Imatges de pàgina
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That fro the Holy Ghost was sent To turne folke that ben miswent.

"The strength of Iohn they vnderstond, The grace in which they say they stond, That doeth the sinfull folke conuert, And hem to Iesu Christ reuert, Full many another horriblee, May menne in that booke see, That been commaunded doubtlesse Ayenst the law of Rome expresse, And all with Antichrist they holden, As men may in the booke beholden.

"And than commaunden they to sleen, All tho that with Peter been,

But they shall never have that might,
And God toforne, for strife to fight,
That they ne shall ynough find,
That Peters law shall have in mind,
And euer hold, and so mainteen,
That at the last it shall be seen,
That they shall all come thereto,

For ought that they can speake or do.
"And thilke lawe shall not stond,
That they by Iohn have vnderstond,
But maugre hem it shall adoun,
And been brought to confusioun,

"But I woll stint of this matere,
For it is wonder long to here,
But had that ilke booke endured,
Of better estate I were ensured,
And friendes have I yet pardee,
That ban me set in great degree.

Or all this world is emperour
Guile my father, the trechour,
And empresse my mother is,
Mangre the Holy Ghost iwis,
Our mightie linage and our rout
Reigneth in every reigne about,
And well is worthy we ministers be,
For all this worlde governe we,
And can the folke so well deceive,
That none our guile can perceive,

And though they doen, they dare not say,
The sooth dare no wight bewray.

"But he in Christes wrath him leadeth, That more than Christ my brethren dredeth, He nis no full good champion,

That dredeth such similation,
Nor that for paine woll refusen,
Us to correct and accusen.

"He woll not entremete by right, Ne have God in his eyesight,

And therefore God shall him punice;
But me ne recketh of no vice,
Sithen men vs loven communably,
And holden vs for so worthy,
That we may folke repreve echone,
And we nill have reprefe of none :
Whom shoulden folke worshippen so,
But vs that stinten never mo

To patren while that folke may vs see,
Though it not so behind hem be.

AND where is more wood follie,
Than to enhaunce chivalrie,
And love noble men and gay,

That iolly clothes wearen alway?

If they be such folke as they seemen,
So cleane, as men hir clothes demen,
And that hir wordes follow hir dede,
It is great pitie out of drede,
For they woll be none hypocritis,
Of hem me thinketh greate spight is,

I cannot love hem on no side.

"But beggers with these hoodes wide,
With sleigh and pale faces leane,
And graie clothes nat full cleane,
But fretted full of tatarwagges,
And high shoes knopped with dagges,
That frouncen like a quale pipe,
Or bootes riveling as a gipe.

"To such folke as I you devise,
Should princes and these lordes wise,
Take all hir landes and hir things,
Both warre and peace in governings,
To such folke should a prince him yeve,
That would bis life in honour live.

"And if they be nat as they seme,
They serven thus the world to queme,
There would I dwell to deceive
The folke, for they shall nat perceive.

"But I ne speake in no such wise,
That men should humble habite dispise,
So that no pride there vnder be,
No man should hate, as thinketh me,
The poore man in such clothing,
But God ne preiseth him nothing,
That saith he hath the world forsake,
And hath to worldly glory him take,
And woll of such delices vse,
Who may that begger well excuse?

"That papelarde, that him yeeldeth so, And woll to worldly ease go,

And saith that he the world hath left,
And greedily it gripeth eft,

He is the hound, shame is to saine,
That to his casting gooth againe.

Bur vnto you dare I not lie,
But might I feelen or espie,
That ye perceived it nothing,
Ye should have a starke leasing:
Right in your hond thus to beginne,
I nolde it let for no sinne."

The god lough at the wonder tho, And every wight gan lough also, And saied: "Lo here a man right, For to be trustie to every wight."

"FALSE Semblaunt," (quod Love) "say to mee,
Sith I thus have avaunced thee,
That in my court is thy dwelling,
And of ribaudes shalt be my king,

Wolt thou well holden my forwardes ?"

"Yea, sir, from hence forwardes,

Had never your father here beforne,
Seruaunt so true, sith he was borne,
That is ayenst all nature.

"Sir, put you in that auenture,
For though ye borowes take of me,
The sikerer shall ye never be
For hostages, ne sikernesse,
Or chartres, for to beare witnesse:
I take your selfe to record here,
That men ne may in no manere

Tearen the wolfe out of his hide,
Till he be slaine backe and side,
Though men him beat and all defile,
What wene ye that I wol! beguile?
"For I am clothed meekely,
There vnder is all my treachery,
Mine herte chaungeth never the mo
For none habite, in which I go;
Though I have chere of simplenesse,
I am not wearie of shreudnesse;
My lemmen, strained Abstenaunce,
Hath mister of my purueiaunce,
She had full long ago be ded,
Nere my counsaile and my red;
Let her alone, and you and mee."
And Love answered, "I trust thee
Without borow, for I woll none."

And False Semblant the theefe anone,
Right in that ilke same place,
That had of treason all his face,
Right blacke within, and white without,
Thanking him, gan on his knees lout.

Than was there nought, but euery man
Now to assaute, that sailen can
(Quod Love) and that full hardely:
Than armed they hem comenly
Of such armour as to hem fell.
Whan they were armed fiers and fell,
They went hem forth all in a rout,
And set the castle all about;
They will not away for no dread,
Till it so be that they ben dead,
Or till they have the castle take,
And foure battels they gan make,
And parted hem in foure anone,

And tooke hir way, and forth they gone,
The foure gates for to assaile,
Of which the keepers woll not faile,
For they ben neither sicke ne dede,
But hardie folke, and strong in dede.
Now woll I sain the countenaunce
Of False Semblant, and Abstinaunce,
That ben to Wicked Tongue went;
But first they held hir parliament,
Whether it to doen were,

To maken hem be knowen there,
Or els walken forth disguised:
But at the last they deuised,
That they would gone in tapinage,
As it were in a pilgrimage,
Like good and holy folke vnfeined:
And dame Abstinence streined
Tooke of the robe of cameline,
And gan her gratche as a bigine.
A large couerchief of thread,
She wrapped all about her head,
But she forgate not her psaltere.
A paire of beades eke she bere
Upon a lace, all of white thread,
On which that she her beades bede,
But she ne bought hem never adele,
For they were given her, I wote wele,
God wote of a full holy frere,
That said he was her father dere,
To whom she had ofter went,
Than any frere of his couent.
And he visited her also,
And many a sermon saied her to,
He nolde let for man on liue,
That he ne would her oft shrine,
YOL. I.

And with so great devotion
They made her confession,
That they had oft for the nones
Two heades in one hood at ones.

Of faire shape I deuised her thee,
But pale of face sometime was shee,
That false tratouresse untrew,

Was like that sallow horse of hew,
That in the Apocalips is shewed,
That signifieth tho folke besbrewed,
That been all full of trecherie,
And pale, through hypocrisie,
For on that horse no colour is,
But onely dead and pale iwis,
Of such a colour enlangoured,
Was Abstinence iwis coloured,
Of her estate she her repented,
As her visage represented.

She had a burdoune all of theft,
That Guile had yeue her of his yeft,
And a scrippe of faint distresse,
That full was of elengenesse,

And forth she walked soberlie:
And False Semblant saint, ie vous die,
And as it were for such mistere,
Doen on the cope of a frère,
With cheare simple, and full pitous,
His looking was not disdeinous,

Ne proud, but meeke and full peasible.
About his necke he bare a Bible,
And squierly forth gan he gon,
And for to rest his limmes vpon,
He had of treason a portent,
As he were feeble, his way he went,

But in his sleue he gan to thring
A rasour sharpe, and well biting,
That was forged in a forge,
Which that men clepen coupe gorge.

So long forth hir way they nomen, Till they to Wicked Tongue comen, That at his gate was sitting, And saw folke in the way passing.

The pilgrimes saw he fast by, That bearen hem full meekely, And humbly they with hem mette, Dame Abstinence first him grette, And sith him False Semblant salued, And he hem, but he not remeued, For he ne drede him not adele: For when he saw hir faces wele, Alway in herte him thought so, He should know hem both two, For well he knew dame Abstinaunce, But he ne knew not Constrainaunce, He knew nat that she was constrained, Ne of her theeues life fained, But wend she come of will all free, But she come in another degree, And if of good will she began, That will was failed her than.

AND False Semblant had he seine alse,
But he knew nat that he was false,
Yet false was he, but his falsenesse
Ne coud he not espie, nor gesse,
For Semblant was so slie wrought,
That falsenesse he ne espyed nought:
But haddest thou knowen him beforne,
Thou wouldest on a booke have sworne,

Whan thou him saw in thilke arraie
That he, that whilome was so gaie,
And of the daunce Jolly Robin
Was tho become a Jacobiu:
But soothly what so men him call
Frere preachours been good men all,
Hir order wickedly they bearen
Such ministreles if they wearen.

So been Augustins, and Cordileers, And Carmes, and eke sacked freers, And all freers shode and bare,

Though some of hem ben great and square,
Full holy men, as I hem deme,

Everich of hem would good man seme:
But shalt thou neuer of apparence
Seene conclude good consequence
In none argument iwis,

If existence all failed is:

For men may finde alway sopheme
The consequence to enueneme,
Who so that hath had the sobtiltee
The double sentence for to see.

Whan the pilgrimes commen were
To Wicked Tongue that dwelleth there,
Hir harneis nigh hem was algate,
By Wicked tougue adoune they sate,
That bad hem nere him for to come,
And of tidinges tell him sonie,

And sayd hem: "What case maketh you
To come into this place now?”

SIR," sayed strained Abstinance, "We for to drie our penance, With hertes pitous and denout,

Are commen, as pilgrimes gone about,
Well nigh on foote alway we go
Full doughtie been our heeles two,
And thus both we be sent
Throughout the world that is miswent,
To yeve ensample, and preach also,
To fishen sinfull men we go,
For other fishing, ne fish we,
And, sir, for that charite,

As we be wont, herborow we craue,
Your life to amenne Christ it saue,
And so it should you not displease,
We woulden, if it were your ease,
A short sermon vnto you sain.
And Wicked Tongue answered again,

"The house" (quod he) "such (as ye see) Shall not be warned you for me, Saie what you list, and I woll heare."

"Graunt mercie sweet sir deare," (Quod alderfirst) "dame Abstinence," And thus began she her sentence.

"Sir, the first vertue certaine,
The greatest, and most soueraigne
That may be found in any man,
For having, or for wit he can,
That is his tongue to refraine,

Thereto ought euerie wight him paine :
For it is better still be,

Than for to speaken barme parde,
And he that hearkeneth it gladly,
He is no good man sikerly.

"And sir, abouen all other sinne, In that art thou most guiltie inne : Thou speake a yape, not long agoe. "And sir, that was right euill doe

Of a young man, that here repaired,
And never yet this place apaired:
Thou saidest he awaited nothing,
But to deceiue Faire Welcomming:
Ye sayd nothing sooth of that,
But sir, ye lye, I tell ye plat,

He ne commeth no more, ne goeth parde,
I trow ye shall him never see;
Faire Welcomming in prison is,
That oft hath played with you er this,
The fairest games that he coude,
Without filth, still or loude.
Now dare she not her selfe solace,
Ye han also the man doe chase,
That he dare neither come ne go,
What mooveth you to hate him so?
But properly your wicked thought,
That many a false lesing hath thought,
That mooveth your foule eloquence,
That iangleth ever in audience,
And on the folke ariseth blame,
And doth hem dishonour and shame,
For thing that may have no preuing,
But likelinesse, and contriuing.

"For I dare saine, that Reason deemeth,
It is not all sooth thing that seemeth,
And it is sinne to controue
Thing that is to reproue;
This wote ye wele, and sir, therefore
Ye arne to blame the more,
And nathelesse, he recketh lite
He yeueth not now thereof a mite,
For if he thought harme, parfaie,
He would come and gone all daie,
He coud himselfe not absteine,

Now commeth he not, and that is sene,
For he ne taketh of it no cure,
But if it be through aventure,
And lasse than other folke algate,
And thou here watchest at the gate,
With speare in thine arest alwaie,
There muse musard all the daie,
Thou wakest night and day for thought,
Iwis thy trauaile is for nought,

And lelousie withouten faile,
Shall never quit thee thy trauaile,
And skath is, that Faire Welcoming,
Without any trespassing,
Shall wrongfully in prison be,
There weepeth and languisheth he,
And though thou never yet iwis,
Agiltest man no inore but this,
Take not a greefe it were worthy
To put thee out of this baily,
And afterward in prison lie,

And fettred thee till that thou die ;
For thou shalt for this sinne dwell
Right in the Diuels arse of Hell,
But if that thou repent thee:

Maifaie, thou lyest falsely." (Quod he)
"What, welcome with mischaunce now,
Have I therefore herboured you

To say me shame, and eke reproue,
With sorrie happe to your behoue,

Am I to day your herbegere

Go herber you elsewhere than here,
That han a lyer called me,
Two tregetours art thou and he,
That in mine house doe me this shame,
And for my soothsaw ye me blame,

Is this the sermon that ye make?
To all the diuels I me take,
Or else God thou me confound,

But er men didden this castle found,
It passed not ten dayes of twelue,
But it was told right to my selue,
And as they sayd, right so told I,
He kist the rose priuily:

Thus sayd I now, and have sayd yore,
I not where he did any more.

Why should men say me such a thing,
If it had been gabbing?

Right so saide I, and woll say yet,

I trow I lyed not of it,

And with my bemes I woll blow

To all neighbours arrow,

How he hath both commen and gone."
Tho spake False Semblant right anone,
"All is not gospell out of dout,
That men saine in the towne about,
Lay no defe eare to my speaking,
I swere you, sir, it is gabbing,
I trow you wote well certainly,
That no man loveth him tenderly,
That sayth him harme, if he wote it,
All be he never so poore of wit;
And sooth is also sikerly,
This know ye, sir, as well as I,
That lovers gladly woll visiten
The places there hir loves habiten:

This man you loveth and eke honoureth,
This man to serve you laboureth,
And clepeth you his freind so deere,
And this man maketh you good cheere,
And euerie man that you meeteth,
He you saleweth, and he you greeteth;
He preseth not so oft, that ye
Ought of his comming encombred be:
There presen other folke on you,
Full ofter than he doeth now,
And if his herte him strained so
Unto the rose for to go,

Ye should him seene so oft need,
That ye should take him with the deed;
He coud his comming not forbeare,
Though ye him thrilled with a speare;
It nere not than as it is now,
But trusteth well, I sweare it you,
That it is elene out of his thought.
Sir, certes he ne thinketh it nought,
No more ne doth Faire Welcomming,
That sore abieth all this thing:
And if they were of one assent,
Full soone were the rose hent,

The maugre yours would be.

"And sir, of o thing hearkeneth me,
Sith ye this man, that loveth you,
Han sayd such harme and shame, now
Witteth well, if he gessed it,

Ye may well demen in your wit,
He nolde nothing love you so,
Ne callen you his friend also,
But night and daie he woll wake,
The castle to destroy and take,
If it were sooth, as ye devise;
Or some man in some manner wise
Might it warne him everidele,
Or by himselfe perceive wele,
For sith he might not come and gone
As he was whilom wont to done,
He might it soone wite and see,
But now all otherwise wote hee.

"Than have ye, sir, all vtterly
Deserved Hell, and iollyly
The death of Hell doubtlesse,
That thrallen folke so guiltlesse."

False Semblant so prooveth this thing,
That he can none answering,
And seeth alwaie such apparaunce,
That nigh he fell in repentaunce,
And sayd him, "Sir, it may well be.
Semblant, a good man seemen ye,
And Abstinence, full wise ye seeme,
Of o talent you both I deeme,
What counsaile woll ye to me yeven?"
"Right here anon thou shalt be shriven
And say thy sinne without more,
Of this shalt thou repent sore,
For I am priest, and have poste,
To shrive folke of most dignite
That ben as wide as world my dure,
Of all this world I have the cure,
And that had yet never persoun,
Ne vicarie of no manner toun.

"And God wote I have of thee,
A thousand times more pitee,
Than hath thy priest parochiall
Though he thy friend be speciall.

"I have avauntage, in o wise,
That your priests be not so wise
Ne halfe so lettred (as am I)
I am licensed boldly,

In divinitie for to read,

And to confessen out of dread.

"If ye woll you now confesse,

And leave your sinnes more and lesse,
Without abode, kneele doune anon,
And you shall have absolution."

HERE ENDETH THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.

HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH THE

BOOKE OF TROILUS AND CRESEIDE.

In this excellent book is shewed the fervent love of Troylus to Creiseid, whom he enjoyed for a time: and her great untruth to him again in giving herself to Diomedes, who in the end did so cast her off, that she came to great misery. In which discourse Chaucer liberally treateth of the divine purveyance.

THE double sorrow of Troilus to tellen,
That was kinge Priamus sonne of Troy,
In loving, how his aventures fellen
From woe to wele, and after out of ioy,
My purpose is, er that I part froy.
Thou Thesiphone, thou helpe me for tendite
These wofull verses, that wepen as I write.

To thee I clepe, thou goddesse of tourment
Thou cruell furie, sorrowing ever in paine,
Helpe me that am the sorrowfull instrument,
That helpeth lovers, as I can complaine:
For well sit it, the sooth for to saine,
A wofull wight to have a drery feare,
And to a sorrowfull tale a sorie cheare.

For I that god of loves servaunts serve,
Ne dare to love, for mine vnlikelynesse,
Prayen for speed, all should I therefore sterve,
So farre am I fro his helpe in derkenesse.
But nathelesse, if this may done gladnesse
To any lover, and his cause availe,

Have he my thanke, and mine be the travaile.

But ye lovers that bathen in gladnesse,
If any droppe of pite in you be,
Remembreth you of passed heavinesse
That ye have felt, and on the adversite
Of other folke, and thinketh how that ye
Han felt, that Love durst you to displease,
Else ye han won him with too great an ease.

And prayeth for hem that been in the case
Of Troilus, as ye may after heare,
That he hem bring in Heaven to solace.
And eke for me prayeth to God so deare,
That I have might to shew in some manere,
Such paine and woe, as Loves folke endure,
In Troilus vnsely aventure.

And biddeth eke for hem that ben dispeired
In love, that never will recovered be:
And eke for hem that falsely ben apeired,
Through wicked tongues, be it he or she:
Thus biddeth God for his benignite,
So grant hem sone out of this world to pace
That ben dispaired out of Loves grace.

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IT is well wist, how that the Greekes strong
In armes with a thousand shipes went
To Troie wardes, and the citie long
Besiegeden, nigh ten yeres ere they stent,
And how in divers wise, and one entent,
The ravishing to wreake of queen Heleine,
By Paris don, they wroughten all hir peine
Now fell it so, that in the toune there was
Dwelling a lord of great authorite
A great divine that cleped was Calcas,
That in that science so expert was, that he
Knew well, that Troie should destroyed be,
By answeare of his god, that hight thus,
Dan Phebus, or Apollo Delphicus.

So whan this Calcus knew by calculing,
And eke by the answeare of this god Apollo,
That the Greekes should such a people bring,
Thorow the which that Troy must be fordo,
He cast anone out of the toune to goe:
For well he wist by sort, that Troie sholde
Destroyed be, ye would who so or nolde.

Wherefore be to departen softely,
Tooke purpose full, this forknowing wise,
And to the Greekes host full prively
He stale anone, and they in courteous wise
Did to him both worship and servise,
In trust that he bath cunning bem to rede
In every perill, which that was to dread.

Great rumour rose, whan it was first espied,
In all the toune, and openly was spoken,
That Calcas traitour filed was and alied
To hem of Grece: and cast was to be wroken
On him, that falsely hath his faith broken,
And sayd, he and all his kinne atones,
Were worthy to be brent, both fell and bones.

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