 | Handlyng Synne |  |
[The Tale of the Proud Lady, who was burnt to ashes again and again in Hell by a Burning Wheel.]
þer was a lady, a lordys wyfe,
here fayrhede was yn renoun ryfe;
Moche she loued feyre tyfyng,
On here hede, ouer al þyng,
For to be holde þe feyryst lady
Of al þo þat woned here by;
And whan she wened best to haue lyuyd,
Þe deþ here toke; here dayys were fyllyd;
For when men wene to lyfe haue space,
Þan ys deþ sunnest yn place.
Whan she was dede, sone aftyrward
here squyer toke a syknes hard,
Þat here lorde helde of grete prys,
For he was a man yn seruyse wys.
here fayrhede was yn renoun ryfe;
Moche she loued feyre tyfyng,
On here hede, ouer al þyng,
For to be holde þe feyryst lady
Of al þo þat woned here by;
And whan she wened best to haue lyuyd,
Þe deþ here toke; here dayys were fyllyd;
For when men wene to lyfe haue space,
Þan ys deþ sunnest yn place.
Whan she was dede, sone aftyrward
here squyer toke a syknes hard,
Þat here lorde helde of grete prys,
For he was a man yn seruyse wys.
As he lay yn hys bed a nyȝt,
hym þoght hys lady come to hym ryȝt,
And seyd þus, “rys, and go wyþ me,
A merueyle shal y shewe to þe.”
Þys ychë man graunted here noght,
For hyt ran weyl hym yn þoght
Þat shé was dede and leyd yn graue,
Þat hym of hys beddë wulde haue.
But wheþer he wulde or noght, wyþ wel & wo,
She had hym vp with here to go.
Þus tolde he seþyn with moche drede;
Aȝens hys wylle with here he ȝede;
She ledde hym to a mochë felde,
So grete one neuer he behelde.
Þan stodë styl, þys lady,
And he by here ful dredfully.
As þey hadd stondë but a þrowe,
Come furþ deuylys þat fast gun blowe;
With hem þey broght a brennyng wheyl,
Þat on here hede was set eche deyl.
Þys whel þat was set on here heuede,
Brende here alle, þat noght was leued.
Efte she ros, when she was brent,
And had þe samë turment,
And brende ryȝt as she dede before;
To se þat peyne hys herte was sore.
Ȝyt she ros þe samë wey;
For saule may neuer for peynë deye.
And efte þey set hyt on here krowne,
And brende here al to asshen doune;
And euermore she leuyd aȝen,
For peynë myȝt she neuer be sleyn.
hym þoght hys lady come to hym ryȝt,
And seyd þus, “rys, and go wyþ me,
A merueyle shal y shewe to þe.”
114
For hyt ran weyl hym yn þoght
Þat shé was dede and leyd yn graue,
Þat hym of hys beddë wulde haue.
But wheþer he wulde or noght, wyþ wel & wo,
She had hym vp with here to go.
Þus tolde he seþyn with moche drede;
Aȝens hys wylle with here he ȝede;
She ledde hym to a mochë felde,
So grete one neuer he behelde.
Þan stodë styl, þys lady,
And he by here ful dredfully.
As þey hadd stondë but a þrowe,
Come furþ deuylys þat fast gun blowe;
With hem þey broght a brennyng wheyl,
Þat on here hede was set eche deyl.
Þys whel þat was set on here heuede,
Brende here alle, þat noght was leued.
Efte she ros, when she was brent,
And had þe samë turment,
And brende ryȝt as she dede before;
To se þat peyne hys herte was sore.
Ȝyt she ros þe samë wey;
For saule may neuer for peynë deye.
And efte þey set hyt on here krowne,
And brende here al to asshen doune;
And euermore she leuyd aȝen,
For peynë myȝt she neuer be sleyn.
Þan askede he here, why þat hyt was
Þat she suffred swyche peyne. “alas, alas,”
She seyd, “y suffre þys mys-auenture
For on my heuede ouer feyre tyfure;
For when y shuld agher go or ryde,
y dyghte my heuede ryȝt moche with pryde
For to be presyd ouer alle ladyys,
And of prydë to bere þe prys,
And among knyȝtës yn halle
y wulde be holde feyrest of alle.
þer-for þys ychë peyne y drygh
For y bare me yn pryde so hygh.
But warne my lordë, y pray þe,
hys pryde and bobaunce þat he late be;
But ȝyf he do, he shal be forlore,
Þat y warne hym weyl before;
For on one of þys dayys shul ȝe deye,
My lorde and þou: þe soþe y seye.”
Ryght at þe termë, as she seyde,
Þe knyȝt, and þat squyer, deyde.
Þat she suffred swyche peyne. “alas, alas,”
She seyd, “y suffre þys mys-auenture
115
For when y shuld agher go or ryde,
y dyghte my heuede ryȝt moche with pryde
For to be presyd ouer alle ladyys,
And of prydë to bere þe prys,
And among knyȝtës yn halle
y wulde be holde feyrest of alle.
þer-for þys ychë peyne y drygh
For y bare me yn pryde so hygh.
But warne my lordë, y pray þe,
hys pryde and bobaunce þat he late be;
But ȝyf he do, he shal be forlore,
Þat y warne hym weyl before;
For on one of þys dayys shul ȝe deye,
My lorde and þou: þe soþe y seye.”
Ryght at þe termë, as she seyde,
Þe knyȝt, and þat squyer, deyde.
By þat tokenyng wel men knew
Þat þe tale was ryȝt and trew.
Þerfor hyt ys gretë doute,
wymmen to tyfe here hedys aboute.
Þat þe tale was ryȝt and trew.
Þerfor hyt ys gretë doute,
wymmen to tyfe here hedys aboute.
Ȝyf god haue lent þe handys and fete,
Armës, leggës, feyre and swete,—
Be nat ouer proude of þys,
Þey are nat þyne, but þey ben hys;
For ȝyf he wylle, he may hem þe reue;
with-oute hys leue, shal none beleue.
Armës, leggës, feyre and swete,—
Be nat ouer proude of þys,
Þey are nat þyne, but þey ben hys;
For ȝyf he wylle, he may hem þe reue;
with-oute hys leue, shal none beleue.
Despyse noun ouþer þat so haue noght,
Ne þoght þey be nat so feyre y-wroght;
For ȝyf þou doust, þou mayst hem tyne,
And for þat prydë go to pyne.
Ne dysgyse nat þy cloþyng
Ouer mesure, for þy preysyng.
Alas! hyt shuldë so betyde,
Many one are lost for here pryde.
Shal grace come neuer yn þat land
Þere men haue swychë gyse yn hand;
God and grace are wyþ hem wroth,
Þat haue, for pryde, dysgysed here cloth.
Noþeles euery man may,
Aftyr hys astate, make hym gay;
But when he þasseþ ouer mesure,
Þerof cumþ mysauenture.
Gentyl men ofte, for swyche desert
Fal at þe laste yn grete pouert.
Ne þoght þey be nat so feyre y-wroght;
For ȝyf þou doust, þou mayst hem tyne,
And for þat prydë go to pyne.
Ne dysgyse nat þy cloþyng
Ouer mesure, for þy preysyng.
116
Many one are lost for here pryde.
Shal grace come neuer yn þat land
Þere men haue swychë gyse yn hand;
God and grace are wyþ hem wroth,
Þat haue, for pryde, dysgysed here cloth.
Noþeles euery man may,
Aftyr hys astate, make hym gay;
But when he þasseþ ouer mesure,
Þerof cumþ mysauenture.
Gentyl men ofte, for swyche desert
Fal at þe laste yn grete pouert.
A weddyd wyfe may atyre here
Þat here husbunde loue noun but here;
For hys loue she may hyt do,
But for none ouþer mannys so.
Ȝyt swyche y rede, þat þey so fare
Þat here pryde make hem nat bare.
Gretly þey synne yn þer queyntyse
Þat nouelrye al day areyse,
For to be preysed and of grete syght,
Al day dysgyse hem at here myght;
Forsoþe hyt semeþ weyl to be
Al here lyfe yn vanyte.
But wlde þey þenke þat make swyche strut,
yn what robe, yn erþe, þey shul be put,
Þey shulde nat make hyt so a-mys,
Ȝyf þey þoght oft of þys.
Þat here husbunde loue noun but here;
For hys loue she may hyt do,
But for none ouþer mannys so.
Ȝyt swyche y rede, þat þey so fare
Þat here pryde make hem nat bare.
Gretly þey synne yn þer queyntyse
Þat nouelrye al day areyse,
For to be preysed and of grete syght,
Al day dysgyse hem at here myght;
Forsoþe hyt semeþ weyl to be
Al here lyfe yn vanyte.
But wlde þey þenke þat make swyche strut,
yn what robe, yn erþe, þey shul be put,
Þey shulde nat make hyt so a-mys,
Ȝyf þey þoght oft of þys.
Y shal ȝou telle a lytyl wyght
How hyt befyl onys of a knyȝt.
How hyt befyl onys of a knyȝt.
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