1257 For-why I loved hir in no gere.
1258 `So hit befel, another yere,
1259 I thoughte ones I wolde fonde
1260 To do hir knowe and understonde
1261 My wo; and she wel understood
1262 That I ne wilned thing but good,
1263 And worship, and to kepe hir name
1264 Over al thing, and drede hir shame,
1265 And was so besy hir to serve; --
1266 And pite were I shulde sterve,
1267 Sith that I wilned noon harm, y-wis.
1268 So whan my lady knew al this,
1269 My lady yaf me al hoolly
1270 The noble yift of hir mercy,
1271 Saving hir worship, by al weyes;
1272 Dredles, I mene noon other weyes.
1273 And therwith she yaf me a ring;
1274 I trowe hit was the firste thing;
1275 But if myn herte was y-waxe
1276 Glad, that is no need to axe!
1277 As helpe me god, I was as blyve,
1278 Reysed, as fro dethe to lyve,
1279 Of alle happes the alder-beste,
1280 The gladdest and the moste at reste.
1281 For trewely, that swete wight,
1282 Whan I had wrong and she the right,
1283 She wolde alwey so goodely
1284 For-yeve me so debonairly.
1285 In alle my youthe, in alle chaunce,
1286 She took me in hir governaunce.
1287 `Therwith she was alway so trewe,
1288 Our Ioye was ever y-liche newe;
1289 Our hertes wern so even a payre,
1290 That never nas that oon contrayre
1291 To that other, for no wo.
1292 For sothe, y-liche they suffred tho
1293 Oo blisse and eek oo sorwe bothe;
1294 Y-liche they were bothe gladde and wrothe;
1295 Al was us oon, withoute were.
1296 And thus we lived ful many a yere
1297 So wel, I can nat telle how.'
1298 `Sir,' quod I, `where is she now?'
1299 `Now!' quod he, and stinte anoon.
1300 Therwith he wex as deed as stoon,
1301 And seyde, `allas! that I was bore,
1302 That was the los, that her-before
1303 I tolde thee, that I had lorn.
1304 Bethenk how I seyde her-beforn,
1305 "Thou wost ful litel what thou menest;
1306 I have lost more than thou wenest" --
1307 God wot, allas! right that was she!'
1308 `Allas! sir, how? what may that be?'
1309 `She is deed!' `Nay!' `Yis, by my trouthe!'
1310 `Is that your los? By god, hit is routhe!'
1311 And with that worde, right anoon,
1312 They gan to strake forth; al was doon,
1313 For that tyme, the hert-hunting.
1314 With that, me thoghte, that this king
1315 Gan quikly hoomward for to ryde
1316 Unto a place ther besyde,
1317 Which was from us but a lyte,
1318 A long castel with walles whyte,
1319 Be seynt Iohan! on a riche hil,
1320 As me mette; but thus it fil.
1321 Right thus me mette, as I yow telle,
1322 That in the castel was a belle,
1323 As hit had smiten houres twelve. --
1324 Therwith I awook my-selve,
1325 And fond me lying in my bed;
1326 And the book that I had red,
1327 Of Alcyone and Seys the king,
1328 And of the goddes of sleping,
1329 I fond it in myn honde ful even.
1330 Thoghte I, `this is so queynt a sweven,
1331 That I wol, be processe of tyme,
1332 Fonde to putte this sweven in ryme
1333 As I can best'; and that anoon. --
1334 This was my sweven; now hit is doon.
Explicit the Boke of the Duchesse.
End of "The Book of the Duchess"
Book Of The Duchesse Page 4