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Withouten harme, till ye be ther you lest,
(Though that ye slepen on his back or rest,)
And turne again with writhing1 of a pin.
He that it wrought, he coude2 many a gin;
He waited3 many a constellatïòn
Or he had don this operatïòn,

And knew ful many a sele and many a bond.
This mirrour, eke, that I have in min hond,
Hath swiche a might, that men may in it see
When ther shal falle ony adversitee
Unto your regne, or to yourself also,
And openly, who in your frend or fo.
And, over all this, if any lady bright
Hath set her herte on any maner wight,
If he be false, she shal his treson see,
His newé love, and all his subtiltee,
So openly, that ther shal nothing hide.
Wherfore, again this+ lusty somer tide,
This mirrour and this ring that ye may see,
He hath sent to my lady Canace,
Your excellenté doughter that is here.

"The vertue of this ring, if ye wol here,
Is this, that if hire list it for to were
Upon hire thombe, or in hire purse it bere,
Ther is no foule that fleeth under heven,
That she ne shal wel understond his steven,5
And know his mening openly and plaine,
And answere him in his langàge again:
And every gras that groweth upon rote
She shall eke know, and whom it wol do bote,6
Al be his woundes never so depe and wide.
This naked swerd, that hangeth by my side,
Swiche vertue hath, that what man that it smite,
Thurghout his armure it wol kerve and bite,
Were it as thicke as is a braunchéd oke;

And what man that is wounded with the stroke

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Writhing-turning. 2 He coude, &c.-He knew many a contrivance. 3 He waited, &c.-i. e. he waited until the stars were favourable to him. 4 Again this, &c.-against this pleasant summer-time. Steven-from the Anglo-Saxon stefn-ian, to set up, institute; hence steven is instituted language, speech. Bote-from the Anglo-Saxon, bot-an, to superadd, satisfy-satisfaction, help, remedy; do bote-cure. The words boot, in "to boot" and bootless, are derived from this word. 7 Kerve-carve, cut.

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Shal never be hole, til that you list of grace1
To stroken him with the platte in thilké3 place
Ther+ he is hurt; this is as much to sain,
Ye moten with the platté swerde again
Stroken him in the wound, and it wol close.
This is the veray soth,6 withouten glose;"
It failleth not, while it is in your hold."

And whan this knight hath thus his talé told,
He rideth out of halle, and down he light:
His stedé, which that shone as sonné bright,
Stant in the court as stille as any ston.
This knight is to his chambre laddeR anon,
And is unarmed,9 and to the mete ysette.
Thise presents ben ful richélich10 yfette,11
This is to sain, the swerd and the mirroùr,
And borne anon into the highé tour
With certain officers ordained therfore;
And unto Canace the ring is bore
Solempnély, ther she sat at the table;
But, sikerley, withouten any fable,

The hors of bras, that may not be remued ;12
It stant, as it were to the ground yglued:
Ther may no man out of the place it drive
For non engine, of windlas, or polive;13
And causé why, for they con1 not the craft,
And therfore in the place they han it laft,
Til that the knight hath taught hem the manère
To voiden15 him, as ye shul after here.

Gret was the prees16 that swarmed to and fro,
To gauren1 on this hors that stondeth so;
For it so high was, and so brod and long,
So wel proportionéd for to be strong,
Right as it were a stede of Lumbardie;
Therwith1 so horsly,19 and so quik of eye,

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2 That you list of grace--that you please, as an act of favour. Platte-the flat part. 3 Thilke--the same. 4 Ther-where. 5 Ye moten-you must.

6 Soth-sooth, truth. 7 Glose--deceit. 8 Ladde-led. 9 Unarmed-we should now write "disarmed." 11 10 Richelich-richly, with much ceremony.

Yfette

13 Police

-fetched. 12 Remued-from the French remuer, to stir-removed. -pulley. Con-know. 15 Voiden-remove. 16 Prees-press. 17 Gauren-gaze.

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18 Therwith-with that, at the same time. 19

as manly is to a man.

Horsly-here applied to a horse,

As it a gentle Poileis courser1 were;
For certes, fro his tayle unto his ere,
Nature ne art ne coud him not amend
In no degree, as all the peple wend.3

But evermore hir mosté wonder was,
How that it coudé gon, and was of bras;
It was of faerie, as the peple semed.
Diversé folk diversély han demed;
As many heds, as many wittés ben.
They murmuréd, as doth a swarme of been,*
And maden skillés5 after hir fantasies,
Rehersing of the oldé poetries,

And sayd it was ylike the Pegasee,
The hors that haddé wingés for to flee;
Or, elles, it was the Grekés hors Sinon,
That broughté Troyé to destructiòn
As men moun in thise oldé gestés rede.

"Min herte," quod 9 on, "is evermore in drede;
I trowel some men of armés ben therin,

That shapen hem11 this citee for to win:

It were right good that al swiche thing were know."
Another rownéd 12 to his felaw low,

And sayd: "He lieth, for it is rather like
An apparence ymade by some magìke,
As jogelours13 plaién at thise festés grete."
Now after mete there goth this noble king
To seen this hors of bras, with all a route14
Of lordés and of ladies him aboute.
Swiche wondring was ther on this hors of bras,
That sin the gret assege of Troyé was,
Ther as15 men wondred on an hors also,
Ne was ther swiche a wondring as was tho.16
But, finally, the king askèth the knight

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Poileis coursera horse of Apulia, in Italy, which in old French was called Poille. The horses of that country were much esteemed. 2 Certes certainly, surely. Wend-weened, thought. 4 Been-bees. 5 Maden skilles-made or gave reasons. The Grekes, &c.-Sinon the Greek's horse. Moun-for mowen, may. 8 Gestes-from the Latin gestum, an achievement--adventures. Quod -quoth. Trowe-believe. 11 Shapen hem-prepare themselves, make ready. 12 Rowned-whispered. 13 Jogelours-jugglers. See note 7, p. 20. 14 Routecompany. See note 5, p. 131. 15 Ther as-whereas, on which occasion. 16 Tho

-then.

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The vertue of this courser, and the might,
And praiéd him to tell his governaunce.1

This hors, anon, gan for to trip and daunce,
Whan that the knight laid hond upon his rein;
And saidé, "Sire! ther n' is no more to sain,
But whan you list to riden any where,
Ye moten trill2 a pin, stant 3 in his ere,
Which I shal tellen you betwixt us two,
Ye moten nempne+ him to what place also,
Or to what contree, that you list to ride.
And when ye come ther as you list5 abide,
Bid him descend, and trill another pin,
(For therin lieth the effect of all the gin,6)
And he wol doun descend and don your will,
And in that place he wol abiden still:
Though al the world had the contràry swore,
He shall not thennes be drawé ne be bore.7
Or if you list to bid him thennés gon,
Trillé this pin, and he wol vanish anon
Out of the sight of every maner wight,
And come agen, be it by day or night,
Whan that you list to clepens him again,
In swiche a guise as I shal to you sain
Betwixen you and me, and that ful sone.
Ride whan you list, ther n' is no more to done."
Enfourmed whan the king was of the knight,
And hath conceived in his wit aright

The maner and the forme of all this thing,
Ful glad and blith, this noble doughty king
Repaireth to his revel, as beforne.
The bridel is in to the tour yborne,
And kept among his jewels lefe9 and dere;
The hors vanisht, I n'ot10 in what manere,
Out of hir sight; ye get no more of me:
But thus I lete," in lust 12 and jolitee,

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His governaunce-the mode of governing him. 2 Trill-twirl, turn round. This word is akin to drill, thrill, twirl, tirl. (See an article on the meaning and origin of the verb to tirl, by Mr. G. C. Lewis, in the "Classical Museum," Vol. i, p. 113-124.) Stant-i. e. which stands. 4 Moten nempne-must name. 5 Ther as you list, &c.-Where you wish to stop. 6 Gin-engine. 7 Bore -borne. 8 9 Clepen-call. Lefe-pleasing, beloved. 10 N'ot-know not. 11 Lete-let, leave. 12 Lust-connected with list, and lest-pleasure.

This Cambuscán his lordés festeying,
Til that wel nigh the day began to spring.1

GOOD COUNSAIL OF CHAUCER.2

FLY fro the prease,3 and dwell with sothfastness,+
Suffise unto thy good though it be small,
For horde hath hate, and climbing tikelnesse,6
Prease hath envy, and wele is blent over all,
Savours no more than thee behové shall,
Rede9 well thy selfe that other folke canst rede,
And trouth thee shall deliver, it is no drede.10

Peiné thee not ech crooked to redresse,
In trust of her that tourneth11 as a ball,
Great rest standèth in little businesse,
Beware12 also to spurne againe a nall,13
Strive not as doth a crocké1 with a wall,
Demé15 thy selfe that demest others dede,
And trouth thee shall deliver, it is no drede.

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Thus concludes what is called the first part of the story. The second describes the rising of Canace at daybreak, to try the effect of her ring. The sun rise is thus simply and freshly painted :

"The vapour, which that fro the erthé glode, (glided,)

Maketh the sonne to semé rody and brode;

But nathéles it was so faire a sight,

That it made all hir hertes for to light (lighten)

What for the seson, and the morwening (morning)

And for the foulés that she herdé sing:

For right anon she wisté what they ment,

Right by hir song, and knew al hir entent."

Her attention is soon attracted to a falcon, whose pitiful lamentation extends over nearly 200 lines, and is for the most part very prolix and wearisome Shortly after the piece abruptly closes, being evidently left-if we judge by the plan which the author lays down-even less than "half told." Spenser in the "Faerie Queen." (Bk. iv, Cantos 2 and 3,) afterwards attempted to supply the deficiency.

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2 This is said to have been Chaucer's last composition, and written upon his death-bed "when he was in great anguish." 3 Prease-press, crowd. 4 Sothfastnesse-truth. Suffise unto, &c.-Be satisfied with thy wealth. Tikelnesse -uncertainty. Wele is, &c.-Wealth or riches are blind (blent) or deceitful 8 Savour-taste, affect. 9 Rede-counsel. 10 It is no drede12 Her that turneth, &c.-Fortune.

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above all things.
there is no fear or doubt.

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Beware-take

care not, like the French gardez-vous de. 13 Nall-nail. 14 Crocke-earthen pitcher. Deme-judge. 16 Others dede-others' deed, that which is done by

others.

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