No lenger for to lyven I ne kepe." 1

1030

And with that worde he braste out for to wepe So tendirly that routhe it was to seene.

This fresshe lady, of the citee queene, Stoode in the temple, in hire estat royalle, So richely, and eke so faire withalle, So yonge, so lusty, with hire eighen glade, That yf that God, that hevene and erthe made, Wolde han a love, for beaute and goodenesse, And womanhode, and trouthe, and semlynesse, Whom sholde he loven but this lady swete? Ther nys no woman to him halfe so mete. 1041 Fortune, that hath the worlde in governaunce, Hath sodeynly broght in so newe a chaunce, That never yit was in so fremde 2 a cas. For al the companye of Eneas, Which that he wende han loren in the see, Aryved ys, noght fer fro the citee.

2

For which the grettest of his lordes, some
By aventure ben to the citee come
Unto that same temple for to seke

1050

The queene, and of hire socour hir beseke; Swich renowne was ther spronge of hir good

nesse.

And whan they hadde tolde al hire distresse, And al hir tempest and hire harde cas, Unto the queene appered Eneas,

And openly beknew that it was he.

Who hadde joy thanne, but his meynee,

8

That hadden founde hire lord, hire governour

1 Care. 2 Strange. Followers.

"WITH PITEE, LOVE."

121

The queene sawgh they dide him swich

honour,

And had herde ofte of Eneas er thoo,

And in hir herte hadde routhe and woo,

That ever swiche a noble man as hee
Shal ben dishereted in swiche degree.

тобо

And sawgh the man, that he was lyke a knyghte,
And suffisaunt of persone and of myghte,
And lyke to ben a verray gentilman.
And wel hys wordes he besette1 kan,
And hadde a noble visage for the noones,
And formed wel of brawnes and of boones;
And after Venus hadde swich fairenesse, 1070
That no man myghte be half so faire, I gesse,
And wel a lorde him semede for to bee.
And for he was a straunger, somwhat shee
Lyked him the bette, as God do boote,2
To somme folke often newe thinge is swoote.
Anoon hire herte hath pitee of his woo,
And with pitee, love come alsoo;
And thus for pitee and for gentillesse,
Refresshed mote he ben of his distresse.

1080

She seyde, certes, that she sory was, That he hath had swich peril and swiche cas;' And in hire frendely speche, in this manere She to him spake, and seyde as ye may here. "Be ye nat Venus sone and Anchises? In good faythe, a the worshippe and encres That I may goodly doon yow, ye shal have :

1 Order. 2 Help. 8 Fortune.

1098

Youre shippes and youre meynee shal I save."
And many a gentil worde she spake him too,
And comaunded hire messageres goo
The same day, withouten any faylle,
Hys shippes for to seke and hem vitaylle.
Ful many a beeste she to the shippes sente,
And with the wyne she gan hem to presente,
And to hire royalle paleys she hire spedde,
And Eneas alwey with hire she ledde.
What nedeth yow the feste to discryve?
He never better at ese was in his lyve.
Ful was the feste of deyntees and richesse,
Of instruments, of songe, and of gladnesse,
And many an amorouse lokyng and devys. 1100
This Eneas is comen to Paradys

Out of the swolowe1 of helle; and thus in joye
Remembreth 2 him of his estaat in Troye.
To daunsyng chambres ful of parements,
Of riche beddes, and of pavements,

This Eneas is ladde after the meete.

And with the queene whan that she hadde seet And spices parted, and the wyne agoon,1 Unto hyse chambres was he lad anoon

To take his ease, and for to have his reste 1110
With al his folke, to doon what so hem leste.
Ther nas coursere wel ybridled noon,

Ne stede for the justyng wel to goon,
Ne large palfrey, esy for the noones,

1 Gulf, abyss. 2 Remindeth. 8 Adornments. Cf Canterbury Tales. 1. 15,045. 4 Cf. Canterbury Tales, l. 819.

"IN PLEASAUNCE."

Ne juwel frette ful of riche stoones,
Ne sakkes ful of gold, of large wyghte,
Ne rubee noon that shyneth by nyghte,
Ne gentil hawteyn faukone heroneer,1

123

Ne hound for hert, or wilde boor or deer, 1119 Ne coupe of golde, with floryns newe ybette,* That in the londe of Lybye may ben gette, That Dido ne hath hit Eneas isente;

And al is payed, what that he hath spente. Thus kan this honourable queene hir gestes

calle,

As she that kan in fredome passen alle.

Eneas soothly eke, withouten les, Hath sent to his shippe by Achates After his sone, and after ryche thynges,

1128

Booth ceptre, clothes, broches, and eke rynges;
Somme for to were, and somme for to presente
To hire, that alle thise noble thinges him sente;
And bad hys sone how that he sholde make
The presentynge, and to the queene it take.
Repeyred is this Achates agayne,
And Eneas ful blysful is and fayne,
To seen his yonge sone Ascanius.
For unto him yt was reported thus,
That Cupido, that is the god of love,
At prayere of hys moder hye above,
Hadde the liknesse of the childe ytake,
This noble queen enamoured to make
On Eneas. But of that scripture

1140

Haughty heron-attacking falcon. 2 Ornamented. Writing.

Be as be may, I make of yt no cure.

But sooth is this, the queene hath made swich

chere

Unto this childe that wonder is to here;

And of the present that his fader sente,
She thanked him ful ofte in goode intente.
Thus is this queene in pleasaunce and in joye,
With al thise newe lusty folke of Troye.
And of the dedes hath she moore enquered
Of Eneas, and al the storie lered1
Of Troye; and al the longe day they tweye
Entendeden for to speke and for to pleye.
Of which ther gan to breden swich a fire,
That sely Dido hath now swich desire
With Eneas hir newe geste to deele,

1151

That she loste hire hewe and eke hire heele.1 Now to theffecte, now to the fruyt of al, Why I have tolde this storye, and tellen shal.

5

Thus I bygynne: It fil upon a nyght, 1160 Whan that the moone upreysed had hire lyght, This noble queene unto hire reste wente. She siketh soore, and gan hire selfe turmente; She waketh, walwithe, maketh many a brayde,' As doone thise lovers, as I have herde sayde; And at the laste, unto hire suster Anne She made hir mone, and ryght thus spake she thanne.

"Now, dere suster myn, what may it be

1 Learned. cent, happy.)

Attend.
Health.

• Tosseth.

Harmless. (The word also means inno 6 Start.