302

ENVOY TO SCOGAN. MS. Gg. 4. 27.

(4) (Tern II. 1)

¶ how drow in scorn cupid ek to record
Of pe ilke rebel word pat pou hast spoken
For whiche he wele no lengere be þyn lord
And pow his bowe Scogon benot broken
He wil not with his arwis ben I-wroken

On pe ne me ne none of oure figure
We schal of him haue neyper hurt ne cure

28

(5) (II. 2)

Now sertys frend I drede of thyn onhap Lest for þyn gilt þe wreche of loue procede On alle hem þat ben hore & round of schap þat ben so likly folk in loue to spede panne schal we for oure labour han no mede But wel I wit pou wilt answere & seye

Lo olde grisil leste to ryme & pleye

(6) (II. 3)

Nay Scogon sey not so for I me excuse

36

God helpe me so in no rym douteles

Ne þynke I neuere of slep to wake myn muse

þat rustyp in myn schede stylle in pes

39

Whil I was 3ong I putte it forp in pres
But al schal passyn þat men prose or ryme
Tak euery man his torn as for his tyme

(7) (Lenvoy)

Scogan þat knelist at þe wellis hed

Of
grace of alle honour and worþynesse
In pe ende of wich strem I am dul as ded
Forgete in solitarie wildirnes

[leaf 8, back]

42

.i. Wyndisore [s. corr.]

.i. a Grenewych 46

3it Scogan þyng on tullius kyndenes Mynewe pyn frend pere it may fructifie Farewel & loke pou neuere eft loue defye

49

XV.

Marriage, or Bukton

FROM

FAIRFAX MS. 16, BODLEIAN LIBRARY.

MARRIAGE, OR BUKTON. FAIRFAX MS. 16.

305

MARRIAGE, OR BUKTON.

[Fairfax MS. 16, leaf 193, back.]

Lenvoy de Chaucer A Buktoñ./

1.

My maister Bukton) / whan) of Criste our kyng
Was axed/what ys trouthe or sothefastnesse
He nat a worde answerde / to that axinge
As who saith / noo man) is al trew I gesse
And therfore though I hight / to expresse
The sorwe and woo / that is in mariage
I dar not writen) of hyt / noo wikkednesse
Leste y my-self falle eft / in swich dotage

2.

1

4

8

peyne

I wol nat seyn/ how that hyt is the cheyne
Of Sathanason) which he gnaweth euere
But I dar seyn/ were he oute of his
As by his wille/he wolde be bounde nevere
But thilke doted foole / that ofte hath leuere
Y-cheyned be than out of prison) crepe
God lete him neuer / fro his woo disseuere
Ne noo man him bewayle / though he wepe

3.

9

12

[leaf 194]

16

But yet lest thow doo worse / take a wyfe

17

Bet ys to wedde / than brenne in worse wise

But thow shalt have sorwe / on thy flessh thy lyfe

And ben thy wifes thral / as seyn) these wise

20

And yf that hooly writte / may nat suffyse
Experience shal the teche / so may happe
That the were lever / to be take in ffrise
Than eft falle of weddynge / in the trappe

24

306

MARRIAGE, OR BUKTON.

FAIRFAX MS.

4. (Envoy.)

This lytel writte / prouerbes or figure
sende yow / take kepe of hyt I rede
Vnwise is he that kan) noo wele endure
Yf thow be siker / put the nat in drede
The wyfe of Bathe/ I pray yow that ye rede
Of this matere / that we haue on honde
God graunte yow your lyfe / frely to lede
In fredam) for ful harde it is/ to be bonde
¶ Explicit/

[Follows:

¶ Better is to suffre / and fortune abyde

And hastely to clymbe / and sodeynly to slyde

25

28

32

And then Chaucer's Balade of Stedfastness', printed in the Parallel-Text, p. 435.]