The bokes duelle, and we therfore
Ben tawht of that was write tho:
Forthi good is that we also
In oure tyme among ous hiere[24]
Do wryte of newe som matiere,[25]
Essampled of these olde wyse[26]
So that it myhte in such a wyse,[27]
[Sidenote: [DESIGN OF THE BOOK.]]
Whan we ben dede and elleswhere,
Beleve to the worldes eere 10
In tyme comende after this.
Bot for men sein, and soth it is,
That who that al of wisdom writ
It dulleth ofte a mannes wit
[Sidenote: =P. i. 2=]
To him that schal it aldai rede,[28]
For thilke cause, if that ye rede,
I wolde go the middel weie
And wryte a bok betwen the tweie,
Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore,
That of the lasse or of the more 20
Som man mai lyke of that I wryte:
And for that fewe men endite
[Sidenote: Hic in principio declarat qualiter in anno Regis
Ricardi secundi sexto decimo Iohannes Gower presentem libellum
composuit et finaliter compleuit, quem strenuissimo domino
suo domino Henrico de Lancastria tunc Derbeie Comiti cum omni
reuerencia specialiter destinauit.]
In oure englissh, I thenke make[29]
*A bok for Engelondes sake,[30]
[Sidenote: =P. i. 3=]
The yer sextenthe of kyng Richard.
What schal befalle hierafterward
God wot, for now upon this tyde
Men se the world on every syde[31]
In sondry wyse so diversed,[32]
That it welnyh stant al reversed, 30
As forto speke of tyme ago.
The cause whi it changeth so
It needeth nought to specifie,[33]
The thing so open is at ÿe
[Sidenote: =P. i. 4=]
That every man it mai beholde:
And natheles be daies olde,
Whan that the bokes weren levere,
Wrytinge was beloved evere[34]
Of hem that weren vertuous;
For hier in erthe amonges ous, 40
If noman write hou that it stode,[35]
The pris of hem that weren goode
Scholde, as who seith, a gret partie
Be lost: so for to magnifie
The worthi princes that tho were,
The bokes schewen hiere and there,[36]
Wherof the world ensampled is;[37]
And tho that deden thanne amis
[Sidenote: =P. i. 5=]
Thurgh tirannie and crualte,[38]
Right as thei stoden in degre, 50
So was the wrytinge of here werk.[39]
Thus I, which am a burel clerk,[40]
Purpose forto wryte a bok
After the world that whilom tok
Long tyme in olde daies passed:
Bot for men sein it is now lassed,
In worse plit than it was tho,
I thenke forto touche also
The world which neweth every dai,
So as I can, so as I mai. 60
Thogh I seknesse have upon honde
And longe have had, yit woll I fonde
To wryte and do my bisinesse,[41]
That in som part, so as I gesse,
The wyse man mai ben avised.
For this prologe is so assised
That it to wisdom al belongeth:
What wysman that it underfongeth,[42]
He schal drawe into remembrance
The fortune of this worldes chance, 70
The which noman in his persone[43]
Mai knowe, bot the god al one.[44]
Whan the prologe is so despended,
This bok schal afterward ben ended
Of love, which doth many a wonder[45]
And many a wys man hath put under.[46]
And in this wyse I thenke trete
Towardes hem that now be grete,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 6=]
Betwen the vertu and the vice
Which longeth unto this office.[47] 80
[Sidenote: [DEDICATION.]]
Bot for my wittes ben to smale
To tellen every man his tale,
This bok, upon amendment
To stonde at his commandement,
With whom myn herte is of accord,
I sende unto myn oghne lord,
Which of Lancastre is Henri named:
The hyhe god him hath proclamed
Ful of knyhthode and alle grace.
So woll I now this werk embrace 90
With hol trust and with hol believe;
God grante I mot it wel achieve.
* * * * *
*[48]A bok for king Richardes sake,[49]
To whom belongeth my ligeance[50]
With al myn hertes obeissance
In al that evere a liege man[51]
Unto his king may doon or can:
So ferforth I me recomande[52]
To him which al me may comande, 30*
Preyende unto the hihe regne[53]
Which causeth every king to regne,
That his corone longe stonde.
[Sidenote: Hic declarat in primis qualiter ob reuerenciam
serenissimi principis domini sui Regis Anglie Ricardi secundi[55]
totus suus humilis Iohannes Gower, licet graui infirmitate
a diu multipliciter fatigatus, huius opusculi labores
suscipere non recusauit, set[59] tanquam fauum ex variis floribus
recollectum, presentem libellum ex variis cronicis, historiis,[62]
poetarum philosophorumque dictis, quatenus sibi infirmitas
permisit, studiosissime compilauit.]
I thenke and have it understonde,
As it bifel upon a tyde,
As thing which scholde tho betyde,--[54]
Under the toun of newe Troye,
Which tok of Brut his ferste joye,[56]
In Temse whan it was flowende[57]
As I be bote cam rowende,[58] 40*
So as fortune hir tyme sette,
My liege lord par chaunce I mette;
And so befel,[60] as I cam nyh,[61]
Out of my bot, whan he me syh,
He bad me come in to his barge.
And whan I was with him at large,
Amonges othre thinges seid[63]
He hath this charge upon me leid,[64]
And bad me doo my besynesse[65]
That to his hihe worthinesse 50*
Som newe thing I scholde boke,[66]
That he himself it mihte loke[67]
After the forme of my writynge.[68]
And thus upon his comandynge
Myn herte is wel the more glad[69]
To write so as he me bad;
And eek my fere is wel the lasse
That non envye schal compasse
Withoute a resonable wite[70]
To feyne and blame that I write. 60*
A gentil herte his tunge stilleth,
That it malice non distilleth,[71]
But preyseth that is to be preised;
But he that hath his word unpeysed
And handleth <onwrong> every thing,[72]
I preye un to the hevene king[73]
Fro suche tunges he me schilde.
And natheles this world is wilde
Of such jangling, and what befalle,[74]
My kinges heste schal nought falle, 70*
That I, in hope to deserve
His thonk, ne schal his wil observe;
And elles were I nought excused,
For that thing may nought be refused
Which that a king himselve bit.[75]
Forthi the symplesce of my wit[76]
I thenke if that it myhte avayle[77]
In his service to travaile:[78]
Though I seknesse have upon honde,
And longe have had, yit wol I fonde,[79] 80*
So as I made my beheste,[80]
To make a bok after his heste,[81]
And write in such a maner wise,
Which may be wisdom to the wise
And pley to hem that lust to pleye.
But in proverbe I have herd seye
That who that wel his werk begynneth[82]
The rather a good ende he wynneth;
And thus the prologe of my bok[83]
After the world that whilom tok, 90*
And eek somdel after the newe,
I wol begynne[84] for to newe.[85]
* * * * *
[Sidenote: [THE FORMER TIME BETTER THAN THIS.]]
ii. _Tempus preteritum presens fortuna beatum_
_Linquit, et antiquas vertit in orbe vias._[86]
_Progenuit veterem concors dileccio pacem,_
_Dum facies hominis nuncia mentis erat:_
_Legibus vnicolor tunc temporis aura refulsit,_
_Iusticie plane tuncque fuere vie._[87]
_Nuncque latens odium vultum depingit amoris,_
_Paceque sub ficta tempus ad arma tegit;_[88]
_Instar et ex variis mutabile Cameliontis_
_Lex gerit, et regnis sunt noua iura nouis:_ (10)
[Sidenote: [TEMPORAL RULERS.]]
_Climata que fuerant solidissima sicque per orbem_
_Soluuntur, nec eo centra quietis habent._
If I schal drawe in to my mynde
[Sidenote: De statu regnorum, vt dicunt, secundum temporalia,
videlicet tempore regis Ricardi secundi anno regni sui sexto
decimo.[89]]
The tyme passed, thanne I fynde
The world stod thanne in al his welthe:
Tho was the lif of man in helthe,
Tho was plente, tho was richesse,
Tho was the fortune of prouesse,
Tho was knyhthode in pris be name,
Wherof the wyde worldes fame 100
[Sidenote: =P. i. 7=]
Write in Cronique is yit withholde;
Justice of lawe tho was holde,
The privilege of regalie
Was sauf, and al the baronie
Worschiped was in his astat;
The citees knewen no debat,
The poeple stod in obeissance
Under the reule of governance,
And pes, which ryhtwisnesse keste,[90]
With charite tho stod in reste: 110
Of mannes herte the corage
Was schewed thanne in the visage;
The word was lich to the conceite[91]
Withoute semblant of deceite:
Tho was ther unenvied love,[92]
Tho was the vertu sett above
And vice was put under fote.
Now stant the crop under the rote,
The world is changed overal,
And therof most in special 120
That love is falle into discord.
And that I take to record
Of every lond for his partie
The comun vois, which mai noght lie;[93]
Noght upon on, bot upon alle
It is that men now clepe and calle,
And sein the regnes ben divided,[94]
In stede of love is hate guided,
The werre wol no pes purchace,
And lawe hath take hire double face, 130
[Sidenote: =P. i. 8=]
So that justice out of the weie
With ryhtwisnesse is gon aweie:
And thus to loke on every halve,
Men sen the sor withoute salve,
Which al the world hath overtake.
Ther is no regne of alle outtake,
For every climat hath his diel
After the tornynge of the whiel,
Which blinde fortune overthroweth;
Wherof the certain noman knoweth: 140
The hevene wot what is to done,
Bot we that duelle under the mone
Stonde in this world upon a weer,[95]
And namely bot the pouer[96]
Of hem that ben the worldes guides
With good consail on alle sides
Be kept upriht in such a wyse,[97]
That hate breke noght thassise
Of love, which is al the chief[98]
To kepe a regne out of meschief. 150
For alle resoun wolde this,
[Sidenote: Apostolus. Regem honorificate.]
That unto him which the heved is
The membres buxom scholden bowe,
And he scholde ek her trowthe allowe,
With al his herte and make hem chiere,[99]
[Sidenote: Salomon. Omnia fac cum consilio.]
For good consail is good to hiere.
Althogh a man be wys himselve,[100]
Yit is the wisdom more of tuelve;
And if thei stoden bothe in on,[101]
To hope it were thanne anon 160
[Sidenote: =P. i. 9=]
That god his grace wolde sende
To make of thilke werre an ende,
Which every day now groweth newe:
And that is gretly forto rewe
In special for Cristes sake,
Which wolde his oghne lif forsake
Among the men to yeve pes.
But now men tellen natheles
That love is fro the world departed,[102]
So stant the pes unevene parted 170
With hem that liven now adaies.
Bot forto loke at alle assaies,
To him that wolde resoun seche
After the comun worldes speche
It is to wondre of thilke werre,
In which non wot who hath the werre;
For every lond himself deceyveth
And of desese his part receyveth,
And yet ne take men no kepe.
Bot thilke lord which al may kepe, 180
To whom no consail may ben hid,
Upon the world which is betid,
Amende that wherof men pleigne
With trewe hertes and with pleine,
And reconcile love ayeyn,
As he which is king sovereign
Of al the worldes governaunce,
And of his hyhe porveaunce
Afferme pes betwen the londes
And take her cause into hise hondes, 190
[Sidenote: =P. i. 10=]
So that the world may stonde appesed
And his godhede also be plesed.
[Sidenote: [THE CHURCH.]]
iii. _Quas coluit Moises vetus aut nouus ipse Iohannes,_
_Hesternas leges vix colit ista dies._
_Sic prius ecclesia bina virtute polita_
_Nunc magis inculta pallet vtraque via._
_Pacificam Petri vaginam mucro resumens_
_Horruit ad Cristi verba cruoris iter;_
_Nunc tamen assiduo gladium de sanguine tinctum_
_Vibrat auaricia, lege tepente sacra._[103]
_Sic lupus est pastor, pater hostis, mors miserator,_
_Predoque largitor, pax et in orbe timor._[104] (10)
To thenke upon the daies olde,
[Sidenote: De statu cleri, vt dicunt, secundum spiritualia,
videlicet tempore Roberti Gibbonensis, qui nomen Clementis sibi
sortitus est, tunc antipape.[105]]
The lif of clerkes to beholde,
Men sein how that thei weren tho
Ensample and reule of alle tho
Whiche of wisdom the vertu soughten.
Unto the god ferst thei besoughten
As to the substaunce of her Scole,
That thei ne scholden noght befole 200
Her wit upon none erthly werkes,[106]
Which were ayein thestat of clerkes,
And that thei myhten fle the vice
Which Simon hath in his office,
Wherof he takth the gold in honde.[107]
For thilke tyme I understonde
The Lumbard made non eschange
The bisschopriches forto change,
Ne yet a lettre for to sende
For dignite ne for Provende,[108] 210
Or cured or withoute cure.
The cherche keye in aventure
[Sidenote: =P. i. 11=]
Of armes and of brygantaille
Stod nothing thanne upon bataille;
To fyhte or for to make cheste[109]
It thoghte hem thanne noght honeste;
Bot of simplesce and pacience
Thei maden thanne no defence:
The Court of worldly regalie[110]
To hem was thanne no baillie; 220
The vein honour was noght desired,
Which hath the proude herte fyred;
Humilite was tho withholde,
And Pride was a vice holde.
Of holy cherche the largesse
Yaf thanne and dede gret almesse
To povere men that hadden nede:
Thei were ek chaste in word and dede,
Wherof the poeple ensample tok;
Her lust was al upon the bok, 230
Or forto preche or forto preie,
To wisse men the ryhte weie
Of suche as stode of trowthe unliered.
Lo, thus was Petres barge stiered[111]
Of hem that thilke tyme were,
And thus cam ferst to mannes Ere
The feith of Crist and alle goode
Thurgh hem that thanne weren goode
And sobre and chaste and large and wyse.
Bot now men sein is otherwise, 240
Simon the cause hath undertake,
The worldes swerd on honde is take;
[Sidenote: =P. i. 12=]
And that is wonder natheles,
Whan Crist him self hath bode pes
And set it in his testament,
How now that holy cherche is went,
Of that here lawe positif
Hath set to make werre and strif
For worldes good, which may noght laste.[112]
God wot the cause to the laste 250
Of every right and wrong also;
But whil the lawe is reuled so
That clerkes to the werre entende,
I not how that thei scholde amende
The woful world in othre thinges,
To make pes betwen the kynges
After the lawe of charite,
Which is the propre duete
Belongende unto the presthode.
Bot as it thenkth to the manhode,[113] 260
The hevene is ferr, the world is nyh,
And veine gloire is ek so slyh,
Which coveitise hath now withholde,
That thei non other thing beholde,
Bot only that thei myhten winne.
And thus the werres thei beginne,
Wherof the holi cherche is taxed,[114]
That in the point as it is axed
The disme goth to the bataille,
As thogh Crist myhte noght availe 270
To don hem riht be other weie.
In to the swerd the cherche keie
[Sidenote: =P. i. 13=]
Is torned, and the holy bede
Into cursinge, and every stede
Which scholde stonde upon the feith
And to this cause an Ere leyth,
Astoned is of the querele.
That scholde be the worldes hele
Is now, men sein, the pestilence
Which hath exiled pacience[115] 280
Fro the clergie in special:
And that is schewed overal,
In eny thing whan thei ben grieved.
Bot if Gregoire be believed,
As it is in the bokes write,
He doth ous somdel forto wite
The cause of thilke prelacie,
Wher god is noght of compaignie:
For every werk as it is founded
Schal stonde or elles be confounded; 290
Who that only for Cristes sake
Desireth cure forto take,
And noght for pride of thilke astat,
To bere a name of a prelat,
He schal be resoun do profit
In holy cherche upon the plit
That he hath set his conscience;
[Sidenote: Gregorius. Terrenis lucris inhiant, honore prelacie
gaudent, et non vt prosint, set vt presint, episcopatum
desiderant.]
Bot in the worldes reverence
Ther ben of suche manie glade,
Whan thei to thilke astat ben made, 300
Noght for the merite of the charge,
Bot for thei wolde hemself descharge
[Sidenote: =P. i. 14=]
Of poverte and become grete;
And thus for Pompe and for beyete
The Scribe and ek the Pharisee
Of Moïses upon the See
In the chaiere on hyh ben set;
Wherof the feith is ofte let,
Which is betaken hem to kepe.
In Cristes cause alday thei slepe, 310
Bot of the world is noght foryete;
For wel is him that now may gete
Office in Court to ben honoured.
The stronge coffre hath al devoured
Under the keye of avarice
The tresor of the benefice,
Wherof the povere schulden clothe[116]
And ete and drinke and house bothe;
The charite goth al unknowe,
For thei no grein of Pite sowe: 320
And slouthe kepeth the libraire[117]
Which longeth to the Saintuaire;
To studie upon the worldes lore
Sufficeth now withoute more;
Delicacie his swete toth
Hath fostred so that it fordoth
Of abstinence al that ther is.
And forto loken over this,
If Ethna brenne in the clergie,
Al openly to mannes ÿe 330
At Avynoun thexperience[118]
Therof hath yove an evidence,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 15=]
Of that men sen hem so divided.
And yit the cause is noght decided;
Bot it is seid and evere schal,
Betwen tuo Stoles lyth the fal,[119]
Whan that men wenen best to sitte:
In holy cherche of such a slitte[120]
Is for to rewe un to ous alle;
God grante it mote wel befalle 340
Towardes him which hath the trowthe.[121]
Bot ofte is sen that mochel slowthe,
Whan men ben drunken of the cuppe,
Doth mochel harm, whan fyr is uppe,
Bot if somwho the flamme stanche;
And so to speke upon this branche,
Which proud Envie hath mad to springe,[122]
Of Scisme, causeth forto bringe
This newe Secte of Lollardie,
And also many an heresie 350
Among the clerkes in hemselve.
It were betre dike and delve
And stonde upon the ryhte feith,
Than knowe al that the bible seith[123]
And erre as somme clerkes do.
Upon the hond to were a Schoo
And sette upon the fot a Glove
Acordeth noght to the behove
Of resonable mannes us:
If men behielden the vertus 360
That Crist in Erthe taghte here,
Thei scholden noght in such manere,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 16=]
Among hem that ben holden wise,
The Papacie so desguise
Upon diverse eleccioun,
Which stant after thaffeccioun
Of sondry londes al aboute:
Bot whan god wole, it schal were oute,
For trowthe mot stonde ate laste.
Bot yet thei argumenten faste[124] 370
Upon the Pope and his astat,
Wherof thei falle in gret debat;
This clerk seith yee, that other nay,[125]
And thus thei dryve forth the day,
And ech of hem himself amendeth
Of worldes good, bot non entendeth
To that which comun profit were.
Thei sein that god is myhti there,
And schal ordeine what he wile,
Ther make thei non other skile 380
Where is the peril of the feith,
Bot every clerk his herte leith
To kepe his world in special,
And of the cause general,
Which unto holy cherche longeth,
Is non of hem that underfongeth
To schapen eny resistence:
And thus the riht hath no defence,
Bot ther I love, ther I holde.
Lo, thus tobroke is Cristes folde, 390
Wherof the flock withoute guide
Devoured is on every side,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 17=]
In lacke of hem that ben unware
Schepherdes, whiche her wit beware
Upon the world in other halve.
The scharpe pricke in stede of salve[126]
Thei usen now, wherof the hele
Thei hurte of that thei scholden hele;
And what Schep that is full of wulle
Upon his back, thei toose and pulle, 400
Whil ther is eny thing to pile:
And thogh ther be non other skile
Bot only for thei wolden wynne,
Thei leve noght, whan thei begynne,
Upon her acte to procede,
Which is no good schepherdes dede.
And upon this also men sein,
That fro the leese which is plein
Into the breres thei forcacche[127]
Her Orf, for that thei wolden lacche[128] 410
With such duresce, and so bereve
That schal upon the thornes leve
Of wulle, which the brere hath tore;
Wherof the Schep ben al totore
Of that the hierdes make hem lese.
Lo, how thei feignen chalk for chese,
For though thei speke and teche wel,
Thei don hemself therof no del:
For if the wolf come in the weie,[129]
Her gostly Staf is thanne aweie, 420
Wherof thei scholde her flock defende;[130]
Bot if the povere Schep offende
[Sidenote: =P. i. 18=]
In eny thing, thogh it be lyte,
They ben al redy forto smyte;
And thus, how evere that thei tale,
The strokes falle upon the smale,
And upon othre that ben grete
Hem lacketh herte forto bete.
So that under the clerkes lawe
Men sen the Merel al mysdrawe, 430
I wol noght seie in general,
For ther ben somme in special
In whom that alle vertu duelleth,
[Sidenote: Qui vocatur a deo tanquam Aaron.]
And tho ben, as thapostel telleth,
That god of his eleccioun
Hath cleped to perfeccioun
In the manere as Aaron was:
Thei ben nothing in thilke cas
Of Simon, which the foldes gate
Hath lete, and goth in othergate, 440
Bot thei gon in the rihte weie.
Ther ben also somme, as men seie,
That folwen Simon ate hieles,
Whos carte goth upon the whieles
Of coveitise and worldes Pride,
And holy cherche goth beside,
Which scheweth outward a visage
Of that is noght in the corage.
For if men loke in holy cherche,
Betwen the word and that thei werche[131] 450
Ther is a full gret difference:
Thei prechen ous in audience
[Sidenote: =P. i. 19=]
That noman schal his soule empeire,[132]
For al is bot a chirie feire
This worldes good, so as thei telle;
Also thei sein ther is an helle,
Which unto mannes sinne is due,[133]
And bidden ous therfore eschue
That wikkid is, and do the goode.
Who that here wordes understode, 460
It thenkth thei wolden do the same;
Bot yet betwen ernest and game
Ful ofte it torneth other wise.
With holy tales thei devise
How meritoire is thilke dede
Of charite, to clothe and fede
The povere folk and forto parte
The worldes good, bot thei departe
Ne thenken noght fro that thei have.
Also thei sein, good is to save 470
With penance and with abstinence
Of chastite the continence;
Bot pleinly forto speke of that,
I not how thilke body fat,
Which thei with deynte metes kepe
And leyn it softe forto slepe,
Whan it hath elles al his wille,
With chastite schal stonde stille:
And natheles I can noght seie,
In aunter if that I misseye. 480
Touchende of this, how evere it stonde,
I here and wol noght understonde,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 20=]
For therof have I noght to done:
Bot he that made ferst the Mone,
The hyhe god, of his goodnesse,
If ther be cause, he it redresce.[134]
Bot what as eny man accuse,[135]
This mai reson of trowthe excuse;
The vice of hem that ben ungoode
Is no reproef unto the goode: 490
For every man hise oghne werkes
Schal bere, and thus as of the clerkes
The goode men ben to comende,
And alle these othre god amende:
For thei ben to the worldes ÿe[136]
The Mirour of ensamplerie,
To reulen and to taken hiede
Betwen the men and the godhiede.
[Sidenote: [THE COMMONS.]]
iv. _Vulgaris populus regali lege subactus_
_Dum iacet, vt mitis agna subibit onus._
_Si caput extollat et lex sua frena relaxet,_
_Vt sibi velle iubet, Tigridis instar habet._
_Ignis, aqua dominans duo sunt pietate carentes,_
_Ira tamen plebis est violenta magis._
Now forto speke of the comune,
It is to drede of that fortune 500
[Sidenote: De statu plebis, vt dicunt, secundum accidencium
mutabilia.[137]]
Which hath befalle in sondri londes:
Bot often for defalte of bondes
Al sodeinliche, er it be wist,
A Tonne, whanne his lye arist,
Tobrekth and renneth al aboute,
Which elles scholde noght gon oute;
And ek fulofte a litel Skar
Upon a Banke, er men be war,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 21=]
Let in the Strem, which with gret peine,
If evere man it schal restreigne. [138] 510
Wher lawe lacketh, errour groweth,
He is noght wys who that ne troweth,
For it hath proeved ofte er this;
And thus the comun clamour is
In every lond wher poeple dwelleth,
And eche in his compleignte telleth
How that the world is al miswent,
And ther upon his jugement[139]
Yifth every man in sondry wise.
Bot what man wolde himself avise, 520
His conscience and noght misuse,
He may wel ate ferste excuse
His god, which evere stant in on:
In him ther is defalte non,
[Sidenote: [MAN THE CAUSE OF EVIL.]]
So moste it stonde upon ousselve
Nought only upon ten ne twelve,
Bot plenerliche upon ous alle,
For man is cause of that schal falle.
And natheles yet som men wryte
[Sidenote: Nota contra hoc, quod aliqui sortem fortune, aliqui
influenciam planetarum ponunt, per quod, vt dicitur, rerum
euentus necessario contingit. Set pocius dicendum est, quod
ea que nos prospera et aduersa in hoc mundo vocamus, secundum
merita et demerita hominum digno dei iudicio proveniunt.]
And sein that fortune is to wyte, 530
And som men holde oppinion
That it is constellacion,
Which causeth al that a man doth:
God wot of bothe which is soth.
The world as of his propre kynde
Was evere untrewe, and as the blynde
Improprelich he demeth fame,
He blameth that is noght to blame
[Sidenote: =P. i. 22=]
And preiseth that is noght to preise:
Thus whan he schal the thinges peise, 540
Ther is deceipte in his balance,
And al is that the variance
Of ous, that scholde ous betre avise;[140]
For after that we falle and rise,
The world arist and falth withal,
So that the man is overal
His oghne cause of wel and wo.
That we fortune clepe so
Out of the man himself it groweth;
And who that other wise troweth, 550
Behold the poeple of Irael:[141]
For evere whil thei deden wel,
Fortune was hem debonaire,
And whan thei deden the contraire,
Fortune was contrariende.
So that it proeveth wel at ende
Why that the world is wonderfull
And may no while stonde full,
Though that it seme wel besein;
For every worldes thing is vein, 560
And evere goth the whiel aboute,
And evere stant a man in doute,
Fortune stant no while stille,
So hath ther noman al his wille.
Als fer as evere a man may knowe,[142]
Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe;
[Sidenote: Boicius. O quam dulcedo humane vite multa
amaritudine aspersa est!]
The world stant evere upon debat,
So may be seker non astat,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 23=]
Now hier now ther, now to now fro,
Now up now down, this world goth so, 570
And evere hath don and evere schal:
Wherof I finde in special
A tale writen in the Bible,
Which moste nedes be credible;
And that as in conclusioun
Seith that upon divisioun
Stant, why no worldes thing mai laste,
Til it be drive to the laste.
And fro the ferste regne of alle[143]
Into this day, hou so befalle, 580
Of that the regnes be muable
The man himself hath be coupable,
Which of his propre governance
Fortuneth al the worldes chance.
[Sidenote: [NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM.]]
v. _Prosper et aduersus obliquo tramite versus_
_Immundus mundus decipit omne genus._
_Mundus in euentu versatur vt alea casu,_[144]
_Quam celer in ludis iactat auara manus._[145]
_Sicut ymago viri variantur tempora mundi,_
_Statque nichil firmum preter amare deum._[146]