Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources
<We redyn ofte and fynde ywryte,
      As clerkes don us to wyte,
      The layes that ben of harpyng
      Ben yfounde of frely thing.
      Sum ben of wele, and sum of wo,                      5
      And sum of ioy and merthe also;
      Sum of trechery, and sum of gyle,
      And sum of happes þat fallen by whyle;
      Sum of bourdys, and sum of rybaudry,
      And sum þer ben of the feyré.                       10
      Of alle þing þat men may se,
      Moost _o_ lo_u_e forsoþe þey be.
      In Brytayn þis layes arne ywryte,
      Furst yfounde and forþe ygete,
      Of aventures þat fillen by dayes,                   15
      Wherof Brytouns made her layes.
      When þey myght owher heryn
      Of aventures þat þer weryn,
      Þey toke her harpys wiþ game,
      Maden layes and ȝaf it name.                        20
        Of aventures þat han befalle
      Y can sum telle, but nouȝt all.
      Herken, lordyngys þat ben trewe,
      And y wol ȝou telle of Sir Orphewe.>
        Orfeo was a king,                                 25
      In Inglond an heiȝe lording,
      A stalworþ man and hardi bo,
      Large and curteys he was also.
      His fader was comen of King Pluto,
      And his moder of King Iuno,                         30
      Þat sum time were as godes yhold,
      For auentours þat þai dede and told.
        <Orpheo most of ony þing
      Louede þe gle of harpyng;
      Syker was euery gode harpoure                       35
      Of hym to haue moche honoure.
      Hymself loued for to harpe,
      And layde þeron his wittes scharpe.
      He lernyd so, þer noþing was
      A better harper in no plas;                         40
      In þe world was neuer man born
      Þat euer Orpheo sat byforn,
      And he myȝt of his harpyng here,
      He schulde þinke þat he were
      In one of þe ioys of Paradys,                       45
      Suche ioy and melody in his harpyng is.>
        Þis king soiournd in Traciens,
      Þat was a cité of noble defens;
      For Winchester was cleped þo
      Traciens wiþouten no.                               50
      Þe king hadde a quen of priis,
      Þat was ycleped Dame Herodis,
      Þe fairest leuedi, for þe nones,
      Þat miȝt gon on bodi and bones,
      Ful of loue and of godenisse;                       55
      Ac no man may telle hir fairnise.
        Bifel so in þe comessing of May,
      When miri and hot is þe day,
      And oway beþ winter-schours,
      And eueri feld is ful of flours,                    60
      And blosme breme on eueri bouȝ
      Oueral wexeþ miri anouȝ,
      Þis ich quen, Dame Heurodis,
      Tok to maidens of priis,
      And went in an vndrentide                           65
      To play bi an orchard side,
      To se þe floures sprede and spring,
      And to here þe foules sing.
        Þai sett hem doun al þre
      Vnder a fair ympe-tre,                              70
      And wel sone þis fair quene
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Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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