But no man wot why they be wrought,
And natheless the king hath bede
That they be set in privy stede,1
As he that was of wisdom sly;
When he thereto his timë sih,2
All privily that none it wist,
His owne handës that one chest
Of fine gold, and of fine perrie,3
The which out of his treasury
Was take, anon he filled full;
That other coffer of straw and mull,4
With stones meynd he fill'd also:
Thus be they full bothë two.
So that erlich upon a day

6

He bade within, where he lay,
There should be before his bed
A board up set and faire spread:
And then he let the coffers fet7
Upon the board, and did them set.
He knew the names well of tho,8
The which against him grutched9 so,
Both of his chamber, and of his hall,
Anon and sent for them all;

And saidë to them in this wise:

There shall no man his hap despise :

I wot well ye have longë served,

And God wot what ye have deserved;
But if it is along 10 on me

Of that ye unadvanced be,
Or else if it be long on yow,

The soothe shall be proved now:

To stoppe with your evil word,

1 Stede:' place.-2 'Sih:' saw. 3 Perrie:' precious stones.

4 'Mull:'

rubbish. Meynd:' mingled.-6 Erlich:' early.-7 Fet:' fetched.-Tho:' those. Grutched:' murmured.-10 Along:' because of.

Lo! here two coffers on the board;
Choose which you list of bothë two;
And witteth well that one of tho
Is with treasure so full begon,
That if he happë thereupon
Ye shall be richë men for ever:

Now choose and take which you
is lever,1
But be well 'ware ere that ye take,
For of that one I undertake
There is no manner good therein,
Whereof ye mighten profit win.
Now go together of one assent,
And taketh your advisement;
For but I you this day advance,
It stands upon your ownë chance,
All only in default of grace;
So shall be shewed in this place
Upon you all well afine,2

That no defaultë shall be mine.'

They kneelen all, and with one voice
The king they thanken of this choice:
And after that they up arise,
And go aside and them advise,
And at lastë they accord
(Whereof their talë to record
To what issue they be fall)

A knight shall speakë for them all:
He kneeleth down unto the king,
And saith that they upon this thing,
Or for to win, or for to lose,

Be all advised for to choose.

Then took this knight a yard3 in hand, And go'th there as the coffers stand,

1 'Lever:' preferable.- 'Afine:' at last.- 'Yard:' rod.

And with assent of every one

He lay'th his yardë upon one,
And saith the king1 how thilkë same
They chose in reguerdon 2 by name,
And pray'th him that they might it have.

The king, which would his honour save,
When he had heard the common voice,
Hath granted them their ownë choice,
And took them thereupon the key;
But for he wouldë it were see
What good they have as they suppose,

He bade anon the coffer unclose,
Which was fulfill'd with straw and stones:

Thus be they served all at ones.

This king then in the same stede,

Anon that other coffer undede,
Where as they sawen great richés,
Well more than they couthen3 guess.
'Lo!' saith the king, 'now may ye see
That there is no default in me;
Forthy myself I will acquite,
And beareth ye your ownë wite 5
Of that fortune hath you refused.'

Thus was this wisë king excused:
And they left off their evil speech,
And
mercy of their king beseech.

OF THE GRATIFICATION WHICH THE LOVER'S PASSION RECEIVES

FROM THE SENSE OF HEARING.

Right as mine eye with his look

Is to mine heart a lusty cook

Of love's foodë delicate;

1 Saith the king:' saith to the king.-2 Reguerdon:' as their reward.

·

3 Couthen' could.-4 Forthy:' therefore.-5' Wite:' blame.

Right so mine ear in his estate,

Where as mine eye may nought serve,
Can well mine heartë's thank deserve;
And feeden him, from day to day,
With such dainties as he may.
For thus it is that, over all
Where as I come in special,
I may hear of my lady price: 1
I hear one say that she is wise;
Another saith that she is good;
And some men say of worthy blood
That she is come; and is also
So fair that nowhere is none so:
And some men praise her goodly chere.2
Thus everything that I may hear,
Which soundeth to my lady good,
Is to mine ear a lusty food.
And eke mine ear hath, over this,
A dainty feastë when so is
That I may hear herselve speak;
For then anon my fast I break
On suche wordës as she saith,
That full of truth and full of faith
They be, and of so good disport,
That to mine earë great comfórt
They do, as they that be delices
For all the meats, and all the spices,
That any Lombard couthë 3 make,
Nor be so lusty for to take,
Nor so far forth restoratif,
(I say as for mine ownë life,)
As be the wordës of her mouth

For as the windës of the south

1 'Price:' praise.-2 Chere:' mien.-3 Couthë:' knows to.

Be most of allë debonaire; 1
So, when her list to speakë fair,
The virtue of her goodly speech
Is verily mine heartë's leech.
And if it so befall among,
That she carol upon a song,
When I it hear, I am so fed,
That I am from myself so led
As though I were in Paradise;
For, certes, as to mine avìs,2

When I hear of her voice the steven,3
Methink'th it is a bliss of heaven.

And eke in other wise also,

Full oftë time it falleth so,
Mine earë with a good pitànce
Is fed of reading of romance
Of Ydoine and of Amadas,
That whilom weren in my case;
And eke of other many a score,
That loveden long ere I was bore.
For when I of their lovës read,
Mine earë with the tale I feed,
And with the lust of their histoire
Sometime I draw into memoire,
How sorrow may not ever last;
And so hope cometh in at last.

JOHN BARBOUR.

THE facts known about this Scottish poet are only the following. He seems to have been born about the year 1316,

3

1 'Debonaire:' gentle.-Avis:' opinion. 'Steven:' sound.-Pitance:' allowance.