按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Ther was a lady； the slyheste
Of alle that men knewe tho；
So old sche myhte unethes go；
And was grantdame unto the dede：
And sche with that began to rede；
And seide how sche wol bringe him inne；
That sche schal him to dethe winne
Al only of his oghne grant；
Thurgh strengthe of verray covenant 1450
Withoute blame of eny wiht。
Anon sche sende for this kniht；
And of hire Sone sche alleide
The deth； and thus to him sche seide：
〃Florent； how so thou be to wyte
Of Branchus deth； men schal respite
As now to take vengement；
Be so thou stonde in juggement
Upon certein condicioun；
That thou unto a questioun 1460
Which I schal axe schalt ansuere；
And over this thou schalt ek swere；
That if thou of the sothe faile；
Ther schal non other thing availe；
That thou ne schalt thi deth receive。
And for men schal thee noght deceive；
That thou therof myht ben avised；
Thou schalt have day and tyme assised
And leve saufly forto wende；
Be so that at thi daies ende 1470
Thou come ayein with thin avys。
This knyht； which worthi was and wys；
This lady preith that he may wite；
And have it under Seales write；
What questioun it scholde be
For which he schal in that degree
Stonde of his lif in jeupartie。
With that sche feigneth compaignie；
And seith： 〃Florent； on love it hongeth
Al that to myn axinge longeth： 1480
What alle wommen most desire
This wole I axe； and in thempire
Wher as thou hast most knowlechinge
Tak conseil upon this axinge。〃
Florent this thing hath undertake；
The day was set； the time take；
Under his seal he wrot his oth；
In such a wise and forth he goth
Hom to his Emes court ayein；
To whom his aventure plein 1490
He tolde； of that him is befalle。
And upon that thei weren alle
The wiseste of the lond asent；
Bot natheles of on assent
Thei myhte noght acorde plat；
On seide this； an othre that。
After the disposicioun
Of naturel complexioun
To som womman it is plesance；
That to an other is grevance； 1500
Bot such a thing in special；
Which to hem alle in general
Is most plesant； and most desired
Above alle othre and most conspired；
Such o thing conne thei noght finde
Be Constellacion ne kinde：
And thus Florent withoute cure
Mot stonde upon his aventure；
And is al schape unto the lere；
As in defalte of his answere。 1510
This knyht hath levere forto dye
Than breke his trowthe and forto lye
In place ther as he was swore；
And schapth him gon ayein therfore。
Whan time cam he tok his leve；
That lengere wolde he noght beleve；
And preith his Em he be noght wroth；
For that is a point of his oth；
He seith； that noman schal him wreke；
Thogh afterward men hiere speke 1520
That he par aventure deie。
And thus he wente forth his weie
Alone as knyht aventurous；
And in his thoght was curious
To wite what was best to do：
And as he rod al one so；
And cam nyh ther he wolde be；
In a forest under a tre
He syh wher sat a creature；
A lothly wommannysch figure； 1530
That forto speke of fleisch and bon
So foul yit syh he nevere non。
This knyht behield hir redely；
And as he wolde have passed by；
Sche cleped him and bad abide；
And he his horse heved aside
Tho torneth； and to hire he rod；
And there he hoveth and abod；
To wite what sche wolde mene。
And sche began him to bemene； 1540
And seide： 〃Florent be thi name；
Thou hast on honde such a game；
That bot thou be the betre avised；
Thi deth is schapen and devised；
That al the world ne mai the save；
Bot if that thou my conseil have。〃
Florent； whan he this tale herde；
Unto this olde wyht answerde
And of hir conseil he hir preide。
And sche ayein to him thus seide： 1550
〃Florent； if I for the so schape；
That thou thurgh me thi deth ascape
And take worschipe of thi dede；
What schal I have to my mede？〃
〃What thing；〃 quod he； 〃that thou wolt axe。〃
〃I bidde nevere a betre taxe；〃
Quod sche； 〃bot ferst； er thou be sped；
Thou schalt me leve such a wedd；
That I wol have thi trowthe in honde
That thou schalt be myn housebonde。〃 1560
〃Nay；〃 seith Florent； 〃that may noght be。〃
〃Ryd thanne forth thi wey；〃 quod sche；
〃And if thou go withoute red；
Thou schalt be sekerliche ded。〃
Florent behihte hire good ynowh
Of lond； of rente； of park； of plowh；
Bot al that compteth sche at noght。
Tho fell this knyht in mochel thoght；
Now goth he forth； now comth ayein；
He wot noght what is best to sein； 1570
And thoghte； as he rod to and fro；
That chese he mot on of the tuo；
Or forto take hire to his wif
Or elles forto lese his lif。
And thanne he caste his avantage；
That sche was of so gret an age；
That sche mai live bot a while；
And thoghte put hire in an Ile；
Wher that noman hire scholde knowe；
Til sche with deth were overthrowe。 1580
And thus this yonge lusti knyht
Unto this olde lothly wiht
Tho seide： 〃If that non other chance
Mai make my deliverance；
Bot only thilke same speche
Which； as thou seist； thou schalt me teche；
Have hier myn hond； I schal thee wedde。〃
And thus his trowthe he leith to wedde。
With that sche frounceth up the browe：
〃This covenant I wol allowe；〃 1590
Sche seith： 〃if eny other thing
Bot that thou hast of my techyng
Fro deth thi body mai respite；
I woll thee of thi trowthe acquite；
And elles be non other weie。
Now herkne me what I schal seie。
Whan thou art come into the place；
Wher now thei maken gret manace
And upon thi comynge abyde；
Thei wole anon the same tide 1600
Oppose thee of thin answere。
I wot thou wolt nothing forbere
Of that thou wenest be thi beste；
And if thou myht so finde reste；
Wel is； for thanne is ther nomore。
And elles this schal be my lore；
That thou schalt seie； upon this Molde
That alle wommen lievest wolde
Be soverein of mannes love：
For what womman is so above； 1610
Sche hath； as who seith； al hire wille；
And elles may sche noght fulfille
What thing hir were lievest have。
With this answere thou schalt save
Thiself； and other wise noght。
And whan thou hast thin ende wroght；
Com hier ayein； thou schalt me finde；
And let nothing out of thi minde。〃
He goth him forth with hevy chiere；
As he that not in what manere 1620
He mai this worldes joie atteigne：
For if he deie； he hath a peine；
And if he live； he mot him binde
To such on which of alle kinde
Of wommen is thunsemlieste：
Thus wot he noght what is the beste：
Bot be him lief or be him loth；
Unto the Castell forth he goth
His full answere forto yive；
Or forto deie or forto live。 1630
Forth with his conseil cam the lord；
The thinges stoden of record；
He sende up for the lady sone；
And forth sche cam； that olde Mone。
In presence of the remenant
The strengthe of al the covenant
Tho was reherced openly；
And to Florent sche bad forthi
That he schal tellen his avis；
As he that woot what is the pris。 1640
Florent seith al that evere he couthe；
Bot such word cam ther non to mowthe；
That he for yifte or for beheste
Mihte eny wise his deth areste。
And thus he tarieth longe and late；
Til that this lady bad algate
That he schal for the dom final
Yive his answere in special
Of that sche hadde him ferst opposed：
And thanne he hath trewly supposed 1650
That he him may of nothing yelpe；
Bot if so be tho wordes helpe