And thanke him of his grete curtefie. With herte fore he goth unto his cofre, 11875 And fayde; Maister, I dare wel make avaunt 11880 This philofophre sobrely anfwerd, 11885 And faied thus, whan he thise wordes herd; 11899 Have I not holden covenant to thee? Yes, certes, wel and trewely, quod he. Haft thou not had thy lady as thee liketh? No, no, quod he, and forwefully he fiketh. What was the caufe? tell me if thou can. Aurelius his tale anon began, And told him all as ye han herd before; 11895 Had lever die in forwe and in diftreffe 11900 Than that his wif were of hire trouthe fals. And that the lever had loft that day hire lif; And right as freely as he sent hire to me This is all and fom; ther n'is no more to fain. 11910 Thou art a squier, and he is a knight, Sire, I relese thee thy thousand pound, 11915 As thou right now were crope out of the ground, For, Sire, I wol not take a peny of thee For all my craft, ne nought for my travaille: Thou haft ypaied wel for my vitaille. It is ynough, and farewel, have good day. 11920 11925 11926. Which was the mofte free] The fame question is THE DOCTOURES PROLOGUE, Ye, let that paffen, quod our Hofte, as now. Sire Doctour of Phyfike, I prey you, It fhal be don, if that ye wol it here, 11930 Said this Doctour, and his Tale began anon. THE DOCTOURES TALE. THER was, as telleth Titus Livius, 11935 A knight that cleped was Virginius, And flrong of frendes, and of gret richeffe. 11940 Faire was this maid in excellent beautee ftated in the conclufion of Boccace's 'Tale, Philoc. 1. v. ; Du"bitafi ora qual di cofloro fuffe maggior liberalità," &c. The queen determines in favour of the husband. V. 11929. re, let that paffen] I have faid all that I have to fay in favour of this Prologue to The Doctour's Tale in the Dif courfe, &c. § 28. It is only found in mf. A. In mff C.1, HA. the following note is at the end of The Frankelein's Tale; "Here "endeth the Fr. T. and biginneth The Phificiens Tale without "a Prologe." The Dodoures Tale] Virginius flaveth his onely daughter, rather than the thall be defiled by the letcherous judge Appius. 3 As though the wolde fayn, Lo, I Nature, For he that is the former principal 11945 11950 Hath maked me his vicaire general To forme and peinten erthly creatures Right as me lift; and eche thing in my cure is And for my werk right nothing wol I axe:. I made hire to the worship of my lord, So do I all min other creatures, 1 What colour that they han or what figures. Thus femeth me that Nature wolde fay. This maid of age twelf yere was and tway. In which that Nature hadde fwiche delit ; 11955 11960 11965 For right as fhe can peint a lily whit Er fhe was borne upon hire limmes free, Wheras by right swiche colours fhulden be; 11970 And Phebus died hath hire treffes grete Like to the ftremes of his burned hete. And if that excellent were hire beautee, To femen wife, but after hire degree 11975 11980 11985 She spake, and all hire wordes more and leffe Shamefait fhe was in maidens fhamefaftneffe, Constant in herte, and ever in befineffe 11990 To drive hire out of idel flogardie. Bacchus had of hire mouth right no maistrie, As men in fire wol caften oile and grefe. 11995 .11993. For wine and youthe] The context, I think, requires that we thould read For wine and fouthe don Venus encrefe. He is giving the reafon why the avoided flogardie, and did not permit Bacchus to have maiftrie of hire mouth, becaufe eine and fouthe encrease the amorous inclinations, as oil and grefe do fire. I can make no fenfe of youthe or thoughte; as fome me. read. |