Men dream of thing that never was, ne shall. But sith I see that thou wilt here abide, And thus forslothen[342] wilfully thy tide, God wot it rueth[343] me, and have good day.' And thus he took his leave, and went his way. But ere that he had half his course ysailed, Nought I not[344] why, ne what mischance it ailed, But casually the shippes bottom rent, And ship and man under the water went In sight of other shippes there beside, That with hem sailed at the same tide. "And therefore, faire Partelote so dear, By such ensamples old yet mayst thou lere.[345] That no man shoulde be too reckeless Of dreames, for I say thee doubteless, That many a dream full sore is for to dread. "Lo, in the life of Saint Kenelm I read, That was Kenulphus son, the noble king Of Mercenrike,[346] how Kenelm met[347] a thing. A little ere he was murdered, on a day, His murder in his avision[348] he say.[349] His norice[350] him expounded every del His sweven, and bade him for to keep him well For[351] treason; but he nas but seven year old, And therefore little tale hath he told[352] Of any dream, so holy was his heart. By God, I hadde liefer than my shirt, That ye had read his legend, as have I. "Dame Partelote, I say you truely, Macrobius, that writ the avision[353] In Afric of the worthy Scipion, Affirmeth dreames, and saith that they be Warning of thinges that men after see. And furthermore, I pray you looketh well In the Olde Testament, of Daniel, If he held dreames any vanity. Read eke of Joseph, and there shall ye see Where[354] dreames be sometime (I say not all) Warning of thinges that shall after fall. Look of Egypt the king, Dan Pharao, His baker and his buteler also, Whether they ne felten none effect in dreams. Whoso will seeken acts of sundry remes,[355] May read of dreames many a wonder thing. Lo Croesus, which that was of Lydia king, Met[356] he not that he sat upon a tree, Which signified he should anhanged be? "Lo here, Andromache, Hectores wife, That day that Hector shoulde lese[357] his life, She dreamed on the same night beforn, How that the life of Hector should be lorn,[358] If thilke day he went into battail: She warned him, but it might not avail; He wente for to fighten natheless, And he was slain anon of Achilles. But thilke tale is all too long to tell, And eke it is nigh day, I may not dwell. "Shortly I say, as for conclusion, That I shall have of this avision Adversity: and I say furthermore, That I ne tell[359] of laxatives no store, For they be venomous, I wot it well: I hem defy, I love hem never a del. "Now let us speak of mirth, and stint all this; Madame Partelote, so have I bliss, Of one thing God hath sent me large grace: For when I see the beauty of your face, Ye be so scarlet red about your eyen, It maketh all my dreade for to dien, For, also[360] sicker[361] as _In principio,