← All chapters
Poetry · Chapter
Ye Foe to Cathaye explained
A brief poetic chapter describing a seemingly harmless youth who secretly plans to start a conflagration, using cunning rather than overt violence.
What happens
A brief poetic chapter describing a seemingly harmless youth who secretly plans to start a conflagration, using cunning rather than overt violence.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Self-Deception
The youth's hidden plan and feigned innocence embody deception.
Key passages
“O never an oathe sweares he, And never a pig-taile jerkes; With a brick-batte he ne lurkes For to buste y e crust, perdie, Of y e man from over sea, A-synging as he werkes.”
He never swears an oath or pulls a pigtail; he doesn't hide with a brickbat to break the skin of the man from overseas, but sings while he works.
Describes the youth's outwardly harmless behavior.
“For he knows ful well, y s youth, A tricke of exceeding worth: And he plans withouten ruth A conflagration’s birth!”
For this youth knows a very valuable trick, and he ruthlessly plans to start a great fire.
Reveals the youth's true malicious intent.