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

230 POEMS OF GOEFFREY CHAUCER.
And I, that had seen all this wonder case,l l"With right good will, my daughter fair,"
Thought that I would assay in some mann6re quoth she,
To know fully the truth of this mattdre, "Since your desire is good and debonair; 2
And what they were that rode so pleasantly; The nine crowned be very exemplair 13
And when they were the arbour passed by, Of all honofir longing to chivalry;
I dress'd me forth,2 and happ'd to meet anon And those certin be call'd The Nine Worthy,l4
A right fair lady, I do you ensure; "Which ye may see now riding all before,
And she came riding by herself alone, That in their time did many a noble deed,
All in white; [then] with semblance full demure And for their worthiness full oft have bore
I her salued, and bade 4 good adventure 5 The crown of laurel leaves upon their head,
Might her befall, as I could most humbly; As ye may in your olde bookis read;
And she answer'd: "My daughter, gramercy!"6 And how that he that was a conqueroir
"Madame," quoth I, "if that I durst enquereHad by laurel alway his most honoir.
Of you, I would fain, of that company, "And those that beare boughes in their hand
Wit what they be that pass'd by this herbere?" Of the precious laurel so notable,
And she again answered right friendly: Be such as were, I will ye understand,
"My faire daughter, all that pass'd hereby Most noble Knightes of the Rounde Table,l1
In white clothing, be servants ev'ry one Auad eke the Douciperes honourable; 16
Unto the Leaf; and I myself am one. Whiche they bear in sign of victdry,
" See ye not her that crowned is," quoth she, As witness of their deedes mightily.
"[Clad] all in white? "-" Madame," then "Eke there be knightes old17 of the Gart6r,
quoth I, " yes:" That in their time did right worthily;
"That is Dian', goddess of chastity; And the honofir they did to the laur6r 1
And for because that she a maiden is, Is for 9 by it they have their laud wholly,
In her handi the branch she beareth this, Their triumph eke, and martial glor y;
That agnus castus men call properly; Which unto them is more perfect richess
And all the ladies in her company, Than any wight imagine can, or guess.
" Which ye see of that herbe chaplets wear, " For one leaf given of that noble tree
Be such as have kept alway maidenhead: To any wight that hath done worthily,
And all they that of laurel chaplets bear, An' 20 it be done so as it ought to be,
Be such as hardy7 were in manly deed,- Is more honour than any thing earthly;
Victorious name which never may be dead itess of Rome, that founder was trul
And all they were so worthy of their hand8 Of all knighthood and deeds marvellous;
In their time, that no one might them withstand. Rec6rd I take of Titus Livius.1
"And those that weare chaplets on their head d tt c d is i
Of fresh woodbind, be such as never were It is Flora, of these flower goddss r
It is Flora, of these flowers godd'ess;
To love untrue in word, in thought, nor deed, And al that here on her awaitingben,
But ay steadfast; nor for pleasance, nor fear, It are such folk that loved idleness
Thoughthattheyshouldtheirheartes allto-tear,9 And not delighted in no business,
Would never flitio but ever were steadfast,
Would never fflit,' but ever were steadfast, But for to hunt and hawk, and play in meads,
Till that their lives there asunder brast." 1 And many other such-like idle deeds.
" Now fair Madame," quoth I, " yet would I
"opray Ma"m, uohI,"ewul "And for the great delight and the pleasance
Your ladyship, if that it might be, They have to the flow'r, and so rev'rentli
That I might knowe, by some manner way They unto it do such obeisance
(Sinc that it hath liked your beaut, Asye may see." "Now, fair Madame,"quoth I,
The truth of these ladies for to tell me), "If I durst ask, what is the cause, and why,
What that these knightSs be in rich armofr, That knights have the ensign 22 of honoir
And what those be in green and wear the flow'r? Rather by the leaf than by the flow'r? "
"And whythat some did rev'rence to that tree, "Soothly, daughter," quoth she, " this is the
And so'me unto the plot of flowers fair?" troth:
1 Thiswondrous incident. 2 Issued forth. 17 Chaucer speaks as if, at least for the purposes of
3 I warrant you. 4 Prayed, wished. 5 Fortune. his poetry, he believed that Edward III. did not estab6 " Grand merci," French; great thanks. lish a new, but only revived an old, chivalric institu7 Courageous. 8 So valiant in fight. tion, when he founded the Order of the Garter.
9 Rend in pieces. 10 Change, swerve. 18 Laurel-tree; French, "laurier."
11 Burst, broke; till they died. 19 Because. 20 If.
12 Gentle, courteous. 13 The true examples. 21 The meaning is: "Witness the practice of Rome,
14 The Nine Worthies, who at our day survive in the that was the founder of all knighthood and marvellous
Seven Champions of Christendom. The Worthies were deeds; and I refer for corroboration to Titus Livius "
favourite subjects for representation at popular festi- -who, in several passages, has mentioned the laurel
vals or in masquerades. crown as the highest military honour. For instance,
15 The famous Knights of King Arthur, who, being in 1. vii. c. 13, Sextus Tullius, remonstrating for the
all esteemed equal in valour and noble qualities, sat army against the inaction in which it is kept, tells the
at a round table, so that none should seem to have Dictator Sulpicius, "Duce te vincere cupimus; tibi
precedence over the rest. lauream insignem deferre; tecum triumphantes urbem
16 The twelve peers of Charlemagne (les douzepairs), inire."
chief among whom were Roland and Oliver. 22 Insignia, badge.