And more richly befeen by manyfold
he was alfo in every manir thing;
Upon her hede full plefaunt to behold
A coron of gold rich for any king,
A braunch of agnus caftus eke bering
In her hand, and to my fight trewily
She lady was of all the company;
And fhe began a roundell luftily
That Sus le foyle de vert moy men call
Sine mon joly cœur eft endormy,
And than the company anfwerid all,
With voicis fwete entunid and fo fmall,
That methought it the fwetcft melody
That evir I herd in my life fothly.
And thus they all came dauncing and finging
Into the middis of the mede echone
Before the herbir where I was fitting,
And God wot I thought I waswell bigone,
For than I might avife them one by one
Who fairift was, who beft could dance or fing,
Or who most womanly was in all thing.
They had not dauncid but a little throw
When that I herd not fer of fodain y
So grete a noife of thundering trumpis blow
As though it fhould have departid the fkie,
And aftir that within a while I fie
From the fame grove where the ladies came out
Of men of armis coming fuch a rout
As all men on erth had ben affemblid,
On that place well horfid for the nonis,
Stering fo faft that all the erth tremblid;
But for to fpeke of richis and ftonis,
And men and horfe, I trow the large wonis
Of Pretir John, ne all his trefory,
Might not unneth have bought the tenth party.
Of their array whofo lift to here more,
I fhall reherfe fo as I can a litc,
Out of the grove that I fpeke of before
1 fe come firft, all in their clokis white,
A company that wore for ther delite
Chapelets fresh of okis ferial
But newly fprong, and trumpets were they all;
On every trump hanging a brode bannere
Of fine ta tarium, full richly bete,
Every trumpet his lord is armis bere
About ther neckis, with grete perlis fete,
Collaris brode, for coft they wou'd not lete,
As it would feem, for ther fcochons echone
Were fet about with many a precious ftone;
Ther horfis harneis was all white also ;
And aftir them next in one company
Camin kingis at armis and no mo,
In clokis of white cloth with gold richly,
Chaplets of grene on ther heds on hye,
The crownis that they on ther scotchons bere
Were fet with perl, and ruby, and saphere,
And eke grete diamondis many one;
But all ther horfis harncis and other gere
Was in a fute according everichone,
As have herd the forefaid trumpets were,
And by feming they were nothing to lere,
And ther guiding they did so manirly;
And aftir them came a gret company
Of heraudeis and pursevauntis eke,
Arrayid in clothis of white velvet,
And hardily they were nothing to feke
How they on them shouldin the harneis fet,
And every man had on a chapelet,
Scotchonis and eke horse harneis in dede
They had in fute of them that 'fore them yede.
Next after these appere in armour bright,
All fave ther hedis, femely knightis nine,
And every clafp and nail, as to my fight,
Of ther harneis were of red gold fo fine,
With cloth of gold, and furrid with ermine,
Were the tappouris of their stedis ftrong,
Both wide and large, that to the ground did hong
And every bofs of bridle and paitrel
That they bad on was worth, as I would wene,
A thousand pound; and on ther hedis well
Dreffid were crounis of the laurir grene,
The best ymade that evir I had fene;
And every knight had aftir him riding
Thre henchmen, ftill upon him awaiting;
Of which every (fifft) on a short trunchon
His lord'is helmet bors fo richly dight
That the worft of them was worth the ranfoune
Of any king; the fecond a fhield bright
Bare at his back; the thred barin upright
A mighty fpere, full sharp yground and kenc,
And ev ry child ware of levis grene
A fresh chap'let upon his hairis bright;
And clokis white of fine velvet they were,
Ther ftedis trappid and arayid right,
Without difference as ther lordis were;
And aftir them on many' a fresh courfere
There came of armid knightis fuch a rout
That they befprad the large field about;
And all they werin, aftir ther degrees, Chappèlets new, or made of laurir grene, Or fome of oke, or fome of othir trees, Some in ther hondis barin boughis fhene, Some of laurir, and some of okis bene, Some of hawthorne, and some of the wodebind, And many mo which I have not in mind.
And to they came ther horfe freshly stirring With bloudy fownis of ther trompis loud; There fe I many' an uncouth difguiling In the array of thilke knightis proud; And at the laft as evenly as they coud They toke ther place in middis of the mede, And every knight turnid his horfis hede
To his felow, and lightly laid a fpere Into the reft, and fo juftis began On ev'ery part aboutin here and there; Some brake his fpere, fome threw down horfe and About the felde aftray the ftedis ran; And to behold their rule and govirnaunce enfure it was a grete plefaunce.
And fo the juftis lait an hour and more, But tho that crownid were in laurir grene Did win the prife; their dintis were to fore That there was none agent them might fuiteng And the jufting alle was left off clene; And fro ther horfe the nine alight anon,
And to did all the remnaunt everichone,
And forth they yede togidir twain and twain,
That to behold it was a worthy fight,
Toward the ladies on the grenè plain,
That fong and dauncid, as I faid now right;
The ladies as fone as they godely might
They brakin off both the song and the daunce,
And yede to mete them with full glad femblaunce:
And every lady toke full womanly
By the hond a knight, and fo forth they yede
Unto a faire laurir that ftode fast by,
With levis laid, the boughis of grete brede,
And to my dome ther nevir was indede
A man that had fene half fo faire a tre,
For undirneth it there might well have be
An hundrid perfons at ther own plefaunce
Shadowid fro the hete of Phœbus bright,
So that they shouldin have felt no grevaunce
Neithir for rain, ne haile, that them hurt might;
The favour eke rejoice would any wight
That hed be fick or melancholious,
It was fo very gode and vertuous.
And with grete rev'rence they enclinid low
Unto the tre so fote and fair of hew,
And aftir that within a litil throw
They all began to fing and daunce of new;
Some fong of love, fome plaining of untrew,
Environing the tre that stode upright,
And evir yede a lady and a knight.
And at the laft I caft mine eie afide,
And was ware of a lufty company
That came roming out of the felde wide,
And hond in hond a knight and a lady,
The ladies all in furcotes, that richly
Purfilid were with many a rich ftone,
And every knight of grene ware mantlis on,
Embroulid wele, fo as the furcots were,
And everich had a chapelet on her hed,
[Which did right wele upon the fhining here]
Makid of gedely flouris white and red,
The knightis eke that they in honde led
In fute of them ware chaplets everichone,
And before them went minstrels many one,
As harpis, pipis, lutis, and fautry,
Alle in grene, and on ther hedis bare
Of diverfe flouris made full craftily,
All in a fute, godely chaplets they ware,
And fo dauncing into the mede they fare,
In mid the which they found a tuft that was
All ovirfprad with flouris in compas,
Whereto they enclined evèrichone
With grete reverence, and that full humbly;
And at the laft there tho began anon
A lady for to fing right womanly
A bargaret in praising the daifie,
For (as methought) among her notis fwete
She faid Si douce eft la Margarete!
Then they alle anfwerid her in fere
So paflingly well and fo plefauntly,
That it was a most blisfull noife to here;
But I not how it happid, fodainly
As about none the fonn fo fervently
Waxe hore that the pretty tendir floures
Had loft the beauty of their fresh cellours.
For fhronke with hete the ladies eke to brent,
That they ne wift where they them might beftow,
The knightis fwelt, for lack of fhade nie fhent,
And aftir that within a litil throw
The wind began fo fturdily to blow
That down goth all the flowris everichone,
So that in all the mede there laft not one,
Save fuch as fuccoured were among the leves
Fro every ftorme that mightè them affaile,
Growing undir the heggis and thick greves;
And aftir that there came a ftorme of haile
And rain in fere, fo that withoutin faile
The ladies ne the knightis n'ade o' thred
Dry on them, fo drooping wet was ther wede.
And when the ftorme was clene paflid away
Tho in the white, that ftode undir the tre,
They felt nothing of all the grete affray
That they in grene without had in ybe;
To them they yede for routh and for pite,
Them to comfort aftir their grete difefe,
So fain they were the helpleffe for to efe.
Than I was ware how one of them in grene
Had on a coron rich and well-fitting,
Wherefore I demid well fhe was a quene,
And tho in grene on her were awaiting;
The ladies then in white that were coming
Towardis them, and the knightis in fere,
Began to comfort them and make them chere.
The quene in white, that was of grete beauty, Toke by the honde the quene that was in grene, And feide, Suftir, I have grete pity
Of your annoy and of your troublous tene
Wherein ye and your company have bene
So long, alas and if that it you plese
To go with me I fhall do you the efe
In al the plefure that I can or may;
Whereof that othir, humbly as fhe might,
Thankid her, for in right evil array
She was with ftorme and hete I you behight;
And every lady then anon right
That were in white one of them toke in grene
By the hond, which when the knightis had fene
In like manir eche of them toke a knight
Clad in the grene, and forth with them they fare
To an hegge, where that they anon right
To makin thefe juftis they would not spare
Boughis to hew down, and eke trees to fquare,
Wherewith they made them ftately firis grete
To dry ther clothis, that were wringing wete:
And aftir that of herbis that there grew
They made for bliftirs of the fonne brenning
Ointmentis very gode, wholfome and new,
Where that they yede the fick fast anointing;
And aftir that they yede about gadring
Plefant faladis, which they made them ete
For to refreshe ther grete unkindely hete.
The lady of the Lefè then gan to pray
Her of the Floure [for fo to my feming
They should be callid as by ther array
To foupe with her, and eke for any thing
That the fhould with her all her pepill bringe,
And the ayen in right godely manere
Thankith her faft of her moft frendly chere,
Saying plaindly that fhe would obay
With all her hert all her commandément;
And then anon without lengir delay
The lady of the Lefe hath one yfent
To bring a palfray aftir her intent,
Arrayid wele in fair harneis of gold,
For nothing lackid that to him long shold:
And aftir that to all her company
She made to purvey horfe and every thing
That they nedid, and then full haftily
Even by the herbir where I was fitting
They paflid all, fo merrily finging
That it would have comfortid any wight:
But then I fe a paffing wondir fight,
For then the nightingale, that all the day
Had in the laurir fete, and did her might
The whole fervice to fing longing to May,
All fodainly began to take her flight,
And to the lady of the Lefe forthright
She flew, and fet her on her hand foftly,
Which was a thing I mervail'd at gretly.
The goldfinch cke, that fro the medlar tre
Was fled for hete unto the bufhis cold,
Unto the lady of the Flowre gan fie,
And on her hond he fet him as he wold,
And plefauntly his wingis gan to fold,
And for to fing they peine them both as fore
As they had do of all the day before.
And fo thefe ladies rode forth a grete pace,
And all the rout of knightis eke in fere;
And I that had fene all this wondir cafe
Thought that I would affay in fome manere
To know fully the trouth of this mattere,
And what they were that rode fo plefauntly:
And when they were the herbir paffid by
I dreft me forth, and happid niete anon
A right fair lady, I do you enfure,
And she came riding by her felf alone,
Alle in white, with femblaunce full demure;
I her falued, bad her gode avinture
Mote her befall, as I coud mot humbly,
And the answered, My doughtir, gramercy!
Madame, quoth 1, if that I durft enquere
Of you, I wold fain of that company
Wit what they be that paffed by this harbere.
And the ayen anfwerid right frendly,
My doughtir, all tho that paflid hereby
In white clothing be fervants everichone
Unto the Lefe, and I my felf am one.
Se ye not her that crownid is (quod fhe)
Alle in white? Madame, then quod I, Yes.
That is Dian, goddefs of Chastity,
And for bicaufe that fhe a maidin is
Into her hond the branch the berith this
That agnus caftus men call propirly;
And all the ladies in her company
Which ye fe of that herbè chaplets were
Be fuch as han alwey kept maidinhede,
And all they that of laurir chaplets bere
Be fuch as hardy were in manly dede,
Victorious, name which nevir may be dede
And all they were fo worthy of their honde
In their time that no one might them withftonde;
And tho that were chapelets on ther hede Of fresh wodebind be fuch as nevir were To Love untrue in word, in thought, ne dede, But ay ftedfat, ne for plefance ne fere, Tho that they fhulde ther hertis all to tere, Woud never flit, but evir were fledfaft Till that ther livis there affundir braft.
Now, fair Madam! qued I, yet woud I pray
Your ladifhip [if that it mightin be]
That I might knowe by fome manir of wey,
Sithin that it hath likid your beaute
The trouth of thefe ladies for to tell me,
What that these knightis be in rich armour,
And what tho be in grene and were the Flour,
And why that fome did rev'rence to the tre,
And fome unto the plot of flouris fair?
With right gode wil, my doughtir fair! quod fat,
Sith your defire is gode and debonaire:
Tho nine crounid be very exemplaire
Of all honour longing to chivalry,
And thofe certain be clept The Nine Worthy
Which that ye may fe riding all before,
That in ther time did many' a noble dede,
And for ther worthinefs full oft have bore
The crown of laurir levis on ther hede,
As ye may in your oldè bokis rede,
And how that he that was a conqueror
Had by laurir alwey his moft honour:
And tho that barin bowes in ther houd
Of the precious laurir so notable
Be fuch as were [I woll ye undirftond]
Moft noble Knightis of The Round Table,
And eke the Doufeperis honourable,
Which they bere in the fign of victory,
As witness of ther dedis mightily:
Eke ther be Knightis old of the Gartir,
That in ther timis did right worthily,
And the honour they did to the laurir
Is for by it they have ther laud wholly,
Ther triumph eke and martial glory,
Which unto them is more perfite riches
Than any wight imagin can or geffe;
For one Lete givin of that noble tre
To any wight that hath done worthily
[An it be done fo as it ought to be]
Is more honour than any thing erthly,
Witnefs of Rome, that foundir was truly
Of all knighthode and dedis marvelous,
Record I take of Titus Livius.
And as for her that crounid is in grene,
It is Flora, of thefe flouris goddeffe,
And all that here on her awaiting bene
It are fuch folk that lovid idlenefie,
And not delite in no kind befineffe
But for to hunt, and hawke, and pley in medes,
And many othir fuch like idle dedes.
And for the grete delite and the plefaunce
They have to the Flour, and fo reverently
They unto it doin fuch obeifaunce,
As ye may fe. Now, fair Madame! quod I,
If I durft afk] what is the caufe and why
That knightis have the enfigne of honour
Rathir by the Lefè than by the Flour?
Sothly, doughtir, quod fhe, this is the trouth,
For knightes evir fhould be perfevering
To feke honour without feintife or flouth,
Fro wele to bettir in all manir thing,
In fign of which with levis ay lasting
They be rewardid aftir ther degre,
Whofe lufty grene may not appairid be,
But ay keping ther beauty fresh and grene,
For ther n'is no forme that may them deface,
Ne hail nor fnowe, ne wind nor froftis kene,
Wherfore they have this propirty and grace;
And for the Flour within a litil space
Wollin be loft, fo fimple of nature
They be that they no grevaunce may endure:
And every storme woll blowe them fone away,
Ne they laftè not but for a fefon,
That is the cause [the very trouth to say]
That they may not by no way of refon
Be put to no fuch occupacion.
Madame, quod I, with all mine whole fervise
Ithank you now in my moft humble wife;
For now I am afcertain'd thoroughly
Of every thing I defirid to knowe.
I am right glad that I have faid, fothly,
Ought to your plefure, (if ye will me trow.)
Quod fhe ayen. But to whom do ye owe
Your fervice, and which wollin ye honour
[Pray tell me this year, the Lefe or the Flour?
Madam, quod I, although I left worthy,
Unto the Lefe I ow mine obfervaunce.”
That is, quod fhe, right well done certainly,
And I pray God to honour you advaunce,
And kepe you fro the wickid remembraunce
Of Malebouch and all his cruiltie,
And all that gode and well-condition'd be;
For here I may no lengir now abide,
But I must follow the grete company
That ye may fe yondir before you ride;
And forthwith as I couth most humily
I toke my leve of her, and the gan hie
Aftir them as faft as evir fhe might,
And I drow homeward, for it was nigh night,
And put all that I had fene in writing,
Undir fupport of them that luft it rede.
O little boke! thou art fo unconning,
How darft thou put thy felf in prees for drede ?
It is wondir that thou wexift not rede,
Sith that thou woft full lite who fhall behold
Thy rude langage full boyftoufly unfold,
WITH timerous herte and trembling hand of drede,
Of cunning nakid, bare of eloquence,
Unto the flour of port in womanhede
I write, as he that none intelligence
Of metris hath ne flouris of fentence,
Saufe that me lift my writing to convey
In that I can to plefe her high nobley.
The blofomes fresh of Tulius gardein fote
Prefent thei not, my mattir for to borne,
Poemes of Virgile takin here no rote,
Ne crafte of Galfride may not here fojourne;
Why n'am I cunning? 'o well maie I morne
For lacke of fcience, that I can nat write
Unto the princes of my lyfe aright!
No termes are digne unto her excellence,
So is the fpronge of noble stripe and high;
A world of honour and of revèrence
There is in her, this will I teftifie :
Caliope, thou fiftir wife and fly,
And thou Minerva! guide me with thy grace,
That langage rude my mattir not deface.
Thy fugir dropis fwete of Helicon
Diftil in me, thou gentle Mufe! I praye,
And the Melpomene I cal anone
Of ignoraunce the miste to chace awaye,
And geve me grace fo for to write and faie
That the my lady of her worthineffe
Accept in gre this litil fhort treteffe,
That is entitled thus, The Courte of Love;
And ye that ben metriciens me excufe,
I you befeche, for Venus fake above,
For what I mene in this ye nede not mufe;
And if fo be my lady it refufe
For lake of ornate fpeche, I wolde be wo
That I prefume to her to writin fo.
This book is an imitation of The Romaunt of the Rofe, thewing that all arc fubject to love, what impedi ments foever to the contrary, containing alfo thote 20 ftatutes that are to be obferved in The Court of Love. Urry.
But my entente and all my bufy cure
Is for to write this treteffe as I can,
Unto my lady ftable, true, and fure,
Faithful and kind, fith firfte that she began
Me to accept in fervice as her man;
To her be al the plefure of this boke,
That when her like fhe may it rede and loke.
When I was yong, at xviii yere of age,
Lufty and light, defirous of plefaunce,
Approching on full fade and ripe corage,
Love artid me to do my obfervaunce
To his eftate, and done him obeifaunce,
Commaundinge me The Court of ove to fe,
A lite befide the Mounte of Cithere;
There Citherea goddeffe was and quene,
Honourid highly for her majefte,
And eke her fonne, the mighty god I wene,
Cupid the blind, that for his dignite
A M. lovirs worshipp on ther kne;
There was I bid in paine of deth to pere
By Mercury the wingid meffingere:
So than I went by itrange and ferre countress,
Enquiringe aye what coafte had to it drewe
The Court of Love, and thidirward as bees
At laft I fe the peple gan purfue;
Anon me though: fome wight was ther that knew Where that the Court was holdin ferre or nic. And aftir than ful fafte I ganne me hie.
Anon as I them ovirtoke I faid,
Heile, frendis! whethir purpofe ye to werd?
For foth, (qued one) that aniwered lyche a mad,
To Lov'is Courte now go we, gentil frend!
Where is that place, (quod 1) my felowe hend?
At Citheron, Sir, faide he, without doute,
The kinge of Love, and al his noble route,
Dwelling within a caftil rially.
So than apace I journid forth amonge;
And as he faide fo fond I there truly,
For I bchelde the touris high and strange,
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