For then at erst, I wote ye wol me leve. Til that ye shulde the verray prefe see. For now, yf that the sothe I shal yow saye, Thogh ye ne wiste nat, in my contree, Upon my trouthe I swere and yow assure, 2110 2120 This lady smyleth at his stedfastnesse, And at hys hertely wordys, and at his chere, And to hir suster sayde in this manere: "And softely now, suster myn," quod she, "Now be we duchesses, both I and ye, And sykered to the regals2 of Athenes, And both heraftir lykly to be queenes, And saved fro hys deth a kynges sone, As ever of gentil wymen ys the wone To save a gentilman, enforthe hir myght, 2130 In honest cause, and namely in his ryght. 4 8 Me thinketh no wyght ought us hereof blame, Ne beren us therfore an evel name." 1 For Theseus was duke of Athens. ibutes. 3 Wont. As far as. Assured of the regal a "THIS MYNATOWRE.' 161 And shortly of this matere for to make, This Theseus of hir hath leve ytake, And every poynt was performed in dede, As ye have in the covenant herde me rede; Hys wepne, his clyw, hys thing that I have sayde Was by the gayler in the house ylayde, e; Ther as this Mynatowre hath hys dwellyng, 2140 And in hys armes hath thys Adriane, That of the beste hath kepte him from hys bane. And gate him there a noble barge anoon, And of his countre folke a grete woon, 2 Enope (Gerenia), in Messenia, set out. • Company. And taketh hys leve, and homewarde sayleth hee; And in an yle, amydde the wilde see, 2160 And sayde on the londe he moste him reste. Hys maryners han don ryght as hym leste; And, for to telle schortly in thys case, Whanne Adriane hys wyfe aslepe was, 2170 For that hir suster fairer was than she, That ys with slepe for werynesse ytake; 2180 Ful sorwfully hir herte may awake. Allas, for the myn herte hath pitee! Ryght in the dawenynge awaketh shee, 2 And gropeth in the bed, and fonde ryght noght. "Allas," quod she, "that ever I was wroght: 1 Waited 2 Searcheth. From this line to the end Chaucer fol ows Ovid in the Heroides quite closely. "HIR KERCHEFE ON A POLE." 163 I am betrayed," and hir heer to-rente, she: 2193 "Meker than ye fynde I the bestes wilde!” Hath he not synne, that he hir thus begylde! She cried, "O turne agayne for routhe and synne, Thy barge hath not al thy meyny 2 ynne." 2200 And hym remembre that she was behynde, And turne agayne, and on the stronde hir .fynde. But al for noght; hys wey he ys i-goon, And doune she felle a-swowne on a stoon; thoo: "Thow bedd," quoth she, "that haste receyved twoo, 1 This is from Ovid. Retinue. As chance. Thow shalt answere of twoo and not of oon, "1 What shulde I telle more hir compleynynge? But shortly to the ende tel I shalle. 2220 Hire trewe love, the devel quyte hym hys while! 8 Explicit Legenda Adriane de Athenes. Incipit Legenda Philomene. Thow giver of the formes, that hast wroght The faire worlde, and bare hit in thy thoght Eternally or thow thy werke beganne, Why madest thow unto the sklaunder of manne, Or al be that hyt was not thy doyinge, As for that fine to make suche a thynge, 1 Counsel. 2 Ovid. Time. Ere. End. 2230 |