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in to Noon: and than the folk of the Contree taken Camayles, Dromedaries and Hors and other Bestes, and gon thidre, and chargen hem in alle haste that thei may. And aftre that thei fleen awey, in alle haste that the Bestes may go, or the Pisse5 myres comen out of the Erthe. And in other tymes, whan it is not so hote, and that the Pissemyres ne resten hem not in the Erthe, than thei geten Gold be this Sotyltee; Thei taken Mares, that han 30nge Coltes or Foles, and leyn upon the Mares voyde Vesselles made therfore; and thei ben alle 10 open aboven, and hangynge lowe to the Erthe: and thanne thei sende forth tho Mares, for to pasturen aboute tho Hilles, and with holden the Foles with hem at home. And whan the Pissemyres sen tho Vesselles, thei lepen in anon, and thei han this kynde, that thei lete no thing ben empty among hem, 15 but anon thei fillen it, be it what maner of thing that it be: and so thei fillen tho Vesselles with Gold. And whan that the folk supposen, that the Vesselle ben fulle, thei putten forthe anon the 30nge Foles, and maken hem to nyzen aftre hire Dames; and than anon the Mares retornen towardes 20 hire Foles, with hire charges of Gold; and than men dischargen hem, and geten Gold y now be this sotyltee. For the Pissemyres wole suffren Bestes to gon and pasturen amonges hem; but no man in no wyse.

Sir Thomas Malory.

Floruit 1470.

THE PARTING OF LAUNCELOT AND GUINEVERE.

(From Le Morte Darthur, 1485)

Then came Sir Bors de Ganis and said: My lord Sir 25 Launcelot, what think ye for to do, now to ride in this realm? wit ye well ye shall find few friends. shall find few friends. Be as be may, said Sir Launcelot, keep you still here, for I will forth on my journey, and no man nor child shall go with me. So it was no boot to strive, but he departed and rode westerly, and there he 30 sought a seven or eight days; and at the last he came to a

nunnery, and then was Queen Guenever ware of Sir Launcelot as he walked in the cloister. And when she saw him there she swooned thrice, that all the ladies and gentlewomen had work enough to hold the queen up. So when she might speak, she called ladies and gentlewomen to her, and said: Ye mar- 5 vel, fair ladies, why I make this fare. Truly, she said, it is for the sight of yonder knight that yonder standeth; wherefore I pray you all call him to me. When Sir Launcelot was

brought to her, then she said to all the ladies: Through this man and me hath all this war been wrought, and the death 10 of the most noblest knights of the world; for through our love that we have loved together is my most noble lord slain. Therefore, Sir Launcelot, wit thou well I am set in such a plight to get my soul-heal; and yet I trust through God's grace that after my death to have a sight of the blessed face 15 of Christ, and at domesday to sit on his right side, for as sinful as ever I was are saints in heaven. Therefore, Sir Launcelot, I require thee and beseech thee, heartily, for all the love that ever was betwixt us, that thou never see me more in the visage; and I command thee, on God's behalf, 20 that thou forsake my company, and to thy kingdom thou turn again, and keep well thy realm from war and wrack; for as well as I have loved thee, mine heart will not serve me to see thee, for through thee and me is the flower of kings and knights destroyed; therefore, Sir Launcelot, go to thy realm, 25 and there take thee a wife, and live with her with joy and bliss; and I pray thee heartily, pray for me to our Lord, that I may amend my mis-living. Now, sweet madam, said Sir Launcelot, would ye that I should now return again unto my country, and there to wed a lady? Nay, madam, wit you 30 well that shall I never do, for I shall never be so false to you of that I have promised; but the same destiny that ye have taken you to, I will take me unto, for to please Jesu, and ever for you I cast me specially to pray. If thou wilt do so, said the queen, hold thy promise, but I may never believe 35 but that thou wilt turn to the world again. Well, madam, said he, ye say as pleaseth you, yet wist you me never false of my promise, and God defend but I should forsake the

world as ye have done. For in the quest of the Sangreal I had forsaken the vanities of the world had not your lord been. And if I had done so at that time, with my heart, will, and thought, I had passed all the knights that were in the San5 greal except Sir Galahad, my son. And therefore, lady, sithen ye have taken you to perfection, I must needs take me to perfection, of right. For I take record of God, in you I have had mine earthly joy; and if I had found you now so disposed, I had cast to have had you into mine own realm. 10 But sithen I find you thus disposed, I ensure you faithfully, I will ever take me to penance, and pray while my life lasteth, if I may find any hermit, either gray or white, that will receive me. Wherefore, madam, I pray you kiss me and never no more. Nay, said the queen, that shall I never do, 15 but abstain you from such works: and they departed. But there was never so hard an hearted man but he would have wept to see the dolor that they made; for there was lamentation as they had been stung with spears; and many times they swooned, and the ladies bare the queen to her chamber. And 20 Sir Launcelot awoke, and went and took his horse, and rode all that day and all night in a forest, weeping. And at the last he was ware of an hermitage and a chapel stood betwixt two cliffs; and then he heard a little bell ring to mass, and thither he rode and alit, and tied his horse to the gate, and 25 heard mass. And he that sang mass was the Bishop of Canterbury. Both the Bishop and Sir Bevidere knew Sir Launcelot, and they spake together after mass. But when Sir Bevidere had told his tale all whole, Sir Launcelot's heart almost brast for sorrow, and Sir Launcelot threw his 30 arms abroad, and said: Alas, who may trust this world. And then he kneeled down on his knee, and prayed the Bishop to shrive him and assoil him. And then he besought the Bishop that he might be his brother. Then the Bishop said: I will gladly; and there he put an habit upon Sir Launcelot, and 35 there he served God day and night with prayers and fastings.

bugb Latimer.

1485(?)-1555.

AN ARRAIGNMENT OF LONDON.

(From the Sermon of the Plough, 1548.

Now what shall we say of these rich citizens of London? What shall I say of them? Shall I call them proud men of London, malicious men of London, merciless men of London? No, no, I may not say so; they will be offended with me then. Yet must I speak. For is there not reigning in London as 5 much pride, as much covetousness, as much cruelty, as much oppression, and as much superstition, as was in Nebo? Yes, I think, and much more too. Therefore, I say, repent, O London! repent, repent! Thou hearest thy faults told thee: amend them, amend them! I think if Nebo had had 10 the preaching that thou hast, they would have converted. And, you rulers and officers, be wise and circumspect, look to your charge, and see you do your duties; and rather be glad to amend your ill-living than to be angry when you are warned or told of your fault. What ado was there made in 15 London at a certain man because he said (and indeed at that time on a just cause), "Burgesses!" quoth he, "nay, Butterflies." Lord, what ado there was for that word! And yet would God they were no worse than butterflies! Butterflies do but their nature: the butterfly is not covetous, is not 20 greedy of other men's goods; is not full of envy and hatred, is not malicious, is not cruel, is not merciless. The butterfly glorieth not in her own deeds, nor preferreth the traditions of men before God's word; it committeth not idolatry, nor worshippeth false gods. But London cannot abide to be 25 rebuked; such is the nature of man. If they be pricked, they will kick; if they be rubbed on the gall, they will wince; but yet they will not amend their faults, they will not be ill spoken of. But how shall I speak well of them? If you could be content to receive and follow the word of God and 30 favor good preachers, if you could bear to be told of your

faults, if you could amend when you hear of them, if you would be glad to reform that is amiss, if I might see any such inclination in you that you would leave to be merciless and begin to be charitable, I would then hope well of you, I 5 would then speak well of you. But London was never so ill as it is now. In times past, men were full of pity and compassion, but now there is no pity; for in London their brother shall die in the streets for cold, he shall lie sick at the door between stock and stock, I cannot tell what to call it, and 10 perish there for hunger: was there ever more unmercifulness in Nebo? I think not. In times past, when any rich man died in London, they were wont to help the poor scholars of the Universities with exhibition. When any man died they would bequeath reat sums of money toward the relief of the 15 poor. When I was a scholar in Cambridge myself, I heard very good report of London, and knew many that had relief of the rich men of London: but now I can hear no such good report, and yet I inquire of it and hearken for it; but now charity is waxen cold, none helpeth the scholar nor yet the 20 poor.

John Lyly.
1553(?)-1606.

THE CHARACTER OF EUPHUES.

(From Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit, 1578.)

There dwelt in Athens a young gentleman of great patrimony, and of so comely a personage that it was doubted whether he were more bound to Nature for the lineaments of his person or to Fortune for the increase of his possessions. 25 But Nature, impatient of comparisons, and as it were disdaining a companion or co-partner in her working, added to this comeliness of his body such a sharp capacity of mind that not only she proved Fortune counterfeit but was half of that opinion that she herself was only current. This young gal30 lant, of more wit than wealth, and yet of more wealth than wisdom, seeing himself inferior to none in pleasant conceits. thought himself superior to all in honest conditions, insomuch

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