Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

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СКАЧАТЬ goddesse, take regarde of thy servant,

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      though I be feble; for thou art wont to prayse them better that

      wolde conne serve in love, al be he ful mener than kinges or

      princes that wol not have that vertue in mynde.

      Now, precious Margaryte, that with thy noble vertue hast

      drawen me in-to love first, me weninge therof to have blisse,

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      [ther]-as galle and aloes are so moche spronge, that savour of

      swetnesse may I not ataste. Alas! that your benigne eyen, in

      whiche that mercy semeth to have al his noriture, nil by no

      waye tourne the clerenesse of mercy to me-wardes! Alas! that

      your brennande vertues, shyning amonges al folk, and enlumininge

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      al other people by habundaunce of encresing, sheweth to me

      but smoke and no light! These thinges to thinke in myn herte

      maketh every day weping in myn eyen to renne. These liggen

      on my backe so sore, that importable burthen me semeth on my

      backe to be charged; it maketh me backwarde to meve, whan

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      my steppes by comune course even-forth pretende. These

      thinges also, on right syde and lift, have me so envolved with

      care, that wanhope of helpe is throughout me ronne; trewly,

      †I leve, that graceles is my fortune, whiche that ever sheweth it

      me-wardes by a cloudy disese, al redy to make stormes of tene;

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      and the blisful syde halt stil awayward, and wol it not suffre to

      me-wardes to turne; no force, yet wol I not ben conquered.

      O, alas! that your nobley, so moche among al other creatures

      commended by †flowinge streme †of al maner vertues, but

      ther ben wonderful, I not whiche that let the flood to come

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      in-to my soule; wherefore, purely mated with sorowe thorough-sought,

      my-selfe I crye on your goodnesse to have pitè on this

      caytif, that in the in[ne]rest degree of sorowe and disese is left,

      and, without your goodly wil, from any helpe and recovery.

      These sorowes may I not sustene, but-if my sorowe shulde be

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      told and to you-wardes shewed; although moche space is bitwene

      us twayne, yet me thinketh that by suche †joleyvinge wordes my

      disese ginneth ebbe. Trewly, me thinketh that the sowne of my

      lamentacious weping is right now flowe in-to your presence, and

      there cryeth after mercy and grace, to which thing (me semeth)

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      thee list non answere to yeve, but with a deynous chere ye

      commaunden it to avoide; but god forbid that any word shuld of

      you springe, to have so litel routh! Pardè, pitè and mercy in

      every Margarite is closed by kynde amonges many other vertues,

      by qualitees of comfort; but comfort is to me right naught worth,

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      withouten mercy and pitè of you alone; whiche thinges hastely

      god me graunt for his mercy!

      Ch. I. 2. enioy. 3. sondrye. 5. nowe. 6. disease outwarde. 7. comforte. 8. ferre. 9. hell. dethe. 10. endelesse. 12. hent. 13. swynke. 14. dwellynge-. wytlesse. 15. syghtlesse. prisone. 16. caytisned (for caytifued). 17. wode (!); for worde; read word. 18. made. reason. herde. 20. disease. 21. beames. 22. For be-went, Th. has be-went. 23. one. 25. wyl of; apparently an error for whyles (which I adopt). luste. 26. dede (for drede). 27. myne. 28. twynckelynge. disease. 29. lette (twice). dey. measure. 30. myne. comforte. 31. diseased. maye. aueyle. 32. endlesse.

      33. wote; myne hert breaketh. 34. howe. grounde. forthe. 35. howe. shippe. great. 36. Howe. 39. nowe. sayne. 40. arte. weate. 44. stretche. 45. stey. endlesse. 46. wotte. I supply am. spurveyde. arte. nowe. 47. frenshyppe (sic). 48. nowe arte. 49. weareth. 51. Nowe. 53. leaue. 57. lythe. 59. frendes (sic); for ferdnes: cf. p. 9, l. 9. 60. Christe. 61. great. bounties. 62. hel. 63. veyned (sic); for weyued. 64. shapte. Nowe. 65. wretched. 66. heate. 68. wytte.

      69. wote. 72. ease. sythe. 73. qualyties. 74. wote. wemme ne spotte maye. 75. Read unimaginable. 77. knytte. fal. 78. wol wel (for wot wel). 80. sonded; read souded. maye. 81. pleased. charyte. 82. eased. 83. comforte. fal. 85. out caste. daye. se. 86. flodde. 87. diseases. 89. perfectyon. knytte. dethe. 91. togyther is endelesse in blysse(!). dwel. 92. eased. 93. thentent. 94. great. Nowe. 95. arte wonte. 98. Nowe. haste. 100. I supply ther. 104. folke.

      105. encreasing. 110. forthe. 112, 113. trewly and leue; read trewly I leve. 113. gracelesse. 114. disease. 115. halte. 117. (The sentence beginning O, alas seems hopelessly corrupt; there are pause-marks after vertues and wonderful.) 118. folowynge; read flowinge. by; read of. 119. flode. 122. caytife. inrest. disease. lefte. 124. maye. 125. tolde. 126. ioleynynge (sic). 127. disease. 128. nowe. 130. the lyst none. 131. worde. 134. qualites of comforte. worthe.

      CHAPTER II.

      Rehersinge these thinges and many other, without tyme

      or moment of rest, me semed, for anguisshe of disese, that

      al-togider I was ravisshed, I can not telle how; but hoolly all my

      passions and felinges weren lost, as it semed, for the tyme; and

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      sodainly a maner of drede lighte in me al at ones; nought suche

      fere as folk have of an enemy, that were mighty and wolde hem

      greve or don hem disese. For, I trowe, this is wel knowe to many

      persones, that otherwhyle, if a man be in his soveraignes СКАЧАТЬ