X.

The House of Fame.

[In 3 Books, the 3rd unfinisht]

130

HOUSE OF FAME.

FAIRFAX MS. 16.

[Fairfax MS. 16, vellum (Bodl. Libr.), leaf 154, back.]

The house of ffame

[All the proper Names, and some other nouns, have a light red line under them. The nota's are in a later hand. stands for t with a curl turnd over it, sometimes printed 'te'.]

G

[BOOK I.]
[Proem.]

Od turne vs / euery dreme to goode
ffor hyt is wonder / be the Roode
To my wytte / what causeth swevenes
Eyther on morwes / or on) evenes

And why theffecte / folweth of somme

And of somme/ hit shal neuer come
Why that is an avisioun

And why this a reuelacioun

Why this a dreme / why that A swevene

And noght to euery man) / lyche evene
Why this affaintome / why these oracles
I not but who-so / of these meracles
The causes knoweth / bet then I
Devyne he/ for I certenly

4

8

12

ffor-why this is more / then that cause is

20

We[1] worth of this thynge/grete clerkys

132

HOUSE OF FAME. FAIRFAX MS. 18.

The tenthe day / now of Decembre

The which as I kan / yow remembre

I wol yow tel/euerydele

[Invocation.]

But at my gynnynge / trusteth wele

I wol make / Inuocacion)

With special / deuocion)

Vnto the god of slepe anoon)

That duelleth / in a Cave of stoon)

Ouidius: tamen Vpon) a streme / that cometh fro lete

exit ab imo. riuus

aque lethes. &c. That is a floode / of helle vnswete

[Met. xi. 602.]

¶Vnde Ouidius. libro xjo. Est

prope Cimereos

longo spelunca
recessu. &c.
[Met. xi. 592.]

Besyde a folke / men clepeth Cymerie

There slepeth ay / this god vnmerie
With his slepy / thousande sones

That alwey for to slepe / hir wone is

That to this god / that I of rede
Prey I that he / wolde me spede

My sweuene for to telle aryght

Yf euery dreme / stonde in his myght
And he that mouer / ys of alle
That is and was / and euer shalle
So yive hem ioy / that hyt here
Of alle that they / dreme to yere
And for to stonde / al in grace
Of her loues or in what place
That hem were leuest for to stonde

And shelde hem fro pouerte / and shonde
And fro vnhappe / and eche disese

88

And send hem alle / that may hem plese
That take hit wele / and skorne hyt noghte

Ne hyt mysdeme / in her thoght

92

Thorgħ maliciouse/entencion)

And who-so thorgh/ presumpcion)
Or hate or skorne / or thorgh envye
Dispite or Iape / or vilanye

96