Incipit Liber Quintus

_Obstat auaricia nature legibus, et que

Largus amor poscit, striccius illa vetat.

Omne quod est nimium viciosum dicitur aurum,

Vellera sicut oues, seruat auarus opes.

Non decet vt soli seruabitur es, set amori

Debet homo solam solus habere suam._

Ferst whan the hyhe god began

This world, and that the kinde of man

Was falle into no gret encress,

For worldes good tho was no press,

Bot al was set to the comune.

Thei spieken thanne of no fortune

Or forto lese or forto winne,

Til Avarice broghte it inne;

And that was whan the world was woxe

Of man, of hors, of Schep, of Oxe, 10

And that men knewen the moneie.

Tho wente pes out of the weie

And werre cam on every side,

Which alle love leide aside

And of comun his propre made,

So that in stede of schovele and spade

The scharpe swerd was take on honde;

And in this wise it cam to londe,

Wherof men maden dyches depe

And hyhe walles forto kepe 20

The gold which Avarice encloseth.

Bot al to lytel him supposeth,

Thogh he mihte al the world pourchace;

For what thing that he may embrace

Of gold, of catel or of lond,

He let it nevere out of his hond,

Bot get him more and halt it faste,

As thogh the world scholde evere laste.

So is he lych unto the helle;

For as these olde bokes telle, 30

What comth therinne, lasse or more,

It schal departe neveremore:

Thus whanne he hath his cofre loken,

It schal noght after ben unstoken,

Bot whanne him list to have a syhte

Of gold, hou that it schyneth brihte,

That he ther on mai loke and muse;

For otherwise he dar noght use

To take his part, or lasse or more.

So is he povere, and everemore 40

Him lacketh that he hath ynowh:

An Oxe draweth in the plowh,

Of that himself hath no profit;

A Schep riht in the same plit

His wolle berth, bot on a day

An other takth the flees away:

Thus hath he, that he noght ne hath,

For he therof his part ne tath.

To seie hou such a man hath good,

Who so that reson understod, 50

It is impropreliche seid,

For good hath him and halt him teid,

That he ne gladeth noght withal,

Bot is unto his good a thral,

And as soubgit thus serveth he,

Wher that he scholde maister be:

Such is the kinde of thaverous.

Mi Sone, as thou art amerous,

Tell if thou farst of love so.

Mi fader, as it semeth, no; 60

That averous yit nevere I was,

So as ye setten me the cas:

For as ye tolden here above,

In full possession of love

Yit was I nevere hier tofore,

So that me thenketh wel therfore,

I mai excuse wel my dede.

Bot of mi will withoute drede,

If I that tresor mihte gete,

It scholde nevere be foryete, 70

That I ne wolde it faste holde,

Til god of love himselve wolde

That deth ous scholde part atuo.

For lieveth wel, I love hire so,

That evene with min oghne lif,

If I that swete lusti wif

Mihte ones welden at my wille,

For evere I wolde hire holde stille:

And in this wise, taketh kepe,

If I hire hadde, I wolde hire kepe, 80

And yit no friday wolde I faste,

Thogh I hire kepte and hielde faste.

Fy on the bagges in the kiste!

I hadde ynogh, if I hire kiste.

For certes, if sche were myn,

I hadde hir levere than a Myn

Of Gold; for al this worldesriche

Ne mihte make me so riche

As sche, that is so inly good.

I sette noght of other good; 90

For mihte I gete such a thing,

I hadde a tresor for a king;

And thogh I wolde it faste holde,

I were thanne wel beholde.

Bot I mot pipe nou with lasse,

And suffre that it overpasse,

Noght with mi will, for thus I wolde

Ben averous, if that I scholde.

Bot, fader, I you herde seie

Hou thaverous hath yit som weie, 100

Wherof he mai be glad; for he

Mai whanne him list his tresor se,

And grope and fiele it al aboute,

Bot I fulofte am schet theroute,

Ther as my worthi tresor is.

So is mi lif lich unto this,

That ye me tolden hier tofore,

Hou that an Oxe his yock hath bore

For thing that scholde him noght availe:

And in this wise I me travaile; 110

For who that evere hath the welfare,

I wot wel that I have the care,

For I am hadd and noght ne have,

And am, as who seith, loves knave.

Nou demeth in youre oghne thoght,

If this be Avarice or noght.

Mi Sone, I have of thee no wonder,

Thogh thou to serve be put under

With love, which to kinde acordeth:

Bot, so as every bok recordeth, 120

It is to kinde no plesance

That man above his sustienance

Unto the gold schal serve and bowe,

For that mai no reson avowe.

Bot Avarice natheles,

If he mai geten his encress

Of gold, that wole he serve and kepe,

For he takth of noght elles kepe,

Bot forto fille hise bagges large;

And al is to him bot a charge, 130

For he ne parteth noght withal,

Bot kepth it, as a servant schal:

And thus, thogh that he multeplie

His gold, withoute tresorie

He is, for man is noght amended

With gold, bot if it be despended

To mannes us; wherof I rede

A tale, and tak therof good hiede,

Of that befell be olde tyde,

As telleth ous the clerk Ovide. 140

Bachus, which is the god of wyn,

Acordant unto his divin

A Prest, the which Cillenus hihte,

He hadde, and fell so that be nyhte

This Prest was drunke and goth astraied,

Wherof the men were evele apaied

In Frigelond, where as he wente.

Bot ate laste a cherl him hente

With strengthe of other felaschipe,

So that upon his drunkeschipe 150

Thei bounden him with chenes faste,

And forth thei ladde him als so faste

Unto the king, which hihte Myde.

Bot he, that wolde his vice hyde,

This courteis king, tok of him hiede,

And bad that men him scholde lede

Into a chambre forto kepe,

Til he of leisir hadde slepe.

And tho this Prest was sone unbounde,

And up a couche fro the grounde 160

To slepe he was leid softe ynowh;

And whanne he wok, the king him drowh

To his presence and dede him chiere,

So that this Prest in such manere,

Whil that him liketh, there he duelleth:

And al this he to Bachus telleth,

Whan that he cam to him ayein.

And whan that Bachus herde sein

How Mide hath don his courtesie,

Him thenkth it were a vilenie, 170

Bot he rewarde him for his dede,

So as he mihte of his godhiede.

Unto this king this god appiereth

And clepeth, and that other hiereth:

This god to Mide thonketh faire

Of that he was so debonaire

Toward his Prest, and bad him seie:

What thing it were he wolde preie,

He scholde it have, of worldes good.

This king was glad, and stille stod, 180

And was of his axinge in doute,

And al the world he caste aboute,

What thing was best for his astat,

And with himself stod in debat

Upon thre pointz, the whiche I finde

Ben lievest unto mannes kinde.

The ferste of hem it is delit,

The tuo ben worschipe and profit.

And thanne he thoghte, “If that I crave

Delit, thogh I delit mai have, 190

Delit schal passen in myn age:

That is no siker avantage,

For every joie bodily

Schal ende in wo: delit forthi

Wol I noght chese. And if worschipe

I axe and of the world lordschipe,

That is an occupacion

Of proud ymaginacion,

Which makth an herte vein withinne;

Ther is no certain forto winne, 200

For lord and knave al is o weie,

Whan thei be bore and whan thei deie.

And if I profit axe wolde,

I not in what manere I scholde

Of worldes good have sikernesse;

For every thief upon richesse

Awaiteth forto robbe and stele:

Such good is cause of harmes fele.

And also, thogh a man at ones

Of al the world withinne his wones 210

The tresor myhte have everydel,

Yit hadde he bot o mannes del

Toward himself, so as I thinke,

Of clothinge and of mete and drinke,

For more, outake vanite,

Ther hath no lord in his degre.”

And thus upon the pointz diverse

Diverseliche he gan reherce

What point him thoghte for the beste;

Bot pleinly forto gete him reste 220

He can so siker weie caste.

And natheles yit ate laste

He fell upon the coveitise

Of gold; and thanne in sondri wise

He thoghte, as I have seid tofore,

Hou tresor mai be sone lore,

And hadde an inly gret desir

Touchende of such recoverir,

Hou that he mihte his cause availe

To gete him gold withoute faile. 230

Withinne his herte and thus he preiseth

The gold, and seith hou that it peiseth

Above al other metall most:

“The gold,” he seith, “may lede an host

To make werre ayein a King;

The gold put under alle thing,

And set it whan him list above;

The gold can make of hate love

And werre of pes and ryht of wrong,

And long to schort and schort to long; 240

Withoute gold mai be no feste,

Gold is the lord of man and beste,

And mai hem bothe beie and selle;

So that a man mai sothly telle

That al the world to gold obeieth.”

Forthi this king to Bachus preieth

To grante him gold, bot he excedeth

Mesure more than him nedeth.

Men tellen that the maladie

Which cleped is ydropesie 250

Resembled is unto this vice

Be weie of kinde of Avarice:

The more ydropesie drinketh,

The more him thursteth, for him thinketh

That he mai nevere drinke his fille;

So that ther mai nothing fulfille

The lustes of his appetit:

And riht in such a maner plit

Stant Avarice and evere stod;

The more he hath of worldes good, 260

The more he wolde it kepe streyte,

And evere mor and mor coveite.

And riht in such condicioun

Withoute good discrecioun

This king with avarice is smite,

That al the world it myhte wite:

For he to Bachus thanne preide,

That wherupon his hond he leide,

It scholde thurgh his touche anon

Become gold, and therupon 270

This god him granteth as he bad.

Tho was this king of Frige glad,

And forto put it in assai

With al the haste that he mai,

He toucheth that, he toucheth this,

And in his hond al gold it is,

The Ston, the Tree, the Lef, the gras,

The flour, the fruit, al gold it was.

Thus toucheth he, whil he mai laste

To go, bot hunger ate laste 280

Him tok, so that he moste nede

Be weie of kinde his hunger fede.

The cloth was leid, the bord was set,

And al was forth tofore him fet,

His disch, his coppe, his drinke, his mete;

Bot whanne he wolde or drinke or ete,

Anon as it his mouth cam nyh,

It was al gold, and thanne he syh

Of Avarice the folie.

And he with that began to crie, 290

And preide Bachus to foryive

His gilt, and soffre him forto live

And be such as he was tofore,

So that he were not forlore.

This god, which herde of his grevance,

Tok rowthe upon his repentance,

And bad him go forth redily

Unto a flod was faste by,

Which Paceole thanne hyhte,

In which as clene as evere he myhte 300

He scholde him waisshen overal,

And seide him thanne that he schal

Recovere his ferste astat ayein.

This king, riht as he herde sein,

Into the flod goth fro the lond,

And wissh him bothe fot and hond,

And so forth al the remenant,

As him was set in covenant:

And thanne he syh merveilles strange,

The flod his colour gan to change, 310

The gravel with the smale Stones

To gold thei torne bothe at ones,

And he was quit of that he hadde,

And thus fortune his chance ladde.

And whan he sih his touche aweie,

He goth him hom the rihte weie

And liveth forth as he dede er,

And putte al Avarice afer,

And the richesse of gold despiseth,

And seith that mete and cloth sufficeth. 320

Thus hath this king experience

Hou foles don the reverence

To gold, which of his oghne kinde

Is lasse worth than is the rinde

To sustienance of mannes fode;

And thanne he made lawes goode

And al his thing sette upon skile:

He bad his poeple forto tile

Here lond, and live under the lawe,

And that thei scholde also forthdrawe 330

Bestaile, and seche non encress

Of gold, which is the breche of pes.

For this a man mai finde write,

Tofor the time, er gold was smite

In Coign, that men the florin knewe,

Ther was welnyh noman untrewe;

Tho was ther nouther schield ne spere

Ne dedly wepne forto bere;

Tho was the toun withoute wal,

Which nou is closed overal; 340

Tho was ther no brocage in londe,

Which nou takth every cause on honde:

So mai men knowe, hou the florin

Was moder ferst of malengin

And bringere inne of alle werre,

Wherof this world stant out of herre

Thurgh the conseil of Avarice,

Which of his oghne propre vice

Is as the helle wonderfull;

For it mai neveremor be full, 350

That what as evere comth therinne,

Awey ne may it nevere winne.

Bot Sone myn, do thou noght so,

Let al such Avarice go,

And tak thi part of that thou hast:

I bidde noght that thou do wast,

Bot hold largesce in his mesure;

And if thou se a creature,

Which thurgh poverte is falle in nede,

Yif him som good, for this I rede 360

To him that wol noght yiven here,

What peine he schal have elleswhere.

Ther is a peine amonges alle

Benethe in helle, which men calle

The wofull peine of Tantaly,

Of which I schal thee redely

Devise hou men therinne stonde.

In helle, thou schalt understonde,

Ther is a flod of thilke office,

Which serveth al for Avarice: 370

What man that stonde schal therinne,

He stant up evene unto the chinne;

Above his hed also ther hongeth

A fruyt, which to that peine longeth,

And that fruit toucheth evere in on

His overlippe: and therupon

Swich thurst and hunger him assaileth,

That nevere his appetit ne faileth.

Bot whanne he wolde his hunger fede,

The fruit withdrawth him ate nede, 380

And thogh he heve his hed on hyh,

The fruit is evere aliche nyh,

So is the hunger wel the more:

And also, thogh him thurste sore

And to the water bowe a doun,

The flod in such condicioun

Avaleth, that his drinke areche

He mai noght. Lo nou, which a wreche,

That mete and drinke is him so couth,

And yit ther comth non in his mouth! 390

Lich to the peines of this flod

Stant Avarice in worldes good:

He hath ynowh and yit him nedeth,

For his skarsnesse it him forbiedeth,

And evere his hunger after more

Travaileth him aliche sore,

So is he peined overal.

Forthi thi goodes forth withal,

Mi Sone, loke thou despende,

Wherof thou myht thiself amende 400

Bothe hier and ek in other place.

And also if thou wolt pourchace

To be beloved, thou most use

Largesce, for if thou refuse

To yive for thi loves sake,

It is no reson that thou take

Of love that thou woldest crave.

Forthi, if thou wolt grace have,

Be gracious and do largesse,

Of Avarice and the seknesse 410

Eschuie above alle other thing,

And tak ensample of Mide king

And of the flod of helle also,

Where is ynowh of alle wo.

And thogh ther were no matiere

Bot only that we finden hiere,

Men oghten Avarice eschuie;

For what man thilke vice suie,

He get himself bot litel reste.

For hou so that the body reste, 420

The herte upon the gold travaileth,

Whom many a nyhtes drede assaileth;

For thogh he ligge abedde naked,

His herte is everemore awaked,

And dremeth, as he lith to slepe,

How besi that he is to kepe

His tresor, that no thief it stele.

Thus hath he bot a woful wele.

And riht so in the same wise,

If thou thiself wolt wel avise, 430

Ther be lovers of suche ynowe,

That wole unto no reson bowe.

If so be that thei come above,

Whan thei ben maistres of here love,

And that thei scholden be most glad,

With love thei ben most bestad,

So fain thei wolde it holden al.

Here herte, here yhe is overal,

And wenen every man be thief,

To stele awey that hem is lief; 440

Thus thurgh here oghne fantasie

Thei fallen into Jelousie.

Thanne hath the Schip tobroke his cable,

With every wynd and is muable.

Mi fader, for that ye nou telle,

I have herd ofte time telle

Of Jelousie, bot what it is

Yit understod I nevere er this:

Wherfore I wolde you beseche,

That ye me wolde enforme and teche 450

What maner thing it mihte be.

Mi Sone, that is hard to me:

Bot natheles, as I have herd,

Now herkne and thou schalt ben ansuerd.

Among the men lacke of manhode

In Mariage upon wifhode

Makth that a man himself deceiveth,

Wherof it is that he conceiveth

That ilke unsely maladie,

The which is cleped Jelousie: 460

Of which if I the proprete

Schal telle after the nycete,

So as it worcheth on a man,

A Fievere it is cotidian,

Which every day wol come aboute,

Wher so a man be inne or oute.

At hom if that a man wol wone,

This Fievere is thanne of comun wone

Most grevous in a mannes yhe:

For thanne he makth him tote and pryhe, 470

Wher so as evere his love go;

Sche schal noght with hir litel too

Misteppe, bot he se it al.

His yhe is walkende overal;

Wher that sche singe or that sche dance,

He seth the leste contienance,

If sche loke on a man aside

Or with him roune at eny tyde,

Or that sche lawghe, or that sche loure,

His yhe is ther at every houre. 480

And whanne it draweth to the nyht,

If sche thanne is withoute lyht,

Anon is al the game schent;

For thanne he set his parlement

To speke it whan he comth to bedde,

And seith, “If I were now to wedde,

I wolde neveremore have wif.”

And so he torneth into strif

The lust of loves duete,

And al upon diversete. 490

If sche be freissh and wel araied,

He seith hir baner is displaied

To clepe in gestes fro the weie:

And if sche be noght wel beseie,

And that hir list noght to be gladd,

He berth an hond that sche is madd

And loveth noght hire housebonde;

He seith he mai wel understonde,

That if sche wolde his compaignie,

Sche scholde thanne afore his ije 500

Schewe al the plesir that sche mihte.

So that be daie ne be nyhte

Sche not what thing is for the beste,

Bot liveth out of alle reste;

For what as evere him liste sein,

Sche dar noght speke a word ayein,

Bot wepth and holt hire lippes clos.

Sche mai wel wryte, “Sanz repos,”

The wif which is to such on maried.

Of alle wommen be he waried, 510

For with this Fievere of Jalousie

His echedaies fantasie

Of sorghe is evere aliche grene,

So that ther is no love sene,

Whil that him list at hom abyde.

And whan so is he wol out ryde,

Thanne hath he redi his aspie

Abidinge in hir compaignie,

A janglere, an evel mouthed oon,

That sche ne mai nowhider gon, 520

Ne speke a word, ne ones loke,

That he ne wol it wende and croke

And torne after his oghne entente,

Thogh sche nothing bot honour mente.

Whan that the lord comth hom ayein,

The janglere moste somwhat sein;

So what withoute and what withinne,

This Fievere is evere to beginne,

For where he comth he can noght ende,

Til deth of him have mad an ende. 530

For thogh so be that he ne hiere

Ne se ne wite in no manere

Bot al honour and wommanhiede,

Therof the Jelous takth non hiede,

Bot as a man to love unkinde,

He cast his staf, as doth the blinde,

And fint defaulte where is non;

As who so dremeth on a Ston

Hou he is leid, and groneth ofte,

Whan he lith on his pilwes softe. 540

So is ther noght bot strif and cheste;

Whan love scholde make his feste,

It is gret thing if he hir kisse:

Thus hath sche lost the nyhtes blisse,

For at such time he gruccheth evere

And berth on hond ther is a levere,

And that sche wolde an other were

In stede of him abedde there;

And with tho wordes and with mo

Of Jelousie, he torneth fro 550

And lith upon his other side,

And sche with that drawth hire aside,

And ther sche wepeth al the nyht.

Ha, to what peine sche is dyht,

That in hire youthe hath so beset

The bond which mai noght ben unknet!

I wot the time is ofte cursed,

That evere was the gold unpursed,

The which was leid upon the bok,

Whan that alle othre sche forsok 560

For love of him; bot al to late

Sche pleigneth, for as thanne algate

Sche mot forbere and to him bowe,

Thogh he ne wole it noght allowe.

For man is lord of thilke feire,

So mai the womman bot empeire,

If sche speke oght ayein his wille;

And thus sche berth hir peine stille.

Bot if this Fievere a womman take,

Sche schal be wel mor harde schake; 570

For thogh sche bothe se and hiere,

And finde that ther is matiere,

Sche dar bot to hirselve pleine,

And thus sche suffreth double peine.

Lo thus, mi Sone, as I have write,

Thou miht of Jelousie wite

His fievere and his condicion,

Which is full of suspecion.

Bot wherof that this fievere groweth,

Who so these olde bokes troweth, 580

Ther mai he finden hou it is:

For thei ous teche and telle this,

Hou that this fievere of Jelousie

Somdel it groweth of sotie

Of love, and somdiel of untrust.

For as a sek man lest his lust,

And whan he may no savour gete,

He hateth thanne his oughne mete,

Riht so this fieverous maladie,

Which caused is of fantasie, 590

Makth the Jelous in fieble plit

To lese of love his appetit

Thurgh feigned enformacion

Of his ymaginacion.

Bot finali to taken hiede,

Men mai wel make a liklihiede

Betwen him which is averous

Of gold and him that is jelous

Of love, for in on degre

Thei stonde bothe, as semeth me. 600

That oon wolde have his bagges stille,

And noght departen with his wille,

And dar noght for the thieves slepe,

So fain he wolde his tresor kepe;

That other mai noght wel be glad,

For he is evere more adrad

Of these lovers that gon aboute,

In aunter if thei putte him oute.

So have thei bothe litel joye

As wel of love as of monoie. 610

Now hast thou, Sone, at my techinge

Of Jelousie a knowlechinge,

That thou myht understonde this,

Fro whenne he comth and what he is,

And ek to whom that he is lik.

Be war forthi thou be noght sik

Of thilke fievere as I have spoke,

For it wol in himself be wroke.

For love hateth nothing more,

As men mai finde be the lore 620

Of hem that whilom were wise,

Hou that thei spieke in many wise.

Mi fader, soth is that ye sein.

Bot forto loke therayein,

Befor this time hou it is falle,

Wherof ther mihte ensample falle

To suche men as be jelous

In what manere it is grevous,

Riht fain I wolde ensample hiere.

My goode Sone, at thi preiere 630

Of suche ensamples as I finde,

So as thei comen nou to mynde

Upon this point, of time gon

I thenke forto tellen on.

Ovide wrot of manye thinges,

Among the whiche in his wrytinges

He tolde a tale in Poesie,

Which toucheth unto Jelousie,

Upon a certein cas of love.

Among the goddes alle above 640

It fell at thilke time thus:

The god of fyr, which Vulcanus

Is hote, and hath a craft forthwith

Assigned, forto be the Smith

Of Jupiter, and his figure

Bothe of visage and of stature

Is lothly and malgracious,

Bot yit he hath withinne his hous

As for the likynge of his lif

The faire Venus to his wif. 650

Bot Mars, which of batailles is

The god, an yhe hadde unto this:

As he which was chivalerous,

It fell him to ben amerous,

And thoghte it was a gret pite

To se so lusti on as sche

Be coupled with so lourde a wiht:

So that his peine day and nyht

He dede, if he hire winne myhte;

And sche, which hadde a good insihte 660

Toward so noble a knyhtli lord,

In love fell of his acord.

Ther lacketh noght bot time and place,

That he nys siker of hire grace:

Bot whan tuo hertes falle in on,

So wys await was nevere non,

That at som time thei ne mete;

And thus this faire lusti swete

With Mars hath ofte compaignie.

Bot thilke unkynde Jelousie, 670

Which everemor the herte opposeth,

Makth Vulcanus that he supposeth

That it is noght wel overal,

And to himself he seide, he schal

Aspie betre, if that he may;

And so it fell upon a day,

That he this thing so slyhli ledde,

He fond hem bothe tuo abedde

Al warm, echon with other naked.

And he with craft al redy maked 680

Of stronge chenes hath hem bounde,

As he togedre hem hadde founde,

And lefte hem bothe ligge so,

And gan to clepe and crie tho

Unto the goddes al aboute;

And thei assembled in a route

Come alle at ones forto se.

Bot none amendes hadde he,

Bot was rebuked hiere and there

Of hem that loves frendes were; 690

And seiden that he was to blame,

For if ther fell him eny schame,

It was thurgh his misgovernance:

And thus he loste contienance,

This god, and let his cause falle;

And thei to skorne him lowhen alle,

And losen Mars out of hise bondes.

Wherof these erthli housebondes

For evere myhte ensample take,

If such a chaunce hem overtake: 700

For Vulcanus his wif bewreide,

The blame upon himself he leide,

Wherof his schame was the more;

Which oghte forto ben a lore

For every man that liveth hiere,

To reulen him in this matiere.

Thogh such an happ of love asterte,

Yit scholde he noght apointe his herte

With Jelousie of that is wroght,

Bot feigne, as thogh he wiste it noght: 710

For if he lete it overpasse,

The sclaundre schal be wel the lasse,

And he the more in ese stonde.

For this thou myht wel understonde,

That where a man schal nedes lese,

The leste harm is forto chese.

Bot Jelousie of his untrist

Makth that full many an harm arist,

Which elles scholde noght arise;

And if a man him wolde avise 720

Of that befell to Vulcanus,

Him oghte of reson thenke thus,

That sithe a god therof was schamed,

Wel scholde an erthli man be blamed

To take upon him such a vice.

Forthi, my Sone, in thin office

Be war that thou be noght jelous,

Which ofte time hath schent the hous.

Mi fader, this ensample is hard,

Hou such thing to the heveneward 730

Among the goddes myhte falle:

For ther is bot o god of alle,

Which is the lord of hevene and helle.

Bot if it like you to telle

Hou suche goddes come aplace,

Ye mihten mochel thonk pourchace,

For I schal be wel tawht withal.

Mi Sone, it is thus overal

With hem that stonden misbelieved,

That suche goddes ben believed: 740

In sondri place sondri wise

Amonges hem whiche are unwise

Ther is betaken of credence;

Wherof that I the difference

In the manere as it is write

Schal do the pleinly forto wite.

Er Crist was bore among ous hiere,

Of the believes that tho were

In foure formes thus it was.

Thei of Caldee as in this cas 750

Hadde a believe be hemselve,

Which stod upon the signes tuelve,

Forth ek with the Planetes sevene,

Whiche as thei sihe upon the hevene.

Of sondri constellacion

In here ymaginacion

With sondri kerf and pourtreture

Thei made of goddes the figure.

In thelementz and ek also

Thei hadden a believe tho; 760

And al was that unresonable:

For thelementz ben servicable

To man, and ofte of Accidence,

As men mai se thexperience,

Thei ben corrupt be sondri weie;

So mai no mannes reson seie

That thei ben god in eny wise.

And ek, if men hem wel avise,

The Sonne and Mone eclipse bothe,

That be hem lieve or be hem lothe, 770

Thei soffre; and what thing is passible

To ben a god is impossible.

These elementz ben creatures,

So ben these hevenly figures,

Wherof mai wel be justefied

That thei mai noght be deified:

And who that takth awey thonour

Which due is to the creatour,

And yifth it to the creature,

He doth to gret a forsfaiture. 780

Bot of Caldee natheles

Upon this feith, thogh it be les,

Thei holde affermed the creance;

So that of helle the penance,

As folk which stant out of believe,

They schull receive, as we believe.

Of the Caldeus lo in this wise

Stant the believe out of assisse:

Bot in Egipte worst of alle

The feith is fals, hou so it falle; 790

For thei diverse bestes there

Honoure, as thogh thei goddes were:

And natheles yit forth withal

Thre goddes most in special

Thei have, forth with a goddesse,

In whom is al here sikernesse.

Tho goddes be yit cleped thus,

Orus, Typhon and Isirus:

Thei were brethren alle thre,

And the goddesse in hir degre 800

Here Soster was and Ysis hyhte,

Whom Isirus forlai be nyhte

And hield hire after as his wif.

So it befell that upon strif

Typhon hath Isre his brother slain,

Which hadde a child to Sone Orayn,

And he his fader deth to herte

So tok, that it mai noght asterte

That he Typhon after ne slowh,

Whan he was ripe of age ynowh. 810

Bot yit thegipcienes trowe

For al this errour, which thei knowe,

That these brethren ben of myht

To sette and kepe Egipte upriht,

And overthrowe, if that hem like.

Bot Ysis, as seith the Cronique,

Fro Grece into Egipte cam,

And sche thanne upon honde nam

To teche hem forto sowe and eere,

Which noman knew tofore there. 820

And whan thegipcienes syhe

The fieldes fulle afore here yhe,

And that the lond began to greine,

Which whilom hadde be bareigne,—

For therthe bar after the kinde

His due charge,—this I finde,

That sche of berthe the goddesse

Is cleped, so that in destresse

The wommen there upon childinge

To hire clepe, and here offringe 830

Thei beren, whan that thei ben lyhte.

Lo, hou Egipte al out of syhte

Fro resoun stant in misbelieve

For lacke of lore, as I believe.

Among the Greks, out of the weie

As thei that reson putte aweie,

Ther was, as the Cronique seith,

Of misbelieve an other feith,

That thei here goddes and goddesses,

As who seith, token al to gesses 840

Of suche as weren full of vice,

To whom thei made here sacrifice.

The hihe god, so as thei seide,

To whom thei most worschipe leide,

Saturnus hihte, and king of Crete

He hadde be; bot of his sete

He was put doun, as he which stod

In frenesie, and was so wod,

That fro his wif, which Rea hihte,

Hise oghne children he to plihte, 850

And eet hem of his comun wone.

Bot Jupiter, which was his Sone

And of full age, his fader bond

And kutte of with his oghne hond

Hise genitals, whiche als so faste

Into the depe See he caste;

Wherof the Greks afferme and seie,

Thus whan thei were caste aweie,

Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde.

And of Saturne also I finde 860

How afterward into an yle

This Jupiter him dede exile,

Wher that he stod in gret meschief.

Lo, which a god thei maden chief!

And sithen that such on was he,

Which stod most hihe in his degre

Among the goddes, thou miht knowe,

These othre, that ben more lowe,

Ben litel worth, as it is founde.

For Jupiter was the secounde, 870

Which Juno hadde unto his wif;

And yit a lechour al his lif

He was, and in avouterie

He wroghte many a tricherie;

And for he was so full of vices,

Thei cleped him god of delices:

Of whom, if thou wolt more wite,

Ovide the Poete hath write.

Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo,

Saturne and Jupiter also, 880

Thei have, althogh thei be to blame,

Attitled to here oghne name.

Mars was an other in that lawe,

The which in Dace was forthdrawe,

Of whom the clerk Vegecius

Wrot in his bok, and tolde thus,

Hou he into Ytaile cam,

And such fortune ther he nam

That he a Maiden hath oppressed,

Which in hire ordre was professed, 890

As sche which was the Prioresse

In Vestes temple the goddesse,

So was sche wel the mor to blame.

Dame Ylia this ladi name

Men clepe, and ek sche was also

The kinges dowhter that was tho,

Which Mynitor be name hihte.

So that ayein the lawes ryhte

Mars thilke time upon hire that

Remus and Romulus begat, 900

Whiche after, whan thei come in Age,

Of knihthode and of vassellage

Ytaile al hol thei overcome

And foundeden the grete Rome;

In Armes and of such emprise

Thei weren, that in thilke wise

Here fader Mars for the mervaile

The god was cleped of bataille.

Thei were his children bothe tuo,

Thurgh hem he tok his name so, 910

Ther was non other cause why:

And yit a Sterre upon the Sky

He hath unto his name applied,

In which that he is signified.

An other god thei hadden eke,

To whom for conseil thei beseke,

The which was brother to Venus,

Appollo men him clepe thus.

He was an Hunte upon the helles,

Ther was with him no vertu elles, 920

Wherof that enye bokes karpe,

Bot only that he couthe harpe;

Which whanne he walked over londe,

Fulofte time he tok on honde,

To gete him with his sustienance,

For lacke of other pourveance.

And otherwhile of his falshede

He feignede him to conne arede

Of thing which after scholde falle;

Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle 930

He hath the lewed folk deceived,

So that the betre he was received.

Lo now, thurgh what creacion

He hath deificacion,

And cleped is the god of wit

To suche as be the foles yit.

An other god, to whom thei soghte,

Mercurie hihte, and him ne roghte

What thing he stal, ne whom he slowh.

Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh, 940

That whanne he wolde himself transforme,

Fulofte time he tok the forme

Of womman and his oghne lefte;

So dede he wel the more thefte.

A gret spekere in alle thinges

He was also, and of lesinges

An Auctour, that men wiste non

An other such as he was on.

And yit thei maden of this thief

A god, which was unto hem lief, 950

And clepede him in tho believes

The god of Marchantz and of thieves.

Bot yit a sterre upon the hevene

He hath of the planetes sevene.

But Vulcanus, of whom I spak,

He hadde a courbe upon the bak,

And therto he was hepehalt:

Of whom thou understonde schalt,

He was a schrewe in al his youthe,

And he non other vertu couthe 960

Of craft to helpe himselve with,

Bot only that he was a Smith

With Jupiter, which in his forge

Diverse thinges made him forge;

So wot I noght for what desir

Thei clepen him the god of fyr.

King of Cizile Ypolitus

A Sone hadde, and Eolus

He hihte, and of his fader grant

He hield be weie of covenant 970

The governance of every yle

Which was longende unto Cizile,

Of hem that fro the lond forein

Leie open to the wynd al plein.

And fro thilke iles to the londe

Fulofte cam the wynd to honde:

After the name of him forthi

The wyndes cleped Eoli

Tho were, and he the god of wynd.

Lo nou, hou this believe is blynd! 980

The king of Crete Jupiter,

The same which I spak of er,

Unto his brother, which Neptune

Was hote, it list him to comune

Part of his good, so that be Schipe

He mad him strong of the lordschipe

Of al the See in tho parties;

Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes,

And the strange yles al aboute

He wan, that every man hath doute 990

Upon his marche forto saile;

For he anon hem wolde assaile

And robbe what thing that thei ladden,

His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden.

Wherof the comun vois aros

In every lond, that such a los

He cawhte, al nere it worth a stre,

That he was cleped of the See

The god be name, and yit he is

With hem that so believe amis. 1000

This Neptune ek was thilke also,

Which was the ferste foundour tho

Of noble Troie, and he forthi

Was wel the more lete by.

The loresman of the Schepherdes,

And ek of hem that ben netherdes,

Was of Archade and hihte Pan:

Of whom hath spoke many a man;

For in the wode of Nonarcigne,

Enclosed with the tres of Pigne, 1010

And on the Mont of Parasie

He hadde of bestes the baillie,

And ek benethe in the valleie,

Wher thilke rivere, as men seie,

Which Ladon hihte, made his cours,

He was the chief of governours

Of hem that kepten tame bestes,

Wherof thei maken yit the festes

In the Cite Stinfalides.

And forth withal yit natheles 1020

He tawhte men the forthdrawinge

Of bestaile, and ek the makinge

Of Oxen, and of hors the same,

Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame:

Of foules ek, so as we finde,

Ful many a soubtiel craft of kinde

He fond, which noman knew tofore.

Men dede him worschipe ek therfore,

That he the ferste in thilke lond

Was which the melodie fond 1030

Of Riedes, whan thei weren ripe,

With double pipes forto pipe;

Therof he yaf the ferste lore,

Til afterward men couthe more.

To every craft for mannes helpe

He hadde a redi wit to helpe

Thurgh naturel experience:

And thus the nyce reverence

Of foles, whan that he was ded,

The fot hath torned to the hed, 1040

And clepen him god of nature,

For so thei maden his figure.

An other god, so as thei fiele,

Which Jupiter upon Samele

Begat in his avouterie,

Whom, forto hide his lecherie,

That non therof schal take kepe,

In a Montaigne forto kepe,

Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde,

He sende, in bokes as I finde: 1050

And he be name Bachus hihte,

Which afterward, whan that he mihte,

A wastour was, and al his rente

In wyn and bordel he despente.

Bot yit, al were he wonder badde,

Among the Greks a name he hadde;

Thei cleped him the god of wyn,

And thus a glotoun was dyvyn.

Ther was yit Esculapius

A godd in thilke time as thus. 1060

His craft stod upon Surgerie,

Bot for the lust of lecherie,

That he to Daires dowhter drowh,

It felle that Jupiter him slowh:

And yit thei made him noght forthi

A god, and was no cause why.

In Rome he was long time also

A god among the Romeins tho;

For, as he seide, of his presence

Ther was destruid a pestilence, 1070

Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente,

And that Appollo with hem sente

This Esculapius his Sone,

Among the Romeins forto wone.

And there he duelte for a while,

Til afterward into that yle,

Fro whenne he cam, ayein he torneth,

Where al his lyf that he sojorneth

Among the Greks, til that he deide.

And thei upon him thanne leide 1080

His name, and god of medicine

He hatte after that ilke line.

An other god of Hercules

Thei made, which was natheles

A man, bot that he was so strong,

In al this world that brod and long

So myhti was noman as he.

Merveiles tuelve in his degre,

As it was couth in sondri londes,

He dede with hise oghne hondes 1090

Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe,

The whiche horrible were and lothe,

Bot he with strengthe hem overcam:

Wherof so gret a pris he nam,

That thei him clepe amonges alle

The god of strengthe, and to him calle.

And yit ther is no reson inne,

For he a man was full of sinne,

Which proved was upon his ende,

For in a rage himself he brende; 1100

And such a cruel mannes dede

Acordeth nothing with godhede.

Thei hadde of goddes yit an other,

Which Pluto hihte, and was the brother

Of Jupiter, and he fro youthe

With every word which cam to mouthe,

Of eny thing whan he was wroth,

He wolde swere his commun oth,

Be Lethen and be Flegeton,

Be Cochitum and Acheron, 1110

The whiche, after the bokes telle,

Ben the chief flodes of the helle:

Be Segne and Stige he swor also,

That ben the depe Pettes tuo

Of helle the most principal.

Pluto these othes overal

Swor of his commun custummance,

Til it befell upon a chance,

That he for Jupiteres sake

Unto the goddes let do make 1120

A sacrifice, and for that dede

On of the pettes for his mede

In helle, of which I spak of er,

Was granted him; and thus he ther

Upon the fortune of this thing

The name tok of helle king.

Lo, these goddes and wel mo

Among the Greks thei hadden tho,

And of goddesses manyon,

Whos names thou schalt hiere anon, 1130

And in what wise thei deceiven

The foles whiche here feith receiven.

So as Saturne is soverein

Of false goddes, as thei sein,

So is Sibeles of goddesses

The Moder, whom withoute gesses

The folk Payene honoure and serve,

As thei the whiche hire lawe observe.

Bot forto knowen upon this

Fro when sche cam and what sche is, 1140

Bethincia the contre hihte,

Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte;

And after was Saturnes wif,

Be whom thre children in hire lif

Sche bar, and thei were cleped tho

Juno, Neptunus and Pluto,

The whiche of nyce fantasie

The poeple wolde deifie.

And for hire children were so,

Sibeles thanne was also 1150

Mad a goddesse, and thei hire calle

The moder of the goddes alle.

So was that name bore forth,

And yit the cause is litel worth.

A vois unto Saturne tolde

Hou that his oghne Sone him scholde

Out of his regne putte aweie;

And he be cause of thilke weie,

That him was schape such a fate,

Sibele his wif began to hate 1160

And ek hire progenie bothe.

And thus, whil that thei were wrothe,

Be Philerem upon a dai

In his avouterie he lai,

On whom he Jupiter begat;

And thilke child was after that

Which wroghte al that was prophecied,

As it tofore is specefied:

So that whan Jupiter of Crete

Was king, a wif unto him mete 1170

The Dowhter of Sibele he tok,

And that was Juno, seith the bok.

Of his deificacion

After the false oppinion,

That have I told, so as thei meene;

And for this Juno was the queene

Of Jupiter and Soster eke,

The foles unto hire sieke,

And sein that sche is the goddesse

Of Regnes bothe and of richesse: 1180

And ek sche, as thei understonde,

The water Nimphes hath in honde

To leden at hire oghne heste;

And whan hir list the Sky tempeste,

The reinbowe is hir Messager.

Lo, which a misbelieve is hier!

That sche goddesse is of the Sky

I wot non other cause why.

An other goddesse is Minerve,

To whom the Greks obeie and serve: 1190

And sche was nyh the grete lay

Of Triton founde, wher sche lay

A child forcast, bot what sche was

Ther knew noman the sothe cas.

Bot in Aufrique sche was leid

In the manere as I have seid,

And caried fro that ilke place

Into an Yle fer in Trace,

The which Palene thanne hihte,

Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte. 1200

And after, for sche was so wys

That sche fond ferst in hire avis

The cloth makinge of wolle and lyn,

Men seiden that sche was divin,

And the goddesse of Sapience

Thei clepen hire in that credence.

Of the goddesse which Pallas

Is cleped sondri speche was.

On seith hire fader was Pallant,

Which in his time was geant, 1210

A cruel man, a bataillous:

An other seith hou in his hous

Sche was the cause why he deide.

And of this Pallas some ek seide

That sche was Martes wif; and so

Among the men that weren tho

Of misbelieve in the riote

The goddesse of batailles hote

She was, and yit sche berth the name.

Now loke, hou they be forto blame. 1220

Saturnus after his exil

Fro Crete cam in gret peril

Into the londes of Ytaile,

And ther he dede gret mervaile,

Wherof his name duelleth yit.

For he fond of his oghne wit

The ferste craft of plowh tilinge,

Of Eringe and of corn sowinge,

And how men scholden sette vines

And of the grapes make wynes; 1230

Al this he tawhte, and it fell so,

His wif, the which cam with him tho,

Was cleped Cereres be name,

And for sche tawhte also the same,

And was his wif that ilke throwe,

As it was to the poeple knowe,

Thei made of Ceres a goddesse,

In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse,

And sein that Tricolonius

Hire Sone goth amonges ous 1240

And makth the corn good chep or dere,

Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere;

So that this wif be cause of this

Goddesse of Cornes cleped is.

King Jupiter, which his likinge

Whilom fulfelde in alle thinge,

So priveliche aboute he ladde

His lust, that he his wille hadde

Of Latona, and on hire that

Diane his dowhter he begat 1250

Unknowen of his wif Juno.

And afterward sche knew it so,

That Latona for drede fledde

Into an Ile, wher sche hedde

Hire wombe, which of childe aros.

Thilke yle cleped was Delos;

In which Diana was forthbroght,

And kept so that hire lacketh noght.

And after, whan sche was of Age,

Sche tok non hiede of mariage, 1260

Bot out of mannes compaignie

Sche tok hire al to venerie

In forest and in wildernesse

For ther was al hire besinesse

Be daie and ek be nyhtes tyde

With arwes brode under the side

And bowe in honde, of which sche slowh

And tok al that hir liste ynowh

Of bestes whiche ben chacable:

Wherof the Cronique of this fable 1270

Seith that the gentils most of alle

Worschipen hire and to hire calle,

And the goddesse of hihe helles,

Of grene trees, of freisshe welles,

They clepen hire in that believe,

Which that no reson mai achieve.

Proserpina, which dowhter was

Of Cereres, befell this cas:

Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile,

Hire moder in that ilke while 1280

Upon hire blessinge and hire heste

Bad that sche scholde ben honeste,

And lerne forto weve and spinne,

And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne.

Bot sche caste al that lore aweie,

And as sche wente hir out to pleie,

To gadre floures in a pleine,

And that was under the monteine

Of Ethna, fell the same tyde

That Pluto cam that weie ryde, 1290

And sodeinly, er sche was war,

He tok hire up into his char.

And as thei riden in the field,

Hire grete beaute he behield,

Which was so plesant in his ije,

That forto holde in compainie

He weddeth hire and hield hire so

To ben his wif for everemo.

And as thou hast tofore herd telle

Hou he was cleped god of helle, 1300

So is sche cleped the goddesse

Be cause of him, ne mor ne lesse.

Lo, thus, mi Sone, as I thee tolde,

The Greks whilom be daies olde

Here goddes hadde in sondri wise,

And thurgh the lore of here aprise

The Romeins hielden ek the same.

And in the worschipe of here name

To every godd in special

Thei made a temple forth withal, 1310

And ech of hem his yeeres dai

Attitled hadde; and of arai

The temples weren thanne ordeigned,

And ek the poeple was constreigned

To come and don here sacrifice;

The Prestes ek in here office

Solempne maden thilke festes.

And thus the Greks lich to the bestes

The men in stede of god honoure,

Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure, 1320

Whil that thei were alyve hiere.

And over this, as thou schalt hiere,

The Greks fulfild of fantasie

Sein ek that of the helles hihe

The goddes ben in special,

Bot of here name in general

Thei hoten alle Satiri.

Ther ben of Nimphes proprely

In the believe of hem also:

Oreades thei seiden tho 1330

Attitled ben to the monteines;

And for the wodes in demeynes

To kepe, tho ben Driades;

Of freisshe welles Naiades;

And of the Nimphes of the See

I finde a tale in proprete,

Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece,

Which hadde of infortune a piece,—

His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle,

So as the happes scholden falle, 1340

With many a gentil womman there

Dreint in the salte See thei were:

Wherof the Greks that time seiden,

And such a name upon hem leiden,

Nereïdes that thei ben hote,

The Nimphes whiche that thei note

To regne upon the stremes salte.

Lo now, if this believe halte!

Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle,

In every place wher thei duelle 1350

Thei ben al redi obeissant

As damoiselles entendant

To the goddesses, whos servise

Thei mote obeie in alle wise;

Wherof the Greks to hem beseke

With tho that ben goddesses eke,

And have in hem a gret credence.

And yit withoute experience

Salve only of illusion,

Which was to hem dampnacion, 1360

For men also that were dede

Thei hadden goddes, as I rede,

And tho be name Manes hihten,

To whom ful gret honour thei dihten,

So as the Grekes lawe seith,

Which was ayein the rihte feith.

Thus have I told a gret partie;

Bot al the hole progenie

Of goddes in that ilke time

To long it were forto rime. 1370

Bot yit of that which thou hast herd,

Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd,

Ther is a gret diversite.

Mi fader, riht so thenketh me.

Bot yit o thing I you beseche,

Which stant in alle mennes speche,

The godd and the goddesse of love,

Of whom ye nothing hier above

Have told, ne spoken of her fare,

That ye me wolden now declare 1380

Hou thei ferst comen to that name.

Mi Sone, I have it left for schame,

Be cause I am here oghne Prest;

Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest

Upon the schrifte of thi matiere,

Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere:

And understond nou wel the cas.

Venus Saturnes dowhter was,

Which alle danger putte aweie

Of love, and fond to lust a weie; 1390

So that of hire in sondri place

Diverse men felle into grace,

And such a lusti lif sche ladde,

That sche diverse children hadde,

Nou on be this, nou on be that.

Of hire it was that Mars beyat

A child, which cleped was Armene;

Of hire also cam Andragene,

To whom Mercurie fader was:

Anchises begat Eneas 1400

Of hire also, and Ericon

Biten begat, and therupon,

Whan that sche sih ther was non other,

Be Jupiter hire oghne brother

Sche lay, and he begat Cupide.

And thilke Sone upon a tyde,

Whan he was come unto his Age,

He hadde a wonder fair visage,

And fond his Moder amourous,

And he was also lecherous: 1410

So whan thei weren bothe al one,

As he which yhen hadde none

To se reson, his Moder kiste;

And sche also, that nothing wiste

Bot that which unto lust belongeth,

To ben hire love him underfongeth.

Thus was he blind, and sche unwys:

Bot natheles this cause it is,

Why Cupide is the god of love,

For he his moder dorste love. 1420

And sche, which thoghte hire lustes fonde,

Diverse loves tok in honde,

Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere:

And for sche wolde hirselve skiere,

Sche made comun that desport,

And sette a lawe of such a port,

That every womman mihte take

What man hire liste, and noght forsake

To ben als comun as sche wolde.

Sche was the ferste also which tolde 1430

That wommen scholde here bodi selle;

Semiramis, so as men telle,

Of Venus kepte thilke aprise,

And so dede in the same wise

Of Rome faire Neabole,

Which liste hire bodi to rigole;

Sche was to every man felawe,

And hild the lust of thilke lawe,

Which Venus of hirself began;

Wherof that sche the name wan, 1440

Why men hire clepen the goddesse

Of love and ek of gentilesse,

Of worldes lust and of plesance.

Se nou the foule mescreance

Of Greks in thilke time tho,

Whan Venus tok hire name so.

Ther was no cause under the Mone

Of which thei hadden tho to done,

Of wel or wo wher so it was,

That thei ne token in that cas 1450

A god to helpe or a goddesse.

Wherof, to take mi witnesse,

The king of Bragmans Dindimus

Wrot unto Alisandre thus:

In blaminge of the Grekes feith

And of the misbelieve, he seith

How thei for every membre hadden

A sondri god, to whom thei spradden

Here armes, and of help besoghten.

Minerve for the hed thei soghten, 1460

For sche was wys, and of a man

The wit and reson which he can

Is in the celles of the brayn,

Wherof thei made hire soverain.

Mercurie, which was in his dawes

A gret spekere of false lawes,

On him the kepinge of the tunge

Thei leide, whan thei spieke or sunge.

For Bachus was a glotoun eke,

Him for the throte thei beseke, 1470

That he it wolde waisshen ofte

With swote drinkes and with softe.

The god of schuldres and of armes

Was Hercules; for he in armes

The myhtieste was to fihte,

To him tho Limes they behihte.

The god whom that thei clepen Mart

The brest to kepe hath for his part,

Forth with the herte, in his ymage

That he adresce the corage. 1480

And of the galle the goddesse,

For sche was full of hastifesse

Of wraththe and liht to grieve also,

Thei made and seide it was Juno.

Cupide, which the brond afyre

Bar in his hond, he was the Sire

Of the Stomak, which builleth evere,

Wherof the lustes ben the levere.

To the goddesse Cereres,

Which of the corn yaf hire encress 1490

Upon the feith that tho was take,

The wombes cure was betake;

And Venus thurgh the Lecherie,

For which that thei hire deifie,

Sche kept al doun the remenant

To thilke office appourtenant.

Thus was dispers in sondri wise

The misbelieve, as I devise,

With many an ymage of entaile,

Of suche as myhte hem noght availe; 1500

For thei withoute lyves chiere

Unmyhti ben to se or hiere

Or speke or do or elles fiele;

And yit the foles to hem knele,

Which is here oghne handes werk.

Ha lord, hou this believe is derk,

And fer fro resonable wit!

And natheles thei don it yit:

That was to day a ragged tre,

To morwe upon his majeste 1510

Stant in the temple wel besein.

How myhte a mannes resoun sein

That such a Stock mai helpe or grieve?

Bot thei that ben of such believe

And unto suche goddes calle,

It schal to hem riht so befalle,

And failen ate moste nede.

Bot if thee list to taken hiede

And of the ferste ymage wite,

Petornius therof hath write 1520

And ek Nigargorus also;

And thei afferme and write so,

That Promotheus was tofore

And fond the ferste craft therfore,

And Cirophanes, as thei telle,

Thurgh conseil which was take in helle,

In remembrance of his lignage

Let setten up the ferste ymage.

Of Cirophanes seith the bok,

That he for sorwe, which he tok 1530

Of that he sih his Sone ded,

Of confort knew non other red,

Bot let do make in remembrance

A faire ymage of his semblance

And sette it in the market place,

Which openly tofore his face

Stod every dai to don him ese.

And thei that thanne wolden plese

The fader, scholden it obeie,

Whan that they comen thilke weie. 1540

And of Ninus king of Assire

I rede hou that in his empire

He was next after the secounde

Of hem that ferst ymages founde.

For he riht in semblable cas

Of Belus, which his fader was

Fro Nembroth in the rihte line,

Let make of gold and Stones fine

A precious ymage riche

After his fader evene liche; 1550

And therupon a lawe he sette,

That every man of pure dette

With sacrifice and with truage

Honoure scholde thilke ymage:

So that withinne time it fell,

Of Belus cam the name of Bel,

Of Bel cam Belzebub, and so

The misbelieve wente tho.

The thridde ymage next to this

Was, whan the king of Grece Apis 1560

Was ded, thei maden a figure

In resemblance of his stature.

Of this king Apis seith the bok

That Serapis his name tok,

In whom thurgh long continuance

Of misbelieve a gret creance

Thei hadden, and the reverence

Of Sacrifice and of encence

To him thei made: and as thei telle,

Among the wondres that befelle, 1570

Whan Alisandre fro Candace

Cam ridende, in a wilde place

Undur an hull a Cave he fond;

And Candalus, which in that lond

Was bore, and was Candaces Sone,

Him tolde hou that of commun wone

The goddes were in thilke cave.

And he, that wolde assaie and have

A knowlechinge if it be soth,

Liht of his hors and in he goth, 1580

And fond therinne that he soghte:

For thurgh the fendes sleihte him thoghte,

Amonges othre goddes mo

That Serapis spak to him tho,

Whom he sih there in gret arrai.

And thus the fend fro dai to dai

The worschipe of ydolatrie

Drowh forth upon the fantasie

Of hem that weren thanne blinde

And couthen noght the trouthe finde. 1590

Thus hast thou herd in what degre

Of Grece, Egipte and of Caldee

The misbelieves whilom stode;

And hou so that thei be noght goode

Ne trewe, yit thei sprungen oute,

Wherof the wyde world aboute

His part of misbelieve tok.

Til so befell, as seith the bok,

That god a poeple for himselve

Hath chose of the lignages tuelve, 1600

Wherof the sothe redely,

As it is write in Genesi,

I thenke telle in such a wise

That it schal be to thin apprise.

After the flod, fro which Noë

Was sauf, the world in his degre

Was mad, as who seith, newe ayein,

Of flour, of fruit, of gras, of grein,

Of beste, of bridd and of mankinde,

Which evere hath be to god unkinde: 1610

For noght withstondende al the fare,

Of that this world was mad so bare

And afterward it was restored,

Among the men was nothing mored

Towardes god of good lyvynge,

Bot al was torned to likinge

After the fleissh, so that foryete

Was he which yaf hem lif and mete,

Of hevene and Erthe creatour.

And thus cam forth the grete errour, 1620

That thei the hihe god ne knewe,

Bot maden othre goddes newe,

As thou hast herd me seid tofore:

Ther was noman that time bore,

That he ne hadde after his chois

A god, to whom he yaf his vois.

Wherof the misbelieve cam

Into the time of Habraham:

Bot he fond out the rihte weie,

Hou only that men scholde obeie 1630

The hihe god, which weldeth al,

And evere hath don and evere schal,

In hevene, in Erthe and ek in helle;

Ther is no tunge his miht mai telle.

This Patriarch to his lignage

Forbad, that thei to non ymage

Encline scholde in none wise,

Bot here offrende and sacrifise

With al the hole hertes love

Unto the mihti god above 1640

Thei scholden yive and to no mo:

And thus in thilke time tho

Began the Secte upon this Erthe,

Which of believes was the ferthe.

Of rihtwisnesse it was conceived,

So moste it nedes be received

Of him that alle riht is inne,

The hihe god, which wolde winne

A poeple unto his oghne feith.

On Habraham the ground he leith, 1650

And made him forto multeplie

Into so gret a progenie,

That thei Egipte al overspradde.

Bot Pharao with wrong hem ladde

In servitute ayein the pes,

Til god let sende Moises

To make the deliverance;

And for his poeple gret vengance

He tok, which is to hiere a wonder.

The king was slain, the lond put under, 1660

God bad the rede See divide,

Which stod upriht on either side

And yaf unto his poeple a weie,

That thei on fote it passe dreie

And gon so forth into desert:

Wher forto kepe hem in covert,

The daies, whan the Sonne brente,

A large cloude hem overwente,

And forto wissen hem be nyhte,

A firy Piler hem alyhte. 1670

And whan that thei for hunger pleigne,

The myhti god began to reyne

Manna fro hevene doun to grounde,

Wherof that ech of hem hath founde

His fode, such riht as him liste;

And for thei scholde upon him triste,

Riht as who sette a tonne abroche,

He percede the harde roche,

And sprong out water al at wille,

That man and beste hath drunke his fille: 1680

And afterward he yaf the lawe

To Moises, that hem withdrawe

Thei scholden noght fro that he bad.

And in this wise thei be lad,

Til thei toke in possession

The londes of promission,

Wher that Caleph and Josuë

The Marches upon such degre

Departen, after the lignage

That ech of hem as Heritage 1690

His porpartie hath underfonge.

And thus stod this believe longe,

Which of prophetes was governed;

And thei hadde ek the poeple lerned

Of gret honour that scholde hem falle;

Bot ate moste nede of alle

Thei faileden, whan Crist was bore.

Bot hou that thei here feith have bore,

It nedeth noght to tellen al,

The matiere is so general: 1700

Whan Lucifer was best in hevene

And oghte moste have stonde in evene,

Towardes god he tok debat;

And for that he was obstinat,

And wolde noght to trouthe encline,

He fell for evere into ruine:

And Adam ek in Paradis,

Whan he stod most in al his pris

After thastat of Innocence,

Ayein the god brak his defence 1710

And fell out of his place aweie:

And riht be such a maner weie

The Jwes in here beste plit,

Whan that thei scholden most parfit

Have stonde upon the prophecie,

Tho fellen thei to most folie,

And him which was fro hevene come,

And of a Maide his fleissh hath nome,

And was among hem bore and fedd,

As men that wolden noght be spedd 1720

Of goddes Sone, with o vois

Thei hinge and slowhe upon the crois.

Wherof the parfit of here lawe

Fro thanne forth hem was withdrawe,

So that thei stonde of no merit,

Bot in truage as folk soubgit

Withoute proprete of place

Thei liven out of goddes grace,

Dispers in alle londes oute.

And thus the feith is come aboute, 1730

That whilom in the Jewes stod,

Which is noght parfihtliche good.

To speke as it is nou befalle,

Ther is a feith aboven alle,

In which the trouthe is comprehended,

Wherof that we ben alle amended.

The hihe almyhti majeste,

Of rihtwisnesse and of pite,

The Sinne which that Adam wroghte,

Whan he sih time, ayein he boghte, 1740

And sende his Sone fro the hevene

To sette mannes Soule in evene,

Which thanne was so sore falle

Upon the point which was befalle,

That he ne mihte himself arise.

Gregoire seith in his aprise,

It helpeth noght a man be bore,

If goddes Sone were unbore;

For thanne thurgh the ferste Sinne,

Which Adam whilom broghte ous inne, 1750

Ther scholden alle men be lost;

Bot Crist restoreth thilke lost,

And boghte it with his fleissh and blod.

And if we thenken hou it stod

Of thilke rancoun which he payde,

As seint Gregoire it wrot and sayde,

Al was behovely to the man:

For that wherof his wo began

Was after cause of al his welthe,

Whan he which is the welle of helthe, 1760

The hihe creatour of lif,

Upon the nede of such a strif

So wolde for his creature

Take on himself the forsfaiture

And soffre for the mannes sake.

Thus mai no reson wel forsake

That thilke Senne original

Ne was the cause in special

Of mannes worschipe ate laste,

Which schal withouten ende laste. 1770

For be that cause the godhede

Assembled was to the manhede

In the virgine, where he nom

Oure fleissh and verai man becom

Of bodely fraternite;

Wherof the man in his degre

Stant more worth, as I have told,

Than he stod erst be manyfold,

Thurgh baptesme of the newe lawe,

Of which Crist lord is and felawe. 1780

And thus the hihe goddes myht,

Which was in the virgine alyht,

The mannes Soule hath reconsiled,

Which hadde longe ben exiled.

So stant the feith upon believe,

Withoute which mai non achieve

To gete him Paradis ayein:

Bot this believe is so certein,

So full of grace and of vertu,

That what man clepeth to Jhesu 1790

In clene lif forthwith good dede,

He mai noght faile of hevene mede,

Which taken hath the rihte feith;

For elles, as the gospel seith,

Salvacion ther mai be non.

And forto preche therupon

Crist bad to hise Apostles alle,

The whos pouer as nou is falle

On ous that ben of holi cherche,

If we the goode dedes werche; 1800

For feith only sufficeth noght,

Bot if good dede also be wroght.

Now were it good that thou forthi,

Which thurgh baptesme proprely

Art unto Cristes feith professed,

Be war that thou be noght oppressed

With Anticristes lollardie.

For as the Jwes prophecie

Was set of god for avantage,

Riht so this newe tapinage 1810

Of lollardie goth aboute

To sette Cristes feith in doute.

The seintz that weren ous tofore,

Be whom the feith was ferst upbore,

That holi cherche stod relieved,

Thei oghten betre be believed

Than these, whiche that men knowe

Noght holy, thogh thei feigne and blowe

Here lollardie in mennes Ere.

Bot if thou wolt live out of fere, 1820

Such newe lore, I rede, eschuie,

And hold forth riht the weie and suie,

As thine Ancestres dede er this:

So schalt thou noght believe amis.

Crist wroghte ferst and after tawhte,

So that the dede his word arawhte;

He yaf ensample in his persone,

And we the wordes have al one,

Lich to the Tree with leves grene,

Upon the which no fruit is sene. 1830

The Priest Thoas, which of Minerve

The temple hadde forto serve,

And the Palladion of Troie

Kepte under keie, for monoie,

Of Anthenor which he hath nome,

Hath soffred Anthenor to come

And the Palladion to stele,

Wherof the worschipe and the wele

Of the Troiens was overthrowe.

Bot Thoas at the same throwe, 1840

Whan Anthenor this Juel tok,

Wynkende caste awei his lok

For a deceipte and for a wyle:

As he that scholde himself beguile,

He hidde his yhen fro the sihte,

And wende wel that he so mihte

Excuse his false conscience.

I wot noght if thilke evidence

Nou at this time in here estatz

Excuse mihte the Prelatz, 1850

Knowende hou that the feith discresceth

And alle moral vertu cesseth,

Wherof that thei the keies bere,

Bot yit hem liketh noght to stere

Here gostliche yhe forto se

The world in his adversite;

Thei wol no labour undertake

To kepe that hem is betake.

Crist deide himselve for the feith,

Bot nou our feerfull prelat seith, 1860

“The lif is suete,” and that he kepeth,

So that the feith unholpe slepeth,

And thei unto here ese entenden

And in here lust her lif despenden,

And every man do what him list.

Thus stant this world fulfild of Mist,

That noman seth the rihte weie:

The wardes of the cherche keie

Thurgh mishandlinge ben myswreynt,

The worldes wawe hath welnyh dreynt 1870

The Schip which Peter hath to stiere,

The forme is kept, bot the matiere

Transformed is in other wise.

Bot if thei weren gostli wise,

And that the Prelatz weren goode,

As thei be olde daies stode,

It were thanne litel nede

Among the men to taken hiede

Of that thei hieren Pseudo telle,

Which nou is come forto duelle, 1880

To sowe cokkel with the corn,

So that the tilthe is nyh forlorn,

Which Crist sew ferst his oghne hond.

Nou stant the cockel in the lond,

Wher stod whilom the goode grein,

For the Prelatz nou, as men sein,

Forslowthen that thei scholden tile.

And that I trowe be the skile,

Whan ther is lacke in hem above,

The poeple is stranged to the love 1890

Of trouthe, in cause of ignorance;

For wher ther is no pourveance

Of liht, men erren in the derke.

Bot if the Prelatz wolden werke

Upon the feith which thei ous teche,

Men scholden noght here weie seche

Withoute liht, as now is used:

Men se the charge aldai refused,

Which holi cherche hath undertake.

Bot who that wolde ensample take, 1900

Gregoire upon his Omelie

Ayein the Slouthe of Prelacie

Compleigneth him, and thus he seith:

“Whan Peter, fader of the feith,

At domesdai schal with him bringe

Judeam, which thurgh his prechinge

He wan, and Andrew with Achaie

Schal come his dette forto paie,

And Thomas ek with his beyete

Of Ynde, and Poul the routes grete 1910

Of sondri londes schal presente,

And we fulfild of lond and rente,

Which of this world we holden hiere,

With voide handes schul appiere,

Touchende oure cure spirital,

Which is our charge in special,

I not what thing it mai amonte

Upon thilke ende of oure accompte,

Wher Crist himself is Auditour,

Which takth non hiede of vein honour.” 1920

Thoffice of the Chancellerie

Or of the kinges Tresorie

Ne for the writ ne for the taille

To warant mai noght thanne availe;

The world, which nou so wel we trowe,

Schal make ous thanne bot a mowe:

So passe we withoute mede,

That we non otherwise spede,

Bot as we rede that he spedde,

The which his lordes besant hedde 1930

And therupon gat non encress.

Bot at this time natheles,

What other man his thonk deserve,

The world so lusti is to serve,

That we with him ben all acorded,

And that is wist and wel recorded

Thurghout this Erthe in alle londes

Let knyhtes winne with here hondes,

For oure tunge schal be stille

And stonde upon the fleisshes wille. 1940

It were a travail forto preche

The feith of Crist, as forto teche

The folk Paiene, it wol noght be;

Bot every Prelat holde his See

With al such ese as he mai gete

Of lusti drinke and lusti mete,

Wherof the bodi fat and full

Is unto gostli labour dull

And slowh to handle thilke plowh.

Bot elles we ben swifte ynowh 1950

Toward the worldes Avarice;

And that is as a sacrifice,

Which, after that thapostel seith,

Is openly ayein the feith

Unto thidoles yove and granted:

Bot natheles it is nou haunted,

And vertu changed into vice,

So that largesce is Avarice,

In whos chapitre now we trete.

Mi fader, this matiere is bete 1960

So fer, that evere whil I live

I schal the betre hede yive

Unto miself be many weie:

Bot over this nou wolde I preie

To wite what the branches are

Of Avarice, and hou thei fare

Als wel in love as otherwise.

Mi Sone, and I thee schal devise

In such a manere as thei stonde,

So that thou schalt hem understonde. 1970

Dame Avarice is noght soleine,

Which is of gold the Capiteine;

Bot of hir Court in sondri wise

After the Scole of hire aprise

Sche hath of Servantz manyon,

Wherof that Covoitise is on;

Which goth the large world aboute,

To seche thavantages oute,

Wher that he mai the profit winne

To Avarice, and bringth it inne. 1980

That on hald and that other draweth,

Ther is no day which hem bedaweth,

No mor the Sonne than the Mone,

Whan ther is eny thing to done,

And namely with Covoitise;

For he stant out of al assisse

Of resonable mannes fare.

Wher he pourposeth him to fare

Upon his lucre and his beyete,

The smale path, the large Strete, 1990

The furlong and the longe Mile,

Al is bot on for thilke while:

And for that he is such on holde,

Dame Avarice him hath withholde,

As he which is the principal

Outward, for he is overal

A pourveour and an aspie.

For riht as of an hungri Pie

The storve bestes ben awaited,

Riht so is Covoitise afaited 2000

To loke where he mai pourchace,

For be his wille he wolde embrace

Al that this wyde world beclippeth;

Bot evere he somwhat overhippeth,

That he ne mai noght al fulfille

The lustes of his gredi wille.

Bot where it falleth in a lond,

That Covoitise in myhti hond

Is set, it is ful hard to fiede;

For thanne he takth non other hiede, 2010

Bot that he mai pourchace and gete,

His conscience hath al foryete,

And not what thing it mai amonte

That he schal afterward acompte.

Bote as the Luce in his degre

Of tho that lasse ben than he

The fisshes griedeli devoureth,

So that no water hem socoureth,

Riht so no lawe mai rescowe

Fro him that wol no riht allowe; 2020

For wher that such on is of myht,

His will schal stonde in stede of riht.

Thus be the men destruid fulofte,

Til that the grete god alofte

Ayein so gret a covoitise

Redresce it in his oghne wise:

And in ensample of alle tho

I finde a tale write so,

The which, for it is good to liere,

Hierafterward thou schalt it hiere. 2030

Whan Rome stod in noble plit,

Virgile, which was tho parfit,

A Mirour made of his clergie

And sette it in the tounes ije

Of marbre on a piler withoute;

That thei be thritty Mile aboute

Be daie and ek also be nyhte

In that Mirour beholde myhte

Here enemys, if eny were,

With al here ordinance there, 2040

Which thei ayein the Cite caste:

So that, whil thilke Mirour laste,

Ther was no lond which mihte achieve

With werre Rome forto grieve;

Wherof was gret envie tho.

And fell that ilke time so,

That Rome hadde werres stronge

Ayein Cartage, and stoden longe

The tuo Cites upon debat.

Cartage sih the stronge astat 2050

Of Rome in thilke Mirour stonde,

And thoghte al prively to fonde

To overthrowe it be som wyle.

And Hanybal was thilke while

The Prince and ledere of Cartage,

Which hadde set al his corage

Upon knihthod in such a wise,

That he be worthi and be wise

And be non othre was conseiled,

Wherof the world is yit merveiled 2060

Of the maistries that he wroghte

Upon the marches whiche he soghte.

And fell in thilke time also,

The king of Puile, which was tho,

Thoghte ayein Rome to rebelle,

And thus was take the querele,

Hou to destruie this Mirour.

Of Rome tho was Emperour

Crassus, which was so coveitous,

That he was evere desirous 2070

Of gold to gete the pilage;

Wherof that Puile and ek Cartage

With Philosophres wise and grete

Begunne of this matiere trete,

And ate laste in this degre

Ther weren Philosophres thre,

To do this thing whiche undertoke,

And therupon thei with hem toke

A gret tresor of gold in cophres,

To Rome and thus these philisophres 2080

Togedre in compainie wente,

Bot noman wiste what thei mente.

Whan thei to Rome come were,

So prively thei duelte there,

As thei that thoghten to deceive:

Was non that mihte of hem perceive,

Til thei in sondri stedes have

Here gold under the ground begrave

In tuo tresors, that to beholde

Thei scholden seme as thei were olde. 2090

And so forth thanne upon a day

Al openly in good arai

To themperour thei hem presente,

And tolden it was here entente

To duellen under his servise.

And he hem axeth in what wise;

And thei him tolde in such a plit,

That ech of hem hadde a spirit,

The which slepende a nyht appiereth

And hem be sondri dremes lereth 2100

After the world that hath betid.

Under the ground if oght be hid

Of old tresor at eny throwe,

They schull it in here swevenes knowe;

And upon this condicioun,

Thei sein, what gold under the toun

Of Rome is hid, thei wole it finde,

Ther scholde noght be left behinde,

Be so that he the halvendel

Hem grante, and he assenteth wel; 2110

And thus cam sleighte forto duelle

With Covoitise, as I thee telle.

This Emperour bad redily

That thei be logged faste by

Where he his oghne body lay;

And whan it was amorwe day,

That on of hem seith that he mette

Wher he a goldhord scholde fette:

Wherof this Emperour was glad,

And therupon anon he bad 2120

His Mynours forto go and myne,

And he himself of that covine

Goth forth withal, and at his hond

The tresor redi there he fond,

Where as thei seide it scholde be;

And who was thanne glad bot he?

Upon that other dai secounde

Thei have an other goldhord founde,

Which the seconde maister tok

Upon his swevene and undertok. 2130

And thus the sothe experience

To themperour yaf such credence,

That al his trist and al his feith

So sikerliche on hem he leith,

Of that he fond him so relieved,

That thei ben parfitli believed,

As thogh thei were goddes thre.

Nou herkne the soutilete.

The thridde maister scholde mete,

Which, as thei seiden, was unmete 2140

Above hem alle, and couthe most;

And he withoute noise or bost

Al priveli, so as he wolde,

Upon the morwe his swevene tolde

To themperour riht in his Ere,

And seide him that he wiste where

A tresor was so plentivous

Of gold and ek so precious

Of jeueals and of riche stones,

That unto alle hise hors at ones 2150

It were a charge sufficant.

This lord upon this covenant

Was glad, and axeth where it was.

The maister seide, under the glas,

And tolde him eke, as for the Myn

He wolde ordeigne such engin,

That thei the werk schull undersette

With Tymber, that withoute lette

Men mai the tresor saufli delve,

So that the Mirour be himselve 2160

Withoute empeirement schal stonde:

And this the maister upon honde

Hath undertake in alle weie.

This lord, which hadde his wit aweie

And was with Covoitise blent,

Anon therto yaf his assent;

And thus they myne forth withal,

The timber set up overal,

Wherof the Piler stod upriht;

Til it befell upon a nyht 2170

These clerkes, whan thei were war

Hou that the timber only bar

The Piler, wher the Mirour stod,—

Here sleihte noman understod,—

Thei go be nyhte unto the Myne

With pich, with soulphre and with rosine,

And whan the Cite was a slepe,

A wylde fyr into the depe

They caste among the timberwerk,

And so forth, whil the nyht was derk, 2180

Desguised in a povere arai

Thei passeden the toun er dai.

And whan thei come upon an hell,

Thei sihen how the Mirour fell,

Wherof thei maden joie ynowh,

And ech of hem with other lowh,

And seiden, “Lo, what coveitise

Mai do with hem that be noght wise!”

And that was proved afterward,

For every lond, to Romeward 2190

Which hadde be soubgit tofore,

Whan this Mirour was so forlore

And thei the wonder herde seie,

Anon begunne desobeie

With werres upon every side;

And thus hath Rome lost his pride

And was defouled overal.

For this I finde of Hanybal,

That he of Romeins in a dai,

Whan he hem fond out of arai, 2200

So gret a multitude slowh,

That of goldringes, whiche he drowh

Of gentil handes that ben dede,

Buisshelles fulle thre, I rede,

He felde, and made a bregge also,

That he mihte over Tibre go

Upon the corps that dede were

Of the Romeins, whiche he slowh there.

Bot now to speke of the juise,

The which after the covoitise 2210

Was take upon this Emperour,

For he destruide the Mirour;

It is a wonder forto hiere.

The Romeins maden a chaiere

And sette here Emperour therinne,

And seiden, for he wolde winne

Of gold the superfluite,

Of gold he scholde such plente

Receive, til he seide Ho:

And with gold, which thei hadden tho 2220

Buillende hot withinne a panne,

Into his Mouth thei poure thanne.

And thus the thurst of gold was queynt,

With gold which hadde ben atteignt.

Wherof, mi Sone, thou miht hiere,

Whan Covoitise hath lost the stiere

Of resonable governance,

Ther falleth ofte gret vengance.

For ther mai be no worse thing

Than Covoitise aboute a king: 2230

If it in his persone be,

It doth the more adversite;

And if it in his conseil stonde,

It bringth alday meschief to honde

Of commun harm; and if it growe

Withinne his court, it wol be knowe,

For thanne schal the king be piled.

The man which hath hise londes tiled,

Awaiteth noght more redily

The Hervest, than thei gredily 2240

Ne maken thanne warde and wacche,

Wher thei the profit mihten cacche:

And yit fulofte it falleth so,

As men mai sen among hem tho,

That he which most coveiteth faste

Hath lest avantage ate laste.

For whan fortune is therayein,

Thogh he coveite, it is in vein;

The happes be noght alle liche,

On is mad povere, an other riche, 2250

The court to some doth profit,

And some ben evere in o plit;

And yit thei bothe aliche sore

Coveite, bot fortune is more

Unto that o part favorable.

And thogh it be noght resonable,

This thing a man mai sen alday,

Wherof that I thee telle may

A fair ensample in remembrance,

Hou every man mot take his chance 2260

Or of richesse or of poverte.

Hou so it stonde of the decerte,

Hier is noght every thing aquit,

For ofte a man mai se this yit,

That who best doth, lest thonk schal have;

It helpeth noght the world to crave,

Which out of reule and of mesure

Hath evere stonde in aventure

Als wel in Court as elles where:

And hou in olde daies there 2270

It stod, so as the thinges felle,

I thenke a tale forto telle.

In a Cronique this I rede.

Aboute a king, as moste nede,

Ther was of knyhtes and squiers

Gret route, and ek of Officers:

Some of long time him hadden served,

And thoghten that thei have deserved

Avancement, and gon withoute;

And some also ben of the route 2280

That comen bot a while agon,

And thei avanced were anon.

These olde men upon this thing,

So as thei dorste, ayein the king

Among hemself compleignen ofte:

Bot ther is nothing seid so softe,

That it ne comth out ate laste;

The king it wiste, and als so faste,

As he which was of hih Prudence,

He schop therfore an evidence 2290

Of hem that pleignen in that cas,

To knowe in whos defalte it was.

And al withinne his oghne entente,

That noman wiste what it mente,

Anon he let tuo cofres make

Of o semblance and of o make,

So lich that no lif thilke throwe

That on mai fro that other knowe:

Thei were into his chambre broght,

Bot noman wot why thei be wroght, 2300

And natheles the king hath bede

That thei be set in prive stede.

As he that was of wisdom slih,

Whan he therto his time sih,

Al prively, that non it wiste,

Hise oghne hondes that o kiste

Of fin gold and of fin perrie,

The which out of his tresorie

Was take, anon he felde full;

That other cofre of straw and mull 2310

With Stones meind he felde also.

Thus be thei fulle bothe tuo,

So that erliche upon a day

He bad withinne, ther he lay,

Ther scholde be tofore his bed

A bord upset and faire spred;

And thanne he let the cofres fette,

Upon the bord and dede hem sette.

He knew the names wel of tho,

The whiche ayein him grucche so, 2320

Bothe of his chambre and of his halle,

Anon and sende for hem alle,

And seide to hem in this wise:

“Ther schal noman his happ despise;

I wot wel ye have longe served,

And god wot what ye have deserved:

Bot if it is along on me

Of that ye unavanced be,

Or elles it be long on you,

The sothe schal be proved nou, 2330

To stoppe with youre evele word.

Lo hier tuo cofres on the bord:

Ches which you list of bothe tuo;

And witeth wel that on of tho

Is with tresor so full begon,

That if ye happe therupon,

Ye schull be riche men for evere.

Now ches and tak which you is levere:

Bot be wel war, er that ye take;

For of that on I undertake 2340

Ther is no maner good therinne,

Wherof ye mihten profit winne.

Now goth togedre of on assent

And taketh youre avisement,

For bot I you this dai avance,

It stant upon youre oghne chance

Al only in defalte of grace:

So schal be schewed in this place

Upon you alle wel afyn,

That no defalte schal be myn.” 2350

Thei knelen alle and with o vois

The king thei thonken of this chois:

And after that thei up arise,

And gon aside and hem avise,

And ate laste thei acorde;

Wherof her tale to recorde,

To what issue thei be falle,

A kniht schal speke for hem alle.

He kneleth doun unto the king,

And seith that thei upon this thing, 2360

Or forto winne or forto lese,

Ben alle avised forto chese.

Tho tok this kniht a yerde on honde,

And goth there as the cofres stonde,

And with assent of everichon

He leith his yerde upon that on,

And seith the king hou thilke same

Thei chese in reguerdoun be name,

And preith him that thei mote it have.

The king, which wolde his honour save, 2370

Whan he hath herd the commun vois,

Hath granted hem here oghne chois

And tok hem therupon the keie.

Bot for he wolde it were seie

What good thei have, as thei suppose,

He bad anon the cofre unclose,

Which was fulfild with straw and stones:

Thus be thei served al at ones.

This king thanne in the same stede

Anon that other cofre undede, 2380

Where as thei sihen gret richesse,

Wel more than thei couthen gesse.

“Lo,” seith the king, “nou mai ye se

That ther is no defalte in me;

Forthi miself I wole aquyte,

And bereth ye youre oghne wyte

Of that fortune hath you refused.”

Thus was this wise king excused,

And thei lefte of here evele speche

And mercy of here king beseche. 2390

Somdiel to this matiere lik

I finde a tale, hou Frederik,

Of Rome that time Emperour,

Herde, as he wente, a gret clamour

Of tuo beggers upon the weie.

That on of hem began to seie,

“Ha lord, wel mai the man be riche

Whom that a king list forto riche.”

That other saide nothing so,

Bot, “He is riche and wel bego, 2400

To whom that god wole sende wele.”

And thus thei maden wordes fele,

Wherof this lord hath hiede nome,

And dede hem bothe forto come

To the Paleis, wher he schal ete,

And bad ordeine for here mete

Tuo Pastes, whiche he let do make.

A capoun in that on was bake,

And in that other forto winne

Of florins al that mai withinne 2410

He let do pute a gret richesse;

And evene aliche, as man mai gesse,

Outward thei were bothe tuo.

This begger was comanded tho,

He that which hield him to the king,

That he ferst chese upon this thing:

He sih hem, bot he felte hem noght,

So that upon his oghne thoght

He ches the Capoun and forsok

That other, which his fela tok. 2420

Bot whanne he wiste hou that it ferde,

He seide alowd, that men it herde,

“Nou have I certeinly conceived

That he mai lihtly be deceived,

That tristeth unto mannes helpe;

Bot wel is him whom god wol helpe,

For he stant on the siker side,

Which elles scholde go beside:

I se my fela wel recovere,

And I mot duelle stille povere.” 2430

Thus spak this begger his entente,

And povere he cam and povere he wente;

Of that he hath richesse soght,

His infortune it wolde noght.

So mai it schewe in sondri wise,

Betwen fortune and covoitise

The chance is cast upon a Dee;

Bot yit fulofte a man mai se

Ynowe of suche natheles,

Whiche evere pute hemself in press 2440

To gete hem good, and yit thei faile.

And forto speke of this entaile

Touchende of love in thi matiere,

Mi goode Sone, as thou miht hiere,

That riht as it with tho men stod

Of infortune of worldes good,

As thou hast herd me telle above,

Riht so fulofte it stant be love:

Thogh thou coveite it everemore,

Thou schalt noght have o diel the more, 2450

Bot only that which thee is schape,

The remenant is bot a jape.

And natheles ynowe of tho

Ther ben, that nou coveiten so,

That where as thei a womman se,

Ye ten or tuelve thogh ther be,

The love is nou so unavised,

That wher the beaute stant assised,

The mannes herte anon is there,

And rouneth tales in hire Ere, 2460

And seith hou that he loveth streite,

And thus he set him to coveite,

An hundred thogh he sihe aday.

So wolde he more thanne he may;

Bot for the grete covoitise

Of sotie and of fol emprise

In ech of hem he fint somwhat

That pleseth him, or this or that;

Som on, for sche is whit of skin,

Som on, for sche is noble of kin, 2470

Som on, for sche hath rodi chieke,

Som on, for that sche semeth mieke,

Som on, for sche hath yhen greie,

Som on, for sche can lawhe and pleie,

Som on, for sche is long and smal,

Som on, for sche is lyte and tall,

Som on, for sche is pale and bleche,

Som on, for sche is softe of speche,

Som on, for that sche is camused,

Som on, for sche hath noght ben used, 2480

Som on, for sche can daunce and singe;

So that som thing to his likinge

He fint, and thogh nomore he fiele,

Bot that sche hath a litel hiele,

It is ynow that he therfore

Hire love, and thus an hundred score,

Whil thei be newe, he wolde he hadde;

Whom he forsakth, sche schal be badde.

The blinde man no colour demeth,

But al is on, riht as him semeth; 2490

So hath his lust no juggement,

Whom covoitise of love blent.

Him thenkth that to his covoitise

Hou al the world ne mai suffise,

For be his wille he wolde have alle,

If that it mihte so befalle:

Thus is he commun as the Strete,

I sette noght of his beyete.

Mi Sone, hast thou such covoitise?

Nai, fader, such love I despise, 2500

And whil I live schal don evere,

For in good feith yit hadde I levere,

Than to coveite in such a weie,

To ben for evere til I deie

As povere as Job, and loveles,

Outaken on, for haveles

His thonkes is noman alyve.

For that a man scholde al unthryve

Ther oghte no wisman coveite,

The lawe was noght set so streite: 2510

Forthi miself withal to save,

Such on ther is I wolde have,

And non of al these othre mo.

Mi Sone, of that thou woldest so,

I am noght wroth, bot over this

I wol thee tellen hou it is.

For ther be men, whiche otherwise,

Riht only for the covoitise

Of that thei sen a womman riche,

Ther wol thei al here love affiche; 2520

Noght for the beaute of hire face,

Ne yit for vertu ne for grace,

Which sche hath elles riht ynowh,

Bot for the Park and for the plowh,

And other thing which therto longeth:

For in non other wise hem longeth

To love, bot thei profit finde;

And if the profit be behinde,

Here love is evere lesse and lesse,

For after that sche hath richesse, 2530

Her love is of proporcion.

If thou hast such condicion,

Mi Sone, tell riht as it is.

Min holi fader, nay ywiss,

Condicion such have I non.

For trewli, fader, I love oon

So wel with al myn hertes thoght,

That certes, thogh sche hadde noght,

And were as povere as Medea,

Which was exiled for Creusa, 2540

I wolde hir noght the lasse love;

Ne thogh sche were at hire above,

As was the riche qwen Candace,

Which to deserve love and grace

To Alisandre, that was king,

Yaf many a worthi riche thing,

Or elles as Pantasilee,

Which was the quen of Feminee,

And gret richesse with hir nam,

Whan sche for love of Hector cam 2550

To Troie in rescousse of the toun,—

I am of such condicion,

That thogh mi ladi of hirselve

Were also riche as suche tuelve,

I couthe noght, thogh it wer so,

No betre love hir than I do.

For I love in so plein a wise,

That forto speke of coveitise,

As for poverte or for richesse

Mi love is nouther mor ne lesse. 2560

For in good feith I trowe this,

So coveitous noman ther is,

Forwhy and he mi ladi sihe,

That he thurgh lokinge of his yhe

Ne scholde have such a strok withinne,

That for no gold he mihte winne

He scholde noght hire love asterte,

Bot if he lefte there his herte;

Be so it were such a man,

That couthe Skile of a womman. 2570

For ther be men so ruide some,

Whan thei among the wommen come,

Thei gon under proteccioun,

That love and his affeccioun

Ne schal noght take hem be the slieve;

For thei ben out of that believe,

Hem lusteth of no ladi chiere,

Bot evere thenken there and hiere

Wher that here gold is in the cofre,

And wol non other love profre: 2580

Bot who so wot what love amounteth

And be resoun trewliche acompteth,

Than mai he knowe and taken hiede

That al the lust of wommanhiede,

Which mai ben in a ladi face,

Mi ladi hath, and ek of grace

If men schull yiven hire a pris,

Thei mai wel seie hou sche is wys

And sobre and simple of contenance,

And al that to good governance 2590

Belongeth of a worthi wiht

Sche hath pleinli: for thilke nyht

That sche was bore, as for the nones

Nature sette in hire at ones

Beaute with bounte so besein,

That I mai wel afferme and sein,

I sawh yit nevere creature

Of comlihied and of feture

In eny kinges regioun

Be lich hire in comparisoun: 2600

And therto, as I have you told,

Yit hath sche more a thousendfold

Of bounte, and schortli to telle,

Sche is the pure hed and welle

And Mirour and ensample of goode.

Who so hir vertus understode,

Me thenkth it oughte ynow suffise

Withouten other covoitise

To love such on and to serve,

Which with hire chiere can deserve 2610

To be beloved betre ywiss

Than sche per cas that richest is

And hath of gold a Milion.

Such hath be myn opinion

And evere schal: bot natheles

I seie noght sche is haveles,

That sche nys riche and wel at ese,

And hath ynow wherwith to plese

Of worldes good whom that hire liste;

Bot o thing wolde I wel ye wiste, 2620

That nevere for no worldes good

Min herte untoward hire stod,

Bot only riht for pure love;

That wot the hihe god above.

Nou, fader, what seie ye therto?

Mi Sone, I seie it is wel do.

For tak of this riht good believe,

What man that wole himself relieve

To love in eny other wise,

He schal wel finde his coveitise 2630

Schal sore grieve him ate laste,

For such a love mai noght laste.

Bot nou, men sein, in oure daies

Men maken bot a fewe assaies,

Bot if the cause be richesse;

Forthi the love is wel the lesse.

And who that wolde ensamples telle,

Be olde daies as thei felle,

Than mihte a man wel understonde

Such love mai noght longe stonde. 2640

Now herkne, Sone, and thou schalt hiere

A gret ensample of this matiere.

To trete upon the cas of love,

So as we tolden hiere above,

I finde write a wonder thing.

Of Puile whilom was a king,

A man of hih complexioun

And yong, bot his affeccioun

After the nature of his age

Was yit noght falle in his corage 2650

The lust of wommen forto knowe.

So it betidde upon a throwe

This lord fell into gret seknesse:

Phisique hath don the besinesse

Of sondri cures manyon

To make him hol; and therupon

A worthi maister which ther was

Yaf him conseil upon this cas,

That if he wolde have parfit hele,

He scholde with a womman dele, 2660

A freissh, a yong, a lusti wiht,

To don him compaignie a nyht:

For thanne he seide him redily,

That he schal be al hol therby,

And otherwise he kneu no cure.

This king, which stod in aventure

Of lif and deth, for medicine

Assented was, and of covine

His Steward, whom he tristeth wel,

He tok, and tolde him everydel, 2670

Hou that this maister hadde seid:

And therupon he hath him preid

And charged upon his ligance,

That he do make porveance

Of such on as be covenable

For his plesance and delitable;

And bad him, hou that evere it stod,

That he schal spare for no good,

For his will is riht wel to paie.

The Steward seide he wolde assaie: 2680

Bot nou hierafter thou schalt wite,

As I finde in the bokes write,

What coveitise in love doth.

This Steward, forto telle soth,

Amonges al the men alyve

A lusti ladi hath to wyve,

Which natheles for gold he tok

And noght for love, as seith the bok.

A riche Marchant of the lond

Hir fader was, and hire fond 2690

So worthily, and such richesse

Of worldes good and such largesse

With hire he yaf in mariage,

That only for thilke avantage

Of good this Steward hath hire take,

For lucre and noght for loves sake,

And that was afterward wel seene;

Nou herkne what it wolde meene.

This Steward in his oghne herte

Sih that his lord mai noght asterte 2700

His maladie, bot he have

A lusti womman him to save,

And thoghte he wolde yive ynowh

Of his tresor; wherof he drowh

Gret coveitise into his mynde,

And sette his honour fer behynde.

Thus he, whom gold hath overset,

Was trapped in his oghne net;

The gold hath mad hise wittes lame,

So that sechende his oghne schame 2710

He rouneth in the kinges Ere,

And seide him that he wiste where

A gentile and a lusti on

Tho was, and thider wolde he gon:

Bot he mot yive yiftes grete;

For bot it be thurgh grete beyete

Of gold, he seith, he schal noght spede.

The king him bad upon the nede

That take an hundred pound he scholde,

And yive it where that he wolde, 2720

Be so it were in worthi place:

And thus to stonde in loves grace

This king his gold hath abandouned.

And whan this tale was full rouned,

The Steward tok the gold and wente,

Withinne his herte and many a wente

Of coveitise thanne he caste,

Wherof a pourpos ate laste

Ayein love and ayein his riht

He tok, and seide hou thilke nyht 2730

His wif schal ligge be the king;

And goth thenkende upon this thing

Toward his In, til he cam hom

Into the chambre, and thanne he nom

His wif, and tolde hire al the cas.

And sche, which red for schame was,

With bothe hire handes hath him preid

Knelende and in this wise seid,

That sche to reson and to skile

In what thing that he bidde wile 2740

Is redy forto don his heste,

Bot this thing were noght honeste,

That he for gold hire scholde selle.

And he tho with hise wordes felle

Forth with his gastly contienance

Seith that sche schal don obeissance

And folwe his will in every place;

And thus thurgh strengthe of his manace

Hir innocence is overlad,

Wherof sche was so sore adrad 2750

That sche his will mot nede obeie.

And therupon was schape a weie,

That he his oghne wif be nyhte

Hath out of alle mennes sihte

So prively that non it wiste

Broght to the king, which as him liste

Mai do with hire what he wolde.

For whan sche was ther as sche scholde,

With him abedde under the cloth,

The Steward tok his leve and goth 2760

Into a chambre faste by;

Bot hou he slep, that wot noght I,

For he sih cause of jelousie.

Bot he, which hath the compainie

Of such a lusti on as sche,

Him thoghte that of his degre

Ther was noman so wel at ese:

Sche doth al that sche mai to plese,

So that his herte al hol sche hadde;

And thus this king his joie ladde, 2770

Til it was nyh upon the day.

The Steward thanne wher sche lay

Cam to the bedd, and in his wise

Hath bede that sche scholde arise.

The king seith, “Nay, sche schal noght go.”

His Steward seide ayein, “Noght so;

For sche mot gon er it be knowe,

And so I swor at thilke throwe,

Whan I hire fette to you hiere.”

The king his tale wol noght hiere, 2780

And seith hou that he hath hire boght,

Forthi sche schal departe noght,

Til he the brighte dai beholde.

And cawhte hire in hise armes folde,

As he which liste forto pleie,

And bad his Steward gon his weie,

And so he dede ayein his wille.

And thus his wif abedde stille

Lay with the king the longe nyht,

Til that it was hih Sonne lyht; 2790

Bot who sche was he knew nothing.

Tho cam the Steward to the king

And preide him that withoute schame

In savinge of hire goode name

He myhte leden hom ayein

This lady, and hath told him plein

Hou that it was his oghne wif.

The king his Ere unto this strif

Hath leid, and whan that he it herde,

Welnyh out of his wit he ferde, 2800

And seide, “Ha, caitif most of alle,

Wher was it evere er this befalle,

That eny cokard in this wise

Betok his wif for coveitise?

Thou hast bothe hire and me beguiled

And ek thin oghne astat reviled,

Wherof that buxom unto thee

Hierafter schal sche nevere be.

For this avou to god I make,

After this day if I thee take, 2810

Thou schalt ben honged and todrawe.

Nou loke anon thou be withdrawe,

So that I se thee neveremore.”

This Steward thanne dradde him sore,

With al the haste that he mai

And fledde awei that same dai,

And was exiled out of londe.

Lo, there a nyce housebonde,

Which thus hath lost his wif for evere!

Bot natheles sche hadde a levere; 2820

The king hire weddeth and honoureth,

Wherof hire name sche socoureth,

Which erst was lost thurgh coveitise

Of him, that ladde hire other wise,

And hath himself also forlore.

Mi Sone, be thou war therfore,

Wher thou schalt love in eny place,

That thou no covoitise embrace,

The which is noght of loves kinde.

Bot for al that a man mai finde 2830

Nou in this time of thilke rage

Ful gret desese in mariage,

Whan venym melleth with the Sucre

And mariage is mad for lucre,

Or for the lust or for the hele:

What man that schal with outher dele,

He mai noght faile to repente.

Mi fader, such is myn entente:

Bot natheles good is to have,

For good mai ofte time save 2840

The love which scholde elles spille.

Bot god, which wot myn hertes wille,

I dar wel take to witnesse,

Yit was I nevere for richesse

Beset with mariage non;

For al myn herte is upon on

So frely, that in the persone

Stant al my worldes joie al one:

I axe nouther Park ne Plowh,

If I hire hadde, it were ynowh, 2850

Hir love scholde me suffise

Withouten other coveitise.

Lo now, mi fader, as of this,

Touchende of me riht as it is,

Mi schrifte I am beknowe plein;

And if ye wole oght elles sein,

Of covoitise if ther be more

In love, agropeth out the sore.

Mi Sone, thou schalt understonde

Hou Coveitise hath yit on honde 2860

In special tuo conseilours,

That ben also hise procurours.

The ferst of hem is Falswitnesse,

Which evere is redi to witnesse

What thing his maister wol him hote:

Perjurie is the secounde hote,

Which spareth noght to swere an oth,

Thogh it be fals and god be wroth.

That on schal falswitnesse bere,

That other schal the thing forswere, 2870

Whan he is charged on the bok.

So what with hepe and what with crok

Thei make here maister ofte winne

And wol noght knowe what is sinne

For coveitise, and thus, men sain,

Thei maken many a fals bargain.

Ther mai no trewe querele arise

In thilke queste and thilke assise,

Where as thei tuo the poeple enforme;

For thei kepe evere o maner forme, 2880

That upon gold here conscience

Thei founde, and take here evidence;

And thus with falswitnesse and othes

Thei winne hem mete and drinke and clothes.

Riht so ther be, who that hem knewe,

Of thes lovers ful many untrewe:

Nou mai a womman finde ynowe,

That ech of hem, whan he schal wowe,

Anon he wole his hand doun lein

Upon a bok, and swere and sein 2890

That he wole feith and trouthe bere;

And thus he profreth him to swere

To serven evere til he die,

And al is verai tricherie.

For whan the sothe himselven trieth,

The more he swerth, the more he lieth;

Whan he his feith makth althermest,

Than mai a womman truste him lest;

For til he mai his will achieve,

He is no lengere forto lieve. 2900

Thus is the trouthe of love exiled,

And many a good womman beguiled.

And ek to speke of Falswitnesse,

There be nou many suche, I gesse,

That lich unto the provisours

Thei make here prive procurours,

To telle hou ther is such a man,

Which is worthi to love and can

Al that a good man scholde kunne;

So that with lesinge is begunne 2910

The cause in which thei wole procede,

And also siker as the crede

Thei make of that thei knowen fals.

And thus fulofte aboute the hals

Love is of false men embraced;

Bot love which is so pourchaced

Comth afterward to litel pris.

Forthi, mi Sone, if thou be wis,

Nou thou hast herd this evidence,

Thou miht thin oghne conscience 2920

Oppose, if thou hast ben such on.

Nai, god wot, fader I am non,

Ne nevere was; for as men seith,

Whan that a man schal make his feith,

His herte and tunge moste acorde;

For if so be that thei discorde,

Thanne is he fals and elles noght:

And I dar seie, as of my thoght,

In love it is noght descordable

Unto mi word, bot acordable. 2930

And in this wise, fader, I

Mai riht wel swere and salvely,

That I mi ladi love wel,

For that acordeth everydel.

It nedeth noght to mi sothsawe

That I witnesse scholde drawe,

Into this dai for nevere yit

Ne mihte it sinke into mi wit,

That I my conseil scholde seie

To eny wiht, or me bewreie 2940

To sechen help in such manere,

Bot only of mi ladi diere.

And thogh a thousend men it wiste,

That I hire love, and thanne hem liste

With me to swere and to witnesse,

Yit were that no falswitnesse;

For I dar on this trouthe duelle,

I love hire mor than I can telle.

Thus am I, fader, gulteles,

As ye have herd, and natheles 2950

In youre dom I put it al.

Mi Sone, wite in special,

It schal noght comunliche faile,

Al thogh it for a time availe

That Falswitnesse his cause spede,

Upon the point of his falshiede

It schal wel afterward be kid;

Wherof, so as it is betid,

Ensample of suche thinges blinde

In a Cronique write I finde. 2960

The Goddesse of the See Thetis,

Sche hadde a Sone, and his name is

Achilles, whom to kepe and warde,

Whil he was yong, as into warde

Sche thoghte him salfly to betake,

As sche which dradde for his sake

Of that was seid in prophecie,

That he at Troie scholde die,

Whan that the Cite was belein.

Forthi, so as the bokes sein, 2970

Sche caste hire wit in sondri wise,

Hou sche him mihte so desguise

That noman scholde his bodi knowe:

And so befell that ilke throwe,

Whil that sche thoghte upon this dede,

Ther was a king, which Lichomede

Was hote, and he was wel begon

With faire dowhtres manyon,

And duelte fer out in an yle.

Nou schalt thou hiere a wonder wyle: 2980

This queene, which the moder was

Of Achilles, upon this cas

Hire Sone, as he a Maiden were,

Let clothen in the same gere

Which longeth unto wommanhiede:

And he was yong and tok non hiede,

Bot soffreth al that sche him dede.

Wherof sche hath hire wommen bede

And charged be here othes alle,

Hou so it afterward befalle, 2990

That thei discovere noght this thing,

Bot feigne and make a knowleching,

Upon the conseil which was nome,

In every place wher thei come

To telle and to witnesse this,

Hou he here ladi dowhter is.

And riht in such a maner wise

Sche bad thei scholde hire don servise,

So that Achilles underfongeth

As to a yong ladi belongeth 3000

Honour, servise and reverence.

For Thetis with gret diligence

Him hath so tawht and so afaited,

That, hou so that it were awaited,

With sobre and goodli contenance

He scholde his wommanhiede avance,

That non the sothe knowe myhte,

Bot that in every mannes syhte

He scholde seme a pure Maide.

And in such wise as sche him saide, 3010

Achilles, which that ilke while

Was yong, upon himself to smyle

Began, whan he was so besein.

And thus, after the bokes sein,

With frette of Perle upon his hed,

Al freissh betwen the whyt and red,

As he which tho was tendre of Age,

Stod the colour in his visage,

That forto loke upon his cheke

And sen his childly manere eke, 3020

He was a womman to beholde.

And thanne his moder to him tolde,

That sche him hadde so begon

Be cause that sche thoghte gon

To Lichomede at thilke tyde,

Wher that sche seide he scholde abyde

Among hise dowhtres forto duelle.

Achilles herde his moder telle,

And wiste noght the cause why;

And natheles ful buxomly 3030

He was redy to that sche bad,

Wherof his moder was riht glad,

To Lichomede and forth thei wente.

And whan the king knew hire entente,

And sih this yonge dowhter there,

And that it cam unto his Ere

Of such record, of such witnesse,

He hadde riht a gret gladnesse

Of that he bothe syh and herde,

As he that wot noght hou it ferde 3040

Upon the conseil of the nede.

Bot for al that king Lichomede

Hath toward him this dowhter take,

And for Thetis his moder sake

He put hire into compainie

To duelle with Deïdamie,

His oghne dowhter, the eldeste,

The faireste and the comelieste

Of alle hise doghtres whiche he hadde.

Lo, thus Thetis the cause ladde, 3050

And lefte there Achilles feigned,

As he which hath himself restreigned

In al that evere he mai and can

Out of the manere of a man,

And tok his wommannysshe chiere,

Wherof unto his beddefere

Deïdamie he hath be nyhte.

Wher kinde wole himselve rihte,

After the Philosophres sein,

Ther mai no wiht be therayein: 3060

And that was thilke time seene.

The longe nyhtes hem betuene

Nature, which mai noght forbere,

Hath mad hem bothe forto stere:

Thei kessen ferst, and overmore

The hihe weie of loves lore

Thei gon, and al was don in dede,

Wherof lost is the maydenhede;

And that was afterward wel knowe.

For it befell that ilke throwe 3070

At Troie, wher the Siege lay

Upon the cause of Menelay

And of his queene dame Heleine,

The Gregois hadden mochel peine

Alday to fihte and to assaile.

Bot for thei mihten noght availe

So noble a Cite forto winne,

A prive conseil thei beginne,

In sondri wise wher thei trete;

And ate laste among the grete 3080

Thei fellen unto this acord,

That Protheus, of his record

Which was an Astronomien

And ek a gret Magicien,

Scholde of his calculacion

Seche after constellacion,

Hou thei the Cite mihten gete:

And he, which hadde noght foryete

Of that belongeth to a clerk,

His studie sette upon this werk. 3090

So longe his wit aboute he caste,

Til that he fond out ate laste,

Bot if they hadden Achilles

Here werre schal ben endeles.

And over that he tolde hem plein

In what manere he was besein,

And in what place he schal be founde;

So that withinne a litel stounde

Ulixes forth with Diomede

Upon this point to Lichomede 3100

Agamenon togedre sente.

Bot Ulixes, er he forth wente,

Which was on of the moste wise,

Ordeigned hath in such a wise,

That he the moste riche aray,

Wherof a womman mai be gay,

With him hath take manyfold,

And overmore, as it is told,

An harneis for a lusti kniht,

Which burned was as Selver bryht, 3110

Of swerd, of plate and ek of maile,

As thogh he scholde to bataille,

He tok also with him be Schipe.

And thus togedre in felaschipe

Forth gon this Diomede and he

In hope til thei mihten se

The place where Achilles is.

The wynd stod thanne noght amis,

Bot evene topseilcole it blew,

Til Ulixes the Marche knew, 3120

Wher Lichomede his Regne hadde.

The Stieresman so wel hem ladde,

That thei ben comen sauf to londe,

Wher thei gon out upon the stronde

Into the Burgh, wher that thei founde

The king, and he which hath facounde,

Ulixes, dede the message.

Bot the conseil of his corage,

Why that he cam, he tolde noght,

Bot undernethe he was bethoght 3130

In what manere he mihte aspie

Achilles fro Deïdamie

And fro these othre that ther were,

Full many a lusti ladi there.

Thei pleide hem there a day or tuo,

And as it was fortuned so,

It fell that time in such a wise,

To Bachus that a sacrifise

Thes yonge ladys scholden make;

And for the strange mennes sake, 3140

That comen fro the Siege of Troie,

Thei maden wel the more joie.

Ther was Revel, ther was daunsinge,

And every lif which coude singe

Of lusti wommen in the route

A freissh carole hath sunge aboute;

Bot for al this yit natheles

The Greks unknowe of Achilles

So weren, that in no degre

Thei couden wite which was he, 3150

Ne be his vois, ne be his pas.

Ulixes thanne upon this cas

A thing of hih Prudence hath wroght:

For thilke aray, which he hath broght

To yive among the wommen there,

He let do fetten al the gere

Forth with a knihtes harneis eke,—

In al a contre forto seke

Men scholden noght a fairer se,—

And every thing in his degre 3160

Endlong upon a bord he leide.

To Lichomede and thanne he preide

That every ladi chese scholde

What thing of alle that sche wolde,

And take it as be weie of yifte;

For thei hemself it scholde schifte,

He seide, after here oghne wille.

Achilles thanne stod noght stille:

Whan he the bryhte helm behield,

The swerd, the hauberk and the Schield, 3170

His herte fell therto anon;

Of all that othre wolde he non,

The knihtes gere he underfongeth,

And thilke aray which that belongeth

Unto the wommen he forsok.

And in this wise, as seith the bok,

Thei knowen thanne which he was:

For he goth forth the grete pas

Into the chambre where he lay;

Anon, and made no delay, 3180

He armeth him in knyhtli wise,

That bettre can noman devise,

And as fortune scholde falle,

He cam so forth tofore hem alle,

As he which tho was glad ynowh.

But Lichomede nothing lowh,

Whan that he syh hou that it ferde,

For thanne he wiste wel and herde,

His dowhter hadde be forlein;

Bot that he was so oversein, 3190

The wonder overgoth his wit.

For in Cronique is write yit

Thing which schal nevere be foryete,

Hou that Achilles hath begete

Pirrus upon Deïdamie,

Wherof cam out the tricherie

Of Falswitnesse, whan thei saide

Hou that Achilles was a Maide.

Bot that was nothing sene tho,

For he is to the Siege go 3200

Forth with Ulixe and Diomede.

Lo, thus was proved in the dede

And fulli spoke at thilke while:

If o womman an other guile,

Wher is ther eny sikernesse?

Whan Thetis, which was the goddesse,

Deïdamie hath so bejaped,

I not hou it schal ben ascaped

With tho wommen whos innocence

Is nou alday thurgh such credence 3210

Deceived ofte, as it is seene,

With men that such untrouthe meene.

For thei ben slyhe in such a wise,

That thei be sleihte and be queintise

Of Falswitnesse bringen inne

That doth hem ofte forto winne,

Wher thei ben noght worthi therto.

Forthi, my Sone, do noght so.

Mi fader, as of Falswitnesse

The trouthe and the matiere expresse, 3220

Touchende of love hou it hath ferd,

As ye have told, I have wel herd.

Bot for ye seiden otherwise,

Hou thilke vice of Covoitise

Hath yit Perjurie of his acord,

If that you list of som record

To telle an other tale also

In loves cause of time ago,

What thing it is to be forswore,

I wolde preie you therfore, 3230

Wherof I mihte ensample take.

Mi goode Sone, and for thi sake

Touchende of this I schall fulfille

Thin axinge at thin oghne wille,

And the matiere I schal declare,

Hou the wommen deceived are,

Whan thei so tendre herte bere,

Of that thei hieren men so swere;

Bot whan it comth unto thassay,

Thei finde it fals an other day: 3240

As Jason dede to Medee,

Which stant yet of Auctorite

In tokne and in memorial;

Wherof the tale in special

Is in the bok of Troie write,

Which I schal do thee forto wite.

In Grece whilom was a king,

Of whom the fame and knowleching

Beleveth yit, and Peleüs

He hihte; bot it fell him thus, 3250

That his fortune hir whiel so ladde

That he no child his oghne hadde

To regnen after his decess.

He hadde a brother natheles,

Whos rihte name was Eson,

And he the worthi kniht Jason

Begat, the which in every lond

Alle othre passede of his hond

In Armes, so that he the beste

Was named and the worthieste, 3260

He soghte worschipe overal.

Nou herkne, and I thee telle schal

An aventure that he soghte,

Which afterward ful dere he boghte.