The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

,226 POEMS OF GEOFFREY CIHA UCER.
Which, as me thought, was right a pleasant As full of blossoms as it mightd be;
sight. Therein a goldfinch leaping prettily
And eke the birdes, songes for to hear From bough to bough; and as him list he eat
Would have rejoiced any earthly wight; Here and there of the buds and flowers sweet.
And I, that could not yet, in no mann6re, And to the arbour side was adjoining
Heari the nightingale of 1 all the year, This fairest tree, of which I have you told;
Full busy hearkened with heart and ear, And at the last the bird began to sing
If I her voice perceive could anywhere. (When he had eaten what he eate wo'ld)
And at the last a path of little brede 2 So passing sweetly, that by many fold
I found, that greatly had not used be; 3 It was more pleasant than I could devise;19
For it forgrowen 4 was with grass and weed, And, when his song was ended in this wise,
That well unneth 5 a wight it mighte see: The nightingale with so merry a note
Thought I, "This path some whither goes, Answered him, that all the woode rung,
pardie! " 6 So suddenly, that, as it were a sote,
And so I follow'd [it], till it me brought I stood astound'; 20 so was I with the song
To a right pleasant arbour, well y-wrought, Thorough ravished, that, till late and long,21
That benched 7 was, and [all] with turfis new I wist not in what place I was, nor where;
Freshly y-turf'd, whereof the greene grass, Again, me thought, she sung e'en by mine ear.
So small, so thick, so short, so fresh of hue, Wherefore I waited 2 about busily
That most like to green wool, I wot, it was; On ev'ry side, if that I might her see;
The hedge also, that yeden in compass,8 And at the last I gan full well espy
And closed in all the greene herbere,9 Where she sat in a fresh green laurel tree,
With sycamore was set and eglatere,l On the further side, even right by me,
Wreathed in fere 1 so well and cunningly, That gave so passing a delicious smell,
That ev'ry branch and leaf grew by measure,1 According to the eglant6re full well.23
Plain as a board, of a height by and by: 13 Whereof I had so inly great pleasre,
I saw never a thing, I you ensure, That, as me thought, I surely ravish'd was
So well y-done; for he that took the cure 4 Into Paradise, where [as] my desire
To maken it, I trow did all his pain Was for to be, and no farther to pass,
To make it pass all those that men have seen. As for that day; and on the sweete grass
And shapen was this arbour, roof and all, I sat me down; for, as for mine intent,24
As is a pretty parlour; and als6 The birde's song was more convenient,25
The hedge as thick was as a castle wall, And more pleasant to me, by many fold,
That whoso list without to stand or go, Than meat, or drink, or any other thing;
Though he would all day pryen to and fro, Thereto the arbour was so fresh and cold,
He should not see if there were any wight The wholesome savours eke so comforting,
Within or no; but one within well might That, as I deemed, since the beginning
Perceive all those that wente there without Of the world was [there] never seen ere than 26
Into the field, that was on ev'ry side So pleasant a ground of none earthly man.
Cover'd with corn and grass; that out of doubt, And as I sat, the birdis heark'ning thus,
Though one would seeken all the worldi wide, Me thought that I heard voices suddenly,
So rich a fielde could not be espied The most sweetest and most delicious
Upon no coast, as of the quantity; 15 That ever any wight, I trow truely,27
For of all goode thing there was plenty. Heard in their life; for the harmony
And I, that all this pleasant sight [did] see, And sweet accord was in so good musike,
Thought suddenly I felt so sweet an air That the voices to angels' most were like.
Of the eglentere, that certainly At the last, out of a grove even by,
There is no heart, I deem, in such despair, That was right goodly, and pleasant to sight,
Nor yet with thoughtes froward and contrair I saw where there came, singing lustill,
So overlaid, but it should soon have boot,6 A world of ladies; but to tell aright
If it had ones felt this savour swoot.l7 Their greate beauty, lies not in my might,
And as I stood, and cast aside mine eye, Nor their array; nevertheless "shall
I was ware of the fairest medlar tree Tell you a part, though I speak not of all.
That ever yet in all my life I seye,l8 In surcoats 28 white, of velvet well fitting,
1 During. Chaucer here again refers to the super- 1 Together. 12 Regularly.
stition, noticed in " The Cuckoo and the Nightingale," 13 Of the same height side by side.
that it was of good omen to hear the nightingale before 14 Pains, care. 15 For its abundance or fertility.
the cuckoo upon the advent of both with spring. 16 Remedy, relief. 17 Sweet smell.
2 Breadth. 3 Been. 18 Saw. 19 Tell, describe.
4 Overgrown. 5 Scarcely, with difficulty. 20 I stood astounded or stupefied, like a fool-French
6 Of a surety. "sot."
7 Furnished with seats, whichhad been newly covered 21 For a long time. 22 Watched, looked.
with turf. 23 Agreeing or blending pleasantly with the smell of
8 Went all around; "yede" or "yead," is the old the sweet-briar. 24 To my mind.
form of go. 25 Befitting my taste or humour. 26 Then.
9 Arbour; akin to "herberow," lodging, shelter. 27 I verily believe.
10 Eglantine, sweet-briar, 28 Upper robes.