From Chaucer to Tennyson Part 14

APPENDIX.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

THE PRIORESS.

[From the general prologue to the Canterbury Tales.]

There was also a nonne, a prioresse, That of hire smiling was ful simple and coy; Hire gretest othe n'as but by Seint Eloy; And she was cleped[23] madame Eglentine.

Ful wel she sange the service devine, Entuned in hire nose ful swetely; And Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly[24]

After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe,[25]

For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe.

At mete was she wel ytaught withalle; She lette no morsel from hire lippe falle, Ne wette hire fingres in hire sauce depe.

Wel coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe, Thatte no drope ne fell upon hire brest.

In curtesie was sette ful moche hire lest.[26]

Hire over lippe wiped she so clene That in hire cuppe was no ferthing[27] sene Of grese, whan she dronken hadde hire draught.

Ful semely after hire mete she raught.[28]

And sikerly[29] she was of grete disport And ful plesant and amiable of port, And peined hire to contrefeten chere Of court,[30] and ben estatelich of manere And to ben holden digne[31] of reverence.

But for to speken of hire conscience, She was so charitable and so pitous, She wolde wepe if that she saw a mous Caughte in a trappe, if it were ded or bledde.

Of smale houndes hadde she, that she fedde With rested flesh and milk and wastel brede.[32]

But sore wept she if on of hem were dede, Or if men smote it with a yerde[33] smert:[34]

And all was conscience and tendre herte.

[Footnote 23: Called.]

[Footnote 24: Neatly.]

[Footnote 25: Stratford on the Bow (river): a small village where such French as was spoken would be provincial.]

[Footnote 26: Delight.]

[Footnote 27: Farthing, bit.]

[Footnote 28: Reached.]

[Footnote 29: Surely.]

[Footnote 30: Took pains to imitate court manners.]

[Footnote 31: Worthy.]

[Footnote 32: Fine bread.]

[Footnote 33: Stick.]

[Footnote 34: Smartly.]

PALAMON'S FAREWELL TO EMELIE.

[From the Knightes Tale.]

Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte Declare o[35] point of all my sorwes smerte To you, my lady, that I love most.

But I bequethe the service of my gost To you aboven every creature, Sin[36] that my lif ne may no lenger dure.

Alas the wo! alas the peines stronge That I for you have suffered, and so longe!

Alas the deth! alas min Emelie!

Alas departing of our compagnie!

Alas min hertes quene! alas my wif!

Min hertes ladie, euder of my lif!

What is this world? what axen[37] men to have?

Now with his love, now in his colde grave Alone withouten any compagnie.

Farewel my swete, farewel min Emelie, And softe take me in your armes twey,[38]

For love of G.o.d, and herkeneth[39] what I sey.

[Footnote 35: One.]

[Footnote 36: Since.]

[Footnote 37: Ask.]

[Footnote 38: Two.]

[Footnote 39: Hearken.]

EMELIE IN THE GARDEN.

[From the Knightes Tale.]

Thus pa.s.seth yere by yere, and day by day, Till it felle ones in a morwe[40] of May That Emelie, that fayrer was to sene[41]

Than is the lilie upon his stalke grene, And fresher than the May with floures newe, (For with the rose colour strof hire hewe; I n'ot[42] which was the finer of hem two) Er it was day, as she was wont to do, She was arisen and all redy dight,[43]

For May wol have no slogardie a-night.

The seson priketh every gentil herte, And maketh him out of his slepe to sterte, And sayth, "Arise, and do thin observance."

This maketh Emelie han remembrance To dou honour to May, and for to rise.

Yclothed was she fresh for to devise.[44]

Hire yelwe here was broided in a tresse Behind hire back, a yerde long I gesse.

And in the gardin at the sonne uprist[45]

She walketh up and doun wher as hire list.[46]

She gathereth floures, partie white and red, To make a sotel[47] gerlond for hire bed, And as an angel hevenlich she song.

[Footnote 40: Morning.]

[Footnote 41: See.]

[Footnote 42: Know not.]

[Footnote 43: Dressed.]

[Footnote 44: Describe.]

[Footnote 45: Sunrise.]

[Footnote 46: Wherever it pleases her.]

[Footnote 47: Subtle, cunningly enwoven.]

ALISON.

[From the Millere's Tale.]

Fayre was this yonge wif, and therwithal As any wesel hire body gent and smal[48]

A seint[49] she wered, barred al of silk, A barm-cloth[50] eke as white as morne milk[51]