The Assembly Of Ladies Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCC DDEDDBB FGG G B BHHII BGBGGGG GGGGGCC IJIJJBB IBIBBBB DIDIIII KEKEEDD BDBDDLL FIFIIBB FDMDDDD GDGD F FBBDD DBDBBDD DBDBDBB DDDDDD D DDDDD DBDBB DDD D D FDDJ D DHHDD DDDDDD DBBI DDDDDDD D DDDB BDBDFIn Septembre at the falling of the leef | A |
The fressh sesoun was al togider doon | B |
And of the corn was gadered in the sheef | A |
In a gardyn about twayn after noon | B |
Ther were ladyes walking as was her wone | B |
Foure in nombre as to my mynd doth falle | C |
And I the fifte the simplest of hem alle | C |
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Of gentilwomen fayre ther were also | D |
Disporting hem everiche after her gyse | D |
In crosse aleys walking by two and two | E |
And some alone after her fantasyes | D |
Thus occupyed we were in dyvers wyse | D |
And yet in trouthe we were not al alone | B |
Ther were knight s and squyers many one | B |
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'Wherof I served ' oon of hem asked me | F |
I sayde ayein as it fel in my thought | G |
'To walke about the mase in certaynt | G |
As a woman that of nothing rought ' | - |
He asked me ayein 'whom that I sought | G |
And of my colour why I was so pale ' | - |
'Forsothe ' quod I 'and therby lyth a tale ' | - |
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'That must me wite ' quod he 'and that anon | B |
Tel on let see and make no tarying ' | - |
'Abyd ' quod I 'ye been a hasty oon | B |
I let you wite it is no litel thing | H |
But for bicause ye have a greet longing | H |
In your desyr this proces for to here | I |
I shal you tel the playn of this matere | I |
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It happed thus that in an after noon | B |
My felawship and I by oon assent | G |
Whan al our other besinesse was doon | B |
To passe our tyme into this mase we went | G |
And toke our wayes eche after our entent | G |
Some went inward and wend they had gon out | G |
Some stode amid and loked al about | G |
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And sooth to say some were ful fer behind | G |
And right anon as ferforth as the best | G |
Other ther were so mased in her mind | G |
Al wayes were good for hem bothe eest and west | G |
Thus went they forth and had but litel rest | G |
And some her corage did hem sore assayle | C |
For very wrath they did step over the rayle | C |
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And as they sought hem self thus to and fro | I |
I gat myself a litel avauntage | J |
Al for weried I might no further go | I |
Though I had won right greet for my viage | J |
So com I forth into a strait passage | J |
Which brought me to an herber fair and grene | B |
Mad with benches ful craftily and clene | B |
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That as me thought ther might no cr ature | I |
Devyse a better by dew proporcioun | B |
Safe it was closed wel I you ensure | I |
With masonry of compas enviroun | B |
Ful secretly with stayres going doun | B |
Inmiddes the place with turning wheel certayn | B |
And upon that a pot of marjolain | B |
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With margarettes growing in ordinaunce | D |
To shewe hemself as folk went to and fro | I |
That to beholde it was a greet plesaunce | D |
And how they were acompanyed with mo | I |
Ne m'oublie mies and sovenez also | I |
The povre pensees were not disloged there | I |
No no god wot her place was every where | I |
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The flore beneth was paved faire and smothe | K |
With stones square of many dyvers hew | E |
So wel joyn d that for to say the sothe | K |
Al semed oon who that non other knew | E |
And underneth the strem s new and new | E |
As silver bright springing in suche a wyse | D |
That whence it cam ye coude it not devyse | D |
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A litel whyle thus was I al alone | B |
Beholding wel this d lectable place | D |
My felawship were coming everichone | B |
So must me nedes abyde as for a space | D |
Rememb e ring of many dyvers cace | D |
Of tyme passed musing with sighes depe | L |
I set me doun and ther I fel a slepe | L |
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And as I slept me thought ther com to me | F |
A gentilwoman metely of stature | I |
Of greet worship she semed for to be | F |
Atyred wel not high but by mesure | I |
Her countenaunce ful sad and ful demure | I |
Her colours blewe al that she had upon | B |
Ther com no mo there but herself aloon | B |
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Her gown was wel embrouded certainly | F |
With sovenez after her own devyse | D |
On her purfyl her word was by and by | M |
Bien et loyalment as I coud devyse | D |
Than prayde I her in every maner wyse | D |
That of her name I might have remembraunce | D |
She sayd she called was Pers veraunce | D |
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So furthermore to speke than was I bold | G |
Where she dwelled I prayed her for to say | D |
And she again ful curteysly me told | G |
'My dwelling is and hath ben many a day | D |
With a lady ' 'What lady I you pray ' | - |
'Of greet estate thus warne I you ' quod she | F |
'What cal ye her ' 'Her name is Loyalt ' | - |
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'In what offyce stand ye or in what degr ' | - |
Quod I to her 'that wolde I wit right fayn ' | - |
'I am ' quod she 'unworthy though I be | F |
Of her chambre her ussher in certayn | B |
This rod I bere as for a token playn | B |
Lyke as ye know the rule in such servyce | D |
Pertayning is unto the same offyce | D |
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She charged me by her commaund ment | D |
To warn you and your felawes everichon | B |
That ye shuld come there as she is present | D |
For a counsayl which shal be now anon | B |
Or seven day s be comen and gon | B |
And furthermore she bad that I shuld say | D |
Excuse there might be non nor no delay | D |
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Another thing was nigh forget behind | D |
Whiche in no wyse I wolde but ye it knew | B |
Remembre wel and bere it in your mind | D |
Al your felawes and ye must come in blew | B |
Every liche able your maters for to sew | D |
With more which I pray you thinke upon | B |
Your word s on your slev s everichon | B |
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And be not ye abasshed in no wyse | D |
As many been in suche an high presence | D |
Mak your request as ye can best devyse | D |
And she gladly wol yeve you audience | D |
There is no greef ne no maner offence | D |
Wherin ye fele that your herte is displesed | D |
But with her help right sone ye shul be esed ' | - |
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'I am right glad ' quod I 'ye tel me this | D |
But there is non of us that knoweth the way ' | - |
'As of your way ' quod she 'ye shul not mis | D |
Ye shul have oon to gyde you day by day | D |
Of my felawes I can no better say | D |
Suche oon as shal tel you the way ful right | D |
And Diligence this gentilwoman hight | D |
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A woman of right famous governaunce | D |
And wel cherisshed I tel you in certayn | B |
Her felawship shal do you greet plesaunce | D |
Her port is suche her maners trewe and playn | B |
She with glad chere wol do her besy payn | B |
To bring you there now farwel I have don ' | - |
'Abyde ' sayd I 'ye may not go so sone ' | - |
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'Why so ' quod she 'and I have fer to go | D |
To yeve warning in many dyvers place | D |
To your felawes and so to other mo | D |
And wel ye wot I have but litel space ' | - |
'Now yet ' quod I 'ye must tel me this cace | D |
If we shal any man unto us cal ' | - |
'Not oon ' quod she 'may come among you al ' | - |
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'Not oon ' quod I 'ey benedicite | D |
What have they don I pray you tel me that ' | - |
'Now by my lyf I trow but wel ' quod she | F |
'But ever I can bileve there is somwhat | D |
And for to say you trouth more can I nat | D |
In questiouns I may nothing be large | J |
I medle no further than is my charge ' | - |
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'Than thus ' quod I 'do me to understand | D |
What place is there this lady is dwelling ' | - |
'Forsothe ' quod she 'and oon sought al this land | D |
Fairer is noon though it were for a king | H |
Devysed wel and that in every thing | H |
The toures hy ful plesaunt shul ye find | D |
With fanes fressh turning with every wind | D |
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The chambres and parlours both of oo sort | D |
With bay windowes goodly as may be thought | D |
As for daunsing and other wyse disport | D |
The galeryes right wonder wel y wrought | D |
That I wel wot if ye were thider brought | D |
And took good hede therof in every wyse | D |
Ye wold it thinke a very paradyse ' | - |
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'What hight this place ' quod I 'now say me that ' | - |
'Plesaunt Regard ' quod she 'to tel you playn ' | - |
'Of verray trouth ' quod I 'and wot ye what | D |
It may right wel be called so certayn | B |
But furthermore this wold I wit ful fayn | B |
What shulde I do as sone as I come there | I |
And after whom that I may best enquere ' | - |
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'A gentilwoman a porter at the yate | D |
There shal ye find her name is Countenaunce | D |
If it so hap ye come erly or late | D |
Of her were good to have som acquaintaunce | D |
She can tel how ye shal you best avaunce | D |
And how to come to her ladyes presence | D |
To her word s I rede you yeve credence | D |
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Now it is tyme that I depart you fro | D |
For in good sooth I have gret businesse ' | - |
'I wot right wel ' quod I 'that it is so | D |
And I thank you of your gret gentilnesse | D |
Your comfort hath yeven me suche hardinesse | D |
That now I shal be bold withouten fayl | B |
To do after your vyse and counsayl ' | - |
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Thus parted she and I lefte al aloon | B |
With that I saw as I beheld asyde | D |
A woman come a verray goodly oon | B |
And forth withal as I had her aspyed | D |
Me thought anon that it shuld be | F |
Anonymous Olde English
(1)
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