And eke of many a mase therwithal; Men dreme of thing that never was ne shal. But sith I see that thou wol there abide, And thus forslouthen wilfully thy tide, God wot it reweth me; and have good day: And thus he took his leve, and went his way. But or that he had half his cours ysailed, N'ot I not why, ne what mischance it ailed, But casuelly the shippes bottom rente, And ship and man under the water wente In sight of other shippes ther beside That with him sailed at the same tide. And therefore, faire Pertelote so dere, By swiche ensamples olde maist thou lere That no man shulde be to reccheles Of dremes, for I say thee douteles That many a dreme ful sore is for to drede. Lo, in the lif of Seint Kenelme I rede, That was Kenulphus sone, the noble King Of Mercenrike, how Kenelm mette a thing. A litel or he were mordered on a day His mordre in his avision he say; His norice him expouned every del His sweven, and bade him for to kepe him wel Fro treson; but he n'as but seven yere old, And therefore litel tale hath he told Of any dreme, so holy was his herte. By God I hadde lever than my sherte That ye had red his legend as have I. Dame Pertelote, I say you trewely, Macrobius, that writ the avision In Affrike of the worthy Scipion, Affirmeth dremes, and sayth that they ben Warning of thinges that men after seen. And forthermore, I pray you loketh wel In The Olde Testament of Daniel, If he held dremes any vanitee. Rede eke of Joseph, and ther shuln ye see Wher dremes ben somtime (I say not alle) Warning of thinges that shuln after falle. Loke of Egipt the king, Dan Pharao, His baker and his boteler also, Wheder they ne felten non effect in dremes. Who so wol seken actes of sondry remes May rede of dremes many a wonder thing. Lo Cresus, which that was of Lydie king, Mette he not that he sat upon a tree? Which signified he shuld anhanged be. Lo hire Adromacha, Hectores wif, That day that Hector shulde lese his lif, She dremed on the same nighte beforne How that the lif of Hector shuld be lorne If thilke day he went into bataille; She warned him, but it might not availle; He went forth for to fighten natheles, And was yslain anon of Achilles. But thilke tale is al to long to telle, And eke it is nigh day, I may not dwelle. Shortly I say, as for conclusion, That I shal han of this avision Adversitee; and I say forthermore, That I ne tell of laxatives no store, For they ben venimous, I wot it wel: I hem deffie; I love hem never a del. But let us speke of mirthe, and stinte all this. Madame Pertelote, so have I blis, Of o thing God hath sent me large grace, For whan I see the beautee of your face, Ye ben so scarlet red about your eyen,