218 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB. Fx. li. * 366 367 * Gg. li. 344 348 369 349 *Therfore he wrot the rose & ek 1Crisseyde ['i corr.] * 370 371+ 372+ 352 +Hymn oughte nat be tyraunt & crewel 377† [leaf 449, back, line 20] 379 * 360 As is a fermour to don the harm he can 378 [leaf 450, line 19] He must thynke it is his lige man *And that hym owith o verry duetee *Schewyn his peple pleyn benygnete *And wel to heryn here excusacyouns *And here compleyntys2 & petyciouns *In duewe tyme whan they schal it profre This is the sentens of the philysophre A kyng to kepe hise lygis in iustise Which oughtyn doute that is his offise *And therto is a kyng ful depe I-sworn *fful manye an hunderede wyntyr here be-forn +And for to kepe his lordys hir degre As it is ryght and skylful that they be +Enhaunsede and/ honoured most dere ffor they ben half goddys in this world here +This schal he don bothe to pore ryche Al be that here stat be nat a-lyche And han of pore folk compassioun ffor lo the gentyl kynde of the lyoun ffor whan a flye offendyth hym or bytith He with his tayl awey the flye smytyth * [2 s corr.] * 364 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. FAIRFAX MS. 16. 219 Gg. lines. 346 Of him was boden / maken thilke tweye Fx. lines. 347 Of somme persone / and durste yt nat with-seye *Or him repenteth / outrely of this 366 * 368 349 He ne hath nat doon / so grevously amys + 352+Despite of love / and had him-selfe yt wroght † 372 353 This shoolde a ryghtwis lord / haue in his thoght 354 And nat be lyke tirauntez / of lumbardye 355 That han no reward / but at tyrannye 356 For he that kynge / or lord ys in naturel 357+Hym ogħt nat be / tiraunt ne crewel 358 As is a fermour / to doon the harme he kañ 359 He moste thinke / yt is his leege mañ 376 [leaf 881 379 And is his tresour/ and his gold in cofre 365 This is the sentence of the Philosophre 366 A kyng/to kepe hise leeges in Iustice 367 Withouten doute / that is his office * 380 † 384 370+Al wol he kepe hise lordes / hire degree 371 As it ys rygħt / and skilful that they bee 372+Enhaunced and honoured / and most dere 373 For they beñ half goddys / in this world here 374+ Yit mote he dooñ / bothe ryght' to poore and ryche † 375 Al be that hire estaat / be nat y-liche 376 And hañ of poore folke / compassyon 377 For loo / the gentil kynde of the lyon 378 For whañ a flye / offendith him or bitetħ 379 He with his tayle / awey the fle smytetħ 389 392 220 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN, MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB. 400 ffor sire it is no maystrye for a lord To dampne a man with-oute answere or word 401 +And for a lord that is wol foul to vse +And If so be he may hym nat ascuse +Axith mercy with a sorweful herte 402+ 388 403+ 404† 392 406 [leaf 450, back, l. 16] [leaf 449, back, l. 21] 409 410 411 396 412 [1ko corr.] And proferyth hym ryght in his bare scherte 405 To been rygh at 30ure owene Iugement Than ought a god by schort avisement 407 Considere his owene honour & his trespace ffor sythe no cause of deth lyth in this cace 3ow ought to ben the lyghtere merciable Letith 30ure yre & beth sumwhat tretable The man hath seruyd 30w of his 1konnyg And fortheryd 30ure lawe with his makyng *Whil he was 3ong he kepte 3oure estat *I not where he be now a renagat2 § But wel I wot with that he can endyte +He hath makid lewede folk to delyte To seruyn 30w in preysynge of He made the bok that highte the hous of fame 417 30ure name * 413+ * 400 [2 last a corr.] 4148 And al the loue of Palamon & Arcite Of thebes thow the storye is knowe lite And manye an ympne for thour halydayis That hightyn baladis roundelys & vyrelayes +And for to speke of othyr besynesse [leaf 450] He hath in prose translatid Boece *And of the wrechede engendrynge of mankynde * *As man may in pope innocent I-fynde Gg. lines. LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. FAIRFAX MS. 16. 221 380 Al esely for of hys gentrye 381 Hym deyneth not / to wreke hym oñ a flye Fx. lines. 396 400 t + 404 384+And weyen euery thing / by equytee 408 412 § [leaf 88, back] nota. 402§ Al be hit / that he kan nat wel endite 403+Yet hath he made / lewde folke delyte 404 To serve yow / in preysinge of your name 405 He made the book / that hight' the hous of Fame 417 406 And eke the deeth / of Blaunche the Duchesse 407 And the parlement of foules / as I gesse 408 And al the love / of Palamoñ and Arcite 409 Of Thebes/thogh the storye ys knoweñ lyte 420 410 And many an ympne / for your halydayes 411 That highteñ balades / roundels / virelayes 412+And for to speke / of other holynesse 413 He hath in proce / translated Boece † 424 222 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB. He hath mad manye a lay & manye a thyng 430 420 439 [leaf 450, l. 18] That зе hym neuere hurte in al his lyue +The god of loue answerede hire thus a-non [leaf 450, bk, l. 17] 441 442+ 432 443 444 That neuere zit sithe that the world was newe 445 †To me ne fond I neuere non betere than the 446† 436 +That If that I wele saue myn degre I may ne wel not warne 3oure requeste 447+ 448 +Al lyth in 30w doth with hym what 30w leste 449+ +And al for-zeue with oute lengere space 450† 440 ffor who so zeuyth a zifte or doth a grace 451 Do it be tyme his thank is wel te more 452 And demyth 3e what he shal' don therfore 453 [1 shal corr.] Go thanke now myn lady here quod he And seyde thus madame the god a-boue ffor-zelde 30w that ze the god of loue зе 454 444 455 456 457 That han me holpyn & put me in swich degre 461+ |