But now wol I go out and see,
Right at the wiket, if I can
See o-wher stering any man,
That may me telle wher I am.'

When I out at the dores cam,

I faste aboute me beheld.
Then saw I but a large feld,
As fer as that I mighte see,
Withouten toun, or hous, or tree,
Or bush, or gras, or ered lond;
For al the feld nas but of sond

As smal as man may see yet lye
In the desert of Libye;

Ne I no maner creature,

480

485

F. B. omit in.

473. F. B. grave; rest grauen.

475.

478. Th. sterynge any; the rest any stiryng (sterynge). 486. Cx. Th. P. was but of sonde (sande); F. B. nas but sonde. 491. I insert for. Cx. Th. P. insert I after saw; but it is in 1. 489. 496. F. B. omit lo.

504. F. B. omit lines 504-507.

COLOPHON AND TITLE. So in Cx.; the rest omit them. 511. P. listeth; Th. lysteth; F. Cx. listeneth; B. lystneth. sely; read selly (Willert).

513. All

514. Cx. Th. Scipion; F. P. Cipion; B.

The Dream.

This egle, of which I have yow told,
That shoon with fethres as of gold,
Which that so hyë gan to sore,
I gan beholde more and more,
To see hir beautee and the wonder;
But never was ther dint of thonder,
Ne that thing that men calle foudre,
That smoot somtyme a tour to poudre,
And in his swifte coming brende,
That so swythe gan descende,

As this foul, whan hit behelde
That I a-roume was in the felde;
And with his grimme pawes stronge,
Within his sharpe nayles longe,
Me, fleinge, at a swappe he hente,
And with his sours agayn up wente,
Me caryinge in his clawes starke
As lightly as I were a larke,
How high, I can not telle yow,
For I cam up, I niste how.

530

535

(30)

540

545

(40)

533. Cx. Th. P. her; F. B. the. 536. Cx. Th. P. smyte; F. B. smote. Th. P. brende; F. beende; B. bende. F. cryinge (!).

535. F. B. kynge (by mistake for thing). Cx. Th. P. to; F. B. of.

537. Cx. 543. Cx. Th. P. at; F. B. in.

548. Cx. P. cam; F. came.

F. B. And. F. felynge.
F. B. omit so.

***

545552. P. Cx. Th. That ; 557. Cx. Th. P. agast so (but read so agast);

558. Cx. Th. tho; which F. B. P. omit.

C

Right in the same vois and stevene
That useth oon I coude nevene;
And with that vois, soth for to sayn,
My minde cam to me agayn;
For hit was goodly seyd to me,
So nas hit never wont to be.

And herwithal I gan to stere,
And he me in his feet to bere,
Til that he felte that I had hete,
And felte eek tho myn herte bete.
And tho gan he me to disporte,
And with wordes to comforte,
And sayde twyës, 'Seynte Marie !
Thou art noyous for to carie,

565

(60)

570

To make of thee as yet a sterre.

But er I bere thee moche ferre,

I wol thee telle what I am,

And whider thou shalt, and why I cam

To done this, so that thou take

Good herte, and not for fere quake.'
'Gladly,' quod I. Now wel,' quod he:-
'First I, that in my feet have thee,
Of which thou hast a feer and wonder,
Am dwelling with the god of thonder,
Which that men callen Iupiter,
That dooth me flee ful ofte fer
To do al his comaundement.
And for this cause he hath me sent
To thee now herke, by thy trouthe!

Certeyn, he hath of thee routhe,
That thou so longe trewely
Hast served so ententifly

His blinde nevew Cupido,

600

605

(100)

610

615

618. goddesse is not in the MSS. 621. F. Th. lytel; Cx. lytyl; B. litell; 622. Cx. P. bookes songes or ditees; Th.

P. litil (all wrong); read lyte.
bokes songes and ditees; F. B. songes dytees bookys.