Canterbury Tales and Other Poems, Geoffrey Chaucer [good fiction books to read txt] 📗

looked after Love’s grace;” for there is no god in Heaven or in Hell “but he hath been right subject unto Love.” Continuing his description of the castle, Philogenet says that he saw never any so large and high; within and without, it was painted “with many a thousand daisies, red as rose,” and white also, in signification of whom, he knew not; unless it was the flower of Alcestis <11>, who, under Venus, was queen of the place, as Admetus was king; To whom obey’d the ladies good nineteen <12>, With many a thousand other, bright of face.

And young men fele* came forth with lusty pace, *many <13>

And aged eke, their homage to dispose; But what they were, I could not well disclose.

 

Yet nere* and nere* forth in I gan me dress, *nearer Into a hall of noble apparail, furnishings With arras <14> spread, and cloth of gold, I guess, And other silk *of easier avail; less difficult, costly, to attain*

Under the cloth of their estate, sans fail, state canopy

The King and Queen there sat, as I beheld; It passed joy of *Elysee the feld. The Elysian Fields*

 

There saintes* have their coming and resort, *martyrs for love To see the King so royally beseen, adorned In purple clad, and eke the Queen *in sort; suitably*

And on their heades saw I crownes twain, With stones frett,* so that it was no pain, *adorned Withoute meat or drink, to stand and see The Kinge’s honour and the royalty.

 

To treat of state affairs, Danger <15> stood by the King, and Disdain by the Queen; who cast her eyes haughtily about, sending forth beams that seemed “shapen like a dart, sharp and piercing, and small and straight of line;” while her hair shone as gold so fine, “dishevel, crisp, down hanging at her back a yard in length.” <16> Amazed and dazzled by her beauty, Philogenet stood perplexed, till he spied a Maid, Philobone — a chamberwoman of the Queen’s — who asked how and on what errand he came thither.

Learning that he had been summoned by Mercury, she told him that he ought to have come of his free will, and that he “will be shent [rebuked, disgraced]”

because he did not.

 

“For ye that reign in youth and lustiness, Pamper’d with ease, and jealous in your age, Your duty is, as far as I can guess,

To Love’s Court to dresse* your voyage, *direct, address As soon as Nature maketh you so sage

That ye may know a woman from a swan, <17>

Or when your foot is growen half a span.

 

“But since that ye, by wilful negligence, This eighteen year have kept yourself at large, The greater is your trespass and offence, And in your neck you must bear all the charge: For better were ye be withoute barge boat Amid the sea in tempest and in rain,

Than bide here, receiving woe and pain “That ordained is for such as them absent From Love’s Court by yeares long and fele.* many I lay* my life ye shall full soon repent; *wager For Love will rive your colour, lust, and heal: health Eke ye must bait* on many a heavy meal: feed No force,* y-wis; I stirr’d you long agone no matter

To draw to Court,” quoth little Philobone.

 

“Ye shall well see how rough and angry face The King of Love will show, when ye him see; By mine advice kneel down and ask him grace, Eschewing* peril and adversity; *avoiding For well I wot it will none other be;

Comfort is none, nor counsel to your ease; Why will ye then the King of Love displease?”

 

Thereupon Philogenet professed humble repentance, and willingness to bear all hardship and chastisement for his past offence.

 

These wordes said, she caught me by the lap, edge of the garment And led me forth into a temple round,

Both large and wide; and, as my blessed hap And good. adventure was, right soon I found A tabernacle <18> raised from the ground, Where Venus sat, and Cupid by her side; Yet half for dread I gan my visage hide.

 

And eft* again I looked and beheld, afterwards Seeing full sundry people* in the place, people of many sorts

And mister folk, and some that might not weld craftsmen <19>

Their limbes well, — me thought a wonder case. use The temple shone with windows all of glass, Bright as the day, with many a fair image; And there I saw the fresh queen of Carthage, Dido, that brent her beauty for the love *burnt Of false Aeneas; and the waimenting lamenting Of her, Annelide, true as turtle dove

To Arcite false; <20> and there was in painting Of many a Prince, and many a doughty King, Whose martyrdom was show’d about the walls; And how that fele* for love had suffer’d falls.* many **calamities Philogenet was astonished at the crowd of people that he saw, doing sacrifice to the god and goddess.

Philobone informed him that they came from other courts; those who knelt in blue wore the colour in sign of their changeless truth <21>; those in black, who uttered cries of grief, were the sick and dying of love. The priests, nuns, hermits, and friars, and all that sat in white, in russet and in green, “wailed of their woe;” and for all people, of every degree, the Court was open and free. While he walked about with Philobone, a messenger from the King entered, and summoned all the new-come folk to the royal presence. Trembling and pale, Philogenet approached the throne of Admetus, and was sternly asked why he came so late to Court. He pleaded that a hundred times he had been at the gate, but had been prevented from entering by failure to see any of his acquaintances, and by shamefacedness. The King pardoned him, on condition that thenceforth he should serve Love; and the poet took oath to do so, “though Death therefor me thirle [pierce] with his spear.”

When the King had seen all the new-comers, he commanded an officer to take their oaths of allegiance, and show them the Statutes of the Court, which must be observed till death.

 

And, for that I was letter’d, there I read The statutes whole of Love’s Court and hail: The first statute that on the book was spread, Was, To be true in thought and deedes all Unto the King of Love, the lord royal; And, to the Queen, as faithful and as kind As I could think with hearte, will, and mind.

 

The second statute, Secretly to keep

Counsel* of love, not blowing** ev’rywhere secrets *talking All that I know, and let it sink and fleet; float It may not sound in ev’ry wighte’s ear: Exiling slander ay for dread and fear, And to my lady, which I love and serve, Be true and kind, her grace for to deserve.

 

The third statute was clearly writ also, Withoute change to live and die the same, None other love to take, for weal nor woe, For blind delight, for earnest nor for game: Without repent, for laughing or for grame, vexation, sorrow To bide still in full perseverance:

All this was whole the Kinge’s ordinance.

 

The fourth statute, To *purchase ever to her, promote her cause*

And stirre folk to love, and bete* fire kindle On Venus’ altar, here about and there, And preach to them of love and hot desire, And tell how love will quite well their hire: *reward This must be kept; and loth me to displease: If love be wroth, pass; for thereby is ease.

 

The fifth statute, Not to be dangerous, fastidious, angry If that a thought would reave* me of my sleep: *deprive Nor of a sight to be over squaimous; desirous And so verily this statute was to keep, To turn and wallow in my bed and weep, When that my lady, of her cruelty,

Would from her heart exilen all pity.

 

The sixth statute, It was for me to use Alone to wander, void of company,

And on my lady’s beauty for to muse,

And thinken it no force to live or die; matter of indifference

And eft again to think* the remedy, *think upon How to her grace I might anon attain,

And tell my woe unto my sovereign.

 

The sev’nth statute was, To be patient, Whether my lady joyful were or wroth;

For wordes glad or heavy, diligent,

Whether that she me helde *lefe or loth: in love or loathing*

And hereupon I put was to mine oath,

Her for to serve, and lowly to obey,

And show my cheer,* yea, twenty times a day. *countenance The eighth statute, to my rememberance, Was, For to speak and pray my lady dear, With hourly labour and great entendance, attention Me for to love with all her heart entere, entire And me desire and make me joyful cheer, Right as she is, surmounting every fair; Of beauty well,* and gentle debonair. *the fountain The ninth statute, with letters writ of gold, This was the sentence, How that I and all Should ever dread to be too overbold

Her to displease; and truly so I shall; But be content for all thing that may fall, And meekly take her chastisement and yerd, rod, rule And to offend her ever be afear’d.

 

The tenth statute was, Equally* to discern *justly Between the lady and thine ability,

And think thyself art never like to earn, By right, her mercy nor her equity,

But of her grace and womanly pity:

For, though thyself be noble in thy strene, strain, descent A thousand fold more noble is thy Queen.

 

Thy life’s lady and thy sovereign,

That hath thine heart all whole in governance, Thou may’st no wise it take to disdain, To put thee humbly at her ordinance,

And give her free the rein of her pleasance; For liberty is thing that women look, look for, desire And truly else *the matter is a crook. things go wrong*

 

Th’ eleventh statute, Thy signes for to know With eye and finger, and with smiles soft, And low to couch, and alway for to show, For dread of spies, for to winken oft: And secretly to bring a sigh aloft,

But still beware of over much resort;

For that peradventure spoileth all thy sport.

 

The twelfth statute remember to observe: For all the pain thou hast for love and woe, All is too lite* her mercy to deserve, *little Thou muste think, where’er thou ride or go; And mortal woundes suffer thou also,

All for her sake, and think it well beset spent Upon thy love, for it may not be bet. better (spent) The thirteenth statute, Whilom is to think What thing may best thy lady like and please, And in thine hearte’s bottom let it sink: Some thing devise, and take for it thine ease, And send it her, that may her heart appease: Some heart, or ring, or letter, or device, Or precious stone; but spare not for no price.

 

The fourteenth statute eke thou shalt assay Firmly to keep, the most part of thy life: Wish that thy lady in thine armes lay, And nightly dream, thou hast thy nighte’s wife Sweetly in armes, straining her as blife: eagerly <22>

And, when thou seest it is but fantasy, See that thou sing not over merrily;

 

For too much joy hath oft a woeful end.

It *longeth eke this statute for to hold, it belongs to the proper To deem thy lady