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.

AT Sarra, in the lond of Tartarie, There dwelt a king that warred on Surrie, Through which ther died many a doughtie man: This noble king was called Cambuscan. Which in his time was of so great renoun, That there nas no where in no regioun So excellent a lord in all thing: Him lacked nought that longeth to a king, As of the sect of which he was borne. He kept his lay to which he was sworne, And thereto he was hardie, wise, and riche, And pitous and just alway yliche: True of his word, benigne and honourable Of his corage, as any centre stable. Young, fresh, and strong, in armes desirous, As any batcheler of all his hous, A faire person he was, and fortunate, And kept alway so roiall astate, That there nas no where such another man. This noble king, this Tartre, this Cambu∣scan Had two sonnes by Eltheta his wife, Of which the eldest hight Algarsife, That other was cleaped Camballo. A doughter had this worthy king also That youngest was, and hight Canace: But for to tell you all her beaute, It lithe not in my tong, ne in my conning, I dare not vndertake so high a thing: Mine English eke is vnsufficient, It must been a Rethor excellent, That couth his colours longing for the art. If he should discriue here every part: I am none such, I mote speake as I can. And so befell, that this Cambuscan Hath twenty Winter borne his diademe, As he was wont fro yeare to yeare I denie He let the feast of his natiuity Doen crien, throughout Sarra his city, The last Idus of March, after the yere. Phebus the Sunne full jolly was & clere, For he was nigh his exaltation In Marces face, and in his mansion

In Aries, the collerike, the hote signe: Full lustie was the weather and benigne, For which the foules ayenst the sunne shene What for the season and the yong grene, Full louden song her affections: Hem seemed han getten hem protections Ayen the swerd of Winter kene and cold. This Cambuscan, of which I haue you told In roiall vestements, sit on his deis With diademe, full high in his paleis: And held his feast so roiall and so riche, That in this world nas there none it liche. Of which, if I shall tell all the array, Then would it occupie a Sommers day, And eke it needeth not to deuise At euery course the order of seruice. I wol not tellen as now of her strange sewes, Ne of her Swans, ne of her Heronsewes. Eke in that lond, as tellen knights old There is some meat that is full dainty hold, That in this lond men retch of it but small: There is no man that may reporten all. I will not tarie you, for it is prime, And for it is no fruit, but losse of time, Vnto my first purpose I woll haue recourse. And so befell that after the third course, While that this king sit thus in his noblay, Hearkening his minstrals her things play, Beforne him at his boord deliciously In at the hall doore all suddainely There came a knight on a steed of brasse, And in his hond a broad mirrour of glasse: Vpon his thombe he had of gold a ring, And by his side a naked sword honging, And vp he rideth to the high bord. In all the hall ne was there spoke a word, For maruaile of the knight, him to behold Full busily they waiten yong and old. This straunge knight y^t come thus sodenly All armed saue his head, full roially Salued king and queene, and lords all By order, as they sitten in the hall, With so high reuerence and obeisaunce, As well in speech as in countenaunce, That Gawaine with his old courtesie, Though he come ayen out of fairie, Ne could him not amend of no word. And after this, before the high bord He with a manly voice saied his message, After the forme vsed in his language, Without vice of sillable or of letter. And for his tale should seeme the better, Accordant to his words was his chere, As teacheth art of speech hem that it lere. All be that I cannot sowne his stile, Ne I cannot climben so high a stile: Yet say I thus as to my comen intent, Thus much amounteth all y^t euer he ment, If it so be, that I haue it in my mind. He saied: The king of Araby and of Inde My liege lord, on this solemne day Salueth you as he best can and may, And sendeth you in honour of your feest By me that am readie at your heest This steed of brasse, that easily and well Can in the space of a day naturell (That is to say, in foure and twenty houres) Where so ye list, in drought or in shoures Beren your body into euery place, Into which your heart willeth to pace, Without weine of you, through foule or faire. Or if ye list to fleen in the aire, As doth an Eagle, when him list to sore, This same steed shall beare you euermore Withouten harm, till you been there you lest, Though that ye sleepen on his back and rest, And turne again, with writhing of a pin. He that it wrought, could full many a gin: He waited many a constellation, Or he had doen this operation, And knew full many a seale & many a bond. This mirror eke that I haue in mine hond, Hath such a might, that men may in it see, When there shall fallen any aduersitee Vnto your reigne, or to your selfe also: And openly see, who is your friend and fo: And ouer all this, if any lady bright, Hath set her heart on any manner wight, If he be false, she shall the treason see, His new loue, and all his subteltee So openly, that there shall nothing hide. Wherefore againe this lusty Summer tide This mirrour and this ring, that ye may se, He hath sent to my lady Canace Your excellent doughter that is here. The vertue of this ring, if ye woll here Is this, that if she list it for to were Vpon her thombe, or in her purse it bere, There is no foule that fleeth under heuen, That she ne shall vnderstond his steuen, And know his meaning openly and plaine, And answere him in his language againe: And euery grasse that groweth vpon root She shall wel know, & whom it wol do boot, All he his wounds neuer so deepe and wide. This naked swerd that hangeth by my side, Such vertue hath, y^t what man so ye smite, Throughout his armure it woll kerue & bite, Were it as thicke as a braunched oke: And what man y^t is wounded with the stroke Shall neuer be hole, till that you list of grace To stroken him with y^e platte in thilke place There he is hurt, this is as much to saine, Ye mote with the plat swerd againe Stroken him in y^e wound, and it woll close: This is very sooth withouten glose, It faileth not, whiles it is in your hold. And when this kniʒt hath thus his tale told, He rideth out of the hall, and doun he light: His steed, which that shone as Sunne bright Stant in the court still as any stone: The knight is in to chamber sadde anone, He is vnarmed, and to the meat ysette, And all these presents been full rich yfette, This is to sain, the swerd & eke the mirrour And borne anon was into the high tour, With certaine officers ordained therefore: And to Canace the ring is bore Solemnely, there she sat at the table. But sikerly without any fable The horse of brasse, that may not be remeued, It stant, as it were to the ground yglewed:

There may no man out of the place it driue For none engine, or windlas, or poliue: And cause why, for they cannot the craft, And therefore in the place they han it laft, Till y^t the knight hath taught hem y^e manere To voiden him, as ye shall after here. Great was y^e prees, that swarmed to & fro To gauren on the hors that stondeth so: For it so high was, and so broad and long, So well proportioned for to been strong, Right as it were a steed of Lombardie: Therewith so horsly, and so quicke of eie, As it a gentle courser of Poile were: For certes, fro his tale to his ere Nature ne art coud him not amend In no degree, as all the people wend. But euermore her most wonder was, How that he couth gon, and was of bras? It was of fairie, as the people semed: Diuers folke diuersly they demed, * As many heads, as many wits there been: They murmure, as doth a swarme of Been, And maden skils after her fantasies, Rehearsing of the old Poetries, And saied it was ylike the Pegase The hors that had wings for to flee, Or els was the Greekes hors Sinon, That brought Troy to destruction, As men in these old bookes rede. Mine heart (qd. one) is euermore in drede, I trow some men of armes been therein, That shapen hem this citie for to win: It were right good y^t such things were know. And other rowned to his felaw low, And saied he lied, for it is rather like An apparence made by some Magike, As Iogglours plaien at these feasts great: Of sundry thoughts thus they iangle & treat, * As leaud people deemeth commonly Of things that been made more subtilly, Than they can in her leaudnesse comprehend: They demen gladly to the badder end. And some of hem wondren on the mirrour, (That born was vp to the maister tour) How men mighten in it such things see. Another answered, certes it might well bee Naturally by compositions Of Angels and of slie reflections: And saiden that in Rome was such on. They speaken of Alhazen and Vitellion, And Aristotle that writeth in her liues Of queint mirrours, and of prospecttues, As knowen they that han her bookes heard. And other folk han wondred on the sweard That would so piercen through euery thing: And fell in speech of Telephus the king, And of Achilles for his queint spere, For he couth with it both heale and dere, Right in such wise as men may with y^e swerd, Of which right now ye haue your selue herd. They speaken of sundry harding of mettall, And speaken of medicines eke withall, And how, and when it should hardened be, Which is vnknow algate to me. Tho speake they of Canaces ring, And saiden all, that such a wonder thing Of craft of rings heard they neuer non, Saue that Moses and king Salamon Had a name of cunning of such art: Thus sain the people, and drawen hem apart But nathelesse, some saiden that it was Wonder to make of ferne ashen, glas, And yet is glas not like ashen of ferne, But for that they han knowen it so ferne, Therefore ceaseth her iangling and wonder. As sore wandren some on cause of thunder, On ebbe and floud, on gossomer, and on mist, And on all thing, till the cause is wist. Thus ianglen they, and demen and deuise, Till that the king gan fro his boord arise. Phebus hath left the angle meridionall, And yet ascending was the beest royall The gentle Lion with his Aldrean, When that this Tartre king Cambuscan Rose from his bord, there as he fat full hie: Beforne him goth the loud minstralcie, Till he came to his chamber of paraments, There as they sownen diuers instruments, That is like an heuen for to here. Now dauncen lusty Venus children dere: For in the fish her lady sat full hie, And looketh on hem with a friendly eie. This noble king is set vpon his trone, This straunge knight is fet to him full sone, And in the daunce he goeth with Canace. Here is the reuell and the iolite That is not able a dull man to deuise: He must han know loue and her seruise And been a feestliche man, as fresh as May, That should you deuise such an array. Who couth tellen you y^e forme of daunces So vncouth, and so fresh countenaunces? Such subtill lookings and dissimulings For dread of jealous mens apperceiuings? Ne man but Launcelot, and he is dead Therefore I passe ouer all this lusty head, I say no more, but in this iollinesse I lete hem, till men to supper them dresse. The steward biddeth spices for to hie And eke the wine, in all this melodie The vshers and the squires been ygone, The spices and the wine is comen anone: They eten & dronken, & when this had an end Vnto the temple, as reason was, they wend: The seruice done, they soupen all by day. What needeth it to rehearsen her array? Each man wot well, that at a kings feast Is plenty, to the most and to the least And dainties mo, than been it my knowing. And after supper goeth this noble king To seen this horse of brasse, with all his rout Of lords and of ladies him about: Such wondring there was on this horse of bras, That sithen the great siege of Troy was, There as men wondred on an horse also, Ne was there such a wondring, as was tho. But finally, the king asketh the knight The vertue of this horse and the night, And praied him to tell of his gouernaunce. The horse anon gan to trip and daunce. When y^t this knight laid hond on his raine, And said, sir there is no more to saine,

But when you list to riden any where, Ye mote trill a pin, stant in his ere: Which I shall tell you betweene vs two. Ye mote nempne him to what place also, Or to what country you list to ride. And when ye come there you list abide, Bid him discend, and trill another pin, For therein lieth the effect of all the gin: And he woll downe discend & done your will, And in that place he woll abide still: Though al y^e world had the contrary sworne, He shall not thence be ythrow ne yborne, Or if you listen bid him thence to gone, Trill this pin, and he woll vanish anone Out of the sight of euery manner wight, And come ayen, be it day or night, When that you list to clepen him againe In such a guise, as I shall to you saine Betwixt you and me, and that full sone, Ride when you list, there nis no more to done. Enfourmed when y^e king was of y^• knight, And hath conceiued in his wit aright The manner and the forme of all this thing, Full glad and full blith, the noble king Repaireth to his reuell, as beforne: The bridie is in the toure yborne, And kept among his iewels lefe and dere: The horse vanished, I not in what mannere Out of her sight, ye get no more of me: But thus I lete in lust an iolite This Cambuscan, and his lords feasting Till well nigh the day began to spring.

Explicit prima pars: & sequitur pars secunda.