The Tale

read his legend, as have I. Dame Partelote, I say you truëly, Macrobius, that wrote the visión In Afric’ of the worthy Scipion, Affirmeth dreamës, and saith that they be ‘Warnings of thingës that men after see. And furthermore, I pray you lookë well In the Old Testament, of Daniél, If he held dreamës any vanity. Read eke of Joseph, and there shall ye see Whether dreams be sometimes (I say not all) Warnings of thingës that shall after fall. Look of Egypt the king, Dan Pharaóh, His baker and his buteler also, Whether they feltë none effect in dreams. Whoso will seek the acts of sundry remes May read of dreamës many a wondrous thing. Lo Croesus, which that was of Lydia king, Mette he not that he sat upon a tree, Which signified he shouldë hanged be? Lo here, Andromaché, Hectorë’s wife, That day that Hector shouldë lose his life, She dreamed on the samë night beforn, How that the life of Hector should be lorn, If thilkë day he went into battaile; She warned him, but it might not avail; He wentë forth to fightë natheless, And was y-slain anon of Achillés. But thilkë tale is all too long to tell; And eke it is nigh day, I may not dwell. Shortly I say, as for conclusión, That I shall have of this avisión Adversity; and I say furthermore, That I ne tell of laxatives no store, For they be venomous, I wot it well; I them defy, I love them never a del.