Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
General
Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400
In A., we have much the same sort of thing all over again, though it does
not set in before l. 83. Then we meet with blue colours, an embroidered
gown, and a purfil with a device. After a respite, we begin again at l.
206--'Her gown was blue'; and the lady wore a French motto. Diligence tells
the authoress that she looks well in her new blue gown (259). At l. 305,
there is another blue gown, furred with gray, with a motto on the sleeve;
and there are plenty more mottoes to follow. At l. 451 we come to a paved
floor, and walls made of beryl and crystal, engraved with stories; next, a
well-apparelled chair or throne, on five stages, wrought of 'cassidony,'
with four pommels of gold, and set with sapphires; a cloth of estate,
wrought with the needle (486); cloth of gold (521); a blue gown, with
sleeves wrought tabard-wise, of which the collar and the _vent_ (slit in
front of the neck) are described as being like ermine; it was couched with
great pearls, powdered with diamonds, and had sleeves and purfils; then we
come to rubies, enamel, a great balas-ruby, and more of the same kind.
Again, it is useless to go further. Surely these descriptions of seams, and
collars, and sleeves, are due to a woman.
The likeness comes out remarkably in two parallel stanzas. One of them is
from F. 148, and the other from A. 526.
'As grete perles, round and orient,
Diamondes fyne and rubies rede,
And many another stoon, of which I want
The names now; and everich on her hede
A riche fret of gold, which, without drede,
Was ful of statly riche stones set;
And every lady had a chapelet,' &c.
'After a sort the coller and the vent,
Lyk as ermyne is mad in purfeling;
With grete perles, ful fyne and orient,
They were couched, al after oon worching,
With dyamonds in stede of powdering;
The sleves and purfilles of assyse;
They were y-mad [ful] lyke, in every wyse.'
I wonder which the reader prefers; for myself, I have really no choice.
For I do not see how to choose between such lines as these following:--
And on I put my gere and myn array; F. 26.
That ye wold help me on with myn aray; A. 241.
_or_, So than I dressed me in myn aray; A. 253.
As grete perles, round and orient; F. 148.
With grete perles, ful fyne and orient; A. 528.
And forth they yede togider, twain and twain; F. 295.
See how they come togider, twain and twain; A. 350.
So long, alas! and, if that it you plese
To go with me, I shal do yow the ese; F. 391.
And see, what I can do you for to plese,
I am redy, that may be to your ese; A. 447.
I thank you now, in my most humble wyse; F. 567.
We thanked her in our most humble wyse; A. 729.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account