Of Othrin and Olimpe also, Peneie and ek Spercheidos. To hem sche wente and ther sche nom Bothe of the water and the fom, The sond and ek the smale stones, Whiche-as sche ches out for the nones; And of the Rede See a part That was behovelich to hire art Sche tok, and after that aboute Sche soughte sondri sedes oute Hir char sche let awai to gon, And tok out ferst that was therinne; Of art magique and the maistresse, 12 Tuo sondri puttes 14 faste by Sche made, and with that hastely A wether which was blak sche slouh,15 And out ther-of the blod sche drouh 16 And dede 1 into the pettes" tuo; Warm melk sche putte also therto 1 sweet 2 cuts bears, carries rivers took chose for the purpose 'groves 11 again 12 entire purpose 13 twain, two 14 16 drew 17 put 10 pits 4000 8 4011 4020 4030 4040 forgot covered 15 slew To Pluto, the god infernal, And to the queene Proserpine. And so sche soghte out al the line And preide hem alle, as sche wel couthe, To grante Eson his ferste youthe. This olde Eson broght forth was tho;' Awei sche bad alle othre go, Upon peril that mihte falle; And with that word thei wenten alle, And him upon hire herbes caste. 4050 4060 4070 4080 4090 4100 hewed 7 run now and again where 12 place Somtime kacleth as a hen, Bot who that wole of wondres hiere, A part ek of the horned oule, 8 The which men hiere on nyhtes houle; And of a raven, which was told Of nyne hundred wynter old, 9 Sche tok the hed with al the bile; And wox anon al medwe 14 grene, So that it mihte wel be sene. 4110 4120 4130 4140 4150 1 becomes strange fairy that surpasses human nature began equipment boil 7 bark Medea thanne knew and wiste And sek and trouble and fieble and cold. Of herbes al the beste jus, And poured it into his wounde; That made his veynes fulle and sounde. And tho sche made his wounde clos, And tok his hand, and up he ros. 5 And tho sche yaf him drinke a drauhte, Of which his youthe ayein he cauhte, His hed, his herte and his visage Lich unto twenty wynter age; Hise hore heres were away, And lich unto the freisshe Maii, Whan passed ben the colde schoures, Riht so recovereth he his floures. 4159 4170 remedy 27 choicely, skilfully bill 10 intestine 11 healing 12 quickly 13 stir 1 meadow 16 25 For love of ur 15 Lord / liveden ful streite, Coveyte 19 not in cuntre / to cairen 20 aboute, As hit semeth to ure sighte/ that suche men And summe, murthhes 25 to maken / as munstrals cunne,28 And gete gold with here 18 gle, /giltles, I trowe. Bote japers" and jangelers,28 / Judas children, Founden hem fantasyes / and fooles hem maaden, And habbeth wit at heore 18 wille / to worchen yif hem luste,20 37 30 33 31 That' Poul precheth of hem, / I dar not preoven 4I 37 1 found 2 working 3 them ⚫ labored what these wasters 15 4 • played 17 nuns And hedden ' leve to lyen / al heore lyf aftir. 49 2 Grete lobres and longe / that loth weore to swynke1 Clotheden hem in copes / to beo knowen for bretheren; And summe schopen hem to hermytes/heore ese to have. 55 I fond there freres," / all the foure ordres, For moneye бо Seththe 13 Charite hath be "chapmon,15 / and cheef Mony ferlyes han 17 bifalle / in a fewe yeres. faste. were, His sel shulde not be sent / to deceyve the peple. Hit is not al bi 37 the bisschop / that the boye precheth, Bote the parisch prest and the pardoner/ parte the selver That the pore peple of the parisch schulde have / yif that heo ne weore, 17 38 11 ❝ seldom 1 had 2 I have omitted two lines, which probably 10 pride were not in the earliest version. 3 lubbers • labor 11 accordingly 12 fashion 13 came disguised 14 many 5 shaped them to, became friars 7 bellies interpretour 16 the joy of the kingdom of heaven ing according to their own desire 10 many may 18 their 19 desire 20 roam 21 luxurious food 22 body 12 money 13 since 14 been 15 trader 16 shrive, confess 23 trade 24 thrive 25 amusements 20 know how many wonders have 18 unless 19 she, i.e. Charity 27jesters 28 buffoons 29 to work if they pleased 30 prove, 20 better 21 earth 22 as if 23 absolve 24 broken vows declare 31 servant beggars went 34 bellies 35 brim- 25 ignorant 20 believed 27 banged 28 blinded 29 eyes ful, crammed 36 shammed 37 at the 38 30 reached, got go they 31 licence 32 33 your gluttons 34 rascals 41 sloth 42 follow practice ears 37 it is not all the fault of it were not for them Bicoome clerkes of acounte / the king for to serven. To ben clerkes of the Kynges Benche / the cuntre to schende.12 95 Barouns and burgeis 13 / and bondages 14 alse 15 I saugh in that semble,16 / as ye schul heren aftur, Bakers, bochers, / and breusters 17 monye, Wollene-websteris,18/ and weveris of lynen, Taillours, tanneris, / and tokkeris 10 bothe, Masons, minours, / and mony other craftes, Dykers, and delvers, / that don heore dedes ille,20 And driveth forth the longe day / with "Deu save Dam Emme!" 21 100 And comen1 to a conseille / for here? comune profit; For a cat of a courte / cam whan hym lyked, 149 And overlepe hem lyghtlich / and laughte3 hem at his wille, And pleyde with hem perilouslych / and possed hem aboute. "For doute of dyverse dredes / we dar noughte wel loke; 7 8 And yif we grucche of his gamen/he wil greve us alle, Cracche 10 us, or clawe us / and in his cloches " holde, That us lotheth the lyf / or " he lete us passe. 155 Myghte we with any witte/his wille withstonde, We myghte be lordes aloft / and lyven at owre ese." A raton 13 of renon," / most renable 15 of tonge, Seide for a sovereygne / help to hymselve: 10 — "I have y-sein 17 segges,' ‚" 18 quod he, / “in the cité of London Both in wareine " and in waste / where hem leve lyketh;" And otherwhile thei aren elleswhere / as I here telle. Were there a belle on here beighe,23 / bi Jesu, as me thynketh, Men myghte wite where thei went, / and awei renne! 25 166 me And right so," quod this raton, / "reson sheweth To bugge" a belle of brasse / or of brighte sylver And knitten on a colere / for owre comune profit, And hangen it upon the cattes hals; "7/than here 28 13 rat seized pushed fear dreads 17 seen 20 went 24 know 7 if grudge sport 10 scratch 11 clutches 12 before 27 neck 28 hear 29 may 30 whether And leten here laboure lost / and alle here longe studye. A mous that moche good/couthe, as me thoughte, Stroke forth sternly / and stode biforn hem alle, And to the route of ratones/reherced these wordes: "Though we culled the catte/yut sholde ther come another 185 To cracchy us and al owre kynde, / though we croupe 7 7 under benches. For-thi I conseille alle the comune / to lat the catte worthe, And be we never so bolde/ the belle hym to shewe; For I herde my sire seyn,10/ is sevene yere ypassed, There" the catte is a kitoun / the courte is ful For may no renke "there rest have / for ratones bi nyghte. The while he caccheth conynges 15/he coveiteth nought owre caroyne,16 But fet hym al with venesoun,18 / defame we hym nevere. 19 For better is a litel losse / than a longe sorwe, The mase amonge us alle / though we mysse a shrewe.21 20 196 Ne carpyng' of this coler/ that costed' me nevre. And though it had coste me catel3 / biknowen' it I nolde, But suffre as hym-self wolde / to do as hym liketh, 205 Coupled and uncoupled / to cacche what thei mowe. For-thi uche a wise wighte I warne / wite wel his owne." Til late and longe / that thei a leod 1o metten 12 16 "From Synay," he seide, / "and from the Sepulcre; At Bethleem and at Babiloyne, / I have ben in bothe; In Armonye, in Alisaundre, / and in mony other places. Ye mouwe seo be my signes / that sitteth on myn hat 20 That I have walked ful wyde / in weete and in druye 34 And sought 35 goode seyntes/ for my soule hele." 36 6 may 3 1 talking 2 cost property 4 confess & would not 7 each keep dream 10 means 8 11 dare not 12 These lines are given by Skeat from one MS.; they do not belong to the original. 13 seek 14 Saint Truth 15 strange 16 but 17 knew 18 their 19 man 20 fashion 21 staff 22 strip of cloth 25 sacred vials 26 sat 30 visited 31 had 35 visited 36 soul's health 23 convolvulus 27 Galicia 32 asked 28 24 twisted many a 33 courteously 29 keys 34 dry |