The seven sages in English verse / edited from a manuscript in the public library of the University of Cambridge by Thomas Wright.

A TALE.

Than gladdyd maystyr Marcius, And bygan hys tale thus, To the emperour anoon ryght:— And sayed, "In Hungerye was a knyght, And mete a sweven byfore the daye,

That a levedy by hym laye; Bot hyt was a wondir cas, [ 2790] He wyst never what the lady was. When he wok, hyt was so faste Hys love oppon that lady caste, Tha[t] hym thout withine a prowe, And he see hyr, he couth hir knowe. "And the levedy, that self nyght, Mete ryght so of the knyght. "The knyght tok hors and armes anon, And tok hys leve, and dyde hym to gon, To loke were he myght hir fet, [ 2800] The levedy that he of met. He rode hys way thre wykkes and more, And oft sythes syghyde sore; And hys way forth he name, Into Puyle than he came. As he rode in the londe, O day a toun he fande, And a castel was ther-inne, That was ivel for to wynne. The lorde of the castel [ 2810] Hadde swythe a fayere juwel, On the fayerest womman to wyfe That ever myght here lyfe; And the godman was gelous, And in a tour mad hyr a hous, And ther-in most no lyfe Bot a mayden and hys wyfe. And for he wolde of gyle be ware, Hys owen body the keye he bare;

And never more was the dore undo, [ 2820] Bot when [he] wolde comen hyr to. The knyght that met that sweven at nyght, Of that lady was so bryght, Thorow the toun as he rode, A whyle he hovede and abode Ryght a lytyl fram the toure Thare was the lady of honour That mete the sweven of the knyght, In bede thare scho lay al nyght. The knyght kest hys hee on hyghe, [ 2830] And ate the wyndow the lady he see, And by the syght he wyst hir thoght, That was the lady that he hadde sowt; And in the levedy hert hyt felle, That was the knyght that ho loved wel. Bothe thare hertys were ful lyghte, That hayther hadde of othyr syght. The knyght wente into the toune, And took hys ine, and lyght adoune; Hys hoste he in councel nam, [ 2840] And sayed, 'Who hys thys castel, That hys touryde and kernelde wel?' "'Sire,' quod he, 'by saynt Symyoun, Hyt hys the lordes of thys toun, A swythe godman y-wys, And in mykyle tene hys. In thys contré hys a knyght That werys on hym day and nyght, And hase done twa ȝere and more, And that greves hym ful sore. [ 2850]

He mande hym wel ate the knyght Al the daye and al the nyght; On morwen tho the day came, Towarde the castel the waye he nam, And wyth the lorde sone he mete, And ful hendlych hym grete, And sayed, 'Syre, I am comen For were that thou havest undirnome, For to helpe the for of thyne, Thy werre for to hende and fine.' [ 2860] "Quod the lorde, 'So mot I the, Thou art ful welcome to me.' Atte schorte wordis for to telle He made the knyght with hym to dwelle; And he was good werrour and wyes, And conquerd al his enmys. The lord lovyd hym as hys lyfe, And al hys good, so hys wyfe, He bytoke undyr hys hond, And made hym stywarde of al hys londe. [ 2870] "Oppon a day he went to playe, Undir the tour he made hys waye; The lady loked oute on heygh, And in the face the kynghte scho see, And kende anoon that was hee That scho desired so mykyl to see. The knyght kest upe hys hee To the lady that sat so hye. The levedy durst speke nowte, Bot of a qweyntys scho was bythoute; [ 2880]

There were in hyr chambyr y-nowe Fayer reschys and longe growe, With that on and with that othir Scho putte ilke resche in other, And made a karole in a stounde, The ton hende touched to grounde, And the othir scho helde on heygh. And the knyght byhelde and see, And wyst wylle in hys thowt, Why that nicote was y-wroght. [ 2890] The knyght privelyche and stylle Asayed alle the lordys wille, And thout wydyr-out and were, That he wolde a toure rere Lenand to the mykyl toure, To do in hys tresour. Thorow a qweyntyse he thout to wyne The lady that was loke there-inne. "Quod the lorde, 'Ne spare nought, Bot hye that hyt were wroght.' [ 2900] Oppon a day stylle as stoon He sent eftyr masons anoon, Thay schuld ordeyn and dyvysse To make a waye with qweyntysse Out of on tour into that othyr. And a mason and hys brothyr Undirtoke anon ryght Hyt schulde be qwentlyche dyght, That he schulde with hir speke That was in the toure steke. [ 2910]

That on masson was a clerke, And made so qwentilich the werke, That to levedy come the knyghte, When he wolde, daye and nyghte, That no man myght the wyser be, Bote the levedy hyr selfe and hee. So qweyntlich hit was wroght, The lorde persaved hit nowt. O daye to hire he cam, And hys leve than he name [ 2920] A rynge of hir fynger scho tooke, As tellys the Romans booke, And put hyt on hys, And, 'Lemman, were thou thys, And late my lorde see hit aryght, And brynge hyt me agayn er nyght.' He dyde on the renge anoon, And took hys leve, and dyde hym to gon. Ate the met as he sate, The lorde the rynge undirrat, [ 2930] And hadde merveyle in hys thout How the rynge was thydir broght. After mete the way he nam, And to the levedy sone he cam; Tho the lorde hadde y-swore, Ȝyt cam he in byfore, And kest the rynge in hyre barme, For to save hom bothe fra harme, And tok hys leve, and dyd hym to gon. And the lorde cam in anoon, [ 2940]

And sayed, 'Dam, were hys thyn rynge, That was ate our bygynnyng The first gyfte that I gaf the, That rynge late me see.' 'Sire,' scho sayed, 'thou myght wel, And many anothir juwel.' 'Dame,' he sayed, 'lat ham bee, I wyl no mo than that see.' To hyre forcer scho gan goon, And broght the rynge anoon [ 2950] That lay loken in hir tie; Thus scho bleryd hyre lordys eie. Anoon as the lorde was agoone, The styward come in anoon; Tho levedy tolde hym al that cas, How hyr lord bygylyd was, And sayed, 'Sire, doute the nowt, Al thy wylle schal be wroute, And I wylle telle the anoon Whilke manere and howe. [ 2960] Saye thou havest in thyn contree Slane a man of grete bounté, There-fore were thy londys lore, And thou were outlawde ther-fore; And saye thou hase a leve wyfe, A lemman that hys nouȝt thy wyfe, And scho hys comen in a message To come hom to thyn erytage; And he wylle besyche the That he mot thy lemman see. [ 2970]

And thou schalt graunt hym anon; And I wyl be redy to goon In anothir tyre than thys, To se me whan hys wyl hys. And whan he hase sene me hys fylle, Thanne mowe we haven oure wylle To gone wan we wyllen in fere, Thanne wylle he no talys here Nowthyr of me no of the, Bot wene that I thy lemman be.' [ 2980] "Quod the stywarde, 'That may nouȝt fye, And he se the with hys eye, Anon as he haves a syght, He wyl knowe the anoon ryghte.' "'Sire,' quod scho, 'be myn hede, My rynge schal make oure parti goode, That he on thy fynger see, And sythyn he fande hyt here on heye; Ther-fore dout the nought, Thys schal been al hys thought, [ 2990] As a rynge was lyche anothyr, So may a womman be lyche anothir. There schal the knote of gyle be knyt, The rynge schal blynde hys wyt.' The styward went, and was glade, For to make hys lorde made, And tolde hym that hys pes was nome, And how hys lemman was comen, And hadde broght the messages To come home to erytage; [ 3000]

And asked hym leve for to wende. And hys loverd was ful hende, And sayed, 'Yf thy lemman hys comen, For soth scho hys welcome; Late hyre take to nyght rest, To morne scho sal be my geste.' On the morne to the mete scho cam, And by the hond the lorde hyre nam, And faste by hym he hyr sete, And made hyre to saye hys mete; [ 3010] And he karf hys mete with hys knyf, And sat and byhelde hys wyf, And in gret thout he was Where hyt were hys wyfe er hit nas. Alse he sat in mornynge, Anon he thout oppon the rynge, And thout anoon in hys thought That hys wyf was hyt nowt, Bot as a rynge was lyche anothyr, So was a womman liche anothyr, [ 3020] And sate stille and made hym glade, And thus hys wyf made hym made. Whan the bordis were adoun, Scho made semlant for to swone, For scho wolde ben a-gon Into the toure anoon; And thyder scho was sone brought That hire lorde wyste hyt nowt. The lorde he ne forgat hyt nowt, Scho was algate in hys thought; [ 3030]

For the merveyle that he syghe, He went into the tour on hygh. To the levedy when he cam, In hir armes scho hym nam; He was blyth as bryde on bogh, And wende al were god y-nowe, And dweld with hir al tha nyght Til on the morne the day was bright. The styward let take al hys good, And bere hit into se flood [ 3040] Into a god schype and trewe, That was maked al newe. When the wynd was good to goon, The senescal tok hys leve anoon. The lorde was bothe good and hynd, And gaf hym leve for to wende, And hym self broght him in way Into the see a myle or tway, Wyth truppys and other mynstralcie, Wyth many maner of melodye. [ 3050] The lord halpe with myrthe and playe Tollyd hys oune wyf away. Thay token leve and wente o-two, And cysten as love schulde do. The schyppe saylyd over the sonde, The lorde went agayn to londe; Into the tour the way he nam, He lokyd both forth and bynne, And fande noman ther-inne. Than gaf hym hys hert anoon [ 3060]

That hys wyf was goon With the senescal away: Than sayed he, walaway! That ever was he man boren! Than was al hys myrthe lorne. He lepe out of the tour anoon, And than brake hys neke boon. Thus was the goodman schent, And with hys wyvys wylys blent. Sire emperour," quod Marcius, [ 3070] "Ryght on thys manere and thus Schal thy wyf bygile the, And thou leve hir, so mot I the. Hyre self with hyre wylys alone Haves gylyd my felawes ilcon, And me scho wille, yf scho may, Er to morwen that hyt be day, For to bryng thy sone to sorowe; Certys he schal speke to morowe, Thou schalt wyet er aut longe [ 3080] Whethir of thaym hase the wronge." Quod the emperour to Marcius, "That were me lever, by swet Jhesus, Than any thyng that men telle couth, To here my sone speke with mouthe, For to see the ryght way, Who were gylty of thaym tway." "Sire," quod Marcius, "be stille, To morwen thou schalt have thy wille." When the lady herde thys, [ 3090] Scho was swyth sory, i-wys;

Than wolde scho telle no more, But al that nyght syghyd sore. Oppon morwen ryght at prime, The emperour thout tyme; In the paleys withouten the halle Thare he lette asembyle alle, Erlys, barouns, sympile knyghtys, For to here jugge the ryghtys Bytwen hys sone and hys wyfe, [ 3100] Whethir schuld lese the lyfe; For he hadden sworen hys hoth, Were he lyf, were he loth, He schuld dye withouten delay Who were founde gylty that day. When thay wystyn wat to doone, The pepyle was semyld sone, And ilke man hyed bylyve, For to have the childe on lyve. The emperour come out of hys halle, [ 3110] And sete hym doun among thaym alle; The emperes was broght with pryde, And set adoun by hys syde. The childe was anoon efter sent, To come byfore the parlement. The childe was forthe broght; Many a man was glade in thought. Byfore hys fader he fal on knee, And cryed mercy for charyté; And sayed, "Fadyr, I have no gylte [ 3120] Of thyng that hys oppon me pute,

Certys, no more than hadde he That hadde ben dronke on the see, Na hadde Goddys help ben neye, That broght hym to a roche on hye; And thourow myght of Godys sonde He was founden and broght to londe!" "Certys, sone," quod the emperour, "Hyt were us lytil honour, Bot we myght on wyle dwelle, [ 3130] And suffyre the thy tale telle." And thay sytyn stille ilke mane, And the childe hys tale bygane.