+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
That han me holpen, and put in swich degree.
+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,
+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.
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
+ 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!
(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.
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,
+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
+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,
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.
+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.'
+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;
+That maystow 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.
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.
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,
+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,
+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,
+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,
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.
512. C. Tn. dayesye; F. daysye. 519. C. dayes eye; 521. C. bothe; F. both. F. aftir
hir deth. C. ek (for in). 524. C. dayesye; F. daysye. 526. F. hire
goodenesse. 527, 529. C. coroun; F. corowne.
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