And I answerid, No, parde,
For ful wel I wote evir yet,
Sithinis that firfte I had wit,
That fome folke han defirid Fame
Diverfly, and loos and gode name,
But certainly I ne wift how
Ne where that Fame dwellid or nowe,
Ne eke of her difcripcion,
Ne eke the ordir of her dome
Knewe I not till I hithir come.
Why than be, lo! these tidingis
Which that thou nowe hethir bringis,
That thou hast herde? (quod he to me:)
But nowe no force, for wel I fe
What thou defirift for to lere :
Come forth, and fande no lengir here,
And I woll the, withoutin drede,
In to foche anothir place lede
There thou fhalte herin many one.
Tho gan I forthe with him to gone
Out of the caftil, fathe to fey.
Tho fawe I ftande in a valey,
Undir the caftil faftè by,
An House that Demus Dadali,
That Labyrinthus, ycleped is,
N'as made fo wondirly ywis,
Ne halfe fo quently was ywrought;
And evirmo as swifte as thought
That for the fwough and for the twigges
This House was al fo full of gigges,
And al fo ful eke of chirkinges,
And of many othir wirkinges,
And eke this Houfe hath of entrees
As many' as levis ben on trees
In fommir whan that they ben grene,
And on the rofe yet men may fene
A thousande holis, and well mo,
To lettin the fowne out ygo;
And by day in every tyde
Ben al the doris opin wide,
And by night eche one is unfhette;
Ne portir is there none to lette
No manir tydinges in to pace,
Ne nevir reft is in that place,
That it n'is filled full of tidinges,
Eythir loude or of whisperinges,
And evir all the Houfis angles
Is full of rowninges and of jangles,
Of werres, of pece, of mariages,
Of reftes, of labour, of viages,
Of abode, of dethe, and of lyfe,
Of love, of hate, accorde, of ftrife,
Of loffe, of lore, and of winninges,
Of hele, of fickeneffe, or lefinges,
Of faire wethir and tempeftis,
Of qualme, of folke and of beftis,
Of divers tranfmutacions
Of eftates and of regions,
Al was the tymbir of no strength,
Yet it is foundid to endure
While that it lyfte to Avinture,
That is the mothir of Tidinges,
As the fe of wellis and springes,
And it was fhapin lyke a cage.
Certis, (quod I) in al mine age
Ne fawe I foche an Houfe as this.
And as I wondrid me ywis
Upon this House, tho ware was !
How that myne egle faftè by
Was perchid hye upon a stone,
And I gan ftreight to him to gone,
And fayid him thus, I pray the
That thou a while abidin me
For Godd'is love, and let me fene
What wondirs in that place ybene,
For yet parauntir I may lere
Some gode therin, or fomwhat here,
Boke III.
That lefe me were or that I went.
THE HOUSE OF FAME
Peter, that is nowe myne entent,
(Quod he to me) therfore I dwel;
But certaine one thinge I the tel,
That but I bringin the therin
Ne fhal thou nevir conne the gin
To come in to it out of doute,
So fafte it whirlith, lo! aboute;
But fithe that Jov'is of his grace,
As I have faid, wil the folace
Finally with these ilkè thinges,
These uncouthe fightis and tidinges,
To paffe away thine hevineffe,
Soche routhe hath he of thy distresse
That thou fuffredeft debonairly,
Wil do the efe, al be it lite,
And gave in expreffe commaundement,
To whiche I am obedient,
To forthir the with al my myght,
And withe and techin the aright
Where thou maifte mofte tidingis here,
Theu fhalte here many one ylere.
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