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

I8. THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Of craft of ringes heard they never none, To see the horse of brass, with all a rout
Save that he, Moses, and King Solomon, Of lord's and of ladies him about.
Hadden a name of conning 1 in such art. Such wond'ring was there on this horse of brass,
Thus said the people, and drew them apart. That, since the greate siege of Troye was,
But natheless some saide that it was There as men wonder'd on a horse also,
Wonder to maken of fern ashes glass, Ne'er was there such a wond'ring as was tho.7
And yet is glass nought like ashes of fern; But finally the king asked the knight
But, for 2 they have y-knowen it so ferne,3 The virtue of this courser, and the might,
Thereforeceaseththeirjanglingandtheirwonder. And prayed him to tell his governance.l8
As sorS wonder some on cause of thunder, The horse anon began to trip and dance,
On ebb and flood, on gossamer and mist, When that the knight laid hand upon his rein,
And on all thing, till that the cause is wist.4 And saide, " Sir, there is no more to sayn,
Thus jangle they, and deemen and devise, But when you list to riden anywhere,
Till that the king gan from his board arise. Ye muste trill 19 a pin, stands in his ear,
Bhoebus had left the angle meridional, Which I shall telli you betwixt us two;
And yet ascending was the beast royal, Ye muste name him to what place also,
The gentle Lion, with his Aldrian,5 Or to what country that you list to ride.
When that this Tartar king, this Cambuscan, And when ye come where you list abide,
Rose from his board, there as he sat full high: Bid him descend, and trill another pin
Before him went the loude minstrelsy, (For therein lies th' effect of all the gin 20),
Till he came to his chamber of parements,6 And he will down descend and do your will,
There as they sounded divers instruments, And in that place he will abide still;
That it was like a heaven for to hear. Though all the world had the contrary swore,
Now danced lusty Venus' children dear: He shall not thence be throwen nor be bore.
For in the Fish 7 their lady sat full high, Or, if you list to bid him thennes gon,
And looked on them with a friendly eye. Trill this pin, and he will vanish anon
This noble king is set upon his throne; Out of the sight of every manner wight,
This strange knight is fetched to him full sone,s And come again, be it by day or night,
And on the dance he goes with Canace. When that you list to clepe 21 him again
Here is the revel and the jollity, In such a guise, as I shall to you sayn
That is not able a dull man to devise: 9 Betwixti you and me, and that full soon.
He must have knowen love and his service, Ride 22 when you list, there is no more to do'n."
And been a feastly 10 man, as fresh as May, Informed when the king was of the knight,
That shoulde you devise such array. And had conceived in his wit aright
Who coulde telle you the form of dances The manner and the form of all this thing,
So fincouth,l and so fresh5 countenances,12 Full glad and blithe, this noble doughty king
Such subtle lookings and dissimulings Repaired to his revel as beforn.
For dread of jealous men's apperceivings? The bridle is into the tower borne,
No man but Launcelot,l3 and he is dead. And kept among his jewels lefe 2" and dear;
Therefore I pass o'er all this lustihead; 4 The horse vanish'd, I n'ot 24 in what mann6re,
I say no more, but in this jolliness Out of their sight; ye get no more of me:
I leave them, till to supper men them dress. But thus I leave in lust and jollity
The steward bids the spices for to hie 15 This Cambuscan his lordes feastying,25
And eke the wine, in all this melody; Until well nigh the day began to spring.
The ushers and the squiers be y-gone,
The spices and the wine is come anon:
They eat and drink, and when this hath an end,
Unto the temple, as reason was, they wend; The norice 26 of digesti6n, the sleep,
The service done, they suppen all by day. Gan on them wink, and bade them taki keep,'7
What needeth you rehearse their array? That muchS mirth and labour will have rest:
Each man wot well, that at a kingS's feast And with a gaping28 mouth them all he kest,29
Is plenty, to the most 16 and to the least, And said, that it was time to lie down,
And dainties more than be in my knowing. For blood was in his dominatioun:
At after supper went this noble king " Cherish the blood,30 natfur's friend," quoth he.
1 Had a reputation for knowledge. 13 Arthur's famous knight, so accomplished and
2 Because. courtly, that he was held the very pink of chivalry.
3 Before; a corruption of "forne," from Anglo-Saxon, 14 Pleasantness. 15 Haste. 16 Greatest.
"foran." 4 Known. 17 Then. 18 Mode of managing him.
5 Or Alderan; a star in the neck of the constellation 19 Turn; akin to "thirl," "drill."
Leo. 20 Contrivance. 21 Call.
6 Presence-chamber, or chamber of state, full of 22 Another reading is " bide," alight or remain.
splendid furniture and ornaments. The same expres- 23 Cherished. 24 Know not.
sion is used in French and Italian. 25 Entertaining; French, "festoyer," to feast.? In Pisces, Venus was said to be at her exaltation 26 Nurse. 27 Heed.
or greatest power. See note 28, page 77. 28 Yawning. 29 Kissed.
8 Soon. 9 Tell, describe. 10 Merry, gay. 30 The old physicians held that blood dominated in
1 Unfamiliar, strange; from " conne," to know. See the human body late at night and in the early mornnote 7, page 17. ing. Galen says that the domination lasts for seven
12 The pantomimic gestures of the dance, hours.
hours.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~