Song and Legend from the Middle Ages Part 7

On a stair he sat without, With his brave lords round about: Saw the leaves and flowers spring, Heard the song-birds carolling; Of his love he thought anew, Nicolette the maiden true, Whom he loved so long a day; Then his tears and sighs had way.

When, behold before the stair, Nicolette herself stood there, Lifted viol, lifted bow, Then she told her story so: "Listen, lordlings brave, to me, Ye that low or lofty be!

Liketh you to hear a stave, All of Auca.s.sin the brave, And of Nicolette the true?

Long they loved and long did rue, Till into the deep forest After her he went in quest.

From the tower of Torelore Them one day the Paynim bore, And of him I know no more.

But true-hearted Nicolette Is in Carthage castle yet; To her sire so dear is she, Who is king of that countrie.

Fain they would to her award Felon king to be her lord.

Nicolette will no Paynim, For she loves a lording slim, Auca.s.sin the name of him.

By the holy name she vows That no lord will she espouse, Save she have her love once moe She longs for so!"

She is at last revealed to him, and all ends happily.

Sec. 41.-- Now when Auca.s.sin did hear Of his own bright favored fere, That she had arrived his sh.o.r.e, Glad he was as ne'er before.

Forth with that fair dame he made Nor until the hostel stayed.

Quickly to the room they win, Where sat Nicolette within.

When she saw her love once more, Glad she was as ne'er before.

Up she sprang upon her feet, And went forward him to meet.

Soon as Auca.s.sin beheld, Both his arms to her he held, Gently took her to his breast, All her face and eyes caressed.

Long they lingered side by side; And the next day by noontide Auca.s.sin her lord became; Of Beaucaire he made her Dame.

After lived they many days, And in pleasure went their ways.

Now has Auca.s.sin his bliss, Likewise Nicolette ywis.

Ends our song and story so; No more I know.

DIDACTIC LITERATURE.

France produced, along with its heroic poetry, its romances, tales, and lyrics, much serious and allegorical work. This was in the shape of homilies, didactic poems, and long allegories touching manners and morals. Of these last the most famous and important is "The Romance of the Rose". It was the most popular book of the Middle Ages in France. It was begun by William of Lorris about 1240, the first draft extending to 4670 lines. Some forty years later, Jean de Meung, or Clapinel, wrote a continuation extending the poem to 22,817 lines. The general story is of a visit to a garden of delights, on the outside of which are all unlovely things. Within the garden the personages and action are allegories of the art of love. Here are Leisure, Enjoyment, Courtesy, the G.o.d of Love himself, love in the form of a beautiful Rose, Gracious Reception, Guardianship, Coyness, and Reason. Our extracts are taken from the translation into English attributed--it now seems with great probability--to Chaucer.

NOTE.--These extracts from Chaucer's translation are not re-translated nor adapted. Chaucer's words are retained in every case. Their spelling is modernized. In those cases in which they needed for the rhythm, certain inflectional endings, e, en, es, are retained and are printed in parentheses. The reader has only to remember that he must p.r.o.nounce every syllable needed to make the lines rhythmical. In only four cases has the rhyme been affected by the changed spelling. For defense of this modern spelling of Chaucer, the reader is referred to Lounsbury's "Studies in Chaucer," Vol. III., pp. 264-279.

Ll. 49-91.-- That it was May me thought(e) tho[1]

It is five year or more ago; That it was May, thus dreamed me, In time of love and jollity.

That all thing 'ginneth waxen gay, For there is neither busk nor hay[2]

In May, that it nill[3] shrouded been And [4] it with new(e) leaves wrene[5]

These wood(e)s eek recover green, That dry in winter been to seen;[6]

And the earth waxeth proud withal For sweet dews that on it fall.

And the poor estate forget In which that winter had it set.

And then becometh the ground so proud, That it will have a new(e) shroud, And maketh so quaint his robe and fair That it had hews an hundred pair, Of gra.s.s and flowers, inde and perse[7]

And many hew(e)s full diverse: That is the robe, I mean, ivis,[8]

Through which the ground to praise(n)[9] is.

The birds that have(n) left their song, While they have suffered cold so strong, In weathers grill [10] and dark to sight, Ben [11] in May for [12] the sun(en) bright So glad(e), that they show in singing That in (t)heir hearts is such liking,[13]

That they mote [14] sing(en) and be light.

Then doth the nightingale her might To make noise and sing(en) blithe, Then is bussful many sithe,[15]

The calandra [16] and the popinjay.[17]

Then young(e) folk entend(en)[18] aye For to be gay and amorous, The time is then so favorous.[19]

Hard is the heart that loveth nought, In May when all this mirth is wrought: When he may on these branches hear The small(e) bird(e)s sing(en) clear (T)heir blissful' sweet song piteous, And in this season delightous[20]

When love affrayeth[21] all(e) thing.

[1] Then. [2] Bush nor hedge. [3] Will not. [4] As if. [5] Were covered. [6] Are to be seen. [7] Azure and sky-colored. [8]

Certainly. [9] To be praised. [10] Severe. [11] Are. [12] On account of. [13] Good bodily condition. [14] Must. [15] Times.

[16] A kind of lark. [17] Parrot. [18] Attend. [19] Favorable.

[20] Delightful. [21] Moveth.

The poet sees in vision the Garden of Love. He knocks at "a wiket smalle," which was finally opened by a maiden.

Ll. 539.-- Her hair was as yellow of hew As any basin scoured new, Her flesh tender as is a chick, With bent brow(e)s, smooth and sleek; And by measure large were, The opening of her eyen [1]clere, Her nose of good proportion, Her eyen [1] gray as is a falcon, With sweet(e) breath and well savored, Her face white and well colored, With little mouth and round to see; A clove[2] chin eek had(de) she.

Her neek(e) was of good fashion[3]

In length and greatness by reason,[4]

Without(e) blain(e),[5] scab or roigne.[6]

From Jerusalem unto Burgoyne, There nys [7] a fairer neck, iwis,[8]

To feel how smooth and soft it is.

Her throat also white of hew As snow on branch(e) snowed new.

Of body full well wrought was she; Men needed not in no country A fairer body for to seek, And of fine orphreys [9] had she eek A chap(e)let; so seemly one, Ne[10] I werede never maid upon, And fair above that chap(e)let A rose garland had she set.

She had a gay mirror, And with a rich(e) gold treasure Her head was tressed [11] quaint(e)ly; Her sleeves sewed fetisely,[12]

And for to keep her hand(e)s fair Of gloves white she had a pair.

And she had on a coat of green, Of cloth of Gaunt; without(e) ween[13]

Well seemed by her apparel She was not wont to great travail, For when she kempto was fetisely[14]

And well arrayed and rich(e)ly Then had she done all her journey; For merry and well begun was she.

She had a l.u.s.ty[15] life in May, She had no thought by night nor day, Of no thing but if it were only To graith[16] her well and uncouthly.[17]

When that this door had opened me This May, seemly for to see, I thanked her as I best might, And asked her how that she hight[18]

And what she was' I asked eek.

And she to me was nought unmeek [19]

Ne of her answer dangerous [20]

But fair answered and said(e) thus: "Lo, sir, my name is Idleness; So clepe[21] men me, more and less."

Full mighty and full rich am I, And that of one thing, namely,"

For I entend(e)[28] to no thing But to my joy, and my playing, And for to kemb[29] and tress(e)[30] me.

Acquainted am I and privy With Mirth(e), lord of this garden, That from the land of Alexander Made the trees. .h.i.ther be fet[31]

That in this garden be i-set.

And when the trees were waxen on height[32]

This wall, that stands here in thy sight, Did Mirth enclose(n) all about; And these images[33] all without He did 'em both entail[43] and paint.

That neither be joly,[35] nor quaint,[36]

But they be full of sorrow and woe As thou hast seen a while ago.

"And oft(e) time him to solace, Sir Mirth(e) cometh into this place And eek with him cometh his meiny[37]

That live in l.u.s.t[38] and jollity, And now is Mirth therein to hear The bird(e)s, how they sing(en) clear The mavis and the nightingale, And other jolly bird(e)s small, And thus he walketh to solace Him and his folk; for sweeter place To play(en) in he may not find, Although he sought one in till[39] Inde.[40]

The alther fairest[41] folk to see That in this world may found(e) be Hath Mirth(e) with him in his rout, That follow him always about.

And forth without(e) word(e)s mo,[42]

In at that wicket went I tho,[43]

That idleness had opened me, Into that garden fair to see.

[1] Eyes. [2] Dimpled. [3] Form. [4] Proportion. [5] Pustule. [6]

Pimple. [7] Is not. [8] Certainly. [9] Fringe of gold. [10] Not.

[11] Wore. [12] Plaited. [13] Neatly. [14] Doubt. [15] Combed, ironed. [16] Day's work. [17] In fine form. [18] Pleasant. [19]

Dress. [20] Unusually, elegantly. [21] Was called. [22] Bold.

[23] Sparing. [24] Name. [25] Great and small. [26] Chiefly. [27]

Attend. [29] Comb. [30] Plait. [31] Fetched. [32] Were grown to a height. [33] The pictures on the outside of the wall. [34]

Scarve.[35] Joyful, pleasant. [36] Unusual, queer. [37] Retinue.

[38] Pleasure. [39] To. [40] India. [41] Fairest of all. [42]

More. [43] Then.