Furnivall supposes that the relentless fair one was the one to whom his Complaint unto Pite was addressed; and chronology would require that Chaucer fell in love with her in 1361.
After he walketh softely a pas, Compleyning, that hit pite was to here.
And further over, if ye suffre this, 85 Your renoun is fordo than in a throwe; Ther shal no man wite wel what Pite is.
And who so wiste al, by my trouthe, My sorwe, but he hadde routhe And pite of my sorwes smerte, That man hath a feendly herte.
I have pite to seen the sorwe, That waketh bothe eve and morwe, To innocents doth such grevaunce; I pray god yeve him evel chaunce, That he ever so bisy is 4275 Of any womman to seyn amis!
For sorwe ful nigh wood she was, Ne she coude no reed but oon; 105 But doun on knees she sat anoon, And weep, that pite was to here.
Wommen wel ought piteto take Of hem that sorwen for hir sake.
Thus am I slayn sith that Pite is deed: Allas the day!
As cold as any frost now wexeth she; For pite by the herte her streyneth so, And dreed of death doth her so moche wo, 2685 That thryes doun she fil in swiche a were.
Justice which doth equite 3130 Is dredfull, for he noman spareth; Bot in the lond wher Pite fareth The king mai nevere faile of love, For Pite thurgh the grace above, So as the Philosphre affermeth, His regne in good astat confermeth.
Of Pite forto speke plein, Which is with mercy wel besein, Fulofte he wole himselve peine To kepe an other fro the peine: For Charite the moder is Of Pite, which nothing amis Can soffre, if he it mai amende.
A king is holden overal To Pite, bot in special To hem wher he is most beholde; Thei scholde his Pite most beholde That ben the Lieges of his lond, For thei ben evere under his hond After the goddes ordinaunce To stonde upon his governance.
Pite was cause of thilke good, Wherof that we ben alle save: Wel oghte a man Pite to have And the vertu to sette in pris, Whan he himself which is al wys Hath schewed why it schal be preised.
Bot hou so that the wrong beginne Of tirannie, it mai noght laste, Bot such as thei don ate laste To othre men, such on hem falleth; For ayein suche Pite calleth 3380 Vengance to the god above.
Wherof the Nimphes of the welles, And othre that ther weren elles Unto the wodes belongende, The body, which was ded ligende, For pure pite that thei have Under the grene thei begrave.
Bot he, which Pite hath parfit Upon the point of his believe, The poeple thoghte to relieve, And ches himselve to be ded.
He saw sa hard the cuntre stad, *That he gret noy and pite had Throu fortrassis that war then Governit and led with Inglis men, 156 Thai travalit men outour mesur.
It wes gret pite for till heir Folk till be troublyt on this maneir.
And thai butpite can thame sla, Till thai had gottyn the ovir hand.
It wes gret pite for till se How thai for joy and pite gret, Quhen that thai with thar falow met, That thai wend had bene dede; forthi Thai welcummyt him mar hartfully.
And he for pite gret agayne, That nevir off metyng wes say fayne.
Wes nane amang thaim, hey na law, That he ne had pite and plesaunce, Quhen that he herd mak remembrance Off the perellys that passyt war.
I am and unable 15 To love suche oon, al women surmounting, To be benigne to me, and merciable, That is of pite the welle and eek the spring!
Pite was cause why this emperour Was hool in body and in soule bothe; And Rome also was set in thilke honour Of Cristes fayth, so that the leve, of lothe Whiche hadden be with Crist tofore wrothe, 355 Receyved were unto Cristes lore.
And they that wenen for sorowe of you deye, the pite of your false herte is flowe out of towne.
And of pite I pleyn me further-more, 785 Which he forgat, in al his ordinaunce, Or els my lyf to have ended before, Which he so sone put out of remembraunce.
Forsoth,' quod she, 'a tender creature 700 Is shryned there, and Pite is her name.
What goodnesse, what bountee, with mokel folowing pite founde thou in that tyme?
Now knowe I wel, of very certaynte, 765 Though oon do trewly, yet shal he be shent, Sith al maner of justice and pite Is banisshed out of a ladyes entent.
For whan nature hath set in you plente Of al goodnesse, by vertue and by grace, 690 He never assembled hem, as semeth me, To put Pite out of his dwelling-place.
Pite of right ought to be resonable, And to no wight of greet disavantage; There-as is nede, it shuld be profitable, 695 And to the pitous shewing no damage.
Ah, fair knight, said Dame Bragwaine, I flee for dread of my life, for here followeth me Sir Breuse Saunce Pite to slay me.
When Sir Breuse Saunce Pite saw Sir Launcelot's shield he knew it well, for at that time he bare not the arms of Cornwall, but he bare his own shield.
And then they were ware of Sir Breuse Saunce Pite chasing a lady for to have slain her, for he had slain her paramour afore.
And this made he be cause men shold haue the lasse pite of them.
Or Poul the apostle, That no pite hadde Muche cristene kynde To kille to dethe?
And yet wolde he hem no wo That wroughte hym that peyne, But mekely with mouthe Mercy bisoughte, To havepite of that peple That peyned hym to dethe.
I have as muche pite of povere men, As pedlere hath of cattes, That wolde kille hem, if he cacche hem myghte, For coveitise of hir skynnes.
And sithen he preide the pope Have pite on holy chirche, And er he gyve any grace, Governe first hymselve.
Differith vengeaunce of furious wodnes, And Pite blemsyght the swerd of rightwysnes, Covenable welles, most holsome of savour, For to be tasted of every governour.
Normandy, for pite of his peple so oppressid, hiring theire clamours and cries and theire curses.
Uf one of dose gougers should pite you, you vill knew it.
Chagrined, he finally said: “Vale, dot peen der first time I efer knew a hook to pite a roots.
If dot gouger shouldt aroundt come der night in, he might pite you.
The Which god of His souveraign grace and noble pite With encrees of al honur and Joye ever kepe & mainteigne.
The which Crist of his souveraign mercy and noble pite plese alwey to kepe in al maner of worship and joye.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "pite" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
