HKB
deeds As be on trees rookes’ nests; But it a full confus’d mattere Were all these gestes for to hear, That they of write, and how they hight.* *are called
But while that I beheld this sight, I heard a noise approache blive,* quickly That far’d as bees do in a hive, went Against their time of outflying; Right such a manner murmuring, For all the world, it seem’d to me. Then gan I look about, and see That there came entering the hall A right great company withal, And that of sundry regions, Of all kinds and conditions That dwell in earth under the moon, Both poor and rich; and all so soon As they were come into the hall, They gan adown on knees to fall, Before this ilke noble queen, same And saide, “Grant us, Lady sheen, bright, lovely Each of us of thy grace a boon.” favour And some of them she granted soon, And some she warned well and fair, refused And some she granted the contrair contrary Of their asking utterly; But this I say you truely, What that her cause was, I n’ist; *wist not, know not For of these folk full well I wist, They hadde good fame each deserved, Although they were diversely served. Right as her sister, Dame Fortune, Is wont to serven in commune. commonly, usually
Now hearken how she gan to pay Them that gan of her grace to pray; And right, lo! all this company Saide sooth,* and not a lie. truth “Madame,” thus quoth they, “we be Folk that here beseeche thee That thou grant us now good fame, And let our workes have good name In full recompensatioun Of good work, give us good renown “I warn it you,” quoth she anon; refuse “Ye get of me good fame none, By God! and therefore go your way.” “Alas,” quoth they, “and well-away! Tell us what may your cause be.” “For that it list me not,” quoth she, *pleases No wight shall speak of you, y-wis, Good nor harm, nor that nor this.”
And with that word she gan to call Her messenger, that was in hall, And bade that he should faste go’n, Upon pain to be blind anon, For Aeolus, the god of wind; “In Thrace there ye shall him find, And bid him bring his clarioun, That is full diverse of his soun’, And it is called Cleare Laud, With which he wont is to heraud* proclaim Them that me list y-praised be, And also bid him how that he Bring eke his other clarioun, That hight Slander in ev’ry town, is called With which he wont is to diffame defame, disparage Them that me list, and do them shame.” This messenger gan faste go’n, And found where, in a cave of stone, In a country that highte Thrace, This Aeolus, with harde grace, Evil favour attend him! Helde the windes in distress, constraint And gan them under him to press, That they began as bears to roar, He bound and pressed them so sore. This messenger gan fast to cry, “Rise up,” quoth he, “and fast thee hie, Until thou at my Lady be, And take thy clarions eke with thee, And speed thee forth.” And he anon Took to him one that hight Triton, <70> His clarions to beare tho, then And let a certain winde go, That blew so hideously and high, That it lefte not a sky cloud <71> In all the welkin long and broad. sky This Aeolus nowhere abode delayed Till he was come to Fame’s feet, And eke the man that Triton hete, *is called And there he stood as still as stone.