[telle;

This cete he governed nobilich welc,
And conquered many a regioune, acronicull doth us
For, shortly to conclude, al tho wer adversaryes
To Rome in his dayis he made them tributaries;
So had he in subjectioune both frend and foon,
Of which I tell yew trewly Englond was oon.
Yit aftir Julius Cæsar, and sith that Crist was bore,
Rome was governed as wele as it was before,
And namelich in that tyme and in the same yeris
When it was governed by the Doseperis;
As semeth wele by reson, who so can entend,
That O mann'ys wyt ne wyll may not comprehend
The boucheff and the myschoff, as may many hedis ;
Ther'for ther operaciouns, ther domes, and ther
dedes,

By the rood of Bromholm," quod the Merchant "As fer as I have sailed, riden and ygo, Sawe I nevir a man yet tofore this ilk day So wele coud rule a company as our Host, in fay His wordis ben so comfortabill, and comyth so in

seson,

That my wit is ovircome to make eny reson
Contrary to his counsaill at myn ymagynacioune,
Wher'for I woll tell a tale to your consolacioune,
In ensampill to yowe that when that I have do
Anothir be right redy then for to tell, ryght so
To fulfyll our Hoost'is wyll and his ordinaunce.
There shall no fawte be found in me: gode wyl
shal be my chaunce:

With this I be excusid of my rudines,
Altho' I cannot peynt my tale, but tell it as it is,
Lepyng ovir no sentence, as ferforth as I may,
But tell yewe the yolke and put the white away."

THE

MERCHANT'S SECOND TALE;

OR, THE HISTORY OF BERYN.

WIILOм yeris passed in the old dawis

When rightfullich by reson governyd wer the lawis, And pryncipally in the cete of Rome, that was so rich,

And worthiest in his dayes, and noon to him ilich Of worship ne of wele, ne of governaunce, For alle londis christened ther' of had dotaunce, And all othir natiouns, of what feith they were, Whils the emperour was hole, and in his paleys there I mainteynid in honour; and in pop'is se Rome was then obeied of all christiante. But it farith ther'by as it doith by othir thingis; For though nethir cete, regioune, ne kyngis, Beth nat nowe so worthy as were by olde tyme, As we fynd in romaunces, in gestis, and in ryme, For all things doith wast, and eke mann'ys lyff Ys more shorter than it was; and our wittis fyve Mowe nat comprehende now in our dieties As som tyme myght these old wise poetes. But sith that terrene thinges ben nat perdurabill, No mervail is though Rome be somwhat variabill Fro honour and fro wele sith his friendis passid ; As many anothir town is payrid and ylassid • Within these few yeris, as we mowe se at eye; Lo! sirs, here fast by Wynchelse and Ry.

But yit the name is evir oon of Rome as it was groundit

After Remus and Romulus, that first that cete foundit,
That brethren weren both to, as old bokis writen;
But of ther lef and governaunce I wol not now
enditen,

But of othir mater that fallith to my mynd;
Wher'for, gentill sirs, ye that beth behind
Drawith somwhat nere thikker to a rout,
That my wordis may soune to eche man about.
Aftir these two brethren Romulus and Remus
Julius Cæsar was emperour, that rightful was of
Domus.

VOL. I.

Were so egallich ydoon; for in all cristen londis
Was noon that they sparid for to mend wrongis,
Then Constantyne the third, aftir these Dosiperis,
Was emperour of Rome, and regnyd many yeris,
So shortly to pas ovir, after Constantyn's dayis
Phus Augustinus, as songen is in layes,
That Constantyn'ys son, and of plener age,
Was emperour ychose, as fill by heritage,
In whose tyme sikerlich the seven sages were
In Rome ydwelling decently; and yf yee lust to lere
How they were yclepid, or I ferther goon,

I woll tell you the names of them everichone,
And declare yeu the cause why they ther namys
The first was ycleped Sother Legifeer, [bere,
This is thus much for to sey, as man bering the lawe:
And so he did trewly; for lever he had be sclawe
Then do or sey eny thing that sowned out of reson,
So clene was his conscience yset in trowith and

reson.

Marcus Stoycus the second, so pepill hym hightc,
That is to mene in our constert, a keper of the right:
And so he did full trewe; for the record and the
plees

He wrote them evir trewly, and took noon othir fees
But such as was ordynid to take by the yere:
Now, Lord God! in Cristendom I wold it were so
clere.

The third Crassus Asulus among men clepid was,
An house of rest, and ese, and counsail, in every case:
For to onderstond that was his name full right,
For evirmore the connsails he helpid wyth al' his
Antonius Judeus the ferth was yclepid, [myght.
That was as much to meen, as wele we myght have
As any posed of all the long yere,
[clepid
That myght have made hym sory or chongit onys
chere,

But evirmore rejoycing, what that evir betid,
For his hert was evir mery, right as the somer
Summus Philopater was the fifft'is name,
That thoughe men wold slee hym, or do hym al
the shame,

[bridd.

Angir, or disease, as evil as men couthe,
Yet wold he love them nevir the wers in hert ne in
mowith.
[above,
His will was cleen undir his foot, and nothing hym
Ther'fore he was clepid Fathir of perfite love.
The sixth and the sevinth of these sevin sages
Was Stypio and Sithero, as thes word astrolages
Was sirname to them both aftir their sciences;
For of astronomy sikerlich the cours and al the fences
Bothe they knowhit wele inoughe, and wer right
sotil of art.

But now to othir purpose, for her I woll depart
As lightly as I can, and draw to my matere,
In that same tyme that these sages were

Tt

Dwellyng thus in Room, a litill without the walles, | In the subarbis of the town, of chambris and of ballis,

And all other howseing that to a lord belongit, Was noon wythyn the cete, ne noon so wele behongit

With docers of highe pryse, ne wallid so aboute,
As was a senatours hous wythyn and eke withoute.
Favinus was his name, a worthe man and rich;
And, for to sey shortlych, in Room was noon hym
lyche.

His portis and his estris were full evenaunte
Of tresour and of lordshyp; also the most vailant
He was, and eke ycom of high lynage:
And at last he toke a wyff like to his peerage:
For Noriture and connyng, bewte and parentyne,
Wer tho countid more worth than gold or sylvir fyne.
But now it is al othir in many mann'ys thought,
For Muk ys now ymarried, and vertu set at nought.
Fawnus and his worthy wyff wer to gidir aloon
Fyveteen wyntir fuiliche, and issu had they noon,
Wher'for ther joyis wer not half parfite,
For utterlich to have a child was al ther delite,
That myght enjoy ther heritage and weld their
honour,
[coure.
And eke when they were febill to their trew so-
Their fastyng and their prayir, and all that evir
they wrought,

As pilgrimage and almsded, ever they besought
That God would of his goodnes som fruyte betwene
them send:
[end,
Fro gynnyng of their spousaill, the myddil and the
This was their most besynes, and all othir delites,
And eke this world'is rychis, they set at littil price.
So at last, as God wold, it fill oppon a dey,
As this lady fro chirchward went in the wey,
A child gan stere in her womb, as Godd'is wyl was,
Wher❜of she gan to mervill, and made shortir pas,
Wyth colour pale and eke wanne, and full in he-
vynes,
[sekenes.
For she had nevir tofore that day such manere
The wymmen that with hir were gon to behold
The lady and her chere, but nothing they told,
But feir and soft wyth ese homward they her led:
For her soden sekenes ful sore they were adred,
For she was inlich gentil, kynd and amyabill,
And eke trewe of hert, and nothing variabill.
She lovid God above all thing, and dred syn and
shame,

And Agea sikerly was her rightfull name.
So aftir, in breff tyme, whan it was purseyved
That she had done a womans dede, and had a child
conseyved,

The joy that she made ther may no tung tell;
And al so much, or more, yf I ne ly shell,
Favinus made in his behalf for this glad tyding,
That I trowe I leve the emperour ne the kyng
Made no bettir cher to wyff, ne no more myrth,
Than Fawnus to Agea. And when the tyme of
Nyghid ner and ner, aftir cours of kynd, [birth
Wetith wele in certen that all the wyt and mynd
Of Fawnus was continuell of feir delyveraunce
Betwene Agea and his child, and made grete or-
denaunce
[doun.
Ageyn the tyme it shuld be bore, as it was for to
So as God wold whan tyme cam Agea had a son;
But joy that Fawnus made was dobil tho to fore
When that he knew in certen she had a son ybore,
And sent anoon for nursis four, and no less,
To reule this child. Afterward as yeris did pas,

The child was kept so tenderly that it throff wel the bet,

For what the norishes axit anoon it was ysett. [go: In his chambir it norished was; to town it mut nat Fawnus lovid it so cherely hit might nat part hym fro.

It was so feyr a creature as myght be on lyve Of lyms and of fetours, and growe wondir blyve, This child that I of tell, Berinus was his name, Was ovir much cherished, which turned hym into grame, [spase;

As yee shull here aftir, when time comyth and For Aftir swele the soure comyth full oft in many a plase:

For as sone as he coud go and also speke
All that he set his ey on, or aftir list to beke,
Anoon he should it have, for no man hym wernyd.
But it had be wel bettir he had be wele ylernyd
Noriture and gentilnes, and had yhad some hey,
For it fill so aftir wyth what child he did pley
Yf the pley ne likid hym he wold breke his hede,
Or with a knyff hym hurt ryght nygh hond to be
dede:

For ther nas knyght ne squyer in his fadirs house,
That thought his own persone moste corajouse,
That did or seyd eny thing Bérinus to displese
That he n'old spetously anoon oppon him rese;
Wher of his fadir had joy and his modir also:
Yet it semith to many a man it was nat wisely do.
When Beryu passed was seven yere, and grew in
more age,
[his corage
He wrought full many an evil chek; for such was
That there he wist or might do eny evill dede
He wold nevir sese for ought that men him scid,
Whe'fore many a pore man ful oft was agrevid;
But Fawnus and Agea ful light theron belevid :
And thoughe men wold pleyne ful short it shuld
availe,
[saill
For Fawnus was so myghty, and cheff of all coun-
With Augustyn the emperour, that all men hym
drad,
[bad.
And lete pas ovir mischefe and harmys that they
Berinus furthermore lovid well the dise,
And for to pley at hazard, and held ther' of grete
And all othir gamys that losery was in, [pryse,
And evirmore he lost, and nevir myght wyn,
Berynus at hazard many a nyght he wakid,
Aud oft tyme it fill so that he cam hom al nakid :
And that was all his joy, for right wele he knew
That Agea his modir wold cloth hym newe.
Thus Berynus lyvid, as I have told to fore,
Tyll he was of the age of eightene yere or more,
But othir whyls amongis for pleyntis that were
grete

Fawnus made amendis and put them in quiete:
So was the fadir cause the sone was so wyld;
And so have many mo such of his own child
Be cause of his undoyng, al we mowe se al day;
For Thing ytake is hard to put awey,

As hors that evir trottid, trewlich I yew telle,
It were hard to make hym aftir to ambill welle:
Ryght so by Beryn; when he had his lust and wyll
when he was lite

It shuld be hevy afterward to reve his old delite,
Save the whele of Fortune, that no man may with-
For every man on lyve ther'on he is gond; [stonde,
O spoke she turnyd bakward, right at high noone,
All ageyn Berynus, as ye shull bere sone.
Agea his modir fell in grete.sikenes,
And sent aftir husbond wyth wordis hire to lis,

And for she wold tell hym hir hole hert'is wyll
Er she out of the world partid, as it was right and
skill.

When Fawnus was ycome, and saw so rodylese
Hys wyff that was so dere, that for love he chese,
No mervell though his hert wer in grete morning,
For he purseyvyd fullich she drewe to hir endyng:
Yit made he othir chere then in his hert was
To put awey discomfort, dissimilying wyth his fase
The hevynes of his hert: wyth chere he did it
close,
[glose;
For such a manner craft ther is wyth them can
Save that tournyth all to cautele: but Fawnus did

For wetith wele in certeyn his hert was full of wo
For his wyff Agea; and yit for craft he couth
The teris fro his eyin ran doun by his mowith:
When he saw the pangis of deth comyng so fast
Oppon his wyff Agea almost his hert to brast.
Agea lyfft up hir eyen, and beheld the chere
Of hir husbond Fawnus, that was so trew a fere,
And seyd, "Sir, why do ye thus? this is an elying
In comfort of us both, yf yee might spare [fare
And put awey thys hevynes whyle that yee and I
Myght speke of othir thyngis, for deth me nyghith
nygh,

For to body ne to soule this vailyth nat a karse."
"Now tellyth on," quod Fawnus, " and I wol lete it
For the time of talkyng as wele as I may [pas
But out of my remembraunce onto my endying day
Yeur deth woll nevir, I woot it wele, but evir be in
my mynd."
[kynd
"Then, good Sir," quod Agea, "beth to my soule
When my body is out of sight, for therto have I
nede,

For truer make then yee be in word ne in dede
Had nevir woman, ne more kyndnes
Hath shewed unto his make, I know right wele iwis:
Now wold ye so her after in hert be as trewe,
To lyve without make, and on yeur sone rewe,
That litill hath ylernid sithens he was bore: [fore
Let hym have no stepmodir, for children have to-
Comelich they lovith nat: wherfore wyth hert I
prey

Have chere onto yeur sone aftir my endyng day;
For so God me help and I lafft yew behynd
Shuld nevir man on lyve bryng it in my myud
To be no more yweddit, but lyve soule aloon.
Now yee know all my wyll, good sir, think ther'on."
Certis," quod Fawnus, "whils I have wyttis fyve
I think nevir aftir yew to have another wyff."
The preest was com therwythall for to do hir righ:is;
Fawnus toke his leve, and all the othir knyghtis,
Hir kyndrid and frendis kissed hir echone:

66

It is no nede to axe where ther was dole or noon.
Agea cast her ey up, and lokid all aboute, [oute,
And wold have kissid Beryn, but then was he wyth-
Pleying to the hazard, as he was wont to doon,
For as sone as be had ete he wold ren out anoon;
And when she saw he was not ther that she thought,
[anoon.
Hire sekenes and hir mournyng brest her hert
A damsell tofore that was ron into the toune
For to feche Beryn, that pleyed for his gowne,
And had almost lost it, right as the damsell cam,
And swore and starid as he was wood, as longit to

most on

the game.

The damsell seyd to Beryn, "Sir, ye must com home,

For but ye hygh blyve that yee, wer ycome

Yeur mothir woll be dede, she is yit on lyve: Yf ye wol speke wyth her yee must hygh blyve." "Who bad so, lewd Kitt?"-"Your fadir, sir," quod she.

"Go home, lewd visenag, that evil mut thow the!" Quod Beryne to the damsell, and gan her fray and feer,

And bad the devill of Hell hir should to tere. "Hast thow ought els to do but let me of my game? Now by God in hevin, by Peter, and by Jame," Quoth Beryn in grete angir, and swore be book and bell,

Rehersyng many namys mo than me lyst to tell,
"N'er thow my fadirs messenger wer thou shuldist
nevir ete brede:

I had levir my modir and also thou wer déde
Than I shuld lese the game that I am nowgh in;"
And smote the damsell undir the ere, the weet gon
upward spyn:

The death of Agea he set at litill pryse;

So in that wrath frolick Beryn threw the dyse,
And lost wyth that same cast al was leyde adown,
And stert up in a wood rage, and ballid on his
[abyde;

crown,

And so he did the remnaunt, as many as wold
But for drede of Fawnus his felawis gan to hyde,
And nevir had wyll, ne list, wyth Beryn for to
fyght,

But evir redy to pley and wyn what they myght.
The deth of Agea sprang about the towne,
And every man that herd the bell for her sowne
Bemony'd her full sore; saff Bcryn toke none hede,
But sought anothir feleship, and quyklich to them
yede,

To such manner company as shuld nevir thryve,
For such he lovid bettir than his modir's lyve;
And evirmore it shuld be nyght or he wold home
drawe,

For of his fadir in certeyn he had no manner awe;
For evir in his yowith he had al his wyll,
And was ypassed chastising but men wold hym kyll,
Fawnus for Agea, as it was well fitting,
Made grete ordenaunce for hir burying,
Of prelatis and of preestis, and of all othir thyng,
As thoughe she had be a wyff of a worthy king
It myght nat have be mendit; such was his gen.
tilnes,

For at hir enteryng was many a worthy messe,
For four weeks full, or he did her intere, [there,
She ley in lede wythyn his house; but Beryn cam rot
Namelich into the place where his modir ley,
Ne onys wole he a Pater noster for hir soule sey:
His thought was all in unthryft, lechery, and dyse,
And drawyng all to foly, for Yowith is rechles,
But ther it is refreyned and hath som munere eye:
And ther'fore methynkith that I may wele sey
A man ypassid yowith, and is wythout lore,
May be wele likyned to a tre wythout more,
That may nat bowe ne bere fruyte, but root and

ever wast:

Ryght so by yowith farith that no man list to chast,
This mowe we know verely by experience,
That Yerd makith vertu and benevolence
In childhode for to growe, as provith ymagynacioune:
A plant whils it is grene, or it have dominacioune,
A man may wyth his fyngers ply it wher bym lyst,.
And make ther'of a shakill, a with, or a twist;
But let the plant stond, and yeris ovirgrowe,
Men shull not wyth both his hondis unnethis make
it bowe:

No more myght Fawnus make his sone Beryn,
When he grew in age, to his lote enclyne;

For every day when Berýn rose unwash he wold dyne,

And draw hym to his feleship as even as a lyne, And then com home and ete, and soop, and sclepe at nyght:

This was al his besynes but yf that he did fight; Wher'for his fadir's hert Fawnus gan for to blede, That of his modir that ley at home he toke no more hede:

And so did all the pepill that dwellid in the town Of Beryn's wildnes gon speke and eke roun. Fawnus oppon a dey, when Beryn came at eve, Was set oppon a purpose to make his sone leve All his shrewd taichis wyth goodnes if he myght, And taught hym feir and soft, but Beryn toke it light,

And countid at litill pryse al his fadir's tale. Fawnus saw it wold nat; with colour wan and pale He partid from his sone, and wyth a sorowfull herte.

I ne can write halfyndele how sore he hid smert
The disobeying of his sone and his wyf'is deth,
That, as the book tellith, he wished that his breth
Had ybeen above the serkill celestyne,

So fervent was his sorrowe, his angir, and his pyne.
So, shortly to conclude, Agea was interid,
And Fawnus livid wyfles three yere were ywerid,
Wher of ther was grete speche for his high honour;
Tyll at last word cam onto the emperour
That Fawnus was without wyfe, and seld was jo-
counde,

But mournyng for Agea that he was to ybound,
And lyvid as an hermyte, soule and destitute,
Wythout consolacioune, pensyff oft and mute:
Wher for Augustinus, of Rome the Emperour,
Was inwardlich sory, and in grete dolour.
Wyth that the seven Sagis and Senatouris all
Were assemblid, to discryve what shuld ther'of fall;
The wych seyd shortly, "For a molestatioune
Ther was noon othir remedy but a consolacioune;
For Whoso wer in eny thing displesid or agrevid
Must by a like thing egall be remevid." [cioune,
And when the emperour knew all their determina-
Quicklich in his mynd he had imaginacioune
That Fawnus for Agea was in high distres,
And must ycurid be wyth passyng gentilnes
Of som lusty lady, that of pulchritude
Were excellent al othir: so, shortly to conclude,
The emperour had a love tofore he had a wyf
That he lovid as hertlich as his own lyf,
As was as feir a creature as sone myght beshyne;
So excellent of bewte that she myght be shryne
To all othir wymmen that wer tho lyvand :
But for the emperour had a wyf ye shul wele on-
derstond

He cam nat in hir company to have his delite;
For Cristendome and conscience was tho more perfite
Then it is now adayis, yf I durst tell :

But I wol leve at this tyme. Than Fawnus al so well
Was aftir sent in hest, of seknes to be curyd;
So what for drede and ellis they wer both ensuryd
In presence of the emperour, so Fawnus myght

nat flee ;

It was the emperours wyll, it myght noon othir be.
So wythin a tyme Agea was forgete,

For Fawnus thought litill on that he bir bebight:
For as the seven Sagis had afore declarid
It cam all to purpose; for Fawnus litil carid

[fence,

For eny thing at all save his wyff to plese,
That Rame was yclėpid: for rest nethir ese
Fawnus nevir had but of her presence:
So was his herte on her yset that he cond no de-
Save evirmore be wyth bir, and stare on hir visage,
That the most part of Roon held it for dotage,
And had much marvell of his variaunce:
But What is that Fortune cannat put in chance?
For ther n'as man on lyve on woman more bedotid
Then Fawnus was in Rame, ne half so much ysotid.
Wyth that Rame had knowlech that Fawnus was
ysmyt

Wyth the dart of Love: ye mowe ryght wele it wyt
That all that evir she coud cast or ythynck
Was all ageyn Berynus, for many a sotill wrench
She thought and wrought day by day, as meny
wemen doon,

Tyll they have of their desire the full conclusioune:
For the more that Fawnus of Rame did made
The more dangerous was Rame and of chere sade,
And kept wele hir purpose undir covirture:
She was the las to blame; it grew of nature.
But though that Rame wrought so, God forbede
that alle
[gall,
Wer of that condicioune. Yet touch no man the
It is my plein counsell, but doith as othir doith:
Take your part as it comith of roughe and eke of
smoothe.
[mynde,
Yit noritur, wit and gentilnes, reson and perfite
Doth all these worthy women to worch ageny's
kynde,
[dure,
That thoughe they be agrevid they suffir and en-
And passith ovir for the best, and folowith nothing
[sire,
But now to Rame's purpose, and what was hir de-
Shortly to conclude, to make debate and ire
Betwene the fadir and the sone, as it was likely tho;
What for his condicioune, and what for love also
That Fawnus owt to his wyff, the rathir he must
hir leve,

nature.

And grant for to mend, yf ought hir did greve.
Berinus evir wrought right as he did before,
And Rame made hym chere of love, ther myght
no woman more,

And gaff hym gold and clothing evir as he did lese,
Of the best that he coud ought wher in town chese,
And speke full feir wyth hym, to make al thyng
[brede:

dede;

Yit wold she have yete his herte wythout falt or
She hid so hir felony, and spak so in covert,
That Beryn myght nat spy it but lite of Ram'ys hert.
So, shortly to pas ovir, it fill oppon a nyghte,
When Fawnus and his fresh wyf wer to bed ydight,
He toke hir in his armys and made hir hertely chere,
Ther myght no man betir make to his fere,
And seyd, "Myn ertly joy, myn hertis full ple-
saunce,

My wele, my woo, my paradise, my lyv'is sustenaunce!

Why ne be ye mery, why be ye so dull,

Sith ye know I am your own right as your hert woll? Now tell on love, myn own hert! yf ye eylith ought, For and it be in my power anoon it shall be wrought."

Rame wyth that gan sighe, and wyth a wepeing chere [nere: Undid the bagg of trechery, and seide in this ma"No mervell though myn herte be sore and full of dele, [whele.

For when I to yew weddit was wrong went my

+ But who may be ageyns hap and aventure?

迦

2

Therfor as wele as I may myne I mut endure." Wyth many sharp wordis she set his herte on feir To purchase with hir practik that she did desire: But hoolich all hir wordis I cannot wele reherse,

Ne write ne endite how she did perce

Through Fawny's herte and his scull also ;

For more petouse compleynt of sorowe and of woo,
Made nevir woman, ne more petously,
Then Rame made to Fawnys: she smote full bitterly
Into the veyn, and through his herte blood;
She bloderit so and wept, and was so high on mode,
That unneth she myght speke but othir while among
Wordis of discomfort, and hir hondis wrong;
For alas and woo the tyme that she weddit was!
Was evir more the frefreit when she myght have

spase.

"I am yweddit; ye, God woot best in what maner and how!

For yf it wer so fall I had a child by you,
Lord! how shuld he lyve, how shuld he com awey?
Sith Beryn is yeur first sone, and heir aftir yeur
day?

But yf that he had grace to scoole for to goo,
To have som maner conning that he myght trust to,
For as it now stondeth it were the best rede,
For, so God me help, I had levir he wer dede
Than wer of such condicioune or of such lore
As Beryn yeur sone is; it wer bett. he wer unbore,
For he doith nat ellis save at hazard pley,
And comyth home al nakid ech othir dey;
For within this month that I have wyth yeu be
Fiftene sithis, for verry grete pite

I have yclothid hym al new when he was to tore,
For evirmore he seyde the old were vlore.
Now and he wer my sone I had levir he were ysod,
For and he pley so long half our lyvelode
Wold scarsly suffise hymself oon,
[John
And n'ere yee wold be grevid, I swere be Seynt
He shuld aftir this dey be clothid no more for me,
But he wold kepe them bettir and draw fro nycete."
"Now gentill wyff, gramey of yeur wise tale,
I thynk wel the more that I sey no fale; [nakid,
For towchyng my grevaunce, that Beryn goith al
Treulich that grevaunce is somwhat asclakid :
Let hym aloon, I prey yew, and I woll con yew
thank,

For in such losery he hath lost many a frank.
The devil hym spede that rech yf he be to tore,
And he use it hereaftir as he hath doon to fore."
Beryn arose a morowe, and cried wondir fast,
And axid aftir clothis, but it was all in wast;
Ther was no man tendant for hym in all the house;
The whele was ychaungit into anothir cours.
Fawnus herd his sone wele how he began to cry,
And rose up anoon and to hym did high,

And had forgete nothyng that Rame had yseyde,
For he boilid so his herte he was nat well apayde.
He went into the chambir ther his sone ley,
And set hym down in a chair, and thus he gan to
sey:

"My gentil sone Beryn, now feir I wol ye teche;
Rew oppon thy self, and be thyne own leche.
Manhode is ycom now, myne own dere sone,
It is tyme thow be aweynyd of thyn old wone:
And thow art 20 wynters, and naught hast of doc-
tryne;
[be thyne,
Yit woldist thow draw to perfite the worship wold
To noritur and goodship, and al honest thing,
Ther myght com to myn herte no more glad tyding.

Leve now al thy foly and thy rebawdry,
As tablis and mervellis, and the hazardry, [good,
And draw the to the company of honest men and
Els leve thow me as wele as Criste died on the rode;
And for al menkynd his ghost pas lete,
Thow shalt for me heraftir stond on thyn own fete,
For I woll no longir suffir this aray
To clothe the al new eche othir dey.

Yf thow wolt draw the to wit, and rebawdry with-
draw,
[thow:
Of such good as God have sent yn part have shalt
And if thow wolt nat, my sone, do as I the tell,
Of me shalt thow naught have, trust me right well.
Wenyst thow wyth thy dise-pleying hold myn ho-

noure

Aftir my deth dey?" Then Beryn gan to loure,
And seide, "Is this a sermon or a prechèment?
Ye were nat wont herto; how is this ywent ?
Sendith for some clothing that I wer ago;
My felawis lokith aftir me, I woot well they do so:
I woll nat leve my feleship ne my rckelagis,
Ne my dise-pleying, for all yeur heretages:
Doith yeur best wyth them by yeur lyf day,
For when they fall to me I wol do as I may.
Benedicite! fadir, who hath enformyd you,
And set you into ire, to make me chere rowe?
But I know wele inough whens this counsaill cam;
Trewlich of yeur own wyfe, that evil dame :
Com oppon hir body that fals putaigne,
For trewlich, fadir, yee dote on hir, and so all men
seyne,

Alas that evir a man shuld, that is of high counsaile,
Set all his wisdom on his wyv's taile!

Yee lovith hir so much she hath benome yeur wyt,
And I may curs the tyme that evir ye wer yknyt,
For now I am in certen I have a stepmodir:
They been shrewis, som ther been, but few, othir.
Vel Fikil Flaptail, such oon as she ys,
For all my pleying at dise yit do yee more amys:
Yee have ylost yeur name, yeur worship, and yeur
feith,

So dote ye on bir, and levith all she sayith."
Fawnus wyth the same word gaff the chayir a but,
And lepe out of the chambir, as who seyd Cut,
And swore in verrey woodnes be God omnipotent
That Beryn of his wordis shuld sore repent.
Beryn set nought ther'of, with a proude herte
Answerd his fadir, and axid a new shert.
He gropid al about to have found oon,
As he was wont to fore, but ther was noon.
Then toke he such wilokis as he fond ther,
And beheld hymself what man he wer;
For when he was arayde then gan be firste be wrothe,
For his womb lokid out and his rigg both.
He stert aftir his fadir, and he began to cry,
"For seth myn array, for the villany
Ys as wele yeurs as it is myne."
Fawnus let him clatir and cry wel and fyne,
And passid forth still and spak nat a word.
Then Beryn gan to think it was nat al bord
That his fadir seyde when he wyth hym was,
And
gan to think all about, and therwyth seid "Alass!
Now know I wele forsoth that my modir is dede;"
For tho gan he to glow first a sory mann'yis hede.
Now kepe thy cut, Beryn, for thou shalt have a fit
Somwhat of the world to lern betir wit;
For and thow wist sikerly what ys for to com
Thow woldist wissh aftir thy deth full oft and ylone;
For Ther n'ys betying half so sore wyth staff nethir swerd
As man to be bete with his own yerd.