Chaucerian and Other Pieces/Piece25
XXV. VIRELAI.
Alone walking, In thought pleyning,
And sore sighing, All desolate,
Me remembring Of my living,
My deth wishing Bothe erly and late.
Infortunate Is so my fate 5
That, wote ye what? Out of mesure
My lyf I hate Thus desperate;
In pore estate Do I endure.
Of other cure Am I nat sure,
Thus to endure Is hard, certain; 10
Such is my ure, I yow ensure;
What creature May have more pain?
My trouth so pleyn Is take in veyn,
And gret disdeyn In remembraunce;
Yet I full feyn Wold me compleyn 15
Me to absteyn From this penaunce.
But in substaunce Noon allegeaunce
Of my grevaunce Can I nat finde;
Right so my chaunce With displesaunce
Doth me avaunce; And thus an ende. 20
Explicit.
From Trin. (Trin. Coll. Cam. R. 3. 19); collated with S. (Stowe's ed. 1561). 4. S. death. Trin. wyssyng; S. wishyng. S. early. 5. Trin. soo; S. so. 6. Trin. whate Oute. S. measure. 7. Trin. lyfe; S. life. 8. Trin. In suche pore (I omit suche). S. Doe. 9. S. not. 12. S. Maie. 13. S. truthe; plain; vain. 14. S. greate disdain. 15. Trin. feyne; S. faine. S. Would. Trin. compleyne; S. complaine. 16. Trin. absteyne; S. abstaine. 17. S. None. 18. S. not. 20. S. Doeth.