[Tale of Nectanabus.]The hihe creatour of thinges,Which is the king of alle kinges,1790Hic narrat exemplum super eodem, qualiter Nectanabus ab Egipto873in Macedoniam fugitiuus,874Olimpiadem Philippi Regis ibidem tunc absentis vxorem arte magica decipiens, cum ipsa concubuit, magnumque ex ea Alexandrum sortilegus genuit: qui natus, postea cum ad erudiendum sub custodia Nectanabi commendatus fuisset, ipsum Nectanabum patrem suum ab altitudine cuiusdam turris in fossam profundam proiciens interfecit. Et sic sortilegus ex875suo sortilegio infortunii sortem sortitus est.Ful many a wonder worldes chanceLet slyden under his suffrance;Ther wot noman the cause why,Bot he the which is almyhty.And that was proved whilom thus,Whan that the king Nectanabus,Which hadde Egipte forto lede,—Bot for he sih tofor the dedeThurgh magique of his Sorcerie,Wherof he couthe a gret partie,1800P. iii. 62Hise enemys to him comende,Fro whom he mihte him noght defende,Out of his oghne lond he fledde;And in the wise as he him dreddeIt fell, for al his wicchecraft,So that Egipte him was beraft,And he desguised fledde aweieBe schipe, and hield the rihte weieTo Macedoine, wher that heAryveth ate chief Cite.1810Thre yomen of his chambre thereAl only forto serve him were,The whiche he trusteth wonder wel,For thei were trewe as eny stiel;And hapneth that thei with him ladde876Part of the beste good he hadde.Thei take logginge in the toun877After the disposicionWher as him thoghte best to duelle:He axeth thanne and herde telle1820Hou that the king was oute goUpon a werre he hadde tho;But in that Cite thanne wasThe queene, which OlimpiasWas hote, and with sollempneteThe feste of hir nativite,As it befell, was thanne holde;And for hire list to be beholde878And preised of the poeple aboute,Sche schop hir forto riden oute1830P. iii. 63At after mete al openly.Anon were alle men redy,And that was in the monthe of Maii,This lusti queene in good arraiWas set upon a Mule whyt:To sen it was a gret delitThe joie that the cite made;With freisshe thinges and with gladeThe noble toun was al behonged,And every wiht was sore alonged1840To se this lusti ladi ryde.Ther was gret merthe on alle syde;Wher as sche passeth be the strete,Ther was ful many a tymber beteAnd many a maide carolende:And thus thurghout the toun pleiendeThis queene unto a pleine rod,879Wher that sche hoved and abodTo se diverse game pleie,The lusti folk jouste and tourneie;1850And so forth every other man,Which pleie couthe, his pley began,To plese with this noble queene.Nectanabus cam to the greneAmonges othre and drouh him nyh.Bot whan that he this ladi sihAnd of hir beaute hiede tok,He couthe noght withdrawe his lokTo se noght elles in the field,Bot stod and only hire behield.1860P. iii. 64Of his clothinge and of his gereHe was unlich alle othre there,So that it hapneth ate laste,The queene on him hire yhe caste,And knew that he was strange anon:Bot he behield hire evere in onWithoute blenchinge of his chere.Sche tok good hiede of his manere,And wondreth why he dede so,And bad men scholde for him go.1870He cam and dede hire reverence,And sche him axeth in cilenceFro whenne he cam and what he wolde.And he with sobre wordes tolde,And seith, ‘Ma dame, a clerk I am,880To you and in message I cam,The which I mai noght tellen hiere;Bot if it liketh you to hiere,It mot be seid al prively,881Wher nonschal be bot ye and I.’1880Thus for the time he tok his leve.The dai goth forth til it was eve,That every man mot lete his werk;882And sche thoghte evere upon this clerk,What thing it is he wolde mene:And in this wise abod the queene,And passeth over thilke nyht,Til it was on the morwe liht.Sche sende for him, and he com,With him his Astellabre he nom,1890P. iii. 65Which was of fin gold preciousWith pointz and cercles merveilous;And ek the hevenely figuresWroght in a bok ful of peinturesHe tok this ladi forto schewe,And tolde of ech of hem be reweThe cours and the condicion.And sche with gret affeccionSat stille and herde what he wolde:And thus whan he sih time, he tolde,1900And feigneth with hise wordes wiseA tale, and seith in such a wise:‘Ma dame, bot a while ago,Wher I was in Egipte tho,And radde in scole of this science,It fell into mi conscienceThat I unto the temple wente,And ther with al myn hole ententeAs I mi sacrifice dede,On of the goddes hath me bede1910That I you warne prively,So that ye make you redy,And that ye be nothing agast;For he such love hath to you cast,That ye schul ben his oghne diere,And he schal be your beddefiere,Til ye conceive and be with childe.’And with that word sche wax al mylde,And somdel red becam for schame,And axeth him that goddes name,1920P. iii. 66Which so wol don hire compainie.And he seide, ‘Amos of Lubie.’And sche seith, ‘That mai I noght lieve,Bot if I sihe a betre prieve.’‘Ma dame,’ quod Nectanabus,‘In tokne that it schal be thus,This nyht for enformacionYe schul have an avision:That Amos schal to you appiere,To schewe and teche in what manere1930The thing schal afterward befalle.883Ye oghten wel aboven alleTo make joie of such a lord;For whan ye ben of on acord,He schal a Sone of you begete,Which with his swerd schal winne and geteThe wyde world in lengthe and brede;Alle erthli kinges schull him drede,And in such wise, I you behote,884The god of erthe he schal be hote.’1940‘If this be soth,’ tho quod the queene,‘This nyht, thou seist, it schal be sene.And if it falle into mi grace,Of god Amos that I pourchaceTo take of him so gret worschipe,I wol do thee such ladischipe,Wherof thou schalt for everemoBe riche.’ And he hir thonketh tho,And tok his leve and forth he wente.Sche wiste litel what he mente,1950P. iii. 67For it was guile and Sorcerie,Al that sche tok for Prophecie.Nectanabus thurghout the day,Whan he cam hom wher as he lay,885His chambre be himselve tok,And overtorneth many a bok,And thurgh the craft of ArtemageOf wex he forgeth an ymage.He loketh his equacionsAnd ek the constellacions,1960He loketh the conjunccions,He loketh the recepcions,His signe, his houre, his ascendent,And drawth fortune of his assent:The name of queene OlimpiasIn thilke ymage write wasAmiddes in the front above.And thus to winne his lust of loveNectanabus this werk hath diht;And whan it cam withinne nyht,1970That every wyht is falle aslepe,He thoghte he wolde his time kepe,As he which hath his houre apointed.And thanne ferst he hath enoigntedWith sondri herbes that figure,And therupon he gan conjure,So that thurgh his enchantementThis ladi, which was innocentAnd wiste nothing of this guile,Mette, as sche slepte thilke while,1980P. iii. 68Hou fro the hevene cam a lyht,Which al hir chambre made lyht;And as sche loketh to and fro,Sche sih, hir thoghte, a dragoun tho,Whos scherdes schynen as the Sonne,And hath his softe pas begonneWith al the chiere that he mayToward the bedd ther as sche lay,Til he cam to the beddes side.And sche lai stille and nothing cride,1990For he dede alle his thinges faireAnd was courteis and debonaire:And as he stod hire fasteby,886His forme he changeth sodeinly,And the figure of man he nom,To hire and into bedde he com,887And such thing there of love he wroghte,Wherof, so as hire thanne thoghte,Thurgh likinge of this god AmosWith childe anon hire wombe aros,2000And sche was wonder glad withal.Nectanabus, which causeth alOf this metrede the substance,Whan he sih time, his nigromanceHe stinte and nothing more seideOf his carecte, and sche abreideOut of hir slep, and lieveth welThat it is soth thanne everydelOf that this clerk hire hadde told,And was the gladdere manyfold2010P. iii. 69In hope of such a glad metrede,Which after schal befalle in dede.Sche longeth sore after the dai,That sche hir swevene telle maiTo this guilour in privete,Which kneu it als so wel as sche:888And natheles on morwe soneSche lefte alle other thing to done,And for him sende, and al the casSche tolde him pleinly as it was,2020And seide hou thanne wel sche wisteThat sche his wordes mihte triste,For sche fond hire AvisiounRiht after the condicionWhich he hire hadde told tofore;And preide him hertely therforeThat he hire holde covenantSo forth of al the remenant,That sche may thurgh his ordinanceToward the god do such plesance,8892030That sche wakende myhte him kepeIn such wise as sche mette aslepe.And he, that couthe of guile ynouh,Whan he this herde, of joie he louh,And seith, ‘Ma dame, it schal be do.Bot this I warne you therto:This nyht, whan that he comth to pleie,That ther be no lif in the weieBot I, that schal at his likingeOrdeine so for his cominge,2040P. iii. 70That ye ne schull noght of him faile.890For this, ma dame, I you consaile,That ye it kepe so prive,That no wiht elles bot we threHave knowlechinge hou that it is;For elles mihte it fare amis,891If ye dede oght that scholde him grieve.’And thus he makth hire to believe,And feigneth under guile feith:Bot natheles al that he seith2050Sche troweth; and ayein the nyhtSche hath withinne hire chambre dyht,Wher as this guilour faste byUpon this god schal privelyAwaite, as he makth hire to wene:892And thus this noble gentil queene,Whan sche most trusteth, was deceived.The nyht com, and the chambre is weyved,Nectanabus hath take his place,And whan he sih the time and space,2060Thurgh the deceipte of his magique893He putte him out of mannes like,894And of a dragoun tok the forme,As he which wolde him al conformeTo that sche sih in swevene er this;And thus to chambre come he is.The queene lay abedde and sih,And hopeth evere, as he com nyh,That he god of Lubye were,So hath sche wel the lasse fere.2070P. iii. 71Bot for he wolde hire more assure,895Yit eft he changeth his figure,And of a wether the liknesseHe tok, in signe of his noblesseWith large hornes for the nones:Of fin gold and of riche stonesA corone on his hed he bar,And soudeinly, er sche was war,As he which alle guile can,His forme he torneth into man,2080And cam to bedde, and sche lai stille,Wher as sche soffreth al his wille,As sche which wende noght misdo.896Bot natheles it hapneth so,Althogh sche were in part deceived,Yit for al that sche hath conceivedThe worthieste of alle kiththe,Which evere was tofore or siththeOf conqueste and chivalerie;897So that thurgh guile and Sorcerie2090Ther was that noble knyht begunne,898Which al the world hath after wunne.Thus fell the thing which falle scholde,Nectanabus hath that he wolde;With guile he hath his love sped,With guile he cam into the bed,With guile he goth him out ayein:He was a schrewed chamberlein,So to beguile a worthi queene,And that on him was after seene.2100P. iii. 72Bot natheles the thing is do;This false god was sone go,With his deceipte and hield him clos,Til morwe cam, that he aros.And tho, whan time and leisir was,The queene tolde him al the cas,As sche that guile non supposeth;And of tuo pointz sche him opposeth.On was, if that this god nomoreWol come ayein, and overmore,2110Hou sche schal stonden in acordWith king Philippe hire oghne lord,Whan he comth hom and seth hire grone.‘Ma dame,’ he seith, ‘let me alone:As for the god I undertakeThat whan it liketh you to takeHis compaignie at eny throwe,If I a day tofore it knowe,He schal be with you on the nyht;And he is wel of such a myht2120To kepe you from alle blame.Forthi conforte you, ma dame,Ther schal non other cause be.’Thus tok he leve and forth goth he,And tho began he forto museHou he the queene mihte excuseToward the king of that is falle;And fond a craft amonges alle,Thurgh which he hath a See foul daunted,With his magique and so enchaunted,2130P. iii. 73That he flyh forth, whan it was nyht,Unto the kinges tente riht,Wher that he lay amidde his host:And whanne he was aslepe most,With that the See foul to him broghteAnd othre charmes, whiche he wroghte899At hom withinne his chambre stille,The king he torneth at his wille,And makth him forto dreme and seThe dragoun and the privete2140Which was betuen him and the queene.900And over that he made him weneIn swevene, hou that the god Amos,Whan he up fro the queene aros,Tok forth a ring, wherinne a ston901Was set, and grave theruponA Sonne, in which, whan he cam nyh,A leoun with a swerd he sih;And with that priente, as he tho mette,902Upon the queenes wombe he sette2150A Seal, and goth him forth his weie.With that the swevene wente aweie,And tho began the king awakeAnd sigheth for his wyves sake,Wher as he lay withinne his tente,903And hath gret wonder what it mente.904With that he hasteth him to ryseAnon, and sende after the wise,Among the whiche ther was on,A clerc, his name is Amphion:2160P. iii. 74Whan he the kinges swevene herde,What it betokneth he ansuerde,And seith, ‘So siker as the lif,A god hath leie be thi wif,And gete a Sone, which schal winneThe world and al that is withinne.As leon is the king of bestes,So schal the world obeie his hestes,Which with his swerd schal al be wonne,Als ferr as schyneth eny Sonne.’2170The king was doubtif of this dom;Bot natheles, whan that he comAyein into his oghne lond,His wif with childe gret he fond.He mihte noght himselve stiere,That he ne made hire hevy chiere;Bot he which couthe of alle sorwe,Nectanabus, upon the morweThurgh the deceipte and nigromanceTok of a dragoun the semblance,2180And wher the king sat in his halle,Com in rampende among hem alleWith such a noise and such a rore,That thei agast were also soreAs thogh thei scholde deie anon.And natheles he grieveth non,Bot goth toward the deyss on hih;And whan he cam the queene nyh,He stinte his noise, and in his wiseTo hire he profreth his servise,2190P. iii. 75And leith his hed upon hire barm;And sche with goodly chiere hire armAboute his necke ayeinward leide,And thus the queene with him pleideIn sihte of alle men aboute.And ate laste he gan to louteAnd obeissance unto hire make,As he that wolde his leve take;And sodeinly his lothly formeInto an Egle he gan transforme,2200And flyh and sette him on a raile;Wherof the king hath gret mervaile,For there he pruneth him and piketh,As doth an hauk whan him wel liketh,And after that himself he schok,Wherof that al the halle quok,As it a terremote were;Thei seiden alle, god was there:In such a res and forth he flyh.The king, which al this wonder syh,2210Whan he cam to his chambre alone,Unto the queene he made his mone905And of foryivenesse hir preide;For thanne he knew wel, as he seide,Sche was with childe with a godd.Thus was the king withoute roddChastised, and the queene excusedOf that sche hadde ben accused.And for the gretere evidence,Yit after that in the presence2220P. iii. 76Of king Philipp and othre mo,Whan thei ride in the fieldes tho,A Phesant cam before here yhe,The which anon as thei hire syhe,Fleende let an ey doun falle,And it tobrak tofore hem alle:906And as thei token therof kepe,Thei syhe out of the schelle crepeA litel Serpent on the ground,Which rampeth al aboute round,2230And in ayein it wolde have wonne,907Bot for the brennynge of the SonneIt mihte noght, and so it deide.And therupon the clerkes seide,‘As the Serpent, whan it was oute,Went enviroun the schelle abouteAnd mihte noght torne in ayein,So schal it fallen in certein:This child the world schal environe,And above alle the corone2240Him schal befalle, and in yong AgeHe schal desire in his corage,Whan al the world is in his hond,To torn ayein into the lond908Wher he was bore, and in his weieHomward he schal with puison deie.’The king, which al this sih and herde,909Fro that dai forth, hou so it ferde,His jalousie hath al foryete.Bot he which hath the child begete,2250P. iii. 77Nectanabus, in priveteThe time of his nativiteUpon the constellaciounAwaiteth, and relacionMakth to the queene hou sche schal do,910And every houre apointeth so,That no mynut therof was lore.911So that in due time is boreThis child, and forth with theruponTher felle wondres many on2260Of terremote universiel:The Sonne tok colour of stielAnd loste his lyht, the wyndes blewe,And manye strengthes overthrewe;The See his propre kinde changeth,And al the world his forme strangeth;The thonder with his fyri leveneSo cruel was upon the hevene,That every erthli creatureTho thoghte his lif in aventure.2270The tempeste ate laste cesseth,The child is kept, his age encresseth,And Alisandre his name is hote,To whom Calistre and AristoteTo techen him PhilosophieEntenden, and Astronomie,With othre thinges whiche he coutheAlso, to teche him in his youtheNectanabus tok upon honde.Bot every man mai understonde,2280P. iii. 78Of Sorcerie hou that it wende,It wole himselve prove at ende,And namely forto beguileA lady, which withoute guileSupposeth trouthe al that sche hiereth:Bot often he that evele stierethHis Schip is dreynt therinne amidde;And in this cas riht so betidde.Nectanabus upon a nyht,Whan it was fair and sterre lyht,2290This yonge lord ladde up on hihAbove a tour, wher as he sihThe sterres suche as he acompteth,And seith what ech of hem amonteth,As thogh he knewe of alle thing;Bot yit hath he no knowlechingWhat schal unto himself befalle.Whan he hath told his wordes alle,This yonge lord thanne him opposeth,912And axeth if that he supposeth2300What deth he schal himselve deie.913He seith, ‘Or fortune is aweieAnd every sterre hath lost his wone,914Or elles of myn oghne SoneI schal be slain, I mai noght fle.’Thoghte Alisandre in privete,‘Hierof this olde dotard lieth’:And er that other oght aspieth,Al sodeinliche his olde bonesHe schof over the wal at ones,2310P. iii. 79And seith him, ‘Ly doun there apart:Wherof nou serveth al thin art?Thou knewe alle othre mennes chanceAnd of thiself hast ignorance:915That thou hast seid amonges alleOf thi persone, is noght befalle.’Nectanabus, which hath his deth,Yit while him lasteth lif and breth,To Alisandre he spak and seideThat he with wrong blame on him leide;2320Fro point to point and al the casHe tolde, hou he his Sone was.Tho he, which sory was ynowh,Out of the dich his fader drouh,And tolde his moder hou it ferdeIn conseil; and whan sche it herdeAnd kneu the toknes whiche he tolde,Sche nyste what sche seie scholde,Bot stod abayssht as for the whileOf his magique and al the guile.2330Sche thoghte hou that sche was deceived,916That sche hath of a man conceived,And wende a god it hadde be.Bot natheles in such degre,So as sche mihte hire honour save,Sche schop the body was begrave.And thus Nectanabus aboghteThe Sorcerie which he wroghte:Thogh he upon the creaturesThurgh his carectes and figures2340P. iii. 80The maistrie and the pouer hadde,His creatour to noght him ladde,Ayein whos lawe his craft he useth,Whan he for lust his god refuseth,And tok him to the dieules craft,917Lo, what profit him is belaft:That thing thurgh which he wende have stonde,Ferst him exilede out of londeWhich was his oghne, and from a kingMade him to ben an underling;2350And siththen to deceive a queene,That torneth him to mochel teene;Thurgh lust of love he gat him hate,That ende couthe he noght abate.His olde sleyhtes whiche he caste,918Yonge Alisaundre hem overcaste,His fader, which him misbegat,919He slouh, a gret mishap was that;Bot for o mis an other mysWas yolde, and so fulofte it is;2360Nectanabus his craft miswente,So it misfell him er he wente.I not what helpeth that clergieWhich makth a man to do folie,And nameliche of nigromance,Which stant upon the mescreance.[Zoroaster.]And forto se more evidence,Nota qualiter Rex Zorastes, statim cum ab vtero matris sue nasceretur, gaudio magno risit; in quo prenosticum doloris subsequentis signum figurabatur: nam et ipse detestabilis magice primus fuit inuentor, quem postea Rex Surrie dira morte trucidauit, et sic opus operarium consumpsit.Zorastes, which thexperienceOf Art magique ferst forth drouh,Anon as he was bore, he louh,2370P. iii. 81Which tokne was of wo suinge:For of his oghne controvingeHe fond magique and tauhte it forth;Bot al that was him litel worth,For of Surrie a worthi kingHim slou, and that was his endyng.920Bot yit thurgh him this craft is used,And he thurgh al the world accused,For it schal nevere wel achieveThat stant noght riht with the believe:2380Bot lich to wolle is evele sponne,Who lest himself hath litel wonne,[Saul and the Witch.]An ende proveth every thing.921Saül, which was of Juys king,Nota de Saule et Phitonissa.922Up peine of deth forbad this art,And yit he tok therof his part.The Phitonesse in SamarieYaf him conseil be Sorcerie,Which after fell to mochel sorwe,For he was slain upon the morwe.2390Confessor.To conne moche thing it helpeth,Bot of to mochel noman yelpeth:So forto loke on every side,Magique mai noght wel betyde.[Magic to be eschewed.]Forthi, my Sone, I wolde redeThat thou of these ensamples drede,That for no lust of erthli loveThou seche so to come above,Wherof as in the worldes wonderThou schalt for evere be put under.2400P. iii. 82Amans.Mi goode fader, grant mercy,For evere I schal be war therby:Of love what me so befalle,923Such Sorcerie aboven alleFro this dai forth I schal eschuie,That so ne wol I noght poursuieMi lust of love forto seche.Bot this I wolde you beseche,Beside that me stant of love,As I you herde speke above2410Hou Alisandre was betawhtTo Aristotle, and so wel tawhtOf al that to a king belongeth,Wherof min herte sore longethTo wite what it wolde mene.For be reson I wolde weneThat if I herde of thinges strange,924Yit for a time it scholde changeMi peine, and lisse me somdiel.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, thou seist wel.2420For wisdom, hou that evere it stonde,To him that can it understondeDoth gret profit in sondri wise;Bot touchende of so hih aprise,Which is noght unto Venus knowe,I mai it noght miselve knowe,Which of hir court am al forthdraweAnd can nothing bot of hir lawe.Bot natheles to knowe moreAls wel as thou me longeth sore;2430P. iii. 83And for it helpeth to comune,Al ben thei noght to me comune,The scoles of Philosophie,925Yit thenke I forto specefie,In boke as it is comprehended,926Wherof thou mihtest ben amended.For thogh I be noght al cunnyngeUpon the forme of this wrytynge,Som part therof yit have I herd,In this matiere hou it hath ferd.2440
[Tale of Nectanabus.]The hihe creatour of thinges,Which is the king of alle kinges,1790Hic narrat exemplum super eodem, qualiter Nectanabus ab Egipto873in Macedoniam fugitiuus,874Olimpiadem Philippi Regis ibidem tunc absentis vxorem arte magica decipiens, cum ipsa concubuit, magnumque ex ea Alexandrum sortilegus genuit: qui natus, postea cum ad erudiendum sub custodia Nectanabi commendatus fuisset, ipsum Nectanabum patrem suum ab altitudine cuiusdam turris in fossam profundam proiciens interfecit. Et sic sortilegus ex875suo sortilegio infortunii sortem sortitus est.Ful many a wonder worldes chanceLet slyden under his suffrance;Ther wot noman the cause why,Bot he the which is almyhty.And that was proved whilom thus,Whan that the king Nectanabus,Which hadde Egipte forto lede,—Bot for he sih tofor the dedeThurgh magique of his Sorcerie,Wherof he couthe a gret partie,1800P. iii. 62Hise enemys to him comende,Fro whom he mihte him noght defende,Out of his oghne lond he fledde;And in the wise as he him dreddeIt fell, for al his wicchecraft,So that Egipte him was beraft,And he desguised fledde aweieBe schipe, and hield the rihte weieTo Macedoine, wher that heAryveth ate chief Cite.1810Thre yomen of his chambre thereAl only forto serve him were,The whiche he trusteth wonder wel,For thei were trewe as eny stiel;And hapneth that thei with him ladde876Part of the beste good he hadde.Thei take logginge in the toun877After the disposicionWher as him thoghte best to duelle:He axeth thanne and herde telle1820Hou that the king was oute goUpon a werre he hadde tho;But in that Cite thanne wasThe queene, which OlimpiasWas hote, and with sollempneteThe feste of hir nativite,As it befell, was thanne holde;And for hire list to be beholde878And preised of the poeple aboute,Sche schop hir forto riden oute1830P. iii. 63At after mete al openly.Anon were alle men redy,And that was in the monthe of Maii,This lusti queene in good arraiWas set upon a Mule whyt:To sen it was a gret delitThe joie that the cite made;With freisshe thinges and with gladeThe noble toun was al behonged,And every wiht was sore alonged1840To se this lusti ladi ryde.Ther was gret merthe on alle syde;Wher as sche passeth be the strete,Ther was ful many a tymber beteAnd many a maide carolende:And thus thurghout the toun pleiendeThis queene unto a pleine rod,879Wher that sche hoved and abodTo se diverse game pleie,The lusti folk jouste and tourneie;1850And so forth every other man,Which pleie couthe, his pley began,To plese with this noble queene.Nectanabus cam to the greneAmonges othre and drouh him nyh.Bot whan that he this ladi sihAnd of hir beaute hiede tok,He couthe noght withdrawe his lokTo se noght elles in the field,Bot stod and only hire behield.1860P. iii. 64Of his clothinge and of his gereHe was unlich alle othre there,So that it hapneth ate laste,The queene on him hire yhe caste,And knew that he was strange anon:Bot he behield hire evere in onWithoute blenchinge of his chere.Sche tok good hiede of his manere,And wondreth why he dede so,And bad men scholde for him go.1870He cam and dede hire reverence,And sche him axeth in cilenceFro whenne he cam and what he wolde.And he with sobre wordes tolde,And seith, ‘Ma dame, a clerk I am,880To you and in message I cam,The which I mai noght tellen hiere;Bot if it liketh you to hiere,It mot be seid al prively,881Wher nonschal be bot ye and I.’1880Thus for the time he tok his leve.The dai goth forth til it was eve,That every man mot lete his werk;882And sche thoghte evere upon this clerk,What thing it is he wolde mene:And in this wise abod the queene,And passeth over thilke nyht,Til it was on the morwe liht.Sche sende for him, and he com,With him his Astellabre he nom,1890P. iii. 65Which was of fin gold preciousWith pointz and cercles merveilous;And ek the hevenely figuresWroght in a bok ful of peinturesHe tok this ladi forto schewe,And tolde of ech of hem be reweThe cours and the condicion.And sche with gret affeccionSat stille and herde what he wolde:And thus whan he sih time, he tolde,1900And feigneth with hise wordes wiseA tale, and seith in such a wise:‘Ma dame, bot a while ago,Wher I was in Egipte tho,And radde in scole of this science,It fell into mi conscienceThat I unto the temple wente,And ther with al myn hole ententeAs I mi sacrifice dede,On of the goddes hath me bede1910That I you warne prively,So that ye make you redy,And that ye be nothing agast;For he such love hath to you cast,That ye schul ben his oghne diere,And he schal be your beddefiere,Til ye conceive and be with childe.’And with that word sche wax al mylde,And somdel red becam for schame,And axeth him that goddes name,1920P. iii. 66Which so wol don hire compainie.And he seide, ‘Amos of Lubie.’And sche seith, ‘That mai I noght lieve,Bot if I sihe a betre prieve.’‘Ma dame,’ quod Nectanabus,‘In tokne that it schal be thus,This nyht for enformacionYe schul have an avision:That Amos schal to you appiere,To schewe and teche in what manere1930The thing schal afterward befalle.883Ye oghten wel aboven alleTo make joie of such a lord;For whan ye ben of on acord,He schal a Sone of you begete,Which with his swerd schal winne and geteThe wyde world in lengthe and brede;Alle erthli kinges schull him drede,And in such wise, I you behote,884The god of erthe he schal be hote.’1940‘If this be soth,’ tho quod the queene,‘This nyht, thou seist, it schal be sene.And if it falle into mi grace,Of god Amos that I pourchaceTo take of him so gret worschipe,I wol do thee such ladischipe,Wherof thou schalt for everemoBe riche.’ And he hir thonketh tho,And tok his leve and forth he wente.Sche wiste litel what he mente,1950P. iii. 67For it was guile and Sorcerie,Al that sche tok for Prophecie.Nectanabus thurghout the day,Whan he cam hom wher as he lay,885His chambre be himselve tok,And overtorneth many a bok,And thurgh the craft of ArtemageOf wex he forgeth an ymage.He loketh his equacionsAnd ek the constellacions,1960He loketh the conjunccions,He loketh the recepcions,His signe, his houre, his ascendent,And drawth fortune of his assent:The name of queene OlimpiasIn thilke ymage write wasAmiddes in the front above.And thus to winne his lust of loveNectanabus this werk hath diht;And whan it cam withinne nyht,1970That every wyht is falle aslepe,He thoghte he wolde his time kepe,As he which hath his houre apointed.And thanne ferst he hath enoigntedWith sondri herbes that figure,And therupon he gan conjure,So that thurgh his enchantementThis ladi, which was innocentAnd wiste nothing of this guile,Mette, as sche slepte thilke while,1980P. iii. 68Hou fro the hevene cam a lyht,Which al hir chambre made lyht;And as sche loketh to and fro,Sche sih, hir thoghte, a dragoun tho,Whos scherdes schynen as the Sonne,And hath his softe pas begonneWith al the chiere that he mayToward the bedd ther as sche lay,Til he cam to the beddes side.And sche lai stille and nothing cride,1990For he dede alle his thinges faireAnd was courteis and debonaire:And as he stod hire fasteby,886His forme he changeth sodeinly,And the figure of man he nom,To hire and into bedde he com,887And such thing there of love he wroghte,Wherof, so as hire thanne thoghte,Thurgh likinge of this god AmosWith childe anon hire wombe aros,2000And sche was wonder glad withal.Nectanabus, which causeth alOf this metrede the substance,Whan he sih time, his nigromanceHe stinte and nothing more seideOf his carecte, and sche abreideOut of hir slep, and lieveth welThat it is soth thanne everydelOf that this clerk hire hadde told,And was the gladdere manyfold2010P. iii. 69In hope of such a glad metrede,Which after schal befalle in dede.Sche longeth sore after the dai,That sche hir swevene telle maiTo this guilour in privete,Which kneu it als so wel as sche:888And natheles on morwe soneSche lefte alle other thing to done,And for him sende, and al the casSche tolde him pleinly as it was,2020And seide hou thanne wel sche wisteThat sche his wordes mihte triste,For sche fond hire AvisiounRiht after the condicionWhich he hire hadde told tofore;And preide him hertely therforeThat he hire holde covenantSo forth of al the remenant,That sche may thurgh his ordinanceToward the god do such plesance,8892030That sche wakende myhte him kepeIn such wise as sche mette aslepe.And he, that couthe of guile ynouh,Whan he this herde, of joie he louh,And seith, ‘Ma dame, it schal be do.Bot this I warne you therto:This nyht, whan that he comth to pleie,That ther be no lif in the weieBot I, that schal at his likingeOrdeine so for his cominge,2040P. iii. 70That ye ne schull noght of him faile.890For this, ma dame, I you consaile,That ye it kepe so prive,That no wiht elles bot we threHave knowlechinge hou that it is;For elles mihte it fare amis,891If ye dede oght that scholde him grieve.’And thus he makth hire to believe,And feigneth under guile feith:Bot natheles al that he seith2050Sche troweth; and ayein the nyhtSche hath withinne hire chambre dyht,Wher as this guilour faste byUpon this god schal privelyAwaite, as he makth hire to wene:892And thus this noble gentil queene,Whan sche most trusteth, was deceived.The nyht com, and the chambre is weyved,Nectanabus hath take his place,And whan he sih the time and space,2060Thurgh the deceipte of his magique893He putte him out of mannes like,894And of a dragoun tok the forme,As he which wolde him al conformeTo that sche sih in swevene er this;And thus to chambre come he is.The queene lay abedde and sih,And hopeth evere, as he com nyh,That he god of Lubye were,So hath sche wel the lasse fere.2070P. iii. 71Bot for he wolde hire more assure,895Yit eft he changeth his figure,And of a wether the liknesseHe tok, in signe of his noblesseWith large hornes for the nones:Of fin gold and of riche stonesA corone on his hed he bar,And soudeinly, er sche was war,As he which alle guile can,His forme he torneth into man,2080And cam to bedde, and sche lai stille,Wher as sche soffreth al his wille,As sche which wende noght misdo.896Bot natheles it hapneth so,Althogh sche were in part deceived,Yit for al that sche hath conceivedThe worthieste of alle kiththe,Which evere was tofore or siththeOf conqueste and chivalerie;897So that thurgh guile and Sorcerie2090Ther was that noble knyht begunne,898Which al the world hath after wunne.Thus fell the thing which falle scholde,Nectanabus hath that he wolde;With guile he hath his love sped,With guile he cam into the bed,With guile he goth him out ayein:He was a schrewed chamberlein,So to beguile a worthi queene,And that on him was after seene.2100P. iii. 72Bot natheles the thing is do;This false god was sone go,With his deceipte and hield him clos,Til morwe cam, that he aros.And tho, whan time and leisir was,The queene tolde him al the cas,As sche that guile non supposeth;And of tuo pointz sche him opposeth.On was, if that this god nomoreWol come ayein, and overmore,2110Hou sche schal stonden in acordWith king Philippe hire oghne lord,Whan he comth hom and seth hire grone.‘Ma dame,’ he seith, ‘let me alone:As for the god I undertakeThat whan it liketh you to takeHis compaignie at eny throwe,If I a day tofore it knowe,He schal be with you on the nyht;And he is wel of such a myht2120To kepe you from alle blame.Forthi conforte you, ma dame,Ther schal non other cause be.’Thus tok he leve and forth goth he,And tho began he forto museHou he the queene mihte excuseToward the king of that is falle;And fond a craft amonges alle,Thurgh which he hath a See foul daunted,With his magique and so enchaunted,2130P. iii. 73That he flyh forth, whan it was nyht,Unto the kinges tente riht,Wher that he lay amidde his host:And whanne he was aslepe most,With that the See foul to him broghteAnd othre charmes, whiche he wroghte899At hom withinne his chambre stille,The king he torneth at his wille,And makth him forto dreme and seThe dragoun and the privete2140Which was betuen him and the queene.900And over that he made him weneIn swevene, hou that the god Amos,Whan he up fro the queene aros,Tok forth a ring, wherinne a ston901Was set, and grave theruponA Sonne, in which, whan he cam nyh,A leoun with a swerd he sih;And with that priente, as he tho mette,902Upon the queenes wombe he sette2150A Seal, and goth him forth his weie.With that the swevene wente aweie,And tho began the king awakeAnd sigheth for his wyves sake,Wher as he lay withinne his tente,903And hath gret wonder what it mente.904With that he hasteth him to ryseAnon, and sende after the wise,Among the whiche ther was on,A clerc, his name is Amphion:2160P. iii. 74Whan he the kinges swevene herde,What it betokneth he ansuerde,And seith, ‘So siker as the lif,A god hath leie be thi wif,And gete a Sone, which schal winneThe world and al that is withinne.As leon is the king of bestes,So schal the world obeie his hestes,Which with his swerd schal al be wonne,Als ferr as schyneth eny Sonne.’2170The king was doubtif of this dom;Bot natheles, whan that he comAyein into his oghne lond,His wif with childe gret he fond.He mihte noght himselve stiere,That he ne made hire hevy chiere;Bot he which couthe of alle sorwe,Nectanabus, upon the morweThurgh the deceipte and nigromanceTok of a dragoun the semblance,2180And wher the king sat in his halle,Com in rampende among hem alleWith such a noise and such a rore,That thei agast were also soreAs thogh thei scholde deie anon.And natheles he grieveth non,Bot goth toward the deyss on hih;And whan he cam the queene nyh,He stinte his noise, and in his wiseTo hire he profreth his servise,2190P. iii. 75And leith his hed upon hire barm;And sche with goodly chiere hire armAboute his necke ayeinward leide,And thus the queene with him pleideIn sihte of alle men aboute.And ate laste he gan to louteAnd obeissance unto hire make,As he that wolde his leve take;And sodeinly his lothly formeInto an Egle he gan transforme,2200And flyh and sette him on a raile;Wherof the king hath gret mervaile,For there he pruneth him and piketh,As doth an hauk whan him wel liketh,And after that himself he schok,Wherof that al the halle quok,As it a terremote were;Thei seiden alle, god was there:In such a res and forth he flyh.The king, which al this wonder syh,2210Whan he cam to his chambre alone,Unto the queene he made his mone905And of foryivenesse hir preide;For thanne he knew wel, as he seide,Sche was with childe with a godd.Thus was the king withoute roddChastised, and the queene excusedOf that sche hadde ben accused.And for the gretere evidence,Yit after that in the presence2220P. iii. 76Of king Philipp and othre mo,Whan thei ride in the fieldes tho,A Phesant cam before here yhe,The which anon as thei hire syhe,Fleende let an ey doun falle,And it tobrak tofore hem alle:906And as thei token therof kepe,Thei syhe out of the schelle crepeA litel Serpent on the ground,Which rampeth al aboute round,2230And in ayein it wolde have wonne,907Bot for the brennynge of the SonneIt mihte noght, and so it deide.And therupon the clerkes seide,‘As the Serpent, whan it was oute,Went enviroun the schelle abouteAnd mihte noght torne in ayein,So schal it fallen in certein:This child the world schal environe,And above alle the corone2240Him schal befalle, and in yong AgeHe schal desire in his corage,Whan al the world is in his hond,To torn ayein into the lond908Wher he was bore, and in his weieHomward he schal with puison deie.’The king, which al this sih and herde,909Fro that dai forth, hou so it ferde,His jalousie hath al foryete.Bot he which hath the child begete,2250P. iii. 77Nectanabus, in priveteThe time of his nativiteUpon the constellaciounAwaiteth, and relacionMakth to the queene hou sche schal do,910And every houre apointeth so,That no mynut therof was lore.911So that in due time is boreThis child, and forth with theruponTher felle wondres many on2260Of terremote universiel:The Sonne tok colour of stielAnd loste his lyht, the wyndes blewe,And manye strengthes overthrewe;The See his propre kinde changeth,And al the world his forme strangeth;The thonder with his fyri leveneSo cruel was upon the hevene,That every erthli creatureTho thoghte his lif in aventure.2270The tempeste ate laste cesseth,The child is kept, his age encresseth,And Alisandre his name is hote,To whom Calistre and AristoteTo techen him PhilosophieEntenden, and Astronomie,With othre thinges whiche he coutheAlso, to teche him in his youtheNectanabus tok upon honde.Bot every man mai understonde,2280P. iii. 78Of Sorcerie hou that it wende,It wole himselve prove at ende,And namely forto beguileA lady, which withoute guileSupposeth trouthe al that sche hiereth:Bot often he that evele stierethHis Schip is dreynt therinne amidde;And in this cas riht so betidde.Nectanabus upon a nyht,Whan it was fair and sterre lyht,2290This yonge lord ladde up on hihAbove a tour, wher as he sihThe sterres suche as he acompteth,And seith what ech of hem amonteth,As thogh he knewe of alle thing;Bot yit hath he no knowlechingWhat schal unto himself befalle.Whan he hath told his wordes alle,This yonge lord thanne him opposeth,912And axeth if that he supposeth2300What deth he schal himselve deie.913He seith, ‘Or fortune is aweieAnd every sterre hath lost his wone,914Or elles of myn oghne SoneI schal be slain, I mai noght fle.’Thoghte Alisandre in privete,‘Hierof this olde dotard lieth’:And er that other oght aspieth,Al sodeinliche his olde bonesHe schof over the wal at ones,2310P. iii. 79And seith him, ‘Ly doun there apart:Wherof nou serveth al thin art?Thou knewe alle othre mennes chanceAnd of thiself hast ignorance:915That thou hast seid amonges alleOf thi persone, is noght befalle.’Nectanabus, which hath his deth,Yit while him lasteth lif and breth,To Alisandre he spak and seideThat he with wrong blame on him leide;2320Fro point to point and al the casHe tolde, hou he his Sone was.Tho he, which sory was ynowh,Out of the dich his fader drouh,And tolde his moder hou it ferdeIn conseil; and whan sche it herdeAnd kneu the toknes whiche he tolde,Sche nyste what sche seie scholde,Bot stod abayssht as for the whileOf his magique and al the guile.2330Sche thoghte hou that sche was deceived,916That sche hath of a man conceived,And wende a god it hadde be.Bot natheles in such degre,So as sche mihte hire honour save,Sche schop the body was begrave.And thus Nectanabus aboghteThe Sorcerie which he wroghte:Thogh he upon the creaturesThurgh his carectes and figures2340P. iii. 80The maistrie and the pouer hadde,His creatour to noght him ladde,Ayein whos lawe his craft he useth,Whan he for lust his god refuseth,And tok him to the dieules craft,917Lo, what profit him is belaft:That thing thurgh which he wende have stonde,Ferst him exilede out of londeWhich was his oghne, and from a kingMade him to ben an underling;2350And siththen to deceive a queene,That torneth him to mochel teene;Thurgh lust of love he gat him hate,That ende couthe he noght abate.His olde sleyhtes whiche he caste,918Yonge Alisaundre hem overcaste,His fader, which him misbegat,919He slouh, a gret mishap was that;Bot for o mis an other mysWas yolde, and so fulofte it is;2360Nectanabus his craft miswente,So it misfell him er he wente.I not what helpeth that clergieWhich makth a man to do folie,And nameliche of nigromance,Which stant upon the mescreance.[Zoroaster.]And forto se more evidence,Nota qualiter Rex Zorastes, statim cum ab vtero matris sue nasceretur, gaudio magno risit; in quo prenosticum doloris subsequentis signum figurabatur: nam et ipse detestabilis magice primus fuit inuentor, quem postea Rex Surrie dira morte trucidauit, et sic opus operarium consumpsit.Zorastes, which thexperienceOf Art magique ferst forth drouh,Anon as he was bore, he louh,2370P. iii. 81Which tokne was of wo suinge:For of his oghne controvingeHe fond magique and tauhte it forth;Bot al that was him litel worth,For of Surrie a worthi kingHim slou, and that was his endyng.920Bot yit thurgh him this craft is used,And he thurgh al the world accused,For it schal nevere wel achieveThat stant noght riht with the believe:2380Bot lich to wolle is evele sponne,Who lest himself hath litel wonne,[Saul and the Witch.]An ende proveth every thing.921Saül, which was of Juys king,Nota de Saule et Phitonissa.922Up peine of deth forbad this art,And yit he tok therof his part.The Phitonesse in SamarieYaf him conseil be Sorcerie,Which after fell to mochel sorwe,For he was slain upon the morwe.2390Confessor.To conne moche thing it helpeth,Bot of to mochel noman yelpeth:So forto loke on every side,Magique mai noght wel betyde.[Magic to be eschewed.]Forthi, my Sone, I wolde redeThat thou of these ensamples drede,That for no lust of erthli loveThou seche so to come above,Wherof as in the worldes wonderThou schalt for evere be put under.2400P. iii. 82Amans.Mi goode fader, grant mercy,For evere I schal be war therby:Of love what me so befalle,923Such Sorcerie aboven alleFro this dai forth I schal eschuie,That so ne wol I noght poursuieMi lust of love forto seche.Bot this I wolde you beseche,Beside that me stant of love,As I you herde speke above2410Hou Alisandre was betawhtTo Aristotle, and so wel tawhtOf al that to a king belongeth,Wherof min herte sore longethTo wite what it wolde mene.For be reson I wolde weneThat if I herde of thinges strange,924Yit for a time it scholde changeMi peine, and lisse me somdiel.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, thou seist wel.2420For wisdom, hou that evere it stonde,To him that can it understondeDoth gret profit in sondri wise;Bot touchende of so hih aprise,Which is noght unto Venus knowe,I mai it noght miselve knowe,Which of hir court am al forthdraweAnd can nothing bot of hir lawe.Bot natheles to knowe moreAls wel as thou me longeth sore;2430P. iii. 83And for it helpeth to comune,Al ben thei noght to me comune,The scoles of Philosophie,925Yit thenke I forto specefie,In boke as it is comprehended,926Wherof thou mihtest ben amended.For thogh I be noght al cunnyngeUpon the forme of this wrytynge,Som part therof yit have I herd,In this matiere hou it hath ferd.2440
[Tale of Nectanabus.]The hihe creatour of thinges,Which is the king of alle kinges,1790Hic narrat exemplum super eodem, qualiter Nectanabus ab Egipto873in Macedoniam fugitiuus,874Olimpiadem Philippi Regis ibidem tunc absentis vxorem arte magica decipiens, cum ipsa concubuit, magnumque ex ea Alexandrum sortilegus genuit: qui natus, postea cum ad erudiendum sub custodia Nectanabi commendatus fuisset, ipsum Nectanabum patrem suum ab altitudine cuiusdam turris in fossam profundam proiciens interfecit. Et sic sortilegus ex875suo sortilegio infortunii sortem sortitus est.Ful many a wonder worldes chanceLet slyden under his suffrance;Ther wot noman the cause why,Bot he the which is almyhty.And that was proved whilom thus,Whan that the king Nectanabus,Which hadde Egipte forto lede,—Bot for he sih tofor the dedeThurgh magique of his Sorcerie,Wherof he couthe a gret partie,1800P. iii. 62Hise enemys to him comende,Fro whom he mihte him noght defende,Out of his oghne lond he fledde;And in the wise as he him dreddeIt fell, for al his wicchecraft,So that Egipte him was beraft,And he desguised fledde aweieBe schipe, and hield the rihte weieTo Macedoine, wher that heAryveth ate chief Cite.1810Thre yomen of his chambre thereAl only forto serve him were,The whiche he trusteth wonder wel,For thei were trewe as eny stiel;And hapneth that thei with him ladde876Part of the beste good he hadde.Thei take logginge in the toun877After the disposicionWher as him thoghte best to duelle:He axeth thanne and herde telle1820Hou that the king was oute goUpon a werre he hadde tho;But in that Cite thanne wasThe queene, which OlimpiasWas hote, and with sollempneteThe feste of hir nativite,As it befell, was thanne holde;And for hire list to be beholde878And preised of the poeple aboute,Sche schop hir forto riden oute1830P. iii. 63At after mete al openly.Anon were alle men redy,And that was in the monthe of Maii,This lusti queene in good arraiWas set upon a Mule whyt:To sen it was a gret delitThe joie that the cite made;With freisshe thinges and with gladeThe noble toun was al behonged,And every wiht was sore alonged1840To se this lusti ladi ryde.Ther was gret merthe on alle syde;Wher as sche passeth be the strete,Ther was ful many a tymber beteAnd many a maide carolende:And thus thurghout the toun pleiendeThis queene unto a pleine rod,879Wher that sche hoved and abodTo se diverse game pleie,The lusti folk jouste and tourneie;1850And so forth every other man,Which pleie couthe, his pley began,To plese with this noble queene.Nectanabus cam to the greneAmonges othre and drouh him nyh.Bot whan that he this ladi sihAnd of hir beaute hiede tok,He couthe noght withdrawe his lokTo se noght elles in the field,Bot stod and only hire behield.1860P. iii. 64Of his clothinge and of his gereHe was unlich alle othre there,So that it hapneth ate laste,The queene on him hire yhe caste,And knew that he was strange anon:Bot he behield hire evere in onWithoute blenchinge of his chere.Sche tok good hiede of his manere,And wondreth why he dede so,And bad men scholde for him go.1870He cam and dede hire reverence,And sche him axeth in cilenceFro whenne he cam and what he wolde.And he with sobre wordes tolde,And seith, ‘Ma dame, a clerk I am,880To you and in message I cam,The which I mai noght tellen hiere;Bot if it liketh you to hiere,It mot be seid al prively,881Wher nonschal be bot ye and I.’1880Thus for the time he tok his leve.The dai goth forth til it was eve,That every man mot lete his werk;882And sche thoghte evere upon this clerk,What thing it is he wolde mene:And in this wise abod the queene,And passeth over thilke nyht,Til it was on the morwe liht.Sche sende for him, and he com,With him his Astellabre he nom,1890P. iii. 65Which was of fin gold preciousWith pointz and cercles merveilous;And ek the hevenely figuresWroght in a bok ful of peinturesHe tok this ladi forto schewe,And tolde of ech of hem be reweThe cours and the condicion.And sche with gret affeccionSat stille and herde what he wolde:And thus whan he sih time, he tolde,1900And feigneth with hise wordes wiseA tale, and seith in such a wise:‘Ma dame, bot a while ago,Wher I was in Egipte tho,And radde in scole of this science,It fell into mi conscienceThat I unto the temple wente,And ther with al myn hole ententeAs I mi sacrifice dede,On of the goddes hath me bede1910That I you warne prively,So that ye make you redy,And that ye be nothing agast;For he such love hath to you cast,That ye schul ben his oghne diere,And he schal be your beddefiere,Til ye conceive and be with childe.’And with that word sche wax al mylde,And somdel red becam for schame,And axeth him that goddes name,1920P. iii. 66Which so wol don hire compainie.And he seide, ‘Amos of Lubie.’And sche seith, ‘That mai I noght lieve,Bot if I sihe a betre prieve.’‘Ma dame,’ quod Nectanabus,‘In tokne that it schal be thus,This nyht for enformacionYe schul have an avision:That Amos schal to you appiere,To schewe and teche in what manere1930The thing schal afterward befalle.883Ye oghten wel aboven alleTo make joie of such a lord;For whan ye ben of on acord,He schal a Sone of you begete,Which with his swerd schal winne and geteThe wyde world in lengthe and brede;Alle erthli kinges schull him drede,And in such wise, I you behote,884The god of erthe he schal be hote.’1940‘If this be soth,’ tho quod the queene,‘This nyht, thou seist, it schal be sene.And if it falle into mi grace,Of god Amos that I pourchaceTo take of him so gret worschipe,I wol do thee such ladischipe,Wherof thou schalt for everemoBe riche.’ And he hir thonketh tho,And tok his leve and forth he wente.Sche wiste litel what he mente,1950P. iii. 67For it was guile and Sorcerie,Al that sche tok for Prophecie.Nectanabus thurghout the day,Whan he cam hom wher as he lay,885His chambre be himselve tok,And overtorneth many a bok,And thurgh the craft of ArtemageOf wex he forgeth an ymage.He loketh his equacionsAnd ek the constellacions,1960He loketh the conjunccions,He loketh the recepcions,His signe, his houre, his ascendent,And drawth fortune of his assent:The name of queene OlimpiasIn thilke ymage write wasAmiddes in the front above.And thus to winne his lust of loveNectanabus this werk hath diht;And whan it cam withinne nyht,1970That every wyht is falle aslepe,He thoghte he wolde his time kepe,As he which hath his houre apointed.And thanne ferst he hath enoigntedWith sondri herbes that figure,And therupon he gan conjure,So that thurgh his enchantementThis ladi, which was innocentAnd wiste nothing of this guile,Mette, as sche slepte thilke while,1980P. iii. 68Hou fro the hevene cam a lyht,Which al hir chambre made lyht;And as sche loketh to and fro,Sche sih, hir thoghte, a dragoun tho,Whos scherdes schynen as the Sonne,And hath his softe pas begonneWith al the chiere that he mayToward the bedd ther as sche lay,Til he cam to the beddes side.And sche lai stille and nothing cride,1990For he dede alle his thinges faireAnd was courteis and debonaire:And as he stod hire fasteby,886His forme he changeth sodeinly,And the figure of man he nom,To hire and into bedde he com,887And such thing there of love he wroghte,Wherof, so as hire thanne thoghte,Thurgh likinge of this god AmosWith childe anon hire wombe aros,2000And sche was wonder glad withal.Nectanabus, which causeth alOf this metrede the substance,Whan he sih time, his nigromanceHe stinte and nothing more seideOf his carecte, and sche abreideOut of hir slep, and lieveth welThat it is soth thanne everydelOf that this clerk hire hadde told,And was the gladdere manyfold2010P. iii. 69In hope of such a glad metrede,Which after schal befalle in dede.Sche longeth sore after the dai,That sche hir swevene telle maiTo this guilour in privete,Which kneu it als so wel as sche:888And natheles on morwe soneSche lefte alle other thing to done,And for him sende, and al the casSche tolde him pleinly as it was,2020And seide hou thanne wel sche wisteThat sche his wordes mihte triste,For sche fond hire AvisiounRiht after the condicionWhich he hire hadde told tofore;And preide him hertely therforeThat he hire holde covenantSo forth of al the remenant,That sche may thurgh his ordinanceToward the god do such plesance,8892030That sche wakende myhte him kepeIn such wise as sche mette aslepe.And he, that couthe of guile ynouh,Whan he this herde, of joie he louh,And seith, ‘Ma dame, it schal be do.Bot this I warne you therto:This nyht, whan that he comth to pleie,That ther be no lif in the weieBot I, that schal at his likingeOrdeine so for his cominge,2040P. iii. 70That ye ne schull noght of him faile.890For this, ma dame, I you consaile,That ye it kepe so prive,That no wiht elles bot we threHave knowlechinge hou that it is;For elles mihte it fare amis,891If ye dede oght that scholde him grieve.’And thus he makth hire to believe,And feigneth under guile feith:Bot natheles al that he seith2050Sche troweth; and ayein the nyhtSche hath withinne hire chambre dyht,Wher as this guilour faste byUpon this god schal privelyAwaite, as he makth hire to wene:892And thus this noble gentil queene,Whan sche most trusteth, was deceived.The nyht com, and the chambre is weyved,Nectanabus hath take his place,And whan he sih the time and space,2060Thurgh the deceipte of his magique893He putte him out of mannes like,894And of a dragoun tok the forme,As he which wolde him al conformeTo that sche sih in swevene er this;And thus to chambre come he is.The queene lay abedde and sih,And hopeth evere, as he com nyh,That he god of Lubye were,So hath sche wel the lasse fere.2070P. iii. 71Bot for he wolde hire more assure,895Yit eft he changeth his figure,And of a wether the liknesseHe tok, in signe of his noblesseWith large hornes for the nones:Of fin gold and of riche stonesA corone on his hed he bar,And soudeinly, er sche was war,As he which alle guile can,His forme he torneth into man,2080And cam to bedde, and sche lai stille,Wher as sche soffreth al his wille,As sche which wende noght misdo.896Bot natheles it hapneth so,Althogh sche were in part deceived,Yit for al that sche hath conceivedThe worthieste of alle kiththe,Which evere was tofore or siththeOf conqueste and chivalerie;897So that thurgh guile and Sorcerie2090Ther was that noble knyht begunne,898Which al the world hath after wunne.Thus fell the thing which falle scholde,Nectanabus hath that he wolde;With guile he hath his love sped,With guile he cam into the bed,With guile he goth him out ayein:He was a schrewed chamberlein,So to beguile a worthi queene,And that on him was after seene.2100P. iii. 72Bot natheles the thing is do;This false god was sone go,With his deceipte and hield him clos,Til morwe cam, that he aros.And tho, whan time and leisir was,The queene tolde him al the cas,As sche that guile non supposeth;And of tuo pointz sche him opposeth.On was, if that this god nomoreWol come ayein, and overmore,2110Hou sche schal stonden in acordWith king Philippe hire oghne lord,Whan he comth hom and seth hire grone.‘Ma dame,’ he seith, ‘let me alone:As for the god I undertakeThat whan it liketh you to takeHis compaignie at eny throwe,If I a day tofore it knowe,He schal be with you on the nyht;And he is wel of such a myht2120To kepe you from alle blame.Forthi conforte you, ma dame,Ther schal non other cause be.’Thus tok he leve and forth goth he,And tho began he forto museHou he the queene mihte excuseToward the king of that is falle;And fond a craft amonges alle,Thurgh which he hath a See foul daunted,With his magique and so enchaunted,2130P. iii. 73That he flyh forth, whan it was nyht,Unto the kinges tente riht,Wher that he lay amidde his host:And whanne he was aslepe most,With that the See foul to him broghteAnd othre charmes, whiche he wroghte899At hom withinne his chambre stille,The king he torneth at his wille,And makth him forto dreme and seThe dragoun and the privete2140Which was betuen him and the queene.900And over that he made him weneIn swevene, hou that the god Amos,Whan he up fro the queene aros,Tok forth a ring, wherinne a ston901Was set, and grave theruponA Sonne, in which, whan he cam nyh,A leoun with a swerd he sih;And with that priente, as he tho mette,902Upon the queenes wombe he sette2150A Seal, and goth him forth his weie.With that the swevene wente aweie,And tho began the king awakeAnd sigheth for his wyves sake,Wher as he lay withinne his tente,903And hath gret wonder what it mente.904With that he hasteth him to ryseAnon, and sende after the wise,Among the whiche ther was on,A clerc, his name is Amphion:2160P. iii. 74Whan he the kinges swevene herde,What it betokneth he ansuerde,And seith, ‘So siker as the lif,A god hath leie be thi wif,And gete a Sone, which schal winneThe world and al that is withinne.As leon is the king of bestes,So schal the world obeie his hestes,Which with his swerd schal al be wonne,Als ferr as schyneth eny Sonne.’2170The king was doubtif of this dom;Bot natheles, whan that he comAyein into his oghne lond,His wif with childe gret he fond.He mihte noght himselve stiere,That he ne made hire hevy chiere;Bot he which couthe of alle sorwe,Nectanabus, upon the morweThurgh the deceipte and nigromanceTok of a dragoun the semblance,2180And wher the king sat in his halle,Com in rampende among hem alleWith such a noise and such a rore,That thei agast were also soreAs thogh thei scholde deie anon.And natheles he grieveth non,Bot goth toward the deyss on hih;And whan he cam the queene nyh,He stinte his noise, and in his wiseTo hire he profreth his servise,2190P. iii. 75And leith his hed upon hire barm;And sche with goodly chiere hire armAboute his necke ayeinward leide,And thus the queene with him pleideIn sihte of alle men aboute.And ate laste he gan to louteAnd obeissance unto hire make,As he that wolde his leve take;And sodeinly his lothly formeInto an Egle he gan transforme,2200And flyh and sette him on a raile;Wherof the king hath gret mervaile,For there he pruneth him and piketh,As doth an hauk whan him wel liketh,And after that himself he schok,Wherof that al the halle quok,As it a terremote were;Thei seiden alle, god was there:In such a res and forth he flyh.The king, which al this wonder syh,2210Whan he cam to his chambre alone,Unto the queene he made his mone905And of foryivenesse hir preide;For thanne he knew wel, as he seide,Sche was with childe with a godd.Thus was the king withoute roddChastised, and the queene excusedOf that sche hadde ben accused.And for the gretere evidence,Yit after that in the presence2220P. iii. 76Of king Philipp and othre mo,Whan thei ride in the fieldes tho,A Phesant cam before here yhe,The which anon as thei hire syhe,Fleende let an ey doun falle,And it tobrak tofore hem alle:906And as thei token therof kepe,Thei syhe out of the schelle crepeA litel Serpent on the ground,Which rampeth al aboute round,2230And in ayein it wolde have wonne,907Bot for the brennynge of the SonneIt mihte noght, and so it deide.And therupon the clerkes seide,‘As the Serpent, whan it was oute,Went enviroun the schelle abouteAnd mihte noght torne in ayein,So schal it fallen in certein:This child the world schal environe,And above alle the corone2240Him schal befalle, and in yong AgeHe schal desire in his corage,Whan al the world is in his hond,To torn ayein into the lond908Wher he was bore, and in his weieHomward he schal with puison deie.’The king, which al this sih and herde,909Fro that dai forth, hou so it ferde,His jalousie hath al foryete.Bot he which hath the child begete,2250P. iii. 77Nectanabus, in priveteThe time of his nativiteUpon the constellaciounAwaiteth, and relacionMakth to the queene hou sche schal do,910And every houre apointeth so,That no mynut therof was lore.911So that in due time is boreThis child, and forth with theruponTher felle wondres many on2260Of terremote universiel:The Sonne tok colour of stielAnd loste his lyht, the wyndes blewe,And manye strengthes overthrewe;The See his propre kinde changeth,And al the world his forme strangeth;The thonder with his fyri leveneSo cruel was upon the hevene,That every erthli creatureTho thoghte his lif in aventure.2270The tempeste ate laste cesseth,The child is kept, his age encresseth,And Alisandre his name is hote,To whom Calistre and AristoteTo techen him PhilosophieEntenden, and Astronomie,With othre thinges whiche he coutheAlso, to teche him in his youtheNectanabus tok upon honde.Bot every man mai understonde,2280P. iii. 78Of Sorcerie hou that it wende,It wole himselve prove at ende,And namely forto beguileA lady, which withoute guileSupposeth trouthe al that sche hiereth:Bot often he that evele stierethHis Schip is dreynt therinne amidde;And in this cas riht so betidde.Nectanabus upon a nyht,Whan it was fair and sterre lyht,2290This yonge lord ladde up on hihAbove a tour, wher as he sihThe sterres suche as he acompteth,And seith what ech of hem amonteth,As thogh he knewe of alle thing;Bot yit hath he no knowlechingWhat schal unto himself befalle.Whan he hath told his wordes alle,This yonge lord thanne him opposeth,912And axeth if that he supposeth2300What deth he schal himselve deie.913He seith, ‘Or fortune is aweieAnd every sterre hath lost his wone,914Or elles of myn oghne SoneI schal be slain, I mai noght fle.’Thoghte Alisandre in privete,‘Hierof this olde dotard lieth’:And er that other oght aspieth,Al sodeinliche his olde bonesHe schof over the wal at ones,2310P. iii. 79And seith him, ‘Ly doun there apart:Wherof nou serveth al thin art?Thou knewe alle othre mennes chanceAnd of thiself hast ignorance:915That thou hast seid amonges alleOf thi persone, is noght befalle.’Nectanabus, which hath his deth,Yit while him lasteth lif and breth,To Alisandre he spak and seideThat he with wrong blame on him leide;2320Fro point to point and al the casHe tolde, hou he his Sone was.Tho he, which sory was ynowh,Out of the dich his fader drouh,And tolde his moder hou it ferdeIn conseil; and whan sche it herdeAnd kneu the toknes whiche he tolde,Sche nyste what sche seie scholde,Bot stod abayssht as for the whileOf his magique and al the guile.2330Sche thoghte hou that sche was deceived,916That sche hath of a man conceived,And wende a god it hadde be.Bot natheles in such degre,So as sche mihte hire honour save,Sche schop the body was begrave.And thus Nectanabus aboghteThe Sorcerie which he wroghte:Thogh he upon the creaturesThurgh his carectes and figures2340P. iii. 80The maistrie and the pouer hadde,His creatour to noght him ladde,Ayein whos lawe his craft he useth,Whan he for lust his god refuseth,And tok him to the dieules craft,917Lo, what profit him is belaft:That thing thurgh which he wende have stonde,Ferst him exilede out of londeWhich was his oghne, and from a kingMade him to ben an underling;2350And siththen to deceive a queene,That torneth him to mochel teene;Thurgh lust of love he gat him hate,That ende couthe he noght abate.His olde sleyhtes whiche he caste,918Yonge Alisaundre hem overcaste,His fader, which him misbegat,919He slouh, a gret mishap was that;Bot for o mis an other mysWas yolde, and so fulofte it is;2360Nectanabus his craft miswente,So it misfell him er he wente.I not what helpeth that clergieWhich makth a man to do folie,And nameliche of nigromance,Which stant upon the mescreance.[Zoroaster.]And forto se more evidence,Nota qualiter Rex Zorastes, statim cum ab vtero matris sue nasceretur, gaudio magno risit; in quo prenosticum doloris subsequentis signum figurabatur: nam et ipse detestabilis magice primus fuit inuentor, quem postea Rex Surrie dira morte trucidauit, et sic opus operarium consumpsit.Zorastes, which thexperienceOf Art magique ferst forth drouh,Anon as he was bore, he louh,2370P. iii. 81Which tokne was of wo suinge:For of his oghne controvingeHe fond magique and tauhte it forth;Bot al that was him litel worth,For of Surrie a worthi kingHim slou, and that was his endyng.920Bot yit thurgh him this craft is used,And he thurgh al the world accused,For it schal nevere wel achieveThat stant noght riht with the believe:2380Bot lich to wolle is evele sponne,Who lest himself hath litel wonne,[Saul and the Witch.]An ende proveth every thing.921Saül, which was of Juys king,Nota de Saule et Phitonissa.922Up peine of deth forbad this art,And yit he tok therof his part.The Phitonesse in SamarieYaf him conseil be Sorcerie,Which after fell to mochel sorwe,For he was slain upon the morwe.2390Confessor.To conne moche thing it helpeth,Bot of to mochel noman yelpeth:So forto loke on every side,Magique mai noght wel betyde.[Magic to be eschewed.]Forthi, my Sone, I wolde redeThat thou of these ensamples drede,That for no lust of erthli loveThou seche so to come above,Wherof as in the worldes wonderThou schalt for evere be put under.2400P. iii. 82Amans.Mi goode fader, grant mercy,For evere I schal be war therby:Of love what me so befalle,923Such Sorcerie aboven alleFro this dai forth I schal eschuie,That so ne wol I noght poursuieMi lust of love forto seche.Bot this I wolde you beseche,Beside that me stant of love,As I you herde speke above2410Hou Alisandre was betawhtTo Aristotle, and so wel tawhtOf al that to a king belongeth,Wherof min herte sore longethTo wite what it wolde mene.For be reson I wolde weneThat if I herde of thinges strange,924Yit for a time it scholde changeMi peine, and lisse me somdiel.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, thou seist wel.2420For wisdom, hou that evere it stonde,To him that can it understondeDoth gret profit in sondri wise;Bot touchende of so hih aprise,Which is noght unto Venus knowe,I mai it noght miselve knowe,Which of hir court am al forthdraweAnd can nothing bot of hir lawe.Bot natheles to knowe moreAls wel as thou me longeth sore;2430P. iii. 83And for it helpeth to comune,Al ben thei noght to me comune,The scoles of Philosophie,925Yit thenke I forto specefie,In boke as it is comprehended,926Wherof thou mihtest ben amended.For thogh I be noght al cunnyngeUpon the forme of this wrytynge,Som part therof yit have I herd,In this matiere hou it hath ferd.2440
[Tale of Nectanabus.]
The hihe creatour of thinges,
Which is the king of alle kinges,1790
Hic narrat exemplum super eodem, qualiter Nectanabus ab Egipto873in Macedoniam fugitiuus,874Olimpiadem Philippi Regis ibidem tunc absentis vxorem arte magica decipiens, cum ipsa concubuit, magnumque ex ea Alexandrum sortilegus genuit: qui natus, postea cum ad erudiendum sub custodia Nectanabi commendatus fuisset, ipsum Nectanabum patrem suum ab altitudine cuiusdam turris in fossam profundam proiciens interfecit. Et sic sortilegus ex875suo sortilegio infortunii sortem sortitus est.
Ful many a wonder worldes chance
Let slyden under his suffrance;
Ther wot noman the cause why,
Bot he the which is almyhty.
And that was proved whilom thus,
Whan that the king Nectanabus,
Which hadde Egipte forto lede,—
Bot for he sih tofor the dede
Thurgh magique of his Sorcerie,
Wherof he couthe a gret partie,1800
P. iii. 62
Hise enemys to him comende,
Fro whom he mihte him noght defende,
Out of his oghne lond he fledde;
And in the wise as he him dredde
It fell, for al his wicchecraft,
So that Egipte him was beraft,
And he desguised fledde aweie
Be schipe, and hield the rihte weie
To Macedoine, wher that he
Aryveth ate chief Cite.1810
Thre yomen of his chambre there
Al only forto serve him were,
The whiche he trusteth wonder wel,
For thei were trewe as eny stiel;
And hapneth that thei with him ladde876
Part of the beste good he hadde.
Thei take logginge in the toun877
After the disposicion
Wher as him thoghte best to duelle:
He axeth thanne and herde telle1820
Hou that the king was oute go
Upon a werre he hadde tho;
But in that Cite thanne was
The queene, which Olimpias
Was hote, and with sollempnete
The feste of hir nativite,
As it befell, was thanne holde;
And for hire list to be beholde878
And preised of the poeple aboute,
Sche schop hir forto riden oute1830
P. iii. 63
At after mete al openly.
Anon were alle men redy,
And that was in the monthe of Maii,
This lusti queene in good arrai
Was set upon a Mule whyt:
To sen it was a gret delit
The joie that the cite made;
With freisshe thinges and with glade
The noble toun was al behonged,
And every wiht was sore alonged1840
To se this lusti ladi ryde.
Ther was gret merthe on alle syde;
Wher as sche passeth be the strete,
Ther was ful many a tymber bete
And many a maide carolende:
And thus thurghout the toun pleiende
This queene unto a pleine rod,879
Wher that sche hoved and abod
To se diverse game pleie,
The lusti folk jouste and tourneie;1850
And so forth every other man,
Which pleie couthe, his pley began,
To plese with this noble queene.
Nectanabus cam to the grene
Amonges othre and drouh him nyh.
Bot whan that he this ladi sih
And of hir beaute hiede tok,
He couthe noght withdrawe his lok
To se noght elles in the field,
Bot stod and only hire behield.1860
P. iii. 64
Of his clothinge and of his gere
He was unlich alle othre there,
So that it hapneth ate laste,
The queene on him hire yhe caste,
And knew that he was strange anon:
Bot he behield hire evere in on
Withoute blenchinge of his chere.
Sche tok good hiede of his manere,
And wondreth why he dede so,
And bad men scholde for him go.1870
He cam and dede hire reverence,
And sche him axeth in cilence
Fro whenne he cam and what he wolde.
And he with sobre wordes tolde,
And seith, ‘Ma dame, a clerk I am,880
To you and in message I cam,
The which I mai noght tellen hiere;
Bot if it liketh you to hiere,
It mot be seid al prively,881
Wher nonschal be bot ye and I.’1880
Thus for the time he tok his leve.
The dai goth forth til it was eve,
That every man mot lete his werk;882
And sche thoghte evere upon this clerk,
What thing it is he wolde mene:
And in this wise abod the queene,
And passeth over thilke nyht,
Til it was on the morwe liht.
Sche sende for him, and he com,
With him his Astellabre he nom,1890
P. iii. 65
Which was of fin gold precious
With pointz and cercles merveilous;
And ek the hevenely figures
Wroght in a bok ful of peintures
He tok this ladi forto schewe,
And tolde of ech of hem be rewe
The cours and the condicion.
And sche with gret affeccion
Sat stille and herde what he wolde:
And thus whan he sih time, he tolde,1900
And feigneth with hise wordes wise
A tale, and seith in such a wise:
‘Ma dame, bot a while ago,
Wher I was in Egipte tho,
And radde in scole of this science,
It fell into mi conscience
That I unto the temple wente,
And ther with al myn hole entente
As I mi sacrifice dede,
On of the goddes hath me bede1910
That I you warne prively,
So that ye make you redy,
And that ye be nothing agast;
For he such love hath to you cast,
That ye schul ben his oghne diere,
And he schal be your beddefiere,
Til ye conceive and be with childe.’
And with that word sche wax al mylde,
And somdel red becam for schame,
And axeth him that goddes name,1920
P. iii. 66
Which so wol don hire compainie.
And he seide, ‘Amos of Lubie.’
And sche seith, ‘That mai I noght lieve,
Bot if I sihe a betre prieve.’
‘Ma dame,’ quod Nectanabus,
‘In tokne that it schal be thus,
This nyht for enformacion
Ye schul have an avision:
That Amos schal to you appiere,
To schewe and teche in what manere1930
The thing schal afterward befalle.883
Ye oghten wel aboven alle
To make joie of such a lord;
For whan ye ben of on acord,
He schal a Sone of you begete,
Which with his swerd schal winne and gete
The wyde world in lengthe and brede;
Alle erthli kinges schull him drede,
And in such wise, I you behote,884
The god of erthe he schal be hote.’1940
‘If this be soth,’ tho quod the queene,
‘This nyht, thou seist, it schal be sene.
And if it falle into mi grace,
Of god Amos that I pourchace
To take of him so gret worschipe,
I wol do thee such ladischipe,
Wherof thou schalt for everemo
Be riche.’ And he hir thonketh tho,
And tok his leve and forth he wente.
Sche wiste litel what he mente,1950
P. iii. 67
For it was guile and Sorcerie,
Al that sche tok for Prophecie.
Nectanabus thurghout the day,
Whan he cam hom wher as he lay,885
His chambre be himselve tok,
And overtorneth many a bok,
And thurgh the craft of Artemage
Of wex he forgeth an ymage.
He loketh his equacions
And ek the constellacions,1960
He loketh the conjunccions,
He loketh the recepcions,
His signe, his houre, his ascendent,
And drawth fortune of his assent:
The name of queene Olimpias
In thilke ymage write was
Amiddes in the front above.
And thus to winne his lust of love
Nectanabus this werk hath diht;
And whan it cam withinne nyht,1970
That every wyht is falle aslepe,
He thoghte he wolde his time kepe,
As he which hath his houre apointed.
And thanne ferst he hath enoignted
With sondri herbes that figure,
And therupon he gan conjure,
So that thurgh his enchantement
This ladi, which was innocent
And wiste nothing of this guile,
Mette, as sche slepte thilke while,1980
P. iii. 68
Hou fro the hevene cam a lyht,
Which al hir chambre made lyht;
And as sche loketh to and fro,
Sche sih, hir thoghte, a dragoun tho,
Whos scherdes schynen as the Sonne,
And hath his softe pas begonne
With al the chiere that he may
Toward the bedd ther as sche lay,
Til he cam to the beddes side.
And sche lai stille and nothing cride,1990
For he dede alle his thinges faire
And was courteis and debonaire:
And as he stod hire fasteby,886
His forme he changeth sodeinly,
And the figure of man he nom,
To hire and into bedde he com,887
And such thing there of love he wroghte,
Wherof, so as hire thanne thoghte,
Thurgh likinge of this god Amos
With childe anon hire wombe aros,2000
And sche was wonder glad withal.
Nectanabus, which causeth al
Of this metrede the substance,
Whan he sih time, his nigromance
He stinte and nothing more seide
Of his carecte, and sche abreide
Out of hir slep, and lieveth wel
That it is soth thanne everydel
Of that this clerk hire hadde told,
And was the gladdere manyfold2010
P. iii. 69
In hope of such a glad metrede,
Which after schal befalle in dede.
Sche longeth sore after the dai,
That sche hir swevene telle mai
To this guilour in privete,
Which kneu it als so wel as sche:888
And natheles on morwe sone
Sche lefte alle other thing to done,
And for him sende, and al the cas
Sche tolde him pleinly as it was,2020
And seide hou thanne wel sche wiste
That sche his wordes mihte triste,
For sche fond hire Avisioun
Riht after the condicion
Which he hire hadde told tofore;
And preide him hertely therfore
That he hire holde covenant
So forth of al the remenant,
That sche may thurgh his ordinance
Toward the god do such plesance,8892030
That sche wakende myhte him kepe
In such wise as sche mette aslepe.
And he, that couthe of guile ynouh,
Whan he this herde, of joie he louh,
And seith, ‘Ma dame, it schal be do.
Bot this I warne you therto:
This nyht, whan that he comth to pleie,
That ther be no lif in the weie
Bot I, that schal at his likinge
Ordeine so for his cominge,2040
P. iii. 70
That ye ne schull noght of him faile.890
For this, ma dame, I you consaile,
That ye it kepe so prive,
That no wiht elles bot we thre
Have knowlechinge hou that it is;
For elles mihte it fare amis,891
If ye dede oght that scholde him grieve.’
And thus he makth hire to believe,
And feigneth under guile feith:
Bot natheles al that he seith2050
Sche troweth; and ayein the nyht
Sche hath withinne hire chambre dyht,
Wher as this guilour faste by
Upon this god schal prively
Awaite, as he makth hire to wene:892
And thus this noble gentil queene,
Whan sche most trusteth, was deceived.
The nyht com, and the chambre is weyved,
Nectanabus hath take his place,
And whan he sih the time and space,2060
Thurgh the deceipte of his magique893
He putte him out of mannes like,894
And of a dragoun tok the forme,
As he which wolde him al conforme
To that sche sih in swevene er this;
And thus to chambre come he is.
The queene lay abedde and sih,
And hopeth evere, as he com nyh,
That he god of Lubye were,
So hath sche wel the lasse fere.2070
P. iii. 71
Bot for he wolde hire more assure,895
Yit eft he changeth his figure,
And of a wether the liknesse
He tok, in signe of his noblesse
With large hornes for the nones:
Of fin gold and of riche stones
A corone on his hed he bar,
And soudeinly, er sche was war,
As he which alle guile can,
His forme he torneth into man,2080
And cam to bedde, and sche lai stille,
Wher as sche soffreth al his wille,
As sche which wende noght misdo.896
Bot natheles it hapneth so,
Althogh sche were in part deceived,
Yit for al that sche hath conceived
The worthieste of alle kiththe,
Which evere was tofore or siththe
Of conqueste and chivalerie;897
So that thurgh guile and Sorcerie2090
Ther was that noble knyht begunne,898
Which al the world hath after wunne.
Thus fell the thing which falle scholde,
Nectanabus hath that he wolde;
With guile he hath his love sped,
With guile he cam into the bed,
With guile he goth him out ayein:
He was a schrewed chamberlein,
So to beguile a worthi queene,
And that on him was after seene.2100
P. iii. 72
Bot natheles the thing is do;
This false god was sone go,
With his deceipte and hield him clos,
Til morwe cam, that he aros.
And tho, whan time and leisir was,
The queene tolde him al the cas,
As sche that guile non supposeth;
And of tuo pointz sche him opposeth.
On was, if that this god nomore
Wol come ayein, and overmore,2110
Hou sche schal stonden in acord
With king Philippe hire oghne lord,
Whan he comth hom and seth hire grone.
‘Ma dame,’ he seith, ‘let me alone:
As for the god I undertake
That whan it liketh you to take
His compaignie at eny throwe,
If I a day tofore it knowe,
He schal be with you on the nyht;
And he is wel of such a myht2120
To kepe you from alle blame.
Forthi conforte you, ma dame,
Ther schal non other cause be.’
Thus tok he leve and forth goth he,
And tho began he forto muse
Hou he the queene mihte excuse
Toward the king of that is falle;
And fond a craft amonges alle,
Thurgh which he hath a See foul daunted,
With his magique and so enchaunted,2130
P. iii. 73
That he flyh forth, whan it was nyht,
Unto the kinges tente riht,
Wher that he lay amidde his host:
And whanne he was aslepe most,
With that the See foul to him broghte
And othre charmes, whiche he wroghte899
At hom withinne his chambre stille,
The king he torneth at his wille,
And makth him forto dreme and se
The dragoun and the privete2140
Which was betuen him and the queene.900
And over that he made him wene
In swevene, hou that the god Amos,
Whan he up fro the queene aros,
Tok forth a ring, wherinne a ston901
Was set, and grave therupon
A Sonne, in which, whan he cam nyh,
A leoun with a swerd he sih;
And with that priente, as he tho mette,902
Upon the queenes wombe he sette2150
A Seal, and goth him forth his weie.
With that the swevene wente aweie,
And tho began the king awake
And sigheth for his wyves sake,
Wher as he lay withinne his tente,903
And hath gret wonder what it mente.904
With that he hasteth him to ryse
Anon, and sende after the wise,
Among the whiche ther was on,
A clerc, his name is Amphion:2160
P. iii. 74
Whan he the kinges swevene herde,
What it betokneth he ansuerde,
And seith, ‘So siker as the lif,
A god hath leie be thi wif,
And gete a Sone, which schal winne
The world and al that is withinne.
As leon is the king of bestes,
So schal the world obeie his hestes,
Which with his swerd schal al be wonne,
Als ferr as schyneth eny Sonne.’2170
The king was doubtif of this dom;
Bot natheles, whan that he com
Ayein into his oghne lond,
His wif with childe gret he fond.
He mihte noght himselve stiere,
That he ne made hire hevy chiere;
Bot he which couthe of alle sorwe,
Nectanabus, upon the morwe
Thurgh the deceipte and nigromance
Tok of a dragoun the semblance,2180
And wher the king sat in his halle,
Com in rampende among hem alle
With such a noise and such a rore,
That thei agast were also sore
As thogh thei scholde deie anon.
And natheles he grieveth non,
Bot goth toward the deyss on hih;
And whan he cam the queene nyh,
He stinte his noise, and in his wise
To hire he profreth his servise,2190
P. iii. 75
And leith his hed upon hire barm;
And sche with goodly chiere hire arm
Aboute his necke ayeinward leide,
And thus the queene with him pleide
In sihte of alle men aboute.
And ate laste he gan to loute
And obeissance unto hire make,
As he that wolde his leve take;
And sodeinly his lothly forme
Into an Egle he gan transforme,2200
And flyh and sette him on a raile;
Wherof the king hath gret mervaile,
For there he pruneth him and piketh,
As doth an hauk whan him wel liketh,
And after that himself he schok,
Wherof that al the halle quok,
As it a terremote were;
Thei seiden alle, god was there:
In such a res and forth he flyh.
The king, which al this wonder syh,2210
Whan he cam to his chambre alone,
Unto the queene he made his mone905
And of foryivenesse hir preide;
For thanne he knew wel, as he seide,
Sche was with childe with a godd.
Thus was the king withoute rodd
Chastised, and the queene excused
Of that sche hadde ben accused.
And for the gretere evidence,
Yit after that in the presence2220
P. iii. 76
Of king Philipp and othre mo,
Whan thei ride in the fieldes tho,
A Phesant cam before here yhe,
The which anon as thei hire syhe,
Fleende let an ey doun falle,
And it tobrak tofore hem alle:906
And as thei token therof kepe,
Thei syhe out of the schelle crepe
A litel Serpent on the ground,
Which rampeth al aboute round,2230
And in ayein it wolde have wonne,907
Bot for the brennynge of the Sonne
It mihte noght, and so it deide.
And therupon the clerkes seide,
‘As the Serpent, whan it was oute,
Went enviroun the schelle aboute
And mihte noght torne in ayein,
So schal it fallen in certein:
This child the world schal environe,
And above alle the corone2240
Him schal befalle, and in yong Age
He schal desire in his corage,
Whan al the world is in his hond,
To torn ayein into the lond908
Wher he was bore, and in his weie
Homward he schal with puison deie.’
The king, which al this sih and herde,909
Fro that dai forth, hou so it ferde,
His jalousie hath al foryete.
Bot he which hath the child begete,2250
P. iii. 77
Nectanabus, in privete
The time of his nativite
Upon the constellacioun
Awaiteth, and relacion
Makth to the queene hou sche schal do,910
And every houre apointeth so,
That no mynut therof was lore.911
So that in due time is bore
This child, and forth with therupon
Ther felle wondres many on2260
Of terremote universiel:
The Sonne tok colour of stiel
And loste his lyht, the wyndes blewe,
And manye strengthes overthrewe;
The See his propre kinde changeth,
And al the world his forme strangeth;
The thonder with his fyri levene
So cruel was upon the hevene,
That every erthli creature
Tho thoghte his lif in aventure.2270
The tempeste ate laste cesseth,
The child is kept, his age encresseth,
And Alisandre his name is hote,
To whom Calistre and Aristote
To techen him Philosophie
Entenden, and Astronomie,
With othre thinges whiche he couthe
Also, to teche him in his youthe
Nectanabus tok upon honde.
Bot every man mai understonde,2280
P. iii. 78
Of Sorcerie hou that it wende,
It wole himselve prove at ende,
And namely forto beguile
A lady, which withoute guile
Supposeth trouthe al that sche hiereth:
Bot often he that evele stiereth
His Schip is dreynt therinne amidde;
And in this cas riht so betidde.
Nectanabus upon a nyht,
Whan it was fair and sterre lyht,2290
This yonge lord ladde up on hih
Above a tour, wher as he sih
The sterres suche as he acompteth,
And seith what ech of hem amonteth,
As thogh he knewe of alle thing;
Bot yit hath he no knowleching
What schal unto himself befalle.
Whan he hath told his wordes alle,
This yonge lord thanne him opposeth,912
And axeth if that he supposeth2300
What deth he schal himselve deie.913
He seith, ‘Or fortune is aweie
And every sterre hath lost his wone,914
Or elles of myn oghne Sone
I schal be slain, I mai noght fle.’
Thoghte Alisandre in privete,
‘Hierof this olde dotard lieth’:
And er that other oght aspieth,
Al sodeinliche his olde bones
He schof over the wal at ones,2310
P. iii. 79
And seith him, ‘Ly doun there apart:
Wherof nou serveth al thin art?
Thou knewe alle othre mennes chance
And of thiself hast ignorance:915
That thou hast seid amonges alle
Of thi persone, is noght befalle.’
Nectanabus, which hath his deth,
Yit while him lasteth lif and breth,
To Alisandre he spak and seide
That he with wrong blame on him leide;2320
Fro point to point and al the cas
He tolde, hou he his Sone was.
Tho he, which sory was ynowh,
Out of the dich his fader drouh,
And tolde his moder hou it ferde
In conseil; and whan sche it herde
And kneu the toknes whiche he tolde,
Sche nyste what sche seie scholde,
Bot stod abayssht as for the while
Of his magique and al the guile.2330
Sche thoghte hou that sche was deceived,916
That sche hath of a man conceived,
And wende a god it hadde be.
Bot natheles in such degre,
So as sche mihte hire honour save,
Sche schop the body was begrave.
And thus Nectanabus aboghte
The Sorcerie which he wroghte:
Thogh he upon the creatures
Thurgh his carectes and figures2340
P. iii. 80
The maistrie and the pouer hadde,
His creatour to noght him ladde,
Ayein whos lawe his craft he useth,
Whan he for lust his god refuseth,
And tok him to the dieules craft,917
Lo, what profit him is belaft:
That thing thurgh which he wende have stonde,
Ferst him exilede out of londe
Which was his oghne, and from a king
Made him to ben an underling;2350
And siththen to deceive a queene,
That torneth him to mochel teene;
Thurgh lust of love he gat him hate,
That ende couthe he noght abate.
His olde sleyhtes whiche he caste,918
Yonge Alisaundre hem overcaste,
His fader, which him misbegat,919
He slouh, a gret mishap was that;
Bot for o mis an other mys
Was yolde, and so fulofte it is;2360
Nectanabus his craft miswente,
So it misfell him er he wente.
I not what helpeth that clergie
Which makth a man to do folie,
And nameliche of nigromance,
Which stant upon the mescreance.
[Zoroaster.]
And forto se more evidence,
Nota qualiter Rex Zorastes, statim cum ab vtero matris sue nasceretur, gaudio magno risit; in quo prenosticum doloris subsequentis signum figurabatur: nam et ipse detestabilis magice primus fuit inuentor, quem postea Rex Surrie dira morte trucidauit, et sic opus operarium consumpsit.
Zorastes, which thexperience
Of Art magique ferst forth drouh,
Anon as he was bore, he louh,2370
P. iii. 81
Which tokne was of wo suinge:
For of his oghne controvinge
He fond magique and tauhte it forth;
Bot al that was him litel worth,
For of Surrie a worthi king
Him slou, and that was his endyng.920
Bot yit thurgh him this craft is used,
And he thurgh al the world accused,
For it schal nevere wel achieve
That stant noght riht with the believe:2380
Bot lich to wolle is evele sponne,
Who lest himself hath litel wonne,
[Saul and the Witch.]
An ende proveth every thing.921
Saül, which was of Juys king,
Nota de Saule et Phitonissa.922
Up peine of deth forbad this art,
And yit he tok therof his part.
The Phitonesse in Samarie
Yaf him conseil be Sorcerie,
Which after fell to mochel sorwe,
For he was slain upon the morwe.2390
Confessor.
To conne moche thing it helpeth,
Bot of to mochel noman yelpeth:
So forto loke on every side,
Magique mai noght wel betyde.
[Magic to be eschewed.]
Forthi, my Sone, I wolde rede
That thou of these ensamples drede,
That for no lust of erthli love
Thou seche so to come above,
Wherof as in the worldes wonder
Thou schalt for evere be put under.2400
P. iii. 82
Amans.
Mi goode fader, grant mercy,
For evere I schal be war therby:
Of love what me so befalle,923
Such Sorcerie aboven alle
Fro this dai forth I schal eschuie,
That so ne wol I noght poursuie
Mi lust of love forto seche.
Bot this I wolde you beseche,
Beside that me stant of love,
As I you herde speke above2410
Hou Alisandre was betawht
To Aristotle, and so wel tawht
Of al that to a king belongeth,
Wherof min herte sore longeth
To wite what it wolde mene.
For be reson I wolde wene
That if I herde of thinges strange,924
Yit for a time it scholde change
Mi peine, and lisse me somdiel.
Confessor.
Mi goode Sone, thou seist wel.2420
For wisdom, hou that evere it stonde,
To him that can it understonde
Doth gret profit in sondri wise;
Bot touchende of so hih aprise,
Which is noght unto Venus knowe,
I mai it noght miselve knowe,
Which of hir court am al forthdrawe
And can nothing bot of hir lawe.
Bot natheles to knowe more
Als wel as thou me longeth sore;2430
P. iii. 83
And for it helpeth to comune,
Al ben thei noght to me comune,
The scoles of Philosophie,925
Yit thenke I forto specefie,
In boke as it is comprehended,926
Wherof thou mihtest ben amended.
For thogh I be noght al cunnynge
Upon the forme of this wrytynge,
Som part therof yit have I herd,
In this matiere hou it hath ferd.2440