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

X. A BALADE; IN COMMENDATION OF OUR LADY. [From Th.; collated with A. (Ashmole 59); and Sl. (Sloane 1212).]

(A devoute balade by Lidegate of Bury, made at the reverence of oure lady, Qwene of mercy.—A.)

A THOUSAND stories coude I mo reherce [1. A. I kouþe to you.] Of olde poetes, touching this matere, [2. A. clerkis (for poetes); the (for this).] How that Cupyde the hertes gan so perce [3. A. cane mens hertes presse (!).] Of his servauntes, setting hem on fere; [4. Th. hem; A. þeire hertes. Th. in fere; A. a fuyre.] Lo, here the fyn of th'errour and the were! [ 5] [5. A. With ful daunger payeþe his subgettes hyre. Sl. weere; Th. fere.] Lo, here of love the guerdon and grevaunce That ever with wo his servaunts doth avaunce! [7. Th. Sl. euer; A. aye. Sl. A. his.. doth; Th. her.. do.]

Wherfor now playnly I wol my style dresse [8. Th. nowe; A. om. Sl. redresse.] Of one to speke, at nede that wol nat fayle; Alas! for dole, I ne can ne may expresse [ 10] [10. A. Ellas I ne can ne may not ful expresse.] Her passing pryse, and that is no mervayle. [11. Th. Sl. and that; A. the whiche.] O wind of grace, now blow into my sayle! [12. Th. wynde. Sl. into; Th. unto. A. þou blowe nowe to my.] O aureat licour of Cleo, for to wryte [13. Th. auryate; A. aureate. A. om. of.] My penne enspyre, of that I wolde endyte! [14. A. tenspyre of whiche I thenk to wryte. Sl. wold; Th. wol.]

Alas! unworthy I am and unable [ 15] [15. A. But sith I am sonworthy (!).] To love suche oon, al women surmounting, [16. Sl. on; Th. A. one.] To be benigne to me, and merciable, [17. A. To; Th. Sl. But she.]

That is of pitè the welle and eek the spring! [18. A. Whiche of pytee is welle.] Wherfor of her, in laude and in praysing, [19. Th. Sl. of; A. to.] So as I can, supported by her grace, [ 20] [20. Th. Sl. can; A. am.] Right thus I say, kneling tofore her face:—

O sterre of sterres, with thy stremes clere, [22. A. O souereine sterre.] Sterre of the see, to shipmen light and gyde, O lusty living, most plesaunt to apere, [24. Sl. lemand (for living). Sl. most; Th. A. moste.] Whos brighte bemes the cloudes may not hyde; [ 25] [25. Th. Whose bright beames. Th. Sl. may; A. cane.] O way of lyf to hem that go or ryde, [26. A. lyff; Th. Sl. lyfe.] Haven from tempest, surest up to ryve, [27. A. frome; Th. Sl. after.] On me have mercy, for thy joyes fyve!

O rightful rule, O rote of holinesse, [29. Sl. rote; Th. A. bote.] And lightsom lyne of pitè for to playne, [ 30] Original ginning of grace and al goodnesse, [31. A. gynnyng of grace and; Th. Sl. begynn∣ing of grace and al.] Clenest conduit of vertue soverayne, [32. A. Clennest; Th. And clenest. Th. Sl. ins. most bef. sovereyne.] Moder of mercy, our trouble to restrayne, [33. A. Moder; Th. Mother.] Chambre and closet clenest of chastitè, [34. A. al cloose closette; Th. Sl. and closet clennest.] And named herberwe of the deitè! [ 35] [35. Th. herbrough; Sl. herberwe. A. The hyest herber (!) of al the.]

O hoolsom garden, al voyde of wedes wikke, [36. A. holsome; Th. Sl. closed. A. om. al.] Cristallin welle, of clennesse clere consigned, [37. A. Welle cristallyne. A. Sl. clennesse; Th. clerenesse.] Fructif olyve, of foyles faire and thikke, [38. A. Fructyff; Th. Fructyfyed. Th. fayre; A. so feyre.] And redolent cedre, most dereworthly digned, [39. A. om. And. A. om. most.] Remembre on sinners unto thee assigned [ 40] [40. A. om. on. Sl. pecchours (for sinners). A. unto; Th. Sl. that to the be.] Er wikked fendes hir wrathe upon hem wreche; [41. Th. Sl. Or wikked; A. Er foule. A. on hem þeire wrathe. Sl. upon; Th. on.] Lanterne of light, thou be hir lyves leche! [42. Th. om. be.]

Paradyse of plesaunce, gladsom to al good, [43. A. Thou Paradys plesante, gladnesse of goode.] Benigne braunchelet of the pyne-tree, [44. A. And benigne braunche.] Vyneyerd vermayle, refressher of our food, [ 45] [45. A. Vyneyerde vermayle; Th. Sl. Vynarie enuermayled. Sl. food; Th. A. bote.]

Licour ayein languor, palled that may not be, [46. Th. ayen al langour; A. geyne langoure. A. palde that; Th. Sl. that palled.] Blisful bawme-blossom, byding in bountè, [47. Sl. Blisful bawme; A. Thou blessed; Th. Blysful blomy.] Thy mantel of mercy on our mischef sprede, [48. Sl. misericord on our myschef. Th. on our myserie; A. vppon vs spilt thou.] And er wo wake, wrappe us under thy wede! [49. Th. awake. A. wake and wrappe vs ay vnder.]

O rody rosier, flouring withouten spyne, [ 50] [50. A. O rede roos raylling withouten. Th. without.] Fountayne filthles, as beryl currant clere, [51. Th. al fylthlesse; A. om. al. A. currant as beryle. Th. byrel.] Som drope of graceful dewe to us propyne; [52. Th. Sl. of thy; I omit thy. A. Grace of thy dewe til vs thou do propyne.] Light withoute nebule, shyning in thy spere, [53. Th. O light; Sl. Thou lyght. A. Thou louely light, shynynge in bright spere.] Medecyne to mischeves, pucelle withouten pere, [54. A. missers; Th. mischeues; Sl. myscheuows. A. withouten; Th. without.] Flame doun to doleful light of thyn influence [ 55] [55. Th. Flambe; A. Dryve. Sl. to; Th. A. the. A. om. doleful.] On thy servauntes, for thy magnificence! [56. A. On; Th. Sl. Remembring.]

Of al Christen protectrice and tutele, Retour of exyled, put in prescripcioun [58. Sl. Retour; Th. Returne; A. Recure. A. Sl. in; Th. in the.] To hem that erre in the pathe of hir sequele; [59. A. To therroures of the pathe sequele.] To wery wandred tent and pavilioun, [ 60] [60. A. For (for To). Sl. wan∣drid; Th. forwandred; A. wandering.] The feynte to fresshe, and the pausacioun; [61. So A. Th. To faynte and to fresshe the.] Unto unresty bothe reste and remedye, [62. A. To wery wightes ful reste.] Fruteful to al tho that in her affye. [63. Th. tho that; A. that hem. A. omits ll. 64-119.]

To hem that rennen thou art itinerárie, [64. Th. arte.] O blisful bravie to knightes of thy werre; [ 65] To wery werkmen thou art diourn denárie, [66. Sl. thou art; Th. she is. Th. diourne.] Mede unto mariners that have sayled ferre; Laureat crowne, streming as a sterre [68. Th. Laureate.] To hem that putte hem in palestre for thy sake, [69. Th. put; palastre.] Cours of her conquest, thou whyte as any lake! [ 70]

Thou mirthe of martyrs, sweter than citole, [71. Sl. Thow; Th. O. Th. myrthe; swetter; sytole.] Of confessours also richest donatyf, [72. Sl. om. also. Th. donatyfe.]

Unto virgynes eternal lauriole, Afore al women having prerogatyf; [74. Th.-tyfe.] Moder and mayde, bothe widowe and wyf, [ 75] [75. Th. Mother; wyfe.] Of al the worlde is noon but thou alone! [76. Sl. In all this. Sl. noon; Th. none.] Now, sith thou may, be socour to my mone!

O trusty trutle, trewest of al trewe, [78. Sl. trewest; Th. truefastest.] O curteyse columbe, replete of al mekenesse, O nightingale with thy notes newe, [ 80] O popinjay, plumed with al clennesse, [81. Sl. plumed; Th. pured.] O laverok of love, singing with swetnesse, [82. Sl. larke.] Phebus, awayting til in thy brest he lighte [83. Sl. in; Th. on.] Under thy winge at domesday us dighte! [83, 84. lyght, dyght.]

O ruby, rubifyed in the passioun [ 85] [85. passyon.] Al of thy sone, among have us in minde, [86. Sl. Alle; Th. om. Th. sonne. Sl. among haue us; Th. vs haue amonge.] O stedfast dyamaunt of duracioun, [87. Sl. dyamaunt; Th. dyametre.] That fewe feres that tyme might thou finde, [88. Sl. that; Th. any.] For noon to him was founden half so kinde! [89. halfe.] O hardy herte, O loving crëature, [ 90] What was it but love that made thee so endure? [91. the.]

Semely saphyre, depe loupe, and blewe ewage, [92. Th. saphre (sic); Sl. saffyr.] Stable as the loupe, ewage of pitè, This is to say, the fresshest of visage, Thou lovest hem unchaunged that serven thee. [ 95] [95. So Sl.; Th. unchaunged hem.] And if offence or wrything in hem be, [96. Sl. writhyng; Th. varyeng.] Thou art ay redy upon hir wo to rewe, [97. arte; her.] And hem receyvest with herte ful trewe. [98. hert; see note.]

O goodly gladded, whan that Gabriel [99. gladed.] With joy thee grette that may not be nombred! [ 100] [100. the.] Or half the blisse who coude wryte or tel Whan the holy goost to thee was obumbred, [102. goste; the.] Wherthrough fendes were utterly encombred? [103. Sl. vtterly; Th. bytterly.] O wemlees mayde, embelisshed in his birthe, [104. wemlesse. Th. in; Sl. with.] That man and aungel therof hadden mirthe! [ 105]

Lo, here the blossom and the budde of glorie, [106. blosme.] Of which the prophet spak so longe aforn; [107. Th. prophete; Sl. prophetys. Sl. spak so long aforn; Th. so longe spake beforne.] Lo, here the same that was in memórie Of Isaie, so longe or she was born; Lo, here of David the delicious corn; [ 110] [109, 110. borne, corne.] Lo, here the ground that list [him] to onbelde, [111. Th. of lyfe in to bilde; Sl. that list to onbelde.] Becoming man, our raunsom for to yelde!

O glorious vyole, O vytre inviolat! [113. Sl. o vitre; Th. and vyte. Th. inuyolate.] O fyry Tytan, persing with thy bemes, Whos vertuous brightnes was in thy brest vibrat, [ 115] [115. Th. om. thy; vibrate.] That al the world embelisshed with his lemes! [116. Sl. his; Th. the.] Conservatrice of kingdomes and remes; [117. Sl. kyngdamys; Th. kynges dukes. Sl. remys; Th. realmes.] Of Isaies sede O swete Sunamyte, [118. Sl. o; Th. om.] Mesure my mourning, myn owne Margaryte!

O sovereignest, sought out of Sion, [ 120] [120. A. souereine. Th. A. sought; Sl. sowth. Th. out of; Sl. of out; A. fer oute.] O punical pome ayens al pestilence; [121. Sl. alle.] And aureat urne, in whom was bouk and boon [122. Sl. auryat; book and born (!); see note.] The agnelet, that faught for our offence Ayens the serpent with so high defence That lyk a lyoun in victorie he was founde; [ 125] [125. Sl. victory.] To him commende us, of mercy most habounde! [126. Sl. moost.]

O precious perle, withouten any pere, [121-127. In Sl. only.] Cockle with gold dew from above berayned, [128. Th. golde dewe; A. glorie.] Thou busshe unbrent, fyrles set a-fere, [129. A. Sl. Thou; Th. Dewe (!). Sl. ferlett (!) set affere; A. fuyrles thou sette vppon; Th. fyrelesse fyre set on.] Flambing with fervence, not with hete payned; [ 130] [130. Sl. peyned; A. empeyred (!).] Thou during daysye, with no †weder stayned; [131. Sl. Th. om. Thou. A. with; Th. that. Th. A. wether. A. disteyned.] Flees undefouled of gentil Gedeon, [132. Th. Fleece. A. gentyle; Th. gentylest.] And fructifying yerd thou of Aaron. [133. Th. Sl. insert fayrest after fructifyeng (sic). A. yerde thowe; Th. Sl. the yerde.]

Thou misty arke, probatik piscyne, [134. A. Thowe; Sl. Th. The. Sl. mysti; Th. A. mighty. Sl. probatyk; Th. probatyfe; A. the probatyf.] Laughing Aurora, and of pees olyve; [ 135] [135. A. Aurora; Th. aurore. A. tholyve; Sl. Th. olyue.] Columpne and base, up bering from abyme; [136. A. Pillor from base beryng from abysme.] Why nere I conning, thee for to discryve? [137. A. Why nad I langage. Sl. the for; A. hir for; Th. here.] Chosen of Joseph, whom he took to wyve, [138. Th. toke. A. Chosen of god, whome Joseph gaf (!) to wyve.] Unknowing him, childing by greet mirácle, [139. Th. Sl. childyng; A. bare Cryste. Th. Sl. om. greet.] And of our manhode trewe tabernacle! [ 140] [140. Th. And of our manly figure the; Sl. And of oure mar (!) figure; A. And of Ihesus manhode truwe.]