Opening the text

Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury TalesChaucer, Geoffrey

General

Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

Name: Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey

Chaucer, Geoffrey

English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500

Ther as he had a frend of his knowinge.                             (271)
  Ther festen they, ther dauncen they and singe;
  And in his armes hath this Adriane,
  That of the beste hath kept him from his bane;
  And gat him ther a newe barge anoon,                                 2160
  And of his contree-folk a ful gret woon,
  And taketh his leve, and hoomward saileth he.
  And in an yle, amid the wilde see,
  Ther as ther dwelte creature noon
  Save wilde bestes, and that ful many oon,                            2165
  He made his ship a-londe for to sette;                              (281)
  And in that yle half a day he lette,
  And seide, that on the lond he moste him reste.
  His mariners han doon right as him leste;
  And, for to tellen shortly in this cas,                              2170
  Whan Adriane his wyf a-slepe was,
  For that her suster fairer was than she,
  He taketh her in his hond, and forth goth he
  To shippe, and as a traitour stal his way
  Whyl that this Adriane a-slepe lay,                                  2175
  And to his contree-ward he saileth blyve--                          (291)
  A twenty devil way the wind him dryve!--
  And fond his fader drenched in the see.
    Me list no more to speke of him, parde;
  Thise false lovers, poison be hir bane!                              2180
  But I wol turne again to Adriane
  That is with slepe for werinesse atake.
  Ful sorwefully her herte may awake.
  Allas! for thee my herte hath now pite!
  Right in the dawening awaketh she,                                   2185
  And gropeth in the bedde, and fond right noght.                     (307)
  'Allas!' quod she, 'that ever I was wroght!
  I am betrayed!' and her heer to-rente,
  And to the stronde bar-fot faste she wente,
  And cryed, 'Theseus! myn herte swete!                                2190
  Wher be ye, that I may nat with yow mete,
  And mighte thus with bestes been y-slain?'
    The holwe rokkes answerde her again;
  No man she saw, and yit shyned the mone,
  And hye upon a rokke she wente sone,                                 2195
  And saw his barge sailing in the see.                               (311)
  Cold wex her herte, and right thus seide she.
  'Meker than ye finde I the bestes wilde!'
  Hadde he nat sinne, that her thus begylde?
  She cryed, 'O turne again, for routhe and sinne!                     2200
  Thy barge hath nat al his meiny inne!'
  Her kerchef on a pole up stikked she,
  Ascaunce that he sholde hit wel y-see,
  And him remembre that she was behinde,
  And turne again, and on the stronde her finde;                       2205
  But al for noght; his wey he is y-goon.                             (321)
  And doun she fil a-swown upon a stoon;
  And up she rist, and kiste, in al her care,
  The steppes of his feet, ther he hath fare,
  And to her bedde right thus she speketh tho:--                       2210
  'Thou bed,' quod she, 'that hast receyved two,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury TalesChaucer, Geoffrey

General

Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

Chaucer, Geoffrey

English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500

Ther as he had a frend of his knowinge.                             (271)
  Ther festen they, ther dauncen they and singe;
  And in his armes hath this Adriane,
  That of the beste hath kept him from his bane;
  And gat him ther a newe barge anoon,                                 2160
  And of his contree-folk a ful gret woon,
  And taketh his leve, and hoomward saileth he.
  And in an yle, amid the wilde see,
  Ther as ther dwelte creature noon
  Save wilde bestes, and that ful many oon,                            2165
  He made his ship a-londe for to sette;                              (281)
  And in that yle half a day he lette,
  And seide, that on the lond he moste him reste.
  His mariners han doon right as him leste;
  And, for to tellen shortly in this cas,                              2170
  Whan Adriane his wyf a-slepe was,
  For that her suster fairer was than she,
  He taketh her in his hond, and forth goth he
  To shippe, and as a traitour stal his way
  Whyl that this Adriane a-slepe lay,                                  2175
  And to his contree-ward he saileth blyve--                          (291)
  A twenty devil way the wind him dryve!--
  And fond his fader drenched in the see.
    Me list no more to speke of him, parde;
  Thise false lovers, poison be hir bane!                              2180
  But I wol turne again to Adriane
  That is with slepe for werinesse atake.
  Ful sorwefully her herte may awake.
  Allas! for thee my herte hath now pite!
  Right in the dawening awaketh she,                                   2185
  And gropeth in the bedde, and fond right noght.                     (307)
  'Allas!' quod she, 'that ever I was wroght!
  I am betrayed!' and her heer to-rente,
  And to the stronde bar-fot faste she wente,
  And cryed, 'Theseus! myn herte swete!                                2190
  Wher be ye, that I may nat with yow mete,
  And mighte thus with bestes been y-slain?'
    The holwe rokkes answerde her again;
  No man she saw, and yit shyned the mone,
  And hye upon a rokke she wente sone,                                 2195
  And saw his barge sailing in the see.                               (311)
  Cold wex her herte, and right thus seide she.
  'Meker than ye finde I the bestes wilde!'
  Hadde he nat sinne, that her thus begylde?
  She cryed, 'O turne again, for routhe and sinne!                     2200
  Thy barge hath nat al his meiny inne!'
  Her kerchef on a pole up stikked she,
  Ascaunce that he sholde hit wel y-see,
  And him remembre that she was behinde,
  And turne again, and on the stronde her finde;                       2205
  But al for noght; his wey he is y-goon.                             (321)
  And doun she fil a-swown upon a stoon;
  And up she rist, and kiste, in al her care,
  The steppes of his feet, ther he hath fare,
  And to her bedde right thus she speketh tho:--                       2210
  'Thou bed,' quod she, 'that hast receyved two,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

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