Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookrest om._ 2483. A. C. Th. abought; F. Tn. B. yboght. 2484. F. Tn. B. _om._ as. A. T. stories; _rest_ story (_but this would require_ recordeth; _indeed_, C. _has_ recordith!). 2485. C. T. A. ryght; _rest om._ 2487. F. Tn. Th. B. But firste wrote she to hym. 2488. C. T. A. hire delyuere; _rest_ delyuer hir. F. pyne (_error for_ peyne). 2489. F. B. oo; Tn. one; _rest_ a; _see_ l. 2495. 2491. C. T. A. Ne spende; _rest_ Dispenden. 2493. C. a fere; T. afyre; A. in fyre; F. Tn. Th. B. on a fire (_badly_). 2496. C. Ostesse thyn. T. A. o thow Demophon. 2498. F. Tn. B. _om._ moot. 2504. F. Tn. B. _om._ hid. 2505. Th. thylke; C. F. Tn. B. that thilke (!); A. that ilke; T. that. 2506, 7. C. _omits_. 2506. A. hath lycht this. 2507. T. yef; A. if; F. B. Th. yet (_error for_ yef); Tn. yit (_error for_ yif). 2508. C. storm (_error for_ streem); _rest_ streme. Th. Scython; C. B. Sytoye; A. Cytoye; T. Sitoy; F. Tn. Sitoio (Ovid _has_ Sithonis unda). T. y-brought; _rest_ broght (brought). 2509. C. comyth it; T. A. cometh; F. Tn. B. come hit; Th. came it. 2517. C. A. wel hath; _rest_ hath wel. 2518. C. T. A. thyne (thy); _rest_ the. C. come; T. comen; F. Tn. Th. B. cometh. 2519. C. T. A. thy_n_ (thy); _rest_ the. 2523. C. T. A. Yif (_only_); F. Tn. Th. B. That (_only_); _but read_ Yif that. 2525. C. T. A. pleyne; _rest_ seyne (!). 2527. C. I-wronge; A. yronne (_error for_ ywronge); F. Tn. Th. B. wronge. 2529. A. Quhethir ther may (_but this is Scottish_). 2532. _All_ mayde. 2539. C. T. A. for by; _rest_ forth by. 2546. A. C. T. subtilitee. 2549. C. T. A. him; _rest om._ A. _has lost_ ll. 2551-2616. 2555. F. Tn. B. _om._ sent. 2561. _So_ C. T.; _so_ Tn. Th. (_with_ now _for_ as); F. B. And as in love truste no man but me. IX. THE LEGEND OF HYPERMNESTRA. INCIPIT LEGENDA YPERMISTRE. In Grece whylom weren brethren two, Of whiche that oon was called Danao, That many a sone hath of his body wonne, As swiche false lovers ofte conne. 2565 Among his sones alle ther was oon That aldermost he lovede of everichoon. And whan this child was born, this Danao Shoop him a name, and called him Lino. That other brother called was Egiste, 2570 That was of love as fals as ever him liste, (10) And many a doghter gat he in his lyve; Of which he gat upon his righte wyve A doghter dere, and dide her for to calle Ypermistra, yongest of hem alle; 2575 The whiche child, of her nativitee, To alle gode thewes born was she, As lyked to the goddes, or she was born, That of the shefe she sholde be the corn; The Wirdes, that we clepen Destinee, 2580 Hath shapen her that she mot nedes be (20) Pitouse, sadde, wyse, and trewe as steel; And to this woman hit accordeth weel. For, though that Venus yaf her greet beautee, With Iupiter compouned so was she 2585 That conscience, trouthe, and dreed of shame, And of her wyfhood for to kepe her name, This, thoughte her, was felicitee as here. And rede Mars was, that tyme of the yere, So feble, that his malice is him raft, 2590 Repressed hath Venus his cruel craft; (30) What with Venus and other oppressioun Of houses, Mars his venim is adoun, That Ypermistra dar nat handle a knyf In malice, thogh she sholde lese her lyf. 2595 But natheles, as heven gan tho turne, To badde aspectes hath she of Saturne, That made her for to deyen in prisoun, As I shal after make mencioun. To Danao and Egistes also-- 2600 Al-thogh so be that they were brethren two, (40) For thilke tyme nas spared no linage-- Hit lyked hem to maken mariage Betwix Ypermistra and him Lino, And casten swiche a day hit shal be so; 2605 And ful acorded was hit witterly; The array is wroght, the tyme is faste by. And thus Lino hath of his fadres brother The doghter wedded, and eche of hem hath other. The torches brennen and the lampes brighte, 2610 The sacrifices been ful redy dighte; (50) Thencens out of the fyre reketh sote, The flour, the leef is rent up by the rote To maken garlands and corounes hye; Ful is the place of soun of minstralcye, 2615 Of songes amorous of mariage, As thilke tyme was the pleyn usage. And this was in the paleys of Egiste, That in his hous was lord, right as him liste; And thus the day they dryven to an ende; 2620 The frendes taken leve, and hoom they wende. (60) The night is come, the bryd shal go to bedde; Egiste to his chambre faste him spedde, And privily he let his doghter calle. Whan that the hous was voided of hem alle, 2625 He loked on his doghter with glad chere, And to her spak, as ye shul after here. 'My righte doghter, tresor of myn herte! Sin first that day that shapen was my sherte, Or by the fatal sustren had my dom, 2630 So ny myn herte never thing me com (70) As thou, myn Ypermistra, doghter dere! Tak heed what I thy fader sey thee here, And werk after thy wyser ever-mo. For alderfirste, doghter, I love thee so 2635 That al the world to me nis half so leef; Ne I nolde rede thee to thy mischeef For al the gode under the colde mone; And what I mene, hit shal be seid right sone, With protestacioun, as in this wyse, 2640 That, but thou do as I shal thee devyse, (80) Thou shalt be deed, by him that al hath wroght! At shorte wordes, thou nescapest noght Out of my paleys, or that thou be deed, But thou consente and werke after my reed; 2645 Tak this to thee for ful conclusioun.' This Ypermistra caste her eyen doun, And quook as dooth the leef of aspe grene; Deed wex her hewe, and lyk as ash to sene, And seyde, 'lord and fader, al your wille, 2650 After my might, god wot, I shal fulfille, (90) So hit to me be no confusioun.' 'I nil,' quod he, 'have noon excepcioun;' And out he caughte a knyf, as rasour kene; 'Hyd this,' quod he, 'that hit be nat y-sene; 2655 And, whan thyn husbond is to bedde y-go, Whyl that he slepeth, cut his throte a-two. For in my dremes hit is warned me How that my nevew shal my bane be, But whiche I noot, wherfor I wol be siker. 2660 Yif thou sey nay, we two shul have a biker (100) As I have seyd, by him that I have sworn.' This Ypermistra hath ny her wit forlon; And, for to passen harmles of that place, She graunted him; ther was non other grace. 2665 And therwith-al a costrel taketh he, And seyde, 'herof a draught, or two or three, Yif him to drinke, whan he goth to reste, And he shal slepe as longe as ever thee leste, The narcotiks and opies been so stronge: 2670 And go thy wey, lest that him thinke longe.' (110) Out comth the bryd, and with ful sober chere, As is of maidens ofte the manere, To chambre is broght with revel and with songe, And shortly, lest this tale be to longe, 2675 This Lino and she ben sone broght to bedde; And every wight out at the dore him spedde. The night is wasted, and he fel a-slepe; Ful tenderly beginneth she to wepe. She rist her up, and dredfully she quaketh, 2680 As doth the braunche that Zephirus shaketh, (120) And husht were alle in Argon that citee. As cold as any frost now wexeth she; For pite by the hert |