The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400., Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910.
Page 352 [6-text p 500]
¶ Here bigynneth the ffrankeleyns tale*. [[on leaf 153, bk]]
[THE PROEM.]
THise olde gentil Britons / in hir dayes
Of diuerse auentures / maden layes
Rymeyed / in hir firste Briton tonge
Whiche layes / with hir Instrumentz they songe
712
Or ellis redden hem / for hire plesance
And oon of hem / haue I in remembrance
Which I shal seyn / with good wyl as I kan
¶ But sires / by cause I am a burel man
716
At my bigynnyng first I yow biseche
Haue me excused / of my rude speche
I lerned neuere / Rethorik certeyn
Thyng þat I speke / It moot be bare and pleyn
720
I sleepe neuere / in the Mount of Parnaso [folio 154a]
Ne lerned / Marcus Tullius Scithero*. [¶ Vnde Persius ¶ Nec f[onte] caballino .. . parnaso meme.]
Colours ne knowe I none / with outen drede
But swiche colours / as growen in the mede
724
Or ellis swiche / as men dye / or peynte
Colours of Rethoryk they ben to queynte
My Spirit feeleth nat of swich matere
But if yow list my tale shul ye heere
728
[THE TALE.]
IN Armorik that called is Britayne*. [¶ Narrat]
Ther was a knyght þat louede & dide his payne
To serue a lady / in his beste wise
And many a labour / many a gret emprise
Page 353 [6-text p 501]
732
He for his lady wroghte / er she were wonne
ffor she was / oon the faireste vnder Sonne
And eek ther to / come of so heigh kynrede
That wel vnnethes / dorste this knyght for drede
736
Telle hire his wo / his peyne / and his distresse
But atte laste / she for his worthynesse
And namely / for his meke obeysance
Hath swich a pitee caught of his penance
740
That priuely / she fel of his acord
To taken hym / for hir housbonde & hir lord
Of swich lordshipe / as men han ouer hir wyues
And for to lede / the moore in blisse hir lyues
744
Of his fre wyl / he swoor hire as a knyght
That neuere in al his lyf he day ne nyght
Ne sholde vp on hym take / no maistrye
Agayn hir wyl / ne kothe hire Ialousye
748
But hire obeye / and folwe hir wyl in al
As any louere / to his lady shal
Saue / þat the name of soueraynetee
That wolde he haue / for shame of his degree
752
¶ She thonked hym / and with ful gret humblesse
She seyde sire / sith of youre gentillesse
Ye profre me / to haue so large a reyne
Ne wolde neuere god / bitwix vs tweyne
756
As in my gilt/ were outher werre / or stryf
Sire I wol be / youre humble trewe wyf
Haue heer my trouthe / til that myn herte breste
Thus been they bothe / in quiete and in reste
760
[ffor*. [Rats.] [folio 154b] ] o thyng sires / saufly dar I seye
[T]hat freendes / euerich oother moote obey
If they wol longe holden compaignye
Loue wol nat be constreyned by maistrye
764
Whan maistrie comth / the god of loue anon
Beteth his wynges / and farwel he is gon
Loue is a thyng as any spirit free
Wommen of kynde / desiren libertee
Page 354 [6-text p 502]
768
And nat to been constreyned / as a thral
And so doon men / if I sooth seyn shal
Looke / who þat moost/ is pacient in loue
He is / at his auantage al aboue
772
Pacience / is an heigh vertu certeyn
ffor it venquysseth / as thise clerkes seyn
Thynges / that rigour sholde neuere atteyne
ffor euery word / men may nat chide or pleyne
776
Lerneth to suffre / or ellis so moot I gon
Ye shul it lerne / wher so ye wole or non
ffor in this world / certeyn ther no wight is
That he ne dooth / or seith som tyme amys
780
Ire / siknesse / or constellacion
Wyn / wo / or chaungyng of complexion
Causeth ful ofte / to doon amys or speken
On euery wrong a man may nat be wreken
784
After the tyme / moste be temperaunce
To euery wight þat kan on gouernaunce
And therfore / hath this wise worthy knyght/
To lyue in ese / suffrance hire bihight
788
And she to hym / ful wisly gan to swere
That neuere / sholde ther be defaute in here
¶ Here may men seen / an humble wys acord
Thus hath she take / hir seruant and hir lord
792
Seruant in loue / and lord in mariage
Thanne was he bothe / in lordshipe & seruage
Seruage nay / but in lordshipe aboue
Sith he hath / bothe his lady and his loue
796
His lady certes / and his wyf also
The which / þat lawe of loue acordeth to
And whan he was / in this prosperitee
Hom with his wyf he gooth to his contree
800
Nat fer fro Pedmark ther his dwellyng was [folio 155a]
Wher as he lyueth / in blisse and in solas
¶ Who koude telle / but he hadde wedded be
The ioye / the ese / and the prosperitee
Page 355 [6-text p 503]
804
That is / bitwix an housbonde / and his wyf
A yeer and moore / lasted this blisful lyf
Til þat the knyght of which I speke of thus
That of Kairrud / was clepid Arueragus
808
Shoope hym to goon / and dwelle a yeer or twayne
In Engelond / that clepid was ek Britayne
To seke in armes / worshipe and honour
ffor al his lust he sette in swich labour
812
And dwelled ther two yeer / the book seith thus
¶ Now wol I stynte / of this Arueragus
And speke I wole / of Dorigene his wyf
That loueth hir housbonde / as hir hertes lyf
816
ffor his absence / wepeth she and siketh
As doon thise noble wyues / whan hem liketh
She moorneth / waketh / waileth / fasteth / pleyneth
Desir of his presence / hir so destreyneth
820
That al this wide world / she set at noght
Hir freendes whiche þat knowe / hir heuy thoght
Conforten hire / in al that euer they may
They prechen hire / they telle hire nyght and day
824
That causelees / she sleeth hir self allas
And euery confort possible in this cas
They doon to hire / with al hir bisynesse
Al for to make hire / leue hir heuynesse
828
¶ By proces / as ye knowen euerichoon
Men may so longe / grauen in a stoon
Til som figure / ther Inne emprinted be
So longe / han they conforted hire / til she
832
Receyued hath / by hope and by reson
The emprintyng of hir consolacion
Thurgh which / hir grete sorwe gan aswage
She may nat alwey / duren in swich rage
836
¶ And eek Arueragus / in al this care
Hath sent hire lettres hom / of his welfare
And that he wole / come hastily agayn
Or ellis hadde this sorwe / hir herte slayn
Page 356 [6-text p 504]
840
[Hire*. [Rats.] [folio 155b] ] freendes sawe hir sorwe gan to slake
[*. [Rats.]An]d preyde hire on knees / for goddes sake
To come / and romen hire in compaignye
Awey to dryue / hir derke fantasye
844
And finally / she graunted that requeste
ffor wel she saw / þat it was for the beste
¶ Now stood hir Castel / faste by the See
And often / with hir freendes walketh she
848
Hir to disporte / vp on the bank an heigh
Wher as she / many a Shipe and Barge seigh
Seillynge hir cours / wher as hem liste go
But thanne was that a parcel of hir wo
852
ffor of hir self/ ful ofte allas seith she
Is ther no shipe / of so manye as I se
Wol bryngen hom my lord / thanne were myn herte
Al warisshed / of hise bittre peynes smerte
856
¶ Another tyme / there wolde she sitte and thynke
And caste hir eyen / downward fro the Brynke
But whan she seigh / the grisly Rokkes blake
ffor verray fere / so wolde hir herte quake
860
That on hir feet she myghte hir noght sustene
Thanne wolde she / sitte adoun vp on the grene
And pitously / in to the See biholde
And seyn right thus / with sorweful sikes colde
864
¶ Eterne god / that thurgh thy purueiance
Ledest the world / by certeyn gouernance
In ydel as men seyn / ye no thyng make
But lord / thise grisly / feendly Rokkes blake
868
That semen rather / a foul confusion
Of werk / than any fair creacion
Of swich a parfit wys god and a stable
Why han ye wroght this werk vnresonable
872
ffor by this werk South / North / ne west ne Est
Ther nys yfostred / man / ne bryd / ne beest
It doth no good to my wit but anoyeth
Se ye nat lord / how mankynde it destroyeth
Page 357 [6-text p 505]
876
An hundred thousand bodies / of mankynde
Han Rokkes slayn / al be they nat in mynd
Which mankynde / is so fair part of thy werk
That thow it madest lyk to thyn owen merk
880
Thanne semed it ye hadde a greet chiertee [folio 156a]
Toward mankynde / but how thanne may it be
That ye swiche menes make / it to destroyen
Whiche menes do no good / but euere anoyen
884
I woot wel / clerkes wol seyn as hem leste
By argumentz / that al is for the beste
Thogh I ne kan / the causes nat yknowe
But thilke god / þat made wynd to blowe
888
As kepe my lord / this my conclusion
To clerkes / lete I al disputison
But wolde god / þat alle thise Rokkes blake
Were sonken in to helle / for his sake
892
Thise Rokkes sleen myn herte / for the feere
Thus wolde she seyn / with many a pitous teere
¶ Hir freendes sawe / that it was no disport
To romen by the See / but disconfort
896
And shopen / for to pleyen / som wher ellys
They leden hire / by Ryuers and by wellys
And eek in othere places delitables
They dauncen / and they pleyen at Ches & tables
900
¶ So on a day / right in the morwe tyde
Vn to a gardyn / that was ther bisyde
In which / that they hadde maad hir ordinance
Of vitaille / and of oother purueiance
904
They goon and pleye hem / al the longe day
And this was / on the sixte morwe of May
Which may hadde peynted / with his softe shoures
This gardyn / ful of leues / and of floures
908
And craft of mannes hond / so curiously
Arrayed hadde / this gardyn trewely
That neuere was ther gardyn / of swich prys
But if it were / the verray Paradys
Page 358 [6-text p 506]
912
The odour of floures / and the fresshe sight
Wolde han maked / any herte lighte
That euere was born / but if to greet siknesse
Or to greet sorwe / helde it in destresse
916
So ful it was / of beautee with plesaunce
At after dyner / gonne they to daunce
And synge also / saue Dorigen allone
Which made alwey / hir compleynt and hir mone
920
[*. [Rats.] [folio 156b] ffo]r she ne saugh hym / on the daunce go
That was hir housbonde / and hir loue also
But nathelees / she moste a tyme abyde
And with good hope / lete hir sorwe slyde
924
¶ Vp on this daunce / amonges othere men
Daunced a Squier / bifore Dorigen
That fressher was / and Iolier of array
As to my doom / than is the Monthe of May
928
He syngeth / daunceth / passyng any man
That is / or was / sith þat the world bigan
Ther with he was / if men sholde hym discryue
Oon of the beste farynge man / on lyue
932
Yong strong right vertuous / and riche and wys
And wel biloued / and holden in gret prys
And shortly / if the sothe I tellen shal
Vnwityng of this Dorigen at al
936
This lusty Squier / seruant to Venus
Which / that yclepid was Aurelius
Hadde loued hire / best of any creature
Two yeer and moore / as was his auenture
940
But neuere dorste he tellen hire / his greuance
With outen coppe / he drank al his penance
He was despeyred / no thyng dorste he seye
Saue in his songes / som what wolde he wreye
944
His wo / as in a general compleynyng
He seyde he louede / and was biloued no thyng
Of which matere / made he many layes
Songes / compleyntes / roundels / vyrelayes
Page 359 [6-text p 507]
948
How þat he dorste nat his sorwe telle
But langwissheth / as a fuyre dooth in helle
And dye he moste he seyde / as dide Ekko
ffor Narcisus / that dorste nat telle hir wo
952
In oother manere / than ye heere me seye
Ne dorste he nat to hire / his wo biwreye
Saue that parauenture / som tyme at daunces
Ther yong folk / kepen hir obseruaunces
956
It may wel be / he looked on hir face
In swich a wise / as man þat asketh grace
But no thyng wiste she / of his entente
Nathelees it happed / er they thennes wente
960
¶ By cause / that he was / hir neghebour [folio 157a]
And was a man / of worshipe and honour
And hadde yknowen hym / of tyme yoore
They fille in speche / and forth moore and moore
964
Vn to this purpos / drough Aurelius
And whan he saugh his tyme / he seyde thus
¶ Madame quod he / by god that this world made
So þat I wiste / it myghte youre herte glade
968
I wolde that day / þat youre Arueragus
Wente ouer the See / that I Aurelius
Hadde went/ ther neuere I sholde haue come agayn
ffor wel I woot my seruyce is in vayn
972
My gerdon is / but brestyng of myn herte
Madame reweth / vp on my peynes smerte
ffor with a word / ye may me sle or saue
Here at youre feet god wolde þat I were graue
976
I ne haue as now / no leyser moore to seye
Haue mercy swete / or ye wol do me deye
¶ She gan to looke / vp on Aurelius
Is this youre wil quod she / and sey ye thus
980
Neuere erst quod she / ne wiste I what ye mente
But now Aurelie / I knowe youre entente
By thilke god / that yaf me soule and lyf
Ne shal I neuere / been vntrewe a wyf
Page 360 [6-text p 508]
984
In word ne werk as fer as I haue wyt
I wol been hys / to whom þat I am knyt
Taak this for fynal / as of me
But after that in pleye thus seyde she
988
¶ Aurelie quod she / by heighe god aboue
Yet wolde I graunte yow / to been youre loue
Syn I yow se / so pitously complayne
Looke what day / þat endelong Britayne
992
Ye remoeue alle the Rokkes / stoon by stoon
That they ne lette / shipe ne Boot to goon
I seye / whan ye han maad / the coost so clene
Of Rokkes / that ther nys no stoon ysene
996
Thanne wol I loue yow / best of any man
Haue heer my trouthe / in al that euere I kan
¶ Is ther noon oother grace / in yow quod he
¶ No by that lord quod she / that maked me
1000
[ffor*. [Rats.] [folio 157b] ] wel I woot that it shal neuere bityde
[*. [Rats.]L]at swiche folies / out of youre herte slyde
What deyntee / sholde a man han his lyf
ffor to loue / another mannes wyf
1004
That hath hir body / whan so that hym liketh
¶ Aurelius / ful ofte soore siketh
Wo was Aurelie / whan þat he this herde
And with a sorweful herte / he thus answerde
1008
¶ Madame quod he / this were an inpossible
Thanne moot I dye / of sodeyn deth horrible
And with that word / he turned hym anon
Tho coome / hir othere freendes many oon
1012
And in the Aleyes / romeden vp and doun
And no thyng wiste / of this conclusioun
But sodeynly / bigonne reuel newe
Til that the brighte sonne / loste his hewe
1016
ffor thorisonte / hath reft the Sonne his light
This is as muche to seye / as it was nyght
And hom they goon / in ioye and in solas
Saue oonly / wrecched Aurelius allas
Page 361 [6-text p 509]
1020
He to his hous is goon / with sorweful herte
He seeth / he may nat from his deeth asterte
Hym semed / that he felte his herte colde
Vp to the heuene / hise hondes he gan holde
1024
And on his knowes bare / he sette hym doun
And in his rauynge / seyde his orisoun
ffor verray wo / out of his wit he breyde
He nyste what he spak but thus he seyde
1028
With pitous herte / his pleynt hath he bigonne
Vn to the goddes / and first vn to the sonne
¶ He seyde Appollo / god and gouernour
Of euery plaunte / herbe / tree / and flour
1032
That yeuest after thy declynacion
To ech of hem / his tyme and his seson
As thyn herberwe / chaungeth / lowe or heighe
Lord Phebus / cast thy merciable eighe
1036
On wrecche Aurelie / which þat am but lorn
Lo lord / my lady hath my deeth ysworn
With outen gilt but thy benygnytee
Vp on my dedly herte / haue som pitee
1040
ffor wel I woot lord Phebus / if yow lest/ [folio 158a]
Ye may me helpen / saue my lady best
Now voucheth sauf / þat I may yow deuyse
How þat I may been holpe / and in what wyse
1044
¶ Youre blisful Suster / lueyna the shene
That of the See / is chief goddesse and queene
Thogh Neptunus / haue deitee in the See
Yet Empiresse / abouen hym is she
1048
Ye knowen wel lord / that right as hir desir
Is / to be quyked / and lighted of youre fyr
ffor which / she folweth yow / ful bisily
Right so the See / desireth naturelly
1052
To folwen hire / as she þat is goddesse
Bothe in the See / and Ryuers moore and lesse
Wherfore lord Phebus / this is my requeste
Do this myracle / or do myn herte breste
Page 362 [6-text p 510]
1056
That now next/ at this opposicion
Which in the signe / shal be of the Lion
As preyeth hire / so greet a flood to brynge
That fyue fadme at the leeste / it ouer sprynge
1060
The hyeste Rok in Armoryk Britayne
And lat this flood / endure yeris twayne
Thanne certes / to my lady / may I seye
Holdeth youre heste / the Rokkes been aweye
1064
¶ Lord Phebus / dooth this myracle for me
Pray hire / she go no faster cours than ye
I seye this / prayeth youre Suster / þat she go
No faster cours than ye / thise yeris two
1068
Thanne shal she been euene / at the fulle alway
And spryng flood lasten / bothe nyght and day
And but she vouche sauf/ in swich manere
To graunte me / my souerayn lady deere
1072
Pray hire / to synken euery Rok/ adown
In to / hir owene dirke Regioun
Vnder the ground / ther Pluto dwelleth Inne
Or neuere mo / shal I my lady wynne
1076
Thy temple in Delphos / wol I barfoot seke
Lord Phebus / Se the teerys on my cheke
And of my peyne / haue som compassioun
And with that word / in swowne he fil adoun
1080
[And*. [Rats.] [folio 158b] ] longe tyme / he lay forth in a traunce
[*. [Rats.]H]is brother / which that knew of his penaunce
Vp caughte hym / and to bedde he hath hym broght
Despeired / in this torment and this thoght
1084
Lete I / this woful creature lye
Chese he for me / wher he wol lyue or dye
¶ Arueragus / with heele / and greet honour
As he þat was / of Chiualrie the flour
1088
Is comen hom / and othere worthy men
O blisful artow now / thow dorigen
That hast thy lusty housbonde / in thyn armes
The fresshe knyght the worthy man of armes
Page 363 [6-text p 511]
1092
That loueth thee / as his owene hertes lyf
No thyng list hym / to been ymagynatyf
If any wight hadde spoke / whil he was oute
To hire of loue / he ne hadde of it no doute
1096
He noght entendeth / to no swich matere
But daunceth / Iusteth / maketh hir good cheere
And thus in ioye and blisse / I lete hem dwelle
And of the Syke Aurelius / wol I telle
1100
¶ In langour / and in torment furyus
Two yeer and moore / lay wrecche Aurelius
Er any foot he myghte on erthe gon
Ne confort in this tyme / hadde he non
1104
Saue of his brother / which þat was a Clerk
He knew of al this wo / and al this werk
ffor / to noon oother creature certeyn
Of this matere / he dorste no word seyn
1108
Vnder his brist he baar it moore secree
Than euere dide Panfilus / for Galathee
His brist was hool / with oute for to sene
But in his herte / ay was the arwe kene
1112
And wel ye knowe / þat of a Sursanure
In Surgerye / is perilous the cure
But men myghte touche the arwe / or come therby
His brother / weepe and wayled pryuely
1116
Til at the laste / hym fil in remembrance
That whils he was / in Orliens in ffrance
As yonge clerkes / that been lykerous
To reden Artes / that been curious
1120
Seken / in euery halke / and euery herne [folio 159a]
Particuler Sciences / for to lerne
He hym remembred / þat vp on a day
At Orliens in Studie / a book he say
1124
Of Magyk naturel / which his felawe
That was that tyme / a Bachiler of lawe
Al were he ther / to lerne another craft
Hadde priuely / vp on his desk ylaft
Page 364 [6-text p 512]
1128
Which book spak muchel / of the operacions
Touchynge / the .xxviij. mansions
That longen to the Moone / and swich folye
As in oure dayes / is nat worth a flye
1132
ffor holy chirches feith / in oure bileue
Ne suffreth / noon illusion vs to greue
And whan this book was in his remembrance
Anon for ioye / his herte gan to dance
1136
And to hym self / he seyde pryuely
My brother / shal be warisshed hastily
ffor I am siker / þat ther be sciences
By whiche / men make diuerse apparences
1140
Swiche / as thise subtile / Tregettours pleye
ffor ofte at festes / haue I wel herd seye
That Tregettours / with Inne an halle large
Haue maad come In / a water / and a barge
1144
And in the halle / rowen vp and doun
Som tyme hath semed / come a grym leoun
And som tyme floures sprynge / as in a mede
Som tyme a vyne / and grapes white and rede
1148
Som tyme a Castel / al of lym and Stoon
And whan hem lyked / voyded it anoon
Thus semed it to euery mannes sighte
¶ Now thanne conclude I thus / þat if I myghte
1152
At Orliens / som old felawe yfynde
That hadde / this Moones mansions in mynde
Or oother Magyk naturel aboue
He sholde wel / make my brother han his loue
1156
ffor with an apparence / a clerk may make
To mannes sighte / þat alle the Rokkes blake
Of Britaigne / were yvoyded euerichon
And Shippes / by the brynke / comen and gon
1160
[And*. [Rats.] [folio 159b] ] in swich forme / enduren a day or two
Thanne were my brother / warisshed of his wo
Thanne moste she nedes / holden hir biheste
Or ellis / he shal shame hire / at the leeste
Page 365 [6-text p 513]
1164
¶ What sholde I make / a lenger tale of this
Vn to his brotheres bed / he comen is
And swich confort he yaf hym for to gon
To Orliens / that he vp stirte anon
1168
And on his wey forthward / thanne he is fare
In hope / for to been lissed of his care
¶ Whan they were come / almoost to that Citee
But if it were / a two furlong or thre
1172
A yong clerk / romynge by hym self they mette
Which þat in latyn / thriftily hem grette
And after that/ he seyde a wonder thyng
I knowe quod he / the cause of youre comyng
1176
And er they ferther / any foote wente
He tolde hem / al that was in hir entente
¶ This Briton clerk hym asked of felawes
The whiche þat he hadde knowe / in olde dawes
1180
And he answerde hym / þat they dede were
ffor which / he weepe ful ofte many a teere
¶ Doun of his hors / Aurelius lighte anon
And with this Magicien / forth he is gon
1184
Hom to his hous / and maden hem wel atese
Hem lakked no vitaille / þat myghte hem plese
So wel arrayed hous / as ther was oon
Aurelius in his lyf / saw neuere noon
1188
¶ He shewed hym / er he wente to soper
fforestes / Parkes / ful of wilde deer
Ther saw he hertes / with hir hornes hye
The gretteste / þat euere were seyn with eye
1192
He say of hem / an hundred slayn with houndes
And somme with arwes blede / of bittre woundes
¶ He saw / whan voyded were thise wilde deer
Thise ffawconers / vp on a fair Ryuer
1196
That with hir hawkes / han the heron slayn
¶ Tho saugh he knyghtes / Iustyng in a playn
And after this / he dide hym this plesaunce
That he hym shewed / his lady on a daunce
Page 366 [6-text p 514]
1200
On which hym self / he daunced as hym thoughte [folio 160a]
And whan this maister / þat this magyk wroughte
Saugh it was tyme / he clapte his handes two
And farwel / al our reuel was ago
1204
And yet remoeued they neuere / out of the hous
Whil they sawe / al this sighte merueillous
But in his studie / ther as his bookes be
They sitten stille / and no wight but they thre
1208
¶ To hym this maister / called his Squyer
And seide hym thus / is redy oure soper
Almoost an houre it is / I vndertake
Sith I yow bad / oure soper for to make
1212
Whan that thise worthy men / wenten with me
In to my studie / ther as my bookes be
¶ Sire quod this Squyer / whan it liketh yow
It is al redy / thogh ye wol right now
1216
Go we thanne soupe quod he / as for the beste
This amorous folk som tyme mote han hir reste
¶ At after soper / fille they in tretee
What somme sholde / this Maistres gerdon be
1220
To remoeuen / alle the Rokkes of Britayne
And eek from Gerounde / to the mouth of Sayne
He made it straunge / and swoor so god hym saue
Lasse than a thousand pound / he wolde nat haue
1224
Ne gladly for that somme / he wolde nat gon
¶ Aurelius / with blisful herte anon
Answerde thus / fy on a thousand pound
This wyde world / which þat men seye is round
1228
I wolde it yeue / if I were lord of it
This bargayn is ful dryue / for we ben knyt
Ye shal be payed trewely / by my trouthe
But looketh now / for no necligence or slouthe
1232
Ye tarie vs heer / no lenger than tomorwe
¶ Nay quod this clerk haue heer my feith to borwe
¶ To bedde is goon Aurelius / whan hym leste
And wel neigh al that nyght/ he hadde his reste
Page 367 [6-text p 515]
1236
What for his labour / and his hope of blisse
His woful herte / of penaunce hadde a lisse
¶ Vp on the morwe / whan þat it was day
To Britayne / tooke they the righte way
1240
[1Aur]elius / and this Magicien bisyde*. [Rats.] [folio 160b]
And been descended / ther they wolde abyde
And this was / as thise bookes me remembre
The colde / frosty seson of decembre
1244
¶ Phebus wax old / and hewed lyk laton
That in his hote declynacion
Shoon as the burned gold / with stremys brighte
But now in Capricorn / adoun he lighte
1248
Where as he shoon ful pale / I dar wel seyn
The bittre frostes / with the sleet and reyn
Destruyed hath the grene / in euery yerd
Ianus sit by the fyr / with double berd*. [¶ Ianus biceps.]
And drynketh / of his bugle horn the wyn
Biforn hym stant brawen / of the tusked swyn
And Nowel / crieth euery lusty man
¶ Aurelius / al þat euere he kan
1256
Dooth to this maister / cheere & reuerence
And preyeth hym / to doon his diligence
To bryngen hym / out of his peynes smerte
Or with a swerd / þat he wolde slytte his herte
1260
¶ This subtil clerk swich routhe hadde of this man
That nyght and day / he spedde hym that he kan
To wayten a tyme / of his conclusion
This is to seyn / to make illusion
1264
By swich an apparence / or Iogelrye
I ne kan / no termes of Astrologye
That she and euery wight sholde wene and seye
That of Britayne / the Rokkes were aweye
1268
Or ellis / were sonken vnder grounde
So at the laste / he hath his tyme yfounde
To maken his Iapes / and his wrecchednesse
Of swich / a supersticious cursednesse
Page 368 [6-text p 516]
1272
His tables tolletanes / forth he broght
fful wel corrected / ne ther lakked noght
Neither his collect ne his expans yeris
Ne hise rootes / ne hise othere geris
1276
As been his centris / and hise argumentz
And hise proporcionels conuenientz
ffor hise equacions / in euery thyng
And by his .8. speere / in his wirkyng
1280
He knew ful wel / how fer Alnath was shoue [folio 161a]
ffro the heed / of thilke fixe Aries aboue
That in the .9. speere / considered is
fful subtilly/ he kalkuled al this
1284
¶ Whan he hadde founde / his firste mansion
He knew the remenaunt by proporcion
And knew the arisyng of his Moone wel
And in whos face / and terme / and euery del
1288
And knew ful wel / the Moones mansion
Acordaunt / to his operacion
And knew also / hise othere obseruaunces
ffor swiche illusions / and swiche meschances
1292
As hethen folk vseden / in thilke dayes
ffor which no lenger / maked he delayes
But thurgh his magyk for a wyke or tweye
It semed/ that alle the Rokkes were aweye
1296
¶ Aurelius / which þat yet despeired is
Wher he shal han his loue / or fare amys
Awaiteth nyght and day / on this myracle
And whan he knew / that ther was noon obstacle
1300
That voyded were / thise Rokkes euerichon
Doun to his maistres feet he fil anon
And seyde / I woful wrecche Aurelius
Thonke yow lord / and lady myn Venus
1304
That me han holpen / fro my cares colde
And to the temple / his wey forth hath he holde
Wher as he knew / he sholde his lady se
And whan he saw his tyme / anon right he
Page 369 [6-text p 517]
1308
With dredful herte / and with ful humble cheere
Salued hath / his souerayn lady deere
¶ My righte lady / quod this woful man
Whom I moost drede / and loue as I best kan
1312
And lothest were / of al this world displese
Nere it þat I for yow haue swich disese
That I moste dyen heer/ at youre foot anon
Noght wolde I telle yow / how me is wo bigon
1316
But certes / outher moste I dye / or pleyne
Ye sleen me giltlees / for verray peyne
But of my deeth / thogh þat ye haue no routhe
Auyseth yow / er that ye breke your trouthe
1320
[*. [Rats.] [folio 161b] Repen]teth yow / for thilke god aboue
Er ye me sleen / by cause that I yow loue /
ffor madame / wel ye woot what ye han hight
Nat þat I chalange / any thyng of right
1324
Of yow my souereyn lady / but youre grace
But in a gardyn yond / at swich a place
Ye woot right wel / what ye bihighten me
And in myn hand / your trouthe plighten ye
1328
To loue me best god woot ye seyden so
Al be / þat I vnworthy am ther to
Madame I speke it / for the honour of yow
Moore than to saue / myn hertes lyf right now
1332
I haue do so / as ye comaunded me
And if ye vouche sauf / ye may go se
Dooth as yow list haue youre biheste in mynde
ffor quyk/ or deed / right ther ye shal me fynde
1336
In yow lyth al / to do me lyue or deye
But wel I woot the Rokkes been aweye
¶ He taketh his leue / and she astoned stood
In al hir face / nas a drope of blood
1340
She wende neuere haue come / in swich a trappe
Allas quod she / þat euere this sholde happe
ffor wende I neuere / by possibilitee
That swich a Monstre / or merueille myghte be
Page 370 [6-text p 518]
1344
It is agayns / the proces of nature
And hom she gooth / a sorweful creature
ffor verray feere / vnnethe may she go
She wepeth / wayleth / al a day or two
1348
And swowneth / that it routhe was to se
But why it was / to no wight tolde she
ffor out of towne / was goon Arueragus
But to hir self/ she spak and seyde thus
1352
With face pale / and with ful sorweful cheere
In hir compleinte / as ye shal after heere
¶ Allas quod she / on thee ffortune I pleyne
That vnwar / wrapped hast me in thy cheyne
1356
ffor which tescape / woot I no socour
Saue oonly / deeth / or deshonour
Oon of thise two / bihoueth me to chese
But nathelees / yet haue I leuere to lese
1360
My lyf / than of my body to haue a shame/ [folio 162a]
Or knowen my seluen fals / or lese my name
And with my deeth / I may be quyt ywis
Hath ther nat many a noble wyf er this
1364
And many a mayde / yslayn hir self allas
Rather / than with hir body doon trespas
¶ Yis certes / lo thise stories beren witnesse
Whan .xxx. tirauntz / ful of cursednesse
1368
Hadde slayn Phidon / in Atthenes atte feste*. [¶ 30a Atheniensium tiranni [cum Phidonem] necassent/ in conuiuio filia[s eius virgi]nes ad se venire iusserunt/ & s[cotorum mo]re nudari / ac super pauimentu[m patris] sanguine cruentatas inpudicis ge[stibus] ludere / que paulisper dissimulato [dolo]re / cum tumulentos conuiuas cerneren[t] quasi ad requisita nature egredientes inuicem se complexe precipi|tauerun[t] in puteum vt virginitate morte seruaren[t].]
They comaunded / his doghtren for tareste
And bryngen hem / biforn hem in despit
Al naked / to fulfille hir foul delit
1372
And in hir fadres blood / they made hem daunce
Vp on the pauement god yeue hem meschaunce
ffor which / thise woful maydens / ful of drede
Rather / than they wolde lese hir maydenhede
1376
They pryuely / been stirt in to a welle
And dreynte hem seluen / as the bokes telle
¶ They of Mecene / leete enquere and seke
Of Lacedomye / fifty maydens eke
Page 371 [6-text p 519]
1380
On whiche / they wolden doon hir lecherye
But was ther noon / of al that compaignye
That she nas slayn / and with a good entente
Chees rather for to dye / than assente
1384
To been oppressed / of hir maydenhede
Why sholde I thanne / to dye been in drede
¶ Loo eek / the tiraunt Aristoclides
That loued a mayden / highte Stymphalides
1388
Whan þat hir fader / slayn was on a nyght
Vn to Dianes temple / gooth she right
And hente the ymage / in hir handes two
ffro which ymage / wolde she neuere go
1392
No wight ne myghte / hir handes of it arace
Til she was slayn / right in the selue place
Now sith þat maydens / hadden swich despit*. [¶ Singulas has historias & plur[es] hanc materiam concernentes reci[tat] beatus Ieronimus contra Iouini|an[um] in primo suo libro, capitulo .39.]
To been defouled / with mannes foul delit
1396
Wel oghte a wyf/ rather hir seluen sle
Than be defouled / as it thynketh me
¶ What shal I seyn / of Hasdrubales wyf
That at Cartage / birafte hir self hir lyf
1400
[ffor*. [Rats.] [folio 162b] ] whan she saw / that Romayns wan the town
[*. [Rats.]S]he took hir children alle / and skipte adown
In to the fyr / and chees rather to dye
Than any Romayn / dide hire vileynye
1404
¶ Hath nat Lucresse / yslayn hir self allas
At Rome / whan she oppressed was
Of Tarquyn / for hir thoughte it was a shame
To lyuen / whan she hadde lost hir name
1408
¶ The .vij. maydens / of Milesie also
Han slayn hem self/ for verray drede and wo
Rather than folk/ of Gawle / hem sholde oppresse
Mo than a thousand stories / as I gesse
1412
Koude I now telle / as touchyng this matere
¶ Whan habradace was slayn / his wyf so deere
Hir seluen slow / and leet hir blood to glyde
In Habradaces woundes / depe and wyde
Page 372 [6-text p 520]
1416
And seyde / my body / at the leeste way
Ther shal no wight defoulen if I may
¶ What sholde I mo ensamples / her of sayn
Sith that so manye / han hem seluen slayn
1420
Wel rather / than they wolde defouled be
I wol conclude / that it is bet for me
To sleen my self than ben defouled thus
I wol be trewe / vn to Arueragus
1424
Or rather sle my self in som manere
As dide / democienis doghter deere
By cause / þat she wolde nat defouled be
¶ O Cedasus / it is ful gret pitee
1428
To reden / how thy doghtren deyde allas
That slowe hem self for swich maner cas
¶ As greet a pitee was it or wel moore
The Theban mayden / that for Nychanore
1432
Hir seluen slow / right for swich manere wo
¶ Another Theban mayden / dide right so
ffor oon of Macedonye / hadde hire oppressed
She with hir owene deeth / hir maydenhed redressed
1436
¶ What shal I seyn / of Nyceratis wyf
That for swich cas / birafte hir self hir lyf
¶ How trewe eek / was to Alcebiades
His loue / that rather for to dyen chees
1440
Than for to suffre / his body vnburyed be [folio 163a]
¶ Lo which a wyf / was Alceste quod she
¶ What Omer / of goode Penolopee
Al Grece / knoweth of hir chastitee
1444
¶ Pardee of Laodomya / is writen thus
That whan at Troye / was slayn Protheselaus
No lenger wolde she lyue / after his day
¶ The same / of noble Porcia telle I may
1448
With oute Brutus / koude she nat lyue
To whom she hadde / al hool hir herte yeue
¶ The parfit wifhod / of Arthemesye
Honoured is / thurgh al the Barbarye
Page 373 [6-text p 521]
1452
¶ O Teuta queene / thy wifly chastitee
To alle wyues / may a Mirour bee
[. . . . .*. [[Not in Reg. 18 C ii, lf 154, bk; or Sloane 1685, lf 155, bk; or Harl. 1758, lf 135; or Harl. 7335, lf 151, bk; or Harl. 7333, lf 85 bk, col. 2; or Sloane 1686, lf 205; or Reg. 17 D xv, lf 188, bk (leaf out of Harl. 1239). Not in any Cambr. or Bodl. MS, or Christ|Church.]]
. . . . .*. [no gap in the MS.]]
¶ Thus pleyned Dorigene / a day or tweye
Purposynge euere þat she wolde deye
¶ But nathelees / vp on the thridde nyght
Hom cam Arueragus / this worthy knyght
And asked hire / why þat she weepe so soore
1461
And she gan wepen / euer lenger the moore
¶ Allas quod she / þat euere was I born
Thus haue I seyd quod she / thus haue I sworn
1464
And tolde hym al / as ye han herd bifore
It nedeth nat reherce it yow namoore
¶ This housbond with glad cheere / in frendly wise
Answerde and seyde / as I shal yow deuyse
1468
¶ Is ther oght ellis dorigen / but this
¶ Nay nay quod she / god help me so as wys
This is to muche / and it were goddes wille
¶ Ye wyf quod he / lat slepen that is stille
1472
It may be wel perauenture / yet to day
Ye shul youre trouthe holden / by my fay
ffor god so wisly / haue mercy vp on me
I hadde wel leuere / ystiked for to be
1476
ffor verray loue / which þat I to yow haue
But if ye sholde / youre trouthe kepe and saue
Trouthe is the hyeste thyng þat man may kepe
But with that word / he brast anon to wepe
1480
And seyde I yow forbede / vp peyne of deeth
That neuere whil thee lasteth / lyf ne breeth
[To no*. [Rats.] [folio 163b] ] wight tel thow / of this auenture
[As*. [Rats.]] I may best / I wol my wo endure
1484
Ne make / no contenance of heuynesse
That folk of yow / may demen harm or gesse
¶ And forth he clepyd / a Squyer and a mayde
Goth forth anon with Dorigen / he sayde
Page 374 [6-text p 522]
1488
And bryngeth hire / to swich a place anon
They toke hir leue / and on hir wey they gon
But they ne wiste / why they thider wente
He nolde to no wight tellen his entente
1492
[. . . . .*. [[Not in Reg. 18 C ii, leaf 155, or Sloane 1685, lf 156,or Harl. 7335, lf 152, or Harl. 1758, lf 135; bk; or Harl. 7333, lf 86 col. 1; or Sloane 1686, lf 205 bk; or Reg. 17 D xv, lf 189; leaf out of Harl. 1239. l. 1493-8 known only in the Ellesmere MS.]]
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .*. [no gap in the MS.]
¶ This Squyer / which þat highte Aurelius
On Dorigen / þat was so amorus
1500
Of auenture / happed hir to meete
Amydde the town / right in the quykkest strete
As she was boun / to goon the wey forth right
Toward the gardyn / ther as she had hight
1504
And he was / to the gardynward also
ffor wel he spyed / whan she wolde go
Out of hir hous / to any maner place
But thus they meete / of auenture or grace
1508
And he salueth hire / with glad entente
And asked of hire / whiderward she wente
¶ And she answerde / half as she were mad
Vn to the gardyn / as myn housbond bad
1512
My trouthe for to holde / allas / allas
¶ Aurelius / gan wondren on this cas
And in his herte / hadde greet compassion
Of hire / and of hir lamentacion
1516
And of Arueragus / the worthy knyght
That bad hir holden / al that she had hight
So looth hym was / his wyf sholde breke hir trouthe
And in his herte / he caughte of this greet routhe
1520
Considerynge the beste / on euery syde
That fro his lust yet were hym leuere abyde
Than doon so heigh / a cherlyssh wrecchednesse
Agayns franchise / and alle gentillesse
Page 375 [6-text p 523]
1524
ffor which in fewe wordes / seyde he thus
¶ Madame / seyeth to youre lord Arueragus
That sith I se / his grete gentillesse
To yow / and eek I se wel youre distresse
1528
That hym were leuere han shame / and that were routhe [folio 164a]
Than ye to me / sholde breke thus your trouthe
I haue wel leuere / euere to suffre wo
Than I departe the loue / bitwix yow two
1532
I yow relesse madame / in to youre hond
Quyt euery serement and euery bond
That ye han maad to me / as her biforn
Sith thilke tyme / which þat ye were born
1536
My trouthe I plighte / I shal you neuer repreue
Of no biheeste / and here I take my leue
As of the treweste / and the beste wyf
That euere yet I knew / in al my lyf
1540
But euery wyf / be war of hir biheste
On Dorigene / remembreth at the leste
Thus kan a Squyer / doon a gentil dede
As wel as kan a knyght with outen drede
1544
¶ She thonketh hym / vp on hir knees al bare
And hom vn to hir housbond / is she fare
And tolde hym al / as ye han herd me sayd
And be ye siker / he was so wel apayd
1548
That it were inpossible / me to write
What sholde I lenger / of this cas endite
¶ Arueragus / and Dorigene his wyf
In souereyn blisse / leden forth hir lyf
1552
Neuere eft ne was ther angre hem bitwene
He cherisseth hire / as thogh she were a queene
And she was to hym trewe / for euere moore
Of thise two folk/ ye gete of me namoore
1556
¶ Aurelius / that his cost hath al forlorn
Curseth the tyme / that euere he was born
Allas quod he / allas that I bihighte
Of pured gold / a thousand pound of wighte
Page 376 [6-text p 524]
1560
Vn to this Philosophre / how shal I do
I se namoore / but that I am for-do
Myn heritage / moot I nedes selle
And been a beggere / here may I nat dwelle
1564
And shamen al my kynrede / in this place
But I of hym / may gete bettre grace
But nathelees / I wol of hym assaye
At certeyn dayes / yeer by yeer to paye
1568
[And*. [Rats.] [folio 164b] ] thonke hym / of his grete curteisye
[*. [Rats.]M]y trouthe wol I kepe / I nel nat lye
¶ With herte soor / he gooth vn to his cofre
And broghte gold / vn to this Philosophre
1572
The value / of fyue hundred pound I gesse
And hym bisecheth / of his gentillesse
To graunten hym dayes / of the remenant
And seyde Maister / I dar wel make auant
1576
I fayled neuere / of my trouthe as yit
ffor sikerly / my dette shal be quyt
Towardes yow / how euere þat I fare
To goon abegged / in my kirtel bare
1580
But wolde ye vouche sauf vp on seuretee
Two yeer or thre / for to respiten me
Thanne were I wel / for ellis moot I selle
Myn heritage / ther is namoore to telle
1584
¶ This Philosophre / sobrely answerde
And seyde thus / whan he thise wordes herde
Haue I nat holden couenant vn to thee
¶ Yis certes / wel and trewely quod he
1588
¶ Hastow nat had / thy lady as thee liketh
¶ No no quod he / and sorwefully he siketh
¶ What was the cause / tel me if thow kan
¶ Aurelius / his tale anon bigan
1592
And tolde hym al / as ye han herd bifore
It nedeth nat to yow reherce it moore
¶ He seyde / Arueragus / of gentillesse
Hadde leuere dye / in sorwe and in distresse
Page 377 [6-text p 525]
1596
Than þat his wyf/ were of hir trouthe fals
The sorwe of dorigen / he tolde hym als
How looth hir was / to ben a wikked wyf
And þat she leuere had lost that day hir lyf
1600
And þat hir trouthe / she swoor thurgh Innocence
She neuere erst hadde herd speke / of apparence
That made me han of hire / so greet pitee
And right as frely / as he sente hir me
1604
As frely sente I hire / to hym agayn
This al and som / ther is namoore to sayn
¶ This Philosophre answerde / leeue brother
Euerich of yow / dide gentilly til oother
1608
Thow art a Squyer / and he is a knyght [folio 165a]
But god forbede / for his blisful myght
But if a clerk koude doon a gentil dede
As wel as any of yow / it is no drede
1612
¶ Sire I relesse thee / thy thowsand pound
As thow right now / were cropen out of the ground
Ne neuere er now / ne haddest knowen me
ffor sire / I wol nat take a peny of thee
1616
ffor al my craft ne noght for my trauaille
Thow hast ypayed wel / for my vitaille
It is ynogh / and fare wel haue good day
And took his hors / and forth he goth his way
1620
¶ Lordynges / this question / than wol I aske now
Which was the mooste free / as thynketh yow
Now telleth me / er that ye ferther wende
I kan namoore / my tale is at an ende [6-text p 527]
1624
¶ Here endeth the ffrankeleyns tale.*. [[No more text on this page of the MS.]]
