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"O Fortune cursed, why now and wherefore
Hast thou," they said, "berafte vs libertie,
S:the nature yaue vs instrument in store,
And appetite to loue and louers be?
Why mote we suffer soch aduersite,
Diane to serue, and Uenus to refuse,
Ful often sithe this matters doth vs muse?

"We serue and honour sore ayenst our will,
Of chastite the goddes and the queene,
Us leefer were with Uenus biden still,
And haue reward for loue and soget bene
Unto these women courtly, fresh, and shene,
Fortune we curse thy wheele of variance,
There we were well thou reuist our plesance."

Thus leaue I them with voice of plaint and care,
In raging wo crying full petously,
And as I yede full naked and full bare,
Some I behold looking dispitously,
On pouerty that dedly cast their eye,

And "Welaway," they cried, and were not faine,
For they ne might their glad desire attaine.

For lacke of richesse worldly and good,
They banne and curse, and weep, and sain, "Alas,
That pouerty hath vs hent that whilom stood
At hertes ease, and free and in good case,
But now we dare not shew our self in place,
Ne vs embold to dwell in company,
There as our herte wold loue right faithfully."

And yet againward shriked euery nonne,
The pange of lone so straineth them to crie:
"Now wo the time," (quod they) "that we be boun
This hatefull ordre nise will done vs die,
We sighe and sobbe, and bleden inwardly,
Freting ourself with thought and hard complaint,
That nie for loue we waxen wood and faint."

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And as I stood beholding here and there,
I was ware of a sort full languishing,
Sauage and wild, of loking and of chere,
Their mantelles and their clothes ey tering,
And oft they were of nature complaining,
For they their members lacked, foot and hand,
With visage wry, and blind I vnderstand.

They lacked shape; and beauty to preferre
Themself in loue: and said that God and kind,
Hath forged them to worshippen the sterre,
Uenus the bright, and leften all behind,
His other werkes clene and out of mind:

For other have their full shape and beauty,
And we," (quod they) been in deformity."

And nie to them there was a company,
That haue the susters waried and mişsaide,
I meane the three of fatal destiny,
That be our workers: sodenly abraide
Out gan they cry as they had been affraide,
"We curse," (quod they) "that euer hath nature,
Iformed vs this wofull life to endure."

And there eke was Contrite and gan repent,
Confessing hole the wound that Cithere
Hath with the darte of hote desire him sent,
And how that he to loue must subject be,
Than held he all his skornes vanity,
And said that louers held a blisful life;
Yong men and old, and widow, maid and wife.

"Bereue me goddesse," (quod he) "of thy might
My skornes all and skoffes, that I haue

No power for to moken any wight,
That in thy seruice dwell: for I did raue:
This know I well right now so god me saue,
And I shal be the chief post of thy faith,
And loue uphold, the reuers who so saith."

Dissemble stode not ferre from him in troth,
With party mantil party hode and hose,
And said he had vpon his lady routh,
And thus he wound him in, and gan to glose
Of his entent ful double I suppose,

In all the world he said he loued her wele,
But ay me thought he loued her nere a dele.

Eke Shamfastnesse was there as I tooke hede,
That blushed rede, and durst nat ben aknow
She louer was, for thereof had she drede,
She stode and hing her visage downe alow,
But such a sight it was to seene I trow,
As of these roses rody on their stalke,
There coud no wight her spy to speak or talk,

In loues art so gan she to abashe,
Ne durst not vtter al her preuity:
Many a stripe and many a greuous lashe
She gauen to them that wolden louers be,
And hindered sore the simple cominalty,
That in no wise durst grace and mercy craue
For were not she they need but ask and haue,
Where if they now aprochein for to speke,
Than Shamefastnesse returneth them again :
They thinke, if we our secrets counsel breke,
Our ladies wil haue scorn on vs cerțein,
And perauenture thinken great disdein:
Thus Shamefastnesse may bringen in Dispeire,
Whan she is dede the toder will be heire.
Come forth a Vaunter, now I ring thy bel,
I spied him sone, to God I make a vowe,
He loked blacke as fendes doth in Hell,
"The first," (quod he) "that euer I did wowe,
Within a worde she come, I wotte not how,
So that in armes was my lady free,

And so hath ben a thousand mo than she.

"In England, Britain, Spain, and Picardy,
Artois, and Fraunce, and vp in hie Holand,
In Burgoine, Naples, and Italy,

Nauerne, and Grece, and vp in hethen lond
Was neuer woman yet that wold withstond,
To ben at commaundement whan I wold,
I lacked neyther siluer, coigne, ne gold.

"And there I met with this estate and that,
And here I broched her, and her I trow :
Lo there goeth one of mine, and wotte ye what?
You fresh attired haue I laid full lowe,
And soch one yonder eke right well I know:
I kept the statute whan we lay ifere,

And yet you same hath made me right good chere."

Thus hath a Vaunter blowen euery where,
Al that he knoweth, and more a thousand fold
His auncestry of kinne was to Lier,
For first he maketh promise for to hold
His ladies councel, and it not vnfold,
Wherfore the secret whan he doth vnshitte,
Than lieth he, that all the world may witte

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For falsing so his promise and behest,
J wounder sore he hath such fantasie,
He lacketh wit I trow or is a beast,

That can no bet himself with reason gie,
By mine aduise, loue shall be contrary
To bis auaile, and him eke dishonour,
So that in court he shall no more sojour.

"Take heed," (quod she) this little Philobone,
"Where Enuy rocketh in the corner yond,
And sitteth dirke, and ye shall see anone
His leane body, fading both face and hond,
Himselfe he fretteth, as I vnderstond,
Witnesse of Ouid methamorphosose,
The louers fo he is, I will not glose.

"For where a louer thinketh him promote,
Euuy will grutch, repining at his wele,
It swelleth sore about his hertes rote,
That in no wise he cannot liue in hele,
And if the faithful to his lady stele,
Enuy will noise and ring it round about,
And sey much worse than done is out of dout."

And Priuy Thought rejoysing of himselfe,
Stood not ferre thence in abite maruellous,
"Yon is," (thought I)" some spirit or some elfe,
His subtill image is so curious >

How is," (quod I) " that he is shaded thus
With yonder cloth, I not of what colour?"
And nere I went and gan to lere and pore.

And framed him a question full hard,

And with the word Thought bad farewel and yede:
Eke forth went I to seene the courts guise,
And at the doore came in so God me spede,
Twenty courteours of age and of assise
Liche high, and brode, and as I me aduise,
The Golden Loue, and Leden Loue they hight,
The tone was sad, the toder glad and light.

"Yes draw your herte with all your force and might,
To lustinesse and ben as ye haue seid,
And thinke that I no drope of fauour hight,
Ne neuer had vnto your desire obeid,
Till sodenly me thought me was affraied,
To seene you waxe so dede of countenance,
And Pite bade me done you some pleasaunce.

"Out of her shrine she rose from death to liue,
And in mine eare full priuely she spake,
'Doth not your seruaunt hens away to driue,
Rosial,' (quod she) and than mine herte it brake,
For tenderich: and where I found moch lacke,
In your person, than I my selfe bethought,
And saide, this is the man myne hearte hath sought."

"Gramercy Pity, might I but suffise,

To yeue due laude vnto thy shrine of gold,
God wotte I would: for sith that thou did rise
From death to liue for me, I am behold,
To thanken you a thousand times told,
And eke my lady Rosial the shene,

Which hath in comfort set mine herte iwene.

"And here I make mine protestacion,

"What is," (quod I)" the thing thou louest best, And depely swere as mine power to bene

Or what is bote vnto thy paines hard,
Me thinke thou liuest here in great vnrest,
Thou wandrest aye from south to east and west,
And east to north as ferre as I can see,
There is no place in court may holden thee.
"Whom followest thou where is thy herte iset,
But my demaund asoile I thee require."
"Me thought," (quod he) "no creature may let
Me to ben here, and where as I desire:
For where as absence hath done out the fire,
My mery thought it kindeleth yet againe,
That bodely me thinke with my soueraine

"I stand and speake, and laugh, and kisse, and
halse:

So that my thought comforteth me ful oft,
I think god wote, though al the world be false,
I will be true, I thinke also how soft
My lady is in speach, aad this on loft
Bringeth min herte with joy and great gladnes,
This priuy thought alayeth mine heauines.

"And what I thinke or where to be, no man
In all this Earth can tell iwis but I :
And eke there nis no swalow swift, ne swan
So wight of wing, ue half so yerne can flie,
For I can bene and that right sodenly,
In Heuen, in Hell, in Paradise, and here,
And with my lady whan I will desire.

"I am of counsell, ferre and wide I wote,
With lorde and lady, and theyr preuitie
I wotte it all, and be it colde or hote,
They shall not speake without licence of me,
I mine in soch as seasonable be,

For first the thing is thought within the hart,
Er any word out from the mouth astart.

Faithful, deuoide of variacion,
And her forbeare in anger or in tene,
And seruiceable to my worldes quene,
With al my reason and intelligence,
To done her honour high and reuerence."

I had not spoke so sone the worde, but she,
My souerain, did thanke me hertely,
And said, "Abide ye shall dwell still with me,
Till season come of May, for than truly,
The king of loue and all his company,
Shall hold his feste full rially and well,"
And there I bode till that the season fell.

On May day whan the larke began to rise,
To matens went the lusty nightingale,
Within a temple shapen hauthorn wise,
He might not slepe in all the nightertale,
But "Domine labia," gan he cry and gale,
"My lippes open lord of loue I cry,
And let my mouth thy preising now bewry,"

The egle sang "Venite bodies all,

And let vs joy to loue that is our health,"
And to the deske anon they gan to fall,
And who came late he preced in by stealth;
Than sayd the faucon our own hertes wealth,
"Domine Dominus noster I wote,

Ye be the God that done vs brenne thus hote."

"Cœli enarrant," said the popingay,
"Your might is told in Heauen and firmanent,?!
And than came in the gold finch freshe and gay,
And said this psalme with hertily glad intent
"Domini est terra," this laten intent,
The God of loue hath yerth in gouernaunce:
And than the wren gan scippen and to daunce,

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"Jube Domino O lord of loue, I pray
Commaund me well this lesson for to rede,
This legende is of all that woulden dey
Marters for loue, God yet the souls spede:
And to thee Uenus sing we out of drede,
By influence of all thy vertue great,
Besechyng thee to keepe vs in our heat."
The second lesson robin redebrest sang,
"Haile to the god and goddes of our lay,"
And to the lectorn amorously he sprong,
"Haile now," (quod eke) " O fresh season of May,
Our moneth glad that singen on the spray,
Haile to the floures, rede, and white, and blewe,
Which by their vertue maketh our lust new."

The third lesson the turtil doue toke up,
And thereat lough the mauis in a scorne,
He said, "O God, as mote I dine or suppe,
This folish doue will giue us al an horne,
There ben right here a M better borne,
To rede this lesson, which as well as he,
And eke as hote, can loue in all degree."

The turtil doue said, "Welcom, welcom May,
Gladsom and light to louers that ben trew:
I thanke thee lord of loue that doth puruey,
For me to rede this lesson al of dewe,
For in good soth of corage I pursue,
To serue my make till death vs must depart,"
And than "Tu autem" sang he all apart.

"Te deum amoris" sang the thrustel cocke,
Tuball himselfe the first musician,
With key of armony coude not on locke,
So swete tewne as that the thrustel can:
"The lorde of loue we praysen," (quod he) than,
And so done al the foules great and lite,
"Honour we May, in fals louers dispite."

"Dominus regnauit," said the pecocke there,
The lord of loue that mighty prince iwis,
He is receyued here and eucry where:
Now Iubilate sing:"-" What meaneth this?"
Said than the linet; "welcome lord of blisse:"
Out sterte the owle with " Benedicite,"
"What meaneth all this mery fare" (quod he.).

"Laudate," sang the larke with voice ful shril,
And eke the kight "O admirabile,

This quere wil thorow mine ears pers and thril,
But what, welcome this May season," (quod he)
"And honour to the lord of loue mote be,
That hath this feste so solempne and so hie,"
"Amen," said al, and so said eke the pie.

And forth the cockow gan procede anon,
With "Benedictus" thanking God in hast,
That in this May would visite them echon,
And gladden them all while the feast shal last:
And therewithal a laughter out he brast,
"I thanke it God that I shuld end the song,
And all the seruice which hath ben so long."

Thus sang they all the seruice of the fest,
And that was done right erly to my dome,
And forth goth all the court both most and lest,
To fetch the floures fresh, and braunch and blome,
And namely hauthorn brought both page and grome
With fresh garlants party blew and white,
And than rejoysen in their great delite.

Eke ech at other threw the floures bright,
The primerose, the uiolete, and the gold,
So than as I beheld the royall sight,
My lady gan me sodenly behold,

And with a trewe lone plited many a fold:
She smote me through the very heart as bliue,
And Uenus yet I thanke I am aliue.

EXPLICIT.

CHAUCER'S DREAM,

NEVER PRINTED BEFORE THE YEAR 1597.

THAT WHICH HERETOFORE HATH CONE UNDER THE NAME
OF HIS DREAM, IS THE BOOK OF THE DUTCHESS: OR THE
DEATH OF BLANCH, DUTCHESS OF LANCASTER.

This Dream, devised by Chaucer, seemeth to be a covert report of the marriage of John of Gaunt the king's son, with Blanch the daughter of Henry duke of Lancaster, who, after long love, (during the time whereof the poet feigneth them to be dead) were in the end by consent of friends happily married: figured by a bird bringing in her bill an herb which restored them to life again. Here also is shewed Chaucer's match with a certain gentlewoman, who, although she was a stranger, was notwithstanding so well liked and loved of the lady Blanch and her lord, as Chaucer himself also was, that gladly they concluded a marriage between them. [All this says Tyrwhitt is a mere fancy, but there is no ground for doubting the authenticity of the poem.]

WHAN Flora the queene of pleasaunce,
Had whole achieùed thobeysaunce
Of the fresh and new season,
Thorow out euery region,
And with her mantle whole couert
That winter made had discouert,
Of auenture without light,
In May I lay vpon a night
Alone, and on iny lady thought,
And how the lord that her wrought,
Couth well entayle in imagery
And shewed had great maistry,
Whan he in so little space
Made such a body and a face,
So great beauty with swich features
More than in other creatures,
And in my thoughts as I lay
In a lodge out of the way,
Beside a well in a forest,
Where after hunting
tooke rest,
Nature and kind so in me wrought,
That halfe on sleepe they me brought,
And gan to dreame to my thinking,
With mind of knowliche like making,
For what I dreamed as me thought
I saw it, and I slept nought,
Wherefore is yet my full beleeue,
That some good spirit that eue,
By meane of some curious port,
Bare me, where I saw payne and sport,

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But whether it were I woke or slept,
Well wot I of, I lough and wept,
Wherefore I woll in remembraunce,
Put whole the payne, and the pleasaunce,
Which was to me axen and hele,
Would God ye wist it euery dele,
Or at the least, ye might o night
Of such another haue a sight,
Although it were to you a payne,
Yet on the morow ye would be fayne,
And wish it might long dure,

Than might ye say ye had good cure,
For he that dreames, and wenes he see,
Much the better yet may hee
Wit what, and of whom, and where,
And eke the lasse it woll hindere,

To thinke I see this with mine eene,
Iwis this may not dreame kene,
But signe or signifiaunce,
Of hasty thing souning pleasaunce,
For on this wise vpon a night,
As ye haue heard without light,
Not all wakyng, ne full on sleepe
About such houre as louers weepe.
And cry after their ladies grace,
Befell me this wonder cace,

Which ye shall heare and all the wise,
So wholly as I can deuise,
In playne English ouill written,
For sleepe writer well ye witten,
Excused is, though he do mis,
More than one that waking is,
Wherefore here of your gentilnesse,
I you requyre my boistousnesse
Ye let passe, as thing rude

And heareth what I woll conclude,
And of the endityng taketh no heed,
Ne of the tearmes so God you speed,
But let all passe as nothing were,
For thus befell, as you shall here.

Within an yle me thought I was,
Where wall, and yate was all of glasse,
And so was closed round about,
That leauelesse none come in ne out,
Uncouth and straunge to behold,
For euery yate of fine gold,
A thousand fanes, aie turning,
Entuned had, and briddes singing,
Diuers, and on each fane a paire,
With open mouth again thaire,
And of a sute were all the toures,
Subtily coruen after floures,

Of vncouth colours during aye,
That neuer been none seene in May,
With many a small turret hie,
But man on liue could I non sie,
Ne creatures, saue ladies play,
Which were such of theyr array,
That as me thought of goodlihead,
They passeden all, and womanhead,
For to behold them daunce and sing,
It seemed like none earthly thing,
Such was their vncouth countinaunce,
In euery play of right vsaunce,
And of one age euerichone,
They seemed all saue onely one,
'Which had of yeeres suffisaunce,
For she might neyther sing ne daunce,
But yet her countenaunce was so glad,
As she so fewe yeeres had had,

As any lady that was there
And as little it did her dere,
Of lustines to laugh and tale
As she had full stuffed a male
Of disports and new playes:
Fayre had she been in her daies,
And maistresse seemed well to be,
Of all that lusty companie,
And so she might I you ensure
For one the conningest creature
She was, and so said euerichone,
That euer her knew, there fayled none,
For she was sober, and well auised,
And from euery fault disguised,
And nothing vsed but faith and truth,
That she nas young it was great ruth,
For euery where and in ech place,
She gouerned her, that in grace
She stode alway with poore and riche,
That at a word was none ber liche,
Ne halfe so able maistres to be,
To such a lusty companie.

Befell me so, when I auised
Had, the yle that me suffised,
And whole the state euery where,
That in that lusty yle was there,
Which was more wonder to deuise,
Than the joieux paradise,

I dare well say, for floure ne tree,
Ne thing wherein pleasaunce might bee,
There fayled none, for euery wight,
Had they desired, day and night,
Riches, heale, beauty, and ease,

With euery thing that them might please,
Thinke and haue, it cost no more,
In such a country there before,
Had I not bene ne heard tell,
That lives creature might dwell.
And when I had thus all about,
The yle auised throughout,
The state, and how they were arayed,
In my heart I were well payed,
And in my selfe I me assured,
That in my body I was well ured,
Sith I might haue such a grace,
To see the ladies and the place,
Which were so faire I you ensure,
That to my dome though that nature,
Would euer striue and do her paine,
She should not con ne mow attaine,
The least feature to amend,

Though she would all her conning spend,
That to beauty might auaile,

It were but paine and lost trauaile,

Such part in their natiuity,

Was them alarged of beauty,

And eke they had a thing notable,

Unto their death, ay durable,

And was, that their beauty should dure,
Which was neuer seeno in creature,
Saue onely there (as I trow)

It hath not be wist ne know,
Wherefore I praise with their conning,
That during beauty, rich thing,
Had they been of their liues certaine,
They had been quite of euery paine,
And when I wend thus all haue seene,
The state, the riches, that might beene,
That me thought impossible were,
To see one thing more than was there,

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That to beauty or glad conning, Serue or auaile might any thing.

All sodainly as I there stood, This lady that couth so much good, Unto me came with smiling chere, And said "Benedicite, this yere Saw I neuer man here but you, Tell me how ye come hider now? And your name, and where ye dwell? And whom ye sceke eke mote ye tell, And how ye come be to this place, The soth well told may cause you grace, And else ye mote prisoner be, Unto the ladies here, and me,

That haue the gouernaunce of this yle:"
And with that word she gan to smile,
And so did all the lusty rout

Of ladies that stood her about.
"Madame," (quod I)" this night past,
Lodged I was and slept fast,
In a forest beside a well,

And now am here, how should I tell,
Wot I not, by whose ordinance,
But onely Fortunes purueiance,
Which puts many as I gesse,
To trauaile, paine, and businesse,
And lettes nothing for their truth,
But some sleeth eke, and that is ruth,
Wherefore I doubt her brittilnes,
Her variance and vnsteadfastnes,
So that I am as yet afraid,
And of my beyng here amaid,
For wonder thing seemeth me,
Thus many fresh ladies to see,
So faire, so cunning, and so yong,
And no man dwelling them among:
Not I not how I hider come,
Madame," (quod I) "this all and some,
What should I faine a long processe
To you that seeme such a princesse,
What please you cominaund or say,
Here I am you to obay,
To my power, and all fulfill,
And prisoner bide at your will,
Till you duly enformed be,
Of euery thing ye aske me."

This lady there right well apaid,
Me by the hand tooke, and said,
"Welcome prisoner aduenturus,
Right glad am I ye haue said thus,
And for ye doubt me to displease,
I will assay to do you ease:"
And with that word, ye anon,
She, and the ladies euerichon
Assembled, and to counsaile went,
And after that soone for me sent,
And to me said on this manere,
Word for word, as ye shall here.

"To see you here vs thinke maruaile, And how without bote or saile, By any subtilty or wyle,

Ye get haue entre in this yle,
But not for that, yet shall ye see,
That we gentill women bee,
Loth to displease any wight,
Notwithstanding our great right,
And for ye shall well vnderstond
The old custome of this lond,
Which hath continued many yere,
Ye shall well wete that with vs here

Ye may not bide, for causes twaine,
Which we be purposed you to saine.
"Thone is this, our ordinance,
Which is of long continuance,
Woll not, sothly we you tell,
That no man here among vs dwell,
Wherefore ye mote needs retourne,
In no wise may you here sojourne.
"Thother is eke, that our queene
Out of the realme, as ye may seene,
Is, and may be to vs a charge,
If we let you goe here at large,
For which cause the more we doubt,
To doe a fault while she is out,
Or suffer that may be noysaunce,
Againe our old accustomaunce."

And whan I had these causes twaine
Heard, O God what a paine
All sodainly about mine herte,
There came at ones and how smart,
In creeping soft as who should steale,
Or doe me robbe of all mine heale,
And made me in my thought so fraid,
That in courage I stode dismaid.
And standing thus, as was my grace,
A lady came more than apace,
With huge prease her about,
And told how the queene without
Was ariued and would come in,
Well were they that thider might twin,
They hied so they would not abide,
The bridling their horse to ride,

By fiue, by sixe, by two, by three, There was not one abode with me, The queene to meet euerichone, They went, and bode with me not one, And I after a soft pase, Imagining how to purchase Grace of the queene, there to bide, Till good fortune some happy guide Me send might, that would me bring Where I was borne to my wonning, For way ne foot knew I none, Ne witherward I nist to gone, For all was sea about the yle, No wonder though me list not smile, Seeing the case vncouth and straunge, And so in like a perilous chaunge, Imagining thus walking alone, I saw the ladies euerichone, So that I might somwhat offer, Sone after that I drew me nere, And tho I was ware of the queene, And how the ladies on their kneene, With joyous words, gladly aduised', Her welcomed so that it suffised, Though she princes hole had be, Of all enuironed is with see: And thus auising, with chere sad, All sodainly I was glad, That greater joy as mote I thriue, I trow had neuer man on liue, Than I tho, ne heart more light, Whan of my lady I had sight, Which with the queene come was there, And in one clothing both they were, A knight also there well beseene,

I saw that come was with the queene,

Of whome the ladies of that yle
Had huge wonder long while,

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