The House of Fame

Book I: Incipit liber primus.

1	God turne us every dreem to gode!
2	For hit is wonder, be the rode,
3	To my wit, what causeth swevens
4	Either on morwes, or on evens;
5	And why the effect folweth of somme,
6	And of somme hit shal never come;
7	Why that is an avisioun,
8	And this a revelacioun,
9	Why this a dreem, why that a sweven,
10	And nat to every man liche even;
11	Why this a fantom, these oracles,
12	I noot; but who-so of these miracles
13	The causes knoweth bet than I,
14	Devyne he; for I certeinly
15	Ne can hem noght, ne never thinke
16	To besily my wit to swinke,
17	To knowe of hir signifiaunce
18	The gendres, neither the distaunce
19	Of tymes of hem, ne the causes,
20	For-why this more than that cause is;
21	As if folkes complexiouns
22	Make hem dreme of reflexiouns;
23	Or ellis thus, as other sayn,
24	For to greet feblenesse of brayn,
25	By abstinence, or by seeknesse,
26	Prison, stewe, or greet distresse;
27	Or elles by disordinaunce
28	Of naturel acustomaunce,
29	That som man is to curious
30	In studie, or melancolious,
31	Or thus, so inly ful of drede,
32	That no man may him bote bede;
33	Or elles, that devocioun
34	Of somme, and contemplacioun
35	Causeth swiche dremes ofte;
36	Or that the cruel lyf unsofte
37	Which these ilke lovers leden
38	That hopen over muche or dreden,
39	That purely hir impressiouns
40	Causeth hem avisiouns;
41	Or if that spirites have the might
42	To make folk to dreme a-night
43	Or if the soule, of propre kinde
44	Be so parfit, as men finde,
45	That hit forwot that is to come,
46	And that hit warneth alle and somme
47	Of everiche of hir aventures
48	Be avisiouns, or by figures,
49	But that our flesh ne hath no might
50	To understonden hit aright,
51	For hit is warned to derkly; --
52	But why the cause is, noght wot I.
53	Wel worthe, of this thing, grete clerkes,
54	That trete of this and other werkes;
55	For I of noon opinioun
56	Nil as now make mensioun,
57	But only that the holy rode
58	Turne us every dreem to gode!
59	For never, sith that I was born,
60	Ne no man elles, me biforn,
61	Mette, I trowe stedfastly,
62	So wonderful a dreem as I
63	The tenthe day dide of Decembre,
64	The which, as I can now remembre,
65	I wol yow tellen every del,

	The Invocation

66	But at my ginninge, trusteth wel,
67	I wol make invocacioun,
68	With special devocioun,
69	Unto the god of slepe anoon,
70	That dwelleth in a cave of stoon
71	Upon a streem that cometh fro Lete,
72	That is a flood of helle unswete;
73	Besyde a folk men clepe Cimerie,
74	Ther slepeth ay this god unmerie
75	With his slepy thousand sones
76	That alway for to slepe hir wone is --
77	And to this god, that I of rede,
78	Prey I, that he wol me spede
79	My sweven for to telle aright,
80	If every dreem stonde in his might.
81	And he, that mover is of al
82	That is and was, and ever shal,
83	So yive hem Ioye that hit here
84	Of alle that they dreme to-yere,
85	And for to stonden alle in grace
86	Of hir loves, or in what place
87	That hem wer levest for to stonde,
88	And shelde hem fro poverte and shonde,
89	And fro unhappe and eche disese,
90	And sende hem al that may hem plese,
91	That take hit wel, and scorne hit noght,
92	Ne hit misdemen in her thoght
93	Through malicious entencioun.
94	And who-so, through presumpcioun,
95	Or hate or scorne, or through envye,
96	Dispyt, or Iape, or vilanye,
97	Misdeme hit, preye I Iesus god
98	That (dreme he barfoot, dreme he shod),
99	That every harm that any man
100	Hath had, sith that the world began,
101	Befalle him therof, or he sterve,
102	And graunte he mote hit ful deserve,
103	Lo! with swich a conclusioun
104	As had of his avisioun
105	Cresus, that was king of Lyde,
106	That high upon a gebet dyde!
107	This prayer shal he have of me;
108	I am no bet in charite!
109	Now herkneth, as I have you seyd,
110	What that I mette or I abreyd.

	The Dream

111	Of Decembre the tenthe day,
112	Whan hit was night, to slepe I lay
113	Right ther as I was wont to done,
114	And fil on slepe wonder sone,
115	As he that wery was for-go
116	On pilgrimage myles two
117	To the corseynt Leonard,
118	To make lythe of that was hard.
119	But as I sleep, me mette I was
120	Within a temple y-mad of glas;
121	In whiche ther were mo images
122	Of gold, stondinge in sondry stages,
123	And mo riche tabernacles,
124	And with perre mo pinacles,
125	And mo curious portreytures,
126	And queynte maner of figures
127	Of olde werke, then I saw ever.
128	For certeynly, I niste never
129	Wher that I was, but wel wiste I,
130	Hit was of Venus redely,
131	The temple; for, in portreyture,
132	I sawgh anoon-right hir figure
133	Naked fletinge in a see.
134	And also on hir heed, parde,
135	Hir rose-garlond whyt and reed,
136	And hir comb to kembe hir heed,
137	Hir dowves, and daun Cupido
138	Hir blinde sone, and Vulcano,
139	That in his face was ful broun.
140	But as I romed up and doun,
141	I fond that on a wal ther was
142	Thus writen, on a table of bras:
143	'I wol now singe, if that I can,
144	The armes, and al-so the man,
145	That first cam, through his destinee,
146	Fugitif of Troye contree,
147	In Itaile, with ful moche pyne,
148	Unto the strondes of Lavyne.'
149	And tho began the story anoon,
150	As I shal telle yow echoon.
151	First saw I the destruccioun
152	Of Troye, through the Greek Sinoun,
153	That with his false forsweringe,
154	And his chere and his lesinge
155	Made the hors broght into Troye,
156	Thorgh which Troyens loste al hir Ioye.
157	And after this was grave, allas!
158	How Ilioun assailed was
159	And wonne, and King Priam y-slayn,
160	And Polites his sone, certayn,
161	Dispitously, of dan Pirrus.
162	And next that saw I how Venus,
163	Whan that she saw the castel brende,
164	Doun fro the hevene gan descende,
165	And bad hir sone Eneas flee;
166	And how he fledde, and how that he
167	Escaped was from al the pres,
168	And took his fader, Anchises,
169	And bar him on his bakke away,
170	Cryinge, 'Allas, and welaway!'
171	The whiche Anchises in his honde
172	Bar the goddes of the londe,
173	Thilke that unbrende were.
174	And I saw next, in alle this fere,
175	How Creusa, daun Eneas wyf,
176	Which that he lovede as his lyf,
177	And hir yonge sone Iulo,
178	And eek Ascanius also,
179	Fledden eek with drery chere,
180	That hit was pitee for to here;
181	And in a forest, as they wente,
182	At a turninge of a wente,
183	How Creusa was y-lost, allas!
184	That deed, but noot I how, she was;
185	How he hir soughte, and how hir gost
186	Bad him to flee the Grekes ost,
187	And seyde he most unto Itaile,
188	As was his destinee, sauns faille;
189	That hit was pitee for to here,
190	Whan hir spirit gan appere,
191	The wordes that she to him seyde,
192	And for to kepe hir sone him preyde.
193	Ther saw I graven eek how he,
194	His fader eek, and his meynee,
195	With his shippes gan to sayle
196	Toward the contree of Itaile,
197	As streight as that they mighte go.
198	Ther saw I thee, cruel Iuno,
199	That art daun Iupiteres wyf,
200	That hast y-hated, al thy lyf,
201	Al the Troyanisshe blood,
202	Renne and crye, as thou were wood,
203	On Eolus, the god of windes,
204	To blowen out, of alle kindes,
205	So loude, that he shulde drenche
206	Lord and lady, grome and wenche,
207	Of al the Troyan nacioun,
208	Withoute any savacioun.
209	Ther saw I swich tempeste aryse,
210	That every herte mighte agryse,
211	To see hit peynted on the walle.
212	Ther saw I graven eek withalle,
213	Venus, how ye, my lady dere,
214	Wepinge with ful woful chere,
215	Prayen Iupiter an hye
216	To save and kepe that navye
217	Of the Troyan Eneas,
218	Sith that he hir sone was.
219	Ther saw I Ioves Venus kisse,
220	And graunted of the tempest lisse.
221	Ther saw I how the tempest stente,
222	And how with alle pyne he wente,
223	And prevely took arrivage
224	In the contree of Cartage;
225	And on the morwe, how that he
226	And a knight, hight Achatee,
227	Metten with Venus that day,
228	Goinge in a queynt array,
229	As she had ben an hunteresse,
230	With wind blowinge upon hir tresse;
231	How Eneas gan him to pleyne,
232	Whan that he knew hir, of his peyne;
233	And how his shippes dreynte were,
234	Or elles lost, he niste where;
235	How she gan him comforte tho,
236	And bad him to Cartage go,
237	And ther he shulde his folk finde
238	That in the see were left behinde.
239	And, shortly of this thing to pace,
240	She made Eneas so in grace
241	Of Dido, quene of that contree,
242	That, shortly for to tellen, she
243	Becam his love, and leet him do
244	That that wedding longeth to.
245	What shulde I speke more queynte,
246	Or peyne me my wordes peynte,
247	To speke of love? hit wol not be;
248	I can not of that facultee.
249	And eek to telle the manere
250	How they aqueynteden in-fere,
251	Hit were a long proces to telle,
252	And over long for yow to dwelle.
253	Ther sawgh I grave how Eneas
254	Tolde Dido every cas,
255	That him was tid upon the see.
256	And after grave was, how shee
257	Made of him, shortly, at oo word,
258	Hir lyf, hir love, hir luste, hir lord;
259	And dide him al the reverence,
260	And leyde on him al the dispence,
261	That any woman mighte do,
262	Weninge hit had al be so,
263	As he hir swoor; and her-by demed
264	That he was good, for he swich semed.
265	Allas! what harm doth apparence,
266	Whan hit is fals in existence!
267	For he to hir a traitour was;
268	Wherfor she slow hir-self, allas!
269	Lo, how a woman doth amis,
270	To love him that unknowen is!
271	For, by Crist, lo! thus hit fareth;
272	'Hit is not al gold, that glareth.'
273	For, al-so brouke I wel myn heed,
274	Ther may be under goodliheed
275	Kevered many a shrewed vyce;
276	Therfor be no wight so nyce,
277	To take a love only for chere,
278	For speche, or for frendly manere;
279	For this shal every woman finde
280	That som man, of his pure kinde,
281	Wol shewen outward the faireste,
282	Til he have caught that what him leste;
283	And thanne wol he causes finde,
284	And swere how that she is unkinde,
285	Or fals, or prevy, or double was.
286	Al this seye I by Eneas
287	And Dido, and hir nyce lest,
288	That lovede al to sone a gest;
289	Therfor I wol seye a proverbe,
290	That 'he that fully knoweth therbe
291	May saufly leye hit to his ye';
292	Withoute dreed, this is no lye.
293	But let us speke of Eneas,
294	How he betrayed hir, allas!
295	And lefte hir ful unkindely.
296	So whan she saw al-utterly,
297	That he wolde hir of trouthe faile,
298	And wende fro hir to Itaile,
299	She gan to wringe hir hondes two.
300	'Allas!' quod she, 'what me is wo!
301	Allas! is every man thus trewe,
302	That every yere wolde have a newe,
303	If hit so longe tyme dure,
304	Or elles three, peraventure?
305	As thus: of oon he wolde have fame
306	In magnifying of his name;
307	Another for frendship, seith he;
308	And yet ther shal the thridde be,
309	That shal be taken for delyt,
310	Lo, or for singular profyt.'
311	In swiche wordes gan to pleyne
312	Dido of hir grete peyne,
313	As me mette redely;
314	Non other auctour alegge I.
315	'Allas!' quod she, 'my swete herte,
316	Have pitee on my sorwes smerte,
317	And slee me not! go noght away!
318	O woful Dido, wel away!'
319	Quod she to hir-selve tho.
320	'O Eneas! what wil ye do?
321	O that your love, ne your bonde,
322	That ye han sworn with your right honde,
323	Ne my cruel deeth,' quod she,
324	"May holde yow still heer with me!
325	O, haveth of my deeth pitee!
326	Y-wis, my dere herte, ye
327	Knowen ful wel that never yit,
328	As fer-forth as I hadde wit,
329	Agilte I yow in thoght ne deed.
330	O, have ye men swich goodliheed
331	In speche, and never a deel of trouthe?
332	Allas, that ever hadde routhe
333	Any woman on any man!
334	Now see I wel, and telle can,
335	We wrecched wimmen conne non art;
336	For certeyn, for the more part,
337	Thus we be served everichone.
338	How sore that ye men conne grone,
339	Anoon as we have yow receyved!
340	Certeinly we ben deceyved;
341	For, though your love laste a sesoun,
342	Wayte upon the conclusioun,
343	And eek how that ye determynen,
344	And for the more part diffynen.
345	'O, welawey that I was born!
346	For through yow is my name lorn,
347	And alle myn actes red and songe
348	Over al this lond, on every tonge.
349	O wikke Fame! for ther nis
350	Nothing so swift, lo, as she is!
351	O, sooth is, every thing is wist,
352	Though hit be kevered with the mist.
353	Eek, thogh I mighte duren ever,
354	That I have doon, rekever I never,
355	That I ne shal be seyd, allas,
356	Y-shamed be through Eneas,
357	And that I shal thus Iuged be --
358	'Lo, right as she hath doon, now she
359	Wol do eftsones, hardily;'
360	Thus seyth the peple prevely.' --
361	But that is doon, nis not to done;
362	Al hir compleynt ne al hir mone,
363	Certeyn, availeth hir not a stre.
364	And when she wiste sothly he
365	Was forth unto his shippes goon,
366	She in hir chambre wente anoon,
367	And called on hir suster Anne,
368	And gan hir to compleyne thanne;
369	And seyde, that she cause was
370	That she first lovede Eneas,
371	And thus counseilled hir therto.
372	But what! when this was seyd and do,
373	She roof hir-selve to the herte,
374	And deyde through the wounde smerte.
375	But al the maner how she deyde,
376	And al the wordes that she seyde,
377	Who-so to knowe hit hath purpos,
378	Reed Virgile in Eneidos
379	Or the Epistle of Ovyde,
380	What that she wroot or that she dyde;
381	And nere hit to long to endyte,
382	By god, I wolde hit here wryte.
383	But, welaway! the harm, the routhe,
384	That hath betid for swich untrouthe,
385	As men may ofte in bokes rede,
386	And al day seen hit yet in dede,
387	That for to thenken hit, a tene is.
388	Lo, Demophon, duk of Athenis,
389	How he forswor him ful falsly,
390	And trayed Phillis wikkedly,
391	That kinges doghter was of Trace,
392	And falsly gan his terme pace;
393	And when she wiste that he was fals,
394	She heng hir-self right by the hals,
395	For he had do hir swich untrouthe;
396	Lo! was not this a wo and routhe?
397	Eek lo! how fals and reccheles
398	Was to Breseida Achilles,
399	And Paris to Enone;
400	And Iason to Isiphile;
401	And eft Iason to Medea;
402	And Ercules to Dyanira;
403	For he left hir for Iole,
404	That made him cacche his deeth, parde.
405	How fals eek was he, Theseus;
406	That, as the story telleth us,
407	How he betrayed Adriane;
408	The devel be his soules bane!
409	For had he laughed, had he loured,
410	He moste have be al devoured,
411	If Adriane ne had y-be!
412	And, for she had of him pitee,
413	She made him fro the dethe escape,
414	And he made hir a ful fals Iape;
415	For aftir this, within a whyle
416	He lefte hir slepinge in an yle,
417	Deserte alone, right in the see,
418	And stal away, and leet hir be;
419	And took hir suster Phedra tho
420	With him, and gan to shippe go.
421	And yet he had y-sworn to here,
422	On al that ever he mighte swere,
423	That, so she saved him his lyf,
424	He wolde have take hir to his wyf;
425	For she desired nothing elles,
426	In certein, as the book us telles.
427	But to excusen Eneas
428	Fulliche of al his greet trespas,
429	The book seyth, Mercurie, sauns faile,
430	Bad him go into Itaile,
431	And leve Auffrykes regioun,
432	And Dido and hir faire toun.
433	Tho saw I grave, how to Itaile
434	Daun Eneas is go to saile;
435	And how the tempest al began,
436	And how he loste his steresman,
437	Which that the stere, or he took keep,
438	Smot over-bord, lo! as he sleep.
439	And also saw I how Sibyle
440	And Eneas, besyde an yle,
441	To helle wente, for to see
442	His fader, Anchises the free.
443	How he ther fond Palinurus,
444	And Dido, and eek Deiphebus;
445	And every tourment eek in helle
446	Saw he, which is long to telle.
447	Which who-so willeth for to knowe,
448	He most rede many a rowe
449	On Virgile or on Claudian,
450	Or Daunte, that hit telle can.
451	Tho saw I grave al tharivaile
452	That Eneas had in Itaile;
453	And with King Latine his tretee,
454	And alle the batailles that he
455	Was at him-self, and eek his knightes,
456	Or he had al y-wonne his rightes;
457	And how he Turnus refte his lyf,
458	And wan Lavyna to his wyf;
459	And al the mervelous signals
460	Of the goddes celestials;
461	How, maugre Iuno, Eneas,
462	For al hir sleighte and hir compas,
463	Acheved al his aventure;
464	For Iupiter took of him cure
465	At the prayere of Venus;
466	The whiche I preye alwey save us,
467	And us ay of our sorwes lighte!
468	Whan I had seyen al this sighte
469	In this noble temple thus,
470	'A, Lord!' thoughte I, 'that madest us,
471	Yet saw I never swich noblesse
472	Of images, ne swich richesse,
473	As I saw graven in this chirche;
474	But not woot I who dide hem wirche,
475	Ne wher I am, ne in what contree.
476	But now wol I go out and see,
477	Right at the wiket, if I can
478	See o-wher stering any man,
479	That may me telle wher I am.'
480	When I out at the dores cam,
481	I faste aboute me beheld.
482	Then saw I but a large feld,
483	As fer as that I mighte see,
484	Withouten toun, or hous, or tree,
485	Or bush, or gras, or ered lond;
486	For al the feld nas but of sond
487	As smal as man may see yet lye
488	In the desert of Libye;
489	Ne I to maner creature,
490	That is y-formed by nature,
491	Ne saw, me for to rede or wisse.
492	'O Crist,' thoughte I, 'that art in blisse,
493	Fro fantom and illusioun
494	Me save!' and with devocioun
495	Myn yen to the heven I caste.
496	Tho was I war, lo! at the laste,
497	That faste be the sonne, as hye
498	As kenne mighte I with myn ye,
499	Me thoughte I saw an egle sore,
500	But that hit semed moche more
501	Then I had any egle seyn.
502	But this as sooth as deeth, certeyn,
503	Hit was of golde, and shoon so bright,
504	That never saw men such a sighte,
505	But-if the heven hadde y-wonne
506	Al newe of golde another sonne;
507	So shoon the egles fethres brighte,
508	And somwhat dounward gan hit lighte.

	Explicit liber primus.

Book II: Incipit liber secundus.

	Proem.

509	Now herkneth, every maner man
510	That English understonde can,
511	And listeth of my dreem to lere;
512	For now at erste shul ye here
513	So selly an avisioun,
514	That Isaye, ne Scipioun,
515	Ne King Nabugodonosor,
516	Pharo, Turnus, ne Elcanor,
517	Ne mette swich a dreem as this!
518	Now faire blisfull, O Cipris,
519	So be my favour at this tyme!
520	And ye, me to endyte and ryme
521	Helpeth, that on Parnaso dwelle
522	By Elicon the clere welle.
523	O Thought, that wroot al that I mette,
524	And in the tresorie hit shette
525	Of my brayn! now shal men see
526	If any vertu in thee be,
527	To tellen al my dreem aright;
528	Now kythe thyn engyne and might!

	The Dream.

529	This egle, of which I have yow told,
530	That shoon with fethres as of gold,
531	Which that so hye gan to sore,
532	I gan beholde more and more,
533	To see hir the beautee and the wonder;
534	But never was ther dint of thonder,
535	Ne that thing that men calle foudre,
536	That smoot somtyme a tour to poudre,
537	And in his swifte coming brende,
538	That so swythe gan descende,
539	As this foul, whan hit behelde
540	That I a-roume was in the felde;
541	And with his grimme pawes stronge,
542	Within his sharpe nayles longe,
543	Me, fleinge, at a swappe he hente,
544	And with his sours agayn up wente,
545	Me caryinge in his clawes starke
546	As lightly as I were a larke,
547	How high I can not telle yow,
548	For I cam up, I niste how.
549	For so astonied and a-sweved
550	Was every vertu in my heved,
551	What with his sours and with my drede,
552	That al my feling gan to dede;
553	For-why hit was to greet affray.
554	Thus I longe in his clawes lay,
555	Til at the laste he to me spak
556	In mannes vois, and seyde, 'Awak!
557	And be not so a-gast, for shame!'
558	And called me tho by my name,
559	And, for I sholde the bet abreyde --
560	Me mette -- 'Awak,' to me he seyde,
561	Right in the same vois and stevene
562	That useth oon I coude nevene;
563	And with that vois, soth for to sayn,
564	My minde cam to me agayn;
565	For hit was goodly seyd to me,
566	So nas hit never wont to be.
567	And herewithal I gan to stere,
568	And he me in his feet to bere,
569	Til that he felte that I had hete,
570	And felte eek tho myn herte bete.
571	And tho gan he me to disporte,
572	And with wordes to comforte,
573	And sayde twyes, 'Seynte Marie!
574	Thou art noyous for to carie,
575	And nothing nedeth hit, parde!
576	For al-so wis god helpe me
577	As thou non harm shalt have of this;
578	And this cas, that betid thee is,
579	Is for thy lore and for thy prow; --
580	Let see! darst thou yet loke now?
581	Be ful assured, boldely,
582	I am thy frend.' And therwith I
583	Gan for to wondren in my minde.
584	'O god,' thoughte I, 'that madest kinde,
585	Shal I non other weyes dye?
586	Wher Ioves wol me stellifye,
587	Or what thing may this signifye?
588	I neither am Enok, ne Elye,
589	Ne Romulus, ne Ganymede
590	That was y-bore up, as men rede,
591	To hevene with dan Iupiter,
592	And maad the goddes boteler.'
593	Lo! this was tho my fantasye!
594	But he that bar me gan espye
595	That I so thoghte, and seyde this: --
596	'Thou demest of thy-self amis;
597	For Ioves is not ther-aboute --
598	I dar wel putte thee out of doute --
599	To make of thee as yet a sterre.
600	But er I bere thee moche ferre,
601	I wol thee telle what I am,
602	And whider thou shalt, and why I cam
603	To done this, so that thou take
604	Good herte, and not for fere quake.'
605	'Gladly,' quod I. -- 'Now wel,' quod he: --
606	'First I, that in my feet have thee,
607	Of which thou hast a feer and wonder,
608	Am dwellinge with the god of thonder,
609	Which that men callen Iupiter,
610	That dooth me flee ful ofte fer
611	To do al his comaundement.
612	And for this cause he hath me sent
613	To thee: now herke, by thy trouthe!
614	Certeyn, he hath of thee routhe,
615	That thou so longe trewely
616	Hast served so ententifly
617	His blinde nevew Cupido,
618	And fair Venus goddesse also,
619	Withoute guerdoun ever yit,
620	And nevertheles has set thy wit --
621	Although that in thy hede ful lyte is --
622	To make bokes, songes, dytees,
623	In ryme, or elles in cadence,
624	As thou best canst, in reverence
625	Of Love, and of his servants eke,
626	That have his servise soght, and seke;
627	And peynest thee to preyse his art,
628	Althogh thou haddest never part;
629	Wherfor, al-so god me blesse,
630	Ioves halt hit greet humblesse
631	And vertu eek, that thou wolt make
632	A-night ful ofte thyn heed to ake,
633	In thy studie so thou wrytest,
634	And ever-mo of love endytest,
635	In honour of him and preysinges,
636	And in his foIkes furtheringes,
637	And in hir matere al devysest,
638	And noght him nor his folk despysest,
639	Although thou mayst go in the daunce
640	Of hem that him list not avaunce.
641	'Wherfor, as I seyde, y-wis,
642	Iupiter considereth this,
643	And also, beau sir, other thinges;
644	That is, that thou hast no tydinges
645	Of Loves folk, if they be glade,
646	Ne of noght elles that god made;
647	And noght only fro fer contree
648	That ther no tyding comth to thee,
649	But of thy verray neyghebores,
650	That dwellen almost at thy dores,
651	Thou herest neither that ne this;
652	For whan thy labour doon al is,
653	And hast y-maad thy rekeninges,
654	In stede of reste and newe thinges,
655	Thou gost hoom to thy hous anoon;
656	And, also domb as any stoon,
657	Thou sittest at another boke,
658	Til fully daswed is thy loke,
659	And livest thus as an hermyte,
660	Although thyn abstinence is lyte.
661	'And therfor Ioves, through his grace,
662	Wol that I bere thee to a place,
663	Which that hight THE HOUS OF FAME,
664	To do thee som disport and game,
665	In som recompensacioun
666	Of labour and devocioun
667	That thou has had, lo! causeles,
668	To Cupido, the reccheles!
669	And thus this god, thorgh his meryte,
670	Wol with som maner thing thee quyte,
671	So that thou wolt be of good chere.
672	For truste wel, that thou shalt here,
673	When we be comen ther I seye,
674	Mo wonder thinges, dar I leye:
675	Of Loves folke mo tydinges,
676	Both soth-sawes and lesinges;
677	And mo loves newe begonne,
678	And longe y-served loves wonne,
679	And mo loves casuelly
680	That been betid, no man wot why,
681	But as a blind man stert an hare;
682	And more Iolytee and fare,
683	Whyl that they finde love of stele,
684	As thinketh hem, and over-al wele;
685	Mo discords, mo Ielousyes,
686	Mo murmurs, and mo novelryes,
687	And mo dissimulaciouns;
688	And feyned reparaciouns;
689	And mo berdes in two houres
690	Withoute rasour or sisoures
691	Y-maad, then greynes be of sondes;
692	And eke mo holdinge in hondes,
693	And also mo renovelaunces
694	Of olde forleten aqueyntaunces;
695	Mo love-dayes and acordes
696	Then on instruments ben cordes;
697	And eke of loves mo eschaunges
698	Than ever cornes were in graunges;
699	Unnethe maistow trowen this?' --
700	Quod he. 'No, helpe me god so wis!' --
701	Quod I. 'No? why?' quod he. 'For hit
702	Were impossible, to my wit,
703	Though that Fame hadde al the pyes
704	In al a realme, and al the spyes,
705	How that yet she shulde here al this,
706	Or they espye hit.' 'O yis, yis!'
707	Quod he to me, 'that can I preve
708	By resoun, worthy for to leve,
709	So that thou yeve thyn advertence
710	To understonde my sentence.
711	'First shalt thou heren wher she dwelleth,
712	And so thyn owne book hit telleth;
713	Hir paleys stant, as I shal seye,
714	Right even in middes of the weye
715	Betwixen hevene, erthe, and see;
716	That, what-so-ever in al these three
717	Is spoken, in privee or aperte,
718	The way therto is so overte,
719	And stant eek in so Iuste a place,
720	That every soun mot to hit pace,
721	Or what so comth fro any tonge,
722	Be hit rouned, red, or songe,
723	Or spoke in seurtee or in drede,
724	Certein, hit moste thider nede.
725	'Now herkne wel; for-why I wille
726	Tellen thee a propre skile,
727	And worthy demonstracioun
728	In myn imagynacioun.
729	'Geffrey, thou wost right wel this,
730	That every kindly thing that is,
731	Hath a kindly stede ther he
732	May best in hit conserved be;
733	Unto which place every thing,
734	Through his kindly enclyning,
735	Moveth for to come to,
736	Whan that hit is awey therfro;
737	As thus; lo, thou mayst al day see
738	That any thing that hevy be,
739	As stoon or leed, or thing of wighte,
740	And ber hit never so hye on highte,
741	Lat goo thyn hand, hit falleth doun.
742	'Right so seye I by fyre or soun,
743	Or smoke, or other thinges lighte,
744	Alwey they seke upward on highte;
745	Whyl ech of hem is at his large,
746	Light thing up, and dounward charge.
747	'And for this cause mayst thou see,
748	That every river to the see
749	Enclyned is to go, by kinde.
750	And by these skilles, as I finde,
751	Hath fish dwellinge in floode and see,
752	And trees eek in erthe be.
753	Thus every thing, by this resoun,
754	Hath his propre mansioun,
755	To which hit seketh to repaire,
756	As ther hit shulde not apaire.
757	Lo, this sentence is knowen couthe
758	Of every philosophres mouthe,
759	As Aristotle and dan Platon,
760	And other clerkes many oon;
761	And to confirme my resoun,
762	Thou wost wel this, that speche is soun,
763	Or elles no man mighte hit here;
764	Now herkne what I wol thee lere.
765	'Soun is noght but air y-broken,
766	And every speche that is spoken,
767	Loud or privee, foul or fair,
768	In his substaunce is but air;
769	For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke,
770	Right so soun is air y-broke.
771	But this may be in many wyse,
772	Of which I wil thee two devise,
773	As soun that comth of pype or harpe.
774	For whan a pype is blowen sharpe,
775	The air is twist with violence,
776	And rent; lo, this is my sentence;
777	Eke, whan men harpe-stringes smyte,
778	Whether hit be moche or lyte,
779	Lo, with the strook the air to-breketh;
780	Right so hit breketh whan men speketh.
781	Thus wost thou wel what thing is speche.
782	'Now hennesforth I wol thee teche,
783	How every speche, or noise, or soun,
784	Through his multiplicacioun,
785	Thogh hit were pyped of a mouse,
786	Moot nede come to Fames House.
787	I preve hit thus -- tak hede now --
788	Be experience; for if that thou
789	Throwe on water now a stoon,
790	Wel wost thou, hit wol make anoon
791	A litel roundel as a cercle,
792	Paraventer brood as a covercle;
793	And right anoon thou shalt see weel,
794	That wheel wol cause another wheel,
795	And that the thridde, and so forth, brother,
796	Every cercle causinge other,
797	Wyder than himselve was;
798	And thus, fro roundel to compas,
799	Ech aboute other goinge,
800	Caused of othres steringe,
801	And multiplying ever-mo,
802	Til that hit be so fer ygoo
803	That hit at bothe brinkes be.
804	Al-thogh thou mowe hit not y-see,
805	Above, hit goth yet alway under,
806	Although thou thenke hit a gret wonder.
807	And who-so seith of trouthe I varie,
808	Bid him proven the contrarie.
809	And right thus every word, y-wis,
810	That loude or privee spoken is,
811	Moveth first an air aboute,
812	And of this moving, out of doute,
813	Another air anoon is meved,
814	As I have of the water preved,
815	That every cercle causeth other.
816	Right so of air, my leve brother;
817	Everich air in other stereth
818	More and more, and speche up bereth,
819	Or vois, or noise, or word, or soun,
820	Ay through multiplicacioun,
821	Til hit be atte House of Fame; --
822	Tak hit in ernest or in game.
823	'Now have I told, if thou have minde,
824	How speche or soun, of pure kinde,
825	Enclyned is upward to meve;
826	This, mayst thou fele, wel I preve.
827	And that the mansioun, y-wis,
828	That every thing enclyned to is,
829	Hath his kindeliche stede:
830	That sheweth hit, withouten drede,
831	That kindely the mansioun
832	Of every speche, of every soun,
833	Be hit either foul or fair,
834	Hath his kinde place in air.
835	And sin that every thing, that is
836	Out of his kinde place, y-wis,
837	Moveth thider for to go
838	If hit a-weye be therfro,
839	As I before have preved thee,
840	Hit seweth, every soun, pardee,
841	Moveth kindely to pace
842	Al up into his kindely place.
843	And this place of which I telle,
844	Ther as Fame list to dwelle,
845	Is set amiddes of these three,
846	Heven, erthe, and eek the see,
847	As most conservatif the soun.
848	Than is this the conclusioun,
849	That every speche of every man,
850	As I thee telle first began,
851	Moveth up on high to pace
852	Kindely to Fames place.
853	'Telle me this feithfully,
854	Have I not preved thus simply,
855	Withouten any subtiltee
856	Of speche, or gret prolixitee
857	Of termes of philosophye,
858	Of figures of poetrye,
859	Or colours of rethoryke?
860	Pardee, hit oghte thee to lyke;
861	For hard langage and hard matere
862	Is encombrous for to here
863	At ones; Wost thou not wel this?'
864	And I answerde, and seyde,'Yis.'
865	'A ha!' quod he, 'lo, so I can,
866	Lewedly to a lewed man
867	Speke, and shewe him swiche skiles,
868	That he may shake hem by the biles,
869	So palpable they shulden be.
870	But tel me this, now pray I thee,
871	How thinkth thee my conclusioun?'
872	Quod he. 'A good persuasioun,'
873	Quod I, 'hit is; and lyk to be
874	Right so as thou hast preved me.'
875	'By god,' quod he, 'and as I leve,
876	Thou shalt have yit, or hit be eve,
877	Of every word of this sentence
878	A preve, by experience;
879	And with thyn eres heren wel
880	Top and tail, and everydel,
881	That every word that spoken is
882	Comth into Fames Hous, y-wis,
883	As I have seyd; what wilt thou more?'
884	And with this word upper to sore
885	He gan, and seyde, 'Be Seynt Iame!
886	Now wil we speken al of game.' --
887	'How farest thou?' quod he to me,
888	'Wel,' quod I. 'Now see,' quod he,
889	'By thy trouthe, yond adoun,
890	Wher that thou knowest any toun,
891	Or hous, or any other thing.
892	And whan thou hast of ought knowing,
893	Loke that thou warne me,
894	And I anoon shal telle thee
895	How fer that thou art now therfro.'
896	And I adoun gan loken tho,
897	And beheld feldes and plaines,
898	And now hilles, and now mountaines,
899	Now valeys, and now forestes,
900	And now, unethes, grete bestes;
901	Now riveres, now citees,
902	Now tounes, and now grete trees,
903	Now shippes saillinge in the see.
904	But thus sone in a whyle he
905	Was flowen fro the grounde so hye,
906	That al the world, as to myn ye,
907	No more semed than a prikke;
908	Or elles was the air so thikke
909	That I ne mighte not discerne.
910	With that he spak to me as yerne,
911	And seyde: 'Seestow any toun
912	Or ought thou knowest yonder doun?'
913	I seyde, 'Nay.' 'No wonder nis,'
914	Quod he, 'for half so high as this
915	Nas Alexander Macedo;
916	Ne the king, dan Scipio.
917	That saw in dreme, at point devys,
918	Helle and erthe, and paradys;
919	Ne eek the wrecche Dedalus,
920	Ne his child, nyce Icarus,
921	That fleigh so highe that the hete
922	His winges malt, and he fel wete
923	In-mid the see, and ther he dreynte,
924	For whom was maked moch compleynte.
925	'Now turn upward,' quod he, 'thy face,
926	And behold this large place,
927	This air; but loke thou ne be
928	Adrad of hem that thou shalt see;
929	For in this regioun, certein,
930	Dwelleth many a citezein,
931	Of which that speketh dan Plato.
932	These ben the eyrish bestes, lo!'
933	And so saw I al that meynee
934	Bothe goon and also flee.
935	'Now,' quod he tho, 'cast up thyn ye;
936	See yonder, lo, the Galaxye,
937	Which men clepeth the Milky Wey,
938	For hit is whyt: and somme, parfey,
939	Callen hit Watlinge Strete:
940	That ones was y-brent with hete,
941	Whan the sonnes sone, the rede,
942	That highte Pheton, wolde lede
943	Algate his fader cart, and gye.
944	The cart-hors gonne wel espye
945	That he ne coude no governaunce,
946	And gonne for to lepe and launce,
947	And beren him now up, now doun,
948	Til that he saw the Scorpioun,
949	Which that in heven a signe is yit,
950	And he, for ferde, loste his wit,
951	Of that, and leet the reynes goon
952	Of his hors; and they anoon
953	Gonne up to mounte, and doun descende
954	Til bothe the eyr and erthe brende;
955	Til Iupiter, lo, atte laste,
956	Him slow, and fro the carte caste.
957	Lo, is it not a greet mischaunce,
958	To lete a fole han governaunce
959	Of thing that he can not demeine?'
960	And with this word, soth for to seyne,
961	He gan alway upper to sore,
962	And gladded me ay more and more,
963	So feithfully to me spak he.
964	Tho gan I loken under me,
965	And beheld the eyrish bestes,
966	Cloudes, mistes, and tempestes,
967	Snowes, hailes, reines, windes,
968	And thengendring in hir kindes,
969	And al the wey through whiche I cam;
970	'O god,' quod I, 'that made Adam,
971	Moche is thy might and thy noblesse!'
972	And tho thoughte I upon Boece,
973	That writ, 'a thought may flee so hye,
974	With fetheres of Philosophye,
975	To passen everich element;
976	And whan he hath so fer y-went,
977	Than may be seen, behind his bak,
978	Cloud, and al that I of spak.'
979	Tho gan I wexen in a were,
980	And seyde, 'I woot wel I am here;
981	But wher in body or in gost
982	I noot, y-wis; but god, thou wost!'
983	For more cleer entendement
984	Nadde he me never yit y-sent.
985	And than thoughte I on Marcian,
986	And eek on Anleclaudian,
987	That sooth was hir descripcioun
988	Of al the hevenes regioun,
989	As fer as that I saw the preve;
990	Therfor I can hem now beleve.
991	With that this egle gan to crye:
992	'Lat be,' quod he, 'thy fantasye;
993	Wilt thou lere of sterres aught?'
994	'Nay, certeinly,' quod I, 'right naught;
995	'And why? for I am now to old.'
996	'Elles I wolde thee have told,'
997	Quod he, 'the sterres names, lo,
998	And al the hevenes signes to,
999	And which they been.' 'No fors,' quod I.
1000	'Yis, pardee,' quod he; 'wostow why?
1001	For when thou redest poetrye,
1002	How goddes gonne stellifye
1003	Brid, fish, beste, or him or here,
1004	As the Raven, or either Bere,
1005	Or Ariones harpe fyn,
1006	Castor, Pollux, or Delphyn,
1007	Or Atlantes doughtres sevene,
1008	How alle these arn set in hevene;
1009	For though thou have hem ofte on honde,
1010	Yet nostow not wher that they stonde.'
1011	'No fors,' quod I, 'hit is no nede;
1012	I leve as wel, so god me spede,
1013	Hem that wryte of this matere,
1014	As though I knew hir places here;
1015	And eek they shynen here so brighte,
1016	Hit shulde shenden al my sighte
1017	To loke on hem.' 'That may wel be,'
1018	Quod he. And so forth bar he me
1019	A whyl, and than he gan to crye,
1020	That never herde I thing so hye,
1021	'Now up the heed; for al is wel;
1022	Seynt Iulyan, lo, bon hostel!
1023	See here the Hous of Fame, lo!
1024	Maistow not heren that I do?'
1025	'What?' quod I. 'The grete soun,'
1026	Quod he, 'that rumbleth up and doun
1027	In Fames Hous, full of tydinges,
1028	Bothe of fair speche and chydinges,
1029	And of fals and soth compouned.
1030	Herke wel; hit is not rouned.
1031	Herestow not the grete swogh?'
1032	'Yis, pardee,' quod I, 'wel y-nogh.'
1033	'And what soun is it lyk?' quod he.
1034	'Peter! lyk beting of the see,'
1035	Quod I, 'again the roches holowe,
1036	Whan tempest doth the shippes swalowe;
1037	And lat a man stonde, out of doute,
1038	A myle thens, and here hit route;
1039	Or elles lyk the last humblinge
1040	After the clappe of oo thundringe,
1041	Whan Ioves hath the aire y-bete;
1042	But hit doth me for fere swete.'
1043	'Nay, dred thee not thereof,' quod he,
1044	'Hit is nothing wil byten thee;
1045	Thou shalt non harme have, trewely.'
1046	And with this word bothe he and I
1047	As nigh the place arryved were
1048	As men may casten with a spere.
1049	I niste how, but in a strete
1050	He sette me faire on my fete,
1051	And seyde, 'Walke forth a pas,
1052	And tak thyn aventure or cas,
1053	That thou shalt finde in Fames place.'
1054	'Now,' quod I, 'whyl we han space
1055	To speke, or that I go fro thee,
1056	For the love of god, tel me,
1057	In sooth, that wil I of thee lere,
1058	If this noise that I here
1059	Be as I have herd thee tellen,
1060	Of folk that doun in erthe dwellen,
1061	And cometh here in the same wyse
1062	As I thee herde or this devyse;
1063	And that ther lyves body nis
1064	In al that hous that yonder is,
1065	That maketh al this loude fare?'
1066	'No,' quod he, 'by Seynte Clare,
1067	And also wis god rede me!
1068	But o thinge I wil warne thee
1069	Of the which thou wolt have wonder.
1070	Lo, to the House of Fame yonder
1071	Thou wost how cometh every speche,
1072	Hit nedeth noght thee eft to teche.
1073	But understond now right wel this;
1074	Whan any speche y-comen is
1075	Up to the paleys, anon-right
1076	Hit wexeth lyk the same wight,
1077	Which that the word in erthe spak,
1078	Be hit clothed red or blak;
1079	And hath so verray his lyknesse
1080	That spak the word, that thou wilt gesse
1081	That hit the same body be,
1082	Man or woman, he or she,
1083	And is not this a wonder thing?'
1084	'Yis,' quod I tho, 'by hevene king!'
1085	And with this worde, 'Farwel,' quod he,
1086	'And here I wol abyden thee;
1087	And god of hevene sende thee grace,
1088	Som good to lernen in this place,'
1089	And I of him took leve anoon,
1090	And gan forth to the paleys goon.

	Explicit liber secundus.

Book III: Incipit liber tercius.

	Invocation.

1091	O god of science and of light,
1092	Apollo, through thy grete might,
1093	This litel laste book thou gye!
1094	Nat that I wilne, for maistrye,
1095	Here art poetical be shewed;
1096	But, for the rym is light and lewed,
1097	Yit make hit sumwhat agreable,
1098	Though som vers faile in a sillable;
1099	And that I do no diligence
1100	To shewe craft, but o sentence.
1101	And if, divyne vertu, thou
1102	Wilt helpe me to shewe now
1103	That in myn hede y-marked is --
1104	Lo, that is for to menen this,
1105	The Hous of Fame for to descryve --
1106	Thou shalt see me go, as blyve,
1107	Unto the nexte laure I see,
1108	And kisse hit, for hit is thy tree;
1109	Now entreth in my brest anoon!

	The Dream.

1110	Whan I was fro this egle goon,
1111	I gan beholde upon this place.
1112	And certein, or I ferther pace,
1113	I wol yow al the shap devyse
1114	Of hous and site; and al the wyse
1115	How I gan to this place aproche
1116	That stood upon so high a roche,
1117	Hyer stant ther noon in Spaine.
1118	But up I clomb with alle paine,
1119	And though to climbe hit greved me,
1120	Yit I ententif was to see,
1121	And for to pouren wonder lowe,
1122	If I coude any weyes knowe
1123	What maner stoon this roche was;
1124	For hit was lyk a thing of glas,
1125	But that hit shoon ful more clere;
1126	But of what congeled matere
1127	Hit was, I niste redely.
1128	But at the laste espyed I,
1129	And found that hit was, every deel,
1130	A roche of yse, and not of steel.
1131	Thoughte I, 'By Seynt Thomas of Kent!
1132	This were a feble foundement
1133	To bilden on a place hye;
1134	He ought him litel glorifye
1135	That her-on bilt, god so me save!'
1136	Tho saw I al the half y-grave
1137	With famous folkes names fele,
1138	That had y-been in mochel wele,
1139	And hir fames wyde y-blowe.
1140	But wel unethes coude I knowe
1141	Any lettres for to rede
1142	Hir names by; for, out of drede,
1143	They were almost of-thowed so,
1144	That of the lettres oon or two
1145	Was molte away of every name,
1146	So unfamous was wexe hir fame;
1147	But men seyn, 'What may ever laste?'
1148	Tho gan I in myn herte caste,
1149	That they were molte awey with hete,
1150	And not awey with stormes bete.
1151	For on that other syde I sey
1152	Of this hille, that northward lay,
1153	How hit was writen ful of names
1154	Of folk that hadden grete fames
1155	Of olde tyme, and yit they were
1156	As fresshe as men had writen hem there
1157	The selve day right, or that houre
1158	That I upon hem gan to poure.
1159	But wel I wiste what hit made;
1160	Hit was conserved with the shade --
1161	Al this wrytinge that I sy --
1162	Of a castel, that stood on hy,
1163	And stood eek on so cold a place,
1164	That hete mighte hit not deface.
1165	Tho gan I up the hille to goon,
1166	And fond upon the coppe a woon,
1167	That alle the men that ben on lyve
1168	Ne han the cunning to descryve
1169	The beautee of that ilke place,
1170	Ne coude casten no compace
1171	Swich another for to make,
1172	That mighte of beautee be his make
1173	Ne be so wonderliche y-wrought;
1174	That hit astonieth yit my thought,
1175	And maketh al my wit to swinke
1176	On this castel to bethinke.
1177	So that the grete craft, beautee,
1178	The cast, and curiositee
1179	Ne can I not to yow devyse,
1180	My wit ne may me not suffyse.
1181	But natheles al the substance
1182	I have yit in my remembrance;
1183	For-why me thoughte, by Seynt Gyle!
1184	Al was of stone of beryle,
1185	Bothe castel and the tour,
1186	And eek the halle, and every bour,
1187	Withouten peces or Ioininges,
1188	But many subtil compassinges,
1189	Babewinnes and pinacles,
1190	Imageries and tabernacles,
1191	I saw; and ful eek of windowes,
1192	As flakes falle in grete snowes.
1193	And eek in ech of the pinacles
1194	Weren sondry habitacles,
1195	In whiche stoden, al withoute --
1196	Ful the castel, al aboute --
1197	Of alle maner of minstrales,
1198	And gestiours, that tellen tales
1199	Bothe of weping and of game,
1200	Of al that longeth unto Fame.
1201	Ther herde I pleyen on an harpe
1202	That souned bothe wel and sharpe,
1203	Orpheus ful craftely,
1204	And on his syde, faste by,
1205	Sat the harper Orion,
1206	And Eacides Chiron,
1207	And other harpers many oon,
1208	And the Bret Glascurion;
1209	And smale harpers with her glees
1210	Saten under hem in sees,
1211	And gunne on hem upward to gape,
1212	And countrefete hem as an ape,
1213	Or as craft countrefeteth kinde.
1214	Tho saugh I stonden hem behinde,
1215	A-fer fro hem, al by hemselve,
1216	Many thousand tymes twelve,
1217	That maden loude menstralcyes
1218	In cornemuse and shalmyes,
1219	And many other maner pype,
1220	That craftely begunne pype
1221	Bothe in doucet and in rede,
1222	That ben at festes with the brede;
1223	And many floute and lilting-horne,
1224	And pypes made of grene corne,
1225	As han thise litel herde-gromes
1226	That kepen bestes in the bromes.
1227	Ther saugh I than Atiteris,
1228	And of Athenes dan Pseustis,
1229	And Marcia that lost her skin,
1230	Bothe in face, body, and chin,
1231	For that she wolde envyen, lo!
1232	To pypen bet than Apollo.
1233	Ther saugh I famous, olde and yonge,
1234	Pypers of the Duche tonge,
1235	To lerne love-daunces, springes,
1236	Reyes, and these straunge thinges.
1237	Tho saugh I in another place
1238	Stonden in a large space,
1239	Of hem that maken blody soun
1240	In trumpe, beme, and clarioun;
1241	For in fight and blood-shedinge
1242	Is used gladly clarioninge.
1243	Ther herde I trumpen Messenus,
1244	Of whom that speketh Virgilius.
1245	Ther herde I Ioab trumpe also,
1246	Theodomas, and other mo;
1247	And alle that used clarion
1248	In Cataloigne and Aragon,
1249	That in hir tyme famous were
1250	To lerne, saugh I trumpe there.
1251	Ther saugh I sitte in other sees,
1252	Pleyinge upon sondry glees,
1253	Whiche that I cannot nevene,
1254	Mo then sterres been in hevene,
1255	Of whiche I nil as now not ryme,
1256	For ese of yow, and losse of tyme:
1257	For tyme y-lost, this knowen ye,
1258	By no way may recovered be.
1259	Ther saugh I pleyen Iogelours,
1260	Magiciens and tregetours,
1261	And phitonesses, charmeresses,
1262	Olde wicches, sorceresses,
1263	That use exorsisaciouns,
1264	And eek thise fumigaciouns;
1265	And clerkes eek, which conne wel
1266	Al this magyke naturel,
1267	That craftely don hir ententes,
1268	To make, in certeyn ascendentes,
1269	Images, lo, through which magyk
1270	To make a man ben hool or syk.
1271	Ther saugh I thee queen Medea,
1272	And Circes eke, and Calipsa;
1273	Ther saugh I Hermes Ballenus,
1274	Lymote, and eek Simon Magus.
1275	Ther saugh I, and knew hem by name,
1276	That by such art don men han fame.
1277	Ther saugh I Colle tregetour
1278	Upon a table of sicamour
1279	Pleye an uncouthe thing to telle;
1280	I saugh him carien a wind-melle
1281	Under a walsh-note shale.
1282	What shuld I make lenger tale
1283	Of al the peple that I say,
1284	Fro hennes in-to domesday?
1285	Whan I had al this folk beholde,
1286	And fond me lous, and noght y-holde,
1287	And eft y-mused longe whyle
1288	Upon these walles of beryle,
1289	That shoon ful lighter than a glas,
1290	And made wel more than hit was
1291	To semen, every thing, y-wis,
1292	As kinde thing of fames is;
1293	I gan forth romen til I fond
1294	The castel-yate on my right hond,
1295	Which that so wel corven was
1296	That never swich another nas;
1297	And yit hit was by aventure
1298	Y-wrought, as often as by cure.
1299	Hit nedeth noght yow for to tellen,
1300	To make yow to longe dwellen,
1301	Of this yates florisshinges,
1302	Ne of compasses, ne of kervinges,
1303	Ne how they hatte in masoneries,
1304	As, corbetz fulle of imageries.
1305	But, lord! so fair hit was to shewe,
1306	For hit was al with gold behewe.
1307	But in I wente, and that anoon;
1308	Ther mette I crying many oon, --
1309	'A larges, larges, hold up wel!
1310	God save the lady of this pel,
1311	Our owne gentil lady Fame,
1312	And hem that wilnen to have name
1313	Of us!' Thus herde I cryen alle,
1314	And faste comen out of halle,
1315	And shoken nobles and sterlinges.
1316	And somme crouned were as kinges,
1317	With crounes wroght ful of losenges;
1318	And many riban, and many frenges
1319	Were on hir clothes trewely.
1320	Tho atte laste aspyed I
1321	That pursevauntes and heraudes,
1322	That cryen riche folkes laudes,
1323	Hit weren alle; and every man
1324	Of hem, as I yow tellen can,
1325	Had on him throwen a vesture,
1326	Which that men clepe a cote-armure,
1327	Enbrowded wonderliche riche,
1328	Al-though they nere nought y-liche.
1329	But noght nil I, so mote I thryve,
1330	Been aboute to discryve
1331	Al these armes that ther weren,
1332	That they thus on her cotes beren,
1333	For hit to me were impossible;
1334	Men mighte make of hem a bible
1335	Twenty foot thikke, as I trowe.
1336	For certeyn, who-so coude y-knowe
1337	Mighte ther alle the armes seen
1338	Of famous folk that han y-been
1339	In Auffrike, Europe, and Asye,
1340	Sith first began the chevalrye,
1341	Lo! how shulde I now telle al this?
1342	Ne of the halle eek what nede is
1343	To tellen yow, that every wal
1344	Of hit, and floor, and roof and al
1345	Was plated half a fote thikke
1346	Of gold, and that nas no-thing wikke,
1347	But, for to prove in alle wyse,
1348	As fyn as ducat in Venyse,
1349	Of whiche to lyte al in my pouche is?
1350	And they wer set as thikke of nouchis
1351	Fulle of the fynest stones faire,
1352	That men rede in the Lapidaire,
1353	As greses growen in a mede;
1354	But hit were al to longe to rede
1355	The names; and therfore I pace.
1356	But in this riche lusty place,
1357	That Fames halle called was,
1358	Ful moche prees of folk ther nas,
1359	Ne crouding, for to mochil prees.
1360	But al on hye, above a dees,
1361	Sitte in a see imperial,
1362	That maad was of a rubee al,
1363	Which that a carbuncle is y-called,
1364	I saugh, perpetually y-stalled,
1365	A feminyne creature;
1366	That never formed by nature
1367	Nas swich another thing y-seye.
1368	For altherfirst, soth for to seye,
1369	Me thoughte that she was so lyte,
1370	That the lengthe of a cubyte
1371	Was lenger than she semed be;
1372	But thus sone, in a whyle, she
1373	Hir tho so wonderliche streighte,
1374	That with hir feet she therthe reighte,
1375	And with hir heed she touched hevene,
1376	Ther as shynen sterres sevene.
1377	And ther-to eek, as to my wit,
1378	I saugh a gretter wonder yit
1379	Upon hir eyen to beholde;
1380	But certeyn I hem never tolde;
1381	For as fele eyen hadde she
1382	As fetheres upon foules be,
1383	Or weren on the bestes foure
1384	That goddes trone gunne honoure,
1385	As Iohn writ in th'Apocalips.
1386	Hir heer, that oundy was and crips,
1387	As burned gold hit shoon to see.
1388	And sooth to tellen, also she
1389	Had also fele up-stonding eres
1390	And tonges, as on bestes heres;
1391	And on hir feet wexen saugh I
1392	Partriches winges redely.
1393	But, lord! the perrie and the richesse
1394	I saugh sitting on this goddesse!
1395	And, lord! the hevenish melodye
1396	Of songes, ful of armonye,
1397	I herde aboute her trone y-songe,
1398	That al the paleys-walles ronge!
1399	So song the mighty Muse, she
1400	That cleped is Caliopee,
1401	And hir eighte sustren eke,
1402	That in hir face semen meke;
1403	And evermo, eternally,
1404	They songe of Fame, as tho herde I: --
1405	'Heried be thou and thy name,
1406	Goddesse of renoun and of fame!'
1407	Tho was I war, lo, atte laste,
1408	As I myn eyen gan up caste,
1409	That this ilke noble quene
1410	On hir shuldres gan sustene
1411	Bothe tharmes and the name
1412	Of tho that hadde large fame;
1413	Alexander, and Hercules
1414	That with a sherte his lyf lees!
1415	Thus fond I sitting this goddesse,
1416	In nobley, honour, and richesse;
1417	Of which I stinte a whyle now,
1418	Other thing to tellen yow.
1419	Tho saugh I stonde on either syde,
1420	Streight doun to the dores wyde,
1421	Fro the dees, many a pileer
1422	Of metal, that shoon not ful cleer;
1423	But though they nere of no richesse,
1424	Yet they were maad for greet noblesse,
1425	And in hem greet and hy sentence,
1426	And folk of digne reverence,
1427	Of whiche I wol yow telle fonde,
1428	Upon the piler saugh I stonde.
1429	Alderfirst, lo, ther I sigh,
1430	Upon a piler stonde on high,
1431	That was of lede and yren fyn,
1432	Him of secte Saturnyn,
1433	The Ebrayk Iosephus, the olde,
1434	That of Iewes gestes tolde;
1435	And bar upon his shuldres hye
1436	The fame up of the Iewerye.
1437	And by him stoden other sevene,
1438	Wyse and worthy for to nevene,
1439	To helpen him bere up the charge,
1440	Hit was so hevy and so large.
1441	And for they writen of batailes,
1442	As wel as other olde mervailes,
1443	Therfor was, lo, this pileer,
1444	Of which that I yow telle heer,
1445	Of lede and yren bothe, y-wis,
1446	For yren Martes metal is,
1447	Which that god is of bataille;
1448	And the leed, withouten faille,
1449	Is, lo, the metal of Saturne,
1450	That hath ful large wheel to turne.
1451	Tho stoden forth, on every rowe,
1452	Of hem which that I coude knowe,
1453	Thogh I hem noght be ordre telle,
1454	To make yow to long to dwelle.
1455	These, of whiche I ginne rede,
1456	Ther saugh I stonden, out of drede:
1457	Upon an yren piler strong,
1458	That peynted was, al endelonge,
1459	With tygres blode in every place,
1460	The Tholosan that highte Stace,
1461	That bar of Thebes up the fame
1462	Upon his shuldres, and the name
1463	Also of cruel Achilles.
1464	And by him stood, withouten lees,
1465	Ful wonder hye on a pileer
1466	Of yren, he, the gret Omeer;
1467	And with him Dares and Tytus
1468	Before, and eek he Lollius,
1469	And Guido eek de Columpnis,
1470	And English Gaufride eek, y-wis;
1471	And ech of these, as have I Ioye,
1472	Was besy for to bere up Troye.
1473	So hevy ther-of was the fame,
1474	That for to bere hit was no game.
1475	But yit I gan ful wel espye,
1476	Betwix hem was a litil envye.
1477	Oon seyde, Omere made lyes,
1478	Feyninge in his poetryes,
1479	And was to Grekes favorable;
1480	Therfor held he hit but fable.
1481	Tho saugh I stonde on a pileer,
1482	That was of tinned yren cleer,
1483	That Latin poete, dan Virgyle,
1484	That bore hath up a longe whyle
1485	The fame of Pius Eneas.
1486	And next him on a piler was,
1487	Of coper, Venus clerk, Ovyde,
1488	That hath y-sowen wonder wyde
1489	The grete god of Loves name.
1490	And ther he bar up wel his fame,
1491	Upon his piler, also hye
1492	As I might see hit with myn ye:
1493	For-why this halle, of whiche I rede
1494	Was woxe on highte, lengthe and brede,
1495	Wel more, by a thousand del,
1496	Than hit was erst, that saugh I wel.
1497	Tho saugh I, on a piler by,
1498	Of yren wroght ful sternely,
1499	The grete poete, daun Lucan,
1500	And on his shuldres bar up than,
1501	As highe as that I mighte see,
1502	The fame of Iulius and Pompee.
1503	And by him stoden alle these clerkes,
1504	That writen of Romes mighty werkes,
1505	That, if I wolde hir names telle,
1506	Al to longe most I dwelle.
1507	And next him on a piler stood
1508	Of soulfre, lyk as he were wood,
1509	Dan Claudian, the soth to telle,
1510	That bar up al the fame of helle,
1511	Of Pluto, and of Proserpyne,
1512	That quene is of the derke pyne.
1513	What shulde I more telle of this?
1514	The halle was al ful, y-wis,
1515	Of hem that writen olde gestes,
1516	As ben on trees rokes nestes;
1517	But hit a ful confus matere
1518	Were al the gestes for to here,
1519	That they of write, and how they highte.
1520	But whyl that I beheld this sighte,
1521	I herde a noise aprochen blyve,
1522	That ferde as been don in an hyve,
1523	Agen her tyme of out-fleyinge;
1524	Right swiche a maner murmuringe,
1525	For al the world, hit semed me.
1526	Tho gan I loke aboute and see,
1527	That ther come entring in the halle
1528	A right gret company with-alle,
1529	And that of sondry regiouns,
1530	Of alleskinnes condiciouns,
1531	That dwelle in erthe under the mone,
1532	Pore and ryche. And also sone
1533	As they were come into the halle,
1534	They gonne doun on knees falle
1535	Before this ilke noble quene,
1536	And seyde, 'Graunte us, lady shene,
1537	Ech of us, of thy grace, a bone!'
1538	And somme of hem she graunted sone,
1539	And somme she werned wel and faire;
1540	And somme she graunted the contraire
1541	Of hir axing utterly,
1542	But thus I seye yow trewely,
1543	What hir cause was, I niste.
1544	For of this folk, ful wel I wiste,
1545	They hadde good fame ech deserved,
1546	Althogh they were diversly served;
1547	Right as hir suster, dame Fortune,
1548	Is wont to serven in comune.
1549	Now herkne how she gan to paye
1550	That gonne hir of hir grace praye;
1551	And yit, lo, al this companye
1552	Seyden sooth, and noght a lye.
1553	'Madame,' seyden they, 'we be
1554	Folk that heer besechen thee,
1555	That thou graunte us now good fame,
1556	And let our werkes han that name;
1557	In ful recompensacioun
1558	Of good werk, give us good renoun.'
1559	'I werne yow hit,' quod she anoon,
1560	'Ye gete of me good fame noon,
1561	By god! and therfor go your wey.'
1562	'Alas,' quod they, 'and welaway!
1563	Telle us, what may your cause be?'
1564	'For me list hit noght,' quod she;
1565	'No wight shal speke of yow, y-wis,
1566	Good ne harm, ne that ne this.'
1567	And with that word she gan to calle
1568	Hir messanger, that was in halle,
1569	And bad that he shulde faste goon,
1570	Up peyne to be blind anoon,
1571	For Eolus, the god of winde; --
1572	'In Trace ther ye shul him finde,
1573	And bid him bringe his clarioun,
1574	That is ful dyvers of his soun,
1575	And hit is cleped Clere Laude,
1576	With which he wont is to heraude
1577	Hem that me list y-preised be:
1578	And also bid him how that he
1579	Bringe his other clarioun,
1580	That highte Sclaundre in every toun,
1581	With which he wont is to diffame
1582	Hem that me list, and do hem shame.'
1583	This messanger gan faste goon,
1584	And found wher, in a cave of stoon,
1585	In a contree that highte Trace,
1586	This Eolus, with harde grace,
1587	Held the windes in distresse,
1588	And gan hem under him to presse,
1589	That they gonne as beres rore,
1590	He bond and pressed hem so sore.
1591	This messanger gan faste crye,
1592	'Rys up,' quod he, 'and faste hye,
1593	Til that thou at my lady be;
1594	And tak thy clarions eek with thee,
1595	And speed the forth.' And he anon
1596	Took to a man, that hight Triton,
1597	His clariouns to bere tho,
1598	And leet a certeyn wind to go,
1599	That blew so hidously and hye,
1600	That hit ne lefte not a skye
1601	In al the welken longe an brood.
1602	This Eolus no-wher abood
1603	Til he was come at Fames feet,
1604	And eek the man that Triton heet;
1605	And ther he stood, as still as stoon.
1606	And her-withal ther com anoon
1607	Another huge companye
1608	Of gode folk, and gunne crye,
1609	'Lady, graunte us now good fame,
1610	And lat our werkes han that name
1611	Now, in honour of gentilesse,
1612	And also god your soule blesse!
1613	For we han wel deserved hit,
1614	Therfore is right that we ben quit.'
1615	'As thryve I,' quod she, 'ye shal faile,
1616	Good werkes shal yow noght availe
1617	To have of me good fame as now.
1618	But wite ye what? Y graunte yow,
1619	That ye shal have a shrewed fame
1620	And wikked loos, and worse name,
1621	Though ye good loos have wel deserved.
1622	Now go your wey, for ye be served;
1623	And thou, dan Eolus, let see!
1624	Tak forth thy trumpe anon,' quod she,
1625	'That is y-cleped Sclaunder light,
1626	And blow her loos, that every wight
1627	Speke of hem harm and shrewednesse,
1628	In stede of good and worthinesse.
1629	For thou shalt trumpe al the contraire
1630	Of that they han don wel or faire.'
1631	'Alas,' thoughte I, 'what aventures
1632	Han these sory creatures!
1633	For they, amonges al the pres,
1634	Shul thus be shamed, gilteles!
1635	But what! hit moste nedes be.'
1636	What did this Eolus, but he
1637	Tok out his blakke trumpe of bras,
1638	That fouler than the devil was,
1639	And gan this trumpe for to blowe,
1640	As al the world shulde overthrowe;
1641	That through-out every regioun
1642	Wente this foule trumpes soun,
1643	As swift as pelet out of gonne,
1644	Whan fyr is in the poudre ronne.
1645	And swiche a smoke gan out-wende
1646	Out of his foule trumpes ende,
1647	Blak, blo, grenissh, swartish reed,
1648	As doth wher that men melte leed,
1649	Lo, al on high fro the tuel!
1650	And therto oo thing saugh I wel,
1651	That, the ferther that hit ran,
1652	The gretter wexen hit began,
1653	As doth the river from a welle,
1654	And hit stank as the pit of helle.
1655	Alas, thus was hir shame y-ronge,
1656	And giltelees, on every tonge.
1657	Tho com the thridde companye,
1658	And gunne up to the dees to hye,
1659	And doun on knees they fille anon,
1660	And seyde, 'We ben everichon
1661	Folk that han ful trewely
1662	Deserved fame rightfully,
1663	And pray yow, hit mot be knowe,
1664	Right as hit is, and forth y-blowe.'
1665	'I graunte,' quod she, 'for me list
1666	That now your gode werk be wist;
1667	And yet ye shul han better loos,
1668	Right in dispyt of alle your foos,
1669	Than worthy is; and that anoon:
1670	Lat now,' quod she, 'thy trumpe goon,
1671	Thou Eolus, that is so blak;
1672	And out thyn other trumpe tak
1673	That highte Laude, and blow it so
1674	That through the world hir fame go
1675	Al esely, and not to faste,
1676	That hit be knowen atte laste.'
1677	'Ful gladly, lady myn,' he seyde;
1678	And out his trumpe of golde he brayde
1679	Anon, and sette hit to his mouthe,
1680	And blew hit est, and west, and southe,
1681	And north, as loude as any thunder,
1682	That every wight hadde of hit wonder,
1683	So brode hit ran, or than hit stente,
1684	And, certes, al the breeth that wente
1685	Out of his trumpes mouthe smelde
1686	As men a pot-ful bawme helde
1687	Among a basket ful of roses;
1688	This favour dide he til hir loses.
1689	And right with this I gan aspye,
1690	Ther com the ferthe companye --
1691	But certeyn they were wonder fewe --
1692	And gonne stonden in a rewe,
1693	And seyden, 'Certes, lady brighte,
1694	We han don wel with al our mighte;
1695	But we ne kepen have no fame.
1696	Hyd our werkes and our name,
1697	For goddes love! for certes we
1698	Han certeyn doon hit for bountee,
1699	And for no maner other thing.'
1700	'I graunte yow al your asking,'
1701	Quod she; 'let your werk be deed.'
1702	With that aboute I clew myn heed,
1703	And saugh anoon the fifte route
1704	That to this lady gonne loute,
1705	And doun on knes anoon to falle;
1706	And to hir tho besoughten alle
1707	To hyde hit gode werkes eek,
1708	And seyde, they yeven noght a leek
1709	For fame, ne for swich renoun;
1710	For they, for contemplacioun
1711	And goddes love, hadde y-wrought;
1712	Ne of fame wolde they nought.
1713	'What?' quod she, 'and be ye wood?
1714	And wene ye for to do good,
1715	And for to have of that no fame?
1716	Have ye dispyt to have my name?
1717	Nay, ye shul liven everichoon!
1718	Blow thy trumpe and that anoon,'
1719	Quod she, 'thou Eolus, I hote,
1720	And ring this folkes werk by note,
1721	That al the world may of hit here.'
1722	And he gan blowe hir loos so clere
1723	In his golden clarioun
1724	That through the world wente the soun,
1725	Also kenely, and eek so softe;
1726	But atte laste hit was on-lofte.
1727	Thoo com the sexte companye,
1728	And gonne faste on Fame crye.
1729	Right verraily, in this manere
1730	They seyden: 'Mercy, lady dere!
1731	To telle certein, as hit is,
1732	We han don neither that ne this,
1733	But ydel al our lif y-be.
1734	But, natheles, yit preye we,
1735	That we mowe han so good a fame,
1736	And greet renoun and knowen name,
1737	As they that han don noble gestes,
1738	And acheved alle hir lestes,
1739	As wel of love as other thing;
1740	Al was us never broche ne ring,
1741	Ne elles nought, from wimmen sent,
1742	Ne ones in hir herte y-ment
1743	To make us only frendly chere,
1744	But mighte temen us on bere;
1745	Yit lat us to the peple seme
1746	Swiche as the world may of us deme,
1747	That wimmen loven us for wood.
1748	Hit shal don us as moche good,
1749	And to our herte as moche availe
1750	To countrepeise ese and travaile,
1751	As we had wonne hit with labour;
1752	For that is dere boght honour
1753	At regard of our grete ese.
1754	And yit thou most us more plese
1755	Let us be holden eek, therto,
1756	Worthy, wyse, and gode also,
1757	And riche, and happy unto love.
1758	For goddes love, that sit above,
1759	Thogh we may not the body have
1760	Of wimmen, yet, so god yow save!
1761	Let men glewe on us the name;
1762	Suffyceth that we han the fame.'
1763	'I graunte,' quod she, 'by my trouthe!
1764	Now, Eolus, with-outen slouthe.
1765	Tak out thy trumpe of gold, let see,
1766	And blow as they han axed me,
1767	That every man wene hem at ese,
1768	Though they gon in ful badde lese.'
1769	This Eolus gan hit so blowe
1770	That through the world hit was y-knowe.
1771	Tho come the seventh route anoon,
1772	And fel on knees everichoon,
1773	And seyde, 'Lady, graunte us sone
1774	The same thing, the same bone,
1775	That ye this nexte folk han doon.'
1776	'Fy on yow,' quod she, 'everichoon!
1777	Ye masty swyn, ye ydel wrecches,
1778	Ful of roten slowe tecches!
1779	What? false theves! wher ye wolde
1780	Be famous good, and no-thing nolde
1781	Deserve why, ne never roughte?
1782	Men rather yow to-hangen oughte!
1783	For ye be lyk the sweynte cat,
1784	That wolde have fish; but wostow what?
1785	He wolde no-thing wete his clowes.
1786	Yvel thrift come to your Iowes,
1787	And eek on myn, if I hit graunte,
1788	Or do yow favour, yow to avaunte!
1789	Thou Eolus, thou king of Trace!
1790	Go, blow this folk a soo grace,'
1791	Quod she, 'anoon; and wostow how?
1792	As I shal telle thee right now;
1793	Sey: "These ben they that wolde honour
1794	Have, and do noskinnes labour,
1795	Ne do no good, and yit han laude;
1796	And that men wende that bele Isaude
1797	Ne coude hem noght of love-werne;
1798	And yit she that grint at a querne
1799	Is al to good to ese hir herte."'
1800	This Eolus anon up sterte,
1801	And with his blakke clarioun
1802	He gan to blasen out a soun,
1803	As loude as belweth wind in helle.
1804	And eek therwith, the sooth to telle,
1805	This soun was al so ful of Iapes,
1806	As ever mowes were in apes.
1807	And that wente al the world aboute,
1808	That every wight gan on hem shoute,
1809	And for to laughe as they were wode;
1810	Such game fonde they in hir hode.
1811	Tho com another companye,
1812	That had y-doon the traiterye,
1813	The harm, the gretest wikkednesse
1814	That any herte couthe gesse;
1815	And prayed hir to han good fame,
1816	And that she nolde hem doon no shame,
1817	But yeve hem loos and good renoun,
1818	And do hit blowe in clarioun.
1819	'Nay, wis!' quod she, 'hit were a vyce;
1820	Al be ther in me no Iustyce
1821	Me listeth not to do hit now,
1822	Ne this nil I not graunte you.'
1823	Tho come ther lepinge in a route,
1824	And gonne choppen al aboute
1825	Every man upon the croune,
1826	That al the halle gan to soune,
1827	And seyden: 'Lady, lefe and dere
1828	We ben swich folk as ye mowe here.
1829	To tellen al the tale aright,
1830	We ben shrewes, every wight,
1831	And han delyt in wikkednes,
1832	As gode folk han in goodnes;
1833	And Ioye to be knowen shrewes,
1834	And fulle of vyce and wikked thewes;
1835	Wherfor we prayen yow, a-rowe,
1836	That our fame swich be knowe
1837	In alle thing right as hit is.'
1838	'I graunte hit yow,' quod she, 'y-wis.
1839	But what art thou that seyst this tale,
1840	That werest on thy hose a pale,
1841	And on thy tipet swiche a belle!'
1842	'Madame,' quod he, 'sooth to telle,
1843	I am that ilke shrewe, y-wis,
1844	That brende the temple of Isidis
1845	In Athenes, lo, that citee.'
1846	'And wherfor didest thou so?' quod she.
1847	'By my thrift,' quod he, 'madame,
1848	I wolde fayn han had a fame,
1849	As other folk hadde in the toun,
1850	Al-thogh they were of greet renoun
1851	For hir vertu and for hir thewes;
1852	Thoughte I, as greet a fame han shrewes,
1853	Thogh hit be but for shrewednesse,
1854	As gode folk han for goodnesse;
1855	And sith I may not have that oon,
1856	That other nil I noght for-goon.
1857	And for to gette of Fames hyre,
1858	The temple sette I al a-fyre.
1859	Now do our loos be blowen swythe,
1860	As wisly be thou ever blythe.'
1861	'Gladly,' quod she; 'thou Eolus,
1862	Herestow not what they prayen us?'
1863	'Madame, yis, ful wel,' quod he,
1864	And I wil trumpen hit, parde!'
1865	And tok his blakke trumpe faste,
1866	And gan to puffen and to blaste,
1867	Til hit was at the worldes ende.
1868	With that I gan aboute wende;
1869	For oon that stood right at my bak,
1870	Me thoughte goodly to me spak,
1871	And seyde, 'Frend, what is thy name?
1872	Artow come hider to han fame?'
1873	'Nay, for-sothe, frend!' quod I;
1874	I cam noght hider, graunt mercy!
1875	For no swich cause, by my heed!
1876	Suffyceth me, as I were deed,
1877	That no wight have my name in honde.
1878	I woot my-self best how I stonde;
1879	For what I drye or what I thinke,
1880	I wol my-selven al hit drinke,
1881	Certeyn, for the more part,
1882	As ferforth as I can myn art.'
1883	'But what dost thou here than?' quod he.
1884	Quod I, 'that wol I tellen thee,
1885	The cause why I stonde here: --
1886	Som newe tydings for to lere: --
1887	Som newe thinges, I not what,
1888	Tydinges, other this or that,
1889	Of love, or swiche thinges glade.
1890	For certeynly, he that me made
1891	To comen hider seyde me,
1892	I shulde bothe here and see,
1893	In this place, wonder thinges;
1894	But these be no swiche tydinges
1895	As I mene of.' 'No?' quod he,
1896	And I answerde, 'No, pardee!
1897	For wel I wiste, ever yit,
1898	Sith that first I hadde wit,
1899	That som folk han desyred fame
1900	Dyversly, and loos, and name;
1901	But certeynly, I niste how
1902	Ne wher that Fame dwelte, er now;
1903	Ne eek of hir descripcioun,
1904	Ne also hir condicioun,
1905	Ne the ordre of hir dome,
1906	Unto the tyme I hider come.'
1907	'Whiche be, lo, these tydinges,
1908	That thou now thus hider bringes,
1909	That thou hast herd?' quod he to me;
1910	'But now, no fors; for wel I see
1911	What thou desyrest for to here.
1912	Com forth, and stond no longer here,
1913	And I wol thee, with-outen drede,
1914	In swich another place lede,
1915	Ther thou shalt here many oon,'
1916	Tho gan I forth with him to goon
1917	Out of the castel, soth to seye.
1918	Tho saugh I stonde in a valeye,
1919	Under the castel, faste by,
1920	An hous, that Domus Dedali,
1921	That Laborintus cleped is,
1922	Nas maad so wonderliche, y-wis,
1923	Ne half so queynteliche y-wrought.
1924	And evermo, so swift as thought,
1925	This queynt hous aboute wente,
1926	That never-mo hit stike stente.
1927	And ther-out com so greet a noise,
1928	That, had hit stonden upon Oise,
1929	Men mighte hit han herd esely
1930	To Rome, I trowe sikerly.
1931	And the noyse which that I herde,
1932	For al the world right so hit ferde,
1933	As doth the routing of the stoon
1934	That from thengyn is leten goon.
1935	And al this hous, of whiche I rede,
1936	Was made of twigges, falwe, rede,
1937	And grene eek, and som weren whyte,
1938	Swiche as men to these cages thwyte,
1939	Or maken of these paniers,
1940	Or elles hottes or dossers;
1941	That, for the swough and for the twigges,
1942	This hous was also ful of gigges,
1943	And also ful eek a chirkinges,
1944	And of many other werkinges;
1945	And eek this hous hath of entrees
1946	As fele as of leves been on trees
1947	In somer, whan they grene been;
1948	And on the roof men may yit seen
1949	A thousand holes, and wel mo,
1950	To leten wel the soun out go.
1951	And by day, in every tyde,
1952	Ben al the dores open wyde,
1953	And by night, echoon unshette;
1954	Ne porter ther is non to lette
1955	No maner tydings in to pace;
1956	Ne never reste is in that place,
1957	That hit nis fild ful of tydinges,
1958	Other loude, or of whispringes;
1959	And, over alle the houses angles,
1960	Is ful of rouninges and of Iangles
1961	Of werre, of pees, of mariages,
1962	Of reste, of labour, of viages,
1963	Of abood, of deeth, of lyfe,
1964	Of love, of hate, acorde, of stryfe,
1965	Of loos, of lore, and of winninges,
1966	Of hele, of sekenesse, of bildinges,
1967	Of faire windes, of tempestes,
1968	Of qualme of folk, and eek of bestes;
1969	Of dyvers transmutaciouns
1970	Of estats, and eek of regiouns;
1971	Of trust, of drede, of Ielousye,
1972	Of wit, of winninge, of folye;
1973	Of plentee, and of greet famyne,
1974	Of chepe, of derth, and of ruyne;
1975	Of good or mis governement,
1976	Of fyr, of dyvers accident.
1977	And lo, this hous, of whiche I wryte,
1978	Siker be ye, hit nas not lyte;
1979	For hit was sixty myle of lengthe;
1980	Al was the timber of no strengthe,
1981	Yet hit is founded to endure
1982	Whyl that hit list to Aventure,
1983	That is the moder of tydinges,
1984	As the see of welles and springes, --
1985	And hit was shapen lyk a cage.
1986	'Certes,' quod I, 'in al myn age,
1987	Ne saugh I swich a hous as this.'
1988	And as I wondred me, y-wis,
1989	Upon this hous, tho war was I
1990	How that myn egle, faste by,
1991	Was perched hye upon a stoon;
1992	And I gan streighte to him goon,
1993	And seyde thus: 'I preye thee
1994	That thou a whyl abyde me
1995	For goddes love, and let me seen
1996	What wondres in this place been;
1997	For yit, paraventure, I may lere
1998	Som good ther-on, or sumwhat here
1999	That leef me were, or that I wente.'
2000	'Peter! that is myn entente,'
2001	Quod he to me; 'therfor I dwelle;
2002	But certein, oon thing I thee telle,
2003	That, but I bringe thee ther-inne,
2004	Ne shalt thou never cunne ginne
2005	To come in-to hit, out of doute,
2006	So faste hit whirleth, lo, aboute.
2007	But sith that Ioves, of his grace,
2008	As I have seyd, wol thee solace
2009	Fynally with swiche thinges,
2010	Uncouthe sightes and tydinges,
2011	To passe with thyn hevinesse;
2012	Suche routhe hath he of thy distresse,
2013	That thou suffrest debonairly --
2014	And wost thy-selven utterly
2015	Disesperat of alle blis,
2016	Sith that Fortune hath maad a-mis
2017	The fruit of al thyn hertes reste
2018	Languisshe and eek in point to breste --
2019	That he, through his mighty meryte,
2020	Wol do thee ese, al be hit lyte,
2021	And yaf expres commaundement,
2022	To whiche I am obedient,
2023	To furthre thee with al my might,
2024	And wisse and teche thee aright
2025	Wher thou maist most tydinges here;
2026	Shaltow anoon heer many oon lere.'
2027	With this worde he, right anoon,
2028	Hente me up bitwene his toon,
2029	And at a windowe in me broghte,
2030	That in this hous was, as me thoghte --
2031	And ther-withal, me thoughte hit stente,
2032	And no-thing hit aboute wente --
2033	And me sette in the flore adoun.
2034	But which a congregacioun
2035	Of folk, as I saugh rome aboute
2036	Some within and some withoute,
2037	Nas never seen, ne shal ben eft;
2038	That, certes, in the world nis left
2039	So many formed by Nature,
2040	Ne deed so many a creature;
2041	That wel unnethe, in that place,
2042	Hadde I oon foot-brede of space;
2043	And every wight that I saugh there
2044	Rouned ech in others ere
2045	A newe tyding prevely,
2046	Or elles tolde al openly
2047	Right thus, and seyde: 'Nost not thou
2048	That is betid, lo, late or now?'
2049	'No,' quod the other, 'tel me what;' --
2050	And than he tolde him this and that,
2051	And swoor ther-to that hit was sooth --
2052	'Thus hath he seyd,'-- and 'Thus he dooth' --
2053	'Thus shal hit be,' -- 'Thus herde I seye' --
2054	'That shal he found' -- 'That dar I leye:' --
2055	That al the folk that is a-lyve
2056	Ne han the cunning to discryve
2057	The thinges that I herde there,
2058	What aloude, and what in ere.
2059	But al the wonder-most was this: --
2060	Whan oon had herd a thing, y-wis,
2061	He com forth to another wight,
2062	And gan him tellen, anoon-right,
2063	The same that to him was told,
2064	Or hit a furlong-way was old,
2065	But gan somwhat for to eche
2066	To this tyding in this speche
2067	More than hit ever was.
2068	And nat so sone departed nas
2069	That he fro him, that he ne mette
2070	With the thridde; and, or he lette
2071	Any stounde, he tolde him als;
2072	Were the tyding sooth or fals,
2073	Yit wolde he telle hit nathelees,
2074	And evermo with more encrees
2075	Than hit was erst. Thus north and southe
2076	Went every word fro mouth to mouthe,
2077	And that encresing ever-mo,
2078	As fyr is wont to quikke and go
2079	From a sparke spronge amis,
2080	Til al a citee brent up is.
2081	And whan that was ful y-spronge,
2082	And woxen more on every tonge
2083	Than ever hit was, hit wente anoon
2084	Up to a windowe, out to goon;
2085	Or, but hit mighte out ther pace,
2086	Hit gan out crepe at som crevace,
2087	And fleigh forth faste for the nones.
2088	And somtyme saugh I tho, at ones,
2089	A lesing and a sad soth-sawe,
2090	That gonne of aventure drawe
2091	Out at a windowe for to pace;
2092	And, when they metten in that place,
2093	They were a-chekked bothe two,
2094	And neither of hem moste out go;
2095	For other so they gonne croude,
2096	Til eche of hem gan cryen loude,
2097	'Lat me go first!' -- 'Nay, but let me!
2098	And here I wol ensuren thee
2099	With the nones that thou wolt do so,
2100	That I shal never fro thee go,
2101	But be thyn owne sworen brother!
2102	We wil medle us ech with other,
2103	That no man, be he never so wrothe,
2104	Shal han that oon of two, but bothe
2105	At ones, al beside his leve,
2106	Come we a-morwe or on eve,
2107	Be we cryed or stille y-rouned.'
2108	Thus saugh I fals and sooth compouned
2109	Togeder flee for oo tydinge.
2110	Thus out at holes gonne wringe
2111	Every tyding streight to Fame;
2112	And she gan yeven eche his name,
2113	After hir disposicioun,
2114	And yaf hem eek duracioun,
2115	Some to wexe and wane sone,
2116	As dooth the faire, whyte mone,
2117	And leet hem gon. Ther might I seen
2118	Wenged wondres faste fleen,
2119	Twenty thousand in a route,
2120	As Eolus hem blew aboute.
2121	And, lord! this hous, in alle tymes,
2122	Was ful of shipmen and pilgrymes,
2123	With scrippes bret-ful of lesinges,
2124	Entremedled with tydinges,
2125	And eek alone by hem-selve.
2126	O, many a thousand tymes twelve
2127	Saugh I eek of these pardoneres,
2128	Currours, and eek messangeres,
2129	With boistes crammed ful of lyes
2130	As ever vessel was with lyes.
2131	And as I alther-fastest wente
2132	Aboute, and dide al myn entente
2133	Me for to pleye and for to lere,
2134	And eek a tyding for to here,
2135	That I had herd of som contree
2136	That shal not now be told for me; --
2137	For hit no nede is, redely;
2138	Folk can singe hit bet than I;
2139	For al mot out, other late or rathe,
2140	Alle the sheves in the lathe; --
2141	I herde a gret noise withalle
2142	In a corner of the halle,
2143	Ther men of love tydings tolde,
2144	And I gan thiderward beholde;
2145	For I saugh renninge every wight,
2146	As faste as that they hadden might;
2147	And everich cryed, 'What thing is that?'
2148	And som seyde, 'I not never what,'
2149	And whan they were alle on an hepe,
2150	Tho behinde gonne up lepe,
2151	And clamben up on othere faste,
2152	And up the nose and hye caste,
2153	And troden faste on othere heles,
2154	And stampe, as men don after eles.
2155	Atte laste I saugh a man,
2156	Which that I nevene naught ne can;
2157	But he semed for to be
2158	A man of greet auctoritee...

[The work is unfinished.]

[The] end of "The House of Fame"

This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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