The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 62

The mighty throne, the precious treasor, The glorious sceptre, and royal majesty, That had the king NABUCHODONOSOR With tongue unnethes* may described be. *scarcely He twice won Jerusalem the city, The vessels of the temple he with him lad;* *took away At Babylone was his sov'reign see,* *seat In which his glory and delight he had.

The fairest children of the blood royal Of Israel he *did do geld* anon, *caused to be castrated*

And maked each of them to be his thrall.* *slave Amonges others Daniel was one, That was the wisest child of every one; For he the dreames of the king expounded, Where in Chaldaea clerkes was there none That wiste to what fine* his dreames sounded. *end

This proude king let make a statue of gold Sixty cubites long, and seven in bread', To which image hathe young and old Commanded he to lout,* and have in dread, *bow down to Or in a furnace, full of flames red, He should be burnt that woulde not obey: But never would a.s.sente to that deed Daniel, nor his younge fellows tway.

This king of kinges proud was and elate;* *lofty He ween'd* that G.o.d, that sits in majesty, *thought Mighte him not bereave of his estate; But suddenly he lost his dignity, And like a beast he seemed for to be, And ate hay as an ox, and lay thereout In rain, with wilde beastes walked he, Till certain time was y-come about.

And like an eagle's feathers wax'd his hairs, His nailes like a birde's clawes were, Till G.o.d released him at certain years, And gave him wit; and then with many a tear He thanked G.o.d, and ever his life in fear Was he to do amiss, or more tres.p.a.ce: And till that time he laid was on his bier, He knew that G.o.d was full of might and grace.

His sone, which that highte BALTHASAR, That *held the regne* after his father's day, *possessed the kingdom*

He by his father coulde not beware, For proud he was of heart and of array; And eke an idolaster was he aye.

His high estate a.s.sured* him in pride; *confirmed But Fortune cast him down, and there he lay, And suddenly his regne gan divide.

A feast he made unto his lordes all Upon a time, and made them blithe be, And then his officeres gan he call; "Go, bringe forth the vessels," saide he, "Which that my father in his prosperity Out of the temple of Jerusalem reft, And to our highe G.o.ddes thanks we Of honour, that our elders* with us left." *forefathers

His wife, his lordes, and his concubines Aye dranke, while their appet.i.tes did last, Out of these n.o.ble vessels sundry wines.

And on a wall this king his eyen cast, And saw an hand, armless, that wrote full fast; For fear of which he quaked, and sighed sore.

This hand, that Balthasar so sore aghast,* *dismayed Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, and no more.

In all that land magician was there none That could expounde what this letter meant.

But Daniel expounded it anon, And said, "O King, G.o.d to thy father lent Glory and honour, regne, treasure, rent;* *revenue And he was proud, and nothing G.o.d he drad;* *dreaded And therefore G.o.d great wreche* upon him sent, *vengeance And him bereft the regne that he had.

"He was cast out of manne's company; With a.s.ses was his habitation And ate hay, as a beast, in wet and dry, Till that he knew by grace and by reason That G.o.d of heaven hath domination O'er every regne, and every creature; And then had G.o.d of him compa.s.sion, And him restor'd his regne and his figure.

"Eke thou, that art his son, art proud also, And knowest all these thinges verily; And art rebel to G.o.d, and art his foe.

Thou drankest of his vessels boldely; Thy wife eke, and thy wenches, sinfully Drank of the same vessels sundry wines, And heried* false G.o.ddes cursedly; *praised Therefore *to thee y-shapen full great pine is.* *great punishment is prepared for thee*

"This hand was sent from G.o.d, that on the wall Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, truste me; Thy reign is done; thou weighest naught at all; Divided is thy regne, and it shall be To Medes and to Persians giv'n," quoth he.

And thilke same night this king was slaw* *slain And Darius occupied his degree, Though he thereto had neither right nor law.

Lordings, example hereby may ye take, How that in lords.h.i.+p is no sickerness;* *security For when that Fortune will a man forsake, She bears away his regne and his richess, And eke his friendes bothe more and less, For what man that hath friendes through fortune, Mishap will make them enemies, I guess; This proverb is full sooth, and full commune.

ZEn.o.bIA, of Palmyrie the queen, <12> As write Persians of her n.o.bless, So worthy was in armes, and so keen, That no wight pa.s.sed her in hardiness, Nor in lineage, nor other gentleness.* *n.o.ble qualities Of the king's blood of Perse* is she descended; *Persia I say not that she hadde most fairness, But of her shape she might not he amended.

From her childhood I finde that she fled Office of woman, and to woods she went, And many a wilde harte's blood she shed With arrows broad that she against them sent; She was so swift, that she anon them hent.* *caught And when that she was older, she would kill Lions, leopards, and beares all to-rent,* *torn to pieces And in her armes wield them at her will.

She durst the wilde beastes' dennes seek, And runnen in the mountains all the night, And sleep under a bush; and she could eke Wrestle by very force and very might With any young man, were he ne'er so wight;* *active, nimble There mighte nothing in her armes stond.

She kept her maidenhood from every wight, To no man deigned she for to be bond.

But at the last her friendes have her married To Odenate, <13> a prince of that country; All were it so, that she them longe tarried.

And ye shall understande how that he Hadde such fantasies as hadde she; But natheless, when they were knit in fere,* *together They liv'd in joy, and in felicity, For each of them had other lefe* and dear. *loved

Save one thing, that she never would a.s.sent, By no way, that he shoulde by her lie But ones, for it was her plain intent To have a child, the world to multiply; And all so soon as that she might espy That she was not with childe by that deed, Then would she suffer him do his fantasy Eftsoon,* and not but ones, *out of dread.* *again *without doubt*

And if she were with child at thilke* cast, *that No more should he playe thilke game Till fully forty dayes were past; Then would she once suffer him do the same.

All* were this Odenatus wild or tame, *whether He got no more of her; for thus she said, It was to wives lechery and shame In other case* if that men with them play'd. on other terms

Two sones, by this Odenate had she, The which she kept in virtue and lettrure.* *learning But now unto our tale turne we; I say, so wors.h.i.+pful a creature, And wise therewith, and large* with measure,** *bountiful **moderation So penible* in the war, and courteous eke, *laborious Nor more labour might in war endure, Was none, though all this worlde men should seek.

Her rich array it mighte not be told, As well in vessel as in her clothing: She was all clad in pierrie* and in gold, *jewellery And eke she *lefte not,* for no hunting, *did not neglect*

To have of sundry tongues full knowing, When that she leisure had, and for t'intend* *apply To learne bookes was all her liking, How she in virtue might her life dispend.

And, shortly of this story for to treat, So doughty was her husband and eke she, That they conquered many regnes great In th'Orient, with many a fair city Appertinent unto the majesty Of Rome, and with strong hande held them fast, Nor ever might their foemen do* them flee, *make Aye while that Odenatus' dayes last'.

Her battles, whoso list them for to read, Against Sapor the king, <14> and other mo', And how that all this process fell in deed, Why she conquer'd, and what t.i.tle thereto, And after of her mischief* and her woe, *misfortune How that she was besieged and y-take, Let him unto my master Petrarch go, That writes enough of this, I undertake.

When Odenate was dead, she mightily The regne held, and with her proper hand Against her foes she fought so cruelly, That there n'as* king nor prince in all that land, *was not That was not glad, if be that grace fand That she would not upon his land warray;* *make war With her they maden alliance by bond, To be in peace, and let her ride and play.

The emperor of Rome, Claudius, Nor, him before, the Roman Gallien, Durste never be so courageous, Nor no Armenian, nor Egyptien, Nor Syrian, nor no Arabien, Within the fielde durste with her fight, Lest that she would them with her handes slen,* *slay Or with her meinie* putte them to flight. *troops

In kinges' habit went her sones two, As heires of their father's regnes all; And Heremanno and Timolao Their names were, as Persians them call But aye Fortune hath in her honey gall; This mighty queene may no while endure; Fortune out of her regne made her fall To wretchedness and to misadventure.

Aurelian, when that the governance Of Rome came into his handes tway, <15> He shope* upon this queen to do vengeance; *prepared And with his legions he took his way Toward Zen.o.bie, and, shortly for to say, He made her flee, and at the last her hent,* *took And fetter'd her, and eke her children tway, And won the land, and home to Rome he went.

Amonges other thinges that he wan, Her car, that was with gold wrought and pierrie,* *jewels This greate Roman, this Aurelian Hath with him led, for that men should it see.

Before in his triumphe walked she With gilte chains upon her neck hanging; Crowned she was, as after* her degree, *according to And full of pierrie her clothing.

Alas, Fortune! she that whilom was Dreadful to kinges and to emperours, Now galeth* all the people on her, alas! *yelleth And she that *helmed was in starke stowres,* *wore a helmet in And won by force townes strong and tow'rs, obstinate battles*

Shall on her head now wear a vitremite; <16> And she that bare the sceptre full of flow'rs Shall bear a distaff, *her cost for to quite.* * to make her living*

Although that NERO were so vicious As any fiend that lies full low adown, Yet he, as telleth us Suetonius,<17> This wide world had in subjectioun, Both East and West, South and Septentrioun.

Of rubies, sapphires, and of pearles white Were all his clothes embroider'd up and down, For he in gemmes greatly gan delight.

More delicate, more pompous of array, More proud, was never emperor than he; That *ilke cloth* that he had worn one day, *same robe*

After that time he would it never see; Nettes of gold thread had he great plenty, To fish in Tiber, when him list to play; His l.u.s.tes* were as law, in his degree, *pleasures For Fortune as his friend would him obey.

He Rome burnt for his delicacy;* *pleasure The senators he slew upon a day, To heare how that men would weep and cry; And slew his brother, and by his sister lay.

His mother made he in piteous array; For he her wombe slitte, to behold Where he conceived was; so well-away!

That he so little of his mother told.* *valued

No tear out of his eyen for that sight Came; but he said, a fair woman was she.

Great wonder is, how that he could or might Be doomesman* of her deade beauty: *judge The wine to bringe him commanded he, And drank anon; none other woe he made, When might is joined unto cruelty, Alas! too deepe will the venom wade.

In youth a master had this emperour, To teache him lettrure* and courtesy; *literature, learning For of morality he was the flow'r, As in his time, *but if* bookes lie. *unless And while this master had of him mast'ry, He made him so conning and so souple,* *subtle That longe time it was ere tyranny, Or any vice, durst in him uncouple.* *be let loose

This Seneca, of which that I devise,* *tell Because Nero had of him suche dread, For he from vices would him aye chastise Discreetly, as by word, and not by deed; "Sir," he would say, "an emperor must need Be virtuous, and hate tyranny."

For which he made him in a bath to bleed On both his armes, till he muste die.

This Nero had eke of a custumance* *habit In youth against his master for to rise;* *stand in his presence Which afterward he thought a great grievance; Therefore he made him dien in this wise.

But natheless this Seneca the wise Chose in a bath to die in this mannere, Rather than have another tormentise;* *torture And thus hath Nero slain his master dear.

Now fell it so, that Fortune list no longer The highe pride of Nero to cherice;* *cherish For though he were strong, yet was she stronger.

She thoughte thus; "By G.o.d, I am too nice* *foolish To set a man, that is full fill'd of vice, In high degree, and emperor him call!

By G.o.d, out of his seat I will him trice!* *thrust <18> When he least weeneth,* soonest shall he fall." *expecteth