第 115 节
作者:管他三七二十一      更新:2024-01-16 22:39      字数:9322
  Appolinus of whom I mene
  Tho tok his leve of king and queene
  And of the worthi Maide also;
  Which preide unto hir fader tho;
  That sche myhte of that yonge man
  Of tho sciences whiche he can   810
  His lore have; and in this wise
  The king hir granteth his aprise;
  So that himself therto assente。
  Thus was acorded er thei wente;
  That he with al that evere he may
  This yonge faire freisshe May
  Of that he couthe scholde enforme;
  And full assented in this forme
  Thei token leve as for that nyht。
  And whanne it was amorwe lyht;  820
  Unto this yonge man of Tyr
  Of clothes and of good atir
  With gold and Selver to despende
  This worthi yonge lady sende:
  And thus sche made him wel at ese;
  And he with al that he can plese
  Hire serveth wel and faire ayein。
  He tawhte hir til sche was certein
  Of Harpe; of Citole and of Rote;
  With many a tun and many a note    830
  Upon Musique; upon mesure;
  And of hire Harpe the temprure
  He tawhte hire ek; as he wel couthe。
  Bot as men sein that frele is youthe;
  With leisir and continuance
  This Mayde fell upon a chance;
  That love hath mad him a querele
  Ayein hire youthe freissh and frele;
  That malgre wher sche wole or noght;
  Sche mot with al hire hertes thoght   840
  To love and to his lawe obeie;
  And that sche schal ful sore abeie。
  For sche wot nevere what it is;
  Bot evere among sche fieleth this:
  Thenkende upon this man of Tyr;
  Hire herte is hot as eny fyr;
  And otherwhile it is acale;
  Now is sche red; nou is sche pale
  Riht after the condicion
  Of hire ymaginacion;   850
  Bot evere among hire thoghtes alle;
  Sche thoghte; what so mai befalle;
  Or that sche lawhe; or that sche wepe;
  Sche wolde hire goode name kepe
  For feere of wommanysshe schame。
  Bot what in ernest and in game;
  Sche stant for love in such a plit;
  That sche hath lost al appetit
  Of mete; of drinke; of nyhtes reste;
  As sche that not what is the beste;   860
  Bot forto thenken al hir fille
  Sche hield hire ofte times stille
  Withinne hir chambre; and goth noght oute:
  The king was of hire lif in doute;
  Which wiste nothing what it mente。
  Bot fell a time; as he out wente
  To walke; of Princes Sones thre
  Ther come and felle to his kne;
  And ech of hem in sondri wise
  Besoghte and profreth his servise;    870
  So that he myhte his doghter have。
  The king; which wolde his honour save;
  Seith sche is siek; and of that speche
  Tho was no time to beseche;
  Bot ech of hem do make a bille
  He bad; and wryte his oghne wille;
  His name; his fader and his good;
  And whan sche wiste hou that it stod;
  And hadde here billes oversein;
  Thei scholden have ansuere ayein。  880
  Of this conseil thei weren glad;
  And writen as the king hem bad;
  And every man his oghne bok
  Into the kinges hond betok;
  And he it to his dowhter sende;
  And preide hir forto make an ende
  And wryte ayein hire oghne hond;
  Riht as sche in hire herte fond。
  The billes weren wel received;
  Bot sche hath alle here loves weyved;    890
  And thoghte tho was time and space
  To put hire in hir fader grace;
  And wrot ayein and thus sche saide:
  〃The schame which is in a Maide
  With speche dar noght ben unloke;
  Bot in writinge it mai be spoke;
  So wryte I to you; fader; thus:
  Bot if I have Appolinus;
  Of al this world; what so betyde;
  I wol non other man abide。   900
  And certes if I of him faile;
  I wot riht wel withoute faile
  Ye schull for me be dowhterles。〃
  This lettre cam; and ther was press
  Tofore the king; ther as he stod;
  And whan that he it understod;
  He yaf hem ansuer by and by;
  Bot that was do so prively;
  That non of othres conseil wiste。
  Thei toke her leve; and wher hem liste   910
  Thei wente forth upon here weie。
  The king ne wolde noght bewreie
  The conseil for no maner hihe;
  Bot soffreth til he time sihe:
  And whan that he to chambre is come;
  He hath unto his conseil nome
  This man of Tyr; and let him se
  The lettre and al the privete;
  The which his dowhter to him sente:
  And he his kne to grounde bente    920
  And thonketh him and hire also;
  And er thei wenten thanne atuo;
  With good herte and with good corage
  Of full Love and full mariage
  The king and he ben hol acorded。
  And after; whanne it was recorded
  Unto the dowhter hou it stod;
  The yifte of al this worldes good
  Ne scholde have mad hir half so blythe:
  And forth withal the king als swithe;    930
  For he wol have hire good assent;
  Hath for the queene hir moder sent。
  The queene is come; and whan sche herde
  Of this matiere hou that it ferde;
  Sche syh debat; sche syh desese;
  Bot if sche wolde hir dowhter plese;
  And is therto assented full。
  Which is a dede wonderfull;
  For noman knew the sothe cas
  Bot he himself; what man he was;   940
  And natheles; so as hem thoghte;
  Hise dedes to the sothe wroghte
  That he was come of gentil blod:
  Him lacketh noght bot worldes good;
  And as therof is no despeir;
  For sche schal ben hire fader heir;
  And he was able to governe。
  Thus wol thei noght the love werne
  Of him and hire in none wise;
  Bot ther acorded thei divise    950
  The day and time of Mariage。
  Wher love is lord of the corage;
  Him thenketh longe er that he spede;
  Bot ate laste unto the dede
  The time is come; and in her wise
  With gret offrende and sacrifise
  Thei wedde and make a riche feste;
  And every thing which was honeste
  Withinnen house and ek withoute
  It was so don; that al aboute   960
  Of gret worschipe; of gret noblesse
  Ther cride many a man largesse
  Unto the lordes hihe and loude;
  The knyhtes that ben yonge and proude;
  Thei jouste ferst and after daunce。
  The day is go; the nyhtes chaunce
  Hath derked al the bryhte Sonne;
  This lord; which hath his love wonne;
  Is go to bedde with his wif;
  Wher as thei ladde a lusti lif;    970
  And that was after somdel sene;
  For as thei pleiden hem betwene;
  Thei gete a child betwen hem tuo;
  To whom fell after mochel wo。
  Now have I told of the spousailes。
  Bot forto speke of the mervailes
  Whiche afterward to hem befelle;
  It is a wonder forto telle。
  It fell adai thei riden oute;
  The king and queene and al the route;    980
  To pleien hem upon the stronde;
  Wher as thei sen toward the londe
  A Schip sailende of gret array。
  To knowe what it mene may;
  Til it be come thei abide;
  Than sen thei stonde on every side;
  Endlong the schipes bord to schewe;
  Of Penonceals a riche rewe。
  Thei axen when the ship is come:
  Fro Tyr; anon ansuerde some;    990
  And over this thei seiden more
  The cause why thei comen fore
  Was forto seche and forto finde
  Appolinus; which was of kinde
  Her liege lord: and he appiereth;
  And of the tale which he hiereth
  He was riht glad; for thei him tolde;
  That for vengance; as god it wolde;
  Antiochus; as men mai wite;
  With thondre and lyhthnynge is forsmite;    1000
  His doghter hath the same chaunce;
  So be thei bothe in o balance。
  〃Forthi; oure liege lord; we seie
  In name of al the lond; and preie;
  That left al other thing to done;
  It like you to come sone
  And se youre oghne liege men
  With othre that ben of youre ken;
  That live in longinge and desir
  Til ye be come ayein to Tyr。〃   1010
  This tale after the king it hadde
  Pentapolim al overspradde;
  Ther was no joie forto seche;
  For every man it hadde in speche
  And seiden alle of on acord;
  〃A worthi king schal ben oure lord:
  That thoghte ous ferst an hevinesse
  Is schape ous now to gret gladnesse。〃
  Thus goth the tidinge overal。
  Bot nede he mot; that nede schal:  1020
  Appolinus his leve tok;
  To god and al the lond betok
  With al the poeple long and brod;
  That he no lenger there abod。
  The king and queene sorwe made;
  Bot yit somdiel thei weren glade
  Of such thing as thei herden tho:
  And thus betwen the wel and wo
  To schip he goth; his wif with childe;
  The which was evere meke and mylde    1030
  And wolde noght departe him fro;
  Such love was betwen hem tuo。
  Lichorida for hire office
  Was take; which was a Norrice;
  To wende with this yonge wif;
  To whom was schape a woful lif。
  Withinne a time; as it betidde;
  Whan thei were in the See amidde;
  Out of the North they sihe a cloude;
  The storm aros; the wyndes loude   1040
  Thei blewen many a dredful blast;
  The welkne was al overcast;
  The derke nyht the Sonne hath under;
  Ther was a gret tempeste of thunder:
  The Mone and ek the Sterres bothe
  In blake cloudes thei hem clothe;
  Wherof here brihte lok thei hyde。
  This yonge ladi wepte and cride;
  To whom no confort myhte availe;
  Of childe sche began travaile;  1050
  Wher sche lay in a Caban clos:
  Hire woful lord fro hire aros;
  And that was longe er eny morwe;
  So that in anguisse and in sorwe
  Sche was delivered al be nyhte
  And ded in every mannes syhte;
  Bot natheles for al this wo
  A maide child was bore tho。
  Appolinus whan he this knew;
  For sorwe a swoune he overthrew;  1060
  That noman wiste in him no lif。
  And whanne he wok; he seide; 〃Ha; wif;
  Mi lust; mi joie; my desir;
  Mi welthe and my recoverir;
  Why schal I live; and thou schalt dye?
  Ha; thou fortune; I thee deffie;
  Nou hast thou do to me thi werste。
  Ha; herte; why ne wolt thou berste;
  That forth with hire I myhte passe?
  Mi peines weren wel the lasse。〃    1070
  In such wepinge and in such cry
  His dede wif; which lay him by;
  A thousend sithes he hire kiste;
  Was nevere man that sih ne wiste
  A sorwe unto his sorwe lich;
  For evere am