ANCIENT POEMS. If

III.

AN ORIGINAL BALLAD BY CHAUCER.

This little fonnet, which hath efcaped all the editors of Chaucer's works, is now printed for the first time from an ancient MS in the Pepyfian library, that contains many other poems of its venerable author. The verfification is of that fpecies, which the French call RONDEAU, very naturally englished by our honeft countrymen ROUND O. Tho' fo early adopted by them, our ancestors had not the honour of inventing it: Chaucer picked it up, along with other better things, among the neighbouring nations. A fondness for laborious trifles bath always prevailed in the dark ages of literature. The Greek poets have had their WINGS and AXES: the great father of English poefy may therefore be pardoned one poor folitary RONDEAU.-Dan Geofrey Chaucer died Oct. 25. 1400. aged 72.

YOURE

I. 1.

two eyn will fle me fodenly,

I may the beaute of them not fuftene,
So wendeth it thorowout my herte kene.

2.

And but your words will helen hastely
My hertis wound, while that it is grene,
Youre two eyn will fle me fodenly.

3.

Upon my trouth I fey yow feithfully,

That ye ben of my liffe and deth the uene;

For with my deth the trouth fhal be fene.

Youre two eyn, &c.

II. 1. So

II. I.

So hath youre beauty fro your herte chafed
Pitee, that me n' availeth not to pleyn;
For daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.

Giltless my deth thus have ye purchased;
I fey yow foth, me nedeth not to fayn:
So hath your beaute fro your herte chafed.

3.

Alas, that nature hath in

yow compassed So grete beaute, that no man may atteyn

To mercy, though he fterve for the

So hath youre beaute, &c.

·ITI. I.

peyn,

Syn I fro love efcaped am fo fat,
I nere thinke to ben in his prifon lene;
Syn I am fre, I counte hym not a bene,

2.

He may anfwere, and fey this and that,
I do no fors, I fpeak ryght as I mene;
Syn I fro love escaped am so fat.

3.

Love hath my name i ftrike out of his fclat,
And he is ftrike out of my bokes clene:

For ever mo

Hineris
is non other mene,

Syn I fro love efcaped, &c.

*This. MS.

IV. THE

/ good writers +,

I there is little hope of its being abolished.