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Sustyr," quod he, "this is my ful assent,
With all thavys heer of my parlement,
That gentil Palamon, your owne knight,
That serveth yow with herte, will, and might,
And ever hath doon, syn fyrst tyme ye him
knewe,

And swor by armes and by blood and bones,
"I can a noble tale for the noones,
With which I wol now quyte the knightes tale."
Oure Hoost saugh wel how dronke he was of ale,
And seyde, "Robyn, abyde, my leve brother, 3131
Som bettre man schal telle first another;
Abyd, and let us worken thriftyly."

66

By Goddes soule!" quod he, "that wol nat I,
For I wol speke, or elles go my way."
Oure Host answerd, "Tel on, a devel way!
Thou art a fool; thy witt is overcome.”

"Now herkneth," quod this Myller, "al and
But first I make a protestacioun, [some;
That I am dronke, I knowe wel by my soun;
And therfore if that I mys-speke or seye, 3141
Wyte it the ale of Southwerk, I you preye;
For I wol telle a legende and a lyf
Bothe of a carpenter and of his wyf,
How that the clerk hath set the wrightes cappe."
The Reve answered and seyde, "Stynt thi
Let be thy lewed drunken harlottrye.

[clappe.

3150

It is a synne, and eek a greet folye
To apeyren eny man, or him defame,
And eek to brynge wyves in ylle name.
Thou mayst ynowgh of other thinges seyn."
This dronken Miller spak ful sone ageyn,
And seyde, "Leeve brother Osewold,
3090 Who hath no wyf, he is no cokewold.
But I seye not therfore that thou art oon,
Ther been ful goode wyves many oon.
And ever a thousand goode agayns oon badde;
That knowest thou wel thyself, but if thou madde.
Why art thou angry with my tale now?

That ye schul of your grace upon him rewe,
And take him for your housbond and for lord:
Lene me youre hand, for this is oure acord.
Let see now of your wommanly pité.
He is a kynges brothir sone, pardee;
And though he were a pore bachiller,
Syn he hath served you so many a yeer,
And had for you so gret adversité,
It moste be considered, trusteth me.
For gentil mercy aughte passe right."
Than seyde he thus to Palamon ful right;
"I trowe ther needeth litel sermonyng
To make you assente to this thing.
Com neer, and tak your lady by the hond."
Bitwix hem was i-maad anon the bond,
That highte matrimoyn or mariage,
By alle the counseil of the baronage.
And thus with blys and eek with melodye
Hath Palamon i-wedded Emelye.

3100

And God, that al this wyde world hath wrought,
Send him his love, that hath it deere i-bought.
For now is Palamon in al his wele,
Lyvynge in blisse, richesse, and in hele,
And Emelye him loveth so tendirly,
And he hir serveth al so gentilly,

That never was ther wordes hem bitweene
Of jelousy, ne of non othir tene.
Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye;
And God save al this fayre companye!

THE PROLOGE OF THE MYLLER.

3160

I have a wyf, pardé! as wel as thow,
Yet nolde I, for the oxen in my plough,
Take upon me more than ynough;
Though that thou deme thiself that thou be oon,
I wol bileeve wel that I am noon.
An housbond schal not be inquisityf
Of Goddes pryveté, ne of his wyf.

So that he may fynde Goddes foysoun there,
Of the remenaunt needeth nought enquere."
What schuld I seye, but that this proud Myllere
He nolde his wordes for no man forbere,
But tolde his cherlisch tale in his manere,
Me athinketh, that I schal reherce it heere. 3170
And therfor every gentil wight I preye,
3110 For Goddes love, as deme nat that I seye,
Of yvel entent, but for I moot reherse
Here wordes alle, al be they better or werse,

WHAN that the Knight had thus his tale i-told, Or elles falsen som of my mateere.

In al the route nas ther yong ne old,
That he ne seyde it was a noble story,
And worthi to be drawen to memory;
And namely the gentils everichoon.

Our Host tho lowh and swoor," So moot I goon,
This goth right wel; unbokeled is the male;
Let se now who schal telle another tale;
For trewely this game is wel bygonne.
Now telleth ye, sir Monk, if that ye konne 3120
Somwhat, to quyte with the knightes tale."
The Myller that for-drunken was al pale,
So that unnethe upon his hors he sat,
He wold avale nowther hood ne hat,
Ne abyde no man for his curtesye,
But in Pilates voys he gan to crye,

3126. Pilates voys. Pilate was probably represented in
the popular Mysteries speaking in a gruff loud voice, as
one in power and authority.

3180

And therfor who so list it nat to heere,
Turne over the leef, and cheese another tale;
For he schal fynde ynowe bothe gret and smale,
Of storial thing that toucheth gentilesse,
And eek moralité, and holynesse.
Blameth nat me, if that ye cheese amys.
The Miller is a cherl, ye know wel this;
So was the Reeve, and othir many mo,
And harlotry they tolden bothe two.
Avyseth you, and put me out of blame;
And men schulde nat make ernest of game.

THE MILLERES TALE.

WHILOM ther was dwellyng at Oxenford
A riche gnof, that gestes heeld to boorde,
And of his craft he was a carpenter.

3156. The next two lines are omitted in Tyrwhitt's
text.

With him ther was dwellyng a pore scoler, 3190 A barm-cloth eek as whit as morne mylk

Had lerned art, but al his fantasye Was torned for to lerne astrologye,

And cowde a certeyn of conclusiouns

To deme by interrogaciouns,

If that men axed him in certeyn houres,

Upon hir lendes, ful of many a gore.
Whit was hir smok, and browdid al byfore
And eek byhynde on hir coler aboute,

Of cole-blak silk, withinne and eek withoute.
The tapes of hir white voluper

Whan that men schuld han drought or ellys Weren of the same sute of hire coler;

schoures;

3200

Or if men axed him what schulde bifalle
Of every thing, I may nought reken hem alle.
This clerk was cleped heende Nicholas;
Of derne love he cowde and of solas;
And therwith he was sleigh and ful privé,
And lik a mayden meke for to se.
A chambir had he in that hostillerye
Alone, withouten eny compaignye,
Ful fetisly i-dight with herbes soote,
And he himself as swete as is the roote
Of lokorys, or eny cetewale.
His almagest, and bookes gret and smale,
His astrylabe, longyng for his art,
His augrym stoones, leyen faire apart
On schelves couched at his beddes heed,
His presse i-covered with a faldyng reed.
And al above ther lay a gay sawtrye,
On which he made a-nightes melodye,
So swetely, that al the chambur rang;
And Angelus ad virginem he sang.
And after that he sang the kynges note;
Ful often blissed was his mery throte.
And thus this sweete clerk his tyme spente,
After his frendes fyndyng and his rente.

3210

3220

This carpenter had weddid newe a wyf, Which that he loved more than his lyf; Of eyghteteene yeer sche was of age. Gelous he was, and heeld hir narwe in cage, For sche was wild and yong, and he was old, And demed himself belik a cokewold, He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude, That bad man schulde wedde his similitude. Men schulde wedde aftir here astaat, For eelde and youthe ben often at debaat. But syn that he was brought into the snare, He moste endure, as othere doon, his care. Fair was the yonge wyf, and therwithal As eny wesil hir body gent and smal. A seynt sche wered, barred al of silk;

3230

The Milleres Tale. I have not met with this story elsewhere than in Chaucer, though it is more than probable that he took it from an older French fabliau, which is now lost, or only preserved in some inedited and little-known

MS.

3203. that. The Ms. Harl. reads in his hostillerye. It may be observed, that it was usual in the University for 3208. almagest. This book, the work of Ptolemy, derived through the Arabs, was the canon of astrological science among our forefathers in the middle ages. 3209. astrylabe. The astrolabe was the chief instrument for making astronomical calculations.

two or more students to have one room.

3210. augrym stoones. Augrim signifies arithmetic:

it is not very certain what augrim stones were; but they were probably counters marked with numerals, and used for calculating on a sort of abacus. Counters for reckoning with are mentioned in Shakespeare.

3216. Angelus ad virginem. One of the hymns of the Church service. It is more difficult to say what was the kynges note in the next line.

3227. Catoun. Chaucer alludes to the treatise of Cato de Moribus; but the sentiment is not taken from that book, but from a medieval poem of a similar character entitled Facetus, which contains the following lines:

Duc tibi prole parem sponsam moresque venustam,
Si cum pace velis vitam deducere justam.

3241

3250

Hir filet brood of silk y-set ful heye. And certeynly sche hadd a licorous eyghe; Ful smal y-pulled weren hir browes two, And tho were bent, as blak as a slo. Sche was wel more blisful on to see Than is the newe perjonette tree; And softer than the wol is of a wethir. And by hir gurdil hyng a purs of lethir, Tassid with silk, and perled with latoun. In al this world to seken up and doun Ther nys no man so wys, that couthe thenche So gay a popillot, or such a wenche. For brighter was the schynyng of hir hewe, Than in the Tour the noble i-forged newe. But of hir song, it was as lowde and yerne As eny swalwe chiteryng on a berne. Therto sche cowde skippe, and make game, As eny kyde or calf folwyng his dame. Hir mouth was sweete as bragat is or meth, Or hoord of apples, layd in hay or heth. Wynsyng sche was, as is a joly colt; Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt. A broch sche bar upon hir loue coleer, As brod as is the bos of a bocleer. Hir schos were laced on hir legges heyghe; Sche was a primerole, a piggesneyghe, For eny lord have liggyng in his bedde, Or yet for eny good yeman to wedde.

3260

3270

Now sir, and eft sir, so bifel the cas, That on a day this heende Nicholas Fil with this yonge wyf to rage and pleye, Whil that hir housbond was at Oseneye, As clerkes ben ful sotil and ful queynte. And pryvely he caught hir by the queynte, And seyde, "I-wis, but if I have my wille, For derne love of the, lemman, I spille." And heeld hir harde by the haunche boones, And seyde, "Lemman, love me al at ones, 3280 Or I wol dye, as wisly God me save.'

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And sche sprang out as doth a colt in trave: And with hir heed sche wried fast awey, And seyde, "I wol nat kisse the, by my fey! Why let be," quod sche, "lat be thou, Nicholas, Or I wol crye out harrow and allas! This Nicholas gan mercy for to crye, Do wey your handes for your curtesye!" And spak so faire, and profred him so faste, That sche hir love him graunted atte laste, 3290 And swor hir oth by seynt Thomas of Kent, That sche wol be at his comaundement, Whan that sche may hir leysir wel aspye. That but ye wayten wel, and be pryvé, Myn housbond is so ful of jelousie, I woot right wel I am but deed," quod sche: "Ye mosten be ful derne as in this caas."

66

3255. schynyng. The Ms. Harl. reads smylyng, contrary to the other мss. that I have examined.

beautiful coin: specimens are engraved in Ruding's An3256. noble. The gold noble of this period was a very nals of the Coinage. It was coined in the Tower of London, the place of the principal London mint.

3274 Öseneye. The somewhat celebrated abbey of Oseney stood in the suburbs of Oxford.

3300

"Therof ne care the nought," quod Nicholas:
"A clerk hath litherly byset his while,
But if he cowde a carpenter bygyle."
And thus they ben acorded and i-sworn
To wayte a tyme, as I have told biforn.

3310

3320

Whan Nicholas had doon thus every del,
And thakked hire aboute the lendys wel,
He kist hir sweet, and taketh his sawtrye,
And pleyeth fast, and maketh melodye.
Than fyl it thus, that to the parisch chirche
Cristes owen werkes for to wirche,
This goode wyf went on an haly day;
Hir forheed schon as bright as eny day,
So was it waisschen, whan sche leet hir werk.
Now ther was of that chirche a parisch clerk,
The which that was i-cleped Absolon.
Crulle was his heer, and as the gold it schon,
And strowted as a fan right large and brood;
Ful streyt and evene lay his jolly schood.
His rode was reed, his eyghen gray as goos,
With Powles wyndowes corven on his schoos.
In hosen reed he went ful fetusly.
I-clad he was ful smal and propurly,
Al in a kirtel of a fyn wachet;
Schapen with goores in the newe get.
And therupon he had a gay surplys,
As whyt as is the blosme upon the rys.
A mery child he was, so God me save;
Wel couthe he lete blood, and clippe and schave,
And make a chartre of lond and acquitaunce.
In twenty maners he coude skip and daunce,
After the scole of Oxenforde tho,
And with his legges casten to and fro;
And pleyen songes on a small rubible;
Ther-to he sang som tyme a lowde quynyble.
And as wel coude he pleye on a giterne.
In al the toun nas brewhous ne taverne
That he ne visited with his solas,
Ther as that any gaylard tapster was.
But soth to say he was somdel squaymous
Of fartyng, and of speche daungerous.
This Absolon, that joly was and gay,
Goth with a senser on the haly day,
Sensing the wyves of the parisch fast;
And many a lovely look on hem he cast,
And namely on this carpenteres wyf;
To loke on hire him thought a mery lyf;
Sche was so propre, sweete, and licorous.
I dar wel sayn, if sche had ben a mous,
And he a cat, he wold hir hent anoon.

This parisch clerk, this joly Absolon,
Hath in his herte such a love longyng,
That of no wyf ne took he noon offryng;
For curtesy, he seyde, he wolde noon.

3330

The moone at night ful cleer and brighte schoon,
And Absolon his giterne hath i-take,

For paramours he seyde he wold awake.
And forth he goth, jolyf and amerous,
Til he cam to the carpenteres hous,

A litel after the cok had y-crowe,

And dressed him up by a schot wyndowe
That was under the carpenteres wal.

He syngeth in his voys gentil and smal- 3360
"Now, deere lady, if thi wille be,

I praye yow that ye wol rewe on me,"
Ful wel acordyng to his gyternyng.

This carpenter awook, and herde him syng,
And spak unto his wyf, and sayde anoon,

66

What, Alisoun, herestow not Absolon, That chaunteth thus under oure boure smal?" And sche answerd hir housbond therwithal, "Yis, God woot, Johan, I heere it every del." This passeth forth; what wil ye bet than wel? Fro day to day this joly Absolon 3371

3381

So woweth hire, that him is wo-bigon.
He waketh al the night and al the day,
To kembe his lokkes brode and made him gay.
He woweth hire by mene and by brocage,
And swor he wolde ben hir owne page.
He syngeth crowyng as a nightyngale;
And sent hire pyment, meth, and spiced ale,
And wafres pypyng hoot out of the gleede;
And for sche was of toune, he profred meede.
For som folk wol be wonne for richesse,
And som for strokes, som for gentillesse.
Som tyme, to schewe his lightnes and maistrye,
He pleyeth Herod on a scaffold hye.
But what avayleth him as in this caas?
Sche so loveth this heende Nicholas,
That Absolon may blowe the bukkes horn;
He ne had for al his labour but a skorn.
And thus sche maketh Absolon hir ape,
And al his ernest torneth to a jape.

Ful soth is this proverbe, it is no lye,
Men seyn right thus alway, the ney slye
Maketh the ferre leef to be loth.

3340 For though that Absolon be wood or wroth,
Bycause that he fer was from here sight,
This Nicholas hath stonden in his light.

3390

3358. schot wyndowe. I am not satisfied with the explanations of this term hitherto given. It would seem rather to mean a window projecting from the wall, from which the inmates might shoot upon any one who attempted to force an entry into the house by the door, and from which, therefore, it would be easy for a person within to expose any part of his body in the manner expressed in the sequel of the story.

3350 line, comprising Absolon's song, appear to consist of four 3361. Tyrwhitt observes that this and the following short lines, all rhyming together.

3318. Powles wyndowes. Three figures in the paintings formerly existing on the walls of St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, represented shoes of Chaucer's time, which were cut in patterns not unlike the tracery of church-windows. Mr. C. Roach Smith has in his interesting museum some beautiful samples of shoes cut in this manner, even more elaborately. It has been conjectured that the phrase Powles wyndowes refers more especially to the rose-window of old St. Paul's Cathedral, which resembled the ornament in one of them. Warton, Hist. E. P. ii. 194, says that calcei fenestrati occur in ancient injunctions to the clergy. Chaucer, in the Romaunt of the Rose, speaks of Mirth as Shod, with grete maistrie,

With shone decopid and with lace.

3367. smal. Tyrwhitt, with some мss., reads boures

wal.

3377. crowyng. Some MSS., with Tyrwhitt, have brokking. 3378. pyment. Piment was a kind of spiced wine. Tyrwhitt's reading, pinnes, is certainly much inferior to the one in the text.

3384. pleyeth Herod. Herod was a favourite part in the religious plays, and was perhaps an object of competition among the performers, and a part in which the actor endeavoured to shew himself off with advantage. Every reader knows Shakespeare's phrase of outheroding Herod.

3387. blowe the bukkes horn. I presume this was a service that generally went unrewarded.

3391. this proverbe. The same proverb is found in Gower

It may be observed, however, that this is a literal trans- (Conf. Amant. lib. iii. f. 58)lation from the French original, decoupé.

3322. Instead of this line, Tyrwhitt reads,

Ful faire and thicke ben the pointes set.

An olde sawe is: who that is slygh
In place wher he may be nyghe,
He maketh the ferre leef loth,

2710

And alway cryeng after Emelye.
Duk Theseus, and al his companye,
Is comen hom to Athenes his cité,
With alle blys and gret solempnité.
Al be it that this aventure was falle,
He nolde nought discomforten hem alle.
Men seyde eek, that Arcita schuld nought dye,
He schal be helyd of his maladye.
And of another thing they were as fayn,
That of hem alle ther was noon y-slayn,
Al were they sore hurt, and namely oon,
That with a spere was thirled his brest boon.
To other woundes, and to broken armes,
Some hadde salve, and some hadde charmes,
Fermacyes of herbes, and eek save
They dronken, for they wolde here lyves have.
For which this noble duk, as he wel can,
Comforteth and honoureth every man,
And made revel al the lange night,
Unto the straunge lordes, as was right.
Ne ther was holden no discomfytyng,
But as a justes or as a turneying;
For sothly ther was no discomfiture,
For fallynge is but an adventure.
Ne to be lad with fors unto the stake
Unyolden, and with twenty knightes take,
A person allone, withouten moo,

2760

Al is to-broken thilke regioun;
Nature hath now no dominacioun.
And certeynly wher nature wil not wirche,
Farwel phisik; go bere the man to chirche.
This al and som, that Arcyte moste dye.
For which he sendeth after Emelye,
And Palamon, that was his cosyn deere.
Than seyd he thus, as ye schul after heere.
"Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte
Declare a poynt of my sorwes smerte
To you, my lady, that I love most;
But I byquethe the service of my gost
To you
aboven every creature,

Syn that my lyf may no lenger dure.
Allas, the woo! allas, the peynes stronge,
That I for you have suffred, and so longe!
Allas, the deth! allas, myn Emelye!
Allas, departyng of our companye!
Allas, myn hertes queen! allas, my wyf!
2720 Myn hertes lady, ender of my lyf!

And rent forth by arme, foot, and too,
And eke his steede dryven forth with staves,
With footemen, bothe yemen and eke knaves, 2730
It was aretted him no vylonye,

Ne no maner man heldn it no cowardye.

For which Theseus lowd anon leet crie,
To stynten al rancour and al envye,
The gree as wel on o syde as on other,
And every side lik, as otheres brother;
And gaf hem giftes after here degré,
And fully heeld a feste dayes thre;
And conveyed the knightes worthily
Out of his toun a journee largely.
And hom went every man the righte way,
Ther was no more, but "Farwel, have good day!"
Of this batayl I wol no more endite,
But speke of Palamon and of Arcyte.

Swelleth the brest of Arcyte, and the sore
Encresceth at his herte more and more.
The clothred blood, for eny leche-craft,
Corrumpith, and is in his bouk i-laft,
That nother veyne blood, ne ventusyng,
Ne drynk of herbes may ben his helpyng.
The vertu expulsif, or animal,
Fro thilke vertu cleped natural,
Ne may the venym voyde, ne expelle.
The pypes of his lounges gan to swelle,
And every lacerte in his brest adoun
Is schent with venym and corrupcioun.
Him gayneth nother, for to get his lyf,
Vomyt up-ward, ne doun-ward laxatif;

2740

2770

What is this world? what asken men to have?
Now with his love, now in his colde grave 2780
Allone withouten eny companye.
Farwel, my swete! farwel, myn Emelye!
And softe take me in your armes tweye,
For love of God, and herkneth what I seye.

I have heer with my cosyn Palamon
Had stryf and rancour many a day i-gon,
For love of yow, and eek for jelousie.
And Jupiter so wis my sowle gye,
To speken of a servaunt proprely,
With alle circumstaunces trewely,

2790

That is to seyn, trouthe, honour, and knighthede,
Wysdom, humblesse, astaat, and by kynrede,
Fredam, and al that longeth to that art,
So Jupiter have of my soule part,

2800

As in this world right now ne know I non
So worthy to be loved as Palamon,
That serveth you, and wol do al his lyf.
And if that ye schul ever be a wyf,
Forget not Palamon, that gentil man."
And with that word his speche faile gan;
For fro his herte up to his brest was come
The cold of deth, that him had overcome.
And yet moreover in his armes twoo
The vital strength is lost, and al agoo.
Only the intellect, withouten more,
That dwelled in his herte sik and sore,
Gan fayle, whan the herte felte deth;
2750 Duskyng his eyghen two, and fayled breth.
But on his lady yit he cast his ye;
His laste word was, " Mercy, Emelye!"
His spiryt chaunged was, and wente ther,
As I cam never, I can nat tellen wher.
Therfore I stynte, I nam no dyvynistre;
Of soules fynde I not in this registre,
Ne me list nat thopynyouns to telle
Of hem, though that thei wyten wher they dwelle.
Arcyte is cold, ther Mars his soule gye;
Now wol I speke forth of Emelye.

2714, 2715. charmes-save. It may be observed that the salves, charms, and pharmacies of herbs, were the principal remedies of the physician in the age of Chaucer. Save (salvia, the herb sage) was considered one of the most universally efficient of the medieval remedies.

2738. dayes thre. Three days were the usual duration of a feast among our early forefathers. As far back as the seventh century, when Wilfred consecrated his church at Ripon, he held-magnum convivium trium dierum et noctium reges cum omni populo lætificantes. Eddius, Vit. S. Wilf. c. 17. I am told that in Scotland these feasts of three days and three nights have been preserved traditionally to a comparatively recent period.

2810

2820

Shright Emely, and howled Palamon,
And Theseus his sustir took anon
Swownyng, and bar hir fro the corps away.
What helpeth it to tarye forth the day,
To telle how sche weep bothe eve and morwe?

2813. Therfore I stynte. Up to this point, the description of Arcite's dying moments is taken literally from the Tescide. "This," Tyrwhitt observes, "is apparently a fling at Boccace's pompous description of the passage of Arcite's soul to heaven."

2830

For in swich caas wommen can have such sorwe,
Whan that here housbonds ben from hem ago,
That for the more part they sorwen so,
Or elles fallen in such maladye,
That atte laste certeynly they dye.
Infynyt been the sorwes and the teeres
Of olde folk, and folk of tendre yeeres;
So gret a wepyng was ther noon certayn,
Whan Ector was i-brought, al freissh i-slayn,
As that ther was for deth of this Theban;
For sorwe of him ther weepeth bothe child and
At Troye, allas! the pité that was there, [man
Cracchyng of cheekes, rendyng eek of here.
"Why woldist thou be deed," this wommen crye,
And haddest gold ynowgh, and Emelye?"
No man mighte glade Theseus,

66

Savyng his olde fader Egeus,

2840

2860

That knew this worldes transmutacioun, As he hadde seen it torne up and doun, Joye after woo, and woo aftir gladnesse; And schewed him ensample and likenesse. "Right as ther deyde never man," quod he, "That he ne lyved in erthe in som degree, Yit ther ne lyvede never man," he seyde, “In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde. This world nys but a thurghfare ful of woo, And we ben pilgryms, passyng to and froo; 2350 Deth is an ende of every worldly sore." And over al this yit seide he mochil more To this effect, ful wysly to enhorte The peple, that they schulde him recomforte. Duk Theseus, with al his busy cure, Cast busyly wher that the sepulture Of good Arcyte may best y-maked be, And eek most honurable in his degré. And atte last he took conclusioun, That ther as first Arcite and Palamon Hadden for love the batail hem bytwene, That in the selve grove, soote and greene, Ther as he hadde his amorous desires, His compleynt, and for love his hoote fyres, He wolde make a fyr, in which thoffice Of funeral he might al accomplice; And leet comaunde anon to hakke and hewe The okes old, and lay hem on a rewe In culpouns well arrayed for to brenne. His officers with swifte foot they renne, And ryde anon at his comaundement. And after this, Theseus hath i-sent After a beer, and it al overspradde With cloth of golde, the richest that he hadde. And of the same sute he clad Arcyte; Upon his hondes were his gloves white; Eke on his heed a croune of laurer grene; And in his hond a swerd ful bright and kene. He leyde him bare the visage on the beere, Therwith he weep that pité was to heere. And for the poeple schulde see him alle, Whan it was day he brought hem to the halle, That roreth of the cry and of the soun. Tho cam this woful Theban Palamoun,

2890

With flotery berd, and ruggy asshy heercs,
In clothis blak, y-dropped al with teeres,
And, passyng other, of wepyng Emelye,
The rewfullest of al the companye.
And in as moche as the service schulde be
The more nobul and riche in his degré,
Duk Theseus leet forth thre steedes bryng,
That trapped were in steel al gliteryng,
And covered with armes of dan Arcyte.
Upon the steedes, that weren grete and white,
Ther seeten folk, of which oon bar his scheeld,
Another his spere up in his hondes heeld;
The thridde bar with him his bowe Turkeys,
Of brend gold was the caas and eek the herneys;
And riden forth a paas with sorwful chere
Toward the grove, as ye schul after heere. 2900
The nobles of the Grekes that ther were
Upon here schuldres carieden the beere,
With slak paas, and eyhen reed and wete,
Thurghout the cité, by the maister streete,
That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hye
Right of the same is al the stret i-wrye.
Upon the right hond went olde Egeus,
And on that other syde duk Theseus,
With vessels in here hand of gold wel fyn,
As ful of hony, mylk, and blood, and wyn; 2910
Eke Palamon, with a gret companye;
And after that com woful Emelye,
With fyr in hond, as was at that tyme the gyse,
To do thoffice of funeral servise.

Heygh labour, and ful gret apparailyng
Was at the service and at the fyr makyng,
That with his grene top the heven raughte,
And twenty fadme of brede tharme straughte;
This is to seyn, the boowes were so brode.
Of stree first was ther leyd ful many a loode. 2920
But how the fyr was makyd up on highte,
And eek the names how the trees highte,
As ook, fyr, birch, asp, aldir, holm, popler,
Wilw, elm, plane, assch, box, chesteyn, lynde,
Mapul, thorn, beech, hasil, ew, wyppyltre, [laurer,
How they weren felde, schal nought be told for me;
Ne how the goddes ronnen up and doun,
Disheryt of here habitacioun,

2930

In which they whilom woned in rest and pees, Nymphes, Faunes, and Amadryes; 2870 Ne how the beestes and the briddes alle Fledden for feere, whan the woode was falle; Ne how the ground agast was of the light, That was nought wont to see no sonne bright; Ne how the fyr was couchid first with stree, And thanne with drye stykkes cloven in three, And thanne with grene woode and spicerie, And thanne with cloth of gold and with perrye, And gerlandes hangyng with ful many a flour, The myrre, thensens with al so gret odour; 2940 Ne how Arcyte lay among al this, Ne what richesse aboute his body is; Ne how that Emely, as was the gyse, Putt in the fyr of funeral servise;

2880

2830. folk, and folk. The Ms. Harl. reads olde folk that ben of tendre. The lines which follow are read by Tyrwhitt, on the authority of some of the MSS. (perhaps correctly), thus,

In all the toun for deth of this Theban:
For him ther wepeth bothe childe and man.
So gret a weping was ther non certain,
Whan Hector was y-brought all fresh y-slain
To Troy, &c.

Ne how sche swowned whan sche made the fyre, Ne what sche spak, ne what was hire desire;

Love is described as bearing deux ars Turquois. 2837. his bowe Turkeys. In the Roman de la Rose, 1.913,

2921. But how the fyr. The description of the funeral, and several other parts of this poem, are taken originally from the Thebaid of Statius, to which Chaucer has already made a direct reference, 1. 2296.

2930. Amadryes. This is the reading of all the мss. I have consulted. It is, of course, a corruption of Hamadryades.

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