No More Learning

F. there;
lustely. 38. F. Bounte. 39. F. beaute; iolyte. 40. F. honeste. 41. F.
Wisdome. F. B. estaat; _rest_ estate; Ten Brink _rightly supplies_ and
_after_ Estat (_sic_). F. drede. 43. Ha. hadde; Sh. hade; _rest_ had. F.
honde. 44. Sh. Ha. For; _rest omit_. F. pittee. 45. F. when. F. fonde. 46.
Sh. wolden; F. wolde. 47. F. helpe; helde. Sh. Ha. compleynt; T. cause;
_rest_ pleynte _or_ pleynt.

48. F. folke. F. withoute; B. without; Ha. withouten. 49. F. pitee. Ha.
may; Sh. ne may; _rest_ ther may. 50. Sh. Ha. ? anne leve I alle ? ees
vertues sauf pitee; F. B. Then leve we al vertues save oonly pite; Tn. Ff.
T. Then leueall vertues save onely pite. 51. F. Kepynge; herde. 52. F.
Cofedered (_sic_). Sh. alle by bonde of (Ha. _om. _ alle); F. Tn. B. Ff. by
bonde and by; T. by bound and. 53. Sh. that; _rest_ when. 54. F. complaynt.
55. F. Foes; Tn. foos. 57. F. highest. 59. F. youre rialle. 60. F. Youre;
durst. 61. Sh. whiche he is Inne falle; _rest_ in which he is falle: Thynne
_has_ yfal; _read_ y-falle. 62. F. oonly. 64. _The_ MSS. _insert_ that
_after_ thus, _except_ Sh. _and_ Ha. Sh. contraire; _rest_ contrary. 65.
Sh. ageynst; F. ayenst. 66. F. beaute. 67. _The_ MSS. _omit_ ne. F. shulde.
68. F. bounte. 69. Sh. nowe; _which the rest omit_. 70. Sh. heghte (_for_
highte); Ha. hight; Tn. is hye; F. B. T. is hygh. F. beaute apertenent.
_The_ MSS. (_except_ Sh. _and_ Ha. ) _insert_ your _after_ to.

71. F. kyndely; youre. 72. _Most_ MSS. be; Ha. been; _read_ been (_and in_
l. 75). 73. F. verrely; youre. 75. F. beaute. 76. Tn. Ff. Ha. wante; _rest_
want; _read_ wanten. F. these tweyn. 77. F. worlde. _For_ nis, _all have_
is. F. seyn. 78. F. Eke. 79. F. yow. 82. F. Wherfore. 86. F. fordoo. Sh.
than; _rest omit_. 87. F. wete well; _rest omit_ well; Tn. wyte. 88. F. Tn.
B. Ff. T.
_insert_ euer _after_ that, _which_ Sh. _rightly omits_. Sh. Ha.
shoulde be; _rest_ is falle. 89. Sh. thanne; _rest_ also. F. youre. 90. F.
youre. 91. Sh. sechen to; B. sekyn to; Tn. Ff. T. seken; F. speken to
(_for_ seken to). 92. Tn. F. B. Ff. herenus; T. herem_us_; Sh. vertuouse
(! ). 93. F. yow; tendirly. 94. B. som; F. som_m_e. F. streme. Sh. Ha.
youre; _which the rest omit_. 95. Sh. ay; _rest_ euer. Sh. Ha. _om. _ the.
96. F. sothely. Sh. the hevy sore; Ha. the sore; _rest_ so sore (_which
gives no sense_).

97. F. kunnynge. 98. F. goddis. 100. F. lyke. 101. F. Sh. setteth; Ha. set;
_rest_ settith; _see_ note. F. hert. 102. F. Eke. F. sydes; _rest_ side,
syde. F. where so; goo. 103. Sh. Ha. we; _rest insert_ my _before_ wo. 104.
F. vnsoghte. 105. _All omit_ ne; _see_ note. 107. F. woo. 109. F. wote. Sh.
al-? aughe; _rest_ though, thogh. 110. F. B. where; _rest_ whether. 111.
_All but_ Sh. _and_ Ha. _needlessly insert_ yet _before_ my. 114. F. soo;
_rest_ foo, fo. 115. F. spirite. 116. F. youre; eny. 117. B. yet (_sic_) be
ded; F. Tn. Ff. T. ye be yet ded (_which will not scan_); Sh. Ha. _have a
diferent line_--Now pitee ? at I haue sought so yoore agoo.

* * * * *

III. THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESSE.

_The Proem. _

I have gret wonder, by this lighte,
How that I live, for day ne nighte
I may nat slepe wel nigh noght;
I have so many an ydel thoght
Purely for defaute of slepe, 5
That, by my trouthe, I take kepe
Of no-thing, how hit cometh or goth,
Ne me nis no-thing leef nor loth.
Al is y-liche good to me--
Ioye or sorowe, wherso hit be-- 10
For I have feling in no-thing,
But, as it were, a mased thing,
Alway in point to falle a-doun;
For [sory] imaginacioun
Is alway hoolly in my minde. 15
And wel ye wite, agaynes kinde
Hit were to liven in this wyse;
For nature wolde nat suffyse
To noon erthely creature
Not longe tyme to endure 20
Withoute slepe, and been in sorwe;
And I ne may, ne night ne morwe,
Slepe; and thus melancolye,
And dreed I have for to dye,
Defaute of slepe, and hevinesse 25
Hath sleyn my spirit of quiknesse,
That I have lost al lustihede.
Suche fantasyes ben in myn hede
So I not what is best to do.
But men mighte axe me, why so 30
I may not slepe, and what me is?
But natheles, who aske this
Leseth his asking trewely.
My-selven can not telle why
The sooth; but trewely, as I gesse, 35
I holde hit be a siknesse
That I have suffred this eight yere,
And yet my bote is never the nere;
For ther is phisicien but oon,
That may me hele; but that is doon. 40
Passe we over until eft;
That wil not be, moot nede be left;
Our first matere is good to kepe.
So whan I saw I might not slepe,
Til now late, this other night, 45
Upon my bedde I sat upright,
And bad oon reche me a book,
A romaunce, and he hit me took
To rede and dryve the night away;
For me thoghte it better play 50
Then playen either at chesse or tables.
And in this boke were writen fables
That clerkes hadde, in olde tyme,
And other poets, put in ryme
To rede, and for to be in minde 55
Whyl men loved the lawe of kinde.
This book ne spak but of such thinges,
Of quenes lyves, and of kinges,
And many othere thinges smale.
Amonge al this I fond a tale 60
That me thoughte a wonder thing.
This was the tale: Ther was a king
That highte Seys, and hadde a wyf,
The beste that mighte bere lyf;
And this quene highte Alcyone. 65
So hit befel, therafter sone,
This king wolde wenden over see.
To tellen shortly, whan that he
Was in the see, thus in this wyse,
Soche a tempest gan to ryse 70
That brak hir mast, and made it falle,
And clefte hir ship, and dreinte hem alle,
That never was founden, as it telles,
Bord ne man, ne nothing elles.
Right thus this king Seys loste his lyf. 75
Now for to speken of his wyf:--
This lady, that was left at home,
Hath wonder, that the king ne come
Hoom, for hit was a longe terme.
Anon her herte gan to erme; 80
And for that hir thoughte evermo
Hit was not wel [he dwelte] so,
She longed so after the king
That certes, hit were a pitous thing
To telle hir hertely sorwful lyf 85
That hadde, alas! this noble wyf;
For him she loved alderbest.
Anon she sente bothe eest and west
To seke him, but they founde nought.
'Alas! ' quoth she, 'that I was wrought! 90
And wher my lord, my love, be deed?
Certes, I nil never ete breed,
I make a-vowe to my god here,
But I mowe of my lorde here! '
Such sorwe this lady to her took 95
That trewely I, which made this book,
Had swich pite and swich rowthe
To rede hir sorwe, that, by my trowthe,
I ferde the worse al the morwe
After, to thenken on her sorwe. 100
So whan [she] coude here no word
That no man mighte fynde hir lord,
Ful oft she swouned, and seide 'alas! '
For sorwe ful nigh wood she was,
Ne she coude no reed but oon; 105
But doun on knees she sat anoon,
And weep, that pite was to here.
'A! mercy! swete lady dere! '
Quod she to Iuno, hir goddesse;
'Help me out of this distresse, 110
And yeve me grace my lord to see
Sone, or wite wher-so he be,
Or how he fareth, or in what wyse,
And I shal make you sacrifyse,
And hoolly youres become I shal 115
With good wil, body, herte, and al;
And but thou wilt this, lady swete,
Send me grace to slepe, and mete
In my slepe som certeyn sweven,
Wher-through that I may knowen even 120
Whether my lord be quik or deed. '
With that word she heng doun the heed,
And fil a-swown as cold as ston;
Hir women caughte her up anon,
And broghten hir in bed al naked, 125
And she, forweped and forwaked,
Was wery, and thus the dede sleep
Fil on her, or she toke keep,
Through Iuno, that had herd hir bone,
That made hir [for] to slepe sone; 130
For as she prayde, so was don,
In dede; for Iuno, right anon,
Called thus her messagere
To do her erande, and he com nere.
Whan he was come, she bad him thus: 135
Go bet,' quod Iuno, 'to Morpheus,
Thou knowest him wel, the god of sleep;
Now understond wel, and tak keep.
Sey thus on my halfe, that he
Go faste into the grete see, 140
And bid him that, on alle thing,
He take up Seys body the king,
That lyth ful pale and no-thing rody.
Bid him crepe into the body,
Aud do it goon to Alcyone 145
The quene, ther she lyth alone,
And shewe hir shortly, hit is no nay,
How hit was dreynt this other day;
And do the body speke so
Right as hit was wont to do, 150
The whyles that hit was on lyve.
Go now faste, and hy thee blyve! '
This messager took leve and wente
Upon his wey, and never ne stente
Til he com to the derke valeye 155
That stant bytwene roches tweye
Ther never yet grew corn ne gras,
Ne tree, ne nothing that ought was,
Beste, ne man, ne nothing elles,
Save ther were a fewe welles 160
Came renning fro the cliffes adoun,
That made a deedly sleping soun,
And ronnen doun right by a cave
That was under a rokke y-grave
Amid the valey, wonder depe. 165
Ther thise goddes laye and slepe,
Morpheus, and Eclympasteyre,
That was the god of slepes heyre,
That slepe and did non other werk.
This cave was also as derk 170
As helle pit over-al aboute;
They had good leyser for to route
To envye, who might slepe beste;
Some henge hir chin upon hir breste
And slepe upright, hir heed y-hed, 175
And some laye naked in hir bed,
And slepe whyles the dayes laste.
This messager com flying faste,
And cryed, 'O ho! awak anon! '
Hit was for noght; ther herde him non. 180
Awak! ' quod he, 'who is, lyth there? '
And blew his horn right in hir ere,
And cryed 'awaketh! ' wonder hye.
This god of slepe, with his oon ye
Cast up, axed, 'who clepeth there? ' 185
Hit am I,' quod this messagere;
Iuno bad thou shuldest goon'--
And tolde him what he shulde doon
As I have told yow here-tofore;
Hit is no need reherse hit more; 190
And wente his wey, whan he had sayd.
Anon this god of slepe a-brayd
Out of his slepe, and gan to goon,
And did as he had bede him doon;
Took up the dreynte body sone, 195
And bar hit forth to Alcyone,
His wyf the quene, ther-as she lay,
Right even a quarter before day,
And stood right at hir beddes fete,
And called hir, right as she hete, 200
By name, and seyde, 'my swete wyf,
Awak! let be your sorwful lyf!
For in your sorwe ther lyth no reed;
For certes, swete, I nam but deed;
Ye shul me never on lyve y-see. 205
But good swete herte, [look] that ye
Bury my body, [at whiche] a tyde
Ye mowe hit finde the see besyde;
And far-wel, swete, my worldes blisse!
I praye god your sorwe lisse; 210
To litel whyl our blisse lasteth! '
With that hir eyen up she casteth,
And saw noght; '[A]! ' quod she, 'for sorwe! '
And deyed within the thridde morwe.
But what she sayde more in that swow 215
I may not telle yow as now,
Hit were to longe for to dwelle;
My first matere I wil yow telle,
Wherfor I have told this thing
Of Alcione and Seys the king. 220
For thus moche dar I saye wel,
I had be dolven everydel,
And deed, right through defaute of sleep,
If I nad red and taken keep
Of this tale next before: 225
And I wol telle yow wherfore;
For I ne might, for bote ne bale,
Slepe, or I had red this tale
Of this dreynte Seys the king,
And of the goddes of sleping. 230
Whan I had red this tale wel,
And over-loked hit everydel,
Me thoughte wonder if hit were so;
For I had never herd speke, or tho,
Of no goddes that coude make 235
Men [for] to slepe, ne for to wake;
For I ne knew never god but oon.
And in my game I sayde anoon--
And yet me list right evel to pleye--
'Rather then that I shulde deye 240
Through defaute of sleping thus,
I wolde yive thilke Morpheus,
Or his goddesse, dame Iuno,
Or som wight elles, I ne roghte who--
To make me slepe and have som reste-- 245
I wil yive him the alder-beste
Yift that ever he abood his lyve,
And here on warde, right now, as blyve;
If he wol make me slepe a lyte,
Of downe of pure dowves whyte 250
I wil yive him a fether-bed,
Rayed with golde, and right wel cled
In fyn blak satin doutremere,
And many a pilow, and every bere
Of clothe of Reynes, to slepe softe; 255
Him thar not nede to turnen ofte.
And I wol yive him al that falles
To a chambre; and al his halles
I wol do peynte with pure golde,
And tapite hem ful many folde 260
Of oo sute; this shal he have,
If I wiste wher were his cave,
If he can make me slepe sone,
As did the goddesse Alcione.
And thus this ilke god, Morpheus, 265
May winne of me mo fees thus
Than ever he wan; and to Iuno,
That is his goddesse, I shal so do,
I trow that she shal holde her payd. '
I hadde unneth that word y-sayd 270
Right thus as I have told hit yow,
That sodeynly, I niste how,
Swich a lust anoon me took
To slepe, that right upon my book
I fil aslepe, and therwith even 275
Me mette so inly swete a sweven,
So wonderful, that never yit
I trowe no man hadde the wit
To conne wel my sweven rede;
No, not Ioseph, withoute drede, 280
Of Egipte, he that redde so
The kinges meting Pharao,
No more than coude the leste of us;
Ne nat scarsly Macrobeus,
(He that wroot al thavisioun 285
That he mette, king Scipioun,
The noble man, the Affrican--
Swiche mervayles fortuned than)
I trowe, a-rede my dremes even.
Lo, thus hit was, this was my sweven. 290

_The Dream. _

Me thoughte thus:--that hit was May,
And in the dawning ther I lay,
Me mette thus, in my bed al naked:--
[I] loked forth, for I was waked
With smale foules a gret hepe, 295
That had affrayed me out of slepe
Through noyse and swetnesse of hir song;
And, as me mette, they sate among,
Upon my chambre-roof withoute,
Upon the tyles, al a-boute, 300
And songen, everich in his wyse,
The moste solempne servyse
By note, that ever man, I trowe,
Had herd; for som of hem song lowe,
Som hye, and al of oon acorde. 305
To telle shortly, at oo worde,
Was never y-herd so swete a steven,
But hit had be a thing of heven;--
So mery a soun, so swete entunes,
That certes, for the toune of Tewnes, 310
I nolde but I had herd hem singe,
For al my chambre gan to ringe
Through singing of hir armonye.
For instrument nor melodye
Was nowher herd yet half so swete, 315
Nor of acorde half so mete;
For ther was noon of hem that feyned
To singe, for ech of hem him peyned
To finde out mery crafty notes;
They ne spared not hir throtes. 320
And, sooth to seyn, my chambre was
Ful wel depeynted, and with glas
Were al the windowes wel y-glased,
Ful clere, and nat an hole y-crased,
That to beholde hit was gret Ioye. 325
For hoolly al the storie of Troye
Was in the glasing y-wroght thus,
Of Ector and king Priamus,
Of Achilles and Lamedon,
Of Medea and of Iason, 330
Of Paris, Eleyne, and Lavyne.
And alle the walles with colours fyne
Were peynted, bothe text and glose,
[Of] al the Romaunce of the Rose.
My windowes weren shet echon, 335
And through the glas the sunne shon
Upon my bed with brighte bemes,
With many glade gilden stremes;
And eek the welken was so fair,
Blew, bright, clere was the air, 340
And ful atempre, for sothe, hit was;
For nother cold nor hoot hit nas,
Ne in al the welken was a cloude.
And as I lay thus, wonder loude
Me thoughte I herde an hunte blowe 345
Tassaye his horn, and for to knowe
Whether hit were clere or hors of soune.
I herde goinge, up and doune,
Men, hors, houndes, and other thing;
And al men speken of hunting, 350
How they wolde slee the hert with strengthe,
And how the hert had, upon lengthe,
So moche embosed, I not now what.
Anon-right, whan I herde that,
How that they wolde on hunting goon, 355
I was right glad, and up anoon;
[I] took my hors, and forth I wente
Out of my chambre; I never stente
Til I com to the feld withoute.