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

THE FRANKLIN'S TALE.' 27
To remove all the rockes of Bretagne, His tables Toletanes 14 forth he brought,
And eke from Gironde 1 to the mouth of Seine. Full well corrected, that there lacked nought,
He made it strange,2 and swore, so God him Neither his collect, nor his expanse years,
save, Neither his rootes, nor his other gears,
Less than a thousand pound he would not have, As be his centres, and his arguments,
Nor gladly for that sum he would not gon.3 And his proportional convenients
Aurelius with blissful heart anon For his equati6ns in everything.
Answered thus; " Fie on a thousand pound! And by his eights spheres in his working,
This wide world, which that men say is round, He knew full well how far Alnath15 was shove
I would it give, if I were lord of it. From the head of that fix'd Aries above,
This bargain is full-driv'n, for we be knit; 4 That in the ninths sphere consider'd is.
Ye shall be payed truly by my troth. Full subtilly he calcul'ed all this.
But looke, for no negligence or sloth, When he had found his firste mansi6n,
Ye tarry us here no longer than to-morrow." He knew the remnant by proporti6n;
" Nay," quoth the clerk, " have here my faith And knew the rising of his moone well,
to borrow." 5 And in whose fa e, and term, and every deal;
To bed is gone Aurelius when him lest, And knew full well the moone's mansion
And well-nigh all that night he had'his rest, Accordant to his operati6n;
WVhat for his labour, and his hope of bliss, And knew also his other observances,
His woeful heart of penance had a liss.6 For such illusions and such mneschances,
Upon the morrow, when that it was day, As heathen folk used in thilke days.
Unto Bretagne they took the righte way, For which no longer made he delays;
Aurelius and this magician beside, But through his magic, for a day or tway,l7
And be descended where they would abide: It seemed all the rockes were away.
And this was, as the bookes me remember, Aurelius, which yet despaired is
The cold6 frosty season of December. Whe'er 18 he shall have his love, or fare amiss,
Phebus wax'd old, and hued like latoun,7 Awaited night and day on this miracle:
That in his hotc declinatioin And when he knew that there was none obShone as the burned gold, with streames stacle,
bright; That voided 19 were these rockes every one,
But now in Capricorn adown he light, Down at his master's feet he fell anon,
Where as he shone full pale, I dare well sayn. And said; "I, woeful wretch'd Aurelius,
The bitter frostes, with the sleet and rain, Thank you, my Lord, and lady mine Ventis,
Destroyed have the green in every yard.9 That me have holpen from my cares cold."
Janus sits by the fire with double beard, And to the temple his way forth hath he hold',
And drinketh of his bugle horn the wine: Where as he knew he should his lady see.
Before him stands the brawn of tusked swine, And when he saw his time, anon right he
And "nowel "0 crieth every lusty man. With dreadful20 heart and with full humble
Aurelius, in all that ev'r he can, cheer 21
Did to his master cheer and reverence, Saluted hath his sovereign lady dear.
And prayed him to do his diligence " My rightful Lady," quoth this woeful man,
To brings him out of his paini's smart, " Whom I most dread, and love as I best can,
Or with a sword that he would slit his heart. And lothest were of all this world displease,
This subtle clerk such ruth 11 had on this man, Vere't not that I for you have such disease,!2
That night and day he sped him, that he can, That I must die here at your foot anon,
To wait a time of his conclusi6n; Nought would I tell how me is woebegone.
This is to say, to make illusi6n, But certes either must I die or plain; 23
By such an appearance of jugglery Ye slay me guiltiless for very pain.
(I know no termis of astrology), But of my death though that ye have no ruth,
That she and every wight should ween and say, Advise you, ere that ye break your truth:
That of Bretagne the rockes were away, Repenti you, for thilki God above,
Or else they werS sunken under ground. Ere ye me slay because that I you love.
So at the last he hath a time found For, Madame, well ye wot what ye have hight; 24
To make his japs 12 and his wretchedness Not that I challenge anything of right
Of such a superstitious cursedness.'3 Of you, my sovereign lady, but of grace;
1 The river, formed by the union of the Dordogne 12 Tricks. 13 Detestable villany.
and Garonne, on which Bourdeaux stands. 14 Toledan tables; the astronomical tables composed
2 A matter of difficulty. See note 38, page 55. by order of Alphonso II., King of Castile, about 1250,
3 And even for that sum he would not willingly go and so called because they were adapted to the city of
to work. 4 Agreed. Toledo.
5 I pledge my faith on it. 15 ", Alnath," says Mr Wright, was "the first star in
6 Had a respite, relief, from anguish. the horns of Aries, whence the first mansion of the
7 Coloured like copper or latten. moon is named." 16 Wicked devices.
8 Beams. 9 Court-yard, garden. 17 Another and better reading is "a week or two."
10 "Noel," the French for Christmas-derived from 18 Whether. 19 Removed,
"natalis," and signifying that on that day Christ was 20 Fearful. 21 Mien.
born-came to be used as a festive cry by the people 22 Distress, affliction. 23 Bewail.
on solemn occasions. 1i Pity. 24 Promised.
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