BOOK III.

Invocation. O god of science and of light, Apollo, through thy grete might, This litel laste book thou gye! Nat that I wilne, for maistrye, 1095 Here art poetical be shewed; But, for the rym is light and lewed, Yit make hit sumwhat agreable, Though som vers faile in a sillable; And that I do no diligence (10) 1100 To shewe craft, but o sentence. And if, divyne vertu, thou Wilt helpe me to shewe now That in myn hede y-marked is— Lo, that is for to menen this, 1105 The Hous of Fame to descryve— Thou shalt see me go, as blyve, Unto the nexte laure I see, And kisse hit, for hit is thy tree; Now entreth in my breste anoon!— The Dream. (20) 1110 Whan I was fro this egle goon, I gan beholde upon this place. And certein, or I ferther pace, I wol yow al the shap devyse Of hous and site; and al the wyse 1115 How I gan to this place aproche That stood upon so high a roche, Hyer stant ther noon in Spaine. But up I clomb with alle paine, And though to climbe hit greved me, (30) 1120 Yit I ententif was to see, And for to pouren wonder lowe, If I coude any weyes knowe What maner stoon this roche was; For hit was lyk a thing of glas, 1125 But that hit shoon ful more clere; But of what congeled matere Hit was, I niste redely. But at the laste espyed I, And found that hit was, every deel, (40) 1130 A roche of yse, and not of steel. Thoughte I, 'By Seynt Thomas of Kent! This were a feble foundement To bilden on a place hye; He oughte him litel glorifye 1135 That her-on bilt, god so me save!' Tho saw I al the half y-grave With famous folkes names fele, That had y-been in mochel wele, And hir fames wyde y-blowe. (50) 1140 But wel unethes coude I knowe Any lettres for to rede Hir names by; for, out of drede, They were almost of-thowed so, That of the lettres oon or two 1145 Was molte away of every name; So unfamous was wexe hir fame; But men seyn, 'What may ever laste?' Tho gan I in myn herte caste, That they were molte awey with hete, (60) 1150 And not awey with stormes bete. For on that other syde I sey Of this hille, that northward lay, How hit was writen ful of names Of folk that hadden grete fames 1155 Of olde tyme, and yit they were As fresshe as men had writen hem there The selve day right, or that houre That I upon hem gan to poure. But wel I wiste what hit made; (70) 1160 Hit was conserved with the shade— Al this wrytinge that I sy— Of a castel, that stood on by, And stood eek on so cold a place, That hete mighte hit not deface. 1165 Tho gan I up the hille to goon, And fond upon the coppe a woon, That alle the men that ben on lyve Ne han the cunning to descryve The beautee of that ilke place, (80) 1170 Ne coude casten no compace Swich another for to make, That mighte of beautee be his make, Ne [be] so wonderliche y-wrought; That hit astonieth yit my thought, 1175 And maketh al my wit to swinke On this castel to bethinke. So that the grete craft, beautee, The cast, the curiositee Ne can I not to yow devyse, (90) 1180 My wit ne may me not suifyse. But natheles al the substance I have yit in my remembrance: For-why me thoughte, by Seynt Gyle! Al was of stone of beryle, 1185 Bothe castel and the tour, And eek the halle, and every bour, Withouten peces or Ioininges. But many subtil compassinges, Babewinnes and pinacles, (100) 1190 Imageries and tabernacles, I saw; and ful eek of windowes, As flakes falle in grete snowes. And eek in ech of the pinacles Weren sondry habitacles, 1195 In whiche stoden, al withoute— Ful the castel, al aboute— Of alle maner of minstrales, And gestiours, that tellen tales Bothe of weping and of game, (110) 1200 Of al that longeth unto Fame. Ther herde I pleyen on an harpe That souned bothe wel and sharpe, Orpheus ful craftely, And on his syde, faste by, 1205 Sat the harper Orion, And Eacides Chiron, And other harpers many oon, And the Bret Glascurion; And smale harpers with her gleës (120) 1210 Seten under hem in seës, And gonne on hem upward to gape, And countrefete hem as an ape, Or as craft countrefeteth kinde. Tho saugh I stonden hem behinde, 1215 A-fer fro hem, al by hemselve, Many thousand tymes twelve, That maden loude menstralcyes In cornemuse and shalmyes, And many other maner pype, (130) 1220 That craftely begunne pype Bothe in doucet and in rede, That ben at festes with the brede; And many floute and lilting-horne, And pypes made of grene corne, 1225 As han thise litel herde-gromes, That kepen bestes in the bromes. Ther saugh I than Atiteris, And of Athenes dan Pseustis, And Marcia that lost her skin, (140) 1230 Bothe in face, body, and chin, For that she wolde envyen, lo! To pypen bet then Apollo. Ther saugh I famous, olde and yonge, Pypers of the Duche tonge, 1235 To lerne love-daunces, springes, Reyes, and these straunge thinges. Tho saugh I in another place Stonden in a large space, Of hem that maken blody soun (150) 1240 In trumpe, beme, and clarioun; For in fight and blood-shedinge Is used gladly clarioninge. Ther herde I trumpen Messenus, Of whom that speketh Virgilius. 1245 Ther herde I Ioab trumpe also, Theodomas, and other mo; And alle that used clarion In Cataloigne and Aragon, That in hir tyme famous were (160) 1250 To lerne, saugh I trumpe there. Ther saugh I sitte in other seës, Pleyinge upon sondry gleës, Whiche that I cannot nevene, Mo then sterres been in hevene, 1255 Of whiche I nil as now not ryme, For ese of yow, and losse of tyme: For tyme y-lost, this knowen ye, By no way may recovered be. Ther saugh I pleyen Iogelours, (170) 1260 Magiciens and tregetours, And phitonesses, charmeresses, Olde wicches, sorceresses, That use exorsisaciouns, And eek thise fumigaciouns; 1265 And clerkes eek, which conne wel Al this magyke naturel, That craftely don hir ententes, To make, in certeyn ascendentes, Images, lo, through which magyk (180) 1270 To make a man ben hool or syk. Ther saugh I thee, queen Medea, And Circes eke, and Calipsa; Ther saugh I Hermes Ballenus, Lymote, and eek Simon Magus. 1275 Ther saugh I, and knew hem by name, That by such art don men han fame. Ther saugh I Colle tregetour Upon a table of sicamour Pleye an uncouthe thing to telle; (190) 1280 I saugh him carien a wind-melle Under a walsh-note shale. What shuld I make lenger tale Of al the peple that I say, Fro hennes in-to domesday? 1285 Whan I had al this folk beholde, And fond me lous, and noght y-holde, And eft y-mused longe whyle Upon these walles of beryle, That shoon ful lighter than a glas, (200) 1290 And made wel more than hit was To semen, every thing, y-wis, As kinde thing of fames is; I gan forth romen til I fond The castel-yate on my right hond, 1295 Which that so wel corven was That never swich another nas; And yit hit was by aventure Y-wrought, as often as by cure. Hit nedeth noght yow for to tellen, (210) 1300 To make yow to longe dwellen, Of this yates florisshinges, Ne of compasses, ne of kervinges, Ne how they hatte in masoneries, As, corbets fulle of imageries. 1305 But, lord! so fair hit was to shewe, For hit was al with gold behewe. But in I wente, and that anoon; Ther mette I crying many oon,— 'A larges, larges, hold up wel! (220) 1310 God save the lady of this pel, Our owne gentil lady Fame, And hem that wilnen to have name Of us!' Thus herde I cryen alle, And faste comen out of halle, 1315 And shoken nobles and sterlinges. And somme crouned were as kinges, With crounes wroght ful of losenges; And many riban, and many frenges Were on hir clothes trewely. (230) 1320 Tho atte laste aspyed I That pursevauntes and heraudes, That cryen riche folkes laudes, Hit weren alle; and every man Of hem, as I yow tellen can, 1325 Had on him throwen a vesture, Which that men clepe a cote-armure, Enbrowded wonderliche riche, Al-though they nere nought y-liche. But noght nil I, so mote I thryve, (240) 1330 Been aboute to discryve Al these armes that ther weren, That they thus on hir cotes beren, For hit to me were impossible; Men mighte make of hem a bible 1335 Twenty foot thikke, as I trowe. For certeyn, who-so coude y-knowe Mighte ther alle the armes seen Of famous folk that han y-been In Auffrike, Europe, and Asye, (250) 1340 Sith first began the chevalrye. Lo! how shulde I now telle al this? Ne of the halle eek what nede is To tellen yow, that every wal Of hit, and floor, and roof and al 1345 Was plated half a fote thikke Of gold, and that nas no-thing wikke, But, for to prove in alle wyse, As fyn as ducat in Venyse, Of whiche to lyte al in my pouche is? (260) 1350 And they wer set as thikke of nouchis Fulle of the fynest stones faire, That men rede in the Lapidaire, As greses growen in a mede; But hit were al to longe to rede 1355 The names; and therfore I pace. But in this riche lusty place, That Fames halle called was, Ful moche prees of folk ther nas, Ne crouding, for to mochil prees. (270) 1360 But al on hye, above a dees, Sitte in a see imperial, That maad was of a rubee al, Which that a carbuncle is y-called, I saugh, perpetually y-stalled, 1365 A feminyne creature; That never formed by nature Nas swich another thing y-seye. For altherfirst, soth for to seye, Me thoughte that she was so lyte, (280) 1370 That the lengthe of a cubyte Was lenger than she semed be; But thus sone, in a whyle, she Hir tho so wonderliche streighte, That with hir feet she therthe reighte, 1375 And with hir heed she touched hevene, Ther as shynen sterres sevene. And ther-to eek, as to my wit, I saugh a gretter wonder yit, Upon hir eyen to beholde; (290) 1380 But certeyn I hem never tolde; For as fele eyen hadde she As fetheres upon foules be, Or weren on the bestes foure, That goddes trone gunne honoure, 1385 As Iohn writ in thapocalips. Hir heer, that oundy was and crips, As burned gold hit shoon to see. And sooth to tellen, also she Had also fele up-stonding eres (300) 1390 And tonges, as on bestes heres; And on hir feet wexen saugh I Partriches winges redely. But, lord! the perrie and the richesse I saugh sitting on this goddesse! 1395 And, lord! the hevenish melodye Of songes, ful of armonye, I herde aboute her trone y-songe, That al the paleys-walles ronge! So song the mighty Muse, she (310) 1400 That cleped is Caliopee, And hir eighte sustren eke, That in hir face semen meke; And evermo, eternally, They songe of Fame, as tho herde I:— 1405 'Heried be thou and thy name, Goddesse of renoun and of fame!' Tho was I war, lo, atte laste, As I myn eyen gan up caste, That this ilke noble quene (320) 1410 On hir shuldres gan sustene Bothe tharmes and the name Of tho that hadde large fame; Alexander, and Hercules That with a sherte his lyf lees! 1415 Thus fond I sitting this goddesse, In nobley, honour, and richesse; Of which I stinte a whyle now, Other thing to tellen yow. Tho saugh I stonde on either syde, (330) 1420 Streight doun to the dores wyde, Fro the dees, many a pileer Of metal, that shoon not ful cleer; But though they nere of no richesse, Yet they were maad for greet noblesse, 1425 And in hem greet [and hy] sentence; And folk of digne reverence, Of whiche I wol yow telle fonde, Upon the piler saugh I stonde. Alderfirst, lo, ther I sigh, (340) 1430 Upon a piler stonde on high, That was of lede and yren fyn, Him of secte Saturnyn, The Ebrayk Iosephus, the olde, That of Iewes gestes tolde; 1435 And bar upon his shuldres hye The fame up of the Iewerye. And by him stoden other sevene, Wyse and worthy for to nevene, To helpen him here up the charge, (350) 1440 Hit was so hevy and so large. And for they writen of batailes, As wel as other olde mervailes, Therfor was, lo, this pileer, Of which that I yow telle heer, 1445 Of lede and yren bothe, y-wis. For yren Martes metal is, Which that god is of bataile; And the leed, withouten faile, Is, lo, the metal of Saturne, (360) 1450 That hath ful large wheel to turne. Tho stoden forth, on every rowe, Of hem which that I coude knowe, Thogh I hem noght by ordre telle, To make yow to long to dwelle. 1455 These, of whiche I ginne rede, Ther saugh I stonden, out of drede: Upon an yren piler strong, That peynted was, al endelong, With tygres blode in every place, (370) 1460 The Tholosan that highte Stace, That bar of Thebes up the fame Upon his shuldres, and the name Also of cruel Achilles. And by him stood, withouten lees, 1465 Ful wonder hye on a pileer Of yren, he, the gret Omeer; And with him Dares and Tytus Before, and eek he, Lollius, And Guido eek de Columpnis, (380) 1470 And English Gaufride eek, y-wis; And ech of these, as have I Ioye, Was besy for to bere up Troye. So hevy ther-of was the fame, That for to bere hit was no game. 1475 But yit I gan ful wel espye, Betwix hem was a litel envye. Oon seyde, Omere made lyes, Feyninge in his poetryes, And was to Grekes favorable; (390) 1480 Therfor held he hit but fable. Tho saugh I stonde on a pileer, That was of tinned yren cleer, That Latin poete, [dan] Virgyle, That bore hath up a longe whyle 1485 The fame of Pius Eneas. And next him on a piler was, Of coper, Venus clerk, Ovyde, That hath y-sowen wonder wyde The grete god of Loves name. (400) 1490 And ther he bar up wel his fame, Upon this piler, also hye As I might see hit with myn yë: For-why this halle, of whiche I rede Was woxe on highte, lengthe and brede, 1495 Wel more, by a thousand del, Than hit was erst, that saugh I wel. Tho saugh I, on a piler by, Of yren wroght ful sternely, The grete poete, daun Lucan, (410) 1500 And on his shuldres bar up than, As highe as that I mighte see, The fame of Iulius and Pompee. And by him stoden alle these clerkes, That writen of Romes mighty werkes, 1505 That, if I wolde hir names telle, Al to longe moste I dwelle. And next him on a piler stood Of soulfre, lyk as he were wood, Dan Claudian, the soth to telle, (420) 1510 That bar up al the fame of helle, Of Pluto, and of Proserpyne, That quene is of the derke pyne. What shulde I more telle of this? The halle was al ful, y-wis, 1515 Of hem that writen olde gestes, As ben on treës rokes nestes; But hit a ful confus matere Were al the gestes for to here, That they of write, and how they highte. (430) 1520 But whyl that I beheld this sighte, I herde a noise aprochen blyve, That ferde as been don in an hyve, Agen her tyme of out-fleyinge; Right swiche a maner murmuringe, 1525 For al the world, hit semed me. Tho gan I loke aboute and see, That ther com entring in the halle A right gret company with-alle, And that of sondry regiouns, (440) 1530 Of alleskinnes condiciouns, That dwelle in erthe under the mone, Pore and ryche. And also sone As they were come into the halle, They gonne doun on kneës falle 1535 Before this ilke noble quene, And seyde, 'Graunte us, lady shene, Ech of us, of thy grace, a bone!' And somme of hem she graunted sone, And somme she werned wel and faire; (450) 1540 And somme she graunted the contraire Of hir axing utterly. But thus I seye yow trewely, What hir cause was, I niste. For this folk, ful wel I wiste, 1545 They hadde good fame ech deserved, Althogh they were diversly served; Right as hir suster, dame Fortune, Is wont to serven in comune. Now herkne how she gan to paye (460) 1550 That gonne hir of hir grace praye; And yit, lo, al this companye Seyden sooth, and noght a lye. 'Madame,' seyden they, 'we be Folk that heer besechen thee, 1555 That thou graunte us now good fame, And lete our werkes han that name; In ful recompensacioun Of good werk, give us good renoun.' 'I werne yow hit,' quod she anoon, (470) 1560 'Ye gete of me good fame noon, By god! and therfor go your wey.' 'Alas,' quod they, 'and welaway! Telle us, what may your cause be?' 'For me list hit noght,' quod she; 1565 'No wight shal speke of yow, y-wis, Good ne harm, ne that ne this.' And with that word she gan to calle Hir messanger, that was in halle, And bad that he shulde faste goon, (480) 1570 Up peyne to be blind anoon, For Eolus, the god of winde;— 'In Trace ther ye shul him finde, And bid him bringe his clarioun, That is ful dyvers of his soun, 1575 And hit is cleped Clere Laude, With which he wont is to heraude Hem that me list y-preised be: And also bid him how that he Bringe his other clarioun, (490) 1580 That highte Sclaundre in every toun, With which he wont is to diffame Hem that me list, and do hem shame.' This messanger gan faste goon, And found wher, in a cave of stoon, 1585 In a contree that highte Trace, This Eolus, with harde grace, Held the windes in distresse, And gan hem under him to presse, That they gonne as beres rore, (500) 1590 He bond and pressed hem so sore. This messanger gan faste crye, 'Rys up,' quod he, 'and faste hye, Til that thou at my lady be; And tak thy clarions eek with thee, 1595 And speed thee forth.' And he anon Took to a man, that hight Triton, His clariouns to bere tho, And leet a certeyn wind to go, That blew so hidously and hye, (510) 1600 That hit ne lefte not a skye In al the welken longe and brood. This Eolus no-wher abood Til he was come at Fames feet, And eek the man that Triton heet; 1605 And ther he stood, as still as stoon. And her-withal ther com anoon Another huge companye Of gode folk, and gunne crye, 'Lady, graunte us now good fame, (520) 1610 And lat our werkes han that name Now, in honour of gentilesse, And also god your soule blesse! For we han wel deserved hit, Therfor is right that we ben quit.' 1615 'As thryve I,' quod she, 'ye shal faile, Good werkes shal yow noght availe To have of me good fame as now. But wite ye what? I graunte yow, That ye shal have a shrewed fame (530) 1620 And wikked loos, and worse name, Though ye good loos have wel deserved. Now go your wey, for ye be served; And thou, dan Eolus, let see! Tak forth thy trumpe anon,' quod she, 1625 'That is y-cleped Sclaunder light, And blow hir loos, that every wight Speke of hem harm and shrewednesse, In stede of good and worthinesse. For thou shalt trumpe al the contraire (540) 1630 Of that they han don wel or faire.' 'Alas,' thoughte I, 'what aventures Han these sory creatures! For they, amonges al the pres, Shul thus be shamed gilteles! 1635 But what! hit moste nedes be.' What did this Eolus, but he Tok out his blakke trumpe of bras, That fouler than the devil was, And gan this trumpe for to blowe, (550) 1640 As al the world shulde overthrowe; That through-out every regioun Wente this foule trumpes soun, As swift as pelet out of gonne, Whan fyr is in the poudre ronne. 1645 And swiche a smoke gan out-wende Out of his foule trumpes ende, Blak, blo, grenish, swartish reed, As doth wher that men melte leed, Lo, al on high fro the tuel! (560) 1650 And therto oo thing saugh I wel, That, the ferther that hit ran, The gretter wexen hit began, As doth the river from a welle, And hit stank as the pit of helle. 1655 Alas, thus was hir shame y-ronge, And giltelees, on every tonge. Tho com the thridde companye, And gunne up to the dees to hye, And doun on knees they fille anon, (570) 1660 And seyde, 'We ben everichon Folk that han ful trewely Deserved fame rightfully, And praye yow, hit mot be knowe, Right as hit is, and forth y-blowe.' 1665 'I graunte,' quod she, 'for me list That now your gode werk be wist; And yit ye shul han better loos, Right in dispyt of alle your foos, Than worthy is; and that anoon: (580) 1670 Lat now,' quod she, 'thy trumpe goon, Thou Eolus, that is so blak; And out thyn other trumpe tak That highte Laude, and blow hit so That through the world hir fame go 1675 Al esely, and not to faste, That hit be knowen atte laste.' 'Ful gladly, lady myn,' he seyde; And out his trumpe of golde he brayde Anon, and sette hit to his mouthe, (590) 1680 And blew hit est, and west, and southe, And north, as loude as any thunder, That every wight hadde of hit wonder, So brode hit ran, or than hit stente. And, certes, al the breeth that wente 1685 Out of his trumpes mouthe smelde As men a pot-ful bawme helde Among a basket ful of roses; This favour dide he til hir loses. And right with this I gan aspye, (600) 1690 Ther com the ferthe companye— But certeyn they were wonder fewe— And gonne stonden in a rewe, And seyden, 'Certes, lady brighte, We han don wel with al our mighte; 1695 But we ne kepen have no fame. Hyd our werkes and our name, For goddes love! for certes we Han certeyn doon hit for bountee, And for no maner other thing.' (610) 1700 'I graunte yow al your asking,' Quod she; 'let your werk be deed.' With that aboute I clew myn heed, And saugh anoon the fifte route That to this lady gonne loute, 1705 And doun on knees anoon to falle; And to hir tho besoughten alle To hyde hir gode werkes eek, And seyde, they yeven noght a leek For fame, ne for swich renoun; (620) 1710 For they, for contemplacioun And goddes love, hadde y-wrought; Ne of fame wolde they nought. 'What?' quod she, 'and be ye wood? And wene ye for to do good, 1715 And for to have of that no fame? Have ye dispyt to have my name? Nay, ye shul liven everichoon! Blow thy trumpe and that anoon,' Quod she, 'thou Eolus, I hote, (630) 1720 And ring this folkes werk by note, That al the world may of hit here.' And he gan blowe hir loos so clere In his golden clarioun, That through the world wente the soun, 1725 So kenely, and eek so softe; But atte laste hit was on-lofte. Thoo com the sexte companye, And gonne faste on Fame crye. Right verraily, in this manere (640) 1730 They seyden: 'Mercy, lady dere! To telle certein, as hit is, We han don neither that ne this, But ydel al our lyf y-be. But, natheles, yit preye we, 1735 That we mowe han so good a fame, And greet renoun and knowen name, As they that han don noble gestes, And acheved alle hir lestes, As wel of love as other thing; (650) 1740 Al was us never broche ne ring, Ne elles nought, from wimmen sent, Ne ones in hir herte y-ment To make us only frendly chere, But mighte temen us on bere; 1745 Yit lat us to the peple seme Swiche as the world may of us deme, That wimmen loven us for wood. Hit shal don us as moche good, And to our herte as moche availe (660) 1750 To countrepeise ese and travaile, As we had wonne hit with labour; For that is dere boght honour At regard of our grete ese. And yit thou most us more plese; 1755 Let us be holden eek, therto, Worthy, wyse, and gode also, And riche, and happy unto love. For goddes love, that sit above, Though we may not the body have (670) 1760 Of wimmen, yet, so god yow save! Let men glewe on us the name; Suffyceth that we han the fame.' 'I graunte,' quod she, 'by my trouthe! Now, Eolus, with-outen slouthe, 1765 Tak out thy trumpe of gold, let see, And blow as they han axed me, That every man wene hem at ese, Though they gon in ful badde lese.' This Eolus gan hit so blowe, (680) 1770 That through the world hit was y-knowe. Tho com the seventh route anoon, And fel on kneës everichoon, And seyde, 'Lady, graunte us sone The same thing, the same bone, 1775 That [ye] this nexte folk han doon.' 'Fy on yow,' quod she, 'everichoon! Ye masty swyn, ye ydel wrecches, Ful of roten slowe tecches! What? false theves! wher ye wolde (690) 1780 Be famous good, and no-thing nolde Deserve why, ne never roughte? Men rather yow to-hangen oughte! For ye be lyk the sweynte cat, That wolde have fish; but wostow what? 1785 He wolde no-thing wete his clowes. Yvel thrift come on your Iowes, And eek on myn, if I hit graunte, Or do yow favour, yow to avaunte! Thou Eolus, thou king of Trace! (700) 1790 Go, blow this folk a sory grace,' Quod she, 'anoon; and wostow how? As I shal telle thee right now; Sey: "These ben they that wolde honour Have, and do noskinnes labour, 1795 Ne do no good, and yit han laude; And that men wende that bele Isaude Ne coude hem noght of love werne; And yit she that grint at a querne Is al to good to ese hir herte."' (710) 1800 This Eolus anon up sterte, And with his blakke clarioun He gan to blasen out a soun, As loude as belweth wind in helle. And eek therwith, [the] sooth to telle, 1805 This soun was [al] so ful of Iapes, As ever mowes were in apes. And that wente al the world aboute, That every wight gan on hem shoute, And for to laughe as they were wode; (720) 1810 Such game fonde they in hir hode. Tho com another companye, That had y-doon the traiterye, The harm, the gretest wikkednesse That any herte couthe gesse; 1815 And preyed hir to han good fame, And that she nolde hem doon no shame, But yeve hem loos and good renoun, And do hit blowe in clarioun. 'Nay, wis!' quod she, 'hit were a vyce; (730) 1820 Al be ther in me no Iustyce, Me listeth not to do hit now, Ne this nil I not graunte you.' Tho come ther lepinge in a route, And gonne choppen al aboute 1825 Every man upon the croune, That al the halle gan to soune, And seyden: 'Lady, lefe and dere, We ben swich folk as ye mowe here. To tellen al the tale aright, (740) 1830 We ben shrewes, every wight, And han delyt in wikkednes, As gode folk han in goodnes; And Ioye to be knowen shrewes, And fulle of vyce and wikked thewes; 1835 Wherfor we preyen yow, a-rowe, That our fame swich be knowe In alle thing right as hit is.' 'I graunte hit yow,' quod she, 'y-wis. But what art thou that seyst this tale, (750) 1840 That werest on thy hose a pale, And on thy tipet swiche a belle!' 'Madame,' quod he, 'sooth to telle, I am that ilke shrewe, y-wis, That brende the temple of Isidis 1845 In Athenes, lo, that citee.' 'And wherfor didest thou so?' quod she. 'By my thrift,' quod he, 'madame, I wolde fayn han had a fame, As other folk hadde in the toun, (760) 1850 Al-thogh they were of greet renoun For hir vertu and for hir thewes; Thoughte I, as greet a fame han shrewes, Thogh hit be [but] for shrewednesse, As gode folk han for goodnesse; 1855 And sith I may not have that oon, That other nil I noght for-goon. And for to gette of Fames hyre, The temple sette I al a-fyre. Now do our loos be blowen swythe, (770) 1860 As wisly be thou ever blythe.' 'Gladly,' quod she; 'thou Eolus, Herestow not what they preyen us?' 'Madame, yis, ful wel,' quod he, 'And I wil trumpen hit, parde!' 1865 And tok his blakke trumpe faste, And gan to puffen and to blaste, Til hit was at the worldes ende. With that I gan aboute wende; For oon that stood right at my bak, (780) 1870 Me thoughte, goodly to me spak, And seyde: 'Frend, what is thy name? Artow come hider to han fame?' 'Nay, for-sothe, frend!' quod I; 'I cam noght hider, graunt mercy! 1875 For no swich cause, by my heed! Suffyceth me, as I were deed, That no wight have my name in honde. I woot my-self best how I stonde; For what I drye or what I thinke, (790) 1880 I wol my-selven al hit drinke, Certeyn, for the more part, As ferforth as I can myn art.' 'But what dost thou here than?' quod he. Quod I, 'that wol I tellen thee, 1885 The cause why I stondë here:— Som newe tydings for to lere:— Som newe thinges, I not what, Tydinges, other this or that, Of love, or swiche thinges glade. (800) 1890 For certeynly, he that me made To comen hider, seyde me, I shulde bothe here and see, In this place, wonder thinges; But these be no swiche tydinges 1895 As I mene of.' 'No?' quod he. And I answerde, 'No, pardee! For wel I wiste, ever yit, Sith that first I hadde wit, That som folk han desyred fame (810) 1900 Dyversly, and loos, and name; But certeynly, I niste how Ne wher that Fame dwelte, er now; Ne eek of hir descripcioun, Ne also hir condicioun, 1905 Ne the ordre of hir dome, Unto the tyme I hider come.' '[Whiche] be, lo, these tydinges, That thou now [thus] hider bringes, That thou hast herd?' quod he to me; (820) 1910 'But now, no fors; for wel I see What thou desyrest for to here. Com forth, and stond no longer here, And I wol thee, with-outen drede, In swich another place lede, 1915 Ther thou shalt here many oon.' Tho gan I forth with him to goon Out of the castel, soth to seye. Tho saugh I stonde in a valeye, Under the castel, faste by, (830) 1920 An hous, that domus Dedali, That Laborintus cleped is, Nas maad so wonderliche, y-wis, Ne half so queynteliche y-wrought. And evermo, so swift as thought, 1925 This queynte hous aboute wente, That never-mo hit stille stente. And ther-out com so greet a noise, That, had hit stonden upon Oise, Men mighte hit han herd esely (840) 1930 To Rome, I trowe sikerly. And the noyse which that I herde, For al the world right so hit ferde, As doth the routing of the stoon That from thengyn is leten goon. 1935 And al this hous, of whiche I rede, Was made of twigges, falwe, rede, And grene eek, and som weren whyte, Swiche as men to these cages thwyte, Or maken of these paniers, (850) 1940 Or elles hottes or dossers; That, for the swough and for the twigges, This hous was also ful of gigges, And also ful eek of chirkinges, And of many other werkinges; 1945 And eek this hous hath of entrees As fele as leves been on trees In somer, whan they grene been; And on the roof men may yit seen A thousand holes, and wel mo, (860) 1950 To leten wel the soun out go. And by day, in every tyde, Ben al the dores open wyde, And by night, echoon, unshette; Ne porter ther is non to lette 1955 No maner tydings in to pace; Ne never reste is in that place, That hit nis fild ful of tydinges, Other loude, or of whispringes; And, over alle the houses angles, (870) 1960 Is ful of rouninges and of Iangles Of werre, of pees, of mariages, Of reste, of labour, of viages, Of abood, of deeth, of lyfe, Of love, of hate, acorde, of stryfe, 1965 Of loos, of lore, and of winninges, Of hele, of sekenesse, of bildinges, Of faire windes, of tempestes, Of qualme of folk, and eek of bestes; Of dyvers transmutaciouns (880) 1970 Of estats, and eek of regiouns; Of trust, of drede, of Ielousye, Of wit, of winninge, of folye; Of plentee, and of greet famyne, Of chepe, of derth, and of ruyne; 1975 Of good or mis governement, Of fyr, of dyvers accident. And lo, this hous, of whiche I wryte, Siker be ye, hit nas not lyte; For hit was sixty myle of lengthe; (890) 1980 Al was the timber of no strengthe, Yet hit is founded to endure Whyl that hit list to Aventure, That is the moder of tydinges, As the see of welles and springes,— 1985 And hit was shapen lyk a cage. 'Certes,' quod I, 'in al myn age, Ne saugh I swich a hous as this.' And as I wondred me, y-wis, Upon this hous, tho war was I (900) 1990 How that myn egle, faste by, Was perched hye upon a stoon; And I gan streighte to him goon And seyde thus: 'I preye thee That thou a whyl abyde me 1995 For goddes love, and let me seen What wondres in this place been; For yit, paraventure, I may lere Som good ther-on, or sumwhat here That leef me were, or that I wente.' (910) 2000 'Peter! that is myn entente,' Quod he to me; 'therfor I dwelle; But certein, oon thing I thee telle, That, but I bringe thee ther-inne, Ne shalt thou never cunne ginne 2005 To come in-to hit, out of doute, So faste hit whirleth, lo, aboute. But sith that Ioves, of his grace, As I have seyd, wol thee solace Fynally with [swiche] thinges, (920) 2010 Uncouthe sightes and tydinges, To passe with thyn hevinesse; Suche routhe hath he of thy distresse, That thou suffrest debonairly— And wost thy-selven utterly 2015 Disesperat of alle blis, Sith that Fortune hath maad a-mis The [fruit] of al thyn hertes reste Languisshe and eek in point to breste— That he, through his mighty meryte, (930) 2020 Wol do thee ese, al be hit lyte, And yaf expres commaundement, To whiche I am obedient, To furthre thee with al my might, And wisse and teche thee aright 2025 Wher thou maist most tydinges here; Shaltow anoon heer many oon lere.' With this worde he, right anoon, Hente me up bitwene his toon, And at a windowe in me broghte, (940) 2030 That in this hous was, as me thoghte— And ther-withal, me thoghte hit stente, And no-thing hit aboute wente— And me sette in the flore adoun. But which a congregacioun 2035 Of folk, as I saugh rome aboute Some within and some withoute, Nas never seen, ne shal ben eft; That, certes, in the world nis left So many formed by Nature, (950) 2040 Ne deed so many a creature; That wel unethe, in that place, Hadde I oon foot-brede of space; And every wight that I saugh there Rouned ech in otheres ere 2045 A newe tyding prevely, Or elles tolde al openly Right thus, and seyde: 'Nost not thou That is betid, lo, late or now?' 'No,' quod [the other], 'tel me what;'— (960) 2050 And than he tolde him this and that, And swoor ther-to that hit was sooth— 'Thus hath he seyd'—and 'Thus he dooth'— 'Thus shal hit be'—'Thus herde I seye'— 'That shal be found'—' That dar I leye:'— 2055 That al the folk that is a-lyve Ne han the cunning to discryve The thinges that I herde there, What aloude, and what in ere. But al the wonder-most was this:— (970) 2060 Whan oon had herd a thing, y-wis, He com forth to another wight, And gan him tellen, anoon-right, The same that to him was told, Or hit a furlong-way was old, 2065 But gan somwhat for to eche To this tyding in this speche More than hit ever was. And nat so sone departed nas That he fro him, that he ne mette (980) 2070 With the thridde; and, or he lette Any stounde, he tolde him als; Were the tyding sooth or fals, Yit wolde he telle hit nathelees, And evermo with more encrees 2075 Than hit was erst. Thus north and southe Went every [word] fro mouth to mouthe, And that encresing ever-mo, As fyr is wont to quikke and go From a sparke spronge amis, (990) 2080 Til al a citee brent up is. And, whan that was ful y-spronge, And woxen more on every tonge Than ever hit was, [hit] wente anoon Up to a windowe, out to goon; 2085 Or, but hit mighte out ther pace, Hit gan out crepe at som crevace, And fleigh forth faste for the nones. And somtyme saugh I tho, at ones, A lesing and a sad soth-sawe, (1000) 2090 That gonne of aventure drawe Out at a windowe for to pace; And, when they metten in that place, They were a-chekked bothe two, And neither of hem moste out go; 2095 For other so they gonne croude, Til eche of hem gan cryen loude, 'Lat me go first!' 'Nay, but lat me! And here I wol ensuren thee With the nones that thou wolt do so, (1010) 2100 That I shal never fro thee go, But be thyn owne sworen brother! We wil medle us ech with other, That no man, be he never so wrothe, Shal han that oon [of] two, but bothe 2105 At ones, al beside his leve, Come we a-morwe or on eve, Be we cryed or stille y-rouned.' Thus saugh I fals and sooth compouned Togeder flee for oo tydinge. (1020) 2110 Thus out at holes gonne wringe Every tyding streight to Fame; And she gan yeven eche his name. After hir disposicioun, And yaf hem eek duracioun, 2115 Some to wexe and wane sone, As dooth the faire whyte mone, And leet hem gon. Ther mighte I seen Wenged wondres faste fleen, Twenty thousand in a route, (1030) 2120 As Eolus hem blew aboute. And, lord! this hous, in alle tymes, Was ful of shipmen and pilgrymes, With scrippes bret-ful of lesinges, Entremedled with tydinges, 2125 And eek alone by hem-selve. O, many a thousand tymes twelve Saugh I eek of these pardoneres, Currours, and eek messangeres, With boistes crammed ful of lyes (1040) 2130 As ever vessel was with lyes. And as I alther-fastest wente Aboute, and dide al myn entente Me for to pleye and for to lere, And eek a tyding for to here, 2135 That I had herd of som contree That shal not now be told for me;— For hit no nede is, redely; Folk can singe hit bet than I; For al mot out, other late or rathe, (1050) 2140 Alle the sheves in the lathe;— I herde a gret noise withalle In a corner of the halle, Ther men of love tydings tolde, And I gan thiderward beholde; 2145 For I saugh renninge every wight, As faste as that they hadden might; And everich cryed, 'What thing is that?' And som seyde, 'I not never what.' And whan they were alle on an hepe, (1060) 2150 Tho behinde gonne up lepe, And clamben up on othere faste, And up the nose on hye caste, And troden faste on othere heles And stampe, as men don after eles. 2155 Atte laste I saugh a man, Which that I [nevene] naught ne can; But he semed for to be (1068) 2158 A man of greet auctoritee....