COMPLAINT OF A PRISONER AGAINST FORTUNE: FOOTNOTES
1 When men believe [themselves] to be safe, you make them fall
2 Lines 15-16: I know full well that you have taken lords, princes, and kings in their good fortune and overthrown them more severely [than me]
3 Lines 20-21: But yet I pray to you, in some way, / So [that you might] turn your wheel that I might once arise
4 Saturn or Mars, I think I may know it [is one of them]
5 "For truly the greatest virtue of character is always patience"
6 Lines 38-39: It is necessary for him who would be saved / To suffer adversity in this world before he dies
7 "Be strong in spirit since you will be condemned unjustly"
COMPLAINT OF A PRISONER AGAINST FORTUNE: EXPLANATORY NOTES
11 In classical mythology, weather originated with the winds, principally Boreas and Zephirus, that came out of a cavern in Thrace (here called "the winds' mouth"). According to some authors these winds were ruled over or set loose by the god Aeolus.
36 God chastiseth whom He lovith. Hebrews 12:6.
44 thi sustres thre. The Fates or Parcae, the daughters of Night: Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis measures it out, and Atropos cuts it. (See individual notes at lines 47, 55, and 57 below). James I refers to the second, Lachesis, in The Kingis Quair, lines 170-73, perhaps drawing from the complaint of Chaucer's Troilus in a similar circumstance (TC 3.733-34). In Ballade 74 (Fortunes Stabilnes, lines 2534-39), Charles d'Orléans laments his fate thus:
. . . Antropos, ones thy dewte fecche once; do your duty
And with the deth almes me, poor wrecche. give me the gift
Thus ay diyng y lyue and neuyr deed - ever; dead
O lacchesse, to longe thou makist thred!
Als flex to moche doth Cloto to recche. you make the string too long
O onys with deth almes me, poore wrecche! once
Charles ends there, but this poet uses his complaint against fate to express his desire to put his soul into the hands of God.
71-74 Compare Ashby's complaint at lines 78-84.
91 The story of Narcissus and Echo is told by the French poet Guillaume de Lorris in his extremely influential work, RR. In Chaucer's translation, it occupies lines 1469-1538 (A fragment). Narcissus was a beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool and pined away and died because his love could not be fulfilled (the flower, which often grows near water, is named after him). Echo loved him and was so stricken with grief at his rejection of her that she, too, pined away until there was nothing left of her but her voice, which always repeats the last words spoken by others. (In another version of the story, it was the god Pan who rejected her.) In BD, Chaucer writes that "Ecquo died for Narcisus / Nolde nat love hir" ("Echo died because Narcissus would not love her," lines 735-36), using this as a reply in an argument with Fortune, which involves an elaborate chess metaphor (see line 103, below). The speaker in this work says only that Echo knows of his sadness, can understand it, and can bear witness to it: that is, he complains alone so that only Echo hears (and responds).
92-98 The story of the woman taken in adultery is told in John 8:3-11. In an unusual rhetorical move, the prisoner claims to be as innocent as she, for the purpose of casting blame on his accusers before God.
103 Deth sayth "Chekmate!" Chess was popular among the wealthy and educated all over Europe in the late Middle Ages, perhaps another indication that the author traveled in fairly sophisticated circles. The image of playing a game of chess with Death was not uncommon, either in literature or in art. Charles d'Orléans' lover plays chess with both Death (Ballade 60) and Daunger [the lady's restraint] (Ballade 61).
114 feyned goddis and goddessis. Compare TC 5.1849-53.
115 The only way to "defy" fortune and fate (i.e., this "unstable" world) is to put your faith in God.
120 In interpreting Canticle of Canticles (Song of Songs), a biblical text that seems to tell an erotic love story, early medieval interpreters identified the "bride" (or spouse) of the text with the Church (i.e., the entire body of Christians) and the bridegroom or lover with Christ.
133 The Virgin Mary, who offers protection by covering the sinner with a loose fold of her clothing. The image frequently appears in medieval art, as if Mary's robe were a protective aegis for Christians who invoke her aid.
COMPLAINT OF A PRISONER AGAINST FORTUNE: TEXTUAL NOTES
Abbreviations: H: British Library MS Harley 2251 (fols. 271r-273r) [base text]; A: British Library MS Additional 34360 (fols. 19r-21v); R: British Library MS Harley 7333 (fols. 30va-31ra).
1 Allas, Fortune. R: FOrtune alas.
3 thus to have me spilt. R: to have thus yspylt.
5 This line missing in both H and A; supplied from R.
6 as the. R: as is the.
9 west. H, A omit; supplied from R.
10 in oone. R: now.
12 is. R: is sechen.
13 there. R: where.
14 to slyde. R: slide.
15 that. A, R: both.
princis. A, R: prince. R's reading"or this" requires the other meaning of wele as"well" to modify worse.
16 in his. R: or this.
18 laughest. H: l written over h.
20 I thee pray, in. R: I pray that in.
21 thy. A: the.
21-22 Between lines 21 and 22, R inserts another stanza, not found in the other two MSS:
Why nad I rather died an Innocent
Or seke in bed ful ofte whan I have layn
Than had my name be paired not ne shent
Better hit had be so . than thus to have me slayn
But what to stryve with thee it may not geyn
And yit thou wotest I suffre and shame [sic]
ffor that / that I god wote am not to blame
22 now. R omits.
24 Saturnus . . . Mars. These proper names are underscored in H, along with other"key" figures in the poem: Cloto (line 47), Lachesis (line 55), Antropos (line 57), and Ekko (line 91).
26 a. R omits.
29 Fortune. H, A omit; supplied from R.
31 in this wise. R: of this vyce.
32 afore wrought. R: forwrought.
34 Thee for to gladde. R: Therfore be glad for.
36 wele. R: wele eke.
37 He graunte thee to be. R: the graunt be.
38 Who. R: Eke who.
39 To suffre. R: Suffre.
43 Prisoner. Omitted in all MSS. Inserted to indicate change of speaker.
43 Fortune. R: fortune than.
44 now wil I as to. R: will I now to.
49 that I die. R: dey I.
53 som other. R: othir.
55, 57 Lachesis, Antropos. See note to line 24.
62 to yeve. R: yeve.
63 I hens passe. R: I pace.
65 eke. R: all my.
68 This line missing in both H and A; supplied from R.
70 goode. A omits.
and lith ful. R: full still &.
72 where that. R: where.
73 sayde that. R: seid than that.
hym. R: hem.
76 sayde he wold. R: seid wold.
77 chese to. R omits.
78 nat oones. R: onys not.
86 of my care. R: me of care.
87 of joye I have. R: I have of joy.
88 blisse, farewele. A: blisse farawel; R: blys & al.
91 me. So R. H, A: no. The variant no in H and A may reflect the sense that Echo cannot bear witness since it is only repeating a sound. See line 24 on underscoring of Echo in H.
103 al day. H omits.
Deth sayth. A: saith deth.
104 alwey here. R: here alway.
106 this. R: thus the.
108 that. R omits.
111 I wil. R: wille I.
112 wrongly. R: wrongfully.
116 wrought. A, R: bought.
117 hath. R: ever have.
118 wil reles. A: wil Releve Reles; R: wold relesse.
119 I pray. R: yit pray I.
120 His. R: thi.
122 for to be. A, R: to be.
123 of. A, R omit.
125 Lord. R: oo lord.
127 to. H omits.
131 whan. A: whan that.
132 that. H: than.
136 hath. R omits.
138 ay thow. R: at.