Ther was whilom a lordes Sone,
Which of his Pride a nyce wone
Hath cawht, that worthi to his liche,
To sechen al the worldes riche,
[Sidenote: Hic in speciali tractat Confessor cum Amante
contra illos, qui de propria formositate presumentes amorem
mulieris dedignantur. Et narrat exemplum, qualiter cuiusdam
Principis filius nomine Narcizus estiuo tempore, cum ipse
venacionis causa quendam ceruum solus cum suis canibus
exagitaret, in grauem sitim incurrens necessitate compulsus
ad bibendum de quodam fonte pronus[436] se inclinauit;
vbi ipse faciem suam pulcherrimam in aqua percipiens,
putabat se per hoc illam Nimpham, quam Poete Ekko vocant,
in flumine coram suis oculis pocius conspexisse; de
cuius amore confestim laqueatus, vt ipsam ad se de fonte
extraheret, pluribus blandiciis adulabatur. Set cum illud
perficere nullatenus potuit,[440] pre nimio languore deficiens
contra lapides ibidem adiacentes caput exuerberans cerebrum
effudit. Et sic de propria pulcritudine qui fuerat
presumptuosus, de propria pulcritudine fatuatus interiit.]
Ther was no womman forto love.
So hihe he sette himselve above 2280
Of stature and of beaute bothe,
That him thoghte alle wommen lothe:
[Sidenote: =P. i. 119=]
So was ther no comparisoun
As toward his condicioun.
This yonge lord Narcizus hihte:
No strengthe of love bowe mihte
His herte, which is unaffiled;
Bot ate laste he was beguiled:
For of the goddes pourveance
It fell him on a dai par chance, 2290
That he in all his proude fare
Unto the forest gan to fare,
Amonges othre that ther were
To hunte and to desporte him there.[437]
And whanne he cam into the place
Wher that he wolde make his chace,
The houndes weren in a throwe
Uncoupled and the hornes blowe:
The grete hert anon was founde,[438]
Which swifte feet sette upon grounde,[439] 2300
And he with spore in horse side
Him hasteth faste forto ride,
Til alle men be left behinde.
And as he rod, under a linde
Beside a roche, as I thee telle,
He syh wher sprong a lusty welle:
The day was wonder hot withalle,
And such a thurst was on him falle,
That he moste owther deie or drinke;
And doun he lihte and be the brinke 2310
He teide his Hors unto a braunche,
And leide him lowe forto staunche
[Sidenote: =P. i. 120=]
His thurst: and as he caste his lok
Into the welle and hiede tok,
He sih the like of his visage,
And wende ther were an ymage
Of such a Nimphe as tho was faie,
Wherof that love his herte assaie
Began, as it was after sene,
Of his sotie and made him wene 2320
It were a womman that he syh.
The more he cam the welle nyh,
The nerr cam sche to him ayein;
So wiste he nevere what to sein;
For whanne he wepte, he sih hire wepe,
And whanne he cride, he tok good kepe,
The same word sche cride also:
And thus began the newe wo,
That whilom was to him so strange;
Tho made him love an hard eschange, 2330
To sette his herte and to beginne
Thing which he mihte nevere winne.[441]
And evere among he gan to loute,
And preith that sche to him come oute;
And otherwhile he goth a ferr,[442]
And otherwhile he draweth nerr,
And evere he fond hire in o place.
He wepth, he crith, he axeth grace,
There as he mihte gete non;
So that ayein a Roche of Ston, 2340
As he that knew non other red,
He smot himself til he was ded.
[Sidenote: =P. i. 121=]
Wherof the Nimphes of the welles,[443]
And othre that ther weren elles
Unto the wodes belongende,
The body, which was ded ligende,
For pure pite that thei have
Under the grene thei begrave.
And thanne out of his sepulture
Ther sprong anon par aventure 2350
Of floures such a wonder syhte,
That men ensample take myhte
Upon the dedes whiche he dede,
As tho was sene in thilke stede;
For in the wynter freysshe and faire
The floures ben, which is contraire
To kynde, and so was the folie
Which fell of his Surquiderie.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Thus he, which love hadde in desdeign,
[Sidenote: [PRESUMPTION OF LOVERS.]]
Worste of all othre was besein, 2360
And as he sette his pris most hyhe,
He was lest worth in loves yhe
And most bejaped in his wit:
Wherof the remembrance is yit,
So that thou myht ensample take,
And ek alle othre for his sake.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, as touchende of me,
This vice I thenke forto fle,
Which of his wenynge overtroweth;[444]
And nameliche of thing which groweth 2370
In loves cause or wel or wo
Yit pryded I me nevere so.
[Sidenote: =P. i. 122=]
Bot wolde god that grace sende,
That toward me my lady wende
As I towardes hire wene!
Mi love scholde so be sene,
Ther scholde go no pride a place.
Bot I am ferr fro thilke grace,
As forto speke of tyme now;[445]
So mot I soffre, and preie yow[446] 2380
That ye wole axe on other side
If ther be eny point of Pride,
Wherof it nedeth to be schrive.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, godd it thee foryive,
If thou have eny thing misdo
Touchende of this, bot overmo[447]
Ther is an other yit of Pride,
Which nevere cowthe hise wordes hide,
That he ne wole himself avaunte;
Ther mai nothing his tunge daunte, 2390
That he ne clappeth as a Belle:
Wherof if thou wolt that I telle,
It is behovely forto hiere,
So that thou myht thi tunge stiere,
Toward the world and stonde in grace,
Which lacketh ofte in many place[448]
To him that can noght sitte stille,
Which elles scholde have al his wille.[449]
[Sidenote: [iv. AVANTANCE OR BOASTING.]]
ix. _Magniloque propriam minuit iactancia lingue_
_Famam, quam stabilem firmat honore cilens._
_Ipse sui laudem meriti non percipit, vnde_
_Se sua per verba iactat in orbe palam._
_Estque viri culpa iactancia, que rubefactas_
_In muliere reas causat habere genas._
[Sidenote: =P. i. 123=]
The vice cleped Avantance
With Pride hath take his aqueintance, 2400
So that his oghne pris he lasseth,
When he such mesure overpasseth
That he his oghne Herald is.
That ferst was wel is thanne mis,
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de quarta specie Superbie, que
Iactancia dicitur, ex cuius natura causatur, vt homo de
seipso testimonium perhibens suarum virtutum merita de
laude in culpam transfert, et suam famam cum ipse extollere
vellet, illam proprio ore subvertit. Set et Venus in amoris
causa de isto vicio maculatos a sua Curia super omnes
alios abhorrens expellit, et eorum multiloquium verecunda[451]
detestatur. Vnde Confessor Amanti opponens materiam plenius
declarat.]
That was thankworth is thanne blame,
And thus the worschipe of his name
Thurgh pride of his avantarie
He torneth into vilenie.
I rede how that this proude vice
Hath thilke wynd in his office,[450] 2410
Which thurgh the blastes that he bloweth
The mannes fame he overthroweth
Of vertu, which scholde elles springe
Into the worldes knowlechinge;
Bot he fordoth it alto sore.
And riht of such a maner lore
Ther ben lovers: forthi if thow
Art on of hem, tell and sei how.
Whan thou hast taken eny thing
Of loves yifte, or Nouche or ring, 2420
Or tok upon thee for the cold[452]
Som goodly word that thee was told,
Or frendly chiere or tokne or lettre,[453]
Wherof thin herte was the bettre,
Or that sche sende the grietinge,
Hast thou for Pride of thi likinge
Mad thin avant wher as the liste?
[Sidenote: Amans.]
I wolde, fader, that ye wiste,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 124=]
Mi conscience lith noght hiere:
Yit hadde I nevere such matiere, 2430
Wherof min herte myhte amende,
Noght of so mochel that sche sende
Be mowthe and seide, ‘Griet him wel:’
And thus for that ther is no diel
Wherof to make myn avant,
It is to reson acordant
That I mai nevere, bot I lye,
Of love make avanterie.
I wot noght what I scholde have do,
If that I hadde encheson so, 2440
As ye have seid hier manyon;
Bot I fond cause nevere non:
Bot daunger, which welnyh me slowh,
Therof I cowthe telle ynowh,
And of non other Avantance:
Thus nedeth me no repentance.
Now axeth furthere of my lif,
For hierof am I noght gultif.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, I am wel paid withal;
For wite it wel in special 2450
That love of his verrai justice
Above alle othre ayein this vice
At alle times most debateth,
With al his herte and most it hateth.
And ek in alle maner wise
Avantarie is to despise,
As be ensample thou myht wite,[454]
Which I finde in the bokes write.
[Sidenote: [TALE OF ALBINUS AND ROSEMUND.]]
[Sidenote: =P. i. 125=]
Of hem that we Lombars now calle
Albinus was the ferste of alle[455] 2460
Which bar corone of Lombardie,
[Sidenote: Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra istos,
qui vel de sua in armis probitate, vel de suo in amoris
causa desiderio completo se iactant. Et narrat qualiter
Albinus primus Rex Longobardorum, cum ipse quendam alium
Regem nomine Gurmundum in bello morientem triumphasset,
testam[456] capitis defuncti auferens ciphum ex ea gemmis
et auro circumligatum in sue victorie memoriam fabricari
constituit: insuper et ipsius Gurmundi filiam Rosemundam
rapiens, maritali thoro in coniugem sibi copulauit. Vnde
ipso Albino postea coram sui Regni nobilibus in suo regali
conuiuio sedente, dicti Gurmundi ciphum infuso vino ad
se inter epulas afferri iussit; quem sumptum vxori sue
Regine porrexit dicens, ‘Bibe cum patre tuo.’ Quod et
ipsa huiusmodi operis ignara fecit. Quo facto Rex statim[458]
super hiis que per prius gesta fuerant cunctis audientibus
per singula se iactauit. Regina vero cum talia audisset,
celato animo factum abhorrens in mortem domini sui Regis
circumspecta industria conspirauit; ipsumque auxiliantibus
Glodesida et Helmege breui subsecuto tempore interfecit;
cuius mortem Dux Rauennensis tam in corpus dicte Regine
quam suorum fautorum postea vindicauit. Set et huius tocius
infortunii sola superbie iactancia fomitem ministrabat.]
And was of gret chivalerie
In werre ayein diverse kinges.
So fell amonges othre thinges,
That he that time a werre hadde
With Gurmond, which the Geptes ladde,
And was a myhti kyng also:
Bot natheles it fell him so,
Albinus slowh him in the feld,
Ther halp him nowther swerd ne scheld, 2470
That he ne smot his hed of thanne,
Wherof he tok awey the Panne,
Of which he seide he wolde make
A Cuppe for Gurmoundes sake,
To kepe and drawe into memoire
Of his bataille the victoire.
And thus whan he the feld hath wonne,
The lond anon was overronne
And sesed in his oghne hond,
Wher he Gurmondes dowhter fond, 2480
Which Maide Rosemounde hihte,
And was in every mannes sihte
A fair, a freissh, a lusti on.
His herte fell to hire anon,
And such a love on hire he caste,
That he hire weddeth ate laste;
And after that long time in reste
With hire he duelte, and to the beste[457]
[Sidenote: =P. i. 126=]
Thei love ech other wonder wel.
Bot sche which kepth the blinde whel, 2490
Venus, whan thei be most above,
In al the hoteste of here love,
Hire whiel sche torneth, and thei felle
In the manere as I schal telle.
This king, which stod in al his welthe
Of pes, of worschipe and of helthe,
And felte him on no side grieved,[459]
As he that hath his world achieved,
Tho thoghte he wolde a feste make;
And that was for his wyves sake, 2500
That sche the lordes ate feste,[460]
That were obeissant to his heste,
Mai knowe: and so forth therupon
He let ordeine, and sende anon
Be lettres and be messagiers,
And warnede alle hise officiers
That every thing be wel arraied:
The grete Stiedes were assaied
For joustinge and for tornement,
And many a perled garnement 2510
Embroudred was ayein the dai.[461]
The lordes in here beste arrai
Be comen ate time set,
On jousteth wel, an other bet,
And otherwhile thei torneie,
And thus thei casten care aweie
And token lustes upon honde.
And after, thou schalt understonde,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 127=]
To mete into the kinges halle
Thei come, as thei be beden alle: 2520
And whan thei were set and served,
Thanne after, as it was deserved,
To hem that worthi knyhtes were,
So as thei seten hiere and there,
The pris was yove and spoken oute
Among the heraldz al aboute.
And thus benethe and ek above
Al was of armes and of love,
Wherof abouten ate bordes
Men hadde manye sondri wordes, 2530
That of the merthe which thei made
The king himself began to glade
Withinne his herte and tok a pride,
And sih the Cuppe stonde aside,
Which mad was of Gurmoundes hed,
As ye have herd, whan he was ded,
And was with gold and riche Stones
Beset and bounde for the nones,
And stod upon a fot on heihte
Of burned gold, and with gret sleihte 2540
Of werkmanschipe it was begrave
Of such werk as it scholde have,
And was policed ek so clene
That no signe of the Skulle is sene,[462]
Bot as it were a Gripes Ey.
The king bad bere his Cuppe awey,
Which stod tofore him on the bord,
And fette thilke. Upon his word
[Sidenote: =P. i. 128=]
This Skulle is fet and wyn therinne,
Wherof he bad his wif beginne: 2550
‘Drink with thi fader, Dame,’ he seide.
And sche to his biddinge obeide,
And tok the Skulle, and what hire liste
Sche drank, as sche which nothing wiste
What Cuppe it was: and thanne al oute
The kyng in audience aboute
Hath told it was hire fader Skulle,
So that the lordes knowe schulle
Of his bataille a soth witnesse,
And made avant thurgh what prouesse 2560
He hath his wyves love wonne,
Which of the Skulle hath so begonne.
Tho was ther mochel Pride alofte,
Thei speken alle, and sche was softe,
Thenkende on thilke unkynde Pride,
Of that hire lord so nyh hire side
Avanteth him that he hath slain
And piked out hire fader brain,
And of the Skulle had mad a Cuppe.[463]
Sche soffreth al til thei were uppe, 2570
And tho sche hath seknesse feigned,
And goth to chambre and hath compleigned
Unto a Maide which sche triste,
So that non other wyht it wiste.
This Mayde Glodeside is hote,
To whom this lady hath behote
Of ladischipe al that sche can,
To vengen hire upon this man,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 129=]
Which dede hire drinke in such a plit
Among hem alle for despit 2580
Of hire and of hire fader bothe;
Wherof hire thoghtes ben so wrothe,
Sche seith, that sche schal noght be glad,
Til that sche se him so bestad
That he nomore make avant.
And thus thei felle in covenant,
That thei acorden ate laste,
With suche wiles as thei caste
That thei wol gete of here acord
Som orped knyht to sle this lord: 2590
And with this sleihte thei beginne,
How thei Helmege myhten winne,
Which was the kinges Boteler,
A proud a lusti Bacheler,
And Glodeside he loveth hote.
And sche, to make him more assote,
Hire love granteth, and be nyhte
Thei schape how thei togedre myhte
Abedde meete: and don it was
This same nyht; and in this cas 2600
The qwene hirself the nyht secounde
Wente in hire stede, and there hath founde
A chambre derk withoute liht,
And goth to bedde to this knyht.
And he, to kepe his observance,
To love doth his obeissance,
And weneth it be Glodeside;
And sche thanne after lay aside,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 130=]
And axeth him what he hath do,
And who sche was sche tolde him tho, 2610
And seide: ‘Helmege, I am thi qwene,[464]
Now schal thi love wel be sene
Of that thou hast thi wille wroght:
Or it schal sore ben aboght,
Or thou schalt worche as I thee seie.
And if thou wolt be such a weie
Do my plesance and holde it stille,
For evere I schal ben at thi wille,
Bothe I and al myn heritage.’
Anon the wylde loves rage, 2620
In which noman him can governe,
Hath mad him that he can noght werne,[465]
Bot fell al hol to hire assent:
And thus the whiel is al miswent,
The which fortune hath upon honde;
For how that evere it after stonde,
Thei schope among hem such a wyle,
The king was ded withinne a whyle.
So slihly cam it noght aboute
That thei ne ben descoevered oute, 2630
So that it thoghte hem for the beste
To fle, for there was no reste:
And thus the tresor of the king
Thei trusse and mochel other thing,
And with a certein felaschipe
Thei fledde and wente awey be schipe,
And hielde here rihte cours fro thenne,
Til that thei come to Ravenne,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 131=]
Wher thei the Dukes helpe soghte.
And he, so as thei him besoghte, 2640
A place granteth forto duelle;
Bot after, whan he herde telle
Of the manere how thei have do,
This Duk let schape for hem so,
That of a puison which thei drunke
Thei hadden that thei have beswunke.
And al this made avant of Pride:
Good is therfore a man to hide
His oghne pris, for if he speke,
He mai lihtliche his thonk tobreke. 2650
In armes lith non avantance
To him which thenkth his name avance
And be renomed of his dede:
And also who that thenkth to spede
Of love, he mai him noght avaunte;
For what man thilke vice haunte,
His pourpos schal fulofte faile.
In armes he that wol travaile[466]
[Sidenote: [AVANTANCE.]]
Or elles loves grace atteigne,
His lose tunge he mot restreigne, 2660
Which berth of his honour the keie.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Forthi, my Sone, in alle weie
Tak riht good hiede of this matiere.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
I thonke you, my fader diere,
This scole is of a gentil lore;
And if ther be oght elles more
Of Pride, which I schal eschuie,
Now axeth forth, and I wol suie
[Sidenote: =P. i. 132=]
What thing that ye me wole enforme.[467]
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, yit in other forme 2670
Ther is a vice of Prides lore,
Which lich an hauk whan he wol sore,
Fleith upon heihte in his delices
After the likynge of his vices,
And wol no mannes resoun knowe,
Till he doun falle and overthrowe.
This vice veine gloire is hote,
Wherof, my Sone, I thee behote
To trete and speke in such a wise,
That thou thee myht the betre avise. 2680
[Sidenote: [v. VAIN-GLORY.]]
x. _Gloria perpetuos pregnat mundana dolores,_
_Qui tamen est vanus gaudia vana cupit._
_Eius amiciciam, quem gloria tollit inanis,_
_Non sine blandiciis planus habebit homo:_
_Verbis compositis qui scit strigilare fauellum,_
_Scandere sellata iura valebit eques._
_Sic in amore magis qui blanda subornat in ore_
_Verba, per hoc brauium quod nequit alter habet._
_Et tamen ornatos cantus variosque paratus_
_Letaque corda suis legibus optat amor._ (10)
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de quinta specie superbie, que
Inanis gloria vocatur, et eiusdem vicii naturam primo
describens super eodem in amoris causa Confessor Amanti
consequenter opponit.]
The proude vice of veine gloire
Remembreth noght of purgatoire,
Hise worldes joyes ben so grete,
Him thenkth of hevene no beyete;
This lives Pompe is al his pes:
Yit schal he deie natheles,
And therof thenkth he bot a lite,[468]
For al his lust is to delite
In newe thinges, proude and veine,
Als ferforth as he mai atteigne. 2690
[Sidenote: =P. i. 133=]
I trowe, if that he myhte make
His body newe, he wolde take
A newe forme and leve his olde:
For what thing that he mai beholde,
The which to comun us is strange,
Anon his olde guise change
He wole and falle therupon,
Lich unto the Camelion,
Which upon every sondri hewe
That he beholt he moste newe 2700
His colour, and thus unavised
Fulofte time he stant desguised.
Mor jolif than the brid in Maii
He makth him evere freissh and gay,
[Sidenote: Salomon. Amictus eius[469] annunciat de eo.]
And doth al his array desguise,
So that of him the newe guise
Of lusti folk alle othre take;
And ek he can carolles make,
Rondeal, balade and virelai.
And with al this, if that he may 2710
Of love gete him avantage,
Anon he wext of his corage
So overglad, that of his ende[470]
Him thenkth ther is no deth comende:
For he hath thanne at alle tide
Of love such a maner pride,
Him thenkth his joie is endeles.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Now schrif thee, Sone, in godes pes,
And of thi love tell me plein
If that thi gloire hath be so vein. 2720
[Sidenote: =P. i. 134=]
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, as touchinge of al
[Sidenote: [THE LOVER’S CONFESSION.]]
I may noght wel ne noght ne schal
Of veine gloire excuse me,
That I ne have for love be
The betre adresced and arraied;
And also I have ofte assaied
Rondeal, balade and virelai
For hire on whom myn herte lai
To make, and also forto peinte
Caroles with my wordes qweinte, 2730
To sette my pourpos alofte;
And thus I sang hem forth fulofte
In halle and ek in chambre aboute,
And made merie among the route,
Bot yit ne ferde I noght the bet.
Thus was my gloire in vein beset
Of al the joie that I made;
For whanne I wolde with hire glade,
And of hire love songes make,
Sche saide it was noght for hir sake, 2740
And liste noght my songes hiere
Ne witen what the wordes were.
So forto speke of myn arrai,
Yit couthe I nevere be so gay
Ne so wel make a songe of love,
Wherof I myhte ben above
And have encheson to be glad;
Bot rathere I am ofte adrad
For sorwe that sche seith me nay.
And natheles I wol noght say, 2750
[Sidenote: =P. i. 135=]
That I nam glad on other side;[471]
For fame, that can nothing hide,
Alday wol bringe unto myn Ere
Of that men speken hier and there,
How that my ladi berth the pris,
How sche is fair, how sche is wis,
How sche is wommanlich of chiere;
Of al this thing whanne I mai hiere,
What wonder is thogh I be fain?
And ek whanne I may hiere sain 2760
Tidinges of my ladi hele,
Althogh I may noght with hir dele,
Yit am I wonder glad of that;
For whanne I wot hire good astat,
As for that time I dar wel swere,
Non other sorwe mai me dere,
Thus am I gladed in this wise.
Bot, fader, of youre lores wise,
Of whiche ye be fully tawht,
Now tell me if yow thenketh awht[472] 2770
That I therof am forto wyte.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Of that ther is I thee acquite,
Mi sone, he seide, and for thi goode
I wolde that thou understode:
For I thenke upon this matiere
To telle a tale, as thou schalt hiere,
How that ayein this proude vice
The hihe god of his justice
Is wroth and gret vengance doth.
Now herkne a tale that is soth: 2780
[Sidenote: =P. i. 136=]
Thogh it be noght of loves kinde,
A gret ensample thou schalt finde
This veine gloire forto fle,
Which is so full of vanite.
[Sidenote: [NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S PUNISHMENT.]]
xi. _Humani generis cum sit sibi gloria maior,_
_Sepe subesse solet proximus ille dolor:_
_Mens elata graues descensus sepe subibit,_
_Mens humilis stabile molleque firmat iter._
_Motibus innumeris volutat fortuna per orbem;_[473]
_Cum magis alta petis, inferiora time._