Article description: (description)
This attribute controls the content of the description and og:description elements. | CHAUCER'S DREAM.
[This pretty allegory, or rather conceit, containing one or two
passages that for vividness and for delicacy yield to nothing in
the whole range of Chaucer's poetry, had never been printed
before the year 1597, when it was included in the edition of
Speght. Before that date, indeed, a Dream of Chaucer had been
printed; but the poem so described was in reality "The Book of
the Duchess; or the Death of Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster" --
which is not included in the present edition. Speght says that
"This Dream, devised by Chaucer, seemeth to be a covert report
of the marriage of John of Gaunt, the King's son, with Blanche,
the daughter of Henry, Duke of Lancaster; who after long love
(during the time whereof the poet feigneth them to be dead)
were in the end, by consent of friends, happily married; figured
by a bird bringing in his bill an herb, which restored them to life
again. Here also is showed Chaucer's match with a certain
gentlewoman, who, although she was a stranger, was,
notwithstanding, so well liked and loved of the Lady Blanche
and her Lord, as Chaucer himself also was, that gladly they
concluded a marriage between them." John of Gaunt, at the age
of nineteen, and while yet Earl of Richmond, was married to the
Lady Blanche at Reading in May 1359; Chaucer, then a prisoner
in France, probably did not return to England till peace was
concluded in the following year; so that his marriage to Philippa
Roet, the sister of the Duchess Blanche's favourite attendant
Katharine Roet, could not have taken place till some time after
that of the Duke. In the poem, it is represented to have
immediately followed; but no consequence need be attached to
that statement. Enough that it followed at no great interval of
time; and that the intimate relations which Chaucer had already
begun to form with John of Gaunt, might well warrant him in
writing this poem on the occasion of the Duke's marriage, and
in weaving his own love-fortunes with those of the principal
figures. In the necessary abridgement of the poem for the
present edition, the subsidiary branch of the allegory, relating to
the poet's own love affair, has been so far as possible separated
from the main branch, which shadows forth the fortunes of John
and Blanche. The poem, in full, contains, with an "Envoy"
arbitrarily appended, 2233 lines; of which 510 are given here.]
(Transcriber's note: modern scholars believe that Chaucer was
not the author of this poem)
WHEN Flora, the queen of pleasance,
Had wholly *achiev'd the obeisance* *won the obedience*
Of the fresh and the new season,
Thorough ev'ry region;
And with her mantle *whole covert* *wholly covered*
What winter had *made discovert,* -- *stripped*
On a May night, the poet lay alone, thinking of his lady, and all
her beauty; and, falling asleep, he dreamed that he was in an
island
Where wall, and gate, was all of glass,
And so was closed round about,
That leaveless* none came in nor out; *without permission
Uncouth and strange to behold;
For ev'ry gate, of fine gold,
A thousand fanes,* ay turning, *vanes, weathercocks
Entuned* had, and birds singing *contrived so as to emit
Diversely, on each fane a pair, a musical sound
With open mouth, against the air; <1>
And *of a suit* were all the tow'rs, *of the same plan*
Subtilly *carven aft* flow'rs *carved to represent*
Of uncouth colours, *during ay,* *lasting forever*
That never be none seen in May,
With many a small turret high;
But man alive I could not sigh,* *see
Nor creatures, save ladies play,* *disporting themselves
Which were such of their array,
That, as me thought, *of goodlihead* *for comeliness*
They passed all, and womanhead.
For to behold them dance and sing,
It seemed like none earthly thing;
And all were of the same age, save one; who was advanced in
years, though no less gay in demeanour than the rest. While he
stood admiring the richness and beauty of the place, and the
fairness of the ladies, which had the notable gift of enduring
unimpaired till death, the poet was accosted by the old lady, to
whom he had to yield himself prisoner; because the ordinance of
the isle was, that no man should dwell there; and the ladies' fear
of breaking the law was enhanced by the temporary absence of
their queen from the realm. Just at this moment the cry was
raised that the queen came; all the ladies hastened to meet her;
and soon the poet saw her approach -- but in her company his
mistress, wearing the same garb, and a seemly knight. All the
ladies wondered greatly at this; and the queen explained:
"My sisters, how it hath befall,* *befallen
I trow ye know it one and all,
That of long time here have I been
Within this isle biding as queen,
Living at ease, that never wight
More perfect joye have not might;
And to you been of governance
Such as you found in whole pleasance, <2>
In every thing as ye know,
After our custom and our law;
Which how they firste founded were,
I trow ye wot all the mannere.
And who the queen is of this isle, --
As I have been this longe while, --
Each seven years must, of usage,
Visit the heav'nly hermitage,
Which on a rock so highe stands,
In a strange sea, out from all lands,
That for to make the pilgrimage
Is call'd a perilous voyage;
For if the wind be not good friend,
The journey dureth to the end
Of him which that it undertakes;
Of twenty thousand not one scapes.
Upon which rock groweth a tree,
That certain years bears apples three;
Which three apples whoso may have,
Is *from all displeasance y-save* *safe from all pain*
That in the seven years may fall;
This wot you well, both one and all.
For the first apple and the hext,* *highest <3>
Which groweth unto you the next,
Hath three virtues notable,
And keepeth youth ay durable,
Beauty, and looks, ever-in-one,* *continually
And is the best of ev'ry one.
The second apple, red and green,
Only with lookes of your eyne,
You nourishes in great pleasance,
Better than partridge or fesaunce,* *pheasant
And feedeth ev'ry living wight
Pleasantly, only with the sight.
And the third apple of the three,
Which groweth lowest on the tree,
Whoso it beareth may not fail* *miss, fail to obtain
That* to his pleasance may avail. *that which
So your pleasure and beauty rich,
Your during youth ever y-lich,* *alike
Your truth, your cunning,* and your weal, *knowledge
Hath flower'd ay, and your good heal,
Without sickness or displeasance,
Or thing that to you was noyance.* *offence, injury
So that you have as goddesses
Lived above all princesses.
Now is befall'n, as ye may see;
To gather these said apples three,
I have not fail'd, against the day,
Thitherward to take the way, |