BERKELEY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 3nifid^ ^redmtcJc 3iDjc. ^>c>t.f // M PAETONOPE OF BLOIS. ^ THE #14 (^njlisft $mm OF PARTONOPE OF BLOIS. EDITED FOR THE FIRST TIME MANUSCRIPTS IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LIBRARY, AND THE BODLEIAN, AT OXFORD, BY THE REV. W. E. BUCKLEY, M.A., RECTOR OF MIDDLETON-CHENEY, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, AND FORMERLY FELLOW OF BRASENOSE COLLEGE. PRINTED FOR THE 32lO):btirgI)e Club. LONDON: J. B. NICHOLS AND SONS, 25, PARLIAMENT STREET. MDCCCLXII. ♦ 'V - •: • *. PARTONOPE OF BLOIS. f*;'**^. 3&,o):burg;!)c Club. STije iiJo.Ti)uigl)e OTlui) MDCCCLXII. THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH AND QUEENSBERRY, K.G., PRESIDENT. THE DUKE OF HAMILTON AND BRANDON. HIS EXCELLENCY MONSIEUR VAN DE WEYER. MARQUIS OF LOTHIAN. EARL OF CARNARVON. EARL OF POWIS, V.P. EARL CAWDOR. EARL OF ELLESMERE. LORD DELAMERE. LORD VERNON. LORD DUFFERIN, K.C.B. LORD WENSLEYDALE. RIGHT HON. SIR DAVID DUNDAS. HON. ROBERT CURZON, JUN. SIR STEPHEN RICHARD GLYNNE, BART. SIR EDWARD HULSE, BAIIT. SIR JOHN BENN WALSH, BART. SIR JOHN SIMEON, BART. SIR JAMES SHAW WILLES. BERIAH BOTFIELD, ESQ. Treaturer. REV. WILLIAM EDWARD BUCKLEY. PAUL BUTLER, ESQ. FRANCIS HENRY DICKINSON, ESQ. THOMAS GAISFORD, ESQ. RALPH NEVILLE GRENVILLE, ESQ. ROBERT STAYNER HOLFORD, ESQ. ADRIAN JOHN HOPE, ESQ. ALEX. JAMES BERESFORD HOPE, ESQ. REV. JOHN STUART HIPPISLEY HORNER, M.A. JOHN ARTHUR LLOYD, ESQ. EVELYN PHILIP SHIRLEY, ESQ. WILLIAM STIRLING, ESQ. SIMON WATSON TAYLOR, ESQ. GEORGE TOMLINE, ESQ. CHARLES TOWNELEY, ESQ. 234 1812. PRESIDENT. 1. GEORGE JOHN, EARL SPENCER. 1812. 1812. 1812. 1812. 5. 1812. 6. 1812. 7. 1S12. 8. 1812. 9. 1812. 10. 1812. 11. 1812. 12. 1812. 13, 1812. 14. 1812. 15, WILLIAM SPENCER, DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE. GEORGE SPENCER CHURCHILL, MARQUIS OF BLANDFORD. 1817. DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH. GEORGE GRANVILLE LEVESON GOWER, EARL GOWER. 1833. MARQUIS OP STAFFORD. 1833. DUKE OF SUTHERLAND. GEORGE HOWARD, VISCOUNT MORPETH. 1825. EARL OF CARLISLE. JOHN CHARLES SPENCER, VISCOUNT ALTHORP. 1834. EARL SPENCER. SIR MARK MASTERMAN SYKES, BART. SIR SAMUEL EGERTON BRYDGES, BART. WILLIAM BENTHAM, ESQ. WILLIAM BOLLAND, ESQ. 1829. SIR WILLIAM BOLLAND, KNT. JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. REV. WILLIAM HOLWELL CARR. JOHN DENT. ESQ. REV. THOMAS FROGNALL DIBDIN. REV. HENRY DRURY. 1812. 16. FRANCIS FREELING, ESQ. 1828. SIR FRANCIS FREELING, BART. 1812. 17. GEORGE HENRY FREELING, ESQ. 1836. SIR GEORGE HENRY FREELING, BART. JOSEPH HASLEWOOD, ESQ. RICHARD HEBER, ESQ. REV. THOMAS CUTHBERT HEBER. GEORGE ISTED, ESQ. ROBERT LANG, ESQ. JOSEPH LITTLEDALE, ESQ. 1824. SIR JOSEPH LITTLEDALE, KNT. JAMES HEYWOOD MARKLAND, ESQ. JOHN DELAFIELD PHELPS, ESQ. THOMAS PONTON, ESQ. PEREGRINE TOWNELEY, ESQ. EDWARD VERNON UTTERSON, ESQ. ROGER WILBRAHAM, ESQ. REV. JAMES WILLIAM DODD. EDWARD LITTLEDALE, ESQ. 1812. 18. 1812. 19. 1812. 20. 1812. 21. 1812. 22. 1812. 23. 1812. 24. 1812. 25. 1812. 26. 1812. 27. 1812. 28. 1812. 29. 1812. 30. 1812. 31. 1816. 32. 1819. 33. 1822. 34. 1822. 35. 1822. 36. 1823. 37. GEORGE HIBBERT, ESQ. SIR ALEXANDER BOSWELL, BART. GEORGE WATSON TAYLOR, ESQ. JOHN ARTHUR LLOYD, ESQ. VENERABLE ARCHDEACON WRANGHAM. THE AUTHOR OF WAVERLEY. 1827. SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. 1827. 38. HON. AND REV. GEORGE NEVILLE GRENVILLE. 1846. DEAN OP WINDSOR. 1828. 39. EDWARD HERBERT, VISCOUNT CLIVE. 1839. EARL OF POWIS. JOHN FREDERICK, EARL CAWDOR. REV. EDWARD CRAVEN HAWTREY, D.D. SIR STEPHEN RICHARD GLYNNE, BART. BENJAMIN BARNARD, ESQ. VENERABLE ARCHDEACON BUTLER, D.D. 1836. SAMUEL, LORD BISHOP OF LICHFIELD. 1830. 40. 1831. 41. 1834. 42. 1834, 43. 1834. 44. 1835. PRESIDENT. EDWARD HERBERT, VISCOUNT CLIVE. 1839. EARL OP POWIS. 1835. 45. WALTER FRANCIS, DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH AND QUEENSBERRY. 1836. 46. RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD FRANCIS EGERTON. 1846. EARL OF ELLESMERE. 1836. 47. ARCHIBALD ACHESON, VISCOUNT ACHESON. 1849. EARL OF GOSFORD. BERIAH BOTFIELD, ESQ. HENRY HALLAM, ESQ. PHILIP HENRY STANHOPE, VISCOUNT MAHON. 1855. EARL STANHOPE. GEORGE JOHN, LORD VERNON. REV. PHILIP BLISS, D.C.L. RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR JAMES PARKE, KNT. 1856. LORD WENSLEYDALE. REV. BULKELEY BANDINEL, D.D. WILLIAM HENRY MILLER, ESQ. EVELYN PHILIP SHIRLEY, ESQ. EDWARD JAMES HERBERT, VISCOUNT CLIVE. 1848. EARL OF POWIS. 1841. 58. DAVID DUNDAS, ESQ. 1847. SIR DAVID DUNDAS, KNT. JOHN EARL BROWNLOW. HONOURABLE HUGH CHOLMONDELEY. 1855. LORD DELAMERE. SIR ROBERT HARRY INGLIS, BART. ALEXANDER JAMES BERESFORD HOPE, ESQ. REV. HENRY WELLESLEY. ANDREW RUTHERFURD, ESQ. 1851. LORD RUTHERFURD. HON. ROBERT CURZON, JUN. GEORGE TOMLINE, ESQ. WILLIAM STIRLING, ESQ. FRANCIS HENRY DICKINSON, ESQ. 1836. 49. 1837. 50. 1838. 51. 1838. 52. 1839. 53. 1839. 54. 1839. 55. 1839. 56. 1840. 57. 1842. 59, 1842. 60. 1844. 61. 1844. 62. 1844. 63, 1845. 64. 1846. 65. 1846. 66. 1846. 67. 1847. 68. 1848. PRESIDENT. WALTER FRANCIS, DUKE OP BUCCLEUCH AND QUEENSBERRY, K.G. 1848. 69. NATHANIEL BLAND, ESQ. 1848. 70. REV. WILLIAM EDWARD BUCKLEY. 1849. 71. REV. JOHN STUART HIPPISLEY HORNER. 1849. 72. 1849. 73, 1851. 74, 75. 76. 1853. 77. 1854. 78. 79. 1855. 80. 81. 82. 1856. 83. 84, 1857. 85. 86. 87. 1858. 88. 89. 1861. 90. HIS EXCELLENCY MONSIEUR VAN DE WEYER. MELVILLE PORTAL, ESQ. ROBERT STAYNER HOLFORD, ESQ. PAUL BUTLER, ESQ. EDWARD HULSE, ESQ. 1855. SIR EDWARD HULSE, BART. CHARLES TOWNELEY, ESQ. WILLIAM ALEX. ANTH. ARCH. DUKE OF HAMILTON AND BRANDON. HENRY HOWARD MOLYNEUX, EARL OF CARNARVON. SIR JOHN BENN WALSH, BART. ADRIAN JOHN HOPE, ESQ. RALPH NEVILLE GRENVILLE, ESQ. SIR JOHN SIMEON, BART. SIR JAMES SHAW WILLES, KNT. GEORGE GRANVILLE FRANCIS, EARL OF ELLESMERE. WILLIAM SCHOMBERG ROBERT, MARQUIS OF LOTHIAN. FREDERICK TEMPLE, LORD DUFFERIN. SIMON WATSON TAYLOR, ESQ. THOMAS GAISFORD, ESQ. • JOHN FREDERICK VAUGHAN, EARL CAWDOR. Eo^urfllje Club. CATALOGUE OF THE BOOKS PRESENTED TO AND PRINTED BY THE CLUB. LONDON: MDCCCLTU. CATALOGUE. Certaine Bokes of Virgiles Aenaeis, tiiriied into English Meter. By the Right Honorable Lorde, Henry Earle of Surrey. William Bolland, Esq. 1814. Caltha Poetarum; or, The Bumble Bee. By T. Cutwode, Esq. Richard Heber, Esq. 1815. The Three First Books of Ovid de Tristibus, Translated into English. By Thomas Chtjrchyarde. Earl Spencer, President. 1816. Poems. By Richard Barnfield. James Boswell, Esq. 1816. Dolarney's Primerose or the First part of the Passionate Hermit. Sir Francis Freeling, Bart. 1816. La Contenance de la Table. George Henry Freeling, Esq. 1816. Newes from Scotland, declaring the Damnable Life of Doctor Fian, a notable Sorcerer, who was burned at Edenbrough in lanuarie last 1591. George Henry Freeling, Esq. 1816. A proper new Interlude of the World and the Child, otherwise called Mundus et Infans. Viscount Althorp. 1817. Hagthorpb Revived; or Select Specimens of a Forgotten Poet. Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, Bart. 1817. Istoria novellamente ritrovata di due nobili Amanti, &c, da LuiGi POETO. Rev. William Holwell Carr. 1817. The Euneralles of King Edward the Sixt. Rev. James William Dodd. 1817. A Roxburghe Garland, 12mo. James Boswell, Esq. 1817. Cock Lorell's Boat, a Eragment from the original in the British Museum, Rev. Henry Drtjrt. 1817. Le livre du Eaucon. Robert Lang, Esq. 1817. The Glutton's Eeaver. By Thomas Bancroft. John Delapield Phelps, Esq. 1817. The Chorle and the Birde. Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, Bart. 1818. Daiphantus, or the Passions of Love. By Antony Sooloker. Roger Wllbraham, Esq. 1818. The Complaint of a Lover's Life. Controversy between a Lover and a Jay. Rev. Thomas Erognall Dibdin, Vice President. 1818. Balades and other Poems. By John Gower. Printed from the original Manuscript, in the Library of the Marquis of Stafford, at Trentham. Earl Gower. 1818. Diana; or the excellent conceitful Sonnets of H. C, supposed to have been printed either in 1592 or 1594. Edward Littledale, Esq. 1818. Chester Mysteries. De Deluvio Noe. De Occisione Innocentium. James Hetwood Markland, Esq. 1818. 5 Ceremonial at the Marriage of Mary Queen of Scotts with the Dauphin of France. William Bektham, Esq. 1818. The Solempnities and Triumphes doon and made at the Spousells and Marriage of the King's Daughter the Ladye Marye to the Prynce of Castile, Archduke of Austrige. John Dent, Esq. 1818. The life of St. Ursula. Guiseard and Sigismund. Duke of Devonshire. 1818. Le Morte Arthur. The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Du Lake. Thomas Ponton, Esq. 1819. Six Bookes of Metamorphoseos in whyche ben conteyned the Fables of OvTDE. Translated out of Frensshe into Englysshe by William Caxton. Priuted from a Manuscript in the Library of Mr. Secretary Pepys, in the College of St. Mary Magdalen, in the University of Cambridge. George Hibbert, Esq. 1819. Cheuelere Assigne. Edward Vernon Uttbrson, Esq. 1820. Two Interludes: Jack Jugler and Thersytes. Joseph Haslewood, Esq. 1820. The New Notborune Mayd. The Boke of Mayd Emlyn. George Isted, Esq. 1820. The Book of Life; a Bibliographical Melody. Dedicated to the Eoxburghe Club by Bichard Thomson. 8vo. 1820. Magnyfycence: an Interlude. By John Skelton, Poet Laureat to Henry VIII. Joseph Littledale, Esq. 1821. 6 Judicium, a Pageant. Extracted from the Towneley Manuscript of Ancient Mysteries. Peregmne Edwaed Towneley, Esq. 1822. An Elegiacal Poem, on the Death of Thomas Lord Grey, of Wilton. By Robert Mabstok. Prom a Manuscript in the Library of the Right Honourable Thomas Grenville. Viscount Morpeth. 1822. Selections from the Works of Thomas Ravenscroet; a Musical Composer of the time of King James the Pirst. Dtjke oe Marlborough. 1822. L^Lii Peregrini Oratio in obitum Torquati Tassi. Editio secunda. Sir Samuel Egerton Brtdges, Bart. 1822. The Hors, the Shepe, and the Ghoos. Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, Bart. 1822. The Metrical Life of Saint Robert of Knaresborough. Rev. Henry Drury. 1824. Informacon for Pylgrymes waio the Holy Londe. Prom a rare Tract, in the Library of the Paculty of Advocates, Edinburgh. George Henry Preeling, Esq. 1824. The Cuek-Queanes and Cuckolds Errants or the Bearing Down the Inne, a Comgedie. The Paery Pastorall or Porrest of Elues. By W P , Esq. John Arthur Lloyd, Esq. 1824. The Garden Plot, an Allegorical Poem, inscribed to Queen Eliza- beth. By Henry Goldingham. Prom an unpublished Manu- script of the Harleian Collection in the British Museum. To which are added some account of the Author; also a reprint of his Masques performed before the Queen at Norwich, on Thursday, August 21, 1578. Venerable Archdeacon Wrangham. 1825. La Eotta de Francciosi a Terroana novamente facta. La Rotta de Scocesi. Earl Spencer, President. 1825. Nouvelle Edition d'un Poeme sur la Journ^e de Gtdnegate. Presented by the Marquis de Portia. 1825. Zuleima, par C. Pichler. 12mo. Presented by H. de Chateatjgiron, 1825. Poems, written in English, by Charles Duke oe Orleans, during his Captivity in England after the Battle of Azincourt. George Watson Taylor, Esq. 1827. Proceedings in the Court Martial, held upon John, Master of Sinclair, Captain-Lieutenant in Preston's Regiment, for the Murder of Ensign Schaw of the same Eegiment, and Captain Schaw, of the Royals, 17 October, 1708; with Correspondence respecting that Transaction. Sir "Walter Scott, Bart. 1828. The Ancient English Romance of Havelok the Dane; accompanied by the Erench Text: with an Introduction, Notes, and a Glossary. By Erederick Madden, Esq. Printed for the Club. 1828. Gaufridi Arthurii Monemuthensis Archidiaconi, postea vero Episcopi Asaphensis, de Vita et Vaticiniis Merlini Calidordi, Carmen Heroicum. Hon. and Rev. G. Neville Grenville. 1830. The Ancient English Romance of WiUiam and the "Werwolf; edited from an unique copy in King's CoUege Library, Cambridge; with an Introduction and Glossary. By Erederick Madden, Esq. Earl Cawdor. 1832. 8 The Private Diary of William, first Earl Cowpee, Lord Chan- cellor of England. Rev. Edward Craven Hawtrey. 1833. The Lyvys of Seyntes; translated into Englys be a Doctour of Dyuynite clepyd Osbern Bokenam, frer Austyn of the Convent of Stockclare. Viscount Clive, President. 1835. A Little Boke of Ballads. Dedicated to the Club by E. V. Utterson, Esq. 1836. The Love of Wales to their Soueraigne Prince, expressed in a true Relation of the Solemnity held at Ludlow, in the Countie of Salop, upon the fourth of November last past, Anno Domini 1616, being the day of the Creation of the high and mighty Charles, Prince of Wales, and Earle of Chester, in his Maiestie's Palace of White-HaU. Presented by the Honourable R. H. Clive. 1837. Sidneiana, being a collection of Fragments relative to Sir Philip Sidney, Knight, and his immediate Connexions. Bishop of Lichfield. 1837. The Owl and the Nightingale, a Poem of the twelfth Century. Now first printed from Manuscripts in the Cottonian Library, and at Jesus' College, Oxford; with an Introduction and Glossary. Edited by Josephus Stevenson, Esq. Sir Stephen Richard Glynne, Bart. 1838. The Old English Version of the Gesta Romanorum: edited for the first time from Manuscripts in the British Museum and Uni- versity Library, Cambridge; with an Introduction and Notes by Sir Frederick Madden, K.H. Printed for the Club. 1838. 9 Illustrations of Ancient State and Chivalry, from MSS. preserved in the Ashmolean Museum, with an Appendix. Benjamin Barnard, Esq, 1840. Manners and Household Expenses of England in the thirteenth and fifteenth Centuries, illustrated by original Records. 1. House- hold Boll of Eleanor Countess of Leicester, A.D 1265, II. Accounts of the Executors of Eleanor Queen Consort of Edward I, A.D. 1291. Ill, Accoimts and Memoranda of Sir John Howard, first Duke of Norfolk, A.D. 1462 to A.D. 1471. Beriah Botfield, Esq. 1841. The Black Prince, an Historical Poem, written in French, by Chandos Herald; with a Translation and Notes by the Bev. Henry Octavius Coxe, M.A. Printed eor the Club. 1842. The Decline of the last Stuarts. Extracts from the Despatches of British Envoys to the Secretary of State. Printed for the Club. 1843. Vox Populi Vox Dei, a Complaynt of the Comons against Taxes. Presented according to the Direction of the late Bight Hon, Sir Joseph Littledale, Knt, 1843. Household Books of John Duke of Norfolk and Thomas Earl of Surrey; temp. 1481 — 1490. Erom the original Manuscripts in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries, London. Edited by J, Payne Collier, Esq., E.S.A. Printed for the Club. 1844. Three Collections of English Poetry of the latter part of the Six- teenth Century. Presented by the Duke of Northumberland, K.G. 1846, 10 Historical Papers, Part I. Oastra Regia, a Treatise on the Suc- cession to the Crown of England, addressed to Queen Elizabeth by Roger Edwards, Esq., in 1568. Novissima Straffordii, Some account of the Proceedings against, and Demeanor of, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, both before and during his Trial, as well as at his Execution; written in Latin, by Abraham Wright, Vicar of Okeham, in Rutlandshire. The same (endeauord) in English, by James Wright, Barrister at Law. Rev. Philip Bliss, D.C.L,, and' Rev. Bulkeley Bandinel. 1846. Correspondence of Sir Henry Unton, Knt., Ambassador from Queen Elizabeth to Henry IV. King of Prance, in the years MDXCI. and MDXCII. Prom the originals and authentic copies in the State Paper OflB.ce, the British Museum, and the Bodleian Library. Edited by the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, M.A. Printed for the Club. 1847. La Vraie Cronicque d'Escoce. Pretensions des Anglois a la Couronne de Prance. Diplome de Jacques VI. Roi de la Grande Bretagne. Drawn from the Burgundian Library, by Major Robert Anstruther. Printed for the Club. 1847. The Sherley Brothers, an Historical Memoir of the Lives of Sir Thomas Sherley, Sir Anthony Sherley, and Sir Robert Sherley, Knights, by one of the same House. Edited and Presented by Evelyn Philip Shirley, Esq. 1848. The Alliterative Romance of Alexander. Prom the unique Manu- script in the Ashmolean Museum. Edited by the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, M.A. Printed por the Club. 1849. 11 Letters and Dispatches from Sir Henry Wotton to James the First and his Ministers, in the years MDCXVII— XX. Printed from the Originals in the Library of Eton College. George Tomline, Esq. 1860. Poema qnod dicitur Vox Clamantis, necnon Chronica Tripartita, auctore Johanne Gower, nunc primum edidit H. O. Coxe, M.A. Printed for the Club. 1850. Five Old Plays. Edited from Copies, either unique or of great rarity, by J. Payne Collier, Esq., F.S.A. Printed for the Club. 1851. The E-omaunce of the Sowdone of Babylone and of Ferumbras his Sone who conquerede Rome. The Duke of Buccleuch, President. 1854. The Ayenbite of Inwyt. From the Autograph MS. in the British Museum. Edited by the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, M.A. Printed for the Club. 1855. John de Garlande, de Triumphis Ecclesise Libri Octo. A Latin Poem of the Thirteenth Century. Edited, from the unique Manuscript in the British Museum, by Thomas Wright, Esq., M.A., F.S.A., Hon. M.R.S.L., &c. &c. Earl of Powis. 1856. Poems by Michael Drayton. From the earliest and rarest Edi- tions, or from Copies entirely unique. Edited, with Notes and Illustrations, and a new Memoir of the Author, by J. Payne Collier, Esq., F.S.A. Printed for the Club. 1856. Literary Remains of King Edward the Sixth. In Two Volumes. Edited from his Autograph Manuscripts, with historical Notes, and a Biographical Memoir, by John Gough Nichols, F.S.A. Printed for the Club. 1857 12 The Itineraries of William Wey, Fellow of Eton College, to Jeru^- salem, A.D. 1458 and A.D. 1462 ; and to Saint James of Com- postella, A.D. 1456. Prom the original MS. in the Bodleian Library. Printed for the Club. 1857. The Boke of Noblesse ; Addressed to King Edward the Pourth on his Invasion of Prance in 1475. With an Introduction by John Gotjgh Nichols, P.S.A. Lord Delamere. 1860. Songs and Ballads, with other Short Poems, chiefly of the Reign of Philip and Mary.- Edited, from a Manuscript in the Ashmo- lean Museum, by Thomas Wright, Esq., M.A., P.S.A., &c. &c. Robert S. Holeord, Esq. 1860. De Regimine Principum, a Poem by Thomas Occleve, written in the Reign of Henry IV. Edited for the first time by Thomas Wright, Esq., M.A., P.S.A., &c. &c. Printed eor the Club. 1860. The History of the Holy Graal; partly in English Verse by Henry Lonelich, Skynner, and wholly in Prench Prose by Sires Robiers de Borron. Edited, from MSS. in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and the British Museum, by Frederick J. PuRNiVALL, Esq., M.A., Trin. Hall, Cambridge. Printed eor the Club. 1861, Roberd of Brunne's Handlyng Synne, written A.D. 1203 ; with the Prench Treatise on which it is founded, Le Manuel des Pechie3 by William of Waddington. Prom MSS. in the British Museum and Bodleian Libraries. Edited by Frederick J. FuRNivALL, Esq., M.A. Printed for the Club. 1862. INTRODUCTION. The present volume contains such portions of the old English ver- sion of Partonope* of Blois as have yet been discovered, which are now first printed from the following MSS. 1. A Manuscript in. the Library of University College, Oxford, which is thus described by Mr. Coxe in his Catalogue,t " CLXXXViii. Codex Membranaceus in folio, ff. 91, sec. xv. utrimque mutilus." The E/omance of Parthenopex, or Parthenope, Count of Blois : in English Verse ; imperfect. Begins, Ends, " A man to seche the worlde rounde Swiche another myght none be Founde as he was in alle degree." " Of treuth in stabyllnesse they beres the floure In hym is peynted gentylnesse and honoure." This Manuscript was first discovered, and its subject pointed out, about thirty years ago by Sir Erederic Madden, who at that time had himself an idea of printing it. The members of the Boxburghe * This form of the name has been preferred because it is used by Denis Piramus himself in the passage where he announces himself to be the author of the Komance. See the extract printed below at p. xv. In quotations from other authors no alteration has been made in the form adopted by each writer. •!■ Catalogus Codicum MSS. qui in CoUegiis Aulisque Oxoniensibus hodie adservantur. Confecit H. O. Coxe, 1852. Tomi ii. 4to. vol. i. p. 51. a U INTRODUCTION. Club have reason to regret that this intention was not carried out, as in that case they might have possessed a volume worthy of being ranked with the " Havelok the Dane," and the " "William and the Werwolf," so admirably edited by that eminent scholar. This manuscript was then, and for some time after, thought to be unique. It has suppKed more than seven thousand lines, the text from p. 1 to p. 239 having been printed from it. The age of this Manuscript is fixed by Mr. Coxe between 1430 and 1450. 2. A fragment from a large quarto Manuscript on vellum, written in double columns, which was found by the Rev. J. E. Sewell, then Fellow and now "Warden of New College, Oxford, pasted in the binding of a printed book of the fifteenth century in New College Library. This fragment, which is very imperfect, furnished about 250 lines, which are printed on pp. 240 — 242, and again with cor- rections from the Bodleian MS. on pp. 291 — 293. 3. After the text had been printed from the University College MS., and the New College Fragment, the editor became aware of the existence of another MS. in the Bodleian Library. It is pre- served among the Bawlinson MSS. and is described in the yet unprinted catalogue of that collection, as "an Old English Poem, imperfect at the beginning and end." This MS. which seems to be of a later date than the University College MS., is written on paper, and contains about 6480 lines. It was carefully collated, and from it have been printed the passages in the Appendix from p. 249 to p. 293, which supply many deficiencies in the text. The variations of reading were very numerous, but, being chiefly in the spelling, or unimportant substitutions of one word for another, it was not thought desirable to increase the size of the volume by printing them. INTRODUCTION. iii Beside these MSS. which have heen consulted, mention should be made of the following fragment : " A single leaf of the beautiful fairy tale of Partenopex has been recovered by Mr. Douce," says Mr. "Weber in the Introduction to his Metrical Romances;* but this leaf, which may have belonged to one of the other MSS. abovemen- tioned, has once more been lost ; at any rate it is not in the Douce Collection at Oxford, t It is perhaps in the possession of some private person, and may be forthcoming at some future day. Altogether above 8,000 lines of the poem have been printed, making a valuable addition to the already published relics of our Middle English literature. The manuscripts have been carefully followed, in deference to the advice of the best scholars, and it wiU suffice to quote but one authority, the author of the History of English Rhythms. Dr. Guest writes as follows : — "I would take this opportunity of again pressing on the reader the importance of copying our MSS. faithfully — I mean not only to the letter, but so as to show their peculiarities as regards punctuation, composition, &c. It is astonishing how much light may thus be thrown upon the structure of our language. ";{: Both the existing Manuscripts are very imperfect, having lost many leaves in different places, and, which is most to be deplored, those at the beginning and end. In this way those passages which would have been most likely to have contained allusions to the translator have perished. Nothing has been discovered from other sources to indicate the person to whom we are indebted for this version of Partonope ; nor does the language of the work itself, as is * Metrical Romances, published by Henry Weber, Esq. Edinburgh, 1810, vol. i. Introduction, p. xvii. note. f Letter to the Editor from the Rev. H. O. Coxe, Chief Librarian of the Bodleian. I History of English Rhythms, by Edwin Guest. 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1838. Vol. ii. p. 430. a 2 IV INTRODUCTION. sometimes the case, present any basis for even probable conjecture as to the author or his locality. By the time this translation was made, the English language had assumed a general character, whereas " the extant works of the period from the Conquest to the 14th century are in the dialects of the districts in which they happened to be written. But with the writers of the 14th century, and especially with "Wiclif and Chaucer, our language again finds an acknowledged standard of propriety. This model language was composed from the dialect of the middle and home counties ; the dialect of Oxford the nursery of Wiclif, and of London the cradle of Chaucer, tempered strongly with the Prench, which had been mingling with it more or less for the last three centuries."* In this language the version of Parto- nope is composed, and on this point the judgment of Mr. Coxe should have great weight : " With respect to the dialect I can find very little to except it from the best English of the day — I mean, very few words or phrases which mark a decided locality, either east, west, or north. Its age I should put between 1430 and 1450. "t The English version may perhaps have been made by some resi- dent member of that University, in which all the extant MSS. have been found, during the reign of one of the Henries of the House of Lancaster, from the original French which was composed in the reign of Henry III. To this French original there are several references in general terms, as in line 347. " Thus sayth the Booke." 391-2. " as saythe the Booke That ys french which ys myn auctore." * Sketch of the History of the English Language, a Lecture, by Eev. J. Earle, Rector of Swanwick, formerly Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. Bath, 1860, p. 8. ■j- Letter to the Editor from Rev. H. 0. Coxe, Bodleian Librarian at Oxford. INTRODUCTION. V 405. " Thus tellyth now the french geest." 1042. " Thus sayth myn autoure withoute fayle." 3812. " Myn autoure in fressh gynyth now reprove." 4677. " Wherefor myn autor seyth truly." 4685-6. " as tellyth myn auctor me, ifor truly he sayth." 4788-91. " Thus seyth the Auctor after whom I wryt, Blame not me I must endyte as nye after hym as I can or may, Be hyt sothe or lese I can not say." 6238. " To ship he goth as I wryten fynde."* The work, however, seems to have become known, as it is men- tioned in a second prologue of the romance of Eichard Coeur de Idon, together with many popular romances of the day. The pas- sage is thus printed, by Wynkyn de Worde, in the Bodleian copy of this rare volume, t Herken now how my tale goth, Though I swere to you no othe, I wyll you rede romaynes none, Ne of Pertonape, ne of Yponydone, Ne of Alysaunder, ne of Charlemayne, Ne of Arthur, ne of Gawayne, Ne of Launcelot de lake, Ne of Bevys, ne of Guy,[ne] of Sydrake, Ne of Ury, ne of Octavyan, Ne of Hector the stronge man, Ne of Jason, neyther of Hercules, Ne of Eneas, neither of Achylles. * To these may be added the following references, Une 3907, 4033, 4045, 4673, 3056*, 3460*, 3472*. f Kynge Rycharde Cuer du Lyon. Imprynted at London in the Fletestrete, at y« Sygne of y« Sonne, by Wynkyn de Worde, the Yere of our Lorde M.ccccc and xxviii. Quarto. There is a wood-cut of a knight and squire on horseback on the title-page, and on the last leaf Wynkyn de Worde's device. No. VI. See Dibdin, Typograph. Antiq. ii. 273-7, who erroneously states that the title-page is wanting in the Bodleian copy. VI INTRODUCTION. The romance of Richard Ooeur de Lion is printed in Weber's collection, vol. ii. pp. 1-278, and the passage above quoted will be found at p. 261. Weber, however, reads Paris instead oiFertonape, on the authority of the MS. in the library of CaiusCoUege, Cambridge, from which his copy was made,* and says in a note on the passage, t " The printed copy instead of * Paris' reads ' Pertonape ;' and Mr. Warton conjectured, with great plausibility, that ' Pertonape and Ipomydon' were intended for Parthenopeus and Hippomedon, two Theban heroes. Paris, whose name occurs in the MS., Hector, Jason, Achilles, and Hercules, were all heroes of the Troy -book." The passages of Warton's History of English Poetry will be found in vol. i. p. 126, 142, and vol. ii. p. 224, of the edition in four volumes, 8vo., London, 1824. These were only guesses of War- ton's, and were corrected by Pitson, in a note to the passage above quoted, $ which is here transcribed. " Warton, in a note, perhapses Pertonape to be Parthenope, or Parthenopeus, whom he elsewhere calls ' one of Statins' s heroes ;' but, in fact, it alludes to the romance of Pertenopex compte de Blois, a famous roman de feerie in Prench rime, but which never made its appearance in Engleish." This rash assertion was soon to be disproved, for a single leaf of the English version was recovered by Mr. Douce, (as stated by Weber, in the introduction to his Collection of Pomances§), and it is now effectually set aside by the present publication of a great part of the poem. There is also an interesting allusion to Partonope made by * Weber, Metrical Romances, i. p. xlviii. t Weber, iii. p. 359. f Ritson, Ancient English Metrical Romances. London, 1802, 3 vols.; vol. i. p. civ. § Weber, Metrical Romances, i. p. xvii. note. INTRODUCTION. vii Gower in his XLiiird " Balade,*" a passage noticed by Wartonjf and after him by Todd| and E. Michel § : — De Lancelot si fuissetj remembre Et de Tristrans com il se contenoit Generides Florent par Tonope Chascun de ceaux sa loialte guardoit, &c. To which Warton adds in a note, " That is Partenope, or Partheno- peus, one of Statius's heroes, on whom there is an old Prench Romance :" Warton being right in reading Partonope as one word, but wrong in his notion that the personage meant was a classical hero. The reference is evidently to Partonope of Blois ; but, as Gower wrote his Balades when a young man, about the year 1360, according to Warton and Todd, and, owing to his blindness, || wrote • Balades and other Poems, by John Gower. London, 18l8, presented to the Rox- burghe Club by Earl Gower. Balade xliii. sheet 10, p. 1. t History of English Poetry, ii. 340, ed. 1824. \ Illustrations of Gower and Chaucer, London, 1810, p. 106. § Romances of Tristan. London, 1835, i. Introd. p. xxiv. and note 49, p. xcvii. II See the Latin Verses printed on the last leaf of his Balades (London, 1818), and found also in some MSS. of his Confessio Amaniis. Henrici quarti primus regni fuit annus Quo michi defecit visus ad acta mea Omnia tempus habent finem natura ministrat Quem virtute sua frangere nemo potest Ultra posse nichil quamvis michi velle remansit Amplius ut scribam non michi posse manet Dum potui scrips! set nunc quia torva senectus Turbavit sensus scripta relinquo scolis Scribat qui veniet post me discrecior alter Ammodo namque manus et mea penna silent Hoc tamen in fine verborum queso meorum Prospera quod statuat Regna fatura Deus. Amen. Some lines similar to these, but not specifying the time of his becoming blind, will be found in the Vox Clamantis, printed for the Roxburghe Club in 1850, at p. 426. Vm INTRODUCTION. nothing after the first year of Henry IV., in 1399 or 1400, we can conclude no more from this reference than that he was acquainted with the original French. No other reference or allusion to Partonope has been met with in any English author, except the following passage contaiued in the preface to the Story of Cupid and Psyche, by EUzabeth Strutt,* " The gifted Sir PhiKp Sidney has narrated it (the Story of Cupid and Psyche) in an episode in his romance of ' Parthenope.' " If this reference to Sir P. Sidney may be relied on, it would seem from the choice of the name Parthenope, that he was acquainted with the romance, and adopted this name from the similarity between the stories. But after a careful search through several editions of the Arcadia, the passage alluded to could not be found. The earliest mention of a work on the subject of Partonope is contained in a poem by the Proven9al poet Arnaud Daniel, t Car lai en I'encantada ciu Menet ad aventura '1 navei Lo lies Partenopes de Blei.J (Ab pla3ers.) (Car la en I'enchantfe cite Mena a aventure le navire Le puissant Partenopex de Blois.) * Cupid and Psyche, by Elizabeth Strutt, illustrated by J. Gibson, p. xxvi. Privately printed, London, 1852, folio. A copy is in the British Museum. f Raynouard, Choix des Poesies Originales des Troubadours, Paris, 1817, vol. ii. p. 309, lind in Journal des Savants, Decembre, 1834, p. 725, sq. Fauriel, Histoire de la Poesie Provengale, Paris, 1846, vol. iii. p. 505, where the passage is printed very incorrectly. J In the Provenjal version of Floire et Blanceflor, 2568, Parthonopus is referred to in conjunction with Paris and Absalon as a model of beauty. This may be taken as corroborative testimony to the existence of the Provengal Romance. INTRODUCTION. IX Upon this M. Raynouard and M. Fauriel remark that the allu- sion of Arnaud Daniel proves the existence of a Provenpal Romance On the subject of Partonope in the 12th century, while it would appear certain that the French romance, of which Denis Piramus was the author, cannot be placed earlier than the first haK of the tliirteenth century.* The allusion in the passage just quoted cannot be mistaken, and the authority of M. Fauriel, based, as it is, upon that of M. Raynouard, is of the greatest weight, although the object of his History of Proven9al Poetry, to prove in opposition to other views that the Troubadours originated many of the romances which are now only extant in other languages, might lay him open to the charge of partiality. In the present instance the force of his argument turns on the date of Arnaud Daniel. This great poet, for the united testimony of Dante f and Petrarch $ entitles him to such a distinction, died about the year 1189, § the date of the death of Henry II., King of England, while Denis Piramus, the author of the poem as it now exists, is said to have lived at the court of Henry III. of England, who did not ascend the throne tUl 1216. It may then be assumed as certain that there was a romance * Fauriel, iii. 506. f Purgatorio, xxvi. 117. Fu miglior fabbro del parlar materno : Versi d'amore e prose di romanzi Soverchib tutti. ^ Trionfo d'Amore, c. iv. Fra tutti il primo Amaldo Daniello Gran maestro d'amor ch' a la sua terra Ancor fa oner col suo dir nuovo e bello. § Crescimbeni, Comentari Poetici, c. ii. p. 12, ed. Mathias, London, 1803. See his Life in Eaynouard, Choix des Poesies, v. p. 30. France Literaire, xv. 434-441 ; at p. 437 he is said to have written a poem in 1189. b X INTRODUCTION. on the subject of Partonope, composed by some Provengal Trou- badour.* It was so much the practice of the poets and romance writers to frame their compositions on or out of materials previously existing, that there is little reason to doubt that Denis Piramus followed the general custom. He might justly think that he had as good a right to the beautiful Legend of Cupid and Psyche, as any of his predecessors, and we may fairly suppose that requests may have been addressed to him by his patrons at the English Court to repro- duce, in the language with which they were familiar, so favourite a subject. The relations between England and the South of Prance were then so close that many may have heard and admired the original Proven9al Romance in the land of its birth, and were therefore anxious to employ the talents of the courtier poet in giving it a new form, which should make it still more widely known. What goes on now took place then. A successful work soon became famous, and translations or adaptations were called for to gratify the taste of the literary world. These were more or less close to the originals, and sometimes became almost new works on the same subjects. In some such way as this did the Provengal Romance assume its * This was probably the original from which the old Catalan and the Castilian yer- sions proceeded. For, according to Antonio (Bibliotheca Nova, ii. 338, col. 2), the edition printed in 1488 was in the old Catalan dialect — " scripsit anonymus sermons antique Catalonico" — and from this, perhaps, the Castilian version was made. Then, in course of time, the CastUian was retranslated into Catalan, as we leam from the title- pages of the several printed editions. The Castilian and the modem Catalan versions are in prose. Ticknor mentions a parallel instance ; for, though in his interesting chapter on Catalan Literature (History of Spanish Lit. vol. i. ch. xvi.) he does not mention the Romance of Partonope, yet he says that " Tirante the White " was translated by its author into Valencian, and printed at Valencia in 1490. Of this two copies are known, one of which was sold for 300Z. in 1827. INTRODUCTION. xi present shape in the hands of Denis Piramus. In the prologue, he tells us that all the circumstances of his life combined to inspire him with poetry. It is the time of spring, and the nightingales are singing, — Ceste can90n aim jo et has ; Car anui me fait et solas : Solas de m'amor ramenbrer Anui quant pens de consirer. — 56-60 It is the season of renewed verdure and youth, Joie et jovente renovele ; Et je sui jouenes et engignos, Sains et delivres et joios. Si me semont joie et jovens Que je ne sole oiseus ne lens ; Por 90 voel, par envoiseure, En escrit metre une ayenture Et bone et bele et mervellouse, Quauque ce sole chose grevouse. Bel loisir ai et bon sejor La merci Deu et nos segnor. — 64-74. It is the fashion to write in the language of the day, therefore he heeds not the charges of the learned, who would have had him write in Latin, Oil clerc dient que n'est pas sens Qu'escrive estoire d'antif tens, Quant jo nes escris en latin, Et que je perc mon tans enfin, Cil li perdent qui ne font rien. — 77-81. St. Paul teaches that whatsoever is written is written for our learning, and therefore he avails himself of this defence. Car nus escris n'est tant frarins, Nis de fables as Sarasins, Dont on ne puisse exemple traire Del mal laissier et del bien faire. — 103-106. 52 XU INTRODUCTION. To the happy combination of circumstances thus gracefully and gratefully recorded, we owe the composition of an Epic Romance* worthy of the polished court of Henry Ill.t where the author found patrons in the King and the nobles, who were all devoted to Prench poetry. The evidence on this point, it must be allowed, is neither abundant nor decisive, though all who have treated of the subject seem to acquiesce in one and the same conclusion. The investiga- tion was commenced at the end of the last century, in 1792, by the Abbe de la Rue, in a communication to the English Society of Antiquaries,' t the substance of which is repeated in his essays on the Norman and Anglo-Norman Poets, § published forty years after- wards. * See M. Robert, Examen du Poeme de Partonopeus, pp. xxv-xxviii, where it is successfully maintained that it is " un veritable poeme epique." f M. Amaury Duval, Histoire Literaire de France, xix. p. 638, in his article on Denis Piramus : " Mais Denis Piramus ne peut etre confondu avec les poetes vulgaires de cette epoque ; il vivoit au milieu d'une cour polie, celle de Henri III." This simple remark provokes the national feelings of M. Paulin Paris (Les MSS. Frangois de la Bibliotheque du Roi, iii. p. 81, 82), who fires up at the censure of the court of France implied in the praise of that of England : " H est temps de remettre a sa place la litterature Anglo- Normande, dont on a fait tant de bruit. Quand les poetes normands de I'Angleterre ont rivalise avec ceux de France, c'est quand ils ont pris des le9ons a I'ecole des bons ecrivains frangois, et leur merite fut toujours en raison de la fidelite de leurs souvenirs." He then cites a passage from the Life of Saint Thomas of Cantorbery, the last line of which is, " Mis languages est buens, car en France fui net," with the remark, " En presence de ces vers, que devient la reflexion de M. Amaury Duval ?" M, Duval's remark being true, remains exactly where it was, and all must regret that so learned a man as M. Paulin Paris, who has done so much for mediaival literature, should have been betrayed into the expression of an unworthy jealousy of England in the thirteenth century. Tantaene animis ccelestil^us irse? J Archseologia, vol. xiii. p. 248-250. § Essais Historiques sur les Bardes, les Jongleurs, et les Trouveres Nonnands et Anglo-Normands. 3 vols, royal 8vo, Caen, 1834, vol. iii. pp. 101-106. INTRODUCTION, xiil Now, Denis Piramus speaks of Marie de France as a contempo- rary, and, as there are good grounds for placing her at the court of Henry III.* it follows that he himseK must he reckoned among the writers of that period. It was a time of great literary activity. Marie, in the prologue to her Lais, tells us why she chose the Lais, in preference to any other subject, — Pur ceo comen9ai a penser D'aukune bone estoire faire, ^ E de Latin en Eomaunj traire ; Mais ne me fust guaires de pris Tant se sunt altres entremis. And M. Roquefort remarks :t— " C'est sous ce r^gne (Henry III.) qu'un grand nombre de poets Normands, et Anglo-Normands, traduisirent du latin une multitude d'ouvrages, des romans de chevalerie, et particuli&rement ceux de la Table-Ronde." The language in which they wrote was the Uomance or Anglo-Norman French, in which they seem to have succeeded so well that their productions have been claimed with great zeal for France, as in the case of Partonope. M. Roquefort, who gives a list of such writers, is our authority for this statement. | " On voit en effet un grand nombre d'ecrivains anglois qui ont reussi dans la poesie fran9oise, et dont les productions sont re- commandables. Parmi ces derniers on remarque Robert Wace, Philippe de Than, Geoflfroy Gaimar, Simon Dufresne, Everard de Kirkam, Samson de Nanteuil, Denys Pyramus, Helie de Win- chester, Guillaume de Wadington, Etienne de Langton, David, et beaucoup d'autres." * ArchEeologia, xiii. p. 36. De la Rue, Essais, &c., vol. iii. pp. 47-100. Poesies de Marie de France, par B. Roquefort, 2 vols. Paris, 1832, Notice Bur Marie, prefixed to vol. i. t Notice sur Marie, p. 12. \ Roquefort, Notice sur Marie, vol. i. p. 9. XIV INTRODUCTION. Denis Piramus not only adopted the language but the way of life most prevalent at court, and dedicated himself as well as his muse to the pursuit of pleasure and the enjoyments which sur- rounded him. He tells us in one of his later productions that it was only when old age brought repentance that he turned his thoughts to religious subjects. He then wrote the life and martyr- dom of Saint Edmond, King of England, and subsequently the miracles of the same Saint, in French verse, both of which poems are in the British Museum ; the first consisting of 3,286 lines, and the second of 714. Erom the prologue to the former of these works most of the facts relating to his life have been derived. Now, "Denys Pyramus advances nothing certain as to his origin, but fortunately in the proem to his first work a phrase has escaped him which discloses it to us ; it is when he would impress the certainty of the miracles of St. Edmond he says, * Nos Ancetres ont ete les temoins ;' and from that circumstance there is no doubt but that he was an Englishman."* He confesses to have lived a life of pleasure, Mult ai usfe come pechere Ma vie en trop fole manere, Et bien trop ai usd ma vie Et en peche et en folie. He tells us that he was a frequenter of the Court, and that he composed for the courtiers, Kant com- hantey et les curteis Si fesei jeo les serventeis, Chansonettes, rimes, saluj, Entre les drues et les drus — but that he would now cease from such light productions, * M. De la Rue, Archaeologia, xiii. p. 250. INTRODUCTION. XV James ne me burderay plus, Jeo ai noun Denis Piramus ; Les jours jolig de ma joesnesce S'en vont, si crey jeo a la veilesce ; Si est bien dreit ke me repente, . Aillors metterai mon entent.* "We have now mentioned nearly all that is known ahout Denis Piramus, except the point of chief interest in the present publi- cation, that he was the author of the Romance of Partonope de Blois. It appears that M. De la Rue misunderstood the passage in which Denis Pyramus claims it as his own work.f The honour of making the discovery was reserved for a writer who has devoted his life to early Prench literature, M. Prancisque Michel. When preparing his edition of Tristan, published in 1835, he had occasion to consult the manuscript life of St. Edmond, preserved in the British Museum (Cotton Library, Domitian, A. xi.) and printed from it the extract so strangely misinterpreted by his predecessor.^ The passage is in continuation of the extracts given above ; after an interval of four lines the writer proceeds, Cil ki Partonope trova Et ki les vers fist et ryma, Mult se pena de bien dire ; Si dist il bien de cele matire Cum de fable e de menceonge. La matire resemble suonge, * All these extracts are taken from M. De la Rue, Essais, vol. iii. p. 103. •f M. De la Rue, Essais, vol. iii. p. 56. " Enfin Denis Pyramus, qui vivait sous le meme prince, apres avoir fait I'eloge de 1' auteur du Roman de Parthenopex de Blois, fait celui de Marie." J The Poetical Romances of Tristan, in French, in Anglo-Norman, and in Greek, composed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Edited by Francisque Michel. Lon- don, "William Pickering, 1835, in 3 vols. 12mo. Notes to Introduction, p. cxviii. XVI INTRODUCTION. Kar ceo ne put unkes etre. Si est-il tenu pur bon mestre, E les vers sunt mult amej E en ces riches curtes loej ; E dame Marie autresi, Ki en ryme fist e basti E copensa les vers de lays, . . Ke ne sunt pas de tut verais : E si en est-ele mult lo^, E la ryme par tut amfe ; Kar mult I'aymSt, si I'unt mult cher Cunt, barun e chivaler ; E si en ayment mult I'escrit E lire le funt, si unt dffit E si les funt sovent retreire. Les lays soleient as dames pleire, De joye les oyent e de gr^; Qu'il sunt sulum liu* volenti. Here it will be seen that Denis Piramns claims both the invention and the versification of the poem — he was not only the Trouvere, but the E-ymer. Still, this need not imply that he meant to assert that no one before himself had ever treated of the same subject. In the life of St. Edmond, which was an historical composition, he says that he derived his materials from Latin and English Manuscripts : and, though he does not mention any authorities in Partonope, perhaps he implies that there were some, in that passage already cited from the Prologue, in which he meets the criticism of the learned, that he ought to have written in Latin, as it was a story of the olden time, " estoire d'antif tens." We now know that there was an earlier Proven9al work on the subject, and the examination of the existing romance, proves that the work of Apuleius, or some other version of the Legend of Cupid and Psyche, served as a ground-work for it. Does Partonope belong to either of the great cycles of Romance INTRODUCTION. XVll Poems ? Two answers have been given to this question. M. Amaury Duval places it among those of the Round Table, as will be seen by the following extract from the learned notice of Denis Piramus, contributed t)j him to the Histoire literaire de la Prance* : — "Le roman de Partonopeus doit etre range dans la classe des romans de la Table-Ronde, quoi que le sujet et les evenements soient d'une epoque bien anterieure au regne d'Arthus, et au aven- tures des compagnons d'armes de ce prince. Mais le sujet en est pris, sans aucun doute, dans les traditions bretonnes. Comme dans les lais de Lanval et de Graelent, c'est une fee qui devient amoureuse du heros, qui s'en empare, se fait regulatrice de sa vie entiere. Ces unions d' etres superieurs, surnaturels, avec de simples mortels, se retrouvent souvent dans les poemes des xii^ et xiii® siecles, et surtout dans ceux des poetes Anglo-Normands. Comme dans les romans de la Table-Bonde, il y a dans le Partono- peus moins de combats, moins de faits d'armes; mais des aventures plus simples, plus ordinaires, un interet plus doux, plus attachant, que dans les romans du cycle Carlovingien. En les comparant les uns aux autres, sous le rapport du genre seulement, ceux-ci rappel- leraient I'lliade, les autres I'Odyssee." On the other hand, M. Robert t contests this opinion, and would range it (if with either of the two) among those of the Carlovingian, J or, as we ought to write, Carolingian, period : — * Histoire Literaire de la France, xix. 632. I M. Robert, Examen du Poeme, ed. Crapelet, p. Ixi. \ Upon this word it may be well to quote the remarks of A. W. de Schlegel, in his Essai de I'Origine des Romans de Chevalerie ; Bonn, 1842, p. 360 : " Carlovingiens. L'auteur fcrit ainsi, mais cette forme est incorrecte, et n'a 6t^ occasion^ que par la trompeuse analogic des M^rovingiens. Dans les anciens idiomes germaniques on fonhait des noms patronymiques avec les syllables ing et ung, en les attachant au nom du chef de leur famille. Ainsi de Carol-us on faisait Carolingi (voyez le Glossaire de Du Cange C Xviii INTRODUCTION. " Quoi qu'il en soit, nous serions embarrasse si nous voulions trouver la place de notre poeme dans I'une ou 1' autre des deux grandes sections que Ton pretend introduire dans I'ordre de nos vieilles epopees. Les vers de huit syllabes, I'adoration continuelle pour les dames, quelque exag^r^e qu'elle soit, ne peuvent suflB.re k le faire comprendre dans les romans de la Table-E-onde. L'action, qui commence lors des dernieres annees de Clovis, ne devroit pas le faire ranger non plus parmi les romans Carlovingiens : cependant cette invasion des Musulmans du Nord, cet arrangement entre le roi de France et les strangers, le lieu ou se fait cet accommodement, le Vexin, dont chaque arm^e occupait une capitale ; I'une, celle du Vexin fran^ois, etl' autre, celle du Vexin normand, nous prouvent, ce me semble, d'une mani^re assez evidente, qu'il devroit appartenir aux romans de cette seconde section." It seems more reasonable to adopt the doubt expressed at the commencement, than the judgment contained in the concluding words of this extract, and to leave Partonope an independent position, unconnected with either of the great cycles.* sous I'article Kaeolingi) ; de Lothar-ius, Lotharingi. Ensuite on d&igna de la meme fafon le pays ou ils r%naient ; Carolingia, Lotharingia. Le premier nom, la France proprement dite, se trouve chez nos vieux chroniqueurs sous la forme contract^e de Kerlingen. Le second s'est maintenu en usage jusqu'a nos jours, quoique fort altere dans les lettres : Lotharingia, Lorraine." And again, at p. 371 : " Carolingie, c'est ainsi qu'on designait la France proprement dite, en opposition avec la Lotharingie, ou Lorraine." To these passages may be added two from the old German version of Partonope p. 48, 29, ^'■und der Kerlingere vogt," and 51, 25, " cZer kunec von kerlingen was." Ed. Massmann, Berlin, 1847. The form Carlovingian, however, is now too deeply rooted in general usage to be driven out by etymological reasons. * M. Fauriel, Histoire de la Po^sie Proven9ale, vol. iii. Appendice ii. pp. 453 — 515, distributes the Provenjal romances into six classes, and places " Parthenopex de Blois " (p. 505) in the sixth, or those which he styles " Sujets d'invention inconnus ou incertains" (p. 497). The others are: 1. Sujets karlovingiens ; 2. Eomans de la Table Ronde ; 3. Mythologie grecque ; 4. Personnagps grecs et remains ; 5. Bible et Histoire Sainte. This arrangement corroborates the opinion expressed in the text. And again, M. de INTRODUCTION. xix The interest of the story centres in the love between Melior and Partonope, the former of whom is represented as a Fay,* that is, a being of mortal race, but skilled in magic, and so possessing all the powers which a knowledge of that science was supposed to impart. Such attachments have at all times been favourite subjects for poetry. They afford that mixture of the supernatural which is a powerful element in works of fiction, and, being in accordance with popular belief, and enshrining superstitions, the relics in most cases of earlier mythological traditions, are certain of acceptance in the ruder ages of all nations. As might have been expected, therefore, the French and Anglo-Norman poets of the earlier period frequently have recourse to such incidents ; as, for example, Marie de France, in the Lays of Lanval and Graelant, and the author of the Romance of Melusine. Among the Germans, Frederick of SuaUa and Feter of Staufenherg both marry fays, as also does Thomas the Bymer in our own fictions. In the legends a certain Count is connected with Saint Catherine ; in Roman history, Numa with Egeria ; and in Oriental traditions the hero Ruzvanihad with the fay Cheteris- Martonne in a Rapport on Crapelet's edition in the M^moires de la Soc. Roy. des Anti- quaires de France, torn, xi , Paris, 1835, 8vo. p. 421, says that, as no ancestors or kin of Charlemagne appear in it, it should be ranked in a third section, " H s'ensuit qu' il doit appartenir a une troisieme section, a une classe mixte, qui comprend tous les romans sans parents, sans aifinit^ entre leur heros." * Fay (French fee, Ital. fata, Sp. fada, Middle Age Lat. fada, from Lat. fatum or fatua; conf. fatua in Petronius) is an appellation either of a race of supernatural beings, or of women skilled in magic. Melior belongs to the latter class ; see the account she gives of her education, v, 3194 — 3281, of this poem. "Skill in fayery so often assigned to ladies of distinction in the old romances may be attributed to their superior education- In the Morte d'Arthm- we iind that Morgue the fay was ' put to scole in a nonnery where she learned so much that shee became a great clarke in nygromancy.' " — W. S. Rose, note to Partonopex, p. 50. See the Chapter on Middle Age Romance in Keightley's Fairy Mythology, Lond. 1833, vol. i., and for the etymology of the word, vol. i. p. 11, 12, c2 XX INTRODUCTION. tang. Sometimes there is a change of sex, and the superior being is represented to be a male, as in the story of Melie du Graal, of le Chevalier au Cygne, and Lleogrin. Lastly, we have the Greek legend of Eros and Fsyche, the parent perhaps of all the rest. In all there is a similar prohibition against approaching too near, or seeing the object of attachment, on pain of losing it for ever — a prohibition in which M. de Roquefort,* from whom the previous instances are taken, recognises "le sublime mystere de I'arbre defendu," of which he gives a peculiar physical interpretation. What- then is the common origin of these fictions so widely spread ? and, secondly, what were the sources from which Denis Piramus, or his Proven9al predecessor, derived the story of Partonope and Melior ? As to the general question, it seems now to be the all but universal opinion that we must trace them from the East, and from the very earliest period of history — a period of which we have no authentic records, but on which these very stories would seem to throw some light. There are many cycles of stories •in which similar incidents appear, which we can neither suppose to have been directly borrowed or translated by one people from another, nor to have sprung up spontaneously in nations so widely separated. The alternative, then, is to believe that they are part of a common inheritance brought by the several tribes that spread over Western Asia and Europe, from their aboriginal home in the East, and developed, according to local and other circumstances, with suitable incidents, characters, and other accessories. Upon this point we have the judgment of a most competent authority, Dr. Dasent, who, speaking of the Norse Tales, so ably edited by him, writes : — " There can be no doubt, then, with regard to the question of the * Koquefort, Notice du Partenopex, Paris, 1811, pp. 6, 7. INTEODUCTION. XXI origin of these tales, that they were common in germ, at least, to the Aryan tribes before their migration. We find traces of them in the traditions of the Eastern Aryans, and we find them developed in a hundred forms and shapes in every one of the nations into which the "Western Aryans have shaped themselves in the course of ages. We are led, therefore, irresistibly to the conclusion that these traditions are as much a portion of the common inheritance of our ancestors, as their language unquestionably is ; and that they form, along with that language, a double chain of evidence which proves their Eastern origin."* What is here asserted of these Norse Tales is applicable to the ultimate origin of our romance, and we have a similar testimony in reference to the Celtic tales of the West Highlands, which bears more directly upon it. The indefatigable collector of these tales, Mr. Campbell, says : — " It is at least certain, that the groundworks of several popular tales now current amongst the peasantry of the West Highlands, were written by Apuleius in the second century ; and it is probable that these were current about Carthage some seventeen hundred years ago. Nearly the whole of the story of Cupid and Psyche, as told by Apuleius, will be found in these volumes, though in a very rough dress, in Nos. ii., iii., xii., xxxiii, xxxix. (ii. The Battle of the Birds, iii. The Tale of the Hoodie, xii. The Daughter of the Skies, xxxiii. The Queen who sought a certain Drink from a certain Well, xxxix. The Three Widows), and the story ab- stracted above (pp. 291—296). It is aU over Europe in all sorts of shapes, and it was in India as a tale of the love of the Sun for an earthly maiden, who was also the Dawn. It was part of classical * Popular Tales from the Norse, by G. W. Dasent, Edinburgh, 1859, 8vo., Intro- duction, p. xxxi. XXU INTEODTJCTION, mythology, though Venus had surely begun to lose her power when Apuleius made her a scolding mother-in-law. It seems hope- less to speculate on the origin of the story anywhere short of the dawn of time ; but if there be any truth in the ' Eastern origin of Celtic nations,' it is reasonable to look eastwards for the germ of Celtic mythology." * This passage brings us to our second question, and to that which has been almost universally regarded as the source from which the romance of Partonope and Melior was immediately derived — namely, the legend of Cupid and Psyche. There are not many points of criticism on which there has been a more general consent among those who have paid attention to the subject ; and, while fully admitting that all these stories which involve the main incident of this legend may have sprung independently of each other, and at different periods, from a common original, it is still quite reasonable to suppose that Denis Piramus, or his predecessor, writing in the tweKth or thirteenth century, may have been familiar with the story, both as current in a popular shape, and as conveyed in the writings of Apuleius, or perhaps in some Greek form which has now perished. The striking resemblance between the romance and the legend of which we are speaking was first noticed by M. Legrand d'Aussy, who says, " Mes lecteurs reconnoltront ici la fable de Psyche. EUe est -si connue qu'on me dispensera de faire remarquer en quoi notre auteur s'est eloign^ de son original ;" and afterwards, " Notre romancier a pu la connoitre (une ode d'Anacreon) par quelques traductions du temps, comme il a connu la fable de Psych^ employee par lui pr^cedemment." + We have already shown that this was * Popular Tales of the West Highlands, by J. F. Campbell. Edinburgh, 1862, vol. iv. pp. 327, 328. See also the same Tolume, pp. 260, 296, 299, 300, 314, 322. ■f Fabliaux ou Contes, &c., par Legrand d'Aussy. Paris, 1829, 8vo. vol. v. pp. 243, and 277. INTRODUCTION. XXlll also the opinion of M, de Roquefort, and may add to his that of M. Le Roux de Lincy, who adopts the same view in the main : — " Quant a Partenopex de Blois, bien qu'ant^rieur aux deux ouvrages precedents, il est encore le fruit des expeditions d'Orient, des souvenirs qui s'y rattachaient, des idees qu'elles avaient fait naitre. La fille du roi infidfele et sa soeur, toutes les deux fees puissantes, mais bonnes et genereuses, rappellent bien plus les Feri que les dresses scandinaves. Quant au noeud du r^cit, il est facile d'y retrouver le souvenir de la mythologie antique : c'est la fable de L' Amour et Fsyche, sous une autre forme, avec des costumes et des usages differents." * M. Amaury Duval also acquiesces in this view, and indicates several points in the story which are traceable to classical literature, f But this has not been the opinion of Trench scholars only. Mr. DunlopI says " that the story of Partenopex de Blois is obviously derived from the fable of Cupid and Psyche so beautifully told by Apuleius ;" and Mr. W. S. Bose,§ in the notes to his poem on the subject, alleges even verbal similarities as well as incidents. Among the Germans also, Gervinus|| takes it as an accepted fact; and Grasse^ says that it is, " obwohl einige widersprochen haben, offenbar eine bearbeitung der alten sage von Amor und Psyche." But the resemblance is most clearly made out by M. Dulaure** in the Rapport presented by him to the Society of Antiquaries of • M. le Roux de Lincy, Le Livre des Legends, Introduction, Paris, 1836, 8vo. pp. 186, 187. f Histoire Literaire de la France, torn. xix. p. 647. I Dunlop, History of Fiction, chap. v. vol. ii. p. 96, ed. 1814. London, small 8vo. § Partonopex de Blois, by W. Stewart Rose. London, 1807, quarto, p. 107. foil. — a note which deserves a careful perusal. II Gervinus, History of German Poetry, vol. ii. p. 109. f Grasse, History of Literature, vol. ii. part 3, sect. i. p. 380. ** M^moires de la Soci^t4 Royale des Antiquaires de France, vol. i. p. 398, foil. XXIV INTRODUCTION. France on the Notice of Partonopex, published by M. de E-oquefort. That he might be more qualified to form a judgment, he reperused with this object in view the legend as narrated by Apuleius, and then proceeds as follows : — '■ Cette lecture m'a convaincu que le roman gaulois 6tait une imi- tation, et presque une copie de la fable grecque ; que, dans I'une et I'autre production, se trouvent amours, merveilles, situation, aven- tures, indiscretion, malheurs, et sucefes, absolument semblables et co-ordonnes de meme ; enfin, que le PartJionopex est une fable grecque, ,un conte milesien,* qui, malgre les distances de temps et de lieux, s'est, comme bien d'autres, naturalist dans la Gaule, et y a re9u le costume du si^cle et du pays. " II faut maintenant prouver que ce roman gaulois est d'origine grecque. " Je remarque que le mot Parthonopex, titre du roman et nom du principal personnage, est 6videmment le meme que le mot grec FmHhenopos {:raf,Ssvw!ros)A qui signifie un adolescent, encore vierge, • This species of tale having been first written and brought to perfection at Miletus, the name of Milesian became appropriated to similar productions elsewhere. Ovid (Trist. ii. 413, 414) contrasts his own banishment with the impunity of Aristides, the author of some Milesian fables. Apuleius calls his Metamorphoses a Milesian work ; and the scene of the story of Psyche is laid in the environs of the city of Miletus, to which her father goes to consult the oracle, •]• JiapOivuiirhs, of maidenly aspect, equivalent to the expression of Anacreon w val vapGivtov /SXeTTiov (Od. 63), occurs only in the Electra of Euripides, 949, iiW (fioiy^ (17] iroaig Hi] irapOtvianoc, aWd TavSpiiov rpoirov. and in Dionysius of Halicamassus, de Compositione Verborum, 23, ivjiiava n ^ovXirai ilvai iravTa ovo/iaTa Kai \ua kuI ftaXaKd Kai irapBtvwird^ i.e., virgineo quasi vcnustoque vultu. M. Edelestandt du Meril also derives it from the Greek in another way : — " Non seule- ment Parthonopeus est compost d'^l^ments gi-ecs, mais c'est un nom parlant qui exprime la nature du prince qui le porte : irapOivoQ et intiiVj celui que les vierges regardent amoureusement. Les noms des deux soeurs Melior et Uraque ont des racines grecques INTRODUCTION. XXV et conservant les traits d'une jeune fille ; on peut le rendre en fran9ais par le vieux m.oi jouvenceau Cette denomination convient bien au heros du roman, qui, lors de ses premieres aventures, n'^tait &g6 que de treize k quatorze ans.'* qui etablissent une veritable parents entre elles ( /»«X<, miel, et Jipov, rayon de miel), et le nom de la plus sage, de eel qui donne de bons conseils, finit par aicoc, remade." — Intro- duction to Floire et Blanceflor, Paris, 1856, p. clxxiv. The description given of Floire would justify the former derivation, " Floires en face n'en menton N'avoit ne barbe ne grenon, N'en la tor n'avoit damoisele Qui de visage fust plus bele." Floire et Blanceflor, Provenfal Version, 2229—2332. And again, " En son vis nul samblant n'avoit Qu'il fust bom ; car a son menton N'avoit ne barbe ne grenon : Fors Blanceflor n'avoit tant bele En la tor nule damoisele." Ibid. 2378—2382. Floire was so exactly a irapSevonrAc that the Amiral " Au chambrelenc dist : ' les poitrines Me descoevrez des deus meschines : Lor mameles primes verrons Et puis si les esveiUerons.' Cil les descoevre ; s'aparut Que cil est hom qui illuec jut." Ibid. 2387—2392. See also Ellis's Specimens, vol. iii. p. 137. * Partonope is said to have been only " treize ans" in the French text, v. 543 ; but in the Catalan version, p. 10, he is " xv." Floire is also said to be "xv.," v. 2575, Provenjal vers. ; 657, French ; and in Brut, Arthur is spoken of as "xv." This would seem a more suitable age for a hero even of romance ; and M. Kobert (Examen du Pofeme in Crapelet's edition, p. xxxiii) proposes to read " xvi." d XXVI INTRODUCTION. " Si le titre du reman vient du grec, sa fable en vient aussi ; on pent s'en convaincre en la comparant avec celle du Psyche. " La plus grande diiference qui se trouve entre ces deux ouvrages, c'est que le personnage principal de I'un est une jeune fiUe, Psyche, tandis que celui de 1' autre est un jeune gar9on, Partlionopex ; malgr^ cette difference, les 6v^nemens qu'ils ^prouvent sent a peu pr^s les memes. "Psyche est fille d'un roi, et Partlionopex neveu du roi de Prance. La premiere, abandonn^e sur un desert, pleure, est saisie d'eflfroi, lorsqu' un Z^phir vient k elle la transporter doucement pres d'un palais magnifique dans un lieu enchant^ ou elle s'endort. "Parthonopex, ^gar6 k la chasse, arrive sur une montagne ^lev^e ; apres avoir pleur6, souffert la faina et le froid, il aper9oit la mer, et sur le rivage un vaisseau ; n s'y rend, est effray^ de n'y trouver per- sonne, et s'y endort. Pendant son sonameil, un vent enfle les voiles, le vaisseau s'^loigne avec rapidity et aborde pr^s d'une ville resplen- dissante de lumi^res et d'un chateau de la plus grande magnificence; c'est en se r^veillant qu'il aper9oit et admire ce lieu. "C'est aussi en ser^veillant que Psyche voit le palais del' Amour; que, frapp^e d'etonnement a la vue de tant de beaut^s et de richesses, elle entreprend d'y pen6trer et de la parcourir ; ce qui donne occa- sion a I'auteur de la fable grecque d'en faire une description tres- detaillee. Parthonopex entre aussi dans un palais si magnifique, que I'auteur du roman avoue n'avoir pas assez de talent pour le d^crire. Le palais que parcourt Psyche, celui ou se trouve Partho- nopex, sont des palais enchant^s. Nulle personne ne les habite. Des etres aussi invisibles servent k Parthonopex un repas magni- fique et vont au-devant de ses besoins. " Psyche, apr^s avoir pris un bain et un repas, va sur un lit chercher le sommeil ; la nuit I'y invitait. "Parthonopex, apr^s avoir amplement satisfait a sa faim, desire se INTRODUCTION. XXVll coucher. Deux flambeaux se dirigent alors vers une chambre ; il les suit, trouve un lit superbe et s'y couche. "Psycb^ se trouvait dans le palais d'un dieu, et Parthonopex dans celui d'une f^e trfes-puissante. "La nuit 4tait avanc6e, lorsquele dieu ^woMr s'introduisit dans la couche de Psyche ; il etait nuit, et toutes les lumiferes etaient ^teintes, lorsque la fee Melior s'avan9a doucement et vint se coucher aux c6t^s de Parthonopex. "Ici le roman gaulois difffere, a quelques ^gards, du rdcit d' ApuMe. Celui-ci passe tr^s-rapidement, indique et ne d^crit pas la rencontre et r union de Psyche et de 1' Amour. • II se couche auprfes d'elle et en fait sa femme,' sont les seules paroles qu'il emploie. L'auteur de Parthonopex, au contraire, d^veloppe cette sc5ne de voluptd avec des details qui peuvent blesser nos convenances, mais qui doivent plaire par le naturel et par une gr^ce etrang^re h, la mani^re par- ticuli^re de l'auteur, ce qui me porte h. croire que ce n'est pas le r^cit d'Apulee qu'il a imit6, mais une autre relation des m^mes aven- tures. Au surplus, on trouve dans Parthonopex, comme dans Psyche, que 1' intrigue commence par ou finissent les autres produc- tions de ce genre. "Avant le jour, I'Amour quitte Psych6. Au point du jour, pendant que Parthonopex dormait encore, la fee M61ior s'echappe k regret des bras de son amant. La f^e, ainsi que le dieu, ne veut pas 6tre apercue. "Apr^s quelque temps de bonheur. Psyche veut voir ses sceurs et en demande la permission a son divin ^poux. Parthonopex a le meme desir, et demande la permission d'aller voir sa famille. " Psyche, apr^s avoir instruit ses soeurs du bonheur dont elle jouit, s'en separe et revient dans les bras de I'Amour. Parthonopex, apr^s quelques exploits militaires, et apr^s avoir fait part a sa mere de sa f^Ucite, et resists assez faiblement aux seductions d'une jeune prin- ce 2 • • • XXym INTRODUCTION. cesse qu!on. veut lui donner en mariage, revient aupres de la fee M^lior. Je dois aj outer un autre trait de conformity : Psyche avait, dans cette occasion, comble ses soeurs de riches pr^sens ; Partho- nopex avait de mfeme enricM sa famille d'objets tr^s-pr^cieux, dus aux bienfaits de la f^e M^lior. " Psyche t^moigne encore le d^sir de reroir ses soeurs, I'Amour y consent, mais il la pr^vient des perils dont elle est menacee si elle c^de k leurs seductions. Parthonopex rent voir une seconde fois sa famille. M^lior, en le lui permettant, I'avertit que des maUieurs I'attendent s'il n'a pas la force de r^sister aux insinuations de sa m^re. " Les soeurs disent k Psycli6 que son ^poux est un monstre, un dragon. La m^re de Parthonopex, qui avait accuse la f6e M^lior d'etre une n^gromancienne, dit a son fils que, s'il la voyait toute nue, il en serait ^pouvant^. " Les soeurs de Psyche I'engagent a se munir d'une petite lampe bien allum^e, et de la cacher sous un vase, afin de s'en servir a temps pour voir son ^poux endormi. La mere de Parthonopex lui donne une lanterne qu'il doit tenir cacb^e pour qu'elle lui serve h considerer la f^e pendant son sommeU.. " Parthonopex suit les conseils de sam^re, com me Psycb6 ceux de ses soeurs. Tous les deux admirent dans I'objet de leur curiosit6 des beaut^s inesp^r^es et dont la vue leur ^tait interdite. Tous les deux, lorsque leur indiscretion est connue, s'en r^pentent et en sont punis, " Dans I'un et I'autre ouvrage on annonce qu'alors le charme fut detruit ; aux brillantes illusions, avix magnifiques productions de I'enchantement, succ^d^rent, dans le palais de I'Amour comme dans celui de la f^e M^lior, une triste r^alit^ ; le Dieu et la fee perdirent le pouvoir qu'ils avaient sur les destia^es des deux mortels, objets de leur passion." INTRODUCTION. XXIX " L' Amour indignd accable Psyche de justes reproches, s'envole et rabandonne a son desespoir et aux malheurs qu'il lui avait prMits. " La f^e s'^vanouit plusieurs fois, pleure et reproche am^rement k Parthonopex sa fatale curiosity ; elle a perdu son pouvoir magique, sa reputation, son bonbeur. Ses amours sont devenus publics. Le coupable, forc6 de fuir, ^chappe h la mort dont le mena9aient plusieurs chevaliers, qui alors apparurent dans le palais disen- chants. "Psyche est longtemps en proie aux persecutions, a la colore divine de Venus. Pour Parthonopex, le remords qui le ddchire le porte au desespoir, et le desespoir au besoin de terminer sa vie. II faut avouer que les peines qu'il endure ne ressemblent nullement a celles qu'dprouve Psyche. Sans doute que la diversity du sexe a nScessitS la diversity des peines ; quoi qu'il en soit, I'auteur du Parthonopex parait ici, comme dans quelques autres parties, avoir puise dans son propre fond, et Ton voit que, lorsqu'Ll s'Scarte de son guide, sa d-marche est lourde et mal assuree. Lorsqu'il perd de vue son module antique, il ne presente que des conceptions mesquines, des evSnemens sans interest, sans vraisemblance. " Voici le dernier trait de conformity que j'ai remarque entre la fable grecque et le roman gaulois : les deux coupables, Parthe- nopex comme Psyche, apres avoir longuement expiS leurs fautes, sont absous et unis chacun a I'objet de leur amour. "II n'y a plus de doute, et j'ai pent etre employe trop de temps a le prouver; le roman de Parthonopex est copi6 de la fable grecque de Psyche, heureusement encadrS dans les Meta- morphoses d'ApulSe, ou bien copie dans des nombreuses imitations du prototype de la meme fable, imitations altdrees ou appropriees au g6ut, au pays, au temps des imitateurs." It would seem almost impossible to resist the cumulative weight XXX INTRODUCTION. of the evidence here adduced ; yet, on the other hand, M. Robert, whose Examen du Po^me de Partonopeus, printed in M. Crapelet's edition, deserves the highest praise, is inclined to make as light of the resemblance as possible.* " Je ne sais pas non plus jusqu'a quel point est fondle I'impu- tation de plagiat faite a notre po^te relativement a Apulee : je vols en eflPet, dans la fable de Psyche et dans Partonopeus, ici une amante, la un amant, d^fendre a la personne aim^e la vue de I'autre ; mais 6tez a ApuMe le sens all^gorique qui fait tout le charme de son Episode, il ne restera plus qu'un veritable conte de f^e. Otez a Partonopeus le mystfere et la prohibition qui fait le noeud du poeme, il restera encore un roman de chevalerie avec des descriptions pleines de charmes, des parties dramatiques tres anim^es, et des tableaux de moeurs precieux pour la finesse de I'observation. " Les derniers ^crivains latins sont rest^s, 11 est vrai, le plus anciennement dans la m^moire des peuples qui remplacferent r empire romain; mais je n'ai encore rencontr^ aucune mention d'Apul^e dans les anciens auteurs qui p4t justifier I'imputation d'un plagiat, qui se borneroit d'ailleurs a I'emprunt du mode de myst^re, tandis que les deux fables sont enti^rement diffdrentes." M. de Marbonne,t the reviewer of M. Crapelet's edition, con- siders that M. Robert has not succeeded in overthrowing the opinion that the romance bears a strong resemblance to the legend of Cupid and Psyche ; and, indeed, his main objection, that he has not found any mention of Apuleius in ancient Prench authors, has not much weight, and does not meet M. Dulaure's statements. There were other writings in which the story might have been pre- served. It might have been taken from the collection of Milesian * Examen du Poeme de Partonopeus, p. liii. in the edition of Partonopeus by M. Crapelet. Paris, 1834. f M^moires de la Soci^te Royale des Antiquaires de France, torn. xi. p. 420. Paris, 1835, 8vo. INTRODUCTION. XXXI Tales attributed to Clodius Albinus, whose connection with Gaul as commander of the forces, and a competitor for the empire, would have caused them to be more widely known in that country. Julius Capitolinus* says of them, " Milesias nonnuUi ejusdem esse dicunt quarum fama non ignobilis habetur quamvis mediocriter scrip tee sint." Or it might have been derived immediately from some Greek original ; for, as the " Amour of Cupid and Psyche was a subject which lay in common among the Platonic writers," as Warburtonf observes, it was doubtless familiar to the Greek popu- lation of Marseilles,:}: the seat of a flourishing university in the earlier days of the Roman Empire, and a centre from which a knowledge of the Greek language and literature was disseminated through Southern Gaul. And, as during this period Lyons, § Vienne,|| and Bordeaux^ were all eminently literary cities, and the * Historije Augustas Scriptores, Tol. i. 700, ed. varior. Ludg. Bat. 1671, in the Life of Clodius Albinus, chap. ii. •f Divine Legation of Moses, book ii. sect. 4, vol. ii. p. 200, ed. 1811, London, 8vo. J On this point we have the testimony of Strabo, book iv. who informs us that the Gauls were fond of rhetoric and philosophy, that they had teachers of these branches of learning in their houses, and that the towns also hired teachers for their youth, as they did physicians ; for a kind of inspector of health was part of the economy of a Greek town. Greek was in such common use, that contracts were drawn up in it. Tacitus also, in his life of Agricola, ch. iv., briefly describes the University of Marseilles, where his father-in-law was educated, as " Grwca comitate et provinciali parcimonia mistum ac bene compositum." § See Pliny's Letters, ix. ii., who expresses some astonishment at there being book- sellers at Lyons, by whom his own works were sold, benseus, Bishop of Lyons, wrote in Greek, and Eusebius has preserved the Greek Epistle from the churches of Lyons and Vienne to those of Asia and Phrygia, describing their persecution. II Martial, Epigrammat. vii. 88 — Fertur habere meos si vera est fama libellos Inter delicias pulcra Vienna suas. % Ausonius has devoted a whole book to the " Commemoratio Professorum Burdi- galensium," in the last epigram of which he speaks of the study of Plato with marked XXXll INTRODUCTION. latter especially noted for its devotion to the Platonic philosophy, there is every reason to believe that so beautifiil a legend vrould become widely known. Upon this subject it may be as well to add the opinion of another writer, whose studies have been directed to early romance literature, and who says, " In short, the old legends of the bank of the Tiber, ' cselo gratis- simus amnis,' retained their power, and assumed a new vitality amongst strange races and under foreign conquerors. We cannot doubt that the general romance of Northern Europe, especially in its earlier forms, was greatly influenced by them, just as that of Provence and the Troubadours, which in its turn affected that of the Langue d'Oui, exhibits traces of yet more remarkable traditions, resulting from the long lingering Greek colony of Marseilles. Greek words and Greek choral dances may to this day be heard and seen in the neighbourhood of the old Phocsean city ; and as late as the eleventh century there still remained ia the E.b.] That there had be ffalle a grete Ooke The spere was storng and wolde not breke 1990 Partanope was a myghty freeke In his sadell stylle sate and well Sornogour that was ferse and felle 68 And eke in armes full wele ylered Turnyd hys horns * and oute wyth his swerde 1995 Therof toke hede goode Partanope And wyth hys swerde oute as well as he Fresshly anone to gydyr they mette Many a grete stroke there was sette And in this hurlyng Partanope 2000 With hys Swerde a stroke smote he Vpon Sornogour helme so gay So spetuously that he gan affray And stonyed therwyth he was gretly There wyth his hors full lyghtly 2005 He turned froward Partanope Than the kyng agayn smote he And that wyth alle his myght * He made hym welny to lyght Oute of his sadyll full sodenly 2010 But as he helde hym myghtly By the heere of hys stedys nekk Partanope spared hym nott but layde on thykk The kyng in his armes wexyth hoote Wyth his spurres his stede he smote 2015 And in this wyse departed he Kyng Sornogour and Partanope They had bothe nede hem to A brethe Awhyle they rest hem on the hethe Amonge the frensh was made grete noyse 2020 They sayde Partanope Erie of Bloys Hath wele quyte hym in this fyght Agayn Sornogoure that worthy knyght *Sic. 69 But Somogour in his Armes full perfyte Had of Partanope grete dispete 2025 And in his sadell he gan hym dresse He thought falle hyt better or worse [foi. 27] He wold ones assayle Partanope There wyth his lenger swerd toke he Anone feersly to gedyr they mette 2030 And Surnagour wold haue smette Vndyr the Shelde Partanope Of that Stroke foule fayled he The Swerdes poynt he bare so lowe For even a mydde the Sadyll bowe 2035 Of his Swerd he sette the pomell The hethen kyng was so fell And wolde haue bore hym throw the Corse Of hym he fayled and smotte the horse In to the brayn throght the panne 2040 This blake steede ther wyth be ganne To staker as he that nedys muste falle Partanope a lyght ther wyth alle Leepe from his hors both hole and sownde His swerd dyed and fyll to grounde 2045 The frenche kyng wyth grete dolor Prayde Jhesu to saue his honoure And sayd lord god in Trynyte SufFre not they seruaunt to scomfyte be Of this cursyd hethen fynd 2050 But lorde saue my Crysten frynd And of myn honor the ryght Partanope on fote to fyght 70 He was redy couered vndyr Shelde And knyghtly his swerd he heeld 2055 But sumwhat a shamed was Partanope That thus lyghtly vnhorsed was he On horse bake sate kyng Sornogoure As fell and feerse as ony bore And streyght he rydeth to Partanope 2060 MjTi frend he sayd or than that ye Be dede my wyll were oo thyng That ye Shuld speke wyth our kyng And counsayle hym to haue pese wyth me Than answeryd good Partanope 2065 Yf the kyng of fraunce shuld be [foi. 27.b.] Youre homagere than myght well ye Sey ye had made a fayre conquest And falsely had I performyd my behest I am redy to saue his honor 2070 But oo thyng kyng Sornogour I am gladde that your Cruelte Ys now turned to humilite For ye seeme atte this auauntage Y trow ye haue lost your corage 2075 Whan Sornogour herd this scrone He was woddyr than he was beforne And wyth that word purposed was he Sharply to smyte this Partanope At hym he smote on the ryght syde 2080 His stroke he thought shuld abyde But to the lyfte syde Partanope leep And of his stede toke grete kepe 71 That his hede was all bare Therto smyte he wold not spare 2085 The hede throw out he clefe The steede of ther he refe Where fore kyng Sornogour Was in doute of his honor And wyth fyll wyth outen more 2090 That fall greved hym full sore Tho that were on the hethen syde Haue lost a parcell of her syde The frenche a nou with good hert Thanked god that so gan werk 2095 Wele and wo ryght as hym lyst Sornogour than alle in a myst Lepe vp lyghtly vp his seete And thought fully for to mete Wyth his enemy Partanope 2100 And a grete stroke than gafe hym he Vpon the corner of his sheeld Hit dennyd gretely all the feld Steele ne nerfe wold hit hold The swerde was herd and wold not fold 2105 [foi. 28,] Into the Sheld hit entred a fote And wyth the poynt Partanopes cote Was foule rasyd and eke I rent Than Sornogoure ganne to hent The Swerd that fast was In the sheld 2110 Many a man this case behelde He pulled sore hit wold not be Than to his hors ward drew he 72 Hys purpose in that flenge To had the gleyve that be his sadyll heng 2115 But Partanope all in hast Foulowed hym feersly and fast And gafe hym strokes many Ytt his hors he came ny Where he had a grete fall 2120 And yit there wyth haste and hylle His gleyve he caught full smert And on his feete vp he stert Thenkyng he wolde meete wyth Partanope But so hit happyd that they both be 2125 So wery of fyght hit neded to breth And both they rested him on the heth Partanope had grete en comberaunce Of the Swerd that foule myschaunce Which henge so fast in his sheld 2130 That he myght lyghtly hym weld And that seeth wele Sornogour And feersly as hit were a bore Leeth on hym wyth hys gleyve Myghty strokes he gan the Weyfe 2135 Ryght perlous was this Batayle So feersly eche other dyd assayle Men seyd they were ryght wrothee Knyghtis full corageous and myghty Sturdy delyver and therto strong 2140 The day was whote and longe Aferd som what were all the hethen And fast to god prayd the Crysthen 73 To Marres the erle ayen turn I [foi. 28.b.] That wele his ware and wote truly 2145 How Somogour his owne kyng Hated hym dedely above all thyng He thenketh fast how that he To his Lord myght make his gre In perell now he seeth his lord 2150 He retenewed that bene of his a cord To hym prevyly he dyd call Syres he sayd ye wote wele all In grete drede stondeth our kyng I telle yow trouth of oo thing 2155 Oute of this feld to passe on lyve He ys not lykly ther for as blyve In pryvewyse goo and arme yow For all this world ne wold I now Afore myn eyn see hym dye 2160 Yow to armes fast ye hye Do on fast your habergeons And above cast on your gownes And wyth your swerdys gyrde yow fast And loke throw the prees ye trest 2165 That be vn armed and naked men And preseth forth tyll that ye been Thorugh the meynee and nygh your kyng And spare not for no thyng Your lyege lord for to rescowe 2170 I had lever now be forsworn Than to see hym dye me fom li 74 Yit myne auctor seeth veryly Hit was not but a fayned lye For his meanyng was falsehede 2175 But forth anon wyth outen drede Thre thousand wyth outen more crye Of knyghtis were armed and fast by Her mayster Erie Mares they hove Redy the prese to threst throw 2180 Stronge ys the batayll and perlous To behold and full dolourous [foi. 29.] Prowde men of armes been they bothe To gyff hit vp lyghtly they be ryght lothe Fro morow lastyd this grete batayle 2185 Th * morow wythouten fayle Ganiie drawe lowe in to the west Men myght see then lytyll rest Betwen these fyghters so wrothe They peyned freshly to fyght bothe 2190 Therfore the day ganne fast fayle And eche of hem of his batayle The victory wolde he haue yf he myght Therfore fresshly they gyn to fyght Full feersly now and ryght sore 2195 Is Partanope assaylyd of Sornogour A grete stroke he leete then flee Wyth his gleyve to Partanope And wyth hys Sheelde he dyd hit wej've But wyth the Beke yet of his gleve 2200 Vpon his helme so fresshly he smote * Sic. 75 Where he was in that stounde For he had welny falle to the grounde And not W3rth stondyng that Partanope A stonyed was yett leete he 2205 To the kyng a stroke so fresshly flye Wyth hys Swerde and ryght an hye Vpon hys helme he hym sinete That on wyth outen lette His cower brak and alle thyng 2210 Of his helme and hit gan flyng From hys hede in to the feelde Crysten and hethen that be heelde They sayde thys ys a perilous fyght This hethen kyng this worthy knyght 2215 For alle his helme abasshed hym nought But allewey fresshly his enemy sought And wyth his Gesarne at hym leete flee And wyth his Sheelde Partanope Wele hym defendyd as he myght 2220 [foi. 29.b.] But the Gesarne so sore a lyght The stroke rong ouer alle the feelde In to the myddys he clafFe his sheelde And therin stake so sore and fast The kyng to hym hyt pulled fast 2225 He pulled so feersly that on his kne To the grounde than goyth Partanope He a none lyghtly tho vp stert Ashamed and wrothe he was in hert That at erthe he had so be 2230 Wyth his swerde than lete he flee 76 To his enemy so grete a stroke As thogh ther had falle An Oke The kyng hys stroke warly behelde And resseyved hyt vpon his Sheelde 2235 The Sheelde was sure but noght for thanne In to the myddes the swerde ranne The swerde was stronge and not to brake Thorow the sheelde a foote hit stake The kyng aspyed the swerde was fast 2240 In hys Sheelde and tho in grete hast He vndede the gyte of hys Sheelde And fro hytn cast hit into the feelde Wyth thys crafte now ys Partanope Gretly encomberd now may not he 2245 Wyth hys swerde hymself be welde For on the poynt chevith the Sheelde Partanope stount now in grete feere The kyng wole gyflfe hym no leyser To drawe hys swerde oute of his Sheelde 2250 But chaseth hym feersly A boute the feelde In bothe his handes he holdyth hys gesarne And laythe on fast and dothe harme To this yonge knyght Partanope But wyth his Sheelde wele couered hym he 2255 And as they were thus in strynvyng He toke hede where A swerde hyng Vpon the kingis dede stede Hys Swerde he lefte and thyder he yede [fol. 30.] Somogoure Swerde for the Arson reft 2260 Ther as he hanging had hyt lefte 77 Grete Aventure of grete dystresse A man myght se there and professe Betwen these two so worthi men The batayles ys perylous now hem betwen 2265 And marvaylous to be holde therto For ofte tyme truly hit stont so The tone hath the better a man wolde deme And sodenly or tow woldest wene He hath the worse wythouten nay 2270 Thus ffortune alle the long day Tumeth hyr vnstedfast whele That none of hem ys no whyle wele Hyt to beholde ys a mervayle syght The day passyth on fast on comyth the nyght 2275 In bothe handys holdyth ye kyng Hys Gesarne feersly and drede no thing On the tother syde this Partanope Hys Swerde naked eke holdeth he Redy to fyght in the same feelde 2280 The kyng hath neyther helme ne Shelde Now Cometh Partanope for to assoyle This kyng and wylle not fayle Yf he now to haue his hede The kyng hym hyed A full grete spede 2285 To hym warde and of the stroke ys ware And wj'th his Gesarne away he bare Bothe feersly to gydyr they smette And atte last her wepyns mette Partanope had there a grete harme 2290 Hys swerde he smoth in the gesarne 78 By the hilt hit brake in that fyght The hethen were glade to se that syght And Swerdles than ys Partanope When the frenchmen that did see 2295 And prayed god wyth alle hys myght [foi. 3o.b.] To saue Partanope and his ryght WiTHOUTEN wepyn ys now Partanope Hys swerde is broken the other tweyn be Snarled in the sheeldes ryght fast 2300 What dothe he than but in grete hast Leepe to the kyng wythouten lette And on the gesame bothe handes sette And thought hyt fro the kyng to puUe But he defended hit than at full 2305 And thus they warsteled and stryvid sore Tylle at the last what wole he more The Erie of hym the gesarne wanne The kyng seeth that and fast ranne To the swerde alle men tho be heelde 2310 There hyt stake fast in the sheelde Vpon his sheelde he sett hys foote And the Swerde that was his boote He pulled oute and hit hadde Wherof the hethen were full gladde 2315 Ther wyth he wolde haue take the Sheelde But whan Partanope that be heelde Wyth the gesame at hym he smote That hit to take forth so hoote His purpose he put A syde 2320 Wherfore the kyng in the tyde 79 That naked Swerde as syluer bryght Heelde in defence as a knyght iFor helme And Sheelde had he none In the feelde he had hem forgone 2325 And wyth this Swerde thenkyth he Fresshly to assayle Partanope To hym he smott wyht alle his myght And thought hit shulde haue lyght Vpon his enemy Partanope 2.330 But hit happed for sothe that he Was so nye hym that on his Sheelde He smote hys honde and in to the feelde ffley his swerde that was so bryght Than was he in hert sore A fryght 2335 [foi. 31.] And wyth that stroke he had grete harme For sore astonyed was his Arme This aspied tho Partanope In alle the haste away caste he The gesarne and than lyghtly went 2340 That Swerde feersly he vp hent And gladde ys now Partanope That in honde that Swerde hath he In which he hath grete affiaunce He Brought hit wyth hym in to fraunce 2345 But while that Partanope the Swerde vp toke This hethen kyng fast gan loke After Wepyn but there was none That he myght haue then what to done He wote neuer yet he toke kepe 2350 Where a Sheelde lay and thider he leepe i 8p He toke hit vp in full grete haste And A boute his nek to hit cast That seeth the erle Partanope And feersly at hym tho leete flee 2355 A stroke which he defende wyth his Sheelde And wyth that stroke in to the feelde A Castell flye this ys no nay And whan Partanope that sey Another dynt theron he gafe 2360 That alle to pecis the Sheelde rafe Anone thought Erie Partanope The betther he had of this medlee Therwyth seeth this hethen kyng Hys enemyes Sheelde and therin styking 2365 A Swerde that was furbusshed bright A therto anone he leepe full ryght He pulled hit oute in grete haste And in his bond hath hit faste Now ys the Batayle mervelous 2370 And to be holde how myschevous Of hym bothe ys none ryght sure Ther falle so many aventure On Bothe sydes for now the tone [fol. 3i.bO Is at ye better and now ryght anone 2375 Mervaylesly he ys atte worsse So this batayle ys perversse Partanope hym ganne dresse To fyght for hym prowesse And be thinketh how that Melior 2380 That Swerde gafe hym therfor 81 To preve hymself a manly knyght Where euer he went in any fyght And therwyth his hert ganne to lyght And fresh was a none to fyght 2385 Whan he had of his lady memory Then to Somogoure he leepe full lyghtly And so feersly smote hym on the Sheelde B * pecis hit flye aboute the feelde The kyng hym couered as well as he myght 2390 But euer Partanope put hym to flyght fFor in no place he wolde suffre hym abyde But alle aboute the lystes wyde He hym chased so hidously That Somogoure wenyth full surely ■ 2395 He hath the worsse of this batayle Lo thus can love wythouten fayle Make a man maystries vse And a knyght shame to refuse Thus feersly chaseth Partanope 2400 That he maketh his enemy a fore hym flee This seeth Marres that flas Erie Which I tolde yow that of A cherle Was inhaunsed to lordys degree Wjrth thre thousand of hys meynee 2405 Cometh into to lystes to helpe his lorde Well I armed and brekyth the Acorde Of bothe partyes wythouten doute Anone he had alle hys rowte Oute wyth ther Swerdes and lay on fast 2410 On euery syde and than atte last 82 This marres cometh to Partanope And wyth his Swerde at hym leete flee [foi. 32.] The Erie manly deffended the feelde Marres smote feersly and Sornogoure be helde 2415 And cryed fast to the Erie Marres That he shulde leeve and make pees By the legeaunce that hym aught Marres answeryd that in thought Hyt come neuer whatsoeuer be fylle 2420 He wolle not be lettyd of his wylle The thousand hethen that armed were And that day assygned there The feelde to keepe on Sornogoure syde To her kyng tho fast gan ryde 2425 Kyng Sursyn and kyng fabure eke On the feelde fast ganne preke To kyng Sornogoure her chief lorde Merci sayde they for oure A corde It ys altosquatte and dysarayed 2430 fflas Marres hath vs be trayed Sleeth hym he sayde and that Anone They hym answeryth euerychone Hyt shall be done and that in hast Toward marres they presed fast 2435 And hem payne withouten fayle To slee marres in that batayle The hethen layde on eche on other They spared neydyr Cosyn ne brother The Crysten were slayn thykke also 2440 But of the hethen were many moo And also hyt myght none other be But taken than was Partanope But many hethen made he to dye Or they myght come hym so nye 2445 And many a crysten dyed in that fyght And many moo shulde had not the nyght Come on so fast thys ys the sothe But kyng Sornogoure was wondyr wrothe He toke an hors in grete hast 2450 And in amonge hem pryked fast And whyth hys Swerde layde fast a boute [foi. 32.b.] And slow many one wyth oute doute Of his syde and of his kynrede And euer cryed fast as he yede 2455 Loke he save Erie Partanope Thus in his fyghting euer cryed he But whan he Cowde no thing here Of Partanope he was in feere That in this hurlyng he were slayn 2460 Hys crying hym thought was in vayne Full lytell he thought he shulde be take Than his Skye ganne wex blake The day was past hit was derke nyght Thus the Ooste departed from fyght 2465 The french departed wyth grete heuyte For they Suppose that Partanope Ys dede wyth outen any nay And to pountyff they toke the way Sornogoure ys wroth and Angwisshous 24^0 That he myght not have the rescows 84 [fol. 33.] Of his felaw Erie Partanope Whatt dyd he than suppose ye Wyth the frensh he dyd forthe ryde Amonge hem alle vnspied 2475 As though he had be one of hem Ther herde he of the french men So grete sorow and playnt made For Partanope and none was glade But full of sorow and of wepyng 2480 And thus to Pountyff were they rydyng And Sornogoure in her Company None of hem cowde hym aspie And in to Pountyff to the halle dore Wyth hem rode king Sornogoure 2485 As he was armed he lyght anone And lete hys hors where he wolde gone He toke none hede where he be come The way in to the chambre he nome Where as the kyng of fraunce he sye 2490 Make sorow and full tenderly Swonned and passyng sorow made None of hys men cowde hym glade For in sorow this was his crye AJlas Partanope thou were so nye 2495 My kynne and eke my gouemoure Now arte thow dede which were the floure Of alle the knyghthode that longyth to fraunce Alias what happe or mychaunce Was that this feelde so flasly * 2500 Was kept the hethen now trwly 85 Be forsworne wythouten nay The contrary they mowe not say For I myself was present forsothe Whan they toke her othe 2505 Yet for Sornogoure I am ryght sory That he shulde be founde in suche vylany And yet I wote well he lakked no manhode I trusted euer fully in his knyghthode And in his gentellnesse and suerte 2510 That suche vntrouth wolde not he Enforged ne neuer haue wrought I trowe therto he not consentyd in thought When Sornogoure herde the kyng hym preyse Than to his hert hit was grete ese 2515 Wyth hym self then thought he I wole no lenger now hide me And wyth this thought in grete haste His helme he pulled of as faste And nakked he plukked oute his Swerde 2520 Wyth which at that tyme he was grede And in his honde the poynt he toke His regally he thanne forsoke As for that tyme thus dyd he And doun he sett hym on his kne 2523 Sjrr sayde he to the french kyng Mercy I aske above alle thing I am vnarmed as ye may see Myne heede ys naked and I submytte me Thehyltes ofmy Swerde I vpholde 2530 [foi. 33.b.] For at youre grace I be wolde 86 And cause why ye shall determyn Yf that Partanope youre Cosyn Be dede or take thorow this treason And yf any man canne preve be reson 2535 This peas shulde be broke thorow me I sm here redi alwey to be Obeysaunt to youre curteys awarde Putteth my body now in safe garde My request I pray that ye doo 2540 I yelde yow here my Swerde also And thenkyth in me no variaunce For I neuer thought this myschaunce The kyng his Swerde taketh in goode wyse And prayde hym that he wolde ryse 2545 Vpon his feete and then he sayde Sornogoure I am gretly myspayde Wyth this flashede yet neuer the lesse I see Be your gouernaunce that ye not be Knowing therof in no wyse 2550 Sethen ye are comen in this gyse To yelde yow thus lowly vnto me Hit maketh grete profe now parde That of this Tresoun no gilt ye haue Syr sayde Sornogoure so god me save 2555 I am wrothe and in my hert angrey That ye thus are betrayed and so am I And be whome hit ys I shall yow tell He ys bothe olde feers and fell I haue brought hym vp of nought 2560 Wherfore ofte in my large thought 87 I haue full sore repentyd me That euer I so lewde shulde be For he was of bryth but lowe degree I myself made hym free 2565 His fadyr was but a power Cherle Now I haue made the Son an Erie Hit ys marres Sir pardee He hath betrayed bothe yow and me [foi. 34.] Cursid he ys and covetous in allewyse 2570 Fayre of speche and flas in servyse To me he ys plesaunt and lowly And to my men dyspitous and sturdy Fyrst I helde hym true and sadde And therfore my stywarde I hym made 2575 Quaynt rewles now dothe he vse I wole for euer now hym refuse And servyse more neuer shall he do And his deservyng shall I quyte also For whan he purposyth to do fals thing 2580 Such ys his worde this woUe the kyng Thus aUe the dent ys falle on me There as my peple was wont to be To me full lovyng and full kynde Evyll wylled now hem I fynde 2585 For none would teU me of this Traytour But speke hym worship and honour An Erles doughter I gafe hym to wyfe He hath me rewarde wyth sorow and stryfe Where I had went tha he shulde save myn honoure 2590 He makes me to be holde a fals Traytoure 88 Where fore I pray yow of oo thing As ye be now a ryghtful king That in no vyse ye thenke thorow me Shulde be dede or take Partanope 2595 For an Erie haue here a king And yf so be that for no thing I may not now excused be Take vengeaunce then on me And yf hit like yow that I haue 2600 My lyfe I shall so God me save To yow as trew and as frendly be As euer that was Erie Partanope And do yow servyse as well as I canne And therto be come youre legeman 2605 And herof to make yow sewertee I shall lay hostage of goode degree Erles and Barons and other men [foi. 34.b.] Kingis also and eche of hem Shall come and do yow homage 2610 As well as for to lye for me in hostage He him answerd then full goodely Sir he sayde by god almighty Other vengeaunce kepe I none But as ye haue sayde that ye wolde done 2615 Ye seen he wole my legeman be And alle your londes holde of me Syr sayde Sornogoure that I yow say To do hit redyly I wyll obey The frenchemen alle helde hem well payde 2620 Wyth the king and also they sayde 89 Of king Somogoure grete worship in sothe And sayden he truly hath kept his hothe The king anone his homage hath take The frenshmen grete Joye make 2625 And sayde that Somogoure wolde holde his hest And that the king a grete conquest Hath made and few strokes yove They be ensured eche other to love These two kinges vn armed be 2630 Yett grete hevynesse ffor Partanope Is made amonge the frenchmen The king anone commaundeth hem That they shulde besy hem to see AUe that of Counsayle be 2635 That alle the worship and the honore Shulde be done and alle the servyse That myght be done in eny wyse And so they dyd as they myght • Her hertis were hevy and no thing lyght 2640 For the losse of Partanope Grete sorow in hert made he That myght be do to Somogoure Alle nyght grete sorow amonge hem was made None of hem couthe other glade 2645. The hethen men on her syde On the morow fast to Chars gvnne ryde [foi. 35.] And to the Castell of Agrysor To seche her lorde king Somogoure And whan they had alle I sought 2650 And of fynde hym Couthe they ryght nought N 90 Than they couth none other rede But supposen sotheley that he ys dede King Sursyn and king fabour Hem armed anone wyth hert sore . 2655 And commaunde alle her Cheualrye Wyth hem to ryde in grete hie Streight to marres logging They sayde he was cause of lesyng Of her king and her A vowe 2660 Wherfore they sayde that dede he shuUde be As they sayden so they dyd Feersly vpon hym they ryde And in grete haste they dyd flee And grete parte also of his meyne 2665 Whan Partanope sey alle this To hem anone yolden he ys When they founden hym alyve Grete yoie amonge hem was made as bylyve And thanked god of his grete grace 2670 They hoped they shulde the better passe Thorow fraunche alle to the See And so forthe safe in to her Contree And as they were in this affray Fro Pountyfl" there as her kyng lay 2675 A letter he sent in grete hast Vndyr his Signett comaundyng fast Alle his Ooste to come to Pountyff And homage to do to the king of fraunce To whom he had made his lyegeaunce 2680 91 AVhan they herd of her king That he on lyve was above alle thing They made grete Joye and yett they were Foo marres dathe gretly in feere To make an ende of alle this stryfe 2685 Now be they come to Pountyfe [foi. 35.b.] To her kyng and of his lyffe They be as gladde as they mow be Wyth hem they bring Partanope The king of fraunce oute of the towne 2690 Is ryden and wyth hym a legyoun Of his knyghtis as syker as day Wyll I horsid and in freesh aray Of alle his Ooste they here the floure And wyth hym rydys king Sornogoure 2695 Talking and speking of dyuers things And sone after haue they tithings That the Ooste of Sarasyns was nye And when the king of fraunce hym sye Afore hym alle comyth king Sursyn 2700 And next hym comyth king fFabouryn Partanope and king Loemers And Markynne a kyng full feers Wyth hem come many a worthey knyght There foure kinges on foote be lyght 2705 And come to Sornogoure wythouten lees To crye hym mercy and aske hym pees Of that they had marres slayne But lorde the frenchmen were full fayne 92 When the king had Partanope 2710 In his possessyon and in suerte Som lowgehn and some strata And som wept for tendyrnasse of hart And Somogoure was bothe gladde and Joyouse Of Partanopa and therto dasyrouse 2715 Wyth hym to spake wyth outen lees But there anone was so grete prees To beholde this yong Partanope Eche man had Joye on him to see Som hym welcomed some him kysse 2720 The syth of hym her care made lesse The king of fraunce tolde homage And ther to suer hostage That they shulde him here fayth and trouth And in hym shall neuer be slouth • 2725 ffol. 36.] Founden but that in thought thayre honoure Evyr he well saue and therwyth Somogoure ' When he herde the dede of armes He comaundyd his men that alle her plees Shulde sees and be put in contynuaunce 2730 While they were in the Rewme of fraunce For there they thought no lenger sogeourne For the king of fraunce had made amende But basy hem homward to retourne Wyth alle these hethen and leve to wende 2735 He yenyth hem thurgh the Rewme of fraunce Wythouten letting or Any dystaunce At the parting of these two kinges The king of fraunce yafe grete thinges 93 He yafe golde Selver and also Come 2740 And that such plente as neuer befome In fFraunce was seen such a cost Of Come suche plentee that alle the Ooste Was refresshed yet more yafe he Clothes of golde and of Sylk grete plente 2745 Horsis houndys Berys and lyouns Goshowks Sperhawkys and ryall fawcouns Somogoure such frendship he be hyght That homward in hert he ys gladde and lyght After the king his yeftes alle 2750 Had he yve bothe grete and smalle Be thinketh hym gretly now Partanope What yeftes best yeve myght he And for his worship shulde A ryse Grete yeftes he ganne devyse 2755 And so to hem departe so plenteously That men myght se so fresshly Neuer man his yeftes yafe The hethen king sounde and safe His leve hath takyn and Streyght gothe he 2760 The next way into his Countre The king of fraunce by goode devyse The streyght way holdyth to pareys Wyth Sornogoure ys Partanope [foi. 36.b.] That wythoute a passyng Cooste 2765 Alle men sayde hit myght not be He was bothe manly curteys and free Ther was nouther king Erie ne baroun Were he in feelde Castell or town 94 That he ne had yeftes grete 2/70 Hymself to worship for cost or dyspence Also sothely grete negligence Was neuer founden in his persona He wyst so well what was to done There ne was knyght ne Squyer of pryce 2775 That they ne hadde giftes of good devyce Wherefore they thanked hym in hye wyse And therto gyffyn him so hye a pryse Of manhode fredom and curtasye Of worship nurture and Chevalrye 2780 For in his gyffing ofte he prayde Of his good frendship and therwyth sayde Yeff euer in his lotte lay any thing That he myght do ease or ellis plesing He wolde ben redy euer to do 2785 The hethen on the tother syde also Hym thanked gretly bothe mooste and lest Of his grete yeeftes and his beheest But whan Somogour and Partanope Algate shulde departyd be 2790 And eche shulde take leve of other They wept as they had be Brother and brother That euer they shulde departe A twynne Somogoure sayd though I myght wynne At one worde aUe Turky and eke fraunce 2795 I had lever haue the delyaunce Of yow Partanope than that to Joye now And now I wote well departed fro yow 95 I mote nedys this ys the ffyne And therwyth he wepte and than king Sursejm 2800 Come and wyth hym king Loemers And king fabumyns they had a prees For kinges they were all three [foi. 37] And come to speke wyth Partanope Furst of alle spake Sursyn the king 2805 To Partanope and sayd of oo thing We wollde yow pray and that echone Ye wolde vs counsayle what were to done Sir sayde Sursyn this ys no lees Ye wote wele that dede ys Marres 2810 And god wote not thorow oure defaute For flasly vpon yow he made assaute Ayen the acorde of oure parlament There swere we alle by one assent The feelde to kepe wele and truly 2815 That no man shulde be so hardy To entormete hym on neyther parte And this swere Marres as wele as we And thanne we sye this myght not fayle That the victori of this batayle 2820 Must nedes falle on youre syde This Marres wolde no lenger abyde He toke no hede of othe ne leygeaunce But Entryd the lystes and grete distrourbaunce Made for he wolde rescow his lorde 2825 Agayn the ordinaunce and acorde Of alle the lordis of bothe party Wherefore me thinkes truly 96 1 Such as were kepers of the place To such one shulde do no grace 2830 But do hym lawe and eke Justyse So dyd we and thus in this wyse Ys dede that fals Erie Marres That brake his othe and eke our pees And therfore yefF any man wylle say that we 2835 In this caas dyd fFelonee Or ony of vs the contrayri to prove I am redy and therwyth his glove He threw down and Partanope Toke vp the glove and then sayde he 2840 Of alle this stryfe ys made an ende Eche man ys kyst and others frende [fol. 37.b.] And eche man into his Contree Leete alle these nedeles rehersayles be And wyth these wordys Partanope hath take 2843 His leve and therwyth the hethen make Grete heuenesse at his departing And then they prayde god hym bring Safe and wele to his contree And thus wyth worship departyd he 2850 And there wyht alle partanope The streyght way to bloys taketh he Now ys Partanope comen to Bloys And in a day vpon his deys Amonge his meyne at mete he sate 2855 Alle heuyly and nother dranke ne ete But sett his yew in a place And neuer hem remeved on a grete space 97 But his meyne grete Joye made Ethen and dranken and were ryght glade 2860 Alleway sate Partanope hevyly Thenking in his hert besyly Of fayre Melior his lady free How longe hit ys sythen that he Had ben oute of her syght 2865 And also in what wyse he myght Wythouten any other offynce Sunnest come to her presence His moder on hym gan fast looke And of his cheere grete hede tooke 2870 She had grete mervayle for why and what The cause was so hevy and made Hir dere Son sate Partanope ffuU mekely to hym thus sayde She My fayre Son ye wote well this 2875 In alle the worlde on lyve there nys Thing that better loved shulde be Ne trusted neyter as thenkith me Than of the childe shulde be the modyr fiFor eche of vs shulde so love other 2880 That there shulde none hevynesse be [fol. 38.] In yowre hert that anone to me Ye shulde dyscouer and playnly say Ye haue sett now this two mylevay Ryght pensyfe and in grete heuynesse 2885 Telle me now what his youre dystresse Ye seme a man as thenketh me That gretly wyth love taken be 98 And that youre hert wythouten varyaunce Is holly in youre loves gouernaunce 2890 I yow coniure yf hit so be The verray trouthe that ye telle me To his moder and lette me knowe By the fayth that a goode childe owe The verray trought and yefF ye be 2895 In grete distresse pleynly telle hit me And yefF ye haue cause to be seeke or hayle I may yow ease wyth my counsayle Moder sayde Partanope I wote ryght wele truly that ye 2900 Love me above alle erthly thing Therefore to youre commaundyng I mote nede obeysaunt be And also ye haue conjuret me To telle whether I haue a love or none 2905 The sothe I wylle say so mote I gone Truly Moder a love I have Thet -vndyr hevyn so god me save Hath no man such one of high noblesse fFrom her come alle this grete Rychesse 2910 That in this Somers ys brought wyth me Of golde and Syluer so grete plente And as her lust She may me gye She hath of me the seygnorye Thanne sayde his modyr yblessid be that lorde 2915 That in gouernaunce hath alle the worlde And yeve grace that for the best hit be Amen answerid Partanope 99 Is she ryght fayre my son telle me [fol. 38.b.] Forsothe Modyr I note sayde he 2920 Thys ys mervayle by god almyght So moche as ye haue had a syght Of her and also haue had repayre In her hous wher She be fayre Or ellis nay ye canne not telle 2925 For sothe modyr alle though I dwell In hyr hous bothe day and nyght Of her had I yett neuer no syght iFor She hath geffen me in charge Though I be from hir at large 2930 I shulde nevir besy be In no wyse hir to see Tylle She fully a corde therto Agayn her comaundement wylle I not doo Fayre son sayde she hit ys the best 2935 That ye kepe alle her byheest And that ye do alle youre entent To parforme hir comaundement Dyscouer her counsayle in no wyse And bcsy yow to do hir servysse 2940 Spare not for besynesse of laboure Thenkyth She hath do yow ryght grete honowre And pray God that sytteth above Yeve yow grace that neuer the love Of youre lady in no wyse ye foryete 2945 My fayre son when think ye wyth her mete To morow modyr after none When I haue dyned than thinke I gone 100 My meyne with yow I \vyll lete I wyll no frende I haue hit wete 2950 fFor moder I wylle gone alle alone Ye wote best Son what ys to done Gouern yow after her entent And breke not her comandement And kepe your counsayle from euery wight 2955 And on my syde by god almyght Hit shall be kept from euery man I shall hit kepe as wele as I can [fol. 39.] And wyth this mayde he fylle in talking 2960 Of dyues maters that of oo thing His moder was syker byhis chere That he had foryete his olde fere His chere ganne chonge his bloode gan ryse This mayde was plesaunt in alle wyse 2965 To love hir best was alle his lyst fFull ofte tymes this mayde he kyst To hym so plesaunt was this mayde That at the last to hir he sayde Your high beaute your goodely chere 2970 Your semely porte your womanly manere In my trew hert are paynted soo That where that euer I ryde or goo Ye are my love and lady soueraygne And to bring me out of payne 2975 Graunte me now to be my love Sir sayde the Mayde by god above 101 On a condicioun that ye graunte me To be my hosbond I wylle be Euer redy at your comaundement 2980 I grante to parforme alle youre entent Than sayde this yong Partanope Thus in this wyse acorded we be Yett of his foly haue I no marvayle For a ryght Sosour man withouten fayle 2985 Wyth drinke and dahaunce and grete delyte Myght be brought in such plyte Of so fayre one to ask hir of hyr grace Beyng bothe in so pryve A place There were no folke but they twoo 2990 Saue the king and his modyr moo Loking oute of a wyndow and talking How they myght Partanope bring To love this mayde and leve Melioure The king anone wythouten more 2995 Clepyd to hym Partanope Cosyn he sayde how lyke ye By my nyece which ys to marye [fol. 39.b.] By oure Lady off hevyn that men to calle and crye YefF ye wylle haue hir to your wyfe 3000 As I am true knight alle my lyfe I shall be to yow goode lorde and soueraygne For ye shall trust me full and playne I shall yeve yow twones castellis and citee And of alle rychesse full grete plentee 3005 Of alle men alyve I trust yow best His modyr in hir syde made greete heeste 102 They yede so to hym not for to lye He a corded hym fully to this folye The moder was gladde that wythouten mesure 3010 And made hem fast eche other ensure The king by the hande tho toke the mayde And to Partanope thus he sayde This woman I yeve yow to your wyfe In Joye for euer to lede your lyfe 3015 And so I pray God hit euer mote be I thank yow Sir sayde Partanope He wende alle this had bene ryght wele His olde love was forgete eche dele He kysseth his love he maketh her chere 3020 He was in wylle had he hadde leysere And place this ys syker as day To haue pleyed the comoun play Of which these lovers haue such plesaunce flFor melioure was clene oute of remembraunce 3025 Thus was he falle to novellerye This ys grete mervayle for I truly Shulde haue ben brought in that plyte Or any other to haue had joye or delyte But of lady that ys my soueraygne 3030 I telle yow thoug I canne not fayne ffressh and lusty ys Partanope ffor in his armes his love holdes he Which he hath geten hym fressh and new He sayde to hir he wolde be trew 3035 And she wyth hym ys fallen in daliaunce Of maters of love and high plesaunce 103 ******** [foi. 40] Neyther they myght not slepe this ys no nay Tylle on the morow that brode day 3040 Shone in so bryght that Partanope Thought that hit was tyme that he Made hym redy and so he dede And to his dyner streyght he yede And after dyner streyght yede he 3045 Vppe in to the toure of the Castell to see The see the wynde and eke the tyde Alle this was well and therefore a byde Longe wyth his lady thought not he But alle way after Partanope 3050 Swere he shulde neuer the syght To his lady euery nyght Of his desyre tylle that she Lyst hit were so and thus taketh he His leve and so when hit was day 3055 To Shippe he gothe and taketh the way Ouer the see streyght to bloys Thether he come as who sayth tryes Short tale to make he yede to londe And went to Bloys and there he fonde 3060 And modyr and alle his other meyne That of his comyng full Joyful! be And of his passage have grete mervayle For no man seeth nother Shipp nor sayle And that alone he come to Bloys 3065 In his comyng he ys curteys 104 AUe fraunce made Joye of his comyng On horsbak lyghtly lepyth the king He pryked fast thorow the thowne After hym hyed bothe Erie and baroune 3070 Knyghtis and Squyers of euery degree Came to welcome home Partanope And he hem thanked wyth such chere That they lyked so his goode manere Euery man made grete Joyng 3075 Of Partanopes home Comyng Of his welcomyng and ende to make [fol. 40.b.] The grete prees her leve haue tak And homward eche man toke the way Sone after hit felle vpon a day 3080 That the moder of Partanope Hir wyttis cast how best myght She Hir Son wyth holde stylle in fraunce A moder she had in whom hir affiaunce Was gretly for She was bothe olde and wyce 3085 Sheo thought sheo wolde have hir a vyce Hir moder She tolde alle hir counsell She answerid and sayde in grete perell May thus stonde Partanope Wherfore doughter I counsayle the 3090 Send for the Bysshop of Paryse He ys a clerk and therto Riche and wyse And canne goode skylle of sermonyng He knoweth the helpe of alle thing He was sent after he come anone 3095 Whan he was comyn togyder they gone 105 Into a parloure alle there The moder sayde to the Bysshope ye Sere Bene ryght welcome wythouten more I am diseased wonderly sore 3100 Wherefore youre counsayle I mote haue For I feere me gretly so god me saue My Son to leese Partanope For thus hit stont truly Sir he Ys take wyth feendes of the ffayry 3105 flfor aloone he gothe that I Ne wote in a moneth where hym to fende And alle his meyne he levys hym behynde He lateth hym aloone Sir sykerly She hath defended hym highly 3110 That he desjrre not hir to see This ys a wonder thing to me They mete neuer but a nyght Of hir had he yett neuer no sight He fyndeth wyth hir alle maner of plesaunce 3115 Hit ys a feende or som myschaunce [foi. 41.] To take the lorde and there a ryve His lantern he toke to hym as bylyve Hit was nyght and sondele derk flFull prevyly he hidde this fals werk As a traytour fals and felle He left the shipp and enterd the Castell Where he fonde alle such semblaunt As he was wont and alle reuenaunt 3120 3125 106 Of wex and napery full fayre aray Vessell of golde fyne and gay Plente of Bred and of goode wynne Of alle manere and that full fyne Partrykes bryddes and venesoun 3130 Of alle deyntes ryght grete feysoun Opon the Bench downe he hym sett He ete ne drank for in the nett Of blynde foly he was take For alle reson had hym for sake 3135 Whenne the Soper was alle done Streight into Chambre he dyd gone Wyth lyght afore hym as he was wonne Than he be thought hym what best to done Was wyth his craft of nygromancy 3140 Wythin the Curteyns he gan hym hye And toke the Clothis vp of the Bedde And there vnder the lantren hydde He of wyth his Clothis euerychone And naked to bedde he went anone 3145 Oute of the Chambre voydyd the lyght And ther wyth come his lady bryght Alle naked to bedde fast She dyd hye And to her loue She drawe ryght nye When naked hir felt Partanope 3150 The Clothes from hym tho ferre Throw he His lantren he put vp wyth his lyght Alle naked there had he the syght Of the fayrest shapen creature That euer was foordened thorow nature 3155 107 When his lady did this aspye [fol. 4i.b ] On hym she cast a peteuouse eye And swonnyd wyth a dedely chere To Partanope gan to sore fere He wyst well he had do grete folye 3160 Alle his crafte he ganne dyfFye And threw the lantren ayenne the walle That on a thousand pecis smalle Hit flye that first shone so bryght And therwyth quenchid this fals lyght 3165 This lady euer swonned fast FuUe peteously and atte last She fylle oute of hir swonnyng Into a sorowfuU wepyng Tylle long after her hert gan breke 3170 Then peteously She ganne to speke As She that was gretly dysmayd Alias She sayde I am betrayd And shamed thorow myn owne dede Thus hath loue quytte me my mede 3175 Loue to serve I was to hasty My fayre swet love What haue I Done or sayde that longht to blame That ye haue done me this opyn shame Dyd I ayen yow euer eny thing 3180 That was so highly youre dysplesing Thorow which ye were thus wrothe wyth me That I shulde thus shamed be Yeff 1 wyst what my gylt were Yet I myght suflfre the better to here 3185 108 Alle this shame and this disease I telle yow trewly this ys no lees Lorde God how oft dyd I yow warne Ye shulde desyr craft ne charme Me to see tylle tyme were 3190 What my cause ys ye now shall here There was in yow no reson ne skylle In this wyse to see me a yenst my wylle I WAS doughter of the Emperoure Which of Constantyne noble helde the honoure 3195 [fol. 42.] He was louyd and dradde thorow all the worlde Eche man was gladde wyth him to a corde Save onely Fulgan the lorde of Perch He was euer to hym auerse That wyth his rychesse and hys grete Ire 3200 He droff hym oute of his Empyre My fader had none heyre but me Of me therfore grete hede he toke * And me to scoole anone dyd sett And grete Clerkis anone lete fett 3205 To lerne me clergye and gret wysdoun That I myght the better gouerne the kingdom An hundereth maystres I had and moo And god yaff me grace to lerne soo That the Sevyn seyence I cowde perfytely 3210 And after that lemed I To know of euery herbe the vertue And eke of Rothis where euer they grew Whether they in kynde be colde or hote The maner of Spyces I know by rote 3215 * sic. toke he. 109 How in phisike they haue her worching The syeke in to heele I canne wele bring After this I lemyd dyvynite Thre persones to know of the trynyte By than I was xv. yere of Age 3220 My maystres that were bothe wyse and sage In alle the vyarse * I dyd hem passe Thanne to nygromancy sett I was Thanne I lemyd enchauntements To know the craft of experyments 3225 In my chambre ofte tymes pryvyly I dyd crafte full mervelously For openly I wolde no thing done My cunnyng shulde have bene kydde anone But when hit lyked my flFader the Emperoure 3230 To see my craft then in a toure Or ells in a chambre thus pryvyly Hym to disporte than wolde I And alle my maysters at his commandement [foi. 42.b.] Play craft thorow which many a man was blent 3235 The chambre wyth my fader that I was Inne By craft of nygromancye and such gynne Shulde seme hit grew wythouten doute In largenesse a myle aboute To alle thoo that wythouten were 3240 Ther to hit was so bright and clere And that aboute hight raydnyght As thogh the Sonne had shenyd ynne bryght As hit dothe in the Someris day Ther shulde they haue seen knyghtis gay 3245 • Sic. vij. arts? 110 Armed on horsbak redy to fyght Thys was I trowe a merveylous thing * Then shiilde they turne mervaously As long as me lust a thenne wold I In lesse whyle thenne in a thought 3250 Turne alle this mervayle to nought After that I made come a lyoun The Olifaunte also and eke the Greffoun And alle maner of beestis whiles I wolde Eche one wyth other fyght shulde 3255 By the wytte that god hath sent me In Castell or town thought there had be - Of people dewling an hundreth thousand This durst I welle take on hand None of other shulde ware be 3260 ffor none of hem myght other see And by this crafte forsothe haue I In my Castell kepte yow full truly Wythouten knowing of any wyght And do yow plesaunce wyth alle my myght 3265 Alle this Cunnyng and this craft Ye haue clene from me beraft This ys the Cause and the skylle ffor ye haue seen me a yenst my wylle For alle the dayes that I lyve 3270 This craft wylle I neuer putt in preve To morow anone at hit ys day Ye shall welle know this that I say Lfoi. 43.] To yow ys sothe and nothing lees Ye shuUe to morow see grete prees 3275 * Sic. syght? Ill Of knyghtis Squyers and baroun Of ladyes gentylwomen of grete Renoun My shame shulde see then opynly That hath byn hydde full prevyly Thurgh my Connyng and my science 3280 Whych ys now lost thorow youre negligence Myn Erles my Barouns and alle my meyne Thees knigtes Sonne that wyth me be Shulde well knowe and se appertly What lyfF ye haue levyd bothe ye and I 3285 And alle wyth oo voyce reprove me That euer I shulde youre love be Thus shall opinly be knowe my shame And who ys cause of my blame My swet love no body but yee 3290 And wyth that word this lady free ffylle in a swonnyng as She were dede Tho was Partanope wythouten rede And hym self so gan dysmay To hir he gan no word say 3295 Not of his forfette onys crye her mercy Me thenketh this was not gouerned manly Whanne this lady of swonnyng sesed thanne Her Complent alle new be ganne And sayd lord god Omnypotent 3300 That erthe water and firmament Wyth one worde madest alle of nought Why sufferst thou euer womannys thought Wyth mannys love encounbred be Or trust his word for welle by me 3305 112 Eche woman may Ensample take ffor fayre wordys men Conne well make Ynow tylle they haue alle her lust Her love they conne neuer after trust But besy hem tyll they haue a new And so haue ye done for fuUe vntrew Haue I founde yow now to me [foi. 43.b.] And yoxire new so shall seruyd be Ye loue so well novelry Beware ye haue now do no foly For alle that I haue gone to scole Now haue I provid myself a foole That shall I wele wete to morow To me than ys toward shame and sorow For eche man shall thanne wondyr on me And my fayre loue than shall ye be Destroyed but yf I hit make For ye shall see I vnder take Knyghtis and Squyers many one They rought neuer what to done On yow for to avengid be For many a day haue they seruyd me For to see me openly And now shall they know appertly That I haue kep yow for my loue Alias which shame and which reprove Ye shall thanne be to me And yett I telle yow truly that ye Haue do worse to me then alle this Ye haue refte me of my wordely blysse 3310 3315 3320 3325 3330 3335 113 My maydenhode myn honore and my name My Joye my boldenesse and alle my game My beaute my shapp my goodely beholding My play my Jolyte my mery laughyng My fredom my curtasye and my bounte 3340 Alle these vertues haue ye reft fro me And yeve me for alle these myn endelesse payne Therfore to me ye be now certayn My sorow my wrath and my Rancoure My syghing my weping my dyshonore 3345 My longouring sekenesse even and morow My foule shame my endelesse sorow My grete reprofe my rechelesse folye My sorow full payne my dedely vilanye Ther ys none ende of my sorowe 3350 Shamed for euer I shall be to morowe [foi. 44.] Better curse may I therffore The day infortunate that I was bore Losse of goode may easily be take But She that lees hir love hir make 3355 Her hert shall neuer haue Joye a day After hym to lyve this ys no nay This lady for sorow hir handis dothe wryng Hir heere to theryth and lyeth so weping Hir complaynt hereth Partanope 3360 After his deth sore wysshed he He syghed he wepyd petevusly His moder he cursed to spytefully The archebysshop and eke his sermoun And praeth God they bothe moun 3365 Q 114 [fol. 44.b.] Haue myschaunce or that they dye And than at erst he gan fast crye And aske his lady of hir mercy He sayd my lady trwly I May excuse me by no resoun That I haue do a full high tresoun Other ar Cause therof and not I But yett I knowlech the felony That I haue forfett lymme and lyfe To yow my souuerayn lady and wyfe Thefore to morow lat me be slayn Of youre knyghtis that wolde so fayne Take on me vengeaunce for trwly I Am not worthy to haue mercy I dare in no wyse aske no pardon ffor I haue done to high a treason I wolde leuer for go my lyflFe Than euer to leve in care and stryfF My lyff to me ys nothing but shame Of trewth for euer ys lost my name Wherfore my fayre souerayn lady I pray yow highly of youre mercy In this wyse that erely to morowe I mowe be slayn that out of sorowe I mowe be brought and out of stryif My deth ys me leuer then my lySe And as thay lay in this wyse talking The lyght of day in fast gann spring Thanne gan hir wymmen fast to ryse Her beaute her aray for to devyse 3370 3375 3380 3385 3390 3395 115 Hit were now a grete tarying Myn Auctoure therof maketh no rehersyng Saue onely of her grete kynrede Therof he spekes wythouten drede Of kingis and Erles they come echone 3400 Streyght to hir lady they gynne gone Into the Chambre there as she lay And by that tyme hit was brode day There syghe they alle opynly How her lady had gouerned hir pryvyly '3405 Grete sorow there a man myght see Amonge the women and then Partanope Wyst wele he had do so grete foly The wymmen on hym gan fast crye And sayde full hevyly and as hym lyst 3410 This fayre lady had lytell rest What for drede and for shame Alle hir wymmen foule ganne her blame And sayde grete Joye ye mow haue Of yourself when suche a knaue 3415 To your love ye haue thus take And so may lordes han forsake Knyghts and Squyers eke therto Alas for shame what haue ye do Wyles ye lyve ye mow repent 3420 That youre lust and youre talent Ye haue besett on a lewde knaue And sayde that alle women haue A custome and they sett hem to love Of shame they ne recch ne of reprove 3425 116 Be so they mowe haue hir lust ffor any thing that be had must Whanne the day was wele sprang And these women had wele y ronge 3430 [foi. 45.] Tylle she had hym brought thorow the prees Whan he into halle come Of knyghtes and Squyers he say many one That loked vpon hym full deyously And manessed hym full ryght dyspeteously 3435 Had not this be fayre Vrak Grete vengeans on hym they wolde haue take Many wordys they sayd that shamfuU be They shull not be rehersed for me , Whan they had sayd alle her lyst 3440 Eche man yode as hym lyked best Vrak ladde this Partanope sekerly Thorow oute the prees full trewly Of his lyfe had ryght grete dowte Tylle he was past thorow alle the rowte 3443 fForth wyth hym yode this lady free Tylle he was come ryght to the see Ther alle redy the shyppe fonde he Where in he was wont to passe the Se The Shypmen to hym gan shrewdely speke 3450 And prayde God the devyll his nek shulde breke Or som foule vengeans vpon hym take Tylle at last thys goode Vracke 117 Bad hem leve her grete manassing And comaund hym all shulde bring 3455 Hym Safe to Nauntes wythout more stryfe In payne of leesyng bothe lymme and lyfe fforth wyth was brought hym hys hakeney Neyther better ne wrosse but in the same aray As he hym fyrst brought from the forest 3460 He semed nothing a lusty best Partanope wythouten more Wepeth and syghed wonder sore Leve.taketh of this may den free And In to Shippe streeght goth he 3465 After hym come In hys hors anone The Shipmen besyen hem fast echon Her Anker vp draw and down wyth the sayle And forth afore the wynde they sayle [foi. 45.b.] Whan the maryners vndyr the sayle were 3470 Partanope they made ryght grete chere Be cause of Vrak that mayden free To make hym chere alle Besy they be Be than they had sayled a Jorney Afor Nauntes they were that Cytee 3475 They oute wyth her bote ryght anone Partanope wyth hem in ther dothe gone They toke in wyth hem hys hakeney To bloys they Row the next way Anone as they come to the stronde 3480 Partanope in hast they sett on lond And hym there left wythouten moo The bad hym fare well and home they go 118 Partanope after this Shippe gan loke Of his myshappe grete heede he toke 3485 Wyth in hym self he thought hym wytterly Alas though he how vngraciously To my love have I gouemyd me A thousand past I had lever be Dede than lyfe now as I do 3490 My Joy ys gone for euer moo So Ire and sorow toke hyra be the haterell That downe to the grownd on whom he felle Hys spyrit of hym full nygh was past So long he lay that atte last 3495 He arose as a man alle dysmayde Hys spirituell membres Avere gretly afrayed After the Shippe he ganne to see Which was som tyme wont to be Attendant to hym and now ys go 3500 His hert so Sore ganne whappe tho Remembring of the Joy he had before Which ys now go for euer more Therwyth sodenly a gryping Aboute his hert that este on swonnyng 3505 He felle and ther of the payne streng That of this myschyf nye dyd he was And alias he sayde whan he awoke was [fol. 46.] Alias he ssayde and there wyth full sore He syghed and sayd that I was bore 3510 Tylle the tyme cursed mot hit he Alias Erie Marres why ne had ye 119 Whan ye rescowed king Sornogoure Slayne me in that same honore * Or elles I had be in the forest 3515 Of arderne I' slayne and wyth som best Devoured or euer fayre Melyoure My love my Joy my hertis tresoure Shulde euer thus foule thorgh me Betrayed full wele I wote now that She 3520 For euer ys lost thorw my foly Wherfore I knowlech a traytoure am I And am betrayed eke therto And my love for euer ys vndo Adam lost paradyse thorogh his foly 3525 But yett a gretter losse haue I ffor whan the Angell drofe hem oute This ys the Sothe wythouten doute He toke wyth hym hys love hys wyfe In Joy they ledde forth her lyfe 3530 But euen the contrary haue I do My Joy ys lost for euer moo Wylfully I haue lost myn honore Therfore Reson ys that in langore I lyve euer and never day 3535 ffalse traytor wykked that I A man that false ys to hys love Be gode Jugement the lord above Shulde not sufFre hym to dey at ones But lat hym lye longe in grones 3540 And este to lyve and dye ayen Thus shulde such traytor bene •Sic. 120 Served and not to haue his deth softe Such a traytor shuld dey ofte That he myght haue ofte remenbrans 3545 And therwyth alias sayd Partanope This Jugement be ryght most fall on me [foi. 46.b,] Grete sorow Partanope to hym doth take For he hath for evyr lost his make Hys songe was not but Wele away 3550 In sorowing he spendyth the longe day Vpon the banke of that Rever Tylle the day derked there And myght there no lenger abyde Than he vpon hys hakeney forth gan ryde 3555 Streyght vnto the Castell yate Of bloys and redy he fonde ther ate A yoman that was chyfe porter On hys kne he kneled and wyth goode chiere Welcome his lord Partanope 3560 No word ayen than answerd he He lyght from hys hors and in to the halle And there he found hys meyne alle Many a knyght and many a Squyere Whan they hym syght full Joyfull were 3565 On kne they sett hem euerychone And wyth goodehert welcome hym be home But he no worde answeryd ayen Wherefore alle meyne bene Pull evy and sory and Partanope 3570 In to the chambre streyght goth he 121 Alle alone wyth outen lett And after hym the downe * he shett Whan hys modyr herd this tyding That her sone came In Sore weping 3575 Of this thynge She was a gast And to the chambre highed her fast She went to haue entred wythoute lett And the dore was fast I shett fFayre sone Sayd she that shall not I come In 3580 In fayth Sayde he that shall not bene Ye haue made me betrayed ray love also Youre craft for euer hath me vndo And shewed well that no devyll ys she Which for euer ys gone from me 3585 May I ones departed well from the [foi. 47.] Loke neuer to haue joye of me Seke the a sone where that you lust For on your modership shall I neuer trust Whan the moder herd hym this say 3590 And that her modership he gan reney And so vnkindely to her gan speke ffor sorow she thoght her hert wold brake ffayre sone sayde She I cry yow mercy In which entent yett neuer was I 3595 In no wyse yow to betraye And wyth that word She gan aray Herself that pyte a man myght haue She tare her here and gan to Rave Lett me come In gode sone sayde she 3600 I pray yow lady late me thus be • Sic. dowre. r 122 A love for youre fayre parlament Hath made that I am for euer I shent My love my hertely Joye haue ye Wythouten end for nome me 3605 Trewly my fayre sone nevyr my wytting I wend haue done all for the best Seyd this lady full sory weping And to a brought your hert in rest Here amonge yowre chevalry 3610 Ye haue made a sory company Syght this lady saw no comfort Seyd of yow haue they no dysporte And syth in fawte they not be Alle the dyssese I take on me 3615 And I take on me allone Sone why make thus moche mone Alle for love of this Meliour Ye mow yit purchas as goode tresoure And that as plesaunt to yow shall be 3620 I dar well say as euer was she Me thenketh his were a ryght fayre Chang To leve Melioure that ys bore straung And take a woman of youre Contre That ys brought forth in hygh degre 3625 [foi. 47.b.] And nece to king of ffraunce Me thenketh this were a fayre lyaunce And he wol gyf at one Ryese As grete lordeship as the honore of Bloys In this lond hath grete afFyauns 3630 They love yow as wel as the king of fraunce 123 Thys londe hadde be lost had ye not be Therfore fayre sone as ye love me Late your crying be alias alias And alle this hevynes late hyt passe 3635 Partanope to her yafe none answere Ne more sorow myght no man here He cowde no chere ne no contynaunse Melioure myght not of hys remembraunse Yet of hys modyr he had grete pyte 3640 And in hys hert ofte thorugh he My meynes fayne wold I chere Therof thought he I am to lere Syth my hert no Joy I fynde For Melioure may not fro my mynde 3645 Thus alle they wythouten doute Hys moder and meyne stode wythoute Of his desese euer complayning Tyll on the morow the sonne gan spring That of hym they had no Comfort 3650 Ne none of them cowde other sprot Anone thorugh fraunce ys ronne the tyding That Partanope lyeth in poynt of dying For hevynes of sory myschauns And anone ther wyth the king of fraunce 3655 After Erchebyshops and byshops sent in hast And bad that they shulde hye hem fast To Bloys to comfort her grete frende They toke her hors and theder they wende Whan they were there they wolde be 3660 To the Chambre they come where Partanope 124 Hyniself had presoned wondyr fully The bysshope to hym ganne speke full goodely And wyth hym treted in the best manere [foi. 48.] Hym counsayling to be a goode cheyre 3665 And told hym Ensamples of holy wrytt And how that men had lost her wytt Thorow taking of such hevynes Thus Eche Bysshope made hys processe To the dore of hys chambre be sermoun 3670 But for alle that they ne mowne Make hym to speke to hym a word Whan they this scy be one acorde Fro hym they turne full for weping And home they pryked wythout letting 3675 They left Partanope sorowyng alone The king of fraunce than what to done Wote nevir and thus full hevyly Departed alle thys company Grete sorow make alle hys meyney 3680 And euer day full ofte they be At the dore of her lordes prysoun Lestenyng alway yf ony soune Or word of hym ther myght here But alle for noght of hym no chere 3685 They Cowde this ys no nay This lyfe they ledde vj wokes day And they than toke hem to gedyr echone What counsayll was best to done And seyn in grete wanhope 3690 Oure lord ys lost now Partanope 125 Therto eche man trusse hym home This ys the best that whe may done Thus they go wythoute leve taking Eche man to hys hous sore weping 3695 Now wol I tell yow of Partanope Lytyll he etht and lasse drinketh he Thries in the woke he doth eate Hys foote lys now deynte mete Brede make of berley or ellis of ote 3700 Thys ys his mete and water sode Ys his drynke two days or thre That In the woke now taketh he [foi. 48. b.] Thys ys hys sustenaunce and leving In other rule may no man hym bring 3705 His heede his feete wol he not waysse « His coloure ys lyke the pale Aysshe His nayles growen and alle for fare He martereth hys body wyth sorow and care He ys for growen wyth his here 3710 This payne sufFereth alle the yere Whan that yere was come to ende He was so megere and so vnthende And so pale and over growe That ther ys none on lyfe I trow 3715 Shulde hym haue take for Partanope Sho hugely wasteyd away ys he This was hys worde melyoure my Joy Alias I shall neuer see the wyth le Thus wolde he sey sore weping 3720 In this wyse he lyeth moring 126 That alle hys myght ys so clene gone He may not ryse from hys bed alone Wythouten helpe ne go thre pase His songe had bene to ofte alias 3725 Vpon a day this wofull partanope Sate on hys bedde and than sayd he O fader of heven omnypotent That erthe water and firmament Madest of noght 00 worde 3730 And after in to thys wercched worlde Sythyst they sonne maketh to take And sufFredyst hym dey for oure sake • Send me comfort for they mekenes And lete me not perysch in thys destres 3735 Comfort me be the holy gost What ys me best lorde thou wel wost Thow blyssed modyr and mayden marye That Conseyvedyst wyth in they body Thy fadyr they sone they creature 3740 And as softely as a lylly floure Oute of the erthe paynles doth spring [foi. 49] Ryght so easely lady in Childing Thou were delyuered of they savioure And broghtest forth that blyssed floure 3745 Ayenst the course of Comyn kynde In holy wryt thus Gierke fynde And lady as wyssely as I be leve In Chyldyng pay n full thow feltest no greve Wyth alle hert I beseche the 3750 In my dessese haue mercy on me 127 Of my lyfe lady I am full wery For alle to longe lyved haue I To long lyveth he that doth felony Therfore my Joye were for to dey 3755 I wolde fayne dye and I wyst how But the way towarde as now I can not fynde So god me save fFor I ne haue wyth yoman ne knawe That in my possessioun wold leve a knyfe 3760 Wher wyth I myght vndo my lyfe Alas deth what eyleth the Why delyuerest thou not the worlde of me The flase folke thow hast Joy to save Alle the god thow wylt haue 3765 Robbers traytor thow levyst on lyve And such as cast hem nevyr to thryve Swych thou suflFeryst to haue long lyfe That sette here neybors evyr in stryfe And lede her lyfe euer in Cursednes 3770 They be sufferd to haue the swetnes Of this world the tother that gode be Fro thy Swerd that shulde not fle The goode thow shuldest sufFre on lyve The false thow shuldest Sle as blyve 3775 Ladyes that fayre bene and vertuos To hem thow feerse art and spituose And ouer hym redy to take vengeaunce The foule vycious thou dost enhauns In wordely Joy thou makest hym hye 3780 Alas fayre Vrak syth that I the sye 128 [fol. 49.b.] And that ye besyed yow me to clothe My lyfe hath syght me be so lothe The clothes me lyst never to chonge This lyfe to me hath bene full straunge 3785 fFor alle to rent and roten they be And wyth that worde Partanope fFylle on sowunyng for hevynesse He lay ther In long or hyt wyll cese Wythouten confort allone was he 3790 And this wofuU man Partanope Atte last fro sounyng dyd awake He was full seeke I dare vndyr take > What for Sorow and for wepyng Sty lie he sett full long thenking 3/95 How best hymself he myght Slee But godde wolde hit shulde so be His frendys had hym so in wayte fFro wepens kept hym so strayte That hys purpose myght not be 3800 Atte bloys performed and than thought he To Arderne I wolde go the wyld forest Ther may happe som wylde best May me devoure and that anon Thus purposeth he thedyr to gone 3805 And that he sayde he that ys false To hys love ryght be the halse He shulde be honged and a foule deth haue Thus in wodenesse he begynneth to rave And in this purpose fully stont he 3810 To Arderen to goo hymself to sle 12» Myn autoure in fressh gynyth now reprove These olde chekes that treten of love That putt in scryture to haue remembrans Of old tyme full hye raysgouernauns 3815 Of women of whom they ofte wrytte Full febly and foule of hem endyte Ayen whom euer I woUe say nay That Clerk ys not on lyve thys day That wolde this spyte in this matere 3820 [foi. 50.] I shall hym prove a lewde frere This Joly syngers comynly be lecherous They mow not lyve wyth oute paramors And whan hys quene hys to hym vntrew And fro hym changeth to a new 3825 As swyche strompettis al day do Than these preestis be so wo Her lemmans dedys they put in wryting To bryng after in mannes remembryng To suppose alle as they were 3830 And so put men in fere To mystrust women alle Shuch nyse Clerkes foule hem befalle And for her lemmans mysberyng Alle other women they have mystrusting 3835 But these Clerkes that wele ruled be Of hem shall nevyr know ne see In spech in dede ne be wrytting Any thing that myght be reproving To women that wele rewled be 3840 For trewly I sey as for me ISO In women ys founden all gentylnes Trew love and ther to knydenes * Bountee beautee and eke plesauns Therof I pray god that myschauns 3845 On hym come that lust to sey ( Of women evyll for lever to dey I had than to be founde in that case Prayng God to kepe me fro that trespas But alle this matere I late now be 3850 And speke I woU of Partanope This Carfull lover wyth pette Pensyfe thought full alle day sytteth he ' And whan hyt drew wele toward eve A chyld ther come that in hys sieve 3855 A lofe brought of barleche made . . And in hys hand a pycher he had Full of water of the well clere This he brought to Partanope sopere [fol. 50.b.] Partanope was wont to hym speke 3860 Hyt dyd hym sorow hys hert dyd Breke My frende he sayde I shall the say I may not fayle hastely to day Yf I abyde now longe here Fayne wolde I be elUs where 3865 Thow must me helpe yf thow wylt I pray the he helpe that I be not spylt Thys yong manne wept for very Joy Syr your sorow dothe me grete neye Fro yow 1 wol not departed be 3870 Yf comfort or ease may come be me * -Sic. kyndeneg. 131 And I may do yowen plesauns Though hyt be to grete grevauns I shall hyt do and be your ease Thoght I wyst therfore to lese 3875 My lyfe and I ensure yow And therfore tell pleynely now What ys youre wyll that I do Partanope sayde I wolde that thow go Whan even cometh and make none aray 3880 And pryvely gete me a hakeney That ys swyft and ryght well ambelyng And whan men bene all fast Slepyng Than wolde I ryde into the felde I wolde that no man me be heelde 3885 This were to me a full hye comfort Alone to haue there my dysport And whyle the mone shyneth bright There may I play me alle the nyght Thou shalt goo wyth me and no moo 3890 Now loke that this be wysely doo Ayenst day wythouten drede Homward ayen we woU vs spede This Chylde of thys ys JoyfuU and gladde And for to that hys mayster hym bad 3895 He ys rysen in hast and forth ys go He wolde for ne goode hyt happyd hym so Ere he were redy the oiu-e were past [fol. 51.] Whiche hys lord hjmi sett and thefore in hast He made redy a fayre ambuloure 3900 In the even at the same oure 132 A fayre palfrey wyth hym he ledde And broght hyt to hys bedde Goode and well ambelyng wythouten nay This palfrey was pomely gray 3905 In hys armes hys mayster he vp toke ffro bedde as seyth the frenssh booke And in the sadyll Softely he hym sett And ryght anone a spore he fett And thought that alle thinge was wele 3910 In hert he was Joyfull and gladde he was And forth hys lordes hors he lade Wenyng that alle thing shulde be ryght wele He maketh grete Joy and leveth alle doole But all day at ey men mow see 3915 They joyn of things that wold not be Partanope ys now forth goo ffro Bloys and ther to come no moo He thenketh nevir in alle hys lyfe , Hys Chylde to hym cometh as blyfe 3920 Syr sayde he wedyr wol ye ryde Here ys a place fast yow be syde Where as ye mow wel yow dysport That to yow shall be grete comfort Vpon the Banke yow to pley 3925 Of leyre the rever tyll ayen the day There shall no man vs aspye A thedyr I can yow ryght well gye This Childes name ys gyle amoure Which for grete love king Sornogoure 3930 133 Lente hym late to Partanope To this entent that he shulde see The manere of the reaurae of fraunse fFor to Sornogoure he was ny Alyaunse No forther but of hys Suster bore 3935 And hys fadyr hyght kinge fabore Ryght Curteyse he was and ryght bona3?re [foi. 5i.b.] Seraely of persone of vysage fayre His name was ffursynne in hys contre But hyt maystre and lord Partanope 3940 Into Gylamoure dyd hyt change fFor fursynne was hys name ryght straunge And Gylamoure was a grete dele lyght fFor Partanope dyd alle hys myght To maken hym leve hys hethen lay 3945 Hys answere therto was euer nay Partanope hym trusteth above alle thing fFor euer he was gladde to do his plesyng And than he sayde goode Syr wol ye Haue goode dysport mow folow me 3950 Go we to the water of lyere Ther shuU ye fynde an holsom eyre There mow ye play and haue dysport To yow hyt shall be an hye comfort Partanope fast gan hym beholde 3955 As he that was full of cares cold My frend he sayd me lust not pley I purpose me fully for to dey fFor into Arderen now wol I goo Ther shall be fynesheede alle my woo 3960 134 Gylamoure than wept tendyrly And sayde Sir than woU I Into Ardern wyth yow woU goo And take my deth wyth yow also Nay than sayde Partanope 3965 Thow shalt go home into they contre And telle the Vncle king Somogoure How I am lost for euermore For I shall dye and thow shalt leve My false tresoun ys put in preve 3970 In so hygh plase I must dede be And thow stondeyst not in that degre Thow shalt go home and leve in ease Thus mayst thow me hyghly please Syr sayde Gylamoure this may not be 3975 ffor trewly I wol go wyth the [foi. 52.] Wheder lyfe or deth me betyde I wyUe renne now by thy syde Trewly to serve the I was swore I make no forse of Sir Somogoure 3980 But for Thow shuldest the more haue me In trust and eke in cheryte I am redy wythouten leve Crysten to be this same day Partanope stont in grete dyssese 3985 And hys hert somwat ganne apese When Gylamoure sayd he wold be Crystened in this wyse thenketh he I shall hym suffre wyth one wende Tyll hys Crystenyng be broght to ende 3990 135 And after I woll fall prevyly While he slepeth stele away sodenly Than to the Chylde sayd Partanope Yf thow wylt conuerte and Crystened be I wol the trust aboue all thing 3995 And be ryght galde * of they dwelling fFor departe woll we never This Covenaunt I make wyth the for ever And hye the home to Bloys now fast And bring wyth the thyn horse in hast 4000 ffor in this place the woll I abyde And thus mow we in the nyght tyde Ryde and goode dele on oure way Tyll hyt draw nere vpon day Thanne in som wode we woll vs rest 4005 AUe the day this ys the best Tylle that derke nyght come ayen And than fast woll we fleen Tyll we be al my Contre past Than shall we of no thing be agast 4010 But ryde forth opynly all the day This Gylamoure sayd not onys Nay But forth hys hors than ranne he fast And priking ayen he come in hast Whan he was come grete peyne had he 4015 [foi. .52.b.] Wyth hys mayster Partanope He myght not sytt on hors to ride But as Gylamore yede be hys syde And heeld hym vp wyth all hys myght Thus they Jorney forth alle wey by nyght 4020 • Sic. gladde. 136 Tyll they were past the reaume of fraunce Than gon they a new purviaunce To ryde forth opynly all the day For ther was no man that wolde sey nay To the thing that hem lust to do 4025 For forth they ryde both two In grete syghing and hevinese And so hyt happened to a mese At Chirch they hard Rynge Partanope ther wyth maketh no lettyng 4030 But theder Redeth as I devyse Ther to here devyne servyse Myn autor telleth this Chirch hyght The Cherch of Albigys there hit lyght This wofuU man Partanope 4035 Gylamoure anon to hym calleth he And axed hym wylt thow Cristened be He hym answeryth and seyd yee Thanne to the Prouost sayd Partanope Seest thow this man that stont be me 4040 Crysten hym anone I the require The proust was curteys and debonaire And goodely hym Baptized and thatt anone The Erie hym lyft from the fonte stone And there aforne as seyth myn Auctor 4045 His name was called Gylamoure Anselott named hym Partanope And in this wyse Crystened was he As syker as deth wythouten nay At Albigis they rest hem alle day 4050 137 Whenne even come they went to rest Anselott though hyt was the best Whan Partanope hym aslepe wyst Alle softely hymself vp ryst [foi. r,3.] And to his hakeney streyght he went 4055 Hys sadyll hys brydell in hand he hent His hakeney he made redy in hast Wyth moche wo and at the last Vpon his hakeney poorly he leepe And left Anselotte his mane a slepe 4060 In hast rydeth forth this Partanope And in his hert thus thoght he I had lever hym thus be scape Than other lyon here or ape In the forest shuld hym devoure 4065 To purchase my deth I woU labour Into the forest he taketh his wey But Anselot anon as hit was day Ganne buske fast oute of his bedde And toward his mayster he hym sped 4070 But when he fonde his mayster go Alias he said what shall I do My mayster now hath betrayd me What ys thi cause Partanope What ys thy cause of my deserte 4075 But now I wote well the paynes smerte Of deth in short tyme I mote feele But for soth now wote I wele Ye brought me hedyr for this fyne My god to forsake ApoUyne 4080 138 this ys a queynt pylgrymage flFor I haue forsake in this vyage My god for thy loue Partanope And yolde me of tresoun a Crysten man to be Agreed me fully to thynne acorde 4085 But now haue I neyther frend ne lord ffor to my frendys woll I nevir draw 1 haue forsake now myn owne lord and law But I ne recche for I woll go Ther as I shall dey also 4090 But yet I wote Partanope The cause why that leftest me In this wyse oute of youre Company [fol. 53.b.] ffor I shuld now wyth yow dye Ned that I shuUd noo into the forest 4095 Yow folow lest som wyld best In youre servyce shuld me sle For wele I wote truly that ye For me now wepe full tendyrly And in the same wyse mote I 4100 Wepe and sorow for yow my lord And hastely dye be one acord And wyth thus tenking on hors he lepe He thought he had take good kepe Of the stappis of his maysters palfrey 4105 To hold after hym the streyght way In hope he shuld hym ouertake What shuld I here longe sermoun make fForth he pryketh vpon his hakeney As long ouer lasted the day 4110 139 Tyll vpon hymself derke nyght And than anon he lost the syght Of his maystres hors stepping And than anon he fyll on weping fFor he myght not ouertake 4115 Hys mayster and furthermore to make Of his sorow and of his who AUe that mayster now late I go ffor herafter I shall vow leere Of hys aventures and ye lust here 4120 fFor now folly I purpose me To tell yow forth of Partanope Forth now rydeth this Partanope Into the forest that never he Sparyth to ryde day ne nyght 4125 Tyll he past knowlech and syght Of alle hys frendys more and lasse Now ys he aUone in the wyldernesse Amonge wyuerse and serpentes Wythoute Craft of experymentes 4130 He passed hem hall wythoute dyssese Lo so gan fortune wythouten lese [fol, 54.] Gyde a man ryght as her lust For he comyng into the forest Was among the Serpentis to dye 4135 Yet was there none one cast her ey On hym in malece harme to bede Thus this lorde throgh hem yode Yt there to dye he had made covenaunt And forth he rydeth euen to the haunt 4140 140 Where lyouns and beres had her dwelling Ther he thought was goode abyding Tyll fortune wold schape hym to dey He loked asyde and dyd aspye Where stode an holow for growen tre And of hys hors ryght ther alyght he He left his hors to where hym lust That nyght he thought ther to rest As a thing that where for lete The hors yond forthe for vndyr feete Hung hys brydell I gylt full bryght The day gan passe hit drow to nyght Thus nyght did come and day ganne passe Ouer a launde that hyght wyth grasse Was grow he syght a lyoun come lepyng He was lene and large and feerse in loking Of flesch he seemed poore and megre To take his pray he was full egre He had espied Partanopes palfray He thoght no ferther to seke hys pray Toward the palfrey he hyed fast The hors aspyed hym and was agast And fast for fere awey gan fle This lyoun feersly after hym did hye And ouer toke hym and that anone That flesch and skyn of hys hokebone Wyth his pawe dyd arace The hors there wyth as god yaf grace Wyth hys hynder feete at hym lete flyen And cleuyd hys forhed to twene ye yen 4145 4150 4155 4160 4165 4170 141 He smote the lyon wyth all his myght [foi. 54.b.] The lyon ther wyth lost his syght Of the hors wythouten naye And he wyth this grete affray Ganne fast to neye and eke to renne 4175 As thogh his tayle had bene to brenne Throgh thykke and thyn he hyed hym fast Tyll all the forest he was past And come vnto the sey strond He myght no leng go further for lak of lond 4180 Vpon this see syde all nyght was trottyng This ilke hors and alway neyng The mone on heven sate full hye Ther was no cloude vpon the Skye Encorabred of wynde ne of derkenes 4185 That letted ony poynt of hys bryghtnes So gay he sate on his speere That all the walkyn of hym was clyere And all the Contre wythouten nay Was as lyght as hit had be day 4190 Softe and easy was eke the see A man myght ryght wele here see ffere on the see and eke on lond And vpon the strond Partanopes hakeney stond Euer was neyghyng to and to 4195 And vpon the see hyt happyd so A shypp there was be anker rydyng After wynde and tyde was hys abydyng So calme at that tyme was the see No ferther sayle than myght he 4200 142 In this Ship a mayde ther was A fayrer a semelier no where nas The worlde to secke rounde aboute Ther to sche was wythouten doute Ryght Curteys and ther to fre And of this Shipp chyef lady was she Of her was mervayle be god above She cowde neuer haue Joy in love For of her love was neuer man sure Ne paramore loved her no creature [foi. 55.] This horse I spake of was euer neyng And ther to so gretly reboundyng Hit made vpon this see so cliere Pease sayd this lady me thenketh I here An horse ney now how sey ye And wyth that word all her meyne StyU they stode aU wysely to here And fyrst of all answerd a marynere Marok was his name I hote Of Blew of Ipres was hys cote White hered he was and in wele in age In his craft wyse and of dyuerse langage He coude Inogh hyt nedyd hym not to lere And than he sayd me thenketh that I here An hors ney and that ferre henne Me thynketh hyt shuld be in Arderne The grete desert that on the see Cost ys ffor hit myght well be Som man for grete hevynesse 4205 4210 4215 4220 4225 143 [fol. 55.b.] Or elles som Shypp on the see Wyth tempest peryschid so rayght hit be Som ther of had now hys lyfe Be grace the wawes myght hym dryve And eke hys hors vpon the strond And bryiig both safe to lond Yf my felaws that here in be What thynk hit ys lust for to see Into the bothe streyth woll we gone The trouth we wyll know ryght Anone ffor hit to knowe ys not impossible LoRDE mercy sayde this lady bryght Perlous hit were thedyr in the nyght To go I wysse ye shuUd never escape ffro berys lyouns and fro malicious ape So wode so feerse on yow shuld be On lyve from hym neuer passe shiUd ye Madame sayde this goode marinere And yow lyst to se dragon or here The lyon tygre or the wyld ape I dare welle say ye shall wel escape ffrom hem wythoute bodely harme ffor truly madame I can a charme That none of hem shall no power haue Ones to move or ster so god me save For thogh we dewllyd * there a yere Ther shuld neyther lyon ape ne here So hardy ones vs to assayll Than sayd this lady wythouten fayle Wyth yow I woll go now therfor * Sic. dwellyd. 4230 4235 4240 4245 4250 4255 144 And namely when they shall be so tame 4260 Hem to behold hit were a good game Marok sayd I shall yow shew Mervales many and not few Of lyons apes and eke berys Dragons olifauntes and gwyers 4265 Bores wolfes and eke Serpentes And shall I wyth myn experymentis Make hem be from yow for fere quake And whan me lust I hem make Ryse and walke where euer hem lust 4270 Thorw the forest were hem lyketh best Than sayd the lady wythouten lye This ys a passyng fayre maystre Haue she sayd the bote anone Oute of the Shippe for I wyll gone 4275 Streyght into this wylld forest To se all mervelous bestis Oute of the Shipe goth the bothe anon The lady and her meynee is gone As many as She myght well trust 4280 Of hem that cowde row best Now fast Rowe they on the strond They sesyd neuer tyll they come to lond Whan they on the lond aryved were They Cowde not fynde certayn ne heere 4285 Neyther horse ne man ne other Creature Of her desyre were they not sure The lady sayd what may this be [foi. 56.] No thing that lyfe bereth can we not se 145 Therwyth she comaundeth ryght anon 4290 Certeyn of her meyne for to gone Ayen to Ship her mule to fette And this was do wythouten lette Marak dyd hys inchaungimetis Anone the dragons and serpentis 4295 And all other bestis wythouten nay Which his charme dyd so afiray They myght not stere they cowde no good Marak anon dyd entre the wode The mayde hym shewed and that anon 4300 And alle her meyne now euerychone Maruk shewed here grete lyouns Berys apes and also grysouns Dragons Wyuers and eke serpens That be craft of hys experymentis 4305 Oute of her place durst not steere This yong lady dyd neyght hem nere Of hem to behold the manere Her hert of hem gan no thing feere These bestis they beheeld by and by 4310 And at the last they dyd asspye Where a lyon lay new dede Wyth blode enbroweded his hede And fresh I slayn there he lay And not ferre fro hem the seygh the palfray 4315 Sadeled redy wher of the arson All blody was and eke hys crowpoun Than seyd Maruk I am certayn This blode ys of hym that hath slayn u 146 This lyoun truly wythouten more 4320 And eke the man ys hurt full sore And after him I wol folow the trace And madame ye shuU in this place Abyde and we shull sew forth this blode Partanope in the holow tre stode 4325. Hem beholdyng there fast by This lady he beheeld wytterly [fol. se.b.] And whan he had her long beholde Hys hert wyth in hym gan to cold And ther wyth he syked peteusly 4330 This lady that stode hym fast by In hert thoght She thanne The syght truly was of a man And softely She hym come nere And what for hastynes and for fere 4335 His heede down on hys brest he cast Of hym somwhat She was agast Wyth here his vysage was ouergrow And he was full pale of hew This colour were they that love trew 4340 Yet was he of bones large and longe fFeble megre and nothing strong At the last of hym She had a syght And than She thought be God Almyght This man thenketh hymself for doo 4345 Some caytyfe lost for care and woo My frend She sayde god the see To her no word speke wold he 147 A lytyll heygher than spake She All myghty god now save thee 4350 And ther wyth he held he hed on hye And yow allso he sayd fayre lady Syr she sayd for the lordes love Tliat all thyng maketh and sytteth above Tylle me what his thynne hevynes 4355 And what ys cause of they destresse And why thou art so megre and pale And of they wo vnboole thy male And tell me all the verry trouth Me thenketh of thee ys grete youthe 4360 Lady sayd thys Partanope 1 crye yow mercy late me be And late be all your coniuryng For here euer Shall be myn abydyng Goth hens and late me styll be 4365 [foi. 57.] Tyl som best have devoured be me Grete petee had this lady bryght Doune of her mule anon She lyght On foote ther wyth to hym She come And of hys cheere grete kepe She nome 4370 And whan She had of hym take kepe fFor verray pyte She gan to wepe And than She sayd for goddes loue haue mercy On they self and now tell me why Thow art here and what dyssese 4375 Ys to the fall for yet som ease Such cause myght be I may the do Wold god sayd he ye wold now go 148 iForth youre way and lat me be In Short tyme God wold send me 4380 More dyssese than I haue yet ffor I haue welle deserved yt Of foule and euell deth to dye I haue deserved and therfor I Desyre now wyse to haue comfort 4385 Ne to myne ease neuer make resort Deth I seeke myght I hym fynde He wold not se me I trow he ys blynde And therfore lady now late me be Goth forth your wey and shew your melyer 4390 Nay sayd the lady that woll I not do I wolle never departe the fro Tyll they name thow hast told me Than woll I go and late the be And ryght even as thow lyst 4395 And sone I am seker som wylde best Shall come and devoure the firo hem I wote thow mayste not fle Lady he sayd ryght fayre ye be But wot I never where that ye 4400 Be wyse or maynden wythouten doute But be the meyne that ys yow aboute Me thenketh of grete and hygh degre [fol. 57. b.] Be resson borne shuld ye be And ye a wondyr occupacion haue 4405 So long to stond here be a knave A brothell and oute cast fro all thyng 149 To hold wyth suche felonye I were ryght worthy for to dye On a rope vndyr a galow tre What shuld a lady of your degre Wyth such on hold ony talkyng Hyt were more fayre to hold your walkyng But syth ye lust to know my name All thow to me hyt be a shame I shall yow telle now as hyt ys A false traytor ys my name I wysse That I be called So ys grete Skylle Ye mow go walke whan ye wylle And I never the wyser of your name Than Answerd the lady be Seynt Jame My name I woU thou know wele And of my kynred yf thow wylt feele My fadyr was on Emperoure Which in hys tyme bare the floure Of knythode Also he was ryght wyse My suster also ys an empresse And I quene and haue in bond All a kyngedome and thow I stond Here thus poorly and speke wyth thee Yet wepe full sore thow hast made me But treson I hate and yt forsake My ryght name for sothe ys Vrake Whenne he herd so her name He knew her wele and than for shame His coloure changed and all hys hew His grete sorow gan to renew 4410 4415 4420 4425 4430 4435 150 And ther wyth all he wex so mate That the ground he ffyll flatt On swonne anon wythouten more 4440 Vrak than be heeld hym sore Wyth in short tyme wele knew She [fol. 58.] That hyt was Partanope In armes She hent hym anon ryght And comforted hym wyth her myght 4445 A lord She sayde omnypotent This man hymself hath foule Shent Loke vp looke vp Partanope Where ys youre fresch colour quod she Be come that was som tyme rose rede 4450 And now ys pale as Asshen dede Why be your clothes thus to tore I haue sey yow here before fFull firessh arayed wythouten drede Of all her wordes toke he non hede 4455 Than of hys deth She gan to fere And than She cryed lowd in hys ere A tale that shuld be to hym plesyng Anone She forged a fayre lesyng And than she Sayd fayre Partanope 4460 My lady my Suster hath sent me Yow to seke many a myle But Blyssyd be thylke whyle That at thys tyme I haue yow founde Aboute fraunce I haue sought yow rounde 4465 She hath well assayed your trouthe And of your sorow now hath She routhe 151 There fylle for sothe a foule myschaunce But now she knoweth your repentaunce And the sorow that ye haue take 4470 She hath Chosyn yow to her make Hyr loue hyr lorde hyr soverayne I haue told yow the trouthe pleyne Lete be youre wepyng hyt ys but nysete To laugh ryght grete cause haue ye 4475 Ryse vp fast and come wyth me A place I haue where that yee Shuld be kepet full pryvely My sustrs castell ys fast by Away thys these herys shall be shave 4480 Goode mete and drynk ye shall haue [fol. 58.b.] And good bathes of erbes Sweete Than wyth my suster shul ye mete Goth no ferther youre helth to sech For mysellf shall be your leche 4485 And I woll in no wyse that yee Be seyn of none creature but me Of man ne woman grome ne page Tyll the blode into your vysage And fressh coloure become ayen 4490 Than I woll folk yow seen And wyth that word Partanope A dedely ye on her cast he And sodenly from her hys ye dyd fall And peteously he sayde wyth alle 4495 Wyth symple voyse and hert cold To Vrak he sayd that ye haue told 152 Dare I leve wyth full entent That my lady hath hyr maletalent Me forgyfen and so vtterly 4500 Syth that I haue so traytoursly Wyth oute cause dyd her grete Shame And made her lost her goode name Lord wher She wete now fayre Vrak That I thus moche sorow haue take 4505 For the tresoun and the foule falsenes That I her dyd and thus her kyndenes Haue I euell quytte lord where She, In ony wyse cowde haue mercy on me Syr She sayd to yow to lye 4510 Hit were to me grete vylanye Ye ought to know her as well as I She cowde not suffre now truly Yow to long to be in hevynesse She ys so full of gentylnesse 45 1 5 To her sayd than Partanope I beleeve now sothely all that yee Haue me sayde ys verray trouth Her hert ys full of pytee and Routhe ffor in this world I yow ensure 4520 [foi. 59.] Was neuer broght forth creature More haboundant in woman hede ffor in her found I wyth oute drede Curtayse feodam and gentylnesse Bount mercy and eke mekenesse 4525 ffor ther ys now no man on lyfe The grete godenesse cowde destryve 153 That here a fore She dyd to me Whan my seruyse She had in cheertee Therfore that ye haue send Vrak 4530 Fully I beleve and therfore take Me all holy into your gouernaunce For yt I haue full goode remembraunce Haue gentyll and how curtayse ye were To me whan I my lady deere 4535 Your Suster had So foule betrayd And for feere was so dysmayed Of her meyne whan they me Sought Than throw hem all ye me brought And helpe me wele out of that contre 4540 This ys the Secund tyme that ye Haue saved fro horryble deth Therfore whyle me lasteth breth Your seruaunt for euer wyll I be Syth my lyfe ye haue thus in chyerte 4545 And forth wyth yow now woll I go I am ouer come wyth febylnesse fFor be the rootes of the grasse Syth I come hedyr haue be my levyng On knees and elbowys as now my goyng 4550 I haue no power to goo thre pase My song may be Alias Alias Vrak of hym had grete petee Tendyrly for hys woo wept she And sayd this was a grete crueltee 4555 Of my Suster to ordeyn that ye 154 Shuld be brought in thys forest To leeve be erbes as doth a beste In this She I dyd She had no resoun [foi. 59.b.] Why sayde he I dyd her tresoun 4560 Where fore I haue deseruyd wele Euer to lyve in care and doule Tyll that her lust ys to for yeve me flfor as she woU so mote hyt be HedjT I brought an ambeler gray 4565 Full late he was here fast by Full leene and megre now ys he I trow he ys fledde to the see Yf ony body hym hydyr wold fett Vpon hym I myght wele sett 4570 Than myght I streyght ryde forth with yow But wyth all myn hert I pray yow now To euery wyght hyt vnknow be That my name ys now Partanope And late me pryvely som where sorgeroun 4575 Where no man shall se me morne Ne that my lady me neuer see To haue the mene desp)i;e of me Series sayd this goode Vrak All thys I dare well vndyrtake 4580 As they were spekyng of thys aray They sey where come hys Palfray Anon to her thys hors was fett And Partanope on hym was sett Streyght to the bote bothe they ryde 4585 Calme was the see fayre was the tyde 155 The booth wyth good wyll they row echone Thus at the Shypp they were anone In goth Vrak and Partanope And in cometh after all the meyne Vrak Marak to her dyd calle Whych lond ys next vs of all Seyth She mow tell vs blyve There I wold wyth myth aryve Madame sayth Maruk truly Here ys an ile but fast us by The lond of Salence men do hit call The lond ys next vs now of all rfoi. 60.] To Maruk sayd this goode Vrak In all the hast I pray the mak They Shypp redy in all degree That vndyr sayle in hast we be Maruk byddyth hys men a pase Goo hye yow fast to the wyndase And pull the ankre vp in hast The sayle ther wyth adoune he cast A bettyr Shipp myght no man fynde At sayle at wedyr and at wynde At wyll they had I yow plyght And forth they sayle all that nyght Safe and sound wythouten nay To Solence they come be that day Gan shew and the sonne gan spryng Solence ys but a lytell lie Of lenght hyt ys not over a myle 4590 4595 4600 4605 4610 4615 156 Mor than hyt ys now of brede A contre of plentousnesse as I rede ffuU of all manere swete delytes There groweth ther in dyuerse spices Of corn and flesch there ys grete plente 4620 Venysoun fresch fysch ther lakketh no deynte Wode medew large in lengthe Rounde aboute in hys streyght Short tale to make wythouten more The empresse fayre Melioure 4625 Yafe hyt her suster goode Vrak To that entent ther yn to tak Hyr plesyng whyle and her dysport Amonge whan she wold thedyr resort In this He She had a fayre castell 4630 Strong walled aboute and dyched well So erely in that mornyng Whan She was londed She made bryng Thedyr so pryvyly Partanope There of wyst no lyfe but only She 4635 And wold in no wyse suffre hym morone Ther She sayd he shuld sogerorne [fol. Go.b.] She made hym haue aU maner delyte Wyth in a whyle he gan haue apetyte To mete and drynke and eke to rest 4640 What he wold haue he had the best Sorow had hym enfebled so sore Many of hys herys were waxen hore Lyast she made hym of a certayn asche And ofte hys hede therwyth dyd waysshe 4645 157 The coloure amendyd than howgely And therto She faj'ned pryvely Letters as they thogh had be Sent iFor her suster to Partanope Of love endyted So wele and goodely 4650 That he gan wex all fresch and lusti The coloure in hys vysage gan fast amend To be thus releevid he neuer so wend Of hym no man I dare vndyrstand Had knowlech safe onely Vrake 4655 And a maynden that was fayre and free Borne of hye and noble degre A king was her fadyr hyr modyr a quene Cosyn to Vrak so brygh and sheen Vrak her loved full passyngely 4660 She was ryght fayre and ther to goodely This mayndens name was Persewysse fFayre shap she was and eke wyse ffree in gyffyng curteyse in dolyans She cowde well harpe synge and daunse 4665 But of love toke she non heede ffor who so wold wythouten drede To her spek of such matere Of her shuld he haue no good cheyre Her hert that tyme was such aplyte 4670 In such dalyaunce wold she not spende Her speh But hereafter she may amend As seyth myn autor full hardely She Dyd hyt not onely for Chastite 158 Thogh She louyd neyther to kysse ne rage 4675 All this was but tendre ne of age [foi. 61.] Wherefor rayn autor seyth truly She shuld herafter more sharpely Of loues dartes feele the pryking Which shuld her wyttes full sone bring 4680 fFor euer to forsake her Chastite fFor comonly hyt ys not seyn they be Herborured togedyr now moo plase Beawte and Chastyte for ouer grete spase They wold take as tellyth myn auctor me 4685 ffor truly he sayth how that they be Two contraries togydyr to dwelle iFor the tone wol away the other shall iFor that woman that hath grete beaute And spendyth her lyfe in chastite 4690 fFayreness or hyr ys evyll be sett iFor chastyte in no wyse shuld be knytt To beaute for thy mow neuer acorde To gedyr in plesauns to serbe the world ffor She that lyveth in Chastyte 4695 Whan folk play than lowreth she She hath no Joy of myry dalyauns Late her go forth wyth myschauns And beaute of her neuer take heede Ye mow not acorde wythouten drede 4700 ffor beaute louyd all gentylnesse Honoure noble and largenesse ffayre speh and ther to full of plesauns Louyng both pley to syng and dauns 1 i 159 Chastyte putteth beaute oute of aray 4705 She wyll never sufFre her be fresh and gay But shadows here euer wyth mornyng cheyre Of her hath She a full lewde feere fFor beaute desyreth to haue the coloure Of the fayre freysh Rose flour 4710 And loueth also to lyve in Jolyte Desyryng to haue hye prosperyte But that soule that may not haue To her love neyther knyght ne knave Gentyllman ne yoman of no degre 4715 [foi. 6i.b.] Late her than lyve m chastyte Betther a grett dele than She doth me For yf I speke to her of ony love Be god that sytteth in hevyn above To me She answeryd so Shortely 4720 That of hyr wordis abasshed am I For wan I wold som tyme in counsayle Shew myn hert to her som dele She answered me in wordis so hye I had as lyef my counsayU crye 4725 In london at the crosse in chepe She gyfFeth me cause after to wepe Than for to lagh thys ys no nay And som tyme whan that I assay To gyf her ayeft broch or rynge 4730 That woll She not take for no thyng Thus rude ys chastyte and not curtayse She hath me grevyd in meny wyse 160 But now I woU late all ladyes be And tell forth of Partanope 4735 Partanope hath now forsake The wod wons lyfe and hath hym take To the gouernauns all fully Of fayre Vrak and of Pursewy And they be redy I yow plyght 4740 Hym to comfort wyth all her myght Both hym washe and ley hym soft She hym feyned lettres full oft / Of comfort endyted So goodely And bere an hond that truly 4745 They were hym sent fro Melioure To heele hys wound that greved hym sore Sertis dobletts they lett make hym fyne Gownes of Sckarlet and eke of satyn Hym lakked no thyng that myght hym plese 4750 Full glad they were hym to Ese And thorw her gret cheryssyng He wex fresch lusty and lykyng And of his lettres toke grete comfort [fol. 62.] Which were feyned to hym for dysporte 4755 Where not this ladyes foule to blame Thus to lye and make hym game Of melyours letters and sayd She hym sent Which on nether syde was ment But blame worthy were they none 4760 Syth for the best yt was done But at the last thorw her dysport Her fayre cheyre her feyned comfort 161 He gan gedyr to hym fast flesch and blode And wex lusty that by my hoode 4765 Whan Vrak beheeld aboute ryght wysely His fresch colour hys persone so semely She ganne so nye fall wyth hym in dotage Saue that wysdome reseeyued corage And thought on her Suster Melyoure 4770 How truly he loued her and done yore Yt was She thought but nysytee And all that fantasy She late be Persewyse stode on the Same degree iFor She whan dalyaunce wyth Partanope 4775 Hys parte hys manere become so wele That thow hert had be made of stele No wondyr hyt was thoght hyt dyd mylt The fyre of love so made ys swelt In lovyng of this Partanope 4780 That all most foryete was chastyte Saue that wele She wyst and knew To this lady Melioure he was so trew That thogh she lovyd hyt myght not avayle And thoght hit was but lust travayle 4785 Thow hete of love her hert dyd feynte Wyth wyse abydyng the fyre She queynte Thus seyth the Auctor after whom I wryt Bllame not me I must endyte As nye after hym as I can or may 4790 Be hyt sothe or lese I can not say But now I lett this Partanope And Persewyse this maynden free 162 [foi. 62.b.] To gedyr in dalyauns to haue in fre IFor ys come a messangre 4795 fFro the empresse Melioure T' Vrak her suster for wondyr sore She desyreth wyth her to spek Vrak in no wyse wyll not brek Thys grete ladyes comaundement 4800 After her Shypmen now fast She sent And chargeth hem her Shyp be redy fast To see She woll go in all hast Vrak that ys both redy and wyse Ys not aferd thogh Persewyse 4805 At her castell leve wyth Partanope ffor nedys cost leve most She On wyth hym that knoweth the counsayll Of Persewyse She wot ys no perell iFor She ys wyse redy and stedfast 4810 The lasse of her She ys agast How longe from home She euer abyde Her Shypp ys redy fayre ys the tyde Leve She taketh of Partanope To her Shypp now streyght goth She 4815 fForth sayled Vrak thys mayden free In grete thought of Partanope Vrak wepyng gretly at her departyng Partanope prayed hyr aboue all thyng She wold sone come to hym ayen 4820 Therof seyd She wold I be fayne Vrak hath were at poynt devyse fFuU glad and mery ys Persewyse 163 fForth sayleth Vrak vpon the see And in Short tyme aryved ys she 4825 At cheyf de oyre where as Melioure Her fayre suster hath dwelled yore Now arne these Sustres mett in feere Neytheb to other mak good cheyre Tapyttes and cushons to hem be fett 4830 In an erbre full greene be they sett There alone to take her dalyaunse [fol. 63] I trow they lust nether syng ne daunse fFor Melioure gan ano to wepe Her suster "Vrak tok grete kepe 4835 Of her maner gouernauns Her thought thys maner of dalyans Was nyse what her suster ment She wyst not the verrey entent Of her suster that wept so sore 4840 And at the last fayre Melioure Of her wepyng ganne abrayde And to her suster thus She sayde Vngracious am I be god above That euer I was encombred to love 4845 Hyt hath She sayd me noeyd full sore But of this matere speke we no more To her answered fayre Vrak Trewly I neuer knew your make fFor wele I wot be god above 4850 All your wepyng ys for love Ye wold fayne hyde hyt fro me And thys fugure your nysetee 164 But ye can not that experyment I know to wele your entent 4855 Love wold make yow fayne to spake But than Cometh drede and maketh yow breke Your tale and that ys hye foly fFor syster ye wote ryght wele that I Loue yow aboue all ertyly thyng 4860 And gladly wold do your plesyng Be god quod thys lady that ys not so ffor oft tymes haue ye me do Wyth your wordis full grete dissese And yow full lytyll me dysplese 4865 Wordys of reprofe ye haue sayd many one To me and therto ayere ys full gone Or more syth ye last sygh me Where come yee but a lytyll pardee ffor soth sayd Vrak hyt ys ago 4870 More than xij monthes tha we two [fol. 63.b.] To gedyr in ony place mett A cause ther was that me dyd lett For the last tyme that ye sye me Or I yow for soth Partanope 4875 Was here wyth yow in thys place And for hys trespas I neyghed your grace Ye deyned in no wyse to here me ffor wepyng or knelyng more than I had be A straunger to yow and no thyng kynne 4880 Thys made me vtterly fro yow fleene So vngodely chere ye made me I toke my Shyp and went to se 165 To haue passed may a straunge strond And to se the wondres of many lond 4885 And herd such tydynges that lyketh not me flFor trewly your owne love Partanope Ye made lost hys wytt for aye Thys ys verray soth wythouten nay So moch sorow for yow he hath take 4890 Horn wode he renneth for your sak ffor hym me nede no more to pray Ne for hym knele but oo thyng I say Gete yow another love for he ys gone Hyt shall be long or ye gete such one 4895 And syth ye haue do so to hym Thus ye worshyp gretly your kynne Thys ys the cause that I haue yow fleed Partanope in this world ys but dede Whan the lady herd Partanope 4900 ffor loue of her wode ranne he Aboute her hert she flet such payne Much wo she had hir to restreyne Fro swonnyg for loth was she That her hevynesse aspyed shuld be 4905 Of Vrak her suster that was her dere But yet wyst Vrak wele be her chere And her coloure bryght and rede That was chaunged into pale and dede That for loue was all her hevynesse 4910 [foi. 64.] Yt Meliour dyd all her besynes To grete ayen her fressh hew Her dedely coloure dyd renew 166 And to her suster dyd she spek And somwaht her hert to her brake 4915 SvsTER She sayd hyt may wele be In grete dyssese lyeth Partanope And 3^ he were to me as cheere As euer he was I coude yow leere To make hym as hole as euer he was 4920 That euer I hym knew I may say alas So falsely as he hath betrayed me Causeles suster that wote now ye Yt for your love noght for thye A modecyn I shall yow tech redely 4925 That shall in hast and hole hym make To her answered anon Vrak Nay fayre suster be seynt John Ther to haue I ryght leyser none Hele hym your self yf that ye lust 4930 Ye know medycynes that bene best - fFor I know wele and so do ye In fraunce before was Partanope A man we be louyd and grete estate And youre love hath made hym cbek mate 4935 Ye loued hym fryst to say theroth Suster therof ye may haue routh Be craft of flas nygromansy Hedyr yee hym brought full cursedly And in your servyse he come ne hade 4940 He shuld not now haue ronne madde Suster he loued yow two yere and more He saw yow neuer trow ye not sore 167 Hyt grevyd hym yes so mote I thee AUe day wythoute company to be 4945 And neuer to spek wyth yow but in the nyght And yet of yow than to haue no syght Thogh after be hys counsayll he Shope hym fully yow to see [foi. 64.b.] What clepe ye this shuUd thys be treson 4950 Me thenketh in thys haue ye no reson But dyscrescion now telleth me He loued yow better than euer ye Dyd hym thys ys wythouten doute As a wyld wy best renneth he non heede 4955 Ne of slepe wythouten drede Which of yow now hath betrayed other Ye hym for and he were my brother And he hadde hys wytt agayne O thyng wold I counsayll hym certeyn 4960 In loue he shuld neuer do yow seruyce He leveth not that can devyse A persone to haue more semelynesse More beaute more streyght more largesse Than he hadd and ye suster melyoure 4965 That haue made hym lost and much more Of thys ye may make a fayre avaunt Yett Somwhat me thenketh ye be repent Wepe now a lytell I yow pray God for now euer I now Reney 4970 Yf for hym make I request To yow and som tyme no gretter fest 168 In no wyse ye cowde haue mada * me Than of hys sorow to haue had pyte But of my prayer toke he no heed 4975 Ther for Suster so god me sped And ye woU hym hele or ellis fynde Go seeke hym vndyr the wode lynde There he rennyth wode as ony hare But no forse I woll neuer care 4980 ffor yow ne for hym whyle I leve Whan meliour herd this grete reprofe That Vrak her suster to her hath told Her hert wyth in her body gan to cold And thoght her love Partanope 4985 fFor euer in thys world lost hath She Suster sayd fayre melioure The cause that I wepe so sore [foi. 65.] flFor Partanope hit ys not sykerly But I shall telle yow the cause why 4990 Suster syth ye were last wyth me Here hath bene a grete assemble Of kynges Erlys and eke barons And alle that held castellis and townes Or ony other lordshyp of me 4995 Alle they were at that assymble Of all her counseyll thys was the acorde That I must algate haue a lord Sora sayd the emperoure of spayne And som seyd for neere alliaunce 5000 I shulld haue the kyng of fraunce • Sic. made? 169 But Shortely to telle at oo word Alle these lordys myght not A cord To ony of these thre persones They fyll at travers all at ones 5005 Some speeke shortely of hym of spayne And some heeld no thyng wyth almayn Of the kyng of fraunce they toke non bred Thus they departed wythouten drede Than was ther a knyght hyght Armeus 5010 A semely persone for the nonys Long and broode and bygge of bones He was no man of grete lyfelode He passyd many man in manhode He was ronne wele in yerys 5015 His hede was full of whyte herys A man he was hold of grete renoun Men toke heede gretly of hys resoun LoRDYNGES he sayd and hyt be your plesyng To gefe audience to rayn spekyng 5020 To all that of thys counsayll be Mjn entent I pray yow here and se I am well ronne vpe in age Not borne of hye lenage Yet an old proverbe sayd ys all day 5025 Of a foole a wyse man may Take wytt this ys wythouten drede [foi. 65.b.] Sey on sayd all now god the speede Lordynges he seyd wythouten fayle I am not able yow to counsayle 5030 z 170 ffor who shall a counsayll yeve Hym hys goode to be ware of reprove Lest men sey he ys worthy no wage He counsayled this for hys owne avauntage Lordyngs the entent of my matere 5035 I wyll yow tell yf ye lust to here Taketh ye in no wyse for counsayle But hef ye thynk yt may not Avayle Hereth yt and than ley hyt Asyde Ye wote wele how large and wyde 5040 My ladyes lordshyppes lye here aboute To yow hit ys not in grete doute Ther ys no lord that now ys heere But he ys in lond A marchere To som of lords afore sayd 5045 Eche of hem therfore wold be wyll payde To haue hym a kyng to whom he ys marcheyre Of hym to haue the better lordeship and cheere Eche man for his avauntage doth chese Full lytell heed toke they of my lades ese 5050 Thys ys no reson me thenketh be my lyfe I woll make an end of all thys stryfe And taketh goode heede what I shall sey I shall shew yow a mene wey My lady ys of grete honoure 5055 And of beaute she beryth the floure Of all women this wote wele ye That in this world I trow be She ys therto but ryght tendyr of age Many Cyte castell and poor vyllage 5060 171 That be vndyr the gouernaunce Many a poor man may she Avaunce Of lordis of knyghtis eke She ys so strong That no man may do her no wrong Wherefore me thenketh that reson wold 5065 HjT soueraygne lorde chose she shold [foi. 6(i.] And yfF She chese a lord for rychesse Yf he lak manhode and prowesse This myght be myschyf to vs all Or hyt myght elles so be falle 5070 She chese A man of smale degree So a gentylman born that he be fFre curtayse stable and debonayre Strong well shapen of vysage fayre Manly trew frendly wyth to dele 5075 Such a man shuld do ryght wele Yf such were found be hyr owne chesyng To vs thys myght neuer be reproving And how thys myght Inne brought be I shall yow tell as thenketh me 5080 At Wytsontyde the next yere Be wrytt late be charged to be here Marchauntis of all maner degree That of the queen hold ony maner fee Where they be free or ellis bounde 5085 Wyth her marchaundyse vpon the strond And that a fayre holden be Of marchaundyse of all maner degree And XV days hyt shall be holden here Ther shall no man no custome here 5090 172 To the fayris avauntage this gretely shall be Also peas throw all the Contree Be cryed ffor straunger as we devysyn They pycches vp her boothis and ther yn good wynd Shall be to sell hyt may not fayle 5095 There most be plentee of all vytayle Hors armor that longeth to chevalry Wele beten trappures steedys to the wey Sheldes spares peyntyd full gay Sadelles helmes of all maner assay 5100 That longeth to turnyng may not be behynde To be sold men must there redy fynde Be than pore men her boothes vp haue Hir goode ther In for to save And eke grete marchauntis her pauylon 5105 [foi. 66.b.] Hyt shall seme a ryght wele fayre town On the other syde ordenyd mote hit be Herewdes to ryde in euery contree That be vndyr crysten lay To proclayme vpon what day 5110 A ryall turnement here than shall be And yt shall lest days thre Also to warne eche worthye knyght To shew her knyghthode and her myght And how the turnement shall be gynne 5115 Who so euer happe the gree to wynne A monday next after the fayre day And alle the ferre straungers wythouten nay Shuld be herbored on thys syde In the fayre that all the other shall abyde 5220 173 In the dongeon for more suertee Be her also most sytt there The lordys all that shull here The charge of the ryghtfull Jugement Who that shall haue gree of the turnaraent 5 1 25 The days thys turnement shall fast On the fourth dayes the Jugees must cast Which do best to haue the gree Of these must vj or seven be Chosen oute of the worthyest 5130 And whiche my lyketh best Hym She must take for her soueraync And here on this medew fayre and playn The turnement holden shall be That my lady and the Jugees may se 5135 Hedyr shall come many a fayre merchaunt Fro Venyse ffro Ipers and fro gaunt To Wynne vpon her marchaundyse Of the turnement eke to haue the pryse Hedyr wyll come many A worthy knyght 5140 And this woll be A ryall syght Lordynges sayd amulus what say ye My tale ys told and yf not be Agreabyll vnto all youre entent ffoi. 67.] In yow lyeth now amendement 5145 Whan ernulus had hys resoun sayd The lordys therto agreed and were apayd Thus here shall be thys Intumement And I am assented to here entent 174 Whych suster to me ys grete sorow 5150 Whan I thenke theron even and morow I must nedis falle in moche syghing Also goode suster of my wepyng This ys the cause apd not Partanope But fayre suster I woU that yee 5155 In thys mater know all my wyle To love Partanope I haue more skyll Than ony of tho that they woU chese Grete sorow must 1 haue thus to lese My love my Joy my Partanope 5160 For truly suster he must nedis be Moost in my thought whyle I am a lyve To yow alhoUy I do me schrj'fe Ey god help sayd good Vrak What voman of yow may I make 5165 Ye be me thenketh full vnstable Youre hert ys euer chaungeable I haue grete mervayle be god above Ye can Partanope both hate and love And that at ones and in oo day 5170 Grete Joy of yow haue I may Yett for lytell your hert cowde chaunge I trow fro hym and love A straunge Whan Melior herd Vrak her blame And to her sayd so moche shame 5175 ffor sorow she wyst not what to do But wept as thogh her hert a two Shulld haue brost and ther wyth She Leyde her doune on her susters kne 175 Longe After She sayd full peteusly Vrak good suster I crye yow mercy And for goddis love now counsayll me My loue to haue I myght best be [fol. 67.b,] Governed for fully in yow I trust And eke ye can counsayl me for the best Suster sayd Vrak as thenketh me Ye haue sett youre self in good degree And as now most for youre best Ye now chese whom yken ye lest Of suche compleccioun ye mow take Of broune of bloye or ellis of blak As ye most to youre plesaunce Wherefore desyr ye a fayre chaunce GooDE Suster sayd than melior Ye make my hert wondyr sore And hardyly suster grete synne haue ye Thus vngodely to rehete me Grete synne hath that lyst dysplese A lady for love lyeth in desese That ys soth sayd good Vrak Hyt ys grete almes I dare vndyrtake A lady to sle a gentyll knyght That lovyth her truly wyht all hys myght Than sayde the lady I fele wele In loves daungre are ye neuer a dele But god may ordayn hereafter that ye In loues daunse caught may be Than alle these Japes wole ye leve Than shull ye feele somwaht my grefe 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 176 Than sayd Vrak I woU neuer more 5210 To yow speke syth that sore My wordys to yow grevaunce be For whan God wyll Suster to yow ye In love here after full treuly And than I bote yow neuer shall I 5215 Hym that I love for no thing hate ifor that were an vngodely debate Than sayd melioure thys may wele be But whan god of love and ye Haue bene togedyr that ye hym serve 5220 And he yow bynde tyll that ye sterve Thus fro hys seruyce neuer part shull yee [foi. 68.] Than sail ye wele telle me To loue ne to hate shall ye haue no power But as ye may be to hym most plesure 5225 Than sayd Vrak yf love me bynde Hym to seruy in such a kynde What thyng shall make me my love to hate Betwene vs ryse shall neuer debate Truly suster I sey now for me 5230 Of hys seruyce haue I no deynte Be the fayth suster that I hym ow Seyd melior ye shall well know Both that and moche other thyng more Ye felt neuer syth tyme ye were bore 5235 Than sayd Vrak love ye on fast Hym to serue haue I no hast ffor suste ye canne neuer tell me Where I loue perannous in Any degre 177 [fol. G8,b,] Ya suster than sayd melior Ye know that ys go full yore Where my hert was sett to love There yt ys alwey be god above And suster ye spek euer of on thyng Ye can neuer make therof endyng And as touching thys parlament What my lordes there in haue ment And whateuer they mene So motte I go As me lust best so wele I do Than sayd her suster Vrak Thow ye lytell heede here of take In such plyte ye be now brought Bought or be hyt naught He that wynneth the turnement Ye must haue hym Indegent Suster She sayd I shall neuer take ffor hem all none other make But such that hath all hole my hert How sore therfor that euer I smert I wote neuer whom ye love best But wele I wote ye haue sylk mest To Partanope whom euer ye chese Who euer yow he shall yow lese Than sayde melior hyt not so I loue hym truly and no moo What euer Juges deme above I yeve hym fully all my love To lete thys wordis ye haue sayde Ye must nedes hold yow payde A A 5240 5245 5250 5255 5260 5265 178 To haue hym your lord that be Jugement 5270 Hath born hym best in the turnement Than sayd melior ye say now soth But syth to me thys ys so both I shall make hem leve her entent And anuUe all this Inturnement 5275 Than sayd Vrak thys may not be Hyt ys proclaymed in many A contre That agreed fully ye be ther to What euer ye say hit must be do All wepyng answerd melior 5280 Hit hath be spokeyn so ferre and nere To all the world ys now hedyr comyng Of nought hit serveth all myn repentyng Than sayd Vrak late now be All this wepyng for Partanope 5285 Late this goo for euer wythouten fayle This ys suster my full counsayll Ayene answerd fayre melior Nedys must my hert be sore Syth throw myn own foly 5290 Myn hertis joy thus lost haue I SvsTER sayd Vrak this fayre mayde ; This wordis be now to late sayd ffor no dowte this ye not shall see :' At this turnement Partanope 5295 ^ And this ys the most wo of all In your power hit may not fall To chese youre love there as ye lust But where your Juges lyketh best r 179 To hym ye must yeve all youre hert [foi. fi9.] Thogh yt do yow sore smart They shuU chese but ye must love This maryage me thenketh may not prove For who that shuld love as thenketh me The choyse algate in hym must be Of this nedyth not to speke no more But whan I kneled and wept full sore Praying yow to for gyf Partanope Than herd in no wyse myght I be But this ys a full olde sawe Nede had no maner of lawe Therefore my counsayll ys at leste Taketh hym to your love that tumeth best Now wyth these wordis these sustres two Bene rysen and into Chamber goo And in shorte tyme this fayre Vrak Of her suster leve taketh She thenketh full longe while She ys there She wold full fayne be ellis where Now shortely to speke this goode Vrak Of melyor her Suster leve hath take And melior prayeth fayre that She Wyth her atte turnement wold be And She her graunted wyth good chere Sayng Suster I wyll be there Of her leve takyng no more I make But streyght to ship gooth Vrak Wynd and wedyr hath She at wylle To salens She cometh full softe and stylle 5300 5305 5310 5315 5320 5325 180 ffro shyp to castell streyght goth She 5330 Whan ware of her was Partanope Atte Chambry dore sone he her mett And full goodely ech other grett Of her home comyng full glad was he And of helth moche Joy made She 5335 And wyth come fayre Persewyse To welcome her lady be goode avyse And of the turnement Vrak hym told And whatt the cause was hit shuld be hold [fol. 69.b.] And sayd his love hym word sent 5340 Yf he come not to thumement Melior his wyfe shuld neuer be Than to Vrak sayd Partanope And god gyfe me grace and lyfe wythouten doute I shall go forth wyth all *he route 5345 But what shall I do I haue no Armure Care yow noght ffor I yow ensure Ye shall non lak sayd fayre Vrak IFor fayre ne better I dare vndyrtake Beth not to selle this day in Paryse 5350 Of strenger assayes ne better devyse Stronge Sheldis fayre Sadyll wyth cropers Lyght and fayre Shapen and myghti colers Haubrek hosyn of mayle fFull bryght And helme of fyne stele that hath good syght 5355 A steede I shall gyf yow which ys cole blak In hym I trow ye shall fynde no lakk Wele rennyng and redy atte hand A better shall be found in no land 181 TherefFore sett fully your entent To be att that grete turnement For amonge thousandes of armed men A fressher ne a better armed shall bene Man in the feld that ylk day Than ye shull be and therfore assay Of the turnement to haue degree fibr all your Armyng I take vpon me ffor And ye lyst hem to se now They shull be brought afore yow And at leyser ye shall hem assay And what ys not good ffor your pay Hyt shall be amendyd at good ease And therwyth anone wythouten lees ifressh barneys afor hym was broght What hym lust haue lakked noght Thys barneys he lyked wondyr wele He sygh neuer fayre of Iren and Steele The hosyn of Steele he dyd assay 5360 5365 5370 5375 [foi. 70.] To yow may be so grete a fest 5380 I wyll do all my full power To bryng yow to haue this leyser There wyth She brought hym a fayre Sheeld So fresch I peynted that a felde Of the beaute myght enleymed haue be 5385 Grete * therof had Partanope Large strong hyt was defensable in syght And therto hyt was passyng lyght * Sic. probably the word Joy omitted. 182 And sygh she made to hym bryng A geten gold beten all gleteryng 5390 And nayles of gold hit for to takk Vpon a grete spere peynted blak This spare I spek of was not long But whan this geton theron dyd honge A fressher devyse coude no man see 5395 The Sheld anon Partanope So gay aboute hys nekk he hynge Vpon his steed tho gan he spryng Wythout styrop full fresshly His spere in his bond he toke sustely 5400 Oute of the castell tho dyd he ryde In to A medew that was lardg and wyde His hors his barneys ther to assay Yf hit were esy acordyng to hys pay Strong sweft well brydelyd the steed fond he 5405 Grete Joy had these mayndenes to se Wyth hym self how fayre he ferd A forn had they neuer seen ne herd Of man I armed so moche beaute sey Hym to se had they grete joy 5410 Armed he was passyng semely Doune of hys stede he leepe lustyly When his assays he had do In to a chambere streght he dyd go Him to vnharme wyth outen more 5415 Vrak bethought her how melior Wyth swerd must gyrde Partanope In all the hast to Ship goth She 183 [foi. 70.b.] Toke of hym leve and that all goodely Chargyng his wardeyns tendyrly 5420 The shuld hym kepe and what hym lyst He shuld not fayle to haue of the best Now good Vrak and fayre Persewyse Bene vndyr sayle and at poynt devyse They haue the wynd and wedyr At wyll 5425 Her behest She thenketh to full fyll fforth sayleth her Shyp in good aray That wythin a nyght and half a day Vndyr Chyef de Oyre ys She come The lond full prevyly hath She nome 5430 That of her comyng ys no man wyse Saue She allone and Persewyse The pryvy posterns I vndyrtake Of the paleys well knoweth Vrak And throw a gardyrn that was full prevy 5435 Cometh Vrak and fayre Persewy Streght vnto the chamber dore Whereas the mayndens of Melior Were aslepe fast and vp She nome The lacch of the dore and in she come 5410 Awak awak she bad hem fast Out of there sleep they breyd in hast They were awake so sodenly That they wyst neuer redely In what place tho they were 5445 And in this stakeryng they gonne fere Of this affray had Vrak game And than ech woman be her name 184 She calleth and sayd be not a gast I am come hedyr in grete hast To spek wyth my lady and suster dere Anone the women made her good chere And brought her there her lady lay And than anone wythouten nay To bed they yede euerych one And lete these ladyes togyd)T alone Anone as melior wyst that Vrak [foi. 71] Her suster was come she gan to raak Grete Joy and say well come be ye Madame sayd Vrak I come to se How hit ys wyth yow and how ye fare Alas sayd melior haue I grete care ffor in my wyttis I can not se How this turnement myght anuled be Nay of the anuUing speke ye no word That ys thermyned be all the acorde Of youre lordis and eke of yow Wherefor I am come hedyr now To know and wyte the full entent Which shuld hold this turnement Wyth in and ho shall be wyth oute This ys my comyng wythouten doute The lady therwyth gan so syght And toward god in heven an hyghe ffuU peteusly her eyn dyd cast And whan that was somwhat past She a forsed her to loke vp lyghly That her suster shuld not Asspye 5450 5455 5460 5465 5470 5475 185 That in ony hevynes She were Vrak in no wyse myght forbere 5480 Her sustres sothes algate to telle She thought She wold rynge her bell Lord god suster what do ye mene Youre old manerys be turned alle clene I wote wele fFor love ye sorow 5485 Your glad chere of feynyng ye borow Your syghes ye murder wyth in your brest Late hym brek oute lete hem be wyst Of me that am youre suster dere Or telle me wedyr to go or where 5490 I myght your love veryly se Ye can not hyde this craft fro me Suster sayd this lady mehor The cause of my sorowyng long before Ye know wele what nedyth ye 5495 Thus vngodely to rehete me [fol. 7i.b.] My pryde 1 wote wele truly Hath broght me so that fayn wold I Be dede and oute of this world I broght I am so full heuynesse and thought 5500 To thenk that I dyd such reprefe To my love as he had be a theef And he lowly me mercy dyd crye Yet me lyst not to cast vp myn eye To do hym grace but dyspetusly 5505 Voydyd hym my house alias that I Had dyed in the same place Syth myn hert cowde do no grace B B 186 [fol. 72.] To that gentyl that meek that harey That wept vpon me so tendyrly That fayre that swete aboue all swetness And saw hym for sorow at grete dystresse And on hym cowde I haue no pyte Grete resoun hyt ys that euer I be In sorow and care withouten delay I may weU curse that ylk day That I into this world was broght Syth I of my love So lytell rought That he ys lost and I leve in sorow My care all lyke both even and morow Therefore to dye I gretely desyre I wold gyf deth ryght grete here To bryng me oute of care at ones Yet for me to dye but ones Hit were not ryght full Jugement Syth thorw me thus ys shent That gentyll worthe Partanope Therefore my ryght full Jugement shuld be Ofte to dye and neuer full dede Therwyth peteusly She wagged her hede Alas fayre suster goode Vrak Had I youre goode counsayle take I had not lost my Partanope And wyth that word in sowun fyll She Whan Vrak saw her sowun for wo She was in poynt for pyte doo A gyf her comfort of Partanope And She bethought her and late be 5510 5515 5520 5525 5530 5535 187 Thenkyng of all this She shall be hayle For I thenk or we departe a two 5540 She shall not know yt my counseyll A fytt or tweyn She shall haue more Of this play for Partanopes sake To this lady than sayd Vrak Madame She sayd how fare ye 5545 Be youre desese I can well see This grete sykenes ys all for love And I feele wele be god above Alle this fayne ye wold hold fro me And ofte ye speke of Partanope 5550 To make me wem yt were for hym And yet youre hert ys on another pynne Ye haue chose some new thing And wold put me in wenyng That hit were for good Partanope 5555 Madame late all these Japys be Japes Alas sayd melior My sorow increseth more and more Syth I fayne of yow wold haue comfort And me semeth hyt ys youre dysport 5560 To se me dye wyth this tumient Of yow and I lytell be ment flFull lytell haue ye dalyed with love A man myght in that wele prove Syth Suster that ye wote wele 5565 ffor love all this wo now I feele And in this mater so rude ye be Ye can none mercy now haue on me 18a Therefore in yow hit ys wele seene That in this daunce ye haue not been 5570 But yt may hereafter happe Love in his daunger may so j'ow clappe That my dyssese shull ye welle feele Thogh your hert be now as stele [foi. 72.b.] Than sail yow fele in youre moode 5575 Where such Japes may do yow goode fFor and euer ye loue as well as I Ye shull wele wete full sykerly Ye shull haue nede of good comfort Now to me scorn ys youre dysport 5580 Of o thing suster I mak yow be best That god of love to such a fest Canne now bryng as I now haue As wyssely god my soule saue I wold neuer dye tyll I myght see 5585 Yow in such plyte as ye se me Madame than sayde fayre Vrak My wordes I pray yow ye me take In evell for truly I mene not so But this ys my menyng madame loo ' 5590 ffor yow to thenk of Partanope I hold hit but foly and vanyte ffor he ys dede wythouten fayle And yt ys ordeyned be youre counsayll And ye agreed be eke therto 5595 That who in turment best happe to do Hym shall ye haue than to lord This ys of your counsayll the full acorde 189 And all this fully agreed ye be Hit shall be intrarupt for me 5600 This lady answerid sore wepyng I may make semblant to hym wenyng Be her counsayll I woll take a lord But I may not for all the world My love yove for Partanope 5605 And yet this turment must I see And as hem lust a lord me chese And late hem all her travayle lese ffor bote fyre to cold asshes me brenne Yf eyther counsayll or ony kynne 5610 Make lord or hosbond me to take Syth for euer now ys lost my make ffor wele I wote my Partanope [foi. 73.] ffuU hard deth hath sufferd for me I haue hym slayn I woll hym quyte 5615 Yf I may fynde a knyfe woll byte Throw oute my brest into my hert I shall not spare for no smert To sle myself be god above Syth he ys dede thus for my love 5620 Ere euer eny other to housbond I take Her fressch color therwyth ganne slake In swonne eftesones She fyll anone And lay as dede as any stone ffor soth Vrak as thenketh me 5625 Was gretely to blame whan that She Sygh her suster so grete sorow take And wold no better chere her make 190 Ne gyf her comfort of Partanope Ayen her Suster grete wrath bare She 5630 As though fell and angry she had be That seeth a woman in such degree That love hath brought in grete dyssese And knoweth how she may her ese And lust not lord god what hert hath she 5635 Trewly and god I sey now for me s And I knew ony in that degree Of such one cowde I haue grete pyte I wath neuer what hertis other folkes haue ffor me I sey so god me save 5640 And I knew eny in that plyte Her to comfort were my delyte ffor god made euery creature Man and woman be nature To love and eke to loved be 5645 To women beaute I therfor gafe he And of vertws grete haboundans Curtesy fredam goodely in daliaunce Therfor in soth as thenketh me Women in hert gretely hath he 5650 God loued hem hyghly wythouten nay And so do I nyght and day [foi. 73.b.] ffor and tho creatures that so fayre be Come neuer in heuen I hold me Quytte in paradyse what shall I do 5655 But then Vrak knew well tho Her suster for love had grete dyssese Grete she had and yet her to plese 191 Wold she not ne of her counsayll Make her prevee for all that a dele 5660 But sayd made I yow crye mercy Why he ye turmented So gretly My counsayll ys now that neuer ye Thenk on that tyme that may not be But late hit passe hyt ys the best 5665 And sett youre hert in ease and rest Nay suster She sayd hit was neuer seen One that loved in ease to bene Ne in peas ne in rest for in soth resoun Wyth oute lovers never acord mown 5670 Ne ryght counsayll wytte ne skylle Saue onely to haue her own wyll All the wytte of the world they sett at noght But fully agreeth hem to her own thoght Therfore this ys a full old sawe 56/5 Who may gyfe to a louer lawe fFor thoght resoun wold make a louer se That all his foly yet came not he Thoo wofull bondis well onbynde In myself now all thys I fynd 5680 Therfore to love may I not chese Thogh I my wyttis therfor lese These wordes besoth that I yow say No wondyr thoght louers be in foly ay Vrak her suster answeryd tho 5685 Evell ys he at ese that leveth so ffor who so make love his Justice He may not avaunt hym of no fraunchese 192 But rather of bondage as thenketh me In that servyse kepe I neuer to be 5690 But of this mater speke we no more [fol. 74.] I pray yow Madame telle me afore Whanne shall be gynne this turment And which be wyth in and who wythoute All to wytte wyth oute doute 5695 I come hedyr and yow also to se And to wytte wedyr that ye At this tyme ony knyghtis make Thys lady sate styll for full awake Oute of this traunse was she not yit 5700 Ouer come be feyntenes styll she sytt Tyll long and late and atte last A peteus sygh from her she cast Somwath her hert ys come ayen Peteusly tho spak the queene 5705 Wyth voyse full feble She told her resoun As thogh she had become fro presoun Suster She sayd this Ermulus Of Merbyeu that wikked arcus But when this turment ordeyned ys 5710 ffourtene nyght ago he told me I wysse Of all the kynges that shuld be there And of her loggyng all the manere He sayd here shall be the sawdon of prece * That to crystis lawe ys aduerse 5715 And leeveth on machoun and appoloine Wyth hym cometh a comborus meyne • Sic. 193 I saw in his rollis he hath also XV. kynges hethen and mo That for my love all crysten woU be 5720 To herborwre in his rollis also hath he Of emperours and kyngis of crystes lay XX. and iij. that wyll that day Be at this turment wyth her powere Of all the lordshippes both ferre and nere 5725 Many one in manage than woll be here And many one that hath no fere Wold be glad to se that day To Wynne worship yf that he may Than ys ordeyned be this ermulus 5730 [fol. 74.b.] That this tumement hat arayed thus All crysten on this syde herboured shuU be The heten on that other syde and so may we Be in sewirtee wath so euer befalle fFor whom this peple bene gadred all 5735 iFull grete envy among hem shall ryse Hit semed better at my devyse To bene abatay at my turnement Therefor suster I haue full ment To haue on oure syde the Cheventeyn 5740 The grete emperoure of almayne And wyth hym they of denmarch That grete werre held in the march On Sklaueyns that perlous men bene The kyng of poyle and Sysile full kenne 5745 ShuU wyth this emperoure be in this towne And all that long to my regioun c c 194 [fol. 75.] Now haue ye herd of crysteans Now shall I tell of Sarasyns Hedyr shall come the Soudan of perce The kyng of Inde which ys peruerse To crystis law and eke shall be The kyng of mede and perce parde And eke the fayre kyng of Syre That so gretly me doth desyre Yet of hym I haue no deynte The kyng of ermony here shall be That hath a contre full delectable The planettis therof be so stable The dayes bene euer chere and mery The feeldis florysshed fresshly In that rested the Ship of noye When the fold had done the world noye Hedyr cometh the kyng of palest Wyth grete power arayed full honest And lordis of Egipte and hbye Than can moche craft of astronomye The king of fraunce wythoute doute He cometh to govern hem wythoute He well not haue me to wyfe But yf there ryse debate and styfe fFull out he woU be ayenst me The cause ys he seyth for partanope Thorow me ys lost that was his cosyn Of his comyng this ys the fyne Yf he may be vnged of me But I hope to be strenger than he 5750 5755 5760 5765 5770 5775 195 He hath done hys men to vndyrstond His corny ng now into ray lond Ys not to vengwysshe the turnement And to wedde me ys not hys entent Buth whan She named Partanope's name What for sorow and what for shame She had no power hit ones to sowne But fyll in a new sodeyn sowun Whan to herself She come ayen And wolld haue seyd Partanope fayn Parto. Parto She sayd at ones And full febyly She sayd efte sones Nopee that wyth voys tremelyng And ther wyth anon fyll in sownnyng Apon her bed and lay full stylle And at the last as was goddis wyUe ffrom her dyssese She rose ayen ffull peteusly than said this queen In wrath cometh hedyr the kyng of fraunse And wyth hym brj'nged his AJiaunse Grete nombre of Erlis and barons fFolk of payto and all the Gascoyns The kyng of brethen eke there shall be He ys not ryght ryche but yet shall he Bryng wyth hym many a worthy knyght They haue be proved in many a fyght The kyng of Ingelond thow he be ferre WoU be as sone here as he that ys nerre He ys a ryghtwos man and full sage Somwhat he his cropen in age 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 196 Many a knyght hedyr woll he bryng [fol. 75. b,] That wyll in chaumber both daunse and syng And as the lyon feerse in the feld 5810 Wele dare they fyght vndyr Sheeld Semely men curteys and plesaunt Thow they of self make none avarait Here shall be eke the emperoure Of spayne the noble tumeour 5815 That worthe ys and full of beaute His hethen hay he wold leve for me Many knyghtis come in his company And many goode hors that be lusty The kynge of navare the kyng of valens 5820 The kyng of granat wyth hem of palens And moch folke that take no wage And many mo kyngis that bene sage Of whom I can not well the name But ermulus hem all tell cane 5825 But suster ye asked also of me Yf ony knyghtis made shuld be Afore the turnement and that ordre take Of myne bond to morow I shall make Be tyme an hundred and many moo 5830 So am I avysed that hit shall be doo And who shall be Juges of the turnement These lordis are chosyn be myn assent The fyrst ys the kyng of affryke For his grete wytte and his retoryke 5835 He ys well lerned and can many sciens He must nedis gyfe goode sentens 197 And whateuer he spek hit must be Shewed m fayre termes for certaynly he Hath wytt Inow and grete dyscrescioun 5840 And fayre endyted shall be his resoun The other shall be kyng of cartage A ryghtwes man for gretly in age He ys ronne And another shall be Kyng claryns grete werre hath he 5845 Vpon the sarazyns yere be yere Bernard of grece shall be his feere [fol. 76.] He ys now namyd the thrid kyng Of all lawes he can moch thing The fourth shall be old Genors 5850 The wyse the hardy of king of morse The fyft shall be kyng Sorsahre That holt the kyndome of nabre The vj. shall be of Getule kyng In his contree ys full wondyr thyng 5855 Hit ys full of Apys tygres and berys Serpentes wyuers and eke leseres He hath no plente of castelle ne toures His ys callyd kyng Amfuors The Seventh kyng hotheth gondred 5860 And his kyngdame ys callyd noemed These kyngis shall be chyef Jugeoure They shall be wyth me in the toure Olde Ermulus eke shall be wyth me To take hede who ys worthy degre 5865 Now haue I told yow suster truly Of the turnement the avyse by and by 198 Now seyth Vrak all this wele I can empugne her neuer a dele Now slepe I pray yow hertyly 5370 For I woll go now full prevyly To Ship vn wethyng of ony wyght Home I shall come apon the nyght And yf yt lyke yow to morow tyme I wole be wyth yow hardyly or pryme 5375 I pey yow suster tho sayd the queen Be tyme to morow here that ye bene In this wyse hath Vrak take her leve Persewyse anone She toke be the sieve And in to Ship togedyr they gone sggo And to her castell they come anon Than mett they wyth Partanope Wyth Joyfiill hert hem welcometh be And Vrak hym told all the entent Of the emperesse and of the turnement 5885 And now she shuld on the morow make [foi. 76.b.] Knyghtis and ther for fayre Vrak That nyght of slep toke lytell heede For besy She was wythouten drede Toll Arme hym in the best wyse 5390 And long or the Sonne gan aryse To Courte she broth Partanope Her self and persewyse and no mo meyne And into a chambre where as she Was wont to be herboured partanope 5395 Vn wetyng ol any wyght they hym ledde And ther full pryvyly vpon a bedde 199 They made hym rest tyll yt was day And ryght sone after wythouten nay The Sonne her hemes oute fresch spered 5900 Hit made the vnlust to leve his bedd And rj'se and clothe hym fresch and gay £For Joy of that Joyful mery day To court tho come rydyng full bryght Well I armed tho that ordre of knyght 5905 Shuld take of This fajrre melioure And all they lyght anone atte dore Of the ch^mbre where as Partanope Was herboured and fast aslepe was he flFor thorow that chambre lyeth her wey 5910 Vrak anon brought forth the key And ther wyth She waked Partanope To opyn the dore streyght goth She In come they all wythouten lese Partanope pryvyly in this prese 5915 She maketh go wythouten more There as this queene fayre meliour In her Estate stont full ryally Than was the custome sykerly In Steele he must be armed bryght 5920 Who so euer shuld take the ordyr of knyght Both hede and fote and all in feere Also that tyme this was the raanere His swerd aboute his neke shuUd honge Where hit short or were hit longe 5925 [fol. 77.] Tyll they hit fro hym shuld take That ther wyth hym knyght shuld make 200 Therefore all this yong men been Fressh I armed before the queen Among hem stont Partanope 5930 ffiiU hevy and thoght full ys he Beholdyng the beaute of this lady So fayre so fressch and so semely Standyng before hym gay arayed No wondyr thoght he were dysmayed 5935 To thenk how lovyng to hym She had be And throw his defaunte all lost had he His hert gan qwappe his coloure gan change Seeyng his lady to hym so straunge That atte hys wyll was wont to be 5940 Sore abasshed on her loked he Thenkyng how he had her betrayed Gretely thereof was he dysmayed Yet neuer the latter wythouten lese To this lady he gan to prees 5945 ifor to aprayed her of mercy and grace Before all folk in that place Vrak aspyed well be hys manere And be the chaungyng of his chere He was aboute to play foly 5950 Vpon a stoole She dressed her hygh And hoved a scaunse take hede of me And thenk what I haue charge the But all for noght he toke none hede Of her counsayll ne of her rede 5955 But was in purpose hys lady fully Of his trespas there to aske mercy i 201 And openly there to haue know be But yett hit happed that lett was he Her beaute so hygly ganne encrese 5960 In all the syght of this grete prese That they so thykke aboute her stode Thoght Partanope for love had bene wode He myght not here come to no wyse [foi. 77.b.] Takyng grete hede of her senaely hode 5965 His felaws her beaute so gan devyse Vpon A bench an hygh as she stoode Even there vp ryght at the deyse That all men that were in the paleys Of her myght haue full the syght 597O Erie baron Squyer and knyght Clothis of golde aboute her were spredde Her to behold eche man was gladd Now woU I tell yow how She was cladde A mantell honourable vpon she had 5975 Of rede saten full good cremesyn iFurred well wyth fyne Ermyn A kyrtyll of the same She had vndre Hyr to behold was grete wondre That wyth beaute euer nature 5980 Wold so embelyce ony 00 creature ffor that euer longed to full beaute In her persone a man myght see Hit nedyth not of aray more to telle Whan that of beaute She was the bell 5985 In merror to love had she none nede Ne of fressh atyre wythouten drede D D 202 [fol. 78.] iFor were She slepyng or elles awake Of beaute had she no make Alle this while stont Partanope Of his lady beholdyng the beaute No new love but old remembraunse Make hym stond in such a traunse That sodenly he was broght in such case He wyst not wele where he was And of this haue ye no mervayle fFor all his felaws wythouten nay Were so hyghly caught wyth her beaute That nye in the same plyte wer he What for shame and basshednes Partanope dare not throw the prees Passe to his lady the ordre to take Who was than who but goode Vrak So wyth grete fere att laste Ashamed to the ground his face he cast That meliour in no wyse shuld see How be that false Partanope What wyth shame and wyth grete feere To his lady he neyghed nere ffrom his nek she toke his swerd Aboute his meddyll tho hit gerd And in such a wyse her gyrdyng he felt His hert as metall than gan melt Whan from her departe shulde And thoght hit myght none otherwyse be His eyn on her sorowfully he cast And oute of her presens he hyed fast 5990 5995 6000 6005 6010 6015 203 This lady toke hede of his chere She thoght his port and his manere Lekened moch to Partanope 6020 But ayen ward than thoght She To thenk this I haue grete wrong For syth he dyed hit ys so long And therewyth she turned her to Vrak Suster she sayd be goddis sake 6025 This knyght truly as thenketh me Resembleth of stature and of beaute That worthey that semely and therwyth she Of speke stynted for in no degree His name to sowne had She no myght 6030 Her hert so gretely was of the syght Of hym dystraught that as a lefe Wyth wynde I sake so quoke her breth Her hert her lymmes eke so tremeled His name in no wyse cowde she rede 6035 Thus stode this lady amonge hem all Ofte was She in wyll hym calle But oo thing made her stond in drede Hit had bene ayenst her woman hede Now ys Partanope this new knyght 6040 Gone to his chambre and hath the syght Of her lost that he now loveth best [foi. 78.b.] His hert ys sett in lytell rest For old love and new desyre Hath sett his hert so hote on fyre 6045 That aU his spyrytis wyth hym be So trobled that to bedde goth he 204 And lyeth hyra doune there to rest Now may he thenk whath hym lyst Many mervayles thought thenketh he 6050 Now lord god sayd he when shall be This turnement There a I myght Prove myself to be a knyght Lord wedyr I shall heve tyll that day Than wote I wele wythouten nay 6055 I shall be at that turnement ffor hert and strength that god hath lent To me be I neuer so sore I shall spend Hurt for well I wote and know afore I shall there see my souerayn leche 6060 And her beaute shall so me refresch That in Armys me shall teche Thought my stroke be hard or nasshe Of myn Enmys this knyght woU not sett a rych Thus lyeth this knyght Partanope 6065 Hymself avauntyng fayre and free And in presumpcioun falyth sore He weneth to haue the gree therefore All this made love I vndyrtake To hym therwyth come Vrak 6070 And to A pryvyer chambere hym ledde . And there hym made reste on a bedde There was he safe and out of syght And there he abode tyll hit was derke nyght Out of the hall goth melior 6075 Her hede she sayd ooke full sore I 205 Wyth hem myght she no lenger a byde She sayd wele mote ye all be tyde And toke her leve in curteys wyse Better than I can telle or devyse 6080 Love syke She was wythouten doute [fol. 79.] Grete greef she felt all a boute The fyres dart of love so smert So threlled hadd her meke hert That flesch and blood bone and veyne 6085 Was full fylled wyth grete payne Therefore myght fayre melior Sey her hede ooke full sore The day ys past and now cometh eve Of her suster Vrak taketh leve 6090 Her meyne meteth wyth her anone Partanope She clepyth and forth they gone To the haven where as the ship aflote Was She fonde redy and than a bote Her meyne call and that in hast 6095 The bote to her they Rowed fast The shyppemen her heylyn wyth good chere To Shipp they Row all in feere The shipp whan they were entred all The mayster marener hys men dyd calle 6100 And bad hem fast the Anker vp hale The sayle therwyth they made a vale And forth the sayle afore the wynde A better sayler can no man fynde That was that Ship at my devyse 6105 206 That loved som folk there ryght wele But so froward turned fortune his whele That was not be loved ayen Thanked be fortune so may whe seyn fFor she that I love wyth all my hert 6110 Gyfeth lytell forse how sore I smert The Ship I spak of was full goode ifull fast he sayleth thorow the flode So that wyth yn a lytell while They be come safe into the yle 6115 Of salence wythouten ony aflGray On morow be than hit was day Outa goth the anker doun goth the Sayle Vrak hath ouercome wele her travayle To bote they gone and streyght to lond 6120 [foi. 79.b.] The mareners they leve on the strond Vrak bad hym ofte fare wele And forth She goth to her castell Wyth all her meyne there she mett On kneys lowly the her grete 6125 And of her comyng were full glad To stond vpryght hem all She bad And to her chamber streyght She goth In short tyme after boord and cloth Was leyd for hit drew fast to pryme 6130 Sone after Vrak come in to dyne And wyth her broght Partanope Of mete ther lakked no deynte Thus day by day they fare ryght wele But Partanope maketh moche dele 6135 207 So long comyng ys the day His Arrays ofte doth he assay Vpon a day sone after the assencioun Whan the Sonnes lyght hath foysoun Ofte hete after dyner fayre Vrak 6140 Yode to her chambere and thought to take Her rest tyll the hete were agoo And toke persewyse with her and no moo But so dyd not good partanope Of ony rest lytell goode he toke heede 6145 Were hit ^e dystyny or be sort Vrak vnwetyng of Vrak hym to dysport To the see went and toke a bote The see was fayre the wedyr was bote And forth he sayleth vp in the see 6150 Afor the wynd but whan that he Horn ward wold a tyrned ayen The wynde was contrayre hit wold not bene And therto hit blew so sturdely That perysch he hym drad full hugely 6155 Shypmen sayd they cowde not see But they must serve the se So hidously tho the wynd gan blow The cost on no syde cowde they know [foi. 80.] So wyth in a lytell while 6160 Magre her hede in to an yle They were dryve whereas they must Aryve or ellis they bene but lost This ile was named tenodoen Where they all aryved bene 6165 208 The lord thereof hyght Armaunt A devyll and acused tyraunt Large was he of body and worthey knyght His most Joy was euer to fyght To Just and tumey was all his play 6l70 Grete Joy had he than to assay To sle or mayne whom euer he myght And yf that hit happed hym a worthey knyght To hurt or sle or elles mayne There at wold he law and was fayne 6175 And yf he put ony may in prysoun ^ Out shuld he neuer for no raunsoun Whan Partanope and his meyne were In that lond aryved for grete feere Of the hydous tempest or the see 6180 And anon in hast they arested be Of men of the contre and forth ladde To this tyraunt and than full gladde Of hem was he and full dyspeteusly On hym he loked and than full sodenly 6185 Wythoute talkyng or speche more Into a toure were as full sore They were and stokked fast On hem the dores were shett in fast Lo how sodenly fortune her whele 6190 Hath fro hym turned euery dele And chaunged wele in to sorow Lytell wend he that day be the morow To have sooped in prysoun of that tyraunt Lytyll ought a man to make a vanyte* 6195 • Sic. vaunte ? 209 Of wordely prosperite or ther of Joy haue For he that ys desteyned to be a knave Leveth more in sewirte than doth a lord [foi. 80.b.] This ys seen all day and so goth the world But now woU I telle of goode Vrak 6200 And of persewy that now ben awake ffro slepe and fast after partanope Call and clepe but where that he Ys become can no man sey Vrak for sorow ys poynte to dey 6205 And persewy s also maketh moche mone ' Hym for to seke ys eche man gone But all for noght hit woll not be Lost fro hem ys now Partanope Wyth hem ys both even and morow 6210 Wepyng and waylyng and moche sorow fFor thys knyght that thus ys lost This lyfe they endure vnto pentecost This lady queen melior Vrak her suster hath sent fore 6215 Wyth her to be at this grete fest Her comaundement ne her best Woll she not breke but maketh her redy fforth She goth and also persewy Taketh wyth and forth they went 6220 Partanope gretely euer be ment Hevy they were and dull of chere Melioure saw wele be her manere They were in hevynesse and than thoght she All this sorow ys now for me 6225 E E 210 Therefore woU She make no questioun Of her dyssese ne wyth the echosoun ffro that day vnto the turnement In wo her lyfe euer they dyspent Armaunt that thus hath in presoun 6230 Partanope and thenketh for no ransoun He shall neuer be delyuered oute Fast maketh hym redy wythouten doute To se this turnement this grete fest And for he woU know at lest 6235 Wyth him he taketh speres fyftene To gete hym prese yf yt woll beene [foi. 81.] To Ship he goth as I wryten fynde Ye tyde ys fayre at wylle he hath the wynde In prisone fetered lyeth Partanope 6240 Armauntes wyfe grete hast hath she Tylle thise prisoner she haue sey The Jayler she byddyth bryng the key And In She goth hym for to se To be of good comfort and of chere G245 To her answeryth this prisonere Gladde in hert shall I neuer be Syth this turnement I may not se This gen tell lady had grete pyte Of his hevynes and than sayd she 6250 My fayre frend yee wote wele how Armaunt in prysoun hath put yow And gyf in charg hyghly to me That ye be putt in such swerte 211 That whan he ys come home ayen 6255 In his presoun yee found been Therefore I dare not late yow goo In no wyse but hit were soo Ye myght me fynd good sewyrte ffro shame and harme to saue me 6260 Madame he sayd I woll yow swere Be the ordyr of knyghthod that I here Gyff I scape fro thens on lyve Ayen to prysoun I shall come as blyfe Other hostage fynd I ne canne 6265 But swere here to be yure leegeman And wyth that word he fyll on knee The lady of hym had grete pyte And wept full tendyrly and seyd tho Syr ryse vp for ye shuU goo 6270 Wyth oute othe makyng or sewerte ffor ye seme trewly for to be A gentyllmaun whens euer ye come Be youre semely hode a man may deme Your comyng ayen as my sewerte 6275 In putt all in yow and yf so be [foi. 8i.b.] To prysoun ye yeld yow not ayen Come armed home than shall I bene To drawe or brent or elles slayne And syth that I am now so fayne 6280 To do for yow that yow may please Do so ageyn that I haue no dyssese Ne lese my lyfe ffor in his cruelte He rekketh lytell thogh I slayn be 212 At this tyme for yow this woU I do 6285 Arme yow ryght well and late yow goo A steede ye shall haue that ys so wyght Be than ye knowe hym in grete delyte While ye haue on hym to ryde A better steede may no man stryde 6290 A sadyll to hym he shall haue mete The Brydell and the Croper wyth gold I bete Of bryght seluer shall be your sheld A better shall none come in the feeld A spere shall ye haue and thereon a getoun 6295 Wele I bete wyth syluer that passith the arsoun Hit shall hang of the Sadyll that ye in ryde A swerd ye shall haue be youre syde And for your love I woU yow hit lene Hard and pliant and ryght kene 6300 And yf god send yow that grace ffro the tumement on lyve into this place Saue a sonne to retome Ayen In my kepyng than shall ye been And be ye onys in dysposicioun 6305 I hope to gete yow oute of prisoun And yf in turnement ye happe to dye My Joy ys gone than may I sey And Arment come home ayen Wyth this swerd he wold me slene 6310 Thenketh what I do for youre love now My lyfe my deth lyeth all in yow Hyghly her thanketh than Partanope But I cannot wele sey where she 213 Hath wysely done or as elles a fole [foi. 82.] Syth he ys thus passed the Jaole His armed to delyuered hath she In the nyght to Ship streyght goth he And to Chyef doyre were as the turnement Shuld be hold thedyr hath he ment To sayle he was loth to be by hynde But wele wyth hym was not the wjTid Whereof hymself ganne fast dysmay The Shipmen sayd they wold assay To Chyef doyre ryght wele hym bryng And yf the wynd wold for no thing Serue hem wele to bryng hem there They wold aryfe thanne elles where flro the turnement but x. myle Where he in lond in short while He myght hit ryde and than Partanope Prayed hym all hit myght so be Off the lady hath he take leve His hygh troghth now woU she preve He sayleth forth and or mydnyght To that port he come full ryght Where as nedys he muste aryve He maketh a tarying but as bylyve Goth to lond and armed hym bryght Into his sadyll he lepeth full ryght The Ship men all he byddeth fare wele fforth he rydeth Armed in Steele To Chyef doyre he hath ten myle Be than he had ryden but awhyle 6315 6320 6325 6330 6335 6340 214 He was entred into the forest 6345 Where as he se full many a best Was full wyld he had made tame There In to hunt was all his game All that was hit ys go full youre There yn he hath slayn many a bore 6350 The wey into the castell he knew the wele Thenkyng of that was past afore Which thorow his lewdenes he hath lore Forth on his way rydeth partanope [fol. 82.b.] Hangyng his hede as thogh tha he 6355 Of wordely Joy had yove ryght noght And as he rod thus in a thoght A knyght that was full large of body His lymmes well shape and that passyngly His here was bloy I medeled some dele 6360 Wyth whytte heris that wondyr wele Become his vysage and than he hadde A rody herd and yen ryght gladde There as the way was somwhat turnyng On a grey steede he come fi*esch rydyng 6365 In this maner of wyse arayed ys he As he come cowrsyng wyth his meyne On siedes trapped full fresch and gay Eche had in bond wythouten nay A spere all redy depeynted wele 6370 A getoun there of rede sendele W^ele beten wyth gold of his devyse After hym came rydyng Squyers of prise 215 ffyve and eche man bare a sheeld So freshly depaynted that all the feld 6375 Enleymed was of this fresch aray Thus rydeth this knyght toward the turney So fressh in his way forth rydeth he Tyll att last he had of Partanope A syght and goodely he sayd 6380 To his Squyers ye must abyde And ryde softely for yonde I see A man I armed what so euer he be Yf I hym knowe wytte woll I Loke ye come after full softely 6385 ffrom his meyne he pryked in hast And to Partanope he come as fast He beheld his persone ryght wele But he knew hym neuer a dele And than He sayd syr wele atake 6390 And he that all this wrold dyd make Of noght the save And syr telle me Whens ye come and wedyr woll yee [foi. 83.] What man ye be and what ys your name There of thoght Partanope myght ryse grame 6395 My name to dyscouer now so hastely And forth he rydeth full soberly And eke he thogh ryght loth were me To make a lesyng and than sayd he Sir of ferre contre borne am I 6400 But thens that I come ys fast by A place wher as I purchased me Horse and hameys as ye may see 216 [fol. 83.b.] Thow I be not fressh and gay ] Yet fayne wold I see this turnay 6405 My name ys cleped Partanope What his youre name now tell me Sir sayd the kyng truly Gaudyns the bloys called am I Of huntyng and hauking I can skylle 6410 Among lordis and knyghtis I am know wele Borne am I of spayne and of castyle That ys hens full many a mylle Sone I am wythouten naye To a rych man but on Crystes lay 6415 He leveth not and gone hit ys More than xxx. wendyr I wysse That I toke the ordre of knyght And streyght into fraunse the I me dyght ffor there was werre that tyme stronge 6420 There was I a Sowdyor long At Tours in the mynstyr of seynt martyn Ther forsooke I mahowne and apollyon And crystendome toke in the fonte stone Of ray kynnesmen ther made I my foon 6425 And syth I haue lyved as a sowdyor A poure man but no purchasoure And now am I toward this turney Here behynd comes myn aray Wyth all myn hert I am glad now 6430 That I haue ouertaken yow fFor mery hit ys to haue company And hit semyth to me ftdl truly 1 217 That ye be a man of worship Therfore of yow woU I take kepe I haue a powere house here fast by There as shall behold the tumey Therefore I pray yow syr that ye WoU now herborow wyth me And I wol be youre bachelere Wyth all myn hert do yow plesure And be your seruaunt day by day As longe shall last this tumay To hym tho answeryth Partanope Wyth aU myn hert I thank thee And eke that lord that made vs meete Youre company in no wyse woU I lete Youre knyght to be ys myn entent I am at youre comaundement Thanne forth they ryde togedyr in feere Eche to other maketh good chere TyU they come in aryght fayre vale Fayre wyth flouris to make short tale There as they both herboured shall be ffrom hors than lyghteth Partanope They wold not herboure in hous ne town Her men plyght vp a pave Ion Embrowdyd wyth gold both fressh and gay Ryght fast by the feld there as the turney Shuld be hold wythouten fayle They had plente of goode vytayle Her men were besy hem to glade And eche to other goode cheyre made 6435 6440 6445 6450 6455 6460 F F 218 To soper they gone and sett to rest On morow whan the sonne in the east 6465 Here gan shew as rede as fyre These two knyghtis that had desyre To se worshipp and grete manhede Rysen and in the fresshest wede That longeth to armes they bene dyght 6470 And forth they yode anon ryght [foi. 84.] Masse to here wyth goode entent Her other meynee there whiles went To make redy all her aray Whan masse was done the soth to say 6475 Toward the turnement they ryde fFressh and armed at that tyde Her squyers before hem they sent In to the place of the turnement Ledyng her steedis trapped wele 6480 In mayle made of fyne Steele Grete speris they and helmes bryght Of hem hit were a good syght After come this knyghtis softely rydyng And of this turnement pryvely talkyng 6485 Where they wythoute shuld fyrst begynne Or elles they that be wyth Inne Vpon the toure of Chief deore Ouer the brygge sytteth melior The fayre the fresch the goodelyest 6490 That was in her tyme and eke the best And wyth her Vrak and persewyse Of her beaute now in no wyse 219 Thanne I speke for both they be In grete Sorow for Partanope 6495 They haue so wept they be all pale fforth wyll I now tell my tale Above all in the toure wyth melior be The seven lordis that the degre Of this tumement most gyff all gate 6500 Lordis they be of grete state Thes be her namys wythoute more Torsoul Gernal Clarins Genore Tursabyr Auffrons and Gomidred And old Arcus wythouten drede 6505 These sytte togedyr beholding the feld Many a bryght helme and many a sheeld fFresshly depeynted wyth grete bendes Knyghtis come rydyng wyth many thousandes In to compaynees departed they be 6510 [fol. 84.b.] Two fayre Reynes ordeyned haue he Where in these lordys shuld turneye Late se who shall begynne the playe Now Gaudyn that ys to Partanope Both felaw and seruaunt now thynketh he 6515 fFor who so euer the tumement begynne Be he wyth oute or wyth Inne They wyll hym ferst assayle This ys gaudyns full counseyll Also they thong that they wold been 6520 ffyrst in the feld to be wele seen Therefore anon her steedis they toke On wyth her helmes and redy hem make 220 Vp afore hem her speres borne be And after cometh Gaud3m and Partanope 6525 In to the Reynes rydyng avysely Kyng Corsoul that on the toure an hye Sate as a Juge be fayre melior Aspyed these knyghtis ferre and fore Or ony of his felaws that satt hym by 6530 And than seyd syres truly Yonder I see come knyghtis tweyn That in her barneys hem fayre demene And better than mayny other I see Worshipfull knyghtis they seme to be 6535 Of hem fyrst late vs take hede In the begynnyng how they spede Yf they do well than woll we Do axe what knyghtis they be Now sett they stylle and sey no more 6540 But se how men full hard and sore In the Reynes hors to renne Assay ■ Vndyr trapures wyth gold bete full gay And sone after into the feld All the word ys come in helme and sheeld 6545 And than the Juges wythouten doute Thought that they that were wyth oute Where not so strong as they wyth Inne Hard were for hem to begynne [foi. 85.] They wyth Inne wythoute lees 6550 On hem wythoute fast ganne prese That sey they that were withoute They thoght for all the grete rowte 221 That was wyth Inne they wold abyde And fresshly to hym they ganne ryde 6555 And manly putt hem in a yee Than sayd Gaudyn and Partanope Go we hens no lenger woU we a byde In to this prese than ganne they ryde As fast as her hors myght hem bere 6560 Eche hadd in bond a grete spere Thorow the prese wythouten lete Her hors hem bare and than they mette Wyth tweyne and Gaudyn smote the tone That from his hors he voyde anon 6565 And flatt fyll vpon the ground Partanope in the same stound Wyth his felaw so sore mett That out of his sadyll wythouten lett At spere poynt he hym smote 6570 That to ground well I wote He fyll flatt what woU ye more This course he ranne so fast and sore His spere brak hit myght not last The tronchon away fro hym he cast 6575 And ther wyth he pullyth oute his swerd And as a ferse lyon than he ferd And leyde on thyk hym rounde aboute Thre to hym sayled of the rowte And hew on his helme and in his sheeld 6580 But one of hem into the feeld Oute of his sadyll he made lepe 222 The todyr two on hym leyd fast But throw the Reynes for hem he past Gaudyn smote one of tho thre 6585 That from his hed he made than fle His helme of Steele boomed bryght [fol. 85 .b] And forth they passed throw the fyght They that beganne this tumement Sayd the knightis had wele do 5590 And a while brethen hem tho Lo sayd Corsul I wyst wele These two knyghtis cowde goode skyll On this Craft so fyrst seyd I Tho sayd the queen Cosyn truly 6595 So softely as they come In afore Now they haue hem wele I bore And namely he wyth the syluer sheld ffareth fayre wyth his barneys in the feld She thought she shuld haue know hym wele 6600 But she coude remembre neuer adele Thenketh She wher this be Partanope Wyth his gouemans wele plesyth ys she Off tumeyng gynne now they rest And sone after they made hym prest 6605 The tumement to begynne ayen The emperour of Almayn there myght ye seen A manly Cheventeyn in the feeld Wyth hym was many helme and sheld The Soudon of Pyroq was there also 6610 Wyth the emperore and they twey do 223 Moch wo to hem that be wythoute This soudon ys full proude and stoute He ys a lover what wold ye more His souerayne lady ys melior 6615 On his manhode moch trusteth he And thereto hath a grete meyne That vayteth vpon hym euer more He weneth to wynne fayre melior He ys yong and dare wele fyght 6620 Strong lusty a semely knyght Out of nombre rych hath he He thenketh no man his felow shuld be And in to dayes wele wote ye Menne wonne her ladyes in dyuerse degre 6625 Som whyt manhode and chevalry [foi. 86.] Som thorw beaute and curtesy Som wyth fayre speke and Richesse Som throw streynght som be largesse All that ys go wythouten nay 6630 The world ys turned anodyr way ffor neyther Rychesse ne beaute Ne fayre speche in no degre May make a man his love to wynne They be so sore aferd to synne 6635 Of fredam Curteysy ne of largesse They take none heede for holinesse Hath so caught hem in his seruice Of wordely lustes now in no wyse Take they heede but onely to wirche 6640 That they may please God and his chirche 224 flfor euery day erly they ryse To cherch they gone to here seruyce Of god and hardyly there they be Tyll hit be none for dame Chastyte 6645 Gouerneth now hem in such wyse ffro knelyng hem lust not ones to ryse To go to her dyner haue they none hast They rekke neuer how long they fast Of fresch aray toke they none heede 6650 They go clothed in homely weede They wyll not swere neuer an othe But nay or ye hit his soth But in old tyme ladyes wold Haue mercy of louers that in cares cold 6655 Loued and for love had grete dyssese Som tyme ladyes such folk wold please But in these dayes hit ys nothing so flfor be a louer never so wo His lady lust not hym make chere 6660 flfor his complaynt they wold not here Nether be speche ne better wrytyng They woll no rede hit for no thyng All that men say take they in gryef I trow Chastyte hath made hem defe 6665 [fol. 86.b.] Oflf this mater speke we no more But I woll now of meUour Tell forth all myn entent And of the lusti turnement The Soudan ys now in the feld 6670 Rychly armed that of spere and sheeld 225 Canne skyll Inow wythouten doute Hi meyne wele armed that hym aboute He hath wele Justed wythouten nay Many a knyght that ylke day And a squyer eke to grounde hath cast To meete wyth hym men be a gast Both fresch and cruell also ys he His men aboute hym So thikke be Afore and behynde wythouten fayle That no man weele dare hym assayle The lordys that I spake of before Syth to geyf the Jugement Preyse hym gretely be one assent This Soudan the lusti knyght Enforceth his hert wyth all his myght To Wynne his lady meUoure A grete spere in bond wythouten more He taketh and in rest hit cast And thorow the Reynes he rast fast As euer hys steede hym myght here Men of hym tho had sho feere And of the meyne hym aboute That the soudan throw the Route Rode to and fro no man hym mett Of his Justyng hym ones to lett All this beheeld Partanope And in his hert than thought he Be thou as prowde as lucifer I shall assay on the my spere G G 6675 6680 6685 6690 6695 6700 226 To brek anon yf that I may And forth he rydeth in that aray Of this course no man hym lett The sowdan and he togedyr mett [foi. 87.] So feersly on peesys her speris fle 6705 Yet ther was no man cowde see Who had the better for her bakkis dyd bend And after other speris anon they send Ay en togedyr now they go At that Course they mette so 6710 Eche gafe other suche a stroke As though ther had be an oka Wyth a crakke had made a fall Such a noyse hit made wythall Her sperys to brast and they both two 6715 Kept her Saddles Ryght wele two The Saudoun lyke a wyld best ffor angre cow haue no rest And ther wyth anon in his hete ffor a spere full passyng grete 6720 I ■3 He sent and in his arest hit cast ,t Partanope in grete hast j Of gaudyns toke a grete spere tho I Therwyth the Saudan he hit so In to the vpper of the Sheld 6725 That tyssew and bocle into the feeld flfly and all to peses brak The spere a fote throw the sheld stake The Sowdan hym hit so ayen That this sheld he made flene 6730 227 ffrom the shuldyr on to the layre Betwene hem begynneth a sharpe fayre Partanope herof was shame fast The Sowdan gladded and forth past Throw the Reynes wele faryngly 6735 Kyng Claryns in the toure on hye Seyd the Soudan better hadde Cursolot hym answeryth wyth wordis sadde The whytte sheld ys now at ground But hys mayster on hors ys found 6740 Cursolot at that tyme sayd but lyte fifor after he thoght he wold quyte Kyng Clarins whan Partanope [fol. 87.b.] Had mett the Sowdan in suche degre That he were quyte a myde the feld 6745 Melior hym herd and eke beheeld The tumement and all the rowte Lytyll Joy therof wythouten dowte She had for few of hem she knew In loving her hert was euer trew 6750 Partanope asked a sheld in hast Gaudyns that on hym loked fast ffull fresch I peyted of syluer bryght Hit was ryght sure and ther to lyght A spere he toke both grete and fyne 6755 There wj^h he ranne to a sarasyn Armans he hyght wythoute more Partanope to hym ranne so sore And in the Sheld so hym hytt That in his sadyll lenger to sytt 6760 228 Hadde he nor power but oute he flye And fyll to ground all men hit sye This Arrays was hold a worthie man Partanope forth a bakk ranne Thorw the Reynes ryght to the Sowdan 6765 And there he smot a knyght callyth logan That the sowdan wele than And to ground goth hors and man Atte Sowdan foote all this was doo The Sowdan was wode for angre tho 6770 And his spere than toke in hast And to Partanope rydeth as fast Thorow the prese hym for to fynde And throw the ventayll in his nek behynd He hym smote wyth his spere tho 6775 That all to pesys hit brak in two His swerd there wyth oute pullyth he And smote vpon the helme of Partanope Whan he aspyed that hit was he His swerd he pulled oute anon ryght 6780 On hym he leyde wyth all his myght And on his helme suche strokes gafe he [foi. 88] The rede fyre theroflF dyd oute fle And thus they hurle forth throw the prese Tyll Partanope wythoute ony lese 6785 Was passed the Reynes of the Sowdan So fer forth tyll that he came To the wallis of the toure Where in sate fayre meliore 229 And at the last than Partanope 6790 Aspyed how ferre past was he Throw the strynght of the Sowdan Tho hym to thenk he beganne How he had foUyly I do fFor many a Sarasyn on hym tho 6795 Leyd on ryght fast and by lyve That hit was wondyr how he on lyve Myght passe that grete thonge But gaudyns of hert full stronge Saw at myschyf Partanope 6800 And in his rest hys spere lyed he And feershly into the prese he past A Sarasyn fro hors bak he cast A worthy knyght that hyght Bry The Sarasyns sett vp on a devyll crye 6805 To the morreys kyng he was a good post ffor he was Constable of his Ost His spere brak oute goth his Swerd As a lyon feerse he feerd Armaunt he smote another knyght 6810 So fi-o hors bak he made hym lyght His helme was the ferst that come to ground Grete strokes he yafe in that stound So manly at that tyme sothly was he That rescowed was good Partanope 6815 Wyth oute mayne or grete wound Wele quyte hym gaudyn that stound But both a chased were ryght wele And many a stroke ganne they feele 230 The Sowdan hurt was som dele 6820 That kyng Cursolot aspyed wele [foi. 88.b.] And glad ys he of his declyne These wordis he sayd to Claryng The Sowden honeth as hevy as lede The tothe ache I throw be in his hede 6825 Syr be not wroth of that I seye The white Sheeld thenketh not to dye At this tyme in the sowdan s dette flfor skyllefuUy wyth hym hath he mett Gaudyn and eke Partanope 6830 ffrom the tumay wythdrawen be Vnto an hawthron hem to avent Of goth her helmes be one assent The kyng of fraunse beheeld them wele And than he knew hem neuer a dele 6835 To the emperour of spayn than sayd he These two knyghtis full goode men be And best in the tumay have done this day Sayd the Emperoure that ys an assay In the begynnyng they payn to fast 6840 Comenly suche men mow not last Prysaunteres suche folk callyth he That all day men may sothly se Suche last not but lytyll while Ther wyth the emperoure ganne smyle 6845 But wole ye make a good assay Take of hem the thyrd day The kyng of fraunse answeryd aye On the third day howeuer hit be 231 Of this day they wyll haue the prise They must * Gaudyns and also Partanope After her refreschyng both be In to the Reynes turneth ayen Fresch and lusty I armed they bene Eche of hem toke hym his sheld Many a man do hem beheeld In to the Reynes they come freschly Ech had in hand a spere full sturdy They spare no man that hem woU abyde [foi. 89.] They were ryght lusty atte that tyde ffull well they Juste that ylke day There was no man drust hem assay But of hym they had the victory So sore her aduersaries dyd they wrey The day gan fast draw to ende That eche man thoght home to wend And tumey no more as for that nyght The knyght of Syre he made a fyght Comyng in sodenly wyth his meyne As worthey and noble kyng was he Whanne eche man wend home for to go He had his mejme dyspetusly tho On euery syde gonne ley on fast Men toke her sheeldis to hym in hast Gaudyn anon wyth spere and schyeld Turned ayen into the feeld The duke of loryn anon hym mett Eche be other full lytell tho sett * Sic. 6850 6855 6860 6865 6870 6875 232 Goode knyghtis they were both two 6880 But yet gaudyns myshapped tho fFor the kyng of Syre in that feld So feersly hit hym on the Sheeld That from his hors he made hym lyght Whan Partanope saw that syght 6885 That gaudyn his feere was to ground Wyth a spere both grete and round He ranne to the kyng than of Syre And hym hit wyth so grete an Ire Oute of his sadyll he made hym leepe 6890 Gaudyn therof anon toke kepe And fresshly sesyd the kynges steede But or he myght hym ony further leede The kynges meyne to hym so rauth That of hem many a stroke he cauth 6895 And in this menewhile a saresyn Ys lept on the hors of gaudyn Partanope that hym neuer fayled nede Leyde on so fast hym rounde aboute [fol. 89.b.] He hath hym rescowed from all the rowte 6900 That harmeles scapyth they be ffor besy ys all the kynges meyne Of Syre hym thoght the prese to lede On fott he hath for lost his steede Al folke her wyth departe anon 6905 Fro the turnement and streyght gone To her loggyng in grete hast The nyght falleth on hem wondre fast 233 The herowdis crye all hostell a hostell Partanope and gaudyn that ryght well 6910 In the turnement haue bor hem that day To her loggyng they ryde in fresch aray Cursolot seth hem both two To her loggyng harmeles they go He seyd god blessed thow be 6915 Both my freendis yonde I se To her herborw go safe and sound I wold yt had cost me an hundred pound Befor I wyst waht they were But well I wote he that doth here 6920 The whitte Sheeld be myn awyse Of this day ys worthie the pryse All do that hem herd sey not onys nay Saf king claryns for to his pay In no wyse these wordis were sayd 6925 The thyrd day shall we know the brayd Be that tyme moche thynge may fall He and ye be to hasty now for to call Hym best that beryth the whyte Sheld Of all that were to day in the feld 6930 ffiill yore now hit ys agoo I haue herd say and other moo That whoso yeveth hasty Jugegyment Must be the fyrst that shall repent Ther wyth these knyghtis both two 6935 Of these thyngis mor spak they not tho But Partanope and gentyll gaudyn Ame at her soper and drynke the wynne H H 234 [fol. 90.] A.S fresch as to hem may be broth Of her grete strokys the rek noght '5940 Gaudyn beholdeth wele Partanope And gretely mervaylet of his beawte How semely he was how long and how brode Hym to beholde full longe he stoode And he thoght euer in his corage 6945 He myght not be borne of pore lynage And wele he sygh that he was pynsyfe He thoght his hert was in grete stryfe Of this grete mervayle tho had he What cause or what hyt myght be 6960 That made hym in such hevynesse Hym thoght he had cause of gladnesse Hym to comfort in his hert he cast And meryly brak oute at the last And sayd my frend Partanope 6955 What ys the cause that ye now be In hevynes fall so sodenly I trow for ye haue so manly Now borne yow in this turnement Ye are aferd last the Jugement 6960 To haue this lady shuld fall on yow Be glad man loke vp lyghtely now And here the wele the thyrd day And than I dare savely saye Thow shallt haue her and moch more 6965 Partanope therewyth syghed sore And seyd I were wele had I that Gaudyn the wyth on his bedde sate 2S5 And made hym redy to take his rest To do the same Partanope made hym prest 6970 To bed they go for that nyght On morow as sone as the sone sonne bryght Ganne shew her hemes oute of her speere They bene rysyn masse for to here And than after arme hem be one assent 6975 And made hem redy to the turnement Thyther be they come wyth her Squyers [fol. 90. b.] Freschly rydyng vpon her dextreys* In to the feeld they do as they mow Cursolot hem seeth and than he lowe 6980 And claryn sayd lo yondre I se Be the morow now come be These twyn that yster even full late Caught the last stroke and yet algate Hyt samyth they woll the fyrst wynne 6985 Late se how sail this game begynne To feld ys come the fresch Sawdan In his company many a lusty man And fayre Renge hem in the feeld Herawdes hem nombre a thousand sheeld 6990 This Sawdan that lusty knyght Takyth hys Sheeld anon ryght Sett helme on hede and taketh his spere Partanope that houeth fro hym ferre Was redy anon wythouten lett 6995 Thus sone togydyr they mett Full freshly men myght se I trow The Sowdan bare hys spere to low * (destreres ?) H H 2 236 There he had went smyt Partanope Amyddys the Sheeld hit happed tha he 70OO Smote his sadyll in the fore arsoun The spere so low descendyd adoune That hit on peesis fly in to the feld Partanope hym hit amyde the Sheeld So sturdyly in all his myght 7005 That fro his hors he made hym lyght And I leyd hym flatt than in the med Partanope therwyth seyth his steed But it was noght for hym to abyde And then he sayd who lust to ryde 7010 Lepe on his bak take hym anone To the rescow of the soudan A thousand knyghtis and many on mo Who lust to laugh but Cursolot tho And than he sayd to kyng claryne 7015 This game ys begonne wele a fyne [foi.9i.] Full besy now all these knyghtis be Her mayster to recow and Partanope Seyth to the Soudan he myght no more do The prese was so grete aboute hym tho 7020 He well be thoght hym and at the last ffreschely in to the prese he tharst And a Sarysyn he yafe such a dent To the grounde he fyll he was shent Partanope on hym no thing abode 7025 But freschly throw the prese he rode And manly throw that prese past Are he was ware he come as fast 237 Vnto the gate which was the toure Where as melioure the fresch floure 7030 Sate in a wyndow and loked oute Anone as Partanope wythouten doute Aspyed his lady and saw her there He spared at that tyme for no fere But salowed his lady full peteusly 7035 And sayd of your seruant now haue mercy And take this token now of me And therewyth all goode Partanope Put vp his spere and profered his getoun Seyng the feld and all the toune 7040 Vpon this getoun She dyd looke And fro the spere to her She hit tooke And sayd to hym tell me ayen What ye sayd and what ye mene I vndyrstond not and therefore tell me 7045 But at that tyme hit myght not be He was in grete perell of his lyfe saunz fayle Thre men of armes dyd hym assayle Wyth grete sperys on euery syde Hit was for hym no lenger to abyde 7050 His Swerd he puUeth oute delyuerly And beete all thre fro hym full manly And forth into the Reynes he tharst And aboute hym leyde on fast In perell of his lyfe nede must he 7055 [fol. 9i.b.] For in myddys his enemys full but was he And thorw the meyne he must nedys passe flFor all his felaschip beyond hem was 238 Gaudyn seeth Partanope in grete doute And boldely loketh hym aboute 7060 And feersly amonge hem In goth he And leyd on fast Joy for to se As he that coude wele on that craft And thus in help Partanope hym rafte fFrom his enemys hondis wythoute doute 7065 And are harmeles scapyd throw the rowte Thys ys wele waht wole ye more Late vs speke of fayre meliore For She hath now take his getoun Of Partanope but what the enchesoun 7070 Or cause he had hir to take She can not wytte ne for whos sake She wold hit had be a devyll a wey That she so lewde was in that aray On the spere hit was fastened 7075 And she there fro hit vndede Whereof men spake than dyshonre And sayd that man was her paramoure Thoght a lady for the best a thing do Men haue Suche Joy to lye So 7080 They wold it turne all for the werst They haue no Joy to say the best Suche mennys tonges gone euer on wheelis This ys the cause for must wyth kelys Ys her dalyaunse and her comonyng 7085 And for they mow hem lyghtly bryng To be foolis at her comaundement Therefore they gyfe suche Jugement 239 On all other and wene they were Of suche condyciouns and such manere 7090 Of these ladyes hit fareth not so Chaungeable in love they be neuer mo Of treuth in stabyllnesse they here the floure In hym is peynted gentylnesse and honoure [Therefore all men 7095 ****** Fragment found by the Rev. J. E. Sewell, in New College Library, pasted in the binding of a printed book of the Fifteenth Century. From a large 4to MS. on vellum, written in double columns. Thowe ye hadde magr . . . ellis thonk Ye were neuer wont t[o] [u]se gabbyng In no maner for to do [the] [plesjyng Of what persone so euer [he] be And Y dar say well as for me 7 100 Yt come neuer in myne entent But ye shold geue true jugement And so ye do Y dar say truly The trouth therof enqueryd haue I What womman euer did husbond take 7 105 That man hur lord She most make This is a thyng that euer is stable Duryng her lyues it is neuer variable Therfore a lady might ryght well be Avysedvnto what persone that shee 7110 Shold geue hur body with hur honoure Of hur garland fayrest is that floure The ffrenshe y wote well ys fFulle of bonyte But vnarmed wold Y fayn see And yf Y lyke well hi[s pers]one 7115 Than wote Y what is to done 841 Y wyll be his and he shall be myne What euer ye deme ys s[oo]the the fyne And yf he be not to my lesyre The Soudan to haue my desyre 71^0 And sayth playnly for the loue of me He wyll be crystned and all his contre Armulus she sayde Y wote well that ye My desyre had neuer so [in] chyerte To leue a trouth and say . . . brong 7125 Than myght men say y [li]ved to long Armulus to my worship goode hede ye take And ye lordes all for Goddes sake ffor ye shall neuer fynd that Y ffro worshipfuU a wa[y avjoyde truly 7130 But Cursolot Y haue mo meruayle that ye Yn this mater so dulle be Whateuer thay say ye say ryght nought My worship lyth nothyng in youre thought As leng as this turnay dede last 7 ' 35 Y herd yow preyse wo[nder faste O person presysely among hem all Now it semyth that he is fall Out of your prayse what may it be] Col. 2.* Yn sodeyn chaunge now fall ar ye 7140 But chaungeth as often as Y lyst Where Y wyll be Y wote best But shame it were you to vary From youre behest or be contrarye Wherfore Y thenk not of all this yere 7 • 45 To make you vary for my prayere I I 242 Madam sayde Corsolot the kyng The cause of my stylle syttyng Ys to here and knowe Armulus resoun This is now all rayn enchesoun 71-^0 fFor truly as by myn aduyse The fFrenshe is worthy to haue the price For whanne we the J [ugg] es togeder where Aboue in the toure for [lo]ue ne fere We shull not spare by one assent 7155 But to geue a trewe jugement Somme of vs ben accorded fully The Soudan should haue yow truly And somme holdeth now the contrarie Wherfore yn Jugement we do vary ,71^^ But Madam wyll ye do wysely Exameneth hem now a sondry And that into the toure ayen ye gone And sendeth after vs one and one And charge euery man by her fay 7165 That he to you oweth and lete hem say Playnly to you all his entent How thay will geue her jugement And that thay not s[ees]e for loue ne drede Ne for no grete profers [ne] mede 71/0 Thanne shulle ye wex of hem privelye That thay spare now to say oponly And commaundeth hem both two And vnarme them saf [ely] thay do Than shall j'e know well by sj'ght 7 1 75 Wheche is the semlier knyght 243 And lete youre ey youre Juge be Ye sey the best for God sayde she He ought well lyke me by resoun and skyle That shold haue my body and goode at wyll 7180 Col. 3. [The] kynges may not [then] a mervayled be [If] we Y chese hym that best lyketh me [An] d herwythall commaundeth she [Th]ese lordes vnarmed fast to be The Soudan vnarmed hym in hast 7185 And ryche clothes on hym doth cast [A] cerkle of gold full of precius stonys [On] his hed he hadde that no where ther is [A r]yccher ne ffeyrer to any mannes syght [He] was a passyng semly knyght 7190 [N] ow ys he come before the quene [Al]l tho hym prayse that hym seen [An]d sayde playnly that conquered hath he [Of] all this turnements [the] price and gree [The] kyngis hym praysed wonder fast 7195 [His] dome to geue thay made grete hast [They] sayde what shuld we longer tary [Our] Jugement conne no man contrarye SoNE after cometh ynne Partanope Among the . . prees and but esely is he 7?00 [Arra] yde as to speke of clothyng . . e he hadde grete e . of o thyng [She] that was lady of [the] place [He] hoped well to stond in hur grace . . best frynd saue and he was Gaudyn 7205 [A ki]rtell of scarlet he hadde on fyne I I 2 244 [Then] ne he was gyrd wy th a gyrdell [Wi]th d3merce bestes embrudered full well [Of] Gold and of Cipre and eke of Venyse [Of] his clothyng more to devyse [I] nede not to say all that wete wee [Th]at oute of prison straight cometh he [In] this turney worschip to wynne [He] fond there neyther [fr]enship ne kynne [H]ini to refresshe in any degree [Sa]ue only Gaudyn with hym met hee [T]hurwe Goddes grace [by] the way [A]nd he hym clothe yn suche aray 7210 7215 Col. 4. All vnarmed his Full gretely abasshed tho waxt he Seyng his souerayne lady there That afFore hadde made hym goode chere Wyth all hert body and myght And he as an vntrewe knyght Hadde hur deceyued and how hur suerte Yn such disteynt tho stode he That oft the coloure in his face ^ Was sodenly reede for she of hur grace He hadde for euer offended so heyly That his rose coloure paled sodenly Thus in grete fere stont Partonope Of thousandes of peple behold ys he And eche man sayde as hem lyst But all thay conclude the semlyest 7220 7225 7230 245 Of the two persones sertayne was he 7235 VVherfore the kyngis the pryce and the gree Hym yeue fully by one assent And made end of her Jugement Of the lordes that loued the Soudan Contraried the Jugement not o man 7240 And all the peple cryed by one assent This is now a trewe jugement Armulus de Marbury vp anone stode And sayd the Jugement was ryght goode To the kyngis he sayde Syrs what say ye 7245 Thay hym aunswered and sayde we be To this Jugement accorded full playnly Yf it be plesaunt vnto my lady And as Y trowe and dar say truly Ayenst Meliore is hert it yede not gretly 7250' For thowe gretly trespast hadde he Hur hert was full of mercy and pyte To Armulus yet sayde she thoo Myne owne Choyse ye haue put me froo [My] wyll was to haue hadde ye Soudan 7255 [Ye h] aue geve me to another man . . Armulus . . love ne drede ****** APPENDIX CONTAINING EXTRACTS FROM THE BODLEIAN MS. RAWLINSON MSS. POET. 14. APPENDIX, Printed text, p. 58. But for to speke of mans age Ye be but yonge not gretly assay de Of that I say be not mysspayde And he is provyde a manly knyght For in many a perlus fight 1720 He hath done maistres with honde Mo then ony man within this londe And therefore cossyn I praye you Hertly of his matter nowe To me ye speke no more 1725* For I hade lever soflfer grete sore Then harme shulde come you nere I will not you graht my owne fere To this answerde Partonope Sir he seyde truly yef that ye 1730* Will not grant me this bataill I sey you pleynly saun} faill Youre servyse for ever I refuse At this worde the kynge gan muse And at the last seyde in afFyance 1 735* Yef ye will so you avance Als ye woll so mot it be For truly cossyn hade not ye K K 250 Come into France at this tyme We hade be in grette peyne 1740* Then seyde Partonope the worthy The yelde God almyghty And he helpe me in your right For on me I take this fight Youre enemye full for to defende 1745* That grace our Lorde me sende The kynge set hym among his chevalrye And seyde Sirs I tell you cause why I have do rede this nobill letter Whiche seyth thus and no better 1750* Yef I will his full entente were For to trye out in this manere The cleyme of our bothe rights To be in bataill betwyss two knyghts This is the cause of his menynge 1755* For to esschewe grete blode shedynge For this is seker without faill ? Yef we bothe come to bataill And both our ostes togeder mete Many a man his life shall lete 1760* In this case hymselfe will fight For he will be the too knyght And I another knyght moste fynde With hym to fight and defende The ryghte that longeth to this londe 1765* For he hath fully take on honde Yef he in this bataill sleyn be Kyngs and duks of his contrye 251 And all his lordes of his contre thereto Shall do me omage ere they goo 1770* And holde their londes ever of me Thereto they shall ensurede be To sende me his eldest sone And he shall do as they have done And it hape that my knyght be 1775* Dyscomfyte or slayne in that degre And I also with my reme moste stonde To do him omage and oure londe Holde of hym as he shulde of me And I tell you without faill 1 780* To Partonope I have gyfe the bataill To morwe ye moste redy be To go with my cossyn and me Armede before the castell of Chare Hit is good for to be ware 1 785* Then are we redy full boldly Us to defende yef he assaill And yef he truly this bataill Performe as he hath mente That then ye may be on assente 1 790* Un arme hem in prive manere Printed text, p. 61. Sethe of youre will this is the fyne 1795 That fro this purpose ye will not goo I can no more say thereto Printed text, p. 62. Shulde be holde and all covenaunts 1832 K K 2 252! Printed text, p. &&. About his nyke his shelde 1949* Well couchede with perle y melede With golde and perle rychely begone 1952 Printed text, p. 73. For to the grete God I make a vowe 2170* Printed text, p. 74. That Partonope not well wote 2201* Printed text, p. 78. Grete fere in their herts they hade 2295* And namly the kyng sorwe made Printed text, p. 90. To make an ende of the stryfe 2678* Printed text, p.9S. And grete yeftes yenyth he 2764* To hym and to all his oste Printed text, p. 94. Hit semyde well he wolde not lete 2770* Printed text, p. 100. The moder and the sone departyde be An hevy woman in hert is she 2960* To his counsell thought she acorde Her hert is full ferre fro hur worde 253 To the kyng of Fraunce is she gone Sir she sayde what may I done I wofuU wreche and caytyfe I am sorry I am on lyve There was never woman hade soych harme For my sone is lost be crafte and charm e All be the devill entysemente Therewith anone the kyng of France In whom was her afFyance Her to hym he toke full goodly And into a chamber full prively They went together thereto as she Might tell her complaynt and no man see And there she wepte wonderly sore Or that she myght say two words more And when she lefte hur wepynge This words she seyde to the kynge Sir she seyde I can not see But ye have loste Partonope When he was loste in your forests In Arderne amonge the wilde bests Ther drewe to hym thynge of fayre As it were a woman ore a lady And bade hym of comforte be And be hight hym well that she Sshulde hym brynge out of dysseyse And with her words so hym dyde plese And yaf hym there to grete avere And that tyme was in grete fere 2965* 2970* 2975* 2980* 2985* 2990* 254 He made with here a covenante To be hur love and hur sirvante He lovyth her beste of ony creture Yet of her shape ne figure 2995* With his eyen he never sey This me thynketh grete folye Of her he hathe all maner plesance Thus is he brought in the devills dance Sshe hathe defendyde hym in all degre 3000* He shulde not besye hym here to see Thus I se he his but lore And yet I sey forther more He byte no lenger then to morwe none He perposethe hym to her gone 3005* Thus is he loste Sir what sey ye For godds love som counsell gyf me I have be thought me of othynge Yef it were to you plesynge Will ye her nowe my devyse 3010* I will be rulede be youre avyse Ye have a nyce Sir she seyde That is to marye and is a mayde Whiche hathe passynge grete beute There to Sir I wot well that she 3015* Ys well norturede conyg and wyse Truly me thynke she beryth the pryse Of maydens all as in france Yef ye acorde to this alyance Yef ye will sende for hym anone 3020* And I shall tell you howe ye shall done 255 I moste have ii potts of wyne Hit moste be good and inly fyne The tone I shall in this wyse array Yef my son there of assay 3025* A draught or ii I wot right well His thought shall change every dell Youre nyce to you the wyne shall brynge But drynketh not therof for nothynge Your nyce I nowe shall drynke therof 3030* The tother parte shall ther in leve And let iche to other speke I kepe here dalyance no man breke Thus I hope all shall be well The kynge answerde I graunt iche dell 3035* Hit is wysdom a man his frende to wyne Ther thorwe foly they shall atwyne Be what crafte that ever it be Ther with anone for Partonope He sent a man in hall the haste 3040* Chargynge hym he shulde faste Come to hym all thyng leste Partonope abode till este Of his jorney and of all thynge And in grete haste come to the kynge 3045* When he was come the kynge anone To a wyndowe with hym dyde gon And ther they fall in many talkynge Of dyverse materis and ther with the kynge Bade all men out of chambir goo 3050* Ssafe the lady and they two 256 And the mayde whiche rose faste And barrede the dore then in haste This fayre mayde which is to marye Hir beute dyscrye wolde I After the sentence of myn auter But I preye you of this labure That 1 may at this tyme excusede be Of every fetture to reherse the beute xviii yere she was of age Symly of stature born of high perage Hur hert was set gretly in othynge To be freshe arrayde in clothynge Enbrowderde parte in strange wyse To tell out playnly hur avyse Her forhede brode and streight nose Hur coloure rede lyke a rose Of sangwen here complexcion The here of here browis were browne The skyn of hir nyke was lylly whyte Sshe was not lene but flesshly alyte Smale armes and bonds fayre She was courteys and eke debonayre Clothyde she was in fyne satyn Well I shape for ever here delyte Was set in freshnes of array Sshe was as freshe as rose ine maye Of all her beute I make a fyne The kyng axede after his wyne This mayde goth with good chere And fylde a coppe of the pichere 3055* 3060* I 3065* 3070* 3075* 3080* 257. Whiche the moder of Partonope Hade so arrayde that yef that he Of this wyne drynke a draught That anone he shulde be caught 3085* In soyche wyse he shulde forget? Melyore his lady swete The mayde bringyth the kynge wyne That of this poyson myghty and fyne The kynge kiiewe this crafte well 3090* And kyssede the eoppe but never a dell Ther of he ne drank but thus seyde Beryth my eoppe fayre mayde To my cossyn Partonope And I commonde also that ye 3095* Drynke to hym and make hym chere This mayde had conynge and manere And bare the eoppe to Partonope Sir she seyde the kynge will that ye Drynke of this eoppe I shall begyne 3100* She purposede hur his love to wyne She dranke firste and then dranke he This wyne was lusty and Partonope Set eoppe to mouthe and beter assayde And ther with all he prayede the mayde 3105* Sshe wolde drynke to hym ayen And so they dranke that bothe they bene Well wet and then Partonope Of this mayde so behelde the beute That with her love he was so take 3110* He had foryet melyore his make L h 238 Printed text,p, 103. When women beth well I can not sese With glade chere she to hym seyde My dyre h ert full well payde 8040* All my lyve dayes be may I That I have conquerede so wysly Ffor be crafte I have you take And made you fully to fore sake Your old love and holy to me 3045* Ye be ensurede ever trewe to be When of his love he herde hir speke His hert hym thought wolde breke All pensefe a grete while he sate In his hert thynkynge agayne his wyte 3050* Ys come to him fresche and newe Alias he thought I am but rewe To hur that is my soverayne lady And ther with he stert up freshly And to the dore streight he wente 3055* The barre in his honde he hente And oppynde the dore in haste And thorwe the hall he hyede faste Into the porche he come rynenge His hors he fonde redy stondynge 3060* Uppon his hors in haste he lepte Nor of his trouth take he no kepe When the kyng was ware of this A sory man for soth he is He courssede his modir and hir enchantmente 3065* The newe love also is I shente 259 In grete haste ryds Pertonope To the castell of bloyes and sore wepte he Thynkynge on his lady melyore Howe of his herte she is the tresoure 3070* And he hath her sirvyde falsly In his hert he fynds hym gylty To pountyfe in haste he come rydynge Ffro his meyne he hydyth his wepynge Ffro his hors he lepyth and streight gothe 3075* Into his chambir for he is lothe His meyne shulde knowe his dysseyse He bydds hem voyde this is no lese They voyde his chambire in grete haste After hem he barres the dore faste 3080* Nowe be hym selfe he is alone He maketh sorwe and moche mone He courseth the counsell of the kynge And his newe love above all thynge The kynge his modir and his love 3085* Herde tydynge that up above Into a chambir was Partonope Goon to slepe that may not be Seyde his modir for nothynge All fore nought were our charmynge 309©* To his chambir she yede in haste The dure she yede and founde sperede faste She knokede fast and loude dyde crye Undo the dore son it am I All for nought he let her be 3095* Then he seyde for sothe ye L L 2 260 Have fro me take my erthly make and joye And nowe I am depertyde fro you aweye Ye shall never after have joye of me Gothe furthe youre wey and let me be 3100* This lady wepynge went hur wey Wenyge fully this is no nay She had to hym a trespas do Pertonope anone as she was goo He thought yef I abyde here 3105* The kynge and my modir with wepynge chere With many othir shull wondir on me Anothir whyle thus thought he My love my lady my hert is lothe I will me besy for to se the 3110* Ffor I have gretly agan resone Forefet to her grace and pardone I may aske of hire and have Of that I have do so god me save With all my herte I me repente 3115* And mercy crye with good entente With that thought he rose up faste The dore he unbarrede in haste And went his way hevely For his meyne shulde hym not spye 3120* Over his eyen he caste his hode And to a man that before hym stode He seyde no lenger you a byde But feche my hors for I will ryde A lytill while to disporte me 3125* All alone for of my meyne 261 At this tyme have I no nede Thus alone furthe he yede And alone as he rode musynge Knyhts sodenly hym come metynge 3130* Of whiche I have told before That brought hym the soraers with tresoure They salvyde hym full softely And then they seyde Sir gretly Of youre lady desyrede ye be 3135* Gothe youre wey for at the see Your bote your ship ther is redy The tyde abyds you and truly The wynde and weder at will ye have Of this tydyngs so god me save 3140* I thanke you hertly seyde Pertonope And with that worde these knyghts be Sodenly gone he wot never where He rydyth furthe to the water of loyre When he come ther redy he fonde 3145* A fayre bote redy be the londe Where in he fonde a fayre bede made Pertonope ther of was wonder glade Shortly no lenger wolde he abyde Bout gothe to bote weder and tjde 3150* Was redy dight to his plesure Downe on the bede he toke his leyser He thought ther to slepe awhile Ye shall here a wonder thynge His hors his lemers not he se 3135* The knyghts ne nothyng where they be 262 The bote was governde in the see A wondir this was as thynketh me The bote hym brought to the shipe When he was in he toke grete kepe 3160* His hers his lemers ther he founde Whiche behynde hym and on the stronde Hade ben for so wende he And thus furthe sallyth Pertonope Thorwe the water which clepede loyre 3165* Till he enterde in to chyfe doyer Which is chefe havyn of the courte Ffro the shipe to the londe gothe he Maistre of the shipe ne governoure Ssees hym none straight to the toure 3170* Of his lady nowe ryds he And let the shipe alone be Sstreight he rydyth to the palis And in the hall uppon the doyes He set him downe his soper was redy 3175* He ets no mete but sytts hevyle Ssone after soppere when tyme was To chambir he goth an eyse pas He knewe what he was wont to do He made hym redy streight to goo 3180* Te bede that was his entente Sshort tale to make to bed he went When he was leyde the covertoure To hym he drewe and ther with melyore To bede come full softely 3185* In his armes he toke hur goodly 263 He kyssed hir and made hir chere But she asspyde be his manere He was at that tyme som what hevye Good sir she seyde what cause or why 3190* Be ye in this hevyness Tell me playnly youre dysstres He answerde here softely My dere hert I cry you mercy My dere hert 1 am dyssmayde 3195* The kyng of France hath me betrayede And myne evill moder also Thorwe drynke made me to do A thynge whereof I repente me Ffalse and untrewe it made me be 3200* To you my lady soverayne On hir falsehede I me complayne A wyne I dranke was made be crafte Thorwe whiche my wyt was me rafte And I be come a fole naturall 3205* This made my moder she is full fell There with they brought a mayde That was to marye then they seyde Howe lyke ye this mayde yenge She is right fayre and nyce to the kynge 3210* The kynge with her come as blyve And gafe me hir to my wife With townes castells and grete ryches There I ensurede here and none wytnes To be her hosbonde and none * othir for sake 3215* And she on her syde to be my make * (Sic; it should be all) 264 Ensurede be fore hem all this to do Yet be grace it happede soo Ere that I nyghede here bodyly My wyte come to me graceously 3220* Then I wyste I had mysdo In grete haste up sterte I tho And lefte my trouthe with hem all Therfore mercy ever I call Ffor I forgat you thus falsly 3225* My swete hert ever I crye you mercy Of speche he stont and seyde no more But still lay and sighede sore Sire seyde this lady why do you thus Ther with she yaf hym a swete cus 3230* And seyde let be my hert swete Ffor I will right well I wete Love you a thousonde folde the more That ye have been assayde so sore And lefte hem all and drewe to me 3235* I may ther by both knowe and se Youre hert to me stonte ever stabill Wherefore this trespas is pardonabill But yef hereafter the devill be Your maister so gretly that me to se 3240* Ye desyre for drynke ore for poyson To make of me oppyn demonstracion Ore my will be that it be so Ye shall undo us bothe two AH other thyngs nowe full lightly 3245* Of me for yeve truly I 265 Love you so with all my herte All other forfetts may me not astert Nowe are they fall fro this dalyance And besye hem to do iche other plesance 3250* Thus all nyght togedir they be Till at morwe that Pertonope Moste nedys ryse it is day And thus he rose and wende his way Whether he wolde hym to dyssporte 3255* Of nought ells hade he comforte Never a day till is * was nyght This lyfe he levyde a fortnyght And on a day he hym bethought In what care he hade brought 3260* His moder and eke the king of fraunce And all his kenrede and his alyaunce Wherefore he purposeth hem to see And hastely go into his contre As he on nyght in bede lay 3265* With his lady this freshe may He toke hire in armes and hir kyste My dere herte he seyde and y wyste Ye wolde not dyssplesede be I wolde have leve of you to se 3270* To me it were a grete eyse But lothe me were you to dyssplese With that worde he sighede sore My love she seyde ever more I drede me of false enchantments 3275* Ye shall make us both shente * (jSic ; read it) If U 266 Youre modir at your nexte comynge Ffor me shall make you bryng Ssom thynge that ye shall me sene Sshent for ever then shall ye ben 3280* To breke myne offence and my trouthe My sweet hert have on me routhe Ffor God me helpe so as wyssly I yef you never no cause why Thus hghtly to deperte fro me 3285* With out stroke ye will me sle In france ye may byde in pes Ore ever 1 shulde to you make pres That ye shall ever repayre to me But it to you plesance be 3290* Yef ye thus deperte fro me And breke youre heste ye shall se Ye shall me sle without knyfe Thus shall ye reve me my lyfe Thus shall I be lefte alone 3295* In care and sorwe to make my mone I not to whom when ye be wente With sorwe and wepynge I shall be shente Ffor after on evill comyth many mo A.nd in soyche wyse ye let me goo 3300* Then shall I endure in langwyssynge Never full dede but ever dynge And lyte mete ete and lese drynke And nodell slepe though I wynke Thus shall I my body peyne 3305* Merthe and joye my hert resstrayne 267 Of all newe counsell I shall be sade Mercy askynge ther none may be hade Ssoyche joye hathe he that lovyth his love All the day it hathe be put in prove 3310* Comynly ther thou lovyste beste Of all othir his thanke is leste Loo dyre hert thus may ye see In what myshcef ye shall leve me Yef ye me se ore then me lyste 3315* In you fully is all my truste Loo dere hert this is my fere Amonge youre frends this is my fere With crafte brought in ye shall be Ye shall hem truste better then me 3320* Youre moder wenyth all fauten * be That I do sethe me to to see Ye be defendyde ther fore sekerly Sshe will make sora crafte whereby Ye shall ayen my will me see 3325* Thus shall ye leve here better then me Yet above all this is my fere My love to lese that is so dere Have bought my hert and that be ye Nowe good love have mercy on me 3330* My fayre lady thinke well this In all the reme of france ther nys Man ne woman that can me brynge To do oflfence in ony thynge That were contrarye to youre plesance 3335* God kepe me fro that myschance * (Sic; fausen ?) M M 2 26g Then were I wors then an hounde Ssethe so longe I have you founde That I shulde youre dethe caste My endles sorwe shulde in haste 3340* j Ffor be the holy appostells xii. ^ I love you better then my selve And moche love then have I loste Yef ye shall me thus mystruste Thus all the nyght be twyx hem to 3345* Words ther were hern lyste none other to do Printed text, p. 105. That will his body and soule brynge 3117* Into som myschef lo this is a thynge Whiche grevys my hert wondir sore This is the cause ye were sent fore 3120* Well seyde the bysshope let me alone Into a chambire she is gon Into his chambire without lete Where as the bysshope sone mete And seyde to hym well come be ye . 3125* Come sit downe right here be me The bisshope he gan his tale subtilly All afFerre and seyde sir sekerly I here of you most worshipe and honour Ffor of fraunce ye here the floure 3130* Of manhode and of chevallrye This is the cause sir that I Here am come you to see With all my hert and glad am I J 269 That ye are in hele and gladnes 3135* This bisshope pleyde wylis I gesse Ffor he no worde spake of his lady But other materis brought subtilly Then he seyde truly ye Moche to god holdyn be 3140* Ye here the name of gentillnes Of courtesey and high prowesse Thus renyth the fame thorwe the worlde Thanketh hyely that ilke lorde Ffro whom this comyth for well wot ye 3145* Of your selfe may it not be Ffor though a man wolde gyfe a fother Of golde he myght not sell to another Beute strenght ne prowesse Ffredom courtesye ne largesse 3150* All this graces come fro hym Ffro you comyth not but syn Therefore set all your entente To kepe fully his comondemente Serve not anothir with his gyste 3155* Take reson to you and persue right Then have ye a lorde and a love To serve ovir all thynge above Yef ye hym love he will you kepe Ffro all enemys though ye slepe 3160* Ore ells though ye be wakynge Therefore love hym above all thynge All worldly worchip 1 nowe have ye And all that he gafe you and thynke that he 270 When hym lyste may fro you take 3165* Therefore love hym for your owne sake And love hym truly in all wyse Loke none erthly love you surpryse Lest therewith ye be so blente That ye breke his comondemente 3170* Lyth not longe in dedly syne Yef there be any that ye be ine Gettyth faste to confession Thus endyth the bysshope his sermone When the bysshope had all seyde 3175* Pertonope stont all dismayde He caste a sigh it semyde fro ferre That herde the bysshope and nyghede nerre He bade hym boldly tell out his syne And ransake his conscience with ine 3180* Then he tolde hym a nobill storye Of holy wryte and howe victorye Of the devill and sentence hade In olde tyme and bade hym be glade And the devill shewyde his knyghthode 3185* Ssethe in bataill he lakede no manhode Sshewe that thou art godds knyght And thynke howe meche ye hym hight That at last Pertonope Agreede fully for to be 3190* At the bysshops owne will And sodenly ther with he fill Into a thought full hevely Alias he thought what may I I 271 Do for well I wot truly 3195* I have do nowe grete folye My love thus foule to betreye Nowe is to late to sey nay Ssethe I am agreede ther to Then to this bysshope he seyde tho 3200* Of syne 1 most me shreyve A love I have with in my lyve With myne eyen yet nevir I sigh Ffor hir to see full houghly Sshe me defendyde yet have I be 3205* With hir full meche and hardly she Of god speks and of his lawe And ever counsyllyth me to drawe Hyra to serve and to plese And wete ye well this is no lese 3210 To me she gyfFes full besely Golde and silvir plentuosly And presious stonys she yenys me And ryche clothis and bedds to me be * Manly and of yefts large 3215* Somers with golde she made charge And to me send hem to fraunce To my kyn and myn alyaunce Sshe bade I shulde deperte frely And so I dyde for truly I 3220* Yeve kyghts erlis and eke barons Knyghts and squyeres cetes and townes And moche pepill of every degre With her golde well holde with me * (Sic; me to be ?) 272 Thorwe here is pes come to londe . 3225* Sshe hath made me to take on honde The bataill be the which I have the pryce Wherefore maister be myn avyse Sshe hath full jentilly quyte hir to me Ssave in o thynge that her to see 3230* Sshe me defendyde so highly For this cause truly I Put me in your ordenaunce What hape may fall ore chaunce Lorde he seyde omnipotente 3235* Yeve me grace with myn entente To yelde you due thankynge Pertonope above he seyde all thynge A leaf of the Bodleian MS. is missing here, which pro- bably contained 80 lines; but the last 46 are in the Univer- sity College MS. and are printed in the text at p. 105, beginning at line 3118. Printed text, p. 116. Hur bell which was hevy to here 3430* This lady had both shame and fere For she was in right grete doute Hur women stode rounde aboute Hur bede and pressede wonder nyghe To have a sight of hur lady 343.'i* On hur they loke wonder faste And nere they come at the laste 273 Hur lady better to devyse Then they thought in all wyse And she had ben glad and not hevy 3440* She hade beute not passyngly Hur beute made hur malycoly sese So that there was none of that prese That they ne were in hert sory That they had so reprovyde their lady 3445* And all stode still in on acorde That none of hem durste say a worde With in a while come in anone A symly lady and a fayre one In hir persone was fonde no lake 3450* Hir here henge tressede at hur bake Well hangynge downe at her feete She of her beute to other was mete And so haunswerynge in iche degre That she was pressede passynge of beute 3455* Her array to reherse to reherse here Hit nedyth not for in beste manere She was arrayde in the beste that freshe may Who so luste to here of hir arraye Let hym go to the frenche boke 3460* And who so will it overloke To tell it in prose or in ryme For me it were a longe tyme And it is a mater thereto nedles For iche man wot well without les 3165* A lady that is of hyghe degre Arrayde in the beste manere most neds be N N 274 What nedyth to speke of hir forhede Of hir nose mouth or lyppes rede Of hir shape or of hir armes small 3410 Of this and more right a grete tall Myne autor seyth which shall not fyne Hem to reherse I will resyne For she was holde on of the fayreste That was on lyve and also the godlyeste 34 15* With ij* delle that myght be And Urake,forsothe hight she Syster she was to feyre Melyore For she come furthe with hert sore Streight to the bede there as she lay 3480* This other lady when she here sey Had withdrawe and don her reverence Four leaves are here wanting in the Bodleian MS. which would have contained about 320 lines ; of these the last 140 are in the printed Text p. 116-120, from Hne 3430 to 3570. Printed text, p. 142. Ys drawe to that wildernesse 4229* Printed text, p. 143. This bests to se I desyre sore 4259* Printed text, p. 153. But I not howe I shall do 4546* • {Sic in MS., but ?) 275 Printed text, p. 155. To Uracke this was good tydynge Printed text, p. 157- To speke of love had she no delyte Printed text, p. 159. Yet unknowe I love chastete Printed text, p. 167, As a wilde beste he rynneth aboute Of mete ne drynke take he no hede Printed text, p. 168. And som the Emperor of Almayne Printed text, p. 1 73. And my lady herborwyde shall be Printed text, p. 181. * » * • 4613* 4670* 4716* 4955* 4999* 5220* This haubreke upon hym he caste 5379* Of beute hym thought that paste All that ever he hade sen before This Persewyse so fayre without more With a gyrdell of golde hym gyrde above Well set with perle for somwhat love Thisfeyre mayde hath broughtin soyche plight 5385* Partonope to plese was her delyte N N 2 276 And furthe anone without faill Aboute his nyke a feyr ventaill She dyde lace without othis mo And fayre Urake hym brought tho 5390* A bright helme burnyshede of stele With golde and perle set full well And right anone without let Uppon his hede Urake it set And knyte the gowr aboute his waste 5395* And to his shulder made it faste Urake brought hym a swerde anone Thorwe the worlde a man shulde gon A passynge good swerde to fynde He wolde not a lefte it behynde 5400* Thereto it was so bright and kene When he it nakede sene He seyde he sighe never soyche another Of golde it was worthe a fother Urake with this swerde so bright 5405* Above his harnes anone right She wolde have gyrde but he sayde nay Why seyde Urake I you praye What is your cause for God Almyght Then seyde Partonope anone right 5410* I will you tell why I it do For on a tyme it stode so I stode well in my ladyes grace And were to gether in a place Where I toke leve fro hir to goo 5415* This was the charge she yaf me tho I 277 That never woman shulde gyrde me With my swerde for truly she Seyde she wolde aboute me that swerde do And I prayede hur hertly it myght be so 5420* I have you tolde the cause why Ye may not gyrde me truly Urake that was courtes and hende To hym answerde and seyde frende Yef it hap you Partonope 5425* In bataill that in grete prese ye be And your swerde be ony thynge to longe Gyrde you with the hynder thonge And I couthe yet ordeyne that ye Of hir with swerde gyrde to be 5430* And she of you shall have no knowynge For I dare undertake you to brynge Into a place where that ye At right good leyser hur shall se Fayre ladye seyde Partonope 5435* There is no man on lyve that ever may be More beholde to any creture Then I am to you therefore while I endure On lyve youre man moste I neds be And of this beheste ye have made me 5440* Ye wolde performe as ye may say Of all my hele ye here the key To brynge me in place there I myght be Myn hertly joye thus for to see And I unknowe on any wight 5445* This were to me a blyssede sight Then seyde Urake seth my beheste 278 Printed text, p. 181. Grete wonder thereof had Partonope 5386* Printedtext, p. 205. With Drake there was Persewyse 6105* Printed text, p. 214. Yet hath he in his hert both care and dole 6351* Printed text, p. 221. Hit was no tyme for hym to slepe 6582* Printed text, p. 222. And to Partonope streight he went 6588* Printed text, p. 225. That on the tour be Melyor 6682* Printed text, p. 232. Thought to gete ayen his stede 6898* Printed text, p. 239. Nowe is the Sowdan oome to the felde He brought but fewe spere ne shelde He is so grete a lorde of valoure In armes can no man be his pare 7095* 279 Ther it semyth me verly He shall have the victory 7100* What seyde Gaudyn stont the wynde in that dore Is youre hert wop so petuose and poure That sodenly ye yeve it up at onys And sey so worthy a mon here non is So moche lever hade I with hym to mete 7105* Then for his raanhode cowardly hym bete Hevy and sory stont Partonope When of his frende skornede is he And thought Gaudyn shulde knowe and se Eyse* trewes betwene us shall be 7110* He drewe hym toward the sowdan syde A course he thought to hym will I ryde In the reste he caste his spere As fast as his stede myght him here Towarde this hethen lorde he rane 7115* And to hym as fersly come the Sowdan At the metynge it happyde so Of Partonope the Sowdan faylede tho And Partonope so hym hyte That pour in sadyll for to syt 7 120* Hade he none but to ground fell flat When Partonope was ware of that Fro his hors anone he light And halpe upe the Soudan with his myght The Sowdan men with hym so mettyn 7125* That of hem he was sore betyn Here the Soudan is to his logynge gon He is so hevy that is to don * (orGyfe.) 280 He ne wot but thus demyth* he The pryse of the turney hath Partonope 7130* And loste for ever is his lady bright As for hym thus lyth he all nyght Sigheyng wepynge sorwynge sore And on that other syde this quene Melyore Thynketh that now shall she 7135* After that tyme se Partonope Supposing that the jugges will deme That she that is so high a quene Shulde not agre her to so poure a knyght And eke what he was that knewe no wight 7140* Saf she and her syster gentill Urake Thus she is aferde to lose her make Castynge perells many to and fro This lady is all nyght in care and wo Partonope spake anone right 7145* To his brother that gentill knyght Myne owne brother jentill Gayndyn Sethe of this turney is made the fyne We moste go to at one dome Agayne to yelde me to that persone 7150* To Armants wyfe so I be hight To performe my trouthe that I plight I wolde for no good false holde be Here to seyde Gaudy n I me agre Hit were shame that a lyttill slouthe 7155* Shulde make a knyght breke his trouthe To him she seyde this Partonope Ye moste nede go furthe with me * {in MS. denyth, or devyth.) 281 In hope I shall the beter spede To your helpe I have grete nede 7160* Thorwe your meditacion it may so be That of person she will make me fre The wey they con no gyde Towarde the castell they gon syde * Nowe thether they comyn be 7165* Gentill Gaudyn and Partonope And with the lady sone they met Full goodly in langage do her grete She hem welcomyde with good chere To her seyd Gaudyn in this manere 7170* Madam here this trewe knyght Ys come to holde that he be hight Sir seyde this lady God helpe me so That he was presonde I was full wo And that he wot as well as I 7175* But Sir I tell you truly Seth he is nowe at my governance God forbede that creweil or vengeance In ony woman founde shulde be A foule illusion it were to se 7180* Sethe his fredom stont in me Of preson I will that he be fre For as a knyght he hath kepte his heste Therefore sir wherever ye lyste Ye shall have leve to goo for me 7185* And there with all his Partonope Thankede her of her good grace And after that they taryede no space * {lie ; read ryde) O O But toke leve of that lady fre Full glade and joyful! bothe they be 7190* They take there hors and homewarde they ryde Eche to other of hem is trewe gyde Wythyn dayes after thre To the jugement come they be The lordes that shall yeve jugement 7195* They accorde by on assent The feyre quene the freshe flour Moste come downe out of the tour And syt in plase where that she May se hem that chosyn be 7200* Nowe comyth the quene out of the tour Eche man is glad to do her honoure She lenyth in hope yet hath she drede Lyste of her love she shulde not spede Auferns kynge speke began 7205* For of scole he was a lernede man And thereto he was well rone in yeres Rody was his fase white were his heres He was well taught and thereto courteyse Nexte the quene he began the doyse 7210* Madam of your high excellence And it leke you that in your presence I reherse what the cause may be That here is nowe so grete assemble Of all estate bothe ryche and poure 7215* Madam ye are desyrede so sore What for your ryches and your beute Thorwe the worlde so namyde ye be 283 Ye may not leve without a lorde Wherefore ye wyte well be all the acorde 7220* Of your baronage in pleyne parlement Was ordeynede be playne turment Here they stond you in present As wysly God helpe me so There is none chosyn of all the 7^25* For affection of love ne drede I dare well say ne for no mede Nowe shall I tell you what they be That are chosyn to have degre Whens they be bore what lenage 7230* Whether they be yonge or ells in age Where they be bore to erytage or no And what condition they be also For what they be I knowe well The trouth I have enquerede every dell 7235* When I have tolde moste and leste Whom ever your hert con lyke beste Good reson is that ye hym chese Loo all these that stont in this syde The worlde to seke that is so wyde 7240* Worther knyghts con no man se And these be the persons that cosyn be Of your counsell this is the avyse To vi of these they yeve the pryse Of cristyn men be cosyn thre 7245* As many of hethyn nowe there be Of cristyn the namys firste will I tell And there condysions and where they dwell o 02 284 The firste is the kynge of France Yef ye lyste to knowe of his alyaiice And ye will the sege of Troy rede There ye shall fynde without drede He is of the lyne of kyng Pryam That reynede in Troye of hym he came Whiche kynge of Troy lost the honour For Paris his son that dyde fature In the revyshyng of feyre ^lyne Whiche mater is declarede fayre and pleyne In the boke callede the sege of Troye And yef ye lyste ye may have joye The kynge of France to have to lorde I dare well say thorwe out the worde Knoweth no man lenyge a symlyere Ne of condysion more gentillere Rightfull hardy and true is he Mercifull lovynge in every degre Kynge Loheres men don hym call Ryches and youthe he dothe with al The tother crystyn is callede Gaudyn Lyke pryse of hym hathe kynge Clary n Yet he is worthye for the nonys Symly he is and large of bonys I con not well tell of what lenage He is come but well in age He is ronne as be his heres He passyth rao than fyfty yeres Pour he is and borne in castell He hath rede full many a myle 7250* 7255* 7260* 7265* 7270* 7275* 285 An hethyn man borne was he Sethe amonge Crystyn he hathe be 7280* Cheryshyde and worshipede many a day And he hathe forsake hethyn lay And become crystynde God blyssede thou be Thus in this wyse come furthe is he Be his bond of worthynes 7285* Whiche is more wurchipe then ryches But he hathe a master and soverayne Whom he hathe gefen full and playne The frute of his travail and labure What that to hym shulde fall of honoure 7290* He soyche it safe his master it have Wherefore me thynke so god me save Hit nedyth of hym to speke no worde But let us nowe speke of his lorde Whiche was armede under a shelde 7295* Of sylver bright and in the felde Eche day he was fyrste of all And Partonope men do hym call That in the turment many dede greve And ever in the felde laste at eve 7300* A worthyer knyght be my savyoure Sawe I never in felde ne beter his honoure Couthe save then he hathe do And of his thewis to speke also He is courtes gentill and uieke 7305* There is no bounte in hym -to seke And to speke of his kenrede The kyng of France without drede 286 He is nye cosyn wyt right well I have enquerede it every dell 7310* And to speke of his lyflode To erledomes he hath ryche and good Of londe forsothe he has no more But he is ryche i nowe of tresoure Nowe have I told you of crystyens thre 7315* And will tell you whiche the hethyn be The firste of the hethyn is the Soudan Marvell it is that ever ony man Might have a frende so high of nature For she hathe don all her myght and cure 7320* Of her tresour to geve hym so moche foyson That there is no man can sey be reson That ony thynge lackede in him of well For ryche he is and true as stell Symly of persone stronge and yonge 7325* Of fayre shape he lackede nothynge Lyght and delyver mery and glade Among his counsell wyse and sade Of his beheste he is full stabill And in domys merciabill 7330* All though in bataill he be chevalrus To hem that hym offendyde he is dysspytuous And for to tell of his kenrede Loke whiche of you the bybill can rede And fynde who made the arke of Noye 7335* Of his lyne downe come he And of his noble to make a fyne All is well safe that a sarsyn 287 Ys he borne and yet seyth he To have my lady crystende will be 7340* This lordes name is Margaryse Of all beute he berythe the pryse The seconde hethyn is freshe and yonge His name is Sales of Scyre kynge Symly he is courteyse and chevalrus 7345* Rightful fre and full vertuous Of olde and gentill kenrede is he As who kynge moste neds be But for to tell of his alyance So olde it is out of remembrance 7350* The iii hethyn hight Anpatryse He is yonge symly and wyse Lorde and kynge of the londe of Nubye With swerde he come to that senorye Wherefore hym thought it is the beste 7355* Sethe he wan that reme be conqueste To have here governour and lorde And so chose hym kynge by on accorde He is of right grete rychesse But of the turment as I gesse 7360* He lokyth nothyng after the degre The Soudan his lorde hathe he Gyf all his servyse and labure For at this tyme he is his soudyre Nowe Madam I have you tolde 7365* Of the vi chosyn whiche be olde And whiche yonge and who they be Borne of blode and of what contre 288 And what they be of condicion And how they be of reputacion 7370* And how that Gaudyn and Anpatryse Have dyssmyttyde hem clene of the pryse So of the chosyn yet four there be Wherefore I counsell fully that ye Of these persones take good hede 7375* For I have seyde so God me spede All myne entent full and playne Nowe let us here another serteyne Thus hath Anferns made conclusion Of his tale but nowe to his reson 7380* Of all these lords answere none But still they syte as ony stone And so it semyde by their chere They were awardyde all in fere The Soudan shall have fully degre 7385* Safe only Courslot that Partonope Lovyde well but what myght he do Of all the jugges there were no moo That lyste hym forther in ony wyse King Claryens firste gan rise 7390* And seyde playnely that the Soudan He holde of all the worth yeste man And beste hathe desservyde this degree Wherefore madame neds moste ye Gyf hym your love and take hym to lorde 7395* What is my cause in short worde I shall you sey ayen that other thre Set his symlyhede and his beute 289 And ryches he hathe of all thynge More then hathe ony other thynge* 7400* Thereto for your love will he Afore us all nowe crystende be And all his pepill san3 doutance This were to God an high plesance Nowe hathe Clarins seyde his will 7405* He set hym downe and then full still Set all this lords and seyde no worde Hit semyth they be all of on acorde Fully to performe Claryns entente For to his dome they be fully assent 7410* And no man contraryde in no wyse Lorde what hert couthe devyse The grete sorwe that hathe Melyor , Within her hert she felyth grete sore Seth all her lordes be on assent 7415* So fayne to gyf trewe jugement And she to lese on her love also What marvell is it though she were wo This lady had lever to dye Than Clarions jugement to obye 7420* For be Melyor it shewyde well That ladyes in love be true as stell Nowe Armelus the olde that firste in parlement Mevyde and steride to have this turment And ordeynede lords domesmen to be 7425* Of whiche serten on was he His vesage was manly on to se *(Sic: read kjage.) P P I 290 Worthy he was and whyte of heres Holde right wyse that asketh soyche yeres 7430* For love ne hate wolde he not leve The trouth to sey whom ever he greve Then seyde he it is not unknowe To all yonder lords as I trowe That in the last parlement 7435* Hit was acordyde be oure assent But be wrothe who so ever be His dome in no wyse plesyth me Gaudyn and Anpatrys be put out The gre to have this is no doute 7440* Yet they have borne hem full well Better were never armede in steel And bothe in this wyse acordyde be Though hade deservyde this degre To their lorde they gyfe the honour 7445* They holde hem peyde of their labure Nowe to speke of the kyng of Scyre I sey we owe all to desyre He be put fully fro this degre This is my cause though that he 7450* Let her wede wed him be oure assent This fully my jugement I not whether I deserve thanke or magre Of ray lady but truly degre He hathe beste deservyde of this turment 7455* The sothe I will sey though I be shent A symlyer no where con ye not fynde Though ye sought hens to yende 291 When Armelus hade his tale told These kynges thought he was bolde 7460* All their entent to contrarye And fro the jugement make hem varye But when Melyor herde that he Namyde her name and seyde though she Were wrothe or payde he wolde be trewe 7465* More redy somewhat she wox of hewe Armelus she seyde I wot that ye My deseyre ye hade never so in charyte To leve a trouthe and sey a wrong Though he had magre or ells thonke 7470* Ye were never wont to use gabbyng* In no maner to do plesyng Of what persone so ever he be And y dar say as for me Hit come never in myne entent 7475* But ye shold yeve true jugement And so ye do y dar say truly The trouth therof enqueryd have I What ever woman ever did husbond take That man hur lord she most make 7480* This is a thyng that ever is stable During their lyves it is not variable Therfore a lady ought right well be Avysed to what persone that shee Shold geve hur body with honoure 7485* Of hur garland fayrest is that floure See printed text, pp. 240-242. 292 The ffrenshe y wote well ys fFulle of bonyte But unarmed wold y hem see And yf y lyke well his persone Than wote y what is to done 7490* Y wyll be his and he shall be myne What ever ye deme this shall be the fyne And yf he be not to my plesure The Soudan to have is my desyre He sayth playnly for the love of me 7495* He wyll be crystned and all his contre Armelus she seyde I wot that ye My deseyre ye hade never so in charyte To leve a trouthe and sey a wrong Though he had magre or ells thonke 7500* Armulus to worship good hede take And ye lordes all for Goddes sake Ffor ye shall fynd that y Ffor worshipfuU avoyde truly Cursolot y have mervayle that ye 7505* Yn this mater so dulle be Whatever they say ye say nought My worship lyth nothyng in youre thought As long as this turnay dede last Y herd you preyse wonder faste 7510* O persone presysely among hem all Now it semyth that he is fall Out of your prayse what may it be Yn sodeyn change now ar ye But change ye as often as ye lyst 7515* Where Y will be Y wote best 293 Shame it is to you to vary From youre behest or it to contrarye Wherefore Y thenk not of all this yere To make you wery of my prayere 7520* Madam sayde Corsolot the kynge The cause of my stylle syttyng Ys to here of Armulus resoun This is now myn enchesoun Ffor truly as by myn advyse 7525* The Ffrensche is worthy to have the price For whanne we the jugges togeder were Above in the toure for love ne fere We shuU not spare by one assent But to geve a trewe jugement 7530* [The Bodleian MS. ends here on p. 193.] INDEX. The figures with a star refer to the Appendix. Inasmuch as verses 3038* — 3111*, at pp. 258—260, occur twice over, the words in the second series are marked with two stars. For the same reason verses 3117*— 3238*, at pp. 268—272, are similarly distinguished. Abrayde, 4842 Agysore, 913, 978, 1264 Algate, 372 AlhoUy, 5163 Almaynes, 1248 Altosquatte, 2430 Alyte, 3071* Ambuloure, 3900 Apayd, 5147 Aplyte, 4670 Appertly, 3284 Appyll, 1265 Aprayed, 5946 Arace, 4167 Aray, 3880 Arblasters, 1235 Arcus {v. Gloss, to French in artos), 5709 Ardern, 50 Arest, 6721 Arow-blastes, 1150 Arsoun, 1934, 4316, 6296, 7001 Ascaunse, 5952 Astert, 23 Atake, 6390 Atwyne, 3037* Aungyns, 1247 Avale, 6102 Avaunt, 4967, 5688 Avent, 6832 Avere, 2990* Averys, 775 A yee, 6556, 6848 Bachelere, 6440 Barres, 1167 Bede, 4137 Behest, 5581 Beke, 2200 Bele Soret, 1083 Be-ment, 5562, 6221 Besagew, 1930 Bete, 7106* Blely, 771 Blente, 3169** Bloye, 5191, 6360, 6409 Blynde, 189 ^ Blyfe, Blyve, Bylyve, 350, 752, 6264, 6338 Bonyte, 7113, 7487* Boote, 2312 Bomolde, 1046 Both two, 3244*, 6715, 6880, 6913, 6935, 7170 Bowes, 1149 Brake, 1149 Brast, 6715 Brayd, 6926 Brayde, at a, 453 296 INDEX. Breede, 416 Brenne, 4176 Bretouns, 1248 Breyd, 5442 Brothell, 4407 Brygge, 407 Bryttenyth, 595 Buske, 4069 By and by, 1929 Byte, 5616 Cantell, (in text castell), 2358 Castle Chaynard, Cliarse, Charse her Castle, 975, 981, 1142 Causeles, 4923 Cheertee, 4529 Chyertee, 4545, 7124 Chekes, 3813 Chekmate, 4935 Cheventeyn, 5740, 6608 Chevith, 2247 Clateryd, 1078 Cleobelys (Cloevis), 642, 865 Compled, 556 Comellis, 408 Couchede, 1950* Cower, or gowr, 2210, 5395* Crewell, 7178* Cropen, 5807 Cross in Chepe, 4726 Crowpoiin, 4317 -Day == die, 3535 Days, 95 Dees, 354 Degree, 6499 Dell, 3027*, 3035*, 3091*, 3304*, 3476*, 7235*, 7310* Delyver, 2140 Deiyverly, 7051 Denmark, 919 Dent, 2582 Depart, 254 Departe, 2756 Deperte, 3219** Devyll a way, 7073 Dextreys, 6978 Deyously, 3434 Disteynt, 7224 Dongeon, 5121 Doo, 5536 Doole, 3914 Doule, 4562 Doutance, 7403* Doyes, 3174*, 7210* Draught, 1636 Dyne, 6131 Echosoun, 6227 Ector, 209, 219, 1206 Erne, 652 Enchesoun, 7070, 7147, 7524* Enleymed, Enlymed, 1920, 5385, 6376 Entormete, 2817 Este, 3043*, 3505, 3541 Eyre, 273 Faryngly, 6735 Fature, 7256* Fausen or fauten, 3321* Fawcon, 535, 1304 Fayre, 6732 Fayre, 2984* Feere, 129, 6886 Feere, in, 5922, 6098, 6450, 7384* Felaschip, 7058 Ferd, 6577 Feysoun, 3131 Flemings, 931 Flone (in text flome), 21 FoUyly, 6794 Foordened, 3155 Fores, 1083 Forfare, 3708 Forgrowen, 4145 Forlete, 4149 Fomome, 3605 Forse, 3980 Fother, 3147**, 5404* Foysoun, 6139 Foyson, 7321* Fraunce, 36 Freeke, 1138, 1991 French, 931, 1246 Fryse londe, 1246 FuU butt, 7056 Gabbyng, 7097, 7471* Gascons, 1247 Geest, 405 Gerfaucon, 535 Gesame, 2218, 2221, 2287, 2291 INDEX. 297 Geten, Geton, Getoun, 5390, 5394, 6295, 7039, 7069 Glynt, 1036 Glytland, 919 Gonne, 1146 Goshawkes, 1303 Gowr, 5395* Grame, 6395 Gree, 5116, 7191, 7234, 7440* Grees, 355 Gwyers, 4265 Gye, 2913, 3928, 3058 Gyldenes, 1236 Gynne, 3237 Gyte, 2242 Hakney, 358 Hakeney, 3881, 4059 Halse, 3807 . Haterell, 3492 Hawe, 1422 Heele, 3217 Heldenes, 1036 Hende, 5423* Henne, 173 Kent, 2109, 2341, 4444 Hente, 3056** Berbers, 385 Herburgh, 1801 Herborow, 6439 Hethen, 969, 1022 Hie, 2657 Hoole, 567 Horn wode, 4891 Hostell, a, 6909 Hote, 5215 Hotheth, 5860 Hove, 2179 Hoved (in text honeth), 5952, 6824, 6994 Hylle, 182, 2121 Hymward, 894, 1219 I-hote, 4219 Indegent? (by juggement), 5255 Intumement, 5148, 5275 Jugeoure, 5862 Kepith, Kepe, 291, 370, 431, 543 Kelys? 7084 Kydde, 3229 Large, 678 Launde, 578 Law, 6175 Lay (in text hay), 5817 Layre, 6731 Lees, 558 Lemours, 557, 580 Lene, 6299 Leseres, 5857 Lest, 5189 Lewde, 2563, 7074 Loemers, 1280 Lombardy, 1250 Lorde, 2709 Lore, 3002* Loryege (Lorraine), 1245 Lowe, 6980 Lowlych, 688 QQ Lyast, 4644 Lyght, 4034 Lynde, 4978 Lyons, 1303 Magre, 7453*, 7470* Maistres, 1721* Male, 4358 Maletalent, 4499 Malycoly, 3442* Marches, 920 Marchere, Marcheyre, 5044 Mate, 1504 Mate (in text made), 2872, 4438 Mayne, 6172, 6174, 6816 Maystrie, 2398 Melyer? 4390 Mene, 4578, 5054 Mervaously, 3248 Meve, 657 Meyne, 38, 1020, 4590, &c. Modership, 3589 Moo, 247 Mores, 1083 Mules of Spayne, 1302 Mutes, 554 Myleway, two, 2884 Myspayde, 2547 Mysspayde, 1718* Nasshe, 6063 Nedys cost, 4807 Nerfe, 2104 Never the latter, 1423, 5944 Neye, 3869 298 IKDEX, Nome, 1168, 5430, 5439 Normandye, 32 Norreis, 1406 Norway, 919, 1281 Norweys, 1282 Noye, 5763 Nygromansy, 696 Nyse, 981 Nysetee, 4853 0, 630 Oo, 215, 305, 348, 950 Offence, 3281* Ooke, 6076 Oost, 1023 Overmaystry, 136 Oye, 862 Panne, 2040 Parys werke, 334 Pavy, 1249 Pay, 5404, 6924 Payde, 5265 Payed, 329 Perannous? paramour, 5239 Playuere, 630 Plees, 2729 Plyght? pyght, 6457 Polayn, 1941 Pomely, 3905 Poste, 1418 Pountyffe, 907 Poynt devyse, 4822, 5424 Prees, 2802 Prest, 6605, 6970 Pryked, 1002 Pryme, 5875, 6130 Prysaunteres, 6842 Purchased, 6402 Purchasoure, 6427 Purviance, 4022 Pyetes, 1247 Qwappe,whappe, 5938, 3501 Racches, 591 Rafte, 53, 3204* Rage, 4675 Rauth, 6894 Rede, 673 Regally, 2523 Rebate, 5197, 5496 Remayed, 1835 Renew, ?remue, 1793 Reney, 4970 Resoun, 1391, 5146 Rewarde, 987 Rerewarde, 1227 Rewe, 3052** Rewme, 11 Reynes, 6511, 6526, 6543, 6584, 6690, 6735, 6765, 6786, 6854, 6858, 7053 Reys, 748, 1171 Roode, 1662 Rought, 3325, 5518 Ryese, 3628 Ryffe, 645 Sadde, 2574 Sade, 7328* Saing fayle, 1251 Salowed, 7035 Sarazyns, 995 Saunz fayle, 7047 Sealde, 1051 Sees, 1004, 1043 Semblant, 5602 Semelyhode, 6274 Sendele, 6371 Shape? 109 Shent, 7024 Shert? 109 Shope, 30 Slyeke, 1147 Snarled, 2300 Somers, 774, 2911, 3216** Sorgeroun, 4575 Sort, 6146 Soyche, 7291* Sparble, 1076 Speh, 4672, 4703 Speke, 6029, 6628 Stokked, 6188 Stound, 6567, 6813, 6817 Sustely, ? lustely, 5400 Swelt, 4779 Sylk, 556, 5261 Tall, 3471* Tercelles, 534 Tharst, 7053 Thewis, (or rather in MS. taches. See tacchus in Glossary to the Romance of Alexander), 7304* Thong, 6520 Xhrelled, 6084 To and to, 4195 Tone, 3024* Too, 1762* a*-'. INBEX. 299 To-twene, 4170 Traas, 561 Trappures, 5098 Travers, 5005 Tresporte, 35 Trest, 2165 Trewes, 7110* Tronchon, 6575 Trusse, 3692 Tryes, 3058 Tuesday, 1254 Tumeour, 5815 Tyssew, 6726 Unboole, or unbocle, 4358 Uncompleth, 564 Unlust, 5901 Unthende, 3713 Unwething, 5872 Unweting, 5896 Ventaill, 5388* Ventayll, 6774 Voyde, 6565 Vyar8e=vii. arts, 3222 Wage, 882 Wanhope, 3690 Wed, 245 Wede, 6469 Weeldy, 1921 Weete, 1680 Wele away, 3550 Wele a fyne, 7016 Welwettis, 1202 Wendyr, 6417 Were, 4822 Wem? wene, 5551 Werousness, 644 Wet, 3108* Wex, 7168 Weyfe, 2135, 2199 Whappe, qwappe, 3501, 5938 Whitsonday, 991 Wirche, 6640 Withholde, 880 Withhelde, 897 Wode, 4245, 4979 Wodenesse, 3809 Wodwose? (in text wod wons), 4737 Woode, wode, 1390 Woone, 1378 Wop, 7102* Wrey, 6865 Wyers, 4304 Wyght, 6287 Wynd^wine, 5094 Wyndase, 4604 Wyth=we, 4594 Wytsontyde, 5081 Wytterly, 3486, 4327 Yate, 372, 1013 Yeft, 4730 Yende, 7458* Yenys, 3213** Yew=eyes, 2857 Yken? 5189 Y Melede, 1950* Page E BEAT A. 12 line 323 f07- and read ' to. 18 j» 527 n yourc i> youre. 22 ?» 644 I) werousres )) werousnes. 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