| In th' olde dayes of the Kyng Arthour, |
| Of which that Britons speken greet honour, |
| Al was this land fulfild of fayerye. |
| 860 | The elf-queene, with hir joly compaignye, |
| Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede. |
| This was the olde opinion, as I rede; |
| I speke of manye hundred yeres ago. |
| But now kan no man se none elves mo, |
| 865 | For now the grete charitee and prayeres |
| Of lymytours and othere hooly freres, |
| That serchen every lond and every streem, |
| As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem, |
| Blessynge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures, |
| 870 | Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures, |
| Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes -- |
| This maketh that ther ben no fayeryes. |
| For ther as wont to walken was an elf |
| Ther walketh now the lymytour hymself |
| 875 | In undermeles and in morwenynges, |
| And seyth his matyns and his hooly thynges |
| As he gooth in his lymytacioun. |
| Wommen may go saufly up and doun. |
| In every bussh or under every tree |
| 880 | Ther is noon oother incubus but he, |
| And he ne wol doon hem but dishonour. |
| And so bifel that this kyng Arthour |
| Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler, |
| That on a day cam ridynge fro ryver, |
| 885 | And happed that, allone as he was born, |
| He saugh a mayde walkynge hym biforn, |
| Of which mayde anon, maugree hir heed, |
| By verray force, he rafte hire maydenhed; |
| For which oppressioun was swich clamour |
| 890 | And swich pursute unto the kyng Arthour |
| That dampned was this knyght for to be deed, |
| By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed -- |
| Paraventure swich was the statut tho -- |
| But that the queene and other ladyes mo |
| 895 | So longe preyeden the kyng of grace |
| Til he his lyf hym graunted in the place, |
| And yaf hym to the queene, al at hir wille, |
| To chese wheither she wolde hym save or spille. |
| The queene thanketh the kyng with al hir myght, |
| 900 | And after this thus spak she to the knyght, |
| Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day: |
| "Thou standest yet," quod she, "in swich array |
| That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee. |
| I grante thee lyf, if thou kanst tellen me |
| 905 | What thyng is it that wommen moost desiren. |
| Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from iren! |
| And if thou kanst nat tellen it anon, |
| Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon |
| A twelf-month and a day, to seche and leere |
| 910 | An answere suffisant in this mateere; |
| And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, |
| Thy body for to yelden in this place." |
| Wo was this knyght, and sorwefully he siketh; |
| But what! He may nat do al as hym liketh. |
| 915 | And at the laste he chees hym for to wende |
| And come agayn, right at the yeres ende, |
| With swich answere as God wolde hym purveye; |
| And taketh his leve, and wendeth forth his weye. |
| He seketh every hous and every place |
| 920 | Where as he hopeth for to fynde grace |
| To lerne what thyng wommen loven moost, |
| But he ne koude arryven in no coost |
| Wher as he myghte fynde in this mateere |
| Two creatures accordynge in-feere. |
| 925 | Somme seyde wommen loven best richesse, |
| Somme seyde honour, somme seyde jolynesse, |
| Somme riche array, somme seyden lust abedde, |
| And oftetyme to be wydwe and wedde. |
| Somme seyde that oure hertes been moost esed |
| 930 | Whan that we been yflatered and yplesed. |
| He gooth ful ny the sothe, I wol nat lye. |
| A man shal wynne us best with flaterye, |
| And with attendance and with bisynesse |
| Been we ylymed, bothe moore and lesse. |
| 935 | And somme seyen that we loven best |
| For to be free and do right as us lest, |
| And that no man repreve us of oure vice, |
| But seye that we be wise and no thyng nyce. |
| For trewely ther is noon of us alle, |
| 940 | If any wight wol clawe us on the galle, |
| That we nel kike, for he seith us sooth. |
| Assay, and he shal fynde it that so dooth; |
| For, be we never so vicious withinne, |
| We wol been holden wise and clene of synne. |
| 945 | And somme seyn that greet delit han we |
| For to been holden stable, and eek secree, |
| And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, |
| And nat biwreye thyng that men us telle. |
| But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele. |
| 950 | Pardee, we wommen konne no thyng hele; |
| Witnesse on Myda -- wol ye heere the tale? |
| Ovyde, amonges othere thynges smale, |
| Seyde Myda hadde, under his longe heres, |
| Growynge upon his heed two asses eres, |
| 955 | The whiche vice he hydde as he best myghte |
| Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, |
| That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it namo. |
| He loved hire moost, and trusted hire also; |
| He preyede hire that to no creature |
| 960 | She sholde tellen of his disfigure. |
| She swoor him, "Nay"; for al this world to wynne, |
| She nolde do that vileynye or synne, |
| To make hir housbonde han so foul a name. |
| She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame. |
| 965 | But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde |
| That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; |
| Hir thoughte it swal so soore aboute hir herte |
| That nedely som word hire moste asterte; |
| And sith she dorste telle it to no man, |
| 970 | Doun to a mareys faste by she ran -- |
| Til she cam there hir herte was afyre -- |
| And as a bitore bombleth in the myre, |
| She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun: |
| "Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun," |
| 975 | Quod she; "to thee I telle it and namo; |
| Myn housbonde hath longe asses erys two! |
| Now is myn herte al hool; now is it oute. |
| I myghte no lenger kepe it, out of doute." |
| Heere may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, |
| 980 | Yet out it moot; we kan no conseil hyde. |
| The remenant of the tale if ye wol heere, |
| Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it leere. |
| This knyght, of which my tale is specially, |
| Whan that he saugh he myghte nat come therby -- |
| 985 | This is to seye, what wommen love moost -- |
| Withinne his brest ful sorweful was the goost. |
| But hoom he gooth; he myghte nat sojourne; |
| The day was come that homward moste he tourne. |
| And in his wey it happed hym to ryde, |
| 990 | In al this care, under a forest syde, |
| Wher as he saugh upon a daunce go |
| Of ladyes foure and twenty, and yet mo; |
| Toward the whiche daunce he drow ful yerne, |
| In hope that som wysdom sholde he lerne. |
| 995 | But certeinly, er he cam fully there, |
| Vanysshed was this daunce, he nyste where. |
| No creature saugh he that bar lyf, |
| Save on the grene he saugh sittynge a wyf -- |
| A fouler wight ther may no man devyse. |
| 1000 | Agayn the knyght this olde wyf gan ryse, |
| And seyde, "Sire knyght, heer forth ne lith no wey. |
| Tel me what that ye seken, by youre fey! |
| Paraventure it may the bettre be; |
| Thise olde folk kan muchel thyng," quod she. |
| 1005 | "My leeve mooder," quod this knyght, "certeyn |
| I nam but deed but if that I kan seyn |
| What thyng it is that wommen moost desire. |
| Koude ye me wisse, I wolde wel quite youre hire." |
| "Plight me thy trouthe heere in myn hand," quod she, |
| 1010 | "The nexte thyng that I requere thee, |
| Thou shalt it do, if it lye in thy myght, |
| And I wol telle it yow er it be nyght." |
| "Have heer my trouthe," quod the knyght, "I grante." |
| "Thanne," quod she, "I dar me wel avante |
| 1015 | Thy lyf is sauf, for I wol stonde therby; |
| Upon my lyf, the queene wol seye as I. |
| Lat se which is the proudeste of hem alle |
| That wereth on a coverchief or a calle |
| That dar seye nay of that I shal thee teche. |
| 1020 | Lat us go forth withouten lenger speche." |
| Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere, |
| And bad hym to be glad and have no fere. |
| Whan they be comen to the court, this knyght |
| Seyde he had holde his day, as he hadde hight, |
| 1025 | And redy was his answere, as he sayde. |
| Ful many a noble wyf, and many a mayde, |
| And many a wydwe, for that they been wise, |
| The queene hirself sittynge as a justise, |
| Assembled been, his answere for to heere; |
| 1030 | And afterward this knyght was bode appeere. |
| To every wight comanded was silence, |
| And that the knyght sholde telle in audience |
| What thyng that worldly wommen loven best. |
| This knyght ne stood nat stille as doth a best, |
| 1035 | But to his questioun anon answerde |
| With manly voys, that al the court it herde: |
| "My lige lady, generally," quod he, |
| "Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee |
| As wel over hir housbond as hir love, |
| 1040 | And for to been in maistrie hym above. |
| This is youre mooste desir, thogh ye me kille. |
| Dooth as yow list; I am heer at youre wille." |
| In al the court ne was ther wyf, ne mayde, |
| Ne wydwe that contraried that he sayde, |
| 1045 | But seyden he was worthy han his lyf. |
| And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, |
| Which that the knyght saugh sittynge on the grene: |
| "Mercy," quod she, "my sovereyn lady queene! |
| Er that youre court departe, do me right. |
| 1050 | I taughte this answere unto the knyght; |
| For which he plighte me his trouthe there, |
| The firste thyng that I wolde hym requere |
| He wolde it do, if it lay in his myghte. |
| Bifore the court thanne preye I thee, sir knyght," |
| 1055 | Quod she, "that thou me take unto thy wyf, |
| For wel thou woost that I have kept thy lyf. |
| If I seye fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!" |
| This knyght answerde, "Allas and weylawey! |
| I woot right wel that swich was my biheste. |
| 1060 | For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste! |
| Taak al my good and lat my body go." |
| "Nay, thanne," quod she, "I shrewe us bothe two! |
| For thogh that I be foul, and oold, and poore |
| I nolde for al the metal, ne for oore |
| 1065 | That under erthe is grave or lith above, |
| But if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love." |
| "My love?" quod he, "nay, my dampnacioun! |
| Allas, that any of my nacioun |
| Sholde evere so foule disparaged be!" |
| 1070 | But al for noght; the ende is this, that he |
| Constreyned was; he nedes moste hire wedde, |
| And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde. |
| Now wolden som men seye, paraventure, |
| That for my necligence I do no cure |
| 1075 | To tellen yow the joye and al th' array |
| That at the feeste was that ilke day. |
| To which thyng shortly answeren I shal: |
| I seye ther nas no joye ne feeste at al; |
| Ther nas but hevynesse and muche sorwe. |
| 1080 | For prively he wedded hire on morwe, |
| And al day after hidde hym as an owle, |
| So wo was hym, his wyf looked so foule. |
| Greet was the wo the knyght hadde in his thoght, |
| Whan he was with his wyf abedde ybroght; |
| 1085 | He walweth and he turneth to and fro. |
| His olde wyf lay smylynge everemo, |
| And seyde, "O deere housbonde, benedicitee! |
| Fareth every knyght thus with his wyf as ye? |
| Is this the lawe of kyng Arthures hous? |
| 1090 | Is every knyght of his so dangerous? |
| I am youre owene love and youre wyf; |
| I am she which that saved hath youre lyf, |
| And, certes, yet ne dide I yow nevere unright; |
| Why fare ye thus with me this firste nyght? |
| 1095 | Ye faren lyk a man had lost his wit. |
| What is my gilt? For Goddes love, tel it, |
| And it shal been amended, if I may." |
| "Amended?" quod this knyght, "Allas, nay, nay! |
| It wol nat been amended nevere mo. |
| 1100 | Thou art so loothly, and so oold also, |
| And therto comen of so lough a kynde, |
| That litel wonder is thogh I walwe and wynde. |
| So wolde God myn herte wolde breste!" |
| "Is this," quod she, "the cause of youre unreste?" |
| 1105 | "Ye, certeinly," quod he, "no wonder is." |
| "Now, sire," quod she, "I koude amende al this, |
| If that me liste, er it were dayes thre, |
| So wel ye myghte bere yow unto me. |
| "But, for ye speken of swich gentillesse |
| 1110 | As is descended out of old richesse, |
| That therfore sholden ye be gentil men, |
| Swich arrogance is nat worth an hen. |
| Looke who that is moost vertuous alway, |
| Pryvee and apert, and moost entendeth ay |
| 1115 | To do the gentil dedes that he kan; |
| Taak hym for the grettest gentil man. |
| Crist wole we clayme of hym oure gentillesse, |
| Nat of oure eldres for hire old richesse. |
| For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage, |
| 1120 | For which we clayme to been of heigh parage, |
| Yet may they nat biquethe for no thyng |
| To noon of us hir vertuous lyvyng, |
| That made hem gentil men ycalled be, |
| And bad us folwen hem in swich degree. |
| 1125 | "Wel kan the wise poete of Florence, |
| That highte Dant, speken in this sentence. |
| Lo, in swich maner rym is Dantes tale: |
| `Ful selde up riseth by his branches smale |
| Prowesse of man, for God, of his goodnesse, |
| 1130 | Wole that of hym we clayme oure gentillesse'; |
| For of oure eldres may we no thyng clayme |
| But temporel thyng, that man may hurte and mayme. |
| "Eek every wight woot this as wel as I, |
| If gentillesse were planted natureelly |
| 1135 | Unto a certeyn lynage doun the lyne, |
| Pryvee and apert thanne wolde they nevere fyne |
| To doon of gentillesse the faire office; |
| They myghte do no vileynye or vice. |
| "Taak fyr and ber it in the derkeste hous |
| 1140 | Bitwix this and the mount of Kaukasous, |
| And lat men shette the dores and go thenne; |
| Yet wole the fyr as faire lye and brenne |
| As twenty thousand men myghte it biholde; |
| His office natureel ay wol it holde, |
| 1145 | Up peril of my lyf, til that it dye. |
| "Heere may ye se wel how that genterye |
| Is nat annexed to possessioun, |
| Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun |
| Alwey, as dooth the fyr, lo, in his kynde. |
| 1150 | For, God it woot, men may wel often fynde |
| A lordes sone do shame and vileynye; |
| And he that wole han pris of his gentrye, |
| For he was boren of a gentil hous |
| And hadde his eldres noble and vertuous, |
| 1155 | And nel hymselven do no gentil dedis |
| Ne folwen his gentil auncestre that deed is, |
| He nys nat gentil, be he duc or erl, |
| For vileyns synful dedes make a cherl. |
| For gentillesse nys but renomee |
| 1160 | Of thyne auncestres, for hire heigh bountee, |
| Which is a strange thyng to thy persone. |
| Thy gentillesse cometh fro God allone. |
| Thanne comth oure verray gentillesse of grace; |
| It was no thyng biquethe us with oure place. |
| 1165 | "Thenketh hou noble, as seith Valerius, |
| Was thilke Tullius Hostillius, |
| That out of poverte roos to heigh noblesse. |
| Reedeth Senek, and redeth eek Boece; |
| Ther shul ye seen expres that it no drede is |
| 1170 | That he is gentil that dooth gentil dedis. |
| And therfore, leeve housbonde, I thus conclude: |
| Al were it that myne auncestres were rude, |
| Yet may the hye God, and so hope I, |
| Grante me grace to lyven vertuously. |
| 1175 | Thanne am I gentil, whan that I bigynne |
| To lyven vertuously and weyve synne. |
| "And ther as ye of poverte me repreeve, |
| The hye God, on whom that we bileeve, |
| In wilful poverte chees to lyve his lyf. |
| 1180 | And certes every man, mayden, or wyf |
| May understonde that Jhesus, hevene kyng, |
| Ne wolde nat chese a vicious lyvyng. |
| Glad poverte is an honest thyng, certeyn; |
| This wole Senec and othere clerkes seyn. |
| 1185 | Whoso that halt hym payd of his poverte, |
| I holde hym riche, al hadde he nat a sherte. |
| He that coveiteth is a povre wight, |
| For he wolde han that is nat in his myght; |
| But he that noght hath, ne coveiteth have, |
| 1190 | Is riche, although ye holde hym but a knave. |
| Verray poverte, it syngeth proprely; |
| Juvenal seith of poverte myrily: |
| `The povre man, whan he goth by the weye, |
| Bifore the theves he may synge and pleye.' |
| 1195 | Poverte is hateful good and, as I gesse, |
| A ful greet bryngere out of bisynesse; |
| A greet amendere eek of sapience |
| To hym that taketh it in pacience. |
| Poverte is this, although it seme alenge: |
| 1200 | Possessioun that no wight wol chalenge. |
| Poverte ful ofte, whan a man is lowe, |
| Maketh his God and eek hymself to knowe. |
| Poverte a spectacle is, as thynketh me, |
| Thurgh which he may his verray freendes see. |
| 1205 | And therfore, sire, syn that I noght yow greve, |
| Of my poverte namoore ye me repreve. |
| "Now, sire, of elde ye repreve me; |
| And certes, sire, thogh noon auctoritee |
| Were in no book, ye gentils of honour |
| 1210 | Seyn that men sholde an oold wight doon favour |
| And clepe hym fader, for youre gentillesse; |
| And auctours shal I fynden, as I gesse. |
| "Now ther ye seye that I am foul and old, |
| Than drede you noght to been a cokewold; |
| 1215 | For filthe and eelde, also moot I thee, |
| Been grete wardeyns upon chastitee. |
| But nathelees, syn I knowe youre delit, |
| I shal fulfille youre worldly appetit. |
| "Chese now," quod she, "oon of thise thynges tweye: |
| 1220 | To han me foul and old til that I deye, |
| And be to yow a trewe, humble wyf, |
| And nevere yow displese in al my lyf, |
| Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair, |
| And take youre aventure of the repair |
| 1225 | That shal be to youre hous by cause of me, |
| Or in som oother place, may wel be. |
| Now chese yourselven, wheither that yow liketh." |
| This knyght avyseth hym and sore siketh, |
| But atte laste he seyde in this manere: |
| 1230 | "My lady and my love, and wyf so deere, |
| I put me in youre wise governance; |
| Cheseth youreself which may be moost plesance |
| And moost honour to yow and me also. |
| I do no fors the wheither of the two, |
| 1235 | For as yow liketh, it suffiseth me." |
| "Thanne have I gete of yow maistrie," quod she, |
| "Syn I may chese and governe as me lest?" |
| "Ye, certes, wyf," quod he, "I holde it best." |
| "Kys me," quod she, "we be no lenger wrothe, |
| 1240 | For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe -- |
| This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good. |
| I prey to God that I moote sterven wood, |
| But I to yow be also good and trewe |
| As evere was wyf, syn that the world was newe. |
| 1245 | And but I be to-morn as fair to seene |
| As any lady, emperice, or queene, |
| That is bitwixe the est and eke the west, |
| Dooth with my lyf and deth right as yow lest. |
| Cast up the curtyn, looke how that it is." |
| 1250 | And whan the knyght saugh verraily al this, |
| That she so fair was, and so yong therto, |
| For joye he hente hire in his armes two. |
| His herte bathed in a bath of blisse. |
| A thousand tyme a-rewe he gan hire kisse, |
| 1255 | And she obeyed hym in every thyng |
| That myghte doon hym plesance or likyng. |
| And thus they lyve unto hir lyves ende |
| In parfit joye; and Jhesu Crist us sende |
| Housbondes meeke, yonge, and fressh abedde, |
| 1260 | And grace t' overbyde hem that we wedde; |
| And eek I praye Jhesu shorte hir lyves |
| That noght wol be governed by hir wyves; |
| And olde and angry nygardes of dispence, |
| God sende hem soone verray pestilence! |