story." But many passages in it are evidently taken from the Polycraticon of John of Salisbury. De molestiis et oneribus conjugiorum secundum Hieronymum et alios philosophos. Et de pernicie libidinis. Et de mulieris Ephesinæ et similium fide. And, by the way, about forty verses belonging to this argument are translated from the same chapter of the Polycraticon, in the Wife of Bath's prologue. In the mean time, it is not improbable that this tale might have originally been Oriental. A Persian tale is just published which it extremely resembles; and it has much of the allegory of an Eastern apologue."

The author adds, that the Miller's Tale in Chaucer, excels all his other tales in true and exquisite humour. Warton.

JANUARY AND MAY.

THERE liv'd in Lombardy, as authors write,
In days of old, a wise and worthy knight;
Of gentle manners, as of gen'rous race,

Blest with much sense, more riches, and some grace.
Yet led astray by Venus' soft delights

He scarce could rule some idle appetites:

For long ago, let Priests say what they cou'd,
Weak sinful laymen were but flesh and blood.

But in due time, when sixty years were o'er,
He vow'd to lead this vitious life no more;

Whether pure holiness inspir'd his mind,
Or dotage turn'd his brain, is hard to find;
But his high courage prick'd him forth to wed,
And try the pleasures of a lawful bed.

NOTES.

5.

10

JANUARY AND MAY.] This translation was done at sixteen or seventeen years of age.

P.

In conformity to our author's own practice, it has been thought proper to insert a portion of the original of Chaucer, that the may form a judgment of Pope's alterations :

reader

IMITATIONS.

"Whilom ther was dwelling in Lumbardie
"A worthy knight, that was born in Pavie,
"In which he lived in gret prosperitee;
"And sixty yere a wifles man was he,
"And folwed ay his bodily delit
"On women, ther as was his appetit;

Warton.

"As

This was his nightly dream, his daily care,
And to the heav'nly pow'rs his constant pray'r,
Once, ere he died, to taste the blissful life
Of a kind husband and a loving wife.

These thoughts he fortified with reasons still,
For none want reasons to confirm their will.
Grave authors say, and witty poets sing,
That honest wedlock is a glorious thing:
But depth of judgment most in him appears,
Who wisely weds in his maturer years.

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20

Then let him chuse a damsel young and fair, 25
To bless his age, and bring a worthy heir;

To sooth his cares, and free from noise and strife,
Conduct him gently to the verge of life.
Let sinful bachelors their woes deplore,
Full well they merit all they feel, and more:

IMITATIONS.

"As done thise fooles that been seculere.
"And whan that he was passed sixty yere,
"Were it for holinesse or for dotage,
"I cannot sain, but swiche a gret corage
"Hadde this knight to ben a wedded man,
"That day and night he doth all that he can
"To espien, wher that he might wedded be;

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66

Praying our Lord to granten him, that he

Mighte ones knowen of that blisful lif,

"That is betwix an husban and his wif;

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"And for to live under that holy bond,

"With which God firste man and woman bond.

"Non other lif (said he) is worth a bene;
"For wedlock is so esy and so clene,

"That in this world it is a paradise.

"Thus saith this olde knight, that was so wise.

"And

Unaw'd by precepts, human or divine,

Like birds and beasts, promiscuously they join:
Nor know to make the present blessing last,
To hope the future, or esteem the past:
But vainly boast the joys they never try'd,
And find divulg'd the secrets they would hide.
The marry'd man may bear his yoke with ease,
Secure at once himself and heav'n to please;

And pass his inoffensive hours away,

In bliss all night, and innocence all day :

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40

Tho' fortune change, his constant spouse remains, Augments his joys, or mitigates his pains.

But what so pure, which envious tongues will spare?

Some wicked wits have libell'd all the fair.

With matchless impudence they stile a wife

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The dear-bought curse, and lawful plague of life ;

IMITATIONS.

"And certainly, as soth as God is king,
"To take a wif, it is a glorious thing,
“And namely whan a man is old and hore,
"Than is a wif the fruit of his tresore;
"Than shuld he take a yong wif and a faire,
"On which he might engendren him an heire,
"And lede his lif in joye and in solas,
"Wheras thise bachelors singen alas,
"Whan that they finde any adversitee
"In love, which n'is but childish vanitee.
"And trewely it sit wel to be so,
"That bachelors have often peine and wo:
"On brotel ground they bilde, and brotelnesse
"They finden, whan they wenen sikernesse :
"They live but as a bird or as a beste,
"In libertee and under non areste;

VOL. II.

X

"Ther

A bosom-serpent, a domestic evil,

A night-invasion, and a mid-day devil.

Let not the wise these sland'rous words regard, But curse the bones of ev'ry lying bard.

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All other goods by fortune's hand are giv'n,

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A wife is the peculiar gift of heav'n.
Vain fortune's favours, never at a stay,
Like empty shadows, pass, and glide away;
One solid comfort, our eternal wife,
Abundantly supplies us all our life;
This blessing lasts, (if those who try, say true)
As long as heart can wish-and longer too.
Our grandsire Adam, ere of Eve possess'd,
Alone, and ev'n in Paradise unbless'd,
With mournful looks the blissful scenes survey'd,
And wander'd in the solitary shade.

IMITATIONS.

"Ther as a wedded man in his estat

"Liveth a lif blisful and ordinat,

"Under the yoke of marriage ybound:

"Wel may his herte in joye and blisse abound.
"For who can be so buxom as a wif?

"Who is so trewe and eke so ententif

"To kepe him, sike and hole, as is his make?
"For wele or wo she n'ill him not forsake :
"She n'is not wery him to love and serve,

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Though that he lie bedrede til that he sterve.

"And yet some clerkes sain, it is not so,

"Of which he Theophrast is on of tho:

"What force though Theophrast list for to lie?
"Ne take no wif, quod he, for husbondrie,
"As for to spare in household they dispence:
"A trewe servant doth more diligence

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