296

THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS. MS. R. 3. 20.

The Compleynt of Venus.

[Following the Mars, see Parallel-Texts, p. 121.]

[Shirley's MS. R. 3. 20, Trin. Coll., Camb., leaf 139.]

And filowing begynneþe· a balade translated out of frenshe in to englisshe/ by Chaucier Geffrey þe frenshe made .sir. Otes de Grauntsome knight· Savosyen

(1) (Tern I. 1: -aunce, -esse, -ure = oure, 1. 23) er nys so hye. coumfort / to my plesaunce/

Whane pat .I. am / in any hevynes-e /
As for to haue leyser / of Remembraunce/
Vpōn þe manhoode / and be worpynesse /
vpon pe trouthe/ and pe stedfastnesse /

Of him whos I am / alweys why le I may dure /

per aught to blamen me / no creature /

ffor he is croppe and roote / of gentylesse

(2) (I. 2)

1

4

[from margin] 8

¶ In him is bountee / wysdam and gouuernaunce/
Weel more panne / any mannes wilt kan gesse
ffor grace hape wolde / so ferfoorthe him avaunce /
bat of knighthoode / he is parfyt Rychchesse /
Honnour/honourepe / him for his noblesse /
per' to so wel hape / fortuned him nature /
þat I am his for euer / I him ensure /
ffor euery wight / preysepe his gentylesse /

(3) (I. 3)

9

12

[page 140]

16

And nought' withstanding / al his souffisaunce

17

His gentyle hert/ is of so gret humblesse /

To me in worde in werk' in countenaunce /
And me to serue / is al his besynesse /
þat I am sette/in verray sikurnesse /
pus aught me wele / to blesse myn aventure

Sith þat him list / me serven and honneure /
ffor euery wight / preysepe his gentylesse /

THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS. MS. R. 3. 20.

(4) (Tern II. 1: -able, -ing, -aunce)
Nowe certes/loue / hit is right' couenable
þat men ful soore abye / þy noble thing' /
As waake abedde / and fasting at þe table
Weping to laugħe / and sing in compleyning' /
And doune to caste / vysage and looking /
Offtymes to chaunge / huwe and countenaunce/
Pleye in sleping/ and dremen at þe daunce/
Al þe Reuers of any glaade felyng
(5) (II. 2)

¶ þaughe Ialousye wer hanged by a Kable
Sheo wolde al knowe / thorughe hir' espying /
per doope no wight / no thing so Raysonnable /
bat al nys harme / in hir Ymagynyng'

pus deere abought / is love / in gyving /

Whiche offt/he gyvepe / with oute ordeynaunce

As sorowe enougħe / and lytel of plesaunce
Al pe Reuers of euery glaade · feeling' /
(6) (II. 3)

TA lytel tyme / his gyfft is agreable
But ful encoumberous / is þe vsing/
ffor soutyle .Ialousye / þe deceyuable /

fful offten tymes / causepe destourbing /

bus beon we euer / In dreed souffering /

In noun certaine / we langwisshe in penaunce /

And haue wel offt / many an herd meschaunce /

Al þe Reuers of euery glaade / feelyng

48

(7) (Tern III. 1: -yse, -ente, -ay)

¶ But certes loue .I. say not / in suche wyse / [page 141] 49

þat for teschape / oute of youre lace / I ment /
ffor I so long/ haue beon in youre servyce/
hat for to leet / of wol I neuer assente

No force / paugħe .Ialousve / me more tourment'
Souffisepe me to seon him. whane I may
And perfore certes / vn to myn eending' day
To love him best/ ne shal I. neuer. Repent'

52

56

298

THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.

MS. R. 3. 20.

(8) (III. 2)

¶ And certes love / whanne I. me weel avyse

57

On any estate / pat man may. represent

pane haue yee maked me / thorughe youre fraunchyse

Cheese pe best/pat euer / on eorpe went

60

Nowe loue weele hert / and looke pou neuer stent'

And let pe Ialouse / put it' nowe in assaye /

þat for no peyne ne shal I .neuer sey naye / To love him best' / ne neuer to Repent

64

(9) (III. 3)

¶ Hert to pe hit aught / enoughe souffyse /
þat loue so hye a grace / hape to pee sent/
To cheese pe wopyest / of alle wyse /
And mooste agreable / vn to myn entent/
Seeche nowe no firper / neyper wey ner went /
Sythe I haue souffysaunce / vn to my paye /
bus wol I. eonde pis compleynt or pis laye /

65

68

And loue him best / and neuer to Repent'

72

ffor eelde pat in my spiryt doullepe me / Hape of pendyting / al þe subtylytee

76

Welnyeghe byrafft/ out of my remembraunce
And eeke to me / it is right gret penaunce/

Sith. ryme in englisshe/hape suche skarsytee /

80

To folowen word by word pe curyosytee/

Of Graunsome / flour / of hem þat make in ffraunce/

[p. 142] ¶ Hit is sayde pat Graunsome made pis Last balade for Venus resembled to my lady of york. aunswering' þe complaynt of Mars/

[Chaucer's Fortune follows: see the Parallel-Text, p. 440.]

XIV.

Envoy to Scogan

FROM

MS. Gg. 4. 27, UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, CAMBRIDGE.