Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

maye. 12. disease. meane. 13. frendes; read ferdnes; see l. 16. perfytely. I supply but and by. 14. affection. 16. aforne. ferdenesse. 18. lodged. moste. 19. to-forne. 21. comforte sodaynely. dothe. 23. myne. beganne. 27. prisone. leaue. 28. al-thoughe. stretchen. 29. faculties. 30. ferre. 31. wretched hyd. thynge. 33. heauy.

      37. wenyst. foryet. 38. naye. 39. frenshippes. alyes. 40. propertye. 42. nowe. 42, 43. maye. 45. Nowe. 46. honny. paradise. 47. comforte. howe. 49. sawe. 52. the. disease haste. Woste. 53. the. 54. worshyppe. the. thyne. 57. the. 58. graunt thyne. 59. nowe. 60. thyne. 61. thoroughe. 62. wotte. none. 64. se. 67. howe. 69. Nowe. se.

      70. wytte in the. I supply thou. arte. 74. shepeherde. 75. shepe. arne. 76. amonge. 78. tho. shepe. loste. 79. put. 80. shepeherde. 81. put. forthe. let. loste. 82. shepeherde. lyfe. loste. 83. shepe. shalte. 85. mewarde. 86. throughe. 91. Haste. radde howe. 92. sonne. 93. For false read faire. howe Sesars sonke (sic); corrupt. 95. louedaye. 96. chese. put. 97. howe. thanke. 98. rest. home; read whom. 99. the. 101. haste. the. 102. ayenwarde. made. 103. put the. 104. the. reason. disease.

      105. the. 106. shalte. haste. 107. Haste. herde. howe. 111. folke. 112. cyties. the. cleape. 113. poynte. 116. Nowe. 118. wytte. 120. se the in disease. 121. wote. arte one. maye. the. 123. thyne. 125. great. 129. byforne. 131. comforte. 134. please. 135. bearyng. 137. encrease. maye. 138. the. 139. great. wherthroughe. arte. arne no-thinge.

      141. thus as I; om. as. 143. endeynous; read ben deynous. wretches. 144. schole. 148. beare. the lythe. 151. the. 155. perfection. Howe. 157. counsayle maye. hydde. 158. wote. 162. doone aldaye. 164. done. nowe. 165. the. 166. playde. 169. reason. aperte. 171. faythe. the. 172. the. 173. counsayle. 174. forsoke. 175. nowe.

      178. hert. 179. made. 180. the. 181. se. 183. anone. fyght. maye. 184. withsay. the. 185. the. 188. amonge. 189. onely. 191. -thynge. 194. shalte. 195. maye. transuers.

      CHAPTER III.

      Gretly was I tho gladded of these wordes, and (as who

      saith) wexen somdel light in herte; both for the auctoritè

      of witnesse, and also for sikernesse of helpe of the forsayd

      beheste, and sayd:—

      5

      'Trewly, lady, now am I wel gladded through comfort of

      your wordes. Be it now lykinge unto your nobley to shewe

      whiche folk diffame your servauntes, sithe your service ought

      above al other thinges to ben commended.'

      'Yet,' quod she, 'I see wel thy soule is not al out of the

      10

      amased cloude. Thee were better to here thing that thee might

      lighte out of thyn hevy charge and after knowing of thyn owne

      helpe, than to stirre swete wordes and such resons to here;

      for in a thoughtful soule (and namely suche oon as thou art)

      wol not yet suche thinges sinken. Come of, therfore, and let

      15

      me seen thy hevy charge, that I may the lightlier for thy comfort

      purveye.'

      'Now, certes, lady,' quod I, 'the moste comfort I might have

      were utterly to wete me be sure in herte of that Margaryte I

      serve; and so I thinke to don with al mightes, whyle my lyfe

      20

      dureth.'

      'Than,' quod she, 'mayst thou therafter, in suche wyse that

      misplesaunce ne entre?'

      'In good fayth,' quod I, 'there shal no misplesaunce be

      caused through trespace on my syde.'

      25

      'And I do thee to weten,' quod she, 'I sette never yet person

      to serve in no place (but-if he caused the contrary in defautes

      and trespaces) that he ne spedde of his service.'

      'Myn owne erthly lady,' quod I tho, 'and yet remembre to

      your worthinesse how long sithen, by many revolving of yeres,

      30

      in tyme whan Octobre his leve ginneth take and Novembre

      sheweth him to sight, whan bernes ben ful of goodes as is the

      nutte on every halke; and than good lond-tillers ginne shape

      for the erthe with greet travayle, to bringe forth more corn to

      mannes sustenaunce, ayenst the nexte yeres folowing. In suche

      35

      tyme of plentee he that hath an home and is wyse, list not to

      wander mervayles to seche, but he be constrayned or excited.

      Oft the lothe thing is doon, by excitacion of other mannes

      opinion, whiche wolden fayne have myn abydinge. [Tho gan I]

      take in herte of luste to travayle and see the wynding of the erthe

      40

      in that tyme of winter. By woodes that large stretes wern in,

      by smale pathes that swyn and hogges hadden made, as lanes

      with ladels their maste to seche, I walked thinkinge alone

      a wonder greet whyle; and the grete beestes that the woode

      haunten and adorneth al maner forestes, and heerdes gonne to

      45

      wilde. Than, er I was war, I neyghed to a see-banke; and for

      ferde of the beestes "shipcraft" I cryde. For, lady, I trowe ye

      wete wel your-selfe, nothing is werse than the beestes that

      shulden ben tame, if they cacche her wildenesse, and ginne ayen

      waxe ramage. Thus forsothe was I a-ferd, and to shippe me

      50

      hyed.

      Than were there y-nowe to lacche myn handes, and drawe me

      to shippe, of whiche many I knew wel the names. Sight was

      the first, Lust was another, Thought was the thirde; and Wil eke

      was there a mayster; these broughten me within-borde of this

      55

      shippe of Traveyle. So whan the sayl was sprad, and this ship

      gan to move, the wind and water gan for to ryse, and overthwartly

      to turne the welken. The wawes semeden as they kiste togider;

      but often under colour of kissinge is mokel old hate prively

      closed and kept. The storm so straungely and in a devouring

      60

      maner gan so faste us assayle, that I supposed the date of my

      deth shulde have mad there his ginning. Now up, now downe,

      now under the wawe and now aboven was my ship a greet

      whyle. And so by mokel duresse of †weders and of stormes,

      and with greet avowing [of] pilgrimages, I was driven to an yle,

      65

      where utterly I wende first to have be rescowed; but trewly, †at

      the first ginning, it semed me so perillous the haven to cacche,

      that but