Click in the field, then press CTRL+C to copy the HTML code
<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346085" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Assembly Of Ladies</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">In Septembre, at the falling of the leef,<br>The fressh sesoun was al-togider doon,<br>And of the corn was gadered in the sheef;<br>In a gardyn, about twayn after noon,<br>Ther were ladyes walking, as was her wone,<br>Foure in nombre, as to my mynd doth falle,<br>And I the fifte, the simplest of hem alle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Of gentilwomen fayre ther were also,<br>Disporting hem, everiche after her gyse,<br>In crosse-aleys walking, by two and two,<br>And some alone, after her fantasyes.<br>Thus occupyed we were in dyvers wyse;<br>And yet, in trouthe, we were not al alone;<br>Ther were knightës and squyers many one.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Wherof I served?' oon of hem asked me;<br>I sayde ayein, as it fel in my thought,<br>'To walke about the mase, in certayntè,<br>As a woman that [of] nothing rought.'<br>He asked me ayein—'whom that I sought,<br>And of my colour why I was so pale?'<br>'Forsothe,' quod I, 'and therby lyth a tale.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'That must me wite,' quod he, 'and that anon;<br>Tel on, let see, and make no tarying.'<br>'Abyd,' quod I, 'ye been a hasty oon,<br>I let you wite it is no litel thing.<br>But, for bicause ye have a greet longing<br>In your desyr, this proces for to here,<br>I shal you tel the playn of this matere.—</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>It happed thus, that, in an after-noon,<br>My felawship and I, by oon assent,<br>Whan al our other besinesse was doon,<br>To passe our tyme, into this mase we went,<br>And toke our wayes, eche after our entent;<br>Some went inward, and wend they had gon out,<br>Some stode amid, and loked al about.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And, sooth to say, some were ful fer behind,<br>And right anon as ferforth as the best;<br>Other ther were, so mased in her mind,<br>Al wayes were good for hem, bothe eest and west.<br>Thus went they forth, and had but litel rest;<br>And some, her corage did hem sore assayle,<br>For very wrath, they did step over the rayle!</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And as they sought hem-self thus to and fro,<br>I gat myself a litel avauntage;<br>Al for-weried, I might no further go,<br>Though I had won right greet, for my viage.<br>So com I forth into a strait passage,<br>Which brought me to an herber fair and grene,<br>Mad with benches, ful craftily and clene,</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>That, as me thought, ther might no crëature<br>Devyse a better, by dew proporcioun;<br>Safe it was closed wel, I you ensure,<br>With masonry of compas enviroun,<br>Ful secretly, with stayres going doun<br>Inmiddes the place, with turning wheel, certayn;<br>And upon that, a pot of marjolain;</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>With margarettes growing in ordinaunce,<br>To shewe hemself, as folk went to and fro,<br>That to beholde it was a greet plesaunce,<br>And how they were acompanyed with mo<br>Ne-m'oublie-mies and sovenez also;<br>The povre pensees were not disloged there;<br>No, no! god wot, her place was every-where!</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The flore beneth was paved faire and smothe<br>With stones square, of many dyvers hew,<br>So wel joynëd that, for to say the sothe,<br>Al semed oon (who that non other knew);<br>And underneth, the stremës new and new,<br>As silver bright, springing in suche a wyse<br>That, whence it cam, ye coude it not devyse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>A litel whyle thus was I al alone,<br>Beholding wel this délectable place;<br>My felawship were coming everichone,<br>So must me nedes abyde, as for a space.<br>Rememb[e]ring of many dyvers cace<br>Of tyme passed, musing with sighes depe,<br>I set me doun, and ther I fel a-slepe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And, as I slept, me thought ther com to me<br>A gentilwoman, metely of stature;<br>Of greet worship she semed for to be,<br>Atyred wel, not high, but by mesure;<br>Her countenaunce ful sad and ful demure;<br>Her colours blewe, al that she had upon;<br>Ther com no mo [there] but herself aloon.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Her gown was wel embrouded, certainly,<br>With sovenez, after her own devyse;<br>On her purfyl her word [was] by and by<br>Bien et loyalment, as I coud devyse.<br>Than prayde I her, in every maner wyse<br>That of her name I might have remembraunce;<br>She sayd, she called was Perséveraunce.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>So furthermore to speke than was I bold,<br>Where she dwelled, I prayed her for to say;<br>And she again ful curteysly me told,<br>'My dwelling is, and hath ben many a day<br>With a lady.'—'What lady, I you pray?'<br>'Of greet estate, thus warne I you,' quod she;<br>'What cal ye her?'—'Her name is Loyaltè.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'In what offyce stand ye, or in what degrè?'<br>Quod I to her, 'that wolde I wit right fayn.'<br>'I am,' quod she, 'unworthy though I be,<br>Of her chambre her ussher, in certayn;<br>This rod I bere, as for a token playn,<br>Lyke as ye know the rule in such servyce<br>Pertayning is unto the same offyce.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>She charged me, by her commaundëment,<br>To warn you and your felawes everichon,<br>That ye shuld come there as she is present,<br>For a counsayl, which shal be now anon,<br>Or seven dayës be comen and gon.<br>And furthermore, she bad that I shuld say<br>Excuse there might be non, nor [no] delay.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Another thing was nigh forget behind<br>Whiche in no wyse I wolde but ye it knew;<br>Remembre wel, and bere it in your mind,<br>Al your felawes and ye must come in blew,<br>Every liche able your maters for to sew;<br>With more, which I pray you thinke upon,<br>Your wordës on your slevës everichon.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And be not ye abasshed in no wyse,<br>As many been in suche an high presence;<br>Mak your request as ye can best devyse,<br>And she gladly wol yeve you audience.<br>There is no greef, ne no maner offence,<br>Wherin ye fele that your herte is displesed,<br>But with her help right sone ye shul be esed.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'I am right glad,' quod I, 'ye tel me this,<br>But there is non of us that knoweth the way.'<br>'As of your way,' quod she, 'ye shul not mis,<br>Ye shul have oon to gyde you, day by day,<br>Of my felawes (I can no better say)<br>Suche oon as shal tel you the way ful right;<br>And Diligence this gentilwoman hight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>A woman of right famous governaunce,<br>And wel cherisshed, I tel you in certayn;<br>Her felawship shal do you greet plesaunce.<br>Her port is suche, her maners trewe and playn;<br>She with glad chere wol do her besy payn<br>To bring you there; now farwel, I have don.'<br>'Abyde,' sayd I, 'ye may not go so sone.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Why so?' quod she, 'and I have fer to go<br>To yeve warning in many dyvers place<br>To your felawes, and so to other mo;<br>And wel ye wot, I have but litel space.'<br>'Now yet,' quod I, 'ye must tel me this cace,<br>If we shal any man unto us cal?'<br>'Not oon,' quod she, 'may come among you al.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Not oon,' quod I, 'ey! benedicite! <br>What have they don? I pray you tel me that!'<br>'Now, by my lyf, I trow but wel,' quod she;<br>'But ever I can bileve there is somwhat,<br>And, for to say you trouth, more can I nat;<br>In questiouns I may nothing be large,<br>I medle no further than is my charge.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Than thus,' quod I, 'do me to understand,<br>What place is there this lady is dwelling?'<br>'Forsothe,' quod she, 'and oon sought al this land,<br>Fairer is noon, though it were for a king<br>Devysed wel, and that in every thing.<br>The toures hy ful plesaunt shul ye find,<br>With fanes fressh, turning with every wind.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The chambres and parlours both of oo sort,<br>With bay-windowes, goodly as may be thought,<br>As for daunsing and other wyse disport;<br>The galeryes right wonder wel y-wrought,<br>That I wel wot, if ye were thider brought.<br>And took good hede therof in every wyse,<br>Ye wold it thinke a very paradyse.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'What hight this place?' quod I; 'now say me that.'<br>'Plesaunt Regard,' quod she, 'to tel you playn.'<br>'Of verray trouth,' quod I, 'and, wot ye what,<br>It may right wel be called so, certayn;<br>But furthermore, this wold I wit ful fayn,<br>What shulde I do as sone as I come there,<br>And after whom that I may best enquere?'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'A gentilwoman, a porter at the yate<br>There shal ye find; her name is Countenaunce;<br>If it so hap ye come erly or late,<br>Of her were good to have som acquaintaunce.<br>She can tel how ye shal you best avaunce,<br>And how to come to her ladyes presence;<br>To her wordës I rede you yeve credence.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Now it is tyme that I depart you fro;<br>For, in good sooth, I have gret businesse.'<br>'I wot right wel,' quod I, 'that it is so;<br>And I thank you of your gret gentilnesse.<br>Your comfort hath yeven me suche hardinesse<br>That now I shal be bold, withouten fayl,<br>To do after your ávyse and counsayl.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Thus parted she, and I lefte al aloon;<br>With that I saw, as I beheld asyde,<br>A woman come, a verray goodly oon;<br>And forth withal, as I had her aspyed,<br>Me thought anon, [that] it shuld be the gyde;<br>And of her name anon I did enquere.<br>Ful womanly she yave me this answere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'I am,' quod she, 'a simple crëature<br>Sent from the court; my name is Diligence.<br>As sone as I might come, I you ensure,<br>I taried not, after I had licence;<br>And now that I am come to your presence,<br>Look, what servyce that I can do or may,<br>Commaundë me; I can no further say.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>I thanked her, and prayed her to come nere,<br>Because I wold see how she were arayed;<br>Her gown was blew, dressed in good manere<br>With her devyse, her word also, that sayd<br>Tant que je puis; and I was wel apayd;<br>For than wist I, withouten any more,<br>It was ful trew, that I had herd before.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Though we took now before a litel space,<br>It were ful good,' quod she, 'as I coud gesse.'<br>'How fer,' quod I, 'have we unto that place?'<br>'A dayes journey,' quod she, 'but litel lesse;<br>Wherfore I redë that we onward dresse;<br>For, I suppose, our felawship is past,<br>And for nothing I wold that we were last.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Than parted we, at springing of the day,<br>And forth we wente [a] soft and esy pace,<br>Til, at the last, we were on our journey<br>So fer onward, that we might see the place.<br>'Now let us rest,' quod I, 'a litel space,<br>And say we, as devoutly as we can,<br>A pater-noster for saint Julian.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'With al my herte, I assent with good wil;<br>Much better shul we spede, whan we have don.'<br>Than taried we, and sayd it every del.<br>And whan the day was fer gon after noon,<br>We saw a place, and thider cam we sone,<br>Which rounde about was closed with a wal,<br>Seming to me ful lyke an hospital.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Ther found I oon, had brought al myn aray,<br>A gentilwoman of myn aquaintaunce.<br>'I have mervayl,' quod I, 'what maner way<br>Ye had knowlege of al this ordenaunce.'<br>'Yis, yis,' quod she, 'I herd Perséveraunce,<br>How she warned your felawes everichon,<br>And what aray that ye shulde have upon.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Now, for my love,' quod I, 'this I you pray,<br>Sith ye have take upon you al the payn,<br>That ye wold helpe me on with myn aray;<br>For wit ye wel, I wold be gon ful fayn.'<br>'Al this prayer nedeth not, certayn;'<br>Quod she agayn; 'com of, and hy you sone,<br>And ye shal see how wel it shal be doon.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'But this I dout me greetly, wot ye what,<br>That my felawes ben passed by and gon.'<br>'I warant you,' quod she, 'that ar they nat;<br>For here they shul assemble everichon.<br>Notwithstanding, I counsail you anon;<br>Mak you redy, and tary ye no more,<br>It is no harm, though ye be there afore.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>So than I dressed me in myn aray,<br>And asked her, whether it were wel or no?<br>'It is right wel,' quod she, 'unto my pay;<br>Ye nede not care to what place ever ye go.'<br>And whyl that she and I debated so,<br>Cam Diligence, and saw me al in blew:<br>'Sister,' quod she, 'right wel brouk ye your new!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Than went we forth, and met at aventure<br>A yong woman, an officer seming:<br>'What is your name,' quod I, 'good crëature?'<br>'Discrecioun,' quod she, 'without lesing.'<br>'And where,' quod I, 'is your most abyding?'<br>'I have,' quod she, 'this office of purchace,<br>Cheef purveyour, that longeth to this place.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Fair love,' quod I, 'in al your ordenaunce,<br>What is her name that is the herbegere?'<br>'For sothe,' quod she, 'her name is Acquaintaunce,<br>A woman of right gracious manere.'<br>Than thus quod I, 'What straungers have ye here?'<br>'But few,' quod she, 'of high degree ne low;<br>Ye be the first, as ferforth as I know.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Thus with talës we cam streight to the yate;<br>This yong woman departed was and gon;<br>Cam Diligence, and knokked fast therat;<br>'Who is without?' quod Countenaunce anon.<br>'Trewly,' quod I, 'fair sister, here is oon!'<br>'Which oon?' quod she, and therwithal she lough;<br>'I, Diligence! ye know me wel ynough.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Than opened she the yate, and in we go;<br>With wordës fair she sayd ful gentilly,<br>'Ye are welcome, ywis! are ye no mo?'<br>'Nat oon,' quod she, 'save this woman and I.'<br>'Now than,' quod she, 'I pray yow hertely,<br>Tak my chambre, as for a whyl, to rest<br>Til your felawës come, I holde it best.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>I thanked her, and forth we gon echon<br>Til her chambre, without[en] wordës mo.<br>Cam Diligence, and took her leve anon;<br>'Wher-ever you list,' quod I, 'now may ye go;<br>And I thank you right hertely also<br>Of your labour, for which god do you meed;<br>I can no more, but Jesu be your speed!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Than Countenauncë asked me anon,<br>'Your felawship, where ben they now?' quod she.<br>'For sothe,' quod I, 'they be coming echon;<br>But in certayn, I know nat wher they be,<br>Without I may hem at this window see.<br>Here wil I stande, awaytinge ever among,<br>For, wel I wot, they wil nat now be long.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Thus as I stood musing ful busily,<br>I thought to take good hede of her aray,<br>Her gown was blew, this wot I verely,<br>Of good fasoun, and furred wel with gray;<br>Upon her sleve her word (this is no nay),<br>Which sayd thus, as my pennë can endyte,<br>A moi que je voy, writen with lettres whyte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Than forth withal she cam streight unto me,<br>'Your word,' quod she, 'fayn wold I that I knew.'<br>'Forsothe,' quod I, 'ye shal wel knowe and see,<br>And for my word, I have non; this is trew.<br>It is ynough that my clothing be blew,<br>As here-before I had commaundëment;<br>And so to do I am right wel content.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>But tel me this, I pray you hertely,<br>The steward here, say me, what is her name?'<br>'She hight Largesse, I say you suërly;<br>A fair lady, and of right noble fame.<br>Whan ye her see, ye wil report the same.<br>And under her, to bid you welcome al,<br>There is Belchere, the marshal of the hall.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Now al this whyle that ye here tary stil,<br>Your own maters ye may wel have in mind.<br>But tel me this, have ye brought any bil?'<br>'Ye, ye,' quod I, 'or els I were behind.<br>Where is there oon, tel me, that I may find<br>To whom that I may shewe my matters playn?'<br>'Surely,' quod she, 'unto the chamberlayn.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'The chamberlayn?' quod I, '[now] say ye trew?'<br>'Ye, verely,' sayd she, 'by myne advyse;<br>Be nat aferd; unto her lowly sew.'<br>'It shal be don,' quod I, 'as ye devyse;<br>But ye must knowe her name in any wyse?'<br>'Trewly,' quod she, 'to tell you in substaunce,<br>Without fayning, her name is Remembraunce.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The secretary yit may not be forget;<br>For she may do right moche in every thing.<br>Wherfore I rede, whan ye have with her met,<br>Your mater hool tel her, without fayning;<br>Ye shal her finde ful good and ful loving.'<br>'Tel me her name,' quod I, 'of gentilnesse.'<br>'By my good sooth,' quod she, 'Avysënesse.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'That name,' quod I, 'for her is passing good;<br>For every bil and cedule she must see;<br>Now good,' quod I, 'com, stand there-as I stood;<br>My felawes be coming; yonder they be.'<br>'Is it [a] jape, or say ye sooth?' quod she.<br>'In jape? nay, nay; I say you for certain;<br>See how they come togider, twain and twain!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Ye say ful sooth,' quod she, 'that is no nay;<br>I see coming a goodly company.'<br>'They been such folk,' quod I, 'I dar wel say,<br>That list to love; thinke it ful verily.<br>And, for my love, I pray you faithfully,<br>At any tyme, whan they upon you cal,<br>That ye wol be good frend unto hem al.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Of my frendship,' quod she, 'they shal nat mis,<br>And for their ese, to put therto my payn.'<br>'God yelde it you!' quod I; 'but tel me this,<br>How shal we know who is the chamberlayn?'<br>'That shal ye wel know by her word, certayn.'<br>'What is her word? Sister, I pray you say.'<br>'Plus ne purroy; thus wryteth she alway.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Thus as we stood togider, she and I,<br>Even at the yate my felawes were echon.<br>So met I hem, as me thought was goodly,<br>And bad hem welcome al, by on and on.<br>Than forth cam [lady] Countenaunce anon;<br>'Ful hertely, fair sisters al,' quod she,<br>'Ye be right welcome into this countree.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>I counsail you to take a litel rest<br>In my chambre, if it be your plesaunce.<br>Whan ye be there, me thinketh for the best<br>That I go in, and cal Perséveraunce,<br>Because she is oon of your aquaintaunce;<br>And she also wil tel you every thing<br>How ye shal be ruled of your coming.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>My felawes al and I, by oon avyse,<br>Were wel agreed to do lyke as she sayd.<br>Than we began to dresse us in our gyse,<br>That folk shuld see we were nat unpurvayd;<br>And good wageours among us there we layd,<br>Which of us was atyred goodliest,<br>And of us al which shuld be praysed best.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The porter cam, and brought Perséveraunce;<br>She welcomed us in ful curteys manere:<br>'Think ye nat long,' quod she, 'your attendaunce;<br>I wil go speke unto the herbergere,<br>That she may purvey for your logging here.<br>Than wil I go unto the chamberlayn<br>To speke for you, and come anon agayn.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And whan [that] she departed was and gon,<br>We saw folkës coming without the wal,<br>So greet people, that nombre coud we non;<br>Ladyes they were and gentilwomen al,<br>Clothed in blew, echon her word withal;<br>But for to knowe her word or her devyse,<br>They cam so thikke, that I might in no wyse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>With that anon cam in Perséveraunce,<br>And where I stood, she cam streight [un]to me.<br>'Ye been,' quod she, 'of myne olde acquaintaunce;<br>You to enquere, the bolder wolde I be;<br>What word they bere, eche after her degree,<br>I pray you, tel it me in secret wyse;<br>And I shal kepe it close, on warantyse.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'We been,' quod I, 'fyve ladies al in-fere,<br>And gentilwomen foure in company;<br>Whan they begin to open hir matere,<br>Than shal ye knowe hir wordës by and by;<br>But as for me, I have non verely,<br>And so I told Countenaunce here-before;<br>Al myne aray is blew; what nedeth more?'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Now than,' quod she, 'I wol go in agayn,<br>That ye may have knowlege, what ye shuld do.'<br>'In sooth,' quod I, 'if ye wold take the payn,<br>Ye did right moch for us, if ye did so.<br>The rather sped, the soner may we go.<br>Gret cost alway ther is in tarying;<br>And long to sewe, it is a wery thing.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Than parted she, and cam again anon;<br>'Ye must,' quod she, 'come to the chamberlayn.'<br>'We been,' quod I, 'now redy everichon<br>To folowe you whan-ever ye list, certayn.<br>We have non eloquence, to tel you playn;<br>Beseching you we may be so excused,<br>Our trew mening, that it be not refused.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Than went we forth, after Perséveraunce,<br>To see the prees; it was a wonder cace;<br>There for to passe it was greet comb[e]raunce,<br>The people stood so thikke in every place.<br>'Now stand ye stil,' quod she, 'a litel space;<br>And for your ese somwhat I shal assay,<br>If I can make you any better way.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And forth she goth among hem everichon,<br>Making a way, that we might thorugh pas<br>More at our ese; and whan she had so don,<br>She beckned us to come where-as she was;<br>So after her we folowed, more and las.<br>She brought us streight unto the chamberlayn;<br>There left she us, and than she went agayn.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>We salued her, as reson wolde it so,<br>Ful humb[el]ly beseching her goodnesse,<br>In our maters that we had for to do<br>That she wold be good lady and maistresse.<br>'Ye be welcome,' quod she, 'in sothfastnesse,<br>And see, what I can do you for to plese,<br>I am redy, that may be to your ese.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>We folowed her unto the chambre-dore,<br>'Sisters,' quod she, 'come ye in after me.'<br>But wite ye wel, there was a paved flore,<br>The goodliest that any wight might see;<br>And furthermore, about than loked we<br>On eche corner, and upon every wal,<br>The which was mad of berel and cristal;</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Wherein was graven of stories many oon;<br>First how Phyllis, of womanly pitè,<br>Deyd pitously, for love of Demophoon.<br>Nexte after was the story of Tisbee,<br>How she slew her-self under a tree.<br>Yet saw I more, how in right pitous cas<br>For Antony was slayn Cleopatras.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>That other syde was, how Hawes the shene<br>Untrewly was disceyved in her bayn.<br>There was also Annelida the quene,<br>Upon Arcyte how sore she did complayn.<br>Al these stories were graved there, certayn;<br>And many mo than I reherce you here;<br>It were to long to tel you al in-fere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And, bicause the wallës shone so bright,<br>With fyne umple they were al over-sprad,<br>To that intent, folk shuld nat hurte hir sight;<br>And thorugh it the stories might be rad.<br>Than furthermore I went, as I was lad;<br>And there I saw, without[en] any fayl,<br>A chayrë set, with ful riche aparayl.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And fyve stages it was set fro the ground,<br>Of cassidony ful curiously wrought;<br>With four pomelles of golde, and very round,<br>Set with saphyrs, as good as coud be thought;<br>That, wot ye what, if it were thorugh sought,<br>As I suppose, fro this countrey til Inde,<br>Another suche it were right fer to finde!</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>For, wite ye wel, I was right nere that,<br>So as I durst, beholding by and by;<br>Above ther was a riche cloth of estate,<br>Wrought with the nedle ful straungëly,<br>Her word thereon; and thus it said trewly,<br>A endurer, to tel you in wordës few,<br>With grete letters, the better I hem knew.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Thus as we stode, a dore opened anon;<br>A gentilwoman, semely of stature,<br>Beringe a mace, cam out, her-selfe aloon;<br>Sothly, me thought, a goodly crëature!<br>She spak nothing to lowde, I you ensure,<br>Nor hastily, but with goodly warning:<br>'Mak room,' quod she, 'my lady is coming!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>With that anon I saw Perséveraunce,<br>How she held up the tapet in her hand.<br>I saw also, in right good ordinaunce,<br>This greet lady within the tapet stand,<br>Coming outward, I wol ye understand;<br>And after her a noble company,<br>I coud nat tel the nombre sikerly.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Of their namës I wold nothing enquere<br>Further than suche as we wold sewe unto,<br>Sauf oo lady, which was the chauncellere,<br>Attemperaunce; sothly her name was so.<br>For us nedeth with her have moch to do<br>In our maters, and alway more and more.<br>And, so forth, to tel you furthermore,</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Of this lady her beautè to discryve,<br>My conning is to simple, verely;<br>For never yet, the dayës of my lyve,<br>So inly fair I have non seen, trewly.<br>In her estate, assured utterly,<br>There wanted naught, I dare you wel assure,<br>That longed to a goodly crëature.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And furthermore, to speke of her aray,<br>I shal you tel the maner of her gown;<br>Of clothe of gold ful riche, it is no nay;<br>The colour blew, of a right good fasoun;<br>In tabard-wyse the slevës hanging doun;<br>And what purfyl there was, and in what wyse,<br>So as I can, I shal it you devyse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>After a sort the coller and the vent,<br>Lyk as ermyne is mad in purfeling;<br>With grete perlës, ful fyne and orient,<br>They were couchèd, al after oon worching,<br>With dyamonds in stede of powdering;<br>The slevës and purfilles of assyse;<br>They were [y-]mad [ful] lyke, in every wyse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Aboute her nekke a sort of fair rubyes,<br>In whyte floures of right fyne enamayl;<br>Upon her heed, set in the freshest wyse,<br>A cercle with gret balays of entayl;<br>That, in ernest to speke, withouten fayl,<br>For yonge and olde, and every maner age,<br>It was a world to loke on her visage.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Thus coming forth, to sit in her estat,<br>In her presence we kneled down echon,<br>Presentinge up our billes, and, wot ye what,<br>Ful humb[el]ly she took hem, by on and on;<br>When we had don, than cam they al anon,<br>And did the same, eche after her manere,<br>Knelinge at ones, and rysinge al in-fere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Whan this was don, and she set in her place,<br>The chamberlayn she did unto her cal;<br>And she, goodly coming til her a-pace,<br>Of her entent knowing nothing at al,<br>'Voyd bak the prees,' quod she, 'up to the wal;<br>Mak larger roum, but look ye do not tary,<br>And tak these billës to the secretary.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The chamberlayn did her commaundëment,<br>And cam agayn, as she was bid to do;<br>The secretary there being present,<br>The billës were delivered her also,<br>Not only ours, but many other mo.<br>Than the lady, with good advyce, agayn<br>Anon withal called her chamberlayn.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'We wol,' quod she, 'the first thing that ye do,<br>The secretary, make her come anon<br>With her billës; and thus we wil also,<br>In our presence she rede hem everichon,<br>That we may takë good advyce theron<br>Of the ladyes, that been of our counsayl;<br>Look this be don, withouten any fayl.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The chamberlayn, whan she wiste her entent,<br>Anon she did the secretary cal:<br>'Let your billës,' quod she, 'be here present,<br>My lady it wil.' 'Madame,' quod she, 'I shal.'<br>'And in presence she wil ye rede hem al.'<br>'With good wil; I am redy,' quod she,<br>'At her plesure, whan she commaundeth me.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And upon that was mad an ordinaunce,<br>They that cam first, hir billës shuld be red.<br>Ful gentelly than sayd Perséveraunce,<br>'Resoun it wold that they were sonest sped.'<br>Anon withal, upon a tapet spred,<br>The secretary layde hem doun echon;<br>Our billës first she redde hem on by on.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The first lady, bering in her devyse<br>Sans que jamais, thus wroot she in her bil;<br>Complayning sore and in ful pitous wyse<br>Of promesse mad with faithful hert and wil<br>And so broken, ayenst al maner skil,<br>Without desert alwayes on her party;<br>In this mater desyring remedy.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Her next felawës word was in this wyse,<br>Une sanz chaungier; and thus she did complayn,<br>Though she had been guerdoned for her servyce,<br>Yet nothing lyke as she that took the payn;<br>Wherfore she coude in no wyse her restrayn,<br>But in this cas sewe until her presence,<br>As reson woldë, to have recompence.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>So furthermore, to speke of other twayn,<br>Oon of hem wroot, after her fantasy,<br>Oncques puis lever; and, for to tel you plain,<br>Her complaynt was ful pitous, verely,<br>For, as she sayd, ther was gret reson why;<br>And, as I can remembre this matere,<br>I shal you tel the proces, al in-fere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Her bil was mad, complayninge in her gyse,<br>That of her joy, her comfort and gladnesse<br>Was no suretee; for in no maner wyse<br>She fond therin no point of stablenesse,<br>Now il, now wel, out of al sikernesse;<br>Ful humbelly desyringe, of her grace,<br>Som remedy to shewe her in this cace.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Her felawe made her bil, and thus she sayd,<br>In playning wyse; there-as she loved best,<br>Whether she were wroth or wel apayd<br>She might nat see, whan [that] she wold faynest;<br>And wroth she was, in very ernest;<br>To tel her word, as ferforth as I wot,<br>Entierment vostre, right thus she wroot.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And upon that she made a greet request<br>With herte and wil, and al that might be don<br>As until her that might redresse it best;<br>For in her mind thus might she finde it sone,<br>The remedy of that, which was her boon;<br>Rehersing [that] that she had sayd before,<br>Beseching her it might be so no more.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And in lyk wyse as they had don before,<br>The gentilwomen of our company<br>Put up hir billës; and, for to tel you more,<br>Oon of hem wroot cest sanz dire, verily;<br>And her matere hool to specify,<br>With-in her bil she put it in wryting;<br>And what it sayd, ye shal have knowleching.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>It sayd, god wot, and that ful pitously,<br>Lyke as she was disposed in her hert,<br>No misfortune that she took grevously;<br>Al oon to her it was, the joy and smert,<br>Somtyme no thank for al her good desert.<br>Other comfort she wanted non coming,<br>And so used, it greved her nothing.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Desyringe her, and lowly béseching,<br>That she for her wold seke a better way,<br>As she that had ben, al her dayes living,<br>Stedfast and trew, and so wil be alway.<br>Of her felawe somwhat I shal you say,<br>Whos bil was red next after forth, withal;<br>And what it ment rehersen you I shal.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>En dieu est, she wroot in her devyse;<br>And thus she sayd, withouten any fayl,<br>Her trouthë might be taken in no wyse<br>Lyke as she thought, wherfore she had mervayl;<br>For trouth somtyme was wont to take avayl<br>In every matere; but al that is ago;<br>The more pitè, that it is suffred so.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Moch more there was, whereof she shuld complayn,<br>But she thought it to greet encomb[e]raunce<br>So moch to wryte; and therfore, in certayn,<br>In god and her she put her affiaunce<br>As in her worde is mad a remembraunce;<br>Beseching her that she wolde, in this cace,<br>Shewe unto her the favour of her grace.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The third, she wroot, rehersing her grevaunce,<br>Ye! wot ye what, a pitous thing to here;<br>For, as me thought, she felt gret displesaunce,<br>Oon might right wel perceyve it by her chere,<br>And no wonder; it sat her passing nere.<br>Yet loth she was to put it in wryting,<br>But nede wol have his cours in every thing.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Soyes en sure, this was her word, certayn,<br>And thus she wroot, but in a litel space;<br>There she lovëd, her labour was in vayn,<br>For he was set al in another place;<br>Ful humblely desyring, in that cace,<br>Som good comfort, her sorow to appese,<br>That she might livë more at hertes ese.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The fourth surely, me thought, she liked wele,<br>As in her porte and in her behaving;<br>And Bien moneste, as fer as I coud fele,<br>That was her word, til her wel belonging.<br>Wherfore to her she prayed, above al thing,<br>Ful hertely (to say you in substaunce)<br>That she wold sende her good continuaunce.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Ye have rehersed me these billës al,<br>But now, let see somwhat of your entent.'<br>'It may so hap, paraventure, ye shal.<br>Now I pray you, whyle I am here present,<br>Ye shal, pardè, have knowlege, what I ment.<br>But thus I say in trouthe, and make no fable,<br>The case itself is inly lamentable.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And wel I wot, that ye wol think the same,<br>Lyke as I say, whan ye have herd my bil.'<br>'Now good, tel on, I hate you, by saynt Jame!'<br>'Abyde a whyle; it is nat yet my wil.<br>Yet must ye wite, by reson and by skil,<br>Sith ye know al that hath be don before:—'<br>And thus it sayd, without[en] wordes more.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Nothing so leef as deth to come to me<br>For fynal ende of my sorowes and payn;<br>What shulde I more desyre, as semë ye?<br>And ye knewe al aforn it for certayn,<br>I wot ye wolde; and, for to tel you playn,<br>Without her help that hath al thing in cure<br>I can nat think that I may longe endure.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>As for my trouthe, it hath be proved wele,<br>To say the sothe, I can [you] say no more,<br>Of ful long tyme, and suffred every dele<br>In pacience, and kepe it al in store;<br>Of her goodnesse besechinge her therfore<br>That I might have my thank in suche [a] wyse<br>As my desert deserveth of justyse.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Whan these billës were rad everichon,<br>This lady took a good advysement;<br>And hem to answere, ech by on and on,<br>She thought it was to moche in her entent;<br>Wherfore she yaf hem in commaundëment,<br>In her presence to come, bothe oon and al,<br>To yeve hem there her answer general.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>What did she than, suppose ye verely?<br>She spak herself, and sayd in this manere,<br>'We have wel seen your billës by and by,<br>And some of hem ful pitous for to here.<br>We wol therfore ye knowe al this in-fere,<br>Within short tyme our court of parliment<br>Here shal be holde, in our palays present;</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>And in al this wherin ye find you greved,<br>Ther shal ye finde an open remedy<br>In suche [a] wyse, as ye shul be releved<br>Of al that ye reherce here, thoroughly.<br>As for the date, ye shul know verily,<br>That ye may have a space in your coming;<br>For Diligence shal it tel you by wryting.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>We thanked her in our most humble wyse,<br>Our felauship, echon by oon assent,<br>Submitting us lowly til her servyse.<br>For, as we thought, we had our travayl spent<br>In suche [a] wyse as we helde us content.<br>Than eche of us took other by the sleve,<br>And forth withal, as we shuld take our leve.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Al sodainly the water sprang anon<br>In my visage, and therwithal I wook:—<br>'Where am I now?' thought I; 'al this is gon;'<br>And al amased, up I gan to look.<br>With that, anon I went and made this book,<br>Thus simplely rehersing the substaunce,<br>Bicause it shuld not out of remembraunce.'—</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>'Now verily, your dreem is passing good,<br>And worthy to be had in rémembraunce;<br>For, though I stande here as longe as I stood,<br>It shuld to me be non encomb[e]raunce;<br>I took therin so inly greet plesaunce.<br>But tel me now, what ye the book do cal?<br>For I must wite.' 'With right good wil ye shal:</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>As for this book, to say you very right,<br>And of the name to tel the certeyntè,<br>L'assemblè de Dames, thus it hight;<br>How think ye?' 'That the name is good, pardè!'<br>'Now go, farwel! for they cal after me,<br>My felawes al, and I must after sone;<br>Rede wel my dreem; for now my tale is doon.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Here endeth the Book of Assemble de Damys.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Anonymous+Olde+English">Anonymous Olde English</a><div class=q>
<img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share">
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346085" data-title="The Assembly Of Ladies de Anonymous Olde English" data-description="In Septembre, at the falling of the leef,
The fressh sesoun was al-togider doon,
And of the corn was gadered in the sheef;
In a gardyn, about twayn after noon,
Ther were ladyes walking, as was her wone,
Foure in nombre, as to my mynd doth falle,
A..."></div>
</div>
</div>