|
In th'olde dayes of the Kyng Arthour, |
| Of which that Britons speken greet honour, |
| 865 | All was this land fulfild of fayerye. |
| The elf-queene, with hir joly compaignye, |
| Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede. |
| This was the olde opinion, as I rede; |
| I speke of manye hundred yeres ago. |
| 870 | But now kan no man se none elves mo, |
| For now the grete charitee and prayeres |
| Of lymytours and othere hooly freres, |
| That serchen every lond and every streem, |
| As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem, |
| 875 | Blessynge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures, |
| Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures, |
| Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes, |
| This maketh that ther been no fayeryes. |
| For ther as wont to walken was an elf, |
| 880 | Ther walketh now the lymytour hymself |
| In undermeles and in morwenynges, |
| And seyth his matyns and his hooly thynges |
| As he gooth in his lymytacioun. |
| Wommen may go saufly up and doun. |
| 885 | In every bussh or under every tree |
| Ther is noon oother incubus but he, |
| And he ne wol doon hem but dishonour. |
|
And so bifel it that this kyng Arthour |
| Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler, |
| 890 | That on a day cam ridynge fro ryver; |
| And happed that, allone as she was born, |
| He saugh a mayde walkynge hym biforn, |
| Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, |
| By verray force he rafte hir maydenhed; |
| 895 | For which oppressioun was swich clamour |
| And swich pursute unto the kyng Arthour, |
| That dampned was this knyght for to be deed, |
| By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed - |
| Paraventure, swich was the statut tho - |
| 900 | But that the queene and othere ladyes mo |
| So longe preyeden the kyng of grace, |
| Til he his lyf hym graunted in the place, |
| And yaf hym to the queene al at hir wille, |
| To chese wheither she wolde hym save or spille. |
| 905 |
The queene thanketh the kyng with al hir myght, |
| And after this thus spak she to the knyght, |
| Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day, |
| "Thou standest yet," quod she, "in swich array |
| That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee. |
| 910 | I grante thee lyf, if thou kanst tellen me |
| What thyng is it that wommen moost desiren. |
| Be war and keep thy nekke-boon from iren! |
| And if thou kanst nat tellen it anon, |
| Yet shal I yeve thee leve for to gon |
| 915 | A twelf-month and a day to seche and leere |
| An answere suffisant in this mateere; |
| And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, |
| Thy body for to yelden in this place." |
|
Wo was this knyght, and sorwefully he siketh; |
| 920 | But what! He may nat do al as hym liketh. |
| And at the laste he chees hym for to wende, |
| And come agayn right at the yeres ende, |
| With swich answere as God wolde hym purveye; |
| And taketh his leve, and wendeth forth his weye. |
| 925 | He seketh every hous and every place |
| Where as he hopeth for to fynde grace |
| To lerne what thyng wommen loven moost; |
| But he ne koude arryven in no coost |
| Wher as he myghte fynde in this mateere |
| 930 | Two creatures accordynge in-feere. |
| Somme seyde, wommen loven best richesse, |
| Somme seyde honour, somme seyde jolynesse, |
| Somme riche array, somme seyden lust abedde, |
| And oftetyme to be wydwe and wedde. |
| 935 | Somme seyde, that oure hertes been moost esed |
| Whan that we been yflatered and yplesed. |
| He gooth ful ny the sothe, I wol nat lye, |
| A man shal wynne us best with flaterye; |
| And with attendance and with bisynesse |
| 940 | Been we ylymed, bothe moore and lesse. |
|
And somme seyen, how that we loven best |
| For to be free, and do right as us lest, |
| And that no man repreve us of oure vice, |
| But seye that we be wise, and nothyng nyce. |
| 945 | For trewely, ther is noon of us alle, |
| If any wight wol clawe us on the galle, |
| That we nel kike; for he seith us sooth; |
| Assay, and he shal fynde it that so dooth. |
| For, be we never so vicious withinne, |
| 950 | We sol been holden wise, and clene of synne. |
| And somme seyn, that greet delit han we |
| For to been holden stable and eek secree, |
| And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, |
| And nat biwreye thyng that men us telle. |
| 955 | But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele, |
| Pardee, we wommen konne no thyng hele. |
| Witnesse on Myda, - wol ye heere the tale? |
|
Ovyde, amonges othere thynges smale, |
| Seyde, Myda hadde under his longe heres |
| 960 | Growynge upon his heed two asses eres, |
| The whiche vice he hydde, as he best myghte, |
| Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, |
| That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it namo. |
| He loved hire moost and trusted hir also; |
| 965 | He preyede hire, that to no creature |
| She sholde tellen of his disfigure. |
| She swoor him nay, for al this world to wynne, |
| She nolde do that vileynye or synne, |
| To make hir housbonde han so foul a name. |
| 970 | She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame. |
| But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde, |
| That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; |
| Hir thoughte it swal so soore aboute hir herte |
| That nedely som word hir moste asterte; |
| 975 | And sith she dorste telle it to no man, |
| Doun to a mareys faste by she ran, |
| Til she cam there, hir herte was a fyre, |
| And as a bitore bombleth in the myre, |
| She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun: |
| 980 | "Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun," |
| Quod she, "to thee I telle it and namo, |
| Myn housbonde hath longe asses erys two! |
| Now is myn herte al hool, now is it oute. |
| I myghte no lenger kepe it, out of doute." |
| 985 | Heere may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, |
| Yet out it moot, we kan no conseil hyde. |
| The remenant of the tale, if ye wol heere, |
| Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it leere. |
| This knyght, of which my tale is specially, |
| 990 | Whan that he saugh he myghte nat come therby, |
| This is to seye, what wommen love moost, |
| Withinne his brest ful sorweful was the goost. |
| But hoom he gooth, he myghte nat sojourne; |
| The day was come that homward moste he tourne. |
| 995 | And in his wey it happed hym to ryde, |
| In al this care under a forest syde, |
| Wher as he saugh upon a daunce go |
| Of ladyes foure and twenty, and yet mo; |
| Toward the whiche daunce he drow ful yerne, |
| 1000 | In hope that som wysdom sholde he lerne. |
| But certeinly, er he came fully there, |
| Vanysshed was this daunce, he nyste where. |
| No creature saugh he that bar lyf, |
| Save on the grene he saugh sittynge a wyf - |
| 1005 | A fouler wight ther may no man devyse. |
| Agayn the knyght this olde wyf gan ryse, |
| And seyde, "Sire knyght, heer forth ne lith no wey. |
| Tel me what that ye seken, by your fey! |
| Paraventure it may the bettre be, |
| 1010 | Thise olde folk kan muchel thyng," quod she. |
|
"My leeve mooder," quod this knyght, "certeyn |
| I nam but deed, but if that I kan seyn |
| What thyng it is, that wommen moost desire. |
| Koude ye me wisse, I wolde wel quite youre hire." |
| 1015 | "Plight me thy trouthe, heere in myn hand," quod she, |
| "The nexte thyng that I requere thee, |
| Thou shalt it do, if it lye in thy myght, |
| And I wol telle it yow, er it be nyght." |
| "Have heer my trouthe," quod the knyght, "I grante." |
| 1020 | "Thanne," quod she, "I dar me wel avante |
| Thy lyf is sauf; for I wol stonde therby, |
| Upon my lyf, the queene wol seye as I. |
| Lat se which is the proudeste of hem alle, |
| That wereth on a coverchief or a calle, |
| 1025 | That dar seye nay of that I shal thee teche. |
| Lat us go forth withouten lenger speche." |
| Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere, |
| And bad hym to be glad and have no fere. |
| Whan they be comen to the court, this knyght |
| 1030 | Seyde he had holde his day, as he hadde hight, |
| And redy was his answere, as he sayde. |
| Ful many a noble wyf, and many a mayde, |
| And many a wydwe, for that they been wise, |
| The queene hirself sittynge as a justise, |
| 1035 | Assembled been, his answere for to heere; |
| And afterward this knyght was bode appeere. |
| To every wight comanded was silence, |
| And that the knyght sholde telle in audience |
| What thyng that worldly wommen loven best. |
| 1040 | This knyght ne stood nat stille as doth a best, |
| But ot his questioun anon answerde |
| With manly voys, that al the court it herde: |
|
"My lige lady, generally," quod he, |
| "Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee |
| 1045 | As wel over hir housbond as hir love, |
| And for to been in maistrie hym above. |
| This is youre mooste desir, thogh ye me kille. |
| Dooth as yow list, I am heer at youre wille." |
| In al the court ne was ther wyf, ne mayde, |
| 1050 | Ne wydwe, that contraried that he sayde, |
| But seyden he was worthy han his lyf. |
| And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, |
| Which that the knyght saugh sittynge in the grene. |
| "Mercy," quod she, "my sovereyn lady queene, |
| 1055 | Er that youre court departe, do me right. |
| I taughte this answere unto the knyght, |
| For which he plighte me his trouthe there, |
| The firste thyng I wolde of hym requere, |
| He wolde it do, if it lay in his myght. |
| 1060 | Bifor the court thanne preye I thee, sir knyght," |
| Quod she, "that thou me take unto thy wyf, |
| For wel thou woost that I have kept thy lyf. |
| If I seye fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!" |
| This knyght answerde, "Allas and weylawey! |
| 1065 | I woot right wel that swich was my biheste! |
| For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste! |
| Taak al my good, and lat my body go!" |
| "Nay, thanne," quod she, "I shrewe us bothe two! |
| For thogh that I be foul, and oold, and poore, |
| 1070 | I nolde for al the metal, ne for oore, |
| That under erthe is grave, or lith above, |
| But if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love." |
|
"My love?" quod he, "nay, my dampnacioun! |
| Allas, that any of my nacioun |
| 1075 | Sholde evere so foule disparaged be!" |
| But al for noght, the ende is this, that he |
| Constreyned was, he nedes moste hir wedde; |
| And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde. |
| Now wolden som men seye, paraventure, |
| 1080 | That for my necligence I do no cure |
| To tellen yow the joye and al th'array, |
| That at the feeste was that ilke day; |
| To whiche thyng shortly answere I shal: |
| I seye, ther nas no joye ne feeste at al; |
| 1085 | Ther nas but hevynesse and muche sorwe. |
| For prively he wedde hir on a morwe, |
| And al day after hidde hym as an owle, |
| So wo was hym, his wyf looked so foule. |
| Greet was the wo the knyght hadde in his thoght, |
| 1090 | Whan he was with his wyf abedde ybroght; |
| He walweth and he turneth to and fro. |
| His olde wyf lay smylynge everemo, |
| And seyde, "O deere housbonde, benedicitee, |
| Fareth every knyght thus with his wyf, as ye? |
| 1095 | Is this the lawe of Kyng Arthures hous? |
| Is every knyght of his so dangerous? |
| I am youre owene love and youre wyf; |
| I am she which that saved hath youre lyf. |
| And certes, yet dide I yow nevere unright; |
| 1100 | Why fare ye thus with me this firste nyght? |
| Ye faren lyk a man had lost his wit. |
| What is my gilt? For Goddes love, tel it, |
| And it shal been amended, if I may." |
| "Amended," quod this knyght, "allas! nay! nay! |
| 1105 | It wol nat been amended nevere mo; |
| Thou art so loothly and so oold also, |
| And therto comen of so lough a kynde, |
| That litel wonder is thogh I walwe and wynde. |
| So wolde God, myn herte wolde breste!" |
| 1110 |
"Is this," quod she, "the cause of youre unreste?" |
| "Ye certeinly," quod he, "no wonder is!" |
| "Now, sire," quod she, "I koude amende al this, |
| If that me liste, er it were dayes thre, |
| So wel ye myghte bere yow unto me. |
| 1115 | But for ye speken of swich gentillesse |
| As is descended out of old richesse, |
| That therfore sholden ye be gentil men, |
| Swich arrogance nis nat worth an hen. |
| Looke who that is moost vertuous alway, |
| 1120 | Pryvee and apert, and moost entendeth ay |
| To do the gentil dedes that he kan, |
| Taak hym for the grettest gentil man. |
| Crist wole we clayme of hym oure gentillesse, |
| Nat of oure eldres for hire old richesse. |
| 1125 | For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage, |
| For which we clayme to been of heigh parage, |
| Yet may they nat biquethe, for no thyng |
| To noon of us hir vertuous lyvyng, |
| That made hem gentil men ycalled be, |
| 1130 | And bad us folwen hem in swich degree. |
| Wel kan the wise poete of Florence, |
| That highte Dant, speken in this sentence. |
| Lo in swich maner rym is Dantes tale: |
| `Ful selde upriseth by his branches smale |
| 1135 | Prowesse of man, for God of his goodnesse, |
| Wole, that of hym we clayme oure gentillesse.' |
| For of oure eldres may we no thyng clayme |
| But temporel thyng, that man may hurte and mayme. |
| Eek every wight woot this as wel as I, |
| 1140 | If gentillesse were planted natureelly |
| Unto a certeyn lynage doun the lyne, |
| Pryvee nor apert, thanne wolde they nevere fyne |
| To doon of gentillesse the faire office, |
| They myghte do no vileynye or vice. |
| 1145 | Taak fyr, and ber it in the derkeste hous |
| Bitwix this and the mount of Kaukasous, |
| And lat men shette the dores and go thenne; |
| Yet wole the fyr as faire lye and brenne |
| As twenty thousand men myghte it biholde; |
| 1150 | His office natureel ay wol it holde, |
| Up peril of my lyf, til that it dye. |
| Heere may ye se wel, how that genterye |
| Is nat annexed to possessioun, |
| Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun |
| 1155 | Alwey, as dooth the fyr, lo, in his kynde. |
| For God it woot, men may wel often fynde |
| A lordes sone do shame and vileynye, |
| And he that wole han pris of his gentrye, |
| For he was boren of a gentil hous, |
| 1160 | And hadde hise eldres noble and vertuous, |
| And nel hym-selven do no gentil dedis, |
| Ne folwen his gentil auncestre that deed is, |
| He nys nat gentil, be he duc or erl; |
| For vileyns synful dedes make a cherl. |
| 1165 | For gentillesse nys but renomee |
| Of thyne auncestres for hire heigh bountee, |
| Which is a strange thyng to thy persone. |
| Thy gentillesse cometh fro God allone. |
| Thanne comth oure verray gentillesse of grace, |
| 1170 | It was no thyng biquethe us with oure place. |
|
Thenketh hou noble, as seith Valerius, |
| Was thilke Tullius Hostillius, |
| That out of poverte roos to heigh noblesse. |
| Reedeth Senek, and redeth eek Boece, |
| 1175 | Ther shul ye seen expres that it no drede is, |
| That he is gentil that dooth gentil dedis. |
| And therfore, leeve housbonde, I thus conclude: |
| Al were it that myne auncestres weren rude, |
| Yet may the hye God, and so hope I, |
| 1180 | Grante me grace to lyven vertuously. |
| Thanne am I gentil whan that I bigynne |
| To lyven vertuously, and weyve synne. |
| And ther as ye of poverte me repreeve, |
| The hye God, on whom that we bileeve, |
| 1185 | In wilful poverte chees to lyve his lyf. |
| And certes every man, mayden or wyf, |
| May understonde that Jesus, hevene kyng, |
| Ne wolde nat chesen vicious lyvyng. |
| Glad poverte is an honeste thyng, certeyn, |
| 1190 | This wole Senec and othere clerkes seyn. |
| Who so that halt hym payd of his poverte, |
| I holde hym riche, al hadde he nat a sherte. |
| He that coveiteth is a povre wight, |
| For he wolde han that is nat in his myght; |
| 1195 | But he that noght hath, ne coveiteth have, |
| Is riche, although ye holde hym but a knave. |
| Verray poverte, it syngeth proprely; |
| Juvenal seith of poverte myrily: |
| `The povre man, whan he goth by the weye, |
| 1200 | Bifore the theves he may synge and pleye.' |
| Poverte is hateful good, and, as I gesse, |
| A ful greet bryngere out of bisynesse; |
| A greet amender eek of sapience |
| To hym that taketh it in pacience. |
| 1205 | Poverte is this, although it seme alenge, |
| Possessioun, that no wight wol chalenge. |
| Poverte ful ofte, whan a man is lowe, |
| Maketh his God and eek hymself to knowe. |
| Poverte a spectacle is, as thynketh me, |
| 1210 | Thurgh which he may hise verray freendes see. |
| And therfore, sire, syn that I noght yow greve, |
| Of my poverte namoore ye me repreve. |
|
Now sire, of elde ye repreve me, |
| And certes, sire, thogh noon auctoritee |
| 1215 | Were in no book, ye gentils of honour |
| Seyn, that men sholde an oold wight doon favour, |
| And clepe hym fader for youre gentillesse; |
| And auctours shal I fynden, as I gesse. |
| Now, ther ye seye that I am foul and old, |
| 1220 | Than drede you noght to been a cokewold; |
| For filthe and eelde, al so moot I thee, |
| Been grete wardeyns upon chastitee; |
| But nathelees, syn I knowe youre delit, |
| I shal fulfille youre worldly appetit." |
| 1225 | "Chese now," quod she, "oon of thise thynges tweye: |
| To han me foul and old til that I deye, |
| And be to yow a trewe humble wyf, |
| And nevere yow displese in al my lyf; |
| Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair, |
| 1230 | And take youre aventure of the repair |
| That shal be to youre hous, by cause of me, |
| Or in som oother place may wel be. |
| Now chese yourselven wheither that yow liketh." |
| This knyght avyseth hym and sore siketh, |
| 1235 | But atte laste, he seyde in this manere: |
| "My lady and my love, and wyf so deere, |
| I put me in youre wise governance. |
| Cheseth yourself, which may be moost plesance |
| And moost honour to yow and me also. |
| 1240 | I do no fors the wheither of the two; |
| For, as yow liketh, it suffiseth me." |
| "Thanne have I gete of yow maistrie," quod she, |
| "Syn I may chese and governe as me lest?" |
| "Ye, certes, wyf," quod he, "I holde it best." |
| 1245 | "Kys me," quod she, "we be no lenger wrothe, |
| For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe! |
| This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good. |
| I prey to God that I moote sterven wood |
| But I to yow be al so good and trewe |
| 1250 | As evere was wyf, syn that the world was newe. |
| And but I be to-morn as fair to seene |
| As any lady, emperice, or queene, |
| That is bitwixe the est and eke the west, |
| Dooth with my lyf and deth right as yow lest. |
| 1255 | Cast up the curtyn, looke how that it is." |
| And whan the knyght saugh verraily al this, |
| That she so fair was, and so yong therto, |
| For joye he hente hire in hise armes two. |
| His herte bathed in a bath of blisse, |
| 1260 | A thousand tyme a-rewe he gan hir kisse, |
| And she obeyed hym in every thyng |
| That myghte doon hym plesance or likyng. |
| And thus they lyve unto hir lyves ende |
| In parfit joye;-and Jesu Crist us sende |
| 1265 | Housbondes meeke, yonge, fressh abedde, |
| And grace t'overbyde hem that we wedde; |
| And eek I praye Jesu shorte hir lyves |
| That nat wol be governed by hir wyves; |
| And olde and angry nygardes of dispence, |
| 1270 | God sende hem soone verray pestilence! |
