CONSEIL TENU PAR LES RATS ET LES SOURIS

With that ran there a route ♦ of ratones at ones, And smale mys myd hem ' mo then a thousande, And comen to a conseille • for hère comune profit ; For a cat of a courte * cam whan hym lyked, And ouerlepe hem lyghtlich - and lauhte hem at his wille, And pleyde with hem perilouslych • and possed hem aboute. « For doute of dyuerse dredes • we dar noughte wel loke ; And yif we grucche of his gamen • he wil greue vs aile, Cracche vs or clowe vs • and in his cloches holde, That vs lotheth the lyf • or he let vs passe. Myghte we with any witte • his wille withstonde, We myghte be lordes aloft • and lyuen at oure ese. »

A raton of renon • most renable of tonge, Seide for a souereygne • help to hym-selue ; — (( I haue ysein segges, » quod he • « in the cite of London Beren bighes fui brighte • abouten hère nekkes, And somecolers of crafty werk; • vncoupled they wenden

242 LtPOPÉE MYSTIQUE.

Bothe in wareine and in waste • where hem leue Ivketh ; And otherwhile thei aren elles-where • as I hère telle. Were there a belle on hère beigh • bi Ihesu as me tynketh, Men myghte wite where thei went • and awei renne ! And right so, » quod that ratoun • a reson me sheweth To bugge a belle of brasse • or of brighte syliier, And knitten on a colère • for oure comune profit. And hangen it vp-on the cattes hais • thanneherewe mowen Where he ritt or rcst • or renneth to playe.

And yif him list for to laike • thenne loke we mowen. And peren in bis présence • ther while hym plaie liketh. And yif him wrattheth, be ywar • and bis weye shonye » . Aile this route of ratones • to this reson thei assented. Ac tho the belle was ybought* and on the beighe hanged, There ne was ratoun in aile Ihe route • for aile the rewme

[of Fraunce, That dorsl haue ybounden the belle • aboute the cattis

[nekke, Ne hangen it aboute the cattes hais • al Engelonde to w^nne ; And helden hem vnhardy • and hère conseille feble, And leten hère labour lost • and aile hère longe studyô.

A mous that moche good • couthe as me thoughte, Stroke forth sternly • and stode biforn hem aile, And to the route of ratones • reherced thèse wordes ; « Though we cuUed the catte • yut sholde ther conie

[anothcr, « To cracchy vs and al owre kynde • though we crope

[vnder benches.

For-thi I conseille aile the commune • to lat the catte

[worthe.

And be we neuer so bolde ' the belle hym shewe;

EXTRAITS DES VÏSIONS. 215

For I herde my sire seyn * is seuene yere ypassed, There the catte is a kitoun • the courte is fui elyng ; That witnisseth holiwrite * who-so m\ it rede.

Ve terre vhi puer rex est, etc.

For may no renke there rest haue * for ratones bi nyghte, The while he caccheth conynges • he coueiteth nought

[owre caroyne, But fet hym al with venesoun • defame we hym neuere. For better is a litel losse • than a longe sorwe, The mase amonge vs aile • though we misse |a schrewe. For many mannus malt * we mys wolde destruye, And also ye route of ratones • rende menues clothes, Nere that cat of that courte • that can yow ouerlepe ; For had ye rattes yowre wille • ye couthe nought reule

[yowreselue.

I sey for me », quod the mous, • « I se so mykcl after, Shal neuer the cat ne the kitoun • bi my conseille be

[greued.

Ne carpynge of this coler • that costed me neurc. And though it had coste me catel • biknowen it I nolde, But suffre as hym-self wolde • to do as kym liketh. Coupled and vncoupled * to cacche what Ihei mowe. For-thi vche a wise wighte I warne • wite wel bis owne. » What this meteles bemeneth • ye men that be merye, Deuine ye, for I ne dar • bi dere god in heuenc!

B. ProL 145.

LADY XEED A LA COUR. — FUITE DE SES COMPAGNONS A TRAVERS LES RUES DE LONDRES

Le roi ordonne qu'on lui amène Meed et qu'on arrête les gens de sa suite :

« Go atache tho tyrauns • for eny tresour, ich hôte,

Let feterye fast Falsnesse * for eny kynnes giftes,

And gurd of Gyles hefd • and lete hym go no wyddere.

And brynge Mede to me • maugre hem aile.

And if ye lacche Lyere • let hym nat a-skapie

Er he be put on the puUery • for eny preier, ich hôte ! »

Drede stod at the dore • and al that duene herde, What the kynges wil was • and wyghtlyche he wente. And bad Falsnesse to flee • and hus feren aile. Falsnesse for fere tho • flegh to the frères, And Gyle dud hym to gon • agast for to deye ; Ac marchauns metten with hym • and made hym abyde, And shutten hym in hure shoppes * to shewen hère ware. And parailed hym lyke herc prentys • the puple to seruen. Lyghtliche Lyere • lep a-way thennes, Lorkynge thorw lanes * to-logged of menye.

He was nawher welcome • for hus meny taies, Ouer-al houted out • and yhote trusse, Til pardoners hadden pitte • and puUede hym to housc. Thei woshe hym and wypede hym • and wonde hym in

[cloutes.

And sente hym on sonnedayes • with seeles to churches.

And gaf pardon for pans • pound-meel a-boute. Thanne lourede lèches • and letters Ihei senten, That Lyer shold wony with hem • waters to loke. Spicers to hym speke * to aspie hère ware, For he can on hère crafte • and knoweth meny gommes. Ac mynstrales and messagers • mette with Lyere ones, And with-helde hym half a yere • and elieue dayes. Ac Frères thorw fayre speche • fetten hym thennes ; For know}nge of comers • thei coped hym as a frère; Ac he hath leue to lepen ont • as ofte as hym lyketh, And ys welcome whanne he cometh * and woneth with Symonye and Cyuyle • senten to Rome, [hem ofte.

And putte hem thorw a-peles • in the popes grâce. Ac Conscience to the kyng • a-cusede hem bothe, And seide, « syre kyng, by Cryst • bote clerkus amende, Thi kyngdom thorw liere couetyse • wol ont of kynde wende. And holy churche thorw hem * worth harmed for euer. » Aile fledden for fere • and flowen in-lo bernes ; Saue Mede the mayde • no mo dorste a-byde.

Ac treweliche to telle • hue tremblede for fere, And both wrang and wepte • whanne hue was a-tached.

MEED A LA COUR (suUe), SES PARTISANS

Meed a été amenée à Westminster ; en attendant que le Roi, qui est à son conseil, paraisse pour la juger, on l'entoure :

And there was myrthe and mynstralcye* Mede to plese. They that wonyeth in Weslmynstre * worschiped hir aile; Gentelliche with iove * the iustices somme Busked hem to the boure • there the birde dwelled, To conforte hire kyndely * by clergise leue, .Vnd seiden : « Mourne nought, Mede • ne make thow no

[sorwe.

For we wil wisse the kynge • and thi wey shape, To be wedded at thi wiile • and where the leue liketh. For al Conscience caste • or craft as l trowe ! »

Mildeliche Mede thanne • mercyed hem aile Of theire gret goodnesse • and gaf hem vchone Coupes of clene golde • and coppis of siluer, Rynges with rubies * and ricchesses manye, The lest man of hère meyne * a motoun of golde. Thanne lauhte thei leue • this lordes at Mede.

With that comen clerkis • to conforte hir the same. And beden hir be blithe * « for we beth Ihine owne, For to worche thi wille • the while thow myghte laste. » Hendeliche heo thanne • bihight hem the same, To « loue yow lelli • and lordes to make, And in the consistorie atte courte * do calle youre names; Shal no lewdnesse lette * the leode that I louye, That he ne worth first auanced • for I am biknowen Ther konnyng clerkes • shul clokke bihynde. »

Thanne corne there a confessoure * coped as a frère, To Mede the mayde • he mellud bis wordes, And seide fui softly • in shrillte as it were, (( Theigh lewed men and lered men • had leyne by the

[bothe.

And falsenesse haued yfolwed the • al this fyfty w^ntre.

I shal assoille the m>'-seliie • for a semc of whete. And also be thi bedeman • and bere wel thi mesage, Amonges knightes and clerkis • conscience to tome. » Thanne Mede for here mysdedes • to tbat man kneled, And shroue hire of hir shrewednesse • sbamelees I trowc, Tolde hym a taie • and toke hym a noble, For to ben hire bedeman • and bire brokour als.

Tbanne he assoilled hire sone • and sithen he seyde, « We han a wyndowe a wirchyng • wil sitten vs fui heigh : Woldestow glase that gable- and graue there-inne thi

[name, Siker sholde thi soûle be • heuene to haue » . (( Wist I that » , quod that womman • « l wolde nought

[spare »

For to be yowre frende, frère • and faille yow neure Whil ye loue lordes • that lechery haunteth, And lakketh nought ladis • that loueth wel the same. It is frelte of flesh • ye fynde it in bokes, And a course of kynde • wher-of we komen aile ; Who may scape the sklaundre • the skathe is sone

[amended ; It is synne of the seuene • sonnest relessed.

Haue mercy », quod Mede • « of nien that it haunte, And I shal keure yowre kirke • yowre cloystre do maken, Wowes do whiten • and wyndowes glasen, Do peynten and purtraye • and paye for the makynge, That eury segge shal seyn • I am sustre of youre bous » .

Ac god to aile good folke • suche grauynge defendeth, To writen in wyndowes • of here wel dedes, On auenture pruyde be peynted there • and pompe of the

[worlde ;

For Crist knoweth thi conscience • and thi kynde wille. And thi coste and thi coueitise • and who the catel oughte.

For-thi 1 1ère yow, lordes • leueth such werkes, To written in wyndowes • of yowre wel dedes, Or to greden after goddis men • whan ye delen doles ; An auenture ye han youre hire hère • and youre heuen als ;

Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextra,