66 'THIS PITOUSE ENDE." 115 "And now, ye wrecched jelouse fadres oure, We that weren whilome children youre, We prayen yow, withouten more envye That in oo grave [now] we moten lye, And for my parte I shal anoon it kythe." 2 901 910 And with that worde his swerde she took as swithe,3 That warme was of hire loves blood, and hoote, And to the herte she hire selven smoote. And thus are Tesbe and Piramus agoo. Of trewe men I fynde but fewe moo And therfore have I spoken of hym thus. Explicit Legenda Tesbe 1 Have assurance. Show. Quickly. 920 Incipit Legenda Didonis, Martiris, Carthaginis Regine. Glorie and honour, Virgile Mantuan, Be to thy name! and I shal as I kan Folowe thy lanterne as thou goste byforn, How Eneas to Dido was forsworne, In thyne Eneyde. And of Naso 2 wol I take The tenour and the grete effectes make. 8 Whan Troy i-broght was to destruccion 930 That of the citee was the cheef dungeon; And Priamus the kyng fordoon and noght; To fleen away; he tooke Ascanius, 940 That was his sone, in his ryght hande and fledde, And on his bakke he baar, and with him ledde, His olde fader, cleped Anchises; And by the wey his wyf Creusa he lees,5 And mochel sorowe hadde he in his mynde, Historically 1 Eneid, books i.-iv. 2 Heroides, epistle vii. Eneas must have lived long before the time of Dido. Cf. Can rbury Tales, 1. 8840. 4 Directed 5 Lost. DIDO THE HUNTRESS. Er that he koude his felawshippe fynde. 117 950 But at the laste, whan he hadde hem founde, Nys nat to purpos for to speke of here, 960 So longe he saylled in the salte see, Til in Lybye unneth arryved he, So was he with the tempest al to-shake. And whan that he the havene had ytake, He had a knyghte was called Achates, And him of al his felawshippe he ches To goon with him, the contree for tespye. He toke with him na more companye, But forth they goon, and lafte hise shippes ride, His fere and he, withouten any guyde. So longe he walketh in this wildernesse, Til at the last he mette an hunteresse ; A bowe in hande, and arwes hadde shee; 97c And Eneas and Achates she grette, And thus she to hem spak whan she hem mette 1 Time. 2 Libya scarcely. Chose. Companion. "Sawe ye," quod she, "as ye han walked wide, Any of my sustren walke yow besyde, 980 "Nay soothly, lady!" quod this Eneas; "But by thy beaute, as yt thynketh me, Thou myghtest never erthely woman be, But Phebus suster artow, as I gesse. And yf so be that thou be a goddesse, Have mercy on oure labour and oure woo." “I nam no goddesse soothely," quod she thoo; "For maydens walken in this contree here, 990 Why Dido come into that regioun, I koude folwe worde for worde Virgile, 1 Betake himself. DIDO AT DEVOTIONS. That whilom was the wife of Sicheo,1 119 ΙΟΙΟ That fairer was than the bryghte sonne, 4 How Troy and al the londe destrued was. 66 66 Allas, that I was born!" quod Eneas. Thurghout the worlde oure shame is kid so wide, Now it is peynted upon every side. We, that weren in prosperitee, Be now disclaundred, and in swiche degre, 1 Acerbas, called by Virgil Sichæus. Eneid, i. 343. Taken. 4 Lie. 5 Made known. • Chick. |