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

POEMS OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER. 291
Of this mattdre which that we have on hand. Chaucer's Envoy to the King.
God grante you your life freely to lead
In freedom, for full hard is to be bond. 0 conqueror of Brute's Albion,8
Which by lineage and free election
Be very king, this song to you I send;
And ye which may all mine harm amend,
A BALLAD OF GENTLENESS. Have mind upon my supplicati6n!
THE firste stock-father of gentleness,'
What man desireth gentle for to be,
Must follow his trace, and all his wittes dress,2 GOOD COUNSEL OF CH ER.
Virtue to love, and vices for to flee;
For unto virtue longeth dignity, FLEE from the press, and dwell with soothfastAnd not the reverse, safely dare I deem, ness;
All wear he mitre, crown, or diademe. Suffice thee thy good, though it be small;
This firste stock was full of righteousness, For hoard~0 hath hate, and climbing tickleness,u
True of his word, sober, pious, and free, Press hath envy, and weal is blent 12 o'er all,
Clean of his ghost,3 and loved business, Savour 13 no more than thee behove shall;
Against the vice of sloth, in honesty; Read 14 well thyself, that other folk canst read;
And, but his heir love virtue as did he, And truth thee shall deliver, it is no dread.5
He is not gentle, though he riche seem, Paine thee not each crooked to redress,
All wear he mitre, crown, or diademe. In trust of her that turneth as aball; 16
Vicd may well be heir to old richess, Great rest standeth in little business:
But there may no man, as men may well see, Beware also to spurn against a nall; 17
Bequeath his heir his virtuous nobless; Strive not as doth a crock 18 with a wall;
That is appropriid 4 to no degree, Deeme 19 thyself that deemest others' deed,
But to the first Father in majesty, And truth thee shall deliver, it is no dread.
Which makes his heire him that doth him What thee is sent, receive in buxomness; 20
queme,5 The wrestling of this world asketh a fall;
All wear he mitre, crown, or diademe. Here is no home, here is but wilderness.
Forth, pilgrim! forthe, beast, out of thy stall!
Look up on high, and thank thy God of all!
WeivB thy lust,21 and let thy ghost 22 thee lead,
THE COMPLAINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS And truth thee shall deliver, it is no dread.
PURSE.
To you, my purse, and to none other wight,
Complain I, for ye be my lady dear!
I am sorry now that ye be so light, PROVERBS OF CHAUCER.
For certes ye now make me heavy cheer;
Me were as lief be laid upon my bier. WHAT should these clothes thus manifold,
For which unto your mercy thus I cry, Lo!. this hot summer's day?
Be heavy again, or ellis must I die! After great heati cometh cold;
Now vouchesafe this day, ere it be night, No man cast his pilche 23 away.
That I of you the blissful sound may hear, Of all this world the large compass
Or see your colour like the sunne bright, Will not in mine arms twain;
That of yellowness haddd never peer. Who so muche will embrace,
Ye be my life! Ye be my heart6's steer!6 Little thereof he shall distrain.24
Queen of comfort and of good company! The world so wide, the air so remuable,25
Be heavy again, or ellis must I die! The silly man so little of statire;
Now, purse! that art to me my life's light The green of ground and clothing so mutable,
And savour, as down in this worlde here, The fire so hot and subtile of nature;
Out of this townl help me through your might, The water never in one 26 —what create {
Since that you will not be my treasur6re; That made is of these foure 27 thus flittig,
For I am shave as nigh as any frere.7 May steadfast be, as here, in his living:
But now I pray unto your courtesy, The more I go, the farther I am behind;
Be heavy again, or elles must I die! The farther behind, the nearer my war's end;
I Christ. 2 Apply. 15 Doubt. 16 Fortune.
3 Pure of spirit. 4 Specially reserved. 17 To kick against a nail, " against thepricks."
5 Please. 6 Rudder. 18 An earthen pot.
7 " I am as bare of coin as a friar's tonsure of hair." 19 Judge. 20 Submission.
8 See page 396. 21 Forsake thy inclinations.
9 Said to have been composed by Chaucer "upon his 22 Spirit. 23 Pelisse, furred cloak.
deathbed, lying in anguish." s4 Grasp.'25 Unstable.
10 Treasure. 11 Instability. 6 Never the same.
12 Prosperity is blinded or deceived as to the truth. 27 That is, the four elements, of which man was be13 Have a taste or desire for. 14 Counsel. lieved to be composed.