones, al beside his leve, |
| 2106 |
Come we a-morwe or on eve, |
| 2107 |
Be we cryed or stille y-rouned.' |
| 2108 |
Thus saugh I fals and sooth compouned |
| 2109 |
Togeder flee for oo tydinge. |
| 2110 |
Thus out at holes gonne wringe |
| 2111 |
Every tyding streight to Fame; |
| 2112 |
And she gan yeven eche his name, |
| 2113 |
After hir disposicioun, |
| 2114 |
And yaf hem eek duracioun, |
| 2115 |
Some to wexe and wane sone, |
| 2116 |
As dooth the faire, whyte mone, |
| 2117 |
And leet hem gon. Ther might I seen |
| 2118 |
Wenged wondres faste fleen, |
| 2119 |
Twenty thousand in a route, |
| 2120 |
As Eolus hem blew aboute. |
| 2121 |
And, lord! this hous, in alle tymes, |
| 2122 |
Was ful of shipmen and pilgrymes, |
| 2123 |
With scrippes bret-ful of lesinges, |
| 2124 |
Entremedled with tydinges, |
| 2125 |
And eek alone by hem-selve. |
| 2126 |
O, many a thousand tymes twelve |
| 2127 |
Saugh I eek of these pardoneres, |
| 2128 |
Currours, and eek messangeres, |
| 2129 |
With boistes crammed ful of lyes |
| 2130 |
As ever vessel was with lyes. |
| 2131 |
And as I alther-fastest wente |
| 2132 |
Aboute, and dide al myn entente |
| 2133 |
Me for to pleye and for to lere, |
| 2134 |
And eek a tyding for to here, |
| 2135 |
That I had herd of som contree |
| 2136 |
That shal not now be told for me; -- |
| 2137 |
For hit no nede is, redely; |
| 2138 |
Folk can singe hit bet than I; |
| 2139 |
For al mot out, other late or rathe, |
| 2140 |
Alle the sheves in the lathe; -- |
| 2141 |
I herde a gret noise withalle |
| 2142 |
In a corner of the halle, |
| 2143 |
Ther men of love tydings tolde, |
| 2144 |
And I gan thiderward beholde; |
| 2145 |
For I saugh renninge every wight, |
| 2146 |
As faste as that they hadden might; |
| 2147 |
And everich cryed, 'What thing is that?' |
| 2148 |
And som seyde, 'I not never what,' |
| 2149 |
And whan they were alle on an hepe, |
| 2150 |
Tho behinde gonne up lepe, |
| 2151 |
And clamben up on othere faste, |
| 2152 |
And up the nose and hye caste, |
| 2153 |
And troden faste on othere heles, |
| 2154 |
And stampe, as men don after eles. |
| 2155 |
Atte laste I saugh a man, |
| 2156 |
Which that I nevene naught ne can; |
| 2157 |
But he semed for to be |
| 2158 |
A man of greet auctoritee... |
