Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Book, To drinken of the welle, ther as she sat; And, whan that Tisbe had espyed that, She rist her up, with a ful drery herte, 810 And in a cave with dredful foot she sterte, For by the mone she seigh hit wel with-alle. And, as she ran, her wimpel leet she falle, And took noon heed, so sore she was a-whaped. And eek so glad of that she was escaped; 815 And thus she sit, and darketh wonder stille. (111) Whan that this leonesse hath dronke her fille, Aboute the welle gan she for to winde, And right anoon the wimpel gan she finde, And with her blody mouth hit al to-rente. 820 Whan this was doon, no lenger she ne stente, But to the wode her wey than hath she nome. And, at the laste, this Piramus is come, But al to longe, allas! at hoom was he. The mone shoon, men mighte wel y-see, 825 And in his weye, as that he com ful faste, (121) His eyen to the grounde adoun he caste, And in the sonde, as he beheld adoun, He seigh the steppes brode of a leoun, And in his herte he sodeinly agroos, 830 And pale he wex, therwith his heer aroos, And neer he com, and fond the wimpel torn. 'Allas!' quod he, 'the day that I was born! This o night wol us lovers bothe slee! How sholde I axen mercy of Tisbe 835 Whan I am he that have yow slain, allas! (131) My bidding hath yow slain, as in this cas. Allas! to bidde a woman goon by nighte In place ther as peril fallen mighte, And I so slow! allas, I ne hadde be 840 Here in this place a furlong-wey or ye! Now what leoun that be in this foreste, My body mote he renden, or what beste That wilde is, gnawen mote he now myn herte!' And with that worde he to the wimpel sterte, 845 And kiste hit ofte, and weep on hit ful sore, (141) And seide, 'wimpel, allas! ther nis no more But thou shalt fele as wel the blood of me As thou hast felt the bleding of Tisbe!' And with that worde he smoot him to the herte. 850 The blood out of the wounde as brode sterte As water, whan the conduit broken is. Now Tisbe, which that wiste nat of this, But sitting in her drede, she thoghte thus, 'If hit so falle that my Piramus 855 Be comen hider, and may me nat y-finde, (151) He may me holden fals and eek unkinde.' And out she comth, and after him gan espyen Bothe with her herte and with her yën, And thoghte, 'I wol him tellen of my drede 860 Bothe of the leonesse and al my dede.' And at the laste her love than hath she founde Beting with his heles on the grounde, Al blody, and therwith-al a-bak she sterte, And lyke the wawes quappe gan her herte, 865 And pale as box she wex, and in a throwe (161) Avysed her, and gan him wel to knowe, That hit was Piramus, her herte dere. Who coude wryte whiche a deedly chere Hath Tisbe now, and how her heer she rente, 870 And how she gan her-selve to turmente, And how she lyth and swowneth on the grounde, And how she weep of teres ful his wounde, How medeleth she his blood with her compleynte, And with his blood her-selven gan she peynte; 875 How clippeth she the dede cors, allas? (171) How doth this woful Tisbe in this cas! How kisseth she his frosty mouth so cold! 'Who hath doon this, and who hath been so bold To sleen my leef? O spek, my Piramus! 880 I am thy Tisbe, that thee calleth thus!' And therwith-al she lifteth up his heed. This woful man, that was nat fully deed, Whan that he herde the name of Tisbe cryen, On her he caste his hevy deedly yën 885 And doun again, and yeldeth up the gost. (181) Tisbe rist up, withouten noise or bost, And seigh her wimpel and his empty shethe, And eek his swerd, that him hath doon to dethe; Than spak she thus: 'My woful hand,' quod she, 890 'Is strong y-nogh in swiche a werk to me; For love shal yive me strengthe and hardinesse To make my wounde large y-nogh, I gesse. I wol thee folwen deed, and I wol be Felawe and cause eek of thy deeth,' quod she. 895 'And thogh that nothing save the deeth only (191) Mighte thee fro me departe trewely, Thou shalt no more departe now fro me Than fro the deeth, for I wol go with thee! 'And now, ye wrecched Ielous fadres oure, 900 We, that weren whylom children youre, We prayen yow, withouten more envye, That in o grave y-fere we moten lye, Sin love hath brought us to this pitous ende! And rightwis god to every lover sende, 905 That loveth trewely, more prosperitee (201) Than ever hadde Piramus and Tisbe! And lat no gentil woman her assure To putten her in swiche an aventure. But god forbede but a woman can 910 Been as trewe and loving as a man! And, for my part, I shal anoon it kythe!' And, with that worde, his swerd she took as swythe, That warm was of her loves blood and hoot, And to the herte she her-selven smoot. 915 And thus ar Tisbe and Piramus ago. (211) Of trewe men I finde but fewe mo In alle my bokes, save this Piramus, And therfor have I spoken of him thus. For hit is deyntee to us men to finde 920 A man that can in love be trewe and kinde. Heer may ye seen, what lover so he be, A woman dar and can as wel as he. EXPLICIT LEGENDA TESBE. 707. tovne; queene. 710. tovne. 711. grete. 712. C. nygh; F. neigh. 714. grette. 715. C. hadde; F. had (_so in l._ 717). 716. C. Tn. Th. of; _rest om._ 717. Tn. doghter; F. doghtre. 718. esteward; worlde. 719. eueryche. 722. C. been; F. ben. 723. Tn. som; C. sum; F. somme. 724. C. Tn. yonge; F. yong. 725. _All but_ C. _om._ And. Tn. A. Tisbe; C. Th. Tysbe; F. B. Tesbe; T. Thesbe. maide. 726. C. report; F. reporte. 727. C. wex, wex; F. T. wex, wax; Tn. wox, wax; B. wox, wox. 729. C. Tn. bitwixe; F. betwex. 730. nold. 731. booth; soore. 733. Tn. priuely; F. preuely. 734. C. sleyghte; F. sleight. A. speken; Tn. T. Th. spaken; F. C. spoken. Tn. som; F. somme. C. desyr; F. desire. 735. C. wry; F. Tn. wre. glede. C. fyr; F. fire. 736. woode. 737. bitwixe; stoode. 738. a-twoo; adovne. 740. C. clyfte; F. clyft. 741. C. A. nas; _rest_ was. C. sene; F. seene. deere. 743. twoo. 745. C. soun; F. sovne. 746. leete. 747. while. C. stode; F. stoden. 748. woo. 749. soo. 750. F. the; _rest_ that. wale. 751. Tesbe. 752. swoote sovne. 754. C. wal; F. walle. threete. 755. dovne. C. Tn. I-bete; F. y-bette. 756. C. Tn. wal; F. walle. 757. Thurgh. C. Tn. al; F. alle. 758. C. nylt thou; F. nyltow. 759. A. Th. B. leste; C. laste; F. leest. 760. let; meete. 761. oones; myght; sweete. 762. oure. 763. the. 765. Tn. Our; F. Or (!). thurgh; ek. 766. C. oughte; F. oght. the; apayede. 767. sayde. 768. walle. C. kysse; F. kyssen. 769. foorth. 770. F. Alle; _rest_ And. T. A. euyn-tyde; Th. euentyde; C. F. Tn. B. euetyde. 771. espyede. 772. C. wroughte; F. wroght. 775. dewe. 777. F. Come; Tn. Com (_twice_). Tesbe. 778. C. fey; F. faye. 779. steele awaye (C. awey). 780. euerychone. 781. gone. 782. feeldes; broode. 783. meete. 786. C. Idolys; F. ydoyles. F. heriode (!). 787. thoo; feeldes; beriede. 788. C. Tn. faste; F. fast. 790. couenaunt. 792. F. (_only_) _om._ goon. 793. F. Tn. B. _om._ hath; greete. 794. F. Had (!); _rest_ And. grete lykynge. |