The minor poems. Edited by Walter W. Skeat
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400 | Skeat, Walter W. (Walter William), 1835-1912
34. F. thow. F. wolt ; Gg. wilt. 35. Gg. P. Lo olde ; F. Loo tholde. F. lyste. 36. F. say ; Gg. P. sey. !< . soo. 37. P. help ; Gg. F. helpe. F. soo. F. ryme dowteles. 38. F. thynke ; slepe ; wake. 40. F. While ; yonge. Gg. putte ; F. put. P. her ; F. hyt ; Gg. it. 41. F. alle. 42. F. hys tume. 43. F. hede; Gg. bed. XVI. LENVOY A SCO G AN. 203 In thende of which streme I am dul as deed, 45 Forgete in solitarie wildernesse ; Yet, Scogan, thenke on Tullius kyndenesse, Minne thy frend, thcr it may fructifye ! Far-wel, and lok thou never eft Love defye ! 49 45. F. dede; Gg. P. ded. 4S. F. Mynne; there. 49. F. loke thow ; dyffye. Note : All contain the following notes, viz. — .i. a Windcsore opposite 1. 43 ; and — .i. a Grenewich opposite 1. 45. XVII. LENVOY DE CHAUCER A BUKTON. The counseil of Chaucer touching Mariage, which was sent to Bukton. My maister Bukton, whan of Criste our kinge Was axed, what is trouthe or sothfastnesse, He nat a word answerde to that axinge, As who saith : ' no man is al trew,' I gesse. And therfor, thogh I highte to expresse 5 The sorwe and wo that is in mariage, I dar not wryte of hit no wikkednesse, Lest I my-self falle eft in swich dotage. I wol nat seyn, how that hit is the cheyne Of Sathanas, on which he gnaweth ever, 10 But I dar seyn, were he out of his peyne, As by his wille, he wolde be bounde never. But thiike doted fool that eft hath lever Y-cheyned be than out of prisoun crepe, God lete him never fro his wo dissever, ' 15 Ne no man him bewayle, though he wepe. But yit, lest thou do worse, tak a wyf; Bet is to wedde, than brenne in worse wyse. But thou shalt have sorwe on thy flesh, thy lyf, And been thy wyves thral, as seyn these wyse, 20 Title : so in MS. Fairfax 16. Second 'Y\\\q from Ju. The authorities are: F. (Fairfax 16) ; Th. (Thynne's edition, 1532) ; and a printed copy by Julian Notary (Ju.). I follow F. mainly. 2. F. ys ; sothefastnesse. 3. F. worde. 4. F. noo. 5. F. ther- fore tliougii ; hight. 6. F. woo. 7. F. writen ; hyt. 8. Ju. Lest; F. Leste. 9. F. hyt. 10. F. euere. 11. F. oute. 12. F. neuere. 13. F. foole. Th. efte ; F. ofte ; Ju. oft. F. leuere. 15. F. woo disseuere. 16. F. noo. 17. F. thow doo ; take; wyfe. 19. F. thow; flessh; lyfe. 20. F. wifes ; Ju. Th. wyues. XVII. I.ENVOY A BUKTON. 205 And if that holy vrit may nat sufiyse, Experience shal thee teche, so may happe, That thee were lever to be take in Fryse Than eft to falle of wedding in the trappe. Envoy. This htel writ, proverbes, or figure 25 I sende you, tak kepe of hit, I rede: Unwys is he that can no wele endure. If thou be siker, put thee nat in drede. The Myf of Bathe I pray you that ye rede Of this matere that we have on honde. 30 God grauntc you your lyf frely to lede In fredom ; for ful hard is to be bonde. 32 Explicit. 21. F. yf; hooly writte. 22. F. the. 23. F. the. 24. F. Jii. cm. to; which Th. inserts. 25. F. writte; Th. writ; Ju. wryt. 26. F. yow take; hyt. 27. F. Vnwise; lean noo. 28. F. thow ; the. 29. F. wyfe ; yow. 31. F. yow; lyfe. 32. F. fredam. F. harde it is ; Ju. hard is ; Th. foule is. All add Explicit. XVIII. THE COxMPLEYNT OF VENUS. I. {The Lover's worthiness) Ther nis so hy comfort to my plesaunce, Whan that I am in any hevinesse, As for to have leyser of remembraunce Upon the manhod and the worthinesse, Upon the trouthe, and on the stedfastnesse ■ 5 Of him whos I am al, whyl I may dure; Ther oghte blame me no creature, For every wight preiseth his gentilesse. In him is bountee, wisdom, gouernaunce Wei more then any mannes wit can gesse; 10 For grace hath wold so ferforth him avaunce That of knighthode he is parfit richesse. Honour honoureth him for his noblesse ; Therto so wel hath formed him Nature, That I am his for ever, I him assure, 15 For every wight preiseth his gentilesse. And not- withstanding al his suffisaunce, His gentil herte is of so greet humblesse To me in worde, in werke, in contenaunce, And me to serve is al his besinesse, 20 That I am set in verrey sikernesse. Title : so in F. Ff. Ar. ; see Notes. The MSS. are : T. (Trin. Coll. Cambridge, R. 3. 20) ; A. (Ashmole 59) ; Tn. (MS. Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16^; Ff. (MS. Ff. i. 6, Camb. Univ. Library) ; P. (Pepys 2006^ ; etc. I follow F. mainly. I. F. high; T. A. hye (hy is better). 2. F. When ; eny. 4. F. manhod ; the rest havefincil e. 5. F. stidfastnesse. 6. F. whiles ; A. whilest ; rest while. 7. F. oght ; Tn. oghte to. 9. F. ys bounte. F. T. A. insert and after wisdom ; but the rest o?)iit it. 10. F. eny manes witte. 11. F. wolde {wrongly); Ff. wold. F. ferforthe. 12. F. parfite. 14. F. well. 16. F. preysith. iS. F. heit: grete. 19. F. werk. 21. F. sikimesse. XVIII. THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS. 207 Thus oghte I blesse wel myn aventure, Sith that him list me serven and honoure ; For every wight preiseth his gcntilesse. II. {Disquietude caused by Jealousy^ Now certes, Love, hit is right covenable 25 That men ful dere bye the noble thing, As wake a-bedde, and fasten at the table, Weping to laughe, and singe in compleyning, And doun to caste visage and loking, Often to chaungen hewe and contenaunce, 30 Pleye in sleping, and dremen at the daunce, Al the revers of any glad feling. Thogh lelosye wer hanged by a cable, She wolde al knowe through her espying; Ther doth no wight no-thing so resonable, 35 That al nis harm in her imagening. Thus dere abought is love in yeving, Which ofte he yiveth with-outen ordinauncc, As sorow ynogh, and litel of plesaunce, Al the revers of any glad feling. 40 A litel tymc his yift is agreable. But ful encomberous is the using ; For sotel lelosye, the deceyvable, Ful often-tyme causeth destourbing. f Thus be we ever in drede and suffering, 45 22. F. oght. 25. F. certis. 27. F. a-bed ; T. A. a-bedde. 28. F. Wepinge ; laugh ; sing ; compleynpige. 29. F. cast ; the rest caste. F. lokynge. 30. F. chaunge visage {wrongly) ; change hewe in MS. Arch. Selden, B. 24 ; T. A. chaunge huwe. 31. F Pley. F. dreme ; T. Tn. Ff. dremen. 32. F. reuersc ; eny. 33 T. {)aughe lalousye wer ; the rest wrongly omit Thaughc (Thogh), and turn wer into be. T. Tn. by ; F. be ; Ff. with. 34. F. wold ; thro espyinge. 35. F. dothe. 36. F. nys harme ; ymagenynge. 37 F. yevynge. 38. F. yifelh. Ff. withouten ; the rest withoute. 40 F. reuerse. 42. T. Ff. encomberous ; F. encombrousc. F. vsynge 43. Tn. S(Hell ; F. subtil. 44. T. destourbing ; A. destourbinge ; F (lerturbyuge (i/f). 45. F. suffrynge ; P. sufferyng; T. souffering. 20 8 XVI 11. THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS. In nouncerteyn we languishe in penaunce, And han ful often many an hard meschaunce, ^ Al the ravers of an}- glad feling. III. {Satisfach'oti in Cojisiancy?) But certes, Love, I sey nat in such wyse That for tescape out of your lace I mente ; 50 For I so longe have been in your servyse That for to lete of wol I never assente; No force thogh lelosye me tormente ; Suffyceth me to see him whan I may, And therfore certes, to myn ending-day 55 _To love him best ne shal I never repente. And certes, Love, whan I me wel avyse On any estat that man may represente, Than have ye maked me, through your franchyse, Chese the best that ever on erthe wente. 60 Now love wel, herte, and lok thou never stente; And let the lelous putte hit in assay That, for no peyne wol I nat sey nay ; To love him best ne shal I never repente. Herte, to thee hit oghte y-nogh suffj'se 65 That Love so hy a grace to thee sente, To chese the worthiest in alle wyse 46. F. Ff. noun-certeyn ; T. noun-certaine ; A. nouncerteine. F. lan- gvisshen. 47. F. harde. F. wrongly repeats penaunce ; T. A. meschaunce. 48. F. reuerse ; ony ; felynge. 49. F. certys ; not. fo. F. youre ; ment. 51. F. be; t/ie rest ben or been. 52. F. wil ; T. A. Ff. wol. F. assent. 53. F. fors ; turment. 55. F. certys. 56. F. oiii. ne, 'which T. A. P. insert; Ar. has that. Tn. inserts me hef ore ntYer. 57. F. certis ; when. 58. F. eny estate ; represent. 59. F. Tn. Then ; rest Than, Thanne, Thane. T. Ff. P. maked ; r^j^ made. F. thro. 60. F. went. 61. F. hert ; loke ; stent. 62. P. lelous; A. lalous ; T. lalouse ; F. lelousie. A. putte; F. put. 63. F. peyn wille I not. 64. F. yow {for him) ; T. A. Tn. Ar. him [seel. ^6). 65. F. Hert; the; ought ynogh. 66. F. highe ; T. A. hye. T. A. Ff Ar. thee ; F. yow; Tn. you. F. sent. 67, F. al. XVIIL THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS. 209 And most agreable unto myn entente. Seche no ferther, neyther wey ne wente, Siih I have suffisaunce unto my pay. 70 Thus Avol I ende this compleynt or lay ; To love him best ne shal I never repente. Lenvoy. Princess, receyveth this compleynt in gre, Unto your excellent benignitee Direct after my litel suffisaunce. 75 For eld, that in my spirit dulleth me, Hath of endyting al the soteltee Wei ny bereft out of my remembraunce ; And eek to me hit is a greet pcnaunce, Sith rym in English hath swich scarsitee, 80 To folowe word by word the curiositee Of Graunson, flour of hem that make in Fraunce. 68. F. entent. 69. F. went. 70. F. Sithe. F. Tn. ye {for V ; rest I. 71. All but Ju. (Julian Notary's edition"; repeat this before lay. 72. See 1. 56. 73. T. A. Pryncesse ; rest Princes. F. resseyueth. 74. F. e.xcelent benignite. 75. F. Uirecte aftir. 76. F. elde. 77. Tn. soteltee; F. snbtilite. 78. F. nyghe. 79. F. eke; grete. 80. F. rj'me; englissli hat (jzV) such skarsete. Si. F. worde by worde ; curiosite. 82. F. floure ; maken. XIX. THE COMPLEINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE. To you, my purse, and to non other wight Compleyne I, for ye be my lady dere ! I am so sory, now that ye be light; For certes, but ye make me hevy chere, INIe were as leef be leyd up-on my bere ; 5 For whiche un-to your mercy thus I crye : Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye ! Now voucheth sauf this day, or hit be night, That I of you the blisful soun may here, Or see your colour lyk the sonne bright, 10 That [as] of yelownesse hadde never pere. Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere, Quene of comfort and of good companye : Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye ! Now purs, that be to me my lyves light, 15 And saveour, as doun in this worlde here, Out of this toune help me through your might, Sin that ye wole nat ben my tresorere ; For I am shave as nye as any frere. But yit I pray un-to your curtesye: 20 Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye! The MSS. are : F. (Fairfax 16) ; Harl. (Had. 7333) ; Ff. (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. i. 6) ; P. (Pepys 2006); Add. (Addit. 22139); also Cx. (Caxton's edition). I follow F. mainly. Title. So in Cx. {but with Un-to for to) ; F. om. empty ; P. La compleint de Ch.-iucer a sa Bourse Voide. I. F. yow. 2. F. Complayn ; Harl. P. Compleyne. 3. Harl. be ; F. been. 4. Add. That ; P. But ; rest For. P. Add. but ye ; F. H. but yf ye ; Ff. but yif ye; Cx. ye now. 5. Add. leyd; F. layde. 7. F. Beeth ; ageyne ; mote. 8. F. hyt ; nyght. 9. F. yow; sovne. 10. F. lyke ; bryght. 11. I supply as. 12. F. lyfe ; hertys. 14. F. ageyne; moote. 15. P. Cx. purs; F. Add. purse. F. ben. 17. F. Oute ; helpe ; thurgh. t8. F. bene. 19. Harl. P. any; Add. eny ; Cx. ony; F. is a. 21. F. Bethe; ayen ; moote. XIX. COMPLEINT TO HTS PURSE. 211 Lenvoy de Chaucer. O conquerour of Brutes Albioun ! Which that by lyne and free cleccioun Ben verray king, this song to you I sende; And ye, that mowen al myn harm amende, 25 Have mynde up-on my supplicacioun ! F. Lenvoy de Chaucer ; Harl. P. Lenvoye ; Cx. Thenuoye of Chaucer vnto the kynge. 23. F. Whiche. F. lygne ; Harl. Cx. Ff. P. lyne. 24. F. Been ; kjTige ; yow. 25. F. alle m}Ti harme ; Ff. alk cure harmes ; Harl. all oure harmous ; P. Cx. alk harmes. r 2 XX. PROVERBS. I. What shul thees clothes many-fold, Lo ! this hote somers day ? — After greet heet cometh cold; No man caste his pilche away. II. Of al this world the wyde compas Hit wol not in myn armes tweyne. — Who-so mochel wol embrace Litel therof he shal distreyne. 8 The MSS. are : F. (Fairfax i6) ; Ha. (Harl. 7578) ; Ad. (Addit. 16165). I follow F. mainly. I. Ad. J'ees ; F. Ha. these. All needlessly insert thus after clothes. F. many-folde. ■2. F. Loo ; hoote. 3. F. grete hete ; Ha. greet bete ; Ad. heet. F. colde. 4. Ha. pilche ; F. pilch. 5. F. all ; worlde. Ad. wyde ; F. Ha. large. Ad. Ha. compas ; F. compace. 6. Ad. Hit; F. Yt. Ad. wol; F. Ha. wil. Ad. myn; F. Ha. my. 7. F. Whoo-so. APPENDIX. XXI. A COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY. 1. (/« sevc7i-line s'a7tzas.) The longe night, whan every creature Shulde have hir rest in somwhat, as by kynde, Or elles ne may hir lyf nat long endure, Hit falleth most in-to my woful mynde How I so fer have broght my-self behynde, 5 That, sauf the deeth, ther may no-thing me lisse, So desespaired I am from alle blisse. This same thoght me lasteth til the morwe, And from the morwe forth til hit be eve; Ther nedeth me no care for to borwe, 10 For bothe I have good leyser and good leve ; Ther is no wight that wol me wo bereve To wepe y-nogh and wailen al my fille; The sore spark of peyne doth me spille. II. [In Terza Rima ; imperfect^ [The sore spark of peyne doth me spille;] This Love hath [eek] me set in swich a place It Of these fragments there is but one MS. copy, in MS. Ilarl. 7S, in •which [as in ed. 1561') it is written in continuation of the Complaint nnto Pity. The spelling is bad, and I alter it throughout. I. MS. nyghtes; see\.^. 2,3. hir; MS. theyre. 7. ed. (1561) rlispaired. 12. MS. me; ed. my. 14. Both insert now before doth. 15. // seems necessary to repeat this line in order to start the series of rimes. 16. MS. This loue that hathe me set ; I omit that, and supply eek. 214 XXI. COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY. That my desyr [he] never wol fulfille ; For neither pitee, mercy, neither grace Can I nat fynde ; yit [from] my sorwful herte, For to be deed, I can hit nat arace. The more I love, the more she doth me smerte ; Through which I see, with-oute remedye. That from the deeth I may no wyse asterte; [For this day in her servise shal I dye]. III. {In Terza Rima ; z'mper/ecf.) [Thus am I slain, with sorvves ful dyverse; 25 Ful long agoon I mighte have taken hede]. Now sothly, what she hight I wol reherse; Her name is Bountee, set in womanhede, Sadnesse in youthe, and beautee prydelees, And plesaunce, under governaunce and drede ; 30 Her surname eek is Faire Rewthelees, The Wyse, y-knit un-to good Aventure, That, for I love her, sleeth me giltelees. Her love I best, and shal whyl I may dure, Bet than my-self an hundred thousand deel, 35 Than al this worldes richesse or creature. Now hath nat Love me bestowed weel To love, ther I never shal have part? Alias ! right thus is turned me the wheel. Thus am I slayn with loves fyry dart. 40 I can but love her best, my swete fo; Love hath me taught no more of his art But serve alwey, and stinte for no wo. 17. I supply he (i.e. Love). 19. MS. and yit my; I omit and, and supply from. 24. Supplied to complete the rime front Compl. Mars, 189. 25. Supplied from Compl. Pite, 22, 17. 26. Supplied from Annelida, 307. 31. MS. is eek. 32. MS. The wyse eknytte {corrupt ?). 33. MS. hir she ; / omit she. 36. Corrupt^ Perhaps read nche QxtaXMiQ. 40. MS. fury. 42. Read ofalle his? XXI. COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY. 21 S IV. (In ten-line slanzas.) [With-in] my trewe careful herte ther is So moche wo, and [eek] so litel blis, 45 That wo is me that ever I was bore ; For al that thing which I desyre I mis, And al that ever I wolde nat, I-wis, That fynde I redy to me evermore ; And of al this I not to whom me pleyne. 50 For she that mighte me out of this bringe Ne reccheth nat whether I wepe or singe ; So lite! rewthe hath she upon my peyne. Alias ! whan sleping-tyme is, than I wake. Whan I shulde daunce, for fere than I quake, 55 This hevy lyf I lede for your sake, Thogh ye ther-of in no wyse hede take, • ••••• My hertes lady, and hool my lyves quene ! 60 For trewly dorste I seye, as that I fele. Me semeth that your swete herte of stele Is whetted now ageynes me to kene. My dere herte, and best beloved fo, Why lyketh yow to do me al this wo, 65 What have I doon that greveth yow, or sayd. But for I serve and love yow and no mo? And whylst I live, I wol do ever so; And therfor, swete, ne beth nat evil apayd. For so good and so fair as [that] ye be, 70 Hit wer [a] right gret wonder but ye hadde Of alle servants, bothe goode and badde ; And, leest worthy of alle hem, I am he. 44. MS. In; I read V^'iXh-'m. 45. I sitpply &ek. 50. So in Annelida, 237. 54. MS. ins. lo after is. 55. MS. ins. lo after fere. ^6, c^c). Missing, ^'j. US. ins. lo after \ede. 68. MS. euer do. 70. I siifply ihvA. 71. I supply Sl. 72. MS. 2«J. of a//(?r bothe. iS 31 6 XXI. COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY. • But never-the-les, my righte lady swete, Thogh that I be unconning and unmete To serve as I best coude ay your hynesse, Yit is ther fayner noon, that wolde I hete, Than I to do yow ese, or elles bete What-so I wiste were to [yow distresse]. And had I might as good as I have wille, 80 Than shulde ye fele wher it wer so or noon ; For in this worlde living is ther noon That fayner wolde your hertes [wish] fulfille. For bothe I love, and eek dreed yow so sore, And algates moot, and have doon yow, ful yore, 85 That bet loved is noon, ne never shal ; And yit I wolde beseche yow of no more But leveth wel, and be nat wroth ther-fore, And lat me serve yow forth ; lo 1 this is a!. For I am nat so hardy ne so wood 90 For to desyre that ye shulde love me; For wel I wot, alias 1 that may nat be ; I am so litel worthy, and ye so good. For ye be oon the worthiest on-lyve, And I the most unlykly for to thryve; 95 Yit, for al this, [now] witeth ye right wele, That ye ne shul me fro your service dryve That I nil ay, with alle my wittes fyve, Serve yow trewly, what wo so that I fele. For I am set on yow in swich manere 100 That, thogh ye never wil upon me rewe, I moste yow love, and ever been as trewe As any can or may on-lyve [here]. 76. MS. koude best. 77. MS. noon fayner. 78. MS. youre ; read yow. 79. MS. wist that were ; om. that. MS. your hyenesse {repeated from \. l(i \ wrongly); r^a^/ yow distresse. 82. VLS. ins. t>ane befo7-e is. 83. MS. wille {badly) ; read wish. 86. MS. better, 96. I stipply nov/. 98. MS. ne wil (/or nil) 100. ed. {jc^(>i)has set so hy vpon your whele. 102. MS. beon euer. 103. MS. man can ; / omit man. / supply here ; the line is imperfect. XXI. COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY. 21'/ The more that I love yow, goodly fre, The lasse fynde I that ye loven me ; 105 Alias ! whan shal that harde wit amende ? Wher is now al your womnianly pitee, Your gentilesse and your debonairtee, Wil ye no-thing ther-of upon me spende ? And so hool, swete, as I am youres al, no And so gret wille as I have yow to serve, Now, certes, and ye lete me thus sterve, Yit have ye wonne ther-on but a smal. For, at my knowing, I do no-thing why, And this I wol beseche yow hertely, 115 That, ther ever ye fynde, whyl }-e live, A trewer servant to yow than am I, Leveth [me] thanne, and sleeth me hardely, And I my deeth to you wol al forgive. And if ye fynde no trewer [man than me], 120 [Why] will ye suffre than that I thus spille. And for no maner gilt but my good wille ? As good w'er thanne untrewe as trewe to be. 104. MS. But the ; lomitBvLi. 114. MS. nought ; read no -thing. T16. MS. whyles. 118. I supply me. 120. MS. no trewer so verrayly ; ed. no trewer verely {false rime). 121. I supply Why. XXIL AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT. An amorous Compleint, made at Windesor. I, WHICH that am the sorwefulleste man That in this world was ever yit levinge, And leest recoverer of him-selven can, Beginne thus my deedly compleyninge On hir, that may to lyf and deeth me bringe, 5 Which hath on me no mercy ne no rewthe That love hir best, but sleeth me for my trewthe. [Ne] can I seyen nought that may yow lyke, [For] certes, now, alias ! alias ! the whyle ! Your plesaunce is to laughen whan I syke, 10 And thus ye me from al my blisse exyle. Ye have me cast in that despitous yle Ther never man on lyve ne might asterte; This have I for I love yow best, swete herte ! Soth is, that wel I wot, by lyklinesse, 15 If it wer thing possible [for] to do For to acounte your beutee and goodnesse, I have no wonder though ye do me wo; Sith I, thunworthiest that may ryde or go, Durste ever thinken in so hy a place, 20 What wonder is, though ye do me no grace? In MS. Harl. 7333, fol. 133 b and 134. The title is — And next folowyng begynnith an amerowse compleynte made at wyndesore in the laste May tofore Nouembre {sic'). I. Harl. sorowfuUest. 2. worlde ; laving. 3. leste recouuerer. 4. Be-gynne right thus. 5. lyff; dethe. 6. Whiche hathe ; rought {sic). 7. beste ; sleethe. 8. Harl. cm. Ne, but inserts it at be- gintiingofl. 9; Cane I nought ne saye {badly). 9. Ne {for For) ; novve ellas ellas. 10. Youre. 11. frome. 12. Yee; caste; spitouse (y2?r despitous). 14. beste. 15. Soothe; weele ; woot. 16. thinge; om.foi; doo. t8. noo wondre ; yee; woo. 19. Sithe; goo. 20. hie. 21. wondir; doo; noo. XXII. AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT. 21 9 Alias ! thus is my lyf brought to an ende. My deeth, I see, is my conclusioun ; I may wel say, in sory tyme I spende jVIy lyf, that so may have confusioun 25 For mercy, pitee, and deep affeccioun. I sey for me, for al my deedly chere, Alle thise diden, in that, me love yow dere. And in this wyse and [in] dispayre I live In love; nay, nay, but in dispayre I dye! 30 But shal I thus [to] yow my deeth for-give, That causeles doth me this sorow drye? Ye, certes, I ! For she of my folye Hath nought to done, although she do me sterve; Hit is nat with hir wille that I hir serve ! 35 Than sith I am of my sorowe the cause And sith that I have this, withoute hir reed, Than may I seyn, right shortly in a clause. It is no blame unto hir womanheed Though swich a wrecche as I be for hir deed; 40 Yet ahvey [been] two thinges, doon me dye, That is to seyn, hir beutee and myn ye. So algates, she is [than] the verray rote Of my disese, and of my dethe also ; For with oon word she mighte be my bote, 45 If that she vouched sauf for to do so. But [why] than is hir gladnesse at my wo ? 22. Ellas; Eonde. 23. dethe; concluciouw. 24. wele; sorye. 25. song (!yj7r so) ; Confuciouw. 27. io(\for{ox^. 28. Alk'this; deere. 29. I supply m. 31. I supply io; yowc ; dethe for-geve. 32. dothe. 33. certe(I"); sheo. 34. Ilathe ; Al-thoughe sheo. 35. nought (/or nat). 36. Thane sithe. 37 sitthe; rede. 38. seyne. 39. noo ; womanhede. 40. Thaugh suche ; dede. 41. Yelte; I supply httn ; twoo; doone. 42. seyne; beaute; eye. 43. sheo ; / supply than ; verraye Roote. 44. diseese ; alsoo. 45. worde sheo myght ; boote. 46. sheo wovched saufc ; soo. 47. / supply why ; woo. 220 XXII. AN AMOROUS COMFLEINT. It is hir wone plesaunce for to take, To seen hir servaunts dyen for hir sake! But certes, than is al my wonderinge, 50 Sithen she is the fayrest creature As to my dome, that ever was levinge, The benignest and beste eek that nature Hath wrought or shal, whyl [that] the world may dure, Why that she lefte pite so bihynde ? 55 It was, y-wis, a greet defaute in kynde. Yit is al this no lak to hir, pardee. But God or nature sore wolde I blame ; For, though she shewe no pite unto me, Sithen that she doth othere men the same, 60 I ne oughte to despyse my ladies game ; It is [hir] pley to laughen whan men syketh, And I assente, al that hir list and lyketh 1 Ye ! wolde I, as I dar, with sorweful herte Biseche un-to your mekly womanhede 65 That I now dorste my sharpe shoures smerte Shewe by worde, and ye wolde ones rede The pleynte of me, the which ful sore drede That I have seid here, through myn unknowinge, In any worde to your displesinge. ;o Lothest of anything that ever was loth Were me, als wisly god my soule save ! To seyn a thing through which ye might be wroth ; 48. wonne ; Harl. i)ts. to after wonne. 49. seon ; san-atintes. 50. thanne; alk ; wondering 51. sheo. 53. eke. 54. Hatha; shalk; I stipply Xii2.\.; worlde. 55. Whi ; sheo lefe pitte ; byhinde. 56. ewisse; grete. 57. Yitte; noo. 58. Harl. itis- htm before score {sic). 59. thowe (for thougXv ; sheo; pette. 60. sheo doothe. 61. ought. 62. I sitfply h\i \ pleye ; lawhe when that men sikith. 63. liste; likethe. 64. Yeo ; dare; sorowfull. 67. yee ; onys. 68. comple}Tite {for) pleynte; ; which I ¥vl\e. 69. saide ; thorowe. 70. yowre. 71. Loothest ; loothe. 72. sowle safe. 73. seyne; thorughe ; yee ; wrothe. XXII. AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT. 221 And, to that day that I be leyd in grave, A trewer servaunt shulde ye never have ; 75 And, though that I have pleyned unto yow here, Forgiveth it me, myn owne lady dere ! Ever have I been, and shal, how-so I wende, Outher to live or dye, your humble trewe ; Ye been to me my ginning and myn ende, 80 Sonne of the sterre bright and clere of hewe, And I ay oon; to love yow freshly newe, By God and by my trouthe, is myn entente, To live or dye ; I wol it never repente ! This compleynt on seint Valentynes day, 85 Whan every foul [ther] chesen shal his make, To hir, whos I am hool, and shal alwey, This woful song and this compleynt I make, That never yit wolde me to mercy take ; And yit wol I [for] evermore her serve 90 And love hir best, although she do me sterve. 74. leyde. 75. sarvaunt ne shulde yee. 76. thaughe ; plajTied. 77. For-gyvethe yt me, Ti\yx\Q oune lady so dere. 78. howe. 79. youre. 80. Yee ben ; gynnynge. 81. Sterre so bright ; huwe. 82. fresshely. 83. wolle. 85. Con])leynte ; valantines. 86. fonghel cheesen shall; I supply "Cn^x from Pari. Foules, 310. 87. was (}.for whos) ; hole ; shall. 88. wofulk songe ; conplaynte. 90. wolle ; I supply for. 91. alk-thowhe sheo. XXIII. A BALADE OF COiVtPLEYNT. CoMPLEYNE ne coude, ne might myn herte never ]\Iy peynes halve, ne what torment I have, Though that I sholde in your presence ben ever, My hertes lady, as wisly he me save That bountee made, and beutee list to grave 5 In your persone, and bad hem bothe in-fere Ever tawayte, and ay be wher ye were. As wisly he gye alle my loyes here As I am youres, and to yow sad and trewe, And ye, my lyf and cause of my good chere, 10 And deeth also, whan ye my peynes newe. My worldes loye, whom I wol serve and sewe, My heven hool, and al my suflBsaunce, Whom for to serve is set al my plesaunce. Beseching yow in my most humble wyse 15 Taccepte in worth this litel povre dyte, And for my trouthe my service nat despyse, Myn observaunce eek have nat in despyte, Ne yit to long to suffre in this plyte, I yow beseche, myn hertes lady dere, 20 Sith I yow serve, and so wil yeer by yere. In MS. Addit. 16165, fol. 256, back; /ica(/^(/ Balade of compleynte. I. konde ; )xeri. 2. turment. 3. Thaughe ; shoulde ; youre. 4. wissely. 5. beante liste. 6. yonre; bade; in-feere. 7- tieo. 8. 'Wissely. 9. yovve sadde ; truwe. 10. lyff; gode. 11. dethe; whane; reev/e, altered by the scribe to ne^Q. 12. whome; suwe. 13. hole; souffisaunce. 14. sette. 15. yowe; moste. 16. Taccept; worthe ; pore. 17. not despice. 18. eke; not. 19. longe. 20. \iQrQ {error for dtxQ; see'KXll. 77)- 21. yowe. yere by yere. NOTES. I. An A B C This poem is a rather free translation of a similar poem by Guillaume de Dcguileville, as pointed out in the Preface, where the whole of the original is quoted in full. Explanations of the harder words should, in general, be sought for in the Glossarial Index, though a few are discussed in the Notes. The language of this translation is, for the most part, so simple, that but few passages call for remark. I notice, however, a few points. Chaucer has not adhered to the complex metre of the original, but uses a stanza of eight lines of five accents in place of de Deguileville's stanza of twelve lines of four accents. 3. Dr. Koch calls attention to the insertion of a second of, in most of the MSS., before sorwe. Many little words are often thus wrongly inserted into the texts of nearly all the Minor Poems, simply because, when the final e ceased to be sounded, the scribes regarded some lines as imperfect. Here, for exam- ple, if sinne be regarded as monosyllabic, a word seems required after it ; but when we know that Chaucer regarded it as a dissyllabic word, we at once see that MSS. Gg. and Jo. (which omit this second of) are quite correct. We know that sinnc is properly a dissyllabic word in Chaucer, because he rimes it with the infinitives biginne (Cant. Ta. C. 941) and winne (same, D. 1421), and never with such monosyllables as ki)t or tin. This is easily tested by consulting Mr. Cromie's very useful Rime-index to the Canterbury Tales. The above remark is important, on account of its wide application. The needless insertions of little words in many of the 15th-century MSS. are easily detected. 4. Scan the line by reading — Gl6rious virgin ', 6f all ' fl6ur-es fl6ur. Cf. 1. 49. 6. Dcboftaire, gracious lady ; used as a sb. Compare the original, 1. 11. 8. Answers to 1. 6 of the original — ' Vaincu m'a mon aversaire.' The word Venquisht is here the right form ; similarly, in the 224 /• AN ABC. Squieres Tale, 1. 342, the word vanisshed is to be read as vanisKd, with the accent on the second syllable, and with elision oi e. See Ten Brink, Chancers Sprache, § 257. 11. Wariie, reject, refuse to hear. So in P. Plowman, C. xxiii. 12, ' vvhanne men hym werneth' means 'when men refuse to give him what he asks for.' 12. Free, liberal, bounteous. So in Shak. Troilus, iv. 5. 100 — ' His heart and hand both open and both frec.^ It may be remarked, once for all, that readers frequently entirely mis- understand passages in our older authors, merely because they forget what great changes may take place in the sense of words in the course of centuries. 13. Largesse, i.e. the personification of liberality; ' thou be- ■ stowest perfect happiness.' 14. Cf. original, 1. 1 5 — ' Quer [for] tu es de salu porte.' Scan by reading — Hav'n of reflJt. But in 1. 32, we have refut. 15. Theves seven, seven robbers, viz. the seven deadly sins. We could easily guess that this is the meaning, but it is needless ; for the original has — ' Par sept larrons, pechies mortez,' 1. 17 ; and a note in the Sion Coll. MS. has — 'i. seven dedly synnes.' The theme of the Seven Deadly Sins is one of the commonest in our old authors ; it is treated of at great length in Chaucer's Persones Tale, and in Piers Plowman. 16. 'Ere my ship go to pieces ;' this graphic touch is not in the original. 17. Yow, you. In addressing a superior, it was customary to use the words _y^ and you, as a mark of respect ; but, in prayer, the words thou and thee were usual. Hence, Chaucer has mixed the two usages in a very remarkable way, and alternates them suddenly. Thus, we have thee in 1. 5, thou in 1. 6, &c., \i\x\ yozv in 1. 17, thy in 1. ig, you in 1. 24; and so on. We even find the plural verbs helpen, 1. 104; Beth, 1. 134; and Ben, 1. 176. 20. Ji.cdoiin, action, is here used in the legal sense ; 'my sin and confusion have brought an action (i. e. plead) against me.' It is too close a copy of the original, 1. 25—' Contre moy font une accion.' 21. I.e. 'founded upon rigid justice and a sense of the desperate nature of my condition.' Cf. ' Rayson et desperacion Contre moy veulent maintenir ; ' orig. 1. 29. Maintenir, to maintain an action, is a legal term. So, in 1. 22, sustene means ' sustain the plea.' 24. ' If it were not for the mercy (to be obtained) from you.' /. AN ABC. 225 25. Literally — * There is no doubt that thou art not the cause ; meaning, ' Without doubt, thou art the cause.' Misericorde is adopted from the original. According to the usual rule, viz. that the syllable er is usually slurred over in Chaucer when a vowel follows, the word is to be read as viis'ricord-e. So also sov'reyn, 1. 69. 27. Vouched sai/f, vouchsafed. Tacordc, to accord ; cf. talyghte, tamende, &c. in Gloss, to Ch. II. (i.e. Chaucer's Prioresses Tale, &c., in the Clarendon Press Series) 29. Cf. ' S'encore fust Tare encorde ; ' orig. 1. 47 ; and ' Tare de justice,' 1. 42. The French expression is probably borrowed (as suggested in Bell's Chaucer) from Ps. vii. 13 — 'arcum suum tetendit.' Hence the phrase of Justice and of yre refers to the bowe. 30. First, at first, before the Incarnation. 36. For examples of the use of great assize, or last assize, to signify the Last Judgment, see Murray's Diet., s. v. Assize. 39. Most MSS. read here— 'That but thou er \or or] that day correcte me ; ' this cannot be right, because it destroys the rime. However, the Bedford MS., instead of correcte me, has Me chastice ; and in MS. C. vie chastyse is written over an erasure (doubtless of the words correcte vie). Even thus, the line is imperfect, but is completed by help of the Sion MS., which reads me iveel chastyce. 40. Ofverrey right, in strict justice ; not quite as in 1. 21. 41. Rather close to the original — ' Fuiant m'en viens a ta tente Moy mucicr pour la tormente Qui ou monde me tempeste,' (Sic. Mucier means ' to hide,' and ou means ' in the,' F. au. 45. Al have I, although I have. So in 1. 157. 49. MS. Gg. has Gracyouse; but the French has Glorieuse. 50. Bitter ; Fr. text ' amere.' The allusion is to the name Maria, Gk. Mapi'a, Mapid/ii, the same as Miriam, which is explained to mean ' bitterness,' as being connected with MaraJi, i. e. bitterness ; see Exod. xv. 23 (Gescnius). Scan the line by reading : tietth'r in crth-'c nor. 55. But if, except, unless (common). 56. Stink is oddly altered to sinke in some editions. 57. 58. Closely copied from the French, 11. 85-87. But the rest of the stanza is nearly all Chaucer's own. Cf. Col. ii. 14. 67. The French means, literally — 'For, when any one goes out of his way, thou, out of pity, becomest his guide, in order that he may soon regain his way.' 70. The French means — 'And thou bringest him back into 226 /. AN ABC. the right road.' This Chaucer turns into — * bringest him out of the wrong road ; ' which is all that is meant by the crooked strete. 71. In the ending -eth of the third pers. sing, present, the c is commonly suppressed. Read lov'th. So also coin'th in 1. 99. T"^. The French means — ' Calendars are illumined, and other books are confirmed (or authenticated), when thy name illumines them.' Chaucer has ' Illuminated calendars, in this world, are those that are brightened by thy name.' 'An allusion to the custom of writing the high festivals of the Church in the Calendar with red, or illuminated, letters ; ' note in Bell's Chaucer. The name of Mary appears several times in old calendars ; thus the Purification of Mary is on Feb. 2 ; the Annunciation, on Mar. 25 ; the Visitation, on July 2 ; the Assumption, on Aug. 15 ; the Nativity, on Sept. 8 ; the Presentation, on Nov. 21 ; the Concep- tion, on Dec. 8. Our books of Common Prayer retain all of these except the Assumption and the Presentation. Kalenderes has four syllables ; and so has enlutnined. 76. Him thar, i. e. it needs not for him to dread, he need not dread. It occurs again in the Cant. Tales (ed. Tyrwhitt), 11. 4318, 591 1, 5918,6947, 17301. 80. Resigne goes back to 1. 1 1 2 of the original, where resine {=restgne') occurs. 81. Here the French (1. 121) has douceur \ Koch says it is clear that Chaucer's copy had douleur. It refers to the Mater dolorosa. 86. This line runs badly in the MSS., but is the same in nearly all. I have ventured to change bothe have into have bothe, where bothe is dissyllabic; see 11. 63, 122. It then flows evenly. The sense of 11. 84-6 seems to be^=-'Let not the foe of us all boast that he has, by his wiles {listes), unluckily convicted (of guilt) that (soul) which ye both,' &c. 88. Slur over the last syllable of Continue, and accent tis. 89. The French text refers to Exod. iii. 2. Cf. The Prioresses Tale, C. T. Group B, 1. 1658 ; in Ch. II. 97. Koch points out that per-e is here dissyllabic ; as in the Compleint to His Purse, 1. 11. The French has per, 1. 146. Read — N6ble princesse, &c. 100. Melodye or glee ; here Koch remarks that Chaucer ' evidently mistook tirelire for turelure.^ The Fr. tirelire means a money-box, and the sense of 1. 1 50 of the original is — ' We have no other place in which to secure what we possess.' See 1. 107 of Chaucer's translation, below. But Chaucer's mistake was easily made j he was thinking, not of the mod. Fr. turelure 7. AN- ABC. 22y (which, after all, does not mean a ' melody,' but the refrain of a song, like the Eng. tooral looral), but of the O. F. tirelire. This word (as Cotgrave explains) not only meant *a box having a cleft on the lid for mony to enter it,' but 'also the warble, or song of a lark.' Hence Shakespeare speaks of ' the lark, that tirra-ly7-a chants,' Wint. Tale, iv. 3. 9. 102. Read N'advocat noon. That the M. E. advocat was sometimes accented on the o, is proved by the fact that it was sometimes cut down to vdcat ; see P. Plowman, 13. ii. 60 ; C. iii. 61. 109. Cf. Luke i. 38 — ' Ecce anciira Domini.' 1 10. Oiire bille, &c., i. e, ' to bring forward (or offer) a petition on our behalf.' For the old expression 'to put up (or forth) a bill,' see my note to P. Plowman, C. v. 45. Compare also Compleynte unto Pite, 1. 44. 1 13. Read tyni-e. Tetiqucre, for io enquere j cf. note to 1. 27. Cf the French d'enquerre, I. 169. 116. T'lj'Zfc'^rr^; F. 'pour guerre,' 1. 173; i.e. 'by way of attack.' Us may be taken with tufoi/g/iic, i. e. ' wrought for us such a wonder.' Wcrre is not a verb ; the verb is tuerreyefi, as in Squi. Ta. 1. 10. 119. Titer, where, inasmuch as. 'We had no salvation, inas- much as we did not repent ; if we repent, we shall receive it.' But the sentence is awkward. Cf. iNIark i. 4 ; Matt. vii. 7. 122. Pause after both-e\ the e is not elided. 125. Mene, mediator ; lit. mean (intermediate) person. So in P. Plowman, B. vii. 196 — 'And Marie his moder be owre mcne bitwene.' 132. Koch thinks that the false reading it in some MSS. arose from a reading hit ( = hitteth) as a translation of Y.Jlert, 1. 196. Anyway, the reading is seems best. 136. Of pitee^ for pity ; the usual idiom. 140. Vicaire, deputed ruler ; not in the original. See note to Parliament of Foules, 1. 379. 141. Covenicresse ; copied from the French text, 1. 214. This rare word occurs, as the last word, in a poem beginning * Mother of norture,' printed in the Aldine Edition of Chaucer's Poems, vi. 275. Chaucer himself uses it again in the Complaint to Pity, 1. So. 144. Compare the expressions Regina Celi, Vent coronaberis, ' Hcil crowned queene,' and the like ; Polit. Religious, and Love Poems, ed. Furnivall, p. 147; Hymns to the Virgin, ed. Furnivall, pp. I, 4. Suggested by Rev. xii. i. Q 2 228 /. AN ABC. 150. The reference is, obviously, to Gen. iii. 18; but thorns here mean sins. Cf. ' Des espines d'iniquite ; ' F. text, 1. 224. 158. Copied from the French, 1. 239 — 'Ou tu a la court m'ajournes.' It means 'fix a day for me to appear at thy court,' cite me to thy court. 159. Not in the original. Chaucer was thinking of the courts of the Common Bench and King's Bench, as mentioned, for exam.ple, in Wyclif's Works, ed. Arnold, iii. 215. 161. The word Xrisiiis, i. e. Chrisius, is written Xpc (with a mark of contraction) in MSS. C, Gl., Gg., and Xpils in F. Xpc is copied from the French ; but it is very common, being the usual contracted form of the Gk. Xpto-ros', or, in capital letters, XPiCTOC, obtained by taking the two first and the last letters. The old Greek siguia was written C ; as above. De Deguile- ville could think of no French word beginning with X ; so he substituted for it the Greek cJii, which resembled it in form. 163, 164. These lines answer to 11. 243, 247 of the French ; ' For me He had his side pierced ; for me His blood was shed.' Observe that the word Cliristus has no verb following it ; it is practically an objective case, governed by tha)ike in 1. 168. ' I thank thee because of Christ and for what He has done for me.' In 1. 163, the word siiffrexs understood from the line above, and need not. be repeated. Unfortunately, all the scribes have repeated it, to the ruin of the metre ; for the line then contains two syllables too many. However, it is better omitted. Lojigius is trisyllabic, and herte (as in the next line) is dissyllabic. The sense is — 'to suffer His passion on the cross, and also (to suffer) that Longius should pierce His heart, and make,' &c. Pig/Ue, made, are in the subjunctive. The difficulty really resides in the word that in 1. 161. If Chaucer had written eek instead of it, the whole could be parsed. 