Chapter 24

FromMS. Trin. R. 3. 19, fol. 128;collated with the print of the same in(S.) Stowe'sedition(1561).I note some rejected readings of theMS. 1. tymeros; tremlyng. 3. poort. 4. none. 9. matere. 10. Poemys; Virgile. 11. Galfride. 15. termys. 17. honoure. 18. wille; S. wil. 19, 20, 23. thowe. 24. the; anone. 25. miste.

28. litill. 29. courte. 30. bene. 31. beseche. 32. whate; nede. 34. woo. 35. soo. 36. myne. 39. kynde. 41. pleasure. 48. courte. 49. mounte. 51. maiestie. 52. sonne. 53. Cupyde; blynde; dignyte. 54. theire kne. 55. bidde; S. bid. in (readon). to pere (readtapere). 56. Marcury. 57. be; S. by. ferre. 58. whate; that it drewe (readto it drew). 59. courte. 60. se (readsey). 61. knewe. 62. courte; nye. 63. fullefaste; hie.

64. overtoke; seide. 65. Haile; wende. 66. Forsothe; one; mayde. 67. courte nowe goo. 71. withynne. 74. behelde. 76. bespredde. 77. stone; S. stones. werke. 79. thanne; emerawde. 80. Bales turkes. 82. bene. 83. shone; pease. 84. trespace; tweyne. 86. founde; faste. 87. harte. 88. maste. 89. gynith; S. ginneth. 90. please. 94. whate. 97. discrive; S. descrie. 98. sawe; none. 100. Withynne; oute.

102. sawe; verely. 103. whate; deyses; signifie. 104. floure. 105. yit; S. it. kepte; soioure. 108. obeide. 111, 117. theire. 112. whate; cowde. 113. nere (twice). 116. silke. 119. Helise. 121. beseen. 123. theire; sawe; twayn. 124. frett; payne. 125. drynke. 126. ryaltie; S. rialtee. 128. bene. 129. nere. 130. disdeyne. 132.I supplynon. 133. ye; S. eye. 134. stode. 136. shapyn liche; darte. 137. Sherpe. 138. shone.

139. Disshivill crispe downe. 140. southly; spake. 141. the; faire. 143. weneth (S. wōneth). howe; eyre. 144. Grete; crafte; grete; delite. 146. occupie. 147. Cithare; nowe swete. 148. spake. 149. worde; harde. 150. myne; aduerte. 151. witte; harde. 152. bewtie; ferde. 154. Whenne. 155. whate. 157. sone. 162. howe; whate. 163. come; whate. 164. sene; Courte. 166. aske; grete. 167. none; come; courte. 171. Mercurius (seel. 56). 172. gentill feire; nowe. 173. whate thowe; S. what tho (i.e. then). 174. youre fre wille. 175. dide; wille.

176. reigne. 177. ease. ioylof; S. ialous (readiolif). 178. Youre dewtie; ferre; canne. 179. courte; youre. 181. knowe. 182. whanne youre fote; spanne. 183. be (forby); wilfull. 184. kepte youre. 185. youre (often). 186. motte. 188. S. Amidde the sea. rayne. 189. That(!); S. Then. payne. 190. suche; absente. 191. courte. 192. sone. 193. wille; youre coloure. 194. most bayte. 195. agoone. 196. drawe; Courte. 197. se howe rowhe (S. rough). 198. shewe; se. 199. myne; knele downe; aske. 201. welle; wolle none. 202. Comforte; none; councell; youre ease. 203. wille; thanne. 204. Iche. 207. please howe. 208. myne owen. 209. sprite.

211. the; S. that. 212. worche. 214. benigne harte. 215. myghtes (readmight is). 216. lyste; correcte. 217. punyssh; enfecte. 221. gode; founde. 222. grounde. 223. cupide. 225. behild; S. behelde. 226. Seyng. 227. folke; wild (S. welde). 228. Theire; wele; case. 229. shone; wyndowes; glasse. 230. feire. 231. fressh. 232. bewtie. 235. penytyng (!). 237. aboute. 238. howe; feale. 239. stonyed; S. astonied. 240. thoo folke. 241. hade. 244, 245. theire. 246. To (!);readLo; folke; blewe. 247. coloure.

248. signe. 249. southly. 250. calle. 251. bene. 252. ferre; sherpe. 253. whate done. 254. hermytes. 256. theire woo. 257. goo 258. Frely; suche libertie. 259. eche. 260. none. 261. made. 262. courte; fre; euerichone. 263. wille. 264. arraye. 265. mekely. 266. theire harte. 267. aboute. 268. se; come; high (S. hie). 269. commaunde. 270.-oute;courte; crye. 271. newe; wote; whye. 272. luste; youe sone. 273. Come nere; se; wille mote nede; done. 275. Tremelyng (S. Trembling); hewe. 277. unto the tyme (om.the); knewe. 278. yove (S. yeue); trewe. 279. laste. 280. sterne; whate. 281. ferre. 282. courte.

284. coude; espye. 285. myne; eny; myne ye. 286. gane. 287. nowe; submytte. 289. thowe; trewe. 290. seruen(!); thyne. 291. thanne. 292. Thowe shalte. 293. owe youre crowne. 295. sene; euerychone. 296. hie. 297. oure; shewe; one by one. 298. statutis; courte. 299. boke; leide; her (S. their); ye. 300. se whate; most. 301. courte. 302. redde. 303. statutis; courte; halle. 304. firste statute. 307. kynde. 308. coude thynke; harte; wille; mynde. 309. secunde statute secretely. 311. knowe; and (reador). 312. sowne. 315. kynde. 316. thridde statute. 317.om.the (supplied inS.). 318. None; woo.

319. brynde delite. 320. Withoute. 323. statute. 324. folke; fire. 325. aboute. 326. hote desire. 327. howe. 328. kepte; displease. 329. ease. 330. statute. 332. squymouse. 333. veryeuly (S. verely); statute. 335. crueltie. 336. harte exilyn. 337. statute. 339. bewtie. 340. thinke;I supplyit. 341. thynke. 342. Howe. 343. woo. 344. statute. 347. helden (sic). 348. othe. 350. And shewing (om.And). 351. statute. 353. hourely laboure; grete attendaunce (S. enttendaunce). 354. harte entier.

356. fire; S. faire. 357. debonayre. 358. statute. 361. displease. 363. mekely; yerde. 365. statute; discerne. 367. thynke; arte; yerne. 373. thyne harte. 374. disdayne. 375. the. 376. yf (S. giue); reyne. 377. libertie. 378. ellis. 379. statute. knowe (readcon). 380. Ie (fory). 381. lowe; kowigh (forcough). 382. ofte. 383. bring vp (om.vp). 384. moche resorte. 385. sporte. 386. statute. 387. payne; haste. 389. thouorthon (S. then); thynke; goo. 392. bette.

393. statute. 394. Whate; please. 395. thyne hartes. 396. think;I supplyit; thyne ease. 397. sent (readsend); harte pease (readherte apese). 398. letre; devise. 400. statute; shalte. 401. Formely; parte. 402. Wisshe. 403. thy nyghtes harteswife (om.nyghtes). 405. whanne. 406. merely. 408. statute. 409. frende. 410. thynke. 411. shuld. 412. beste. 413. semyth (S. semth). 414. thinke; fayre. 415. Cowde. 416. thinke; wykked (readwikke); appaier. 417. Sklaunderyng; estate. 418. debate. 419. fawte; thyne ye. 421. statute. 422. counterfete. 423. honoure;-whare.424.I supplyfor her; boldely. 425. gode; gostely. 426. harte.

428. Agayne; plesire. 429. wille. 430. shalte thowe. 431. crowe. 432. whate; the wille forbidde. 433. Eschewe; souerentie. 434. Hir appetide felawe (sic; S. appetite folowe). 435. statute. 436. please. 437. morowe. 438. drynke; thyne ease. 439. thyne; dyssease. 440. wynne; alle. 441. courte; shalle. 442. fewe thynke; statute. 443. reason. 445. please; ofte. 446. none othe; statute. 448. Nowe; garlant; folke. 449. (From this point, I cease to give minute corrections of spelling, such as are given above.) 451. fel (readful). 452. delite. 455. hard; statute redde. 458. fonne. 460. In the remembraunce (Iomitthe). 461. And (readAs).

466. It (readYit). 468. gam; S. game. 469. bidde (readbit). 470. holy. 471. please. 476. mastresse. 481. but(!);readbeen. 483. the (for 1stthey; S. thei). 490. be (forby). MS. savioure(!); S. soueraine. 492. hartes. 495. MS. revowe; S. renewe;I supplyall. 497. made. 499. sene(!). 500. wonne; S. won. be (forby).

508. cherely (S. clerely); shone. 510. they (readye). 517. herkyn. 518. othe; made. 519. loues (!); S. leaues. 523. bene. 524. statute (readstatuts;see520). 525. hie. 526. kepten ben. 527. ecchone. 528. owen. 531. youe; S. yeue. 534. guyse. 535. thengene.

541. be (forby). 542. sugre. 543. hart. 547. youen; S. yeuen. 548. Or; S. Of. yove; S. yeue. 551. widue; S. widowe. 552. Or (!); S. For. 554. guyde. 556. Cithera. 557.I supplythe; enfluence. 559. ladis (S. ladies); please. 560. hart; ease. 561. prayer (forpray her). 563. hart. 565. filicite. 574. hote. 575. feele; S. fele.

579. woo. 580. blessedfull; S. blissedful. 581. bene. 582. ponysshe. 583. counterfete. 584. dye; S. deie. 587. Baron (readBarein); S. Barain. 588. alleide. 590. blisse. 592. eternel (readeterne); I-hired (ready-heried). 594. wanne. 595. woman vnto woman (!); S. woman unto man. 599, 613. hartes. 605.I supplyto. 608. faute; excercised. 611. celcitude. 614. Compersion; S. Comparison. 615. made.

618.I supplythat. 626. godely. 628. Beseche. 632. Lucorne; S. Liquor (!). 634. vse (!); S. vre. 635. harte. 637. blissed; S. blessed. 643. yove (S. yeue); to me (S. me aie,which seems better). 644. and nedely most (om.and). 648. be (for 1stby). 650. vision. 651. se (readsey). 654.I supplythat; shone. 655. fercid.

663. by; S. be. 669. hartes hie. 671. guyde. 673. harte. 674. affeccion. 675. hart; styke. 679. hartes. 682. for to (om.for). 684. in kepen (!); S. I kepen. 687. preice. 689. harte; peice.

695. ye. 697. wounderly. 698. hie. 699. Who;readWhos. 704. harte. 705. piteously; S. pitously. 708. haue (!);readhalf. 710. Assliken(readAslaken); S. Asken (!). 711. gryfe; S. grief. 714. womanhode (!). 717. meane; ease. 718. owen. 721. please. 724. witte. 725. spryngen (sic). 726. dowte. 729. sene. 730. sonne.

731. demeane. 732. spede; S. speke (a needless alteration). 733. MS. mir and ioye and blisse; S. mirrour ioye and blisse. 738. abeisen. 740. withouten. 742. is (readas);supplyis; youen (S. yeuon). 745. be; S. by. 747. think; S. thanke. 749. the (= þe,error forye); S. thei (!). 751. fayne. 755. opon. 756. piteously; S. pitously. 757. faier. 758. vertuse (sic). 759. heire (!). 760. ote (!); S. hote. 764. godely; whoes.

768. ye (readee). 769. harte. 770. you (!); S. yeue. 772. grete. 776. toke. 777. harte. 781. lylly. 782. loueliessh (!); S. liuelishe. flawe (forflave). 794. prengnaunte. 800. stand. 801. one. 802. oders (!); S. odours; found. 803. switnesse; S. swetenesse.

806. pease; hidde. 807. bewry; S. bewraie. 808. bidde. 811. her intresse (readhere in tresses). 812. kepte (perhaps forkempt). 820.I supplybut. 821.I supplyyet. MS. alcenia (!). 823. eurosa (!). 825. stode. 828. delite. 832. godely. 834. toke. 840. folowith. 841.I supplytheandall. 843. I (!); S. ye.

846. give (!);readgrief. 847. harte (!);readharm. 850. mekely. 852. require (!). 856. harte. 857. meke. 862. and me (S. me);readmy. 868. rase. 870. delite. 871. please; harte. 872.I supplyold. 874. thynkes (sic). 876. Eprent (forEnprent). 878. becommen. 879. owyn; S. owne. 880. most. 882. yf (= yif); S. giue.

883. one; harte. 884. refute. 886. allegaunce (!). 890. gode wille. 893. cheryssh. 894. gref. 896. southly. 897. and (!);readI. 902. sene (sic). 908. vppon;readon. 909. nete (error fornote = noot). 910. hete (error forhote = hoot). 911. hart why (rest of line blank; I supplymake it straunge). 914. For (!); S. Fro. 915. harte. 918. goddes (S. gods);readgod.

921. harte. 922. beganne. 924.I supplylo; nobly (S. nobleye). 927. done (sic). 928. growen (sic); S. greuen. 939. clere; hatter (S. hotter); ye. 944, 945. done, sone. 946. ye. 948. syke;readseke. 950. serchynne;readserchen in. 951. wynne. 952. abide (readbyde); thowe; kynne. 954. guyse. 955. rewth. 956. owen; lawly. 958. thowe. 959. most.

963. Cease (twice). 965. optayne. 968. rightwose (!). 970. ye may gise (orgife) this wounder wide (no sense). 973. Alas thanne youre (om.thanne); crueltie. 974. gote. 975. fostered and Ifedde. 977. Ispedde. 984. arst. 985. spritis. 993. sauf. 994. ar (forer).

998. Aryse anon quod (om.anon). 999. nytirtale. 1001. made. 1004.I supplyye. 1006. myne harte. 1007. harte; ease. 1008. please. 1009. steutes (!);error forstatuts. 1014. most. 1018. thynke that it (I omitthat). 1021. godely. 1023. phelobone. 1027. officers him shewe for (om.him shewe). 1030. easy pase. 1031.I supplyther.

1032. felowe. 1033. asperaunce. 1034. stode. 1035. aduersary (!). 1036. displesire (!);forDespair (seel. 1047). 1038. dysseyuene (!);error fordysseyuen. 1039. Throwest (!); S. Trowest. 1041. his (!);readhers;I supplythey. 1043. gode; louith. 1048. hote. 1054. dye. 1059. Stode one. 1062. thynketh; S. thinkth. 1063.I supplyhool. 1064. synne; begonne. 1065. reason. 1066. delite.

1068. appityde (!); stirre (S. stere). 1069. synne; reason. 1070.I supplydost; do wyn (readto win). 1071. synne. 1072. verely. 1073. synne; vise. 1074. synne. 1076. For verray loue may not thy freyle desire akkele (too long). 1077.I supplyverray; synne. 1078. pynne. 1081. stode. 1083. woman (!). 1085. beawe. 1089. her; S. here. 1091. godely. 1094. abite. 1097. gode. 1098. sene. 1099. bene.

1106. synne. 1108. hire (!); S. here. 1114. monke;readmonks. 1115. course (S. curse); abbes. 1120. aftir than other happly. 1122. libartie. 1124. appetide (!). 1127. matiers (!). 1134. revist. 1136. woo; petiously. 1138. beholde (perhaps readbeheld); dispiteously. 1139. ye.

1142. gold (!);readgodeorgood. 1145. eas; gode. 1146.Not in theMS.;supplied byStowe. 1150. prange (and so inS.). 1151. woo; boune. 1152. dye. 1156. stode. 1157. ware. 1159. mantaylles. 1161. there; S. their. 1168. shappe; bewtie. 1173. wordes (!). 1176. to endure. 1177.Sic.1179. sent;perhaps readshent.

1182. blissed full (!). 1183. widue. 1184. my (readme);I supplyof. 1186. forth (S. for). 1187. ded (fordid). 1189. Chife. 1192. hode. 1198. toke. 1199. blasshed (forblusshed); darst (fordurst). 1203. And (!);readAs. 1205. harte (!);forart. 1206. previte. 1208. gaven (!). 1209. comonaltie. 1211. nede. 1214. thay (readwe); secrites (!). 1215. ladys; certen. 1216.I supplyper-. 1217, 1218. bryngyn; dispeire; heire.

1222. firste;I supplyI; ded vowe. 1228.I supplyin. 1229. lond. 1230. withstond. 1233. the (!); S. this. 1235. goith one; wotte; whate. 1236. Yonne. 1237. one. 1242. kynne; lier. 1244. ladys. 1245. vnshitte. 1246. That leith; S. Than lieth; witte. 1248. fantasie. 1250. canne; bette; reason guy. 1251. Be (forBy). 1253. soiorne (!); S. soioure. 1255. rokketh (perhaps readrouketh); Cornor (!).

1259. methamorphosees; S. Methamorphosose. 1260. foo; gloose. 1263. hartes. 1269. Stode; ferre; abite. 1270. Yonne;I supplyI; sprite. 1271. corious; S. curious. 1275.I supplya. 1277. bote. 1280. ferre; canne. 1285. Nowe;readMe. 1287. kyndelith. 1288. bodely. 1294. from (!);readto;I supplygreet.

1299.I supplyso. 1302. laday (!); S. lady. 1305. hoote or cold. 1306. withouten. 1307, 1308. harte, astarte. 1311. sene; cortis guyse. 1313. Twenty (!);readTwey. 1316. The tone. 1320. vnto;readto. 1322. sene. 1323. pleasaunce. 1324. shyne (S. shrine); rose. 1325. eke (!); S. eare. 1327.I supplyit; blak (forbrak). 1328. reiche (readreuth). 1329. and I me;readthan I myself.

1331. not (!);readbut. 1333. she (sic);readthou. 1335. taken (!); S. thanken. 1339.I supplyto. 1341. heree (!);forher. 1343. reason. 1348, 1351. season. 1358. bewreye; S. bewrye. 1362. preced. 1363. oure owen. 1365. brenne; hote.

1366. Cely enarant. 1369. thus (!; S. this); hartily. 1375. dye. 1376. yf (foryive). 1377. signe (!). 1382. amoryly (!); sprong. 1383.I supplyhe. 1384.Sic.1386. maketh;readmake. 1387. toke. 1388.I supplyas. 1389. mut; dyene; suppe. 1390. gife. 1398. south; purpose (!);readpursue. 1399. most. 1400. tue (!). 1403. on-lok. 1404.I supplya.

1406. light;readlyte. 1411. sang (!);readsing. 1412. lynette. 1416. kiȝt; S. kight. 1417. throwe. 1418. season. 1420. solempne. 1425. lest. 1431. goith. 1432. bleme (!). 1434. garlantis. 1435. reioyson; theire grete delite. 1441. smote; thrugh;I supplyvery; harte.

XXV. VIRELAI.

Alone walking, In thought pleyning,And sore sighing, All desolate,Me remembring Of my living,My deth wishing Bothe erly and late.5Infortunate Is so my fateThat, wote ye what? Out of mesureMy lyf I hate Thus desperate;In pore estate Do I endure.Of other cure Am I nat sure,10Thus to endure Is hard, certain;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;15Yet I full feyn Wold me compleynMe to absteyn From this penaunce.But in substaunce Noon allegeaunceOf my grevaunce Can I nat finde;Right so my chaunce With displesaunce20Doth me avaunce; And thus an ende.Explicit.

Alone walking, In thought pleyning,And sore sighing, All desolate,Me remembring Of my living,My deth wishing Bothe erly and late.

Alone walking, In thought pleyning,

And sore sighing, All desolate,

Me remembring Of my living,

My deth wishing Bothe erly and late.

5Infortunate Is so my fateThat, wote ye what? Out of mesureMy lyf I hate Thus desperate;In pore estate Do I endure.

Infortunate Is so my fate

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,10Thus to endure Is hard, certain;Such is my ure, I yow ensure;What creature May have more pain?

Of other cure Am I nat sure,

Thus to endure Is hard, certain;

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;15Yet I full feyn Wold me compleynMe to absteyn From this penaunce.

My trouth so pleyn Is take in veyn,

And gret disdeyn In remembraunce;

Yet I full feyn Wold me compleyn

Me to absteyn From this penaunce.

But in substaunce Noon allegeaunceOf my grevaunce Can I nat finde;Right so my chaunce With displesaunce20Doth me avaunce; And thus an ende.

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.

Explicit.

FromTrin. (Trin. Coll. Cam. R. 3. 19);collated withS. (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 (Iomitsuche). 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.

XXVI. PROSPERITY.

Richt as povert causith sobirnes,And febilnes enforcith contenence,Richt so prosperitee and gret richesThe moder is of vice and negligence;5And powere also causith insolence;And honour oftsiss chaungith gude thewis;Thare is no more perilous pestilenceThan hie estate geven unto schrewis.Quod Chaucere.

Richt as povert causith sobirnes,

And febilnes enforcith contenence,

Richt so prosperitee and gret riches

The moder is of vice and negligence;

And powere also causith insolence;

And honour oftsiss chaungith gude thewis;

Thare is no more perilous pestilence

Than hie estate geven unto schrewis.

Quod Chaucere.

XXVI.FromMS. Arch. Seld. B. 24, fol. 119;I give rejected spellings. 3. Rycht; grete. 7. perilouss.

XXVII. LEAULTE VAULT RICHESSE.

This warldly joy is only fantasy,Of quhich non erdly wicht can be content;Quho most has wit, lest suld in it affy,Quho taistis it most, most sall him repent;5Quhat valis all this richess and this rent,Sen no man wat quho sall his tresour have?Presume nocht gevin that god has don but lent,Within schort tyme the quhiche he thinkis to crave.Leaulte vault richesse.

This warldly joy is only fantasy,

Of quhich non erdly wicht can be content;

Quho most has wit, lest suld in it affy,

Quho taistis it most, most sall him repent;

Quhat valis all this richess and this rent,

Sen no man wat quho sall his tresour have?

Presume nocht gevin that god has don but lent,

Within schort tyme the quhiche he thinkis to crave.

Leaulte vault richesse.

XXVII.FromMS. Arch. Seld. B. 24, fol. 138;I give rejected spellings. 1. Ioy; onely. 3. leste. 6. wate. 7. done. 9. richess.

XXVIII. SAYINGS PRINTED BY CAXTON.

1. Whan feyth failleth in prestes sawes,And lordes hestes ar holden for lawes,And robbery is holden purchas,And lechery is holden solas,5Than shal the lond of AlbyonBe brought to grete confusioun.2. Hit falleth for every gentilmanTo saye the best that he canIn [every] mannes absence,10And the soth in his presence.3. Hit cometh by kynde of gentil blodeTo cast away al hevines,And gadre to-gidre wordes good;The werk of wisdom berith witnes.Et sic est finis.

1. Whan feyth failleth in prestes sawes,And lordes hestes ar holden for lawes,And robbery is holden purchas,And lechery is holden solas,5Than shal the lond of AlbyonBe brought to grete confusioun.

1. Whan feyth failleth in prestes sawes,

And lordes hestes ar holden for lawes,

And robbery is holden purchas,

And lechery is holden solas,

Than shal the lond of Albyon

Be brought to grete confusioun.

2. Hit falleth for every gentilmanTo saye the best that he canIn [every] mannes absence,10And the soth in his presence.

2. Hit falleth for every gentilman

To saye the best that he can

In [every] mannes absence,

And the soth in his presence.

3. Hit cometh by kynde of gentil blodeTo cast away al hevines,And gadre to-gidre wordes good;The werk of wisdom berith witnes.

3. Hit cometh by kynde of gentil blode

To cast away al hevines,

And gadre to-gidre wordes good;

The werk of wisdom berith witnes.

Et sic est finis.

XXVIII.FromCaxton's print of Chaucer's Anelida, &c.; see vol. i. p. 46. Also in ed. 1542, in later spelling.

7. Cx. euery. 9.I supplyevery. 12. Cx. heuynes. 14. Cx. wisedom.

XXIX. BALADE IN PRAISE OF CHAUCER.

Master Geffray Chauser, that now lyth in grave,The nobyll rethoricien, and poet of Gret Bretayne,That worthy was the lawrer of poetry haveFor thys hys labour, and the palme attayne;5Whych furst made to dystyll and reyneThe gold dew-dropys of speche and eloquenceIn-to Englyssh tong, thorow hys excellence.Explicit.

Master Geffray Chauser, that now lyth in grave,

The nobyll rethoricien, and poet of Gret Bretayne,

That worthy was the lawrer of poetry have

For thys hys labour, and the palme attayne;

Whych furst made to dystyll and reyne

The gold dew-dropys of speche and eloquence

In-to Englyssh tong, thorow hys excellence.

Explicit.

XXIX.FromMS. Trin. R. 3. 19, fol. 25;also inStowe (ed. 1561). 1. MS. Chausers; Stowe, Chauser. 2. Rethoricion (!). 6. elloquence.

NOTES.

I. THE TESTAMENT OF LOVE.

The text is from Thynne's first edition (1532); the later reprints are of inferior value. No MS. of this piece is known. Rejected spellings are given at the bottom of each page. Conjectural emendations are marked by a prefixed obelus (†). In many places, words or letters are supplied, within square brackets, to complete or improve the sense. For further discussion of this piece, see the Introduction.

Book I.

Prologue.1. The initial letters of the chapters in Book I. form the wordsMARGARETE OF. See the Introduction.

3.by queynt knitting coloures, by curious fine phrases, that 'knit' or join the words or verses together. Forcolours= fine phrases, cf. Ch., HF. 859; C. T., E 16, F 726.

7.for, because, seeing that;boystous, rough, plain, unadorned; cf. l. 12. The Glossary in vol. vi should be compared for further illustration of the more difficult words.

19.for the first leudnesse, on account of the former lack of skill.

21.yeve sight, enable men to see clearly.

30.conne jumpere suche termes, know how to jumble such terms together.Jumpereshould rather be speltjumpre; cf.jomprein the Gloss. to Chaucer. For such words, see the Glossary appended to the present volume.

but as, except as the jay chatters English; i.e. without understanding it; cf. Ch. Prol. 642.

43.necessaries to cacche, to lay hold of necessary ideas. Throughout this treatise, we frequently find the verb placedafterthe substantive which it governs, or relegated to the end of the clause or sentence. This absurd affectation often greatly obscures the sense.

45. The insertion of the wordsperfeccion isis absolutely necessary to the sense; cf. ll. 47, 50. For the general argument, cf. Ch. Boeth. iii.proses 10 and 11, where 'perfection' is represented bysuffisaunce, as, e.g., in iii. pr. 11. l. 18.

50. Aristotle's Metaphysics begins with the words:πάντες ἄνθρωποι τοῦ ἐιδέναι ὀρέγονται φύσει, all men by nature are actuated by the desire of knowledge. The reference to this passage is explicitly given in the Romans of Partenay, ll. 78-87; and it was doubtless a much worn quotation. And see l. 64 below.

58.sightful and knowing, visible and capable of being known.

61.David. The whole of this sentence is so hopelessly corrupt that I can but give it up. Possibly there is a reference to Ps. cxxxix. 14.me in makingemay be put for 'in makinge me.'Tuneis probably a misprint fortime;lentmay be an error forsent; but the whole is hopelessly wrong.

64. Apparently derived from Aristotle, De Animalibus, bk. i. c. 5. The general sense is that created things like to know both their creator and the causes of natural things akin to them (ὀικεῖα).

67.Considred; i.e. the forms of natural things and their creation being considered, men should have a great natural love to the Workman that made them.

68.meis frequently written formen, the unemphatic form ofman, in the impersonal sense of 'one' or 'people'; thus, in King Horn, ed. Morris, 366, 'ne recche i whatmetelle' means 'I care not what people may say.' Strict grammar requires the formhimforhemin l. 69, asmeis properly singular; but the use ofhemis natural enough in this passage, asmereally signifies created beings in general. Cf.mein ch. i. l. 18 below.

80.Styxis not 'a pit,' but a river. The error is Chaucer's; cf. 'Stix, the put of helle,' in Troil. iv. 1540. Observe the expression—'Stygiamque paludem'; Vergil, Aen. vi. 323.

86. I. e. 'rend the sword out of the hands of Hercules, and set Hercules' pillars at Gades a mile further onward.' For the latter allusion, see Ch. vol. ii. p. lv; it may have been taken from Guido delle Colonne. And see Poem VIII (below), l. 349.Gades, now Cadiz.

89.the spere, the spear. There seems to be some confusion here. It was King Arthur who drew the magic sword out of the stone, after 150 knights had failed in the attempt: see Merlin, ed. Wheatley (E. E. T. S.), pp. 100-3. Alexander's task was to untie the Gordian knot.

90.And that; 'and who says that, surpassing all wonders, he will be master of France by might, whereas even King Edward III could not conquer all of it.' An interesting allusion.

96.unconninge, ignorance. There is an unpublished treatise called 'The Cloud of Unknowing'; but it is probably not here alluded to.

98.gadered, gathered. Thynne almost invariably commits the anachronism of spelling the wordsgader,fader,moder,togider, and the like, withth; and I have usually set him right, marking such corrections with a prefixed obelus (†). Cf.wederin l. 123 below.

100.rekes, ricks. The idea is from Chaucer, L. G. W. 73-4.

101, 102.his reson, the reason of him.hayne, hatred.

110.Boëce, Boethius. No doubt the author simply consulted Chaucer's translation. See the Introduction.

115.slye, cunning; evidently alluding to the parable of the unjust steward.

117.Aristotle. The allusion appears to be to the Nicomachean Ethics, bk. i. c. 7:δόξειε δ' ἂν παντὸς εἶναι προαγαγεῖν, ... παντὸς γὰρ προσθεῖναι τὸ ἐλλεῖπον.

122.betiden, happened to me; theiis short. This sudden transition to the mention of the author's pilgrimage suggests that a portion of the Prologue is missing here.

Chap. I.1. Copied from Ch. Boeth. bk. i. met. 1. ll. 1, 2.

12.thingseems to mean 'person'; the person that cannot now embrace me when I wish for comfort.

15.prison; probably not a material prison. The author, in imitation of Boethius, imagines himself to be imprisoned. At p. 144, l. 132, he is 'in good plite,' i.e. well off. Cf. note to ch. iii. 116.

16.caitived, kept as a captive; the correction ofcaytisned(with ſ fors) tocaytifued(better speltcaitived) is obvious, and is given in the New E. Dict., s.v.Caitive.

17, 18.Straunge, a strange one, some stranger;me, one, really meaning 'myself';he shulde, it ought to be.

21, 22.bewent, turned aside; see New E. Dict., s.v.Bewend. The readingbewet, i.e. profusely wetted, occurs (by misprinting) in later editions, and is adopted in the New E. Dict, s.v.Bewet. It is obviously wrong.

23.of hem, by them; these words, in the construction, followenlumined. The very frequent inversion of phrases in this piece tends greatly to obscure the sense of it.

24.Margarite precious, a precious pearl. Gems were formerly credited with 'virtues'; thus Philip de Thaun, in his Bestiary (ed. Wright, l. 1503), says of the pearl—

'A mult choses pot valier, ki cestes peres pot aveir,' &c., or, in Wright's translation: 'For him who can have this stone, it will be of force against many things; there will never be any infirmity, except death, from which a person will not come to health, who will drink it with dew, if he has true faith.' See l. 133 below.

28.twinkling in your disese, a small matter tending to your discomfort. Heredisese= dis-ease, want of ease. Cf. l. 31 below.

42. 'It is so high,' &c. The implied subject to whichitrefers isparadise, where the author'sEveis supposed to be. Hence the sense is:—'paradise is so far away from the place where I am lying and from the common earth, that no cable (let down from it) can reach me.'

59.ferdnesis obviously the right word, though misprintedfrendes. It signifies 'fear,' and occurs again in ch. ii. ll. 9, 16; besides, it is again misprinted asfrendesin the same chapter, l. 13.

63.weyvedis an obvious correction forveyned; see the Glossary.

70.mercy passeth right, your mercy exceeds your justice. This was a proverbial phrase, or, as it is called in the next clause, a 'proposition.'

79.flitte, stir, be moved; 'not even the least bit.'

80.souded(misprintedsondedby Thynne), fixed; cf. Ch. C.T., B 1769. From O.F.souder, Lat.solidare.

83.do, cause; 'cause the lucky throw of comfort to fall upward'; alluding to dice-play.

96.wolde conne, would like to be able to.

99, 100.me weninge, when I was expecting.ther-as, whereas.

116.no force, it does not matter; no matter for that.

117-20. Evidently corrupt, even when we readflowingforfolowing, andof alforby al. Perhapstherin l. 119 should bethey; giving the sense:—'but they (thy virtues) are wonderful, I know not which (of them it is) that prevents the flood,' &c. Even so, a clause is lacking aftervertuesin l. 118.

126. Thynne hasioleynyngeforioleyuynge, i.e.joleyving, cheering, making joyous. The word is riot given in Stratmann or in Mätzner, but Godefroy has the corresponding O.F. verbjoliver, to caress.

Chap. II.18.a lady; this is evidently copied from Boethius; see Ch. Boeth. bk. i. pr. 1. l. 3. The visitor to the prison of Boethius was named Philosophy; the visitor in the present case is Love, personified as a female; see l. 53 below.

20.blustringe, glance. But the word is not known in this sense, and there is evidently some mistake here. I have no doubt that the right word isblushinge; for the M.E.blusshenwas often used in the sense of 'to cast a glance, give a look, glance with the eye'; as duly noted in the New E. Dict, s.v.Blush. The word was probably writtenbluschingein Thynne's MS., with acexactly (as often) like at. If he misread it asblusthinge, he may easily have altered it toblustringe.

32.neighe, approach; governingme.

37.O my nory, O my pupil! Copied from Ch. Boeth. bk. i. pr. 3. l. 10; cf. the same, bk. iii. pr. 11. l. 160. In l. 51 below, we havemy disciple.

60.by thyn owne vyse, by thine own resolve; i.e. of thine own accord; seeAdvicein the New E. Dict. § 6.Vyseis put foravyse, the syllableabeing dropped. Halliwell notes thatvice, with the sense of 'advice,' is still in use.

64. 'Because it comforts me to think on past gladness, it (also) vexes me again to be doing so.' Clumsily expressed; and borrowed from Ch. Boeth. bk. ii. pr. 4. ll. 4-7.

74-84. From Matt. xviii. 12; Luke, xv. 4; John, x. 11.

92. Love was kind to Paris, because he succeeded in gaining Helen. Jason was false to Love, because he deserted Hypsipyle and Medea. It is probable thatfalseis misprinted forfairein l. 93; otherwise there is no contrast, as is implied byfor.

93.Sesars sonke(sic) should probably beCesars swink, i.e. Caesar's toil. I adopt this reading to make sense; but it is not at all clear why Caesar should have been selected as the type of a successful lover.

95.loveday, a day of reconciliation; see note to Ch. C. T., A 258.

96. 'And chose a maid to be umpire between God and man'; alluding to the Virgin Mary.

114-5.cause, causing, the primary cause, originating these things and many others besides. See note to Troil. iv. 829.

123-4.wo is him; Lat. ve soli, Eccl. iv. 10; quoted in Troil. i. 694.

125. Cf. 'weep with them that weep'; Rom. xii. 15.

138. Here the author bemoans his losses and heavy expenses.

143. Forwolde endeynousI here readwolde ben deynous, i.e. would be disdainful; seeDeynousin the Gloss. to Chaucer. The New E. Dict. adopts the readingwolde [be] endeynous, with the same sense; but no other example of the adj.endeynousis known, and it is an awkward formation. However, there are five examples of the verbendeign, meaning 'to be indignant'; see Wyclif, Gen. xviii. 30; Ex. xxxii. 22; Is. lvii. 6; Job, xxxii. 2; Wisd. xii. 27.

166. Copied from Troil. iv. 460-1:—

'But canstow playen raket, to and fro,Netle in, dokke out, now this, now that, Pandare?'

'But canstow playen raket, to and fro,

Netle in, dokke out, now this, now that, Pandare?'

See the note on the latter line.

Wethercockeis a late spelling; the proper M.E. spelling iswedercokke, from a nom.wedercok, which appears in the poem Against Women Unconstant, l. 12.

173.a, an unemphatic form ofhave; 'thou wouldest have made me.'

180.voyde, do away with.webbes; theweb, also calledthe pin and web, orthe web and pin, is a disease of the eyes, now known as cataract. See Nares, s.v.Pin; Florio's Ital. Dict., s.v.Cateratta; the New E. Dict., s.v.Cataract; King Lear, iii. 4. 122; Winter's Tale, i. 2. 291.

191, 192.truste on Mars, trust to Mars, i.e. be ready with wager of battle; alluding to the common practice of appealing to arms when a speaker's truthfulness was called in question. See ch. vii. 10 below (p. 31).

Chap. III.14.Come of, lit. come off; but it is remarkable that this phrase is used in M.E. where we should now say rather 'come on!' See note to Troil. ii. 1738.

21.mayst thou, canst thou do (or act)?

25-7. 'I never yet set any one to serve anywhere who did not succeed in his service.'

32. 'the nut in every nook.' Perhapsonshould bein.

37-8. There is some corruption here. I insertTho gan Ito help out the sense, but it remains partially obscure. Perhaps the sense is:—'Often one does what one does not wish to do, being stirred to do so by the opinion of others, who wanted me to stay at home; whereupon I suddenly began to wish to travel.' He would rather have stayed at home; but when he found that others wanted him to do so, he perversely began to wish to travel.

39.the wynding of the erthe; an obscure expression; perhaps 'the envelopment of the earth in snow.'

40. 'I walked through woods in which were broad ways, and (then) by small paths which the swine had made, being lanes with by-paths for seeking (there) their beech-mast.'

42.ladels, by-paths (?). No other example of the word appears. I guess it to be a diminutive of M.E.lade, a path, road, which occurs in the Ormulum; see Stratmann. Perhaps it is a mere misprint forlades.

44, 45.gonne to wilde, began to grow wild; cf.ginne ayen waxe ramage, in l. 48, with the like sense. I know of no other example of the verbto wilde.

52.shippe, ship; not, however, a real ship, but an allegorical one named Travail, i.e. Danger; see ll. 55, 75 below.manyis here used in place ofmeynee, referring to the ship's company; some of whom had the allegorical names of Sight, Lust, Thought, and Will. The 'ship' is a common symbol of this present life, in which we are surrounded by perils; compare the parable of 'the wagging boat' in P. Plowm. C. xi. 32, and the long note to that line.

58.old hate; probably borrowed from Ch. Pers. Tale, I 562; see the note.

64.avowing, vowing; because persons in peril used to vow to perform pilgrimages.

75.my ship was out of mynde, i.e. I forgot all about my previous danger.

84.the man, the merchant-man in Matt. xiii. 45.

105.enmoysed, comforted.Enmoiseoremmoiseis a variant of M.E.amese,ameise, from O.F.amaiser,amaisier, to pacify, appease, render gentle (Godefroy); answering to the Low Lat. type*ad-mitiarefrommitis, gentle. SeeAmesein the New E. Dict. No other example of the formenmoyseis known.

111.of nothing now may serve, is now of no use (to you).

116.prison; the author has forgotten all about his adventure in the ship, and is now back in prison, as in ch. i.

118.renyant forjuged, a denier (of his guilt) who has been wrongfully condemned.

121.suche grace and non hap, such favour and no mere luck.

124.let-games; probably from Troil. iii. 527; spoilers of sport or happiness.wayters, watchers, watch-men, guards.

131.nothing as ye shulde, not at all as you ought to do.

148.feld, felled, put down, done away with.

153-4.For he ... suffer, a perfect alliterative line; imitated from P. Plowm. C. xxi. 212:—'For wot no wight what wele is, that never wo suffrede.' Clearly quoted from memory; cf. notes to bk. ii. ch. 9. 178, and ch. 13. 86.

157.happy hevinesse, fortunate grief; a parallel expression tolyking tene, i.e. pleasing vexation, in l. 158. These contradictory phrases were much affected by way of rhetorical flourish. For a long passage of this character, cf. Rom. Rose, 4703-50.

158.harseis almost certainly a misprint forharme; thengoodlyharmemeans much the same aslyking tene(see note above). So, in Rom. Rose, 4710, 4733, 4743, we find mention of 'a sweet peril,' 'a joyous pain,' and 'a sweet hell.'

Chap. IV.2.semed they boren, they seemed to bore;borenbeing in the infin. mood.

18. Fororreadfor, to make sense;for of disese, for out of such distress come gladness and joy, so poured out by means of a full vessel, that such gladness quenches the feeling of former sorrows. Heregladnesse and joyis spoken of as being all one thing, governing the singular verbis, and being alluded to asit.

25.commensal, table-companion; from F.commensal, given in Cotgrave. See the New E. Dict.

27.soukinges, suckings, draughts of milk; cf. Ch. Boeth. bk. i. pr. 2. l. 4.

36.clothe, cloth. This circumstance is copied from Ch. Boeth. bk. i. pr. 2. l. 19.

42. This reference to Love, as controlling the universe, is borrowed from Boeth. bk. ii. met. 8.

47. Readwerne(refuse) andwol(will); 'yet all things desire that you should refuse help to no one who is willing to do as you direct him.'

56.every thing in coming, every future thing.contingent, of uncertain occurrence; the earliest known quotation for this use of the word in English.

61-2.many let-games; repeated from above, ch. iii. ll. 124-8.thy moeble; from the same, ll. 131-2.

64.by the first, with reference to your first question; so alsoby that other, with reference to your second question, in l. 71.

Chap. V.8. Acrisius shut his daughter Danaë up in a tower, to keep her safe; nevertheless she became the mother of Perseus, who afterwards killed Acrisius accidentally.

14.entremellen, intermingle hearts after merely seeing each other.

16.beestes, animals, beings; not used contemptuously; equivalent toliving peoplein ll. 17, 18.

20.esployte, success, achievement; seeExploitin the New E. Dict.

29. Supplydon; 'and I will cause him to come to bliss, as being one of my own servants.'

35.and in-to water, and jumps into the water and immediately comes up to breathe; like an unsuccessful diver.

37.A tree, &c.; a common illustration; cf. Troil. i. 964.

43.this countrè; a common saying; cf. Troil. ii. 28 (and note), 42. And see l. 47 below.

45. 'the salve that he healed his heel with.' From HF. 290.

71.jangelers; referring to l. 19 above.lokers; referring tooverlokers; in ch. iii. l. 128.

72.wayters; referring to ch. iii. l. 128.

77. 'It is sometimes wise to feign flight.' Cf. P. Plowman, C. xxii. 103.

85.cornes, grains of corn. I supplybare, i.e. empty.

86-7.Who, &c.; a proverb; from Troil. v. 784.

87-8.After grete stormes; see note to P. Plowman, C. xxi. 454.

92.grobbed, grubbed; i.e. dug about. Cf. Isaiah, v. 2.

95.a, have (as before).Lya, Leah; Lat.Lia, in Gen. xxix. 17 (Vulgate).

103.eighteth, eighth; an extraordinary perversion of the notion of the sabbatical year. So below, in l. 104, we are informed that the number of workdays isseven; and that, in Christian countries, the day of rest is the eighth day in the week!kinrest, rest for thekinor people; a general day of rest. I know of no other example of this somewhat clumsy compound.

110.sothed, verified; referring to Luke, xiv. 29.

113.conisance, badge. Badges for retainers were very common at this date. See Notes to Richard the Redeless, ii. 2.

117-9. Copied from P. Plowman, C. vii. 24, 25:—

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