Thus-gat Gemis that was wise

Wan the maystri by quaintìse.

"The maysters of Rome and buriayse Said he was worthi to prayse,

And none so worthy als he
Emperoure of Rome to be:

And right so, by thaire aller dome,
Thai made him emperoure of Rome.

"Sir, thus sall thi maisters wise
Decayue the with thaire quayntìse;
And thou mun be ful fayn may fall
On knese for to serue tham all.
I prai to God it might be so
If thou more traystes tham vnto,
For thai er nothing els obout,.
Bot to make thè thaire vnderlout:
That sal men se ful sone, I trow,
And thiself sal noght wit how,
Vntil thou lose al thine hondwre,
And sum of tham be emperoure.
Yit war me leuer that thai so ware
Than thi son that greues me sare."

"

Thus, when the emperoure herd hir speke,
He said als swith he sold hir wreke;
And alsone sold his sone be slayn.
Sho thanked him and was ful fayn.

2830

2840

Than out of chamber gan thai pas.-
Thus hir tale endid sho has.

The emperoure than went to hall;
His turmentowres son gert he call:
He bad thai sold let for no thing,
His son with scowrges for to dyng;
And when that thai had so-gates done
He bad he sold be honged sone;
"So that I namore him se,

For mekil meneyng makes he me."

The childe than out of the toun thai led,
So for-beten that he bled;

And right als thai went with him thus,
So com maister Maxencius.

He sese his scolere him bisyde:
He prays the folk a while to byde.
A while thai hight to dwel thare still.

The toun ful fast he hies him till.

He come bifore the
emperoure,
And hailsed him with grete honowre.
He sayd: "Sir, thou ert hy-iustìse:
The aght wele to be war and wise.
Methink thou wirkis, to thi reproue,
Onence thi son that thou sold loue :
For a day wiltou be his frende,
Another day thou wilt him shende ;
Al day mai men turn thi mode;
So fares foles that can no gode,

2850

2860

2870

And namly thai that dose thaire dede,
Als wikked wemen wil tham rede.
Thou trowes ouerwele thi wiues tale
That es obout to brew the bale.
If thi son til to morn may lif,

For nankins gode thou wald him gif;
And if thou, by thi wiues rede,

Ger do thi son to euil dede,
Swilk a chance mot fal to the

Als did ane erl of this cuntrè;

2880

"Sir, sayd the maister, so ertow;
For thi whif tales wil thou trow
Better than any other rede;
And sho wald ger thi son be ded.
And, if he haue this day respite,
Tomorn he sal himseluen quite :
Than sal thou thiseluen se

Wha haue the wrang, thi wife or he."

2900

The emperoure said, "Sir, for sertayn,

That wald I here and that ful fayn:

Tharfore, maister, I thè pray,

That ilk tale to me thou say

Of that erl that thou of talde;

And, sir, he said, thou mai be balde
That this day sal my son noght dy.
The mayster sayd: "Sir, gramercy!"

THE XIV. TALE.

THE TWO DREAMS.

"LORD, said the maister, this es no ly:

In the kingdom of Hungery

Wond a nobil knight whylom;

A rightwis man and whise of dome.
He dremyd thus opon a nyght
That he lufed a lady bryght;
Bot he ne wist in what contrè

That the lady might funden be:
Him thoght he knew hir wele bi kinde,
And wele he hopid he sold hir finde.
That same time dremyd that ladi bright,
And thoght that sho sold luf a knight ;
Bot sho wist noght of what land,
Ne in whate stede he was dweland.

2910

2920

Ne his name knew she na thing;
Tharfore made sho grete murnyng.
Opon the morn, the stori sayse,
The knight toke horses and hernays,
And went to seke that lady bright,
That him dremyd of that nyght.
That iornay vnto him was hard,
For he wist noght whederward

That he sold tak the redy way;
Tharfore he drowped night and day.
So he traueld monethes thre,

And no signe of hyr kowth he se,
Bot wele in hert he hoped ay

That he sold hir se sum day.

"So fer the knyght his way had nomen, That into Hungeri he cumen;

2930