The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems
When the medicine, fine and true,
Thus restor’d had ev’ry wight,
So well the queen as the knight,
Unto perfect joy and heal,
That *floating they were in such weal* *swimming in such
As folk that woulden in no wise happiness*
Desire more perfect paradise.
On the morrow a general assembly was convoked, and it was
resolved that the wedding feast should be celebrated within the
island. Messengers were sent to strange realms, to invite kings,
queens, duchesses, and princesses; and a special embassy was
despatched, in the magic barge, to seek the poet’s mistress —
who was brought back after fourteen days, to the great joy of
the queen. Next day took place the wedding of the prince and
all the knights to the queen and all the ladies; and a three
months’ feast followed, on a large plain “under a wood, in a
champaign, betwixt a river and a well, where never had abbey
nor cell been, nor church, house, nor village, in time of any
manne’s age.” On the day after the general wedding, all
entreated the poet’s lady to consent to crown his love with
marriage; she yielded; the bridal was splendidly celebrated; and
to the sound of marvellous music the poet awoke, to find
neither lady nor creature — but only old portraitures on the
tapestry, of horsemen, hawks, and hounds, and hurt deer full of
wounds. Great was his grief that he had lost all the bliss of his
dream; and he concludes by praying his lady so to accept his
love-service, that the dream may turn to reality.
Or elles, without more I pray,
That this night, ere it be day,
I may unto my dream return,
And sleeping so forth ay sojourn
Aboute the Isle of Pleasance,
*Under my lady’s obeisance,* *subject to my lady*
In her service, and in such wise,
As it may please her to devise;
And grace once to be accept’,
Like as I dreamed when I slept,
And dure a thousand year and ten
In her good will: Amen, amen!
Notes to Chaucer’s Dream
1. The birds on the weathervanes were set up facing the wind,
so that it entered their open mouths, and by some mechanism
produced the musical sound.
2. “And to you been of governance
Such as you found in whole pleasance”
That is, “and have governed you in a manner which you have
found wholly pleasant.”
3. Hext: highest; from “high,” as “next” from “nigh.” Compare
the sounds of the German, “hoechst,” highest, and “naechst,”
next.
4. “Your brother friend,” is the common reading; but the phrase
has no apparent applicability; and perhaps the better reading is
“our bother friend” — that is, the lady who has proved herself a
friend both to me and to you. In the same way, Reason, in
Troilus’ soliloquy on the impending loss of his mistress, is made,
addressing Troilus and Cressida, to speaks of “your bother,” or
“bothe,” love.
5. The ships had high embattled poops and forecastles, as in
mediaeval ships of war.
6. Compare Spenser’s account of Phaedria’s barque, in “The
Faerie Queen,” canto vi. book ii.; and, mutatis mutandis,
Chaucer’s description of the wondrous horse, in The Squire’s
Tale.
7. Salad: a small helmet; french, “salade.”
8. Gardebrace: French, “garde-bras,” an arm-shield; probably
resembling the “gay bracer” which the Yeoman, in the Prologue
to The Canterbury Tales, wears on his arm.
9. Confession and prayer were the usual preliminaries of any
enterprise in those superstitious days; and in these days of
enlightenment the fashion yet lingers among the most
superstitious class — the fisher-folk.
10. The knights resolved that they would quit their castles and
houses of stone for humble huts.
11. The knight and lady were buried without music, although
the office for the dead was generally sung.
12. Avisand: considering; present participle from “avise” or
“advise.”
13. Treacle; corrupted from Latin, “therisca,” an antidote. The
word is used for medicine in general.
14. The abbess made diligence: i.e. to administer the grain to
the dead ladies.
THE PROLOGUE TO THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN.
[SOME difference of opinion exists as to the date at
which Chaucer wrote “The Legend of Good
Women.” Those who would fix that date at a
period not long before the poet’s death — who
would place the poem, indeed, among his closing
labours — support their opinion by the fact that the
Prologue recites most of Chaucer’s principal
works, and glances, besides, at a long array of
other productions, too many to be fully catalogued.
But, on the other hand, it is objected that the
“Legend” makes no mention of “The Canterbury
Tales” as such; while two of those Tales — the
Knight’s and the Second Nun’s — are enumerated
by the titles which they bore as separate
compositions, before they were incorporated in the
great collection: “The Love of Palamon and
Arcite,” and “The Life of Saint Cecile” (see note 1
to the Second Nun’s tale). Tyrwhitt seems perfectly
justified in placing the composition of the poem
immediately before that of Chaucer’s magnum
opus, and after the marriage of Richard II to his
first queen, Anne of Bohemia. That event took
place in 1382; and since it is to Anne that the poet
refers when he makes Alcestis bid him give his
poem to the queen “at Eltham or at Sheen,” the
“Legend” could not have been written earlier. The
old editions tell us that “several ladies in the Court
took offence at Chaucer’s large speeches against
the untruth of women; therefore the queen enjoin’d
him to compile this book in the commendation of
sundry maidens and wives, who show’d themselves
faithful to faithless men. This seems to have been
written after The Flower and the Leaf.” Evidently it
was, for distinct references to that poem are to be
found in the Prologue; but more interesting is the
indication which it furnishes, that “Troilus and
Cressida” was the work, not of the poet’s youth,
but of his maturer age. We could hardly expect the
queen — whether of Love or of England — to
demand seriously from Chaucer a retractation of
sentiments which he had expressed a full
generation before, and for which he had made
atonement by the splendid praises of true love sung
in “The Court of Love,” “The Cuckoo and the
Nightingale,” and other poems of youth and middle
life. But “Troilus and Cressida” is coupled with
“The Romance of the Rose,” as one of the poems
which had given offence to the servants and the
God of Love; therefore we may suppose it to have
more prominently engaged courtly notice at a later
period of the poet’s life, than even its undoubted
popularity could explain. At whatever date, or in
whatever circumstances, undertaken, “The Legend
of Good Women” is a fragment. There are several
signs that it was designed to contain the stories of
twenty-five ladies, although the number of the
good women is in the poem itself set down at
nineteen; but nine legends only were actually
composed, or have come down to us. They are,
those of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt (126 lines),
Thisbe of Babylon (218), Dido Queen of Carthage
(442), Hypsipyle and Medea (312), Lucrece of
Rome (206), Ariadne of Athens (340), Phiomela
(167), Phyllis (168), and Hypermnestra (162).
Prefixed to these stories, which are translated or
imitated from Ovid, is a Prologue containing 579
lines — the only part of the “Legend” given in the
present edition. It is by far the most original, the
strongest, and most pleasing part of the poem; the
description of spring, and of his enjoyment of that
season, are in Chaucer’s best manner; and the
political philosophy by which Alcestis mitigates the
wrath of Cupid, adds another to the abounding
proofs that, for his knowledge of the world,
Chaucer fairly merits the epithet of “many-sided”
which Shakespeare has won by his knowledge of
man.]
A THOUSAND times I have hearde tell,
That there is joy in heav’n, and pain in hell;
And I accord* it well that it is so; *grant, agree
But, natheless, yet wot* I well also, *know
That there is none dwelling in this country
That either hath in heav’n or hell y-be;* *been
Nor may of it no other wayes witten* *know
But as he hath heard said, or found it written;
For by assay* there may no man it preve.** *practical trial
**prove, test
But God forbid but that men should believe
Well more thing than men have seen with eye!
Men shall not weenen ev’ry thing a lie
*But if* himself it seeth, or else do’th; *unless
For, God wot, thing is never the less sooth,* *true
Though ev’ry wighte may it not y-see.
Bernard, the Monke, saw not all, pardie! <1>
Then muste we to bookes that we find
(Through which that olde thinges be in mind),
And to the doctrine of these olde wise,
Give credence, in ev’ry skilful* wise, *reasonable
That tellen of these old approved stories,
Of holiness, of regnes,* of victories, *reigns, kingdoms
Of love, of hate, and other sundry things
Of which I may not make rehearsings;
And if that olde bookes were away,
Y-lorn were of all remembrance the key.
Well ought we, then, to honour and believe
These bookes, where we have none other preve.* *proof
And as for me, though that I know but lite,* *little
On bookes for to read I me delight,
And to them give I faith and good credence,
And in my heart have them in reverence,
So heartily, that there is *game none* <2> *no amusement*
That from my bookes maketh me to go’n,
But it be seldom on the holyday;
Save, certainly, when that the month of May
Is comen, and I hear the fowles sing,
And that the flowers ginnen for to spring,
Farewell my book and my devotion!
Now have I then such a condition,
That, above all the flowers in the mead,
Then love I most these flowers white and red,
Such that men calle Day’s-eyes in our town;
To them have I so great affectioun,
As I said erst, when comen is the May,
That in my bed there dawneth me no day
That I n’am* up, and walking in the mead, *am not
To see this flow’r against the sunne spread,
When it upriseth early by the morrow;
That blissful sight softeneth all my sorrow,
So glad am I, when that I have presence
Of it, to do it alle reverence,
As she that is of alle flowers flow’r,
Fulfilled of all virtue and honour,
And ever alike fair, and fresh of hue;
As well in winter, as in summer new,
This love I ever, and shall until I die;
All* swear I not, of this I will not lie, *although
There loved no wight hotter in his life.
And when that it is eve, I runne blife,* *quickly, eagerly
As soon as ever the sun begins to west,* *decline westward
To see this flow’r, how it will go to rest,
For fear of night, so hateth she darkness!
Her cheer* is plainly spread in the brightness *countenance
Of the sunne, for there it will unclose.
Alas! that I had English, rhyme or prose,
Sufficient this flow’r to praise aright!
But help me, ye that have *cunning or might;* *skill or power*
Ye lovers, that can make of sentiment,
In this case ought ye to be diligent
To further me somewhat in my labour,
Whether ye be with the Leaf or the Flow’r; <3>
For well I wot, that ye have herebefore
Of making ropen,* and led away the corn; <4> *reaped
And I come after, gleaning here and there,
And am full glad if I may find an ear
Of any goodly word that you have left.
And though it hap me to rehearsen eft* *again
What ye have in your freshe songes said,
Forbeare me, and be not *evil apaid,* *displeased*
Since that ye see I do it in th’honour