Introduction
xxxvi
lined stanzas, Chaucer's 'rhyme royal.' A preface and a historical introduction in verse are prefixed to the whole work, and there is another short proem to the fourth and fifth books. The following lines from the first proem are interesting:-
I haue herd spek & sumwhat hane iseyne
Of diuerse men þat wonder subtyllye,
In metir sum, & sum in prose pleyne,
This book late haue full suffishauntly
Into English tonge word for word wel neye.
Of diuerse men þat wonder subtyllye,
In metir sum, & sum in prose pleyne,
This book late haue full suffishauntly
Into English tonge word for word wel neye.
To Chaucer þat is floure of rethoryk
In Englisshe tong, and excellent poete,
This wot I wel no þing may I do lyk
Þogh so þat I of makynge entyrmete
And Gower þat so craftily doth trete
As in his gret book of moralite
Þogh I to þeym in makyng am unmete
Ȝit most I shewe it forth þat is in me.
In Englisshe tong, and excellent poete,
This wot I wel no þing may I do lyk
Þogh so þat I of makynge entyrmete
And Gower þat so craftily doth trete
As in his gret book of moralite
Þogh I to þeym in makyng am unmete
Ȝit most I shewe it forth þat is in me.
Boeth. Book iii, metr. 2.
Hit Iust to schewen be subtile song
And be þe sown of delectable strenges
How nature þat full myghti is and strong
Attempreþ þe gouernement of þinges,
This wyde worlde wiþ all his varienges
So by here lawes kepeth and susteyneth
And be bondes þat hauen no lowsynges
Ful sykerly sche byndeþ and constreyneth.
And be þe sown of delectable strenges
How nature þat full myghti is and strong
Attempreþ þe gouernement of þinges,
This wyde worlde wiþ all his varienges
So by here lawes kepeth and susteyneth
And be bondes þat hauen no lowsynges
Ful sykerly sche byndeþ and constreyneth.
For þough þe leon of þat strange londe
Þat hight pene, þe faire chaynes were
And takeþ mete be gifte of mannis hond
And of þeire sturdy maistresse haueþ feere
Of whom þei ofte stife strokes bere
And softly... þei suffre to be bete
Yit be þei ones lousid of þat gere,
Theire olde corage will þei not foryete.
Þat hight pene, þe faire chaynes were
And takeþ mete be gifte of mannis hond
And of þeire sturdy maistresse haueþ feere
Of whom þei ofte stife strokes bere
And softly... þei suffre to be bete
Yit be þei ones lousid of þat gere,
Theire olde corage will þei not foryete.
For
