BOOK II.

Proem. Now herkneth, every maner man 510 That English understonde can, And listeth of my dreem to lere; For now at erste shul ye here So selly an avisioun, That Isaye, ne Scipioun, 515 Ne king Nabugodonosor, Pharo, Turnus, ne Elcanor, Ne mette swich a dreem as this! (10) Now faire blisful, O Cipris, So be my favour at this tyme! 520 And ye, me to endyte and ryme Helpeth, that on Parnaso dwelle By Elicon the clere welle. O Thought, that wroot al that I mette, And in the tresorie hit shette 525 Of my brayn! now shal men see If any vertu in thee be, To tellen al my dreem aright; (20) Now kythe thyn engyn and might! The Dream. This egle, of which I have yow told, 530 That shoon with fethres as of gold, Which that so hyë gan to sore, I gan beholde more and more, To see hir beautee and the wonder; But never was ther dint of thonder, 535 Ne that thing that men calle foudre, That smoot somtyme a tour to poudre, And in his swifte coming brende, (30) That so swythe gan descende, As this foul, whan hit behelde 540 That I a-roume was in the felde; And with his grimme pawes stronge, Within his sharpe nayles longe, Me, fleinge, at a swappe he hente, And with his sours agayn up wente, 545 Me caryinge in his clawes starke As lightly as I were a larke, How high, I can not telle yow, (40) For I cam up, I niste how. For so, astonied and a-sweved 550 Was every vertu in my heved, What with his sours and with my drede, That al my feling gan to dede; For-why hit was to greet affray. Thus I longe in his clawes lay, 555 Til at the laste he to me spak In mannes vois, and seyde, 'Awak! And be not so a-gast, for shame!' (50) And called me tho by my name. And, for I sholde the bet abreyde— 560 Me mette—'Awak,' to me he seyde, Right in the same vois and stevene That useth oon I coude nevene; And with that vois, soth for to sayn, My minde cam to me agayn; 565 For hit was goodly seyd to me, So nas hit never wont to be. And herwithal I gan to stere, (60) And he me in his feet to bere, Til that he felte that I had hete, 570 And felte eek tho myn herte bete. And tho gan he me to disporte, And with wordes to comforte, And sayde twyës, 'Seynte Marie! Thou art noyous for to carie, 575 And nothing nedeth hit, parde! For al-so wis god helpe me As thou non harm shalt have of this; (70) And this cas, that betid thee is, Is for thy lore and for thy prow;— 580 Let see! darst thou yet loke now? Be ful assured, boldely, I am thy frend.' And therwith I Gan for to wondren in my minde. 'O god,' thoughte I, 'that madest kinde, 585 Shal I non other weyes dye? Wher Ioves wol me stellifye, Or what thing may this signifye? (80) I neither am Enok, ne Elye, Ne Romulus, ne Ganymede 590 That was y-bore up, as men rede, To hevene with dan Iupiter, And maad the goddes boteler.' Lo! this was tho my fantasye! But he that bar me gan espye 595 That I so thoghte, and seyde this:— 'Thou demest of thy-self amis; For Ioves is not ther-aboute— (90) I dar wel putte thee out of doute— To make of thee as yet a sterre. 600 But er I bere thee moche ferre, I wol thee telle what I am, And whider thou shalt, and why I cam To done this, so that thou take Good herte, and not for fere quake.' 605 'Gladly,' quod I. 'Now wel,' quod he:— 'First I, that in my feet have thee, Of which thou hast a feer and wonder, (100) Am dwelling with the god of thonder, Which that men callen Iupiter, 610 That dooth me flee ful ofte fer To do al his comaundement. And for this cause he hath me sent To thee: now herke, by thy trouthe! Certeyn, he hath of thee routhe, 615 That thou so longe trewely Hast served so ententifly His blinde nevew Cupido, (110) And fair Venus [goddesse] also, Withoute guerdoun ever yit, 620 And nevertheles hast set thy wit— Although that in thy hede ful lyte is— To make bokes, songes, dytees, In ryme, or elles in cadence, As thou best canst, in reverence 625 Of Love, and of his servants eke, That have his servise soght, and seke; And peynest thee to preyse his art, (120) Althogh thou haddest never part; Wherfor, al-so god me blesse, 630 Ioves halt hit greet humblesse And vertu eek, that thou wolt make A-night ful ofte thyn heed to ake, In thy studie so thou wrytest, And ever-mo of love endytest, 635 In honour of him and preysinges, And in his folkes furtheringes, And in hir matere al devysest, (130) And noght him nor his folk despysest, Although thou mayst go in the daunce 640 Of hem that him list not avaunce. 'Wherfor, as I seyde, y-wis, Iupiter considereth this, And also, beau sir, other thinges; That is, that thou hast no tydinges 645 Of Loves folk, if they be glade, Ne of noght elles that god made; And noght only fro fer contree (140) That ther no tyding comth to thee, But of thy verray neyghebores, 650 That dwellen almost at thy dores, Thou herest neither that ne this; For whan thy labour doon al is, And hast y-maad thy rekeninges, In stede of reste and newe thinges, 655 Thou gost hoom to thy hous anoon; And, also domb as any stoon, Thou sittest at another boke, (150) Til fully daswed is thy loke, And livest thus as an hermyte, 660 Although thyn abstinence is lyte. 'And therfor Ioves, through his grace, Wol that I bere thee to a place, Which that hight the Hous of Fame, To do thee som disport and game, 665 In som recompensacioun Of labour and devocioun That thou hast had, lo! causeles, (160) To Cupido, the reccheles! And thus this god, thorgh his meryte, 670 Wol with som maner thing thee quyte, So that thou wolt be of good chere. For truste wel, that thou shalt here, When we be comen ther I seye, Mo wonder thinges, dar I leye, 675 Of Loves folke mo tydinges, Bothe soth-sawes and lesinges; And mo loves newe begonne, (170) And longe y-served loves wonne, And mo loves casuelly 680 That been betid, no man wot why, But as a blind man stert an hare; And more Iolytee and fare, Whyl that they finde love of stele, As thinketh hem, and over-al wele; 685 Mo discords, and mo Ielousyes, Mo murmurs, and mo novelryes, And mo dissimulaciouns, (180) And feyned reparaciouns; And mo berdes in two houres 690 Withoute rasour or sisoures Y-maad, then greynes be of sondes; And eke mo holdinge in hondes, And also mo renovelaunces Of olde forleten aqueyntaunces; 695 Mo love-dayes and acordes Then on instruments ben cordes; And eke of loves mo eschaunges (190) Than ever cornes were in graunges; Unethe maistow trowen this?'— 700 Quod he. 'No, helpe me god so wis!'— Quod I. 'No? why?' quod he. 'For hit Were impossible, to my wit, Though that Fame hadde al the pyes In al a realme, and al the spyes, 705 How that yet she shulde here al this, Or they espye hit.' 'O yis, yis!' Quod he to me, 'that can I preve (200) By resoun, worthy for to leve, So that thou yeve thyn advertence 710 To understonde my sentence. 'First shall thou heren wher she dwelleth, And so thyn owne book hit telleth; Hir paleys stant, as I shal seye, Right even in middes of the weye 715 Betwixen hevene, erthe, and see; That, what-so-ever in al these three Is spoken, in privee or aperte, (210) The wey therto is so overte, And stant eek in so Iuste a place, 720 That every soun mot to hit pace, Or what so comth fro any tonge, Be hit rouned, red, or songe, Or spoke in seurtee or drede, Certein, hit moste thider nede. 735 'Now herkne wel; for-why I wille Tellen thee a propre skile, And worthy demonstracioun (220) In myn imagynacioun. 'Geffrey, thou wost right wel this, 730 That every kindly thing that is, Hath a kindly stede ther he May best in hit conserved be; Unto which place every thing, Through his kindly enclyning, 735 Moveth for to come to, Whan that hit is awey therfro; As thus; lo, thou mayst al day see (230) That any thing that hevy be, As stoon or leed, or thing of wighte, 740 And ber hit never so hye on highte, Lat go thyn hand, hit falleth doun. 'Right so seye I by fyre or soun, Or smoke, or other thinges lighte, Alwey they seke upward on highte; 745 Whyl ech of hem is at his large, Light thing up, and dounward charge. 'And for this cause mayst thou see, (240) That every river to the see Enclyned is to go, by kinde. 750 And by these skilles, as I finde, Hath fish dwellinge in floode and see, And treës eek in erthe be. Thus every thing, by this resoun, Hath his propre mansioun, 755 To which hit seketh to repaire, As ther hit shulde not apaire. Lo, this sentence is knowen couthe (250) Of every philosophres mouthe, As Aristotle and dan Platon, 760 And other clerkes many oon; And to confirme my resoun, Thou wost wel this, that speche is soun, Or elles no man mighte hit here; Now herkne what I wol thee lere. 765 'Soun is noght but air y-broken, And every speche that is spoken, Loud or privee, foul or fair, (260) In his substaunce is but air; For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke, 770 Right so soun is air y-broke. But this may be in many wyse, Of which I wil thee two devyse, As soun that comth of pype or harpe. For whan a pype is blowen sharpe, 775 The air is twist with violence, And rent; lo, this is my sentence; Eek, whan men harpe-stringes smyte, (270) Whether hit be moche or lyte, Lo, with the strook the air to-breketh; 780 Right so hit breketh whan men speketh. Thus wost thou wel what thing is speche. 'Now hennesforth I wol thee teche, How every speche, or noise, or soun, Through his multiplicacioun, 785 Thogh hit were pyped of a mouse, Moot nede come to Fames House. I preve hit thus—tak hede now— (280) By experience; for if that thou Throwe on water now a stoon, 790 Wel wost thou, hit wol make anoon A litel roundel as a cercle, Paraventure brood as a covercle; And right anoon thou shalt see weel, That wheel wol cause another wheel, 795 And that the thridde, and so forth, brother, Every cercle causing other, Wyder than himselve was; (290) And thus, fro roundel to compas, Ech aboute other goinge, 800 Caused of othres steringe, And multiplying ever-mo, Til that hit be so fer y-go That hit at bothe brinkes be. Al-thogh thou mowe hit not y-see 805 Above, hit goth yet alway under, Although thou thenke hit a gret wonder. And who-so seith of trouthe I varie, (300) Bid him proven the contrarie. And right thus every word, y-wis, 810 That loude or privee spoken is, Moveth first an air aboute, And of this moving, out of doute, Another air anoon is meved, As I have of the water preved, 815 That every cercle causeth other. Right so of air, my leve brother; Everich air in other stereth (310) More and more, and speche up bereth, Or vois, or noise, or word, or soun, 820 Ay through multiplicacioun, Til hit be atte House of Fame;— Tak hit in ernest or in game. 'Now have I told, if thou have minde, How speche or soun, of pure kinde, 825 Enclyned is upward to meve; This, mayst thou fele, wel I preve. And that [the mansioun], y-wis, (320) That every thing enclyned to is, Hath his kindeliche stede: 830 That sheweth hit, withouten drede, That kindely the mansioun Of every speche, of every soun, Be hit either foul or fair, Hath his kinde place in air. 835 And sin that every thing, that is Out of his kinde place, y-wis, Moveth thider for to go (330) If hit a-weye be therfro, As I before have preved thee, 840 Hit seweth, every soun, pardee, Moveth kindely to pace Al up into his kindely place. And this place of which I telle, Ther as Fame list to dwelle, 845 Is set amiddes of these three, Heven, erthe, and eek the see, As most conservatif the soun. (340) Than is this the conclusioun, That every speche of every man, 850 As I thee telle first began, Moveth up on high to pace Kindely to Fames place. 'Telle me this feithfully, Have I not preved thus simply, 855 Withouten any subtiltee Of speche, or gret prolixitee Of termes of philosophye, (350) Of figures of poetrye, Or colours of rethoryke? 860 Pardee, hit oghte thee to lyke; For hard langage and hard matere Is encombrous for to here At ones; wost thou not wel this?' And I answerde, and seyde, 'Yis.' 865 'A ha!' quod he, 'lo, so I can, Lewedly to a lewed man Speke, and shewe him swiche skiles, (360) That he may shake hem by the biles, So palpable they shulden be. 870 But tel me this, now pray I thee, How thinkth thee my conclusioun?' [Quod he]. 'A good persuasioun,' Quod I, 'hit is; and lyk to be Right so as thou hast preved me.' 875 'By god,' quod he, 'and as I leve, Thou shall have yit, or hit be eve, Of every word of this sentence (370) A preve, by experience; And with thyn eres heren wel 880 Top and tail, and everydel, That every word that spoken is Comth into Fames Hous, y-wis, As I have seyd; what wilt thou more?' And with this word upper to sore 885 He gan, and seyde, 'By Seynt Iame! Now wil we speken al of game.'— 'How farest thou?' quod he to me. (380) 'Wel,' quod I. 'Now see,' quod he, 'By thy trouthe, yond adoun, 890 Wher that thou knowest any toun, Or hous, or any other thing. And whan thou hast of ought knowing, Loke that thou warne me, And I anoon shal telle thee 895 How fer that thou art now therfro.' And I adoun gan loken tho, And beheld feldes and plaines, (390) And now hilles, and now mountaines, Now valeys, and now forestes, 900 And now, unethes, grete bestes; Now riveres, now citees, Now tounes, and now grete trees, Now shippes sailinge in the see. But thus sone in a whyle he 905 Was flowen fro the grounde so hyë, That al the world, as to myn yë, No more semed than a prikke; (400) Or elles was the air so thikke That I ne mighte not discerne. 910 With that he spak to me as yerne, And seyde: 'Seestow any [toun] Or ought thou knowest yonder doun?' I seyde, 'Nay.' 'No wonder nis,' Quod he, 'for half so high as this 915 Nas Alexander Macedo; Ne the king, dan Scipio, That saw in dreme, at point devys, (410) Helle and erthe, and paradys; Ne eek the wrecche Dedalus, 920 Ne his child, nyce Icarus, That fleigh so highe that the hete His winges malt, and he fel wete In-mid the see, and ther he dreynte, For whom was maked moch compleynte. 925 'Now turn upward,' quod he, 'thy face, And behold this large place, This air; but loke thou ne be (420) Adrad of hem that thou shalt see; For in this regioun, certein, 930 Dwelleth many a citezein, Of which that speketh dan Plato. These ben the eyrish bestes, lo!' And so saw I al that meynee Bothe goon and also flee. 935 'Now,' quod he tho, 'cast up thyn yë; See yonder, lo, the Galaxyë, Which men clepeth the Milky Wey, (430) For hit is whyt: and somme, parfey, Callen hit Watlinge Strete: 940 That ones was y-brent with hete, Whan the sonnes sone, the rede, That highte Pheton, wolde lede Algate his fader cart, and gye. The cart-hors gonne wel espye 945 That he ne coude no governaunce And gonne for to lepe and launce, And beren him now up, now doun, (440) Til that he saw the Scorpioun, Which that in heven a signe is yit. 950 And he, for ferde, loste his wit, Of that, and leet the reynes goon Of his hors; and they anoon Gonne up to mounte, and doun descende Til bothe the eyr and erthe brende; 955 Til Iupiter, lo, atte laste, Him slow, and fro the carte caste. Lo, is it not a greet mischaunce, (450) To lete a fole han governaunce Of thing that he can not demeine?' 960 And with this word, soth for to seyne, He gan alway upper to sore, And gladded me ay more and more, So feithfully to me spak he. Tho gan I loken under me, 965 And beheld the eyrish bestes, Cloudes, mistes, and tempestes, Snowes, hailes, reines, windes, (460) And thengendring in hir kindes, And al the wey through whiche I cam; 970 'O god,' quod I, 'that made Adam, Moche is thy might and thy noblesse!' And tho thoughte I upon Boëce, That writ, 'a thought may flee so hyë, With fetheres of Philosophye, 975 To passen everich element; And whan he hath so fer y-went, Than may be seen, behind his bak, (470) Cloud, and al that I of spak.' Tho gan I wexen in a were, 980 And seyde, 'I woot wel I am here; But wher in body or in gost I noot, y-wis; but god, thou wost!' For more cleer entendement Nadde he me never yit y-sent. 985 And than thoughte I on Marcian, And eek on Anteclaudian, That sooth was hir descripcioun (480) Of al the hevenes regioun, As fer as that I saw the preve; 990 Therfor I can hem now beleve. With that this egle gan to crye: 'Lat be,' quod he, 'thy fantasye; Wilt thou lere of sterres aught?' 'Nay, certeinly,' quod I, 'right naught; 995 And why? for I am now to old.' 'Elles I wolde thee have told,' Quod he, 'the sterres names, lo, (490) And al the hevenes signes to, And which they been.' 'No fors,' quod I. 1000 'Yis, pardee,' quod he; 'wostow why? For whan thou redest poetrye, How goddes gonne stellifye Brid, fish, beste, or him or here, As the Raven, or either Bere, 1005 Or Ariones harpe fyn, Castor, Pollux, or Delphyn, Or Atlantes doughtres sevene, (500) How alle these arn set in hevene; For though thou have hem ofte on honde, 1010 Yet nostow not wher that they stonde.' 'No fors,' quod I, 'hit is no nede; I leve as wel, so god me spede, Hem that wryte of this matere, As though I knew hir places here; 1015 And eek they shynen here so brighte, Hit shulde shenden al my sighte, To loke on hem.' 'That may wel be,' (510) Quod he. And so forth bar he me A whyl, and than he gan to crye, 1020 That never herde I thing so hye, 'Now up the heed; for al is wel; Seynt Iulyan, lo, bon hostel! See here the House of Fame, lo! Maistow not heren that I do?' 1025 'What?' quod I. 'The grete soun,' Quod he, 'that rumbleth up and doun In Fames Hous, ful of tydinges, (520) Bothe of fair speche and chydinges, And of fals and soth compouned. 1030 Herkne wel; hit is not rouned. Herestow not the grete swogh?' 'Yis, pardee,' quod I, 'wel y-nogh.' 'And what soun is it lyk?' quod he. 'Peter! lyk beting of the see,' 1035 Quod I, 'again the roches holowe, Whan tempest doth the shippes swalowe; And lat a man stonde, out of doute, (530) A myle thens, and here hit route; Or elles lyk the last humblinge 1040 After the clappe of a thundringe, When Ioves hath the air y-bete; But hit doth me for fere swete.' 'Nay, dred thee not therof,' quod he, 'Hit is nothing wil byten thee; 1045 Thou shalt non harm have, trewely.' And with this word bothe he and I As nigh the place arryved were (540) As men may casten with a spere. I nistë how, but in a strete 1050 He sette me faire on my fete, And seyde, 'Walke forth a pas, And tak thyn aventure or cas, That thou shalt finde in Fames place.' 'Now,' quod I, 'whyl we han space 1055 To speke, or that I go fro thee, For the love of god, tel me, In sooth, that wil I of thee lere, (550) If this noise that I here Be, as I have herd thee tellen, 1060 Of folk that doun in erthe dwellen, And comth here in the same wyse As I thee herde or this devyse; And that ther lyves body nis In al that hous that yonder is, 1065 That maketh al this loude fare?' 'No,' quod he, 'by Seynte Clare, And also wis god rede me! (560) But o thinge I wil warne thee Of the which thou wolt have wonder. 1070 Lo, to the House of Fame yonder Thou wost how cometh every speche, Hit nedeth noght thee eft to teche. But understond now right wel this; Whan any speche y-comen is 1075 Up to the paleys, anon-right Hit wexeth lyk the same wight, Which that the word in erthe spak, (570) Be hit clothed reed or blak; And hath so verray his lyknesse 1080 That spak the word, that thou wilt gesse That hit the same body be, Man or woman, he or she. And is not this a wonder thing?' 'Yis,' quod I tho, 'by hevene king!' 1085 And with this worde, 'Farwel,' quod he, 'And here I wol abyden thee; And god of hevene sende thee grace, (580) Som good to lernen in this place.' And I of him took leve anoon, 1090 And gan forth to the paleys goon.