Of alle this worlde the large compas The worlde so wide, the eyre so remuable, The sely man so litel of stature; The grone of grownde1 and clothinge so mutable, The more I goo the ferther I am behynde, EXPLICIT. ROUNDEL. YOURE I. I will sle me sodenly, two eyn So wendeth it thorowout my herte kene. derived from the Latin pellis, a skin, quasi toga pelliceus.-See Junius in voc. 1 The Fairfax MS. reads The grove and grounde. Both readings seem equally unintelligible. 2 It was supposed that man was composed of the four elements, earth, air, fire, and water. This belief is alluded to by Shakspeare in his 44th and 45th Sonnets.-See Shaks. Poems, Annot. Ed., p. 174. 3 That is, The more likely to leave this world, the less willing.' 4 That is, I know not.' 5 The poet probably means that he is married.-See L'Envoy de 6 See above, p. 403. Chaucer a Bukton. And but your words will helen hastely 3 Upon my trouth I sey yow feithfully, II. I So hath youre beaute fro your herte chased Giltless my deth thus have ye purchased; 3 Alas, that nature hath in yow compassed III. I SYN I fro love escaped am so fat, I nere thinke to ben in his prison tene; 2 He may answere, and sey this and that, 3 Love hath my name i-strike out of his sclat, 1 The poet often alludes to his corpulence.-See ante, p. 421, note 2, and vol. ii. p. 115, note 2. This embonpoint was quite contrary to mediæval rules of gallantry. See vol. iv. p. 299, note 1. 2 This, MS. 3 This species of lyric was fashionable in Chaucer's time. We have among Froissart's poetical works virelaies and rondeaus. [This poem, however, is not authenticated; see the Introduction.] 1 In Sir Harris Nicolas's edition of Chaucer's works the following notice is prefixed to these lines:- The Lines entitled Chaucer's Prophecy were found, with the following Variations, on the fly-leaf of a miscellaneous old MS. containing The Meditations of St. Anselm, and other devotional Pieces in Latin. The date at the end of the Volume, And lecherie is holdin as privy solas, Bewar than of ille! Than schall the Lond of Albion Turnin to confusion, As sumtyme it befelle.' Ora pro Anglia Sancta Maria, quod Thomas Cantuaria. Sweete Jhesu heven-king Fayr and beste of all thyng You bring us owt of this morning but in a different hand, is M.CCC.LXXXI.' Speght's version, which runs as follows, differs materially: 'When faith faileth in Prestes sawes, And lordes hestes are holden for lawes, And robberie is holden purchace, And leccherie is holden solace; Then shall the londe of Albion Be brought to great confusion.' This will remind the reader of the prophecy in Lear: "When priests are more in word than matter; Mysterious prophecies, of which the foregoing is a parody, are very |