To have of me good fame as now.
But wite ye what? I graunte yow,
That ye shal have a shrewed fame
And wikked loos, and worse name,
Though ye good loos have wel deserved.
Now go your wey, for ye be served;
And thou, dan Eolus, let see!
Tak forth thy trumpe anon,' quod she,
"That is y-cleped Sclaunder light,
And blow hir loos, that every wight
Speke of hem harm and shrewednesse,
In stede of good and worthinesse.
For thou shalt trumpe al the contraire
Of that they han don wel or faire.'
Alas,' thoughte I, 'what aventures
Han these sory creatures!

1599. F. B. And (for That). B. om. now.

1603. Cx. P. at; rest to.

1614. F. B. insert wel after be.
1621. F. B. om. wel.

wote; read wite.
dan; F. B. Haue doon.

(530) 1620

1625

(540) 1630

1609. F. 1618. F. B. wete; rest 1623. Cx. Th. P. And thou

For they, amonges al the pres,
Shul thus be shamed gilteles!
But what hit moste nedes be.'

What did this Eolus, but he
Tok out his blakke trumpe of bras,
That fouler than the devil was,
And gan this trumpe for to blowe,
As a the world shulde overthrowe;
That through-out every regioun
Wente this foule trumpes soun,
As swift as pelet out of gonne,
Whan fyr is in the poudre ronne.
And swiche a smoke gan out-wende
Out of his foule trumpes ende,
Blak, blo, grenish, swartish reed,
As doth wher that men melte leed,
Lo, al on high fro the tuel!
And therto oo thing saugh I wel,
That, the ferther that hit ran,
The gretter wexen hit began,
As doth the river from a welle,
And hit stank as the pit of helle.
Alas, thus was hir shame y-ronge,
And giltelees, on every tonge.

Tho com the thridde companye,
And gunne up to the dees to hye,
And doun on knees they fille anon,
And seyde, 'We ben everichon

1635

(550) 1640

1645

(560) 1650

1655

(570) 1660

Folk that han ful trewely

Deserved fame rightfully,

And praye yow, hit mot be knowe,
Right as hit is, and forth y-blowe.'
'I graunte,' quod she, 'for me list
That now your gode werk be wist;
And yit ye shul han better loos,
Right in dispyt of alle your foos,

1637. P. blak; F. B. blake.

swarte.

1665

1647. Cx. Th. P. swartysh; F. B. swart,

1657. B. thridde; F. thirdde. 1661. F. ben; rest han. 1666.

All werkes, pl.; see 1701. Th. That your good workes shal be wyst (perhaps

better).

1668. F. B. om. Right.

E

Than worthy is; and that anoon :

Lat now,' quod she, thy trumpe goon, (580) 1670

Thou Eolus, that is so blak;

And out thyn other trumpe tak

That highte Laude, and blow hit so

That through the world hir fame go
Al esely, and not to faste,

1675

That hit be knowen atte laste.'

'Ful gladly, lady myn,' he seyde;

And out his trumpe of golde he brayde

Anon, and sette hit to his mouthe,

And blew hit est, and west, and southe, (590) 1680

And north, as loude as any thunder,

That every wight hadde of hit wonder,

1675. F. B. om. Al.

All of bawme; omit of (Koch). 1720, I.

1682. F. B. Cx. Th. hath; P. have. 1701. werk] all werkes (werkys); see 1666, 1702. B. clew; F. clywe; Cx. Th. P. torned, turned.

1686.

And for to have of that no fame?
Have ye dispyt to have my name?
Nay, ye shul liven everichoon!
Blow thy trumpe and that anoon,'
Quod she, 'thou Eolus, I hote,
And ring this folkes werk by note,
That al the world may of hit here.'
And he gan blowe hir loos so clere

In his golden clarioun,

That through the world wente the soun,
So kenely, and eek so softe;
But atte laste hit was on-lofte.

Thoo com the sexte companye,
And gonne faste on Fame crye.
Right verraily, in this manere
They seyden: 'Mercy, lady dere!
To telle certein, as hit is,

We han don neither that ne this,
But ydel al our lyf y-be.
But, natheles, yit preye we,
That we mowe han so good a fame,
And greet renoun and knowen name,
As they that han don noble gestes,
And acheved alle hir lestes,

1707. Cx. P. To hyde; Th. To hyden; F. B. And hidden. fame; rest no fame. P. Cx. Th. ne (am. for); F. B. for (om. ne). F. B. Th. lyen (for lyuen); P. be; Cx. om.

(620) 1710

1715

(630) 1720

1725

(640) 1730

1735

1709. P. Cx.

1717.

1720. werk] all werkes

(werkys); but see hit in 1721. 1725. F. B. Th. Al so; rest And so; read So.

1726. So F. B.; Cx. Th. That theyr fame was blowe a lofte.

P. so good a; Th. as good a; F. B. as good.

1735. Cx.

As wel of love as other thing;

Al was us never broche ne ring,
Ne elles nought, from wimmen sent,
Ne ones in hir herte y-ment
To make us only frendly chere,

But mighte temen us on bere; ring

Yit lat us to the peple seme
Swiche as the world may of us deme,
That wimmen loven us for wood.
Hit shal don us as moche good,
And to our herte as moche availe
To countrepeise ese and travaile,
As we had wonne hit with labour;
For that is dere boght honour
At regard of our grete ese.
And yit thou most us more plese;
Let us be holden eek, therto,
Worthy, wyse, and gode also,
And riche, and happy unto love.
For goddes love, that sit above,
Though we may not the body have.
Of wimmen, yet, so god yow save!
Let men glewe on us the name;

Suffyceth that we han the fame.'

(650) 1740

1745

(660) 1750

1755

(670) 1760

Though they gon in ful badde lese.'

This Eolus gan hit so blowe,

That through the world hit was y-knowe. (680) 1770

Tho com the seventh route anoon,

And fel on knees everichoon,

And seyde, Lady, graunte us sone

The same thing, the same bone,

1742. Th. Cx. P. in her herte; F. in hem; B. in her.

1745. F. B. om. the.

1744. Th. on; rest upon. 1748, 1749. F. a; rest as. 1750. P. Cx. To; rest The. 1765. F. B. now let se (I omit now); rest quod she.