Playful Poems Part 9

56.

"And thereat shall the Eagle be our Lord, And other Peers whose names are on record; A summons to the Cuckoo shall be sent, And judgment there be given; or that intent Failing, we finally shall make accord.

57.

"And all this shall be done, without a nay, The morrow after Saint Valentine's day, Under a maple that is well beseen, Before the chamber-window of the Queen, At Woodstock, on the meadow green and gay."

58.

She thanked them; and then her leave she took, And flew into a hawthorn by that brook; And there she sate and sung--upon that tree, - "For term of life Love shall have hold of me!"

So loudly, that I with that song awoke.

Unlearned Book and rude, as well I know, For beauty thou hast none, nor eloquence, Who did on thee the hardiness bestow To appear before my Lady? but a sense Thou surely hast of her benevolence, Whereof her hourly bearing proof doth give; For of all good, she is the best alive.

Alas, poor Book! for thy unworthiness, To show to her some pleasant meanings writ In winning words, since through her gentleness, Thee she accepts as for her service fit; Oh! it repents me I have neither wit Nor leisure unto thee more worth to give; For of all good, she is the best alive.

Beseech her meekly with all lowliness, Though I be far from her I reverence, To think upon my truth and steadfastness, And to abridge my sorrow's violence, Caused by the wish, as knows your sapience, She of her liking, proof to me would give; For of all good, she is the best alive.

L'ENVOY.

Pleasure's Aurora, Day of gladsomeness!

Lucerne, by night, with heavenly influence Illumined! root of beauty and goodness, Write, and allay, by your beneficence, My sighs breathed forth in silence,--comfort give!

Since of all good, you are the best alive.

EXPLICIT.

TREASURE TROVE MODERNISED FROM THE FIFTH BOOK OF GOWER'S "CONFESSIO AMANTIS."

In ancient Chronicle I read:- About a King, as it must need, There was of Knights and of Squiers Great rout, and eke of Officers.

Some for a long time him had served, And thought that they had well deserved Advancement, but had gone without; And some also were of the Rout That only came the other day And were advanced without delay.

Those Older Men upon this thing, So as they durst, against the King Among themselves would murmur oft.

But there is nothing said so soft That it shall not come out at last, The King soon knew what Words had pa.s.sed.

A King he was of high Prudence, He shaped therefore an Evidence Of them that plained them in that case, To know of whose Default it was.

And all within his own intent, That not a man knew what it meant, He caused two Coffers to be made Alike in Shape, and Size, and Shade, So like that no man, by their Show, The one may from the other know.

They were into his Chamber brought, But no man knew why they were wrought; Yet from the King Command hath come That they be set in private Room, For he was in his Wisdom keen.

When he thereto his time had seen, Slily, away from all the rest, With his own hands he filled one Chest, Full of fine Gold and Jewelry The which out of his Treasury Was taken; after that he thrust Into the other Straw and Dust, And filled it up with Stones also; Full Coffers are they, both the two.

And early then upon a day He bade within doors where he lay That there should be before his Bed A Board set up and fairly spread.

The Coffers then he let men get, And on the Board he had them set.

Full well he knew the Names of those Whose Murmurings against him rose, Both of his Chamber and his Hall, And speedily sent for them all, And said unto them in this wise:

"There shall no man his Hap despise; I know well that ye long have served, And G.o.d knows what ye have deserved.

Whether it is along of me That ye still unadvanced be, Or whether it belong of you, The Sooth is to be proved now, Wherewith to stop your Evil Word.

Lo here two Coffers on the Board, Of both the two choose which you will, And know that ye may have your fill Of Treasure heaped and packed in one, That if ye happen thereupon Ye shall be made Rich Men for ever.

Now choose and take which you is liever.

But be well ware, ere that ye take, - For of the one I undertake There is no manner good therein Whereof ye might a Profit win.

Now go together of one a.s.sent And take your own Advis.e.m.e.nt.

Whether I you this day advance Stands only on your Choice and Chance.

No question here of Royal Grace, It shall be showed in this place Upon you all, and well and fine, If Fortune fails by Fault of mine."

They all kneel down, and with one voice They thank the King for this free Choice; And after this they up arise And go aside and them advise, And at the last they all accord; Whereof their Finding to record To what Issue their Voices fall, A Knight shall answer for them all.

He kneeleth down unto the King And saith, that they upon this thing Or for to win or for to lose Are all decided how to choose.

Then took this Knight a Rod in hand And goes to where the Coffers stand, And with the a.s.sent of every one He layeth his Rod upon one, And tells the King they only want Him that for their Reward to grant, And pray him that they might it have.

The King, who would his Honour save, When he hath heard the common Voice, Hath granted them their own free Choice, And gave them thereupon the Key.

But as he would that men might see What Good they got, as they suppose, He bade anon the Coffer unclose, - Which was filled full with Straw and Stone; Thus are they served, the Luck's their own.

"Lo," saith the King, "now may ye see That there is no Default in me; Therefore myself I will acquit, Bear ye the Blame now, as is fit, For that which Fortune you refused."

Thus was this wise old King excused, And they left off their evil Speech, And Mercy of their King beseech.

Touching like matter to the quick, I find a Tale how Frederick, At that time Emperor of Rome, Heard, as he went, a Clamour come From two poor Beggars on the way.

The one of them began to say, "Ha, Lord, the man is rich indeed To whom a King's Wealth brings his Speed!"

The other said, "It is not so, But he is rich and well-to-do To whom G.o.d pleases Wealth to send."

And thus their Words went without end, Whereto this Lord hath given ear And caused both Beggars to appear Straight at his Palace, there to eat; And bade provide them for their Meat Two Pasties which men were to make, And in the one a Capon bake, And in the other, Wealth to win, Of Florins all that may within He bade them put a great Richesse, And just alike, as one may guess, Outward they were, to Sight of Men.

This Beggar was commanded then, He that had held him to the King, That he first choose upon this thing.

He saw them, but he felt them not, So that upon his single Thought He chose the Capon, and forsook That other, which his Fellow took.

But when he wist how that it fared, He said aloud, that men it heard: "Now have I certainly conceived That he may lightly be deceived Who puts his trust in Help of Man.

He's rich whom G.o.d helps, for he can Stand ever on the safer side That else on Vain Hope had relied.

I see my Fellow well supplied, And still a Poor Man I abide."

Thus spake the Beggar his intent, And poor he came, and poor he went; Of all the Riches that he sought His evil Fortune gave him nought.

And right as it with those men stood, Of evil Hap in worldly Good, As thou hast heard me tell above, Right so, full oft, it stands by Love; Though thou desire it evermore Thou shalt not have a whit the more, But only what is meant for thee, Of all the rest not worth a Pea.

And yet a long and endless Row There be of Men who covet so That whereas they a Woman see, To ten or twelve though there may be, The Love is now so little wise That where the Beauty takes his Eyes Anon the Man's whole Heart is there And whispers Tales into her Ear, And says on her his Love is set, And thus he sets him to covet.

A hundred though he saw a day, So would he have more than he may; In each of them he finds somewhat That pleaseth him, or this or that.

Some one, for she is white of skin, Some one, for she is n.o.ble of kin, Some one, for she hath a ruddy cheek, Some one, for that she seemeth meek, Some one, for that her eyes are gray, Some one, for she can laugh and play, Some one, for she is long and small, Some one, for she is lithe and tall, Some one, for she is pale and bleach, Some one, for she is soft of speech, Some one, for that her nose turns down, Some one, for that she hath a frown, Some one, for she can dance and sing; So that of what he likes something He finds, and though no more he feel But that she hath a little heel, It is enough that he therefore Her love; and thus an hundred score While they be new he would he had, Whom he forsakes, she shall be bad.

So the Blind Man no Colour sees, All's one to take as he may please; And his Desire is darkly minded Whom Covetise of Love hath blinded.

LONDON LICKPENNY BY JOHN LYDGATE.

To London once my steps I bent, Where truth in nowise should be faint; To Westminster-ward I forthwith went, To a man of law to make complaint, I said, "For Mary's love, that holy saint, Pity the poor that would proceed!"

But for lack of Money I could not speed.

And as I thrust the press among, By froward chance my hood was gone, Yet for all that I stayed not long Till to the King's Bench I was come.

Before the judge I kneeled anon, And prayed him for G.o.d's sake to take heed.

But for lack of Money I might not speed.

Beneath them sat clerks a great rout, Which fast did write by one a.s.sent, There stood up one and cried about, "Richard, Robert, and John of Kent!"

I wist not well what this man meant, He cried so thickly there indeed.

But he that lacked Money might not speed