And with an hardy herte he gan to crie 220 225 The peple upsterte, and caste the carte to grounde, 230 'O blisful God, that art so just and trewe! 235 And right anoon, the mynistres of that toun 240 That thay biknewe here wikkednes anoon, And were anhonged by the nekke boon. 'Here may men sen that dremes ben to drede. 245 250 But on a day, agayn the even tyde, The wynd gan chaunge, and blew right as hem leste. And casten hem ful erly for to sayle; 255 260 265 His felawe that lay by his beddes syde, Gan for to lawghe, and scornede him ful faste. 6 No dreem,' quod he, may so myn herte agaste, That I wil lette for to do my thinges. I sette not a straw by thy dremynges, 270 And eek of many a mase therwithal; Men dreme of thing that nevere was ne schal. But sith I see that thou wilt her abyde, 275 And thus forslouthe wilfully thy tyde, God wot it reweth me, and have good day.' And thus he took his leve, and wente his way. But er that he hadde half his cours i-sayled, Noot I nought why, ne what meschaunce it ayled, 280 But casuelly the schippes botme rente, And schip and man under the water wente In sight of othere schippes ther byside, And therfore, faire Pertelote so deere, 285 By suche ensamples olde maistow leere Of dremes, for I say the douteles, That many a dreem ful sore is for to drede. 290 His norice him expounede every del 295 His sweven, and bad him for to kepe him wel And therfore litel tale hath he told Of eny drem, so holy was his herte. By God, I hadde levere than my scherte, 300 Affermeth dremes, and saith that thay been 305 And forthermore, I pray yow loketh wel If he held dremes eny vanyte. Red eek of Joseph, and ther schul ye see 310 Wher dremes ben som tyme (I say nought alle) Warnyng of thinges that schul after falle. Loke of Egipt the king, daun Pharao, Wher thay ne felte noon effect in dremes. 315 Who so wol seke the actes of sondry remes, May rede of dremes many a wonder thing. Lo Cresus, which that was of Lyde king, That day that Ector schulde lese his lif, If thilke day he wente in to batayle; 320 325 Sche warnede him, but it mighte nought availe; And he was slayn anoon of Achilles. But thilke is al to longe for to telle, And eek it is neigh day, I may not duelle. 330 Schortly I saye, as for conclusioun, That I schal have of this avisioun For thay ben venymous, I wot right wel; 335 I hem defye, I love hem nevere a del. 'Now let us speke of mirthe, and stynte al this; Madame Pertelote, so have I blis, Of o thing God hath sent me large grace; For whan I see the beauté of your face, 340 Fe ben so scarlet reed aboute your eyghen, Mulier est hominis confusio. (Madame, the sentence of this Latyn is, Womman is mannes joye and al his blis.) 345 I am so ful of joye and of solas That I defye bothe sweven and drem.' -350 And with that word he fleigh doun fro the beem, He loketh as it were a grim lioun; 355 And on his toon he rometh up and doun, Him deyneth not to sette his foot to grounde. 360 And after wol I telle his aventure. 365 Whan that the moneth in which the world bigan, That highte March, whan God first made man, Was complet, and y-passed were also, Syn March bygan, thritty dayes and tuo, 370 375 |