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！
〃Avoi； mi lord； I am a Maide；
And if ye wiste what I am；
And out of what lignage I cam；
Ye wolde noght be so salvage。〃
With that he sobreth his corage 1700
And put awey his hevy chiere。
Bot of hem tuo a man mai liere
What is to be so sibb of blod：
Non wiste of other hou it stod；
And yit the fader ate laste
His herte upon this maide caste；
That he hire loveth kindely；
And yit he wiste nevere why。
Bot al was knowe er that thei wente；
For god； which wot here hol entente； 1710
Here hertes bothe anon descloseth。
This king unto this maide opposeth；
And axeth ferst what was hire name；
And wher sche lerned al this game；
And of what ken that sche was come。
And sche； that hath hise wordes nome；
Ansuerth and seith； 〃My name is Thaise；
That was som time wel at aise：
In Tharse I was forthdrawe and fed；
Ther lerned I； til I was sped； 1720
Of that I can。 Mi fader eke
I not wher that I scholde him seke；
He was a king； men tolde me：
Mi Moder dreint was in the See。〃
Fro point to point al sche him tolde；
That sche hath longe in herte holde；
And nevere dorste make hir mone
Bot only to this lord al one；
To whom hire herte can noght hele；
Torne it to wo； torne it to wele； 1730
Torne it to good； torne it to harm。
And he tho toke hire in his arm；
Bot such a joie as he tho made
Was nevere sen； thus be thei glade；
That sory hadden be toforn。
Fro this day forth fortune hath sworn
To sette him upward on the whiel；
So goth the world； now wo； now wel：
This king hath founde newe grace；
So that out of his derke place 1740
He goth him up into the liht；
And with him cam that swete wiht；
His doghter Thaise； and forth anon
Thei bothe into the Caban gon
Which was ordeigned for the king；
And ther he dede of al his thing；
And was arraied realy。
And out he cam al openly；
Wher Athenagoras he fond；
The which was lord of al the lond： 1750
He preith the king to come and se
His castell bothe and his cite；
And thus thei gon forth alle in fiere；
This king； this lord； this maiden diere。
This lord tho made hem riche feste
With every thing which was honeste；
To plese with this worthi king；
Ther lacketh him no maner thing：
Bot yit for al his noble array
Wifles he was into that day； 1760
As he that yit was of yong Age；
So fell ther into his corage
The lusti wo； the glade peine
Of love； which noman restreigne
Yit nevere myhte as nou tofore。
This lord thenkth al his world forlore；
Bot if the king wol don him grace；
He waiteth time； he waiteth place；
Him thoghte his herte wol tobreke；
Til he mai to this maide speke 1770
And to hir fader ek also
For mariage： and it fell so；
That al was do riht as he thoghte；
His pourpos to an ende he broghte；
Sche weddeth him as for hire lord；
Thus be thei alle of on acord。
Whan al was do riht as thei wolde；
The king unto his Sone tolde
Of Tharse thilke traiterie；
And seide hou in his compaignie 1780
His doghter and himselven eke
Schull go vengance forto seke。
The Schipes were redy sone；
And whan thei sihe it was to done；
Withoute lette of eny wente
With Seil updrawe forth thei wente
Towardes Tharse upon the tyde。
Bot he that wot what schal betide；
The hihe god； which wolde him kepe；
Whan that this king was faste aslepe； 1790
Be nyhtes time he hath him bede
To seile into an other stede：
To Ephesim he bad him drawe；
And as it was that time lawe；
He schal do there his sacrifise；
And ek he bad in alle wise
That in the temple amonges alle
His fortune； as it is befalle；
Touchende his doghter and his wif
He schal beknowe upon his lif。 1800
The king of this Avisioun
Hath gret ymaginacioun；
What thing it signefie may；
And natheles； whan it was day；
He bad caste Ancher and abod；
And whil that he on Ancher rod；
The wynd； which was tofore strange；
Upon the point began to change；
And torneth thider as it scholde。
Tho knew he wel that god it wolde； 1810
And bad the Maister make him yare；
Tofor the wynd for he wol fare
To Ephesim； and so he dede。
And whanne he cam unto the stede
Where as he scholde londe； he londeth
With al the haste he may； and fondeth
To schapen him be such a wise；
That he may be the morwe arise
And don after the mandement
Of him which hath him thider sent。 1820
And in the wise that he thoghte；
Upon the morwe so he wroghte；
His doghter and his Sone he nom；
And forth unto the temple he com
With a gret route in compaignie；
Hise yiftes forto sacrifie。
The citezeins tho herden seie
Of such a king that cam to preie
Unto Diane the godesse；
And left al other besinesse； 1830
Thei comen thider forto se
The king and the solempnete。
With worthi knyhtes environed
The king himself hath abandoned
Into the temple in good entente。
The dore is up； and he in wente；
Wher as with gret devocioun
Of holi contemplacioun
Withinne his herte he made his schrifte；
And after that a riche yifte 1840
He offreth with gret reverence；
And there in open Audience
Of hem that stoden thanne aboute；
He tolde hem and declareth oute
His hap； such as him is befalle；
Ther was nothing foryete of alle。
His wif； as it was goddes grace；
Which was professed in the place；
As sche that was Abbesse there；
Unto his tale hath leid hire Ere： 1850
Sche knew the vois and the visage；
For pure joie as in a rage
Sche strawhte unto him al at ones；
And fell aswoune upon the stones；
Wherof the temple flor was paved。
Sche was anon with water laved；
Til sche cam to hirself ayein；
And thanne sche began to sein：
〃Ha； blessed be the hihe sonde；
That I mai se myn housebonde； 1860
That whilom he and I were on！〃
The king with that knew hire anon；
And tok hire in his Arm and kiste；
And al the toun thus sone it wiste。
Tho was ther joie manyfold；
For every man this tale hath told
As for miracle； and were glade；
Bot nevere man such joie made
As doth the king； which hath his wif。
And whan men herde hou that hir lif 1870
Was saved； and be whom it was；
Thei wondren alle of such a cas：
Thurgh al the Lond aros the speche
Of Maister Cerymon the leche
And of the cure which he dede。
The king himself tho hath him bede；
And ek this queene forth with him；
That he the toun of Ephesim
Wol leve and go wher as thei be；
For nevere man of his degre 1880
Hath do to hem so mochel good；
And he his profit understod；
And granteth with hem forto wende。
And thus thei maden there an ende；
And token leve and gon to Schipe
With al the hole felaschipe。
This king； which nou hath his desir；
Seith he wol holde his cours to Tyr。
Thei hadden wynd at wille tho；
With topseilcole and forth they go； 1890
And striken nevere； til thei come
To Tyr； where as thei havene nome；
And londen hem with mochel blisse。
Tho was ther many a mowth to kisse；
Echon welcometh other hom；
Bot whan the queen to londe com；
And Thaise hir doghter be hir side；
The joie which was thilke tyde
Ther mai no mannes tunge telle：
Thei seiden alle； 〃Hier comth the welle 1900
Of alle wommannysshe grace。〃
The king hath take his real place；
The queene is into chambre go：
Ther was gret feste arraied tho；
Whan time was； thei gon to mete；
Alle olde sorwes ben foryete；
And gladen hem with joies newe：
The descoloured pale hewe
Is now become a rody cheke；
Ther was no merthe forto seke； 1910
Bot every man hath that he wolde。
The king； as he wel couthe and scholde；
Makth to his poeple riht good chiere；
And after sone； as thou schalt hiere；
A parlement he hath sommoned；
Wher he his doghter hath coroned
Forth with the lord of Mitelene；
That on is king； that other queene：
And thus the fadres ordinance
This lond hath set in governance； 1920
And seide thanne he wolde wende
To Tharse； forto make an ende
Of that his doghter was betraied。
Therof were alle men wel paied；
And seide hou it was forto done：
The Schipes weren redi sone；
And strong pouer with him he tok；
Up to the Sky he caste his lok；
And syh the wynd was covenable。
Thei hale up Ancher with the cable； 1930
The Seil on hih； the Stiere in honde；
And seilen； til thei come alonde
At Tharse nyh to the cite；
And whan thei wisten it was he；
The toun hath don him reverence。
He telleth hem the violence；
Which the tretour Strangulio
And Dionise him hadde do
Touchende his dowh