THE FIRST BOKE, ........
Now herkin, as I have you faied,
What that I mette or I abraied. Of December the tenith daie When it was night to flepe I laie, Right as I was wonte for to doen, And fill a lepè wondir fone, As he that was werie forgo On pilgrimagè milis two
To the corps of Saint Leonarde, To makin lithe that erft was harde.
But as me flept me mette I was Within a temple' imade of glas, In whiche there werin mo images Of golde standyng in fondrie stages, Sette in mo riche tabirnacles, And with perrè mo pinnacles, And mo curious portraituris And queint manir of figuris
This temple, for in purtreiture'
I fawe anone right her figure
Nakid yfletyng in a fe,
And alfo on her hedde parde
Her rofy garland white and redde,
And her combe for to kembe her hedde, Her dovis, and Dan Cupido
Her blindè fonne, and Vulcano, That in his face ywas full broune. But as I romid up and doune
I founde that on the wall there was
Thus writtin on a table' of bras:
And tho began the storie' anone As I fhall tellin you echone.
Firft fawe I the diftruccion
Of Troie thorough the Greke Sinoni With his falfe untrue forfwerynges, And with his chere and his lefynges, That made a horfe brought into Troye
By whiche Trojans lofte all ther joye. And aftir this was graved, alas! How Ilion's caftill affailed was
And won, and Kyng Priamus slain, And Polites his fonne certain, Difpitoufly of Dan Pyrrhus.
And next that fawe I howe Venus, When that she fawe the caftill brende, Doune from hevin fhe gan difcende, And bade her fonne Æneas fle, And how he fled, and how that he Efcapid was from all the pres, And toke his fathre', olde Anchises, And bare hym on his backe awaie, Crying Alas and Welawaie!
The whiche Anchises in his hande Bare tho the goddis of the lande, I mene thilke that unbrennid were, Then fawe I next that all in fere How Creufa, Dan Æneas wife, Whom that he lovid all his life,
And her yong fonne clepid Julo, And eke Afcanius also,
Fleddin eke with full drerie chere,
That it was pite for to here,
When that her fpirite gan appere, The wordis that she to hym faied, And for to kepe her fonne hym praied. There fawe I gravin eke how he, His fathir eke and his meinè, With his fhippis began to faile Toward the country of Itaile As ftreight as ere thei mightin go. There fawe 1 eke the cruill Juno, That art Dan Jupiter his wife, That haft ihatid all thy life
Mercilefs all the Trojan blode,
Rennin and crie as thou were wode
On Æolus, the god of Windes,
To blowin out of allè kindes
So loudè, that he should ydrenche
Lorde and ladie, and grome and wenche,
Of all the Trojanis nacion
Without any' of ther favacion.
There fawe I foche tempest arise That every herte might agrife To fe it paintid on the wall.
There fawe I eke gravin withall Venus, how ye, my ladie dere! Y wepyng with full wofull chere,
In this book is ferved how the deeds of all men and rvomen, be they good or bad, are carry'd by report to poflerity.
GOD tourne us everie dreme to gode, For it is wondir thyng by the' rode, To my witte, what caufith swevines On the morowe or on evines,
And why the' effecte foloweth of fome, And of fome it shall nevir come,
Why that is an avifion,
And this a revelacion,
Why this a dreme, why that a sweven, And not to every man liche even, Why this a fantome, why that oracles, In'ot; but whofo of these miracles The caufis knowith bet than I
Define he, for I certainly
Ne can 'hem not, ne nevir thinke To bufie my witte for to fwinke To knowe of ther fignificacions, The gendris, ne the diftinccions Of the tymes of 'hem, ne the caufis, Or why that this is more then that is,
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