With that I fell in sound and dede as stone,
With colour slaine and wanne as asshe pale,
And by the hand she caught me vp anon,
"Arise," (quod she) "what haue ye dronken dwale,
Why slepen ye it is no nitertale:"

“Now mercy sweete,” (quod 1) “ iwis affraied :” "What thing," (quod she) " hath made you so dismaied.

"Now wote I well that ye a louer be,

Your hew is witnesse in this thing," she said:
"If ye were secret, ye might know," (quod she)
"Curteise and kind, all this shuld be alaid:
And now mine herte, al that I haue missaid,
I shall amend and set your herte in ease."
"That word it is," (quod I) "that doth me please,"

"But this I charge, that ye the stents keepe,
And breke them not for slouth nor ignoraunce."
With that she gan to smile and laughen depe,
"Iwis," (quod I) "I will do your pleasaunce:
The xvi. statute doth me great greuaunce,
But ye must that releasse or modifie."
"I graunt," (quod she)" and so I will truly."
And softly than her colour gan appere,
As rose so red throughout her visage all,
Wherefore me thinke it is accordyng here,
That she of right be cleped Rosiall:
Thus haue I won with words great and small
Some goodly worde of her, that I loue best,
And trust she shall yet sette mine herte in rest.

And stalkyng soft with easie pace, I saw, About the kyng stonden all environ, Attendaunce, Diligence, and their felow Fortherer, Asperaunce, and many one, Dred to offend, there stood, and not alone, For there was eke the cruell aduersair, The louers foe that cleped is Dispair. Which vnto me spake angrely and fell, And said, "My lady me disseiue ne shall:

And there beside within a bay window,
Stod one in grene ful large of bread and length,
His heard as black as fethers of the crow,
His name was Lust of wonder might and strength,
And with Delite to argue there he think'th,
For this was all his opinion,

That loue was sinne: and so he hath begon

To reason fast, and ledge auctoritie:
"Nay," (quod Delite) "loue is a vertue clere,
And from the soule his progresse holdeth he:
Blind apetite of lust doth often stere,

And that is sinne: for reason lacketh there,
For thou dost think thy neighbours wife to win :
Yet thinke it well that loue may not be sinne.
"For God, and seint, they loue right verely,
Uoid of all sinne and vise this know I well,
Affection of flesh is sinne truly,
But verray loue is vertue as I fele,
For loue may thy freill desire ackele:
For verray loue is loue, withouten sinne:"
"Now stint," (quod Lust) " thou speketh not worth
a pinne."

And there I left them in their arguing,
Roming ferther in the castell wide,
And in a corner Lier stode talking,
Of lesings fast, with Flatery there beside,
He said that woman weare attire of pride,
And men were found of nature variaunt,
And could be false and shewen beaw semblaunt

Than Flatery bespake and said, ywis
See so she goth on patens faire and fete,
It doth right well: what prety man is this,
That rometh here, now truly drink ne mete
Nede I not haue, mine herte for joy doth bete
Him to behold, so is he goodly fresh:

It semeth for loue his herte is tender and nesh.

This is the court of lusty folke and glad,
And well becommeth their abite and array,
O why be some so sory and so sad,
Complaining thus in blacke and white and gray,
Freres they ben, and monkes in good fay:
Alas for routh great dole it is to seene,

To see them thus bewaile and sory been.

See how they cry and wring their hands white,
For they so sone went to religion,

Is true, nay nay, but vnder hony gall,
Thy birth and hers they be nothing egall:
Cast of thine herte, for all her words white,
For in good faith she loueth thee but alite.

"And eke remembre thine babilite,
May not compare with her, this well thou wot:"
Ye then came Hope and said, “My frend let be,
Beleue him not: Dispaire he ginneth dote,"
"Alas," (quod I)" here is both cold and hote:
The one me biddeth loue, the toder nay,
Thus wote I not what me is best to say.
"But well wote I, my lady graunted me,
Truly to be my woundes remedie,
Her gentilness may not infected be
With doublenesse, thus trust I till I die,"
So cast I to voide Dispaires company,
And taken Hope to councel and to friend.
"Yea keep that well," (quod Philobone)" in mind."

Their thought is, they ben in confusion: "Alas," they sain "we fain perfection, In clothes wide and lacke our libertie, But all the sinne mote on our frends be.

"For Uenus wote, we wold as faine as ye,
That bene attyred here and welbesene,
Desiren man and loue in our degre,
Ferm and faithful right as wold the quene:
Our frends wick in tender youth and grene,
Ayenst our will made vs religious,

That is the cause we mourn and wailen thus."

Than said the monk and freres in the tide,
"Wel may we curse our abbes and our place,
Our statutes sharpe to sing in copes wide,
Chastely to keepe vs out of loues grace,
And neuer to fele comfort ne solace:
Yet suffre we the heate of loues fire,
And after that some other haply we desire,

O Fortune cursed, why now and wherefore Hast thou," they said, "berafte vs libertie, Sithe nature yaue vs instrument in store, And appetite to loue and louers be? Why mote we suffer soch aduersite, Diane to serue, and Uenus to refuse, Ful often sithe this matters doth vs muse?

"We serue and honour sore ayenst our will,
Of chastite the goddes and the queene,
Us leefer were with Uenus biden still,
And haue reward for loue and soget bene
Unto these women courtly, fresh, and shene,
Fortune we curse thy wheele of variance,
There we were well thou reuist our plesance."

Thus leaue I them with voice of plaint and care,
In raging wo crying full petously,
And as I yede full naked and full bare,
Some I behold looking dispitously,
On pouerty that dedly cast their eye,

And "Welaway," they cried, and were not faine,
For they ne might their glad desire attaine.

For lacke of richesse worldly and good,
They banue and curse, and weep, and sain, "Alas,
That pouerty hath vs hent that whilom stood
At hertes ease, and free and in good case,
But now we dare not shew our self in place,
Ne vs embold to dwell in company,
There as our herte wold loue right faithfully."

And yet againward shriked euery nonne,
The pange of lone so straineth them to crie:
"Now wo the time," (quod they) "that we be boun
This hatefull ordre nise will done vs die,
We sighe and sobbe, and bleden inwardly,
Freting ourself with thought and hard complaint,
That nie for loue we waxen wood and faint."

And as I stood beholding here and there,
I was ware of a sort full languishing,
Sauage and wild, of loking and of chere,
Their mantelles and their clothes ey tering,
And oft they were of nature complaining,
For they their members lacked, foot and hand,
With visage wry, and blind I vnderstand.

They lacked shape, and beauty to preferre
Themself in loue: and said that God and kind,
Hath forged them to worshippen the sterre,
Uenus the bright, and leften all behind,
His other werkes clene and out of mind:
"For other have their full shape and beauty,
And we," (quod they) been in deformity."

And nie to them there was a company,
That haue the susters waried and missaide,
I meane the three of fatal destiny,
That be our workers: sodenly abraide
Out gan they cry as they had been affraide,
"We curse," (quod they)" that euer hath nature,
Iformed vs this wofull life to endure."

And there eke was Contrite and gan repent,
Confessing hole the wound that Githere
Hath with the darte of hote desire him sent,
And how that he to loue must subject be,
Than held he all his skornes vanity,
And said that louers held a blisful life,
Yong men and old, and widow, maid and wife.

"Bereue me goddesse,” (quod he) "of thy might My skornes all and skoffes, that I baue

No power for to mokeu any wight,
That in thy seruice dwell: for I did raue:
This know I well right now so god me saue,
And I shal be the chief post of thy faith,
And loue uphold, the reuers who so saith."

Dissemble stode not ferre from him in troth,
With party mantil party hode and hose,
And said he had vpon his lady routh,
And thus he wound him in, and gan to glose
Of his entent ful double I suppose,

In all the world he said he loued her wele,
But ay me thought he loued her nere a dele.

Eke Shamfastnesse was there as I tooke hede,
That blushed rede, and durst nat ben aknow
She louer was, for thereof had she drede,
She stode and hing her visage downe alow,
But such a sight it was to seene I trow,
As of these roses rody on their stalke,
There coud no wight her spy to speak or talk.

In loues art so gan she to abashe,
Ne durst not vtter al her preuity:
Many a stripe and many a greuous lashe
She gauen to them that wolden louers be,
And hindered sore the simple cominalty,
That in no wise durst grace and mercy craue,
For were not she they need but ask and haue,
Where if they now aprochein for to speke,
Than Shamefastnesse returneth them again:
They thinke, if we our secrets counsel breke,
Our ladies wil haue scorn on vs certein,
And perauenture thinken great disdein:
Thus Shamefastnesse may bringen in Dispeire,
Whan she is dede the toder will be heire.
Come forth a Vaunter, now I ring thy bel,
I spied him sone, to God I make a vowe,
He loked blacke as fendes doth in Hell,
"The first," (quod he) "that euer I did wowe,
Within a worde she come, I wotte not how,
So that in armes was my lady free,

And so hath ben a thousand mo than she.

"In England, Britain, Spain, and Picardy,
Artois, and Fraunce, and vp in hie Holand,
In Burgoine, Naples, and Italy,

Nauerne, and Grece, and vp in bethen lond
Was neuer woman yet that wold withstond,
To ben at commaundement whan I wold,
I lacked neyther siluer, coigne, ne gold.
"And there I met with this estate and that,
And here I broched her, and her I trow :
Lo there goeth one of mine, and wotte ye what?
You fresh attired haue I laid full lowe,
And soch one yonder eke right well I know:
I kept the statute whan we lay ifere,

And yet yon same hath made me right good chere."

Thus hath a Vaunter blowen euery where,
Al that he knoweth, and more a thousand fold
His auncestry of kinne was to Lier,
For first he maketh promise for to hold
His ladies councel, and it not vnfold,
Wherfore the secret whan he doth vnshitte,
Than lieth he, that all the world may witte.

For falsing so his promise and behest,
I wounder sore he hath such fantasie,
He lacketh wit I trow or is a beast,
That can no bet himself with reason gie,
By mine aduise, loue shall be contrary
To bis auaile, and him eke dishonour,
So that in court he shall no more sojour.

"Take heed," (quod she) this little Philobone,
"Where Enuy rocketh in the corner yond,
And sitteth dirke, and ye shall see anone
His leane body, fading both face and hond,
Himselfe he fretteth, as I vnderstond,
Witnesse of Ouid methamorphosose,
The louers fo he is, I will not glose.

"For where a louer thinketh him promote,
Euuy will grutch, repining at his wele,
It swelleth sore about his hertes rote,
That in no wise he cannot liue in hele,
And if the faithful to his lady stele,
Enuy will noise and ring it round about,
And sey much worse than done is out of dout."

And Priuy Thought rejaysing of himselfe,
Stood not ferre thence in abite maruellous,
"Yon is," (thought I)" some spirit or some elfe,
His subtill image is so curious:

How is," (quod I)" that he is shaded thus
With yonder cloth, I not of what colour ?"
And nere I went and gan to lere and pore.

And framed him a question full hard,

And with the word Thought bad farewel and yede:
Eke forth went I to seene the courts guise,
And at the doore came in so God me spede,
Twenty courteours of age and of assise
Liche high, and brode, and as I me aduise,
The Golden Loue, and Leden Loue they hight,
The tone was sad, the toder glad and light.

"Yes draw your herte with all your force and might,
To lustinesse and ben as ye haue seid,
And thinke that I no drope of fauour hight,
Ne neuer had vnto your desire obeid,
Till sodenly me thought me was affraied,
To seene you waxe so dede of countenance,
And Pite bade me done you some pleasaunce.
"Out of her shrine she rose from death to liue,
And in mine eare full priuely she spake,
'Doth not your seruaunt hens away to driue,
Rosial,' (quod she) and than mine herte it brake,
For tenderich: and where I found moch lacke,
In your person, than I my selfe bethought,
And saide, this is the man myne hearte hath sought.”

"Gramercy Pity, might I but suffise,

To yeue due laude vnto thy shrine of gold,
God wotte I would: for sith that thou did rise
From death to liue for me, I am behold,
To thanken you a thousand times told,
And eke my lady Rosial the shene,

Which hath in comfort set mine herte iwene.

"And here I make mine protestacion,

halse:

So that my thought comforteth me ful oft,
I think god wote, though al the world be false,
I will be true, I thinke also how soft
My lady is in speach, aad this on loft
Bringeth min herte with joy and great gladnes,
This priuy thought alayeth mine heauines.

"And what I thinke or where to be, no man
In all this Earth can tell iwis but I :
And eke there nis no swalow swift, ne swan
So wight of wing, ue half so yerne can flie,
For I can bene and that right sodenly,
In Heuen, in Hell, in Paradise, and here,
And with my lady whan I will desire.

"I am of counsell, ferre and wide I wote,
With lorde and lady, and theyr preuitie
I wotte it all, and be it colde or hote,
They shall not speake without licence of me,
I mine in soch as seasonable be,

For first the thing is thought within the hart,
Er any word out from the mouth astart.

Faithful, deuoide of variacion,
And her forbeare in anger or in tene,
And seruiceable to my worldes quene,
With al my reason and intelligence,
To done her honour high and reuerence."

I had not spoke so sone the worde, but she,
My souerain, did thanke me hertely,
And said, "Abide ye shall dwell still with me,
Till season come of May, for than truly,
The king of loue and all his company,
Shall hold his feste full rially and well,"
And there I bode till that the season fell.

ON May day whan the larke began to rise,
To matens went the lusty nightingale,
Within a temple shapen hauthorn wise,
He might not slepe in all the nightertale,
But "Domine labia," gan he cry and gale,
My lippes open lord of loue I cry,

"Jube Domino O lord of loue, I pray
Commaund me well this lesson for to rede,
This legende is of all that woulden dey
Marters for loue, God yet the souls spede:
And to thee Uenus sing we out of drede,
By influence of all thy vertue great,
Besechyng thee to keepe vs in our heat."

The second lesson robin redebrest sang,
"Haile to the god and goddes of our lay,"
And to the lectorn amorously he sprong,
"Haile now," (quod eke) "O fresh season of May,
Our moneth glad that singen on the spray,
Haile to the floures, rede, and white, and blewe,
Which by their vertue maketh our lust new."

The third lesson the turtil doue toke up,
And thereat lough the mauis in a scorne,
He said, "O God, as mote I dine or suppe,
This folish doue will giue us al an horne,
There beu right here a M better borne,
To rede this lesson, which as well as he,
And eke as hote, can loue in all degree."

The turtil doue said, "Welcom, welcom May,
Gladsom and light to louers that ben trew:
I thanke thee lord of loue that doth puruey,
For me to rede this lesson al of dewe,
For in good soth of corage I pursue,
To serue my make till death vs must depart,"
And than "Tu autem" sang he all apart.

"Te deum amoris" sang the thrustel cocke,
Tuball himselfe the first musician,
With key of armony coude not on locke,
So swete tewne as that the thrustel can:
"The lorde of loue we praysen," (quod he) than,
And so done al the foules great and lite,
"Honour we May, in fals louers dispite."

"Dominus regnauit," said the pecocke there,
The lord of loue that mighty prince iwis,
He is receyued here and euery where:
Now Jubilate sing :"-" What meaneth this?"
Said than the linet; "welcome lord of blisse :"
Out sterte the owle with "Benedicite,"
"What meaneth all this mery fare" (quod he.)

"Laudate," sang the larke with voice ful shril,
And eke the kight “O admirabile,

This quere wil thorow mine ears pers and thril,
But what, welcome this May season," (quod he)
"And honour to the lord of loue mote be,
That hath this feste so solempne and so hie,"
"Amen," said al, and so said eke the pie.

And forth the cockow gan procede anon,
With "Benedictus" thanking God in hast,
That in this May would visite them echon,
And gladden them all while the feast shal last:
And therewithal a laughter out he brast,
"I thanke it God that I shuld end the song,
And all the seruice which hath ben so long."

Thus sang they all the seruice of the fest,
And that was done right erly to my dome,
And forth goth all the court both most and lest,
To fetch the floures fresh, and braunch and blome,
And namely hauthorn brought both page and grome
With fresh garlants party blew and white,
And than rejoysen in their great delite.

Eke ech at other threw the floures bright,
The primerose, the uiolete, and the gold,
So than as I beheld the royall sight,
My lady gan me sodenly behold,
And with a trewe lone plited many a fold:
She smote me through the very heart as bliue,
And Uenus yet I thanke I am aliue.

EXPLICIT.

CHAUCER'S DREAM,

NEVER PRINTED BEFORE THE YEAR 1597.

THAT WHICH HERETOFORE HATH GONE UNDER THE NAME OF HIS DREAM, IS THE BOOK OF THE DUTCHESS: OR THE DEATH OF BLANCH, DUTCHESS of LANCASTER.

This Dream, devised by Chaucer, seemeth to be a covert report of the marriage of John of Gaunt the king's son, with Blanch the daughter of Henry duke of Lancaster, who, after long love, (during the time whereof the poet feigneth them to be dead) were in the end by consent of friends happily married: figured by a bird bringing in her bill an herb which restored them to life again. Here also is shewed Chaucer's match with a certain gentlewoman, who, although she was a stranger, was notwithstanding so well liked and loved of the lady Blanch and her lord, as Chaucer himself also was, that gladly they concluded a marriage between them. [All this says Tyrwhitt is a mere fancy, but there is no ground for doubting the authenticity of the poem.]

WHAN Flora the queene of pleasaunce,
Had whole achieued thobeysaunce
Of the fresh and new season,
Thorow out euery region,
And with her mantle whole couert
That winter made had discouert,
Of auenture without light,
In May I lay vpon a night
Alone, and on my lady thought,
And how the lord that her wrought,
Couth well entayle in imagery
And shewed had great maistry,
Whan he in so little space
Made such a body and a face,
So great beauty with swich features
More than in other creatures,
And in my thoughts as I lay
In a lodge out of the way,
Beside a well in a forest,
Where after hunting I tooke rest,
Nature and kind so in me wrought,
That halfe on sleepe they me brought,
And gan to dreame to my thinking,
With mind of knowliche like making,
For what I dreamed as me thought
I saw it, and I slept nought,
Wherefore is yet my full beleeue,
That some good spirit that eue,
By meane of some curious port,
Bare me, where I saw payne and sport,