Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookfor_ Two); fery dartis; gleedys. 168. hyse wengis. 179. the thebonoyre (_sic_). 180. preye; euere. 186. nynetene. 192. Haddyn euere. 199. aftyr; wentyn. 201. songyn. 202. whiche; schal. 206. Penolope. 209. destene. 221. [gh]oure. 224. I-songyn. [179. thebonoyre.] [185. Byhynde.] [186. ladyis nynetene.] [192. Haddyn.] [196. whiche; dayseye.] [197. styntyn; atonys.] [198. knelede; nonys.] 225. sote. 226. settyn. 227. ordere; cumpas; in-veroun. 228. thanne. 231. degre. 234. lenynge; vndyr. 238. ho (_for_ who). 239. axsynge. 243. bettere. 244. come; syht. 247. Myne; ben. 248. myn. 249. mysseyst. 251. lettist. 252. seruyn; haldist. 254. tixt. 258. thyn; cole. 259. fole. 260. louyth paramouris. 262. folis; spryt (_sic_) faylyth. 263. wete; ealyth. 264. englys ek; bok. 265. forsok. 267. Bit (_for_ But). 268. noldist; a (_for_ have _or_ han); goodnes. 269. wekedenes. 270. matyr; thyn. 271. thyne bokys ne coudist; (_I omit_ ne). 273. lx. bokys. 274. thyn-self; storyis. 275. romaynys; ek grekis. 276. sundery; whiche; ledde. 277. euere; hunderede goode; on. 278. knowith; clerkis ek. 279. vsyn sweche materis; sek. 282. maydenys; wyuys. 283. stedefaste wedewys durynge all here lyuys. 284. Tellyth. 285. hunderede. 286. pete. 287. endure; here. 289. rathere; wole (_error for_ wolde). 290. chose; ded; sundery. 291. deiedyn; wele (_for_ wol). 293. dreynkt (!); thy (_for_ they); woldyn. 294. kepid maydynhed. 295. ellis wedlek; here wedewehed. 299. were hethene. 302. trowe; schal. 303. trowe. 305. epistelle (see _note_). 306. wyuys. 307. estoryal. 308. te (_for_ the); autourys. 309. Cristene; hethene. 310. nedyth; to endite. 311. seye; eylyth the. 312. storyis; forgete, _with_ gete _over erasure; read_ forgo. 313. Be (_for_ By). 314. Al-thow; _I supply_ that; reneyist (_sic_) hast myn. 315. folys. 316. so that (_for_ that; _I omit_ so). 317. Thanne; worthyere (!). 320. poyntys; mevid. 322. dede (_for_ deitee; _the scribe's error_). 323. ek. 325. tothyr. 327. hereth manye; I-feynyd. 328. losenger. 329. totulour. 330. tabo_ur_ryn; [gh]oure; manye. 332. sum. 333. prere (!). 335. che; partyth; nygh (!). 337. mote; _I supply_ nat. 338. ben acused. 339. There; be; oughte ben excusid. 340. sere. 342. vsyth bokis. 343. takyth; hed. 344. ek. 348. wrete manye; bok. 355. vsyn. 357. oughte. 358. don. 359. must. 360. owith; o (_error for_ of); verry. 361. Schewyn; benygnete. 362. heryn here. 363. here compleyntys. 367. Which oughtyn (!). 369. manye; hunderede wyntyr here-. 370. lordys. 372. Enhaunsede; _om. 2nd_ and. 373. goddys. 374. don; _I supply_ and. 388. C. wol; _for_ ful. 389. ascuse. 390. _I supply_ But. 397, 399, 400. [gh]oure. 401. where (= whether); renagat. 403. makid lewede folk to; _I omit_ to. 412. othyr. 413. translatid. 414. wrechede engendrynge. 436. I neuere non betere; the. 437. wele; myn. 438. wel. 456. may (_for_ oghte). 507. herte is reste. 518. Of (_for_ In). 526. the; onstedefastnesse. 527. sithe thow knowist here. 528. pref; ek; storyis here. 530. noldist; writyn. 531. latyn; ben. 532. thyn wrytynge. 533. wist (_badly_); calandier. 544. slep. 545. myn legende. THE PROLOGE OF .IX. GOODE WIMMEN. A thousand tymes have I herd men telle, +That ther is Ioye in heven, and peyne in helle; And I acorde wel that hit is so; But natheles, yit wot I wel also, That ther nis noon dwelling in this contree, 5 That either hath in heven or helle y-be, +Ne may of hit non other weyes witen, +But as he hath herd seyd, or founde hit writen; +For by assay ther may no man hit preve. But god forbede but men shulde leve 10 +Wel more thing then men han seen with yë! +Men shal nat wenen every-thing a lyë But-if him-self hit seeth, or elles dooth; For, god wot, thing is never the lasse sooth, +Thogh every wight ne may hit nat y-see. 15 +Bernard the monk ne saugh nat al, parde! +Than mote we to bokes that we finde, +Through which that olde thinges been in minde. +And to the doctrine of these olde wyse, +Yeve credence, in every skilful wyse, 20 That tellen of these olde appreved stories, +Of holinesse, of regnes, of victories, +Of love, of hate, of other sundry thinges, +Of whiche I may not maken rehersinges. +And if that olde bokes were a-weye, 25 +Y-loren were of remembraunce the keye. Wel oghte us than honouren and beleve These bokes, ther we han non other preve. And as for me, thogh that I can but lyte, +On bokes for to rede I me delyte, 30 And to hem yeve I feyth and ful credence, +And in myn herte have hem in reverence So hertely, that ther is game noon That fro my bokes maketh me to goon, But hit be seldom, on the holyday; 35 Save, certeynly, whan that the month of May Is comen, and that I here the foules singe, +And that the floures ginnen for to springe, Farwel my book and my devocioun! Now have I than swich a condicioun, 40 +That, of alle the floures in the mede, +Than love I most these floures whyte and rede, +Swiche as men callen daysies in our toun. +To hem have I so greet affeccioun, +As I seyde erst, whan comen is the May, 45 +That in my bed ther daweth me no day +That I nam up, and walking in the mede To seen this flour agein the sonne sprede, Whan hit upryseth erly by the morwe; *That blisful sighte softneth al my sorwe, 50 *So glad am I whan that I have presence *Of hit, to doon al maner reverence, As she, that is of alle floures flour, Fulfilled of al vertu and honour, +And ever y-lyke fair, and fresh of hewe; 55 And I love hit, and ever y-lyke newe, *And ever shal, til that myn herte dye; *Al swere I nat, of this I wol nat lye, *Ther loved no wight hotter in his lyve. *And whan that hit is eve, I renne blyve, 60 As sone as ever the sonne ginneth weste, To seen this flour, how it wol go to reste, For fere of night, so hateth she derknesse! _From_ B. 53-56. As she, that is of alle floures flour, Fulfilled of al vertu and honour, +And ever y-lyke fair, and fresh of hewe; And I love hit, and ever y-lyke newe. *Hir chere is pleynly sprad in the brightnesse *Of the sonne, for ther hit wol unclose. 65 *Allas! that I ne had English, ryme or prose, Suffisant this flour to preyse aright! *But helpeth, ye that han conning and might, *Ye lovers, that can make of sentement; *In this cas oghte ye be diligent 70 *To forthren me somwhat in my labour, *Whether ye ben with the leef or with the flour. For wel I wot, that ye han her-biforn +Of making ropen, and lad awey the corn; +And I come after, glening here and there, 75 +And am ful glad if I may finde an ere Of any goodly word that ye han left. And thogh it happen me rehercen eft That ye han in your fresshe songes sayd, For-bereth me, and beth nat evel apayd, 80 Sin that ye see I do hit in the honour Of love, and eek in service of the flour, _From_ B. 188-196. But natheles, ne wene nat that I make In preysing of the flour agayn the leef, +No more than of the corn agayn the sheef. For as to me, nis lever noon ne lother; I nam with-holden yit with never |