England's Antiphon

That flowered and failed as kynd hit gef. nature gave it.
Now through kind of the chest that it gan close, nature.
To a pearl of price it is put in pref;[26 - Pref is proof. Put in pref seems to stand for something more than being tested. Might it not mean proved to be a pearl of price?]
And thou hast called thy wyrde a thef, doom, fate: theft.
That ought of nought has made thee, clear! something of nothing.
Thou blamest the bote of thy mischef: remedy: hurt.
Thou art no kyndé jeweller." natural, reasonable.

When the father pours out his gladness at the sight of her, she rejoins in these words:

"I hold that jeweller little to praise
That loves well that he sees with eye;
And much to blame, and uncortoyse, uncourteous.
That leves our Lord would make a lie, believes.
That lelly hyghte your life to raise who truly promised.
Though fortune did your flesh to die; caused.
To set his words full westernays[27 - A word acknowledged to be obscure. Mr. Morris suggests on the left hand, as unbelieved.]
That love no thing but ye it syghe! see.
And that is a point of surquedrie, presumption.
That each good man may evil beseem, ill become.
To leve no tale be true to tryghe, trust in.
But that his one skill may deme."[28 - "Except that which his sole wit may judge."]

Much conversation follows, the glorified daughter rebuking and instructing her father. He prays for a sight of the heavenly city of which she has been speaking, and she tells him to walk along the bank until he comes to a hill. In recording what he saw from the hill, he follows the description of the New Jerusalem given in the Book of the Revelation. He sees the Lamb and all his company, and with them again his lost Pearl. But it was not his prince's pleasure that he should cross the stream; for when his eyes and ears were so filled with delight that he could no longer restrain the attempt, he awoke out of his dream.

My head upon that hill was laid
There where my pearl to groundé strayed.
I wrestled and fell in great affray, fear.
And sighing to myself I said,
"Now all be to that prince's paye." pleasure.

After this, he holds him to that prince's will, and yearns after no more than he grants him.

"As in water face is to face, so the heart of man." Out of the far past comes the cry of bereavement mingled with the prayer for hope: we hear, and lo! it is the cry and the prayer of a man like ourselves.

From the words of the greatest man of his age, let me now gather two rich blossoms of utterance, presenting an embodiment of religious duty and aspiration, after a very practical fashion. I refer to two short lyrics, little noted, although full of wisdom and truth. They must be accepted as the conclusions of as large a knowledge of life in diversified mode as ever fell to the lot of man.

GOOD COUNSEL OF CHAUCER

Fly from the press, and dwell with soothfastness; truthfulness.
Suffice[29 - "Be equal to thy possessions:" "fit thy desires to thy means."] unto thy good, though it be small;
For hoard hath hate, and climbing tickleness;[30 - "Ambition has uncertainty." We use the word ticklish still.]
Praise hath envy, and weal is blent over all.[31 - "Is mingled everywhere."]
Savour[32 - To relish, to like. "Desire no more than is fitting for thee."] no more than thee behové shall.
Rede well thyself that other folk shall rede; counsel.
And truth thee shall deliver—it is no drede. there is no doubt.

Paine thee not each crooked to redress, every crooked thing.
In trust of her that turneth as a ball: Fortune.
Great rest standeth in little busi-ness.
Beware also to spurn against a nail; nail—to kick against
Strive not as doth a crocké with a wall. [the pricks.
Demé thyself that demest others' deed; judge.
And truth thee shall deliver—it is no drede.

That thee is sent receive in buxomness: submission
The wrestling of this world asketh a fall. tempts destruction
Here is no home, here is but wilderness:
Forth, pilgrim, forth!—beast, out of thy stall!
Look up on high, and thanké God of[33 - For.] all.
Waivé thy lusts, and let thy ghost[34 - "Let thy spiritual and not thine animal nature guide thee."] thee lead,
And truth thee shall deliver—it is no drede.

This needs no comment. Even the remark that every line is worth meditation may well appear superfluous. One little fact only with regard to the rhymes, common to this and the next poem, and usual enough in Norman verse, may be pointed out, namely, that every line in the stanza ends with the same rhyme-sound as the corresponding line in each of the other stanzas. A reference to either of the poems will at once show what I mean.

The second is superior, inasmuch as it carries one thought through the three stanzas. It is entitled A Balade made by Chaucer, teaching what is gentilnesse, or whom is worthy to be called gentill.

The first stock-father of gentleness— ancestor of the race
What man desireth gentle for to be [of the gentle.
Must follow his trace, and all his wittés dress track, footsteps:
Virtue to love and vices for to flee; [apply.
For unto virtue longeth dignity, belongeth.
And not the reverse falsely dare I deem,[35 - "And I dare not falsely judge the reverse."]
All wear he mitre, crown, or diadem. although he wear.

The first stock was full of righteousness; the progenitor.
True of his word, sober, piteous, and free;
Clean of his ghost, and loved busi-ness, pure in his spirit.
Against the vice of sloth in honesty;

And but his heir love virtue as did he, except.
He is not gentle, though he rich seem,
All wear he mitre, crown, or diadem.

Vicesse may well be heir to old Richesse, Vice: Riches.
But there may no man, as men may well see,
Bequeath his heir his virtue's nobleness;
That is appropried unto no degree, rank.
But to the first father in majesty,
That maketh his heirés them that him queme, please him.
All wear he mitre, crown, or diadem.

I can come to no other conclusion than that by the first stock-father
Chaucer means our Lord Jesus.

CHAPTER III

THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

After the birth of a Chaucer, a Shakspere, or a Milton, it is long before the genial force of a nation can again culminate in such a triumph: time is required for the growth of the conditions. Between the birth of Chaucer and the birth of Shakspere, his sole equal, a period of more than two centuries had to elapse. It is but small compensation for this, that the more original, that is simple, natural, and true to his own nature a man is, the more certain is he to have a crowd of imitators. I do not say that such are of no use in the world. They do not indeed advance art, but they widen the sphere of its operation; for many will talk with the man who know nothing of the master. Too often intending but their own glory, they point the way to the source of it, and are straightway themselves forgotten.