The book of Fame made by Geoffrey Chaucer  

GOd torn us every dream to good  
For it is wonder thing by the wood  
To my wit/ what cousyth swevenies  
On the morrow/ or on evenies  
And why th'effect followeth of some  
And of some it shall never come  
Why that it is a vision  
And why this/ a revelation  
Why this a dream/ why that a sweven  
And not to every man/ such even  
Why this a fanton/ why they oracles  
I note/ but who so of these miracles  
The causes know bet than I  
divine he/ for I certainly  
Ne can hem not ne never think  
To busy my wit/ for to swink  
To know of her significations  
T●e gendres ne dystynctions  
Of the times of hem ne the causis  
Or why this is more than that is  
Or yef folks complexions  
Make 'em dream of reflections  
Or elliss thus as other sayen  
For the great feebleness of her brain  
By abstinence/ or by sickness  
Prison/ strife/ or great distress  
Or else by dysordynance  
Or natural accustomance  
That some men be to curious  
In study/ or melancholious  
Or thus/ so inly full of dread  
That noman may him boat read  
Or else that devotion  
Of some/ and contemplation  
Causen such dreams oft  
Or that the cruel life unsoft  
Of them that loves leden  
Oft hopen moche or dreaden  
That purely her impressions  
Causen hem to have visions  
Or if spirits ●an the might  
To make folk to dream on night  
Or if the soul of proper kind  
Be so perfect as men find  
That it wot/ what is to come  
And that he warneth all and some  
Of everich of her adventures  
By avysyons or by figures  
But that our flesh hath no might  
To understand it a right  
For it is warned to derkly  
But why the cause is/ not wot I  
Well worth of this thing clerks  
That treten of that and of other works  
For I of none opinion  
No● as now/ make mention  
B●t on●y that the holy road  
Torn us every dream to good  
For neeur sith I was born  
Ne noman else me byforn  
Met I trow steadfastly  
So wonderful a dream/ as died I  
THe tenth day of december  
The which as I can remember  
I will make inuocacio●  
With a devout special devotion  
Unto the god of sleep anon  
That dwelleth in a cave of stone  
Upon a stream that cometh fro le●e  
That is a flood full unswetr  
Beside a folk that men clepe cym●rye  
There sleepeth ay this god unmerye  
With his sleepy thousand sons  
That allway to sleep/ her won i●  
And to this god/ that I of read  
Pray that he will me speed  
My sweven for to tell a right  
Ye● any dream stand in his might  
And he that mover is of all  
That is and was/ and ever shall  
So give 'em joy that it here  
Or all that they dream to year  
And for to stand all in grace  
Of her loves/ or in what place  
That hem were levest for to stand  
And shield hem/ from poverty & shonde  
And from every unhap and disease  
And send 'em that may hem please  
That taketh well/ and scorneth nought  
Ne it misdeem in her thought  
through malicious intention  
And he through his presumption  
Or hate/ 〈◊〉 sc●●ne/ or through envy  
Despite. or jape/ or felony  
misdeem it/ pray I Jesus' good  
Dream he barefoot or dream be should  
That every harm/ that any man  
Hath had sith the world began  
Befalle him thereof/ or he starve  
And grant/ that he may it deserve  
Lo with such a conclusion  
As had of his vision  
Croesus'/ that was king of lyde  
That he upon a gy●et died  
This prayer shall he have of me  
I am no bet in charity  
NOw herkene as I have you said  
What that I met/ or I abraided  
Of december the tenth day  
When it was night to sleep I lay  
Right as I was wont to done  
And fell a sleep/ wonder soon  
As he that was weary for go  
On pilgrimage myle● two  
To the corpse of saint leonard  
To maken lieth that erst was hard  
But as I slept/ me met I was  
Within a temple y made of glass  
In which/ there were more images  
Of gold/ standing in divers stages  
And more rich tabernacles  
And with part/ more pinnacles  
And more rich portretures  
And quaint manner of figures  
Of gold work/ than I saw ever  
For certainly I nist never  
Where that I was/ but well wise I  
It was of venus readily  
The temple for in portreture  
I saw anon her figure  
Naked fleeting in a see  
And also on her heed pard  
Rose garlands smelling as a meed  
And also fleeing about her heed  
He● doves/ and dan cupido  
Her blind son/ And ulcano  
That in his face was full brown  
But I roamed up and down  
I fond that on a wall there was  
Thus written on a table of bras  
I will now sing if that I can  
The arms and also the man  
That first came through his destiny  
Fugytyf fro Troy/ the country  
In to Itaylle with moche pine  
Unto the strands of lauyne  
And tho began the story anon  
As I shall tell you each on  
first saw I the destruction  
Of Troy through the greek Sinon  
With his falls untrue forswearing  
And with his cheer and his losing  
Made the horse/ brought in to Troy  
By which Troyans' lost their joy  
And after this was graved alas  
How Ilion assailed was  
And won/ and king Priamus slain  
And plyto his sone certain  
Dyspytously of dan Pirrus  
And next that/ saw I how Venus  
When that she saw the castle brende  
Down from heaven she 'gan descend  
And bade her son/ En●as flee  
And how he fled/ and how that he  
Escaped was/ from all the press  
And took his father old anchises  
And dare him on his back away  
crying alas/ and we●eawey  
The which Anchises in his hand  
Bore though the gods of the land  
Thilk/ that unburnt were  
then sawh I next in all this fere  
How Creusa daun Aeneas wife  
Whom that he loved as his life  
And her young sone julo  
And eke askanius also  
Fledden eke with dreary cheer  
That it was pity for to h●re  
And in a forest as they went  
At a turning of a went  
How Creusa was y lost/ alas  
That ●ede note I how it was  
How he her sought/ and how her ghoos●  
Bade him ●le the greeks host  
And saide he most in to Itaylle  
As was his destiny/ sans fayll●  
That it was pyt● for to here  
When her spirit 'gan appear  
〈◊〉 worde●/ that to him she ●eyd●  
And for to k●pe her son she preyd●  
There saw I graven eke/ how he  
His father eke and his main  
With his robberies 'gan to sail  
Tolbard the country of I will  
As straight as that they might go  
There saw I eke/ the cruel juno  
That art dan Iubit●rs wife  
That hast hated all thy life  
all the Twian blood  
Renne and cry as thou were wood  
On Aeolus the god of winds  
To blown out of all kinds  
So loud that he should drench  
Lord. lady. groom. and wench  
Of all the trojans nation  
Without any of her salvation  
There saw I such tempest arise  
That every heart might agrise  
To see it p●ynted on the wa●  
Theridamas saw I eke goguen with all  
Venus/ how ye my lady d●●e  
Weeping with full woeful cheer  
praying jubiter on high  
To save and keep that nauy●  
Of that Trogean Aeneas  
sith that he her sone was  
There saw I Jove's and venus' kiss  
And granted was of the tempest lysse  
Theridamas saw I how the tempest stent●  
And how with pain he went●  
And privily took a rivage  
In the country of Cartage  
And on the morrow/ how that he  
And a knight that height Achate  
Metten with venus that day  
●●yng in a quaint a●aye  
As she had be an huntrresse  
With wind blowing her tress  
And how Aeneas began to plain  
When he knew her/ of his pain  
And how his ships dreynt were  
Or else y lost he nist where  
How she 'gan him comfort th●  
And bade him to Cartage go  
And there he should his folk find  
That in the see were left behind  
And shortly of this thing to pass●  
She made Aeneas so in grace  
Of Dido queen of that country  
That shortly for to tell/ she  
Became his love/ and let him d●  
all that wedding longeth to  
What should I speak more quaint  
Or pain/ my words to paint  
To speak of love/ it will not be  
I can not of that fa●●lte  
And eke to tell of the manner  
How they first acqueynted were  
It were a long process to t●ke  
And over long for you to dwell●  
Theridamas saw I grave/ how Aeneas  
Told to Dido every ●●as  
That him was  upon the see  
And eft graven was how that sh●  
Made of him shortly at a word  
Her life/ her love/ her lust/ her lord  
And died to him all reverence  
And laid on him all dyspen●●  
That any woman might do  
weening all it had be so  
As he her swore and heartily deemed  
That he was good/ for he such seemed  
Alas what harm doth apparenc●  
When it is falls in existence  
〈◊〉 he to her a traitor was  
Wherefore she slow herself alas  
Lo how a woman doth amiss  
To love him that unknown is  
For every trust/ lo thus it fareth  
It is not all gold that glaryth  
For also browke I mine heed  
There may be under goodlihead  
Covered many a sherewd vice  
Therefore be no wight so nice  
To take a love only for cheer  
Or for speech or friendly manner  
For thus shall every woman find  
And swear/ how he is unkind  
Or false proved/ or double was  
all this say I by Aeneas  
And dido/ and her niece lost  
That loved all to soon a ghost  
Therefore I will say o proverb  
That he that fully knoweth the herb  
May safely lay it to his eye  
withouten dread that is no lie  
But let us speak of Aeneas  
How he betrayed her alas  
And left her full unkindly  
So when she all saw utterly  
That he would her of troth fail  
And wend fro her in to Itaylle  
She began to wring her hands two  
Alas quoth she/ that mine heart is wo●  
Alas is every man thus true  
That every year will have a new  
If it so long time endure  
Or else three peradventure  
And thus of one/ he will have fame  
In magnifying his owen name  
Another for friendship saith he  
And yet shall the third be  
That is taken/ for delight  
Lo or else for singular profit  
In such words 'gan complain  
Dido/ of her great pain  
As me met/ dreaming readily  
None other author allege will I  
Alas quod she my sweet heart  
Have pity of my sorrows smart  
And slay me not/ go not away  
O woeful Dido/ weleaway  
Quod she/ to herself tho  
O Aeneas what will ye do  
O that love/ ne oath ne your bond  
That ye swore with your right hand  
Ne my cruel death quoth she  
May hold you still with me  
O. have ye of my death pity  
Y iwis my own dear h●rte ye  
Know full well that never yet  
As fer as ever I had wit  
Agylte you in thought ne in deed  
O men have ye such goodlihead  
In speech/ and never a deal in truth  
Alas/ that ever had ruth  
any woman/ on a falls man  
Now I see well and tell can  
We wretched women can no art  
For certain for the more part  
Thus we been served everichone  
How sore ye men can groan  
Anon as we have you received  
Certainly/ we be deceived  
For though your love last a season  
wait upon the conclusion  
And eke how ye determine  
And for the more par● define  
O weleaway/ that I was born  
For through you my name is born  
●nd mine acts red and song  
Oueral this land in every tongue  
Of wicked fame/ for their nies  
No thing so swift/ ●o as she is  
O sith every thing is wist  
Though it be covered with the mist  
Eke though I might/ endure ever  
That I have done/ recover I never  
That I ne shall be said/ alas  
Y shamed was through Aeneas  
And that I shall thus judged be  
Lo/ right as she hath now/ she  
Will done eftsoons hardly  
Thus saith the people privily  
But that is done/ is not to done  
But all ●er complaint/ ne her mo●●  
Certain availeth not a s●●e  
And when she wist soothly/ ●e  
Was for●h in to his ship goon  
S●e in to her chambre w●nte anon●  
And ca●led for her sister Anne  
And began h●r to complain than●●  
And said that she the cause was  
That she so loved alas  
And thus councey●●yd she her to  
But what when this said was and d●  
S●e roof herself to the heart  
And so died/ through h●r smart  
But all the manner/ how she died  
And all the words how she saide  
Who so to know/ hath it in purpoo●  
Rede Vyrgyle in Eneydo●  
O● the e●ystle of Ovid  
What that she wrote/ or she died  
And near it were to long t●ndyte  
By god I would it here write  
But welawey/ the harm and ruth  
That hath betid for such untruth  
As men may oft in books read  
And alday/ it is yet in deed  
That for to thinken it tren is  
Lo Demophon/ duke of Athenes  
How he forswore him falsely  
And trayed Phillis wickedly  
That kings daughter was of trace  
And falsely 'gan his term pace  
And when she wist/ that he was fa●●  
She hinge herself by the hals  
For he had done her such untrowthe  
Lo was not this/ a woe and ruth  
Eke look how false and reckless  
Was to Breseyda Achilles  
And Paris to Oenone  
And jason to ysyphyle  
And eft jason to Med●a  
And Hercules to Dionyra  
For he l●ft her for Yolee  
That made him catch his death pard  
How false was eke Thescus  
That as the story telleth us  
How he betrayed Adriane  
The devil be his soul bane  
For had he sanged or ●ow●id  
He must have been all devoured  
Yef that Adrian had not be  
And for she had of him pity  
She made him from the death escape  
And he made her a full falls jape  
For after this/ within a while  
He left her sleeping within an isle  
Desert alone within the s●e  
And scale away/ and let her be  
And took her sister/ Phed●a though  
With him/ and 'gan to ship go  
And yet had he sworn to ●ere  
On all that ever he might swear  
That so she saved him his life  
He would taken her to his wife  
For she desired nothing elliss  
In certain/ as the book us tellis  
But texcuse this Eueas  
Fullych of his great trespass  
The book saith sans fail  
The God's bad him go to Itaylle  
And leaven Affryques regyoun  
And Dido and her fair town  
though I saw grave how to ytaylle  
Dan Aeneas is goon to sail  
And how the tempest all began  
And how he lost his steersman  
Which that the stern/ or he tok● keep  
Smote over the board/ lo ere he leap  
And also saugh I how s●byle  
And Aeneas beside an isle  
To hell wenten for to see  
His father Anchyses the fire  
And how he there fond Polymarus  
And also Dido/ and Deyphebus  
And every torment eke in hell  
Saw he which no tongue can tell  
Which/ who so list to know  
He must read many a row  
In virgil/ or in Claudian  
Or daunt/ that it tell can  
There saw I eke all the arryvaylle  
That Aeneas had made in to ytaylle  
And with king latin his tretee  
And all the battles that he  
Was at himself/ and all his knights  
Or he had all ywonne his ryghtis  
And when he turnus reft his life  
And won lavyna to his wife  
And all the marvelous signals  
Of the god's celestyals  
How maugre juno/ Aeneas  
For all her flygt and compass  
achieved all his adventure  
For jubiter took on him ●ure  
At the prayer of venus  
The I pray always save us  
And us aye of our sorrows light  
When I had all seen this sight  
In this noble temple thus  
Ay lord/ thought I that madest us  
Yet saw I never such noblesse  
Of images/ ner such richesse  
As I saw graven in this church  
But not wot I/ who died 'em wyrche  
Ne where I am ne in what country  
But anon I 'gan out see  
Right at the wicket/ if I can  
Seen oughwher/ any stirring man  
That would have told where I am  
When I out of the door came  
I fast about me beheld  
Then saw I but a large field  
As fer as ever I might see  
without town/ house/ or tree  
Or bushes or grass/ or ered land  
For all the field was but of sand  
As small as man may see at eye  
In the desert of lybye  
Ne I no manner creature  
That is formed by natunre  
Ne saw I/ me to read or wis  
O Cryst thought I/ that art in bliss  
From fanton/ and illusioun  
Me save/ and with devotion  
Mine eyen to the heaven I cast  
though was I ware/ ●o at the last  
That fast by the son an high  
As ken might I/ with mine ●ye  
Me thought I saw an Eagle fore  
But that it seemed moche more  
Than I had any Eagle I seen  
This is as soothe/ as d●th certain  
It was of gold/ and shone so bright  
That never saw men such a sight  
But if the heaven had y wonne  
all new of gold another son  
So shone the eagles feathers bright  
And soon downward 'gan it light   

Explicit liber primus  
Incipit liber secundus   

TOw herkene every manner man  
Hat any manner of english can  
And listeneth/ of my dream to lere  
For at the first/ shall ye here  
So s●ly/ and so dreadful a vision  
That I say that never Scipio●  
Ne king Nabugodonosor  
Pharaoh. Turnus. ne Elcanor  
Ne metten such a dream as this  
Now fair blissful O cyprys  
So be my favour at this time  
That ye me tendytr and rhyme  
Help ye that in pornaso dwell  
By side Elycon the clew well  
O. thought. that wrote all that I met  
And in the treasury it set  
Of my brain/ now shall men see  
If any virtue/ in the be  
To tell all my dream a right  
Now kythe thine engine and might  
This Egle/ of which I now have told  
That his feathers shoes all of gold  
Which that so high 'gan to sore  
I 'gan beholden more and more  
To seen her beauty/ and the wonder  
But never was their dint of thunder  
Ne that thing that men call fowdre  
That smite soon a tower to powdre  
And in his swift coming brende  
That so swith 'gan downwardly descend  
And this fowl when I beheld  
When I a room was in the field  
And with his grim pawies strong  
Within his sharp nails long  
Me fleeing/ at a swap he hent  
And with his sours/ again up went  
Me carrying in his claws stark  
As lightly as I had been a lark  
How high I can not tell you  
For I came up I nist never how  
For so atoned and assweved  
That every virtue in my heved  
What with his sours and my dread  
That all my feeling 'gan to deed  
For why it was a great affray  
Thus I long/ in his claws lay  
Till at last/ he to me spoke  
In man's voys/ and said awake  
And said be not aghast so for shame  
And called me tho by my name  
And for I should better abraid  
Me to awake/ thus he saide  
Right in the same voys and steven  
That useth one/ that I can neven  
And with that voys soothe to sayne  
My mind came to me again  
For it was godely said to me  
So was it never wont to be  
And here with all I 'gan to ste●e  
As he me in his feet ●ere  
Till that he felt that I had ●ete  
And felt eke though mine heart bete  
And though 'gan he me to disport  
And with gentle words me comfort  
And saide twice saint mary  
Thou art a noyous thing to carry  
And nothing needeth it pard  
For also wis god help me  
As thou no harm shall have of this  
And this was that betid the is  
Is for thy bore and for thy prow  
let see darest thou look yet now  
Be full insured boldly  
I am thy friend/ and therewith I  
'Gan for to wonder in my mind  
O god quod I that madest all kind  
Shall I none otherwise die  
Whether jove will me stellyfye  
Or what thing may this signify  
I am nether Enock ne Helye  
Ne Romulus ne Ganemede  
That were boar up as men read  
To heaven/ with dan jubiter  
And made the God's butler  
Lo this was tho my fantasy  
But he that bore 'gan espy  
That I so thought/ and said this  
Thou d●mest of thyself amiss  
For jove is not there about  
I dare the put full out of doubt  
To make of the yet a star  
But ere I bear the moche far  
I will the tell what I am  
And whither thou shalt and why I came  
To do this so that thou take  
Good heart/ and not for fere quake  
Gladly quoth I/ now well quoth he  
first I that in my f●et have the  
Of whom thou hast feet and wonder  
I am dwelling/ with the god of thoeder  
Which men callen jubiter  
That doth me fleen full oft far  
To do all his commandment  
And for this cause he hath me sent  
To thee/ hark now by thy truth  
certain he hath of the ruth  
That thou hast so truly  
Long served intentively  
His blind nephew Cupid  
And fair venus also  
With out guerdon ever yet  
And nevertheless hast set thy wit  
All though in thy heed/ full little is  
To make books. songs. or ditties  
In rhyme or elliss in Cadence  
As thou best canst in reverence  
Of love and of his seruantis eke  
That ha●e his service sought and seek  
And peynest the to praise his art  
Al though thou hadst never part  
Wherefore also god me bless  
Jove's holt it great humblesse  
And virtue/ eke thou dost wake  
On night and makest thine heed ache  
In thy study/ so thou writest  
And evermore of love endytest  
In honour of him and praising  
And in his folks furthring  
And in her matter all devisest  
And not him ne his folk de●pisest  
all though thou mayst go in the dance  
Of 'em that him list not advance  
Wherefore as I saide iwis  
jupiter considereth well this  
And also ●eau sire of other things  
That is/ thou hast no tidings  
Of loves folk/ if they be glade  
Ne of nothing else/ that god made  
And not only fro fer country  
That no tidings comen to the  
Not of thy very neygheboris  
That dwellen almost at thy doris  
Thou hearest neither that ne this  
For when thy labour all don is  
And hast made all thy rekenyngiss  
In stead of rest and of new things  
Thou ghost home/ to thine house anon  
And also dumb as a stone  
Thou sittest at an other book  
Till fully daswed is thy book  
And livest thus as an hermit  
all though thine abstinence is light  
And therefore Jove's through his grace  
will that I shall bear the to a place  
Which that hyte the house of fame  
And to ●o the sport and game  
In some recompensation  
Of thy labour and devotion  
that tho● hast had/ lo causeless  
To god Cupid the reckless  
And thus this god for his merit  
Will with some manner thing the quite  
So that thou wilt be of good cheer  
For trust well/ that thou shalt her●  
When we be comen/ there I say  
More wonder things/ I dare well lay  
And of loves folk more tidings  
Both sothsawes/ and losings  
And more loves/ new begun  
And long served till love is won  
And more lovers casually  
That been betid/ noman wot why  
But as a blind man sterteth an hare  
And more jollity/ and welfare  
While they find love of steel  
As think men/ and overall weal  
More dyscordis/ and more jelousyes  
more murmurs/ and more novelryes  
And also more dyssymylations  
And eke feigned reperations  
And more beards in two ours  
without razor or sysours  
Y made than grains be of sondes  
And eke more halding in hands  
And also more renovelances  
Of old forleten acqueyntances  
more lovedayes/ and more accords  
Than on Instrumentis been cords  
And eke of love moo exchanges  
Than ever corns were in granges  
Vnnethe may thou trrowen this  
Quod he/ no so help me god as wis  
Quoth I/ ne why quoth he/ for it  
Were impossible to my wit  
Though fame had all the pies  
In all a ●oyame/ and all espies  
How that she should here all this  
Or they aspyen that or this  
Quod he to me/ that can I prove  
By reason worthy for to leave  
So that thou give thine advertence  
To understand my sentence  
first shall thou here where she dwelleth  
Right so as thine owen book telleth  
Her palace standeth as I shall say  
Right even amids of the way  
Between heaven/ earth/ and see  
That what so ever in all the three  
Is spoken in prive or appert  
The way thereto is so smart  
And stant eke in so Just a place  
That every sown mote to it pace  
Or what so cometh/ from any tongue  
Be it rouned/ red or song  
Or spoken in sewerte/ or dread  
certain it moat thethyr need  
Now herkne well/ for why I will  
Tellen the a proper skill  
And a worthy demonstration  
In mine imagination  
Geffrey/ thou wottest well this  
That every kind that is  
Hath a kindly stead that he  
May best in it conserved be  
Unto which place every thing  
through his kindly inclining  
moveth for to come to  
then that is away thereto  
As thus/ lo how thou mayst alday see  
That any thing/ that heavy be  
As stone or lead/ or thing of weight  
And bear it never so high on height  
Let● go thine hand/ it falleth down  
Right so say I by fire and sound  
Or smoke or other things light  
Alleway they seek upward on height  
Light things up and downward charge  
While everich of hem be at large  
And for this cause thou mayst well see  
That every river unto the see  
Inclined is to go by kind  
And by these skills I find  
Have fishes dwelling in flood and see  
And trees eke on earth be  
Thus every thing by his reason  
Hath his owen proper mansion  
The which he seeketh to repair  
There as it should not apayre  
Lo this sentence is known couth  
Of every philosophers mouth  
As Aristotle and dan Platon  
And other clerks many ●on  
And to confirm my reason  
Thou wost well that speech is a son  
Or else noman might it here  
Now hark what I will the lere  
Sown is not/ but eyer y broken  
And every speech/ that is spoken  
Loud or prive/ fowl or fair  
In his substance is but an air  
For as flame is but lighted smoke  
Right so is sown/ air y broke  
But this may be in many wise  
Of which I will the devise  
As sown cometh of pipe or harp  
For when a pipe is blown sharp  
The air is twist with violence  
And rent/ lo this is my sentence  
Eke when men harp strengis smite  
Whether it be moche or lyt●  
Lo with the serooke/ the air to breaketh  
And right so breaketh it/ when men speaketh  
This wost thou well/ what thing is speech  
Now hens forth/ I will the teach  
How everich speech/ voys or sown  
through his multiplication  
Though it were pipe or mouse  
Mote needs come to fame's house  
I● prove it thus/ take heed now  
By experience for if thou  
Threw in a water now a stone  
Well wost thou it will make anon  
A little roundel as a circle  
peradventure as broad as a couer●l●  
Brodder than himself was  
And thus fro roundel to compass  
Each about other going  
Causeth of others stirring  
And multiplying evermore  
Till it be so far go  
●●at it at both brynkies be  
all though/ thou may it not see  
Above it goth/ yet always under  
It is/ though thou think it wonder  
And who so saith/ of troth I vary  
Bid him prove the contrary  
And right thus/ every word iwis  
That loud or privy spoken is  
Moveth first/ in the eyer about  
And of his moving out of doubt  
Another eyer/ anon is moved  
As I have of the water proved  
That every circle causeth other  
Right so of eyer/ my leave brother  
everich eyer in other steryth  
More and more/ and speech up beareth  
Or voys or noys/ word or sown  
Ay through multiplication  
Till it be at the house of fame  
Take it on earnest/ or in game  
Now have I told if thou have mind  
How speech or sown/ of pure kind  
Inclined is upward to move  
This maysthow feel well by prove  
Ha. a. quoth he lo so I can  
Lewdly unto a lewd man  
Speke and show him such skills  
That he may take him by the bills  
So palpable the skills be  
But tell me this/ now pray I the  
How thinketh thee/ my conclusion  
A good persuasion  
Quod I/ and like to be  
Right so as thou hast proved me  
By god quoth he/ and as I leanly  
Thou shalt have yet or it be eve  
Of every word/ of this senteuce  
●●d also pro●f by experience  
And with thine ears hearen will  
Top and tayll/ and eu●rydell  
That every word/ that spoken is  
Cometh in to fame's house iwis  
As I have said/ what wilt thou more  
And with this word/ upper to sore  
He began and said by saint Jame  
Now will we speaken all of game  
How faryst thou now. quoth he to me  
Well quoth I/ now see quoth he  
By thy troth yond adown  
Where that thou knowest any town  
Or house/ or any other thing  
And when thou hast of aught knowing  
Look that thou warn me  
And I anon shall tell the  
How fer thou art now there fro  
And I adown 'gan to look tho  
And beheld fields and pleynes  
Now hills/ and now mountains  
Now valleys/ and now forestes  
And now uneath great beasts  
Now rivers/ now great cities  
Now towns/ now great trees  
Now ships sailing in the see  
But thus soon/ in a while he  
Was flown fro the ground so high  
Tat all the world as to mine eye  
no more seemed than a prykke  
Or else the eyer was so thykke  
That I might it not decern  
With that he spoke to me so yearn  
And saide/ seest thou any token  
Or aught/ that in the world is of spoken  
I said nay/ no wonder is  
Quod he/ for never ha●f so her as this  
Nas Alysaunder of Macedo  
King/ ne of rome dan Scipio  
That saw in dream point device  
Heaven and hell and paradise  
Ne eke the wright Dedalus  
Ne his son Nyse Icharus  
That flaw so high/ that the heat  
His wings malt/ and he fell wete  
In mid the see/ and there he dreynte  
For whom was made a great complaint  
Now torn upward/ quod he/ thy face  
And behold this large space  
This eyer/ but look that thou ne be  
A dread of h●m/ that thou shalt ●e  
For in this region certain  
Dwelleth many a Cytezeyn  
Of which speaketh dan plato  
These been the eyrissh beasts ●o  
And tho saw I all the main  
Both goon and also flee  
Lo quoth he/ caste up thine eye  
See yonder lo the Galaxye  
The which men clepe the mylky wey●  
For it is whit/ And some perfeye  
Callen it Watling street  
That once was brent with the heat  
When the sons son the read  
That hyte Pheton would lead  
Algate his faders cart and ● gye  
The cart horse 'gan well espy  
That he could/ no governance  
And 'gan for to leap and dance  
And bear him up and now down  
Till he saw the Scorpyoun  
Which that in heaven/ a sign is yet  
And he for fere/ lost his wit  
Of that/ and let the reins gone  
Of these horse and they anon  
'Gan up to mount and down descends  
●yl both eyer and earth brende  
Till jubiter/ lo at the last  
Him slow/ and fro the cart cast  
Lo is it not a great mischance  
To let● a fool have governance  
Of things/ that he can not demeyn  
And with this word soothe for to say  
He 'gan always upper to sore  
And gladded me than more and more  
So faithfully to me spoke he  
though 'gan I look under me  
And beheld the ayrisshe beasts  
Clouds mists and tempests  
Snows. Hails. rains/ and winds  
And all thengendering in her kinds  
And all the weigh/ through which I came  
O god quod I that made adam  
Moche is thy might and noblesse  
And though thought I upon Boece  
That wryt●th/ a thought may i'll so high  
With feathers of philosophy  
To passen every Element  
And he hath so far y went  
then may be see behind his back  
Cloud and all that I of spoke  
though 'gan I wax in a were  
And said/ I wot well I am here  
Whether in body/ or in ghost  
I note iwis/ but god thou wost  
For more clear intendment  
Nadde he me never yet sent  
then thought I on Marcyan  
And eke on anteclaudyan  
That sooth was their description  
Of all the heavens region  
As f●r a● I saw the preue  
And therefore I can 'em believe  
With that the Eagle can to cry●  
Late be quod he thy fantasy  
Wilt thou here of sterris ought  
Nay certainly quoth I right nought  
And why quoth he/ for I am old  
else would I have the told  
Quoth he/ stars names lo  
And all the heavens signs to  
And which they be/ no for'rs quod I  
Yes pard quoth he/ wost thou why  
When thou readest poetry  
How the gods can stellefye  
Bird fyssh/ or him or here  
As the ra●en and other  
Or Ariones harp fin  
Castor Polux or Delphyn  
Or Athalantes daughters seven  
How all these are set in heaven  
For tho●gh thou have 'em oft in hand  
Yet nost thou where they stand  
No fo●s quoth I/ it is no need  
As well I l●ue so god me speed  
Hem that written of this matter  
As though I knew her places here  
And eke they shinen here so bright  
I should shenden all my sight  
To look on 'em/ that may well be  
Quoth he/ And so forth bore he me  
A while/ And though he 'gan to cry  
That never herd I thing so high  
Hold up thine heed/ for it is well  
saint julyen lo/ bonne hostel  
See here the house of fame lo  
Mayst thou not here that I do  
What quoth I the great sown  
Quod he/ that rombleth up and down  
In fame's house/ full of tidings  
Both of fair speech/ and of other things  
And of false and so●h componed  
●erkne well/ it is not rouned  
Hearest thou not the great swough  
Yes pard quoth I/ well enough  
And what swoon is it like quoth he  
Peter like the beating of the see  
Quoth I/ against the roches hollow  
When tempests don her ships swallow  
And that a man stand out of doubt  
A mile thence and here it rout  
Or elliss like the humbling  
After the clap of a thundering  
When Jove's hath the eyer y bete  
But it doth me for fere sweet  
Nay dread the not thereof quoth he  
It is nothing/ that will grieve the  
Thou shalt have no harm truly  
And with that word/ both he and I  
As nigh the place arrived were  
As men might cast with a spear  
I nys● how but in a street  
He set me fair on my feet  
And said walk forth a pace  
And tell thine adventure and case  
That thou shalt find in fame's place  
Now quoth I while we have space  
To speak or that I go fro the  
For the love of god tell me  
In sooth that I will of the lere  
Yef this noise/ that I here  
Be as I have herd the tell  
Of folk that forth in earth dwell  
And here in the same wise  
As I the herd or this devise  
And that her lives body nies  
In all that house/ that yonder i●  
That maketh/ all this loud fare  
No quoth he by saint clare  
And also wis god help me  
●ut o thing/ I will warn the  
Of the which/ thou wilt have wonder  
Lo to the house of fame yonder  
Thou wost how cometh every speech  
It needeth not the more to teach  
But understand right well this  
When any speech y comen is  
Unto that palace anon right  
It weye●h like the same weight  
Which that in earth the word spoke  
Be he clothed red or black  
And hath so very his likeness  
That spoke the word/ and thou wilt guess  
That it the same body be  
Man or woman he or she  
And is not this a wonder thing  
Yes quod I/ by heavens king  
And with this word/ far well quoth he  
And here will I abide thee  
And god of heaven send the grace  
Some good to learn in this place  
And I of him took leave anon  
And 'gan forth to the palace gone   

Explicit liber secundus  
Incipit liber Tercius   

O God of science and of light  
Apollo through thy great might  
This little last book/ thou now gye  
Not that I will for mastery  
Here art poetical be showed  
But the rhyme that is so lewd  
Made it somewhat agreeable  
Though some vers fail ●illable  
And that I do no diligence  
To show craft/ but sentence  
And if divine virtue thou  
Wilt help me to show now  
That in my heed marked is  
Lo that is for to moven this  
The house of fame to describe  
Thou shalt see me go as belive  
Unto the next lawrer I see  
And kiss it for it is thy tree  
Now enter in to my breast anon  
When I was from the Eagle gone  
I 'gan behold upon this place  
And certain or I further pace  
I will you all the shap devise  
Of house of city/ and of the wise  
How I 'gan to the place approach  
That stant upon so high a roche  
There standeth none so high in spain  
But up I clam with moche pain  
And though to climb/ it grieved me  
Yet I intentive was to see  
And for to pour wonder low  
Yef I could any wise know  
What manner stone this roche was  
For it was like a limed glass  
But that it showed more clear  
But of what congealed matter  
It was/ I ne wist readily  
But at the last espied I  
And fond that it was everydeel  
A roche of ice/ and not of steel  
Thought I by saint Thomas of kent  
This were a feeble foundement  
To bylden on/ a place so hy●  
He aught him well to glorify  
That heron bylt so god me save  
Tho saw I all the hall grave  
With famous folks names feel  
That have been in moche weal  
And her fames wide blow  
But well uneath might I know●  
●ny letters for to read  
Her names/ for out of dread  
They weren almost ouerthowed so  
That of the letters/ one or two  
Were molte away/ of every name  
So unfamous was wax her fame  
But men say/ what may ever last  
though 'gan I in mine heart coast  
That they were molte away for heat  
And not away with storms beat  
For on that other side/ I say  
On this hill that northward lay  
How it was written full of names  
Of folk that had afore great fames  
Of old time/ And yet they were  
As fresh as men had written hem there  
The self day/ or that hour  
That I on hem 'gan to pour  
But well I wist/ what it made  
It was conserved/ with the shade  
Of a castle/ that so stood on high  
all the writing that I sye  
And stood eke in so cold a place  
That heat might it not deface  
though 'gan I on this hill to gone  
And fond on the ceppe a won  
That all the men that been on live  
Ne han the cunning to describe  
The beauty of that ilk place  
Ne could caste the compass  
Such an other for to make  
That might of beauty be his make  
Ne so wonderly y wrought  
That it astonied/ yet my thought  
And maketh all my wit to swink  
On this caste● for to think  
So that the great beauty  
The cast craft and curiosity  
Ne can I not to you devise  
My wit may it not suffice  
But nevertheless all the sulstaunce  
I have yet in my remembrance  
For why/ me thought by saint gyl●  
all was of stone of beryl  
Bo●he the castle and the tour  
And eke the hall and every bour  
without pieces or joinings  
But many subtle compas●ynges  
As bab●uwryes and pinnacles  
Ymageryes and tabernacles  
I saw eke and full of windows  
As flakes fallen in great snowies  
And eke in every of each pinnacles  
Were sundry habitacles  
In which stooden all they withouten  
Full the castle all abowten  
Of all manner of mynstrallis  
And gestours that tell talis  
Both of weeping/ and of game  
And of all/ that longeth unto fame  
There herd I play on an harp  
That swooned well and sharp  
Him Orpheus full craftily  
And on his side fast by  
Sat the harper/ Oryon  
And gacides Chyryon  
And other harpers many one  
And the bryton Glaskyryon  
And small harpers/ with her gl●ys  
Sat under hem in diverse seys  
And gone on 'em upward to gape  
And counterfeited 'em as an ape  
Or as craft count●rfete kind  
though saw I hem behind  
A fer from 'em/ as by themself  
Many thousand time twelve  
That made loud mynstraleyes  
An cornmuse or shalemeyes  
And many an other/ pipe  
That craftily began to pipe  
Both in dowced and in read  
That been at festes with the breed  
And many a flute and lyteling horn  
And piper made of stree of corn  
As have these little heard grooms  
That keepen bestis in the bromes  
There saw I then dan Cytherus  
And of Atthenes/ dan proserus  
The Marcia/ that boast her skin  
Both in face. body and chin  
For that she would enuyen lo  
To pyren bet than Apollo  
The●● saw I eke/ famous old and young  
pipers of the duck tongue  
To learn hoof dauncis springs  
Reyes/ and the strange things  
though saw I in an other place  
Standing in a large spac●●  
Of 'em that maken bloody sown  
In tromp beam and claryoun  
For in fight/ and blood shedding  
Is used good clarioning  
There herd I trump messenus  
Of whom that speaketh virgilius  
There herd I joab trump also  
Theodonas and other moo  
And all that used clarion  
In Castyle lion and Arragon  
That in her times/ famous were  
To lernen/ saw I trompen there  
There saw I sit in her seeth  
Ployenge upon other lees  
Which I can not neven  
●o than sterris been in heaven  
Of which I nyl/ as now not rhyme  
For ease of you/ And l●sse of time  
For time y lost that know ye  
By no weigh/ recovered may be  
There saw I play jugglers  
Magyciens and trageotours  
And phetonysses and charmeresses  
Old wycches and sorceresses  
That usen exorsisations  
And many other Invocations  
And clerks that connen well  
all this magic naturel  
That craftily do her intents  
To maken in certain ascendentes  
images lo/ through such magic  
To make a man/ hole or seek  
There saw I the queen Medea  
And Cir●●s eke/ and Caliophia  
There saw I hermes/ ballenus  
Lymote/ and eke Simon magus  
There saw I and knew him by name  
That by such art done men fame  
There saw I/ colle tregetour  
Upon a table of Sycomour  
play/ a uncouth thing to tell  
I saw him carry a wind me●le  
Under a walnote shalt  
What should I make longer tale  
Of all the people that I say  
I could not tell till doomsday  
When I had all this folk behold  
And fond me ●oos/ and not hold  
And eft I mused a longer while  
Upon this wall of Beryle  
That shone lighter than a glass  
And made it well more than it was  
As kind thing of fame is  
And then anon after this  
I 'gan forth romen till I fond  
The castle/ that on my right hand  
Which so well carven was  
That never such an other nas  
And yet it was by adventure  
Y wrought by great and subtle cure  
It needeth not you for to tell  
To make you longer to dwell  
Of these yates florysshynges  
Ne of compaces ne of keruynges  
Ne how the hacking in masonryes  
As corbettis/ and ymageryes  
But lord so feyr it was to show  
For it was all of gold behewe  
But in I went and that anon  
There met I crying many one  
A largesse/ A largesse up hold well  
God save the lady of this peel  
Our owen gentle lady fame  
And hem that willeth to have a name  
Of us/ thus herd I cryen all  
And fast comen out of the hall  
And shaken nobles/ and sterlynges  
And crowned were they as kings  
With crowns wrought full of losings  
And many reban and many things  
Were in her clothes truly  
though at last/ espied I  
That pursuivants and herawdes  
That cryen rich folks lauds  
It weren all/ and every man  
Of them as I you tell can  
Had on him throw a vesture  
Which men clepe a cote Armure  
Enbrowdred wonderly rich  
all though they were not ylyche  
But not will I so mot● I thrive  
Be about to describe  
all these arms what they weren  
That they thus on her cot●s bearen  
For it to me were Impossible  
Men might make of 'em a bible  
Twenty foot thick as I trow  
For certain who so could know  
Might there all the arms see  
Of famous folk that had be  
In Affry●que. Europe/ and Asye  
sith first lo chivalry  
Lo how should I tell all this  
Ne of the ha●le eke/ what need is  
To tell you that every wall  
Of it/ and ●●of and flore with all  
Was plated half a foot thykke  
Of gold/ and that was not wykke  
But to proef in all wise  
As fyn as doket of venyse  
Of which to light in my pouch is  
And were set as thick as owchies  
Full of the finest stones fair  
That men readen in the lapydayre  
Or as grasses grown in a meed  
But it were all to long to read  
The names/ And therefore I place  
But in this rich lusty place  
That fame's hall/ called was  
Full moche prees of folk/ there was  
No groaning for so much prees  
But all an high upon a dice  
Sat on a See Emperyal  
That was made of a ruby ryal  
Which a Carbuncle is called  
I saw perpetually y stalled  
A femynyn Creature  
That never formed by nature  
Such Another thing I say  
For altherfyrst soothe to say  
●e thought/ that she was so light  
That the length of a cubit  
Was longer that she seemed be  
But thus soon in a while she  
Herself/ though wonderly straight  
That with her feet she th'earth reyght  
And with her heed she touched heaven  
There as shineth the stars seven  
And thereto yet as to my wit  
I saw as great a wonder yet  
Upon her eyen to behold  
But certainly/ I hem never bold  
For as f●ls eyen had she  
As feathers upon fowls be  
Or weren on the bestis four  
That God's throne can honour  
A● writeth john in the Apocalypse  
Her ●●er that was owndy and cryps  
As ●orned gold shone/ as for to see  
And soothe to tell also she  
Had also feel standing eris  
And tongues/ as on a best been h●eris  
And on her feet waxen saw I  
Partryches wings redyl●y  
But lord the perry and richesse  
I saw sitting on the goddess  
And the heavenly melody  
Of songs full of harmony  
I heard about her throne y songe  
That all the palace wall rung  
So song the mighty muse she  
That cleped is Calyope  
And her seven sistren eke  
That in her faces semen meek  
And evermore eternally  
The song of fame though herd I  
Heryed be thou and thy name  
Goddess of renown and of fame  
though was I ware at the last  
As I mine eyen 'gan up cast  
That this ilk noble quen●  
On her shoulders 'gan sustain  
Both Arms and the name  
Of though that had large fame  
Alysandre and Hercules  
That with a shirt his life l●es  
And thus fond I sitting this goddess  
In nobleye honour and richesse  
Of which I styn●e a while now  
Other things to tell you  
though saw I stand on tother side  
Straight down to the doris wide  
From the deys many a pillar  
Of metal that shone not full clear  
But though they were of no riches  
Yet were they made for great nobles  
And in 'em great sentence  
And folk of great and dign reverence  
Of which to tell will I fond  
Upon a pillar saw I stand  
Alderfyrst/ there I seyghe  
Upon a pillar stand an hy●  
That was of ●ede and of iron fine  
Him that wrote th'acts divine  
The Ebrayk josephus the old  
That of Jews gestis told  
And bore upon his shoulders hy●  
The fame up of the Iewery●  
And by him/ there stooden seven  
wise and worthy/ for to neven  
To helpen him ●ere up the charge  
It was so heavy and so large  
And for they written of battles  
As well as of other marvels  
Thefor was ●o this pillar  
Of which I you tell he●●  
〈◊〉 l●de and y●●n both iwis  
〈◊〉 iron Martis metal is  
Which that god is of battle  
And the lead without fail  
Is Lo the metal of saturn  
That hath full large wh●le to turn  
To stand forth on every row  
Of 'em/ which I could know  
Though I by order hem not tell  
To maken you to long to dwell  
These of which I 'gan read  
There saw I stand out of dread  
Upon a pillar high and strong  
That painted was all endlong  
With tigers blood in every place  
The tholoph●n that height s●ace  
That bore of thebes up the name  
Upon his shoulders and/ the fame  
Also of cruel Achilles  
And by him without lees  
Full wonder high upon a pillar  
Of iron he the great Omer  
And with him dares and Titus  
Before and eke he lollius  
And Guydo eke de Columpnys  
And English Gaufryd eke iwis  
And each of these as I have joy  
Was busy for to bear up Troy  
So heavy was thereof the fame  
That for to bear it was no game  
But yet I 'gan full well aspy●  
Between hem was a lytal envy  
Other said that Omer made lies  
Feigning in his poetryes  
And was to the grekis favourable  
Therefore held he it but fable  
though saw I stand on a pillar  
That was of tynned y●en cler  
The latin poet virgil  
That hath bo●e up a long while  
The fame of Pius Aeneas  
And next on a pillar was  
Of Co●er/ Venus clerk Ovid  
That hath sown wonder wide  
The great god of love/ his fame  
And there he bore up well his name  
Upon this pillar/ also high  
As I might see it with mine ●ye  
For which this hall/ whereof I read  
Was wax on height/ length and breed  
Well more by a thousand deal  
Than it was erst/ that saw I weal  
though saw I on a pillar by  
Of iron wrought full sternly  
The great poet dan Lucan  
That on his shoulders bore up than  
As high as I might see  
The name of julius and Pompee  
And by him stooden all these clerks  
That write of Rome's mighty works  
That if I would her names tell  
Alto ●onge must I dwell  
And then upon a pillar stood  
Of Sulphur like as he were wood  
Dan Claudian soothe for to tell  
That bore up all the fame of hell  
Of Pluto and of proserpine  
That queen is of the dark pine  
What should I more tell of this  
The hall was all full iwis  
Of 'em that written old gestis  
As been in trees rooks nestis  
Wer● all these gests for to here  
But it is a full confuse matter  
That they of write and how they height  
But while that I beheld that sight  
〈◊〉 a noise approach belive  
〈◊〉 fareth as bees done in an hive  
Against her time of out coming  
Right such a murmoring  
Fie all the world seemed me  
though 'gan I look about me and see  
That there come entering in to the hall  
A right great company with all  
And that of sundry regions  
Of all kyns conditions  
That dwell in earth under the moan  
Pour and rich and also soon  
As they were come in to the hall  
They gone on knees down fall  
Before this ilk noble queen  
And saide grant us lady sheen  
Ec●e of us/ of thy grace a bone  
And some of 'em/ she granted soon  
And some she warned well and fay●  
And some she granted the contray●  
What there grace was I nist  
For of these folk full well I wist  
They had good fame each deserved  
all though they were diversly served  
Right as her sister dame fortune  
Is wont to serve in common  
Now herkne how she 'gan to pay  
Hem/ that 'gan her of grace pray  
And yet lo/ all this company  
Seyden soothe/ and not a lie  
Madame said they/ we be  
folk/ that here beseechen the  
That thou grant us now good fame  
And let our works have good name  
In full recompensacioun  
Of good works/ give us renown  
I warn you quoth she anon  
Ye get of me good fame non  
By god/ and therefore go your weigh  
Alas/ quod they and weleawey  
Tell us what your cause be  
For me list not it/ quod she  
No wight shall speak iwis  
Good ne harm/ ne that ne this  
And with that word she 'gan to call  
Her messenger that was in hall  
And bad that he should fast gone  
Upon pain to be blind anon  
For Aeolus/ the god of wind  
jy trace/ there ye shall him find  
And bid him bring his clarion  
That is full diverse of his swoon  
And it is cleped clear laud  
With which he wonted is to herawde  
Hem that me list praised be  
And also bid him/ how that he  
Bring eke his other clarion  
That height slander in every town  
In which he wonted is to defame  
Hem that m● list/ and do 'em shame  
This messenger 'gan fast to goon  
And fond where in a caue● of stone  
In a country that height Trace  
This Aeolus with hard grace  
Held the winds in distress  
And 'gan 'em under him to press  
That they gone as the bears roar  
He bond and pressed 'em so sore  
This messenger 'gan first cry  
Rise up quoth he/ and fast the high  
Till thou at my lady be  
And take thy clarions eke with the  
And speed the fast/ and he anon  
Took to one that height Triton  
His clarion to bearen tho  
And let a certain wind go  
●hat blew so hideously and high  
That it left not a sky  
In all the welkin long and brood  
This Aeolus nowher a bood  
Till he was come at fame's feet  
And eke the man that Tryton heat  
And there he stood as still as stone  
And here withal there came anon  
An other huge Company  
Of old folk/ and 'gan to cry  
Lady grant us now good fame  
And let our works have that name  
Now in honour and gentleness  
And also god your soul bless  
For we han well deserved it  
Therefore is right/ that we be quit  
As thrive I quoth she ye shall fail  
Good works shall you not avail  
To have of me good fame as now  
But wot ye what/ I grant you  
That ye shall have a shrewd name  
And wicked loose/ and worse fame  
Though ye good loose have well deserved  
Now goth your w●y/ for ye been served  
And thou dan Aeolus/ quod she  
Take forth thy trump anon let see  
That is I cleped slander light  
And blow her loos/ that every wight  
Speke of 'em harm and shrewdness  
An stead of good and worthiness  
For thou shalt trump all the contrary  
That they have done/ well and fair  
Alas thought I what adventures  
Have these sorry creatures  
That they among all the pres  
Should thus be shamed guiltless  
But what it must needs be  
What died this Aeolus but he  
Took out his black trump of bras  
That fouler than the devil was  
And 'gan this trump for to blow  
As all the world should over throw  
through out every regyoun  
Went his fowl trumps sown  
As swift as a pelet/ out of a gone  
When fire is in to it run  
And such a smoke/ 'gan out wend  
Out of the fowl trumps end  
Black-will/ blue/ grenyssh/ swartysh red  
As doth/ when men melt lead  
Lo all on high/ from the well  
And thereto one thing saw I well  
That the further/ that it ran  
The greater waxed/ it began  
As doth the river from a well  
And it stank/ as the pit of hell  
Alas thus was her shame y ronge  
And guiltless/ on every tongue  
though came the third company  
And came up to the deys on high  
And down on knees/ they fell anon  
And saiden/ they been everyone  
Folk that han full truly  
Deserved fame rightfully  
And prayed it might be know  
Right as it is and forth blow  
I grant quod she for now me list  
That now your good works been wist  
And yet ye shall have better loos  
Right in despite of all your foes  
Than worthy is/ and that anon  
let now quoth she/ thy trump gone  
Thou Aeolus/ that is so black  
And out thine other trump take  
That height laud/ And blow it so  
That through the world/ her fame go  
all esyly/ and not to fast  
That it be known at the last  
Full gladly/ lady mine he saide  
And out his trump of gold he breyde  
Anon/ and set it to his mouth  
And blewe it east. west. and south  
And north as loud as any thunder  
That every wight hath of it wonder  
So broad it ran or that it stint  
And certes all the breath that went  
Out of his trump/ it smelled  
As men a pit full of balm heeled  
Among a basket full of roses  
This favour dy●e he to her loses  
And right with this I 'gan espy  
There came the four●h company  
But certain they were wonder few  
And gone to stand on a rue  
And ●ayden certes lady bright  
We have done well/ with all our might  
But we n● keep to have fame  
Hide our works and our name  
For gods love/ for certes we  
Have certain done it for bounty  
And for no manner other thing  
I grant you all your asking  
Quoth she/ let all your works be deed  
With that about I turned my heed  
And saw anon the first rout  
That to this lady 'gan lout  
And down anon on knees fall  
And her, though besoughten all  
To hide her good works eke  
And saide they give not a leek  
Foe fame ne such renown  
For they for comtemplacioun  
And God's love had it wrought  
N● of fame would they nought  
What quoth she/ be ye wood  
And ween ye to do good  
And for to have of that no fame  
Have ye despite to have a name  
Nay ye shall everyone  
Blow thy trump and that anon  
Quod she thou Aeolus/ I hot  
And ring these folks works by note  
That all the world may of it here  
And he 'gan blow here loos so clear  
In his golden clarioun  
That through the world went the sound  
And so kindly/ and eke so soft  
That their fame was blow a loft  
though came the sixth company  
And 'gan fast/ to fame cry  
Right verily in this manner  
They say mercy lady dear  
To t●lle certain as it is  
We have done neither that ne this  
But idle all our life hath be  
But nevertheless we pray the  
That we may have so good a fame  
And great renom and known name  
As they that have do noble gestis  
And eschewed all her beasts  
As well of love/ as other thing  
Al was us/ never broche ne ring  
Ne else what fro women sent  
Ne ones in her heart meant  
To make us friendly cheer  
But mought temen us upon bear  
Yet let us to the people seem  
Such as the world/ may of us dem●  
That women loved us for wood  
That shall do us as much good  
And to our heart as much avail  
To counterpoise ease and travail  
●s we had won with labour  
●or that is dear bought treasure  
At regard of our great ease  
And yet ye must us more please  
let us behold eke thereto  
Worthy wise/ and good also  
And rich and happy unto love  
For gods love/ that sitteth above  
Though we may not the body hau●  
Of womm●n/ yet so god me save  
let men blow of us the name  
sufficeth us/ that we have the fame  
I grant quod she/ by my truth  
Now Aeolus/ withouten sloth  
Take out thy trump of gold quoth she  
And blow as they have axed me  
That every man ween 'em at ease  
Though they go in bad bese  
This Aeolus/ 'gan it so blow  
That through the world it was know  
though came the seventh rout anon  
And fell on knees everichone  
And said lady grant us soon  
The same thing the same bone  
That to these next folk hast done  
Fie on you quoth she everichone  
Ye masty Swine/ ye Idle wretches  
Full of rotten and slow triches  
What false thieves/ where ye would  
Ben famous good/ and nothing nold  
Deserve why ne never thought  
Men rather you to hangen ought  
For ye ●e like the sleepy cat  
That would have fish/ but wost thou what  
He will nothing wet his claws  
Evil thrift come on your jaws  
And on mine/ if I it grant  
Or do favour you to avaunt  
Thou Aeolus/ thou ●yng of trace  
Go blow thy● folk a sorry grace  
Quod she anon/ and wost thou how  
As I shall tell the right now  
Say/ these been they/ that wolden honour  
Have/ and do no kyns labour  
And do no good/ and yet hem laud  
That men wend/ that be●e I sawde  
Ne could hem not of love werne  
And yet she that grynt at querne  
Is all to good to ease her heart  
This Aeolus anon up start  
And with his black claryoun  
Began to blasyn out a sound  
As loud as bellyth wind in hell  
And eke therewith soothe to t●lle  
This swoon was full of japes  
As ever mows were in Apes  
And that wend the world about  
That every wight 'gan on 'em shout  
And for to laugh/ as they were wood  
Such game fond they in her mode  
though came there another company  
That had done the treachery  
The harm and great wickedness  
That every heart could guess  
And prayed 'em to have good fam●  
And that she nold do hem no shame  
But give 'em loos and good renown  
And do it blow in claryoun  
Nay wis quod she/ it were a vice  
all be there in me no justice  
Me list not to do it now  
Ne I no will grant it you  
though came there creeping in a rout  
And 'gan clap all about  
Every man upon the Crown  
That all the hall 'gan sown  
●nd said lady lyef and dree  
We been such folks as ye may here  
To tell all the tale a right  
We been shrews every wight  
And have delight in wickedness  
As good folk have in goodness  
And joy to be known shrews  
And full of vice and wicked thews  
Wherefore we pray you on a row  
That our fame be such y know  
In all thing such as it is  
I grant it you quoth she iwis  
But what art thou/ that sayst this tale  
That werest on thy hose a pale  
And on thy typet such a bell  
Madame quod he soothe to tell  
I am that ilk shrew iwis  
That brent the temple of ysidis  
In Athenes lo that city  
And wherefore didst thou so quoth she  
By my truth quoth he madame  
I would fain have had a fame  
As other folk had/ in the town  
all though they were of great renown  
For her virtue and her thews  
Thought I/ as great fame have shrews  
Though it be for Shrewdness  
As good folk have for goodness  
And sithen I may not have that on  
That other nil I not forgoon  
As for to get a fame here  
The temple set I on fire  
Now late our loos be blow swith  
As wisely be thou ever blithe  
Gladly quoth she/ thou Aeolus  
Hearest thou not/ what they prayen us  
Madame yes full well quoth he  
And I will trompen it pard  
And took his black trump fast  
And 'gan to puffen and to blast  
Till it was at worlds end  
With that I 'gan about wend  
For one/ that stood at my back  
Me thought full goodly to me spoke  
And said friend what is thy name  
Art thou come hither to have fame  
Nay forsooth friend quod I  
I come not hither gramercy  
For no such cause by my heed  
Suffyse●h me/ as I were deed  
That no wight have my name in hand  
I wot myself best how I stand  
For what I dry or what I think  
I will myself all it drink  
certain for the more part  
As farforth as I can mine Art  
What dost thou here then quoth he  
Quod I that will I tell the  
The cause why I stand here  
Some new tidings forto lere  
Some new thing I not what  
tidings either this or that  
Of love or such things glad  
For certainly he that me made  
To come hither said to me  
I Should both here and see  
In this place wonder things  
But these be no such tidings  
As I mente/ no quoth he  
And I answered/ no pard  
For well I wot/ ever yet  
sith that first I had wit  
That some folk/ han desired fame  
diversly and loose and name  
But certainly I nist ner how  
Where that fame dwelleth/ or now  
Ne eke of her description  
Ne also of her condition  
Ne the order of her doom  
knew I not till I hither come  
Why than be loo these tidings  
That thou now hither brings  
That thou hast herd quoth he to me  
But now no force/ for well I see  
What thou desirest for to here  
Come forth and stand no longer here  
And I will the withouten dread  
In to such another place lead  
There thou shalt here many one  
though 'gan I forth with him goon  
Out of the castle soothe to say  
though saw I stand in a valley  
Under a castle fast by  
An house like to domus dedaly  
That laborintus y cleped is  
Nas made so wonderly iwis  
Ne half so queyntly ywrought  
And evermore as swift as thought  
This quaint house about went  
That nevermo still it stente  
And there come out so great a noise  
That if I had stand upon oyse  
I might it have herd easily  
To rome I trow sikyrly  
And the noise which I had herd  
For all the world right so it f●rd  
As doth the routing of the stone  
That fro thengine is letten gone  
And all this house of which I read  
Was made of twigs fallow read  
And green eke/ and some were whyt●  
such as men to these gates thwyte  
Or maken of these paners  
Or else hats or dossers  
They were a chekked both two  
And neither of him might out go  
And with the noise of them woe 
Caxton   
I suddenly awoke anon tho  
And remembered what I had se●n  
And how high and far I had been  
In my ghost/ and had great wonder  
Of that the god of thunder  
Had let me known/ and began to write  
Like as ye have herd me indite  
Wherefore to study and read always  
I purpose to do day by day  
Thus in dreaming and in game  
Endeth this little book of Fame    

Explicit  
I find no more of this work tofore said/ For as f●r as I can understand/ This noble man Geoffrey Chaucer finished at the said conclusion of the meeting of losing and sothsawe/ where as yet they been chekked and may not depart/ which work as me seemeth is craftily made/ and dign to be written & known/ For he towchyth in it right great wisdom & subtle understanding/ And so in all his works he excellyth in mine opinion all other writers in our english/ For he writeth no void words/ but all his matter is full of high and quick sentence/ to whom ought to be given laud and praising for his noble making and writing/ For of him all other have borrowed sith and taken/ in all their well saying and writing/ And I humbly beseech & pray you/ among your prayers to remember his soul/ on which and on all christian soul●s I beseech almighty god to have mercy Amen   

imprinted by William Caxton