Two excerpts from Chaucer’s The Legend of Good Women (after 1386) (1)

“For sith no cause of deeth lyth in his cas,

Yow oghte been the lighter merciable;

Leteth your yre, and beth somwhat tretable!

The man hath served yow of his conning,

And forthred wel your lawe in his making.

Al be hit that he can nat wel endyte,

Yet hath he maked lewed folk delyte

To serve you, in preysing of your name.

He made of the book that hight the Hous of Fame,

And eek the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse,

And the Parlement of Foules, and I gesse,

And al the love of Palamon and Arcyte

Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte;

And many an ympne for your halydayes,

That highten Balades, Roundels, Virelayes;

And, for to speke of other holynesse,

He hath in prose translated Boece,

And mad the Lyf also of seynt Cecyle;