For in Loraine bir notes be

Full sweeter than in this countre.
There was many a timbestere,

And sailours, that I dare well swere
Couthe hir craft, full perfitly:
The timbres up full subtelly
They cast, and hent full oft
Upon a finger faire and soft,
That they failed never mo.
Fall fetis damoseles two,

Right yong, and full of semelyhede
In kirtles, and none other wede,
And faire tressed every tresse
Had Mirthe doen for his noblesse
Amid the carole for to daunce,
But hereof lieth no remembraunce,
How that they daunced queintly:
That one would come all prively
Ayen that other, and when they were
Togither almost, they threw ifere
Hir mouthes so, that through hir play
It seemed as they kist alway:
To dauncen well couth they the guise.
What should I more to you devise?
Ne bode I never thenes go,

Whiles that I saw hem daunce so,
Upon the caroll wonder fast,
Igan beholde, till at last
A ladie gan me for to espie,
And she was cleped Courtesie,
The worshipfull, the debonaire,
I pray to God ever fall her faire:
Full courtesly she called me,

"What doe ye there, beau sire?" (quod she)
"Come, and if it like you

To danncen, daunceth with us now:"

And I without tarrying

Went into the carolling,

I was abashed never adele,

But it to me liked right wele,
That Courtesie me cleped so,
And bade me on the daunce go.
For if I had durst, certaine

I would have carolled right faine
As man that was to daunce right blithe:
Than gan I looken oft sithe

The shape, the bodies, and the cheres,
The countenance and the maneres
Of all the folke that daunced there,
And I shall tellen what they were.

Full faire was Mirthe, full long and high,

A fairer man I never sigh:

As round as apple was his face,
Fall roddie and white in every place:
Patis he was and well besey,

With meetly mouth and eyen gray,
His nose by measure wrought full right,
Crispe was his haire, and eke full bright:
His shoulderes of large brede,
And smallish in the girdlestede:
He seemed like a purtreiture,
So noble he was of his stature,
Se faire, so jolly, and so fetise,
With limmes wrought at point devise
Deliver, smert, and of great might:
Ne saw thou never man so light.
Of berd unneth had he nothing,
For it was in the firste spring,

Fall yong he was, and merry of thought
And in samette, with birdes wrought,
VOL. I.

And with gold beaten full fetously,
His bodie was clad full richely:
Wrought was his robe in straunge gise,
And all to slittered for queintise
In many a place, low and hie,

And shode he was with great maistrie,
With shoone decoped, and with lace,
By drurie, and by solace,
His leefe a rosen chapelet

Had made, and on his head it set.
And wete ye who was his lefe,
Dame Gladnesse there was him so lefe,
That singeth so well with glad courage,
That from she was twelve yeare of age,
She of her love graunt him made:
Sir Mirthe her by the finger hade
Dauncing, and she him also,
Great love was atwixt hem two:

Both were they faire and bright of hew,
She semed like a rose new

Of colours, and her flesh so tender,
That with a brere small and tender,
Men might it cleve, I dare well say:
Her forhead frounceles all play,
Bent were her browes two,
Her eyen gray, and glad also,

That laughden aye in her semblaunt,
First or the mouth by covenaunt.

I wot not what of her nose I shall discrive,

So faire hath no woman alive:

Her haire was yellow, and clere shining,
I wote no lady so liking.

Of orfraies fresh was her garland,

I whiche seene have a thonsand
Saw never ywis no garland yet,
So well wrought of silke as it.
And in an over gilt samite
Clad she was, by great delite,

Of whiche her leefe a robe werde,

The merrier she in her heart ferde.

And next her went, on her other side,

The god of love, that can divide
Love, and as him liketh it be,
But he can cherles daunten, he,
And many folkes pride fallen,

And he can well these lordes thrallen,
And ladies put at low degree
When he may hem too proude see.

This god of love of his fashion
Was like no knave, ne quistron:
His beautie greatly was to prise,
But of his robe to devise

I dreade encombred for to be,
For not yclad in silke was he,
But all in floures and flourettes,
I painted all with amorettes,
And with losenges and scochons,
With birdes, liberdes, and lions,
And other beastes wrought full wele;
His garment was every dele
Ipurtraied and ywrought with flours,
By divers medling of colours:
Floures ther were of many gise
Iset by compasse in a sise,
There lacked no floure to my dome,
Ne not so much as floure of brome,

Ne violet, ne eke peruinke,

Ne floure none, that men can on thinke:
And many a rose lefe full long
Was entermedled there emong :

N

178

And also on his head was set
Of roses redde a chapelet.

But nightingales a full great rout
That flien over his head about,
The leaves felden as they flien,
And he was all with birdes wrien,
With popinjay, with nightingale,
With chalaundre, and with wodewale,

With finch, with larke, and with archangell, He seemed as he were an angell,

That down were comen fro Heaven clere.

Love had with him a bachelere,
That he made alwayes with him be,
Swete Looking cleped was he:
This batcheler stode beholding

The daunce, and in his honde holding

Turke bowes two, full well devised had hee,
That one of hem was of a tree

That beareth a fruict of savour wicke,
Full crooked was that foule sticke,

And knottie here and there also,
And blacke as berrie, or any slo.

That other bow was of a plant
Without wemme, I dare warrant,
Full even and by proportion,
Trectes and long, of full good fashion,
And it was painted well and thwitten,
And over all diapred and written
With ladies and with bacheleres,
Full lightsome and glad of cheres :
These bowes two held Sweet Looking,.
That seemed like no gadling:
And ten brode arrowes held he there,
Of which five in his honde were,
But they were shaven well and dight,
Nocked and feathered aright:
And all they were with golde begon,
And stronge pointed everichon,
And sharpe for to kerven wele,
But yron was there none ne stele:
For all was golde, men might see,
Out take the feathers and the tree.

THE Swiftest of these arrowes five
Out of a bowe for to drive,
And beste feathered for to flie,
And fairest eke, was cleped Beautie:
That other arrow that hurteth lesse,
Was cleped (as I trow) Simplesse :

The thirde cleped was Fraunchise,
That feathered was in noble wise
With valour and with courtesie?

The fourth was clepen Companie,
That heavie for to shooten is,
But who so shooteth right ywis,

May therewith doen great harme and wo:
The fift of these, and last also,

Faire Semblaunt men that arrow call,
The leste greevous of hem all,
Yet can it make a full great wound,
But he may hope his sores sound
That hurt is with that arrowe ywis,
His wo the bette bestowed is:
For he may sooner have gladnesse,
His langour ought to be the lesse.

FIVE arrowes were of other gise, That been full foule to devise:

For shaft and end, sooth for to tell,
Were al so blacke as fiend in Hell.

The first of hem is called Pride,
That other arrow next him beside,
It was cleped Villanie,

That arrow was with fellonie
Envenimed, and with spitous blame :
The third of hem was cleped Shame.
The fourth, Wanhope cleped is,
The fift, the Newe Thought ywis.

These arrowes that I speake of here,
Were all five on one mannere,
And all were they resemblable;
To hem was well fitting and able,
The foule crooked bowe hidous,
That knottie was, and all roinous;
That bowe seemed well to shete

The arrowes five, that been unmete
And contrary to that other five:
But though I tell not as blive
Of hir power, ne of hir might,
Hereafter shall I tellen right
The sooth, and eke signifiaunce,
As ferre as I have remembraunce:
All shall be saied I undertake,
Ere of this booke an end I make.

Now come I to my tale againe:
But alderfirst, I woll you saine
The fashion and the countenaunces
Of all the folke that on the daunce is.
The god of love jolife and light,
Led on his honde a ladie bright,
Of high prise, and of great degre,
This ladie called was Beaute,
And an arrow, of which I told,
Full well thewed was she hold :
Ne she was derke ne browne, but bright,
And cleare as the moone light:
Againe whom all the starres semen
But small candles, as we demen:
Her flesh was tender as dewe of floure,
Her cheare was simple as bird in boure,
As white as lilly or rose in rise:
Her face gentill and treatise:
Fetis she was, and small to see,
No wintred browes had shee,

Ne popped here, for it needed nought
To winder her, or to paint her ought:
Her tresses yellow, and long straughten,
Unto her heeles downe they raughten:
Her nose, her mouth, and eye and cheke
Well wrought, and all the remnaunt eke,
A full gret sauour and a smote,
Me thoughte in inine herte rote:
As helpe me God, when I remember,
Of the fashion of euery member,
In world is none so faire a wight:
For yong she was, and hewed bright
Sore pleasant, and fetis with all,
Gent, and in her middle small.

Beside Beauty yede Richesse,
An high ladie of great noblesse,
And great of price in euery place:
But who so durst to her trespace
Or till her folke, in werke or dede,
He were full hardie out of drede:
For both she helpe and hinder may,
And that is not of yesterday
That riche folke haue full great might
To helpe, and eke to greue a wight.

The best and greatest of valour
Didden Richesse full great honour,
And busie weren her to serue,
For that they would her loue deserue;

They cleped her ladie, gret and small,
This wide world her dredeth all;
This world is all in her daungere,
Her court hath many a losengere,
And many a traitour enuions,
That ben full busie and curious
For to dispraise, and to blame
That best deseruen loue and name,
To forme the folke hem to begilen,
These losengeours hem preise and smilen.
And thus the world with word annointen,
But afterward they prill and pointen
The folke, right to the bare bone,
Behinde hir backe when they ben gone,
And foule abateu folkes prise.
Full many a worthy man and wise
Han hindred, and idoen to die
These losengeours with hir flatterie,
And maketh folke full straunge be,
There as hem ought ben priue:
Well euill mote they thriue and thee,
And euill ariued mote they bee
These losengeours full of enuie.
No good man loueth hir companie.
Richesse a robe of purple on had,
Ne trow not that I lie or mad:
For in this world is none it liche,
Ne by a thousand deale so riche,
Ne none so faire, for it full wele,
With orfreis laied was euery dele,
And purtraid in the ribanings
Of dukes stories, and of kings,
And with a bend of gold tassiled,
And knopes fine of gold amiled:
About her necke of gentle entaile
Was shet the riche cheuesaile,
In which there was full great plente
Of stones clere, and faire to se.
Richesse a girdle had vpon,
The bokell of it was of ston,

Of vertue great, and mokell of might:
For who so bare the stone so bright,
Of venim durst him nothing doubt
While he the stone had him about:
That stone was greatly for to loue,
And till a riche mannes behoue
Worth all the gold in Rome and Frise:
The mourdant wrought in noble gise
Was of a stone full precious,
That was so fine and vertuous,
That whole a man it couth make
Of palsie, and of tothe ake,

And yet the stone had such a grace,
That he was seker in euery place
All thilke day not blind to beene,
That fasting might that stone seene:
The barres were of gold full fine,
Upon a tissue of sattine

Fall beauie, great, and nothing light,
la eueriche was a besaunt wight.
Upon the tresses of richesse
Was set a circle of noblesse

Of brende golde, that full light shone,
So faire trow I was neuer none:
But he were cunning for the nones,
That could deuise all the stones

That in that circle shewen elere,
It is a wonder thing to here:
For no man could preise or gesse
Of hem the value or richesse:
Rubies there were, saphirs, ragounces,
And emeraudes, more than two vnees.
But all before full subtilly

A fine carbuncle set saw I,

The stone so cleare was and so bright,
That all so soone as it was night,
Menne might seene to go for nede
A inile or two, in length and brede.
Such light isprang out of the stone,
That Richesse wonder bright ishone
Bothe her hedde, and all her face,
And eke about her all the place.

Dame Richesse on her hond gan lede
A yong man full of semelyhede,
That she best loued of any thing,
His lust was much in housholding:
In clothing was he full fetise,
And loued well to haue hors of prise,
He wend to haue reproued be
Of theft or murder, if that he
Had in his stable an hacknay,
And therefore he desired aye
To been acquainted with Richesse,
For all his purpose, as I gesse,
Was for to maken great dispence,
Withouten warning or defence:
And Richesse might it well sustaine,
And her dispences wele maintaine,
And him alway such plentie send
Of gold and siluer for to spend
Withouten lacking or daungere,
As it were pourde in a garnere.

And after on the daunce went
Largesse, that set all her entent
For to ben honorable and free,
Of Alexauders kinne was shee:
Her moste joie was ywis,

When that she yafe, and saied, haue this.
Not Auarice the foule caitife
Was halfe to gripe so ententife
As Largesse is, to yeue and spend,
And God alway ynowe her send,
So that the more she yaue away,
The more iwis she had alway.

Great loos hath Largesse, and great prise,
For both wise folke and unwise
Were wholly to her bandon brought,
So well with yefts hath she wrought.
And if she had an enemy,

I trowe that she couth craftely
Make him full soone her friend to be,
So large of yefts, and wise was she,
Therefore she stood in loue and grace
Of rich and poore in euery place.
A full great foole he is ywis,
That both rich and poore, and niggard is.
A lord may haue no manner vice,
That greeveth more than avarice.
For niggard neuer with strength of hand
May win him great lordship or land:
For friendes all too few hath he
To doen his will performed be:
And who so woll have friendes here,
He may not hold his treasure dere.
For by ensample tell I this,
Right as an adamant ywis

Can drawen to him subtelly
The yron that is laied thereby,
So draweth folkes hearts y wis
Siluer and gold that yeuen is.

Largesse had on a robe fresh
Of riche purpure sarlinish:

Well formed was her face and clere,
And opened had she her colere,
For she right there had in present
Unto a lady made present

Of a gold broche, full well wrought,
And certes it missate her nought:

For through her smocke wrought with silke,
The flesh was seene as white as milke:
Largesse, that worthy was and wise,
Held by the hond a knight of prise,
Was sibbe to Arthour of Breteignie,
And that was he that bare taè enseigne
Of worship, and the gousfaucoun:
And yet he is of such renoun,
That menne of him say faire things
Before barons, earles, and kings.

This knight was commen all newly
Fro tourneying faste by,

There had he done great chiualrie
Through his vertue and his maistrie,
And for the loue of his lemman
He cast doune many a doughty man.

And next him daunced dame Fraunchise, Arrayed in full noble gise:

She nas not broune ne dunne of hew,
But white as snow ifallen new:

Her nose was wrought at point deuise,
For it was gentill and tretise,
With eyen glad, and browes bent,
Her haire downe to her heles went,
And she was simple as doue on tree,
Full debonaire of hert was shee.

She durste neither say ne da,
But that, that her longeth to:
And if a man were in distresse,
And for her loue in heauinesse,
Her herte would have full great pitee
She was so amiable and free:
For were a manne for her bestad,
She woulde ben right sore adrad,
That she d d ouergreat outrage,

But she him hope his harme taswage,
Her thought it all a villany,
And she had on a suckeny,
That not of hempe herdes was,
So faire was none in all Arras,
Lord, it was riddled fetisly,
There nas not a point truely
That it nas in his right assise,
Full well yclothed was Fraunchise,
For there nis no cloth s tteth bette
On damosell, than doth rokette:
A woman well more fetise is
In rokette, than in cote ywis,
The white rokette riddeled faire,
Betokeneth, that full debonaire
And swete was she that it bere.

By her daunced a bachelere,
I cannot tellen what he hight,
But faire he was, and of good height,
All had he ben, I say no more,
The lordes sonne of Windesore.
And next that daunced Courtesie,
That preised was of low and hie,

For neither proud ne foole was shet
She for to daunce called me,

I praie God give her good grace,
For when I came first into the place,
She nas not nice, ne outrageous,
But wise and ware, and vertuous,
Oi faire speech, and faire answer,
Was neuer wight missaid of her:
She bare no rancour to no wight,
Clere broune she was, and thereto bright
Of face and body avenaunt

I wote no lady so pleasaunt,
She weren worthy for to bene
An emperesse or crowned quene.

And by her went a knight dauncing That worthy was and weil speaking, And full well coud he done honour: The knight was faire and stiffe in stour, And in armure a seemely man,

And well beloued of his lemman,
Faire Idlenesse then saw I,
That alway was me faste by,
Of her haue I withouten faile
Told you the shape and apparaile :
For (as I said) Lo, that was she
That did to me so great bounte
She the gate of that gardin
Undid, and let me passen in,
And after daunced as I gesse.

And she fulfilled of lustinesse,
That nas not yet twelve yeare of age,
With herte wild, and thought volage,
Nice she was, but she ne ment
None harme ne sleight in her entent,
But onely lust and iolite.
For yonge folke, well weten ye,
Have little thought but on hir play.
Her lemman was beside alway,
In such a gise, that he her kist
At all times that him list,
That all the daunce might it see,
They make no force of priuetee:
For who so spake of hem euill or wele,
They were ashamed neuer adele,
But men might seene hem kisse there,
As it two yonge doues were,
For yonge was thilke bachelere,
Of beauty wot I non his pere,
And he was right of such an age,
As youth his lefe, and such courage.

The lusty folke that daunced there, And also other that with hem were That weren all of hir meinee Full hende folke, wise, and free, And folke of faire port truly, There were all comenly.

Whan I had seene the countenaunces Of hem that ladden thus these daunces, Than had I will to go and see The garden that so liked mee, And loken on these faire laureres, Or pine trees, cedres, and ormeres, The daunces than al ended were, For many of hem that daunced there, Were with her loues went away Under the trees to haue her play.

A LORD, they lived lustely,
A great foole were he sikerly,

at nold his thankes such life lede: ⚫ this dare I saine out of drede, at who so mighte so well fare, better life durst him not care, there nis so good paradise, to haue a loue at his deuise: t of that place went I tho, 1 in that garden gan I go, ying along full merely. god of loue full hastely to him Sweet Looking clept, lenger would be that she kept

bowe of gold, that shone so bright. had him bent anon right, 1 be full soone set an end, 1 at a braide he gan it bend, I tooke him of his arrowes fiue, I sharpe and ready for to driue. Now God that sitteth in maieste deadly woundes he keepe me, o be that he had me shete, if I with his arrow mete, ad me greened sore ywis, t1, that nothing wist of this,

at vp and downe full many a way, dhe me followed fast alway,

t no where would I reste me, 11 had in all the garden be.

garden was by measuring

ght euen and square in compassing,
as long was as it was large,
fruit had euery tree his charge,
t it were any hidous tree

whiche there were two or three. There were, and that wote I full wele, pomgranettes a full great dele, at is a fruit full well to like, amely to folke when they ben sike: ad trees there were great foison, jat baren nuts in hir season, ich as menne nutmegs call, bat swote of savour been withall, nd almandres great plentee, gges, and many a date tree

here weren,

if menne had nede,

hrough the gardin in length and brede. There was eke wexing many a spice, is clowe, gilofre, and licorice, ngere, and grein de Paris, Canell, and setewale of pris, And many a spice delitable, To eaten when men rise fro table. And many homely trees there were, That peaches, coines, and apples here, Medlers, plummes, peeres, chesteinis, Cherise, of whiche many one faine is, Notes, aleis, and bolas,

That for to seene it was solas, With many high laurer and pine, Was renged clene all that gardine, With cipres, and with oliueris, Of which that nigh no plenty here is. There were elmes great and strong, Maples, ashe, oke, aspes, planes long, Fine ewe, popler, and lindes faire, And other trees full many a paire. What should I tell you more of it? There were so many trees yet,

That I should all encombred bee,
Ere I had reckoned euerỳ tree.

These trees were set that I deuise,
One from another in assise
Fiue fadome or sixe, I trowe so,
But they were high and great also:
And for to keepe out well the Sunne,
The croppes were so thicke irunne,
And euery braunch in other knitte,
And full of greene leaues sitte,
That Sunne might there none descend,
Least the tender grasses shend.
There might menne does and roes isce,
And of squirrels full great plentee,
From bough to bough alway leping,
Connis there were also playing;
That comen out of hir clapers
Of sundry colours and maners,
And maden many a tourneying
Upon the freshe grassie springing.

In places saw I welles there,
In whiche there no frogges were,
And faire in shaddow was euery well;
But I ne can the number tell

Of stremis small, that by deuise
Mirthe had done come through condise,
Of which the water in renning
Gan make a noise full liking.

About the brinkes of these wels,
And by the streames ouer all els
Sprang vp the grasse, as thicke iset
And soft as any veluet.

On which men might his lemman ley,
As on a featherbed to pley,

For the earth was fnll soft and swete:
Through moisture of the well wete
Sprong vp the sote grene gras,
As faire, as thicke, as mister was.
But much amended it the place,
That therth was of such a grace
That it of floures hath plente,
That both in summer and winter be.
There sprang the violet all new,
And freshe peruinke rich of hew,
And floures yellow, white, and rede,
Such plenty grew there neuer in mede:
Full gay was all the ground and queint,
And poudred, as men had it peint,
With many a fresh and sundry flour,
That casten vp full good sauour.

I woll not long hold you in fable
Of all this garden delectable,
I mote my tongue stinten nede,
For I ne may withouten drede
Naught tellen you the beautie all,
Ne halfe the bountie therewithall.

I went on right honde and on left
About the place, it was not left
Till I had all the garden beene
In the efters that men might seene.

And thus while I went in my playe;
The god of loue me followed aye.
Right as an hunter can abide
The beast, till he seeth his tide
To shooten at goodnesse to the deere,
Whan that him needeth go no neerė,

And so befell, I rested mee Besides a well vnder a tree, Which tree in Fraunce men call a pine, But sith the time of king Pepine