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.

In this Book is shewed how the Deeds of all Men and Women, be they good or bad, and carried by Report to Posterity.

GOd tourne us euery dream to good, For it is wonder thing by the Rood To my wit, what causeth sweuens On the morrow, or on euens, And why the effect followeth of some, And of some it shal neuer come, Why that it is an auision, And why this is a reuelation, Why this a dreame, why that a sweuen, And not to euery man liche euen, Why this a fantome, why that Oracles, I not: but who so of these miracles The causes know bet than I, Define he, for I certainely Ne ran hem not, ne neuer thinke To busie my wit for to swinke To know of her significations The gendres, ne distinctions Of the times of hem, ne the causes, Or why this is more than that is, Or yeue folkes complexions, Make hem dreame of reflections, Or else thus, as other saine, For the great feeblenesse of her brain, By abstinence, or by sicknesse, Prison, strife, or great distresse, Or els by disordinaunce, Or natural accustomaunce, That some men be too curious In studie, or Melancolius, Or thus, so inly ful of drede, That no man may him bote rede,

Or els that deuotion Of some, and contemplation. Causen such dreames oft, Or that the cruell life vnsoft Of hem that loues leden, Oft hopen much or dreden, That purely her impressions Causen hem to haue visions, Or if spirits han the might To make folke to dreame on night, Or if the soule of proper kind, Be so perfite as men find, That it wote what is to come, And that he warneth all and some Of eueriche of her auentures, By auisions, or by figures, But that our flesh hath no might To vnderstand it aright, For it is warned too derkely, But why the cause is, not wote I, Well worth of this thing clerkes, That treaten of that, and of other werkes, For I of none opinion Nill as now make mention, But only that the holy Rood Tourne vs euery dreame to good, For neuer sith I was borne, Ne no man els me beforne, Mette I trow stedfastly So wonderfull a dreame as I. The tenth day now of December, The which, as I can remember, I woll you tellen euerydele, But at my beginning trusteth wele, I woll make inuocation, With a deuout speciall deuotion Vnto the god of sleepe anone, That dwelleth in a caue of stone, Vpon a streame that commeth fro Lete, That is a flood of hell vnswete, Beside a Fulke, that men clepe Cimerie, There sleepeth aye this God vnmerie, With his slepie thousand sonnis, That alway to sleepe her wonne is, And to this God that I of rede, Pray I, that he woll me spede, My sweuen for to tell aright, If euery dreame stand in his might, And he that mouer is of all That is and was, and euer shall, So giue hem joy that it here, Or all that they dreame to yere, And for to stand all in grace That hem were leuest for to stond, And shield hem from pouertie and shond, And from euery vnhappe and disease, And send hem that may hem please, That taketh well and scorneth nought, Ne it misdeme in her thought, Through malicious entention, And who so through presumption, Or hate, or scorne, or through enuie, Dispite, or yape, or fellonie, Misdeme it, pray I Iesus good, Dreame he barefoot, or dreame he shood, That euery harme that any man Hath had sith the world began, Befall him thereof, or he sterue, And graunt that he may it deserue. Lo, with right such a conclusion, As had of his auision Cresus, that was king of Lide, That high vpon a gibbet dide, This praier shall he haue of me, I am not bette in charite.

NOw herken, as I haue you sayd, What that I mette or I abrayd, Of December the tenth day, When it was night, to slepe I lay, Right as I was wont to done, And fell asleepe wonder sone, As he that was weary forgo, On pilgrimage miles two To the corpes of saint Leonard, To maken lithe, that erst was hard. But as I slept, me mette I was Within a temple ymade of glas, In which there were mo Images Of gold, standing in sundry stages, In mo rich Tabernacles, And with perre mo pinacles, And mo curious portraitures, And queint manner of figures Of gold worke, then I saw euer. But certainly I nist neuer Where that it was, but well wist I, It was of Venus redely This temple, for in portreiture, I saw a non right her figure Naked fleeting in a see, And also on her head parde, Her rose garland white and red, And her combe to kembe her hed, Her doues, and Dan Cupido, Her blind sonne, and Vulcano, That in his face was full browne. But as I romed vp and downe, I found that on the wall there was Thus written on a table of bras. I woll now sing if that I can, The armes, and also the man, That first came through his destinie Fugitife fro Troy the countrie, Into Itaile, with full much pine, Vnto the stronds of Lauine, And tho began the story anone, As I shall tellen you echone. First saw I the destruction Of Troy, through the Greeke Sinon, With his false vntrue forswearings, And with his chere and his lesings Made a horse, brought into Troy, By which Troyans lost all her joy. And after this was graued, alas, How Ilions castle assailed was And won, and king Priamus slaine, And Polites his sonne certaine, Dispitously of Dan Pirrus. And next that saw I how Venus When that she saw the castle brend, Downe from heauen she gan discend,

And bad her sonne Eneas to flee, And how he fled, and how that he Escaped was from all the prees, And tooke his father, old Anchises, And bare him on his backe away, Crying alas and welaway, The which Anchises in his hand Bare tho the gods of the land, Thilke that vnbrenned were. Then saw I next all in fere, How Crusa, Dan Eneas wife, Whom that he loued all his life, And her yong sonne Iulo, And eke Ascanius also, Fledden eke with drerie chere, That it was pitie for to here, And in a Forrest as they went, At a tourning of a went, How Crusa was ylost, alas, That rede not I, how that it was, How he her sought, and how her ghost Bad him flie the Greekes host, And said he must into Itaile, As was his destinie, sauns faile, That it was pitie for to heare, When her spirit gan appeare The words that she to him saied, And for to keepe her sonne him praied. There saw I grauen eke how he, His father eke, and his meine, With his ships gan to saile Toward the countrey of Itaile, As streight as they mighten go. There saw I eke the cruell Iuno, That art Dan Iupiters wife, That hast yhated all thy life All the Troyan blood, Ren and cry as thou were wood On Eolus, the god of Winds, To blowen out of all kinds So loud, that he should drench Lord, Lady, groome, and wench Of all the Troyans nation, Without any of her saluation. There saw I such tempest arise, That euery hert might agrise, To see it painted on the wall. There saw I eke grauen withall Venus, how ye my Lady dere, Weeping with full wofull chere, Praying Iupiter on hie To saue and keepe that nauie Of that Troyan Eneas, Sith that he her sonne was. There saw I Ioues Venus kisse, And graunted was of the tempest lisse. There saw I how the tempest stent, And how with all pipe he went, And p••iuely tooke a riuage Into the countrey of Carthage, And on the morrow how that he, And a Knight that height Achate, Metten with Venus that day, Going in a queint array, As she had be an hunter esse, With wind blowing vpon her tresse, And how Eneas began to plaine, When he knew her, of his paine, And how his Ships dreint were, Or els ylost, he nist where, How she gan him comfort tho, And bad him to Cartage go, And there he should his folke find, That in the sea were left behind, And shortly of this thing to pace, She made Eneas so in grace Of Dido, Queene of that countre, That shortly for to tellen, she Became his loue, and let him do All that wedding longeth to, What should I speake it more quaint, Or paine me my words to paint, To speake of loue, it woll not be, I cannot of that faculte, And eke to tellen of the manere How they first acquainted were, It were a long processe to tell, And ouer long for you to dwell. There saw I graue, how Eneas Told to Dido euery caas, That him was tidde vpon the see. And est grauen was how that she Made of him shortly at a word, Her life, her loue, her lust, her lord, And did to him all reuerence, And laid on him all the dispence, That any woman might do, Wening it had all be so, As he her swore, and hereby demed That he was good, for he such seemed. * Alas, what harme doth apparence, When it is false in existence, For he to her a traitour was, Wherefore she slow her selfe alas. * Lo, how a woman doth amis, To loue him that vnknowen is, For by Christ lo thus it fareth, * It is not all gold that glareth, For also brouke I well mine head, There may be vnder goodlihead Couered many a shreud vice, Therefore be no wight so nice, To take a loue onely for chere, Or speech, or for friendly manere, For this shall euery woman find, That some man of his pure kind Woll shewen outward the fairest, Till he haue caught that what him lest, And then woll he causes find, And swere how she is vnkind, Or false, or priuie, or double was, All this say I by Eneas And Dido, and her nice lest, That loued all to soone a guest, Wherefore I woll say o prouerbe, * That he that fully knoweth the herbe, May safely lay it to his eie, Withouten drede this is no lie. But let vs speake of Eneas, How he betraied her, alas, And left her full vnkindly. So when she saw all vtterly,

That he would her of trouth faile, And wenden from her into Itaile, She gan to wring her handes two. Alas (qd. she) that me is wo, Alas, is euery man thus true, That euery yere woll haue a new, If it so long time endure, Or els three parauenture, And thus of one he woll haue fame In magnifying of his owne name, Another for friendship sayeth he, And yet there shall the third be, That is taken for delite, Lo, or els for singular profite, In such words gan complaine Dido of her great paine, As me mette dreaming readily, None other authour alledge woll I. Alas (qd. she) my sweet hart, Haue pitie on my sorrowes smart, And slea me not, go not away. O wofull Dido, welaway (Qd. she) vnto her selfe tho. O Eneas what woll ye do, O that your loue ne your bond, That ye swore with your right hond, Ne my cruell death (qd. she) May hold you still here with me. O, haue ye of my death no pite, Iwis mine owne deare hert ye Know full well that neuer yet, As farre as euer I had wit, Agilt you in thought ne in dede. O, haue ye men such goodlihede In speech, and neuer a dele of trouth, Alas that euer had routh Any woman on a false man. Now I see well, and tell can, We wretched women can no art, For certaine, for the more part, Thus we been serued euerichone, How sore that ye men can grone, Anon as we have you receiued, Certainly we been deceiued, For though your loue lest a season, Wait vpon the conclusion, And eke how ye determine, And for the more part define, O welaway that I was borne, For through you my name is lorne, And mine acts redde and song Ouer all this land in euery tong. O wicked fame, for there nis Nothing so swift lo as she is, O sooth is euery thing is wist, Though it be couerde with the mist, Eke though I might duren euer, That I haue done recouer I neuer, That it ne shall be said, alas, I shamed was through Eneas, And that I shall thus judged be. Lo right as she hath done, now she Woll done estsoones hardely, Thus say the people priuely, But that is done nis not to done, But all her complaint ne her mone Certaine auailed her not a stre, And when she wist soothly he Was forth into his ship agone, She into chamber went anone, And called on her suster Anne, And gan her to complaine than, And said, that she cause was, That she first loued him alas, And first counsailed her thereto, But what, when this was said and do, She roft her seluen to the hart, And deide through the wounds smart, But all the manner how she deide, And all the words how she seide, Who so to know it hath purpose, Rede Virgile in Eneidos, Or the Pistels of Ouide, What that she wrote or that she dide, And nere it too long to endite, By God I would it here write, But welaway, the harme and routh That hath betide for such vntrouth, As men may oft in bookes rede, And all day seene it yet in dede, That for to thinken it tene is. Lo Demophon, Duke of Athenis, How he forswore him falsely, And traied Phillis wickedly, That kings doughter was of Thrace, And falsely gan his tearme pace, And when she wist that he was false, She hong her selfe right by the halfe, For he had done her such vntrouth, Lo, was not this a wo and routh. Eke looke how false and recheles Was to Briseida Achilles, And Paris to Oenone, And Iason to Hipsiphile, And eft Iason to Medea, And Hercules to Dianira, For he left her for Iolee, That made him take his death parde. How false was eke Theseus, That as the storie telleth vs, How he betraied Adriane, The deuill be his soules bane, For had he laughed or yloured, He must haue been all deuoured, If Adriane ne had be, And for she had of him pite, She made him fro the death escape, And he made her a full false jape, For after this within a while, He left her sleeping in an Isle, Desart alone right in the see, And stale away, and let her bee, And tooke her suster Phedra tho With him, and gan to ship go, And yet he had sworne to here, On all that euer he could swere, That so she saued him his life, He would taken her to his wife, For she desired nothing els, In certain, as the booke vs tels. But for to excuse this Eneas Fulliche of all his great trespas,

The booke saith sauns faile, The gods bad him go to Itaile, And leauen Affrickes regioun, And faire Dido and her toun, Tho saw I graue how to Itaile Dan Eneas gan for to saile, And how the tempest all began, And how he lost his steresman, Which that the sterne, or he tooke keepe, Smote ouer the bord as he sleepe. And also saugh I how Sibile And Eneas beside an Isle, To hell went for to see His father Anchises the free, And how he there found Palimurus, And also Dido, and Deiphebus, And eueriche tourment eke in hell Saw he, which long is for to tell, Which paines who so list to know, He must rede many a row In Vergile or in Claudian, Or Daunt, that it tellen can. Tho saw I eke all the ariuaile That Eneas had made in Itaile, And with king Latin his treate, And all the battailes that he Was at himselfe, and his knights, Or he had all iwonne his rights, And how he Turnus reft his life, And wan Lauina to his wife, And all the maruellous signals Of the gods celestials, How maugre Iuno, Eneas For all her sleight and her compas Acheued all his auenture, For Iupiter tooke on him cure, At the prayer of Venus, Which I pray alway saue vs, And vs aye of our sorrowes light. When I had seene all this sight In this noble temple thus, Hey Lord, thought I, that madest vs, Yet saw I neuer such noblesse Of Images, nor such richesse, As I see grauen in this church, But nought wote I who did hem worch, Ne where I am, ne in what countree, But now will I out gone and see Right at the wicket if I can Seene ought where stering any man, That may me tellen where I am. When I out of the dore came, I fast about me beheld, Then saw I but a large field, As farre as euer I might see, Without toune, house, or tree, Or bush, or grasse, or eared land, For all the field was but of sand, As small as men may see at eye In the desart of Lybye, Ne no manner creature, That is yformed by nature, Ne saw I, me to rede or wisse: O Christ, thought I, that are in blisse, From fanton and illusion Me saue, and with deuotion Mine eyen to the heauen I cast, Tho was I ware lo at the last, That fast by the sunne on hye, As kenne might I with mine eye, Me thought I saw an Egle sore, But that it seemed much more, Than I had any Egle yseine, This is as sooth as death certaine, It was of gold, and shone so bright, That neuer saw men such a sight, But if the heauen had ywonne All new of God another sonne, So shone the Egles fethers bright, And somewhat downward gan it light.

Explicit liber primus.