Geoffrey Chaucer

“ Domine, dominus noster.
"O LORD, our lord," quoth she, "how marvelous is thy name spread in this large world, for not only is thy precious laud performed by men of dignity, but by the mouths of children thy goodness is celebrated, for sucking on the breast sometime they show thy praise. Wherefore, as I best can, in laud of thee and of the white lily-flower which bore thee and is alway a maid, I will do my diligence to tell a story, not that I may increase her honour, for she is herself honour and the root of goodness next to her son, and soul's redemption. ”

“ I see well, my fair Canacee, that ye have compassion of my distress, because of the true, womanly benignity that nature hath set in you. Yet not from the hope of faring the better, but to obey your noble heart, and to make others beware by me as the lion is affrighted by beating a dog, even for that cause—while I have leisure and a space to do it—will I confess my woe, ere I pass on." And ever while the one told her sorrow, the other wept as if she would turn to water, till the falcon bade her to be still, and with a sigh thus she said her say:
"Where I was bred (alas! wretched time!) ”

“ She thanked him and full humbly she said, "Sir, sith of your gentleness ye proffer me so free a rein, I pray to God that there be never, by fault of mine, either war or dissension betwixt us. Sir, I will be your humble, true wife, have here my troth, till my heart cease to beat." Thus be they both in quiet and rest.
For one thing, sirs, I dare safely aver, that friends must obey each other if they will hold company long. Love will not be constrained by mastery. When mastery cometh, the god of love beateth straightway his wings, and farewell! he is gone. Love is a thing free as any spirit. ”

“ Hath heard somewhat or all of his fortune.
This wide world, as in conclusion,
He won by strength; or, for his high renown,
They were glad for peace to him to send.
The pride and boast of man he laid adown,
Whereso he came, unto the worlde’s end.
Comparison yet never might be maked
Between him and another conqueror;
For all this world for dread of him had quaked
He was of knighthood and of freedom flow’r:
Fortune him made the heir of her honour.
Save wine and women, nothing might assuage
His high intent in arms and labour,
So was he full of leonine courage. ”

“ Now play, Alein, for I will speak of John.
This John lay still a furlong way or two,
And to himself he made ruth and woe.
"Alas!" quoth he, "this is a wicked jape;
Now may I say, that I is but an ape.
Yet has my fellow somewhat for his harm;
He has the miller's daughter in his arm:
He auntred him, and hath his needes sped,
And I lie as a draff-sack in my bed;
And when this jape is told another day,
I shall be held a daffe or a cockenay
I will arise, and auntre it, by my fay:
Unhardy is unsely, as men say." ”

“ By my faith, I cannot love a coward! For certes, whatsoever any woman may say, we all desire, if may be, to have husbands hardy, wise, generous, and trusty with secrets; yea, and no niggard, nor fool, nor him that's aghast at every knife, nor a boaster, by that God in heaven! How for shame durst ye say unto your love that anything might make you afraid? Have ye no man's heart—and have a beard? Alas! how can ye be aghast at dreams? ”

“ This child Maurice was since then emperor
Made by the Pope, and lived Christianly,
To Christe's Churche did he great honor:
But I let all his story passe by,
Of Constance is my tale especially,
In the olde Roman gestes men may find
Maurice's life, I bear it not in mind.
This King Alla, when he his time sey,
With his Constance, his holy wife so sweet,
To England are they come the righte way,
Where they did live in joy and in quiet.
But little while it lasted, I you hete,
Joy of this world for time will not abide,
From day to night it changeth as the tide. ”

“ Which, of a Sunday, she wore on her head.
Her hose were of the choicest scarlet red,
Close gartered, and her shoes were soft and new.
Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue.
She'd been respectable throughout her life,
With five churched husbands bringing joy and strife,
Not counting other company in youth;
But thereof there's no need to speak, in truth.
Three times she'd journeyed to Jerusalem;
And many a foreign stream she'd had to stem;
At Rome she'd been, and she'd been in Boulogne,
In Spain at Santiago, and at Cologne. ”

“ Nothing but death, the wretch's last relief: Then farewell youth, and all the joys that dwell With youth and life, and life itself, farewell! But why, alas! do mortal men in vain Of Fortune, Fate, or Providence complain? God gives us what he knows our wants require, And better things than those which we desire: Some pray for riches; riches they obtain; But, watched by robbers, for their wealth are slain; Some pray from prison to be freed; and come, When guilty of their vows, to fall at home; Murdered by those they trusted with their life, A favoured servant or a bosom wife. ”

“ Of alle joy had open’d her the gate.
Troilus, by his discretion, his secrecy, and his devotion, made ever a deeper lodgment in Cressida’s heart; so that she thanked God twenty thousand times that she had met with a man who, as she felt, “was to her a wall of steel, and shield from ev’ry displeasance;” while Pandarus ever actively fanned the fire. So passed a “time sweet” of tranquil and harmonious love the only drawback being, that the lovers might not often meet, “nor leisure have, their speeches to fulfil.” ”

“ Lord, to whom Fortune hath granted victory, and to live as a conqueror, your glory and honour grieve us not, but we beg for mercy and succour. Show thy grace upon our distress and woe—of thy nobleness let fall some drop of pity upon us unhappy women. For truly, lord, there is not one of us all but hath been a duchess or a queen; now are we poor wretches, as thou seest, thanks to Fortune and her false wheel that unto no rank assureth wellbeing. And verily, lord, here in the temple of the Goddess Clemence we have been waiting this whole fortnight against your coming. ”

“ In Athens all was pleasure, mirth, and play, All proper to the spring and sprightly May: Which every soul inspired with such delight, 'Twas justing all the day, and love at night. Heaven smiled, and gladded was the heart of man; And Venus had the world as when it first began. At length in sleep their bodies they compose, And dreamt the future fight, and early rose. Now scarce the dawning day began to spring, As at a signal given, the streets with clamours ring: At once the crowd arose; confused and high, Even from the heaven was heard a shouting cry, For Mars was early up, and roused the sky. ”

“ Thou knowest not yet whether she be woman or goddess! Thine is holy affection and mine is love, as toward a creature; wherefore I told thee my hap as to my cousin and sworn brother. I put the case that thou lovedst her first : knowest thou not the old clerk's saw— 'Who shall lay a law upon a lover?' Love is a greater law, by my head, than may be laid upon any man on earth, and therefore human law and decrees are broken every day over all this world for love. A man must needs love, maugre his head; he may not flee love though it should slay him, be she maid or widow or wife. ”

“ Devoting himself wholly to the thought of Cressida — though he yet knew not whether she was woman or goddess — Troilus, in spite of his royal blood, became the very slave of love. He set at naught every other charge, but to gaze on her as often as he could; thinking so to appease his hot fire, which thereby only burned the hotter. He wrought marvellous feats of arms against the Greeks, that she might like him the better for his renown; then love deprived him of sleep, and made his food his foe ”

“ Cease, daughter, to complain, and stint the strife; Thy Palamon shall have his promised wife: And Mars, the lord of conquest, in the fight With palm and laurel shall adorn his knight. Wide is my course, nor turn I to my place, Till length of time, and move with tardy pace. Man feels me when I press the etherial plains; My hand is heavy, and the wound remains. Mine is the shipwreck in a watery sign; And in an earthy the dark dungeon mine. Cold shivering agues, melancholy care, And bitter blasting winds, and poisoned air, Are mine, and wilful death, resulting from despair. ”

“ So grant my suit, as I enforce my might, In love to be thy champion and thy knight, A servant to thy sex, a slave to thee, A foe professed to barren chastity: Nor ask I fame or honour of the field, Nor choose I more to vanquish than to yield: In my divine Emilia make me blest, Let Fate or partial Chance dispose the rest: Find thou the manner, and the means prepare; Possession, more than conquest, is my care. Mars is the warrior's god; in him it lies On whom he favours to confer the prize; With smiling aspect you serenely move In your fifth orb, and rule the realm of love. ”