The House of Fame Read online

1721 That al the world may of hit here.'

  1722 And he gan blowe hir loos so clere

  1723 In his golden clarioun

  1724 That through the world wente the soun,

  1725 Also kenely, and eek so softe;

  1726 But atte laste hit was on-lofte.

  1727 Thoo com the sexte companye,

  1728 And gonne faste on Fame crye.

  1729 Right verraily, in this manere

  1730 They seyden: `Mercy, lady dere!

  1731 To telle certein, as hit is,

  1732 We han don neither that ne this,

  1733 But ydel al our lif y-be.

  1734 But, natheles, yit preye we,

  1735 That we mowe han so good a fame,

  1736 And greet renoun and knowen name,

  1737 As they that han don noble gestes,

  1738 And acheved alle hir lestes,

  1739 As wel of love as other thing;

  1740 Al was us never broche ne ring,

  1741 Ne elles nought, from wimmen sent,

  1742 Ne ones in hir herte y-ment

  1743 To make us only frendly chere,

  1744 But mighte temen us on bere;

  1745 Yit lat us to the peple seme

  1746 Swiche as the world may of us deme,

  1747 That wimmen loven us for wood.

  1748 Hit shal don us as moche good,

  1749 And to our herte as moche availe

  1750 To countrepeise ese and travaile,

  1751 As we had wonne hit with labour;

  1752 For that is dere boght honour

  1753 At regard of our grete ese.

  1754 And yit thou most us more plese

  1755 Let us be holden eek, therto,

  1756 Worthy, wyse, and gode also,

  1757 And riche, and happy unto love.

  1758 For goddes love, that sit above,

  1759 Thogh we may not the body have

  1760 Of wimmen, yet, so god yow save!

  1761 Let men glewe on us the name;

  1762 Suffyceth that we han the fame.'

  1763 `I graunte,' quod she, `by my trouthe!

  1764 Now, Eolus, with-outen slouthe.

  1765 Tak out thy trumpe of gold, let see,

  1766 And blow as they han axed me,

  1767 That every man wene hem at ese,

  1768 Though they gon in ful badde lese.'

  1769 This Eolus gan hit so blowe

  1770 That through the world hit was y-knowe.

  1771 Tho come the seventh route anoon,

  1772 And fel on knees everichoon,

  1773 And seyde, `Lady, graunte us sone

  1774 The same thing, the same bone,

  1775 That ye this nexte folk han doon.'

  1776 `Fy on yow,' quod she, `everichoon!

  1777 Ye masty swyn, ye ydel wrecches,

  1778 Ful of roten slowe tecches!

  1779 What? false theves! wher ye wolde

  1780 Be famous good, and no-thing nolde

  1781 Deserve why, ne never roughte?

  1782 Men rather yow to-hangen oughte!

  1783 For ye be lyk the sweynte cat,

  1784 That wolde have fish; but wostow what?

  1785 He wolde no-thing wete his clowes.

  1786 Yvel thrift come to your Iowes,

  1787 And eek on myn, if I hit graunte,

  1788 Or do yow favour, yow to avaunte!

  1789 Thou Eolus, thou king of Trace!

  1790 Go, blow this folk a soo grace,'

  1791 Quod she, `anoon; and wostow how?

  1792 As I shal telle thee right now;

  1793 Sey: "These ben they that wolde honour

  1794 Have, and do noskinnes labour,

  1795 Ne do no good, and yit han laude;

  1796 And that men wende that bele Isaude

  1797 Ne coude hem noght of love-werne;

  1798 And yit she that grint at a querne

  1799 Is al to good to ese hir herte."'

  1800 This Eolus anon up sterte,

  1801 And with his blakke clarioun

  1802 He gan to blasen out a soun,

  1803 As loude as belweth wind in helle.

  1804 And eek therwith, the sooth to telle,

  1805 This soun was al so ful of Iapes,

  1806 As ever mowes were in apes.

  1807 And that wente al the world aboute,

  1808 That every wight gan on hem shoute,

  1809 And for to laughe as they were wode;

  1810 Such game fonde they in hir hode.

  1811 Tho com another companye,

  1812 That had y-doon the traiterye,

  1813 The harm, the gretest wikkednesse

  1814 That any herte couthe gesse;

  1815 And prayed hir to han good fame,

  1816 And that she nolde hem doon no shame,

  1817 But yeve hem loos and good renoun,

  1818 And do hit blowe in clarioun.

  1819 `Nay, wis!' quod she, `hit were a vyce;

  1820 Al be ther in me no Iustyce

  1821 Me listeth not to do hit now,

  1822 Ne this nil I not graunte you.'

  1823 Tho come ther lepinge in a route,

  1824 And gonne choppen al aboute

  1825 Every man upon the croune,

  1826 That al the halle gan to soune,

  1827 And seyden: `Lady, lefe and dere

  1828 We ben swich folk as ye mowe here.

  1829 To tellen al the tale aright,

  1830 We ben shrewes, every wight,

  1831 And han delyt in wikkednes,

  1832 As gode folk han in goodnes;

  1833 And Ioye to be knowen shrewes,

  1834 And fulle of vyce and wikked thewes;

  1835 Wherfor we prayen yow, a-rowe,

  1836 That our fame swich be knowe

  1837 In alle thing right as hit is.'

  1838 `I graunte hit yow,' quod she, `y-wis.

  1839 But what art thou that seyst this tale,

  1840 That werest on thy hose a pale,

  1841 And on thy tipet swiche a belle!'

  1842 `Madame,' quod he, `sooth to telle,

  1843 I am that ilke shrewe, y-wis,

  1844 That brende the temple of Isidis

  1845 In Athenes, lo, that citee.'

  1846 `And wherfor didest thou so?' quod she.

  1847 `By my thrift,' quod he, `madame,

  1848 I wolde fayn han had a fame,

  1849 As other folk hadde in the toun,

  1850 Al-thogh they were of greet renoun

  1851 For hir vertu and for hir thewes;

  1852 Thoughte I, as greet a fame han shrewes,

  1853 Thogh hit be but for shrewednesse,

  1854 As gode folk han for goodnesse;

  1855 And sith I may not have that oon,

  1856 That other nil I noght for-goon.

  1857 And for to gette of Fames hyre,

  1858 The temple sette I al a-fyre.

  1859 Now do our loos be blowen swythe,

  1860 As wisly be thou ever blythe.'

  1861 `Gladly,' quod she; `thou Eolus,

  1862 Herestow not what they prayen us?'

  1863 `Madame, yis, ful wel,' quod he,

  1864 And I wil trumpen hit, parde!'

  1865 And tok his blakke trumpe faste,

  1866 And gan to puffen and to blaste,

  1867 Til hit was at the worldes ende.

  1868 With that I gan aboute wende;

  1869 For oon that stood right at my bak,

  1870 Me thoughte goodly to me spak,

  1871 And seyde, `Frend, what is thy name?

  1872 Artow come hider to han fame?'

  1873 `Nay, for-sothe, frend!' quod I;

  1874 I cam nog
ht hider, graunt mercy!

  1875 For no swich cause, by my heed!

  1876 Suffyceth me, as I were deed,

  1877 That no wight have my name in honde.

  1878 I woot my-self best how I stonde;

  1879 For what I drye or what I thinke,

  1880 I wol my-selven al hit drinke,

  1881 Certeyn, for the more part,

  1882 As ferforth as I can myn art.'

  1883 `But what dost thou here than?' quod he.

  1884 Quod I, `that wol I tellen thee,

  1885 The cause why I stonde here: --

  1886 Som newe tydings for to lere: --

  1887 Som newe thinges, I not what,

  1888 Tydinges, other this or that,

  1889 Of love, or swiche thinges glade.

  1890 For certeynly, he that me made

  1891 To comen hider seyde me,

  1892 I shulde bothe here and see,

  1893 In this place, wonder thinges;

  1894 But these be no swiche tydinges

  1895 As I mene of.' `No?' quod he,

  1896 And I answerde, `No, pardee!

  1897 For wel I wiste, ever yit,

  1898 Sith that first I hadde wit,

  1899 That som folk han desyred fame

  1900 Dyversly, and loos, and name;

  1901 But certeynly, I niste how

  1902 Ne wher that Fame dwelte, er now;

  1903 Ne eek of hir descripcioun,

  1904 Ne also hir condicioun,

  1905 Ne the ordre of hir dome,

  1906 Unto the tyme I hider come.'

  1907 `Whiche be, lo, these tydinges,

  1908 That thou now thus hider bringes,

  1909 That thou hast herd?' quod he to me;

  1910 `But now, no fors; for wel I see

  1911 What thou desyrest for to here.

  1912 Com forth, and stond no longer here,

  1913 And I wol thee, with-outen drede,

  1914 In swich another place lede,

  1915 Ther thou shalt here many oon,'

  1916 Tho gan I forth with him to goon

  1917 Out of the castel, soth to seye.

  1918 Tho saugh I stonde in a valeye,

  1919 Under the castel, faste by,

  1920 An hous, that Domus Dedali,

  1921 That Laborintus cleped is,

  1922 Nas maad so wonderliche, y-wis,

  1923 Ne half so queynteliche y-wrought.

  1924 And evermo, so swift as thought,

  1925 This queynt hous aboute wente,

  1926 That never-mo hit stike stente.

  1927 And ther-out com so greet a noise,

  1928 That, had hit stonden upon Oise,

  1929 Men mighte hit han herd esely

  1930 To Rome, I trowe sikerly.

  1931 And the noyse which that I herde,

  1932 For al the world right so hit ferde,

  1933 As doth the routing of the stoon

  1934 That from thengyn is leten goon.

  1935 And al this hous, of whiche I rede,

  1936 Was made of twigges, falwe, rede,

  1937 And grene eek, and som weren whyte,

  1938 Swiche as men to these cages thwyte,

  1939 Or maken of these paniers,

  1940 Or elles hottes or dossers;

  1941 That, for the swough and for the twigges,

  1942 This hous was also ful of gigges,

  1943 And also ful eek a chirkinges,

  1944 And of many other werkinges;

  1945 And eek this hous hath of entrees

  1946 As fele as of leves been on trees

  1947 In somer, whan they grene been;

  1948 And on the roof men may yit seen

  1949 A thousand holes, and wel mo,

  1950 To leten wel the soun out go.

  1951 And by day, in every tyde,

  1952 Ben al the dores open wyde,

  1953 And by night, echoon unshette;

  1954 Ne porter ther is non to lette

  1955 No maner tydings in to pace;

  1956 Ne never reste is in that place,

  1957 That hit nis fild ful of tydinges,

  1958 Other loude, or of whispringes;

  1959 And, over alle the houses angles,

  1960 Is ful of rouninges and of Iangles

  1961 Of werre, of pees, of mariages,

  1962 Of reste, of labour, of viages,

  1963 Of abood, of deeth, of lyfe,

  1964 Of love, of hate, acorde, of stryfe,

  1965 Of loos, of lore, and of winninges,

  1966 Of hele, of sekenesse, of bildinges,

  1967 Of faire windes, of tempestes,

  1968 Of qualme of folk, and eek of bestes;

  1969 Of dyvers transmutaciouns

  1970 Of estats, and eek of regiouns;

  1971 Of trust, of drede, of Ielousye,

  1972 Of wit, of winninge, of folye;

  1973 Of plentee, and of greet famyne,

  1974 Of chepe, of derth, and of ruyne;

  1975 Of good or mis governement,

  1976 Of fyr, of dyvers accident.

  1977 And lo, this hous, of whiche I wryte,

  1978 Siker be ye, hit nas not lyte;

  1979 For hit was sixty myle of lengthe;

  1980 Al was the timber of no strengthe,

  1981 Yet hit is founded to endure

  1982 Whyl that hit list to Aventure,

  1983 That is the moder of tydinges,

  1984 As the see of welles and springes, --

  1985 And hit was shapen lyk a cage.

  1986 `Certes,' quod I, `in al myn age,

  1987 Ne saugh I swich a hous as this.'

  1988 And as I wondred me, y-wis,

  1989 Upon this hous, tho war was I

  1990 How that myn egle, faste by,

  1991 Was perched hye upon a stoon;

  1992 And I gan streighte to him goon,

  1993 And seyde thus: `I preye thee

  1994 That thou a whyl abyde me

  1995 For goddes love, and let me seen

  1996 What wondres in this place been;

  1997 For yit, paraventure, I may lere

  1998 Som good ther-on, or sumwhat here

  1999 That leef me were, or that I wente.'

  2000 `Peter! that is myn entente,'

  2001 Quod he to me; `therfor I dwelle;

  2002 But certein, oon thing I thee telle,

  2003 That, but I bringe thee ther-inne,

  2004 Ne shalt thou never cunne ginne

  2005 To come in-to hit, out of doute,

  2006 So faste hit whirleth, lo, aboute.

  2007 But sith that Ioves, of his grace,

  2008 As I have seyd, wol thee solace

  2009 Fynally with swiche thinges,

  2010 Uncouthe sightes and tydinges,

  2011 To passe with thyn hevinesse;

  2012 Suche routhe hath he of thy distresse,

  2013 That thou suffrest debonairly --

  2014 And wost thy-selven utterly

  2015 Disesperat of alle blis,

  2016 Sith that Fortune hath maad a-mis

  2017 The fruit of al thyn hertes reste

  2018 Languisshe and eek in point to breste --

  2019 That he, through his mighty meryte,

  2020 Wol do thee ese, al be hit lyte,

  2021 And yaf expres commaundement,

  2022 To whiche I am obedient,

  2023 To furthre thee with al my might,

  2024 And wisse and teche thee aright

  2025 Wher thou maist most tydinges here;

  2026 Shaltow anoon heer many oon lere.'

  2027 With this worde he, right anoon,

  2028 Hente me up bitwene his toon,

 
; 2029 And at a windowe in me broghte,

  2030 That in this hous was, as me thoghte --

  2031 And ther-withal, me thoughte hit stente,

  2032 And no-thing hit aboute wente --

  2033 And me sette in the flore adoun.

  2034 But which a congregacioun

  2035 Of folk, as I saugh rome aboute

  2036 Some within and some withoute,

  2037 Nas never seen, ne shal ben eft;

  2038 That, certes, in the world nis left

  2039 So many formed by Nature,

  2040 Ne deed so many a creature;

  2041 That wel unnethe, in that place,

  2042 Hadde I oon foot-brede of space;

  2043 And every wight that I saugh there

  2044 Rouned ech in others ere

  2045 A newe tyding prevely,

  2046 Or elles tolde al openly

  2047 Right thus, and seyde: `Nost not thou

  2048 That is betid, lo, late or now?'

  2049 `No,' quod the other, `tel me what;' --

  2050 And than he tolde him this and that,

  2051 And swoor ther-to that hit was sooth --

  2052 `Thus hath he seyd,'-- and `Thus he dooth' --

  2053 `Thus shal hit be,' -- `Thus herde I seye' --

  2054 `That shal he found' -- `That dar I leye:' --

  2055 That al the folk that is a-lyve

  2056 Ne han the cunning to discryve

  2057 The thinges that I herde there,

  2058 What aloude, and what in ere.

  2059 But al the wonder-most was this: --

  2060 Whan oon had herd a thing, y-wis,

  2061 He com forth to another wight,

  2062 And gan him tellen, anoon-right,

  2063 The same that to him was told,

  2064 Or hit a furlong-way was old,

  2065 But gan somwhat for to eche

  2066 To this tyding in this speche

  2067 More than hit ever was.

  2068 And nat so sone departed nas

  2069 That he fro him, that he ne mette

  2070 With the thridde; and, or he lette

  2071 Any stounde, he tolde him als;

  2072 Were the tyding sooth or fals,

  2073 Yit wolde he telle hit nathelees,

  2074 And evermo with more encrees

  2075 Than hit was erst. Thus north and southe

  2076 Went every word fro mouth to mouthe,

  2077 And that encresing ever-mo,

  2078 As fyr is wont to quikke and go

  2079 From a sparke spronge amis,

  2080 Til al a citee brent up is.

  2081 And whan that was ful y-spronge,

  2082 And woxen more on every tonge

  2083 Than ever hit was, hit wente anoon

  2084 Up to a windowe, out to goon;

  2085 Or, but hit mighte out ther pace,

  2086 Hit gan out crepe at som crevace,

  2087 And fleigh forth faste for the nones.

  2088 And somtyme saugh I tho, at ones,

  2089 A lesing and a sad soth-sawe,

  2090 That gonne of aventure drawe

  2091 Out at a windowe for to pace;

  2092 And, when they metten in that place,

  2093 They were a-chekked bothe two,

  2094 And neither of hem moste out go;

  2095 For other so they gonne croude,

  2096 Til eche of hem gan cryen loude,

  2097 `Lat me go first!' -- `Nay, but let me!

  2098 And here I wol ensuren thee

  2099 With the nones that thou wolt do so,

  2100 That I shal never fro thee go,

  2101 But be thyn owne sworen brother!

  2102 We wil medle us ech with other,

  2103 That no man, be he never so wrothe,

  2104 Shal han that oon of two, but bothe

  2105 At ones, al beside his leve,

  2106 Come we a-morwe or on eve,

  2107 Be we cryed or stille y-rouned.'

  2108 Thus saugh I fals and sooth compouned

  2109 Togeder flee for oo tydinge.

  2110 Thus out at holes gonne wringe

  2111 Every tyding streight to Fame;

  2112 And she gan yeven eche his name,

  2113 After hir disposicioun,

  2114 And yaf hem eek duracioun,

  2115 Some to wexe and wane sone,

  2116 As dooth the faire, whyte mone,

  2117 And leet hem gon. Ther might I seen

  2118 Wenged wondres faste fleen,

  2119 Twenty thousand in a route,

  2120 As Eolus hem blew aboute.

  2121 And, lord! this hous, in alle tymes,

  2122 Was ful of shipmen and pilgrymes,

  2123 With scrippes bret-ful of lesinges,

  2124 Entremedled with tydinges,

  2125 And eek alone by hem-selve.

  2126 O, many a thousand tymes twelve

  2127 Saugh I eek of these pardoneres,

  2128 Currours, and eek messangeres,

  2129 With boistes crammed ful of lyes

  2130 As ever vessel was with lyes.

  2131 And as I alther-fastest wente

  2132 Aboute, and dide al myn entente

  2133 Me for to pleye and for to lere,

  2134 And eek a tyding for to here,

  2135 That I had herd of som contree

  2136 That shal not now be told for me; --

  2137 For hit no nede is, redely;

  2138 Folk can singe hit bet than I;

  2139 For al mot out, other late or rathe,

  2140 Alle the sheves in the lathe; --

  2141 I herde a gret noise withalle

  2142 In a corner of the halle,

  2143 Ther men of love tydings tolde,

  2144 And I gan thiderward beholde;

  2145 For I saugh renninge every wight,

  2146 As faste as that they hadden might;

  2147 And everich cryed, `What thing is that?'

  2148 And som seyde, `I not never what,'

  2149 And whan they were alle on an hepe,

  2150 Tho behinde gonne up lepe,