III.

Amours, sachiez que pas ne le vueil dire Pour moy getter hors des amoureux las; 50 Car j'ay porté si long temps mon martire Que mon vivant ne le guerpiray pas. Il me souffist d'avoir tant de soulas Que veoir puisse la [belle et] gracieuse; Combien qu'el est [en]vers moy dangereuse, 55 De li servir ne serai jamaiz las.

Certes, Amours, quant bien droit [je] remire Les haulx estas, les moyens et les bas, Vous m'avez fait de tous les bons eslire, A mon avis, le meilleur, en tous cas. 60

<< Now love wel, herte, and look thou never stente; And let the Ielous putte hit in assay That, for no peyne wol I nat sey nay; To love him best ne shal I never repente.

Herte, to thee hit oghte y-nogh suffyse 65 That Love so hy a grace to thee sente, To chese the worthiest in alle wyse And most agreable unto myn entente. Seche no ferther, neyther wey ne wente, Sith I have suffisaunce unto my pay. 70 Thus wol I ende this compleynt or lay; To love him best ne shal I never repente.

Lenvoy.

Princess, receyveth this compleynt in gree, Unto your excellent benignitee Direct after my litel suffisaunce. 75 For eld, that in my spirit dulleth me, Hath of endyting al the soteltee Wel ny bereft out of my remembraunce; And eek to me hit is a greet penaunce, Sith rym in English hath swich scarsitee, 80 To folowe word by word the curiositee Of Graunson, flour of hem that make in Fraunce.

>> Or aime, cuer, ainsy que tu pourras; Car ja n'aras paine si doulereuse, Pour ma dame, que ne me soit joieuse; De li servir ne seray jamaiz las.

Cuer, il te doit assez plus que souffire 65 D'avoir choisy ce[lle] que choisi as. Ne quiers [or] plus royaume ne empire, Car si bonne jamaiz ne trouveras, Ne si belle par mes yeux ne verras: C'est jeunesce sachant et savoureuse. 70 Ja soit elle de m'amour desdaigneuse, De li servir ne seray jamaiz las.

TITLE: _so in_ F. Ff. Ar.; _see_ Notes. _The_ MSS. _are_: T. (Trin. Coll. Cambridge, R. 3. 20); A. (Ashmole 59); Tn. (MS. Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16); Ff. (MS. Ff. I. 6. Camb. Univ. Library); Ar. (Arch. Seld. P. 24); P. (Pepys 2006); etc. Th.=Thynne (1532). _I follow_ F. _mainly._

1. F. high; T. A. hye (hy _is better_). 2. F. When; eny. 4. F. manhod; _the rest have final_ e. 5. F. stidfastnesse. 6. F. whiles; A. whilest; _rest_ while. 7. F. oght; Tn. oghte to. 9. F. ys bounte. F. T. A. Th. _insert_ and _after_ wisdom; _but the rest omit it_. 10. F. eny manes witte. 11. F. wolde (_wrongly_); Ff. wold. F. fersorthe. 12. F. p_ar_fite.

14. F. well. 16. F. preysith. 18. F. hert; grete. 19. F. werk. 21. F. sikirnesse. 22. F. oght. 25. F. certis. 26. T. A. Tn. Th. thy; F. Ff. the. 27. F. a-bed; T. A. a-bedde. 28. F. Wepinge; laugh; sing; compleynynge.

29. F. cast; _the rest_ caste. F. lokynge. 30. F. chaunge visage (_wrongly_); change hewe _in_ MS. Arch. Selden, B. 24; T. A. chaunge huwe. 31. MSS. Pley, Pleye; _read_ Pleyne (F. _Plaindre_). F. dreme; T. Tn. Ff. Th. dremen. 32. F. reuerse; eny. 33. Ff. T. Ialousye; F. Ielosie. Ff. P. be; F. Th. he (!). Ialousye be] T. þaughe Ialousye wer. T. Tn. Th. by; F. be; Ff. with. 34. F. wold; thro; espyinge. 35. F. dothe. 36. F. nys harme; ymagenynge. 37. F. yevynge. 38. F. yifeth. Ff. withouten; _rest_ withoute. 40. F. reuerse; felynge. 42. T. Ff. encomberous; F. encombrouse. F. vsynge. 43. Tn. sotell; F. subtil. F. Ielosie. 44. T. destourbing; F. derturbynge (_sic_).

45. F. suffrynge; P. sufferyng; T. souffering. 46. F. Ff. noun-certeyn; T. noun-certaine; A. nouncerteine. F. langvisshen. 47. F. harde. F. _wrongly repeats_ penaunce; T. A. meschaunce. 48. F. reuerse; ony; felynge. 49. F. certys; not. 50. F. youre; ment. 51. F. be; _the rest_ ben _or_ been. 52. F. wil; T. A. Ff. wol. F. assent. 53. F. fors; turment. 55. F. certys. 56. F. _om._ ne, _which_ T. A. P. _insert_; Ar. _has_ that. Tn. _inserts_ me _before_ never. 57. F. certis; when. 58. F. eny estate; represent. 59. F. Tn. Then; _rest_ Than, Thanne, Thane. T. Ff. P. maked; _rest_ made. F. thro. 60. F. went.

61. F. hert; loke; stent. 62. P. Ielous; A. Ialous; T. Ialouse; F. Ielousie. A. putte; F. put. 63. F. peyn wille I not. 64. F. yow (_for_ him); T. A. Tn. Ar. him (_see_ l. 56). 65. F. Hert; the; ought ynogh. 66. F. highe; T. A. hye. T. A. Ff. Ar. thee; F. yow; Tn. you. F. sent. 67. F. al. 68. F. entent. 69. F. went. 70. F. Sithe. F. Tn. ye (_for_ I); _rest_ I. 71. _All but_ Ju. (Julian Notary's edition) _repeat_ this _before_ lay. 72. _See_ l. 56. 73. T. A. Pryncesse; _rest_ Princes. F. resseyueth. 74. F. excelent benignite. 75. F. Directe aftir. 76. F. elde. 77. Tn. soteltee; F. subtilite. 78. F. nighe. 79. F. eke; grete. 80. F. ryme; englissh hat (_sic_) such skarsete. 81. F. worde by worde; curiosite. 82. F. floure; maken.

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XIX. THE COMPLEINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE.

To you, my purse, and to non other wight Compleyne I, for ye be my lady dere! I am so sory, now that ye be light; For certes, but ye make me hevy chere, Me were as leef be leyd up-on my bere; 5 For whiche un-to your mercy thus I crye: Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

Now voucheth sauf this day, or hit be night, That I of you the blisful soun may here, Or see your colour lyk the sonne bright, 10 That of yelownesse hadde never pere. Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere, Quene of comfort and of good companye: Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

Now purs, that be to me my lyves light, 15 And saveour, as doun in this worlde here, Out of this toune help me through your might, Sin that ye wole nat been my tresorere; For I am shave as nye as any frere. But yit I pray un-to your curtesye: 20 Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

LENVOY DE CHAUCER.

O conquerour of Brutes Albioun! Which that by lyne and free eleccioun Ben verray king, this song to you I sende; And ye, that mowen al our harm amende, 25 Have minde up-on my supplicacioun!

_The_ MSS. _are_: F. (Fairfax 16); Harl (Harl. 7333); Ff. (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. I.6): P. (Pepys 2006); Add. (Addit. 22139); _also_ Cx. (Caxton's edition); Th. (Thynne, 1532). _I follow_ F. _mainly._

TITLE. _So in_ Cx. (_but with_ Un-to _for_ to); F. _om._ empty; P. La compleint de Chaucer a sa Bourse Voide.

1. F. yow. 2. F. Complayn; Harl. P. Compleyne. 3. Harl. be; F. been. 4. Add. That; P. But; _rest_ For. P. Add. but ye; F. Harl. but yf ye; Ff. but yif ye; Cx. Th. ye now. 5. Add. leyd; F. layde. 7. F. Beeth; ageyne; mote. 8. F. hyt; nyght. 9. F. yow; sovne. 10. F. lyke; bryght. 11. _Read_ That of yél-ownés-se. 12. F. lyfe; hertys. 14. F. ageyne; moote. 15. P. Cx. purs; F. Add. purse. F. ben. 17. F. Oute; helpe; thurgh. 18. F. bene. 19. Harl. P. Th. any; Add. eny; Cx. ony; F. is a.

21. F. Bethe; ayen; moote. F. Lenvoy de Chaucer; Harl. P. Lenvoye; Cx. Thenuoye of Chaucer vnto the kynge. 23. F. Whiche. F. lygne; Harl. Cx. Ff. P. lyne. 24. F. Been; kynge; yow. 25. F. alle myn harme; Ff. all_e_ oure harmes; Harl. all oure harmous; P. Cx. all_e_ harmes.

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XX. Proverbs.

PROVERBE OF CHAUCER.

What shul thise clothes many-fold, Lo! this hote somers day?-- After greet heet cometh cold; No man caste his pilche away.