The Complaint of Chaucer to his Empty Purse 37 



De moie part di, changons, si t'en croie, 

 Que sols m'en vois, que n'ai altre seignor: 

 Et bien sachiez, dame de grant valor, 

 Se je revieng, que por vos servir vais. 



If, now, the italicized passages in the French poem are com- 

 pared with those written by Chaucer, as given below, I think 

 it can hardly be doubted that he expected the literate to enjoy 

 his playful allusions to the former. From line 6 it is evident that 

 the manuscript Chaucer knew was of type z (Fath, pp. 21, 36) ; 

 see the variant reading at the foot of page 36. It will be 

 observed that two of Chaucer's rhyming words, companye and 

 curtesye, both coupled with the refrain, are also rhyming words 

 of the French poet. 



To you, my purse, and to iion other wight 

 Compleyne I, for ye be my lady dere! 

 I am so sory, now that ye be light; 

 For certes, but ye make me hevy chere, 

 Me were as leef be leyd upon my here; 

 For whiche unto your mercy thus I crye: 

 Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye! 



Now voucheth sauf this day, or hit be night, 

 That I of you the blisful soun may here, 

 Or see your colour lyk the sonne bright. 

 That of yelownesse hadde never pere. 

 Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere. 

 Queue of comfort and of good companye: 

 Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye! 



Now purs, that be to me my lyves light 

 And saveour, as doun in this worlde here. 

 Out of this toune help me through your might, 

 Sin that ye wole nat been my tresorere ; 

 For I am shave as nye as any frere." 

 But yit I pray unto your curtesye: 

 Beth hevy ageyn^ or elles mot I dye! 



Lenvoy de Chaucer 



O conquerour of Brutes Albioun! 

 Which that by lyne and free eleccioun 



Cf. ProL 590 (of the Reeve) : 



For he was shave as ny as ever he can. 



