The Canterbury Tales [305]
did all his busy cure* *care, pains Benignely to choose, or for to take, By her accord,* his formel <39> or his make.** *consent **mate
But to the point. Nature held on her hand A formel eagle, of shape the gentilest That ever she among her workes fand, The most benign, and eke the goodliest; In her was ev'ry virtue at its rest,* *highest point So farforth that Nature herself had bliss To look on her, and oft her beak to kiss.
Nature, the vicar of th'Almighty Lord, -- That hot, cold, heavy, light, and moist, and dry, Hath knit, by even number of accord, -- In easy voice began to speak, and say: "Fowles, take heed of my sentence,"* I pray; *opinion, discourse And for your ease, in furth'ring of your need, As far as I may speak, I will me speed.
"Ye know well how, on Saint Valentine's Day, By my statute, and through my governance, Ye choose your mates, and after fly away With them, as I you *pricke with pleasance;* *inspire with pleasure* But natheless, as by rightful ordinance, May I not let,* for all this world to win, *hinder But he that most is worthy shall begin.
"The tercel eagle, as ye know full weel,* *well The fowl royal, above you all in degree, The wise and worthy, secret, true as steel, The which I formed have, as ye may see, In ev'ry part, as it best liketh me, -- It needeth not his shape you to devise,* -- *describe He shall first choose, and speaken *in his guise.* *in his own way*
"And, after him, by order shall ye choose, After your kind, evereach as you liketh; And as your hap* is, shall ye win or lose; *fortune But which of you that love most entriketh,* *entangles <40> God send him her that sorest for him siketh."* *sigheth And therewithal the tercel gan she call, And said, "My son, the choice is to thee fall.
"But natheless, in this condition Must be the choice of ev'reach that is here, That she agree to his election, Whoso he be, that shoulde be her fere;* *companion This is our usage ay, from year to year; And whoso may at this time have this grace, *In blissful time* he came into this place." *in a happy hour* With head inclin'd, and with full humble cheer,* *demeanour
This royal tercel spake, and tarried not: "Unto my sov'reign lady, and not my fere,* *companion I chose and choose, with will, and heart, and thought, The formel on your hand, so well y-wrought, Whose I am all, and ever will her serve, Do what her list, to do me live or sterve.* *die
"Beseeching her of mercy and of grace, As she that is my lady sovereign, Or let me die here present in this place, For certes long may I not live in pain; *For in my heart is carven ev'ry vein:* *every vein in my heart is Having regard only unto my truth, wounded with love* My deare heart, have on my woe some ruth.* *pity
"And if that I be found to her untrue, Disobeisant,* or wilful negligent, *disobedient Avaunter,* or *in process* love a new, *braggart *in the course I pray to you, this be my judgement, of time* That with these fowles I be all to-rent,* *torn to pieces That ilke* day that she me ever find *same To her untrue, or in my guilt unkind.
"And since none loveth her so well as I, Although she never of love me behet,* *promised Then ought she to be mine, through her mercy; For *other bond can I none on her knit;* *I can bind her no other way* For weal or for woe, never shall I let* *cease, fail To serve her, how far so that she wend;* *go Say what you list, my tale is at an end."
Right as the freshe redde rose new Against the summer Sunne colour'd is, Right so, for shame, all waxen gan the hue Of this formel, when she
But to the point. Nature held on her hand A formel eagle, of shape the gentilest That ever she among her workes fand, The most benign, and eke the goodliest; In her was ev'ry virtue at its rest,* *highest point So farforth that Nature herself had bliss To look on her, and oft her beak to kiss.
Nature, the vicar of th'Almighty Lord, -- That hot, cold, heavy, light, and moist, and dry, Hath knit, by even number of accord, -- In easy voice began to speak, and say: "Fowles, take heed of my sentence,"* I pray; *opinion, discourse And for your ease, in furth'ring of your need, As far as I may speak, I will me speed.
"Ye know well how, on Saint Valentine's Day, By my statute, and through my governance, Ye choose your mates, and after fly away With them, as I you *pricke with pleasance;* *inspire with pleasure* But natheless, as by rightful ordinance, May I not let,* for all this world to win, *hinder But he that most is worthy shall begin.
"The tercel eagle, as ye know full weel,* *well The fowl royal, above you all in degree, The wise and worthy, secret, true as steel, The which I formed have, as ye may see, In ev'ry part, as it best liketh me, -- It needeth not his shape you to devise,* -- *describe He shall first choose, and speaken *in his guise.* *in his own way*
"And, after him, by order shall ye choose, After your kind, evereach as you liketh; And as your hap* is, shall ye win or lose; *fortune But which of you that love most entriketh,* *entangles <40> God send him her that sorest for him siketh."* *sigheth And therewithal the tercel gan she call, And said, "My son, the choice is to thee fall.
"But natheless, in this condition Must be the choice of ev'reach that is here, That she agree to his election, Whoso he be, that shoulde be her fere;* *companion This is our usage ay, from year to year; And whoso may at this time have this grace, *In blissful time* he came into this place." *in a happy hour* With head inclin'd, and with full humble cheer,* *demeanour
This royal tercel spake, and tarried not: "Unto my sov'reign lady, and not my fere,* *companion I chose and choose, with will, and heart, and thought, The formel on your hand, so well y-wrought, Whose I am all, and ever will her serve, Do what her list, to do me live or sterve.* *die
"Beseeching her of mercy and of grace, As she that is my lady sovereign, Or let me die here present in this place, For certes long may I not live in pain; *For in my heart is carven ev'ry vein:* *every vein in my heart is Having regard only unto my truth, wounded with love* My deare heart, have on my woe some ruth.* *pity
"And if that I be found to her untrue, Disobeisant,* or wilful negligent, *disobedient Avaunter,* or *in process* love a new, *braggart *in the course I pray to you, this be my judgement, of time* That with these fowles I be all to-rent,* *torn to pieces That ilke* day that she me ever find *same To her untrue, or in my guilt unkind.
"And since none loveth her so well as I, Although she never of love me behet,* *promised Then ought she to be mine, through her mercy; For *other bond can I none on her knit;* *I can bind her no other way* For weal or for woe, never shall I let* *cease, fail To serve her, how far so that she wend;* *go Say what you list, my tale is at an end."
Right as the freshe redde rose new Against the summer Sunne colour'd is, Right so, for shame, all waxen gan the hue Of this formel, when she