Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ therof grete rekes and noble, ful of al plentees, to fede me

      and many another. Envye, forsothe, commendeth nought his

      reson that he hath in hayne, be it never so trusty. And al-though

      these noble repers, as good workmen and worthy their hyre,

      han al drawe and bounde up in the sheves, and mad many

      105

      shockes, yet have I ensample to gadere the smale crommes,

      and fullen my walet of tho that fallen from the borde among

      the smale houndes, notwithstandinge the travayle of the

      almoigner, that hath drawe up in the cloth al the remissailes,

      as trenchours, and the relief, to bere to the almesse.

      110

      Yet also have I leve of the noble husbande Boëce, al-though

      I be a straunger of conninge, to come after his doctrine, and

      these grete workmen, and glene my handfuls of the shedinge

      after their handes; and, if me faile ought of my ful, to encrese

      my porcion with that I shal drawe by privitees out of the shocke.

      115

      A slye servaunt in his owne helpe is often moche commended;

      knowing of trouth in causes of thinges was more hardyer in the

      first sechers (and so sayth Aristotle), and lighter in us that han

      folowed after. For their passing †studies han fresshed our wittes,

      and our understandinge han excyted, in consideracion of trouth,

      120

      by sharpnesse of their resons. Utterly these thinges be no

      dremes ne japes, to throwe to hogges; it is lyflich mete for

      children of trouthe; and as they me betiden, whan I pilgrimaged

      out of my kith in winter; whan the †weder out of mesure was

      boystous, and the wylde wind Boreas, as his kind asketh, with

      125

      dryinge coldes maked the wawes of the occian-see so to aryse

      unkyndely over the commune bankes, that it was in poynte to

      spille al the erthe.

      Thus endeth the Prologue; and here-after foloweth the

      first book of the Testament of Love.

      2. delyciousnesse; (and elsewhere, y is often replaced by i). 4. none. 5. Sothely. wytte. 8. inrest poynte. 10. spring. boke. great floode. 12. catchers. 13. hent. 18. afterwarde. 19. leudenesse. 20. comenly. 21. leudenesse. 23. gret delyte.

      24. fulfylde. 27. englysshe. 28. englysshe; supply of. englyssh-. 29. Howe. borne. 31. englyssh. englyssh-. 32. stretche. 34. propertie. 35. facultie. lette. 39. boke. thanke worthy. 42. sene. 44. catche. 45. I supply perfeccion is; to make sense. soueraynst. 46. creature (sic). reasonable. 47, 50. perfection. 47. sythe reason. 48. reasonable. 51. one. 54. Nowe. meane. 56. be (for by). 57. arne.

      60. I supply of. parfyte. 61. haste. 62. delyte (this sentence is corrupt). 64. saythe. 65. great. 66, 67. thynges consydred. Forsoth (sic). 68. great. me (sic); for men. 72. great. Supply of. 73. propertyes. 75. matters of reason. perfection. 76. treasour. 79. peace. 80. stixe. 81. boke. 83. dyseases. boke. 85. nowe. 87. set. 89. pul. 92. great. 94. wote. made. 95. vnworthely.

      98. gathered. toforne. 100. made. great. plentyes. 102. reason. hayn (sic). 102. -thoughe. 103. hyer. 104. made. 105. gader. 106. fullyn. amonge. 108. remyssayles. 109. relyef. 112. great. 113. encrease. 114. priuytyes. 116. knoweyng. 118. study (sic). 120. reasons. 121. lyfelyche meate. 122. betiden (sic); past tense. 123. wether. measure. 124. wynde Borias. kynde. 125. dryenge. 127. spyl. (rubric) boke.

      CHAPTER I.

      Alas! Fortune! alas! I that som-tyme in delicious houres

      was wont to enjoye blisful stoundes, am now drive by

      unhappy hevinesse to bewaile my sondry yvels in tene!

      Trewly, I leve, in myn herte is writte, of perdurable letters, al the

      5

      entencions of lamentacion that now ben y-nempned! For any

      maner disese outward, in sobbing maner, sheweth sorowful yexinge

      from within. Thus from my comfort I ginne to spille, sith she

      that shulde me solace is fer fro my presence. Certes, her

      absence is to me an helle; my sterving deth thus in wo it myneth,

      10

      that endeles care is throughout myne herte clenched; blisse of

      my joye, that ofte me murthed, is turned in-to galle, to thinke on

      thing that may not, at my wil, in armes me hente! Mirth is

      chaunged in-to tene, whan swink is there continually that reste was

      wont to sojourne and have dwelling-place. Thus witless, thoughtful,

      15

      sightles lokinge, I endure my penaunce in this derke prison,

      †caitived fro frendshippe and acquaintaunce, and forsaken of al

      that any †word dare speke. Straunge hath by waye of intrucioun

      mad his home, there me shulde be, if reson were herd as he

      shulde. Never-the-later yet hertly, lady precious Margarit, have

      20

      mynde on thy servaunt; and thinke on his disese, how lightles he

      liveth, sithe the bemes brennende in love of thyn eyen are so

      bewent, that worldes and cloudes atwene us twey wol nat suffre

      my thoughtes of hem to be enlumined! Thinke that oon vertue

      of a Margarite precious is, amonges many other, the sorouful to

      25

      comforte; yet †whyles that, me sorouful to comforte, is my lust

      to have nought els at this tyme, d[r]ede СКАЧАТЬ