The Principality of Insulae Draconis

Poets' corner

Charles d'Orleans

Charles d'Orleans was a French knight, born in 1394, the son of Louis d'Orleans and nephew of King Charles VI of France. Charles was captured at the battle of Agincourt (1415) and spent the next 25 years of his life in England, as a prisoner/guest of various English knights and lords. He was released in 1440, and spent much of the rest of his life in Blois, dying in 1465. During his stay in England, he composed a number of poems, both in English and French. Although he is primarily known for his masterful works of high courtly French lyric, his poems in English have a definite charm and wit about them. His English works are primarily from the British Libraries' Harley manuscript (B.L. MS. Harley 682) which contains over 200 English poems, some with French equivalents.



     1    My gostly fader, I me confess

          First to God and then to you

          That at a window, wot ye how,

          I stale a cosse of gret swetnesse,

         

     5    Which don was out avisiness;

          But hit is don, not undon, now.

          My gostly fader, I me confess

          First to God and then to you

         

          But I restore it shall doutless

    10    Again, if so be that I mow,

          And that God I make a vow,

          And elles I axe foryefness.

         

          My gostly fader, I me confess

          First to God and then to you

    15    That at a window, wot ye how,

          I stale a cosse of gret swetnesse.

1. gostly fader spiritual father, father confessor. The poet speaks as if in the confessional.
3. wot ye how you know how
4. stale a cosse stole a kiss
5. out avisiness without premeditation. Absence of premeditation reduces the gravity of a fault, as manuals of confession point out.
12. "and for the rest, I ask pardon"