And then hir joye, for oght I can espye, Ne lasteth not the twinkeling of an ye, And somme han never joye til they be dede.

What meneth this? what is this mistihede?

Wherto constreyneth he his folk so faste Thing to desyre, but hit shulde laste? 226 And thogh he made a lover love a thing, And maketh hit seme stedfast and during, Yet putteth he in hit such misaventure, That reste nis ther noon in his yeving. 230 And that is wonder, that so just a king

Doth such hardnesse to his creature. Thus, whether love breke or elles dure, Algates he that hath with love to done Hath ofter wo then changed is the mone. Hit semeth he hath to lovers enmite, 236 And lyk a fissher, as men alday may see, Baiteth his angle-hook with som ples

aunce,

Til mony a fish is wood til that he be 239 Sesed ther-with; and then at erst hath he Al his desyr, and ther-with al mischaunce;

And thogh the lyne breke, he hath penaunce;

For with the hoke he wounded is so sore, That he his wages hath for ever-more.

The Brooch of Thebes.

The broche of Thebes was of suche a kinde, 245

So ful of rubies and of stones Inde,

That every wight, that sette on hit an yë,

He wende anon to worthe out of his minde;

So sore the beaute wolde his herte binde, Til he hit hadde, him thoghte he moste dye;

25) And whan that hit was his, than shulde he drye

Such wo for drede, ay whyl that he hit hadde,

That welnigh for the fere he shulde madde.

And whan hit was fro his possessioun,
Than had he double wo and passioun 255
For he so fair a tresor had forgo;
But yet this broche, as in conclusioun,
Was not the cause of this confusioun ;
But he that wroghte hit enfortuned hit
So,

That every wight that had hit shuld have wo; 260 And therfor in the worcher was the vyce, And in the covetour that was so nyce.

So fareth hit by lovers and by me;
For thogh my lady have so gret beautė,
That I was mad til I had gete hir

THE lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne,
Th'assay so hard, so sharp the conquering,
The dredful joye, that alwey slit so yerne,
Al this mene I by love, that my feling 4
Astonyeth with his wonderful worching
So sore y-wis, that whan I on him thinke,
Nat wot I wel wher that I wake or winke.

For al be that I knowe not love in dede,
Ne wot how that he quyteth folk hir hyre,
Yet happeth me ful ofte in bokes rede 10
Of his miracles, and his cruel yre;
Ther rede I wel he wol be lord and syre,
I dar not seyn, his strokes been so sore,
But god save swich a lord! I can no

more.

Of usage, what for luste what for lore, 15
On bokes rede I ofte, as I tolde.
yow
But wherfor that I speke al this? not yore
Agon, hit happed me for to beholde
Upon a boke, was write with lettres olde;
And ther-upon, a certeyn thing to lerne, 20
The longe day ful faste I radde and yerne.

For out of olde feldes, as men seith,
Cometh al this newe corn fro yeer to yere ;
And out of olde bokes, in good feith,
Cometh al this newe science that men
lere.

25

But now to purpos as of this matere-
To rede forth hit gan me so delyte,
That al the day me thoughte but a lyte.
This book of which I make mencioun,
Entitled was al thus, as I shal telle,
'Tullius of the dreme of Scipioun ';
Chapitres seven hit hadde, of hevene and
helle,

30

Than asked he, if folk that heer be dede
Have lyf and dwelling in another place; 51
And African seyde, 'ye, withoute drede,'
And that our present worldes lyves space
Nis but a maner deth, what wey we trace,
And rightful folk shal go, after they dye,
To heven; and shewed him the galaxye. 56
Than shewed he him the litel erthe, that
heer is,

At regard of the hevenes quantite;
And after shewed he him the nyne speres,
And after that the melodye herde he 60
That cometh of thilke speres thryes three,
That welle is of musyke and melodye
In this world heer, and cause of armonye.

Than bad he him, sin ert he was so lyte,
And ful of torment and of harde grace, 65
That he ne shulde him in the world
delyte.

Than tolde he him, in certeyn yeres space, That every sterre shulde come into his place

Ther hit was first; and al shulde out of minde 69

That in this worlde is don of al mankinde.