The complete works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Vol. 7. Chaucerian and other pieces / edited from numerous mauscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat.

XIV. A BALADE: WARNING MEN TO BEWARE OF DECEITFUL WOMEN. [From Trin. (Trin. Coll. Cam. R. 3. 19), printed in Ed. (ed. 1561); T. (Trin. Coll. O. 9. 38); H. (Harl. 2251).]

LOKE wel aboute, ye that lovers be; [1. Trin. welle. T. abowte; Trin. about.] Lat nat your lustes lede you to dotage; [2. Trin. leede.] Be nat enamoured on al thing that ye see. [3. Trin. se.] Sampson the fort, and Salamon the sage [4. T. H. Salamon; Trin. Salomon.] Deceived were, for al hir gret corage; [ 5] [5. T. here (read hir)); Trin. H. theyr (and elsewhere).] Men deme hit is right as they see at y; [6. So T.; Trin. H. hit right that they se with. T. eye; Trin. ey; H. ye; (read y).] Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly. [7. T. ette, alt. to ettyth; Trin. H. eteth (read et, and so elsewhere).]

I mene, in women, for al hir cheres queinte, [8. H. T. in; Trin. of. Trin. wemen; queynt.] Trust nat to moche; hir trouthë is but geson; [9. Trin. H. hem nat (T. om. hem). Trin. trowth; geason (T. geson).] The fairest outward ful wel can they peinte, [ 10] [10. T. fulle; Trin. H. om. Trin. peynt.] Hir stedfastnes endureth but a seson; For they feyn frendlines and worchen treson. [12. Trin. feyne.] And for they be chaungeáble naturally, [13. T. be; Trin. ar; H. are. Trin. chaungeabylle.] Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly.

Though al the world do his besy cure [ 15] To make women stonde in stablenes, [16. Trin. wemen stond; stabylnes.] Hit may nat be, hit is agayn nature; [17. T. H. may; Trin. wolle.] The world is do whan they lak doublenes; [18. Trin. doubylnes.] For they can laughe and love nat; this is expres. [19. Trin. lawgh; expresse. H. om. nat.] To trust in hem, hit is but fantasy; [ 20] [20. H. T. in; Trin. on. Trin. theym.] Bewar therfore; the blind et many a fly.

What wight on-lyve trusteth in hir cheres [22. T. yn; Trin. on. Trin. cherys.] Shal haue at last his guerdon and his mede; They can shave nerer then rasóurs or sheres; [24. T. They; Trin. For wemen.] Al is nat gold that shyneth! Men, take hede; [ 25] [25. Trin. shynyth.] Hir galle is hid under a sugred wede. [26. Trin. sugryd.] Hit is ful hard hir fantasy t'aspy; [27. T. harde; Trin. H. queynt. Trin. to aspy.] Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly. [15-28. So T. H.; Trin transposes 15-21 and 22-28.]

Women, of kinde, have condicions three; [29. T. has the note: Fallere flere nere tria sunt hec in muliere. Trin. thre.] The first is, that they be fulle of deceit; [ 30] [30. T. that; Trin. H. om.] To spinne also hit is hir propertee; [31. T. hyt; Trin. om. T. properte; Trin. propurte.] And women have a wonderful conceit, [32. H. haue; T. hath; Trin. om. Trin. conseyte.] They wepen ofte, and al is but a sleight, [33. Trin. H. For they; T. om. For. T. wepyth (read wepen); Trin. wepe. T. H. but; Trin. om. H. a sleight; T. deceyt; Trin. asteyte; Ed. a sleite.] And whan they list, the tere is in the y; [34. Trin. teere; ey.] Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly. [ 35]

What thing than eyr is lighter and meveable? The light, men say, that passeth in a throw; [37. T. passyth.] Al if the light be nat so variable [38. T. All yff; waryabylle.] As is the wind that every wey [can] blow; [39. T. wynde; ys blow (alt. to blowth; read can blow).] And yet, of reson, som men deme and trow [ 40] [40. T. yut; summen.] Women be lightest of hir company; [41. T. ther (for hir).] Bewar therfore; the blind et many a fly. [36-42. In T. only.]

In short to say, though al the erth so wan [43. T. schorte; Trin. sothe. Trin. erthe; wanne.] Were parchëmyn smothe, whyte and scribable, [44. Trin. parchemyne; scrybabylle.] And the gret see, cleped the occian, [ 45] [45. T. H. that clepyd is; Trin. that callyd ys (read cleped). H. om. the. Trin. occiane.] Were torned in inke, blakker then is sable, [46. T. yn; Trin. into; H. to. T. H. is; Trin. om.] Ech stik a penne, ech man a scriveyn able, [47. T. H. Eche; Trin. Euery. Trin. yche; abylle. H. scryven; T. Trin. scriuener.] They coud nat wryte wommannes traitory; [48. T. They cowde not; Trin. Nat cowde then (!). T. wymmenys; Trin. womans; H. wommans. T. treytorye; Trin. H. trechery] Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly. [ 49]