[§ 22]. V. The Parlement of Foules.

This poem is undoubtedly genuine; both Chaucer and Lydgate mention it. It is remarkable as being the first of the Minor Poems which exhibits the influence upon Chaucer of Italian literature, and was therefore probably written somewhat later than the Complaint of Mars. It is also the first of the Minor Poems in which touches of true humour occur; see ll. 498-500, 508, 514-6, 563-575, 589-616. Dr. Furnivall (Trial Forewords, p. 53) notes that the MSS. fall into two principal groups; in the first he places Gg., Trin., Cx., Harl., O., the former part of Ff., (part of) Ar., and the fragments in Hh. and Laud 416; in the second he places F., Tn., D., and the latter part of Ff. Lt. also belongs to the second group. See further

in Anglia, vol. iv. Anzeiger, p. 97. The whole poem, except the Roundel in ll. 680-692, is in Chaucer's favourite 7-line stanza, often called the ballad-stanza, or simply balade in the MSS.

The poem itself may be roughly divided into four parts. The first part, ll. 1-84, is mainly occupied with an epitome of the general contents of Cicero's Somnium Scipionis. The second part, ll. 85-175, shews several instances of the influence of Dante, though the stanza containing ll. 99-105 is translated from Claudian. The third part, ll. 176-294, is almost wholly translated or imitated from Boccaccio's Teseide. And the fourth part, ll. 295 to the end, is occupied with the real subject of the poem, the main idea being taken, as Chaucer himself tells us, from Alanus de Insulis. The passages relating to the Somnium Scipionis are duly pointed out in the notes; and so are the references to Dante and Claudian. The history of the third and fourth parts requires further explanation.

We have already seen that Chaucer himself tells us, in the Prol. to the Legend, 420, that he made—'al the love of Palamon and Arcyte Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte.' (N.B. This does not mean that Chaucer's version of the story was 'little known,' but that Boccaccio speaks of the story as being little known—'che Latino autor non par ne dica'; see note to Anelida, l. 8.) Now, in the first note on Anelida and Arcite, it is explained how this story of Palamon and Arcite was necessarily translated, more or less closely, from Boccaccio's Teseide, and was doubtless written in the 7-line stanza; also that fragments of it are preserved to us (1) in sixteen stanzas of the Parliament of Foules, (2) in the first ten stanzas of Anelida, and (3) in three stanzas of Troilus. At a later period, the whole poem was re-written in a different metre, and now forms the Knightes Tale. The sixteen stanzas here referred to begin at l. 183 (the previous stanza being also imitated from a different part of the Teseide, bk. xi. st. 24), and end at l. 294. Chaucer has somewhat altered the order; see note to l. 183. I here quote, from Furnivall's Trial Forewords, pp. 60-66, a translation by Mr. W. M. Rossetti, of Boccaccio's Teseide, bk. vii. stanzas 51-66; and I give, beneath it, the Italian text, from an edition published at Milan in 1819. This passage can be compared with Chaucer's imitation of it at the reader's leisure.

I note, beforehand, that, in the first line of this translation, the word whom refers to Vaghezza, i. e. Grace, Allurement; whilst she is the prayer of Palemo, personified.

Tes. vii. stanzas 51-60; cf. Parl. Foules, ll. 183-259.

'With whom going forward, she saw that [i. e. Mount Cithaeron]

In every view suave and charming;

In guise of a garden bosky and beautiful,

And greenest, full of plants,

Of fresh grass, and every new flower;

And therein rose fountains living and clear;

And, among the other plants it abounded in,

Myrtle seemed to her more than other.

Colla quale oltre andando vide quello

Per ogni vista soave ed ameno,

A guisa d'un giardin fronzuto e bello

E di piante verdissimo ripieno,

D'erbetta fresca e d'ogni fior novello;

E fonti vive e chiare vi surgieno,

E in fra l'altre piante, onde abbondava,

Mortine più che altro le sembrava.

P. F. 190.

'Here she heard amid the branches sweetly

Birds singing of almost all kinds:

Upon which [branches] also in like wise

She saw them with delight making their nests.

Next among the fresh shadows quickly

She saw rabbits go hither and thither,

And timid deer and fawns,

And many other dearest little beasts.

Quivi sentì pe' rami dolcemente

Quasi d'ogni maniera ucce' cantare,

Sopra de' quali ancor similemente

Gli vide con diletto i nidi a fare:

Poscia fra l'ombre fresche prestamente

Vidi conigli in qua e in là andare,

E timidenti cervi e cavrioli,

E molti altri carissimi bestiuoli.

P. F. 197.

'In like wise here every instrument

She seemed to hear, and delightful chaunt:

Wherefore passing with pace not slow,

And looking about, somewhat within herself suspended

At the lofty place and beautiful adornment

She saw it replete in almost every corner

With spiritlings which, flying here and there,

Went to their bourne. Which she looking at,

Similemente quivi ogni stromento

Le parve udire e dilettoso canto;

Onde passando con passo non lento,

E rimirando, in sè sospesa alquanto

Dell' alto loco e del bell' ornamento;

Ripieno il vide quasi in ogni canto

Di spirite', che qua e là volando

Gieno a lor posta; a' quali essa guardando,

P. F. 211.

'Among the bushes beside a fountain

Saw Cupid forging arrows—

He having the bow set down by his feet;

Which [arrows when] selected his daughter Voluptas

Tempered in the waves. And settled down

With them was Ease [Ozio, Otium]; whom she saw

That he, with Memory, steeled his darts

With the steel that she [Voluptas] first tempered.

Tra gli albuscelli ad una fonta allato

Vide Cupido a fabbricar saette,

Avendo egli a' suoi piè l'arco posato,

Le qua' sua figlia Voluttade elette

Nell' onde temperava, ed assettato

Con lor s'era Ozio, il quale ella vedette,

Che con Memoria l'aste sue ferrava

De' ferri ch' ella prima temperava.

P. F. 218.

'And then she saw in that pass Grace [Leggiadria],

With Adorning [Adornezza] and Affability,

And the wholly estrayed Courtesy;

And she saw the Arts that have power

To make others perforce do folly,

In their aspect much disfigured.

The Vain Delight of our form

She saw standing alone with Gentilesse.

E poi vide in quel passo Leggiadria

Con Adornezza ed Affabilitate,

E la ismarrita in tutto Cortesia,

E vide l'Arti ch' hanno potestate

Di fare altrui a forza far follia,

Nel loro aspetto molto isfigurate:

Delia immagine nostra il van Diletto

Con Gentilezza vide star soletto.

P. F. 225.

'Then she saw Beauty pass her by,

Without any ornament, gazing on herself;

And with her she saw Attraction [Piacevolezza] go,—

She [the prayer] commending to herself both one and other.

With them she saw standing Youth,

Lively and adorned, making great feast:

And on the other side she saw madcap Audacity

Going along with Glozings and Pimps.

Poi vide appresso a sè passar Bellezza

Sanz' ornamento alcun sè riguardando,

E vide gir con lei Piacevolezza,

E l'una e l'altra seco commendando,

Vide con loro starsi Giovinezza

Destra ed adorna, molto festeggiando:

E d'altra parte vide il folle Ardire

Con Lusinghe e Ruffiani insieme gire.

P. F. 232.

'In mid the place, on lofty columns,

She saw a temple of copper; round which

She saw youths dancing and women—

This one of them beautiful, and that one in fine raiment,

Ungirdled, barefoot, only in their hair and gowns,

Who spent the day in this alone.

Then over the temple she saw doves hover

And settle and coo.

In mezzo il loco sur alte colonne

Di rame vide un tempio, al qual d'intorno

Danzanti giovinetti vide e donne,

Qual d'esse bella, e qual d'abito adorno,

Iscinte, iscalze, in capei soli e'n gonne,

Che in questo solo disponeano il giorno:

Poi sopra il tempio vide volitare

E posarsi colombe e mormorare.

P. F. 239.

'And near to the entry of the temple

She saw that there sat quietly

My lady Peace, who a curtain

Moved lightly before the door.

Next her, very subdued in aspect,

Sat Patience discreetly,

Pallid in look; and on all sides

Around her she saw artful Promises.

E all'entrata del tempio vicina

Vide che si sedava pianamente

Monna Pace, la quale una cortina

Movea innanzi alla porta lievemente;

Appresso a lei in vista assai tapina

Pacienza sedea discretamente;

Pallida nell' aspetto, e d'ogni parte

Intorno a lei vide Promesse ad arte.

P. F. 246.

'Then entering the temple, of Sighs

She felt there an earthquake, which whirled

All fiery with hot desires.

This lit up all the altars

With new flames born of pangs;

Each of which dripped with tears

Produced by a woman cruel and fell

Whom she there saw, called Jealousy

Poi dentro al tempio entrata, di sospiri

Vi senti un terremoto, che girava

Focoso tutto di caldi disiri:

Questi gli altari tutti alluminava

Di nuove fiamme nate di martiri,

De' qua' ciascun di lagrime grondava,

Mosse da una donna cruda e ria,

Che vide lì, chiamata Gelosia:

P. F. 253.

'And in that [temple] she saw Priapus hold

The highest place—in habit just such as

Whoever would at night see him

Could [do] when, braying, the animal

Dullest of all awoke Vesta, who to his mind

Was not a little—towards whom he in like guise

Went: and likewise throughout the great temple

She saw many garlands of diverse flowers.'

Ed in quel vide Priapo tenere

Più sommo loco, in abito tal quale

Chiunque il volle la notte vedere

Potè, quando ragghiando l'animale

Più pigro destò Vesta, che in calere

Non poco gli era, in vêr di cui cotale

Andava; e simil per lo tempio grande

Di fior diversi assai vide grillande.

Tes. vii. 61, 62; cf. P. F. 281-294.

P. F. 281.

'Here many bows of the Chorus of Diana

She saw hung up and broken; among which was

That of Callisto, become the Arctic

Bear. The apples were there of haughty

Atalanta, who was sovereign in racing;

And also the arms of that other proud one

Who brought forth Parthenopaeus,

Grandson to the Calydonian King Oeneus.

Quivi molti archi a' Cori di Diana

Vide appiccati e rotti, in tra quali era

Quel di Callisto fatta tramontana

Orsa; le pome v'eran della fiera

Atalanta che 'n correr fu sovrana;

Ed ancor l'armi di quell' altra altiera

Che partorì il bel Partenopeo

Nipote al calidonio Re Eneo.

P. F. 288.

'She saw there histories painted all about;

Among which with finer work

Of the spouse of Ninus she there

Saw all the doings distinguished; and at foot of the mulberry-tree

Pyramus and Thisbe, and the mulberries already distained;

And she saw among these the great Hercules

In the lap of Iole, and woeful Biblis

Going piteous, soliciting Caunus.'

Videvi storie per tutto dipinte,

In tra le qua' con più alto lavoro

Della sposa di Nino ivi distinte

L'opere tutte vide; e a piè del moro

Piramo e Tisbe, e già le gelse tinte:

E'l grand' Ercole vide tra costoro

In grembo a Jole, e Bibli dolorosa

Andar pregando Cauno pietosa.

Tes. vii. 63-66; cf. P. F. 260-280.

P. F. 260.

'But, as she saw not Venus, it was told her

(Nor knew she by whom)—"In secreter

Part of the temple stays she delighting.

If thou wantest her, through that door quietly

Enter." Wherefore she, without further demur,

Meek of manner as she was,

Approached thither to enter within,

And do the embassy to her committed.

Ma non vedendo Vener, le fu detto,

Nè conobbe da cui: 'In più sagreta

Parte del tempio stassi ella a diletto:

Se tu la vuoi, per quella porta, cheta

Te n'entra': ond' essa, sanza altro rispetto,

In abito qual era mansueta,

Là si appressò per entrar dentro ad essa,

E l'ambasciata fare a lei commessa.

P. F. 261.

'But there she, at her first coming,

Found Riches guarding the portal—

Who seemed to her much to be reverenced:

And, being by her allowed to enter there,

The place was dark to her at first going.

But afterwards, by staying, a little light

She gained there; and saw her lying naked

On a great bed very fair to see.

Ma essa lì nel primo suo venire

Trovò Richezza la porta guardare;

La qual le parve assai da riverire;

E lasciata da lei quiv'entro entrare,

Oscuro le fu il loco al primo gire;

Ma poca luce poscia nello stare

Lì prese, e vide lei nuda giacere

Sopra un gran letto assai bella a vedere.

P. F. 267.

'But she had hair of gold, and shining

Round her head without any tress.

Her face was such that most people

Have in comparison no beauty at all.

The arms, breast, and outstanding apples,

Were all seen; and every other part with a

Texture so thin was covered

That it shewed forth almost as [if] naked.

Ma avie d'oro i crini e rilucenti

Intorno al capo sanza treccia alcuna:

Il suo viso era tal che le più genti

Hanno a rispetto bellezza nissuna:

Le braccia, il petto e le poma eminenti

Si vedien tutte, e ogni altra parte d'una

Testa tanto sottil si ricopria,

Che quasimente nuda comparia.

P. F. 274.

'The neck was fragrant with full a thousand odours.

At one of her sides Bacchus was seated,

At the other Ceres with her savours.

And she in her hands held the apple,

Delighting herself, which, to her sisters

Preferred, she won in the Idean vale.

And, having seen all this, she [the prayer] made her request,

Which was conceded without denial.'

Olíva il collo ben di mille odori:

Dall' un de' lati Bacco le sedea,

Dall' altro Ceres cogli suoi savori:

Ed essa il pomo per le man tenea,

Sè dilettando, il quale alle sorori

Prelata vinse nella valle Idea:

E tutto ciò veduto posse il prego,

Il qual fu conceduto senza niego.

At l. 298 we are introduced to a queen, who in l. 303 is said to be the noble goddess Nature. The general idea is taken from Aleyn's Pleynt of Kynde (l. 316), i. e. from the Planctus Naturae of Alanus de Insulis; see note to l. 298 of the poem. I here quote the most essential passage from the Anglo-Latin Satirical Poets, ed. T. Wright, ii. 437. It describes the garment worn by the goddess Nature, on which various birds were represented. The phrase animalium

concilium may have suggested the name given by Chaucer to our poem. But see the remark on p. [75], l. 21.