[110v]
The Boke of the Duchesse
I haue grete wondir be this light
how that I leue for day ne nyght
I may not slepe wel nygh nought
I haue so many an ydell thought
Purely for defaulte of slepe
That bi my trouth I take no kepe
Of no thinge how hit comyth or goth
Ne me nys' no thinge leue nor loth
Alis I lich good' to me
Ioye or sorwe wherso it be
ffor I haue felynge yn no thynge
But as it were a mased' thynge
Alway yn poynte to falle a doun'
ffor sorwefull ymagynatioun'
Is alwey holely yn my mynde
And well ye wote a geyns kynde
hit were to lyuen yn this' wyse
ffor Nature wolde nat suffyse
To non' erthly creature
Nat longe tyme to endure
Without slepe & be yn sorwe
And I ne may ne nyght ne morwe
Slepe & this Melancolye

[At least one leaf (and probably only one leaf) is missing from the manuscript at this point. The leaf probably contained lines 24 to 30 of the poem, with the remainder left blank for the scribe or owner to fill in the material between lines 30 and 97 should it subsequently become available.]

111[r]
Of the Duchesse
had such pite & such routh
To rede hir sorwe that be my t\o\uth
I ferde the worse all the morwe
Aftir to thinkyn on hir sorwe
So when this ladi koude here no worde
That no man myght fynde hir lorde
ffull ofte she swownyd & sayd' allas'
ffor sorwe full nygh wood' she was'
Ne she koude no rede but oon'
But doune on kneys she sate a non'
And wepte that pite was to here
A mercy swete ladi dere
Quoth she Iuno hir goddesse
help me owte of this distresse
& yeue me grace my lorde to se
Sone or wite whereso he be
Or how he fareth or in what wyse
And' I shal make you sacrifyse
And' hoolly yourys bicome I shall
With good wyll body herte & all
And but thou wolte this ladi swete
Send' me grace to slepe & mete
In my slepe som certeyn' sweuyn'
[111v]
The boke
Where thorgh that I may know euyn'
Whethir my lorde be quyk' or ded'
With that worde she henge doun' the hed'
And fell a swowne as colde as ston'
hir women kaught hir vp a non'
And brought hir in bed' all nakyd'
And she forwepid' & forwakyd'
was wery & thus the ded' slepe
ffyll on hir or she toke kepe
Thorgh Iune that had' herd' hir bone
That made hir to slepe sone
And as she praid' right so was done
Indede for Iuno right anone
Callid' thus hir messagere
To do hir erande & he come nere
When he was come she bade him thus'
Goo bet quoth Iuno to Morpheus'
Thou knowist hym well the god' of slepe
Now vndirstonde well & take kepe
Sey thus' on my halue that he
Go faste yn to the grete se
And bid him' that on all thynge
That he take vp Seys body the kynge
112[r]
Of the Duchesse
That lith full pale & no thinge rodye
Bid' him' crepe yn to the bodye
And do hit goon' to Alchyon'
The quene there she lieth allone
And shew hir shortely it ys no nay
How hit was dreynte this othire day
And do the body speke right so
Right as it was wonyd' to do
The whiles that it was a lyue
Goo now faste & hye the blyue
This messangere toke leue & wente
Vpon his wey & neuyr ne stente
Tyl he came to the derke valey
That stante bitwyx Rochis twey
There neuyr yet grew corne ne gras'
Ne tre ne nought that ought was'
Beste ne man ne nought ellys'
Sauff ther were a few wellys'
Came rennynge fro the cliffes a doun'
That made a dedly slepynge soun'
[112v]
The boke
And ronnen doun right bi a cave
That was vndir a rocke I graue
Amydde the valey wondir depe
There thes goddis' lay & slepe
Morpheus & Eclympasteyre
That was' the god' of slepis eyre
That slepe & did' non' othire werke
This Caue was also as derke
As helle pitte onyr alaboute
Thei had' good' leysar for to route
To enuye who myght slepe beste
Som henge her chynne vpon' her breste
And slept vpright her hed' I hyd'
And som' lay nakid' yn her bed'
And slepe whiles the dayes' laste
This messagere come fleynge faste
And cryde O howe a wake a non'
Hit was' for nought ther herd hym' non'
A wake quoth he who lithe here
And blew his' horne right yn her ere
113[r]
Of the Duchesse
And cried awakith wondire hye
This god' of slepe with his on' ye
Caste up & axyd' who clepith there
Hit am I quoth this messagere
Iuno bade thou sholdist gon'
And' tolde him' what he shulde don'
As I haue tolde you here byfore
Hit is no nede h reherse it more
And went his' wey when he had' seyde
Anon' this god' of slepe abreyde
Out of his slepe & gan to goon'
And did' as he had bede him' doon'
Toke vp the dreynte body sone
And bare it forth to Alchyone
His' wife the quene there as she laye
Right euyn' a quatere bifore daye
And stode right at his beddys fete
And called' hir right as she hete