PURSE. PHILLIPPS MS. 9053.

43

PURSE.

[Phillipps MS. 9053. Paper, ab. 1450, page 31.]

Chaucer [in Jn. Stow's hand].

(1)

O yow my purse. and to nonother wight

1

t Compleyne I. for yow [are] my lady deere I am so sory that' ye bien light

For certis. but if ye make me hevy chiere

4

Me were as lief. to be leyde on biere

For whiche. vnto yowre mercy thus I crye

Beth hevy ageyne. or ellis must I dye

7

(2)

¶ Now fouchesauf this day. or it' be nyght'
That I of yow. the blisful sowne may here
To se youre coloure. as the sonne bright'
That of yowre eye. lownesse hath no peere
Ye bien my light' . ye be myn hertis feere
Qwene of comfort'. and of company
Beeth hevy ageyn. or ellis must I dye

8

11

14

(3)

¶ Now purse that' beth to me my lyf my light' And souerayne lady downe. in this world here

15

Out of this towne . help me thurgh youre myght'

Sith that ye wil nat'. be my tresorere

18

For I am shave as nygħ. as any frere

I

For whiche. vnto youre mercy 1 crye

Bieth hevy ageyne. or ellis must' I dye

21

Thus farr is printed in Chauce[r] fol. 320. vnder yo name

of Tho: Occleeue. /

[Lydgate's Allas fortune. allas what' haue I gilt,' is added as a continuation of Chaucer's Poem, as in Harl. 2251, Par.-Text 449, col. 3.]

Appendix.

1. THE BALADE OF PITEE (Phillipps MS. 9053) with a unique

final stanza.

2. ROUNDELS (Pepys MS. 2006).

46

I. THE BALADE OF PITE.

(Phillipps MS. 9053, If. 95, where it is written in stanzas-1st lines are markt¶-as part of the Compleynte to Pite printed above, p. 11-15. All the lines start level in the MS., but are inset here, to show the structure of the poem. This copy is from one of Shirley's: cp. Elas, l. 51. For the other Shirley copy, Harl. 78, see our Odd Texts of Chaucer's Minor Poems, Appendix, p. ii-v.)

(I. 7-line Stanzas, 1)

¶ The longe nyghtis. whan euery creature

Shuld have theyr rest. in somwhat be kynde
Or ellis ne may theyr lif. nought' longe endure
It' fallith most. in to my wooful mynde
How I so fer have brought. my self behynde

1

5

That' sauf the deth. ther may nothyng me lisse
So dispaired I am from al blisse

7

(I. 2)

¶ This same thought. me lastith til the morow And from the morow. furth til it be Eve

8

There nedith me. no care for to borow

For both I have gode leyser. and goode love

Ther is no wight'. that' wil my wo bireve

12

To wepe Inougħ. and wailen al my fiH

The sore spark of peyne. now doth me spi

(3) [II. Terza Rima, 1]

-iH]

¶ This love that hath me set'. in suche a place That my desire. wil neuer fulfi}