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This wydwe, of which I telle yow my tale, Syn thilke day that she was last a wyf, In pacience ladde a ful symple lyf, For litel was hir catel and hir rente. Now if I could have only one of Mr. Masefield's books, I would take The Widow in the Bye Street. Its opening lines have the much-in-little so characteristic of Chaucer.
And in that see was Pharao drowned and alle his hoost, that he ladde. That see is not more reed than another see; but in some place thereof is the gravelle reede: and therfore men clepen it the Rede See. That see reunethe to the endes of Arabye and of Palestyne. That see lastethe more than 4 journeyes. And then gon men be desert unto the Vale of Elyn: and fro thens to the Mount of Synay.
And anone the body of Saynte Denys reysed hymselfe up and bare his hede beetwene his armes, as the angels ladde hym two leghes fro the place which is sayd the hille of the martyrs unto the place where he now resteth by his election and the purveance of god. And there was heard so grete and swete a melodye of angels that many that herd it byleuyd in oure lorde."
And besyde that, is the place where the sterre fell, that ladde the 3 kynges, Jaspar, Melchior and Balthazar: but men of Grece clepen hem thus, Galgalathe, Malgalathe and Saraphie: and the Jewes clepen in this manere, in Ebrew, Appelius, Amerrius and Damasus.
Howbeit fortune, or the fatall disposition of the divine providence, which neither can be avoided by wise counsell, neither yet by any wholesome remedie, invented a new torment, for by and by a young ladde came running into the Parlour all trembling, and declared to the Master of the house, that there was a madde Dog running about in the streetes, which had done much harme, for he had bitten many grey hounds and horses in the Inne by: And he spared neither man nor beast.
Ther lythe Thobye the prophete, of whom Holy Writt spekethe offe. And fro that cytee of Hur Abraham departed, be the commandement of God, fro thens, aftre the dethe of his fadre; and ladde with him Sarra his wife and Lothe his brotheres sone, because that he hadde no child. And thei wenten to duelle in the lond of Chanaan, in a place, that is clept Sychem.
Of the dede See; and of the Flom Jordan. Of the Hed of Seynt John the Baptist; and of the Usages of the Samaritanes. At a cost of that see, as men gon from Arabe, is the mount of the Moabytes; where there is a cave, that men clepen Karua. Upon that hille, ladde Balak the sone of Booz, Balaam the prest, for to curse the peple of Israel.
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