And by hir fader Saturnus,
That hir engendride by his lyf,
But not upon his weddid wyf ! ·
Yit wole I more unto you swere,
To make this thyng the seurere,
Now by that feith, and that leute 1
That I owe to alle my britheren fre,
Of which ther nys wight undir heven
That kan her fadris names neven,2
So dyverse and so many ther be,
That with my modir have be prive!
"Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse,
The pole of helle to my witnesse,
Now drynke I not this yeere clarre,*
If that I lye, or forsworne be!
For of the goddes the usage is,
That who-so hym forswereth amys
Shal that yeer drynke no clarre.
Now have I swornẹ ynough, pardee;
If I forswere me, thanne am I lorne,
But I wole never be forsworne;
Syth Richesse hath me failed heere,
She shal abye that trespas dere,
Atte leeste wey, but she hir arme
With swerd, or sparth, or gysarme."
For certis sith she loveth not me,
Fro thilk tyme that she may se
The castelle and the tour to shake,
The French is piment. C Can
rbury Tales, l. 1471, 3378. ' Pay for. Halverd or axe.
In sory tyme she shal a-wake.
If I may grepe a riche man
I shal so pulle1 hym, if I can,
That he shal, in a fewe stoundes,*
Lese alle his markis and his poundis.
I shal hym make his pens out-slynge,
But they in his gerner sprynge;
Oure maydens shal eke pluk hym so,
That hym shal neden fetheres mo,
And make hym selle his londe to spende,
But he the bet kunne hym defende.
"Pore men han maad her lord of me;
Al-though they not so myghty be,
That they may fede me in delite,
I wole not have hem in despite.
No good man hateth hem, as I gesse,
For chynche and feloun is Richesse,
That so can chase hem and dispise,
And hem defoule in sondry wise.
They loven fulle bet, so God me spede,
Than doth the riche chynchy grede,
And ben, in good feith, more stable
And trewer, and more serviable.
And therfore it suffisith me
Her goode herte and her beaute.
They han on me sette alle her thought
And therfore I forgete hem nought.
I wole hem bringe in grete noblesse,
1 Pluck. Cf. Canterbury Tales, 1. 652. 2 Moments. We shoul now say safe, or strong box. • Niggard.
If that I were god of Richesse,
As I am god of Love sothely,
Sich routhe upon her pleynt have I.
Therfore I must his socour be,
That peyneth hym to serven me,
For if he deide for love of this,
Thanne semeth in me no love ther is."
Les Barons. "Sir," seide they, "soth is every
That ye reherce, and we wote wel
Thilk oth to holde is resonable;
For it is good and covenable,1
That ye on riche men han sworne.
For, sir, this wote we wel biforne;
If riche men done you homage,
That is as fooles done outrage;
But
ye shulle not forsworne be,
Ne lette therfore to drynke clarre,
Or pyment makid fresh and newe.
"Ladies shulle hem such pepir2 brewe,
If that they falle into her laas,
That they for woo mowe seyn 'Allas!'
Ladyes shullen ever so curteis be,
That they shal quyte youre oth alle free.
Ne sekith never othir vicaire,
For they shal speke with hem so faire
That ye shal holde you paied fulle wele.
Though ye you medle1 never a dele,
This spice was of exceeding value in
Middle Ages. 3 Snare. I terfere.
Late ladies worthe1 with her thyngis,
They shal hem telle so fele tidynges,
And moeve hem eke so many requestis
Bi flateri, that not honest is,
And therto geve hem such thankynges,
What with kissyng and with talkynges,
That certis, if they trowed be,
Shal never leve hem londe ne fee
That it nyl as the moeble fare,
Of which they first delyverid are.
Now may ye telle us alle youre wille,
And we youre heestes shal fulfille.
"But Fals-semblant dar not, for drede
Of you, sir, medle* hym of this dede,
For he seith that ye ben his foo;
He note if ye wole worche hym woo.
Wherfore we pray you alle, beau sire,
That ye forgyve hym now your ire,
And that he may dwelle, as your man,
With Abstinence, his dere lemman ;
This oure accord and oure wille nowe."
"Parfay," seide Love, "I graunte it yowe;
I wole wel holde hym for my man ;
Now late hym come:" and he forth ran.
"Fals-semblant," quod Love, "in this wise
I take thee heere to my servise,
That thou oure freendis helpe alway,
And hyndreth hem neithir nyght ne day,
But do thy myght hem to releve,
B. Movables go. 8 Commands. Interfere.
LE ROY DES RIBAUDS.
And eke oure enemyes that thou greve.
Thyne be this myght, I graunte it thee,
My kyng of harlotes1 shalt thou be ;
We wole that thou have such honour.
"Certeyne thou art a fals traitour,
And eke a theef sith thou were borne,
A thousand tyme thou art forsworne.
But, netheles, in oure heryng,
To putte oure folk out of doutyng,
I bidde thee teche hem, wostowe howe?
Bi somme general signe nowe,
In what place thou shalt founden be,
If that men hadde myster2 of thee,
And how men shal thee best espye,
For thee to knowe is gret maistrie ;
'Telle in what place is thyn hauntyng."
F. Semb. "Sir, I have fele dyverse wonyng, That I kepe not rehersed be,
So that ye wolde respiten me.
For if that I telle you the sothe,
may have harme and shame bothe.
If that my felowes wisten it,
My talis shulden me be quytt;
For certeyn they wolde hate me,
If ever I knewe 5 her cruelte;
For they wolde overalle holde hem stille
Of trouthe that is ageyne her wille;
Suche tales kepen they not here.
1 That is, provost to restrain and correct the misdoers at the court. Le Roy des Ribauds was an officer of the French court.
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