The House of Fame
Appearance
Book I: Incipit liber primus.
[edit]1 | God turne us every dreem to gode! |
2 | For hit is wonder, be the rode, |
3 | To my wit, what causeth swevens |
4 | Either on morwes, or on evens; |
5 | And why the effect folweth of somme, |
6 | And of somme hit shal never come; |
7 | Why that is an avisioun, |
8 | And this a revelacioun, |
9 | Why this a dreem, why that a sweven, |
10 | And nat to every man liche even; |
11 | Why this a fantom, these oracles, |
12 | I noot; but who-so of these miracles |
13 | The causes knoweth bet than I, |
14 | Devyne he; for I certeinly |
15 | Ne can hem noght, ne never thinke |
16 | To besily my wit to swinke, |
17 | To knowe of hir signifiaunce |
18 | The gendres, neither the distaunce |
19 | Of tymes of hem, ne the causes, |
20 | For-why this more than that cause is; |
21 | As if folkes complexiouns |
22 | Make hem dreme of reflexiouns; |
23 | Or ellis thus, as other sayn, |
24 | For to greet feblenesse of brayn, |
25 | By abstinence, or by seeknesse, |
26 | Prison, stewe, or greet distresse; |
27 | Or elles by disordinaunce |
28 | Of naturel acustomaunce, |
29 | That som man is to curious |
30 | In studie, or melancolious, |
31 | Or thus, so inly ful of drede, |
32 | That no man may him bote bede; |
33 | Or elles, that devocioun |
34 | Of somme, and contemplacioun |
35 | Causeth swiche dremes ofte; |
36 | Or that the cruel lyf unsofte |
37 | Which these ilke lovers leden |
38 | That hopen over muche or dreden, |
39 | That purely hir impressiouns |
40 | Causeth hem avisiouns; |
41 | Or if that spirites have the might |
42 | To make folk to dreme a-night |
43 | Or if the soule, of propre kinde |
44 | Be so parfit, as men finde, |
45 | That hit forwot that is to come, |
46 | And that hit warneth alle and somme |
47 | Of everiche of hir aventures |
48 | Be avisiouns, or by figures, |
49 | But that our flesh ne hath no might |
50 | To understonden hit aright, |
51 | For hit is warned to derkly; -- |
52 | But why the cause is, noght wot I. |
53 | Wel worthe, of this thing, grete clerkes, |
54 | That trete of this and other werkes; |
55 | For I of noon opinioun |
56 | Nil as now make mensioun, |
57 | But only that the holy rode |
58 | Turne us every dreem to gode! |
59 | For never, sith that I was born, |
60 | Ne no man elles, me biforn, |
61 | Mette, I trowe stedfastly, |
62 | So wonderful a dreem as I |
63 | The tenthe day dide of Decembre, |
64 | The which, as I can now remembre, |
65 | I wol yow tellen every del, |
The Invocation | |
66 | But at my ginninge, trusteth wel, |
67 | I wol make invocacioun, |
68 | With special devocioun, |
69 | Unto the god of slepe anoon, |
70 | That dwelleth in a cave of stoon |
71 | Upon a streem that cometh fro Lete, |
72 | That is a flood of helle unswete; |
73 | Besyde a folk men clepe Cimerie, |
74 | Ther slepeth ay this god unmerie |
75 | With his slepy thousand sones |
76 | That alway for to slepe hir wone is -- |
77 | And to this god, that I of rede, |
78 | Prey I, that he wol me spede |
79 | My sweven for to telle aright, |
80 | If every dreem stonde in his might. |
81 | And he, that mover is of al |
82 | That is and was, and ever shal, |
83 | So yive hem Ioye that hit here |
84 | Of alle that they dreme to-yere, |
85 | And for to stonden alle in grace |
86 | Of hir loves, or in what place |
87 | That hem wer levest for to stonde, |
88 | And shelde hem fro poverte and shonde, |
89 | And fro unhappe and eche disese, |
90 | And sende hem al that may hem plese, |
91 | That take hit wel, and scorne hit noght, |
92 | Ne hit misdemen in her thoght |
93 | Through malicious entencioun. |
94 | And who-so, through presumpcioun, |
95 | Or hate or scorne, or through envye, |
96 | Dispyt, or Iape, or vilanye, |
97 | Misdeme hit, preye I Iesus god |
98 | That (dreme he barfoot, dreme he shod), |
99 | That every harm that any man |
100 | Hath had, sith that the world began, |
101 | Befalle him therof, or he sterve, |
102 | And graunte he mote hit ful deserve, |
103 | Lo! with swich a conclusioun |
104 | As had of his avisioun |
105 | Cresus, that was king of Lyde, |
106 | That high upon a gebet dyde! |
107 | This prayer shal he have of me; |
108 | I am no bet in charite! |
109 | Now herkneth, as I have you seyd, |
110 | What that I mette or I abreyd. |
The Dream | |
111 | Of Decembre the tenthe day, |
112 | Whan hit was night, to slepe I lay |
113 | Right ther as I was wont to done, |
114 | And fil on slepe wonder sone, |
115 | As he that wery was for-go |
116 | On pilgrimage myles two |
117 | To the corseynt Leonard, |
118 | To make lythe of that was hard. |
119 | But as I sleep, me mette I was |
120 | Within a temple y-mad of glas; |
121 | In whiche ther were mo images |
122 | Of gold, stondinge in sondry stages, |
123 | And mo riche tabernacles, |
124 | And with perre mo pinacles, |
125 | And mo curious portreytures, |
126 | And queynte maner of figures |
127 | Of olde werke, then I saw ever. |
128 | For certeynly, I niste never |
129 | Wher that I was, but wel wiste I, |
130 | Hit was of Venus redely, |
131 | The temple; for, in portreyture, |
132 | I sawgh anoon-right hir figure |
133 | Naked fletinge in a see. |
134 | And also on hir heed, parde, |
135 | Hir rose-garlond whyt and reed, |
136 | And hir comb to kembe hir heed, |
137 | Hir dowves, and daun Cupido |
138 | Hir blinde sone, and Vulcano, |
139 | That in his face was ful broun. |
140 | But as I romed up and doun, |
141 | I fond that on a wal ther was |
142 | Thus writen, on a table of bras: |
143 | 'I wol now singe, if that I can, |
144 | The armes, and al-so the man, |
145 | That first cam, through his destinee, |
146 | Fugitif of Troye contree, |
147 | In Itaile, with ful moche pyne, |
148 | Unto the strondes of Lavyne.' |
149 | And tho began the story anoon, |
150 | As I shal telle yow echoon. |
151 | First saw I the destruccioun |
152 | Of Troye, through the Greek Sinoun, |
153 | That with his false forsweringe, |
154 | And his chere and his lesinge |
155 | Made the hors broght into Troye, |
156 | Thorgh which Troyens loste al hir Ioye. |
157 | And after this was grave, allas! |
158 | How Ilioun assailed was |
159 | And wonne, and King Priam y-slayn, |
160 | And Polites his sone, certayn, |
161 | Dispitously, of dan Pirrus. |
162 | And next that saw I how Venus, |
163 | Whan that she saw the castel brende, |
164 | Doun fro the hevene gan descende, |
165 | And bad hir sone Eneas flee; |
166 | And how he fledde, and how that he |
167 | Escaped was from al the pres, |
168 | And took his fader, Anchises, |
169 | And bar him on his bakke away, |
170 | Cryinge, 'Allas, and welaway!' |
171 | The whiche Anchises in his honde |
172 | Bar the goddes of the londe, |
173 | Thilke that unbrende were. |
174 | And I saw next, in alle this fere, |
175 | How Creusa, daun Eneas wyf, |
176 | Which that he lovede as his lyf, |
177 | And hir yonge sone Iulo, |
178 | And eek Ascanius also, |
179 | Fledden eek with drery chere, |
180 | That hit was pitee for to here; |
181 | And in a forest, as they wente, |
182 | At a turninge of a wente, |
183 | How Creusa was y-lost, allas! |
184 | That deed, but noot I how, she was; |
185 | How he hir soughte, and how hir gost |
186 | Bad him to flee the Grekes ost, |
187 | And seyde he most unto Itaile, |
188 | As was his destinee, sauns faille; |
189 | That hit was pitee for to here, |
190 | Whan hir spirit gan appere, |
191 | The wordes that she to him seyde, |
192 | And for to kepe hir sone him preyde. |
193 | Ther saw I graven eek how he, |
194 | His fader eek, and his meynee, |
195 | With his shippes gan to sayle |
196 | Toward the contree of Itaile, |
197 | As streight as that they mighte go. |
198 | Ther saw I thee, cruel Iuno, |
199 | That art daun Iupiteres wyf, |
200 | That hast y-hated, al thy lyf, |
201 | Al the Troyanisshe blood, |
202 | Renne and crye, as thou were wood, |
203 | On Eolus, the god of windes, |
204 | To blowen out, of alle kindes, |
205 | So loude, that he shulde drenche |
206 | Lord and lady, grome and wenche, |
207 | Of al the Troyan nacioun, |
208 | Withoute any savacioun. |
209 | Ther saw I swich tempeste aryse, |
210 | That every herte mighte agryse, |
211 | To see hit peynted on the walle. |
212 | Ther saw I graven eek withalle, |
213 | Venus, how ye, my lady dere, |
214 | Wepinge with ful woful chere, |
215 | Prayen Iupiter an hye |
216 | To save and kepe that navye |
217 | Of the Troyan Eneas, |
218 | Sith that he hir sone was. |
219 | Ther saw I Ioves Venus kisse, |
220 | And graunted of the tempest lisse. |
221 | Ther saw I how the tempest stente, |
222 | And how with alle pyne he wente, |
223 | And prevely took arrivage |
224 | In the contree of Cartage; |
225 | And on the morwe, how that he |
226 | And a knight, hight Achatee, |
227 | Metten with Venus that day, |
228 | Goinge in a queynt array, |
229 | As she had ben an hunteresse, |
230 | With wind blowinge upon hir tresse; |
231 | How Eneas gan him to pleyne, |
232 | Whan that he knew hir, of his peyne; |
233 | And how his shippes dreynte were, |
234 | Or elles lost, he niste where; |
235 | How she gan him comforte tho, |
236 | And bad him to Cartage go, |
237 | And ther he shulde his folk finde |
238 | That in the see were left behinde. |
239 | And, shortly of this thing to pace, |
240 | She made Eneas so in grace |
241 | Of Dido, quene of that contree, |
242 | That, shortly for to tellen, she |
243 | Becam his love, and leet him do |
244 | That that wedding longeth to. |
245 | What shulde I speke more queynte, |
246 | Or peyne me my wordes peynte, |
247 | To speke of love? hit wol not be; |
248 | I can not of that facultee. |
249 | And eek to telle the manere |
250 | How they aqueynteden in-fere, |
251 | Hit were a long proces to telle, |
252 | And over long for yow to dwelle. |
253 | Ther sawgh I grave how Eneas |
254 | Tolde Dido every cas, |
255 | That him was tid upon the see. |
256 | And after grave was, how shee |
257 | Made of him, shortly, at oo word, |
258 | Hir lyf, hir love, hir luste, hir lord; |
259 | And dide him al the reverence, |
260 | And leyde on him al the dispence, |
261 | That any woman mighte do, |
262 | Weninge hit had al be so, |
263 | As he hir swoor; and her-by demed |
264 | That he was good, for he swich semed. |
265 | Allas! what harm doth apparence, |
266 | Whan hit is fals in existence! |
267 | For he to hir a traitour was; |
268 | Wherfor she slow hir-self, allas! |
269 | Lo, how a woman doth amis, |
270 | To love him that unknowen is! |
271 | For, by Crist, lo! thus hit fareth; |
272 | 'Hit is not al gold, that glareth.' |
273 | For, al-so brouke I wel myn heed, |
274 | Ther may be under goodliheed |
275 | Kevered many a shrewed vyce; |
276 | Therfor be no wight so nyce, |
277 | To take a love only for chere, |
278 | For speche, or for frendly manere; |
279 | For this shal every woman finde |
280 | That som man, of his pure kinde, |
281 | Wol shewen outward the faireste, |
282 | Til he have caught that what him leste; |
283 | And thanne wol he causes finde, |
284 | And swere how that she is unkinde, |
285 | Or fals, or prevy, or double was. |
286 | Al this seye I by Eneas |
287 | And Dido, and hir nyce lest, |
288 | That lovede al to sone a gest; |
289 | Therfor I wol seye a proverbe, |
290 | That 'he that fully knoweth therbe |
291 | May saufly leye hit to his ye'; |
292 | Withoute dreed, this is no lye. |
293 | But let us speke of Eneas, |
294 | How he betrayed hir, allas! |
295 | And lefte hir ful unkindely. |
296 | So whan she saw al-utterly, |
297 | That he wolde hir of trouthe faile, |
298 | And wende fro hir to Itaile, |
299 | She gan to wringe hir hondes two. |
300 | 'Allas!' quod she, 'what me is wo! |
301 | Allas! is every man thus trewe, |
302 | That every yere wolde have a newe, |
303 | If hit so longe tyme dure, |
304 | Or elles three, peraventure? |
305 | As thus: of oon he wolde have fame |
306 | In magnifying of his name; |
307 | Another for frendship, seith he; |
308 | And yet ther shal the thridde be, |
309 | That shal be taken for delyt, |
310 | Lo, or for singular profyt.' |
311 | In swiche wordes gan to pleyne |
312 | Dido of hir grete peyne, |
313 | As me mette redely; |
314 | Non other auctour alegge I. |
315 | 'Allas!' quod she, 'my swete herte, |
316 | Have pitee on my sorwes smerte, |
317 | And slee me not! go noght away! |
318 | O woful Dido, wel away!' |
319 | Quod she to hir-selve tho. |
320 | 'O Eneas! what wil ye do? |
321 | O that your love, ne your bonde, |
322 | That ye han sworn with your right honde, |
323 | Ne my cruel deeth,' quod she, |
324 | "May holde yow still heer with me! |
325 | O, haveth of my deeth pitee! |
326 | Y-wis, my dere herte, ye |
327 | Knowen ful wel that never yit, |
328 | As fer-forth as I hadde wit, |
329 | Agilte I yow in thoght ne deed. |
330 | O, have ye men swich goodliheed |
331 | In speche, and never a deel of trouthe? |
332 | Allas, that ever hadde routhe |
333 | Any woman on any man! |
334 | Now see I wel, and telle can, |
335 | We wrecched wimmen conne non art; |
336 | For certeyn, for the more part, |
337 | Thus we be served everichone. |
338 | How sore that ye men conne grone, |
339 | Anoon as we have yow receyved! |
340 | Certeinly we ben deceyved; |
341 | For, though your love laste a sesoun, |
342 | Wayte upon the conclusioun, |
343 | And eek how that ye determynen, |
344 | And for the more part diffynen. |
345 | 'O, welawey that I was born! |
346 | For through yow is my name lorn, |
347 | And alle myn actes red and songe |
348 | Over al this lond, on every tonge. |
349 | O wikke Fame! for ther nis |
350 | Nothing so swift, lo, as she is! |
351 | O, sooth is, every thing is wist, |
352 | Though hit be kevered with the mist. |
353 | Eek, thogh I mighte duren ever, |
354 | That I have doon, rekever I never, |
355 | That I ne shal be seyd, allas, |
356 | Y-shamed be through Eneas, |
357 | And that I shal thus Iuged be -- |
358 | 'Lo, right as she hath doon, now she |
359 | Wol do eftsones, hardily;' |
360 | Thus seyth the peple prevely.' -- |
361 | But that is doon, nis not to done; |
362 | Al hir compleynt ne al hir mone, |
363 | Certeyn, availeth hir not a stre. |
364 | And when she wiste sothly he |
365 | Was forth unto his shippes goon, |
366 | She in hir chambre wente anoon, |
367 | And called on hir suster Anne, |
368 | And gan hir to compleyne thanne; |
369 | And seyde, that she cause was |
370 | That she first lovede Eneas, |
371 | And thus counseilled hir therto. |
372 | But what! when this was seyd and do, |
373 | She roof hir-selve to the herte, |
374 | And deyde through the wounde smerte. |
375 | But al the maner how she deyde, |
376 | And al the wordes that she seyde, |
377 | Who-so to knowe hit hath purpos, |
378 | Reed Virgile in Eneidos |
379 | Or the Epistle of Ovyde, |
380 | What that she wroot or that she dyde; |
381 | And nere hit to long to endyte, |
382 | By god, I wolde hit here wryte. |
383 | But, welaway! the harm, the routhe, |
384 | That hath betid for swich untrouthe, |
385 | As men may ofte in bokes rede, |
386 | And al day seen hit yet in dede, |
387 | That for to thenken hit, a tene is. |
388 | Lo, Demophon, duk of Athenis, |
389 | How he forswor him ful falsly, |
390 | And trayed Phillis wikkedly, |
391 | That kinges doghter was of Trace, |
392 | And falsly gan his terme pace; |
393 | And when she wiste that he was fals, |
394 | She heng hir-self right by the hals, |
395 | For he had do hir swich untrouthe; |
396 | Lo! was not this a wo and routhe? |
397 | Eek lo! how fals and reccheles |
398 | Was to Breseida Achilles, |
399 | And Paris to Enone; |
400 | And Iason to Isiphile; |
401 | And eft Iason to Medea; |
402 | And Ercules to Dyanira; |
403 | For he left hir for Iole, |
404 | That made him cacche his deeth, parde. |
405 | How fals eek was he, Theseus; |
406 | That, as the story telleth us, |
407 | How he betrayed Adriane; |
408 | The devel be his soules bane! |
409 | For had he laughed, had he loured, |
410 | He moste have be al devoured, |
411 | If Adriane ne had y-be! |
412 | And, for she had of him pitee, |
413 | She made him fro the dethe escape, |
414 | And he made hir a ful fals Iape; |
415 | For aftir this, within a whyle |
416 | He lefte hir slepinge in an yle, |
417 | Deserte alone, right in the see, |
418 | And stal away, and leet hir be; |
419 | And took hir suster Phedra tho |
420 | With him, and gan to shippe go. |
421 | And yet he had y-sworn to here, |
422 | On al that ever he mighte swere, |
423 | That, so she saved him his lyf, |
424 | He wolde have take hir to his wyf; |
425 | For she desired nothing elles, |
426 | In certein, as the book us telles. |
427 | But to excusen Eneas |
428 | Fulliche of al his greet trespas, |
429 | The book seyth, Mercurie, sauns faile, |
430 | Bad him go into Itaile, |
431 | And leve Auffrykes regioun, |
432 | And Dido and hir faire toun. |
433 | Tho saw I grave, how to Itaile |
434 | Daun Eneas is go to saile; |
435 | And how the tempest al began, |
436 | And how he loste his steresman, |
437 | Which that the stere, or he took keep, |
438 | Smot over-bord, lo! as he sleep. |
439 | And also saw I how Sibyle |
440 | And Eneas, besyde an yle, |
441 | To helle wente, for to see |
442 | His fader, Anchises the free. |
443 | How he ther fond Palinurus, |
444 | And Dido, and eek Deiphebus; |
445 | And every tourment eek in helle |
446 | Saw he, which is long to telle. |
447 | Which who-so willeth for to knowe, |
448 | He most rede many a rowe |
449 | On Virgile or on Claudian, |
450 | Or Daunte, that hit telle can. |
451 | Tho saw I grave al tharivaile |
452 | That Eneas had in Itaile; |
453 | And with King Latine his tretee, |
454 | And alle the batailles that he |
455 | Was at him-self, and eek his knightes, |
456 | Or he had al y-wonne his rightes; |
457 | And how he Turnus refte his lyf, |
458 | And wan Lavyna to his wyf; |
459 | And al the mervelous signals |
460 | Of the goddes celestials; |
461 | How, maugre Iuno, Eneas, |
462 | For al hir sleighte and hir compas, |
463 | Acheved al his aventure; |
464 | For Iupiter took of him cure |
465 | At the prayere of Venus; |
466 | The whiche I preye alwey save us, |
467 | And us ay of our sorwes lighte! |
468 | Whan I had seyen al this sighte |
469 | In this noble temple thus, |
470 | 'A, Lord!' thoughte I, 'that madest us, |
471 | Yet saw I never swich noblesse |
472 | Of images, ne swich richesse, |
473 | As I saw graven in this chirche; |
474 | But not woot I who dide hem wirche, |
475 | Ne wher I am, ne in what contree. |
476 | But now wol I go out and see, |
477 | Right at the wiket, if I can |
478 | See o-wher stering any man, |
479 | That may me telle wher I am.' |
480 | When I out at the dores cam, |
481 | I faste aboute me beheld. |
482 | Then saw I but a large feld, |
483 | As fer as that I mighte see, |
484 | Withouten toun, or hous, or tree, |
485 | Or bush, or gras, or ered lond; |
486 | For al the feld nas but of sond |
487 | As smal as man may see yet lye |
488 | In the desert of Libye; |
489 | Ne I to maner creature, |
490 | That is y-formed by nature, |
491 | Ne saw, me for to rede or wisse. |
492 | 'O Crist,' thoughte I, 'that art in blisse, |
493 | Fro fantom and illusioun |
494 | Me save!' and with devocioun |
495 | Myn yen to the heven I caste. |
496 | Tho was I war, lo! at the laste, |
497 | That faste be the sonne, as hye |
498 | As kenne mighte I with myn ye, |
499 | Me thoughte I saw an egle sore, |
500 | But that hit semed moche more |
501 | Then I had any egle seyn. |
502 | But this as sooth as deeth, certeyn, |
503 | Hit was of golde, and shoon so bright, |
504 | That never saw men such a sighte, |
505 | But-if the heven hadde y-wonne |
506 | Al newe of golde another sonne; |
507 | So shoon the egles fethres brighte, |
508 | And somwhat dounward gan hit lighte. |
Explicit liber primus. |
Book II: Incipit liber secundus.
[edit]Proem. | |
509 | Now herkneth, every maner man |
510 | That English understonde can, |
511 | And listeth of my dreem to lere; |
512 | For now at erste shul ye here |
513 | So selly an avisioun, |
514 | That Isaye, ne Scipioun, |
515 | Ne King Nabugodonosor, |
516 | Pharo, Turnus, ne Elcanor, |
517 | Ne mette swich a dreem as this! |
518 | Now faire blisfull, O Cipris, |
519 | So be my favour at this tyme! |
520 | And ye, me to endyte and ryme |
521 | Helpeth, that on Parnaso dwelle |
522 | By Elicon the clere welle. |
523 | O Thought, that wroot al that I mette, |
524 | And in the tresorie hit shette |
525 | Of my brayn! now shal men see |
526 | If any vertu in thee be, |
527 | To tellen al my dreem aright; |
528 | Now kythe thyn engyne and might! |
The Dream. | |
529 | This egle, of which I have yow told, |
530 | That shoon with fethres as of gold, |
531 | Which that so hye gan to sore, |
532 | I gan beholde more and more, |
533 | To see hir the beautee and the wonder; |
534 | But never was ther dint of thonder, |
535 | Ne that thing that men calle foudre, |
536 | That smoot somtyme a tour to poudre, |
537 | And in his swifte coming brende, |
538 | That so swythe gan descende, |
539 | As this foul, whan hit behelde |
540 | That I a-roume was in the felde; |
541 | And with his grimme pawes stronge, |
542 | Within his sharpe nayles longe, |
543 | Me, fleinge, at a swappe he hente, |
544 | And with his sours agayn up wente, |
545 | Me caryinge in his clawes starke |
546 | As lightly as I were a larke, |
547 | How high I can not telle yow, |
548 | For I cam up, I niste how. |
549 | For so astonied and a-sweved |
550 | Was every vertu in my heved, |
551 | What with his sours and with my drede, |
552 | That al my feling gan to dede; |
553 | For-why hit was to greet affray. |
554 | Thus I longe in his clawes lay, |
555 | Til at the laste he to me spak |
556 | In mannes vois, and seyde, 'Awak! |
557 | And be not so a-gast, for shame!' |
558 | And called me tho by my name, |
559 | And, for I sholde the bet abreyde -- |
560 | Me mette -- 'Awak,' to me he seyde, |
561 | Right in the same vois and stevene |
562 | That useth oon I coude nevene; |
563 | And with that vois, soth for to sayn, |
564 | My minde cam to me agayn; |
565 | For hit was goodly seyd to me, |
566 | So nas hit never wont to be. |
567 | And herewithal I gan to stere, |
568 | And he me in his feet to bere, |
569 | Til that he felte that I had hete, |
570 | And felte eek tho myn herte bete. |
571 | And tho gan he me to disporte, |
572 | And with wordes to comforte, |
573 | And sayde twyes, 'Seynte Marie! |
574 | Thou art noyous for to carie, |
575 | And nothing nedeth hit, parde! |
576 | For al-so wis god helpe me |
577 | As thou non harm shalt have of this; |
578 | And this cas, that betid thee is, |
579 | Is for thy lore and for thy prow; -- |
580 | Let see! darst thou yet loke now? |
581 | Be ful assured, boldely, |
582 | I am thy frend.' And therwith I |
583 | Gan for to wondren in my minde. |
584 | 'O god,' thoughte I, 'that madest kinde, |
585 | Shal I non other weyes dye? |
586 | Wher Ioves wol me stellifye, |
587 | Or what thing may this signifye? |
588 | I neither am Enok, ne Elye, |
589 | Ne Romulus, ne Ganymede |
590 | That was y-bore up, as men rede, |
591 | To hevene with dan Iupiter, |
592 | And maad the goddes boteler.' |
593 | Lo! this was tho my fantasye! |
594 | But he that bar me gan espye |
595 | That I so thoghte, and seyde this: -- |
596 | 'Thou demest of thy-self amis; |
597 | For Ioves is not ther-aboute -- |
598 | I dar wel putte thee out of doute -- |
599 | To make of thee as yet a sterre. |
600 | But er I bere thee moche ferre, |
601 | I wol thee telle what I am, |
602 | And whider thou shalt, and why I cam |
603 | To done this, so that thou take |
604 | Good herte, and not for fere quake.' |
605 | 'Gladly,' quod I. -- 'Now wel,' quod he: -- |
606 | 'First I, that in my feet have thee, |
607 | Of which thou hast a feer and wonder, |
608 | Am dwellinge with the god of thonder, |
609 | Which that men callen Iupiter, |
610 | That dooth me flee ful ofte fer |
611 | To do al his comaundement. |
612 | And for this cause he hath me sent |
613 | To thee: now herke, by thy trouthe! |
614 | Certeyn, he hath of thee routhe, |
615 | That thou so longe trewely |
616 | Hast served so ententifly |
617 | His blinde nevew Cupido, |
618 | And fair Venus goddesse also, |
619 | Withoute guerdoun ever yit, |
620 | And nevertheles has set thy wit -- |
621 | Although that in thy hede ful lyte is -- |
622 | To make bokes, songes, dytees, |
623 | In ryme, or elles in cadence, |
624 | As thou best canst, in reverence |
625 | Of Love, and of his servants eke, |
626 | That have his servise soght, and seke; |
627 | And peynest thee to preyse his art, |
628 | Althogh thou haddest never part; |
629 | Wherfor, al-so god me blesse, |
630 | Ioves halt hit greet humblesse |
631 | And vertu eek, that thou wolt make |
632 | A-night ful ofte thyn heed to ake, |
633 | In thy studie so thou wrytest, |
634 | And ever-mo of love endytest, |
635 | In honour of him and preysinges, |
636 | And in his foIkes furtheringes, |
637 | And in hir matere al devysest, |
638 | And noght him nor his folk despysest, |
639 | Although thou mayst go in the daunce |
640 | Of hem that him list not avaunce. |
641 | 'Wherfor, as I seyde, y-wis, |
642 | Iupiter considereth this, |
643 | And also, beau sir, other thinges; |
644 | That is, that thou hast no tydinges |
645 | Of Loves folk, if they be glade, |
646 | Ne of noght elles that god made; |
647 | And noght only fro fer contree |
648 | That ther no tyding comth to thee, |
649 | But of thy verray neyghebores, |
650 | That dwellen almost at thy dores, |
651 | Thou herest neither that ne this; |
652 | For whan thy labour doon al is, |
653 | And hast y-maad thy rekeninges, |
654 | In stede of reste and newe thinges, |
655 | Thou gost hoom to thy hous anoon; |
656 | And, also domb as any stoon, |
657 | Thou sittest at another boke, |
658 | Til fully daswed is thy loke, |
659 | And livest thus as an hermyte, |
660 | Although thyn abstinence is lyte. |
661 | 'And therfor Ioves, through his grace, |
662 | Wol that I bere thee to a place, |
663 | Which that hight THE HOUS OF FAME, |
664 | To do thee som disport and game, |
665 | In som recompensacioun |
666 | Of labour and devocioun |
667 | That thou has had, lo! causeles, |
668 | To Cupido, the reccheles! |
669 | And thus this god, thorgh his meryte, |
670 | Wol with som maner thing thee quyte, |
671 | So that thou wolt be of good chere. |
672 | For truste wel, that thou shalt here, |
673 | When we be comen ther I seye, |
674 | Mo wonder thinges, dar I leye: |
675 | Of Loves folke mo tydinges, |
676 | Both soth-sawes and lesinges; |
677 | And mo loves newe begonne, |
678 | And longe y-served loves wonne, |
679 | And mo loves casuelly |
680 | That been betid, no man wot why, |
681 | But as a blind man stert an hare; |
682 | And more Iolytee and fare, |
683 | Whyl that they finde love of stele, |
684 | As thinketh hem, and over-al wele; |
685 | Mo discords, mo Ielousyes, |
686 | Mo murmurs, and mo novelryes, |
687 | And mo dissimulaciouns; |
688 | And feyned reparaciouns; |
689 | And mo berdes in two houres |
690 | Withoute rasour or sisoures |
691 | Y-maad, then greynes be of sondes; |
692 | And eke mo holdinge in hondes, |
693 | And also mo renovelaunces |
694 | Of olde forleten aqueyntaunces; |
695 | Mo love-dayes and acordes |
696 | Then on instruments ben cordes; |
697 | And eke of loves mo eschaunges |
698 | Than ever cornes were in graunges; |
699 | Unnethe maistow trowen this?' -- |
700 | Quod he. 'No, helpe me god so wis!' -- |
701 | Quod I. 'No? why?' quod he. 'For hit |
702 | Were impossible, to my wit, |
703 | Though that Fame hadde al the pyes |
704 | In al a realme, and al the spyes, |
705 | How that yet she shulde here al this, |
706 | Or they espye hit.' 'O yis, yis!' |
707 | Quod he to me, 'that can I preve |
708 | By resoun, worthy for to leve, |
709 | So that thou yeve thyn advertence |
710 | To understonde my sentence. |
711 | 'First shalt thou heren wher she dwelleth, |
712 | And so thyn owne book hit telleth; |
713 | Hir paleys stant, as I shal seye, |
714 | Right even in middes of the weye |
715 | Betwixen hevene, erthe, and see; |
716 | That, what-so-ever in al these three |
717 | Is spoken, in privee or aperte, |
718 | The way therto is so overte, |
719 | And stant eek in so Iuste a place, |
720 | That every soun mot to hit pace, |
721 | Or what so comth fro any tonge, |
722 | Be hit rouned, red, or songe, |
723 | Or spoke in seurtee or in drede, |
724 | Certein, hit moste thider nede. |
725 | 'Now herkne wel; for-why I wille |
726 | Tellen thee a propre skile, |
727 | And worthy demonstracioun |
728 | In myn imagynacioun. |
729 | 'Geffrey, thou wost right wel this, |
730 | That every kindly thing that is, |
731 | Hath a kindly stede ther he |
732 | May best in hit conserved be; |
733 | Unto which place every thing, |
734 | Through his kindly enclyning, |
735 | Moveth for to come to, |
736 | Whan that hit is awey therfro; |
737 | As thus; lo, thou mayst al day see |
738 | That any thing that hevy be, |
739 | As stoon or leed, or thing of wighte, |
740 | And ber hit never so hye on highte, |
741 | Lat goo thyn hand, hit falleth doun. |
742 | 'Right so seye I by fyre or soun, |
743 | Or smoke, or other thinges lighte, |
744 | Alwey they seke upward on highte; |
745 | Whyl ech of hem is at his large, |
746 | Light thing up, and dounward charge. |
747 | 'And for this cause mayst thou see, |
748 | That every river to the see |
749 | Enclyned is to go, by kinde. |
750 | And by these skilles, as I finde, |
751 | Hath fish dwellinge in floode and see, |
752 | And trees eek in erthe be. |
753 | Thus every thing, by this resoun, |
754 | Hath his propre mansioun, |
755 | To which hit seketh to repaire, |
756 | As ther hit shulde not apaire. |
757 | Lo, this sentence is knowen couthe |
758 | Of every philosophres mouthe, |
759 | As Aristotle and dan Platon, |
760 | And other clerkes many oon; |
761 | And to confirme my resoun, |
762 | Thou wost wel this, that speche is soun, |
763 | Or elles no man mighte hit here; |
764 | Now herkne what I wol thee lere. |
765 | 'Soun is noght but air y-broken, |
766 | And every speche that is spoken, |
767 | Loud or privee, foul or fair, |
768 | In his substaunce is but air; |
769 | For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke, |
770 | Right so soun is air y-broke. |
771 | But this may be in many wyse, |
772 | Of which I wil thee two devise, |
773 | As soun that comth of pype or harpe. |
774 | For whan a pype is blowen sharpe, |
775 | The air is twist with violence, |
776 | And rent; lo, this is my sentence; |
777 | Eke, whan men harpe-stringes smyte, |
778 | Whether hit be moche or lyte, |
779 | Lo, with the strook the air to-breketh; |
780 | Right so hit breketh whan men speketh. |
781 | Thus wost thou wel what thing is speche. |
782 | 'Now hennesforth I wol thee teche, |
783 | How every speche, or noise, or soun, |
784 | Through his multiplicacioun, |
785 | Thogh hit were pyped of a mouse, |
786 | Moot nede come to Fames House. |
787 | I preve hit thus -- tak hede now -- |
788 | Be experience; for if that thou |
789 | Throwe on water now a stoon, |
790 | Wel wost thou, hit wol make anoon |
791 | A litel roundel as a cercle, |
792 | Paraventer brood as a covercle; |
793 | And right anoon thou shalt see weel, |
794 | That wheel wol cause another wheel, |
795 | And that the thridde, and so forth, brother, |
796 | Every cercle causinge other, |
797 | Wyder than himselve was; |
798 | And thus, fro roundel to compas, |
799 | Ech aboute other goinge, |
800 | Caused of othres steringe, |
801 | And multiplying ever-mo, |
802 | Til that hit be so fer ygoo |
803 | That hit at bothe brinkes be. |
804 | Al-thogh thou mowe hit not y-see, |
805 | Above, hit goth yet alway under, |
806 | Although thou thenke hit a gret wonder. |
807 | And who-so seith of trouthe I varie, |
808 | Bid him proven the contrarie. |
809 | And right thus every word, y-wis, |
810 | That loude or privee spoken is, |
811 | Moveth first an air aboute, |
812 | And of this moving, out of doute, |
813 | Another air anoon is meved, |
814 | As I have of the water preved, |
815 | That every cercle causeth other. |
816 | Right so of air, my leve brother; |
817 | Everich air in other stereth |
818 | More and more, and speche up bereth, |
819 | Or vois, or noise, or word, or soun, |
820 | Ay through multiplicacioun, |
821 | Til hit be atte House of Fame; -- |
822 | Tak hit in ernest or in game. |
823 | 'Now have I told, if thou have minde, |
824 | How speche or soun, of pure kinde, |
825 | Enclyned is upward to meve; |
826 | This, mayst thou fele, wel I preve. |
827 | And that the mansioun, y-wis, |
828 | That every thing enclyned to is, |
829 | Hath his kindeliche stede: |
830 | That sheweth hit, withouten drede, |
831 | That kindely the mansioun |
832 | Of every speche, of every soun, |
833 | Be hit either foul or fair, |
834 | Hath his kinde place in air. |
835 | And sin that every thing, that is |
836 | Out of his kinde place, y-wis, |
837 | Moveth thider for to go |
838 | If hit a-weye be therfro, |
839 | As I before have preved thee, |
840 | Hit seweth, every soun, pardee, |
841 | Moveth kindely to pace |
842 | Al up into his kindely place. |
843 | And this place of which I telle, |
844 | Ther as Fame list to dwelle, |
845 | Is set amiddes of these three, |
846 | Heven, erthe, and eek the see, |
847 | As most conservatif the soun. |
848 | Than is this the conclusioun, |
849 | That every speche of every man, |
850 | As I thee telle first began, |
851 | Moveth up on high to pace |
852 | Kindely to Fames place. |
853 | 'Telle me this feithfully, |
854 | Have I not preved thus simply, |
855 | Withouten any subtiltee |
856 | Of speche, or gret prolixitee |
857 | Of termes of philosophye, |
858 | Of figures of poetrye, |
859 | Or colours of rethoryke? |
860 | Pardee, hit oghte thee to lyke; |
861 | For hard langage and hard matere |
862 | Is encombrous for to here |
863 | At ones; Wost thou not wel this?' |
864 | And I answerde, and seyde,'Yis.' |
865 | 'A ha!' quod he, 'lo, so I can, |
866 | Lewedly to a lewed man |
867 | Speke, and shewe him swiche skiles, |
868 | That he may shake hem by the biles, |
869 | So palpable they shulden be. |
870 | But tel me this, now pray I thee, |
871 | How thinkth thee my conclusioun?' |
872 | Quod he. 'A good persuasioun,' |
873 | Quod I, 'hit is; and lyk to be |
874 | Right so as thou hast preved me.' |
875 | 'By god,' quod he, 'and as I leve, |
876 | Thou shalt have yit, or hit be eve, |
877 | Of every word of this sentence |
878 | A preve, by experience; |
879 | And with thyn eres heren wel |
880 | Top and tail, and everydel, |
881 | That every word that spoken is |
882 | Comth into Fames Hous, y-wis, |
883 | As I have seyd; what wilt thou more?' |
884 | And with this word upper to sore |
885 | He gan, and seyde, 'Be Seynt Iame! |
886 | Now wil we speken al of game.' -- |
887 | 'How farest thou?' quod he to me, |
888 | 'Wel,' quod I. 'Now see,' quod he, |
889 | 'By thy trouthe, yond adoun, |
890 | Wher that thou knowest any toun, |
891 | Or hous, or any other thing. |
892 | And whan thou hast of ought knowing, |
893 | Loke that thou warne me, |
894 | And I anoon shal telle thee |
895 | How fer that thou art now therfro.' |
896 | And I adoun gan loken tho, |
897 | And beheld feldes and plaines, |
898 | And now hilles, and now mountaines, |
899 | Now valeys, and now forestes, |
900 | And now, unethes, grete bestes; |
901 | Now riveres, now citees, |
902 | Now tounes, and now grete trees, |
903 | Now shippes saillinge in the see. |
904 | But thus sone in a whyle he |
905 | Was flowen fro the grounde so hye, |
906 | That al the world, as to myn ye, |
907 | No more semed than a prikke; |
908 | Or elles was the air so thikke |
909 | That I ne mighte not discerne. |
910 | With that he spak to me as yerne, |
911 | And seyde: 'Seestow any toun |
912 | Or ought thou knowest yonder doun?' |
913 | I seyde, 'Nay.' 'No wonder nis,' |
914 | Quod he, 'for half so high as this |
915 | Nas Alexander Macedo; |
916 | Ne the king, dan Scipio. |
917 | That saw in dreme, at point devys, |
918 | Helle and erthe, and paradys; |
919 | Ne eek the wrecche Dedalus, |
920 | Ne his child, nyce Icarus, |
921 | That fleigh so highe that the hete |
922 | His winges malt, and he fel wete |
923 | In-mid the see, and ther he dreynte, |
924 | For whom was maked moch compleynte. |
925 | 'Now turn upward,' quod he, 'thy face, |
926 | And behold this large place, |
927 | This air; but loke thou ne be |
928 | Adrad of hem that thou shalt see; |
929 | For in this regioun, certein, |
930 | Dwelleth many a citezein, |
931 | Of which that speketh dan Plato. |
932 | These ben the eyrish bestes, lo!' |
933 | And so saw I al that meynee |
934 | Bothe goon and also flee. |
935 | 'Now,' quod he tho, 'cast up thyn ye; |
936 | See yonder, lo, the Galaxye, |
937 | Which men clepeth the Milky Wey, |
938 | For hit is whyt: and somme, parfey, |
939 | Callen hit Watlinge Strete: |
940 | That ones was y-brent with hete, |
941 | Whan the sonnes sone, the rede, |
942 | That highte Pheton, wolde lede |
943 | Algate his fader cart, and gye. |
944 | The cart-hors gonne wel espye |
945 | That he ne coude no governaunce, |
946 | And gonne for to lepe and launce, |
947 | And beren him now up, now doun, |
948 | Til that he saw the Scorpioun, |
949 | Which that in heven a signe is yit, |
950 | And he, for ferde, loste his wit, |
951 | Of that, and leet the reynes goon |
952 | Of his hors; and they anoon |
953 | Gonne up to mounte, and doun descende |
954 | Til bothe the eyr and erthe brende; |
955 | Til Iupiter, lo, atte laste, |
956 | Him slow, and fro the carte caste. |
957 | Lo, is it not a greet mischaunce, |
958 | To lete a fole han governaunce |
959 | Of thing that he can not demeine?' |
960 | And with this word, soth for to seyne, |
961 | He gan alway upper to sore, |
962 | And gladded me ay more and more, |
963 | So feithfully to me spak he. |
964 | Tho gan I loken under me, |
965 | And beheld the eyrish bestes, |
966 | Cloudes, mistes, and tempestes, |
967 | Snowes, hailes, reines, windes, |
968 | And thengendring in hir kindes, |
969 | And al the wey through whiche I cam; |
970 | 'O god,' quod I, 'that made Adam, |
971 | Moche is thy might and thy noblesse!' |
972 | And tho thoughte I upon Boece, |
973 | That writ, 'a thought may flee so hye, |
974 | With fetheres of Philosophye, |
975 | To passen everich element; |
976 | And whan he hath so fer y-went, |
977 | Than may be seen, behind his bak, |
978 | Cloud, and al that I of spak.' |
979 | Tho gan I wexen in a were, |
980 | And seyde, 'I woot wel I am here; |
981 | But wher in body or in gost |
982 | I noot, y-wis; but god, thou wost!' |
983 | For more cleer entendement |
984 | Nadde he me never yit y-sent. |
985 | And than thoughte I on Marcian, |
986 | And eek on Anleclaudian, |
987 | That sooth was hir descripcioun |
988 | Of al the hevenes regioun, |
989 | As fer as that I saw the preve; |
990 | Therfor I can hem now beleve. |
991 | With that this egle gan to crye: |
992 | 'Lat be,' quod he, 'thy fantasye; |
993 | Wilt thou lere of sterres aught?' |
994 | 'Nay, certeinly,' quod I, 'right naught; |
995 | 'And why? for I am now to old.' |
996 | 'Elles I wolde thee have told,' |
997 | Quod he, 'the sterres names, lo, |
998 | And al the hevenes signes to, |
999 | And which they been.' 'No fors,' quod I. |
1000 | 'Yis, pardee,' quod he; 'wostow why? |
1001 | For when thou redest poetrye, |
1002 | How goddes gonne stellifye |
1003 | Brid, fish, beste, or him or here, |
1004 | As the Raven, or either Bere, |
1005 | Or Ariones harpe fyn, |
1006 | Castor, Pollux, or Delphyn, |
1007 | Or Atlantes doughtres sevene, |
1008 | How alle these arn set in hevene; |
1009 | For though thou have hem ofte on honde, |
1010 | Yet nostow not wher that they stonde.' |
1011 | 'No fors,' quod I, 'hit is no nede; |
1012 | I leve as wel, so god me spede, |
1013 | Hem that wryte of this matere, |
1014 | As though I knew hir places here; |
1015 | And eek they shynen here so brighte, |
1016 | Hit shulde shenden al my sighte |
1017 | To loke on hem.' 'That may wel be,' |
1018 | Quod he. And so forth bar he me |
1019 | A whyl, and than he gan to crye, |
1020 | That never herde I thing so hye, |
1021 | 'Now up the heed; for al is wel; |
1022 | Seynt Iulyan, lo, bon hostel! |
1023 | See here the Hous of Fame, lo! |
1024 | Maistow not heren that I do?' |
1025 | 'What?' quod I. 'The grete soun,' |
1026 | Quod he, 'that rumbleth up and doun |
1027 | In Fames Hous, full of tydinges, |
1028 | Bothe of fair speche and chydinges, |
1029 | And of fals and soth compouned. |
1030 | Herke wel; hit is not rouned. |
1031 | Herestow not the grete swogh?' |
1032 | 'Yis, pardee,' quod I, 'wel y-nogh.' |
1033 | 'And what soun is it lyk?' quod he. |
1034 | 'Peter! lyk beting of the see,' |
1035 | Quod I, 'again the roches holowe, |
1036 | Whan tempest doth the shippes swalowe; |
1037 | And lat a man stonde, out of doute, |
1038 | A myle thens, and here hit route; |
1039 | Or elles lyk the last humblinge |
1040 | After the clappe of oo thundringe, |
1041 | Whan Ioves hath the aire y-bete; |
1042 | But hit doth me for fere swete.' |
1043 | 'Nay, dred thee not thereof,' quod he, |
1044 | 'Hit is nothing wil byten thee; |
1045 | Thou shalt non harme have, trewely.' |
1046 | And with this word bothe he and I |
1047 | As nigh the place arryved were |
1048 | As men may casten with a spere. |
1049 | I niste how, but in a strete |
1050 | He sette me faire on my fete, |
1051 | And seyde, 'Walke forth a pas, |
1052 | And tak thyn aventure or cas, |
1053 | That thou shalt finde in Fames place.' |
1054 | 'Now,' quod I, 'whyl we han space |
1055 | To speke, or that I go fro thee, |
1056 | For the love of god, tel me, |
1057 | In sooth, that wil I of thee lere, |
1058 | If this noise that I here |
1059 | Be as I have herd thee tellen, |
1060 | Of folk that doun in erthe dwellen, |
1061 | And cometh here in the same wyse |
1062 | As I thee herde or this devyse; |
1063 | And that ther lyves body nis |
1064 | In al that hous that yonder is, |
1065 | That maketh al this loude fare?' |
1066 | 'No,' quod he, 'by Seynte Clare, |
1067 | And also wis god rede me! |
1068 | But o thinge I wil warne thee |
1069 | Of the which thou wolt have wonder. |
1070 | Lo, to the House of Fame yonder |
1071 | Thou wost how cometh every speche, |
1072 | Hit nedeth noght thee eft to teche. |
1073 | But understond now right wel this; |
1074 | Whan any speche y-comen is |
1075 | Up to the paleys, anon-right |
1076 | Hit wexeth lyk the same wight, |
1077 | Which that the word in erthe spak, |
1078 | Be hit clothed red or blak; |
1079 | And hath so verray his lyknesse |
1080 | That spak the word, that thou wilt gesse |
1081 | That hit the same body be, |
1082 | Man or woman, he or she, |
1083 | And is not this a wonder thing?' |
1084 | 'Yis,' quod I tho, 'by hevene king!' |
1085 | And with this worde, 'Farwel,' quod he, |
1086 | 'And here I wol abyden thee; |
1087 | And god of hevene sende thee grace, |
1088 | Som good to lernen in this place,' |
1089 | And I of him took leve anoon, |
1090 | And gan forth to the paleys goon. |
Explicit liber secundus. |
Book III: Incipit liber tercius.
[edit]Invocation. | |
1091 | O god of science and of light, |
1092 | Apollo, through thy grete might, |
1093 | This litel laste book thou gye! |
1094 | Nat that I wilne, for maistrye, |
1095 | Here art poetical be shewed; |
1096 | But, for the rym is light and lewed, |
1097 | Yit make hit sumwhat agreable, |
1098 | Though som vers faile in a sillable; |
1099 | And that I do no diligence |
1100 | To shewe craft, but o sentence. |
1101 | And if, divyne vertu, thou |
1102 | Wilt helpe me to shewe now |
1103 | That in myn hede y-marked is -- |
1104 | Lo, that is for to menen this, |
1105 | The Hous of Fame for to descryve -- |
1106 | Thou shalt see me go, as blyve, |
1107 | Unto the nexte laure I see, |
1108 | And kisse hit, for hit is thy tree; |
1109 | Now entreth in my brest anoon! |
The Dream. | |
1110 | Whan I was fro this egle goon, |
1111 | I gan beholde upon this place. |
1112 | And certein, or I ferther pace, |
1113 | I wol yow al the shap devyse |
1114 | Of hous and site; and al the wyse |
1115 | How I gan to this place aproche |
1116 | That stood upon so high a roche, |
1117 | Hyer stant ther noon in Spaine. |
1118 | But up I clomb with alle paine, |
1119 | And though to climbe hit greved me, |
1120 | Yit I ententif was to see, |
1121 | And for to pouren wonder lowe, |
1122 | If I coude any weyes knowe |
1123 | What maner stoon this roche was; |
1124 | For hit was lyk a thing of glas, |
1125 | But that hit shoon ful more clere; |
1126 | But of what congeled matere |
1127 | Hit was, I niste redely. |
1128 | But at the laste espyed I, |
1129 | And found that hit was, every deel, |
1130 | A roche of yse, and not of steel. |
1131 | Thoughte I, 'By Seynt Thomas of Kent! |
1132 | This were a feble foundement |
1133 | To bilden on a place hye; |
1134 | He ought him litel glorifye |
1135 | That her-on bilt, god so me save!' |
1136 | Tho saw I al the half y-grave |
1137 | With famous folkes names fele, |
1138 | That had y-been in mochel wele, |
1139 | And hir fames wyde y-blowe. |
1140 | But wel unethes coude I knowe |
1141 | Any lettres for to rede |
1142 | Hir names by; for, out of drede, |
1143 | They were almost of-thowed so, |
1144 | That of the lettres oon or two |
1145 | Was molte away of every name, |
1146 | So unfamous was wexe hir fame; |
1147 | But men seyn, 'What may ever laste?' |
1148 | Tho gan I in myn herte caste, |
1149 | That they were molte awey with hete, |
1150 | And not awey with stormes bete. |
1151 | For on that other syde I sey |
1152 | Of this hille, that northward lay, |
1153 | How hit was writen ful of names |
1154 | Of folk that hadden grete fames |
1155 | Of olde tyme, and yit they were |
1156 | As fresshe as men had writen hem there |
1157 | The selve day right, or that houre |
1158 | That I upon hem gan to poure. |
1159 | But wel I wiste what hit made; |
1160 | Hit was conserved with the shade -- |
1161 | Al this wrytinge that I sy -- |
1162 | Of a castel, that stood on hy, |
1163 | And stood eek on so cold a place, |
1164 | That hete mighte hit not deface. |
1165 | Tho gan I up the hille to goon, |
1166 | And fond upon the coppe a woon, |
1167 | That alle the men that ben on lyve |
1168 | Ne han the cunning to descryve |
1169 | The beautee of that ilke place, |
1170 | Ne coude casten no compace |
1171 | Swich another for to make, |
1172 | That mighte of beautee be his make |
1173 | Ne be so wonderliche y-wrought; |
1174 | That hit astonieth yit my thought, |
1175 | And maketh al my wit to swinke |
1176 | On this castel to bethinke. |
1177 | So that the grete craft, beautee, |
1178 | The cast, and curiositee |
1179 | Ne can I not to yow devyse, |
1180 | My wit ne may me not suffyse. |
1181 | But natheles al the substance |
1182 | I have yit in my remembrance; |
1183 | For-why me thoughte, by Seynt Gyle! |
1184 | Al was of stone of beryle, |
1185 | Bothe castel and the tour, |
1186 | And eek the halle, and every bour, |
1187 | Withouten peces or Ioininges, |
1188 | But many subtil compassinges, |
1189 | Babewinnes and pinacles, |
1190 | Imageries and tabernacles, |
1191 | I saw; and ful eek of windowes, |
1192 | As flakes falle in grete snowes. |
1193 | And eek in ech of the pinacles |
1194 | Weren sondry habitacles, |
1195 | In whiche stoden, al withoute -- |
1196 | Ful the castel, al aboute -- |
1197 | Of alle maner of minstrales, |
1198 | And gestiours, that tellen tales |
1199 | Bothe of weping and of game, |
1200 | Of al that longeth unto Fame. |
1201 | Ther herde I pleyen on an harpe |
1202 | That souned bothe wel and sharpe, |
1203 | Orpheus ful craftely, |
1204 | And on his syde, faste by, |
1205 | Sat the harper Orion, |
1206 | And Eacides Chiron, |
1207 | And other harpers many oon, |
1208 | And the Bret Glascurion; |
1209 | And smale harpers with her glees |
1210 | Saten under hem in sees, |
1211 | And gunne on hem upward to gape, |
1212 | And countrefete hem as an ape, |
1213 | Or as craft countrefeteth kinde. |
1214 | Tho saugh I stonden hem behinde, |
1215 | A-fer fro hem, al by hemselve, |
1216 | Many thousand tymes twelve, |
1217 | That maden loude menstralcyes |
1218 | In cornemuse and shalmyes, |
1219 | And many other maner pype, |
1220 | That craftely begunne pype |
1221 | Bothe in doucet and in rede, |
1222 | That ben at festes with the brede; |
1223 | And many floute and lilting-horne, |
1224 | And pypes made of grene corne, |
1225 | As han thise litel herde-gromes |
1226 | That kepen bestes in the bromes. |
1227 | Ther saugh I than Atiteris, |
1228 | And of Athenes dan Pseustis, |
1229 | And Marcia that lost her skin, |
1230 | Bothe in face, body, and chin, |
1231 | For that she wolde envyen, lo! |
1232 | To pypen bet than Apollo. |
1233 | Ther saugh I famous, olde and yonge, |
1234 | Pypers of the Duche tonge, |
1235 | To lerne love-daunces, springes, |
1236 | Reyes, and these straunge thinges. |
1237 | Tho saugh I in another place |
1238 | Stonden in a large space, |
1239 | Of hem that maken blody soun |
1240 | In trumpe, beme, and clarioun; |
1241 | For in fight and blood-shedinge |
1242 | Is used gladly clarioninge. |
1243 | Ther herde I trumpen Messenus, |
1244 | Of whom that speketh Virgilius. |
1245 | Ther herde I Ioab trumpe also, |
1246 | Theodomas, and other mo; |
1247 | And alle that used clarion |
1248 | In Cataloigne and Aragon, |
1249 | That in hir tyme famous were |
1250 | To lerne, saugh I trumpe there. |
1251 | Ther saugh I sitte in other sees, |
1252 | Pleyinge upon sondry glees, |
1253 | Whiche that I cannot nevene, |
1254 | Mo then sterres been in hevene, |
1255 | Of whiche I nil as now not ryme, |
1256 | For ese of yow, and losse of tyme: |
1257 | For tyme y-lost, this knowen ye, |
1258 | By no way may recovered be. |
1259 | Ther saugh I pleyen Iogelours, |
1260 | Magiciens and tregetours, |
1261 | And phitonesses, charmeresses, |
1262 | Olde wicches, sorceresses, |
1263 | That use exorsisaciouns, |
1264 | And eek thise fumigaciouns; |
1265 | And clerkes eek, which conne wel |
1266 | Al this magyke naturel, |
1267 | That craftely don hir ententes, |
1268 | To make, in certeyn ascendentes, |
1269 | Images, lo, through which magyk |
1270 | To make a man ben hool or syk. |
1271 | Ther saugh I thee queen Medea, |
1272 | And Circes eke, and Calipsa; |
1273 | Ther saugh I Hermes Ballenus, |
1274 | Lymote, and eek Simon Magus. |
1275 | Ther saugh I, and knew hem by name, |
1276 | That by such art don men han fame. |
1277 | Ther saugh I Colle tregetour |
1278 | Upon a table of sicamour |
1279 | Pleye an uncouthe thing to telle; |
1280 | I saugh him carien a wind-melle |
1281 | Under a walsh-note shale. |
1282 | What shuld I make lenger tale |
1283 | Of al the peple that I say, |
1284 | Fro hennes in-to domesday? |
1285 | Whan I had al this folk beholde, |
1286 | And fond me lous, and noght y-holde, |
1287 | And eft y-mused longe whyle |
1288 | Upon these walles of beryle, |
1289 | That shoon ful lighter than a glas, |
1290 | And made wel more than hit was |
1291 | To semen, every thing, y-wis, |
1292 | As kinde thing of fames is; |
1293 | I gan forth romen til I fond |
1294 | The castel-yate on my right hond, |
1295 | Which that so wel corven was |
1296 | That never swich another nas; |
1297 | And yit hit was by aventure |
1298 | Y-wrought, as often as by cure. |
1299 | Hit nedeth noght yow for to tellen, |
1300 | To make yow to longe dwellen, |
1301 | Of this yates florisshinges, |
1302 | Ne of compasses, ne of kervinges, |
1303 | Ne how they hatte in masoneries, |
1304 | As, corbetz fulle of imageries. |
1305 | But, lord! so fair hit was to shewe, |
1306 | For hit was al with gold behewe. |
1307 | But in I wente, and that anoon; |
1308 | Ther mette I crying many oon, -- |
1309 | 'A larges, larges, hold up wel! |
1310 | God save the lady of this pel, |
1311 | Our owne gentil lady Fame, |
1312 | And hem that wilnen to have name |
1313 | Of us!' Thus herde I cryen alle, |
1314 | And faste comen out of halle, |
1315 | And shoken nobles and sterlinges. |
1316 | And somme crouned were as kinges, |
1317 | With crounes wroght ful of losenges; |
1318 | And many riban, and many frenges |
1319 | Were on hir clothes trewely. |
1320 | Tho atte laste aspyed I |
1321 | That pursevauntes and heraudes, |
1322 | That cryen riche folkes laudes, |
1323 | Hit weren alle; and every man |
1324 | Of hem, as I yow tellen can, |
1325 | Had on him throwen a vesture, |
1326 | Which that men clepe a cote-armure, |
1327 | Enbrowded wonderliche riche, |
1328 | Al-though they nere nought y-liche. |
1329 | But noght nil I, so mote I thryve, |
1330 | Been aboute to discryve |
1331 | Al these armes that ther weren, |
1332 | That they thus on her cotes beren, |
1333 | For hit to me were impossible; |
1334 | Men mighte make of hem a bible |
1335 | Twenty foot thikke, as I trowe. |
1336 | For certeyn, who-so coude y-knowe |
1337 | Mighte ther alle the armes seen |
1338 | Of famous folk that han y-been |
1339 | In Auffrike, Europe, and Asye, |
1340 | Sith first began the chevalrye, |
1341 | Lo! how shulde I now telle al this? |
1342 | Ne of the halle eek what nede is |
1343 | To tellen yow, that every wal |
1344 | Of hit, and floor, and roof and al |
1345 | Was plated half a fote thikke |
1346 | Of gold, and that nas no-thing wikke, |
1347 | But, for to prove in alle wyse, |
1348 | As fyn as ducat in Venyse, |
1349 | Of whiche to lyte al in my pouche is? |
1350 | And they wer set as thikke of nouchis |
1351 | Fulle of the fynest stones faire, |
1352 | That men rede in the Lapidaire, |
1353 | As greses growen in a mede; |
1354 | But hit were al to longe to rede |
1355 | The names; and therfore I pace. |
1356 | But in this riche lusty place, |
1357 | That Fames halle called was, |
1358 | Ful moche prees of folk ther nas, |
1359 | Ne crouding, for to mochil prees. |
1360 | But al on hye, above a dees, |
1361 | Sitte in a see imperial, |
1362 | That maad was of a rubee al, |
1363 | Which that a carbuncle is y-called, |
1364 | I saugh, perpetually y-stalled, |
1365 | A feminyne creature; |
1366 | That never formed by nature |
1367 | Nas swich another thing y-seye. |
1368 | For altherfirst, soth for to seye, |
1369 | Me thoughte that she was so lyte, |
1370 | That the lengthe of a cubyte |
1371 | Was lenger than she semed be; |
1372 | But thus sone, in a whyle, she |
1373 | Hir tho so wonderliche streighte, |
1374 | That with hir feet she therthe reighte, |
1375 | And with hir heed she touched hevene, |
1376 | Ther as shynen sterres sevene. |
1377 | And ther-to eek, as to my wit, |
1378 | I saugh a gretter wonder yit |
1379 | Upon hir eyen to beholde; |
1380 | But certeyn I hem never tolde; |
1381 | For as fele eyen hadde she |
1382 | As fetheres upon foules be, |
1383 | Or weren on the bestes foure |
1384 | That goddes trone gunne honoure, |
1385 | As Iohn writ in th'Apocalips. |
1386 | Hir heer, that oundy was and crips, |
1387 | As burned gold hit shoon to see. |
1388 | And sooth to tellen, also she |
1389 | Had also fele up-stonding eres |
1390 | And tonges, as on bestes heres; |
1391 | And on hir feet wexen saugh I |
1392 | Partriches winges redely. |
1393 | But, lord! the perrie and the richesse |
1394 | I saugh sitting on this goddesse! |
1395 | And, lord! the hevenish melodye |
1396 | Of songes, ful of armonye, |
1397 | I herde aboute her trone y-songe, |
1398 | That al the paleys-walles ronge! |
1399 | So song the mighty Muse, she |
1400 | That cleped is Caliopee, |
1401 | And hir eighte sustren eke, |
1402 | That in hir face semen meke; |
1403 | And evermo, eternally, |
1404 | They songe of Fame, as tho herde I: -- |
1405 | 'Heried be thou and thy name, |
1406 | Goddesse of renoun and of fame!' |
1407 | Tho was I war, lo, atte laste, |
1408 | As I myn eyen gan up caste, |
1409 | That this ilke noble quene |
1410 | On hir shuldres gan sustene |
1411 | Bothe tharmes and the name |
1412 | Of tho that hadde large fame; |
1413 | Alexander, and Hercules |
1414 | That with a sherte his lyf lees! |
1415 | Thus fond I sitting this goddesse, |
1416 | In nobley, honour, and richesse; |
1417 | Of which I stinte a whyle now, |
1418 | Other thing to tellen yow. |
1419 | Tho saugh I stonde on either syde, |
1420 | Streight doun to the dores wyde, |
1421 | Fro the dees, many a pileer |
1422 | Of metal, that shoon not ful cleer; |
1423 | But though they nere of no richesse, |
1424 | Yet they were maad for greet noblesse, |
1425 | And in hem greet and hy sentence, |
1426 | And folk of digne reverence, |
1427 | Of whiche I wol yow telle fonde, |
1428 | Upon the piler saugh I stonde. |
1429 | Alderfirst, lo, ther I sigh, |
1430 | Upon a piler stonde on high, |
1431 | That was of lede and yren fyn, |
1432 | Him of secte Saturnyn, |
1433 | The Ebrayk Iosephus, the olde, |
1434 | That of Iewes gestes tolde; |
1435 | And bar upon his shuldres hye |
1436 | The fame up of the Iewerye. |
1437 | And by him stoden other sevene, |
1438 | Wyse and worthy for to nevene, |
1439 | To helpen him bere up the charge, |
1440 | Hit was so hevy and so large. |
1441 | And for they writen of batailes, |
1442 | As wel as other olde mervailes, |
1443 | Therfor was, lo, this pileer, |
1444 | Of which that I yow telle heer, |
1445 | Of lede and yren bothe, y-wis, |
1446 | For yren Martes metal is, |
1447 | Which that god is of bataille; |
1448 | And the leed, withouten faille, |
1449 | Is, lo, the metal of Saturne, |
1450 | That hath ful large wheel to turne. |
1451 | Tho stoden forth, on every rowe, |
1452 | Of hem which that I coude knowe, |
1453 | Thogh I hem noght be ordre telle, |
1454 | To make yow to long to dwelle. |
1455 | These, of whiche I ginne rede, |
1456 | Ther saugh I stonden, out of drede: |
1457 | Upon an yren piler strong, |
1458 | That peynted was, al endelonge, |
1459 | With tygres blode in every place, |
1460 | The Tholosan that highte Stace, |
1461 | That bar of Thebes up the fame |
1462 | Upon his shuldres, and the name |
1463 | Also of cruel Achilles. |
1464 | And by him stood, withouten lees, |
1465 | Ful wonder hye on a pileer |
1466 | Of yren, he, the gret Omeer; |
1467 | And with him Dares and Tytus |
1468 | Before, and eek he Lollius, |
1469 | And Guido eek de Columpnis, |
1470 | And English Gaufride eek, y-wis; |
1471 | And ech of these, as have I Ioye, |
1472 | Was besy for to bere up Troye. |
1473 | So hevy ther-of was the fame, |
1474 | That for to bere hit was no game. |
1475 | But yit I gan ful wel espye, |
1476 | Betwix hem was a litil envye. |
1477 | Oon seyde, Omere made lyes, |
1478 | Feyninge in his poetryes, |
1479 | And was to Grekes favorable; |
1480 | Therfor held he hit but fable. |
1481 | Tho saugh I stonde on a pileer, |
1482 | That was of tinned yren cleer, |
1483 | That Latin poete, dan Virgyle, |
1484 | That bore hath up a longe whyle |
1485 | The fame of Pius Eneas. |
1486 | And next him on a piler was, |
1487 | Of coper, Venus clerk, Ovyde, |
1488 | That hath y-sowen wonder wyde |
1489 | The grete god of Loves name. |
1490 | And ther he bar up wel his fame, |
1491 | Upon his piler, also hye |
1492 | As I might see hit with myn ye: |
1493 | For-why this halle, of whiche I rede |
1494 | Was woxe on highte, lengthe and brede, |
1495 | Wel more, by a thousand del, |
1496 | Than hit was erst, that saugh I wel. |
1497 | Tho saugh I, on a piler by, |
1498 | Of yren wroght ful sternely, |
1499 | The grete poete, daun Lucan, |
1500 | And on his shuldres bar up than, |
1501 | As highe as that I mighte see, |
1502 | The fame of Iulius and Pompee. |
1503 | And by him stoden alle these clerkes, |
1504 | That writen of Romes mighty werkes, |
1505 | That, if I wolde hir names telle, |
1506 | Al to longe most I dwelle. |
1507 | And next him on a piler stood |
1508 | Of soulfre, lyk as he were wood, |
1509 | Dan Claudian, the soth to telle, |
1510 | That bar up al the fame of helle, |
1511 | Of Pluto, and of Proserpyne, |
1512 | That quene is of the derke pyne. |
1513 | What shulde I more telle of this? |
1514 | The halle was al ful, y-wis, |
1515 | Of hem that writen olde gestes, |
1516 | As ben on trees rokes nestes; |
1517 | But hit a ful confus matere |
1518 | Were al the gestes for to here, |
1519 | That they of write, and how they highte. |
1520 | But whyl that I beheld this sighte, |
1521 | I herde a noise aprochen blyve, |
1522 | That ferde as been don in an hyve, |
1523 | Agen her tyme of out-fleyinge; |
1524 | Right swiche a maner murmuringe, |
1525 | For al the world, hit semed me. |
1526 | Tho gan I loke aboute and see, |
1527 | That ther come entring in the halle |
1528 | A right gret company with-alle, |
1529 | And that of sondry regiouns, |
1530 | Of alleskinnes condiciouns, |
1531 | That dwelle in erthe under the mone, |
1532 | Pore and ryche. And also sone |
1533 | As they were come into the halle, |
1534 | They gonne doun on knees falle |
1535 | Before this ilke noble quene, |
1536 | And seyde, 'Graunte us, lady shene, |
1537 | Ech of us, of thy grace, a bone!' |
1538 | And somme of hem she graunted sone, |
1539 | And somme she werned wel and faire; |
1540 | And somme she graunted the contraire |
1541 | Of hir axing utterly, |
1542 | But thus I seye yow trewely, |
1543 | What hir cause was, I niste. |
1544 | For of this folk, ful wel I wiste, |
1545 | They hadde good fame ech deserved, |
1546 | Althogh they were diversly served; |
1547 | Right as hir suster, dame Fortune, |
1548 | Is wont to serven in comune. |
1549 | Now herkne how she gan to paye |
1550 | That gonne hir of hir grace praye; |
1551 | And yit, lo, al this companye |
1552 | Seyden sooth, and noght a lye. |
1553 | 'Madame,' seyden they, 'we be |
1554 | Folk that heer besechen thee, |
1555 | That thou graunte us now good fame, |
1556 | And let our werkes han that name; |
1557 | In ful recompensacioun |
1558 | Of good werk, give us good renoun.' |
1559 | 'I werne yow hit,' quod she anoon, |
1560 | 'Ye gete of me good fame noon, |
1561 | By god! and therfor go your wey.' |
1562 | 'Alas,' quod they, 'and welaway! |
1563 | Telle us, what may your cause be?' |
1564 | 'For me list hit noght,' quod she; |
1565 | 'No wight shal speke of yow, y-wis, |
1566 | Good ne harm, ne that ne this.' |
1567 | And with that word she gan to calle |
1568 | Hir messanger, that was in halle, |
1569 | And bad that he shulde faste goon, |
1570 | Up peyne to be blind anoon, |
1571 | For Eolus, the god of winde; -- |
1572 | 'In Trace ther ye shul him finde, |
1573 | And bid him bringe his clarioun, |
1574 | That is ful dyvers of his soun, |
1575 | And hit is cleped Clere Laude, |
1576 | With which he wont is to heraude |
1577 | Hem that me list y-preised be: |
1578 | And also bid him how that he |
1579 | Bringe his other clarioun, |
1580 | That highte Sclaundre in every toun, |
1581 | With which he wont is to diffame |
1582 | Hem that me list, and do hem shame.' |
1583 | This messanger gan faste goon, |
1584 | And found wher, in a cave of stoon, |
1585 | In a contree that highte Trace, |
1586 | This Eolus, with harde grace, |
1587 | Held the windes in distresse, |
1588 | And gan hem under him to presse, |
1589 | That they gonne as beres rore, |
1590 | He bond and pressed hem so sore. |
1591 | This messanger gan faste crye, |
1592 | 'Rys up,' quod he, 'and faste hye, |
1593 | Til that thou at my lady be; |
1594 | And tak thy clarions eek with thee, |
1595 | And speed the forth.' And he anon |
1596 | Took to a man, that hight Triton, |
1597 | His clariouns to bere tho, |
1598 | And leet a certeyn wind to go, |
1599 | That blew so hidously and hye, |
1600 | That hit ne lefte not a skye |
1601 | In al the welken longe an brood. |
1602 | This Eolus no-wher abood |
1603 | Til he was come at Fames feet, |
1604 | And eek the man that Triton heet; |
1605 | And ther he stood, as still as stoon. |
1606 | And her-withal ther com anoon |
1607 | Another huge companye |
1608 | Of gode folk, and gunne crye, |
1609 | 'Lady, graunte us now good fame, |
1610 | And lat our werkes han that name |
1611 | Now, in honour of gentilesse, |
1612 | And also god your soule blesse! |
1613 | For we han wel deserved hit, |
1614 | Therfore is right that we ben quit.' |
1615 | 'As thryve I,' quod she, 'ye shal faile, |
1616 | Good werkes shal yow noght availe |
1617 | To have of me good fame as now. |
1618 | But wite ye what? Y graunte yow, |
1619 | That ye shal have a shrewed fame |
1620 | And wikked loos, and worse name, |
1621 | Though ye good loos have wel deserved. |
1622 | Now go your wey, for ye be served; |
1623 | And thou, dan Eolus, let see! |
1624 | Tak forth thy trumpe anon,' quod she, |
1625 | 'That is y-cleped Sclaunder light, |
1626 | And blow her loos, that every wight |
1627 | Speke of hem harm and shrewednesse, |
1628 | In stede of good and worthinesse. |
1629 | For thou shalt trumpe al the contraire |
1630 | Of that they han don wel or faire.' |
1631 | 'Alas,' thoughte I, 'what aventures |
1632 | Han these sory creatures! |
1633 | For they, amonges al the pres, |
1634 | Shul thus be shamed, gilteles! |
1635 | But what! hit moste nedes be.' |
1636 | What did this Eolus, but he |
1637 | Tok out his blakke trumpe of bras, |
1638 | That fouler than the devil was, |
1639 | And gan this trumpe for to blowe, |
1640 | As al the world shulde overthrowe; |
1641 | That through-out every regioun |
1642 | Wente this foule trumpes soun, |
1643 | As swift as pelet out of gonne, |
1644 | Whan fyr is in the poudre ronne. |
1645 | And swiche a smoke gan out-wende |
1646 | Out of his foule trumpes ende, |
1647 | Blak, blo, grenissh, swartish reed, |
1648 | As doth wher that men melte leed, |
1649 | Lo, al on high fro the tuel! |
1650 | And therto oo thing saugh I wel, |
1651 | That, the ferther that hit ran, |
1652 | The gretter wexen hit began, |
1653 | As doth the river from a welle, |
1654 | And hit stank as the pit of helle. |
1655 | Alas, thus was hir shame y-ronge, |
1656 | And giltelees, on every tonge. |
1657 | Tho com the thridde companye, |
1658 | And gunne up to the dees to hye, |
1659 | And doun on knees they fille anon, |
1660 | And seyde, 'We ben everichon |
1661 | Folk that han ful trewely |
1662 | Deserved fame rightfully, |
1663 | And pray yow, hit mot be knowe, |
1664 | Right as hit is, and forth y-blowe.' |
1665 | 'I graunte,' quod she, 'for me list |
1666 | That now your gode werk be wist; |
1667 | And yet ye shul han better loos, |
1668 | Right in dispyt of alle your foos, |
1669 | Than worthy is; and that anoon: |
1670 | Lat now,' quod she, 'thy trumpe goon, |
1671 | Thou Eolus, that is so blak; |
1672 | And out thyn other trumpe tak |
1673 | That highte Laude, and blow it so |
1674 | That through the world hir fame go |
1675 | Al esely, and not to faste, |
1676 | That hit be knowen atte laste.' |
1677 | 'Ful gladly, lady myn,' he seyde; |
1678 | And out his trumpe of golde he brayde |
1679 | Anon, and sette hit to his mouthe, |
1680 | And blew hit est, and west, and southe, |
1681 | And north, as loude as any thunder, |
1682 | That every wight hadde of hit wonder, |
1683 | So brode hit ran, or than hit stente, |
1684 | And, certes, al the breeth that wente |
1685 | Out of his trumpes mouthe smelde |
1686 | As men a pot-ful bawme helde |
1687 | Among a basket ful of roses; |
1688 | This favour dide he til hir loses. |
1689 | And right with this I gan aspye, |
1690 | Ther com the ferthe companye -- |
1691 | But certeyn they were wonder fewe -- |
1692 | And gonne stonden in a rewe, |
1693 | And seyden, 'Certes, lady brighte, |
1694 | We han don wel with al our mighte; |
1695 | But we ne kepen have no fame. |
1696 | Hyd our werkes and our name, |
1697 | For goddes love! for certes we |
1698 | Han certeyn doon hit for bountee, |
1699 | And for no maner other thing.' |
1700 | 'I graunte yow al your asking,' |
1701 | Quod she; 'let your werk be deed.' |
1702 | With that aboute I clew myn heed, |
1703 | And saugh anoon the fifte route |
1704 | That to this lady gonne loute, |
1705 | And doun on knes anoon to falle; |
1706 | And to hir tho besoughten alle |
1707 | To hyde hit gode werkes eek, |
1708 | And seyde, they yeven noght a leek |
1709 | For fame, ne for swich renoun; |
1710 | For they, for contemplacioun |
1711 | And goddes love, hadde y-wrought; |
1712 | Ne of fame wolde they nought. |
1713 | 'What?' quod she, 'and be ye wood? |
1714 | And wene ye for to do good, |
1715 | And for to have of that no fame? |
1716 | Have ye dispyt to have my name? |
1717 | Nay, ye shul liven everichoon! |
1718 | Blow thy trumpe and that anoon,' |
1719 | Quod she, 'thou Eolus, I hote, |
1720 | And ring this folkes werk by note, |
1721 | That al the world may of hit here.' |
1722 | And he gan blowe hir loos so clere |
1723 | In his golden clarioun |
1724 | That through the world wente the soun, |
1725 | Also kenely, and eek so softe; |
1726 | But atte laste hit was on-lofte. |
1727 | Thoo com the sexte companye, |
1728 | And gonne faste on Fame crye. |
1729 | Right verraily, in this manere |
1730 | They seyden: 'Mercy, lady dere! |
1731 | To telle certein, as hit is, |
1732 | We han don neither that ne this, |
1733 | But ydel al our lif y-be. |
1734 | But, natheles, yit preye we, |
1735 | That we mowe han so good a fame, |
1736 | And greet renoun and knowen name, |
1737 | As they that han don noble gestes, |
1738 | And acheved alle hir lestes, |
1739 | As wel of love as other thing; |
1740 | Al was us never broche ne ring, |
1741 | Ne elles nought, from wimmen sent, |
1742 | Ne ones in hir herte y-ment |
1743 | To make us only frendly chere, |
1744 | But mighte temen us on bere; |
1745 | Yit lat us to the peple seme |
1746 | Swiche as the world may of us deme, |
1747 | That wimmen loven us for wood. |
1748 | Hit shal don us as moche good, |
1749 | And to our herte as moche availe |
1750 | To countrepeise ese and travaile, |
1751 | As we had wonne hit with labour; |
1752 | For that is dere boght honour |
1753 | At regard of our grete ese. |
1754 | And yit thou most us more plese |
1755 | Let us be holden eek, therto, |
1756 | Worthy, wyse, and gode also, |
1757 | And riche, and happy unto love. |
1758 | For goddes love, that sit above, |
1759 | Thogh we may not the body have |
1760 | Of wimmen, yet, so god yow save! |
1761 | Let men glewe on us the name; |
1762 | Suffyceth that we han the fame.' |
1763 | 'I graunte,' quod she, 'by my trouthe! |
1764 | Now, Eolus, with-outen slouthe. |
1765 | Tak out thy trumpe of gold, let see, |
1766 | And blow as they han axed me, |
1767 | That every man wene hem at ese, |
1768 | Though they gon in ful badde lese.' |
1769 | This Eolus gan hit so blowe |
1770 | That through the world hit was y-knowe. |
1771 | Tho come the seventh route anoon, |
1772 | And fel on knees everichoon, |
1773 | And seyde, 'Lady, graunte us sone |
1774 | The same thing, the same bone, |
1775 | That ye this nexte folk han doon.' |
1776 | 'Fy on yow,' quod she, 'everichoon! |
1777 | Ye masty swyn, ye ydel wrecches, |
1778 | Ful of roten slowe tecches! |
1779 | What? false theves! wher ye wolde |
1780 | Be famous good, and no-thing nolde |
1781 | Deserve why, ne never roughte? |
1782 | Men rather yow to-hangen oughte! |
1783 | For ye be lyk the sweynte cat, |
1784 | That wolde have fish; but wostow what? |
1785 | He wolde no-thing wete his clowes. |
1786 | Yvel thrift come to your Iowes, |
1787 | And eek on myn, if I hit graunte, |
1788 | Or do yow favour, yow to avaunte! |
1789 | Thou Eolus, thou king of Trace! |
1790 | Go, blow this folk a soo grace,' |
1791 | Quod she, 'anoon; and wostow how? |
1792 | As I shal telle thee right now; |
1793 | Sey: "These ben they that wolde honour |
1794 | Have, and do noskinnes labour, |
1795 | Ne do no good, and yit han laude; |
1796 | And that men wende that bele Isaude |
1797 | Ne coude hem noght of love-werne; |
1798 | And yit she that grint at a querne |
1799 | Is al to good to ese hir herte."' |
1800 | This Eolus anon up sterte, |
1801 | And with his blakke clarioun |
1802 | He gan to blasen out a soun, |
1803 | As loude as belweth wind in helle. |
1804 | And eek therwith, the sooth to telle, |
1805 | This soun was al so ful of Iapes, |
1806 | As ever mowes were in apes. |
1807 | And that wente al the world aboute, |
1808 | That every wight gan on hem shoute, |
1809 | And for to laughe as they were wode; |
1810 | Such game fonde they in hir hode. |
1811 | Tho com another companye, |
1812 | That had y-doon the traiterye, |
1813 | The harm, the gretest wikkednesse |
1814 | That any herte couthe gesse; |
1815 | And prayed hir to han good fame, |
1816 | And that she nolde hem doon no shame, |
1817 | But yeve hem loos and good renoun, |
1818 | And do hit blowe in clarioun. |
1819 | 'Nay, wis!' quod she, 'hit were a vyce; |
1820 | Al be ther in me no Iustyce |
1821 | Me listeth not to do hit now, |
1822 | Ne this nil I not graunte you.' |
1823 | Tho come ther lepinge in a route, |
1824 | And gonne choppen al aboute |
1825 | Every man upon the croune, |
1826 | That al the halle gan to soune, |
1827 | And seyden: 'Lady, lefe and dere |
1828 | We ben swich folk as ye mowe here. |
1829 | To tellen al the tale aright, |
1830 | We ben shrewes, every wight, |
1831 | And han delyt in wikkednes, |
1832 | As gode folk han in goodnes; |
1833 | And Ioye to be knowen shrewes, |
1834 | And fulle of vyce and wikked thewes; |
1835 | Wherfor we prayen yow, a-rowe, |
1836 | That our fame swich be knowe |
1837 | In alle thing right as hit is.' |
1838 | 'I graunte hit yow,' quod she, 'y-wis. |
1839 | But what art thou that seyst this tale, |
1840 | That werest on thy hose a pale, |
1841 | And on thy tipet swiche a belle!' |
1842 | 'Madame,' quod he, 'sooth to telle, |
1843 | I am that ilke shrewe, y-wis, |
1844 | That brende the temple of Isidis |
1845 | In Athenes, lo, that citee.' |
1846 | 'And wherfor didest thou so?' quod she. |
1847 | 'By my thrift,' quod he, 'madame, |
1848 | I wolde fayn han had a fame, |
1849 | As other folk hadde in the toun, |
1850 | Al-thogh they were of greet renoun |
1851 | For hir vertu and for hir thewes; |
1852 | Thoughte I, as greet a fame han shrewes, |
1853 | Thogh hit be but for shrewednesse, |
1854 | As gode folk han for goodnesse; |
1855 | And sith I may not have that oon, |
1856 | That other nil I noght for-goon. |
1857 | And for to gette of Fames hyre, |
1858 | The temple sette I al a-fyre. |
1859 | Now do our loos be blowen swythe, |
1860 | As wisly be thou ever blythe.' |
1861 | 'Gladly,' quod she; 'thou Eolus, |
1862 | Herestow not what they prayen us?' |
1863 | 'Madame, yis, ful wel,' quod he, |
1864 | And I wil trumpen hit, parde!' |
1865 | And tok his blakke trumpe faste, |
1866 | And gan to puffen and to blaste, |
1867 | Til hit was at the worldes ende. |
1868 | With that I gan aboute wende; |
1869 | For oon that stood right at my bak, |
1870 | Me thoughte goodly to me spak, |
1871 | And seyde, 'Frend, what is thy name? |
1872 | Artow come hider to han fame?' |
1873 | 'Nay, for-sothe, frend!' quod I; |
1874 | I cam noght hider, graunt mercy! |
1875 | For no swich cause, by my heed! |
1876 | Suffyceth me, as I were deed, |
1877 | That no wight have my name in honde. |
1878 | I woot my-self best how I stonde; |
1879 | For what I drye or what I thinke, |
1880 | I wol my-selven al hit drinke, |
1881 | Certeyn, for the more part, |
1882 | As ferforth as I can myn art.' |
1883 | 'But what dost thou here than?' quod he. |
1884 | Quod I, 'that wol I tellen thee, |
1885 | The cause why I stonde here: -- |
1886 | Som newe tydings for to lere: -- |
1887 | Som newe thinges, I not what, |
1888 | Tydinges, other this or that, |
1889 | Of love, or swiche thinges glade. |
1890 | For certeynly, he that me made |
1891 | To comen hider seyde me, |
1892 | I shulde bothe here and see, |
1893 | In this place, wonder thinges; |
1894 | But these be no swiche tydinges |
1895 | As I mene of.' 'No?' quod he, |
1896 | And I answerde, 'No, pardee! |
1897 | For wel I wiste, ever yit, |
1898 | Sith that first I hadde wit, |
1899 | That som folk han desyred fame |
1900 | Dyversly, and loos, and name; |
1901 | But certeynly, I niste how |
1902 | Ne wher that Fame dwelte, er now; |
1903 | Ne eek of hir descripcioun, |
1904 | Ne also hir condicioun, |
1905 | Ne the ordre of hir dome, |
1906 | Unto the tyme I hider come.' |
1907 | 'Whiche be, lo, these tydinges, |
1908 | That thou now thus hider bringes, |
1909 | That thou hast herd?' quod he to me; |
1910 | 'But now, no fors; for wel I see |
1911 | What thou desyrest for to here. |
1912 | Com forth, and stond no longer here, |
1913 | And I wol thee, with-outen drede, |
1914 | In swich another place lede, |
1915 | Ther thou shalt here many oon,' |
1916 | Tho gan I forth with him to goon |
1917 | Out of the castel, soth to seye. |
1918 | Tho saugh I stonde in a valeye, |
1919 | Under the castel, faste by, |
1920 | An hous, that Domus Dedali, |
1921 | That Laborintus cleped is, |
1922 | Nas maad so wonderliche, y-wis, |
1923 | Ne half so queynteliche y-wrought. |
1924 | And evermo, so swift as thought, |
1925 | This queynt hous aboute wente, |
1926 | That never-mo hit stike stente. |
1927 | And ther-out com so greet a noise, |
1928 | That, had hit stonden upon Oise, |
1929 | Men mighte hit han herd esely |
1930 | To Rome, I trowe sikerly. |
1931 | And the noyse which that I herde, |
1932 | For al the world right so hit ferde, |
1933 | As doth the routing of the stoon |
1934 | That from thengyn is leten goon. |
1935 | And al this hous, of whiche I rede, |
1936 | Was made of twigges, falwe, rede, |
1937 | And grene eek, and som weren whyte, |
1938 | Swiche as men to these cages thwyte, |
1939 | Or maken of these paniers, |
1940 | Or elles hottes or dossers; |
1941 | That, for the swough and for the twigges, |
1942 | This hous was also ful of gigges, |
1943 | And also ful eek a chirkinges, |
1944 | And of many other werkinges; |
1945 | And eek this hous hath of entrees |
1946 | As fele as of leves been on trees |
1947 | In somer, whan they grene been; |
1948 | And on the roof men may yit seen |
1949 | A thousand holes, and wel mo, |
1950 | To leten wel the soun out go. |
1951 | And by day, in every tyde, |
1952 | Ben al the dores open wyde, |
1953 | And by night, echoon unshette; |
1954 | Ne porter ther is non to lette |
1955 | No maner tydings in to pace; |
1956 | Ne never reste is in that place, |
1957 | That hit nis fild ful of tydinges, |
1958 | Other loude, or of whispringes; |
1959 | And, over alle the houses angles, |
1960 | Is ful of rouninges and of Iangles |
1961 | Of werre, of pees, of mariages, |
1962 | Of reste, of labour, of viages, |
1963 | Of abood, of deeth, of lyfe, |
1964 | Of love, of hate, acorde, of stryfe, |
1965 | Of loos, of lore, and of winninges, |
1966 | Of hele, of sekenesse, of bildinges, |
1967 | Of faire windes, of tempestes, |
1968 | Of qualme of folk, and eek of bestes; |
1969 | Of dyvers transmutaciouns |
1970 | Of estats, and eek of regiouns; |
1971 | Of trust, of drede, of Ielousye, |
1972 | Of wit, of winninge, of folye; |
1973 | Of plentee, and of greet famyne, |
1974 | Of chepe, of derth, and of ruyne; |
1975 | Of good or mis governement, |
1976 | Of fyr, of dyvers accident. |
1977 | And lo, this hous, of whiche I wryte, |
1978 | Siker be ye, hit nas not lyte; |
1979 | For hit was sixty myle of lengthe; |
1980 | Al was the timber of no strengthe, |
1981 | Yet hit is founded to endure |
1982 | Whyl that hit list to Aventure, |
1983 | That is the moder of tydinges, |
1984 | As the see of welles and springes, -- |
1985 | And hit was shapen lyk a cage. |
1986 | 'Certes,' quod I, 'in al myn age, |
1987 | Ne saugh I swich a hous as this.' |
1988 | And as I wondred me, y-wis, |
1989 | Upon this hous, tho war was I |
1990 | How that myn egle, faste by, |
1991 | Was perched hye upon a stoon; |
1992 | And I gan streighte to him goon, |
1993 | And seyde thus: 'I preye thee |
1994 | That thou a whyl abyde me |
1995 | For goddes love, and let me seen |
1996 | What wondres in this place been; |
1997 | For yit, paraventure, I may lere |
1998 | Som good ther-on, or sumwhat here |
1999 | That leef me were, or that I wente.' |
2000 | 'Peter! that is myn entente,' |
2001 | Quod he to me; 'therfor I dwelle; |
2002 | But certein, oon thing I thee telle, |
2003 | That, but I bringe thee ther-inne, |
2004 | Ne shalt thou never cunne ginne |
2005 | To come in-to hit, out of doute, |
2006 | So faste hit whirleth, lo, aboute. |
2007 | But sith that Ioves, of his grace, |
2008 | As I have seyd, wol thee solace |
2009 | Fynally with swiche thinges, |
2010 | Uncouthe sightes and tydinges, |
2011 | To passe with thyn hevinesse; |
2012 | Suche routhe hath he of thy distresse, |
2013 | That thou suffrest debonairly -- |
2014 | And wost thy-selven utterly |
2015 | Disesperat of alle blis, |
2016 | Sith that Fortune hath maad a-mis |
2017 | The fruit of al thyn hertes reste |
2018 | Languisshe and eek in point to breste -- |
2019 | That he, through his mighty meryte, |
2020 | Wol do thee ese, al be hit lyte, |
2021 | And yaf expres commaundement, |
2022 | To whiche I am obedient, |
2023 | To furthre thee with al my might, |
2024 | And wisse and teche thee aright |
2025 | Wher thou maist most tydinges here; |
2026 | Shaltow anoon heer many oon lere.' |
2027 | With this worde he, right anoon, |
2028 | Hente me up bitwene his toon, |
2029 | And at a windowe in me broghte, |
2030 | That in this hous was, as me thoghte -- |
2031 | And ther-withal, me thoughte hit stente, |
2032 | And no-thing hit aboute wente -- |
2033 | And me sette in the flore adoun. |
2034 | But which a congregacioun |
2035 | Of folk, as I saugh rome aboute |
2036 | Some within and some withoute, |
2037 | Nas never seen, ne shal ben eft; |
2038 | That, certes, in the world nis left |
2039 | So many formed by Nature, |
2040 | Ne deed so many a creature; |
2041 | That wel unnethe, in that place, |
2042 | Hadde I oon foot-brede of space; |
2043 | And every wight that I saugh there |
2044 | Rouned ech in others ere |
2045 | A newe tyding prevely, |
2046 | Or elles tolde al openly |
2047 | Right thus, and seyde: 'Nost not thou |
2048 | That is betid, lo, late or now?' |
2049 | 'No,' quod the other, 'tel me what;' -- |
2050 | And than he tolde him this and that, |
2051 | And swoor ther-to that hit was sooth -- |
2052 | 'Thus hath he seyd,'-- and 'Thus he dooth' -- |
2053 | 'Thus shal hit be,' -- 'Thus herde I seye' -- |
2054 | 'That shal he found' -- 'That dar I leye:' -- |
2055 | That al the folk that is a-lyve |
2056 | Ne han the cunning to discryve |
2057 | The thinges that I herde there, |
2058 | What aloude, and what in ere. |
2059 | But al the wonder-most was this: -- |
2060 | Whan oon had herd a thing, y-wis, |
2061 | He com forth to another wight, |
2062 | And gan him tellen, anoon-right, |
2063 | The same that to him was told, |
2064 | Or hit a furlong-way was old, |
2065 | But gan somwhat for to eche |
2066 | To this tyding in this speche |
2067 | More than hit ever was. |
2068 | And nat so sone departed nas |
2069 | That he fro him, that he ne mette |
2070 | With the thridde; and, or he lette |
2071 | Any stounde, he tolde him als; |
2072 | Were the tyding sooth or fals, |
2073 | Yit wolde he telle hit nathelees, |
2074 | And evermo with more encrees |
2075 | Than hit was erst. Thus north and southe |
2076 | Went every word fro mouth to mouthe, |
2077 | And that encresing ever-mo, |
2078 | As fyr is wont to quikke and go |
2079 | From a sparke spronge amis, |
2080 | Til al a citee brent up is. |
2081 | And whan that was ful y-spronge, |
2082 | And woxen more on every tonge |
2083 | Than ever hit was, hit wente anoon |
2084 | Up to a windowe, out to goon; |
2085 | Or, but hit mighte out ther pace, |
2086 | Hit gan out crepe at som crevace, |
2087 | And fleigh forth faste for the nones. |
2088 | And somtyme saugh I tho, at ones, |
2089 | A lesing and a sad soth-sawe, |
2090 | That gonne of aventure drawe |
2091 | Out at a windowe for to pace; |
2092 | And, when they metten in that place, |
2093 | They were a-chekked bothe two, |
2094 | And neither of hem moste out go; |
2095 | For other so they gonne croude, |
2096 | Til eche of hem gan cryen loude, |
2097 | 'Lat me go first!' -- 'Nay, but let me! |
2098 | And here I wol ensuren thee |
2099 | With the nones that thou wolt do so, |
2100 | That I shal never fro thee go, |
2101 | But be thyn owne sworen brother! |
2102 | We wil medle us ech with other, |
2103 | That no man, be he never so wrothe, |
2104 | Shal han that oon of two, but bothe |
2105 | At ones, al beside his leve, |
2106 | Come we a-morwe or on eve, |
2107 | Be we cryed or stille y-rouned.' |
2108 | Thus saugh I fals and sooth compouned |
2109 | Togeder flee for oo tydinge. |
2110 | Thus out at holes gonne wringe |
2111 | Every tyding streight to Fame; |
2112 | And she gan yeven eche his name, |
2113 | After hir disposicioun, |
2114 | And yaf hem eek duracioun, |
2115 | Some to wexe and wane sone, |
2116 | As dooth the faire, whyte mone, |
2117 | And leet hem gon. Ther might I seen |
2118 | Wenged wondres faste fleen, |
2119 | Twenty thousand in a route, |
2120 | As Eolus hem blew aboute. |
2121 | And, lord! this hous, in alle tymes, |
2122 | Was ful of shipmen and pilgrymes, |
2123 | With scrippes bret-ful of lesinges, |
2124 | Entremedled with tydinges, |
2125 | And eek alone by hem-selve. |
2126 | O, many a thousand tymes twelve |
2127 | Saugh I eek of these pardoneres, |
2128 | Currours, and eek messangeres, |
2129 | With boistes crammed ful of lyes |
2130 | As ever vessel was with lyes. |
2131 | And as I alther-fastest wente |
2132 | Aboute, and dide al myn entente |
2133 | Me for to pleye and for to lere, |
2134 | And eek a tyding for to here, |
2135 | That I had herd of som contree |
2136 | That shal not now be told for me; -- |
2137 | For hit no nede is, redely; |
2138 | Folk can singe hit bet than I; |
2139 | For al mot out, other late or rathe, |
2140 | Alle the sheves in the lathe; -- |
2141 | I herde a gret noise withalle |
2142 | In a corner of the halle, |
2143 | Ther men of love tydings tolde, |
2144 | And I gan thiderward beholde; |
2145 | For I saugh renninge every wight, |
2146 | As faste as that they hadden might; |
2147 | And everich cryed, 'What thing is that?' |
2148 | And som seyde, 'I not never what,' |
2149 | And whan they were alle on an hepe, |
2150 | Tho behinde gonne up lepe, |
2151 | And clamben up on othere faste, |
2152 | And up the nose and hye caste, |
2153 | And troden faste on othere heles, |
2154 | And stampe, as men don after eles. |
2155 | Atte laste I saugh a man, |
2156 | Which that I nevene naught ne can; |
2157 | But he semed for to be |
2158 | A man of greet auctoritee... |
[The work is unfinished.]
[The] end of "The House of Fame"
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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