Thus the wyse clerk seyth, Catun, And techyth chyldryn thys lessun, Geve no charge to (thy) dremys, They been but as (glasyng) glemys That yn the thought (stertys &) lepys A-nyght whan thou (restys &) slepys: That you wakyng (sumtyme) thenkes, Before thy ygen hyt blenkys.'1

Gyf they ne come thurgh pryvyte That God wyl shewë me or the, Iosep of dremys had gyve no kepe2 What hym was shewed yn hys slepe, That fadyr and modyr and al hys kynde, Thurgh hym shuld they wurshyp fynde. Yn the byble men redë thys In the fyrst boke of Genesys. Also hyt was shewyd pryvyly To Iosep that wedded oure lady, That with the chyld they shuldë fle To Egypt, that yche cuntre. Thys ys clepyd revelacyun,

90

100

"Thou thougtyst to nyght a selkouthe

thyng;

What manere folk shuld they be
That yn this worlde come aftyr the,
And how they shulde the wurlde governe;
Yn thy thoght thou gunne byt gerne;1
And God shewyd hyt yn thy sygt;
That dremed the the touther nyght."
He tolde the profyte than every deyl;
And the profete redde hyt weyl:
Wysly he seyd, and weyl thurgh soght,
Whan he hede toke to that the kynge thoght.
And God shewyd what shuld betyde;
What manere folk shulde aftyr a-byde.
Sethyn ther beyn dremys so many man-
ere,7

8

121

Than ys doute and gretë were
To wytë where-of dremys come,
That every nyght dremyn thurgh custome;
Ther beyn so many dremys yn veyne,
That no man wotë no certeyn
But they that beyn with God pryve,
To whom ys graunted, swych thyng to see:
Swych men deseyveth nat the devyl,
They have no grace to knowe hys evyl;

1 flashes before thine eyes. began to yearn for it.

kinds. • uncertainty.

131

2 heed. 3 strange. 5 expounded. 6 heed.

Mow drede hem self to brenne yn lowe; 14 And thogh they fynde hyt sothe other whyle,16

Hyt ys thurgh the fendës gyle.

The fend fondyth 16 with alle hys myght
To put sumwat yn herë syght
That shal make hem swych thyng beleve
And God almyghty myspay
17 and greve.
For ther was never womman ne man
That any wycchëcraft be-gan,
That ever myght bryng hyt to an ende,
But fals beleve that wyl hem shende.
The wurdys certys beyn ryght noght,
But fals beleve maketh dede y-wroght.
For whan thou trowyst yn a fals thyng
The devyl hyt shewyth for that trowyng.
Lo here a tale of a wycche,
That leved 18 no better tha(n) a bycche.

159

161

THE TALE OF THE WITCH AND HER COW-SUCKING BAG

THERE was a wycche, and made a bagge,
A bely 19 of lethyr, a gretë swagge, 20
She sygaldryd 21 so thys bagge bely
That hyt gede 22 and soke 28 mennys ky,24
At evene, and at morw tyde,
Yn here pasture, other ellys be syde.
Long hyt gede aboutë fast,

ΤΟ

Tyl hyt was parceyved at the last;
Than all the godemen of the toune,
Byfore the bysshop dyden here somoune;
They dyden the baggë with here bere,
To wete 25 what she shuld answere.
Hyt was shewyd byfore the bysshop,
That she dyde 26 to goo swych a melk
slop,27

9 worse. 10 layman. 11 heed. 12 handed over to.

13 unreconciled. 14 burn in flame. 15 sometimes. 16 strives. 17 displease. 18 believed. 19 bellows. 20 bulky object. 21 enchanted. 22 went. 24 kine. 35 know. 26 caused.

27 bag.

23 sucked.

Thurgh wycchecraft and mysaventure, To sugke here keyn yn here pasture. The bysshop merveyled, and other mo,1 How that she myght do hyt go. "Dame," seyd the bysshop, "do thy quentyse,2

And late us se how hyt shal ryse."
Thys wycche here charme began to sey,
The slop ros up, and gede the weye.
The bysshop seyd, "thys have we seyn;
Do hyt now to lygge ageyn,'
8
The wycche dede al at hys wylle:
She made the slop agen lygge stylle.
The bysshop made a clerk than wryte
Al that she seyd, mochel and lyte,
And allë how she made here went; *
The bysshop tharto gaf gode entent.
"Than," seyde the bysshop,
now shal
As thou hast do, do thy maystry." 5
The bysshop began the charme to rede,
And as she dyde, he dyde yn dede;
He seyd and dede every deyl,
Ryght as she dede, he dede as weɲl.
The sloppe lay stylle, as hyt ded wore,
For hym ne ros hyt never the more.
"Why," seyd he, "wyl hyt nat ryse,
And y have do the same wyse,
And seyd the wurdys, lesse ne mo,
And for my seyyng wyl hyt nat go?"
"Nay," she seyd, "why shuld hyt so?
Ye beleve nat as y do:

20

30

40

Wulde ye beleve my wurdys as y,
Hyt shulde a go, and sokun ky."
He seyd, "than faleth noght but belevyng";
She seyd, "that helpeth al my thyng;
And so hyt ys for ourë lawe,

Beleve ys more than the sawe;7

50

Of sacrylage he may be a-ferd;
Or entyrludës, or syngynge,
Or tabure bete, or other pypynge,
Alle swychë thyng forbodyn es
Whyle the prest stondeth at messe.
Alle swyche, to every gode preste ys lothe,
And sunner wyl he make hym wroth
Than he wyl that hath no wyt,
Ne undyrstondeth nat holy wryt;
And specyaly, at hyghe tymes,
Karolles to synge, and redë rymys,
Noght yn nonë holy stedes,10

That myght dysturble the prestës bedes,
Or gyf he were yn orysun

Or any outher devocyun,
Sacrylage ys alle hyt tolde,"

Thys and many other folde.

But for to leve yn cherche to daunce,
Y shal ghow telle a ful grete chaunce,
And
y trow, the most that fel

Ys as soth as the gospel;

And fyl thys chauncë yn thys londe,
Yn Ingland, as y undyrstonde;

18

10

30

Yn a kynges tyme that hyght Edward, Fyl thys chaunce that was so hard. Hyt was upp-on a crystemesse nyght That twelve folys 12 a karolle dyght; Yn wodehed,1 as hyt were yn cuntek 15 They come to a tounne men calles Colbek; The cherche of the tounne that they to

come,

30

That no man myght with no wundyr That twelvemonthe parte hem asundyr.

9

The preste gede yn, whan thys was done, And commaunded hys sone Agone That he shulde go swythe aftyr Ave, Oute of that karolle algate to have. But al to late that wurde was seyd, For on hem alle was the veniaunce leyd. Agone wende weyl for to spede; Un-to the karolle asswythe 10 he gede; Hys systyr by the arme he hente,11 And the arme fro the body wente. Men wundred allë, that there wore, And merveyle mowe ye herë more; For sethen 12 he had the arme yn hande, The body gede furth karoland; And nother body ne the arme Bledde never blodë, colde ne warme, But was as drye, with al the haunche, As of a stok were ryve a braunche. Agone to hys fadyr went,

And broght hym a sory present:

66

120

Loke, fadyr," he seyd, "and have hyt here,

The armë of thy doghtyr dere
That was myn ownë syster Ave,
That y wende y myght a save.18
Thy cursyng, now sene hyt ys

With veniaunce on thyn ownë flessh;
Fellyche 14 thou cursedst, and over sone; 130
Thou askedest veniaunce, thou hast thy
bone." 15

Yow thar 16 nat aske gyf there was wo With the preste and with many mo.

The prest that cursed for that daunce, On some of hys fyl harde chaunce. He toke hys doghtyr arme forlorn And byryëd hyt on the morn; The nextë day the arme of Ave He fonde hyt lyggyng above the grave. He byryed hyt on anouther day, And eft 17 above the grave hyt lay; The thryddë tyme he byryed hyt, And eft was hyt kast oute of the pyt. The prest wulde byrye hyt no more; He dredde the veniaunce ferly 18 sore; Yn-to the cherche he bare the arme; For drede and doute of morë harme, He ordeyned hyt for to be, That every man myght with ye hyt se. These men that gede so karolland Alle that yerë hand yn hand,

140

150

10 forthwith.

14 Savagely. 18 wondrous.

1

They never oute of that stede gede,
Ne nonë myght hem thennë 1 lede;
There the cursyng fyrst bygan,
Yn that place a-boute they ran,
That never ne felte they no werynes
As many bodyes, for goyng, dos –
Ne metë etë, ne drank drynke,
Ne sleptë onely a-lepy 2 wynke;
Nyght, ne day, they wyst of none,
Whan hyt was come, whan hyt was gone;
Frost ne snogh, hayle ne reyne,

5

160

180

Of colde ne hete, felte they no peyne;
Heere ne naylës never grewe,
Ne solowed & clothes, ne turned hewe;
Thundyr ne lyghtnyng dyd hem no dere,1
Goddes mercy dyd hyt fro hem were;
But sungge that songge that the wo wroght,
"Why stonde we? why go we noght?"
What man shuld thyr be yn thys lyve, 170
Tuat ne wulde hyt see, and thedyr dryve ?"
The Emperoure Henry come fro Rome
For to see thys hard(e) dome;
Whan he hem say, he weptë sore
For the myschefe that he sagh thore;
He did come wryghtës for to make
Coveryng over hem for tempest sake;
But that they wroght, hyt was yn veyn,
For hyt come to no certeyn;
For that they settë on oo7 day,
On the touther downe hyt lay;
Ones, twyys, thryys, thus they wrogt,
And alle here makyng was for nogt;
Myght no coveryng hyle hem fro colde
Tyl tyme of mercy, that Cryst hyt wolde.
Tyme of grace fyl thurgh hys mygt
At the twelvemonth end, on the yolënyght,
The same oure that the prest hem banned,10
They same oure, atwynne they woned; 11
That houre that he cursed hem ynne,
That same oure they gede atwynne:
And, as yn twynkelyng of an ye,
Yn-to the cherche gun they flye,
And on the pavement they fyl alle downe,
As they hade be dede, or fal yn a swone.
Thre days, styl, they lay echone,
That none steryd, other flesshe or bone,
And, at the thre days ende,
To lyfe God grauntede hem to wende.
They sette hem upp, and spak apert

190

200

3 faded. 4 caused them 6 go. 7 one. 8 cover, 11 apart they went.

9 Yule. 10 cursed.

211

Grete sorowe had here fadyr, here brother;
Merveyle and drede had allë outher,
Y trow no drede of soulë dede,18
But with pyne was broght the body dede.
The fyrst man was the fadyr, the prest,
That deyd aftyr the doghtyr nest.Î4
Thys ychë 15 arme that was of Ave,
That nonë myght leye yn grave,
The emperoure dyd a vessel werche
To do hyt yn, and hange yn the cherche,
That alle men myght se hyt and knawe, 220
And thenk on the chaunce when men hyt

sawe.

These men that hadde go thus karolland Alle the yere, fast hand yn hand, Thogh that they were than asunder, Yyt alle the world spake of hem wunder: That same hoppyng that they fyrst gede, That daunce gede they thurgh land and lede; 16

And as they ne myght fyrst be unbounde, So efte to-gedyr myght they never be founde,

Ne myght they never come ageyn
To-gedyr, to oo stede 17 certeyn.

18

230

Foure gede to the courte of Rome, And ever hoppyng aboute they nome; With sundyr lepys come they thedyr, But they come never efte to-gedyr; Here clothes ne roted, ne nayles grewe Ne heere ne wax, ne solowed hewe, Ne never hadde they amendement, That we herde, at any corseynt,19 But at the vyrgyne Seynt Edyght,20 There was he botened,21 seynt Teodryght; On oure lady day, yn lenten tyde, As he slepte here toumbe besyde, There he hade hys medycyne, At seynt Edyght, the holy vyrgyne.

12 occasion. 14 next.

18 went.

240

13 no fear of her soul's being dead. 16 nations.

15 same. 19 holy saint.

20 Edith.

17 one place.

21 amended.

PERLE plesaunte2 to prynces paye,
To clanly clos in golde so clere!
Oute of oryent, I hardyly saye,
Ne proued I neuer her precios pere,
So rounde, so reken in vche araye,
So smal, so smope her syde; were.
Quere-so-euer I jugged gemme3 gaye,
I sette hyr sengeley in synglure.
Allas! I leste hyr in on erbere;
pur3 gresse to grounde hit fro mne yot.
I dewyne, for-dolked of luf-daungere,
Of pat pryuy perle wyth-outen spot.

2

4

Sypen in pat spote3 hit fro me sprange, Ofte haf I wayted, wyschande pat wele þat wont watz whyle deuoyde my wrange, & heuen my happe & al my hele, pat dots bot prych my hert prange, My breste in bale bot bolue & bele. 3et post me neuer so swete a sange As stylle stounde let to me stele; For-sope per fleten to me fele. To penke hir color so clad in clot ! O moul, pou marrez a myry iuele, My priuy perle wyth-outen spotte!

3

pat spot of spyse3 [mo]t nede3 sprede, per such ryches to rot is runne; Blome3 blayke & blwe" & rede per schynez ful schyr agayn þe sunne; Flor & fryte may not be fede per hit doun drof in molde3 dunne; For vch gresse mot grow of graynez dede, No whete were elle3 to wonez wonne;

1 See the notes to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the excerpt from the original text, for the main peculiarities of the manuscript.

The italic letters, like n here, are indicated in the MS. only by a sign of contraction.

3 Each stanza in the sets of five is connected to the preceding stanza by the repetition in the first line of some word from the last line of the preceding stanza.

4 Such a word could perfectly well have its original final e in order to improve the metre.

Brackets about letters, as here, indicate that the letters have been supplied or emended by an editor. w for single u.

Of goud vche goude is ay by-gonne;
So semly a sede mo3t fayly not,
pat spry[n]gande spycez vp ne sponne
Of pat precios perle wyth-outen spotte.

4

To pat spot pat I in speche expoun
I entred, in pat erber grene,
In augoste in a hy3 seysoun,

Quen corne is coruen wyth croke; kene.
On huyle per perle hit trendeled doun
Schadowed pis wortez ful schyre & schiene
Gilofre, gyngure, & gromylyoun,
& pyonys powdered ay by-twene.
3if hit watz semly on to sene,
A fayr reflayr zet fro hit flot,

per wonys pat worpyly, I wot & wene, My precious perle wyth-outen spot.

5

Bifore pat spot my honde I spenn[e]d
For care ful colde pat to me cazt;
A de[r]uely dele in my hert denned,
paz resoun sette myseluen sazt.

I playned my perle pat per watz spenned
Wyth fyrte skyllez pat faste fa3t;
paz kynde of kryst me comfort kenned,
My wreched wylle in wo ay wrazte.
I felle upon pat floury flat,
Suche odour to my herne; schot;
I slode vpon a slepyng-slate,

On pat prec[i]os perle wythouten spot.

6

Fro spot my spyryt þer sprang in space,
My body on balke per bod in sweuen;
My goste is gon in gode3 grace,
In auenture per meruayle3 meuen.

I ne wyste in pis worlde quere pat hit

wace,

Bot I knew me keste per klyfe; cleuen; Towarde a foreste I bere pe face, Where rych rokke; wer to dyscreuen. pe ly3t of hem myзt no mon leuen, pe glemande glory pat of hem glent; For wern neuer webbez pat wyzez weuen Of half so dere adub[be]mente.