Imatges de pàgina
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+To me ne fond I better noon than ye.
That, if that I wol save my degree,

+I may ne wol nat warne your requeste;
Al lyth in yow, doth with him what yow leste
+And al foryeve, with-outen lenger space;
+For who-so yeveth a yift, or doth a grace,
+Do hit by tyme, his thank is wel the more;
+And demeth ye what he shal do therfore.
+Go thanke now my lady heer,' quod he.

+I roos, and doun I sette me on my knee,
+And seyde thus: 'Madame, the god above
+Foryelde yow, that ye the god of love
+Han maked me his wrathe to foryive;
+And yeve me grace so long for to live,
+That I may knowe soothly what ye be

440

445

That han me holpen, and put in swich degree.

450

+To me ne fond I better noon than ye.
If that I wolde save my degree,

+I may ne wol nat werne your requeste;

Al lyth in yow, doth with him as yow leste.
+I al foryeve, with-outen lenger space;
+For who-so yeveth a yift, or doth a grace,

+ Do hit by tyme, his thank is wel the more;
+And demeth ye what he shal do therfore.
+Go thanke now my lady heer,' quod he.

+I roos, and doun I sette me on my knee,
+And seyde thus: 'Madame, the god above
+Foryelde yow, that ye the god of love
+Han maked me his wrathe to foryive;

+And yeve me grace so long for to live,

450

455

+That I may knowe soothly what ye be
That han me holpe and put in this degree.

A. 436. I neuere non betere; the. 456. may (for oghte).

B. 446. C. T. A. fond: F. founde.
Add. wolde; rest wol, wole, wolle.
F. liste. 451. F. yifte; dooth.
457. C. Tn. T. A. Add. ye; rest om.

437. wele; myn.

460

438. wel.

447. F. ye; rest I. F. wolde; P. 449. C. Th. lyth; Tn. lith; F. lyeth. 454. P. her; rest here. 455. F. dovne. 459. F. Tn. Th. B. P. all om. yeve me

455

+ But trewely I wende, as in this cas,
+Naught have agilt, ne doon to love trespas.
+Forwhy a trewe man, with-outen drede,
+Hath nat to parten with a theves dede;
+Ne a trewe lover oghte me nat blame,
+Thogh that I speke a fals lover som shame.
+They oghte rather with me for to holde,
+For that I of Creseyde wroot or tolde,
+Or of the Rose; what-so myn auctour mente,
+Algate, god wot, hit was myn entente
+To forthren trouthe in love and hit cheryce;
+And to be war fro falsnesse and fro vyce
+By swich ensample; this was my meninge.'
+And she answerde, 'lat be thyn arguinge;
+For Love ne wol nat countrepleted be
In right ne wrong; and lerne this at me!

+ But trewely I wende, as in this cas,
+Naught have agilt, ne doon to love trespas.
+Forwhy a trewe man, with-outen drede,
+Hath nat to parten with a theves dede;

+Ne a trewe lover oghte me nat blame,
+Thogh that I speke a fals lover som shame.
+They oghte rather with me for to holde,
+For that I of Creseyde wroot or tolde,
tor of the Rose; what-so myn auctour mente,
+Algate, god wot, hit was myn entente
+To forthren trouthe in love and hit cheryce;
+And to be war fro falsnesse and fro vyce
+By swich ensample; this was my meninge.'
+And she answerde, 'lat be thyn arguinge;
+For Love ne wol nat countrepleted be
In right ne wrong; and lerne that of me!

460

465

465

470

475

(wrongly); C. T. A. retain it.

461. C. holpyn; Th. holpen; rest holpe. C. F. Tn. needlessly insert me after put. C. swich (for this). 462. C. trewely; F. trewly. 466. F. oght. All wrongly omit final e in oght; and

all but C. wrongly insert to before blame. speke.

473. F. ben; C. be.

467. F. spake; Tn. spede; rest 477. C. this at (for that of).

+Thou hast thy grace, and hold thee right ther-to.
+Now wol I seyn what penance thou shalt do
+For thy trespas, and understond hit here:
+Thou shalt, whyl that thou livest, yeer by yere,
The moste party of thy lyve spende
+In making of a glorious Legende
+Of Gode Wemen, maidenes and wyves,
+That were trewe in lovinge al hir lyves;
+And telle of false men that hem bitrayen,
+That al hir lyf ne doon nat but assayen
+How many wemen they may doon a shame;
For in your world that is now holden game.
And thogh thee lesteth nat a lover be,
+Spek wel of love; this penance yeve I thee.
+And to the god of love I shal so preye,
+That he shal charge his servants, by any weye,

470

475

480

+In making of a glorious Legende

+Thou hast thy grace, and hold thee right ther-to.
+Now wol I seyn what penance thou shalt do
+For thy trespas, and understond hit here:
+Thou shalt, whyl that thou livest, yeer by yere,
The moste party of thy tyme spende

480

+Of Gode Wommen, maidenes and wyves,

+That weren trewe in lovinge al hir lyves;
+And telle of false men that hem bitrayen,
+That al hir lyf ne doon nat but assayen
+How many wommen they may doon a shame;
For in your world that is now holde a game.
And thogh thee lyke nat a lover be,
+Spek wel of love; this penance yive I thee.
+And to the god of love I shal so preye,
+That he shal charge his servants, by any weye,

485

490

B. 478. F. holde; all the. 480. C. A. and; rest om. T. to put the out of were (for and-here). 481. F. while; yere by yere. 482. F. most partye. C. lyf (for tyme). 484. C. goode; F. good. F. wymmen; Tn. A. wommen; C. T. wemen. 485. F. trew. C. leuynge (error for louynge). 486. C. false; F. fals. 487. From C.; F. Tn. omit this line. 488. F. women; Tn. wommen. C. Tn. A. B. P. they; F. that. 489. F.

+To forthren thee, and wel thy labour quyte;

Go now thy wey, thy penance is but lyte.' (B. 495) 485

+The god of love gan smyle, and than he seyde,
+'Wostow,' quod he, 'wher this be wyf or mayde,
+Or quene, or countesse, or of what degree,
+That hath so litel penance yeven thee,
+That hast deserved sorer for to smerte ?
+But pitee renneth sone in gentil herte;

+That mayst thou seen, she kytheth what she is.'
+And I answerde, 'nay, sir, so have I blis,
+No more but that I see wel she is good.'
That is a trewe tale, by myn hood,'

+Quod Love, and that thou knowest wel, pardee,
+If hit be so that thou avyse thee.

490

495

+To forthren thee, and wel thy labour quyte;
Go now thy wey, this penance is but lyte.
*And whan this book is maad, yive hit the quene
*On my behalfe, at Eltham, or at Shene.'

495

+The god of love gan smyle, and than he seyde,
+Wostow,' quod he, wher this be wyf or mayde,
+Or quene, or countesse, or of what degree,
+That hath so litel penance yiven thee,
+That hast deserved sorer for to smerte?
+But pitee renneth sone in gentil herte;

500

+That maystow seen, she kytheth what she is.'
+And I answerde, 'nay, sir, so have I blis,

505

+No more but that I see wel she is good.'

That is a trewe tale, by myn hood,'

+Quod Love, and that thou knowest wel, pardee,
+If hit be so that thou avyse thee.

youre worlde.

490. F. the; lovere bee.

493. F. servantez; Tn. seruauntz. 496. F. maade.

491. C. Spek; F. Speke. 495. F. Goo. C. thyn (for this). 497. F. Sheene; Tn. T. Th. Shene. 502, 503. F.

omits from sorer to renneth. C. sorere; T. A. sorer; rest sore. C. Tn. Th.

smerte. C. pete rennyth; Tn. A. pitee renneth.

answerde; F. answered.

rest No. F. moore.

F. soone.

C. sere; F. sire; Tn. sir.
508. C. T. A. that; rest om.

505. C. 506. F. Tn. B. Na;

+ Hastow nat in a book, lyth in thy cheste,
+The grete goodnesse of the quene Alceste,
+That turned was into a dayesye :

†She that for hir husbonde chees to dye,
†And eek to goon to helle, rather than he,
+And Ercules rescued hir, pardee,

500

+And broghte hir out of helle agayn to blis?'
+And I answerde ageyn, and seyde, 'yis,
+Now knowe I hir! And is this good Alceste,
+The dayesye, and myn owne hertes reste?
+Now fele I wel the goodnesse of this wyf,
+That bothe after hir deeth, and in hir lyf,
+Hir grete bountee doubleth hir renoun!
†Wel hath she quit me myn affeccioun
+That I have to hir flour, the dayesye!
+No wonder is thogh Iove hir stellifye,

505

510

+Hastow nat in a book, lyth in thy cheste,
+The grete goodnesse of the quene Alceste,
+That turned was into a dayesye :
+She that for hir husbonde chees to dye,
+And eek to goon to helle, rather than he,
+And Ercules rescowed hir, pardee,

510

515

+And broghte hir out of helle agayn to blis?'
+And I answerde ageyn, and seyde, 'yis,
+Now knowe I hir! And is this good Alceste,
+The dayesye, and myn owne hertes reste?
+Now fele I wel the goodnesse of this wyf,
+That bothe after hir deeth, and in hir lyf,
+Hir grete bountee doubleth hir renoun!
+Wel hath she quit me myn affeccioun
+That I have to hir flour, the dayesye!

+No wonder is thogh Iove hir stellifye,

A. 507. herte is reste.

518. Of (for In).

520

525

526. the; onstedefastnesse.

527. sithe thow knowist here. 528. pref; ek; storyis here.

B. 511. C. Tn. grete; F. gret.

514. F.eke.

F. daysie. F. owene.

516. F. agayne.

518. F. hire.

520. F. weel.

512. C. Tn. dayesye; F. daysye. 519. C. dayes eye; 521. C. bothe; F. both. F. aftir

527. F. berith.

hir deth. C. ek (for in). 524. C. dayesye; F. daysye. 526. F. hire

goodenesse. 527, 529. C. coroun; F. corowne.

528.

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