The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.

THe mother of the Soudan, well of vices, Espied hath her sonnes plaine intent, How he woll lete his old sacrifices: And right anon she for her counsaile sent, And they ben comen, to know what she ment, And when assembled was this folke in feare, She set her doune, and said as ye shall heare.

Lords (qd. she) ye knowne euery chone, How that my sonne is in point to lete The holy lawes of our Alkaron Yeuen by Gods messenger Mahomete: But one auow to great God I hete, The life shall rather out of my body start, Or Mahomets law goe out of my hart.

What should vs tiden of this new law But thraldome to our bodies and pennaunce And afterward in hell to been draw, For we reneyed Mahound our creaunce, But lords, woll ye now make assuraunce, As I shall say, assenting to my lore, And I shall make us fafe for euermore?

They sworen, and assenten euery man To liue with her and die, and by her stond: And euerich in the best wise that he can To strengthen her, shall all his friends fond. And she hath this emprise taken in hond, Which ye shall heare that I shall deuise, And to hem all she spake in this wise.

We shal vs first faine, christendom to take, Cold water shall not greeue us but alite: And I shall such a reuell and a feast make, That as I trow I shall the Soudan quite: For tho his wife be christened neuer so white, She shall haue need to wash away the rede, Though she a font ful of water with her lede.

O Soudonnesse, root of iniquite, Virago, thou Symyram the secound, O serpent vnder fememnete, Like to the serpent deepe in hell ibound: O faigned woman, all that may confound Vertue & innocence, through thy mallice Is bred in thee a neast of euery vice.

O Sathan enuious, since thilke day That thou wert chased from our heritage, Well knewest thou to women the old way: Thou madest Eue to bring us in seruage, Thou wolt fordoen this Christen mariage: * This instrument, so welaway the while, Make thou of women when thou wolt begile.

This Soudonnesse, whom I blame and werie, Let priuily her counsaile gone her way: What should I in this tale longer tarie? She rideth to the Soudon on a day, And saied him that she would reny her lay, And christendome of priests hondes fong, Repenting her she Heathen was so long.

Beseeching him to doen her that honour, That she might haue the christen folke to fest: To pleasen hem I woll doen my labour. The Soudon saith, I woll doen al your hest, And kneeling, thanked her of that request, So glad he was, he nist not what to say, She kist her sonne, & home she goth her way.

Arriued been these christen folke to lond In Surrey, with a great solemne rout, And hastily this Soudon sent his sond, First to his mother, and all the reigne about, And saied, his wife was comen out of dout, And praiden hem for to riden against the quene The honour of his reigne for to sustene.

Great was the presse, & rich was the ray Of Surreyans, and Romanes ymet yfere: The mother of the Soudon rich and gay Receiueth her with all manner glad chere, As any mother might her doughter dere: Vnto the next city there beside A soft paas solemnly they all ride.

Nought trow I, the triumph of Iulius, Of which that Lucan maketh such a bost, Was roialler, and more curious, Than was thassembling of his blisfull host: But this Scorpion, this wicked ghost The Soudonnesse, for all her flattering Cast vnder all this, mortally to sting.

The Soudon cometh himself soon after this So rially, that wonder is to tell: He welcometh her with much ioy and blis, And thus in mirth and ioie I let hem dwell. The fruit of euery tale is for to tell, Whan time come, men thought it for the best, That reuel stint, and men gon to rest.

The time come, this old Soudonnesse Ordained hath the feast of which I told, And to the feast, christen folke hem dresse And that in the general, both yong and old: There may men feast and rialte behold And dainties moe than I can deuise, But all to dere they bought it or they rise.

O Soudon, wo that euer thou art succes∣sour To worldly blisse, springed with bitternesse, * The end of ioy, is worldly labour. Wo occupieth the ende of our gladnesse, Herken this counsaile for thy sikernesse: * Vpon thy glad day ha•••••• thou in minde, The vnware wo or harme, that cometh be∣hinde.

For shortly to tellen at a word, The Soudon, & the Christen euerichone Been all to hewe, and sticken at the boord, But it were onely dame Custance alone, This old Soudonnesse, this cursed crone,

Hath with her friends doen this cursed deed, For she her selfe would all the country lede.

There was Surreien non y^t was conuerted, That of the counsaile of the Soudon wot, That he nas all to heawe, er he asterted: And Custance han they taken anon fotehot, And in a ship all sternelesse (God wot) They han her set, and bidden her lerne to saile Out of Surrey ayenward to Itale.

A certain tresour that she thither ladde, And sooth to sayne, vitaile great plente, They han her yeuen, and clothes eke she had, And forth she saileth in the salt se: O my Custance, full of benignite O Emperours yong doughter so dere, He that is lorde of fortune be thy stere.

She blesseth her, & with full pitious voice Vnto the crosse of Christ, tho said she. O clere, O welful auter, holy croice Reed of the lambes blood full of pite, That wesh the world fro the old iniquite: Me fro the fende, and fro his clawe kepe. That day that I shall drenchen in the deepe.

Victorious tree, protection of trewe, That onely worthy were for to bere The king of heauen, with his woundes new, The white lambe, that hurt was with a spere: Flemere of feendes, out of him and here On which thy limmes, faithfully extenden Me kepe & yeue me might my life to menden.

Yeres and daies fleeteth this creature Through the see of Grece, vnto the straite Of Marocke, as it was her auenture: O, many a sory meale may she baite, After her death full oft may she waite, Or that the wilde waves would her driue Vnto the place there she should ariue.

Men mighten asken why she was not slayn Eke at the feast, who might her body saue? I answer to that demaund agayn, Who saued Daniel in that horrible caue? That euery wight, were he master or knaue, Was with the Lion frette or he asterte, No wight but God, that he bare in his hert.

God list to shew his wonderfull miracle In her, for she should seen his mighty werkes: Christ that is to euery harme triacle, * By certain means often, as knowen clerkes, Doth thing for certaine end, y^t full derke is To mans wit, that for our ignorance Ne can nat know his prudent purueyance.

Now that she was not at the feast yslawe, Who kepeth her fro y^e drenching in the see? Who kept Ionas in the fishes mawe, Till he was spouted out at Niniuee? Wel may men know, it was no wight but he That kept the people Ebrak from drenching With dry feet, through the see passing.

Who hath the foure spirits of the tempest, That power had, both to anoy lond and see? Both north and south, & also west and east, Anoyeth neither see, ne londe, ne tree. Southly the commaunder thereof was he That fro the tempest aye this woman kept, As well whan she woke as whan she slept.

Wher might this woman meat & drink haue? Thre yere and more, how lasteth her vitaile? Who fed the Egyptian Mary in the caue Or in desert (none but Christ sans faile) Fiue thousand folk it was as great maruaile With loaues fiue and fishes two to feed, God sent his foyson at her great need.

She driueth forth into our Occian Throughout the wide see, till at the last Vnder an holde, that nempne I ne can, Fer in Northumberlond, the waue her cast, And in the sand her ship sticked so fast, That thence nolne it not of all a tyde, The wil of Christ was y^t she should ther abide.

The constable of the castle doun is fare To seene this wrecke, & al the ship he sought, And found this weary woman full of care, He found also y^e treasure that she brought: In her language, mercy she besought The life out of her body for to twin, Her to deliuer of wo that she was in.

A manner latin corrupt was her speche But algates thereby was she vnderstond, The constable, when him list no lenger seche, This wofull woman brought he to lond: She kneleth doun, and thanketh Gods sond, But what she was, she would no man sey For foule ne faire, though she shoulden dey.

She said she was so mased in the see, That she foryate her mind by her trouth: The constable of her hath so great pite And eke his wife, y^t they weepen for routh: She was so diligent withouten slouth To serue and please euerich in that place, That all her louen, that looken in her face.

The constable, & dame hermegild his wife Were painems, & that countrey euery where, But Hermegild loued her right as her life, And Custance hath so long soiourned there In orisons, with many a bitter tere, Till Iesu hath conuerted through his grace Dame Hermegild, constablesse of y^t place.

In all that lond dursten no christen rout, All christen folke been fled from the countre Through painims, that conquered all about The plagues of the North by lond and see: To Wales fled the christianite Of old Bretons, dwelling in that Ile, There was her refute for the meane while.

Yet nas there neuer Christen so exiled, That there nas some in her priuite

honoured Christ, and Heathen beguiled, And nigh the castle such there dwellen three: That one of hem was blind, & might not see * But it were with thilke eyen of his mind, With which men seen after they been blind.

Bright was the sunne, as in sommers day, For which the constable and his wife also And Custance, han taken the right way Toward the sea, a furlong way or two, To plaien, and to romen to and fro: And in her walke, three blind men they met Crooked and old, with eyen fast yshet.

In the name of Christ cried this blind Breton Dame Hermegild, yeue me sight again: This lady waxe afraied of the soun, Least that her husbond shortly forto sain Would her for Iesus Christs lore haue slain, Till Custance made her bold, & bad her werch The will of Christ, as doughter of his cherch.

The constable woxe abashed of that sight, And saied: what amounteth all this fare? Custance answered: sir it is Christs might, That helpeth folke out of the fiends snare: And so ferforth she gan our law declare, That she the constable ere that it was eue Conuerted, and on Christ made him beleeue.

This constable was nothing lord of this place Of which I speake, there he Custance fond, But kept it strongly many a Winter space, Vnder Alla, king of Northumberlond, That was full wise, and worthy of his hond Againe the Scots, as men may well here, But tourne I woll againe to my mattere.

Sathan, that euer vs waiteth to beguile, Saw of Custance all her perfectioun, And cast anon how he might quite her wile, And made a yong knight y^t dwelt in the toun Loue her so hot, of foule affectioun, That verily him thought that he should spill, But he of her once might haue his will.

He woeth her, but it auailed nought, She would doe no manner sinne by no wey: And for despight, he compassed in his thought To maken her on shamefull death to dey: He waiteth when the Constable is away, And priuily on a night he crept Into Hermgilds chamber while she slept.

Werie forwaked in her orisons Sleepeth Custance and Hermegilde also: This knight, through sathans temptations All softly is to the bed ygo, And cut the throat of Hermegilde atwo, And laied the bloody knife by dame Custance. & went his way, ther God yeue him mischance.

Soon after cometh the constable home again And eke Alla, that king was of that lond, And saw his wife dispitously yslain, For which he wept and wrong his hond, And in the bed the bloody knife he fond By dame Custance, alas what might she say? For very wo her wit was all away.

To king Alla was told all this mischance, And eke y^e time, and where, and in what wise, That in a ship was founden this Custance, As here before ye han heard me deuise: The kings heart for pity gan agrise, When he saw so benigne a creature Fall in disease and in misaduenture.

For as the lamb toward his deth is brought, So stant this innocent beforne the king: This fals knight y^t hath this treson wrought Bereth her in hond y^t she hath don this thing: But nathelesse there was great mourning Emong the people, and said they cannot gesse That she had done so great a wickednesse.

For they han seen her euer so vertuous, And louing Hermegild right as her life: Of this bare witnesse euerich in the hous, Saue he that Hermegild slow with his knife: This gentle king hath caught a great motife Of this witness, & thought he would enquere Deeper in this case, the trouth to lere.

Alas Custance, thou hast no champion, He fight canst thou not, so welaway: But he that starft for our redemption And bond Sathan, and yet lith there he lay, So be thy strong champion this day: For but if Christ on thee miracle kithe, Without gilt thou shalt been slaine aswithe.

She set her doun on knees, & thus she said: Immortall God, that sauedest Susanne Fro fals blame, and thou mercifull maid, Marie I meane, doughter to saint Anne, Beforne whose child angels sing Osanne, If I be guiltlesse of this felonie, My succour be, or els shall I die.

Haue ye not seene sometime a pale face (Emong a prees) of hem that hath been lad Toward his deth, wheras hem get no grace, And such a colour in his face hath had, That men might know his face y^t was bistad Emongs all the faces in that rout, So standeth Custance, and loketh her about.

O Queenes liuing in prosperity, Dutchesses, and ye ladies euerichone, Haue some routh on her aduersity, An Emperors doughter stant alone: She hath no wiʒt to whom to make her mone, O blood roiall, that stondeth in this drede, Fere of been thy friends at thy greatest nede.

This Alla king, hath suche compassioun, As gentle herte is full of pyte, That from his eyen ran the water doun. Nowe hastely do fette a boke (qd. he) And if this knight wol swere, how that she This woman slowe, yet wol we us avyse Whom that we wol shall ben our iustyse

A Breton booke, written with Euangeles Was fet, and thereon he swore anone, She guilty was, and in the meane whiles An hond him smote vpon the necke bone, That doune he fell atones as a stone: And both his eyen brust out of his face In sight of euery body in that place.

A voice was heard, in generall audience That saied: Thou hast disclandred guiltles The doughter of holy chirch in high presence, Thus hast thou doen, and yet I hold my pees. Of this marueile agast was all the prees, As dismaide folke they stonden euerichone For dread of wreche, saue Custance alone.

Great was the dread and eke the repentance Of hem that hadden wrought suspection Vpon this silly innocent Custance, And for this miracle, in conclusion And by Custances mediation The king, and many another in that place Conuerted was, thanked be Gods grace.

This fals knight was slain for his vntroth By judgement of Alla hastily, And yet Custance had of his death great roth, And after this, Iesus of his mercy Made Alla wedden full solemnely This holy maid, that is so bright and shene, And thus hath Christ made Custance a quene.

But who was wofull (if I should not lie) Of this wedding? but Donegild and no mo: The kings mother, full of tyrannie, Her thought her cursed hart brast a two: She would not that her sonne had doe so, Her thought a despight, that he should take So straunge a creature vnto his make.

* He list not of the chaffe ne of the stre, Make so long a tale, as of the corne, What should I tell of the realte Of y^t mariage, or which course goth beforne: Who bloweth in a trumpe or in a horne, The fruit of euery tale is for to say, They eaten and drinken, daunce, and play.

They gon to bed, as it was skill and right, For though that wiues been ful holy things, They must take in patience a night Such manner necessaries, as been pleasings To folke that han wedded hem with rings, And lay a little her holinesse aside As for the time, it may none other betide.

On her he gat a man child anone, And to a bishop, and to his constable eke He tooke his wife to keepe, when he is gone To Scotland ward, his fomen for to seke. Now fair Custance y^t is so humble and meke So long is gone with child till that still She halt her chamber, abiding Christs will.

The time is come, a man child she bare, Mauricius at fontstone they him call, This constable doth forth come a messenger, And wrote to his king that cleaped was Alla, How that this blisfull tiding is befall, And other tidings needfull for to say, He takes the letter, and forth goth his way.

This messenger to doen his auauntage, Vnto the kings mother rideth swithe, And salueth her full faire in his language, Madame (qd. he) ye may be glad and blithe, And thanked God an hundred thousand sith, My lady quaene hath a child, withouten dout To joy and blisse of all this reigne about.

Lo here the letters sealed of this thing, That I mote beare in all the hast I may: Yeue ye wol ought vnto your sonne the king, I am your seruaunt both night and day. Donegilde answered, as at this time nay, But here I woll all night thou take thy rest, To morrow woll I say thee what my lest.

This messenger dronk sadly both ale & wine, And stollen were his lettets priuily Out of his boxe, while he slept as a swine, And counterfeited was full subtilly Another letter, wrought full sinfully Vnto the king direct of this mattere Fro his Constable, as ye shall after here.

The letter spake the queene deliuered was Of so horrible a fendlishe creature, That in the castle none so hardy was That any while dursten therein endure: The mother was an Elfe by auenture I come, by charmes or by sorcerie, And euery wight hateth her companie.

Wo was this king when he y^t letter had sein, But to no wight he told his sorrow sore, But with his owne hand he wrote again, Welcome the sonde of Christ for euermore To me, that am new learned in his lore: Lord, welcome be thy lust and thy pleasance, My lust I put all in thy ordinance.

Keepeth this child, all be it foule or faire, And eke may wife vnto mine home coming: Christ when him lest may send me an heire, More agreeable than this to my liking: This letter he sealed, priuily weeping, Which to the messenger was taken sone, And forth he goth, there is no more to done.

O messenger fulfilled of dronkenesse, Strong is thy breth, thy limmes faltren aie, And thou be wraiest all secretnesse, Thy mind is sorne, thou ianglist as a Iaie: Thy face is tourned in a new array, * There dronkennesse reigneth in any rout, There nis no counsaile hid withouten dout.

O Donegild, I ne haue non English digne Vnto thy malice, and thy tirannie: And therefore to the fende I thee resigne, Let him enditen of thy traitrie.

Fie mannish fie: O nay by God I lie: Fie fendishe spirit, for I dare well tell, Though thou here walke, thy spirit is in hell.

This messenger came fro the king againe, And at the kings mothers house he light, And she was of this messenger full faine, And pleased him in all that euer she might: He dronke, and well his girdle vnder pight, He sleepeth, and he snoreth in his guise All night, till the summe gan arise.

Eft were his letters stollen euerichone, And counterfeited letters in this wise, The king commaundeth his constable anone Vpon paine of hanging on an high iewise, That he ne should suffren in no wise Custance, within his realme for to abide Three daies, and a quarter of a tide.

But in the same ship as he her fond, Her and her young sonne, and all her gere He should crouden, and put fro the lond, And charge her, that she neuer eft come there: O Custance, well may thy ghost haue fere, And sleeping in thy dreame been in pennance, When Donegild cast all this ordinance.

This messenger on y^e morrow when he woke, Vnto the castle halt the next way: And to the Constable he the letter tooke, And when that he this pitous letter sey, Full oft he saied (alas) and welaway, Lord christ, qd. he, how may this world indure So full of sinne is many a creature.

O mighty God, if that it be thy will, Sin thou art rightful iudge, how may it be That thou wolt suffer innocence to spill, And wicked folke to reigne in prosperite? O, good Custance (alas) so woe is me, That I mote be thy turmentour, or els dey On shames death, there nis none other wey.

Weepen both yong and old in that place, When that the king this cursed letter sent: And Custance with a deadly pale face, The fourth day toward the ship she went: But nathelesse she taketh in good intent The will of Christ, & kneeling in that strond, She saied lord, aye welcome be thy sond.

He that me kept fro that false blame, Whiles I was on the lond amongs you, He can me keepe fro harme & eke fro shame In the salt sea, although I see not how: As strong as euer he was, he is now, In him trust I, and in his mother dere, That is to me my saile and eke my stere.

Her little child lay weeping in her arme, And kneeling pitously to him she said, Peace little sonne, I woll do thee none harm: With that her kercher off her head she braid, And ouer his little eyen she it laid, And in her arme she lulleth it full fast, And into heauen her eyen vp the cast.

Mother (qd. she) and maiden bright Marie. Sooth it is, that through womans eggement Mankind was lore, and damned aye to die, For which thy child was on crosse yrent: Thy blisfull eyen saw all his turment, Then is there no comparison betwene Thy wo, and any wo that man may sustene.

Thou see thy child yslaine before thine eien, And yet liueth my little child parfay: Now lady bright, to whom all wofull crien, Thou glory of womanhead, thou faire may, Thou hauen of refute, bright sterre of day, Rew on my child of thy gentilnesse, That rewest on euery rufull in distresse.

O little child (alas) what is thy guilt? That neuer wroughtest sinne, as yet parde, Why woll thine hard father haue thee spilt? O mercy dear constable (qd. shee) As let my little child dwell here with thee: And if thou darst not sauen him fro blame, So kisse him once in his fathers name.

Therwith she looketh backward to the lond, And said: farewell husband routhlesse: And vp she rist, and walketh doune the strond Toward the ship, her followeth all the prees: And aye she praieth her child to hold his pees, And taketh her leaue, and with an holy entent She blesseth her, and into the ship she went,

Vitailed was the ship, it is no drede Habundantly, for her a full long space: And other necessaries that should nede She had ynow, hereid by Gods grace: For wind & weather, almighty God purchace, And bring her home, I can no better say, But in the see she driueth forth her way.

Alla the king cometh home soone after this Vnto his castle, of which I told, And asketh where his wife and his child is, The constable gan about his heart wax cold, And plainely all the manner him told As ye han heard, I can tell it no better, And shewed the king his seale and his letter.

And said: lord as ye commaunded me On paine of death, so haue I done certain: This messenger turmented was, till he Must be knowne, and tell plat and plain Fro night to night, in what place he had lain: And thus by wittie subtill enquiring, Imagind was by whom this harm gan spring

The hand was knowen that the letter wrot, And all the venim of this cursed dede: But in what wise, certainely I not, The effect is this, that Alla out of drede His mother slow, that may men plainly rede, For that she traitour was to her allegeaunce: Thus endeth old Donegild with mischaunce.

The sorrow that this Alla night and day Maketh for his child and his wife also,

There is no tongue that it tellen may. But now woll I to Custance go, That fleeteth in the sea in paine and wo Fiue yeare and more, as liked Christs sonde, Or that her ship approched vnto londe.

Vnder an heathen castle at the last, (Of which the name in my text I not find) Custance and eke her child the sea vp cast, Almighty God, that saueth all mankind, Haue on Custance & on her child some mind, That fallen is in heathen hond eftsoone. In point to spill, as I shall tell you soone.

Doun fro the castle cometh there many a wight To gauren on this ship, and on Custance: But shortly fro the castle on a night, The lords steward (God yeue him mischance) A theefe, that had renied our creaunce, Came into the ship alone, and said he should Her lemman be, whether she would or nold.

Wo was the wretched woman tho begon, Her child and she cried full pittously: But blisfull Mary halpe her anon, For with her strogling well and mightily The theefe fell ouer the boord all sodainly, And in the see he drenched for vengeance, And thus hath Christ unwemmed kept Cu∣stance.

* O foule lust of luxure, lo thine end, Nat onely that thou faintest mans mind, But verily, thou wolt his body shend, The end of thy werke, or of thy lusts blind Is complaining: how many one may men find That not for werke somtime, but for thentent To done this sinne been either slaine or shent.

How may this weak woman haue y^e strength Her to defend against this renegate? O Golias, vnmeasurable of length How might Dauid make thee so mate? So young and of armure so desolate, How durst he looke on thy dreadfull face? Well may men seene it is but Gods grace.

Who yaue Iudith courage or hardinesse To slean prince Holofernes in his tent, And to deliuer out of wretchednesse The people of God? I say, for this intent That right as God spirit and vigor sent To hem, and saued hem out of mischance, So sent he might and vigor to Custance.

Forth goth her ship through y^e narow mouth Of Subalter and Sept, yfleeting aie Somtime West, & somtime North & South, And sometime East full many a wearie daie: Till Christs mother, yblessed be she aie, Hath shapen through her endlesse goodnesse, To make an end of all her heauinesse.

Explicit secunda pars, & sequitur pars tertia.