It remains to be added that one source of the part of the poem called the Complaint (ll. 211-350) is the piece printed in this volume as no. VI. That piece is, in fact, a kind of exercise in metrical experiments, and exhibits specimens of a 10-line stanza, resembling the nine-line stanza of this Complaint. Chaucer seems to have elaborated this into a longer Complaint, with additional varieties in the metre; and then to have written the preceding story by way of introduction. One line (vi. 50) is repeated without alteration (vii. 237); another (vi. 35) is only altered in the first and last words (vii. 222). Other resemblances are pointed out in the Notes.

It is also worth while to notice how the character of the speaking falcon in the second part of the Squire’s Tale is precisely that of Anelida. The parallel lines are pointed out in the Notes. The principal MSS. may be thus grouped: A a. —F.B. A b. —Tn. D. Lt. B.—Harl. Cx. Here A and B are two groups, of which the former is subdivided into A a and A b. See Koch, in Anglia, iv. b. 102.

§ 25.: VIII. Chaucer’s Wordes unto Adam.

This is evidently a genuine poem, written by the author of the translation of Boethius and of the story of Troilus.

§ 26.: IX. The Former Age.

First printed in 1866, in Morris’s Chaucer, from a transcript made by Mr. Bradshaw, who pointed out its genuineness. It is ascribed to Chaucer in both MSS., and belongs, in fact, to his translation of Boethius, though probably written at a later date. In MS. I. the poem is headed:—‘Chawc er vp-on this fyfte met ur of the second book.’ In MS. Hh., the colophon is: ‘Finit Etas prima: Chaucers.’ Dr. Koch thinks that the five poems here numbered IX. X. XIII-XV. ‘form a cyclus, as it were, being free transcriptions of different passages in Boethius’ Consolatio Philosophiae. ’ There is, in fact, a probability that these were all written at about the same period, and that rather a late one, some years after the prose translation of Boethius had been completed; and a probable date for this completion is somewhere about 1380.

Both MS. copies are from the same source, as both of them omit the same line, viz. l. 56; which I have had to supply by conjecture. Neither of the MSS. are well spelt, nor are they very satisfactory. The mistake in riming l. 47 with l. 43 instead of l. 45 may very well have been due to an oversight on the part of the poet himself. But the poem is a beautiful one, and admirably expressed; and its inclusion among the Minor Poems is a considerable gain.

Dr. Furnivall has printed the Latin text of Boethius, lib. ii. met. 5, from MS. I., as well as Chaucer’s prose version of the same, for the sake of comparison with the text of the poem. The likeness hardly extends beyond the first four stanzas. I here transcribe that part of the prose version which is parallel to the poem, omitting a few sentences which do not appear there at all; for the complete text, see vol. ii.

‘Blisful was the first age of men. They helden hem apayed with the metes that the trewe feldes broughten furthe. They ne distroyede nor deceivede not hem-self with outrage. They weren wont lightly to slaken hir hunger at even with acornes of okes. [ Stanza 2.] They ne coude nat medly 1 the yifte of Bachus to the clere hony; that is to seyn, they coude make no piment nor clarree. [ Stanza 3.] . . they coude nat deyen whyte fleeses 2 of Serien contree with the blode of a maner shelfisshe that men finden in Tyrie, with whiche blode men deyen purpur. [ Stanza 6.] They slepen hoolsum slepes upon the gras, and dronken of the renninge wateres [ cf. l. 8]; and layen under the shadwes of the heye pyn-trees. [ Stanza 3, continued. ] Ne no gest ne no straungere ne carf yit the heye see with ores or with shippes; ne they ne hadde seyn yit none newe strondes, to leden marchaundyse in-to dyverse contrees. Tho weren the cruel clariouns ful hust 3 and ful stille. . . [ Stanza 4.] For wherto or whiche woodnesse of enemys wolde first moeven armes, whan they seyen cruel woundes, ne none medes 4 be of blood y-shad 5 ? . . Allas! what was he that first dalf 6 up the gobetes 7 or the weightes of gold covered under erthe, and the precious stones that wolden han ben hid? He dalf up precious perils; . . . for the preciousnesse of swiche thinge, hath many man ben in peril.’

The metre is the same as that of the ABC.

§ 27.: X. Fortune.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. A. and T.; also marked as Chaucer’s in MSS. F. and I. In MS. I., this poem and the preceding are actually introduced into Chaucer’s translation of Boethius, between the fifth metre and the sixth prose of the second book, as has been already said. The metre is the same as that of the ABC and The Former Age, but the same rimes run through three stanzas. The Envoy forms a 7-line stanza, but has only two rimes; the formula is ababbab. For further remarks, see the Notes.

§ 28.: XI. Merciles Beaute.

The unique copy of this poem is in MS. P 1 . It is the last poem in the MS., and is in excellent company, as it immediately follows several other of Chaucer’s genuine poems 2 . This is probably why Bp. Percy attributed it to Chaucer, who himself tells us that he wrote ‘balades, roundels, virelayes.’ It is significant that Mätzner, in his Altenglische Sprachproben, i. 347, chose this poem alone as a specimen of the Minor Poems. It is, in fact, most happily expressed, and the internal evidence places its authenticity beyond question. The three roundels express three ‘movements,’ in the poet’s usual manner; and his mastery of metre is shewn in the use of the same rime in - en-e in the first and third roundels, requiring no less than ten different words for the purpose; whilst in the second roundel the corresponding lines end in - eyn-e, producing much the same effect, if (as is probable) the old sounds of e and ey were not very different. We at once recognise the Chaucerian phrases I do no fors (see Cant. Ta. D 1234, 1512), and I counte him not a bene (see Troil. v. 363).

Very characteristic is the use of the dissyllabic word sen-e (l. 10), which is an adjective, and means ‘manifest,’ from the A. S. geséne, ( gesýne ), and not the past participle, which is y-seen. Chaucer rimes it with clen-e (Prol. to C. T. 134), and with gren-e (Kn. Tale, A 2298). The phrase though he sterve for the peyne (l. 23) reminds us of for to dyen in the peyne (Kn. Ta. A 1133).

But the most curious thing about this poem is the incidental testimony of Lydgate, in his Ballade in Commendacion of our Ladie; see poem no. 26 above, discussed at p. 38. I here quote st. 22 in full, from ed. 1561, fol. 330:

  • ‘Where might I loue euer better beset
  • Then in this Lilie, likyng to beholde?
  • That lace of loue, the bonde so well thou knit,
  • That I maie see thee, or myne harte colde,
  • And or I passe out of my daies olde,
  • Tofore [thee] syngyng euermore vtterly—
  • Your iyen twoo woll slea me sodainly.

I ought to add that this poem is the only one which I have admitted into the set of Minor Poems (nos. I-XX) with incomplete external evidence. If it is not Chaucer’s, it is by some one who contrived to surpass him in his own style. And this is sufficient excuse for its appearance here.

Moreover, Lydgate’s testimony is external evidence, in a high degree. Even the allusion in l. 27 to the Roman de la Rose points in the same direction; and so does Chaucer’s statement that he wrote roundels. Excepting that in the Parl. of Foules, ll. 680-692, and the three here given, no roundels of his have ever been found 1 .

§ 29.: XII. To Rosemounde.

This poem was discovered by me in the Bodleian Library on the 2nd of April, 1891. It is written on a fly-leaf at the end of MS. Rawlinson Poet. 163, which also contains a copy of Chaucer’s Troilus. At the end of the ‘Troilus’ is the colophon: ‘Here endith the book of Troylus and of Cresseyde.’ This colophon is preceded by ‘Tregentyll,’ and followed by ‘Chaucer.’ On the next leaf (no. 114) is the Balade, without any title, at the foot of which is ‘Tregentil’—‘Chaucer,’ the two names being written at a considerable distance apart. I believe ‘Tregentil’ to represent the name of the scribe 2 . In any case, ‘Chaucer’ represents the name of the author. It is a happy specimen of his humour.

§ 30.: XIII. Truth.

This famous poem is attributed to Chaucer in MS. F., also (thrice) by Shirley, who in one of the copies in MS. T. (in which it occurs twice ) calls it a ‘Balade that Chaucier made on his deethbedde’; which is probably a mere bad guess 1 . The MSS. may be divided into two groups; the four best are in the first group, viz. At., E., Gg., Ct., and the rest (mostly) in the second group. Those of the first group have the readings Tempest (8), Know thy contree (19), and Hold the hye wey (20); whilst the rest have, in the same places, Peyne (8), Look up on hy (19), and Weyve thy lust (20). It is remarkable that the Envoy occurs in MS. At. only. It may have been suppressed owing to a misunderstanding of the word vache (cow), the true sense of which is a little obscure. The reference is to Boethius, bk. v. met. 5, where it is explained that quadrupeds look down upon the earth, whilst man alone looks up towards heaven; cf. lok up in l. 19 of the poem. The sense is therefore, that we should cease to look down, and learn to look up like true men; ‘only the linage of man,’ says Chaucer, in his translation of Boethius, ‘heveth heyeste his heye heved 2 . . this figure amonesteth 3 thee, that axest the hevene with thy righte visage, and hast areysed thy fore-heved to beren up a-heigh thy corage, so that thy thoght ne be nat y-hevied 4 ne put lowe under fote.’

§ 31.: XIV. Gentilesse.

It is curious that this Balade not only occurs as an independent poem, as in MSS. T., Harl., Ct., and others, but is also quoted bodily in a poem by Henry Scogan in MS. A. It is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. T. and Harl.; and still more satisfactory is the account given of it by Scogan. The title of Scogan’s poem is:—‘A moral balade made by Henry Scogan squyer. Here folowethe nexst a moral balade to my lorde the Prince, to my lord of Clarence, to my lord of Bedford, and to my lorde of Gloucestre; by Henry Scogan, at a souper of feorthe merchande ( sic ) in the vyntre in London, at the hous of Lowys Iohan.’ It is printed in all the old editions of Chaucer; see poem no. 33, p. 32. Scogan tells us that he was ‘fader,’ i.e. tutor, to the four sons of Henry IV. above-mentioned 1 . His ballad is in twenty-one 8-line stanzas, and he inserts Chaucer’s Gentilesse, distinguished by being in 7-line stanzas, between the 13th and 14th stanzas of his own work. He refers to Chaucer in the 9th stanza thus (in MS. A.):—

  • ‘My maistre Chaucier, God his soule have,
  • That in his langage was so curyous,
  • He saide that the fader, nowe dede and grave,
  • Beqwathe no-thing his vertue with his hous
  • Un-to his sone.’

This is a reference to ll. 16, 17 of Chaucer’s poem. Again, in his 13th stanza, he says:—

  • ‘By auncetrye thus may yee no-thing clayme,
  • As that my maistre Chaucier dothe expresse,
  • But temporell thing, that man may hurte and mayme;
  • Thane is gode stocke of vertuous noblesse;
  • And, sithe that he is lord of blessednesse
  • That made us alle, and for mankynde that dyed,
  • Folowe his vertue with full besynesse;
  • And of this thinge herke howe my maistre seyde.’

He here refers to lines 15-17, and lines 1-4 of Chaucer’s poem; and then proceeds to quote it in full. Having done so, he adds:—

  • ‘Loo, here this noble poete of Brettayne
  • Howe hyely he, in vertuouse sentence,
  • The losse [MS. lesse] in youthe of vertue can compleyne.’

Scogan’s advice is all good; and, though he accuses himself of having misspent his youth, this may very well mean no more than such an expression means in the mouth of a good man. He is doubtless the very person to whom Chaucer’s ‘Lenvoy a Scogan’ was addressed, and Chaucer (l. 21) there gives him an excellent character for wisdom of speech. Accordingly, he is not to be confused with the Thomas Scogan or Scogin to whom is attributed an idle book called ‘Scoggins Iests,’ which were said to have been ‘gathered’ by Andrew Boord or Borde, author of the Introduction of Knowledge 2 . When Shakespeare, in 2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 33, says that Sir John Falstaff broke Scogan’s head, he was no doubt thinking of the supposed author of the jest-book, and may have been led, by observation of the name in a black-letter edition of Chaucer, to suppose that he lived in the time of Henry IV. This was quite enough for his purpose, though it is probable that the jester lived in the time of Edward IV.; see Tyrwhitt’s note on the Envoy to Scogan. On the other hand, we find Ben Jonson taking his ideas about Scogan solely from Henry Scogan’s poem and Chaucer’s Envoy, without any reference to the jester. See his Masque of the Fortunate Isles, in which Scogan is first described and afterwards introduced. The description tells us nothing more than we know already.

As for Lewis John (p. 82), Tyrwhitt says he was a Welshman, ‘who was naturalised by Act of Parliament, 2 Hen. V., and who was concerned with Thomas Chaucer in the execution of the office of chief butler; Rot. Parl. 2 Hen. V. n. 18.’

Caxton’s printed edition of this poem seems to follow a better source than any of the MSS.

§ 32.: XV. Lak of Stedfastnesse.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley in MSS. Harl. and T., and sent to King Richard at Windsor, according to the same authority. The general idea of it is from Boethius; see the Notes. Shirley refers it to the last years of Richard II., say 1397-9. We find something very like it in Piers Plowman, C. iv. 203-210, where Richard is told that bribery and wicked connivance at extortion have almost brought it about —

‘That no lond loveth the, and yut leest thyn owene.’

In any case, the date can hardly vary between wider limits than between 1393 and 1399. Richard held a tournament at Windsor in 1399 1 , which was but thinly attended; ‘the greater part of the knights and squires of England were disgusted with the king.’

Of this poem, MS. Ct. seems to give the best text.

§ 33.: XVI. Lenvoy a Scogan.

This piece is attributed to Chaucer in all three MSS., viz. F., P., and Gg.; and is obviously genuine. The probable date of it is towards the end of 1393; see the Notes.

For some account of Scogan, see above (p. 83).

§ 34.: XVII. Lenvoy a Bukton.

This piece is certainly genuine. In MS. F., the title is—‘Lenvoy de Chaucer a Bukton.’ In Julian Notary’s edition it is—‘Here foloweth the counceyll of Chaucer touching Maryag, c. whiche was sente te ( sic ) Bucketon, c.’ In all the other early printed editions it is inserted without any title immediately after the Book of the Duchess.

The poem is one of Chaucer’s latest productions, and may safely be dated about the end of the year 1396. This appears from the reference, in l. 23, to the great misfortune it would be to any Englishmen ‘to be take in Fryse,’ i. e. to be taken prisoner in Friesland. There is but one occasion on which this reference could have had any point, viz. during or just after the expedition of William of Hainault to Friesland, as narrated by Froissart in his Chronicles, bk. iv. capp. 78, 79. He tells that William of Hainault applied to Richard II. for assistance, who sent him ‘some men-at-arms and two hundred archers, under the command of three English lords 1 .’ The expedition set out in August, 1396, and stayed in Friesland about five weeks, till the beginning of October, when ‘the weather began to be very cold and to rain almost daily.’ The great danger of being taken prisoner in Friesland was because the Frieslanders fought so desperately that they were seldom taken prisoners themselves. Then ‘the Frieslanders offered their prisoners in exchange, man for man; but, when their enemies had none to give in return, they put them to death.’ Besides this, the prisoners had to endure all the miseries of a bad and cold season, in an inclement climate. Hence the propriety of Chaucer’s allusion fully appears. From l. 8, we learn that Chaucer was now a widower; for the word eft means ‘again.’ His wife is presumed to have died in the latter part of 1387. We should also observe the allusion to the Wife of Bath’s Tale in l. 29.

§ 35.: XVIII. The Compleynt of Venus.

This poem is usually printed as if it formed part of the Complaint of Mars; but it is really distinct. It is attributed to Chaucer by Shirley both in MS. T. and in MS. A. It is not original, but translated from the French, as appears from l. 82. Shirley tells us that the author of the French poem was Sir Otes de Graunson, a worthy knight of Savoy. He is mentioned as receiving from King Richard the grant of an annuity of 126 l. 13 s. 4 d. on 17 Nov. 1393; see Furnivall’s Trial Forewords, p. 123. The association of this poem with the Complaint of Mars renders it probable that the Venus of this poem is the same as the Venus of the other, i. e. the Princess Isabel of Spain, and Duchess of York. This fits well with the word Princess at the beginning of the Envoy; and as she died in 1394, whilst Chaucer, on the other hand, complains of his advancing years, we must date the poem about 1393, i. e. just about the time when Graunson received his annuity. Chaucer, if born about 1340, was not really more than 53, but we must remember that, in those days, men often aged quickly. John of Gaunt, who is represented by Shakespeare as a very old man, only lived to the age of 59; and the Black Prince died quite worn out, at the age of 46. Compare the notes to ll. 73, 76, 79, and 82.

Much new light has lately been thrown upon this poem by Dr. A. Piaget, who contributed an article to Romania, tome xix., on ‘Oton de Granson et ses Poésies,’ in 1890. The author succeeded in discovering a large number of Granson’s poems, including, to our great gain, the three Balades of which Chaucer’s ‘Compleynt of Venus’ is a translation. I am thus enabled to give the original French beneath the English version, for the sake of comparison.

He has also given us an interesting account of Granson himself, for which I must refer my readers to his article. It appears that Froissart mentions Granson at least four times (twice in bk. i. c. 303, a. d. 1372, once in c. 305, and once in c. 331, a. d. 1379), as fighting on the side of the English; see Johnes’ translation. He was in Savoy from 1389 to 1391; but, in the latter year, was accused of being concerned in the death of Amadeus VII., count of Savoy, in consequence of which he returned to England, and in 1393 his estates in Savoy were confiscated. It was on this occasion that Richard II. assigned to him the pension above mentioned. With the hope of clearing himself from the serious charge laid against him. Granson fought a judicial duel, at Bourg-en-Bresse, on Aug. 7, 1397, in which, however, he was slain.

Now that we have the original before us, we can see clearly, as Dr. Piaget says, that Chaucer has certainly not translated the original Balades ‘word for word’ throughout. He does so sometimes, as in ll. 27, 28, 30, 31, in which the closeness of the translation is marvellous; but, usually, he paraphrases the original to a considerable extent. In the first Balade, he has even altered the general motive; in the original, Granson sings the praises of his lady; in Chaucer, it is a lady who praises the worthiness of her lover.

It also becomes probable that the title ‘The Compleynt of Venus,’ which seems to have been suggested by Shirley, is by no means a fitting one. It is not suitable for Venus, unless the ‘Venus’ be a mortal; neither is it a continuous ‘Compleynt,’ being simply a linking together of three separate and distinct Balades.

It is clear to me that, when Chaucer added his Envoy, he made the difficulties of following the original ‘word by word’ and of preserving the original metre his excuse; and that what really troubled him was the difficulty of adapting the French, especially Balade I., so as to be acceptable to the ‘Princess’ who enjoined him to translate these Balades. In particular, he evidently aimed at giving them a sort of connection, so that one should follow the other naturally; which accounts for the changes in the first of them. It is significant, perhaps, that the allusion to ‘youth’ (F. jeunesce ) in l. 70 is entirely dropped.

On the whole, I think we may still accept the theory that this poem was written at the request (practically, the command) of Isabel, duchess of York, the probable ‘Venus’ of the ‘Compleynt of Mars.’ Chaucer seems to have thrown the three Balades together, linking them so as to express a lady’s constancy in love, and choosing such language as he deemed would be most acceptable to the princess. He then ingeniously, and not without some humour, protests that any apparent alterations are due to his own dulness and the difficulties of translating ‘word for word,’ and of preserving the rimes.

In l. 31, the F. text shews us that we must read Pleyne, not Pleye (as in the MSS.). This was pointed out by Mr. Paget Toynbee.

§ 36.: XIX. The Compleint to his Purse.

Attributed to Chaucer by Shirley, in MS. Harl. 7333; by Caxton; by the scribes of MSS. F., P., and Ff.; and by early editors. I do not know on what grounds Speght removed Chaucer’s name, and substituted that of T. Occleve; there seems to be no authority for this change. I think it highly probable that the poem itself is older than the Envoy; see note to l. 17. In any case, the Envoy is almost certainly Chaucer’s latest extant composition.

§ 37.: XX. Proverbs.

Attributed to Chaucer in MSS. F. and Ha.; see further in the Notes. From the nature of the case, we cannot assign any probable date to this composition. Yet it was, perhaps, written after, rather than before, the Tale of Melibeus.

§ 38.: XXI. Against Women Unconstaunt.

For the genuineness of this Balade, we have chiefly the internal evidence to trust to; but this seems to me to be sufficiently strong. The Balade is perfect in construction, having but three rimes (- esse, -ace, -ene ), and a refrain. The ‘mood’ of it strongly resembles that of Lak of Stedfastnesse; the lines run with perfect smoothness, and the rimes are all Chaucerian. It is difficult to suppose that Lydgate, or even Hoccleve, who was a better metrician, could have produced so good an imitation of Chaucer’s style. But we are not without strong external evidence; for the general idea of the poem, and what is more important, the whole of the refrain, are taken from Chaucer’s favourite author Machault (ed. Tarbé, p. 56); whose refrain is—‘En lieu de bleu, Damë, vous vestez vert.’ Again, the poem is only found in company with other poems by Chaucer. Such collocation frequently means nothing, but those who actually consult 1 MSS. Ct. and Ha. will see how close is its association with the Chaucerian poems in those MSS. I have said that it occurs in MSS. F., Ct., and Ha. Now in MS. Ct. we find, on the back of fol. 188 and on fol. 189, just four poems in the same hand. These are (1) Gentilesse; (2) Lak of Stedfastnesse; (3) Truth; and (4) Against Women Unconstaunt. As three of these are admittedly genuine, there is evidence that the fourth is the same. We may also notice that, in this MS., the poems on Lak of Stedfastnesse and Against Women Unconstaunt are not far apart. On searching MS. Ha. (Harl. 7578), I again found three of these poems in company, viz. (1) Gentilesse; (2) Lak of Stedfastnesse; and (3) Against Women Unconstaunt; the last being, in my view, precisely in its right place. (This copy of the poem was unknown to me in 1887.)

§ 39.: XXII. An Amorous Complaint.

Whilst searching through the various MSS. containing Minor Poems by Chaucer in the British Museum, my attention was arrested by this piece, which, as far as I know, has never before been printed. It is in Shirley’s handwriting, but he does not claim it for Chaucer. However, the internal evidence seems to me irresistible; the melody is Chaucer’s, and his peculiar touches appear in it over and over again. There is, moreover, in the last stanza, a direct reference to the Parliament of Foules 1 .

I cannot explain the oracular notice of time in the heading; even if we alter May to day, it contradicts l. 85, which mentions ‘seint Valentines day.’ The heading is—‘And next folowyng begynnith an amerowse compleynte made at wyndesore in the laste May tofore Nouembre’ ( sic ). The date is inexplicable 2 ; but the mention of locality is interesting. Chaucer became a ‘valet of the king’s chamber’ in 1367, and must frequently have been at Windsor, where the institution of the Order of the Garter was annually celebrated on St. George’s Day (April 23). Some of the parallelisms in expression between the present poem and other passages in Chaucer’s Works are pointed out in the Notes.

This Complaint should be compared with the complaint uttered by Dorigen in the Cant. Tales, F. 1311-1325, which is little else than the same thing in a compressed form. There is also much resemblance to the ‘complaints’ in Troilus; see the references in the Notes.

Since first printing the text in 1888, I found that it is precisely the same poem as one extant in MSS. F. and B., with the title ‘Complaynt Damours.’ I had noticed the latter some time previously, and had made a note that it ought to be closely examined; but unfortunately I forgot to do so, or I should have seen at once that it had strong claims to being considered genuine. These claims are considerably strengthened by the fact of the appearance of the poem in these two Chaucerian MSS., the former of which contains no less than sixteen, and the latter seven of the Minor Poems, besides the Legend and the Hous of Fame.

In reprinting the text in the present volume, I take occasion to give all the more important results of a collation of the text with these MSS. In most places, their readings are inferior to those in the text; but in other places they suggest corrections.

In MS. F. the fourth stanza is mutilated; the latter half of lines 24-28 is missing.

In B., below the word Explicit, another and later hand has scrawled ‘be me Humfrey Flemy ng. ’ ‘Be me’ merely means—‘this signature is mine.’ It is a mere scribble, and does not necessarily relate to the poem at all.

The readings of F. and B. do not help us much; for the text in Harl., on the whole, is better.

It is not at all improbable that a better copy of this poem may yet be found.

§ 40.: XXIII. Balade of Compleynt.

This poem, which has not been printed before, as far as I am aware, occurs in Shirley’s MS. Addit. 16165, at fol. 256, back. It is merely headed ‘Balade of compleynte,’ without any note of its being Chaucer’s. But I had not read more than four lines of it before I at once recognised the well-known melodious flow which Chaucer’s imitators (except sometimes Hoccleve) so seldom succeed in reproducing. And when I had only finished reading the first stanza, I decided at once to copy it out, not doubting that it would fulfil all the usual tests of metre, rime, and language; which it certainly does. It is far more correct in wording than the preceding poem, and does not require that we should either omit or supply a single word. But in l. 20 the last word should surely be dere rather than here; and the last word in l. 11 is indistinct. I read it as reewe afterwards altered to newe; and newe makes very good sense. I may notice that Shirley’s n ’s are very peculiar: the first upstroke is very long, commencing below the line; and this peculiarity renders the reading tolerably certain. Some lines resemble lines in no. VI., as is pointed out in the Notes. Altogether, it is a beautiful poem, and its recovery is a clear gain.

§ 41.: Concluding Remarks.

I regret that this Introduction has run to so great a length; but it was incumbent on me to shew reasons for the rejection or acceptance of the very large number of pieces which have hitherto been included in editions of Chaucer’s Works. I have now only to add that I have, of course, been greatly indebted to the works of others; so much so indeed that I can hardly particularise them. I must, however, mention very gratefully the names of Dr. Furnivall, Professor Ten Brink, Dr. Koch, Dr. Willert, Max Lange, Rambeau, and various contributors to the publications of the Chaucer Society; and though I have consulted for myself such books as Le Roman de la Rose, the Teseide, the Thebaid of Statius, the poems of Machault, and a great many more, and have inserted in the Notes a large number of references which I discovered, or re-discovered, for myself, I beg leave distinctly to disclaim any merit, not doubting that most of what I have said may very likely have been said by others, and said better. Want of leisure renders it impossible for me to give to others their due meed of recognition in many instances; for I have often found it less troublesome to consult original authorities for myself than to hunt up what others have said relative to the passage under consideration.

I have relegated Poems no. XXI., XXII., and XXIII. to an Appendix, because they are not expressly attributed to Chaucer in the MSS. Such evidence has its value, but it is possible to make too much of it; and I agree with Dr. Koch, that, despite the MSS., the genuineness of no XX. is doubtful; for the rime of compas with embrace is suspicious. It is constantly the case that poems, well known to be Chaucer’s, are not marked as his in the MS. copies; and we must really depend upon a prolonged and intelligent study of the internal evidence. This is why I admit poems nos. XXI-XXIII into the collection; and I hope it will be conceded that I am free from recklessness in this matter. Certainly my methods differ from those of John Stowe, and I believe them to be more worthy of respect.

THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.

FRAGMENT A.

G. = Glasgow MS.; Th. = Thynne’s ed. (1532).

1-44. Lost in G. ; from Th.

    • MANY men seyn that in sweveninges [ ]
    • Ther nis but fables and lesinges;
    • But men may somme swevenes seen,
    • Which hardely ne false been,
    • But afterward ben apparaunte . [ ] Skeat1899: 5
    • This may I drawe to waraunte [ ]
    • An authour, that hight Macrobes,
    • That halt not dremes false ne lees, [ ]
    • But undoth us the avisioun
    • That whylom mette king Cipioun. Skeat1899: 10
    • And who-so sayth, or weneth it be
    • A Iape, or elles [a] nycetee
    • To wene that dremes after falle ,
    • Let who-so liste a fool me calle .
    • For this trowe I, and say for me, Skeat1899: 15
    • That dremes signifiaunce be
    • Of good and harme to many wightes,
    • That dremen in her slepe a-nightes
    • Ful many thinges covertly,
    • That fallen after al openly. Skeat1899: 20
    • The mater fair is of to make;
    • God graunte in gree that she it take
    • For whom that it begonnen is!
    • And that is she that hath, y-wis, [ ]
    • 45. Here begins G.

    • So mochel prys; and ther-to she Skeat1899: 45
    • So worthy is biloved be ,
    • That she wel oughte of prys and right,
    • Be cleped Rose of every wight.
    • That it was May me thoughte tho, [ ]
    • It is fyve yere or more ago; Skeat1899: 50
    • That it was May, thus dremed me,
    • In tyme of love and Iolitee,
    • That al thing ginneth waxen gay,
    • For ther is neither busk nor hay
    • In May, that it nil shrouded been , Skeat1899: 55
    • And it with newe leves wreen . [ ]
    • These wodes eek recoveren grene,
    • That drye in winter been to sene;
    • And the erthe wexeth proud withalle, [ ]
    • For swote dewes that on it falle, Skeat1899: 60
    • And [al] the pore estat forget [ ]
    • In which that winter hadde it set ,
    • And than bicometh the ground so proud
    • That it wol have a newe shroud,
    • And maketh so queynt his robe and fayr Skeat1899: 65
    • That it hath hewes an hundred payr
    • Of gras and floures, inde and pers, [ ]
    • And many hewes ful dyvers:
    • That is the robe I mene, y-wis,
    • 69-72. Imperfect in G.

    • Through which the ground to preisen is. Skeat1899: 70
    • The briddes, that han left hir song,
    • Whyl they han suffred cold so strong
    • In wedres grille , and derk to sighte , [ ]
    • Ben in May, for the sonne brighte ,
    • So glade, that they shewe in singing, Skeat1899: 75
    • That in hir herte is swich lyking,
    • That they mote singen and be light.
    • Than doth the nightingale hir might
    • To make noyse, and singen blythe.
    • Than is blisful, many a sythe, Skeat1899: 80
    • The chelaundre and the papingay. [ ]
    • Than yonge folk entenden ay
    • For to ben gay and amorous,
    • The tyme is than so savorous .
    • Hard is his herte that loveth nought Skeat1899: 85
    • In May, whan al this mirth is wrought;
    • Whan he may on these braunches here
    • The smale briddes singen clere
    • Hir blisful swete song pitous;
    • And in this sesoun delytous, Skeat1899: 90
    • Whan love affrayeth alle thing,
    • Me thoughte a-night, in my sleping,
    • Right in my bed, ful redily,
    • That it was by the morowe erly,
    • And up I roos, and gan me clothe; Skeat1899: 95
    • Anoon I wissh myn hondes bothe;
    • A sylvre nedle forth I drogh
    • Out of an aguiler queynt y-nogh, [ ]
    • And gan this nedle threde anon;
    • For out of toun me list to gon Skeat1899: 100
    • The sowne of briddes for to here,
    • That on thise busshes singen clere.
    • And in the swete sesoun that leef is,
    • With a threde basting my slevis,
    • Aloon I wente in my playing, Skeat1899: 105
    • The smale foules song harkning;
    • That peyned hem ful many a payre
    • To singe on bowes blosmed fayre.
    • Iolif and gay, ful of gladnesse,
    • Toward a river I gan me dresse, Skeat1899: 110
    • That I herde renne faste by;
    • For fairer playing non saugh I
    • Than playen me by that riveer ,
    • For from an hille that stood ther neer , [ ]
    • Cam doun the steem ful stif and bold. Skeat1899: 115
    • Cleer was the water, and as cold
    • 117-120. Imperfect in G.

    • As any welle is, sooth to seyne;
    • And somdel lasse it was than Seine, [ ]
    • But it was straighter wel away.
    • And never saugh I, er that day, Skeat1899: 120
    • The water that so wel lyked me;
    • And wonder glad was I to see
    • That lusty place, and that riveer ;
    • And with that water that ran so cleer
    • My face I wissh. Tho saugh I wel Skeat1899: 125
    • The botme paved everydel
    • With gravel, ful of stones shene.
    • The medewe softe, swote, and grene,
    • Beet right on the water-syde. [ ]
    • Ful cleer was than the morow-tyde, Skeat1899: 130
    • And ful attempre, out of drede. [ ]
    • Tho gan I walke through the mede,
    • Dounward ay in my pleying,
    • The river-syde costeying.
    • And whan I had a whyle goon, Skeat1899: 135
    • I saugh a Gardin right anoon, The Garden.
    • Ful long and brood, and everydel
    • Enclos it was, and walled wel,
    • With hye walles enbatailled,
    • Portrayed without, and wel entailled Skeat1899: 140
    • With many riche portraitures;
    • And bothe images and peyntures
    • Gan I biholde bisily.
    • And I wol telle you, redily,
    • Of thilke images the semblaunce, Skeat1899: 145
    • As fer as I have remembraunce.
    • A-midde saugh I Hate stonde, [ ] Hate.
    • That for hir wrathe, ire, and onde,
    • Semed to been a moveresse , [ ]
    • An angry wight, a chideresse; Skeat1899: 150
    • And ful of gyle, and fel corage,
    • By semblaunt was that ilke image.
    • And she was no-thing wel arrayed,
    • But lyk a wood womman afrayed;
    • Y-frounced foule was hir visage, Skeat1899: 155
    • And grenning for dispitous rage;
    • Hir nose snorted up for tene.
    • Ful hidous was she for to sene,
    • Ful foul and rusty was she, this.
    • Hir heed y-writhen was, y-wis, Skeat1899: 160
    • Ful grimly with a greet towayle.
    • An image of another entayle, Felonye.
    • A lift half, was hir faste by;
    • Hir name above hir heed saugh I,
    • And she was called Felonye . Skeat1899: 165
    • Another image, that Vilanye Vilanye.
    • Y-cleped was, saugh I and fond
    • Upon the walle on hir right hond.
    • Vilanye was lyk somdel
    • That other image; and, trusteth wel, Skeat1899: 170
    • She semed a wikked creature.
    • By countenaunce, in portrayture,
    • She semed be ful despitous,
    • And eek ful proud and outrageous .
    • Wel coude he peynte, I undertake, Skeat1899: 175
    • That swiche image coude make.
    • Ful foul and cherlish semed she,
    • And eek vilaynous for to be,
    • And litel coude of norture,
    • To worshipe any creature. Skeat1899: 180
    • And next was peynted Coveityse, Coveityse.
    • That eggeth folk, in many gyse,
    • To take and yeve right nought ageyn,
    • And grete tresours up to leyn .
    • And that is she that for usure Skeat1899: 185
    • Leneth to many a creature
    • The lasse for the more winning,
    • So coveitous is her brenning.
    • And that is she , for penyes fele,
    • That techeth for to robbe and stele Skeat1899: 190
    • These theves, and these smale harlotes;
    • And that is routhe, for by hir throtes
    • Ful many oon hangeth at the laste.
    • She maketh folk compasse and caste
    • To taken other folkes thing, Skeat1899: 195
    • Through robberie, or miscounting . [ ]
    • And that is she that maketh trechoures; [ ]
    • And she [that] maketh false pledoures,
    • That with hir termes and hir domes
    • Doon maydens, children, and eek gromes Skeat1899: 200
    • Hir heritage to forgo.
    • Ful croked were hir hondes two;
    • For Coveityse is ever wood
    • To grypen other folkes good .
    • Coveityse, for hir winning, Skeat1899: 205
    • Ful leef hath other mennes thing. [ ]
    • Another image set saugh I [ ] Avarice.
    • Next Coveityse faste by,
    • And she was cleped Avaricce.
    • Ful foul in peynting was that vice; Skeat1899: 210
    • Ful sad and caytif was she eek,
    • And al-so grene as any leek.
    • So yvel hewed was hir colour,
    • Hir semed have lived in langour.
    • She was lyk thing for hungre deed, Skeat1899: 215
    • That ladde hir lyf only by breed
    • Kneden with eisel strong and egre;
    • And therto she was lene and megre.
    • And she was clad ful povrely ,
    • Al in an old torn courtepy , [ ] Skeat1899: 220
    • As she were al with dogges torn;
    • And bothe bihinde and eek biforn
    • Clouted was she beggarly.
    • A mantel heng hir faste by,
    • Upon a perche, weyke and smalle; [ ] Skeat1899: 225
    • A burnet cote heng therwithalle, [ ]
    • Furred with no menivere,
    • But with a furre rough of here,
    • Of lambe-skinnes hevy and blake;
    • It was ful old, I undertake. Skeat1899: 230
    • For Avarice to clothe hir wel
    • Ne hasteth hir, never a del;
    • For certeynly it were hir loth
    • To weren ofte that ilke cloth;
    • And if it were forwered, she Skeat1899: 235
    • Wolde have ful greet necessitee
    • Of clothing, er she boughte hir newe,
    • Al were it bad of wolle and hewe.
    • This Avarice held in hir hande
    • A purs, that heng [doun] by a bande; [ ] Skeat1899: 240
    • And that she hidde and bond so stronge ,
    • Men must abyde wonder longe
    • Out of that purs er ther come ought,
    • For that ne cometh not in hir thought;
    • It was not, certein, hir entente Skeat1899: 245
    • That fro that purs a peny wente .
    • And by that image, nygh y-nough, [ ] Envye.
    • Was peynt Envye, that never lough,
    • Nor never wel in herte ferde
    • But-if she outher saugh or herde Skeat1899: 250
    • Som greet mischaunce, or greet disese.
    • No-thing may so moch hir plese
    • As mischef and misaventure;
    • Or whan she seeth discomfiture
    • Upon any worthy man falle , Skeat1899: 255
    • Than lyketh hir [ful] wel withalle.
    • She is ful glad in hir corage,
    • If she see any greet linage
    • Be brought to nought in shamful wyse.
    • And if a man in honour ryse, Skeat1899: 260
    • Or by his witte, or by prowesse ,
    • Of that hath she gret hevinesse;
    • For, trusteth wel, she goth nigh wood
    • Whan any chaunce happeth good.
    • Envye is of swich crueltee, Skeat1899: 265
    • That feith ne trouthe holdeth she
    • To freend ne felawe, bad or good.
    • Ne she hath kin noon of hir blood,
    • That she nis ful hir enemy;
    • She nolde, I dar seyn hardely, Skeat1899: 270
    • Hir owne fader ferde wel.
    • And sore abyeth she everydel
    • Hir malice, and hir maltalent : [ ]
    • For she is in so greet turment
    • And hath such [wo], whan folk doth good, Skeat1899: 275
    • That nigh she melteth for pure wood; [ ]
    • Hir herte kerveth and to-breketh
    • That god the peple wel awreketh.
    • Envye, y-wis, shal never lette
    • Som blame upon the folk to sette. Skeat1899: 280
    • I trowe that if Envye, y-wis,
    • Knewe the beste man that is
    • On this syde or biyond the see,
    • Yit somwhat lakken him wolde she.
    • And if he were so hende and wys, Skeat1899: 285
    • That she ne mighte al abate his prys,
    • Yit wolde she blame his worthinesse,
    • Or by hir wordes make it lesse.
    • I saugh Envye, in that peynting,
    • Hadde a wonderful loking; Skeat1899: 290
    • For she ne loked but awry ,
    • Or overthwart , al baggingly.
    • And she hadde [eek] a foul usage;
    • She mighte loke in no visage
    • Of man or womman forth-right pleyn, Skeat1899: 295
    • But shette oon yë for disdeyn ;
    • So for envye brenned she
    • Whan she mighte any man [y]-see ,
    • That fair , or worthy were, or wys,
    • Or elles stood in folkes prys. Skeat1899: 300
    • Sorowe was peynted next Envye Sorowe.
    • Upon that walle of masonrye.
    • But wel was seen in hir colour
    • That she hadde lived in langour;
    • Hir semed have the Iaunyce. Skeat1899: 305
    • Nought half so pale was Avaryce,
    • Nor no-thing lyk, [as] of lenesse;
    • For sorowe, thought, and greet distresse,
    • That she hadde suffred day and night
    • Made hir ful yelwe , and no-thing bright, Skeat1899: 310
    • Ful fade, pale, and megre also. [ ]
    • Was never wight yit half so wo
    • As that hir semed for to be,
    • Nor so fulfilled of ire as she.
    • I trowe that no wight mighte hir plese, Skeat1899: 315
    • Nor do that thing that mighte hir ese;
    • Nor she ne wolde hir sorowe slake,
    • Nor comfort noon unto hir take;
    • So depe was hir wo bigonnen,
    • And eek hir herte in angre ronnen, Skeat1899: 320
    • A sorowful thing wel semed she.
    • Nor she hadde no-thing slowe be
    • For to forcracchen al hir face,
    • And for to rende in many place
    • Hir clothes, and for to tere hir swire, Skeat1899: 325
    • As she that was fulfilled of ire;
    • And al to-torn lay eek hir here
    • Aboute hir shuldres, here and there,
    • As she that hadde it al to-rent
    • For angre and for maltalent. Skeat1899: 330
    • And eek I telle you certeynly
    • How that she weep ful tenderly.
    • 333-380. Lost in G. ; from Th.

    • In world nis wight so hard of herte
    • That hadde seen hir sorowes smerte,
    • That nolde have had of hir pitee, Skeat1899: 335
    • So wo-bigoon a thing was she.
    • She al to-dasshte hir-self for wo,
    • And smoot togider her handes two.
    • To sorwe was she ful ententyf,
    • That woful recchelees caityf; Skeat1899: 340
    • Hir roughte litel of pleying,
    • Or of clipping or [of] kissing;
    • For who-so sorweful is in herte
    • Him liste not to pleye ne sterte,
    • Nor for to daunsen, ne to singe, Skeat1899: 345
    • Ne may his herte in temper bringe
    • To make Ioye on even or morowe;
    • For Ioye is contraire unto sorowe.
    • Elde was peynted after this, Elde.
    • That shorter was a foot, ywis, Skeat1899: 350
    • Than she was wont in her yonghede.
    • Unnethe hir-self she mighte fede;
    • So feble and eek so old was she
    • That faded was al hir beautee.
    • Ful salowe was waxen hir colour, Skeat1899: 355
    • Hir heed for-hoor was, whyt as flour.
    • Y-wis, gret qualm ne were it noon,
    • Ne sinne, although hir lyf were gon.
    • Al woxen was hir body unwelde,
    • And drye, and dwyned al for elde. [ ] Skeat1899: 360
    • A foul forwelked thing was she [ ]
    • That whylom round and softe had be.
    • Hir eres shoken fast withalle,
    • As from her heed they wolde falle.
    • Hir face frounced and forpyned, Skeat1899: 365
    • And bothe hir hondes lorn, fordwyned.
    • So old she was that she ne wente
    • A foot, but it were by potente. [ ]
    • The Tyme, that passeth night and day, [ ] Time.
    • And restelees travayleth ay, Skeat1899: 370
    • And steleth from us so prively,
    • That to us seemeth sikerly
    • That it in oon point dwelleth ever,
    • And certes, it ne resteth never,
    • But goth so faste, and passeth ay, Skeat1899: 375
    • That ther nis man that thinke may
    • What tyme that now present is:
    • Asketh at these clerkes this;
    • For [er] men thinke it redily,
    • Three tymes been y-passed by. [ ] Skeat1899: 380
    • 381. G. begins again.

    • The tyme, that may not soiourne,
    • But goth, and never may retourne,
    • As water that doun renneth ay,
    • But never drope retourne may;
    • Ther may no-thing as tyme endure, Skeat1899: 385
    • Metal, nor erthely creature;
    • For alle thing it fret and shal: [ ]
    • The tyme eek, that chaungeth al ,
    • And al doth waxe and fostred be,
    • And alle thing distroyeth he: Skeat1899: 390
    • The tyme, that eldeth our auncessours
    • And eldeth kinges and emperours,
    • And that us alle shal overcomen
    • Er that deeth us shal have nomen:
    • The tyme, that hath al in welde Skeat1899: 395
    • To elden folk, had maad hir elde [ ]
    • So inly, that, to my witing,
    • She mighte helpe hir-self no-thing,
    • But turned ageyn unto childhede;
    • She had no-thing hir-self to lede, Skeat1899: 400
    • Ne wit ne pith in[with] hir holde [ ]
    • More than a child of two yeer olde.
    • But natheles, I trowe that she
    • Was fair sumtyme, and fresh to see,
    • Whan she was in hir rightful age: Skeat1899: 405
    • But she was past al that passage
    • And was a doted thing bicomen.
    • A furred cope on had she nomen;
    • Wel had she clad hir-self and warm,
    • For cold mighte elles doon hir harm. Skeat1899: 410
    • These olde folk have alwey colde,
    • Hir kinde is swiche, whan they ben olde.
    • Another thing was doon ther write, [ ] Pope-holy.
    • That semede lyk an ipocrite,
    • And it was cleped Pope-holy. [ ] Skeat1899: 415
    • That ilke is she that prively
    • Ne spareth never a wikked dede,
    • Whan men of hir taken non hede;
    • And maketh hir outward precious,
    • With pale visage and pitous, Skeat1899: 420
    • And semeth a simple creature;
    • But ther nis no misaventure
    • That she ne thenketh in hir corage.
    • Ful lyk to hir was that image,
    • That maked was lyk hir semblaunce. Skeat1899: 425
    • She was ful simple of countenaunce,
    • And she was clothed and eek shod,
    • As she were, for the love of god,
    • Yolden to religioun, [ ]
    • Swich semed hir devocioun. Skeat1899: 430
    • A sauter held she faste in honde,
    • And bisily she gan to fonde
    • To make many a feynt prayere
    • To god, and to his seyntes dere.
    • Ne she was gay, fresh , ne Iolyf, Skeat1899: 435
    • But semed be ful ententyf
    • To gode werkes, and to faire,
    • And therto she had on an haire. [ ]
    • Ne certes, she was fat no-thing,
    • But semed wery for fasting; Skeat1899: 440
    • Of colour pale and deed was she.
    • From hir the gate [shal] werned be [ ]
    • Of paradys, that blisful place;
    • For swich folk maketh lene hir face ,
    • As Crist seith in his evangyle, [ ] Skeat1899: 445
    • To gete hem prys in toun a whyle;
    • And for a litel glorie veine
    • They lesen god and eek his reine.
    • And alderlast of everichoon, Povert.
    • Was peynted Povert al aloon, Skeat1899: 450
    • That not a peny hadde in wolde,
    • Al-though [that] she hir clothes solde,
    • And though she shulde anhonged be;
    • For naked as a worm was she. [ ]
    • And if the weder stormy were, Skeat1899: 455
    • For colde she shulde have deyed there.
    • She nadde on but a streit old sak,
    • And many a clout on it ther stak;
    • This was hir cote and hir mantel,
    • No more was there, never a del, Skeat1899: 460
    • To clothe her with; I undertake,
    • Gret leyser hadde she to quake.
    • And she was put, that I of talke,
    • Fer fro these other, up in an halke; [ ]
    • There lurked and there coured she, Skeat1899: 465
    • For povre thing, wher-so it be,
    • Is shamfast, and despysed ay.
    • Acursed may wel be that day,
    • That povre man conceyved is;
    • For god wot, al to selde, y-wis, Skeat1899: 470
    • Is any povre man wel fed ,
    • Or wel arayed or y-cled ,
    • Or wel biloved, in swich wyse
    • In honour that he may aryse.
    • Alle these thinges, wel avysed, Skeat1899: 475
    • As I have you er this devysed,
    • With gold and asure over alle
    • Depeynted were upon the walle.
    • Squar was the wal, and high somdel;
    • Enclosed, and y-barred wel, Skeat1899: 480
    • In stede of hegge, was that gardin;
    • Com never shepherde therin. [ ]
    • Into that gardyn, wel [y-]wrought ,
    • Who-so that me coude have brought,
    • By laddre , or elles by degree, Skeat1899: 485
    • It wolde wel have lyked me.
    • For swich solace, swich Ioye, and play,
    • I trowe that never man ne say,
    • As in that place delitous.
    • The gardin was not daungerous [ ] Skeat1899: 490
    • To herberwe briddes many oon.
    • So riche a yerd was never noon
    • Of briddes songe, and braunches grene.
    • Therin were briddes mo, I wene,
    • Than been in alle the rewme of Fraunce. Skeat1899: 495
    • Ful blisful was the accordaunce
    • Of swete and pitous songe they made,
    • For al this world it oughte glade.
    • And I my-self so mery ferde,
    • Whan I hir blisful songes herde, Skeat1899: 500
    • That for an hundred pound nolde I,— [ ]
    • If that the passage openly
    • Hadde been unto me free—
    • That I nolde entren for to see
    • Thassemblee, god [it kepe and were!]— [ ] Skeat1899: 505
    • Of briddes, whiche therinne were ,
    • Daunces of love, and mery notes.
    • Whan I thus herde foules singe,
    • I fel faste in a weymentinge , Skeat1899: 510
    • By which art, or by what engyn
    • I mighte come in that gardyn;
    • But way I couthe finde noon
    • Into that gardin for to goon.
    • Ne nought wiste I if that ther were Skeat1899: 515
    • Eyther hole or place [o]-where , [ ]
    • By which I mighte have entree;
    • Ne ther was noon to teche me;
    • For I was al aloon, y-wis,
    • Ful wo and anguissous of this. [ ] Skeat1899: 520
    • Til atte laste bithoughte I me,
    • That by no weye ne mighte it be;
    • That ther nas laddre or wey to passe,
    • Or hole, into so fair a place.
    • Tho gan I go a ful gret pas Skeat1899: 525
    • Envyroning even in compas
    • The closing of the square wal,
    • Til that I fond a wiket smal
    • So shet, that I ne mighte in goon,
    • And other entree was ther noon. Skeat1899: 530
    • Upon this dore I gan to smyte, The Door.
    • That was [so] fetys and so lyte;
    • For other wey coude I not seke.
    • Ful long I shoof, and knokked eke,
    • And stood ful long and of[t] herkning [ ] Skeat1899: 535
    • If that I herde a wight coming;
    • Til that the dore of thilke entree
    • A mayden curteys opened me. Ydelnesse.
    • Hir heer was as yelowe of hewe
    • As any basin scoured newe. Skeat1899: 540
    • Hir flesh [as] tendre as is a chike,
    • With bente browes, smothe and slike;
    • And by mesure large were
    • The opening of hir yën clere.
    • Hir nose of good proporcioun, Skeat1899: 545
    • Hir yën greye as a faucoun,
    • With swete breeth and wel savoured.
    • Hir face whyt and wel coloured,
    • With litel mouth, and round to see;
    • A clove chin eek hadde she. Skeat1899: 550
    • Hir nekke was of good fasoun
    • In lengthe and gretnesse, by resoun,
    • Withoute bleyne, scabbe, or royne.
    • Fro Ierusalem unto Burgoyne
    • Ther nis a fairer nekke, y-wis, Skeat1899: 555
    • To fele how smothe and softe it is.
    • Hir throte, al-so whyt of hewe
    • As snow on braunche snowed newe.
    • Of body ful wel wrought was she
    • Men neded not, in no cuntree, Skeat1899: 560
    • A fairer body for to seke.
    • And of fyn orfrays had she eke [ ]
    • A chapelet: so semly oon
    • 564. Some lines lost?

    • Ne wered never mayde upon; . . . .
    • And faire above that chapelet Skeat1899: 565
    • A rose gerland had she set.
    • She hadde [in honde] a gay mirour,
    • And with a riche gold tressour [ ]
    • Hir heed was tressed queyntely ;
    • Hir sleves sewed fetisly . Skeat1899: 570
    • And for to kepe hir hondes faire
    • Of gloves whyte she hadde a paire.
    • And she hadde on a cote of grene
    • Of cloth of Gaunt; withouten wene, [ ]
    • Wel semed by hir apparayle Skeat1899: 575
    • She was not wont to greet travayle.
    • For whan she kempt was fetisly,
    • And wel arayed and richely,
    • Thanne had she doon al hir Iournee; [ ]
    • For mery and wel bigoon was she. Skeat1899: 580
    • She ladde a lusty lyf in May,
    • She hadde no thought, by night ne day,
    • Of no-thing, but it were oonly
    • To graythe hir wel and uncouthly. [ ]
    • Whan that this dore hadde opened me Skeat1899: 585
    • This mayden , semely for to see,
    • I thanked hir as I best mighte ,
    • And axede hir how that she highte ,
    • And what she was, I axede eke.
    • And she to me was nought unmeke, Skeat1899: 590
    • Ne of hir answer daungerous,
    • But faire answerde , and seide thus:—
    • ‘Lo, sir, my name is Ydelnesse; [ ]
    • So clepe men me, more and lesse.
    • Ful mighty and ful riche am I, Skeat1899: 595
    • And that of oon thing, namely;
    • For I entende to no-thing
    • But to my Ioye, and my pleying,
    • And for to kembe and tresse me.
    • Aqueynted am I, and privee Skeat1899: 600
    • With Mirthe, lord of this gardyn,
    • That fro the lande of Alexandryn [ ]
    • Made the trees be hider fet, [ ]
    • That in this gardin been y-set .
    • And whan the trees were woxen on highte , Skeat1899: 605
    • This wal, that stant here in thy sighte ,
    • Dide Mirthe enclosen al aboute;
    • And these images, al withoute,
    • He dide hem bothe entaile and peynte,
    • That neither ben Iolyf ne queynte, [ ] Skeat1899: 610
    • But they ben ful of sorowe and wo,
    • As thou hast seen a whyle ago.
    • ‘And ofte tyme, him to solace,
    • Sir Mirthe cometh into this place,
    • And eek with him cometh his meynee, Skeat1899: 615
    • That liven in lust and Iolitee.
    • And now is Mirthe therin , to here
    • The briddes, how they singen clere,
    • The mavis and the nightingale,
    • And other Ioly briddes smale. Skeat1899: 620
    • And thus he walketh to solace
    • Him and his folk; for swetter place
    • To pleyen in he may not finde,
    • Although he soughte oon in-til Inde. [ ]
    • The alther-fairest folk to see Skeat1899: 625
    • That in this world may founde be
    • Hath Mirthe with him in his route,
    • That folowen him alwayes aboute.’
    • When Ydelnesse had told al this,
    • And I hadde herkned wel, y-wis, Skeat1899: 630
    • Than seide I to dame Ydelnesse,
    • ‘Now al-so wisly god me blesse,
    • Sith Mirthe, that is so fair and free,
    • Is in this yerde with his meynee,
    • Fro thilke assemblee, if I may, Skeat1899: 635
    • Shal no man werne me to-day,
    • That I this night ne mote it see.
    • For, wel wene I, ther with him be
    • A fair and Ioly companye
    • Fulfilled of alle curtesye.’ Skeat1899: 640
    • And forth, withoute wordes mo,
    • In at the wiket wente I tho,
    • That Ydelnesse hadde opened me,
    • Into that gardin fair to see.
    • And whan I was [ther]in , y-wis, Skeat1899: 645
    • Myn herte was ful glad of this. The Garden.
    • For wel wende I ful sikerly
    • Have been in paradys erth[e]ly;
    • So fair it was, that, trusteth wel,
    • It semed a place espirituel. Skeat1899: 650
    • For certes, as at my devys,
    • Ther is no place in paradys
    • So good in for to dwelle or be
    • As in that Gardin, thoughte me;
    • For there was many a brid singing, Skeat1899: 655
    • Throughout the yerde al thringing. [ ]
    • In many places were nightingales,
    • Alpes, finches, and wodewales, [ ]
    • That in her swete song delyten
    • In thilke place as they habyten. Skeat1899: 660
    • Ther mighte men see many flokkes
    • Of turtles and [of] laverokkes. [ ]
    • Chalaundres fele saw I there, [ ]
    • That wery, nigh forsongen were. [ ]
    • And thrustles, terins, and mavys, [ ] Skeat1899: 665
    • That songen for to winne hem prys,
    • And eek to sormounte in hir song
    • These other briddes hem among.
    • By note made fair servyse
    • These briddes, that I you devyse; Skeat1899: 670
    • They songe hir song as faire and wel
    • As angels doon espirituel. [ ]
    • And, trusteth wel, whan I hem herde ,
    • Full lustily and wel I ferde;
    • For never yit swich melodye Skeat1899: 675
    • Was herd of man that mighte dye. [ ]
    • Swich swete song was hem among,
    • That me thoughte it no briddes song,
    • But it was wonder lyk to be
    • Song of mermaydens of the see; Skeat1899: 680
    • That, for her singing is so clere,
    • Though we mermaydens clepe hem here
    • In English, as in our usaunce,
    • Men clepen hem sereyns in Fraunce. [ ]
    • Ententif weren for to singe Skeat1899: 685
    • These briddes, that nought unkunninge
    • Were of hir craft, and apprentys,
    • But of [hir] song sotyl and wys.
    • And certes, whan I herde hir song,
    • And saw the grene place among, Skeat1899: 690
    • In herte I wex so wonder gay,
    • That I was never erst, er that day,
    • So Iolyf, nor so wel bigo, [ ]
    • Ne mery in herte, as I was tho.
    • And than wiste I, and saw ful wel, Skeat1899: 695
    • That Ydelnesse me served wel,
    • That me putte in swich Iolitee.
    • Hir freend wel oughte I for to be,
    • Sith she the dore of that gardyn
    • Hadde opened, and me leten in . [ ] Skeat1899: 700
    • From hennesforth how that I wroughte ,
    • I shal you tellen, as me thoughte .
    • First, whereof Mirthe served there,
    • And eek what folk ther with him were,
    • Withoute fable I wol descryve. [ ] Skeat1899: 705 [ ]
    • And of that gardin eek as blyve
    • I wol you tellen after this.
    • The faire fasoun al, y-wis,
    • That wel [y-]wrought was for the nones,
    • I may not telle you al at ones: Skeat1899: 710
    • But as I may and can, I shal
    • By ordre tellen you it al.
    • Ful fair servyse and eek ful swete
    • These briddes maden as they sete. [ ]
    • Layes of love, ful wel sowning Skeat1899: 715
    • They songen in hir Iargoning; [ ]
    • Summe highe and summe eek lowe songe
    • Upon the braunches grene y-spronge .
    • The sweetnesse of hir melodye
    • Made al myn herte in reverdye . [ ] Skeat1899: 720
    • And whan that I hadde herd, I trowe,
    • These briddes singing on a rowe,
    • Than mighte I not withholde me
    • That I ne wente in for to see
    • Sir Mirthe; for my desiring Skeat1899: 725
    • Was him to seen, over alle thing,
    • His countenaunce and his manere:
    • That sighte was to me ful dere.
    • Tho wente I forth on my right hond
    • Doun by a litel path I fond Skeat1899: 730
    • Of mentes ful, and fenel grene; [ ]
    • And faste by, withoute wene,
    • Sir Mirthe I fond; and right anoon Sir Mirthe.
    • Unto sir Mirthe gan I goon,
    • Ther-as he was, him to solace. [ ] Skeat1899: 735
    • And with him, in that lusty place,
    • So fair folk and so fresh hadde he,
    • That whan I saw, I wondred me
    • Fro whennes swich folk mighte come,
    • So faire they weren, alle and some; Skeat1899: 740
    • For they were lyk, as to my sighte ,
    • To angels, that ben fethered brighte .
    • This folk, of which I telle you so,
    • Upon a carole wenten tho. [ ]
    • A lady caroled hem, that highte Skeat1899: 745
    • Gladnes, [the] blisful and the lighte; [ ] Gladnesse.
    • Wel coude she singe and lustily,
    • Non half so wel and semely,
    • And make in song swich refreininge, [ ]
    • It sat hir wonder wel to singe. Skeat1899: 750
    • Hir vois ful cleer was and ful swete.
    • She was nought rude ne unmete,
    • But couthe y-now of swich doing
    • As longeth unto caroling:
    • For she was wont in every place Skeat1899: 755
    • To singen first, folk to solace;
    • For singing most she gaf hir to;
    • No craft had she so leef to do.
    • Tho mightest thou caroles seen,
    • And folk [ther] daunce and mery been, Skeat1899: 760
    • And make many a fair tourning
    • Upon the grene gras springing.
    • Ther mightest thou see these floutours,
    • Minstrales, and eek Iogelours,
    • That wel to singe dide hir peyne. Skeat1899: 765
    • Somme songe songes of Loreyne;
    • For in Loreyne hir notes be
    • Ful swetter than in this contree. [ ]
    • Ther was many a timbestere, [ ]
    • And saylours , that I dar wel swere [ ] Skeat1899: 770
    • Couthe hir craft ful parfitly.
    • The timbres up ful sotilly
    • They caste, and henten [hem] ful ofte
    • Upon a finger faire and softe,
    • That they [ne] fayled never-mo. Skeat1899: 775
    • Ful fetis damiselles two,
    • Right yonge, and fulle of semlihede,
    • In kirtles, and non other wede,
    • And faire tressed every tresse,
    • Hadde Mirthe doon, for his noblesse, Skeat1899: 780
    • Amidde the carole for to daunce;
    • But her-of lyth no remembraunce,
    • How that they daunced queyntely .
    • That oon wolde come al prively
    • Agayn that other: and whan they were Skeat1899: 785
    • Togidre almost, they threwe y-fere
    • Hir mouthes so, that through hir play
    • It semed as they kiste alway;
    • To dauncen wel coude they the gyse;
    • What shulde I more to you devyse? Skeat1899: 790
    • Ne bede I never thennes go, [ ]
    • Whyles that I saw hem daunce so.
    • Upon the carole wonder faste, [ ]
    • I gan biholde; til atte laste
    • A lady gan me for to espye, Skeat1899: 795
    • And she was cleped Curtesye, Curtesye.
    • The worshipful, the debonaire;
    • I pray god ever falle hir faire!
    • Ful curteisly she called me,
    • ‘What do ye there, beau sire?’ quod she, Skeat1899: 800
    • ‘Come [neer] , and if it lyke yow
    • To dauncen, daunceth with us now.’
    • And I, withoute tarying,
    • Wente into the caroling.
    • I was abasshed never a del, Skeat1899: 805
    • But it me lykede right wel, [ ]
    • That Curtesye me cleped so,
    • And bad me on the daunce go.
    • For if I hadde durst, certeyn
    • I wolde have caroled right fayn, Skeat1899: 810
    • As man that was to daunce blythe .
    • Than gan I loken ofte sythe
    • The shap, the bodies, and the cheres,
    • The countenaunce and the maneres
    • Of alle the folk that daunced there, Skeat1899: 815
    • And I shal telle what they were.
    • Ful fair was Mirthe, ful long and high; Mirthe.
    • A fairer man I never sigh.
    • As round as appel was his face,
    • Ful rody and whyt in every place. Skeat1899: 820
    • Fetys he was and wel beseye,
    • With metely mouth and yën greye;
    • His nose by mesure wrought ful right;
    • Crisp was his heer, and eek ful bright.
    • His shuldres of a large brede, Skeat1899: 825
    • And smalish in the girdilstede. [ ]
    • He semed lyk a portreiture,
    • So noble he was of his stature,
    • So fair, so Ioly, and so fetys,
    • With limes wrought at poynt devys, Skeat1899: 830
    • Deliver, smert, and of gret might;
    • Ne sawe thou never man so light.
    • Of berde unnethe hadde he no-thing,
    • For it was in the firste spring.
    • Ful yong he was, and mery of thought, Skeat1899: 835
    • And in samyt , with briddes wrought, [ ]
    • And with gold beten fetisly,
    • His body was clad ful richely.
    • Wrought was his robe in straunge gyse,
    • And al to-slitered for queyntyse [ ] Skeat1899: 840
    • In many a place, lowe and hye.
    • And shod he was with greet maistrye,
    • With shoon decoped, and with laas. [ ]
    • By druerye , and by solas,
    • His leef a rosen chapelet Skeat1899: 845
    • Had maad, and on his heed it set.
    • And wite ye who was his leef?
    • Dame Gladnes ther was him so leef, Gladnesse.
    • That singeth so wel with glad corage,
    • That from she was twelve yeer of age, Skeat1899: 850
    • She of hir love graunt him made.
    • Sir Mirthe hir by the finger hadde
    • [In] daunsing, and she him also;
    • Gret love was atwixe hem two.
    • Bothe were they faire and brighte of hewe; Skeat1899: 855
    • She semede lyk a rose newe
    • Of colour, and hir flesh so tendre,
    • That with a brere smale and slendre
    • Men mighte it cleve, I dar wel sayn .
    • Hir forheed, frounceles al playn . [ ] Skeat1899: 860
    • Bente were hir browes two,
    • Hir yën greye, and gladde also,
    • That laughede ay in hir semblaunt,
    • First or the mouth, by covenaunt.
    • I not what of hir nose descryve ; [ ] Skeat1899: 865
    • 866. Two lines lost.

    • So fair hath no womman alyve. . . .
    • Hir heer was yelowe, and cleer shyning,
    • I wot no lady so lyking.
    • Of orfrays fresh was hir gerland; [ ]
    • I, whiche seen have a thousand, Skeat1899: 870
    • Saugh never, y-wis, no gerlond yit,
    • So wel [y]-wrought of silk as it.
    • And in an over-gilt samyt
    • Clad she was, by gret delyt,
    • Of which hir leef a robe werde , Skeat1899: 875
    • The myrier she in herte ferde .
    • And next hir wente, on hir other syde, Cupide .
    • The god of Love, that can devyde
    • Love, as him lyketh it [to] be .
    • But he can cherles daunten, he, Skeat1899: 880
    • And maken folkes pryde fallen.
    • And he can wel these lordes thrallen,
    • And ladies putte at lowe degree,
    • Whan he may hem to proude see.
    • This God of Love of his fasoun Skeat1899: 885
    • Was lyk no knave, ne quistroun; [ ]
    • His beautee gretly was to pryse .
    • But of his robe to devyse
    • I drede encombred for to be.
    • For nought y-elad in silk was he, Skeat1899: 890
    • But al in floures and flourettes,
    • 892. From Th. ; G. om.

    • Y-painted al with amorettes; [ ]
    • And with losenges and scochouns, [ ]
    • With briddes, libardes, and lyouns,
    • And other beestes wrought ful wel. Skeat1899: 895
    • His garnement was everydel
    • Y-portreyd and y-wrought with floures,
    • By dyvers medling of coloures.
    • Floures ther were of many gyse
    • Y-set by compas in assyse; Skeat1899: 900
    • Ther lakked no flour, to my dome,
    • Ne nought so muche as flour of brome,
    • Ne violete, ne eek pervenke ,
    • Ne flour non, that man can on thenke ,
    • And many a rose-leef ful long Skeat1899: 905
    • Was entermedled ther-among:
    • And also on his heed was set
    • Of roses rede a chapelet.
    • But nightingales, a ful gret route,
    • That flyen over his heed aboute, Skeat1899: 910
    • The leves felden as they flyen; [ ]
    • And he was al with briddes wryen,
    • With popiniay, with nightingale,
    • With chalaundre, and with wodewale, [ ]
    • With finch, with lark, and with archaungel. [ ] Skeat1899: 915
    • He semede as he were an aungel
    • That doun were comen fro hevene clere.
    • Love hadde with him a bachelere,
    • That he made alweyes with him be;
    • Swete-Loking cleped was he. Skeat1899: 920
    • This bachelere stood biholding Swete-Loking.
    • The daunce, and in his honde holding
    • Turke bowes two hadde he . [ ]
    • That oon of hem was of a tree
    • That bereth a fruyt of savour wikke; Skeat1899: 925
    • Ful croked was that foule stikke,
    • And knotty here and there also,
    • And blak as bery, or any slo.
    • That other bowe was of a plante
    • Withoute wem, I dar warante , Skeat1899: 930
    • Ful even, and by proporcioun
    • Tretys and long, of good fasoun.
    • And it was peynted wel and thwiten , [ ]
    • And over-al diapred and writen
    • With ladies and with bacheleres, Skeat1899: 935
    • Ful lightsom and [ful] glad of cheres.
    • These bowes two held Swete-Loking,
    • That semed lyk no gadeling. [ ]
    • And ten brode arowes held he there,
    • Of which five in his right hond were. Skeat1899: 940
    • But they were shaven wel and dight,
    • Nokked and fethered a-right ;
    • And al they were with gold bigoon,
    • And stronge poynted everichoon,
    • And sharpe for to kerven weel . Skeat1899: 945
    • But iren was ther noon ne steel ;
    • For al was gold, men mighte it see,
    • Out-take the fetheres and the tree.
    • The swiftest of these arowes fyve
    • Out of a bowe for to dryve, Skeat1899: 950
    • And best [y]-fethered for to flee,
    • And fairest eek, was cleped Beautee. Beautee.
    • That other arowe, that hurteth lesse ,
    • Was cleped, as I trowe, Simplesse. Simplesse.
    • The thridde cleped was Fraunchyse, Skeat1899: 955
    • That fethered was, in noble wyse, Fraunchyse.
    • With valour and with curtesye.
    • The fourthe was cleped Companye Companye.
    • That hevy for to sheten is;
    • But who-so sheteth right , y-wis, Skeat1899: 960
    • May therwith doon gret harm and wo.
    • The fifte of these, and laste also,
    • Fair-Semblaunt men that arowe calle, Fair-Semblaunt.
    • The leeste grevous of hem alle;
    • Yit can it make a ful gret wounde, Skeat1899: 965
    • But he may hope his sores sounde,
    • That hurt is with that arowe, y-wis;
    • His wo the bet bistowed is.
    • For he may soner have gladnesse,
    • His langour oughte be the lesse. Skeat1899: 970
    • Fyve arowes were of other gyse, [ ]
    • That been ful foule to devyse;
    • For shaft and ende, sooth to telle ,
    • Were al-so blak as feend in helle.
    • The first of hem is called Pryde; Pryde. Skeat1899: 975
    • That other arowe next him bisyde,
    • It was [y]-cleped Vilanye; Vilanye.
    • That arowe was as with felonye
    • Envenimed, and with spitous blame.
    • The thridde of hem was cleped Shame. Shame. Skeat1899: 980
    • The fourthe, Wanhope cleped is, Wanhope.
    • The fifte, the Newe-Thought, y-wis. Newe-Thought.
    • These arowes that I speke of here,
    • Were alle fyve of oon manere,
    • And alle were they resemblable. Skeat1899: 985
    • To hem was wel sitting and able
    • The foule croked bowe hidous,
    • That knotty was, and al roynous.
    • That bowe semede wel to shete
    • These arowes fyve, that been unmete, Skeat1899: 990
    • Contrarie to that other fyve.
    • But though I telle not as blyve
    • Of hir power, ne of hir might,
    • Her-after shal I tellen right
    • The sothe, and eek signifiaunce, Skeat1899: 995
    • As fer as I have remembraunce:
    • Al shall be seid, I undertake, [ ]
    • Er of this boke an ende I make. [ ]
    • Now come I to my tale ageyn.
    • But alderfirst, I wol you seyn Skeat1899: 1000
    • The fasoun and the countenaunces
    • Of al the folk that on the daunce is.
    • The God of Love, Iolyf and light,
    • Ladde on his honde a lady bright,
    • Of high prys, and of greet degree. Skeat1899: 1005
    • This lady called was Beautee, Beautee.
    • [As was] an arowe, of which I tolde.
    • Ful wel [y]-thewed was she holde; [ ]
    • Ne she was derk ne broun, but bright,
    • And cleer as [is] the mone-light, Skeat1899: 1010
    • Ageyn whom alle the sterres semen
    • But smale candels, as we demen.
    • Hir flesh was tendre as dewe of flour,
    • Hir chere was simple as byrde in bour; [ ]
    • As whyt as lilie or rose in rys, [ ] Skeat1899: 1015
    • Hir face gentil and tretys.
    • Fetys she was, and smal to see;
    • No windred browes hadde she, [ ]
    • Ne popped hir, for it neded nought
    • To windre hir, or to peynte hir ought. Skeat1899: 1020
    • Hir tresses yelowe, and longe straughten, [ ]
    • Unto hir heles doun they raughten:
    • Hir nose, hir mouth, and eye and cheke
    • Wel wrought, and al the remenaunt eke.
    • A ful gret savour and a swote Skeat1899: 1025
    • Me thinketh in myn herte rote,
    • As helpe me god, whan I remembre
    • Of the fasoun of every membre!
    • In world is noon so fair a wight;
    • For yong she was, and hewed bright, Skeat1899: 1030
    • [Wys] , plesaunt, and fetys withalle, [ ]
    • Gente, and in hir middel smalle.
    • Bisyde Beaute yede Richesse, Richesse.
    • An high lady of greet noblesse,
    • And greet of prys in every place. Skeat1899: 1035
    • But who-so durste to hir trespace,
    • Or til hir folk, in worde or dede,
    • He were ful hardy, out of drede;
    • For bothe she helpe and hindre may:
    • And that is nought of yisterday Skeat1899: 1040
    • That riche folk have ful gret might
    • To helpe, and eek to greve a wight.
    • The beste and grettest of valour
    • Diden Richesse ful gret honour,
    • And besy weren hir to serve; Skeat1899: 1045
    • For that they wolde hir love deserve,
    • They cleped hir ‘Lady,’ grete and smalle;
    • This wyde world hir dredeth alle;
    • This world is al in hir daungere. [ ]
    • Hir court hath many a losengere, [ ] Skeat1899: 1050
    • And many a traytour envious,
    • That been ful besy and curious
    • For to dispreisen, and to blame
    • That best deserven love and name.
    • Bifore the folk, hem to bigylen, Skeat1899: 1055
    • These losengeres hem preyse, and smylen,
    • And thus the world with word anoynten; [ ]
    • But afterward they [prikke] and poynten [ ]
    • The folk right to the bare boon,
    • Bihinde her bak whan they ben goon, Skeat1899: 1060
    • And foule abate the folkes prys.
    • Ful many a worthy man and wys ,
    • An hundred, have [they] don to dye,
    • These losengeres, through flaterye;
    • And maketh folk ful straunge be, Skeat1899: 1065
    • Ther-as hem oughte be prive.
    • Wel yvel mote they thryve and thee,
    • And yvel aryved mote they be, [ ]
    • These losengeres, ful of envye!
    • No good man loveth hir companye. Skeat1899: 1070
    • Richesse a robe of purpre on hadde,
    • Ne trowe not that I lye or madde;
    • For in this world is noon it liche,
    • Ne by a thousand deel so riche,
    • Ne noon so fair; for it ful wel Skeat1899: 1075
    • With orfrays leyd was everydel,
    • And portrayed in the ribaninges
    • Of dukes stories, and of kinges.
    • And with a bend of gold tasseled, [ ]
    • And knoppes fyne of gold ameled . [ ] Skeat1899: 1080
    • Aboute hir nekke of gentil entaile [ ]
    • Was shet the riche chevesaile, [ ]
    • In which ther was ful gret plentee
    • Of stones clere and bright to see.
    • Rychesse a girdel hadde upon, Skeat1899: 1085
    • The bokel of it was of a stoon
    • Of vertu greet, and mochel of might;
    • For who-so bar the stoon so bright,
    • Of venim [thurte] him no-thing doute, [ ]
    • While he the stoon hadde him aboute. Skeat1899: 1090
    • That stoon was greetly for to love,
    • And til a riche mannes bihove
    • Worth al the gold in Rome and Fryse. [ ]
    • The mourdaunt, wrought in noble wyse, [ ]
    • Was of a stoon ful precious, Skeat1899: 1095
    • That was so fyn and vertuous,
    • That hool a man it coude make
    • Of palasye, and of tooth-ake .
    • And yit the stoon hadde suche a grace,
    • That he was siker in every place, Skeat1899: 1100
    • Al thilke day, not blind to been,
    • That fasting mighte that stoon seen.
    • The barres were of gold ful fyne, [ ]
    • Upon a tissu of satyne,
    • Ful hevy, greet, and no-thing light, Skeat1899: 1105
    • In everich was a besaunt-wight. [ ]
    • Upon the tresses of Richesse
    • Was set a cercle, for noblesse,
    • Of brend gold, that ful lighte shoon;
    • So fair, trowe I, was never noon. Skeat1899: 1110
    • But he were cunning, for the nones,
    • That coude devysen alle the stones
    • That in that cercle shewen clere;
    • It is a wonder thing to here.
    • For no man coude preyse or gesse Skeat1899: 1115
    • Of hem the valewe or richesse.
    • Rubyes there were, saphyres, iagounces , [ ]
    • And emeraudes, more than two ounces.
    • But al bifore, ful sotilly,
    • A fyn carboucle set saugh I. [ ] Skeat1899: 1120
    • The stoon so cleer was and so bright,
    • That, al-so sone as it was night,
    • Men mighte seen to go, for nede,
    • A myle or two, in lengthe and brede.
    • Swich light [tho] sprang out of the stoon, Skeat1899: 1125
    • That Richesse wonder brighte shoon,
    • Bothe hir heed, and al hir face,
    • And eke aboute hir al the place.
    • Dame Richesse on hir hond gan lede
    • A yong man ful of semelihede, Skeat1899: 1130
    • That she best loved of any thing;
    • His lust was muche in housholding.
    • In clothing was he ful fetys,
    • And lovede wel have hors of prys.
    • He wende to have reproved be Skeat1899: 1135
    • Of thefte or mordre, if that he
    • Hadde in his stable an hakeney. [ ]
    • And therfore he desyred ay
    • To been aqueynted with Richesse;
    • For al his purpos, as I gesse, Skeat1899: 1140
    • Was for to make greet dispense,
    • Withoute werning or defence .
    • And Richesse mighte it wel sustene,
    • And hir dispenses wel mayntene,
    • And him alwey swich plentee sende Skeat1899: 1145
    • Of gold and silver for to spende
    • Withoute lakking or daungere,
    • As it were poured in a garnere. [ ]
    • And after on the daunce wente Largesse.
    • Largesse, that sette al hir entente Skeat1899: 1150
    • For to be honourable and free;
    • Of Alexandres kin was she; [ ]
    • Hir moste Ioye was, y-wis,
    • Whan that she yaf, and seide, ‘have this.’ [ ]
    • Not Avarice, the foule caytyf, Skeat1899: 1155
    • Was half to grype so ententyf,
    • As Largesse is to yeve and spende .
    • And god y-nough alwey hir sende,
    • So that the more she yaf awey,
    • The more, y-wis, she hadde alwey. Skeat1899: 1160
    • Gret loos hath Largesse, and gret prys;
    • For bothe wys folk and unwys
    • Were hoolly to hir baundon brought, [ ]
    • So wel with yiftes hath she wrought.
    • And if she hadde an enemy, Skeat1899: 1165
    • I trowe, that she coude craftily
    • Make him ful sone hir freend to be,
    • So large of yift and free was she;
    • Therfore she stood in love and grace
    • Of riche and povre in every place. Skeat1899: 1170
    • A ful gret fool is he, y-wis,
    • That bothe riche and nigard is.
    • A lord may have no maner vice
    • That greveth more than avarice.
    • For nigard never with strengthe of hond Skeat1899: 1175
    • May winne him greet lordship or lond.
    • For freendes al to fewe hath he
    • To doon his wil perfourmed be.
    • And who-so wol have freendes here,
    • He may not holde his tresour dere. Skeat1899: 1180
    • For by ensample I telle this,
    • Right as an adamaunt , y-wis, [ ]
    • Can drawen to him sotilly
    • The yren, that is leyd therby,
    • So draweth folkes hertes, y-wis, Skeat1899: 1185
    • Silver and gold that yeven is.
    • Largesse hadde on a robe fresshe
    • Of riche purpur Sarsinesshe . [ ]
    • Wel fourmed was hir face and clere,
    • And opened had she hir colere; [ ] Skeat1899: 1190
    • For she right there hadde in present
    • Unto a lady maad present
    • Of a gold broche, ful wel wrought.
    • And certes, it missat hir nought;
    • For through hir smokke, wrought with silk, Skeat1899: 1195
    • The flesh was seen, as whyt as milk.
    • Largesse, that worthy was and wys,
    • Held by the honde a knight of prys,
    • Was sib to Arthour of Bretaigne .
    • And that was he that bar the enseigne Skeat1899: 1200
    • Of worship, and the gonfanoun . [ ]
    • And yit he is of swich renoun,
    • That men of him seye faire thinges
    • Bifore barouns, erles, and kinges.
    • This knight was comen al newely Skeat1899: 1205
    • Fro tourneyinge faste by;
    • Ther hadde he doon gret chivalrye
    • Through his vertu and his maistrye;
    • And for the love of his lemman
    • [Had] cast doun many a doughty man. Skeat1899: 1210
    • And next him daunced dame Fraunchyse,
    • Arrayed in ful noble gyse. Fraunchyse.
    • She was not broun ne dun of hewe,
    • But whyt as snowe y-fallen newe.
    • Hir nose was wrought at poynt devys, [ ] Skeat1899: 1215
    • For it was gentil and tretys; [ ]
    • With eyen gladde, and browes bente;
    • Hir heer doun to hir heles wente.
    • And she was simple as dowve on tree,
    • Ful debonaire of herte was she. Skeat1899: 1220
    • She durste never seyn ne do
    • But that [thing] that hir longed to.
    • And if a man were in distresse,
    • And for hir love in hevinesse,
    • Hir herte wolde have ful greet pitee, Skeat1899: 1225
    • She was so amiable and free.
    • For were a man for hir bistad , [ ]
    • She wolde ben right sore adrad
    • That she dide over greet outrage,
    • But she him holpe his harm to aswage ; Skeat1899: 1230
    • Hir thoughte it elles a vilanye.
    • And she hadde on a sukkenye, [ ]
    • That not of hempen herdes was;
    • So fair was noon in alle Arras.
    • Lord, it was rideled fetysly! [ ] Skeat1899: 1235
    • Ther nas nat oo poynt, trewely,
    • That it nas in his right assyse.
    • Ful wel y-clothed was Fraunchyse;
    • For ther is no cloth sitteth bet
    • On damiselle, than doth roket. [ ] Skeat1899: 1240
    • A womman wel more fetys is
    • In roket than in cote, y-wis.
    • 1243; see 1235.

    • The whyte roket, rideled faire,
    • Bitokened , that ful debonaire
    • And swete was she that it bere. Skeat1899: 1245
    • By hir daunced a bachelere;
    • I can not telle you what he highte ,
    • But fair he was, and of good highte ,
    • Al hadde he be, I sey no more, [ ]
    • The lordes sone of Windesore. Skeat1899: 1250
    • And next that daunced Curtesye, Curtesye.
    • That preised was of lowe and hye,
    • For neither proud ne fool was she.
    • She for to daunce called me,
    • (I pray god yeve hir right good grace!) Skeat1899: 1255
    • Whan I com first into the place.
    • She was not nyce, ne outrageous,
    • But wys and war, and vertuous,
    • Of faire speche, and faire answere;
    • Was never wight misseid of here; Skeat1899: 1260
    • She bar no rancour to no wight.
    • Cleer broun she was, and therto bright
    • Of face, of body avenaunt ; [ ]
    • I wot no lady so plesaunt.
    • She were worthy for to bene Skeat1899: 1265
    • An emperesse or crouned quene.
    • And by hir wente a knight dauncing
    • That worthy was and wel speking,
    • And ful wel coude he doon honour.
    • The knight was fair and stif in stour, Skeat1899: 1270
    • And in armure a semely man,
    • And wel biloved of his lemman.
    • Fair Ydelnesse than saugh I, Ydelnesse.
    • That alwey was me faste by.
    • Of hir have I, withouten fayle, Skeat1899: 1275
    • Told yow the shap and apparayle
    • For (as I seide) lo, that was she
    • That dide me so greet bountee,
    • That she the gate of the gardin
    • Undide, and leet me passen in. Skeat1899: 1280
    • And after daunced, as I gesse, Youthe.
    • [ Youthe ] , fulfild of lustinesse, [ ]
    • That nas not yit twelve yeer of age,
    • With herte wilde, and thought volage; [ ]
    • Nyce she was, but she ne mente Skeat1899: 1285
    • Noon harm ne slight in hir entente,
    • But only lust and Iolitee.
    • For yonge folk, wel witen ye,
    • Have litel thought but on hir play.
    • Hir lemman was bisyde alway, Skeat1899: 1290
    • In swich a gyse, that he hir kiste
    • At alle tymes that him liste,
    • That al the daunce mighte it see;
    • They make no force of privetee; [ ]
    • For who spak of hem yvel or wel, Skeat1899: 1295
    • They were ashamed never-a-del,
    • But men mighte seen hem kisse there,
    • As it two yonge douves were.
    • For yong was thilke bachelere,
    • Of beaute wot I noon his pere; Skeat1899: 1300
    • And he was right of swich an age
    • As Youthe his leef, and swich corage.
    • The lusty folk thus daunced there,
    • And also other that with hem were,
    • That weren alle of hir meynee; Skeat1899: 1305
    • Ful hende folk, and wys, and free,
    • And folk of fair port, trewely ,
    • Ther weren alle comunly.
    • Whan I hadde seen the countenaunces
    • Of hem that ladden thus these daunces, Skeat1899: 1310
    • Than hadde I wil to goon and see
    • The gardin that so lyked me,
    • And loken on these faire loreres ,
    • On pyn-trees, cedres, and oliveres.
    • The daunces than y-ended were; Skeat1899: 1315
    • For many of hem that daunced there
    • Were with hir loves went awey
    • Under the trees to have hir pley.
    • A, lord! they lived lustily!
    • A gret fool were he, sikerly, Skeat1899: 1320
    • That nolde, his thankes, swich lyf lede! [ ]
    • For this dar I seyn, out of drede,
    • That who-so mighte so wel fare,
    • For better lyf [thurte] him not care; [ ]
    • For ther nis so good paradys Skeat1899: 1325
    • As have a love at his devys.
    • Out of that place wente I tho,
    • And in that gardin gan I go,
    • Pleying along ful merily.
    • The God of Love ful hastely Skeat1899: 1330
    • Unto him Swete-Loking clepte,
    • No lenger wolde he that he kepte
    • His bowe of golde, that shoon so bright.
    • He [bad] him [bende it] anon-right; [ ]
    • And he ful sone [it] sette on ende, Skeat1899: 1335
    • And at a braid he gan it bende,
    • And took him of his arowes fyve,
    • Ful sharpe and redy for to dryve.
    • Now god that sit in magestee
    • Fro deedly woundes kepe me , Skeat1899: 1340
    • If so be that he [wol] me shete ; [ ]
    • For if I with his arowe mete ,
    • It [wol me greven ] sore, y-wis!
    • But I, that no-thing wiste of this,
    • Wente up and doun ful many a wey, Skeat1899: 1345
    • And he me folwed faste alwey;
    • But no-wher wolde I reste me,
    • Til I hadde al the [yerde in] be . [ ]
    • The gardin was, by mesuring,
    • Right even and squar in compassing; Skeat1899: 1350
    • It was as long as it was large.
    • Of fruyt hadde every tree his charge, The Trees.
    • But it were any hidous tree
    • Of which ther were two or three.
    • Ther were, and that wot I ful wel, Skeat1899: 1355
    • Of pomgarnettes a ful gret del;
    • That is a fruyt ful wel to lyke,
    • Namely to folk whan they ben syke.
    • And trees ther were, greet foisoun, [ ]
    • That baren notes in hir sesoun, Skeat1899: 1360
    • Such as men notemigges calle, [ ]
    • That swote of savour been withalle.
    • And alemandres greet plentee, [ ]
    • Figes, and many a date-tree
    • Ther weren , if men hadde nede, Skeat1899: 1365
    • Through the gardin in length and brede.
    • Ther was eek wexing many a spyce,
    • As clow-gelofre, and licoryce,
    • Gingere , and greyn de paradys , [ ]
    • Canelle, and setewale of prys, Skeat1899: 1370
    • And many a spyce delitable,
    • To eten whan men ryse fro table.
    • And many hoomly trees ther were,
    • That peches, coynes, and apples bere, [ ]
    • Medlers, ploumes , peres, chesteynes , Skeat1899: 1375
    • Cheryse , of whiche many on fayn is,
    • Notes, aleys, and bolas, [ ]
    • That for to seen it was solas;
    • With many high lorer and pyn [ ]
    • Was renged clene al that gardyn; Skeat1899: 1380
    • With cipres, and with oliveres ,
    • Of which that nigh no plente here is.
    • Ther were elmes grete and stronge,
    • Maples, asshe, ook , asp, planes longe, [ ]
    • Fyn ew, popler, and lindes faire, [ ] Skeat1899: 1385
    • 1386-1482. Lost in G.

    • And othere trees ful many a payre.
    • What sholde I telle you more of it?
    • Ther were so many treës yit,
    • That I sholde al encombred be
    • Er I had rekened every tree. Skeat1899: 1390
    • These trees were set, that I devyse, [ ]
    • Oon from another, in assyse,
    • Five fadome or sixe, I trowe so,
    • But they were hye and grete also:
    • And for to kepe out wel the sonne, Skeat1899: 1395
    • The croppes were so thikke y-ronne,
    • And every braunch in other knet , [ ]
    • And ful of grene leves set ,
    • That sonne mighte noon descende,
    • Lest [it] the tendre grasses shende. Skeat1899: 1400
    • Ther mighte men does and roes y-see,
    • And of squirels ful greet plentee,
    • From bough to bough alwey leping.
    • Conies ther were also playing,
    • That comen out of hir claperes [ ] Skeat1899: 1405
    • Of sondry colours and maneres ,
    • And maden many a turneying
    • Upon the fresshe gras springing.
    • In places saw I welles there, The Welles.
    • In whiche ther no frogges were, Skeat1899: 1410
    • And fair in shadwe was every welle ;
    • But I ne can the nombre telle
    • Of stremes smale, that by devys
    • Mirthe had don come through condys , [ ]
    • Of which the water, in renning, Skeat1899: 1415
    • Gan make a noyse ful lyking.
    • About the brinkes of thise welles,
    • And by the stremes over-al elles
    • Sprang up the gras, as thikke y-set
    • And softe as any veluët, [ ] Skeat1899: 1420
    • On which men mighte his lemman leye,
    • As on a fetherbed, to pleye,
    • For therthe was ful softe and swete.
    • Through moisture of the welle wete
    • Sprang up the sote grene gras, Skeat1899: 1425
    • As fair, as thikke, as mister was. [ ]
    • But muche amended it the place,
    • That therthe was of swich a grace
    • That it of floures had plente,
    • That both in somer and winter be. Skeat1899: 1430
    • Ther sprang the violete al newe,
    • And fresshe pervinke, riche of hewe,
    • And floures yelowe, whyte, and rede;
    • Swich plentee grew ther never in mede.
    • Ful gay was al the ground, and queynt, Skeat1899: 1435
    • And poudred, as men had it peynt,
    • With many a fresh and sondry flour,
    • That casten up ful good savour.
    • I wol not longe holde you in fable
    • Of al this gardin delitable . Skeat1899: 1440
    • I moot my tonge stinten nede,
    • For I ne may, withouten drede,
    • Naught tellen you the beautee al,
    • Ne half the bountee therewithal.
    • I wente on right honde and on left Skeat1899: 1445
    • Aboute the place; it was not left ,
    • Til I hadde al the [yerde in] been, [ ]
    • In the estres that men mighte seen. [ ]
    • And thus whyle I wente in my pley,
    • The God of Love me folowed ay, Skeat1899: 1450
    • Right as an hunter can abyde
    • The beste , til he seeth his tyde
    • To shete , at good mes , to the dere, [ ]
    • Whan that him nedeth go no nere.
    • And so befil, I rested me Skeat1899: 1455
    • Besyde a welle, under a tree,
    • Which tree in Fraunce men calle a pyn.
    • But, sith the tyme of king Pepyn, [ ]
    • Ne grew ther tree in mannes sighte
    • So fair, ne so wel woxe in highte; Skeat1899: 1460
    • In al that yerde so high was noon.
    • And springing in a marble-stoon
    • Had nature set, the sothe to telle,
    • Under that pyn-tree a welle.
    • And on the border, al withoute, Skeat1899: 1465
    • Was writen, in the stone aboute,
    • Lettres smale, that seyden thus,
    • ‘Here starf the faire Narcisus.’
    • Narcisus was a bachelere, [ ] Narcisus.
    • That Love had caught in his daungere, [ ] Skeat1899: 1470
    • And in his net gan him so streyne,
    • And dide him so to wepe and pleyne,
    • That nede him muste his lyf forgo.
    • For a fair lady, hight Echo,
    • Him loved over any creature, Skeat1899: 1475
    • And gan for him swich peyne endure,
    • That on a tyme she him tolde,
    • That, if he hir loven nolde,
    • That hir behoved nedes dye,
    • Ther lay non other remedye. Skeat1899: 1480
    • But natheles, for his beautee,
    • So fiers and daungerous was he,
    • 1483. G. begins again.

    • That he nolde graunten hir asking,
    • For weping, ne for fair praying.
    • And whan she herde him werne hir so, Skeat1899: 1485
    • She hadde in herte so gret wo,
    • And took it in so gret dispyt,
    • That she, withoute more respyt,
    • Was deed anoon. But, er she deyde ,
    • Ful pitously to god she preyde, Skeat1899: 1490
    • That proude-herted Narcisus,
    • That was in love so daungerous,
    • Mighte on a day ben hampred so
    • For love, and been so hoot for wo,
    • That never he mighte Ioye atteyne; Skeat1899: 1495
    • Than shulde he fele in every veyne
    • What sorowe trewe lovers maken,
    • That been so vilaynsly forsaken. [ ]
    • This prayer was but resonable,
    • Therefor god held it ferme and stable: Skeat1899: 1500
    • For Narcisus, shortly to telle,
    • By aventure com to that welle
    • To reste him in that shadowing
    • A day, whan he com fro hunting.
    • This Narcisus had suffred paynes Skeat1899: 1505
    • For renning alday in the playnes,
    • And was for thurst in greet distresse
    • Of hete , and of his werinesse
    • That hadde his breeth almost binomen.
    • Whan he was to that welle y-comen , Skeat1899: 1510
    • That shadwed was with braunches grene,
    • He thoughte of thilke water shene
    • To drinke and fresshe him wel withalle;
    • And doun on knees he gan to falle,
    • And forth his heed and nekke out-straughte Skeat1899: 1515
    • To drinken of that welle a draughte .
    • And in the water anoon was sene [ ]
    • His nose, his mouth, his yën shene ,
    • And he ther-of was al abasshed;
    • His owne shadowe had him bitrasshed. Skeat1899: 1520
    • For wel wende he the forme see
    • Of a child of greet beautee.
    • Wel couthe Love him wreke tho
    • Of daunger and of pryde also,
    • That Narcisus somtyme him bere. [ ] Skeat1899: 1525
    • He quitte him wel his guerdon there;
    • For he so musede in the welle,
    • That, shortly al the sothe to telle,
    • He lovede his owne shadowe so,
    • That atte laste he starf for wo. Skeat1899: 1530
    • For whan he saugh that he his wille
    • Mighte in no maner wey fulfille,
    • And that he was so faste caught
    • That he him couthe comfort naught,
    • He loste his wit right in that place, Skeat1899: 1535
    • And deyde within a litel space.
    • And thus his warisoun he took [ ]
    • For the lady that he forsook.
    • Ladyes, I preye ensample taketh,
    • Ye that ayeins your love mistaketh: Skeat1899: 1540
    • For if hir deeth be yow to wyte,
    • God can ful wel your whyle quyte.
    • Whan that this lettre, of whiche I telle,
    • Had taught me that it was the welle
    • Of Narcisus in his beautee, Skeat1899: 1545
    • I gan anoon withdrawe me,
    • Whan it fel in my remembraunce,
    • That him bitidde swich mischaunce.
    • But at the laste than thoughte I,
    • That scatheles , ful sikerly, [ ] Skeat1899: 1550
    • I mighte unto The Welle go. The Welle.
    • Wherof shulde I abasshen so?
    • 1553. From Th. ; not in G.

    • Unto the welle than wente I me,
    • And doun I louted for to see
    • The clere water in the stoon, Skeat1899: 1555
    • And eek the gravel, which that shoon
    • Down in the botme, as silver fyn;
    • For of the welle, this is the fyn,
    • In world is noon so cleer of hewe.
    • The water is ever fresh and newe Skeat1899: 1560
    • That welmeth up with wawes brighte [ ]
    • The mountance of two finger highte .
    • 1563. Both

    • Abouten it is gras springing,
    • For moiste so thikke and wel lyking, [ ]
    • That it ne may in winter dye, Skeat1899: 1565
    • No more than may the see be drye.
    • Down at the botme set saw I
    • Two cristal stones craftely
    • In thilke fresshe and faire welle.
    • But o thing soothly dar I telle, Skeat1899: 1570
    • That ye wol holde a greet mervayle
    • Whan it is told, withouten fayle.
    • For whan the sonne, cleer in sighte ,
    • Cast in that welle his bemes brighte ,
    • And that the heet descended is, Skeat1899: 1575
    • Than taketh the cristal stoon, y-wis,
    • Agayn the sonne an hundred hewes,
    • Blewe, yelowe, and rede, that fresh and newe is.
    • Yit hath the merveilous cristal
    • Swich strengthe, that the place overal, Skeat1899: 1580
    • Bothe fowl and tree, and leves grene,
    • And al the yerd in it is sene.
    • And for to doon you understonde,
    • To make ensample wol I fonde;
    • Right as a mirour openly Skeat1899: 1585
    • Sheweth al thing that stant therby,
    • As wel the colour as the figure,
    • Withouten any coverture;
    • Right so the cristal stoon, shyning,
    • Withouten any disceyving, Skeat1899: 1590
    • The estres of the yerde accuseth [ ]
    • To him that in the water museth;
    • For ever, in which half that he be,
    • He may wel half the gardin see;
    • And if he turne, he may right wel Skeat1899: 1595
    • Seen the remenaunt everydel.
    • For ther is noon so litel thing
    • So hid, ne closed with shitting,
    • That it ne is sene, as though it were
    • Peynted in the cristal there. Skeat1899: 1600
    • This is the mirour perilous,
    • In which the proude Narcisus
    • Saw al his face fair and bright,
    • That made him sith to lye upright. [ ]
    • For who-so loke in that mirour, Skeat1899: 1605
    • Ther may no-thing ben his socour
    • That he ne shal ther seen som thing
    • That shal him lede into [loving] . [ ]
    • Ful many a worthy man hath it
    • Y-blent ; for folk of grettest wit Skeat1899: 1610
    • Ben sone caught here and awayted;
    • Withouten respyt been they bayted.
    • Heer comth to folk of-newe rage,
    • Heer chaungeth many wight corage;
    • Heer lyth no reed ne wit therto; Skeat1899: 1615
    • For Venus sone, daun Cupido,
    • Hath sowen there of love the seed,
    • That help ne lyth ther noon, ne reed,
    • So cercleth it the welle aboute.
    • His ginnes hath he set withoute Skeat1899: 1620
    • Right for to cacche in his panteres [ ]
    • These damoysels and bacheleres .
    • Love wil noon other bridde cacche,
    • Though he sette either net or lacche. [ ]
    • And for the seed that heer was sowen, Skeat1899: 1625
    • This welle is cleped, as wel is knowen,
    • The Welle of Love, of verray right,
    • Of which ther hath ful many a wight
    • Spoke in bokes dyversely.
    • But they shulle never so verily Skeat1899: 1630
    • Descripcioun of the welle here,
    • Ne eek the sothe of this matere,
    • As ye shulle, whan I have undo
    • The craft that hir bilongeth to.
    • Alway me lyked for to dwelle, Skeat1899: 1635
    • To seen the cristal in the welle,
    • That shewed me ful openly
    • A thousand thinges faste by.
    • But I may saye, in sory houre
    • Stood I to loken or to poure; Skeat1899: 1640
    • For sithen [have] I sore syked , [ ]
    • That mirour hath me now entryked.
    • But hadde I first knowen in my wit
    • The vertue and [the] strengthe of it,
    • I nolde not have mused there; Skeat1899: 1645
    • Me hadde bet ben elles-where;
    • For in the snare I fel anoon,
    • That hath bitraisshed many oon.
    • In thilke mirour saw I tho,
    • Among a thousand thinges mo, Skeat1899: 1650
    • A roser charged ful of roses, The Roser.
    • That with an hegge aboute enclos is. [ ]
    • Tho had I swich lust and envye,
    • That, for Parys ne for Pavye,
    • 1655. G. att ( for and).

    • Nolde I have left to goon and see Skeat1899: 1655
    • Ther grettest hepe of roses be.
    • Whan I was with this rage hent,
    • That caught hath many a man and shent,
    • Toward the roser gan I go.
    • And whan I was not fer therfro, Skeat1899: 1660
    • The savour of the roses swote
    • Me smoot right to the herte rote,
    • As I hadde al embawmed [be.] [ ]
    • And if I ne hadde endouted me
    • To have ben hated or assailed, Skeat1899: 1665
    • My thankes , wolde I not have failed [ ]
    • To pulle a rose of al that route
    • 1668. Both bere.

    • To beren in myn honde aboute,
    • And smellen to it wher I wente;
    • But ever I dredde me to repente, Skeat1899: 1670
    • And lest it greved or for-thoughte
    • The lord that thilke gardyn wroughte .
    • Of roses were ther gret woon, [ ]
    • So faire wexe never in roon. [ ]
    • Of knoppes clos, some saw I there, Skeat1899: 1675
    • And some wel beter woxen were;
    • And some ther been of other moysoun, [ ]
    • That drowe nigh to hir sesoun,
    • And spedde hem faste for to sprede;
    • I love wel swiche roses rede; Skeat1899: 1680
    • For brode roses, and open also,
    • Ben passed in a day or two;
    • But knoppes wilen fresshe be
    • Two dayes atte leest, or three.
    • The knoppes gretly lyked me, Skeat1899: 1685
    • For fairer may ther no man see.
    • Who-so mighte haven oon of alle,
    • It oughte him been ful leef withalle.
    • Mighte I [a] gerlond of hem geten,
    • For no richesse I wolde it leten. Skeat1899: 1690
    • Among the knoppes I chees oon The Knoppe.
    • So fair, that of the remenaunt noon
    • Ne preyse I half so wel as it,
    • Whan I avyse it in my wit.
    • For it so wel was enlumyned Skeat1899: 1695
    • With colour reed, as wel [y]-fyned
    • As nature couthe it make faire.
    • And it had leves wel foure paire,
    • That Kinde had set through his knowing
    • Aboute the rede rose springing. Skeat1899: 1700
    • The stalke was as risshe right, [ ]
    • And theron stood the knoppe upright,
    • That it ne bowed upon no syde.
    • The swote smelle sprong so wyde
    • 1705, 6. A false rime; l. 1705 is incomplete in sense, as the sentence has no verb. Here the genuine portion ends. L. 1706 is by another hand.

    • That it dide al the place aboute— [ ] Skeat1899: 1705