按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Wher that honeste wommen duelle。
And thus thou myht thi maister telle；
That whanne I have a chambre there；
Let him do crie ay wyde where； 1460
What lord that hath his doghter diere；
And is in will that sche schal liere
Of such a Scole that is trewe；
I schal hire teche of thinges newe；
Which as non other womman can
In al this lond。〃 And tho this man
Hire tale hath herd； he goth ayein；
And tolde unto his maister plein
That sche hath seid； and therupon；
Whan than he sih beyete non 1470
At the bordel be cause of hire；
He bad his man to gon and spire
A place wher sche myhte abyde；
That he mai winne upon som side
Be that sche can： bot ate leste
Thus was sche sauf fro this tempeste。
He hath hire fro the bordel take；
Bot that was noght for goddes sake；
Bot for the lucre； as sche him tolde。
Now comen tho that comen wolde 1480
Of wommen in her lusty youthe；
To hiere and se what thing sche couthe：
Sche can the wisdom of a clerk；
Sche can of every lusti werk
Which to a gentil womman longeth；
And some of hem sche underfongeth
To the Citole and to the Harpe；
And whom it liketh forto carpe
Proverbes and demandes slyhe；
An other such thei nevere syhe； 1490
Which that science so wel tawhte：
Wherof sche grete yiftes cawhte；
That sche to Leonin hath wonne；
And thus hire name is so begonne
Of sondri thinges that sche techeth；
That al the lond unto hir secheth
Of yonge wommen forto liere。
Nou lete we this maiden hiere；
And speke of Dionise ayein
And of Theophile the vilein； 1500
Of whiche I spak of nou tofore。
Whan Thaise scholde have be forlore；
This false cherl to his lady
Whan he cam hom； al prively
He seith； 〃Ma Dame； slain I have
This maide Thaise； and is begrave
In prive place； as ye me biede。
Forthi； ma dame； taketh hiede
And kep conseil； hou so it stonde。〃
This fend； which this hath understonde； 1510
Was glad； and weneth it be soth：
Now herkne； hierafter hou sche doth。
Sche wepth； sche sorweth； sche compleigneth；
And of sieknesse which sche feigneth
Sche seith that Taise sodeinly
Be nyhte is ded； 〃as sche and I
Togedre lyhen nyh my lord。〃
Sche was a womman of record；
And al is lieved that sche seith；
And forto yive a more feith； 1520
Hire housebonde and ek sche bothe
In blake clothes thei hem clothe；
And made a gret enterrement；
And for the poeple schal be blent；
Of Thaise as for the remembrance；
After the real olde usance
A tumbe of latoun noble and riche
With an ymage unto hir liche
Liggende above therupon
Thei made and sette it up anon。 1530
Hire Epitaffe of good assisse
Was write aboute； and in this wise
It spak： 〃O yee that this beholde；
Lo； hier lith sche； the which was holde
The faireste and the flour of alle；
Whos name Thai5sis men calle。
The king of Tyr Appolinus
Hire fader was： now lith sche thus。
Fourtiene yer sche was of Age；
Whan deth hir tok to his viage。〃 1540
Thus was this false treson hidd；
Which afterward was wyde kidd；
As be the tale a man schal hiere。
Bot forto clare mi matiere；
To Tyr I thenke torne ayein；
And telle as the Croniqes sein。
Whan that the king was comen hom；
And hath left in the salte fom
His wif； which he mai noght foryete；
For he som confort wolde gete； 1550
He let somoune a parlement；
To which the lordes were asent；
And of the time he hath ben oute；
He seth the thinges al aboute；
And told hem ek hou he hath fare；
Whil he was out of londe fare；
And preide hem alle to abyde；
For he wolde at the same tyde
Do schape for his wyves mynde；
As he that wol noght ben unkinde。 1560
Solempne was that ilke office；
And riche was the sacrifice；
The feste reali was holde：
And therto was he wel beholde；
For such a wif as he hadde on
In thilke daies was ther non。
Whan this was do； thanne he him thoghte
Upon his doghter； and besoghte
Suche of his lordes as he wolde；
That thei with him to Tharse scholde； 1570
To fette his doghter Taise there：
And thei anon al redy were；
To schip they gon and forth thei wente；
Til thei the havene of Tharse hente。
They londe and faile of that thei seche
Be coverture and sleyhte of speche：
This false man Strangulio；
And Dionise his wif also；
That he the betre trowe myhte；
Thei ladden him to have a sihte 1580
Wher that hir tombe was arraied。
The lasse yit he was mispaied；
And natheles； so as he dorste；
He curseth and seith al the worste
Unto fortune； as to the blinde；
Which can no seker weie finde；
For sche him neweth evere among；
And medleth sorwe with his song。
Bot sithe it mai no betre be；
He thonketh god and forth goth he 1590
Seilende toward Tyr ayein。
Bot sodeinly the wynd and reyn
Begonne upon the See debate；
So that he soffre mot algate
The lawe which Neptune ordeigneth；
Wherof fulofte time he pleigneth；
And hield him wel the more esmaied
Of that he hath tofore assaied。
So that for pure sorwe and care；
Of that he seth his world so fare； 1600
The reste he lefte of his Caban；
That for the conseil of noman
Ayein therinne he nolde come；
Bot hath benethe his place nome；
Wher he wepende al one lay；
Ther as he sih no lyht of day。
And thus tofor the wynd thei dryve；
Til longe and late thei aryve
With gret distresce； as it was sene；
Upon this toun of Mitelene； 1610
Which was a noble cite tho。
And hapneth thilke time so；
The lordes bothe and the comune
The hihe festes of Neptune
Upon the stronde at the rivage；
As it was custumme and usage；
Sollempneliche thei besihe。
Whan thei this strange vessel syhe
Come in； and hath his Seil avaled；
The toun therof hath spoke and taled。 1620
The lord which of the cite was；
Whos name is Athenagoras；
Was there； and seide he wolde se
What Schip it is； and who thei be
That ben therinne： and after sone；
Whan that he sih it was to done；
His barge was for him arraied；
And he goth forth and hath assaied。
He fond the Schip of gret Array；
Bot what thing it amonte may； 1630
He seth thei maden hevy chiere；
Bot wel him thenkth be the manere
That thei be worthi men of blod；
And axeth of hem hou it stod；
And thei him tellen al the cas；
Hou that here lord fordrive was；
And what a sorwe that he made；
Of which ther mai noman him glade。
He preith that he here lord mai se；
Bot thei him tolde it mai noght be； 1640
For he lith in so derk a place；
That ther may no wiht sen his face：
Bot for al that； thogh hem be loth；
He fond the ladre and doun he goth；
And to him spak； bot non ansuere
Ayein of him ne mihte he bere
For oght that he can don or sein；
And thus he goth him up ayein。
Tho was ther spoke in many wise
Amonges hem that weren wise； 1650
Now this； now that； bot ate laste
The wisdom of the toun this caste；
That yonge Taise were asent。
For if ther be amendement
To glade with this woful king；
Sche can so moche of every thing；
That sche schal gladen him anon。
A Messager for hire is gon；
And sche cam with hire Harpe on honde；
And seide hem that sche wolde fonde 1660
Be alle weies that sche can；
To glade with this sory man。
Bot what he was sche wiste noght；
Bot al the Schip hire hath besoght
That sche hire wit on him despende；
In aunter if he myhte amende；
And sein it schal be wel aquit。
Whan sche hath understonden it；
Sche goth hir doun； ther as he lay；
Wher that sche harpeth many a lay 1670
And lich an Angel sang withal；
Bot he nomore than the wal
Tok hiede of eny thing he herde。
And whan sche sih that he so ferde；
Sche falleth with him into wordes；
And telleth him of sondri bordes；
And axeth him demandes strange；
Wherof sche made his herte change；
And to hire speche his Ere he leide
And hath merveile of that sche seide。 1680
For in proverbe and in probleme
Sche spak； and bad he scholde deme
In many soubtil question：
Bot he for no suggestioun
Which toward him sche couthe stere；
He wolde noght o word ansuere；
Bot as a madd man ate laste
His heved wepende awey he caste；
And half in wraththe he bad hire go。
Bot yit sche wolde noght do so； 1690
And in the derke forth sche goth；
Til sche him toucheth； and he wroth；
And after hire with his hond
He smot： and thus whan sche him fond
Desesed； courtaisly sche saide；
〃Avoi； mi lord； I am a Maide；
And if ye wiste what I am；
And out of what lignage I cam；
Ye wolde