The Book of the Knight of Latour Landry
[The Knight is shocked by a young lady's clever "love talk."]
The text is lightly glossed; see the glossary in the Riverside Chaucer for words not explained here.
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Page 18 CHAPTER XIII. Hit happed my frendes spake to me to be maried into a noble place, and my fader brought me to see her that I shulde have, and there we hadd gret chere, & my fader sette me in langage with her that I shulde have knowlech of her speche and langage, and so we fell in wordes of prisoners, and I saide, "Dameselle, it were better to fall to be your prisoner thanne to many other, for I trow your prison shuld not be so harde to me as it shuld be and I were take with Englisshe men." And she answered, "I have saie sum nat long sethe that I wolde were my prisoner." And I asked her yif she wolde putte him in evell prison; and she saide, nay, she wold kepe him as she wolde her owne body; and I saide he was happy that might come into so noble a prison. What shall I saie? She loved me enough, and hadd a quick yee and a light, and ther was many wordes. And so atte last she waxe right familier with me, for she prayed me.ij. or.iij. times that I shulde not abide longe, but that I shulde come and see her how ever it were; of the whiche I had meruaile, seing that I mas never aqueinted with her, nor hadd spoken, nor see her afore that time; and she knew well that folke were aboute to marie us togedre. Whan we were parted, my fader asked me, "How liketh you? telle me youre avys." And I saide, she was both bote good and faire, but she shulde be to me no nere than she was. And I tolde my fader how me liked and of her estate and langage; and so I saide I wold nat of her, for she was so pert and light of maners that caused me to be discoraged from her, of the whiche I have thanked God sethe diverse times. For in sothe it was not half a yerre after that she was blamed; but I note whether it was fals or trewe. And after she deied. And therfor, doughtres, all gentillwomen and nobill maidenes comen of good kin ought to be goodly, meke, wele tached, firme in estate, behaving, and maners, litell softe and esy in speche, And in answere curteis & gentill, and not light in lokinge. For many have lost her mariage by too moch discovering hem selff, and to have many wordes; and by too gret Page 19 semblauntes making, of the which diverse times is trowed in hem that they never thougt ne dide. I wolde ye wist how Amesse, the kingges doughter of Aragon, lost the king of Spaine thorough her foly. [The tale of the King of Spain and the princess of Aragon follows in Chapter XIV.] |
conversation and I = if I; with = by seen; sum = certain one if yee = eye opinion since know not well instructed |
- From The Book of the Knight of La Tour-Landry, EETS o.s. 33, London, ed. Thomas Wright (from MS Harley 1764 and Caxton's Print) rev ed. 1903 [Widener 11472.33.3], corrected in few minor details.