Imatges de pàgina
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"LOVE WOLl love.”

125

That me agasteth in my dreme?" quod she. "This ilke Trojane is so in my thoghte, 1170 For that me thinketh he is so wel ywroghte,

And eke so likely to ben a man,

And therwithal soo mykel good he kan,
That al my love and lyf lyth in his cure.
Have ye nat herde hym telle hys aventure?
Now certes, Anne, gif that ye rede1

I wil fayne to him ywedded be;

me,

This is theffect; what sholde I more seyn ?
In him lith alle, to doo me lyve or deyn."

Hir suster Anne, as she that kouth2 hire

goode,

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Seyde as hire thoght, and somedel yt with

stoode.

But herof was so longe a sermonynge,
Yt were to longe to make rehersynge.
But, finally, yt may nat be withstonde:
Love woll love, for no wyght wol yt wonde.
The dawenyng upryst oute of the see,*

5

This amorouse queene chargeth hire meynee
The nettes dresse, and speres brood and kene ;
An huntynge wol this lusty fresshe queene,

So priketh hire this newe joly woo.
To hors is al hire lusty folke ygoo;

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Unto the courte the houndes ben ybroughte, And up on course re, swyfte as any thoughte, Hir yonge knyghtes heren al aboute,

1 Counsel. 2 Knew. 8 Desist. very closely. Cf. Eneid, iv. 129, etc.

Here the pret follows Virgi • Prepare. Mount.

And of hir women eke an houge route.
Upon a thikke palfrey, paper white,
With sadel rede, enbroudet with delyte,
Of golde the barres up enbosed heighe,
Sitte Dido, al in golde and perrey wreighe.1
And she is faire as is the bryghte morwe,2 1200
That heeleth seke folkes of nyghtes sorwe.

Upon a coursere, startlyng as the fire,
Men myghte turne him with a lytel wire,
Sitte Eneas, like Phebus to devyse,
So was he fressh arrayed in hys wyse.
The fomy bridel, with the bitte of golde,
Governeth he ryght as himselfe hathe wolde.
And foorth this noble queene, this lady, ride
On huntyng, with this Trojan by hire syde.

The heerde of hertes founden ys anoon, 1210 With " Hay!” "Goo bet!" "Prike thou!" "Lat goon, lat goon!

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Why nyl the lyoun comen, or the bere,

That I myght hym ones meten with this spere?"
Thus seyn thise yonge folke, and up they kylle
The wilde hertes, and han hem at here wille.
Amonges al this, to romblen gan the hevene;
The thonder rorede with a grisly stevene ;*
Doune come the rayne, with haile and sleet so
faste,

With hevenes fire, that ys so sore agaste
This noble quene, and also hire meynee,
That yche of hem was glad awey to flee;

ewels wrought. 2 Morning. 8 Willed.

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Frightful sound

"A LYTEL CAVE.

127

And shortly, fro the tempest hire to save,
She fled hire selfe into a lytel cave,
And with hire wente this Eneas alsoo.
I not with hem yf ther went any moo;
The auctour maketh of hit no mencioun.
And here beganne the depe affeccioun
Betwix hem two; this was the firste morwe
Of hire gladnesse, and gynnynge of hir sorwe.
For there hath Eneas yknyled1 soo,

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And tolde hir al his herte and al his woo,
And sworne so depe to hire to be trewe
For wele or woo, and chaunge for noo newe,
And as a fals lover so wel kan pleyne,
That sely Dido rewed on his peyne,

2

And toke hym for housbonde, and became his wife

For evermor, while that hem laste lyfe.

And after this, whan that the tempest stente, With myrth, out as they come, home they wente. The wikked fame up roos, and that anoon, How Eneas hath with the queene ygoon

8

Into the cave, and demed as hem liste.

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And whan the kynge that Yarbas hight hit

wiste,

As he that had hire loved ever his lyfe,

And wowed hire to have to hys wife,

Swiche sorowe as he hath maked, and suche chere,

1 Kneeled

Complain. Judged. 4 Named Iarbus. He was
Wooed.

unsuccessful suitor of Dido.

Yt is a rewthe and pitee for to here.
But as in love alday it happeth soo,
That oon shal lawghen at anotheres woo;
Now lawghed Eneas, and is in joye,
And more riches than ever was in Troye.

1

O sely woman, ful of innocence,

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Ful of pitee, of trouthe, and conscience,
What maked yow to men to trusten soo?
Have ye suche rewthe upon hir feyned woo,
And han suche olde ensaumples yow beforne?
Se ye nat alle how they ben forsworne?
Where se ye oon that he ne hath lafte his

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Or ben unkynde, or don hir some myscheefe?
Or pilled hir, or bosted of hys dede?
Ye may as wel hit seen as ye may rede.
Take hede now of this grete gentilman,
This Trojan, that so wel hire plese kan,
That feyneth him so trewe and obeysinge,
So gentil, and so privy of his doynge;
And kan so wel doon al his obeysaunce
To hir, at festes and at daunce,

And whan she gooth to temple, and home

ageyne,

And fasten til he hath his lady seyne;

And beren in his devyses for hire sake

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Wot I not what ; and songes wolde he make, Justen, and doon of armes many thynges, Send hire letres, tokens, broches, rynges. Now herkneth how he shal his lady serve.

1 Weak 2 Love. 3 Robbed.

"FALSE TEERES."

129

Ther as he was in peril for to sterve For hunger and for myscheef in the see, And desolate, and fledde fro his contree, And al his folke with tempeste al to-driven, She hath hir body and eke hir reame1 given Into his hande, theras she myghte have beene Of other lande than of Cartage a queene, 1281 And lyved in joy ynogh; what wolde ye more?

2

This Eneas, that hath thus depe yswore,
Ys wery of his crafte within a throwe;'
The hoote erneste is al overblowe.

And prively he dooth his shippes dyghte,3
And shapeth him to steele awey by nyghte.

This Dido hath suspecion of this,

And thoughte wel that hit was al amys; 1289 For in his bedde he lythe a nyght and siketh, She asketh him anoon what him mysliketh.

"My dere herte, which that I love mooste, Certes," quod he, "thys nyght my fadres gooste Hath in my slepe me so sore turmentede, And eke Mercure his message hath presentede,

That nedes to the conqueste of Ytayle

My destany is soone for to sayle,

For whiche me thynketh brosten ys myn herte."
Therwith his false teeres oute they sterte,

And taketh hir within his armes twoo.
Ys that in ernest?" quod she;

soo?

1300 "wol ye

T Realm. 2 Short time. 8 Causeth his ships to be prepared.

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