_Supply_
the, his, but, more, so.
Chaucer - Romuant of the Rose
herberest hem; Th.
herborest. 5111. G. profi[gh]t. 5116. thy] _Both_ the; F. _ton_. 5117.
_Both_ by thought; F. _ta Ionesce_. 5124. Th. recouered.
5144. alway] G. ay; Th. aye. 5155. _Both_ That; F. _Lors_. 5162. (say =
assay? ) 5165. _I supply_ and been. 5166. _I supply_ love that. 5168. Th.
eyther; G. other. 5187. _I supply_ thee.
5223. _I supply_ Ne . . . hem. 5229. _Both_ oo state; _read_ oon estate;
_see_ 5400. 5234, 49, 53. _Supply_ but, hath, he.
5259. Th. in; G. of. 5261. G. dreded. 5271, 72, 82, 5314, 27. _Supply_ be,
is, him, it, if. 5277, 8. _Supply_ As. Th. requyred, fyred. _Perhaps om. _
the. 5283. his] _Both_ this. 5285. _Both_ vnyte. 5286. Th. Tullius; G.
Tulius. 5287. A man] _Both_ And. 5292. Th. causes; G. cause; _see_ 5301,
5523. 5301. G. caas; Th. case. 5304. _Both_ ought. 5325. G. amerous.
5330. Th. bydeth; G. bit. 5331, 48, 52, 53. _Supply_ This, it, with, It.
5335. _Both_ he; _read_ she; _see_ 5337, 5341. 5345. _Both_ Thurgh the; _I
omit_ the. 5356. Th. blacke; G. blak. 5360. _Both_ greueth so greueth.
5367. Th. fonde; G. fonned. 5375. _Both_ sothe. 5376. Th. his; G. this.
5379. _Both_ him silf (selfe) of. 5389. _Both_ kepen ay his; _see_ 5387.
5390. Th. eyne; G. iyen. 5393. G. alle hise lymes; Th. al his lymmes; _I
omit_ alle.
5399. Th. wate; G. wote. 5400, 1. _Both_ estate; ought to be. 5403. Th.
sithe; G. se. 5404. _Both_ hath. 5408. in] G. it; Th. _om. _ 5419, 20, 25,
27, 36. _Both_ hym (! ); F. _les_. 5425. G. glorie and veyne. 5431. _Both_
high. 5433. so] _Both_ to. 5446. G. _om. _ very. 5451. _I supply_ greet.
5452. Th. chere (_for_ there); G. cheer (! ). 5455. G. aftirward; Th.
afterwarde. 5463. _Both_ thus.
5465. Th. hem; G. men. 5470. Th. Of; G. Or with. 5478. _Read_ She sheweth,
by experience. 5485. _Both_ without. 5486. _Both_ affect; _see_ note. 5489.
Th. goddesse; G. goddes. 5491. _Both_ For al that yeueth here out of drede.
5493. Th. lette; G. late. 5503. Th. they; G. the. 5505. Th. yholpe; G. I
hope. 5510. G. feldfare. 5512. _I supply_ the.
5523, 42, 85, 86, 88.
_Supply_ the, his, but, more, so. 5544. _Both_
fablyng; F. _cheans_. 5546. _Both_ caste. 5555. _Both_ in; _read_ is. 5556.
_Both_ depe (_for_ do? ). 5569. Th. haue you to haue; G. ha yow to ha. 5577.
_Both_ perceyueth.
5590. G. mavis; Th. mauys. 5597. G. aument. 5598. it] _Both_ that. 5611,
38. G. not; Th. nat. 5612. G. hastly. 5617. _Both_ berne. 5627, 43.
_Supply_ it, the. 5633. Th. wyght; G. witte. G. honerous. 5640. Th. laste;
G. last. 5641. _Both_ take. 5649. G. Pictigoras; Th. Pythagoras.
5661. G. Boice. 5668. _Both_ rent; yeue. 5675. G. wynkith (! ). 5683. G.
fardeles. 5685. G. feyntith. 5686. G. disdeyntith. 5699. _Both_ where; F.
_guerre_. 5700. _I supply_ more; F. _plus_. 5701. _Both_ shal thogh he hath
geten (! ). 5713. _Both_ Thus is thurst.
5727. G. ther; Th. her (=hir). 5734. G. Yhe. 5740. G. phicicien; _read_
fysycien. 5741. G. fy; Th. fye (_for_ sy); _see_ note. 5742. G. _om. _ it.
5749, 51. _Supply_ ne, for. 5755. _Both_ shewing. 5761. _Supply_ it, _wh.
follows_ Himself _in_ 5762. 5763. _Both_ ofte. 5771. G. fast. 5781. _Both_
The; F. _Trois_.
5783. G. mych. 5788. _Both_ vnto. 5791. Th. these; G. this. 5793. G. goode.
FRAGMENT C.
Whan Love had told hem his entente,
The baronage to councel wente;
In many sentences they fille,
And dyversly they seide hir wille:
But aftir discord they accorded, 5815
And hir accord to Love recorded.
Sir,' seiden they, 'we been at oon,
By even accord of everichoon,
Out-take Richesse al-only,
That sworen hath ful hauteynly, 5820
That she the castel nil assaile,
Ne smyte a stroke in this bataile,
With dart, ne mace, spere, ne knyf,
For man that speketh or bereth the lyf,
And blameth your empryse, y-wis, 5825
And from our hoost departed is,
(At leeste wey, as in this plyte,)
So hath she this man in dispyte;
For she seith he ne loved hir never,
And therfor she wol hate him ever. 5830
For he wol gadre no tresore,
He hath hir wrath for evermore.
He agilte hir never in other caas,
Lo, here al hoolly his trespas!
She seith wel, that this other day 5835
He asked hir leve to goon the way
That is clepid To-moche-Yeving,
And spak ful faire in his praying;
But whan he prayde hir, pore was he,
Therfore she warned him the entree. 5840
Ne yit is he not thriven so
That he hath geten a peny or two,
That quitly is his owne in hold.
Thus hath Richesse us alle told;
And whan Richesse us this recorded, 5845
Withouten hir we been accorded.
'And we finde in our accordaunce,
That False-Semblant and Abstinaunce,
With alle the folk of hir bataile,
Shulle at the hinder gate assayle, 5850
That Wikkid-Tunge hath in keping,
With his Normans, fulle of langling.
And with hem Curtesie and Largesse,
That shulle shewe hir hardinesse
To the olde wyf that [kepeth] so harde 5855
Fair-Welcoming within her warde.
Than shal Delyte and Wel-Helinge
Fonde Shame adoun to bringe;
With al hir hoost, erly and late,
They shulle assailen [thilke] gate. 5860
Agaynes Drede shal Hardinesse
Assayle, and also Sikernesse,
With al the folk of hir leding,
That never wist what was fleing.
'Fraunchyse shal fighte, and eek Pitee, 5865
With Daunger ful of crueltee.
Thus is your hoost ordeyned wel;
Doun shal the castel every del,
If everiche do his entente,
So that Venus be presente, 5870
Your modir, ful of vassalage,
That can y-nough of such usage;
Withouten hir may no wight spede
This werk, neither for word ne dede.
Therfore is good ye for hir sende, 5875
For thurgh hir may this werk amende. '
_Amour. _ 'Lordinges, my modir, the goddesse,
That is my lady, and my maistresse,
Nis not [at] al at my willing,
Ne doth not al my desyring. 5880
Yit can she som-tyme doon labour,
Whan that hir lust, in my socour,
[Al my nedis] for to acheve,
But now I thenke hir not to greve.
My modir is she, and of childhede 5885
I bothe worshipe hir, and eek drede;
For who that dredith sire ne dame
Shal it abye in body or name.
And, natheles, yit cunne we
Sende aftir hir, if nede be; 5890
And were she nigh, she comen wolde,
I trowe that no-thing might hir holde.
'My modir is of greet prowesse;
She hath tan many a forteresse,
That cost hath many a pound er this, 5895
Ther I nas not present, y-wis;
And yit men seide it was my dede;
But I come never in that stede;
Ne me ne lykith, so mote I thee,
Such toures take withoute me. 5900
For-why me thenketh that, in no wyse,
It may ben cleped but marchandise.
'Go bye a courser, blak or whyte,
And pay therfor; than art thou quyte.
The marchaunt oweth thee right nought, 5905
Ne thou him, whan thou [hast] it bought.
I wol not selling clepe yeving,
For selling axeth no guerdoning;
Here lyth no thank, ne no meryte,
That oon goth from that other al quyte. 5910
But this selling is not semblable;
For, whan his hors is in the stable,
He may it selle ageyn, pardee,
And winne on it, such hap may be;
Al may the man not lese, y-wis, 5915
For at the leest the skin is his.
Or elles, if it so bityde
That he wol kepe his hors to ryde,
Yit is he lord ay of his hors.
But thilke chaffare is wel wors, 5920
There Venus entremeteth nought;
For who-so such chaffare hath bought,
He shal not worchen so wysly,
That he ne shal lese al outerly
Bothe his money and his chaffare; 5925
But the seller of the ware
The prys and profit have shal.
Certeyn, the byer shal lese al;
For he ne can so dere it bye
To have lordship and ful maistrye, 5930
Ne have power to make letting
Neither for yift ne for preching,
That of his chaffare, maugre his,
Another shal have as moche, y-wis,
If he wol yeve as moche as he, 5935
Of what contrey so that he be;
Or for right nought, so happe may,
If he can flater hir to hir pay.
Ben than suche marchaunts wyse?
No, but fooles in every wyse, 5940
Whan they bye such thing wilfully,
Ther-as they lese her good [fully].
But natheles, this dar I saye,
My modir is not wont to paye,
For she is neither so fool ne nyce, 5945
To entremete hir of sich vyce.
But truste wel, he shal paye al,
That repente of his bargeyn shal,
Whan Poverte put him in distresse,
Al were he scoler to Richesse, 5950
That is for me in gret yerning,
Whan she assenteth to my willing.
'But, [by] my modir seint Venus,
And by hir fader Saturnus,
That hir engendrid by his lyf, 5955
But not upon his weddid wyf!
Yit wol I more unto you swere,
To make this thing the seurere;
Now by that feith, and that leautee
I owe to alle my brethren free, 5960
Of which ther nis wight under heven
That can her fadris names neven,
So dyvers and so many ther be
That with my modir have be privee!
Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse, 5965
The pole of helle to my witnesse,
Now drinke I not this yeer clarree,
If that I lye, or forsworn be!
(For of the goddes the usage is,
That who-so him forswereth amis, 5970
Shal that yeer drinke no clarree).
Now have I sworn y-nough, pardee;
If I forswere me, than am I lorn,
But I wol never be forsworn.
Sith Richesse hath me failed here, 5975
She shal abye that trespas dere,
At leeste wey, but [she] hir arme
With swerd, or sparth, or gisarme.
For certes, sith she loveth not me,
Fro thilke tyme that she may see 5980
The castel and the tour to-shake,
In sory tyme she shal awake.
If I may grype a riche man,
I shal so pulle him, if I can,
That he shal, in a fewe stoundes, 5985
Lese alle his markes and his poundes.
I shal him make his pens outslinge,
But-[if] they in his gerner springe;
Our maydens shal eek plukke him so,
That him shal neden fetheres mo, 5990
And make him selle his lond to spende,
But he the bet cunne him defende.
'Pore men han maad hir lord of me;
Although they not so mighty be,
That they may fede me in delyt, 5995
I wol not have hem in despyt.
No good man hateth hem, as I gesse,
For chinche and feloun is Richesse,
That so can chase hem and dispyse,
And hem defoule in sondry wyse. 6000
They loven ful bet, so god me spede,
Than doth the riche, chinchy grede,
And been, in good feith, more stable
And trewer, and more serviable;
And therfore it suffysith me 6005
Hir goode herte, and hir leautee.
They han on me set al hir thought,
And therfore I forgete hem nought.
I wolde hem bringe in greet noblesse,
If that I were god of Richesse, 6010
As I am god of Love, sothly,
Such routhe upon hir pleynt have I.
Therfore I must his socour be,
That peyneth him to serven me;
For if he deyde for love of this, 6015
Than semeth in me no love ther is. '
'Sir,' seide they, 'sooth is, every del,
That ye reherce, and we wot wel
Thilk oth to holde is resonable;
For it is good and covenable, 6020
That ye on riche men han sworn.
For, sir, this wot we wel biforn;
If riche men doon you homage,
That is as fooles doon outrage;
But ye shul not forsworen be, 6025
Ne let therfore to drinke clarree,
Or piment maked fresh and newe.
Ladyes shulle hem such pepir brewe,
If that they falle into hir laas,
That they for we mowe seyn "Allas! " 6030
Ladyes shuln ever so curteis be,
That they shal quyte your oth al free.
Ne seketh never other vicaire,
For they shal speke with hem so faire
That ye shal holde you payed ful wel, 6035
Though ye you medle never a del.
Lat ladies worche with hir thinges,
They shal hem telle so fele tydinges,
And moeve hem eke so many requestis
By flatery, that not honest is, 6040
And therto yeve hem such thankinges,
What with kissing, and with talkinges,
That certes, if they trowed be,
Shal never leve hem loud ne fee
That it nil as the moeble fare, 6045
Of which they first delivered are.
Now may ye telle us al your wille,
And we your hestes shal fulfille.
'But Fals-Semblant dar not, for drede
Of you, sir, medle him of this dede, 6050
For he seith that ye been his fo;
He not, if ye wol worche him wo.
Wherfore we pray you alle, beausire,
That ye forgive him now your ire,
And that he may dwelle, as your man, 6055
With Abstinence, his dere lemman;
This our accord and our wil now. '
'Parfay,' seide Love, 'I graunte it yow;
I wol wel holde him for my man;
Now lat him come:' and he forth ran. 6060
Fals-Semblant,' quod Love, 'in this wyse
I take thee here to my servyse,
That thou our freendis helpe alway,
And hindre hem neithir night ne day,
But do thy might hem to releve, 6065
And eek our enemies that thou greve.
Thyn be this might, I graunt it thee,
My king of harlotes shalt thou be;
We wol that thou have such honour.
Certeyn, thou art a fals traitour, 6070
And eek a theef; sith thou were born,
A thousand tyme thou art forsworn.
But, natheles, in our hering,
To putte our folk out of douting,
I bid thee teche hem, wostow how? 6075
By somme general signe now,
In what place thou shalt founden be,
If that men had mister of thee;
And how men shal thee best espye,
For thee to knowe is greet maistrye; 6080
Tel in what place is thyn haunting. '
_F. Sem. _ 'Sir, I have fele dyvers woning,
That I kepe not rehersed be,
So that ye wolde respyten me.
For if that I telle you the sothe, 6085
I may have harm and shame bothe.
If that my felowes wisten it,
My tales shulden me be quit;
For certeyn, they wolde hate me,
If ever I knewe hir cruelte; 6090
For they wolde over-al holde hem stille
Of trouthe that is ageyn hir wille;
Suche tales kepen they not here.
I might eftsone bye it ful dere,
If I seide of hem any thing, 6095
That ought displeseth to hir hering.
For what word that hem prikke or byteth,
In that word noon of hem delyteth,
Al were it gospel, the evangyle,
That wolde reprove hem of hir gyle, 6100
For they are cruel and hauteyn.
And this thing wot I wel, certeyn,
If I speke ought to peire hir loos,
Your court shal not so wel be cloos,
That they ne shal wite it atte last. 6105
Of good men am I nought agast,
For they wol taken on hem nothing,
Whan that they knowe al my mening;
But he that wol it on him take,
He wol himself suspecious make, 6110
That he his lyf let covertly,
In Gyle and in Ipocrisy,
That me engendred and yaf fostring. '
'They made a ful good engendring,'
Quod Love, 'for who-so soothly telle, 6115
They engendred the devel of helle!
'But nedely, how-so-ever it be,'
Quod Love, 'I wol and charge thee,
To telle anoon thy woning-places,
Hering ech wight that in this place is: 6120
And what lyf that thou livest also,
Hyde it no lenger now; wherto?
herborest. 5111. G. profi[gh]t. 5116. thy] _Both_ the; F. _ton_. 5117.
_Both_ by thought; F. _ta Ionesce_. 5124. Th. recouered.
5144. alway] G. ay; Th. aye. 5155. _Both_ That; F. _Lors_. 5162. (say =
assay? ) 5165. _I supply_ and been. 5166. _I supply_ love that. 5168. Th.
eyther; G. other. 5187. _I supply_ thee.
5223. _I supply_ Ne . . . hem. 5229. _Both_ oo state; _read_ oon estate;
_see_ 5400. 5234, 49, 53. _Supply_ but, hath, he.
5259. Th. in; G. of. 5261. G. dreded. 5271, 72, 82, 5314, 27. _Supply_ be,
is, him, it, if. 5277, 8. _Supply_ As. Th. requyred, fyred. _Perhaps om. _
the. 5283. his] _Both_ this. 5285. _Both_ vnyte. 5286. Th. Tullius; G.
Tulius. 5287. A man] _Both_ And. 5292. Th. causes; G. cause; _see_ 5301,
5523. 5301. G. caas; Th. case. 5304. _Both_ ought. 5325. G. amerous.
5330. Th. bydeth; G. bit. 5331, 48, 52, 53. _Supply_ This, it, with, It.
5335. _Both_ he; _read_ she; _see_ 5337, 5341. 5345. _Both_ Thurgh the; _I
omit_ the. 5356. Th. blacke; G. blak. 5360. _Both_ greueth so greueth.
5367. Th. fonde; G. fonned. 5375. _Both_ sothe. 5376. Th. his; G. this.
5379. _Both_ him silf (selfe) of. 5389. _Both_ kepen ay his; _see_ 5387.
5390. Th. eyne; G. iyen. 5393. G. alle hise lymes; Th. al his lymmes; _I
omit_ alle.
5399. Th. wate; G. wote. 5400, 1. _Both_ estate; ought to be. 5403. Th.
sithe; G. se. 5404. _Both_ hath. 5408. in] G. it; Th. _om. _ 5419, 20, 25,
27, 36. _Both_ hym (! ); F. _les_. 5425. G. glorie and veyne. 5431. _Both_
high. 5433. so] _Both_ to. 5446. G. _om. _ very. 5451. _I supply_ greet.
5452. Th. chere (_for_ there); G. cheer (! ). 5455. G. aftirward; Th.
afterwarde. 5463. _Both_ thus.
5465. Th. hem; G. men. 5470. Th. Of; G. Or with. 5478. _Read_ She sheweth,
by experience. 5485. _Both_ without. 5486. _Both_ affect; _see_ note. 5489.
Th. goddesse; G. goddes. 5491. _Both_ For al that yeueth here out of drede.
5493. Th. lette; G. late. 5503. Th. they; G. the. 5505. Th. yholpe; G. I
hope. 5510. G. feldfare. 5512. _I supply_ the.
5523, 42, 85, 86, 88.
_Supply_ the, his, but, more, so. 5544. _Both_
fablyng; F. _cheans_. 5546. _Both_ caste. 5555. _Both_ in; _read_ is. 5556.
_Both_ depe (_for_ do? ). 5569. Th. haue you to haue; G. ha yow to ha. 5577.
_Both_ perceyueth.
5590. G. mavis; Th. mauys. 5597. G. aument. 5598. it] _Both_ that. 5611,
38. G. not; Th. nat. 5612. G. hastly. 5617. _Both_ berne. 5627, 43.
_Supply_ it, the. 5633. Th. wyght; G. witte. G. honerous. 5640. Th. laste;
G. last. 5641. _Both_ take. 5649. G. Pictigoras; Th. Pythagoras.
5661. G. Boice. 5668. _Both_ rent; yeue. 5675. G. wynkith (! ). 5683. G.
fardeles. 5685. G. feyntith. 5686. G. disdeyntith. 5699. _Both_ where; F.
_guerre_. 5700. _I supply_ more; F. _plus_. 5701. _Both_ shal thogh he hath
geten (! ). 5713. _Both_ Thus is thurst.
5727. G. ther; Th. her (=hir). 5734. G. Yhe. 5740. G. phicicien; _read_
fysycien. 5741. G. fy; Th. fye (_for_ sy); _see_ note. 5742. G. _om. _ it.
5749, 51. _Supply_ ne, for. 5755. _Both_ shewing. 5761. _Supply_ it, _wh.
follows_ Himself _in_ 5762. 5763. _Both_ ofte. 5771. G. fast. 5781. _Both_
The; F. _Trois_.
5783. G. mych. 5788. _Both_ vnto. 5791. Th. these; G. this. 5793. G. goode.
FRAGMENT C.
Whan Love had told hem his entente,
The baronage to councel wente;
In many sentences they fille,
And dyversly they seide hir wille:
But aftir discord they accorded, 5815
And hir accord to Love recorded.
Sir,' seiden they, 'we been at oon,
By even accord of everichoon,
Out-take Richesse al-only,
That sworen hath ful hauteynly, 5820
That she the castel nil assaile,
Ne smyte a stroke in this bataile,
With dart, ne mace, spere, ne knyf,
For man that speketh or bereth the lyf,
And blameth your empryse, y-wis, 5825
And from our hoost departed is,
(At leeste wey, as in this plyte,)
So hath she this man in dispyte;
For she seith he ne loved hir never,
And therfor she wol hate him ever. 5830
For he wol gadre no tresore,
He hath hir wrath for evermore.
He agilte hir never in other caas,
Lo, here al hoolly his trespas!
She seith wel, that this other day 5835
He asked hir leve to goon the way
That is clepid To-moche-Yeving,
And spak ful faire in his praying;
But whan he prayde hir, pore was he,
Therfore she warned him the entree. 5840
Ne yit is he not thriven so
That he hath geten a peny or two,
That quitly is his owne in hold.
Thus hath Richesse us alle told;
And whan Richesse us this recorded, 5845
Withouten hir we been accorded.
'And we finde in our accordaunce,
That False-Semblant and Abstinaunce,
With alle the folk of hir bataile,
Shulle at the hinder gate assayle, 5850
That Wikkid-Tunge hath in keping,
With his Normans, fulle of langling.
And with hem Curtesie and Largesse,
That shulle shewe hir hardinesse
To the olde wyf that [kepeth] so harde 5855
Fair-Welcoming within her warde.
Than shal Delyte and Wel-Helinge
Fonde Shame adoun to bringe;
With al hir hoost, erly and late,
They shulle assailen [thilke] gate. 5860
Agaynes Drede shal Hardinesse
Assayle, and also Sikernesse,
With al the folk of hir leding,
That never wist what was fleing.
'Fraunchyse shal fighte, and eek Pitee, 5865
With Daunger ful of crueltee.
Thus is your hoost ordeyned wel;
Doun shal the castel every del,
If everiche do his entente,
So that Venus be presente, 5870
Your modir, ful of vassalage,
That can y-nough of such usage;
Withouten hir may no wight spede
This werk, neither for word ne dede.
Therfore is good ye for hir sende, 5875
For thurgh hir may this werk amende. '
_Amour. _ 'Lordinges, my modir, the goddesse,
That is my lady, and my maistresse,
Nis not [at] al at my willing,
Ne doth not al my desyring. 5880
Yit can she som-tyme doon labour,
Whan that hir lust, in my socour,
[Al my nedis] for to acheve,
But now I thenke hir not to greve.
My modir is she, and of childhede 5885
I bothe worshipe hir, and eek drede;
For who that dredith sire ne dame
Shal it abye in body or name.
And, natheles, yit cunne we
Sende aftir hir, if nede be; 5890
And were she nigh, she comen wolde,
I trowe that no-thing might hir holde.
'My modir is of greet prowesse;
She hath tan many a forteresse,
That cost hath many a pound er this, 5895
Ther I nas not present, y-wis;
And yit men seide it was my dede;
But I come never in that stede;
Ne me ne lykith, so mote I thee,
Such toures take withoute me. 5900
For-why me thenketh that, in no wyse,
It may ben cleped but marchandise.
'Go bye a courser, blak or whyte,
And pay therfor; than art thou quyte.
The marchaunt oweth thee right nought, 5905
Ne thou him, whan thou [hast] it bought.
I wol not selling clepe yeving,
For selling axeth no guerdoning;
Here lyth no thank, ne no meryte,
That oon goth from that other al quyte. 5910
But this selling is not semblable;
For, whan his hors is in the stable,
He may it selle ageyn, pardee,
And winne on it, such hap may be;
Al may the man not lese, y-wis, 5915
For at the leest the skin is his.
Or elles, if it so bityde
That he wol kepe his hors to ryde,
Yit is he lord ay of his hors.
But thilke chaffare is wel wors, 5920
There Venus entremeteth nought;
For who-so such chaffare hath bought,
He shal not worchen so wysly,
That he ne shal lese al outerly
Bothe his money and his chaffare; 5925
But the seller of the ware
The prys and profit have shal.
Certeyn, the byer shal lese al;
For he ne can so dere it bye
To have lordship and ful maistrye, 5930
Ne have power to make letting
Neither for yift ne for preching,
That of his chaffare, maugre his,
Another shal have as moche, y-wis,
If he wol yeve as moche as he, 5935
Of what contrey so that he be;
Or for right nought, so happe may,
If he can flater hir to hir pay.
Ben than suche marchaunts wyse?
No, but fooles in every wyse, 5940
Whan they bye such thing wilfully,
Ther-as they lese her good [fully].
But natheles, this dar I saye,
My modir is not wont to paye,
For she is neither so fool ne nyce, 5945
To entremete hir of sich vyce.
But truste wel, he shal paye al,
That repente of his bargeyn shal,
Whan Poverte put him in distresse,
Al were he scoler to Richesse, 5950
That is for me in gret yerning,
Whan she assenteth to my willing.
'But, [by] my modir seint Venus,
And by hir fader Saturnus,
That hir engendrid by his lyf, 5955
But not upon his weddid wyf!
Yit wol I more unto you swere,
To make this thing the seurere;
Now by that feith, and that leautee
I owe to alle my brethren free, 5960
Of which ther nis wight under heven
That can her fadris names neven,
So dyvers and so many ther be
That with my modir have be privee!
Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse, 5965
The pole of helle to my witnesse,
Now drinke I not this yeer clarree,
If that I lye, or forsworn be!
(For of the goddes the usage is,
That who-so him forswereth amis, 5970
Shal that yeer drinke no clarree).
Now have I sworn y-nough, pardee;
If I forswere me, than am I lorn,
But I wol never be forsworn.
Sith Richesse hath me failed here, 5975
She shal abye that trespas dere,
At leeste wey, but [she] hir arme
With swerd, or sparth, or gisarme.
For certes, sith she loveth not me,
Fro thilke tyme that she may see 5980
The castel and the tour to-shake,
In sory tyme she shal awake.
If I may grype a riche man,
I shal so pulle him, if I can,
That he shal, in a fewe stoundes, 5985
Lese alle his markes and his poundes.
I shal him make his pens outslinge,
But-[if] they in his gerner springe;
Our maydens shal eek plukke him so,
That him shal neden fetheres mo, 5990
And make him selle his lond to spende,
But he the bet cunne him defende.
'Pore men han maad hir lord of me;
Although they not so mighty be,
That they may fede me in delyt, 5995
I wol not have hem in despyt.
No good man hateth hem, as I gesse,
For chinche and feloun is Richesse,
That so can chase hem and dispyse,
And hem defoule in sondry wyse. 6000
They loven ful bet, so god me spede,
Than doth the riche, chinchy grede,
And been, in good feith, more stable
And trewer, and more serviable;
And therfore it suffysith me 6005
Hir goode herte, and hir leautee.
They han on me set al hir thought,
And therfore I forgete hem nought.
I wolde hem bringe in greet noblesse,
If that I were god of Richesse, 6010
As I am god of Love, sothly,
Such routhe upon hir pleynt have I.
Therfore I must his socour be,
That peyneth him to serven me;
For if he deyde for love of this, 6015
Than semeth in me no love ther is. '
'Sir,' seide they, 'sooth is, every del,
That ye reherce, and we wot wel
Thilk oth to holde is resonable;
For it is good and covenable, 6020
That ye on riche men han sworn.
For, sir, this wot we wel biforn;
If riche men doon you homage,
That is as fooles doon outrage;
But ye shul not forsworen be, 6025
Ne let therfore to drinke clarree,
Or piment maked fresh and newe.
Ladyes shulle hem such pepir brewe,
If that they falle into hir laas,
That they for we mowe seyn "Allas! " 6030
Ladyes shuln ever so curteis be,
That they shal quyte your oth al free.
Ne seketh never other vicaire,
For they shal speke with hem so faire
That ye shal holde you payed ful wel, 6035
Though ye you medle never a del.
Lat ladies worche with hir thinges,
They shal hem telle so fele tydinges,
And moeve hem eke so many requestis
By flatery, that not honest is, 6040
And therto yeve hem such thankinges,
What with kissing, and with talkinges,
That certes, if they trowed be,
Shal never leve hem loud ne fee
That it nil as the moeble fare, 6045
Of which they first delivered are.
Now may ye telle us al your wille,
And we your hestes shal fulfille.
'But Fals-Semblant dar not, for drede
Of you, sir, medle him of this dede, 6050
For he seith that ye been his fo;
He not, if ye wol worche him wo.
Wherfore we pray you alle, beausire,
That ye forgive him now your ire,
And that he may dwelle, as your man, 6055
With Abstinence, his dere lemman;
This our accord and our wil now. '
'Parfay,' seide Love, 'I graunte it yow;
I wol wel holde him for my man;
Now lat him come:' and he forth ran. 6060
Fals-Semblant,' quod Love, 'in this wyse
I take thee here to my servyse,
That thou our freendis helpe alway,
And hindre hem neithir night ne day,
But do thy might hem to releve, 6065
And eek our enemies that thou greve.
Thyn be this might, I graunt it thee,
My king of harlotes shalt thou be;
We wol that thou have such honour.
Certeyn, thou art a fals traitour, 6070
And eek a theef; sith thou were born,
A thousand tyme thou art forsworn.
But, natheles, in our hering,
To putte our folk out of douting,
I bid thee teche hem, wostow how? 6075
By somme general signe now,
In what place thou shalt founden be,
If that men had mister of thee;
And how men shal thee best espye,
For thee to knowe is greet maistrye; 6080
Tel in what place is thyn haunting. '
_F. Sem. _ 'Sir, I have fele dyvers woning,
That I kepe not rehersed be,
So that ye wolde respyten me.
For if that I telle you the sothe, 6085
I may have harm and shame bothe.
If that my felowes wisten it,
My tales shulden me be quit;
For certeyn, they wolde hate me,
If ever I knewe hir cruelte; 6090
For they wolde over-al holde hem stille
Of trouthe that is ageyn hir wille;
Suche tales kepen they not here.
I might eftsone bye it ful dere,
If I seide of hem any thing, 6095
That ought displeseth to hir hering.
For what word that hem prikke or byteth,
In that word noon of hem delyteth,
Al were it gospel, the evangyle,
That wolde reprove hem of hir gyle, 6100
For they are cruel and hauteyn.
And this thing wot I wel, certeyn,
If I speke ought to peire hir loos,
Your court shal not so wel be cloos,
That they ne shal wite it atte last. 6105
Of good men am I nought agast,
For they wol taken on hem nothing,
Whan that they knowe al my mening;
But he that wol it on him take,
He wol himself suspecious make, 6110
That he his lyf let covertly,
In Gyle and in Ipocrisy,
That me engendred and yaf fostring. '
'They made a ful good engendring,'
Quod Love, 'for who-so soothly telle, 6115
They engendred the devel of helle!
'But nedely, how-so-ever it be,'
Quod Love, 'I wol and charge thee,
To telle anoon thy woning-places,
Hering ech wight that in this place is: 6120
And what lyf that thou livest also,
Hyde it no lenger now; wherto?
