Which hath the wyndes of tempeste
To kepe, and many a sodein blast
He bloweth, wherof ben agast 420
[Sidenote: Hic tractat Confessor super secunda specie Ire,
que Lis dicitur, ex cuius contumeliis innumerosa dolorum
occasio tam in amoris causa quam aliter in quampluribus
sepissime exorta est.]
Thei that desiren pes and reste.
He is that ilke ungoodlieste
Which many a lusti love hath twinned;
For he berth evere his mowth unpinned,
So that his lippes ben unloke
And his corage is al tobroke,
That every thing which he can telle,
It springeth up as doth a welle,
Which mai non of his stremes hyde,
Bot renneth out on every syde. 430
[Sidenote: =P. i. 294=]
So buillen up the foule sawes
That Cheste wot of his felawes:
For as a Sive kepeth Ale,
Riht so can Cheste kepe a tale;
Al that he wot he wol desclose,
And speke er eny man oppose.
As a Cite withoute wal,
Wher men mai gon out overal
Withouten eny resistence,
So with his croked eloquence 440
He spekth al that he wot withinne:
Wherof men lese mor than winne,
For ofte time of his chidinge
He bringth to house such tidinge,
That makth werre ate beddeshed.[865]
He is the levein of the bred,[866]
Which soureth al the past aboute:
Men oghte wel such on to doute,
For evere his bowe is redi bent,
And whom he hit I telle him schent, 450
If he mai perce him with his tunge.
And ek so lowde his belle is runge,
That of the noise and of the soun
Men feeren hem in al the toun
Welmore than thei don of thonder.
For that is cause of more wonder;
For with the wyndes whiche he bloweth
Fulofte sythe he overthroweth
The Cites and the policie,
That I have herd the poeple crie, 460
[Sidenote: =P. i. 295=]
And echon seide in his degre,
‘Ha wicke tunge, wo thee be!’
For men sein that the harde bon,
Althogh himselven have non,
A tunge brekth it al to pieces.
He hath so manye sondri spieces
Of vice, that I mai noght wel
Descrive hem be a thousendel:
Bot whan that he to Cheste falleth,
Ful many a wonder thing befalleth, 470
For he ne can nothing forbere.
[Sidenote: Opponit Confessor.]
Now tell me, Sone, thin ansuere,
If it hath evere so betidd,
That thou at eny time hast chidd
Toward thi love.
[Sidenote: Confessio Amantis.]
Fader, nay;
Such Cheste yit unto this day[867]
Ne made I nevere, god forbede:
For er I sunge such a crede,[868]
I hadde levere to be lewed;
For thanne were I al beschrewed[869] 480
And worthi to be put abak
With al the sorwe upon my bak
That eny man ordeigne cowthe.
Bot I spak nevere yit be mowthe
That unto Cheste mihte touche,
And that I durste riht wel vouche
Upon hirself as for witnesse;
For I wot, of hir gentilesse
That sche me wolde wel excuse,
That I no suche thinges use.[870] 490
[Sidenote: =P. i. 296=]
And if it scholde so betide
That I algates moste chide,
It myhte noght be to my love:
For so yit was I nevere above,
For al this wyde world to winne
That I dorste eny word beginne,
Be which sche mihte have ben amoeved
And I of Cheste also reproeved.
Bot rathere, if it mihte hir like,
The beste wordes wolde I pike 500
Whiche I cowthe in myn herte chese,
And serve hem forth in stede of chese,
For that is helplich to defie;
And so wolde I my wordes plie,[871]
That mihten Wraththe and Cheste avale
With tellinge of my softe tale.
Thus dar I make a foreward,
That nevere unto my ladiward
Yit spak I word in such a wise,
Wherof that Cheste scholde arise. 510
This seie I noght, that I fulofte
Ne have, whanne I spak most softe,
Per cas seid more thanne ynowh;
Bot so wel halt noman the plowh
That he ne balketh otherwhile,
Ne so wel can noman affile
His tunge, that som time in rape
Him mai som liht word overscape,
And yit ne meneth he no Cheste.[872]
Bot that I have ayein hir heste 520
[Sidenote: =P. i. 297=]
Fulofte spoke, I am beknowe;
And how my will is, that ye knowe:
For whan my time comth aboute,
That I dar speke and seie al oute
Mi longe love, of which sche wot
That evere in on aliche hot
Me grieveth, thanne al my desese
I telle, and though it hir desplese,
I speke it forth and noght ne leve:
And thogh it be beside hire leve, 530
I hope and trowe natheles
That I do noght ayein the pes;[873]
For thogh I telle hire al my thoght,
Sche wot wel that I chyde noght.
Men mai the hihe god beseche,[874]
And he wol hiere a mannes speche
And be noght wroth of that he seith;
So yifth it me the more feith
And makth me hardi, soth to seie,
That I dar wel the betre preie 540
Mi ladi, which a womman is.
For thogh I telle hire that or this
Of love, which me grieveth sore,
Hire oghte noght be wroth the more,
For I withoute noise or cri
Mi pleignte make al buxomly
To puten alle wraththe away.
Thus dar I seie unto this day
Of Cheste in ernest or in game
Mi ladi schal me nothing blame. 550
[Sidenote: =P. i. 298=]
Bot ofte time it hath betidd
That with miselven I have chidd,
That noman couthe betre chide:
And that hath ben at every tide,
Whanne I cam to miself al one;
For thanne I made a prive mone,
And every tale by and by,
Which as I spak to my ladi,
I thenke and peise in my balance
And drawe into my remembrance; 560
And thanne, if that I finde a lak
Of eny word that I mispak,
Which was to moche in eny wise,
Anon my wittes I despise
And make a chidinge in myn herte,
That eny word me scholde asterte
Which as I scholde have holden inne.
And so forth after I beginne
And loke if ther was elles oght
To speke, and I ne spak it noght: 570
And thanne, if I mai seche and finde
That eny word be left behinde,
Which as I scholde more have spoke,[875]
I wolde upon miself be wroke,
And chyde with miselven so
That al my wit is overgo.
For noman mai his time lore
Recovere, and thus I am therfore
So overwroth in al my thoght,
That I myself chide al to noght: 580
[Sidenote: =P. i. 299=]
Thus for to moche or for to lite[876]
Fulofte I am miself to wyte.
Bot al that mai me noght availe,
With cheste thogh I me travaile:
Bot Oule on Stock and Stock on Oule;
The more that a man defoule,
Men witen wel which hath the werse;
And so to me nys worth a kerse,
Bot torneth on myn oghne hed,
Thogh I, til that I were ded, 590
Wolde evere chyde in such a wise
Of love as I to you devise.
Bot, fader, now ye have al herd
In this manere how I have ferd
Of Cheste and of dissencioun,
Yif me youre absolucioun.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, if that thou wistest al,
What Cheste doth in special
To love and to his welwillinge,
Thou woldest flen his knowlechinge 600
And lerne to be debonaire.
For who that most can speke faire
Is most acordende unto love:
Fair speche hath ofte brought above
Ful many a man, as it is knowe,
Which elles scholde have be riht lowe
And failed mochel of his wille.
Forthi hold thou thi tunge stille
And let thi witt thi wille areste,
So that thou falle noght in Cheste, 610
[Sidenote: =P. i. 300=]
Which is the source of gret destance:[877]
And tak into thi remembrance[878]
If thou miht gete pacience,
Which is the leche of alle offence,
As tellen ous these olde wise:
[Sidenote: Seneca. Paciencia est vindicta omnium
iniuriarum.]
For whan noght elles mai suffise
Be strengthe ne be mannes wit,
Than pacience it oversit
And overcomth it ate laste;[879]
Bot he mai nevere longe laste, 620
Which wol noght bowe er that he breke.
Tak hiede, Sone, of that I speke.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, of your goodli speche
And of the witt which ye me teche[880]
I thonke you with al myn herte:
For that world schal me nevere asterte,[881]
That I ne schal your wordes holde,
Of Pacience as ye me tolde,
Als ferforth as myn herte thenketh;
And of my wraththe it me forthenketh. 630
Bot, fader, if ye forth withal
Som good ensample in special
Me wolden telle of som Cronique,[882]
It scholde wel myn herte like
Of pacience forto hiere,
So that I mihte in mi matiere
The more unto my love obeie
And puten mi desese aweie.
[Sidenote: [PATIENCE OF SOCRATES.]]
Mi Sone, a man to beie him pes[883]
Behoveth soffre as Socrates 640
[Sidenote: =P. i. 301=]
Ensample lefte, which is write:
And for thou schalt the sothe wite,
[Sidenote: Hic ponit Confessor exemplum de paciencia
in amore contra lites habenda. Et narrat qualiter vxor
Socratis ipsum quodam die multis sermonibus litigauit; set
cum ipse absque vlla responsione omnia probra pacienter
sustulit, indignata vxor quandam ydriam plenam aque, quam
in manu tenebat, super caput viri sui subito effudit,
dicens, ‘Euigila et loquere’: qui respondens tunc ait, ‘O
vere iam scio et expertus sum quia post ventorum rabiem
sequuntur ymbres’: et isto modo litis contumeliam sua
paciencia deuicit.]
Of this ensample what I mene,
Althogh it be now litel sene
Among the men thilke evidence,
Yit he was upon pacience
So sett, that he himself assaie[884]
In thing which mihte him most mispaie
Desireth, and a wickid wif
He weddeth, which in sorwe and strif 650
Ayein his ese was contraire.
Bot he spak evere softe and faire,
Til it befell, as it is told,
In wynter, whan the dai is cold,
This wif was fro the welle come,
Wher that a pot with water nome
Sche hath, and broghte it into house,
And sih how that hire seli spouse
Was sett and loked on a bok
Nyh to the fyr, as he which tok 660
His ese for a man of age.
And sche began the wode rage,
And axeth him what devel he thoghte,[885]
And bar on hond that him ne roghte
What labour that sche toke on honde,
And seith that such an Housebonde
Was to a wif noght worth a Stre.
He seide nowther nay ne ye,
Bot hield him stille and let hire chyde;
And sche, which mai hirself noght hyde, 670
[Sidenote: =P. i. 302=]
Began withinne forto swelle,
And that sche broghte in fro the welle,
The waterpot sche hente alofte
And bad him speke, and he al softe
Sat stille and noght a word ansuerde;
And sche was wroth that he so ferde,
And axeth him if he be ded;
And al the water on his hed
Sche pourede oute and bad awake.[886]
Bot he, which wolde noght forsake 680
His Pacience, thanne spak,
And seide how that he fond no lak
In nothing which sche hadde do:
For it was wynter time tho,
And wynter, as be weie of kinde
Which stormy is, as men it finde,
Ferst makth the wyndes forto blowe,
And after that withinne a throwe
He reyneth and the watergates
Undoth; ‘and thus my wif algates, 690
Which is with reson wel besein,
Hath mad me bothe wynd and rein
After the Sesoun of the yer.’
And thanne he sette him nerr the fer,
And as he mihte hise clothes dreide,
That he nomore o word ne seide;
Wherof he gat him somdel reste,
For that him thoghte was the beste.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
I not if thilke ensample yit
Acordeth with a mannes wit, 700
[Sidenote: =P. i. 303=]
To soffre as Socrates tho dede:
And if it falle in eny stede
A man to lese so his galle,
Him oghte among the wommen alle[887]
In loves Court be juggement
The name bere of Pacient,
To yive ensample to the goode
Of pacience how that it stode,
That othre men it mihte knowe.
And, Sone, if thou at eny throwe 710
Be tempted ayein Pacience,
Tak hiede upon this evidence;
It schal per cas the lasse grieve.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, so as I believe,
Of that schal be no maner nede,
For I wol take so good hiede,
That er I falle in such assai,
I thenke eschuie it, if I mai.
Bot if ther be oght elles more
Wherof I mihte take lore, 720
I preie you, so as I dar,
Now telleth, that I mai be war,
Som other tale in this matiere.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Sone, it is evere good to lere,
Wherof thou miht thi word restreigne,
Er that thou falle in eny peine.
For who that can no conseil hyde,
He mai noght faile of we beside,
Which schal befalle er he it wite,
As I finde in the bokes write. 730
[Sidenote: =P. i. 304=]
Yit cam ther nevere good of strif,
To seche in all a mannes lif:[888]
[Sidenote: [JUPITER, JUNO AND TIRESIAS.]]
Thogh it beginne on pure game,[889]
Fulofte it torneth into grame
[Sidenote: Hic ponit Confessor exemplum, quod de alterius
lite intromittere cauendum est. Et narrat qualiter Iupiter
cum Iunone super quadam questione litigabat, videlicet
vtrum vir an mulier in amoris concupiscencia feruencius
ardebat; super quo Tiresiam eorum iudicem constituebant.[891]
Et quia ille contra Iunonem in dicte litis causa sentenciam
diffiniuit, irata dea ipsum amborum oculorum lumine
claritatis absque remissione priuauit.]
And doth grevance upon som side.
Wherof the grete Clerk Ovide
After the lawe which was tho
Of Jupiter and of Juno
Makth in his bokes mencioun
How thei felle at dissencioun 740
In manere as it were a borde,[890]
As thei begunne forto worde
Among hemself in privete:
And that was upon this degree,
Which of the tuo more amorous is,
Or man or wif. And upon this
Thei mihten noght acorde in on,
And toke a jugge therupon,
Which cleped is Tiresias,
And bede him demen in the cas;[892] 750
And he withoute avisement
Ayein Juno yaf juggement.
This goddesse upon his ansuere
Was wroth and wolde noght forbere,
Bot tok awey for everemo
The liht fro bothe hise yhen tuo.[893]
Whan Jupiter this harm hath sein,
An other bienfait therayein
He yaf, and such a grace him doth,
That for he wiste he seide soth, 760
[Sidenote: =P. i. 305=]
A Sothseiere he was for evere:
Bot yit that other were levere,[894]
Have had the lokinge of his yhe,
Than of his word the prophecie;
Bot how so that the sothe wente,[895]
Strif was the cause of that he hente
So gret a peine bodily.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, be thou war ther by,
[Sidenote: [CHEST.]]
And hold thi tunge stille clos:
For who that hath his word desclos 770
Er that he wite what he mene,
He is fulofte nyh his tene
And lest ful many time grace,[896]
Wher that he wolde his thonk pourchace.
And over this, my Sone diere,
Of othre men, if thou miht hiere
In privete what thei have wroght,
Hold conseil and descoevere it noght,[897]
For Cheste can no conseil hele,
Or be it wo or be it wele: 780
And tak a tale into thi mynde,
The which of olde ensample I finde.
[Sidenote: [PHEBUS AND CORNIDE.]]
Phebus, which makth the daies lihte,
A love he hadde, which tho hihte
[Sidenote: Quia[898] litigantes ora sua cohibere nequiunt,
hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra illos qui in amoris
causa alterius consilium reuelare presumunt. Et narrat
qualiter quedam auis tunc albissima nomine coruus consilium
domine sue Cornide Phebo denudauit; vnde contigit non
solum ipsam Cornidem interfici, set et coruum, qui antea
tanquam nix albus fuit,[900] in piceum colorem pro perpetuo
transmutari.]
Cornide, whom aboven alle
He pleseth: bot what schal befalle
Of love ther is noman knoweth,
Bot as fortune hire happes throweth.[899]
So it befell upon a chaunce,
A yong kniht tok hire aqueintance 790
[Sidenote: =P. i. 306=]
And hadde of hire al that he wolde:
Bot a fals bridd, which sche hath holde
And kept in chambre of pure yowthe,
Discoevereth all that evere he cowthe.
This briddes name was as tho
Corvus, the which was thanne also
Welmore whyt than eny Swan,
And he that schrewe al that he can[901]
Of his ladi to Phebus seide;
And he for wraththe his swerd outbreide, 800
With which Cornide anon he slowh.
Bot after him was wo ynowh,
And tok a full gret repentance,
Wherof in tokne and remembrance
Of hem whiche usen wicke speche,
Upon this bridd he tok this wreche,
That ther he was snow whyt tofore,[902]
Evere afterward colblak therfore[903]
He was transformed, as it scheweth,
And many a man yit him beschreweth, 810
And clepen him into this day
A Raven, be whom yit men mai
Take evidence, whan he crieth,
That som mishapp it signefieth.
Be war therfore and sei the beste,
If thou wolt be thiself in reste,
Mi goode Sone, as I the rede.[904]
[Sidenote: [JUPITER AND LAAR.]]
For in an other place I rede[905]
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur super eodem: Et narrat
qualiter Laar Nimpha de eo quod Iupiter Iuturnam
adulterauit, Iunoni Iouis vxori secretum[906m] reuelauit.
Quapropter Iupiter ira commotus lingua Laaris prius abscisa
ipsam postea in profundum Acherontis exulem pro perpetuo
mancipauit.]
Of thilke Nimphe which Laar hihte:
For sche the privete be nyhte, 820
[Sidenote: =P. i. 307=]
How Jupiter lay be Jutorne,
Hath told, god made hire overtorne:[906]
Hire tunge he kutte, and into helle
For evere he sende hir forto duelle,
As sche that was noght worthi hiere
To ben of love a Chamberere,
For sche no conseil cowthe hele.
And suche adaies be now fele
In loves Court, as it is seid,
That lete here tunges gon unteid. 830
Mi Sone, be thou non of tho,[907]
To jangle and telle tales so,
And namely that thou ne chyde,
For Cheste can no conseil hide,
For Wraththe seide nevere wel.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, soth is everydel
That ye me teche, and I wol holde
The reule to which I am holde,
To fle the Cheste, as ye me bidde,
For wel is him that nevere chidde. 840
Now tell me forth if ther be more
As touchende unto Wraththes lore.
[Sidenote: [iii. HATE.]]
iii. _Demonis est odium quasi Scriba, cui dabit Ira_
_Materiam scripti cordis ad antra sui._
_Non laxabit amor odii quem frena restringunt,_
_Nec secreta sui iuris adire sinit._
Of Wraththe yit ther is an other,
Which is to Cheste his oghne brother,
[Sidenote: Hic tractat Confessor de tercia specie Ire, que
Odium dicitur, cuius natura omnes Ire inimicicias ad mentem
reducens, illas vsque ad tempus vindicte velut[908] Scriba
demonis in cordis papiro commemorandas inserit.]
And is be name cleped Hate,
That soffreth noght withinne his gate
[Sidenote: =P. i. 308=]
That ther come owther love or pes,
For he wol make no reles
Of no debat which is befalle.
Now spek, if thou art on of alle, 850
That with this vice hast ben withholde.
As yit for oght that ye me tolde,
Mi fader, I not what it is.
In good feith, Sone, I trowe yis.
Mi fader, nay, bot ye me lere.
Now lest, my Sone, and thou schalt here.
Hate is a wraththe noght schewende,
Bot of long time gaderende,[909]
And duelleth in the herte loken,
Til he se time to be wroken; 860
And thanne he scheweth his tempeste
Mor sodein than the wilde beste,
Which wot nothing what merci is.
Mi Sone, art thou knowende of this?
[Sidenote: Confessio Amantis.]
My goode fader, as I wene,
Now wot I somdel what ye mene;
Bot I dar saufly make an oth,
Mi ladi was me nevere loth.[910]
I wol noght swere natheles
That I of hate am gulteles; 870
For whanne I to my ladi plie
Fro dai to dai and merci crie,
And sche no merci on me leith
Bot schorte wordes to me seith,
Thogh I my ladi love algate,
Tho wordes moste I nedes hate;
[Sidenote: =P. i. 309=]
And wolde thei were al despent,
Or so ferr oute of londe went
That I nevere after scholde hem hiere;
And yit love I my ladi diere. 880
Thus is ther Hate, as ye mai se,
Betwen my ladi word and me;
The word I hate and hire I love,
What so me schal betide of love.
Bot forthere mor I wol me schryve,
That I have hated al my lyve
These janglers, whiche of here Envie
Ben evere redi forto lie;
For with here fals compassement
Fuloften thei have mad me schent 890
And hindred me fulofte time,
Whan thei no cause wisten bime,
Bot onliche of here oghne thoght:
And thus fuloften have I boght
The lie, and drank noght of the wyn.
I wolde here happ were such as myn:
For how so that I be now schrive,
To hem ne mai I noght foryive,
Til that I se hem at debat
With love, and thanne myn astat[911] 900
Thei mihten be here oghne deme,[912]
And loke how wel it scholde hem qweme
To hindre a man that loveth sore.
And thus I hate hem everemore,
Til love on hem wol don his wreche:[913]
For that schal I alway beseche
[Sidenote: =P. i. 310=]
Unto the mihti Cupido,
That he so mochel wolde do,
So as he is of love a godd,
To smyte hem with the same rodd 910
With which I am of love smite;
So that thei mihten knowe and wite
How hindringe is a wofull peine
To him that love wolde atteigne.
Thus evere on hem I wayte and hope,
Til I mai sen hem lepe a lope,
And halten on the same Sor
Which I do now: for overmor[914]
I wolde thanne do my myht
So forto stonden in here lyht, 920
That thei ne scholden finde a weie[915]
To that thei wolde, bot aweie
I wolde hem putte out of the stede
Fro love, riht as thei me dede
With that thei speke of me be mowthe.
So wolde I do, if that I cowthe,
Of hem, and this, so god me save,
Is al the hate that I have,
Toward these janglers everydiel;
I wolde alle othre ferde wel. 930
Thus have I, fader, said mi wille;
Say ye now forth, for I am stille.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, of that thou hast me said
I holde me noght fulli paid:
That thou wolt haten eny man,
To that acorden I ne can,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 311=]
Thogh he have hindred thee tofore.
Bot this I telle thee therfore,
Thou miht upon my beneicoun
Wel haten the condicioun 940
Of tho janglers, as thou me toldest,[916]
Bot furthermor, of that thou woldest
Hem hindre in eny other wise,
Such Hate is evere to despise.
Forthi, mi Sone, I wol thee rede,
That thou drawe in be frendlihede
That thou ne miht noght do be hate;
So miht thou gete love algate
And sette thee, my Sone, in reste,
For thou schalt finde it for the beste. 950
And over this, so as I dar,
I rede that thou be riht war
Of othre mennes hate aboute,
Which every wysman scholde doute:
For Hate is evere upon await,
And as the fisshere on his bait
Sleth, whan he seth the fisshes faste,
So, whan he seth time ate laste,
That he mai worche an other wo,
Schal noman tornen him therfro, 960
That Hate nyle his felonie
Fulfille and feigne compaignie
Yit natheles, for fals Semblant
Is toward him of covenant
Withholde, so that under bothe
The prive wraththe can him clothe,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 312=]
That he schal seme of gret believe.
Bot war thee wel that thou ne lieve
Al that thou sest tofore thin yhe,
So as the Gregois whilom syhe:[917] 970
The bok of Troie who so rede,
Ther mai he finde ensample in dede.
[Sidenote: [KING NAMPLUS AND THE GREEKS.]]
Sone after the destruccioun,[918]
Whan Troie was al bete doun
[Sidenote: Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra illos qui,
cum Ire sue odium aperte vindicare non possint, ficta
dissimilacione vindictam subdole assequuntur.[919] Et
narrat quod cum Palamades princeps Grecorum in obsidione
Troie a quibusdam suis emulis proditorie[920] interfectus
fuisset, paterque[921] suus Rex Namplus in patria sua tunc
existens huiusmodi euentus certitudinem sciuisset, Grecos
in sui cordis odium super omnia recollegit. Vnde contigit
quod, cum Greci deuicta Troia per altum mare versus
Greciam nauigio remeantes obscurissimo noctis tempore
nimia ventorum tempestate iactabantur, Rex Namplus in
terra sua contra litus maris, vbi maiora saxorum eminebant
pericula, super cacumina montium grandissimos noctanter
fecit ignes: quos Greci aspicientes saluum portum ibidem
inuenire certissime putabant, et terram approximantes
diruptis nauibus magna pars Grecorum periclitabatur. Et sic,
quod[922] Namplus viribus nequiit, odio latitante[923] per
dissimilacionis fraudem vindicauit.]
And slain was Priamus the king,
The Gregois, whiche of al this thing
Ben cause, tornen hom ayein.
Ther mai noman his happ withsein;
It hath be sen and felt fulofte,
The harde time after the softe: 980
Be See as thei forth homward wente,
A rage of gret tempeste hem hente;
Juno let bende hire parti bowe,
The Sky wax derk, the wynd gan blowe,
The firy welkne gan to thondre,
As thogh the world scholde al to sondre;
Fro hevene out of the watergates
The reyni Storm fell doun algates
And al here takel made unwelde,
That noman mihte himself bewelde. 990
Ther mai men hiere Schipmen crie,
That stode in aunter forto die:
He that behinde sat to stiere
Mai noght the forestempne hiere;
The Schip aros ayein the wawes,
The lodesman hath lost his lawes,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 313=]
The See bet in on every side:
Thei nysten what fortune abide,
Bot sette hem al in goddes wille,
Wher he hem wolde save or spille.[924] 1000
And it fell thilke time thus:
Ther was a king, the which Namplus
Was hote, and he a Sone hadde,
At Troie which the Gregois ladde,
As he that was mad Prince of alle,
Til that fortune let him falle:
His name was Palamades.
Bot thurgh an hate natheles
Of some of hem his deth was cast
And he be tresoun overcast. 1010
His fader, whan he herde it telle,
He swor, if evere his time felle,
He wolde him venge, if that he mihte,
And therto his avou behihte:[925]
And thus this king thurgh prive hate
Abod upon await algate,
For he was noght of such emprise
To vengen him in open wise.
The fame, which goth wyde where,
Makth knowe how that the Gregois were 1020
Homward with al the felaschipe
Fro Troie upon the See be Schipe.
Namplus, whan he this understod,
And knew the tydes of the flod,
And sih the wynd blew to the lond,
A gret deceipte anon he fond
[Sidenote: =P. i. 314=]
Of prive hate, as thou schalt hiere,
Wherof I telle al this matiere.[926]
This king the weder gan beholde,[927]
And wiste wel thei moten holde 1030
Here cours endlong his marche riht,[928]
And made upon the derke nyht
Of grete Schydes and of blockes
Gret fyr ayein the grete rockes,
To schewe upon the helles hihe,
So that the Flete of Grece it sihe.
And so it fell riht as he thoghte:
This Flete, which an havene soghte,
The bryghte fyres sih a ferr,
And thei hem drowen nerr and nerr, 1040
And wende wel and understode
How al that fyr was mad for goode,
To schewe wher men scholde aryve,
And thiderward thei hasten blyve.[929]
In Semblant, as men sein, is guile,
And that was proved thilke while;
The Schip, which wende his helpe acroche,[930]
Drof al to pieces on the roche,
And so ther deden ten or twelve;
Ther mihte noman helpe himselve, 1050
For ther thei wenden deth ascape,
Withouten help here deth was schape.
Thus thei that comen ferst tofore
Upon the Rockes be forlore,
Bot thurgh the noise and thurgh the cri
These othre were al war therby;
[Sidenote: =P. i. 315=]
And whan the dai began to rowe,
Tho mihten thei the sothe knowe,
That wher they wenden frendes finde,
Thei founden frenschipe al behinde.[931] 1060
The lond was thanne sone weyved,
Wher that thei hadden be deceived,
And toke hem to the hihe See;
Therto thei seiden alle yee,
Fro that dai forth and war thei were[932]
Of that thei hadde assaied there.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, hierof thou miht avise
How fraude stant in many wise
Amonges hem that guile thenke;
Ther is no Scrivein with his enke 1070
Which half the fraude wryte can
That stant in such a maner man:
Forthi the wise men ne demen
The thinges after that thei semen,
Bot after that thei knowe and finde.
The Mirour scheweth in his kinde
As he hadde al the world withinne,
And is in soth nothing therinne;
And so farth Hate for a throwe:
Til he a man hath overthrowe, 1080
Schal noman knowe be his chere
Which is avant, ne which arere.
Forthi, mi Sone, thenke on this.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, so I wole ywiss;
And if ther more of Wraththe be,
Now axeth forth per charite,
[Sidenote: =P. i. 316=]
As ye be youre bokes knowe,
And I the sothe schal beknowe.
[Sidenote: [iv. v. CONTEK AND HOMICIDE.]]
iv. _Qui cohibere manum nequit, et sit spiritus eius_[933]
_Naribus, hic populo sepe timendus erit._
_Sepius in luctum Venus et sua gaudia transfert,_
_Cumque suis thalamis talis amicus adest._
_Est amor amplexu non ictibus alliciendus,_
_Frangit amicicias impetuosa manus._