Of hem that ben so derk withinne,
At Troie also if we beginne,
Ipocrisie it hath betraied:[333]
For whan the Greks hadde al assaied, 1080
[Sidenote: Hic vlterius ponit exemplum de illa
eciam Ypocrisia, que inter virum[334] et virum decipiens
periculosissima consistit. Et narrat, qualiter Greci in
obsidione ciuitatis Troie, cum ipsam vi comprehendere
nullatenus potuerunt, fallaci animo cum Troianis pacem vt
dicunt pro perpetuo statuebant: et super hoc[335] quendam equum
mire grossitudinis de ere fabricatum ad sacrificandum in
templo[336] Minerue confingentes, sub tali sanctitatis ypocrisi
dictam Ciuitatem intrarunt, et ipsam cum inhabitantibus
gladio et igne comminuentes pro perpetuo penitus
deuastarunt.[337]]
And founde that be no bataille
Ne be no Siege it myhte availe
The toun to winne thurgh prouesse,
This vice feigned of simplesce
Thurgh sleyhte of Calcas and of Crise
It wan be such a maner wise.
An Hors of Bras thei let do forge
Of such entaile, of such a forge,
That in this world was nevere man
That such an other werk began. 1090
The crafti werkman Epius
It made, and forto telle thus,
The Greks, that thoghten to beguile
The kyng of Troie, in thilke while
With Anthenor and with Enee,
That were bothe of the Cite
And of the conseil the wiseste,
The richeste and the myhtieste,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 79=]
In prive place so thei trete
With fair beheste and yiftes grete 1100
Of gold, that thei hem have engined;
Togedre and whan thei be covined,
Thei feignen forto make a pes,
And under that yit natheles
Thei schopen the destruccioun
Bothe of the kyng and of the toun.
And thus the false pees was take
Of hem of Grece and undertake,
And therupon thei founde a weie,
Wher strengthe myhte noght aweie, 1110
That sleihte scholde helpe thanne;
And of an ynche a large spanne
Be colour of the pees thei made,
And tolden how thei weren glade
Of that thei stoden in acord;[338]
And for it schal ben of record,
Unto the kyng the Gregois seiden,
Be weie of love and this thei preiden,[339]
As thei that wolde his thonk deserve,
A Sacrifice unto Minerve, 1120
The pes to kepe in good entente,
Thei mosten offre er that thei wente.
The kyng conseiled in this cas
Be Anthenor and Eneas
Therto hath yoven his assent:[340]
So was the pleine trowthe blent
Thurgh contrefet Ipocrisie
Of that thei scholden sacrifie.
[Sidenote: =P. i. 80=]
The Greks under the holinesse
Anon with alle besinesse 1130
Here Hors of Bras let faire dihte,
Which was to sen a wonder sihte;
For it was trapped of himselve,
And hadde of smale whieles twelve,
Upon the whiche men ynowe
With craft toward the toun it drowe,
And goth glistrende ayein the Sunne.
Tho was ther joie ynowh begunne,
For Troie in gret devocioun
Cam also with processioun 1140
Ayein this noble Sacrifise
With gret honour, and in this wise
Unto the gates thei it broghte.
Bot of here entre whan thei soghte,
The gates weren al to smale;[341]
And therupon was many a tale,
Bot for the worschipe of Minerve,
To whom thei comen forto serve,
Thei of the toun, whiche understode
That al this thing was do for goode, 1150
For pes, wherof that thei ben glade,
The gates that Neptunus made
A thousend wynter ther tofore,
Thei have anon tobroke and tore;
The stronge walles doun thei bete,
So that in to the large strete
This Hors with gret solempnite
Was broght withinne the Cite,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 81=]
And offred with gret reverence,
Which was to Troie an evidence 1160
Of love and pes for everemo.
The Gregois token leve tho[342]
With al the hole felaschipe,
And forth thei wenten into Schipe
And crossen seil and made hem yare,[343]
Anon as thogh thei wolden fare:
Bot whan the blake wynter nyht
Withoute Mone or Sterre lyht
Bederked hath the water Stronde,
Al prively thei gon to londe 1170
Ful armed out of the navie.
Synon, which mad was here aspie[344]
Withinne Troie, as was conspired,
Whan time was a tokne hath fired;
And thei with that here weie holden,
And comen in riht as thei wolden,
Ther as the gate was tobroke.
The pourpos was full take and spoke:
Er eny man may take kepe,
Whil that the Cite was aslepe, 1180
Thei slowen al that was withinne,
And token what thei myhten wynne
Of such good as was sufficant,
And brenden up the remenant.
And thus cam out the tricherie,
Which under fals Ypocrisie
Was hid, and thei that wende pees
Tho myhten finde no reles
[Sidenote: =P. i. 82=]
Of thilke swerd which al devoureth.
[Sidenote: [HYPOCRISY IN LOVE.]]
Fulofte and thus the swete soureth, 1190
Whan it is knowe to the tast:
He spilleth many a word in wast
That schal with such a poeple trete;
For whan he weneth most beyete,
Thanne is he schape most to lese.
And riht so if a womman chese
Upon the wordes that sche hiereth[345]
Som man, whan he most trewe appiereth,
Thanne is he forthest fro the trowthe:
Bot yit fulofte, and that is rowthe, 1200
Thei speden that ben most untrewe
And loven every day a newe,
Wherof the lief is after loth
And love hath cause to be wroth.
Bot what man that his lust desireth
Of love, and therupon conspireth
With wordes feigned to deceive,
He schal noght faile to receive
His peine, as it is ofte sene.
[Sidenote: Confessor.[346]]
Forthi, my Sone, as I thee mene, 1210
It sit the wel to taken hiede
That thou eschuie of thi manhiede
Ipocrisie and his semblant,
That thou ne be noght deceivant,
To make a womman to believe
Thing which is noght in thi bilieve:[347]
For in such feint Ipocrisie
Of love is al the tricherie,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 83=]
Thurgh which love is deceived ofte;
For feigned semblant is so softe, 1220
Unethes love may be war.
Forthi, my Sone, as I wel dar,
I charge thee to fle that vice,
That many a womman hath mad nice;
Bot lok thou dele noght withal.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Iwiss, fader, nomor I schal.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Now, Sone, kep that thou hast swore:
For this that thou hast herd before
Is seid the ferste point of Pride:
And next upon that other side, 1230
To schryve and speken overthis
Touchende of Pride, yit ther is
The point seconde, I thee behote,
Which Inobedience is hote.
[Sidenote: [ii. INOBEDIENCE.]]
vi. _Flectere quam frangi melius reputatur, et olle_
_Fictilis ad cacabum pugna valere nequit._
_Quem neque lex hominum, neque lex diuina valebit_
_Flectere, multociens corde reflectit amor._[348]
_Quem non flectit amor, non est flectendus ab vllo,_
_Set rigor illius plus Elephante riget._
_Dedignatur amor poterit quos scire rebelles,_
_Et rudibus sortem prestat habere rudem;_
_Set qui sponte sui subicit se cordis amore,_
_Frangit in aduersis omnia fata pius._ (10)
This vice of Inobedience
Ayein the reule of conscience
Al that is humble he desalloweth,
That he toward his god ne boweth
After the lawes of his heste.
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de secunda specie Superbie, que
Inobediencia dicitur: et primo illius vicii naturam
simpliciter declarat, et tractat consequenter super illa
precipue Inobediencia, que in curia Cupidinis exosa amoris
causam ex sua imbecillitate sepissime retardat. In cuius
materia Confessor Amanti specialius opponit.]
Noght as a man bot as a beste, 1240
[Sidenote: =P. i. 84=]
Which goth upon his lustes wilde,
So goth this proude vice unmylde,
That he desdeigneth alle lawe:
He not what is to be felawe,
And serve may he noght for pride;
So is he badde on every side,
And is that selve of whom men speke,
Which wol noght bowe er that he breke.
I not if love him myhte plie,
For elles forto justefie 1250
His herte, I not what mihte availe.
[Sidenote: Confessor.[349]]
Forthi, my Sone, of such entaile
If that thin herte be disposed,
Tell out and let it noght be glosed:
For if that thou unbuxom be
To love, I not in what degree
Thou schalt thi goode world achieve.[350]
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, ye schul wel believe,
The yonge whelp which is affaited
Hath noght his Maister betre awaited, 1260
To couche, whan he seith ‘Go lowe,’
That I, anon as I may knowe
Mi ladi will, ne bowe more.[351]
Bot other while I grucche sore
Of some thinges that sche doth,
Wherof that I woll telle soth:
For of tuo pointz I am bethoght,
That, thogh I wolde, I myhte noght
Obeie unto my ladi heste;
Bot I dar make this beheste, 1270
[Sidenote: =P. i. 85=]
Save only of that ilke tuo
I am unbuxom of no mo.
[Sidenote: Opponit Confessor.]
What ben tho tuo? tell on, quod he.
[Sidenote: Respondet Amans.[352]]
Mi fader, this is on, that sche
Comandeth me my mowth to close,
And that I scholde hir noght oppose
In love, of which I ofte preche,
Bot plenerliche of such a speche
Forbere, and soffren hire in pes.
Bot that ne myhte I natheles[353] 1280
For al this world obeie ywiss;
For whanne I am ther as sche is,
Though sche my tales noght alowe,
Ayein hir will yit mot I bowe,
To seche if that I myhte have grace:
Bot that thing may I noght enbrace[354]
For ought that I can speke or do;
And yit fulofte I speke so,
That sche is wroth and seith, ‘Be stille.’
If I that heste schal fulfille 1290
And therto ben obedient,
Thanne is my cause fully schent,
For specheles may noman spede.
So wot I noght what is to rede;
Bot certes I may noght obeie,
That I ne mot algate seie
Somwhat of that I wolde mene;
For evere it is aliche grene,
The grete love which I have,
Wherof I can noght bothe save 1300
[Sidenote: =P. i. 86=]
My speche and this obedience:
And thus fulofte my silence
I breke, and is the ferste point[355]
Wherof that I am out of point[356]
In this, and yit it is no pride.
Now thanne upon that other side
To telle my desobeissance,
Ful sore it stant to my grevance
And may noght sinke into my wit;
For ofte time sche me bit[357] 1310
To leven hire and chese a newe,
And seith, if I the sothe knewe
How ferr I stonde from hir grace,
I scholde love in other place.[358]
Bot therof woll I desobeie;
For also wel sche myhte seie,
‘Go tak the Mone ther it sit,’
As bringe that into my wit:
For ther was nevere rooted tre,
That stod so faste in his degre, 1320
That I ne stonde more faste
Upon hire love, and mai noght caste
Min herte awey, althogh I wolde.
For god wot, thogh I nevere scholde
Sen hir with yhe after this day,
Yit stant it so that I ne may
Hir love out of my brest remue.
This is a wonder retenue,
That malgre wher sche wole or non
Min herte is everemore in on, 1330
[Sidenote: =P. i. 87=]
So that I can non other chese,
Bot whether that I winne or lese,
I moste hire loven til I deie;
And thus I breke as be that weie
Hire hestes and hir comandinges,
Bot trewliche in non othre thinges.[359]
Forthi, my fader, what is more
Touchende to this ilke lore[360]
I you beseche, after the forme
That ye pleinly me wolde enforme, 1340
So that I may myn herte reule
In loves cause after the reule.
[Sidenote: [MURMUR AND COMPLAINT.]]
vii. _Murmur in aduersis ita concipit ille superbus,_
_Pena quod ex bina sorte perurget eum._
_Obuia fortune cum spes in amore resistit,_
_Non sine mentali murmure plangit amans._[361]
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de Murmure et Planctu, qui super
omnes alios Inobediencie secreciores vt ministri illi
deseruiunt.[363]]
Toward this vice of which we trete
Ther ben yit tweie of thilke estrete,
Here name is Murmur and Compleignte:[362]
Ther can noman here chiere peinte,
To sette a glad semblant therinne,
For thogh fortune make hem wynne,
Yit grucchen thei, and if thei lese,
Ther is no weie forto chese, 1350
Wherof thei myhten stonde appesed.
So ben thei comunly desesed;
Ther may no welthe ne poverte
Attempren hem to the decerte
Of buxomnesse be no wise:
For ofte time thei despise
[Sidenote: =P. i. 88=]
The goode fortune as the badde,
As thei no mannes reson hadde,
Thurgh pride, wherof thei be blinde.
And ryht of such a maner kinde 1360
Ther be lovers, that thogh thei have
Of love al that thei wolde crave,
Yit wol thei grucche be som weie,
That thei wol noght to love obeie
Upon the trowthe, as thei do scholde;
And if hem lacketh that thei wolde,
Anon thei falle in such a peine,
That evere unbuxomly thei pleigne
Upon fortune, and curse and crie,
That thei wol noght here hertes plie 1370
To soffre til it betre falle.
Forthi if thou amonges alle
Hast used this condicioun,
Mi Sone, in thi Confessioun
Now tell me pleinly what thou art.
[Sidenote: Amans.[364]]
Mi fader, I beknowe a part,
So as ye tolden hier above
Of Murmur and Compleignte of love,[365]
That for I se no sped comende,
Ayein fortune compleignende 1380
I am, as who seith, everemo:
And ek fulofte tyme also,
Whan so is that I se and hiere
Or hevy word or hevy chiere[366]
Of my lady, I grucche anon;
Bot wordes dar I speke non,
Wherof sche myhte be desplesed,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 89=]
Bot in myn herte I am desesed:
With many a Murmur, god it wot,
Thus drinke I in myn oghne swot, 1390
And thogh I make no semblant,
Min herte is al desobeissant;
And in this wise I me confesse
Of that ye clepe unbuxomnesse.
Now telleth what youre conseil is.
[Sidenote: Confessor.[367]]
Mi Sone, and I thee rede this,[368]
What so befalle of other weie,
That thou to loves heste obeie
Als ferr as thou it myht suffise:
For ofte sithe in such a wise 1400
Obedience in love availeth,
Wher al a mannes strengthe faileth;
Wherof, if that the list to wite[369]
In a Cronique as it is write,
A gret ensample thou myht fynde,
Which now is come to my mynde.