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

286 POEMS OF GEOFFREY CHIA UCER.
He made also, gone is a greate while, Now will I say what penance thou shalt do
Origenes upon the Magdalene.1 For thy trespass;14 and understand it here:
Him oughte now to have the lesse pain; 2 Thou shalt, while that thou livest, year by year,
He hath made many a lay, and many a thing. The moste partie of thy time spend
Now as ye be a god, and eke a king, In making of a glorious Legend
I your Alcestis,3 whilom queen of Thrace, Of Goode Women, maidenis and wives,
I aske you this man, right of your grace, That were true in loving all their lives;
That ye him never hurt in all his life; And tell of false men that them betray,
And he shall sweare to you, and that blife,4 That all their life do naught but assay
He shall no more aguilten 5 in this wise, How many women they may do a shame;
But shall maken, as ye will him devise, For in your world that is now held a game.20
Of women true in loving all their life, And though thou like not a lover be,21
Whereso ye will, of maiden or of wife, Speak well of love; this penance give I thee.
And further you as much as he missaid And to the God of Love I shall so pray,
Or6 in the Rose, or ellis in Cresseide." That he shall charge his servants, by any way,
The God of Love answered her anon: To further thee, and well thy labour quite: 22
"Madame," quoth he, "it is so long agone Go now thy way, thy penance is but lite.
That I you knew, so charitable and true, And, when this book ye make, give it the queen
That never yet, since that the world was new, On my behalf, at Eltham, or at Sheen."
To me ne found I better none than ye; The God of Love gan smile, and then he said:
If that I woulde save my degree, "Know'st thou," quoth he, "whether this be
I may nor will not warne 7 your request; wife or maid,
All lies in you, do with him as you lest. Or queen, or countess, or of what degree,
I all forgive withoute longer space; 8 That hath so little penance given thee,
For he who gives a gift, or doth a grace, That hath deserved sorely for to smart?
Do it betimes, his thank is well the more; 9 But pity runneth soon ingentle heart;23
And deem 10 ye what he shall do therefor. That mayst thou see, she kitheth 24 what she is.'
Go thanke now my Lady here," quoth he. And I answ6r'd: "Nay, Sir, so have I bliss,
I rose, and down I set me on my knee, No more but that I see well she is good."
And saide thus; " Madame, the God above "That is a true tale, by my hood,"
Foryielde 1 you that ye the God of Love Quoth Love; "and that thou knowest well,
Have made me his wrathe to forgive; pardie!
And grace me 12 so longe for to live, If it be so that thou advise 25 thee.
That I may knowe soothly what ye be, Hast thou not in a book, li'th 26 in thy chest,
That have me help'd, and put in this degree! The greate goodness of the queen Alceste,
But truely I ween'd, as in this case, That turned was into a da'is?
Naught t' have aguilt,13 nor done to Love tres- She that for her husbandi chose to die,
pass; 4 And eke to go to hell rather than he;
For why? a true man, withoute dread, And Hercules resciud her, pardie!
Hath not to part 15 with a thieve's deed. And brought her out of hell again to bliss? "
Nor a true lover oughte me to blame, And I answ6r'd again, and saide; " Yes,
Though that I spoke a false lover some shame. Now know I her; and is this good Alceste,
They oughte rather with me for to hold, The dais~, and mine own hearte's rest?
For that I of Cressida wrote or told, Now feel I well the goodness of this wife,
Or of the Rose, what so mine author meant; 16 That both after her death, and in her life,
Algate,l7 God wot, it was mine intent Her greate bounty27 doubleth her renown.
To further truth in love, and it cherice,l8 Well hath she quit 28 me mine affectioiin
And to beware from falseness and from vice, That I have to her flower the dais.;
By such example; this was my meaning." No wonder is though Jove her stellify,29
And she answer'd; "Let be thine arguing, As telleth Agathon,30 for her goodness;
For Love will not counterpleaded be 19 Her white crowni bears of it witness;
In right nor wrong, and learne that of me; For all so many virtues hadde she
Thou hast thy grace, and holdthee right thereto. As smalle flowrons in her crowne be.
1 A poem entitled " The Lamentation of Mary Mag- 20 Considered a spolt.
dalene," said to have been "taken out of St Origen," is 21 Chaucer is always careful to allege his abstinence
included in the editions of Chaucer; but its authen- from the pursuits of gallantry; he does so prominently
ticity, and consequently its identity with the poem in "The Court of Love," "The Assembly of Fowls,"
here mentioned, are doubted. 2 Penalty. and "The House of Fame." 22 Requite.
3 See note 32, page 201. 4 Quickly. 23 Into the heart of one nobly born. The same is said
5 Offend. 6 Either. of Theseus, in The Knight's Tale, page 34; and of
7 Refuse. 8 Delay. Canacd, by the falcon, in The Squire's Tale, page 120.
9 A paraphrase'of the well-known proverb "Bis dat 24 Showeth. 25 Bethink.
qui cito dat." 10 Adjudge. 11 Reward. 26 (That) lies. 27 Virtue.
12 Give me grace. 13 Offended. 28 Recompensed.
14 Offence. 15 Hath no share in. 29 Assign to her a place among the stars; as he did
16 That is, they ought rather to thank me for giving to Andromeda and Cassiopeia.
a faithful translation. 30 There was an Athenian dramatist of this name,
17 By all ways. 18 Cherish. who might have made the virtues and fortunes of
19 The same prohibition occurs inthe Fifteenth Statute Alcestis his theme; but the reference is too vague for
of " The Court of Love," page 204. the author to be identified with any confidence.