475

Tho' shryghte this faucon yet more pitously
Than ever she dide, and fil to grounde anon,
And lyth aswowne,' deed, and lyk a stoon,
Til Canacee hath in hir lappe hir take
Un-to the tyme she gan of swough awake.
And, after that she of hir swoughgan breyde,'
Ryght in hir haukes ledene 10 thus she seyde:
"That pitee renneth " sone in gentil herte,
Feling his similitude in peynes smerte,
Is preved" al-day,13 as men may it see,
As wel by werk as by auctoritee;
For gentil herte kytheth" gentillesse.

I se wel, that ye han of my distresse
Compassion, my faire Canacee,
Of verray wommanly benignitee

19

480

485

490

That Nature in your principles hath set.
But for non hope for to fare the bet,15
But for to obeye un-to your herte free,
And for to maken other be war 16 by me,
As by the whelp chasted 17 is the leoun,
Ryght for that cause and that conclusioun,18
Whyl that I have a leyser 10 and a space,
Myn harm I wol confessen, er I pace." 20
And ever, whyl that oon " hir sorwe tolde,
That other" weep, as 23 she to water wolde,"
Til that the faucon bad hir to be stille;
And, with a syk,25 ryght thus she seyde hir wille.
"Ther" I was bred, allas that harde day!
And fostred in a roche 27 of marbul gray
So tendrely, that nothing eyled me,
I niste 28 nat what was adversitee,

Til I coude flee ful hye under the sky.
Tho dwelte a tercelet 20 me faste by,
That semed welle of alle gentillesse;
Al 30 were he ful of treson and falsnesse,
It was so wrapped under humble chere,
And under hewe" of trewthe in swich manere,
Under plesance, and under bisy peyne,
That I ne coude han wend 32 he coude feyne,
So depe in greyn he dyed his coloures.
Ryght as a serpent hit 3 him under floures
Til he may sen his tyme for to byte,
Ryght so this god of love, this ypocryte,
Doth so his cerimonies and obeisances,

495

500

520

5

525

And kepeth in semblant alle his observances
That sowneth in-to' gentillesse of love.
As in a toumbe is al the faire above,
And under is the corps, swich as ye wot,'
Swich was this ypocrite, both cold and hot,
And in this wyse he served his entente,
That (save the feend) non wiste3 what he mente.
Til he so longe had wopen and compleyned,
And many a yeer his service to me feyned,
Til that myn herte, to pitous and to nyce,
Al innocent of his corouned malice,
For-fered of his deth, as thoughte me,
Upon his othes and his seuretee,
Graunted him love, on this condicioun,
That evermore myn honour and renoun
Were saved, bothe privee and apert;
This is to seyn, that, after his desert,
I yaf' him al myn herte and al my thought
God wot and he, that otherwyse nought-
And took his herte in chaunge for myn for ay.
"But sooth is seyd gon sithen many a day, 536
'A trew wyght 10 and a theef thenken nat oon.'
And, whan he sey" the thing so fer ygon,
That I had graunted him fully my love,
In swich a gyse 12 as I have seyd above,
And yiven 13 him my trewe herte, as fre
As he swoor that he yaf' his herte to me;

Anon this tygre, ful of doublenesse,

6

530

540

Fil on his knees with so devout humblesse,
With so hey reverence, and, as by his chere," 545
So lyk a gentil lovere of manere,

505

So ravisshed, as it semed, for the joye,
That never Jason, ne Paris of Troye,—
Jason? certes, ne non other man,
Sin 15 Lameth was, that alderfirst 16 bigan
To loven two, as wryten folk biforn,
Ne never, sin 15 the firste man was born,
Ne coude man, by twenty thousand part,
Countrefete the sophimes of his art;
Ne were worthy unbokele his galoche,
Ther doublenesse or feyning sholde approche,
Ne so coude thanke a wyght as he did me!
His maner was an heven for to see

550

555

enough heal then fell • started 10 language 13 constantly 14 makes known, shows 16 cautious 17 chastised 18 end 19 leisure

21 the one 22 the other 23 as if 24 would turn pass 25 sigh 25 where 27 rock 28 knew not 29 male falcon 30 although 31 color 32 thought 33 hides

1 belong to 2 know privately and publicly 10 honest man 11 16 first of all

15 since

19 small 20 if I knew it

19

17 to 18 combed, made up

590

I knowe what is the peyne of deth ther-by;
Swich harm I felte for he ne myghte bileve."
So on a day of me he took his leve,
So sorwefully eek, that I wende 10 verraily
That he had felt as muche harm as I,
Whan that I herde him speke, and sey " his hewe.
But natheles, I thoughte he was so trewe,
And eek that he repaire 12 sholde ageyn
With-inne a litel whyle, soth to seyn;
And reson wolde eek that he moste go
For his honour, as ofte it happeth so,
That I made vertu of necessitee,
And took it wel, sin 13 that it moste be.

585

602

606

As I best myghte, I hidde fro him my sorwe, 595
And took him by the hond, Seint John to borwe,"
And seyde him thus: 'Lo, I am youres al;
Beth 5 swich as I to yow have ben, and shal.'
What he answerde it nedeth nat reherse,
Who can seyn bet 16 than he, who can do werse?
Whan he hath al wel seyd, thanne hath he doon.
"Therfor bihoveth him a ful long spoon
That shal ete with a feend,' thus herde I seye.
So atte laste he moste 17 forth his weye,
And forth he fleeth,18 til he cam ther him leste.10
Whan it cam him to purpos for to reste,
I trowe he hadde thilke 20 text in mynde,
That 'alle thing, repeiring to his kynde,21
Gladeth him-self;' thus seyn men, as I gesse.
Men loven of propre kynde 22 newfangelnesse,23
As briddes doon that men in cages fede;
For though thou nyght and day take of hem hede,
And strawe hir cage faire and softe as silk,
And yive "hem sugre, hony, breed and milk,
Yet ryght anon, as that his dore is uppe,
He with his feet wol spurne adoun his cuppe,
And to the wode he wol 25 and wormes ete;

611

615

14

11

In signe of trewthe that is in wommen sene. 645
And al with-oute, the mewe " is peynted grene,
In which were peynted alle thise false foules,
As beth thise tidifs, 13 tercelets, and oules;
And pyes, on hem for to crye and chyde,
Ryght for despyt were peynted hem bisyde. 650
Thus lete 15 I Canacee hir hauk keping;
I wol namore as now 16 speke of hir ring,
Til it come eft to purpos for to seyn
How that this faucon gat hir love ageyn
Repentant, as the storie telleth us,
By mediacion of Cambalus,

The kinges sone, of which that I yow tolde.
But hennes-forth 17 I wol my proces holde
To speke of aventures and of batailles,
That never yet was herd so grete mervailles.
First wol I telle yow of Cambyuskan,
That in his tyme many a citee wan;
And after wol I speke of Algarsyf,

655

661

7 de

1 far 2 gone fell dear dearer no more remain 10 thought 8 12 return 16 better 13 since 14 St. John as my security 15 be 17 must go

18 flies 19 where he pleased

20 that

21 nature 22 their own nature 23 novelty 24 give 25 will go

16

690

As that ye ben! Fy on possessioun But-if a man be vertuous with-al. I have my sone snibbed,10 and yet shal, For he to vertu listeth" nat entende; But for to pleye at dees,12 and to dispende, And lese 1al that he hath, is his usage." And he hath lever talken with a page Than to comune with any gentil wyght Ther 15 he myghte lerne gentillesse aryght." "Straw for your gentillesse," quod our host; 695 "What, frankeleyn? parde, sir, wel thou wost That eche of yow mot tellen atte leste 17 A tale or two, or breken his biheste," 18 "That knowe I wel, sir," quod the frankeleyn; "I preye yow, haveth me nat in disdeyn Though to this man I speke a word or two." "Tel on thy tale with-outen wordes mo." "Gladly, sir host," quod he, "I wol obeye Un-to your wil; now herkneth what I seye. I wol yow nat contrarien in no wyse As fer as that my wittes wol suffyse;

700

705

15

11

5

12

ΙΟ

Tempest 14 thee noght al croked to redresse,
In trust of hir that turneth as a bal;
Gret reste stant 16 in litel besinesse.
And eek be war 17
18
to sporne ageyn an al; 19
Strive noght, as doth the crokke 20 with the wal.
Daunte thy-self, that dauntest otheres dede;
And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.
That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse,"
The wrastling for this worlde axeth a fal.
Her nis non hom, her nis but wildernesse:
Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste," out of thy stal!
Know thy contree; lok up, thank God of al;
Hold the hye-wey,23 and lat thy gost " thee lede!
And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

ENVOY

15

21

Therfore, thou vache,25 leve thyn old wrecchednesse;
Unto the worlde leve now to be thral;
Crye Him mercy that 27 of His hy goodnesse
Made thee of noght, and in especial

1 storms have

crowd

25

2 overturned 3 above 4 little birds since 7 mate 8 truth insecurity 10 the 11 prosperity blinds everywhere 12 advise 13 doubt 14 disturb 15 i.e. Fortune 16 stands, resides 17 cautious 18 kick 19 awl 20 crock, earthen po 23 highway sp

21 willing obedience 25 COW 26 cease

22 beast

27 thank him who

24

LENVOY DE CHAUCER

O conquerour of Brutes Albioun !
Which that by lyne and free eleccioun
Ben1 verray king, this song to you I sende;
And ye, that mowen' al myn harm amende,
Have mynde up-on my supplicacioun !

MORAL BALADE OF CHAUCER The firste stok, fader of gentilesseWhat man that claymeth gentil for to be, Must folowe his trace, and all his wittes dresse Vertu to sewe, and vyces for to flee.

For unto vertu longeth dignitee,

And noght the revers, saufly dar I deme,"
Al were he mytre, crowne, or diademe.
This firste stok was ful of rightwisnesse,
Trewe of his word, sobre, pitous, and free,
Clene of his goste,' and loved besinesse,
Ageinst the vyce of slouthe, in honestee;
And, but his heir love vertu, as dide he,
He is noght gentil, thogh he riche seme,
Al were he mytre, crowne, or diademe.

8

Vyce may wel be heir to old richesse;
But ther may no man, as men may wel see,
Bequethe his heir his vertuous noblesse;
That is appropred unto no degree,

1 are

20

But to the Firste Fader in Magestee,
That maketh him his heir, that can him queme,
Al were he mytre, crowne, or diademe.

2 may 3 stock, stem think though he wear spirit

25

14

9

21